Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Burn Down a Church that Planned to Host Drag Show Events

An Ohio man pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and to using fire and explosives to commit a felony, all in connection with his attempt to burn down a church because of the churchs support for the LGBTQI+ community.

According to court documents, on March 25, Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, made Molotov cocktails and drove to the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC), in Chesterland, Ohio. Angered by the churchs plan to host two drag events the following weekend, Penny threw two Molotov cocktails at the church, hoping to burn it to the ground. Through Pennys guilty plea, he admitted to using force through fire and explosives, intending to obstruct CCC congregants in their enjoyment and expression of their religious beliefs.

Penny was arrested and charged earlier this year with violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, one count of using fire to commit a federal felony, one count of malicious use of explosive materials and one count of possessing a destructive device.

Attempting to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland for their support of the LGBTQI+ community is reprehensible, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. There is no room in this country for such bias-motivated violence and terror, and the Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans in their free exercise of religious beliefs by vigorously prosecuting those who target houses of worship. Our churches should be safe havens for all people, not sites subjected to violence motivated by hate and vitriol.

Mr. Penny admitted to attempting to burn down a church because he did not like the way congregants chose to express their beliefs, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. Such acts of extremist violence are antithetical to core American values of freedom of expression and worship and we will not tolerate those who would use force to deny our citizens the free exercise of their rights.

By pleading guilty, Aimenn Penny has admitted that he attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland because he disagreed with a planned LGBTQI+ event, said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. Violence is never appropriate to settle differences in beliefs. All members of our community are entitled to peacefully assemble, worship, and express themselves freely, without fear of violence or intimidation, and the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio will aggressively prosecute criminals who threaten that right.

The FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force worked in tandem with our local law enforcement and community partners to identify and bring federal charges against a hate-fueled individual, motivated to violence by his extremist ideology, said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBIs National Security Branch. He committed these despicable acts in an effort to terrorize and intimidate a religious institutions free expression, and he should face accountability for these crimes.

Penny faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act and a 10-year mandatory prison sentence that will run consecutively with any other prison term imposed for using fire to commit a federal felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 29, 2024.

The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Deckert and Matthew W. Shepard for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Divisions Criminal Section.

This story has been published on: 2023-10-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese premier arrives in Kyrgyzstan for SCO meeting, visit

Xinhua) 08:09, October 25, 2023

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends a grand welcome ceremony held by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 24, 2023. Li Qiang arrived here on Tuesday to attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States, and pay an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic from Tuesday to Friday at the invitation of Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BISHKEK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here on Tuesday to attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States, and pay an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic from Tuesday to Friday at the invitation of Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov.

"China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen political and strategic mutual trust, create more new highlights and new benchmarks for cooperation, and enrich the China-Kyrgyzstan friendship with more connotation of the times," Li said during a brief meeting with Japarov at the airport.

The Chinese side looks forward to working with other SCO members to jointly carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, and inject new impetus into regional peace, stability and development, he added.

Li said since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Kyrgyzstan have always been working in solidarity, helping each other, cooperating based on mutual benefits and win-win results, and have made fruitful achievements in various areas, as well as achieved close and highly efficient coordination on international affairs.

China and Kyrgyzstan are truly good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers, Li said.

"The goal of my visit to Kyrgyzstan is to enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation, deepen friendship, and promote peace," he said.

For his part, Japarov warmly welcomed Li's visit to Kyrgyzstan and spoke highly of the positive development momentum of bilateral ties. The Kyrgyz side is willing to enhance exchanges in various fields with the Chinese side, push forward the Belt and Road cooperation, elevate the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era to new heights, and jointly promote Central Asia's stability and development, he said.

As Li's chartered plane arrived at Manas International Airport in Bishkek Tuesday afternoon, Japarov and senior Kyrgyz government officials met him at the airport. Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen also greeted him at the airport.

Japarov held a grand welcome ceremony for Li at the airport. A military band played the national anthems of both countries. Li, accompanied by Japarov, reviewed the honor guard.

Chinese State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong also attended the meeting.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends a grand welcome ceremony held by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 24, 2023. Li Qiang arrived here on Tuesday to attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States, and pay an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic from Tuesday to Friday at the invitation of Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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1. Yes. If KHA cant continue to run it, the city should step in. Its a necessary asset to the area.

2. Yes. The city already uses it as a warming and cooling center. It would be a smart move.

3. No. It may be in the citys interest to help subsidize insurance for the center, but nothing more.

4. No. The city doesnt need the added burden of staffing and insuring the center. Its a bad idea.

5. Unsure. It may be seem like a good idea, but other options should be explored as well.

Vote

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KEARNE  A prescription take-back event will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the north parking lot of CHI Health Good Samaritan at 3201 A Ave.

The Buffalo County Sheriffs Office will host the National DEA event, in partnership with the Kearney Police Department, CHI Health Good Samaritan, Kearney/Holdrege Elks Lodge #984, and Buffalo County Community Partners Positive Pressure.

The public can bring unused medications for disposal. The service is free and anonymous, and no questions asked.

Last spring Americans turned in 663,725 pounds of prescription drugs in this nationwide event. This is a vital service. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 111,000 people died from a drug overdose last year.

Medicines that stay in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Prescription drug abuse in the U.S. is alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Prescriptions can be taken back to pharmacies year-round to be disposed of. These include ABC Drug, Hy-Vee, Walgreens, CVS (in Target), Haeberles (Apple Market), Valley Pharmacy (Kearney Clinic) and U-Save.

Pharmacies outside Kearney include Svanda Rexall Pharmacy in Ravenna and Lamberts Family Pharmacy in Gibbon.

Saturday's event is funded in part by federal and Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services funds.
McIntosh Memorial Library Youth Services Director Laci Sheldon was one of 24 people recognized by the River Valley Media Group and 7 Rivers Alliance for being a Rising Star Award winner during a recent reception.

Rising Star winners are area men and women who are committed to making their communities a better place to live and work. To be nominated for an award an individual must be under 40 years old.

Sheldon was nominated by Library Director Trina Erickson. Erickson highlighted the accomplishments of Sheldon including managing the After School Program, creating original programming supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the numerous speaking engagements Sheldon has participated in with Erickson across the country talking about the power of small rural libraries. Sheldon received her award on Oct. 19.

Trina Erickson, Laci Sheldon and Maggie Stritmatter are all attending the Wisconsin Library Associations annual conference in Middleton this week. The theme of the three-day conference is "Don't Stop Believing. The conference offers a unique opportunity to network with peers, exchange ideas, and gain valuable insights from industry experts. Maggie, our Adult Programming and Outreach staff person, will be leading a 60-minute program at the conference regarding passive programming opportunities.

We appreciate everyone who supported the Friends of the Librarys annual Fiber Faire Silent Auction this month. We had 100 handmade items created by local crafters donated for the auction. Many of you stopped back numerous times during October to raise bids to help raise more money for the organization. Individuals securing the highest bids on items will be contacted this week and encouraged to stop by the Friends Bookstore as soon as possible to pay for and pick up items. All money raised from the event is used by the organization to support special purchases and programs offered by the McIntosh Memorial Library. If you have questions about the event, please call the bookstore at 608-637-7151, extension 2.

The Friends of the Library are seeking donations for their upcoming fall book sale. Mark your calendars for Nov. 9-11 for the sale. The event will be held inside the library lobby during library hours. To prepare, the Friends are seeking donations of gently used books, DVDs, audiobooks or puzzles. Donations may be brought to the library now.

To stay up-to-date on everything happening at the library, like the Viroqua Library page on Facebook, visit our website at www.mcintoshmemoriallibrary.org, or visit us in person at 205 S. Rock Ave. in Viroqua.
English Lutheran Church will host a community Trunk or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the English Lutheran Church parking lot, 741 North East Avenue, Viroqua.

Church members will line the parking lot to hand out candy and goodies as kids and families walk through dressed in costumes. Families can also participate in activities, games and crafts, and enjoy a light lunch of hot dogs, chips, string cheese, cookies and beverages. There is no cost to attend. All are welcome.
A residential structure in La Crosse sustained moderate damage after a fire broke out during the late-night hours Saturday, Oct. 21.

Fire crews responded shortly before 10:30 p.m. to 2522 Harvey Street, where heavy smoke was coming from the back of the home. Crews identified the basement as the source of the fire and were able to quickly extinguish it.

The fire was contained to the basement. The building sustained both fire and smoke damage.

The occupant of the home of was out of the building when the fire started, and no injuries were reported.

The Red Cross is assisting the resident with a temporary residence.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Jackson County Sheriffs Office has added a bloodhound to its law enforcement staff.

Oaklee is a 7-month-old bloodhound who is trained in trailing. The K9 unit will be used for locating missing persons and also for tracking suspects in criminal cases, according to the Jackson County press release. Chief Deputy Adam Olson will be her handler.

In 2022, the chief deputy submitted a grant application to the Jimmy Ryce Center seeking funding assistance for a bloodhound for the Sheriffs Office. The Jimmy Ryce Center provides AKC bloodhounds to law enforcement to be used for finding lost and/or abducted children.

Olson was awarded a grant for a bloodhound puppy, and he partnered with Bluegrass Bloodhound in Leitchfield, Kentucky, to receive a trained bloodhound.

Additional funding to support the associated costs of maintaining an additional K9 came from a grant from AKC Reunite.

The Jimmy Ryce Center was developed after 9-year-old Jimmy Ryce was abducted, raped and murdered on Sept. 11, 1995, on his way home from school. His family led massive searches for Jimmy for months before finally getting closure. Don and Claudine Ryce believed that if bloodhounds had been available to law enforcement, it may have changed the tragic outcome of this case.

Bluegrass Bloodhounds was developed in 2021 when Rhea Miller, an elderly woman, went missing from her home. When family asked law enforcement why dogs were not brought in to assist, the answer was there were no dogs available. In memory of Rhea Miller, a partnership was formed to assist law enforcement with obtaining and training bloodhounds.
La Crosse County is proud to announce that it has been awarded the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life grant, administered by the Office on Violence Against Women.

As a result, the county will collaborate with a variety of community partners to build on resources and education in supporting efforts to address elder abuse among individuals aged 60 and older in our community, according to the press release
Family caregivers are seeking to make their plight a 2024 campaign issue after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the lack of support for the more than 53 million people who provide unpaid care to parents, spouses, friends and disabled children.

Exhausted from shortages of workers who help care for people who need it and the rising costs of caregiving, advocates argue caregivers could become a powerful voting bloc in next years elections.

The pandemic laid bare the fact that this country doesnt have a caregiver infrastructure, said Nicole Jorwic, chief of advocacy and campaigns for Caring Across Generations.

This is an issue that the government can step in on because they have, she said, referring to temporary funding Congress passed for child care and services that help older people and people with disabilities stay in their homes.

During the pandemic, Medicaid programs in many states also allowed payments to caregivers and Congress required certain employers to provide paid leave related to COVID-19.

While groups like Caring Across Generations and AARP have long pushed for politicians to support unpaid family caregivers, they are hoping the pandemic has brought more attention to the issue and demonstrated the need for a permanent solution from the federal government.

AARP, one of the most powerful advocacy groups in the United States, plans to frame the issue as an economic one that impacts millions of people providing unpaid care to parents, spouses and friends.

Its going to be one of the two issues AARP is going to ask everybody running for public office: Whats your position on Social Security? And whats your position on family caregiving?' said Nancy LeaMond, AARPs executive vice president and chief advocacy engagement officer. She called the caregiving issue a gateway to a broader debate on long-term care.

People typically become caregivers because of the lack of a long-term care structure in the United States. Medicare doesnt pay for long-term care, and while people with Medicaid can qualify for some support, like stays in nursing homes and home- and community-based services, that doesnt help millions of people who technically make too much money to qualify for the program.

That has left family members to step in, often at a moments notice after a fall or injury, with no real training or support from the government and health systems.

Those costs are major costs. And thats a lot of what were going to be doing in 2024 is showing the true costs of care, Jorwic said. There is a real cost of not addressing this problem to families everywhere.

A 2020 AARP survey found that 23 percent of caregivers feel their duties have made their own health worse, while 38 percent said they are experiencing a moderate to high degree of financial strain from providing care.

The issue is particularly important to the so-called sandwich generation: adult children caring for their own kids while also providing support to aging or disabled parents.

Advocates are pushing for a permanent structure that includes 12 weeks of paid leave, caregiver tax credits, child care affordability measures and the expansion of services that allow people with disabilities and older people to receive extra help in their homes and communities.

They also want increased wages and better benefits for direct care workers to attract more people to the field and reduce shortages that are burdening caregivers.

We should see care platforms from every presidential contender, Jorwic said.

Caregiving advocates saw a measure of success in 2020, when President Joe Biden ran in part on a platform of addressing the long-term care and caregiving crisis.

His administration released the first national strategy to support family caregivers last year, including actions that governments and the public and private sectors can take.

But Congress rejected most of Bidens caregiving agenda, including policies that would have required 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave and expanded access to services that help people stay in their homes and communities.

Overall, politicians still dont see the care crisis as one that must be urgently addressed, said Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

We have to let our elected officials, our candidates know that they have to champion those solutions or there will be consequences, Poo said. Politicians still dont see the care crisis as one that must be urgently addressed. That is the work of 2024  there is not a kitchen table in America where people are not talking about care.

In May, AARP released a survey that found that more than half of registered voters 18 and older believe it is extremely or very important to provide support to unpaid family caregivers.

The issue is likely to come up in some U.S. Senate races, including in Pennsylvania, where Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is up for reelection. Casey plans to make caregiving issues a part of his campaign platform, campaign manager Tiernan Donohue said.

LeaMond said theres bipartisan support for policies that help caregivers.

But that support begins to fall apart when costs are discussed.

Theres progress on policy, she said. There just isnt any progress on actually getting anything done.

Aging relative moving in? Here's how to prepare for their safety, comfort, and finances Decide when's the right time Accommodate memory loss Know where to go for financial help
Madison-based American Family Insurance continues to investigate a computer system malfunction or breach that has customers unable to conduct business online and shut down internet service for tenants in a Downtown building it owns.

Internet service was down at the companys Spark building on East Washington Avenue in Madison, according to a security guard at the front desk of the building Monday. The head of a primary tenant there, coworking space StartingBlock, declined to say whether he had internet access and referred questions to American Family.

By Wednesday morning, Wi-Fi service there had been restored, according to American Family spokesperson Clare Hendricks.

Last week, American Family Insurance communicated with tenants of the Spark building in Madison regarding internet outages in the building, she said in a statement. We provide some of the tenants access to our WiFi system. Due to the security concerns from the unusual activities, some tenants lost internet access. These network issues are a result of how we are proactively protecting sensitive information. During the outage, we worked with tenants and offered some work-arounds when able.

Hendricks said it is the only building the company owns that has tenants.

Access to American Familys online services remained hampered Wednesday. A screen shot of a company web page provided by an American Family customer includes the alert service outage and says customers will not be penalized for not being able to make a payment online because the system is down, and that their coverage wont end due to nonpayment as long as the computer system is not working.

In an email to that same customer, the companys Solutions Response Teams says: Unfortunately, due to a system outage, Im not able to assist you right now.

On Friday, American Family said it shut down some of its business systems after detecting unusual activity on its network.

We quickly took precautionary measures to protect data and resources and shut down several business systems, the company said in an email statement Friday. We recognize the system outages are impacting customers, agents and employees, and we appreciate their patience and understanding.

American Family said then that it had not found any breaches in customer data. Its investigation includes internal and third-party experts.

We will begin to bring systems back online as we complete our investigative and safeguarding efforts, the company said.

Hendricks said Wednesday morning that the Friday statement remains accurate and that we are making progress on bringing our systems safely back online and acknowledge the disruption this has caused for customers, employees and agents.

She said access to various American Family services is changing as it repairs its system and to check the companys website for support.

The systems shutdown comes after Kwik Trip on Thursday said it fell victim to a cybersecurity incident that caused disruptions to its internal network that are still affecting the gas station chain.

Photos: Final round of the American Family Insurance Championship
Williams Bay-based Gage Marine, a full-service marine dealer with two locations in the Lake Geneva area, on Oct. 18 announced the acquisition of Minocqua-based Stengle Marine in Oneida County.

Known for its exceptional dealer service, Stengl Marine, founded in 1978, has served boaters in the Minocqua area for 45 years with leading boat brands MasterCraft and Barletta, and repair and storage services.

With both Gages and Stengls understanding of the value of leisure time on the water, Wisconsins Northwoods boaters will continue to enjoy diverse product offerings and exceptional customer service.

This acquisition is an important step in our growth strategy and aligns with our mission to provide opportunities for more people to enjoy the lake life, said Bill Gage, Jr., third-generation owner and CEO of Gage Marine. Stengl has a tremendous reputation, and Im thrilled to have their team continue to serve the Northwoods market, including Bill Stengl as general manager. The combined power of Stengls current customer base, outstanding service, and Gages additional brands create a powerful team giving Northwoods boaters a wider selection of boats to buy to enjoy the lake life.

Upon acquisition, Stengl Marine will become Gage Marine, Minocqua. The dealership will continue to sell MasterCraft and Barletta boats, as well as begin offering Chris-Craft boats.

After being approached by Gage Marine, we were excited about the potential combination of our two family-owned companies, as Gages reputation for extraordinary customer service is well-known in the industry, said Bill Stengl, general manager of Stengl Marine. Gage Marines mission of providing an unmatched lake life experience, combined with ensuring their dealership is the best place to work in the industry, align perfectly with our way of doing business. This acquisition allows us the opportunity to continue our long-term growth plans while maintaining our focus on taking exceptional care of our customers and employees in a way that only family-owned businesses can do.

Additionally, this acquisition marks the culmination of a 45-year career for Stengl Marine founders Jim and Chris Stengl, who have worked side-by-side from day one to build Stengl Marine into one of the leading marine dealerships in Wisconsin.

Over all these years, Chris and I have been so fortunate to work with so many awesome customers and employees," said Jim Stengl, founder and owner of Stengl Marine. "It is so gratifying to see the growth and success of our business over the past several years, and we're excited to see where Gage will take it from here."

Added Bill Stengl, We are so excited for Jim and Chris to be able to have the time to enjoy their many interests outside of work, and we are committed to honoring their legacy in everything we do.

Celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, Gage Marine Corporation is a family-owned company founded in 1873. This parent company includes Gage Marine Boat Sales and Service, Gage Marine Pier Services, Lake Geneva Cruise Line, PIER 290 restaurant, Lake Life Catering, and the Lake Life Store, all located in the Lake Geneva area.

In Delavan, Gage Marine offers new and used sales of premium boat brands, including MasterCraft, Chris-Craft, Boston Whaler, Bennington and Monterey. The full-service dealership offers five-star rated service, including woodworking, fiberglass repair and sailboat rigging. The dealership is also home to a state-of-the-art storage facility, one of the largest of its kind in Wisconsin.

Gage Marina, located in Williams Bay, offers lakefront activities including in-and-out valet boat service and a boat club.

Gage Marine has been voted a Top 100 Dealer for 17 years in a row and recently received an MRAA Marine Industry Certified Dealer award.

Stengl is a strong strategic fit with a complementary product offering and a passion for providing great service, Gage said. We will work together to ensure this combination supports our customers and benefits the community.

For more information, visit gagemarine.com or stenglmarine.com.

Green Bay Packer legend Donald Driver makes stop in Lake Geneva Former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver enters the U.S. Mailboat Walworth to prepare for a commercial shoot Bill Gage, president of Gage Marine, and Donald Driver go over a scene for a commercial Green Bay Packer legend Donald Driver shares a laugh with Visit Lake Geneva President and CEO Stephanie Klett Green Bay Packer legend Donald Driver poses for a photo with the crew from the U.S. Mailboat Walworth Donald Driver prepares to make a mailboat jump during a commercial shoot Donald Driver returns to the U.S. Mailboat Walworth after making a successful mailboat jump Donald Driver strikes a pose after a successful commercial shoot Donald Driver is all smiles after making another successful mailboat jump Donald Driver poses for a photo with a group of fans after a ride on the U.S. Mailboat Walworth
Sure, Halloween is technically Tuesday, Oct. 31, but the fun really starts this weekend.

Below is a listing of everything Halloween related, from trick-or-treat hours to Halloween events for children, adults and families.

Trick-or-treat hours and events are listed by community, in alphabetical order.

Bloomfield

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

Burlington

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.

Spooky City: Saturday, Oct. 28, all day, various downtown locations. Includes a scavenger hunt, spirit walk, trick-or-treat, coffin parade and races, a free movie, hayrides, crafts and a Fill The Boot for MDA fundraiser. Go to business.experienceburlingtonwi.org.

Darien

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m.

City of Delavan

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m.

Halloween Boat Bash for Adults: Oct. 28, 7-9 p.m., Lake Lawn Resort, 2400 E. Geneva St. A cruise aboard the Lake Lawn Queen with a DJ, drink specials and a chance to win a prize for best costume. Must be 21 or older. Tickets $50 per person. Go to lakelawnresort.com.

Monster Mash Adult Halloween Party: Oct. 28, 8:30-11:30 p.m., Geneva Ballroom, Lake Lawn Resort. Live music by The Hair Band Night, drink specials, costume contest. Must be 21 or older. Tickets $25 per person. Go to lakelawnresort.com.

Family Halloween Party & Boat Cruise: Sunday, Oct. 29, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Lake Lawn Resort. Including a boat ride, pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating and more. Go to lakelawnresort.com for ticket prices and more.

Town of Delavan

Trick-or-treat: Sunday, Oct. 29, noon-3 p.m.

Halloween Party: Oct. 29, 3-5 p.m., Waters Edge, 1220 South Shore Drive. Costume contest 4 p.m. Balloon making 3-5 p.m. Haunted bus, hot dogs, treat bags. Go to townofdelavan.com.

East Troy

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 5-7:30 p.m.

Trick or Treat Trains: Thursday, Oct. 26; and Friday, Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m., East Troy Depot, 2002 Church St. Take a 20-minute train ride from the depot to Byrnes Park, where a trick-or-treat station and fall activities await children. Tickets $25 ages 15 and older, $22 ages 3-14, $9 ages 2 and younger, $19 for East Troy Electric Railroad members. Note: Oct. 27 tickets were sold out as of press time. Go to easttroyrr.org.

Corn Maze Trick-or-treat: Oct. 29, 1 p.m., Green Meadows Petting Farm, 33603 High Drive. Wear a costume and trick-or-treat the 10-acre corn maze. Last admittance into the maze at 3 p.m. Costume contest 3:30 p.m. Go to greenmeadowsfarmwi.com/fall-activities.

East Troys Pumpkin Pop-up Experience: Friday, Oct. 27-Tuesday, Oct. 31, East Troy Village Square. Enjoy pumpkins created by Little Prairie Primary School students.

Elkhorn

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m.

Beast Fest: Oct. 26-31, various locations. Scavenger hunt through various Elkhorn businesses, the Beast Fest Decor War and a Feast with the Beast Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m., at the Rec Center, 200 Devendorf St. Go to cityofelkhorn.org/parksrec.

Fontana

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

Town of Geneva

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 29, noon-5 p.m.

Stage Frights Film Festival & Halloween Haunts: Oct. 28, 2 p.m.-midnight, Lake Geneva House of Music, N3241 Highway H. Costume contest, food, drinks, smashing pumpkin slingshot challenge, live music by The Quilz and Carrellee and screening of film shorts Nosferatu and Nacht. Tickets $5 ages 12 and older, free for those younger than 12. Go to lghom.com.

Halloween Bash: Oct. 28, 6 p.m., The Thirsty Parrot, W3725 Club House Drive. Early bird costume contest 7 p.m. Main costume contest at 11 p.m. Live music by Un-Hichd 9 p.m.-midnight.

Genoa City

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

Lake Geneva

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 29, noon-3 p.m.

Halloween Party: Oct. 28, 5 p.m., Topsy Turvy Brewery, 727 Geneva St. Live music by Just Dave, costume contest, local trivia. Go to the Topsy Turvy Brewery Facebook page.

Halloween Spooktacular: Oct. 28, 6 p.m., Magpies Den & Pen, 642 W. Main St. Magpies and Lake 961s party features drink specials, door prizes and live music by Big Al Wetzel Band and Loverboyz. No cover but $5 suggested donation will go to the WALCO Reading Project.

Baker House Haunted Mansion Halloween Party: Oct. 28, 9 p.m.-midnight, Baker House, 327 Wrigley Drive. Costume contest, music by DJ Illya, specialty cocktails and more. Free admission. Go to bakerhouse1885.com.

Halloween Party: Oct. 28, 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m., Thumbs Up, 260 Broad St. Drink specials, costumes. DJ Hollywood provides music.

Trunk or Treat 2023: Oct. 29, 1-5 p.m., Lake City Social, 111 Center St. Games, live music, a strolling magician, bounce house, candy wonderland, an old-fashioned cocktail and beer bar for adults and more. Free admission to this Lake Geneva Jaycees event. Go to the Jaycees Facebook page.

Town of Lyons

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 28, 2-4 p.m.

Kids Halloween Party: Oct. 28, 4-6 p.m., Lyons Center School, 1622 Mill St. Spooky cupcake decorating, dance party, crafts, costume judging, goodie bags, hotdogs, chips, hot chocolate.

Village of Walworth

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m.

Whitewater

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

Williams Bay

Trick-or-treat: Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.
On 24 October thousands of people took to the streets in Panama City and other provinces in a second day of protests against a new contract between the government led by Presidentand Minera Panama S.A. (MPSA), the subsidiary of Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals (FQM) regarding copper mine Cobre Panama.

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A Missouri woman was sentenced Tuesday to the maximum of three years in prison after she was found guilty of causing a deadly crash that killed an Omaha man earlier this year.

Lorena Lara-Diaz, 38, of Marshall, Missouri, appeared in front of a packed courtroom Tuesday afternoon for sentencing after she pleaded no contest and was found guilty of felony motor vehicle homicide. She was initially charged with manslaughter for causing the March crash that killed 45-year-old motorcyclist Gary Mangiameli, but that charge was reduced as part of a plea deal.

Lara-Diaz was sentenced to three years in jail, the statutory maximum, by Douglas County District Court Judge Peter Bataillon. Though the family was glad she received the maximum sentence, they still dont feel that justice was served.

She really deserves 20 years, Mangiamelis uncle, Richard Mangiameli, said in court Tuesday. I think this law has to change.

According to court documents, police were called to 26th and L Streets at about 2:20 a.m. on March 25 to reports of a crash between a motorcycle and pickup truck.

The investigation showed that Lara-Diaz, driving a Chevrolet Silverado, was eastbound on L Street before turning northbound onto the JFK Expressway on-ramp. Mangiameli was riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle westbound on L Street when Lara-Diaz failed to yield and struck him in the intersection.

Mangiameli was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after the crash.

Search warrant affidavits say that Lara-Diaz had an odor of alcoholic beverage on her person, but she refused field sobriety tests and later refused to take a breath test. Police did not request a warrant to test her blood to determine her blood alcohol content.

Prosecutors said in court Tuesday that Lara-Diaz admitted to drinking four margaritas at a nightclub near the scene of the crash before getting behind the wheel. Had she been charged with DUI motor vehicle homicide, she would have faced up to 20 years in prison.

In court Tuesday, Lara-Diaz apologized to Mangiamelis family through sobs.

Im very sorry for everything that happened, she said through a translator. I dont have the words.

Dozens of people submitted victim impact statements to the court about how the loss of Mangiameli has affected them. He was deeply family-oriented and was a father of seven children, the youngest ages 5 and 6.
NORFOLK  In mid-September, a person who lives in an apartment unit at 1414 S. Third St. in Norfolk called the police to report hearing pleas for help from somewhere in the building.

A month later, a maintenance employee at the building discovered a body in a chimney below the callers apartment, and police are now investigating the death.

On Wednesday, the body was identified as 29-year-old Zachariah Andrews of Norfolk. Norfolk Police said in a news release that they have been in "regular contact" with Andrews' family since the beginning of the investigation into the body.

The buildings owner, a tenant and a Norfolk police captain spoke recently about the September phone call, the discovery of the body, the early stages of the investigation and the oddity of the case.

According to call logs published by the Norfolk Police Division, a man phoned the police to report that he heard a male subject yelling for help on Sept. 16, a Saturday afternoon. Two officers arrived at the scene at 3:23 p.m. that day and left at 3:39 p.m.

A brief description of the officers response that day states that police were not able to identify any sort of disturbance, and that the noise the tenant heard may have been somebodys television.

A tenant in the building spoke on the condition of anonymity, explaining that he lives across the hall from the person who called police that day about the apparent cries for help. The tenant said he had spoken with both the landlord and the man who made the call.

And it was someone saying, Dear help me, Jesus. Help me, Jesus. Dear Jesus, help me, the tenant said.

At least one of the officers went to an apartment on the ground floor and heard TV audio from the hallway. The officer later told the original caller that the TV was the likely source of the noise.

The Daily News source said he believes a more thorough investigation into the cries for help could have been done.

This whole thing could have been prevented, he said.

The source said he has a hard time believing that somebody could get inside the chimney on their own, adding that he questions whether the death was accidental.

You don't accidentally climb 40 feet (to the apartment roof) and accidentally fall down a chimney, he said.

The tenant has familiarity with the chimney because he installed a camera system earlier this year for the building's owner, Glenn Wapelhorst, which required the man to run wiring down a wall next to the chimney.

A person would have to use a ladder to scale the roof of Hank and Snooks Mint Bar next door and then use a ladder to get from the roof of the bar to the roof of the apartment building, the tenant said. The top of the chimney is then another 7 feet above the roof.

You cant fall into it, the man said.

The resident further explained that in mid- to late September, some tenants at the building began to complain of a foul odor and swarms of flies in the building. There was blood in that area, the tenant said, and it was believed that an animal of some sort had become stuck and died.

Knowing now that the source of the bad smell was a decomposing human body instead of a dead animal, the tenant said he wonders how there could have been as much blood as there was. He believes that there arent any objects that could cause cuts during a fall down the length of the chimney.

The tenant said he couldnt help but wonder how scared the person must have been.

Youre stuck in a chimney, you can't move, you're not climbing up, not going down, the man said. You're screaming for help and no one's coming for you. Youre losing consciousness and losing body weight, you're getting hungry.  What was going through their mind would have been unimaginable, just pure fear.

Wapelhorst said a maintenance employee thought it was possible the putrid smell was caused by clay mixing in with soot and rain. But Wapelhorst asked him to investigate further, so the worker broke in a basement ceiling earlier this month, the day before the body was found, and found a string that resembled an opossum tail.

The maintenance worker agreed to return to the building the next day and remove what was believed to be a dead opossum.

Between 5 and 6 p.m. that day, he discovered the string was actually a shoelace, not a tail. He then called Wapelhorst to tell him what he found.

"He said, Glenn, its not a possum, its a person,' said Wapelhorst, who called police immediately after coming to the apartment building and seeing for himself a shoelace and what appeared to be a shoe.

The building, constructed in 1912, has been home to a number of different businesses, including a nursing home and a hotel with a restaurant. Wapelhorst said the chimney where the body was found has three different flues  one of which has conduits that run to the basement, and another that is used for a furnace. The middle flue, which is abandoned, is where the body was found, he said.

Near the bottom of the chimney, the flue is about 10 inches wide, Wapelhorst said. Toward the top may be wider, he said, but not by more than a few inches.

The landlord confirmed tenants statements that it would be quite difficult, if not impossible, for someone to access the chimney from the inside of the building. And accessing it from the top, he said, would be quite the feat if it was done solo.

On the day Andrews' body was found, Wapelhorst led police up to the chimney using a ladder. A person would need at least a 20-foot ladder to venture up to the apartment roof by way of the Mint Bar roof, he said, and also would require lots of strength to pull up onto the wide-rimmed chimney, he added.

Its perplexing that an individual did this, Wapelhorst said.

Wapelhorst was not at the property when police responded on Sept. 17. All he had been told at the time was that officers did not hear any calls for help or any noise other than a TV.

I cant speak to what they were like at that time, Wapelhorst said of the responding officers. I can just speak what they were like to deal with when they came on Thursday. They were very respectful, helpful, concerned, trying to figure out what was going on, and I didnt pick up a disconnected, lets-just-get-her-done kind of feeling from them, as far as what my experience was on Thursday.

Im really grateful for the work and the job that they do.

Wapelhorst does not think that the dead person was living at the apartment building because all of the tenants paid their rent during the first week of October, well after a voice pleading for help was heard by a tenant.

The landlord, who spoke to a reporter before Andrews was identified, said he is grieving for the dead person and for the person's family.

Capt. Michael Bauer with the Norfolk Police Division issued a press release saying that law enforcements initial investigation indicates that the persons death was accidental, although police planned to review all avenues.

Bauer confirmed that the police officers who went to 1414 S. Third St. on Sept. 17 were not able to determine the source of the noise that the caller had reported.

Asked if officers treat a report that may seem strange  such as the Sept. 17 phone call  the same as any other call, Bauer said: If there is a report of an individual asking for help, were going to respond no matter who the reporter is.

He believes the Sept. 17 call to be the only notification police received from anyone at 1414 S. Third St. that day about a voice calling for help.

As for the investigation into the death, police said they identified Andrews using scars, marks, tattoos and an identification card found with his body.

Bauer said he could not yet delve into why police believe the persons death was accidental.

This is a very unique situation that we are currently investigating, and it will continue until we have resolution of the case, he added.

In Wednesday's news release, the police said that a parking warning was placed on Andrews' vehicle on Sept. 20 and a missing persons report was made on Oct. 3.

He was last seen alive on Sept. 15 in Norfolk.

Wapelhorst, who has owned the apartment building since 2015, said he doesnt recall a time where there was any sort of suspicious activity on the roof.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think anything could have happened on the roof, he said.

The tenant who spoke on the condition of anonymity said there has been fear among some residents since the body was found last week.

Another tenant said last week that first responders had to break through a wall in his apartment to remove the body. A maintenance worker was repairing the wall Sunday afternoon.

That tenant has been staying with the source who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday. He plans to move into his friends apartment unit permanently because he doesnt see himself living in his own apartment anymore.

The Daily News source said he uses a different entrance at the apartment now to avoid walking near the area where the body was found. He said he sometimes doesnt even retrieve his mail unless its during the day.

The vibe is just different, he said.

Photos: 2023 Nebraska State Bandmasters Association marching contest State band Bellevue West.JPG State band bulldog.JPG State band clouds.JPG State band fall colors.JPG State band Grace hug.JPG State band Gretna East.JPG State band light sticks.JPG State band Omaha North band.JPG State band Omaha north.JPG State band pushing speakers.JPG State band Sorry piece rez.JPG Statte band Lincoln Christian guard resize.JPG
The EEC is donating 1.8 million to help combat the famine in Ethiopia.

Officials from Oxfam, Save the Children, Christian Aid and the Red Cross believe that up to 10 million people are facing starvation unless the flow of aid is increased.

Aid agencies lobbied EEC ministers in Brussels in response to the latest drought to hit the country.

Hugh McKay from the Save the Children Fund said: This is an excellent start and will buy us a little time to develop a long term strategy to deal with this tragedy.

The Community has also ordered the immediate shipment of 5,000 tons of food with more to be delivered soon.

The worst affected areas are the northern provinces of Tigre, Wollo and Eritrea, where a 10-year drought and a succession of wars have produced the worst famine in Ethiopias modern history.

As the announcement was made the Ethiopian Relief and Rehabilitation Commission said it would hold an emergency meeting with Western governments to discuss ways to improve airlifting food to the region.

Local officials are said to be trying to clear congestion at ports to get more food to the rest of the country. Up to 1,000 tons of food a day are now being handled, up from 500 a few weeks ago.

A recent report shown on the BBC highlighted the harrowing problems being faced in Ethiopia and led to an overwhelming public response.

Overseas director of Oxfam Michael Harris said: On one day alone we received 1,000 calls from people offering help, including three who offered transport aircraft.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

One million people are thought to have died in the famine of 1984 despite money from around the world helping to improve the situation.

In December 1984 rock stars joined together to record Do they know its Christmas?. The single raised more than 12 million for famine victims in Africa.

Live Aid in July 1985, organised by Bob Geldof, raised more than 70 million for the cause. Two massive concerts were staged in London and Philadelphia. Artists including Paul McCartney, U2 and Madonna performed on the day.

Many Ethiopians continue to rely on food aid from abroad. In 2004 the government began a drive to move more than two million people away from the arid highlands of the east.

It said the programme was a lasting solution to food shortages.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng departed for Fujian Province yesterday for official visits and negotiations regarding cooperation between the two jurisdictions, the government announced in a statement.

The head of the government will return home on Oct. 27.

This delegation will include officials such as Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong, chief of the CE office Hoi Lai Fong and chief of Leis office Ku Mei Leng.

In this visit, the local delegation will visit Fuzhou and Xiamen. The former city is the provincial capital and the latter is one of the first four Special Economic Zones in China.

During his visit, Ho will have high-level meetings with his Fujian counterparts, in particular the Macao-Fujian Cooperation Conference. The delegation will also visit projects on Big Health, technology and urban planning in Fuzhou.

During the Cooperation Conference, Lei will meet members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Fujian Province, Guo Ningning, and sign the fourth Memorandum on Deepening Cooperation between Fujian and Macao.

In Xiamen, Ho will attend the opening ceremony of the Macao Week in Fujian-Xiamen where a Macau delegation of entrepreneurs will attend a Xiamen-Macau business-matching and networking seminar.

While the CE is away, Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong will be Acting CE. AL
China has replaced Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu, who has been out of public view for almost two months, state media reported yesterday. No further information was given.

Li is the second senior Chinese official to disappear this year, following former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was removed from office in July with no explanation offered.

Li, who became defense minister during a Cabinet reshuffle in March, hasnt been seen since giving a speech on Aug. 29. There is no indication that the disappearances of Qin and Li signal a change in Chinas foreign or defense policies.

Li is under U.S. sanctions related to his overseeing weapon purchases from Russia that bar him from entering the country. China has since cut off contacts with the U.S. military, mainly in protest over U.S. arm sales to Taiwan, but also strongly implying that Washington must lift the measures against Li, which Beijing refuses to publicly recognize.

The announcement from state broadcaster CCTV said that both Li and Qin had been removed from the State Council, Chinas Cabinet and the center of government power. CCTV also announced Lan Foans new appointment as finance minister, and Yin Hejun as science and technology minister.
Zhang Hongliang, a former restaurant manager in central China, took various gigs in and outside China to support his family after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March, a job offer to teach Chinese cooking at a restaurant led him into a cyber scam compound in Myanmar, where he was instead ordered to lure Chinese into giving up their savings for fake investment schemes via social media platforms.

Zhang is one of tens of thousands of people, mostly but not all Chinese, who have become ensnared in cyber scam networks run by powerful Chinese criminal syndicates in Southeast Asia. Regional and Chinese authorities have netted thousands of people in a crackdown, but experts say they are failing to root out the local elites and criminal networks that are bound to keep running the schemes.

When scam operations are shut down in one place they often just resurface elsewhere. The problem is an embarrassment for Beijing and is discouraging ordinary Chinese from traveling to Southeast Asia out of fear they might be duped or kidnapped and caught up in a cyber scam operation.

In recent years, media reports have uncovered instances of young people being lured to places in Cambodia or Myanmar for high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work as scammers. Rescue organizations say people are regularly beaten or face physical punishments such as being forced to run laps if they dont perform well.

In August, China, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar agreed to set up a joint police operations center to tackle cyber scams in the region. On Oct. 10, Chinas Ministry of Public Security announced that its Summer Operation had successfully brought back 2,317 scam suspects from northern Myanmar to China.

Leaders and backbone criminals

The ministry announced yesterday that as of the end of September it had caught 387 important leaders and backbone criminals in cyber scam syndicates. It was unclear how many were from overseas-based criminal gangs versus domestic ones.

China calls such people suspects, though experts say most of them are victims who were forced to work for the criminals. They question how they will be treated once back in China.

The schemes based in countries like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are run by Chinese bosses hand-in-hand with local elites. Many are based in places where China has financed big construction projects through leader Xi Jinpings signature Belt and Road Initiative.

Myanmars border regions long have been a magnet for criminals  historically including drug producers and traffickers  because of lax law enforcement. Such places are generally under the control of ethnic minority armed groups, either opposed to or allied with Myanmars central government. Some also cooperate with organized crime gangs.

From the vantage point of the Chinese government, its a source of extreme embarrassment that you have so many of these Chinese criminals operating all across Southeast Asia, said Jason Tower, an expert on transnational crime with the United States Institute of Peace.

The syndicates also are known for pig butchering cons, where scammers entice individuals, often halfway across the world, to invest their money in bogus schemes after duping them into digital romances.

The scammers divide their targets into two categories: Chinese and non-Chinese. They use scripts, images of models and influencers and translation software to trick the people they contact by phone or online into parting with their money. Victims can be anywhere in the world.

Zhang was working in Thailand and on a visa run to Laos when he met the man who lured him to the scam compound in Myanmar. Giving what he said was his last name, Gao, he claimed to be a broker and travel agent for Chinese living in Thailand.

Zhang and his wife wanted extra money to pay for in vitro fertilization to have another child.

Gao suggested he go work in Myawaddy, in eastern Myanmars Kayin state, teaching a local chef how to cook Chinese dishes in Gaos new restaurant. The pay would be double what Zhang made in China.

Zhang was wary. Since a 2021 coup, military-controlled Myanmar has been embroiled in civil conflict. But Gao reassured him that he wouldnt be doing anything illegal and said the restaurant would have plenty of customers since many cyber scam businesses were operating in the area.

That might have raised a red flag but it was only once he got to Myanmar that Zhang realized his predicament. He asked to go back home, saying there was a family emergency. His family helped him scrape together some 40,000 yuan ($5,472) to pay off the debt Gao claimed he owed him, and he slipped away one night, swimming across the Moei River into Thailand, where he turned himself in to Thai police, who contacted the Chinese Embassy.

Zhang showed the AP copies of his deportation notice from the Thai Immigration police and a temporary ID card. He returned to China in late June and was questioned by Chinese police but not detained. He has been sharing his story on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, to alert others to the risks and says people often contact him about relatives trapped in cyber scam compounds.

We all went out with this wonderful sense of hope, but then reality slammed us in the face, he said.

In total, China has detained some 4,000 suspects and returned them back to China.

The Ministry of Public Security has claimed breakthrough results through operations in coordination with Myanmar authorities. On Monday, they announced they had repatriated another 2,349 people. The ministry did not respond to a faxed request for comment.

Enforcement weaknesses

One 31-year old former chef who was smuggled into Myanmars Wa State earlier this year said he saw his company hand over four people to Chinese police with little fanfare in September. Other companies did the same, said the man, who was smuggled into Myanmar and later rescued by a non-profit organization. He declined to be named out of fear of government retribution, and The Associated Press could not independently verify his account.

Overall, the enforcement actions dont seem very comprehensive, experts say. The groups now based in Myanmar originally were located in Cambodia. When Cambodia cracked down on online gambling rings and illegal casinos in 2019, many of the groups just moved to less well policed places in Myanmar. Some were taken over by rival gangs.

Chinas efforts to repair its image have so far not made much headway, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Thailands Chulalongkorn University.

You can crack down on these symptoms and the manifestations  that you can see in the borderland areas, he said, but theyll come back unless you really have a sustained effort. HUIZHONG WU, BANGKOK, MDT/AP
Four North Koreans were found in a small wooden boat in South Korean waters yesterday in what is likely a rare case of North Koreans taking a risky sea voyage to flee to the South, Seoul officials said.

More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid poverty and political oppression since the late 1990s. A vast majority of them have come via China and then Southeast Asian countries, and defecting by sea is uncommon because its more dangerous.

A South Korean coast guard ship found the boat south of the two Koreas eastern sea border yesterday morning, after a report by a fishing boat. The four people on board identified themselves as North Koreans, coast guard officials said.

South Koreas military said it secured the custody of the North Koreans in coordination with the coast guard, after chasing their boat along the sea border. A military statement said the North Koreans were suspected of defecting to South Korea, but gave no further details.

South Korean public broadcaster KBS, citing an unidentified government official, reported that the four North Koreans  a man and three women  are members of one family. KBS said they werent armed and didnt wear military uniforms when they were found.

South Koreas Unification Ministry declined to provide personal details of the four, saying an investigation was underway.

Defecting by sea is much more dangerous and many North Korean escapees were believed to have ended up dying after their boats sank amid bad weather.

But some still opt to use a sea route because they can defect in a group and it takes much shorter time than the China-Southeast Asian route, which typically takes weeks or months before coming to South Korea, according to Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea.

Ahn, who has interviewed many defectors, said that North Koreans typically slip across their countrys border with China alone or in pairs without sharing their escape plans with anyone, including their family members, because of fears about arrests. Ahn said the four North Koreans found yesterday are likely from one family, who left a coastal town relatively close to the South Korea sea border the previous day.

If they are determined to be genuine defectors, it would be the second case of North Koreans fleeing to the South by sea this year. In May, nine defected by sea off the Korean Peninsulas west coast, according to South Koreas Unification Ministry.

North Korean defectors are required to undergo questioning by South Korean authorities to determine whether their desire to resettle is genuine.

In 2019, South Korea deported two North Korean fishermen who said they wished to resettle, after determining they were criminals who had killed 16 fellow crew members. Earlier, several North Koreans were arrested after South Korean investigations concluded they were spies who had entered the country posing as defectors.

The 2019 deportation drew withering criticism by human rights groups, which argued that South Koreas liberal government at the time had hurriedly expelled the fishermen in the hopes of improving ties with North Korea, after learning North Korean authorities were pursuing them.

North Koreas state media didnt immediately report on the four North Koreans. MDT/AP
Macau has recorded MOP14.6 billion in gaming revenues as of Monday, according to investment bank JP Morgan, which shows that the casino sector is slated to hit another post-pandemic high.

In a note yesterday, analysts said that the value corresponds to a daily average of MOP635 million and that it is on track to reach another post-pandemic high quite comfortably, buoyed by Chinas eight-day holiday.

Forecasting a consolidated gross gaming revenue of between MOP18.5 billion and MOP19 billion in October, JP Morgan analysts DS Kim, Mufan Shi and Selina Li said that gaming revenues had normalized back to MOP575 million per day, up by 20% week-on-week.

This comes as the sector experienced a post-Golden Week slowdown, following the eight-day holiday where the city saw over 900,000 visitors.

The Golden Week of the National Day holidays, which is followed the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, has resulted in a greater number of visitors to Macau than initially forecasted.

The holiday period posted a 16.4% increase on the expectations stated by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) officials, with a daily average of 116,429.

The citys casino recovery is sustaining its momentum, despite gaming revenues hitting MOP14. 94 billion in September, a six-month low for the region, but a significant improvement on last year. The numbers fell 13% from the previous month. Revenues were 68% of 2019 pre-Covid levels.

August revenues soared a staggering 686% from a year earlier to the highest level since January 2020, amid a summer holiday boom.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached MOP17.2 billion, which surpasses the median analyst estimate of a 678% increase and has rebounded to 71% of the 2019 levels.
Chinas top diplomat will come to the United States tomorrow for a three-day visit, the latest move by Washington and Beijing to keep high-level talks open amid tense bilateral relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan over a range of issues, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Ukraine war and a recent vessel collision in the South China Sea, according to senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the trip.

Wangs trip to Washington will come just about three weeks ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, where its possible that President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet.

The officials did not confirm the leaders meeting, nor did they say if Wangs visit would prepare for such a meeting. Instead, Wangs trip was described as reciprocal to Blinkens visit to Beijing in June.

Beijing has yet to confirm if Xi will travel to San Francisco for the annual APEC summit.

Wang plans to make clear Chinas position and principles on the relationship with the U.S. and our legitimate concerns, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing yesterday.

China hopes to jointly push the bilateral relationship back to the track of sound and stable development, Mao said, reflecting a more upbeat tone than the one heard from Beijing in recent weeks.

U.S.-China relations have deteriorated rapidly since 2018 over issues such as trade imbalance, human rights in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, the militarization of the South China Sea, the rising pressure on the self-governed island of Taiwan and the pandemic. Last November, Biden and Xi met in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting of leading rich and developing nations. The two sides agreed to resume talks, set up work groups on specific issues and expand person-to-person exchanges.

The relationship had barely warmed up when Washington accused Beijing of flying a spy balloon over the U.S. territory in February, drawing stern protests from Beijing and plunging bilateral relations to another low.

Blinken traveled to Beijing in June, when bilateral relations began to improve. Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer led a delegation of six senators to China, in the first visit by U.S. lawmakers since 2019. This week, California Governor Gavin Newsom is in China to discuss climate change.

When Wang arrives in Washington, American officials will push China to be more constructive in the Middle East, the senior administration officials said. Earlier this month, Blinken discussed with Wang the the importance of maintaining stability in the region and discouraging other parties from entering the conflict, according to the State Department.

The weekend collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels off Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea also will be brought up in meetings with Wang, the U.S. officials said.

While Wangs visit wont solve any differences, its part of the U.S. diplomatic effort toward open communications to minimize risks, the American officials said. DIDI TANG, Washington, MDT/AP
Visitor arrivals in September dropped 28.6% month-on-month to 2.30 million, following a post-pandemic record-breaking figure in August due to the summer holidays.

The figure, however, soared to 312.5% when compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Recovery is still underway as September figures were 83% of pre-Covid levels, as September 2019 recorded approximately 2.76 million visitor arrivals.

In relation to the source of visitors, the number of visitors from mainland China jumped by 216.2% year-on-year to 1.59 million with those traveling under the Individual Visit Scheme (746,605) surging by 296.8%.

Visitors from Hong Kong (534,755) and Taiwan (50,660) rocketed by 1,058% and 665.8% year-on-year respectively.

Analysed by checkpoint, the number of visitor arrivals by land increased by 249.3% year-on-year to 1,837,842 in September; among them, 44.8% arrived through the checkpoint of Border Gate (822,883), 31.9% came via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (587,149) and 16.4% via the Hengqin port (301,644).

Meanwhile, visitor arrivals by sea and by air leapt by 1,980.4% and 918.5% year-on-year to 274,423 and 188,791 respectively, albeit from a low base as restrictions were still in place during the same period last year.

In the first three quarters of 2023, visitor arrivals increased by 356.6% year-on-year to 19,928,168.

Chung Yeung sees 300,000 visitors

A total of 301,705 tourists visited the city over the Chung Yeung festival extended weekend, which lasted from Friday to Monday. One-third of the visitors arrived through the Border Gate.

The figure shows the city has sustained its momentum with an average of 100,568 visitors per day, following the nearly one million arrivals during the National Day Golden Week. Staff Reporter
The University of Macau (UM) is holding an exhibition to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Macanese writer Henrique de Senna Fernandes. The exhibition, which started Oct. 16 and will continue until Dec. 18, showcases the writers life, including his professional career and literary works, as well as thematic introductions. It also features portraits of him taken by author Yao Feng. Senna Fernandes was a renowned lawyer and writer who created a number of novels and short stories, including A Tranca Feiticeira (The Bewitching Braid) and Amor e Dedinhos de Pe (Love and Tiny Toes).

Related
Israel escalated its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip, the military said yesterday, ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants that the U.S. fears could spark a wider conflict in the region, including attacks on American troops.

The stepped-up attacks, and the rapidly rising death toll of thousands killed in Gaza, came as Hamas released two elderly Israeli women who were among the hundreds of hostages it captured during its devastating Oct. 7 attack on towns in southern Israel.

Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in Israel since the war started, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday, meeting with the families of French citizens who were killed or held hostage before heading to talks with top Israeli officials.

He told Israels President Isaac Herzog that he came to express our support and solidarity and share your pain as well as to assure Israel it is not left alone in the war against terrorism.

Gazas 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack. A third small aid convoy entered Gaza on Monday carrying only a tiny fraction of the supplies aid groups say is necessary.

With Israel still barring the entry of fuel, the United Nations said aid distribution would soon grind to a halt when it can no longer fuel trucks inside Gaza. Hospitals overwhelmed by the wounded are struggling to keep generators running to power lifesaving medical equipment and incubators for premature babies.

Yesterday, Israel said it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel and striking command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. The previous day, Israel reported 320 strikes.

The Palestinian official news agency, WAFA, said many of the airstrikes hit residential buildings, some of them in southern Gaza where Israel had told civilians to take shelter.

An overnight strike hit a four-story residential building in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 32 people and wounding scores of others, according to survivors.

The fatalities included 13 from the Saqallah family, said Ammar al-Butta, a relative who survived the airstrike.

He said there were about 100 people there, including many who had come from Gaza City, which Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate.

They were sheltering at our home because we thought that our area would be safe. But apparently there is no safe place in Gaza, he said.

We continue to attack forcefully in Gaza City and its environs, where Hamas is building up its terrorist infrastructure, where Hamas is arraying its troops, said Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. He again told Palestinians to head south for your personal safety.

On Monday night, the two freed hostages, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper, were taken out of Gaza at the Rafah crossing into Egypt, where they were put into ambulances, according to footage shown on Egyptian TV. The women, along with their husbands, were snatched from their homes in the kibbutz of Nir Oz near the Gaza border. Their husbands, ages 83 and 84, were not released.

While I cannot put into words the relief that she is now safe, I will remain focused on securing the release of my father and all those  some 200 innocent people  who remain hostages in Gaza, Lifshitz daughter, Sharone Lifschitz, said in a statement.

Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv released photos Tuesday of Lifshitz sitting in an armchair, being wheeled in a wheelchair down a hall, soldiers in tow, and kissing unidentified people.

The women were freed days after an American woman and her teenage daughter. Hamas and other militants in Gaza are believed to have taken roughly 220 people, including an unconfirmed number of foreigners and dual citizens.

Lifschitz, an artist and academic in London who spells her name differently to her parents, told reporters last week that her parents were peace activists, and her father would drive to the Gaza border to take Palestinians to east Jerusalem for medical treatment.

Kindness, she said last week, could somehow save them.

I grew up, you know, with all these Holocaust stories about how all my uncles lives were saved because of acts of kindness, she said.

Do I want that to be the story here? she asked. Yeah.

On Monday, Hamas released a video showing the handover, with militants giving drinks and snacks to the dazed but composed women, and holding their hands as they are walked to Red Cross officials. Just before the video ends, Lifshitz reaches back to shake one militants hand.

Around the same time, Israels internal security service, Shin Bet, released a recording showing Hamas prisoners  most in clean prison uniforms, but one in a bloody t-shirt and at least one wincing in pain  sitting handcuffed in drab offices talking about the Oct. 7 attack.

The Associated Press could not independently verify either video, and both the hostages and the prisoners could have been acting under duress.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. Iranian-backed fighters around the region are warning of possible escalation, including the targeting of U.S. forces deployed in the Mideast, if a ground offensive is launched.

The U.S. has told Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and other groups not to join the fight. Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire almost daily across the Israel-Lebanon border, and Israeli warplanes have struck targets in Syria, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank in recent days. NAJIB JOBAIN, SAMY MAGDY & RAVI, RAFAH
MADISON | A RACIAL RECKONING

One of the Madison area's most recognized bird conservation groups has a new name: Badgerland Bird Alliance.

Formerly known as Madison Audubon, the group changed its name in late September by unanimous consent of its membership after "serious consideration of John James Audubon's legacy," it said in a statement.

Audubon, who lived from 1785 to 1851 and was the brilliant wildlife artist whose work formed the seminal "Birds of America," also bought and sold enslaved people, wrote critically about emancipation and stole human remains to help a colleague advance scientific racism.

"When you recognize John James Audubon's environmental legacy, you also have to grapple with his full legacy," Badgerland Bird Alliance executive director Matt Reetz said in a statement.

"After talking to community members and partners, and listening to our members, we learned that for some groups, Audubon simply meant 'birds'  but for many others, it meant harm. It's not enough to just put an asterisk next to the name.

We needed to have our name promote our work: bird conservation that includes everyone." Two other Midwestern birding groups also announced name changes last week: the Chicago Bird Alliance, previously known as Chicago Audubon; and the Detroit Bird Alliance, formerly Detroit Audubon.

In March, the New York-based National Audubon Society announced it would keep its name. And despite their local re-branding, the new Badgerland, Chicago and Detroit bird alliances "will all continue to be chapters affiliated with the National Audubon Society," according to the statement.

In recent years, the Madison birding scene also has grown to include groups explicitly promoting diversity, including the Feminist Bird Club-Madison Chapter and the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) Birding Club of Wisconsin.

Those groups are "definitely making a positive change in the community, and we hope to as well," a spokesperson for Madison Audubon told the State Journal in May. "Honestly, we think the more birders there are, the better. This is a community effort."

The stated mission of the Badgerland Bird Alliance, a coalition of staff and volunteers, is to protect and improve habitat for birds and other wildlife through advocacy, education, land acquisition and management.

Known as Madison Audubon since 1949, the Badgerland group was founded in 1935 as the Madison Bird Club. Today it has more than 3,400 members in a 10-county area, including all or parts of Adams, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Marquette, Richland and Sauk counties.

Badgerland Bird Alliance is in the process of changing its website from madisonaudubon.org to badgerlandbirdalliance.org. More information on the name change is available at madisonaudubon.org/ new-name.
Construction started this month on a psychiatric hospital on Madisons Far East Side, and a psychiatric hospital that opened in Middleton two years ago plans to open a clinic in Waukesha soon.

Work on Acadia Healthcares 120-bed hospital, in the High Crossing development east of Interstate 39-90-94 and south of Highway 151, started Oct. 1. The project, which will convert a two-story office building on American Family Insurance property into the hospital and add a building for support services, is expected to be done by December 2024, said Jeffrey Woods, the companys operations group president.

When Acadias hospital opens, the Madison area will have nearly 300 mental health beds, up from about 100 a few years ago.

The facility will treat adults with substance use, mood and thought disorders, and geriatric patients with mental illness and mild to moderate dementia, including Alzheimers disease. The company is considering pediatric care, Woods said.

Acadia, based in Franklin, Tennessee, has about 50 psychiatric hospitals around the country. It runs 14 of Wisconsins 27 opioid treatment programs, also known as methadone clinics, including two of the five in Madison.

Miramont Behavioral Health, a 72-bed hospital in Middletons Airport Road Business Park, will open an outpatient treatment clinic in Waukesha within the coming weeks, spokesperson Jeremy Tunis said this week.

The hospital is operating 38 beds, up from 30 earlier this year, Tunis said. Workforce shortages are a key reason additional beds arent open, he said.

Dennis Gober became CEO of Miramont in July.

In June, when the hospital was fined for federal citations related to a nurse being stuck with a needle, the facility also received a citation from the state Department of Health Services. The citation involved a patient not getting an X-ray and a doctor not being notified after the patient fell and had shoulder pain and loss of feeling in an arm.

In August, the state issued another citation to Miramont, for conducting a strip search without a documented reason.

Tunis said Miramont updated its policies in response to the incidents, and the search was a skin assessment of a gowned patient.

Ensuring a safe and therapeutic treatment environment for our patients and staff is and will always remain our top priority and core responsibility, he said.
A recent influx of donations to The Center for Black Excellence and Culture brings the project $3 million away from its total fundraising goal of $36 million.

Led by Rev. Alex Gee, pastor at Fountain of Life Covenant Church and president of the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, the center will provide a cultural hub for Black residents to build community and help retain more young Black professionals. Organizers hope to break ground next to Fountain of Life Covenant Church, at 633 W. Badger Road, next spring if the fundraising goal is met.

Seeing the center inch closer to its fundraising goal ignites a sense of pride for Gee and his community.

This is the most that Madison has felt like home to me probably since I moved here 50 years ago, Gee said. Its pretty amazing to have raised and identified $30 million in two years, and its overwhelming because were building a space that helps the Black community feel more at home in Wisconsin.

Fundraising for the center kicked off in fall of 2021, and the organizers behind the project dont plan to break ground until the $36 million goal is met. Gee said leaders want to be able to separate funding initiatives for the construction process and programming.

It enhances my ability to raise ongoing funding because the construction and the facilities are paid for, Gee said. What this means is when Im out in the community, around the nation, raising money once the center opens and they ask how much of this will go to programming, I can say this is for operations and programming. None of this is for facilities, because weve raised that money in total.

In addition to multiple donations ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, The Center for Black Excellence and Culture has announced a $450,000 match campaign, jointly sponsored with $200,000 from Exact Sciences and Sheila and Kevin Conroy, and $250,000 from philanthropist Mary Burke, who donated $500,000 to the center in total. Until December 31, every dollar donated to the center will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $450,000.

Weve gotten to the place of the campaign where we could still welcome $5 million or $5, Gee said. Everyone at any level can be a part of this, and we want them to be.

Design plan

The current design plan for the three-level, 37,000-square-foot building is unique nationally for its vast array of offerings for Black Madisonians, Gee said. The Center for Black Excellence and Culture will feature two theaters, a recording studio, coworking spaces and Club Afrique, a professional lounge that Black residents can use for events. While fundraising efforts for the center have been underway for the past two years, there has been a need for a cultural space for Madisons Black community for decades, Gee said.

Diversity is never going to fully happen if people dont feel a sense of cultural home in Madison, he said. What people started saying is that there was no place to bring my children to learn about the resilience and the beautiful history of the Black diaspora and its impact in Wisconsin.

Before breaking ground and during the construction process, the center plans to offer limited programming options. In July, the organization partnered with the Childrens Theater of Madison to host The Wiz Experience, a free theater workshop series for local youth. On Dec. 2, the center plans to host a Black Art Expo to highlight the work of local Black creatives.

Gee said he is passionate about the centers potential to promote wellness in Madisons Black community after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its potential to help the city retain more Black professionals amid the brain drain, or the departure of individuals from one region to another, in pursuit of a better standard of living.

Were building the Black community through the lens of excellence because thats what we come from, Gee said. We need the broader community to understand that without this space, we all lose.
Take a look at trending news for today, Oct. 24:

Tom Emmer

House Republicans are once again scrambling for a path forward after Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer dropped his bid for speaker just hours after winning his partys nomination.

The swift exit from the race is the latest sign that Republicans are still no closer to electing a new speaker three weeks after Kevin McCarthys historic ouster.

Republicans are now gearing up to hold another speaker candidate forum Tuesday evening, multiple members told CNN. There are six candidates in the running following Emmers abrupt withdrawal from the race: Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, Mark Green also of Tennessee, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Roger Williams of Texas.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, told reporters he believes they will try to vote to pick a new nominee right after the forum.

Read the rest here:

Real Madrid

Led by Jude Bellingham yet again, Real Madrid defeated Braga 2-1 on Tuesday to keep a perfect record in the Champions League and move closer to securing a spot in the knockout stage.

Bellingham scored his 11th goal in 12 matches since joining Madrid to help the 14-time European champion earn the away victory and strengthen its lead in Group C. Madrid has nine points from three matches, three points more than Napoli, which won 1-0 at winless Union Berlin. Braga stayed in third place with three points.

Another win against Braga at home in the next round in November will guarantee Madrid a spot in the knockout stage for the 28th consecutive time.

Braga has never advanced past the group stage. The Portuguese team is making its third Champions League appearance and first in 11 seasons.

Get the full recap here:

Jenna Ellis

Former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Georgia election subversion case and will cooperate with Fulton County prosecutors  the third guilty plea in the past week.

At an unscheduled hearing in Atlanta, Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements, a felony stemming from the election lies that Ellis and other Donald Trump lawyers peddled to Georgia lawmakers in December 2020.

She was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.

Ellis delivered a tearful statement to the judge Tuesday while pleading guilty, disavowing her participation in Trumps unprecedented attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Read more about it here:

***

Get more of today's trending topics here:

Kelce and Swift

Mary Lou Retton
Ask any parent about the time their kids spend on mobile devices, and youll likely hear the same refrain: Its too much. Excessive use of smartphones and social media is linked to rising rates of teenage depression and self-harm, while also damaging students academic performance and exacerbating achievement gaps. At this point, the question isnt whether phones should be banned from classrooms, but why more schools havent done so already.

Evidence about the negative effects of mobile devices on learning is overwhelming. Large-scale international assessments have shown that anything beyond limited use of technology in the classroom harms academic performance. A 14-country study cited in a U.N. report this year found that merely being in proximity to smartphones disrupted learning for all ages, from preschool to college, with poorly performing students suffering the most.

Prompted by findings like these  and common sense  the British government announced this month that it will instruct schools to prohibit the use of mobile phones during the school day. Other European countries, including the Netherlands and France, have imposed similar bans. Such policies can be challenging to enforce, but in places that have followed through the gains have been striking. Bans on phones in two regions in Spain improved math test scores by the equivalent of more than half a years learning.

A 2022 analysis of more than 100 Norwegian middle schools found that banning phones boosted students grades and test scores and increased their likelihood of attending an advanced high school. It also yielded bigger academic improvements than far more expensive policies, such as reducing class sizes or putting more computers in schools.

Despite these clear benefits, U.S. schools seem to be moving in the wrong direction. As of 2020, 76% of public schools said that they prohibited the non-academic use of phones during school hours, down from more than 90% a decade earlier. By all indications, those restrictions are widely flouted.

In response to a surge in smartphone use during the pandemic  fueled partly by misguided school closures  some districts appear to have abandoned even token efforts to keep devices out of kids hands. A survey released last month found that 97% of U.S. adolescents say they use their devices during the school day, for a median of 43 minutes  with most of that time spent on social media, YouTube and video games.

Arresting this trend is critical to helping students recover lost ground and avoid permanent blight to their careers and life prospects. European-style national bans would be unworkable in the U.S., where schools are controlled locally. But policy makers should emphasize the urgency of the issue. State legislatures should press schools to ban the use of phones for the duration of the school day, including during passing periods and recesses  and to confiscate them, if necessary. They should provide incentives to districts that demonstrate academic gains after imposing school-wide bans. They should also help schools pay for things like electronics-storage pouches and phone lockers.

Schools will no doubt get an earful from parents who oppose such bans. While acknowledging legitimate anxieties  such as how to reach a student during a crisis  they should hold firm and explain that emergency-contact protocols are more than sufficient.

Its by now incontrovertible that, however essential to modern life, smartphones have no place in the classroom. The sooner schools remove them, the better off students will be.
Authors, librarians and parents have appropriately scolded Scholastic, the leading publisher and distributor of childrens books, for its craven response to the culture wars. As its books travel to schools for fall book fairs, the publisher has segregated texts that company leaders decided might cause controversy. School officials must make a special request for books that touch on LGBTQ+ themes or the nations racist history.

Scholastic has siloed those titles in a book section that it calls, Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice. Kudos to the marketing managers who reveled in irony when they came up with that title for the section. Its clear that Scholastic was caving in to the reactionary lawmakers who clearly dont want to share every story.

Quote It is far more likely that Scholastic, a profit-driven company, wants to remain in good standing with the bigots and know-nothings who want to ban books, rewrite history and oppress citizens who fail to live according to the old "Father Knows Best" family model.

Scholastic defended its decision with a statement claiming it was trying to protect teachers and librarians in states that have passed draconian laws targeting almost any book or lesson plan or classroom discussion that dares to teach actual history or uphold constitutional mandates about full equality for all. These laws create an almost impossible dilemma: Back away from these titles or risk making teachers, librarians and volunteers vulnerable to being fired, sued or prosecuted, Scholastic said.

Im not buying it. Generally, children pick their own books at these fairs, which my daughter loved during her primary school years. Kids are often accompanied by an adult, or they have brought money from home. So a teacher could be sacked if a child picked up a copy of a graphic novel featuring the Black Panther superhero?

It is far more likely that Scholastic, a profit-driven company, wants to remain in good standing with the bigots and know-nothings who want to ban books, rewrite history and oppress citizens who fail to live according to the old Father Knows Best family model. Texas, after all, is a huge market. Florida is also a populous state with lots of schools eager to buy books. Scholastic has decided to cozy up to the ultra-conservatives in power in those states and others with similar politics in order to keep selling its texts.

No other explanation makes sense. Among the books tucked away in the optional section are such age-appropriate and benevolent titles as I Am Ruby Bridges, the memoir written by the civil rights icon who desegregated a New Orleans elementary school when she was only 6 years old. Her incredible bravery has been memorialized in other books, a Disney movie and a Norman Rockwell painting. Other books siloed away in the optional section are Because of You, John Lewis and Justice Ketanji, a biography. So Scholastic believes it would be too controversial to widely sell books about a late member of Congress who is featured on a U.S. postage stamp and a current member of the U.S. Supreme Court?

Then there are the books about families that differ from the heterosexual norm, books that dare show children in families with same-sex parents, single parents, parents of different races. Because my daughter is adopted, I bought titles for her that showed families of different shapes, sizes and configurations when she was young. Scholastic, though, has aided any reactionaries who want to refuse children like mine access to such books.

Reeling from the criticism it has received, Scholastic executives have said that they are not putting all diverse titles into one optional case. Pardon me while I take issue with this popular, but incorrect, use of the word diverse. The word means different; it does not mean Black or brown or gay. A bookshelf full of different titles on different subjects is diverse. Changing the canon to reflect America is not diverse. Its accurate. Scholastics decision to hide in a fog of words hardly covers its failure.

Scholastics mission should be to do everything it can to help educate children about the nations past and present and their role in its future. Its too bad its executives lack the courage of 6-year-old Ruby Bridges.
Green County has recorded its fifth and sixth fatal traffic crashes of 2023.

A Brodhead man died in a crash of his motorcycle into a pickup truck Monday night at the intersection of Highway 11/81 and Highway GG in the town of Spring Grove, Lt. John Schuetz said in a statement.

The initial investigation determined that a 2024 Kawasaki ZR900 sport bike driven by Aaron Doyle, 18, of Brodhead, was heading east on Highway 11 and attempted to turn left onto Highway GG. The motorcycle was struck by a pickup driven by Rudy Bennett, 49, of Monticello, that was heading west on Highway 11, Schuetz said.

Doyle was pronounced dead at the scene. Bennett's injuries were not considered life-threatening. The crash remained under investigation.

Schuetz also reported an Illinois man died Sunday of injuries he suffered in a fiery single-vehicle crash Saturday night in the W500 block of Stateline Road in the town of Spring Grove.

A 1997 Chrysler Cirrus with a lone occupant was traveling north on Best Road and failed to stop at the stop sign at Stateline Road. The car hit an embankment, became airborne and overturned numerous times in a field before bursting into flames, Schuetz said. The driver, Adam P. Buckler, 29, of Davis, Illinois, was flown to a hospital, where he died of his injuries on Sunday. The crash remains under investigation, Schuetz said.  State Journal staff
Risch, Crapo push for sage-grouse ESA prohibition

The Senate Western Caucus, spearheaded by Idaho U.S. Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, sent a letter to Senate leadership this week pushing for the continued Endangered Species Act listing prohibition for the greater sage-grouse.

Each of the eleven western states which hold sage-grouse habitat have adopted their own collaborative, science-based conservation plans, tailored specifically to address localized landscape needs and recover the species, said the letter signed by nine GOP senators. [D]espite this transparent and scientific approach, the greater sage-grouse has constantly been the subject of continuous litigation and baseless, counterproductive listing petitions for years.

Idahos sage-grouse conservation plan, for example, has consistently received high marks from Democrat and Republican administrations alike, according to a joint news release. Without an ESA listing prohibition, however, greater sage-grouse remain subject to a cycle of activist litigation that costs taxpayers and undermines states conservation efforts.

An ESA listing prohibition has been included in each annual appropriations bills since the 2015 fiscal year.

Also:

Idaho U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo joined South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott to introduce the Protect Our Bases Act this week, designed to ensure the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States can review foreign land purchases near sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites by requiring member agencies to annually update and review their lists of these sites. We must protect sensitive military and government sites from encroachment by foreign adversaries on our own land, Crapo said in a news release, citing the world-renowned Idaho National Laboratory as an example.
In May, Idaho U.S. Sen. Jim Risch grilled Interior Secretary Deb Haaland about the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project, repeatedly  and sometimes animatedly  telling her: Dont do it!

On the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, Risch introduced a bill by that name that would prohibit any wind or solar energy project proposed for public lands that was disapproved by the Legislature of that state.

Lava Ridge was his catalyst.

Idahoans have been loud and clear on Lava Ridge: Dont DO IT! Yet, the Department of the Interior is still moving full speed ahead, Risch said in a news release. The Dont DO IT Act will empower Idaho and other states to prevent the federal government from implementing unwanted, obstructive, and misaligned wind and solar energy projects on public land, like Lava Ridge.

In a statement for the Times-News, Risch added, Idahoans do not want to look at these massive wind turbines. They deserve a seat at the table when it comes to projects like Lava Ridge, and my bill will give them that.

Southern Idaho has been forced to take a wait-and-see approach to Lava Ridge since the Bureau of Land Management wrapped up a 90-day public comment period for the projects draft environmental impact statement in April. The BLM has since been working to review and record thousands of comments, and a timeline for a decision on the projects future is unknown.

If given the green light, Lava Ridge would place up to 400 turbines  many taller than the 605-foot Space Needle, the spectacular focal point of the Seattle skyline  across nearly 230 square miles of public lands in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties.

Rischs bill, the Dont Develop Obstructive Infrastructure on our Terrain (Dont DO IT) Act, would require the Interior secretary to reject any such project designated for public lands that doesnt garner state legislative approval.

The Gem States other senator, Mike Crapo, joined Risch in introducing the bill.

Idahoans know what is best for their land and livelihoods, Crapo said in the release. Allowing state legislatures to have oversight on new wind and solar projects on federal land means the federal government and its agencies take into consideration the will of the people closest to the project.

Idaho Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher pledged support for Rischs bill, with Simpson describing it as common-sense legislation that puts the people of Idaho first and Fulcher pitching it as a way to prevent the federal government from trying to run roughshod over the State of Idaho when it comes to energy projects that cant make it on their own in the market.

So did Idaho Gov. Brad Little.

States need to be at the table driving new energy resources, and this legislation will make the federal government more responsive to states voices in future energy development, Little said in the release.

POWER UP! Southern Idaho gets 'special' boost from renewable energy Federal incentives to increase renewable production have prompted a rush of companies looking to produce power in southern Idaho.

Lava Ridge has drawn near-unanimous opposition  from Idahos congressional delegation; the Idaho Legislature, which unanimously passed a resolution in March against the project; and commissioners from Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Jerome, Minidoka, and Twin Falls counties who gathered at the Minidoka National Historic Site in April to jointly sign a resolution asking the BLM to walk away from the project.

Farmers, ranchers and other south-central Idaho landowners have also rallied against Lava Ridge, proposed by New York-based LS Power and its local subsidiary Magic Valley Energy.

The hope is they really do take into consideration the local communitys opinions, Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, told the Times-News in April, referring to the BLM.

In a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing this spring, Risch pushed Haaland during a tense seven-minute exchange, even informing her at one point of her own resource advisory committees unanimous recommendation against Lava Ridge. Haaland appeared unaware of the near-unanimous opposition to the project, telling Risch at one point that the BLM was continuing to engage with state and local stakeholders to learn how the community feels and what they have to say.

What did you find out so far? Risch asked.

I dont have a complete readout of all of the meetings, Haaland answered.

Give me an incomplete readout. What did you find out so far? he said.

After Risch summarized the project, he concluded in a raised voice, Dont do it!
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno asked Luxembourg-based funds and business groups to look at emerging investment opportunities in the Philippines during a forum hosted by the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) on Oct. 24, 2023.

From clean energy to cutting-edge technology, the Philippines is primed and ready to seize emerging opportunities with our partners from around the world, Diokno said in a presentation.

Diokno cited the Philippines impressive economic performance when it posted its strongest full-year growth in over four decades at 7.6 percent in 2022, surpassing the countrys pre-pandemic output level.

The robust performance was recognized by international financial institutions. The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) expects the Philippines to post the fastest growth in Southeast Asia both at 5.9 percent in 2023 and 6.5 percent in 2024.

The World Bank Group also sees the Philippines outpacing its East Asia and the Pacific peers at 5.6 percent in 2023.

The Philippines has maintained its investor-grade credit ratings from S&P Global Ratings, Moodys Investors Service and Fitch Ratings throughout the pandemic. These continue to improve as Japan-based debt watcher R&I recently revised its outlook for the Philippines from stable to positive, while Fitch Ratings upgraded its outlook from negative to stable.

Diokno also shared with investors the Philippines 197 priority infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) available for partnership, which have a total investment requirement of about $155 billion.

He informed investors of the improved ease of doing business in the country through the establishment of green lanes and reforms to the countrys public-private partnership (PPP) policy environment.

This PPP Code is the product of close coordination between the economic team and Congress to achieve a unified and predictable PPP policy environment that will facilitate higher quality infrastructure projects in the country, Diokno said.

Diokno said transforming the Philippines into a fast-rising investment hub requires greater foreign participation, which drove the government to enhance retail trade and liberalize key sectors including toll roads, airports, expressways, shipping and telecommunications.

We have also opened up the renewable energy sector to full foreign ownership. This bold move is seen to open up the floodgates to green investments and green jobs, quickening our transition to a green economy, Diokno said.

The Philippines recently exchanged financing agreements with the European Union (EU) on the Green Economy Program in the Philippines (GEPP) which will support the countrys transition into a green and circular economy. Diokno and EU counterparts signed the agreement in Brussels on Oct. 25, 2023.

Diokno also introduced the Maharlika Investment Fund  the Philippines first sovereign wealth fund which will serve as a vehicle for driving long-term economic development.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan joined the signing of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2024-2028, a joint strategic planning and partnership framework between the UN and the Philippines that supports the countrys medium- and long-term development goals as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 and the AmBisyon Natin 2040.

Balisacan, in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., signed the framework together with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzales.

Our new cooperation framework covers the period of 2024 to 2028, which coincides with the timeline of this administration. As it is oriented to support the Philippine government policies and priorities embodied in the 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda, the Philippine Development Plan, and AmBisyon Natin 2040, it enjoins UN agencies in the governments determined pursuit of the highest aspirations of our people, said President Jr. who delivered the keynote message at the ceremonial signing.

The UNSDCF 2024-2028 is a fundamental tool that provides a unified and strategic approach for UN development initiatives carried out by all UN entities at the country level. The framework supports the countrys aspirations to become an upper middle-income economy as it adheres to its commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

With the UNSDCF, the UN and the Philippine government now have a common blueprint for guiding programs and projects critical to achieving the countrys development goals. This Framework can contribute to our countrys progress toward addressing issues such as food insecurity, inequality, climate change, the digital divide, and, most importantly, poverty, said Balisacan.

Following a consultative process involving the Philippine Cabinet, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, and the UN, the UNSDCF has identified three strategic priorities in the Philippines for the period of 2024 to 2028. These are human capital development, inclusion, and resilience building; sustainable economic development, decent work, and innovation; and climate action, environmental sustainability, and disaster resilience.

The UNSDCF also highlighted challenges and opportunities for the country. Challenges include the gaps in social protection and income inequality, while opportunities include the countrys demographic transition; the implementation of measures such as the Public Service Act and the Ease of Doing Business Act; and creation of an enabling environment for innovation as outlined in the National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document (NIASD) 2023-2032.

As the countrys chief socioeconomic planner, Balisacan will serve as the co-chair of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) overseeing the implementation of the UNSDCF, alongside DFA Secretary Manalo and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gonzales.

The JSC will be responsible for providing the strategic support, review, and guidance of the cooperation framework.
The EU and the Philippines signed the 60-million-euro financing agreement for the Green Economy Program at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels.

The program, a key part of the EUs contribution to the Team Europe Initiative on Green Economy, aims to assist the Philippines in renewing its economy.

This includes embracing the circular economy, reducing waste and plastic usage, ensuring water supply and wastewater treatment, promoting energy efficiency and deploying renewable energy to address the impacts of the climate crisis.

To achieve this, the EU will collaborate with the national government, local government units, and the private sector to promote green investments, bonds, and skills, focusing on greener supply chains and production processes.

Implementers of the program will include the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Expertise France, bringing their considerable expertise to the initiative.

Spain, Finland, Germany and France have also made financial contributions to the Team Europe Initiative, further cementing the EUs commitment to fostering a sustainable green economy in the Philippines. Other European member states including Austria, Netherlands and Sweden, will contribute their expertise to ensure the success of this initiative.

European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: The Team Europe Initiative on Green Economy is a testament to the power of cooperation in addressing todays pressing challenges. With a significant contribution of 60 million through the Green Economy Program, we are helping to build a circular economy, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting climate change mitigation.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Philippine government is grateful for the EUs generosity and staunch support to the countrys climate change agenda.

The financing support from the EU will help the country in fulfilling its Nationally Determined Contribution commitment to reduce and avoid greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030. Through this EUR60 Million grant, the country will benefit from various measures in reducing the production of wastes and plastics, deploying renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency, Diokno said.

The EU has long been a key supporter of the Philippines especially in the aftermath of natural disasters. The EU-Philippines Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, ratified in January 2018, lays the foundation for deeper collaboration.

Global Gateway is the EUs overarching cooperation framework to deliver sustainable investments accompanying the Philippines transition to a green and digital economy. As part of this initiative, the first Copernicus program on earth observation in South-East Asia was launched in April 2023 (10 million).

Additionally, the EU is supporting the Philippines in becoming a regional digital hub through the Digital Economy Package ( 20 million) and a Digital Connectivity Team Europe Initiative with the aim of bringing secure and reliable connections to the country.

The EU is also examining the potential for a free trade agreement (FTA), which could generate significant growth and job opportunities, as well as diversify and fortify supply chains. The EU is also eager to collaborate on projects aimed at developing the Philippines local mining industry, supporting communities, and ensuring a secure global supply of critical raw materials.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier took a very important step by launching the Team Europe Initiative on Green Economy under Global Gateway (466 million).
Washington, United States  American and allied forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted at least 13 times with drones and rockets over the past week, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests over Washingtons support for Israel since Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people in a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7.

Israels retaliatory bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 5,000 people  most of them civilians  according to the Gaza health ministry. The deaths have sparked widespread anger across the Middle East.

Between October 17th and the 24th, US and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said, referring to the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

The attacks were conducted with a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, Ryder told journalists, describing the tally of the strikes as initial numbers.

He did not identify the specific organizations responsible, but said that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC and the Iranian regime  a reference to Tehrans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Many of the attacks have been claimed by a group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq in Telegram channels affiliated with Shiite factions close to Iran.

What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran, Ryder said.

The United States has some 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of efforts to combat IS, which once held significant territory in both countries but was pushed back by local forces supported by international air strikes.
Alumni officials of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) commended President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for taking Chinas latest aggression against Filipino ships in Ayungin Shoal very seriously.

This as Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said President Marcos is giving serious weight to the incident where Chinese ships collided with Filipino supply boats in an attempt to block them, given the false narrative being spread by China.

Aldin Cuna, Secretary General of the NDCP Alumni Association, urged Filipinos to unite behind President Marcos and the government as Philippine ships continue to be harassed during peaceful missions in the countrys own territorial waters.

Commodore Jerry Simon, a member of the alumni board, also urged the public to remain vigilant and well informed, stressing that not only are our ships being rammed, the truth that is on our side is being pummeled too.

President Marcos directed the Philippine Coast Guard to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into Chinas most recent aggressive act during an urgently-called command conference on Monday, October 23.

Professor Vladimir Mata, another member of the NDCP alumni board, emphasized that President Marcos directive is rooted to the great importance of the West Philippine Sea to our nation, future and children, an inheritance we should not lose during our watch.

The NDCP alumni association released the statements after two Chinese Coast Guard ships within Philippine territorial waters rammed a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat on Sunday, October 22.
Malacanang on Wednesday said the Czech Republic intends to send trade missions to the Philippines next year to explore possible partnerships in defense and agriculture.

Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Karel Hejc conveyed the message during his presentation of credentials to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday.

The opportunities are here. We just need to grab them, Hejc said.

And Im pleased to mention that just in the next year, we will start here with the visit of the foreign committee of our parliament on so much important defense and security issues of the regional geopolitics, the envoy cited.

Hejc also said his government plans to send their Minister of Agriculture to the Philippines next year, accompanied by a business delegation.

Our ministers travel accompanied with business delegations. So, carefully selected companies that are interested in doing business with the Philippines, with the Filipino companies, and investing in Philippines, he said.

Hejc said that the Czech Republic is one of the producers of the finest war instruments, arms, and ammunition in the world, and is also a major manufacturer of agricultural equipment, including fighter jets, airplanes, and small tractors.

According to Hejc, aside from producing war material, the Czech Republic also offers cooperation in training exercises, maintenance, and upgrades, among others.

Hejc invited President Marcos to visit the Czech Republic to see the presentation of selected manufacturers that will be represented at a huge fair in Manila in September 2024.

For his part, President Marcos told Hejc that his administration prioritizes agriculture to transform the Philippine economy.

The President also listed defense and security as a major thrust for the administration, citing a very thorny regional problem that the country is facing.

Your country has already been of assistance to us in proposing some vessels that we could use for the securing of our maritime waters, our maritime territory, the President said.

And as you must know, that this is becoming a very thorny problem that we are facing, he added.

Mr. Marcos said that the Philippines and the Czech Republic need close partnerships and alliances to address common challenges.

The Philippines and the Czech Republic established their formal diplomatic relations on October 5, 1973.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala arrived in the Philippines for an official visit in April this year.
SENATOR Cynthia Villar warned yesterday that the countrys already ailing hog industry may further be endangered with the proliferation of the African Swine Flu (ASF) vaccines in the black market.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food committee, noted that this new challenge over imported ASF vaccines from Vietnam will put at greater risk the countrys hog industry.

Due to this, Villar launched yesterday her committee hearing to look into the importation of ASF vaccines from Vietnam.

She questioned the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on the use of ASF vaccine on our pigs even it was not yet approved in Vietnam.

She also pressed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allowing the importation of the vaccine for the same reason- prior to approval by Vietnam of the vaccine which researchers came from the United States.

BAI assistant director Arlene Vytiaco admitted that they had the clinical trials on AVAC Vietnam JSC, AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine produced for commercial use, but insisted it was just a field trial and their first new trial.

But Villar pointed out it was made June 2, 2023 and Vietnam approved the vaccine July 2023.

Bakit nauna ka pa sa Vietnam? (Why did you act ahead of Vietnam?) Villar pressed Vytiaco as she further confronted her of being a relative of the supplier.

Vytiaco however, vehemently denied the allegation.

The senator then asked her if there can be a field trial without approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Vytiaco said the FDA issued a special import permit for the vaccine on June 23.

The FDA said it issued authority to import only for clinical trial.

It was approved in Vietnam July 2023 and you granted, (June 23, 2023j, you updated, Villar shot back the FDA.

She also asked FDA to explain how come the field trial as recommended by Vytiaco was done June 2, 2023 while the grant of importation for the vaccine was June 23.

Meanwhile, Villar said the Vietnam company has already shipped 300,000 doses of the vaccines to the Philippimes since its approval, but that was last July 2 (2023).

Vytiaco said they recommended last June 2, 2023 the AVAC doses which have been proven effective following the completion of the safety and efficacy trials in at least six areas in Luzon.

Vytiaco noted that 100 percent of the hogs vaccinated during the trials produced antibodies and showed no ill or side effects.

Citing Reuters report, the senator said the Vietnam government will export to the Philippines 2 million doses of the vaccines this October.

However, she disclosed that buyers of the vaccine were asked to sign a waiver of secrecy on the monitored effect of the vaccine on their animals.

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) presented its initial report in August 2023; saying that they have not come up with a vaccination protocol and emphasized that care must be exercised prior to implementing ASF vaccine.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday said it was exploring possible joint resupply missions with other countries in the West Philippine Sea following a diplomatic row with China over two collisions in the area.

On Sunday, Chinese coast guard and militia ships tried to block Philippine resupply vessels on their way to Ayungin Shoal, resulting in collisions that damaged BRP Cabra and civilian ship Unaizah May 2.

Were still studying that, its another option, AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said in the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, when asked about joint resupply missions with allies.

Brawner said authorities were also considering using a Philippine Navy vessel for the resupply missions. Navy vessels are better equipped for such operations, he said.

The AFP chief also said that the resupply missions should continue as ordered by President Marcos.

We will admit, were worried, but as mentioned by [Defense Secretary] Gibo Teodoro, the AFP is willing to defend our territory. We are one of the most experienced armed forces in the world, he said.

In 2016, the Philippines won its case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which invalidated Beijings sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

China however, continues to ignore that ruling.

Other claimants in the South China Sea include Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Teodoro said they were taking steps to counter the false narratives spread by Chinese propagandists.

Disinformation and information operators are in the playbook of China. We are countering the narratives by information operations such as this  me explaining to our countrymen why they should not believe in Chinas narratives, Teodoro said.

Chinese narrative is this is all a play by the United States and we are just marionettes, puppets of the Americans, following their playbook, he added.

These accusations are insulting to Filipinos, he said, because it assumes we do not have the ability to think for ourselves and stand up for our own rights.

The defense chief also said that swarming and other illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea are part of Chinas plans to occupy the whole South China Sea.

The Philippines, meanwhile, is just defending its right under international law, he added.

This is an affront to our territorial integrity and is a ridiculous assertion of international law or revision of international law to suit their expansionist ends, he said.

They are also planting disinformation in the country in order to weaken the political will and unity of this country. So we need to be united here. Lets not believe Chinas disinformation, he said.

A US State Department study says China is spending billions of dollars globally to spread disinformation and threatening to cause a sharp contraction in freedom of speech around the world.

The National Security Council (NSC), meanwhile, said it is monitoring some influencers and groups that it says tend to echo Chinas sentiments on the West Philippine Sea.

NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya first talked about these groups in an interview with the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, where he said there might be a Chinese information operation in the country.

He also noted how these people share videos from China, despite the existence of videos and accounts from members of the media who were onboard the BRP Cabra.

Meanwhile, four American lawmakers expressed support for the Philippine government following the incident near Ayungin Shoal.

House foreign affairs committee chairman Michael McCaul, ranking member Gregory Meeks, along with subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific chairwoman Young Kim and ranking member Ami Bera, issued the statement and called out China over what they called maritime intimidation in the South China Sea.

We unequivocally support the Philippines and condemn the unlawful actions by the Chinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea, the statement read.

The Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels intentionally hit Philippine Coast Guard ships over the weekend and continue to violate international law, endanger Filipino crew members, and obstruct Philippine vessels access in their own exclusive economic zone, it added.

The four legislators believe that the incident is part of a larger pattern of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy, the maritime militia, and the Chinese Coast Guards aggressive and provocative behavior in the South China Sea, where it actively intrudes in other states exclusive economic zones.

We condemn Beijings maritime intimidation and welcome the Biden administrations announcement to increase joint patrols with the Philippines and other partners in the South China Sea, the lawmakers said.

They also lauded the Biden administration for reaffirming its commitment to upholding its obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty in case of an armed attack against the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.

Last month, the Indo Pacific-Subcommittee discussed the situation in the contested sealane and held a hearing titled Lasers and Water Cannons: Exposing the CCPs Harassment in the South China Sea.

The Oct. 22 incident drew international attention and support from Japan, South Korea, Canada, European Union, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Denmark.

On Oct. 23, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tokyo is concerned over the recent surge in tensions in the South China Sea, including the dangerous action that caused a collision between Chinese and Filipino ships.

Japan believes that the issue concerning the South China Sea is directly related to the peace and stability of the region and is a legitimate concern of the international community including Japan, and thus Japan opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force as well as any actions that increase tensions in the South China Sea, it said.

The Japanese government said it would continue to cooperate with the international community, including the US and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to protect free, open, and peaceful seas.

Despite the heightened tension, Teodoro said that it is unlikely for China to attack and take over the countrys territories in the WPS.

In my opinion, they will have second thoughts about doing that. Number one, the world knows what they are doing there, and many nations are against what they are doing and also it is common sense that they would not do that if they want to convince the world that their intentions are peaceful, Teodoro said in an interview with radio dzRH.

Teodoro said the Philippines has the right and obligation to defend the countrys sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction.

Teodoro reiterated the need to continue building up the AFP for it to have a credible defense posture and continue coordinating with the countrys allies and partners to contain Chinas illegal activities in the WPS.
Ottawa, Canada  Canadian police found five people dead from gunshots, including three children and the alleged shooter, at two border city residences in a case described on Tuesday as intimate partner violence.

The victims were discovered late Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, near the juncture of three Great Lakes bordering the US state of Michigan, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) north of Toronto, after police received reports of break-ins.

A 41-year-old was found deceased from a gunshot wound at the first residence. The shooter had fled the area prior to police arrival, said a statement.

Ten minutes later, another emergency call saw police head to another home just 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) away.

There they found three deceased children, aged six, seven and 12 years old, as well as the alleged shooter who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Another victim, aged 45, was also found injured with a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital.

In a statement, Sault police chief Hugh Stevenson said the incidents were linked and were the result of intimate partner violence.

This is an unspeakable tragedy, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

According to government data, gun crimes in Canada decreased from 2020 to 2021, accounting for a small proportion of all violent crimes. But shootings are up from a decade ago.

amc/mlm

 Agence France-Presse
San Francisco, United States  Google parent Alphabet and computing colossus Microsoft Tuesday reported that quarterly profits climbed on demand for cloud computing enhanced with artificial intelligence.

Microsoft saw its shares rise more than 3 percent to $341.11 on earnings that underscored the momentum of its cloud business.

Alphabet share prices, however, slipped more than 5 percent to $129.67 in after-market trades Tuesday despite beating overall earnings expectations as investors had evidently hoped Google Cloud would be doing better.

Google Cloud missed consensus revenue expectations on slowing growth, and we believe consistent with the view that newer (generative artificial intelligence) workloads will take time to move the needle, Baird Equity Research analyst Colin Sebastian said in a note to investors.

Alphabet reported a quarterly profit of $19.7 billion, powered by money taken in from ads, YouTube, and cloud services.

Alphabet logged $76.7 billion in revenue, versus $69 billion in the same period a year earlier.

We see AI as a foundational platform shift and are excited about the opportunities across our business, Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said during an earnings call.

Through it all we are making sure the product works well and we are generating value.

Consumers and investors have been keenly watching how companies take advantage of artificial intelligence, and Google along with Microsoft and OpenAI are considered leaders in the technology.

But Alphabet has largely been seen as playing catch up with Microsoft, with questions over whether the mighty Google search engine will withstand developments in AI.

Microsoft was quick to beef up its Bing search engine with AI powers, but Googles search has yet to see a real threat to its dominance, and continues to hold about 90 percent of the market worldwide.

Google, like most big tech companies, saw its share price rise steeply in 2023 as investors expected AI to generate new revenue and open new markets.

It is a testament to the nature of Googles market dominance in search and ads that it can beat (earnings) estimates and have its stock sag immediately afterwards, said Insider Intelligence analyst Max Willens.

Cloud computing is a much lumpier business than advertising, and one where Google is facing stiff competition.

While Google may gain traction making money from AI in the long run, its Cloud unit for now is not enough to sate investors, Willens added.

Revenue in Alphabets cloud division, which infuses AI into its services, was $8.4 billion in the quarter, compared to $6.7 billion in the same period a year earlier.

-Microsoft riding cloud 

Tech giant Microsoft said Tuesday its profits rose in the latest quarter, boosted by its strength in the closely watched cloud services segment.

The company exceeded expectations to report a net income of $22.3 billion for the July to September period, up 27 percent from a year ago.

All eyes have been on Microsofts artificial intelligence and cloud computing performance, and a key aspect is the Azure cloud service, which competes with Amazons AWS and Google Cloud.

Were making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said on an earnings call.

We are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role in the business process to drive productivity gains.

In the latest quarter, revenue growth for Azure and other cloud services came in at 29 percent from a year ago, a slightly faster pace than the three months prior.

Overall, the company reported $56.5 billion in sales for the quarter, also higher than anticipated.

Microsoft shares surged by 4.6 percent in after-hours trading.

The latest earnings report comes shortly after Microsoft closed its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, whose video games include Call of Duty, sealing one of the biggest technology tie-ups in history.
There are benefits if there are more people writing about their participation in momentous events

In my last trip to Manila two weeks ago, Ret. Major General Jose Magno  or JoeMag for short to all his friends and colleagues  invited me to a social event which turned out to be a gathering of Vietnam War veterans.

Given that it was a Friday and traffic is always bad on Fridays, I was hesitant to go.

But, as it developed, the party turned out to be quite a ball.

This is because when old fogeys like myself congregate, it always turns out to be the usual repetitive recollection of events with a few added flavors that have been told many times before.

Aside from the Second World War, Vietnam and the Korean Wars, there are still many important and significant stories waiting to be told.

We have the CPP/NPA insurgency, the Islamic secessionist military campaigns in Mindanao and our many recent political upheavals resulting in Presidents leaving abruptly that will have to be written by those who participated in those historical events.

Indeed, the accounts that have been published about the events of 1986 and that of 2001 were mostly by academics and not by direct participants.

The same is true with the many coup attempts from 2001 to 2004.

There are, therefore, many stories to write that could fill a small library and many men in uniform who are now veterans participated in those historic events.

Unfortunately, not many of those who have stories to tell never took the time to write their stories or were simply unable which is knowledge lost for appreciation by the whole nation.

I have written about this many times that we are losing valuable knowledge because for one reason or another we Filipinos do not seem to want to write our life experiences and share them with the public. Perhaps, one reason why participants are hesitant to write their stories is because of the effect it might have on their careers.

This is understandable. But after retirement, one should be able to write anything without fear.

In other countries like the United States, it is the other way around.

Every incident is followed by a book. There are just too many people wanting to write no matter how insignificant ones participation is in an event.

Although the social gathering was also intended to disseminate the latest news on veterans affairs, one major topic among those who were there was how to encourage those remaining veterans to find a way to record their experiences not only for their families but also for posterity.

I suggested one simple way of doing this is to get a video camera, sit in front of it and just talk no matter how long.

That way, there will be a record.

One problem, however, is where does one send the recording?

If the planned President Fidel V. Ramos Presidential Library becomes a reality, then these recordings can be sent there.

If not, perhaps the PVAO should add this as one of its duties.

PVAO should create a team to go from veteran to veteran doing all the recordings and filing them for future military researchers before all these veterans are gone.

My batch mate former Philippine Veterans Administration Office head Ret. Lt. General Nesty Carolina who was there at the gathering said he started something similar but it must be formalize with a team from PVAO going around doing the interviews.

Also in that gathering, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who is a Vietnam veteran and a Ret. Lt. General in the Army, distributed copies of his book Soldier Peacemaker about his work and experiences to everyone.

He is one of the few that I know who has taken the time and effort to write.

Another book distributed was Warriors for Peace by Ben Cal which is all about the Philippine Civic Action activities in Tay Ninh province in Vietnam where the PhilCag was assigned during their stay in Vietnam.

JoeMag also mentioned he has a long video recording of himself during his time with the late President Ramos, starting from their time in the Special Forces to their time in Fort Bragg, now called Fort Liberty.

So, it seems there are already some veterans doing it.

All that has to be done is for PVAO to draft a plan to operationalize the activity.

There are benefits if there are more people writing about their participation in momentous events.

One is that such books or records will serve as a counter weight to people who want to revise history to suit their own agenda like politics or simply wanting to look good for posterity.

But with many books, this becomes harder to do.

It is always healthier if there are more interpretations of historical events.

The mission therefore is to get people to start writing more.

If we look at our countrys record when it comes to yearly publications, it is not exemplary compared to our neighbors.

For the year 2015, we only had 9,480 publications compared to Indonesia in 2020 with 135,081 or Vietnam at 24,589.

Malaysia had 15,354 in 2015 while Singapore with very much less population had 12,000 for the year 2007.

Only Thailand appear to have less than what we had with 6,750 in 2018.

With the size of our population, we should be publishing three or four times more.

Encouraging our veterans to try to start writing may not be enough.

For one, not everyone is gifted with the talent to write.

Some were hoping the PFVR presidential library will go thru so that it will become a repository of the papers of many high ranking military men who have retired and are looking where to store their records.

But the library has to be constructed first.

With no one available to take the lead, PVAO is the only logical agency to undertake such an effort.

It is basically like what one private non-profit organization is doing in Europe and the United States, going around interviewing every living veteran to preserve their oral history.
Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the mobile services arm of PLDT Group, and Google Cloud today announced a collaboration to improve the accessibility of essential digital services for Filipinos, with Searce providing technical implementation support.

Under this collaboration, Smart will become one of the first communication services providers (CSPs) in the Asia Pacific region to adopt Telecom Subscriber Insights, Google Clouds AI-powered solution that ingests data from various sources, provides contextual insights on subscribers propensity to consume services, and presents personalized recommendations to their devices for activation.

With the Philippines digital economy set to grow 20% year-on-year between now and 2025, mobile connectivity plays an increasingly central role in how Filipinos access essential services like food, transport, and the purchase of daily items.

By leveraging Telecom Subscriber Insights to analyze customer data securely hosted on Google Cloud, Smart will gain richer perspective into how Filipinos interact with digital services and the pain points they face in everyday usageinforming the development of services that equip Filipinos to better understand, manage, and optimize their mobile data consumption.

Smart will also use Telecom Subscriber Insights to design more inclusive mobile services for subscribers by identifying both patterns and gaps in connectivity.

With real-time insights from customer data, Smart could, for instance, help subscribers optimize their data consumption while streaming content by alerting the user to adjust the resolution of their video.

Subscribers could also be prompted to top up their prepaid plan on their device through integrations with local digital payments services, instead of having to locate a physical store to purchase a prepaid load.

Our collaboration with Google Cloud to be the first communication services provider in Asia Pacific to adopt Telecom Subscriber Insights will empower us to better serve Filipino mobile users whenever and wherever they need us. This is a huge step toward our commitment to always put our customers first and provide them with the best mobile experience powered by our superior network, said Alex O. Caeg, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Business  Individual, Smart Communications, Inc..

The speed of digital change has created growing anxiety amongst Filipinos about running low on data in their exact moment of needfrom booking a ride-hailing service on an app, to completing important financial transactions on the go. Google Clouds enterprise-grade AI solutions will allow us to give our subscribers simpler, quicker, and more affordable access to the data services most aligned to their evolving digital lifestyles, while guiding our efforts to boost mobile connectivity across the country, said Emmanuel C. Lorenzana, Chief Transformation and Customer Officer, PLDT Inc..

Smart is looking to gain additional capabilities that enable subscribers to better interact with agents and chatbots, by integrating Google Clouds generative AI (gen AI) capabilitiessuch as Googles first-party foundation models for summarizing text and maintaining an ongoing conversationwith Telecom Subscriber Insights.

By using Google Clouds Vertex AI platform to access and tune snapshots of these models, ground their responses with its own private corpus, and integrate them into its services, Smart could allow its subscribers to interact with natural-sounding, virtual agents that offer more tailored and accessible insights into, and ways to optimize, their personal data consumption.

As CSPs are increasingly put under pressure to deliver transformative customer experiences tailored to individual needs, the ability to navigate and understand complex datasets has become critical for achieving success, said Gabriele Di Piazza, Senior Director, Global Product Management, Telecommunications, Google Cloud. With Telecom Subscriber Insights, Smart can extract customer insights in real-time, while leveraging the products machine learning capabilities to inform digital sales opportunities based on customer readiness, price sensitivity, and lifetime value.

When deployed strategically by CSPs, AI and gen AI can significantly improve inclusion and equity of digital access, by tapping on data that these providers already manage and store as part of their core operations, said Malis Selamat, Country Manager, Philippines and Vietnam, Google Cloud. Smarts use of Telecom Subscriber Insights demonstrates the potential for CSPs in Asia to support national digital transformation efforts with the use of AI in a secure-by-design and privacy-controlled environment, while empowering consumers to make more informed decisions about their data usage in a growing and fast-evolving digital world.
EVPs Eddie Gallor and William Lee lead the wave for the crowd

As it celebrates its 55th anniversary, Uratex Philippines continues to help enrich the lives and create meaningful moments for Filipinos.

The leading foam company in the country, which offers mattresses and pillows, is a Filipino success story of uplifting comfort with quality and innovation to every Filipino household.

To commemorate this milestone, Uratex reinforces its corporate social responsibility by giving back once again to the communities. Together with the brands celebrity endorsers and a select group of social media influencers, Uratex will donate 2,355 mattresses to charity organizations.

Some of the charities that will receive our donations are orphanages and homes for the elderly which provide sanctuary for individuals who have been abandoned by their families. Among the specific beneficiaries are House of Somang (House for the Elderly), Saint Rita Orphanage, Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Childrens Home, and Bethany House Sto. Nino Orphanage. These organizations play a vital role in offering care and support to those who need them most.

This unique opportunity allows Uratex to further reach the communities that it serves and makes a positive impact on the lives of its partners and customers.

The external partners of Uratex have helped in choosing the charities in need of mattresses, including shelters or homes for the aged, women, children and adults with special needs and community hospitals from across the region. Uratex prioritizes underfunded charities or those who do not have sufficient financial resources to carry out their missions effectively.

Moreover, Uratex is mindful of its role in protecting the environment.

Uratex is actively supporting different sustainability programs such as tree planting, mangrove planting, and green initiatives towards use of solar panels and electric vehicles. It has recently launched Trill Seave, a product collection with fabrics that are made from upcycled marine plastics. Through this, Uratex aims to help address plastic pollution that damages our ecosystems and threatens the health of several marine species.

World-Class Company Sets a World Record

The 2,355 mattresses, the top-selling Classic Uratex Single (36 x 75), were used in an extraordinary event set to become an iconic undertaking. On October 22 at the SMX Convention Center (Halls 2-4), the world-class Filipino company set the Guinness World Record of the largest Human Mattress Domino.

Uratex Philippines is your trusted leader in mattresses, foams, and sleep products that is consistently recognized by Readers Digest with 14 Consecutive Platinum Awards in the Mattress Category.

Through the years, Uratex is guided by the vision of its founder, Robert Cheng: We will not stop until we provide every Filipino with a comfortable and affordable mattress to rest on.

As such, Uratex wants to share its mission far and wide as they made the official attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest human mattress domino in celebration of its 55th Anniversary by using a total of 2,355 mattresses.

The initial two numbers, 2 and 3, are derived from the year 2023, while the final two, 5 and 5, were selected to commemorate Uratexs 55th anniversary in 2023.

The largest human mattress dominoes was previously recorded in Brazil, consisting of 2,019 people. It was achieved by Globo Comunicacao e Participacoes S.A. and Ortobom at Riocentro, in Rio de Janeiro, on August 6, 2019. The attempt lasted 11 minutes and 13 seconds. After which, all the 2,019 mattresses were donated to charities.

The participants were selected from a list of volunteers, which included both Uratex employees and charity representatives. All volunteers who met the height and age criteria specified by Guinness (at least 411 in height, aged 16 and above) and were in good physical condition were welcomed to be part of the event.

Teamwork is what made us last for 55 years, and by collectively striving to set a world record for the largest human mattress dominoes, each individual plays a crucial role in achieving this feat, Eddie Gallor, Executive Vice President for Automotive. And because Uratex is dedicated to giving back to various charitable causes. Surpassing a Guinness World Record serves as a meaningful avenue towards making this philanthropic endeavor a reality.

Icons For an Iconic Brand

The record-setting event was witnessed by Uratex owners and executives led by Naty Cheng, the CEO and president; William Lee, executive vice president for furniture and bedding; Eddie Gallor, executive vice president for automotive; Peachy Medina, managing director; and Stephen Cheng-Lee  Sleep Business Unit director.

Naty Cheng receives Guinness World Record Certificate from Guinness Adjudicator Mai Mcmillan.JPG

As the leading foam manufacturing company in the country, one of the core missions and vision of Uratex is to serve the Filipino community and by beating the record, we bring honor to the Philippines on a global scale, William Lee, Executive Vice President for furniture and beddings, proudly declares. Moreover, since it is the Filipino people who support Uratex, we want to give back by making them a part of this historic event.

Fresh from the local and global triumph of her latest film, A Very Good Girl, Kapamilya actress Kathryn Bernardo was in attendance. The box-office queen is the blockbuster ambassadress for the Uratex Classic Line.

Kathryn is a highly influential and marketable celebrity in the Philippines, particularly among the younger generations (Gens Y and Z). She is well loved by Filipino households and commands a significant presence in the broader mass market, making her the perfect fit to endorse Uratexs classic foam products, shares Stephen Cheng-Lee, Sleep Business Unit director.

Aside from that, we are proud to only get brand ambassadors who are actual Uratex users and Kathryn has been a Uratex user since she was very young. This is also the reason why Its always been U, Uratex is our campaign slogan for our brand ambassadors this year.

Uratex executive commiitee
A Kenyan court on Tuesday October 24 extended a court ruling suspending the deployment of a thousand police officers to Haiti, plunged in chaos and gang violences, as part of a UN-backed mission.

The Caribbean country is experiencing new records of crime, the UN warned on Monday October 23, three weeks after giving the go-ahead for the deployment of a non-UN multinational mission led by Kenya to assist the Haitian police. The Kenyan governments decision to deploy police officers to Haiti has prompted much questioning and criticism in the East African country.

The Nairobi High Court had suspended this decision on October 9, pending consideration of an appeal lodged by lawyer and opponent Ekuru Aukot, who argues that the deployment is unconstitutional. Initially scheduled for Tuesday October 24, the hearing on the merits was postponed until November 9.

This court was seized of this matter before anyone else, and it would make no sense to cancel or allow the provisional orders to expire, justified Judge Enock Mwita. The details of the U.S.-backed mission to Haiti have not yet been finalized, and Parliament has yet to vote on it, as required by the Constitution.

The Kenyan government claimed on October 13 to have ratified the deployment and sent the text to Parliament. But according to Mr. Aukot, this announcement constitutes contempt of court. They (the government) are cleaning house and asking for approvals after we have obtained the court injunction, he stressed.

The Kenyan government has come under heavy criticism for its decision to send police officers to Haiti, a highly unstable and dangerous country. Human rights NGOs point out that the Kenyan police are accustomed to using force, sometimes lethal, against civilians, which constitutes a major risk in a country where previous foreign interventions have been marked by human rights violations.
Two Moroccan military aircrafts carrying emergency humanitarian aid for

Palestinian populations arrived, on Wednesday morning, at El Arich airport (eastern Egypt).

This humanitarian initiative comes in accordance with the High Instructions of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, aimed at delivering emergency humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

The two aircrafts, whose cargo will be transported to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah land border crossing, are carrying large quantities of food, medical products and water.

The operation to receive this aid at El Arich airport was supervised by the Kingdoms Ambassador in Cairo and its permanent delegate to the Arab League, Ahmed Tazi, as well as members of the Moroccan embassy.

In a statement to MAP, Tazi said that these aids bear witness to the Kings constant commitment to the Palestinian cause, noting that all the departments concerned have been mobilized to speed up the implementation of this operation and the delivery of these aids to the Palestinians, in accordance with the Kings High Instructions.

This humanitarian aid will be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent, which will take charge of transporting it to the Palestinian territories in coordination with the relevant Palestinian authorities, he added, pointing out that this operation is being carried out in accordance with arrangements coordinated with the Egyptian authorities, given the security conditions surrounding the Rafah crossing.
North Korea closes its embassy in Uganda, ending half a century of diplomatic presence in one of its oldest allies in Africa. The decision was announced after a meeting between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and North Korean Ambassador Jong Tong Hak.

Ambassador Jong informed the president that North Korea had decided to reduce the number of its embassies in Africa, including Uganda, in order to increase the efficiency of its representations abroad, said a presidential statement sent on Tuesday October 24.

Our friendly relations will continue and will be further strengthened and developed, assured the North Korean ambassador, quoted in the statement, adding that diplomatic relations between the two countries will now be handled by the embassy in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The diplomat thanked President Museveni for having always supported the (North) Korean government in implementing its peaceful efforts to achieve harmonious unification of the Korean peninsula, according to the presidency.

North Korea established ties with Uganda shortly after the former British colony gained independence in 1962, and supported the dictator Idi Amin Dada when he took power in 1971, with weapons and military training. North Korea opened its embassy a year later, while the international community sidelined the Ugandan leader.

Idi Amin Dada was overthrown in a coup detat in 1979. He died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003. His reign of terror led to the deaths of some 300,000 people.

After Museveni took power in 1986, Kampala and Pyongyang signed cooperation agreements, with North Korea supplying arms, military equipment and training to Ugandan security forces. But in May 2016, Uganda indicated that it would cease this military cooperation after the UN imposed heavy sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Palliative care staff and caregivers may now need longer-term support mechanisms under a new post-lockdown public health approach, a new study reveals.

Researchers found that end-of-life care changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemicreducing formal care support services and increasing the burden upon first-time caregivers as family members chose to die at home rather than alone in a hospice.

Publishing their findings today in Frontiers in Public Health, the researchers highlight people's reluctance to go into hospices during lockdown, due to fears that loved ones could not visit. However, supporting people to die at home became more demanding as face-to-face support reduced.

Despite staff efforts to provide dignified, quality care, the pandemic forced hospices to focus on essential 'physical care' rather than the important, holistic aspects of palliative carecreating psychological suffering for both staff and caregivers.

University of Birmingham researchers recommend policy makers consider improving how caregivers are identified and assessed. They also advocate improving resources for wider end-of-life care education to support caregivers, as well as health and social care staff.

The research team identified four key themes from interviews with staff and caregivers in England and Scotland that defined their lockdown experience:

Changing Preferencespeople chose to die at home rather than isolated in a hospice;

Missed Opportunitiesnot having others around robbed families and patients of chances to make memories;

The Lone Caregiverfamily caregivers had limited practical and emotional support which for many was challenging, lonely and, exhausting;

Procedure vs. Person-centered Carerestrictions forced care to focus on the physical not the holistic aspects of palliative care important to people such as massage therapies and support groups, some of which have not been reinstated.

Principal Investigator Cara Bailey, Professor of End-of-Life Care at the University of Birmingham, commented, "The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly had a major impact on end-of-life care for all involvedparticularly the lack of choice at the very end of life which has had a detrimental impact on peoples experience and their ability to grieve. The lack of social connectivity and ability to mark life and death has longer term implications for society as whole."

"Our findings indicate that a public health approach to care, where health, social care and community systems work together is essential. Lockdown brought huge pressures to bear on staff, caregivers, patients, and communities. We need to learn from both the breakthroughs and challenges of that time to restore palliative care as an integrated system of care."

"COVID-19's impact was evident in hospice care; missed opportunities, the overwhelming role of the lone caregiver and the changing nature of palliative care as process took priority. Practice as hospice staff knew it before has not resumed taking a toll on the workforce and directly changing the delivery of palliative care."

The study notes that managing people's expectations of health and social care will be challenging. Clear public health messaging and actions are needed, alongside sustainable educational resources and support for health and social care professionals, caregivers, and citizens.

Richard Meade, Director of Caregivers UK, commented, "Sadly, unpaid caregivers have always struggled to get the support they need to care for people at home, including at the end of life. The pandemic amplified the intensity of the care and support they had to provide without support or help, leading many facing a breakdown in their own health."

"Without unpaid caregivers, caring for someone at home becomes difficult, if not impossible. We must learn the lessons of the pandemic to ensure now and in the future that we recognize, value and support caregivers and ensure they get the support they need. Only by doing this will we enable them to continue to care, but also to enjoy a life outside of caring which is their right."

Ellie Wagstaff, Senior Policy Manager at Marie Curie Scotland, commented, "The pandemic exacerbated the fragilities in the already fractured health and social care system. Families stepped up and took on the role as caregivers to ensure their loved ones died at home with their comforts in familiar surroundings, and most importantly, so they didn't die alone."

"But what is concerning is that many caregivers did not receive all the physical, emotional, and financial support they desperately needed. This research has shown how important support for caregivers is when looking after someone who is terminally ill, and the impact on their physical, mental, and financial health without it."

"Existing Marie Curie research shows that come 2040, that up to 10,000 more people will be dying with palliative care needs, and two thirds of those deaths will be at home in the coming decade, so there will inevitably be a similar increase in the number of caregivers."

"Scottish and UK Governments have a responsibility to develop more robust support for caregivers both now and in the years to come. This includes a national public awareness campaign to support caregiver identification and increased financial and bereavement support."

More information: Cara Bailey et al, "Palliative care is so much more than that": a qualitative study exploring experiences of hospice staff and bereaved carers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Frontiers in Public Health (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1139313. www.frontiersin.org/articles/1  bh.2023.1139313/full Journal information: Frontiers in Public Health
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F ROH distributions for varying thresholds to call ROH and the relationship between the number of ROH segments and the total amount of ROH for all Himba (n = 681). The Top panel displays individuals measurements resulting when F ROH is calculated using a minimum threshold of 500 kb to call ROH, and the Middle and Bottom panels are the values calculated using minimum thresholds of 1,500 kb and 5,000 kb, respectively, to call ROH. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309552120

When it comes to the architecture of the human genome, it's only a matter of time before harmful genesgenes that could compromise future generationsarise in a population. These mutations accumulate in the gene pool, primarily affected by a population's size and practices like marrying within a small community, according to researchers.

But much of the information about the effects of a population's mutation load is based on genetic theory, with limited direct evidence concerning the effects on evolutionary fitness, or fertility.

New research from University of California, Davis, provides rare direct evidence showing that increased homozygositymeaning two identical alleles in a genomeleads to negative effects on fertility in a human population. The paper was published Oct. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

"People have known since Darwin that if you take people who are first cousins and they have children together, the children are more likely to develop certain diseases or be less healthy," said Brenna Henn, an associate professor of anthropology in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis.

The research assesses the consequences of homozygosity among Namibia's Himba community, an isolated, agro-pastoralist population in which marriage between people with the same ancestor occurs. The research was led by Natalie Swinford, who received her doctoral degree in 2022 in evolutionary anthropology and human population genetics, and Henn.

"They're what we call an 'endogamous population,' meaning people are meeting their partners just from within that Himba group," said Henn. "They also have a unique system of marriage and reproduction, where men and women can have multiple boyfriends or girlfriends during their marriage. That means there are a lot of half-siblings in the population. That's a unique feature and it means that we can leverage that social structure to look at different genetic effects."

Echoes in the genome

In the study, the team gathered genetic data from 681 individuals from the Himba population. Genetic analyses revealed that the Himba have genetic markers that show higher levels of inbreeding.

Known as runs of homozygosity, or ROH, these markers are multiple and particularly long in the genomes of the analyzed Himba, which indicates that their parents had a high likelihood of sharing an ancestor.

While the Himba population has historically exhibited a preference for consanguinity, Henn and Swinford were surprised to find that none of the individuals in their sample population had parents who were actually first cousins. The lengths of the ROH in the genomes indicated otherwise.

The researchers found that these genetic effects can pool and accumulate over time. So, bottleneck events, like a decrease in population that leads to inbreeding, can have genetic echoes that don't manifest until generations later. The researchers concluded that such events occurred within the past 12 to 18 generations of the Himba population.

"People may not be full first-cousins," Henn said. "But they may be half-cousins once removed and then their grandparents might have been half-cousins. Anytime something like that happens, it's going to contribute to there being identical DNA in the offspring."

A negative effect on fertility

The Himba are a pronatalist community, meaning they encourage their members to have many children. Typically, there are short intervals between births, roughly between one and three years, researchers said.

To gauge the effects of long ROH on fertility, the researchers measured the reproductive success of post-reproductive women in their sample population. The researchers defined reproductive success as the number of children who survived to at least 5.

The research team used statistical models to analyze the relationship between the amount of ROH in the genome and the number of children a woman had. They found that the greater the proportion of the genome that was in ROH, the more likely a woman was to have fewer children than a woman who had less ROH.

"This means that a woman who has parents who are more related is more likely to have fewer children throughout her lifetime than a woman who has parents who are less related," said Swinford.

Contributing authors on the paper include S.P. Prall, University of Missouri; S. Gopalan, Duke University; C.M. Williams, Brown University; J. Sheehama, University of Namibia; and B.A. Scelza, University of California, Los Angeles.

More information: N. A. Swinford et al, Increased homozygosity due to endogamy results in fitness consequences in a human population, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309552120 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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For first-degree relatives of patients with nonsyndromic colorectal cancer (CRC), fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) screening does not improve screening uptake compared with colonoscopy screening, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in PLOS Medicine.

Natalia Gonzalez-Lopez, from the Hospital Universitario de Canarias in Tenerife, Spain, and colleagues examined whether uptake of FIT screening is superior to uptake of colonoscopy screening in a population of FDRs of patients with CRC.

The open-label, parallel-group trial was conducted in 12 centers between February 2016 and December 2021. Eligible participants were FDRs of index cases younger than 60 years or having two or more index cases or a sibling with CRC, regardless of age at diagnosis; 1,760 FDRs of 460 index cases were assessed for inclusion: 870 were assigned to undergo one-time colonoscopy or FIT (431 and 439, respectively).

The researchers found that of those assigned to undergo colonoscopy or FIT, 44.0% attended the appointment and signed informed consent: 34.1 and 35.9% underwent colonoscopy-based screening and FIT-based screening, respectively (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.44; P = 0.564).

Compared with the FIT group, the colonoscopy group had a significantly higher detection rate of advanced colorectal neoplasia (odds ratio, 3.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.55 to 8.53; P = 0.003). Throughout follow-up, there was no change noted in study outcomes.

"In the setting of an opportunistic screening, annual FIT does not increase the screening uptake compared to colonoscopy screening in FDR at high risk of developing CRC, resulting in a significantly lower detection rate of advanced colorectal neoplasia," the authors write.

More information: Natalia Gonzalez-Lopez et al, Screening uptake of colonoscopy versus fecal immunochemical testing in first-degree relatives of patients with non-syndromic colorectal cancer: A multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, randomized trial (ParCoFit study), PLOS Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004298 Journal information: PLoS Medicine

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Dominique Lee was training in radiation oncology when she was invited to join her supervisor to discuss a training opportunity. Instead, she was drugged and sexually assaulted.

Lee reported the crime, and John Kearsley was sentenced two years later. Kearsley has since been sentenced for another sexual assault against the daughter of a patient.

For Lee, the impact of that assault has been profound. "It's taken almost ten years to look at myself in the mirror and not feel shame and hate," she says. "All I wanted to do was stop him from hurting other women, and that was my one agenda. I wasn't set out to destroy his career. He did that on his own."

Lee is not alone. It is always difficult to measure how often sexual harassment and assault occurs, but global estimates suggest around 33% of doctors in training have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Women are at higher risk and especially women in training.

A recent study of surgeons in the United Kingdom found 63.3% of female surgeons and 23.7% of male surgeons had been sexually harassed by colleagues.

One of the study authors, Tamzin Cummings, told The Guardian, "No one should need to call for a code of conduct that says, in essence, 'please do not molest your work colleagues or students," and yet this is one of the actions our report recommends."

This week, I convened a meeting of medical leaders in Canberra to explore why doctors in Australia are vulnerable to sexual harassment. And we drafted a set of safety standards to prevent this in future.

What is it about the culture of medicine?

Doctors work in a rigid hierarchy, and train for more than 12 years to obtain their specialist qualifications. They have a lot to lose from disclosing assault and harassment.

In Lee's victim impact statement, she acknowledged how differences in power made junior doctors vulnerable:

"Before pleading guilty to these assault charges, the perpetrator used to hold a high position in a well-known cancer center and he was a respected member of the community. I, on the other hand, was still a trainee."

Medicine can be a brutal profession. The work is long, arduous and high stakes. The suicide rate is high, particularly in women, and violence at work is increasing.

Doctors often work and live in environments that make them vulnerable. It is common for doctors to live in hospitals when on call, or when placed in rural communities where they lack their usual social supports.

It is normal to discuss sex and human bodies during training, so survivors often feel it took them too long to pick up early signs of escalating abuse, like intrusive sexual comments.

Doctors work in close physical proximity, particularly in surgery, so it can also be easy to excuse inappropriate touching which can feel like an "accident." Exposure to discrimination and harassment is so common, they become "too used to it".

Several of the doctors in our 2019 study on sexual harassment commented that women doctors walk a fine line, trying to be strong, competent and capable, while also being "a good girl, being approachable and being nice to the nursing staff." Female doctors do not want to be seen as "troublemakers," because it impacts their careers.

Doctors report the culture of self-sacrifice in medicine can normalize abuse, and can mean young doctors accept harassment as "part of the job."

Wellness programs can be a way of side-stepping workplace obligations, emphasizing individual resilience without addressing the harassment problem. We call this "weaponising wellness".

Medical workplaces are highly diverse, which makes regulation challenging. Doctors work in hospitals, aged care facilities, solo doctor rural practices, large corporate community health centers, research institutes, universities and even people's homes. Many are contractors or small business owners, which means they do not have the same structural protections of employees.

Even if they want to report, it's hard to work out where to do so. Lee reported to the police, and her case was heard by a criminal court. However, she could have reported to her professional college, hospital, medical defense organization, medical board, Human Rights Commission, union or any number of other avenues. No wonder survivors are confused.

As Lee told The Guardian, "the system teaches you to be quiet."

We're setting a new standard

This week, my colleagues and I brought together 140 experts at Old Parliament House to tackle this difficult problem.

We had international leaders from law, medical education, health-care management, psychiatry and psychology, Medical Boards, doctors' health advisory services and various medical workplaces. We had representatives from Australia, New Zealand the UK and Pakistan. One of our participants was from an Antarctic research station. Some were students or doctors in training. Most had decades of experience.

The purpose of the summit was simple: to identify and address the features of medical workplaces that make doctors particularly vulnerable, and address them.

We recognize that many features of medicine are common to all workplaces. We wanted to build on existing frameworks and legislative requirements like Respect at Work, not replace them.

We drafted a set of sexual safety standards, that can apply to all medical workplaces and add to the legislative requirements we are already required to meet.

These standards include preventing sexual harassment and identifying, supporting and managing high-risk targets, perpetrators and environments in medical workplaces. They also encompass reducing the trauma of the reporting process, and the compassionate rehabilitation of survivors.

We mapped the options for reporting, developing a resource for survivors to choose and navigate the complex systems available to them.

Importantly, we established a community of diverse, passionate, expert global leaders across medicine who are determined to use their skills in managing complexity to reduce sexual harm in the profession.

Medicine has unique challenges, but we are not the only profession tackling this difficult problem. We manage physical and psychological trauma every day, and we are experts in navigating complexity. It's time we used our skills to heal our own profession.

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

When Andria Peterson began working as a clinical pharmacist in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, in 2009, she witnessed the devastating effects the opioid crisis had on the hospital's youngest patients.

She recalled vividly one baby who stayed in the NICU for 90 days with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a form of withdrawal, because his mother had used substances while pregnant.

The mother came in every day, Peterson said. She took three buses to get to the hospital to see her baby. Peterson watched her sing to him some days and read to him on others.

"I saw in the NICU the love that she had for that baby," Peterson said. "When it came down to it, she lost custody."

At the time, Peterson said, she felt more could be done to help people like that mother. That's why, in 2018, she founded Empowered, a program that provides services for pregnant and postpartum women who have a history of opioid or stimulant use or are currently using drugs.

The program helps about 100 women at any given time, Peterson said. Pregnancy often motivates people to seek treatment for substance use, she said. Yet significant barriers stand in the way of those who want care, even as national rates of fatal drug overdoses during and shortly after pregnancy continue to rise. In addition to the risk of overdose, substance use during pregnancy can result in premature birth, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome.

A federal initiative seeking to combat those overdoses is distributing millions of dollars to states to help fund and expand programs like Empowered. Six states will receive grant funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to increase access to treatment during and after pregnancy.

The Nevada Health and Human Services Department is distributing the state's portion of that funding to help the Empowered program expand into northern Nevada, including by establishing an office in Reno and sending mobile staff into nearby rural communities.

Other states are trying to spread the federal funds to maximize reach. State officials in Montana have awarded their state's latest grant to a handful of organizations since first receiving a pool of funding in 2020. Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, and South Carolina will also receive grants.

Officials hope the financial boosts will help tamp down the rise in overdoses.

Deaths from drug overdoses hit record highs in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More recent preliminary data shows that the rates of fatal drug overdoses have continued to rise since.

Deaths in pregnant and postpartum people have also increased. Homicides, suicides and drug overdoses are the leading causes of pregnancy-related death.

Fatal overdoses among pregnant and postpartum people increased by approximately 81% from 2017 to 2020, according to a 2022 study. Of 7,642 reported deaths related to pregnancy during those years, 1,249 were overdoses. Rates of pregnancy-related opioid overdose deaths had already more than doubled from 2007 to 2016.

Meanwhile, mothers and mothers-to-be in rural parts of the country, some of the hardest hit by the opioid crisis, face greater barriers to care because of fewer treatment facilities specializing in pregnant and postpartum people in their communities and fewer providers who can prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction.

Data distinguishing the rates of overdose mortality among pregnant and postpartum people in urban and rural areas is hard to come by, but studies have found higher rates of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in rural parts of the country. Women in rural areas also died at higher rates from drug overdoses in 2020 compared with women in urban areas, while the overall rate and the rate among men were greater in urban areas.

In Nevada, a 2022 maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity report found that most of the state's pregnancy-related deaths, 78%, happened in Clark County, home to Las Vegas and two-thirds of the state's population. However, the state's rural counties had the highest pregnancy-related death rate179.5 per 100,000 live birthswhile Clark County's was 123 per 100,000 live births.

During a recent event hosted by Empowered, four mothers recounted their struggles with addiction while pregnant. "It was never my intention to actually have a drug addiction," said a mother named Amani. "I've always wanted to get out of the cycle of relapsing and drug usage."

Amani, who asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of stigma associated with using drugs while pregnant or after giving birth, said she found the support she needed to treat her addiction in 2021. That's when she began seeking help at Empowered.

Substance use while pregnant or postpartum is "incredibly stigmatizing," said Emilie Bruzelius, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and author of a study of trends in drug overdose mortality during and after pregnancy. The stigma and fear of interacting with child welfare or law enforcement agencies prevents people from seeking help, she said.

A Rand Corporation study found that states with punitive policies toward mothers with substance use disorders have more cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Nevada was among them.

Researchers have found that, in addition to facing fear of punishment, many women don't have access to treatment during and after pregnancy because few outpatient centers specialize in treating mothers.

Both Nevada and Montana had fewer than one treatment facility with specialized programs for pregnant and postpartum women per 1,000 reproductive-age women with substance use disorders, with Montana ranking in the lowest quintile.

One Health, a community health center covering Montana's sprawling southeastern plains, is using the newly awarded federal money to train peer support specialists as doulas, professionals specialized in childbirth who can provide support throughout pregnancy and after.

Megkian Doyle, who directs the center's community-based work, said in one case a survivor of sex trafficking who was drugged by her abusers worked with a recovery doula to prepare for the potential triggers of being exposed to medical workers or needing an IV. In another, a mom in stable recovery from addiction was able to keep her baby when hospital staffers called child protective services because she already had a safety plan with her doula and the agency.

After birth, recovery doulas visit families daily for two weeks, "the window when overdose, relapse, and suicide is happening," Doyle said. The workers, in their peer support role, can continue helping clients for years.

While doula care, rarely covered by insurance, is unaffordable for many, Medicaid typically covers peer support care. As of late September, 37 states and Washington, D.C., had extended Medicaid benefits to cover care for 12 months postpartum. Montana and Nevada have approved plans to do so. Health centers in similarly rural states have taken note. The program's latest cohort of recovery doulas includes five peer support specialists from Utah.

With its trauma-informed approach, the Nevada-based Empowered program takes a different tack.

The program focuses on meeting its participants' most pressing need, which varies depending on the person. Some people need help getting government-issued identification so they can access other social services, including aid from food pantries, said Peterson, the founder and executive director. Others may need safe housing above all.

Empowered is not abstinence-based, meaning its participants do not lose access to services if they relapse or use substances while seeking help. Because some participants may be actively using drugs, the Empowered office is also a distribution site for the overdose reversal medication naloxone and test strips that detect fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that has contributed to jumps in fatal overdose rates in recent years. The program's staff also provide education about the effects drugs have on an unborn baby during pregnancy.

Being able to be honest with Empowered staff made a difference for Amani.

"I can't tell you how many times I've tripped and fallen but tried to get back up and fallen again," she said.

The goal is not only to stabilize participants' lives but to make them resilientwhatever that may look like for each individual. For many, that includes having stable housing, food security, job security, and custody of their children.

To her, Amani said, the Empowered program means love, support, and not being alone.

2023 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Penn State researchers spent 15 years working with the Kalinago people in the Caribbean to better understand the genetics underpinning skin tone in people without significant European ancestry. Credit: Khai C. Ang

A team of Penn State geneticists is pursuing the answers to an age-old question of human biology: the genetic origin of fundamental variations in skin pigmentation between people of different ethnicities. The link between skin pigmentation and ethnicity is more complicated than previously believed, according to new research published in the journal eLife.

The team has confirmed that genes associated with East Asian and Native American ancestry, rather than the genes underpinning lighter skin in people with European ancestry, explain the lighter skin of people of East Asian and Native American descent. Learning which genes are responsible for regulating skin tone, depending on a person's ancestral origin, has broad implications for genetic research, according to the team, especially as it relates to preventing or treating certain skin cancers.

"We're a step closer to laying a foundation for understanding where we came from, how color change occurs molecularly and why skin color change is more associated with sun-induced melanoma in Europeans," said co-corresponding author Keith C. Cheng, distinguished professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, of biochemistry and molecular biology, and of pharmacology at Penn State.

A key clue to understanding the evolution of human skin tones resides in the genome of a small population in the Commonwealth of Dominica, according to Cheng. Situated a two-hour ferry ride north of the popular island of Martinique, the tiny, rocky island of Dominica is home to the Kalinago people, who have the least European ancestry of any Native American population in the Caribbean.

Cheng first connected with the tribewhose ancestry comprises primarily Native American and African lines15 years ago, after his lab identified the gene responsible for lighter skin color in Europeans. In 2009, Cheng and co-corresponding author Khai C. Ang began work with the geographically and genetically isolated Kalinago people to rule out the possibility that the same gene also regulates skin tone in Native Americans and East Asians.

"After identifying the variant of the gene SLC24A5, the primary contributor to lighter skin color in Europeans in 2005, the next obvious question was: What about similar skin tones in Native Americans and East Asians?" said Cheng, who led the team that made this discovery.

"Both populations are relatively light skinned, but Europeans are at least 15 times more likely to get melanoma. Why don't East Asians and Native Americans experience skin cancer at the same rate?"

The science of skin color

"Skin color differences have long been a mystery of human biology," said Ang, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Penn State.

All humans originated in Africa, and as they expanded their footprint to the rest of the world, two main migration branches emerged: the European branch, which includes peoples on the Indian subcontinent and Europe; and the East Asian branch, which includes East Asia and the Americas. People in both branches adapted to geographically and climatically different areas.

One such adaptation involved melanin, the cellular pigment responsible for darker tones in skin, hair and eyes. It offers some protection from sunlight's ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can damage skin cells. But in the northern latitudes of Europe and Asia, melanin also limits the production of vitamin D, which is critical to human health, Ang said.

"A biological benefit of sunlight is vitamin D, which the body produces from UV exposure," Ang said. "In places with lower UV rays, people with less melanin make better use of whatever exposure they have."

For this reason, both Native Americans and East Asians appear to have less melanin than people with African ancestry, but they are less likely than Europeans to develop melanoma, according to Ang.

"There are multiple modifications in the human genome that can influence skin tones, but humans have historically been classified by ancestry into three major groups: African, Native American/East Asian and European/South Asian," Ang said. "European skin is more sensitive to UV damage despite having similar shades as East Asians and Native Americans. Some cellular and genetic mechanism must protect against such damage."

The Kalinago people live on Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean. Credit: Khai C. Ang

Now that the team has confirmed that different genes are responsible for skin tones in each migration branch of humanity, Cheng said, researchers can begin to better understand why the European mechanism of lighter skin results in higher rates of melanoma among Europeans.

"This work confirms that separate genetic mechanisms were involved in the evolution of lighter skin in each of the human migration branches," Cheng said.

The Kalinago collaboration

The work was more involved than simply testing genes, though, according to the researchers. The Kalinago people were, Cheng said, "rightfully guarded before generously participating in this work."

"I went into this with a naive, idealistic perspectivethat science could benefit everyone, including this group," Cheng said, noting that he quickly learned that many Kalinago had good reason to be skeptical. "Scientists have worked with populations like this before without benefiting them. The Kalinago people's history of contact with the European world was fraught with colonialism. One can't blame them for being suspicious."

Cheng, Ang and their collaborators spent more than a decade building relationships with the Kalinago people and their leadership. Kalinago councils comprising elected officials oversee the community. New elections every few years meant that the researchers had to earn tribal buy-in with every leadership change.

"We had and continue to have discussions with the Kalinago Council and nurses in the community about the project and how they potentially can help solve of the mysteries of human skin pigmentation, emphasizing their contribution to science," Ang said. "And they agreed to help. That was amazing."

The researchers made multiple data collection trips, led by Ang, to Dominica, spending up to four months at a time with the Kalinago. While the tribe members speak English, they primarily converse in Creole. The researchers closely collaborated with Kalinago nurses, who traveled with them to the farthest reaches of the island, helping to collect saliva and skin shade measurements and to make the study participants more comfortable. In exchange, the researchers, who learned some conversational Kalinago, volunteered in the Kalinago clinic.

"We earned a few small grantsincluding one from the Hershey Rotary Clubto buy medical equipment to donate," Ang said.

Cheng noted that the team also provided the community with satellite equipment, which became their main means of communication after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The symbiotic relationship reflected the researchers' scientific intentions, the researchers said.

"We're looking at these tiny changes in DNAbiology that underpins all humans," Ang said. "And no matter what our ancestry is, we're all human and we're all curious. We and the Kalinago worked together to understand this genetic mystery of our skin color."

Nurses in the Kalinago community traveled with the researchers to connect with more distant members of the tribe and to assist in data collection. Credit: Khai C. Ang

Matters of melanin

The researchers suspected the Kalinago people have little European ancestry from their history, and they confirmed that they only have about 12% European genetics.

"With this confirmation, we knew that we could use data from this population to focus on origins of lighter pigmentation that appears to have most likely come from shared ancestors in East Asia," Cheng said.

All humans have the same set of about 20,000 genes, but individuals carry different combinations of these genes, called alleles. Common combinations of gene alleles define a person's ancestrythese are the maps that enable such genetic ancestry services as 23andMe to track individual ancestral history. Most alleles differ in subtle ways, such as the single letter change in SLC24A5 that is largely responsible for European peoples' shared lighter skin color.

"Combinations of those alleles define ancestry and make a huge impact on skin color," Cheng said. "We all carry mutant forms of skin color genes, or alleles, that result in our individual skin tones. Skin color alleles program a person's skin to have more or less melanin."

Ang measured each participant's skin melanin by using a reflectometry device on their inner upper arm. The device flashes light and measures the amount of light reflection; darker skin, which has more melanin, reflects less light than lighter skin. These values are then studied quantitatively as melanin index unitsthe higher the value, the darker the skin. Ang also collected saliva samples to study each participant's DNA.

In total, the team collected measurements and samples from 458 people, or about 15% of the Kalinago population, including three people with albinism. They analyzed genetic ancestry and sequenced about three million markers for skin tone from each sample.

"We found that Native American/East Asian ancestry alone contributed at least 20 melanin units," Ang said. "For comparison, each European mutation, and the albinism allele we identified, contributed between -4 and -8 melanin units. It turns out that none of the published candidates for Native American/East Asian skin lightening genes caused a detectable effect."

Overall, the researchers determined that the Kalinago people have more Native American ancestryabout 55%and less European genetic ancestryabout 12%than any other Caribbean population. About 32% of their ancestry is African.

The melanin index measurements and genetic analysis also matched with the Kalinago's oral histories, according to the researchers, in which participants reported "Black," "Kalinago" or "mixed" heritage.

"We now know that already identified pigmentation gene candidates are not responsible for skin color in this population," Cheng said. "That means this population may help us to discover what genes are really responsible for the lighter skin of Native Americans and East Asians."

More information: Khai C Ang et al, Native American genetic ancestry and pigmentation allele contributions to skin color in a Caribbean population, eLife (2023). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.77514 Journal information: eLife
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For patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), monitoring by intestinal ultrasound (IUS) results in reduced time to treatment change and to remission, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, held from Oct. 20 to 25 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Noa Krugliak Cleveland, M.D., from the University of Chicago Medicine, and colleagues performed a retrospective analysis of upadacitinib-treated patients and examined the time to treatment change and clinical remission in patients receiving IUS monitoring versus those receiving conventional management. A total of 105 patients received upadacitinib for IBD; 20 patients were included in this analysis with 30 clinical evaluations (11 IUS, 19 non-IUS).

The researchers found that the average time to treatment change was 1.1 days postinduction in IUS patients compared with 16.6 days in non-IUS patients. Treatment changes included extended induction with upadacitinib, steroid initiation, or initiation of a different treatment.

Overall, five and six patients in the IUS and non-IUS cohorts achieved clinical remission by 26.8 and 55.3 days, respectively. In the conventional group, reasons for delay included waiting for test results or endoscopy, communication between team members, and awaiting a scheduled visit with a provider. The reason for delay in the IUS group was waiting for a visit with the referring physician.

"Disease monitoring with IUS in IBD is associated with earlier treatment changes and shorter time to remission compared to conventional approaches to disease monitoring," the authors write. "Ongoing dissemination and incorporation of IUS in the management of IBD are warranted."

More information: Press Release

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Tens of thousands of people in England may have lasting symptoms from COVID-19 more than a year after infection, new analysis reveals.

The findings come from a representative sample of more than a quarter of a million people in England surveyed as part of the REACT study, who self-reported their symptoms and the impact of COVID-19 on their health and quality of life, and have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

The work, led by researchers at Imperial College London, finds that while the vast majority of people recovered from infection within two weeks, a significant proportion of the group (7.5%) reported persistent symptoms lasting 12 weeks or more (long COVID), and 5% reported symptoms lasting more than a year.

The most common lasting symptoms were mild fatigue, difficulty thinking or concentrating and joint pains. But other persistent symptoms reported included loss or change of sense of smell or taste, shortness of breath, severe fatigue, chest tightness or pain, and poor memory.

People were more likely to report symptoms for a long time after their initial infection if they were female, had severe initial symptoms, were infected earlier in the pandemic, or had pre-existing health conditions.

Some of these symptoms were also quite often reported by people who did not have previous COVID-19. However, mental health and health-related quality of life were worse among participants with ongoing persistent symptoms post-COVID compared with those who had never had COVID-19 or had recovered.

According to the researchers, the analysis provides a snapshot of the continued impact of COVID-19 in the UK. They highlight that while SARS-CoV-2 infections are typically short duration, a significant proportion of adults will continue to experience persistent illness (Long COVID) that in some cases may last for over a year or more. But they highlight that a sizeable proportion still fully recover after a prolonged period.

Professor Paul Elliott, Chair in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said, "Our latest findings from the REACT study offer further insights into the underlying factors which are associated with prolonged symptoms after initial COVID-19. We find that the variant of SARS-CoV-2 people are infected with, the initial severity of their symptoms, and whether they have pre-existing health conditions all have an impact on whether they will develop lasting symptoms."

In the latest analysis, the team collected follow up survey responses from 276,840 adults in England who registered for the REACT study. Of these, 59% reported testing positive for COVID-19 between 2020 and 2022.

Analysis shows the average duration of symptomatic illness was around 10 days, but one in 10 people in the study reported symptoms for more than four weeks, one in 13 for more than 12 weeks, and one in 20 for more than a year.

The analysis showed that almost a third of people reporting symptoms at 12 weeks will have recovered within a year. Among those whose lasting symptoms had fully resolved, people reported health status similar to those with shorter recovery, or who had never had COVID-19.

According to the researchers, analysis also shows that people infected in the omicron wave of the pandemic were 88% less likely to experience symptoms longer than four weeks post-infection, compared to earlier waves.

Dr. Christina Atchison, principal clinical academic fellow within the School of Public Health and first author on the study, said, "While the landscape has changed considerably since the early peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, this analysis shows that a proportion of adults are still experiencing lasting symptoms."

"Importantly, we find that compared to wild type virus, those infected when omicron was dominant were far less likely to report symptoms lasting beyond 12 weeks. This may reflect the changing levels of immunity in the population from previous exposure to the virus and vaccination."

Professor Helen Ward, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said, "The study has shown some big variation in people's symptoms post-COVID. While we have gained valuable insights into the groups at risk of lasting symptoms, we are undertaking detailed interviews to further understand the variation in people's experiences and the impact on their everyday lives. We are also planning further follow-up of people involved in the REACT studies to assess the broader longer-term impact of the pandemic on health and well-being."
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For patients with HER2-positive gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma, pembrolizumab improves progression-free survival when combined with chemotherapy and trastuzumab, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in The Lancet. The research was published to coincide with the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology, held from Oct. 20 to 24 in Madrid.

Yelena Y. Janjigian, M.D., from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial involving adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma without previous first-line treatment from 168 medical centers in 20 countries. Participants were randomly assigned to intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo (350 and 348, respectively), both combined with standard chemotherapy plus trastuzumab.

The researchers found that at the third interim analysis, 82 and 88 percent of patients in the pembrolizumab and placebo groups, respectively, had discontinued treatment, mainly due to disease progression.

Median progression-free survival was 10.0 and 8.1 months in the pembrolizumab and placebo groups, respectively, at the second interim analysis (median follow-up, 28.3 and 28.5 months; hazard ratio, 0.72; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.60 to 0.87). Median overall survival was not significantly different between the groups (20.0 and 16.9 months, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.87; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.72 to 1.06).

Median progression-free survival was 10.0 and 8.1 months, respectively, at the third interim analysis (median follow-up, 38.4 and 38.6 months; hazard ratio, 0.73; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.87), and median overall survival was 20.0 and 16.8 months, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.70 to 1.01), which did not meet the prespecified criteria for significance.

"The final overall survival analysis is needed to establish the long-term therapeutic effect of this regimen," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Merck, which manufactures pembrolizumab and funded the study.

More information: Yelena Y Janjigian et al, Pembrolizumab plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy for HER2-positive gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: interim analyses from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-811 randomised placebo-controlled trial, The Lancet (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02033-0 Elizabeth C Smyth et al, Combining chemotherapy, trastuzumab, and immune-checkpoint inhibitors in HER2-positive gastro-oesophageal cancer, The Lancet (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02296-1 Journal information: The Lancet

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers have developed a new way of improving diagnosis of bipolar disorder that uses a simple blood test to identify biomarkers associated with the condition.

The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, used a combination of an online psychiatric assessment and a blood test to diagnose patients with bipolar disorder, many of whom had been misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder.

The researchers say the blood test on its own could diagnose up to 30% of patients with bipolar disorder, but that it is even more effective when combined with a digital mental health assessment.

Incorporating biomarker testing could help physicians differentiate between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, which have overlapping symptoms but require different pharmacological treatments.

Although the blood test is still a proof of concept, the researchers say it could be an effective complement to existing psychiatric diagnosis and could help researchers understand the biological origins of mental health conditions. The results are reported in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Bipolar disorder affects approximately 1% of the populationas many as 80 million people worldwidebut for nearly 40% of patients, it is misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder.

"People with bipolar disorder will experience periods of low mood and periods of very high mood or mania," said first author Dr. Jakub Tomasik, from Cambridge's Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. "But patients will often only see a doctor when they're experiencing low mood, which is why bipolar disorder frequently gets misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder."

"When someone with bipolar disorder is experiencing a period of low mood, to a physician, it can look very similar to someone with major depressive disorder," said Professor Sabine Bahn, who led the research. "However, the two conditions need to be treated differently: if someone with bipolar disorder is prescribed antidepressants without the addition of a mood stabilizer, it can trigger a manic episode."

The most effective way to get an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder is a full psychiatric assessment. However, patients often face long waits to get these assessments, and they take time to carry out.

"Psychiatric assessments are highly effective, but the ability to diagnose bipolar disorder with a simple blood test could ensure that patients get the right treatment the first time and alleviate some of the pressures on medical professionals," said Tomasik.

The researchers used samples and data from the Delta study, conducted in the UK between 2018 and 2020, to identify bipolar disorder in patients who had received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder within the previous five years and had current depressive symptoms. Participants were recruited online through voluntary response sampling.

More than 3,000 participants were recruited, and they each completed an online mental health assessment of more than 600 questions. The assessment covered a range of topics that may be relevant to mental health disorders, including past or current depressive episodes, generalized anxiety, symptoms of mania, family history or substance abuse.

Of the participants who completed the online assessment, around 1,000 were selected to send in a dried blood sample from a simple finger prick, which the researchers analyzed for more than 600 different metabolites using mass spectrometry. After completing the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, a fully structured and validated diagnostic tool to establish mood disorder diagnoses, 241 participants were included in the study.

Analysis of the data showed a significant biomarker signal for bipolar disorder, even after accounting for confounding factors such as medication. The identified biomarkers were correlated primarily with lifetime manic symptoms and were validated in a separate group of patients who received a new clinical diagnosis of major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder during the study's one-year follow-up period.

The researchers found that the combination of patient-reported information and the biomarker test significantly improved diagnostic outcomes for people with bipolar disorder, especially in those where the diagnosis was not obvious.

"The online assessment was more effective overall, but the biomarker test performs well and is much faster," said Bahn. "A combination of both approaches would be ideal, as they're complementary."

"We found that some patients preferred the biomarker test, because it was an objective result that they could see," said Tomasik. "Mental illness has a biological basis, and it's important for patients to know it's not in their mind. It's an illness that affects the body like any other."

"In addition to the diagnostic capabilities of biomarkers, they could also be used to identify potential drug targets for mood disorders, which could lead to better treatments," said Bahn. "It's an exciting time to be in this area of research."

A patent has been filed on the research by Cambridge Enterprise, the University's commercialization arm. The research was supported by the Stanley Medical Research Institute and Psyomics, a University spin-out company co-founded by Sabine Bahn.

Sabine Bahn is Professor of Neurotechnology at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and is a Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

More information: Jakub Tomasik et al, Metabolic Biomarker Signatures for Bipolar and Unipolar Depression, JAMA Psychiatry (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4096 Journal information: JAMA Psychiatry
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

An artificial intelligence tool effectively detected distress in hospital workers' conversations with their therapists early in the pandemic, a new study shows, suggesting a potential new technology that screens for depression and anxiety.

As the coronavirus pandemic forced many hospitals to operate beyond capacity, medical workers faced overwhelming numbers of work shifts, limited rest, and increased risk of COVID-19 infection. At the same time, quarantine policies and fear of infecting family reduced their access to social support, with the combination increasing risk of medical errors and burnout.

As a result, virtual psychotherapy, which offers treatment access without leaving home, boomed during this period. The researchers took advantage of the related flood of digitalized session transcripts to identify common phrases used by patients and tie the terms to mental illness using a technique called natural language processing (NLP). In this method, a computer algorithm combs through data to pinpoint keywords that capture the meaning of a body of text. All identifying information about each patient was removed to protect their privacy.

Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the analysis involved treatment transcripts from more than 800 physicians, nurses, and emergency medical staff. Also included were transcripts from 820 people also receiving psychotherapy during the first US wave of COVID-19 but not working in health care.

Study results revealed that among health care workers, those who spoke to their therapists specifically about working in a hospital unit, lack of sleep, or mood issues, were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression compared with health care workers who did not discuss these topics.

By contrast, such risks were not seen in workers from other fields who discussed the pandemic or their jobs (with terms such as "team," "manager," and "boss").

"Our findings show that those working on the hospital floor during the most intense moment of the pandemic faced unique challenges on top of their regular job-related stressors which put them at high risk for serious mental health concerns," said study lead author Matteo Malgaroli, Ph.D. Malgaroli is a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health.

Published online Oct. 24 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research AI (JMIR AI), the report is the first application of NLP to identify markers of psychological distress in health care workers, according to Malgaroli.

For the study, the team collected data from men and women throughout the United States who sought teletherapy between March 2020 and July 2020. The researchers then used an NLP program to review session transcripts during the first three weeks of treatment.

Among the findings, health care workers shared four conversation themes around practicing medicine: virus-related fears, working on the hospital floor and ICU units, patients and masks, and health care roles. Meanwhile, therapy transcripts from those working in other fields only contained one topic about the pandemic and one related to their jobs.

Although the overall heightened risk for anxiety and depression among those who discussed working in a hospital was small (3.6%), the study authors say they expect the model to capture additional signs of distress as more data is added.

"These results suggest that natural language processing may one day become an effective screening tool for detecting and tracking anxiety and depression symptoms," said study senior author psychiatrist Naomi Simon, MD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone.

Also a vice chair in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone, Simon notes that another potential future direction for using this approach could be to provide health care workers a way to confidentially record themselves answering brief questions. These responses could then be analyzed using NLP algorithms to calculate risk for mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety disorders. This feedback would then confidentially be provided to the health care worker using the tool, who might be prompted to seek help.

The researchers caution that the report only captured the mental state of patients early in their treatment. As a result, the team next plans to explore how the discussion topics change over time as therapy progresses.

More information: Matteo Malgaroli et al, Association of Healthcare Work with Anxiety and Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Topic Modeling Study (Preprint), JMIR AI (2023). DOI: 10.2196/47223
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Zika virus infection in pregnant rhesus macaques slows fetal growth and affects how infants and mothers interact in the first month of life, according to a new study from researchers at the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis.

The work, published Oct. 25 in Science Translational Medicine, has implications for both humans exposed to Zika virus and for other viruses that can cross the placenta, including SARS-CoV2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Initially I thought this was a story about Zika, but as I looked at the results I think this is also a story about how fetal infections in general affect developmental trajectories," said Eliza Bliss-Moreau, professor of psychology at UC Davis and senior author on the paper.

In most people, Zika virus infection causes mild or no symptoms and leaves long-lasting immunity. But during pregnancy, the virus can cross the placenta and cause damage to the nervous system of the fetus. In extreme cases, it can cause microcephaly in humans.

While no local transmission of the virus has been reported in the U.S. since 2018, the mosquitoes that carry Zika virus continue to expand their range throughout Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

UC Davis researchers previously showed that Zika virus could enter the fetal brain in pregnant macaques. The new study, led by Bliss-Moreau with Associate Specialist Gilda Moadab, Project Scientist Florent Pittet and colleagues at the CNPRC and UC Davis Department of Psychology, looked at the effects of Zika infection during the second trimester of pregnancy on infants up to a month after birth.

Infection in second trimester

Pregnant animals did not become visibly ill with the virus, but ultrasounds showed fetal growth slowed after infection, Pittet said. At birth, Zika-exposed infants were "at the low end" of the range for head size in rhesus macaques.

"They were smaller overall," he said. Higher levels of circulating Zika virus corresponded with longer delays in growth.

After birth, the researchers tracked the development of sensory and motor skillsusing tests similar to those used for human babiesand interaction with the mother.

"The trajectory was quite different," Pittet said. Right after birth, infant monkeys spend a lot of time on their mother but start to separate after about two weeks. But the Zika infants spent much more time clinging to their mothers through the first month.

It's not clear whether the mother or the infant is initiating this contact, Bliss-Moreau said.

"We know that moms will keep hold of infants that are having challenges," she said.

Males more affected

Surprisingly, growth delays and effects on mother-infant interactions were greater in male than in female infants, although both showed delays compared to uninfected controls. Infectious disease studies in animals tend to use one sex (usually male) to avoid confounding effects, but potentially missing such sex differences.

Additionally, the animals were housed in established social groups of multiple adult females (including their mother), a single male and other male and female infants of about the same age. This allows the infants to learn from each other and from the adults, Pittet said.

"The presence of unrelated adults and infants in the social group is a critical factor for normative development," he said. "Offering such a social rearing environment is tons of additional work but ensures a lot more relevance to developmental studies."

Upcoming papers will describe the monkeys' growth through the first two years of life. Zika virus exposure during pregnancy sets off a cascade of consequences that may not appear until later in development, Pittet said.

The finding that outcomes correlate with viral load during pregnancy offers opportunities to intervene, the researchers said. A drug or vaccine would not have to completely eliminate the virus to be beneficial. This may be generally true for other infections that can affect the fetus, such as COVID.

"Anything you can do to reduce viral load is a good thing for infant development," Bliss-Moreau said. A 2019 study by CNPRC scientists, in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, found that an experimental Zika vaccine lowered levels of circulating viruses in pregnant macaques.

Additional co-authors are: Jeffrey Bennett, Christopher Taylor, Olivia Fiske and Koen van Rompay at the CNPRC; and Anil Singapuri and Lark Coffey, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

More information: Gilda Moadab et al, Prenatal Zika virus infection has sex-specific effects on infant physical development and mother-infant social interactions, Science Translational Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adh0043. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adh0043 Journal information: Science Translational Medicine
Opening

The Shining (1980)

ehT yxoR stneserp eno fo eht tseiracs smlif fo lla emit. A tsilevon sekat a boj sa eht retniw rekaterac rof a detnuah letoh ylno ot dnif eht troser rab si lluf fo stirips dna murder. detaR R. Rats kcaJ noslohciN, yellehS llavuD and namtacS srehtorC. gninepO tcO 72.

Dicks: The Musical

Did you ever watch "The Parent Trap" and think, this is great, but I wish it was a musical and a whole lot gayer? Good news, your prayers have been answered. Two business rivals discover they are actually long lost twins, and decide to swap places to trick their parents into getting back together. Rated R. Stars Nathan Lane, Megan Thee Stallion and Bowen Yang. Now thats a cast! Opening Oct. 27.

Continuing

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Its been a cruel summer, fighting with Ticketmaster while trying to get into the biggest musical tour of all time. Well, shake it off. Before we get back to December, heres your chance to see Taylor Swifts generation-defining tour on the big screen in a brand-new concert film. Rated PG. Directed by Kenny Ortega.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese is back with another sprawling crime epic. And while it might be 3.5 hours long, it does star Missoulas own (and friend of the Roxy) Lily Gladstone, so you know were going to be enraptured for every single minute. The oil wealth of the Osage people attracts white interlopers who will rob, manipulate and even murder anyone in their path. Rated R. Stars Lily Gladstone as well as some less important actors, like Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Special screenings

Mystery Spooktacular III

Is it a Trick? Is it a Treat? Trash Vault invites you to a creature double feature unlike anything youve ever seen. Were showing two of the most unhinged horror films of all time  and were not going to tell you what they are. Come in a costume to be entered in a drawing for the greatest prize in Trash Vault history. Rated ???. Starring ????, ???? and ????. Playing Friday, Oct. 27.

Childs Play (1988)

Of all the slasher icons from the 1980s, who would have expected that the one with the longest legs would also be the one with the shortest legs? Chucky, the murderous doll, might be slashing his way through the White House right now in his own television show, but his legacy started in this horror classic that made a generation terrified of their toy chests. Rated R. Stars Brad Exorcist III Dourif, Chris Fright Night Sarandon and Catherine 7th Heaven Hicks. Playing Saturday, Oct. 28.

The Holdovers (preview screening)

A curmudgeonly instructor forced to remain at his prep school during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students forms an unlikely bond with one of them. Rated R. Stars Paul Giamatti, DaVine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa. See a special preview of Alexander Paynes new film Sunday, Oct. 29 before it opens nationwide Nov. 10.

Ringu (1998)

Well, well, well, if it isnt the Japanese horror film that kicked off a long-running American franchise. Three friends discover a supposedly cursed videotape that kills whoever watches it. Does that mean its a copy of "Boardinghouse"? Rated R. Stars Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakataki and Hitomi Sato. Playing Sunday, Oct. 29, as part of Cinema Abroad.

The Haunting (1963)

This spine-tingling novel has been adapted many times (Stephen King even spectacularly botched it in the 90s), but none have the dread of Robert Wises cerebral take on Shirley Jacksons classic. A group of paranormal investigators travel to Hill House in an attempt to prove the existence of psychic phenomena, only to find that the most terrifying thing is not this empty mansion, but the people there with them. Not Rated. Stars Julie Harris, Claire Bloom and Russ Tamblyn of "Twin Peaks" fame. See the film and then discuss the book on Monday, Oct. 30, as part of Roxy Book Club.

The Exorcist (1973)

Its Halloween, what an excellent day for an exorcism. Fifty years ago, William Friedkin made one of the greatest horror movies ever. Its the tale of a famous movie star, her young daughter and the demon that upends both of their lives. Thats nothing. The real terrifying thing is the awful legacy sequel made by David Gordon Green currently stinking up cinemas. Rated R. Stars Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair and Jason Miller. Playing Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Raging Bull (1980)

In honor of Martin Scorseses 81st birthday (as well as the opening of "Killers of the Flower Moon") were taking you back to the era of excess with five of his films from the 1980s. "Scorseighties" kicks off with the stunningly visceral portrait of self-destructive machismo. A rising middleweight boxer finds that sometimes the best indicator of success is owning a video camera that shoots in color. Rated R. Stars Oscar-winner Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty. Playing Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Here's some business news in the Missoula area:

The first annual Western Montana Beard and Mustache Competition will be held at Cranky Sam Public House in downtown Missoula on Dec. 1 from 6-10 p.m.

"Hosted by Briggs Beard Co and Cranky Sam's, facial hair growers will get to pick between three categories to compete for a chance to be crowned western Montana's best beard, mustache or best creative freestyle," organizer Briggs Weyrauch posted on Facebook. "There will be a trophy plus a cash prize for the winners of each category, and each competitor will be given a raffle ticket for a chance to win some goodies from local businesses around Montana."

The top prize will be a $500 gift card from Scheels sporting and outdoors store in Missoula.

The competition fee is $10 if preregistered online or $15 at the door. There are a limited number of entries for each category so he is encouraging people to sign up early.

"Spectating is 100% free and highly encouraged!" Weyrauch wrote. "There will be a live band during the competition and of course, Cranky Sam will have their taps flowing with all your favorite local beverages. Come hang with us as we kick off our first annual competition!"

All participants will get some sort of free sample item from Briggs Beard Co., which sells sustainable and natural beard oil products.

Weyrauch said he's still on the hunt for more sponsors, who can email him at westmtbeardcomp@gmail.com.

The categories are:

Best Beard  "Not the longest, not oldest, not the smoothest, just the best. Judged on the overall appearance, feel, color and vibe that your beard brings. No considerations are off the table! This category is reserved for serious beard growers only. Leave your 5 oclock shadow at home."

Best Mustache  "Whether you curl it up nicely or let those handlebars hang, this category is for the overall best mustache. Again, this is not based on just length, size, or style, but a combination of all of those plus whatever the judges decide should be considered. Wax it up and get it looking right, this category plays no games."

Best Creative Freestyle  "This category is reserved for our creatives and those who feel they dont want to limit themselves to either just a beard or just a mustache. Styles that may be included here are muttonchops, goatee, or anything that might involve styling your beard in a way that separates you from traditional beard or mustache styles."

A new salon is opening at 215 E. Main Street in Missoula.

Mirror Mirror will be a high-end hair extension salon owned by Kitty Youngquist. She's planning a grand opening on Nov. 10 from 5-8 p.m. with champagne, food and pictures on the red carpet.

Youngquist's husband, Erik Youngquist, told the Missoulian he did the remodel work on the interior and he's proud of his wife's business.

"Its actually going to be the first luxury extension lounge in Montana, very posh, and she also has a big focus on empowering the women who work there and providing education in both techniques and building an actual career and business in the hair industry to local hair stylists," he said. "Business is not taught very well in cosmetology school, and she wants to help women get the tools to succeed, not just get by, as stylists."
A man facing sexual assault and attempted kidnapping charges in Missoula was apprehended in Canada after law enforcement issued a warrant for his arrest, prosecutors say.

Cole L. Levine, a former University of Montana law student, was arrested in summer 2022 after a woman reported Levine attacked her in a downtown alleyway. Since then his case has been pending trial. Levine is a New Mexico resident.

Last Friday, Oct. 20, Levine was picked up by Canadian authorities, Missoula Deputy County Attorney Brittany Williams said, after Missoulas pretrial services alerted Missoula officials about a release violation. Subsequently, a $2M warrant was issued for his arrest, court filings show. On Oct. 19, Levines GPS monitor pinged near Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and then communication stopped.

Levine is charged with three felonies: attempted kidnapping, attempted sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated assault causing reasonable apprehension. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Charging documents allege a woman encountered Levine in downtown Missoula on the evening of Aug. 17, 2022. Levine started abruptly engaging with her verbally and then forced himself on her, she told detectives. As she tried to run away and call 911, charging documents state that Levine chased, grabbed and tripped her and took her phone. Levine's phone then fell onto the ground, and was later recovered by law enforcement.

Hes currently awaiting an extradition hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, according to Williams. The Missoula County Attorneys Office is in contact with Canadian law enforcement about where Levine will be sent. His trial for the Missoula charges is scheduled for February.

Levine hired a private attorney when his case started, but is now representing himself.

Williams said this is the second time Levine absconded. He left New Mexico earlier this year and was picked up in California.
Wintry weather arrived in force early Wednesday morning with widespread ice, snowfall and frigid temperatures across Montana. It's not over yet.

Winterlike conditions were forecast to last through the weekend in western Montana, according to National Weather Service Hydrologist Ray Nickless, but snowfall was expected to taper off through the end of this week.

NWS forecasts on Wednesday predicted 12 inches more of snow around Missoula through noon Thursday, less than an inch in northwest Montana, 23 inches more snow in Hamilton and around Drummond, and up to 46 inches around Butte and its surrounding mountains.

"Looks like were in a bit of a break here this afternoon, most of the current snowstorm is moving out of the area," he said Wednesday morning. "But it looks like tonight we might get another shot in this area around Missoula and the Bitterroot  doesnt look as intense as the one that came through last night."

After that, he said, NWS predicts "just little snow showers across the area, not as intense" on Thursday and Friday, tapering off into the weekend. The weekend will be "mostly sunny," he said, but with bone-chilling overnight lows into the low teens and single-digits. Butte could see a low of 3 degrees this weekend, he noted.

Although the weekend will be cold, Nickless said, "the precipitation percentages are a lot lower, even starting tomorrow."

And by next week, according to NWS, Missoula could see more normal mid-autumn temps in the 40s with sunny conditions and cold nights.

But such seasonable weather seemed a world apart from Wednesday morning in Missoula, as blustery fall winds blew yellow leaves across ice and snow that frosted the landscape under gray skies.

A weather station on Stuart Mountain, north of Missoula at about 7,400 feet elevation, reported 5 inches of snow on Wednesday morning, up from the 2 inches at the station before the overnight storm. Lolo Pass reported 4 inches, according to a weather station there at 5,240 feet.

"Weve gotten snow across the area," Nickless said. "Some areas got hit harder than others. Thats kind of typical with most storms that come through in the winter.

"Some of the harder-hit areas, well the Bitterroot got hit pretty hard, just north of Lolo to down through the Bitterroot (Valley), with 34 inches, he continued. "It looks like the majority of the area got some snow of some sort."

Philipsburg, Fairmont Hot Springs and areas toward Butte reported up to 6 inches of snow, he said, noting that the agency was still compiling data on snowfall across the region.

Great Divide Ski Area north of Helena reported 18 inches of snow on Wednesday morning with more on the way, according to a social media post.

The snow also caused treacherous road conditions around the state. Nickless said a portion of Interstate 90 around Homestake Pass east of Butte was blocked Wednesday morning because of a weather-related traffic incident. And in Facebook groups for communities around Missoula, residents warned neighbors about slick roads and multiple vehicle slide-offs.

Around noon Wednesday, Montana Department of Transportation's interactive road condition map reported a mixture of snow and ice on all major roadways around the state.
Yellowstone County prosecutors have filed criminal charges following a homicide on the South Side of Billings.

Branden Kord Rock Above, 23, pleaded not guilty this week in Yellowstone County to one count of deliberate homicide. Rock Above appeared in court via teleconference from Montana State Prison, with his most recent criminal charges coming nearly a year after a Hardin man was fatally shot on South 29th Street.

On Nov. 5, 2022, officers with the Billings Police Department responded to a collision on the 200 block of South 29th Street between an SUV and a sedan, court documents said. Inside the SUV, they found 31-year-old Walker Takes Horse sitting in the drivers seat. He had a gunshot wound to his neck. Crews took him to a local hospital where he was soon pronounced dead. An autopsy determined the wound came from a single shotgun fired from behind him and to his right.

BPD detectives later discovered Takes Horse and Rock Above had escaped from a pre-release center in Great Falls in October 2022. Witnesses told BPD detectives that Takes Horse and Rock Above were allegedly riding together in the SUV, with Rock Above sitting in the back seat. An argument between the two escalated to Rock Above drawing a firearm and shooting Takes Horse, causing the SUV to crash into the parked sedan, court documents said. After the wreck, Rock Above allegedly ran from the scene.

BPD officers who canvassed the area the morning after the shooting recovered a pump-action shotgun left on top of a dumpster in an alley between South 29th Street and South 30th Street, court documents said. An analysis by the Montana Forensic Laboratory alleges Rock Aboves fingerprints were on the shotgun. Police received a warrant to search the SUV, where they found finger prints belonging to Rock Above, along with several of his ID cards and a pay stub with his name on it, according to charging documents.

In the days after police identified Rock Above as a suspect in the shooting, officers asked the public for assistance in finding him. Law enforcement arrested him in February 2023 on a warrant filed after his alleged escape from Great Falls last year. Rock Above was serving a 15-year sentence for assault when the escape was reported.

He had previously admitted to shooting a truck driven by a man in the South Side in 2018, and was ordered to serve his sentence under the supervision of the Montana Department of Corrections. He escaped from the DOC's Great Falls Pre-Release Transition Center on Oct. 29, 2022, court documents said. Yellowstone County prosecutors filed deliberate homicide charges against him in late September 2023. Rock Above is currently in custody at Montana State Prison, and he was ordered to remain in custody on a $1 million bond following his arraignment Monday.

The death of Takes Horse, a Crow man and father of two, was one of 17 homicides investigated by BPD in 2022. Since 2020, when violent deaths in the city spiked, annual homicides in Billings have fluctuated. That same year, BPDs homicide investigations reached a decade-long high of 22, but dropped to nine in 2021. Homicides in and around Billings so far in 2023 have declined compared to last year, with law enforcement responding to seven homicides.

From a national perspective, homicides during the apex of the COVID-19 pandemic similarly spiked across the United States. Starting in 2022 and 2023, however, homicides in the U.S. dropped considerably, according to data from the FBI and policy experts who study national crime trends. During the first half of 2023, homicides reported from cities throughout the country dropped nearly 10% when compared to the first half of 2022, according to a report from the Council on Criminal Justice.

People of color, particularly Native Americans, have accounted for more than half of all the homicide victims in Billings since 2020. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, people of color make up only about 15% of the countys population. Nearly all of the seven people killed in Yellowstone County this year were either Native American or Hispanic.

If convicted of deliberate homicide, Rock Above could be sentenced up to life in prison. His trail is scheduled to take place in February 2024.
Israeli airstrikes are devastating parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighborhoods in shambles. A strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday killed several family members of one of Al Jazeera TVs journalists, Wael Dahdouh. Strikes elsewhere destroyed homes and businesses and left many digging through the debris.

The U.N. warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the blockaded territory. And the U.N. Security Council failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war, rejecting rival resolutions by the United States and Russia.

Health care facilities are doing their best to treat the wounded, but with supplies that are becoming scarce.

The war, in its 19th day, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 others wounded. In the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.

The Associated Press couldn't independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. Israel's military on Wednesday raised the number of remaining hostages in Gaza to 222 people, including foreigners believed captured by Hamas during the incursion. Four hostages have been released.

U.S. and other officials fear the fighting could spill over into a wider regional conflict.

Currently:

1. Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent loses family members in an Israeli airstrike 2. Florida orders state universities to disband pro-Palestinian student group, saying it backs Hamas. 3. Biden condemns retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank 4. Leader of Lebanons Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures 5. Israel accuses UN chief of justifying terrorism for saying Hamas attack didnt happen in a vacuum 6. Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Heres whats happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war:

FAMILIES OF ABDUCTED ISRAELIS MEET WITH ITALYS PRIME MINISTER

ROME  Relatives of Israelis held hostage by Hamas met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Wednesday to speak about their anguish and raise awareness for their loved ones plight in Gaza.

Nadav Kipnis parents, Evyatar and Lilich Kipnis, were found dead days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. His cousin is being held captive.

None of them deserved to be treated in such horrible ways. We have to spread the message of anything that can help. Its what my parents would have wanted, Kipnis said.

Ilan Regevs two children, 21-year-old Maya and 18-year-old Itay, were kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival.

Hamas has said it seeks the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for the captives.

Give them everything, 4,000, 5,000 prisoners in Israel. I dont care, these are children, babies, bring them back, Regev said.

Since the militants bloody attack more than two weeks ago, Meloni has traveled to Israel and visited Romes main synagogue, where she pledged to defend Jewish citizens against every form of antisemitism.

ISRAELI STRIKE KILLS FAMILY MEMBERS OF AL JAZEERA BUREAU CHIEF IN GAZA

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  An Israeli strike on Wednesday killed the wife, son and young daughter of Al Jazeera Arabics bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Dahdouh.

Footage aired on the Qatar-based TV network showed the veteran journalist, still wearing his blue body armor marked press, weeping over his sons corpse on a hospital floor.

They take vengeance on us through our children? he sobbed.

Another son, Yehia, was seriously wounded, and Dahdouh's grandson was also declared dead two hours later, the network reported. Other relatives survived the Israeli strike, including a toddler granddaughter.

This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians, Dahdouh, looking stunned, told Al Jazeera as he left the hospital.

The media network released a statement condemning what it called an indiscriminate assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The camp is south of the area Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate.

In Gaza, Al Jazeeras Youmna Elsayed told the network: Its heartbreaking to be reporting about Waels family and to see how broken he is.

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL FAILS AGAIN TO PASS RESOLUTION ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. Security Council has failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, rejecting rival United States and Russian resolutions.

The U.S. resolution would have reaffirmed Israels right to self-defense, urged respect for international laws  especially protection of civilians  and called for humanitarian pauses to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza. Wednesdays vote in the 15-member council was 10 countries in favor, 3 against and 2 abstentions. The resolution was not adopted because both Russia and China cast vetoes.

The Russian resolution would have called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire," and unequivocally condemned Hamas Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Gaza. The vote was 4 in favor, 2 against and 9 abstentions. The resolution wasnt adopted because it failed to get the minimum nine yes votes.

The council is charged under the U.N. Charter with maintaining international peace and security. But Wednesdays rejections, following its rejections last week of a Russian resolution and a Brazilian proposal, leave the Security Council divided and paralyzed in taking action on the Israeli-Hamas war.

Maltas U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier told reporters before the vote that if both resolutions failed, she would attempt to draft a compromise resolution.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of submitting its text with no consultations in bad faith. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the U.S. draft a politicized proposal to shore up Israel.

IRAQI MILITANT GROUP SAYS IT ATTACKED BASE HOUSING U.S. FORCES IN SYRIA

BAGHDAD  An Iranian backed group in Iraq claimed responsibility for an attack on a military base housing U.S. forces in eastern Syria on Wednesday, as a string of attacks targeting U.S. military facilities in Iraq and Syria persist.

The Islamic Resistance group in Iraq, an umbrella organization for several Iran-backed militias, said in a statement that it had struck the Kharab al-Jir base in the northeastern Hassakeh province with rockets. It said it hit its target, without making any mention of casualties.

Washington did not immediately comment on the attack. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, urged Sudani to pursue those behind the attacks and fulfill Iraqs commitment to maintain the security at these installations, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement Tuesday.

The past week has seen a spate of more than a dozen attacks on U.S. military facilities in Iraq in Syria, most of them claimed by the same group, which has said it is retaliating against Americas backing of Israel in its war with Hamas.

BIDEN CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON PALESTINIANS BY ISRAELI SETTLERS IN THE WEST BANK

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Wednesday said there is no going back to the status quo in Israel and the region following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, Biden said during a news conference at the White House with the Prime Minister of Australia. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution.

Biden said again that he believed Israeli had the right  the responsibility  to respond to the attack. The anger, the hurt, the sense of outrage that the Israeli people are feeling following the attack is completely understandable, he said.

But he also decried the attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and said it must stop and stop now, and he said he remained focused on humanitarian aid into Gaza.

AIRSTRIKE IN GAZA CITY KILLS MORE THAN 2 DOZEN AND INJURES OVER 100, HAMAS SAYS

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday killed at least 26 people and injured more than 100, Hamas Interior Ministry said.

Bodies of dead men and women were scattered in streets that had relatively little damage while a block of buildings lay in ruins with people searching for survivors.

Two wounded young boys embraced each other and appeared to be crying as a first responder and three other men carried them to safety on a stretcher.

A man with blood running from his scalp into his eye and down his cheek looked stunned as he sat on what remained of a sofa propped in the rubble, while a girl, who was also wounded, hugged him.

FRANCE'S MACRON ANGLES FOR INTERNATIONAL COALITION TO FIGHT HAMAS

PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron is promoting, with little success so far, the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas.

He pitched the idea during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.

Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didnt publicly address the issue.

The first response to the devastating Israel-Hamas war is the fight against terrorism, Macron said Wednesday after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The right response is to cooperate, to draw lessons from the international coalition against the Islamic State group that intervened in Iraq and Syria, he added.

Macron first proposed the idea Tuesday after his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioning a regional and international coalition against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu did not specifically comment on the proposal.

U.S. EMBASSY IN KUWAIT TO LIMIT ACTIVITY ON MILITARY BASES AFTER IRAQI MILITIA'S THREATS

JERUSALEM  The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is acknowledging an Iraqi militias threat to target U.S. military bases in the Mideast nation over the Israeli airstrikes targeting the Gaza Strip in its war on Hamas.

In a statement to American citizens, the embassy identified the threat as coming from Awliya Waad al-Haq, or The True Promise Brigades. That group, believed allied with Iran, has claimed an attack previously on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

As a result, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is limiting its activity on U.S. military bases to essential and official events only, the embassy said in an alert.

NETANYAHU SAYS HE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HAMAS' ATTACK

JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will be held accountable for the bloody Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas militants, but that will only come after Israels war against the Islamic militant group.

In a nationally televised address Wednesday night, Netanyahu said he was busy plotting a ground invasion of Gaza, though he refused to say when that might happen. He also expressed sorrow over the attack, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis and saw over 200 others taken captive in Gaza.

Oct. 7 is a black day in our history, he said. We will get to the bottom of what happened on the southern border around Gaza. This debacle will be investigated. Everyone will have to give answers, including me.

FRANCE TO SEND NAVY SHIP TO BRING AID TO GAZA STRIP, MACRON SAY

CAIRO  French President Emmanuel Macron said France is going to send a Navy ship to bring aid to hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The ship will leave the French military port of Toulon, in the Mediterranean Sea, within 48 hours, he said. He didnt provide further details.

In addition, a French plane will arrive in Egypt on Thursday to deliver medical equipment via a convoy to Gaza. Others will follow, Macron said, adding that France wants to provide Gaza's civilian population access to medicine and medical care.

Macrons visit to Egypt comes as part of a two-day tour to the Middle East that started with a visit to Israel meant to show Frances support and solidarity following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The trip included a stop in Ramallah, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and another stop Wednesday morning in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II.

Macron in Egypt said, Theres no double standard  international law applies to everyone.

All victims deserve our compassion, our commitment toward a fair and sustainable peace in the Middle East, he added.
The ATM machine at Southwest Montana Federal Credit Union, 1925 Elizabeth Warren Ave., was out of order Tuesday morning, raising the ire of a Butte man who needed cash for a hunting trip.

Steven T. Tietz, 45, was reportedly asked by employees to return in an hour, when the ATM would hopefully be up and running.

Instead, after parking his truck in the lot, Tietz allegedly got out, placed a water bottle on the sidewalk and began shooting it with BB gun.

Credit union employees could not tell what kind of gun Tietz was carrying, so they called police and locked up the facility.

When officers arrived, Tietz was arrested on three counts of assault with a weapon. Turns out he also had some outstanding warrants out for his arrest, including a $50,000 warrant out of Anaconda-Deer Lodge County.
The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes earlier this week closed the bird hunting season to non-tribal members, saying there had been "several altercations and threats of violence against tribal hunters by non-tribal hunters and landowners."

The tribes also announced they will not be refunding licenses and permits that have already been purchased.

"We reserve our right to regulate our own hunting, fishing and gathering policies per our tribal constitution and rights retained by our tribe in the Treaty of Fort Laramie," the tribes wrote in a statement.

Signed in 1868, the Treaty of Fort Laramie cemented an agreement between the U.S. government and Sioux Nation, where the U.S. officially recognized the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. Tribes involved in the treaty gave up thousands of acres of land that had previously been promised to them but retained hunting and fishing rights in their older territory.

Robert Magnan, director of the Fort Peck Fish and Game Department, said while it wasn't an easy decision to make, the closure "had to be done for the safety of all people involved."

Magnan said non-tribal members who own land on the reservation had been threatening tribal members for hunting on their property and added he hasn't seen tensions like this in years past.

"People just don't understand our treaty rights," he said.

Magnan added the tribes tentatively plan to open bird hunting to non-members next season.
A hunter killed a grizzly bear Saturday during a close encounter in the Gravelly Range, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced on Tuesday.

The hunter was reportedly charged by the bear before shooting and killing the bear at close range in self-defense. The hunter was not injured.

FWP staff investigated the scene the next day and confirmed the bear mortality. The bear was an adult female grizzly with no known conflict history. The bear was in good body condition and appeared to be digging a den near where the encounter took place.

The incident is still under investigation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

So far this year, 50 grizzly bear mortalities have been recorded by the Inter-Agency Grizzly Bear Study Team in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Of these, 13 are under investigation: six in Wyoming, four in Montana and three in Idaho.

The most recent incident in Montana was just outside Gardiner in Beattie Gulch where a hunter shot a bear at close range. Prior to that, anglers shot a bear in nearby Tom Miner Basin and two men hunting near Whitefish were charged and shot the grizzly. Both of those incidents occurred in August. In September, a hunter wounded a male bear with a shotgun blast while bird hunting near Freezout Lake. The bear was never found.

In addition, a female hiker near West Yellowstone was killed in a grizzly bear mauling in July. The bear was later killed after it broke into a home seeking food. On Sept. 8, a man tracking a wounded deer by Big Sky was mauled and seriously injured. In June, a black bear hunter shot a grizzly after being charged south of Ennis. In May, a grizzly was found shot dead near Noxon.

FWP has launched an intensive education campaign to warn visitors and residents of the dangers of living and recreating in bear country. One of the key pieces of advice is to carry and be ready to use bear spray, a nonlethal means of deterring a bear attack.

In the fall, bears are more active as they attempt to gorge themselves in preparation for hibernation.

Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:

 Carry bear spray and practice to be prepared to use it immediately.

 Make noise to alert bears to your presence and travel in groups.

 Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.

 Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.

 Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.

 Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.

 If you are attacked by a bear and you are without a deterrent or the deterrent hasnt worked, stay face down on the ground, protecting your face and neck with your arms. Stay still until youre certain the bear has moved away.

People who hunt in places that have or may have grizzly bears should take special precautions:

 Carry bear spray and practice to be prepared to use it immediately.

 Look for bear sign and be cautious around creeks and areas with limited visibility.

 Hunt with a group of people. Making localized noise can help alert bears to your presence.

 Be aware that elk calls and cover scents can attract bears.

 Bring the equipment and people needed to help field dress game and remove the meat from the kill site as soon as possible.

 If you need to leave part of the meat in the field during retrieval, hang it at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 150 yards from the gut pile. Leave it where it can be observed from a distance of at least 200 yards.

 Upon your return, observe the meat with binoculars. If it has been disturbed or if a bear is in the area, leave and call FWP.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The Muscatine County Energy District will host Celebration of Change on Thursday at the Stanley Center for Peace & Security.

The event will feature a talk titled The Dramatic Climatic by Jerry Schnoor, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa; tours of the Stanley Center; information about become a Muscatine County Clean Energy Champion; and a celebration of the work done by Clean Air Muscatine (CLAM) to ensure Muscatine residents have better, cleaner air now and into the future.

The Celebration of Change begins at 5 p.m. with guided tours of the Stanley Center followed by a brief program and Dr. Schnoors remarks at 6:00 p.m. The Stanley Center for Peace & Security is located at 304 Iowa Avenue.

The event is open to the public. Please R.S.V.P. online at muscatinecountyenergydistrict.org/contact-us.

The Muscatine County Energy District is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of energy solutions specific to the needs of Muscatine County. More information can be found online at: MuscatineCountyEnergyDistrict.org, or reached by email at: MuscatineCountyEnergyDistrict@gmail.com.

Muscatine environment: Something in the air Clean Air Muscatine is in court today, pollution in the area is up and a clipped exchange at a legislative forum has our college and our lawmaker clearing the air Clean Air Muscatine goes to court MUSCATINE, Iowa  The group Clean Air Muscatine will get its day in court today. Cutting through the black tape MUSCATINE, Iowa  A misguided cut in a filmed forum of local legislators had a Muscatine environmental group asking for a retake. Lofgren: See for yourself: Lawmaker says editing incident wasnt that big of deal, but before people judge, they should watch what happened Something in Muscatine's air MUSCATINE, Iowa -- On Monday, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced that elevated fine particle pollution levels were recorded in Something in Muscatine's water MUSCATINE, Iowa  Muscatines Water Pollution Control Plant discharged untreated wastewater into the Mississippi River for about 50 minutes on
On Monday, the Muscatine School Board held a brief work session, including discussion on the district's new literacy curriculum.

The first of the presentations was led by Joelle McConnaha, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, and covered how the first year of the districts most recent literacy curriculum adoption has gone. With this, grades Kindergarten through 5 are using CKLA, grades 6 through 8 are using Springboard, and grades 9 through 12 are using both Into Literature and Writable.

Several other teachers joined McConnaha at the work session: Heather Noll, Emily Wolf, Konnie Hurlbut and Melissa Schumaker from the elementary schools, Liz Panther from Susan Clark Jr. High, and Lynette Larson and Randy Guerra from Muscatine High School.

Noll said she and her kindergarten team have been impressed by the rigor and engagement of the program, which in turn has allowed the kindergarten students to both understand and thrive.

They really love the stories that were reading, and they really love the Boost (online) component," she said.

Hurlbut then shared that her 5th grade students also really enjoyed Boost and the new stories that they were reading, however the curriculums writing aspect has been a bit challenging for some due to its fast pace.

For middle school, Schumaker, who is using Springboard with her 6th grade class, said she appreciated the diversity of the stories and themes within the curriculum. She also said she liked the embedded assessments and debates related to writing. Panther shared similar points, viewing the themes within the curriculum as a great way for teachers to connect and build relationships with students as they engage with the text.

Finally, for the high school, Guerra said the teachers have been planning and working together with the new units. This has gone incredibly well, he said thanks to digital assessments that allow them to track how their students are doing. He also felt that Writable has been very helpful thanks to its grammar check, however this technology has had some trial and error, though all problems so far have been solved. Larson added that students being able to read and comment on each others writing has also been engaging for them.

Other updates from the board included a brief facility update from Russell Construction. The controlled entrance projects at Madison Elementary, Grant Elementary and SCJH are still underway, with all major structural components completed. All three entrances are still on schedule to be completed in late December/early January. The wrestling room addition at SCJH is also nearly complete. Demolition at Jefferson, meanwhile, is currently underway.

The board also did a first reading on a new policy on recording devices on school property. The policy say no recording devices will be utilized on district property where individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy, with these areas including the school nurses office, restrooms, locker rooms, changing areas, lactation spaces and employee break areas.

Additionally, the policy states the use of non-district owned recording devices on school property and at school events will be regulated and that students, parents and community members will not be permitted to take recordings of other students or employees during school hours unless the recording is authorized in advance by building administration.

Lastly, the board named Matt Conard, who volunteered, as its delegate for the Iowa Association of School Boards Convention, which will be held on November 15.

How the pandemic impacted what public schools in every state spend How the pandemic impacted what public schools in every state spend Nearly all states increased per student spending from 2019 to 2021 #51. Hawaii #50. Delaware #49. New York #48. Connecticut #47. Pennsylvania #46. Missouri #45. Alabama #44. Alaska #43. Tennessee #42. Kentucky #41. Iowa #40. New Jersey #39. Minnesota #38. Ohio #37. Rhode Island #36. North Carolina #35. South Dakota #34. Nebraska #33. California #32. Wisconsin #31. North Dakota #30. Arkansas #29. Georgia #28. West Virginia #27. Maryland #26. Florida #25. Mississippi #24. Washington #23. Arizona #22. Oklahoma #21. Virginia #20. District of Columbia #19. Nevada #18. South Carolina #17. Colorado #16. Louisiana #15. Montana #14. Michigan #13. Oregon #12. New Hampshire #11. Indiana #10. Wyoming #9. Texas #8. Massachusetts #7. Idaho #6. Kansas #5. Vermont #4. Utah #3. Illinois #2. New Mexico #1. Maine
BEIRUT  The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group held talks Wednesday in Beirut with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures in a key meeting of three top anti-Israel militant groups amid the war raging in Gaza.

In neighboring Syria, meanwhile, state media said an Israeli airstrike hit the international airport in the northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday, damaging its runway and putting it out of service.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported strike.

Following the meeting in Lebanon, a brief statement said Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah agreed with Hamas' Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad's leader Ziad al-Nakhleh on the next steps that the three  along with other Iran-backed militants  should take at this "sensitive stage" in the Middle East.

Their goal, according to the statement carried on Hezbollah-run and Lebanese state media, was to achieve "a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine" and halt Israel's "treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank".

No other details were provided. The meeting came as the war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, is now in its third week.

The fighting, triggered by Hamas' deadly incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, has killed more than 5,700 Palestinians in Gaza.

As the Gaza death toll spirals, tensions have also risen along the tense Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah members have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops since the day after Hamas' rampage into Israel.

For now, those exchanges remain limited to a handful of border towns and Hezbollah and Israeli military positions on both sides. Lebanese army soldiers and United Nations peacekeeping forces have deployed in large numbers.

Dozens of Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the clashes so far, the group says, while the Israeli military has also announced some deaths among its ranks.

Nasrallah has yet to publicly speak about the war in Gaza and clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border. Other Hezbollah top officials have warned Israel against its planned ground invasion into the besieged territory.

Israeli officials say they would retaliate aggressively in case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah from Lebanon.

"We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state (will be) devastating," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while visiting Israeli troops along the border with Lebanon on Sunday.

Lebanon's cash-strapped caretaker government, along with regional and international figures, has been scrambling to keep the country out of the war.

Hezbollah and Israel fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a tense stalemate. Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

In its report on the airstrike on Syria's Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency cited an unnamed military official as saying the strike came from the west, over the Mediterranean Sea near the coastal city of Lattakia. The report did not mention any casualties.

If confirmed, the attack would be the fourth time Israel has targeted the airport in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and financial hub, since the onset of the latest Israel-Hamas war.

The first attack took place on Oct. 12, when Israeli missiles struck international airports in both Aleppo and Syria's capital of Damascus, putting them both out of commission. The Aleppo airport was later repaired.

Israel targets airports and sea ports in government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militants backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah. Thousands of Iran-backed fighters from around the region joined Syria's 12-year civil war, helping tip the balance in favor of President Bashar Assad's forces.

Israel has carried out hundreds of such strikes in recent years, including on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations.
CHICAGO (AP)  A Palestinian American woman whose 6-year-old son was killed in what police are calling a hate crime in a Chicago suburb has asked the public to pray for peace as she recuperates from her injuries.

Hanaan Shahin issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the group's executive director a day earlier. The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal Oct. 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face.

Authorities said the family's suburban Chicago landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.

Pray for peace, Shahin said, thanking authorities, doctors and others. She was released from the hospital last week and has declined interviews with reporters.

Shahin, who works as a caregiver to seniors, lost her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in the attack that has contributed to fears about rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. In Illinois alone in the past week, a suburban man was charged with a hate crime in an assault against two Muslims and an Islamic day school canceled class after receiving threats.

Joseph Czuba, 71, faces murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges. He is due in court next week. Czuba's attorney, George Lenard, released a statement last week via the Will County Public Defenders Office saying he would not comment on the case beyond what is presented in the courtroom.

Shahin, who was hospitalized during her son's funeral, remembered him as an intelligent and funny child who cared about the planet and liked to join her in prayers.

She said she felt comforted "remembering her son as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven.

She added, He was my best friend."
DES MOINES  Iowa's all-Republican U.S. House delegation joined their Republican colleagues to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as speaker of the House of Representatives, ending three weeks without a House speaker.

Johnson was the fourth Republican to seek the gavel after Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was ousted in a rebellion by the far-right flank of the caucus.

In a statement on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson congratulated Johnson, calling him a constitutional conservative and "devout family man."

She said he would advance conservative priorities, including single-subject appropriation bills, support for Israel and border security.

"The recent chaos and dysfunction is inexcusable, but it is time to move forward and focus on our legislative agenda," Hinson said. "If there is a silver lining to the past few weeks, it is the thoughtful ideas put forward by Speaker candidates to help Washington work better for the Americans we are lucky to serve."

Hinson and Reps. Zach Nunn, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra all cast their votes for Johnson.

Johnson was the first speaker candidate to win unanimous approval from House Republicans since they won the majority of the House in the 2022 election. He is the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference and a deputy whip.

Johnson was a vocal proponent of former President Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and he was one of dozens of House GOP members who voted against certifying the election on Jan. 6, 2021.

Nunn, a freshman GOP representative who represents central Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, in a statement repeated his criticism of the far-right Republicans who instigated McCarthy's ouster and said the House should get to work on passing a farm bill, cutting spending and securing the southern border.

"We are elected to serve the people, but instead, some are more focused on getting their five minutes of fame," Nunn said. "The American people deserve better."

Feenstra praised Johnson's conservative bona fides and said he will lead the Republican majority on its priorities.

"I have full confidence that, under Speaker Johnson, we will continue to uphold our Commitment to America and deliver for our families, farmers, main street businesses, and rural communities," he said.

Johnson's ascent comes after Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Tom Emmer of Minnesota all failed to consolidate support from the divergent factions of the GOP to become speaker over the last three weeks.

Jordan, a conservative hard-liner and co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, was the only candidate to take his bid to a floor vote, losing three consecutive votes because of detractions from moderate Republicans.

Democrats unanimously voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York on Wednesday.

Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who voted against Jordan on the second and third rounds of voting last week, said she received death threats for her vote at the time.

Democrats blast "MAGA extremist" speaker

The Iowa Democratic Party criticized Johnson's support for overturning the election, a strict abortion ban, and changes to Social Security, calling him a "MAGA extremist" in a statement on Wednesday.

"There is no doubt that Zach Nunn, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, and Randy Feenstra just elected a speaker who satisfies the MAGA crowd requirements but certainly doesnt reflect whats best for Iowa," Iowa Democrats said.

Grassley: 'Praise the Lord' for speaker

Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters during a conference call Wednesday shortly after the House vote: Praise the Lord we have a speaker.

Grassley, who strained to think whether hes ever had any interactions with Johnson, said hes looking forward to working with the new House leader.

Its all about getting the House back to work, Grassley said.  We lost three and a half weeks of the House doing nothing, with a looming Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

Asked about Johnson playing a leading role in recruiting House Republicans to sign a legal brief supporting a lawsuit (ultimately rejected by the Supreme Court) seeking to overturn the 2020 election results and being one of dozens of House GOP members who voted against certifying the election, Grassley said: Well, as far as Im concerned, I dont redo the 2020 election.

Im looking to the future, and Im sure he is, Grassley told reporters during the Wednesday conference call.

Tom Barton of the Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report
Neil Wigan, the British High Commissioner to Kenya, has justified his countrys position regarding issuing an apology to Kenya for the atrocities committed during the colonial era.

During an interview on Spice FM on Tuesday, October 24, the UK High Commissioner said that Britain had acknowledged and expressed deep regret for the injustices during the emergency period and had reached out-of-court settlements with some victims.

However, he stated that issuing a formal apology is an extremely challenging prospect.

We chose the language carefully, we expressed deep regret, we said it in Parliament. We said it in the most public way. We have engaged very closely with the Mau Mau veterans affected and paid compensation individually. We also helped arrange for the monument that sits in Uhuru Park, Nairobi, Amb Wigan said.

Adding: Weve been very open about those difficult parts of our history.

When pressed for why Britain has not apologized to Kenya, the High Commissioner explained that offering an apology would create a challenging legal situation for the UK government.

We havent made an apology really in any context, it is an extremely difficult thing to do. What we think we want to do is to acknowledge the difficult bits of history, and talk about them openly both to affected countries and to individuals and communities.

An apology starts to take you into difficult legal territory so to say, and the agreement we made was an out-of-court settlement so it showed our sincerity and openness about recognizing that abuses had been committed. That was the route that we chose and it was accepted by the Mau Mau Veterans Association, Wigan explained.

Wigans comments come ahead of the imminent visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Kenya. They are expected in the country on an official state visit starting from Tuesday, October 31st, to Friday, November 3rd, 2023.

Hear it from the horses mouth in the video below, courtesy of Spice FM.
Should the Judiciarys proposed Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2023 be enacted into law, Kenyans involved in sex workboth men and womenmight no longer face fines or imprisonment.

The Bill, presented by Chief Justice Martha Koome, seeks to amend the classification of capital and criminal offenses in the country.

Currently, sex work, referred to as prostitution, is deemed an offense in Kenya, carrying a penalty of up to three years in prison, as specified in Sections 153, 154, and 155 of the Constitution.

The Judiciary is suggesting the removal of these three sections by amending the Principal Act also known as Section 4 of the Penal Code.

According to CJ Koomes Bill, prostitution will remain an offense. However, it wont be subject to imprisonment; instead, alternative methods for dealing with petty offenses will be employed.

These alternatives include the issuance of verbal reprimands, conditional discharge, probation, community service, and attendance at a rehabilitation center.

Sections 153 and 154, for men and women respectively, stipulate that sex workers engaging in proven acts of prostitution are deemed guilty of a felony.

Every woman who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution, or who is proved to have, for the purpose of gain, exercised control, direction or influence over the movements of a prostitute in such a manner as to show that she is aiding, abetting or compelling her prostitution with any person, or generally, is guilty of a felony, reads part of the Penal Code.

Section 155 addresses the premises used for prostitution, enabling the arrest and issuance of a search warrant for the residence of a suspected individual involved in prostitution or facilitating the same.

If it is made to appear to a magistrate by information on oath that there is reason to suspect that any house or any part of a house is used by a woman or girl for the purposes of prostitution and that any person residing in or frequenting the house is living wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitute, or is exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of the prostitute, the magistrate may issue a warrant authorizing any police officer to enter and search the house and to arrest such person, the Bill reads in part.

According to CJ Koome, the primary objective of this bill is to amend the Penal Code by incorporating language that is friendly to human rights concerning individuals with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities.

Additionally, the bill aims to revise the Penal Code to safeguard the rights of intersex individuals within the criminal justice system.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday afternoon arrived in Brussels, Belgium for a three-day official visit.

DP Gachagua is representing President William Ruto at the Gateway Forum on Digital Innovation, Green Energy, Transport, Healthcare and Education and is accompanied by his Spouse, H.E Pastor Dorcas Rigathi.

The DP held an engagement with Kenyans living in Belgium later on Tuesday.

The Global Gateway Forum hosted by the European Commission in the Capital, Brussels aims to strengthen relations between the European Union (EU) and its partners, including Kenya, in key sectors such as digital innovation, green energy, transport, healthcare and education.

On the sidelines, the Deputy President will hold talks with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on boosting bilateral ties between Kenya and the EU.

As part of his efforts to seek better market for Kenyan coffee, the Deputy President will engage various actors.

Gachagua will also meet with Kenyans living in Belgium, at Tangla Hotel in Brussels.

The Deputy President will extend his travel to Germany for other engagements on Coffee, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, among others.

He will also meet the Kenyan Diaspora in Germany, at The Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich.
A part-time domestic worker who pilfered USD 7,000 (Sh1,050,000) from her ailing employer in Nairobi, has admitted to the theft.

Roseline Kahega faced allegations of stealing the cash that belonged to her employer, Libin Abdi Mohamed, from her residence in Eastleigh on October 13th.

Ms. Mohamed had raised the funds for a medical operation scheduled in India. She mentioned that she had received the money from relatives and friends through international money transfer platforms, and she had kept the funds at her home until the travel dates.

The complainant then employed Ms. Kahega on a part-time basis to assist with house cleaning. On the specified day, Ms. Kahega failed to report for work, and attempts to contact her proved futile as she had switched off her phone.

Ms. Mohammed became suspicious and decided to check her house items, only to discover the missing money.

She reported the theft at the California Police post in Kamukunji.

During investigations, Nairobi detectives established that Kahega hails from Vihiga, and subsequently inspected the booking offices of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) plying the Nairobi-Vihiga route.

Police confirmed that the suspect had boarded a bus destined for Vihiga. However, by the time they obtained her travel information, the bus had departed from Nairobi.

The sleuths contacted their colleagues in Kericho, who arrested Ms. Kahega. They took her to Kericho police station, where a search was conducted and a silver purse belonging to Ms. Mohamed was recovered. It contained Sh10,000.

A bus ticket indicating the accused was traveling to Mbale town was also found.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Shauri Moyo offices picked her up and escorted her back to Nairobi on October 16th.

On Tuesday, Roseline Kahega was presented before Senior Principle Magistrate Mary Njagi at the Makadara law courts.

She pleaded guilty to stealing the money, contrary to Section 268(1), read with Section 275 of the Penal Code.

The prosecution is today expected to present its case against her and the exhibits including the purse, the Sh10,000, and the bus ticket before she is sentenced.
Citizen TV anchor Lulu Hassan recently discussed the prospect of leaving her news anchoring job to concentrate on the TV production company she co-owns with her husband, Rashid Abdalla.

Addressing queries from journalists at the launch of Zari Show on Maisha Magic, Lulu Hassan expressed her enduring passion for journalism, affirming her commitment to the field and her role as a news anchor.

It is not about leaving our work because we have another job. News anchoring and journalism is something that we all love. Many people may not know this but I was once an actress. Back then, we did not get these platforms, she said.

Lulu Hassan said her job presented an opportunity to create a platform to showcase acting talents from her Coastal region. She and her husband Rashid Abdalla run Jiffy Productions which has since produced popular shows such as Maria, Zora, Sultana, and Zari.

What we used to do was stage plays. Acting is in my blood. When I got the opportunity to go on TV. I used that opportunity to attract those I was with back home. We are creating stars and opportunities.

In response to inquiries about the possibility of opening their own TV station, she said they have not considered that option at the moment. Their current focus is on producing high-quality content and generating job opportunities.

Owning a TV station is very expensive. We are not there yet and I dont think we are thinking of anything like that. What we want with Jiffy is to create employment the way we are currently, she said.

Everybody has their dream. Those who opened Maisha Magic and Citizen TV had the dream.
Saudi Arabia will use Kenya as a platform to broaden its forays into Africa.

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman said Kenya is a pillar of stability and growth in Africa.

We have to pay closer attention to it; Kenya is a country with a tremendous future, he said.

The Crown Prince noted that Saudi Arabia was committed to pushing for more investments in Kenya.

He said that particular focus will be paid on the renewable energy sector.

He spoke on Tuesday at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh where he held talks with President William Ruto.

President Ruto said Africa has made progress in economic growth, regional cooperation and democratisation.

However, he regretted that insecurity, violence and terrorism risk slowing the advancements.

We must come up with a lasting solution to the conflicts in Africa if we are to progress further, said President Ruto.

He called for more cooperation from the globe to tame the crisis.

In particular, the President urged Saudi Arabia to step forward to make Africa more peaceful because of our shared vision.

We have a long-standing tie, yet we have not explored it fully.

On his side, the Crown Prince exuded confidence that Saudi Arabia will work with Kenya to spur regional stability.

We definitely need security in East Africa and Red Sea. If Kenya is a success, then Africa is, explained the Crown Prince.

Earlier, the two leaders attended the opening session of the Future Investment Initiative.

The President said the world can only grow and prosper when countries work together.

That is how we can discover, navigate and expand new frontiers and markets.

President Ruto also met the PepsiCos CEO for Africa, Middle East and South Asia Eugene Willemsen.

The two discussed approaches to advancing farming in Kenya to increase production.

PepsiCos broadening of its portfolio will accelerate Kenyas exploitation of irrigation-fed agriculture, expanding economic opportunities for our youth, he said.

By Presidential Communication Service(PCS)
With all due respect to the Napa Firewise goats, lion-dogs, Ken-dogs and 49ers-supporting Happy Hens, the charm of the St. Helena Pet PAWrade mostly comes down to humans.

That was as clear as ever on Saturday, when people from St. Helena and the surrounding area took part in the towns most distinctively quirky tradition.

After a morning run overseen by Core Community Fitness, the Pet PAWrade launched the Harvest Festival, which continued well into Saturday afternoon with a free Kids Activity zone, music, food, and booths featuring local artisans and nonprofits.

Rena Barsocchini and Fran Campanian, winners of Best Performance in 2019, were back with a Barbie theme. Two dogs, Tony and Trixie, gamely played the parts of Ken and Barbie.

I was going to be an actress and never made it, explained Barsocchini, who was sporting a colorful hat decorated with Barbie heads. So I collect costumes and dress up on TikTok.

Harry Potter fan Maude Pratt dressed as Hermione Granger, with her grandfather Ric Henry playing a dark-robed but uncharacteristically cheerful Severus Snape. Billy the dog fetched a Golden Snitch  they actually forgot the Snitch at home, but Maudes mom delivered it in time for the parade.

Members of the St. Helena-based Otterbots robotics team marched with Chuck, the robot they designed in 2022 to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Chuck, previously featured in the Star, can toss balls about eight feet into the air, said team captain Charlie Lamb. Alongside Chuck were dogs Luna, Bailey and Rosie.

Rita Conaty and Rachel Ortega were convincing "Men in Black," with Cooper playing Frank the Pug from the Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones movies. But it was 3-month-old Spencer Jr. who stole the show by sleeping through most, if not all, of the parade in his cozy flying saucer-shaped stroller.

If it were a baby contest instead of a Pet Parade, wed have it in the bag, Ortega said.

The entry How to Train Your Pug included a miniature Viking warship and a miniature crew of puggy dragons, as Tosca Pott put it. There was also plenty of candy, which was guaranteed to win over the youngsters who line Oak Avenue hoping for a treat.

Another pug, 6-month-old Goblin, played a sheep in a Bo Peep-themed entry starring Dee Gregory. Three bags full of wool were on hand for the sake of authenticity.

The highlight of the San Francisco 49ers dismal last two weeks might have been Michelle and Mickey Wagners Niners-themed entry featuring a pair of Happy Hens. Like the rest of the animals featured in the parade, the hens played along with a tolerant, down-for-whatever attitude.

The Harvest Festival also featured performances by Happy Accidents, Charros de la Dinastia Familia Segura, Noema, Ballet Folklorico "El Valle" de St. Helena, the RLS Middle School Marching Band, and Band Maya.

Photos: St. Helena Pet Parade and Harvest Festival, 2023
The harrowing encounter that nearly doomed a Horizon Air plane flying Sunday from Seattle to San Francisco began without warning when an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot from Pleasant Hill riding in a cockpit jump seat blurted out to the flight captain and first officer: Im not okay, according to a federal court affidavit.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, then reached up and pulled red handles that cut off fuel to the planes engines, intended as an emergency safety measure if they catch fire, the affidavit said. The pilot grabbed Emersons wrist and the men wrestled for about 30 seconds, then Emerson quickly settled down, it said. The pilot asked Emerson to leave the cockpit, and Emerson left on his own, it said.

The plane landed in Portland, where officers arrested Emerson, 44, on charges of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and endangering an aircraft, and he was expected to be arraigned in court Tuesday.

Federal authorities have since charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew that carries a sentence of up to 20 years if hes convicted. The affidavit by FBI Special Agent TaPara Simmons Jr. was filed in support of those charges, and said Emerson became depressed about six months ago, talked to police about using psychedelic mushrooms and said it was his first-time taking mushrooms. It was not clear from the affidavit whether Emerson was under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms during the flight.

The cockpit incident, which the affidavit said lasted only a minute and a half, shocked friends and neighbors who knew Emerson as a safety-conscious pilot and a devoted family man.

Hes everything you would want to have in a good neighbor, said longtime neighbor Karen Yee. Great guy. Great family.

Emerson was riding in an extra jump seat in the cockpit of Horizon Air flight 2059, an Embraer 175 that left Everett, Washington, at 5:23 p.m. Sunday, headed for San Francisco.

Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon Air, said in a revised statement Monday evening that Emerson had joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon first officer in August 2001. In June 2012, he left Horizon to join Virgin America as a pilot. Following Alaskas acquisition of Virgin America in 2016, he became an Alaska Airlines first officer again and rose to captain in 2019.

Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked, Alaska Airlines said.

Ross Rusty Aimer, president of Aero Consulting Experts, said jump-seat accommodations are a professional courtesy extended to off-duty U.S. pilots so they can travel to and from where they live and the flights they are working. The flights pilot, or captain, must clear the off-duty pilot to join the flight, and to sit in the cockpit.

According to the FBI affidavit, the flight 2059 pilot said hed never met Emerson but that there was zero indication of anything wrong before the flight, and that Emerson engaged both pilots in casual conversation about types of aircraft and the weather.

That changed about 39 minutes into the flight, when Emerson suddenly threw his headset across the cockpit and said Im not okay, then grabbed both the red engine shutoff handles, the affidavit said. The pilots kept Emerson from pulling the handles all the way  had he done so, it would have turned the aircraft into a glider within seconds.

The pilots alerted flight attendants that Emerson was losing it, and they saw him peacefully walking toward the rear of the plane, the affidavit said, saying hed just got kicked out of the flight deck and that you need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad.

They escorted him to a flight attendant seat, secured the seat belt and put his hands in flex cuffs, the affidavit said. As the plane descended toward Portland, Emerson allegedly tried to grab an emergency exit handle, and told flight attendants that he tried to kill everybody and had messed everything up.

In a recorded statement to police after they had read him his rights, Emerson allegedly said he had not slept in 40 hours and was having a nervous breakdown, the affidavit said.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday shut down the problem-plagued Cruise autonomous taxis in San Francisco, saying they were an unreasonable risk to the public and that the company misrepresented how safe they are.

The agency said Cruise, to get its permits back for testing and deploying driverless taxis with no human backup, would have to provide it with information about how it has addressed the deficiencies that led to the suspensions.

The suspension has no set duration, the DMV said.

In August, the state Public Utilities Commission gave GMs Cruise a green light to take paid fares in hundreds of robotaxis with no human backup in San Francisco, despite incessant reports of the cars obstructing emergency vehicles and bottlenecking traffic. San Francisco Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin at the time called allowing the autonomous technology on public roads a recipe for death and said the vehicles were not ready for prime time.

On Tuesday, Peskin applauded the DMVs move to suspend Cruises permits as having come better late than never. California, Peskin said, should never have allowed their unlimited deployment in the first place.

San Francisco has become a leading proving ground for autonomous vehicle technology, with Cruise and Google spinoff Waymo testing out their technology on public roads. But Cruises robotaxis have come under fire from city officials over their propensity to snarl traffic and obstruct emergency vehicles, and the DMV in August pushed the company to reduce its fleet.

Autonomous taxis have not been deployed elsewhere in the Bay Area, but San Jose and Oakland officials have said they are closely watching the technologys roll-out, with Oakland officials saying last year in a letter to the Public Utilities Commission that they know their city may be next for robotaxi expansion.

Cruise spokeswoman Navideh Forghani said Tuesday that the company develops and deploys autonomous vehicles in an effort to save lives.

Forghani referred to an accident early this month involving a pedestrian hit by a car then trapped beneath a Cruise robotaxi, and described it as the incident being reviewed by the DMV. The agency said it suspended the companys permits for safety reasons based upon the performance of the vehicles.

The DMV also said Cruise had misrepresented  information related to safety of the autonomous technology of its vehicles.

The agency has told Cruise the steps it must take to get its permits back. Cruise can continue to operate the vehicles with a backup human driver, the DMV said.

When the Public Utilities Commission announced the expansion in August, commissioner John Reynolds  a lawyer for Cruise until joining the agency last year  said he and his colleagues did not yet have the data to judge (the technology) against the standard human drivers are setting. But he said the vehicles could increase road safety, and companies and first responders needed to collaborate to address problems.

Just over a week after the commission gave the go-ahead to Cruise and Google spinoff Waymo to operate in San Francisco with no backup, the DMV cited concerning incidents and demanded Cruise immediately reduce its active fleet of operating vehicles. Cruise agreed to reduce its operations to no more than 50 driverless vehicles in operation during the day, and 150 at night.

That action by the DMV followed closely upon two Cruise crashes in San Francisco, one of them involving a robotaxi passenger suffering injuries after the vehicle was hit by a fire truck responding to an emergency scene.

In an August report, San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson, city police and transit officials said autonomous taxis, a majority from Cruise, had made nearly 600 documented unexpected stops since June 2022, likely a fraction of actual incidents. Peskin said at the time the vehicles had interfered with emergency responders more than 60 times.

Cruise claims its robotaxis, when measured against humans driving ride-hail vehicles in comparable environments, have been involved in 65% fewer collisions.
Main tower of world's highest bridge completed in SW China

Xinhua) 08:41, October 25, 2023

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a view of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge under construction in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

GUIYANG, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The last main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge was completed on Tuesday in southwest China's Guizhou Province, marking a major milestone in the building of the world's highest bridge.

With a designed height of 625 meters between the bridge deck and the Beipanjiang River below, the Huajiang grand canyon bridge is set to be the highest in the world after it is completed in 2025.

The 2,890-meter-long bridge is located in Bouyei-Miao Autonomous County of Guanling and is part of an expressway linking the Liuzhi special district of Liupanshui City and Anlong County of Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan, Guizhou Province.

Wang Chaoguo, a project manager, said it took more than 670 days to progress from the construction of the pile foundation to the capping of the main towers, and the team will continue working on the bridge's superstructure.

The bridge will cut the time it takes to cross the canyon from 70 minutes to about a minute, which will help boost local social and economic development, as well as rural revitalization.

Situated among rolling mountains and gorges, Guizhou is home to nearly half of the world's 100 highest bridges.

Builders work on a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a view of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge under construction in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

Builders celebrate the capping of a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows a main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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The expected meeting between European Council President Charles Michel, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not be held at the end of October. This was announced by Toivo Klaar, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, who is participating remotely in a forum, entitled "Progress in Uncertainty," in Armenian capital Yerevan,

The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus cited the lack of time as the reason.

Their objective is for the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to return to their homes, Klaar added, emphasizing the recent meeting in Granada, Spain, which Aliyev did not participate in, and said they are now trying to organize a meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev in Brussels.

Despite the slow process, they believe that the result will be the signing of a document, the European diplomat stressed.

Also, Klaar positively assessed the recently held meeting in Tehran in the "3+3" format. He said they find it useful and do not consider it inconsistent with any format. The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus said he believes that discussions between neighboring countries are important and useful, and the EU is in principle always in favor of cooperation.
The meeting in Brussels will not take place due to lack of time on the part of the president of Azerbaijan. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this at Wednesdays joint press conference with his visiting Canadian colleague, Melanie Joly, answering the question of who is unable to participate in the previously announced meeting.

Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, had announced today that the expected meeting between European Council President Charles Michel, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not be held at the end of October in Brussels.

To the question of who doesn't have time for the meeting, or maybe the reason is different, for example, Azerbaijan posits new demands before Armenia, for example, related to the Zangezur Corridor, the FM of Armenia stated that the answer is simple and clear: apparently, the president of Azerbaijan has not found time.

"We [Armenia] are still ready for the meeting. I hope the reason is really the lack of time. And there will be an opportunity to decide new timeframes for the meeting. Armenia is ready for the meeting; as I have already said, we are committed to the peace agenda," Mirzoyan emphasized.

He added that there is, by and large, nothing new in the Granada statement, the principles that were voiced after the tripartite meeting held in July were repeated, and after that there were no objections from Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"We had informal contacts in Tehran two days ago, and Armenia is ready to rapidly continue the peace process, including towards the achievement of a peace treaty. Our approaches are known," said the Armenian FM, adding that in the future it will become clear whether it is really a question of timing.
Armenia highly appreciates the principled position of Canada established after the Azerbaijani military aggression on September 19. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this at Wednesdays joint press conference with his visiting Canadian colleague, Melanie Joly.

Mirzoyan noted that this visit to Armenia by the Canadian FM is especially important, as the opening of the Canadian embassy in Armenia will take place within the framework of this visit. Armenian FM reminded that this embassy is being opened based on the results of the report on the promotion of Armenias democracy, and expressed confidence that the other proposals of this report will be implemented with joint effortsand as a kind of roadmap.

According to him, the relations between Armenia and Canada are based on shared values, such as democracy, rule of law, and human rights, this creates a broad arena for the strengthening of democratic institutions in Armenia, and the two parties see opportunities for the intensification of trade and economic relations.

The role of the Armenian community in Canada was also mentioned.

The Armenian FM welcomed Canada's joining the EU monitoring mission in Armenia, stressing that the region needs effective steps to establish peace.

Mirzoyan said that Armenia highly appreciates Canada's principled position after the Azerbaijani military aggression on September 19. The Armenian FM stated that all the calls by the international community and the two decisions of the international court had no practical effect, and Azerbaijan carried out Armenian ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. In this regard, Ararat Mirzoyan noted that there are mechanisms that can counter the situation of impunity of Azerbaijan, and thanked the Canadian government for its humanitarian assistance to the Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian FM said that he discussed the situation in the region with his Canadian colleague. As Mirzoyan emphasized, mutual recognition of territorial integrity by Armenia and Azerbaijan, excluding maximalist aspirations, as well as the delimitation of their borders based on the maps of the General Staff of the ex-USSR are necessary.

"We [Armenia] are interested also in unblocking [regional] communications based on the principles of equality, reciprocity of sovereignty, thus creating a crossroads of peace," said Ararat Mirzoyan.

In turn, Canadian FM Melanie Joly said that this is her second visit to Armenia, and the first was within the framework of La Francophonie. Canada stands with the people of Armenia, supports the countrys independence, and believes in democratic aspirations, Joly added.
In my personal opinion, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has a lack of comfort. Alen Simonyan, speaker of the National Assembly (NA) off Armenia, stated this in a briefing with reporters in the NA Wednesday, referring to the cancellation of the meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan scheduled in Brussels.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, announced that the expected meeting between European Council President Charles Michel, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not be held at the end of October.

When asked why Aliyev is avoiding the meeting, Simonyan said: "Our good diplomatic work, the MFA, Prime Minister, parliamentary diplomacy. I believe we [Armenia] managed to convince our European, Western partners that we do not receive double statements."

To the question whether the 3+3 format prevented the meeting to be held in Brussels, Alen Simonyan said: "I don't think it will interfere. Ultimately, we cannot stay out of the processes taking place in our region. The 3+3 is a process taking place in our region, which is important for our country to the extent that we cannot leave ourselves out with our immediate neighbors."

Referring to not holding the discussion of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations on another platform, the Armenian NA speaker said: "There is no need to say that we will definitely not discuss peace, regional security somewhere else; that would be wrong. If you do not discuss regional security with the countries of the region, will they go, discuss [it] in Asian formats? I view the 3+3 format as a beginner' format, and I don't want to give assessments in that regard yet."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday received Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, the PMs office informs.

In his welcoming remarks, Prime Minister Pashinyan specifically stated: "Dear minister, dear friends, I welcome you to our country. Let me first express my satisfaction with the opening of the Canadian Embassy in our country, which I believe is a truly remarkable event for our bilateral relations. In particular, we will now have a resident ambassador, which means we will have a constant dialogue. This is very important, especially in the current circumstances.

It is very important to state that this is the result of a series of conversations, visits. I recall that the conversation about this started in 2018, when Prime Minister Trudeau visited us, during which we had a conversation, after which special representative Dion visited us, after which the report on supporting Armenia democracy was issued.

Of course, we greatly appreciate your personal input and efforts. Welcome to Armenia".

In turn, Melanie Joly thanked the Prime Minister for the warm reception and noted: "I am convinced that Mr. Prime Minister from Ottawa is celebrating the opening of the embassy together with us in his thoughts and heart. We are happy to have the first ambassador in Armenia who knows Armenia well, because he has been working over the question of Armenia for a long time in the foreign department. And he is also a close friend of your fantastic ambassador to our country, who is also with us now.

We are coming to you in a period that we know is quite difficult for Armenia. We have been following the events of September 19-20, and of course, our goal is to help Armenia to deal with this difficult situation, to help also to bring more peace and stability to the region. We are doing this by first of all engaging in the EU mission, we are the only country outside the EU participating in the EU mission. This is the first step in ensuring greater engagement in Armenia.

Today we announced more funding for EU humanitarian assistance to deal with the fact that such a large number of ethnic Armenians had to flee Nagorno Karabakh. We support the efforts of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross." The Canadian Foreign Minister added that she will visit southern Armenia tomorrow to meet the local authorities and the affected Armenians.

Nikol Pashinyan referred to the forced deportation of more than 100,000 of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing policy and the resulting humanitarian situation, emphasizing in this context the importance of international support in solving the existing problems.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the possibilities of unblocking regional transport infrastructures based on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, jurisdiction and reciprocity, as well as peace and stability in the region.

The sides exchanged views also on matters of Armenia-Canada cooperation agenda.
The number of incidents has decreased since the arrival of the European Union civilian monitoring mission in Armenia (EUMA), people are not leaving their homes, EUMA has increased international attention to the conflict, but to ensure impartiality, EUMA is not at liberty to say who started the incident. EUMA head Markus Ritter stated this at a forum, entitled "2023 APRIL Forum: Making Progress in Times of Uncertainty" in Armenian capital Yerevan

The EUMA serves as a deterrent factor, people feel more protected, it is important for EUMA to communicate with the civilian population and understand their sentiments, the mission informs Brussels as well about this, but in the event of a major conflict, EUMA shall leave the combat zone, Ritter said, reminding that EUMA is civilian mission.

He emphasized that there were no incursions into Armenia by Azerbaijan after the EUMA deployment, that is the goal, the situation is stable, and fortification work is being carried out, explained Ritter.

The EUMA head assured that this mission does not carry out secret operations, they carry out up to seven patrols per day, and in total there have been about 1,000 of them so far.

As for the presence of Russian border guards in Armenia, according to him, difficulties arose only when visiting the area adjacent to the Kapan city airport.

EUMA went there accompanied by the security forces of Armenia, they don't ask a third party about monitoring, and they ask only Armenia, Ritter concluded.
There are working details which we will try to get clarifications from EU partners in the coming days and determine the future courses of action. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this during Wednesdays question-and-answer session in the National Assembly of Armenia, and referring to the cancellation of the meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan scheduled in Brussels.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, announced that the expected meeting between European Council President Charles Michel, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not be held at the end of October.

"Such a meeting is planned. But now the statement, and the fact is that it will not take place in October, and I assume that the reason is that the president of Azerbaijan has not confirmed his participation in that meeting.

There are also working details that we will try to get clarifications from our EU partners in the coming days and determine the future courses of action, including a number of questions you mentioned, Of course we have some answers also to some questions, but, also, I would not like to rush to make an assessment about all of them.

In the statement of the President of the European Council on July 15, 2023, which was related to the tripartite meeting in which the President of the European Council, the President of Azerbaijan and I participated, the three important principles are recorded in it on the basis of which we agreed that the peace process should take place and peace is signed. The first of these [principles] is the mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the second: the implementation of border delimitation, the third: the opening of regional communications should take place on the basis of the sovereignty, jurisdiction of the countries, on the principle of reciprocity and equality," said Pashinyan.

And majority faction MP Anush Kloyans question as what prospect of peace talks he sees, Pashinyan said: "We need to go forward on the basis of those three principles and already localize those three principles; that is, lets localize it on the ground. We [Armenia] are committed to the peace agenda and process. I hope that the process will continue and reach its logical end."
RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to The Wall Street Journal, the full text of which is presented below.

Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for the interview with The Wall Street Journal. I will start with the most difficult questions. Recently, we witnessed dramatic events in Nagorno-Karabakh. Do you have concerns that a full-scale war could spread to the territory of sovereign Armenia, and in your opinion, what should Armenia's allies and partners do to prevent this?

I would, however, seperate the issue of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh and the issue of more than 100 thousand new refugees and military operations against Nagorno Karabakh from the question of Azerbaijan's possible aggression against Armenia. Of course, I will not say that there are no correlations between these issues, but they are separate issues.

Of course, we hope that in the near future the agreements reached at the quadrilateral meeting in Prague on October 6, 2022, at the trilateral meeting in Brussels on May 14, 2023 and at the trilateral meeting in Brussels on July 15, 2023 will be formalized, will be reaffirmed and become the basis for the peace treaty. I want to remind those agreements expressed in the statement of the President of the European Council and the Prague statement.

The first principle is that Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognize each other's territorial integrity. This provision was agreed on at the Prague meeting and already on May 14, 2023, another step was taken in Brussels and it was recorded that Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of 29,800 square km of Armenia, and Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of 86,600 square km of Azerbaijan.

The second principle is that the delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan should take place on the basis of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. And what is special about it? Its peculiarity is that at the time of signing, the countries of the Soviet Union were already becoming or had become de facto independent countries, and with the Alma-Ata Declaration they recorded that they recognized the existing Soviet administrative borders between the republics as state borders, recognized the inviolability and territorial integrity of these borders. When we say that the delimitation of the borders should take place on the basis of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, it is meant that the state maps existing at that time should be taken for the basis of the border delimitation.

And the third principle is that the opening of communications in the region, including the opening of roads and railways of Armenia and Azerbaijan for mutual and international trade, should take place on the basis of the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity of the countries. These principles are practically agreed upon, and it remains to conclude a peace treaty based on these agreed principles and move forward.

And, of course, there is a preliminary agreement that we will have a tripartite meeting in Brussels at the end of October. I hope that these agreements will be reaffirmed during that meeting, which will mean that about 70 percent of the necessary agreements for a peace treaty have been reached. And it remains to put those principles in the text of the peace treaty.

In your speech to the European Parliament, you mentioned that you are disappointed with the behavior of some of your allies. Could you be more specific, what do you think your formal allies in the CSTO allies, particularly Russia, should have done differently, and what are your expectations from your Western partners?

We are not talking about this for the first time and we have talked about the fact that in May 2021 and September 2022, Azerbaijan carried out aggressive actions against Armenia and occupied territories. The Collective Security Treaty and the Charter of the Collective Security Treaty Organization clearly state the actions to be taken when aggression against a member state occurs. What was described did not happen and, of course, it is disappointing for both the Armenian government and the Armenian public.

Also, we have a bilateral agreement with Russia in the field of security, and the actions described in that agreement also did not take place, which also raised very serious questions among both the Government and the public.

As for the relations with other partners, I will be more honest if I say that these situations, in fact, led us to a decision that we need to diversify our relations in the security sector. And we're trying to do that now.

But actually right now you still have that agreement with Russia, there are Russian military bases in Armenia. Do you think Russia's military presence in Armenia is an asset or a liability?

You know, at least at this moment I have already said that, unfortunately, we have not seen the advantages in the sidelines of the cases I have described.

Does this mean that you are planning to call that Russia withdraws its military bases from Armenia?

We are not discussing such a question. We are now more focused on discussing other issues, we are trying to understand what is the cause of such a situation, and of course, I also think that this will be the agenda of working discussions between Armenia and Russia, Armenia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Quite senior officials in Russia, including former President Medvedev, have used really insulting words against you and called for a coup against you or removing you from office. How did you respond to all this, and in your opinion, what are the reasons for this campaign against you in Russia?

You know, if I'm not mistaken, I didn't directly respond to that and I'm not going to respond publicly in addition to what I have already said. But it is also obvious that those facts you mentioned at least raise questions, and the answers to those questions must be found, because such an approach violates many rules, starting from not interfering in each other's internal affairs and diplomatic correctness and, of course, it also creates problems at personal dimension, because such a wording, such a language and such a position are incomprehensible for people who have worked with each other for quite a long time.

When you spoke about diversifying your relationships, what do you mean by that, what can other countries do? Do you expect the military presence of other partners, an American or French military base or maybe India? In practical terms, how do you see it?

I want to say that we are not doing the right thing when we mean only the army, only weapons when speaking about security, because, unfortunately, in many cases we see that there are countries that do not have a problem with weapons, but have a security problem. And there are countries that have a problem of weapons, but no security problem. Of course, it depends on many circumstances, environment, etc.

Now, our understanding of security is, first of all, based on that we should try to make our environment as manageable and predictable in terms of security as possible. And we have to be predictable for the environment. That is, the threats are generally reciprocal, and sometimes it is very difficult to find the starting point, because it is always a chicken and egg problem. And sometimes it doesn't even make sense to find the starting point, because nothing changes from it. And when we say arranging of our security relations, we do not mean that we should go and bring weapons from other places and shoot at our neighboring states. In that same security domein, we also need to build relationships with our neighbors to be able to build the right security relationships.

Look, what I was just talking about, delimitation of borders, mutual recognition of territorial integrity, etc., rules for opening communications, these are all very important components of security policy. And, especially now, I think today's world shows that the approach that you can have a lot of weapons, you can have a very strong army and produce weapons, import them and shoot them is at least outdated. It will never produce good results in the long term and it doesn't always produce good results in the short term. And when we say diversification, we also mean balanced and balancing policies in the context of foreign policy. This also includes our neighborhood, our environment, our region.

You know, the approach that we have to find allies somewhere, bring weapons and shoot at our neighbors, that is not our approach. Of course, we have fears that our neighbors will shoot at us. Those fears also need to be managed. But on the other hand, I think that any modern country should and has the right to have a modern army, it has the right to develop its armed forces, it has the right to meet its security needs with this component as well. But the meaning of my answer is that our understanding is not that it is necessary to provide security only with the army, but also to go for peace in the region.... By the way, in my speech to the European Parliament, I said what we mean by saying peace.

When we say peace, we mean that the borders of all the countries of the region are open to each other on the same principles, we mean that these countries are connected by economic ties, they are connected by political dialogue and conversation, they are connected by cultural ties. Look, there's no mention of weapons here. But this is an important security component. Why? Because this makes it possible for others to understand you better, and for you to understand others better. This is what makes it possible to establish interconnections, where the safety of the other somehow becomes important for you, and your safety also becomes important for the other, because otherwise there may be economic risks, political risks, etc. and so on.

You talked about interconnectivity, which presumably also includes transit from Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan. The existing agreements call for the role of Russian FSB in controlling, managing this traffic. Do you think FSB should really play a role here, or can Armenia and Azerbaijan deal with this on their own, without Russia's involvement?

First of all, I would like to emphasize that there is no separate agenda regarding the connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. Such an agenda exists in the context of the opening of regional communications, when all regional communications must be opened. This is the second. Thirdly, it is not written anywhere that any body of the Russian Federation should have control over any territory of the Republic of Armenia. Nowhere is it written that the Republic of Armenia agrees for any limitation of its sovereign right. It is not written anywhere that any function assigned to the state institutions of the Republic of Armenia should be delegated to someone else. It is not written anywhere and it is not intended, there is no such thing that someone else should provide security in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. No such thing was written.

In general, after the failure of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation in Nagorno-Karabakh, many questions arise, and these questions are legitimate, because by saying failure I mean that it is a fact that the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation were unable or unwilling to ensure the safety of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Very serious questions arise here, but on the other hand, there has never been any talk of restricting any sovereign right of the Republic of Armenia and there can be no such talk.

But on the other hand, I want to say that as I already said at the European Parliament, and as we already agreed at the last Brussels meeting and which was expressed in the July 15 statement of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the opening of regional communications should take place on the basis of countries' sovereignty and jurisdiction.

As a result, should the western regions of Azerbaijan have a transport connection with Nakhichevan, including through the territory of Armenia? Yes of course. Can the Republic of Armenia use those same routes, for example, to provide a railway connection between its different parts? Yes of course: In that case, can Azerbaijan use the transport routes of Armenia for international trade? Yes of course. Should Armenia have the opportunity to use the roads of Azerbaijan for international trade? Yes of course. Should international trade participants have the opportunity to trade with Turkey, Iran, and Georgia through the territory of Armenia as a global trade route? Yes of course. And we make this proposal, we are ready for this solution and we call this proposal "Crossroads of Peace" and we invite all our partners to make this project a reality together.

You keep saying that you and the people of Armenia have questions about the behavior of Russian troops, the behavior of Russia. What are those questions?

I already said. First of all, referring to your question, I already mentioned the actions of the peacekeeping troops in Nagorno Karabakh, the actions or rather the inaction of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in May 2021, September 2022. The same applies to the bilateral security agreements of Russia and Armenia. But I also want to draw your attention to a nuance that we have started a conversation, a dialogue on these issues. I mean, it's not like that this conversation isn't taking place. That conversation is still taking place today, I had the opportunity to speak on that topic, our various partners are speaking, and that conversation will continue, because here it is really very important that we and Russia understand each other better and more correctly.

You mentioned the disfunction of CSTO. Why is Armenia still a member of that organization?

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - It is for the same reason that we are in the process of discussing issues, because we do not want to have misunderstood the Collective Security Treaty Organization on any issue and we do not want the Collective Security Treaty Organization to have misunderstood us on any issue. For this, we need to carry out consistent work until the time is ripe to draw any conclusions.

The international environment has obviously changed in the last three years. In the war in Ukraine, Russia and the USA, together with its allies, are at opposite sides. In your opinion, how did Russia's invasion of Ukraine impact Armenia's security environment?

My belief is that all the events taking place are interconnected by internal connections, including the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. Of course those impacts are very direct and now in the modern world they are felt, visible and significant even thousands of kilometers away, but the events you mention are happening in our region, near our transport routes, or on our transport routes.

But also our reaction to the events is that our region needs peace, and we consider it important to pursue this policy consistently, because you see, there is a very important nuance that I mentioned again in my speech in the European Parliament, which sometimes can remain unnoticed, unrecorded. When we say that we have a peace agenda, the Republic of Armenia can be peaceful if our region is peaceful, there cannot be such a situation that our region is not peaceful, but the Republic of Armenia is peaceful. And for that reason, we do not oppose or separate our ideas of peace from the regional interests of peace in any way. And this is a very important wording, a very important feature that I would like to emphasize.

We started this conversation referring to the tragic events that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh. What do you think is the future of these 100,000 people who had to leave the region?

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - There is a short-term future, there is a medium-term future, there is a long-term future. In the short term, our task is to meet the most urgent needs of our compatriots who have become refugees. In the medium term we want them to have decent opportunities for living. Our approach is that if they do not have the opportunity or desire to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, we should do everything for them to stay, live, and create in the Republic of Armenia.

Of course, what that future will look like largely depends on what proposal Azerbaijan will make to them, or what position it will take, or what conditions Azerbaijan will create. And in this regard, will the international community encourage it and what will it support? But also, taking into account the fact of ethnic cleansing, starving people, in fact, forced displacement, very great efforts should be made so that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh would have the desire to return there, if the possibility of this realistically exists. That is, there are questions that can even reach a dozen. The first is how realistically this possibility exists, and if it realistically exists, to what extent people will trust this possibility? These are very serious and deep questions.

Yaroslav Trofimov - If we look at the history of relations between the Armenian people and Russia over the centuries, this tension that we see now, I would not call it break necessarily, but maybe for many people the feeling of being betrayed, how historical is this tension?

You know, if you emphasize the historical context, in that historical context I would not so much emphasize the relations between Armenia, the Armenian people and Russia, as I would emphasize the relations between Armenia and Turkey or between Armenia and the Turkish-speaking peoples of the region, or rather, Armenia's relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Here are all the questions and here are the answers to all the questions. And I bring forward this logic that we should work, first of all, to improve our relations in our region, with whom we have good relations, to make those relations better. This refers to Georgia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and create those relations and try to move forward step by step with those countries with which relations are strained or there are no relations.

It is a very important circumstance and, frankly speaking, I do not have the answer to that question and I am trying find the answer to the question what Armenia should do. It is very important to what extent we will be able to formulate regional interests, moreover, in this context, we can understand regional interests a little narrower and a little wider, in the context of the South Caucasus and in a wider context.

Much depends on to what extent we will be able to formulate regional interests, because when there are no formulated regional interests, tensions begin to arise between the interests of sovereign countries, which, if not managed, turn into escalations and wars. But the correct and competent way to manage these tensions is to have an understanding of regional interests, because you know, we cannot make all the countries and peoples of the region to be identical, with identical thinking, identical ideas, perceptions and so on, and there is no need to do that, because what becomes a cause of contradictions can sometimes become a cause of complementarity, not to mention that these cultures, histories, traditions can complement each other.

But it is necessary to find that formula of how to formulate and arrange them so that they do not collide, but complement one another, emphasize one another, maybe strengthen one another.

In other words, its not so that we have defined the task but we cannot solve it, we just have not defined the task, that is, we still do not have the title. Now I think we should have that title and try to create content under that title. I cannot say what that content will and should be like, because it can only be the result of collaboration and joint work. I cannot boast that we are doing this work sufficiently in the region, but I think that if we stay within the framework of the agreeements that are already known and that I have talked about, the chances of having something like this will increase.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Emily Burchfield, Emory assistant professor of environmental sciences, $1.6 million to lead efforts to identify emerging pressures on agriculture in Georgia, Iowa and Ohio and to develop predictive models to help farmers and policymakers weather these changes.

In a nutshell, were trying to understand what climate change will mean for agriculture in these three states, Burchfield says. Well be integrating biophysical projections based on environmental data with insights gathered from farmers and agricultural experts.

The goal is to develop possible scenarios for the impacts of climate change  along with the evolving technical, socioeconomic and political landscapes in each state  for how and where crops could be grown over the next 30 to 40 years. The researchers will create a public, online tool to allow farmers and policymakers to explore the possible futures of agriculture at regional and state levels and to support their efforts to manage these scenarios.

The grant is part of the NSF Dynamics of Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems Program (DISES).

Traditionally, the NSF has mainly split programs into the social sciences and the natural sciences but DISES is one of their newer programs that joins the two, looking at how nature affects people and people affect nature, Burchfield says. Coupling human and natural systems in theoretical frameworks allows us to take on some of the grand challenges that were facing, like climate change and food and water security.

Burchfield is principal investigator for the project, which also includes researchers from Arizona State University, Ohio State University and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

A range of agricultural systems

While the two main crops in both Iowa and Ohio are corn and soy, agriculture in Georgia is far more diverse. The state leads the nation in the production of peanuts, pecans, blueberries and spring onions and is also a leading producer of cotton, watermelon, peaches, cucumbers, sweet corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupes, rye and cabbage.

Agriculture contributes nearly $70 billion annually to Georgias economy and one in seven Georgians works in agriculture, forestry or related fields, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau.

Compared to other parts of the country, Georgia is incredibly diverse not just in terms of what is grown in the state but in terms of who grows it, Burchfield says. A lot of exciting changes are happening in the state  citrus production is moving into south Georgia. And the biggest organic farm east of the Mississippi is located in Georgia, producing carrots.

While California currently produces the bulk of the nations produce, that state is facing significant challenges for water availability, Burchfield notes.

Georgia has a unique opportunity to expand its fresh-produce production to help meet future demand, she says. We want to provide farmers the resources they need to capitalize on such trends.

Building tools for the future of farming

Burchfields research combines spatial-temporal social and environmental data to understand the future of food security in the United States, including the consequences of a changing climate.

For the current project, the researchers will draw from available climate, soil and land-use data to create biophysical models for how changes in climate will affect where and how particular crops can be grown. These models will be integrated with data gathered from surveys and focus groups conducted with agricultural experts, climatologists and farmers working the land throughout Georgia, Iowa and Ohio.

The project aims to get input from a diverse range of farmers growing different crops and using different management practices.

There is already a lot of work on what climate change may mean for agriculture in general, Burchfield says. But what climate change means for an individual farm must be filtered through issues particular to that farm. So many dimensions that matter deeply to farmers are not included in policy discussions about agriculture.

Farmers will be asked what information and resources they need to sustain their operations and to adapt to climate change.

We want to understand the vision that farmers have for the future of their farms, Burchfield says. What would they would like to see happen? What do they see as the barriers and bridges to achieving that vision?

The public, online tool that the researchers develop will include interactive maps for crop forecasts by region. It will also provide information to guide policymakers and to help farmers adapt to the changes ahead.

Its impossible to accurately say exactly whats going to happen in the future, Burchfield says. But combining biophysical data with an understanding of the technical, economic and political changes emerging in each of these states, along with the expertise of our farmers, will allow us to forecast trends for how suitable particular regions will be for growing certain crops. The bottom line is we are pulling together the best information available to give a sense of the emergent opportunities in the state for agriculture as well as the emergent challenges.
Refugee numbers hit record: United Nations

Ukrainian refugees cross the border into Slovakia. The UN says the number of people displaced from their homes worldwide is estimated to have exceeded 114 million, File photo: Shutterstock

The number of people displaced from their homes worldwide is estimated to have exceeded 114 million, the United Nations said Wednesday -- a record figure.



The main drivers in the first half of 2023 were the conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo; a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; and a combination of drought, floods and insecurity in Somalia, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said in a statement.



"The number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights violations globally is likely to have exceeded 114 million at the end of September," the agency said.



"The world's focus now is -- rightly -- on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. But globally, far too many conflicts are proliferating or escalating, shattering innocent lives and uprooting people," said UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi.



He blamed the international community's inability to solve or prevent conflicts and urged better cooperation to end violence and allow displaced people to return home.



The number of displaced people worldwide jumped from 108.4 million people at the end of last year to 110 million people by the end of June 2023, the UNHCR said in its Mid-Year Trends Report.



A UNHCR spokesman confirmed the 114 million figure at the end of September was a record since the agency began collecting data in 1975.



The new estimate precedes the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel.



Hamas gunmen poured into Israel on October 7, beginning an attack that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, while also kidnapping more than 220 others, according to Israeli officials.



Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says retaliatory Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 people.



The number of people internally displaced within Gaza is estimated at about 1.4 million, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.



More than one in 73 people around the world are forcibly displaced, the UNHCR said.



At mid-2023, there were 35.8 million refugees who had fled abroad, and 57 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Millions more are asylum seekers or in need of international protection.



Almost one-third of all displaced people originated from just three countries: Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine.



Low- and middle-income countries hosted 75 percent of refugees and other people in need of international protection.



The countries hosting the most refugees are Iran and Turkey at 3.4 million each; Germany and Colombia with 2.5 million each; and Pakistan with 2.1 million. (AFP)
(From left) SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane; Linda Baker, a professor with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute; Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health in Springfield, and SIU System President Dan Mahony enjoy Saluki Takeover Tour: Springfield. (Photo provided)

Salukis take over Springfield Oct. 24-25

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  Southern Illinois University Carbondale leaders are raising the universitys visibility and nurturing relationships with alumni, state officials, local schools and others during this weeks Saluki Takeover Tour: Springfield.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, Illinois State Rep. Will Davis, 89, announced the Salukis in Springfield on the House Floor in the Illinois State Capitol and read excerpts of the House resolution to honor SIU Carbondale. Rep. Patrick Windhorst, 00, School of Law, also welcomed SIU leaders. A House resolution on Wednesday honored the SIU School of Law in celebration of its 50th anniversary this year.

Also on Tuesday, Lane was interviewed by WTAX News Radio and NPR Illinois in Springfield. Lane and university leaders explored Stellar Aviation. Sheryl Tucker, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs; Robert Morgan, dean of the College for Health and Human Sciences, and Linda Baker, a professor with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, engaged with the Illinois Department of Human Services - Funeral and Burial Benefits. Additionally, SIU System First Lady Laura Mahony hosted the leadership from the Conference of Women in Legislators at the SIU System president's home, discussing strategies to increase membership and fund scholarships for women resuming their education. The day concluded with a dinner alongside SIU School of Medicine members.

The schedule for Wednesday included visits to the following schools:

Springfield Lamphier High School

Springfield East High School

Springfield High School

Lincoln Land Community College

Sacred Heart Griffin (Cavalry)

In the evening, alumni and SIU leaders enjoyed the Chancellors Reception, which included an opportunity to view the Jerome M. Mileur Presidential Campaign Memorabilia Collection, and the WSIU Friends Breakfast was held for the next morning.
PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 25: HELL ENERGY, one of the most renowned energy drink brands worldwide and market leader* in India in the can segment, applauds ISRO and its team of scientists as India scripts history with the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole on 23rd August 2023. This momentous achievement firmly establishes India as a rising scientific power. Dedicates a portion of the sale proceeds of this limited-edition product for supporting Aero Space initiatives In keeping with their admiration for space exploration and commitment to supporting the scientific community, HELL ENERGY will be launching an energy drink with a limited edition design that celebrates India's unwavering dedication to scientific progress. In tandem with the company's strategy to contribute to the advancement of space science and technology, HELL ENERGY desires to commemorate this courageous journey in the quest for a deeper knowledge of the cosmos by dedicating a portion of the sale proceeds of this limited-edition product to supporting Aero Space initiatives. It is the strong desire to be the best in one's domain that makes HELL ENERGY, Hungary's leading energy drink and a top brand, present in over 50 countries around the world. Being the world's first energy drink where every aspect has been expertly crafted by advanced A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) systems, based on HELL' instructions, the producer will recognize the role that advanced science and technology plays in our life. Chandrayaan-3's triumph marks India's ascent as the fourth nation to reach the moon and the first nation to land on the uncharted surface. This success demonstrates India's unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries of knowledge, fostering innovation and inspiring generations to dream big, a philosophy that is mirrored by HELL, too. This magnificent feat will inspire a new generation of youngsters to think big and achieve their dreams by sheer dint of hard work and perseverance....and this is what HELL ENERGY too stands for! What is a celebration if not shared? The findings from this mission will exponentially propel the whole world's understanding of the lunar south pole. HELL ENERGY is over the moon about this achievement and wants to send out their congratulatory message by designing a can which shall read, "CONGRATULATIONS FROM EUROPE." Chandrayan-3 is a success story that shouts out that no goal is beyond reach. HELL ENERGY would be proud to associate themselves to contribute towards the giant leap forward in India's space prowess goes on unhindered. HELL ENERGY is among the world's most dynamically growing FMCG brands. HELL ENERGY was founded in 2006 as a family-owned company and still operates under the same ownership today as a "mom-and-pop multi-national company." The brand became Hungary's market-leading energy drink within a record amount of time, thanks to its exceptional products, effective sales strategy and unique marketing solutions; the brand is present in over 50 countries around the world, being the market leader in e.g. Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus as well. Since 2017, the corporation has produced its own packaging material in its own aluminium can factory, called QUALITY PACK, equipped with the most up-to-date technology. Providing the consumers their favourite energy drink in aluminium that's 100% recyclable, infinite times. The world's first energy drink entirely powered by AI has been developed by HELL ENERGY. Design, recipe, tasting and meticulous taste evaluation, predictive intelligence, security measures, marketing elements - every aspect has been expertly crafted by advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems *According to Nielsen market research data from May 2023, which monitors sales volume, value, and quantity in the entire Indian retail sector. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN New Delhi [India], October 25: Basilic Fly Studio Limited (BFS), a leading visual effects (VFX) studio, announces the appointment of Dan Levitan as its new Executive VFX Supervisor. Levitan, a renowned VFX veteran with over 30 years of experience, will start his office with BFS on October 24, 2023, and will be based in Los Angeles, working closely with the company's Canadian subsidiary. Levitan brings a wealth of expertise to BFS with decades of broad-spectrum production experience. Over 85 Feature Films, 100+ Series Episodes, National Commercial spots and Special Venue Projects have resulted in a wealth of knowledge and problem-solving skills. He has managed all aspects of Visual Effects from Script Breakdown to Final Shot Delivery. His film and television credits include Ambulance, Hacks, Hail Caesar! The Hangover (Pt. 2 & 3), Reign of Fire, Station 19, Veronica Mars, Sneaky Pete, Unbreakable, etc. Over the course of his career, Dan has held key positions at many prominent companies, including Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount/CBS, Dream Works, FuseFX, Hammerhead, Cinesite, and Psyop, in addition to working directly with countless studio productions. In his new role at Basilic Fly Studio, Dan will collaborate with top-tier film and television production studios to develop and produce cutting-edge visual effects (VFX), ensuring that every project is executed to the highest possible standards. He will also spearhead the creation of visually captivating presentation materials, foster strong client relationships, and position Basilic Fly Studio as an industry leader by venturing into groundbreaking technologies and techniques. With his extensive experience and expertise, Dan is well-positioned to lead Basilic Fly Studio into its next phase of growth and innovation. With his extensive experience and expertise, Dan is well-positioned to lead Basilic Fly Studio into its next phase of growth and innovation. Basilic Fly Studio Limited's Managing Director and CEO, Balakrishnan, expresses his excitement at Dan Levitan's appointment, stating that "His profound VFX expertise would be a valuable asset in the company's quest to elevate business. With Levitan on board, our confidence in Basilic Fly Studio Limited's ability to solidify its standing as a leading global provider of unparalleled VFX solutions for renowned films. The ongoing revolution in the world of cinema, with audiences seeking mesmerizing and captivating experiences. With Levitan's guidance, our confidence that Basilic Fly Studio Limited would be better equipped to meet this demand and carve a deeper niche in the annals of cinematic history." Dan Levitan, in his own words, expressed genuine excitement at joining Basilic Fly Studio Limited, describing, "The company's dynamic growth phase is presenting immense opportunities. Having been a client of Basilic Fly Studio Limited in the past, I have always admired the company's unwavering commitment to excellence. Anticipating the massive potential ahead, I am filled with excitement about the myriad growth avenues that Basilic Fly Studio Limited is poised to explore. By merging strengths, insights, and passion, we could redefine industry benchmarks and create a brighter, bolder, and more boundary-pushing future. It is not just about collaboration, but about synergizing visions to craft a future that is truly transformative." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
ATK Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 25: Jigna Vora went from being a crime journalist to being falsely accused of conspiring with Chhota Rajan in the 2011 murder of senior investigative crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey. Acquitted after a 7-year-long legal battle, Vora - who is currently in the 'Bigg Boss' house, offers an intimate look into her life in prison in an exclusive interview with Briefly. In the first episode of Briefly's 'Framed', a docu-series that follows first-person accounts of victims who have been 'framed', Vora described prison as a place where she finally felt she was free from judgment. "Jail became a place like home, where I wasn't being judged. I used to chant Hanuman Chalisa 500 times in jail," the 49-year-old said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PkPrTXXT4w So deep are the scars from those terrifying years, that Vora says she still trembles in fear at just the mention of police. Despite being acquitted, Vora has new battles to fight every day. "Nothing has changed since my acquittal, I'm still jobless. They want to date me, but no one wants to give me a job," she says, refusing to be broken by the system that snatched away not just her chance at a normal life but also her son's chance at a normal childhood. The first episode of Briefly's 'Framed', which sees Vora tell her truth in her own words, picks up where Hansal Mehta's acclaimed Netflix series 'Scoop', based on her book 'Behind the Bars in Byculla', left off. As Vora says, "There is much more than what has been shown in 'Scoop'." 'Framed' is an effort to provide a platform for those who have been falsely accused, offering them the opportunity to share their stories. 'Briefly' (https://www.youtube.com/@brieflybynewj), NEWJ's english channel, covers everything from exclusive interviews to docu-series and in-depth news. Backed by Reliance-Jio, NEWJ (New Emerging World of Journalism) was founded in 2018 by Shalabh Upadhyay, Anshuman Sarda and Kunal Chaudhary on the mantra 'Stories of India, by India, for India'. India's largest social-first publisher, NEWJ offers credible news in 13 languages and has a daily reach of over 70 million with over 1 billion views per month. The video-only publisher with a #BharatFirst-focus, is committed to playing an instrumental role in building a 'Digital India' through impactful and India-centric storytelling. Ranked 25th among the top 50 Global Digital Media Companies by Tubular Labs Ltd, NEWJ has also expanded to offer 360-degree creative digital solutions to brands under its vertical 'ASK Media Labs'. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
New Delhi [India], October 25: On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, celebrated on October 24, 2023, Kalabhumi Arts Institute proudly announced a significant artistic gesture at the Ramlila festivities in Dwarka, Sector 10, Delhi. Dussehra, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, commemorates the day when Lord Ram vanquished Ravana.

This year, the grand Ramlila event organized by Shri Ramlila Society in Dwarka, Sector 10, New Delhi, received an honor as Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced the occasion as the chief guest.

In an unforgettable moment, Kalabhumi Institute of Fine Arts & Design student, Kopal, had the distinct privilege of extending a warm welcome to PM Narendra Modi. Kopal presented an exquisite handmade portrait in charcoal to the Prime Minister, reflecting her remarkable talent and creativity.

Kopal, an outstanding student at Kalabhumi Institute, has been diligently honing her artistic skills over the past six months. Under the expert guidance of Kalabhumi's founder, Asgar Ali, and their team of mentors, she has mastered various artistic mediums and techniques.

Kalabhumi Founder, Asgar Ali, an internationally acclaimed artist and India's top world records holder, shared his insights, stating that Kalabhumi Institute is a distinguished institution dedicated to nurturing students' artistic foundations in various domains, including painting, applied arts, graphics, visual arts, fashion, interior design, product design, animation, and more. He expressed pride in Kopal's academic achievements and her passion for the arts. Kalabhumi has provided her with a strong artistic foundation, setting her on a path to a successful career.

Kalabhumi Institute is renowned for its comprehensive programs in Fine Arts and Applied Arts, where creative innovation and artistic excellence converge to produce visually captivating masterpieces. The institution offers diploma and degree courses that empower students to unlock their creative potential and shape their artistic destinies. With an unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and artistic brilliance, Kalabhumi Institute continues to mold the next generation of visionary artists and designers.

For more information on Kalabhumi Institute and its transformative artistic programs, please visit www.kalabhumi.com

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], October 25: The echoes of splendor still resonate in Ahmedabad as Kalamandir Jewellers, Gujarat's biggest jewellery store, hosted a grand inauguration on October 18, 2023. The event was a testament to the unforgettable celebration of craftsmanship, elegance, and the enduring allure of jewellery. The grand inauguration of Kalamandir Jewellers in Ahmedabad unfolded at 11 a.m. on October 18, 2023. It wasn't just an event; it was a grand celebration that captivated everyone present. Guests at the event had the opportunity to explore the exclusive collection on display. It showcased world-class designs and a bridal collection that defined luxury. The biggest jewelry store in Gujarat had spared no effort in curating an assortment that left attendees awestruck. The event took place at the dazzling showroom, located at A. Shridhar Athens, near Nehrunagar bus stop, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Spanning an impressive 30,000 square feet, the showroom beckoned attendees to embark on a captivating journey of timeless beauty and luxury, promising enchanting jewellery experience that left them spellbound. Kalamandir Jewellers boosts a rich legacy spanning more than 37 years. The story began in 1986 in the quaint town of Kosamba near Surat, Gujarat. It started with a small store covering more than 200 square feet, operated by a team of five individuals who were armed with unwavering determination, knowledge, and a visionary outlook. Over the years, Kalamandir Jewellers earned the trust, reliability, and loyalty of countless customers. Today, it stands as Gujarat's premier retail jewellery brand, with more than 1,000 dedicated staff members who commit to providing exceptional service to customers. The company introduced some of the most prominent national jewellery brands such as Rishta Diamonds, Kingly, Indo-Italia, Purusham, Platinum & Sajdhaj ke. These brands, combined with the unwavering love and support of customers, have firmly established Kalamandir Jewellers as Gujarat's leading retail jewellery destination. The opening of the new Kalamandir Jewellers showroom in Ahmedabad was not just an expansion of the brand; it marked a promise to deliver the finest in jewellery, unparalleled craftsmanship, and an experience that transcends time, truly making every piece a work of art. For more information, kindly visit https://www.kalamandirjewellers.com/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
SRV Media New Delhi [India], October 25: The Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, (SIBM) NOIDA has commenced the application process for its MBA programme on 23rd August 2023, through the SNAP 2023 entrance examination and the last date to apply is November 23, 2023. The institute offers an MBA programme with specializations in fields like Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, Operations, and Supply Chain Management. The aspiring candidates must complete their SNAP registration via the official registration link. While expressing her views, Dr. Vandana Ahuja, Director of SIBM NOIDA said, "We as an institution, recognised for its excellence in business studies believe in grooming students into industry experts who possess the potential to tackle real-world challenges in the field of business administration. Our vision is to provide an international understanding of business through a good quality of education. In line with this, we welcome the upcoming batch of candidates who aspire to become future leaders". In the current year, the SNAP examination has been scheduled to take place on three separate dates: Sunday, December 10, 2023, Sunday, December 17, 2023, and Friday, December 22, 2023. Interested candidates can choose the date out of these and appear for the exam. The long-anticipated results of the SNAP 2023 examination are set to be revealed on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. SIBM NOIDA recognised as one of the premier B-Schools offers MBA programmes that are designed to equip students with a strong foundation in business administration. With a strong curriculum, accomplished faculty, and real-world exposure, students acquire invaluable knowledge across different dimensions of the corporate landscape. The programme places a strong emphasis on nurturing critical thinking, and leadership abilities, and fostering a profound grasp of industry dynamics, empowering graduates to excel in a wide range of corporate settings. In addition, SIBM NOIDA offers multiple specializations in Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, Operations, and Supply Chain Management. Marketing covers product promotion, Finance deals with financial management, HRM focuses on workforce management, Operations optimizes business processes, and Supply Chain Management handles the flow of goods and services. These specializations provide a comprehensive education in various vital business functions. The institute prioritizes student development through a diverse range of workshops, and guest lectures featuring industry experts, who provide students with valuable real-world insights. The institute also hosts international collaborations which facilitates knowledge exchange and connections, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration in education and fostering a global community of innovative thinkers. In conclusion, opting for the SNAP entrance exam to secure a spot at SIBM NOIDA paves the way for students to excel in the realm of business administration and establish a solid academic footing. To know more visit the website: SIBM NOIDA (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
The successful achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is a monumental global challenge. As the latest UN report indicates slowing progress, the need for significant reforms in public administration becomes apparent. A recent Policy Research Talk held by the World Bank highlighted the indispensable role of public servants in achieving these ambitious goals. Daniel Rogger, a Senior Economist and Research Manager at the World Bank, made a remarkable assertion during the discussion. He drew an analogy between high-performing government servants and the fictional character James Bond, emphasizing traits like autonomy, a mission-oriented approach, and the capacity to devise innovative solutions in dynamic situations. Rogger argued that such heroes in government are essential to ensure effective policy implementation, ultimately leading to SDG attainment. Rogger presented a staggering estimation during the event, indicating that public servants worldwide make approximately half a billion policy decisions annually. Influencing these decisions on a comprehensive scale is the key to boosting development impact rather than focusing on individual choices, programs, or sectors. While this may seem like a formidable task, research conducted by Rogger and his colleagues at the Bureaucracy Lab suggests that there is a resounding "yes" when questioned about the potential for transformative public administration reform. Significantly varying levels of bureaucratic productivity exist across countries, government agencies, and even among individuals, presenting ample opportunities for enhancement. The study cited examples from Ghana, where substantial disparities in bureaucratic performance were revealed among 31 core public institutions. Highlighting a survey of nearly 3,000 Ghanaian civil servants assessing over 3,600 projects, the research emphasized the significant implications of the ministry worked with on the potential development impact of an investment. Accountability plays a central role in fostering high-performing public servants. Rogger presented two distinct reform programs as contrasting case studies. The first case, from Pakistan, relied on centralized, punitive accountability systems, which proved ineffective. In contrast, Liberia adopted a more positive and autonomous approach, recognizing staff achievements and encouraging open dialogue, leading to improved staff satisfaction and reduced absenteeism. The report also underlined the importance of government analytics as an innovative approach to reforming public administrations. By leveraging government data, it is possible to understand and diagnose areas for improvement and enhance performance. The World Bank's Government Analytics Handbook serves as a blueprint for governments to embrace this data-driven strategy. In conclusion, Rogger urged the World Bank and the broader development community to invest more significantly in building the knowledge base required for effective public administration reforms. He outlined three key areas of focus: integrating government analytics into reform, aligning Bank projects with public administration development, and scaling the "Trial and Adopt" approach. The recently published Government Analytics Handbook offers valuable tools, insights, and resources to support the transformation of public administration. The emphasis is on helping governments adopt a data-informed approach to enhance the functionality of public organizations. As Rogger put it, "Our job is not to constantly seek out ways to punish public servants when they get it wrong. Rather, our best chance to achieve ambitious development goals is to invest in helping them get their administration right to give them the freedom to succeed." (ANI)
NewsVoir Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 25: SUGAR Cosmetics, India's leading omnichannel beauty brand and a cult favorite amongst Gen Z and Millennial consumers, marked the festive season with a heartwarming TVC featuring the Bengali superstar, Prosenjit Chatterjee along with leading actors Tonni Laha Roy, Diya Mukherjee, and Aratrika Maity. In this captivating narrative, Prosenjit extended a unique opportunity to his fans to meet him this Pujo season, adding an extra dash of excitement to the celebrations. The TV Commercial was aired statewide across leading Bengali prime television channels and amplified across mainstream digital, social media, and retail touch points. In the TVC, Prosenjit Chatterjee invited viewers to participate in an exciting opportunity, stating, "Just give a missed call on the number, and you can get the chance to meet me on Ashtami and receive exciting gift hampers from SUGAR Cosmetics''. As a result of this campaign, 10,000+ missed calls were received - out of which 10 lucky participants met Prosenjit Chatterjee to celebrate Ashtami Day at Samaj Sebi Pandal along with the Co-founders of SUGAR Cosmetics, Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee. The television commercial is a mesmerizing spectacle that unfolds against the backdrop of a beautifully-lit idol of Goddess Durga, uniting people in the spirit of celebration. As the luminous deity casts her radiant glow, a young woman stands before a mirror, becoming a canvas for the artistry of SUGAR Cosmetics. Then, in a spellbinding twist, the charismatic Prosenjit Chatterjee makes a grand entrance, bearing SUGAR Cosmetics goodie bags. The crowd gathers around him, captivated, as he generously distributes these treasures to the elated ladies. Link to the TVC: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fMn2bAmwpM Commenting on meeting the lucky participants, Prosenjit Chatterjee added, "This Durga Pujo, I was eagerly looking forward to meeting my beloved fans. I feel deeply humbled by the love they have showered upon me via the medium of the SUGAR Cosmetics TVC campaign. The campaign truly captured the essence of Pujo celebrations in every Bengali household." Commenting on the launch of the TV commercial, Kaushik Mukherjee, Co-founder & COO of SUGAR Cosmetics said, "The TVC campaign was designed to personify the spirit of Pujo celebrations with your loved ones - and having everyone's beloved Prosenjit Chatterjee as part of this campaign made the celebrations even more special. We received over 10,000+ missed calls across Bengal with Prosenjit Da's message as shared in the TVC and are delighted that we could be a part of such a joyous occasion. With high-performing premium beauty products, SUGAR Cosmetics will continue to be a part of the lives of the millions of women who the brand is inspired by." SUGAR Cosmetics' presence on social media platforms has been growing and evolving at a tremendous speed, with the brand recently hitting 2.8M+ followers on Instagram. The brand's YouTube page has also had a huge growth spurt this year reaching a whopping 1.6M+ subscribers and Twitter on the other hand stands strong at 44.3K+. SUGAR Cosmetics, a cult favorite amongst Gen Z and millennials, is one of the fastest-growing premium beauty brands in India. With its clutter-breaking persona, signature low-poly packaging and chart-topping products, SUGAR is the makeup of choice for bold, independent women who refuse to be stereotyped into roles. Crafted in state-of-the-art facilities across Germany, Italy, India, USA and Korea, the brand ships its bestselling products in Lips, Eyes, Face, Nails & Skin categories across the world. With a cruelty-free range that is high on style and higher on performance, the brand is obsessed with crafting products that are a perfect match for every Indian skin tone across seasons and around the calendar. Backed by the trust of marquee investors and the love of millions of makeup enthusiasts, SUGAR Cosmetics is rapidly scaling its physical presence with 45,000+ retail touchpoints across 550+ cities and a mission of reaching the doorstep of every makeup user in the country. Social Media Page Links Instagram: www.instagram.com/trysugar Youtube: www.youtube.com/channelUCKVqnev2idvmUNKc2b91B8g Facebook: www.facebook.com/trySUGAR Twitter: twitter.com/trysugar LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/sugar-cosmetics (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)
The Adani Group on Wednesday said that it has always conducted its business in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and rejected any suggestion that its businesses have not acted as per the accounting standards of the jurisdictions in which they operate. A spokesperson for the Adani Group said in a media statement in reference to the Bloomberg report on the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) that the Group is confident about its practices, governance and disclosures. "We strongly reject any suggestion that Adani Group and its businesses have not acted as per the regulations and accounting standards of the jurisdictions in which we operate," the statement said. "The Adani Group has always conducted its business in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and is confident about its practices, governance and disclosures," it added. The Bloomberg report, citing people familiar with the matter, said that one of the Adani Group's longtime auditors is being scrutinized by India's accounting regulator. Citing the people, it said the regulator has requested files and communications related to its audits on some of the companies going as far back as 2014. The report said it's unclear how long NFRA's inquiry may take or what repercussions, if any, may be faced by the auditor and Adani's companies. The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) is India's accounting regulator and was constituted in October, 2018, by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 2013. (ANI)
In a move aimed at boosting irrigation, drinking water supply, and hydroelectric power generation, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave the green light to including the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project of Uttarakhand under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP). The programme is within the purview of the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. This decision entails central support to Uttarakhand, with the government sanctioning an allocation of Rs 1,557.18 crore. The project's estimated cost has been pegged at Rs 2,584.10 crore, with a scheduled completion date set for March 2028, according to a press release by the Cabinet. The essence of the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project lies in the construction of a dam adjacent to Jamrani village, spanning the Gola River, a tributary of the Ram Ganga River, situated in Uttarakhand's Nainital district, the release stated. This dam will supply water to the existing Gola barrage through a 40.5-kilometre-long canal system and a 244-kilometre-long canal system, which was initially completed in 1981, the government added in the release. The far-reaching goals of the project encompass additional irrigation across 57,065 hectares, with 9,458 hectares in Uttarakhand and 47,607 hectares in Uttar Pradesh. This augmentation will impact Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts in Uttarakhand and Rampur and Bareilly districts in Uttar Pradesh, it added. The project also includes the construction of two new feeder canals, the renovation of 207 kilometres of existing canals, and the development of 278 kilometres of concrete field channels, according to the release. In addition to these benefits, the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project is poised to generate 14 MW of hydroelectric power and provide 42.70 million cubic meters (MCM) of drinking water to Haldwani and neighbouring regions, benefiting over 10.65 lakh people. While a significant portion of the irrigation benefits will extend to the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, cost-sharing agreements between the two states will be based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2017, the press release stated. However, the advantages of drinking water and power will be made available for Uttarakhand. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was inaugurated in 2015-16 in line with a vision to improve physical access to water for agricultural purposes and expand the cultivable area under assured irrigation. The initiative aimed to enhance on-farm water use efficiency and promote sustainable water conservation practices, among other objectives. In 2021, the Centre sanctioned the implementation of PMKSY for the period of 2021-26, with an overall budget of Rs 93,068.56 crore, including central assistance of Rs 37,454 crore, according to the release. The Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) is a component of PMKSY focused on creating irrigation potential through significant and medium irrigation projects. To date, 53 projects have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP, resulting in the generation of additional irrigation potential covering 25.14 lakh hectares, the release stated. Following the AIBP component of PMKSY 2.0 since 2021-22, six projects have been included, and the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project marks the seventh to be incorporated into this framework, aligning with the government's vision for holistic agricultural development and water resource management, the release stated. (ANI)
Actor Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday shared pictures of her meeting with Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon and expressed hope of Israel emerging victorious in the "war against terrorism". Taking to Instagram, Kangana posted a series of pictures of herself and the Israeli envoy. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyz-1CqoIVN/?img_index=6 Sharing the pictures, she wrote, "Had a soulful meeting with Israel's ambassador to Bharat Shri Naor Gilon ji. Today the whole world, especially Israel and India are fighting their war against terrorism. Yesterday when I reached Delhi to burn Ravana, I felt the Israel Embassy should come and meet those who are defeating terrorists like today's modern Ravana Hamas. The way young children and women are being targeted is heart wrenching. I have full hope Israel will win this war against terrorism. I discussed with them about my upcoming film Tejas and India's self-reliant fighter jet Tejas.#tejas @israelinindia." Naor Gilon also shared photos from the meeting and expressed heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. https://twitter.com/naorgilon/status/1717082764745625898? He wrote, "It was lovely meeting @KanganaTeam who was in Delhi for her movie premiere & visited our embassy to extend her support to @Israel. I expressed our heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to PM @narendramodi ji and our Indian friends for their unwavering support in our shared battle against terrorism. Israel's Deputy head of mission to India, Ohad Nakash Kaynar also shared a picture of Kangana and Naor Gilon from the meeting on X. https://twitter.com/kaynarohad/status/1717062946172379455? Sharing the picture, he wrote, "In these horrible times, some support is just brave. No other word for it. @KanganaTeam you are brave for saying the truth as clearly as you do. Israel and India share the same values and same courage. Jai Israel Jai Hind." As many as 1,400 Israelis have died in the onslaught of the Hamas attack on October 7. In this attack, Hamas launched a sudden ground, air, and sea offensive against Israel, with over 2,500 fighters crossing the border and causing destruction in southern towns. This resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people, primarily civilians, and the taking of over 220 hostages. More than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, CNN quoted Palestinian health officials as saying. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Dussehra, Kangana on Tuesday attended Delhi's largest Ramlila, organised annually at the historic Red Fort grounds where she was given the honour to perform the 'Ravan Dahan'. Apart from Kangana, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena were also present for the festivities, which the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee arranged. Earlier on Monday, Kangana announced that she is going to be the first woman to burn the Ravan effigy at the famous Lav Kush Ramlila, Red Fort ground, Delhi. Taking to Instagram Kangana shared a video and wrote, "In the 50 years of history of the event, held annually at the Red Fort, this will be the first time a woman will set the effigy of Ravana on fire. Jai Shri Ram." Meanwhile, Kangana is currently busy promoting her upcoming action film 'Tejas'. The film revolves around the extraordinary journey of Tejas Gill, an Air Force pilot, and aims to inspire and instill a deep sense of pride in every Indian, showing how Indian Air Force pilots work tirelessly to defend our nation, confronting numerous challenges along the way. Written and Directed By Sarvesh Mewara and Produced By Ronnie Screwvala, the film is scheduled to release in theatres on October 27, 2023. Apart from that, Kangana also has 'Emergency' in her kitty. (ANI)
American actor Richard Roundtree, who played detective John Shaft in the action thriller 'Gordon Parks,' died Tuesday afternoon following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, Variety reported. He was 81 years old at the time. Patrick McMinn, his manager since 1987, announced his death. McMinn said in his statement, "Richard's work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film. The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated." Roundtree was a leading guy from the beginning of his career in film acting. After starting his modelling career, he secured 'Shaft' at the age of 28, marking his feature debut. 'Shaft' was a breakout blockbuster that set the tone for a fruitful decade of Blaxploitation filmmaking and illustrated Hollywood's historical failure to acknowledge Black talent and the movie-going public that they could reach. Within two years, two sequels about the 'bad mother (stop your mouth)' were released: 'Shaft's Big Score' and 'Shaft in Africa.' Roundtree returned to the milieu of 'Shaft' in director John Singleton's 2000 remake starring Samuel L. Jackson. Although Jackson also portrayed a detective named John Shaft, his character was intended to be Roundtree's nephew. Both actors reprised their roles in Tim Story's comic take on the series in 2019. Roundtree, who was born on July 9, 1942, in Rochester, New York, briefly attended Southern Illinois University before dropping out to pursue a modelling career. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in the late 1960s and began acting in New York stage shows. Roundtree has worked on a regular basis for more than 50 years, with his legendary performance in 'Shaft,' extensive background in genre cinema, and captivating screen presence lending colour to the worlds of films such as 'Se7en,' 'Brick,' and 'Speed Racer.' He appeared in 'Moving On,' a comedy starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year before hitting theatres this summer. Roundtree was married twice, the first time to Mary Jane Grant from 1963 to 1973, and the second time to Karen M. Cierna from 1980 until 1998. His four daughters, Nicole, Tayler, Morgan, and Kelli Roundtree, as well as his son, James, survive him. (ANI)
The Director of Amaravati Meteorological Centre, Stella Samuel, in an official statement released on Tuesday, said that severe Cyclonic Storm 'Hamoon' over Northwest Bay of Bengal has now intensified into a 'very severe cyclonic storm'. "The Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Hamoon' over Northwest Bay of Bengal moved east-northeastwards with a speed of 23 km per hour during past 6 hours, intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm and lay centred at 0830 hours IST of 24th October over Northwest and adjoining Northeast Bay of Bengal, near latitude 20.0N and longitude 89.5E," said the official statement. The distance of the cyclonic storm is about 290 km east of Paradip (Odisha), 270 km southeast of Digha (West Bengal), 230 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh) and 350 km southwest of Chittagong (Bangladesh), added the statement. The official statement by the Director of Amaravati Meteorological Centre further mentioned that the cyclonic is very likely to maintain its intensity of 'Very Severe Cyclonic Storm' for a few hours. Thereafter, it is likely to weaken gradually while moving northeastwards and cross Bangladesh's coast between Khepupara and Chittagong around the evening of October 25, said the official statement. Meanwhile, a storm warning cage has been set up at Pamban Port in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram to warn fishermen about the Cyclonic Storm 'Hamoon' over the Bay of Bengal. The fishermen in Odisha have also been warned and denied entry into the sea till tomorrow. Earlier, on Monday, the Municipal Administration in Odisha had put all Urban Local Bodies (ULB) on alert in view of the formation of cyclonic storm 'Hamoon' in the Bay of Bengal. Director Municipal Administration Sangramjit Nayak, in an official statement, issued a directive to all ULB Chiefs, sensitising them about the impending danger due to the formation of cyclonic storm 'Hamoon' in the Bay of Bengal, which will culminate in huge rainfall, wind, and inclement weather. (ANI)
Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Navaratri. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar.

The festival typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October. Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or oceanfront that involve carrying clay statues of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, accompanied by music and chants, after which the images are immersed in the water for dissolution and farewell.

In other places, towering effigies of Ravana, symbolising evil, were burnt with fireworks, marking the triumph of good over evil.

The festival also starts the preparations for Diwali, the festival of lights which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami. (ANI)
The four constituencies include Sumawali seat in Morena district, Pipariya (Scheduled Caste) seat in Narmadapuram district, Badnagar seat in Ujjain district and Jaora seat in Ratlam district.

According to the revised list, Ajab Singh Kushwaha has been fielded from Sumawali seat in place of Kuldeep Sikarwar and Virendra Belvanshi will now contest in place of Guru Charan Khare from Pipariya (SC) seat. Similarly, Murli Morwal is in the fray from Badnagar seat in place of Rajendra Singh Solanki and Virender Singh Solanki has been fielded from Jaora seat in place of Himmat Shrimal.

Earlier the Congress party announced its second list of 85 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls and replaced three of its previously declared nominees. The Congress had in its first named 144 candidates for the state.

The Congress has given tickets to 62 candidates belonging to the OBC candidates to contest in Madhya Pradesh, in the two lists announced. The state assembly has 47 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 35 for Scheduled Castes. In 2018, 60 OBC candidates were given tickets by the Congress.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states set to hold elections this year. The state is scheduled to vote on November 17, with the vote count taking place on December 3. Voters will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.

The last state assembly polls in 2018 saw the Congress coming to power, with veteran leader Kamal Nath taking oath as the chief minister.

Nonetheless, a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020, after the then Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, switched over to the saffron camp.

The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the BJP formed the government, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister. (ANI)
Hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over his statement on Shiv Sena (UBT) joining hands with the Congress party and foresaking Shiv Sena's ideology, Maharashtra LoP Vijay Wadettiwar challenged CM Shinde to hold elections in the state, asserting that the election results would reveal who has the support of the public and who has Shiv Sena's ideology. Wadettiwar reaction came after Shinde on Tuesday launched a no-holds-barred attack on his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray and said the former joined hands with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), forsaking the party's core Hindutva moorings, to fulfil his personal aspirations of becoming the CM. "He (Eknath Shinde) is saying all this because of the support that Uddhav Thackeray is getting. They should declare elections, and then they will know who is original and who is a duplicate, who has the support of the public, and who has Shiv Sena's ideology," Maharashtra LoP told ANI. Meanwhile, without naming Uddhav, who stepped down as CM after his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was reduced to a minority and eventually fell in the wake of his rebellion and switchover to the saffron camp, Shinde claimed that the former could join hands with Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM or even with "Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hamas" if it suits his political ambitions. "The people are aware of what is happening today. The lifelong ideals of our founder-leader, Balasaheb Thackeray, were compromised to satisfy someone's lust for power and ambition of becoming the chief minister. They joined hands with the Congress, the same Congress which Balasaheb always kept us away from. Today, these people are sharing the stage with them," Shinde said, railing against Uddhav. "I won't be surprised if they (Sena UBT) merge with the Congress. Instead of being proud Hindus, they consigned the core beliefs that the (undivided) Shiv Sena was founded on to the waters to stand with the socialists, their ideological opposites. They could even join hands with Owaisi or with terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas if it suits their political ambitions. Our Shiv Sena can and will never compromise with our founding ideals for the sake of power," Shinde added. Earlier, Uddhav, addressing a counter-rally on the occasion of Dussehra at Dadar's Shivaji Park, dared CM Shinde to hold elections in the state for a people's referendum on where the two Sena factions stand in terms of popularity and public support. "Hold elections if you dare. The people of Maharashtra will tell you (Shinde) who is the real Shiv Sena. I challenge you to hold elections in Maharashtra," Uddhav said. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court has recently rejected the bail plea of a woman accused in the murder case of her live-in partner in September 2019. The high court said that the statements of hostile witnesses cannot be discarded in toto. The accused was living with one Sunil after leaving her husband and three-year-old child. She has been in judicial custody since September 19, 2019. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar dismissed the bail plea of Anita Chetri after considering the facts and submissions by the defence and prosecution. Justice Bhatnagar observed that though the petitioner has a child, as per the testimony of her husband who has been examined as a prosecution witness, she has even left the child and started living with Sunil (since deceased), and she is not supporting any child as her child is living with her estranged husband. "Therefore, in these facts and circumstances, no ground for bail is made out. The bail application is, therefore, dismissed," Justice Bhatnagar said in the judgement passed on October 17, 2023. The high court said, "However, the learned trial court to dispose of this case as expeditiously as possible." It was the case of the petitioner herself that deceased Sunil was alive when she left the house, and she had even talked to him during the intervening night of September 9 and 10, 2019 and they had been living in the said house for almost last one year and no robbery or dacoity was committed in the said house on the date of the incident. The high court rejected the contention of the defence counsel that the public witnesses have been examined and they have not supported the case of the prosecution. "As far as this contention of the learned counsel for the petitioner is concerned, the same does not cut much ice at this stage, as this is not the stage to deeply analyse the testimonies of the witnesses and to draw inconsistencies between the testimonies of the various witnesses examined by the prosecution as it might prejudice the case of either of the parties, and it is also to be noted that even if the testimony of the hostile witness cannot be discarded in toto," it said. It is a case of persecution that on September 10, 2019, at about 2:20 p.m., a person made a telephone call at PS Amar Colony and informed that one person was lying dead in his rented accommodation. Upon receiving the call, the police team rushed to the spot and on reaching there, the body of a male was found lying on the 3rd floor of the building inside the room. A sharp cut was found on the neck of the deceased, and blood was oozing out from the body. On inquiry, the identity of the deceased was revealed as Sunil who was residing at the said floor in Lajpat Nagar-iv with his live-in-partner Anita Chetri. Accordingly, a case FIR No. 294/2019 U/s 302 IPC was registered at PS Amar Colony and an investigation went underway. It was submitted by the counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner is a woman and has been in Judicial custody since September 19, 2019, and she has been falsely implicated. It was further submitted that there is not even an iota of evidence against thepetitioner in regard to the conspiracy alleged to have been hatched by her along with the co-accused to eliminate Sunil. Petitioner's counsel further submitted that all the public witnesses have been examined and they have not supported the case of the prosecution. It was further submitted by the counsel for the petitioner that she was not present at the time of the incident at the crime scene. The prosecution has cited 41 witnesses, and the trial will take a long time. On the other hand, the Additional public prosecutor (APP) for the State has vehemently opposed the bail application. He argued along the lines of the Status Report. He submitted that the petitioner was living with one Sunil (since deceased) at Amar Colony and the statement of the petitioner was recorded by the IO. She has stated that on the night of the incident September 9, 2019 at around 11:30 p.m. she had hired a cab and left for her friend's house in Noida. It was also submitted that when the petitioner left the house as stated by the petitioner herself Sunil was present and he was alone. He argued that the petitioner had talked twice with Sunil from her friend's house in Noida where she was staying that night. The petitioner in conspiracy with other co-accused persons has eliminated Sunil. It was further submitted by the APP that neither there is any forceful entry in the house where the deceased Sunil was residing nor there are any allegations of robbery or dacoity. After considering all the facts the high court dismissed the bail petition. (ANI)
The Patiala House Court of Delhi on Wednesday sent founder and Editor-in-chief of Newsclick Prabir Purkayastha and its Human Resources head Amit Chakravarty to Delhi Police custody till November 2. The duo were arrested recently in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that the news portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur allowed the Delhi Police application, which sought nine days of further custodial remand of Prabir Prukayastha and Amit Chakravarty. Purkayastha and Chakravarty were today produced in court after the end of their Judicial custody period. The pair were earlier granted 10 days and 5 days Judicial custody by the same court. According to the Delhi Police plea, their custodial interrogation was required to confront them with some protected witnesses, and some devices that were examined and the data which was extracted. Purkayastha's advocate Arshdeep Singh Khurana while opposing the Delhi Police plea for custodial remand stated that the police should at least show the court what new thing they have unearthed. "You have to unearth conspiracy, what were you doing for 25 days. FIR is from August. They have been in Judicial Custody from the 10th of this month. Not even one day they examined them during Judicial Custody. If they want to confront him with retrieved data that can happen in Judicial Custody, why is police custody needed?" the lawyer asked. Earlier, the lawyer argued on behalf of Prabir Purkayastha that his client had responded to all queries posed to during questioning. "I've answered all their queries. In the matter of EoW (Delhi Police) and ED, I was protected by Delhi High Court in 2021, which orders are continuing even till today. The allegations made in FIR are absolutely absurd. There is no allegation that I used bomb dynamite or any other explosive substance. There is no allegation that I used any criminal force or that I caused death of any public functionary. How can I by reporting, by acting or by having profession as a journalist, can I commit terrorist act? If I through an article raised question over Central Government Covid policy, is this the act of terrorism?" Purkayastha submitted through his lawyer. "They (Agency) filed FIR under stringent sections of UAPA. Agency's allegation is that I'm associated with Gautam Navlakha who is facing UAPA charges. And since he is facing UAPA charges, you also face UAPA charges. Mere association with someone has become a crime? He is a fellow journalist. I have known him from 1991. Now you are suddenly targeting me because of this association?" Purkayastha submitted. Advocate Rohit Sharma who appeared for Amit Chakravarty HR Head stated that he was not a journalist and did not write any article and since 2021 he had been summoned by agencies on various occasions and a lot of his information about bank accounts, emails - everything has been seized. "I've never been arrested. I'm not responsible in any way for the content that is published on the website and I perform administrative tasks... but I don't know I have been suddenly arrested in the case," Chakravarty stated. The Delhi Police's Special Cell in its FIR against Purkayastha stated that People's Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd. has been used for intentionally peddling false narratives through paid news in lieu of crores of rupees of illegally routed foreign funds as part of conspiracy. Delhi Police FIR further stated that foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, and security of India. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has claimed that Union Minister Prahlad Patel will create history in this new role as the minister contesting the forthcoming state assembly polls from Narsinghpur constituency. CM Chouhan made the remark while addressing a program in favour of union minister Patel in Narsinghpur district on Wednesday. "I am satisfied that Prahlad Patel is contesting legislative assembly elections from Narsinghpur. I am happy and proud. I am here on the occasion when he will file the nomination," Chouhan said. He further said that God sent everyone for special work and they too were sent to this earth for some reason. Therefore, whatever responsibility he got in the political field, he tried to fulfil it with hard work and honesty. "God sends everyone for special work. I say from my conscience that we too have been sent to this earth for some reasons. Therefore, whatever responsibility I got in the political field, I tried to fulfil it with hard work and honesty. I have full confidence that Prahlad Patel will create a new history in this new role," CM Chouhan added. On the other hand, after filing nomination for Narsinghpur assembly seat, Union Minister and BJP candidate Prahlad Singh Patel told ANI, "Development means all the facilities that are considered at the top, are available to the common people without having to ask for them. The Modi government has done this. We did better than we had promised. False promises are not in BJP's dictionary, they are in Congress's dictionary. It is unfortunate that Congress leaders attack our heritage constantly. A comment on the CM's 'Kanya Poojan', I am saying this with sadness that even after Narmada Parikrama, Digvijaya Singh is not able to respect women power, there is nothing more unfortunate." Notably, while addressing a press conference in the state capital on Monday, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said, "I have not seen a person who does more drama than the Chief Minister (Madhya Pradesh), now even Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels threatened by him." Singh made the remark in view of CM Chouhan performing Kanya Pujan at CM House on the occasion of the last day of Navratri on Monday. Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states set to hold elections this year. The state is scheduled to undergo polls on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. Voters will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies. (ANI)
The Delhi police arrested a desperate robber and snatcher after a shootout, said officials on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Raja (27), who is a resident of Delhi's Burari, was apprehended and a case under Sections 186, 353 and 307 of the IPC and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act was registered at the Crime Branch police station, said the police. According to the information received from the police, a stolen motorcycle and two stolen mobile phones were also recovered from his possession. The officials said that secret information was received that the wanted criminal, Raja, in order to commit some heinous crime, was going to go to Gurugram via Delhi's Aruna Asal Ali Road in Vasant Kunj. The input that the police had received also mentioned that the accused is always in possession of firearms and weapons, and he would not hold back from open firing at the police team as well. Acting upon the received input, a police team was constituted to nab the criminal. The team, along with their informant, reached Sanjay Van, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, and started picket checking. The police further said that at around 1:30 am, a motorcycle coming from Delhi's Katwaria Sarai was intercepted during the check and signalled to stop, but the bike rider tried to flee and started firing on police while doing so. The police team fired two rounds in self-defence and in order to apprehend the biker. The accused, Raja, was eventually apprehended by the police after he sustained a bullet injury to his right leg during the exchange of fire. He was immediately shifted to Safdurjang Hospital for treatment, said the police. As per the information received from police, the apprehended accused disclosed during the interrogation that on October 9, 2023, he, along with his two associates, was going to Haryana's Bahadurgarh in a car, and they were signalled to stop during the checking by the police team of the Baldi police station. The accused, in his confession, further said that he escaped the police checking by the Badli police team by ramming the car into the barricades. Accordingly, a case under Sections 186, 353 and 332 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act was registered at Badli police station, after which the accused had been absconding till date. During further interrogation, the accused, Raja, confessed to the theft of a motorcycle from the area of Mangol Puri police station and two mobile phones from the area of Timarpur police station. The apprehended accused has been found to be involved in more than 30 criminal cases, said police. (ANI)
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman, Ghulam Nabi Azad also arrived at Jodhpur hostel to attend the meeting.

The Centre earlier in September constituted a high-level Committee to examine the issue of 'One Nation, One Election' and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of State (Independent Charge) from the Ministry of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, former Rajya Sabha leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash Kashyap, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari attended the meeting.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was also named a member of the high-level Committee, declined to serve on the panel, saying its "terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions".

The central idea behind One Nation, One Election is to synchronize the timing of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all States to reduce the frequency of polls throughout the country.

This concept was the practice till 1967, but it was disrupted due to various reasons such as defections, dismissals, and dissolutions of government. (ANI)
NCERT on Wednesday said that "it is too premature to comment" on reports in sections of media concerning changing 'India' to 'Bharat' in its textbooks and noted that development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process for which groups of domain experts are being notified by it. NCERT said that since "the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified so it is too premature to comment on the news being flashed in the media on the concerned issue". A high-level National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel, headed by historian CI Issac, had earlier recommended replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks. The recommendations were made by the seven-member Committee for Social Sciences which is among the committees constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training to prepare position papers on various subjects. However, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani denied reports that the the proposal of the Social Sciences panel has been approved. The high-level NCERT committee made its recommendations in the final position paper on social sciences. Speaking to ANI over the phone, Issac said the "term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757". "We have unanimously recommended that the 'Bharat' should be used in textbooks for students across classes," Isaac said. Saklani said the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is the official document for the curriculum. "Nowhere in it, it is written that the name should be changed. These are rumours. No such thing is being done. Whosoever has claimed must show documents. We haven't done it," Saklani told ANI. The panel chaired by Issac was among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes. A controversy had broken out over the panel recommendations with some opposition leaders alleging that "confusion" was being created as several institutions use 'India' in their names. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court recently upheld the trial court orders denying maintenance to a child who was born after one month of the marriage of the parties. The high court took note of the DNA report which stated that husband of the petitioner is not biological father of her child. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said, "In face of DNA report existing on record, respondent (husband) cannot be held liable to make payment of maintenance to the child, even though the child was born during the subsistence of marriage between the petitioner and respondent. In this regard, the law is also settled that the biological father is liable to maintain his child, said Justice Sharma. The bench also took note of the arguments of counsel for respondent that he was a minor at the time of marriage. Therefore, the marriage itself is void. It was also argued that the petitioner wife concealed the fact of her earning from the court. The high court said, "This Court is of the opinion that at the stage of grant of interim maintenance, a prima-facie view of the facts placed before the Court had to be taken, along-with the affidavit of income and expenditure filed before it by the parties concerned, as per settled law. The factors for deciding the grant of maintenance are also settled in this regard. The high court said that in this case, even if it is the case of the petitioner that she was working as a cook or domestic help and was earning earlier, at present, there is nothing on record to reveal that she is earning anything or is working anywhere. "Since the factum of marriage between the parties is not disputed though validity thereof is disputed, which is subject matter of adjudication before the concerned court of law, this Court is of the opinion that the learned Trial Court has committed an error by denying maintenance to the petitioner herein since at this stage, it is apparent from the record that she is not working or earning," Justice Sharma pointed out. The bench said, "Therefore, considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this Court directs that the present matter be remanded back to the concerned Court for deciding afresh the quantum of maintenance to be paid to the petitioner on the basis of documents placed before it by both the parties, within two months from receipt of copy of this judgment. Petitioner had moved a petition seeking setting aside of judgement dated 20.03.2019 passed by District and Sessions Judge, South East District, Saket, Delhi in criminal appeal. The sessions court had upheld judgment passed by Metropolitan Magistrate of Saket Court. It was the petitioner that she used to work as domestic help/work at the house of respondents for three years from February 2013 to February 2016. She alleged that during this period, respondent had made sexual advances towards the petitioner and had sexual intercourse on regular basis with the petitioner on the pretext of promise to marry her. As alleged, respondent had also compelled the petitioner twice to have sexual intercourse with two of his friends also and when the petitioner had refused to do so, respondent had threatened not to marry her in case she will not maintain physical relations with his two friends and, due to such threats, she had performed involuntary sexual intercourse with the said two friends of respondent on two occasions in the aforesaid period of three years. The petitioner also stated that names of those two persons can be disclosed only if this Court directs the petitioner to do so. It was stated that on 02.03.2016, marriage was solemnized between the petitioner and respondent. On 01.04.2016, a girl child was born to the petitioner, within less than one month of solemnisation of marriage between the parties. The petitioner On 14.07.2016, filed a petition under Section 12 of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 against the respondents before ACMM (Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate), Saket Court, New Delhi along with affidavit of income as well as application for grant of interim maintenance. On 19.01.2017, husband filed a reply to the petition along with an application for conducting DNA test to determine the paternity of the child. The said application seeking direct to conduct DNA test was allowed. However, on 01.12.2017, Magistrate had rejected the claim of maintenance of petitioner herein vide first impugned order dated 01.12.2017 on the ground of concealment of income. She challenged the order before sessions court. Her appeal was also dismissed by the Court of Sessions on March 20, 2019. Petitioner's counsel had argued that since the child in this case was born during subsistence of a legal marriage, the presumption under Section 112 of the Indian Evidence Act will be in favour of the petitioner. It was prayed that maintenance be not only granted to the petitioner but also to the child born in this case by ignoring the DNA test since the child has been born during subsistence of legal marriage between the parties. It was also stated that due to social stigma caused to her due to DNA result going against the petitioner, she has been continuously taunted and her parents are also not taking care of her. (ANI)
Union Minister Anurag Thakur slammed the Rajasthan government on Wednesday and said that in the last 5 years, over 2 lakh incidents of atrocities against women and 35,000 incidents of molestation were recorded in Rajasthan and Ashok Gehlot's Congress government remained asleep. Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "If there is any example of lawlessness where law and order have completely died, it is Rajasthan. In the last 5 years, over 2 lakh incidents of atrocities against women and 35,000 incidents of molestation were recorded in Rajasthan and Ashok Gehlot's Congress government remained asleep." "But what has happened today shows that no one is afraid there. What has happened to Rajasthan? Rajasthan was once known for tourism, and today it has become the capital of crime...The time has come to bid farewell to the Rajasthan government." he added. This comes after a man was crushed to death with a tractor in Bayana town in Rajasthan's Bharatpur District on Wednesday. The incident was caught on camera, and the video went viral on social media. BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra on Wednesday also slammed the Gehlot govt over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and dared Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi to Adda village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district. The BJP leader demanded Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi visit Bharatpur before addressing the rally and asked her to show courage and take a stand in the matter. Sambit Patra further said that it is not just about the murder of one person; this is about the whole of Rajasthan; it is about all Congress-ruled states. Priyanka Gandhi is in Rajasthan in the run-up to the state assembly polls. The leader of the opposition Rajasthan Assembly and BJP leader Rajendra Rathore also commented on the Bharatpur incident. He said, "There is no law and order in Bharatpur now. A farmer was mowed down using his own tractor there. There is no fear of law in the state now. Nothing can be more unfortunate than this. We will raise these issues in elections. Over these issues, the current government will be sent off." "A video is viral from Bayana, Rajasthan's Bharatpur, where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him," Patra said while addressing a press conference in the national capital. Rajasthan is set to hold Assembly elections on November 25. The 200-member house will go to the polls in single-phase. According to the Election Commission, the counting of votes will take place on December 3, coinciding with the other four states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram. (ANI)
BJP on Wednesday made a representation to the Election Commission of India and demanded action against Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi over her remarks in Rajasthan's Dausa on October 20. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal alleged that Priyanka Gandhi has violated the Model Code of Conduct and that strict action should be taken against her. "Today we met members of the Election Commission regarding a statement by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on October 20 that violated the Model Code of Conduct and RP Act. We want to ask ECI if Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is above the Model Code of Conduct. We demand ECI to take action against her," Law Minister Meghwal said. Earlier Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in a public event in Dausa on October 20 said," I recently saw something on TV. I don't know if it is true or not. PM Modi went to the Devnarayan temple and submitted an envelope in the donation box. People were wondering what it contained, but when it was opened Rs 21 came out of it." In this regard, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore said that Priyanka Gandhi was misleading the public of Rajasthan. In a post on X, Rajendra Rathore said, "When there was no confirmation, why did she lie? For how long will Congress Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi ji try to confuse and mislead the people of Rajasthan by resorting to lies? In the temple of Shri Devnarayan ji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not put an envelope but cash in the donation box. The people of the state understand everything. She will not get trapped in the lies of Congress." Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also hit out at Priyanka Gandhi and accused her of propagating fake news and creating disturbance in society on religious lines. "She (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) has deliberately picked on a piece of news that had already been declared fake in the public domain, reiterated it and tried to create a problem. She is trying to rake up something which is non-existent, which is a fake piece of news. She's putting religious sentiment into the political discourse at a time when the model code of conduct is operational," he said. Urging the Election Commission to take serious action against Priyanka Gandhi, he said," Model code of conduct is operational.ECI should look into this very seriously and any further steps it takes, whether it is issuing a notice or filing an FIR, those are decisions which will emanate from the Election Commission." Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced that the first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17. The counting of votes for the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly, along with those for four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3. Congress emerged as the largest single party in the 2018 Assembly polls, with 101 seats, and formed the government with the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. The elections to five states are crucial as they are being held months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year. (ANI)
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal wrote a letter to the Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan about the shocking incident of rape of a 12-year-old girl by a 24-year-old auto driver in MP's Ujjain, said a press release by DCW on Wednesday. Maliwal, in her letter, requested immediate access for the survivor to medical, psychological, and rehabilitative care to aid her recovery and financial assistance of at least Rs 50 lakh to the survivor's family for recovery and rehabilitation, said the official statement. In her letter, the DCW Chairperson highlighted the horrid fact that the survivor child was forced to travel door to door on foot for 2.5 hours, covering 8 km to seek help. However, no one helped her and she was found bleeding in a semi-naked condition. The girl was admitted to a hospital, where she spent several days in recovery. Thereafter, an FIR was registered in the matter and the accused was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police. It was reported in the media that the government of Madhya Pradesh had announced assistance to the girl, including financial help. However, reportedly, the same has not been furnished by the government till date, said Maliwal in her letter. She further highlighted that a meagre Rs. 1500 has been given to the family by a local leader, which is insufficient for the kind of recovery needed for the survivor. The DCW Chairperson further mentioned in the letter that journalists visiting the village have confirmed that the girl lives in a thatched hut and still has to travel 300 metres every day to fetch water from one available pump out of only two hand pumps in the village. She further wrote that the injury and trauma due to the offence cannot be compensated with money; however, it can help the child and her family recover from the horrific incident and undergo rehabilitation. Maliwal has requested CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan for immediate intervention and requested that a minimum of Rs. 50 lakh be given to the survivor's family as financial assistance. The DCW Chairperson stated, "The report is shocking. The girl was raped brutally and was forced to walk for 8 km seeking help. Now, the government has not provided any assistance to the survivor. She must be given financial help of Rs. 50 lakh. Further, the state government must ensure the rehabilitation of the survivor." (ANI)
Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said on Wednesday that four members, Vinayak Raut, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, Rajan Vichare, and Sanjay Jadhav, were absent during the voting on the Women's Reservation Bill and their absence is an insult to women, so the party will seek an answer from them legally. Shewale said, "The Women's Reservation Bill is an important and historic bill. Unfortunately, four members, Vinayak Raut, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, Rajan Vichare, and Sanjay Jadhav were absent during the voting on the Women's Reservation Bill. Their absence is an insult to women. We will seek an answer (from) them legally." "A special session of Parliament was called on September 18- 22. Before the session, we issued a whip to all Shiv Sena members through WhatsApp, email and port. The Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023 is an important and historical bill. And I consider myself lucky that I got the chance to vote at that historic ball. "But unfortunately, four of our members, Vinayak Raut, Om Prakash Rajya Nibalkar, Rajan Vichare, Sanjay Jadhav, were absent during the voting on the Women's Reservation Bill. This is a very unfortunate thing; we are following the ideas of Bala Saheb Thackeray Ji. Bala Saheb Thackeray Ji had earlier supported the women's reservation bill. This is an insult to the women in their parliamentary constituency. This woman will also demand their answers regarding this bill of rights; the entire people of Maharashtra will also demand their answers; therefore we, on behalf of Shiv Sena will seek answers from them legally." Meanwhile, the women's reservation bill was passed by the Parliament and it became law after receiving assent from President Droupadi Murmu The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhniyam', which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as well as the state legislative assemblies, was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha, becoming the first bill to be passed in the new Parliament building. On September 20, the Bill was passed following division with 454 members voting in favour of the legislation and two against it on the motion seeking its passage. The amendments moved by the opposition members were negatived and separate clauses of the draft legislation were also voted on. On September 21, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was 'unanimously' passed in Rajya Sabha which marks the PM's birthday according to the Hindu calendar. (ANI)
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will address a national symposium on Thursday on the production of improved and traditional seeds through the cooperative sector. At the event, the Minister will also unveil the logo, website and brochure and distribute membership certificates to Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) members. During the symposium, objectives of BBSSL, importance of seed production through Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) and role of seeds in productivity and nutrition of crops, along with role of cooperative societies in the upliftment of small and marginal farmers, will be discussed, said Ministry of Cooperation in a statement. Organised by the BBSSL, the symposium will begin with a presentation by officials of the ministry of cooperation on 54 new initiatives taken in the last 27 months to strengthen the cooperative sector. Apart from about 2,000 participants from all over the country, thousands of participants will also participate in this one-day symposium through virtual medium. Three major cooperative societies of the country - Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and two major statutory bodies of the Government of India - National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) ) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) have jointly promoted the BBSSL. The BBSSL came into existence following the thrust given by Shah for the need to set up a national-level multi-state cooperative society to act as an umbrella organization for advanced and traditional seed research and production along with processing and marketing through the cooperative sector. It will provide assistance to cooperatives across the country in demand-based seed production, development of infrastructure for storage, processing and packaging of seeds, logistics support, quality enhancement and standardization, requisite certification and marketing of the seeds produced. The BBSSL will also assist the cooperative societies in multiplication and conservation of traditional seeds of various crops and varieties. As another important step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Sahakar Se Samriddhi", quality seed production and distribution through BBSSL will increase agricultural production in the country, the Ministry said. "This will create more employment opportunities in the agriculture and cooperative sector, reduce dependence on imported seeds, boost rural economy, promote 'Make in India' and pave the way for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," reads the statement. (ANI)
Breaking its silence on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday said Beijing hoped that the issue would be resolved in a "just and lasting manner" on the basis of the "two-state solution." Addressing a press briefing in the Chinese capital, Beijing, on Tuesday, Mao said, "We sincerely hope that the Palestinian question will be resolved in a comprehensive, just and lasting manner on the basis of the two-state solution. On the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, our position is highly consistent with that of the Arab states." Condemning the atrocities on civilians on both sides, she said her country was opposed to any violation of international law. Stressing the need to protect civilians amid the ongoing conflict, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza was critical to preventing an ever-worsening humanitarian disaster. "We all hope that the fighting will stop as soon as possible in order to prevent the situation from escalating or even spiralling out of control. We oppose acts that harm civilians and oppose any violation of international law and call for protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid to prevent an even worse humanitarian disaster," Mao said at the briefing. Coming out in support of a two-state solution, she said, we support the "realization of Palestinian people's right to statehood and survival and their right of return, which we believe is the only viable way out of the Palestinian question". She also called for a "more authoritative, influential and broad-based international peace conference to be held as soon as possible, an early resumption of peace talks and formulation of a timetable and roadmap to that end". The spokesperson added that since the beginning of the "Israel-Palestine conflict", China has maintained close communication with relevant parties, "actively participated in the consultations at the UN Security Council, and has made every effort to promote peace talks and help de-escalate the situation". "The international community, especially the many Arab countries, commends China's just position and the role it has played as a responsible major country," she added. She stated that China will firmly support all efforts that are "conducive to dialogue, ceasefire and peace and will do its best on everything conducive to the implementation of the two-state solution and a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question". China was ready to work together with the international community to "make relentless efforts to that end", she added. (ANI)
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will depart for Israel on Wednesday to show solidarity with the country and its people in the wake of the October 7 terror attacks and amid the ongoing war with the terrorist group Hamas, The Jerusalem Post reported. The government spokespersons of both countries confirmed on Tuesday about their visit to Israel. The Jerusalem Post is a broadsheet newspaper published in Jerusalem. "The aim of the talks will be support for Israel, including coordination in the context of the European Council, which meets this week," the Czech spokesperson said in a text message. The leaders will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, according to the spokespeople for both governments, The Jerusalem Post reported. The Austrian government, in a statement, said Austrian Chancellor Nehammer will also meet the family members of Austrian-Israeli nationals, who are currently being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas terror must end, and for this, we need unity among all sides to prevent a possible conflagration - we will all make our contribution to this," Nehammer said in the statement. Earlier, other world leaders also paid a visit to Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas, in a show of support and solidarity with the Israelis. US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel last week and held discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing hostilities with Hamas. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also visited Israel and held talks with his counterpart, stating, "I am in Israel, a nation in grief. I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism. Today, and always." (ANI)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has drawn a parallel between the terrorist attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai and Hamas in Israel, emphasising that all acts of terrorism are "unlawful and unjustifiable." Speaking at the United States Security Council ministerial meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East, following the October 7 attack on Israel by Gaza-based Hamas, Blinken denounced member states that provide support, including arming, funding, and training, to terrorist groups. "We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people," the US Secretary said. In his statement, Blinken highlighted similarities between terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and those by the Pakistan-based terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai. "As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They're unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Be'eri," he said. "They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether they're carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason," Blinken said. He emphasised the Security Council's responsibility to condemn member states that provide support in terms of arming, financing, and training to Hamas or any other terrorist group involved in such heinous acts. Blinken's comments were in reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. These attacks, which occurred in 2008, resulted in the tragic loss of 166 lives, including six Americans. During the attacks, ten Pakistani terrorists laid siege to Mumbai for over 60 hours, targeting and killing individuals in India's financial hub. Blinken also said "humanitarian pauses" in the Gaza war must be considered in order to protect Palestinian civilians, The Times of Israel reported. Blinken's idea falls short of a ceasefire which US officials have rejected in recent days as a step that would amount to help for Hamas, arguing that Israel still has a right to forcefully respond to the October 7 onslaught in order to ensure that it doesn't happen again, according to The Times of Israel. "Palestinian civilians must be protected. That means Hamas must cease using them as human shields. It's hard to think of an act of greater cynicism," he said. "It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. It means food, water, medicine and other essential humanitarian assistance must be able to flow into Gaza and to the people who need it. It means civilians must be able to get out of harm's way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes," the US State Secretary added. The US official also called out the international community for failing to explicitly condemn the October 7 Hamas onslaught. In in his speech he said that in his conversations with world leaders since the assault, there has been agreement that countries have a right and obligation to respond to terror attacks against their civilians but indicates that not all of them have acknowledged this publicly. Meanwhile, Israel has demanded the resignation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from his position over his remarks against the Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza after terror attacks by Hamas on October 7. The Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan called Guterres "unfit" to lead the UN and called for his resignation. This came after the UN chief said that the attacks by Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum" further adding that the attacks cannot justify the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people". "It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," the UN chief said at the General Assembly., as per The Times of Israel. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured. (ANI)
Jordan's Queen Rania has lashed out at the "glaring double standard" of the Western mainstream media in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, for failing to condemn civilian deaths in Tel Aviv's bombardment of Gaza as the conflict threatens to destabilise relations between the United States and Arab leaders, CNN reported. "The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the world's reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world," Queen Rania said on Amanpour & Co, in a video interview from the Jordanian capital, Amman. The Jordanian royal said that when "October 7 happened" the world "immediately and unequivocally" supported Israel and its right to defend itself but in the last couple of weeks, "we're seeing silence in the world." The 53-year-old queen who has for long been a vocal advocate for the rights of Palestinian people said that it was "for the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a ceasefire." Queen Rania said there was a feeling that the Western world is "complicit" in the mass death of civilians. "Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but it's OK to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here," Queen Rania told CNN. "It is just shocking to the Arab world," she said. Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7 from the Gaza strip in Palestine, and Israel responded with strikes against Gaza. According to the latest figures shared by the United Nations, the death toll is said to have surpassed 5,000 in Gaza and reached 1,400 in Israel Speaking in the UN Security Council on Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, saying that "humanitarian pauses" should be considered, but notably avoided the phrase "ceasefire," the CNN reported. The US, a permanent member of the UNSC had last week vetoed a Brazil-led Security Council proposal for a humanitarian pause in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war to allow for aid into Gaza. It criticized the draft resolution for failing to mention Israel's right to self-defence. The United Kingdom also refused to endorse the resolution. An earlier Russian ceasefire similarly failed, CNN reported. In her interview to CNN, Jordan's Queen said, "As a mom, we've seen Palestinian mothers who have to write the names of their children on their hands - because the chances of them being shelled to death, of their bodies turning into corpses are so high." "I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children just as much as any other mother in the world," Queen Rania told the interviewer. Meanwhile, in a press conference on the sidelines of Tuesday's United Nations Security Council's open debate on the situation in the Middle East, Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi emphasised that the lives of Palestinians are no less valuable than the lives of Israelis. Safadi called for the urgent delivery of assistance to Gaza Strip and added that the Arab Group rejects the killing of civilians, regardless of their nationality or religion, stressing the importance of stopping the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, according to a report in the Jordan Times. According to the Jordanian publication, Safadi said that the continuation of the war in Gaza will not bring security, peace, or stability, emphasising that the only solution to the conflict in the Middle East is to grant the Palestinian people their rights and establish their independent state on June 4th, 1967 lines. He said that the support for the war Israel is waging gives a "dangerous impression in our region that this war is between the West and the Arabs and Islam," according to Jordan Times.Safadi warned of the dangers of the current conflict in Gaza spreading to Lebanon and the West Bank. Jordan had recently cancelled a planned summit in Amman with United States President Joe Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza after Biden's visit to Israel last week. Jordan's King Abdullah was supposed to have hosted the four-way summit, which would have on its agenda the need to get humanitarian assistance to Gaza to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. According to a report in Al Jazeera, Jordan's foreign minister Safadi said the meeting would be held at a time when the parties could agree to end the "war and the massacres against Palestinians". He had blamed Israel with its military campaign for pushing the region to "the brink of the abyss". Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly has confirmed that the 10th Emergency Special Session on Israel and Palestine will reconvene this Thursday. (ANI)
The October 25-October 26 meeting in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek will be attended by the heads of governments of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Vice-President of Iran, and the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.

"In Bishkek, the external affairs minister will also meet with his counterparts from other SCO member states and call on the country's top leadership," the MEA statement read.

SCO observer States including Belarus and Mongolia as well as guest state Turkmenistan will also attend the meeting.

The CHG is the second-highest forum in SCO. It focuses primarily on the areas of economy, finance, commerce, and socio-economic cooperation.

India held the SCO Leaders Summit this year on July 4 in a virtual format. (ANI)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected PTI Chairman Imran Khan's request to hold his trial in the cypher case outside the jail where is in custody currently, The Express Tribune reported. A division bench of the IHC, consisting of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat, presided over the proceedings. Imran Khan's lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, appeared before the bench to contest the federal government's notification dated September 29, which authorised his client's trial in prison. Raja argued that the federal government lacked the authority to issue such a notification. He explained that the law ministry had issued the notification for Imran Khan's prison trial at the request of the interior ministry due to security concerns. However, he noted that there was no record of the interior ministry's written request, as reported by The Express Tribune. Raja contended that since the notification was administrative in nature, the Islamabad commissioner, not the federal government, should have been the competent authority to issue it. The lawyer also referenced a previous IHC ruling, which stated that the federal government had the prerogative to appoint a judge of its choice. He emphasized that judges were judicial officers, and the federal government should not be allowed to pick and choose them. Justice Aurangzeb raised concerns about the executive branch's interference in the judiciary's domain and suggested that the IHC Chief Justice might form a new bench after addressing the objections raised by the registrar's office. Furthermore, Justice Aurangzeb indicated that the court could not grant interim relief to Imran Khan at this time, and the admissibility of the petition would be decided later. Raja informed the bench that the decision to conduct a jail trial was made for security reasons, although Imran Khan had neither requested it nor been consulted about it. In its ruling, the IHC rejected the plea to halt the jail trial in the cypher case, cleared the registrar office's objections, and forwarded the case to the chief justice of the IHC. Earlier this month, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had stated that considering security concerns, a trial inside the jail was in Imran Khan's favour. The judgment also noted that there was no apparent malicious intent in conducting the trial within the jail premises. However, it was mentioned that if the petitioner had reservations, he could approach the trial court, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)
Australia has issued a call for "humanitarian pauses on hostilities" in the Israel-Hamas war to facilitate the delivery of essential supplies and ensure the safety of civilians. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, "We call for humanitarian pauses on hostilities, so food, water, medicine, and other essential assistance can reach people in desperate need, and so civilians can get to safety." Wong expressed concern about the limited access to aid for Gaza residents, noting that it is "nowhere near enough." This plea comes after the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that only eight out of the scheduled 20 aid trucks had entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Wong emphasised the importance of safeguarding innocent Palestinian civilians, asserting that they "should not suffer because of the outrages perpetrated by Hamas". She also highlighted the significance of how Israel exercises its right to defend itself, underscoring its impact on civilians in the region. In addition, Wong said, "Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people" and that it "undermines the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people." She also called for the protection of civilian lives, acknowledging the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and widespread human suffering. Australia is taking action in response to the situation by deploying more personnel and an Australian Air Force aircraft to the region as part of "Operation Beech," according to the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles. Marles told CNN that the deployment is a precautionary measure to support contingency options in light of the security situation's potential deterioration. Two additional military aircraft have been sent to the region, bringing the total to three, accompanied by a significant number of personnel and a small command detachment. Marles clarified that the Australian forces are not there for operational reasons but are part of a contingency plan to support Australians in the region. "The deployment of Australian aircraft and supporting Defence personnel is a precautionary measure to support whole of Australian Government contingency options due to the risk of the security situation deteriorating further," Marles posted on X. Marles also acknowledged the "challenging and rapidly evolving" situation in the region and encouraged Australians who wish to leave to take the first available commercial option, CNN reported. (ANI)
On the occasion of Kazakhstan Republic Day, the country's ambassador to India, Nurlan Zhalgasbayev, addressed a Round Table in New Delhi saying that his country was looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO Summit in Astana next year. The envoy added that Kazakhstan will strive to raise the level of the strategic partnership between India and Kazakhstan. "Kazakhstan will continue to strive to make the most of every opportunity to raise the strategic partnership (with India) to an even higher level and give a new meaning to the bilateral ties for the sake of friendship and prosperity of our people," Zhalgasbayev said at the conference. Invoking two 'big events' -- the SCO Summit and the Voice of Global South -- this year, the envoy added, "Regarding our bilaterals, this year we had two big events - SCO Summit in July and the Voice of Global South in January. Of course, we expect my President (Qasym-Jomart Toqayev) to come here. This is our goal, main goal, because the last visit of the first President was in 2009." The Round Table dedicated to Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's State of the Nation address -- 'Economic Course of a Just Kazakhstan'. In his State of the Nation address on September 1, the Kazakh President laid out the country's ambitious push for economic reforms and a fresh economic trajectory for the nation. In his address, President Tokayev highlighted various aspects of the national agenda, stressing the key economic tasks faced by the government. "In such an important period, we have every opportunity for a powerful economic breakthrough. To do this, we must decisively move to a new economic model, which is led not by abstract achievements, but by a real improvement in the lives of citizens," President Tokayev was quoted as saying an official statement. He called on the citizens of Kazakhstan, especially the youth, to embody the best qualities as they form the foundational values of society. Calling on fellow countrymen to aspire towards becoming 'Adal Azamat' (responsible citizen), the President said, "If everyone is patriotic, educated, hardworking, disciplined, responsible, fair, thrifty and sympathetic, then there will be no unattainable heights for us." He emphasised that the ideas of Just Kazakhstan and "Adal Azamat" should always be considered as fundamental values that stand side by side. He further acknowledged several significant achievements made by Kazakhstan in the last few years, including the doubling of teachers' salaries since 2020, significant salary increases for doctors, and the implementation of initiatives such as the 'National Fund for Children' and the construction of more than 300 healthcare facilities in rural areas. Shifting focus to current economic objectives, President Tokayev added, "The most important task is the formation of a solid industrial framework of the country, ensuring economic self-sufficiency. The main emphasis should be placed on the accelerated development of the manufacturing sector." He added that special focus will be given to sectors such as heavy engineering, uranium enrichment, and automotive components. "President Tokayev proposed that in order to support the manufacturing industry, foreign and domestic investors should be exempted from paying taxes and other mandatory payments for the first three years," the statement read. He also called for a coordination of financial and monetary policies, with the aim of achieving stable economic growth of 6-7 per cent while stressing the need to attract foreign banks to strengthen competition and solve the issue of insufficient corporate lending. "The principal task is to ensure the annual growth of lending to the real sector at the level of 20% or more," the President said, adding, "The main goal is to radically increase the transparency and efficiency of asset management. I direct the Government to start privatizing all non-core assets and holding people's IPOs of Samruk-Kazyna Fund companies from 2024." Also underlining Kazakhstan's commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, the President said, "In the long run, a global transition to clean energy is inevitable." Further, according to the official statement, the President also put forward an ambitious vision for Kazakhstan to become an IT-focused country. "We are among the world leaders in the e-government and fintech development index," Tokayev said. He also directed the government to increase the export of IT services to one billion dollars by 2026. This will be facilitated by partnerships with major foreign IT companies, he said. He also highlighted the area of transportation while outlining plans to establish Kazakhstan as a major transit hub, with a focus on key routes like the Trans-Caspian. In the realm of transportation, President Tokayev outlined plans to establish Kazakhstan as a major transit hub in Eurasia, focusing on key routes like the Trans-Caspian and the international North-South Corridor. "It is necessary to build a new dry port at the Bakhty crossing, accelerate the construction of a container hub in Aktau, and expand port facilities on the Black Sea along the Middle Corridor," he said. The President announced that Kazakhstan will hold elections for Akims (governors or mayors) of districts and cities of regional significance after the citizens elected Akims of villages, towns and rural districts in the past two years, the statement added. Concluding his address, the President stated that the government will be held accountable for the implementation of this robust economic and social policy. "It should have all the levers of independent management of the economy without red tape and bureaucracy, and without coordination with the Presidential Administration," he added. (ANI)
In a major development, Israel has alleged that Iran "directly aided" Hamas ahead of the terror attack on October 7 and is still helping the terror group with intelligence and incitement, Times of Israel reported on Wednesday. "Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how," IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference on Wednesday. He added, "Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel continues". "Around the world, the proxies are working, from Yemen, Lebanon--instructions come from one place--Iran," he added. In response to new US deployments in the Middle East, Hagari said they reflect the fact that Iran and its proxies are destabilizing the region. The Israeli Air Force had conducted wide-scale airstrikes in Gaza over the past few hours, the IDF said on Wednesday morning. Among the targets hit were Hamas tunnel shafts, military headquarters, weapons warehouses, mortar launchers and anti-tank missile launchers, according to the military, TPS reported. The commander of Hamas's Khan Younis Battalion, Tayseer Mubasher, a former head of the Hamas naval force, was also killed, according to Hagari. Mubasher had planned strategic terror attacks against Israel and was the main Hamas commander in the Khan Younis sector, he added. The IDF struck several Hamas' emergency operational apparatus, including war rooms, infrastructure and military headquarters overnight on Tuesday. "Hamas' emergency operational apparatus was responsible for setting up blockades that prevented Gazans from evacuating to safer areas in the southern Gaza Strip," the IDF stated. It added, "Additionally, the IDF struck military infrastructure and command centres of Hamas' security apparatus, which is responsible for overseeing the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip and arresting and imprisoning Hamas's opponents". The IDF spokesman further reiterated Israel's call for Gaza residents to flee to the south. "Hamas use schools and hospitals, they hide there. Gazan citizens, don't let them exploit you. Head south. We are setting up broad humanitarian aid with Egypt and the United States, bringing in food, water. When the war ends, the population can return," TPS quoted Hagari as saying. Meanwhile, five missile and rocket squads in Lebanon were eliminated by the IDF in the past 24 hours, said Hagari. Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF targeted three terrorist cells in the border area. Two cells responsible for rocket and mortar attacks on IDF posts in the area of Netu'a and Elkosh in northern Israeli were hit by an Israeli drone. The third cell was hit by Israeli forces as it attempted to launch anti-tank missiles at Israeli territory adjacent to Kibbutz Yiftach, TPS reported. (ANI)
A Bangladeshi scholar, who is on a visit to India as part of a delegation, has praised New Delhi and Dhaka for jointly working to eliminate extremism and terrorism in the region. The group of Bangladeshi Islamic scholars represented their country in the first edition of a religious conference titled 'Role of Civil Societies in Strengthening Bilateral Relations' held in New Delhi. The delegation also visited Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan. In an interview with ANI, Mohammad Abdur Rahim, Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Islami Front said the governments of both countries have been successfully countering extremism and terrorism. He also mentioned growing cultural and bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh. Rahim said, "There are many Islamic pilgrimage sites in India like the Khwaja Garibnawaz situated in Ajmer, also there have been numerous Islamic scholars from India like Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi who have great influence in India and Bangladesh. People from both countries follow and live by the ideologies of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti". He further mentioned that the Bangladeshi government has been taking strict steps to counter extremism in Bangladesh. The current government has banned all activities of Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh, which is responsible for promoting religious extremism and hatred. Rahim said, "The Bangladeshi government has been keeping a close watch on terror organizations and their activities for which India is providing great help on the technological front". The Bangladeshi scholar said that India has been a trusted friend of Bangladesh, as during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 India had sent forces to help the freedom movement. Rahim added, "India had sheltered many Bangladeshi freedom fighters who were part of the country's liberation movement in 1971. And India has been home to thousands of Bangladeshi refugees, hence Bangladesh and the people remember the help of India during the Liberation War". (ANI)
After years of painstaking work and devotion, the ancient monastery of Bhutan, Thubten Choeling Lhakhang--known as Lam Changdhue Drakpa's spiritual seat--has been meticulously restored to its former splendour, according to Bhutan Live. A magnificent journey that started in 2019 under the guidance of the former Tshogki Lopen, Dorji Rinchen, came to an end with this ceremony. Je Khenpo presided over the Thubten Choeling Lhakhang's consecration ceremony today in Wangdue Phodrang's Gase Tshogom Gewog, marking a historic occasion. In Bhutan's rich cultural and religious history, the Thubten Choeling Lhakhang, which dates back to the 15th century, has a special place. Nevertheless, this holy place had suffered damage from time's ravages over the ages. Realising how important it was to preserve this priceless piece of Bhutanese history, the restoration project was started in 2019 and gave the old monastery new life, according to Bhutan Live. A notable feature of this restoration work is the significant input from Dorji Rinchen, the former Tshogki Lopen. Along with giving his time and talent, he also contributed a sizeable amount of money to the effort. His generosity and dedication to protecting Bhutan's cultural treasures contributed an amazing 70 per cent of the total budget or 110 million ngultrums. The remaining funding came from government assistance as well as contributions from overseas sources. Twenty per cent of the funding was contributed by foreign contributors, indicating that Bhutan's rich cultural legacy is recognised internationally. The backing of the restoration project by the Bhutanese government demonstrates their dedication to maintaining the historical and spiritual sites of their country. Bhutan's unwavering dedication to its cultural history is symbolised by the renovated Thubten Choeling Lhakhang, which now stands as a testament to the harmonious fusion of tradition and modernity. In addition to commemorating the rebirth of a historical site, this consecration ceremony reaffirms the country's spiritual foundation. This occurrence is significant because it serves as a reminder of the value of protecting cultural assets around the globe, even beyond the boundaries of Bhutan, reported Bhutan Live. The former Tshogki Lopen, international benefactors, and the Bhutanese government have demonstrated how important it is for us to work together to preserve and develop our common history. (ANI)
Amid Israel's military response to the October 7 terror attacks, US President Joe Biden on Thursday said the terrorist group Hamas was hiding behind Palestinian civilians, stressing that they are despicable and cowardly. Addressing a joint press conference with Australian PM Anthony Albanese on Thursday, President' Biden condemned Hamas's attack on Israel and reaffirmed solidarity with its ally. Biden added that Israel has the right and responsibility to respond to the slaughter of its people. "We will ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against these terrorists...We also have to remember that Hamas does not represent the vast majority of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip or anywhere else. Hamas is hiding behind Palestinian civilians and is despicable and, not surprisingly, cowardly as well," he said. He also thanked the Israelis and Palestinians for supporting the US in its effort to provide food and other necessities to the innocent people in Gaza. "I want to thank the Israelis and Palestinians...for working with the US to make sure that food, water and medical supplies are getting through to the innocent people in Gaza," Biden said. The President added that the US was working around the clock to secure the release of the civilians held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "We're working around the clock together with our partners in the region to secure the release of hostages, including American citizens left behind and held by Hamas and the safe passage of foreign nationals out of Gaza. Not just Americans, but Australians and a whole range of people," he added. Meanwhile, condemning the Hamas attacks on Israel, Australian PM Albanese said, "We grieve for the loss of every innocent life, whether that be Israeli or Palestinian." Albanese noted, however, that respect for international humanitarian law is paramount in times of crisis. "It is a recognition of our common humanity," he added, announcing an additional USD 15 million in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza. Australia earlier released USD 10 million for emergency water and medical services. "Today I announced that Australia will provide an additional 15 million dollars in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza. This adds to the 10 million dollars Australia has already committed and will help deliver life-saving assistance such as emergency water and medical services," Albanese said. Biden added that the attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank are adding fuel to the fire. "I continue to be alarmed by extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," the 'POTUS' said, adding, "The attacks are adding fuel to the fire. They're attacking Palestinians in places they're entitled to be. It has to stop now." Earlier, on Wednesday, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, departed for West Asia for meetings with regional leaders aimed at preventing the Gaza war from spreading to additional fronts, according to the US State Department. Leaf's first stop will be the United Arab Emirates, after which she will proceed to Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Adding to this, additional stops may be taken, the State Department informed. (ANI)
Coming down heavily on the Israel government after the country's National Security Adviser Tzahi Hanegbi thanked Qatar for its "crucial" diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing war on the terrorist group Hamas, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said "Qatar is itself our enemy" and not a crucial partner for humanitarian and diplomatic relations, The Times of Israel reported. Earlier, on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said dialogue was ongoing for the release of hostages held by Hamas, and it may result in a positive outcome, Israel-based i24 News reported. The report stated further that Qatar is believed to be working on securing the release of the civilians whom the Hamas took hostage during its deadly onslaught on southern Israel on October 7. The terrorists sneaked back into Gaza with the hostages and have since been holding them captive in the Hamas-controlled territory. Responding to Al Thani's statement, Israeli NSA Tzahi Hanegbi praised Qatar for its "crucial" diplomatic efforts, according to The Times of Israel. Taking to his official handle on social media platform X, Hanegbi posted, "I'm pleased to say that Qatar is becoming an essential party and stakeholder in the facilitation of humanitarian solutions. Qatar's diplomatic efforts are crucial at this time." Hitting out at the NSA over his praise for Qatar, Bennet posted from his X handle, "The government of Israel is making a grave moral and practical mistake. Qatar is not a crucial partner for humanitarian and diplomatic activities. Qatar is the enemy itself." "Qatar funds, artists and strengthens the Hamas-ISIS terror group," the former PM posted further, adding, "Israel's stated goal is to destroy Hamas. Qatar's goal is the exact opposite: saving Hamas." During his time as PM, Bennett stopped the transfer of funds from Qatar to Hamas that had been initiated by his then-predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to keep Hamas quiet, The Times of Israel reported. Earlier this week, the former PM said he bears responsibility for the significant failures that paved the way for the devastating Hamas attack on October 7, according to The Times of Israel. "Do I bear responsibility? Certainly," Bennett said, adding that he did not allow the transfer of funds from Qatar to Hamas during his tenure, a policy initiated under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett is the latest in a series of senior current and former officials who have taken responsibility for the failures that contributed to the unexpected Hamas assault, according to the report. An estimated 2,500 individuals, including Hamas gunmen, infiltrated Israel by land, sea and air on October 7, killing 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians. They also took at least 222 individuals hostage and moved them to Gaza where they are currently being held captive, according to The Times of Israel. (ANI)
Police in China have rescued some 1,000 cats from a truck en route to a slaughterhouse, state-affiliated media has reported, busting part of an illicit trade that fraudulently sells feline meat as pork or mutton and sparking fresh food safety concerns.

Acting on a tip-off by animal activists earlier this month, officers from Zhangjiagang, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, intercepted a vehicle used to collect and transport captured cats, according to Chinese state-affiliated news outlet The Paper.

Without the intervention, the batch was likely to be slaughtered and shipped south to be served as pork and lamb skewers as well as sausages, the report said.

Police and agricultural authorities have since sent the cats to a shelter nearby, The Paper said, after foiling a plot that could have raked in as much as $20,500.

The report did not mention whether any arrests had been made, nor whether the cats were strays or pets. CNN has reached out to the Zhangjiagang police and the animal shelter for comment.

The Paper reported that animal activists first noticed a large number of nailed wooden boxes carrying many cats near a cemetery.

They patrolled the streets for six days and when the truck began ferrying the cats to the slaughterhouse, they intervened and called police, the report said.

Images published by The Paper showed rescued cats at the shelter resting in larger cages.

One activist cited by the outlet said the illicit operation can sell a pound of cat meat for around $4 by passing them off as mutton and pork. Each cat weighs about four to five pounds after they are processed.

Some people will do all it takes because it is profitable, Gong Jian, an activist who is building a sanctuary for stray felines in Jiangsu, told The Paper.

Another activist Han Jiali, who said she took part in stopping the truck, told the Chinese news outlet that it was not the first time, and that she had stopped similar illicit trades before in Guangdong, a southern Chinese province.

Calls for stronger protection

The report triggered a fresh wave of concern over animal rights and food safety on Chinese social media, with many calling for greater scrutiny by the authorities.

The country has struggled with a long history of food and safety scandals in the past.

One recent food scandal that went viral concerned a rats head found in a school meal at a college. Local officials originally insisted it was a piece of duck neck, but amid fears of a cover-up provincial investigators were called in and found otherwise.

While China has laws to regulate and protect livestock and endangered animals, there is no general law targeting animal cruelty for pets and stray dogs and cats.

Animal rights and environment groups have long campaigned against the use of animal parts  including from many endangered species  for traditional medicine. There is also growing opposition to an annual dog meat festival in Yulin, in the western autonomous Guangxi region.

Animals dont have rights and there is no guarantee for food safety, one of the hundreds of users who weighed in on the most recent debate wrote.

The topic was viewed five million times on Sunday alone.

Local authorities came under fire in 2021 for the deaths of several pets euthanized after their owners tested positive for Covid. One particular incident, involving a health worker beating a corgi to death with a shovel, triggered an outburst of fury.

I hope the country can legislate an animal protection law soon, another user said, referring to the latest scandal.

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After a Russian attack on the night of 24-25 October, 1,760 civilian targets, in particular 282 apartment buildings, were damaged in Khmelnitskyi Oblast.

Source: Serhii Tiurin, First Deputy Head of Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Vasyl Sydor, Mayor of Slavuta in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, on Radio Liberty

Quote: "1,760 civilian targets were damaged in Khmelnitsky as a result of a Russian missile strike last night. In particular, we are talking about 282 apartment buildings, 1,404 private homes and 74 social infrastructure facilities. These included 41 educational facilities, 6 healthcare facilities, 14 cultural institutions and 2 churches."

Details: According to Sydor, these are still early estimations.

The mayor told Radio Liberty that 20 injured people are still in hospital.

According to Sydor, of the 20 people still in hospital, two are in serious condition in intensive care. He said that the blast wave from the downed UAV "had a huge radius" and damaged half of the city: out of about 500 apartment buildings, 300 sustained some damage. In addition, "almost all schools and all kindergartens, without exception, [were affected]. The hospital suffered huge damage, too".

Background:

On the night of 24-25 October, an explosion damaged windows in the administrative and laboratory buildings of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as a result of a night-time strike by Russian troops on the territory near the plant.

In his address on 25 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the Russian drones flying over Ukraine on the night of 24-25 October targeted the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), where damage assessment is ongoing.

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Mineworkers at the entrance of a goldmine in Springs, near Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2025. A company official says more than 100 miners have escaped from the mine after being held underground for three days by fellow employees in a union dispute. (AP Photo)

SPRINGS, South Africa (AP)  Hundreds of miners who spent three days underground because of a union dispute left a gold mine in South Africa on Wednesday, mine officials and the union at the center of the standoff said.

More than 100 miners who police and mine officials said were held against their will by fellow employees of the mine near Johannesburg had escaped earlier, according to a mine official.

More than 550 mine workers had been in the mine since they went down late Sunday. An unknown number of them prevented the others from leaving as they demanded formal recognition of their unregistered labor union, the mine official said.

The company that runs the mine said it had rough estimates indicating that around 110-120 of the miners were likely supporters of the unregistered union and had kept their co-workers from departing, although the exact numbers were unclear.

While this ordeal has been a traumatic experience, we are relieved to confirm that all employees are now out of harm's way, Gold One International, which owns the mine, said in a statement.

The union - The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union - gave another version of the events and said the miners had stayed underground willingly as a protest in support of the union. The AMCU union denied anyone was held against their will despite police and mine officials calling it a hostage situation.

Miners carrying sticks and poles were seen emerging from the Modder East mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg.

The trouble at Modder East began early Monday after 562 miners and other workers remained underground at the end of their night shift.

Mine officials say approximately 15 were injured in scuffles. When mine officials sent a paramedic and a security officer to evacuate one injured man from the mine on Monday, they were also taken hostage, according to the head of the mine.

Gold One International said the injured were receiving medical attention and that all mine workers were accounted for.

Early Wednesday, 109 miners had forced their way out, said Ziyaad Hassam, the head of the legal department at Gold One International.

This morning, they banded together and overpowered those controlling them and blocking the exits, Hassam said. They are tired, exhausted and dehydrated.

They had given statements to police and been examined at a clinic, but none appeared to have any serious injuries, Hassam said.

The AMCU union says it represents the majority of miners at Modder East and they want the union to be recognized. The mine currently has a closed-shop agreement for its miners to be represented by another union, the National Union of Mineworkers, or NUM.

Look, the dispute is simple, and we have been saying this for the past few days, AMCU regional secretary Tladi Mokwena said. Workers are saying they do not wish, or no longer want, to belong to NUM. They want to be represented by AMCU as the trade union of their choice.

(Mine) management and NUM are refusing by all means to grant AMCU access into the operation in terms of recognition, he said.

Mokwena said AMCU officials had not been in contact with the mine workers underground and were not allowed near the mine during the standoff, but Hassam said underground telephones were used to call an AMCU leader.

Police sent to the mine had taken a cautious approach over the three days and did not launch an operation to go underground and confront miners who might be holding others.

The rivalry between the AMCU and NUM unions is well known in South African mining circles and was partly behind one of the country's most horrific mining episodes, when 34 striking miners were shot dead by police at a platinum mine in North West province in 2012.

Six other mine workers, two police officers and two private security guards were killed as violence spiraled out of control at the Marikana mine in the days leading up to the mass police shooting, which is now known as the Marikana massacre.

It was the most lethal use of force by South African police since the 1976 Soweto protests against the apartheid regime, when police killed at least 176 people, many of them children.

___

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
A 12-year-old admitted to making a series of bomb threats to Maryland schools this month and said they did so while knowing that they couldnt be criminally charged under state law because of their young age, police said.

The child, whose identity was not released, emailed seven bomb threats to three Montgomery County schools, just north of the District of Columbia, between Oct. 13 and Oct. 24, the county police chief said Wednesday, the same day his officers responded to two more bomb scares at local schools.

It wasnt immediately clear whether those new threats, at Springbrook High School and Albert Einstein High School, were connected, a police spokesperson told HuffPost.

A 12-year-old allegedly emailed a series of threats to Montgomery County, Maryland, schools this month while knowing that they could not be criminally charged because of their age, police said. The Maryland State House and state flag are seen in Annapolis, Maryland.

A 12-year-old allegedly emailed a series of threats to Montgomery County, Maryland, schools this month while knowing that they could not be criminally charged because of their age, police said. The Maryland State House and state flag are seen in Annapolis, Maryland.

It is disheartening to accept that the individual responsible for disrupting the educational process and instilling fear in our community was well aware of the legal limitations surrounding their age, said Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones in a statement responding to the threats. They understood that they could not be charged under current Maryland statutes.

The states so-called Juvenile Justice Reform Act, which was enacted last year, prohibits anyone under the age of 13 from being charged with a crime unless its a crime of violence.

The legislation took into consideration racial disproportionality and disparity in the states Department of Juvenile Services, as well as research that shows preteens have a diminished neurocognitive capacity to be held culpable for their actions and also lack the ability to understand legal charges against them, according to a Racial Impact Equity note presented on the legislation.

A 12-year-old who allegedly brought a handgun and ammunition to school in Fort Meade, southwest of Baltimore, in January also dodged criminal charges because of the bill, drawing similar concern from local police, WMAR previously reported.

Jones emphasized the strain that such threats place on local law enforcement, and financial resources.

Dispatching officers and K-9 units to investigate these threats, especially when our resources are already stretched thin, diverted our personnel away from other pressing calls for service, he said. This diversion of resources is unacceptable, and it jeopardizes the safety of our community.

The child  who allegedly emailed threats to Montgomery Blair High School, Oak View Elementary School and Silver Spring International School  was identified by police detectives with help from the Montgomery County Public Schools technology staff, police said.

A spokesperson for the Montgomery County school district declined to comment to HuffPost on whether the student is enrolled in one of the districts schools or say how, if at all, the child would be disciplined. They said that school administrators refer to a student code of conduct when making that determination. Discipline there ranges from in-school suspension to expulsion.

Though the child cannot be criminally charged, police can request that the child receive guidance, treatment or rehabilitation through the states Department of Juvenile Service by filing a Child In Need of Supervision complaint. Some of the requirements for such involvement by the state include the child acting in a way that is dangerous to themselves or others.

The States Attorneys Office in Montgomery County declined to comment on the matter in a statement to HuffPost on Thursday, reasoning that it is a pending matter involving a juvenile.
A Yolo County vehicular manslaughter trial has been rescheduled to begin in January for a teen accused in a fiery Woodland wreck earlier this year that killed a woman and her granddaughter and critically injured two other family members.

The 13-year-old boy facing charges in the deadly crash was behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle that crashed into two other cars April 8 at the intersection of College and Court streets, the Woodland Police Department has said.

Authorities have not released the boys name because he is a minor. The teen has pleaded not guilty in Yolo Juvenile Court.

Four-year-old Adalina Lilah Perez and her grandmother, Tina Vital, 43, died from their injuries in the crash. The girl died at a hospital four days after the crash; her grandmother was pronounced dead at the scene.

Along with the charge of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, the teen faces charges of evading police causing injury, vehicle theft, evading police while driving recklessly, child endangerment, driving without a license and evading police causing death.

His trial had been scheduled to begin this week in Yolo Superior Court, but attorneys for the defendant successfully argued for the court to delay the trial over the prosecutions objections. The postponement was the trials third delay, according to the Yolo County District Attorneys Office.

On Monday, Judge Janene Beronio met with the attorneys in the case to reschedule the teens trial. Jonathan Raven, a District Attorneys Office spokesman, confirmed that Beronio scheduled a jurisdictional hearing to start Jan. 16 and end Jan. 26.

In California Juvenile Court, a jurisdictional hearing is when a trial may take place. California juvenile trials do not go before a jury; a judge determines whether the youth did what theyre accused of.

Raven also confirmed that the judge scheduled a Dec. 4 hearing to determine whether they will be able to begin the trial in January.

Defense attorney Martina Avalos has cited delays in obtaining a psychological evaluation of her 13-year-old client and expects to have the evaluation in hand by next month, the Davis Enterprise reported.

The repeated trial delays have left the victims family frustrated with the process, Vitals brother Victor Ramirez told the Enterprise, which was the first to report the rescheduled trial dates.

Prosecutors allege the teen defendant stole his familys SUV and led California Highway Patrol officers in a chase before the SUV crashed into the car carrying Vital and her granddaughter, as well as a second vehicle.

A total of 11 people were injured in the three-vehicle crash, including the underage driver, authorities have said. Four people rode in one of the vehicles. Six others were in the second car. The force of the collision left the cars stacked one atop another.
A 17-year-old was stabbed in the torso in Red Lion on Tuesday evening, and another teen is being charged as an adult in the assault, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Troopers responded around 7:04 p.m. to the assault in the 200 block of West Broadway, state police said.

The victim told troopers that he was involved in a physical altercation with 15-year-old Isaac Blinke when Blinke stabbed him in the torso with a knife, state police and an affidavit of probable cause allege. Video surveillance from the area corroborated the victim's statements.

The victim is in stable condition, state police spokesman Trooper James Grothey said. The teen was alert and responsive when taken to WellSpan York Hospital.

The victim suffered a "deep penetration cut in his rib cage area," the affidavit states.

The victim also told troopers that he and Blinke had been involved in verbal altercations throughout the day, the affidavit states. The victim heard comments from other individuals that Blinke allegedly was making derogatory comments toward him.

The two agreed to meet behind the fire house to fight, and that's when the stabbing occurred, the affidavit states.

State police went to Blinke's residence and took him into custody. He had a silver folding knife and a small amount of marijuana, state police allege.

State police consulted with the York County District Attorney's Office, and authorities determined that Blinke would be charged as an adult.

He has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Blinke was committed to York County Prison without bail, according to court records.

His bail was denied because the defendant "is a threat to flee and to the safety of the public," court records state.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Teen boy charged with stabbing that injured teen in Red Lion, Pa.
A man is dead after deputies returned fire when he shot at them in Randolph County Tuesday afternoon.

Just before 5 p.m. deputies from the Randolph County Sherriffs Office were called to reports of an overdose in the 4000 block of East Elm Street in Union City, according to a media release.

When deputies arrived on scene they were told by family members that the man left the scene.

>> 66-year-old womans eye gouged out in attack on security guard, Dayton firefighters

Deputies searched and found the man around 5:17 p.m. in New Pittsburgh.

Within a minute of making contact with the man deputies said that he took out a handgun and fired a round at them.

The two deputies, identities as Sergeant Jeffrey Miller and Deputy Kevin Kouns, returned fire hitting the suspect at least once.

Medical aid was immediately provided to the suspect, identified as 19-year-old Brayden Daniel Barnhouse, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two deputies will be placed on administrative leave until an investigation is completed by the Randolph County Prosecutors Office, according to the media release.

We will continue following this story and update as new details are available.




I first learned of the Corbin Expulsion through a writing contest conducted by Virginias Barter Theatre in 2021. Playwrights were invited to select from a list of historical events experienced by Black Appalachians to use as inspiration. One incident immediately caught my attention.

One hundred and four years ago this month, on Oct. 31, 1919, a white mob in Corbin, Ky., rounded up approximately 200 Black people, drove them onto boxcars, and sent them to Knoxville, Tenn. The expulsion of virtually every Black person from town was a response to the alleged armed robbery of a white man by two Black assailants. The Black population of Corbin had recently increased as people arrived seeking jobs on the railroad, and the local sentiment was that these new Black residents were undesirable.

I was surprised that I had never heard of the event. I was even more surprised to discover that the incident in Corbin was one of approximately 35 race riots that had occurred that year in the United States. The period is referred to as The Red Summer of 1919. Mobs of white people attacked Black Americans in various towns and cities, resulting in numerous injuries and deaths.

I selected the Corbin story as the basis of my contest entry. Ive written about racial violence before, but I was taken aback at the audacity of this incident. Violence against Black people was a fairly common occurrence, but in Corbin, the goal was total erasure.

Barter Theatre challenged me to create a monologue, a dramatic piece performed by one actor. Later, the theatre asked me to expand the monologue into a scene, and then into a full-length play. I entitled it Trains.

The story of Trains focuses on two victims of the Corbin Expulsion, a father and son living in Knoxville in 1932. The son, who was 16 at the time of the incident, is still suffering from the trauma he experienced that night 13 years earlier, and he self-medicates with alcohol. Complications occur when a white man, a former friend of the sons, arrives with a desire to reconnect and make things right. Trains examines racial violence, the resulting psychological damage, and white denialism.

Racial violence causes physical harm, but the psychological effects are worse. Knowing that there are people who despise you because of your race is detrimental to healthy self-esteem. For many African Americans, the seed of doubt is always there, no matter how many times we tell ourselves that we are good enough  or pretend not to care. It affects the soul. The harm caused by racism also manifests through discrimination in housing, education, employment, and in many other ways large and small. Occurrences like the Corbin Expulsion cause everlasting pain passed down through generations. We feel its impact whether or not we lived through it ourselves or even knew of the specifics.

There is a movement in the U.S. to stop considering Americas racial past: slavery, Jim Crow, and racial violence. Atrocities are dismissed as the countrys growing pains, and those that would teach about the evils committed against Black people are warned not to stir up unnecessary resentments that would cause undeserved guilt for white Americans, or make plain the persistence of racism today.

Truth exists. It is authentic and objective. These days, people think they can choose their own facts, but that these events occurred is true  whether or not we are willing to bear witness. The point is not to wallow in the pain, recrimination, and self-pity. We must examine our past to avoid repeating historys mistakes, and its cruelty. It is why I wrote Trains. I applaud Barter Theatres commitment to telling a more complete and true history of our nation on its stage, and for inviting playwrights like me to mine the history of our region for lessons that may inspire us all to forge a future we are proud to face.

Quinton Cockrell is a playwright and professor at Troy University in Alabama.
Work is underway in the demolition of two iconic high-rise residence halls on the Winthrop University campus.

Crews will demolish Wofford and Richardson halls  8-story buildings that face Cherry Road  likely by the beginning of 2024.

The decision to remove the buildings comes five years after engineers discovered problems with a concrete slab and issues with the roof on the eighth floor of Wofford Hall in 2017. At the time, the engineers suggested phasing out the use of the building within five years, said James Grigg, Winthrops associate vice-president of facilities management.

Weve got a structural issue and we dont want to occupy it again, Grigg said.

Wofford Hall was closed in July of 2021 after being used for quarantine and isolation in May of 2021. Richardson Hall was built in 1966 and Wofford Hall was built in 1968.

Another event that ignited concern about the safety of occupying the building happened on June 24, 2021 when a 12-story beachfront condo in Surfside, Fla. collapsed, which killed some of the residents, Grigg said.

Richardson and Wofford halls were built by different builders, but are similar in design. Richardson  the older of the two  closed in July of 2022. The residence halls housed 800 students.

Winthrops original plan was to phase out the use of Richardson, but the state of South Carolina has provided money to demolish both buildings, Grigg said.

Closing the residence halls comes at a time when student enrollment is down from the desired peak enrollment of 6,100 students.

Winthrops has not seen peak enrollment since the 2017-2018 academic year. Enrollment started to decline in 2018 and declined even more during the COVID pandemic.

The undergraduate student population during the 2022-2023 school year was 3,382 and has increased to 3,424, according to a message by Winthrop University President Edward Serna on the universitys website.

The university welcomed a class of 867 new freshmen for the fall semester, which is a 22 percent increase over 2022, Serna said, and a class of 268 new transfer students  a 17 percent increase.

In 2022, the university had enough rooms on campus to account for the 800 beds it was losing by closing Wofford and Richardson. With the increase enrollment in 2023, the university allowed some local students to live off campus, Grigg said.

The university also leased space in an off-campus apartment complex close to campus, he said.

The demolition also comes as the Winthrop Board of Trustees adopted the Campus Master Plan in June.

The plan identifies the universitys building needs and offers ways it can use current space, renovate and build new buildings and enhance the campus landscapes.

But the plan is not set in stone, Grigg said.

The master plan is an idea document, he said. It gives things that we can look to do. It doesnt say we have to do this in this order in this time frame. It gives you a range of ideas, like a menu and you can pick and choose, through study and through thought process. You can change what you are doing.

The campus plan offers ideas of the type of structures that can fit within the footprint of Wofford and Richardson halls.

We have re-envisioned, with Wofford and Richardson going away, what happens at that end of campus, Grigg said. It kind of creates somewhat of a clean slate along Cherry Road.

Ideas for new buildings include a residence hall, an academic building or a new dining hall, he said, which is in the design phase.

The university also is a in discussion with the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the City of Rock Hill to partner with the realignment of Alumni Drive that intersects with Cherry Road, Grigg said.

Im looking forward to kind of a new vision for that end of campus, Grigg said.

The plan also includes the demolition of Roddey Apartments, which was built in the late 1890s. The apartment building was initially designed for married students. But it is deteriorating and has accessibility concerns, according to the plan document that outlines the projects.

Redeveloping the site offers an opportunity to create a new southern gateway to Knowledge Park.

The plan suggests three new residence halls  one with traditional units for first-year students, a second apartment-style building for upperclassmen and another apartment-style hall on Columbia Avenue west of Alumni Drive.

Projects in the campus plan will take 8 to 15 years to complete.
El Paso police arrested two men in connection with a shooting last month at an East Side house party, authorities said.

Alan Villanueva, 18, and Luis Ruiz, 19, were arrested in connection with a Sept. 3 shooting at a house party in the 10900 block of Gary Player Drive near Lee Trevino and Vista Del Sol drives, El Paso Police Department officials said.

A 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were shot during the incident.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting about 1:30 a.m. at the East El Paso home, where they found a large number of partygoers fleeing from the backyard, officials said.

Alan Villanueva

The 20-year-old man was found at the scene and taken to a hospital for treatment. The 17-year-old victim had already been taken to a hospital by people who were attending the party, officials said.

The two victims suffered serious injuries but survived the shooting.

An investigation by El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Persons unit detectives led to the arrest of Villanueva and Ruiz, officials said.

No further information was released on how the investigation led to the arrests of the two men.

More: Joseph Angel Alvarez sentenced to life, plus-20 years in shooting of Kaufmann family

Villanueva was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked Oct. 6 into the El Paso County Jail on a $75,000 bond.

He also was arrested in connection with bond violations stemming from a January arrest, jail records show.

In the January case, Villanueva was arrested on suspicion of assault against a family member and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, court records show. The case is still pending in the 409th District Court.

He remains jailed as of Tuesday, Oct. 24, jail logs show.

Luis Ruiz

Ruiz was arrested in connection with one count of evading arrest or detention and resisting arrest, search or transport.

He was booked Sept. 3 into the El Paso County Jail on a bond totaling $7,500. He was released from jail the following day after posting bail, jail logs show.

El Paso Police Department officials urge community members to be cautious when attending parties.

"El Paso Police Department reminds the public to always prioritize safety and avoid altercations, especially at social gatherings," officials said in a news release. "This incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers that can arise in these situations."

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: 2 arrested in connection with East El Paso house party shooting
Police are investigating a domestic incident that sent two people to the hospital.

On Tuesday evening, DeKalb County Police were called out to the 3200 block of Shadow Walk Lane about a person shot.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

When they got to the scene, they found a 63-year-old man inside the home who had been shot in the stomach.

Police said he was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Another victim, a 59-year-old man, was found with several lacerations to his head. He was also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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Police said the two men were fighting with each other before the shooting.

Police have not released any further details.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Some evangelical voters in Iowa are now saying support for Israel has become their top priority for the Republican presidential caucus, now less than three months away, according to a report.

For decades, Christian conservatives have supported candidates who protect the lives of unborn children and curb abortion, but Hamas attacking Israel has changed the 2024 landscape. Israels ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza has put new pressure on Republican candidates to directly address the conflict and emphasize traditional Republican support for Israel, according to The Associated Press, which interviewed more than a dozen Iowa conservative activists.

Since the Oct. 7 attack, Iowas evangelical pastors, faith leaders and rank-and-file caucus participants have been looking more closely at candidates statements, while ministers urge their congregations to keep those positions top-of-mind when weighing their options.

Several leading Republican candidates, including former President Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott, have told Iowans where they stand on the conflict and shared how they would respond if they were in the White House.

TIM SCOTT EXPLAINS WHY MOVE TO GO 'ALL IN' IN IOWA WILL 'TRANSLATE INTO VOTES': 'MESSAGE IS RESONATING'

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott

In Iowa, just three days after Hamas attacked Israel and killed more than 1,400 people  which were mostly civilians  several Christian pastors delivered a message meant to resonate both biblically and politically.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"What were seeing in that region is pure evil," said Steve Rowland, a senior minister at the Rising Sun Church of Christ in the Des Moines suburb of Altoona. "Israel has mobilized their army, and they are intent on stamping out evil, and we should be behind them. That's where we should be, and I want you to know that, as a pastor."

Some Christians support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are Gods chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Some evangelicals believe Israel is key to an end-times prophecy that will bring about the return of the Christian messiah.

DEMOCRATS SUPPORT PALESTINIANS OVER ISRAEL, GOP OVERWHELMINGLY STANDS WITH US ALLY: 2023 POLL

Evangelical Christians dominate the first-in-the-nation Republican presidential caucuses, and several GOP contenders have begun to discuss the conflict in black-and-white terms, even accusing President Biden of not being tough enough on Hamas or Iran, a financial supporter of the terrorist group.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event at Central College on Oct. 21, 2023, in Pella, Iowa. Haley joins several other Republican presidential candidates with activities in the state this weekend.

Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, described the ongoing war to The Associated Press as "between good and evil."

"We've got a true war between good and evil, and we have to have a leader that has the moral clarity to know the difference," Haley said in Iowa.

Former President Trump remains popular in Iowa, including among fervent Christian conservatives, where he leads in Iowa polls and gets the largest crowds at his campaign events. He continues to highlight his record while in the White House of supporting Israel, notably moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights.

Former President Trump speaks to guests during a campaign event at the Dallas County Fairgrounds on Oct. 16, 2023, in Adel, Iowa. Trump was also scheduled to speak at a rally in nearby Clive later in the afternoon.

Several activists interviewed by The Associated Press, however, were annoyed by Trump's criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the Hamas attack. Trump also said Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group that is fighting with Israel on the country's northern border, was "very smart."

BIDEN PUTS CONDITION ON HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA AS ISRAEL ALLOWS EGYPT TO DELIVER SUPPLIES

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has invested heavily in Iowa, often speaks of Israel's importance by referencing the Bible, which highlights Israel as Gods chosen people.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem," Scott told an audience in Newton this month, quoting from the Book of Psalms. Scott, paraphrasing the Book of Romans, said of Israels enemies: "the wrath of God, let them feel it."

DeSantis has also tried to win the support of evangelical clergy in Iowa, especially those who called Trump's criticism of Netanyahu "a huge turnoff," like Iowa pastor Joseph Brown.

"Even though Donald Trump has done amazing things when it comes to Israel, we need some assurances now," said Brown, who leads Marion Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, Iowa. "I don't think he understands the biblical foundation of why we stand with Israel."

The Israeli-Hamas war has also caused concern for the civilian casualties, including whether the U.S. should accept refugees from Gaza, where many of its roughly 2 million residents have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes and face acute shortages of food and water.

Haley has expressed concern for the humanitarian crisis and said in a recent televised interview that the U.S. could appropriately determine which Palestinians "want to be free from this terrorist rule."

Following Haleys interview, the pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down argued Haley was "in support of bringing Gaza refugees to America"  a statement PolitiFact later rated "false."

Haley did not call for bringing refugees from Gaza to the United States but instead called on regional countries to support the crisis.

"We should care about the Palestinian citizens, especially the innocent ones, because they didn't ask for this," Haley said during the interview, when asked if the U.S. should accept Gazans. "But where are the Arab countries? Where are they? Where is Qatar? Where is Lebanon? Where is Jordan? Where is Egypt? Do you know we give Egypt over a billion dollars a year? Why aren't they opening the gates? Why aren't they taking the Palestinians?"

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL CALLS IT QUITS AFTER BIDEN SAYS US WILL SUPPORT ISRAEL: 'POLICY DISAGREEMENT'

She added, "You know why? Because they know they can't vet them, and they don't want Hamas in their neighborhood. So, why would Israel want them in their neighborhood? So, let's be honest with what's going on. The Arab countries aren't doing anything to help the Palestinians because they don't trust who is right, who is good, who is evil, and they don't want it in their country."

Ann Trimble Ray, a conservative from Early, Iowa, told The Associated Press she is supporting Haley over her sympathetic stance.

"There are victims on both sides now," she said. "The terrorists who want to rid the world of Jews struck first and killed innocents, and now Israel is retaliating and there is innocent loss of life on both sides."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at Refuge City Church on Oct. 08, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he said Israel can and should defend itself against "Hamas terrorists," adding that unlike former President Trump, he has a plan to make Mexico pay for building a border wall.

Trump has alleged Hamas sympathizers could be among the Palestinians seeking to leave Gaza, potentially including those who could cross the southern U.S. border.

DeSantis has also argued the U.S. should not take in any Gaza refugees.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Several Iowan pastors have criticized biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who has an affinity for Judeo-Christian beliefs.

"I think hes trying to figure out what conservatives want to hear," said Brad Cranston, the former pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington, Iowa. "And I think he thinks conservatives want a less interventionist foreign policy. But that does not work when it comes to Israel."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: 2024 Republican candidates' support for Israel under scrutiny by Iowa evangelicals
The report's author said there would be concerns about the minority who have not adjusted their speed

Most motorists are still keeping to the new 20mph speed limit on many Welsh roads, sample data suggests.

But there appears to have been a slight "bounce-back" after initial figures suggested a dramatic drop in speed after the new default limit came in.

Independent transport consultants Agilysis went back to two sample routes in Cardiff and Wrexham a month on.

It found speeds had dropped by 2.3mph - but this compared with a fall of 3.1mph in the first week of the new limit.

The analysis involved TomTom data covering about 10,000 vehicle movements last week along B4487 Newport Road in Cardiff and A5152 Chester Road in Wrexham.

This compared with a much larger sample of nearly 30 million vehicle movements in Wales in the week after the new limit came in on 17 September.

It also showed speeds of the fastest drivers - the top 15% - dropped by 4.9mph after the first week but this had changed to only a 3.8mph reduction last week.

The original research compared speeds before and after the new limit came in.

Richard Owen, chief executive officer of Agilysis and the report's author, said: "The evidence on this smaller sample of roads indicates there is no room for complacency.

"Although the majority of motorists are sticking to the limit, there will be concerns about the minority who haven't adjusted their speed choices enough.

"Understanding which roads are seeing lower levels of compliance could be critical in targeting education and enforcement to achieve better compliance."

Official figures on vehicle speeds are not expected before spring 2024, while updated data from pilot areas is due later this year.

The policy change has brought opposition, with the Welsh Conservatives saying while they were in favour of a 20mph limit outside schools, hospitals and care homes, but a "blanket rollout" was "disastrous, frankly ludicrous and a war on motorists".

The Welsh government has insisted the impact on journey time would be "small".

It has also been supported by organisations ranging from Friends of the Earth Cymru and Action for Children to Sustrans Cymru

Stopping distances

Why has Wales gone to 20mph?

The Welsh government said the 20mph national speed limit would reduce road collisions, road deaths, noise and pollution while encouraging more people to walk or cycle.

Latest official figures show more people were killed or seriously injured in 30mph zones in Wales last year than at any other speed limit.

Of the 1,014 people killed or severely hurt on Welsh roads in 2022, more than 40% (421) were hit on a 30mph stretch of road.

Of the 22,000 miles (35,171 km) of road in Wales, an estimated 7,700 miles (12,500 km) has changed from 30mph to 20mph.

But about 3% of 30mph roads have exemptions, after applications by local councils.
Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in the shooting death of a man in the Manchester neighborhood on Sunday.

Officials say detectives arrested Joshua Short, 21. He is charged with criminal homicide, burglary, aggravated assault and a firearm violation. He is also charged with theft by unlawful taking for a vehicle stolen early Wednesday morning.

RELATED COVERAGE >> Pittsburgh man dead after shooting in Manchester

Short is accused in the death of Joseph Anthony Sees, 29, of Pittsburgh. He was found shot in the head inside a vehicle at the intersection of Stedman Street and Fontella Street Sunday afternoon.

Short has been transported to the Allegheny County Jail.

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Some two dozen service members were wounded in drone and rocket attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria last week, U.S. Central Command confirmed Wednesday.

Twenty American personnel sustained minor injuries from multiple one-way attack drones launched against U.S. and Coalition forces at al-Tanf Garrison in Syria on Oct. 18, a CENTCOM spokesperson told The Hill.

One drone was destroyed in the attack but there was no damage to the base infrastructure, and all 20 personnel returned to duty, they said.

The same day, four other U.S. personnel sustained minor injuries from two separate drone attacks, one of which was shot down, at al-Asad Airbase in Iraq.

One drone had effects on the base, according to the spokesperson.

The four personnel were returned to duty, they added.

An American civilian contractor also died of a heart attack at the base, but it did not happen during one of the drone attacks.

The Pentagon confirmed the attacks last week but not the number of U.S. casualties.

NBC News first reported on the number of wounded.

The injuries were revealed as attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have jumped, with 13 such incidents occurring within a week.

Between Oct. 17-24, drone and rocket attacks targeted American troops 10 times in Iraq and three times in Syria, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Tuesday.

There is no evidence that Iran had ordered the attacks, but Defense Department officials have suggested that Tehran and its proxies are behind them.

The amped up assaults also come amid the Hamas-Israel war, with U.S. officials concerned that Iran and the groups it backs may use the conflict to open another front in the war or further destabilize the region.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 26-year-old Connecticut man has been charged with defrauding elderly Wisconsin residents by claiming to be a relative in need of bail money.

In an Oct. 12 indictment, Matthew Ramos-Soto, of Hartford, was charged with conspiracy to defraud Wisconsin residents.

According to the indictment, Ramos-Soto and other conspirators called elderly people by phone claiming to be a relative who had been arrested and needed money for bail between Oct. 24, 2022, through Oct. 28, 2022.

From there, the indictment alleges, Ramos-Soto would travel throughout Wisconsin and pick up the cash in person.

According to officials, as part of the scheme Ramos-Soto and his co-conspirators would impersonate attorneys and judges with fake case numbers and alert elderly residents of a fake gag order to keep them from telling their friends or family.

Investigators say Ramos-Soto made off with about $200,000 in the scam.

In three of the known incidents, Ramos-Soto obtained $5,000 from someone in Wrightstown, $17,545 from an individual in Fitchburg and $12,500 from someone in Hobart, according to the charges.

Ramos-Soto is being held in Michigan and will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison, however, a date has not yet been set.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Connecticut man charged with scamming Wisconsin residents
Canadian police found five people dead from gunshots, including three children and the alleged shooter, at two border city residences in a case described on Tuesday as "an unspeakable tragedy."

The victims were discovered late Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, near the juncture of three Great Lakes bordering Michigan, about 430 miles north of Toronto, after police received reports of break-ins.

A 41-year-old was found "deceased from a gunshot wound" at the first residence. "The shooter had fled the area prior to police arrival," police said a statement.

Ten minutes later, another emergency call saw police head to another home just 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) away.

There they found three deceased children, aged six, seven and 12 years old, as well as the alleged shooter who appeared to have died "from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Another victim, aged 45, was found injured with a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital.

The victims were discovered late Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, police said. / Credit: Sault Ste. Marie Police

In a statement, Sault police chief Hugh Stevenson said the incidents were linked and were "the result of intimate partner violence."

"Our community is once again faced with the tragic and unnecessary loss of life," Stevenson said in a statement. "The grief the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims are facing is unimaginable. Our hearts go out to them. As our community grieves this tragedy, I urge everyone to please watch out for each other. If you are struggling, or if you see someone you know struggling, please make use of the mental health supports available in our community."

Writing on social media, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy."

In a social media post on Tuesday, police urged the public to refrain from calling the police to learn more about the shooting.

"While we understand our community is trying to make sense of recent tragic events, we ask that you refrain from calling our non-emergency/business line to ask for more information about the incidents," the police wrote. "We will release updates as our investigation permits, both on our website and via social media. Thank you, stay safe, and take care of one another."

According to government data, gun crimes in Canada decreased from 2020 to 2021, accounting for "a small proportion of all violent crimes." But shootings are up from a decade ago.

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Volunteers across U.S. team up with farms to bring fresh produce to those in need
The Coast Guard and Navy are searching Wednesday for three commercial fishermen who vanished near Georgia after heading out to sea 11 days ago, with one family member saying they "firmly believe that God has got them" and they are drifting somewhere in the Atlantic.

The Carol Anns captain, Dalton Conway, departed the port city of Brunswick on Oct. 14 along with two crew members, Caleb Wilkinson and Tyler Barlow. The Coast Guard said it launched its search Friday after hearing from the ships owner that he "hired a crew of three people that failed to return on Wednesday as scheduled."

"We don't want this search to end, because we do firmly believe that God has got them and they're just out there floating and drifting," Kim Jones, Barlow's mother, told the Savannah Morning News.

Chris Barlow, Tylers father, also said to the newspaper that the Coast Guard was planning to call off the search Tuesday at sunset  but after the Navy provided additional resources, it has been extended until Wednesday evening.

COAST GUARD SAVES NORTH CAROLINA CATAMARAN SAILORS IN DRAMATIC HELICOPTER RESCUE

The Coast Guard said Friday that the owner of the 31-foot vessel Carol Ann "stated the crew extends fishing trips to maximize their catch but was growing concerned due to their last communication with the crew being six days ago."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

As of Tuesday, more than 32,000 square miles have been searched for the missing fishermen, while aircraft from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and boat crews from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have been involved in the effort, it added.

Conway's sister, Stevie Conway, said her younger brother is an experienced boat captain who has made hundreds of trips to catch fish for local merchants and restaurants.

"My brother goes anytime the weather is good," Stevie Conway told The Brunswick News. "This is his career. He does this for a living."

COAST GUARD RESCUES 2 FROM SINKING 44-FOOT SAILBOAT OFF SOUTH CAROLINA

Stevie Conway said people on another boat reported seeing the Carol Ann on the water Thursday, but otherwise, no one has heard from the fishermen since they departed.

"Were really stressing at this point," she added. "They should have been back by now. Were concerned. These mothers love their babies, and we want them to come home."

Jones said it was Barlows fifth trip and that he and Conway, both 24, are friends with Wilkinson, who is the boyfriend of Conways sister, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jason Erickson of Coast Guard Sector Charleston also told WLTV-TV that the boat was equipped with an electronic beacon designed to send a distress signal if it becomes submerged.

"We have not received any beacons that have gone off," Erickson said. "Thats a reason to be hopeful."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: 3 fishermen vanish near Georgia, prompting massive Coast Guard, Navy search
PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a crash involving a stolen car and patrol vehicle in Philadelphia's Juniata Park section Tuesday night.

The crash happened near O Street and Hunting Park Avenue around 11 p.m.

Authorities say a police car and another vehicle, which was reportedly stolen, collided. Further details have yet to be released.

MORE HEADLINES:

Three suspects fled from the vehicle following the crash, according to police.

No injuries have been reported.
Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with his legal team before the continuation of his civil business fraud trial at the New York Supreme Court on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in New York. | Mike Segar, Associated Press

Three of former President Donald Trumps lawyers and advisers decided to take plea deals just in the last week. The chain reaction began with Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, who pleaded guilty a month ago to conspiracy to unlawfully access ballot-counting machines.

The other defendants taking plea deals include:

Lawyer Sidney Powell , who was charged with interfering with election duties. She pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges related to her interference in the presidential election in Georgia last week and was sentenced to six years of probation, $6,000 in fines, $2,700 in restitution to the state of Georgia, and a public apology, as the Deseret News reported.

A day after Powells hearing, Kenneth Chesebro, another lawyer on Trumps legal team who devised a plan to use alternate electors to undermine the result of the 2020 election, pleaded guilty to a felony charge, a conspiracy to file false documents. He is required to serve five years of probation, 100 hours of community service and pay $5,000 in restitution.

On Monday, Jenna Ellis joined Chesebro and Powell, also pleading guilty to one count related to falsifying documents in an unscheduled hearing, as CNN reported.

If I knew then what I knew now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges. I look back on this experience with deep remorse, Ellis said in a tearful apology in court.

As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously and I endeavor to be a person of sound moral and ethical character in all of my dealings, Ellis said, adding that she failed to do her due diligence in matters related to the 2020 election.

Ellis will also serve probation and pay restitution, in a plea deal similar to those of Powell and Chesebro.

What is DA Fani Willis strategy, according to Team Trump?

The three lawyers and the bail bondsman arent facing prison time and were not charged with a violation of Georgias racketeering law, called the RICO Act. But they are all required to testify in future court hearings related to the case.

Trumps lawyer Steven Sadow, who stepped in as lead counsel for the case in Georgia, said the plea deals represented a tactic deployed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

For the fourth time, Fani Willis and her prosecution team have dismissed the RICO charge in return for a plea to probation, Sadow said, per CNN. What that shows is this so-called RICO case is nothing more than a bargaining chip for DA Willis.

Still, its hard to say whether the testimonies from the three lawyers will implicate Trump. As The Associated Press reported, Powell has a history of outlandish, ill-supported claims of fraud that could possibly affect her credibility.

Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State University law professor, told AP that the district attorneys office is trying to shake as many of these codefendants loose as they can and focus on the people they want to focus on.

Could Trumps legal troubles take a turn for the worse?

Amid his growing legal troubles, Trump, who pleaded not guilty in the Georgia case, acknowledged the potential of facing prison time at a rally in Clive, Iowa.

What they dont understand is that I am willing to go to jail if thats what it takes for our country to win and become a democracy again, Trump said at the rally on Oct. 16.

Apart from the Georgia 2020 election court proceedings, Trump and his team are juggling three other cases related to his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, his handling of classified documents, and his efforts to falsify business records.

The case related to Jan. 6, 2021, led by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, could potentially benefit from Trumps lawyers cooperating with Willis.
There are some not-so-obvious warning signs your body is fighting off a virus, according to experts.

There are some not-so-obvious warning signs your body is fighting off a virus, according to experts.

Recently, respiratory viruses  such as influenza, rhinoviruses and respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV  have made a dramatic comeback. In 2022, for example, influenza activity swiftly returned to pre-COVID pandemic levels and the United States saw a particularly severe RSV surge. Many respiratory pathogens spread faster and further than they had in the previous two years.

Though the 2023-2024 cold and flu season is just getting started, experts fear itll be on par with last year. In other words, stuffy noses, sore throats, coughs and fevers are coming for us. As we head into respiratory disease season, its worth keeping a close eye on your health. Before the more obvious cold and flu symptoms appear, there are usually a few signs that indicate an infection is brewing.

If you catch them early enough, you just might be able to intervene and give your body the care it needs to improve your recovery. At the first sign of sickness, you should focus on staying hydrated, eating well, getting plenty of sleep, maybe staying in if possible, and relaxing a bit more to ensure you save your energy to fight the illness, said Aimee Bernard, assistant professorin the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Here are some of the very first clues youre getting sick:

You Have A Tickle In Your Throat

Before you develop a full-blown sore throat, theres often a tickle or lump that forms in the back of the throat. In fact, this is often one of the first noticeable signs that an illness is about to strike.

When youre exposed to a pathogen  say, a rhinovirus or adenovirus  the body reacts by producing molecules that fight off an infection, explained Dr. Natalie Cameron, an instructor of general internal medicine and epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

One such molecule is bradykinin, which, during a respiratory infection, travels from the nasal passages to the nasopharynx. There, it stimulates sensory receptors in the throat, which is thought to contribute to that swollen, raw feeling in your throat, Cameron said.

Youre Feeling Fatigued

Before the classic respiratory symptoms kick in, youll likely feel run down for a day or two. You might feel unusually weak and lacking in energy, said Dr. David Cutler, a board-certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

This is because the body releases cytokines, key communicators between cells in your body, at the start of an infection. These cytokines activate immune cells to start fighting the infection. This process triggers inflammation throughout your body, which can leave you feeling wiped out, Cameron explained.

The same goes for muscle aches. All that inflammation building at the start of an infection can cause your muscles to feel weak, achy and tired, Cutler said.

You Cant Stop Sneezing

You may notice that in the days before you develop congestion or a cough, you feel extra sneezy. Bernard said this is the bodys way of forcefully eliminating a virus. Its the same process that happens when you inhale pollen or pepper.

It is a great defense to get rid of anything that is irritating or damaging your airways, Bernard said.

This is exactly why its so crucial to cover your mouth when you sneeze. Sneezes are so effective at expelling viruses, that if you let the sneeze fly free, you are giving the virus a free airline ticket to land far away on another possible victim, Bernard said.

You Suddenly Have A Headache

A headache is another clue an infection is cooking. In some cases, a headache results from the pressure building in your head as your sinuses begin to get clogged up with mucus. Having trouble sleeping or being dehydrated  which can occur in the early days of an illness  can also cause your head to throb, Bernard said.

Headaches may also be triggered by all the inflammation your immune system is producing as it revs up to fight the infection. While inflammation  the recruitment of immune cells to the site of infection  is a good thing, it may sometimes cause the pain of a headache, Bernard noted.

You Become Weepy

People often report feeling cranky and irritable when theyre getting sick.

Some people experience emotional lability  more weepy  others just want to be left alone, said Dr. Theresa Fiorito, an infectious disease specialist and director of the Family Travel Medicine Center at NYU Langone HospitalLong Island.

This is so common, in fact, that doctors have labeled the mood swings and behavioral changes that occur during illnesses as sickness behavior. Research shows that peoples moods tend to dip when they have the common cold or influenza  even during the asymptomatic phase.

Its believed that the symptoms associated with sickness behavior, like anhedonia and reduced social interactions, motivate people to lay low at home, ultimately giving their body the opportunity to rest and recover. Plus, if those other early warning signs are affecting your well-being, its understandable that you might feel crummier than you usually do.

If you havent slept, or your appetite is poor, and overall because you dont feel well, it will naturally affect your mood, Fiorito said.

All of these early symptoms are a sign that its time to start taking care of yourself to help your body fight off the impending illness. Stay hydrated by aiming to drink six to eightglasses of water a day. Avoid sugary beverages like soda, power drinks or fruit juices, Cameron advised, and try to get between seven to nine hours of sleep at night.

Paying attention to all of these early warning signs can alert you to the need to take extra good care of yourself over the next several days to week, Bernard added.

You may not be able to completely dodge the infection, but if you can ease the symptoms and quicken your recovery, why not listen to your body and give these tips a try?

Related...
All eyes are on Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), the 51-year-old whose election to be the 56th Speaker on Wednesday put an end to the over three weeks of turmoil and GOP infighting in the lower chamber.

Johnson, who was serving his second term as vice chair of the House Republican Conference, won the Speakers gavel in a 220-209 party-line vote over Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday, more than three weeks after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was booted from the top spot.

Johnson was nominated by his colleagues in a closed-door meeting Tuesday night, just hours after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) withdrew his bid amid conservative opposition. Emmer was the third Speaker nominee the Republican conference had put up since McCarthys ouster.

As he prepares to reopen the House to its normal functions, Johnsons stance on a variety of issues has comes under a microscope.

Here are five things to know about Johnson:

Johnson has opposed Ukraine aid

Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (R-La.)

Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (R-La.) is sworn in by the Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) to be the fifty sixth Speaker of the House in the House Chamber on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

Johnson was one of 57 Republicans to vote no on a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine.

He later told the Shreveport Times, We should not be sending another $40 billion abroad when our own border is in chaos, American mothers are struggling to find baby formula, gas prices are at record highs, and American families are struggling to make ends meet, without sufficient oversight over where the money will go.

Ukraine has been a divisive subject with Republicans, with a majority in the party favoring sending Ukraine aid for its war with Russia, but a number of conservatives saying no more money should be sent to Kyiv.

Johnson gave statements backing support for Ukraine shortly after the invasion, but hes since voted against aid.

He was one of 117 Republicans who voted no on a stand-alone bill to provide $300 million in aid to Ukraine  a total that was stripped from the Pentagon funding bill ahead of a potential government shutdown last month.

Johnson has been quick to express support for money for Israel, another issue hell have to deal with quickly as Speaker.

Israel and Ukraine could become intertwined in Congress in the wake of President Bidens $100 billion emergency funding request to Congress that includes military assistance for both countries as well as border funding.

Top Stories from The Hill

Johnson pushed to overturn 2020 election results

Almost immediately after the 2020 election, Johnson emerged as a supporter of then-President Trumps unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him.

Days after the 2020 election, Johnson wrote on X, then known as Twitter, I have just called President Trump to say this: Stay strong and keep fighting, sir! The nation is depending upon your resolve. We must exhaust every available legal remedy to restore Americans trust in the fairness of our election system.

Later in 2020, Johnson led an amicus brief signed by 100 House Republicans supporting a Texas lawsuit that aimed to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. After the brief was introduced, Johnston posted to X, President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress. Indeed, this is a big one!

Johnson was also one of 139 House Republicans who later voted to object to the election results in Arizona, Pennsylvania or both, shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

A reporter Tuesday night tried to ask Johnson about his involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 election; multiple GOP members flanking their Louisiana colleague began to laugh, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) yelled shut up.

Johnson smiled, shook his head and said, Next question.

Johnson is an ally of Trump

Former President Donald Trump returns to the courtroom after a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York. The judge in Donald Trumps civil fraud trial has fined the former president $10,000. The judge says Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Johnson has also come out as a vocal critic of the mounting legal battles against Trump, arguing the former president and disfavored Republicans have been targeted by legal and political systems.

In America, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Unless youre Donald Trump or one of the disfavored Republicans targeted by Democrats, Johnson wrote on X in March.

Johnson serves on the House Judiciarys Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and has used discussion of President Biden and his familys alleged foreign business dealings to call out the bogus charges against Trump, which include a case from the special counsel Jack Smith over Trumps efforts to overturn the election.

The evidence of corruption against Joe Biden and his family is political scandal much larger than Watergate. And yet they are pursuing more bogus charges against President Trump! Johnson wrote in a post on X in June.

Johnson voted against the recent bill to keep the government open

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.)

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) votes for himself for Speaker in the House Chamber on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

The pressure is now on Johnson to either tackle the Houses series of unresolved appropriations funding bills or to pass a longer continuing resolution to keep the government open past the Nov. 17 deadline for a shutdown.

Shortly before the House was sent into chaos without a Speaker, then-Speaker McCarthy brought to the House floor a clean short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR) that averted a government shutdown just hours before funding was set to run out.

Johnson was among the 90 Republicans who voted in opposition of the CR, though it still passed in a largely bipartisan 335-91 vote.

In his Dear Colleague letter to the Republican conference, Johnson pushed for the House to pass all 12 of its appropriations measures.

I am confident we can work together to accomplish that objective quickly, in a manner that delivers our principled commitments to rein in wasteful spending and put our country back on a path to fiscal responsibility, Johnson wrote in the letter.

In the interest of time, Johnson said he would like to reach a consensus and discharge the appropriations bills for the departments of Labor; Health and Human Services; and Education and Commerce, Justice, and Science from the appropriations committee, while laying out a calendar schedule to consider the bills on the floor.

Johnson said if another stopgap measure is needed, he would propose a measure that expires Jan. 15 or April 15 to ensure the Senate cannot jam the House with a Christmas omnibus.

Johnson has a good relationship with conservatives

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) leaves a House Republican Conference meeting on Monday, October 9, 2023 where they discussed rules for the Motion to Vacate and the race for Speaker of the House.

Johnsons relationship with fiscal conservatives and other Republicans who had made McCarthys job difficult appears to be off to a good start, given his unanimous support Wednesday.

We have a very busy agenda. We have appropriations bills to get through the process. But you will see this group working like a well-oiled machine, Johnson said Tuesday night.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the effort to oust McCarthy, said it was worth it when asked about Johnsons nomination Tuesday night.

We adore him, and I think hes gonna do a great job for the country and for the right reasons. Mike Johnson has not bought and paid for. Mike Johnson does what is right, Gaetz said.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) echoed Gaetzs comments, writing in a statement on X: We told the American people they deserved someone who would be honest and represent their interests, not Washingtons. There is no denying this was a difficult process, but one that was well worth it.

Rep. Tim Burchett (Tenn.), one of the eight Republicans who ousted McCarthy, said Johnson is a good man who answers to the people and said he was proud to vote for Johnson.

Conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), a close ally of McCarthy, voted for Johnson on Wednesday after previously noting she wanted assurances that the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

In a post on X shortly after the vote, Greene posted a photo with Johnson, congratulating the Louisiana Republican.

Tara Suter contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
La Jolla map dealer Alex Clausen came across this rare 14th century nautical chart at an estate sale for Ann and Gordon Getty. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Alex Clausen is a map dealer.

And although that designation may not, at first read, exude adventure and romance, Clausen really is a modern-day treasure hunter. He doesn't sail the seas in search of sunken ships and pirate booty. But from his perch at Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. in La Jolla, he has made some impressive discoveries.

Clausen, 35, peruses auctions, estate sales and other dealers' websites in search of antique maps, manuscripts and pivotal historical documents that have been forgotten or overlooked  sometimes for decades.

A few years ago, he got his hands on the original drawings for the Statue of Liberty. But nothing, he said, compares to the $7.5-million find he came across last fall.

Map dealer Alex Clausen said certain details on this portolan chart offered clues that it was far older than the 16th century date listed at the Getty estate sale. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Clausen was deep in a virtual tour of an estate sale for oil heir Gordon Getty and his wife, Ann, an avid collector who died in 2020. Tucked between a George II mahogany breakfront secretaire bookcase and a series of manuscript and watercolor maps showing the waterways of Venice, Clausen found a type of antiquated nautical map known as a portolan chart.

The chart, which the estate sale dated between 1500 and 1525, caught his eye: "It wasn't like the chairs, lamps and things that surrounded it," he said. The estimated price, between $100,000 and $150,000, seemed fitting for a portolan chart from the 16th century.

But something didn't quite fit. The map seemed older.

What unfolded became "the best story of a portolan chart, at least in the United States, in the years I've been chasing this subject," said Richard Pflederer, an independent scholar who specializes in the topic.

Portolan charts are hand-drawn seafaring maps, typically drafted on animal skin, that were used during early exploration for navigation between ports. They are known for distinctive rhumb lines that radiate out from various points in the ocean in the direction of wind or compass points to help navigators plot their course. They often feature drawings of compass roses, flags, sea monsters and ships; unlike modern maps, interior details of land are not the key focus.

Among map collectors, Clausen said, portolan charts hold a special mystique, because they offer insight into the very earliest forms of mapmaking.

"There's no two portolans really from this early phase that are the same," he said.

Clausen has made some impressive finds in his regular perusal of estate sales and auctions, but he says none compares to his discovery of a 14th century nautical map now listed for $7.5 million. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

As Clausen examined the chart more closely via an online portal, the date just didn't seem right. Granada in southeastern Spain was labeled with a different flag than the other Spanish kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. The detail that stuck out because Granada was home to the last holdout of the Moorish kingdom before surrendering to Spanish forces in 1492. That would place the map, at latest, in the 15th century and not the 16th.

But finding out the exact age  and how much the chart was truly worth  took Clausen on a months-long historical journey.

Read more: There's nothing like an L.A. estate sale: How to find true treasures at the best price

The first known reference to the chart came from Italian scholar Pietro Amat di San Filippo, who saw the map in the library of a Corsini family palace in Florence in 1888 and included mention of it in an article he wrote for the Italian Geographic Society. The scholar tentatively dated it from 1347 to 1354. It changed hands several times before Ann and Gordon Getty purchased it in 1993.

The couple had the map restored and for years it hung in the library of their San Francisco townhouse. They paid roughly 56,500 British pounds for the map, then the equivalent of about $85,000. Nearly 30 years later, Clausen and the team from Barry Lawrence Ruderman purchased it for just over $239,000.

It ended up being a steal.

"It was truly hidden in plain sight," said Barry Ruderman, Clausen's business partner.

Among map collectors, portolan charts hold a special mystique because they offer insight into the very earliest forms of mapmaking. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The chart extends from the islands of the North Atlantic Ocean to the Mongol empire's Golden Horde in what is now Eastern Europe. In the west, it shows the borders of the kingdoms involved in the Hundred Years' War, featuring the most complete mapping of the British Isles at that time. In the east, the chart shows the remnants of the Crusader strongholds and the final throes of the Byzantine Empire.

The clues initially led Clausen to suspect the map had been drawn around 1420. He consulted with scholars and catalogers, including Pflederer, carefully omitting his hypothesis about the date. After reviewing images of the map, a medievalist suggested it may date to the mid-1350s.

"I was just incredulous," Clausen said of the revelation. "We were talking about something that really only exists in a handful of national libraries."

There's only so much that can be seen through high-resolution images online, so Clausen went to see the chart in New York before the sale. In particular, he wanted to get a better look at a portrait that Christie's suggested was King Solomon. When he examined the map, he saw the figure was actually an homage to the 2nd century geographer Ptolemy.

The crowned and bearded man is pictured holding a compass to the nearby Atlas Mountains in North Africa. A Latin inscription next to him reads "In this mountain range, King Ptolemaeus uses a world-compass and through astrology, by longitudes and by latitudes, he constructed a mappa mundi and a cosmography."

Clausen believes the chart's author conflated Ptolemy with a dynasty of Greek kings who had ruled Egypt.

After the chart was purchased, Clausen sent it to a lab in New York that took a scientific approach to dating, analyzing pigments and performing carbon dating on a small piece of the parchment. Through their tests, they determined the chart was created, on the early end, from the 1320s to the 1350s; and at latest from the 1390s to the 1420s.

By the time the artifact made it to San Diego, Clausen and his team had found scholarly articles dating to the 1880s that suggested the chart was created in the mid-1300s. After hundreds of hours of research they finally had a date: 1360.

Read more: How long can a dog bark before you can file a complaint? Laguna Beach counts the minutes

Making the discovery "was really rewarding from an intellectual perspective," Clausen said, surveying the chart, which measures roughly 2.2 feet by 3.7 feet and is framed in a heavy case at his office in La Jolla.

"And, of course, it's also rewarding from a commercial perspective, because it takes something that I think was a reasonable buy from what it was listed as and moves it into an absolutely different category."

The Barry Lawrence Ruderman antique map shop is listing the chart, now dubbed the Rex Tholomeus Portolan Chart of 1360, for $7.5 million. With such a price tag, it probably won't attract a novice map collector. Instead, Clausen envisions a university or museum taking ownership and placing it somewhere that people can enjoy and learn from it.

The chart is the only complete 14th century portolan known to exist outside Europe. Although not the oldest portolan in existence, it is "an important data point in understanding the evolution of European cartography of the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters," Pflederer said.

And it's older than portolans displayed by the Huntington Library in San Marino, the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, the Newberry Library in Chicago and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

"It's a bit of an Indiana Jones thing," Ruderman, Clausen's business partner, said of the experience.

"After over 30 years in the business, the greatest thrills are the discoveries which are truly unexpected, but for which you search and prepare your entire career. You don't know where or when, you simply prepare for the journey."

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.
A mother and her boyfriend have been arrested and charged with murder after the death of her 7-year-old boy, who, according to Michigan officials, was was brutally tortured.

There are just simply no words to describe how absolutely brutalized (the boy) was based on the facts and the evidence that we have, Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Tina Ripley told WDIV.

According to the Detroit Police Department, Alisha Hollamon, 23, and Avion Traylor, 21, have been arrested in connection to the death.

McClatchy News reached out to Traylors attorney, Randall Upshaw, on Oct. 25 but did not immediately receive a response. An attorney listed for Hollamon could not be found.

Police were called to a Detroit home around 12:08 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22 for a report of child abuse, according to WXYZ. When officers arrived, they found the boy suffering from physical injuries.

The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WKYZ reported.

Officials discovered he had brain bleeding and his pelvis was broken in half, Ripley said during court arraignments, according to The Detroit News. She also said it looked as though he had been dragged across a rough surface.

He has bruises and marks in the shape of something semi-circular. He has an anal tear and burn marks that were made post-mortem, meaning after he died, Ripley said, according to WDIV.

The boys cause of death was determined to be from multiple blunt force trauma, which caused internal bleeding, WDIV reported.

Authorities say although it was cleaned to the naked eye, they found blood in the basement of the home using black lights, and on several items they say were used as weapons, The Detroit News reported.

During the arraignment, Upshaw said none of the home videos show Traylor committing any criminal acts, according to The Detroit News. He said Traylor has no ill will.

Both Hollamon and Traylor were remanded to stay in jail as the case moves forward, according to WXYZ.

In addition to murder, the two are also charged with child abuse and torture, according to officials.

Caregivers locked man with disabilities in basement where he died, Georgia deputies say

Couple forced man with disabilities to live in squalor in backyard, Florida cops say

Cops ignored dying man in jail for 3 days, leading to slow, torturous death, suit says
Driving commutes are faster on Interstate 77s free lanes from Charlotte to Lake Norman, thanks to the toll lanes, an operator told regional highway officials last week.

Rush-hour drive times have improved by 15 minutes since before the lanes opened in 2019, despite daily backups and more vehicles in the free lanes today, I-77 Mobility Partners CEO David Garcia said.

I-77 Express provides benefits to all drivers along the corridor  not just those who choose to use the express lanes, Garcia wrote Wednesday to Ron Pappas, chairman of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization board.

The federally funded CRTPO coordinates plans for needed state and federal road projects in Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties.

I-77 Mobility Partners built and manages the 26 miles of express lanes. The company is a subsidiary of Spain-based Cintra, among the worlds largest transportation network developers.

The lanes opened after four years of construction and great political fallout to then-Gov. Pat McCrory and many Lake Norman-area elected officials.

The construction angered drivers caught in frequent two-hour backups. Business leaders and other residents felt the state should have added free lanes and never entered into a 50-year contract with the Cintra firm.

Garcia touted how well the lanes are doing in a cover letter and his companys 20 pages of responses to 50 questions that CRTPO board members had about the toll lanes.

None of the current CRTPO board members were on the panel when the state entered into the toll lanes agreement and when the lanes were built, CRTPO Executive Director Neil Burke said.

Board members submitted the questions over the past four months to gain a better understanding of how the toll lanes work, with the state Department of Transportation now exploring managed lanes from I-277 to the South Carolina line, he said.

Faster commute

Before construction of the Charlotte-to-Lake Norman lanes began, drivers needed to allot roughly 45 minutes to get from Mooresville to the Queen City during the morning and evening rush hours, and vice versa, Garcia wrote.

Today, the trip takes about 30 minutes in the free lanes, he said.

And thats despite an overall increase in traffic volume on the corridor, Garcia said.

Meanwhile, he said, the hundreds of thousands of drivers who do choose to use the express lanes each month makes clear that a growing number find value in paying a reasonable toll rate for increased reliability.

Faster speeds

Average weekday speeds have increased 15% in the general purpose lanes since before the toll lanes were built, I-77 Mobility Partners reported last week.

CRTPO board member Leigh Altman, a Mecklenburg County commissioner, asked how average speeds compared in the express and free lanes. I-77 Mobility Partners responded with information from traffic-data consultant INRIX:

Speeds in the free lanes stand at 69 mph from Mooresville Exit 36 to Cornelius Exit 28; 67 mph from Exit 28 to Exit 19 in Charlotte; and 70 mph from Exit 19 to I-277 in uptown, according to the data supplied to the CRTPO board.

Before the express lanes, the average weekday speed in the corridor was 61 mph  54 mph during rush hours, according to the INRIX data.

Average speeds in the express lanes are 72 mph between exits 36 and 28; 74 mph between exits 28 and 19; and 75 mph from Exit 19 to I-277, the data shows.

Posted speed limits are 70 mph in the express lanes and 65 mph in the general purpose lanes.

An average 300,000 distinct drivers use the express lanes each month, and usage has steadily increased, I-77 Mobility Partners reported.

The first two quarters of 2023, for example, saw 20 million transactions compared with 16.35 million the same period last year  a 22% leap, company officials said.

Of all express lane users, 88% are from North Carolina, with Mecklenburg and Iredell county drivers representing 80% of the N.C. transactions, according to I-77 Mobility Partners.

Why the daily backups?

Among her nine other questions, Altman also asked about the constant backup on I-77 between Gilead Road exit 23 in Huntersville and Davidson exit 30.

During peak traffic times, northbound drivers may encounter congestion in the general purpose lanes because of ongoing NCDOT construction of a new Exit 23 interchange. The number of free lanes at the exit drop from three to two and express lanes go from two to one at exit 28, I-77, Mobility Partners replied.

Minimal error rate, company says

Among his eight questions, CRTPO board member Rob Kidwell, a Huntersville town commissioner, wanted to know how many complaints I-77 Mobility Partners received about improper tolling of drivers.

Over four years, the company sent 113.3 million transactions from the express lanes to the N.C. Turnpike Authority, company officials replied.

In reply to another question from Kidwell, company officials said theyve settled only a few claims (from drivers) for damage caused by debris, totaling roughly $4,200.

In contrast, I-77 Mobility Partners spends millions of dollars each year repairing and replacing NCDOT-owned assets that were damaged by drivers along the I-77 Express corridor, such as guardrails, signs, delineators, attenuators, etc.

Mum about financial

I-77 Mobility Partners declined to say how tolls lanes are doing financially when Kidwell asked.

The companys contract requires it to provide financial data to the state, company officials said.

The company, however, regards the information as Trade Secret under North Carolina law and does not publicly release it, officials said.

Releasing the information would give vendors and competitors an unfair advantage in any future negotiations, I-77 Mobility Partners said.
Commentary: Landmark law ensures legal safeguards for patriotic education

Xinhua) 08:44, October 25, 2023

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Patriotic Education Law was passed on Tuesday at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's national legislature, providing a legal guarantee for carrying out patriotic education.

The legislation was carried out amid public expectations to promote patriotic education, which is facing challenges including the influences of some social thoughts, such as historical nihilism, in recent years. Some people are at a loss about what is patriotism.

The legislation serves as a clear guide for performing constitutional obligations. China's Constitution stipulates that the state should carry out patriotic education among the people.

The Constitution also stipulates that citizens shall have the obligation to safeguard national unity and the solidarity of all the country's ethnic groups, and have the obligation to safeguard the security, honor and interests of the motherland.

The law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, specifies the responsibilities in patriotic education of entities ranging from central and local government departments to schools and families.

While it is enacted to promote patriotism, the law stresses the need to be rational, inclusive and open-minded, open the country wider to the world and embrace other civilizations.

The law mandates that patriotic education shall respect the history and cultural traditions of other countries and draw inspiration from all of human civilization's outstanding achievements.

Patriotism is a universal sentiment of all humanity. Deeply rooted in the national culture, patriotism serves as a vital bond among various ethnic groups and inspires generations of Chinese people to strive to build a strong and prosperous country.

The law contains provisions already contained in laws including the National Anthem Law and the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, which ban such acts as insulting the national flag and distorting or denying heroes' deeds and spirit. It also highlights the role played by the country's systems of awards and honors in honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to the country.

With the enactment of the Patriotic Education Law, the Chinese people will be able to better shore up the national spirit and forge a collective force toward building a stronger China and realizing national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Autumn is an ideal time of year to visit wine estates like Exton Park in Hampshire (Exton Park)

Visiting a vineyard during the harvest season is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in all parts of the English winemaking (and tasting) process.

Wine estates come alive at this time of year, as juicy grapes are plucked from their vines and sent to the winery for pressing and fermenting, before being turned into our favourite vinos.

While a few vineyards will close over the autumn months, many celebrate the harvest season with exclusive winery tours and tastings.

Some estates even ask for volunteers to help pick the grapes, which can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience  especially as your hard work will often culminate with you enjoying a glass of sparkling wine.

Having started in late September this year, harvest in the UK lasts for just over a month, so now is an ideal opportunity to plan a visit to the vineyards dotted across England, to learn more about harvesting and winemaking.

With many of the countrys vineyards located in the South East, weve hand-picked a selection to visit.

Oxney Organic Estate

Location: Rye, East Sussex

Oxney is famous for making some of the best organic wines in the country (Oxney)

Harvest has already begun at East Sussexs Oxney, which is famous for making some of the best organic wines in the country  here, the 35 acres of vines produce around 20 per cent of all organic grapes grown in the UK. Oxneys tour and tasting season started on 6 May this year, and will finish on 28 October.

Book a vineyard tour

Greyfriars Vineyard

Location: Puttenham, Surrey

Take a tour for a chance to taste the new 2023 wines straight from the tank (Greyfriars)

Surrey-favourite Greyfriars is running tours in November, when youll have the opportunity to taste the new 2023 wines straight from the tank.

Book a vineyard tour

Tinwood Estate

Location: Chicester, West Sussex

Winemakers will guide you through how they hand-select the best grapes (Tinwood)

Family-owned Tinwood Estate, in the heart of Sussex, has put together the ultimate harvest package. Start the day with some light picking, as the winemakers guide you through how they hand-select the best grapes for every single one of their wines. Youll then be given a three-course rustic harvest buffet, paired with three sparkling wines.

This one isnt free (experience costs 65pp) but it makes a great gift for someone who has a real passion for wine or wants to learn more.

Join the harvest

Stanlake Park Wine Estate

Location: Twyford, Berkshire

Visitors may get the chance to taste the grape straight from the press (Stanlake Park Wine Estate)

Just a short walk from Twyford station (on the Elizabeth Line), Stanlake Park is a great place for a day visit from London. During the harvest season, tour guests will be shown the whole winemaking process, including crushing, pressing and even the opportunity to taste the grape directly from the press if its available.

Theres also an on-site wine bar that serves all of Stanlakes wines, as well as cheese and charcuterie platters. Its a great date spot.

Book a vineyard tour

Exton Park Vineyard

Location: Exton, Hampshire

Exton Park only opens its doors to visitors during harvest season (Exton Park)

Hampshires Exton Park is a private estate but, during the harvest season, the vineyard opens its doors for a limited number of tours. The exclusive visit will include the chance to explore the vines, winery and Exton Hall, followed by a tasting. Its a very intimate tour, ideal for people who want to learn a little more about English wine.

To book a vineyard tour, email: enquiries@extonparkvineyard.com

Find out more about Exton Park

Westwell Wines

Location: Charing, Kent

Join in with picking grapes at Westwell (Westwell Wines)

This year, Westwell Wines will be undertaking its biggest harvest ever, so the estate needs all the help it can get. Very soon, the low-intervention vineyard will release tickets on Eventbrite for six dates when you can join in with picking the grapes. Its free to attend, and Westwell will even lay on a big feast, overlooking the vines, with a glass of sparkling wine to celebrate.

To join the harvest, email: cellardoor@westwellwines.com

Book a vineyard tour

Kinsbrook Vineyard

Location: Pulborough, West Sussex

Kinsbrook hosts harvest vineyard tours, supper clubs and even music nights (Kinsbrook)

Make it an experience to remember with a full day of picking at Kinsbrook Vineyard. Here, they ensure volunteers are well-fuelled, with pastries and coffees to start the day, followed by lunch and a glass of wine. If you stay for the afternoon, youll even get a bottle of wine to take home with you.

If youd rather drink your wine than help make it, Kinsbrook also hosts harvest vineyard tours, supper clubs and music nights.

Join the harvest

Rathfinny Estate

Location: Alfriston, East Sussex

Book the harvest experience for an overnight stay at Flint Barns (Vivienne Blakey)

Rathfinny Estate really knows how to celebrate the harvest season. Enjoy all aspects of the estate, from dining at the Flint Barns Harvest Restaurant to a unique harvest dosage tasting experience that explains how the addition of sugar in sparkling wine changes the style and structure.

If you want to make a weekend of it, book the harvest experience package, which includes an overnight stay at Flint Barns.

Join the harvest

Other UK vineyards to visit

There are even more vineyards to visit across the rest of the UK. Check out Canalcome Vineyard in Devon, Chet Valley in Norfolk, Oaken Grove in the Chilterns, Velfrey in Wales, or Englands oldest vineyard: Hambledon in Hampshire.

Thirsty for more? Discover the best vineyards to visit in France
When 20-year-old Ed Harm landed in the Caribbean nation of Grenada in October 1983, he first noticed the heat.

As the doors to the military aircraft he was aboard opened, Harm saw and heard tracer fire and explosions.

We exited the aircraft and went to a drainage ditch and took cover, and the first thing I can remember is one of the first sergeants who was a Vietnam vet said, Man, this looks just like Vietnam," Harm, a retired staff sergeant, said during a 40th-anniversary event of Operation Urgent Fury held in Fayetteville last week.

Capt. Ben Morris, commander of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, briefs paratroopers on Pope Airfield on Oct. 24, 1983, before they loaded onto aircraft bound for the island nation of Grenada.

Troops with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment check a house near Pearls Airport in Grenada in November 1983.

Harm and fellow paratroopers from then-Fort Bragg were sent to Grenada as reinforcements in response to the aftermath of a coup overthrowing Marxist Prime Minister Maurice Bishop .

President Ronald Reagan called upon U.S. forces to rescue 600 American students and 400 foreigners living in Grenada, to protect American interests.

About 8,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines worked with 353 Caribbean allies to restore the countrys government.

Though the fighting only lasted a few days, the mission was about 51 days, according to a report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff History Office.

Paratroopers roles in Urgent Fury

Harm, of Dayton, Ohio, was an artillery forward observer originally serving with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

For Operation Urgent Fury, he was attached to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment tasked to provide air and artillery support.

The unit, he said, was one that stayed the longest on the island, leaving Dec. 15, 1983.

The battalion was under the command of now-retired Col. Keith Nightingale.

Retired Col. Keith M. Nightingale was the assault force commander during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, leading 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment through the mission.

Nightingale said Friday that the first couple of days were spent fighting the enemy followed by clearing the island.

The battalion's Charlie Company helped capture Hudson Austin, the chairman of the People's Revolutionary army and leader of the coup, Nightingale said.

From then on the war was over essentially, and then we started going out basically looking for ex-members of the Revolutionary Guard, thugs, hoodlums and outlaws, he said.

Unidentified paratroopers talk to a child in Grenada in November 1983.

Troops of B Company 2nd Battalion,505th Parachute Infantry Regiment patrol in Grenada in November 1983.

Retired Col. Mark Rocke was also attached to the battalions Charlie Company and remembers landing on the island between 1 and 2 p.m. after a counterattack led by the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Rocke was on the 82nd Airborne Divisions third aircraft onto the island on Oct. 25, 1983.

After the runway and airhead were secured at Point Salines, Rockes unit secured a compound 12 kilometers north at Frequente, he said.

We secured an enormous amount of Soviet munitions, ammunition, vehicles, weapons, binoculars and six pigs, Rocke said.

Rocke credited the enlisted soldiers he worked with for remaining professional while interacting with the citizens of Grenada, which he said helped with the mission.

By building trust, Rocke said, his soldiers were able to learn from locals where any remaining enemy activity was on the island, along with ammunition and weapons stockpiles.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class John Sulek, of Virginia, was assigned to the 319th's Bravo Company and landed on the island Oct. 24, 1983.

We spent the first night on the airfield, and the next day we moved out to the pig farm, Sulek said.

The pig farm, he said, was where his unit set up a base camp.

His unit patrolled the islands wooded areas after Austin and Bishop were captured and then moved toward Pearls Airport after the Marines left.

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division patrol the island nation of Grenada in October 1983.

Staff Sgt. Dennis Tuggle of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment asks a kid for information in the Grenada highlands in November 1983.

Sulek said his unit patrolled near the islands jungles, before leaving Dec. 9, 1983.

Retired Lt. Col. Ernie Washington, of Columbus, Georgia, was a battery commander for Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment.

Washington said his unit followed the Rangers for illumination missions near Point Salines and used threat fires, which is continuously firing rounds at about five or six targets, while the Rangers attacked.

Washington said after the Rangers succeeded, the artillery battery split its operation on one side of the island near the end runway at Pearls Airport.

His unit was back at Fort Bragg by Thanksgiving, he said.

Rescued medical students react

Washington said he saw the rescued medical students brought to the runway to leave the island. They spent a couple of harrowing days locked away not knowing what was going on, hearing gunfire explosions and things like that, he said. So, they were happy to see us and get off the island.

Nightingale said about 650 airborne troops were in the area when the first Red Cross plane landed to airlift the students out.

On pure emotional response, the students all broke ranks and ran toward my troops and began thanking them for rescuing them even though my guys physically had nothing to do with the rescue  they sort of represented what soldiers did, Nightingale.

Views of the operation

Nightingale said that while paratroopers didnt operate as a traditional infantry organization during the mission because of being scattered over too many islands, they did adapt quickly.

During the mission, a photojournalist with NBC News was embedded with Charlie Company and sent video and audio back to the U.S. for the nightly news, Nightingale said.

In my mind, that really put Vietnam behind us, he said. It was one of the first times the public could see the good that the Army was doing.

Any screw-ups, he said, were more so known internally to military personnel.

At the same time, the mission was not without losses.

Of the American forces, 19 were killed and 116 were wounded.

Remembering the fallen

Veteran paratroopers marched through the rain Friday night on Fort Liberty to participate in the installations nightly Sunset Liberty March to remember the fallen paratroopers and honor others who served during Operation Urgent Fury.

Retired Gen. Charles Jacoby Jr., who led Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment during Urgent Fury, read the names of the Fort Libertys fallen paratroopers from the conflict:

 Capt. Michael Ritz, commander of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment from Petersburg, Virginia, who died when a patrol he was leading was ambushed.

 Staff Sgt. Gary Epps, a squad leader in Bravo Company from Horton, Alabama, who died after after a round he was attempting to remove from a captured recoilless rifle exploded.

 Sgt. Sean Luketina, who was wounded after a Navy jet accidentally struck his unit's tactical operations center.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Paratroopers mark 40th anniversary of Operation Urgent Fury
I wish I loved anything as much as Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott loves razor-sharp, flesh-ripping coils of concertina wire.

Having made national headlines and aroused the more sadistic wing of his partys voting base by stretching dangerous buoys and razor wire along the Rio Grande, the thirsty-to-get-on-Fox-News governor has now had the Texas National Guard stretch miles of concertina wire along the states border with New Mexico.

Thats right, Abbott is directly violating the Texas state motto  Friendship  by fencing off part of a neighboring state.

Gov. Abbott keeps adding to his 'cruel to migrants' resume

In a terse statement, the Texas Military Department wrote: We are now fortifying the border between Texas and New Mexico to block migrants. New Mexican migrants? Tourists going from Las Cruces to El Paso?

No, the supposed intent of this decidedly dangerous fencing is to keep migrants who cross the Mexican border into New Mexico from making their way to Texas. Of course the actual intent has nothing to do with seriously addressing the issue of illegal immigration, a problem no border-state governor or presidential administration has ever been able to solve.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, center, is joined by, from left, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen during a news conference along the Rio Grande on Aug. 21, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

It's a way for Abbott to pretend he's tough on immigration while pillorying President Joe Biden's border policies, which have focused more on addressing root causes than cruel stunts. Its another thing Abbott can add to his Nobody Is Crueler To Migrants Than Ol Greg! vision board.

Razor wire in Rio Grande: Abbott's buoy barrier, razor wire border wall doesn't just risk lives. It may be illegal.

In a joint statement, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa and Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Jessica Velasquez wrote: This is the latest Operation Lone Star stunt funded by the working Texas familys tax-dollar that will result in environmental damage, community division and injuries of vulnerable migrants. Its clear that Governor Abbott has no plans on actually addressing our broken immigration system head on.

How dare those Democrats accuse the Texas governor of something so accurate.

Abbott just wants to act tough on migrants and get on Fox News

The statement continued: New Mexico has some of the most humane, people-oriented immigration laws in the country. New Mexico Democratic leaders believe that everyone who comes to our country in pursuit of a better life, as an asylum-seeker or otherwise, deserves just and humane treatment, and the laws of New Mexico reflect those values. Greg Abbott knows that New Mexican neighbors are not the enemy, but is working overtime to gain Fox News airtime.

July 11, 2023: Workers assemble large buoys to be used as a border barrier along the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass , Texas. The floating barrier is being deployed in an effort to block migrants from entering Texas from Mexico.

Again, highlighting Abbotts transparent antic while simultaneously suggesting that human beings treat other human beings with compassion is a CLASSIC Democratic maneuver. Shame on those party chairs for so rudely demeaning a man who is using taxpayer money to get Fox News host Sean Hannity to be his best pal.

Abbott's border plan isn't working: Operation Lone Star goes from bad to worse | Editorial

Perhaps Abbott should keep fencing Texas off ... a little more ... a little more ...

The truth is, theres a reasonable way Abbotts pointy-fence-enthusiasm can be leveraged to make America a better place.

As long as the governor has started constructing a barrier heading north into the United States, he might as well continue, ideally moving it 20 or so miles up to around Anthony, Texas, and then banging a sharp right, heading east and following the Texas-New Mexico border for a couple hundred miles until he hits New Mexicos Lea County. There he would want the National Guard to run the fence northward a few hundred or so miles until he hits the spot marked the Northwestern Corner of Texas.

Migrants breach a section of concertina wire after crossing the Rio Grande River on July 20, 2023, from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas hoping to seek asylum in the U.S.

Now I know this is already sounding like A LOT of fence, but the truth is, you just never know where a migrant might try to slip into the Lone Star State or, more important, where Abbott or one of his supporters might try to slip out of Texas to infiltrate what I like to call the greater 47, Americas non-Texas contiguous states. (The greater 47 does not include Alaska and Hawaii, though they are also great.)

Operation Lone Star: Border security proposals could imprison thousands of young Texans

Why not just fence off all of Texas to protect the rest of us from Greg Abbott?

Having already stretched that much fencing, Abbott might as well continue to protect his state from possible migrant invasion via Texas borders with Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

This effort, which Ive dubbed Operation Lone Star Encapsulation, will effectively seal off the roughly 4,000-mile perimeter of the state, keeping migrants out and protecting other Americans from dangerous Texas policies, including: Abbotts six-week abortion ban; his permit-free gun carrying law; his ban on transgender care for minors; his law shuttering all diversity, equity and inclusion offices at state colleges and universities; the states relentless book bans; and the fact that Elon Musk lives there.

While I would technically prefer it if the Texas governor would direct time and resources toward humane and sensible border solutions, that seems unlikely.

So second best is probably if he just fences the whole darn state off. It wont stop the flow of migrants, as barriers never do. But it might at least help the rest of us in the greater 47 avoid exposure to whatever the heck Abbott is up to down there.

USA TODAY Opinion columnist Rex Huppke.

Rex Huppke is a national columnist for USA TODAY, where this column first published. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abbott's New Mexico fence is transparent ploy. Put a wall around Texas
A decade-long campaign by Texas Republicans to punish Planned Parenthood and run it out of the state advanced this week, thanks to one of the most anti-abortion judges in the United States. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Monday ruled in favor of an anonymous anti-abortion activist who has sued Planned Parenthood and its Texas affiliates on dubious grounds, ordering a jury trial that may allow the activist to collect $1.8 billion in judgment from the organizationimperiling its very existence in the state.

Groomed by the Christian right, Kacsmaryk was appointed by President Donald Trump and began serving as a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas in 2019. Because he is the only judge serving this court, any case brought there will inevitably end up before him, which the right uses to its advantage. Its called judge-shopping, and Kacsmaryk is one of the most prominent examples of it in the country: Conservatives bring their cases to his court to ensure their desired outcome. From his courtroom in Amarillo, Kacsmaryk wields disproportionate power over sexual and reproductive freedom in particular. He has sided with a Christian right group that says the abortion pill mifepristone harms doctors, and has invoked the anti-LGBTQ group Gays Against Groomers in a ruling favoring a Texas university president who banned drag on campus.

The lawsuit against Planned Parenthood that is now before Kacsmaryk concerns the claims of an anonymous Alex Doe plaintiff, joined by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (who just last month survived an impeachment trial in the Texas state Senate over alleged corruption and bribery). Their suit accuses three Texas-based Planned Parenthood affiliates of Medicaid fraud over reimbursements for care. Doe doesnt claim that Planned Parenthood failed to provide care, such as birth control, STI testing, and hormone replacement therapy, in exchange for those reimbursements; across its Texas clinics, Planned Parenthood says that more than 100,000 Texans rely on it for care. Rather, it claims that Planned Parenthood should return the reimbursements, with penalties, because it received them after the state took legal action to exclude Planned Parenthood from Texas Medicaid. However, Planned Parenthood had not yet actually been excluded at the time it received those reimbursements.

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America denies the accusation of fraud, its general counsel Susan Manning calling the case baseless after oral arguments in August. What Does lawsuit is really about is controlling peoples bodies and lives, as Laura Terrill, CEO of Planned Parenthood of South Texas, told The 19th. It is not enough here in Texas to simply ban abortion, she added, but now the state is shutting down health care providers and preventing them from meeting the health care needs of Texans. This case is about continuing to paint abortion providers as deserving of punishment. And it started in 2013, as anti-abortion activists plotted a sting operation against Planned Parenthood that involved plaintiff Doe.

Ten years ago, a group of anti-abortion activists began planning to infiltrate conferences attended by Planned Parenthood staff and obtain gotcha videos made with hidden recording equipment, as a federal court case later explained. Their goal, the activists own plans stated, was to catch fetal traffickers, especially Planned Parenthood clinics, in order to promote defunding efforts for Planned Parenthood.

When that group, the so-called Center for Medical Progress, published their gotcha videos in 2015, they further fueled Texas state legislators ongoing offensive against Planned Parenthood and abortion access. This latest video showing yet another Planned Parenthood senior official negotiating the price of unborn baby body parts is more than just callous and morally bereft, it may be criminal, Texas Governor Greg Abbott claimed in 2015.

The state had already turned its back on $30 million in annual federal Medicaid funds because Texas Republicans wanted to exclude Planned Parenthood from the states Medicaid Womens Health Program. With the videos as rationale, in 2015 Abbott went further, launching an investigation into Planned Parenthood, vowing to end its state Medicaid funding. But then a grand jury investigation into Planned Parenthood over the videos resulted in an indictment against members of the Center for Medical Progress; eventually, a federal court awarded Planned Parenthood more than $2 million in damages. Still, after a lengthy court battle, Texas kicked Planned Parenthood off Medicaid in 2021. That was not even the end. The suit in which Alex Doe and Paxton are plaintiffs could bankrupt Planned Parenthood in Texas.

That suit, now before Kacsmaryk and set for trial next year, could force Planned Parenthood to return the Medicaid reimbursements it got while the states attempts to deny Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood were still moving through the courts and before their removal went into effect. But its not really about Medicaid, as this decade-long campaign against Planned Parenthood shows.

Doe does not shy away from this; in fact, he claims a leading role. From 2013 to 2015, his suit states, Doe says he conducted an extensive undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood, including its abortion services and fetal tissue donation and research program. He characterizes this as direct, independent, unique, and personal knowledge obtained during and after the investigation of Planned Parenthood. Though he has remained anonymous in the suit, in an effort to bolster his own credibility, he essentially admits that he was part of the Center for Medical Progress sting video operation, taking credit in the lawsuit for publishing undercover videos of Planned Parenthood to YouTube himself. This isnt about fraud, which that same anti-abortion group has engaged in. Its about vindication.

Consider all that in light of Does lawsuit, which could bankrupt Planned Parenthood, closing clinics in Texas and possibly elsewhere. I know the state wants to punish Planned Parenthood for being an abortion provider, said Dr. Amna Dermish, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, but all youre doing is punishing patients. But punishing patients is precisely the goal for Doe and Paxtonand why, no doubt, theyve brought their case to Kacsmaryks court.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Wednesday urged the judge overseeing former President Trumps federal 2020 election criminal case in D.C. to reevaluate her gag order, arguing it is unconstitutionally overly broad and vague.

Former President, and now Defendant, Donald Trump has said many things, the ACLU and its D.C. affiliate wrote in court filings. Much that he has said has been patently false and has caused great harm to countless individuals, as well as to the Republic itself. Some of his words and actions have led him to this criminal indictment, which alleges grave wrongdoing in contempt of the peaceful transition of power.

But Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say, the brief continued.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan last week granted special counsel Jack Smiths motion to impose a gag order on Trump after he made a series of incendiary Truth Social posts attacking D.C. and various people involved in his case.

Trump is charged with four federal felony counts over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, one of four criminal indictments he faces. He pleaded not guilty and has filed a variety of motions seeking to toss the charges.

Chutkans gag order, which is currently paused, bars Trump and his attorneys from speech that would target foreseeable witnesses, prosecutors in the case and court personnel. The former president is appealing.

The ACLU said the order is vague enough to violate Trumps due process rights, contending he cannot possibly know what he is permitted to say.

The entire order hinges on the meaning of the word target, the ACLU wrote in its brief. But that meaning is ambiguous, and fails to provide the fair warning that the Constitution demands, especially when, as here, it concerns a prior restraint on speech.

The civil liberties group also contended the order is overly broad in violation of Trumps First Amendment rights, saying it could prevent him from speaking about key points in the campaign, including the results of the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

This case is already one of the most talked-about trials of all time, the ACLU wrote. There may never have been a better-known criminal case in American history, or a better-known defendant. With that in mind, to the extent that the Courts order seeks to prevent future statements from affecting the impartiality of the potential jury pool, the order seems unlikely to make much of a difference.

The gag order is one of two imposed on Trump in his various cases.

In his civil fraud trial in New York, the former president was placed under a narrow gag order after attacking the judges principal clerk. That judge has since found Trump violated the order on two occasions and issued fines.

The ACLU filing comes the same day Trump unexpectedly took the stand in the New York case to answer allegations of violating the order.

Judge Arthur Engoron asked whether Trump made a reported comment that he is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is. Trump nodded, responding yes.

To whom were you referring? Engoron asked.

You and [Michael] Cohen, Trump replied.

Are you sure that you didnt mean the person on the other side, my principal law clerk? Engoron asked.

Yes, Im sure, Trump said.

The judge fined Trump $10,000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Malaysia's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lin Kang speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Australian miner Lynas Rare Earth has won a reprieve until March 2026 to continue its activities in its Malaysian plant that produce radioactive waste material. Science Minister Chang Lih Kang said Malaysia agreed to give Lynas time to implement a new process to extract radioactive element from rare raw earth that it imports and from the waste itself. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Environmental activists voiced disappointment Wednesday at Malaysia's decision to allow Lynas Rare Earths to continue operations until March 2026, and demanded more transparency on plans by the Australian miner to extract a radioactive element from its growing waste.

The government Tuesday said it allowed Lynas to continue to import and process rare earths at its refinery in central Pahang state, reversing a decision for such activities to halt by Jan. 1. This came after Lynas proposed a method to draw out thorium, the radioactive element, from raw feedstock and from over a million tons of waste accumulated at its refinery.

Activist Wong Tack said the government should have first compelled Lynas to prove that its proposal could work by immediately removing thorium from its existing waste.

It is extremely irresponsible of the (science) minister to extend Lynas license and allow them to generate more waste when the existing waste has not been safely dealt with, he said.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth Malaysia said it was baffled as the government's U-turn was based merely on a preliminary laboratory study by Lynas. It called for details of the Lynas study to be made public.

It noted that previous research by Lynas to turn the radioactive waste into agriculture fertilizer was rejected by the government.

A reversal of the government decision based on this preliminary study does not at all sound convincing or assuring from a public health and environmental standpoint, it said in a statement. While the government is keen to profit from the rare earths industry, this cannot be at the expense of peoples health and the environment, it added.

Science Minister Chang Lih Kang said Tuesday that officials had studied Lynas proposal and found it feasible. He provided no details. He said Lynas would need time to conduct a pilot study, before commercializing thorium, which can be sold for use in nuclear plants overseas and other industries.

The Malaysian refinery is Lynas' first outside China producing minerals that are crucial to high-tech manufacturing and has been operating since 2012. The government gave Lynas a 10-year tax exemption but there were concerns about the facility's radioactive waste.

It has amassed in a gigantic open landfill exposed to natural disasters such as floods. Lynas is building a permanent disposal facility to bury the waste but it's unclear why it took so long to complete.

The extension granted this week is one of several reprieves the company has won. The government originally ordered Lynas to move its leaching and cracking processes  which produce the radioactive waste from Australian ore  out of the country by the years end. It also was not allowed to import raw materials with radioactive elements into the country.

Science Minister Chang has said he considered the decision a win-win situation because a successful removal of the radioactive element would resolve the issue of the growing toxic waste.

Rare earths are 17 minerals used to make products such as electric or hybrid vehicles, weapons, flat-screen TVs, mobile phones, mercury-vapor lights and camera lenses. China has about a third of the worlds rare earth reserves but a near monopoly on supplies. Lynas has said its refinery could meet nearly a third of world demand for rare earths, excluding China.
Advocates are warning the state of North Carolina to do a better job funding historically Black colleges and universities, or face legal action.

They gathered Wednesday afternoon to emphasize that schools need billions of dollars more. The group wants a response from the governor, and soon.

A woman who attended a HBCU told Channel 9s Ken Lemon shes glad to know someone is speaking up about funding for the schools.

Some attorneys said theyre ready to speak up in court. They stood on the south side of the state capital Wednesday afternoon and said this was their warning before a federal lawsuit.

ALSO READ: HBCU Battle of the Bands delayed by heat-related calls, MEDIC says

Soon after, Lemon spoke with Charlotte lawyer William Harding by Zoom.

We sent a letter yesterday to the governor giving the governor 10 days to sit down and meet with us, Harding said.

Harding and the other attorneys represent alumni of North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T, Elizabeth City State, Winston-Salem State, and Fayetteville State universities -- all historically Black colleges and universities. They are colleges started at a time when Black students were barred from attending other colleges.

The group wanted to talk to the governor about a letter the U.S. Department of Education sent him in September, noting some glaring shortcomings going back more than 130 years.

What we intend to do is to address this wrong that has gone on for generations, Harding said.

ALSO READ: Applications open for NCDOTs HBCU internship and fellowship program

The letter to the governor looks at a 33-year period from 1987 to 2020. It says that during that time, HBCUs received $2 billion less in state funding than other colleges.

Discussion isnt to take away funds from North Carolina State or North Carolina University, but rather to address the deficiency plaguing the HBCUs, Harding said.

The letter says the shortfall hurts more than students at just those schools. It says HBCUs serve 10% of all Black students, generate close to $15 billion, and create 134,000 jobs.

Wednesdays speakers say the lapse in funding can change with a plan from the state.

My clients would say its about time, Harding said.

Harding said the group Wednesday is prepared to file a federal lawsuit for the billions lost and a change in funding moving forward. He said that would require action from the General Assembly too.

(WATCH BELOW: Applications open for NCDOTs HBCU internship and fellowship program)




More than 500 miners who stayed underground for almost three days in a standoff between rival South African labour unions were all brought back to the surface on Wednesday, police said.

Some 455 workers including paramedics and security guards emerged into the afternoon daylight after a first group of 107 had made their way back up in the morning, said police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili.

"The mine rescue team has confirmed that they have cleared the underground area," she said.

"Paramedics that were on the surface provided medical assistance and four injured men, including a security officer, were taken to hospital for further medical treatment," she added.

Authorities seized sticks and screw drivers that were found in the mine lift and would open a case of kidnapping and assault, she said.

The miners had failed to emerge from the Gold One mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg, after a night shift on Monday.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), one of the two unions involved, and management at the mine said the workers were being "held hostage" by members of the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).

AMCU denied the allegations, saying the miners were staging a "sit-in" protest.

But police later said that some miners confirmed in interviews with detectives "that they were indeed held against their will".

NUM's spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said some of those who got out in the morning did so after overpowering "those that were holding them hostage".

- AMCU seeks recognition -

The AMCU's regional secretary Tladi Mokwena had earlier said that all the miners were coming out "willingly" having run out of food.

"Management has closed all the routes for them to receive food. So, we couldn't allow workers to stay underground without food," he said.

The dispute revolved around union representation at the mine, where the NUM is currently the only group officially registered.

The AMCU says an overwhelming majority of miners have signed up to join it. But it is yet to be given official representation, which it says is the reason for the protest.

The NUM was founded in 1982 by the country's President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former labour unionist. It remains the nation's biggest mineworker union.

zam-ub/acc/gw
An 11th hour email from the Missouri Attorney General, school board members accusing each other of "playing politics," and talk of morality, chemical castration and God were part of an often fiery debate Tuesday over revising an anti-discrimination policy.

In the end, the Springfield school board voted 4-3 to postpone  indefinitely  any vote on adding "gender identity and sexual orientation" to the list of reasons why students cannot be discriminated against when it comes to school meals.

"All children are vulnerable and when adults begin to adopt language like this, it's the adults that are leading the children. We are saying it's OK when it's not. This language  SOGI (an acronym for sexual orientation and gender identity)  simply encourages children to make decisions in their life they are not equipped to make. Some will unfortunately contemplate suicide and some will commit suicide," said board member Steve Makoski, at the start of the discussion.

"Children will be guided to have medical interventions such as having breast removal or chemically castrated, treated with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. It is humanly impossible to change one's sex. Our Lord God, our creator, made you to be a man or a woman, a boy or a girl ... Our Lord has placed us here to take care of our children and taking them down this path is immoral."

The change was required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for any district that participates in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. Nearly 54% of students live close enough to the poverty line to pay little or no money to eat at school.

The free and reduced-price lunch rate, a national measure of poverty, is also used to determine how much federal Title I funding is sent to the district to help level the playing field academically for at-risk students. Currently for Springfield, that is $7.5 million.

A month earlier, the board voted 3-3 on the proposed change to policy AC  which prohibits illegal discrimination, harassment and retaliation  leaving it unchanged. Board president Danielle Kincaid, who was traveling overseas at the time of the Sept. 26 vote, asked for the issue to be placed on the Tuesday agenda.

"We are not talking about whether we agree or disagree with protecting sexual orientation and gender identity," she said. "What we are saying is the USDA has required us to place these (words) in our policies in order to continue to receive funding."

In the public comment section at the start, dominated by patrons arguing for or against the change, Cary Wells read a letter about the matter from Attorney General Andrew Bailey to Superintendent Grenita Lathan.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey

In the letter, Bailey warned the board not to revise the policy based on "incorrect guidance" from the USDA and said his office  as well as other Republican state attorneys general  have been fighting the change in court. Republican lawmakers have also voiced strong opposition.

Bailey accused President Joe Biden of forcing districts to "acquiesce to a radical sexual ideology" in order to feed students, using tactics of fear and intimidation and of making children pawns in a "wider culture war."

In conclusion, Bailey wrote he was ready to take action if needed to protect Missouri citizens from edicts "with no basis in the law."

Bailey sent the letter to media outlets at 5 p.m. and Lathan said she was handed a copy minutes before the start of the meeting. Board member Kelly Byrne called for a short break so the letter could be read prior to any vote on the policy revision.

Following the break there was a lengthy discussion and then the 4-3 vote to postpone any decision about the policy revision indefinitely.

Scott Crise

Board vice president Scott Crise  who supported making the policy revision a month ago  voted to table the vote Tuesday along with Byrne, Makoski and Maryam Mohammadkhani. The three voted against the revision in the Sept. 26 meeting.

Kincaid along with board members Judy Brunner and Shurita Thomas-Tate  who unsuccessfully attempted to make the revision last month  voted against postponing the vote Tuesday.

Following the meeting, Crise told the News-Leader he works to "understand both sides" of an issue and didn't want to rush a decision on the policy.

"I struggled when we got more information from the Attorney General," he said. "I just need more time to make the right decision."

Policy out of compliance with USDA

There was back-and-forth Tuesday about what the proposed policy revision meant and what, if anything, was at risk if the change was not made.

Springfield school board president Danielle Kincaid, who was out of the country when the initial vote was taken on policy AC, asked for it to be back on the agenda Tuesday.

Byrne, Makoski and Mohammadkhani have repeatedly said they do not believe any federal funding tied to the free and reduced-price school lunch rate is in danger.

Brunner, Kincaid and Thomas-Tate said their support for making the change is about compliance and not wanting to risk the possibility of a USDA audit or funding loss.

"I believe we have a fiduciary responsibility to comply with regulations regardless of any specific political party that may be in power at the time," Brunner said.

Before voting to table, Crise described the vote as the most difficult issue he's faced on the board. He said there was "low risk" of an audit or funding loss.

Byrne said he reached out to the office of U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, among others, about the possibility of losing funds and was satisfied there was no risk involved.

Kelly Byrne

"Now we find ourselves in the middle of apparently a disagreement between the state and federal government," he said, pointing to Bailey's letter. "... I don't see a need for us to rush and pass a change to a policy that was already in place. I think the proper action would be to do no action until the state and federal government figure this out."

The existing policy prohibits discrimination on the "basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity" in any program or activity conducted or funded by the USDA.

Mohammadkhani backed taking a wait-and-see approach and reiterated a suggestion she made last month that the board adopt an overarching policy statement that it will simply follow the law.

"Now it appears to me that the validity of the USDA edict as law is in question and assuming that if it were law, it can be changed and it can be revised so I see it as being much more efficient to not get bogged down chasing laws with district-level policies and spend our policy currency on what directly affects our classroom," she said.

Springfield school board member Maryam Mohammdkhani supported tabling the Tuesday vote on the proposed policy revision.

Mohammadkhani said she voted against the revision last month in an effort to "stave off divisive policies that would indeed polarize the community, that would overstep the parents and that would ultimately harm our students."

The Missouri School Boards' Association notified districts including Springfield about the policy change required by the USDA.

Mohammadkhani urged SPS to share Bailey's letter with the MSBA.

"That begs the question: How and why did MSBA advance on this? They essentially put the cart ahead of the horse. I am beginning to wonder if they're being coerced and they're taking something that is questionable as law and adopting it as policy to sidestep the legality of the policy. Who is doing this?"

"More partisan in our decision-making'

This is the second time this year that the SPS board has opted not to vote on an issue related to gender identity and sexual orientation.

Parents and advocates repeatedly asked the board to make a statement of support for LGBTQ students and staff for more than a year.

This summer when Thomas-Tate made a motion in favor of making the largely symbolic gesture, it died for lack of a second.

Springfield school board president Danielle Kincaid asked for the proposed policy revision that failed in a 3-3 vote in September to be put on the Tuesday agenda for a another vote.

On Tuesday, Thomas-Tate said the governing body of the district is required by law to be non-partisan.

"I have been really dismayed at the level of politics that are continuously being pushed by the school board and we have become more and more partisan in our decision-making and it is disturbing," she said.

She objected to suggestions that "it is going to harm our children to add this language to this policy."

"We are focusing on this policy because it has been made a political issue rather than a policy issue that deals with feeding our students," she said.

Byrne said certain policy revision requests  including a recent one to change "his or her" pronouns and "replacing with their"  is evidence of politics and "playing games somewhere in Jefferson City or Washington D.C."

"That sure is a signal to me about what all of this is about," he said.

More: Springfield school board will fill 3 seats in April. How many incumbents will run again?

Mohammadkhani said her opposition to the school lunch policy change was not "rooted in politics."

"How this got politicized is by our board president bringing this back and choosing to spend more time on this and I need to emphasize that my vote has nothing to do with my opinions on sexual orientation and gender identity," she said.

Mohammadkhani questioned why policy AC  and another related to the USDA requirement  were placed back on the agenda since a quorum voted 3-3 on both a month ago.

"I'd like to get some clarity around when other board members in the future ask for a re-vote if a member was absent or if they feel that the circumstances have changed in some manner," she said.

She said revisiting the issue was a waste of time.

"What is in jeopardy is the quality of educations that students receive in our district and that parents expect because this board is choosing to focus on this conversation rather than on policies that directly impact our classrooms such as discipline, curriculum and above all the safety of our students," she said.

Thomas-Tate said making policy language more inclusive does not negatively impact students. Makoski disagreed.

"If we go down this road, it is not going to stop there," he said. "I cannot live with myself when another child kills themselves because adults (are) pushing this ideology and this language. It is not about being political."

Makoski added: "This has absolutely no place in this school system."

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: SPS board puts off vote to revise school lunch discrimination policy
The Scene

Blockchain and crypto have been criticized for years as a solution in search of a problem.

Now some industry entrepreneurs may have found the problem: A shortage of compute power needed to train AI models.

The solution: Researchers and startups that cant get graphics processing units (GPUs) can use blockchain-based markets to quickly and easily access compute power for a fraction of what major providers charge.

Bitcoin miners and others spurred an arms race for GPUs needed to conduct calculations to keep systems running, but demand slumped when the digital currency market collapsed last year. Now instead of simply cannibalizing the struggling crypto industry, some AI companies are leaning on the blockchain to distribute those same GPUs.

Ishan Dhanani, a computer science graduate student at Columbia University, is an example of how upstarts are getting around GPU shortages through the blockchain. He wanted to start fine tuning Metas LLama2 open-source AI model to experiment on it, but ran into the reality that huge companies have swallowed up most of the compute power.

He couldnt obtain any through market leader Amazon Web Services, and smaller providers were always sold out. Getting access through Columbia was also a headache.

That led him to the Akash Network, one of a handful of companies that have created protocols to allow owners of GPUs to rent them out on the blockchain, earning tokens for every minute the GPU is utilized. Dhanani was able to access a $15,000 Nvidia A100 for $1.10 per hour through Akash. It took him about seven hours to complete his work, for about the cost of a beer.

Companies like Akash can offer cheaper access partly because the protocols are set up to run on their own, like a version of Airbnb or Uber without those companies taking commissions. Community members on the blockchain, incentivized with tokens, handle the nuts and bolts of the operation. As a result, the costs are low, with nobody except for the owners of the GPUs earning any significant revenue on the transaction.

The experience spurred Dhanani and two friends to launch Agora Labs a few months ago to help what he calls the GPU poor more easily book time on GPUs via the blockchain. The OpenAIs and Anthropics cant be the only ones that have the power to train and host models like ChatGPT, he said.

UK-based Gensyn, which recently announced a $43 million Series A funding round, represents a huge venture capital bet that blockchain has a future facilitating the sale of GPU time for the AI industry.

Gensyn is building a system that would vastly simplify the pricing model for training in AI, according to an interview with the companys co-founders. Instead of paying for time on a GPU, Gensyn plans to estimate the overall time and cost of the training job and then spread the tasks around to computers all around the world, searching for the best prices.

That strategy involves tackling a thorny technological problem: The more spread out the compute resources are, the more complicated the training gets.

Gensyn co-founder Ben Fielding said when he was earning his PhD in deep learning, the scarcity of compute resources meant he was unable to fully complete his research in automating the development of AI models.

The only people who could do that research were Google and Microsoft, he said. I realized if I was in that position, a lot of other people in the world were in that position, which meant we werent moving as quickly towards a machine-learning future as we could be.

Know More

Fielding said that AI research has evolved around the worlds most powerful graphics processors. But he argued that if a massive network of GPUs were available on the blockchain, the types of AI models would adapt so they could be trained on a wider variety of processors.

As Gensyn readies its product, Akash Network says it will soon help facilitate the training of the first AI foundation model using GPUs on the blockchain. Startup Thumper AI is building a product that will allow artists to create their own AI models based on their personal work,and then sell access to those models. To do that, it needs access to GPUs to fine-tune its proprietary model using Stable Diffusion.

But Thumper CEO Logan Cerkovnik ran into a familiar problem: AWS would not give him access to the number of GPUs he needed to train the model. He also looked at some smaller providers and companies that resell GPU space. But he said the blockchain solution made more sense. With data center providers, he said, there are conversations with salespeople, price negotiations, and a vetting process. On Akash, the transaction is quick and easy, he said.

Some companies that provide compute power for crypto firms have begun offering up those resources to the AI industry, like Foundry. It repurposed its data centers, used primarily to mine Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, and added additional GPU capacity to run AI models through another decentralized platform, Bittensor. Its also allowing its GPUs to be rented out on the blockchain through Akash. We asked ourselves how else can we support the decentralized infrastructure thesis that Foundry holds as a whole? said Tommy Eastman, Accelerated Compute Engineering Lead.

While protocols like Akash are being used to train AI models, Bittensor is being used to run those models, a process known as inference. On Bittensor, users can play around with a chatbot similar to ChatGPT. The difference is that each prompt is sent to a wide network of entities on the blockchain, which get assigned the prompt based on the compute needs. The winning bid receives cryptocurrency as payment.

Reeds view

In tech, the people who build platforms often cant imagine how they will ultimately be used. Steve Jobs probably never thought the iPhone would enable Uber. Mark Zuckerberg likely didnt envision Facebook would lead to the creation of Zynga.

The idea behind the blockchain is to build the platform to end all platforms  the ultimate canvas for the development of new ideas, without a central owner, that cant be corrupted and manipulated. Sure, its idealistic and possibly naive. And the blockchain has attracted plenty of unsavory people who saw an opportunity to make a quick buck.

And yet, here we are. Another platform with an unintended use case that seems, well, pretty useful. Its ironic because the massive compute resources necessary to make the crypto industry work were viewed almost as the industrys Achilles heel. Companies like Tesla stopped accepting Bitcoin because it was too energy intensive and thus a big contributor to climate change.

That Achilles heel may become cryptos saving grace. Blockchain got really good at efficiently selling compute power to the highest bidder with very little fuss. And now, the generative-AI craze has spawned a new industry that is even more energy-hungry than crypto. And, unlike crypto, it is unlikely to slow down any time soon.

Theres another reason this could work: Its not a get-rich-quick scheme. One of the biggest problems with crypto was that the financial speculation essentially spoiled all of its ideas. People invented initial coin offerings and the pump-and-dump schemes immediately tanked the idea. As soon as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were created, speculators jacked up the prices so quickly that most people couldnt participate.

This new model isnt built for financial speculation. Most customers acquiring the GPU-time will be paying in regular currency, and the market for GPU-time will always be somewhat anchored to what cloud providers are charging. The tokens will mainly be used on the back end to facilitate the transactions and incentivize people to take part in the maintenance of the system.

And there are some interesting long-term possibilities here. (Sorry, but the following is super geeky). If the blockchain gets better at distributing compute power, significantly lowering latency, you could see something like a decentralized cloud. In that scenario, all of those powerful devices we carry in our pockets and have sitting around at home could be used more efficiently as part of powerful global computers, all meshed together into a communications network that gives us constant connectivity.

Room for Disagreement

Some people argue that democratizing the ability to train AI models is a potentially dangerous development. People could make models that act maliciously, violate copyright laws, and potentially even develop into dangerous, out-of-control malicious actors.

Notable

People are going to great lengths to find GPUs, as this New York Times story chronicles.

Correction

Comments attributed to a Gensyn co-founder were made by Ben Fielding. An earlier version of this story misattributed his comments to the companys other co-founder, Harry Grieve.
A stock image of someone looking at a screen with code reflected in their glasses

Artificial intelligence could increase the risk of cyber-attacks and erode trust in online content by 2025, a UK government report warns.

The tech could even help plan biological or chemical attacks by terrorists, it says.

But some experts have questioned whether the tech will evolve as predicted.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to highlight opportunities and threats posed by the technology on Thursday.

The government report looks at generative AI - the type of system that currently powers popular chatbots and image generation software.

It is based in part on declassified information from intelligence agencies.

The report warns that by 2025 generative AI could be "used to assemble knowledge on physical attacks by non-state violent actors, including for chemical, biological and radiological weapons".

It says while firms are working to block this, "the effectiveness of these safeguards vary".

There are obstacles to getting hold of the knowledge, raw materials, and equipment for attacks, but those barriers are falling - potentially accelerated by AI, according to the report.

By 2025, it's likely AI will also help create "faster-paced, more effective and larger scale" cyber-attacks, it warns.

Joseph Jarnecki, who researches cyber threats at the Royal United Services Institute, said that AI could help hackers, especially in overcoming their difficulties in mimicking official language.

"There's a tone that is adopted in bureaucratic language and cybercriminals have found that quite difficult to harness," he told the BBC.

The report comes ahead of a speech by Mr Sunak on Thursday where he is expected to set out how the UK government aims to make AI safe, and establish the UK as a global leader in AI safety.

"AI will bring new knowledge, new opportunities for economic growth, new advances in human capability, and the chance to solve problems we once thought beyond us. But it also brings new dangers and new fears," Mr Sunak is expected to say.

He will commit to address those fears head on, "making sure you and your children have all the opportunities for a better future that AI can bring".

AI meeting

The speech sets the scene for a government summit next week to discuss the threat posed by highly advanced AIs.

It will focus on the regulation of so-called "Frontier AI": powerful future AI systems that ministers say "can perform a wide variety of tasks" and "exceed the capabilities of today's most advanced models".

Whether or not such systems could pose a threat to humanity is a hotly debated.

Another newly published report by the Government Office for Science, which advises the prime minister and cabinet, says "many experts consider this a risk with very low likelihood and few plausible routes to being realised."

It says to pose a risk to human existence, an AI would need some control over vital systems, such as weapons or financial systems.

They would also need new skills such as the capacity to improve their own programming, the ability to evade human oversight and a sense of autonomy.

But it notes "there is no consensus on the timelines and plausibility of when specific future capabilities could emerge".

Rules of the road

The big AI firms have mostly agreed that regulation is necessary, and their representatives are likely to attend the summit.

But Rachel Coldicutt, an expert on the social impact of technology, questioned the focus of the summit.

She said it placed too much weight on future risk: "It makes loads of sense that technology companies, who stand to lose more by being regulated about the things they're making in the here-and-now, will focus on long-term risk."

"And it has felt over the summer, as if the government position has been very strongly aligned, supporting those views," she told the BBC.

But she said the government reports were "moderating some of the the fervour" about these futuristic threats and made it clear that there was a gap between "the political position and the actual technical one".
One of the biggest examples of fake news might have happened well before the internet age. The story goes that newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst once sent a photographer to Cuba in order to cover a rebellion against Spanish rule in 1897. However, upon arrival in the country, the photographer sent a telegram back to Hearst telling him that there was no war to reportto which Hearst replied, You furnish the pictures and Ill furnish the war.

True to his word, the newspaper magnate drummed up public support for the Cuban rebels with his sensationalized reporting of the conflict, eventually leading to the Spanish-American War.

While historians largely agree that the story likely never happened, the truth remains that the images and videos captured during times of war have the ability to change the very face of a conflict. The famous Napalm Girl image helped turn American sentiment against the Vietnam War. Pictures and videos of the concentration camps in Europe brought the Nazis atrocities out into the daylight.

However, with technologies like artificial intelligence and deepfakes proliferating more than ever, doctored or misleading images pose a profound challenge in fighting misinformation in times of warsomething that has come into stark relief during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Turns Out Deepfakes Are Damn Good at Making Us Invent False Memories

Since Moscows invasion began in 2022, weve seen fake videos of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky surrendering to Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a peace deal with Ukraine, and even video game footage being used to claim that a single Ukrainian fighter pilot was taking down Russian aircraft with deadly precision.

Deepfakes loomed over social media during the invasion, John Twomey, a PhD student in applied psychology at the University College Cork in Ireland, told The Daily Beast in an email. The Ukraine government had been warning that they would be used in cyberwarfare for weeks before the infamous Zelensky deepfake happened. This was clearly something governments, media, and people had been aware was a possibility.

Twomey co-authored a paper published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE looking at deepfakes related to the Russo-Ukrainian War and their impact on public perception of conflict. The study found that not only did the AI-generated videos create confusion and concern among the public and news media, they also contributed to the erosion of trust that users had in videos they saw coming from the warregardless of whether or not they were true. The paper is the first of its kind to look at the impact that such AI is having on war.

The authors analyzed nearly 5,000 tweets in English, German, and French from the first seven months of 2022. They noted that the Russo-Ukrainian War marked the beginning of AI-generated videos being used during wartimeoffering an incredibly rare and novel opportunity to study its effects on misinformation.

Inside the Underground World of Black Market AI Chatbots

The conflict spawned some of the most prominent examples of deepfake disinformation yet, Twomey said, but his team found that people employ healthy skepticism and prepared for the likelihood of deepfake media.

For example, the AI deepfake of Zelensky surrendering to Putin was swiftly debunked by the Ukrainian government and news media, as have most others.

The Zelensky video was really shittily done, Todd Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation and expert on AI disinformation, told The Daily Beast. Nobody in Ukraine believed it and it didnt raise any concern in Ukraine.

However, he added that the video was important as it was one of the first big national security-focused deepfake videos that was intended to fool people and the technology, while still in its early stages and rough around the edges, will eventually be refined, more convincing, and potentially disastrous.

And with new conflict emerging, as evidenced by Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli bombing campaign of Gaza, the technology holds greater potential than ever to spread misinformation and cause real-world harm.

We Need to Stop Freaking Out About AI Deepfakes

Certainly the use of deepfakes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine highlights that indeed deepfake media has the potential to play a role in any conflict, Twomey said. But how much of an impact that a deepfake may have? The jury is still out.

The studys authors added that their findings underscore a great need for deepfake literacy in the media and broader public to better identify what is true and what is simply a bot-made video.

However, this is a double-edged sword, Twomey said. Perhaps the greatest impact AI deepfakes have in the immediate future is in the erosion of public trust in any media that comes out of these conflicts. The more the public is aware of these deepfakes, the less theyre likely to trust any image or video.

Healthy skepticism is important, Twomey said. Ideally people are going to be able to balance an awareness of deepfakes with the knowledge that they arent very prevalent as it is. And to recognize the harms which come with accusing real media of being fake. People need to be aware that sometimes figuring out what is actually true can take time and not just rush to be the first person to call something fake.

This is ultimately a good thing, though, according to Helmus. People need to be able to adapt to technological changes. He likened it to the Orson Welles infamous radio broadcast of War of the Worlds that caused mass panic throughout the U.S. after listeners believed it to be real. Eventually, the public learned to take radio stories with a grain of salt. The same is true of AI deepfakes and social media. Rather the public have an immediate sense of skepticism when it comes to a video than believe a deepfake of Zelenksy surrendering to Putin.

In the meantime, policymakers can begin to employ regulations surrounding the technology behind these deepfakes in order to make them more easily identifiable as fakes. This could mean requiring watermarks in every AI-generated video or including devices on cameras that can verify that real images and videos are indeed real.

I dont think we have to be deeply concerned at this point about the future of civilization, Helmus said. I believe theres reason to believe that the world will adjust to this and we wont become a dystopian society. The worlds not ending yet. Maybe it will. But it hasnt ended yet.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Air Force police fired several shots Tuesday at a vehicle that sped through the main entry of a Texas base.

An unidentified driver sped in the direction of Air Force guards "at a high rate of speed in the wrong direction of traffic" at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis on Tuesday, speeding through the access control point and gaining access to the installation for several minutes before speeding back through the gate exit, according to a report from Military.com.

"Security forces pursued the driver and took defensive measures when the suspected gate runner attempted to exit the installation via the inbound lane traveling at an excessive rate of speed," Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis spokesperson Angela Casarez said of the incident, according to Military Times.

SOUTH CAROLINA AIRMAN SHOOTS 'GATE RUNNER' ATTEMPTING TO ILLEGALLY ENTER SHAW AIR FORCE BASE PROPERTY

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

The driver reportedly was unable to reach any of the training areas located on the more than 27,000-acre base, and did not sustain any injuries from the shots fired by Air Force guards.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The San Antonio Police Department later arrested the suspect about nine miles from the base after he was involved in a separate incident, according to the report.

Camp Bullis, which is used mainly for training Army, Air Force and Marine Corps combat troops, is part of Joint Base San Antonio, which also includes Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Air Force Base, and Lackland Air Force Base. Fort Sam Houston was forced to close another gate and place several buildings on lockdown around the same time as the incident at Camp Bullis after several gunshots were heard from a nearby wooded area outside the gate.

It is unclear if the two incidents were related, while the gates and buildings opened hours later, according to the report.

There were no reports of injuries to military personnel in the incidents.

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Joint Base San Antonio confirmed that Air Force Security Forces "fired several shots in self-defense" when the subject drove toward them, but noted "no injuries to Air Force personnel, the subject, or damage to Air Force property was reported in relation to this incident" and that it remains under investigation.





Original article source: Air Force police open fire on driver attempting to run gate of Texas base
The Ukrainian Air Force issued air-raid warnings in a number of regions of Ukraine late in the evening of 24 October. These were extended to the west of the country at around 04:00. Then the all-clear was given, but air-raid sirens sounded again in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts at 05:11.

Source: Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram

Details: As of 23:49, an air-raid warning was issued in Cherkasy, Poltava, Kharkiv and Donetsk oblast. The Air Force warned of a risk of missile attacks.

At 00:00 an air-raid warning was issued in Kyiv Oblast.

An air-raid warning was issued in Mykolaiv, Kherson and Vinnytsia oblasts due to drone threats at around 00:30.

It was also raised in Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr oblasts at around 01:00.

The air-raid warning was extended to Kirovohrad Oblast at 01:16.

     1.16

An air-raid warning map as of 01:16

The warning covered Rivne and Ternopil oblasts at around 04:00.

The all-clear was given in all oblasts at 04:04.

An air-raid warning was issued again in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts at 05:11.

Background: On the evening of 24 October, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that a Russian UAV was moving in the air space between Kharkiv and Poltava oblasts in Ukraine.

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A private plane departed without permission in Texas on Tuesday, colliding with another private aircraft as both were moving on an airfield at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to Fox News Digital that the incident happened at 4 p.m. local time Tuesday.

Two private planes collided Tuesday at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas.

Officials said that a twin-engine Hawker aircraft departed without permission from Runway 22 at the airport, when it collided with a twin-engine Cessna C510 that was landing on Runway 13 Right.

AIRPLANE DRAMA, INCLUDING 'FIERCE ARGUMENT' BETWEEN COUPLE, RESULTS IN DIVERTED FLIGHT, POLICE PRESENCE

The Cessna C510 taxied to the ramp area following the collision, the FAA said.

No injuries were reported on either aircraft, the FAA said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The FAA said it is still investigating how many passengers were on board the planes, but a twin-engine Hawker can fly nine passengers, while a twin-engine Cessna C510 can hold up to six passengers.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO CAPTURES MOMENTS AFTER OFF-DUTY PILOT ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO DISABLE ENGINES

Authorities said debris caused by the collision put the airport into a ground stop, shutting down the airfield for several hours.

Around 7 p.m. local time, Hobby Airport posted on X all debris had been cleared from the airfield and that flight operations had been restored.

Entrance to the arrivals terminal area of the William P. Hobby Airport, Houston.

"The debris has been cleared from the airfield. Hobby Airport has restored flight operations," Hobby Airport officials said. "Please contact your airline for flight status."





Original article source: Aircraft departing without permission at Texas airport causes collision: FAA
Palestinians evacuate two wounded boys out of the destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. The U.N. warned on Wednesday that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the territory blockaded and devastated by Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.(AP Photo/Abed Khaled)

CAIRO (AP)  Al Jazeera's chief correspondent in the Gaza Strip, Wael Dahdouh, was helping broadcast live images of the besieged territory's night sky when he received the devastating news: His wife, son, and daughter had all been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.

Moments later, the Qatari-based satellite channel switched to footage of Dahdouh entering al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza before giving way to grief as he peered over the body of his dead son.

They take revenge on us in our children? he said, kneeling over his sons bloodied body, still wearing his protective press vest from that days work.

Dahdouhs grandson also was declared dead two hours later, the network reported.

The video was sure to reverberate across the Arab world, where the 53-year-old journalist is well-known as the face of Palestinians during many wars. He is revered in his native Gaza for telling people's stories of suffering and hardship to the outside world.

According to Al Jazeera, Dahdouh's family members were killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit Nuseirat Refugee Camp, located in an area of Gaza where the military had encouraged people to go to stay safe. It said a number of other relatives were still missing, and it remained unclear how many others were killed.

Dahdouhs family were among the more than 1 million Gaza residents displaced by the war, now in its 19th day, and were staying in a house in Nuseirat when the strike hit, the network said.

The Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 Palestinians, Gaza's Health Ministry says. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death toll.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government.

Late Wednesday, Al Jazeera replayed the moment Dahdouh was informed about the deaths. In an audio recording he is heard picking up a phone and telling a frantic caller multiple times: Who are you with?

Earlier, Dahdouh was on air, covering the aftermath of a separate strike that had killed at least 26 people, according to local officials. Throughout the war, Dahdouh has remained in Gaza City, despite Israeli calls for residents to head south ahead of an expected ground offensive.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to Nuseirat and other locations in central and southern Gaza, believing them to be safer. But Israeli strikes have continued to pound these areas, which are suffering dire shortages of water, medicine and fuel under an Israeli siege.

This is the safe area which the occupation army talked about, the moral army, said Dahdouh with bitter sarcasm to a fellow a Al Jazeera reporter at the al-Aqsa hospital.

In a statement, Al Jazeera said Dahdouhs family home was targeted in an indiscriminate assault by the Israeli occupation.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment. It says it strikes only Hamas military targets, but the Palestinians say thousands of civilians have died. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

Israel has threatened to shut down Al Jazeera over its coverage of the war. Al Jazeera is a Qatari state-owned media network, and is deeply critical of Israel, particularly its treatment of Palestinians.

Over the last week, the gas-rich nation of Qatar has emerged as a key intermediary over the fate of more than 200 hostages captured by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7 assault. Qatar has hosted Hamas political office in its capital of Doha for over a decade. The capital, Doha, is home to Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas supreme leader, and also Khaled Mashaal, Haniyeh's predecessor.

Four of the hostages have been released, a mother and daughter on Friday and two more on Monday. In an interview with Sky News this week, Mashaal said all Israeli hostages could be released if Israel stopped its aerial bombardment of the Gaza.

___

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Al Jazeeras Gaza bureau chief, Wael Al-Dahdou, learned while reporting live that his wife, daughter, and son had been killed by an Israeli airstrike on a building where theyd been seeking refuge.

There have been several airstrikes in this area, adjacent to Wafa hospital. This looks like its going to be a bloody night, Al-Dahdou said in a live clip of that devastating moment, as he reported on a separate Israeli airstrike in central Gaza.

The veteran journalist could then be heard talking to someone in the background: What, what happened? They dont know where they are? Someone in the background replied, Your girl, the girl is in the hospital

In a live broadcast, an emotional Al Jazeera anchor broke the news that the entire family of his colleague had been killed in the airstrike in central Gaza.

The anchor, who appeared to be crying while reporting about the incident, said that Al-Dahdouhs wife, daughter, and son had been killed.

Dahdouh was live on our channel a little while ago, reporting about the airstrike in the area that his family was killed, the anchor said.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=344642904602272

In separate footage aired on Al Jazeera Arabic, a devastated Al-Dahdouh could be seen holding the bodies of his slain loved ones in a hospital.

In a statement, he said his family had fled their home in the northern Gaza Strip following Israels order to evacuate and were staying in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

Aljazeera' s brave veteran journalist Wael Dahdouh's wife, son and daughter were killed in an Israelis airstrike which targeted a shelter house they had fled to. Wael received the news while on air covering the nonstop Israeli strikes on Gaza! pic.twitter.com/yT7jYdG8jn  Mohamed Moawad (@moawady) October 25, 2023

What just happened is clear; its part of the ongoing targeting of women and children in Gaza, he said, according to Al Jazeera. I was just reporting on the Israeli strikes that have targeted the Nuseirat area.

We knew the Israeli occupation would not leave us without punishing us.

In a clip circulating on social media, Al-Dahdouh said his family were being housed in what was supposed to be the safe area for Palestinians of Gaza City to evacuate to.

We had some doubts that the Israeli army would leave this area unpunished, he said.

Among those killed was Al-Dahdouhs son, Mahmoud, who was a senior in high school and aspiring journalist, and his 7-year-old daughter, Sham, Al Jazeera reported. Other members of his extended family remain missing.

In a video shared with The Daily Beast, Sham spoke during a mock report about the destruction of Gaza. A day living in the Gaza Strip is continuous violence, the boy says.

In a statement, Al Jazeera condemned the airstrike and criticized Israeli for what it described as an indiscriminate assault.

Al Jazeera is deeply concerned about the safety, and well-being of our colleagues in Gaza and hold the Israeli authorities responsible for their security, the network wrote. We urge the international community to intervene and put an end to these attacks on civilians, thereby safeguarding innocent lives.

The airstrike came just hours after an Axios report revealed that U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with the Qatari prime minister to ask Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, to tamp down its rhetoric against Israel in its coverage of the warreportedly out of fears that the coverage could escalate further violence in the Middle East.

Safwat al-Kahlout, a producer for Al Jazeera Arabic, said Al-Dahdouh was a Gaza native, and his family was well known throughout the strip.

He paid the bill for reporting the truth, al-Kahlout said.

In an article about the airstrike, the Palestinian Chronicle called Al-Dahdouh an iconic reporter in Gaza whos regularly stood against a recurring background of Israeli wars on Gaza, reporting on the losses suffered by his community, neighborhood and friends.

Al-Dahdouh, 53, joined Al Jazeera in 2004 and has headed its office in Gaza ever since, reported the Middle East Monitor in 2021.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The family of Al Jazeera Arabics bureau chief in Gaza was killed in an Israeli air raid Wednesday, the news outlet reported.

Al Jazeera reported that the wife, son, daughter and grandson of Wael Dahdouh were killed in their home during an air raid in the Nuseirat camp in the center of Gaza. The family was seeking refuge in the camp in the wake of Israel Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahus order for all civilians to move south in anticipation of an expected ground invasion in the north, the outlet reported.

Al Jazeeras article on the deaths included photos of Dahdouh in the hospital in Deir al-Balah where he saw his wife, son and daughter in the morgue. His grandson was declared dead two hours later, Al Jazeera said.

Other members of Dahdouhs family who were staying at a house at the Nuseirat refugee camp survived the attack, and rescue operations are ongoing at the site of the wreckage, Al Jazeera reported.

Dahdouhs son, Yehia, was wounded and underwent an emergency procedure for a head wound, according to Al Jazeera, which cited Al Jazeera Arabic.

Its heartbreaking to be reporting about Waels family and to see how broken he is. He calms everyone. He speaks to us like a big brother, not just a bureau chief, said Youmna ElSayed, a correspondent for Al Jazeera. He didnt leave Gaza City. He stayed despite all the threats and warnings and didnt stop for 19 days in a row. He said, I must be here in Gaza City to report about these people who are getting bombed every day.'

Al Jazeera Media Network issued a statement condemning the indiscriminate targeting and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, which led to the loss of Wael Al-Dahdouhs family and countless others.

We urge the international community to intervene and put an end to these attacks on civilians, thereby safeguarding innocent lives, the statement continued.

The media network said it is deeply concerned over the safety of its colleagues in Gaza and hold[s] the Israeli authorities responsible for their security.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) reported that at least 24 journalists are among those killed in Israels war with militant group Hamas, which carried out an Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, including civilians who died in their homes, at a bus stop and a music festival.

Israel responded to Hamass attacks with a bombardment of Gaza involving hundreds of airstrikes and the looming threat of a potential ground invasion. Israels blockade of food, water, fuel and medicine has also created a crisis that a humanitarian aid effort has tried to ease.

The CJP said is it investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, detained, injured or threatened, as well as those reported missing.

The conflict so far has claimed over 7,100 lives from both sides, including more than 5,700 Palestinians in Gaza, according to a Tuesday update from the Gaza Ministry of Health.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Alamogordo Mayor Susan Payne said Alamogordo Public Schools will not work with her nor other city officials to keep students in school and away from Oregon Park, where a Chaparral Middle School student was killed last week.

Eight grade student Jiyrese Collier was shot on Friday, Oct. 13, according to Alamogordo Police.

The alleged 17-year-old shooter was originally at Oregon Park to confront a group of teens who had allegedly "jumped" another student, the shooter's younger brother, on Oct. 11, according to a redacted police report provided to the Alamogordo Daily News.

More: Chaparral Middle school student fatally shot by 17-year-old in Oregon Park

Violent assault at Washington Park sparks shooting incident

On the evening of Oct. 11 Alamogordo Police Department officers were called to Washington Park located at 100 Washington Avenue by a woman who said her son had been assaulted by a group of teenagers.

According to the statement she gave Police Officer Collier Buffington, the boy was at the skate park when he was hit on the back of the head. The woman's name was part of the redacted information provided in police reports, as was the name of her young son, the alleged victim.

The boy could not identify his assailants, Buffington wrote in the report.

In the report issued by Buffington, Collier was not identified as an aggressor, but tried to prevent the boy from being harmed during the Washington Park fight.

Oregon Park shooting results in one death, one injury

Two days after the incident at Washington Park, on Oct. 13, Alamogordo Police Officer Chyenne Bunker, who also patrols Alamogordo High School, responded to Oregon Park where there was a report of gunfire.

Tularosa Basin Regional Dispatch Authority originally received reports from callers who heard up to three gunshots in the area.

Bunker was told by dispatchers, according to police documents, that there might be up to three children who were injured being taken to a local hospital.

Alamogordo Police Officer Agnieszka Escalante reported finding one child injured in the shooting "walking and crying from the direction of Oregon Park." That child was later reported as having been treated at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center.

The names of underage children involved in the shooting or victims of the shooting were not released to the media. The Alamogordo Daily News does not publish the names of underage victims of violent crime.

The child allegedly told Escalante about the fight in Washington Park, and that Collier attempted to stop an alleged assault on another child, according to Escalante's report.

More: 100% Otero hosts its second annual Day of Hope event to combat homelessness

"A juvenile witness, stated that the 17-year-old pulled up in his mother's unknown vehicle, and said 'why y'all beat up my brother?' As he clocked [sic] the gun inside his pocket," according to the police report of the incident.

That witness also said that another child tried to grab the gun held by the shooter and that was when the gun was fired hitting several of the kids present, according to the police report. Alamogordo Daily News was only able to confirm the shooting resulted in one injury and one death.

More: Otero County Sheriff: Department needs more employees

Oregon Park known for attracting students during school hours

Bunker said in the report of the shooting that Oregon Park is "notorious" for attracting large crowds of students.

"  often there are large crowds of kids hanging out at the gazebo, bench area and it's the area that has fights and juvenile problems often," Bunker wrote in the incident report.

In the wake of the shooting, Payne said in a video posted to both her personal Facebook page and released on the City of Alamogordo's Facebook page, she attempted to work with Alamogordo Public School officials to find a solution to the number of students that gather at Oregon Park during and after school hours.

Payne said in the video that the gathering of children in the park has been a problem for years. The Alamogordo Daily News has asked Alamogordo Police Department for information about the extent of "problem" but did not receive a response by the publication of this article.

"As a professional courtesy, I have hesitated until now to comment on the situation and instead have waited to no avail for some kind of communication from the elected officials of APS and school board president Judy Rabon to assure me there is a plan going forward," Payne said.

Rabon did not respond to a request for comment by the Alamogordo Daily News following Payne's allegations.

Payne alleged she was "not allowed" to attend an Alamogordo Public School Board of Education meeting related to the incident. Alamogordo Daily News could not find a notice or agenda for the alleged meeting, which is required by New Mexico's Open Meeting Act, nor minutes; the Board of Education did meet on Oct. 18 for its regularly scheduled meeting but the agenda for that meeting did not contain any items related to discussion of the shooting.

"I have made the decision to take action and work with our acting city manager, our city attorney and our chief of police to begin to put together a plan that can be presented to the entire commission for approval and possible action moving forward," Payne said.

"The area in which this incident took place, has long been problematic for our city, our officers and the homeowners who live in the vicinity due to the large crowds of students who seem to congregate when they should be in school. This issue has gone one for many years and nothing has been done by APS to stop it."

Payne said she and Chief David Kunihiro of the Alamogordo Police are working toward a solution, but did not elaborate on what they may be.

The alleged shooter is being held at a juvenile detention center in Otero County on one charge of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder in the first-degree, tampering with evidence, larceny of a firearm and unlawful carrying of a person under 19 years of age.

Collier's family started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for funeral expenses.

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter at @Juan36Corr.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Alamogordo mayor says students gathering at Oregon Park 'problematic'
Serhii, a soldier of assault troops with a call sign Kombainer (Combine), comes from Zakarpattia Oblast. He has been serving in the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade since December 2022.

The soldier kicked off his military career in the early 1990s, when he served on the Moskva cruiser.

The story of Kombainer was told on the Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"I did my military service in the early 90s, the Ground Forces were already divided, and negotiations were going on on the Black Sea Fleet between Ukraine and Russia, so there was confusion, it was not clear who was going to get what.

I was appointed to the post of operator of the control panel of earth-air cruise missiles with a flight range of 150 kilometres. Our unit was engaged in protecting the ship," recalls Serhii.

Serhii served on the cruiser for three years.

Serhii recalls that the news of the sinking of the Moskva cruiser in April 2022 made him very happy.

"When I learned about the destruction of Moskva by our missile launchers, and then also watched the video, I felt very pleased. If I could, I would have helped to sink it myself," Serhii says.

In the early 2000s, he participated in the Sea Breeze naval multinational exercises. Therefore, after the start of the full-scale war, he hoped that he would get into the naval forces.

However, Serhii was sent to mountain infantry, the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade.

"Here I am the commander of a combat vehicle, squad leader, junior sergeant. I received this title after the assaults of Piatykhatky and Lobkove this summer. These were very tough clashes, close combat using machine guns and grenades. But we knocked the enemy out of position, and then liberated the villages. Several times the Russians tried to recapture the lost territory, throwing both infantry and armoured vehicles at us. All in vain," says the soldier.

Before the war, Serhii worked as a combine operator in one of the agricultural firms, thanks to which he received his alias.

At home, Serhii has his wife and three children waiting for him  two sons and a daughter who is only three years old.

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NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KLAS)  Police arrested a man for allegedly driving under the influence and crashing through an airport fence with a dog in his truck, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.

Jesse Romero, 35, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, reckless driving, resisting a public officer and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, records showed.

On Sunday, Oct. 15, North Las Vegas police were called to the North Las Vegas Airport for a report of a man, later identified as Romero, who was slumped over the wheel of a truck, documents said. Police said a dog was also in the vehicle.

As officers attempted to contact Romero, who they said was asleep at the wheel with the ignition running, Romero responded by pressing on the accelerator and ran through a chain link fence, documents said. Romero crashed into a cart on the airport property.

Officers said Romero was inside in the crash with the spill cart, documents said.

Once officers were able to speak with [Romero], I observed that he had slurred speech, and I detected a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his [person], an officer wrote in an arrest report. Officers located an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle as well as a pill container containing residue of a white unknown substance and snuff spoon attached to the lead. Police suspect the substance was cocaine, documents said.

A North Las Vegas Municipal Court judge released Romero on his own recognizance on Oct. 16, records showed, ordering him not to consume drugs or alcohol.

A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Nov. 30.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
FILE - People stand in the lobby for Amazon offices in New York, Feb. 14, 2019. Britain's cloud computing market faces a competition investigation after regulators raised concerns about the dominance of two tech giants, Amazon and Microsoft. The U.K. communications regulator Ofcom said Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 that its year-long study of the cloud communications services market found features that could limit competition. British businesses face barriers when they try to switch or use multiple cloud suppliers, it said. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Amazon is rolling out an independent cloud for Europe as it looks to address strict regulations that companies and those in the public sector face in the European Union.

Amazon Web Services said Wednesday that its AWS European Sovereign Cloud, which will be located in and operate out of Europe, will have the same security, availability, and performance as existing AWS regions but will be separate from them. The cloud will let customers keep all metadata they create in the European Union and will have its own billing and usage metering systems.

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud reinforces our commitment to offering AWS customers the most advanced set of sovereignty controls, privacy safeguards, and security features available in the cloud, Max Peterson, vice president of Sovereign Cloud at AWS, said in a written statement.

Washington and Brussels were at odds in a yearslong battle over the safety of EU citizens data that tech companies store in the U.S. following revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Two earlier data transfer agreements were thrown out before the EU signed off this summer on a new framework that has an adequate level of protection for personal data, though European privacy campaigner Max Schrems has vowed to challenge it to the EUs top court.

Amazon's AWS supports 143 security standards and compliance certifications, to help customers meet regulatory requirements. The company said that AWS is collaborating with European regulators and national cybersecurity agencies to build the AWS European Sovereign Cloud so that it is able to meet additional data residency, operational autonomy, and resiliency needs in Europe.

Germany will be the first AWS Region within the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and will be available to all European customers. Only EU-resident AWS employees who are located in the EU will have control of the operations and support for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

"The development of a European AWS cloud will make it much easier for many public sector organizations and companies with high data security and data protection requirements to use AWS services, Claudia Plattner, president of the German Federal Office for Information Security, said.

AWS infrastructure in Europe currently includes eight regions in Frankfurt, Ireland, London, Milan, Paris, Stockholm, Spain, and Zurich. The company plans to launch five more AWS regions in Canada, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand.
Remember when Sen. Rand Paul (RKy.) accused thenWhite House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci of funding China's Wuhan virus lab?

Fauci replied, "Senator Paul, you do not know what you're talking about."

The media loved it. Vanity Fair smirked, "Fauci Once Again Forced to Basically Call Rand Paul a Sniveling Moron."

But now the magazine has changed its tune, admitting, "In Major Shift, NIH Admits Funding Risky Virus Research in Wuhan" and "Paul might have been onto something."

Then what about question two: Did COVID-19 occur because of a leak from that lab?

When Paul confronted Fauci, saying, "The evidence is pointing that it came from the lab!" Fauci replied, "I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating."

Was Paul lying? What's the truth?

The media told us COVID came from an animal, possibly a bat.

But in my new video, Paul points out there were "reports of 80,000 animals being tested. No animals with it."

Now he's released a book, Deception: The Great Covid Cover-Up, that charges Fauci and others with funding dangerous research and then covering it up.

"Three people in the Wuhan lab got sick with a virus of unknown origin in November of 2019," says Paul. The Wuhan lab is 1,000 kilometers away from where bats live.

Today the FBI, the Energy Department, and others agree with Paul. They believe COVID most likely came from a lab.

I ask Paul, "COVID came from evil Chinese scientists, in a lab, funded by America?"

"America funded it," he replies, "maybe not done with evil intentions. It was done with the misguided notion that 'gain-of-function' research was safe."

Gain-of-function research includes making viruses stronger.

The purpose is to anticipate what might happen in nature and come up with vaccines in advance. So I push back at Paul, "They're trying to find ways to stop diseases!"

He replies, "Many scientists have now looked at this and said, 'We've been doing this gain-of-function research for quite a while.' The likelihood that you create something that creates a vaccine that's going to help anybody is pretty slim to none."

Paul points out that Fauci supported "gain-of-function" research.

"He said in 2012, even if a pandemic occursthe knowledge is worth it." Fauci did write: "The benefits of such experiments and the resulting knowledge outweigh the risks."

Paul answers: "Well, that's a judgment call. There's probably 16 million families around the world who might disagree with that."

Fauci and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) didn't give money directly to the Chinese lab. They gave it to a nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance. The group works to protect people from infectious diseases.

"They were able to accumulate maybe over $100 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars, and a lot of it was funneled to Wuhan," says Paul.

EcoHealth Alliance is run by zoologist Peter Daszak. Before the pandemic, Daszak bragged about combining coronaviruses in Wuhan.

Once COVID broke out, Daszak became less eager to talk about these experiments. He won't talk to me.

"Peter Daszak has refused to reveal his communications with the Wuhan lab," complains Paul. "I do think that ultimately there is a great deal of culpability on his part. They squelched all dissent and said, 'You're a conspiracy theorist if you're saying this [came from a lab],' but they didn't reveal that they had a monetary self-incentive to cover this up," says Paul.

"The media is weirdly uncurious about this," I say to Paul.

"We have a disease that killed maybe 16 million people," Paul responds. "And they're not curious as to how we got it?"

Also, our NIH still funds gain of function research, Paul says.

"This is a risk to civilization. We could wind up with a virusthat leaks out of a lab and kills half of the planet," Paul warns.

Paul's book reveals much more about Fauci and EcoHealth Alliance. I will cover more of that in this column in a few weeks.

COPYRIGHT 2023 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.

The post 'America Funded It': Rand Paul Blasts Fauci and the Media for Suppressing the Lab Leak Theory appeared first on Reason.com.
Whats the weirdest thing you learned this week? Well, whatever it is, we promise youll have an even weirder answer if you listen to PopScis hit podcast . The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week hits Apple , Spotify , YouTube , and everywhere else you listen to podcasts every-other Wednesday morning. Its your new favorite source for the strangest science-adjacent facts, figures, and Wikipedia spirals the editors of Popular Science can muster. If you like the stories in this post, we guarantee youll love the show.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/show/1l3aIVJ1FVrHSixsgrJ1f4?utm_source=generator

FACT: Einsteins brain got stolen, then got lost, then got used for some terrible science

By Rachel Feltman

Ive wanted to talk about Einsteins noggin for a while, but I decided to finally take the leap because my hometown haunt the Mutter Museum has been in the news. The Mutter Museum is where medical students, history nerds and hot goth girls alike go to learn about the history of medicine through the lens of creepy and beautiful displays that include soapified corpses , phrenology skull collections, watermelon-sized ovarian cysts and fetuses with deadly congenital disorders .

I wont go too deep into the current controversy , but the Mutter, which has been collecting and displaying medical paraphernalia and human remains since 1863, is under new management and overdue for an ethics review and a lot of people are freaking out . You can hear my own rambling thoughts on the issue by listening to this week's episode, but this piece by artist Riva Lehrer gets at the heart of the issue better than I ever could.

One of the Mutter's most commonly praised specimens is more ethically dubious than most visitors realize. Its the brain of none other than Albert Einstein .

First things first: Albert Einsteins brain was straight up stolen . Einstein wanted to be cremated, but when he died of an aortic aneurysm in Princeton, New Jersey in 1955, the pathologist who presided over his autopsy, one Thomas Harvey, was like surely he didnt mean his brain and just kept it! When Einsteins son Hans Albert found out, Harvey apparently convinced him that the scientific value of his fathers brain was such that cremating it would be a tragedy, and Hans demurred. But this happened after Einsteins ashes had been scattered in a private moment by his family somewhere along the Delaware River, so you have to imagine Hans might have had a different answer if there had still been time to put the brain back with the rest of him.

But despite Harveys big talk about using Einsteins brain to unlock the secrets of genius, it would mostly get carried around the country for the next 30-odd years .

Harvey lost his job at Princeton Hospital , then spent some time in Philadelphia, where he had the brain dissected into hundreds of blocks and mounted on thousands of slides . He then traveled throughout the midwest , occasionally giving universities some slivers of brain to study, apparently often carrying them in a beer cooler. But no one would actually publish research on Einsteins brain until 1985 . Several studies have cropped up since then, but theyve all reached pretty dubious conclusions . To find out more about how Einsteins actually-pretty-unremarkable brain has revealed our misguided obsession with innate intelligence, check out this weeks episode.

FACT: A Miami county is fighting peacock overpopulation by giving the birds vasectomies

By Sandra Gutierrez

Parts of Miami-Dade county have been positively overrun by peacocks. This invasive species was brought from India and commercialized as exotic yard ornaments in the 1920s and 30s. They have since become sort of a symbol of Miamitheyre part of the scenery and people love them.

But peacocks are not the brightest and can be kind of jerks. Theyre known to peck and scratch dark-colored vehicles because they see their reflection and think its another male. There have also been reports of these colorful birds harassing kids holding food, and getting extremely territorial around mating season. To add insult to injury, peacocks poop everywhere, their feathers clog AC units, and they are very vocalMiami residents have been complaining about the birds waking them up in the middle of the night and interrupting their Zoom calls with all their squawking.

Controlling the peafowl overpopulation has been a challenge. Catching them can be somewhat of a dangerous sport since they can grow to be up to 4-feet tall, and theres regulation protecting the birds from being killed or captured. This is the context in which Pinecrest, a Miami-Dade county municipality, pitched a vasectomy initiative to wane the presence of peafowl within its borders. For every procedure, theyll prevent up to 7 females from laying fertilized eggs, which is efficient but also expensive and labor-intensive.

Avian vasectomies are pretty similar to human ones, as the anatomy is very similar. Unlike ducks, geese, and swans, peacocks dont have a penis. Instead, they have a small bump of erectile tissue on the back wall of their cloaca called papilla . Just like in humans, vasectomies dont prevent the release of seminal fluid, only of sperm, so the bird can continue to act as a dominant male.

We dont know if this is going to solve the peacock problem at Miami-Dade, but research shows that just like what happens in humans and other mammals, avian vasectomies are safe and overall, dont have reported negative effects : they dont change breeding behavior, hormonal levels stay the same, and courtship and copulation post-surgery remain unaltered, so the peacocks should be just fine.

FACT: Hippos were nearly farmed in the US for meat

By Sarah Gailey

If you like Beyond Meat patties, wait'll you try this beef alternative. In 1910, America had two big problems to solve: a shortage of meat, and an abundance of invasive water hyacinth choking off the Mississippi river delta. Congressman Robert Broussard proposed a bold solutionhe suggested the importation of exotic livestock, including hippopotami, into the US. Broussard's proposal would have resulted in one of the biggest land grabs in United States history, along with one of the most disastrous ecological and economic collapses in the world. Listen to find out just how big a bullet we dodged, and how close we came to being a nation overrun by feral, furious tanks made of ham. We also discuss the legacy of cocaine in Central America, the growth behaviors of one of the most invasive plants in the world, and (of course) the question of how hard it would be to castrate an unwilling hippo. Supplemental reading material includes Jon Mooallem's deep dive and my book, American Hippo , an alternate history asking what kind of cowboys we might need to tame a hippopotamus-infested frontier.
A woman walks past a mural calling for women and children's rights in Afghanistan on Aug. 12, 2022, in Bamian, Afghanistan. The collapse of the economy and the freezing of Afghan and donor funds after the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021 created a humanitarian crisis.

As the founder of the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW), I understand the complexities and challenges that Afghanistan has faced, including the two-decade-long war and its aftermath.

While a recent poll conducted by the Pearson Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reflects the sentiments of the American public, it's crucial to remember that Afghanistan's story is not just about war; it's also about the resilience, strength and aspirations of Afghan women and girls who are striving for a better future.

Firstly, it's evident the majority of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting, and this sentiment is shared across party lines. The chaotic withdrawal and the subsequent return of the Taliban have led to widespread disillusionment. Many have doubts about the success of the United States in accomplishing its goals, particularly in areas like eliminating the threat from extremists or improving opportunities for women.

While the war's strategic aspects are certainly debatable, it's essential to highlight the positive impact of initiatives like the IEEW's PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program. This program has empowered women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, like Aziza Zahra Naeimi, who founded Farhan Honey Products in 2019. Aziza's story is a testament to the resilience and determination of Afghan women who are not just victims of conflict but also drivers of positive change.

Terry Neese: Oklahomas Peace Through Business program is glimmer of hope for Afghan women

Aziza's success in the IEEW Business Pitch Competition showcases how, given the right tools and opportunities, Afghan women can thrive as business owners. She learned essential skills, such as targeting customers, conducting competitor research and understanding her competitive advantage through the program. This support enabled her to envision a sustainable future for her honey business, with plans for a solar system to improve sustainability and profitability.

Aziza's commitment to "pay it forward" by training and educating other women beekeepers demonstrates the potential for women in Afghanistan to create sustainable livelihoods. Her goal of distributing beehives to poor women in 2023 not only empowers these women but also contributes to poverty alleviation in the community.

Advancing women's rights in Afghanistan is crucial

The importance of advancing the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan cannot be understated. While the United States may have withdrawn from Afghanistan, the need to support these efforts remains. The Taliban's return to power and its restrictions on women's rights are concerning, but this is precisely why we must continue to stand in solidarity with Afghan women and support initiatives like Aziza's.

The poll highlights that many Americans view advancing women's rights in Afghanistan as an important goal. Women were more likely than men across party lines to emphasize this objective. This reflects a shared belief in the importance of gender equality and women's empowerment.

In conclusion, the war in Afghanistan may have ended, but the journey of Afghan women and girls continues. Programs like IEEW's provide them with the tools they need to build resilient and sustainable businesses. While the war may not have been deemed "worth it" by many, it's important to recognize and support the ongoing efforts to empower women and promote gender equality in Afghanistan, as exemplified by Aziza and the IEEW. The poll highlights the need to ensure that these initiatives receive the attention and support they deserve.

Dr. Terry Neese

Terry Neese is founder and CEO of Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women and the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS (PTB) program.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: War may be over, but push for women's rights in Afghanistan must go on
FILE PHOTO: A Chinese Navy's submarine takes part in a naval parade off the eastern port city of Qingdao to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy

FILE PHOTO: A Chinese Navy's submarine takes part in a naval parade off the eastern port city of Qingdao to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy

By Greg Torode

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has launched its first nuclear-powered guided missile submarines, according to the Pentagon's latest report on China's military - giving it land and sea attack options once the sole province of U.S. and Russian vessels.

The Pentagon report, published Oct. 20, marks the first apparent confirmation that modified submarines seen in Chinese shipyards over the last 18 months are Type 093B guided missile submarines.

Reuters revealed in May 2022 that satellite images from Huludao shipyard in northeast China showed a new or upgraded class of submarine, possibly with vertical tubes for launching cruise missiles.

The Pentagon report says that in the short term, the Chinese navy "will have the ability to conduct long-range precision strikes against land targets from its submarine and surface combatants using land-attack cruise missiles, notably enhancing (China's) power projection capability".

Known as SSGNs, conventionally armed missile submarines were developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War in part to target U.S. aircraft carriers, while the U.S. Navy developed its own version by converting ballistic missile boats to carry large numbers of land-attack Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Cruise missiles are typically long-range, precision weapons that, unlike ballistic weapons, fly at low altitudes or skim the surface of the sea.

The submarine USS Florida fired 93 Tomahawks against Libyan air defences in 2011 - the first combat strikes from a U.S. SSGN and an event that regional military attaches say was closely studied by Chinese strategists.

Some analysts say the PLA navy will be eager to deploy the vessels as an extra weapon against aircraft carriers as well as a land-attack platform, allowing strikes from a far greater range than its fleets of smaller attack submarines.

The report notes that three of the new SSGNs could be operational by next year, as part of a wider expansion of its submarine fleet - both nuclear and diesel powered - which could number 65 vessels in 2025.

The Chinese defence ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters.

The confirmation comes amid an as China constructs a new generation of nuclear-armed boats as part of its evolving deterrent force.

The effort to track China's submarines at sea is one of the core drivers of increased deployments and contingency planning by the U.S. Navy and other militaries across the Indo-Pacific region.

Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh said the SSGNs were an important new capability for the Chinese navy.

With an expected core armament of cruise missiles, "this potentially allows them to carry out saturated land and anti-ship attacks at standoff range, he said, which would complicate strategic calculations by China's rivals.

"I would also expect the Chinese have learned from the Russian experience in using them to threaten U.S. aircraft carriers  with an SSGN, you can launch strikes at standoff range, unlike a typical attack submarine that could have more limited weapon options, and that is a real advantage," said Koh, of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Research discussed at the U.S. Naval War College in May noted that the PLA was close to breakthroughs in making its nuclear-powered submarines far quieter and more difficult for the U.S. and its allies to track.

Some diplomats and analysts said, however, that it was unclear whether those breakthroughs had been incorporated into the recently launched SSGNs. The upgrades are expected in nuclear-powered boats launched before the end of the decade.

"Unless they are certain of improvements, we can expect the PLA navy to be cautious in how they initially deploy them," said an Asian military attache who is tracking China's submarine force. The attache declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. "But we know the submarine force is a priority for Xi Jinping, and this is one more sign they are getting there."

(Reporting By Greg Torode. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Human faces and other figures etched in stone up to 2,000 years ago have been revealed on Amazon riverbanks as a historic drought in the Brazilian region has brought water levels to unprecedented lows.

The petroglyphs, which include animals and other natural forms, have been revealed on the shores of the Rio Negro, at an archeological site known as the Ponto das Lajes, or Place of Slabs.

Researchers estimate the markings to be between 1,000 and 2,000 years old.

The carvings had previously been sighted during a severe drought in 2010, when the Rio Negros water levels dropped to 13.63 metres, then an all-time low.

They re-emerged this month, with more markings appearing as the waters receded further. Amid an unusually dry season which scientists attribute to the El Nino weather pattern and warming in the North Atlantic linked to the climate crisis, the Rio Negro has dropped below 13 metres for the first time ever, with a depth of 12.89 metres recorded on Monday.

Archaeologist Jaime de Santana surveys ancient tool-sharpening marks on Amazon river rock exposed by falling water level during drought in Manaus. Photograph: Suamy Beydoun/Reuters

As well as anthropomorphic faces and depictions of water, some rocks display grooves that suggest the site was also used to produce stone tools.

Related: Drought turns Amazonian capital into climate dystopia

Carlos Augusto da Silva of the Federal University of Amazonas identified 25 groups of carvings on a single rock which he believes was used as a whetstone to sharpen various instruments. This was an area for the preparation of tools, the archaeologist told the local news site Amazonia Real.

Fragments of ceramics thought to be thousands of years old have also reportedly been found at the site, which was home to large Indigenous villages in pre-Columbian times.

Despite being designated an archaeological site, the Ponto das Lajes petroglyphs have not been studied, and researchers are estimating their age based on similar rock carvings in other parts of central Amazonia.

These locations, today archeological sites with black soil, large quantities of ceramics fragments, and rock carvings, tell the regions ancient Indigenous history and must be treated with respect by all of us who live in Manaus today, the archaeologist Filippo Stampanoni Bassi told Amazonia Real.
Andrea Cardinale was diagnosed with acute schizophrenia after the killings

A man who bludgeoned his friends to death after claiming they had cursed him has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

Andrea Cardinale, 22, killed Antonino Calabro, 26, and Francesca Di Dio, 20, in their shared Stockton home on 21 December, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Cardinale, who came from the same area of Italy as the couple, killed them with a sledgehammer and kitchen knife,

He admitted two counts of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Three forensic psychiatrists diagnosed Cardinale with acute paranoid schizophrenia after the killing, and he told detectives he could hear the couple's voices in his head telling him to kill them.

Professor Donald Grubin of Newcastle University told the court Cardinale's "unrecognised psychosis was so acute his culpability for the killing was minimal".

Cardinale and Mr Calabro were friends in Sicily and both came to the UK in 2019 to work as croupiers at the Grosvenor casino, prosecutor Shaun Dryden KC said.

They lived in a converted pub on Thornaby Road, used by the casino's Italian workers. Ms Di Dio was visiting her fiance ahead of Christmas.

Antonino Calabro and Francesca Di Dio were reportedly engaged

The couple, who came from Messina, were last seen alive on CCTV at the converted pub at about 03:30 GMT on 21 December.

Their bodies were discovered at about midday by Cardinale's father, who had flown over to see his son amid concerns over his mental state.

He contacted police in Rome to say his son had killed two people, with the Italian authorities raising the alarm with Interpol and Cleveland Police.

Officers found Mr Calabro's body in his bedroom. He had been hit about the head with a sledge hammer and stabbed in his sleep.

Ms Di Dio's body was found in the basement, with prosecutors saying she had attempted to flee but been caught by Cardinale, hit with the hammer and stabbed.

The young couple were last seen alive on CCTV shortly before they were attacked

After killing the couple, Cardinale went to a nearby petrol station and bought a lighter and diesel which he then doused Mr Calabro's room with, but he later told police he could not bring himself to set the room alight.

He was arrested at about 14:30 on Outram Street, Stockton.

In his police interview he claimed the couple had put spells on him and it was their voices in his head telling him to carry out the attack.

He had also conducted internet searches for voodoo and how to "remove the evil eye", police said.

After killing the couple, Cardinale bought a lighter and diesel

A psychologist saw Cardinale in Italy in November after the killer's mother raised concerns about his mental state, Mr Dryden said.

The court was told the doctor suggested Cardinale had depression but needed a further appointment to make a diagnosis, but Cardinale missed it and returned to the UK on 1 December.

Cardinale's mother contacted Mr Calabro and asked him to persuade her son to return to Italy for Christmas, with Mr Calabro saying his friend "deserved" help.

The court heard Cardinale wore a balaclava when he killed the couple, who he claimed had "conjured" against him to make him impotent, removed his teeth and subjected him to a witchcraft which had ruined his life.

'No peace'

In statements read to the court, Ms Di Dio's mother Anna Nosi said her daughter's death had "completely overturned and destroyed" her relative's lives.She said they could not understand what happened and the family could "no longer find inner peace".

Ms Nosi said their hometown was "stunned" by the couple's deaths.Mr Calabro's father Salvatore said a child was an "extension of life" for the whole family, but that had now been "denied".He said the evenings were particularly hard as that is when his son would video call him, adding: "Not having Nino with us anymore, after having cuddled, helped and supported him for 26 years, is not easy to overcome."

Cardinale and Mr Calabro lived in a former pub converted into flats

In mitigation, Peter Makepeace KC said the case "could not better illustrate the hideous consequences of such an acute mental illness".

He said Mr Cardinale had previously been a "decent" man before suffering a "devastating and acute" psychosis.

Sentencing Cardinale to detention at a secure mental health hospital without a time limitation, Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, said the killings were "wholly unprovoked, unforeseen and unpredictable".

He added Cardinale may never be safe to be released.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.
Under the cover of night, anglers spotted a struggling sea creature along the southeastern coast of India. Rescuers rushed to help the animal and later identified it as a very rare dolphin species, according to wildlife officials.

Fishermen found the sea animal stranded along the coast of Palk Bay on the evening of Oct. 21, Jagdish Bakan, a wildlife warden for Ramanathapuram District, told McClatchy News in an email. The anglers contacted a wildlife team patrolling the area for help.

Rescuers rushed to the spot and checked the animal, Bakan said. It was breathing normal but appeared to have shark bite marks on its injured fins.

Bakan shared a video of the pygmy killer whale in an Oct. 22 post on X, formerly Twitter. Flashlight beams illuminate the dark gray dolphin and its distinctive white mouth.

Several people stand nearby in the ankle-deep water, video shows. As they gently inspect the dolphin, the wounded animal lifts its head and almost seems to nod before dropping its head back down.

In the darkness, the ocean animal was initially misidentified as a finless porpoise, Bakan said. Later on, marine mammal experts confirmed the species as (a) pygmy killer whale.

Pygmy killer whales are actually dolphins, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They have distinctive white lips but are commonly mistaken for several other species.

Pygmy killer whales are not well known, the organization said, and are considered mysterious and naturally rare.

Although it is recorded in Indias coastal water, it is very rare to spot (a) pygmy killer whale in the Palk Bay region, Bakan said.

The species can reach up to 8.5 feet in length and weigh nearly 500 pounds, according to NOAA. But questions linger about these evasive dolphins, including their lifespans and reproductive biology.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has deemed pygmy killer whales a species of least concern, meaning they are not considered to be endangered or threatened.

Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu, is along the southeastern coast of India and about 1,300 miles southeast of New Delhi. The bay is part of Palk Strait, the waterway between India and Sri Lanka.

Rescuers moved the stranded pygmy killer whale to deeper waters, then monitored the area the rest of the night but didnt see the animal again, Bakan said. Unfortunately, the dolphin was found dead on Oct. 24.

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Turkeys Grand National Assembly Speaker Numan Kurtulmus has signed Swedens NATO accession protocol and sent it for debate to the parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee, Turkish Hurriyet reported on Oct. 25.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted the ratification bill for Swedens NATO membership to parliament on Oct. 23. The bill must now be approved by the foreign affairs committee before the parliament formally ratifies it and Erdogan signs it into law.

Read also: Zelenskyy-Erdogan talk touches on Ukraine war, regional developments, bilateral cooperation

The move clears the way for Sweden to join the alliance and turns the focus on Budapest. The Hungarian parliament refused a proposal to hold a vote on Swedens bid to join NATO on Oct. 24, further delaying the countrys inclusion in the military alliance, which has been pending for almost a year and a half.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
An Ankeny woman who served as a caretaker to a bedridden, elderly man was charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death due to abuse, detectives with the Polk County Sheriff's Office say.

Diana Lynn Becker-Abeyta, 61, who served as 73-year-old Ray Crammond's "live-in caretaker," was arrested Wednesday following a months-long Iowa Department of Human Services investigation, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Crammond, who died April 29 after contracting pneumonia, had received "inadequate care" from Becker-Abeyta, officials allege. According to court documents, Crammond was not given medications, bathed, fed, hydrated, or "meeting any basic needs" in a "bed-ridden state."

First responders described the conditions and health of Crammond as "devastating" when they arrived at his home in April, according to a court filing.

Responders said Crammond had multiple bed sores on his back and buttocks, it said. Crammond was taken to Mercy hospital where he died eight days later.

The Department of Human Services began an investigation into Crammond's death in May following his death. DHS caseworkers who went to Crammond's house found the residence to be "extremely dirty and un-kept," officials said.

Detectives also found Becker-Abeyta is a non-licensed caretaker. They allegedly also found evidence that Becker-Abeyta had been using Crammonds money for things other than his care.

In June, Becker-Abeyta was arrested and charged with financial exploitation of an older individual and neglect of a dependent person, according to the news release.

Later, results from an investigation into Crammonds death, as well as autopsy results from the State of Iowas Medical Examiner's Office, found he had gotten pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection. The manner of his death was a homicide, according to the news release.

The sheriff's office put out an arrest warrant for Becker-Abeyta on Oct. 18 and she was booked in the Polk County Jail on Wednesday, the news release said.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny caretaker charged in death of 73-year-old bedridden man
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House, is little-known nationally, but hes as anti-LGBTQ+ as any of the more prominent members of his party  perhaps even more so. The Human Rights Campaign calls him "the most anti-equality speaker in U.S. history."

Johnson was elected speaker Wednesday, winning 220 votes to Democrat Hakeem Jeffriess 209. The speaker is usually drawn from the Houses majority party, although he or she does not have to be, and sets the agenda for the House, which can do no business without a speaker.

Johnson, in his fourth term representing a northwestern Louisiana district, has received a zero on HRC's Congressional Scorecard in every term. He voted against the Equality Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, and numerous other pro-equality bills. He has introduced legislation inspired by Florida's "don't say gay" law and led a hearing in opposition to gender-affirming care for minors.

Before entering politics, he was an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to promoting causes championed by the religious right, especially opposition to LGBTQ+ equality and abortion rights. While at ADF in 2006, he touted the so-called Day of Truth, the far right's response to Day of Silence, which is a protest against bullying of LGBTQ+ youth. Day of Truth, he said, is "another perspective on the homosexual lifestyle, which many people believe is morally wrong and physically dangerous."

In 2004, he had written an editorial for a Louisiana newspaper opposing marriage equality. If we change marriage for the homosexual activists, we will have to do it for every deviant group," he wrote. "Polygamists, polyamorists, pedophiles, and others will be next in line to claim equal protection. And in 2003, as an attorney with ADF, he represented clients who sued the city of New Orleans in an effort to stop it from providing domestic-partner benefits. He also defended Louisiana's ban on same-sex marriage before the state's Supreme Court.

ADF filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of sodomy laws, which the high court ended up overturning in the Lawrence v. Texas ruling in 2003. When the decision came down, he wrote an editorial criticizing it in the Shreveport, La., Times, saying, States have many legitimate grounds to proscribe same-sex deviate sexual intercourse. The editorial was unearthed by CNN.

Between ADF and the U.S. House, he served one term in the Louisiana House. "He dedicated his one and only term to rolling back LGBTQ+ rights.," HRC notes in a press release. "In 2015, he authored House Bill 707, a License to Discriminate bill that would have prevented the state government from enforcing nondiscrimination provisions when professionals or businesses discriminate against same-sex couples based on religious beliefs."

In the U.S. House in 2022, he introduced a bill called the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022, which would have prohibited the use of federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10, and for other purposes. Inspired by Florida's "don't say gay" law, it would have banned discussion of topics related to identity as well as more explicit content. It went nowhere, as the House then had a Democratic majority.

This year, he led a hearing on gender-affirming care for minors. It was titled The Dangers and Due Process Violations of Gender-Affirming Care for Children. In his opening statement, he said, We see adults inflicting harm on helpless children to affirm their worldview: that is, that gender is fluid, sex can be surgically altered, and that there are no lasting consequences as a result of these gender transition procedures.  Something has gone terribly wrong, and today we hope to shed light on what that is and how we can address the problem.

During the speaker vote, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, clapped back against Johnson's opposition to marriage equality by shouting "Happy anniversary to my wife!" Craig is the first lesbian mother in Congress and the first out LGBTQ+ Congress member elected from her state.

Johnson is also, like most House Republicans, opposed to abortion rights and supportive of gun rights. And he voted against certifying the results of the last presidential election. He is a close ally of Donald Trump.

Johnson will succeed Republican Kevin McCarthy of California, who was ousted as speaker this month. His election came after several other Republican House members, including Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, and Tom Emmer , were nominated as speaker and ended up being voted down or withdrawing. They were almost universally anti-LGBTQ+, although Emmer did vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, which wrote marriage equality into federal law. For that, Emmer was criticized by some conservatives. Johnson's comment on whether Emmer's vote should be an issue was You know how I voted on it. Everybody votes their conscience but Ive always been very resolute on that issue, according to Punchbowl News.

LGBTQ+ groups denounced Johnson's elevation to speaker. "From his more than a decade working as an attorney for the virulently anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, to his stint as an archenemy of LGBTQ+ equality in the Louisiana legislature, and through his tenure as a hard-right bomb-thrower in Congress, Mike Johnson has a scorched earth history as someone who seeks to drive people out of our society purely on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity," says HRC's press release.

The MAGA House majority has selected the most anti-equality speaker in U.S. history by elevating Mike Johnson  this is a choice that will be a stain on the record of everyone who voted for him, HRC President Kelley Robinson said in the release. Johnson is someone who doesnt hesitate to express his disdain for the LGTBQ+ community from the rooftops and then introduces legislation that seeks to erase us from society. Just like Jim Jordan, Mike Johnson is an election-denying, anti-LGBTQ+ extremist, and the lawmakers who appeared to stand on principle in opposing Jordans bid have revealed themselves to be just as out-of-touch as their new leader.
The U.S. is currently experiencing one of the most significant waves of antisemitism that it has ever seen. Jewish communities are shaken and traumatized. Jewish and civil rights organizations both in the U.S. and in other Western countries reported a rise in antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military response.

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Apple is making Apple Pay Later available to all users in the United States, after initially releasing it to a limited number of users back in March. Apple Pay Later allows users to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments over six weeks without interest or late fees. The company first announced the feature in June 2022 during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

The tech giant's website now advertises that you can use Apple Pay Later for purchases between $75 and $1,000 made on iPhone and iPad.

To get started with Apple Pay Later, you need to apply for a loan within the Wallet app. You will be asked to enter the amount you want to borrow and then agree to the Apple Pay Later terms. Once you have been approved, you will begin to see a Pay Later option when your select Apple Pay at checkout online and in apps on iPhone and iPad.

Before you complete a purchase using Apple Pay Later, you will get an overview of your four new payments alongside your other upcoming Apple Pay Later payments. You have the option to use autopay to make the payments, or you can choose to pay them manually. You will get alerts and reminders as the due dates for your payments approach, and can also access all of your payment information in the Wallet app.

Image Credits: Apple

The tech giant's website notes that your bank may charge you fees if your debit card account contains insufficient funds to make loan repayments.

To be eligible for Apple Pay Later, you need to be at least 18 years old and be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident with a physical U.S. address. You're also required to set up Apple Pay with an eligible debit card on your device. Apple notes that you may potentially have to verify your identity with a drivers license or state-issued photo ID.

The credit assessment and lending for Apple Pay Later is handled by Apple Financing. In terms of the merchant side of things, Apple Pay Later is enabled through the Mastercard Installments program, while Goldman Sachs serves as the issuer of the Mastercard payment credential used to complete all Apple Pay Later purchases.

With this wider launch, Apple Pay Later is now going head-to-head with buy now, pay later (BNPL) services from PayPal, Affirm, Klarna and countless others.
The bust was unveiled at a ceremony at the Andean Sanctuaries Museum of the Catholic University of Santa Maria in Arequipa

Archaeologists have revealed a model showing what Peru's most famous mummy would have looked like.

The mummy, known as "Juanita" or the "Inca Ice Maiden", was an Inca girl who is thought to have been sacrificed in a ritual more than 500 years ago.

Scientists worked with a specialist in facial reconstruction to build a silicon bust of the mummy.

Johan Reinhard , the US archaeologist who first found the mummy in 1995, said the bust "makes her even more alive".

A team of Peruvian and Polish scientists worked with Oscar Nilsson, a specialist in facial reconstruction from Sweden, to build the silicon bust of the teenage girl.

The scientists said body scans, skull measurements, DNA studies and ethnological characteristics guided their reconstruction.

Mr Nilsson told the Associated Press that it took "about 400 hours of work" to model the face, which has pronounced cheekbones, dark eyes and brown skin.

Dr Johan Reinhard, the US archaeologist who first found the mummy, said the bust 'makes her even more alive'

Dr Reinhard said: "I thought I'd never know what her face looked like when she was alive. Now 28 years later, this has become a reality thanks to Oscar Nilsson's reconstruction."

Dr Reinhard and Peruvian mountaineer Miguel Zarate found Juanita's frozen body at an altitude of 6,400m (21,000ft) during an expedition to the Ampato volcano.

She was wearing a ceremonial tunic and a headpiece and was surrounded by ceramic objects including bowls and figurines.

Studies carried out on the body suggest Juanita was between 14 and 15 years old when she was sacrificed.

A CT scan by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that the probable cause of death was a severe blow to the back of her head.

Experts think that she may have been drugged and made to kneel before she was hit over the head with something which may have resembled a truncheon in a human sacrifice to the gods

In an article in Penn Museum's Expedition Magazine, Dr Reinhard explained that according to the Inca belief system "such a sacrifice brought honour on the parents and an afterlife of bliss for the victims".

"The child would become deified and worshipped for generations as the villagers' intermediary with the gods."
(Bloomberg) -- Argentine presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich said she has patched up differences with Javier Milei as he heads into a runoff vote next month, while stopping short of an outright endorsement of the upstart libertarian.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Bullrich walked a fine line in her comments Wednesday after the Oct. 22 general election, in which her pro-business coalition was eliminated from the race after finishing third with only 24% support. Milei won 30% of ballots cast, putting him in second behind Economy Minister Sergio Massa , after the Peronist candidate surged into first place with 37% of the vote.

We cant stay neutral, Bullrich told reporters in Buenos Aires. The country is at risk.

She railed against the legacy of Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the symbolic leader of the Peronist movement, warning her own partys future is at stake should the government remain in power. If Kirchners party wins, Juntos por el Cambio is going toward a total dissolution, Bullrich said.

The nations overseas bonds gained after her remarks, with notes due 2035 climbing to around 25.3 cents on the dollar as investors search for signals on who Bullrichs supporters will back in the Nov. 19 runoff. The parallel exchange rate, known as the blue-chip swap, pared gains after strengthening as much as 5.5% to around 870 pesos per dollar.

Bullrichs tacit support  negotiated at a dinner in Buenos Aires in which former President Mauricio Macri also participated, according to newspaper La Nacion  makes Milei more competitive against Massa. The libertarian economist, who is promising to dollarize the economy and shut down Argentinas central bank, stagnated after a stunning primary performance that made him the frontrunner ahead of Sundays vote.

At the same time, Bullrichs move puts her coalition at severe risk of breakup given the animosity against Milei from more moderate members of the alliance that governed Argentina between 2015 and 2019 under Macri. After repeated questions from journalists on the alliances future, Bullrich said her support was an individual decision and other party representatives are free to chose other political options.

The UCR political party, a more moderate faction of the coalition, released a statement later Wednesday, noting it wont support Milei or Massa in the runoff vote, contrasting with Bullrichs comments. Those differing stances may set the stage for the business-friendly coalition to break apart.

Another key candidate in the mix is Juan Schiaretti, the governor of Cordoba, Argentinas second most populous province. He received nearly 7% of the vote  over 900,000 ballots  and its not clear who hell back, if anyone. Schiaretti was seen as a centrist pro-business candidate closer to Massa than Milei, but his native Cordoba voted overwhelmingly against the Peronist candidate, who only received 13% support there.

Leftist candidate Myriam Bregman won 3% of ballots cast on Sunday. That support will likely all go to Massa.

--With assistance from Scott Squires.

(Adds comments from the UCR political party statement in eighth paragraph)

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In September, with Milei on the up and up in opinion polls, thousands of Argentine women marched in defense of abortion, a right they feared he would take away (Emiliano Lasalvia)

In Argentina, where women have made some recent gains but are still fighting for full equal rights, anti-establishment presidential candidate Javier Milei has divided the electorate with an unashamedly machismo stance.

Some love him for it. Others are appalled.

The libertarian outsider who unexpectedly surged to the front of the presidential race in an August primary, had a poorer-than-expected showing in Sunday's first election round, coming second behind center-left candidate Sergio Massa .

"There was a very strong mobilization of women against Milei," whose rhetoric "was not only anti-feminist but also anti-woman," political scientist Ivan Schuliaquer of the San Martin University in Buenos Aires told AFP.

Milei does not hold back when it comes to chauvinistic tropes.

"Im not going to be apologizing for having a penis!" he said in an interview last year.

Milei is antiabortion -- a right granted to Argentine women only in 2021 -- does not support equal pay and has suggested scrapping the women's ministry if he becomes president.

On the question of femicide, he has demanded "equality before the law" -- meaning that targeting a victim for their gender should stop being considered an aggravating circumstance in sentencing.

Over 250 women fell victim to femicide in Argentina in 2022.

While many women are alarmed, Milei's utterances have found resonance with some men, and polls show his voters were mainly male.

"There has been a lot of patriarchal reaction to Milei's ideas," leftist presidential candidate Myriam Bregman said on national radio after garnering less than three percent of the vote Sunday.

"They (Milei's male supporters) feel their privileges are being brought into question."

- 'Green tide' -

At Milei's final campaign rally, a supporter told AFP that feminists in Argentina "sound like a broken record."

The supporter, 57-year-old manual laborer Moises Achee, said he was also "against them changing the Spanish language" to make provision for gender inclusive pronouns.

"I don't want them to impose things on me that I don't accept... So we go with Javier Milei!".

Argentina has been a Latin American leader in gay marriage and identity legislation, with a 2021 law allowing non-binary people to mark their gender with an "X."

Abortion, too, has been legal in the country since 2021 until the 14th week of pregnancy.

In September this year, with Milei on the up and up in opinion polls, thousands of Argentine women marched in defense of abortion, a right they feared he would take away.

The feminist movement gained prominence in Argentina in 2015 with massive countrywide protests against femicide.

The push for abortion came later, and the so-called "green tide" named after the green bandannas donned by demonstrators, subsequently spread across Latin America and beyond.

"Argentina is the door to the fight for human rights in the region," said Soledad Vallejos, a journalist specializing in gender issues who helped found the anti-femicide movement "Ni Una Menos."

As such, if conservatives "can change the minds of Argentines, (this too) will spread across the region," she told AFP.

- 'Deeply reactionary' -

The emergence of the "green tide" had a strong counter-reaction in Argentina, igniting an angry clapback in conservative, and male, sectors that took to WhatsApp groups and social media in anger.

"There was an overreach of feminism in whose eyes you were guilty just for being a man," Milei's director of digital communication, Agustin Romo, told elDiarioAR, an online newspaper, in August.

This, in turn, elicited a reaction "even in nonideological men and women. Or in women who realized they had gone overboard," ventured Romo, a former online influencer.

As voices became more and more divided in the period from 2017 to 2019, a libertarian economist became a popular guest on Argentine TV, generating good ratings with his sometimes radical rants. It was Milei.

Then came the Coronavirus pandemic and the fight over vaccine and mask mandates -- further uniting the anti-establishment crowd.

According to philosopher Ricardo Forster, Milei's "seemingly rebellious" discourse, so attractive to people who feel marginalized in an increasingly polarized world, was in fact a "deeply reactionary" harkening for old-fashioned, conservative values.

"Something about masculinity is at stake... that is expressed in the growth of the extreme right in many parts of the world," Forster told the Perfil newspaper, comparing the Milei phenomenon with Donald Trump in the United States and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro.

For Schuliaquer, while the divide between Argentina's traditional rival parties used to be one of class, the pending political contest between Milei and the incumbent Peronist movement will be one of "gender and generation."

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(Reuters) - Azerbaijan is no longer interested in securing a land corridor through Armenia to the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhichevan and will instead discuss the issue with its southern neighbour Iran, a senior Azerbaijani official said on Wednesday.

Routing a potential corridor through Iran, which borders both Armenia and Azerbaijan, could help reduce tensions around southern Armenia, which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has in the past referred to as historically Azeri land.

"Azerbaijan had no plans to seize Zangezur," Hikmet Hajiyev, a top foreign policy adviser to Iliyev, told Reuters, referring to the putative corridor that would link Azerbaijan proper to its enclave of Nakhichevan bordering Turkey, Baku's close ally.

"After the two sides failed to agree on its opening, the project has lost its attractiveness for us  we can do this with Iran instead," he said.

Armenia had opposed such a corridor, fearing having to make further territorial concessions after Azerbaijan seized the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning offensive in September.

Although internationally viewed as Azeri territory, Karabakh had been controlled by ethnic Armenians since the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The Azeri offensive prompted almost all the region's 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee into Armenia.

Azerbaijan had in recent weeks called for its longstanding request for a transport corridor through southern Armenia to be included in ongoing talks on a peace treaty aimed at ending three decades of conflict between Baku and Yerevan.

The two countries' foreign ministers met in Tehran on Sunday for their first talks Baku's recapture of Karabakh, alongside the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey and Russia.

Separately, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday that his planned meeting with Aliyev in Brussels would not now go ahead in late October as originally scheduled, citing what he said appeared to be Baku's reluctance.

Pashinyan said Armenia was seeking clarification from European Union officials.

Earlier, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said his country remained ready to participate in such a meeting.

(Reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi and Nailia Bagirova; Editing by Gareth Jones)
A new Apache helicopter has passed its battlefield test after an exercise involving 8,000 personnel, the Army said.

The 3 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC), based at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk, has tested the maintenance and operation of the AH-64E.

As part of the testing process, simulated strike missions were completed in Northumberland and Kent.

The regiment's Lt Col Rich Simcock called the AH-64E "revolutionary".

The helicopter entered service in 2021, and replaced the Apache Mk 1, which had been recently used in Afghanistan and Libya.

According to the Army, the Boeing-built AH-64E has state-of-the-art features, including uncrewed aircraft systems and embedded maintenance diagnostic systems.

Lt Col Simcock said: "The step change it brings in lethality, agility, survivability and how it can communicate and integrate with other capabilities is nothing short of revolutionary.

"To achieve validation, every single function that we deliver as a regiment has been tested in a realistic scenario that reflects the challenges of modern operations."

Across six weeks, 3 Regt AAC deployed from its Wattisham base to set up temporary facilities at Nesscliffe in Shropshire, before it moved to Eaglescott and Chivenor in Devon.

Strike missions were carried out on simulated enemy positions as far apart as Otterburn in Northumberland and Lydd in Kent, the Army said.

The manoeuvres involved 8,000 troops working out of 22 locations across south-west England, the West Midlands and Wales.

Following this, the first regiment flying the new Apache has been declared ready for frontline duty.

Lt Col Simcock said: "Like any machine, the AH-64E is only as good as the people who operate it. To have got to where we are just two years after the first aircraft arrived in the UK reflects the hard work and dedication put in by everyone in the regiment."

The Army said the armed helicopter was a key element of how it would fight in the coming decades, as set out in the Future Soldier transformation programme.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said he thinks he woud make a 'great' U.S. president, shared his thoughts about the upcoming 2024 election (Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

The Governator wants a younger generation of politicians to run the United States  since he can't do it himself.

"Terminator" star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shared his thoughts on the next chapter of American leadership in an interview with the BBC. More than a decade after his seven-year turn representing the Golden State, Schwarzenegger said, "I feel like I would make a great president."

"Everything that I've accomplished was because of America," Schwarzenegger told the BBC's Colin Paterson. "The only thing that I can't do is run for president, I'm not going to complain about that."

Read more: Sensei Schwarzenegger? The Governator attempts a reboot with a pallid self-help book

Schwarzenegger, 76, was born in Thal, Austria, and moved to the United States in 1968 to pursue his bodybuilding and power-lifting career, and eventually work in Hollywood. The United States Constitution says that presidential candidates must be natural-born U.S. citizens, making Schwarzenegger ineligible.

Americans won't vote for their next president until next November, but the 2024 presidential race has been long underway. Among the official candidates are President Biden, former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

With the presidential candidates' ages in mind (Biden is 80, Trump is 77), Schwarzenegger says he "hope[s] that America finds some really young blood."

Read more: Who is running for president in 2024?

He added: "It is a little bit odd that we are having a battle between people today in the late 70s and early 80s rather than people that in the 40s and 50s or maybe even younger and have them have a chance at this great, great job."

Schwarzenegger spoke to the BBC amid the release of his memoir, "Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life. For The Times, Charles Arrowsmith wrote that the self-help book "is a raw deal, a hollow PR exercise filled with precepts and quips but devoid of self-awareness or humility."

Read more: Arnold Schwarzenegger says open-heart surgery 'disaster' nearly killed him

Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger revealed that he underwent a botched open-heart surgery in 2019. In a video shared to his YouTube channel in August, he said doctors "made a mistake and poked through the heart wall."

"It was a disaster. I was in the middle of a disaster," he recalled. He also highlighted his positive attitude and the support system that aided him in his recovery.

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.
Police lights illuminate a portion of Slater Avenue on Saturday evening, Oct. 21, 2023, after four people were shot. One person was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A Fayetteville man was arrested Monday in a fatal shooting last week on Slater Avenue in which one person was killed and three others were shot.

Ravvon Jimani Sparks, 21, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and three counts each of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury in the Oct. 21 shooting in which Emmanuel Lashon Smith, 31, was killed and three other people were injured when someone opened fire on a group standing in a parking lot in the 1500 block of Slater Avenue off Murchison Road.

More: One dead, three injured in Fayetteville shooting Saturday night

According to the Fayetteville Police Department, members of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team located and arrested Sparks on Monday near his home in the 1300 block of Devonshire Drive.

Police said that at the time of the homicide, Sparks was on probation for charges out of Ohio. His probation was transferred to Cumberland County Probation and Parole.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective T. Kiger at 910-705-6527. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Fayetteville/ Cumberland County CrimeStoppers by calling 910-483-TIPS (8477); by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org online; or by downloading the FREE P3 Tips app available for mobile devices.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Arrest made in fatal shooting on Slater Avenue on Saturday in Fayetteville
A judge on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for a man charged with the murder of a Redding woman who went missing four years ago. However, the wanted man is now in a San Francisco hospital  after he had his leg amputated and could not be present for his court hearing.

Siskiyou County Superior Court Judge Thomas Linville issued a $500,000 bench warrant after Erick Eugene Card, 65, failed to show up for the preliminary hearing on Oct. 24 in court in Yreka.

Even though the victim's body has not been found, Card is accused of killing Danielle Renee Bisnell on Dec. 10, 2019, according to Redding police.

Card, who is from Chico, is being prosecuted in Siskiyou County because that is where she was murdered, Redding police Sgt. Regan Ortega. She said the Redding Police Department continues to investigate the killing, despite the court proceedings happening outside Shasta County.

While there is "substantial" evidence to linking Card to Bisnell's killing, Ortega said she could not discuss how he allegedly murdered her.

Siskiyou County Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Whetstine told Linville on Tuesday that her office has been keeping close tabs on Card while he remains in the hospital.

Linville said the case could not go forward until Card is released from the hospital and is well enough to attend court proceedings.

"The reason why he's not here is because he was transported out of the jail down to San Francisco. I don't know what we're supposed to do with somebody whose leg was amputated and has no car, and they're supposed to magically appear," Linville said.

Danielle Renee Bisnell of Redding went missing in December 2019. Erick Eugene Card of Chico was arrested on Oct. 10, 2023, in connection to her killing.

The judge also told sheriff's officials in the courtroom not to go to San Francisco to arrest Card and return him to Yreka until doctors give the OK.

"He's not to be picked up unless he's medically cleared. I don't want somebody going in and grabbing him before he's medically cleared. Stranger things have happened," said Linville.

When Bisnell went missing

On Dec. 8, 2019, Bisnell's boyfriend reported to police that she was missing, police said. She was under the influence of drugs at the time and "in an unstable state of mind," police said.

The day she went missing, Bisnell met Card at the 7-Eleven store on Eureka Way in Redding, where police said Card took "advantage of her vulnerability" and persuaded her to travel with him to Oregon.

At some point, Bisnell asked to be taken home, police said. Card initially agreed to take Bisnell home, but changed his mind, police said.

"Despite Bisnell's pleas to return home in time for her son's 7th birthday, she never arrived home and has not been seen or heard from since," Redding police said in a news release.

Police said Card was behaving similarly  trying to befriend vulnerable women  on Oct. 10, the same day he was arrested in connection with Bisnell's disappearance.

"Card has a history of befriending women who appear distressed or under the influence of drugs and alcohol," Redding police said.

Erick Eugene Card

"This seems to be Cards method of finding women to take advantage of, and usually occurs near convenience stores or gas stations," police said.

Redding police are asking anyone who has had an encounter with Card to contact them at 530-225-4214.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Warrant issued for hospitalized man accused of killing Redding woman
Plans to close 50 hotels to asylum seekers have been announced by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.

While defending the government's record on asylum, Mr Jenrick also made several claims during a BBC interview and in the Commons.

Is the asylum backlog coming down?

Mr Jenrick told BBC Breakfast : "the backlog is falling".

The "backlog" refers to the number of asylum seekers waiting for an initial decision on their claim.

The latest published figures are for main applicants only - which excludes dependents such as a spouse - and cover up to the end of August.

Since the start of the year the total figure has been relatively static - at just under 140,000.

But it has not fallen. August's figure was up fractionally from the previous month and up about 23% from August 2022.

The government divides the backlog into claims made before and after 28 June 2022, referring to those before that date as the legacy backlog. While the legacy backlog has been falling, the number of applications awaiting decisions since then has been rising.

Chart showing backlog of asylum applications awaiting initial decisions, which has been fairly static in 2023 but rose in the second half of 2022

We asked the Home Office about Mr Jenrick's claim. A spokesperson told us: "The asylum backlog of legacy cases had fallen by over 35,000 cases, between the end of November 2022 and the end of August 2023."

That is true, but Mr Jenrick did not specify that he was talking about the legacy backlog and over the same period the overall backlog has risen by more than 5,000.

Are more failed asylum seekers being removed?

Mr Jenrick also said on BBC Breakfast: "The number of people being removed from the country has risen by 75% in the last year".

He made a similar claim in the Commons on Tuesday, when he told MPs that "removals of those with no right to be in the UK have increased by more than 75% compared to last year".

The Home Office describes these removals as "asylum-related returns" - a group that includes people who have had an asylum claim withdrawn or refused.

Last year there were 2,894 asylum-related returns. This is a 78% increase compared with 2021, when 1,627 people were returned.

Asylum-related returns have declined since 2010. . Note: There has been a change in methodology, which means more returns are counted as asylum-related from October 2020.

This rise was in turn driven by a 176% increase in voluntary returns of Albanians who had previously claimed asylum.

But while annual returns are up compared with 2021, when returns were likely to be lower because of Covid restrictions, they are significantly down compared with previous years.

Can people claim asylum in multiple locations in Europe?

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Jenrick objected to another MP saying the UK has "taken fewer asylum seekers per head than most other European countries".

Mr Jenrick said the statistics were hard to compare, because "in countries elsewhere in Europe people claim in multiple locations while they are transiting through them".

Peter Walsh from the Migration Observatory at University of Oxford told BBC Verify he was not aware of data that backed up this claim.

But he said there had been some examples such as Hungary, where people applied for asylum but did not receive decisions and so moved on to claim in Germany.

Rather than looking at asylum applications, Mr Walsh added it would be better to look at the number of people granted refugee status per 100,000 of the population.

On that measure, Migration Observatory calculations based on data from the European statistics agency Eurostat for 2022 puts the UK eighteenth out of the 32 European countries included.

We have asked the Home Office for evidence to support the minister's claim.

BBC Verify logo

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?
On the third day of testimony in the murder trial against Christopher Taylor, jurors heard from Austin police officers who responded alongside Taylor to the 911 call that led to Michael Ramos death.

In a pivotal moment, one of the officers present on the scene  who had initially claimed otherwise  eventually admitted that he did not think he was in immediate danger when Ramos' vehicle moved forward.

There were seven other officers present when Taylor shot and killed Ramos in April 2020. Their perspectives might be crucial in determining whether Taylor was justified in taking deadly action.

In his opening statement on Monday, Dexter Gilford, head of the Travis County district attorneys Civil Rights Unit, emphasized that Taylor was the only officer who shot at Ramos moving vehicle. Gilford argued that in doing so, Taylor was in violation of his training and generally accepted police practices.

'I feel like I shot him': 911 caller regrets inaccurate statement that Mike Ramos was armed

All seven officers who responded alongside Taylor have been subpoenaed and most, if not all, are expected to testify.

Brenda Ramos is overcome with emotion Wednesday as she leaves the murder trial of Austin police officer Christopher Taylor after watching a video of her son, Michael Ramos, getting shot by Taylor.

So far, the jury has heard from officers Darrell Cantu-Harkless, Benjamin Hart and James Morgan. Prosecutors played footage from Cantu-Harkless', Harts, and Morgan's body-worn cameras, from the time officers first responded to the call to after shots had been fired.

Prosecutors asked Cantu-Harkless and Hart about their thought process and decision-making at crucial points during the confrontation with Ramos. During their questioning, prosecutors seemed particularly interested in the reactions that Cantu-Harkless and Hart had to the movement of Ramos' vehicle.

Morgan had not finished testifying when the court session ended Wednesday. He is expected to continue Thursday.

Cantu-Harkless was the officer closest to Ramos' vehicle. During questioning, Gilford pointed out that after Ramos got into his vehicle, Cantu-Harkless holstered his weapon and entered his patrol vehicle. In the body-worn camera footage, he can be seen putting his car into drive.

Police officer Darrell Cantu-Harkless, who was the officer closest to Michael Ramos' vehicle during the fatal 2020 shooting, testifies Wednesday.

Gary Cobb, who was hired by the district attorney's office as a special prosecutor, questioned Hart in a prolonged exchange that grew tense.

Hart led the development of the plan that the officers made before approaching Ramos, and he was next to Taylor when shots were fired.

Cobb asked Hart if he felt that there was an "immediate danger" to his life when Ramos drove forward. Hart initially said yes. He also said that he thought the vehicle was coming toward him.

Cobb continued pressing Hart on the matter, occasionally interrupted when defense attorneys raised objections about the nature of his questioning. Prosecutors played footage from the body-worn camera of Valerie Tavarez, another officer on the scene, and paused it at the moment Ramos' vehicle began moving.

Cobb asked Hart, "Your life is in no danger whatsoever, is it?"

"No," Hart said.

"No one is going to have to kill Michael Ramos to defend your life, will they?" Cobb asked.

"I don't believe so," Hart said.

"You don't need to kill Michael Ramos to defend your own life, do you?"

"No."

"And you don't need to kill Michael Ramos in order to defend anyone else's life, do you?" Cobb asked.

"Not that I'm aware of," Hart said.

Finally, Cobb asked Hart if he felt that his decision not to shoot Ramos was "reasonable." Hart agreed.

More: Trial of Austin police officer Christopher Taylor, accused of murdering Mike Ramos, begins

Throughout the trial, there have been members of law enforcement  in plainclothes  present in the courtroom. Prior to the trial, the president of the Austin Police Association, Thomas Villarreal, sent an email to members asking them to support Taylor by coming to court.

For years, we have talked about being our brothers keeper. Over the coming weeks, we need to live by these words and stand shoulder to shoulder in support of Chris and his family, Villarreal wrote.

In a text to the American-Statesman, Villarreal confirmed that an email had been sent and said, We continue to stand by Officer Taylor.

Late Tuesday afternoon, jurors also heard from Ramos girlfriend, Rebeca Garcia. She was in the vehicle with Ramos when police arrived but remained outside when Ramos attempted to drive away. Garcia described her fear when facing the police.

We didnt know which way to go or who to listen to because if we made a wrong step, we could have been shot, Garcia said.

Prosecutor Gary Cobb questions police Detective Benjamin Hart about the Michael Ramos shooting. Cobb asked Hart if he felt that his decision not to shoot Ramos was "reasonable." Hart said it was.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin police officers give revealing testimony in Taylor's murder trial
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin residents and homeowners protested against the initiative called Home Options for Middle-income Empowerment, or HOME.

"We demand that the council takes a step back and implement a collaborative process as promised," says the president of the Austin Neighborhoods Council Ana Aguirre.

Austin City Council members introduced the initiative that was divided into two phases as resolutions earlier this year. It passed with the support of 9 out of 11 council members.

City leaders believe the land development codes need to be changed, so more people can afford to live in Austin.

"This is a critical time for all Austin neighborhoods without the promised conversations the council is moving forward, by deregulating our neighbors for developers and for their profits single family neighborhoods are in jeopardy of losing big with this gross over wage of the city council," said Aguirre.

Phase one will allow up to three homes to be built on single family lots with the option for additional housing for relatives or caretakers, passive income, or tiny homes.

Phase two proposes smaller lots for smaller homes.

Austin residents and homeowners protested against the initiative called Home Options for Middle-income Empowerment, or HOME.

"Homeowners and families should not have to fight the government to protect their investment or the neighborhood lifestyle that they have chose," says former Travis County Judge Bill Aleshire.

According to the city, HOME also offers first-time home buyers affordable starter homes, and works to increase housing supply. However, residents say it has the opposite effect.

"For-profit redevelopment plans like home are the cause of housing affordability crisis not the solution," says GAVA Executive Director Carmen Llanes.

Records from the city indicate a shortage of nearly 152,000 homes are considered affordable enough for two-person middle-income households.

"It won't make housing more affordable; it won't protect the climate or the environment and what it is, is forcing zoning change on homeowners, thousands and thousands of homeowners," says Save Our Springs Alliance Executive Director Bill Bunch.
The Australian Ministry of Defense announced a new 20 million AUD ($12.7 million) aid package for Ukraine on Oct. 25.

The package includes de-mining equipment, portable x-ray machines, a 3D metal printer, and counter-drone systems.

In addition, the announcement also said that an Australian military aircraft, along with 100 Australian soldiers, will be deployed to Germany as part of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.

The announcement emphasized that neither the plane nor the soldiers would be sent to Ukraine.

This latest package of assistance brings the total of Australian aid to Ukraine to 910 million AUD ($578 million), including the "provision of Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, heavy artillery, critical ammunition and contributions to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund."

Australia remains steadfast in supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russias illegal and immoral invasion," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
WASHINGTON  The B-21 Raider has begun carrying out taxi tests at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, a key step for the Northrop Grumman-made stealth bomber before it can carry out its first flight.

A U.S. Air Force spokesperson confirmed the first B-21 bomber is now taxiing along the ground, but said no other details on its testing were available.

Confirmation of the B-21s taxi tests came after a photograph of the bomber, taken from the rear and apparently showing it moving along a taxiway, emerged on social media.

Rigorous testing is a critical step in the B-21 flight test program, the Air Force said. Extensive testing evaluates systems, components and functionalities. This testing allows us to mitigate risks, optimize design, and enhance operational effectiveness.

The U.S. Air Force rolled out this first B-21 test platform, which is a production-representative aircraft almost identical to the final model, in a December 2022 ceremony in Palmdale, Calif. (U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force and Northrop Grumman plan for the initial B-21 bomber to have its first flight by the end of the year, which would be about a year after its heavily publicized rollout in December 2022. The two are also carrying out a series of ground tests to pave the way for that flight.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall did say at the Air and Space Forces Associations conference in September that the first flight should happen this year absent any unexpected surprises, but cautioned surprises do happen in acquisition programs.

Officials said at the conference that engine runs  or tests the bombers propulsion systems  had begun. Other preparations included activating its systems, troubleshooting its fuel systems, and ensuring its doors, landing gears and control actuation systems work properly.

The B-21 will be put through a series of further flight tests after it arrives at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The Air Force now has at least six B-21s in various stages of production and testing.
An Ohio man working as a babysitter has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting children he was watching.

Timothy Luna, of Akron, was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison Wednesday morning, according to WJW in Cleveland.

>> You just shot my dog! Family pet killed by Ohio police officer

Last week, Luna pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition. He had been previously indicted on charges in September 2022.

Luna worked as a babysitter through Care.com and sexually assaulted the children he watched after, according to WOIO in Cleveland.

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said the victims were in three different communities, including Akron and Parma Heights.

Investigators determined that he abused children for years before he was caught, WJW reported. The case connected to the charges involved children who were 6, 9, and 13 at the time of the assaults.

>> 2-year-old dead after being hit by tractor in Ohio

In a statement to WJW, a Care.com spokesperson said the company was horrified by the reports about Luna.

We take the safety of our community very seriously which is why we require all caregivers to complete a background check before they can engage with families on our platform. This individual has been removed from our site, and weve taken steps to block him from ever re-enrolling, the statement read.
The USPCA said that most badgers are healthy and culling them would be morally wrong

A high court judge has quashed a decision by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) for a badger cull.

A judicial review was brought by the NI Badger Group and Wild Justice.

The legal challenge was granted at the high court on the grounds that the department had failed to comply with consultations.

Up to 35k in legal fees will be paid by the department to the groups.

The decision to implement a programme of badger culling was to be introduced in areas of high bovine tuberculosis among cattle.

In July 2021, then agriculture minister Edwin Poots held a public consultation in which he outlined a series of measures.

He said that the plans for a badger cull were far-reaching and based on science.

However recent research by the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI) found that cattle-to-badger transmission "appeared to be considerably more common than badger-to-cattle transmission", although highly variable.

The department decision to hold a cull was met with dismay from a number of wildlife charities and campaign groups.
Pretrial detention should not be a death sentence. But since 2016, at least 52 people have died in pretrial detention at the Shelby County Jail complexes, per a recent investigation by The Commercial Appeal.

They were young and old, Black and white, men and women. They were in pretrial detention and accused of things like possessing drugs, stealing beer and trespassing. Suicide was the leading cause of death, followed by complications from illnesses.

All these people were our community members  we should not allow their deaths to go unnoticed.

Jails and incarceration separate us by removing community members from our fold. Its easy to see people in jail as them and for politicians to exploit our division. But people in jail are us. People in jails are our brothers and sisters.

Another view: Shelby Co.'s old bail system was unconstitutional. Why is the new one drawing political criticism?

People can lose everything they have because of pretrial detention

Death is the worst outcome of pretrial detention that can befall our brothers and sisters. The effects of pretrial detention that fall short of death are similarly devastating and disruptive to individuals, families and communities. Pretrial detention affects all of us  whether or not we see the inside of a cell.

Marilyn Donald and Elvis Ellis, the mother and grandmother of Marcus Donald, hold hands and look at family photos of Marcus as a child and teenager along with the program from his funeral in Ellis home in Memphis, Tenn., on March 20, 2023. Donald died while in custody at Shelby County Jail and another inmate has been charged with his murder.

When a person is kept in pretrial detention, even for a short time, it has devastating effects that ripple out beyond just one persons life. People lose housing, people lose jobs, people lose custody of their children, people lose access to healthcare.

Family members scramble to come up with enough money to post bail so their loved one can be released.

People can be so desperate for freedom that they will take a plea deal  whether or not the state has enough evidence to meet its burden, whether or not they are guilty or innocent. A criminal record is a scarlet letter that follows a person for the rest of their life  imposing barriers to housing, employment and opportunity.

Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.

Bail reform yielded more division fueled by fearmongering

Pretrial detention can derail a life, derail a family, and rend a community. Removing people from our community and punishing them for the rest of their lives makes us weaker, less safe, and it makes us less just to be complicit in a system that takes and destroys lives. As Dr. King wrote, We are inevitably our brothers keeper because we are our brothers brother. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.

Community members, civil rights organizations and county officials agreed we werent willing to accept unjust and destructive outcomes of pretrial detention. Moved by the better angels of our nature, moved by justice and equality for all, Shelby County accepted and implemented reforms to the bail system  so that people arent detained simply because they cant afford their freedom, so that people can return to our communities, participate in their defense and vindicate their rights.

Almost immediately after Shelby County passed these reforms, the division started. Some politicians scapegoated bail reform for perceived increases in crime, and many media outlets fueled fear mongering narratives that prey on feelings of vulnerability  turning the law abiding us against the socially disfavored them.

Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee.

Here's what the data show about bail reform outcomes

Shelby County Judicial Commissioners recently released data showing that in six months of the new, more just bail system, fewer people are re-arrested on new charges while out on bail.

The Walter L. Bailey Jr. Shelby County Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar Avenue.

This evidence should quell the baseless claims that pretrial release is responsible for a perceived rise in crime. Crime is complicated  and we should be skeptical of people offering simple solutions and sowing division.

If we really are committed to safety and justice for all, we must think much bigger and with greater vision than whether or not people are re-arrested while out on bail. We need to go back to the root. At the Judicial Commissioners meeting, General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson emphasized that proactive measures, such as efforts to staunch the flow of guns in our community, are necessary to stop crime before it happens.

He is onto something communities closest to the scourge of mass incarceration have been saying for a long time.

Take a step in the direction of safety and justice

Instead of punishing, arresting, and criminalizing people because they lack the basic necessities of life  what if we made sure every person had what they needed to live with dignity: decent and affordable housing, economic opportunity, a living wage, healthcare, the elimination of poverty and discrimination?

These are policy solutions we must demand from our lawmakers. We are confronted by the fierce urgency of now, Dr. King wrote. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.

Instead of allowing ourselves to be divided by hate, opportunism and shortsightedness, let us be united by justice, vision and brotherhood. Let us turn our hearts and minds away from punishment and fear, which diminish all of us.

Andre Johnson

Let our hearts and minds be guided by love, belonging and care. Bail reform is a step in that direction  it is choosing safety and justice for our communities.

Dr. Andre E. Johnson is the founding pastor of Gifts of Life Ministries, a church in the Raleigh neighborhood built upon the servant leadership philosophy.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bail reform: This is a key step in choosing safety and justice for all
The Great British Bake Off tent was filled with emotion this week as two contestants were eliminated at once.

No bakers were eliminated in last weeks episode after Tasha fell ill and had to exit the show early, meaning two people had to go this time around.

One contestant said they had to hold back the tears during the double-elimination on the fifth episode of the shows 14th series.

The episode started with the bakers being told their signature dish would be savoury picnic pies.

Pastry Week also saw the contestants make a classic French rough puff pastry for their technical challenge, and a decorative sweet pie for their showstopper, judged by Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith .

At the end of the episode presenter Alison Hammond announced that Cristy was this weeks star baker, while co-presenter Noel Fielding revealed that Nicky and Rowan had become the fourth and fifth contestants to leave the tent.

Nicky, 52, who is based in the West Midlands, said: I knew my time had come to an end after such a disastrous few days but even still my heart sank and I had to hold back the tears.

Nicky on The Great British Bake Off (Chaanel 4)

I had such a wonderfully happy time during my time in the tent.

What made it slightly easier when leaving was I didnt leave alone and my lovely bakers gave me the biggest hugs which meant more than anything to me.

I got to halfway through and thats good enough for me, without a doubt.

I have had so many people stop me and recognise me. I even got recognised in France where I have just been for a few days.

Rowan, 21, from West Yorkshire, said leaving with Nicky made it so much easier for him to say farewell.

The student said: We were great friends in the tent and we are really looking forward to doing An Extra Slice together, it will be lovely to see her again.

After being on the series Ive learnt to be more confident in myself and my talents, and that you will find friends wherever you go.

He added: When it was announced I was leaving I was raging! Only joking, it was my time to go.

I mean, my pies were abhorrent so I expected nothing less. Everyone rallied around Nicky and me and gave us all the love.

And then Tash, Dana and I hit the bar, but I should probably keep that one to myself.

Nicky and Rowan will join presenters Jo Brand and Tom Allen on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice at 8pm on Thursday on Channel 4, with guest appearances from comedian Ross Noble, reality star Jamie Laing and dancer Oti Mabuse.

The Great British Bake Off airs on Tuesdays on Channel 4.

Additional reporting from the Press Association
A digital skills and employability programme for 600 people from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds has been announced by the US business delegation visiting NI.

The scheme will be funded by Bank of America and will be delivered by Belfast Met, the city's further education college.

It involves at least 30 "skills academies" over the next three years.

The programme was announced by Jane Hartley, US Ambassador to the UK.

"I have seen remarkable outcomes from similar Bank of America-funded projects in the US and I am hugely optimistic about its capacity to deliver the digital skills for young people in Northern Ireland," she said.

The programme will focus on enhancing digital skills and providing the opportunity to get qualifications and work experience.

Louise Warde Hunter, Principal of Belfast Met said: "We know that developing digital skills in our young people and others struggling to access work to support their families is critical to fostering continued growth, productivity and innovation in our economy."

Meanwhile Joe Kennedy, the US Special Envoy leading the delegation to Northern Ireland, has announced that Florida-based insurance technology company Frontline has established an engineering development team in Northern Ireland in a 3.8m investment that will create 31 jobs.

Twenty-six of the 31 roles are already in place in the operation, which trades as OpenData Belfast.

The project, which is supported by Invest NI, will deliver data analytics, data science, product development and operational support to Frontline.

It is one of a series of US "insurtech" operations which have been established in Belfast.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will take the stand in his criminal fraud trial in a bid to bolster his defense against charges that he orchestrated a massive yearslong fraud, his lawyer told the court Wednesday.

Bankman-Fried could appear before the court as soon as Thursday, his lawyer, Mark Cohen, said.

The testimony by the 31-year-old one-time political megadonor will be critical to his defense against allegations by the U.S. government that he defrauded FTX customers and investors while running the one-time cryptocurrency exchange giant.

The government's case, now in its fourth week, has hinged on the testimony of several former executives at FTX and its sister trading company Alameda Research, including Caroline Ellison, the former Alameda CEO who dated Bankman-Fried at times.

Prosecutors have charged Bankman-Fried with stealing billions from FTX customers and investors to finance real estate purchases, startup investments and political donations. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty.

The widely watched trial marks the culmination of a stunning fall for Bankman-Fried, who just a year ago was still widely seen as a heavyweight in Washington and the $1 trillion crypto market. The downfall of FTX and Bankman-Fried sent shockwaves across the nation's capital, where lawmakers and regulators on both sides of the aisle had shown a willingness to engage with Bankman-Fried.
The leaders of Hamas know that once the Israeli counter-offensive starts they will lose their greatest asset: the interconnected tunnels in which their missiles are assembled and taken to launch openings, ready for fire into Israeli territory.

These underground networks have many uses, with everything from weapons drills hidden from overhead balloons or synthetic aperture radars (which produce photo-like images in all degrees of visibility) to makeshift headquarters and even rest areas protected from air strikes.

Built with the cement and rebar donated by the European Union, Qatar and both Islamic and Western charities to build housing for refugees, and delivered to Gaza through the Israeli port of Ashdod  Israeli governments that tried to limit the cement imports were barraged with human rights demands  the tunnel network has grown exponentially over the past decade. Israeli soldier-analysts even refer to it as the Underground, in reference to Londons labyrinthine tube network.

The discovery that Hamas was going all out to build its tunnels was also the start of the Israeli armys education in the arcane art of finding, conquering and quickly demolishing tunnels .

Its first lesson was that tunnel warfare is not for amateurs, nor even for highly accomplished but generic commandos including the top echelon Sayeret Matkal  it requires very specific detection and monitoring skills and gear, ultra close-combat weapons (even compact assault rifles are too long), the use of specialised shields and respirators, as well as the very quick reaction times that all first-rate soldiers require.

Hamas knows from previous experience that the closer the range, the greater is the qualitative gap between their men and first-line Israeli infantry (it was Arik Sharon, who ended up as Prime Minister after a brilliant military career, who first discovered in the 1950s that Israelis had an edge in close combat).

Even in its hyper-successful surprise raids that took full advantage of Israels grossly over-confident reliance on high-tech observation towers and absurdly few troops, Hamas lost more than a thousand killed by civilian home guards with their pistols and submachine guns, aided by the handful of soldiers present.

Knowing the odds, Hamas is now doing all it can to delay Israels tunnel offensive by releasing hostages in pairs, after lengthy talks for each batch. If the current rate of release  two at a time  continued with 200 more to go, the offensive would be delayed until the following year.

In addition to the excruciating wait, with 360,000 reservists recalled to duty in addition to the 160,000 on active duty (the entire British army numbers 80,360 including the Ghurkas and the US Army 452,689), there is the very practical matter of keeping a great part of Israels labour force away from its jobs, and parents away from their families.

At least for those problems, the solution has been found in the very thing that makes Israel so vulnerable: it is a very small country, so that batches of troops released from their unit deployments facing Gaza can be allowed to go home to live and work, yet still be back in hours if called to launch the offensive.

They are certainly not needed now that the defenses are wide awake, with guard units all along the perimeter: where they should have been all along. Overconfidence is an Israeli trait. When the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal on October 1973 with tens of thousands of reservists, just 411 Israeli reservists were holding 17 Canal-side forts.

The intensely frustrating delay in launching the offensive does not preclude all offensive action. Both the Israeli Army and the Shin Bet security service have units of skilled individual fighters who speak perfect Palestinian-accented Arabic. With all the confusion caused by the bombing, they have been able to blend in inside the in order to look for Hamas leaders. So far the names of 18 Hamas commanders and political chiefs successfully killed have been published, with the mini-campaign set to continue.

The Hezbollah shia army across the Lebanese border, with its estimated massive supply of 150,000 rockets (for context, the total launched from the Gaza Strip is under 8,000) that could quickly overwhelm Iron Domes capabilities, has so far refrained from backing up its vehement support for Hamas. But there are two exceptions to this non-engagement.

One was a brief bout of machine gun fire which killed a young reservist just arrived from his US family home, with the other being the launch of some rockets by Palestinians harboured in Lebanon.

Hezbollahs vehement leader Nasrallah and his Iranian paymasters keep calling for Israels destruction (along with death to the USA), but neither have reacted to Israels actual destruction of the freight terminals in the Aleppo and Damascus airports that Iran uses to deliver weapons to Hezbollah.

At this point it is impossible to say if Nasrallahs plan is to start the rocket barrages when Israel starts its offensive into Gaza, or whether he has another starting point, or whether he is deterred by the vulnerability of his Shia supporters in Southern Lebanon to Israels artillery, mortars, and airpower  which last time in 2006 left southern Beirut in ruins along with Hezbollah headquarters and barracks.

After that war, Nasrallah, with commendable honesty, declared that he would never have started the war had he known what the Israeli force would do to the houses of his followers (to mitigate their fury, Hezbollah officials went around with bags of US dollars supplied by Iran to pay for some of the damage).

It is not unreasonable to expect that the only leader in the region who does care for his supporters  Hamas gladly sacrifices its followers to its cause  will not expose them to another devastating bombing campaign, just to launch rockets against Israel. For now, the conflict is focused on Hamas. If Israel concentrates its efforts on destroying Gazan tunnels, theyll find themselves almost totally powerless.

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.
WASHINGTON  The eyes of the nation are on Ohio as voters in the state head to the polls on Nov. 7 to decide on an abortion ballot measure that has the potential to rock the state and send a message to the rest of the country.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, abortion rights activists have been on a winning streak, with voters in six states either passing measures to protect abortion access or rejecting efforts to restrict it.

But next month, Ohio voters will consider Issue 1, a measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution through viability, typically around 24 weeks gestation. After that, a doctor could perform an abortion to save the life or health of the pregnant patient.

Ohio is the only state to have an abortion measure on the ballot this fall.

Last year, a measure in the state that supporters call the heartbeat bill, which banned abortions after fetal cardiac activity was detected typically around six weeks, went into effect. But a judge in the state later placed the law on hold and restored abortion access in Ohio until 22 weeks of pregnancy.

For the past several months, groups fighting to restrict and protect abortion access in Ohio have knocked on thousands of voters doors to mobilize residents of the Buckeye State.

But regardless of which group is victorious on Election Day, Christopher Devine, associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton, told USA TODAY that the vote will send a strong signal to the rest of the country about the abortion issue."

"If Ohioans  who voted for Donald Trump twice, by 8 percentage points, and overwhelmingly reelected a strong pro-life governor in Mike DeWine last year  are willing to take this step, it would be a strong signal to other red states that voters there might support pro-choice constitutional amendments if given the chance, as well," he said.

'Afraid to be pregnant': Activists working to protect abortion access in Ohio fear the return of restrictions

Activists supporting Issue 1 fear that failing to pass the measure could result in the reinstatement of the state's previous restrictions.

Kellie Copeland, executive director at Pro-Choice Ohio, told USA TODAY that some Ohio residents told her they were scared under the former six-week ban.

There were so many people I knew who were pregnant at the time or had been struggling with fertility issues, were trying to get pregnant, and talked to me about how they were afraid, she said.

They were afraid to be pregnant in Ohio because they were afraid if something went wrong, that their doctor wouldn't be able to legally help them. And that just should never happen anywhere in the world, but especially a state like Ohio, she said.

Even without the previous abortion measure in effect, Beth Long, a 34-year-old oncology nurse from Columbus, Ohio, still traveled out of state to get an abortion because she said her health insurance didnt cover it in Ohio. Her daughter had Limb Body Wall Complex, in which organs would grow outside of her body.

I can't imagine it being worse than what it already was for us, she said, calling for Ohio to be a safe haven for women of the Midwest."

Some of Ohio's neighboring states have implemented strict abortion measures since Roe v. Wade was overturned. For example, abortion is banned in Indiana except in cases of severe medical emergencies and in the case of rape or incest up to 10 weeks post-fertilization.

West Virginia and Kentucky have also enacted restrictions on abortion with narrow exceptions, such as severe medical emergencies.

Dr. Aziza Wahby, the treasurer for Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and a dermatologist, said during the previous ban she saw patients who needed medication to treat conditions like arthritis and had difficulty getting those drugs because they're abortifacients.

Women's health care is being put on the line, there isn't even a question about it. ... Women aren't going to want to come here to start a family knowing that it could be unsafe for them and all of the options for fertility treatments may not be available, she said.

Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights is a member of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, which placed the measure on the 2023 ballot and is leading the campaign for it.

Dr. Bill Roddick, the director of an abortion clinic in Ohio, told USA TODAY that patients also scrambled to seek abortions in neighboring states after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

It was just sort of gut-wrenching, knowing that you had the tools and the ability to help someone but that you just, just the laws of your state prevented you from doing it, he said.

'Ground zero for this issue': Anti-abortion advocates fight back

Groups opposed to Issue 1 are leading their own fight against the measure, which would provide more concrete protections for abortion in the state by relying on a constitutional amendment.

They also have an ally in DeWine, who signed the six-week ban into effect and has been opposed to abortion throughout his career. DeWine told USA TODAY he believes Ohioans can find a place to resolve the abortion debate and come up with a compromise, and that cant be done until Issue 1 is defeated.

Peter Range, CEO of Ohio Right to Life, agreed, noting that the measure "shuts off all debate because it chooses one extreme of this abortion issue and it's cemented into our Constitution."

For Austin Beigel, president of End Abortion Ohio, Issue 1 touches on his faith and background. He said his experiences as a veteran and father of three have also taught him to love life more and love people more."

What also drives Beigel in the anti-abortion fight are the stories of women who have gone through abortion and later regretted it, he said.

You hear those stories from women who have gone through that and made those bad decisions and it's heart-wrenching," he said.

Michael Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, forecast that Ohio's abortion ballot measure could send a signal to his fellow advocates outside the state.

We are ground zero for this issue for the nation, and the outcome is going to have ripple effects across the country for their efforts (and) our efforts to stop them," Gonidakis said.

Though activists in favor of abortion rights won on ballot measures in six states last year, Amy Natoce, press secretary for Protect Women Ohio, which opposes Issue 1, said that the situation in Ohio is different. For instance, she said those states had a quick turnaround from the time Roe v. Wade was overturned to the midterm elections in November.

We've had a much longer runway to hone our messaging, to fundraise, to build out a coalition and infrastructure, to build out a ground game, Natoce said. We've had a very different timeline."

In 2024, voters in Maryland and New York will vote on amendments to their state constitution that could strengthen access to abortion. Advocates from Arizona to Florida are also pushing similar efforts, with a close eye on Ohio as voters in the longstanding swing state consider the issue.

Will Ohio voters pass abortion protections, or reject Issue 1?

So far, polls have found that a majority of Ohioans support Issue 1.

A poll from Baldwin Wallace University conducted between Oct. 9 and Oct. 11 found that 58% of likely voters for the Nov. 7 election favored passage of Issue 1. The measure is favored by 89% of Democrats, 39% of Republicans and 51% of independents.

A USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll from July also found that about 57.6% of Ohio voters support the abortion rights measure, while 32.4% oppose it, and 10% are undecided.

Devine said he expects the trend will stay the same, noting that abortion is one of those issues where its awfully hard to change peoples minds, at least on a large scale and in a short period of time.

The impact the measure will have ahead of the 2024 election will depend on its outcome, according to Mark Smith, the director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University.

During the past year, it is true that where abortion has shown up on statewide ballots, the pro-choice side has won, Smith said. If that happens again in Ohio, it will continue to reveal the fractures within the Republican Party on the issue. This will be a significant story for 2024 as presidential and congressional candidates seek to navigate the issue. Donald Trump is already moving away from staunch pro-life positions. If this trend continues, I would expect other Republicans to do the same.

But Steven Steinglass, a constitutional law expert at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, warned that an issue like reproductive rights is not a purely partisan issue.

"There's broad support for reproductive rights for women," he said. "The fact is that Roe v. Wade has great support and the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade has meant met a real firestorm of opposition as exemplified in several recent elections."

Referencing Ohio's reputation as a "purple" state, Devine predicted that if the measure passes, what it would show is that even a lot of Republicans in Ohio  people who are willing to vote for Donald Trump, Mike DeWine, or (Ohio Sen.) J.D. Vance  actually disagree with the party on the issue of abortion and apparently support Republicans for other reasons.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortion on the ballot: How an Ohio measure became a battleground
Conservative MPs have been questioning the BBC's director general over its coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

Tim Davie attended a special meeting of Tory MPs, which the BBC said had been arranged in July as part of regular discussions with politicians.

The private meeting is understood to have focused on the BBC's coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and migration.

A BBC spokesman said Mr Davie stressed "why the institution matters" to MPs.

One MP present told the BBC: "There's one thing today that's united the whole of the backbenches and that's a disagreement with the DG about Hamas being a terrorist organisation and the ability to say so."

Another described it as "a forthright exchange of views".

Many Tory MPs and Israeli President Isaac Herzog have been angered by the corporation not describing Hamas as "terrorists".

Mr Davie said the word was far from banned but the corporation took care to say who was describing someone as a terrorist. BBC reports regularly refer to Hamas as being a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK government.

A spokesman added later: "We are impartial... it's not about being neutral, it's about being able to report in the UK, in Gaza, in the Middle East, whereas if the BBC is seen to be an arm of the UK government, that makes our journalism very difficult and it impacts the way it's perceived and trusted."

Reports from inside the 1922 Committee, which represents backbench Tory MPs in the House of Commons, said that Tory Natalie Elphicke was among MPs to question Mr Davie on the BBC's coverage of small boat crossings.

The BBC is launching assessments of its migration output and its editorial guidelines.

"Every four to five years, as a matter of course we look at our editorial guidelines. That's next due to happen next year," a BBC spokesperson said.

The questions led to desk-banging, traditional sign of appreciation at the meeting and cheers of "more".

A BBC spokesman said Mr Davie had attended the meeting because he had been asked as part of his regular meetings with political parties.

"We have meetings with all sorts of parliamentary groups from different parties as part of our normal engagement. We were invited to come, we were invited back in July and here we are", the spokesman said.

"We don't do it thinking that we're going to get a warm hug," he added.

Also on Wednesday, BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness published a blog on the broadcaster's coverage of the Israel-Gaza war.

In it, she set out how BBC reporters are moving away from using the word "militant" as "a default description of Hamas or Hezbollah fighters".

"But we don't ban words, and there may be times now or in the future when it's appropriate to use the term," Ms Turness said.
A bear broke into the kitchen of a luxury Colorado hotel Monday night and attacked a security guard, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In a press release on Tuesday, CPW stated the guard was investigating a call about a bear at the St. Regis Aspen Resort when he was attacked. The bear attacked the guard, swiping at him and knocking him down to the ground, as he turned around a corner, officials said. The guard was able to flee and called 911. He was transported to a hospital to treat wounds to his back and was released on Tuesday morning. According to KDVR, CPW officials explained the bear had entered the building through a series of doors near the courtyard. They found the beast Tuesday morning but were unable to tranquilize the bear safely. Its not known whether the bear had been captured on Wednesday afternoon. In their news release, CPW wrote, It is everyones responsibility to give wildlife space and remember the importance of being bear aware at all times.

Read it at KVDR

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Members of Beauforts Jewish community, which has deep roots in the city, plan to raise their voices in support of Israel Sunday as its war with Hamas enters its third week.

The Beaufort City Council on Tuesday approved the use of the pavilion at Waterfront Park for a gathering called Beaufort Unites in Solidarity: Peace and Prayer for Israel, at 2:30 p.m.

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians has sparked vigils against antisemitism across the world while the subsequent bombing of Gaza has ignited pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Sundays event in Beaufort will be the first public show of support for Israel in Beaufort, which is 6,300 miles away from the conflict.

Ken Hoffman, a member of Beth Israel synagogue in Beaufort, said concerned residents are organizing the event, not a specific synagogue. There are four synagogues in Beaufort County. Beth Israels synagogue is 105 years old but the temple says Jews have resided in the city since the 1760s.

We really would like as many non-Jewish people, as feel affection for Israel at this time, to attend, Hoffman said of Sundays event.

The gathering, Hoffman said, wont be a rah-rah rally. Its really to show the area that people support what Israel is doing, because its very hard, he said.

Area rabbis will speak at the Beaufort event as well as local officials including acting Beaufort Mayor Mike McFee. Area, state and federal representatives have been invited to the event, which is is open to the public.

Given the nature of the event, Beaufort organizers requested that the city approve the use of police for security, which was approved.

Police regularly staff events at Waterfront Park so the Beaufort Unites in Solidarity gathering will not be unusual in that regard, Deputy Police Chief Stephenie Price said.

The department, she said, will be ready.

We are there to protect the citizens of the community be it for or against, said Price, noting the 1st Amendment guarantees the right of people to gather peacefully.
Some Tennessee residents were in for a surprise when they saw an all-white deer trotting through their town.

Several people in Johnson City and Jonesborough spotted the colorless deer running in the area, WJHL reported, including a man who posted his sighting to Facebook on Oct. 19.

The buck galloped through the streets and by homes, as seen in the mans photos posted to Facebook.

The animal left many in the area with questions: What type of deer was it? And where did it come from?

The deer seems to be either a fallow or sika deer, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesperson Matthew Cameron told McClatchy News in an email. It also may be albino, he said.

Albino white-tailed deer are a protected species in Tennessee, Cameron said, but the loose buck wouldnt have the same restrictions because it is exotic.

Fallow deer are native to Southwest Asia but have established themselves throughout Europe over the past thousand years, according to the Mammal Society. Sika deer originate from east Asia, and they have become more common in England through releases into the wild, the organization said on its website.

The Tennessee agency gets a handful of calls every year about escaped exotic deer, Cameron said, which he noted are typically fallow deer. But seeing a possibly albino nonnative deer is rare, he said.

Loose exotic deer are usually the result of the animal escaping from a hunting preserve or a petting zoo, but in the case of the all-white buck, that doesnt seem to be the case, Cameron said. There is not a hunting preserve with permits in the area that the deer was seen, he said, and the agency doesnt know who owns it.

Finding out who owns the deer may prove to be difficult. Tennessee Department of Agriculture investigators would need to trace if the buck was a direct purchase into the state or if it was bought at an exotic auction, Cameron said.

If the deer was a direct import into Tennessee, the owner would have a permit from the agriculture department, Cameron said, as well as a health certificate. But if the buck came from an auction, the owner may be very difficult to track, he said.

There isnt a direct threat to local wildlife, Cameron said, because the exotic animal cant crossbreed with native deer. What could be problematic is if the buck causes damage to property, he said. In that case, the property owner has the right to euthanize the animal, per the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Cameron said.

The agency doesnt have plans to relocate or capture the all-white buck, Cameron said, so more people may see the deer make an appearance in their area.

Its a beautiful animal, so enjoy the moment ... and if known, contact its owner to come get it, Cameron said.

Johnson City is about 105 miles northeast of Knoxville. Jonesborough is about eight miles west of Johnson City.

Loose cows roam free on highway after deadly cattle trailer fire, Georgia officials say

Poodle got loose along busy Florida interstate. 10 days later, a rescue has good news

Rare sea creatures with fins shaped like Mickey Mouses ears spotted in New Zealand
Herbert "Bertie" Bowman was the longest-serving African-American staffer on Capitol Hill in US history.

He died on October 25 after a nearly 60-year career in the Senate.

Bowman first arrived in Washington, DC, in 1944 as a runaway and worked as a sweeper on the Capitol's steps.

Bertie Bowman, the longest-serving African-American staffer on Capitol Hill in history, died at 92 years old on Wednesday morning.

Andrew Desiderio, a reporter for Punchbowl News, first reported that Bowman's death was announced by Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the committee confirmed the news.

Herbert "Bertie" Bowman was born in Summerton, a small town in South Carolina, in 1931. Like many families during the Great Depression, the Bowmans struggled financially. Bowman recalled in his memoir "Step by Step" that "the wind would whistle through the wooden boards of the house" in the winter.

The 14 Bowman children worked on their family's farm, waking up before dawn every day to complete morning chores before walking three miles to school. "The white children, in buses, passed us on the road to their well-equipped classrooms and modern textbooks," Bowman wrote.

A chance encounter with a senator

Bowman dreamed of escaping the grueling life on the farm and his father's rule of law. He saw a glimmer of possibility in 1944 when he met a senator from South Carolina, Burnet Maybank, who invited crowds gathered at a local store to "drop by" and see him if they were ever in Washington, DC.

Then-13-year-old Bowman approached Maybank as the senator was about to get into his car and asked if he was also invited to visit his office.

"The senator leaned over and replied graciously, 'Certainly, my boy,'" Bowman recalled.

The idea of leaving Summerton and "going up the road" became Bowman's obsession, and he began to plan his exit.

Former Senator Chris Dodd hugs Bowman before a subcommittee hearing in October 2011. Tom Williams/Roll Call via Getty Images

From janitor to congressional staffer

Several nights later, Bowman crept out of the house with one sack of flour and his meager savings pinned to his shirt, and boarded a train to Washington. He was immediately entranced by the nation's capitol.

"When I got to the Union Station, man, I thought that Union Station was Washington. All those lights. I'd never seen that many lights before," Bowman told talkshow host Tavis Smiley in 2008.

Bowman managed to track down Maybank, who helped him secure a place to stay and a job sweeping the Capitol steps for $2 a week.

Bowman swiftly established himself as a jack-of-all-trades and eventually became a janitor for the Capitol. During that time, he formed relationships with influential members of the government, including future President Lyndon Johnson.

Bowman's close relationships with white politicians  even those who had publicly supported segregation  became an unusual aspect of his career. Bowman called Strom Thurmond a good friend, and repeatedly drew distinctions between the personality and the public positions taken by the former governor of South Carolina who was known to be a staunch segregationist.

Sen. John Kerry hugs Bowman after his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for Secretary of State on January 24, 2013. Ken Cedeno/Getty Images

Bowman was also friendly with Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, and Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, both of whom also supported segregation.

"We never did discuss things like that," Bowman told Roll Call in 2013. "They were my friends."

In 1965, Bowman became a clerk for the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, where he worked on some of the nation's most monumental issues, like the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

During this time, he also supervised a young Bill Clinton, who, at the age of 21, served as a messenger for the committee. In a 2008 essay for the Washingtonian, Bowman wrote about how the two of them bonded over their shared love of Elvis.

Years later, former President Clinton penned the foreword to Bowman's memoir, writing, "Bertie's life is a testament to the power and promise of the American Dream."

Bowman talks with then-Secretary of State John Kerry before he testifies about a congressional Authorization for the Use of Military Force against the Islamic State on December 9, 2014. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A lifetime of service at the Capitol

By the time Bowman retired in 1990, he had risen the ranks to become the Foreign Relations Committee's assistant hearing coordinator  a significant role that handled logistics for all of the committee's meetings throughout the year.

Although he'd retired, Bowman continued to serve as a consultant for the committee for the next decade.

Bowman escorts Hillary Clinton at a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 2, 2011. Alex Wong/Getty Images

In 1999, Sen. Helms, who had just become chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, sought Bowman out to come out of retirement and serve as his hearing coordinator.

Bowman had continued to work in the Capitol until his death, becoming the longest-serving African-American congressional staffer in US history.

"For 57 years  57 years!  if you served on or appeared in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, you knew the big smile, the booming laugh, and the bear hug of Bertie Bowman," John Kerry wrote in a tweet on Wednesday. "His title may have been 'hearing coordinator' but it could've just as easily been 'heart and soul.'"

"Bertie was an institution  an inspiration of a man who started in the Senate sweeping floors at 13 and made the place both his career and his home  but more than that, he was a great human and I'll miss him," Kerry said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Baffled by all the types of tofu at the grocery store? Each one is perfect for something, but can wreck dinner if used in the wrong dish.

Back in the pre-internet days, 16-year-old me bought some tofu, cubed it and tossed it in a pan of sizzling veggies, only to watch in horror as my neat cubes exploded into a million slippery white bits. This was nothing like the chewy, luscious tofu at my local House of Hunan. Plenty of people would have decided then and there that tofu was not for them, but I was destined to be a food writer, so I went to the library instead.

I had bought the wrong tofu. You dont have to make that mistake.



What exactly is tofu, anyway?

If you didnt grow up in a tofu-loving culture, chances are you feel a bit baffled by the white cube. Water-packed, shrink-wrapped, aseptic boxed, soft, firm, which should you buy? As a chef in a natural foods deli, a cooking class instructor, and a recipe developer for five vegan and vegetarian cookbooks Ive written, Ive explored working with every kind I could get my hands on. Im convinced that everyone can find a tofu dish to love, if they learn to select the right tofu and use it well.

A quick primer is in order. All tofu is made by cooking yellow soybeans in water, grinding the mixture into a slurry, straining it to make soy milk, then coagulating the soy milk to make it into a solid. Because tofu originated in China around 950 A.D., then spread to Japan and throughout Asia, there are multiple traditions and approaches to making and cooking with tofu. The typical American grocery store only sells a few of the myriad options in the wide world of tofu, if youre even that lucky.

Chinese And Japanese Styles Of Tofu

The aseptic boxed tofu that fell apart in my stir-fry was Japanese silken tofu. Silken tofu is made by making soy milk, then mixing in a coagulant that causes the entirety of the milk to thicken like a stiff, slice-able flan. Silken tofu is treasured for its delicate, smooth texture and subtle flavor, and youve probably had it in miso soup at your favorite sushi place.

The tofu I was enjoying in a stir-fry at the House of Hunan was Chinese-style tofu, which is made by adding a coagulant that causes the proteins to separate from the water, forming loose clumps. The clumps, or curds, are lifted out of the water, drained and pressed into a mold. This method creates cloud tofu, with a spongy, dense texture. Once the tofu is formed, it is pressed to squeeze out the remaining water, and the longer it is pressed, the firmer and denser it gets. Soft Chinese tofu is pressed the least, while firm and extra firm are pressed the longest. Soft Chinese-style tofu has a curded texture, but because its so moist and soft, can be used like silken tofu.

The ingredients that coagulate tofu can be different, too. Commercial tofu is coagulated with gypsum (calcium sulfate), Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), nigari (magnesium chloride) or glucono delta lactone (GDL) or a combination. Tofu makers design products that make the most of the sweetness of gypsum, slight bitterness of nigari and smooth, gelled texture of GDL.

Ideally, you don't want to saute silken or soft tofu.

Ideally, you don't want to saute silken or soft tofu.

Which Types Of Tofu To Use And When

Each type of tofu has qualities that make it perfect for certain dishes. If you are starting with a recipe, it should help you out by specifying a type of tofu. If not, remember that silken or soft tofu is delicate and fragile, and medium, firm and extra firm are sturdier.

Silken Or Soft Tofu

These types are perfect pureed for puddings, cheesecakes, salad dressings, smoothies, mayo, dips or creamy soups. Theyre beloved in classic miso soup, or chilled, topped with scallions and soy sauce. They can also be coated in batter and deep fried, but are too wet and tender to shallow fry.



Medium Or Firm Tofu

These are perfect in classic stir-fries, tofu scrambles, baked marinated tofu and tofu burgers. Because they are sturdy, but not as rock hard as extra firm, you can get a good crust or sear on cubes or slices while the interior stays tender.

Extra Firm

This is perfect for grilling and making extra chewy versions of your favorite stir-fries. Extra firm is pressed to such density that you can pat it dry, brush with oil and throw it on a hot grill without breaking. People who think tofu is too mushy love this kind.



If youve never played around with silken tofu, below is a recipe that Ive found to be a winner.

Creamy Tofu-Dill Dressing

This makes a thick, creamy puree that you can use as a dip for veggies or chips, or toss with cooked potatoes or green salads. If you want a more pourable dressing, simply stir in water, a little at a time, to make the desired consistency. When pureeing tofu in the food processor, make sure it is completely smooth before adding the liquids, or you may have lumps in the end.

Makes 2 cups

12.3 ounces (or similar) silken tofu, extra firm (1 1/2 cups mashed)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 cup dill pickle juice

1/4 cup avocado or canola oil

1 scallion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill weed

Place the tofu in the bowl of a food processor and process, scraping down frequently, until the tofu is very smooth. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and half of the cucumber and process again, blending until almost smooth.

With the machine running, drizzle in the pickle juice, then the oil. Scrape and process again to blend.

Add the remaining cucumber, scallion and dill and pulse to mix.

Scrape into a jar and refrigerate until time to serve.

To make in a blender, pour the pickle juice and oil in first, then add the tofu, salt, pepper, garlic, and half of the cucumber, then secure the lid and blend until smooth. Add the remaining cucumber, scallion and dill and pulse to mix.

Related...
President Biden is breaking with 100 years of tradition with the news that he won't file to place his name on New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary ballot.

The Biden 2024 re-election campaign announced on Tuesday that the president will pass on filing, due to the pledge by the Democratic National Committee to discipline candidates who compete in unsanctioned primaries like the one New Hampshire is planning to hold next year.

"While the president wishes to participate in the Primary, he is obligated as a Democratic candidate for President to comply with the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention promulgated by the Democratic National Committee," Biden 2024 campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in a letter to longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley.

"In accordance with this guidance, Biden for President will refrain from submitting a Declaration of Candidacy for the Primary ahead of Fridays candidate filing deadline for the Primary," Rodriguez explained.

WILL DEAN PHILLIPS LAUNCH A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST BIDEN FRIDAY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?

New Hampshire has held the first presidential primary in both major political parties' nominating calenders for a century, and Iowa's held the lead-off caucuses for the Democrats and Republicans for half a century.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

But Democrats for years have knocked both Iowa and New Hampshire as unrepresentative of the party as a whole, for being largely White with few major urban areas. Nevada and South Carolina, which in recent cycles have voted third and fourth on the calendar, are much more diverse than either Iowa or New Hampshire. Nevada and South Carolina were added to the Democratic calendar nearly two decades ago to increase the diversity of the early states electorate.

NEW HAMPSHIRE'S SUNUNU SAYS 2024 RACE IS WIDE OPEN IN FIRST PRIMARY STATE

While Republicans aren't making major changes to their schedule, the DNC earlier this year overwhelmingly approved a calendar proposed by President Biden to move South Carolina to the lead position, with a Feb. 3, 2024, primary. New Hampshire and Nevada are scheduled to hold primaries three days later, with Iowa entirely losing its early state position. The president and supporters of the plan have argued that the plan would empower minority voters, whom Democrats have long relied on but have at times taken for granted.

A sign outside the State house in Concord, New Hampshire marks the state's cherished century old first-in-the-nation presidential primary status.

But New Hampshire has a nearly half-century-old law that mandates that it hold the first presidential primary, a week ahead of any similar contest.

To comply with the DNC, New Hampshire needed to scrap its state law protecting its first-in-the-nation primary status and expand access to early voting. However, with Republicans in control of New Hampshires governors office and both houses of the state legislature, state Democrats repeatedly argued that is a non-starter.

While he's yet to set the date of the primary, New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said recently that the contest would likely be held in late January.

That would make New Hampshire non-compliant, and the state could lose half of its delegates to next summer's Democratic presidential nominating convention, under DNC penalties passed last year.

While top Democrats in the Granite State are expected to lead a write-in campaign for Biden in the primary, the president's decision to skip putting his name on the ballot could lead to a protest vote in New Hampshire.

While the president's the commanding front-runner for his partys nomination, polls indicate Biden has faced plenty of concerns from Democrats over his age and physical and mental stamina.

The president is already facing a long-shot primary challenge from best-selling author spiritual adviser Marianne Williamson, who is making her second straight White House run.

Biden was also facing an uphill primary challenge from environmental lawyer and high-profile vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is a scion of arguably the nations most famous family political dynasty.

But Kennedy announced at a campaign event in Philadelphia earlier this month that he would now seek the White House as an independent candidate.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who's mulling a 2024 Democratic presidential primary challenge against President Biden, speaks at a news conference in Washington, D.C., on December 21, 2020. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo

Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who's seriously mulling a primary challenge against Biden, may head to New Hampshire on Friday to file and launch a 2024 Democratic presidential campaign.

Buckley, responding to the Biden campaign's announcement, took to twitter on Tuesday evening to write, "The reality is that Joe Biden will win the NH FITN Primary in January, win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November. NH voters know and trust Joe Biden thats why he is leading Trump in NH by double digits."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.





Original article source: Biden busts century old tradition, won't place name on New Hampshire's presidential primary ballot
President Bidens reelection campaign wasted no time going after the new Speaker, saying in a statement just after he secured the gavel that the election of Mike Johnson (R-La.) bolsters the so-called MAGA takeover of the House Republicans.

MAGA Mike Johnsons ascension to the speakership cements the extreme MAGA takeover of the House Republican Conference. Now, Donald Trump has his loyal foot soldier to ban abortion nationwide, lead efforts to deny free and fair election results, gut Social Security and Medicare, and advance the extreme MAGA agenda at the expense of middle-class families, Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson Ammar Moussa said.

The campaign noted that Congress is facing a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government and that the White House is also asking lawmakers to approve a $100 billion national security supplemental to support Israel and Ukraine.

And, the campaign highlighted that Johnson challenged the 2020 election results in a feisty statement just over a year out from the 2024 election.

[Extreme] MAGA House Republicans elevated a man to be second-in-line to the presidency who still wont admit President Biden won the 2020 election. The American people have rejected the extreme MAGA ideology at the ballot box because they understand whats at stake, Moussa said. And so to every MAGA Republican who supported this choice: Well see you in November.

Johnson supported former President Trumps unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen and led an amicus brief signed by 100 House Republicans supporting a Texas lawsuit that aimed to overturn the results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Biden said earlier Wednesday hes not concerned about Johnson attempting to overturn the future 2024 election results after the House elected Johnson and finally coalesced around a new leader following three chaotic weeks that paralyzed the lower chamber.

The new Speaker has been the House GOPs vice chairman, a junior leadership position, since 2021, and he is a former chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized Johnson earlier Wednesday, attacking him for his positions on abortion access, Social Security and Medicare. He said he wants to criminalize abortion care and impose a nationwide ban.

Johnson was also one of 57 Republicans to vote no on a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine and one of 117 Republicans to vote no on a stand-alone bill to provide $300 million in aid to the country.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden denied the accuracy of casualty numbers provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry on Wednesday.

Biden made the comments in response to questions from reporters during a join press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese . Biden says he has "no confidence" in the ministry's claim that 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 have been wounded since Oct. 7.

A reporter asked whether Hamas' statistics suggest that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ignoring U.S. calls to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza.

"What they say to me is that I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed," Biden responded. "I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's a price of waging a war."

LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL AT WAR WITH HAMAS

President Biden speaking at the White House on May 26, 2023.

"I think we should be incredibly careful  not we  the Israelis should be incredibly careful to be sure that they're focusing on going after the folks that are propagating this war against Israel. It's against their interests when that doesn't happen, but I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using," he added.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

FATHER OF AMERICAN KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: I HAVE ONE MISSION  BRING HERSH HOME

Biden's statement comes as Israel has been poised for a ground invasion of Gaza for more than a week. Israel and Hamas have spent the past 19 days exchange thousands of rockets, missiles and artillery barrages.

Israel says at least 1,400 people, including foreigners, were killed in Hamas' surprise October 7 attack.

Biden offered his full support for Israel to root out Hamas terrorists from Gaza. He went say the war must end with a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians, adding that there is "no going back."





Original article source: Biden denies accuracy of Gaza casualty numbers, has 'no confidence' in Hamas-run health ministry
The Biden administration is facing an impossible scenario with growing Cuban migration, forced to balance the political fallout of stubbornly high border encounter numbers and that of opening talks with the Cuban regime.

According to Customs and Border Protection data, more than 200,000 Cubans showed up at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal 2023, about the same number encountered in fiscal 2022.

According to analysis by the Washington Office on Latin America, 19 percent of all migrants who presented at U.S. ports of entry in September were Cubans.

Mexicans represented 27 percent of all encounters, and Venezuelans represented 23 percent.

President Biden is starved for any short-term strategy that can reduce border arrivals and ease political pressure on border security.

There are no short-term measures to reduce Mexican migration, given the countrys relatively healthy economy and political stability, but Cuba and Venezuela are both economies depressed in part by U.S. sanctions.

The mass migration from Venezuela has been a motivating factor for the Biden administration to open talks with President Nicolas Maduros regime, despite years of open enmity and allegations of narco-corruption against his governments top officials.

But the administration has shown deaf ears to Cubas appeals for talks.

Cuban officials know they face long odds: Ahead of an election year, Biden is wary of making Democrats lives harder than they already are in increasingly ruby-red Florida.

Talks with Venezuela already represent a risk with a significant portion of the Florida electorate, but those negotiations are centered on upcoming elections in the South American country, opening the prospect of ending Maduros 20-year reign.

Biden administration officials loosened sanctions on Venezuela in exchange for Maduro allowing the oppositions primary elections to take place relatively unencumbered.

On Sunday, Maria Corina Machado, an opposition leader whom Maduro has attempted to railroad, won the opposition primaries with 92 percent of the vote, setting up the most credible challenge to Maduros hold on power in two decades.

Still, news of talks with Maduro drew immediate backlash from Florida Republicans.

I vehemently oppose the announced deal with the Maduro dictatorship to promote fake elections in Venezuela, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said in a statement last week.

After years of political persecution, repression of independent media, and brutal human rights abuses, I am convinced that no agreement with Maduro will genuinely ensure freedom in Venezuela.

Yet some Biden allies expressed hope that the sanctions-for-democracy deal could pan out.

As Democratic leaders of the House and Senate subcommittees with jurisdiction over Western Hemisphere affairs, we are heartened to see this important progress toward democracy and human rights in Venezuela, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said in a statement.

If successfully implemented, this agreement has the potential to foster the preconditions for the free and fair elections that Venezuelans deserve.

The deal has the Biden administration and Maduro playing a game of chicken: Maduro is betting he will regain political strength with new income from relaxed sanctions, and Biden is betting the sanctions relief will force Maduro to give the opposition enough breathing room to compete.

Regardless, the sanctions relief is likely to at least momentarily prop up the Venezuelan economy, potentially making a dent in the number of people leaving that country.

Cuban officials, meanwhile, are pleading with the Biden administration to open talks on nearly any topic, including human rights and political prisoners, but not regime change.

Because elections are not on the table, the Biden administration doesnt have the cover to loosen sanctions in the name of democracy  any such effort is certain to be seen a return to the Obama administrations policy of rapprochement.

But Cuban officials say any sort of sanctions relief would have the desired effect of reducing emigration from the island. Above all, however, theyre seeking to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which isolates Havana from international banking.

Cuba was placed on the list in the waning days of the Trump administration, essentially daring Biden to either deal with further economic distress on the island or publicly renounce major leverage against the communist regime.

Cuban officials are cognizant of Bidens predicament and the historical baggage of U.S.-Cuba relations, but theyve engaged in a pressure campaign to highlight how relatively recent measures are impacting migration.

Im not talking about the 60 years of the embargo. Im talking of the brand-new 200-and-something unilateral, coercive measures during Trump and Biden that trigger the highest emigration away from Cuba to the U.S., which is painful for us, Johana Tablada, the Cuban Foreign Ministrys top official in the General Division for the United States, said in a recent interview with The Hill.

Updated at 12:35 p.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Joe Biden

Let's call a spade a spade. Biden said the right things about Ukraine, but it's not that simple.

U.S. President Joe Biden said that he would submit an urgent budget request to Congress for both Ukraine and Israel. In his speech, he also mentioned both Israel and Ukraine equally, saying that the victory of both countries is a guarantee of national security and the United States. Nevertheless, the whole issue of helping Ukraine is complex, in many ways obvious, and in many ways not so obvious.

Firstly, I mentioned this earlier, and, unfortunately, so far, the information is confirmed. For example, a joint aid package that provides military assistance to Israel and Ukraine is likely to be rejected by the House of Representatives at first. They are not yet ready to vote for this package. This does not mean this aid package will be put to rest, but the situation is somewhat complicated.

Second. The attitude of any state to any other state is always a process. It is a long, dynamic, ambiguous process. I would not say that the United States intends to turn away from Ukraine or to stop helping Ukraine. However, there are some grounds for saying that this assistance will be smaller and less systematic. This can be seen even in the leading Western media - the topic of the Ukrainian war has faded into the background. There are subjective reasons and objective ones. There were overheated expectations of the Ukrainian offensive, and now there is a particular disappointment. There is fatigue with Ukraine, and the military and technical capacities of those countries that are helping us are, to some extent, exhausted.

But there are other reasons as well.

Let's remember that if we compare Israel and Ukraine in terms of American national interests, Israel is certainly a priority. Ukraine is not. No matter how we feel about it, this is a fact. It is a fait accompli. Ukraine is a partner. Israel is an ally. If we look back and analyze Israel's relations with the United States, we will see a lot of different conflicts and scandals. A lot of different things have happened, are happening, and will happen between Israel and the United States. But Israel is their ally. Three factors measure this. First, their relationship has been tested over the years. Secondly, the Middle East is a zone of strategic American interests, and they have one and only one point of contact, one and only one ally there. And this ally is called Israel.

Ukraine is a partner. Israel is an ally

And the third point. Let's remember that the Israel lobby in the United States is a crucial factor in influencing politics, both domestic and international. Even though Ukraine also has a relatively large and powerful diaspora in the United States, I would not compare the influence and weight of the Israel lobby with the Ukraine lobby, as they are entirely different weight categories.

Therefore, given all these things, it is clear that for the United States, Israel, the planned ground operation in Gaza, the possible expansion of this conflict, and the possible participation of Hezbollah or, at the very least, Iran in one way or another, are a very complex chain of problems. For the Americans, these problems are much more critical. Therefore, I am sure that the assistance to us will continue, but it will be reduced, both for objective and subjective reasons.

What does this mean for Ukraine? It means that to keep this attention from becoming even more minor, those on whom it depends (primarily the president and diplomats) must make certain efforts daily to ensure that the assistance remains substantial enough. Unfortunately, there is no one to replace the United States when it comes to military aid to Ukraine.

Read also: Lessons for Ukraine from Israel and South Korea

That's why Biden tried to push through this aid package, which would include aid for Israel and aid for Ukraine. It was a political move. But some Republicans (and, by the way, not only Trumpists, but also more moderate Republicans) said that this was a wrong move, that we should separate aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine, and they would oppose such a consolidated approach.

A significant number of Republican representatives in the House of Representatives (and they have a majority there) are against this approach, and they insist that such aid should be separated. That is why I hope that this situation can change. Today, they are not ready to vote for this package precisely because it combines aid to Ukraine and Israel. They are prepared to vote today for assistance to Israel, but they are not ready to vote for Ukraine. That is why this plan has yet to work so far.

There are other options. Assistance to Ukraine is provided through specific programs. In some of these programs, the president depends on the will of Congress; in others, he does not. There is a possibility to provide assistance through specialized grants  this option is also still available. But this is a complicated, lengthy process. That is why I return to what I said earlier: we need to convince.

First and foremost, we need to convince the moderate wing of the Republican Party so that this aid is not suspended. I'm not talking about stopping it, but it may be suspended. That is why we need to make some effort here. The fact that it is difficult is undeniable.

Many Americanists have also said that for the United States, Israel is an absolute democracy despite the war. That is why there is such trust in them, a willingness to come to the rescue at any time and under any circumstances. But in fact, there are many factors. First, the Israel lobby, as I have already mentioned. Second, this is a somewhat simplistic approach. It's beautiful rhetoric. Democracy is important, but if you look at the history of American relations with different countries, we can find cases when aid was provided to countries that were not very democratic, but it was provided. The United States was proceeding from its own national interests, and it has the right to do so. This is a very nice explanation. Under the auspices of this explanation, certain things are being imposed on us. So, it is more of a beautiful explanation than the actual state of affairs.

The reality is straightforward. Israel is an ally, and the Middle East is very complex, very dangerous, and extremely important to the United States. A large-scale war in the Middle East worries them and "interests" them much more than a large-scale war in Ukraine. Let's call a spade a spade.

Attempts to convince us to negotiate with Russia began last year in February. They have never stopped. They fade away; they flare up again. This is a regular political process. Will we succumb to this pressure? It depends on what kind of policy we choose for ourselves. I'm not a decision-maker, but I would. There is Zelensky's peace plan. I would not call it a peace plan. Not because it is bad but because it is not a peace plan in its essence. It contains mainly absolutely reasonable things. Reasonable, but, unfortunately, in today's realities, absolutely unrealizable. Does he need to move away from it? No. But each of these points can be developed; something can be added. When we keep talking about the same points and offer nothing in return, we succumb to pressure. From the point of view of the West, we have two options.

Read also: What does the war in Israel change for Ukraine

Either win this war directly by military means. This is very difficult, and the summer campaign proved it ultimately. This is a war of attrition, a war of survival, a war of resources, of economies. And our economy, excuse me, cannot develop in a war. And our resources, ranging from mobilization to military, our reserves are not endless.

Therefore, we need to look for some ways to develop our plans and find new points of contact with our partners.

Whether or not we will be persuaded to engage in any negotiations will depend, first and foremost, on how the fighting develops. If we have some tangible successes, if we impose the initiative, as we have been doing so far, albeit with great difficulty, then there will be no active demands on this topic.

But it is clear that the country is exhausted. The army is exhausted. This is a very long process, so we need to trust in God and do everything in our power to ensure that we win this victory. It will be complex and lengthy.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Washington  President Biden held a joint press conference alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House during a state visit on Wednesday, as the crisis in Israel and Gaza continues to dominate foreign policy.

Mr. Biden and Albanese stressed the critical importance of the U.S.-Australia relationship, with Mr. Biden emphasizing the importance of managing a competitive relationship with China and addressing Hamas' violence against Israel. Albanese took a slightly more careful approach to the topic of China, and stressed the importance of supporting Ukraine as it battles Russian aggression.

Mr. Biden began his remarks by addressing the Hamas-Israel conflict, saying Israel has an "added burden" to try to protect innocents as Hamas is "hiding behind Palestinian civilians."

"Israel has the right, and I would add, responsibility, to respond to the slaughter of their people, and we will ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against these terrorists, that's a guarantee," Mr. Biden said. "We also have to remember that Hamas does not represent, let me say it again, Hamas does not represent the vast majority of the Palestinian people in the Gaza strip or anywhere else. Hamas is hiding behind Palestinian civilians and it's despicable, and not surprisingly, cowardly as well. This also puts an added burden on Israel while they go after Hamas. But that does not lessen the need to operate and align with the laws of war."

As two U.S. officials tell CBS News Israel has delayed its ground invasion, the president told reporters he did not "demand" that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delay such an invasion until hostages could be secured.

"What I have indicated to him is if that's possible to get these folks out safely, that's what he should do," the president responded. "It's their decision. But I did not demand it."

The two leaders held a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, and a state dinner is slated for Wednesday evening. Nearly 4,000 spectators on the South Lawn of the White House were on hand for the official arrival ceremony for Albanese and his partner, Jodie Haydon, earlier in the day.

Both Mr. Biden and Albanese stressed the vital importance of the U.S.-Australian relationship, as the two democratic nations face pressing global challenges.

"The alliance between Australia and the United States has never been more important than it is today, and we have never been more committed than we are today," Mr. Biden said at the arrival ceremony as Albanese looked on. "Australia and America stand ready to do the hard work, the historic work, to tackle the challenges we face."

Mr. Biden added in their Oval Office meeting, "Today, we are taking our alliance even further."

U.S. President Joe Biden and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrive for a joint press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 25, 2023. / Credit: SARAH SILBIGER / REUTERS

The Indo-Pacific is a topic of discussion for the two leaders, as they focus on the need for less international and regional reliance on China. They are also focused on a plan to ship nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.

During his press conference, the president said China is acting dangerously in the South China sea against vessels from the Philippines. The Philippines say Chinese ships caused collisions in two incidents over the weekend.

Albanese was cautious in his approach to nearby China, saying the relationship with China relationship is one "where the principle that I bring to it is to cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, but engage in our national interest."

The war between Israel and Hamas, and the potential for an escalation of conflict in the region, was clearly top-of-mind for Mr. Biden on Wednesday. Ahead of their Oval Office meeting, Mr. Biden said he and Albanese would discuss how they "stand with Israel in the wake of Hamas's appalling terrorist attack."

For his part, Albanese said the two nations stand fast against all acts of aggression, including from Russia and Hamas.

Mr. Biden is urging Congress to pass a supplemental package that includes billions in aid for Israel, but until now, the House has been paralyzed without a permanent speaker. House Republicans unanimously voted to make Rep. Mike Johnson speaker on Wednesday, moments before the president stepped up to the podium for the press conference.

At a dinner at the White House on Tuesday, Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden presented the prime minister with an antique writing desk, designed by an American company in Michigan, the White House said. The first lady gave Haydon a hand-crafted green enamel and diamond necklace.

Watch: Mike Johnson addresses Congress for first time as House speaker

Rep. Mike Johnson elected House speaker | Special Report

Breast cancer symptoms other than a lump that you may not know about
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced President Biden's nominee pick for ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew , on Wednesday, despite mounting Republican opposition.

In a 12-9 vote, committee members voted to advance Lew during a closed business meeting. His nomination now heads to a full floor vote. Sen. Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer D-N.Y., indicated last week Democrats would move to quickly confirm him as war rages on in Israel.

Every Republican on the committee, except Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., opposed Lew's passage. Every Democrat voted in favor.

GOP SENATORS COULD BLOCK JACK LEW FROM ISRAEL AMBASSADORSHIP OVER CONTROVERSIAL PAST WITH IRAN

Jack Lew, former US Treasury secretary and US ambassador to Israel nominee for US President Joe Biden, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee nomination hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.

"I think it's important in the middle of a war to have an ambassador. I think it's important to have a representative from the United States," Paul told Fox News. "I met with him privately. I think he's a thoughtful individual and I think he will do a good job."

Republicans began voicing opposition to Lew in the days leading up to his hearing last week over his past work on Iran sanctions.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2018, a Senate report by the investigative subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found that Lew, during his tenure as secretary to the Treasury under the Obama administration, "granted a specific license that authorized a conversion of Iranian assets worth billions of U.S. dollars using the U.S. financial system."

In response, Lew said during the hearing: "I want to be clear, Iran is a threat to regional stability and to Israel's existence. If confirmed, I will uphold President Biden's commitment to deny Iran a nuclear weapon."

The report found that the administration tried to convert $5.7 billion from U.S. banks to Iranian assets. It noted that the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control "encouraged two U.S. correspondent banks to convert the funds."

REPUBLICANS GRILL BIDEN'S ISRAEL AMBASSADOR NOMINEE JACK LEW IN SENATE HEARING: 'WIN FOR IRAN'

Sen. Tom Cotton, left, former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, center, and Sen. Marco Rubio, right.

In January 2016, then-President Barack Obama announced a $400 million cash transfer to Iran that was part of a larger installment of a $1.7 billion settlement, for which Lew faced scrutiny. The settlement was part of a long-standing disagreement over an arms deal that was signed before the 1979 Iranian revolution, signifying the end of the nation's historical monarchy.

Lew  who also served during the Clinton administration as special assistant to the presidents office  faced scrutiny for the transfer. The Wall Street Journal reported at the time that the payment was conducted using a combination of Swiss and other foreign currencies, then transported to Iran on unidentified cargo planes.

Senators during the hearing cited these reports in their questioning last week.

"During Obamas administration, Mr. Lew was working directly under the table to get Iran back into the financial system," ranking member Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said during the closed business meeting Wednesday. "As a result I will vote today to support Israel and vote no on Mr. Lew. It should be someone the Israelis will have trust in, and this committee will have trust in. I dont have trust in him at this time."

HAWLEY TAPS DOJ TO INVESTIGATE PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENT GROUPS' POTENTIAL TIES TO HAMAS

Jack Lew testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 18, 2023.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News Digital last week Lew is an Iran "sympathizer."

"I know my Democratic colleagues contend that we should confirm Jack Lew properly to show our support for Israel, but I would turn that around. We should defeat Jack Lew's nomination to show that our nation has a new policy towards Iran." Cotton said.

Lew's vote on the Senate floor could happen as early as next week.

Fox News' Aishah Hasnie and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.





Original article source: Biden nominee for Israel ambassador Jack Lew advances in Senate committee, headed to floor vote
CONCORD, N.H.  President Joe Biden will not file to be on the primary ballot in New Hampshire this election cycle, his 2024 campaign told the state Democratic Party on Tuesday.

While the president wishes to participate in the Primary, he is obligated as a Democratic candidate for President to comply with the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention promulgated by the Democratic National Committee, Biden for President campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in the letter obtained by NBC News.

The DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee sent out guidance Tuesday advising Democratic campaigns to refrain from filing to be on the primary ballot in New Hampshire, a source familiar with the events said. The Democratic National Committee released a plan this year to make South Carolina the first presidential primary voting state following Bidens recommendation, overtaking Iowa and New Hampshire, but New Hampshire law requires the state to hold the countrys first primary.

In accordance with this guidance, Biden for President will refrain from submitting a Declaration of Candidacy for the Primary ahead of Fridays candidate filing deadline for the Primary, Rodriguez wrote.

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley responded to the letter on X, writing: The reality is that Joe Biden will win the NH FITN [first in the nation] Primary in January, win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November. NH voters know and trust Joe Biden thats why he is leading Trump in NH by double digits."

DNC Chair Jamie Harrison said in February that the new primary calendar puts Black voters at the front of the process in South Carolina." He added, The Democratic Party looks like America, and so does this proposal.

In 2020, Biden came in fifth place in New Hampshire, but his victory in South Carolina gave him the momentum he needed to ultimately win the Democratic nomination.

Earlier Tuesday, before the letter was reported, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said, "I think its a mistake that hes not putting his name on the ballot." As the state's top elections official, Scanlan ultimately chooses the date of the primary.

On the presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire, there will be a list for all of the candidates and then a line for write-ins. That means that even though Biden will not be listed on the ballot in New Hampshire, people voting in the Democratic primary will have the option to write in his name.

If 50% of the voters write in Joe Bidens name, then the challenge will be preparing to count those write-in votes up at the end of the night when polls close, Scanlan, a Republican, said in a speech at Saint Anselm College in Manchester.

One thing that we will be recommending strongly to the local election officials before the primary election is that they enlist additional help to be able to speed up the write-in counting process, Scanlan said.

In his speech, Scanlan explained why he believes New Hampshire should maintain its first-in-the-nation status.

Its a small state geographically. It has a small media market compared to other state states in the country, especially the large ones. We are a purple state politically, Scanlan said. We have regular high voter participation. And it is very easy for any United States citizen who qualifies to run for president to actually try and make it happen."

New Hampshire has not set its primary date yet. Scanlan said it will be announced sometime after the filing period.

Even though Bidens name will not be on the primary ballot, his campaign manager said she expects it will appear on the general election ballot in November 2024.

Consistent with New Hampshire law and the Secretary of States guidance, the president looks forward to having his name on New Hampshires general election ballot as the nominee of the Democratic Party after officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention where he will tirelessly campaign to earn every single vote in the Granite State next November, Rodriguez wrote.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Washington  A Biden administration plan to require some migrant families to remain in Texas while immigration authorities determined their eligibility for asylum collapsed due to local opposition in the Democratic-led border city of El Paso, according to two U.S. officials and government documents obtained by CBS News.

Officials in El Paso initially agreed to provide 400 hotel rooms to house migrants enrolled in the initiative, which was set to start in mid-September, according to internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents. But local officials reversed course on hosting the migrants after parts of the plan became public, the U.S. officials said, requesting anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The episode, which had not been previously reported, illustrates the immigration dilemma vexing the Biden administration, which faces escalating pressure from Republicans and a growing group of Democrats to reduce the record levels of migration along the U.S. southern border in recent years. The migrant influx has strained federal and local resources, including in large cities like New York City and Chicago, with Democratic leaders who have found themselves openly criticizing a Democratic White House.

In a statement, DHS said department officials regularly review policy proposals and talk to local and state officials to discuss ways to manage migration flows. Not all proposals, the department noted, are implemented.

Estrella Escobar, a spokeswoman for Democratic El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, said the city agreed to increase the number of hotel rooms for migrants released from federal custody. But she said the city "never agreed" and "never will" agree to participate in a policy that would require migrants to remain in El Paso under strict monitoring. Those conditions were the source of the mayor's "opposition," she added.

"We have conversations with all our federal partners on the humanitarian crisis we are facing on a daily basis," Leeser said in a statement to CBS News. "The City of El Paso never agreed to any program in which migrant families would be subject to home curfews or ankle monitoring while under our care."

Immigrants wait to be transported and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border on May 12, 2023 in El Paso, Texas. / Credit: Getty Images

A plan to deter migrant family crossings

The scrapped plan was part of a broader Biden administration program set up in May to deter illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border by speeding up deportations of migrant families who failed their initial asylum screenings.

The policy, known as the Family Expedited Removal Management program, requires certain migrant families traveling with children to undergo a daily curfew and GPS monitoring until asylum officers decide whether they should be allowed to apply for humanitarian protection or be deported. It was set up as an alternative to detaining migrant families, a practice the Biden administration discontinued in 2021.

The Biden administration has been expanding the so-called FERM program to dozens of cities across the U.S. amid record arrivals of migrant families along the southern border in recent months, enrolling several thousand parents and children so far. But the plan to expand the policy to El Paso would have significantly changed the program, limiting the movement of some migrant families by requiring them to remain near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Officials believed the move would've discouraged migrant families from crossing into the U.S. illegally due to the risk of being placed in a program that would force them to remain near the Mexican border, insteading of being allowed into the country with court cases that typically take years to complete.

But after The Los Angeles Times reported that the administration was weighing the move, Republicans and Democrats alike voiced strong objections.

Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to sue the Biden administration, saying federal officials should be requiring migrants to wait in Mexico  like the Trump administration did  not Texas. Progressives and advocates also denounced the proposal, saying it infringed on the rights of migrants by limiting their movement.

Luis Miranda, a DHS spokesman, said officials are still working to "scale up" the initiative "significantly."

"FERM is one of the tools this Administration is using to manage border encounters in a safe, orderly and humane way, while imposing consequences under the law for those who fail to avail themselves of a lawful pathway," Miranda said in a statement to CBS News.

Another setback for Biden's border strategy

The collapse of the El Paso curfew initiative is another setback for President Biden's border policy, one of his worst-polling issues.

In June, when illegal crossings along the southern border dropped to a two-year low, administration officials touted a strategy that paired expanded opportunities for migrants to enter the U.S. legally with stricter asylum standards for those who opted to cross the border illegally.

But unauthorized migrant crossings began spiking the following month. In September, Border Patrol apprehended more than 218,000 migrants who entered the U.S. illegally, the highest level in 2023, federal data shows. The tally included a record 103,000 parents and children traveling as families, a population that officials struggle to process due to the legal and humanitarian concerns around the detention of minors.

In response to the influx, the administration has ramped up deportations, including by carrying out the first direct removal flights to Venezuela this month. But Democratic officials in New York and Illinois have continued to say their communities are receiving too many migrants too quickly.

"We're out of room," New York Mayor Eric Adams said this week, warning that some migrants could find themselves on the street given the dwindling space in the city's shelter system, which is housing more than 60,000 new arrivals.

Voters react to House speaker battle

Biden urges two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians in remarks with Australian leader

The House has a speaker again  Rep. Mike Johnson. What now?
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 12-9 to advance the nomination of Jack Lew to be the US ambassador to Israel, according to a person in the room during the vote, despite Republican opposition over Lews involvement with the nuclear deal with Iran when he served in the Obama administration.

Chairman Ben Cardin said he hoped Lews nomination would move quickly to a full Senate floor vote, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could file cloture on the nomination as soon as Thursday.

In my conversations with Senator Schumer, he was wanting to know how quickly I could get the nomination out of committee, said Cardin.

Lew advanced on a party-line vote, except for Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who voted with Democrats in favor of his nomination.

Cardin said there are conversations going on about other Republicans potentially supporting Lew in a floor vote, and that there is still broad support for Israel in its fight against Hamas despite the divided committee vote.

Last week Lew, defended his record related to the Iran nuclear deal during his confirmation hearing, making clear that he believes the US is dealing with an evil, malign government that funds its evil and malign activities first.

Lew was grilled by Republican members of the committee, particularly over questions related to his role in lifting sanctions against Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. He was also pressed on whether the Biden administration can prevent Tehran from using funds returned by the US with the lifting of additional sanctions for malign activities.

Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the committee who voted against Lew, said after his confirmation hearing last week there were real problems with Jack Lew.

I believe that the best you can say about it is he misled congress badly in operation of the JCPOA and indeed assisted Iran in accessing the US financial system when he had promised us, sitting in the same chair, that he would not do that, said Risch. Big problem.

Lew played a key role in the original Iranian nuclear deal in 2015, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely opposed, saying it gives Iran a clear path to an atomic arsenal. Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, a move that was supported by Israel.

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(Bloomberg) -- US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on Tuesday as part of efforts to prevent the conflict between Hamas and Israel from spreading and drawing in more countries and groups.

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They discussed diplomatic and military efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict, according to the White House. They agreed to pursue broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region.

It was their first call since Gaza-based Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

The Saudi readout said Prince Mohammed, the kingdoms de facto ruler, emphasized the need to explore means of halting the military operations that claimed the lives of innocent people and to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip, which has been under an intense Israeli bombardment since Hamass attack.

Earlier on Tuesday, Biden said aid was not flowing into Gaza fast enough.

The leaders commended what aids been allowed into Gaza so far and called on Hamas to immediately release hostages abducted during its incursion. The group, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union, is thought to be holding around 220 people.

Hamas killed more than more than 1,400 people in its attack on southern Israel. Thousands have been killed in the retaliatory air strikes in Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-run enclave.

The US and other nations are pressuring Israel to delay or limit an expected ground offensive on Gaza to give more time for hostage negotiations. Four women, including two American citizens, have been freed so far.

Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have criticized Israels airstrikes and warned it against carrying out a ground assault, saying it would worsen the humanitarian crisis there.

Biden traveled to Israel on Oct. 18 to show support and was meant to visit Jordan the same day for a summit with Arab leaders. But they canceled it after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza that Arab leaders blamed on Israel.

Initial US and UK intelligence assessments backed up Israels claim that Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian militant group, had fired a rocket that malfunctioned and landed near the hospital. Nonetheless, anger in the Arab world and wider Middle East is rising.

The message the Arab world is hearing is loud and clear: Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones, Jordans King Abdullah II said on Saturday. That is a very, very dangerous message. And the consequences of continued international apathy and inaction will be catastrophic  on us all.

A ground war is likely to further inflame public sentiment across the Middle East.

Biden has accused Hamas of carrying out its attack in part to stymie efforts by Israel to formalize diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. The US and Saudis have been working on a framework for the kingdom to recognize Israel in exchange for security guarantees.

The talks were set to include concessions of some kind for the Palestinians and those efforts now are in limbo.

In their call, Biden and the crown prince both said there needed to be a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, the White House said. Those efforts should build on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months.

White House Weighs Defense Treaties to Aid Israel-Saudi Pact

The Saudi-Israeli normalization push had helped ease tensions between the White House and Riyadh. Relations were low when Biden, whod vowed to make Saudi Arabia a pariah during his presidential campaign, came to power. They worsened last year when Russias invasion of Ukraine caused oil prices to surge past $100 a barrel and Saudi Arabia resisted US pressure to pump much more oil.

Israel has signed diplomatic deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan since 2020, but normalization with Saudi Arabia, the biggest economy in the Middle East, would be even more significant.

(Updates throughout with Saudi readout, details)

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(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden said he wasnt concerned that Mike Johnson would try to overturn the 2024 election results after Republicans elected the Louisiana lawmaker as the next House Speaker.

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No. Because he cant, Biden said Wednesday during a press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, moments after Johnson won the speakers gavel, ending a weeks-long stalemate that had paralyzed the chamber.

Johnson was a key player in the GOP effort to get Republican legislators to join an amicus brief supporting a legal challenge to the 2020 election results, a move in support of former President Donald Trumps unfounded fraud allegations. Biden has sought to elevate the issue of preserving democratic institutions during his re-election campaigns.

Look, just like I was not worried that the last guy would be able to overturn the election, Biden said. Theyve had about 60 lawsuits and they all went to the Supreme Court and every time they lost. I understand the Constitution.

While Johnsons election after 22 days without a speaker means that business can continue in the House, the fate of the White House push for a sweeping $106 billion emergency foreign aid package remains uncertain.

The proposal includes billions in direct assistance for Israel and Ukraine, as well as projects intended to counter Chinas influence in the Indo-Pacific  including $3.4 billion earmarked to boost a US submarine base in a bid to help speed Australias order for nuclear-powered submarines.

But a sizable faction of House Republicans oppose aid for Ukraine, have said they do not want to tie assistance to Israel to other priorities and want cuts elsewhere in the budget to offset the emergency request. Balancing those demands will provide an early test of Johnsons leadership abilities.

--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs and Jenny Leonard.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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After nearly a month of bickering and internal strife, Republicans in the House of Representatives unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the 56th speaker of the chamber in a floor vote Wednesday afternoon.

The little-known Johnson filled the position after a 22-day vacancy and allowed the House to resume operations following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's, R-Calif., ouster three weeks ago. All 220 Republicans present cast their vote for Johnson, who needed a 215-vote majority to secure the speaker's gavel, marking the first time the GOP has unanimously elected a speaker since elevating John Boehner in 2011.

220-209: House Republicans elect Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) Speaker, elevating a hard-right Trump ally and architect of an effort to overturn the 2020 election.



The vote ends a three-week paralysis in the chamber, during which internal infighting doomed three previous candidates. pic.twitter.com/ArTKy1aiOZ  The Recount (@therecount) October 25, 2023

The Louisiana Republican earned the nomination and became the conference's fourth pick for the role Tuesday evening, beating out four other Republicans seeking out the nomination with 128 votes compared to 29 for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. and 44 for others  43 of which went to McCarthy, Axios reports. The former House GOP vice chairman initially finished second to Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn. in an earlier vote but met success in a nighttime vote after Emmer abruptly dropped out of the race due to a lack of party support approximately four hours later. Johnson's win also follows Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Steve Scalise's, R-La., failed bids for the position in the last two weeks.

"This group is ready to govern," Johnson said Tuesday when he announced plans to advance a full House floor vote on Wednesday. He told reporters that the conference is "united" and ready for the ballot.

Having only served three full terms as a representative, Johnson's success means he has had the shortest congressional tenure of any speaker in modern times prior to their election by far. While the lawyer and former state legislator is much lesser known to the public than his nominee predecessors, he boasts  and projects  a similar right-wing ideology to many of his culture-warrior colleagues.

"Some people are called to pastoral ministry and others to music ministry, etc. I was called to legal ministry, and Ive been out on the front lines of the culture war defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage and other ideals like these when theyve been under assault," Johnson told the Louisiana Baptist Message, a religious newspaper in the state, as he campaigned for federal office in 2016.

Johnson's widespread support among the GOP conference  marked by the unanimous applause he received from the Republican side as the vote began Wednesday, per Punchbowl News  rings as foreboding. It demonstrates congressional Republicans' overwhelming willingness to elevate a far-right congressman  particularly one reminiscent of failed nominee Jordan  with less legislative experience and less reputational baggage to the third highest position in the nation despite weeks of in-fighting belaboring the process.

A staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, Johnson is best known for spearheading the Supreme Court amicus brief, signed by 126 House Republicans, backing a Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn the 2020 election results in four swing states. House Jan. 6 committee proponent and vocal Trump critic Rep. Liz Cheney's, R-Wyo., team released old videos discussing Johnson's involvement and spotlighted a New York Times quote calling the Louisiana Republican "the most important architect of the Electoral College objections," according to NBC News.

Proud to lead over 100 of my colleagues in filing an amicus brief to express our concern with the integrity of the 2020 election--& our election system in the future. We believe this suit filed by Texas, supported by 17 other states, merits full & careful consideration by SCOTUS. pic.twitter.com/ZKpP8XFl1C  Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 11, 2020

Johnson is also a longtime opponent of Roe v. Wade, which secured a federal right to abortion care for decades until it was overturned by the conservative majority of the Supreme Court last year.

"Look, Id love it if the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade," Johnson told Mother Jones in 2001. "That would be the greatest day of my life. But until we can do that, I accept the fact that they can perform abortions legally, and I just want them to do it under the same health and safety standards that any other medical professional has to adhere to.

Johnson, then an attorney in Louisiana, the outlet notes, helped draft Louisiana's anti-abortion legislation, which like other targeted regulation of abortion providers laws would apply specific licensing requirements on abortion clinics that would not apply to other facilities that perform similar or riskier procedures.

From a 2001 @MotherJones piece, JOHNSON (pre-Congress): Id love it if the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. That would be the greatest day of my life. But until we can do that, I accept the fact that they can perform abortions legallyhttps://t.co/nPyOkafm3W pic.twitter.com/7KpMulc0Xu  Ali Vitali (@alivitali) October 25, 2023

"MAGA Mike Johnsons ascension to the speakership cements the extreme MAGA takeover of the House Republican Conference," Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement. "Now, Donald Trump has his loyal foot soldier to ban abortion nationwide, lead efforts to deny free and fair election results, gut Social Security and Medicare, and advance the extreme MAGA agenda at the expense of middle-class families."

Ahead of his election Wednesday, the House Judiciary Dems' account on X, formerly Twitter, shared a clip of Johnson amplifying his anti-abortion rhetoric during a committee hearing and dubbing Roe v. Wade a "terrible corruption of American jurisprudence."

"Roe v. Wade gave constitutional cover to the elective killing of unborn children in America, period," Johnson began in the clip. "You think about the implications of that on the economy. We're all struggling here to cover the bases of social security, Medicare and Medicaid, and all the rest," he added. "If we had all those able-bodied workers in the economy, we wouldn't be going upside down and toppling over like this."

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Mike Johnson attacks Roe v. Wade, insisting that if only women were compelled to bring more "able-bodied workers" into the world, Republicans wouldnt need to slash Social Security and Medicare. pic.twitter.com/RGzg09TYEW  House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) October 25, 2023

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With Johnson minted as the speaker, the House sputtered back into action Wednesday afternoon. The lower chamber has moved directly to passing a resolution defending and supporting Israel, Punchbowl News reports.

THEY'RE BACK!!!!! -- THE HOUSE is moving directly to passing a resolution defending Israel.



This resolution will be considered under suspension of the rules, it seems like. Fast-track passage pic.twitter.com/cmgZ03b4TW  Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 25, 2023

As the renewed deadline to pass funding legislation to prevent a government shutdown also draws nearer, Johnson has put forward a possible plan, according to CNN's Annie Grayer: passing a short-term spending bill that will extend until Jan. 15 or April 15 and then using the time in the interim to pass the remaining single subject spending bills. His proposed schedule also eliminates the chamber's August recess unless all 12 Appropriations bills are passed.

"Johnson was one of the 91 members to vote against the short-term spending bill that extended government funding from September 30 to November 17," CNN's Annie Grayer noted online.

Johnson was one of the 91 members to vote against the short term spending bill that extended government funding from September 30 to November 17  Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) October 25, 2023
President Joe Biden warned Irans supreme leader on Wednesday that the U.S. would respond if Iran or its allied proxies attacked U.S. service members stationed in the Middle East.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, Biden said: My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond. And he should be prepared.

The comments come on the heels of several attacks against U.S. troops and military installations in the Middle East since the outbreak of a war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has long received financial and logistical support from Tehran.

In a surprise attack on Oct. 7, Hamas militants stormed out of the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and abducting dozens more, while firing rockets at cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israel has since hit back by commencing a siege of Gaza and firing its own barrage of retaliatory missiles, killing thousands.

The U.S. has publicly pledged to support Israel as it seeks to militarily defeat Hamas and end its rule over the Gaza Strip, which dates back nearly two decades. Tehran-backed proxy groups have threatened to attack U.S. military installations if Israel goes through with its threats to invade the Gaza Strip and occupy it.

A spate of attacks last week spanned several days and targeted bases in both Iraq and Syria. An American contractor died of a cardiac episode while running from a false alarm at al-Asad air base in Iraq.

Several of the service members have suffered traumatic brain injuries, though all have returned to duty.

A U.S. Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea on Thursday intercepted several missiles and drones launched from the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels who were deemed a potential threat.

On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters that American troops at the al-Tanf garrison in southern Syria shot down two drones targeting their positions. No service members were injured. Ryder also said on Monday the Pentagon would hold Iran responsible for the strikes against American troops, given Irans past support for the groups.
(The Hill)  President Bidens name will not be on the Democratic primary ballot in New Hampshire in 2024, both his campaign and state Democratic Party confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

While the president wishes to participate in the Primary, he is obligated as a Democratic candidate for President to comply with the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention promulgated by the Democratic National Committee. On October 24, 2023, the Democratic National Committees Rules & Bylaws Committee issued guidance urging Democratic campaigns to refrain from placing candidates names on the ballot, wrote Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez in a letter obtained by The Hill to state Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley.

In accordance with this guidance, Biden for President will refrain from submitting a Declaration of Candidacy for the Primary ahead of Fridays candidate filing deadline for the Primary, she added, noting that Bidens name would appear on the general election ballot in the state.

Buckley wrote in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the president was already slated to win the Democratic nomination next year in Chicago.

NH voters know and trust Joe Biden thats why he is leading Trump in NH by double digits, he said.

The decision comes as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) reshuffled its primary calendar, placing South Carolina first in its primary lineup. Under the DNCs calendar, Nevada and New Hampshire would hold their primaries second, followed by Georgia and then Michigan  a calendar that also removes Iowa from the early lineup of states to cast ballots.

It also comes as Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) is reportedly gearing up to launch a longshot bid for the Democratic nomination against Biden. Phillips has reportedly done outreach in New Hampshire; the Minnesota Democrat is not expected to ultimately draw a competitive contest against the president, but the move would create an unwelcome distraction for Democrats.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
U.S. President Joe Biden holds an event about the economy, at the White House in Washington

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will not have his name on the New Hampshire Democratic primary ballot after the state refused to abide by new Democratic Party rules that South Carolina hold its primary contest first, the Biden re-election campaign said on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party had moved to eliminate Iowa and New Hampshire as the states holding the first two election nominating contests in favor of South Carolina.

New Hampshire state law mandates that the state hold its primary election first, but the Democratic National Committee wanted South Carolina to go first in a push for influence from more diverse states.

Biden's campaign chair, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said in a letter to New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley that Biden would not submit a declaration of candidacy for the New Hampshire ballot ahead of the deadline on Friday.

She said Biden looks forward to having his name on New Hampshire's general election ballot on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, once he secures the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next August.

Biden, 80, has faced no major opposition in his drive to be the party's nominee.

Buckley, in response to Rodriguez's letter, said: "The reality is that Joe Biden will win the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary in January, win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November."

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Global banking giants are investing in companies which produce traditional Chinese medicines containing leopard and pangolin parts, a report has found.

Both species are classed as threatened.

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) identified 62 banks and financial institutions which are investing in three pharmaceutical groups making nine products which they say contain leopard or pangolin.

The BBC has contacted the companies in question for comment.

The companies include UK financial services giants such as HSBC, Prudential, and Legal & General, as well as global investment firms including Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche Bank and BlackRock.

Leopards and pangolins are threatened, which means they are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. Both are also listed on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty which prohibits international commercial trade in them and their parts, in a bid to ensure their survival in the wild is not threatened.

The three pharmaceutical companies, highlighted in the EIA report are Tong Ren Tang group, Tianjin Pharmaceutical group and Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group.

Not all the companies listed in the EIA report invest in all three of them, but they all invest in at least one.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) leopard bone is used as a tiger bone substitute. Tiger bone is believed to strengthen bones and sinews, provide pain relief and help get rid of wind. Pangolin scales are said to aid blood circulation, lactation and help with rheumatic pain relief. These claims are not backed up by scientific fact.

Following the report's publication, EIA Legal & Policy Specialist Avinash Basker called on the Chinese government to "fulfil CITES recommendations and prohibit the use of the body parts of leopards, pangolins, tigers and rhinos from all sources for all commercial purposes in its domestic markets".

"The use of highly threatened animals such as leopards, pangolins, rhino and tigers in traditional medicine products disregards CITES recommendations made by the international community to protect these species. This is use on an effectively industrial scale which can only push these species ever-closer to extinction, simultaneously sending mixed messages to consumers, fuelling demand for their parts and derivatives and tainting the global reputation of TCM," he said.

Pangolin scales are said to aid blood circulation, lactation and help with rheumatic pain relief, in traditional Chinese medicine

"It's particularly disappointing to see so many major banks and financial institutions effectively endorsing this damaging exploitation, especially as so many have pledged to do otherwise," he added. "If their environmental credentials are to have any credibility, they need to divest from TCM manufacturers using threatened species at the soonest opportunity."

The EIA said it was unable to find how the leopard or pangolin derivatives were being sourced.

In a statement, HSBC said it is "not a direct investor and does not have direct exposure to these companies". It added that the EIA report includes a response from HSBC Global Asset Management Canada that the company's "investments in the TCM companies were limited to passive or 'tracker' funds rather than actively managed funds". This means that funds are automatically invested in shares based on a linked index - for example, the FTSE 100 - which they track.

Deutsche Bank said that the report focuses on asset managers and directed the BBC to DWS, the asset management company that was once part of DB but is now a separate listed entity.

In a statement, DWS said it has "different ESG-related [environmental, social and governance] policies that provide guidance on the integration of ESG information into our investment processes, engagement, and proxy voting activities, where we combine our voting rights for active and passive funds.

"Globally, there are no actively managed DWS funds invested in any of these three issuers," it said.

Legal & General Investment Management said it "manages many funds against a range of different index providers to meet a wide variety of different client demands".

"LGIM is aware that one of the key drivers of nature-loss, as identified by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service (IPBES), is 'natural resource use and exploitation', that covers exploitation of wild species," the firm said.

"As such, we are developing a 'nature framework' that targets these IPBES drivers, that includes integration and disclosure of high-quality, consistent, location-specific data, that relates to company behaviour around these key nature-related issues."

BlackRock declined to comment.

The BBC has approached UBS, Tong Ren Tang group, Tianjin Pharmaceutical group and Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group, for comment.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Big Slick organizers want you to save the date.

The celebrity charity event  hosted by Kansas City natives Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, David Koechner, Eric Stonestreet and Heidi Gardner  is returning for its 15th year on May 31 and June 1, 2024.

Watch: Mahomes throws Stonestreet out with behind-the-back pass at Big Slick

While their celebrity guests havent been announced yet, Big Slick will once again feature a softball game at Kauffman Stadium on May 31 and a variety show and party at T-Mobile Center on June 1.

Organizers will reveal celebrities attending, plus ticket information, in the spring.

The weekend event benefits pediatric cancer research at Childrens Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

This years event broke Big Slicks fundraising record with a whopping $3.524 million raised. The Kansas City natives have helped raise over $21 million for Childrens Mercy over 14 years.

Gameday in the dark: Power outage will hit entire town during Chiefs game

Sudeikis, Rudd, Stonestreet, Riggle and Koechner are all Kansas City-area natives who came together over a decade ago to plan the event. New this year, fellow KC-area native Gardner joined in the hosting responsibilities.

With the help of their guests, Big Slick also holds a massive auction for fans to bid on exclusive experiences.

A Saturday Night Live experience with Gardner went for $50,000, but the chance to attend a red carpet with Rudd garnered $53,000 from not one, not two but three people.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
According to the Biden administration, federal officials who urged social media companies to suppress "misinformation" about COVID-19 and other subjects were merely asking platforms like Facebook and Twitter to enforce their own rules. But according to the social media users whose speech was stifled as a result of that campaign, it crossed the line between permissible government advocacy and censorship by proxy.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to resolve that dispute by deciding whether a federal judge and an appeals court were right to conclude that the administration violated the First Amendment when it sought to limit the influence of content it viewed as dangerous. The case is one of several controversies that illustrate the bipartisan urge to control online speech.

Two other cases on the Court's docket involve Florida and Texas laws that, like the Biden administration's anti-misinformation crusade, aimed to shape private content moderation decisions. While Joe Biden demanded removal of posts he thought social media companies should not allow, Republicans who backed these state laws insisted that the platforms allow speech they otherwise might be inclined to remove.

A Democratic president was offended by conservative speech that contradicted his agenda. Republican legislators and governors, meanwhile, were angry at social media companies they perceived as biased against conservatives. Although those situations might look different, they raise the same basic issue.

Should social media companies be free to set and enforce their own content rules, or should politicians have the power to override those decisions? The answer seems clear if you think the First Amendment protects editorial discretion, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly held.

New York legislators rejected that proposition when they enacted a 2022 law that requires social media platforms to police "hateful" speech, which is indisputably protected by the First Amendment. A federal judge enjoined enforcement of that law in February, and New York is now asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to intervene.

While attempts to censor "hate speech" are mainly a Democratic thing, members of both major parties agree that they should not have to put up with irksome criticism when they use their social media accounts for official purposes. Politicians ranging from Donald Trump to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) have asserted the prerogative to block users whose opinions annoyed them.

That practice, the banished critics argued, violated their First Amendment right to participate in public forums created by thin-skinned government officials. In a 2019 case involving then-President Trump's personal Twitter account, the 2nd Circuit agreed.

"Once the President has chosen a platform and opened up its interactive space to millions of users and participants," the appeals court said, "he may not selectively exclude those whose views he disagrees with." Although that case became moot after Trump left office, the underlying issue persisted, as reflected in two cases that the Supreme Court will hear during its current term.

Another point of bipartisan agreement: When it comes to protecting the youth of America from online content that politicians think they should not see, the First Amendment goes out the window. The Kids Online Safety Act, which a Senate committee unanimously approved in July, would impose an amorphous "duty of care" on interactive platforms, online games, messaging applications, and streaming services, demanding "reasonable measures" to "protect" against and "mitigate" a long list of potential "harms" to users younger than 17.

That ambiguous mandate would be enforced by federal regulators and by state attorneys general with a wide range of views about which content is appropriate for minors. In practice, it would undermine the right to engage in anonymous speech and encourage restrictions on constitutionally protected content for adults as well as children.

That danger did not dissuade 46 Democrats and Republicans from cosponsoring the Senate billfurther evidence that we cannot trust either party to respect freedom of speech. Although they sometimes differ on the details, they are united in believing that political imperatives trump constitutional guarantees.

 Copyright 2023 by Creators Syndicate Inc.

The post The Bipartisan Urge To Control Online Speech appeared first on Reason.com.
Protesters calling for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas block traffic at Clark Street and Ida B. Wells Drive on Oct. 23, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

For many of us, its never been a straightforward matter to just pick a side in Israels long-running struggle to live in peace with its Arab neighbors.

But, while the Israel-Hamas war rages on, I see no need to waffle or equivocate over the wrongheaded letter by a coalition of 34 student organizations at Harvard that held the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.

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Entirely?

The Hamas attackers on Oct. 7 targeted, killed or kidnapped more than 1,000 civilians, including babies and children. People from more than a dozen countries with no known responsibility for decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict were killed or taken hostage, possibly to be used as human shields or some other deterrence against an Israeli counterattack.

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Yet, students with similarly flexible ethics can be found on other elite campuses where some protesters immediately blamed Israel alone for the attack Hamas carried out, which predictably touched off a massive Israeli counterassault against Hamas targets in Gaza, raising the casualties on the Palestinian side into the thousands.

Some protesters went so far as to praise the massacre, as if the innocent babies and other bystanders somehow had it coming.

Fortunately, most of the protests that have broken out on campuses nationwide did not appear to be that blatantly one-sided. That includes the protests in Chicagos Loop Monday, which called for a cease-fire and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

But thats not to say things have not been tense in Chicago as well, with students and faculty alike trying to frame a proper response to the international crisis.

The divide was on full display on the University of Chicagos quad Friday. One side visibly identified themselves by flying a Palestinian flag as the other flew an Israeli flag.

If only the real world were as easy to sort out as flags.

As a pro-Israel student on campus, its really easy to feel alone with this going on, one female student told a WLS-TV reporter.

At the same gathering, a male student with Students for Justice in Palestine attributed the increased local interest to the reported rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic attacks across the country, which make people feel personally affected so that they can no longer ignore this as some kind of faraway issue.

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Indeed. Still, everyone who takes an interest in the war should do their best to know what theyre talking about.

That nugget of common sense was expressed by a former Chicagoan, Ezekiel Emanuel, a physician, medical ethicist and vice provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania,as well as incidentally being a brother of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

In a Sunday New York Times op-ed, headlined The Moral Deficiencies of a Liberal Education, he reflects on the Harvard letter and other protests at elite universities that hold Israel solely to blame for the attack or, in some cases, even praise the massacre, and finds something is deeply wrong at Americas colleges and universities.

Its not what they are being taught that troubles him but, more specifically, what they are not being taught.

Emanuel cites ethicist John Rawls for clear, unambiguous principles that allow us to wrestle through harder cases like how much an army is required to do to reduce and avoid civilian deaths.

Thats a direct reference to what many of us often ask in times of war, including Israels frequent bombing of densely populated Gaza, where Hamas displays their own ethics by placing armaments and command posts in civilian apartment buildings and neighborhoods.

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The ethical questions Emanuel raises are hardly new. We raised very similar questions back in the Vietnam War era when I, too, was a college student whose draft eligibility in those days made many of us feel motivated to learn what was going on in the larger world we wanted to enter  if we lived long enough.

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Back then students held teach-ins and other self-education projects to discuss what caused the war and how we might help end it.

Many years later, some of the reasons America lost that conflict are more clear. As Ken Burns Vietnam documentary on PBS well illustrated, we were fighting two different wars, whether we realized it or not.

The Vietnamese were fighting a war they saw as a continuation of nearly a century of French colonialism. The Americans were fighting a war against what our leaders saw as the threat of global communist domination.

For Americans, the tragic Hamas-Israel conflict shows us how we dont have all the answers that can help to end this war. A lot of us arent even asking the right questions.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @cptime
The Birdville school district is asking voters to approve property tax rate so more funds are available for school security and salary increases.

The district wants to use funds from the maintenance and operation portion of the tax rate to cover increasing operating costs. The plan requires voter approval.

Early voting for the Nov. 7 election runs through Nov. 3.

The district said the chance will not result in a tax increase and is below the so-called no new revenue rate, meaning the district will maintain the same revenue per student that it did in 2022-23.

Today's top stories:

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Bitcoin has surged nearly 15 percent since Monday amid speculation that BlackRocks proposed exchange-traded fund (ETF) for bitcoin could be nearing regulatory approval.

The often-volatile cryptocurrency jumped to just shy of $35,000 on Monday night and has hovered around $34,000 for the last two days, reaching its highest price in nearly a year and a half.

The bitcoin rally comes after traders noticed that BlackRocks iShares Bitcoin Trust had appeared on an eligibility list controlled by the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC).

However, the securities clearinghouse told Reuters that the proposed bitcoin ETF had been added to the list in August as standard practice and was not indicative of an outcome for any outstanding regulatory or other approval processes.

If the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were to approve BlackRocks bitcoin ETF, it would be the first time that crypto is directly tradable on the traditional stock market.

While the SEC has previously approved ETFs based on crypto futures, it has yet to approve any crypto-based spot ETFs, which would invest directly in crypto assets.

Prospects for the approval of such an ETF rose in late September, after a federal appeals court ruled that the SEC was wrong to deny an application by Grayscale Investments to create a spot bitcoin ETF.

The SEC reportedly does not plan to appeal the decision, which returned Grayscales application to regulators for reconsideration, according to Reuters.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) speaks during a news conference to discuss student debt cancellation on Capitol Hill September 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. Lawmakers called for swift and equitable implementation of U.S. President Joe Bidens student debt relief plan.



WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) speaks during a news conference to discuss student debt cancellation on Capitol Hill September 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. Lawmakers called for swift and equitable implementation of U.S. President Joe Bidens student debt relief plan.

Although the crisis in Gaza and Israel is raging thousands of miles away from our shores, Black political leaders in the United States have been steadily weighing in. Prominent Black politicians, ranging from President Barack Obama to Congresswoman Cori Bush to Cornell West, have shared their thoughts on the humanitarian crisis that has already taken thousands of lives.



1. Former President Barack Obama

On Monday, former President Barack Obama issued an official statement on Israel and Gaza. The former world leader began by noting the horrific terrorist attack launched against Israel, which killed over 1,400 Israeli citizens. Obama also stated that Israel had right to defend its citizens, but he cautioned that any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire.

Read more

The Root spoke with Congresswoman Cori Bush on Friday after the Missouri Representative introduced a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Heres what she had to say:

We need to save lives urgently, says Representative Bush. Calls for de-escalation alone and compliance with international law, its just not enough given the atrocious and escalating violence that were seeing...[This] is one of the areas where we could step in and do something about the bloodshed. Do something about the horrific killing of children, women, seniors, and people across Palestine, Gaza, but also Israel.

(You can read more of her thoughts in our conversation with Rep. Bush)



4. Vice President Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris has primarily focused on championing President Bidens position. Harris touched on her thoughts about the crisis in a speech late last week saying:

As we have constantly made clear, our support for Israels security is unwavering, and Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas terrorists. And let us be clear: Terrorism is never justified. And as I said yesterday, Israelis and Palestinians must have equal measures of security and prosperity. (Applause.) And I support the right of the Palestinian people to dignity, freedom, and self-determination. (Applause.) Hamas does not represent these aspirations. And I will emphasize, the Biden-Harris administration stands with the Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities in our country, all of whom deserve safety and security.

5. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has been among the leading voices calling for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian people trapped in Gaza. Heres what she had to say in a statement about the ceasefire:

The loss of every Palestinian, Israeli, and American life we have seen in the past week is absolutely devastating and the grief and trauma in our communities is palpable. The murder of innocent Israeli civilians by Hamas is horrific and unacceptable. And the murder of innocent Palestinian civilians is a horrific and unacceptable response, said Congresswoman Pressley. With over 2,600 Palestinians, more than 1,400 Israelis, and 30 Americans killed, scores of others wounded, hostages lives at risk, and millions in Gaza lacking food, electricity, and clean drinking water, we must pursue an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians and save lives. The United States has a moral obligation to get Americans in Gaza and Israel safely home, save Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives, and ensure humanitarian assistance is provided to Gaza. Our shared humanity is at stake and we must move with urgency.

6. Senator Cory Booker

Senator Cory Booker, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was in Israel when the terrorist attack occurred. Booker has not joined progressives in the House calling for a ceasefire. Heres what he had to say in a recent statement:

Hamas unconscionable acts of violence, kidnapping, and terror targeting Israeli families, children, the elderly, and other civilians must be met with unwavering international condemnation. Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks and to ensure that something like October 7th never happens again. Palestinian civilians are not to blame for Hamass terror and are also victims of Hamas brutality. We must all prioritize the protection of innocent Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire and ensure that life-saving humanitarian assistance is able to enter Gaza and reach those in need. Senator Booker continued, Hamass unprecedented attacks against Israel came at a time when new normalization conversations and new opportunities to lay the groundwork for a two-state solution were occurring. I dont think this timing was a coincidence. The world cannot give in to terrorists efforts to disrupt progress toward peace. Affirming and protecting Israels right to exist as a democratic Jewish state and ensuring the Palestinian peoples right to self-determination and a state of their own are both necessary components of any real and lasting peace in the region. It is clear that normalization and peace talks are more necessary than ever.

7. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has also signed on to the ceasefire resolution. Heres what she had to say:

We are watching an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the Israels military campaign in Gaza. Over a million people have now been displaced from their homes, nearly 3,000 have been killed1,000 of them children. Human rights groups have put forward credible reports of white phosphorous being used in civilian areasa war crime. Electricity remains cut off, with many hospitals on the brink of collapse today. We must be clear: violence does not justify more violence. Killing innocent children and civilians will only exacerbate the violence we have seen, and do nothing to bring about a political solution. We must urge an immediate end to the violence in Gaza, a release of the hostages still held in Gaza and at long last steps towards justice and peace, said Congresswoman Omar.

8. Cornel West



Independent political candidate for President Cornel West has also spoken out on the crisis. Heres what West tweeted out on Wednesday:

There is national walkout across the nation of colleges and universities. Im on my way to UCLA to be in deep solidarity with all students who are in solidarity with our precious Palestinian brothers and sisters against the genocidal and barbaric attack on Gaza! We want freedom across the board, we want equal dignity, equal rights, and equal status for Palestinians and Israelis! #TruthJusticeLove #EndTheGenocideInGaza #Palestine #Israel

9. Tim Scott

Senator Tim Scott has been vocal on the Israeli-Hamas conflict. He said that Joe Biden had blood on his hands, blaming the President for terrorist attack in Israel. He also said that he would vote against an aid package to Israel if it contained funding for Ukraine.

Israel is at the beginning of a long, protracted war, Scott told ABC News. I think we are much better off, better served as a nation, focusing our resources and our attention immediately on Israel and continuing to provide the kind of level of accountability and responsibility the American people want to see as it relates to the resources for Ukraine.

More from The Root

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As breast cancer deaths decline in America, racial disparities persist in the mortality rates between Black and white women.

Those rates remain 40 percent higher for Black women, who are also more likely than white women to be diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 50 and to get the rare and aggressive triple-negative subtype of the disease.

Black womens diagnoses are also usually more severe than white womens, even at younger ages, added Lisa R. Hayes, executive director of Pink-4-Ever Ending Disparities, an organization dedicated to reducing the disparities in breast cancer.

When Black women are diagnosed, it tends to be at a later stage of the disease. White women are diagnosed with stage 1 and 2 and Black women more often at stage 3 or stage 4, which is metastatic, Hayes said.

The reasons for the disparities are complicated, involving everything from these late diagnoses to doctors dismissing patient symptoms to a lack of representation in cancer cure research.

As such, the ways to close the gap will need to be similarly multi-pronged, experts stress.

Something that we can change

The disparities in breast cancer mortality rates are not unique; similar ones persist in all different kinds of cancer diagnoses.

But research has shown they didnt always exist in breast cancer.

Dr. Julie R. Palmer, co-director of Boston Universitys Cancer Center at the Boston Medical Center, has been studying breast cancer and the disparities for more than 20 years with the Black Womens Health Study.

Starting in the 70s, there was not this disparity in deaths from breast cancer, Palmer told The Hill.

When mortality rates first began decreasing decades ago, they did so for both Black and white women. This was largely due to significant improvements in treatment, particularly for estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer  the most common type, Palmer explained. Only over the last 15 to 20 years has the divergence in mortality begun to appear, and it remains unclear if this is due to one specific reason or a combination of factors.

One significant point in trying to understand whats causing the disparities, Palmer suggests, is that they do not exist across the country.

While states such as Rhode Island have the highest incident rates of breast cancer, its southern states such as Mississippi where Black women have higher mortality rates.

In some states, Black women are almost twice as likely to die from breast cancer as white women, she said. So what does that tell us? That tells us its not biology; its not genetics. Its something else  its something that we can change, because otherwise it wouldnt be different from state to state.

Diagnoses come late

Among the factors contributing to Black womens higher mortality rates is the fact, as Hayes notes, that they are typically diagnosed at later stages.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide: Roughly 2.3 million people are diagnosed with the disease each year. Medical advances such as mammograms have allowed for early detection and a decrease in the number of deaths from the illness. Overall, mortality rates in the U.S. have fallen by more than 40 percent since 1989, according to the American Cancer Society, even as the number of cases has climbed. More than 90 percent of patients now survive at least five years after their diagnosis.

The chances of survival decline at later stages, however, and metastatic cases, in which the disease has spread beyond the breasts and surrounding lymph nodes, are still considered incurable.

The reasons why Black women are more likely to receive these more advanced diagnoses could be multi-pronged.

Guidelines on breast exams, from mammograms and screenings to doctor- and self-exams, differ across medical organizations  with some saying checkups should start only once a woman hits 50, despite 23 percent of Black women being diagnosed younger.

And providers dont always respond properly to women who have done a self-exam, according to Hayes.

When younger Black women present a breast problem to health providers, sometimes theyre blown off, Hayes said. Health providers even think like OK, no, youre too young to have breast cancer, this is nothing. But thats not the response that we think is appropriate, given this statistic that Black women are diagnosed at younger ages.

Clinical trials leave Black women out

Clinical trials might be able to provide important information about whats behind Black patients higher mortality rates and how best to treat them  but Black women have been excluded from such trials.

Studies have found that 40 percent of Black women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer were never given information about an appropriate clinical trial, compared to 33 percent of white patients.

And research from the Black Experience of Clinical Trials and Opportunities for Meaningful Engagement project found that though 15 percent of cancer patients in the U.S. are Black, no more than 6 percent of clinical trial participants are.

This presents an obstacle for Black patients treatment as the medical field moves more toward personalized treatment plans and genomic testing to determine what treatments and drugs to employ for each specific type of tumor makeup. Hayes said clinical trials are vital to creating targeted treatment plans  and Black womens exclusion makes that tailoring difficult.

Black people are not representing these clinical trials in significant numbers, and whats happening is that treatments and drugs are being developed based upon a body makeup thats not necessarily reflected the Black ethnicity, Hayes said.

This was seen most clearly when some chemotherapy drugs that caused neuropathy affected Black women more often and more severely than white women, Hayes explained.

Palmer added that many clinical trials also did not take place near predominantly Black communities.

[Researchers] figured they could extrapolate from white women to all other groups, she said.

But there have been some changes, Palmer said, with physicians educating themselves more and a renewed push by some clinicians to expand the diversity in trials.

There have also been efforts to create culturally competent care, she added, and to share new research with patients.

Bridging the gap will take collective effort

Both doctors and health agencies are working to combat racial disparities. The National Institutes of Health, for instance, have started funding more research and programs dedicated to helping minority populations. And among other actions, Hayes noted physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have started urging patients to breastfeed.

Research has found breastfeeding to be particularly beneficial in preventing triple-negative breast cancer.

But breastfeeding rates are lower in the U.S. than in other countries, and Black women are less likely to breastfeed overall and more likely to do so for a shorter period of time than white women.

Black mothers are not getting the advantage of breastfeeding that can help with whatever those biological changes are that the breast goes through after nine months of surges of different hormones, and then the changes that happened in the breast to prepare for breastfeeding, Palmer said.

Hayes said the work to end disparities will take effort from everyone, including patients.

For clinical trials, she said, recruitment materials need to connect with Black patients, which can be as simple as having Black people on the front of brochures or posters.

But building trust will be a major hurdle, she said.

One of the big elephants in the room is just distrust and fear of the medical system that is not just for clinical trials, but for across many facets of the health environment due to the historical treatment of Black people as it relates to research and access to health care, Hayes said. Thats a challenge that has to be overcome by the system.

Theres not going to be one organization, theres not going to be one entity within the medical field that can solve these disparities, she added. Its really going to take a collective effort by many stakeholders.

Lydia McFarlane contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Many doctors are overwhelmed by paperwork, leaving them stretched thin, with less time to see patients. Based in Melbourne with plans to expand around the world, Heidi Health wants to ease the burden of administrative tasks by using AI to turn consultation transcripts into case histories, referral letters, financial forms and other documents. It also builds detailed clinical histories for providers and patients, helping them get more out of each visit.

Heidi Health announced today that it has raised $10 million AUD (about $6.4 million USD) in Series A funding. The round was led by Blackbird Ventures with participation from Hostplus, Vesta, Wormhole Capital, Archangel Ventures, Possible Ventures and Daniel Ventures.

Formerly called Oscer, Heidi is now used by more than 100 general practitioners in about 30 clinics throughout Australia. Heidi was founded in 2021 by vascular surgeon Dr. Thomas Kelly, Waleed Mussa and Yu Liu.

Like many countries around the world, Australia is experiencing a shortage of GPs. Alongside being overworked, physicians also have to do a staggering amount of paperwork. One study found that physicians spend twice as much time on paperwork as they do seeing patients, leading to burnout.

As a doctor, Dr. Kelly says he lived the pain that were trying to solve with Heidi while working in an outpatient clinic where there were often 60 to 70 patients for just 30 time slots.

Most of my time as a clinician was spent doing administrative things, not things I learned in medical school, Dr. Kelly said. It was filling out forms dealing with billing, payments and claims, creating different referrals and summaries, waiting on hold, just this bureaucracy of a health system to navigate.

Building "memory banks"

In 2017 he encountered ChatGPT-2 and, along with Mussa and Liu, saw its potential to reduce medical administrative work by performing tasks like creating documentation and finding the latest guidelines.

There are so many horror stories that I think what were building at Heidi could avoid, said Dr. Kelly. He describes seeing patients who needed a toe or foot amputated because they had a vascular condition, but didnt get diagnosed in time because of long waiting lists for a consultation. By reducing administrative work, Heidi can shorten wait times, while its AI tools can prompt doctors to check for conditions. The clinical histories it creates can be shared with other providers for context.

Heidi works by first recording consultations. Then it will analyze the transcript, create clinical notes and give doctors prompts like have you thought of a vascular condition. It will also relate a patients new symptoms to ones mentioned in previous visits, or flag potentially urgent cases. These records are kept as patient histories, building what Dr. Kelly refers to as memory banks for each person. The direction of the product we want to go in is turning each recording into that context for every future visit, he says.

Heidi Health co-founders Waleed Mussa, Dr. Tom Kelly and Yu Lui pictured in front of a white wall with plants on the left and right of the photo

Heidi Health co-founders Waleed Mussa, Dr. Tom Kelly and Yu Lui. Image Credits: Heidi Health

One feature Dr. Kelly highlights is My Additions, which lets clinicians interact with transcripts by annotating them while Heidi is recording. This makes sense for things clinicians want to note, but not say to a patient (for example, comments about their appearance). Once a recording is done, clinicians use it to generate paperwork like medical certificates, referral letters to another doctor and anything else that needs a specific format.

On the patients side, Heidi can help them get more out of their visit. Before the appointment, clinicians provide patients with a link to a questionnaire that asks them about their health issues, so they dont need to rush during their exam. This also helps doctors build more comprehensive health history. Dr. Kelly says one of the startups plans is to enable patients to keep their own records of all their visits, so they can refer to them or send them to other clinicians.

Heidi also recently launched an AGI (artificial general intelligence) product called Heidi for Clinicians that lets users automate administrative work like patient histories, ward round lists, clinical audits, clinical notes, documents and discharge summaries for billings and processing referrals.

The startup plans to introduce more products centered around its clinical histories for patients. This includes tools that will give doctors context about how symptoms have changed over time, highlighting patients that need further examination, as well as people they havent seen in a while.

Heidi can be used off-the-shelf or as a white-label solution. For larger practices and healthcare systems, it can be integrated into practice management software like Epic or Athena for use in things like chat-based consults and telehealth services. As an off-the-shelf product, doctors can sign into Heidis website and start recording their consultation from there. Providers that use Heidi range in size from clinics with as few as three or four doctors to as many as 30. It also serves groups with 50 to 250 clinics.

The startups target customer for its standalone products is any type of clinician, but especially general practitioners because of how much work they need to do, Dr. Kelly says.

Historically, you could just walk into a primary care like a GP practice and get a visit. Nowadays, most GP practices have quite significant out-of-pocket costs and sometimes you have to wait a week for an appointment, he adds. Thats why we found so much traction, there is this real demand and shortage of GPs.

Nuanced medicine

Heidis founders began training its AI in 2019 while Dr. Kelly was still working as a surgeon. He says the team built its own medical knowledge graph for quality assurance and to prevent hallucinations. They used information from medical professionals and clinicians to predefine relevant symptoms and conditions, and how they relate, and gathered consultations. This data enables Heidis algorithm to figure out what questions it should ask patients when taking their histories. Heidi used foundation and open source models like LLaMA before moving onto its own language model for pre-consultation workflows, transcriptions and note generation.

What we believe is that you cant learn how to be a great doctor on the open internet. A lot of whats on the internet is like textbook medicine, but its not nuanced medicine, Dr. Kelly says. So we take that super intelligence, show it lots of medicine, all these cases, scenarios, things we want it to do. Then well get something unique that only Heidi can build with our data set that weve built here.

Heidi protects patient privacy by asking both patients and doctors if they want to opt-in to including any of their data in its training sets. It also trains and monitors outputs as part of its quality assurance process, with 10,000 tests and checks to make sure it doesnt contain patients personal and medical information.

The startups competitors include medical transcription services like Abridge, Nabla, Microsoft-owned Nuance and Suki, all of which use AI in their tools for clinicians. Kelly says most of them focus on creating voice-to-text transcriptions of consults, with a focus on things like clear medical terminology, but Heidis competitive advantage is building new models where transcription is less important because it can figure out context on its own.

We really think the magic is going to be in can you become the Notion workspace for clinicians, that nuanced product that just feels amazing, that has all these little delighters like My Additions and that clinical memory, he says. We think that will be the magic, rather than just utilitarian.

In addition to developing more products and hiring, Heidis funding will be used to expand into more clinics in Australia, alongside international markets. Dr. Kelly said Heidi is close to securing a deal with a primary network in Texas and a similar organization in the U.K.

In a prepared statement, Blackbird Ventures general partner Michael Tolo said, We desperately need a safe path to scale the most scarce resource in our healthcare systemclinicians. Heidis AI allows clinicians to spend less time on administrative tasks, and more time on what matters most: to foster enduring relationships with their patients and invest in preventative care.
Police horses Harper and Atlas have been on patrol in Bletchley

Mounted patrol officers have been preparing for an AI summit which will be visited by world leaders.

Riders will be supporting security at the UK government's global Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Police horses will patrol near the event which starts on 1 November.

Thames Valley Police said it would also have a drone unit in operation throughout the course of the summit.

Drone pilots on the ground will be using the technology to look out for suspicious activity.

Additional specially trained uniformed and non-uniformed officers will also patrol Bletchley and the wider Milton Keynes area.

Insp Chris Simpson said: "Our expert mounted section and drone unit are just some of the many additional security measures we have in place to ensure the safety both of delegates to the summit and residents and businesses."

"Our police horses enjoy the attention they get from the public so please do stop and speak with them when you spot them on patrol," he added.

World leaders will meet with AI companies and experts at the summit to try and build an international consensus on the future of AI.

Alan Turing, one of the pioneers of modern computing, created the Enigma cipher machine with his team during World War Two at Bletchley Park.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830
Blythewood voters will soon choose a mayor and several town council members on Nov. 7.

Mayor Bryan Franklin is running for reelection against current Town Councilman Sloan Griffin. Four candidates are running for two at-large seats on the town council, including incumbents Eddie Baughman and Donald Brock, Jr., and newcomers Andrea Fripp and Patricia Hovis.

The winning local officials will have a hand in shaping the community as plans for Scout Motors $2 billion electric vehicle plant unfold.

Heres what the candidates had to say in their own words.

Mayor of Blythewood

Incumbent Blythewood Mayor Bryan S. Franklin is running for another term in the 2023 election.

Bryan S. Franklin

Age: 56

Occupation/place of employment: Director of logistics, 81st RD, Fort Jackson

Education: B.S., The Citadel; MHA, Chapman University; MSS, U.S. Army War College; Ph.D.(c) Columbia International University

Prior experience: Mayor Pro Tempore, Whitakers, NC; Chairman, Blythewood Planning Commission; Town Council, Blythewood, SC; Mayor, Blythewood, SC

Website: www.re-electmayorfranklin.com

Why are you running for election in Blythewood?

After 24 years as an Army veteran, Ive continued to serve the public at my hometown level. I believe in giving back for all the blessings I have received. I want to use the leadership skills I acquired as a military leader to help my community thrive during these times of rapid growth, uncertain turmoil and economic disparity by promoting neighborly communication, fellowship opportunities and community involvement. We must come together now, at a local level, to promote opportunity and ensure our community takes care of the least of us so that we all thrive as one Blythewood.

Blythewood faces three main challenges: 1. Massive growth of housing and business development. 2. Inadequate streets to handle the influx of increased traffic. 3. Unavailability of recreation space for our growing youth and elderly population.

Solutions: 1. We changed our existing zoning regulations to enforce the largest lot sizes allowed. 2. I prioritized our road expansions in order to be: Blythewood Road to Muller Road, McNulty Road from Main Street to Blythewood Road, Creech Road extension to U.S. 21/Main Street; and Muller Road to Fulmer Road. 3. We purchased 40 acres of land for public use! Lets develop it!

Funding: This will not cost any citizen any more than is already being paid into the Richland County penny tax. We simply prioritized what we wanted and just need to follow through. Traffic was addressed above. This is a priority for Blythewood! We recently met with SCDOT for a feasibility study for connecting Blythewood and Langford Roads. These projects, once completed, will ease our traffic problems and improve safety. If the demand signal for a bus service from Columbia to Blythewood warrants it, I will ask Comet to bring a stop to Blythewood.

Bottom line: We need to be able to come home from work, pick up our kids, get them to sports/band practice and back home without undue delays and traffic. Its not healthy for any of us. I need your help to fix this problem in an effective way.

What should the Town of Blythewood government do to manage the changes that the Scout auto plant will bring to the community?

If reelected as your mayor, I will continue the collaboration with Richland County, S.C. Department of Commerce, S.C. Department of Transportation and S.C. DHEC to ensure we welcome Scout Motors in a neighborly and responsible way. This includes a development that is environmentally safe and sustainable into the future. We will continue working with the Richland County Penny Tax Commission and SCDOT to ensure road expansions and traffic improvements are completed before the plant is in operation, including the addition of a new exit/interchange on I-77 to give commuters alternate routes to save time and resources. Our town center will be expanded along McNulty Street to allow for more business opportunities, and Creech Road will be extended to Main Street to promote business and more efficient traffic flow. I will also advocate for the bulk of the 4,000+ new jobs to be offered to Blythewood and Midlands residents first, before offering them to other states. I will also welcome Scout Motors into the Blythewood community. to partner with us on achieving my strategic vision of providing more recreational opportunities, cultural observances and festivals, tourist attractions and events, and preserving more green space in our area. Working together is the most efficient way to achieve amazing results for our citizens here in Blythewood and the Midlands of South Carolina. My philosophy is: Resisting change is common, but preparing for change is common sense.

Sloan Griffin is a candidate for Blythewood mayor in the 2023 election.

Sloan J. Griffin III

Age: 37

Occupation/place of employment: Deputy director of emergency management/911 for Fairfield County, recovery operation reservist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Education: Bachelor of science in fire and emergency management (Magna Cum Laude), Purdue University

Prior experience: Currently elected to Blythewood Town Council (2020-present), 1 year Town of Blythewood Planning Commission and 15 years public safety experience (fire serivce and emergency management).

Website: www.sloangriffin.org

Why are you running for election in Blythewood?

As your next mayor, its time to end hiding behind attorneys, and its time to get this town on track for the future. Im running to put control of your government back in your hands and out of the hands of special interest groups. We should adequately inform you of things happening that will or may affect you and your families. I also believe in listening and acting on your thoughts. This brings me to the topic of transparency; politicians often talk about having open transparency and never deliver. My transparency policy on day one will allow for a no-notice request to review all books at no cost to you daily. Most importantly, youll continue to get my reputation for serving and not acting on personal interest. Together, we will build a better, brighter Blythewood that listens and delivers. Together, we will make Blythewood a much safer and environmentally friendly place that celebrates our history of arts and culture. Well also provide a local government that responds to your needs as a government should. Blythewood residents, Ive shown you that not only do I listen, but I get results. I dont speak with empty promises and platitudes, which motivates me to serve you all with unwavering commitment every day on Blythewood Town Council. If you desire change, please support me with your vote to serve as mayor on November 7, 2023.

What should the Town of Blythewood government do to manage the changes that the Scout auto plant will bring to the community?

The Town of Blythewood government should listen to its most important voices: the residents. As a member of the Town Council, Ive consistently voted no because the town did not properly notify residents of the expected changes nor address their concerns. As mayor, I will ensure that Scout Motors understands the importance of protecting our environment, manages our residents concerns, and adequately invests in the needs of the community. That is why, within my first 100 days in office, I will commission a Livability Committee to serve as a sounding board and provide advice and recommendations to staff on any and all questions concerning parks, recreation, healthy living initiatives, trees, and natural assets, greenways and trails, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and policies. The Livability Board may be called upon for advice and recommendations to the Town Council in any or all of the following areas of concern: to create and promote an enjoyable place to live, learn, work, and play, to support safe and vibrant spaces and neighborhoods, to promote cultural, socioeconomic, and age diversity, to encourage committed civic involvement and responsibility, to provide sustainable and healthy choices for transportation, food, and energy use, and to enable faithful stewardship of natural and historic resources.

Blythewood Town Council

Eddie Baughman

No responses received

Donald Brock, Jr.

Age: 43

Occupation/place of employment: State of South Carolina

Education: Masters

Prior experience: Blythewood Town Council (2019-2023)

Website: N/A

Why are you running for election in Blythewood?

If reelected, I will continue to serve with integrity and transparency for the next four years. As a resident of the Oakhurst neighborhood, my children and I have truly grown to love Blythewood since we moved here in 2016. When asked why I initially decided to serve, I always come back to the same answer: I want to have a positive influence in the town where my children are growing up. I want to continue my journey as your town councilman because I want to finish what I started. From day one, I have preached fiscal responsibility, and this town has made some positive strides in that direction. But the work is far from over and it is my goal to continue pushing for financial reform within the towns budget. Blythewood will never break free from the special interest groups and have nice things if we do not curb the outlandish spending and giving away of taxpayer dollars. Prior to my election in 2019, I served nearly three years on the Planning Commission, with the last couple as chairman. The work that our volunteer committees perform for the town is immeasurable and as a community, we do not thank them enough. Which brings me to my next goal: to ensure that our volunteers and members of council are connected to the constituents we represent. The town needs regular updates from Town Hall, from all members of the governing body, not just the mayor. We can all do better, and I seek to ensure that our residents are keenly aware of the issues we currently face and those we will face. If you want a candidate who is pro-business, vote for me (and check my voting record). If you want a candidate that practices the fiscal responsibility this town desperately needs, then vote for me. Over the past four years, I have been the most consistent member of council and that trend will continue if given four additional years. And by the way, I will not run for a third term; frankly, I believe term limits are a good thing and should be respected.

What should the Town of Blythewood government do to manage the changes that the Scout auto plant will bring to the community?

The only constant in life is change, or so Im told. So now that Scout is here to stay, how will the Town of Blythewood government manage the tremendous impact that this investment will have in the community. Fortunately for the town government, current and future, they will not be undertaking the challenges alone. We have to continue to build and nurture our relationships with state and county officials, and there are candidates who have established personal and lasting relationships with those stakeholders and there are those who have not. Over the past four years, I have developed those relationships, many that have evolved into friendships, and have the experience and vision to mitigate the risks and enhance the positives that Scout Motors brings to the Midlands. While there are many who openly oppose and object to Scout (and I hear them), I continue to believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives and overall, the entire region will benefit.

Andrea Fripp is a candidate for Blythewood town council in the 2023 election.

Andrea Fripp

Age: 52

Occupation: Loan Officer/Movement Mortgage

Education: I have worked mainly in banking and finance and currently as a mortgage loan officer. Prior to lending, I served as a local government finance officer.

Prior experience: I have been civically engaged throughout my personal life and professional career and have a long history of volunteerism.

Website: www.frippforblythewood.com

Why are you running for election in Blythewood?

I am running because Blythewood deserves transparency and better communication between council and the residents. Blythewood needs a council that is civil and is focused on addressing the issues that are important to the community.

What should the Town of Blythewood government do to manage the changes that the Scout auto plant will bring to the community?

The town government should first begin with being more transparent and informing the community of the changes as they happen and work with the residents to address their concerns. As a body the council should be more reflective of the community they serve.

Patricia Hovis

Age: 60

Occupation: Program chair criminal justice, York Technical College

Education: MPA, Columbus University; MSCJ, Troy University; graduate certificate, University of South Carolina

Prior experience: I have not held public office but I have experience participating in volunteer work in the community. I have been involved with NAMI (National Alliance Mentally Ill), Ronald McDonald House, Bible Camp, and AARP Safe Driving Instructor

Website: https://www.facebook.com/triciahovisblythewood

Why are you running for election in Blythewood?

I am running for Blythewood Town Council because I respect the history and purpose of local government. I want to be a participant in the process rather than the observer that I have been in the past. I also want town council to have a proactive seat at the table while conducting the business of the people. I am running because I have the life experience and education to make progress through consensus. When I heard a current council member accuse a local heritage preservation volunteer of trying to siphon funds from the town, I was stunned. It is entirely possible to disagree, articulate your position, and respectfully find a solution. I am running because I think there should be a mechanism for the community to have council members explain why they voted a particular way on a particular issue. Community members attend regularly scheduled meetings where council controls the agenda but I think the community may want to set an agenda periodically. I am running because I think town council can work smarter by improving processes. Examples include simplifying grant applications, improving internet communications, and offering more education on complex agenda items.

What should the Town of Blythewood government do to manage the changes that the Scout auto plant will bring to the community?

I think the Town of Blythewood should regularly engage with Richland County Economic Development and leadership from Scout Motors to ensure the citizens of Blythewood are a priority at every juncture. We need to work together so that trust is earned and maintained among all stakeholders. The citizens of Blythewood have witnessed land and site development at a record pace. With progress comes a responsibility to be transparent, the need to prioritize the sustainability of our natural resources, and to allow for respectful discourse. I think it is also important that we focus on unbiased information when trying to understand just exactly what changes have been made, and what changes are planned for the future. And this requires hard work. It requires research, methodical inquiry, reading, critical thinking and most of all, energy and dedication. My goal is make sure that the Town of Blythewood , as stakeholders in the construction of the Scout Motor plant, has a proactive role in the process. We are not a secondary entity, rather local government has a responsibility to ensure that we can grow while at the same time preserving the beauty and heritage that makes Blythewood a wonderful town to call home.
Charlie Kelly was last in touch with his family the day after he set off for the Highlands

Police searching for a hillwalker who went missing last month have found a body in the Glen Etive area of Glencoe.

Formal identification is yet to take place, but the family of 56-year-old Charlie Kelly have been informed.

Mr Kelly left his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, on 6 September to travel to the Highlands. He was last in touch with his family the following day.

Police Scotland said there were no apparent suspicious circumstances.

A spokesperson added a report would be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Members of 10 different mountain rescue teams, including civilian, RAF and police, searched a massive area and difficult terrain in the days after father-of-three Mr Kelly was reported missing.

The search also involved dogs, drones and helicopters.

Visitors to Glen Etive and the surrounding hills were asked for help with possible sightings of the missing walker.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the total amount of charges on the VC-25B program. Its losses are now at about $2.4 billion.

WASHINGTON  Boeings defense unit recorded a $924 million loss in the third quarter of 2023, primarily dragged down by rising costs on its VC-25B Air Force One program.

More than half of Boeing Defense, Space and Securitys loss stemmed from a $482 million loss on the companys work building two new VC-25B aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. The company attributed the higher costs to engineering changes and labor instability as well as the resolution of supplier negotiations last quarter.

With the charges Boeing previously recorded on the VC-25B program, the programs losses are now at about $2.4 billion.

The divisions nearly $5.5 billion in quarterly sales was essentially flat year over year from the third quarter of 2022, Brian West, Boeings executive vice president and chief financial officer, said in a Wednesday earnings call.

The companys chief executive, Dave Calhoun, expressed dissatisfaction with the pace at which the defense unit has improved, but said the sector is on track to see improvement in the next two or three years.

Were seeing some early signs of progress, Calhoun said during the call. But financial improvement at BDS lower volumes takes time. Recovery in BDS is slower than wed like; slower than Id like. But were confident in the future, and our path to normalizing BDS margin performance by that 25 and 26 time frame is intact.

West said Boeing wants to get its defense sector back to returning high single-digit profit margins by that time frame. He expects the defense units cash flows to show improvement in 2024, but cautioned that lingering effects of repeated charges on the companys programs would be still likely a drag.

As signs of strong demand for the defense business, executives pointed to Boeings delivery of the first T-7A Red Hawk trainer to the Air Force and its contract to build 21 Apache helicopters for the Army,

Boeings defense unit has been plagued in recent years with delays in important programs, rising costs, repeated losses, and concerns over the quality of its work on key aircraft such as the KC-46A Pegasus tanker and VC-25B, which is now years behind schedule.

In March 2022, the company moved one of its top executives, Ted Colbert, to take charge of the defense unit and reshape it. Eight months later, Colbert revamped the unit and consolidated its eight divisions into four in an effort to get the sector back on track.

Boeing originally expected it would lose about 9% in the quarter, West said, but the Air Force One costs drove that margin down to a 16.9% quarterly loss. Another $315 million loss on a satellite contract further sank Boeing defenses profits.

These are disappointing results in the quarter and year to date, West said. This performance is below our expectations, and we acknowledge that we arent as far along in this recovery as we expected to be at this stage.

Calhoun said Boeing is working to stabilize its operations in its defense sector, including looking for ways to operate more efficiently, invest in engineering and approach contracting in a more disciplined way.

West said Boeing is also investing in new training programs to speed up factory workers and has sent resources to its suppliers to support their recoveries. He also told investors they can rest assured that Boeing has not signed any further fixed-price development contracts, nor does it plan to.

Its not the first time Boeing has expressed regret for entering into such contracts. Previously, Calhoun in April 2022 said Boeing should not have accepted the Trump administrations terms as it aggressively renegotiated the companys Air Force One contract in 2018.

West and Calhoun said Boeing is working through the challenges of building new Air Force Ones and that the major steps of turning the new planes power on and flying them for the first time will be largely finished before the 2025/2026 time frame.

In a fixed-price environment, any unplanned hurdles can introduce unrecoverable costs, Calhoun said. At the end of the day, we have two airplanes to build. Were getting past these hurdles and are committed to delivering two exceptional airplanes for our customers.
Boeing cut its outlook for 2023 deliveries of the 737 MAX as it addresses a manufacturing problem (David Ryder)

Boeing reported another hefty loss Wednesday as it trimmed its full-year forecast for deliveries of the 737 to address a manufacturing problem on the aircraft.

The US aviation giant, which has struggled with manufacturing and quality control issues in recent years, reported a third-quarter loss of $1.6 billion,which translated into a bigger per-share hit than analysts estimated.

The latest issue with the 737 is the result of misshapen holes drilled in a part of the fuselage that helps maintain plane pressure. Boeing said the problem is not "an immediate safety of flight issue."

However, the company is inspecting and reworking undelivered planes. As a result, Boeing now expects 737 deliveries of 375-400 this year, down from the earlier 400-450 projection.

The issue also weighed on third quarter deliveries, denting revenues, which came in at $18.1 billion, below the level in the second quarter.

The latest issue has added to scrutiny on Spirit AeroSystems, a major Boeing supplier that produces the fuselage for the 737 and also works extensively on Boeing's other best-selling jet, the 787 Dreamliner.

Earlier this month, Boeing reached an agreement with Spirit that includes immediately pumping $100 million into the smaller company.

Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun told CNBC the additional funds give Spirit the "breathing room they need to meet our rate requirements" as the airplane manufacturer seeks to boost production to meet demand from airlines.

Calhoun said he has "a lot of confidence" in Spirit, which recently appointed a new chief executive.

- Bigger defense budget? -

Boeing's bottom line in the quarter was also affected by a $482 million loss in the Air Force One US presidential plane "related to engineering changes and labor instability, as well as resolution of supplier negotiations," Boeing said.

Another $315 million hit came from losses in a satellite contract, also in Boeing's defense, space and security business.

Calhoun told CNBC that the company's outlook for its defense business is "getting more and more robust every day," but alluded to recent turmoil on Capitol Hill, where Republicans have struggled to elect a new speaker of the House of Representatives.

"If we can get some help from the Congress... we will ultimately realize those gains," Calhoun said, adding that passage of a defense package "needs to happen, period."

Boeing reaffirmed its outlook for 2023 free cash flow, a closely watched investor benchmark, and said it was on track with a plan to boost production on the 787 Dreamliner.

"We continue to progress in our recovery and despite near-term challenges, we remain on track," Calhoun said in the company's press release.

"The important work we're doing to add rigor around our quality systems and build a culture of transparently bringing forward any issue, no matter the size, can bring short-term challenges - but it is how we set ourselves on the right course for our long-term future."

While Boeing's drop in plane deliveries was disappointing, "the good news is that customers still want Boeing planes," said Christopher Raite, analyst at Third Bridge.

"However, execution on the backlog is the key question for investors, and this will continue to be a challenge."

Shares of Boeing fell 2.3 percent in early trading.

jmb/mlm
Members of the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater company pray prior to a rehearsal at Roosevelt University in the Loop on Oct. 13, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Kevin Iega Jeff moved to Chicago in 1994. Leaving his company, Jubilation, behind, the New York expat was recruited to be the third artistic director of Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre. Founding member Randy Duncan took over when Holmes died in 1986; Duncan resigned in 1993.

That transition was, in many respects, muted by another big item brewing in dance news: a potential merger between Ballet Chicago and the Joffrey Ballet, which was also planning a move from New York to Chicago. The merger went south, but you know how the story ends. Joffrey made Chicago its home in 1995.

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Jeff, typically referred to by his middle name, Iega, came to Joseph Holmes Dance firing on all cylinders. With an almost wholly new roster of dancers, they performed some of Jubilitations repertoire, plus new works channeling Holmes and Iegas pedigree with Alvin Aileys company. But a year later, the company went belly up. A year after that, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater was born.

As the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in the middle of the pandemic, Deeply Rooted had already put an ambitious plan in motion, designed to ensure their fate would not be the same as Joseph Holmes Dance Theatres. They were due for a leadership change: co-founder Gary Abbott had already spent a few years in Kansas City on the University of Missouri dance faculty, where he remains today, and Iega was routinely pulled out of the studio for independent projects and other strategic or creative opportunities.

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Nicole Clarke-Springer was waiting in the wings. Once a company dancer, the longtime director of Deeply Rooteds education programs stepped into the top artistic job in 2019. And all parties agree: It is her company now.

Nicole Clarke-Springer, artistic director for Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, at Roosevelt University in the Loop on Oct. 13, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

An upcoming program Nov. 3 at the Auditorium Theatre is an artistic digest of this history, beginning with Iegas three part Junto, created in 1990 on Jubilation and restaged on Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre in 1995. Abbotts 2009 work 53 Inhale represents the companys teenage years. The evening closes with a world premiere by Clarke-Springer, Madonna Anno Domini, a powerfully cathartic half-hour inspired by generational human rights activism. Two timeless 80s revivals complete the program: Ulysses Doves full-throttled womens piece, Vespers, (set on Deeply Rooted last year) and Keith Lees Mama Rose, new to them for this program. The latter is a solo dedicated to New York dance icon Thelma Hill, danced by emergent powerhouse Emani Drake, a recent Princess Grace honoree in her third season with the company.

While the one-night-only performance epitomizes Deeply Rooteds past and present, this is really a story about their future.

Makeda Crayton is the companys first ever full-time executive director. The Chicago native trained in ballet and modern, and worked on Broadway, in repertory companies and as a repetiteur for choreographer Christopher Huggins. She ended her performance career after seven years in Las Vegas with Cirque du Soleils Zumanity.

I knew that when I took the job at Cirque, this was going to be it for me performing, she said in an interview with the Tribune. Id already made the plan to shift. Then the pandemic hit and the plan got accelerated.

Makeda Crayton, the executive director of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, at Roosevelt University in the Loop on Oct. 13, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Crayton had taught a few classes for Deeply Rooteds summer intensives; hearing of her retirement, Clarke-Springer asked if she wanted to teach ballet  it was a hard pass. She agreed to a role in operations and moved up to executive director in January.

The studio is Clarke-Springers domain. Craytons happy place is a spreadsheet as she leads a major capital campaign in her first year on the job. That wholesale commitment to their respective roles, they say, is what makes the partnership work.

I need to do this right and theres too much at stake for me to be dabbling, Crayton said. Im not in this to be in the studio.

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The forthcoming Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities is a 33,000-square-foot facility slated for a vacant lot in the 5300 block of South State Street. Currently, they lease rehearsal space at Mayfair Arts Center and have shared studio space at Ballet Chicago for decades.

When we build this building, its a different level of commitment, Crayton said, not only to us and the people who work with us, but to the community. Were planting roots here. Its a physical landmark. Its making a bold statement were here to stay.

Mekeba Malik, left, rehearses with Rebekah Kuczma for an upcoming Deeply Rooted Dance Theater company performance. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Dance companies are building buildings like its going out of style. Red Clay Dance opened their Woodlawn brick-and-mortar in 2020. Visceral Dance Center tripled in size when they relocated to a stunningly converted Avondale warehouse in 2021. Joel Hall Dancers plans to renovate their new spot in Albany Park appears to be stagnant; theyve also been rehearsing at Mayfair Arts Center. That storied studio, established by Tommy Sutton in 1957, was a pandemic casualty resuscitated by Chicago Human Rhythm Project, which bought the building and is renovating it in stages. And Giordano Dance Chicago has plans for a 23,000-square-foot center at the former Hermon Baptist Church in Old Town.

Crayton said lack of agency, especially during the pandemic, is one reason to want a space of their own. We were at the mercy of the landlord, she said. And to be in an industry that is so dependent on bodies being in a space together  you have to figure out a new way to manage your business model.

Deeply Rooted appears primed to succeed.

Weve assembled a team that really cant be denied, Crayton said. We have a team that has worked in real estate development. We have a team who has been on the team that built that Joffrey building. Weve solicited advice from people whove worked on capital campaigns that have failed. We have cocooned ourselves with enough experience and knowledge to help us see some of the things we cant see and dont even know to look for.

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Theyve got $13 million already in the bank, including investments from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, former Mayor Lori Lightfoots Office of Equity & Racial Justice, and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. A recent $2 million, multiyear commitment from the Mellon Foundation is modeled after startups. Deeply Rooted is set to break ground in 2024, but still has $2.5 million to raise.

It cant fail, Clarke-Springer said. I mean that. Theres no other choice.

Members of the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater company rehearse for an upcoming performance. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

A building isnt the only thing Deeply Rooted is building. With the center comes a huge uptick in staffing and operational expenses they dont currently have. They expanded a nine-week dancer contract to 26 weeks. And theyve put money toward commissions (like those from Ulysses Dove and Keith Lee), something Deeply Rooted had really never done before and is designed to draw in new audiences.

We have three priorities right now: Building our organizational capacity, building up the companys visibility and the center. Thats it, Crayton said.

During this period of intense growth and change, the dancers and staff remain committed to their core values, first among them exceptional, passionate dancing that will reach out and grab you like nothing else can.

Having that foundation, and knowing what it means to be deeply rooted in this organization, I think  no, I know  that whats happening now is meant to be right now, Clarke-Springer said. We deserve this. Weve worked hard for it. Its our time. Were here to stay.

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Deeply Rooted Dance Theater performs at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; tickets $25-$85 at 312-341-2300 and auditoriumtheatre.org

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.
Boeing reported a $1.64 billion loss for the third quarter as it delivered fewer of its best-selling but problem-plagued 737 Max airliner and sunk more money into building two new Air Force One presidential jets.

The aircraft maker on Wednesday lowered its forecast of 737 production to between 375 and 400 planes this year, down from a previous estimate of 400 to 450.

The loss was wider than Wall Street expected. Boeing has lost money every year since 2018 and has been profitable in only one of its last nine quarters as it struggles with problems in aircraft and defense programs.

These are disappointing results in the quarter and the year to date, Chief Financial Officer Brian West said on a call with analysts. This performance is below our expectations, and we acknowledge that we arent as far along in this recovery as we expected to be.

West said the companys fourth-quarter profit margin will be better than the third quarters minus-6%, but will still be negative.

Boeings long slide began with two deadly crashes involving the 737 Max in late 2018 and early 2019. Even after overhauling a system implicated in those crashes, production and deliveries of the plane have been slowed as Boeing has dealt with several manufacturing flaws.

Most recently, Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems have set out to inspect and do additional work to fix poorly drilled holes in a pressure-sealing section of the planes.

Last week, Boeing announced it would give Spirit $100 million to retool its operations and pay Spirit an extra $455 million over two years for parts used in the 787 Dreamliner. The deal calls for Boeing to recover some of that with $265 million in price cuts starting in 2026.

In its government work, Boeing reported a $482 million loss on its contract with the Air Force to build two new presidential jets because of higher estimated manufacturing costs.

CEO David Calhoun said the setbacks wont affect performance of the planes, but that any unplanned hurdles can introduce unrecoverable cost in fixed-price contracts like the one Boeing agreed to for Air Force One.

At the end of the day, we have two airplanes to build. Were getting past these hurdles and are committed to delivering two exceptional airplanes, he said.

The company also lost $315 million on a satellite contract.

Excluding special items Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, lost $3.26 per share in the quarter. Analysts expected a loss of $3.18 per share, according to a FactSet survey of analysts.

Revenue rose 13% to $18.10 billion, topping analysts forecast of $18.01 billion.

Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr called it a messy quarter for the aircraft maker, but said investor reaction would be muted. He said the scaled-back forecast for 737 deliveries was not a surprise because problems with the aft pressure bulkhead on the planes were already known.

The company delivered 105 commercial planes in the quarter, down from 112 a year earlier, as it struggled with problems that slowed production of the 737 Max passenger jet. Deliveries of 737s slipped to 70 from 88 in the same period last year, but deliveries of 787 Dreamliners rose.

Calhoun said the company is still on track to meet long-term financial goals, including free cash flow of $3 billion to $5 billion this year and $10 billion by 2026. He said the company is working to stabilize its supply chain and steadily increase aircraft production rates.

In a note to employees, Calhoun said demand for Boeing planes remains strong.

That demand will underpin our recovery, but its on us to perform, he said. I have heard those outside our company wondering if weve lost a step. I view it as quite the opposite.

Shares of The Boeing Co. rose 2% in midday trading.
A slate of candidates for City Council in South and Southwest Boise traded positions on affordable housing, policing, parks, climate change and city management in front of a crowd of about 60 people at South Junior High School.

The panel of new faces for Districts 3 and 4 would all be new to elected office in districts without council representatives at City Hall. This years election is the first citywide with geographic districts.

District 3 extends from the Interstate 184 Connector south to Victory Road. District 4 runs from Micron in Southeast Boise to Cole Road in the Southwest.

District 3 is in green, and District 4 is in red.

We deserve to have parks and pathways

In comments at Wednesday nights debate, a chunk of air time was reserved for the controversy over Murgoitio Park in Southwest Boise.

When a developer proposed swapping the open Murgoitio parcel for land in the Boise Foothills, some locals resisted, saying they had been promised a park decades ago. The land swap would have kept seven acres of the 160-acre parcel as a park, with the rest slated for development.

After the opposition, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean shelved the citys plans to annex the area, which is outside of city limits. Later, an overlapping group of locals gathered enough signatures to put a voter initiative on a citywide ballot requiring city leaders to consult voters before making changes to city green space. The City Council went ahead and made the proposal law in January, which kept it off the ballot.

Were going to get Murgoitio Park built, said Chris Blanchard, a Boise Planning and Zoning commissioner running for the District 3 seat. He said he also wants an urban renewal district on the Bench, hoping it would help remove an oil tank farm that sits alongside residential neighborhoods.

Josh Johnston, another District 3 candidate, said he wants the park built but only alongside a commitment to bring other city services to what would be a newly annexed neighborhood.

Murgoitio Park is only part of the services that we deserve out there, Johnston said.

Candidates for Boise City Council gathered at South Junior High for a debate Tuesday. From left: Jordan Morales, candidate in District 4; and Theresa Vawter, Josh Johnston, Kathy Corless and Chris Blanchard, all candidates in District 3.

Kathy Corless, also running in District 3, was one of the opponents of the proposed land swap three years ago and is a former president of the South Cole Neighborhood Association. She said she thinks that whole parcel should become a park.

We deserve to have parks and pathways out there, she said.

Other candidates also supported parks but emphasized how large the property is.

Theresa Vawter, a fourth candidate in District 3, said she has heard from residents who were not as adamant about the entire space being a park but having some sort of park space in there of different sizes.

Jordan Morales, one of two candidates in District 4, which covers South Boise and extends nearly to the Murgoitio land, said voters should remember that the acreage is nearly the size of Ann Morrison Park, which serves much denser neighborhoods downtown.

I think we need to look at that park site and develop a realistic vision for what we can get done as soon as possible, he said.

Whos running for Boise mayor? Explore the candidates in our Voter Guide

Not everybody wants the same type of housing

In comments about housing, candidates largely focused on the recent overhaul of Boises zoning code, which aims for denser, mixed-use development along transit corridors and in neighborhoods as part of an effort to make more public transit possible and reduce sprawl.

With new zoning laws on the books that will go into effect in December, candidates focused on how they would approach evaluating its successes or failures.

Vawter said she supports the new code, which could add missing middle housing in Boises high-priced housing market.

Not everybody wants the same type of housing their entire life, she said, pointing to the possibilities for apartments, cottage courts, duplexes, and single-family homes.

Johnston criticized the city for focusing on apartments, when most of us want to live in single family houses,adding that the city should focus on getting more units around the citys perimeter.

He said he likes density downtown and in commercial areas but doesnt want affordable neighborhoods to be demolished.

Corless said there are opportunities to build large apartment buildings around West Boise, and for the city to focus on examining the effects of the new law.

Blanchard said that while the City Council committed to reviewing the new code in a year, he wants to review it sooner.

The neighborhood associations need to tell us what they want to see achieved in their neighborhoods and what they dont want to happen in our neighborhoods, so that we can be on guard, Blanchard said.

Morales said he supports mixed-use development, which helps keep areas of the city from emptying out during different parts of the day as residents commute to work. He highlighted that rents have risen precipitously in recent years.

If you dont have a renter in your family, a young kid looking for apartments or whatnot, you may not understand that we are very behind, he said.

Whos running for Boise City Council? Explore the candidates in our Voter Guide

Police absolutely demoralized

Candidates took aim at city leaders over the management of the Police Department, as well as Boises civilian police oversight office.

Blanchard said he wants to undo the citys Office of Police Accountability, which was created in 2021, and replace it with an ombudsman, which the city had in past years.

He said the department is absolutely demoralized and officers feel abandoned by leadership at City Hall.

Johnston said the department has suffered from poor oversight and has a number of vacancies.

Corless said she went to the City Councils budget hearing this year to advocate for new police positions, and Vawter said she wants more behavioral health services available on police calls to address mental health issues.

Morales said the city needs to focus on the cost of living increases in Boise, which may make it difficult for officers to move here.

What should city do about climate?

Boise has seen record temperatures in recent summers, and Mayor Lauren McLean has set carbon neutrality goals for the city.

Corless said better bicycle pathways in District 3 would help reduce emissions from vehicle trips, and Vawter said she supports making the citys vehicle fleet electric.

Blanchard said the new zoning code should incentivize building that puts housing close to where people work, reducing needed commute times.

Morales said he has family in Salt Lake City and doesnt want the Utah citys notorious inversions to be replicated in Boise.

We probably dont talk about (climate issues) enough, he said.

Johnston said he has concerns about the citys efforts to electrify its vehicles because of the demand on power, while adding that the city has a lot of issues to focus on.

The four candidates in District 3 are vying for one seat with a four-year term.

In District 4, Morales faces Janet Burke, who did not attend the forum. The winner would be in office for a two-year term, as the city aims to stagger elections in future years.

I think it is incredibly important that those who are seeking to run for office are willing to stand before voters and communicate why theyre running and answer your questions, Morales said. To date, the other candidate in this race has not done that.
Oregon State University urged students and staff members to steer clear of an automated food delivery service Tuesday, fearing the robots could contain explosives.

The bomb threat later proved to be a bad joke, hatched by a student on social media, that forced OSU to err on the side of caution, the tech company Starship, which operates the robots, said in a statement.

Urgent OSU Alert: Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding.  Oregon State University (@OregonState) October 24, 2023

"A student at Oregon State University sent a bomb threat, via social media, that involved Starships robots on the campus," the statement said.

"While the student has subsequently stated this is a joke and a prank, Starship suspended the service. Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation," it said.

The OSU warning was issued at 12:20 p.m. local time, and by 12:59 p.m., the potentially dangerous bots had been isolated at safe locations, the school said.

food delivery service threat (Smith Collection / Gado/Sipa USA via AP file)

The robots were being investigated by a technician, OSU said in a statement posted at 1:23 p.m.

Remain vigilant for suspicious activity, it added.

Finally, at around 1:45 p.m., the school issued an all clear alert.

Emergency is over, the message said. You may now resume normal activities. Robot inspection continues in a safe location.

Starship calls itself a global leader in autonomous delivery with agreements at a host of universities across the U.S.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A man was denied bond Wednesday in the deadly shootings of his grandfather and great-grandmother back in 2020.

Gene Alexzander Alex Scott appeared before a judge in Chester County court Wednesday morning.

Investigators said on June 21, 2020 -- Fathers Day -- deputies were called to a home on Doe Street near the Richburg area where they found two bodies. Gene Rogers, 61, and his 78-year-old mother Billie Rogers were found dead inside the home. The two raised Scott.

PREVIOUS: US soldier charged in 2020 deaths of grandfather, great-grandmother in SC

Scott was the one who called 911 to report their deaths, investigators said.

Investigators said money was the motive behind the killings.

Scott was in the miliary. Deputies said he started his military career as an ammo tech in the Marines. He joined the service in January 2020 and was stationed at Camp Lejeune. Scott, now 26, was brought back to South Carolina from deployment in Germany, and was indicted in October 2021 on two counts of murder.

A judge said Wednesday that Scott was a flight risk and a danger to the community, which is why he was denied bond.

The outcome was what we wanted, said Paul Rogers, the brother of Gene Rogers and son of Billie Rogers. Well just keep fighting from here. Thats all we can do as a family is just keep fighting.

ALSO READ: One arrested after shots fired in southwest Charlotte neighborhood

Rogers wears a pin on his chest with a photo of his brother and mother. He said he still remembers when he got the phone call.

I called friends and said you guys have to come back, mamas dead, Rogers said as he got emotional. So it went from there.

Even with the closure Wednesday, Rogers said the pain will always be etched in his heart.

Its not going to heal the pain -- itll help heal the pain, but its going to take a lot more to heal it, Rogers said.

Scotts trial date was set for March 25, 2024.

(WATCH BELOW: One killed, two others hurt in north Charlotte shooting, CMPD says)
Bostons City Council on Wednesday is expected to debate whether to hold a hearing on renaming Faneuil Hall, a popular tourist site that is named after a wealthy merchant who owned and traded slaves.

In calling for the hearing, Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has filed a resolution decrying the buildings namesake, Peter Faneuil , as a white supremacist, a slave trader, and a slave owner who contributed nothing recognizable to the ideal of democracy.

The push is part of a larger discussion on forms of atonement to Black Bostonians for the citys role in slavery and its legacy of inequality.

The downtown meeting house was built for the city by Faneuil in 1742 and was where Samuel Adams and other American colonists made some of the earliest speeches urging independence from Britain.

It is important that we hold a hearing on changing the name of this building because the name disrespects Black people in the city and across the nation, Pastor Valerie Copeland, of the Dorchester Neighborhood Church, said in a statement. Peter Faneuils involvement in the transatlantic slave trade is an embarrassment to us all.

The Rev. John Gibbons, a minister at the Arlington Street Church, said in a statement that the goal is not to erase history with a name change but to correct the record. He was a man who debased other human beings, he said. His name should not be honored in a building called the cradle of liberty.

Some activists suggested the building could instead honor Crispus Attucks, a Black man considered the first American killed in the Revolutionary War.

According to The Boston Globe, the City Council can hold a hearing on the name, but it doesnt have the authority to actually rename Faneuil Hall. That power lies with a little-known city board called the Public Facilities Commission.

The push to rename famous spots in Boston is not new.

In 2019, Boston officials approved renaming the square in the historically Black neighborhood of Roxbury to Nubian Square from Dudley Square. Roxbury is the historic center of the states African American community. Its where a young Martin Luther King, Jr. preached and Malcolm X grew up.

Supporters wanted the commercial center renamed because Roxbury resident Thomas Dudley was a leading politician when Massachusetts legally sanctioned slavery in the 1600s.

A year earlier, the Red Sox successfully petitioned to change the name of a street near Fenway Park that honored a former team owner who had resisted integration.

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Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) was charged with a misdemeanor on Wednesday for pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building during last-second government funding votes late last month.

Bowman was issued a summons for 9:30 a.m. at the District of Columbia Superior Court on Thursday, according to court documents.

The New York congressman said that he pulled the alarm by mistake in an attempt to exit the building and quickly make his way to the House floor to vote. Republicans accused him of attempting to make a distraction to delay the vote, which he denied.

Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open. I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused, he said in a statement at the time.

But I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote. It was the exact opposite  I was trying urgently to get to a vote, which I ultimately did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to keep our government open.

On Wednesday, Bowmans office said the congressman made an agreement with the D.C. Attorney General to withdraw the charge in three months if he writes an apology to the Capitol Police and pays a $1,000 fine.

Im thankful for the quick resolution from the District of Columbia Attorney Generals office on this issue and grateful that the United States Capitol Police General Counsels office agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings, Bowman said in a statement Wednesday.

I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped.

House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) said he would launch an investigation into Bowmans conduct. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) introduced a resolution to expel Bowman from the House over the incident, and others said he should resign.

Former President Trump said Bowman should be prosecuted and imprisoned for pulling the alarm.

Bowman denounced Republicans for their harsh criticisms of him.

I think we all know that Republicans will attempt to use this to distract everyone from their mess, but I look forward to putting this behind me and to continue working hard to deliver for New Yorkers, he said Wednesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's federal police said on Wednesday they were carrying out fresh raids and arrests as part of an investigation into the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia, including on a relative of former president Jair Bolsonaro 's ex-wife.

Police, according to a statement, served five arrest warrants and 13 search-and-seizure warrants ordered by the Supreme Court in three states and the Federal District, where Brasilia is located.

Police did not reveal the names of those being investigated, but a source with knowledge of the operation told Reuters that Leo Indio, Bolsonaro's ex-wife's nephew who is close to the former president and his children, was one of the targets of the search and seizure warrant.

Indio did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The raids are ongoing efforts to identify people who participated in, funded or fostered the riots, in which a crowd invaded and ransacked the Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court on Jan. 8, 2023.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Steven Grattan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.

About six years ago, the Supreme Court was preparing to hear two cases involving accusations of religious discrimination.

In the first, a Christian baker named Jack Phillips argued that Colorado officials unlawfully attacked his faith in the process of determining that his refusal to design a cake for a same-sex wedding violated the statess anti-discrimination law.

In the second, those challenging then-President Donald Trumps ban on travelers from a handful of Muslim-majority countries claimed that the ban needed to be overturned because it was motivated by anti-Muslim bias, among other things.

What stood out about those cases to Thomas Berg, a professor of law and public policy at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, was that there was little-to-no overlap between the groups that filed Supreme Court briefs in support of the Christian baker and the groups that filed briefs in support of the Muslim community. People concerned about religious discrimination in one case didnt seem to see it in the other.

To Berg, that situation was a symptom of a much bigger issue: Americans increasingly make religious freedom protections contingent on someones politics or religion. Were not being consistent and, in that way, were putting the whole concept of religious freedom at risk.

Related

In his latest book, Religious Liberty in a Polarized Age, Berg describes this problem in detail and aims to convince readers that something needs to change. People with different politics and of different faiths dont have to become the best of friends, he writes, but they do need to respect one another and realize that their own freedom hinges on guaranteeing freedom for others.

Last week, I spoke with Berg about his book and about the cycle of polarization thats threatening the future of religious freedom.

Deseret News: Why did you want to write this book?

Thomas Berg: I wanted to make the case for religious freedom as a protection for people and as a good thing for society, to show that it can calm fear and reduce resentment.

I also wanted to write a book that would be detailed enough to answer academic and jurisprudential questions, but also accessible enough to help people who have an interest in the subject but arent lawyers.

DN: Why do people need to be reminded of religious freedoms power right now?

TB: Particularly in the last 15 years, religious freedom disputes have become part of the cycle of polarization, part of a broader division into two mega-identities thats affecting the whole country.

When it comes to religious freedom, were, in some ways, repeating the pattern of divisions seen during the Reformation era. Conflicts between Protestants and Catholics at that time gave rise to religious freedom as we know it because it was a solution to them.

In his Memorial and Remonstrance, James Madison wrote about the torrents of blood spilled in the old world over religious disputes. He noted that attempting to solve such disputes by imposing one side or the other through the government has never worked and actually only makes things worse.

The remedy then and now is to give full and equal freedom to all.

DN: When you mentioned religious freedom getting caught up in the cycle of polarization, what came to my mind first was political battles between Democrats and Republicans. But just like the Protestants and Catholics did, different faith groups definitely still fight about religion.

TB: Yes, like evangelical Christian attacks on Muslims. Pat Robertson, for example, has repeatedly said that Islam is not a religion, that its actually a political movement designed to take over the country.

Ironically, thats the same thing being said now about evangelical Christians. That shows that when you attack the religious freedom of another group, your arguments can rebound back and hurt you.

So much of what Im trying to do in the book is to try to emphasize that point. Im trying to do it in a way that increases sympathy across ideological lines rather than magnifies differences.

DN: In my interviews tied to Supreme Court cases, Im often struck by the lack of sympathy for conservative Christians. Some people have decided that they had enough time in power and should let other people win now.

TB: Yes, even if people dont openly say that, sometimes that feeling is whats driving the dynamics.

Of course, when their opponents have that attitude, it impels conservative Christians to hang on even more tightly to whatever power they have and to try to leverage that power in as many ways as possible. Its a recipe for continued conflict.

Its like in the Reformation era, when Protestants would say that the government had been the tool of the Catholic Church for too long and that it was time to undo that, but then Catholics would say we have to get government back because the Protestants are going to use it against us.

Its a feature of the cycle of polarization that you just continuously respond to what somebody else did to you before as they respond to what you did to them before.

DN: So how do we break the cycle?

TB: Its important to affirm a degree of freedom for the other side and to try to do so based on sympathy not necessarily for that sides views but for the predicament they find themselves in as a result of holding those views.

In other words, conservative Christians do not have to accept same-sex marriage as theologically or morally sound in order to make some room for nondiscrimination laws protecting LGBTQ people.

And progressives and gay rights advocates do not have to agree with conservative Christians theological views in order to say that members of conservative faiths should be allowed to follow their beliefs when operating social service organizations and other institutions.

DN: In our current political and religious landscape, who needs to make the first move to heal religious freedom debates? Is this something that politicians need to model?

TB: Its not so much who makes the first move that matters. What matters is that people see that healing is possible, because the immediate, reflexive reaction that many people have is that its not possible to reach bipartisan solutions here.

We shouldnt forget that in Utah, one of the deepest red states, lawmakers (in 2015) passed a state-wide LGBTQ rights law with substantial religious protections. It was quite remarkable. People said it couldnt happen.

I finished the book with some quotes from the head of Equality Utah who said the legislation really did improve the culture of dialogue between conservatives and LGBTQ people in Utah, that it made a difference.

A step like that wont solve every issue, but it can make the atmosphere much better.

After Utah, people said that Utah is unique, and that something like that could never happen at the federal level.

But in December, Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which secured, legislatively, the right of same-sex couples to marry. At the same time, the bill included I think signifiant religious liberty protections for traditional organizations. That law made it through the filibuster threat and passed only because of those religious liberty protections.

In the book, I analogize our current polarization to a really tight knot in a rope or in your shoelaces. You have to pick at the knot in one specific place at a time to free it up a little bit.

DN: I love that knot analogy. Is there anything else you want to add?

TB: I want to be clear that I dont argue for religious freedom solely as a means to reduce conflict and make the American government work better.

It does reduce conflict and make the government work better, but, at the heart of it, religious freedom is the right of the human person to pursue the deepest questions of life and to pursue a relationship with the divine however one understands that concept. Its a central aspect of human dignity.

Theres a full chapter in the book about religious freedom as a matter of personal dignity and person identity.

Fresh off the press

Relatives of a former U.S. representative were among those killed in Gaza in a church hit by bomb strike

Natalee Holloways case taught me to be scared

A video of a Catholic nun tackling someone went viral. What made things turn violent?

Term of the week: St. Porphyrius Church

The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius is the oldest active church in Gaza. It serves as a spiritual home to many of the Christians in the area, as well as many Palestinian Christians who have family in Gaza but no longer live there themselves. It also regularly transforms into a place of refuge amid fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The church was originally constructed in the fifth century, but it was overhauled in the 12th. Its named after St. Porphyrius, a former bishop of Gaza who became famous for destroying pagan temples and winning converts to Christianity.

Last week, St. Porphyrius sustained damage during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The church compound was hit as the Israel Defense Forces launched bombs toward a nearby Hamas command center. At least 18 people sheltering in St. Porphyrius were killed in the bombing, and others were injured, according to The Washington Post.

What Im reading ...

The Israel-Hamas war has further complicated the already difficult work of building bridges between Jews and Muslims. Its never been harder to walk the path toward interfaith friendships than it is today, according to Aziza Hasan and Andrea Hodos, who spoke about their group for Muslims and Jews, NewGrounds, in an interview with The New York Times.

In a new survey on friendship, Pew Research Center investigated whether age affects Americans social opportunities. And it definitely seems to: Pew found that older adults are more likely than younger ones to have a large friend group. About half of adults 65 and older (49%) say they have five or more close friends, compared with 40% of those 50 to 64, 34% of those 30 to 49 and 32% of those younger than 30, Pew reported.

Dont miss my colleague Katie McKellars beautiful story on a young man who is determined to raise awareness of wild horses in the West.

Odds and ends

Ive long known that its difficult to choose paint colors during a home renovation project, but I may have underestimated how difficult. The Washington Post recently pointed out that Sherwin-Williams alone offers nearly 200 shades of white.

Where do you stand on Halloween decorations? Im happy to put some pumpkins outside by the front door, but I rarely do more than that. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered that Americans will collectively spend nearly $4 billion on Halloween home decor this year. Now thats scary!
WINDSOR LOCKS  Breeze Airways, which has become known for its flurry of airfare sales on nonstop flights, expects its workforce at Bradley International Airport to increase by as much as 50% in the next year, with Connecticuts largest airport being the ultra-low cost air carriers second fastest-growing operations base in the country, according to its president.

This has been one of the most successful cities that weve had in our network, Breeze President Tom Doxey said, in an interview with The Courant at Bradley.

Bradley follows only Providences T.F. Green International Airport in its growth trajectory among Breezes seven operations bases around the country, Doxey said.

Breeze inaugurated service from Bradley in 2021 coinciding with the launch of the first flights of the start-up airline.

A year later, Breeze designated Bradley as a base of operation and pledged to add more than 200 jobs.

So far, Breeze has created 100 pilot, flight attendant and mechanic jobs at Bradley, plus another 45 contract workers for ground aviation services such as ticketing, cabin cleaning and cargo handling. Doxey said he expects the workforce to grow by as many 75 jobs in the next year.

The airlines expansion comes with a $1.3 million economic development incentive from the state. The incentive would be paid to Breeze if it creates and retains 212 full-time jobs.

Breeze also has five aircraft parked at Bradley overnight, with that expected to increase by one or two in the next year. The airline now books 14 year-round, non-stop destinations from Bradley.

The airlines expansion at Bradley has been fueled, Doxey said, by the passenger convenience of not having to travel to larger airport in Boston or New York. The airlines fleet of new A220 aircraft also is a factor and the trend in the industry of larger airlines pulling back a bit from small- and mid-size airports.

Its created a huge opportunity for us to come in and to be able to serve the local communities, Doxey said. But unlike them  they are flying connecting and hub  were flying nonstop to the places people want to go. All that put together, thats what resonates with people and thats why its been so successful here.

Doxey said its a long drive to Boston or New York, especially if there is traffic.

You can save a lot of time, Doxey said. You can be at your destination before youd be at Logan, or Newark or JFK.

CT transportation plan: $10B in dramatic changes: redesigned highways, new bridges over CT river

Doxey, an executive with 17 years in the industry with such airlines as American, Allegiant and U.S. Airways, said Breeze has logged more than 8,000 arrivals and departures at Bradley in two years. Those flights translate to about 770,000 passengers.

Breeze is focused on the domestic leisure travel business with a strategy of providing nonstop service to and from mid-size airports such as Bradley with low base fares and an a la carte menu of fees depending on the services that are desired.

Breeze also is looking at making the move to international travel in the future, perhaps starting with the Caribbean and Mexico.

But the airline also isnt immune to the industry-wide pressures of high jet fuel prices and a shift this year from domestic to international travel. As a relatively new airline, Breeze also has yet to turn a profit, something that was not unexpected.

But Doxey said Breeze is nimble and can quickly adjust flight offerings based on demand, seasonal or otherwise.

Breeze  and its founder and CEO David Neeleman  raised $300 million in capital, partly to offset those first-year losses.

The airline has carved out a higher-profile with its limited-time airfare sales, part of a strategy to build name recognition.

If youre new to a city and having that sale out there  we saw demand on our website just go off the charts with these sales, Doxey said. And interestingly, not only do we sell for the inventory that is on sale, but traffic to website also drives sales for other things, even for peak times.

A traveler might take advantage, for instance, of the sale but also buy for, say, Thanksgiving, which wouldnt be part of fare sale, Doxey said.

Doxey maintained that when sales are launched there are a significant number of seats designated for the sale, though he declined to say what the typical percentage is, citing competitive reasons.

Its not click and theres one flight on one day, Doxey said.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
Miles Chambers believes that Avon and Somerset Police want to change

Bristol's first City Poet laureate has said despite facing racism in the past, the police now want a better relationship with the black community.

Miles Chambers and Avon and Somerset Police are collaborating as part of the force's Race Matters work.

Mr Chambers said he had previously been accused of being a drug dealer and of stealing his own bike.

"These are just a few incidents that spring to mind," Mr Chambers added.

"After considerable consultation and deliberation with Avon and Somerset Police's communications team, I concluded they want to change.

"They want the black community to see Avon and Somerset Police as their force, and to feel as included and supported as everyone else."

Mr Chambers wrote his poem 'I Want to Be Seen' to share the different viewpoints and feelings that exist when race and policing are discussed, and to portray a vision for the future.

The words of the poem include community voices, sharing people's feelings about being stereotyped and what they want from their police service, alongside officers' perspectives on why they do the job.

Insp Serena Serjeant who features in the film said: "I was really inspired by the Miles Chambers poem. I saw it as an opportunity to continue to help influence change and make a difference not only for the community but for the police.

"I want to see a future where my children won't be having the same conversations about disproportionality and institutional racism and those conversations become part of our history and not our present."

Michelle Powner is a Bristol resident who features towards the end of the film. She said: "Having read the poem, it felt aspirational and certainly my bit at the end of the film is very aspirational.

"I think the poem was made for the wider police force and for them to look introspectively, from the point of view of the community.

"What I would like to see change is that the police see people as just people, and that colour becomes invisible."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Terracotta Warriors museum sees record-high annual visitors

Xinhua) 08:59, October 25, 2023

Tourists visit the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 21, 2023. The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, which houses the world-renowned iconic Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, welcomed its 10 millionth visitor in 2023 on Monday, hitting a record high, local authorities said.(The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum/Handout via Xinhua)

XI'AN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, which houses the world-renowned iconic Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, welcomed its 10 millionth visitor in 2023 on Monday, hitting a record high, local authorities said.

Nearly 150 million visits, from both home and abroad, have been recorded at the museum since it opened in 1979.

In recent years, museum visits have become a must-do activity for tourists in China. As one of the most popular destinations in Shaanxi, the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum has experienced a consistently high number of visitors since this summer.

To meet the increasing demand, the museum has worked to improve its ticket purchasing system. This includes implementing online booking and the utilizing big data to encourage visitors to choose alternate visiting times.

Discovered in 1974, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
ATLANTA  Attorney and prominent conservative media figure Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge over efforts to overturn Donald Trumps 2020 election loss in Georgia, tearfully telling the judge she looks back on that time with deep remorse.

Ellis, the fourth defendant in the case to enter into a plea deal with prosecutors, was a vocal part of Trumps reelection campaign in the last presidential cycle and was charged alongside the Republican former president and 17 others with violating the states anti-racketeering law.

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Ellis pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She had been facing charges of violating Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer, both felonies.

She rose to speak after pleading guilty, fighting back tears as she said she would not have represented Trump after the 2020 election if she knew then what she knows now, claiming that she relied on lawyers with much more experience than her and failed to verify the things they told her.

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What I did not do but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true, the 38-year-old Ellis said.

The guilty plea from Ellis comes just days after two other defendants, fellow attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, entered guilty pleas. That means three high-profile people responsible for pushing baseless legal challenges to Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 election victory have agreed to accept responsibility for their roles rather than take their chances before a jury. A lower-profile defendant pleaded guilty last month.

Responding to a reporters shouted question in the hallway of a New York City courthouse, where a civil case accusing him of inflating the value of his assets is being held, Trump said he didnt know anything about Ellis plea deal but called it too bad and said he wasnt worried by it.

Dont know anything, were totally innocent of everything, thats political persecution is all it is, he said.

Steve Sadow, Trumps lead attorney in the Georgia case, used Ellis plea to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the racketeering charges Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought against all 19 defendants.

For the fourth time, Fani Willis and her prosecution team have dismissed the RICO charge in return for a plea to probation, he said. What that shows is this so-called RICO case is nothing more than a bargaining chip for DA Willis.

He also noted that Ellis pleaded guilty to a charge that wasnt in the original indictment and doesnt include Trump.

She was sentenced to five years of probation along with $5,000 in restitution, 100 hours of community service, writing an apology letter to the people of Georgia and testifying truthfully in trials related to this case.

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The early pleas and the favorable punishment  probation rather than prison  could foreshadow similar outcomes for additional defendants who may see an admission of guilt and cooperation as their best hope for leniency. Even so, their value as witnesses against Trump is unclear given that their direct participation in unfounded schemes will no doubt expose them to attacks on their credibility and bruising cross-examinations should they testify.

The indictment in the sweeping case details a number of accusations against Ellis, including that she helped author plans on how to disrupt and delay congressional certification of the 2020 elections results on Jan. 6, 2021, the day a mob of Trump supporters eventually overran the U.S. Capitol.

Ellis is also accused of urging state legislators to unlawfully appoint a set of presidential electors loyal to Trump at a hearing in Pennsylvania, and she later appeared with some of those lawmakers and Trump at a meeting on the topic at the White House. The indictment further says she similarly pushed state lawmakers to back false, pro-Trump electors in Georgia as well as Arizona and Michigan.

Prosecutor Daysha Young said in court Tuesday that Ellis attended a December 2020 meeting of Georgia state senators with Trump attorney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and with Georgia-based attorney Ray Smith. Ellis intentionally aided and abetted the other two as they made false statements to the lawmakers, including that more than 2,500 people convicted of felonies, more than 66,000 people who were under 18 and more than 10,000 dead people voted in the 2020 election in Georgia, Young said.

Before her plea, Ellis, who lives in Florida, was defiant, posting in August on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, The Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalizing the practice of law. I am resolved to trust the Lord.

But she has been more critical of Trump since then, saying on conservative radio in September that she wouldnt vote for him again, citing his malignant, narcissistic tendency to simply say that hes never done anything wrong.

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Along with Giuliani, Ellis was a leading voice in the Trump campaigns efforts to overturn the 2020 election, appearing frequently on television and conservative media to tell lies about widespread fraud that did not occur and spread misinformation and conspiracy theories.

She was censured in Colorado in March after admitting she made repeated false statements about the 2020 election.

That punishment was due in part to a Nov. 20, 2020, appearance on Newsmax, during which she said, With all those states (Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia) combined we know that the election was stolen from President Trump, and we can prove that.

Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors and was sentenced to serve six years of probation and was ordered to pay a fine of $6,000. Chesebro pleaded guilty to one felony and was ordered to serve five years of probation, pay $5,000 in restitution and do 100 hours of community service. Bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges and got five years of probation. All of them were ordered to write apology letters to the people of Georgia and to testify truthfully in any other trial in the case.

Ellis and the other three pleaded guilty under Georgias first offender law. That means that if they complete their probation without violating the terms or committing another crime, their records will be wiped clean.

Trump and the other defendants, including his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, have pleaded not guilty.

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Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
Kelvin Mwithi (right) was a renowned guide in Kenya and leaves behind a wife and young toddler following the incident (Robert Kamaru)

A British climber and her guide have fallen to their deaths after slipping on ice while descending Mount Kenya.

The woman, named as Shilpa Shah by members of Kenya's climbing community, died after falling a rock face on Thursday.

Her Kenyan guide, Kelvin Muriuki Mwithi, was trying to help her on a slippery slope when he also fell from the sharp drop on Africa's second-largest mountain.

Robert Kamaru (left) wrote a heartfelt tribute to his friend Kelvin Mwithi (right) (Robert Kamaru)

Ms Shah, 60, was part of a group of eight female climbers who had made the journey to ascend Point Lanana, the mountains third-highest summit.

Friends and colleagues of Mr Mwithi, who leaves behind a wife and toddler, have paid tribute to the climber who "always wore a smile".

His friend Robert Kamaru wrote online: "My friend has rested. Our hearts are broken. May his soul transition to the afterlife peacefully. May his selflessness inspire us to live fully, dedicating our lives to the service of humanity.

Mount Kenya is the second-largest mountain in Africa at over 17,000 feet, Mr Mwithis colleagues cite slippery conditions on the day (Getty Images)

Kevin, a renowned Mount Kenya guide, passed away on [Friday] while assisting a hiker on a slippery slope. Both slid down the ridge and perished.

The hiker is identified as Shilpa Shah, a UK national. Our prayers go out to both families during this difficult time of mourning and beyond.

He added: Go well, Kevin. Continue smiling gracefully in the afterlife.

Over 15,000 visitors attend Mount Kenya national park every year with intentions to climb the peak (Getty Images)

Rescue teams had to make several attempts to recover the bodies on Friday afternoon due to poor weather conditions.

Ms Shahs remains were flown to Nairobi while Mr Mwithis were taken to a hospital in central Kenya, according to reports.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office spokesperson said: We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Kenya and are in contact with local authorities.
A British model has been jailed for nearly seven years in Peru after he was caught trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country.

Modou Adams, 25, was stopped by authorities last month as he tried to check into a flight at Jorge Chavez International Airport with almost three kilograms of cocaine hidden in his suitcase.

A court statement said the drugs were ultimately destined for London.

Adams confessed to the drug smuggling charge, the court said, and was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

Surveillance camera footage shows Adams wearing a black hoodie and a pair of shorts while carrying the suitcase into a hotel in Lima, the capital, on Sept 30.

He was arrested later the same day when officers intercepted him as he tried to fly back to Europe, with police reportedly discovering a false bottom in the suitcase where the cocaine was found.

He had reportedly arrived in Peru 11 days earlier and posted on social media about a trip to Cusco, where he visited Machu Picchu, a popular tourist destination on the Inca Trail.

Local media quoted anti-drug prosecutor Lincoln Fuentes as saying it was not the first time the model, who regularly posts on TikTok, had travelled to Peru.

The first time he had already taken drugs out of the country, [was] probably in the same way because it was with a prepared suitcase, he said.

In Peru, a kilo of cocaine is around $3,500 (2,869) but this amount multiplies in Europe by a massive amount.

Mr Fuentes said Adams sole objective in visiting Peru had been to to transport drugs back to Britain.

Each drug mule is paid 5,200 to 6,000 per drug run as well as getting all their expenses paid including the tourist trips they enjoy to camouflage their real reason for coming here, he added.

The Peruvian Supreme Court posted a photoshopped picture showing him behind bars with the caption prison in less than 24 hours for British TikToker.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: We are supporting a British man who was arrested in Peru, and are in contact with the local authorities.

Peru is the second biggest cocaine producer after Colombia, responsible for more than a quarter of global output, according to the United Nations.

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 pair of New York City brothers both pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanors for their role in a straw donor scheme to benefit Eric Adams successful 2021 mayoral bid, according to The City. Shahid and Yahya Mushtaq, who together run a construction company in Queens, agreed to provide information on the case and other defendants at the district attorneys request, a spokesperson from the office told the outlet. They will also have to pay a $500 fine and complete at least 35 hours of community service. Four others were accused in the scheme, including Shamsuddin Riza, 70, Millicent Redick, 77, Ronald Peek, 65, and former NYPD deputy inspector Dwayne Montgomery, 64, a longtime friend of Adams. The mayor is not accused of being involved in the scheme.

Read it at The City

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Bud Light will become the official beer of the UFC next year, the companies announced Tuesday, a major deal for a beer maker that saw sales slow after backlash from its promotional campaign with a transgender influencer.

The sponsorship will begin Jan. 1.

Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFCs original beer sponsors more than fifteen years ago. Im proud to announce we are back in business together, UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement. There are many reasons why I chose to go with Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, most importantly because I feel we are very aligned when it comes to our core values and what the UFC brand stands for.

Bud Light, the top-selling beer for two decades in the United States, lost its first-place spot after boycotts over its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Conservatives pressed for the boycott of Bud Light, though the controversy also affected the company with people on the left angered that it did not do enough to defend Mulvaney and its partnership during the controversy.

The company said it took several months for sales to become stable after the controversy. The company laid off almost 2 percent of its U.S. workforce amid the fallout.

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the company has always been on the cutting edge of sporting moments.

As one of the largest and longest standing sport sponsors, we are excited to work with UFC to celebrate our passionate fans while always making a positive impact in communities across America, Whitworths statement said.

Updated at 11:55 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2017, file photo, ILir Latifi, right, of Sweden, takes down Tyson Pedro, of Australia, during their mixed martial arts bout at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alberta. Bud Light is set to return as the official beer of UFC in the U.S. next year. Under a new multi-year marketing deal between UFC and Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch, the brewer will become the mixed martial arts organization's Official Beer Partner in the U.S. starting Jan. 1, per a joint announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  Bud Light is set to return as the official beer of the UFC in the U.S. next year as the brand tries to recover from a conservative backlash to a promotion with a transgender influencer.

Under a new multiyear marketing deal between the promoter of mixed martial arts fights and Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch, the brewer will become the UFC's Official Beer Partner in the U.S. starting Jan. 1, the two companies announced.

Outside the U.S., AB InBev, the parent of Anheuser-Busch, will be UFC's official global partner.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed  but, citing a person familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the global agreement marks the UFC's largest sponsorship ever, surpassing a $175 million fight-kit deal signed with Crypto.com back in 2021.

A UFC spokesperson declined to comment on the financial terms of the partnership. Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

This isn't the first time the UFC and the beer brand have paired up. Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFCs original beer sponsors more than 15 years ago, UFC CEO Dana White said in a Tuesday statement  adding that he feels UFC, Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light are very aligned when it comes to our core values.

News of the partnership comes during a rocky year for Anheuser-Busch. The brewer has seen a monthslong sales decline for Bud Light after conservative critics vowed to boycott the brand for sending a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year. Bud Light has also faced backlash from Mulvaneys supporters and LGBTQ+ rights groups, who say the company didnt do enough to support her.

In June, Bud Light lost its place as Americas best-selling beer after more than two decades, slipping into second place behind Mexican lager Modelo Especial. InBev also owns Modelo, but in the U.S. the brand is imported and sold by Constellation Brands.

As Bud Light sales plunged, Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a 10.5% fall in U.S. revenue for this year's second quarter. Meanwhile, overall its revenue rose 7.2%, to $15.1 billion, from the same period a year ago  as global brands such as Stella Artois and Corona made up for the loss in Bud Light sales.
[Source]

Two Buddhist temples and a nail salon in Philadelphia have been hit by burglaries this month, escalating concerns of increased crime targeting Asian American-owned establishments in the city.

Where they took place: The first burglary occurred at the Lao Buddhist Temple on East Chew Ave. in the citys Olney neighborhood on Oct. 7, WPVI reported. The next incidents occurred at another Buddhist temple on Saturday and Nails in the City, a nail salon on Aramingo Ave., on Monday.

What they lost: The Lao Buddhist Temple reportedly lost thousands of dollars in donations. The second Buddhist temple and Nails in the City were robbed of undisclosed amounts.

Trending on NextShark: Weekend marriages,' where couples live separately, gain popularity in Japan

Repeat victim: In late September, Nails in the City also made headlines after being targeted by armed robbers who shot a 43-year-old employee twice in the leg. A few hours prior, the same suspects allegedly robbed Happy Family Salon, another Asian American-owned nail salon on Girard Ave.

Community action: Around a dozen Asian community organizations are reportedly scheduled to meet next month to address the crimes. Sung Park, who is with the Pennsylvania Asian American Law Enforcement Association, told WPVI that he expects city officials to attend so we have decision makers to make real change.

Trending on NextShark: Watch: Carefree Asian dad sleeping on plane floor wins praise on TikTok

What authorities are doing: Philadelphia police are investigating the crimes. Whether the burglaries are linked is yet to be known. So far, no arrests have been reported from either the burglaries or armed robberies. Anyone with information can submit a tip to 215-686-TIPS (8477) or tips@phillypolice.com.

Security updates: The Lao Buddhist Temple has set up a GoFundMe page to ask for help in upgrading its security system. While the temple has cameras, their hard drive was also stolen and has not been backed up, according to temple secretary Vicki K. Sundara.

Trending on NextShark: Woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Georgia in 1988 identified

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Honda, Toyota express skepticism about EVs amid industry downturn
A Byron police officer is under investigation after he shot and injured a north Georgia man trying to evade police in a stolen car Monday afternoon, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Kory Matyas Karpich, 37, of Gainesville, Ga., was treated in a Macon hospital after an officer shot him multiple times during the confrontation, according to a GBI news release.

Karpich faces several charges, including methamphetamine possession, theft and fleeing from an officer after he led police on a chase from Peach County to Bibb County, the GBI said Tuesday.

No officers were injured.

The GBI did not name the officer involved in the incident who is under investigation or Karpichs condition Tuesday. A release on Monday said Karpich is expected to recover.

On Monday afternoon, the officer spotted an unattended 2018 Volkswagen at McDonalds on Highway 49 in Byron, off Interstate 75, the release read. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Atlanta earlier in the day, the release said.

As the officer approached the car, Karpich came out of McDonalds and got into the Volkswagen.

The officer told Karpich to get out of the car, according to the release, but he did not. Police said Karpich continued not to follow commands to get out of the car, so the officer broke a window and used his Taser on him.

The Taser was ineffective, the news release said, and Karpich started driving, hitting both the McDonalds building and the officers police car, according to the release.

The officer then shot into the Volkswagen multiple times and hit Karpich, who drove away and led police on a chase into Bibb County, according to the news release.

Karpich eventually crashed in Bibb County to end the chase.
Despite heightened tensions between China and the United States over the years, California Gov. Gavin Newsom received a warm welcome to Beijing this week.

Wednesday marks Newsoms third day of a week-long tour of China in an effort to promote cooperative climate action and strengthen cultural ties.

The two leaders were photographed during a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon local time.

Newsom commended Chinas progress in eliminating pollution and reiterated how important the nations efforts are.

California partnering with Chinese province to fight climate change

We updated [our Memorandum of Understanding] with nine core principles to advance our collective strategies and efforts to address the issue that defines our times and defines the purpose of my trip to Chinathe issue of climate change, Gov. Newsom said on Wednesday. And the imperative importance of addressing the fundamental fact that we are not going to move the needle on climate change unless the United States and China collaborate together.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) pictured with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Office of the Governor of California)

California Governor Gavin Newsom meeting with top Chinese officials on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Office of the Governor of California)

California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) pictured with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Office of the Governor of California)

California Governor Gavin Newsom meeting with top Chinese officials on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Office of the Governor of California)

Chinese officials have expressed interest in advancing mutually beneficial plans to manage differences between the two countries and meet global challenges, among other goals.

Newsom also confirmed that topics of conversation did include subjects that the two powerhouse nations are at odds over, such as trade, technology and human rights violations.

In another meeting on Wednesday with Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, the Golden States governor said that he traveled to China in expectation of turning a page of renewing our friendship and reengaging in foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective fate and future.

Why Gavin Newsom says hes not running for president in 2024

Newsom also met with Chinas Vice President Han Zheng, who called Newsom an old friend.

Among the stops on Newsoms China tour are Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and two other provinces.

He is the first California governor to visit the country since former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

NEWSOM BRINGS IN IMPRESSIVE HAUL FOR BIDEN

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is more than just a top surrogate for President Joe Biden  hes also a top fundraiser.

Newsom has been rounding up small-dollar, grassroots donor support for the Democratic incumbent president, according to a report from Bloomberg.

According to Bloomberg, Federal Election Commission records show that Biden has amassed more than $39 million in donations smaller than $200.

According to Nathan Click, who speaks on behalf of Newsoms campaign, the governor has raised $4 million since March of this year for Biden, including $3 million in in-person events and from major donors and $1 million from small-dollar givers.

Bloomberg reports that Biden has amassed a record $91 million war chest ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign.

SCHIFF INTRODUCES BILL TO LET STRIKING WORKERS COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT

The battle to let striking workers collect unemployment may be over at the state level, but the fight at the federal level is just beginning, as Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, is preparing to introduce a bill into the U.S. House to do just that.

The Los Angeles Times reviewed a draft of the bill  dubbed the Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2023  and found that it would allow workers across the country to collect pay after two weeks on strike, and the bill also would make employees eligible for unemployment benefits in the event of a lockout.

Only two states  New York and New Jersey  currently let striking workers collect unemployment, the Times reported.

This bill, which on Tuesday afternoon was not yet available for review online, comes as Schiff is competing with Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, for organized labor endorsements in the 2024 U.S. Senate race for the seat left vacant by the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Schiff has secured eight statewide labor organization endorsements thus far, according to his campaign website.

MIXED REACTION TO BONTAS META LAWSUIT

California Attorney General Rob Bontas decision to join more than 30 other attorneys general, Republican and Democrat alike, in suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, drew mixed reactions on Tuesday.

Harrison E. James, a Los Angeles-based attorney with the firm Wisner Baum who has launched a class-action lawsuit against Meta, Google and H&R Block alleging unauthorized sharing of taxpayers sensitive financial information, said in a statement that Metas behavior is rotten.

What is becoming clearer and clearer with each new litigation targeting Meta is that Meta, as a company, prioritizes profit over the health, wellbeing, and privacy rights of its users, James said.

The decision to sue was hailed by Jim Steyer of Common Sense Media, which has pushed for social media regulations, including in California.

@CommonSense has been saying it for years: social media platforms are designed to addict teens and that undermines their mental health. Companies like @Instagram fail time and time again to protect youth which is why we need our nations leaders to take action, Steyer said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ben Sperry of the International Center for Law and Economics, a nonpartisan research center, in a statement said that this lawsuit is another effort by enterprising state AGs to make a name for themselves while states and the federal government grapple with how to properly regulate social media in order to deter harms to children.

Sperry notes that there are several pending lawsuits already challenging Metas business practices, and this suit is in some ways duplicative of those efforts.

Sperry also notes that federal law granting social media companies a measure of immunity from state consumer protection laws has not been tested by the courts, and that some laws, including the California Age Appropriate Design Code Act  which aims to protect childrens privacy online  have already been enjoined by federal courts for likely violating the First Amendment.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

What comes first, a negative COVID test for me or a Speaker for the House of Representatives?

- California Sen. Alex Padilla, with a poll via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. As of Tuesday afternoon, a negative COVID test was handily winning. Padilla tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

Best of The Bee:

 California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that he is joining dozens of other states in a federal lawsuit against Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that it is harming the mental health of young people, via Andrew Sheeler.

 Capital Public Radios troubles mounted Tuesday as the operations website went down temporarily because of difficulties finding a way to pay its domain fee to GoDaddy.com, via Sam Stanton.

 The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday that it is suspending Cruise LLCs permit to operate its autonomous vehicles without a test driver present. The company, which is owned by General Motors, was operating a fleet of robotaxis in San Francisco, via Andrew Sheeler.
In this photo taken Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023, and released by Office of the Governor of California , California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Office of the Governor of California via AP)

BANGKOK (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a surprise meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders in a display of friendliness that stands in sharp contrast to the dialogue between the United States and China in recent years.

The governor is on a weeklong tour of China, where he plans to push for climate cooperation. Newsom's trip as governor, once considered routine, is drawing attention as it comes after years of heightening tensions between the U.S. and China.

Im here in expectation, as you suggest, of turning the page, of renewing our friendship and reengaging (on) foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective faith in the future, Newsom said in brief opening remarks ahead of his meeting with Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, earlier in the day.

Though Newsom was in China to promote cooperation in curbing climate change, Chinese officials took the opportunity in welcome speeches ahead of the closed-door meetings to talk about U.S.-China relations. Wang is preparing to visit the U.S. on Thursday.

Newsom and Xi discussed ways to accelerate our progress on climate in meaningful and substantive ways, the California governor said at a news conference, but did not mention more specifics.

They also talked about fentanyl, a synthetic drug and leading killer of young people in the U.S., and Chinas role in combating the transnational shipping of precursor chemicals, Newsom said.

According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, Xi told Newsom: I hope your visit will enhance mutual understanding between the two sides and play a positive role in expanding cooperation between China and California and promoting the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations."

Xi may attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco next month and meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, although China has not formally confirmed his attendance.

Newsom is visiting Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu. At a speech at Hong Kong University on Monday, he promised to continue to cooperate on climate change regardless of the outcome of the next U.S. presidential election.

He said he raised human rights issues with Wang and the two also discussed Taiwan, a red-line issue for Beijing. China claims the self-ruled island as part of its own territory.

I expressed my support for the One-China policy ... as well as our desire not to see independence, Newsom said, referring to the official U.S. policy that recognizes the Communist Party as the ruling government of China. Officially, the U.S. does not recognize Taiwan but is its biggest unofficial ally.

Wang, the head of the Communist Partys office of foreign affairs, said he knows Newsom's trip attracted plenty of critics but that he views the trip positively.

But I think time and facts will certainly prove that your visit to China is in line with California peoples wishes and in line with the American peoples interests and the expectations of the global society.

Newsom also met Wednesday with Vice President Han Zheng, who greeted him with a wide smile and called him an old friend. Han is a past member of the Politburo Standing Committee, an elite group of leaders within the party.

The China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and the sub-national cooperation is an indispensable part to facilitate the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations," Han said. Im sure your weeklong trip will inject positive energy to the development of the China-U.S. relationship.

The governor met as well with the head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, a Cabinet-level agency responsible for economic policies. They signed a memorandum on deepening cooperation in environmental issues.

Governors of California, which has an economy larger than most countries, have a long history of climate collaboration with China. Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger also traveled to China to swap knowledge on reducing air pollution and emissions.

Since leaving office, Brown launched the California-China Climate Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
A 34-year-old Logan Square man was charged Wednesday after he was identified as the person who ignited fall and Halloween decorations on the Northwest Side, Chicago police said.

Mario Munoz, of the 3900 block of West Fullerton Avenue, was charged with a felony count of arson to property more than $500, and one misdemeanor count of arson less than $150, police said.

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He was arrested on the same block where he resides.

Munoz is accused of intentionally setting fire to an object shortly before 3:45 a.m. Oct. 11 in the 2200 block of West Roscoe Street at a North Center neighborhood home, police said.

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He also was connected to a Oct. 12 arson that caused damage to a property in the 4100 block of North Maplewood Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, police said.

Munoz was scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Wednesday afternoon.
California governor Gavin Newsom said he spoke with President Xi Jinping on the need for China and the United States to cooperate on climate change (WANG Zhao)

California governor Gavin Newsom said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on climate cooperation at a meeting on Wednesday in Beijing, the latest in a string of visits to China by US politicians.

The head of the US economic powerhouse state is on a week-long tour of China, which Newsom has said will focus on climate change.

"We are not going to move needles on climate change unless the United States and China collaborate together," the governor, who has long been touted as a future presidential candidate, told reporters after meetings with Xi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

China and the United States are the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.

Newsom arrived in the southern semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong on Monday, where he held a talk on climate change.

He then travelled to the neighbouring city of Shenzhen, which has pioneered the use of renewable energy in public transport, touring an electric bus station.

Newsom described his talks on Wednesday with Xi and Wang as "very productive".

"Not only the MOUs in the last couple days, but the fact that I'll be meeting with five governors tomorrow... engaging and advancing our collective efforts on low carbon green growth," Newsom told reporters, referring to memorandums of understanding signed with Chinese counterparts.

Newsom said he also raised the issue of human rights with Wang, and spoke with Chinese leaders about China's role in the fentanyl drug addiction crisis in the United States.

Washington has imposed sanctions on China-based firms for producing and distributing chemicals used to make fentanyl, though Beijing has insisted the root of the opioid problem lies in the United States.

"Governor Newsom's topics of discussion also included human rights violations and anti-democratic efforts in Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang and Taiwan, as well as David Lin, a California pastor who has been imprisoned in China since 2006," the governor's office said in a statement.

- String of visits -

Newsom's visit came amid a flurry of diplomacy between Beijing and Washington as the two sides seek to improve strained ties.

Xi met with a group of US senators in Beijing earlier this month, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Foreign Minister Wang will pay a rare visit to Washington this week.

Wang will be returning a visit in June to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was the highest-ranking US official to travel to China since 2018.

Blinken huddled for 11 hours with the top Chinese leadership including Xi. Diplomats say Wang will be expecting a similar meeting with President Joe Biden, who is in Washington this week.

Biden, who last saw Xi last November on the sidelines of G20 talks in Bali, has invited the Chinese leader to travel next month to San Francisco where the United States will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Newsom on Wednesday said of Xi's potential visit that he was "very hopeful that he makes it".

bur-tjx/mtp
The man charged with a privacy crime for allegedly hiding a camera in the bathroom of his gym told The Tribune he did so in an attempt to catch a thief.

Cole Corrigan, owner of the 24-hour gym for females CCC Fitness, contacted The Tribune on Friday in order to correct misinformation and rumors about his case, he said.

This was the sole worst decision I have ever made in my entire life, he said of hiding the camera.

The camera was found and reported to the San Luis Obispo Police Department on Aug. 29. Detectives served a search warrant to Corrigans residence on Sept. 13, where they found a ghost gun and a misdemeanor quantity of testosterone, court records show.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office charged Corrigan with three felonies: Felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and possession of an undetectable firearm. He was also charged with two misdemeanors: using an instrument to view an area of privacy and possession of testosterone.

A Tribune investigation found Corrigan had seven previous convictions for various crimes, including a felony drug charge, public intoxication, driving under the influence and prowling, between 2006 and 2008. However, all of those convictions were purged from his record in 2018, court documents show.

Corrigan pleaded not guilty to the crimes on Sept. 27.

San Luis Obispo Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth clarified that Corrigan was only charged with recording in a place of privacy surreptitiously. He was not charged in a crime for sexual gratification, Dobroth said.

A hidden camera was found in a bathroom at CCC Fitness in San Luis Obispo in August 2023.

Family friend suspected of stealing from bathroom, gym owner says

Corrigan told The Tribune that around June, he discovered that some of his personal grooming products were missing from the vanity in one of the bathrooms.

He said he stored teeth-whitening gel, tanning foam, a tanning glove and $180 worth of face serum beneath the sink in a place that he felt was clear it was not for public use. Between June and August, Corrigan said, there had been up to five instances where his products had disappeared. He suspected they may have been stolen.

The missing products added up to $300 to $400 in total, he said.

Owner of SLO womens gym enters pleas to hidden camera, gun and drug charges

At around the same time, Corrigan said, a family friend had become a new member of the gym.

Corrigan said he allowed the friend to join the gym because the family of the friend had been there for Corrigan in a time of need when he was younger. But he became suspicious after the items went missing.

Corrigan declined to name the friend because he wants to protect their privacy.

He did he not want to get the authorities involved, but he did want to confirm whether this friend was the one behind the missing products.

If he was going to kick the friend out of the gym, he said, he wanted to ensure he had a reason.

He said he confronted the friend and mentioned that some of his products from the bathroom were missing, but the friend denied having any knowledge of the products whereabouts.

Corrigan said he discussed what to do with one of his closest employees and his ex-girlfriend, and ultimately decided to place a GoPro in the bathroom facing the vanity.

Both an employee and a close client of Corrigan confirmed to The Tribune they had been told about the suspected theft from the bathroom prior to the camera being placed there.

Cole Corrigan, owner of CCC Fitness in San Luis Obispo, said he hid a camera in a bathroom at his 24-hour gym because he suspected someone was stealing his personal grooming products.

New gym member finds camera in bathroom, owner says

Corrigan said the day he put the camera in the bathroom, he situated it at a 45-degree angle on a mop bucket left there by his janitor, ensuring it was pointed at the vanity without the toilet in the frame. He said he did not put a memory card in the camera and did not have it on a setting where it stored recordings or photos to a cloud-based system.

The District Attorneys Office has not released any details about the camera or confirmed that no memory card was installed as Corrigan says.

He said he put it on a live-view setting where he had to be within 30 feet of the camera to view the feed. He said he planned to only view it when his friend was at the gym.

The bathroom is a single room for all genders.

Corrigan said he placed the camera in the bathroom shortly before 4 p.m., when his friend would typically come in to work out. The friends routine was usually to go straight to the bathroom before heading to the machines.

SLO gym owner accused of planting hidden camera stalked woman for 2 years, she says

But this time, a new member was at the gym. The woman went into the bathroom just after Corrigan had placed the camera.

She came straight (to the bathroom), walked right past me and went in there, Corrigan said. I hesitated. I didnt even think of anything to say. I wish I had.

He said the woman walked out of the bathroom unfazed, and by the time his family friend had arrived at the gym, Corrigan was busy with a personal training client.

He said the woman went into the same bathroom a few more times before notifying Corrigan of the camera. He said by the time he went to retrieve the camera, the mop bucket had been shifted more toward the toilet.

Im in shock, Corrigan recalls. I just feel like Im a 5-year-old kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar.

Gym owner admits lying about camera

Corrigan said he told the woman he didnt know where the camera came from, admitting he did not tell the truth at the time.

When the camera was discovered, he said, all he could think about was his criminal record from his teenage years. He had struggled with substance abuse at the time, he said, but he was no longer that person. Hes been sober for 15 years, he said.

Im going, Theres no way this is gonna go smoothly, Corrigan said. Subconsciously, in the moment of the event, I was deceptive.

He said he told the responding police officers the same thing he told the woman. Moments later, the woman returned to Corrigan to ask whether the camera had captured any pictures or recordings of her.

Corrigan said he showed her there was no memory card and said there were no recordings or photos. The woman then canceled her membership.

SLO gym owner charged with 5 crimes amid hidden camera investigation, court documents show

About two weeks later, police showed up at his home with a search warrant. Thats when they found testosterone, an unserialized ghost gun and ammunition.

Corrigan said he used testosterone replacement therapy to help his fitness and wellness goals, but he admitted that the hormone had not been prescribed. He said he used about 200mg per week  an average amount for someone his size  and was open about sharing his use of the hormone with anyone who asked about it.

He said he researched the hormone therapy extensively before deciding to use it. Testosterone replacement therapy is widely available, with some online retailers prescribing it for $45 to $129 per month.

According to the Mayo Clinic, testosterone replacement therapy does not affect reactivity, aggressiveness or the ability to think clearly.

Corrigan admitted he shouldnt have had the gun due to his criminal record and said he only used it at a shooting range.

Cole Corrigan, owner of CCC Fitness in San Luis Obispo, said he hid a camera in a bathroom at his 24-hour gym because he suspected someone was stealing his personal grooming products.

Gym owner, CCC Fitness changed my life for the better, client says

Corrigan said he regrets his decision to put the camera in the bathroom that day.

I spent so much time creating a place that was security and (a) reprieve from lifes craziness, he said. This (incident) has made it to where this place is now felt as the most uncomfortable and most violating place to be, and I am extremely disappointed in myself for having done it.

Fitness is the reason Corrigan was able to pull himself out of drug and alcohol abuse, he said, and he quickly developed a passion for sharing his love for exercising with whomever he came in contact with.

Shawna Turner, 26, began going to CCC Fitness as soon as it opened in 2020. She said she had moved to San Luis Obispo in 2018 and was in an extremely dark place after she lost a loved one.

This gym and Cole himself changed my life in many ways for the better, she said. It just made me find my passion for what I want to to be and who I wanted to be and helped me fall in love with me.

She said training with Cole and being a member of the CCC Fitness community helped her with her confidence and showed her that everyone  including herself  is worthy of love and support.

Turner is one of a few clients who are still members of CCC Fitness. Corrigan said prior to the camera incident that the gym had 130 members. Since then, more than 100 have quit.

Watching the community dissolve seemingly overnight was devastating and heartbreaking, Turner said. She said she was aware of the theft situation and never doubted Corrigan, and now she just wants to do anything she can to help him the way he helped her.

A former employee who texted The Tribune on the condition of anonymity said he believes Corrigans decision to catch someone stealing by placing a camera in the bathroom was poor, but genuinely thinks that was his only intent.

He said navigating the situation has been challenging. Seeing rumors that portray Corrigan in a negative light made me fearful and even sick because I couldnt believe I hadnt seen this side of him before, he said.

After finally meeting with (Corrigan), the former employee texted, I feel relieved and have found closure in realizing he was not the person he was made out to be.

The former employee said he hopes everyone can hear Corrigans side of the story and understand Corrigan is not a malicious individual.

Corrigan never confirmed who was responsible for his missing items, and his friend is no longer a gym member.

Gym owner wants to reestablish trust with the community

Moving forward, Corrigan wants CCC Fitness to again be a place where anyone can feel safe working out.

He first marketed CCC Fitness as a womens gym because a friend told him it was a missing niche in San Luis Obispo. He said over the years, it became a women-centered gym that allowed some men who were approved to use the facilities.

Corrigan eventually wants to transition CCC Fitness into an all-inclusive facility. At the moment, the gym membership is approximately 10% male with 13 members total. Corrigan hopes to rebuild his gym membership back to 100 soon.

He said he wants to carry an open dialogue with employees and clients to figure out what they are most comfortable with, and he understands that may mean he cant be a part of the gym.

At the time of the camera incident, Corrigan said he was stretched thin running too many of the operations for the gym. In the future, he said, he hopes to delegate those responsibilities more to protect the health and well-being of himself and others.

The obvious hope is to bring those who are willing to listen back and be given an opportunity to reestablish trust, Corrigan said. Its a big ask, I understand. But that is what I am feeling I need to do.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON)  A California home that was busted as a meth lab seven months ago is now up for sale for more than $1.5 million.

Whats more, the San Jose home at 668 Potomac Court is being sold as-is.

Surrounded by chain link fencing and warning signs reading condemned, the home has been deemed unsafe to occupy.

Keller Williams Realitys website lists the 2,743-square-foot home for $1,550,000 and states, Great opportunity to own large home. Great location to freeway and expressway. Home has inactive meth lab and meth.

The homeowner, 35-year-old Peter Karasev, was arrested in March for keeping explosive materials, guns and narcotics inside. FBI agents said Karasev stockpiled highly explosive bomb-making chemicals while he lived at the home with his wife and three young children.

Police found chemicals drugs, and firearms within easy reach of children. It was not a safe environment for children, or for anyone, San Jose Police Department Assistant Chief Paul Joseph previously told reporters.

In addition to a for sale sign, the house also has warning signs posted by Santa Clara County officials. (KRON4 image)

When he was questioned by detectives, Karasev said he was interested in building model rockets, used meth, and was concerned about the war in Ukraine, according to court documents. Investigators said Karasev built bombs that he used to blow up PG&E transformers around the city.

The propertys listing description says the home will be transferred to a new buyer in its current state.

Real Estate 38 owner Zaid Hanna told Nexstars KRON that even though its a sellers market, if they do achieve the $1.5 million that they are asking for, thats a home run. Id be very surprised if they get it.

Weeks after a grizzly bear bit off his lower jaw, a Montana man is returning home

Hanna says getting the home to a safe, livable state wont be cheap. Somebody will have to come and rip out the flooring, the sheet rock, insulation  so youre looking at about $200,000 to $300,000 to bring this back to where it needs to be, he explained.

Six bedrooms, four bathrooms and a 6,000-square-foot lot are some of the selling points. The house is also nestled in a residential neighborhood with a school nearby. But is the house worth $1.5 million, plus $300,000 in repairs?

The answer is no, Hanna said.

KRON reached out to the listing agent who is selling the property, but the agent was unavailable for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Eating her favourite breakfast cereal and refraining from alcohol and tobacco have helped a woman reach the age of 107, her daughter said.

Gladys Kightly is celebrating her birthday at a care home in Cambridgeshire with her loved ones.

Although she was "in poor health now", her daughter Sue said Gladys, who loved Weetabix, was still delivering meals on wheels in her 80s.

She said her mother's mantra had always been to "be kind and be happy".

"To the best of our knowledge, she's the oldest lady in Cambridgeshire," Sue Kightly told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

Her mother Gladys was born on 25 October 1916 in Prickwillow, near Ely, and lived for most of her life in the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Gladys married Stanley in Doddington church in August 1940, followed by a reception in a marquee on her father's smallholding

Although Gladys moved to London to work as a nanny, she later returned to her home and "stayed close to her roots" from then, Ms Kightly said.

Gladys worked as a housekeeper for the local GP and then met her husband Stanley - a milkman - whom she married in 1940.

The couple had two children - Sue, now 74, and Janet, now 80.

Gladys lost her husband after 62 years of married life, but stayed active into her retirement, delivering meals to people 20 years her junior, and was riding her bicycle in her 80s.

Gladys Kightly loves her daily breakfast cereal, her daughter says

Northamptonshire-produced breakfast cereal Weetabix "is her favourite thing in the whole world", Ms Kightly said.

She said that, together with refraining from alcohol and cigarettes was her mother's "accolade".

She added that they "gave her a liqueur chocolate once", but that did not go down well.

Glady may be partial to a biscuit, but her favourite food is a wheaty breakfast cereal

Although she lived at home with care until she was 100, Gladys is now a resident of Askham House, in Doddington, near March.

A birthday party with balloons, songs and a cake was being planned for her later, but Sue admitted: "She may be asleep."

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830
Loved ones around the world are working to bring hostages home after Hamas's attack on Israel (Wojtek RADWANSKI)

Polish-born Israeli historian Alex Dancyg has dedicated his life to passing on the memory of the Holocaust. Now the 75-year-old is feared to be among the hostages Hamas in holding in war-torn Gaza.

Desperate for his safe return, friends and family have launched a campaign to build pressure for his release -- echoing similar efforts for captives from Israel to the United States and Thailand.

In the weeks since the October 7 attack, messages tagged #StandWithAlex have been shared widely on Polish social media, and Dancyg's face is seen on posters and murals painted in the streets of Warsaw.

Many hail him as the "ambassador of dialogue" for his long efforts to ease long-standing suspicions between Poland and Israel and the ties he built across both Europe and the Middle East.

The academic and his family were at the Nir Oz kibbutz near Gaza when the Hamas militants launched their cross-border attacks and killed more than 1,400 people, according to Israeli authorities.

The gunmen dragged 222 hostages back into Gaza, the Palestinian territory Israel has since relentlessly bombed, killing more than 6,500 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

In the confusion of the early hours, the elder historian gave urgent warnings to his son.

"He was the one who told me: 'Look at the messages, look what's going on'," Mati Dancyg, who survived hiding in a shelter, told AFP by phone from an Israeli hotel for evacuated kibbutz residents.

When the attack was over, the elder Dancyg was gone, and his phone has gone silent.

A close friend, Orit Margaliot, a fellow Holocaust educator based in Israel, said the last time the two spoke was on the day before the Hamas attack.

"I haven't slept much since then," she said, her voice trembling. "I can't speak of him in the past tense."

- 'Magnetic personality' -

Born in Poland, Dancyg moved to Israel aged nine -- and only came back to Poland three decades later as an interpreter for a school trip to Auschwitz, the death camp built by Nazi Germany.

He then took a job at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, where he spent decades giving lectures to school children and training other guides.

"Not always someone who's 75 can communicate with the youngsters," Margaliot told AFP.

Dancyg has regularly lectured at Polish schools, with many of them now signing the petition for his release.

But to Margaliot, his "unique" communication skills have worked not only with children.

"I was raised in a home that, in a way you could say, was anti-Polish," Margaliot said. "He changed my views from what I was raised in into this great friendship with Polish people."

Margaliot has teamed up with a broad network of friends that Dancyg had in Poland.

One of them, radio journalist Marta Rebzda also hailed the historian's "magnetic personality", speaking to AFP at a cafe in the former Jewish district in Warsaw.

They were joined by artist Dariusz Paczkowski who, despite having never met the historian in person, has spread his image in the public space.

"Alex doesn't even have to do anything, he just is there," Paczkowski said. "And people from different social circles gather around him."

mmp/amj/jm/fz
Canadian discount airline Porter Airlines will land for the first time in Florida next week, kicking off eventual flight service to five cities in the Sunshine state, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Touting itself as offering passengers an elevated economy experience, Porter runs counter to the airline industry in that with the price of airfares comes beer, wine, Wi-Fi and snacks  and theres none of the sometimes dreaded middle seats in the cabin.

The first flight, a nonstop departure from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Tampa International Airport, will leave on Nov. 1. The next day, daily service between those two cities will start, Brad Cicero, a Porter spokesman, said in an interview.

Then Porter will add more daily routes: Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers to Toronto on Nov. 11, Orlando International Airport to Ottawa on Nov. 21, and Orlando to Toronto on Nov. 22.

After that, South Florida airports will start seeing Porter airplanes flying daily nonstop direct flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Ottawa beginning Nov. 30 and Fort Lauderdale and Toronto starting Dec. 1. Finally, beginning Dec. 13, Porter will take off with daily flights from Miami International Airport to Toronto and back.

Florida is a really important market for Canadians, Cicero said. We believe the demand is there.

In 2022, Canada was Miami-Dade Countys third-largest foreign source of overnight visitors, according to a report this spring by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, trailing only Colombia and Brazil.

While a low-cost airline, Porter hopes to stand out in Florida where there are plenty of airline options  for its frills. Wine and beer at no extra cost served to passengers in a glass is an example. Other airlines typically charge passengers for alcoholic beverages. For a higher fare, meals, extra legroom, and pre-mixed cocktails are available.

All of Porters flights between Florida and Canada will be on 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 planes with cabins designed as an all-economy class with a two seat-by-two seat configuration. That means no middle seats on each flight.

Porters service to Florida also will mark Porters first commercial use of these planes in the United States, said Valtecio Alencar, an Embraer spokesman. The jets are assembled in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

The Canadian discount airlines pending debut at Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports comes as these airports gain passenger volumes and new or expanded service by domestic and foreign airlines. For example, American Airlines, the largest airline in the world and biggest by market share at Miami airport, and Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, among many others, are adding routes and flights.

Earlier this month, Fort Lauderdale airport started construction of a $404 million fifth airline terminal. It will cover 230,000 square feet and should be finished in 2026 to handle 4 to 5 million more passengers. Through August of this year, 23.7 million passengers have gone through the airport.

Meanwhile, Mexican discount airline Viva Aerobus said recently it will start flying three flights a week  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday  from Miami airport to Monterrey starting on July 1, 2024. One day later, it will start four weekly flights  Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday  between Miami and Merida. The airline will fly planes with room for 186 and 240 passengers.

Barcelona-based airline LEVEL said recently it would begin three weekly flights between Barcelona and Miami on March 31, 2024. German low-cost airline Condor Airlines announced it would start flying three times a week next May between Miami airport and Frankfurt.

Porter, which started operating in 2006, and began flying to Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Newark in 2008  albeit with airplanes that couldnt fly as long as the Embraer E195-E2s  expects to serve one or two alcoholic drinks per flight to an individual passenger, Cicero said. But if a passenger wants more drinks, he or she can ask and will receive them.

The Porter official cautioned that, people have to drink responsibly.
Imagine a future in which sea level rise is so severe that apocalyptic floods are a regular occurrence. Hundreds of millions are displaced as their coastal regions become uninhabitable, and as humanity struggles to survive, the map of the Earth's southernmost region gets radically redrawn. According to a recent study by the British Antarctic Society, climate change has passed a crucial tipping point for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. There is simply no way for this massive natural wonder to avoid massive melting.

"We find that rapid ocean warming, at approximately triple the historical rate, is likely committed over the twenty-first century, with widespread increases in ice-shelf melting, including in regions crucial for ice-sheet stability," the authors write. "These results suggest that mitigation of greenhouse gases now has limited power to prevent ocean warming that could lead to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet."

Even worse, all of the climate simulations produced by the United Kingdom's national supercomputer arrive at the same conclusion: regardless of whether humanity reaches its most ambitious Paris Agreement targets or mid-range emission scenarios, we will continue to see an ever-accelerating increase in the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the 21st Century.

This research came at the same time a paper published in the journal BioScience updates an important 2019 document known as the World Scientists Warning of a Climate Emergency. The original document, which was signed by over 15,000 scientists in more than 163 countries, declared that "scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to 'tell it like it is'" before concluding that "planet Earth is facing a climate emergency."

The update states that "time is up" in terms of staving off ecological catastrophe due to human-caused climate change, adding that we are "entering an unfamiliar domain regarding our climate crisis, a situation no one has ever witnessed firsthand in the history of humanity."

The twelve co-authors note that, out of the 35 vital signs for Earth tracked in the original report, 20 are now at record extremes, including 38 days with recorded global temperatures that exceeded the planet's preindustrial levels by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. In addition, Earth may have had an average global surface temperature recorded on one day in July that is the highest seen on Earth in 100,000 years. All of these developments pose threats to humanity ranging from large regions becoming uninhabitable to growing issues with food security. Indeed, the number of people facing chronic hunger increased by 122 million between 2019 and 2022, from 613 million people to 735 million people.

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

Without actions that address the root problem of humanity taking more from the Earth than it can safely give, were on our way to the potential collapse of natural and socioeconomic systems and a world with unbearable heat and shortages of food and freshwater, study lead co-author and former Oregon State University College of Forestry postdoctoral researcher Christopher Wolf said in a statement.

A study last month in the journal Science Advances arrived at a similar conclusion. It noted that there are nine planetary boundaries that humanity cannot exceed if life on Earth is to remain sustainable. Climate change is only one of those boundaries, and it is one that humanity is obviously exceeding. Yet we are also at existential risk for six of the nine categories, including land system change, freshwater change, biosphere integrity, novel entities (like plastics, pesticides, industrial chemicals, etc.) and the flows of biological and geological chemicals.

"We can think of the Earth's resources as the currency that supports us," the study's lead author Dr. Katherine Richardson, professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Copenhagen's Sustainability Science Centre, told Salon at the time. "The planetary boundaries framework is like a bank statement  it tells us how much of various components (resources) of the Earth system we can allow ourselves to us without greatly increasing the risk that our activities will lead to dramatic and potentially irreversible changes in the overall environmental conditions we experience on Earth."
Jamaari Harper listens during his murder trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday, hours before a jury convicted him of killing Garry Marx Jr. on Feb. 6. Judge Kristin Farmer is scheduled to sentence him Friday.

CANTON  A Canton man is facing a potential sentence of 32 years to life in prison for killing Garry Marx Jr. and committing related crimes.

A jury on Wednesday found 22-year-old Jamaari Harper guilty of murder, felonious assault and aggravated robbery after a three-day trial before Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin G. Farmer. The panel of six men and six women also decided that Harper, of Canton, used a gun in the crimes.

Harper shot Marx as Marx was in the process of taking his laundry to his car, which was parked at his fiancee's house in the 900 block of Dueber Avenue SW in Canton early on the morning of Feb. 6, said Dennis Barr, chief of the criminal division of the Stark County Prosecutor's Office. Barr said Marx had spent the weekend at the woman's home, and was planning to take his laundry home before going to work.

What happened to Garry Marx Jr.?

In his closing argument to the jury, Barr said Harper was going to look for things to steal in the victim's car when Marx interrupted him. He played videos that he said showed Harper leaving his home at 4:44 a.m. on the morning of the murder, and returning at 5:03 a.m.

Police were called to the property where the shooting occurred around 5 a.m. The area is a block from Harper's home.

"He didn't go out that night with murder in his heart," Barr said, but shot Marx when he was discovered.

Marx, an Alliance-area resident, died from a gunshot wound to the neck.

Dennis Barr, chief of the criminal division in the Stark County Prosecutor's Office, holds the gun he said Jamaari Harper used to fatally shoot Garry Marx Jr. on Feb. 6. Harper's trial concluded Wednesday with guilty verdicts on charges of murder, felonious assault and aggravated robbery in Stark County Common Pleas Court.

Jamaari Harper's defense

Defense attorney Kenneth Frame told jurors in his closing argument that no witness testified about seeing Harper shoot Marx.

He said no DNA or blood from Marx was found on Harper, and no DNA from Harper was found at the scene.

He said evidence that Harper's DNA was on his gun was not meaningful, since the owner's DNA would be expected on his gun. He discounted the value of gunshot residue being found on Harper's hands, citing expert testimony that a person could get residue from being near a gun that was fired, or handling something that had gunshot residue on it.

Barr said Harper admitted to police that the .40-caliber Glock used in the shooting was his. Barr said a spent cartridge found at the murder scene was determined by a criminalist to have been fired from that gun. He also said Harper initially identified himself to police using his brother's name.

Barr said Harper jumped from a second-floor window when the Canton SWAT Team, along with detectives, executed a search warrant at his home.

"Innocent people don't jump out of second-floor windows," Barr said.

The leap was captured by a nearby police camera.

Harper was caught a few minutes later by a police dog and his handler.

Farmer is expected to formally sentence Harper on Friday.

Stark County Prosecutor Kyle L. Stone handled the case with Barr.

As the Stark County Prosecuting Attorney, it was an honor to pursue justice on behalf of Garry Marx, Jr. alongside our Criminal Chief Dennis Barr. Stone said in a press release. It is our goal, that here in Stark County, anyone that takes a life will be held accountable for their actions.

Marx was remembered in his obituary as a man who "always had a grin on his face and a heart of gold."

Jamaari Harper, left, listens to Dennis Barr, chief of the criminal division in the Stark County Prosecutor's Office, as Barr makes closing arguments in Harper's murder trial. The jury found Harper guilty of murder and others charges after a three-day trial before Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin Farmer.

Feb. 6, 2023: 'I'm losing him.' Man shot in neck dies, Canton police dog nabs fleeing suspect

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: Jamaari Harper convicted of killing Garry Marx Jr. and related crimes.
Defendant Jerry Boylan, right, captain of the Conception dive boat, arrives at federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Four years after a fire killed 34 people in a dive boat off the coast of Santa Barbara, the boat's captain is on trial to determine whether he is criminally responsible for their deaths.

Jerry Boylan was negligent when he failed to institute a roving night watch or conduct proper fire drills aboard the Conception before it caught fire in the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history, prosecutors say.

A panel of 12 jurors and three alternates was selected and sworn in Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Boylan faces one count of neglect or misconduct by a ship officer, and has pleaded not guilty.

"He's been able to live his life while all the families cannot," said Kathleen McIlvain, whose son Charles, 44, was killed in the fire on the 75-foot commercial diving vessel. A federal judge has ruled that prosecutors cannot refer to those killed as "victims," deepening the anger among surviving families.

The boat was anchored off the Channel Islands on Sept. 2, 2019, on the final day of a three-day trip. Around 3 a.m., a fire of unknown origin began spreading on deck. Flames blocked both exits of the bunk room below deck, where 33 passengers and one crew member found themselves trapped.

Federal prosecutors allege Boylan failed to follow well-established safety protocols.

Read more: Captain in Conception dive boat fire indicted on 34 counts of manslaughter

In his opening statement Wednesday, Asst. U.S. Atty. Matthew OBrien told jurors that Boylan, as captain of the Conception, was responsible for the safety of the passengers and crew.

But as the fire spread, he was the first person to jump off that boat, and he instructed other crew members to do the same rather than fight the fire, the prosecutor said.

The 34 people who died didnt have a chance to jump overboard, OBrien said, while Boylan, who was 65 at the time, escaped without so much as a burn. They were waiting to be rescued but nobody rescued them."

The Conception dive boat was traveling in the waters off the Channel Islands, and in such a remote area sailors are their own fire department and their captain is the fire chief, the prosecutor said.

Nevertheless, he added, Boylan did not instruct any crew member to stay awake as a so-called roving patrol while passengers slept, even though the boats Certificate of Inspection spelled out the requirement in capital letters and hung on the wall behind the captains chair.

On board were fire extinguishers, a fire ax, and sturdy 50-foot water hoses that could have pumped unlimited seawater on the blaze, though Boylan did not train his crew in how to use the equipment. Some of them didnt know how to use the equipment or even where it was located, OBrien told jurors.

Everyone was asleep when the fire somehow started around 3 a.m., and a galley hand woke up to see an orange glow.

Boylan called a mayday at 3:14 a.m., gasping out, I cant breathe.

But then instead of trying to fight the fire, defendant jumped overboard from the upper deck straight into the ocean, abandoning his passengers and crew, OBrien said.

OBrien said jurors would see a 24-second video filmed by one of the passengers trapped below deck in the dark, cramped bunk room as smoke spread.

It was found on a phone in the coat pocket of a dead passenger. It was taken at 3:17 a.m., three minutes after Boylans mayday call.

The people didnt know it, but their captain had already jumped overboard, OBrien told jurors.

Some of the victims sought safety by hunkering low to the floor. Some stayed against the wall. They were hugging each other when they died, OBrien said.

Boylan was a licensed captain for 34 years, but the crew assembled for the Labor Day weekend dive was not used to working together, and when they awoke to the fire they had no idea what to do, OBrien said.

Federal public defender Georgina Wakefield, in her opening statement, told jurors that the flames on the boat were 15 feet high and that Boylan did not abandon ship but radioed for help even as flames surrounded the wheelhouse.

After jumping into the ocean, she said, Boylan and two of his crew reboarded the boat, but conditions made it impossible to help.

The fire hoses are on fire, she said. No amount of training can help you hold a fire hose thats on fire.

Wakefield cast blame on Truth Aquatics owner Glen Fritzler, saying he did not pay for fire training or require a crew member to keep night watch while passengers slept.

For decades, Wakefield said, Boylan had followed procedures laid out by Fritzler and was drilled to follow the Fritzler way, the defense attorney said, adding: No Fritzler boat had a roving patrol.

The defense attorney said that Boylan didnt know he was putting anyone in harms way.

It was the boat owners duty to make sure regulations were followed, the defense attorney said, not the captain, who comes in, makes his day rate, and goes out to sea.

Earlier, Santa Barbara County officials maintained that the fire victims likely died unaware of the encroaching flames. But an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that many of those trapped below deck were awake  some wearing shoes  as the fire engulfed the vessel. Cellphone videos later recovered by FBI forensics experts showed frantic passengers trying to escape as smoke filled the bunk room.

The NTSB, which has recommended stricter safety measures as a result of the Conception fire, concluded that the lack of a roving patrol led directly to the high number of fatalities.

Firefighters battle flames aboard the Conception dive boat on Sept. 2, 2019. (Ventura County Fire Department via Associated Press)

"The crew was not able to warn passengers or aid in their escape," an NTSB report said. "Had a crew member been awake and actively patrolling the Conception on the morning of the fire, it is likely that they would have discovered the fire at an early stage, allowing time to fight the fire and give warning to the passengers and crew to evacuate."

The NTSB concluded that Truth Aquatics had "provided ineffective oversight of its vessels' operations," thereby putting crew and passengers in danger. Fritzler, who has denied wrongdoing, faced a barrage of lawsuits from the relatives of dead passengers but no criminal charges.

Read more: A 'pop,' a 'crackle,' then 'fire!': NTSB records show dramatic moments as flames swept Conception dive boat

The cause of the fire remains officially undetermined. Early on, speculation focused on a middle deck area where divers plugged in phones, batteries and other lithium-powered electronic devices. But a confidential report, obtained by The Times from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the blaze began in a plastic trash can on the main deck. ATF investigators based that finding on a series of burn tests at its Maryland lab and the accounts of crew members.

Boylan's prosecution has repeatedly run into problems. He was initially indicted by a grand jury in 2020 on 34 counts of so-called "seaman's manslaughter," a steamship-era law that holds captains responsible for lives lost on their vessels. Each count carried a potential 10 years in prison.

Boylan's defense argued the fire was a single incident, not separate crimes, prompting prosecutors to seek a superseding indictment on one count of seaman's manslaughter. Last year, however, U.S. District Judge George H. Wu threw out the indictment, finding it did not specify the necessary criterion that Boylan acted with gross negligence.

A month later, a grand jury indicted Boylan on a single count that specified "gross negligence." Boylan could face 10 years behind bars if convicted.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A Russian soldier was killed in occupied Berdiansk as a result of an improvised explosive device blowing up under his car.

Source: RBC, a Russian news outlet

Details: The so-called Investigative Committee of the occupiers reported that an unidentified person planted a homemade bomb under the car of a serviceman on 23 October.

"The car was parked near a house on Michurina Street. When the serviceman got into the car, the bomb blew up and the car caught fire. He died on the spot from his injuries," RBC states.

Background:

The car of Artem Bardin, Kremlin-appointed head of Berdiansk, was blown up in September 2022.

Another car with a collaborator inside was blown up in Berdiansk in January 2023.

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Hampshire High School musical director Chris Cherry thanks supporters before the start of the District 300 school board meeting on Oct 24, 2023, in Algonquin. The board heard public comments against its decision not to allow the school theater program's production of "The Prom" because of safety concerns. ( H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune)

High school senior Henry Hanson recently watched in anticipation as various possible musicals were ticked off a board each day, a tradition that helps get students excited to officially announce Hampshire High Schools spring production.

The theater student was eager for the reveal of this years selection of The Prom, a comedic musical about a school that tries to cancel a dance to prevent a gay student from attending. The 18-year-old said this years production meant more than usual because it was a chance for theater kids, some part of the LGBTQ+ community, to feel represented in their craft.

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But then district administrators stepped in. They shut down the announcement, telling students in a meeting last Friday that they wouldnt allow the music department to put on the show this year due to safety concerns, he said.

Hampshire High School senior Henry Hanson, of Gilberts, reacts to applause after he spoke in favor of the musical production of "The Prom" during the District 300 school board meeting on Oct 24, 2023, in Algonquin. ( H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune)

It was disheartening that they had said we cant do it because of your own safety. Weve never had something like this happen before, Hanson said. Overall, its a generally accepting community so it kind of felt like a shock.

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And its very ironic, because it was a very tragic form of life imitating art, Hanson added.

After more than 4,000 people signed an online petition and dozens of students, parents and alumni spoke at a Tuesday school board meeting, condemning the move as embarrassing and frustrating, the district in the northwest Chicago suburbs is walking back its decision.

Susan Harkin, the superintendent of District 300, said Tuesday that due to the strong support we received from students, the district is reconsidering the decision to postpone the musical contingent upon developing and implementing a comprehensive safety plan.

The school had originally postponed the musical to an unspecified time and told students it wouldnt take place this year.

Harkin said she would meet with students on Thursday to provide an update.

I would like to clarify that our initial decision to postpone the musical was not related to Hampshire High School students or their desire to demonstrate their schools progress toward supporting the LGBTQ+ community, she said. Instead, the postponement reflected a concern for the larger District 300 communitys preparedness to fully support this performance without risking potential harassment, bullying and violence targeting our LGBTQ+ students, performers, staff and community members.

Those safety concerns included potential harassment of LGBTQ+ students and faculty.

In her job, Harkin said shes seen attempts to out students involved in the Gay Straight Alliance, threats and inappropriate comments related to a community meeting held last month for an LGBTQ+ learning space and hate-filled emails after the districts Day of Silence. Day of Silence is a national demonstration that acknowledges the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ+ students.

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So while I and our school district firmly believe that offering inclusive opportunities that represent and support all District 300 students, I am concerned about the safety of those involved, she said.

The Prom follows four struggling, narcissistic Broadway stars who want to improve their image through positive media coverage. After reading that parents in a small town in Indiana canceled the schools prom to prevent a lesbian teen from bringing her girlfriend to the dance, the stars decide to help. At one point, the parents decide to host a prom at a different venue, separating the lesbian teen from her classmates to supposedly keep her safe.

The musical, which opened on Broadway in 2018 and was adapted into a Netflix film, is loosely based on a 2010 incident where a high school in Mississippi refused to let two girls attend the prom as a couple. When one of the students fought back, involving the American Civil Liberties Union, the school board canceled the dance.

Chad Beguelin, who wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book for The Prom, shared on social media that he emailed the school board and Harkin about the musicals history of bringing people together and message of inclusion, calling the districts decision maddening.

The show is about accepting everybody and thats what we do here. Music and theater in high school is so important to the growth of our kids and not just as musicians and actors, but to make them better people, said Chris Cherry, the musical director at Hampshire High School. They learn empathy, they learn how to walk in someone elses shoes. By denying us an opportunity to tell this story, were missing out on a whole experience that these kids deserve.

School District 300 Superintendent Susan Harkin makes notes on Oct. 24, 2023, during the public comments about the board's decision not to allow Hampshire High Schools theater program's production of "The Prom." ( H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune)

Cherry, whos been a teacher for nearly 20 years, said he and his staff chose The Prom at the end of August, acquiring the licensing rights. He said the principal at Hampshire, Brett Bending, also approved the show. Cherry said the principal gave the district a heads-up, in case they received any complaints or questions about the musicals LGBTQ+ themes.

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Then, a couple of days later, Cherry said he was told not to announce the show, and has been in meetings with administrators ever since.

Their assessment of our building and their assessment of our community, I just adamantly disagree with, Cherry said. Their line has been Hampshire is not ready for this type of show. Hampshire High School is not ready to handle all these threats and backlash thats going to come for doing this kind of show, and I disagree with both of those points.

Last Wednesday, Cherry said Harkin told him that maybe they could perform The Prom next year if they do enough work, although Cherry said he isnt sure what that work would entail. He said administrators suggested hosting community meetings and feedback sessions, something he hasnt had to do for previous musicals, such as The Little Mermaid and The Addams Family.

I usually throw up a couple posters, Cherry said. Its a high school musical.

Two days later, Harkin alongside Adrian Harries, the districts director of diversity, equity and inclusion, said she met with more than 100 students who spoke passionately and respectfully about their desire to perform The Prom. Harkin first announced the district was reconsidering its postponement of the musical in a Monday statement posted to the districts website.

It was frustrating for a lot of us, Hanson said of the meeting. We went there to express our opinion and hopefully get them to overturn it, and it felt like they were kind of dodging some of our more important points.

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While Cherry said it would be possible to change the choice of show, it would be a ton of work to catch up. He said hes hopeful the show will go on.

One senior student, who identified himself as a member of the theater program and the LGBTQ+ community, said he wants to live in a world where hes allowed to express himself through art. (The Tribune is not naming him because he is not an adult.)

If we cancel things because were worried people will get upset, that could evolve very quickly into something dangerous  think book burnings or silencing people or Florida, he said at the meeting.

Trisha Johnson, right, mother of Hampshire High School senior Julia Johnson, applauds her daughter after she spoke in favor of the school's production of "The Prom" at the District 300 school board meeting in Algonquin on Oct. 24. "She did good," the proud mom said. ( H. Rick Bamman/for the Chicago Tribune)

School board member Nancy Zettler said even though Harkin made the decision to postpone the musical out of love, she said the district failed the LGBTQ+ community.

Now we know that the community is ready. It is my hope, and I believe this wholeheartedly, we are going to be able to put together the safety plan thats going to be necessary to make sure that this play can go on in April, she said.

Frank Marino, 49, said he has two children at Hampshire High School involved in the musical. Marino said he watched The Prom on Netflix and recognized that many students see themselves represented in the film, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community like his son.

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My son is very proud of who he is. I am very proud of who he is, Marino said. And anybody that has a problem with that, I believe its just that  its their problem.

Did it ever occur to this board or the administration, when you told the students that the community was not ready for a production like The Prom that maybe some of those students heard the community was not ready for them, he added. The idea of taking away this production from those kids due to potential actions of a small few is incomprehensible.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Carlee Russell (Hoover Police Department)

HOOVER, Ala. - Two weeks after an Alabama judge has found Carlee Russell, the woman who allegedly faked her own abduction in July, guilty of two misdemeanor charges, lawmakers are looking to stiffen penalties to prevent any future false reports.

FOX affiliate WBRC in Birmingham reports state Rep. Mike Shaw and several other legislators are working on a new bill when there are back in session in February.

The city of Hoover, where Russell made her now-infamous 911 call, recently passed its own resolution garnering stricter penalties for falsely reporting violent crimes. Statewide legislation would add to it.

"Obviously, we want it to be a deterrent to somebody who thinks about doing this. If you are thinking about creating a false 911 report that creates significant public expense, significant public alarm, and hurts the fabric of your community, we want people to think twice about that," Rep. Shaw told WBRC.

Rep. Shaw admits any new law would need to not discourage people from calling 911, but to prevent false or prank calls which would pull resources from genuine emergencies.

Carlee Russell sentenced in abduction 'hoax'

Russell pleaded not guilty to charges of false reporting of an incident and false reporting to law enforcement, but was found guilty of two misdemeanor charges by a judge on Oct. 11.

CARLEE RUSSELL'S BOYFRIEND TELLS HIS SIDE OF THE STORY: THIS IS MY LAST TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS

The state recommended one year in jail, six months for each charge. It's the maximum sentence. They also recommended Russell pay a fine of $831 and restitution of $17,974.88.

Russell and her attorney will appeal the decision to the circuit court, according to Fox affiliate WBRC.

Carlee Russell's disappearance

The search for Russell began the night of July 13. That night, she called 911 and then spoke to a family member, saying that she saw a young child walking on the side of Interstate 459 South near Mile Market 11 in Hoover.

Carlee's mother said her daughter was on the phone with a family member when she pulled over to check on the child.

While the family lost contact with Carlee Russell, the line remained open.

CARLEE RUSSELL 911 CALL

When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell's red Mercedes still running by the interstate, but they were unable to find her or a child in the area.

Investigators say no children had been reported missing in the area.

Police say a witness reported seeing a man standing beside Russells vehicle just before officers arrived at the scene.

After news of her disappearance spread, a private donor came forward to offer a $25,000 reward, in addition to the $5,000 being offered by Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama. That reward eventually increased to $55,000 and then to over $63,000 with the support of around 60 other donors, the New York Post reported.

$63K RAISED IN CARLEE RUSSELL SEARCH WILL NOT BE REFUNDED

When was Carlee Russell found?

On July 15, two days after her disappearance on Interstate 459, Russell showed up at the front door of the home in Hoover she shared with her parents.

She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and then released back to her family.

Carlee Russell made abduction-related internet searches, police say

In the days before her disappearance, authorities said she searched for information on her cellphone about Amber Alerts, a movie about a womans abduction and a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee.

Her phone also showed she traveled about 600 yards while telling a 911 operator she was following a 3- or 4-year-old child in a diaper on the side of the highway, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said.

PARENTS SAY CARLEE RUSSELL FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE AFTER DISAPPEARANCE

Prior to her disappearance, Russell allegedly took a robe and toilet paper from her job.

Speaking with the TODAY show, Russell's parents stated they believe their daughter was "absolutely" abducted. Days later, Russell's lawyer turned over a written statement to Hoover police stating she fabricated the story of her kidnapping.

Russell was charged with filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement, both Class A misdemeanors.

Carlee Russell-inspired movie hits Amazon Video

Only two months after the arrest of Carlee Russell and there is already a movie about it ready for streaming on Prime Video.

Its called "The Nurse That Saw the Baby on the Highway" and can be rented for $1.99 or bought for $4.99 for those interested in the quick-turnaround feature.

This story was reported on from Atlanta.
An outbreak on the Ruby Princess was linked to 900 Covid cases and 28 deaths

The world's largest cruise operator, Carnival, has been ordered to pay the medical bills of a passenger who caught Covid-19 on board one of its liners.

An Australian judge ruled the company misled passengers about safety risks, and should have cancelled a voyage by the Ruby Princess in March 2020 before it departed.

Some 900 Covid cases and 28 deaths were linked to an outbreak onboard.

The landmark ruling could open the door to hundreds of others claiming damages.

The case's lead claimant Susan Karpik, a retired nurse, was travelling with her husband Henry on the Ruby Princess as it sailed from Sydney to New Zealand in March 2020, right at the start of the pandemic.

Some 2,671 passengers and 1,146 crew members were on board.

Mr Karpik, a retired police officer, fell ill with the virus and was hospitalised for two months, during which time he was put into an induced coma and at one point given days to live.

The judge ruled Carnival's Australian division was found to have been "negligent and in breach of their duty of care", and ruled Mrs Karpik should be awarded A$4,423.48 ($2,826) plus interest for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

This is a fraction of the A$360,000 she sued for, but the ruling opens the door to 1,000 other passengers who travelled on the same voyage to make claims.

Judge Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival "knew or ought to have known" about the "significant risk" of an outbreak with potentially "disastrous" consequences, yet it proceeded "regardless" and that any "reasonable person" would have cancelled the cruise.

Speaking outside the court, Mrs Karpik remembered the 28 people who lost their lives following the outbreak, saying many "would have been celebrating a significant event in their lives" in taking the cruise.

There had been an outbreak of an "influenza-like illness" on a voyage taken immediately prior to the trip, the judge said in his ruling. That voyage had ended early on 8 March 2020, and had raised the risk of the virus being carried over to the next trip, he added.

The ruling is the first class action win against a cruise ship in the world, according to Shine Lawyers.

The number of claimants could also grow should Australia's High Court rule 700 American passengers can be included in the class action lawsuit.

The voyage was for a time Australia's biggest single source of Covid infection and a public inquiry into the outbreak concluded health officials in the New South Wales state made "serious mistakes".

Carnival Australia said it was considering the judgement in detail.
CANBERRA, Australia  A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak was ruled negligent in its duty of care to passengers in an Australian class-action case Wednesday.

The Ruby Princess ocean liner left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for a 13-day cruise to New Zealand but returned in 11 days as Australias borders were closing. COVID-19 spread to 663 passengers and claimed 28 lives.

Passenger Susan Karpik was the lead plaintiff in the case against British-American cruise operator Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises, the ship's owner.

Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival had been negligent as defined by Australian consumer law by allowing the cruise to depart in the early months of the pandemic. He said Carnival had a duty to take reasonable care of her health and safety in regard to COVID-19.

I have found that before the embarkation of passengers on the Ruby Princess for the cruise in question, the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel and its potentially lethal consequences and that their procedures for screening passengers and crew members for the virus were unlikely to screen out all infectious individuals, Stewart said.

Carnival had already experienced outbreaks on its cruises in the previous month aboard the Grand Princess off California and the Diamond Princess off Japan, the judge said.

Carnival had failed to explain why it offered free cancellation for all cruises worldwide leaving from March 9  the day after the Ruby Princess departed  and suspended all cruises on March 13, he said.

Susan Karpik speaks to media outside the Federal Court in Sydney, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.

To the respondents knowledge, to proceed with the cruise carried significant risk of a coronavirus outbreak with possible disastrous consequences, yet they proceeded regardless, Stewart said.

Susan Karpik had sued Carnival for more than 360,000 Australian dollars ($230,000).

However, she was only awarded her out-of-pocket medical expenses of AU$4,423.48 ($2,823.28) for reasons including that the judge did not accept she suffered from long COVID and that Carnival had refunded all the passengers fares.

But she said she was happy with the outcome.

I was very pleased with that finding. And I hope the other passengers are pleased with that finding too, she told reporters outside court.

I hope the finding brings some comfort to them because theyve all been through the mill and back, she added.

Her lawyer Vicky Antzoulatos said other passengers who suffered worse consequences from their sickness could expect larger payouts.

While Susan Karpik's symptoms were relatively mild, her husband Henry Karpik spent two months in hospital and almost died from his infection.

Susans husband was very catastrophically injured, so we expect that he will have a substantial claim, and that will be the same for a number of the passengers on the ship, Antzoulatos said.

Each passenger will have to prove their claims unless Carnival agrees to settle, she said.

Yes, cruise prices are up: Here's why cheap sailings may be harder to find

Its been a long time coming and a very comprehensive victory for the passengers on the Ruby Princess, Antzoulatos said.

Carnival Australia said in a statement it was considering the judgment in detail.

The pandemic was a difficult time in Australias history, and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected, Carnival said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival ruled negligent over Ruby Princess cruise with COVID outbreak
Susan Karpik speaks to media outside the Federal Court in Sydney, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Karpik was the lead plaintiff in the case against British-American cruise operator Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises that an Australian judge ruled failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak had been negligent in its duty of care to passengers. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak was ruled negligent in its duty of care to passengers in an Australian class-action case Wednesday.

The Ruby Princess ocean liner left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for a 13-day cruise to New Zealand but returned in 11 days as Australias borders were closing. COVID-19 spread to 663 passengers and claimed 28 lives.

Passenger Susan Karpik was the lead plaintiff in the case against British-American cruise operator Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises, the ship's owner.

Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival had been negligent as defined by Australian consumer law by allowing the cruise to depart in the early months of the pandemic. He said Carnival had a duty to take reasonable care of her health and safety in regard to COVID-19.

I have found that before the embarkation of passengers on the Ruby Princess for the cruise in question, the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel and its potentially lethal consequences and that their procedures for screening passengers and crew members for the virus were unlikely to screen out all infectious individuals, Stewart said.

Carnival had already experienced outbreaks on its cruises in the previous month aboard the Grand Princess off California and the Diamond Princess off Japan, the judge said.

Carnival had failed to explain why it offered free cancellation for all cruises worldwide leaving from March 9  the day after the Ruby Princess departed  and suspended all cruises on March 13, he said.

To the respondents knowledge, to proceed with the cruise carried significant risk of a coronavirus outbreak with possible disastrous consequences, yet they proceeded regardless, Stewart said.

Susan Karpik had sued Carnival for more than 360,000 Australian dollars ($230,000).

However, she was only awarded her out-of-pocket medical expenses of AU$4,423.48 ($2,823.28) for reasons including that the judge did not accept she suffered from long COVID and that Carnival had refunded all the passengers fares.

But she said she was happy with the outcome.

I was very pleased with that finding. And I hope the other passengers are pleased with that finding too, she told reporters outside court.

I hope the finding brings some comfort to them because theyve all been through the mill and back, she added.

Her lawyer Vicky Antzoulatos said other passengers who suffered worse consequences from their sickness could expect larger payouts.

While Susan Karpik's symptoms were relatively mild, her husband Henry Karpik spent two months in hospital and almost died from his infection.

Susans husband was very catastrophically injured, so we expect that he will have a substantial claim, and that will be the same for a number of the passengers on the ship, Antzoulatos said.

Each passenger will have to prove their claims unless Carnival agrees to settle, she said.

Its been a long time coming and a very comprehensive victory for the passengers on the Ruby Princess, Antzoulatos said.

Carnival Australia said in a statement it was considering the judgment in detail.

The pandemic was a difficult time in Australias history, and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected, Carnival said.
The Environment Agency was warned a South Yorkshire village faced flooding more than six hours before it issued an alert, a resident has said.

A volunteer flood warden in Catcliffe told the BBC he informed the agency on Friday evening that a flood plain by his house was swamped with water.

About 120 homes were flooded on Saturday after the River Rother burst its banks in the wake of Storm Babet.

The Environment Agency said it would "look at learnings for the future".

It is facing questions about why residents were not warned earlier they were at risk of flooding.

The warden, who lives on Old School Lane, said he called the agency at 20:30 BST on Friday to say the flood plain at the rear of their house was full with water.

The 76-year-old, who asked not to be named, told the BBC: "It was getting very close up to my house so I thought I better ring them up and find out how high this is going to get, because if it's going to get anything like 2007 we need to go round warning people.

"Once it starts creeping up the flood bank, I know there's a risk of flooding in Catcliffe."

The warden said staff in the agency's incident room were unable to provide any information but said they would ring him back.

"I'm still waiting for a phone call," he said.

About 120 homes in Catcliffe were flooded

Residents received flood warnings on their mobile phones at about 02:30 BST, by which time defences had been breached and water was flowing onto streets.

The warden said Catcliffe had been "let down" by the delay.

He added: "Why couldn't somebody in the Environment Agency tell me what height they expected it to get to?

"If we had known then, people could have had earlier warnings to shift their cars and that.

"I think something's gone wrong with the system."

Labour MP Sarah Champion has criticised the Environment Agency for the "unacceptable" delay in issuing a flood alert.

She told BBC Radio Sheffield some people had "lost everything" when their homes were swamped.

Some residents "lost everything", an MP said

The Environment Agency said Catcliffe's flood defences were overtopped after "unprecedented" rain, with around a month's rain falling in 18 to 36 hours.

It said its teams had "worked round the clock to clear screens, remove debris and try to keep rivers flowing".

A spokesperson added: "After any incident such as this we will look at what actions were taken, based on the forecasts and intelligence we had, so we can look at learnings for the future.

"This will include looking at the trigger levels for issuing flood alerts and warnings."

The government has announced financial support for victims

On Wednesday, the government announced flooding victims could apply for cash grants of up to 500, as well as council tax exemptions of three years and funding towards repairs.

South Yorkshire Police said officers were carrying out high-visibility patrols in Catcliffe in response to fears of break-ins at empty homes.

However, the force sought to downplay concerns about a spike in burglaries since 250 properties were evacuated at the weekend.

Supt Andy Wright said: "We are aware of rumours on social media of multiple reports of thefts in the Catcliffe area following the floods and while we are investigating one report, we have not received any other confirmed reports of burglaries or thefts in the area.

"I want to reassure members of the public that, based on all the information we have, these rumours are simply not true and that following the floods, a high number of officers remain in the vicinity to provide support and advice."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.
Contrary to what you might've heard, the era of large seed rounds isn't over -- at least in the AI sector.

CentML, a startup developing tools to decrease the cost -- and improve the performance -- of deploying machine learning models, this morning announced that it raised $27 million in an extended seed round with participation from Gradient Ventures, TR Ventures, Nvidia and Microsoft Azure AI VP Misha Bilenko.

CentML initially closed its seed round in 2022, but extended the round over the last few months as interest in its product grew -- bringing its total raised to $30.5 million.

The fresh capital will be used to bolster CentML's product development and research efforts in addition to expanding the startup's engineering team and broader workforce of 30 people spread across the U.S. and Canada, according to CentML co-founder and CEO Gennady Pekhimenko.

Pekhimenko, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, co-founded CentML last year alongside Akbar Nurlybayev and PhD students Shang Wang and Anand Jayarajan. Pekhimenko says that they shared a vision of creating tech that could increase access to compute in the face of the worsening AI chip supply problem.

"Machine learning costs, talent and chip shortages... any AI and machine learning company faces at least one of these challenges, and most face a few at a time," Pekhimenko told TechCrunch in an email interview. "The highest-end chips are commonly unavailable due to the large demand from enterprises and startups alike. This leads to companies sacrificing on the size of the model they can deploy or results in higher inference latencies for their deployed models."

Most companies training models, particularly generative AI models like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, rely heavily on GPU-based hardware. GPUs ability to perform many computations in parallel make them well-suited to training todays most capable AI.

But there are not enough chips to go around.

Microsoft is facing a shortage of the server hardware needed to run AI so severe that it might lead to service disruptions, the company warned in a summer earnings report. And Nvidias best-performing AI cards are reportedly sold out until 2024.

That's led some companies, including OpenAI, Google, AWS, Meta and Microsoft, to build -- or explore building -- their own custom chips for model training. But even this hasn't proven to be a panacea. Metas efforts have been beset with issues, leading the company to scrap some of its experimental hardware. And Google hasnt managed to keep pace with demand for its cloud-hosted, homegrown GPU equivalent, the tensor processing unit (TPU), Wired reported recently.

With spending on AI-focused chips expected to hit $53 billion this year and more than double in the next four years, according to Gartner, Pekhimenko felt the time was right to launch software that could make models run more efficiently on existing hardware.

"Training AI and machine learning models is increasingly expensive," Pekhimenko said. "With CentMLs optimization technology, we're able to reduce expenses up to 80% without compromising speed or accuracy."

That's quite a claim. But at a high level, CentML's software is relatively easy to make sense of.

The platform attempts to identify bottlenecks during model training and predict the total time and cost to deploy a model. Beyond this, CentML provides access to a compiler -- a component that translates a programming language's source code into machine code that hardware like a GPU can understand -- to automatically optimize model training workloads to perform best on target hardware.

Pekhimenko claims that CentML's software doesn't degrade models and requires "little to no effort" for engineers to use.

"For one of our customers, we optimized their Llama 2 model to work 3x faster by using Nvidia A10 GPU cards," she added.

CentML isn't the first to take a software-based approach to model optimization. It has competitors in MosaicML, which Databricks acquired in June for $1.3 billion, and OctoML, which landed an $85 million cash infusion in November 2021 for its machine learning acceleration platform.

But Pekhimenko asserts that CentML's techniques don't result in a loss of model accuracy, like MosaicML's can sometimes do, and that CentML's compiler is "newer generation" and more performant than OctoML's compiler.

In the near future, CentML plans to turn its attention to optimizing not only model training but inference -- i.e. running models after they've been trained. GPUs are heavily used in inference today as well, and Pekhimenko sees it as a potential avenue of growth for the company.

"The CentML platform can run any model," Pekhimenko said. "CentML produces optimized code for a variety of GPUs and reduces the memory needed to deploy models, and, as such, allows teams to deploy on smaller and cheaper GPUs."
The Centre Daily Times recently sent a survey to all school board candidates with questions about a number of issues, some of which were submitted by readers. Twenty-two candidates responded and 14 did not. We have published their unedited responses, which were limited to 1250 characters. We will publish additional responses in other stories.

What has long been a national discussion, talk of book banning has come to Centre County in recent months, with increased scrutiny on how and why library titles are chosen. Pennsylvania is no stranger to book challenges, ranking second in the nation in 2022 with 56 attempted bans and 302 title challenges.

The term book ban has also been contested, with some parents and candidates arguing the issue is about transparency around how content is chosen and what is appropriate for school libraries. Much of the discussion surrounding libraries in Centre County has boiled down to this question: Who should decide what books go into school libraries?

The Centre Daily Times asked candidates if they would support removing library titles or changing the catalog selection process. Their responses are below.

State College Area School District candidates

Amy Bader  Currently librarians, teachers, curriculum directors and administrators all contribute to the development of the districts catalogue of books, including determining their best fit for various age groups  they are professionals trained for this task. A rigorous, high-quality review process is already available (Policy 109) regarding book reconsideration. This is a two-stage process that occurs first at the building level, which can then be appealed to a standing committee, whose recommendation goes to the Superintendent and the Board, and the Superintendent also makes their own recommendation. The standing committee includes parent representation, librarians, administrators, counselors and other experts. They must read and evaluate the literature for its value as a whole contributes to the schools collection. This current process is excellent, in my opinion. Libraries should contain a diversity of choices, and parents have the ability to direct their children to refrain from particular subjects or titles. Libraries need to be both windows and mirrors  they allow us to see ourselves reflected, but also to view the world as others experience it.

Gretchen Brandt  No. Throughout my life I have supported and will continue to support professional educators to select library titles for all levels in the K-12 public school system. SCASD is incredibly fortunate to have stellar teachers, staff, and librarians, who are trained and educated in their areas of expertise. This includes the selection of book titles for all libraries in SCASD.

Anne Demo  No. As a para, I witnessed how crucial diverse book choices can be. Our librarians and teachers have years of expertise in selecting the book catalog, and I fully support their rigorous process. Families have the freedom to say they do not want their children reading certain books; they do not have the freedom to prevent other children in other families from reading them.

Barry Fenchak  There are approximately 10 million books in print in the US. Less than 1% of them are in our libraries. That does not mean that 99+% of books have been removed or banned. On this issue, and many others, we need to move past divisive rhetoric that sucks the air out of the room and shuts down reasoned conversation. Our libraries, obviously, must be curated. They should be curated by our library professionals with significant, deliberate input from our faculty  who know first-hand what resources they need to be successful in their challenging role as educators of our children. That is the most effective way to build our library inventory. Complimenting that effort (not conflicting with that effort) is the role of the family in assuring that materials are appropriate for their specific children. The parents need to be engaged and welcomed into the process of assuring that educational materials are appropriate for their childs/familys values. And their values and concerns need to be honored. They are our students to teach during the school day  but they are the familys children to raise for life.

Daniel Kolbe  No I do not support removing library titles or changing the selection process. Libraries have a fundamental role in providing access to a wide range of materials, ensuring intellectual freedom and the right to read and explore different perspectives. I would prioritize protecting these principles. Along with ensuring intellectual freedom, librarians and educators play a critical role in library collections. I would rely on their professional expertise to make recommendations regarding catalog selection. Libraries should strive to provide a balanced and diverse collection of materials that reflects a wide range of perspectives and experiences. As a board member, my primary responsibility would be to ensure that the library serves the best interests of its students and that the library prioritizes the principles of intellectual freedom and inclusivity, so all students can find books that make them feel value, safe and seen.

John Kracovic  Books that some people find valuable for children should not be removed from our libraries. While parents of some students may look at these books as inappropriate for their children, other parents may view them as beneficial for theirs. It is important that every student can see someone like him or herself in their school reading material. Just as movies and video games have rating systems, our school library books should be evaluated and identified according to their age-appropriateness. There are laws concerning obscene materials that minors should not be permitted to view and those laws must be upheld. Materials determined to be obscene certainly should not be accessible to underage students through SCASD school libraries. For controversial material that is not deemed obscene, a rating system would enable our schools to implement a parental approval process to ensure that school materials align with the values and priorities of students families. I support making SCASD library collections fully transparent and available in their entirety online to district families. Intentional solicitation of input from diverse stakeholders would ensure that viewpoints across the political spectrum and other categories are represented.

Aaron Miller  No, I support neither of those things. The system we have works well and the materials in our libraries are selected for age-appropriateness and representation, not personal parental ideology. As a school director I intend to continue what has always been an effective library program. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to make choices along with their children about their own beliefs, values, and literary materials. They dont need to be making those choices for me or for my children (or anyone elses for that matter).

Michelle Young  This as an opportunity for the district to partner with families for a viable solution and transparent processes. I met with the district administrators and the library coordinator to discuss SCASD library policies, what processes existed, who made decisions, and what guidelines were followed. Librarians make decisions based on guidelines provided to them and their own judgment for age appropriate material (this is key) for each age group and not for individual students. As a parent, I know what is age appropriate for my child and that will be different from what another parent decides is appropriate for theirs. These differences in opinion must be respected. There is much more work to be done to improve this process and make it more transparent and easier for parents to partner in their kids education. I have requested to meet with this group again and hope to discuss a way ahead. In addition, Id like to see MORE books in our libraries from MORE perspectives. For example, SCASD has Mr. Kendis books and other authors supporting Critical Social Justice but they only hold only one of 40 books by Thomas Sowell and no books by John McWhorter, Robert Woodson, or Glenn Louryall authors with opposing viewpoints.

Nathan Bish and Megan Layng did not respond to the survey.

Bellefonte Area School District candidates

Jennifer Barnhart  It is important to note that books and all other information must be age and developmentally appropriate for our children. There are many things that go on in our world that at a young age can be described simply as bad with details to be kept for more appropriate time when comprehension allows them to be able to process and handle in a healthy manner. While I also am not in favor of banning books, certain restrictions must be put in place to validate when and where a child is ready for certain content. This is a battle that has become more and more difficult as we are able to obtain and share this information at our fingertips with cell phones, social media, etc. For our school libraries it is up to school staff to be aware of what the library has available at each level (elementary, middle school and high school).

Patrick Buck  It has become increasingly more common for schools to find themselves under a microscope for making inappropriate and sexualized materials accessible to their students. The schools number one priority is to ensure students are provided an appropriate education that is focused on academics. Sexually explicit material should not be part of the curriculum, it is neither necessary nor appropriate. It is vital for the schools to be transparent regarding the content of the materials that are accessible and taught. Ensuring parent participation at the local level is essential to keeping library content age appropriate. In many cases, the content that has been highlighted in the national media was purposefully placed in schools as an attempt to indoctrinate and manipulate young, impressionable students. If inappropriate materials find their way into our public-school libraries, it is essential that that there is a thorough review of how that content was selected. In many cases people should be held accountable for their actions, if we do not begin to hold others to a higher standard, we will be unable to improve moving forward.

Paul Dombrowski  No, I will not support censoring titles or the catalog. As an Emeritus Professor of English, I know the power of the written words to shape lives and build a sense of self in a complex world. The school board takes great care in selecting our library professionals and staff, and we should rely on their professional judgment as to what is suitable and generally age-appropriate. This is an important matter of principle  to provide wide ranges of knowledge about people other than oneself and to comprehend the complexity of the modern world. To do otherwise is to have our students see the world through the blinders of the horse and buggy world, ignorant and sadly limited. Furthermore, it does not make sense to allow a single or a few voices to determine the reading possibilities for the entire student body. That would be like the tail wagging the dog. Parental control or influence should occur within the home. The board must be receptive to input from parents, of course, but should take pains to keep from giving undue attention to the loudest or most-moneyed voices.

Julie Fitzgerald  I think it is important to allow parents to have input on what is appropriate for their child. However, I also support educators and administrators to make the determinations on what materials are available in the library and classroom. It is a school boards role to ensure that there are processes and policies in place that guide these decisions as well as steps for parents to follow should they wish to request alternative texts for their student.

Tim Kessling  W4B believes that banning books is not acceptable. However, the parents should have the right to refuse specific subject material at will. Parents are the first teacher and are always encouraged to ask questions about any type of reading material if any concerns arise. Currently, Bellefonte has a process in place where a permission slip is used to provide transparency to the students family about what they are reading. We also need to be cognizant of online material and do the best we can as parents and a school district to monitor what our kids are subject to routinely while within reason.

Darrell Sharp  When a book is clearly inappropriate for a given grade level, it has no valid educational purpose to be made available to students. Education professionals should be doing their due diligence to select appropriate and high quality books that meet educational needs. Parents should have access to review a list of books that are available and have a say on whether their child would have access to them. I think with the right style of communication, both parents and schools can work together to ensure quality, grade appropriate books are available at the libraries.

Donna Smith  Our media specialists are trained in the proper process for book selection. These professionals consider curriculum, suitability of subject and audience, critical reviews, award recipients, and recommendations by educational organizations. We should defer to our professionals. However, the Board has adopted policy 105.2 to ensure that parents/guardians have the right to have their children excused from specific instructional materials. Books that are concerning to individual parents may be brought to the attention of the appropriate school personnel for further consideration.

Kim Weaver  There have been widespread stories of public school book materials being inappropriate for specific age groups that have access to them. Banning books is not the answer to this controversial question because the information found in these books can also be found online. Books need to be age appropriate for students. Other school districts (including the Bellefonte Area School District) have implemented a permission slip process that provides transparency to a students family about what they are reading. Library catalogs should be transparent to the community, and a parent should have the right to refuse a specific subject or material for their child. Communication surrounding this topic is critical  we cannot have an honest and transparent discussion about age-appropriate materials if parents and the community are not aware of the materials in the library. Parents and community members are encouraged to ask questions about library catalogs and to communicate with their school principal and librarian directly if there is a concern. If schools and parents work together, I have no doubt that this issue can be resolved, and high-quality educational books will be provided to our students to further their education.

Joe Yech  The materials in our school libraries are and should be selected by trained educators and staff. My expectation as a board member will be that trained individuals select materials that provide educational value. Administration should work with those individuals to ensure the educational value of the materials selected.

Denelle Korin did not respond to the survey.

Penns Valley Area School District candidates

Nicklaus Engle  There are no library titles Im interested in removing. I could see a benefit to changing the catalog selection process by being more inclusive and diverse, but I also have a lot of faith in teachers and library staff to make the literary choices that will engage with students and reflect their curricula.

Mike Pase  The school board is already part of the catalog selection process, and I am currently unaware of any materials the community feels is inappropriate for our school. The school is a reflection of the community, and the community has a say in what materials are available to the students with the guidance and direction of the school faculty and staff.

Celesta Powell  I would not at this time. Librarians and administrators that live in our districts and surrounding areas choose books that are relevant and appropriate for their youth.

Dan Hall, Molly Miller, Kim Kellerman-Domin, Domer Smeltzer, Daniel Pick and Scott Butler did not respond to the survey.

Bald Eagle Area School District candidates

Jason Penland  I trust our librarians and administrators to make these decisions, and I do not hesitate to say that the board should not be involving themselves in micromanaging our libraries. BEA has a $36.5 million budget, 3 outlying schools, a main campus, and a host of competitive, fiscal, and security concerns that take up the bulk of my concern and efforts as a board member. When the board is involved to the point of deciding what books to approve or deny, it would not only demonstrate that we have lost trust in our superintendent and by extension the administrators and faculty, but also demonstrate that we have lost sight of our duties to both our students and the community. From a personal standpoint, when I think of all of the possible vectors of evil that our children are exposed to on a regular basis, the library is dead last on my list of root causes. Our children regularly check out books at both BEA and the Centre County Library, and are all the better for it. If policies were ever needed to change the catalog selection process, I would need to see extremely good evidence for why this needed to happen, but our involvement at a maximum should be the creation of policies pertaining to this, nothing more.

Molly Hoover, Erica Danneker and Brandi Bartley did not respond to the survey.

Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District candidates

Tiffany Warlow  I do not support removing library titles or changing the catalog selection process. Our librarians and teachers are well informed and trained in their roles and understand what is age/grade-level appropriate. However, if a parent does not want his/her child reading a certain book, the child should be offered an alternative (this policy has always been in place in most districts). Parents have a right on what their own child reads but should not dictate what everyone elses child is reading.

Todd Jeffries, Tim Bainey and Alexander Boumerhi did not respond.
As the current election season heats up, Mississippi is turning into an unexpected political battleground. The solidly conservative state has recently seen changes to several racist or biased laws and policies, and the new legal landscape in Mississippi has the potential to empower the states significant Black electorate, with potentially major consequences for representation within the state and in Washington.

Rolling back anti-Black state laws

With its history of racial oppression, it is perhaps not surprising that the Mississippi state constitution, written in 1890, includes provisions originally designed to uphold white supremacy. One of those rules required candidates for governor or other statewide offices to not only win a majority of votes overall but also to win a majority of the states voting districts. Since most of those districts are white  partially due to intentionally drawing lines that concentrate Black voters into a limited number of districts  critics argued that this Electoral College-like system was meant to prevent nonwhite candidates from winning. In 2020, voters overwhelmingly chose to eliminate the rule, and the Confederate Flag was removed from the states flag that same year. Earlier this year, a federal judge struck down another portion of the 1890 constitution which imposed a lifetime voting ban on people convicted of committing certain felonies in the state. The ban, and the specific crimes covered, had initially been designed to disenfranchise Black voters, and critics argued that the rules still served that purpose. The ruling is currently under appeal, and the case may make its way to the Supreme Court.

Elvis' cousin hopes to represent Black voters as governor

These new changes to state law have been eyed as potentially empowering Black voters in the state and giving an opening to the Democratic Party, which Black Mississippians support overwhelmingly. The first major test of those ideas will be this years race for governor. As detailed in a recent New York Times story, Democratic candidate Brandon Presley  a white politician and relative of Elvis  is putting significant effort into mobilizing Black voters to support him. Though the state tends to lean heavily Republican, Black people make up 40% of Mississippis voters  more than any other state  and thus can have a huge impact on the election. Seeing the opportunity, the NAACP has nearly doubled its election funding from the last governors race, and Presley has targeted Black voters through media campaigns and appeals regarding issues such as restoring hundreds of millions of dollars to funding to Alcorn State University and other HBCUs that have been underfunded by the state for decades.

Challenges remain for Black people in Mississippi

Even with this optimism, the political atmosphere in Mississippi remains hostile toward Black voters in several ways. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case arguing that the states congressional districts were drawn to limit the number of Black representatives elected to Congress, a potential violation of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Meanwhile, the appeal to the federal ruling on felony disenfranchisement could potentially restore the rule ahead of the next election. And policies ranging from a recent ban on so-called critical race theory to continued commemoration of Confederate heritage present a state that seeks to whitewash or even celebrate its racist past.

These challenges aside, there remains hope and excitement, mixed with skepticism, that Black voters will be able to impact Mississippi elections more than they have in years. This years governors race and 2024s national elections will demonstrate how much of that hope is justified, and they serve as useful measuring sticks for how far the state has come and how far it needs to go.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- All charges against former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial have been reinstated, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Dial was back in court about one month after a judge dismissed all charges against him in the shooting death of Eddie Irizarry in Kensington.

Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom's courtroom in the Criminal Justice Center was packed before the hearing.

Protesters from the Party for Socialism and Liberation shouted Eddie Irizarry's name outside the CJC, demanding justice for the man they say was murdered by Dial.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office argued to reinstate the charges of first-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression.

"God is good, God is good," Ana Cintron, Irizarry's aunt, said.

Ransom ruled in the prosecutors' favor, and Dial was taken back into custody. As with all first-degree murder defendants in the commonwealth, he is being held without bail.

Body camera and surveillance footage showed Dial opening fire on Irizarry as he sat in his car on Willard Street in Kensington on Aug. 14.

Officials said Dial and his partner had been following Irizarry, who was driving erratically, and then got out of their police cruiser when Irizarry went the wrong way down Willard, a one-way street.

Prosecutors say within six seconds, Dial fired five shots through the closed driver's side window.

Dial's defense team contends the former officer was threatened and that while Irizarry was holding a knife in his car during the encounter, he believed he heard his partner say gun. Two knives were found in the car.

"The facts here are undeniable," attorney Brian McMonagle said. "Mark Dial did not commit a crime."

Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew threw out the case at a preliminary hearing last month, citing a "lack of evidence."

"You have the evidence all there," Zoraida Garcia, another aunt of Irizarry's, said. "The videos is all there. It was a murder that was committed. So I'm just grateful that she seen that today."

Irizarry's relatives were outraged over the judge's decision to drop the case and Dial was fired for insubordination.

Police changed their account of the shooting a day after reviewing body camera footage. Police initially said Irizarry was outside of his car and "lunged" at officers, but the footage showed Irizarry remained inside the vehicle with the windows rolled up during the shooting.

Ultimately Judge Ransom disagreed with the lower court judge and moved the case forward for trial, saying there are questions that need to be answered by either a jury or a trial judge.

Dial's defense team says their next move is to try to have a trial moved out of Philadelphia.

"We wanna try and get this case moved to a place where Mark could get a fair trial," McMonagle said. "Where the governing officials of the city aren't speaking out against him. Where people are not affecting the way the criminal justice system works."

Prosecutors declined to comment after the hearing.

Police searching for person of interest in Maine shootings, official says

Former FBI agent examines investigation into Maine mass shootings

At least 16 killed in shooting in Lewiston, Maine, law enforcement officials say
4:45 p.m. update: A jury has been selected and opening arguments will begin Thursday morning. Reporter Jeff Burlew reports that it appears seven women and eight men will be serving on the jury. That includes three alternates.

Original story

Jury selection continued for the third day on Wednesday in the murder trial of Charlie Adelson, who's accused of hiring the two hit men who killed law professor Dan Markel in 2014.

Josh Dubin, an attorney and jury consultant working with Adelson's legal team, spent the morning questioning 21 prospective jurors. Before he began peppering possible jurors with questions Tuesday afternoon, he acknowledged moments of levity earlier in the day in the courtroom. He then took a serious tone as he laid the groundwork for the defense's case.

To this man, this is no laughing matter," Dubin said of Adelson. "This man has pleaded not guilty, and with that plea, hes saying, I didnt do it. 

He asked whether any of them have ever had their phone calls recorded, sent an email or text that was misinterpreted or had a conversation that was overheard.

"Does anyone find it unusual that the wrong conclusion can be reached by listening to to people's conversations without actually knowing ... what they mean and what they're talking about?" Dubin asked.

Dubin also asked whether any of them had ever had a conversation that was overheard and "completely misunderstood." He questioned whether any of them would think it odd to keep large amounts of cash at home and whether any of them had a bias against wealthy people.

The questions dovetailed with facts in the case, from the FBI's secret recording of a conversation Adelson had in 2016 at the Dolce Vida restaurant in 2016 with a woman who was later convicted in the murder to wire taps of Adelson and his family.

Evaluate the evidence: Read the transcript and watch the video that prompted charges against Charlie Adelson

At the end of the questioning, roughly half the prospective jurors who had been questioned as a group were struck from the panel. Other individuals who had been summoned to serve were called into the jury box for another round of group questions from the prosecution and defense.

Later in the day, Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman asked a different round of jurors how they felt about the law that allows a person who planned a murder to be charged just the same as the person who pulled the trigger.

"Does that sit right with you?" she asked. "What are your feelings about that law?"

A couple of jurors expressed reservations about that, saying the planner may be less culpable than the shooter. However, another person said that in a murder, "those people should be charged equally."

It wasn't clear how much longer jury selection would last or whether opening statements could begin later Wednesday, though it appeared the Q&A with jurors would continue after their lunch break. Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett earlier told prospective jurors that the selection could last through Thursday.

Adelson is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the killing of Markel, who was shot in the head at close range on July 18, 2014, after pulling into the garage of his Trescott Drive home.

Investigators traced the murder to two Miami men, Luis Rivera, a Latin Kings gang leader, and his best friend, Sigfredo Garcia, who had rented a Toyota Prius in their name and driven to Tallahassee to carry out the hit. The two men, along with Katherine Magbanua, the mother of Garcia's children who was dating Adelson at the time, have all been convicted in the murder.

Prosecutors say the murder stemmed from a messy divorce and ongoing child-custody battles between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who is the defendant's younger sister.

In other developments, on Tuesday, the defense asked for a change of venue for the trial, arguing that extensive publicity would preclude a fair trial in Tallahassee. Everett ruled against the request.

Pre-trial primer: FSU professor Dan Markel's killing: Everything to know about the murder-for-hire case

Analysis: Walkthrough of witnesses making the case for, against Charlie Adelson

GAVEL-TO-GAVEL COVERAGE: The Tallahassee Democrat will livestream each day of the trial of Charlie Adelson from the courthouse in Tallahassee. Watch on Tallahassee.com and the Tallahassee Democrat's Facebook and YouTube pages. For best viewing experience: Download the Tallahassee Democrat app to watch and receive text alerts on when to watch  from opening arguments to the verdict. The judge has directed that their be no camera feed or livestream during jury selection.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Dan Markel murder: Jury selection on Day 3 for Charlie Adelson trial
A Palestinian American woman whose 6-year-old son was killed in what police are calling a hate crime in unincorporated Plainfield Township has asked the public to pray for peace as she recuperates from her injuries.

Hanaan Shahin issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the groups executive director a day earlier. The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal Oct. 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face.

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Authorities said the familys landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.

Six-year-old Wadea al-Fayoume was stabbed to death at his home on Oct. 14, 2023. (Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations)

[ Vigil held for 6-year-old Palestinian boy killed in alleged hate crime in Plainfield ]

Pray for peace, Shahin said, thanking authorities, doctors and others. She was released from the hospital last week and has declined interviews with reporters.

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Shahin, who works as a caregiver to seniors, lost her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in the attack that has contributed to fears about rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. In Illinois alone in the past week, a suburban man was charged with a hate crime in an assault against two Muslims and an Islamic day school canceled class after receiving threats.

Joseph Czuba, 71, faces murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges. He is due in court next week. Czubas attorney, George Lenard, released a statement last week via the Will County Public Defenders Office saying he would not comment on the case beyond what is presented in the courtroom.

Shahin, who was hospitalized during her sons funeral, remembered him as an intelligent and funny child who cared about the planet and liked to join her in prayers.

She said she felt comforted remembering her son as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven.

She added, He was my best friend.
Pedro Argote, the Maryland man suspected of executing a divorce judge hours after losing custody of his kids, controlled every aspect of his familys life, surveilling them with in-house cameras and beating them, according to testimony reviewed by the Associated Press. Argote, 49, is still on the run after allegedly shooting Judge Andrew Wilkinson in his driveway on Oct. 19, just hours after Wilkinson characterized Argotes treatment of his family as shocking. Argotes ex-wife testified that he would stuff a towel into their crying babys mouth, and that he carried a gun as he constantly surveilled her. His oldest daughter made similar claims, saying Argote was watching my every move through cameras. The women said Argote was abusive, beating them with whatever [object] he had close by. Before ruling Argote was to have no contact with his family, Wilkinson called him abusive in multiple ways. Argote, who fled after the alleged murder, remains at-large.

Read it at Associated Press

Read more at The Daily Beast.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense called the U.S. the worlds biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability in a scathing rebuttal Wednesday of a Pentagon analysis of Chinese military threats.

The Pentagon report, released last week, claims that China is growing its nuclear arsenal more quickly than previously believed. U.S officials said the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) could have as many as 1,000 warheads by 2030.

Over the next decade, the PRC will continue to rapidly modernize, diversify, and expand its nuclear forces, the report reads. Compared to the PLAs nuclear modernization efforts a decade ago, current efforts dwarf previous attempts in both scale and complexity.

The Chinese military officials denounced the U.S. report as false on Wednesday and shot back at U.S. threats and military activity worldwide.

The U.S. has sent depleted uranium munitions and cluster bombs to Ukraine, sent its carrier battle groups to the Mediterranean and weapons and munitions to Israel, is this the so-called gospel the human rights defender is bringing to the area? Wu Qian, the spokesperson for Chinas defense ministry, said.

U.S.-China relations have deteriorated in recent years between a Congress increasingly focused on the country and Beijings more overt threats to Taiwan  which China claims as its own territory.

The U.S. has upped its military support for Taiwan amid the fallout with China, including a first-of-its-kind $80 million direct military transfer in August, which a Chinese government spokesman said the country deplores.

President Biden requested $2 billion for security in the region as part of his $100 billion budget supplement request last week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
What Chinas mysterious sackings of top ministers mean for Xi Jinpings grip on power

Chinas recent dismissal of its defence minister without any explanation, as it prepared to host foreign defence officials in Beijing, has mystified observers who believe the move could allow for high-level military talks resuming with the US.

Following two months of unexplained absence, General Li Shangfu was fired as defence minister on Tuesday. Mr Li was the second highest official to be fired after wolf-warrior Qin Gang was removed from the foreign ministers post in July.

The firings of two top public figures, who were reportedly handpicked by Xi Jinping, have raised questions about the presidents absolute hold on the Communist Party as he marched through a precedent-breaking third term as the head of state.

Mr Xi has a reputation for valuing loyalty above all and has in the past relentlessly attacked corruption in public and private. It has been seen as a method of eliminating political rivals and shoring up his political position while the economy deteriorates and tensions rise with the US over trade, technology and Taiwan.

The abrupt changes in Chinas top brass at a time when the countrys economic growth is sluggish have been a concern.

So far no replacement for Mr Li has been named even as the country prepared to host foreign defence officials at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on 29-31 October.

The 65-year-old was last seen in public on 19 August and was reportedly under investigation for suspected corruption related to equipment procurement and development, according to Reuters.

The Chinese president has a reputation for valuing loyalty above all (AP)

Mr Li was promoted to the job only in March and will go down in history as the shortest-serving Chinese defence minister to date. He was sanctioned by the US in 2018 over Beijings purchase of combat aircraft and equipment from Russia  a move that prompted China to cut off contacts with the US military.

China also sacked finance minister Liu Kun, and appointed Lan Foan in his place, news agency PTI reported. Before Mr Lan was appointed to the post, he was the Communist Party chief of the finance ministry. The National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp parliament, also removed minister of science and technology, Wang Zhigang, and appointed Yin Hejun in his place.

Observers believe Mr Lis removal could allow for the resumption of high-level military talks with the US, which have been suspended as relations between the two nations soured. Mr Li had refused to meet his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, at a Singapore defence summit earlier this year.

This is damaging to Xi Jinpings personal image, but it will not impact his hold on power, Deng Yuwen, a US-based independent Chinese political commentator, told NPR.

According to him, the swift removal of the two men who were considered to be close with Mr Xi reflected poorly on the presidents decision-making abilities.

Their dismissal also showed that the power was concentrated under Mr Xi and how the Chinese Communist Party has become even more opaque, because one top leader can appoint or dismiss a person based on his impression from just one conversation, he told the broadcaster.

Having had his ideology, known as Xi Jinping Thought, enshrined in the party constitution and with the abolishment of presidential term limits, Mr Xi has structured the system so that he may stay in power for the rest of his life.

The 70-year-old also headed the party and state committees overseeing the Peoples Liberation Army, the worlds largest standing military with more than two million personnel on active duty.

Qin Gang was removed from the foreign ministers post in July (Getty)

Along with dealing with what appeared to be internal political issues, the ruling party is struggling to revive an economy that has been severely impacted by the draconian zero-Covid measures and an ageing population.

High unemployment among college graduates and a movement of many of its wealthiest to more liberal societies abroad have added to the countrys economic woes.

Considered a protege of the Chinese president, Mr Qin had served less than a year before he disappeared from public view and was replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi. Disappearances of politicians, celebrities, and rights activists, often forced, are common in China.

While no formal explanation was issued by the party, the Wall Street Journal cited sources alleging that Mr Qin the former minister had an extramarital affair while he was ambassador to the US.

Secrecy is the default position of the Communist Party anyway, but it has been put on steroids under Xi, Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, was quoted by the Atlantic as saying.

China also announced that Mr Li and Mr Qin have been stripped of their state councillor positions. The Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress approved the removal of both men, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

That virtually assures the end of their political careers, although it remains unclear whether they will face prosecution or other legal sanctions.

(Additional inputs from agencies)
Two more nations just signed on to help China build its moon base.

Pakistan and Belarus have come aboard the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a China-led project that will be constructed in the 2030s, if all goes according to plan.

Belarus announced its involvement on Monday (Oct. 23), while Pakistan's became known late last week.

Related: Not just Artemis: China and Russia plan to put boots on the moon, too

There are now seven nations in the ILRS coalition, according to SpaceNews: China, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Venezuela and South Africa.

The latter five countries aren't exactly space heavyweights, but technical contributions aren't the only criteria that China is interested in.

"Pakistan does not have its own launch capabilities  it depends on China for that  and Pakistan has only three active satellites on orbit, while China has over 800," Victoria Samson, Washington office director for the nonprofit Secure World Foundation, told SpaceNews in an email.

"So in terms of it contributing substantively to the ILRS, I'm not entirely certain it will have a lot of technical things to add," she added. "But there is something to be said for political support, and it is a statement endorsing China's moon plans if nothing else."

RELATED STORIES:

 Here's what China's 1st moon landing with astronauts might look like (video)

 China's next moon missions get the green light

 China working on new moon rover for 2026 mission to lunar south pole

NASA is building a moon coalition of its own, via a set of agreements known as the Artemis Accords. The Accords lay out guidelines for responsible and peaceful lunar exploration, which the American space agency is undertaking via its Artemis program.

Twenty-nine nations have signed the Artemis Accords to date, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

One of the Artemis program's main goals is the construction of one or more bases near the moon's south pole, which is thought to be rich in water ice, by the end of the 2020s. The skills and lessons learned in doing so will help NASA get astronauts to Mars by the late 2030s or early 2040s, agency officials have said.
(Bloomberg) -- China has called its probe into Foxconn Technology Group a routine police matter, in its first official comments on the inquiry into Apple Inc.s most important partner.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The probes into whether companies are abiding by laws are normal law-enforcement activities, and in line with laws and regulations, said Zhu Fenglian , spokeswoman for the government department in Beijing that handles ties with Taiwan.

Still, Zhu hinted at the briefing on Wednesday that the inquiry may involve aspects beyond the business realm, saying that while Taiwan businesses enjoy growth on the mainland, they should also assume corresponding social responsibilities and play a more active role in promoting peaceful development of cross-strait ties.

China would continue to support Taiwan businesses to invest and operate on the mainland, she added.

Chinese state media said over the weekend that regulators are conducting tax audits and reviewing land use by Foxconn, the Taiwanese company that makes the vast majority of iPhones at factories in China.

Read: China Rattles Foreign Firms With New Arrests, Foxconn Probe

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Foxconns public arm, said it will collaborate with authorities. Shares of Hon Hai and its unit, Foxconn Industrial Internet Co., tumbled on the news, at one point losing about $9 billion in value.

China usually doesnt explain the actions of its regulators, leaving companies with operations in the country guessing at the ultimate goals of the government, and theres been speculation that the Foxconn probe is politically motivated.

Foxconn billionaire founder Terry Gou resigned from the companys board last month as he campaigns to become president of Taiwan. Gou, who hasnt had a public engagement since Monday, previously dismissed claims he would be susceptible to Chinese pressure, if he won Januarys election. He trails the top three candidates in polls.

See: Terry Gous Presidential Ambition Costs Foxconn $9 Billion

China has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control eventually, by force if thats what it takes. Cross-strait relations have been so frosty in recent years that the government of Chinese leader Xi Jinping has severed high-level communication with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen over her refusal to say that the democracy of 23 million people is part of China.

When responding to a separate question on Wednesday, Zhu said that Beijing is not intervening in Taiwans election, which will be held in January. Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te has been leading polls in the race to succeed Tsai, who must step down due to term limits.

More: Jack Ma, Terry Gou and the Price of China Jibes: Tech Daily

--With assistance from Debby Wu.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
A trio of Chinese astronauts, led by Tang Hongbo, will head to the Tiangong space station (Pedro PARDO)

China will send its youngest-ever crew of astronauts to the Tiangong space station this week, officials said Wednesday, as Beijing pursues plans for a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade.

Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space programme, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit.

The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months.

The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 am (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest.

"It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement.

The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station.

"Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added.

Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages.

The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched.

"According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space programme, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing.

It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added.

- 'Space dream' -

Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping.

The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space programme in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia.

In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success".

That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit.

That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday.

Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface.

Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realised as scheduled".

- Lunar plans -

The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit.

That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017.

Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first.

Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth the first lunar samples in four decades.

And the final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year.

The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system".

The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometres (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years.

pfc/oho/lb
BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is willing to cooperate with the United States as both sides manage their differences and work together to respond to global challenges, according to Chinese state media.

Whether or not the United States and China could establish the "right" way of getting along would be crucial to the world, Xi said in a letter delivered at an annual dinner of New York-headquartered National Committee on United States-China Relations.

Xi's call for more stable bilateral ties, which he says should be built on the principles of "mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation", comes before a key visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington later this week.

The trip from Thursday through Saturday by the top Chinese diplomat will be the highest-level in-person engagement ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi in San Francisco at the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Several top U.S. officials including U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing this summer.

Washington's top priority has been to ensure the intense competition between the world's two biggest economies and their disagreements over a host of issues from trade to Taiwan and the South China Sea does not veer into conflict.

"Chinese observers believe the visit (by Wang) will pave the way for a possible meeting between the heads of the two states but added that Washington needs to make concrete efforts to address Beijing's concerns and show its sincerity," China's state-controlled Global Times wrote in a commentary.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
China has launched investigations into Taiwan's Foxconn over its land use in mainland China.

Experts say the move against the key Apple supplier may be politically motivated.

The inquiries show Beijing prioritizes politics over the economy, an expert in Chinese politics said.

Even Foxconn, China's largest private-sector employer, isn't immune from Beijing's whims.

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is a huge contributor to China's employment and economic growth. It employs 800,000 people in China. Thanks to the company's economic importance, it has thus far enjoyed tax breaks and favorable land-use levies in China.

But over the weekend, Chinese media reported that Foxconn  the key Apple iPhone supplier based in Taiwan  is under tax audits and investigations into its land use.

The timing of the government's announcement is significant: It comes just about 11 weeks before Taiwan's presidential elections, which are slated to occur in January. And Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Foxconn, is one of the candidates eyeing the presidency.

In an exchange filing on Sunday, Foxconn said it would cooperate with the investigation.

'All the hallmarks of a political crackdown'

Given that the inquiries into Foxconn came just months before Taiwan's elections, experts on Chinese politics have said the move is likely politically motivated.

Beijing claims Taiwan as China's territory, but the island is self-ruled. The current Taiwanese government is the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, which is seen as independence-leaning  a position that is unacceptable to China.

Beijing doesn't appear to have signaled its preferred candidate for Taiwan's top job this time. But Gou's participation in the presidential election could split opposition votes and help DPP win the race, analysts say. Gou is joining a crowded race with three other candidates so far: frontrunner William Lai from the ruling DPP, whom Beijing views as a separatist, KMT's Hou Yu-ih, and former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party.

Anna Ashton, a China expert at the risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told Gzero Media that Beijing is likely concerned that Gou is "dividing the KMT voter base and making it less likely that anyone other than Lai can win." KMT, or Kuomintang, is Taiwan's main opposition party. KMT traditionally leans toward a close relationship with China  and Beijing has been advocating a "peaceful reunification" with the self-ruled island.

And as Gabriel Wildau, the managing director at Teneo Holdings, a New York-based advisory firm, told Bloomberg on Monday, "The actions against Foxconn have all the hallmarks of a political crackdown. This kind of concerted action in multiple provinces would almost certainly need to be approved by top party leaders."

However, on Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press briefing that mainland authorities conduct compliance investigations on "all enterprises equally" in accordance with the law. She also called on Taiwanese firms in the country to assume "social responsibilities" while reaping profits from their businesses on the mainland.

Sacrificing the economy for political gains

China's investigation into Foxconn could also be Beijing's expression of displeasure over the company's move to expand some of its supply chains outside China, Dongshu Liu, an assistant professor specializing in Chinese politics at the City University of Hong Kong, told Insider.

And since the latest actions against Foxconn and WPP came on the back of China's crackdown on foreign businesses in the country this year  with raids of the offices of the WPP-owned media agency GroupM over the weekend  external investors are spooked, he added.

Given how important Foxconn is to China's economy, it's a sign that Beijing is willing to make some sacrifices in its economy for political reasons, Liu said.

"In the past, it was thought that because China wants to have sustained economic growth, it was willing to compromise and wouldn't do something that's politically damaging. But if you think about the last few years, they've been sending terrifying signals, and they know that," Liu said, citing COVID-19 lockdowns, as well as crackdowns on tech and the private-tutoring industries, which have battered growth.

China's economy is in tatters

China's economy has struggled to recover after nearly three years of on-off COVID-19 lockdowns.

China's gross domestic product grew by only 3% in 2022  the worst growth in nearly half a century. While the country's economy grew at a better-than-expected rate of 4.9% in the third quarter year over year, it faces significant headwinds from a property crisis and record-high youth unemployment rates.

Insider's Linette Lopez reported recently that China's leader, Xi Jinping, is concerned with power and national security more than the economy and not rushing to rescue embattled property developers and beaten-down private enterprises.

"This isn't about the economy anymore. It's all about advanced technology and weaponry," Lee Miller, the founder of the economic surveyor China Beige Book, told Lopez.

Liu echoed this sentiment, saying Xi's administration has its own agenda which placed political priorities higher than economic goals.

The Chinese government is continuing to support the private sector and encourage foreign investment, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, DC told Insider.

"It is also worth mentioning that businesses or individuals need to abide by local laws of their host countries. This holds true anywhere in this world," the spokesperson added. "China is a law-based country and rule of law is an important element of a sound business environment. "

A spokesperson for Gou declined to comment to Insider beyond saying that he no longer held any management or board positions at Foxconn.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The flags of the United States and China fly in Boston

By Bernard Orr

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's defence ministry on Wednesday denounced the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on China, saying it distorts the country's security policy and military strategy.

Over the next decade, the People's Republic of China will rapidly modernise, diversify, and expand its nuclear forces, the Pentagon said in its report to U.S. Congress, laying out China's national ambitions, including its defence policy and military strategies.

The Pentagon said China has more than 500 nuclear warheads and will probably have more than 1,000 warheads by 2030. The report said China would use new fast-breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons, despite publicly saying the technologies are intended for peaceful purposes.

"We express our strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to this report," Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said in a statement, adding that it "exaggerates and hypes the non-existent 'Chinese military threat'".

Wu said the development of China's armed forces is aimed at containing the threat of war, safeguarding its own security and safeguarding world peace, and is not aimed at any specific country or target.

China and the United States have recently traded barbs over global and national security concerns, military interactions in the South China Sea and over Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.

The Pentagon said in 2022 that China "amplified diplomatic, political, and military pressure against Taiwan".

"The so-called report on China's military power released by the United States is full of all kinds of wrong content, including the statement on the Taiwan issue," a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

Calling the military-to-military relationship an important part of Sino-U.S. relations, the Defence Ministry's Wu said, "we maintain frank and effective communication with the United States through military diplomacy".

But he added the difficulties and obstacles facing relations between the two militaries are created by the United States.

"The United States pretends to be confused, while doing things that harm China's security interests, but at the same time shouting that it wants to manage the crisis and strengthen communication," Wu said.

The latest exchange between the two countries comes days before China hosts foreign defence officials at the 10th Xiangshan Forum in Beijing from Oct. 29 to 31.

The United States accepted China's invitation after China turned down a meeting a few months ago between the two countries' defence chiefs.

(Reporting by Bernard Orr; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
TechCrunch

Apple has warned over a half dozen Indian lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main opposition of their iPhones being targets of state-sponsored attacks, these people said Tuesday, in a serious digital espionage charge just months ahead of next year's general elections. Rahul Gandhi, Indian opposition leader, said in a media briefing Tuesday that his team had received the said alert from Apple. Shashi Tharoor, a key figure from the Congress party; Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party; Mahua Moitra, a national representative from the All India Trinamool Congress; and Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena, a party with notable influence in Maharashtra reported that they too had been notified by Apple regarding a potential security attack on their iPhones.
A woman was injured Tuesday evening after she was struck by a man driving on DuSable Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive near Buckingham Fountain in the Loop, authorities said.

The 23-year-old woman was struck in the northbound lanes near the 500 block of South DuSable Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive just before 5:30 p.m., police said in a statement. The vehicle was described as a silver 2019 GMC pick up truck.

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The woman was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and is in fair condition, police said Wednesday.

Chicago police had previously said the woman died from her injuries.

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Authorities closed northbound DuSable Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive near the collision scene. The major accidents investigation unit is handling the incident.
Practicing one particular Chinese martial art could help curb symptoms and complications of Parkinsons disease for several years, according to a new study.

Regular practice of Tai Chi, which involves sequences of very slow controlled movements, is linked with slower progression of the debilitating neuro-degenerative condition, with patients likely to require lower doses of drugs over time, according to the research published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Parkinsons disease is a progressive disorder affecting nerves and muscles, characterised by slowness of movement, resting tremor and stiff and inflexible muscles.

It is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, with two people in the UK diagnosed with the disease every hour, according to Parkinsons UK.

There are still no cures for the condition and while drugs can improve symptoms, they dont treat all manifestations of the disease.

Previous research had hinted that Tai Chi may have some positive effects on Parkinsons patients, but whether this can be sustained over a long term isnt known.

In the new study, scientists, including those from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, monitored two groups of patients with Parkinsons disease for more than five years from January 2016 to June 2021.

Disease severity, medication use, age and education level were found to be similar in both the groups.

One group of 147 patients practised Tai Chi twice a week for an hour, while another group of 187 patients continued with their standard care, but didnt practise the martial art.

Doctors monitored disease severity and progression in all the participants as well as their increases in the need for medication at the start of the monitoring period and in November 2019, October 2020 and June 2021.

The extent of movement, mood, sleep quality and cognition as well other symptoms like the prevalence of complications like involuntary movement (dyskinesia), abnormal muscle tone (dystonia), hallucinations and restless leg syndrome were also tracked.

Scientists found that disease progression was slower at all monitoring points in the Tai Chi group, as assessed by three validated scales to assess overall symptoms, movement and balance.

They also found that the number of patients who needed to increase their medication in the comparison group was significantly higher than it was in the Tai Chi group.

Researchers said cognitive function deteriorated more slowly in the Tai Chi group, while sleep and quality of life also continuously improved.

However, scientists acknowledge that the study is observational and cant establish cause and effect.

Citing another limitation of the research, they said the number of study participants was relatively small.

Our study has shown that Tai Chi retains the long-term beneficial effect on [Parkinsons disease], indicating the potential disease-modifying effects on both motor and non-motor symptoms, especially gait, balance, autonomic symptoms and cognition, scientists concluded.
GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie said former President Trump should be concerned after former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly secured an immunity deal to testify before a grand jury in the election interference case.

Desperately worried, Christie told CNNs Wolf Blitzer when asked how worried Trump should be after the ABC News report.

If the person you call the next James Baker is now testifying that you were lying to the American people about the election results from election night forward, which is reportedly what Mark Meadows is testifying, and that you knew all along that what you were saying was not backed up by the facts, Donald Trump is in very, very big trouble, Christie added.

ABC News reported on the deal struck between Meadows and special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday. The outlet said the former chief of staff testified before a grand jury empaneled to hear evidence in the case on at least three separate occasions.

He reportedly told the grand jury that after the 2020 election, he consistently advised Trump that his claims of widespread fraud were baseless. If true, this would contradict what the former president has argued since he lost the election to President Biden.

Christie said the walls are closing in on Trump with this news, coupled with his former lawyers who have taken plea deals in the Georgia election case.

And Mark Meadows was, as you know well, Donald Trumps shadow the entire time he was chief of staff, the former New Jersey governor said. He will know every conversation, every lie, every illegal action that was taken by Donald Trump. And, hes gonna be able to testify to it.

Jenna Ellis became the third former Trump campaign attorney to make a plea agreement with prosecutors in the case Tuesday. Scott Hall, a former bail bond business owner, also reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in the case.

Christie warned these latest developments could turn Republican voters away from Trump in the New Hampshire and Iowa primaries. However, Trump has maintained a strong lead in the polls and remains the Republican Partys front-runner in the 2024 race.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ever since the rise of Donald Trump , many folks involved in politics have theorized about how we got here  and done a little introspection about whether anyone could have stopped him.

But my assumption is that there are three people alive today who probably do more what if thinking about Trumps rise than anyone else: Barack Obama (Trumps immediate predecessor), Hillary Clinton (Trumps general election foe in 2016) and Mitt Romney (the last GOP nominee before Trump).

Why those three above anyone else? They were all, in some ways, the last three guardians at the gate  or obstacles, depending on your point of view  before Trump and his forces stormed it.

Im not in the camp that believes Trump was an inevitable result of the election of the first Black president, but Obamas election did unleash some forces in the country that, perhaps, we all naively thought were dead. It turns out they were simply dormant.

But Obama has never publicly addressed many of the key questions he must have about Trumps election. And for all we know, we may never get his true thoughts about whether there is anything he could have done to prevent Trumps rise. Did he read the political landscape incorrectly in falling in line behind the conventional wisdom that Clinton was electable? Did he not make a political calculation  and simply got behind Clinton out of respect and belief she was the best person to do the job? Was any part of it born out of loyalty for both her and her husbands eventually getting behind him in 2008, as well as for the help Bill Clinton gave him in 2012?

As for Hillary Clintons what if conversations with herself, we can speculate about whether she regrets not running for president in 2004, the year I will always believe was her best shot at the White House. Then theres the campaign in 2016 and various tactical decisions, whether they were campaigning in Michigan and Wisconsin too little and too late, the wasted effort to contest Texas, her running mate pick  or the fact that her campaign lacked a clear vision of what she wanted to do as president, beyond succeeding Obama. Then theres the question of whether the real issue with her candidacy was not her gender but her last name and the baggage of her husband's moral failings. Again, its not clear we will ever know for sure what she was thinking at various points of her quest for the presidency.

While we can speculate and guess what Obama and Clinton have thought over the years about their own actions and decisions along the road to the Trump presidency, we dont have to guess with Romney.

It turns out that Romney kept a journal of many of his innermost thoughts. And more important, he turned it all over to journalist McKay Coppins of The Atlantic, who has turned those thoughts and more into the new book Romney: A Reckoning.

Its a perfectly titled book, because a self-reckoning is exactly what Coppins has culled from the voluminous emails, memos and journal entries Romney turned over to him  many of which he hadnt reread for years.

For someone like me, who started to cover campaign politics professionally in 1992, it means I now have an idea of exactly what Romney was thinking throughout his entire political career, starting with his first run for office in 1994, when he unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.

Its rare to get this kind of honest portrayal of a significant political figure while said figure is still alive. Its a tribute to Romney that he chose to let a journalist do the work instead of edit or revise his memory for his own memoir.

Obviously, the heart of the book is his chronicling of the end of the modern Republican Party. And its clear Romney is trying to figure out how that happened. What did he miss over the years? Could he or anyone else have done something different to keep voters from falling for a person he saw as a con artist who had no interest in or respect for the U.S. Constitution or for democracy?

In short, its a book that should serve as a warning to anyone who believes in ends justifies the means politicking. Because at its core, thats what this book showcases: how the ends justifies the means mindset broke the GOP to the point its now in bed with Trump.

The book does a great job of re-chronicling key points in Romneys political life using his thoughts at the time, coupled with his remembrances in subsequent interviews with the author.

There are small examples Romney now realizes were signs that the GOP base was being weaponized by the us-vs.-them mentality. In one anecdote from the 2008 campaign, Romney recounts his thoughts about the GOPs once-frequent talking point about doing away with the countrys inheritance tax laws, known in conservative circles as the death tax.

Romney admitted: It was one of those things you say because you dont know what youre talking about when youre first running for president. What really struck Romney as odd was why the crowd would cheer so hard for the denunciation of the so-called death tax, because it was unlikely any single person in the crowd would be affected by it. He now realizes the answer: It was a grim kind of team loyalty  this is what my side is for, so this is what I support. It all felt so absurd in that moment, so bleak. He chose not to dwell on the thought too long.

This was perhaps a small example of how the professional class thought of the GOP base: as useful supporters of what the rich elite wanted for their own selfish reasons. Talking points were created to preach to partisan audiences, even though the policy had no impact on their lives.

Romneys 2012 campaign, in hindsight, was a clear example of his doing or saying whatever it took to get the nomination and the presidency  an ends justifies the means campaign. The decision to court Trump and seek his endorsement is clearly something Romney now regrets.

Ironically, he knew then it was a bad idea, but he didnt fully know why. He saw Trump as silly and a distraction, and he even admitted, at times, to finding him entertaining. But Romney didnt fully believe his embrace was somehow mainstreaming him for the future. Romney assumed, like many of us, that Trump was a celebrity the party had to mollify because he was gaining so much popularity online. In the moment, it was simply something he thought he had to do to win the election.

Whats striking, in this section of the book, is the introspection Romney was undertaking about that campaign in real time. By the fall of the campaign, he clearly didnt like the campaign he was running. He lamented the lack of a message beyond replacing Obama, and he was frustrated that he did what he vowed hed never do: let some out-of-context comment haunt his campaign (like a comment about brainwashing during the Vietnam War did to his fathers White House bid in 1968).

The fallout over Romneys comments calling 47% of the country takers, from a leaked recording of a high-dollar fundraiser, sent him spiraling to the point that he asked his own campaign manager whether he should drop out of the race. He apparently was quite serious.

To think that in back-to-back presidential campaigns, leaked audio in the fall of the general election became a huge important event. Romney was so distraught over it he thought he should drop out. Of course, Trump was only more defiant following the Access Hollywood tape leak. If you needed a stark example of the difference between the characters of these two men, their own reactions to the leaked audio are a good one.

There may be no better avatar for the ends justifies the means mentality than Romneys interactions and takes on Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Romney is clearly torn on McConnell. The more he has watched McConnell manage the Senates egos, the more impressed he is. In Romneys telling, McConnell tries to protect his incumbents, even if he doesnt agree with them or even like them. His only rule seems to be dont make it personal with another senator in public. That quality probably explains McConnells staying power inside the conference. As top-down as the public thinks he is, McConnell is clearly pretty good at making every one of his senators feel heard and feel consequential.

But McConnell is the ultimate political survivor, and in some ways, this book serves as a reminder of just how much surviving is McConnells North Star.

During the first Trump impeachment, Romney was always intent on taking his role as a juror very seriously. Given his background in management consulting and in corporate fix-ups, doing a thorough investigation of what happened was second nature to him. It struck him as odd that no one in the Senate GOP seemed to want to know the truth of what happened with Trump and the Ukraine aid and the role Rudy Giuliani had been playing in trying to muddy up the Bidens.

But McConnell explained his thinking to Romney when he was trying to persuade him not to vote with Democrats to allow for witnesses and a more thorough investigation during the impeachment trial. McConnell explained that several vulnerable members of their caucus were up for reelection, and that a prolonged, polarizing Senate trial would force them to take tough votes that risked alienating their constituents, according to the book. McConnell, in Romneys telling, didnt bother defending Trumps actions. Instead, he argued that protecting the GOPs Senate majority was a matter of vital national importance.

Even more confounding about the McConnell-led pressure campaign is that later on, after the House impeachment managers finished their presentation on Trump, McConnell would tell Romney that Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California and company nailed him. Romney was surprised to hear that from McConnell, who rarely seems to reveal what hes really thinking to anyone. So, to probe McConnell further, Romney parried, Well, the defense will say that Trump was just investigating corruption by the Bidens. Replied McConnell, If you believe that, Ive got a bridge I can sell you.

(McConnell told Coppins that he doesnt remember the conversation and that he doesnt recall thinking that way at the time.)

We already know that McConnell is on the record believing Trump was worthy of conviction in his second impeachment and that the only reason he voted to acquit was that Trump was no longer in office.

But now we know McConnell made that decision even after having believed that the Democrats proved their case against Trump during the first impeachment.

Thats a recurring theme in the book, starting somewhere around the spring of 2016, when Romney was trying to find any willing Republicans to get on board the stop Trump at any price campaign. Every time he tried to muster a collective will among disgusted Republicans, theyd flinch for fear of retribution. In McConnells case, he has made it quite clear that hed rather keep the party united with Trump and his acolytes in it than try to clean up the party and get rid of that element.

The question now is whether its still possible to revive the pre-Trump Republican Party. As Romney chronicles, its not like that version of the GOP was all that popular, which may explain Romneys loss in 2012. But whats clear in this book is what Romney thought the Republican Party should represent: fiscal conservatism, free trade, lighter government regulation (on both economic and social issues), lower taxes and a robust national defense.

He has never been animated by the culture wars, which clearly reflects his upbringing. Romney is the avatar of the business-centric Republican who saw the partys role as managing and guiding the country more than trying reprogram it. Trump has turned the party in the opposite direction of what Romney was advocating: He has never cared about fiscal issues (dont touch entitlements is his mantra), hes no free-trader, and he certainly doesnt believe the U.S. should play the role of leader of the free world.

Watching the mess that is the Republican-controlled House right now, its clear this is a party that doesnt know its own identity beyond Trump.

Romney has a theory that is clearly out of step with where Trump and others in the cultural conservative camp have led the party. Hes clearly concerned that Trumps lack of interest in or reverence for democracy is having a trickle-down effect on the base of the party  and that his cult-of-personality-driven campaigns are spiraling the party closer to either irrelevance (if it continues to lose) or worse, authoritarianism (if Trump gets power again).

Right now, its hard to see how Romney fits in Trumps Republican Party. This book may be seen as the obituary or epilogue for the pre-Trump GOP. The question is whether the various folks whom Romney frequently cites in his journals as secretly loathing Trump ever come around publicly. Right now, fear of primary voters is the single biggest driving force dictating why elected Republicans do what they do when it comes to Trump. If Trump loses again, does the calculus change, or is it simply too late?

This book, and Romneys decision to let it all be public, is his attempt to sound the alarm one last time before its too late to save the GOP from itself.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Second Harvest of the Big Bend CEO Monique Ellsworth (right) guides representatives from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others through her organizations headquarters on Monday, October 23, 2023, in Tallahassee, Florida. church has contributed several times to the food banks mission. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

By donating close to $1 million to a Tallahassee, Florida, food bank called Second Harvest of the Big Bend, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is addressing the food crisis in the state.

The recent destruction from Hurricane Idalia near the Big Bend region of Florida prompted the church to send thousands of volunteers to aid in relief efforts. This brought to light a great need for food security in the 16 counties in the region.

One out of every three children in the Tallahassee region does not have consistent access to healthy, nutritious food, said Monique Ellsworth, Second Harvests chief executive officer, per a church release.

With the churchs donation, Second Harvest of Big Bend is nearly doubling the amount of food distributed each year, creating 8.2 million more meals than before, the church reported.

Its not the first time the church has donated to the organization. Previous donations included:

Four semi-trucks worth of food from the Bishops Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City.

40,000 pounds of food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of that money will also be used to create an impact center to teach nutritional education and self-reliance courses to the public.

Ellsworth invited church leaders and other guests to tour the facility on Tuesday. Among them was Elder Vern P. Stanfill, who is the president of the North American Southeast Area for the church.

We strive to answer that calling as we seek to join efforts with organizations like Second Harvest of Big Bend, who serve on the front lines of poverty blessing those in need, said Elder Stanfill.

He said that the guiding star of the churchs humanitarian efforts, such as whats going on in Florida, is the desire to fulfill Christs commandment of loving your neighbor.

Food insecurity has been steadily increasing, said Ellsworth, and we need more organizations like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to recognize the growing need and ask, How can I help?

Related

Where else is the church alleviating the global food crisis?

In 2022, the church also contributed $32 million to the World Food Program, which feeds 1.6 million people in nine different countries each year. The organization has most recently helped those on the ground in Gaza.

The group posted on social media about the impact these funds made, calling the relationship a partnership with an impact.

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ARLINGTON, Texas - As fans gear up for the games, the City of Arlington is preparing to welcome thousands of people for the World Series.

Restaurants, bars and hotels will be booked through the weekend.

From big businesses to small, all are expected to benefit.

"The Rangers have methodically worked with our local business community," said Michael Jacobson, the President of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

Jacobson says the national stage is perfect to show people what Arlington has to offer.

"We are the best place to come see sports in the country," he said.

Jacobson says Arlington in 2023 is much better equipped than the Rangers' last World Series appearance 12 years ago.

He says the city has executed its vision as a city sitting between Dallas and Fort Worth, which included the construction of Texas Live and the new Loews Hotel.

"When a big event like this comes along we tap into what we normally do," said Jacobson. "There will be parties and events all over Arlington and host the people and provide a great time, as well as people in Arlington, to celebrate our team."

While the party plans are still in the works Arlington Police have been preparing security strategies for weeks.

"Weve been planning, speculating potential game dates and outcomes just so we can have staff in place, traffic plans in place ahead of time," said Deputy Chief Brook Rollins with the Arlington Police Department.

There will be an increase in police presence all weekend.

Globe Life Field and venues like Texas Live will also hire their own security personnel.

MLB's security group is also heavily involved.

"Obviously we havent hosted a World Series in quite some time, but we have our plans from the last time we hosted a World Series to look at and review. Look at what worked and what didnt," said Rollins.

The City of Arlington says in addition to the home games, they are planning for watch parties at Globe Life Field and Texas Live for the away games.
Leeds City College has had to increase class sizes to accommodate some 600 additional students resitting GCSEs this year

Colleges in England say they are having to expand class sizes and hire exam halls to cope with a rising number of pupils taking compulsory GCSE resits.

Some are rehiring former teachers, according to the Association of Colleges (AoC), as an extra 60,000 students prepare to resit English and maths, many of them in two weeks' time.

Changes to grading this year meant a higher proportion of students failed.

The government says it is investing more money in colleges.

Under-18s in England have to retake GCSE English and maths if they did not get at least a grade 4 - a pass.

The resits can take place in the autumn or the summer.

Hayden, 16, has two weeks to go until he sits his maths GCSE exams again after the first time did not go to plan.

"I was hoping for a pass because I had lots of revision building up to it. When I got a 3 I wasn't too disappointed because when I did my mocks, which was just before, I got a 1," he said.

Hayden is dividing his time between his level 2 public service course and resit classes at Leeds City College. He hopes extra revision sessions over half term can get him over the line.

"Angles and ratios are probably the things I'm struggling on the most," he said.

"People should have a pass in maths because it's just that extra GCSE which can help with getting jobs in the future. It's a skill you need throughout life."

Hayden hopes extra revision classes will get him the result he needs

Leeds City College has had to increase class sizes in order to fit in about 600 additional students resitting English and maths this year - with some lessons growing from around 20 to 25 students.

Around a third of the students have additional needs, meaning they may need extra time in exams, or to take them in small rooms. As a result, staff rooms will be turned into makeshift exam halls for the students next month.

Once November resits are out of the way, the college will focus on preparing for what staff described as a "military operation" in the summer, when the bulk of resit students take their exams.

They will need to hire an external exam hall to fit all the students in.

GCSE passes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland fell this year - with 68.2% of all entries marked at grades 4/C and above.

The drop was steepest in England where grades were brought back in line with 2019 after spikes in top grades during the pandemic.

As a result, more than 167,000 students in England received grade 3 or lower on their maths paper this summer - about 21,000 more than in 2022.

A further 172,000 failed English language - 38,000 more.

Combined, that is the highest number in a decade.

Chart showing percentage of grades at GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, from 2019 to 2023

At the same time, there are more teenagers coming through the system.

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests there will be a 17% rise in the number of 16 and 17-year-olds between 2019 and 2024 - an extra 200,000 young people.

The AoC said numbers were higher than they had anticipated, with 88 out of 98 colleges that responded to a survey seeing an increase in resit numbers over the past year.

The membership body, which represents 215 out of about 225 colleges in England, said a lack of English and maths teachers meant the compulsory resit policy was not "sustainable".

Catherine Sezen, director of education policy at the AoC, said: "Some colleges are having to rehire retired teachers, employ agency staff, rely on non-specialist staff to teach lessons and share staff with other colleges.

"The decades of underfunding and under resourcing means that, despite recent funding boosts from the government, college finances are still under extreme pressure and some do not have the funding or staffing levels to cope with the increased numbers of students needing to resit."

The pass rates for resits is low. This summer, 16.4% of people aged 17 and over taking their maths GCSE resit passed, compared with 25.9% of those taking English.

The policy was introduced in 2014, making it compulsory for under-18s without a pass in GCSE English or maths to continue studying that subject.

These students are more likely to be from a disadvantaged backgrounds and the vast majority enrol on courses in further education colleges rather than school sixth forms or sixth form colleges.

Some of them end up resitting multiple times.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education (DfE) said: "Young people who leave education with a good grasp of English and maths have a much better chance of securing a job or going on to further study."

The DfE said it was investing an extra 1.6bn in colleges by 2024-25, compared with the 2021-22 financial year, and an extra 470m over the next two years would help colleges boost recruitment and retention of staff.

The IFS said that money would "just about allow [colleges] to match this year's pay offer of 6.5% for teachers".

This month, the government also announced a further 150m per year over the next two years to help colleges with students taking resits and laid out plans for the Advanced British Standard - a new qualification that would include some English and maths to 18.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said more teachers would be recruited to help.
An abbot of the temple of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) who was collecting intelligence about the defence system of Sumy Oblast has received a prison sentence.

Source: press services of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the Sumy Oblast Prosecutors Office

Details: The abbot of one of the temples of the UOC-MP in the Shostka district was found guilty of committing treason under martial law.

The Shostka District Court has sentenced the clergyman to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property on 25 October 2023. Specifically, a land plot, apartment and a vehicle owned by the defendant were confiscated in favour of the state.

The Prosecutor has proven that after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, a member of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) got in touch with the abbot of one of the Shostka district temples. The clergyman agreed to cooperate since he had pro-Russia views and was waiting for the Russians to capture the Ukrainian territories.

Ordered by the Russians, the clergyman was collecting information on the number of forces in the territory of Sumy Oblast and their armament, as well as the information about the leadership of local authorities, law enforcement, public activists, their political views and their authority among the local population.

The agent was writing down the addresses and taking photos of the locations where Ukrainian military personnel and military equipment were concentrated in the Shostka district. He was also collecting data about patriotic-minded citizens who may influence the society. He was supplying the FSB operative with the intelligence via a messenger.

The SSU counterintelligence detained the clergyman in March 2023 during his attempt to send the intelligence to the FSB.

He was held in custody while waiting for the court decision.

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Many children in Iraq, which faces a public health crisis, have no access to sufficient medical care (Hayder INDHAR)

A worried Iraqi father points at a blister on the face of his one-year-old daughter, the result of a parasitic infection carried by sandflies in her remote village.

"It's a skin disease, the 'Baghdad boil'," Najeh Farhan said of the pustule on Tiba's mouth as the toddler played with a pacifier at their home in the drought-hit province of Al-Diwaniyah.

Like countless other children in Iraq -- a country battling the effects of war, entrenched poverty, water stress and a heating planet -- Tiba is sick but has no access to good health care.

"There is no medical centre, we have nothing," Farhan, a father of seven, said of his small village of Al-Zuweiya.

Tiba has been infected with an illness called cutaneous leishmaniasis, endemic in Iraq for decades.

By 2022, the World Health Organization said 8,000 infections had been registered in the country.

But this year, in a "surprising development", it reported the first confirmed case in what had been a "traditionally sand fly-free" province in northern Iraq.

The UN agency has pointed to "inadequate access to medical treatment in remote areas" as a driver of the disease -- but a senior WHO official also highlighted the effects of climate change.

"The sandfly, like any other insect, thrives at a specific temperature and humidity level," Wael Hatahit, the WHO's acting representative in Iraq, told AFP.

He pointed to Iraq's "temperature rise and the change in the water fall pattern" and said the northward spread of the disease the sandfly carries "cannot be explained unless there is climate change".

- 'Rising temperatures' -

Tiba and one of her brothers, who suffers from jaundice and a skin rash, are victims of Iraq's broader public health crisis.

From cholera to chronic diarrhoea and sandstorm-triggered asthma attacks, the list of health problems confronting disadvantaged communities is long.

The Iraqi Red Crescent has been running a campaign in nine provinces across the country's south and centre where soaring heat and drought have badly hit farming communities.

It has sent 25 doctors, 150 volunteers, five mobile clinics and 10 ambulances on a campaign to provide free medical care and raise awareness on a range of health threats.

On a recent stop, women dressed in black were waiting alongside ambulances to have a child examined, in Al-Ayyach, another Diwaniyah village, as aid workers sorted through their medical supplies.

Raghda Ihsane, a pharmacist, listed the most common cases the team was treating: "Intestinal infections, dermatological diseases, skin rashes resulting from poor water quality, inflamed urinary tracts."

Dirty and unsafe water is a prime health threat in Iraq, one of the five countries worst hit by climate change impacts and now gripped by its fourth consecutive year of drought.

The scarcity is compounded by reduced Tigris and Euphrates river flows because of upstream dams, and damage done by conflict and neglect to treatment plans and water infrastructure.

- 'Contaminated water' -

An environment ministry official recently admitted that "sewer pipes in Baghdad discharge wastewater directly into the Tigris River", in comments quoted by the state-run Al-Sabbah daily.

Cholera is raging in the north, particularly in Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan's second city, where the WHO had registered 152 confirmed cases by September 12.

"The principal cause is the use of non-potable water," said Sabah Hourami, director of Sulaimaniyah's health authority.

Officials were taking action, he insisted, by testing the chlorine content of public water supplies and tightening controls on water tankers, restaurants and mosques.

As patients have flocked to local hospitals, he said, "we no longer screen people. Those suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting are automatically treated as cholera cases."

Water stress is at the core of the health threats, said medical anthropologist Mac Skelton, who heads the Institute of Regional and International Studies at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani.

"Decreased water flow means higher concentrations of sewage and industrial pollutants in the water supply, which Iraq's water treatment facilities typically cannot process adequately," he said.

This, he said, was "associated with a range of conditions such as cholera, gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases and diarrhoea".

Looking ahead, Skelton said, Iraq needs "improved public health systems to warn the populace of heightened contamination and to monitor outbreaks".

He added that "enhancing Iraq's seriously deteriorated water treatment infrastructure is also essential".

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Club Q, a Colorado Springs nightclub, announced on Tuesday that it plans to reopen its doors at a different location nearly a year after a deadly mass shooting.

On Nov. 19, 2022, a gunman opened fire at the LGBTQ nightclub, killing five people and injuring several others. Club Q shut its door after the shooting and has spoken with members of the Colorado community and survivors over the past several months to assess how to move forward.

Club Q had initially said in February that it would rebuild the space and add a tribute to honor the victims of the shooting, with the goal of reopening in the fall. But on Tuesday, the nightclub announced that it will reopen under a new name, The Q, and at a different site in Colorado Springs.

We fully recognize that Club Q and this community has never been a building or location. Its composed of tens of thousands of people of all walks of life coming together to celebrate love and acceptance, Club Q wrote in a statement on Tuesday. This Club Q community has continued to carry on with strength and resilience, even while the doors have remained closed.

The Q will be managed and operated by survivors of the shooting and will feature a variety of shows, including drag shows as well as karaoke, bingo, trivia contests and arcade video games.

According to the statement, construction of the tribute is expected to begin soon, following delays in the design and approval process.

We will never be able to make those impacted by the shooting at Club Q whole, but we hope this new space can provide community healing, the statement said. We all have changed in so many ways, but we sincerely hope that the new venue can be a small part of rebuilding the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ community.

The nightclub will share more details about its reopening in the future.

We are excited and ready to begin a new chapter for Club Q in Colorado Springs, Michael Anderson, Club Qs vice president of operations, told HuffPost in an emailed statement. We believe this new venue will continue to support the vision Club Q has always believed in  inclusivity, safety, acceptance, and equality for all.

The Club Q mass shooting was one of several other acts of violence targeting the LGBTQ community in 2022. According to the FBIs annual crime report, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes increased by 19% in 2022 compared to 2021. The Human Rights Campaign found that at least 40 transgender people were killed in 2022.

Throughout 2022, several states enacted laws to limit or ban gender-affirming care, drag shows and books that include LGBTQ topics. These attacks have continued into this year, with more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced or enacted in the U.S., according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Related...
The United States Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 43-foot vessel and two of its crew members after it left Grays Harbor on Oct. 12.

Crews searched more than 14,000 square miles of water for over 8 hours according to officials.

#BREAKING USCG searching for the 43-foot vessel Evening with 2 people aboard, which departed Grays Harbor Oct. 12 and reportedly intended to return Oct. 15. Anyone with information regarding the location of this vessel is requested to contact the USCG at 206-220-7001 pic.twitter.com/245WsD35KT  USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) October 24, 2023

Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of the missing people during this difficult time, said a spokesperson.

The crew was expected to return on Oct. 15. and anyone with information regarding the vessel or its location is asked to contact the USCG at 206-220-7001
A Chicago man wanted in connection with a homicide in the city was arrested early Wednesday following a shootout with Illinois State Police in Springfield, authorities said.

A state trooper was shot in the leg while interacting with Cristobal Santana, 37, state police said, describing Santana as a suspect in a Chicago killing without detailing the crime in question. Santana was being held in the shooting of the trooper at midday Wednesday, authorities said.

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Adrianna Lopez (Family photo)

Family members of slain Chicago Public Schools pre-K teacher Adrianna Lopez told the Tribune on Tuesday that Santana was Lopezs ex-boyfriend. They said they had seen video showing someone shooting and killing Lopez in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood Sunday night.

According to Chicago police, a known man in a dark SUV approached and shot Lopez 10 times in the chest on the sidewalk outside her home in the 5400 block of South Narragansett Avenue. CPD has not officially named Santana as a suspect and declined Wednesday to say whether a suspect in Lopezs killing was in custody after the Springfield shooting.

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Lopez had filed for an order of protection against Santana a month ago, Lopezs cousin Martiza Torres said.

A Cook County sheriffs office spokesperson could not confirm whether Lopez had been granted an order of protection, citing a law requiring such orders to be sealed until they are served.

Torres was still struggling to wrap her head around the death of the woman who had been like a sister to her Tuesday afternoon.

Its unbelievable, she said. Im still in denial.

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 >

Another family member reviewed surveillance footage in possession of police showing Lopezs killing, Torres said.

Lopezs parents had been visiting from Mexico. She was shot the day after they left, Torres said.

Santana changed his name from Darrell Rice in 2019, court records show. He has not been charged with any crimes related to Lopezs death.

Lopez taught at Davis Elementary School, Torres said. She often helped care for the children in her large family, though she had no children herself. Lopez advised her nieces and nephews on which courses they should take. She was still in school, pursuing a graduate degree although she already had a masters, Torres said.

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She had so much going for her, Torres said. At this point Im just lost for words. I dont even know what to think.

The slain teacher worked hard to guide the children in her extended family onto the right path, her sister Norma Lopez said in Spanish through a translator.

She was a very happy person, Lopez said. She was always very helpful with everyone.
As a person who is passionate about coffee creamer, I feel it is my duty to bring the public some potentially morning routine-changing news about Coffee Mate.

On Oct. 23, Coffee Mate announced on Instagram that its introducing Coffee Mate Iced Coffee  a first for the brand. Offering the product in two flavors  French Vanilla and Caramel  the Nestle-owned brand aims to fill your mug entirely and save you a step in the morning.

Iced coffee is always in season thanks to our first-ever, ready-to-drink iced coffee made with smooth coffee balanced with the rich taste of Coffee mate creamer, reads the companys Instagram post. Simply pour over ice and enjoy!

Coffee Mate Iced Coffee comes in 50-ounce bottles, which are available now in the refrigerated section at grocery stores or at select retailers nationwide, for $4.99. Coffee Mate says each bottle contains about five servings, which amounts to about $1 per cup.

Enjoying cold coffee year-round has become a personality trait for many coffee drinkers who are choosing iced over everything, said Leonardo Aizpuru, Nestles vice president of brand marketing for the beverage division and business unit, in a statement.

This growing love for iced coffee  especially among Gen Z  presented an ideal opportunity for Coffee mate to move beyond creamers for the first time in its 60+ years since inception, Aizpuru added.

So far, reaction to the news on social media can be characterized as excited but hungry for more, as fans in the comments section are chiming in with their suggestions.

Yayyyyyy, but Do you have Decaf for those of us that cannot Drink Caffeine ??? commented one person on Instagram.

Sugar free please or almond milk ones please, wrote another.

Yes!!!! Now you need a pumpkin spice flavor and a peppermint mocha and this would be pure perfection, commented someone else.

Coffee Mate has recently been pouring out some buzzworthy beverages. In August, the brand released a limited-edition Peanut Butter & Jelly Duo creamer flavor, only sending bottles to winners of a sweepstakes. And on Oct. 3, aka Mean Girls Day, the creamer brand released a pink creamer in honor of the movie. So fetch.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
KALAMAZOO  Whether disbarred attorney James OBriant, 63, can make restitution and pay back taxes will determine his sentence under a plea bargain entered Monday at the Ninth Circuit Court in Kalamazoo County.

The Coldwater man pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny of $20,000 or more and two counts of failure to file taxes on the stolen funds.

OBriant practiced in Kalamazoo, then after his disbarment, worked for a Kalamazoo attorney representing a 95-year-old woman and holding her funds in the law firms trust account.

With access to the account, OBriant transferred the victims money to the law firms business account and then withdrew and transferred the money to his personal investment account.

OBriant failed to report the money he stole in 2018 and 2019 on his state income taxes.

The plea agreement requires OBriant to pay restitution of $154,511 to the victim by the end of April.

OBriant must also pay the Michigan Department of Treasury $13,556 in back taxes on the stolen money.

Four counts will be dismissed at sentencing if he pays the money.

Judge Paul J. Bridenstine will sentence OBriant on May 6, 2024, based on the restitution.

Many older adults need financial management assistance from legal professionals. They should be able to count on the safekeeping of their money when entrusted to a law firm, said Attorney General Dana Nessel, whose office prosecuted the case. My office will fully prosecute bad actors who steal from their clients to enrich themselves.

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Coldwater man makes plea deal in theft from 95-year-old
COLDWATER  The city of Coldwater sent out 1,025 new Nov. 7 city election absentee ballots Wednesday after the original Sept. 28 mailing was lost.

Mayor Tom Kramer and one council member from each ward are up for re-election unopposed.

Deputy clerk Sue Aldinger prepares new absentee ballots for mailing Wednesday morning at the Coldwater municipal building.

City Manager Keith Baker said an investigation into the lost ballots and replacement of ballots is to build confidence in the election process. We are committed to conducting an accurate and fair election.

Clerk Shauna Chavez said new ballots with an orange highlight on the bar code will replace the missing ballots. The original ballots will be spoiled and cannot be used.

If the voter receives the original ballot, the voter should bring them to the municipal building for destruction or destroy them themselves.

Clerk Shauna Chavez consulted with the secretary of state election division before replacing the lost absentee ballots.

Chavez said, The city has procedures in place to ensure only one ballot is counted for each registered voter. Only the second issued ballot will be counted.

Both Baker and Chavez worked with the Michigan Secretary of State election office on how to handle the issue of the lost ballots.

Chavez became aware the ballots were missing after lots of phone calls from city residents asking why they had yet to receive the ballot with the election two weeks away.

Four trays of absentee ballots disappeared Sept. 28 after they were picked up by a postal contracting service.

A third-party bulk mailing contractor picked up the four trays of ballots for transportation to the U.S. Postal Service.

Baker said, We are still trying to find out what occurred. The post office and contractor are pointing fingers at each other.

The absentee ballots were requested by the residents for the November election before Sept. 28. Those requests made after that date received their ballots.

Subscribe Keep up with important local news. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter.

On the Nov. 7 city ballot is Kramer for a two-year term as mayor; Ward 1 Councilwoman Emily Rissman, Ward 2 Councilman Chad Johnson, and Ward 4 Councilman Scott Houtz are on the ballot for new four-year terms.

In Ward 3, Councilman John Petzko failed to meet the April qualification deadline. He filed as a write-in candidate.

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Coldwater replaces lost absentee ballots for Nov. 7 election
Roughly 71% of incarcerated people are Black in Maryland, a state that is roughly one-third Black.

That staggering figure is the worst in the country, according to Attorney General Anthony Brown.

He and the states chief public defender, Natasha Dartigue, announced Wednesday that the two offices  often adversarial in the courtroom  will partner in a new collaborative designed to tackle the overincarceration of Black Marylanders, which both called a crisis.

Since the crime bill of 1994, we as a country and Maryland as a state have engaged in decades upon decades of incapacitating individuals, tearing apart families and crushing communities, Dartigue said at a press conference Wednesday.

The Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, which will include dozens of criminal justice system agencies alongside advocacy organizations, will examine existing laws, policies and practices, officials said. It will probe biases in the system. It will review the criminal justice systems points of entry, reentry initiatives and risks of reoffending. And it will recommend a new way of doing business, Brown said.

Our criminal system is permeated with racial bias and a discriminatory inertia that renders it unjust for far too many, Brown said.

Following Wednesdays press conference at Bowie State University, the states oldest historically Black university, members of the collaborative held an initial organizational meeting. The universitys Institute for Restorative Justice and Practices and the University of Maryland, College Parks Judge Alexander Williams Jr. Center for Education, Justice and Ethics are also partners in the collaborative.

Dozens of groups have signed on to the collaborative, ranging from government entities to advocacy organizations to private sector stakeholders. They include the ACLU, the Maryland NAACP, the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, the Maryland States Attorneys Association, the Baltimore mayors office, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle and Youth Advocate Programs. At least a few formerly incarcerated individuals are also part of the collaborative.

The group will divide itself into several committees, including ones focused on education and workforce development, on prison or jail reform, on juvenile justice reform, on criminal law and sentencing reform, on law enforcement practices and on behavioral health and human services. As for the collaboratives output, Brown said he expected it to be a combination of recommended legislation, proposed budgetary changes, realignment of existing resources and stronger collaborations.

This is a problem that has been decades, if not more than a century, in the making. And we are not going to fix it by January 2024, for the next legislative session. Were going to work collaboratively, work smart around these issues, to make sure we fully understand the scope of the problem, Brown said.

Then, he added, we can begin identifying actionable recommendations.

A Wednesday news release said the goal was for the collaborative to produce a comprehensive plan for reform and recommendations by January 2025.

Marylands Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services lists a prison population, of those who have been sentenced, that is roughly 71.5% Black, as of fiscal year 2021-22. The department added that demographic trends are roughly consistent year to year, with a sentenced population that is largely Black, male and under the age of 40.

The department has seen an increase in the sentenced population, after record decreases in recent years, according to a report prepared earlier this year.

The Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit, found in 2019 that Maryland had the highest Black prison population in the country, surpassing the next closest states, Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia. The states more than 70% Black prison population was far more than the national average of 32%, the report found.

Dartigue, who noted both she and Brown are the first people of color to hold their offices, said she expects the collaborative to have conversations that go beyond the traditional understanding of public safety being solely about policing. Police, she said, respond to crime. They do not prevent crime.

The real root of the problem is poverty, lack of opportunity and lack of adequate housing, education and mental health services, among other things, she said.

If you go to the root of the problem, which we have not done historically ... then we will change all of those things in the long run, Dartigue said. We know locking people up, weve done it for decades and decades and decades. And it has not made our neighborhoods any safer.

A public forum hosted by the collaborative will be held Nov. 6 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, according to the news release.
A supporter of Israel displays a flag to counter-protest a demonstration against the Israeli airstrikes over Gaza at Columbia University in New York, on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. (Bing Guan/The New York Times)

NEW YORK  Columbia University has postponed a major fundraising drive in the latest sign that on-campus turmoil caused by the Israel-Hamas war is not only testing the limits of free speech on campus but is also poised to affect the institutions pocketbook.

Columbia Giving Day, an annual event in which alumni and donors around the world are asked to donate to the university, was scheduled for this Wednesday. It was called off last week with no new date announced. Last year, the event raised almost $30 million in 24 hours.

Some prospective donors received emails saying that the university was instead focusing its efforts on ensuring student well-being and cultivating a safe campus space. A university spokesperson, Samantha Slater, told The New York Times, After careful consideration and consultation with university and alumni leadership, we decided that this is not the appropriate time to move forward with Columbia Giving Day.

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At Columbia, dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, an assault on an Israeli student who had been hanging posters about Israeli hostages, and inflammatory statements by some staff members have roiled the campus since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel, and more than 200 are believed to be held hostage by Hamas and other armed groups. Israel has responded with an intense counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 5,000 people there, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Other Ivy League institutions, including Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, have seen high-profile donors cut ties over their dissatisfaction with how college leaders are handling student and faculty reaction to the Hamas attack, particularly taking aim at school leaders who do not speak out against pro-Palestinian student groups who have blamed only Israel for the outbreak of violence.

While Columbia administrators have condemned the disturbing antisemitic and Islamophobic acts, including intimidation and outright violence on the campus in recent weeks, they have not taken specific action against any student groups or professors for expressing their views on either side of the conflict. A statement Wednesday by Columbias new president, Minouche Shafik, specifically mentioned that doxxing  or the public posting of individuals personal information  would not be tolerated but affirmed her desire not to censor speech on either side.

Columbias role is to create space for our scholars and students to fill with their own moral and intellectual conversations, an essential function in a world in which that space is narrowing, she wrote.

The anger among Jewish alumni and donors against elite American colleges for allowing on-campus groups to suggest the Hamas attack was an act of legitimate resistance was captured in an impassioned speech last week by Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School. In what he called an Open Letter to Every Parent in America, he called Shafik a coward for refusing to stand up to what he called the pro-terror voices on campus.

We would never allow the KKK to march on our campus, Davidai said. We would never allow a pro-ISIS demonstration on our campus. Can you imagine, in the city that had to endure 9/11, the worst attack on American soil, can you imagine that here we have pro-terror student organizations?

He was referring, in part, to an on-campus demonstration held Oct. 12, when pro-Palestinian student groups marched on campus. Among their chants, according to a list provided by the protesters, was, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Many Jews view that phrase as a call for the destruction of the state of Israel.

A speech by a leader of Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the organizing groups of the march, called the Hamas attack an unprecedented historic moment for the Palestinians of Gaza, according to a transcript provided by the organization to the student newspaper, the Columbia Spectator. Despite the odds against them, Palestinians launched a counteroffensive against their settler-colonial oppressor, the speech said.

The words echoed what Joseph Massad, a professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History at Columbia, wrote online the day after the Hamas incursion. In an anti-Zionist publication, the Electronic Intifada, Massad described the Hamas attack as a stunning victory.

An online petition calling for his removal from the faculty has gotten 57,000 signatures; a letter supporting him has hundreds of signatories.

Davidai, in his remarks at a candlelit vigil that he asked students to film, likened such statements to support of terrorism and blasted the school for allowing them. The U.S. government and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

Not all pro-Palestinian groups endorse the actions of Hamas, and Davidai said he considers himself pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian but anti-terror.

In an interview, Davidai, an Israeli citizen, said he spoke not for any organization but as a liberal leftist dad who feels like he cannot protect his children. Saying he no longer felt safe on campus, he called on the parents of current university students to contact Columbias administrators to demand that they do more to stop the hateful rhetoric.

He said he had received thousands of emails since his speech went viral, including some from alumni saying that they would stop donating to the school.

I think a lot of people have been sending them the message, what youre going to run is a taking day, not a giving day, because youre taking our money and not giving us the basic thing of protecting our children, he said of Columbias postponed Giving Day event.

Some pro-Palestinian students are also frightened that their safety is at risk. Members of Students for Justice in Palestine pointed to an interview on the student radio station with someone who identified himself as a Columbia University administrative officer at the medical center. That person said, I hope every one of these people die, about Columbia students demonstrating for the Palestinian cause.

A Columbia University Irving Medical Center spokesperson condemned the interview, saying that using words that incite dangerous behavior is clearly prohibited, the Spectator reported. Shafik did not address the interview directly, but she said in her Wednesday statement that when speech is unlawful or violates University rules, it will not be tolerated.

Pro-Palestinian students are also concerned about doxxing that could affect their careers and safety. Two Columbia students recently had their job offers revoked by Davis Polk, one of the countrys most prestigious law firms, because the firm believed they held leadership roles in pro-Palestinian groups that signed a letter that blamed the attack on the Israeli extremist government and other Western governments.

On the main Columbia campus Monday afternoon, students lounged on the Low Library steps in the autumn sunshine, and there was no outward sign of the conflict. But just below the surface, the tension on campus has been pretty palpable, said Isaac Zierenberg, 21, a political science major from Utah who was sitting on a bench nearby.

It seems like people on both sides are kind of getting very centered in their one side or the other, he said. Theres not a lot of room for nuance anymore.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
A former executive in a historic Columbus family business has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and faces up to 20 years in prison when hes sentenced next year, authorities said.

Edward Sprouse Boyd Sr., 49, pleaded Tuesday to one count of possessing child pornography.

U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land set Boyds sentencing for Jan. 23. Besides prison time, Boyd is subject to supervised release for the rest of his life, a $250,000 fine and sex offender registration.

Before his arrest in 2020, Boyd was a vice president at his familys business, Goldens Foundry and Machine Company, which dates back to 1882.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents raided Boyds Carson Drive home on Aug. 20, 2020, after the social media platform MeWe submitted several tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, also known as the NCMEC, about uploads of suspected child porn.

Boyds account had images of nude girls, as well as child-centered sexually explicit chats with other users, investigators said.

Eighteen electronic devices were seized during the execution of the warrant, to include a cell phone belonging to Boyd, federal prosecutors wrote in a news release.

They said the cell phone contained 5,047 images and 1,157 videos of child abuse material and 10,643 images and 1,013 videos that were child exploitative/age difficult.

The GBI sent the images to the NCMEC to determine whether the subjects could be identified, and the center identified those in 125 of the still-image files and 30 video files, authorities said.

The case later was forwarded from state prosecutors to the U.S. Attorneys office for the Middle District of Georgia, which led to Boyds plea in federal court.
A map displays the locations in which a 33-year-old Columbus woman may have drugged and robbed men, potentially resulting in fatal overdoses. Rebecca Auborn was indicted Wednesday on charges related to five overdoses, four of which were fatal.

A Columbus woman has been indicted in four fatal overdoses in what the Ohio Attorney General's Office says were serial killings.

Rebecca Auborn, 33, is accused of meeting men for sex at hotels in Columbus, drugging them and then robbing them. Four of the meetings resulted in fatal overdoses, and a fifth person survived, according to the attorney general's office.

Columbus police have been investigating the cases, and the attorney general's office says they here may be more cases. Columbus police declined to provide additional information about the killings as of Thursday morning.

Auborn was indicted in September by a Franklin County grand jury on murder and other charges in connection with the January drug overdose death of a 30-year-old man in North Linden.

On Wednesday, a grand jury issued a superseding indictment against her on four counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, five counts of aggravated robbery, five counts of felonious assault, five counts of corrupting another with drugs, one count of tampering with evidence and four counts of trafficking in drugs.

Auborn was indicted after the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force recieved a tip that a woman was allegedly meeting men for sex in northeast Columbus, then overdosing the johns with drugs in order to steal their possessions.

Investigators are looking into overdose deaths between December 2022 and August 2023 within an area north of Downtown in an area bounded by I-71, Route 161, Cleveland Avenue and E. 17th Avenue.

Anyone with information about an overdose with related to the case is asked to call Columbus police or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).

bagallion@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus woman met men for sex, drugged and robbed them, police say
Valerii Zaluzhnyi , Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, visited one of the control points of the Air Force on 25 October.

Source: Zaluzhnyi on Facebook

Quote: "I discussed key issues related to the strengthening of air defence, the use of aircraft weapons and the cover of critical infrastructure facilities in the autumn-winter period with the Chief of the General Staff and the commander of the Air Force."

Details: Zaluzhnyi thanked the pilots, anti-aircraft gunners, specialists of the radio-technical forces, EW, communications and logistics, and defence intelligence officers of the Air Force, who ensure the achievement of necessary results every day.

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When a Colombian commando suspected of joining ex-soldiers in the fatal shooting of Haitis president escaped to Jamaica, he soon grew weary of life on the lam and arranged to meet with U.S. authorities to avoid being sent back to Haiti.

Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, who had fled to Jamaica two months after the July 7, 2021 assassination, spoke by phone with someone he trusted: a Colombian military officer who once had been his boss.

The officer, Colonel Alberto Moreno, aka Don Carlos and the Jackal, had visited the FBIs office in Miami two years earlier and still had contacts there. He advised Palacios that his only hope was to meet voluntarily with U.S. investigators in Jamaica that October, according to an FBI agents testimony Tuesday in Miami federal court.

Through WhatsApp text messages, Moreno coordinated the meeting between Palacios and an FBI-led investigative team. When the squad, with assistance from the Jamaican police, picked up Palacios in a remote area about two hours from Kingston, he initially told one of the FBI agents that he was scared. He also asked the agent, Jacqueline Valdes, who gave him a bottle of water, a favor: to hold a necklace for him that he said belonged to his wife, she testified.

It turned out that Palacios was lying, Valdes said during pre-trial testimony in the FBIs Haiti assassination case. She said that during a nearly six-hour video-recorded interview with federal agents on Oct. 7, 2021 at a hotel in Kingston, Palacios confessed that he took the necklace, two watches, $2,060 cash and other personal items belonging to Haitis president, Jovenel Moise, and his wife, Martine, when he was killed and she was injured in the assault at their hillside home outside Port-au-Prince.

Palacios had stashed the valuables in a backpack  along with a hatchet, she said on the witness stand in federal court. She wasnt asked by a federal prosecutor why Palacios was carrying the hatchet.

During questioning at the hotel in Jamaica, the FBI agent said that Palacios incriminated himself in the plot to kill Haitis leader when the Colombian commando admitted that He was made aware they were going to assassinate the president the night before at a meeting with other co-conspirators, instead of the initial plan to arrest him in a coup attempt.

The man was circulating among us every day. How cops nabbed Haiti assassination suspect

These new details in the FBIs Haiti assassination case surfaced during the court hearing Tuesday, when Valdes and other federal agents testified about their questioning Palacios on two occasions in Jamaica in October 2021  recorded statements akin to confessions that his lawyers, Joaquin Mendez and Alfredo Izaguirre, are seeking to get thrown out because they argue their client was under duress. If they prevail, it would weaken, but not destroy, the feds case against Palacios, who faces a potential life sentence.

Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra is soon expected to issue a preliminary decision on that issue and whether to dismiss one of several charges against the 44-year-old Palacios. Her recommendation will then be reviewed by U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez, who is presiding over the Haiti assassination case in Miami, which has named 11 defendants  including several Haitian Americans and others from South Florida accused of recruiting the Colombian commandos  in the alleged plot to kill Haitis leader.

Of those, three defendants, including one of the Colombian commando leaders, Alejandro Rivera Garcia, aka Colonel Mike, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges carrying up to life in prison. Rivera is scheduled for sentencing on Friday. (About 20 ex-Colombian soldiers are in custody in Haiti as part of that countrys investigation. Three others died in a shootout after Moises assassination; Palacios was the only Colombian commando who managed to flee Haiti before surrendering in Jamaica.)

During Tuesdays court hearing, Mendez, the defense attorney, was able to confirm through questioning of Valdes that Palacios was never read his Miranda rights about having a lawyer present during the first interview on Oct. 7. He also confirmed through her that the FBI paid Palacios former boss in the Colombian military, Moreno, $15,000 for facilitating the meeting between him and federal agents in Jamaica  though he could not attend as planned because he got stuck in Miami under COVID-19 travel restrictions en route to the Caribbean island.

Mendez argued in court that Palacios was pressured into admitting his knowledge of the assassination plot beforehand and that the entire point of the feds meeting with him was to extract him from Jamaica, so he could be charged in the FBIs then-unfolding assassination investigation. Mendez said that a plane ticket had already been purchased for his transfer from Jamaica to the United States.

Former Haitian senator pleads guilty in Miami to conspiring in presidential assassination

Valdes, the FBI agent, disagreed, saying that the purpose was to talk with him about his alleged role in the Haitian presidents assassination, saying she had no authority to arrest Palacios, who had entered Jamaica illegally and was being detained there.

In a court filing, Palacios lawyers argued that the agents were relentless in their pursuit of that admission, and Mr. Palacios repeatedly denied that he had any prior knowledge of a scheme to kill the president. He maintained that he had never agreed to carry out such a mission. He also insisted (and continues to maintain) that he never fired his weapon in the Presidents home.

However, after five and a half hours into the interrogation ... Mr. Palacios finally capitulated and said he had been told of the change of plans (from arrest to murder) the night before the events. This crucial admission came after Mr. Palacios asked the agents to pause the recording machine so they could speak privately.

Later on, a team of FBI agents interviewed Palacios a second time on Oct. 12, 2021 at the same hotel in Kingston  but this time they read him the Miranda rights and he signed a waiver form agreeing to talk with them without a lawyer present. Palacios lawyers still argue that their client didnt fully understand U.S. law and his rights  though Palacios made the same admissions he had made in his first interview.

Bringing Palacios to the United States did not happen immediately  in fact, he wasnt even transferred from Jamaica.

Ex-Colombian officer pleads guilty to plotting to kill Haitis president, agrees to help feds

Palacios was arrested in January 2022 by federal agents in Miami after arriving from Panama. He was the first person allegedly involved in the assassination of the Haitian president to be formally charged with a crime, providing support in the deadly plot.

Palacios had been in custody in Jamaica, which moved to deport him to his homeland of Colombia that January. But during a layover in Panama, he agreed to travel to the United States, according to federal authorities.

A criminal complaint, drafted by the FBI, accused Palacios of conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing that such support would be used to carry out a plot to kill the Haitian president. The criminal complaint had been filed under seal in federal court on Nov. 24, 2021.

Since his transfer, Palacios has pleaded not guilty to an indictment and has been held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.

A year after his arrest, the Miami Herald reported that a cash fortune found in the Haitian presidents home might have been a motivating factor for the ex-Colombian soldiers to participate in the deadly plot.

Hours before a group of former Colombian soldiers raided the presidents residence at night, they were given new orders. Their mission, a squad leader allegedly told them, had changed and was now twofold: Find and kill Moise, and find and grab bags of cash at his house, according to details of the Colombian investigation into the assassination.

The amount supposedly inside was between $45 million and $53 million, according to statements some of the jailed suspects in Haiti shared with Colombian and U.S. investigators looking into the brazen killing.

The substantial cash allegedly stashed inside the presidents home suggested that it may have provided additional incentive to carry out the fatal shooting, which the Colombian commandos are suspected of carrying out while Haitian presidential guards stood down.
A massive intrusion of salt water into the Mississippi River has left the tap water in several Louisiana communities unsafe to drink and could threaten the New Orleans metropolitan area. The most visible emergency response is the provision of bottled water, with authorities distributing huge quantities of single-serving plastic water bottles to residents. In such communities, public officials and charitable donors often present bottled water as a stopgap solution, to be used only until the immediate crisis is resolved.

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Mayor Brandon Johnson listens to speeches as alderman call for the passing of the new minimum wage for tipped workers during a special session on Oct. 6, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

In a move that could lead to his first labor dispute since taking office, Mayor Brandon Johnson will seek to split up a proposed new contract with the Chicago police union into two City Council votes, an unusual bid to quash a ruling allowing private disciplinary hearings for officers.

The move  which the mayors office did not detail last week when touting the new agreement with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police  could set the stage for a lengthy legal battle between the city and police union, whose president vowed Tuesday to take the fight to court if necessary.

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Johnson, a progressive who clashed with FOP leadership during the mayoral race, announced a pending contract last Friday that would provide a roughly 20% raise for officers. But he also said he was deeply disappointed with a decision reached by a labor arbitrator to grant officers the option to have some of the most serious disciplinary cases heard by an independent third party behind closed doors rather than publicly before the Chicago Police Board.

In a statement Monday, Johnson called on the City Council to reject this measure when it comes up in the coming weeks.

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Mayoral press secretary Ronnie Reese clarified the contract will be split into two items: the bulk of the agreement including economics and the consent decree in one council vote, and the arbitrators disciplinary measure in the other.

While we recognize police officers right to arbitration, it is crucial that disciplinary cases be handled in a manner that allows for public transparency and true accountability, Johnson wrote in his Monday statement. Ultimately, we will not allow this to undermine our efforts to advance reform, increase transparency and implement our vision for improved public safety and policing to make our city better, stronger, and safer.

John Catanzara, president of FOP Lodge 7, dismissed the announcement on Tuesday by saying regardless of City Councils proceedings, he was confident that the arbitrators ruling would remain in place because it is enshrined in labor law.

Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building following closing arguments in the bench trial of Officers Christopher Liakopoulos and Ruben Reynoso on Sept. 27, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Were not asking for anything anyone else isnt afforded, Catanzara said Tuesday. Its silly were having this conversation.

Catanzara said that if the City Council votes down the disciplinary provision, then the union intends to return to arbitration with the city. Any agreement reached there would still require City Council approval, but if aldermen vote it down again, the matter would likely be settled in court.

And the citys gonna lose, Catanzara said of any future court fight over the proposed contract.

Traditionally, all collective bargaining agreements have required an up-or-down vote from City Council. Johnsons move to bifurcate the bulk of the contract, including salaries and consent decree provisions, from the controversial disciplinary measure is fascinating and unusual, said labor expert Bob Bruno, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Its all negotiated as a package, and you dont have a contract until youve got agreement on all of the matters and all of the matters are integrated, Bruno said about collective bargaining agreements. So its kind of like a cloth or a quilt or a tapestry. If you pull strings in one section, it begins to unravel the other.

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The last FOP contract was approved in 2021 under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who secured the deal granting officers 20% raises over eight years after much tense negotiation. This summer, as the city and FOP discussed their next agreement and outstanding issues, independent arbitrator Edwin Benn agreed with the unions contention that CPD officers accused of serious misconduct should have the option to have their disciplinary cases decided by a third-party instead of the Chicago Police Board.

In announcing the tentative agreement last Friday, Catanzara had said the union always had the ability to exercise the option to choose who decides their officers serious disciplinary cases.

Thats what every other collective bargaining agreement affords members, is arbitration for termination cases, and thats all we are asking for here, Catanzara said in a YouTube video. If members and our attorneys think our members will get a fairer shake at the police board on a certain case, then so be it. That will be the officers decision to go that route.

The proposed contract was made public late Monday. In response to scrutiny of the disciplinary award, Benn cited more than a half-dozen police collective bargaining agreements in the Chicago suburbs that include the same option for officers.

In addition to Johnsons statement Monday evening calling for aldermen to vote down the disciplinary provision of the contract, the mayors floor leader, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the council would hold two votes: one on the contracts economic package, and another on disciplinary procedures. Should either item fail, the city and FOP would need to return to the bargaining table.

For the record, this has always been the administrations position, Ramirez-Rosa wrote. This was explained to me and other alders last week Thursday.

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However, Benn made it clear in his ruling that the entire contract and all its provisions would require a single vote by the City Council. Whats more, Benn said a judge would likely defer to his ruling if the issue spilled into court.

Should ratification not be obtained and litigation instituted, not only will this already remarkably prolonged labor dispute be further prolonged to the detriment of all involved (including the citizens of the City), but  prolonged litigation will, in the end, prove futile, Benn wrote. This remarkably long labor dispute must now come to an end.

After the proposed contract agreement was reached, Cicely Porter-Adams, the citys chief labor negotiator, wrote a highly critical dissent, also made public Monday.

(Benns) prioritization of the private interests involved overlooks the vital public interest at stake in an open hearing, Porter-Adams wrote. (Benn) can make light of it all he wishes, but the fact remains that substantial portions of the citizenry are deeply suspicious of the process by which the Police Department seeks to hold its officers accountable on those occasions where they engage in misconduct. It is not sufficient for an arbitrator to say: trust me. Absolutely no good can come from a situation where the disciplinary process refuses to acknowledge this reality.

The FOP is no stranger to legal battles with the city, most recently waging a heated opposition to Lightfoots COVID-19 vaccination mandate for city employees in fall 2021. Ultimately, an arbitrator upheld the citys requirement.

The Chicago Police Board has for more than six decades been the arbiter of the most serious CPD misconduct cases, ones in which the department seeks at least a yearlong suspension or an officers firing.

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After an officer is served with administrative charges, he or she faces an evidentiary hearing, a trial-like procedure that features witness testimony and evidence presented. The hearings are video recorded, and the footage and transcripts are later reviewed and debated by the nine-person police board. After deliberations, the board will announce its findings and decision at its monthly meeting.

Officers who the board votes to fire or suspend from the CPD can appeal the boards decision in Cook County Circuit Court.

The proposed contract stipulates that five arbitrators would be selected each year to oversee and decide disciplinary cases if officers decline the police board. Those same five arbitrators would also handle less serious misconduct cases  those in which the sought suspension is 30 days or less  and render decisions in those cases the same day that theyre heard.

In August, shortly after Benns original ruling was handed down, the FOP tried to move 22 pending cases from the police boards docket to a third-party. However, attorneys for the city and CPD were quick to note Benns ruling was not binding and the board later shot down the unions effort.

But Benn on Monday issued a final opinion, meaning that if the city and FOP cannot agree on the disciplinary process after that, the dispute could end up in court. Bruno, the labor expert, said the mayors strategy to decouple the contract into two votes is more about sending a message on the issue on misconduct proceedings because it is such an exceptionally charged, important topic.

In this case, the mayor wants City Council to be on record  to take a very clear and enforceable position on both elements of the contract, Bruno said. Itd be City Council saying, Were not going to abide by what the arbitrator has ruled, and we dont feel beholden to it, and they go back to bargaining.
Boston University is urging students to be vigilant as campus police investigate a pair of sexual assaults that occurred Tuesday.

A student walking down the sidewalk in the BU Central area near 617 Commonwealth Avenue around 10:45 a.m. reported that an unknown person touched them inappropriately.

The student did not see who touched them as the sidewalk was very crowded at the time. At this time there is no description to provide, and the person has not been located, police said in a campus crime alert.

Hours later, at 7:10 p.m., a student reported that an unknown person touched them inappropriately while riding on a university bus traveling near 595 Commonwealth Avenue.

The person was unknown to the student. The student was able to get away from this person. Police have not located the suspect, officials added.

The suspect in the second incident was described as a Black male, about 30 years of age, 5 feet, 5 inches tall with a goatee beard. He was said to be wearing a baggy jacket, baggy pants, black shoes, and an Under Armour brand black backpack.

The student reported the male appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, police noted.

On Wednesday morning, Boston University said that an arrest had been made in connection with the assaults, but later announced that the suspect had not been charged in the incidents.

The individual in question was picked up on a default warrant out of Waltham district court and needs to appear there, a BU spokesperson told Boston 25.

The spokesperson also noted that police believe the suspect is responsible for the assaults, but that an investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact BUPD at (617) 353-2121.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Condor Ferries says bad weather is behind the decision

Condor Ferries has cancelled its high-speed catamaran service between the UK and the Channel Islands on Friday amid an "unpredictable weather forecast".

Earlier this week, the operator encouraged passengers to sail on Thursday.

It has now made the decision to cancel its Poole-Guernsey-Jersey-Guernsey-Poole service on Friday, Condor said.

Its return high-speed sailings between St Malo and Jersey and St Malo and Guernsey are currently going ahead.

Meanwhile, sailings on the "conventional ferry" were "under review due to an evolving picture", the operator said.

Some new sailings have been added for Thursday to encourage passengers to travel earlier.

The company said it had scheduled a new Liberation return sailing to Guernsey and Jersey, which will operate from Poole, and new Voyager round trip sailings from St Malo to Jersey and from St Malo to Guernsey for Thursday.

Elwyn Dop, Condor's operations director, said the weather forecast for Friday looked "outside of our safe operating limits".

Condor Ferries said services over the weekend may also be affected.

Follow BBC Jersey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-Yonkers) pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a misdemeanor charge for pulling a fire alarm at the Cannon House Office Building last month.

Bowman had been charged the day prior with violating the Code of the District of Columbia, which prohibits the false activation of a fire alarm, and was issued a summons to appear in court. However, the charge and guilty plea are expected to be withdrawn once Bowman pays a $1,000 fine and abides by certain conditions over the next three months.

The congressman also agreed to write an apology letter to the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House office building on Sept. 30, 2023, as both parties negotiated over a deal to avert a government shutdown.

"Im thankful for the quick resolution from the District of Columbia Attorney Generals office on this issue and grateful that the United States Capitol Police General Counsels office agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings," the statement said. "I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped."

Westchester reacts to fire alarm pull Jamaal Bowman pulled fire alarm in Washington. How did Westchester react?

Why did Bowman pull the fire alarm in D.C.?

Shortly after the Sept. 30 incident, Bowman released a statement seeking to "clear up confusion surrounding today's events."

Bowman said he was "rushing" to a vote and encountered a door that "would not open."

"I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door," he said.

Critics accused him of seeking to delay a vote on an interim spending bill to keep the government open for several more weeks. Bowman denies that was his intention. The bill ultimately passed.

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: Jamaal Bowman pleads guilty to pulling alarm in D.C.
Kit Malthouse said the bill risked "playing into the antisemitism" that has increased in the UK recently

Tory MPs have criticised a government bill which would ban public bodies from boycotting Israel as a "violation of freedom of speech" and "draconian".

Ex-minister Kit Malthouse said it risked "playing into the antisemitism" that has increased in the UK recently.

The bill imposes a ban on public bodies making their own direct or indirect boycotts, disinvestment or sanctions campaigns against other countries.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove said it would help to fight antisemitism.

The government says the bill would guarantee foreign policy remained a UK government matter.

The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, known as the anti-BDS bill, seeks to prevent public bodies, including councils, from campaigning against, boycotting or sanctioning a particular international territory - unless that is endorsed by the UK government's own foreign policy.

It aims to limit the reach of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for broad-based economic and cultural boycotts of Israel and Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The BDS movement is widely backed by Palestinians and anti-occupation groups in the UK. Israel sees it as antisemitic - as do the United States and Germany - and has supported moves by other governments to outlaw such boycotts by public bodies. The issue is highly controversial, often sparking rows and protest among rival groups supportive of Israel or the Palestinians.

The BDS says it opposes racism including Islamophobia and antisemitism.

During a debate on the bill in Parliament a number of MPs including some Conservatives and a senior Labour MP strongly criticised the legislation.

Former Home Office minister Mr Malthouse argued against a section of the legislation which would forbid public authorities to say they would back a boycott if it was lawful.

"To not even be able to express opposition to the law whilst still complying with it seems to be very un-British, extremely illiberal and unnecessarily draconian," he said.

Another former Conservative minister, George Eustice, said it was a "violation of freedom of speech".

The bill gives the government the power to make certain countries exempt from the boycott restrictions.

However, it does not allow the exemption of Israel, the Occupied Territories or the Occupied Golan Heights, specifically naming these areas in the legislation.

Mr Malthouse told MPs: "In carving out Israel, the West Bank and the occupied Golan Heights in the legislation, the secretary of state is, I'm afraid, playing into the antisemitism that we've seen rise in this country over the last few weeks."

Senior Jewish Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge also expressed a fear that the bill would strengthen polarisation at a time when the Israel-Gaza war had already heightened community tensions.

She told MPs: "To bring this wrong-headed, poorly-drafted politically-motivated bill back in the midst of these horrors we are seeing every day is an act of complete irresponsibility and unbelievable foolishness."

Labour's Dame Margaret Hodge expressed a fear that the bill would strengthen polarisation at a time when the Israel-Gaza war had already heightened tensions

Mr Gove robustly defended his bill, insisting it would not undermine free speech or prevent local authorities from taking into account human rights considerations when making decisions.

He told MPs that the bill had the backing of the representative bodies that speak for Britain's Jewish community.

He said: "When they are so clear that this legislation is in the interests of community cohesion, fighting antisemitism, and making the United Kingdom a safe house for everyone, when they are so clear, we should treat their words with respect."

The bill was also backed by Conservative MP Theresa Villiers who said local authorities should be focused on "delivering services not conducting their own foreign policy".

Another Tory, Andrew Percy, disagreed with MPs who said the bill should not be brought forward while tensions were running high. "Are we waiting until Hamas give us permission," he asked.

Amendments from Labour, Conservative and SNP MPs were defeated and the bill continues its progress through Parliament.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A construction worker died after an incident at Glencliff High School in South Nashville earlier this month.

Investigators with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) were called to the school along Antioch Pike on Oct. 12 to determine the circumstances that led to the workers death.

 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts 

Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda (District 30) identified the victim as Denis Geovani Ba Che, who she said died after a fall from the schools roof.

No one should lose their lives working. We have to protect workers, hold contractors accountable AND push to do business with high roads contractors. So many prayers for this family, added Councilmember Delishia Porterfield (CM At Large.)

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

A vigil will be held for Ba Che Friday, Oct. 27 at Glencliff High School, 160 Antioch Pike, at 6 p.m. to remember his life and other workers who had lost their lives on construction sites.

TOSHAs investigation could take between eight and 10 weeks to complete.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
A convict doing time in a Maine federal prison for a gun arrest has now been charged with murder for a caught-on-camera shooting at an East Harlem liquor store last year, police said Wednesday.

Camby Wilson was extradited to New York City Tuesday and charged with murder and gun possession for allegedly killing Shaquell Gainey, 25, the night of Feb. 25, 2022.

Wilson, 24, had been convicted of federal firearm charges in Bangor, Maine, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison in May, federal officials said.

Gainey had just stepped out of I.C. Liquors Inc. on First Ave. near E. 115th St. when a man dressed in all black spotted him, pulled out a gun and opened fire, cops said at the time.

Gainey retreated back into the store, followed by the gunman, who quickly ran back out.

Ninety seconds later, Gainey walked out of the store, his blood-stained yellow hoodie revealing where he was shot, the video shows. He dropped his jacket on the floor, walked into the deli next door and collapsed near the glass door.

For the next 90 seconds, Gainey sipped from a jug of water he found. While one customer retrieved Gaineys jacket, no one tried to administer aid.

One man, carrying a small child, is seen on video stepping over Gainey. Medics rushed Gainey to Harlem Hospital but he could not be saved.

Gainey was just a block from his home in the Jefferson Houses when he was shot.

The gunman was with three other men when he spotted Gainey. The shooter kept walking, then doubled back and shot Gainey.

Police said there is a gang element to the shooting but did not have further details Wednesday.

Wilson was paroled in April 2021 after serving more than a year in state prison for a Manhattan weapon conviction, records show.

A few weeks after allegedly shooting Gainey, Wilson was a passenger in a car that cops in Augusta, Maine, pulled over.

Wilson gave the officers a false name as cops asked him to step out of the car. When the officers asked if he had any weapons on him, he ran off but was captured after a brief foot chase.

Officers found a loaded .380 caliber pistol in his jacket pocket, federal officials said. His weapon possession conviction in New York barred him from carrying a firearm.

NYPD detectives found Wilson in a Maine federal prison, where he was serving a two year sentence for the firearms arrest in Bangor, federal officials said.

Gainey had several arrests on his record, police said, including for robbery and weapon possession.
A British pedophile police officer who used threats and blackmail to force minors to send explicit photos of themselves to him on Snapchat has been sentenced to life in jail. Lewis Edwards , 24, an officer with South Wales Police, pleaded guilty to 160 offenses after authorities found he possessed 4,500 indecent images of children. Authorities said he messaged 210 girls as young as 10 years old between late 2020 and early 2023, and images of 207 of them were discovered on his devices. Edwards, who joined the police force in Jan. 2021, will now serve a minimum of 12 years in prison. The crimes committed by Lewis Edwards are despicable and the public will be as shocked and sickened as we are that such appalling [offenses] were committed by a serving police officer, South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Danny Richards said in a statement.

Read it at BBC

Read more at The Daily Beast.
A tram with the words 'hello Dubai' passes in front of the Dubai skyline.

World leaders are set to discuss tackling climate change at a big UN summit in Dubai.

It follows a year of extreme weather events in which many climate records have been broken.

What is COP28 and where is it?

COP28 is the 28th annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting where governments will discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change.

The summit is being held in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November until 12 December 2023.

COP stands for "Conference of the Parties", where the "parties" are the countries that signed up to the original UN climate agreement in 1992.

Why is holding COP28 in Dubai controversial?

The UAE is one of the world's top 10 oil-producing nations.

It has appointed the chief executive of the state-owned oil company, Sultan Al Jaber, president of the COP28 talks.

Oil - like gas and coal - is a fossil fuel. These are the main causes of climate change because they release planet-warming greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide when burned for energy.

But Mr Al Jaber's oil company plans to expand production capacity.

"It is the equivalent of appointing the CEO of a cigarette company to oversee a conference on cancer cures," campaign group 350.org said.

Mr Al Jaber argues he is uniquely well-placed to push for action from the oil and gas industry, and that as chairman of renewable energy firm Masdar, he has also overseen the expansion of clean technologies like wind and solar power.

Why is COP28 important?

It is hoped COP28 will help keep alive the goal of limiting long-term global temperature rises to 1.5C. This was agreed by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015.

The 1.5C target is crucial to avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change, according to the UN's climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Long-term warming currently stands at about 1.1C or 1.2C compared with pre-industrial times - the period before humans started burning fossil fuels at scale.

However, the world is on track for about 2.5C of warming by 2100 even with current pledges to tackle emissions. The window for keeping the 1.5C limit in reach "rapidly narrowing", the UN says.

Parts of East Africa suffered its worst drought in 40 years, displacing nearly 1.2 million people in Somalia alone

What will be discussed at COP28?

As well as progress towards the existing Paris goals, COP28 will concentrate on:

fast-tracking the move to clean energy sources, to "slash" greenhouse gas emissions before 2030

delivering money for climate action from richer to poorer countries, and working on a new deal for developing nations

focusing on nature and people

making COP28 the "most inclusive" ever

There will also be themed days on issues including health, finance, food and nature.

Who will be at COP28?

More than 200 governments are invited, although the leaders of many countries such as the US, China and India are still to confirm their attendance.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will take part, and Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles will also attend. He will deliver an opening address to delegates on 1 December.

Environmental charities, community groups, think tanks, businesses and faith groups will also take part.

Hundreds of delegates with links to fossil fuels attended COP27 in 2022.

Rishi Sunak announced pushbacks to some green policies in September, which led to international criticism

What are COP28 sticking points likely to be?

There is likely to be disagreement about the future of "unabated" fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas which are burned without technologies to capture their emissions.

Mr Al Jaber has called for a "phase down" in their use, meaning a reduction over time, but not a complete end. However, the European Union is expected to push for a full "phase out".

Climate campaigners point out that restricting agreements to "unabated" fossil fuels would allow some production to continue. They say there is no guarantee capturing emissions will work at scale.

The UN has called for a full "phase out" of "unabated" fossil fuels like coal

Money will also be an issue.

At COP27, a "loss and damage" fund was agreed for richer countries to pay poorer countries facing the effects of climate change.

But exactly how this will work is still unclear. The US, for example, has ruled out paying climate reparations for its historical emissions.

In 2009, developed countries committed to give $100bn (82bn) a year, by 2020, to developing countries to help them reduce emissions and prepare for climate change.

The target was missed but is expected to be reached in 2023.

Will COP28 make any difference?

Critics of previous COPs, including campaigner Greta Thunberg, accuse the summits of "greenwashing": that is, countries and businesses promote their climate credentials without making the changes needed.

But as world leaders gather, the summits offer potential for global agreements that go beyond national measures.

For example, the 1.5C warming limit, agreed in Paris at COP21, has driven "near-universal climate action", according to the UN.

Additional reporting by Esme Stallard.
When Alyssa Dykstra was just 2-and-a-half years old, she was diagnosed with arthritis.

By the time she was in college, her doctor had prescribed her a biologic  a complex treatment derived from live cells, cultures or blood  to manage her symptoms.

Because biologics are considered a specialty medication without a generic alternative, they typically carry lofty out-of-pocket costs for patients. To combat these obstacles, manufacturers often offer patient support to help with these costs.

Dykstra paid for her medication with ease thanks to assistance from the manufacturer. She received a yearly card with an allotted amount of money to use toward her otherwise costly, but necessary, medication.

Millions of other patients in the U.S. rely on similar programs to afford their medications. But a federal rule enacted in 2021 has put constraints on these assistance programs.

For years, Dykstra used the card to pay for her medication, and by the time she had used the cards funds, she had reached her deductible and could afford to pay for her medication and other healthcare expenses.

Then, she switched to her husbands employer-provided coverage in 2022  and got an $850 bill from her doctor.

I did my usual routine, Dykstra told McClatchy News. Its a whole strategy, right? So Im like, Alright, I gotta fill my medication first, use my copay assistance, knock out my deductible. Then, I can go to the doctor for these other doctor visits.

Dykstra went through the whole procedure, finalizing all the authorizations she needed for her medication and copay assistance. Everything looked right when she checked her online portal, so she scheduled a doctors appointment.

Two weeks after that, maybe, I get a bill for almost $850, and Im like, Thats so strange, Dykstra said.

After weeks of back and forth with her insurance company, Dykstra realized what happened: Her plan had applied a copay accumulator adjustment, failing to count any of her medication payments toward her deductible. She was never notified of the change.

Now, a Sept. 29 ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. has struck down the Trump-era federal rule allowing insurance companies to exclude copay assistance card payments from beneficiaries deductibles.

Heres what you need to know about the recent ruling.

What is copay assistance?

Manufacturers can offset medication prices by providing patients with copay assistance cards. These programs typically only cover expensive medications without a generic alternative.

Drug manufacturers can offer patients copay cards to cover some or all of the out-of-pocket costs associated with the prescription. These cards usually have a time and spending limit, offering patients support in tandem with their insurance coverage.

These payments are supposed to count toward a patients deductible, so by the time their allotted funding from their drug manufacturer runs out, their medication is covered by insurance and the cost is much more palatable and attainable.

In 2022, copay cards covered $19 billion worth of out-of-pocket costs for patients, according to Carl Schmid, executive director at the HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute.

Imagine if we didnt have that? The American people would have to come up with 19 more billion dollars, Schmid told McClatchy News.

What are copay accumulator adjustment programs?

Although copay cards help patients access necessary prescriptions, insurance companies argue that by offering assistance, manufacturers are encouraging patients to use brand-name medications as opposed to cheaper, generic versions while justifying sky-high drug costs.

Insurance providers argue that the assistance programs are strategic marketing tools used by drug manufacturers, according to a 2023 amicus brief filed by Americas Health Insurance Plans.

No one should need a coupon to afford a life-saving drug, AHIP said in a news release about the brief March 23. Far from working to lower the price of drugs, co-pay coupons for brand-name drugs are profit maximizers for drug manufacturers that raise health care costs (and thus health coverage premiums) for everyone, including the patients who are ostensibly helped.

To combat this, insurance plans began implementing copay accumulator programs. When implemented, these programs allow patients to continue using their copay cards, but payments made with the cards do not count toward a beneficiarys deductible.

Accumulators let patients benefit from the coupon discount, helping constrain, not inflate, prescription drug prices, AHIP spokesperson David Allen said in an email to McClatchy News. Coupon accumulators hold manufacturers responsible for the list price of their drugs without increasing patient cost-sharing.

In 2021, the use of copay accumulators was authorized with a federal rule known as the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters.

Under the regulation, around 83% of all plans adopted copay accumulators, Schmid said.

Not to say that  its been implemented, sometimes the plans have them and they dont always implement them, Schmid said. But the insurers are collecting more and more money.

No more copay accumulators

Now, after a months-long legal proceeding lead by the HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute, the 2021 ruling was struck down.

The latest decision will help millions of patients who rely on specialty medications and manufacturer copay assistance, Schmid said.

The ramifications of this case are huge, he said.

Patients who use a copay card to pay for their specialty medication should check their accounts to ensure that any accumulator adjustments have been removed, according to Schmid.

I wouldnt count on them getting a notice or something automatic. I think that people who rely on copay assistance should make sure that it is being counted now, he said.

Just as insurance plans did not notify customers when their copay assistance was no longer counted, Schmid said its likely there will be no notice of the latest change to the system, so patients should double-check and stay aware of plan changes going into 2024.

Family insurance premiums at work jump 7%. Employees should brace for more increases

Will you pay less for your prescriptions under bill just passed by Senate? What to know

Social Security sometimes overpays then demands repayment. How to avoid owing money
A Cornell University academic has taken a leave of absence amid a furore over comments he made describing Hamas attacks on Israel as exhilarating and energizing. Russell Rickford, an associate professor of history, has faced calls to resign from students, faculty, and even members of Congress in the wake of his statements at a pro-Palestine rally in Ithaca on Oct. 15, for which he subsequently apologized. Professor Russell Rickford has requested and received approval to take a leave of absence from the university, a spokesperson for Cornell told the Cornell Review. The newspaper also reported that an email sent to Rickfords students Friday said that another academic would assume his teaching responsibilities for the remainder of the semester. The email was sent days after Cornell released a statement denouncing Rickfords comment as reprehensible and showing no regard whatsoever for humanity.

Read it at Cornell Review

Read more at The Daily Beast.
St. Francis de Sales Catholic High School students in class at the Southeast Side school on June 7, 2023. The Catholic high school of approximately 200 students has some students who receive a controversial tax credit scholarship. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

SPRINGFIELD  Illinois House Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would extend a controversial private school tax credit for another five years, which supporters say could prevent thousands of children whose tuitions are funded through the program from having to leave their schools.

Originally signed into law by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017, the Invest in Kids program touches on the divisive issue of school vouchers and is one of the most hotly contested issues confronting Illinois lawmakers as they returned to Springfield this week for their final days of legislative session of 2023.

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In addition to extending the program through 2028, the proposal introduced Tuesday would reduce maximum annual contributions awarded by the state to $50 million from $75 million. Instead of the 75% tax credit, the donors would get a 100% credit for the first $5,000 they contribute, then a maximum 65% tax credit for any additional amount if the children they sponsor live in underserved communities and a 55% credit if the children dont.

The annual limit for tax credits of $1 million would also be reduced to $500,000.

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The program is fiercely opposed by teachers unions. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who last week said he would support any measure that comes to his desk to extend the program in whatever form, on Tuesday sought to distance himself again from the program he once vowed to repeal.

All I was pointing out was that the General Assembly needs to act first, Pritzker said.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association accused Pritzker of choosing to side with anti-public education Republican governors in other states and going against the values of the Democratic Party.

In Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker addressed questions about a social media post made by a union official, which was later deleted, comparing him to conservative Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida for his stated willingness to extend Invest in Kids.

I am nothing like those two other governors, Pritzker said. People react in the moment as they do, and I forgive.

Its still unclear whether the new proposal can make it through the General Assembly. Democrats, who control both chambers of the legislature, remain divided on whether to keep the program for myriad reasons, including criticism that it hasnt sufficiently lived up to its mission to benefit children from underserved communities.

Republican calls for extending the program during budget negotiations this spring were ignored by Democrats, who passed a budget without GOP support in either chamber. Despite the broad support for the program among Republicans, theres been internal disagreements over how long theyd want to see the program keep running.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie has said she supports extending the program for another five years and would also back efforts to make sure a certain portion of the money is targeted toward schools that serve large numbers of minority students.

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I think certainly the thought process and the shared priority between Republicans and Democrats is to extend the program, certainly not leaving any of the children on the hook right now that are in the program, McCombie, of Savanna, said Tuesday. I think thats a big concern and a number one priority that it just doesnt shut off for those that are involved in it.

But members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus, the most conservative Republican House members who mainly hail from central or southeastern Illinois, slammed the new proposal as a non-starter.

It will not make the program permanent, and it reduces the available funding for scholarships, the caucus said in a statement. The best course of action would be to extend the program and to expand it.

Senate GOP Leader John Curran agrees the program should be expanded to meet the demands of the programs current wait list. But in a statement, the Downers Grove Republican said, I recognize to be successful in the legislative process requires compromise and (I) am in full support of the advocates compromise proposal filed today and their continued efforts to save scholarships for disadvantaged kids.

Also Tuesday, House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, testified during a committee hearing on a bill he filed to allow General Assembly staffers to unionize.

I think every single employee who wants to be in a union should have that opportunity, Welch told his colleagues before the House Executive Committee.

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The committee approved the measure 8 to 0. All four Republicans on the committee voted present.

Deputy Republican Leader Ryan Spain said he appreciates the work that all legislative staffers do, but he thinks the bill still needs a lot of work and he never heard House GOP staffers make the same complaints as their counterparts who work under Welch.

It seems to be an issue entirely for the House Democratic Caucus, said Spain, of Peoria. This is not an issue within the House Republican staff.

On another front, two Democratic lawmakers held a news conference to discuss a proposal that would create a path for compensating members of the soon-to-be elected board for the Chicago Public Schools, which is set to be fully in place by January 2027.

State Sen. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored the legislation that created the elected school board, argued that people from parts of the city plagued by poverty need to have their voices heard on the board and they shouldnt be expected to give up their regular jobs for a board seat.

We cannot ask a person whos working three jobs to give up one so that they can serve, otherwise they cant serve. Thats wrong. We need to remove those barriers, he said.

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The legislation comes as Martwick is among several lawmakers trying to push for school board district maps to be drawn by April 1.

Petrella reported from Chicago.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
A Texas man says in a federal lawsuit that multiple Dallas officers used excessive force when they pulled him over during a traffic stop two years ago.

He alleges they mistook him for a violent crime suspect with a similar name, thus detaining him for no just cause.

Silvester Hayes, a 27-year-old Black former security guard, filed his complaint against 10 officers and the Dallas Police Department, outlining his Oct. 16, 2021, arrest.

Still from the violent takedown of Silvester Hayes by Dallas cops. (Photo:@kellixsmith/X)

Hayes believes the ordeal transpired because he was being racially profiled by the police.

Trending Today:

On the morning of the arrest, he was on the way to pick up breakfast for his family before being pulled over by the officers. Hayes handed over his drivers license to the officers. Officer Holly Harris told Officer Walter Paul Guab that based on the name, he was a wanted man, the complaint says. She did not check to see if the names matched by looking at the spelling but assumed they had the right person based on how the name sounded.

Hayes attorneys say Guab also never ran the license or verified the identification, but instead, he began to arrest Hayes. That person they thought they were stopping, Sylvester Hayes, had an outstanding family violence warrant and was listed as someone to be pulled in upon contact.

The male officer immediately reached into the drivers side door and tried to open it.

The officers did not tell Hayes why he was being detained nor allowed him to explain that he was not the person of interest, Hayes claims.

Robinius, Espinosa & Wietzel, the law firm representing Hayes in this case, provided the press bodycam footage from some of the officers named in the lawsuit. They also allege the Dallas Police Department did not adequately train the officers and failed to discipline them after their client was released.

In the claim, he alleged the police officers not only forcibly removed him from his car but used excessive force, including kneeling on his skull, neck, and back, kicking, punching, and using a Taser on him, before arresting him on resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm charge.

When speaking about the incident, the young man said in an interview with The Dallas News, It was traumatizing.

Hayes says officers dislocated his arm before realizing he was not the person he was looking for.

According to the lawsuit, the injuries Hayes sustained, particularly his dislocated arm, have caused him ongoing pain and mobility issues, drastically impacting his life.

Adding to the chaos of the arrest was the fact that Hayes had a firearm in the car. He told the officers that he had one, and they used that information to escalate the drama.

In a proverbial case of gasoline being poured on a fire, having multiple Dallas Police Officers yelling Gun only escalated the Officers use of excessive force on Plaintiff Hayes, the complaint says.

He was arrested and jailed for multiple days before the charges were dropped. The father of four said he now suffers from emotional distress and post-traumatic stress syndrome following the arrest and subsequently was fired from his job.

All I could think about was my kids, Hayes recalled. To think that I was just going to go get something to eat for them and for that day to turn out how it did, it was definitely terrifying.

Never miss a story  sign up for ATLANTA BLACK STARS free daily newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest developments, from top news headlines to celebrity news.

Hayes believes the ordeal transpired because he was being racially profiled by the police.

Defendant Dallas Police Department has a pattern, practice, history, and custom of using excessive force against minorities, racial profiling, detaining on false pretenses, and approaching them with guns drawn, when there is no imminent threat of bodily harm or other justifiable reason to do so, the lawsuit stated, according to The Independent.

Now, Hayes is asking the courts to give him a trial by jury. Should the court find his civil rights were violated, he is asking the court to award him an unspecified amount in compensation, including damages for his injuries.

Read the original story here.
An Australian court has found Carnival Cruise Line and its cruise ship operator negligent for failing to cancel a trip from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak Wednesday.

The Ruby Princess ship left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for the 13-day cruise to New Zealand. The ship returned in 11 days because Australia was closing its borders due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus spread to 663 passengers and killed 28, The Associated Press reported.

Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival was negligent as defined by Australian consumer law by allowing the cruise to depart in the early months of the pandemic.

Susan Karpik, a passenger aboard the ship, was the lead plaintiff in the case, the AP reported.

I have found that before the embarkation of passengers on the Ruby Princess for the cruise in question, the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel and its potentially lethal consequences and that their procedures for screening passengers and crew members for the virus were unlikely to screen out all infectious individuals, Stewart said.

Stewart said Carnival had already experienced COVID-19 outbreaks on its cruises. The company failed to offer an explanation as to why it gave passengers free cancelation for cruises leaving March 9, one day after the Ruby Princess departed, and why it suspended all cruises on March 13.

The judge said the cruise company proceeded regardless with the March 8 trip although they knew doing so carried a significant risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Karpik sued Carnival for more than $360,000 Australian dollars, about $230,000 US dollars. She earned AU$ 4,423, or $2,823 USD, for her out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Karpiks lawyer said other passengers who had more serious illnesses may have larger payouts if they can prove their claim.

The pandemic was a difficult time in Australias history and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected, Carnival Australia said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The blast at a service station in Creeslough, County Donegal, on 7 October 2022 killed ten people.

A claim that some paramedics could not cross the Irish border to assist in a deadly explosion because of visa issues has been rejected by Northern Ireland ambulance officials.

The blast in Creeslough, County Donegal, last year killed 10 people.

Irish Senator Emer Currie claimed some Londonderry-based crews could not go because "some paramedics did not have the necessary visas".

She was speaking at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday.

However, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said the service totally refutes the allegations and said "that no NIAS staff were prevented in crossing the border for any reason".

They added that the ambulance service responded immediately and in large numbers to the blast, which had been declared as a major incident.

Ms Currie, a Fine Gael politician, had previously told the assembly that issues with the Common Travel Area (CTA) had prevented some paramedics from going to Creeslough.

The CTA is an agreement between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, which allows UK and Irish citizens to travel freely into each other's countries.

However, those rights do not extend to migrants living on either side of the border, even if they hold lawful residency.

The Department of Justice states that any non-European Economic Area national must have a valid Irish visa before they seek to enter the Republic of Ireland, including crossing the land border.

Having permission to reside in the UK does not remove this requirement.

The victims of the explosion were Jessica Gallagher, Robert Garwe, Shauna Flanagan Garwe, Leona Harper, Hugh Kelly, Martina Martin, Martin McGill, James Monaghan, Catherine O'Donnell and James O'Flaherty

The victims - four men, three women, two teenagers and a five-year-old girl - were from the village or nearby area.

Creeslough is in the north west of Ireland, about 15 miles (24km) from Letterkenny and 30 miles (48km) from the border with Northern Ireland. It has a population of about 400 people.

Emergency services from Northern Ireland assisted in the incident, including fire crews, search and rescue teams and the air ambulance.

Gardai (Irish police) have said that the investigation into the explosion is still ongoing and the cause is not yet known.

'Tragedy on top of tragedy'

Speaking earlier, Ms Currie told BBC Radio Foyle's The North West Today that the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly looks exclusively at issues that arise between the two parliaments.

"As part of that we have been looking at the Common Travel Area and protecting it post-Brexit," she said.

"One of the issues we came across was on the day of the Creeslough tragedy were there were people with visas working on the ambulances in critical care and they were concerned about crossing the border.

"That is because, according to their visas, they need to apply to cross the border so there was major concern about responding to the tragedy in the way we want.

"It was one of those moments where we have to stand back and say this isn't on, this has to change.

"It was a tragedy on top of a tragedy, really, that there were people who felt they couldn't respond to an emergency because their visas were holding them back."

Director of the North West Migrants Forum, Lilian Seenoi Barr said it "is very clear that healthcare professionals based in Derry who require Irish visas cannot cross the border without a visa".

"Having spoken to people involved, this is a recurring issue and would have been during the Creeslough tragedy," she said.

However, Ms Seenoi Barr said it did not mean ambulance personnel were unable to fully respond to the tragedy with other staff.

'Not affected in any way'

In response to Ms Currie's comments, an NIAS spokesperson said their response to the incident in Creeslough "was not affected in any way due to border or visa issues".

"No NIAS staff were prevented in crossing the border for any reason and we are deeply concerned at any reports suggesting this," the spokesperson said.

They said they received an emergency call for assistance from the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in Donegal on Friday 7 October 2022 and "immediately dispatched a range of resources".

This included the air ambulance with helicopter emergency medical team, hazardous area response team (HART) ambulance officers, paramedics and emergency medical technicians as well as non-emergency transport crews.

They said a "memorandum of understanding" is in place between NIAS and NAS to provide for cross-border assistance in a declared major incident.

NIAS said this is to help in the management and resourcing of emergency and urgent calls, and cross-border assistance.

"As part of our preparation for EU Exit, NIAS identified a very small number of our staff who were non-EU nationals and worked with them in regards to the necessary legislation to continue to work unhindered," they said.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (WPIX)  A customer was freed from a safety deposit room in Manhattans Diamond District on Wednesday morning after getting locked inside the night before, according to authorities in New York City.

The 23-year-old man had been accessing his safety deposit box at a facility operated by DGA Securities on Tuesday night when an employee closed the vault without realizing a customer was still inside, Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarrocco of the FDNY told reporters Wednesday.

The FDNY was notified of the incident at around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

Officials arrived and were able to communicate with the customer via a phone in the vault room, Chief Sarrocco said. The could also see the man on closed-circuit cameras.

There was no way to open or override the vault door after it had closed for the night, according to Chief Sarrocco.

Once its closed, its on a timing mechanism. That vault does not reopen until a certain amount of time passes, he told reporters.

Car with rubber bumper leads to evacuations and school lockdowns in Tennessee

The FDNYs rescue unit arrived with tools to bore through one of the vaults walls, which were composed of concrete reinforced with steel bars and plates. The technicians initially made progress, but decided against continuing for fear that the torches needed to cut through the steel plates would create a dangerous environment inside the vault.

We determined that  we would hold off and see if the doors would open automatically, Chief Sarrocco said.

The customer inside was also in no imminent danger, as there was adequate ventilation in the 20-foot-by-40-foot room, officials said.

At 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the vault door unlocked automatically, at which point the 23-year-old was able to walk out. An NYPD spokesperson said the man sustained no injuries and no criminality is suspected.

Hes fine, Chief Sarrocco said Wednesday morning. Hes being evaluated by EMS.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Czech authorities are preparing to prosecute Nela Liskova, a pro-Russian activist who styled herself as an "honorary consul" to Russian occupation authorities in Donetsk Oblast, for spreading hatred against Ukrainians online, Czech Television reported on Oct. 25.

Liskova, a Czech citizen who is, according to local fact-checking sites, close to the country's pro-Russian disinformation sphere, called Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky a "Nazi monster" in her post on the social media platform X in June.

"De-Ukrainization and de-Nazification of the Czech Republic, that will be our task!" Liskova wrote in a statement that prompted an investigation by law enforcement.

The Czech police recently completed their investigation into Liskova's post and handed her case over to the State Prosecutor's Office, Czech Television reported. The prosecutors relayed the matter to the court, asking for her to be prosecuted for "spreading hatred toward a group of persons."

Liskova claims, however, that she was only commenting on Zelensky and called her statements "personal political views."

The activist used to lead a Czech-based organization that presented itself as the "representative office" of Russian occupation authorities in Donetsk Oblast. Liskova styled herself as an "honorary consul" to Russian proxy authorities, according to Czech Television. The group was reportedly active from 2016 until its dissolution by the court in 2017.

The Czech fact-checking website Manipulatori.cz said that Liskova has actively spread pro-Russian disinformation online and cooperated with propaganda channels run by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine.

Read also: David Kirichenko: The continued menace of Russian disinformation

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A Texas father is dead after intervening in a fight between his daughters and a group of teenage girls, according to police.

Officers with the San Antonio Police Department responded to a call about a shooting in a neighborhood on the citys west side at about 9 p.m. on Oct. 24, the department said in a news release.

Investigators say a group of teenage girls went to the home looking to fight with two girls who lived there, the release said. During the brawl, the father of the two girls stepped in and was shot several times, police said.

He was also repeatedly stabbed, police told WOAI.

The violent confrontation was the result of a long-simmering feud between the teens, police told the outlet.

When officers arrived at the scene, the father was lying wounded in the street, according to police. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance but died from his injuries.

Neighbors told police they could hear a loud argument outside, then gunshots, KENS reported. Whoever shot the man ran away, but home security cameras captured the fight and police are searching for a suspect, the outlet reported.

Cops thought man overdosed until autopsy uncovers odd chest wound, Texas police say

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A father, son and brother with a zest for life has died following a tragic skydiving accident in Texas, news outlets reported.

Jacob Todd, 36, died on Oct. 15 when his parachute malfunctioned during a skydiving jump, according to KSAZ.

They have a zest for life, they have a zest for adventure and he was one of those people, his dad, Dave Todd, told KDVR. The guy was not only my son, but my best friend.

Jacob Todd, who was from Colorado, was attending a three-day Epic Ring of Fire Boogie event, according to KCBD. The event was for new and experienced jumpers.

McClatchy News reached out to event organizers of the Epic Ring of Fire Boogie and is awaiting a response.

Basically, Jake had an accident, his brother, Bryan Todd, told KSAZ. He was too low. He had an issue with his parachute, and he was too low to be able to correct it in time.

Bystanders performed life-saving measures on Jacob Todd who was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died, KCBD reported.

His family said he had been skydiving for years and was coming up on 100 jumps for this year, according to KDVR.

But more than his love for skydiving, he loved his 9-year-old daughter, according to his family.

Most important to Jake was being an extremely loving father to his daughter, a GoFundMe page said. Together they loved to go on adventures like rock hunting, going to theme parks, and skydiving. If you knew Jake, you knew [she] was always attached at his hip.

Jacob Todd is also survived by both of his parents and three siblings according to an online obituary.

Jake was blessed with a contagious smile, tone and enthusiasm that all enjoyed, his obituary read.

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the accident, KCBD reported.

69-year-old skydiver dies after he crash-lands in Florida front yard, police say

Skydiver dangles from power lines after overshooting landing, California officials say

BASE jumper plunges down cliff, Montana rescuers say. Witness rushes to call for help
A $20 win on a scratch-off lottery ticket was a good sign for a Maryland dad. So when he was buying coffee at the same Wawa the next morning, he figured he would buy two more tickets.

As he scratched off the first one, he knew his decision paid off.

The Calvert County man won the top prize of $100,000 on a $10 instant ticket in the $100,000 Crossword game, Maryland Lottery announced in an Oct. 24 news release. The second ticket was a non-winner.

I was so excited but I couldnt show it, he told lottery officials. I didnt want anyone to know that I won.

He showed up to claim his winnings with his daughter.

With the prize money, he said he plans to buy his dream car, a 1976 Corvette. Hell share whats left over with his wife and daughter, he told lottery officials.

The Wawa where he purchased the ticket in Prince Frederick will receive a $1,000 bonus as well.

Six top prizes remain in the $100,000 Crossword game, which debuted in August, according to lottery officials. Other smaller amounts such as 12 $10,000 prizes, also remain.

Calvert County is about 70 miles south of Baltimore.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Husband heard rumors about someone winning big Powerball prize in Nebraska. It was him

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Financial talk show host Dave Ramsey works in his broadcast studio in Brentwood, Tenn., on Thursday, March 23, 2006. | Mark Humphrey, Associated Press

High schools in Pasco County, Florida, moved one step closer this month to using a Dave Ramsey book in new financial literacy courses after a lawyer hired to sort out conflict over the books selection sided with school district officials, according to WUSF, an NPR member station based in Tampa Bay.

James A. Robinson, the lawyer chosen to be an impartial hearing officer, determined that using Ramseys Foundations in Personal Finance in public schools would not break the law, despite its references to Bible verses.

Robinson noted that the references to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, and Proverbs, in parts of the Ramsey textbook, appear alongside quotes from Aristotle, Maya Angelou, Thomas Jefferson, Nelson Mandela, and Yogi Berra, among others, WUSF reported, citing the five-page decision he submitted on Oct. 16.

Citations to gospels and parables do not amount to religious proselytization. There is no attempt to convert anyone to a particular religious viewpoint. Inclusion of the citations does not violate the Constitution or any other applicable law, Robinson wrote, noting that the Bible verses reflect financial wisdom thats generally accepted in the culture.

Related

Dave Ramsey books in high schools

The conflict in Pasco County arose after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a law in March 2022 requiring Florida high school students to take a financial literacy course to be eligible for graduation. Students who entered high school this fall are the first to be subject to the legislation.

Financial literacy is an important life skill for a student to have, DeSantis said in a press release when he signed the law. Ensuring our students have the skills to manage their finances and perhaps one day own a business will pay dividends for our state.

As the Florida Department of Education sought to determine which textbooks could be used for the newly required course, controversy arose around Ramseys Foundations in Personal Finance, which was designed for high school students by the conservative Christian radio hosts company.

Although the Ramsey textbook teaches secular financial skills, it includes quotes from the Bible to illustrate the points being made. Among the included Bible passages are quotes from Proverbs 23 and Proverbs 26, according to NPR.

Foundations in Personal Finance is also controversial because of how it presents concepts like debt and credit card spending.

The main idea that runs through this book  there are three points. One, debt is bad. Two, pay cash. And three, if you have debt, you are, quote, dumb, said social studies teacher Beverly Ledbetter to NPR.

WUSF noted that the Ramsey book also refers to debt as a sin.

Over the objections of people like Ledbetter, Ramseys Foundations in Personal Finance was included on this years list of approved materials for financial literacy courses.

However, the overall debate is not settled, because the Florida Department of Education has not yet released the specific standards that will guide a financial literacy course in the future, according to WUSF.

Ramseys textbook is already approved for use in financial literacy courses in several states, including Utah, as the Deseret News previously reported.

Dave Ramsey textbook in Pasco County

Amid the uncertainty over Floridas future financial literacy curriculum, a Pasco County school district moved forward with plans to use Ramseys textbook in its high schools.

Several community members, including teachers, objected, which is why Robinson was asked to assess the legality of the school districts plans.

Robinsons decision described the Pasco County school districts arguments as convincing, as they detailed how school officials complied with law and policies in choosing a textbook that was newly listed on the state of Florida Department of Educations approved list, WUSF reported.

Now that it has Robinsons report, the school district is expected to make its final decision on Foundations in Financial Literacy at a Nov. 7 school board meeting.
The delegation of China, the "Representatives of Chiang Kai-Shek," are pictured leaving the U.N. Assembly Hall on October 25, 1971, prior to the vote on a draft resolution to recognize the representatives of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations. File Photo by UN/UPI

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1854, known to history as the Charge of the Light Brigade, 670 British cavalrymen fighting in the Crimean War attacked a heavily fortified Russian position and were killed.

In 1929, during the Teapot Dome scandal, Albert B. Fall , who served as U.S. President Warren Harding's interior secretary, was found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office. He was the first presidential Cabinet member convicted of a crime.

In 1944, the Japanese military employed its first unit of Kamikaze pilots during the Battle of Leyte Gulf off the coast of the Philippines.

In 1971, the United Nations admitted China as a member, ousting the Nationalist Chinese government of Taiwan.

Albert B. Fall, former secretary of interior, is helped into his car as he leaves the District and Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on October 25, 1929. Fall was found guilty of accepting a bribe of $100,000 from E.L. Doheny as part of the Teapot Dome Scandal. File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI

In 1983, U.S. troops, supported by six Caribbean nations, invaded the tiny, leftist-ruled island of Grenada, rescuing 1,000 American students and restoring order to the country. The death toll in about two months of fighting exceeded 100.

In 1993, Canadian voters rejected the Progressive Conservative Party of Prime Minister Kim Campbell and gave the Liberal Party, led by Jean Chretien of Quebec, a firm majority in Parliament.

An explosion rocks the USS St. Louis after she was hit by a Kamikaze pilot off the coast of Samar Island, Philippines, on October 25, 1944. File Photo by US Navy/UPI

File Photo by H. Ruckemann/UPI

In 1994, Susan Smith falsely reported her two young sons were missing after a carjacking. After several days of intense public and media scrutiny, the South Carolina woman admitted she drove her car with her children inside it into a lake, killing them. She was sentenced to life in prison for the murders.

U.S. Marines, armed with M16A1 rifles, take defensive positions October 25, 1983, along a hillside during Operation Urgent Fury, the United States-led invasion of Grenada following a coup in the tiny Caribbean country. File Photo by USMC/UPI

In 2002, Democratic U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and seven others were killed in the crash of a small plane about 180 miles northeast of Minneapolis.

File Photo by Chris Corder/UPI

In 2009, the World Health Organization reported a global death toll from the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, at 5,700. About 440,000 people were confirmed as having the disease.

In 2010, more than 400 coastal residents in western Sumatra were killed and thousands left homeless by a tsunami triggered by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. About 750 miles away in central Java, the Mount Merapi volcano began a series of three eruptions that left a reported death toll of more than 300 with about 6,000 homeless.

In 2022, Rishi Sunak officially became Britain's prime minister, its third in three months. He was the first person of color to serve in the roll.

File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI
Obama Presidential Center under construction in the 6000 block of South Stony Island Avenue on Aug. 10, 2023, in Chicago. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

As the Obama Presidential Centers main building rises higher above Jackson Park, the projects main opponents on Tuesday made what could be one of their last significant legal efforts to halt construction of the historic project.

Following a series of losses in other legal venues that have enabled construction of the center to continue, attorneys representing the advocacy group Protect Our Parks argued before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that using public land for the presidential center remained riddled with problems.

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The group is hoping the appellate court will halt or even potentially reverse construction of the museum for the former president. But a written ruling after Tuesdays arguments could be months away and in the meantime construction continues on the center that Obama Foundation officials have said should open roughly two years from now at a cost of at least $800 million.

Judges Diane Wood, David Hamilton, and Ilana Rovner lobbed frequent questions at Protect Our Parks lead attorney, noted University of Chicago emeritus professor Richard Epstein, as well as attorneys for the defendants, the city of Chicago, the Obama Foundation and the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Protect Our Parks, or POP, has long contended it doesnt oppose a South Side location for Obamas presidential center, going as far as drafting an alternate proposal at a privately owned location just west of the current site, near Washington Park. Its most recent appeal POP said the ongoing Jackson Park project is putting the citys parkland in grave danger by endangering mature trees, disrupting annual bird migratory flights and closing four main South Side thoroughfares.

The appeal further argues the foundations takeover of 19 acres of parkland was in violation of the public trust doctrine and that the 99-year agreement in which the city and the Chicago Park District leased the land to the Obama Foundation for only $10 was a giveaway, compared to the priceless historical parkland designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

So far, the groups legal attempts  while initially delaying construction  have been unsuccessful. The most recent was last November when U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey ruled in favor of the Obama Foundation, several federal agencies and the city of Chicago. The defendants argued past judges have essentially closed the book on the issues POP continues to raise.

This is the third time plaintiffs seek this courts review of claims challenging the construction of Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. In this iteration, plaintiffs add nothing new to theories this court has already rejected, Elizabeth Tisher, an attorney representing the city of Chicago, said Tuesday during brief oral arguments.

Obama Presidential Center under construction in the 6000 block of South Stony Island Avenue. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

And contrary to the argument that the deal violated the public trust, presidential centers serve valuable purposes, including furthering human knowledge and understanding, educating and inspiring the public and expanding educational opportunities, Tisher said.

The centers plans to close roads and reconfigure park lands were OKd by federal parks, transportation and preservation officials, the defendants argue. Federal officials determined the centers construction and nearby roadway fixes would not pose a significant impact on the environment, that the site will convert current roadways into green space, and that the plans provided a public benefit that aligned with 2016 amendments to the states Museum Act allowing presidential centers on park land.

The judges on Tuesday pushed Epstein to explain how the group was legally able to meddle in what was essentially a private deal between city officials and the foundation.

What law allows a perfect stranger to come in and upset the deal? Wood asked.

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Epstein argued taxpayers who are the beneficiaries of public property have standing to enforce the public trust, and that the foundation had not lived up to the financial terms of the agreement that required it to raise enough money to build the museum and establish an endowment before the Obama Foundation took control of the site in 2021.

The defendants said in court filings that POPs lawsuit wasnt being brought on behalf of the city. In fact, they name the city as a defendant, contend it breached the master agreement, and seek relief against it.

The foundation also said in court filings it had received enough funding  $485 million  and created an endowment by that time, which lived up to its agreement.

The Obama Foundation raised $311 million in contributions and grants in 2022, according to the foundations annual IRS filing. Net assets at the end of the year stood at $925 million.

But Protect Our Parks appeal noted that number was not audited and that the cost to build the center had grown to $700 million later that year, and hundreds of millions of dollars more were needed in an endowment to cover operations, maintenance and improvements to the site. Epstein argued taxpayers might end up footing the bill, and without advocacy from taxpayers, otherwise what happens is youll never pick up the clam and look to see whats underneath it. And in fact, whats underneath this is a massive irregularity, he said Tuesday.

Judge Hamilton, who was appointed to the appellate court by Obama, asked Epstein what injunctive relief would look like. Do you want construction dismantled?  You want a stop to the building?

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Epstein said at present, they are not asking the existing construction be taken down. The group wants an additional environmental impact review and wants to stop construction until they prove its consistent with the public trust doctrine.

POPs legal team also argued the courts had repeatedly erred in its rulings. A clearly frustrated Epstein sparred with the judges over his argument that POP had standing, what corporate law applied to his arguments and the relevance of past rulings.

By the end of his rebuttal, Judge Rovner asked, Im breathless, are you?

Another POP attorney, Michael Rachlis, told the Tribune on Monday that if POP fails in court this time, it could petition for fresh hearings from the 7th Circuit or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is just a travesty, Epstein said after oral arguments about the deal with the Obama Foundation. Im an academic. I dont like seeing judicial decisions that come out which I think are indefensible.  Ive been in Chicago all my life. I just regard this as the worst form of political connivance Ive seen.  Im essentially a good government guy, and this was bad government.

aquig@chicagotribune.com
The rain warning has been extended to Perth where some roads have had to be closed because of flooding

Train services have been cancelled as Scotland's yellow rain warning is extended in the wake of Storm Babet.

ScotRail says there will be no direct services between the central belt and Aberdeen and Inverness until Sunday.

The Met Office yellow warning is in place in areas badly hit by Storm Babet flooding, which claimed three lives in Scotland.

The warning now extends to include Perth, Fife, Edinburgh and Stirling and runs until midnight on Monday.

It also affects Angus, Dundee, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Perthshire, Angus and Aberdeenshire were among the worst-affected areas during the storm.

Up to 40 tonnes of mud was removed from the streets of Invergowrie alone during a clean-up operation.

ScotRail has warned customers there will be disruption to services.

Those travelling between the central belt and Aberdeen and Inverness will need to change at Perth (for travel to Inverness) and Dundee (for travel to Aberdeen) as there will be no direct ScotRail services from Friday until Sunday.

scotrail train

ScotRail will operate more localised shuttle services between Aberdeen and Dundee, and between Inverness and Perth.

Speed restrictions will be in place as a safety precaution, which means services may be subject to delay or cancellation.

LNER services between Edinburgh and Aberdeen are cancelled and a rail replacement service will run instead.

The operator also said its services between Edinburgh and Newcastle will be subject to minor delays due to speed restrictions.

TransPennine Express will be running a limited service between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh only, with a heavily reduced service running between Edinburgh and Newcastle.

Most trains will be revised to start and terminate at Newcastle and are not calling at stations towards Edinburgh.

Customers should check their journeys before travelling.

The Met Office said the rain would be "much less heavy" than last week but may lead to flooding if it falls on already saturated ground.

Forecasters warned that spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, and may lead to delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

What happened during Storm Babet?

A man was rescued from a property in Brechin, Angus last week

Last week saw two red weather alerts - which are usually rare - covering parts of eastern Scotland.

Torrential rain and high winds saw rivers burst their banks, flooding defences breached, homes damaged and dozens of people rescued.

On Thursday Perthshire businesswoman Wendy Taylor, 57, died after being swept away in the Water of Lee, Glen Esk.

John Gillan, 56, was also killed after a falling tree hit his van near Forfar.

A third man - later identified as 61-year-old Peter Pelling, from Arbroath - was reported missing after he became trapped in his car, which was swept away in flood water in Marykirk, Aberdeenshire.

Police found his body inside the vehicle following a three-day search.

Extreme conditions continued into Friday, with downpours extending through England and Wales, closing schools and causing widespread travel disruption.

Power had to be restored to thousands of properties across the UK and dozens of people were put into emergency accommodation.

At Leeds Bradford Airport a holiday jet skidded off a runway as it came in to land amid wet and windy conditions. The incident resulted in the closure of the airport.

The clean-up

While councils workers heave mud and debris from streets, insurers are urging those with flood-damaged homes to get in touch as soon as possible - but this process is time consuming.

The first minister has confirmed that the Scottish government has activated the Bellwin scheme, a discretionary fund which is designed to help councils that face extra costs as a result of large-scale emergencies.

Speaking as he toured flood-hit Brechin in Angus on Monday, Humza Yousaf said cash aid would be made available for the areas after councillors called for help.

Insurers are urging homeowners to get in touch as soon as possible

The scheme has been activated a number of times in recent years including after storms Eva and Frank battered Scotland over Christmas and New Year 2015. Millions of pounds of aid was given to repair damage across the Borders and Aberdeenshire.

It was also used to help with disruption caused by the "Beast from the East" cold wave in February 2018.

Previous cold weather conditions and storms are estimated to have cost the Scottish economy up to 700m ($846m), according to a report by accountants PwC.
When a Home Depot worker confronted two men accused of putting store items in trash can boxes, the men stopped and tried to pay for the trash cans, Florida deputies said.

Their card declined.

The incident led investigators to the discovery of a complex retail theft operation involving more than $15,000 of stolen items, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said in an Oct. 25 news release.

The men visited a Home Depot in east Tampa on Oct. 24, deputies said. An employee said they saw the men filling trash can boxes with high-value items, including tools, breakers and switches, attempting to conceal the stolen items.

Deputies said the two men tried to leave the store without paying, and an employee went up to them. They tried to pay just for the trash cans, according to the release.

When their card declined, they left one of the trash cans inside the store and paid for just one, deputies said.

Detectives in the sheriffs office organized retail theft working group searched the truck and trailer of one of the men and recovered the stolen items valued at $3,945.23, the release said.

Further inspection revealed additional taped boxes inside the vehicle, matching the stolen items, receipts from multiple Hillsborough County Home Depot stores, as well as receipts from two stores in Lee County from the previous day, deputies said.

In total, investigators said they found $15,497.54 in stolen Home Depot property.

The 39-year-old and 41-year-old were each charged with one count of retail theft $3,000 or more and two counts of grand theft third degree, according to the release.

Attorney information for the two men was not available. Home Depot did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment.

Deputies said they also reached out to Lee County officials about the two men accused of committing grand thefts in their jurisdiction.

Its disappointing to see the lengths these individuals went through to steal these items, Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. From hiding items in boxes to traveling across the state, they were more than aware of what they were doing was wrong.

Hillsborough County includes Tampa.

Pastor ran theft ring that stole at least $1.4M from Home Depot, Florida officials say

Woman stole from nail supply store then came back to retrieve her phone, CA cops say

Mom helped son coordinate fatal shooting of Home Depot employee, Florida cops say

Lowes employee fired after trying to stop theft is offered her job back, company says
The claim: Israeli spokesperson said Israel bombed Gaza hospital

An Oct. 17 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) from activist Shaun King shows a screenshot of a now-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, about the bombing of a hospital in Gaza.

"BREAKING: Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza," reads the X post. "A multiple number of terrorists are dead."

The Instagram post's caption states, "In this now deleted tweet from a spokesperson for Israel, Israel first took credit for bombing the Baptist Hospital. Once they saw how many civilians it killed he deleted this tweet and blamed the attack on Hamas and said Hamas bombed the hospital themselves."

The Instagram post garnered more than 100,000 likes in two days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Fact check roundup: Israel-Hamas war sparks many misleading claims online. Here's what's true and false.

Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

Our rating: False

The man who shared the post on X is a self-described "media personality," not a spokesperson for the Israeli government. Israel hasn't taken "credit" for the hospital blast. The original X post was later deleted.

Image doesn't show post by Israeli spokesperson

Israelis and Palestinians have blamed each other for an explosion that U.S. intelligence says killed between 100 and 300 people at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17. Upon visiting Tel Aviv the next day, President Joe Biden backed Israel's claims, saying a U.S. assessment found the blast wasn't caused by Israel.

But this hasn't deterred social media users from speculating that Israel was at fault. The claim in question goes a step further by asserting Israel acknowledged a role in the blast, but that never happened.

The statement shown in the Instagram post was shared by Hananya Naftali, a self-described "media personality." On his X profile, he says, "Im that Israeli who talks to the camera about peace in the Middle East."

Fact check: False claim Wall Street Journal reported US bomb was used in Gaza hospital blast

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told USA TODAY in an email that Naftali isn't employed by the agency as a spokesperson.

Spokespeople for the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry told Jewish Insider they haven't employed Naftali as a spokesperson either. USA TODAY reached out to the two offices but didn't immediately receive a response.

A 2018 article in the Jerusalem Post said Naftali was hired that year as a social media advisor to Netanyahu. And Naftali claims in an Oct. 14 Facebook video that Netanyahu "called me to join this task force ... to fight and defend Israel in the media."

But Naftali isn't listed as a spokesperson on a government press sheet, and there aren't any credible reports or examples of press appearances that show him currently acting as one.

X post based on inaccurate information

There are no credible reports of Israel taking credit for the hospital explosion.

The same day that Naftali deleted his X post he posted an update in which he apologized and said the claim of Israel taking responsibility was "false" and that he was "mistaken" and made an "error." He said he'd based his claim on a Reuters headline and wrongly assumed the hospital was a base for the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Fact check: Israel-Hamas conflict is ongoing; viral surrender claim is baseless

This isn't the first time Naftali has shared misinformation on social media.

On Oct. 8, he shared a video he claimed showed Israel Defense Forces bombing Gaza. The day before, a Syrian journalist shared the video and said it showed the Syrian city of Ariha being bombed, according to Google Translate.

USA TODAY reached out to Naftali and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No proof of Israel admitting to Gaza hospital explosion | Fact check
A House Democrat committee posted false information attempting to paint GOP speaker nominee Mike Johnson as a "MAGA extremist."

The House Judiciary Democrats's attempt to blast Johnson in a tweet before Wednesday's floor vote for the speaker's gavel backfired when they claimed he was a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

"Rep. Mike Johnson is a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, which has pushed a budget proposal to defund the FBI," the tweet reads.

MIKE JOHNSON COULD PULL OF HOUSE SPEAKER BID AS SUPPORT COALESCES AROUND HIM

The tweet from the party, whose members pushed defunding the police, included a screenshot from the Biden White House's website that reads the "extreme MAGA Republican House Freedom Caucus proposal would eliminate funding for 11,000 FBI personnel, including agents who investigate crimes and keep guns out of the hands of felons and domestic abusers."

Additionally, the screenshot included in the House Judiciary Democrats' jab at Johnson includes the term "MAGA"  former President Trump's campaign slogan and a term the White House Office of Special Counsel said violates the Hatch Act.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

There was one problem with the Democrats' plan, however: Johnson is not a member of the Freedom Caucus.

Fox News Digital reached out to the House Judiciary Committee Democrats for comment on the tweet but did not immediately receive a response.

After winning nomination for House speaker, GOP Rep, Mike Johnson said his party is united and said he's very confident about his chances on the floor.

The tweet comes as Johnson's bid for House Speaker kicks off with a Wednesday floor vote.

Johnson may pull off his bid for the speaker's gavel as his party's support coalesces around him. Cohesion has been a driving concern among the House GOP as they search for a new speaker after the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Johnson scored his party's nomination late Tuesday, with several members absent and three voting present.

Cohesion has been a driving concern among the House GOP as they search for a new speaker after the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Johnson has since shored up support from the three Republicans who voted present in Tuesday's late nomination vote  Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and French Hill of Arkansas.

Additionally, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden is still overseas in Israel on a fact-finding mission, meaning Johnson's margin of loss is smaller.

Johnson also got support from former President Trump, who gave his support for the GOP nominee, urging Republicans to "get it done, fast" ahead of a potential House speaker vote Wednesday.





Original article source: Dem committee posts false information painting speaker nominee as MAGA extremist
Illinois House Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would extend a controversial private school tax credit for another five years, which supporters say could prevent thousands of children whose tuitions are funded through the program from having to leave their schools.

Originally signed into law by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017, the Invest in Kids program touches on the divisive issue of school vouchers and is one of the most hotly contested issues confronting Illinois lawmakers as they returned to Springfield this week for their final days of legislative session of 2023.

In addition to extending the program through 2028, the proposal introduced Tuesday would reduce maximum annual contributions awarded by the state to $50 million from $75 million. Instead of the 75% tax credit, the donors would get a 100% credit for the first $5,000 they contribute, then a maximum 65% tax credit for any additional amount if the children they sponsor live in underserved communities and a 55% credit if the children dont.

The annual limit for tax credits of $1 million would also be reduced to $500,000.

The program is fiercely opposed by teachers unions. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who last week said he would support any measure that comes to his desk to extend the program in whatever form, on Tuesday sought to distance himself again from the program he once vowed to repeal.

All I was pointing out was that the General Assembly needs to act first, Pritzker said.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association accused Pritzker of choosing to side with anti-public education Republican governors in other states and going against the values of the Democratic Party.

In Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker addressed questions about a social media post made by a union official, which was later deleted, comparing him to conservative Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida for his stated willingness to extend Invest in Kids.

I am nothing like those two other governors, Pritzker said. People react in the moment as they do, and I forgive.

Its still unclear whether the new proposal can make it through the General Assembly. Democrats, who control both chambers of the legislature, remain divided on whether to keep the program for myriad reasons, including criticism that it hasnt sufficiently lived up to its mission to benefit children from underserved communities.

Republican calls for extending the program during budget negotiations this spring were ignored by Democrats, who passed a budget without GOP support in either chamber. Despite the broad support for the program among Republicans, theres been internal disagreements over how long theyd want to see the program keep running.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie has said she supports extending the program for another five years and would also back efforts to make sure a certain portion of the money is targeted toward schools that serve large numbers of minority students.

I think certainly the thought process and the shared priority between Republicans and Democrats is to extend the program, certainly not leaving any of the children on the hook right now that are in the program, McCombie, of Savanna, said Tuesday. I think thats a big concern and a number one priority that it just doesnt shut off for those that are involved in it.

But members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus, the most conservative Republican House members who mainly hail from central or southeastern Illinois, slammed the new proposal as a non-starter.

It will not make the program permanent, and it reduces the available funding for scholarships, the caucus said in a statement. The best course of action would be to extend the program and to expand it.

Senate GOP Leader John Curran agrees the program should be expanded to meet the demands of the programs current wait list. But in a statement, the Downers Grove Republican said, I recognize to be successful in the legislative process requires compromise and (I) am in full support of the advocates compromise proposal filed today and their continued efforts to save scholarships for disadvantaged kids.

Also Tuesday, House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, testified during a committee hearing on a bill he filed to allow General Assembly staffers to unionize.

I think every single employee who wants to be in a union should have that opportunity, Welch told his colleagues before the House Executive Committee.

The committee approved the measure 8 to 0. All four Republicans on the committee voted present.

Deputy Republican Leader Ryan Spain said he appreciates the work that all legislative staffers do, but he thinks the bill still needs a lot of work and he never heard House GOP staffers make the same complaints as their counterparts who work under Welch.

It seems to be an issue entirely for the House Democratic Caucus, said Spain, of Peoria. This is not an issue within the House Republican staff.

On another front, two Democratic lawmakers held a news conference to discuss a proposal that would create a path for compensating members of the soon-to-be elected board for the Chicago Public Schools, which is set to be fully in place by January 2027.

State Sen. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored the legislation that created the elected school board, argued that people from parts of the city plagued by poverty need to have their voices heard on the board and they shouldnt be expected to give up their regular jobs for a board seat.

We cannot ask a person whos working three jobs to give up one so that they can serve, otherwise they cant serve. Thats wrong. We need to remove those barriers, he said.

The legislation comes as Martwick is among several lawmakers trying to push for school board district maps to be drawn by April 1.

Petrella reported from Chicago.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
Multiple Democrat House members dug into their Republican counterparts on Tuesday as the GOP conference finds itself back at square one following the collapse of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer s (R-Minn.) Speakership nomination.

House Democrats took to social media to call out the chaos within the GOP conference and urge lawmakers to find a solution  potentially a bipartisan one  to resume the functions of the lower chamber.

Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) posted a video of herself crossing out former Speaker Kevin McCarthys (R-Calif.) name along with the 10 Republican lawmakers who have run for Speaker in the past three weeks. The California Democrat said nope, after crossing off each name and attached the text, An update  the #GOPChaosContinues!

Reposting a video of GOP Rep. Andy Barr (Ky.) who said, We might as well have Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats control the Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote Agreed, in a post on X.

In another post on X, Rep. Steven Hosford (D-Nev.) posted a meme that said, I would like to see the chaos, with the words House Republicans, below.

Im convinced some of my colleagues are enjoying this crisis. We must end the chaos, Hosford wrote. End the dysfunction. End the extremism. Lets reopen the house. A bipartisan agreement appears to be the only clear path.

Some lawmakers have argued a bipartisan solution may be the only path to a Speakership in the wake of intense GOP division.

Pushing for the election of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Penn.) wrote on X, Its been 21 days & the Republicans still cant get it together and elect a House Speaker. I believe Democratic Leader [Jeffries] is the best person to lead the House in a bipartisan manner to get things done for the American people. Republicans, work with us already!

Reposting a reporters post on X about the floated idea of a joint Speakership between former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) wrote, Finally a marriage between 2 men Republicans support.

Tuesday night, Emmer withdrew from the Speakers race just hours after clinching the GOP Speaker nomination, forcing the Republican conference to embark on its fourth nomination process.

The GOP conference has been entangled in turmoil since eight Republicans joined all House Democrats to boot McCarthy from the top spot earlier this month.

Emmer was the Republican conferences third Speaker nominee in just as many weeks as division and infighting have prevented the conference from coalescing support around one candidate.

Since McCarthys ouster, the GOP has nominated three Speaker candidates including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Calif.), who dropped out after one day, as well as Jordan  who failed on the ballot three times last week before the House GOP voted to no longer back him  and Emmer, who dropped out on Tuesday hours after he was nominated.

Other Democrats are pointing to world issues that the House cannot support in its state of paralysis, including Israels war with Hamas and the Russia-Ukraine war.

The House has now been shut down for three weeks, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) wrote in a post on X. The world is on fire. Ukraine is being assaulted by Putin. Israel is at war. There is a lot to be done, and shutting down the House because the Republican party is so deeply divided is bad for our global security.

Meanwhile, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) took the chance to target the GOPs policy on prescription drug costs, writing on X, Right now, Republicans are choosing their FIFTH Speaker nominee of this Congress. But heres the thing: no matter who they choose, itll be a person who voted AGAINST lowering prescription drug costs.

You know who voted FOR this life-saving measure? Every single House Democrat, she continued.

Even Former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) chimed in, posting a mockery conversation between Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats to Republicans: Hey, you should pick a Speaker already. Rs: We cant Ds: Can we help? Rs: No!! Ds: OK, then pick a Speaker Rs: We cant Ds: OK how about some help? Rs: No!!!!' Malinowski wrote.

House Republicans gathered for a candidate forum on Tuesday night to hear from another round of potential Speakers following Emmers withdrawal.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former Columbia City Councilmember Tameika Isaac Devine is now in the drivers seat to complete the late John Scotts state Senate term after winning Tuesdays Democratic special primary election.

Devine, who is a highly capable fundraiser, used her more than two-to-one cash advantage to receive 2,288 votes, or 52.65% of the vote, to avoid a runoff with state Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Richland, who received 1,921 votes (44.2%), according to Tuesdays unofficial results, with 36 of 39 precincts reporting.

Johnnie Cordero, a former S.C. Democratic Party Black caucus chairman and Javar Juarez, the senior director of the Broad River Business Alliance, each received about 1.6% of the vote.

Scott, who died in August, was elected to the seat in 2008 when he carried 91% of the vote in the general election. In Scotts three other Senate elections, he only faced a primary challenger in 2016, but he carried 61% of the vote in the primary. He was unopposed in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 general elections.

Winning the Democratic nomination makes Devine the favorite to win the election to finish the final year of Scotts term in the heavily Democratic district.

Devine goes on to face Republican Kizzie Smalls, Independence Party member Michael Addison and United Citizens Party member Chris Nelums in the Jan. 2 general election for the seat.

Devine, who raised $500,000 for an unsuccessful 2021 Columbia mayoral run, had the cash advantage in the state senate election, raising $107,000 and spending $80,000 through Oct. 4. Garvin raised $50,000 and spent $43,000.

Neither Cordero nor Juarez submitted campaign finance reports ahead of the primary, according to the State Ethics Commission website.

Devines campaign cash advantage allowed her to go on television, spending at least $7,500 on three local broadcast television ads during the last two weeks of the primary race, according to Federal Communications Commission records. Devine also had advertising on WIS TV, but spending figures for the local NBC affiliate were not immediately available.

Garvin was only able to advertise on television in the last few days ahead of the primary, spending at least $8,500.

During the campaign, Garvin received endorsements from Richland County Councilwoman Gretchen Barron, former Columbia City Councilman Sam Davis, and Joan Scott, who is John Scotts widow.

Devine was endorsed by Vote Mama, a political action committee focused on electing Democratic moms.

Whoever wins the Jan. 2 election for the Senate 19 seat will enter a chamber that highly prioritizes seniority. The next senator for Senate District 19 will rank 46th out of 46 senators.
Workers and employers will pay more for workers compensation insurance next year.

On Thursday, a proposal will be heard at a public forum hosted by the Department of Labor and Industries.

If adopted, workers and employees would pay an additional $65 per year for each full-time employee, a 4.9% increase from current rates.

The agency says that the increase is necessary due to higher than normal increases in the states average wages in recent years.

The meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday at L&I Headquarters, Rooms S117, S118, S119 7273 at Linderson Way Southwest in Tumwater.

You can also join virtually at this link: https://lni-wa-gov.zoom.us/j/84682562930 with Meeting ID: 846 8256 2930 and Passcode: Oct2623!

Or by phone (audio only) at 253-215-8782 with Meeting ID: 428 348 2697.

For more information, go here.
An Attleboro man with a lengthy criminal history is facing charges in connection with a brazen act of vandalism at a landmark cathedral on Tuesday night that left a 150-year-old crucifix with broken arms.

Michael Patzelt, 37, of Attleboro, was arraigned Wednesday in Boston Municipal Court on charges including assault and malicious destruction of property after prosecutors say the crucifix outside of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End sustained about $20,000 worth of damage.

Officers responding to a report of a suspicious person who had knocked off a female victims headwear just after 6 p.m. learned that Patzelt proceeded to climb the cross and begin to swing and hang from it, breaking off several parts of the cross, including both arms of the Jesus Christ statue, according to the Boston Police Department.

Boston police received a radio call for a person who was hanging on the cross at 1400 Washington Street...The person was seen climbing, hanging, and swinging on the cross, a prosecutor told the court during the hearing. He caused significant damage to the cross.

A video shared with Boston 25 News showed Patzelt, dressed in all green, yanking and swinging on the armless portion of the statue.

Before breaking off several parts of the crucifix, Patzelt walked into a nearby store and knocked the hat off Tashana Watson, a mother who was shopping with her 11-year-old son.

I pushed him, Watson said. I pushed him like four times to get him away. And then he grabbed my hair and my hat and threw it. Then he tried to have a conversation, something to the effect of, just shoot me.

Patzelt has multiple convictions on his record, and a history out of Attleboro District Court and Florida, including a prior prison sentence for assaulting an ambulance driver.

The prosecution asked the judge to hold Patzelt on $500 bail, but a judge increased that amount to $5,000 after asking his attorney, Counsel, is this an issue of a depraved heart or a very sick mind?

Im looking at his record and I see a man who has seven pages of committed time...And then I go and I look at a 10-page Florida record, and its full of similar charges to what were seeing here today, the judge said. Im going to set a $5,000 cash bail...If were dealing with a mental illness, lets get to the bottom of that ASAP.

Patzelt attorney told the court that he is out of work, homeless, and remorseful for his actions. The attorney also explained that Patzelt had been living in Attleboro with his grandmother but she passed away, forcing him to move out.

In addition to bail, Patzelt was also ordered to stay away from Watson and son he came in contact with and to refrain from stepping within 100 feet of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

The level of venom and destructiveness displayed by this individual is difficult to comprehend. We live in a society where citizens are free to practice any religion they choose, and equally free to practice no religion at all. But they are not free to desecrate symbols held precious by the many faiths within our society, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

Crews were spotted Wednesday afternoon making repairs to the vandalized crucifix.

The 19th-century statue came to the Cathedral just two years ago. It was owned by the Little Sisters of the Poor and stood in a garden at their now-closed Somerville nursing home.

Cardinal Sean loved that statue, said Paul Deeley, whose late parents made restoration of the statue possible, by leaving the Little Sisters their estate.

When the Little Sisters left Boston, the Cardinal had the artifact brought to the Cathedral.

Deeley was saddened to see the vandalism. There was a time when churches were respected in our community and it never would have happened, he said. Unfortunately, thats no longer the case.

The cathedral is the largest church in New England, measuring 364 feet in length, 90 feet in width, and 120 feet in height.

Patzelt is due back in court on November 30.

An investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Deputies with the Snohomish County Sheriffs Department are searching for a suspect in a Snohomish bank robbery.

Just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, deputies alerted the community they were searching for a person who fled a Wells Fargo bank in Snohomish.

The person is described as a white man, between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, and skinny. He was wearing all-black clothing and carrying a black crossover-style bag.

He is considered to be armed and dangerous.

A K9 unit is actively searching for the man, but if you have any information, contact the Snohomish County Sheriffs Department.
Pro-Palestinian counter-protestors stood outside a Solidarity with Israel event sponsored by the Midwest Regional Office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Skokie on Oct. 22. One gunshot was fired into the air across the street in Lincolnwood but police said no one was injured. (Richard Requena)

A man attending a Solidarity With Israel event Sunday in Skokie was charged with hate crimes and felonies for allegedly pepper-spraying pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the event, police said.

Zevulen Ebert, 33, of the 5000 block of Oakton Street, Skokie, was charged by the Cook County States Attorneys Office with two counts of felony aggravated battery and two counts of felony hate crimes, according to a news release from Skokie police late Tuesday.

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Skokie police had arrested Ebert Sunday evening near the Ateres Ayala kosher event hall, 3412 Touhy Ave., where the Midwest Regional Office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center was holding the Solidarity with Israel event.

Ebert was waving an Israeli flag in front of a group of Palestinian supporters when an individual came up from behind and tried to take Eberts flag, the Cook County States Attorneys Office said in a document Wednesday. A verbal exchange followed between Ebert and the group, after which Ebert discharged pepper spray, the document said.

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More than one Chicago police officer was sprayed, and Ebert accused Palestinians of killing babies and gave obscene middle finger gestures to Palestinian supporters, the document said, immediately after using the pepper spray.

The document also said the incident was captured on video from police officers body-worn cameras and private citizens cameras. It said Ebert was not visibly attacked or threatened before discharging the pepper spray.

At a pre-trial court appearance Wednesday, Judge Anthony Calabrese of the Skokie branch of Cook County Circuit Court released Ebert from detention and ordered him to appear at his next court date Nov. 16.

Eberts lawyer, Hal Garfinkel, said the hate crime charges would not likely stick and described Eberts case as a political one.

Because of what is going on politically nationally and internationally, in regards to the protest, I believe the States Attorneys Office had to succumb to political pressures and proceed with criminal charges against my client, Garfinkel said.

Inside the hall at Sundays Solidarity with Israel event, speakers expressed shock, concern and sorrow over attacks on Jews in Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, as well as the kidnapping of Jewish hostages, and discussed what Israel could or should do next. Many attendees besides Ebert carried Israeli flags.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrived before the event was to start at 5 p.m. and stood outside in the parking lot holding signs and Palestinian flags and chanting in support of protecting Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas is a terrorist organization.

Police said some of the demonstrators Sunday evening crossed Touhy Avenue from north to south, leaving Skokie and entering Lincolnwood. Lincolnwood police said Sunday night that at the Lincolnwood Town Center mall, a man fired a gunshot into the air, and in a separate incident, the same man used his car to strike a protester in a hit and run. No one was injured by the gunshot, and a protester was injured in the hit and run, Lincolnwood police said, but rejected medical attention.

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Lincolnwood police said they took the 39-year-old man who had fired the gunshot into custody and presented the case to the Felony Review Unit of the Cook County States Attorneys office, which declined to bring charges.

The U.S. Palestine Community Network, which organized the Sunday protest, issued a statement Tuesday night after charges were brought against Ebert, saying it approved.

The statement quoted Hatem Abudayyeh, the organizations national chair, saying, Zionists have attacked Palestinians and our supporters in Seattle, L.A., New York, Minneapolis, and now Skokie, but we are a brave people and we wont stop protesting for our rights and to demand that the U.S. government force Israel to end its killing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Eberts conditional release will not include electronic surveillance, according to court documents.

An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
A Florida deputy was suspended after she was accused of spying on her ex-boyfriend and using a law enforcement database to look up a woman who was visiting him, the sheriffs office said.

During an unrelated investigation, the ex-boyfriend, a former police officer with the Ocala Police Department, told his sergeant that he had been in a relationship with the Marion County deputy, according to an internal investigation report obtained by McClatchy News.

The officer said they had dated from February to August 2022 but continued to see each other until February 2023, according to the report.

He said in June he received texts from the deputy regarding a woman he was dating and that the deputy knew the womans name and that she had children, despite him never telling the deputy that information, the sheriffs office said.

When investigators confronted the deputy about the claims, she said they had been in a relationship until April and afterward were trying to work on their relationship until May, according to the report.

She said her ex-boyfriend told her he wanted time to think about their relationship and that he had met someone new at work but did not share who it was, the sheriffs office said.

The deputy said in June she drove by his house multiple times while she was off duty and at one point noticed a vehicle she didnt recognize, according to the report.

The deputy told investigators she used the SmartCop program to then run the plate of the vehicle despite there being no legal cause to do so, the sheriffs office said.

Did I run her tag, 100% I did, the deputy said in the report.

The deputy said she told her mother about the woman, and her mom searched for the woman on Facebook, finding that she had children, the sheriffs office said.

The ex-boyfriend told investigators the deputy then texted him saying she was foolish to believe they could continue their relationship and how she knew he would be a good stepfather, according to the report.

The sheriffs office said it also received a video of the deputy physically assaulting a different woman in Ocala.

The video showed the deputy at a house party physically attacking a woman, according to the report.

The woman was a friend of someone dating the deputys ex-boyfriend, the Ocala police officer, the sheriffs office said.

The video was later shared on Facebook where it was reported, according to the report.

An investigation found the incident lasted longer than what was caught on the 40-second video and there wasnt enough evidence to show the deputy started the fight, the sheriffs office said.

This video, viewed without context, could affect the integrity and reputation of the Marion County Sheriffs Office, the report said.

The deputy was suspended one day in September for using the database and two days in October for the physical altercation, internal investigation documents show.

Marion County is about 105 miles north of Tampa.

Date ends with man robbed, thrown off bridge by woman he met online, Florida cops say

Cop got thousands donated for cancer he didnt have and now faces charges, officials say

Man stabs woman he is dating  and her husband  in restaurant parking lot, police say

Family finds missing womans body in suitcase, GA cops say. Her boyfriend is charged
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  administration on Tuesday directed universities in his state to take action over chapters of a student group after it called Hamas Oct. 7 attacks on Israel a historic win for the Palestinian resistance. The letter, written by chancellor of the State University System of Florida Ray Rodrigues and obtained by Fox News, charges National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) with harmful support for terrorist groups after the group called for an anti-Israel day of resistance and published an activism toolkit. Released a day after the Hamas attacks, the toolkit drew criticism for calling it a moment of mobilization for all Palestinians and urging supporters to act as part of this movement. The DeSantis administrations letter alleges that SJP affirmatively identified itself as part of Hamas operations, and warns that it is a felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support to foreign terrorists. Noting that there are at least two active chapters of SJP in Florida, the letter demands their deactivation, threatening that school administrators could otherwise face discipline.

Read it at Fox News

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Florida's state university system chief ordered a pro-Palestine group to disband.

The ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis accused the National Students for Justice in Palestine group of supporting Hamas.

The order also noted that it's a felony to support a "designated foreign terrorist organization."

A Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ally overseeing the state's university system has ordered schools to disband their chapters of a pro-Palestinian group, alleging it supports Hamas and hinting at felony charges.

Florida's state university system chancellor Ray Rodrigues issued a memo on Tuesday saying that, after speaking with DeSantis, he was ordering any chapters of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group at state universities to be deactivated.

Rodrigues alleges that the National SJP supported Hamas' initial attacks on Israel by offering a toolkit to students that linked the militant operation to "the resistance" around the world. Rodrigues also raises the specter of a Florida law that makes it a felony to "knowingly provide material support . . . to a designated foreign terrorist organization."

The National SJP did not provide a comment to Insider, but shared a statement from the organization Palestine Legal and said that it "represents our views well."

Palestine Legal's statement says, in part, "Florida, particularly under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, has been actively undermining education, freedom of speech, and social justice movements, including by banning anti-racist courses and trying to criminalize protests. It is not surprising that this egregious move to silence the student movement for Palestinian rights is being pursued under DeSantis."

The statement said that the ban is a violation of students' First Amendment rights, and that Palestine Legal would be challenging it in court.

Rodrigues' memo states that there are at least two known SJP chapters at Florida state universities, but did not specifically name them.

Both the University of Florida and the University of South Florida have active chapters, a spokesperson for the State University System of Florida told Insider.

The National SJP's toolkit contextualizes Hamas' attacks on Israel, writing, "For over 75 years, our Palestinian people, through steadfast resistance, have waged a prolonged war for liberation and return to our colonized homeland."

The group's statement continues, "What we are witnessing now is a heightened stage of the Palestinian strugglethrough tearing down colonial infrastructure and liberating our colonized land from illegal settlements and military checkpoints, our people are actualizing revolution."

Rodrigues doesn't make it clear what punishments the groups would face if they don't disband, but warned that any campus demonstrations that support "terrorist groups" could result in "necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials."

Read the original article on Business Insider
RYE, N.H.  Amid falling New Hampshire poll numbers and after focusing much of his campaign efforts in Iowa, GOP presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis turned his attention Tuesday to New Hampshire, campaigning alongside the states popular Republican Gov. Chris Sununu .

At an outdoor town hall hosted by the DeSantis Super PAC Never Back Down, Sununu and DeSantis pitched Granite State voters less on policy issues and more on winning elections.

I am tired of losing, Sununu said before introducing DeSantis to the standing-room-only crowd in Rye, New Hampshire. You want to win in November? Then lets get behind a winner.

Once he took the stage, DeSantis touted his own election record, telling attendees that he transformed a once purple state into a conservative hotbed, winning re-election by 20 points, a 1.5 million vote margin.

DeSantis said going forward he will have a dual focus on Iowa and New Hampshire in an effort to win voters in both states, promising a diner crowd earlier in the day, "You are going to see a lot of us."

Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, listens to a question from a guest during a campaign stop at a diner, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Sununu campaigns with DeSantis, but it's not an endorsement

Dont mistake the joint appearances as Sununus endorsement for the Florida Governor, though.

The Granite State leader has similarly campaigned with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Palmetto State Sen. Tim Scott, among others in the race, New Hampshire GOP Chair Chris Ager told USA TODAY.

I think the Governor has already stated that he would likely endorse someone other than President Trump, Ager said. This is no surprise to me that he would be with Gov. DeSantis while he's in the state.

And even if Sununu were to endorse DeSantis, its unclear how far his support would go in the contest.

Thomas Vanderslice, a 23-year-old Sununu supporter and one of the few young people in the crowd, said the governor's support would be pretty impactful in helping him make a decision next year between his top two candidates  Desantis and Haley.

Some 63% of New Hampshire residents said they approved of the governors performance in an August survey conducted by The University of New Hampshire. Still, the states first-in-the-nation primary voters are known for their independent decision-making, a trait that was on display by many attendees at the Never Back Down event.

For instance, Don Chase, a 76-year-old undecided New Hampshire voter sitting in the back row, said he didnt really care about Sununus opinion. I care about the candidate and what they stand for, he asserted.

Whoever the Republican governor decides to lend his support to, the decision isnt likely to land anytime soon.

The Governor plans to continue campaigning with candidates in the weeks and months ahead," a spokesperson for the governor said. He is not close to making an endorsement in this race and will let everyone know when he makes his decision.

And one thing remains clear  Sununu wont be backing former President Donald Trump. Sununu opted not to throw his hat into the 2024 campaign earlier this year, citing fear that a crowded field could hand the nomination over to a candidate who earns just 35 percent of the vote.

However, the latest Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY survey of New Hampshire voters showed the former President with nearly 50% support, significantly higher than his next two rivals, DeSantis and Haley.

Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, autographs a sign during a campaign stop, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: NH Gov. Sununu campaigns with DeSantis: 'Let's get behind a winner'
As Hurricane Otis swirled north toward Mexico's Pacific coastline Tuesday, a "nightmare scenario" unfolded for residents near Acapulco when the storm experienced nearly unprecedented explosive development in hours, going from a Category 1 to a catastrophic Category 5 with nearly no warning, stunning residents and meteorologists alike.

Suddenly, 1 million people were in the path of the strongest storm to ever strike the Pacific coast of Mexico and left with only hours to prepare. While these days computer forecast models typically give residents days of warning before life-threatening conditions arrive, Otis fooled them all.

"This was not a case where some computer forecasts showed a powerful storm, and others said it would be weak, so forecasters took the middle ground," said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. "Not one fancy, modern computer model showed the off-the-charts rapid intensification."

Otis would gain an incredible 115 mph in strength in just 24 hours between 1 a.m. Tuesday to Wednesday, supercharging from a 50-mph tropical storm to a 165-mph Category 5 monster.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A HURRICANE UNDERGOES RAPID INTENSIFICATION?

Norcross said Otis strength and northerly track into the city of Acapulco had never been witnessed before, as no hurricanes on record have ever been close to Otis' intensity for this part of Mexico. The only storm on a similar track to impact that part of Mexico was in 1951, and that was a Category 1.

A graphic showing what made Hurricane Otis' landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, historic.

"This is completely out of bounds, in terms of forecasting," Norcross said. "The computer models completely missed this pattern of a super conducive atmosphere, and the (storm) direction and so forth being so different from anything that has occurred in the last 50 or 60 years."

Hurricane Warnings were in effect for Acapulco. Even as of late Tuesday morning, Otis was forecast to make landfall with peak winds of 90 mph  rating a Category 1. Luckily, the NHC had sent Hurricane Hunter aircraft into the storm and was alarmed to find the hurricane already stronger than forecast  and quickly getting even stronger.

HOW ARE HURRICANES RATED? THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE EXPLAINED

"At this point, were still trying to piece together exactly what's happened in the last 12-24 hours," NHC director Michael Brennan told FOX Weather Wednesday. "You know, we were lucky. We had aircraft reconnaissance in the storm (Tuesday) afternoon to give us an idea of how quickly Otis was starting to intensify, because that wasn't really apparent in the satellite imagery. So we were able to increase our intensity forecast by late Tuesday to show a Category 4 hurricane at landfall."

Soon, the NHC noticed the storm continued to rapidly intensify "at a really unprecedented or a nearly unprecedented rate, matching or even exceeding the rate that (Hurricane) Patricia in 2015 intensified in the Pacific, which has really been the highest we've seen up to that point," Brennan said.

INSIDE THE FLYING LABORATORY USED BY NOAA'S HURRICANE HUNTERS

By Tuesday night, NHC's forecast indicated Otis was now expected to reach catastrophic Category 5 status. Otis would make landfall after 1 a.m. local time with 165-mph winds  the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Norcross said he believes there were three main factors in play that caused the models to miss such a catastrophic development.

"One is that it was a very small hurricane," Norcross said, comparing the storms relatively small width to Hurricane Charley in 2004 that hit just north of Fort Myers, Florida. "Small hurricanes blast the coast in a narrow area, and when they hit a populated area, they do a tremendous amount of damage. But the computer models don't analyze them as well, because the details in a small hurricane count so much because everything is so small, you know, so tiny, like you need a magnifying glass, this to get all the details."

A second factor was a nearby dip in the jet stream that affected the storms development.

"If the jet stream gets too close to the storm, it pulls the system apart with hostile upper winds," Norcross said. "If it's close but not too close, it can pull air out of the top of the hurricane in a very efficient way, which causes the storm to intensify if all the other environmental conditions are ideal."

Third, was a very warm patch of water right off the coast of Acapulco.

"It's over 86 or 88 degrees, more or less, just offshore of Acapulco in a relatively small patch that this hurricane just happened to track over," Norcross said. "No doubt, that was part of it as well. And because that patch was small, whether that was well-analyzed and whether that data was appropriately in the computer models, that's an open question."

WHAT IS THE 'CONE OF UNCERTAINTY' IN HURRICANE FORECASTS?

As to how the forecast models could be so dramatically off that the forecast one day ago would have such a large error: "The reality is there's going to be research for an extended period of time," Norcross said.

A graphic showing information on Hurricane Otis' historic landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, on Oct. 25, 2023.

Brennan told FOX Weather his agency will certainly go back and try to figure out how to avoid such surprises in the future.

"We'll go back and look at the post-analysis of this storm like we do from every other one and try to piece together what happened," Brennan said. "You know, we don't have a lot in terms of (weather) observations. We see pictures like you've been showing, but well take some time to piece together what actually happened and how strong Otis was when it made landfall. Certainly, we can take that information and go back to the modeling community, the research community, and try to help the group forecasts going forward."





Original article source: How did Hurricane Otis' record intensification catch advanced forecast models by surprise?
An off-duty pilot allegedly attempted to crash an Alaska Airlines flight to San Francisco this week by turning off the engines after consuming magic mushrooms.

Authorities say Joseph David Emerson, 44, tried to activate the planes fire suppression system while in the cockpit, a potentially disastrous move that led to 83 charges of attempted murder. If successful, this action would have cut off the fuel supply to the engines.

Emerson later explained to the police that he experienced a nervous breakdown due to being awake for 40 hours and consuming psychedelic mushrooms for the first time.

Joseph David Emerson (Photo: Facebook/Naija Bombshells)

I didnt feel OK. It seemed like the pilots werent paying attention to what was going on. They didnt  it didnt seem right, Emerson told police, according to several reports.

Passenger Aubrey Gavello informed ABC News that passengers didnt know anything was happening until the flight attendant got on the loudspeaker and made an announcement that there was an emergency situation and the plane needed to land immediately.  About 15 minutes later, she got back on and said that there was a medical emergency.

Trending Today:

The flight, numbered 2059 and operated by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, departed from Everett, Washington, shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22. The affidavit reportedly does not confirm whether Emerson was under the influence of mushrooms while on the plane.

The planes pilots reported that they were in a casual conversation with Emerson when he got ahold of the controls that cut off fuel to the jet engines, and they had no prior indication of his intentions.

Never miss a story  sign up for ATLANTA BLACK STARS free daily newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest developments, from top news headlines to celebrity news.

After a 30-second struggle, they removed him from the cockpit, locked the door, and alerted the flight attendants to the situation. Emerson was restrained at the back of the plane and had to be subdued again when he attempted to reach the emergency doors. The flight was forced to divert to Portland International Airport, where Emerson was taken into custody by the Port of Portland Police. No one was injured.

Emerson faces multiple charges, including 83 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 83 counts of recklessly endangering others, and one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree. Federal authorities added another charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants on Tuesday.

Airline pilots are required to undergo medical exams every six months, and Emerson was listed as a certified pilot with medical clearance as recent as September, according to the FAA pilot database. Pilots are expected to self-report any mental health conditions.

Read the original story here.
Director Sofia Coppola has revealed she considered taking on the final Twilight film, Breaking Dawn, but turned down the opportunity because the concept was too weird.

The final adaptation of Stephanie Meyerss four-book saga was split into two parts, with Breaking Dawn  Part 1 released in 2011, followed a year later by Part 2 in 2012  both were directed by Bill Condon.

Before Condon boarded the project, however, Coppola, 52, said she had met with producers.

We had one meeting, and it never went anywhere, the Lost in Translation director recently told Rolling Stone.

I thought the whole imprinting-werewolf thing was weird. The baby. Too weird! But part of the earlier Twilight could be done in an interesting way. I thought itd be fun to do a teen vampire romance, but the last one gets really far out.

Based on the fourth book in Meyerss series, the film sees Taylor Lautners werewolf Jacob imprint on his ex-lover Bellas (Kristen Stewart) newborn baby, Renesmee.

The concept has been called out for being creepy with several fans criticising the idea of Jacob imprinting on a baby  a concept earlier explained in the books as a mark on a soulmate.

Sofia Coppola and Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in Breaking Dawn  Part 1 (Getty Images / Summit Entertainment)

Elsewhere in the Q&A, Coppola said she had also exited a live-action version of The Little Mermaid after a studio executive suggested that the movie should appeal to adult men.

Yes, there was [a breaking point]. I was in a boardroom and some development guy said, Whats gonna get the 35-year-old man in the audience? And I just didnt know what to say, the director said.

I just was not in my element. I feel like I was naive, and then I felt a lot like the character in the story, trying to do something out of my element, and it was a funny parallel of the story for me.

In a 2017 interview with IndieWire, the filmmaker clarified that the live-action movie was not a Disney version. It was actually [Hans Christian Andersons] original fairytale, which is much darker, Coppola said.

Coppolas most recent project is the biopic Priscilla, which is out in US cinemas now. The movie tells of the controversial courtship of Priscilla Presley nee Beaulieu and 24-year-old Elvis Presley.

Euphoria breakout Jacob Elordi stars as the late rocker, opposite Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla.

In Geoffrey Macnabs three-star review for The Independent, he called the film a downbeat and dour affair.

In her own coolly analytical way, Coppola makes some trenchant points about the way Priscilla is controlled by the men in her life. She is living in a gilded cage, Macnab added.

Priscilla will be released in select UK cinemas from 26 December before opening widely on 1 January.
When I moved into the classroom full time, after four decades on the beat and in newsrooms, I thought I was well-equipped to prepare a new generation of journalists for the challenges that await them.

I was wrong.

Its not the pedagogy thats flummoxed me. Its not the technology. Its the hostility that I now find myself trying to coach my students to rise above. Weeks after I arrived on the campus of the Missouri School of Journalism, a student on a routine assignment was spat upon in 2018 and called fake news. A year or so ago, two student reporters for our NPR affiliate  at a political rally to which the station had been invited  were told to go back to China. We never publicized the incident but did call it to the attention of a party leader, who apologized to editors in private conversations.

Now its happened again. My colleagues at the Missouri School of Journalism and I have learned that one of our most outstanding young alumni has become the latest target of this sort of hate speech. Only this time, it did not come from some random ignoramus.

Smearing the messenger is a page straight out of China, Russia

In a radio interview, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen was asked to respond to a story written by Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu (pronounced Yen-chee Shu). It detailed high levels of the pollutant nitrate found in the groundwater near his familys massive hog operations.

First, Pillen said he hadnt read the story. Then he added: All you got to do is look at the author. The author is from communist China. What more do you need to know?

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, asked about a story written by Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu detailing high levels of the pollutant nitrate found in the groundwater near his familys massive hog operations, responded: "All you got to do is look at the author. The author is from communist China. What more do you need to know?

Way to change the subject, governor. Instead of trying to respond to legitimate questions raised by a journalist, smear the messenger.

Ill leave it to Yanqis editor, Matt Wynn, to tell you what more you need to know about this fine young journalist who grew up in Guangzhou, earned her master's degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia and joined the Flatwater Free Press in Omaha two years ago. He sums it up as well as any of her admiring mentors could. Lets focus on the tactics used to question her.

Netanyahu sacrificed Israel: How Hamas trumped Netanyahu is a warning for divided United States

Pillens gambit  trying to discredit a story by taking aim at the reporters character  was a page straight out of the dictators handbook. Consider:

Is America still home of the free, the brave and the First Amendment?

We need to ask ourselves why tactics that are common in nondemocratic countries are now being deployed right here in the home of the free, the brave and the First Amendment.

Wake up and smell the rot America. Theres a formula that fits each of these cases: People with money and power are trying to mobilize populist resentment  resentment that by all rights should be aimed at them  toward journalists.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

In other words, the elites label the very people who are calling out their privilege the elites. To accomplish this jujitsu, they use inflammatory code words  words like communist and China. Words that elicit strong emotions and distract from the real issues at hand.

All too often it works. Stoking hate is a lot easier than answering legitimate questions.

Because I know that, I thought long and hard about writing this piece. I know it could inflame an army of trolls for whom, the record shows, women journalists are favorite targets. More sobering, I know that because Yanqi is young and Asian in addition to being a woman, shell be more of a magnet.

In 2021, according to one report, hate crimes against Asian communities in the United States went up 339%. According to the latest national survey commissioned by Stop AAPI Hate, half of Asian American and Pacific Islander respondents said they have experienced discrimination.

Racism is a major public health issue: Survey shows increase in anti-Asian hate, discrimination. Here's how we can stop it.

Either Nebraska Gov. Pillen doesnt know this, and is inexcusably clueless about the demons of hate that his intemperate speech could stir up, or  worse  he does know it and is hoping it will aid and abet his campaign of intimidation.

In the America where I grew up, people are supposed to be judged, not by some accident of birth, but by the merits of their work and the content of their character. On those counts, Yanqi scores way higher than her detractor. Shes willing to put herself on the line for that most American of values: the ability to speak truth to power.

What counts is not where Yanqi was born  a matter over which she had no control  but where she chose to practice her profession: in a country where the press is (so far) free. She chose to be trained at a school thats the home of journalisms first code of ethics. That code, written more than a century ago, presciently advises journalists to be unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob.

Score Yanqi Xu an A+. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen can call her all the names he wants. This former teacher is proud to call her  and her standup editor, Matt Wynn  #MizzouMade.

Kathy Kiely is the Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism.

Kathy Kiely, who covered Congress and national politics for USA TODAY from 1998-2010, is the Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pillen smears reporter with 'communist' comment. China would be proud
An unleashed dog attacked students and a school bus driver while at a Texas districts bus stop, officials said.

The bus driver noticed the dog was biting students in a Houston neighborhood before school Wednesday, Oct. 25, according to a news release from the Aldine Independent School District.

Upon seeing the dog biting students at a bus stop, the bus driver honked to scare away the dog and tried to allow students on the bus to get them to safety, the district said. During this time, the dog was able to get onto the bus for a short period of time.

Emergency Medical Services and the district police department responded to the scene.

Two students and an adult were taken to area hospitals for further assessment, the district said, and the dog was found at its home.

Animal control advised its owner on protocols that must be followed to ensure the communitys safety, school officials said.

Following allegations of a weapon being discharged to scare off the animal, district police investigated and learned a person had shot the dog, according to the release. The district did not say who shot the dog or provide a condition for the dog.

Amazon driver attacked by dog and bit in face while delivering package, Texas cops say

Loose dog kills sweet, gentle 4-year-old playing in backyard, Michigan cops say

Dogs bite man more than 30 times as he delivers food to a friend, Mississippi cops say
You could be forgiven for not knowing much about Mike Johnson, the newly elected speaker of the House. Most senators, including many Republicans, dont know much about him, either. For example, Senator Susan Collins, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told a reporter that she had to google him. Senator John Barrasso , the third-highest-ranking GOP senator, said that he primarily knew about Johnson from what he had read in the paper.

I dont know him, Senate Minority Whip John Thune said on Wednesday morning. May have met him, but thats about it. After Johnsons election, Thune struck a more engaged note, saying: Were ready to work with him, and hes ready to work with us.

Senior Republican aides in the Senate were also bemused by his ascension, noting to this reporter that he seemed nice enough but was a relative unknown to the upper chamber. Apparently experience isnt necessary for the speaker job, said Senator Mitt Romney, noting Johnsons relative lack of time in Congress. Were down to folks who havent had leadership or chairmanship roles, which means their administration of the House will be a new experience for them.

Johnson, the fourth Republican nominee for speaker in three weeks, was narrowly elected to the post on Wednesday. The party-line success of Johnson came after 24 days with a leaderless House, stymying the work of Congress and potentially causing long-term damage to the institution. Johnson is now one of the least experienced speakers in American history, but his ascension was nonetheless met with newfound hope from Republicans.

The socially conservative Louisianan came as close as you can to winning such a high-profile and powerful position by defaulthis bid primarily benefited from inertia, fatigue, and his mild-mannered demeanor. After this lengthy saga, which kicked off when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted earlier this month, House Republicans are exhausted by the process of finding a suitable successor.

Indeed, as GOP Senator John Cornyn noted, Johnson was pretty anonymous. Maybe that helped him get elected, Cornyn told me.

On Wednesday morning, there was a noticeable change in the demeanor of House Republicans, who were practically glowing with optimism ahead of the vote to elect Johnson speaker. Their relief at having found a consensus candidate was palpable. I think Mike Johnson is probably the best person for this. Hes someone that can pull people together, and he is someone that gets along with every faction, Representative Robert Aderholt told reporters.

However, other Republicans were more cautious in their assessment. When I asked Representative Frank Lucas whether Johnson would be able to hold his own among Senate leaders with vastly more experience, Lucas said he would demonstrate restraint in his response.

Mike has natural skills in communication. His ability to learn will enable him to move very fast, Lucas said. When asked whether the fall of McCarthy, and the rise of an even more socially conservative speaker, demonstrated increased power of the hard-right flank of the party, Lucas demurred. This is a body of individuals, and its become more individualistic in the last 20 years. But its still a team sport, Lucas said. If you burn the building down, you have an obligation to build the next one up.

Indeed, that factionalization had proved the downfall of previous speaker candidates, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Scalise was too entrenched in the party establishment for certain Republican hard-liners. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, who suffered through three losing speaker votes on the House floor, was too much of a rabble-rouser for Republicans with an institutionalist bent. Emmer was personally opposed by former President Donald Trump, in no small part because he voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Johnson, meanwhile, is a member of leadershiphes the vice chair of the Republican conference and was previously the chair of the conservative Republican Study Committeebut has only been a member of the House since 2016. Hes deeply conservative, supportive of restrictions for abortion and rights for LGBTQ individuals, and has voted against several major bipartisan bills in recent years. Nonetheless, his amicable persona is far more appealing than Jordans penchant for bomb-throwing.

Still, the far-right conservatives who voted to oust McCarthy see Johnsons ascension as a vindication of their hard-line tactics. The D.C. cartel was put on notice that business as usual stopped today, Representative Matt Rosendale crowed to reporters.

Johnson is also a staunch ally of Trump, even serving in his legal defense team during the presidents two impeachment trials. Perhaps most crucially for Trump and his supporters, he is the architect of an amicus brief used by dozens of Republicans to justify their decision to overturn President Joe Biden s Electoral College victory on January 6, 2021. (The Supreme Court rejected the underlying complaint due to lack of standing and dismissed the amicus brief.)

Johnson had also amplified conspiracies about the results in the wake of the 2020 election. In one tweet from late 2020, he raised suspicions about an increase in mail-in ballots for Joe Biden that year, during the height of the coronavirus pandemicas compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Representative Ken Buck, who opposed Jordans bid, in large part because of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, argued that Johnsons role in trying to decertify the Electoral College results was sufficiently different. Johnsons amicus brief was appropriate, Buck said, and fundamentally different than somebody who is actively involved in moving the protesters from the Mall up here [to the Capitol].

Buck also insisted that, if placed in a similar position in 2024, Johnson would do the right thing with regard to the election results. Kevin McCarthy voted to decertify, and he was leader of our conference at that time. Thats even scarier, Buck, who voted to oust McCarthy, said. I have confidence in Mike to get us through this next election.

But not all Republicans consider that legacy to be a negative attribute. When Representative Pete Aguilar noted these efforts in his speech nominating Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for the speakership, GOP Representative Anna Paulina Luna yelled: Damn right! (For their part, Democrats are practically giddy that Republicans elected an election-denying opponent of abortion access and LGBTQ rights to the speakership, and are already writing the campaign ads to tie vulnerable members to his leadership.)

On the other side of the chamber, Senator Bill Cassidy, one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump for inciting an insurrection in his second impeachment trial, insisted that Johnsons ascension was not an indication that the GOP was moving on from the violence of January 6. However, Cassidy argued that the true divide was between conservatives who wish to govern and the people who are anti-government and are afraid to vote on anything and dont care to govern. Johnson, he said, was the former.

If all we do is focus on flaws we never move forward, Cassidy said, encapsulating the readiness of Republicans on both sides of the Capitol to get past this ignominious moment in congressional history. At some point, youve got to move ahead.

Theres also the question of how Johnson will address some of the most pressing issues facing Congress, including funding the government ahead of a November 17 deadline. In a letter to his Republican colleagues earlier this week, Johnson expressed support for passing another stopgap funding measure to avoid a government shutdown and allow for appropriations bills to be negotiated.

The rank-and-file Johnson had a very specific set of priorities and positions. The question is if that translates into the [speaker] position, said Republican Senator Thom Tillis. Johnson had opposed the short-term funding measure passed last month that kept the government funded through mid-November, and has been a skeptic of sending additional aid to Ukraine. But with Congress considering aid to Ukraine and Israel in addition to government spending, Johnsons priorities as speaker may shift.

Ultimately, however, Republican senators believe its too soon to tell what a Johnson speakership will look like. He is so newly elected, I have to confess, I know very little about him, Senator Lisa Murkowski told me. Were certainly glad to know that the uncertainty in the House has been seemingly resolved here.
Pursuing global modernization for peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, prosperity for all

09:17, October 25, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily

A local worker operates equipment in the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Suez province, Egypt. (People's Daily/Zhang Zhiwen)

Global modernization should be pursued to enhance peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation and bring prosperity to all, said Chinese President Xi Jinping when addressing the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF).

This grand vision is consistent with building a community with a shared future for mankind, and charts the course for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has forged a cooperation platform for common development, and enabled many developing countries to accelerate their progress of modernization. In the future, it will get onto a new stage of higher-quality and higher-level development, and portrait a grand picture of countries working together for modernization.

"China is endeavoring to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization. The modernization we are pursuing is not for China alone, but for all developing countries through our joint efforts."

Xi's words explained the logic of "When China does well, the world will get even better," and revealed China's intention to seek win-win cooperation and common development in promoting the BRI.

To achieve modernization is a shared dream of people of all countries, and no country shall be left behind in humanity's modernization process.

On the Serbian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway constructed by Chinese companies, a train departs from Novi Sad for Belgrade. (People's Daily/Xie Yahong)

The BRI, taking building a community with a shared future for mankind as the ultimate goal, is a path to modernization for all countries as well as a path to a bright future for humanity. With the initiative, countries can independently explore a path to modernization that suits their own national realities and share the opportunities created by Chinese modernization.

British scholar Martin Jacques said that Chinese modernization in essence is providing opportunities to the world, especially developing countries.

The BRI injects impetus into the realization of global modernization. Over the past decade, Belt and Road international cooperation has gotten off the ground, turning blueprints into real projects. It has launched thousands of practical cooperation projects, and achieved fruitful and tangible outcomes.

From the massive infrastructure projects that vitalize participating countries' development momentum, to industrial cooperation aiming to enhance these countries' poverty reduction capabilities, the BRI focuses on tackling the bottlenecks containing participating countries' development and has contributed to the modernization of all countries.

At the opening ceremony of the third BRF, Xi announced eight major steps China will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. These steps include both concrete measures and long-term mechanisms, injecting new momentum into humanity's global modernization process with action-oriented, efficient and pragmatic efforts.

Foreign dignitaries commended the BRI for bringing opportunities to their countries' development. Some said the initiative effectively promoted Egypt's economic development and created important opportunities for developing countries, and some said the eight major steps will further assist Africa in achieving industrialization, agricultural modernization and economic integration. They are expecting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to continue powering their countries' modernization process.

Local employees assemble a vehicle in a factory of Chinese carmaker FAW Group in South Africa. (People's Daily/Zou Song)

The BRI provides a path to realizing global modernization. Every country should adhere to the philosophy of solidarity, cooperation and common development in its pursuit of modernization, and follow a path of joint contribution, shared benefits and win-win cooperation.

The BRI always upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It has established a new framework for international cooperation, and blazed a trail for achieving global modernization that features peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and prosperity for all.

During the third BRF, a total of 458 outcomes were achieved, further expanding the areas of BRI cooperation. China will promote local employment through cooperation projects and carry out 1,000 small-scale livelihood assistance projects. These important measures, once implemented, will surely promote the modernization process of relevant countries.

Zamir Ahmed Awan, founding chair of Islamabad-based think tank, the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, believes that the BRI, emphasizing inclusiveness and openness, helps the Global South achieve economic growth and sustainable growth, and helps developing countries accelerate modernization.

Belt and Road cooperation pursues development, aims at mutual benefits, and conveys a message of hope. To promote such a great undertaking that benefits the people of participating countries, it is important to stay focused on the goal, take results-oriented actions, persevere, and keep moving forward until the goal is met.

China will work with relevant parties to continue deepening Belt and Road partnership, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and make unremitted efforts to advance global modernization.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
Josh Jury, center, and some of his classmates took a selfie at the Boston Airport Oct. 12, 2023, after flying to the United States from Tel Aviv via Rome days after the Hamas attack on Israel. (Josh Jury)

As Josh Jury, 17, from Homewood, was in an airplane taking off from the Tel Aviv airport Oct. 11, he said he could feel and hear the nearby defense systems blocking missiles.

Jury, a senior at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, was in Jerusalem when Hamas militants attacked Israel Oct. 7. Israel has since launched airstrikes in Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the country was at war.

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Jury arrived in Israel Aug. 22 as a student at URJ Heller High, which is a semesterlong, fully accredited high school educational experience for Jewish sophomores, juniors and seniors to learn in Israel, according to the program website.

Two days after the attack, Jury said school officials told the 100 students in the program they were finding them flights home, but it would likely take a few weeks.

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But the next evening, Jury said students were told they would fly in a travel agency CEOs chartered plane to Rome. The flight was for the next morning, Oct. 11, he said, and they were told to pack one bag and leave whatever didnt fit behind.

Jury said he packed his winter clothes, books and some valuables, leaving behind his summer clothes and donating his towels and toiletries to families that have since relocated to the school to escape war.

It was extremely last minute and very chaotic and very stressful, Jury said.

At the airport in Tel Aviv, Jury said cellphone alerts went off a few times warning travelers missiles were detected nearby. At one point, the airports alert system started blaring and everyone ran to the bomb shelter, he said, but after two minutes they were allowed to leave because the nearby defense systems blocked the missiles.

While we were at the airport, that was the closest I felt any threats had really gotten to us, Jury said. We could hear the missiles flying over head and getting intercepted. It was extremely chaotic and scary. I thought theres no way theyre going to let us get on this plane right now.

After a slight delay, Jury said the plane was able to take off, though he said he could feel the ground shaking and hear more missiles being intercepted.

The group made it to Rome and stayed one night at a hotel near the airport, Jury said. The next day, they were on an Air Italy flight to Boston, where the group had to split up quickly to catch their connecting flights, he said.

We were rushed away. That was really hard because were from all over the U.S. so everyone had to go to their different flights. It ended so abruptly, he said.

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Josh Jury, a senior at Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School in Israel, on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. (Josh Jury)

While in the security line at the Boston airport, Jury said he was surprised when one of the security workers started crying and gave him a hug after she saw his Israeli boarding pass.

It shocked me that a stranger cared so much, but it was really touching, Jury said. Although I didnt feel safe yet, because it was so chaotic getting out of that, it was comforting to know I was somewhere where I could eventually be safe.

Jury said he and another girl from the program both flew from Boston to Chicago and arrived Oct. 12. Since his return home, Jury said hes been processing what he went through and adjusting his school plans.

Through his experience, Jury said he realized two things: Innocent Israeli and Palestinians are dying and there is no justification for terrorism.

Whats really sad is I went to Israel to be in a safe space for Jewish people and then I come back to the U.S. and theres a really big rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, Jury said.

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Tim Jury, Joshs Father, said the days after the attack and before his son returned home were nerve-wracking for him and his wife, but they were grateful they could still communicate with their son. Still, Tim Jury said he was nervous about his son traveling via bus or plane amid a war.

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We never felt completely safe with his destination until he got off the plane in Chicago, he said. Were just elated to have him home.

Josh Jury said he met with a guidance counselor at Homewood Flossmoor High School and registered to take three classes virtually. Through the program in Israel, he said the students will complete the semester by taking two classes virtually: Israel history and Hebrew language.

All of his classes start next week, Jury said, and after they are completed in December he will graduate early.

Its going to be a really tough transition back. I cant help but feel like Im missing all of the experiences I wouldve had in Israel. Although I am grateful to be safe and back, I do wish I couldve finished my semester there, Jury said.

Jury said he would like to attend a program in Israel that would allow him to take college-level classes and travel the country before starting college in the U.S. He said he always wanted to pursue a career in international relations, which this experience has solidified.

This hardship that we went through inspires me to do more, Jury said. Im trying to bounce back and be a stronger person because of it.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears at civil fraud trial in New York

Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears at civil fraud trial in New York

By Jack Queen and Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump was fined $10,000 on Wednesday after the New York judge overseeing his civil fraud trial said the former U.S. president for a second time violated a gag order barring him from disparaging court staff.

Justice Arthur Engoron had imposed the order on Oct. 3 after Trump shared on social media a photo of the judge's top clerk posing with U.S. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and falsely called her Schumer's "girlfriend."

During a break on Wednesday in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James concerning Trump's business practices, Trump told reporters in a hallway, "This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is."

Engoron, surmising that Trump was referencing his clerk, called the comments a "blatant" gag order violation.

Trump's hallway remarks came as Michael Cohen, his onetime lawyer and fixer, testified for a second day against him.

Before being fined, Trump briefly took the witness stand and told Engoron he was referring to "you and Cohen" during his remarks. The judge rejected the idea, echoed by Trump's lawyer Christopher Kise, that the "partisan" person Trump mentioned was Cohen.

"The idea that that statement would refer to the witness, that doesn't make sense to me," Engoron said. "Don't do it again or it will be worse."

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 U.S. election, walked out of the courtroom after being fined.

On Oct. 20, Engoron fined Trump $5,000 after finding he had not taken down a post disparaging the clerk, warning that future transgressions could bring "far more severe" sanctions including jail. In originally imposing the gag order, Engoron said comments against his staff were "unacceptable, inappropriate and will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Engoron's clerk has sat next to the judge during the trial, standard practice in a New York state court.

Alina Habba, one of Trump's lawyers, told Engoron she saw the clerk appear to roll her eyes during Cohen's testimony, and that this was "completely inappropriate."

COHEN DEFENDS CREDIBILITY

The trial concerns allegations that Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization, unlawfully manipulated asset values and his net worth to dupe lenders and insurers. The case could break up Trump's business empire.

Cohen's two days of testimony marked his first face-to-face encounters with Trump in five years. Trump "arbitrarily" inflated the value of real estate assets to secure favorable insurance premiums, Cohen testified on Tuesday.

Since cutting ties and becoming one of Trump's fiercest critics, Cohen has written two books and created a political podcast.

Cross-examined by Habba on Wednesday, Cohen acknowledged having a financial incentive to criticize Trump, but defended his credibility. He rejected Habba's contention that he has "made a career" of attacking Trump and embellishing criticism for personal gain.

"The more outrageous your stories are about President Trump, the more money you make," Habba said. "Is that accurate, Mr. Cohen?"

"No," Cohen responded.

A lawyer for Trump's adult son Eric Trump - also a defendant in the case - asked Engoron to immediately enter a verdict in the defense's favor based on what he called Cohen's contradictory testimony.

Cohen said on Tuesday Trump told him to inflate his asset values but said during 2019 congressional testimony he did not recall whether he received such a directive.

Engoron denied the request, saying it would be "absurd" to rule in the defense's favor midway through trial based on an "equivocal" statement by one witness.

"There's enough evidence to fill this courtroom," Engoron said.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in the case. Trump separately has pleaded not guilty in four criminal cases this year.

Cohen's testimony could bolster the attorney general's case though his admitted record of deceit could undermine his credibility before Engoron, who alone will decide the outcome of the bench trial. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to tax fraud, campaign finance violations and perjury and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Before the trial's Oct. 2 start, Engoron found that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth, and ordered that companies that control crown jewels of his real estate portfolio, including Trump Tower in Manhattan, be dissolved. That ruling is on hold while Trump appeals.

The trial largely concerns damages. James wants at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and sons Eric and Donald Jr. from running businesses in New York and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization.

(This story has been refiled to replace the word 'violence' with 'finance,' in paragraph 23)

(Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen Walder)
A total of 16 people have been injured when the wreckage of a downed Russian Shahed drone fell on the premises of a critical infrastructure facility in Shepetivka district, Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Source: Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration with reference to Serhii Tiurin, First Deputy Head of Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Vasyl Sydor, Mayor of Slavuta, on Facebook

Quote from Tiurin: "[The debris] fell on the premises of a critical infrastructure facility as a result of the downing of enemy aerial targets in Shepetivka District.

The blast wave damaged non-residential and residential buildings and vehicles."

Details: Tiurin added that 16 residents from nearby houses with injuries of varying degrees of severity were sent to hospital.

All relevant services are at the scene.

Vasyl Sydor, Mayor of the city of Slavuta, said, "there is a lot of damage in Slavuta hromada". [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.]

Sydor gave assurances that all services, namely heat, gas and water, will be provided to the hromadas residents. But schools and kindergartens will be closed on 25 October.

Tiurin reported that debris also fell in Khmelnytskyi District, but the downed Russian targets did not cause any damage.

Tiurin added that the Russian occupiers have attacked Khmelnytskyi Oblast for the fourth day in a row.

Background: Russian forces launched 11 Shahed kamikaze drones over Ukraine on the night of 24-25 October and the air defence forces managed to down all the Russian targets.

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Nearly two dozen workers in Hickory say they havent been paid in weeks.

Proficient Supply sells products and the owner says the labor board has been contacted about the lost wages.

Were still holding out hope, one worker said. Hoping for a miracle, hoping that they pay us.

Channel 9s Dave Faherty learned the pay issues started a few weeks ago after the company sold some of its inventory. The owner told Faherty that Wealth Assistants, based in Miami, purchased 1.8 million of its inventory back in March. But that company later reported financial hardship this fall and workers say they stopped getting their paychecks weeks ago.

ALSO READ: State income tax could be eliminated for overtime pay

Some employees are still showing up, including Cody Limbo.

Every time we talk with the bosses they tell us its not their problem, Limbo said. Theres a lawyer fee or a lawyer hold up and a bank hold up.

Limbo isnt alone. Anna Acosta is going to college and has not received two of her checks after working 80 hours. She also says single parents arent getting paychecks.

I do know of single parents here whove worked over 80 hours and havent gotten paid, Acosta said. Their lights have been shut off, their electricity, their internet... Paying their bills has been hard.

Proficient Supply says they learned Wealth Assistants bank put their account into a credit-only status and workers stopped getting their checks this month. Proficient Supply has been in contact with the North Carolina Department of Labor.

RELATED: Some say theyve lost Social Security benefits because of stimulus checks

The NCDOL told us In order for the NC Department of Labors Wage and Hour Bureau to assist an employee with a wage dispute a complaint must be filed, the NCDOL said. At this point, they do not know of an investigation involving either company.

Cody Limbo is hoping he and other workers get whats owed to them.

Every day they come in and say were going to get paid and its just been the next day, the next daythe next day, Limbo said.

The owner of Proficient Supply says he is doing everything possible to get workers the back pay owed to them from Wealth Assistants.

Channel 9 has tried reaching out to Wealth Assistants, but we have not heard back.

(WATCH BELOW: Cheesecake Factory adding restaurant in Huntersvilles Birkdale Village, building permit shows)
PROVIDENCE  Dozens of pro-Israel activists gathered at the State House on Tuesday night to wave "free the innocent hostages" banners and put a name to the beliefs of the hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators who marched through the streets of Providence on Saturday: anti-Semitism.

"The true term is Jew phobia: an irrational hatred that has no basis but is very dangerous," said lawyer Russell Raskin, at the microphone at a pro-Israel rally hosted by the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel and a recently created Rhode Island chapter of the conservative and, at times, Trump-aligned advocacy group Turning Point USA.

"Hey, hey, ho, ho. Hamas has got to go," the group of about five dozen activists  encircled by metal barriers  chanted, under the watchful eyes of a large contingent of Rhode Island State Police there in case Rhode Island saw the kinds of clashes that have broken out in other cities over the Israel-Palestine conflict.

It didn't.

Only three state lawmakers were visible in the crowd, including Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, R-North Smithfield, who spoke; Sen. Robert Britto, D-East Providence; and Rep. Patricia Morgan, R-West Warwick.

Sen. Jessica de la Cruz, the House minority leader, speaks in support of Israel during Tuesday evening's rally at the State House.

Ahead of the rally, de la Cruz summed up her position: "You don't get to rape and shoot and stab, torture...mutilate, terrorize, burn to death, kidnap 1,400 innocent men, women and children, and even babies, and then get your cheerleaders and friends around the world to call for a ceasefire.

"The reason for Hamas' existence is to destroy Jews in Israel," she said. "Hamas needs to be annihilated. Full stop."

"One side seeks peace. The other side seeks extermination," said Connecticut College professor and writer Andrew Pessin in his turn at the microphone.

"No, nothing, no alleged grievances of any sort, could justify what happened on October 7," he said.

More: Providence City Council to hear dueling resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian violence

"And you know, theres a word for violence targeting civilians for political aims: its terrorism," he said.

"Anyone...who is incapable of identifying and condemning the acts of October 7 as terror is pro-terror, pure and simple," Pessin said. "There isnt a country in the world that wouldnt respond massively to a barbaric ISIS-style terror attack on its civilians, and that wouldnt be justified in doing whatever it takes to remove this genocidal threat to its citizens."

None of Rhode Island's Jewish legislators could be seen in the small crowd.

Leaders of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island were also absent from the rally, highlighting the divisions within Rhode Island's Jewish and political circles over the tensions in the Middle East.

When asked Tuesday afternoon, Adam Greenman, the president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, said he would not be attending either, having only learned of the event a day earlier.

"Without knowing who the speakers were, without knowing much about the event itself, we made the decision that we're going to keep focusing on our efforts to draw attention to the hostages, to draw attention to the atrocities of Hamas rather than to be a part of a rally that we weren't really engaged in and we're only finding out about on short notice."

Jeffrey Gladstone and Russell Raskin hold up a banner on the steps of the State House during a pro-Israel rally Tuesday evening.

Only one of the Jewish legislators reached by The Journal in recent days explained why he or she did not choose to take part. Sen. Joshua Miller, D-Cranston, said he views the Alliance as "more representative of the Jewish community"  and the moderate middle  than the coalition.

Turning Point USA is relatively new to Rhode Island where it is headed by Anthony D'Ellena, who describes himself as a field organizer for the R.I. Republican Party. It was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Charles Kirk, then 18.

In time, "Kirks zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers...[and] despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the former presidents eldest son, during the general election campaign," according to the Associated Press.

Most recently, it has drawn attention for its "Professor Watchlist" which it described this way on a recent post:

"Following the brutal surprise attacks by Hamas on Israel, a wave of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli sentiment has flooded college campuses across the nation. Universities have become hosts to rallies protesting Israel, with students under the false impression that Israel is an oppressor and that Palestinian terrorist groups are innocent.

"This rhetoric is not exclusive to students. Radical left-wing professors are attempting to indoctrinate students by spreading lies about the current Middle East conflict. But Turning Point USAs Professor Watchlist is here to fix that."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: "One side seeks peace. The other side seeks extermination," said one speaker.
A dramatic 911 call has captured the moments staff scrambled to save the life of Barack Obamas personal chef before he drowned in the waters off the former presidents Marthas Vineyard estate.

Tafari Campbell, 45, died back on July 23 when he fell off a paddleboard into the Edgartown Great Pond.

His body was recovered from the water the next morning.

Now, three months on, the 911 call has revealed how Secret Service agents tried to find him in the water that night  but to no avail.

In the audio, a Secret Service agent named Dave is heard telling a dispatcher that a man was drowning out the back of the home.

We have a male drowning in the back of the property now, he says in the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com.

We have our rescue swimmers. Theyre attempting to go out there right now.

He tells the dispatcher that a house guest fell in the water, prompting frantic rescue efforts from staff.

Michelle and Barack Obama, with their personal chef Tafari Campbell, who died in a paddleboarding accident off Marthas Vineyard (Michelle Obama / Instagram)

Someone came running up to our back post, saying a gentleman, its just a guest of the house, is out there drowning, Dave says.

When asked what emergency services are needed to aid in the rescue, Dave says he is unsure as theyre not passing information over the radio right now.

They didnt advise right now. I would say at least an ambulance, he says.

When Dave calls the dispatchers back a few minutes later, it appears the situation has become more dire.

So our rescue swimmers arent able to locate the gentleman that was reported drowning, Dave says.

Theyre out in the water right now but as of now they dont know where he is.

The former president is believed to have arrived on the scene minutes after the 911 calls were made.

Sonar technology was used to Campbells body the next morning about 100 feet from the shore and eight feet underwater in the pond, a large coastal pool connected to the Atlantic.

Sherise Campbell posted tribute to husband Tafari (Sherise Campbell)

The chef had served the 44th US president during his tenure at the White House, going on to accept an invitation to stay on with the family as their personal chef at the end of Mr Obamas second term.

Tafari was a beloved part of our family, the Obamas said in a statement following his death.

When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House  creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together.

In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter.

Thats why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. Hes been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that hes gone.

Today we join everyone who knew and loved Tafari  especially his wife Sherise and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin  in grieving the loss of a truly wonderful man.
A 22-year-old was arrested for a second time after being released earlier this month following a deadly crash that left four Pepperdine University students dead  this time on murder charges.

Fraser Bohm was initially arrested on 18 October for gross vehicular manslaughter  but was released later that day due to insufficient grounds to file a complaint, according to Los Angeles Sheriffs Department records.

He was arrested again on 24 October on four murder charges, according to the LASD. His bail is listed at $8m.

When a case is presented to the District Attorneys Office, you need to present supporting evidence for the specific charges being requested for filing within 48 hours, the LASD wrote in a statement. In this specific case, the evidence including toxicology, speed analysis, execution of search warrants, etc. was still pending and took additional time to collect.

Our detectives worked diligently to compile all the evidence needed so they could file the maximum charges allowed under California law, the statement continued. The Sheriffs Department is relentlessly working to ensure we get justice for the victims families. Our thoughts are with each family, friends, and students of each victim during this difficult time.

The city of Malibu posted on Facebook offering condolences to the four students who were tragically killed by a speeding motorist on Pacific Coast Highway on 17 October around 8.30pm.

Pepperdine issued a statement expressing profound sorrow regarding the deaths of the four students: Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams. Each departed student brought a unique gift and spirit to the University, and we deeply grieve the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of our precious community members, the statement added.

Officials previously said that the driver lost control and slammed into three parked vehicles, which struck the four college students. The site of the crash is infamously known as Dead Mans Curve, given the number of accidents that happen there.
A Montana driver with children named Aryan and Nation has been charged with homicide in the March hit-and-run killing of Mika Westwolf, an Indigenous woman.

The case drew widespread attention and calls for accountability after Popular Information reported that authorities did not immediately charge Sunny White, whom many in the community believe to be a white nationalist, for her alleged role in the death of Westwolf. The 22-year-old, who was an enrolled member of the Blackfeet tribe and is also Navajo, Cree and Klamath, was walking to her home on the Flathead Reservation in the early hours of March 31 when she was struck and killed.

But on Oct. 18, Lake County Attorney James Lapotka said he had found probable cause to charge White with five felonies, including vehicular homicide, drug possession and child endangerment. The damage to Whites Cadillac Escalade allegedly matched debris near the ditch along a highway where Westwolfs body was found. Westwolf died of multiple blunt force injuries caused when White hit her head-on with enough force to propel her body toward the ditch, Lapotka said.

White was previously charged with child endangerment, and her young children, who were reportedly in the SUV at the time of the crash, were removed from her care, but Lapotka dropped those charges, telling Popular Information in May that he needed more time to collect evidence.

Mika Westwolf was killed in the early morning hours of March 31.

Mika Westwolf was killed in the early morning hours of March 31.

Westwolfs parents criticized local authorities for the slow pace of the investigation and for keeping them in the dark about its progress and how their daughter died. Carissa Heavy Runner, Westwolfs mother, previously told HuffPost that one investigator in particular had been condescending, negative and almost victim-blaming when they spoke. After launching an awareness campaign, she learned that families of other missing and killed Indigenous people faced similar obstacles when dealing with law enforcement.

According to the new charging documents, a trooper who searched Whites car said he found five syringes, two unopened packages of Narcan and a small makeup tube containing methamphetamine. Toxicology reports indicated that White had fentanyl and methamphetamine in her blood, which was drawn the morning of the crash, Lapotka said. Whites cellphone data, he said, placed her at the scene at 3 a.m., when surveillance footage captured a vehicle driving toward and braking at the spot where Westwolfs body was found. According to investigators, another driver said an SUV had passed him near the crash scene driving about 90 miles per hour.

Westwolfs family called Whites arrest a bittersweet moment in an update posted Friday on Mika Matters, the website they created to raise awareness and demand accountability from authorities in Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) cases. While they felt a sense of relief and satisfaction, they said, it was also a painful reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by countless Indigenous families.

Mikas family expresses their sympathy and solidarity with all families who continue to endure the heart-wrenching uncertainty and loss associated with MMIR cases. They understand that in this day and age, it is deeply disheartening that such fights for justice are still necessary.

More than 43,000 people signed a petition by asking the Department of Justice to intervene in the case, claiming that local authorities were being uncooperative and frustratingly slow.

White is expected to be arraigned Wednesday, Lapotka told HuffPost, which he said will likely be continued until she has an attorney.

Related...
The 22-year-old driver of a BMW that crashed in Malibu, California, last week, killing four Pepperdine University students, has been charged with murder.

Fraser Bohm was allegedly speeding on Oct. 17 through a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway known as Dead Mans Curve when he struck Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21. Bohm was arrested Tuesday after initially being released while authorities investigated the crash, and court records show he has been charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter.

The Los Angeles District Attorneys Office announced that Bohm pleaded not guilty to all charges Wednesday and is being held in lieu of $4 million bond.

Deslyn Williams (clockwise from top left), Niamh Rolston, Asha Weir and Peyton Stewart in photos released by Pepperdine University.

Deslyn Williams (clockwise from top left), Niamh Rolston, Asha Weir and Peyton Stewart in photos released by Pepperdine University.

According to reports by The Malibu Times, the students were outside at a Halloween party before the crash, which happened about 9 p.m.

Speaking at a news conference last week, Los Angeles County sheriffs Capt. Jennifer Seetoo said Bohm had lost control of his vehicle and swerved onto the shoulder, colliding into three parked vehicles and then striking the women.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Bohm was initially taken into custody on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter but was released soon after to allow detectives time to gather more evidence.

These types of traffic investigations are very extensive, and there are various investigative factors that are involved, the sheriffs department said in a statement last week. Our detectives worked diligently to compile all the evidence needed so they could file the maximum charges allowed under California law.

Bohm claimed at his arraignment Wednesday that he was speeding because he was trying to get away from someone who was aggressively chasing him, according to KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

Students from Pepperdine University gather at a candlelight vigil honoring Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. The university said the four seniors will be given posthumous degrees.

Students from Pepperdine University gather at a candlelight vigil honoring Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. The university said the four seniors will be given posthumous degrees.

In a statement posted last week, the university mourned the students deaths, adding that they were beloved by the community.

In this time of immeasurable grief and heartache, we stand together as a community and turn to our faith and each other to find hope and healing in the midst of this tragedy, the statement said. Each departed student brought a unique gift and spirit to the University, and we deeply grieve the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of our precious community members.

According to a separate post on Wednesday highlighting the students, the four were seniors in the universitys Seaver College of Liberal Arts and were members of the Alpha Phi sorority.

The school said they will be honored with posthumous degrees alongside their graduating class of 2024.

In recent days, family members have been mourning their deaths, with Stewarts father asking anyone who wished to send gifts or flowers to instead donate to a memorial fund set up for the four women.

I sincerely appreciate all of the kind wishes expressed to my family and I during this difficult time, Stewarts father wrote on Facebook . I have not yet responded to all the messages from well wishers but I will do so in the coming days.

Related...
Ancient rock carvings that reappeared in the region of the Lajes Archaeological Site due to the severe drought affecting the region's rivers on the banks of the Negro River in Manaus, Brazil, on October 21, 2023.

In parts of Brazil , water levels are so low due to severe drought that previously submerged ancient rock carvings are visible for the first time since 2010. The petroglyphs including depictions of animals and other natural objects are located on the shores of Rio Negro , at an archeological site known as the Ponto das LajesPlace of Slabs near where the Rio Negro and the Solimoes river flow into the Amazon River.

These carvings were previously seen during a drought 13 years ago, when the Rio Negros water levels dropped to what was then an all-time known low of 44.7 feet. As of October 23, the water levels in the Rio Negro are at 42.2 feet . Some experts predict that the drought could last until early 2024 .

[Related: The Amazon is on the brink of a climate change tipping point .]

According to the BBC , archaeologist Jaime Oliveira told local media that the markings were carved by people who lived in the area in pre-Columbian times. "This region is a pre-colonial site which has evidence of occupation dating back some 1,000 to 2,000 years. What we're seeing here are representations of anthropomorphic figures."

In addition to the faces and animals, grooves in one of the rocks were potentially used by Indigenous people in the area as a whetstone to sharpen their arrows. Carlos Augusto da Silva of the Federal University of Amazonas identified 25 groups of these carvings on a single rock.

Pieces of ceramics that archaeologists believe are thousands of years old have also been found at the site. The area was home to large Indigenous villages before European colonists arrived in the Seventeenth Century.

[Related: Historic drought brings eerie objects and seawater to the surface of the Mississippi River .]

The carvings re-emerged earlier in October amid this unusually dry season. A similar situation arose in Europe in the summer of 2022, when one of the worst droughts in 500 years revealed hunger stones, in rivers across the continent . These stones covered in engraved markings show the water levels from previous dry times and some come with grim warnings. Near the town of Decin in the northern Czech Republic, one haunting stone read If you see me, then weep, or Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine.

Scientists attribute this drought in South America to an El Nino weather pattern and warming in the North Atlantic linked to human-made climate change.

Due to the low water levels, endangered pink river dolphins in Lake Tefe, Brazil are at risk of suffocation and a major hydropower plant near Porto Velho has also been shut down . Tens of thousands living in remote communities who can only travel by boat are also being isolated from the rest of the world.

These dry conditions are also accelerating the destruction of the most biodiverse rainforest on Earth . Parts of the Amazon rainforest have already begun to change from humid ecosystems that store large amounts of heat-trapping gasses into more dry forests that release these gasses into the atmosphere. Climate change, deforestation and fires have made it harder for the Amazon region as a whole to recover from severe droughts .

This is a catastrophe of lasting consequences, Luciana Vanni Gatti, a scientist at Brazils National Institute of Space Research, told The New York Times . The more forest loss we have, the less resilience it has.
The screens will go dark for the final time this Sunday at one of Durhams last remaining movie theaters.

The AMC Classic 15 will close Oct. 29, a representative of the company confirmed. Its located at 1807 Martin Luther King Junior Parkway.

AMC routinely reviews the theatres in our circuit, as well as opportunities outside of our circuit, and makes decisions based on what will best strengthen the Company going forward, the AMC spokeperson wrote in an email.

The dated theater has been operating with a skeleton crew in recent months. The more recently renovated AMC theater at The Streets at Southpoint will remain open.

William Torian, of Hillsborough, sells $48.00 worth of tickets for the 12:30 a.m. showing of Star Wars at the Wynnsong Cinema 10 in Durham on Jan. 31, 1997.

The closing theater on MLK will show more than a dozen movies on Sunday, including Barbie and Oppenheimer, plus newer fare like Taylor Swifts The Eras Tour concert film and Martin Scorseses drama on the Osage Indian murders, Killers of the Flower Moon.

The property, appraised at nearly $6 million, has been owned since 2005 by an LLC that lists an Arizona law firms address. No new plans have been filed with the city yet.

The Southpoint mall AMC and downtowns Carolina Theatre are the only remaining commercial movie theaters in Durham after Northgates Stadium 10 closed this summer.

Opened in 1994

The AMC Classic 15 opened as the Wynnsong 10 on April 1, 1994, according to archives.

The first films played included Thumbelina and The Paper, as well as the third Naked Gun and the second Mighty Ducks.

The AMC Classic Durham 15 theater is photographed on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Durham, N.C.

The opening of the 10-screen multiplex prompted the Hope Valley neighborhood to form a neighborhood association to represent its interests in City Hall, it was reported at the time.

Commercial development has started to crowd the community, and what once could be halted by a discreet call now requires the concerted voice of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in town, a News & Observer reporter wrote the month it opened.

The theater added the five screens that turned it into a Wynnsong 15 in 1998, according to bloggers at cinematreasures.org.

A crowd outside the Wynnsong Cinema 10 in Durham on Jan. 31, 1997, when the first Star Wars movie was rereleased.
Incarnation St. Terrance Parish will host an anointing of the sick at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 29 at Incarnation Parish Church in Crestwood. (Melinda Moore/Daily Southtown)

Crestwood

Incarnation St. Terrance Parish, 5757 W. 127th St.: Mass with the sacrament of anointing of the sick at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 29 at Incarnation. Anointing can be received by people with a chronic condition or disability, someone who is seriously ill, anyone who will be having surgery or hospitalization, those who undergo medical treatment such as dialysis or chemotherapy, and anyone older than 65 who has been notably weakened. The healing is for recovery of physical health, mental health and spiritual health. Information: 708-205-897 or incparish.com.

Evergreen Park

First United Methodist Church of Evergreen Park, 9358 S. Homan Ave.: Craft and vendor show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 4. Handmade crafts, jewelry and ornaments will be available, and baked goods will be sold. Information: 708-422-8451.

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Mokena

St. Johns United Church of Christ, 11120 Second St.: Annual turkey dinner from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 4. Drive-through and carryout options are available for $17. Dine-in costs $17 for adults and $5 for children 3 to 11 years old. To buy tickets, visit stjohnsmokena.org and click events and select turkey dinner. Or call 708-479-5123 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Oak Lawn

Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ, 9411 S. 51st Ave.: Memorial Sunday is Nov. 5. Attendees will remember members and friends who have died in the past year. To include a friend or loved one in the memorial service, contact the church by Oct. 29. Information: 708-422-4200.

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Orland Park

Faith United Methodist Church, 15101 S. 80th Ave.: Holiday boutique from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 4. A bake sale will be available Nov. 4. Its hosted by the Quilters Plus Guild. Admission is $5 for anyone older than 12; children are admitted free. Admission includes one raffle ticket. Information: 815-685-8948 or www.quiltersplus.com.

Tinley Park

Trinity Lutheran Church, 6850 W. 159th St.: Wreath and poinsettia sale between services Oct. 29 in the Trinity Room. Orders will be taken until Nov. 6. Wreaths and poinsettias will be delivered December 2. All proceeds from the sale will help defray the eighth graders class trip to Washington, D.C., in the spring. Information: Email tgurgel@tlcs.org.

Whats going on at your church? Let us know by sending us an email including time, date, place and public contact information at religion@southtownstar.com.
The Duxbury mother accused of killing her three young children in January will be arraigned Thursday following her indictment last month.

To read the latest story of what happened in court, click here.

Lindsay Clancy, 32, is being held without bail at Tewksbury State Hospital, where the arraignment will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26.

She is charged with three counts each of murder and strangulation, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said.

Duxbury police responded to a 911 call on Jan. 24 that reported that a woman living on Summer Street jumped from a window in a suspected suicide attempt. First responders found Clancy on the ground outside the home.

Her three children were then found in the home's basement, all unconscious and showing signs of severe trauma.

Clancy was rendered a paraplegic after jumping from a window, her attorney, Kevin Reddington, said.

Unsealed document show Clancy's state of mind in lead-up to murder

Nearly 300 pages of documents released on Tuesday include 11 search warrants that were previously kept confidential, according to WCVB. The warrants sought access to collect exercise bands, medications, phones, computers, notebooks, cameras, a bloody knife and other physical evidence from inside the Clancy home. Wood shingles from the exterior of the family's home were also collected.

Documents released: Read the 300 pages for yourself

Clancy's notebooks contained documentation of her medications and thoughts of suicide, according to the documents. There's also mention that she used her phone to document her mental state and research ways to kill.

Cora and Dawson Clancy, ages 5 and 3, were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess in Plymouth and pronounced dead. Eight-month-old Callan Clancy was flown to Boston Children's Hospital, where he died several days later.

The chief medical examiner said the children died from asphyxia. Exercise bands were used to strangle the children, authorities said.

Reddington, said in May that Clancy suffers from postpartum depression and was overmedicated at the time.

Clancy was a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Duxbury mother Lindsay Clancy to face murder charges from hospital bed
Escambia County Sheriff's deputies arrested a South Carolina man Monday after he allegedly attacked a man with a hatchet over spilled beer.

Danny Tharp, a 56-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, was arrested Monday and charged by the Office of the State Attorney with attempted second-degree murder after he allegedly attacked the victim with a hatchet in a tent in the 7700 block of North Davis Highway, according to an ECSO Facebook post.

"So, Danny Tharp and the victim were inside the tent visiting when Tharp accused the victim of spilling a beer," the Facebook post says. "Tharp blamed the victim and proceeded to grab a silver hatchet with a blue handle. Armed with this weapon, Tharp began swinging wildly toward the victim striking him several times."

"They took a hatchet to him": From 'flesh collectors' to double juries, Pensacola prosecutor's 34-year career was a doozy

The unnamed victim was able to leave the tent and retreat, according to the ECSO, and he provided a description of Tharp to responding deputies. The victim was bleeding from the eye and around his mouth, the post says.

A silver hatchet was found near the scene of the incident with blood located inside and outside of the tent, according to the post. The deputies later saw two men, one matching Tharp's description, walking down the street and placed Tharp under arrest.

Tharp remains in Escambia County Jail on $300,000 bond, according to jail records.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: ECSO says man charged with attempted murder after hatchet attack
The U.S. Capitol is seen at dawn on Oct. 20 in Washington. The Republican dysfunction that has ground business in the U.S. House to a halt as two wars rage abroad and a budget crisis looms at home is contributing to a deep loss of faith in American institutions. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)

The repeated failure of House Republicans to elect a speaker to succeed the defenestrated Kevin McCarthy is more than a political tragicomedy; its a threat to the national interest at a time of turmoil in Ukraine and the Middle East and another looming deadline for avoiding a government shutdown.

After three weeks of jockeying and insider drama, Republicans meeting behind closed doors on Tuesday nominated their third post-McCarthy candidate for speaker, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota. But Emmer dropped out of the running just hours later, perhaps because he realized it was unlikely he could be elected on the floor with only Republican votes. After his nomination, several right-wing Republicans indicated that they wouldnt vote for him on the floor, and former President Trump chimed in with a social media post disparaging Emmer as a RINO  a Republican in name only.

Read more: Goldberg: House Republicans need a sudden onset of political maturity. What are the chances?

Emmer would have been a better choice for the speakership than the conferences last nominee, the volatile Trump ally Jim Jordan of Ohio. Unlike Jordan and 138 other House Republicans, Emmer did not vote to object to results of the 2020 presidential election (though he issued a statement that seemed to give credence to questions about its fairness). He also voted to suspend the debt ceiling to avoid a default and to keep the government running  sensible bipartisan measures that enraged some conservatives in the Republican conference.

Late Tuesday, Republicans tried again, nominating Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) with a floor vote expected on Wednesday.

The flimsy and fractious Republican majority in the House divides several ways  some observers, borrowing from the lingo of organized crime, refer to the factions as the Five Families  which is one reason unity on a replacement speaker has been elusive. If House Republicans can't get it together to elect a speaker soon, it may be time for a bipartisan initiative to choose new leadership.

Read more: Editorial: Kevin McCarthy played with MAGA fire  and got burned

House Democrats understandably declined to throw McCarthy a lifeline earlier this month, when Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) successfully moved to vacate the chair. McCarthy, after all, had appeased the extremists in his conference, most notably by unilaterally announcing a baseless impeachment inquiry into President Biden. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has suggested that his party is open to a bipartisan solution to end the crisis over the vacant speakers chair.

Last week Jeffries said: It's time for traditional Republicans to get off the sidelines, get in the arena and realize that the chaos, dysfunction and extremism has to end. And the only way to do it is to figure out how we can partner in a bipartisan fashion to reopen the House and govern in a reasonable, common-sense way. It's time for House Republicans to embrace bipartisanship and abandon extremism once and for all.

Read more: Calmes: Has the Republican Party grown so anti-government that it cannot govern at all?

For all his failures of leadership, McCarthy was willing to find a way out of the debt-ceiling and shutdown crises. If some other potential McCarthy successor cant secure the chair with only Republican votes, Jeffries should renew his offer of a bipartisan way out. But that would depend on responsible Republican members actually proposing such a path and being willing to take it.

The nation  and the Republican Party  would benefit from an end to this chaos. So far, it doesn't appear the GOP is ready to start governing.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A new sign is installed above the entrance to the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Oct. 25, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol. (Mariam Zuhaib / Associated Press)

This is how far the GOP has fallen: House Republicans on Wednesday unanimously elected as speaker a man who actively tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and would like to lock up people who get an abortion or provide gender-affirming care to minors. It's not an overstatement to say that Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should be concerned about the future of our democracy.

The vote for Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana follows weeks of political turmoil after the removal of his predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. Until Wednesday, it seemed as if the Republican conference would be unable to unite on any candidate, given the deep divisions within the party.

Read more: House Republicans unite, finally, to elect hard-right colleague Mike Johnson as speaker

On Tuesday, the party nominated Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer , who is the party's No. 3 leader in the House. But several right-wing Republicans indicated that they wouldnt vote for him on the floor, and former President Trump chimed in with a social media post disparaging Emmer as a RINO  Republican in name only. Emmer withdrew a few hours later, presumably realizing that the extremists in the party would block him because of his decision to support democracy and certify the 2020 presidential election.

In the end, the hard-right MAGA faction won the day with the selection of Johnson, a 51-year-old little-known conservative congressman who gained notoriety for coming up with the legal argument that some members used to vote to block the certification of Biden's win.

If there was any hope that the GOP would steer toward sanity and distance itself from the Trump sideshow, that hope is gone.

Read more: Editorial: Kevin McCarthy played with MAGA fire  and got burned

It's still unknown where Johnson will lead the party on important issues, though he is a vocal opponent of reproductive rights and gay marriage, and happy to impose his evangelical views on the rest of the country. It's also unclear if he has the skill to avoid a looming government shutdown. But it's fair to say that Ukraine aid is now in serious jeopardy. Johnson is among the Republicans who are skeptical of continued financial support for Ukraine as it fights to turn back an invasion by Russia, and voted against two appropriation bills that included funding for the war.

Of course Johnson's elevation to speaker is particularly alarming for the upcoming presidential election, in which a rematch between President Biden and Trump is more than likely. Theres little reason to believe Trump can win legitimately four years after being dumped by a majority of voters, and after being charged in four criminal cases. His best prospect for returning to the White House may be to steal the election, with assistance from MAGA leaders running the House.

Read more: News Analysis: The House Republican civil war shows Trump's power  and its limits

With Republican election deniers now in charge, that may actually happen. As Rep. Matt Gaetz put it on Stephen K. Bannon's show: "If you don't think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then you're not paying attention."

We hope that voters are paying close attention, particularly those in California. All 12 of the state's Republican members of Congress lined up in favor of a guy who wanted to throw out the 2020 election results and hand the country over to Trump for four more years.

Is this how the experiment in American democracy ends? We hope not. But that depends on whether Americans finally reject the extremists who have taken control of the Republican Party.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Mike Johnsons emergence as the new speaker of the US House of Representatives has earned the relatively little-known Louisiana Republican a turn in the national spotlight.

Related: Republicans heckle reporter for asking about efforts to overturn 2020 election

In turn, that spotlight has illuminated positions and remarks many deem extreme.

He tried to overturn the 2020 election

In the modern Republican party, supporting Donald Trump s lie about voter fraud in his defeat by Joe Biden is hardly an outlandish position. But Johnson took it further.

After the election, he voiced support for Trumps conspiracy theory that voting machines were rigged. Later, he was one of 147 Republicans to object to results in key states, even after a pro-Trump mob attacked Congress on January 6, a riot now linked to nine deaths and hundreds of convictions.

Johnson also authored an amicus brief filed to the supreme court in a case in which Texas sought to have swing-state results thrown out. According to the New York Times, a House Republican lawyer said Johnsons brief was unconstitutional. Nonetheless, he persuaded 125 colleagues to sign it, using tactics some thought heavy handed.

The supreme court refused to take the case. On Tuesday, Johnson refused to take a question about his work on Trumps behalf  smiling as fellow Republicans booed and jeered the reporter.

He was a spokesperson for a hate group

Before entering politics, Johnson worked for the Alliance Defending Freedom  designated a hate group by the Southern Law Poverty Center, which tracks US extremists.

According to the SPLC, the ADF has supported the recriminalisation of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ+ adults in the US and criminalisation abroad; defended state-sanctioned sterilisation of trans people abroad; contended that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to engage in paedophilia; and claimed that a homosexual agenda will destroy Christianity and society.

On Wednesday, the ADF senior counsel, Jeremy Tedesco, denied the organisation was a hate group and attacked the SPLC designation as partisan.

The truth is, Alliance Defending Freedom is among the largest and most effective legal advocacy organizations dedicated to protecting the religious freedom and free speech rights of all Americans, he said.

He opposes LGBTQ+ rights

In state politics and at the national level, Johnson has worked to claw back gains made by LGBTQ+ Americans in their fight for equality.

In 2016, as he ran for Congress, he told the Louisiana Baptist Message he had been out on the front lines of the culture war defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage, and other ideals like these when theyve been under assault. He has since led efforts for a national dont say gay bill, regarding the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues in schools, and is also opposed to gender-affirming care for children.

On Wednesday, Rev Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, said: Johnson has made a career out of attacking the LGBTQ+ community at every turn. His positions are out of touch with the clear majority support for LGBTQ+ equality in our country. His new leadership role is just further proof of the dangerous priorities of the GOP and the critical stakes for our democracy  and for LGBTQ+ Americans  in 2024.

He is stringently anti-abortion

Johnson has maintained a relatively low profile in Congress but when last year the supreme court removed the right to abortion, Johnson celebrated a historic and joyful day.

Though Dobbs v Jackson returned abortion rights to the states, Johnson has co-sponsored bills for a nationwide ban. And as he neared his position of power, footage spread of striking remarks in a House hearing. Roe v Wade did constitutional cover to the elective killing of unborn children in America, period, Johnson said.

You think about the implications on the economy. Were all struggling here to cover the bases of social security and Medicare and Medicaid and all the rest. If we had all those able-bodied workers in the economy, we wouldnt be going upside down and toppling over like this  I will not yield I will not. Roe was a terrible corruption of Americas constitutional jurisprudence.

He wants to cut social security and Medicare

As those comments indicate, Johnson wants to cut programs on which millions rely. Such cuts are widely regarded as a political third-rail  Trump has used the issue to attack Republican presidential rivals, saying only he will defend such benefits  but Johnson is far from alone in wanting to swing the axe.

He is an advocate for covenant marriage

When he married his wife, Kelly, in 1999, the couple agreed to a covenant marriage: a conservative Christian idea that makes it harder to divorce. The Johnsons promoted the idea on ABCs Good Morning America.

My own parents are divorced, Johnson said. As anyone who goes through that knows, that was a traumatic thing for our whole family. Im a big proponent of marriage and fidelity and all the things that go with it, and Ive seen first-hand the devastation [divorce] can cause.

He is a climate skeptic

In 2017, Johnson told voters in his oil-rich home state: The climate is changing, but the question is, is it being caused by natural cycles over the span of the Earths history? Or is it changing because we drive SUVs? I dont believe in the latter. I dont think thats the primary driver.

He has also opposed proposals for a Green New Deal and been named an energy champion by the American Energy Alliance, a rightwing group that has defended fossil fuel use.

 and progressives are alarmed

On Wednesday, Democrats and progressives greeted Johnsons ascent with criticism  and opposition research.

Tony Carrk, executive director of the watchdog Accountable.US, called Johnson a far-right extremist who led a desperate attempt to subvert democracy  [who] boasts a voting record deeming him one of the most extreme members of the Republican conference.

A Speaker Johnson means more of the same from the Maga [pro-Trump] majority: pointless partisan political stunts, peddling dangerous conspiracies and ultimately undermining American democracy.
During an elephants final days at a sanctuary in Tennessee, a supportive friend stayed with her to keep her company  an elephant she had befriended weeks earlier.

Jana and Nosey, two elephants at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, demonstrated a touching symbol of friendship in a video the refuge shared in early October. The two had met for the first time without fences, the sanctuary said.

Their blossoming friendship came to a tragic end Oct. 20, when Jana was humanely euthanized after experiencing a decline in her health, the refuge said in an Oct. 25 Facebook post. The 43-year-old elephant had ongoing mobility issues from a series of falls throughout her life.

In the time Jana spent with herd mate Nosey, the two would explore their habitat together, growing close as friends, according to the refuges website.

On a recent beautiful fall day, they spent time alternating between independent exploration and moments of grazing together, the sanctuary wrote in a tribute to Jana on its website. After a day of foraging, Jana decided to journey back, returning to rest beside the barn. Nosey chose to follow along, joining her companion.

The two wrapped up their memorable day with a heartwarming activity: peacefully napping and dusting side by side, the refuge said.

Watching Janas relationship with Nosey grow from one of uncertainty to acceptance and even a budding friendship, where they sought out interactions with each other, was truly rewarding, lead Asia Barn caregiver Sarah Fischel said in Janas tribute. We are honored to have known, cared for, and loved Jana.

Jana was a recent resident of the sanctuary, moving in on May 1, officials said. She spent her earlier years at the Louisville Zoo and Zoo Knoxville, where in 2010, her medical records showed she was injured in her right forelimb during an altercation with another elephant, the refuge said.

As a result, for more than 12 years, Jana exhibited an abnormal gait, in addition to stiffness and discomfort, according to the sanctuary. Radiographs taken earlier in 2023 also revealed Jana had advanced degenerative joint disease with partial carpal joint collapse, the refuge said.

Aware of Janas list of health issues, the sanctuary said it made several modifications to her barn and expansive habitat. They added sand piles as resting spots, as well as standing mats and foot presentation bars for her to use when receiving treatments, the sanctuary said.

Seeing Jana explore her new habitat, swim in water holes and befriend Nosey brought joy to Zoo Knoxville President and CEO Lisa New, who said in Janas tribute that the elephant left this world surrounded by people who loved and cared for her.

Jana was intelligent, spirited, and confident and we feel very fortunate to have the privilege of knowing her during her years at Zoo Knoxville, New said.

Janas health declined after she fell on Oct. 16 and couldnt get back up, the sanctuary said. The refuges emergency response team gave her immediate care. An elephant mattress was also added for Jana to lie on, according to the refuge.

Over the next few days, she had significant weakness and a lack of interest in essential life-sustaining activities. When her health rapidly declined on Oct. 20, the sanctuary said they had to make the decision to put Jana down.

Nosey was with Jana until the very end  sanctuary staff said they observed Nosey standing quietly by her side and offering gentle touches. When Jana died, Nosey stayed close to her until her burial, the refuge said.

Elephants are known to grieve other elephants they bonded with in a vigil, as some have been spotted visiting the remains of family members who died, according to BBC Earth.

Elephants separated by fence at Tennessee sanctuary meet for 1st time. See sweet video

27-year-old zoo elephant dies after loose dog agitates herd, Missouri officials say

Beloved young giraffe named Bobo unexpectedly dies in NY zoo after party for him
The city of Elk Grove was recently recognized by the International Economic Development Council for its startup program that assists businesses with grants.

Elk Groves Office of Economic Development received a 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award from the IEDC for efforts in providing more than $270,000 to six Elk Grove tech startups, resulting in more than 80 new jobs in Elk Grove and nearby areas.

Nathan Ohle, the president and CEO of the IEDC, acknowledged the citys leadership and innovation in the field of economic development.

Ohle said it was an honor to present the silver award to Elk Grove.

The City of Elk Grove has raised the bar for excellence in economic development with its Startup Incentive Program, he said. This award is a testament to the City of Elk Groves dedication to its residents and serves as a great example of how economic development can help transform a community for the better.

The IEDC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization serving economic developers with more than 4,300 members, according to its website, and is the largest organization of its kind. The organization says it aims to recognize economic development organizations, government agencies, initiatives and programs that have exemplified consistency in economic sustainability and growth.

Every year, the IEDC identifies and recognizes economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives and programs that have demonstrated consistent, exemplary performance in the economic development profession.

Elk Grove offers specific financial incentives for companies, and sometimes for projects, making significant contributions to the citys employment and tax bases. The majority of projects involve creating new high-quality jobs while generating tax revenue.

This prestigious award celebrates the Citys outstanding achievements in contributing to local economic growth and developing the Citys community of tech entrepreneurs, said Luis Aguilar, Elk Groves economic development program director. This award is significant because it establishes the City of Elk Grove as a pioneering force in economic development and in developing a local innovation ecosystem. Few cities have implemented this strategy.

Elk Grove startups awarded

The six startups that have received a combined total of more than $270,000 in city grants through the program are:

 EyeRate, a business technology startup that develops online reputation management software.

 Core Impact, a sports-specific wearables company.

 Tiami Networks, a 5G wireless technology startup.

 Vest Life, a dashboard application for parents of children with special needs.

 Clockwork Logistics Systems, a delivery logistics software platform.

 InnoGrove, a 5,700-square-foot coworking office space for residents and organizations, located on Elk Grove Boulevard.
Elon Musk paraded his son X at a Formula One event in Texas in the middle of a custody battle with Grimes over where the boy primarily lives

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with one of his son walks on the pit lane after the 2023 United States Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on October 22, 2023. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

Elon Musk's current custody battle with Grimes hinges on where his children with the musician live.

At a Formula 1 event in Texas, Musk was pictured waving to the crowd with his son X on his shoulders.

The child is often pictured with his dad in Texas, but the photos take on a new resonance amid the custody dispute.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk made an appearance at Sunday's F1 race in Austin, Texas, with his son X perched on his shoulders.

The 3-year-old is at the center of a parental rights battle between Musk and his sometimes-partner, musician Grimes. Musk filed his parental rights lawsuit against Grimes in Texas last month, seeking to "establish the parent-child relationship" with the three kids he shares with the musician. A few weeks later, Grimes filed her own suit in California, seeking primary physical custody and joint legal custody of the three children.

At issue now in the case is where the children's primary residence is, since that will determine where the case will be heard. Grimes, whose legal name is Claire Boucher, said she moved to California with their one-year-old children Exa and Tau last year. However, Musk claimed the two children lived in Texas as recently as July. X, meanwhile, is "only absent from California over [Boucher's] objection," according to Grimes' October 6 request for Musk's case to be thrown out, previously obtained by Insider.

X has become a fixture at Musk's work events, attending live interviews with his dad, meeting with international leaders, and attending SpaceX rocket launches .

On Sunday, X was seen waving at the F1 crowd from inside Musk's Cybertruck, then later on his dad's shoulders in the pit lane. Photos also show the father and son watching the action from the Mercedes Garage at the event.

The boy's visibility lately brings up a key issue at stake in the current custody battle: jurisdiction, attorneys with expertise in family law previously told Insider. The case should go forward in whichever state the children actually live, so Musk and Grimes could potentially spend the next year just trying to prove to the court that the children live in the state they each filed in, the lawyers said.

Proving which state the kids live in could be an elaborate process that includes things like consulting flight logs and interviews with nannies. The judges in each state could also end up consulting with each other to determine the proper venue for the case to move forward.

There could be significant consequences related to which state the case actually plays out in. While it's unclear if the case will involve child support judgments, Texas caps monthly child support payments at $1,840 for one child, or $2,760 for three children, which is how many Musk and Grimes share.

That means despite Musk's billionaire status as the richest person in the world , the child support calculator in Texas won't spit out a value any higher than that. But in California, there's no cap.

So if Grimes successfully proves the kids live in California, it could turn out to be "one of the biggest child support cases of all time," Peter M. Walzer, a partner at Walzer Melcher and California family law attorney who often deals with out-of-the-ordinary financial disputes, previously told Insider.

Attorneys for Musk and Grimes didn't respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will visit Miami on Friday to rally men supporting womens reproductive rights, White House officials told McClatchy.

The roundtable event will focus on the role men can play in responding to the reproductive health care crisis created by the Supreme Courts overruling of Roe v. Wade, one White House official said.

Vice President Kamala Harris has become the face of the fight for abortion rights in the Biden administration, traveling the country in recent months to promote protections for reproductive care and push back against state restrictions, a priority among Democratic voters.

In recent months, she has repeatedly traveled to Florida, criticizing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as an extremist who has signed some of the countrys harshest restrictions into law.

Here in Florida, health care providers face prison  prison for up to five years for simply doing their job, Harris said earlier this year. And Florida is not alone.

Abortions are currently outlawed in Florida for women who are more than 15 weeks pregnant. DeSantis has signed into a law a more restrictive, 6-week abortion ban, which has yet to go into effect pending litigation at the Florida Supreme Court.

Leaders from Men4Choice and Planned Parenthood, local community members and students fighting to protect reproductive rights will join the second gentleman, who will promote the importance of male allyship in the fight for reproductive freedom, the official said.
WASHINGTON  A group of 30 retired three and four-star military generals and admirals traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday to push lawmakers to approve an emergency aid package for Israel and Ukraine as war rages on in both countries.

Retired four star U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni and retired four star Navy Adm. James Stavridis led the group, fanning out across Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and their staff. They urged members of Congress to work across party lines on a national security emergency package to respond to the wars in Ukraine and Israel and confront humanitarian crises around the world.

The group of 30 that traveled to the Capitol on Wednesday is part of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition's National Security Advisory Council of more than 260 retired military officials that represent all five branches of the armed forces. The goal of the council, which Zinni and Stavridis co-chair, was to convey to lawmakers the importance of defense and diplomacy in the world.

Their visit comes less than one week after President Joe Biden requested supplemental funding totaling $106 billion from Congress to provide support to Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and to strengthen U.S. border security.

Stavridis told USA TODAY the group believes the nation's leaders must prioritize not only strong defense spending but also spending on worldwide development, humanitarian operations and diplomacy.

"You've got to have these three things  defense, diplomacy, development  working together," he said. "The sum is really greater than the individual parts."

Co-Chairs of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition's National Security Advisory Council retired four star Gen. Anthony Zinni (left) and retired four star Adm. James Stavridis (right) stand outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 24, 2023. A group of retired military leaders traveled to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to support aid for Ukraine and Israel.

'We tie these things together'

Stavridis said he was encouraged by conversations with members of the House and Senate, particularly their support for supplemental spending and for global development and diplomacy funding.

"I feel strongly that every one of these admirals and generals would tell you  you can't pull out defense, spend a ton of money on defense and then feel like, 'Oh, we'll get to the diplomacy and the development later.' It doesn't work," Stavridis told USA TODAY.

Several Republicans have taken issue with Biden's request for funding for Israel, voicing concerns about including the aid in the same measure as funding for Ukraine. Some argue aid to different countries should be individually brought to the Senate floor for consideration as a growing number of Republicans become skeptical about continued assistance to Ukraine.

But Stavridis argues that one coherent push sends a clear message to the world: "We tie these things together. We think it's important that democracy prevails."

The consequence of not sending aid to countries like Ukraine and Israel is dire, he said.

"If we were to simply signal that we were not going to provide the critical systems needed to Ukraine, I would be very concerned about a resurgence of Russia's ability to directly threaten that democracy," he said, adding that he doesn't think Russian President Vladmir Putin would stop at invading Ukraine.

On Israel, Stavridis argued that the horrific attack "requires a level of response that is commensurate with the package that's being proposed."

A group of 30 three and four-star retired generals and admirals who are part of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalitions National Security Advisory Council visited Capitol Hill Tuesday to urge members of Congress to support a new national security emergency package.

Senate touts bipartisanship while House remains paralyzed

The Senate's Democratic and Republican leaders aren't putting up a fight when it comes to most of the group's requests. But that doesn't mean the programs will sail through Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reiterated his intention to fulfill Biden's spending request for American allies as quickly as possible, telling reporters Tuesday he will make passing the "supplemental" a top priority in the Senate.

"We must pass this supplemental as soon as we can with bipartisan support for a very simple reason  it will make the world safe for the United States, our allies and our democratic values," he said Tuesday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Tuesday that Senate Republicans will take a "good, hard look" at the supplemental request, but they'll likely have a number of changes. He reiterated the importance of the border security provision, a priority Republicans have raised repeatedly during discussions about aid for Ukraine and Israel.

McConnell said over the weekend he supports Biden's approach in combining aid for Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific and funding for U.S. border protection management into one package.

"Speaking for myself, I do think it needs to be comprehensive. I think it needs to deal with all of these because they are all interrelated," he said Tuesday.

But even if the Senate passes a supplemental spending package with bipartisan support, it then heads to the lower chamber that remains without a speaker.

The House is paralyzed until they are able to select the next speaker, after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted three weeks ago. The lower chamber cannot take up any legislation without an official leader, even to dodge a government shutdown that could begin next month if Congress doesn't pass a slate of funding bills.

But if they do manage to choose a speaker, the new House leader may only support a version of the aid that differs from the version passed in the Senate. That person could want to reduce the funding totals or outright oppose aid to Israel if it's tied to Ukraine.

Stavridis called the defense spending bill and aid package "critical for the nation's security," adding that he is hopeful that strong defense spending can be passed with bipartisan support.

"We need to speak as united a voice as we possibly can as a nation globally in order to ensure our security," Stavridis said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine, Israel aid: Former military leaders plead with Congress
Against a backdrop of great international tensions and differences, Glencoe District 35 officials wanted to have an event showcasing how people of many backgrounds can come together.

That wish came together Oct. 19 when District 35 hosted the inaugural Family Belonging Night at West School. It was an evening where visitors could enjoy different types of food, watch international dances and a shared art project among the activities.

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The goal of the event is to celebrate the diversity within our community and a sense of belonging among everyone in Glencoe, District 35 Director of Professional Learning Betty Weir said.

One of the evenings popular destinations was rock painting.

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Our planning committee wanted to have a shared art project as part of the event for an activity for families to participate in together and that is what they landed on as the idea, Weir explained. We handed out some samples of ways people could decorate the rocks and people could decorate a rock that represents something unique about their family. The rocks will be placed in locations around District 35 to share positive messages of care and belonging.

Eight year old twins Torian and Tolou Tajalli were painting rocks as their mother, Daphne Tajalli watched.

We really wanted to participate in an event that was about integration in our community because that is what we deal with in our lives, Daphne Tajalli said. As a Muslim family it seems more important than ever to show up and belong.

At another part of the school, Lauren Kase sampled some Asian cuisine passed out by West School Reading Specialist Andrea Chusin.

District 35 Reading Specialist Andrea Chusin provides some Asian cuisine to Lauren Kase. (Daniel I. Dorfman/Chicago Tribune)

I wanted to celebrate the diversity that we have here in District 35, Kase said. People dont realize how diverse we are. The U.S. is a melting pot with all the cultures. Especially now it is really important to appreciate who we are and where we come from and celebrate that.

A few feet away from the food, everyone had the chance to write hello on an international hand sign.

That group included Adam, Aydin and Lamis Golabek and their mother, Fatima Hussain.

We are a Pakistani-Polish family, Hussain said. This is a great opportunity to celebrate different cultures, try different foods, meet different families and also to see the different cultures in Glencoe.

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Adam, Aydin and Lamis Golabek (from L to R) sit in front of an international hand sign with their mother Fatima Hussain. (Daniel I. Dorfman/Chicago Tribune)

In a school corridor, eight community organizations providing information to people with activities and prizes including the Anti-Defamation League.

ADL Assistant Education Director Rebecca Dumain said they had been planning to attend this event since August, well before the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel that killed hundreds of people.

Anti Defamation League Assistant Education Director Rebecca Dumain takes in a question in front of Be Kind sign. (Daniel I. Dorfman/Chicago Tribune)

Dumain stood behind a desk with signs offering messages of Be Kind and similar sentiments and spoke of the ADLs goal of participating in like-minded events.

We bring schools a program to help the students know how to make their school no place for hate so the students get to decide what do we want do to make their school a more welcoming environment, Dumain said. That is what we are doing all day, every day.

Weir said a committee of teachers and parents organized the Family Belonging Night.

Weve been working on it since July, she said. We are really excited about how it came together and a lot of people contributed to make it happen.

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Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
A copper mining company hopes to explore a site near Boise River headwaters for an open-pit mine north of Idaho City, but environmental groups say the project would threaten water quality and wildlife.

The environmental groups, which include Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Rivers United, Golden Eagle Audubon and Advocates for the West, say this is the latest variation of a project that was struck down twice in federal court because of its environmental impacts.

Idaho Copper sought approval for its project from the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the land near Pioneerville. The company plans to build up to eight miles of roads and clear 122 drill pads near Grimes Creek, a tributary of Mores Creek, which is a tributary of the Boise River. If its exploration project is fruitful, the company wants to excavate copper and molybdenum.

The map of a portion of Southwest Idaho shows the location of a proposed copper and molybdenum mine. If approved by the Forest Service, the mine could be located where the darkened area is near Pioneerville, north of Idaho City.

If all goes to plan, this project will result in one of the largest open-pit mines in the Americas that has the potential to jeopardize one of Boises primary sources of drinking water, said Nick Kunath, conservation program manager at Idaho Rivers United, in a news release.

Andrew Brodkey, chief operating officer for Idaho Copper, told the Idaho Statesman by phone that the project will not affect Boises drinking water.

He said the federal court decision led the company to revise its exploration plan to mitigate the challenges.

In 2012, Idaho City made national headlines when Advocates for the West filed a lawsuit on behalf of the three conservation groups. It challenged the Forest Services decision to approve the companys plan. A federal judge sided with the conservation groups, finding that the Forest Service failed to address water quality threats posed by the companys extensive drilling plan.

In 2016, the same group again sued the Forest Service after it approved a five-year drilling project, from American CuMo Mining Corp., to evaluate the feasibility of the mine in the headwaters of Grimes Creek, the Idaho Statesman reported. A judge sided with the conservation groups again, saying the drilling plan would jeopardize the rare Sacajaweas bitter root flower. The site is home to the largest known concentration of the plant, according to the judge.

In Idaho Coppers new plan, the company reduced the miles of new roads from 10 miles to eight and reduced the number of drill pads, Brodkey said.

Remember, no ones building a mine tomorrow, Brodkey said. All were trying to do is finish our drilling.

American CuMo Mining Corp. told the Statesman in 2016 that the area it wants to mine in the Boise National Forest is the largest unmined molybdenum deposit in the world.

Now the CoMu project is back and the conservation groups are calling on the public to express their concerns to the U.S. Forest Service, which iscollecting comments on the project until Thursday, Nov. 2.

Idaho Copper needs approval from the Forest Service, which is expected to release an environmental assessment of the project this winter, the conversations groups said in the release.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkiye, has said that the Hamas group, which attacked Israel on 7 October, is not a terrorist organisation.

Source: Turkish Minute quoting Erdogan in his speech at a party meeting in the parliament, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Hamas is not a terrorist organisation but it is a group of liberators and mujahedeen [warriors] who are fighting to protect their land and people."

Details: Erdogan accused Israel of carrying out one of the "bloodiest and most brutal" attacks in history on Palestinians after 7 October. He also accused Tel Aviv of committing war crimes.

Erdogan said Western countries were holding meetings to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation, but accused Israel of acting as a terrorist organisation itself.

"Oh Israel, you could be a [terrorist] organisation. The West is indebted to you much but Turkey is not," he said, adding that Turkey will not remain silent while children are being killed by Israel in Gaza.

According to Gaza health authorities, Israeli airstrikes have killed about 2,500 children in the city.

Erdogan also said he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhuman" war in Gaza.

"We had a plan to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go," Erdogan said.

Ankara's relations with Israel were frozen after the Israelis attacked a Turkish ship carrying aid to Gaza in 2010, killing 10 civilians.

Last month, Erdogan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a UN summit in New York, marking an improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

The Turkish leader did not say when he intended to visit Israel, where Ankara was considering joining a gas pipeline project promoted by the United States.

"Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them. If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either," Erdogan said.

Background:

Turkiye, which has historically had ties with Hamas, is negotiating for the release of hostages held by militants of this Palestinian group.

Before that, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to cooperate amidst hostilties in Israel.

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Erdogan met Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month (Handout)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhumane" war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

"We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go," Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewed Hamas as "liberators" fighting for their own land.

Ankara's relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza, which killed 10 civilians in 2010.

Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month, marking an improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel, where Ankara had been eyeing joining a natural gas pipeline project promoted by the United States.

"Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them," Erdogan said.

"If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either."

The latest and by far the deadliest Gaza war broke out when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and taking 222 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza says 5,791 people have been killed, again mostly civilians, as Israel has bombarded the territory.

Erdogan had taken a more measured tone in the first day of war, condemning all attacks against civilians and urging Israel to be measured in its response.

But he became much more vocal after the deadly strike on Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza last week, leading to large and angry protests across the Muslim world.

On Tuesday, he accused the United Nations Security Council -- where the United States, Britain and France have permanent seats -- of bowing to the "Israeli regime".

On Wednesday, he added: "Those outside the region should stop pouring fuel into the fire.

"All parties should take their hands off the trigger and a ceasefire should be declared immediately... Direct or indirect negotiations should be initiated to release the hostages."

Erdogan is expected to appear at a massive rally in Istanbul on Saturday defending Palestinian right.

fo/zak/jj
By Andrius Sytas

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Estonia's investigation into a damaged Baltic Sea telecoms cable will focus on the actions of a Chinese-owned vessel, the country's prosecutor general said, after Finland blamed damage to a nearby pipeline on a ship.

Early on Oct. 8, a gas pipeline and a telecoms cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea were broken. Another telecoms cable, between Sweden and Estonia, was also damaged that night.

Finnish investigators said on Tuesday that they had found a large anchor near the pipeline, which they believe was broken as a ship dragged the anchor along the seabed.

They named the Chinese-owned and Hong-Kong-flagged container carrier NewNew Polar Bear as the prime suspect.

Helsinki is investigating the pipeline incident, while Tallinn is looking into the cables incidents.

The spokesperson for Estonia's general prosecutor said the investigation into the damage to the Estonia-Finland cable is moving its focus to the same vessel, despite the cable being located "somewhat further" from the pipeline.

"The aim of the investigation is still to determine whether the vessel is responsible for damaging the telecommunications cables or not, and whether the damage was caused intentionally or by accident," he added.

Reuters reported that two vessels, NewNew Polar Bear and Russia-flagged Sevmorput, were present at all three sites around the time of the damage, according to data from MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking and maritime analytics provider.

"I hope we will receive the necessary support from China to make constructive contact with the crew and owners of the ship," Estonia's Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Tuesday.

On Monday, China called for an "objective, fair and professional" investigation into the gas pipeline damage.

"It is understood that the Chinese vessel was normal in the relevant waters at the time of the incident, and no abnormalities were found due to the poor sea conditions at that time," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Gebisa Ejeta won the World Food Prize in 2009 for developing an advanced hybrid of the sorghum cereal

Ethiopian-born scientist Gebisa Ejeta has received the National Medal of Science, the highest state honour attainable by scientists in the United States.

US President Joe Biden said he awarded Mr Ejeta the medal for his "outstanding contributions to the science of plant genetics".

Mr Ejeta is acclaimed as one of the world's leading plant geneticists.

He specialises in the study of sorghum, a popular source of food in Africa.

In 2009, Mr Ejeta won the prestigious World Food Prize for developing a sorghum hybrid that is resistant to both drought and the parasitic weed Striga, which commonly invades farms in Africa.

Sorghum is the fifth-most important cereal crop globally - after maize, wheat, rice and barley.

It is also the second-most important cereal in Africa and has been embraced as a staple by several countries on the continent, particularly those prone to drought.

Mr Ejeta was raised in a single-roomed thatched home in a village in central Ethiopia not far from the capital, Addis Ababa.

However, he had limited access to school and had to travel 20km (12 miles) to a nearby town to attend lessons, only returning home at weekends.

His childhood, which was plagued by hunger and food scarcity, has heavily influenced his scientific research over the years, fuelling him in his pursuit to improve food security.

He mentioned experiencing hunger as a child in one of his interviews with the BBC.

"When I went to school away from home invariably I was hungry. In fact recalling grade school, I can count the number of days where I had breakfast."

He added that going to school in the morning "with an empty stomach is a challenge. So I have experienced hunger on a regular basis".

The president of Purdue University in the US state of Indiana, where Mr Ejeta works as a professor and leads global food security programmes, celebrated the award, hailing Mr Ejeta as "a role model of perseverance" and "one of the most impactful geneticists in the world".

"Our university celebrates another prestigious and richly deserved honour," said Purdue University president Mung Chiang.

Mr Ejeta, who holds American nationality, was one of nine leading US scientists awarded at the White House by President Biden on Tuesday.

"By developing sorghum strains that withstand droughts and parasites, he has improved food security for millions," President Biden said at the award ceremony.

"His advocacy for science, policy, and institutions as key to economic development has lifted the fortunes of farmers and strengthened the souls of nations," he added.

The National Medal of Science has been awarded by US presidents since 1959 to "individuals deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions" in various science-related fields.

Mr Ejeta also received the National Hero Award from the Ethiopian government shortly after he won the World Food Prize in 2009, the highest national honour bestowed on Ethiopian citizens.

He was also appointed to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development in 2011 by then US President Barack Obama.

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The European Union's home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson , has confirmed the Commission is investigating whether or not it broke recently updated digital governance rules when her department ran a microtargeted political ad campaign aiming to drive support for a controversial child sexual abuse material (CSAM)-scanning proposal she's spearheading.

But at a committee hearing in the European Parliament today she deflected MEPs' enquiries for her to give more details about the ad campaign.

The governance regulation concerned is the Digital Services Act (DSA), which includes provisions relating to online advertising -- including a prohibition on the use of sensitive personal data, such as political opinions, for targeting ads. While the ads in question ran on X (formerly Twitter) -- which is already expected to be compliant with the DSA, having been designated by the Commission as a so-called Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) back in April.

The Commission itself, meanwhile, not only proposed this pan-EU law but is responsible for oversight of VLOPs' DSA compliance. So -- tl;dr -- if EU officials have used X's ad-targeting tools to break the bloc's own digital rulebook it's the very definition of an awkward situation.

The existence of the Commission's microtargeted ad campaign seeking to drum up support for its proposed CSAM-scanning law was spotted last month by technologist, Danny Mekic. An article with his findings ran in Dutch newspaper, De Volkskrant, earlier this month.

Using public ad transparency tools the DSA requires VLOPs to provide, Mekic found the Commission had run a paid advertising campaign on X, targeting users in the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal and the Czech Republic -- countries that were not supportive of Johansson's CSAM-scanning proposal according to leaked minutes from a September 14 meeting of the European Council, a co-legislative body that's involved (along with MEPs) in determining the final shape of the CSAM law.

Per Mekic, the Commission's ad campaign, which apparently racked up millions of views on X, insinuated that opponents of the proposed legislation did not want to protect children -- messaging he dubbed "a form of emotional blackmail".

The ads included what he suggested is a misleading claim that the majority of Europeans support the proposal -- but which is based on a survey that highlighted "only the benefits but not the drawbacks of the proposed legislation". Other surveys, by research firms YouGov and Novus, that highlighted the drawbacks showed "virtually no support" for the plan among the European population, his post also pointed out.

Going into more detail of the microtargeting used by the Commission, Mekic wrote: "Xs Transparency Report shows that the European Commission also used microtargeting to ensure that the ads did not appear to people who care about privacy (people interested in Julian Assange) and eurosceptics (people interested in nexit, brexit and spanexit or in Victor Orban, Nigel Farage, or the German political party AfD). For unclear reasons, people interested in Christianity were also excluded.

"After excluding critical political and religious groups, Xs algorithm was set to find people in the remaining population who were indeed interested in the ad message, resulting in an uncritical echo chamber. This microtargeting on political and religious beliefs violates Xs advertising policy, the Digital Services Act  which the Commission itself has to oversee -- and the General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR]."

During an exchange of views with the European Parliament's civil rights, justice and home affairs (LIBE) committee this afternoon, Johansson admitted the EU's executive is investigating the matter.

Initially she had sought to dismiss criticism over the legality of the microtargeting -- claiming in a tweet earlier this month (embedded below) that the campaign was "100%" legal.

Asked by the LIBE committee about the discrepancy between her tweet and the existence of an investigation Johansson said she had been given "new information" related to DSA compliance that merited looking into.

As my services have been directly accused of illegal acts I think it is import I step in:

1. @EUHomeAffairs have followed the guidelines & the law 100%

2. The promotion of our proposal is standard normal practice

3. This proposal is about protecting children from sexual abuse https://t.co/zSSAu3684P  Ylva Johansson (@YlvaJohansson) October 13, 2023

"When I made a tweet on the 100% legal [point] that was based on the information I had. But I have to be very open; then I got other information that there could be question marks on the compliance with the DSA -- and I take this very seriously," she told the committee. "If that is the case then of course there has to be consequences on that. So that's why it's important that we have to look into [it]. Of course we always have to comply with the regulation. There's no question about that."

The LIBE committee repeatedly pressed Johansson to provide detailed about the microtargeted ad campaign -- but she declined to do so, saying she did not have any information about it and that it was for her "service", who she suggested had been responsible for the campaign, to answer. So there was no explanation about why, for instance, Christians had been explicitly excluded from the Commission's microtargeting.

She also avoided giving a direct response to accusations by MEPs that the use of political microtargeting by the Commission was anti-democratic -- opting instead to mount a general defence of its right to promote its proposals. She also listed a number of other departments within the Commission she said had previously used ads to promote separate legislative proposals.

"I think that the commission should defend and explain and promote our proposals. We do that and we have done that. And I think it's a good practice to do so. Because we are we are taking stance and we should defend our stance," she told the committee.

A number of MEPs pushed back -- including by pointing out that there are more appropriate channels for the Commission to engage directly and transparency with co-legislators than opaque behavioral ad targeting on platforms like Twitter/X.

"One principle of democracy is that we have procedures because the end doesn't justify the means," opined MEP Sophie in 't Veld. "And European Commission has the right to be very attached to its legislative proposals but there are privileged channels for the European Commission to communicate with the two legislators and others -- not an ad campaign on Twitter."

Despite a lot of pushback, the committee was unable to extract any other lines from commissioner on the ad campaign. But at the end of the session she did agree to respond to it in writing with some missing answers "as soon as possible" (albeit, avoiding agreeing to do so by the end of the week, as one MEP had asked).

Commercial influence

While many of the questions directed at her over the 1.5-hour long hearing focused on the controversy that's sprung up around the ad campaign, parliamentarians also pressed the commissioner on a number of other issues -- including concerns about the extent of commercial lobbying around the CSAM-scanning proposal.

This has been a topic of intense interest, especially following a report by investigative journalists published last month by BalkanInsight which looked at close contacts between Johansson's department and companies with CSAM-scanning and other child safety tools to sell.

One of the journalists involved in that investigation, Apostolis Fotiadis, had also been invited by the committee to participate in the exchange of views -- and he took the opportunity to defend their reporting from direct public attacks by Johansson.

In a blog post ahead of today's hearing -- which deploys a crisis-PR-esque headline claim of "setting the record straight" -- she criticized the article as "a series of insinuations looking for a home"; claiming it paired an outline of "a selection of meetings I had, of events I attended, or conferences I addressed" with "a conspiratorial tone" in an attempt "to create the impression of financial influence where there is none".

Fotiadis was asked by the LIBE committee about the accusation that the journalists had, essentially, been spreading disinformation -- and specifically whether he believed Johansson and the Commission's response to it amounted to a restriction on media freedom. He responded by saying he did not think that was the case. But went on to express surprise at how the Commission had reacted to the scrutiny -- to its instinct to deploy "spin-doctor" tactics to try to discredit the article, rather than engaging with the substance of the concerns being raised.

The Commission risks straying close to making attacks on journalists by using such tactics, Fotiadis warned -- adding: "You cannot just dismiss everything by calling fake news" -- before also noting that Johansson's office had declined multiple interview requests ahead of publication of the article.

Responding to a question from the committee about the reporting he said documents obtained by the journalists included email threads between Commission officials in Johansson's department, DG-Home, and a "key stakeholder" advocating for the use of technology for CSAM-scanning -- which indicated what he described as "privileged access" that "speaks directly to cooperation" and goes "way beyond" mere consultation or exchange of views on the proposal.

"It's an official chain discussing invitation, how the stakeholder would be able to allocate experts that would speak in workshops -- first attended by representatives of the Member States, and then afterwards actually by ministers in the Council in a meeting chaired by commissioner Johansson. So when we say facilitate, it's obvious that the EU officials discuss what kind of experts will be available from this particular stakeholder to attend these meetings and to present the point of view, which seems to be a privileged access," he explained.

"Also in the same email thread there's mention of EU officials being allocated to specifically attend the cooperation between the stakeholder and DG-Home on the proposal, which to our understanding is something that goes way beyond the level of consultations or exchange of views or exchange of opinions on the proposal and speaks directly to cooperation."

The committee took the opportunity to press Johansson about her contacts with companies and other lobbyists during the drafting of the CSAM-proposal, with MEPs saying they want clear answers to the allegations of commercial interest and heavy lobbying when the Commission was setting up and drafting the proposal.

In the event MEPs got some bare bones detail.

Asked for a list of these contacts, the commissioner responded that she'd met with Google six times; Microsoft, Meta and TikTok three times each; twice with Twitter (X); and once apiece with Apple and Amazon. She also said she'd met with the child safety organizations Thorn (twice) and Brave Movement (twice); and with Tech Alliance and ICANN once apiece.

In wider responses related to concerns about how much commercial interest had influenced the Commission, Johansson highlighted her decision for the CSAM-scanning proposal to be "technology neutral" -- meaning the draft regulation does not support any specific tech solution -- with the suggestion being EU lawmakers had resisted lobbying by companies for a law that would explicitly favor their existing tech tools.

She also denied that only Thorn and Microsoft have technology "that is necessary for the scanning" -- claiming that's "absolutely not true".

"There are no specific technologies mentioned [in the proposal] and I think this is an important part. So there's no specific technology that's been favoured in this proposal," she also told the committee, adding: "So many technologies are being developed all the time -- while we are speaking -- and they will continue to develop. So I think it's important that the legislation has to be technology neutral."

Earlier this week a seminar organized by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), an advisory body to the Commission on data protection law, heard from more than 20 speakers across civil society, academia and industry expressing deep misgivings about the Commission's approach -- including a warning from the EDPS himself that the EU could be at a tipping point for freedom and democracy if it does not turn back from the plan to do non-targeted scanning of private messages.

Johansson had been invited to participate in the seminar but declined to attend. She didn't offer a direct response to the EDPS' concerns today but she did counter a number of arguments heard at the session earlier in the week -- including refuting the suggestion that her proposal amounts to mass surveillance.

"My proposal would not mean that all communication will be scanned. Compared to the situation today it will be much more limited," she claimed, referencing the temporary ePrivacy derogation that currently gives messaging firms a legal basis to scan non-encrypted content for CSAM (but is intended to be replaced by the proposed regulation which, critics contend, will force platforms to scan end-to-end encrypted content too). "Today companies are allowed to scan if they search for child sexual abuse material. That's why we receive these 5.2 million videos and pictures and grooming attempts -- 70% from private communication. If my proposal is adopted, this will be limited."

She also emphasized how the proposal first requires in-scope platforms to deploy prevention measures to try to stop the spread of CSAM and/or prevent abuse of their tools by people intent on abusing children. "First comes prevention. Only if prevention is not enough, then you might be allowed to do detection -- but only after a court decision," she said.

"So only those that really cannot deal with the problem with mitigating measures... and only after a court decision and only during a specific period they will be allowed to do the detection," she went on. "We will also limit the reporting so that we will also receive fewer but hopefully better reports."

Johansson's arguments to MEPs that her proposal does not overreach also lent on the existence of other EU laws -- such as the bloc's data protection framework -- which she suggested will act as balancing checks on the scope of possible CSAM-scanning. "It's also important that we continue to comply with all relevant legislation. For example the GDPR and other requirements, there are no derogation from that in my proposal," she said.

"It's also important -- and I know that's been part of the debate -- that it should not be a slippery slope," she added. "The proposal specifically prohibits using the detection technologies for any other purpose than the detection of child sexual abuse online -- and only with verified indicators of child sexual abuse provided by the EU Centre."

Given her reliance on pointing to the existence of a wider EU legal framework doing the heavy lifting and protecting Europeans' fundamental rights as a strategy to assuage critics, and given she's also invoking respect for the rule of law as a buttress against the risk of content-scanning mission creep, it's doubly relevant that the Commission now finds itself in a bind -- forced to investigate whether its own officials ignored legal requirements in a bid to covertly sweep past critics.
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union and the US will launch the groundwork for a strategic corridor to connect resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia with the Atlantic Ocean via Angola as both allies compete with China to access critical minerals.

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The EUs executive arm and US officials will sign a memorandum of understanding to develop a corridor connecting southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northwestern Zambia to global markets via the Port of Lobito in Angola, people familiar with the matter said. The EU and the US said last month that a first step would include feasibility studies for a new railway expansion between Zambia and Angola.

The agreement will be signed during a two-day summit organized by the commission on Wednesday and Thursday to roll out the Global Gateway, its 300 billion ($317 billion) infrastructure plan aimed at competing with Chinas clout in strategic regions. The bloc is planning to sign more than 30 agreements with partner countries, including Mauritania, Moldova, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan. Some 20 heads of state or government are attending, including from Armenia, Somalia, Egypt, Congo and Morocco.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen didnt mention China when she opened the summit on Wednesday, but she said the EUs plan gives countries a better choice, noting that other infrastructure projects have come with significant tradeoffs when it comes to environment or labor.

No country should be faced with a situation in which the only option to finance its essential infrastructure is to sell its future, she said.

The EUs infrastructure summit takes place only one week after China celebrated the 10th anniversary of its own ambitious global investment plan, the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping said more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed cooperation documents. The project has drawn $1 trillion in its first decade, according to estimates from the Green Finance & Development Center think tank.

The EUs infrastructure plan, by contrast, is in early stages and its complex structure relies on trying to leverage resources from member states, multilateral organizations such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the private sector.

The initiatives are being rolled out within a governance structure that remains a work in progress, amid considerable uncertainty about what the strategy actually offers, what its actual priorities are and how capable it is of delivering results, said a report commissioned by the European Parliament. This being the case, most partners still lack a clear idea of how the GG (Global Gateway) functions and how they can participate in it.

As part of the effort to bolster access to minerals, the EU will also sign two memorandums of understanding with Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, as Bloomberg previously reported.

Congo is the worlds largest cobalt producer, and it vies with Peru as the second-largest producer of copper, thanks largely to a surge in Chinese investment in recent years. Zambia is also a key copper producer, and western governments have been seeking to strike alliances with both countries to challenge Chinas dominance in critical minerals supply chains.

Other agreements that the commission is signing with third countries include:

Green hydrogen initiative in Mauritania

A financing agreement for a green economy program in the Philippines

Announcement of the launch of negotiation for an EU-Uzbekistan Critical Raw Materials agreement

North-South railway corridor in Moldova

Aktau Port Modernization Project in Kazakhstan

Renewable energy package with Bangladesh

Kakono hydropower plant in Tanzania

EU-Somalia partnership multi-annual action plan 2023-2024

Roadmap for the EU-Namibia agreement on sustainable raw materials value chains and renewable hydrogen

Special measures on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies

(Updates with von der Leyen quote starting in fourth paragraph)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The European Union is largely on track to break its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030, according to a European Commission report published on Oct. 24.

The EU has reduced coal imports from Russia by 90%, but more importantly, Russian gas imports have dropped by almost 75% from 2021 to 2023.

After Russia weaponized Europe's dependency on energy imports during the winter of 2022-2023, the EU has put significant effort into preparing for the upcoming winter.

Almost 99% of gas storage facilities are full, providing breathing room against possible supply shocks, price hikes, or renewed attempts by Russia to weaponize their supply.

The EU has also made progress towards its goal of transitioning to renewable energy by 2030- in 2022, 39% of electricity came from renewable sources.

The "worst effects of the energy crisis may now be behind us," the report said, but there is "no room for complacency."

There could still be unexpectedly high price increases, and the pace of transition must be sped up if the EU is to reach its 2030 goals.

In March 2022, the European Commission released the 'REPowerEU' plan to become completely independent of Russian energy by 2030. "We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine provided the EU with a much-needed impetus to shift towards renewable energy, the plan said, and an opportunity to finally break from Russia's toxic weaponization of its energy supply to Europe.

Read also: Svitlana Romanko: UN climate summit offers chance to confront Russian fossil fuels, climate crisis

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(Bloomberg) -- The European Union said endemic discrimination against people of African descent is getting worse, with Black communities facing especially high hurdles to access jobs and apartments.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The EUs Agency for Fundamental Rights warned the prevalence of racism has risen in the last five years, compared with the same period when the survey was last published, with almost half the blocs people of African descent subject to discrimination based on skin color. The Vienna-based agencys study, Being Black in the EU, suggests the European Commission is drifting further from its goal of boosting integration and inclusion among the blocs 448 million inhabitants by 2025, as envisioned by the EUs anti-racism action plan.

The report comes after a number of countries faced a reckoning in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 that highlighted the disparities that Black people face, from heavy-handed policing to discriminatory recruitment practices. While companies have made an effort to hire more people from underrepresented groups, the survey reveals some of the barriers that Black people face in Europe.

Racism remains pervasive and relentless, said Michael OFlaherty, director of the rights group. Being confronted with the true scale is both shocking and shameful.

Discrimination was especially high in Germany, Austria, Finland, and Denmark, where more than 60% of Black people have experienced racism, according to the survey of 6,700 people.

There are 15 million people of African descent estimated to be living in the EU, and the report pinpoints their common struggles. Racial discrimination was experienced in all areas of life, with many respondents facing discrimination when seeking work and housing, the report said.

While the labor participation rate among Black people is similar to society as a whole, theres a stark difference when it comes to equality, the study said. For example, theyre more likely to be underpaid compared to others with the same qualification, or find jobs tied to temporary work contracts.

Housing discrimination is also widely prevalent, with about one in four people of African descent reporting that private landlords refused them as tenants at least once over the last five years. Data show the highest rates of housing discrimination in Finland, Austria, Belgium and Ireland.

While the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights mandates access to decent and affordable housing, almost a third of respondents said they had trouble making ends meet. People of African descent are twice as likely to suffer energy poverty that prevents them from heating homes in winter. Inequality in housing wealth is vast too; just 11% of the EUs Black population owns property. That compares with 70% of the general population, according to the study.

Other results from the study show that:

More than one in three Black men reported being injured through physical assault at least once in the last five years, with 16% saying they required medical assistance as a result.

Almost three quarters of women and half of men say the prevalence of racism makes them anxious and depressed.

One out of five fears leaving their home.

These findings prompt reflection on the alarming lack of progress, despite binding anti-discrimination law in the EU since 2000, OFlaherty said, adding that EU states need to do more to protect Black communities.

(Updates with charts throughout.)

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Roberta Metsola , President of the European Parliament, has suggested that members of the Ukrainian and Moldovan parliaments be represented in the European Parliament as observers even before the accession of these countries to the EU.

Source: Politico, as reported by European Pravda

Metsola believes that Ukrainian and Moldovan members of parliament could join the European Parliament as observers even before the official accession of their countries to the EU.

She said that Europe should "fling its doors wide open" to those countries that are on course for membership, which in practice could look like advantages in the EU single market, involvement in the Erasmus student exchange programme, etc.

"We can even go further, having observer members in this Parliament  these are things that matter to a population," Metsola said.

She said that she will talk about this with political groups in the European Parliament and is thinking about a similar proposal for the six Balkan states that are waiting to join the EU.

The proposed observer status means that such MEPs would not participate in any votes and would be appointed rather than elected, but would be part of the parliament.

The current rules of the European Parliament foresee that countries receive representation only after officially acquiring EU membership.

Davyd Arakhamia, head of the Sluha Narodu (Servant of the People) party faction, has already commented on the proposal, saying that he "appreciates" such an idea and that at least 30 Ukrainian members of parliament would be interested in it.

"We have to learn, we have to see how decisions are being made, we have to talk to the colleagues, feel the vibe and atmosphere and understand better," Arakhamia said.

Background: Earlier, Roberta Metsola called for changes in the EU to prepare for Ukraine's accession and also voiced specific proposals on how to deepen cooperation with Ukraine before its official accession.

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A Wheeling man was killed over the weekend when his vehicle crashed into a nitrogen tank cage at a Buffalo Grove business, according to the Lake County coroners office.

Authorities identified the man Tuesday as 42-year-old Fernando Montesinos-Rojas. An autopsy indicated that he died from blunt force trauma though toxicology reports are pending, the coroners office said Tuesday.

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Authorities were called at about 4:38 p.m. Sunday to Vapor Bus International, in the 1000 block of Johnson Drive for reports of a crashed vehicle.

Firefighters arrived to find a vehicle crashed into a cage containing nitrogen tanks attached to the building. Paramedics arrived and determined that Montesinos-Rojas was dead.

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The crash remains under investigation by authorities.

According to the company website, Vapor Bus provides door systems, components and services for buses.
Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis has suggested supplying Ukraine with tens of armoured military vehicles confiscated during attempts to illegally import them to Libya.

Source: European Pravda with reference to material from RTL Nieuws

At the end of 2022 the EU military mission IRINI, the aim of which is to prevent the violations of the UN embargo on armament supply to Libya, took hold of the Dutch cargo vessel MV Meerdijk near the coast of South Africa.

The vessel was carrying 41 BATT UMG armoured all-terrain vehicles from a plant in the United Arab Emirates to Bengasi, a coastal Libyan city controlled by the forces of General Khalifa Khaftar who is not recognised by the international community.

The cargo was seized and put into storage near the French city of Marseilles. At least 146 military vehicles sent to Libya despite the UN sanctions are stored there.

Groothuis believes that the EU must hand this equipment over to Ukraine. He is backed by several influential MEPs, including Guy Verhofstadt.

"The confiscated vehicles are a big success for the IRINI mission. It would be only fair and necessary that we hand this equipment over to Ukraine as soon as possible. The war in Ukraine is turning into a war of attrition, and the supply of almost 150 vehicles would be a very clear signal to Russia that Europe wants to fight until the end," the MEP explained.

An IRINI spokesperson confirmed to RTL Nieuws that the supply of the seized vehicles to Ukraine is legally possible, and the final decision should be made by the European Council.

Background: At the beginning of October the US supplied the Armed Forces of Ukraine with cartridges of Iranian origin confiscated during an attempted smuggling operation to Yemen.

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You can weave it. Sew it. Crochet it. Quilt it. Paint it. Print it. Braid it. Dress in it. Sleep in it. Make it out of natural fibers or clay or metal or paper. Or even out of milk and dirt.

Forget what you know about textiles. To Weave the Sky: Textile Abstractions from the Jorge M. Perez Collection at El Espacio 23, a contemporary art space in Allapattah, pushes the mediums boundaries. The new exhibition opens Nov. 2.

El Espacio 23 is a 28,000-square-foot warehouse-turned-gallery space and artist residency program that features works from the collection of Jorge Perez, the real estate mogul and art collector. Many of the works in the show have never been exhibited before.

Art will always serve as a universal language that helps bridge cultures and brings people together, Perez said in a statement. Textile works in particular open up a unique window into many diverse traditions, showing how everyday materials and timeless craftsmanship can come together to inspire new, unique methods of creative expression.

A piece by artist Esther Mahlangu, titled Untitled (far right), part of the coming exhibit To Weave the Sky: Textile Abstractions from the Jorge M. Perez Collection at EL Espacio 23 Space in Miami on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

To Weave the Sky, the spaces fourth exhibition, was a pet project for Perez collection curator Patricia Hanna over the last decade, she said. That was when the Perez collection began acquiring textile artworks, specifically by five artists who are featured in the show: Olga de Amaral , Robert Motherwell , Polly Apfelbaum , Frances Trombly and Ximena Garrido-Lecca. The exhibition features almost 140 works by over 100 artists from around the world.

The show, which places textile works alongside sculptures, paintings, photos and installations, was curated by Mexico City-based curator Tobias Ostrander, who worked closely with Hanna and Anelys Alvarez, another Perez collection curator.

Unlike previous El Espacio 23 exhibitions, such as the most recent show on Cuban diaspora art, To Weave the Sky focuses on a specific medium instead of a particular region. Textiles are much more than patterned blankets, clothes and crochet trinkets. The medium is a human tradition that has kept mankinds ancestors sheltered, clothed, warm and busy for millennia.

With art, were in a hurry. Were looking, were looking, were looking at paintings and sculpture, but when it comes to textiles, I think it makes you pause a little bit, Hanna said. They have a meditative quality, right? You admire the process. You admire the technique. You question how its made. Every piece has a story.

Take Tejida abstraccion (Cuadrados) by Spanish artist Teresa Lanceta as an example. The woven wool and cotton artwork is an uneven series of red, black and yellow squares and rectangles, almost as if the pattern is glitching. Lanceta traveled to North Africa and embedded herself within local communities to learn how to weave in this way, Hanna said.

We also realize the collaborative spirit of textiles, she said. A lot of them are made in conjunction with other artists, in conjunction with communities or traditions that are passed down from generations. We were very drawn to how it brings people together.

For many artworks in the show, the process the artist took to make the piece is just as interesting as the final product itself.

Summer Wheat, a Los Angeles-based artist, hangs up a mesh material in her studio and pushes acrylic paint through its small holes to create an image on the other side. Her neon-colored piece, called Different Shapes and Sizes, shows people of all shapes and sizes fitting together like puzzle pieces.

Shes really the only artist weve ever seen making art like this, Hanna said.

The show is replete with unique artworks by familiar names and emerging talents. Art aficionados will immediately recognize one of Nick Caves soundsuits, a mannequin dressed head to toe in a fabric ensemble elaborately decorated with beads and funky materials.

In another room, something that looks like a long rainbow magic carpet hangs from the ceiling onto the floor. Its actually strips of paper that artist Daniela Libertad weaved together. The colorful geometric pattern was done with colored pencils.

Also hanging from the ceiling in another room is a striking sculpture by Colombian artist Juliana Gongora. At first glance, its reminiscent of the spine of a whale skeleton. In reality, Techo de leche y tierra is made from a natural material called cabuya fibre and 93 sticks coated in dirt and milk. Nearby, what appears to be a rug that is not meant to be stepped on lies on the floor. The work, made of reeds and bronze, resembles the wavy surface of water.

A piece by artist Elizabet Cervino, titled Recuento, part of the coming exhibit To Weave the Sky: Textile Abstractions from the Jorge M. Perez Collection at EL Espacio 23 Space in Miami on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Recuento by Cuban artist Elizabet Cervino hangs from the wall and pools onto the floor. The massive artwork, which was partially completed at El Espacio 23 when Cervino was a resident, consists of several cords of natural hemp fibers. The story behind it is extremely poetic, Hanna said.

There was a time when the Castro regime propped up hemp as a savior crop that would be as relevant to Cubas economy as sugar. But hemp wasnt the next big thing Castro thought it was. Still, hemp fields remain in the Mantanzas region. Thats where Cervino gathers her materials to twirl and braid together. The materials soft pink and red hues are all natural.

Cervino explained that the intense process that the plant itself goes through is similar to the human condition.

You dehydrate it, you get the leaves, you strip them, you take them apart and you stretch them and you dry them and you tie them and you create something else from them, Hanna said. For her, that whole process of doing that to a plant is kind of reminiscent of going through life as a person.

While this exhibition may not be as politically charged as previous shows, the sections on the second floor dive into textiles unbreakable association with gender, race and social issues.

Mobile Madonna by Bisa Butler, an African-American artist known for her innovative style of quilting, is a portrait of a Black woman holding a baby. The 2022 work was based on an image taken by prominent African American photojournalist Gordon Parks, who used his photography to combat racism.

Mr. Gordon Parks used a camera to fight what he hated the most and I use my sewing machine and fabric, Butler wrote in an Instagram post about the piece.

Nearby are two pieces by Mexican artist Tania Candiani: one blood red, the other jet black. Candiani recreated photographs of female protesters in Mexico and the Philippines by sewing thread into canvas. The artist turns the domestic reference of stitching into a symbol of power, Hanna said.

A piece by artist Carlos Castro, titled Creacion del unicornio part of the coming exhibit To Weave the Sky: Textile Abstractions from the Jorge M. Perez Collection at EL Espacio 23 Space in Miami on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

A work by Carlos Castro of Colombia touches on power, too. A medieval European-style tapestry depicts a mythologized version of Pablo Escobars infamous Hacienda. In the satirical piece, Escobar is surrounded by loyal servants, a prop plane and magical beasts, including a unicorn.

Though textiles are a centuries-old medium, Hanna said this exhibition shows how much creativity there still is for artists to explore. The biggest takeaway from the show is the potential of the medium, she said.

We want the show to be beautiful, which we hope it is, she said, as she walked past a sprawling deep blue crocheted curtain. Theres also a lot more to be said beyond the sheer beauty of the pieces.

To Weave the Sky: Textile Abstractions from the Jorge M. Perez Collection

Where: El Espacio 23, 2270 NW 23rd St.

When: On view starting Nov. 2

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday to Saturday

Info: Free admission. Exhibition viewings by appointment only. elespacio23.org/visit/

This story was produced with financial support from The Perez Family Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
The ex-hero ex-police chief from Greenwood, Missouri, whos going away for 18 years for assaulting his ex-wife said years ago that he needed a longer and more targeted inpatient psychiatric stay than he got after beating a handcuffed suspect in 2018.

We dont know why that didnt happen, or whether it would have kept Greg Hallgrimson from later punching his former spouse, and then threatening to kill himself if she told the truth about how shed really gotten that broken nose and fractured eye socket in June of 2020. For more than a year, she said shed fallen down some stairs.

But we do know that our prisons are filled with people who needed treatment they did not get.

We know that even those so ill theyve been found incompetent to stand trial can spend years in Missouri jails because no hospital beds are available.

We know that because domestic violence tends to escalate over time, it would be very unusual for the first such incident to send a victim to the emergency room with broken bones.

And though there is a lack of good data on domestic violence perpetrated by law enforcement officers, the studies that have been done suggest that its even more common than in the general population.

Police culture, domestic violence linked

As Bowling Green State Universitys 2013 Fox in the Henhouse: A Study of Police Officers Arrested for Crimes Associated with Domestic and/or Family Violence notes: many of the risk factors associated with the perpetration of domestic violence in the general population are also conspicuously present within the context of police culture and everyday police work, including violence exposure, alcohol abuse, and authoritarianism. The constellation of risk factors suggests a link between the conditions of police work and violence within police families.

It looked at 2,219 such arrests, and found that more than half of those officers who were convicted kept their jobs.

Hallgrimson first made the news because of another act of domestic violence by another man in need of psychiatric care.

That was in December of 2018, when Hallgrimson and another officer saved a baby that the little girls father had tried to drown in an icy pond. Jonathon Stephen Zicarelli told police that after having bad thoughts that wouldnt go away, hed left her there to die. Then he headed to the police department to confess to the murder he thought hed committed.

There was no murder only because Hallgrimson and Cpl. Tom Calhoun raced to the pond, where Calhoun waded into the thigh-high water and pulled her out. Then they wrapped her in Hallgrimsons shirt, and Calhoun gave her CPR until paramedics arrived.

Police chief beat suspect handcuffed in chair

We need heroes, and Hallgrimson was recognized as one, both by the public and by the Missouri Senate.

But then we learned that in a rage captured on video, Hallgrimson had beaten Zicarelli in a police interrogation room. While the suspect was restrained in a chair with both arms handcuffed behind his back, he threw him on the ground and struck him.

Reportedly, Hallgrimson himself found it frightening that so many who wrote to him after hearing about this attack not only approved of what hed done to Zicarelli, but thought it made him a hero all over again. He was placed on administrative leave, though, and later resigned.

Eventually, Zicarelli was convicted of felony child abuse and sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Hallgrimson pleaded guilty to assaulting him and got five years of probation.

Eighteen months after Hallgrimsons December 2018 attack on Zicarelli, he punched his ex-wife unconscious during an argument.

Eighteen months after that, he told The Star that theres just no way for the human brain to see the things that first responders see and not have it affect them. What Ive learned is that this is a huge issue that needs to be tackled.

Of course it is. Yet we still dont adequately fund treatment, even as the need continues to grow. We still dont take domestic violence seriously enough. We certainly dont want to hear that our protectors are at a higher risk of committing it.

And as long as thats the case, whole chain reactions of violence that might have been prevented by the right interventions will keep happening.
The last of three codefendants charged amid the embezzlement probe of former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith was sentenced Wednesday, closing the book on a misconduct case that marred the image of the Prosecutor's Office.

Derek Miller, who turned 40 on Wednesday, a former assistant prosecutor who served as Smith's former chief of operations and once was county treasurer and a state representative, was sentenced to one year of probation, with the case to be dismissed and not on his record if he successfully complies with the terms.

The delayed sentence is on a 90-day misdemeanor charge of a public official refusing/neglecting to account for county money, to which Miller pleaded guilty in June 2022.

(L to R) Former assistant prosecutor Derek Miller talks with his attorney Steve Fishman before the preliminary exam of former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith and himself in front of visiting Judge Cynthia Arvant inside 41B District Court in Clinton Township on July 9, 2021.

He is accused of telling Smith and others in June 2018 that employer identification numbers on two of the forfeiture accounts in question in the Prosecutor's Office could be changed to numbers that were not associated with the county.

Miller was sentenced via Zoom by Oakland County Circuit Judge Nanci Grant, who also handled the case against Smith after all the Macomb judges recused themselves in the matter. Two felonies against Miller were dismissed.

Remorse? 'I wish I would have done more at the time'

Miller told Grant this has a been a "long, grueling road for my family and I, and we're very happy to see this, kind of, come to an end."

Grant asked Miller if he had remorse.

"I have remorse that I didn't take more appropriate steps to stop the issue at the outset," he said. "My suggestions were not heard, and I could have done more. I wish I would have done more at the time."

Miller's attorney, Steve Fishman, said there has been criticism of the way he and the Michigan Attorney General's Office concluded the case, but Miller pleaded to "exactly what he did, and that's all he did. ... This result is absolutely what needs to happen in this case." Fishman said the consequences for Miller "have been very significant."

"Obviously, when you're a prosecutor, you get charged for something, people start to look at you a little funny. He had to leave the job he loved," Fishman said, adding Miller also left the practice of law and that his family was well-known in the community and when they go somewhere "you can get that feeling that people are looking at ya, and it's not that pleasant. I think it's important for us to recognize that he has suffered consequences as a result of this case and as a result of his plea."

Miller is to return to court Sept. 25, 2024. In addition to probation, he received one day of jail credit, must pay a $1,000 fine and $125 in fees and perform 100 hours of community service. He is to have no contact with Smith or the other two codefendants.

Assistant Attorney General Michael Frezza said Miller was different from the others charged in the probe in that "he did not personally receive any money. As the court will note, there's no restitution because there was no conversion of funds from the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, in particular forfeiture accounts that were the subject of the state prosecution. So there's no evidence that he embezzled any money."

But, Frezza said, Miller is similar to the codefendants as he "did conspire with Eric Smith to hide the forfeiture accounts from the elected treasurer and other county officials. And that is, your honor, a breach of public trust. ... I will underscore that it was a more circumscribed event, but an important event."

Grant noted the number of letters she's received "that are completely misinformed and just outright wrong to the circumstances of this sentencing as well as Mr. Smith's sentencing." She said those who sent letters "should have known better as to what had happened, if they just did a little bit more research into the matter. It's all out there. It's not hard to find."

Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith speaks during his sentencing in an embezzlement probe in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac on Sept. 13, 2023.

Two other codefendants, former Assistant Prosecutor Benjamin Liston and businessman William Weber, who operated a security company, were sentenced Tuesday in 41B District Court in Clinton Township for their roles in the probe.

This ends the long chapter of Eric Smith's corruption case

Like Miller, they previously entered pleas to lesser, misdemeanor charges, and agreed to testify against Smith. The Oakland County district court judge sentencing Liston and Weber told both of them the road was a long and "sad chapter."

Smith, a Democrat, pleaded guilty in the embezzlement probe in July and was sentenced last month. He was accused of taking money from his former office's drug and forfeiture funds during many years in office. He resigned days after he was charged in 2020, and he also served seven months in federal prison after pleading guilty to an unrelated federal case in which he stole money from his campaign.

Liston, a former chief assistant prosecutor whose wife is a district court judge in Warren, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to three misdemeanor charges of willful neglect of duty by a public officer holding public trust. He was accused of spending forfeiture funds for personal laptops, travel expenses to his Arizona residence and a piece of sound equipment.

More: Macomb County's culture of corruption: 'It's how it's always been'

As part of his plea agreement, Liston was sentenced to 60 days in county jail, relinquished his law license and is to pay $10,939 in restitution to the Prosecutor's Office's drug and OWI forfeiture funds.

Weber, who pleaded guilty in June 2021 to a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to commit a legal act in an illegal manner, admitted to falsifying an invoice at Smith's request for a security system installation at Smith's home to make it appear that it was installed at the Prosecutor's Office in Mount Clemens.

He was sentenced to 24 months of non-reporting probation, as he will be reporting to two other courts on unrelated criminal matters; 100 hours of community service; completing an economic crimes class and $23,960 in restitution, which was paid to the court.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Macomb assistant prosecutor sentenced in Eric Smith scandal
More than two weeks after the Hamas terror attacks, the Israeli ground invasion is yet to begin.

A ground fight in Gaza would likely feature brutal urban combat, including surprise and guerilla tactics.

Current and former US military leaders warn it will be harder than the toughest battle against ISIS.

Current and former US military leaders are warning that an Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, should the military go forward with it, will be more difficult than even the toughest battle against the Islamic State.

More than two weeks after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to prepare for an expected ground assault into a densely populated coastal enclave to crush the militant group. There, in Gaza, Israeli soldiers could face a prolonged urban combat, brutal fighting which may feature heavy civilian casualties, booby traps, surprise attacks, and guerilla tactics.

The potential Israeli invasion has drawn comparisons to recent examples of intense urban warfare, such as the battles between US-led coalition forces and ISIS in the Syrian city of Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, the latter of which was described by Western generals as the toughest and deadliest urban combat since World War II.

But amid these comparisons, experts, officials, and former military leaders have warned that Hamas is better armed and more prepared than ISIS was for those fights, and it also has the advantage of its infamous network of tunnels that's so vast it's been referred to by Israel as Gaza's "metro."

"There's a difference between being dug in, going to ground and what we are seeing in Gaza, which is an underground architecture that connects different parts of Gaza and allows people to move supplies, people and other things, and enhance critical functions underground," retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel , the former commander of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), told the Associated Press in a recent interview.

Israel continues to deploy soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles near the Gaza border in Sderot, Israel on October 24, 2023. Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

"I don't think ISIS got to that particular level of sophistication," said Votel, who oversaw military operations against ISIS as commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) between March 2016 and March 2019.

In contrast with Israel's situation with Gaza, Votel said, the US and its coalition partners had much more time to prepare for the fight in Mosul, which took place from 2016 to 2017. The push to liberate Mosul was bloody and intense and seen at the time as the largest military operation in the last 15 years.

When asked on Sunday by ABC's Jonathan Karl about how the lessons learned in Mosul could apply to Gaza, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said urban combat "is extremely difficult" and moves "at a slow pace." But unlike the fight for Mosul, Austin said Gaza might be a more difficult battle because of Hamas' tunnel network "and the fact that they have had a long time to prepare for a fight."

"One of the things we've learned is how to account for civilians in the battle space, and they are a part of the battle space, and we, in accordance of the law of war, we've got to do what's necessary to protect those civilians," Austin said.

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. AP Photo/Hatem Ali

Gaza is home to over 2 million people. Many have been asked by the IDF to evacuate their homes, but many have chosen not to or simply can't, leaving the combat zone filled with civilians. Also complicating the potential invasion is the fact that Hamas is thought to be holding over 200 hostages who were captured during the October 7 attacks against Israel, in which some 1,400 people were killed and another 5,400 left injured. The relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which began immediately after the massacre and is still ongoing ahead of any potential invasion, has killed over 5,700 Palestinians and injured over 16,000 more, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

The Biden administration has said that it has been holding conversations with counterparts in Israel about efforts to minimize civilian casualties in trying to pursue Hamas, which Israeli officials have vowed to completely remove from power in Gaza during what they anticipate will be a long fight, but the US still cautioned that it will be a costly affair.

"This is war. It is combat. It is bloody. It is ugly, and it's going to be messy. And innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward," White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday. "I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn't going to happen. But it is  it is going to happen."

As questions loom over when  or if  the ground invasion will begin, fears continue to mount that Israel's war with Hamas could escalate into a wider regional conflict that draws in Iran or one of its many proxy groups across the Middle East. In a bid to deter this from happening and signal support to Israel, the US is moving a massive collection of military assets to the region, including aircraft carriers, warships, fighter jets, air-defense systems, and troops. Much of that is already in position, but more is on the way.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Have you been seeing coyotes a bit too often for comfort lately? Urbandale has noticed an upward trend in coyote sightings, and the city has a plan to handle it.

A first for Iowa, the urban coyote management plan, was created in collaboration with the Urbandale Parks and Recreation Department, the Urbandale Police Department and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

"Coyotes live in urban areas and sightings will occur. This is normal behavior, and residents may see more activity during mating season. The City of Urbandale and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources worked together to pursue this creative and innovative plan to meet the needs of our growing community," said Derek Zarn, director of communications for the city of Urbandale.

Why does Urbandale need a coyote management plan?

The city of Urbandale has been taking steps in recent years to limit coyote and human interaction, but plans to take it further, said Andy Kellner, a wildlife biologist for the Iowa DNR.

"For instance, the Urbandale Police Department is stepping up as being kind of a main contact point for people who have an encounter with a coyote to call and get that information and log it into their system," Kellner said.

This way, the city will have annual reports on coyote encounters. There will be systems in place to organize and post such reports. The city will post information on the NextDoor app to keep citizens aware. They will also send letters, post signs and contact agencies if needed.

Urbandale resident Bobbie Van Roekel spotted this coyote in her neighborhood in January 2022.

Kellner said one big thing that spurred some of this movement is encounters or attacks in which a pet or a person is involved. Kellner said while this is always unfortunate, there's a lot of educational material that can teach the public how to avoid these situations, or what to do if it happens.

While this is the first urban coyote management plan in Iowa, Kellner said there are plenty of other cities in the nation that have had plans like this for years.

"We really piecemealed a lot of this plan from other urban coyote management plans from across the country," Kellner said. "We know that there are ones that are tried in other areas, and they're successful."

Kellner said he hopes this information spreads to other cities in the area as well, so citizens stay educated on interacting with wildlife.

Why should I be concerned about coyotes' safety, too?

On the flip side, Kellner said, some people believe it would be better to hunt and kill coyotes. But, there are scientific and ethical reasons that isn't the best choice.

Coyote pups tend to be born in spring, and they become more independent by fall.

Kellner warned that "indiscriminately" removing coyotes from a pack could have unintended negative consequences for residents.

"One of those things is sometimes that family unit or pack might splinter apart into multiple packs," he said. "So instead of having one breeding pair, you may have multiple breeding pairs."

Coyotes are also a native component to Iowa and the Midwest and serve an important role in the ecosystem, like hunting and killing rats, squirrels and small animals.

"It's finding that balance and being smart about how we go forward. We don't need to go from one extreme to the other. Let's take a science-based well-researched avenue and all work together on this," Kellner said.

What to do if you see a coyote in Urbandale

The city of Urbandale has posted tips on its website, urbandale.org, on what to do if you have an interaction with a coyote in urban areas.

Remove food handouts or food opportunities: Don't directly feed coyotes or any other wildlife, and make sure there is no food left out outside, including spilled or leftover pet kibble and bird seed.

Keep your pets safe: Use leashes, and don't leave your pets unattended outside. Coyotes are more aggressive toward dogs during breeding season in the late winter and pup rearing season in spring.

Haze coyotes: Use loud noises, raise your arms to make yourself look bigger and throw small sticks the coyote's way. Do not run, hide or chase the coyote. Do not try to haze a coyote that seems sick or injured or is with pups.

Report aggressive behavior: A sighting of a coyote by itself is not a reason for alarm as sightings near dawn or dusk are to be expected and do not need to be reported. Frequent sightings during the day or coyotes approaching people and pets should be reported along with any sick or injured coyotes. Reports can be made by calling the police department at 515-222-3321 or emailing police@urbandale.org.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter@VictoriaReynaR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The city of Urbandale implements Iowa's first coyote management plan
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Someone incorrectly used the Excelsior Springs Police Department drug take back box, exposing a police investigator to mercury cyanide and arsenic, among other very toxic substances.

ESPD made the public aware on Wednesday morning that non-approved substances in vintage glass bottles were placed in the departments drug take back box.

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They are indefinitely closing the communitys box because of this incident.

On Friday Oct. 20, an ESPD investigators found the bottles broken while routinely emptying the box. The ESPD has come to the conclusion that someone used the box to dispose of non-approved substances of a very toxic nature, namely mercury cyanide and arsenic.

The officer is doing well, EPSD said in the statement. We would like to thank ESFD (Excelsior Springs Fire Department) for their swift response and consummate professionalism.

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We understand that the closing may pose an inconvenience and we apologize for this. The ESPD provides many services to the community, but also has a duty to ensure those services are rendered safely for all of those involved. As situations such as this arise, we must re-evaluate and adjust to safeguard both officers and citizens in the future.

The nearest locations to Excelsior Springs with Drug Take Back Boxes are at the Lawson Police Department, Liberty Hospital, Kansas City Police Department and Childrens Mercy North Campus.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
(CNN)  Fulton County prosecutors have discussed potential plea deals with at least six additional co-defendants charged alongside Donald Trump for attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election, multiple sources tell CNN.

The strategy by District Attorney Fani Willis office is clear: get as many co-defendants as possible to flip on the former president, leaving Trump and perhaps a few close allies on the hot seat.

Pro-Trump lawyer Robert Cheeley is among those who have been offered a plea deal in the Georgia case but, according to his lawyer, turned it down.

To say that we are currently in discussions with the DAs office would be an inaccurate representation of what is going on. They made us an offer some time ago and we declined it, Cheeleys attorney Richard Rice said.

Former Coffee County, Georgia, elections supervisor Misty Hampton and former Trump campaign official Mike Roman have also been in contact with the DAs office about a possible deal, multiple sources said.

CNN has confirmed that three other defendants have also discussed a potential plea deal with Fulton County prosecutors but agreed not to name them after sources expressed concerns about speaking about the case at this phase.

A source with knowledge of the Fulton County DAs strategy tells CNN that it would be open to discussing plea deals with anyone, but there is little room for compromise when it comes to the charges against Trump.

To be clear, there is no indication that prosecutors or Trumps legal team are interested in discussing a plea deal. Thats largely because any hypothetical proposal would be completely on Willis terms and would require him to plead guilty to all the charges he faces, effectively taking the prospect of meaningful negotiations off the table, the source with knowledge of the DAs strategy told CNN. Trump has pleaded not guilty, denied any wrongdoing and continues to insist he won the election.

So far, four of the 19 defendants in the Fulton County case, including three attorneys directly involved in Trumps bid to overturn the election results in Georgia, have already accepted a deal  in some cases pleading guilty to felony charges in exchange for a more lenient sentencing recommendation.

A consistent theme of those deals has been requiring defendants to write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia for their role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results but the content of those letters have demonstrated varying levels of remorse.

Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis presented her tearful apology during Tuesdays plea hearing, reading her letter disavowing Trumps efforts to upend the 2020 election results out loud in open court.

That stands in stark contrast to the written apology submitted by former Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell, whose letter only consisted of a single sentence, said a source who has seen the document, which has not been publicly released.

To date, prosecutors have not extended a plea deal to Rudy Giuliani , a key co-defendant in the case and one of Trumps most outspoken attorneys in 2020, according to the first source with knowledge of the prosecution strategy. At this stage, prosecutors are unlikely to do so. Giuliani has long been considered as a top tier of Trump co-defendants due to his alleged role in orchestrating the sprawling conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia and beyond.

Giuliani recently lost two his Georgia-based lawyers. CNN has reached out to a New York attorney who is still representing him.

As of now, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has also not been offered a plea deal in the Georgia case, a separate source with knowledge of his specific case in Georgia told CNN.

Meadows testified to the grand jury and spoke to investigators in the federal investigation by special counsel Jack Smith. He is also still trying to move his state charges in Georgia to federal court with the hope it may improve his chances in the case.

John Eastman, who is also considered one of Trumps most high-profile co-defendants, has not been offered a plea deal either, his lawyer told CNN. Eastman urged Georgia state lawmakers to appoint a group of alternate GOP electors to replace the legitimate slate of Democratic electors.

Willis strategy centers around focusing on co-defendants listed at the top of the indictment and securing cooperation from those considered less important in the broader case, as she did in a 2014 RICO case when she successfully convicted significant participants in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Robert James, former district attorney in Georgias Dekalb County who has followed the 2020 election racketeering case closely, says this may be the beginning of a run of plea deals in Fulton County, as prosecutors aim to have defendants on board as witnesses as opposed to adversaries.

It makes the prosecutors case stronger because you have witnesses and direct evidence, but it also gives co-defendants certainty and a certain level of safety knowing that they arent going to prison, James said.

One source familiar with the strategy said it can be summed up by an adage used by prosecutors in Fulton County RICO cases:

The first to squeal gets the deal.

CNNs Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid and Evan Perez contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The man charged with a privacy crime for allegedly hiding a camera in the bathroom of his gym told The Tribune he did so in an attempt to catch a thief.

Cole Corrigan, owner of the 24-hour gym for females CCC Fitness, contacted The Tribune on Friday in order to correct misinformation and rumors about his case, he said.

This was the sole worst decision I have ever made in my entire life, he said of hiding the camera.

The camera was found and reported to the San Luis Obispo Police Department on Aug. 29. Detectives served a search warrant to Corrigans residence on Sept. 13, where they found a ghost gun and a misdemeanor quantity of testosterone, court records show.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office charged Corrigan with three felonies: Felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and possession of an undetectable firearm. He was also charged with two misdemeanors: using an instrument to view an area of privacy and possession of testosterone.

A Tribune investigation found Corrigan had seven previous convictions for various crimes, including a felony drug charge, public intoxication, driving under the influence and prowling, between 2006 and 2008. However, all of those convictions were purged from his record in 2018, court documents show.

Corrigan pleaded not guilty to the crimes on Sept. 27.

San Luis Obispo Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth clarified that Corrigan was only charged with recording in a place of privacy surreptitiously. He was not charged in a crime for sexual gratification, Dobroth said.

A hidden camera was found in a bathroom at CCC Fitness in San Luis Obispo. The 24-hour gym was closed on Aug. 31, 2023.

Family friend suspected of stealing from bathroom, gym owner says

Corrigan told The Tribune that around June, he discovered that some of his personal grooming products were missing from the vanity in one of the bathrooms.

He said he stored teeth-whitening gel, tanning foam, a tanning glove and $180 worth of face serum beneath the sink in a place that he felt was clear it was not for public use. Between June and August, Corrigan said, there had been up to five instances where his products had disappeared. He suspected they may have been stolen.

The missing products added up to $300 to $400 in total, he said.

Owner of SLO womens gym enters pleas to hidden camera, gun and drug charges

At around the same time, Corrigan said, a family friend had become a new member of the gym.

Corrigan said he allowed the friend to join the gym because the family of the friend had been there for Corrigan in a time of need when he was younger. But he became suspicious after the items went missing.

Corrigan declined to name the friend because he wants to protect their privacy.

He did he not want to get the authorities involved, but he did want to confirm whether this friend was the one behind the missing products.

If he was going to kick the friend out of the gym, he said, he wanted to ensure he had a reason.

He said he confronted the friend and mentioned that some of his products from the bathroom were missing, but the friend denied having any knowledge of the products whereabouts.

Corrigan said he discussed what to do with one of his closest employees and his ex-girlfriend, and ultimately decided to place a GoPro in the bathroom facing the vanity.

Both an employee and a close client of Corrigan confirmed to The Tribune they had been told about the suspected theft from the bathroom prior to the camera being placed there.

Cole Corrigan, owner of CCC Fitness. He is accused of hiding a camera in the bathroom at his 24-hour gym. He said in an interview that no video was recorded and that he was trying to catch someone who had stolen over $300 of his personal grooming products from under the sink.

New gym member finds camera in bathroom, owner says

Corrigan said the day he put the camera in the bathroom, he situated it at a 45-degree angle on a mop bucket left there by his janitor, ensuring it was pointed at the vanity without the toilet in the frame. He said he did not put a memory card in the camera and did not have it on a setting where it stored recordings or photos to a cloud-based system.

The District Attorneys Office has not released any details about the camera or confirmed that no memory card was installed as Corrigan says.

He said he put it on a live-view setting where he had to be within 30 feet of the camera to view the feed. He said he planned to only view it when his friend was at the gym.

The bathroom is a single room for all genders.

Corrigan said he placed the camera in the bathroom shortly before 4 p.m., when his friend would typically come in to work out. The friends routine was usually to go straight to the bathroom before heading to the machines.

SLO gym owner accused of planting hidden camera stalked woman for 2 years, she says

But this time, a new member was at the gym. The woman went into the bathroom just after Corrigan had placed the camera.

She came straight (to the bathroom), walked right past me and went in there, Corrigan said. I hesitated. I didnt even think of anything to say. I wish I had.

He said the woman walked out of the bathroom unfazed, and by the time his family friend had arrived at the gym, Corrigan was busy with a personal training client.

He said the woman went into the same bathroom a few more times before notifying Corrigan of the camera. He said by the time he went to retrieve the camera, the mop bucket had been shifted more toward the toilet.

Im in shock, Corrigan recalls. I just feel like Im a 5-year-old kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar.

Gym owner admits lying about camera

Corrigan said he told the woman he didnt know where the camera came from, admitting he did not tell the truth at the time.

When the camera was discovered, he said, all he could think about was his criminal record from his teenage years. He had struggled with substance abuse at the time, he said, but he was no longer that person. Hes been sober for 15 years, he said.

Im going, Theres no way this is gonna go smoothly, Corrigan said. Subconsciously, in the moment of the event, I was deceptive.

He said he told the responding police officers the same thing he told the woman. Moments later, the woman returned to Corrigan to ask whether the camera had captured any pictures or recordings of her.

Corrigan said he showed her there was no memory card and said there were no recordings or photos. The woman then canceled her membership.

SLO gym owner charged with 5 crimes amid hidden camera investigation, court documents show

About two weeks later, police showed up at his home with a search warrant. Thats when they found testosterone, an unserialized ghost gun and ammunition.

Corrigan said he used testosterone replacement therapy to help his fitness and wellness goals, but he admitted that the hormone had not been prescribed. He said he used about 200mg per week  an average amount for someone his size  and was open about sharing his use of the hormone with anyone who asked about it.

He said he researched the hormone therapy extensively before deciding to use it. Testosterone replacement therapy is widely available, with some online retailers prescribing it for $45 to $129 per month.

According to the Mayo Clinic, testosterone replacement therapy does not affect reactivity, aggressiveness or the ability to think clearly.

Corrigan admitted he shouldnt have had the gun due to his criminal record and said he only used it at a shooting range.

Cole Corrigan, owner of CCC Fitness. He is accused of hiding a camera in the bathroom at his 24-hour gym. He said in an interview that no video was recorded and that he was trying to catch someone who had stolen over $300 of his personal grooming products.

Gym owner, CCC Fitness changed my life for the better, client says

Corrigan said he regrets his decision to put the camera in the bathroom that day.

I spent so much time creating a place that was security and (a) reprieve from lifes craziness, he said. This (incident) has made it to where this place is now felt as the most uncomfortable and most violating place to be, and I am extremely disappointed in myself for having done it.

Fitness is the reason Corrigan was able to pull himself out of drug and alcohol abuse, he said, and he quickly developed a passion for sharing his love for exercising with whomever he came in contact with.

Shawna Turner, 26, began going to CCC Fitness as soon as it opened in 2020. She said she had moved to San Luis Obispo in 2018 and was in an extremely dark place after she lost a loved one.

This gym and Cole himself changed my life in many ways for the better, she said. It just made me find my passion for what I want to to be and who I wanted to be and helped me fall in love with me.

She said training with Cole and being a member of the CCC Fitness community helped her with her confidence and showed her that everyone  including herself  is worthy of love and support.

Turner is one of a few clients who are still members of CCC Fitness. Corrigan said prior to the camera incident that the gym had 130 members. Since then, more than 100 have quit.

Watching the community dissolve seemingly overnight was devastating and heartbreaking, Turner said. She said she was aware of the theft situation and never doubted Corrigan, and now she just wants to do anything she can to help him the way he helped her.

A former employee who texted The Tribune on the condition of anonymity said he believes Corrigans decision to catch someone stealing by placing a camera in the bathroom was poor, but genuinely thinks that was his only intent.

He said navigating the situation has been challenging. Seeing rumors that portray Corrigan in a negative light made me fearful and even sick because I couldnt believe I hadnt seen this side of him before, he said.

After finally meeting with (Corrigan), the former employee texted, I feel relieved and have found closure in realizing he was not the person he was made out to be.

The former employee said he hopes everyone can hear Corrigans side of the story and understand Corrigan is not a malicious individual.

Corrigan never confirmed who was responsible for his missing items, and his friend is no longer a gym member.

Gym owner wants to reestablish trust with the community

Moving forward, Corrigan wants CCC Fitness to again be a place where anyone can feel safe working out.

He first marketed CCC Fitness as a womens gym because a friend told him it was a missing niche in San Luis Obispo. He said over the years, it became a women-centered gym that allowed some men who were approved to use the facilities.

Corrigan eventually wants to transition CCC Fitness into an all-inclusive facility. At the moment, the gym membership is approximately 10% male with 13 members total. Corrigan hopes to rebuild his gym membership back to 100 soon.

He said he wants to carry an open dialogue with employees and clients to figure out what they are most comfortable with, and he understands that may mean he cant be a part of the gym.

At the time of the camera incident, Corrigan said he was stretched thin running too many of the operations for the gym. In the future, he said, he hopes to delegate those responsibilities more to protect the health and well-being of himself and others.

The obvious hope is to bring those who are willing to listen back and be given an opportunity to reestablish trust, Corrigan said. Its a big ask, I understand. But that is what I am feeling I need to do.
Attorneys for Donald Trump filed several motions on Monday asking Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the federal election subversion case against the former president, to throw out several of the most important charges, largely based on the argument that the case was brought by "biased prosecutors and that it violates Trump's First Amendment rights.

In court submissions filed just before the judge's deadline of midnight on Monday, Trump's legal team asserted that he was the target of political persecution by the Biden administration and that the First Amendment embraces and encourages Trumps actions following the 2020 election.

The ex-president's lawyers characterized the charges against him as legally flawed, arguing that the indictment cannot and should not establish any connection between him and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, since Trump has not been charged with inciting that riot, as The Washington Post reported.

Allegations in the indictment relating to these actions, when President Trump has not been charged with responsibility for them, is highly prejudicial and inflammatory because members of the jury may wrongfully impute fault to President Trump for these actions, the filing said.

Trumps arguments about the First Amendment are weak, since special counsel Jack Smith carefully crafted his charges to avoid criminalizing Trump's speech, said Temidayo Aganga-Williams, a white-collar partner at Selendy Gay Elsberg and former senior investigative counsel for the House Jan. 6 select committee.

Instead, Trumps affirmative actions and agreements are the target of the prosecution, Aganga-Williams told Salon. Trump was free to think and say what he wanted about the election results. He was not free to take unlawful actions to overturn those valid results.

Aganga-Williams added that the Trump team's multiple motions to dismiss the federal indictment have "one goal  to prevent this case from ever reaching a jury."

Trump faces four counts in the federal case to be tried under Judge Chutkan in Washington, including conspiring to defraud the United States and to obstruct an official proceeding. The charge of obstructing an official proceeding has previously resulted in convictions against individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Trump pleaded not guilty in August.

His attorneys argued in this week's filing that because of the longstanding tradition of forceful political advocacy in the country, Trump was not provided with any fair notice that his advocacy in this instance could be criminalized.

Such arguments are nonsensical, Bennett Gershman, a former New York prosecutor and law professor at Pace University, told Salon.

Every person, including Trump, has the right to engage in forceful political advocacy, he said. But Trump and his co-conspirators went far beyond advocacy. Trump and his cohorts engaged in a criminal conspiracy to subvert the results of a lawful election by illegal means. To endorse this argument would be to sanction any action taken under the guise of political advocacy, including violence and even political assassination.

Such motions to dismiss indictments are routine and are almost always rejected, Gershman explained. The indictment charges Trump with a conspiracy to overturn the election by fraudulent means.

The lawyers are making another nonsensical argument that special words need to be used to establish criminal charges, he said. There is no such requirement.

Trump's legal team also argued that the charges against him should be dropped since the indictment fails to provide sufficient evidence to support them, emphasizing that it never alleges Trump employed "deceit or trickery" when allegedly organizing an alternate slate of electors following Joe Biden's electoral victory, according to CNN.

The former president's attorneys also advanced a theme Trump himself has emphasized on numerous occasions: the claim that the prosecution itself appears politically motivated.

Three days after President Trump formally announced his candidacy, the Special Counsel was put in place as part of a flawed effort to insulate Biden and his supporters from scrutiny of their obvious and illegal bias, his attorneys wrote.

Prosecuting Trump for actions he undertook while president, his lawyers claim, demonstrates a selective approach by special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland last November.

But such claims of selective or vindictive prosecution are occasionally made but almost always rejected, Gershman said. To be sustained, they would have to show "bad-faith motivation," meaning evidence that a person had been accused of a crime for political or otherwise insidious reasons.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

As part of their legal argument, Trumps lawyers contended that countless millions, including the former president, believe that fraud and irregularities pervaded the 2020 Presidential Election, and that Trump simply gave voice to such concerns, demanding that political leaders work to restore integrity to the elections by investigating them.

Trumps team consistently argues that Trump was merely expressing beliefs about election fraud that were widely discussed in the public sphere, Aganga-Williams pointed out, but have also consistently omitted a "critical fact borne out in enormous amounts of public evidence: Namely, it was Trump and his allies who were spreading the baseless claims about election fraud in the first place, he said

Aganga-Williams also predicted that Trumps claims of "selective prosecution," which attempt to blame President Biden for Trump's prosecution, will also be a loser in front of Judge Tanya Chutkan.

Other Jan. 6 defendants have unsuccessfully raised similar arguments over the last two years and Trump will not fare any better, Aganga-Williams said. Trumps request for a hearing on this issue is an attempt to create a sideshow.
Bison cutouts adorn the inside as the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) representatives, public officials, and contracting partners held a ceremonial ribbon cutting and tour of the newly constructed Kankakee Welcome Center on southbound I-65 near mile marker 231 on October 24, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)

Monarch butterflies, the Indiana Dunes, steel and wind turbines are among the many details incorporated into the design of the new Kankakee Welcome Center as an homage to Northwest Indiana and its residents.

Officials including Gov. Eric Holcomb gathered Tuesday at the site on southbound Interstate 65 just before the Indiana 10 interchange in Demotte to dedicate the newly renovated $38.4 million welcome center. All except for about $4 million of the project was federally funded, Holcomb said.

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He touted the Welcome Center and other quality of place investments the state has been able to make in its infrastructure.

Abel Powers of INDOT explains the size of a wind turbine blade. The blade became a work of art painted by artist Koda Witsken. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) representatives, public officials, and contracting partners held a ceremonial ribbon cutting and tour of the newly constructed Kankakee Welcome Center on southbound I-65 near mile marker 231 on October 24, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)

The site is the flagship of the states planned $600 million investment into its rest areas and welcome centers currently underway. The facility, which has been closed for about two years for construction, is now open to the public.

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Just think about how far weve come in the course of the last few years, Holcomb told the crowd. He lauded the partnerships between state, federal and local officials that have helped pave the way for projects like the welcome center, the new Indiana State Police Lowell Post, also unveiled Tuesday, and the $1.2 billion Westville correctional facility project, which had a groundbreaking in late September.

Think about all the different major projects, not just road construction, Holcomb said. That just shows all the progress that we are making.

The governor said he is thankful for a growing economy that is allowing the state to tackle needed projects that have sat on the shelves for too long.

The welcome center renovation is part of a statewide improvement plan that includes more than $600 million in federal funding for improvements to 21 rest areas and welcome centers to be completed in 2024. The Kankakee Welcome Center is the second in the states plan to open. Clear Creek in Vigo County and Black River in Posey County currently are under construction and will have similar amenities to the Kankakee Welcomes Center.

Colorful butterflies hang from the ceiling as the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) representatives, public officials, and contracting partners held a ceremonial ribbon cutting and tour of the newly constructed Kankakee Welcome Center on southbound I-65 near mile marker 231 on October 24, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)

There are now 150 truck parking spots on the southbound side Welcome Center and 75 at the northbound side. The southbound side includes a dog park, walking path, playground area and a welcome center with restrooms and exhibits. The northbound side features parking and restrooms.

Its really about safety, said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith, adding the facilities provide truck drivers with a safe place to rest instead of having them use the shoulders on off ramps, which in turn keeps all motorists safe.

The new facility also offers families with children a chance for respite on a road trip, Jermaine Hannon, division administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, said.

The project was completed by Hasse Construction. Fosse and Associates Architects and Janssen and Spaans Engineering designed the new facility.

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A small wind farm is in front as the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) representatives, public officials, and contracting partners held a ceremonial ribbon cutting and tour of the newly constructed Kankakee Welcome Center on southbound I-65 near mile marker 231 on October 24, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)

Through its Rest Area and Welcome Center Improvement Plan, INDOT is committed to providing safe, relaxing environments where travelers can rest and recharge as they enter and drive through Indiana, Smith said.

The new welcome center replaces the previous facility built in 1988, is ADA compliant and energy efficient. The design of the center is inspired by Northwest Indiana landscapes and the wind power industry, represented through the building design resembling a wind turbine and blades, the dunes through three brick textures on the lower building section and the rolling roof, Lake Michigan through the upper blue glass, and the Kankakee River through the blue terrazzo flooring and custom restroom wall tile.

The moving wind turbines near the entrance to the building are working turbines that generate power for the facility, helping to increase its energy efficiency.

This has been an opportunity to work with state and local partners to provide a glimpse of all Northwest Indiana has to offer in the ways of industry and tourism. We appreciate the hard work of the project team who helped make the new welcome center come to life, and were looking forward to the facilities yet to come, Smith said.

cnapoleon@chicagotribune.com
Boston police have identified the man facing charges in connection with an act of vandalism at a landmark cathedral on Tuesday night that left a crucifix with broken arms.

Michael Patzelt, 37, of Attleboro, is slated to be arranged in Boston Municipal Court on charges including assault and malicious destruction of property, the Boston Police Department said Wednesday.

Officers responding to a report of a suspicious person who had knocked off a female victims headwear just after 6 p.m. learned that Patzelt proceeded to climb the cross and begin to swing and hang from it, breaking off several parts of the cross, including both arms of Jesus Christ, according to police.

The suspect broke both of the statues arms prior to officers arriving at the scene, but he was subsequently placed under arrest.

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Boston said late Tuesday, Unfortunately, the Cathedral experienced vandalism at the exterior crucifix.

Photos captured by Boston 25 show both arms broken off the Jesus statue outside the cathedral at 1400 Washington Street.

I have no information regarding why someone would take such an action. Its now in the capable hands of the BPD, the Archdiocese added.

A video shared with Boston 25 News showed a vandal, dressed in all green, yanking and swinging on the armless portion of the statue.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the largest church in New England, measuring 364 feet in length, 90 feet in width, and 120 feet in height.

An investigation remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - The Shelby County Sheriff's Office has identified the body that was found on top of a barge Saturday morning as a 22-year-old woman from Oklahoma, the office said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

SCSO was told the body was identified as Hailey Silas "late last night," it said. The investigation into her death is still ongoing, and Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner said Monday afternoon investigators do not suspect foul play was involved in her death.

Her family, SCSO told The Commercial Appeal, was notified she was the woman found dead after receiving the identification.

Many questions remain in the investigation, including how Silas ended up on the barge in the first place.

"We have absolutely no clue," Buckner said Monday when asked how Silas ended up on the barge. "Our detectives have been working around the clock since Saturday morning, trying to piece together all of the information and evidence that they could find to hopefully unpack a story on how she ended up on the barge. Our critical piece of information is, number one, finding out who she is. Hopefully, from there, we can work backwards to determine if there's any kind of avenue that will help us understand how she ended up there."

Her body was found during a routine inspection of the barge around 7:15 a.m. Saturday, just outside of Shelby Forest. The crew first called the Coast Guard when the body was found.

The barge had been idling near the I-55 bridge hours earlier, around 11 p.m. Friday, when it was inspected the first time, and Buckner said the crew told deputies there was no body at that time. It was cleared to leave Memphis around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Buckner called the death investigation "extremely unusual" Monday.

Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said there are "more questions than we have answers" in a death investigation after a woman's body was found on top of a barge Saturday morning. Investigators are still working to find out the woman's identity and cause of death.

"In my 22 years of working with the sheriff's office, I don't think there's been any investigation of a body on a barge," he said, adding that there were no apparent gunshot wounds on the Silas' body, though said he "thinks she would have had several injuries."

Buckner said Monday the priority in the investigation was identifying Silas, but that finding video of the incident  be it dashboard cameras from a car or security cameras from the surrounding area and the barge  could be vital in understanding how she got on the ship.

When she was found on the barge, Silas, who is white with blonde hair, was found wearing a pink shirt with the word "Oxford" written on it. She also had a blue and white flannel shirt on, Buckner said, and was wearing black tights. The woman had a knee brace on her left leg.

He encouraged anyone who may have seen something to contact SCSO at (901) 379-7625.

"Any tip could be very valuable to us right now," Buckner said. "We want to make sure we have the opportunity to vet that information, and that's one thing that we say in these types of moments, especially when it comes to crime investigations. There are people who hold just a little clue that's valuable to us, but to them, they may minimize it and say, 'Oh, you know, they're not going to be interested in it. So I'm not going to call.' All we ask in the law enforcement community is if you have any kind of tip that you think  whether it's large or small  please give it to us and let us make the determination of if it connects to this particular case."

Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Body of 22-year-old Oklahoma woman found on barge near Memphis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Mike Johnson has been elected by his fellow Republicans to serve as speaker of the House of Representatives, after three weeks of turmoil and three failed candidates.

Here are five facts about the fourth-term conservative lawmaker who is now the top Republican in Congress:

BIOGRAPHY

Johnson, 51, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana's third largest city, the oldest of four siblings and the son of a firefighter who was badly burned and disabled in the line of duty.

Prior to Congress, Johnson was a lawyer who mainly worked on religious freedom issues, successfully defending Louisiana's same sex marriage ban in 2004.

"I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a life-long conservative, constitutional law attorney and a small business owner in that order," he told the Louisiana Baptist Message newspaper in 2016.

He was elected to the Louisiana statehouse in 2015 and ran for Congress successfully in 2016. He now represents Louisiana's fourth congressional districts, which occupies the northwestern corner of the state and includes his hometown of Shreveport.

SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE

Johnson is a conservative who is perhaps best known for his defense of former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

As a former constitutional lawyer, he signed an amicus brief in a case that attempted to throw out Pennsylvania's election results, and called for Trump to "keep fighting."

He opposes same sex marriage and introduced a bill in 2022 that would have banned schools from promoting or discussing gender identity.

He opposes abortion rights, calling the decision to overturn federal protections for abortions a "great, joyous occasion."

OPPOSES UKRAINE AID

Johnson is opposed to sending Ukraine aid to defend itself against Russia, receiving an F from Republicans for Ukraine, an advocacy group that compiles a report card for lawmakers on their support.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Johnson served as chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee and was elected vice-chair of the conference, but otherwise has no leadership experience - a potential hindrance as he enters into negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House.

He also has shown limited fundraising ability so far, typically a key part of the speaker's role.

RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP

Johnson is an avowed supporter of Trump, as evidenced by his support for Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump supported Johnson's election as nominee.

(This story has been corrected to fix Mike Johnson's number of terms in office to four, in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell)
The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to search for three missing fishermen who disappeared off the coast of Brunswick.

Dalton Conway, Caleb Wilkinson, and Tyler Barlow went on a week-long commercial fishing trip on a boat called the Carol Ann and were expected back last Wednesday.

USCG told Action News Jaxs Robert Grant that crews are searching as far north as Cape Fear, North Carolina, and as far south as St. Augustine. Thats nearly 500 miles apart. Thats because the Coast Guard said the boat may be on the Gulf Stream.

Barlows parents believe he could be even farther north, closer to Virginia.

RELATED: Family holds onto hope as search continues for three missing Georgia fishermen

The plan is to search through the end of the day on Wednesday and then make a decision about the search after that.

USCG said it is getting help from crews in Elizabeth City, Clearwater, Miami, and Savannah, as well as assistance from Customs & Border Patrol, a Navy aircraft, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Family members of three fishermen met with USCG at noon on Wednesday. They told Grant that theyre holding onto hope and if USCG calls off the search after Wednesday with no update, they plan to continue to search themselves.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

We need something. We cant go with nothing and not knowing ever. Heart cant take that, Barlows mother Kim Jones said.

Action News Jax told you earlier this week crews have been searching since Friday and the family expected the search would be called off Tuesday.

Barlow and Conway grew up together and both love the outdoors. On Monday, Barlows parents said he had only been on five commercial fishing trips before this one.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

He has a huge heart. Just incredibly easygoing, loving kid. He would do anything to help anybody, Barlows dad Chris Barlow said.

Chris Barlow is hoping his son gets some help in return.

I can only hope and pray that my sons still alive and that hes holding on and all three of those boys have the strength, Chris Barlow said.

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed with Channel 2 Action News Wednesday night that they are now gathering information about the death of a 21-year-old college student after she drank a caffeinated lemonade from Panera bread.

Sarah Katz died last year after drinking a Panera Charged Lemonade, according to her family.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Katz suffered from a rare heart condition and went into cardiac arrest hours after buying the drink at a Philadelphia Panera store.

A new lawsuit filed by her parents this week claims that Katz, who took her condition seriously and was very careful to avoid caffeine, would not have died if she had not drank the lemonade.

Lawyers argued that the drink was improperly labeled, and Katz, who avoided caffeine, would not have consumed the drink if she knew it contained high levels of caffeine.

Channel 2 Action News was one of the first news outlets to report on the lawsuit on Monday.

RELATED STORIES:

The FDA announced that they are now gathering information about Katzs death, and issued a statement, saying:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

The FDA is saddened to hear of the passing of a consumer and as always, takes seriously reports of illnesses or injury from regulated products. At this point, we are gathering information about this event.

The agency added that it monitors the marketplace of FDA-regulated products and takes action as appropriate, including collaborating with the Federal Trade Commission regarding marketing claims.

Panera has yet to comment on the FDA gathering information on the case, but made a statement on Monday, reading:

We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.












The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review an at-home flu vaccine as uptake for the inoculations remains low this year.

AstraZeneca announced Tuesday that its needle-free nasal spray was accepted by the FDA for review. If approved, the company said it would be the first self-administered flu vaccine available in the United States, which AstraZeneca said could boost vaccination rates.

Iskra Reic, AstraZenecas executive vice president of vaccines and immune therapies, said the nasal spray could revolutionize flu vaccination. Reic said AstraZenecas self-administered vaccine would be delivered directly to homes, which he said would be an innovative, more accessible option for individuals, families and communities.

The company said its nasal spray is backed by a usability study that found that those older than 18 years could self-administer the vaccine or administer it to those between the ages of 2 and 49. It also said the spray has proven comparable effectiveness and acceptable safety relative to other flu vaccines.

It said it expected to have a response from the FDA during the first quarter of 2024. If approved then, the vaccine could be ready by the 2024-25 flu season.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen said last month that only 47 percent of U.S. adults received a flu vaccine during the 2022-23 respiratory season, which was down from 49 percent in 2021-22.

A survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases also found last month that only about 20 percent of Americans are worried about themselves or someone in their family getting infected with the flu, COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Editors Note: A version of this story appears in CNNs Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the regions biggest stories. Sign up here.

Through the narrow streets of the Jabal Al-Hussein refugee camp in the Jordanian capital Amman, the mood is clear.

Palestine! No America, No America Palestine, a local fruit seller shouts amid the market crowds.

Established more than seventy years ago by the United Nations, the community is now home to more than 30,000 Palestinian refugees, descendants of some of the more than 700,000 who were expelled or fled their homes in what is now Israel following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Israelis call it the War of Independence. To Arabs, that event is known as the Nakba, or catastrophe.

Families in this camp, now a built-up urban community, know exile all too well, denied the right to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel. According to the United Nations, there are now some 5.9 million Palestinian refugees worldwide, most of them descendants of that 1948 generation of exiles.

These refugees say it is a life sentence of separation from family, friends, and their homeland. And for those with loved ones still in Gaza, they say it is a sentence to the cruelest form of anguish.

Israel launched a massive air offensive on the enclave that is home to more than two million Palestinians after Hamas militants from Gaza killed 1,400 people in a brazen attack inside Israel on October 7, and kidnapped more than 200.

Camp resident Abdel-Munim Dababsheh, 49, says his family moved to Jordan after the 1967 war, when Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt. He says he left behind most of his family.

He has lost several family members in successive Israeli wars in Gaza, he says. His mother was killed in 2009 and his sister in 2012, and his aunt and oldest daughter died in the latest round of Israeli airstrikes. At any given moment, I could get a phone call telling me that my sister and her children have also been killed.

At least 2,789 Palestinian civilians were killed in Gaza in the past 15 years, according to the United Nations, often in operations Israel says were launched to target Hamas and other militant groups.

The overall death toll in Gaza from the current conflict is now at more than 5,000, according to Palestinian health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, just over two weeks since Israel launched its relentless air campaign.

Palestinians look for survivors after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Sunday. - Hatem Moussa/AP

Despite the rising civilian death toll and the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, Israel has vowed to intensify its aerial bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, and expand it to a multi-pronged operation in the coming days, as it says it seeks to wipe out Hamas, which has been designated by Israel, the European Union and the US as a terrorist organization.

And with Israels thousands of punishing strikes, the fear of history repeating itself  of another Nakba  is being felt across the region.

While Israel has not said it aims to evict Gazans to Egypt or elsewhere, fears of such prospects arose after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asked Gazans to evacuate the strips north and move southwards, as their military operation continued, as well as after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was in talks with Egypt and Israel to establish a humanitarian corridor in Egypts Sinai Peninsula for Americans and other civilians fleeing Gaza.

On Sunday, Blinken said on NBCs Meet the Press that Israel has absolutely no intent to run Gaza.

But the prospect of hundreds of thousands more Palestinians being forcibly displaced to neighboring countries, or even further afield, is being condemned across the Arab world.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said last week that a transfer of Palestinians from Gaza would likely be followed by a similar expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan. Jordans foreign minister later said such a move would be considered a declaration of war.

Commentators on Arab media outlets have warned that Israel may be planning to de-populate the Gaza Strip of Palestinians and even re-occupy it.

Collective shame

But some Palestinians would rather die than be made refugees once again.

Of course, no one wants to go to Egypt. Its impossible. My relatives refuse it, I refuse it. This is displacement. Gaza is their home. They will stay there even if it means being wiped out by an airstrike, Dababsheh says of his relatives.

Palestinians, he says, wont accept being displaced this time. The new generation will not allow it, he says. They put their foot down.

Of Gazas more than 2 million people, 1.7 million are refugees, according to UNRWA.

The Israelis were always adamant about no return of refugees, and thats why the Palestinians cling to the right of return, Jordanian Senator Mustafa Hamarneh says, adding that 75 years later, the Arab world has still not recovered from the loss of the Palestinian homeland.

I dont think the West realizes the depth of the collective shame we feel as a result of 1948 and the sense of injustice that has been inflicted upon us that we need to correct this. There is a very deep sense of shame, that what happened to us in 1948 shouldnt have happened, Hamarneh says. Any new mass eviction of Palestinian refugees, for us, is a repeat of 1948.

Israeli officials have said they have no interest in reoccupying Gaza. Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops from the territory and pulled out Jewish settlers in 2005.

The struggle of the Palestinians is felt especially keenly in Jordan, where more than half of the population is either Palestinian or of Palestinian descent  including more than two million Palestinian refugees.

But that passion for the Palestinian cause resonates across the Arab world that is home to more than 450 million people.

In a fiery exchange with CNNs Clarissa Ward at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza that went viral on social media last week, an Egyptian activist shouted that despite attempts to divide Arabs, we stand with the Palestinians, and we stand with Arabs.

The activist, Rahma Zein, was one of many Arabs around the region impassioned by the war, bloody images from which have made their way to almost every Arab news channel and social media platform.

For more than two weeks now, protests in solidarity with the Palestinians have erupted in countries including Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait and Iran. Hundreds of thousands have also taken to the streets of several European capitals and US cities, all calling for an end to Israels bombardment of the Gaza strip, and to the 17-year blockade of the territory.

Young people from across the Arab world have chanted the very same rallying cries their parents and grandparents chanted before them. This is a multi-generational cause which, more than 75 years since the dispossession of the Palestinians, has not diminished in salience in the region.

Pictures of over 1,000 people abducted, missing or killed in the Hamas attack are displayed on empty seats in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday. - Leon Neal/Getty Images

For much of the Arab world, the question of Palestine represents the last colonized Arab people trying to gain their freedom, said H.A. Hellyer, an international security studies expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute in London.

While Arab states have tended to focus on problems closer to home in recent years, the latest war has driven the Palestine question back onto the agenda, he said.

For many protesters, the demonstrations are not an expression of support for Hamas, nor an expression of indifference to the killing of Israeli civilians. Many protesters say they believe this crisis began long before the October 7 attacks, citing what they say is decades-long Israeli oppression of the Palestinians.

In the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which saw hundreds of protesters take to the streets over the weekend, 45-year-old Ahmed El-Saied said that in recent years Western governments compelled Arab states and their populations to forget the Palestinian issue, especially as Arabs grappled with internal and sectarian conflicts.

In Egypt, where mass protests were allowed Friday for the first time in a decade, Alya, who took part in the protest, said that the recent wave of Arab normalization deals with Israel brought on a sense of defeatism.

What we saw after October 7, however, was a shocking reminder to ourselves and the world that actually, this entire situation hasnt been normalized, said Alya, who only gave her first name due to fear of reprisal from the authorities.

They would rather die in Gaza than move

Analysts say Arab fears of another displacement of Palestinians are particularly heightened due to inflammatory rhetoric that has come from some members of Israels right-wing government in the past.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in 2017, as a member of parliament, wrote in an essay that emigration of Palestinians should be encouraged and incentivized, adding that the notion that emigration is cruel is absurd. The process, he argued, should not be a cruel expulsion but be done in a manner that is planned, willing, and based on a desire for a better life.

More recently, he caused an outcry in March after calling for the Palestinian village of Huwara to be erased following the murder of two Israeli settlers in the town in a Palestinian attack, which led to revenge rampages by Israeli settlers that one of Israels top military generals later called a pogrom.

Israels National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was convicted of anti-Arab racism by an Israeli court decades before joining the government and was once a follower of Meir Kahane, a Jewish fanatic who openly called for the expulsion of Palestinians. Ben Gvirs wife, Ayala Nimrodi, has been cited as saying she wishes to get rid of the Palestinians.

When asked about the rhetoric of his right-wing coalition partners, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is his hands that are on the wheel.

Hellyer said that this kind of rhetoric has given Arabs good reason to fear that the expulsion of Palestinians may indeed be on the table.

I dont think its unusual (that) many in the Arab world would take them seriously at their word, especially considering the reality that in every previous situation where Palestinians left Palestinian territory, they were never allowed to go back, Hellyer said.

Hanya Sabawi, a Palestinian who left Gaza as an infant but whose family remain in the enclave, told CNN she doesnt know whether her family will have homes to go back to.

And the biggest fear of course, is that theyre going to be evacuated and turned into refugees. This is what everyone is now openly talking about, as if they didnt matter, she said. They dont want to move. They would rather die in Gaza than move.

CNNs Claudia Otto and Aqeel Najim contributed to this report.

Go deeper into the biggest stories and trends in the Middle East and what they mean for your world. Sign up for CNNs Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter right here.

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Three men are feared lost at sea after they failed to return from a fishing trip off the coast of Georgia.

Dalton Conway, Caleb Wilkinson and Tyler Barlow went missing last Wednesday on board the 31-foot fishing vessel the Carol Anne, according to the US Coast Guard.

The crew of three people had rented a boat for a fishing trip and were due to return on 18 October.

The ships owner told officials that the crew would often extend fishing trips to maximise their catch, but he grew increasingly concerned when he hadnt heard from them for six days.

The Charleston sector of the Coast Guard tried to contact the ship using VHF-FM marine radio but heard nothing back.

However, it has received one report from someone claiming they may have seen a vessel that matched the Carol Anne anchored with people aboard.

The Coast Guard has continued to search for signs of the boat around 80 miles off the shore of Brunswick, Georgia.

Days on from their disappearance, the crews family members are still holding onto hope that they will be found safe.

Mr Barlows mother, Kim Jones, told the Savannah Morning News that the search needs to continue.

We dont want this search to end, because we do firmly believe that God has got them and theyre just out there floating and drifting, she said.

For Mr Barlow and Mr Wilkinson, this trip was just another day on the job, as they are professional fishermen.

The three men were hired for a fishing trip before they went missing (Dalton Conway/Facebook)

However, it was Mr Conways first trip.

Its absolutely terrifying. We are sick to our stomachs, his partner Stevie Conway told missing-off-coast-brunswick-while-fishing-trip/67HMFAS47VDRTAXJKUY2IDFCCA/">WJAX-TV.

Lots of tears and gatherings, getting together to try to uplift each other and stay positive whenever were all wanting to fall apart.

Ms Conway told the outlet that the boat is equipped with an emergency lifeboat that carries new technology alerting the Coast Guard when it touches the water. This raft is yet to alert the officials, she said, raising hopes that they will be found safe.

The US Coast Guard wrote on X that crews both in the air and on the water had searched around 20,116 square miles for the trio, but are yet to find anything.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Jason Erickson told AP that it is possible the boat may have become disabled and drifted off into the Gulf Stream, sweeping it further from its intended destination.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) took issue Tuesday with a new school lunch resolution offered by fellow Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).

The resolution, initially introduced in July by a series of senators and placed on the calendar last week, disagrees with recent guidance by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in relation to sex discrimination.

The USDA had said it is updating its policies regarding discrimination based on sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity, in accordance with President Bidens executive order on the matter in 2021.

Schools that receive funds from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will have to have policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and investigate any forms of alleged discrimination based on those factors or risk losing the funds.

Bidens executive order has been controversial, especially in Republican states where lawmakers aim to ban transgender students from using the bathrooms or joining the sports teams that align with their gender identity.

The move by the USDA is opposed by 18 Republican senators who signed onto a resolution, led by Marshall, to stop its implementation.

I cant even believe that this resolution is even real. This makes it possible for some random lunch lady to deny lunch to a hungry child because she says her god tells her to. School lunch should be free, and certainly free of judgment, Fetterman said in a statement.

Dont we have better things to do in the upper chamber than picking on kids because of who they are? Fetterman continued.

Asked for comment, Marshall said in a statement that the Biden Administrations poisonous transgender agenda is putting childrens school lunch funding in the crosshairs.

To be abundantly clear, my resolution is about preventing the USDA from weaponizing funding and retaliating against schools that dont allow biological boys in girls bathrooms, and biological boys in girls sports. Take politics out of the lunch line- and stop holding school lunches hostage, Marshall said.

Updated Wednesday at 10:54 a.m. Lexi Lonas contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The damage caused to the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was likely the result of an errant anchor dropped from a Hong Kong-registered shipping vessel, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation announced on Oct. 24.

Following an investigation, the Finnish police believe that the 'Newnew Polar Bear,' a Chinese-owned fishing vessel flying under a Hong Kong flag, allegedly dropped an anchor into the Baltic Sea and dragged it along the seafloor, which appears to have caused damage to the pipeline.

The police said that attempts had been made to contact the owners of the Newnew Polar Bear, but they were not cooperative. They also noted that "particular attention will be paid to investigating if there has been any premeditation or negligence involved" with the pipeline damage, but did not indicate whether they believed it to be intentionally caused.

The 77-kilometer Finland-Estonia pipeline, known as the Balticconnector, was found to be leaking gas in Finnish waters of the Baltic Sea and shut off on Oct. 8. A nearby telecommunications cable was also damaged.

Initially, Finnish authorities believed that the damage had been caused by external sources, and some Finnish media named Russia as a suspect.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics echoed that sentiment, saying on Oct. 19 that NATO should "close the Baltic Sea....if it's clearly proven to be Russia."

In response, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said blocking Russia's access to the Baltic Sea was an "unacceptable" threat.

After the damage to the pipeline, NATO announced it would step up surveillance of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea has been under higher scrutiny for security threats after explosions damaged the Nord Stream pipeline in September 2022. Although the cause of the explosions has not been definitively proven, investigators found that the explosions were caused by deliberate sabotage. On Sept. 28, 2022, the Times newspaper reported, citing a British defense source, that Russia had likely carried out the attack with an underwater drone.

Danish naval vessels confirmed seeing a Russian SS-750 specialized vessel, which carries a submarine on board, close to the site of the pipeline just days before it was damaged.

Russia has denied any role in the Nord Stream sabotage.

Read also: Record Russian armor, personnel losses in failed attempt to take Avdiivka by storm

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana received a three-year grant of $244,215 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help increase science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) engagement opportunities for youth in Title I schools, rural communities and unserved areas of Indiana. - Original Credit: Photo courtesy of Challenger Lea (Photo courtesy of Challenger Lea/HANDOUT)

Hammond school referendum meeting Thursday

The School City of Hammond is hosting a 6 p.m. community meeting Thursday for residents to ask questions and learn more about the districts two referendum ballot questions on the Nov. 7 ballot. The meeting will be held at Hammond Morton High School, 6915 Grand Ave.

The district wants to extend its operating referendum by eight years and add an $84.2 million capital projects referendum, largely for renovations at Morton.

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Lilly Endowment awards grant to Challenger Center

The Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana has received a three-year grant of $244,215 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help increase science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) engagement opportunities for youth in Title I schools, rural communities and unserved areas of Indiana, according to a release.

The aim of the initiative is to help youth-serving organizations working throughout Indiana to improve their abilities to promote the academic, physical and social well-being of young people, ages 5 through 18, the release said.

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Grant funds will build Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indianas organizational capacity and provide current staff training, the release said. Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana is one of 187 organizations receiving grants through Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana.

Valparaiso named states top green project

The City of Valparaiso has been named Indianas Green Project of the Year by Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM) for the citys solar power initiative, according to a release.

The award recognizes Indianas leading project for sustainable development, energy conservation and environmentally conscious decisions. The citys sustainable solar project added 772 solar panels to five municipal facilities, saving taxpayers more than $5.2 million in electrical costs over the life of the panels, the release said.

Learn more about the completed project at tinyurl.com/ValpoSolar.

Heart, vascular symposium Nov. 2

Community Healthcare System will host a free heart and cardiovascular disease symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, according to a release.

Symposium topics and speakers include:

 10 a.m.: Peripheral Venous Disease by Dr. Dean Ferrera, interventional cardiology

 10:30 a.m.: Atrial Fibrillation by Dr. Pratik Patel, cardiology, electrophysiology

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 11 a.m.: Hyperlipidemia by Dr. Sulman Hussain, cardiology

 Noon: Coronary Artery Disease by Dr. Jonathan Meyer, interventional cardiology

 12:30 p.m.: Heart Failure by Dr. Joseph Danavi, cardiology

 1 p.m.: Peripheral Artery Disease by Dr. Amit Kakkar, interventional cardiology

The event also will include a health fair featuring blood pressure checks, rhythm detection, free lab work (fasting required) and flu vaccines, according to a release. Registration is recommended at 219-703-2058.

Doctor joins Northwest Health in Valparaiso

Dr. Mohamad Khasawneh, a hematologist/oncologist, recently joined Northwest Medical Group in the practice of Drs. Tareq Braik and Mary Klein in Valparaiso. Khasawneh will be seeing patients in the medical plaza adjacent to Northwest Health  Porter hospital, 85 E. U.S. 6 in Valparaiso.

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He completed a fellowship in hematology-oncology at State University of New York in Buffalo, New York, and a fellowship in experimental therapeutics at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and received his medical degree fromJordan University of Science and Technology in Ar-Ramtha, Jordan.

Call 219-983-6260 for further information.

PNW earns land-grant university designation

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) has earned designation as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University (IEP) from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), according to a release.

The IEP designation, the release said, is an acknowledgement for public research universities with strong evidence of collaboration with public and private sector partners to support economic development, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, talent and workforce development and community development.

The designation makes PNW the third IEP in Indiana, joining Purdue University in West Lafayette and Indiana University Bloomington. Designation was earned after an independent panel review of PNWs application, which included an internal review and analysis of economic engagement activities conducted with outside stakeholder input, the release said.

An economic impact study conducted by a third party showed PNW contributes nearly $746 million in total income to Northwest Indiana, or 2% of gross regional product. The university also supports 10,494 jobs in Northwest Indiana, or one out of every 36 jobs, the release said.

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Primary care physician welcomed in Valparaiso office

Northwest Health recently welcomed Dr. Chike Okolocha, a family medicine physician to Northwest Medical Group, according to a release. Okolocha will be seeing patients at 2505 Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso.

Okolocha completed a family medicine residency at Center Medical Texoma in Denison, Texas. He received his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee, Georgia and specializes in general and preventive medicine, the release said. Call 219-548-3843 or visit NWMedicalGroup.com for more information.
Michael Cohen faced off against his former boss Donald Trump in court for the second day on Wednesday

On his second day of testimony, fireworks erupted between Donald Trump's former personal attorney, Michel Cohen, and his current legal defence team in a high-stakes fraud trial.

The heated day featured multiple procedural skirmishes between the defence attorneys, prosecutors, and Judge Arthur Engoron, culminating in a $10,000 (8,250) fine against Mr Trump for violating a gag order against speaking or posting about court staff.

Earlier in the day, Mr Trump had told reporters that Mr Engoron was a "very partisan judge, with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is". His comments followed a previous social media attack against the judge's clerk earlier this month, which had led to the gag order and a fine.

In a dramatic moment shortly after 2 PM, the judge forced Mr Trump to briefly take the stand to settle the matter.

When questioned on the stand, Mr Trump told the judge he was referring to "You and Cohen", not the judge and his clerk.

Yet Judge Engoron found his explanation "not credible," and fined him $10,000 for a repeated violation of the gag order.

"I am very protective of my staff as I believe I should be," Judge Engoron had said earlier in the day, citing the "heated environment" around the case. "I don't want anybody to get killed."

It was the capstone of a long and rocky day in court starring Mr Trump's former personal counsel.

Mr Cohen is a key witness in a case brought by New York attorney general Letitia James, which alleges that the Trump Organization and its top figures fraudulently inflated the value of its assets to secure more favourable loans.

Judge Engoron has already ruled the organisation committed fraud, and the current trial is focused on additional charges. There is no jury, and an unfavourable ruling could put Mr Trump's New York real estate empire in peril.

On Wednesday, Mr Trump's team was clearly taking the offensive.

Through a steady staccato of questions, attorney Alina Habba sought to undermine Mr Cohen's credibility and question his motivations.

"You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump haven't you?" she said in one instance.

Mr Cohen admitted he had.

"The more outrageous your stories are about President Trump, the more money you make?" she asked later.

Mr Cohen responded "no".

At one point, he grew frustrated with Ms Habba's questions. "I answered every question that you want, why are you screaming at me?" he blurted.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump, not typically one for verbal restraint, sat quietly and let his lawyers do the fighting for him.

Once Mr Trump's trusted personal lawyer, Mr Cohen went to great, and at some points illegal, ends to obtain a favourable outcome for him.

His association with Mr Trump drew him into legal peril in 2018, when he pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, lying to a bank, and campaign finance violations. He spent just over a year behind bars and has since become one of Mr Trump's fiercest critics.

Now he is a star witness in not one but two cases against Mr Trump - this investigation into his businesses, and another investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney into hush money payments made to an adult film star with whom Mr Trump allegedly had affair. Mr Trump denies wrongdoing in both cases, as well as the affair.

This week is the first time the two have met face to face in years.

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During his testimony, Mr Cohen told prosecutors that Mr Trump had personally directed him and the convicted ex-chief financial officer of the company to "arbitrarily" inflate the value of assets in order to reach a desired number.

But during cross-examination, Mr Trump's defence lawyers sought to undermine his character by accusing Mr Cohen of perjury.

On Tuesday, Mr Cohen had said he was not being truthful when he pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion in a separate 2018 case; he did not believe he had committed that crime.

Then on Wednesday, Mr Trumps' lead attorney, Chris Kise, declared that Mr Cohen "admitted here today in open court that he lied".

Prosecutor Colleen Faherty interjected, and asked for respect without this "showmanship".

Mr Kise responded that "there is nothing wrong with calling a liar, a liar".

Eventually Judge Engoron asked them to move on.

Toward the end of the day, another of Mr Trump's attorneys made a Hail Mary request to the judge to end the trial, citing the credibility of Mr Cohen's testimony.

"Absolutely denied," Judge Engoron said. "No way, no how."
First Black-Owned Distillery To Open In Charlotte And Owner Will Also Give The City Another Brewery | Photo: Getty Images

Clarence Boston, the owner of Hippin Hops Brewery, opened several locations in Atlanta. And now, the business owner is expanding to Charlotte and plans to open Another Brewery, a play on the growing number of Queen City breweries, next month before Thanksgiving.

On Monday, Boston told The Charlotte Observer he also plans to open Hippin Hops Brewery & Distillery in Charlottes uptown area on the ground floor of Savoy Apartments. The new location opens in December and will be the citys first Black-owned distillery and second Black-owned brewery.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hippin Hops Brewery (@hippinhopsbrewery)

North Carolina is our biggest customer, Boston told the outlet of the well-known craft beer and liquor.

Hippin Hops Brewery was initially supposed to open in the North Davidson neighborhood. Instead, Boston partnered with Charlotte bar owner Orlando Botero for the new business venture, Another Brewery, in Bainbridge NoDa.

According to The Charlotte Observer, the duo have known each other for over two decades and wanted to offer affordable drinks and food.

Additionally, Boston said Hippin Hops Brewery & Distillery would operate out of two buildings  one for a taproom and the other for brewing and distilling  with an outdoor amphitheater.

Although Atlanta handles the brewing currently, that operation would eventually move to Charlotte, per the outlet.

The new space will provide enough room to maintain products for the business. Boston said Hippin Hops Charlotte would have a five-barrel system with 10-barrel fermenters producing about 1,800 barrels of beer annually. While the brewery will not have a kitchen to prepare food, Boston confirmed food trucks would be available for customers.

Both locations are expected to be successful, providing food and drinks for everyone to enjoy.
Chief Executive Officer of Dream Foundation Kisa Heyer said her nonprofits nationwide Dreams for Veterans program unites a community of people under the shared belief that fulfilling a final wish for a terminally-ill veteran  like a visit to the nations capital  is a powerful way to thank them for their service.

Im often asked, What makes a dream? I can tell you every dream is different, unique to the individual. But at the end of life, a dream is everything, she said during a ceremony Wednesday in northern Virginia.

The organization was one of five programs presented with the Fisher Service Award for Military Community Service. A total of $250,000 in grants were awarded by the Fisher House Foundation, in partnership with the Military Times Foundation, to the nonprofits for their work to improve the quality of life of military and veteran communities.

The top award of $90,000 went to Dream Foundations Dreams for Veterans program. The four other nonprofits each received $40,000 to bolster their programs, which include aiding veterans with post-traumatic stress, training veterans to become farmers, reducing veteran homelessness and suicides, and building veteran mentor relationships.

The five organizations were chosen by a panel of judges from more than 460 applicants.

Dreams for Veterans

A nationwide program of Dream Foundation, Dreams for Veterans acknowledges the service of terminally-ill service members and veterans by fulfilling their final dream. It provides them, their families and their caregivers with joy, comfort and closure at the end of their life.

The organization has fulfilled over 34,000 dreams in its history, Heyer said, adding that the grant will help with the continuation and expansion of the programs services.

Pop was never really recognized for his service, his service was long, long ago. I think this really gave him a whole new outlook on life, David West, a family member of a program recipient, said previously in a video on the organizations website. As the family, this changed all of our lives. It really brought us together.

The Heal Program

The Heal Program, from Acadiana Veteran Alliance, helps veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress absolve or reduce their symptoms through utilization of Stellate Ganglion Block  a procedure that involves injecting an anesthetic medication  and traditional therapies.

Andrew Ward, founder and chief executive officer of Acadiana Veteran Alliance, said his group has worked on the project since 2021 and helped over 42 veterans come back from the brink of suicide.

Since I had the shot ... Im feeling myself, a lot better, Andy Bankard, a veteran in the program, said previously in a video on the organizations website.

Farm Military Agricultural Program

The Veterans Farm of NC, Inc. has offered training, equipment and networking to over 1,000 veterans in North Carolina to assist them in becoming farmers. The free training programs teach bedrock skills in agriculture and provide purpose after service, helping to reduce veteran suicide.

Robert Elliott, the nonprofits executive director and founder, said the funding will allow him to hire another farm manager to assist students and to purchase additional supplies.

Beyond the Streets

The Vets on Track Foundations Beyond the Streets program works to end veteran homelessness and significantly reduce the number of veteran suicides by helping rebuild self-worth, dignity, pride and purpose in veterans transitioning out of homelessness into permanent housing. It provides critical resources, like home furnishings and follow-on care.

Vet2Vet Maine

Vet2Vet Maine matches veteran volunteers with other veterans who need a friend or mentor. The pairs connect on a regular basis, share stories and enjoy activities together through newly developed friendships. Trained volunteers also help the veterans apply for needed services and benefits.

The nonprofits executive director Maggie Catanese said the grant funding will help the program, which started in 2018, touch a larger geographic area it previously had not been able to serve. Each year it currently makes between 30 and 40 matches.

The judges for the awards included the spouses of many senior military leaders, trustees from the Fisher House Foundation and Kelly Facer from Military Times.

Since the annual award program began in 1999, it has distributed around $3 million across roughly 200 nonprofit programs. Last year, award recipients included a program that connects volunteer pilots with injured and disabled veterans and their caregivers.

Applications for the 2024 award cycle opened Wednesday and will close promptly at 9:00 p.m. EST on March 21, 2024.
A Palm Coast man was arrested Tuesday after a months-long investigation determined he repeatedly raped a child over several years, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office announced on Wednesday.

Jessy Kalani Andrew Gilbreath, 28, listed as a transient in his booking information, was charged with five counts of sexual battery on a minor 12 to18 years old by a person in familial or custodial authority, and one count of sexual battery on a minor less than 12 years of age. He was being held Wednesday at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility without bail.

Detectives with the Major Case Unit started investigating the rape after Advent Health Palm Coast hospital staff reported the sex offense on Sept. 23, said sheriff's spokeswoman Ava Hanner.

Mistrial in rape case Jury deadlocks, judge declares a mistrial in Flagler County child sexual battery case

In their investigation, they learned that the child was being sexually battered by a known person. The rapes started when the child was between the ages of 4 and 6, Hanner said.

Detectives went to Gilbreath's home and seized several items including a cell phone, iPad, camcorder, and other items. Through DNA testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, detectives were able to confirm that Gilbreath was sexually battering the juvenile, Hanner said.

Sheriff Rick Staly said he hopes Gilbreath spends the rest of his days behind bars.

This is a gut-wrenching case involving a defenseless child who has endured years of sexual battery by this pervert, Staly said. I am glad the juvenile was able to find the strength to report what had been occurring to them for years and I hope they get the help and support they need. This guy took the juveniles childhood and innocence away and now he needs to spend the rest of his life locked up. I commend our Major Case detectives and thank FDLE for quickly processing the evidence so we could arrest this child predator.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast man repeatedly raped child, sheriff's detectives say
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN)  A flesh-eating parasitic disease, typically seen in people who travel to tropical or subtropical areas, is now spreading through some sand flies in parts of the U.S., according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis.

The disease, known as leishmaniasis, occurs through a bite of an infected female sand fly, which consumes blood to produce eggs.

The infection is most common in parts of Africa, Brazil, and the eastern Mediterranean region, like Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, according to the World Health Organization.

The CDC now believes the disease may be endemic, or regularly occurring, in Texas and other states. The agency has received anecdotal reports of leishmaniasis in Florida, though the cases havent been confirmed, according to NBC News. Past studies have also noted occasional cases among non-travelers in southeast Oklahoma and Arizona.

RSV shots for infants in short supply: CDC

Historically, it was considered that cutaneous leishmaniasis, or any type of leishmaniasis, is linked to international travel, said Vita Cama, a microbiologist working in the CDCs Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. We were doing a different kind of analysis to see what kind of samples were coming to the lab at the CDC, and we noticed there was a specific group that did not report any international travel.

It is thought that the parasite can live in other hosts, like rodents, and spread through the sand fly. All leishmaniasis infections are caused by Leishmania parasites but can have varying clinical presentations. The most common form  called cutaneous leishmaniasis  can cause ulcers and permanent scars. Some more severe variations of the disease can be fatal, according to the CDC.

Cama said that the CDCs analysis showed that nearly all people who contracted leishmaniasis and did not travel internationally were infected by the same species of Leishmania.

We thought that most of the cases were only associated with travel. [But] now, Its like, OK, its not necessarily [only] associated with travel, he continued.

In Texas, there have been 38 locally acquired and 117 total cases of the disease from 2007 to 2022. While most of the cases have occurred near the Texas and Mexico border, there have been three reported locally acquired cases in Travis County since 2007, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Morning showers vs. nighttime showers: Which is better for your health?

Leishmaniasis is a reportable condition in Texas, and the DSHS encourages doctors to consider the infection if a patient has consistent symptoms and has not recently traveled overseas.

Cama said that the CDC is potentially finding more cases in Texas because the state has a more robust reporting system than other U.S. states. Until other states develop better reporting procedures, it will be difficult to understand how widespread leishmaniasis may be in the U.S., Cama said.

DSHS prevention guidance is the same in this case as it is for all other insect-transmitted diseases: wear long sleeves or insect repellant when spending time outdoors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
By Joanna Plucinska

LONDON (Reuters) - Plane ticket purchases to Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon have plummeted since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, according to travel analysis firm ForwardKeys, as the conflict's effects spill into the wider region.

The violence between Israel and Hamas triggered a wave of flight cancellations to Israel, with a number of global carriers saying they would no longer fly to the country for security reasons.

Tour operators cancelled trips to Israel and many hotels emptied soon after. But the instability has triggered a drop in travel across the region, data shows.

Tickets to travel to Egypt have decreased by 26% year-on-year, to Jordan by 49%, and to Lebanon by 74%, said Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at ForwardKeys.

Some airlines, including Lufthansa, Eurowings and Swiss Air, suspended flights to Lebanon in mid-October.

Destinations like Petra in Jordan and Egypt's Red Sea resorts have long been popular with tourists, who at times travel to Israel and these locations as part of packaged tours.

Tickets for future trips to Israel dropped by 187% between Oct. 7 and Oct. 19 compared to the same period last year, the data showed.

"Such a drastic reduction in travel demand is entirely anticipated, given the scale of the conflict and the ongoing humanitarian crisis," Ponti added.

(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Brevard County Commissioner Jason Steele has been given the green light to resume his lobbying work  including for municipalities within the county  while he continues to serve as District 5 commissioner.

The Florida Commission on Ethics last week unanimously approved an advisory opinion from its legal staff that said there currently is nothing illegal about Steele lobbying on behalf of clients, as long as he doesn't lobby before the County Commission and doesn't use nonpublic information he obtained as a commissioner for his lobbying work. The Commission on Ethics also said Steele can vote on items coming before the County Commission that involve cities or towns that are his lobbying clients.

Jason Steele

Steele said he plans to resume his lobbying work for Indialantic and Satellite Beach as soon as he completes the necessary paperwork.

Lobbying work halted: Incoming Brevard County Commissioner Steele drops lobbying work for three municipalities

Steele was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the County Commission to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of then-District 5 Commissioner Kristine Zonka, who was named by DeSantis as administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County. Steele will fill out the remainder of Zonka's term, which ends in November 2024.

Steele gave up his lobbying work for various municipal and business clients, because a section of the Florida Constitution prohibited public officers in Florida  including county commissioners  from lobbying federal, state or local government entities during their term in office. Steele is director of government relations for the Smith & Associates law firm, which has offices in Melbourne and Tallahassee.

But, on Aug. 9, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction against enforcing this prohibition, finding it unconstitutional.

Steele's law firm on Aug. 14 asked for a legal opinion from the Florida Commission on Ethics to see if Steele could resume his lobbying work. The Commission on Ethics staff issued an 18-page legal opinion, indicating that Steele can do so. And the Commission on Ethics unanimously approved the opinion during its Oct. 20 meeting.

Steele said Smith & Associates receives a fee of $1,500 a month plus expenses from Satellite Beach and a fee of $1,000 a month from Indialantic for lobbying services. Cape Canaveral also previously was a lobbying client of Smith & Associates, but is considering other lobbying options, Steele said.

Steele receives a salary from Smith & Associates, and does not get paid directly by the firm's lobbying clients.

Court ruling: With Florida law overturned, Brevard commissioner Jason Steele could resume lobbying work

Steele said he is not sure why his lobbying work has become an issue. He says his votes on the County Commission will be based on what's best for the county, and not on how the votes might affect the entities he lobbies for.

But South Patrick Shores resident Sandra Sullivan has made an issue of Steele's lobbying during her public comments at County Commission meetings.

"It doesn't sit well with me that a commissioner is a lobbyist," Sullivan said in an interview Monday.

During one confrontation with Steele at an Aug. 8 County Commission meeting, Sullivan raised questions about Steele's past lobbying connections with Satellite Beach, in relation to a County Commission discussion at that meeting on the funding of ocean lifeguards.

In response, Steele said: "Miss Sullivan, I am sick and tired of your accusations that I'm lobbying for the city of Satellite Beach. Keep your opinions to yourself. I have resigned my position as a lobbyist, period. I am doing the best job I can. And if you keep it up, I will file a defamation of character lawsuit against you. Knock it off."

Steele says, now that he will resume lobbying for Indialantic and Satellite Beach, he will seek the opinion of County Attorney Morris Richardson if there is any question on whether there is any legal issue about him voting on agenda items involving the cities he lobbies for.

Richardson said that, based on the Commission on Ethics action, Steele "is not required to recuse himself from voting on measures affecting his municipal clients" and does not have to register as a lobbyist with the county because Steele will not lobby Brevard County on behalf of his clients.

During the 38-minute Commission on Ethics discussion of the matter on Oct. 20, Commissioner Wengay Newton Sr. noted that lobbyists often are hired "because of your pedigree and your access and the people that you know."

In addition to being a county commissioner, Steele is a former Florida House of Representatives member, and a former member of the Enterprise Florida and the Space Florida boards.

But commission staff noted that the staff legal opinion makes it clear that Steele cannot use his position as a county commissioner to further the interests of his lobbying clients.

Commissioner William Cervone said Steele would put himself "in a perilous position" if he deviated from the guidelines.

The Commission on Ethics staff's legal opinion said the findings might be different if Steele were an attorney with the firm or if he received payments directly from his lobbying clients. Also, it said that things could change if the U.S. District Court ruling is overturned on appeal.

The lobbying prohibition was created through a 2018 constitutional amendment that was passed with 79% voter approval. The Florida Legislature passed a law implementing it last year.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard County Commissioner Steele gets OK to resume lobbying work
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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. - What started out as a seemingly ordinary dinner date between a man and a woman he met on social media unraveled into a throat-slashing robbery that escalated into him being thrown over a bridge by an Escambia County duo, according to deputies.

Natalie Fonseca and Nafis Reynolds were arrested and charged with attempted murder, armed carjacking, armed robbery and kidnapping after an incident that unfolded this week in Escambia County.

It all started when a man met Fonseca on social media and agreed to have dinner and hang out with her, deputies said. During their "unorthodox date," the man went to Fonseca's house, where she introduced him to her "uncle," Reynolds.

It wasn't long before the three of them ended up in a car together to "take a ride" to the man's house, deputies said. Upon leaving, Fonseca and Reynolds both hit the man several times, telling him he was "going to die," according to deputies.

Natalie Fonseca (Photo: Escambia County Sheriff's Office)

The duo allegedly robbed the man of his shoes, phone, money and car. Then, they took turns cutting his throat before throwing him over a bridge rail into the Escambia River, deputies said.

Fonseca and Reynolds drove away in the man's car they allegedly stole. Deputies found the car on U.S. 98 West after it was allegedly set on fire.

Nafis Reynolds (Photo: Escambia County Sheriff's Office)

The man, however, was able to survive the throat-cutting and fall from the bridge and swam toward shore where he flagged down a deputy. An update about his condition was not made immediately available.

Deputies were able to ID Fonseca and Reynolds, and they were taken into custody.

MORE FLORIDA HEADLINES :

Fonseca was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug equipment, armed carjacking, attempted murder, kidnapping and armed robbery. She remains at the Escambia County Jail on $802,000 bond.

Reynolds was charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, armed carjacking, armed robbery and possession of drug equipment. He's also still in jail on $801,000 bond.
Florida mother arrested after leaving baby, toddler in unlocked car while she was in a bar

A Florida mother was arrested and charged after a police officer noticed a baby and a toddler by themselves in an unlocked car parked outside a bar.

Jamie Leigh Gunn, 33, was charged with child neglect and booked in the Brevard County Jail Sunday, according to West Melbourne Police.

Gunn was inside Annie's Bar on Minton Roadin West Melbourne, Florida, when the officer, who was conducting a routine business patrol in the parking lot of the bar, found the woman's eight-month-old baby and two-year-old toddler asleep in the backseat of an SUV.

FLORIDA GANG MEMBER SHOT, KILLED PASTOR'S SON OUTSIDE CHURCH: SHERIFF

The vehicle doors were unlocked, and the vehicle was running, police said.

Police located Gunn, the vehicle's registered owner, inside the bar visiting a friend. An investigation revealed she had been inside the bar for at least 20 minutes while "having no regard for her children who were left unattended," police wrote on Facebook.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"When Gunn learned law enforcement was outside with her vehicle, she was more concerned about going to jail, than the welfare of her children," the police department wrote.

FLORIDA MAN IMPERSONATED POLICE WHILE WEARING BUCCANEERS JERSEY AND FLASHING RED, BLUE LIGHTS: AUTHORITIES

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Gunn was arrested and booked into jail on a $15,000 bond. She was released on Monday.

The two children were turned over to a family member and the Department of Children and Families was contacted to conduct a follow-up investigation.

According to police, Gunn has a criminal history that includes contempt of court, forgery, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while her license was suspended.





Original article source: Florida mother arrested after leaving baby, toddler in unlocked car while she was in a bar
The head of Floridas university system has directed schools to disband campus chapters of a pro-Palestinian student group he alleges are in support of terrorism.

In a letter Tuesday to the states 12 university presidents, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said the Florida chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine must be deactivated. A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis said the governor directed that the University of Florida and the University of South Florida remove the groups immediately.

Rodrigues letter said that a toolkit released by the group described the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel as the resistance and unequivocally states: Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.

The letter contended that the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization has affirmatively identified that it was part of the attack, and said its a felony in Florida to knowingly provide material support ... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Rodrigues closed by stating the university system is working with DeSantis to ensure we are all using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups.

He added that state action could include necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials.

Active chapters at UF, USF

The chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida responded with a statement calling the move disgraceful.

Governor DeSantis continues to disrespect American values such as freedom of speech to extend his political power, the statement said in part. To bend the law in this manner shows the utmost disrespect not only to any pro-Palestinian organization, but also to anyone who truly cares for political freedom and freedom of speech.

It added that the states action could set a precedent to shut down any organization that doesnt align with DeSantis ideals.

Student organizations are funded with student fees that are allocated by student governments.

Rodrigues letter says members of the campus chapters being disbanded by the state will be allowed to form new organizations that comply with state law.

The toolkit he referred to was designed by the national group to provide guidance for campus protesters.

While the states action focused on Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at UF and USF, the group appears to have a presence at more Florida schools, including Florida State University and Florida International University. However, only the UF and USF chapters have active charters registered with their schools, a university system spokesperson said.

In a statement Wednesday, UF said it would evaluate its registered student organizations to see if any are affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine, and determine if any members have carried out the actions mentioned in Rodrigues letter. We protect students right to free speech and free assembly, the statement said, but any formal student organization that engages in unlawful conduct ... loses its registration status, and is subject to other state penalties as outlined in law.

USF said in a statement it was reviewing Rodrigues letter. Leaders of the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization and its USF chapter did not respond to requests for comment.

Antisemitism laws

Rodrigues message builds on a previous letter he sent on Oct. 9 with state education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. That letter cautioned protesters who might go too far in criticizing Israel and reminded universities of their obligations to punish violators of two state laws.

It cited House Bill 741, which DeSantis signed into law in 2019, setting requirements for public schools, colleges and universities to address discrimination against Jewish students and employees. It also pointed to House Bill 269, which DeSantis signed this year to establish stronger criminal penalties for committing certain antisemitic crimes.

In the wake of the Hamas attack and Israels response with the war in Gaza, Rodrigues and Diaz attempted to define actions that constituted antisemitism under Florida law.

Their letter said those actions include calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews, often in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion. Another example: Applying a double standard to Israel by requiring behavior of Israel that is not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation, or focusing peace or human rights investigations only in Israel.

Rabbi Jonah Zinn, executive director at the Hillel organization for Jewish students at UF, said the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization has long contributed to a harmful and unsafe environment for Jewish college students across the country. Since Oct. 7, he said, the group has celebrated the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas  and called for more violence.

Rallies at UF, USF

Val Beron, an activist with Tampa Bay Community Action Committee, had a different view as he participated in an Emergency Rally for Gaza on Wednesday afternoon on Fowler Avenue near the main entrance to USF, just off campus.

The group, which helped organize the rally, has been on campus for years and has never threatened the safety of Jewish students, Beron said. I dont see why people would feel threatened now.

About 200 people participated in the rally, which drew a law enforcement presence. The group chanted, USF, we see you. You support genocide, too.

At the same time in Gainesville, hundreds of people participated in a walkout organized by Islam on Campus at UF, the UF Arab Student Association, Jewish Voices for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. While most hoisted signs and shouted slogans in support of Palestinians, many also were there to protest DeSantis order.

Tarek Ayoub, who lives near campus, came with concerns about his son, who is serving in the U.S. Army. One side of his sign said Zionism is racism, the other, Jews against occupation.

Florida officials have it wrong, he said. They just want to shut everybody up.

The group marched down University Avenue and into Turlington Plaza at the center of campus.

Joseph Nohava  an organizer with Tampa Bay Community Action Committee  said the earlier letter by Rodrigues lacked nuance. He noted that protesters who are Jewish have spoken against the Israeli government.

The whole thing is absurd, Nohava said. It doesnt sound like something that would hold up in court as something compliant with the First Amendment.... Israel doesnt represent Judaism. You dont conflate a whole religion with a state committing war crimes.

Enya Silva, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, said she found the definitions to be absurd. I think we have power in numbers, she said. We shouldnt be afraid to come out and speak out for being on the right side of history.

Academic freedom

A statement Wednesday from the American Association of University Professors called on universities to protect the academic freedom of faculty across the country in expressing politically controversial views. The organization said it was alarmed by a number of apparent academic freedom issues nationwide involving faculty speech on the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

Another group, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said in a statement that DeSantis directive is a dangerous  and unconstitutional  threat to free speech.

It said Rodrigues letter did not detail any actions by the student chapters in Florida that warranted the order.

If it goes unchallenged, no ones political beliefs will be safe from government suppression, the foundations statement said.

Tampa Bay Times Staff Writer Ian Hodgson contributed to this report. Divya Kumar covers higher education and Hodgson is an education data reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, working in partnership with Open Campus.
The domestically-focused 8th China Campus Theater Festival and the 27th BeSeTo Theater Festival, which gathers productions from both home and abroad, will run concurrently from Nov. 11 to 30 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen, said the China Theater Association, organizer of the events.

The China Campus Theater Festival, which is held every two years, will feature 19 productions spanning various theatrical styles including drama, traditional Chinese opera, musicals, children's theater, and puppetry.

A total of 12 productions from countries including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Georgia, and Bulgaria will be showcased at this year's BeSeTo Theater Festival.

In addition to the performances, the BeSeTo event will also host a forum for people involved in the international theater industry, according to the organizer.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Florida's university system chancellor, responding to a push by Gov. Ron DeSantis , directed state universities Tuesday to disband campus groups with ties to the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization, marking the first punishments handed down to colleges here amid the Israel-Hamas war.

In a memo to school leaders, the state ordered a crack down on campus events led by the pro-Palestinian organization that the DeSantis administration claims amount to harmful support for terrorist groups like Hamas, which attacked Israel in early October. Florida, under Republican presidential candidate DeSantis, has staunchly supported Israel during the ongoing war and was monitoring college protests that have since ignited.

Based on the National SJPs support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated, state university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote Tuesday.

There are at least two Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at Florida universities facing cancellation through ties to the national organization, according to Rodrigues, who did not specify where the groups were located in the memo. The University of Florida and University of South Florida, though, both appear to have active SJP chapters.



Florida is targeting the groups over a toolkit published by the national organization that has received growing attention from officials. Rodrigues, for his part, seized on a portion of the toolkit that labeled the attack, now known as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as the resistance and claimed that Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.

By linking this document to SJP branches in Florida, the state contends that the groups are violating a state law that makes it felony to knowingly provide material support ... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

National SJP has affirmatively identified it is part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flooda terrorist led attack, Rodrigues wrote Tuesday. Rodrigues did not spell out any specific punishment the groups or schools would face if they didn't comply.

Heated rhetoric over the Israel-Hamas war has roiled colleges across the country, leaving some of the nations top schools struggling to address the campus fallout.

The punishments doled out to student groups come as state policymakers, such as DeSantis and Floridas only Jewish Republican state lawmaker, state Rep. Randy Fine, have pressed university leaders to penalize anti-Israel dissent on campuses across the state. More, too, could be coming, according to Rodrigues, who said Tuesday that future measures could include necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials.

Fine cheered the move to deactivate SJP chapters yet also bashed DeSantis for not acting sooner on the issue. Earlier in the day, the outspoken Republican lawmaker dropped his endorsement of DeSantis for president and endorsed Donald Trump after claiming the Republican governor has not done enough to counter antisemitism in Florida.

Why did it take me endorsing [Trump] to get you to take action? Fine posted on social media Tuesday. I gave you all of this on October 9th. I have the texts. All I got back was a bunch of handwringing.

The SJP chapters that are disbanded will be allowed to form new student groups outside of the national organizations purview, Rodrigues said in his memo. The chancellor asked universities to grant waivers for groups that seek to reapply as new organizations.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other state officials have taken significant action to enforce Floridas ban on investing in companies accused of participating in boycotts of Israel.

On Wednesday, the Florida State Board of Administration added Morningstar, a multi-billion dollar investment research company based in Chicago, to Floridas list of Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The decision was made during a brief livestream meeting, with Attorney General Ashley Moody and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis joining Gov. DeSantis in their roles as trustees of the State Board of Administration.

In May I signed legislation to strengthen Floridas prohibition on investing with companies that boycott Israel, Gov. DeSantis stated. In reviewing todays report, and in consultation with staff, its clear Morningstar, a company currently under continued examination, may be in violation of these new provisions of law.

The Florida list, established by a 2016 law and updated earlier this year, requires divestment from companies on the list.

READ: Florida lawmakers question whether pro-Israel bills in special session will make a real impact

The law states that if the company continues to boycott Israel, the public fund must sell, redeem, divest, or withdraw all publicly traded securities of the company from the public fund within 12 months after the companys most recent appearance on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List.

According to the revised law, Morningstar will now have a 90-day window to rectify actions that are deemed to be part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which had been reportedly critical of Israels treatment of Palestinians.

However, Morningstar had previously issued a news release in 2022 in which they disassociated themselves from the BDS campaign. Morningstar previously committed to adopting all the recommendations from an independent investigation into anti-Israel bias allegations.

The Morningstar news release also outlined additional measures aimed at addressing anti-Israel bias in environmental, social, and governance ratings through their subsidiary, Sustainalytics.

As of June 30, the Florida Retirement System reportedly held 26,343 shares of Morningstar stock with a total value of $5.9 million.

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MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - A woman in South Florida was arrested and charged after her Florida Highway Patrol-inspired car turned troopers' heads while driving down the highway. There was an FHP-inspired wrap on the car that the woman reportedly had added because she "fell in love with the color scheme," according to an incident report.

Iulia Pugachev of Hollywood was pulled over on Oct. 10 on the Palmetto Expressway in Miami-Dade County. Troopers saw the black and tan car with a decal on the side that said "FSO Guard," the report said. There was also a decal closely resembling a police department badge and a blue and white light bar on top of the car, troopers added.

Photo: Florida Highway Patrol

Troopers told Pugachev that no vehicle in the state of Florida can have the same color scheme as FHP's marked patrol cars. The 28-year-old woman said she wasn't aware, and told troopers she bought the vehicle as is from a car auction.

Photo: Florida Highway Patrol

She later told troopers that she contracted a mechanic at a body shop in Hollywood to install the blue and white light bar system, the report said. At a nearby wrap business, she asked for the car to be "black and tan because she had previously seen FHP's marked patrol units and fell in love with the color scheme," the report continued.

MORE FLORIDA HEADLINES :

Photo: Florida Highway Patrol

Pugachev was arrested for operating a motor vehicle without registration, imitation on a Florida Highway Patrol marked unit and misuse of a dealer license plate. She was transported to Turner Guilford Knight, but due to "staffing issues and TGK not accepting hard copies because of their network failure," Pugachev was uncuffed and signed a charging document and notice to appear.
Stream FOX 35 News:

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida woman has found herself behind bars after allegedly pushing an elderly woman to the ground amid a heated argument about a boil water notice, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Jennifer Meredith was arrested and charged with domestic battery on person 65 years or older after the incident that unfolded in Marion County on Monday, according to an arrest affidavit.

A witness told deputies they saw an "elderly lady was pushed to the ground by another female," the affidavit said.

When deputies arrived to the scene, they made contact with Meredith, who said she and the elderly woman were in an argument "over the water because they are on a boil notice and the victim continues to drink the water without boiling it," the affidavit said.

Photo: Marion County Sheriffs Office

According to Marion County Utilities, a precautionary boil water notice was issued Friday and was listed Monday for parts of Marion County.

The victim told deputies that Meredith became upset with her because she was drinking the water without boiling it first, the report said. She also reportedly grabbed her water cup and threw it across the yard so she couldn't drink it. When she went to pick the cup off the ground, Meredith allegedly came over to her and started to hit her on the shoulder before pushing her to the ground.

Deputies said they saw a cut on the woman's hand and bruising where she was punched on her shoulder, consistent with her side of the story, the affidavit said.

MORE FLORIDA WOMAN :

Meredith told deputies she did not push the woman to the ground, nor punch her in the shoulder.

She was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail, where she remains held on $2,000 bond, according to arrest records.
(This Oct. 24 story has been refiled to correct the name to the 'University of South Florida', from 'Florida State University', in paragraph 5)

By Andrew Hay

(Reuters) - Floridas university system, working with Governor Ron DeSantis , ordered colleges on Tuesday to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization, marking the first U.S. state to outlaw the group whose national leadership backed Hamas' attack on Israel.

The State University System of Florida said chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had to be dismantled as part of a "crack down" in the Republican-led state on campus demonstrations that provide "harmful support for terrorist groups."

"Based on the National SJPs support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," the system's Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a memo to university leaders.

SJP is active in at least two Florida universities, Rodrigues said.

The University of Florida and University of South Florida have SJP chapters, based on Instagram sites. The National SJP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have led to harassment and assaults at U.S. universities since Hamas' Oct.7 attack and Israel's siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Administrators at some U.S. universities criticized the National SJP after it called Hamas' attack "a historic win for the Palestinian resistance" and called for a "day of resistance" on Oct. 12 with demonstrations by its chapters at over 200 colleges in America and Canada.

DeSantis, a White House candidate, has taken a hard line against Palestinians, suggesting Gazan civilians be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases hostages it took during its attack.

Florida's university system said it based its SJP ban on a "toolkit" issued by the national organization to chapters that referred to Hamas' attack as "the resistance" and stated "Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement."

In his memo, Rodrigues said National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and it was a felony under Florida law "to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization."

(Reporting By Andrew Hay)
The Government is looking at ways to cut down on prison numbers - Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Foreign criminals will be freed from jail up to 18 months early if they agree to be deported under new laws laid before Parliament to ease the prisons overcrowding crisis.

Alex Chalk , the Justice Secretary, is amending the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to enable foreign criminals to be deported home up to 18 months before their scheduled release date.

This increases by six months the current position where foreign criminals can be deported to their home country 12 months before their scheduled release date.

Under the terms of the scheme, the deported criminal is not subject to further imprisonment and is a free person once back in their home country. They are, however, banned from returning to the UK.

They are also required to have completed at least a quarter of their sentence in the UK before they become eligible for release abroad under the scheme.

The move is part of a series of measures by ministers after they ran out of space in jails in England and Wales. Last Friday, there were just 764 prison places left although this was up from the previous week as the Ministry of Justice emergency plan started to take effect. Last week, 69 prisoners were freed 18 days early.

Yesterday, however, a Lords committee which scrutinises legislation warned it could undermine confidence in the criminal justice system as shorter sentences for foreign nationals could lessen the deterrent to them committing crime.

It said ministers had failed to spell out who would be eligible, how many prisoners would be affected and which types of offences would be covered so that peers could make an assessment of its effectiveness.

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, member of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee said: The policy could be seen as reducing the punishment of overseas criminals in order to ensure that UK citizens can continue to be sent to prison.

In addition, the policy risks reducing the deterrents for overseas citizens to commit crime, potentially undermining confidence in the criminal justice system.

That the department has provided no analysis of these and other operational risks is disappointing and means that it is impossible to assess properly whether the change is appropriate. We have suggested that the House may wish to press the Minister on our areas of concern.

Terrorists excluded

Under the scheme, terrorists are excluded as are any criminals on indeterminate jail terms such as life sentences for murder, rape or violence. It will however include those on fixed determinate sentences which will include some violent and sexual offenders as well as burglars, thieves and drug dealers.

Ministry of Justice officials maintained there would be rigorous assessments to ensure that any prisoner who had been violent in jail, or was judged to be a risk on release would also be barred.

Ministers have said that bringing forward the date of release for deportation will save 70,000 per inmate over the 18 months.

The Ministry of Justice said more than 3,100 foreign criminals have already been removed in the year to March, but 10,500 remain locked up in England and Wales.

More caseworkers will be deployed to speed up removals.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: Thousands of prisoners have already been removed under this scheme which has been running for nearly 20 years. Our changes simply mean foreign national offenders who cost the taxpayer 47,000 a year to imprison can be deported earlier and prevented from coming back to the UK.

They must still serve at least half of the custodial part of their sentence in prison and terrorists, murderers and other criminals serving life sentences are still excluded.

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A former Estero High School clinical assistant pleaded not guilty to having a relationship with a student ahead of her Monday arraignment.

Yuriria Del Carmen Angeles-Sanchez, 21, entered a plea of not guilty Oct. 16. She is out on bail as of Sept. 21.

In January, deputies received information regarding a female employee having sexual contact with a 15-year-old. The suspect was identified as Angeles-Sanchez, employed by Lee County Schools.

She faces a felony charge of lewd behavior by a person 18 years or older.

The investigation began with the school resource officer.

A student told the officer she heard a rumor stating the victim was sexually involved with the clinical assistant, on and off campus, according to an arrest warrant. Clinical assistants provide first aid and health care to students.

The arrest: Former Estero High School employee had relationship with a 15-year-old student, police say

Lee County Schools immediately suspended her when notified of the allegations, according to district spokesperson Robert Spicker.

"She never returned to the school and her contract expired in June," Spicker wrote in an email.

The Department of Child and Family Services was notified and took over the investigation. Two detectives from the Special Victims Unit were also involved.

She was arrested Sept. 20.

Her next court date is Dec. 27.

Emma Behrmann is a breaking news reporter for The Naples Daily News and News-Press. You may reach her at emma.behrmann@naplesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Estero school nurse enters innocent plea; accused of sex with student
A synagogue under police guard in Berlin, Germany, after a spate of anti-Semitic incidents - Markus Schreiber/AP

German police have arrested an ex-Islamic State (IS) terrorist suspected of plotting an attack on a pro-Israel rally.

Tarik S, a German-Egyptian national, had allegedly planned to drive a lorry into a demonstration and spoke in online chat groups about wanting to die as a martyr, according to local media reports.

The 29-year-old was arrested by a special operations unit at his home in the western city of Duisburg after officers reportedly received a tip-off from an unnamed foreign intelligence service.

The Der Spiegel news website, citing sources close to authorities, reported that it was unclear whether the suspect had been targeting a specific demonstration.

But the alert was deemed sufficiently serious for him to be arrested under the Risk Prevention Act, according to media reports.

Echoes of Berlin attack

Federal police said his alleged plot may have been motivated by the war between Israel and Hamas, the Bild newspaper reported.

The Middle East conflict has a very high potential for emotionalisation, which can be expressed at any time in Germany in the context of spontaneous meetings and vigils on both sides, the force was quoted as saying.

The suspect was also said to have been influenced by the murder of two Swedes in Brussels last week, according to police.

The alleged plan echoed an attack in December 2016 by Anis Amri, an Islamic State-inspired terrorist who drove an articulated lorry into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others.

State prosecutors are currently interrogating the suspect and officers have conducted a search of his home. A neighbour had complained about late-night noise from his apartment, the Bild newspaper reported.

The man was always friendly, but what stood out: he was up all night and you got the impression that he was building something. It was loud until the morning, the neighbour was quoted as saying.

Five-year sentence

In 2017, the suspect was sentenced to five years in prison under juvenile law for membership of a terrorist group by the Dusseldorf regional court over his links with IS.

It is unclear when he left prison following the sentencing.

The suspect reportedly travelled to Syria via Turkey aged 20 at the end of 2013, where he joined the terrorist group.

He became known within the group as Osama the German as it embarked on its failed crusade to set up an Islamic caliphate, according to Bild.

During his time in Syria, the suspect posed in front of a victim of a beheading and urged German believers to come to the land of honour, the newspaper reported.

On his return to Germany in 2016, he was arrested at Frankfurt Airport.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
The former Englewood Cliffs borough attorney is suing a Republican group and several candidates running for council, accusing them of defaming his character.

Albert Wunsch filed a lawsuit against the Council to Elect Republicans, mayoral candidate Mark Park, council candidates Zhi Liang and Rivka Biegacz, and Penny Rousouli, an officer of the Englewood Cliffs Republican Party.

The lawsuit says flyers were emailed to residents of Englewood Cliffs on Oct. 7 saying Wunsch was involved in "unethical and criminal behavior." A mailer was sent to all the residents of the borough the next day making similar accusations.

Former Englewood Cliffs borough attorney Albert Wunsch, at right, filed a lawsuit against the Council to Elect Republicans, mayoral candidate Mark Park; council candidates Zhi Liang and Rivka Biegacz; and Penny Rousouli, an officer of the Englewood Cliffs Republican Party.

Some of the alleged defamatory statements include an allegation that flooding in town occurs because Councilman Kris Kim was "scheming to pay off Democrat professionals" rather than fix the problem. Wunsch said it is implied that he is one of the professionals referred to in the flyer.

Another publication accused Kim of giving "Wunsch and Co." millions "in the name of settlement" instead of using tax dollars to fix the flooding problems. The lawsuit says it implies there is a "grand scheme of theft and fraud" in Englewood Cliffs organized by the plaintiff.

Question of payments

Wunsch was also accused of being paid over $800,000 to sell out the town, and the lawsuit says any money paid to Wunsch by Englewood Cliffs was in his capacity as special counsel.

One of the publications also accused Wunsch of being paid to run the Democratic Party in the borough, which he denied, noting he had only been paid for services.

Seeks retractions and apology

Wunsch said he has received numerous phone calls from clients and residents regarding the allegations.

A cease and desist letter was sent to the defendants on Oct. 9.

Wunsch is seeking to have both publications retracted, an apology and admission that the flyers were false and untruthful, and a prohibition barring the defendants from publishing anything defamatory about him.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Former Englewood Cliffs NJ lawyer sues council candidates
FILE - U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C. speaks during a hearing, Sept. 18, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Walker announced Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, that he is dropping out of the Republican primary for governor in 2024 and will instead try to take back his Greensboro-area seat in the U.S. House. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Just after the North Carolina General Assembly gave final approval Wednesday to a new congressional map favoring Republicans, a former congressman announced he is dropping out of the Republican primary for governor to try to win back his seat in the U.S. House.

Ex-U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, a former Baptist pastor from Greensboro, launched a bid Wednesday to reclaim the district he had represented on Capitol Hill for six years. He held the seat until a previous redistricting cycle opened the door for Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning to take office.

I didnt really leave voluntarily, Walker said in an interview with The Associated Press. Now that the General Assembly has restored the 6th District to how its historically been represented, which is conservative Republican, it felt like this was the right time to reengage with everything going on in the country."

The Republican-led General Assembly approved a plan Wednesday for North Carolinas 14 U.S. House seats, creating 10 districts that appear to favor Republicans, three that favor Democrats and one that could be considered competitive, according to statewide election data. Each party currently holds seven of the state's congressional seats.

The state Supreme Court flipped from a Democratic to a Republican majority in the 2022 elections, and the panel ruled in April that the state constitution placed no limits on shifting district lines for partisan gain. The ruling gave state lawmakers the freedom to fashion new boundaries that could help the GOP pick up at least three seats in the U.S. House next year.

Walker served three terms in Congress from 2015 to 2021. He ran unsuccessfully in the states 2022 U.S. Senate primary. In May, he entered a crowded field for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, joining Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and State Treasurer Dale Folwell.

Walker now plans to challenge Manning, a second-term congresswoman, who said in a statement last week that the newly Republican-leaning 6th Congressional District takes away her constituents' rights to fair representation by lumping together several vastly different counties.

Walker said he no longer saw a clear path forward to win the gubernatorial nomination and determined that dropping out would give Republicans a better shot of winning the office, which has been held by Democrats for much of the past three decades.

State Attorney General Josh Stein and former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan are competing for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Republican supermajorities in the General Assembly passed legislation this year limiting the governor's power to appoint people to key boards and commissions, which Walker said was a deterrent to continuing his gubernatorial campaign.

With the supermajorities in the statehouse, it really put parameters on what a governor can actually lead or execute in that branch of government, he said. We just came to the conclusion that if we were going to maximize our service, we felt like this was the best path to move forward.

___

Hannah Schoenbaum is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
A key forum took place in Chengdu, Sichuan province, during the recent 81st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), delving into humanity's potential future and science fiction's role in shaping it.

China's sci-fi luminary Wang Jinkang delivers a keynote speech at a forum during the 81st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 21, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

Titled "Sci-fi Frontiers: A Forum on Exploring Science Fiction and The Development of Humanity," the Oct. 21 event gathered Chinese sci-fi creators, scholars, and industry professionals to discuss a singular theme: the relationship between science fiction and humanity's future development.

Yin Chuanhong, deputy secretary of the Chinese Writer Association of Science Popularization, said, "Science fiction opens a window to the unknown world." He elaborated on the creativity of sci-fi writers, emphasizing their ability to "inspire the public to explore, leading readers to cutting-edge science and technology."

Wang Jinkang, a towering figure in China's sci-fi community, echoed this sentiment. "With the rapid development of biotechnology and artificial intelligence, technology's impact has shifted from transforming the objective world to transforming humans themselves," he noted in his keynote address. "Science fiction can enlighten technological innovation, while scientific discoveries and technological advancements can also inspire the creativity of sci-fi writers."

But science fiction doesn't solely grapple with the technological aspects of the future. Wang Quangen, a professor at the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Normal University, explored the philosophical dimensions. He explained that sci-fi serves as a tool for humans to "imagine and think about the future," noting, "The significant value of sci-fi lies in inspiring us toward philosophical thinking, social responsibility, and the integration of scientific and literary thought."

Later in the forum, roundtable discussions were held. Two topics seemed to capture the spirit of the age: the future of urban living and science fiction's role in forecasting technological shifts.

One theme explored the evolution of urban life. As cities expand and technology becomes increasingly woven into our daily routines, questions arise about the trajectory of urban living. Liu Bing, a professor at the Department of the History of Science at Tsinghua University's School of Humanities, described the ideal city as one that "serves people and makes life more comfortable and better." He believes the scenarios presented in sci-fi works are diverse, offering various visions for the future.

The discussions took a speculative turn with insights from sci-fi writer and screenwriter Fu Guofeng, who posited the emergence of cities in unprecedented locations  underground, under the sea, or even in outer space. "Each will produce a culture different from land cities," he said. In these potential future urban landscapes, the vast web of data and interconnected lifestyles would necessitate the embrace of AI for management. However, he noted, "The responsibility for decisions made by AI involves ethical issues."

Cui Li, a senior partner at the Beijing-based Jingshi Law Firm, pointed out that the emergence of AI technology has made copyright protection for science fiction works more challenging. Cui called for governments at all levels to strengthen communication with sci-fi industry professionals and promote the formulation of relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

Sci-fi writers, expert scholars, and industry professionals join two panels of roundtable discussions during a forum held during the 81st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 21, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

The second roundtable discussion, titled "The Significance of Science Fiction in Foreseeing Future Technology," was no less compelling. Gan Weikang, vice-chair of the Chinese Nebula Awards Organizing Committee and president of EV/SFM, championed inclusivity in the sci-fi domain, pushing for "more manpower, capital, and resources to participate and expand its audience."

Sci-fi writer Baoshu provided a bridge between technology and fiction, emphasizing that science fiction simulates the model of future technology, helping us face future challenges with a positive mentality. Fellow writer Duan Ziqi suggested that regardless of a work's technological narrative, it invariably returns to the human experience, hinting at an "infinitely possible future." In a poignant reflection, He Minghan described science fiction as an art form not just designed to predict the future, but also to "evoke emotional resonance" and prepare us for potential challenges.

Subsequently, the forum's attendees also promoted the second Science Fiction Planet Award. This award was initiated by four science fiction industry insiders: Wang Jinkang, Liu Cixin, Wu Yan, and Frant Gwo. Currently, in its solicitation process, the award has established four categories: the Technology Award, the Literature Award, the Work Award, and the Contribution Award. Under these categories are numerous sub-awards, with a total prize pool of 6.65 million yuan. ($910,000).

With the Chengdu Worldcon having concluded, the global sci-fi community is now setting its sights on Glasgow, which is slated to host next year's Worldcon. The 2025 Worldcon will be held in Seattle, as decided by a vote in Chengdu.

Wang Weiying, director general of the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, reflected on the broader significance of the Chengdu Worldcon. She viewed the event as a "milestone" that symbolizes China's growing integration with the global science fiction community. "Chengdu, a city with a rich cultural identity, provides this international event with a distinct ambiance," Wang observed. She hoped that this unique gathering would serve as a platform to showcase the dynamism of Chinese sci-fi to the world.
Nick Turnbull admitted driving a police car while under the influence of alcohol

A former Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) who was convicted of drink driving has been barred from working with the police in future.

A panel ruled that Nick Turnbull's actions amounted to gross misconduct and that he would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned.

He admitted driving a Wiltshire Police car in Salisbury in March while under the influence of alcohol.

Turnbull was disqualified from driving for a year in August.

His actions were reported by other officers and he was suspended from the force, before resigning.

He has now been added to the College of Policing Barred Advisory List.

Det Insp Adam Leakey said: "Clearly, the actions of Mr Turnbull fly in the face of the standards the public rightly expect from us.

"He could have posed a significant risk to the public, his colleagues and himself.

"He will never be able to pursue a career in policing again."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Two Fort Liberty soldiers were arrested in Harnett County this week on drug charges following a months-long drug probe of special operation forces soldiers that started in January, according to court records.

Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Christopher Wallen, 37, and Staff Sgt. Travis Charles Rahmer, 29, both of the 100 block of Swain Street in the Harnett County portion of Spring Lake, were each arrested by Harnett County deputies Monday on one count of felony possession of a controlled substance and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, court records stated.

Bail for each was set at $5,000 unsecured.

Wallen's arrest warrant information was not immediately available, but Rahmer's warrant alleges he possessed psilocybin mushrooms, which resulted in the felony charge, along with 10 "dosage units" of Adderall and a single "dosage unit" of 30 milligrams of oxycodone hydrochloride. A dosage unit is presumably a pill.

Two Fort Liberty soldiers were arrested on drug charges in Harnett County on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023.

A spokesman for the 1st Special Forces Command at Fort Liberty said Wednesday that both soldiers fall under the command.

Rahmer, of Seaside, California, is a psychological operations specialist belonging to the 4th Psychological Operations Group. He joined the Army in February 2011, said Maj. Russell Gordon, a spokesman for the 1st Special Forces Command. Rahmer has had multiple assignments at Fort Liberty over the years, Gordon said.

Wallen, of Fayetteville, is a Special Forces communication sergeant in the 3rd Special Forces Group, whos been in the Army since 2004 and with the 3rd Group since 2021, Gordon said.

Gordon said Rahmer and Wallens arrests are a result of information gathered, and shared, from an ongoing investigation by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division from January of this year along with the support of the command.

In January, 15 U.S. Army Special Operations Command soldiers were detained by the Army Criminal Investigation Division as part of its ongoing efforts to identify and mitigate the use of illegal narcotics, CID officials said.

A USASOC spokesman said two of the 15 soldiers were immediately cleared, in January.

What top Special Operations Command general says about drugs, crime at Fort Bragg

In a February letter sent to concerned senators, the Department of Defense confirmed 31 fatal drug overdoses at Fort Liberty between 2017 and 2021.

While they are innocent until proven guilty, we are encouraged to see progress in the ongoing investigation as these arrests demonstrate the Army's commitment to accountability and to reduce and eliminate drug use and drug-related crime, Gordon said. Further, these alleged actions do not reflect the values of the Army and the Special Operations community.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Liberty soldiers arrested after months-long drug probe
China Evergrande founder's fortune plunged to $979 million, from its peak of $42 billion in 2017.

The wealth plunge follows a tumble in Evergrande's share price.

Once China's second-largest property developer, Evergrande has been mired in a debt crisis since 2021.

Hui Ka Yan, the founder and chairman of embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande, was once Asia's second-richest person worth $42 billion in 2017. But the tycoon has fallen far from his perch.

Hui  who is now under police surveillance  recently lost his billionaire status after his fortune plunged 98% from its peak amid a debt crisis, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index on Wednesday.

Currently worth $979 million, Hui's net worth followed a dive in the share price of Evergrande amid a real-estate sector meltdown in China. It's unclear how much of Hui's wealth is derived from his stake in Evergrande, but the 65-year-old holds a 60% stake in the company and is Evergrande's largest shareholder.

Hui's wealth has also taken a big hit from the recent wild swings in the company's share price on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Evergrande stock had resumed trading on the exchange in August following a 17-month suspension since March 2022. But the shares were suspended again on September 28 following news that Hui was under police watch. Stocks resumed trading again days later on October 3.

Hui's fortune has been under pressure since Evergrande's debt woes started nearly two years ago.

Once China's second-largest developer, Evergrande has been mired in a liquidity crisis since 2021. It first defaulted on an offshore dollar bond in December of that year. The real-estate giant has also been weighed down by over $300 billion worth of debt at the end of 2022. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in the US in August.

The company was so debt-laden, that it sold a luxury yacht for $32 million earlier this year to raise money, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources.

Evergrande's share price was up 0.4% at 24 Hong Kong cents, or 5.4 cents, at 10.05 a.m. Hong Kong time on Wednesday. The stock is down 85% so far this year.

Representatives for Evergrande did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
After the heist, the parking lot was strewn with ten-cent pieces, but prosecutors say a group of four men made off with about $234,500 worth of dimes in a brazen Philadelphia-area truck robbery earlier this year, according to unsealed charges.

On 13 April, Rakiem Savage, 25; Ronald Byrd, 31; Haneef Palmer, 30; and Malik Palmer, 32, allegedly used tire irons and bolt cutters to break into a semi-truck carrying a massive load of dimes from the US Mint in Philadelphia to Miami, according to federal prosecutors.

At the time, officials were baffled by the robbery, and how the thieves planned to launder their conspicuous haul of small coins.

Ive never seen anything like this, Officer Miguel Torres of the Philadelphia Police Department told The New York Times in April. Thats the weird part about this, he added. How do they expect to use it?

Six men in total were seen on surveillance footage during the robbery.

Eventually, police investigating the incident noticed a pair of vehicles that were present at a series of area trailer robberies  including thefts of frozen seafood and liquor  and identified the four Philadelphia men now accused of conspiracy, robbery, theft of government money and other charges.

Four men have been charged with stealing millions of dimes from a US Mint shipment headed to Miami in April 2023 (FOX29 Philadelphia)

Another alleged heist from the crew allegedly involved the group pulling a truck driver from his vehicle and forcing him to lie down on the pavement as six refrigerators were stolen.

One of the men allegedly sent others in the alleged theft ring an online link to a coin value calculator, and the group was allegedly recorded converting the dimes into cash at Coinstar machines in Maryland and suburban Philadelphia banks, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Arnold Joseph, an attorney for Malik Palmer, told The New York Times his client disputes the charges and is prepared to mount a defense.
Consequences of Russia's strike

Russian military forces have carried out 86 shelling attacks against Kherson Oblast over the past 24 hours; four people have been injured, and more may be trapped under rubble, according to Oleksandr Prokudin , the head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Oct. 25.

The invaders unleashed attacks utilizing various types of weaponry, with an escalation after 10 p.m. when the enemy launched a total of 13 guided bombs, Prokudin said.

Read also:

In total, from 6 a.m. on Oct. 24 to 6 a.m. on Oct. 25, 35 flights of guided aerial bombs were recorded. Additionally, there was a missile strike and an attack using a Shahed drone.

The full extent of the destruction is yet to be determined as local authorities assess the aftermath.

Read also:

In total, Russian military forces are reported to have fired 389 shells from mortars, artillery, Gradrocket launchers, tanks, aviation, and UAVs.

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Eight humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said. Photo courtesy of Palestine Red Crescent Society/X

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A fourth convoy of aid has entered Gaza, according to a Palestinian humanitarian organization, which said the trucks contained water, food and medicine but no fuel.

The eight trucks entered Gaza from Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.

The Palestine Red Crescent receives the fourth batch of humanitarian aid from its Egyptian counterpart at the Rafah crossing, consisting of 8 trucks: 5 trucks of water 2 trucks of food 1 truck of medicine.#Gaza #humantarianaid pic.twitter.com/y5bZUOGCPe PRCS (@PalestineRCS) October 24, 2023

A total of 62 humanitarian aid trucks have now entered Gaza since Saturday when Egypt opened the border crossing after U.S. President Joe Biden secured a deal with Cairo to permit supplies into the blockaded Palestinian enclave and from Israel to not interfere in the transfer.

None of the trucks that have entered the country have contained fuel, which Palestinian and United Nations officials have repeatedly said Gaza will run out of soon, which will affect the operation of the strip's facilities, including hospitals, as Israel has cut electricity and water to the region.

The United Nations relief agency in Gaza said it will have used up its fuel supplies in the next two days, "putting at risk the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in need."

Fuel stocks at functioning UNRWA primary healthcare centers are about to run out, it said, and Palestinian health officials have warned that the lack of fuel puts patients at risk.

At least 12 hospitals and 32 health centers in Gaza are out of service, and the Palestinian health ministry fears that more will stop operating in the coming hours due to Israeli's incessant bombing and a lack of fuel.

"We call on the international community to quickly supply hospitals with fuel to save thousands of wounded and sick people," the ministry said.

A spokesman for the ministry said in a separate statement that their immediate priority is fuel and emergency medical supplies. "The situation of hospitals does not allow the simplest medical service to the injured and patients," the spokesman said on Facebook.

The quantity of humanitarian aid entering Gaza starting last weekend is a small fraction of the hundreds of trucks a day that would cross into the enclave prior to Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel, which catalyzed the Middle Eastern country to wage war against the militant group.

U.N. officials have said the trucks that have entered represent no more than 4% of the daily volume of aid that Gazans received pre-war.

"The aid delivered to Gaza so far is barely making a dent," Martin Griffiths, U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, tweeted Tuesday.

"We need more, and we need it now. We need it to include fuel. And we need it to go to civilians in need wherever they are. I can't stress this enough."

Lynn Hasting, deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday via teleconference that the shipments of aid have provided a "glimmer of hope" to those facing a dire situation.

However, fuel, she said, is essential for powering services that people need to survive.

"Without fuel, our humanitarian operation will stop," she said. "No fuel means no hospitals functioning, no desalination of water and no baking."

Many people are being forced to drink saline groundwater, raising risks of sickness and disease, she said, calling on Israel to return water and electricity to pre-war levels and to work with them on finding a secure way to bring fuel in.

Trucks with some 105,668 gallons of fuel are ready, she said, which will provide enough energy for another 60 hours.

The Israeli military is not allowing fuel into Gaza over fears that it will fall into the hands of Hamas.

Amid the pleas for fuel, Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories agency under the ministry of defense tweeted accusations that Hamas has "hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel" and that the militant group was keeping it from hospitals.

It even posted a editorial cartoon stating that while Hamas says its hospitals are without have fuel, it is hoarding barrels.

Who's got the fuel in Gaza? pic.twitter.com/Tv3XgqM5ZO COGAT (@cogatonline) October 24, 2023

According to the United Nations, more than 1.4 million Palestinians are internally displaced, nearly 600,000 of who are staying at UNRWA's 150 shelters.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Egypt's Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi both warned that a massive Israeli ground operation in Gaza would be a mistake (Christophe Ena)

A "massive" Israeli ground incursion into Gaza would be "an error", French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, warning it would harm civilians without ensuring Israel's long-term security.

The warning came as Macron held talks in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who also urged efforts "to avoid a ground invasion" in Gaza, where Israel is locked in a deadly confrontation with Hamas militants.

Israel has been relentlessly bombing the tiny Palestinian territory since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across its border, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seizing more than 220 others, officials say, in the worst attack in Israel's history.

Hamas officials say that so far, Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians. There are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages.

"A massive intervention that would put civilian lives at risk would be an error," said Macron after meeting Sisi, who also warned a ground operation would cause "many, many civilian casualties".

The French leader said "it would also be a mistake for Israel because it would be unlikely to offer long-term protection and because it is incompatible with protecting the civilian population or respecting international humanitarian law and the rules of war."

Egypt and Jordan were the first two Arab states to forge relations with Israel, in 1979 and 1994 respectively, and have since played key mediator roles.

Cairo has been one of the main brokers in efforts to secure the release of more than 200 hostages now held in Gaza.

After more than two weeks of relentless bombardment and siege by Israel, Gaza's already-fragile healthcare system is at risk of collapsing, with hospitals running out of essential supplies and fuel to power generators.

- No 'political horizon' -

Macron said on Wednesday that France would be sending a navy ship to support Gaza's hospitals within the next 48 hours.

France would also send a planeload of medical equipment to Egypt to be transported into Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Sisi called for a de-escalation, ceasefire and return to diplomacy, saying "the lack of a political horizon" had fuelled the current war.

Macron echoed Sisi's support for a "two-state solution" -- the cornerstone of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians that have been stalled for years.

"It is difficult at the moment to talk about the resumption of a peace process," Macron said, describing it as "more necessary than ever".

Worried that the Gaza bloodshed could exacerbate tensions across the wider Middle East, Arab leaders have repeatedly pushed for a return to a political process, with Jordan's King Abdullah II saying the war "might lead to an explosion" in the region.

Before meeting Macron, Sisi inspected Egyptian troops and told them to "always be ready" three days after an Egyptian border watchtower was hit by an accidental Israeli shelling that wounded several guards.

Egypt was doing all it could for a de-escalation and ceasefire, as well as to "support civilians in Gaza" by sending aid through the Rafah border crossing, he said.

vl-far/hmw/ami
CAIRO/PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron , at a joint news conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, said on Wednesday that humanitarian aid must enter into Gaza without obstacles.

Macron said that it was essential to get fuel supplies to hospitals, adding that a French navy ship would arrive soon to help bring support to Gaza hospitals and that a plane will arrive in Egypt with key supplies.

Macron also said that it was necessary to avoid regional escalation following the conflict between Israel and Hamas, adding that a two-state solution was necessary for peace in the Middle East.

"It is not because it is an old idea (a two-state solution) that it is an obsolete idea," he said.

Sisi said he had agreed with Macron to work to contain the crisis in Gaza, introduce aid and seek to prevent other parties from entering the conflict.

He added that Macron understood that any displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza strip towards Egyptian territory would be "extremely dangerous".

"We condemn all actions that affect all civilians and this should be addressed with one standard," Sisi added.

(Reporting by by Clauda Tanios in Cairo and Sudip Kar-Gupta and Geert De Clercq in Paris; Editing by Toby Chopra)
French President Emmanuel Macron talks to journalists on the tarmac of Cairo airport, Egypt, as he departs Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron sought to promote, yet with little success, the prospect of creating an "international coalition" to fight against the armed Palestinian militant group Hamas, during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

PARIS (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron sought to promote  with little success so far  the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas, during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.

Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didn't publicly address the issue.

The first response to the devastating Israel-Hamas war is the fight against terrorism, Macron said Wednesday after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

"The right response is to cooperate, to draw lessons from the international coalition against the Islamic State group that intervened in Iraq and Syria, he added.

Macron first made the proposal Tuesday after his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , mentioning the idea of a regional and international coalition against the Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu did not specifically comment on the French offer.

The French presidency later said the proposal was not about sending troops on the ground, but that it could rather involve sharing intelligence and combating the financing of terrorism.

It will be up to our partners, and Israel in particular, to express their needs, the French presidency said.

U.S. officials said they are aware of Macrons proposal and that it has been a subject of informal discussion within the administration and with other countries.

However, the officials said it has not reached the point of serious consideration mainly because there doesnt yet appear to be any Arab interest in creating such a force.

The U.S. believes Arab buy-in and actual participation  as there was with the anti-IS coalition  would be essential to the success of any multi-national operation, according to the officials who, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The U.S. State Department designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997. The European Union and other Western countries also consider it a terrorist organization.

Over the years, Hamas has received backing from Arab countries, such as Qatar and Turkey. Recently, it has moved closer to Iran and its allies.

During his meeting with Macron, King Abdullah II of Jordan called for the international community to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, according to the Jordanian royal court.

El-Sissi didn't address the coalition issue during his joint declaration with Macron.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Egyptian president cautioned his forces against any direct involvement in the war between Hamas and Israel, speaking in front of dozens of tanks in the port city of Suez.

My message to the army and people is not to make your military power make you rush into wrong decisions, el-Sissi said.

Before leaving Cairo on Wednesday evening, Macron told French reporters he felt both Egypt and Jordan's leaders were very worried about their region and said they were willing to work with some discretion especially regarding top security issues, which I want to respect.

Macrons office said talks with Frances partners will continue in the coming days, as the French president is to take part in a European summit starting Thursday in Brussels.

Macron had said he would travel to Israel only to be useful, as his visit came after those of U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italys Giorgia Meloni and The Netherlands Mark Rutte.

Heloise Fayet, a Middle-East researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, told French radio RFI one wonders what France and other countries ... could bring to Israel, which is one of the most advanced countries in the fight against terrorism.

___

Associated Press writers Jack Jeffery and Sam Magdy in Cairo and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to the story.
Insurance agents from Miami, Kendall and Doral fraudulently used others personal identification to claim they sold life insurance policies to people who didnt buy them, state investigators say.

The alleged lies, arrest forms say, brought the agents commissions from John Hancock Life Insurance.

In alphabetical order, the charged insurance agents are:

 Dorals Yuriatsi Carrasco, 35, has been charged with one count of false insurance claims, one count of third-degree grand theft and four counts of fraudulent use of personal identification. Carrasco was arrested Oct. 12 and released after posting $45,000 bond.

Kendalls Alexander Faneites-Garcia (spelled as Faneitas-Garcia in Miami-Dade court records), 59, has been charged with six counts of fraudulent use of personal identification. Faneites was arrested Oct. 17 and released after posting $15,000 bond.

Dorals Nicolas Giraldo Gutierrez, 25, has been charged with one count of false insurance claims, one count of third-degree grand theft and three counts of fraudulent use of personal identification. Giraldo was arrested Oct. 12 and released after posting $45,000 bond.

 Miamis Yanet Hernandez-Suarez, charged with one count of false insurance claims and one count of fraudulent use of personal identification. Hernandez was arrested Oct. 17 and released after posting $15,000 bond.

The arrests were announced Monday by the Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and first reported Tuesday by InsuranceJournal.com. The Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Investigative and Forensic Services handled the investigation.

These four licensed insurance agents, now charged with felonies, appeared to believe that their inside insurance position made them immune to prosecution, said a statement from Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. They were wrong.

Arrest reports say the four ran the same scheme at various times from November 2020 through January 2022: Take the name, birth date, Social Security number, drivers license number from a person who doesnt know his or her information has been stolen and fill out an application; answer the 11 medical questions; and fill in the persons name with an electronic signature.

Florida OFR says the four worked the scheme to get $38,799 from John Hancock. Acting on tips, investigators began talking in January with the people purported to buy the policies.

Who these licensed insurance agents can sell for now

An online check of state records say the insurance agent licenses for each remain valid. Here are the companies for which their license entries say they have active appointments, allowing them act as agents for those companies.

 Carrasco has been licensed to sell life insurance since October 2020. She can sell life insurance including variable annuity insurance appointments from S. USA Life Insurance, Great Western, American Amicable Life Insurance; life alone from Banner Life Insurance and Fidelity & Guarantee Life Insurance; life and health from United of Omaha Life Insurance; health from Sunshine State Health Plan, Molina Healthcare of Florida, Aetna Health, Coventry Health plan of Florida, Oscar Insurance Company of Florida, and Celtic Insurance.

 Hernandez has been licensed to sell life insurance since July 2020. Her active appointments allow her to sell life insurance from Primerica Life Insurance and health insurance from HealthSun Health Plans; Devoted Health Plan of Florida; Aetna Health; Simply Healthare Plans; Oscar Insurance Company of Florida; Molina Healthcare of Florida; Preferred Care Partners; Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance; Preferred Care Network; UnitedHealthcare, United HealthCare of Florida.

 Giraldo has been licensed to sell life insurance since September 2020. Hie can sell life insurance that includes a variable annuity from American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas; life including variable annuity & health from Cigna Health and Life; life insurance from Primerica Life; and health insurance from United HealthCare of Florida, Oscar Insurance, Health First Health Plans, Health First Commercial Plans, Celtic Insurance, Aetna Health, and Molina Healthcare of Florida.

 Faneitas has been licensed to sell life insurance since June 2017, but has no active appointments.
You are here: Business

Photo taken on May 10, 2021 shows a piece of gold ornament on display during the first China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China produced 271.248 tonnes of gold in the first nine months of 2023, up 1.261 tonnes or 0.47 percent compared with the same period last year, industry data showed Wednesday.



In the January-September period, gold consumption in China totaled 835.07 tonnes, up 7.32 percent year on year, according to the data released by China Gold Association (CGA).

Specifically, consumption of gold jewelry in the Chinese market rose 5.72 percent year on year to 552.04 tonnes, while that of gold bars and coins surged 15.98 percent from the same period in 2022 to 222.37 tonnes.

During the period, consumption of gold for industrial and other use fell 5.53 percent from a year earlier to 60.66 tonnes, CGA data showed.

In the third quarter alone, holdings of gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in China added 9.53 tonnes.

The figure brought total holdings of gold ETFs in the Chinese market to about 59.69 tonnes by the end of September, according to the association.
Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old Israeli woman, was released after being held hostage for 17 days by Hamas militants in Gaza, beaten in the ribs by her captors, and held in a spiderweb of underground tunnels.

Lifshitz was abducted from a kibbutz in southern Israel and on Tuesday, a day after her release, told reporters, I went through hell. During a news conference in Tel Aviv, she recalled being put on the back of a motorcycle and being beaten with sticks.

Many people stormed our homes, they beat people, some of them they abducted, like me, Lifshitz said, per the New York Times. It made no difference, they abducted the elderly and the young. She said she was taken through a network of underground tunnels in Gaza that she described as a spiderweb, and brought to a large hall with about 25 other people. Lifshitz said they were treated relatively well and given medicine, offered the same food as their captors, and checked upon by doctors. They treated us gently and fulfilled all of our needs, she said, but noted she could not speak on behalf other hostage groups that were held in different areas by different captors.

Lifshitz was released with Nurit Cooper, 79, on Monday; both of their husbands are still being held hostage in Gaza.

Last week, Hamas released two American hostages. Militants for the group that controls Gaza abducted mother and daughter Judith Raanan (who also goes by Yehudit Tai), 59, and Natalie Raanan (Natali Shoshana Raanan), 17, from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, during their invasion on Oct. 7.

Among the 200 hostages held in Gaza, the Times reported last week that the U.S. government believed 20 U.S. citizens had been taken hostage and 14 Americans had died in the incursion.

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If a Missouri court again allows a former Kansas City police detective to go free pending an appeal of his conviction in the killing of a Black man, it would be a rare and controversial decision, according to attorneys and legal experts in the Kansas City area.

Eric J. DeValkenaere, who is white, has requested to be released on bond while he appeals his 2021 conviction to the Missouri Supreme Court.

That would follow another unusual decision by a Jackson County court to allow the former officer to remain free on bond for nearly two years while taking his case to an appeals court, which upheld his conviction last week. DeValkenaere, 44, had been found guilty at trial of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the 2019 shooting death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

DeValkenaere was picked up from the Platte County jail Wednesday and transported to a prison in St. Joseph to begin serving a six-year sentence. He now has pending both the request for bond at the appeals court and a clemency application at the Missouri governors office.

Criminal defense attorneys in the Kansas City area said an appeal bond for DeValkenaere would send a message that a double standard operated in the legal system: That a police officer convicted of committing a crime against a Black person will be treated more leniently than another person who commits a crime.

Most people appealing a conviction for a serious crime must do so from prison, they said.

Sean OBrien, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor who has worked as a public defender, said most people convicted of serious crimes are not allowed to remain free on bond while they appeal their case to a higher court.

Its somewhat atypical that a defendant is free pending an appeal, OBrien said. Most defendants dont have the means to file an appeal bond. And, so this is somewhat rare.

Meanwhile, civil rights and activist groups across Missouri joined in opposing clemency or a pardon for the former officer.

Appeal bond requested for Eric DeValkenaere

Gary Witt, the chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District in Kansas City, signed the arrest warrant for DeVakenaere after the court upheld his conviction on Oct. 17.

Witt may also be the one to decide whether DeValkenaere will be freed pending the next appeal.

Deciding to release DeValkenaere again would be rare and unprecedented, said Arimeta DuPree, an attorney and former public defender who has represented over 50 criminal defendants charged with either manslaughter or homicide.

I dont have or know of any other criminal defendant whos been convicted of homicide or manslaughter who has been released on an appeal bond or whos been granted an appeal bond. So, this is really unprecedented, DuPree said.

Eric DeValkenaere testifies during his trial on Nov. 10, 2021, at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City.

If the Court of Appeals turns down his request to be released on bond, DeValkenaere could ask the Missouri Supreme Court to consider his motion, she said.

DuPree said depending on the courts schedule it might take months for it to decide whether to hear or rule on the bond request.

Craig M. Divine, a criminal defense attorney, said releasing a person a second time while pursuing a new appeal would be even more rare and controversial.

It certainly would be unusual for it to get the bond reinstated and for him to be released again, Divine said.

It would mean for the community . . . that you would have a lot of people who would be very upset, who feel like a man whos been convicted and had that conviction upheld would still be free and not having to do any time in custody, he said.

At the same time, if you or I were convicted of what he had been convicted of, we would be in custody while the appeal worked its way through and be serving our sentence. So hes already had a certain amount of professional courtesy extended to him. At some point that probably runs out, Divine said.

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs speaks during the trial of Eric DeValkenaere at the Jackson County Circuit Court Friday, Nov. 12, 2021.

Previous decision, new request anger Cameron Lambs family

The guilty verdict against DeValkenaere in 2021 marked the first time a Kansas City police officer was convicted in the killing of a Black man.

In an unexpected and rare move, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs, after finding DeValkenaere guilty at a bench trial, allowed him to remain free on bond while he appealed the conviction.

Prosecutors argued against the appeal bond, saying DeValkenaere should be treated no differently from other criminal defendants who were found guilty. They said at the time that he should not be rewarded with a special status because of his former employment.

Local attorneys said the release on bond pending appeal was so uncommon that they would not ask for it. Some lawyers said they thought that a defendant of color or without financial means would be unlikely to get the same result.

Bonds are normally increased or revoked after a defendant is convicted because they become a flight risk.

Relatives of Lamb and community activists said they were angry with that decision in 2021. And they were upset all over again with the new request last week.

Laurie Bey, mother of Cameron Lamb, speaks at an Oct. 18 news conference in Kansas City.

That shouldnt happen, Lambs mother Laurie Bey said at a rally in support of her family last week outside the Jackson County courthouse.

My son was killed December the 3rd, 2019 ... Up until yesterday, (DeValkenaere) had not served a day in jail. I just dont understand why do they continue to keep giving this man that killed an innocent man passes. Make it make sense to me. Make it make sense. It does not make sense.

Steve Young, a co-founder of the Kansas City Law Enforcement Accountability Project, or KC LEAP, was among those who said releasing DeValkenaere again would further reduce trust between Black people and police.

We continue to see how important a disgraced detectives life is when it comes to this system, Young said.

The more the community sees this play out, the more of a wedge it puts between the cops and us. The more distrust we have for the process.

The clearer the picture becomes that our lives dont matter. Not a single one of them believes in the rule of law. This is a two-tiered justice on display right in front of our eyes. KCPD will never have the trust of the community.

Missouri groups oppose clemency

Johnathan Shiflett, a spokesperson for Missouri Gov. Mike Parson , a Republican, said in an email to The Star Tuesday that DeValkenaeres family attorneys submitted a request for clemency to Parsons office.

The office has also received hundreds of additional calls and requests from private citizens on his behalf, he said.

Governor Parson has made no decision regarding clemency for Mr. DeValkenaere at this time, the email said. Shiflett said the clemency request was a closed record and he could not provide The Star with a copy.

A statewide coalition of civil rights organizations on Wednesday pleaded with Parson to reject the petition.

The letter was signed by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, Decarcerate KC, the Urban Summit in Kansas City, Action St. Louis, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City, Metropolitan Congregations United and the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity or MORE2.

In their letter to Parson, the groups said: Granting such a pardon would critically damage the already diminishing trust between our community and the justice system, endangering the well-being and safety of Kansas Citys residents and the larger Missouri community.

The oath and responsibility of the Governor is to uphold the rule of law and protect the human and civil rights of citizens, rather than usurping the rule of law by pardoning those duly and justly convicted of violent crimes against Black people, no matter the presence of a uniform or badge.
Fresnos school district says its prepared for a teachers strike and said it has proposed changes within its operations to meet the unions requests.

Fresno Unified School District issued an email statement Tuesday designed to reassure families, students, and staff that it is prepared to keep schools open, safe, and full of learning, during an active teacher strike.

Tuesday afternoons statement comes after district leaders and the Fresno Teachers Association met following the unions announcement of its plan to strike on Nov. 1.

Though the union and district say theyre committed to continuing negotiations to meet a mutual agreement, both sides have prepared for picket lines and work stoppages.

The disagreement between Fresno Unified and the FTA also comes at a time when union members filed an unfair practice charge against the district with the California Public Employment Relations Board for allegedly attempting to influence or intimidate union members and questioning district staff if they would participate in a potential strike.

Also, an independent fact-finder investigation concluded that bargaining has been unsuccessful because both parties have engaged in disrespectful behaviors that have obstructed trust-building, according to the report.

Manuel Bonilla, FTA president and teacher at McLane High School, said the union and district havent agreed on four key issues: Reducing class sizes and the caseload of special education programs, paying educators a wage that keeps up with inflation and maintaining the employee health fund.

The district stated it has offered proposals on these four issues to the union.

The district says it has provided raises over the years. According to what is called the Local Control Funding Formula, they received 26.9% cost of living adjustments while paying staff 32.7%, a rate the district said is larger than the 30.2% estimated increase of inflation. Fresno Unified now proposes to bring the total raise offering to 46.7% and claims that pay has outpaced inflation and will continue to do so.

As for class sizes and special education caseloads, the district said it proposed to add 100 classrooms across the district by moving 50 teachers on special assignment back into classrooms over the next two school years. This, it said, should help lower class sizes in addition to a yearly gradual reduction plan.

Fresno Teachers Association president Manuel Bonilla (center) publicly announced the union voted in favor of striking on Tuesday morning, Oct. 24, 2023 at the FTAs offices in Fresno. The vote in favor allowed the FTA executive board (standing behind Bonilla) to decide Nov. 1 will be the start of educators picket lines if they and Fresno Unified School District dont come to an agreement before then.

Besides the reassignment of teachers and plans to lower class sizes per year, the district also proposes creating a problem-solving committee with FTA and Fresno Unified leaders to work out long-term plans to lower class sizes and caseloads even further.

Regarding the maintenance of the employee health fund reserve, Fresno Unified stated its not only proposed to maintain it but also to grow it. The reserve sits at about $99 million, the district said, and with their second and latest package proposal from Oct, 13, the health fund is projected to grow to just over $200 million. The district anticipates the reserve will keep growing while health benefits are expected to improve and staff could have district-paid coverage with the proposed Bridge to Medicare plan.

During the FTAs morning announcement, Bonilla said the districts proposals hadnt met the unions liking, leading more than 3,450 members to vote in favor of striking. If an agreement isnt met by Nov. 1, Bonilla said FTA district employees will picket in schools across the district.

While union members voted in the course of several days, Fresno Unified approved the allocation of $3 million to cover expenses needed to prepare for the strike such as school materials, increased security and additional health personnel.

As of Tuesday afternoon, while the district issued this response, Fresno Unified and FTA leadership remained in negotiation meetings.
Over nine years after Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was murdered in his garage and the hired killers and a woman found guilty of facilitating the hit have been sent to prison, the accused mastermind behind it all  his former brother-in-law  is coming to trial.

The complicated, sensational case involving lengthy investigations by Tallahassee police and the FBI, a confession, wiretaps, recorded conversations, four arrests, three trials, and a COVID delay has made national news, features on Dateline and 20/20, and has been the subject of a popular true crime podcast.

Here's what you need to know.

Breaking it down: Walkthrough of witnesses making the case for, against Charlie Adelson

Dan Markel murder: The latest from jury selection in Charlie Adelson trial

GAVEL-TO-GAVEL COVERAGE: The Tallahassee Democrat will livestream each day of the trial of Charlie Adelson from the courthouse in Tallahassee. Watch on Tallahassee.com and the Tallahassee Democrat's Facebook and YouTube pages. For best viewing experience: Download the Tallahassee Democrat app to watch and receive text alerts on when to watch  from opening arguments to the verdict.

Who was Dan Markel? How was Dan Markel murdered?

Daniel Eric Markel was a Canadian-born Florida State law professor, author and prominent legal scholar. He was married to fellow FSU professor Wendi Adelson and they had two young sons, but they separated in 2012 and battled through an extremely acrimonious and bitter divorce in 2013.

On July 18, 2014, Latin Kings gang leader Luis Rivera and his childhood friend Sigfredo Garcia, who had driven up to Tallahassee from Miami in a rented Toyota Prius, stalked Markel as he dropped the boys off at preschool, hit the gym, and returned to his home on Trescott Drive in Betton Hills, according to testimony from Rivera.

"As soon as we pulled in, Garcia jumped out and went behind his car to the drivers side and shot him, Rivera told prosecutors. Twice.

A neighbor saw Markel in his garage and called 911, but due to an initial prioritization error by the dispatcher, an ambulance didn't arrive for 19 minutes. Markel was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare where he died the next day. Markel was 41.

What was the motive behind Dan Markel's murder?

A photo of Dan Markel and his two sons is shown on the screen in the courtroom as his mother, Ruth Markel, gives her victim impact statement during sentencing for Sigfredo Garcia in 2019.

For the shooters, cash.

Rivera, already in prison for an unrelated racketeering case, testified that he and were paid $100,000 in a murder-for-hire plot. They received the money in stacks of stapled hundred dollar bills the next day and they split it with the mother of Garcia's children, Katherine Magbanua, who Rivera said set up the deal and was the first person Garcia called on the ride back to Miami after the shooting.

According to prosecutors, Markel's murder stemmed from the desperate desire of the Adelson family for Wendi and the two sons to move to South Florida. In 2012, while Markel was away, Adelson had moved out of their house with the children and most of the couple's possessions and left divorce papers on the bed, according to court filings. Markel won 50/50 custody and an order prohibiting Adelson from moving them away in the divorce and the two parents battled in court for months over every detail of their children's lives.

In 2014, Markel filed motions claiming Adelson had misrepresented her financial assets and had taken a 2-caret ring belonging to Markel's great-aunt, a Holocaust survivor. He also filed a motion to prevent Wendi Adelson's mother, Donna, from having unsupervised time with the children after hearing about disparaging remarks she was making about him to the children.

In the arrest affidavit for Sigfredo Garcia, Wendi Adelson's brother Charlie Adelson and their mother Donna were implicated in the contract killing, although they were not charged at the time. The document said that Donna Adelson wanted Wendi to "coerce" Markel by offering him a $1 million deal or by threatening to enroll the children of the devoutly Jewish Markel in a Catholic school.

Through their attorneys, the Adelson family has consistently denied all connections to the killing and called the theories "fanciful fiction" in 2016.

Who is Charlie Adelson?

Wendi Adelson's brother Charles, who turns 47 next week, was a periodontist at the Adelson Institute in Fort Lauderdale, a dentistry practice he shared with his father. Emails uncovered in the investigation showed that Charlie Adelson didn't like his ex-brother-in-law.

The day after Markel was shot, Wendi Adelson admitted that Charlie had joked that buying her a TV was cheaper than hiring a hitman. A former boyfriend of Adelson, Jeffrey Lacasse, told investigators that Charlie Adelson had "looked into" hiring a hitman for $15,000 in the summer of 2013.

According to prosecutors, he found one through Katherine Magbanua.

Who is Katherine Magbanua?

At the time of the murder, Adelson was dating Magbanua, who was working on and off at the Adelson's dental practice. She was also the mother of the children of Sigfredo Garcia, the man who killed Markel.

When Rivera testified against Garcia, he said Garcia had told him we were going to kill the man for some kids for "a lady because the lady wanted her kids back. Rivera told jurors that he knew Wendi Adelson was paying for the hit and that "it was all Katie" (Magbanua) who connected them.

Investigators also tracked phone calls in the weeks leading up to the murder between Magbanua and Charlie Adelson, followed by phone contact between Magbanua and Garcia and between Charlie and Donna Adelson. Immediately after the murder, Donna Adelson talked to Charlie on the phone for seven minutes, and then he made two calls to Magbanua with one lasting five minutes. About an hour after that. Garcia called Magbanua, investigators said, the first call he made after shooting Markel.

Katherine Magbanua in court in 2019.

After the murder, Rivera and Garcia purchased several cars and motorcycles at about the same time that Magbanua began receiving paychecks from the family's dental practice. Investigators also found that Magbanua deposited more than $41,000 in cash and more than $17,000 in checks from the Adelson Institute into her bank account between July 2014 and Nov. 2015, mostly through ATMs in increments of $300 to $2,000. The checks were signed by Donna Adelson, who also worked at the family practice.

Magbanua maintained her innocence both in Garcia's 2019 trial, where the jury deadlocked on whether to convict her as well, and in her 2022 trial when she was found guilty of being the go-between in the murder-for-hire plot. But she admitted that Charlie Adelson may have been involved, and prosecutors linked her to Adelson both in the 'brutal act' itself and in repeated efforts to cover it up afterward.

Dan Markel murder: Walkthrough of witnesses making the case for, against Charlie Adelson

What is the Dolce Vita recording?

The key piece of evidence against Charlie Adelson is a conversation he had with Magbanua in 2016 at the Miami restaurant Dolce Vita about how to deal with someone they believed to be either a blackmailer or the police.

Earlier, an FBI agent had approached Donna Adelson, posing as Rivera's brother, and handed her a news article about Markel's murder with "$5,000" and a phone number written on it in a sting operation known as "the bump." The FBI was hoping to get suspects in the conspiracy talking among themselves. It worked.

During the more than 40-minute video recording, Adelson allegedly suggested making a one-time charity payment to the so-called blackmailer or else killing him. "And so help me God, if they f--k with my family, it's gonna be, like, f--king that Nazi sh-t because this will be done. You know what I'm saying? I mean, Katie, I don't care what I spend. Okay? I swear to God, Katie. Katie, the person doesn't know."

Evidence from the recording led to Magbanua's conviction, and a software-enhanced version of it provided enough evidence for Adelson's arrest.

When was Charlie Adelson arrested?

Charlie Adelson, center, interacts with his Miami lawyers, Daniel Rashbaum and Kate Myers, during a hearing Feb. 28, 2023, in Leon Circuit Court.

Adelson was arrested on April 21, 2022, and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder. He was taken into custody at his home by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Who has already been arrested/convicted of this murder?

Luis Rivera: Rivera pled guilty in 2016 to second-degree murder in exchange for a 19-year sentence to run concurrently with a federal sentence on an unrelated case for his statements and cooperation with prosecutors. In 2019 he testified that he was with Garcia when Markel was murdered.

Sigfredo Garcia: A judge in Leon County, Florida sentenced Sigfredo Garcia to life in prison in October 2019. Jurors found the defendant guilty as one of the men who killed Florida State University Law Professor Dan Markel.

Katherine Magbanua: After her potential conviction as part of Garcia's trial was ruled a mistrial, Magbanua was tried again in 2022 and was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder. She is currently serving life in prison.

Charlie Adelson: Arrested Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Has Donna Adelson been charged in relation to the murder of Dan Markel?

While she has been under investigation, no charges have been filed to this date.

Neither Donna nor her husband Harvey have ever sat for an interview with prosecutors or police about the murder. An attempt to require them to take the stand at their son's trial met with resistance, leading Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett threatening to hold them in contempt of court if they failed to comply, but the request was dropped and their names removed from witness lists for both sides.

What is the Markel Act?

Wendi Adelson had her sons' last name changed to Adelson and cut off the Markel family's visitation in 2016 after Garcia's arrest affidavit named members of the Adelson family as co-conspirators in the murder. Under then-Florida law, Markel's parents had no recourse even to petition the courts to seek visitation.

In 2020, the boys' grandparents Ruth and Phil Markel began pushing for legislation to give grandparents in Florida more rights to visit their grandchildren after the death of a parent. Versions of The Grandparents Visitation Rights bill, also known as the Markel Act, failed in 2020 and 2021 but HB 1119 passed in 2022 and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Contributors: Karl Etters, Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida murder-for-hire: Brother-in-law Charlie Adelson trial to begin
Fuel poverty and a lack of affordable homes pose threats to the human rights of people living in the Highlands, islands and Argyll and Bute, a watchdog has warned.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) said there were a number of concerning challenges faced by communities outside the central belt in its report in March, and that more information was needed.

It has launched an investigation into the effects of energy and housing costs, and also problems people might be having in accessing health care.

It is gathering evidence from local charities, MSPs and MPs.

Over the next month, meetings will be held in places including Lerwick, Kirkwall, Thurso, Elgin, Stornoway, Portree and Dunoon.

SHRC is to present a report on its findings to the Scottish Parliament next spring.

Project lead Luis Yanes said: "The commission has been concerned over some time about not having sufficient information what specific issues people in the Highlands and islands face in relation to economic, social and cultural rights."

He said fuel poverty could have far reaching impacts, including on how much people spent on food and even discourage people from inviting visitors to their homes.

Executive director Jan Savage added: We have been approached by members of communities in the Highlands and islands who are concerned about lack of affordable housing, high levels of food insecurity and difficulties in accessing medical services in rural areas.

As part of our monitoring role on human rights, we will be investigating this situation further and establishing if public authorities are doing enough to provide essential services and support for people in rural areas to access their economic, social and cultural rights.

In April, environmental charity Changeworks said it had found fuel poverty to be disproportionately high in rural Scotland.

It said higher fuel costs, poorly insulated homes and low household incomes were among the factors.

The Communities Housing Trust (CHT) is among charities that have raised concerns about shortages of affordable homes, including in Wester Ross in the Highlands.
Creating individualized pathways to college and careers  and doing it at scale  is the goal of many districts in the U.S. One particularly successful model can be found in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, where students are gaining access to health career pathways thanks to High School District 214s partnership with William Rainey Harper College and Northwest Community Hospital.

The 74 and the Progressive Policy Institute this week convened for an online panel discussing career training lessons from Illinois. The speakers included associate superintendent Dr. Lazaro Lopez; Dr. Rita Gura, William Rainey Harper College dean of health careers; clinical nurse manager Susan Volpe; and Michael Piagari, a 12th grade student at Prospect High School.

Recent coverage of college and career pathways from The 74:
An Orlando man is facing charges for keeping a live alligator at his home without the proper permits, wildlife officials announced Wednesday.

 WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

According to an incident report, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer received a call on Sept. 29 claiming that an alligator was being kept at a home on Limewood Lane in Orlando.

Officers responded to the address on Oct. 3 and met a man who identified himself as the homeowners son, but declined to comment further when asked if there was an alligator at the house.

READ: Florida woman cited for keeping borrowed baby alligator in resort bathtub

After another brief conversation with the homeowners son, the officers say he opened the door to the homes garage, allowing them to see a 35 to 40 gallon aquarium containing an approximately 3.5-foot long American alligator in plain view.

When asked where the alligator came from, the son again declined to comment and helped officers contact his father, identified as 50-year-old Jean Abelard.

In an interview with FWC officers, Abelard claimed he picked the alligator up on Saturday, Sept. 23 when he saw it crossing a road while he was working.

READ: 3 Floridians charged in separate petition fraud schemes

Abelard claimed he didnt want the alligator to get run over or picked up and eaten.

According to FWC, Abelard went on to claim he planned to take the alligator to Gatorland the following Saturday so it would not be harmed, but the officers arrived before he could take it there.

The officers determined Abelard did not have the necessary Class II permit required to possess an alligator. They also noted the aquarium was dirty and only had a small mesh top with dumbbell weights holding it down.

READ: Lake County Animal Shelter pauses dog admissions due to kennel cough outbreak

Abelard was charged with unlawful sale, possession or transporting of an alligator, and violating Florida codes pertaining to keeping wildlife as personal pets, both misdemeanors.

The live alligator was seized and later released into Lake Apopka.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The Group of Seven countries will limit imports of Russian diamonds until the end of October, after which the European Union will complete the proposal for the 12th package of sanctions against Russia.

Source: Reuters, quoting diplomatic sources; writes European Pravda

Details: One source said a G7 statement on Russian diamonds was expected "within a week."

"We now need the final blessing of the G7 before then translating these elements in legal texts at the European level," said another source, an EU diplomat.

Last week, the G7 held a technical meeting to discuss several proposals for a mechanism to track the origin of Russian diamonds put forward by India, industrial groups and Belgium.

Sanctions against Russian diamonds were discussed by the Group of Seven, along with Belgium, a member of the European Union with one of the worlds largest centres of trade in these jewels.

According to estimates, the export of diamonds brings the Kremlin 4 billion a year.

Support UP or become our patron!




By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian bride Suwar Safi was looking forward to wearing her white dress and sharing her life with Ahmed after their wedding, but instead she is living in a refugee camp after Israel launched air strikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

"Everyone was telling me, it's ok and to have faith, this is our destiny and we have to accept it," she said, adding: "We did not get the chance to experience that joy."

Safi, 30, and her family from the northern Gaza Strip are now displaced and living in a tent at a United Nations site in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Ahmed Safi, from Khan Younis, still lives with his family and the couple rarely see each other because of the conflict.

They were due to have married on Oct. 19.

Israel launched the air strikes after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in a rampage that killed 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and hostages were taken back into Gaza.

When the conflict erupted, Ahmed said he tried to call his fiancee and her family to try to move them from the north to the south. Israel had urged Palestinians in Gaza City to move south, because it was safer, but air strikes have hit across the enclave.

"Even when we finally managed to get a car to get them here, air strikes happened while they were fleeing," he said.

"As a 30-year-old man I was impatiently waiting for this wedding and for this day. The 19th of October transformed from a joyful day to a catastrophe full of sadness, destruction and death," he said.

Weddings are usually a bright spot in impoverished Gaza, one of the most densely-populated places in the world with 2.3 million people and where many people are jobless and cannot afford to marry.

In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry in Gaza said at least 6,546 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, including 2,704 children.

(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
DOUGLAS, ga. - New details in a Georgia Bureau of Investigation report obtained by the FOX 5 I-Team suggest some of the people who took part in the Coffee County election breach knew what they were doing was wrong and tried to keep it a secret.

The GBI conducted their investigation separate from the racketeering probe in Fulton County that led to the indictment of 19 people including former president Donald Trump .

That number is now 15 with the guilty pleas of Trump attorneys Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, and Atlanta bondsman Scott Hall. All received probation and agreed to testify against their former co-defendants.

But Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr now has his own decision: should anyone else be indicted for what happened in Coffee County?

"We continue to coordinate with the GBI and will evaluate our options," said a spokesperson for Carr. No timetable for a decision was offered.

Scott Hall rubs the shoulders of county GOP chair Cathy Latham. Elections board member Eric Chaney (wearing camo) was also there the morning of the electiojn system breach.

The 392-page GBI report makes no recommendations, but it does highlight some players not included in the Fulton County racketeering case.

In August 2022, the GBI was asked to investigate after the Coalition for Good Governance exposed the Coffee County Dominion voting machine breach. The non-profit sued the state in 2017 over concerns about computerized voting. They want voters to bubble in their ballots by hand and feed them into a scanner instead of selecting their choices on a computer screen.

The Georgia Elections Board eventually asked the GBI to look into what happened in Coffee County. Investigators relied heavily on the Coalitions findings  including depositions of key players  because many refused to meet for GBI interviews.

Before her indictment in Fulton County, former elections director Misty Hampton  who also goes by Misty Hayes  refused to talk to GBI agents without an immunity deal, so investigators quoted from her deposition in the civil case.

Security video starting in January 2021 showed Hayes allowing a parade of Dominion voting machine skeptics inside the secured areas of her office  including Atlanta bondsman Hall  to make copies of the Coffee County voting software.

The GBI report said she coordinated in code with then-Coffee County Elections Board member Eric Chaney, using the phrase "measuring my desk" when talking about the breaches.

Chaney also refused to meet with the GBI. So did Scott Hall.

The GBI report quotes a friend saying he "believes that Hall started going down a dark path when it comes to politics a few years ago (when) he was introduced into the political world by his brother-in-law David Bossie," a former campaign aide for Trump.

Alex Cruce walks behind Scott Hall and Cathy Latham the morning of January 7, 2021. (Coffee County security camera)

Alex Cruce flew with Hall from Atlanta on Jan. 7 and was one of many in the elections office while the software was being copied.

Cruce told the GBI "he did feel as if illegal or shady things were occurring."

He also said that he believed "the other Coffee County Government Officials (Eric Chaney, Cathy Latham, Ed Voyles and Jim Ridlehoover) appeared to be on board with allowing them to access the data."

Former GOP county chair Latham is already under indictment in the Fulton County racketeering case. Former elections chair Voyles and assistant elections director Ridelhoover also declined to meet with the GBI.

The GBI report details text messages between Hayes and Chaney on January 15, 2021 during the time of the election system breaches.

"Do you have snap chat? Signal is down!" Hayes texted the elections board member. The GBI report said that exchange is evidence "showing that HAYES and CHENEY continued to attempt to communicate discreetly."

Hayes allowed more copying later in January with a second set of visitors, including the owner of Cyber Ninjas, the group that claimed evidence of election fraud in other states.

Misty Hayes took the 5th when asked why she used the phrase "measuring my desk" when allowing visitors to copy election software. (Deposition)

The GBI report said Hayes sent a text message to Chaney on Jan. 27, 2021  "I took care of the people measuring my desk."

That proprietary Dominion software was later shared online.

The GBI also discovered another 3,010 emails on Misty Hayes computer that were not turned over to the Coalition for Good Governance despite a court subpoena.

The GBI report said only seven were of "particular interest," but the nonprofit filed a new lawsuit against Coffee County demanding to see all of those emails.

Its not the first time the two have come to heads over public records.

Coffee County originally insisted there was no elections office security video for that time period. Only after the GBI began investigating was the key video evidence finally produced, ultimately leading to criminal racketeering indictments in Fulton County.

And perhaps soon, more charges in Coffee County.




Chinese President Xi Jinping Tuesday stressed rallying individuals in the private sector around the Party more closely and breaking new ground in the work of federations of industry and commerce.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) on its 70th founding anniversary.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended greetings to officials and staff members of all levels of industrial and commerce federations and individuals in the private sector across the country.

Commending their work over the past 70 years, Xi said federations of industry and commerce have made important contributions to the development of the People's Republic of China, the advancement of reform and opening up, and the great endeavors of the new era.

In the letter, Xi urged efforts to facilitate the healthy development of the non-public sector and those working in it, and promote high-quality development of the private sector.

Xi called on individuals in the private sector to fully apply the new development philosophy and promote entrepreneurship, to contribute to building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

A gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ACFIC was held in Beijing on Tuesday. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attended the event and made a speech.

Wang said that in the letter, Xi expressed expectations and set forth clear requirements for people in the non-public sector, which has provided the fundamental guideline for conducting relevant work in the new era and promoting the healthy development of the non-public economy.

Wang urged efforts to promote the high-quality development of the private sector.

Federations of industry and commerce should guide private enterprises in fully and faithfully applying the new development philosophy on all fronts, actively engaging in creating a new pattern of development, focusing on their main business, and bolstering the development of the real economy, Wang said.

Wang also stressed the need for guiding those in the private sector to pursue a people-centered philosophy of development.

Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, read out Xi's letter at the gathering.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) appears to be brazenly continuing to blend fact with fiction.

The notorious congressman  who fabricated details of his past before his election in 2022 and currently faces 23 criminal charges  has been caught in yet another apparent tall tale, suggesting that people affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party briefly kidnapped his 5-year-old niece.

In an interview published Tuesday, Santos told The New York Times that he has endured numerous death threats as an openly gay lawmaker. He also suggested that his hard-line stance against the Chinese Communist Party made his young niece a target.

Ill give you one, Ill give you one story that nobody talks about, Santos told the Times.

The lawmaker claimed his niece vanished from a New York City playground in Queens but was spotted 40 minutes later on security footage with two Chinese men.

Look, I dont want to go into like, conspiracy theory, Santos told the Times. But you know, if the shoe fits, right?

The Times contacted a high-ranking law enforcement official who reportedly confirmed police officers had been tasked to investigate. They never found evidence that anyone was kidnapped, however, let alone of any involvement from the Chinese Communist Party.

We found nothing at all to suggest its true, the official told the Times. Id lean into, he made it up.

Santos office did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

Santos is currently facing 23 federal criminal charges and is due back in court Oct. 27.

Santos is currently facing 23 federal criminal charges and is due back in court Oct. 27.

The congressman has been victimized previously in earnest. The Times noted that a Florida man was charged for allegedly threatening to bash Santos head in with a bat.

These incidents are often overshadowed by Santos many alleged lies, half-truths and fabrications, however.

These include (but are certainly not limited to) his name itself, being a volleyball star at Baruch College despite never having been enrolled, that he is a proud American Jew who descends from Holocaust survivors from Ukraine, and that his mother was in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Santos was arrested in May on 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying on federal disclosure forms. Earlier this month, Santos landed 10 additional charges that included identity theft, embezzlement and submitting false campaign reports.

The congressman pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due back in court Oct. 27.

Related...
Former President George W. Bush is stepping up efforts to protect his legacy as Congress remains deadlocked on renewing a major global HIV/AIDS program he created in 2003.

Some Republicans claim the Biden administration is supporting abortion abroad by giving funding from the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to overseas groups who also provide abortion, though Biden and Democrats deny it.

The George W. Bush Institute and 30 other faith, democracy, human rights and global health leaders wrote to Congress Wednesday, urging it to reauthorize the law governing PEPFAR, which lapsed on Oct. 1.

We must continue this lifesaving program that symbolizes America at its best, the group, which includes representatives of the Bipartisan Policy Center, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Carter Center and World Vision, wrote.

Its the first time Bushs institute, which promotes issues the former president cares about, has organized a letter supporting the PEPFAR program reauthorization, though Bush wrote an op-ed last month urging his fellow Republicans to renew the law governing it for five more years.

Why it matters: While touting the estimated 25 million lives the program is credited with saving over its two-decade existence, the letter also reminds Congress that PEPFAR is an asset for the U.S. abroad as America competes with China and Russia for influence in Africa.

Abandoning it abruptly now would send a bleak message, suggesting we are no longer able to set aside our politics for the betterment of democracies and the world, the letter says.

PEPFAR will continue even if it doesnt get reauthorized as long as lawmakers appropriate funding for it yearly.

But Mark Dybul, who led it in its early days and signed the letter, said that approach will not cut it.

It will be the beginning of the end, he said at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event Monday, arguing that funding will inevitably dwindle.

Whats next? Before Republicans ousted their House speaker and started the search for a new one three weeks ago, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that oversees PEPFAR, had said he and others were working on a bill to extend the program , possibly for less than the typical five-year term.

In the Senate, Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, said in late September he would keep pushing for a five-year renewal, even as his colleagues called for a shorter extension to satisfy anti-abortion groups.

Rep. Barbara Lee of California, a coauthor of the law that created PEPFAR and the top Democrat on the Appropriations panel that controls the programs budget, said at the CSIS event that there is bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill about renewing the program for five years and that she is fighting to see Congress reauthorize the program by the end of the year.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated the Bush Institute's prior advocacy for PEPFAR reauthorization.
A prestigious US college has disavowed a campus protest over the Israel-Gaza war after it provoked accusations of antisemitism.

Police were called on Tuesday night to stop demonstrators projecting slogans on to the side of a library at George Washington University.

The college said the protest had violated its policy and caused "distress" to some students.

Israel has been bombarding Gaza since a Hamas attack killed 1,400 people.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says almost 6,500 people have been killed in the territory since then.

One of the messages beamed on to the building in Washington DC said, "Free Palestine from the river to the sea".

Activists say the phrase is a pro-Palestinian independence rallying cry, but the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate watchdog, has described it as code for the destruction of the state of Israel.

Other messages projected in big white letters on to the Gelman Library included "End the siege on Gaza" and "Divest from Zionist genocide now".

"Glory to our martyrs" was another phrase that appeared. Demonstrators told the college newspaper, the GW Hatchet that this slogan referred to any Palestinian killed by Israel, and not Hamas gunmen.

More on Israel-Gaza war

StopAntisemitism, an antisemitism watchdog, called on the university to expel the students involved.

"Demonstrations like this cloak themselves in politics to evade responsibility for what they really are: celebrations of murder," said its director, Liora Rez, in a statement to the BBC.

The university said in a statement on Wednesday that the unauthorised protest had violated its policy.

"The statements made by these individuals in no way reflect the views of the university," said the college.

"We are reviewing this incident and will take any appropriate steps with respect to the individuals involved in accordance with university policies.

"We recognize the distress, hurt, and pain this has caused for many members of our community."

According to the GW Hatchet, university aides and two campus police officers asked four members of Students for Justice in Palestine to stop the protest, which lasted about two hours.

Students for Justice in Palestine did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

But a spokesperson for the group told the Hachet newspaper: "I feel very frustrated with how the university has responded.

"They have consistently shown that they do not respect our lives. They do not respect our right to free speech."
Students at George Washington University attended a pro-Palestinian vigil supporting Hamas' surprise attack that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians, that prominently projected messages on the wall of the campus' library.

"Glory to Our Martyrs," one projected sign read.

One sign read, "Glory to Our Martyrs" in support of Palestinians.

The students projected the large signs on the University's Gelman Library on the Washington D.C. campus on Tuesday evening.

PLAYWRIGHT DAVID MAMET URGES JEWS TO STOP SUPPORTING DEMOCRATS, SENDING KIDS TO ANTISEMITIC COLLEGES

Another sign read, "GW the Blood of Palestinians is on Your Hands."

"Your Tuition is Funding Genocide in Gaza," another projected sign read.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Another sign read, "GW the Blood of Palestinians is on Your Hands."

On X, the page @StopAntisemites, called for the George Washington University President Ellen Granberg to "immediately expel those who are involved."

The university later responded in a statement that the "unauthorized" messages "violated university policy, and leadership intervened to ensure that these projections were removed."

The university continued, "The statements made by these individuals in no way reflect the views of the university. We are reviewing this incident and will take any appropriate steps with respect to the individuals involved in accordance with university policies."

JEWISH COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY THEY'RE SCARED TO GO TO CLASS, BLAME UNIVERSITIES FOR SILENCE ON ANTISEMITISM

The president of the over-11,000 student body previously condemned Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel.

"The extent of this brutal violence and the staggering loss of innocent lives has continued to come to light, and I am horrified and grief-stricken," Granberg wrote in an October 11 press release. "In no uncertain terms, I condemn these acts of terrorism."

A sign reading, "Your Tuition is Funding Genocide in Gaza" was projected on the campus library at George Washington University on Tuesday evening.

The president also highlighted the importance of "coming together and caring for one another" during the ongoing war.

"My message to our community stressed the importance of coming together and caring for one another, especially those who are Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, or connected to the region and this war," Granberg added. "I also reiterated our universitys expectations for acting and comporting ourselves when discussing or debating difficult topics. These messages of compassion and understanding remain the foremost priority for this university."

Fox News' Laura Frey contributed to this report.





Original article source: George Washington University students project pro-Palestinian activism on school library
Activists rally outside the State Capitol in support of abortion rights in Atlanta, Georgia on May 14, 2022. - Thousands of activists are participating in a national day of action calling for safe and legal access to abortion. The nationwide demonstrations are a response to leaked draft opinion showing the US Supreme Court's conservative majority is considering overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling guaranteeing abortion access. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP) (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)



Activists rally outside the State Capitol in support of abortion rights in Atlanta, Georgia in 2022.

On Tuesday, the Georgia state Supreme Court allowed the states six-week abortion ban to remain in place while ordering yet another trial about the constitutionality of the law by a lower trial court.



Gov. Brian Kemp the Republican governor who ran on anti-abortion policy positionssigned the law, called the LIFE Act, in 2019, which included the six-week abortion ban (a time period when most patients dont yet realize theyre pregnant), expanded tax dependency status for fetuses, and expanded prosecutors access to medical records. Following an immediate legal challenge by an abortion rights coalition, which included the Atlanta abortion clinic Feminist Womens Health Center, a federal court kept the law from taking effect until July 2022about three weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That month, a federal appeals court made the unusual decision of immediately instating the law, changing Georgias abortion limits from 22 weeks to 6 weeks in an instant.

Read more

I applaud Justice Colvin and the Georgia Supreme Court for ruling today that our written Constitution controls over judge-made law, Kemp told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Todays victory represents one more step towards ending this litigation and ensuring the lives of Georgians at all ages are protected.



Plaintiffs were gutted in a statement released to reporters on Tuesday. Kwajelyn Jackson, executive director of Feminist Womens Health Center, said they still get calls from people across the region who need abortion care. It is heart-wrenching that we are being forced to turn patients away who need abortion care beyond the earliest weeks of pregnancy, Jackson said in a statement to Jezebel. We have been continuing to get calls from patients across Georgia and the Southeast who have nowhere in their own communities to turn to for care. Abortion is an essential component of reproductive health care, and this law is putting peoples lives at risk.

More from Jezebel

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ATLANTA - Jacob Davis, a 31-year-old resident of Adairsville, faced federal charges in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 24 related to his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Davis has become the 29th individual with ties to Georgia to be implicated in the ongoing investigation of the Capitol attack.

Charges against Davis include assaulting police with a deadly or dangerous weapon and obstruction of police, both classified as felonies. According to court records, Davis is believed to have been among the violent mob that confronted law enforcement in an entryway tunnel on the lower west terrace of the Capitol. This tunnel saw some of the most intense clashes during the day as a pro-Trump crowd attempted to breach the Capitol.

PREVIOUS STORY: Stockbridge massage therapist arrested, charged in Jan. 6 riot at Capitol

Investigators claim that Davis, identifiable in photos by his Trump stocking cap and U.S. Space Force hoodie, entered the tunnel and joined others in pushing against the police who had formed a blockade at the entrance. This collective effort, described as a "heave-ho" maneuver, involved rioters swaying back and forth to break the police line. Davis is also accused of throwing a board at the police and pushing them with a police shield he picked up from the ground.

The charge of assaulting police with a deadly or dangerous weapon relates to the allegations of using the board and shield to attack law enforcement. This charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, though it's worth noting that many Jan. 6 rioters who have accepted plea deals have received more lenient sentences.

Although more than 33 months have passed since the riot, investigators are still identifying and charging those involved. The FBI, with the help of digital records from Google, has been able to pinpoint individuals present at the Capitol on that fateful day. One of the phone numbers found in these records belonged to Jacob Davis. Investigators compared his Georgia driver's license photo with images of suspects wanted in the riot investigation, and in July, an unnamed associate of Davis identified him in photos from the Capitol riot.

A warrant for Davis' arrest was issued on Sept. 29, and he was apprehended on Oct. 17. The case remained sealed until his appearance in Washington on Tuesday. In addition to the two felony charges, Davis faces five misdemeanor charges related to his actions on Capitol grounds.

Davis joins the growing list of individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack. Nationally, nearly 1,200 people have been charged in this extensive investigation, with over 400 of them facing charges of assaulting police, including using deadly or dangerous weapons in alleged assaults.
A 73-year-old Georgia man has been arrested after allegedly shooting at his Black neighbor while yelling racial slurs. According to a federal indictment, Mark Wheeler allegedly screamed the slurs while firing a .22 caliber revolver at the victim and his home in Loganville on May 26. He was charged with violating the criminal provision of the Fair Housing Act, and possession of a firearm. If convicted, Wheeler faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Read it at U.S. Department of Justice

Read more at The Daily Beast.
The Georgia Supreme Court reversed the final charge against a Newton County mother who was once convicted of killing her newborn daughter.

Christopher McNabb and Cortney Bell were convicted in 2019 for the 2017 murder of their 2-week-old daughter, Caliyah. The jurors found Bell guilty of murder in the second degree, cruelty to children in the second degree and felony contributing to the dependency of a minor as a result of her death.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Bell appealed her conviction and the Georgia Court of Appeals reversed the murder and cruelty to children charges last year. On Tuesday, the Georgia Supreme Court reversed her final charge.

Because we conclude based on the facts of this case that the evidence was insufficient to authorize a jury to conclude that Caliyahs death was not proximately caused by Bells conduct as alleged in the indictment, we reverse the judgement of the Court of Appeals, Justice John J. Ellington wrote in the unanimous opinion.

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During the trial, prosecutors said McNabb and Bell were using methamphetamine and in a violent relationship when they killed their daughter.

Based on evidence of her alleged drug history, the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld Bells conviction on the contributing to the dependency of a minor charge. However, the Georgia Supreme Court determined in its ruling that the evidence was insufficient.

In summary, the evidence here showed that Bell went to sleep one night, checked on Caliyah early the next morning, and went back to sleep for four and one-half hours. The evidence further showed that while Bell slept, McNabb committed a violent crime that the State conceded was the direct and immediate cause of Caliyahs death, Ellington wrote.

The Georgia Supreme Court previously upheld McNabbs murder conviction. McNabb was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder and an additional 10 years for concealing the newborns death.

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IN OTHER NEWS
A German tourist went missing for three days in Zimbabwe's Matusadona National Park.

The safari park is teeming with predators, including lions and leopards.

According to park authorities, he was found "alive and well" on Tuesday.

A German tourist who had gone missing in a Zimbabwean safari park teeming with predators was found alive three days after his disappearance.

Andreas Hoberg went missing in Matusadona National Park on Saturday, said Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, in a post on X.

Hober's last known destination was a park shop, where he stopped to buy a drink before going on a game drive to see the animals in the afternoon, according to the Independent.

By Saturday evening, the car rental company he had used for the safari was unable to trace his whereabouts using the GPS tracking system, the Independent reported.

Phone signal is extremely poor in the park, which would have also made it challenging to contact Hoberg, according to the local media outlet ZimLive.com.

A search operation to find the German tourist saw a rescue team and other tourists scouring the park on Monday, Farawo said in the X post.

He told the Independent that a helicopter, several vehicles, and sniffer dogs were also used in the search.

On Tuesday, Hoberg was found "alive and well", Farawo said on X.

"We were gravely worried," he added, per the Independent. "We are happy he is well. He says his car developed a mechanical fault. It's a white car, so we were hopeful we would find it."

According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Matusadona National Park contains four of the "big five" animals people seek to spot on a safari  elephants, lions, buffalo, and leopards.

It has "all the dangerous animals you can expect in the bush," Farawo told ZimLive.com.

The authority's website warns tourists visiting the safari park to be particularly cautious around certain animals, particularly lions, elephants, and buffalo with their calves.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Germany has pledged 195 million euros ($206 million) to Ukraine in energy supplies and in support for Ukrainian energy companies in preparation for the upcoming winter, the German Development Ministry announced on Oct. 25.

The aid package was agreed upon by Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze and Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov during their meeting in Berlin today.

"Heat and electricity are central to the resilience of the people in Ukraine, especially with a view to the upcoming winter," Schulze said.

"That's why we're increasing our support for Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government has committed to a reconstruction that will make the country more sustainable and bring it closer to the European Union."

Half of the funds are to be allocated for the protection, restoration, and strengthening of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which sustained significant damage during mass Russian strikes in the previous fall and winter.

Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us

With the winter approaching yet again, Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia will likely seek to replicate its strategy and try to cripple the Ukrainian power grid through mass strikes.

The other half of the newly announced package will support Ukrainian energy firms, for example, by providing them with better access to financial markets. Berlin will also expand a microfinance fund for loans to small and medium Ukrainian businesses.

Germany's Development Ministry pledged another economic assistance tranche worth over $200 million last week. This package was allocated primarily to the restoration of Ukraine's healthcare, education, and drinking water supply and for urban reconstruction.

The German Development Ministry said that it has allocated around $1 billion in civil support for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Read also: With winter approaching, is Ukraines energy system ready for renewed Russian attacks?





Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
China vows to keep striking illegal activities in distant-water fisheries white paper

09:38, October 25, 2023 By Zhang Changyue ( Global Times

China has zero tolerance for illegal distant-water fishing (DWF) and severely punishes relevant violations, said a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Tuesday.

Experts said the release of the white paper was quite timely as it presents China's unceasing efforts in supervising registered vessels to combat illegal fishing, controlling the scale of its DWF industry, protecting bycatch species, guaranteeing labor rights and promoting international cooperation. All these facts show that claims China has been expanding DWF vessels to the tens of thousands or that Chinese vessels engage in rampant illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are only groundless lies and shabby smears.

Titled Development of China's Distant-Water Fisheries, the white paper highlights China's resolute action against illegal fishing, saying that since 2016, the country has revoked the qualifications of six DWF companies and suspended those of 22 companies, with total financial penalties exceeding 1 billion yuan ($137 million).

According to the paper, China had 177 approved enterprises and 2,551 vessels in the DWF industry in 2022, which operated in the high seas of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, and the seas around Antarctica, as well as in the waters under the jurisdiction of cooperating countries. The total catch for the year was around 2.33 million tons.

To better manage and supervise Chinese DWF ships, no Chinese vessel is permitted to work before going through registration and examination procedures and getting the authority's approval, said the paper. Multiple government departments have strengthened the examination, approval, registration and decommissioning, and fishing licensing process by issuing standard format documents for these fishing vessels.

China also executes the world's strictest management measures and regulations to monitor and position distant-water fishing vessels. It has set up an inclusive DWF data collection framework, covering enterprise information, ship information, position monitoring, fishing logbook, transshipment of catches, national fisheries observers, port sampling, scientific survey and trial fishing.

China has set up bilateral dialogue and negotiation mechanisms with Russia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the US, Argentina, New Zealand, the EU and other countries and regions to combat illegal fishing. It has established communications with Indonesia, Panama, Peru and Ecuador covering bilateral fisheries cooperation, regional fisheries governance, the fight against illegal fishing, protection of bycatch species, and ecological and environmental conservation in key sea areas like the Galapagos Islands.

China rigorously abides by the restrictions on the number and tonnage of fishing vessels. Its DWF sector remains stable from 2016 to 2020 and the number of DWF vessels will be controlled below 3,000 with their output within 2.3 million tons by 2025. In 2021, China said it will not increase squid jiggers nor expand its squid fleets on the high seas, as well as implemented an individual vessel quota program on Pacific saury.

While China has been controlling the scale of the DWF industry by limiting the number of vessels and total amount of fishing for sustainable use of fisheries resources, some Western politicians have continuously accused China of "deplorable" fishing practices.

According to South China Morning Post, European parliament's fisheries panel is worried China's distant-water fleet has reached nearly 17,000 vessels.

"One of the biggest characteristics of China's DWF development in the past 10 years is that China is restricting industry scale to avoid a recession for the whole fishery industry. Some Western media reports have exaggerated the number of Chinese DWF vessels to exceed 10,000, which can be seen as selective blindness. They deliberately included some nearshore fishing vessels and unapproved vessels with Chinese characters on them," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"To be honest, in recent years, there have been continuous efforts to regulate such activities. For example, Chinese vessels are now required to report their location per hour, which is much stricter than international standards. And among the eight regional fisheries management organizations China has joined, including the Indian Ocean tuna International Commission, China has consistently ranked among the top performers," Lu Ming, office director of the Marine Strategy Think Tank Research Center at Shanghai Ocean University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Earlier in September, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2023 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management, in which the US designated China as one of the seven nations and entities for IUU fishing.

The concept of IUU fishing can be infinitely expanded, Chen pointed out. "For example, someone could say Chinese vessels conducted IUU fishing in waters in Latin America, West Africa or South Pacific without approval. But the truth is that China has the permission of local countries via bilateral agreements or treaties," Chen said.

To effectively protects sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, seabirds and related marine mammals, China prohibits large-scale driftnet fishing on the high seas. It refuses to approve the construction of any new pair trawlers or large-scale lighting purse seiners with cod-end that can have a destructive effect on fisheries resources. It actively develops and puts into use eco-friendly fishing boats, fishing gear, and fishing technology.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
You are here: China

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the sixth session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. The 14th NPC Standing Committee concluded its sixth session on Tuesday in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its sixth session on Tuesday in Beijing.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt a revised Marine Environment Protection Law, the Patriotic Education Law, and a decision on official appointments and removals.

Li Shangfu was removed from the posts of state councilor and defense minister, Qin Gang from the post of state councilor, Wang Zhigang from the post of minister of science and technology, and Liu Kun from the post of finance minister, according to the decision.

Yin Hejun was appointed as minister of science and technology and Lan Fo'an was appointed finance minister, according to the decision.

President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the laws and effectuate the decision.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting.

Lawmakers adopted a decision for the State Council to increase the issuance of government bonds and adjust the central budgets for 2023, and a decision to authorize the State Council to approve in advance the ceilings on some newly-incurred local government debts.

Lawmakers ratified a treaty on the transfer of sentenced persons between China and Colombia and an extradition treaty with Mauritius.

They ratified the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

The lawmakers ratified the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Secretariat, its Personnel and Representatives of Members of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

They also approved the country's signing of the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation.

The meeting approved reports on the deliberation of the proposals brought forward by NPC deputies at the first session of the 14th NPC.

The meeting voted to remove Li Shangfu from the post of member of the Central Military Commission and appoint Liu Shaoyun as head of the military court of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The lawmakers also adopted other personnel-related bills.

Zhao presided over a lecture for lawmakers after the meeting.
People leaned forward in their seats, unblinking. They were eager to know, finally, whether Palm Beach County would allow 1,000 new homes on the Agricultural Reserve in a massive land swap.

Then came the county commissioners vote late Tuesday night: a narrow 4-3 verdict against developer GL Homes proposal  surprising many in the audience. When Palm Beach County Mayor Gregg Weiss cast the seventh and final vote, he and the rest of the commissioners sealed in the land swaps fate as dead.

Weiss, who represents District 2, and Commissioner Mack Bernard , who represents District 7, opened up on Wednesday about their decision against the plan. They each shifted their stance on the land swap from initially backing the plan in May, during a comprehensive plan public hearing.

A day after the latest vote, Weiss and Bernard on Wednesday spoke with the South Florida Sun Sentinel and explained why they changed their minds, citing a lack of information about GL Homes related water project as a primary issue. Tuesdays meeting was for the proposals final vote.

This project did not even come close to meeting any of my expectations for us to make any changes, Bernard said. At the end of the day, enough is enough, we have to continue to preserve the Ag Reserve, and we need to put mechanisms in place to make sure that this type of effort to destroy the Ag Reserve doesnt come up.

During the May meeting, which mirrored Tuesdays meeting in that hordes of supporters and opponents addressed the commission for several consecutive hours, the only two commissioners who had voted against GL Homes plan were Commissioner Marci Woodward and Vice Mayor Maria Sachs.

At the time, Commissioner Bernard said he was swayed by the promise of the proposals water project.

Water is important, and water is life, he said then. Even if its miniscule, to be able to provide the water for the residents of West Palm Beach, thats the risk that Im willing to take.  We cannot lose this opportunity.

But Bernard carried a different tone during Tuesdays meeting, launching question after question to GL Homes president Misha Ezratti, vice president Kevin Ratterree and Len Lindahl, who was hired by GL Homes to help oversee the water-resource project.

Did you do a cost-benefit analysis in writing to the city of West Palm Beach? Bernard asked Lindahl, per a request the city had made to GL Homes.

No, sir, Lindahl said.

The city asked, what analysis was performed to estimate the quantity and timing of these discharges, Bernard continued. Was analysis done in writing to answer this question?

No, sir, Lindahl said again.

This back and forth persisted for several questions.

The city of West Palm Beach had sent GL almost a seven-page questionnaire of questions that they had regarding the water project, Bernard told the Sun Sentinel on Wednesday. I asked the questions in public to see whether or not the applicant had responded to the city.  The applicant did not take the time to address those concerns.

Bernard said hed been willing to vote on initiating the project in May because he wanted to see how the water project could benefit the residents in the area he represents. But after not receiving the answers he was hoping for from GL Homes on Tuesday, his vote changed course from where it had began more than five months ago.

The government should be addressing residents water needs, not a developer, he said.

Anybody can throw any type of sweetener that they want, he said. But at the end of the day, we have to base every project on its merit.

Bernards vote was not the only pivotal choice made Tuesday night. Ultimately, Mayor Weiss final vote shot down the land swap.

This is a complicated issue, and unfortunately, sometimes complicated issues get boiled down to bumper stickers, and thats not helpful, he said during the meeting. Its not perfectly clear initially, but over time, the fog and the lack of clarity clears.

Like Bernard, Weiss had been attracted to the land-swap deal because of the water project offering, which is primarily why he said he voted in May to move forward with the plan and see how it would develop.

Positive developmental changes have occurred in the Ag Reserve in the past several years, he said, citing the construction of the Bethesda West Hospital in 2005.

But when it came down to the wire, as it did on Tuesday night as the clock lurched toward 9 p.m., Weiss agreed with Bernards doubts about the lack of information surrounding the water project.

Too many unknowns abounded Tuesday, he said, to consider adopting the plan.

Before you can consider making a change of unwinding 20 years of policy, for me anyway, you better be certain that youre going to be able to deliver on that promise, Weiss told the Sun Sentinel.

The commissions dismantling of GL Homes plan does not mean the county will halt goals to address the regions water issues, though, such as through the countys C-51 Reservoir, both he and Bernard said.

With future proposals, Weiss encourages residents to gain a deep understanding and maintain an open mind.

These policy questions are not always black and white, he said. Its clear by some of the emails that we received people didnt understand the Ag Reserve and how it was created. And its not just the Reserve, it could be another issue in front of us.
Its been over a month since Pamela Darring says she filed a police report alleging she was unlawfully detained by Glenwood village administrator Brian Mitchell.

Darring says shes still waiting to hear back.

What he did was an abuse of power, she claimed.

Darring said she was driving on 183rd Street Aug. 25 when a black SUV tried to cut her off as they passed Halsted Street, where multilane 183rd turns into single-laned Arquilla Drive.

When she did not slow to allow the SUV in, the driver of the SUV got behind her and turned on the blue emergency lights pasted to the top of the front windshield, Darring said.

The car did not look like a regular law enforcement or emergency vehicle, but Darring still pulled over.

My dad was a retired police officer, so I have the utmost respect for law enforcement, period, she said.

Thats when the SUV, instead of pulling up behind Darring, pulled to the left of her, rolled down his window and told her slow down, Darring said.

After a short interaction in which Darring said she told the man she was not speeding, the man told her to have a nice day and pulled away.

Darring, 53, said she immediately recognized the man driving the SUV was village administrator Brian Mitchell.

I was kind of shocked like, Brian Mitchell? Really? she said, later confirming her identification when she looked up his photo. The nerve of you.

Darring went to the police to file a report alleging Mitchell abused his powers by using his lights to unlawfully detain her.

Why is he putting his lights on me? she said she asked herself. I didnt do anything illegal. I wasnt speeding, I know my plates and everything are good.

Mitchell declined to comment when reached by phone, and referred all questions to the Glenwood Police Department.

Detective Paul Schmidt declined to comment and referred all questions to the department chief and deputy chief. Neither could be reached afyer multiple attempts to make contact over the phone. Village Trustee Dion Lynch also declined to comment until the investigation is concluded.

A Freedom of Information Act request for the police report was still pending .

In Chapter 12 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, cars are only allowed to have blue warning lights if they are rescue squad vehicles or police vehicles of large cities. Vehicles can have blue and red oscillating lights, but those also are reserved for special circumstances, such as when an authorized vehicle is being used to transport organs or assist in mine explosives, the code states.

Local or county emergency vehicles may use blue and red oscillating lights, but according to Glenwoods Code of Ordinances, emergency work is not outlined as one of the duties of the city administrator.

The law also states that Any person violating the provisions ... of this section who without lawful authority stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain another person shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.

Darring says she wants answers as to how this happened and to make sure it doesnt happen again.

As a Black person in America, there are too many times when a simple stop with police can turn into something more tragic, she said, acknowledging Mitchell is also Black. Someone needs to be brave enough to stand up say something.

hsanders@chicagotribune.com
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas award-winning drive-through holiday light show, Glittering Lights, is sleighing its way back to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this holiday season.

Produced by Ivory Star productions and Winterland, Glittering Lights is returning for its 23rd year, showcasing a 2.5-mile course with more than 5 million lights and over 2,000 displays.

Ive seen this event evolve from a fun Christmas activity to a seasonal tradition. Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year, but Glittering Lights has given it new meaning. Knowing that we are helping families make memories while giving back to our community really highlights the true meaning of Christmas, says John Bentham, Glittering Lights Event Producer.

Adding to the holiday cheer, a new 60-piece Rockin North Pole light fixture will be unveiled this year.

Guests can also enjoy swag bags, special nights, and activations including:

Nov. 10: Veterans Day sponsored by Verizon Veterans and their families will be admitted with free entry on Nov. 10 with a Veteran Identification Card or a Disabled American Veterans ID.

Nov. 13: World Kindness Day sponsored by Anthem Injury Lawyers The first 200 paid vehicles entering the experience on Nov.13 will receive a free ticket for future use in honor of the day of kindness. This gifted ticket has no restrictions.

Nov. 13: Military Monday sponsored by Verizon Military Monday returns on Nov. 13 with free entry for all active and inactive military/families with valid ID.

Dec. 31  Ring in 2024! Visit Glittering Lights as it celebrates New Years Eve on East Coast time. Guests will enjoy a New Years Eve Countdown at 9 p.m. followed by fireworks and all the magic of Glittering Lights.



Glittering Lights is open daily, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 4:30 p.m. through 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. Glittering Lights celebrates starting Nov. 9, 2023, through Jan. 7, 2024.

New this year, an Early Bird Special gives guests $10 off when they are in line before 6 p.m. every night. Tickets for the entire carload are priced at:

Car or Truckload Any Day Ticket: $39

Season Pass for two vehicles: $129

Fast Pass: $64 per car or truckload

Santa Tram: $25 per person

For tickets and the full calendar of events for the Glittering Lights season, visit the Glittering Lights website.

Additional coupons and discount vouchers are available at local Terribles, Port of Subs, Goodwill of Southern Nevada, Del Taco, Star Nursery, UMC, Chick-fil-A, BlvdHome, Verizon, and Silver State Schools Credit Union.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
(Reuters) - Shares of U.S. automakers Ford Motor and General Motors slipped about 1% each in morning trade on Monday after the United Auto Workers (UAW) union warned of more walkouts unless a new labor deal is reached.

UAW President Shawn Fain said on Friday that the automakers had converged on a 23% wage hike, but told members there was "more to be won".

Though Fain signaled a deal may be close, some analysts expressed worries about the financial impact of the demands on the automakers.

"The economics continue to get worse with reported further concessions on pension, both higher 401K contributions and increased benefits for retirees," said Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan.

"Possibly a sign a deal could be done soon. However, most of the update was concerning as Fain interprets increased offers as a sign there is more to get," he said.

The UAW wants workers at EV battery plants to be covered by union contracts, and defined benefit pensions restored for all workers. It had opened bargaining with a 40% wage-hike demand.

The union and General Dynamics also reached a tentative agreement over a new labor contract covering hundreds of workers at some of the U.S. defense contractor's facilities, the company said on Monday.

The strikes and the negotiations with the UAW have weighed on automakers' shares. Since the contract talks began in mid-July, U.S.-listed shares of Stellantis have marginally risen, while Ford and GM shares were down at about 23% and nearly 27%, respectively.

Ford and GM trade at a 11.34 and 4.14 times forward profit estimate, respectively, which is well below the S&P 500's about 19.15 multiple.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
Workers at a South African mine have resurfaced after being held underground for three days in what police are calling a hostage situation.

Hostage-takers armed with weapons like clubs and mining tools had held more than 500 miners at the Gold One mine, the police said.

As workers surfaced onWednesday, one told the BBC escaping "was the only way to save my life".

The miners were trapped on Sunday amid a dispute between two trade unions.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said "hooligans" had held its members against their will.

But the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) denied it had trapped workers at the mine, located near Johannesburg. Amcu insisted the miners were there willingly and were staging a "sit-in" protest.

One worker, who did not want to be named for fear of intimidation by rival union members, told the BBC: "I ran away... it was the only way to save my life. We had to run away."

The 32-year-old said some hostage-takers had physically assaulted the trapped miners.

"I kept calm but I feared for my life... on the first day we had food and on the second day we shared what was left.

"We eventually ran out of tea, sugar and coffee and survived on water," said the man, who had worked at Gold One for more than 10 years.

Another miner said: "I forced my way out because I was worried for my health."

He told the BBC he had some empathy for Amcu, which has been fighting for legal recognition at the mine for around five months. NUM currently has a "closed shop" agreement with Gold One, which means it is the only union the mine officially recognises.

"Although I agree with the fight for another union to be allowed to organise at the mine I can't say I support the method they have taken," the miner said.

Workers' families gathered outside the mine on Wednesday, waiting for their loved ones to emerge.

One woman told the BBC she had been camped out since Monday morning, after her husband failed to return from his shift the night before.

"I am hurting. I do not know when my husband will return. He is not well... he has tuberculosis.

"My husband is the breadwinner. I'm even afraid of going back home as I won't be able to answer my children's questions," she said.

All miners eventually resurfaced and the police said it had begun investigating a potential kidnapping.

Police spokesperson Brenda Mudiri said officers interviewed workers as they left the mine.

"Those we interviewed have told us they were held against their will. They told us about 15 hostage-takers. We are unable to say which union these hostage-takers belong to," she said.

Management at the mine echoed the police and NUM's assessments that the miners had been held hostage.

Amcu has accused Gold One bosses of colluding with NUM, an allegation the mine denies.

NUM was founded in 1982 by former labour unionist Cyril Ramaphosa, who is currently South Africa's president. It remains the nation's biggest mining union.

A worker at the entrance of the mine as hundreds remain underground
The mayor of a suburb of metropolitan Atlanta verbally berated a Black councilwoman during a recent city council meeting.

He believed she was asking too many questions, impeding the proceedings with queries he believed were irrelevant to the agenda.

The council gathered in the Council Chambers at the Glanton Municipal Complex on Monday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m., with an array of issues on the table. The mayor, Richard Proctor, attempted to keep order in the meeting by censuring the only Black woman elected to the body.

Grantville Mayor Richard Proctor, left and Grantville Councilwoman Dee Berry, right (Photos: Facebook)

Despite his efforts, councilwoman Dee Latimore Berry was adamant about getting her points across.

Trending Today:

One of the major points of clarification she asked was how the council could meet without city attorney Mark Mitchell present. She also asked why the meeting wasnt a closed-session one, as would be the case when personnel matters are discussed. Berry also raised questions about the city managers position and pay.

Mrs. Berry, would you please stay on topic tonight, or Im gonna have you removed, Proctor said after telling her that the city attorney didnt need to be there.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

Youre going to have me removed for asking a question, she responded and continued to press.

The agitated mayor yelled at the elected official, aggressively pointing his finger at her. He then said in a loud, aggressive tone, Quiet. Quiet, and I mean it!

At that point, according to WSB Radio. James Berry, councilwoman Berrys husband, interjected, standing up for his wife.

Let me get something squared away with you now Im tired of you disrespecting Mrs. Berry. Youre gonna give her respect like you give the rest of them, James Berry snapped.

The mayor said that the councilwoman was out of order, to which her husband clapped back, Youre out of order, too, and youre the mayor. Youre supposed to be able to hold things down!

Proctor continued to say that Berry was disrupting the meeting by asking too many questions. However, she did not back down, noting her rights as a councilwoman. I can ask the question about anything, the councilwoman continued. This is not a dictatorship. This is America. This is the United States.

Suppressing questions that officials dont want to answer or addressing some matters that are supposed to be public in a private setting seems to be an issue for Grantsville.

In 2022, Grantville City Councilman Jim Sells criticized reporter Justin Gray as a bully for questioning the councils actions against citizen Robert Royce. Royce was arrested for submitting 75 Georgia Open Records Act requests seeking city documents. Though he inconvenienced officials, his actions were lawful. Nevertheless, the council voted to pursue a criminal indictment under House Bill 838, designed for those causing harm or terrorizing police.

Two months later, the criminal charges against Royce were dropped by Coweta County District Attorney John Cranford Jr.

I did not believe there was sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation pursuant to any violation of Georgia law, he said.

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After the explosive back and forth with Proctor and Berry, the council resumed the meeting and actually handled some business of the city.

Grantvilles city council is led by the mayor and includes four other elected members, who all handle the politics of the city of 3,133 residents. Recently, the city, all of 5.9 square miles, has been at a disadvantage after one councilman, Alan Wacaser, resigned.

The mayor read his letter of resignation, where Wacaser said he was leaving his position for personal reasons.
Israeli diplomat Abba Eban famously said that the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Watching events in the Middle East over the last two weeks, that quote might seem newly relevant.

But it seems even more fitting for the House GOP.

At a time of international and domestic turmoil, with an unpopular incumbent Democratic president languishing in the polls, and the Republican presidential primary dominated by a many times-indicted election denier, it doesnt take a Solon to realize it would be a good idea for the Republican House majority to strike a collective pose of reassuring competence.

On Tuesday, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 ranking Republican in the House, won a secret ballot election to become the partys speaker nominee, only to withdraw his bid just four hours later. The conference regrouped and late in the evening nominated Rep. Mike Johnson, the conference vice chair. This came after weeks of turmoil launched by Rep. Matt Gaetz and seven Republican colleagues who voted to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy out of spite. In the aftermath, Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise beat Gaetzs preferred candidate, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, in a Republican election to replace McCarthy. But Jordans allies refused to back Scalise, who quickly withdrew his name from the race. Then, after three rounds of voting on the floor of the House, Jordan failed to win the election and withdrew.

Jordans campaign for the job was remarkable in its hypocrisy. A career congressional bomb-thrower who made a name for himself making life miserable for party leadership, Jordan suddenly embraced the virtues of compromise. He reportedly offered to back a vote on Ukraine aidanathema to his blocand offered moderate New York Republicans a hike in federal tax exemptions for state and local taxes to win over reluctant members. Of course, Jordan was playing good cop while his allies were playing bad cop, using conservative media to whip up political intimidation and even threats to force their capitulation.

As embarrassing as the ongoing turmoil is for Republicans, it was the right call to block Jordan. The idea that 5 percent of the caucus can impudently defenestrate one speaker, while 95 percent must support the wreckers choice for the good of the party is preposterous from every angle.

Still, Republicans could have looked at Jordans case of sudden-onset political maturity as a learning opportunity, to appreciate how politicsparticularly congressional politicsis supposed to work. Politically, speakers are supposed to smooth out differences within their coalition for the good of the whole party. Majorities are always diverse. Thats why speakers are supposed to be traffic cops, not ideological firebrands. The ultimate goal is to advance responsible legislation that ideally leads to expanding the majority.

It was adorable that Jordan and his allies suddenly realized that winning coalitions require internal compromises for the good of the party.

But what Jordan and his allies are still incapable of grasping is that their broader approach to politics is bad for the party and therefore bad for conservatism and America (assuming you think that America needs conservative policies).

Going back more than a decade, the firebrands, mostly from safe seats, have put their own interests ahead of the partys. Their stunts and schemesforcing government shutdowns, backing Donald Trumps fraudulent efforts to steal the electionmake it more difficult for Republicans in competitive districts to win election or reelection. They dont much care if the GOP loses control of Congress. Theyre happy to run up the political bill, knowing that moderates will be stuck with the check.

Currently, Patrick McHenry is the speaker pro tempore, or acting speaker. He got the job thanks to a continuity-in-government rule passed after 9/11 that requires every speaker to designate someone to fill the job in case the speaker is incapacitated. McHenry, a sober-minded and responsible legislator, was McCarthys pick, and to McHenrys credit, he doesnt want the job, which is why hes the best suited for it.

Also, to his credit, McHenry has refused to assume the full powers of the speaker because he doesnt want to set a precedent for an unelected speaker to abuse the role. Its the right instinct, even though the law isnt clear on that question. Why designate an emergency speaker powerless to handle an emergency?McHenry has said hes open to an expanded role, but only if the House formally votes for him to do it. Ideally, all Republicans would come to their senses and simply elect him speaker. And even if he needed some Democratic votes to end the chaos, it would be the grown-up thing to do. Which is why its likely Republicans will miss yet another opportunity to be a governing party.

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WASHINGTON  The House selected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as its new speaker in a party-line vote on Wednesday.

Some Republican defense hawks struck a note of optimism following Johnsons election, arguing his position representing a military-heavy district on the Armed Services Committee could help ameliorate some of the budget uncertainty generated by the recent turmoil within the GOP conference.

However, Johnson will face many of the same political dynamics that beguiled former Speaker Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif., who was ousted at the behest of a small group of right-wing lawmakers in his own party.

McCarthys ouster ground business in the House to a halt for three weeks, raising questions as to whether Congress can fund the federal government  including the Defense Department  and pass the White Houses proposed $106 billion supplemental spending package, which includes more military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific security partners.

In a floor speech following his election, Johnson addressed U.S. allies, acknowledging the world has been watching this drama play out for the last three weeks.

We want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations, said Johnson. Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear. The peoples house is back in business.

House Rules Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., who also sits on the defense appropriations committee, praised Johnsons defense policy credentials.

I feel better because nothings moving until we get a speaker, Cole told Defense News. I take a great deal of solace from the fact that Mike represents a military district: Barksdale Air Force Base.

Barksdale Air Force Base is the headquarters of Air Force Global Strike Command. Johnsons rural Louisiana district is also home to Fort Johnson, the Armys Joint Readiness Training Center and the Louisiana National Guards Minden Training Center.

Hes familiar with the issues, Cole said. He added that the Armed Services Committee Johnson sits on is a well-run, very bipartisan committee.

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., declined to comment.

The Armed Services Committee in June advanced its $874 billion annual defense policy bill in a 58-1 vote. The defense policy bill is usually a bipartisan product, but the House narrowly passed it 219-210 in July mostly along party lines.

Democrats defected in droves after Republican leaders added several amendments from the right-wing Freedom Caucus that would overturn the Pentagons abortion leave policy, restrict medical care for transgender troops, eliminate military diversity initiatives and bar the Defense Department from implementing President Joe Bidens climate change initiatives.

Democrats cited the partisan defense policy bill as part of their reason for voting to oust McCarthy in an effort spearheaded by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Gaetz instigated the vote to remove McCarthy after the former speaker passed a bipartisan, short-term spending bill earlier this month to avoid a government shutdown.

That bill expires Nov. 17, once again raising the specter of a shutdown in the near future unless Congress passes its appropriations legislation or another short-term spending bill.

If Congress does not pass its fiscal 2024 appropriations legislation by January, a one-year continuing resolution with a 1% cut to all federal agencies  including the Defense Department  goes into effect, per the May debt ceiling agreement.

A one-year continuing resolution would place major constraints on the Pentagons ability to procure big-ticket items like aircraft and ships, even as numerous shipbuilding programs are already falling behind.

Cole said this would constitute a failure of Congress to do its job.

That is not what you want to do right now, he said. Its a very dangerous world.

Ukraine aid uncertainty

Johnson in his speech said we are at a time of extraordinary crisis right now, and the world needs us to be strong.

Turmoil and violence have rocked the Middle East and eastern Europe  we all know it  and tensions continue to build in the Indo-Pacific, he added. The country demands strong leadership of this body and we must not waver.

He vowed to take up legislation supporting Israel, but has so far declined to answer whether he would put additional Ukraine aid on the floor. The Biden administration has less than $5.5 billion in funds to continue transferring weapons from U.S. stockpiles to Kyiv.

Notably, McCarthy dropped $6 billion in Ukraine aid from the short-term spending bill amid growing opposition to continued arms transfers to Kyiv within the House Republican caucus.

The Senate is moving forward with a massive, bipartisan, all-in-one defense spending package based on the supplemental request Biden sent to Congress last week. Bidens proposed package includes $44.4 billion to continue arming Ukraine against Russias invasion through the U.S. presidential election and $14.3 billion to arm Israel as it bombs Palestinians in the Gaza Strip following Hamas massacre and abduction of Israelis earlier this month.

Republicans have demanded separate votes on Ukraine and Israel aid, with roughly half the House Republican caucus now opposed to continued assistance for Kyiv.

Were going to discuss the supplemental, Defense Appropriations Chairman Ken Calvert, R-Calif., told Defense News. Obviously its a big number, and weve got to look at it carefully.

Israel is our primary focus, he said, adding we need to have a discussion about Ukraine.

House Democrats have called for a combined Ukraine-Israel aid package. They have also objected to Johnsons speakership over his vote against certifying Bidens 2020 election victory.

Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the Houses No. 3 Democrat, called Johnson the most important architect of the electoral objections to a mingle of jeers and applause throughout the chamber.

Johnson led more than 100 GOP lawmakers in 2020 filing an amicus brief in a failed lawsuit that asked the Supreme Court to overturn the election results. The lawsuit was filed by Texas and other Republican-led states.

A reporter on Tuesday asked Johnson about his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results. He shook his head as Republican lawmakers behind him booed and Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., yelled shut up.
The new speaker of the House is not only an election denier with a record of supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation, hes also deeply opposed to abortion rights.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), who became the 56th speaker of the House this week, has a history of supporting anti-choice legislation and making slightly bizarre statements about his stance on abortion.

Roe v. Wade gave constitutional cover to the elective killing of unborn children in America. Period, he said during an undated clip from a House Judiciary Committee Hearing. You think about the implications of that on the economy. Were all struggling here to cover the bases of Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid and all the rest. If we had all those able-bodied workers in the economy, we wouldnt be going upside down and toppling over like this.

Roe was a terrible corruption of Americas constitutional jurisprudence, added Johnson, who has served on the House Judiciary Committee since 2017.

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Mike Johnson attacks Roe v. Wade, insisting that if only women were compelled to bring more "able-bodied workers" into the world, Republicans wouldnt need to slash Social Security and Medicare. pic.twitter.com/RGzg09TYEW  House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) October 25, 2023

Johnson has earned an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, one of the largest anti-abortion organizations in the country. When the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade last year, he celebrated the decision in a statement as a historic and joyful day.

An evangelical Christian, Johnson has also voted for a national abortion ban, co-sponsored a 20-week abortion ban, and supported a law that purported to protect children born alive during abortions later in pregnancy, a common Republican claim that has no scientific backing. He also applauded his home states abortion ban for having criminal punishments including one to 10 years in prison.

In the early to mid-2000s, Johnson was an attorney and spokesperson for Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative Christian legal group known for spearheading the lawsuit currently attempting to revoke FDA approval of medication abortion.

Mike Johnson is a dangerous threat to reproductive freedom, just like the rest of his caucus, Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL, said in a Wednesday statement. His election as speaker only serves to underscore the urgency of electing reproductive freedom champions to Congress so we can take back the gavel in 2024.

Pro-Choice Caucus co-chairs Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said in a Wednesday statement that they will continue to defend reproductive rights with Johnson as speaker.

With an extreme record that includes supporting a complete nationwide abortion ban, Mike Johnson may hold the title of Speaker, but he does not speak for us or for the American peoples pro-choice majority, the statement reads. The Pro-Choice Caucus stands ready to counter the GOPs extreme anti-choice, anti-freedom agenda  no matter who is holding the gavel.

Related...
As the saga of the House Speaker's race continues, it's obvious that this Republican House majority is more dysfunctional than at any time in history. This week was supposed to yield a new crop of candidates, among them at least one or two who could bring about a consensus among the moderates (sic) who hail from Biden districts, the institutionalists who allegedly care about maintaining the U.S. system of government and the nihilists who just want to blow everything up. It's not going well.

There have been a number of shifting demands from these various factions but we now know that the one inviolate criterion is that any new speaker must be an election denier. On Tuesday, their leader Donald Trump made it very clear that he will not allow anyone who has ever crossed him in that way to have the gavel. So when Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who voted to certify the election on January 6, was nominated for the job, Trump trashed him on Truth Social for failing to understand "the Power of the Trump Endorsement." He then reportedly got on the phone with members to make his wishes known. Within the hour Trump reportedly told a confidante of Emmer, hes done. Its over. I killed him.

It's tempting to see this as a simple Trump ego power play. Emmer didn't kowtow to the Big Lie so he wanted revenge and he got it. I'm sure that's a big part of his motivation for interfering that way. After all, what difference can it really make to him who is the Speaker of the House in this Congress? Well, if you think about it, it might make a very big difference. If he decides to once again contest the election results if he doesn't win, having a puppet in the job could be very helpful to his plans to attempt another coup. Does anyone think he wouldn't try it?

Obviously, he wouldn't have the same levers of power that he had as president in 2020 to do things like attempt to enlist the Justice Department (DOJ) in his scheme. But that was actually a small part of the plot and it failed anyway. Most of what they did was an outside game, with the Team Crazy lawyers taking the lead along with attempts to coerce state and local election officials to rig the election after the fact. But it also required the cooperation and participation of "the Republican congressmen" who Trump referred to as his accomplices when pressuring DOJ officials. Many of them were aware of the "fake elector" plot and were more than prepared to step up if Vice President Mike Pence had done his part to usurp the Constitution.

It may sound crazy that Trump would even attempt such a thing again considering all the legal jeopardy he's facing in both federal and state court for what he did last time. But that's exactly why he is most likely to try it again. It's the one sure thing he can count on as a get-out-of-jail-free card. (And yes, if he's found guilty in the Georgia case and he finds his way back to the White House anyway, I'm sure he believes there's no reasonable enforcement method. Are they going to send the Fulton County sheriff to the White House to bring him to jail? Would the Secret Service let them do it?)

Luckily for Trump, there's an outside group that's determined to help him do it this time and they've got a serious plan.

The centrist think tank Third Way has been warning the public about their erstwhile allies No Labels for a while now. (It's a sign of the times that such a split would happen between two groups allegedly representing the "center.") Now they're sounding a deafening alarm.

We've known for a while that No Labels has been planning to run an independent candidate which they have assured everyone they would only do if it would not play spoiler and elect Donald Trump. Such assurances have always been empty since their pollster Mark Penn (who is married to Nancy Jacobson, the leader of the organization) has been MAGA-friendly for years. Third Way's new memo explains their change of plans:

Since they launched their third-party presidential effort last year, the No Labels Party has repeated a central refrain: our bipartisan ticket, led either by a Democrat or a Republican, will not be a spoiler  we are in this to win. But that has now changed. No Labels has made clear that their new plan is to put a Republican at the top of their ticket. And because they cant win the presidency outright, theyve indicated that their intention now is to exercise leverage over the winner by denying both major parties 270 Electoral College Votes (ECVs). That radical new plan would ensure a second Trump term.

No Labels' spin is that by putting a Republican on the top of the ticket they will be denying Trump a victory  but that's not true. In fact, the whole thing is much more likely to deliver him back to the White House. Their own polling shows that this No Labels ticket could result in denying either party the required 270 electoral votes they need. And we know what that means:

None of this is speculation. No Labels put out a chart based on their new polling that shows their candidate (from either party) cant win  Their chief strategist has said publicly they are preparing for a contingent election in which they try to win a few states and deny Trump and Biden 270 electoral votes. This, No Labels believes, would give them leverage to cut a deal by promising their electors support to whichever major party candidate they deem more worthy.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

It's very special that No Labels believes it can or should "cut a deal" to install the next president without winning a majority of electoral votes. Apparently, Donald Trump has convinced these supposedly principled centrists that corrupting the election even more than he did is perfectly respectable.

But that's not what would happen in this situation anyway. They would have to somehow coerce electors into voting their way which isn't likely so the actual outcome would be that no party reaches the 270-vote threshold and it goes to the House of Representatives where the party that has the most delegations decides. Guess which party has more delegations? The Republicans, all of whom would be ecstatic to have the chance to steal the election for Donald Trump.

If you think this House speaker election is a three-ring circus, this would be a nuclear meltdown. But I have to say it's very fitting that a supercilious centrist group like No Labels would deliver the death blow to American democracy. I'm sure they'll find a way to blame the Democratic hippies for it anyway.
Thanks to Chinese police campaigns to crack down on crimes and other violations, the number of calls to the police nationwide reporting suspected criminal cases was significantly lower this summer than during summer last year, according to China's Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday.

The ministry launched several rounds of special campaigns against all kinds of crimes and minor offenses nationwide between June 25 and Sept. 30, with the result that reported crimes during the period were 13.8 percent lower than in the same period of 2022, said Qiu Baoli, director of the ministry's bureau of public security administration, at a press conference.

More than 566,000 criminal cases and over 2 million cases of minor offenses were solved during the period, with a total of 975,000 suspects captured in the campaign, according to Qiu.

The police launched special campaigns targeting telecom and online fraud. As a result, since August, the number of relevant cases and related property losses dropped by 24 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively, on a year-on-year basis, said Wang Zhizhong, vice minister of public security.

The police authority also worked with other relevant departments on the anti-fraud efforts, sending over 1 billion early-warning text messages, instructions and reminders this year, Wang said.

In the first nine months this year, police forces dealt with 114,000 cases of economic offenses and over 4,600 smuggling crime cases, and solved 28,000 cases of IPR infringement and counterfeiting, according to documents issued at the press conference.
House Speaker Dade Phelan listens to state Representatives on the House floor during Sine Die, the last day of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, at the Capitol in Austin on May 29, 2023. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

With the clock winding down on the third special legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas House are at an impasse over school vouchers, the governors top priority.

Despite spending months trying to whip up support for education savings accounts, a voucher program that would allow families to use taxpayer money to send their children to private schools and pay for other educational expenses, Abbott so far has failed to break a coalition of Democrats and rural Republican House members who oppose the idea.

I think there is still significant opposition to any school finance bill that includes an ESA, said Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo. Im comfortable we have enough like-minded rural Republicans, and urban Republicans, to stand against that in numbers sufficient to defeat it.

The lower chamber on Friday unveiled its compromise proposal, House Bill 1, which would enact a limited voucher program while also boosting spending on public education. Abbott derided the plan as insufficient and said it differed from what his staff had negotiated with House Speaker Dade Phelans team. The two camps have been meeting since the summer but so far have little to show for it.

Abbott said two weeks ago he would consider increased funding for public schools, including teacher raises, but only after the Legislature sends him a standalone voucher bill.

Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said the governor and Phelan agreed on Friday to keep working on a deal.

Conversations between our office and the House leadership team are ongoing as we continue working to deliver school choice for Texas parents and students, Eze said Tuesday.

The House, however, hasnt budged. Phelan has not referred HB 1 to the House public education committee, a key early step. The Senates voucher bill, which would create $8,000 education savings accounts for families and does not include increased funds for public schools, has languished in a House committee since Oct. 13.

The special session ends Nov. 7. Abbott has said he will call a fourth special session to try again on vouchers if necessary, and if that fails, said he will support pro-voucher challengers to incumbent Republicans who oppose them.

For the past several legislative sessions, the House has been against any voucher program that could siphon money from public schools. While voucher bills have routinely passed in the Senate, they have not gotten a floor vote in the House in recent years. This spring, the coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans once again sealed their opposition in a test vote in the form of a budget amendment to ban vouchers that passed, 86 to 52. The amendment was ultimately stripped from the budget but the message was sent.

With Democrats nearly unanimous in opposition, Abbotts most viable path to victory is flipping a majority of the 24 Republican holdouts. Many in that bloc have expressed alarm that vouchers would take money away from their public schools, which are the lifeblood of rural communities. Others, like Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, have signaled openness to vouchers that hadnt existed in previous sessions.

Abbott could consider a compromise that addresses these concerns by simultaneously increasing funds for public education, as HB 1 would. But that does not change the reality that some of the holdouts oppose vouchers on principle.

Darby, whose district encompasses a swath of rural West Texas, said the Legislature has under-funded public schools for his entire nine-term tenure. But he said attaching vouchers to items like teacher pay raises, school security or increased per-pupil spending is a poison pill.

Whether HB 1 could even pass the House remains in doubt. Major legislation is usually accompanied by the fanfare of a news conference and a cadre of co-sponsors. HB 1 bears only the name of its author, Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen, and appeared online unceremoniously Thursday evening.

Buckley, who previously opposed vouchers and now chairs the public education committee, had also unsuccessfully attempted to assemble a voucher bill acceptable to the House and Abbott in May. He and Phelan did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, said the special session is more than likely to end with no progress on public school finance.

The school choice legislation in the House is considering right now would not pass muster with the governor nor the Texas Senate, Jones said. We're looking at a fourth special session to begin sometime in November.

At this point, Jones said Abbott and the House are waiting for one or the other to budge. Either Abbott will accept the Houses watered down version of the bill and add public school funding to the agenda or he will continue to hold public school finance hostage.

It's a game of chicken, he said.

Michelle Rinehart, superintendent of the Alpine Independent School District, believes the right move is to kill any voucher proposal in the House even if it comes at the expense of public schools. Vouchers may have a chance if public schools receive a significant amount of funding first.

Don't bring this nonsense to us, she said. Let's solve the real issue first and then well use remaining funds to work on pet projects.

Disclosure: Rice University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
California has seen a marked decline in the percentage of state employees with disabilities in recent years. According to the California Department of Human Resources website, the employment rate of disabled workers in the California state government dropped from 14.7% in December of 2017 to 8.8% in June of 2023  a 40% decrease. Most of that decrease occurred during the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom .

As a point of comparison, the labor force participation rate for disabled workers in the federal sector was 16.6% in Fiscal Year 2021, according to the Federal Office of Personnel Managements 2022 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility report.

Opinion

Why is the federal government doing so much better than California in hiring, retaining and promoting workers with disabilities? In a word: leadership.

The federal Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have been making the employment of federal workers with disabilities a priority since the second Bush Administration. President George W. Bush had a disability hiring effort called the New Freedom Initiative that explicitly set goals to increase the number of employees with disabilities in the federal workforce.

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order calling on the federal government to hire an additional 100,000 disabled workers within five years. President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal sector that includes a section on Advancing Equity for Employees with Disabilities which reaffirms Obamas commitment that the federal government must become a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities.

Earlier this month in California, to commemorate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Newsom issued a statement where he recommitted to recruiting and retaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of Californians and noted recent state laws he signed in an effort to improve recruitment, reasonable accommodations and wages for state employees with disabilities. Newsom wrote that California must lead by employing individuals with disabilities, and he encouraged employers throughout the state to expand access, equity and opportunity across the board for all Californians.

As the leader of Disability Rights California, and as a lawyer with bipolar disorder who has been working to improve opportunities for people with disabilities for more than 30 years, I commend Newsom for calling attention to this important issue. Although the governor has used strong rhetoric calling on California to be a leader disability employment, when it comes to his own administration, Newsom has failed to be the leader hes asked private businesses to be.

In 2021, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 313 to improve opportunities for people with disabilities in state employment. Since signing AB 313 into law, the governor has not held his own administration accountable for its abysmal performance in hiring and retention.

As written, AB 313 tasked CalHR with developing a statewide reasonable accommodation policy and engaging with state agencies to review and make recommendations on their disability recruitment strategies. CalHRs implementation of AB 313 has been slow and weak, and we have not seen the improvements in state employment that the legislature hoped for.

Disability Rights California and the Association of California State Employees with Disabilities have reached out to the governors office, CalHR and other leaders in state government. We are convinced that California is moving in the wrong direction because no one in the governors office or at CalHR is insisting that California be a leader in disability employment. We wont do better if we dont recognize that we have a problem, and it is past time for the governor to acknowledge the problem and demand accountability from the leaders of his administration.

Millions of disabled people in our state and our allies are ready to work with California to remove barriers and improve opportunities for workers with disabilities in state service.

Last month, when he issued a statement on the 50th anniversary of the federal Rehabilitation Act, Biden noted that (d)isabled Americas are still three times less likely to have a job (and) ... often earn less for doing the same work. In California, the percentage of working age people with disabilities who were employed in 2021 was 39.4%, slightly below the national rate of 40.7%. I believe we are in the bottom half of the country on this key indicator in part because our government doesnt believe that employment of people with disabilities is important. In Minnesota, which had a employment rate of 50.9% for working age disabled workers in 2021, Governor Tim Walz signed an Executive Order in 2019 calling on the State to increase state employment of individual with disabilities.

We should not be lagging behind Minnesota, Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming or any state when it comes to this key equity issue for more than 10 million Californians.

As we mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month, lets move beyond rhetoric. Lets get serious about addressing the barriers and discrimination that state employees and job seekers with disabilities face. Newsom can and must do better.

Andrew Imparato is the executive director of Disability Rights California (DRC), a statewide legal services and policy advocacy organization serving Californians with all types of disabilities. Imparato previously served as the Disability Policy Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. He grew up in Los Angeles and lives in Sacramento.
Less than five years ago, the United Kingdom government committed to reduce its pollution by 100% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels). But a $9.4 billion drilling project to support the oil and gas industry received approval at the end of September, sparking public backlash, the New York Times reported.

What happened?

As detailed by the New York Times, an oil field was found in the British North Sea approximately 20 years ago, but no action was taken to develop it in part because of the high price of doing so.

However, a new approach by Equinor  a major Norwegian energy company that owns 80% of the Rosebank field  was able to cut costs.

UK energy security secretary Claire Coutinho noted that the jobs and billions of pounds this is worth to our economy will enable us to have greater energy independence, but environmental groups strongly opposed the decision.

This is yet another colossal failure of leadership from a government that seems determined to ignore the scientific warnings on the climate crisis, Friends of the Earth said in a statement quoted by the New York Times.

The approval for Rosebank came on the heels of a decision to push back the ban on gas and diesel cars by five years to 2035.

Why is this concerning?

The burning of oil is responsible for about a third of all carbon pollution worldwide, according to ClientEarth, with the impact of that pollution linked to a variety of concerns, from rising sea levels to health problems because of air-quality issues.

In 2021, the International Energy Agency recommended avoiding any investment in oil and gas projects so the world could reach its goal of limiting warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Additionally, the North Sea is known for its fisheries, thanks in part to the plethora of nutrients that support many species.

Yet exposure to oil, even if accidental, can wreak havoc on the health of the animals who come in contact with it. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, adult fish can suffer problems such as fin erosion and reproduction issues, and they can become unsafe for human consumption.

Whats being done about it?

According to the New York Times, the North Sea Transition Authority, an oil and gas regulator, issued a statement saying net zero considerations were part of the equation in the approval of the Rosebank field. How these considerations were included, though, is not immediately clear.

Reed wrote that the Labour Party  in opposition to the government of current conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak  reportedly plans to stop any approval of new oil and gas developments if it wins the general election expected in 2024.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
A Russian strike on Kherson Oblast's town of Beryslav on Oct. 25 killed a 13-year-old boy, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

"In the evening, the occupiers opened fire against a residential building in the city," the governor wrote on his Telegram channel. "As a result of the strike, a 13-year-old boy died."

The official did not provide further details on potential damage caused by the attack or on the weaponry used by Russian forces.

Beryslav, with a pre-war population of 12,000 lying around 60 kilometers east of Kherson, was temporarily occupied by Moscow's troops until its liberation in Ukraine's fall offensive last year.

The town suffers regular attacks from the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnipro River. A 42-year-old resident was killed on the morning of Oct. 25 as Russian forces dropped a guided aerial bomb on Beryslav, Prokudin reported earlier.

Read also: The dead villages: Hope and despair side-by-side in the liberated south

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Two separate drivers struck a woman crossing the street and left her to die in the road, Georgia police said.

Now, two are charged in the death of 55-year-old Linda Powell, according to an Oct. 23 news release from the Brookhaven Police Department.

Powell was crossing a road Oct. 19 when she was struck by two separate vehicles that are unrelated, police said.

When officers responded to multiple calls about the incident, Powell was dead and both drivers were gone, according to the release.

Using nearby surveillance footage and information from witnesses, police said they identified the suspected vehicles involved in the crash.

Four days after the incident, Koechiesta Smith, 51, and Hugo Valente, 21, were arrested on a charge of felony hit-and-run, police said.

Powells family describes her as a very lively person with a heart of gold in a fundraiser for funeral expenses.

Powells daughter Amanda Whitaker told WSB-TV she waited days to hear about the arrests of the men accused in the crashes.

Not because he hit her, because that genuinely was an accident, but because he left her like she was garbage on the side of the road ... you cant do that to somebody, Whitaker told WSB-TV.

A woman who called Powell her cousin said she was crossing the street to get to her bus stop that morning when she was struck.

She would spend an entire day cooking meals and then taking food to the homeless people around Atlanta, her family wrote. She adored her grandchildren and was maternal to everyone that was fortunate enough to know her. She lived her life helping others and worrying about everyone she loved.

Both men were taken to the DeKalb County jail. Attorney information is not available in court records.

Police said additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.

Brookhaven is 10 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.

Driver hits man, then goes 2 miles with body on windshield before dumping it, cops say

Wife runs over and kills husband when he leaves vehicle to look for dog, Florida cops say

Driver jumps out of car window like a dolphin during high-speed chase, Florida cops say

Man trying to help fallen biker is fatally struck by passing vehicle, NC police say
"We've taught young people that any of their missteps or any of their heterodox opinions are grounds to tear them down. That's no way to grow up."

That was journalist Rikki Schlott speaking before a sold-out crowd on Monday night at a live taping of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie podcast in New York City. Schlott, 23, teamed up with Greg Lukianoff to co-write The Canceling of the American Mind.

Lukianoff, 49, is the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and co-author with Jonathan Haidt of the bestselling The Coddling of the American Mind (2018). Schlott is a fellow at FIRE, a New York Post columnist, and a cohost of the Lost Debate podcast.

Cancel culture, they argue, constitutes a serious threat to free speech and open inquiry in academia and the workplace and is best understood as a battle for power, status, and dominance. I talked with them about the roots and extent of cancel culture, whether it's fading, and whether firing or not hiring someone who supports Hamas' killing of Israeli citizens is an act of cancel culture.

To watch the video version and to read a transcript of the interview, go here.

Live tapings of this podcast take place once a month in New York at the Reason Speakeasy. To find out when the next one is happening, go here. For past Speakeasy events, go here.

Today's sponsor:

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The post Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott: <i>The Canceling of the American Mind</i> appeared first on Reason.com.
Group Pays Off $10M In Student Loan Debt For Morehouse Students, Urges Biden To Take Action For All Borrowers | Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

An activist group partnered with Morehouse College to relieve nearly 3,000 college students of student loan debt they owed to their school.

On Monday, the Debt Collective, an organization pushing to erase student debt, announced its collaboration with the Atlanta-based historically Black college to eliminate outstanding account balances for the 2022 fall term and years prior, Business Insider reported.

Morehouse worked with the activism group to provide nearly $10 million in student debt relief to 2,777 former students.

Braxton Brewington, spokesperson for the Debt Collective, said wiping out the outstanding balances would provide Black men and women with more financial opportunities and attain homeownership.

Our nation is defaulting on the promise of education when we burden communities, especially Black HBCU graduates, with crushing amounts of student debt, Brewington said in a press release statement, according to Insider.

This nearly $10M of student debt cancellation will put thousands of Black folks in a better position to be able to save for retirement, purchase a home or start a small business, he continued. President Biden has yet to make good on his campaign promise to eliminate all student debt held by HBCU graduates. Were doing our part, and its time Biden does his. Forty five million Americans need this relief, he added.

Brewington said the organization had done more for Black Americans with crippling student loan debt than Biden, who vowed to cancel these debts during his presidential campaign.

According to reports, Biden promised to eliminate student debt for borrowers from private colleges and universities and private HBCU institutions. However, Brewington believes the president can alleviate Black Americans financial burden of student debt.

Meanwhile, the Debt Collective has previously worked with other colleges to erase student debt. Blavity reported that the organization and its sister project, the Rolling Jubilee Fund, partnered with Bennett College in May 2022 to cancel $1.7 million for 462 students at the all-female HBCU.

We canceled unpaid bills and college debt owed directly to Bennett College. We cant cancel federal student loans  theyre owed by the government. But President Biden can  and should, the activist group noted in an Instagram post.

The paid-off debt for Morehouse and Bennett College was outstanding balances owed directly to the school, which doesnt affect federal loans from the government.

The fact that a small group of activists can eliminate $10 million dollars in a split second is a reminder of the amazing power the executive branch has to eliminate the crushing weight of student loans for the public writ large, according to a statement from the Debt Collective obtained by Essence.
The head of Floridas public university system has called for the statewide shutdown of Students for Justice in Palestine on all campuses.

In a letter released on Tuesday, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues argued that all chapters of the pro-Palestine group must be deactivated. The letter also stated that the new directive was issued in consultation with Governor Ron DeSantis .



The letter pointed to a tool kit released by the national student-led organization, which refers to [Hamass October 7 attack] as the resistance and unequivocally states: Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.

This tool kit, Rodrigues wrote, shows that SJP is linked to a terrorist led attack. The letter also noted that under Florida law, it is a felony to knowingly provide material support  to a designated foreign terrorist organization.



The SJP has two active chapters in the state: at Florida State University and the University of North Florida.

Numerous instances of harassment and assault have occurred on college campuses following Hamass attack on Israel on October 7 and Israels ongoing bombardment and siege on the Gaza Strip.



DeSantis has not helped cool down any of these tensions. On October 15, DeSantis claimed Palestinians are all antisemitic, while arguing that the United States should not take in Palestinian refugees.



You have Israelis being held hostage, as well as Americans being held hostage, but I dont think they are under an obligation to be providing water and these utilities while those hostages are being held. Hamas should return those hostages before any discussions are had, DeSantis told CBSs Face the Nation.

DeSantiss latest move is already under attack by free speech advocates. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has called Rodriguess demands dangerous and a threat to free speech.

Theres no indication from the chancellors letter that any action from Floridas Students for Justice in Palestine groups went beyond expression fully protected by the First Amendment, FIRE wrote in a statement.
On June 4, officers with the Palatka Police Department responded to 6710 St. Johns Avenue due to the report of a person being shot.

When Officers arrived on scene, they made contact with Phillip Bryant 31 of Palatka. Bryant informed the officers he had shot at Semaj Atkins, 21 of Gainesville Fl.

According to Bryant, Atkins had come to his residence and knocked on the front door to his apartment. When Bryant opened the door, he immediately observed a black colored pistol in Atkins hand.

Bryant told officers Atkins then pointed the pistol at his face. Bryant pushed the gun away and closed the door to the residence. Bryant retreated to his bedroom to retrieve his own firearm.

As he ran, he stated that he heard the sound of gunfire behind him.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Bryant discharged his firearm multiple times toward the front door of the residence as a means to protect himself and his children. Bryant then looked outside of his bedroom window to see if Atkins had left.

However, when he looked outside, Atkins fired at Bryants window. Bryant then discharged his firearm from the window toward Atkins. Atkins then got into a vehicle and left the area.

Bryant believed Atkins had come to his residence to confront him about an argument that took place earlier in the day. The residence was processed for evidence and multiple shell casings in 5.56 mm and 9mm were collected from inside and outside of the residence.

Bryants firearm a, AR-15 (5.56mm) was seized for processing.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Within moments of officers arriving on scene, a Deputy from the Putnam County Sheriffs Office located and stopped the vehicle which Atkins was driving. Atkins was inside the vehicle and had suffered a gunshot wound to his upper left torso.

Atkins was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The vehicle he was operating was secured and later processed for evidence. While processing the vehicle, a 9mm handgun and ammunition were found.

Detectives later conducted an interview with Atkins. Atkins admitted to having gone to Bryants residence to talk to him. During the interview Atkins stated the 9mm handgun found inside of the vehicle he was driving belonged to him. Atkins told Detectives he never fired the gun and had actually left it in the vehicle.

Atkins could not explain why detectives found spent 9mm shell casings outside of the apartment door.

All of the evidence collected was sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for ballistics processing.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

On October 10, 2023, FDLE submitted a report to the Police Department which outlined the findings of the ballistics testing. FDLE reported the 9mm shell casings found outside of the apartment were a match to the 9mm handgun Atkins stated belonged to him which he reported he had never fired.

The 5.56 mm shell casings were a match for the gun belonging to Bryant.

The FDLE ballistics report assisted Detectives in confirming the events of the incident as described by Bryant. The evidence supports Bryants actions in discharging his firearm at Atkins as a means of self-defense.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Detectives obtained a warrant for Atkins arrest for one count of aggravated assault and one count of firing a missile into a dwelling.

On October 25, 2023 Atkins surrendered himself to the Putnam County Jail. Adkins is being held without the benefit of a bond.

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.
Philip Lopez is running for a seat on the board of commissioners for the Unified Government of Wyandotte Countys 6th District. I would like to think he knows better than to compare public officials to Nazis. Seriously.

Words matter.

Im no political operative or historical scholar, but this much I hold true: Never is it a good idea for any candidate for public office to use the phrase Hail Hitler, as Lopez has done on at least two occasions since September. (The German word is heil.)

Yes, context is important here  who could blame Wyandotte County residents for their grievances against Kansas City, Kansas Board of Public Utilities, the countys publicly owned electric and water utility?

Not me.

But Lopez takes it too far.

At a recent campaign event in Wyandotte County, Lopez used inappropriate and dangerous rhetoric to describe the BPUs history of alleged cronyism and its modus operandi, which he likened to Adolf Hitlers murderous Nazi regime.

BPU, we need to take control of that, Lopez said on a video posted to a public Facebook page on Oct. 3. Its like, Hail Hitler. Theres some Nazism going on like you wouldnt believe.

Under no circumstances is this sort of language ever acceptable. We shouldnt normalize speech associated with hate and intolerance. We must call it out every time.

Wait, theres more.

At a Unified Government Board of Commissioners meeting last month, Lopez spoke out against a rate increase and the rising cost of utilities. He also lampooned  with justification  the six-figure salary of BPU general manager Bill Johnson and other well-paid BPU executives.

But the language he used during public comments at the board of commissioners meeting Sept. 28 is not cool at all.

I watched that whole BPU meeting with you guys, Lopez said. I mean, its like, I almost wanted to say, you know, like Hail Hitler, you know? Were being held hostage.

This week, I contacted Lopez, who is running against Steve Neal to represent the countys 6th District. I wanted to know if he knew how incendiary and harmful his message was.

Under Hitlers rule, 6 million Jewish people and millions of others were murdered. Outrageous comparisons to Nazi Germany or its ruthless leader are offensive and trivialize the Holocaust, as the Anti-Defamation League has long reminded us.

Doubling down in text message

Not only were Lopezs remarks in poor taste, but he continues to fail to understand the significance of his outlandish remarks. He should consider issuing an apology to Wyandotte County residents, constituents of the 6th District in south central KCK and the Jewish community hurt by these distasteful words.

In a brief text message exchange, Lopez, the owner of a tree trimming business in Wyandotte County, stood by what he said.

On reference to BPU Nazism: Thats towards the management that solicits money from their customers and hold our utilities hostage, Lopez wrote.

I wrote back: That helps provides context, thanks. I did need to ask if you understood how wrong it is to compare public officials to a murderous dictator? And will you apologize for using that language repeatedly? Thank you.

Lopezs reply was anything but apologetic.

I know he was a murderous dictator and I hope Hitler is burning in hell for that! he wrote in a text. BUT how would you compare what BPU is doing to us???? (Theyre) dictating what we have to pay or basically in the end if we dont, were homeless.

Later, he wrote: What (theyre) doing is WRONG and (theyre) not being held accountable.

Yes, BPU should be criticized for skyrocketing utility costs and high pay for top-level executives. And voters will have their say in November. Half of the BPUs six-member board is up for reelection.

In an email, David E. Mehlhaff, chief communications officer for the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Public Utilities, declined to comment.

Neal, Lopezs opponent in next months election, said: There is evidence of him saying that. Ill leave it at that.

Heres a final thought: Anyone running for public office should think twice before using Hitler or Nazi Germany as a talking point. Evoking imagery of the Holocaust to decry political enemies is an unacceptable campaign strategy.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed an order of the State Council to issue a set of regulations to protect minors in cyberspace.

The regulatory document, comprising 60 articles in seven chapters, will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, according to an official statement.

As the rapid development of the internet has expanded the space for minors to live and learn, it has also sparked society-wide attention to minors' protection in cyberspace, the statement says.

The regulations aim to create a healthy online environment for minors in the country, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and provide legal support in this regard, according to the statement.

The document clarifies the responsibilities of government departments in charge of internet and information technology, press and publication, public security, and market regulation, among other areas, in protecting minors in cyberspace.

The document underlines the importance of promoting web literacy and morality among minors through strengthening the educational roles of schools and guardians.

It encourages and supports the production, publication and dissemination of online information that is conducive to the sound development of minors.

Cyberbullying behaviors targeting minors by any organizations or individuals are prohibited, according to the document. It requires web product and service providers to set up and improve mechanisms for early warning, detection and response to cyberbullying.

The document underscores the protection of personal information of minors and measures to prevent them from becoming addicted to the internet.
While Donald Trump s commanding lead in the Republican presidential nominating race holds steady and the former president continues to rake in campaign donations by the tens of millions, increasing spats between the candidates polling in second and third place signal that the GOP race may be closing in on who could become a consensus alternative to the legally embattled Trump.

Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have upped the tension level in recent weeks as they battle behind Trump in the polls, most recently taking shots at one another other over foreign policy, specifically when it comes to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

In a CNN appearance earlier this month, Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration, said that Arab countries need to take in refugees from Gaza. She then was asked to weigh in on a comment by DeSantis claiming that Gazans do not believe in Israels right to exist.

Americas always been sympathetic to the fact that you can separate civilians from terrorists, and thats what we have to do, Haley said in part of her response.

The DeSantis campaign spun off of that statement to claim Haley wanted to bring Gaza refugees to the U.S., though Haley never said that in her CNN interview.

The episode was the latest in the battle to be the consensus GOP alternative to Trump, with a little less than three months remaining before the first early nominating contests. DeSantis and Haley trail the former president by large margins but have been polling closely to one another recently. However, Haley is solidly in second place in her home state of South Carolina, which holds the First in the South GOP primary.

And the spat could be a preview of what to expect in the third GOP presidential debate scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami as Haley and DeSantis may look to take shots at one another.

Anti-Trump Republicans have been arguing the field needs to coalesce behind one candidate who then can focus his or her attention on campaigning against the former president.

The hope is as (other) candidates start to drop out, if youre Nikki Haley, they will come to your side and vice versa for DeSantis, said Jordan Ragusa, a political science professor at the College of Charleston. It would make sense you would try to knock out your nearest competitor, assuming Donald Trump is not going to drop soon, but try to knock out or draw contrast with your nearest competitor so you can emerge in second place in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Who do polls say is in second place?

The current field also includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. The large field has allowed the electorate to fracture and allow Trump to remain the favorite to win the nomination.

DeSantis was viewed early on as the candidate who could dethrone Trump as the party standard-bearer, but the Florida governors campaign has struggled and gone through a reset.

DeSantis remains in second place in the national polls. However, recent polls show Haley moving within one point of DeSantis or even tied nationally.

But the nomination is decided in state-by-state contests. DeSantis has kept a hold on second place in Iowa polling, while Haleys share of the support continues to increase, according to the RealClearPolitics poll tracking.

Following Haleys widely lauded debate performances, the former ambassador to the United Nations has become a solid second place in recent South Carolina polls, and the RealClearPolitics average of polls puts her in second place in New Hampshire, which is expected to vote about a month before South Carolina.

However, not only does Trump have an overwhelming lead in the polls, he also has a considerable cash lead over other candidates, with $15 million cash on hand. DeSantis, meanwhile, started October with $5 million cash on hand. Haley started October with $9.1 million available to spend.

Haley and DeSantiss recent spats come as the two candidates try to show contrast with one another when competing for support from the conservative Republican base.

In a primary, its often hard to draw a contrast with your opponents because theyre all of the same party and share a large portion of the same policy positions, Ragusa said. In a broad perspective, theres not a lot of daylight between Haley and DeSantis.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley rallied with supporters on March 13, 2023 at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Myrtle Beach, S.C. as she seeks the Republican nomination for president in 2024. March 13, 2023. JASON LEE/jlee@thesunnews.com

Tension over Gaza and more

DeSantis and Haley squabbled on social media and in dueling news releases over Gazan war refugees, despite the fact that they share the same stance on the issue, agreeing that the U.S. should not take in refugees displaced by the Israel-Hamas war.

The attack on Israel by Hamas has allowed Haley to reemphasize her foreign policy experience.

Other Republicans have worked to beef up their Israel credentials. DeSantis, who touts being the only military veteran in the race, ordered chartered flights from Florida to help evacuate Americans from Israel. A second flight arrived in Florida last Thursday.

During a recent trip to Iowa, DeSantis said the U.S. should not accept refugees from Gaza who have been displaced by the war and called for other Republican candidates to take the same stance.

And while in Iowa, DeSantis was critical of people in the war-torn region who oppose Israel.

If you look at how they behave, not all of them are Hamas, but theyre all antisemitic. None of them believe in Israels right to exist, DeSantis said in a clip played by CNN.

U.S. presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd at the VFW in Rock Hill, S.C. on Thursday, Oct. 19, 20932. Tracy Kimball/tkimball@heraldonline.com

The DeSantis campaign and the Never Back Down political action committee, which is supporting the Florida governors presidential bid, zeroed in on a part of Haleys comments from her Oct. 15 CNN appearance, accusing her of saying the U.S. should accept refugees from Gaza.

There are so many of these people who want to be free from this terrorist rule, Haley said on the cable news network. They want to be free from all of that. And Americas always been sympathetic to the fact that you can separate civilians from terrorists, and thats what we have to do.

But during that CNN interview, Haley said countries in the Arab world should step up and never said the U.S. should take in people from Gaza.

We should care about the Palestinian citizens, especially the innocent ones, because they didnt ask for this. But where are the Arab countries? Where are they? Haley said. ...Why arent they opening the gates? Why arent they taking the Palestinians? You know why? Because they know they cant vet them and they dont want Hamas in their neighborhood. So why would Israel want them in their neighborhood?

State Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, a DeSantis surrogate in South Carolina, wrote an op-ed praising DeSantis stances on Israel and criticizing Haley, and Never Back Down released an ad Monday calling Haley dangerous on China.

Haley, in the past, has called DeSantis an echo of Trump, even releasing a video of clips showing the two men making similar hand gestures while speaking and saying the same catch phrases.

Among other tension points, Haley and DeSantis also sparred in the second GOP candidate debate over whether DeSantis banned fracking in Florida.

DeSantis, for the most part, has avoided attacking Haley, instead focusing his criticisms on Trump and arguing its a two-man race between him and his fellow Floridian.

During stops last Thursday in Rock Hill, DeSantis did not address the recent spat with Haley and only discussed the former South Carolina governor when asked about her comments on not jailing women for having an abortion.
Over half of Ukrainians believe that there are attempts to overcome corruption in Ukraine and positive developments are being seen, for example, in the latest news about detentions and arrests. However, one-third is convinced that this, on the contrary, speaks of hopeless corruption and the lack of any changes.

Source: results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on 29 September  9 October

Quote: "The majority of Ukrainians, 59%, believe that there are indeed attempts to fight corruption and positive developments in Ukraine. At the same time, a significant share of respondents chose the answer option that the latest cases are evidence of "the hopeless corruption of Ukraine and there are no positive changes" (34%)."

Details: Sociologists said they have not asked the same question before, so it is difficult to speak clearly about the dynamics of sentiment.

The KIIS reported that they conducted a survey on the state of corruption in the winter of 2022-2023 and "How effectively do you think the authorities of Ukraine are fighting corruption?" was among the questions.

"If in 2018, 25% answered "rather effectively", then in the winter of 2022-2023, this share was 50%. Therefore, we can cautiously assume that the Ukrainians are now more optimistic about the fight against corruption than they were before the large-scale invasion (and compared to what it was before the Revolution of Dignity)," the KIIS noted.

The KIIS reported that there are gradually fewer people from the western to the eastern oblasts who believe that attempts have indeed been taken to fight corruption in Ukraine. However, in other parts, except for Ukraine's east, the number of people who assess the situation positively prevails over those who assess it negatively.

In particular, 65% of people in Ukraine's west believe that there are attempts to fight corruption, and 32%, on the contrary, believe that Ukraine is "hopelessly corrupt". In the country's centre, the ratio is 60% against 34%, and 53% against 40% in Ukraine's south. In the east, there are slightly more people assessing the situation negatively (49%) compared to 45% who believe there is a fight against corruption.

In addition, the KIIS noticed that readiness for territorial concessions depends on how the fight against corruption in Ukraine is assessed. In particular, 25% of those who negatively assessed the situation with corruption are ready for territorial concessions. Only 4% among those who see positive developments are ready for territorial concessions.

At the same time, even among those who are critical of the corruption situation, the vast majority (66%) oppose territorial concessions (while among those who assess the situation positively, 88% stand against concessions).

Reference: The survey was conducted from 29 September  9 October. A total of 1,010 individuals residing in all oblasts of Ukraine (except Russian-occupied Crimea) were interviewed by telephone based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. The survey was conducted among adult citizens of Ukraine (aged 18 and older) who, at the time of the study, resided in Ukraine (within the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities until 24 February 2022).

Formally, the statistical sampling error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and considering the design effect of 1.1) under normal circumstances did not exceed 3.4% for indicators close to 50%, 3% for indicators close to 25%, 2.1% for indicators close to 10%, and 1.5% for indicators close to 5%.

It is noted that in times of war, a certain systematic deviation occurs in addition to this formal error. However, sociologists believe that the results obtained still retain high representativeness and allow for a fairly reliable public sentiment analysis.

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As Israels ground war in Gaza looms, what might lay at the other end of the fog of war? What political conditions can establish lasting peace after the shooting stops?

That is the question the United States failed to answer after Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. tried military occupation followed by democratization in Iraq. It avoided an occupation in Afghanistan, instead handing over power immediately to an interim government.

But what the U.S. didnt try in either case was state buildingwith dire results. A failed Iraqi state may have held elections, but they empowered incompetent sectarians and the country later devolved into civil war. A new elected government may have formed in Kabul, but a power vacuum nevertheless developed in the Afghan countryside which the Taliban easily filled.

If Israeli officials have envisioned an end to their war against Hamas, other than the terrorist groups destruction, they havent shared it. The relevant question now is: Who will govern Gaza, and how?

Since 1918, the territory has been governed by the United Kingdom, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas. None has been successful.

The Palestinians have a rightful claim to Gaza under the terms of the 1995 Oslo Accords and the 1947 U.N. partition plan. Ideally, therefore, Gaza would transition back to the Palestinian Authority. But the Palestinian Authority today is incompetent, corrupt, and authoritarian (though not nearly as bad as Hamas). It is unlikely that the Palestinian Authority could govern Gaza, keep out Hamas (which won a war between the two in 2007), or maintain public order for Palestiniansmuch less meet Israels security needs.

Gaza is one of the poorest and most misgoverned places on the planet. In the past, when confronted with drastic conditions of state failure, the United Nations stepped in to establish an international transitional authority. It did so in Cambodia in 1991; East Timor in 1999; and Kosovo the same year.

None of the U.N.s previous interim administrations were without their problems, yet they were roughly successful. While Cambodia, Kosovo, and East Timor will continue to grapple with the aftereffects of war and privation for generations to come, today they have assumed control over their own governance.

In the short run, a U.N.-mandated international administration of Gaza is the least-bad solution.

Unlike another occupation authoritythe U.S., for example, or Israelthe U.N. would be seen as relatively impartial. No one suspects the U.N. would use an interim administration as an excuse for empire. If anything, the U.N. would be overly eager to hand power to the Palestinian Authority before it was ready.

A U.N.-run interim administration in Gaza would not be empowered to negotiate final status arrangements with Israel. It would focus on immediate needs: turning the lights back on, cleaning out the rubble, getting water treatment plants online, and patrolling streets. After meeting immediate humanitarian needs, the interim administration would help reconstitute the local police, reopen schools and courts, and form local governing bodies.

Reforming the Palestinian Authority is a necessarybut much biggerproject. The Palestinian Authority has not held elections since 2006, and it has a notorious history of corruption. Bringing the PAs budgeting and accounting up to international standards of transparency and accountability is a prerequisite to channeling aid money through the PA so that it can rebuild and eventually govern Gaza.

If the goal is nation building, then the international community must frankly embrace it. The United States failed in Iraq and Afghanistan because it shied away from that effort. But state failure is why Syria, Libya, Somalia, Venezuela, and too many other states remain prone to political violence and instability. And hostile nonstate actorslike organized crime and black market traffickers in weapons, drugs, and peoplethrive in poorly governed territory.

Critics routinely argue that nation building is unrealistic. It is difficult, of course, but the international community learned important lessons during prior missions in the 1990s, including in Bosnia, Sierra Leone, and Central America. The cost and risk of nation building must be measured against the cost and risk of the alternative. From the longer perspective of history, standing by and allowing the problems to fester for yet another generation is the least realistic option.

Israel cannot and should not try to be the chief Palestinian nation builder. Israel has a different priority and a different role to play. Before an international nation building effort for Palestine can begin, Hamas must be destroyed. Israels military capabilities can do that.

But if the war ends with nothing more than bombs and bullets, little will have been accomplished. Gaza will remain mired in misery, and the Palestinians will be no closer to achieving the just goal of sovereignty long envisioned by the 1947 partition plan and the 1995 Oslo Accords. Israel will be a little safer in the short run, but another group of copycat jihadists is likely to take Hamas place if the Palestinians do not see a brighter future under other leadership.

The goal is a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. For that to happen, there must be a Palestinian state under the authority of a capable, legitimate, and accountable government. There isnt one today. The international community must step in to be that government in the short run while building a Palestinian government in the long run.

Click here for more coverage of the war in Israel.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Daniel Radcliffe is making a documentary about his Harry Potter stunt double who was left paralysed after an on-set accident.

After being hired as Radcliffes double for the Harry Potter film adaptations, David Holmes was left with a broken neck after a stunt went wrong while filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010).

The Essex-born Holmes, who is now 42, has been paralysed from the chest down ever since, and a new documentary, titled David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, will shine a light on the tragic incident that turned his world upside down.

But what actually happened to Holmes? The man himself revealed details about the injury in an interview with The Mirror in 2014.

Holmes was rehearsing a flying scene at Warner Bros Studios, Leavesden, in 2009 when he was pulled backwards at speed by a high-strength wire in a jerk back stunt that replicates the effects of an explosion. However, Holmes was launched into a wall and he immediately broke his neck.

He was rushed to Watford General Hospital before beig transferred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, north west London, where he remained for six months.

It was here that Holmes discovered he was paralysed from the chest down, and would have limited movements in his arms and hands.

Holmes said of the immediate aftermath of the incident: I hit the wall and then landed on the crash mat underneath. My stunt co-ordinator grabbed my hand and said, Squeeze my fingers. I could move my arm to grab his hand but I couldnt squeeze his fingers.

I looked into his eyes and thats when I realised what happened was major. I remember slipping in and out of consciousness because of the pain levels. Id broken a bone before, so recognising that weird feeling across my whole body from my fingertips right down to my toes, I knew I had really done some damage.

He said his initial thought was: Dont ring Mum and Dad; I dont want to worry them.

Daniel Radcliffe and David Holmes in new documentary The Boy Who Lived (NOW)

Holmes was regularly visited by Radcliffe as well as Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton. The former held a charity auction and dinner to raise money for Holmess medical bills. He called Holmes an incredibly important person in my life.

Holmess career began aged six, when he became a competitive gymnast, and he received his first body-double job for the science-fiction film Lost in Space (1998) starring Matt LeBlanc and William Hurt.

He played Radcliffes stunt double from the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, which was released in 2001, and got the job after being spotted by stunt co-ordinator Greg Powell.

Holmes, who became an Appeal Ambassador for RNOH, said of the incident in 2014: Sometimes I do get flashbacks from the accident  I re-live it sometimes when Im drifting off to sleep  but its something Ive learned to live with and manage.

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived will feature candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmess stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with David, Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew.

Daniel Radcliffe has remained close friends with David Holmes (Getty Images)

Directed by British filmmaker Dan Hartley, the project comes a few years after Radcliffe, 34, and Holmes launched the 2020 Cunning Stunts podcast together.

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived premieres on HBO on Wednesday 15 November at 9pm EST, before being made available to stream on Max in the US. UK viewers can stream it on Sky Documentaries and NOW from 18 November.
Foolish mortals beware.

An all-new bar inspired by the classic Disney attraction Haunted Mansion will debut on the new cruise ship, the Disney Treasure, it was announced Tuesday. The Haunted Mansion Parlor will be serving happy haunts when the Disney Treasure sets sail in December 2024.

In true Disney storytelling fashion, once guests step into the parlor, they will be transported into the next chapter of the Haunted Mansion storyline. Described as a one-of-a-kind experience, guests will follow the story of a jovial captain who somehow entered the ghostly realm after a disastrous dinner with his beloved fiance, according to a press release from Disney.

Disney Cruise Line reveals the Haunted Mansion Parlor, an all-new bar inspired by the iconic Disney Parks attraction, The Haunted Mansion. Foolish mortals will sip spirited craft cocktails among happy haunts for the first time inside this new venue on board the Disney Treasure when it sets sail in December 2024. (Disney) Disney

More: Disney Cruise Line reveals 2024 plans for Port Canaveral, new private island

The Parlor will be visited by legendary characters from the Haunted Mansion attractions. Although specific characters werent mentioned, it was announced that new souls will be making appearances and socializing in mysterious ways throughout the experience.

Expect the space to be reminiscent of the original iconic 1969 Disneyland attraction, complete with the iconic purple wallpaper framed by wooden finishes, a distinctive purple armchair and other recognizable features. Guests also will be treated to a custom musical arrangement inspired by the attractions original score and arranged and adapted by composer Shruti Kumar and Walt Disney Imagineering.

In addition to specially-themed drinks, including one that contains a secret message that can only be revealed by black light, the parlor also will have exclusive merchandise. Items range from a music box that supposedly belonged to the captains fiancee and can only be opened in the presence of malevolent spirits to a mirror that may or may not have some hitchhiking ghosts appear in it.

It's not yet clear if the bar will be open to guests of all ages or have limited hours when those under 21 can visit.

The Disney Treasure, currently under construction in Germany, will be the sixth ship in the Disney fleet. It will be based at Port Canaveral with seven-night sailings to Eastern and Western Caribbean starting Dec. 21, 2024. Eastern Caribbean sailings will include calls on Tortola, St. Thomas and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, while Western Caribbean sailings will include calls on Cozumel, George Town and Falmouth.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Haunted Mansion-inspired bar coming to the Disney Treasure cruise ship
For more than four decades, HAVEN has supported survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Stanislaus County.

It helped that stable government grant funding often sustained the nonprofit organizations services for women and children escaping abuse.

But recent changes to grant funding have forced HAVEN to fall back on community fundraising. HAVEN, or Healthy Alternatives to Violent Environments, was founded more than 45 years ago and has offices in Modesto and Turlock. It assisted 2,500 adults and children affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in the past year.

We are going to be here, Executive Director May Rico said. We have been part of the community since 1977. But we are trying to figure out how to stabilize our funding base so we are not expanding or contracting at the whims of government funders.

HAVEN has a Kick Up Your Heals fundraising event from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at The Century in downtown Modesto. Rico said its an opportunity to learn about HAVENS work, connect with people and enjoy drinks, hors doeuvres, a wine pull and silent auction. Advance tickets for the event are $50 per person. Tickets at the door are $60.

Rico said the funding headaches partly began with a windfall of federal money for these types of services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the COVID emergency faded, the one-time federal funding started to disappear, but the need is still there in communities. More service providers are now applying to a shrinking pool of funding, Rico said.

The executive director said HAVEN has been leaving staff positions vacant and restructuring. Grants that supported a robust housing program came to an end.

In December, a grant supporting legal staff who help women with financial need obtain domestic violence restraining orders for protection also is ending. HAVEN is preparing to lose two legal advocates and will continue the service with a program manager, Rico said.

A person in need can only turn to HAVEN or Family Justice Center for help with the restraining order process. HAVENs service reduction will likely delay restraining orders for spouses or domestic partners at risk of harm.

We cannot meet the demand coming in now with three (staff members), Rico said. In December, we are going back to one. Next year it will be worse.

Rico said many nonprofit agencies across the state are in the same situation. The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence is warning about cuts to Victims of Crime Act federal funding that supports domestic violence services, rape crisis centers, legal programs and human trafficking services.

The state Office of Emergency Services, which administers VOCA funds, is expecting a reduction of $105.8 million or more starting in July. The partnership says the funding cuts will have disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities in poorer counties like Stanislaus.

HAVEN, one of four agencies in the county receiving funds though VOCA, is bracing for a 40 percent cut to those grants, Rico said. It threatens to be a 40-percent cut to a funding source that was 25% of HAVENs budget last year.

In addition to staffing reductions, HAVENs budget this year assumes the use of $53,000 in reserves. About 75% of HAVENs budget is staffing for emergency shelter, support for victims of violence and sexual assault in hospital emergency rooms, crisis intervention, counseling and support groups, legal assistance and youth services.

Going into this year, the nonprofit was anticipating $4.2 million in revenue but the estimate fell to $3.5 million with the preliminary budget in July, Rico said.

The organization doesnt have much choice but to attempt to make up for some losses with fundraising, though that source has never exceeded 15% of its annual budget. In addition to Kick Up Your Heels, the nonprofit will hold the annual In Their Shoes fundraising walk set for April 6.

Those interested in supporting HAVENs services can learn more at www.havenstan.orgview and view donation options.
HONOLULU  After a major contracting scandal broke out in Hawaii last year, the mayor of Maui County appeared on television to express outrage and announce a sweeping audit of contracts awarded to a corrupt business owner.

But no one told the county auditor, who said he only heard about the audit on the news. In the end, the audit was never completed, and the countys flawed system for awarding contracts  a system marred by bribery and a lack of competition  remains largely the way it was.

Now, as Maui recovers from the devastating wildfires that swept across parts of the island in August and killed at least 99 people, millions of dollars will be spent on rebuilding critical infrastructure using the same flawed contract-monitoring system.

Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

The bribery case involving the business owner, Milton Choy, prompted some county officials to begin phasing out the use of sole-source contracts  which are awarded without competitive bidding when officials determine that only one vendor is able to supply a particular good or service  but the practice is still in use in the county.

A look at Choys case reveals pitfalls in a procurement system that could confront the county as it prepares to handle millions of dollars in new spending. That very little has changed since the bribery scandal was revealed could leave the door open for some contractors to take advantage of the disaster or for government money to be wasted.

Maui County has already issued more than $3 million worth of contracts in the first several weeks after the fires, and millions more are expected.

Most of the money spent so far has gone to firms hired to clear debris from roads and to manage traffic in the burned area. Consultants were also hired to assess damage to Lahainas water system and to develop temporary holding facilities for toxic debris.

And most of the contracts awarded so far went through without competitive bidding.

Abuse of single-source contracts was at the heart of the scandal involving Choy, and while his company also won government contracts on Kauai and Oahu, Maui County is where he made the most money that way.

A computer analysis of publicly available county records shows that Choys company, H2O Process Systems, was awarded about $12.7 million in sole-source contracts by Maui County between 2015 and 2022  more than any other vendor received, and more than 13% of the countys total spending on such contracts. Federal prosecutors put the total amount of all contracts paid to H2O Process Systems by Maui County at around $19.3 million since 2012.

Maui County does much more of its spending through sole-source contracts than the state does. That type of contract accounts for less than 1% of spending by state agencies, but Maui County has used them for 7% of its contract awards since 2015.

It is a small universe of contracts and vendors, one with holes Choy and others were able to exploit. The process is so problematic that the agency in charge of Mauis sewers halted its use of sole-source contracting this year. But the method is still in use countywide, and can be used for purchases related to disaster relief efforts.

The suspension of competitive bidding is not the only hole in a county contracting system that is about to handle millions of dollars in spending, as the state rebuilds from the wildfires, which caused at least $5 billion in damage.

The county purchasing office that checks agency requests for no-bid contracts has only a handful of employees  sometimes as few as two  who monitor purchases from the countys 15 departments, according to former employees.

The Maui County Board of Ethics, which is responsible for investigating possible wrongdoing by public officials, has neither a dedicated budget nor the staff necessary to conduct investigations  even now, after two county officials and two state lawmakers from Maui who took bribes from Choy have been sent to prison.

Choy was charged with one count of bribery last year and sentenced to more than three years in prison. During his sentencing hearing, he apologized to his competitors, the people of Maui and most of all, he said, to his family for the harm his criminal acts caused them.

My children were raised to be honest and law-abiding, Choy said in court. I pray I may be able to restore their trust and respect for their father.

The Rise of a Wastewater King

Former associates of Choy recalled him as a charming salesperson who could deftly navigate his way to the people who would buy his products and services. He sold wastewater equipment from manufacturers on the mainland.

Introductions were often made and backroom deals hashed out over dinners, where Choy would occasionally flash a list of his contacts with direct lines to politicians and public officials.

Orders from the state health department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the 1990s to upgrade county wastewater infrastructure created business opportunities for Choy and his contemporaries.

Choy opened his own company, H2O Process Systems, in 2008. His business flourished. Competitors and former officials who dealt with him described a man adept at finding solutions to water processing issues and one who sold top-of-the-line equipment.

It also helped that he invited Hawaii officials and friends to soirees in Las Vegas, where the guests would be treated to stacks of gambling chips, food and drinks at Choys private suite in the Mirage hotel and casino, according to John Leslie, a former business partner in another venture who witnessed some of those parties.

Choy admitted to prosecutors that he received no-bid contracts in Maui facilitated through bribery payments for at least six years.

County governments in Hawaii rely on a finance director as the only review for contracts recommended by department heads, including sole-source purchases. That made it easy for Stewart Stant, the former head of the Maui County Environmental Management Department, to steer nearly $20 million in no-bid contracts to H2O Process Systems.

Choy bribed Stant  who was sentenced to 10 years in prison  with cash and perks totaling more than $2 million over six years.

The information justifying the sole-source requests should have been checked by department officials, who are typically required to collect data on what other municipalities have paid for similar items and to rigorously vet any sole-source purchase.

That job would have fallen to Wilfredo Savella, a maintenance supervisor who received more than $40,000 from Choy. He pleaded guilty in December 2022 to taking cash bribes and first-class trips to Las Vegas in exchange for helping direct wastewater contracts to Choys business. Savella is serving a 16-month prison sentence.

The system in Maui County is unlike those of many U.S. city and county governments, which require approval from a local council for contracts over a certain size. For example, the city of Anchorage, Alaska, requires its assembly to approve all sole-source purchases over $30,000.

When Stant pleaded guilty last year, he admitted receiving more than $1.3 million in direct payments from Choy between 2012 and 2018, in addition to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods and services, including Las Vegas gambling chips, according to court records. Stant did not report any of it on annual financial disclosure forms required by the Maui County Board of Ethics.

Little Has Changed

The bribery scheme involving Choy and Stant did not come to light until 2018, when several county wastewater employees raised concerns over procurement practices involving Stant. They took their concerns to Elle Cochran, who at the time was a Maui council member. Cochrans staff met privately with wastewater employees to collect information about payments to H2O Process Systems and eventually turned what they had gathered over to the FBI.

Their tip eventually led to the arrests of Choy and Stant. Choy agreed to cooperate in an ongoing investigation into public corruption and was not charged in other bribery cases involving two state lawmakers.

His cooperation led the lawmakers  former state Sen. J. Kalani English and former state Rep. Ty Cullen  to plead guilty in February 2022 to bribery-related charges from their time in office. English was sentenced to more than three years in prison and Cullen was sentenced to two years.

Little has changed in Maui Countys system of accountability since the scandal broke, and there appears to be little will to change, even as the islands attention focuses on rebuilding in the aftermath of the fires.

Lance Taguchi, the Maui County auditor, says he plans to review the countys procurement practices with a particular eye toward how the county has spent emergency funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, to see if theres any kind of lessons that can be learned from it, and how we can do things better.

Shayne Agawa, who now holds Stants former post as director of environmental management, started phasing out sole-source contracts this year, but acknowledged that there were some rare instances where there truly was only one vendor for a particular good or service.

Agawa said that limiting the use of sole-source contracting could help or hurt the county. But the way he sees it, making the procurement process more transparent and open to competition is better for the public in the long run.

Im not the same person that Mr. Stant was, Agawa said. Not to throw anybody under the bus, but my personal integrity wouldnt allow me to allow what happened in the past to happen again.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
HCA Healthcares third quarter earnings report was not as strong as analysts anticipated. The Nashville-based for-profit company on Oct. 24 reported $3.91 earnings per share during the quarter, 8 cents shy of Yahoo Finance estimates.

The report led the stock to tumble, dropping $10.53 per share from close Oct. 23 to end of day Oct. 24. HCAs share price was $230.06, its lowest point since November 2022. HCA brought in $16.2 billion in revenue during the third quarter.

HCA bought the Mission Health system in 2019 for $1.5 billion.

HCA executives blamed the losses on operating results with Valesco, a staffing venture that HCA acquired a larger stake in earlier this year. The venture cost investors $100 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, also known as EBITDA, this quarter, HCA Chief Financial Officer Bill Rutherford told investors during the Oct. 24 earnings call.

HCA Healthcare bought Mission Health in 2019 for $1.5 billion.

Rutherford estimated that the company will endure a $50 million per quarter loss from the venture moving forward.

We are working diligently on multiple efforts to address these results, including making programming adjustments where necessary, deploying efforts to reduce the cost structure, and working with payers for more appropriate reimbursement, Rutherford said.

Valescos struggles was not the only reason HCA came around $300 million short of the revenue it collected during the same period in 2022. HCA included money it received from a Florida hospital funding program in its profit summary statistics, according to the news release.

HCA executives attribute the part of the remaining $200 million shortfall to an increase in fees for contract workers, which Rutherford estimated grew 20% during the year. The company also attributed some of the difference to changes in supplemental payment programs.

Even though the quarter fell short of investors hopes, HCA executives remained steadfast that the company was in a strong position for the future.

We believe our core business metrics remain solid, Rutherford said.

Mission Hospital in Asheville.

During the call, Rutherford and Sam Hazen, the companys chief executive officer, touched on several elements of HCAs corporate playbook that are taking hold in Western North Carolina.

Hazen mentioned a plan to revitalize the companys emergency rooms initiated roughly a year ago. He touted improved throughput times for patients in the emergency department.

I think we're seeing an ER patient within nine or 10 minutes with a clinician, as soon as they present to our door, Hazen said.

He also said that freestanding emergency rooms continue to perform at a high level.

The Citizen Times previously reported that patients arriving in ambulances at Mission Hospital are waiting long periods of time before they receive care. Mission Hospital workers and local emergency services leaders attribute the long wait times mostly to staffing challenges in the hospital, which cause patient flow problems.

More: Novant Health to open new practice in Asheville for ex-GenesisCare cancer surgeons

More: HCA's $15.9 billion in 2nd quarter revenue: What does that mean for Asheville's Mission?

HCA is also looking for state certifications on two freestanding emergency departments in Buncombe County.

Nurses at Mission Hospital unionized September 2020, becoming part of National Nurses United. The union held a rally in September to urge HCA to commit more resources to the hospital and hire more staff.

Unionization across the country beyond the health care industry is an issue as everybody understands, Hazen said, responding a question about wage trends. But we have been successful in pushing through those issues organizationally and have landed in a spot that we think is not going to put too much pressure on our business in the near term.

HCA will be holding its investor day Nov. 9.

Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen Times. Email him at mblack@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: HCA's stock price drops $10.53 following third quarter earnings call
Get out your candy buckets, Halloween is just a few days away  Tuesday, Oct. 31 and several metro-east towns offer designated trick-or-treating hours.

Leading up to the holiday, theres no shortage of seasonal fun to be had near Belleville, including pumpkin patches, apple-picking and more.

Heres what to know about trick-or-treat hours in southwestern Illinois towns, including Belleville, Fairview Heights and more. Plus, weve rounded up some tips to make sure your child is prepared to safely participate.

Belleville

Children who are in the eighth grade or younger can trick-or-treat in Belleville between 5 and 8:30 p.m. Halloween night.

The age limit does not apply to children with developmental disabilities who are accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible person.

OFallon

Trick-or-treaters can go door-to-door from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in OFallon. Candy-seekers should only visit homes or residences that are well-lit and should pass by buildings that dont have their lights on, city officials said in an Oct. 19 press release.

O'Fallon, Illinois community trick or treat event https://t.co/lPZNPMbvV6  FOX2now (@FOX2now) October 19, 2023

We hope that everyone will practice safety during this years Halloween celebration, OFallon Mayor Herb Roach said in the release. Please be respectful of everyones property, watch for vehicles, and have fun!

Young children should be accompanied by a parent or another responsible adult, the release continued.

Fairview Heights

Trick-or-treating typically happens between dusk and 9 p.m. in Fairview Heights, a police officer told the News-Democrat, but the hours are not formally set.

Swansea

Swanseas trick-or-treat hours are from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Shiloh

Young Shiloh residents can enjoy trick-or-treating from 6 to 9 p.m. this Halloween, according to a town Facebook post.

Freeburg

The village of Freeburg observes trick-or-treating until 9 p.m. Oct. 31.

Millstadt

Trick-or-treaters can head out between 5 and 9 p.m. in Millstadt this Halloween.

Halloween safety tips

There are a few precautions you might want to take to ensure you have the safest Halloween experience possible, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported in an October 2022 press release.

First, you should stay home if youre feeling sick, health care officials advise. Take a COVID test if you are experiencing symptoms, and consider wearing a mask for indoor festivities, especially if your county is seeing elevated hospitalization numbers.

Its also a good idea to bring hand sanitizer when out trick or treating, and wash your hands frequently if you are giving out candy.

If youre decorating pumpkins for Halloween, children may be better off tracing designs for you to carve or painting pumpkins as carving can be dangerous for kids, the health department reports.

While respiratory viruses and carving-related injuries can be problematic, one thing that is not a documented widespread threat is drug-laced Halloween candy.

Misinformation about rainbow fentanyl being given out to children trick or treating circulated last year despite the lack of reports of children actually receiving and being injured by drugged treats.

The threat of laced candy is greatly exaggerated, the History Channel reported, citing a study on crimes committed using Halloween candy. This does not mean its impossible for a child to receive Halloween candy thats been tampered with, but it is not occurring on a widespread scale.
When 2-year-old Jermaine Jones slipped out of his home while his aunt was showering earlier this month, it was not the first time he had wandered away.

A month earlier, the curious curly-haired toddler, who had autism and was nonverbal, disappeared from his family's house in a rural area outside Lansing, Michigan, only to be found 300 yards away.

When Jermaine's mom, Victoria Jones, learned her son had vanished again, she called police, setting off a furious two-day search that saw helicopters, police dogs, drones, a dive team, and more than 500 volunteers join the effort to bring the little boy home safe.

As the searchers scoured the area near Jones' house, many stopped to pray with her for his safe return.

By late afternoon of the next day, those fervent prayers were dashed when Jermaine was found dead in the nearby Looking Glass River.

A young child wandering away in the few minutes a caregiver's back is turned is a parent's worst nightmare. For parents of children with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities, it's a possibility for which they must plan.

"We have a hard time battling with reality and feeling like this is just a dream," Jones told USA TODAY. "But at least we try to tell ourselves that now we have to at least help other parents because it's so easy to happen so quickly."

Jones hopes Jermaine's story can bring greater awareness to wandering, or the propensity of children and adults on the autism spectrum to slip away from a safe environment and into possible danger.

"Elopement," as it is known to the disabilities community, affects almost half of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to a 2016 study. A National Autism Association review of more than 800 elopement cases between 2011 and 2016, found nearly a third were either fatal or required medical attention, while another 38% involved a close call with water, traffic, or another life-threatening situation.

Megan Boyle, the associate vice president of applied research at nonprofit Upstate Caring Partners and an expert on wandering, called it a "public health issue and crisis."

Victoria and Brandon Jones, the parents of 2-year-old Jermaine, silhouetted against a light near a police command center. First responders and volunteers searched the area for their missing toddler for about 28-hours. The search ended tragically late Tuesday afternoon when Jermaine's body was pulled from the Looking Glass River.

More: 4 men, including murder suspect, escape central Georgia jail: 'They could be anywhere'

'Beyond terrifying'

Parents of children who have survived elopement describe the terror of realizing their child has vanished from a secure environment and the rush of relief when they are found safe.

Angela Wendling, a Fox Cities, Wisconsin, mother of two children with disabilities, remembers when her oldest son, 4 years old at the time, wandered away from a Thanksgiving family gathering just before sunset.

"I don't know how long he was gone, but as soon as we noticed, I called the county sheriff's office, and all of the adults and teenagers that were there went outside and started looking all over for him," she told USA TODAY.

Finally, a family member found him in a cow pasture across a country highway down the road. "It was absolutely beyond terrifying," Wendling said. "He could have gotten very seriously hurt or killed. It was so cold and rainy that day. He didn't have shoes on, he didn't have a coat."

Elizabeth Vosseller, the director of Growing Kids Therapy, said elopement is an impulse. The therapy center is dedicated to teaching individuals who are nonverbal how to communicate through spelling.

A first responder hugs Brandon Jones, as officials search the area for his missing son.

The experience can be especially frightening for people with autism themselves, especially those who are nonspeaking, like Jermaine.

"We arent in control when it happens, our bodies just take off," Jack Haynes, a 21-year-old who is nonspeaking from Herndon, Virginia, said in a statement shared by Vosseller. "It often happens for me when my sensory system is overstimulated. My body just needs to get out of there even if my mind wants to stay."

For 17-year-old Caden Rainey, of Wadsworth, Ohio, "It is a fight or flight situation, and my body's response is flight."

"In my mind, I am aware that I am not going where I want to go, but I am like the conductor of a train that has derailed from the tracks," Rainey wrote in a statement shared by Vosseller.

Boyle said her research shows that while some people with autism elope because they are overwhelmed with sensory stimulation that is too loud or bright, the most common trigger of elopement is a desire to get closer to an object that draws their attention or curiosity.

"They remember something that was in a certain spot and they want to go get it, or they see something that they really like," she said. In rarer cases, individuals elope because they simply enjoy "the sensation of walking or running."

Christie Mandeville, an educational consultant at the Weinfeld Education Group who works with special needs children, said some children elope to hide from an environment they perceive as too big or overpowering. "They'll tend to go someplace a little more quiet, a little darker, a little more closed in so that they feel safe," she said.

As in Jermaine's case, many children with autism are drawn toward bodies of water. "That's one of the primary concerns with students with autism when they elope," Mandeville said. "Unfortunately, you will hear many times on the news about how a person has gone missing from home, and then you'll find out they were found in a lake or a pond or a swimming pool."

As she gets to know her students, Mandeville becomes familiar with the specific locations and spaces that they gravitate toward  the first places to check if they elope. One student in the Washington, D.C., area, "used to leave his house, and he loved the Metro, and he would just go ride on the Metro for hours."

More: DOJ launches civil rights probe after reports of Trenton police using excessive force

When law enforcement gets involved

Elopement can often lead to an encounter with law enforcement, whether officers were called to find a child or run into them by chance. Those who are either nonspeaking or have limited communication abilities are at risk of a miscommunication with police that can escalate if officers aren't aware they're dealing with someone on the spectrum.

The frequency of such encounters spurred the Montgomery County Police Department's 2004 launch of its Autism and IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) Outreach Unit. The program, which also includes Alzheimer's and dementia outreach, seeks to educate officers on best practices to safely respond to calls involving elopement.

"The odds of an officer having contact with an individual on the spectrum for us, at least, is one or two calls a day," Laurie Reyes, an officer in the unit, told USA TODAY. "Officers need the awareness to know how to effectively interact."

In a recent instance, officers received calls about a 7-year-old boy who had wandered close to a major thoroughfare in Silver Spring, Maryland. "When officers arrived, they, through their training and experience, knew immediately this was a nonspeaking child who had autism," Reyes said.

Reyes said the department hopes to encourage parents to dial 911 as soon as possible when they discover a child has eloped. "There's many reasons why people don't call 911. The most common reason is that people think they're going to find their kid and then a half hour passes or an hour passes and they just didn't find them."

When officers are called to respond to a child who has eloped, their first task is to identify the child's name and family. Once officers have located the family, "We go to the house, we talk to the family about calling 911 right away, about what resources and safety measures that they can put in place," Reyes said.

When parents are charged for a wandering child

The week after Jermaine wandered away, two Florida parents were charged with manslaughter in the death of their 3-year-old with autism spectrum disorder who police found drowned in a pond behind their apartment.

The toddler had previously wandered and been found in the same pond at least once prior to his death, according to previous reports.

Deciding to charge a parent in a wandering case is made on a case-by-case basis, Reyes said. Sometimes, police departments will tap child or adult protective services to help determine whether an episode of wandering constitutes a case of neglect, she said.

In those instances, Reyes said she conveys to the family that child welfare involvement isn't necessarily a bad thing. "If it's neglect and it needs to be looked into, the looking into could mean additional services," she said. "It doesn't always mean it's going to be punitive."

Reyes said she has worked with some parents who hesitated to call 911 when their child eloped out of fear they would be blamed for their child's disappearance. "What I say is this, 'I need you to put that aside and call 911 regardless of your fears,'" she said. "'Don't avoid calling 911 because you're worried about the consequences of CPS at the expense of your child who's in need.'"

Reyes stressed the necessity of educating both police departments and parents of children with autism about elopement and best practices.

More awareness is needed as it relates to the court system, state attorneys and police officers, on the dynamics of autism, she said.

Parents, on the other hand, should receive more information on elopement when their child is diagnosed with autism, she said. "Wandering safety tools need to be provided at diagnosis, and there needs to be more outreach about what can be done to prevent it."

More: Florida parents face charges after 3-year-old son with autism found in pond dies

Keeping children who elope safe

Caring for children with autism can require near-constant vigilance as even seasoned caregivers and well-secured school areas can experience unexpected child elopement.

More and more parents have employed the use of electronics and tracking devices to keep track of an elopement-prone child. Some parents attach a GPS tracker to a child's shoes or hair tie, Mandeville said.

Wendling uses an Apple Watch for her oldest son and a Jiobit smart tracking device for her youngest. "Also, if we're going someplace that has a lot of people and I'm worried that they might run off, I always write my phone number on their forearm," she said.

Although more and more parents have found success using trackers, the cost of newer technology is still prohibitive to low-income families of children with autism.

"I think the data on the tracking devices are promising, but the issue with those is that they're so expensive and that not everybody can afford them," Boyle said, adding that if families of children with autism had a public funding mechanism to obtain a tracking device, "so many of these cases I think would be resolved a lot better."

Returning an eloping child to safety can come down to a good Samaritan checking on a child who is alone or who appears out of place. Vosseller said bystanders can spot a potential elopement situation by staying "alert for someone who does not seem to be going somewhere with intention."

"If you ask somebody a question and they're not able to answer you, there's a very good chance that they're a nonspeaking person and that they don't have that ability to use their mouth to tell you or indicate that they're scared or lost," Vosseller added.

When news of Jermaine's disappearance hit the local news, four people reported seeing the toddler walking alone down the road. The fact that none of them stopped to check on her son is one of the reasons Jones wants their story shared.

"I want people to know how important 10 seconds is," she said. "It's such a small little decision that could really change somebody's life."

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Elopement' affects many with autism: What to know about the behavior
Chinese scientist Xue Qikun has won the 2024 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize, an international award that recognizes outstanding contributions to condensed matter physics, according to the American Physical Society.

Xue, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ashvin Vishwanath, a professor at Harvard University, won the award together for their pioneering theoretical and experimental studies on the collective electronic properties of materials that reflect topological aspects of their band structure.

The award is acknowledged as the highest international honor in the field of condensed matter physics. As China's first winner of the award, Xue is highly regarded by the international physics community for his contributions to the field of topological insulators and his work on the quantum anomalous Hall effect.

He is also a professor at Tsinghua University and president of the Southern University of Science and Technology. He and his team were the first to experimentally observe the quantum anomalous Hall effect in 2012, and they published their findings in the journal Science in 2013.
Illinois House Republicans are applauding the election of Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as speaker of the House on Wednesday, following weeks of contentious voting and infighting in the GOP.

Johnson, who was a central figure in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, was sworn in Wednesday as the 56th House speaker, replacing Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was removed from his seat by fellow Republicans.

Illinois Republican Darin LaHood, who represents Peoria in the 16th District, said he was proud to support Johnson as the next speaker.

"Mike is a family man who understands the importance of advancing conservative policies that promote individual liberty, rein in spending, and secure the border, while also conducting needed oversight of the Biden Administration," LaHood said in a statement. "Mike can unite our Conference and I look forward to working with him to deliver results for central and northwestern Illinois."

LaHood voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, unlike Johnson.

More: Mike Johnson, who played a key role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, is the House speaker

Fellow Illinois Republican Mary Miller, who represents the 15th District and like Johnson is a key ally of former President Donald Trump, said she was "proud" to support Johnson.

"Speaker Mike Johnson is a thoughtful and compassionate leader with strong pro-life, pro-family values," Miller said in a news release. "I have had the privilege of marching with Speaker Johnson during the annual March For Life in Washington, and I join him weekly for a private prayer meeting with members where we pray for our country. He used his position as Republican Conference Vice Chair to lead debates on the House Floor in defense of the unborn and parental rights, and I was honored when he joined the Congressional Family Caucus to be an advocate for the nuclear family."

Mike Bost, a Republican who represents Illinois' 12th District, also supported Johnson's bid for speaker.

"I am in full agreement with President Donald J. Trump and support Mike Johnson to be the next Speaker of the House," Bost wrote on Facebook. "I will proudly cast my vote for him and look forward to getting back to work and delivering results for the people of Southern Illinois."

Bost also voted to challenge the results of the 2020 election.

Illinois Democrat Eric Sorensen, a gay man who represents parts of Peoria and Rockford in the Illinois 17th District, was critical of Johnson, who in the past has supported bills considered to be anti-LGBTQ.

"The House of Representatives just elected a Speaker who doesnt believe people like us should have the right to be married," Sorensen said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Neighbors in #IL17 believe otherwise. Bigotry and hate have no place in our nations government."

More: Mike Johnson makes history as Louisiana's first speaker of the House of Representatives

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois Republicans rally behind new House speaker Mike Johnson
A US Air Force B-52 bomber was seen flying in East Asia recently sporting white-colored wing tips and we now know the reason why.

A U.S. Air Force B-52H bomber that recently made a rare stopover in South Korea and then took part in a first-of-its-kind trilateral U.S.-South Korean-Japanese aerial exercise caught The War Zone's attention for another reason: its bright white wing tips. We subsequently reached out to figure out what the significance of this was and have now gotten a response from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

The B-52H in question, serial number 60-0021, landed at Cheongju International Airport in South Korea on October 17 and subsequently participated 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX). This was the first time in at least 30 years that a B-52 had touched down in the country and reflects a new level of U.S.-South Korean strategic cooperation, primarily meant to deter North Korea, which the two countries first announced earlier this year.

B-52H serial number 60-0021 lands at Cheongju International Airport on October 17. Its white-colored wing tips are just barely visible in this picture. USAF

On October 22, 60-0021 flew together with F-16C Viper , F-2 , and F-15K Slam Eagle fighters from the U.S. Air Force, the Japan Air Self Defense Force, and the South Korean Air Force, respectively, as part of the first formal trilateral aerial exercise the three countries have ever carried out together. Like the landing in South Korea, this collective show of force also looked to be primarily directed at North Korea. It demonstrated the unity of the three allies to other regional competitors, including China and Russia, as well.

60-0021, with its white wing tips prominently visible, flying together with, top to bottom, South Korean Air Force F-15Ks, US Air Force F-16s, and Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2s on October 22. USAF

Service members from the U.S. Air Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force pose for a group photo in front of a B-52H Stratofortress from the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana in the Republic of Korea, October 19, 2023. The U.S. B-52 deployed to the Korean peninsula to participate in the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, scheduled for Oct. 17-22, in celebration of the Republic of Korea and the U.S. Alliances 70th Anniversary. Support to airshows and other regional events allows the U.S. to demonstrate its commitment to the stability and security of the Indo-Pacific region, promote standardization and interoperability of equipment, and display capabilities critical to the success of military operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nicole Ledbetter)

As to 60-0021's white wing tips, which were very visible in the pictures from the trilateral exercise, the 2nd Bomb Wing's public affairs office provided the following details:

"To answer your question, [B-52] wing tips are masked off during strip and paint of the aircraft during PDM (Program Depot Maintenance). Due to the stripping compound that is used during the process, wing tips are covered so that the compound won't deteriorate the coating of the fiberglass. Wing tip replacement is a one-time replacement during PDM and this particular jet has not had them replaced yet."

The War Zone had already gone back and back and reviewed older B-52 pictures, with many showing lighter-colored or otherwise discolored wing tips.

An older picture of a B-52 with just one white wing tip. USAF

Another older picture showing B-52 with lighter-colored wing tips. USAF

Program Depot Maintenance, sometimes also written as Programmed Depot Maintenance, involves a major overhaul and also offers opportunities for important upgrades and modifications to be made to the aircraft. PDM for the Air Force's B-52 fleet takes place at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

As of 2021, each one of the service's 76 B-52s was typically scheduled to undergo the months-long PDM process every four years . This scheduling is, of course, staggered to keep a certain number of bombers on active duty at any one time.

A B-52 stripped of most of its paint at Tinker Air Force Base in 2016. The particular aircraft seen here, nicknamed Ghost Rider, was in the process of a lengthy reactivation process after years in storage at the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. USAF

For the B-52, depot-level maintenance looks set to become even more significant in the coming years. Though the Air Force has not yet made a final decision, it is likely that these bombers will receive their new sets of Rolls-Royce F130 jet engines as part of future PDM cycles. The B-52 re-engining program, an upgrade effort that has been years (decades really) in the making, will give these aircraft huge boosts in performance and fuel economy, as you can learn more about here .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEcpbIa0kl0

The Air Force's entire B-52 fleet is slated to get new, more capable actively electrically-scanned array radars in the coming years. This is another very important upgrade program and that could also be added to the PDM process.

The B-52s, which are currently set to keep flying at least until 2050, are in line to get various other upgrades and modifications. Ultimately, what will eventually be redesignated as B-52Js are expected to have a distinctly modified outward appearance .

A rendering of what the Air Force's B-52s may look like after receiving their new engines and other upgrades in the coming years. Boeing via Air & Space Forces Magazine

Altogether, in the coming years, we can expect to continue seeing B-52s sporting white wing tips, as well as a growing number of more dramatic additions.

Editor's note: Special thanks to Matthew Haden for pointing the BUFF's white tips out to us!

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah group met with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials in a meeting between the three top anti-Israel militant groups.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah discussed with Hamass Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihads leader Ziad al-Nakhleh the next steps they and other Iranian-backed groups should take as the war rages on in Gaza.

Their goal, according to a settlement released after the meeting, is to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and stop Israels treacherous and brutal aggression against people in Gaza and the West Bank.

The discussion was Wednesday in Beirut, and no other details were provided, The Associated Press reported.

The meeting comes as Israel and Hamas are in their third week of fighting. The battle was triggered by Hamas deadly surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that left more than 1,400 Israelis dead  mostly civilians.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday at least 6,546 Palestinians have also been killed and 17,439 others wounded in the subsequent air strikes.

Tensions are rising in the Middle East, where along the Lebanon-Israel border, Hezbollah members have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops.

The United States State Department urged Americans to leave Lebanon as soon as possible, last week as the fighting continued. Demonstrations and violence have also erupted in Lebanon amid the war.

The advisory outlined that Americans should have a plan in place to leave Lebanon and not rely on the U.S. government.

The State Department also issued an alert for all American citizens abroad to exercise increased caution. They recommended U.S. citizens enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which sends alerts and helps locate people in times of emergency.

Israeli officials have said they would retaliate aggressively in the case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said military forces would cripple Hezbollah and the consequences for Lebanon would be devastating, the AP reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Noon Friday, Oct. 27, is the deadline to appear in next weeks Around Town listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Submissions will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.

Send event info via email to lifestyle@bnd.com. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

 National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group  6:30-8 p.m. Online via Zoom. Free peer-to-peer support group for adults with a mental health condition working towards recovery. Every Wednesday. Open the Zoom app and enter 3914844542. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.

Thursday, Oct. 26

 National Alliance on Mental Illness: Family Support Group  7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The Family Support Meetings are for family members, significant others, and/or friends of persons with a mental health condition. Fourth Thursday of every month. Facilitators: Pat Rudloff and Beverly Churchill. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.

Thursday, Oct. 26 & Friday, Oct. 27

 HSHS St. Josephs Hospital Auxiliary Used Book Sale  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30-3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. St. Josephs Hospital Highland, Ungacta Conference Center, 12866 Troxler Ave., Highland. Featuring an impressive selection of fiction and nonfiction books, childrens books, cookbooks, puzzles, DVDs, CDs and more. Prices for hardback books will be $2, paperbacks are 50 cents, childrens books will be 25 cents and 50 cents, and oversized paperbacks, puzzles and DVDs/CDs are $1. Fridays afternoons sale is a $3 Bargain Bag Sale. 618-651-2592.

Friday, Oct. 27

 DeMoulin Museum Chili & Soup Supper  4:30-6:30 p.m. DeMoulin Museum, 205 S. Prairie St., Greenville. The menu includes chili, vegetable soup, and potato soup, with a hot dog, dessert and drink. Cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children 5 to 12, with those under 5 eating for free. Carryouts and indoor dining will be available. demoulinmuseum.org

 Aviston Legion Fish Fry  4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.

Saturday, Oct. 28

 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day  10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Various locations in Clinton County. Drop off your unused or unwanted prescriptions. DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. For a list of drop off locations, visit: https://bit.ly/3MatBoh.

Sunday, Oct. 29

 Albers Legion Breakfast  8-11 a.m. American Legion Post 1026, 600 N. Bertha St., Albers. Serving pork sausage, ham, eggs, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes. Cost: $13 adults, $6 kids 5-12, under 5 free. 618-248-5505.

 Classic Movie Day at the DeMoulin Museum: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein  1:30 p.m. DeMoulin Museum, 205 S. Prairie St., Greenville. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the comedy classic, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. As an added attraction, Chris Costello, daughter of the late Lou Costello, will do a Q&A session via Zoom beginning at 1:30 p.m. The movie will begin immediately after. The movie and refreshments are offered free of charge. demoulinmuseum.org

Tuesday, Oct. 31

 Parents of Addicted Loved Ones  7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. Free and open to all. For info or to join the Zoom meeting, contact Craig at 618-567-6095. palgroup.org

Wednesday, Nov. 1

 Fall 2023 Health Fair  6-10:30 a.m. HSHS St. Josephs Hospital Highland, 12866 Troxler Ave., Highland. Registration is now open for the event. All participants must register through the MyHSHS online medical record portal. Those wanting to attend must pre-register for an appointment online through MyHSHS, powered by MyChart, a free online personal health record that you can access securely from your home computer, laptop or mobile device. Registration will close at the end of day Sunday, Oct. 29 or when all appointments are filled. There are limited spots available and on-site registration will not be accepted. For assistance, please call 618-651-2739. hshs.org/st-josephs-highland

Other area happenings

 Beethovens Piano Cycle: Paul Lewis Plays the Fourth  7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri - St. Louis, 1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis. Orpheus was Greek mythologys superstar musician. Stephane brings two responses to the myth, the bewitching beauty of Glucks Orfeo ed Euridice and Beethovens Fourth Piano Concerto. Pianist Paul Lewis is among the worlds great Beethoven pianists, offering what Gramophone Magazine calls shining musicianship. The sprightliness of Prokofievs First Symphony and Ravels Le Tombeau de Couperin refreshes us with a splash of colors, vivid lights, and rich tonal variety. slso.org

 Madison County Historical Society Annual Dining in History Event  Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. Olde Wicks Factory, 1100 5th St., Highland. Dinner in History will begin with tours from the Gatsby Room where patrons can take advantage of the cash bar while they wait for their tour. That will be followed by a catered dinner, and a brief annual meeting for the purpose of nominating new MCHS Board members. With business settled, the event will continue with a program and performance in the Grand Hall by Dave Stephens, who will tell how the organ was returned to Wicks and demonstrate how it is played. Tickets are $50 for MCHS members and $60 for non-members. Reservation deadline: Oct. 25. 618-656-1294 or madcohistory.org.
Hopewell City Councilor Dominic Holloway lost a civil trial Wednesday, and moments later found himself facing criminal charges.

Shortly after a General District Court ruled against him in a civil trial over Holloway's misuse of a murder victim's family's GoFundMe account, Holloway quietly gave himself up to law enforcement on charges of embezzlement by a public officer stemming from the alleged improper use of city funds in a separate incident in late June. He was booked on the charge and released on a $7,500 bond.

His next court appearance is slated for Nov. 8 where counsel will be appointed.

The Progress-Index's story on Holloway's questionable use of a city credit card in June 2023 led to a formal investigation by Hopewell Commonwealth's Attorney Rick Newman. A multijurisdictional grand jury was empaneled Oct. 10 in Colonial Heights. Progress-Index reporter Bill Atkinson was called to testify before the grand jury about the facts in his investigative story. Atkinsons testimony about his reporting on this topic adhered to Gannetts standards on protecting sources and followed our Principles of Ethical Conduct For Newsrooms.

The booking on the embezzlement charge immediately followed a trial in Hopewell General District Court where Holloway had been sued for $5,600 he reportedly mishandled in the GoFundMe account he set up for the family of P'Aris Mi-Unique Angel Moore. P'Aris was about a week shy of turning 9 years old when she was shot to death Dec. 30, 2022 while playing with friends in east Hopewell.

Judge Craig Dunkum, who was assigned the case after Hopewell's judges recused themselves, ordered Holloway to pay $5,600, plus court costs and interest. He has 10 days from date of judgement to appeal the decision to Hopewell Circuit Court.

The specific charge for which he was indicted is in Virginia Code 18.2-112. Under state law, it is a Class 4 felony, which is punishable by a 2-10 year prison term and a maximum fine of $100,000.

Holloway has not yet publicly commented on the indictment.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Hopewell councilor Holloway hit with grand jury charges for embezzlement of public funds
Honda and General Motors are no longer working together on a plan to develop electric vehicles (EVs).

After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment we are ending development of an affordable EV, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said, according to Bloomberg. GM and Honda will search for a solution separately. This project itself has been canceled.

In April 2022, the car manufacturing companies first announced the plan to produce the EVs  like compact crossovers  starting in 2027. The two auto giants had previous collaborations in 2018 and 2020 on battery module redevelopment and another joint venture for the codevelopment of two EVs expected to be launched in 2024.

GM and Honda will share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America and China, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said in a news release at the time.

This is a key step to deliver on our commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in our global products and operations by 2040 and eliminate tailpipe emissions from light duty vehicles in the U.S. by 2035, Barra continued. By working together, well put people all over the world into EVs faster than either company could achieve on its own.

The decision to shut down the deal comes amid a United Auto Workers strike in the U.S. against three major automakers: General Motors, Stellantis and Ford. The strike has now gone on for more than a month  with the shift to EVs a major focus.

Mibe didnt talk about the strike itself, according to Bloomberg. But, he noted cost and cruising distance issues behind the plans stoppage.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Nela Liskova, a supporter of Russia and former "honorary consul" of the so-called "Donetsk Peoples Republic", will be tried in a Czech court for inciting hatred against Ukrainians and Ukraine.

Soure: This was reported by IDNES, writes European Pravda

Details: The reason for the proceedings was Liskovas tweet in June this year, where she accompanied a photo of Zelenskyy with the text: "I hope that everyone who supports this Nazi monster and his followers will be held accountable. Our task will be de-Ukrainization and denazification of the Czech Republic."

After this gained publicity, law enforcement officers became interested in the issue.

On 25 October, the Czech police announced that the pre-trial investigation was completed and the conclusions were transferred to the district prosecutor of the Prague 4 district. Liskova will be punished for inciting hatred against a group of persons or restricting their rights and freedoms.

Nela Liskova, a supporter of ex-President Milos Zeman and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in 2016-2017 headed the "representation" of the so-called "Donetsk Peoples Republic" in the Czech Republic, until it was banned by a court decision.

Czech fact checkers drew attention to her activities in social media several times.

In 2019, Liskova was fined CZK 50,000 at the behest of Olga Richterova, Vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies. Liskova claimed Richterova wanted to accept tens of thousands of migrants in the Czech Republic, after which Richterova suffered a flurry of criticism on social media, including death threats. Richterova donated the CZK 50,000 she received as compensation to support fact-checking and media literacy projects.

Earlier, proceedings were opened against a teacher at a Prague school for justifying Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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As the fighting on the Gaza Strip approaches its third week, the Medway family trapped near the Egyptian border says airstrikes are becoming more and more frequent as they struggle to find resources for their one-year-old son.

In a voice message sent to Boston 25 News, Abood Okal says his wife, Wafaa Abuzayda, and toddler Yousef have experienced an uptick in airstrikes as the family waits for word they will be able to cross the border into Egypt near the city of Rafah. On Wednesday, one airstrike hit a building about 900 feet from where the family is staying.

Its become constant all night and for most of the day. My son was not able to sleep until 1 oclock in the morning. And then he was up again by 5 oclock in the morning, Okal says. All it takes is one missile, one airstrike to miss its target or be too close to where you are and that has happened before to where were staying. And that would be it.

Last week, friend and attorney Sammy Nabulsi told Boston 25 that Okal had to travel to a nearby city to get milk for his toddler suffering from an ear infection. On Wednesday, Okal said the supply had run dry and that tonight would be Yousefs first night without milk.

Were hopeful that wont be too bad of a night, Okal said.

The family, originally visiting the region on a trip to visit family, says they are staying close to the Gaza border so that when the State Department gives them word, they will be able to cross into Egypt at a moments notice.

Were trying to stay strong. Were trying to manage our supplies as much as possible. Basically securing drinking water day-to-day until we are able to get out with help from the State Department. And were hopeful that well live another day to see that happen, said Okal.

Nabulsi told Boston 25 News he has been in touch with local leaders and the State Department but has yet to receive an exact timeline for when the young family will be able to leave Gaza. He also says he has petitioned Congress to develop a safe zone over Rafah until the Americans waiting there are rescued.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the state Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) represents. We regret the error.

The House approved a resolution backing Israel and condemning Hamas on Wednesday, the first piece of legislation to clear the lower chamber in more than three weeks because of the extended Speaker stalemate.

The legislation, which spans four pages, was the first measure approved under the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who clinched the gavel hours before the chamber voted on the resolution. He succeeded former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in the position after the California Republican was ousted from the top job earlier this month.

The House approved the resolution in a 412-10-6 vote, a strong show of support for Israel after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on the U.S. ally Oct. 7, massacring more than 1,000 civilians in the south of the country, kidnapping more than 200 and raining thousands of rockets down across the country.

The resolution declares that the House stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists and reaffirms Israels right to self-defense. It also condemns Hamas brutal war against Israel and calls on the U.S.-designated terrorist group to immediately cease these violent attacks and safely release all living hostages and return the bodies of deceased hostages.

Hamas has so far released four hostages, with an estimated 220 people kidnapped from Israel still in captivity in the Gaza Strip. Americans and other nationalities are believed to be among them. Israel and the U.S. have not confirmed that any hostages have been killed, saying any claims by Hamas cannot be trusted.

Wednesdays resolution was a long time coming.

Lawmakers in both parties and chambers have spoken about their desire to move a resolution supporting Israel since Hamas launched its attack earlier this month, but the decision by eight House Republicans and Democrats to vote to oust McCarthy plunged the chamber into a standstill, leaving members unable to move such a measure.

The House was unable to conduct legislative business without a permanent Speaker in place.

Johnson spoke to that dynamic Wednesday.

The country demands strong leadership of this body, and we must not waver. Our nations greatest ally in the Middle East is under attack. The first bill that Im gonna bring to this floor in just a little while will be in support of our dear friend Israel, Johnson said in the House chamber after winning the gavel. And were overdue in getting that done.

Were going to show not only Israel, but the entire world, that the barbarism of Hamas that we have all seen play out on our television screens and wretched and wrong, and were gonna stand for the food in that conflict, he added.

The Houses action in support of Israel is unlikely to end with Wednesdays resolution.

Last week, the White House unveiled a roughly $100 billion supplemental request that includes funds for Israel, Ukraine, U.S. border security and allies in the Indo-Pacific region. The package asks for $14 billion for Israel, roughly $61 billion for Ukraine, almost $14 billion for personnel and operations at the U.S.-Mexico border, $10 billion in humanitarian aid and $2 billion for Indo-Pacific security assistance.

The supplemental has received an icy reception from some Republicans, who are taking issue with the linking of aid for Israel and Ukraine. Support for Kyiv has become a polarizing topic in the House GOP conference, as more GOP lawmakers call for aid to be curtailed.

Biden has pledged U.S. support to Israel in its declaration of war against Hamas, and made note of his supplemental request in a statement following Johnsons election as Speaker.

While House Republicans spent the last 22 days determining who would lead their conference, I have worked on those pressing issues, proposing a historic supplemental funding package that advances our bipartisan national security interests in Israel and Ukraine, secures our border, and invests in the American people. These priorities have been endorsed by leaders in both parties, Biden wrote.

We need to move swiftly to address our national security needs and to avoid a shutdown in 22 days. Even though we have real disagreements about important issues, there should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can, he added.

The House did not unanimously clear the resolution Wednesday.

Nine Democrats opposed the resolution: Reps. Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Andre Carson (Ind.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Al Green (Texas), Summer Lee (Pa.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Delia Ramirez (Ill.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.). Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) joined them.

Six other Democrats voted present on the resolution: Reps. Greg Casar (Texas), Joaquin Castro (Texas), Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Jesus Chuy Garcia (Ill.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.).

Massie announced on X ahead of the vote that he would oppose the measure despite condemning the barbaric attack on Israel and affirming Israels right to defend itself in part because it urges the full enforcement of U.S. sanction against Iran to prevent the countrys funding of terrorist groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The House elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be the 56th Speaker on Wednesday, capping off a chaotic three weeks that paralyzed the lower chamber in stunning fashion.

In finally coalescing around a new leader, House Republicans hope that Johnson can steer them around a series of legislative and political landmines in the weeks and months to come  an objective that is poised to be a heavy lift in the fractured GOP conference.

Johnson, who was in his second term as vice chair of the House Republican Conference, won the Speakers gavel in a 220-209 vote over Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), officially cementing himself as successor to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) following McCarthys unprecedented removal earlier this month.

Republicans unanimously supported his election on the House floor.

Johnsons ascension marks the end of a nasty and tumultuous period for the House GOP conference, which witnessed McCarthys ouster, cycled through four Speaker nominees and saw tensions reach a boiling point before settling on Johnson as its next leader.

Were in the majority right now, Johnson said in a news conference on the House steps following his swearing-in as Speaker. Weve gone through a little bit of character building, and you know what its produced, more strength, more perseverance, and a lot of hope.

And thats what were about to deliver to the American people, he added.

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While that tempestuous chapter has come to a close, it will not be all smooth sailing ahead for the House. Congress is staring down a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government or risk a shutdown, and the White House is asking lawmakers to approve a $100 billion national security supplemental to support Israel and Ukraine amid their respective conflicts.

The two legislative efforts will serve as early tests of Johnsons ability to manage the rabble-rousing GOP conference, a tall task that McCarthy struggled with throughout his nine-month tenure.

If the first part of the 118th Congress  and especially the past few weeks  are any indication, Johnson has his work cut out for him.

McCarthy was ousted in part over his move to pass a clean stopgap proposal to fund the government until Nov. 17 and avert a shutdown. Johnson has floated a stopgap measure into next year in order to avoid an omnibus package, which Republicans abhor.

But some hard-liners signal they will give Johnson some more grace navigating those issues than they did McCarthy.

There was a trust factor with leadership last time, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said. You dont blame the backup quarterback for the failures of the guy that just came out of the game.

The Louisiana Republican, for his part, signaled eagerness to meet the many challenges ahead.

Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (R-La.)

Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (R-La.) is sworn in by the Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) to be the fifty sixth Speaker of the House in the House Chamber on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

Just hours after electing Johnson as Speaker, the House brought up a bipartisan resolution supporting Israel. Lawmakers were eager to consider the legislation following Hamass unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, but the Speaker stalemate left the chamber unable to conduct any legislative business.

Johnson on Wednesday assured the U.S.s allies and enemies around the globe that Congress is back on track.

The last thing Im going to say is a message to the rest of the world, Johnson said in the House chamber. They have been watching this drama play out for a few weeks; weve learned a lot of lessons, but you know what? Through adversity, it makes you stronger.

And we want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations, he continued. Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear: The Peoples House is back in business.

Johnson was sworn in by Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), the dean of the House, Wednesday afternoon, officially installing the Louisiana Republican as Speaker.

In a sign of his speedy rise to the Speakership  which came to fruition in less than 24 hours  Johnson noted that his wife, Kelly, did not make it to Washington in time for his swearing-in.

Shes not here. We couldnt get a flight in time. This happened sort of suddenly, Johnson said.

While Johnsons climb was quick, the process that led to his win dragged on for weeks.

Personal animosity, bare-knuckle tactics, moral outrage and even former President Trump kept House Republicans in a doom loop of internal turmoil for three weeks following McCarthys stunning ouster.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), hard-liners said, was too establishment  and some said his blood cancer diagnosis gave them pause. His chief competition, founding Freedom Caucus Chair-turned-Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), only endorsed him hours after he won the nod, and McCarthy openly wondered whether he could win the gavel. Scalise withdrew his name the next day.

Then, the conference tried Jordan. But fury from Scalises allies for Jordan supporters tanked the Ohio representatives bid, and an intense pressure campaign that sparked death threats aimed at holdouts led to him losing three ballots on the House floor. The conference then voted to rescind the nomination.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) was up next  but criticisms over his votes against overturning the 2020 election and in favor of codifying same-sex marriage, as well as vocal opposition from Trump, led to him bowing out just four hours later.

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In the end, Johnson  who has a conservative voting record, no major enemies and is generally known as a nice guy  became the consensus pick for Republicans as they exhausted their options, and themselves.

A man of deep faith, Mike epitomizes what it means to be a servant leader, House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said in her nominating speech Wednesday.

A friend to all, an enemy to none, Mike is strong, tough, and fair  and above all, Mike is kind, Stefanik said.

Not even a last-minute push by McCarthy allies to try and reinstall him as Speaker amid the chaos could overcome the conferences momentum in coalescing around Johnson.

The 51-year-old Johnson has been the House GOPs vice chair, a junior leadership position, since 2021. He is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House, and currently serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees.

Before joining Congress in 2017, Johnson was a member of the Louisiana State House and a constitutional law attorney who had stints as a talk show host and a college professor. His wife, Kelly, is a licensed Christian counselor, and they have four children.

The mild-mannered Louisiana Republican has largely stayed under the radar throughout his tenure in Congress, focusing on his work with the House Judiciary Committee and House Armed Services Committee.

In 2020, Johnson emerged as a key player in Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election. Johnson, then the vice chair of the House GOP conference, led an amicus brief backing a Texas lawsuit that sought to reverse the outcomes of the vote in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Johnson brushed off a question about his stance on the 2020 election Tuesday night. Asked about his efforts, the then-Speaker designate shook his head and said, Next question, while GOP lawmakers surrounding him booed the reporter and told her to shut up.

Democrats, for their part, have been quick to point out Johnsons involvement in the 2020 plot.

Mike Johnson was one of the chief architects of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Mike Johnson also wants to end Social Security and Medicare as we know it, Jeffries said on CNN This Morning on Wednesday. Those are extreme views, and House Democrats will push back aggressively against that.

Throughout the three-plus week Speaker saga, Republicans have largely aimed their fire at the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy  a move that set the chain of events in motion. Lawmakers have called for them to be punished and have slammed them in public.

That group  led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)  joined with Democrats to boot the Californian from his post Oct. 3, marking the first time the House ever successfully deposed a sitting Speaker. But despite bad blood and heightened rhetoric, members of the crazy eight, as McCarthy dubbed them, say they have no regrets.

It was worth it, Gaetz said Tuesday night. I promised the American people that we would improve and upgrade the position of Speaker of the House. And when we elect Mike Johnson, I will have delivered on that commitment.

Updated at 5:17 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
This undated photo shows Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin who will carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission. Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin will carry out the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission, and Tang Hongbo will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin will carry out the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission, and Tang Hongbo will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference on Wednesday.

It is the first time that the spaceflight team consists of one veteran from China's second batch of astronauts and two space rookies from the third batch of astronauts.

The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship will be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.

After joining the second batch of Chinese astronauts in 2010, Tang Hongbo flied to space for the first time in the three-month Shenzhou-12 mission in June 2021, the first crewed mission for China's space station construction. He received a third-class medal and the honorary title "heroic astronaut" in November 2021.

As the commander of the Shenzhou-17 mission, Tang Hongbo will be the first astronaut to return to China's space station. He also set a new record for the shortest interval between two spaceflight missions by Chinese astronauts.

Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin are new comers to space. They joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020.
Republican Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected speaker of the House on Wednesday, winning the top job in a party-line vote and ending a standoff that had stretched on for more than three weeks.

In the floor vote, Johnson won the support of all 220 Republicans who cast a ballot, while all 209 Democrats present voted for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Due to four absences in the chamber, Johnson needed 215 votes to become speaker.

Delivering his first speech as the 56th speaker of the House, Johnson vowed to rebuild and restore the trust of the American people, which he acknowledged had been damaged by the chaos of recent weeks.

At this time of great crisis, it is our duty to work together, as previous generations of great leaders have, to face these great challenges and solve these great problems, Johnson said.

We want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations. Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear: the peoples House is back in business.

In a statement congratulating Johnson on his victory, Joe Biden pledged to work with [House Republicans] in good faith on behalf of the American people.

Even though we have real disagreements about important issues, there should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can, Biden said. This is a time for all of us to act responsibly, and to put the good of the American people and the everyday priorities of American families above any partisanship.

Johnson won House Republicans speaker nomination on Tuesday evening, just hours after Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the majority whip, was forced to withdraw from the race amid criticism from Donald Trump. Defeating Byron Donalds of Florida after three rounds of voting, Johnson became House Republicans fourth speaker nominee in three weeks.

Related: Who is Mike Johnson, the new Republican House speaker?

An internal rollcall vote taken after Johnsons nomination showed no opposition to his speakership bid, although a number of Republicans were absent. In the hours leading up to the floor vote, several House Republicans who had opposed previous speaker nominees indicated they would support Johnson, paving the way for his victory.

Johnsons election brings an end to a standoff that began earlier this month, when eight House Republicans joined Democrats to oust former speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. In the weeks since, three other speaker nominees  Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Emmer  have tried and failed to unite the Republican conference.

Without a speaker in place, the House has been unable to advance any legislation. Biden has called on Congress to pass an aid package to assist Americas allies such as Ukraine and Israel, but the House could not take up such a bill until a new speaker was elected. Johnson said on Wednesday that the first measure taken up under his speakership would be a resolution expressing support for Israel amid its war against Hamas.

Although Johnsons election will allow the House to resume business, Democrats have made clear that they will use the new speakers political record against vulnerable Republicans in the elections next year.

Johnson has already faced questions over his history of supporting Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Johnson, who practised constitutional law before entering politics, was the architect of a questionable legal argument that offered air cover to House Republicans who wanted to sign an amicus brief urging the US supreme court to throw out the electoral votes of key battleground states won by Biden. More than 100 House Republicans signed on to the amicus brief, but the supreme court ultimately threw out the underlying lawsuit challenging the election results.

Democrats believe Johnsons central role in disputing the 2020 election results and his conservative views on many social issues could help them win back the House next year. Some Democrats were heard saying bye bye as House Republicans representing battleground districts, such as Mike Lawler of New York, cast their votes for Johnson.

Delivering remarks after Johnsons election, Jeffries pledged Democrats would protect the peaceful transfer of power and continue to push back against extremism in this chamber and throughout the country, while simultaneously promising to seek bipartisanship whenever possible.

The time for partisanship is over. Its time to get back to doing the business of the American people, Jeffries said. He then reminded Republicans: Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Hes doing a great job under difficult circumstances, and no amount of election denialism will ever change that reality  not now, not ever.

Speaking after Jeffries, Johnson similarly pledged to work with Democrats on points of mutual interest, while acknowledging their starkly different policy preferences.

I do look forward to working with you on behalf of the American people, Johnson told Jeffries. I know we see things from very different points of view. But I know that in your heart, you love and care about this country and you want to do whats right, and so were going to find common ground there.

Even though the House is now open, Johnsons challenges in uniting his deeply divided conference may be just beginning. Government funding is set to expire in less than a month, and Johnson risks causing a federal shutdown unless he can convince fellow Republicans to back a stopgap funding measure. That same dilemma caused the downfall of the last Republican speaker.
Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Kansas Republican, emerged frustrated from a House Republican Conference meeting Tuesday evening that had once again gone sideways.

A small group of Republicans had just rejected a third candidate elected by the majority of the conference. After 21 days without a speaker, it was uncertain whether all of the factions of the party could agree on a fourth.

I thought we had reached rock bottom, but we hadnt, LaTurner said. So were gonna get there. We have to, we have no choice.

Republicans finally got there on Wednesday, as the conference stuck together to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, as speaker of the House. He won the vote 220-209.

The Republican members from Kansas and Missouri  like they had throughout the process  supported Johnson, who was the consensus choice of the conference. His record appeased hard-liners and his low profile status helped get him support from an institutionalist faction eager to move on from the tumult.

I think a lot of folks dont really understand what a speaker is all about, said Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer , a Missouri Republican. Your speaker is not somebody that has to be ideologically pure because the speaker technically checks his ideology at the door. He represents all of us, not just his own personal ideology, his own personal views.

But Democrats on Wednesday were quick to highlight Johnsons policy views.

Johnson is a constitutional lawyer and served as the senior spokesman for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a prominent conservative legal group that pushes back against LGBTQ and abortion rights. His legislative record has an A+ rating with Susan B. Anthony List, a prominent anti-abortion group. He organized a friend of the court brief supporting a lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to block the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Johnson  who was first elected to Congress in 2016 and was not a member of the previous House leadership team  will now be forced to negotiate with the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House as President Joe Biden is pushing for a $105 billion military aid bill, which includes funding for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Hell also have to agree on a path to keep the government open after funding is set to expire on November 17.

This needs to get done, said Rep. Ann Wagner, a Missouri Republican, on Tuesday. Because we need to have a strong showing for Israel on the floor. We need to finish our appropriations process. We need to also be talking about our border, and were talking about some of the other supplemental fundings that are coming. So theres a lot of really tough issues out there.

The vote capped an extraordinary period of chaos in the House after an early October vote that toppled former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, after he worked with Democrats to temporarily keep the government open.

Republicans, riven by disunity, had appeared unable to unify around a single candidate for speaker as hard-line members rejected more establishment candidates and more institutionalist members were unwilling to support hard-liners.

Republicans from Missouri and Kansas did little to disrupt the status quo throughout the process, dutifully supporting the candidate who had the backing of the majority of the caucus.

How they voted

The members either voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House Leader, or Rep. Mike Johnson, who Republicans selected as their speaker-designate.

Kansas

Rep. Sharice Davids (D)  Jeffries

Rep. Ron Estes (R)  Johnson

Rep. Jake LaTurner (R)  Johnson

Rep. Tracey Mann (R)  Johnson

Missouri

Rep. Mark Alford (R)  Johnson

Rep. Eric Burlison (R)  Johnson

Rep. Cori Bush (D)  Jeffries

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D)  Jeffries

Rep. Sam Graves (R)  Johnson

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R)  Johnson

Rep. Jason Smith (R)  Johnson

Rep. Ann Wagner (R)  Johnson
The House Fund, the pre-seed and early-stage venture capital fund focused on UC Berkeley startups, specifically AI startups, today announced that it has closed its third tranche -- Fund III -- at $115 million.

With the close of Fund III, Ken Goldberg, the UC Berkeley professor and prolific roboticist, will join The House Fund as a part-time partner, said Jeremy Fiance, the managing partner at The House Fund, in an email interview with TechCrunch.

"We're called The House Fund because we're the home for the Berkeley startup community," Fiance said. "We support Berkeley people in their entrepreneurial journey, whether thats joining startups, starting startups, advising them, providing feedback on their ideas well before any startup materializes and so much more."

Fund III will invest in Berkeley-affiliated AI startups -- whether founded by alumni, faculty, PhD candidates, postdoctoral and grad students, recent graduates, undergraduates or dropouts.

Roughly 70% of Fund III will go toward startups at the pre-seed stage, Fiance says. But The House Fund will also lead, co-lead and participate in seed rounds and "consider" a "small number" of first-round Series A rounds with founders who've had previous exits worth $500 million to over $1 billion.

"We write first checks up to $2 million and reserve for follow-ons," Fiance added. "We can write a check as small as $100,000 in a recently graduated founder or dropout and are fine being the only investor, for example."

The House Fund, launched in 2016, claims to be the "first-ever fund" focused on Berkeley startups and the only fund backed by both the University of California System Endowment and UC Berkeley's campus endowment.

The House Fund currently has $330 million under management and more than 100 funds have follow-on invested in its startups, Fiance says. (The VC firm's first fund was $6 million, and its second fund, closed in late 2019, was $44 million.) Notable investments from The House Fund's previous funds include Anyscale, a company building a framework for distributed compute projects; software development platform Crowdbotics; and Goldberg's Ambi Robotics.

"There's roughly 600,000 Berkeley people -- among the biggest alumni bases in the world," Fiance said. "And there's been a longstanding ask from most alumni for more accessible community engagement and frictionless ways to unlock from Berkeley as an alum. As a big public school, Berkeley historically hasnt had the resources to meet this demand. So we took matters into our own hands in service to our community ... We exist to meet the needs of entrepreneurs, curating comprehensive resources for Berkeley AI founders and creating the connected environment startups need to thrive."

Startups that receive backing from The House Fund get access to tech from the VC firm's partners, mentorship from The House Fund's LPs and advisors, access to talent from the Berkeley campus and alumni base and introductions to potential customers with Berkeley relationships.

The House Fund also runs an accelerator, recently announced, that provides a handful of companies a $1 million investment each, a $10 million post-money SAFE note and "free and early access" to tech from tech company partners, including OpenAI, Microsoft and Databricks. (SAFE notes give investors the right to purchase equity in a company at some specified date in the future.) The House Fund accelerator participants also get mentorship from Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund, as well as from The House Fund's aforementioned tech partners.
House Republicans nominated Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) for Speaker on Tuesday evening, making him the fourth GOP lawmaker to win the conferences nod this cycle  and its second nominee within a day after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) dropped out of the running amid GOP opposition.

Johnsons nomination capped off a whirlwind day  but one that ended with House Republicans appearing to finally unite around a Speaker nominee.

In an internal roll call validation vote for Johnson, all but three GOP members who voted present said they could vote for Johnson for Speaker on the House floor. While at least a dozen members were absent, putting him under the 217-vote threshold in the room, Johnson signaled optimism that he would win their support, too.

Democracy is messy sometimes, Johnson, flanked by smiling GOP colleagues, said after the vote. This House Republican majority is united.

The intention, Johnson said, is to go to the House floor Wednesday.

This is servant leadership. Were going to serve the people of this country. Were going to restore their faith in this Congress, this institution of government. America is the last best hope of man on the Earth, Johnson said.

The scene marked a stunning shift in attitude for House Republicans, who had been stuck in something of a doom loop in the three weeks since eight of their colleagues joined with Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who spearheaded the move to oust McCarthy, said of Johnsons nomination: It was worth it.

We adore him, and I think hes gonna do a great job for the country and for the right reasons. Mike Johnson has not bought and paid for. Mike Johnson does what is right, Gaetz said.

Johnson, 51, has been the House GOPs vice chair, a junior leadership position, since 2021. He is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

Before joining Congress in 2017, Johnson was a member of the Louisiana State House and an attorney who had stints as a talk show host and a college professor.

Now, hes the GOP conferences fourth attempt to move past the three-week stalemate in the House.

The House GOP had first nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), but he withdrew his name from the running just a day after his nomination amid staunch opposition from supporters of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). The conference then picked Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chair, but rescinded the nod after three failed attempts to win the gavel on the House floor and opposition from those who were bitter about Scalise.

Earlier Tuesday, Johnson came in second to Emmer in a nominating vote that spanned five ballots.

But hours later, Emmer dropped out as he faced opposition from more than two dozen House Republicans who asserted he was not conservative enough  as well as former President Trump, who dubbed Emmer a Globalist RINO.

Lawmakers then came back to start the process over in the evening, with Johnson beating out four other candidates for the job.

When asked what changed the temperature in the room after a tumultuous time for the GOP, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) chalked the difference up to three weeks.

I think I everyone has hopefully exhausted the infighting in their systems, and we can move forward and get back to work on behalf of the American people and focus on the issues, Lawler said. Personality conflicts served nobody in there.

But his victory did not come without yet another wrinkle.

Throughout the three rounds of votes Tuesday night, growing numbers of members voted for a candidate who was not on the ballot: McCarthy.

While Johnson won the nomination with 128 votes to 29 for Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), 43 members voted for McCarthy, according to a source in the room.

Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) told reporters ahead of the vote that he and an undisclosed number of GOP lawmakers planned to vote for McCarthy on the first nomination ballot because the California Republican is the conferences best shot.

I think all the candidates up there are qualified to be Speaker. I just dont know that anyone can get closer than Kevin McCarthy can, he told reporters.

But that opposition quickly dissolved when lawmakers moved from a secret ballot to a vocal roll-call vote to see if he could get the required number of 217 to win on the House floor. Johnson can afford to lose just four GOP votes on the House floor, assuming all members are present and voting.

No one voted for someone other than Johnson, and just three lawmakers voted present rather than for the GOP nominee: Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), according to sources in the room. More than a dozen members were absent, lawmakers said.

The same move earlier in the day had revealed more than two dozen Republican holdouts on Emmer, forecasting his downfall. Jordan faced a similar problem before his three failed floor votes last week.

Other candidates in the mix Tuesday evening were Donalds, a House Freedom Caucus member who had also ran earlier in the day; Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and a Freedom Caucus member; Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), a House Appropriations subcommittee chairman; and Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas).

When the candidate forum for the fourth Speaker round started Tuesday evening, a sixth candidate who had filed and run earlier in the day withdrew his name and endorsed Johnson: Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), the chair of the Republican Study Committee.

We got to get a Speaker. This has become more about individuals as opposed to our country and to our presence around the world. And Mike Johnson is a great individual, somebody who will be a great leader for our conference, Hern said.

If he officially wins the gavel on the House floor, Johnson will face many immediate challenges.

Washington faces a Nov. 17 government shutdown deadline and pressures to approve supplemental funding amid wars in Israel and Ukraine.

The world is on fire. We stand with our ally, Israel, Johnson said after clinching the nomination. We have a very busy agenda. We have appropriations bills to get through the process. But you will see this group working like a well-oiled machine.

Rebecca Beitsch contributed. Updated at 11:36 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Three weeks and four nominees later, House Republicans settled on a new Speaker Wednesday, a low-profile architect of the legal argument to overturn the results of the 2020 election for former President Donald Trump .

Rep. Mike Johnson, a four-term Louisiana Republican, gathered 220 votes from the slender GOP majority, just above the 217 needed for victory. His selection allows the House of Representatives to resume legislative work for the first time since eight GOP hardliners and all Democrats voted Oct. 3 to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy , R-Bakersfield.

All 12 California Republicans got behind Johnson, 51, a constitutional law attorney first elected in 2016, the year Trump won the presidency. As speaker he is second behind Vice President Kamala Harris in the line of presidential succession.

Many members cited the urgent need to conduct business once more ahead of a mid-November deadline to fund the government and a vote on an aid package for Israel and Ukraine.

The American people expect us to get to work, Rep. Ken Calvert , R-Corona, wrote on social media while declaring hed vote for Johnson.

Behind closed doors Tuesday night, Republicans tried again to find a candidate palatable to both its far-right and more mainstream members after Rep. Tom Emmers short-lived candidacy collapsed under Trumps opposition.

Johnson  vice chairman of the House Republican Conference and member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee  finished first in the final ballot. McCarthy, who was not a candidate, was second with 43 votes, signaling growing frustration after three weeks of disarray.

Later McCarthy, offering his full support on social media, called Johnson a friend, fighter, and principled conservative who can get the job done.

Wednesdays floor vote was predictably partisan: All 220 Republicans present voted for Johnson. The 209 Democrats in the chamber supported Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat. One Republican and three Democrats were absent.

While Golden State Republicans fell in line behind Johnson, there was limited enthusiasm for the choice to replace fellow Californian McCarthy, a major source of fundraising and patronage. Like Calvert, they focused more on the work at hand.

A statement from Rep. David Valadao , R-Hanford, did not mention Johnson.

We have a crisis at our southern border, one of our closest allies in the Middle East at war, and a deadline to fund the government in less than 30 days, Valadao said. Today, the House elected a Speaker so we can get back to work on these issues..

California GOP Chair Jessica Millan Patterson signaled that McCarthy was neither gone nor forgotten.

I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson and Speaker Emeritus McCarthy to keep and grow our House seats here in California, to continue holding the failing Biden administration accountable, and to get our country back on track, she said on a statement.

Johnson and Trump

In the wake of the 2020 election, Johnson solicited House GOP support to file an amicus brief in a long-shot Texas lawsuit seeking to throw out Electoral College votes from multiple states.

Johnson, while serving as chair of the Republican Study Committee, which offers conservative policy research for its members, said that several states had wrongly altered voting rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This, he said, was unconstitutional and gave reason for House Republicans to reject results.

He was one of 139 House Republicans who opposed certification of the election results on Jan. 6. Many of them relied on Johnsons theory to support their vote.

Johnson also served on Trumps defense team during his two impeachment trials in the Senate.

Wednesday morning, on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump declined to endorse a speaker candidate. But, he wrote, My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson.

Emmer, Jordan, Scalise, McCarthy

Earlier Tuesday, Trump tanked Emmers chances of becoming House speaker, saying he was a RINO  Republican in Name Only, a term used to chastise a Republican as insufficiently conforming to party doctrine.

Emmer, a Minnesota Republican who is the House GOPs third in command, joined the Texas brief but voted to certify the election results. His vote last year in support of gay marriage also made him less palatable to hardline conservatives.

He emerged as a presentable option after Democrats and Republicans rejected Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, on the House floor three times. Jordan became Republicans speaker designate after Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, dropped out when he realized he could not get the 217 votes needed.

In the interim, North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry was speaker pro tempore, whose power was limited to getting a bona fide speaker in place.

McClatchyDCs David Lightman contributed to this story.
Dream Defenders and Amnesty International worry about the impact on the people of Gaza

The co-director of a racial justice group criticized as grossly inadequate an essay by former President Barack Obama that supported Israels right to defend itself while warning against cutting off basic needs to the Gaza Strip.

Rachel Gilmer, co-director of the Dream Defenders, told theGrio that the former presidents essay in Medium is only continuing to sort of normalize and chalk up the extreme violence and genocide that the Israeli government is committing against the Palestinian people.

Former President Barack Obamas essay on the Israel-Hamas war addressed U.S. solidarity with Israel and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. (Photo by Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)

In his essay titled Thoughts on Israel and Gaza, Obama wrote, Its been 17 days since Hamas launched its horrific attack against Israel, killing over 1,400 Israeli citizens, including defenseless women, children and the elderly.

He added, In the aftermath of such unspeakable brutality, the U.S. government and the American people have shared in the grief of families, prayed for the return of loved ones, and rightly declared solidarity with the Israeli people.

But, Obama also cautioned Israel against exacerbating a growing humanitarian crisis.

He wrote, The Israeli governments decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population (in Gaza) threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israels enemies, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

Referencing the humanitarian issues, Gilmer said, Five thousand plus people have been killed in Gaza, thousands of children, Gazas entire hospital system has entirely collapsed, people have lost entire families.

This was a real missed opportunity for Obama to stand on the right side of history to hold the Israeli government accountable for its war crimes. For its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, she continued.

Obamas statement comes more than two weeks after the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in both Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Israeli authorities say more than 1,400 people died when Hamas launched its attack and more than 200 people were taken hostage. Four hostages have since been released. Health authorities in Gaza say more than 5,000 people have died and more than 15,000 have been injured, according to CNBC.

Opponents of the Israel-Hamas war rallied on Oct. 16 in front of the White House. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Paul OBrien, executive director of Amnesty International, told theGrio that Obamas statement was issued too late.

President Obama should have spoken earlier, and in supporting President Biden, he should have made it clear that President Biden should be doing more, he said.

I believe that the United States has a unique influence with Israel and it should have done everything in its power from the very outset to ensure that Israel adhered to international humanitarian law, he said.

Last week, President Joe Biden delivered a speech about the Israel-Hamas war and spotlighted the thousands of innocent lives lost in both Israel and Gaza.

OBrien said Bidens remarks also came too late.

While its good President Biden has recently started to acknowledge that the protection of civilians by the Israeli military is an interest of the United States, he did not say it strongly enough and early enough, he said.

OBrien added, In the presidents speech he could have both held Hamas to account for their egregious acts and said that the Palestinians are not responsible and should not be subject to collective punishment.

Some criticized Biden for not mentioning a ceasefire during his remarks.

Right now, there are thousands of Americans marching through the streets calling for a ceasefirethats across political parties, race, everybody is calling for a ceasefire, Gilmer said.

For Obama to do anything less than call for a ceasefire right now is only contributing to the genocide that were seeing take place in Gaza, she added.

Human rights groups are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Above, a demonstrator waves the flag of Palestine in May 2021 as officers guard the federal building in Los Angeles during a protest against Israel and in support of Palestinians. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Last week, 13 progressive House Democrats introduced a resolution calling for Biden to demand a ceasefire to prevent further bloodshed.

But OBrien said he agreed with Obamas essay and that The collective punishment of innocent people in any context is not going to be good for our world.

He added, Its not going to be good for Israel in the long term and its certainly not going to be good for the Palestinian population who are not responsible for what Hamas did on Oct. 7.

Worse things are likely to happen if the United States does not demand restraint by Israel.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Human rights groups want to see ceasefire and restraint in Israel-Gaza war appeared first on TheGrio.
Turkey's submission of a measure to approve Sweden's NATO accession does not affect Hungary's decision-making process, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Oct. 24, Hungarian news sources reported.

"This changes nothing on our side," Szijjarto said, "Hungarys parliament is the parliament of a sovereign country, so it will make a sovereign decision on this issue."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a protocol on Sweden's NATO accession on Oct. 23, and the measure is now awaiting ratification by Turkey's parliament.

Following the news from Turkey, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reportedly told allies in a letter last week that Sweden should join the military bloc at the latest during a foreign ministers' meeting on Nov. 28-29.

However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in September that Hungary was in no rush to ratify Sweden's membership, a sentiment echoed by Szijjarto.

Previously, Szijjarto said in July, "Our position regarding Sweden is also clear: the government supports NATO accession, which is why we presented the proposal on this issue to the parliament many months ago."

"Closing the ratification process is only a technical issue."

It is unclear what the cause for future delays would be. Hungary eventually ratified Finland's accession to the alliance nine months after the original application, but only after Erdogan first said Turkey would support the bid.

Some have argued that Hungary's delays are simply a bargaining chip to extract further concessions, but as the goalpost continues to move, it is difficult to tell what will finally convince Hungary to ratify Sweden.

Hungary has maintained ties with Russia even after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and has repeatedly stalled sanctions against Russia and aid for Kyiv. Szijjarto visited Russia for the fifth time since February 2022 on Oct. 12.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hurricane Otis made landfall in Mexico early Wednesday as a Category 5 storm, forecasters said, which could bring life-threatening winds, flooding, and mudslides. The National Hurricane Center said Otis maximum sustained winds hit 165 miles per hour as it came ashore near the city of Acapulco at around 12:25 a.m. local time. Hours earlier, the NHC warned that a nightmare scenario is unfolding as Otis explosively intensified during its approach to Mexicos southern Pacific Coast. This is an extremely serious situation for the Acapulco metropolitan area with the core of the destructive hurricane likely to come near or over that large city early on Wednesday, an advisory warned. There are no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico. It said that forecasts showed Otis would arrive with winds which would cause catastrophic damage, as well as potentially lethal storm surge, flooding, and mudslides in areas of higher terrain.

Read it at The New York Times

Read more at The Daily Beast.
[Source]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is now conducting a safety review of Japans release of treated radioactive water, the first since its discharge into the Pacific Ocean in August.

Catch up: The radioactive water is a direct consequence of the nuclear accident that took place at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant during the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. It is being treated under the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes all radioactive substances save for tritium.

As it runs out of storage space, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, owner of the disabled plant, began releasing the treated water on Aug. 24. The discharge was approved by Japans Nuclear Regulation Authority, as well as the IAEA, which determined that it would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.

About the first safety review: An IAEA task force consisting of experts from 11 countries  including China, which has strongly opposed the waters release  began the first safety review of the discharge on Tuesday. They aim to examine whether the release is being carried out as planned.

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The review, which will last through Friday, involves inspecting discharge facilities at the plant. Last week, the IAEA also visited a Fukushima port to collect marine samples.

Whats next: The discharge is expected to continue for decades. For its part, the IAEA will publish a report on the first safety review by the end of 2023.

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A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday that the two recent releases of hostages by the militant group Hamas is psychological warfare reminiscent of the tactics used by Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.

Hamas is engaging in psychological warfare, theyre releasing two hostages and then another two hostages, IDF spokesperson Doron Spielman said in an interview on Fox Newss Your World with Neil Cavuto. Theyre putting out videos that are reminiscent of Goebbels and the Nazis where theyre handing out cookies  to the hostages, which of course, we remember the videos that they  tuned up weeks ago when they were maiming and raping, living and dead women along with all this other destruction.

Its simply more of their propaganda from our perspective, as weve said, the hostages  were doing everything we can to bring them home, Speilman added.

Spielmans comments come shortly after Hamass release of two elderly women Monday, who were being held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Their release was part of international negotiations to release the more than 200 people kidnapped since the groups bloody massacre against Israel three weeks ago that killed more than 1,400 people, including hundreds of civilians at their homes, at a bus stop and a music festival.

Ahead of their release Monday, Israeli officials said Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and several other countries, was holding 222 hostages.

The Biden administration has said that at least 10 American citizens are unaccounted for and has not confirmed that they are all being held by Hamas. President Biden has reiterated that efforts to secure hostages are ongoing.

The group also released two hostages Friday, a dual American-Israeli mother and her 18-year-old daughter, Judith and Natalie Raanan.

Spielman pointed to the importance of defeating Hamas to ensure hostages are not taken in the future.

But defeating Hamas is the absolute priority. Thats been said from the very beginning, because theres a recognition that without defeating Hamas, there could be more hostages in the future, more destruction in the future, he said.

Hostage negations have spanned several days as the fighting rages on between Hamas and Israel, which has responded to the militant groups surprise attacks Oct. 7 with a bombardment of Gaza.

Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes into Hamas-ruled Gaza and cut off the territorys supply of water, food, medicine and fuel. More than 5,700 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the conflict, including more than 2,300 children, 1,200 women and 295 elderly people, according to the latest update from the Gaza Health Ministry. More than 16,200 are wounded, with that number expected to rise, Gaza officials said Tuesday.

An impending ground invasion by Israeli forces has loomed over Gaza for more than a week after more than 1 million Palestinians were ordered to flee their neighborhoods in the north and head south.

The United States has largely supported Israels pledge to eliminate Hamas in response to the attacks, drawing a parallel to Americas war on terror after the 9/11 attacks.

In his visit to Tel Aviv last week, Biden announced a U.S.-brokered deal to allow for a small shipment of aid to enter Gaza and bring relief to the deepening humanitarian crisis. Two aid convoys carrying food, water, and medical supplies were permitted to enter Gaza over the weekend using the Rafah crossing with Egypt, though humanitarian leaders have stressed more aid is needed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Think tank experts and scholars at a roundtable discussion during the eighth China Global Think Tank Innovation Forum in Beijing, Oct. 23, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Center for China and Globalization]

In the post-pandemic era, how will the global order, which is currently at a crossroads, move forward? In response to this question, think tank experts and scholars from around the world gathered in Beijing on Monday at a roundtable discussion during the eighth China Global Think Tank Innovation Forum to discuss potential insightful answers.

Erik Solheim, vice-chair of the board of the Europe-Asia Center and former under-secretary-general of the United Nations, underscored that the 21st century is underpinned by two pillars, namely mutual respect for different civilizations and dialogue for the settlement of issues.

Joseph Nye, dean emeritus of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a renowned U.S. political scientist, spotlighted China-U.S. relations and dismissed the view that a new Cold War currently exists between China and the U.S., as cooperation and interdependence in such fields as trade, education and ecological conservation still mark bilateral relations. Therefore, he called for competitive collaboration and coexistence for the two countries.

Rong Ying, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), proposed a "1+2+3" scheme to materialize globalized win-win cooperation for peaceful development. Specifically, "1" indicates the vision of a single global community of shared future, "2" signifies the two platforms of a Chinese path to modernization and the Belt and Road Initiative, and "3" points to the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative.

Sun Jisheng, vice president of China Foreign Affairs University, pointed out that the current digital age has such a strong spillover effect that any regional problem that is not properly addressed will drag down the whole world. She added that under such circumstances, think tanks are expected to build mutual trust and consensus to seek solutions and positively influence the policy and decision-making process.

The annual China Global Think Tank Innovation Forum was jointly initiated by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) in 2016, with the aims of exploring the challenges and responses of global think tanks amid new changes and offering innovative and forward-thinking solutions to global issues.
According to Tom Ewing , his family has actually owned a particular plot of land in McLean County for 170 years, but only recently was it recognized for having been in the Ewing family for 150 years.

According to a press release, the Illinois Department of Agriculture has designated the Ewing farm a Sesquicentennial Farm because it has been owned in a straight or collateral line of descendants for at least 150 years.

I am privileged to present this distinction to this amazing family, Illinois Director of Agriculture Jerry Costello II said. This designation not only honors their farm operation today, but also their ancestors who labored through adversity to maintain the family farm. The Sesquicentennial Farm program helps to reinforce that family farming remains a viable entity in Illinois agriculture.

The farm is west of McLean and was settled in 1853, Ewing said. It has been a well-rounded operation with livestock and grain as key components.

The N.P. Ewing Family Farm near McLean was recently designated as a Sesquicentennial Farm by Illinois Department of Agriculture. Among those attending the ceremony on Oct. 7 were, from left, Tom Ewing, daughter Jane Ewing, daughter Kate Ewing, granddaughter Lucy Ewing (Jane's daughter), son Sam Ewing, grandson Thomas Ewing and grandson Porter Ewing.

My grandfather had thoroughbred cattle, short-horn cattle, Ewing said. My brother and I had Hereford thoroughbred cattle.

Grandfather also had a 6-horse hitch (with Clydesdales).

Unfortunately, a train accident claimed the life of two of the horses and the Ewing's grandfather, who used to take the hitch and horses all around to show, was no longer able to do so.

Ewing said that the livestock pretty much went away by the 1970s.

It was in the 1970s when the Illinois Sesquicentennial Farms program began. Sesquicentennial Farm owners, of which there are more than 1,200, are recognized on Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair.

There is also a sign that is placed on the property signifying the honor. Like in the days when it was not unusual to spend time at the farm, members of the Ewing family, some coming from as far away as Texas, gathered for the dedication of the sign on Oct. 7. The Ewing family is involved in farming in the McLean, Logan and Livingston counties.

They started with 140 acres and the second generation came along, his name was Samuel, Ewing said. He expanded the family holdings to a thousand acres.

The Ewing family first settled in the colonial period when James Ewing started a farm in Virginia in 1746. He had two sons  William and Samuel  who sold the Virginia land and migrated to Kentucky after the revolution where they acquired land and was prospered.

James Ewing, a son of William, served as a colonel in the Kentucky Rifle Regiment during the War of 1812 and his son, Nathaniel Porter Ewing ran into troubled times and moved to Illinois in the 1850s.

N.P.'s son, Samuel Young Ewing, added to family holding as the farm expanded to 1,000 acres by 1890.

The homestead passed from N.P. to Samuel Young to Nathanial Porter Ewing, the grandson of N.P. Ewing. A train accident claimed the life of Nathanial Porter in 1930 and it then went to N.P.'s great-grandson, Samuel Young Ewing.

Showing little interest in farming, the younger Samuel Young turned over the management to Thomas W. Ewing, who has been the full manager of the homestead since 1979 upon the death of his father.

Ewing was recognized for his leadership in agriculture policy and served on the agricultural committees at both the state and federal levels. He has received several agricultural awards for his service, including the 2002 Charles B. Shuman Distinguished Service award from the Illinois Farm Bureau.

Ewing still manages the farm but Martin Van Horn of Atlanta works it. Ewing said eventually one of the children or grandchildren will run it.

Tom Ewing, who served in the Illinois State Legislature for 18 years before serving in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., for 10 years before retiring.

Ever active, Ewing, now 88, has been working on constructing a fence for the homestead, as well as doing other things around the place.

Although he did not personally grow up there, it has been a big part of his heritage.

It was like a gathering place, he said. I didn't actually grow up there. My brother lived there and raised his family there.

To me, this is holding on to your heritage. You can invest your money in a lot of different things but to me, land is still as good an investment as there is, and one that you can pass on to your heirs.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Illinois family receives Sesquicentennial Farm designation
Kylee Nelson is a travel nurse who lived in Saudi Arabia for four months.

Nelson said she felt safe living and traveling solo around the Middle East.

But there were times she experienced discrimination as a woman.

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Kylee Nelson, a 34-year-old travel nurse who's been to over 40 countries and runs the blog Passports and Preemies. She shares what she experienced while living in the Middle East. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. I grew up surrounded by nature  catching fireflies, spending days at the lake with friends, and driving on dirt roads.

I left the Midwest when I was 18 and took on a nursing job in Kansas City a few years later. Everything changed when I broke up with my boyfriend  I realized I wanted to break out of my shell and started looking for volunteer nursing opportunities abroad. In 2022, I accepted a nursing job in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and headed to the Middle East.

The Middle East was nothing like the Midwest

I lived in Saudi Arabia for four months. Everything about the new environment felt so different from the Midwest. Here, the brightly colored jackets and baseball caps from home were exchanged for abayas, which are black robes that cover women from head to toe, and thawbs, the long-sleeved ankle-length white robes worn by men.

The weather, too, was vastly different. Days were usually cool in the Midwest; even on the hottest days of summer, temperatures rarely exceeded 85 degrees Fahrenheit. But in Saudi Arabia, I always found a thick smog in the air. It was sweltering hot, and the temperature could rise to 110.

As the daytime heat could be overwhelming, I found that Saudi Arabia came alive at night  locals often spent this time at night markets, hookah lounges, or having big dinners with family and friends.

Kylee Nelson in Abha, Asir Province, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of Kylee Nelson

I never felt like I was in danger

One misconception people have is that traveling to Saudi Arabia is dangerous. It's often portrayed as being unsafe for women, but I had the opportunity to meet many kind and beautiful people during my time there. It's a shame that more people don't get to experience its beauty.

While living in Saudi Arabia, I never once felt like my life was in danger, even when traveling solo around the Middle East. My travels included a weekend trip to Bahrain, where I enjoyed the local food and vibrant souks, and a visit to Jordan, where everyone had welcoming smiles. As a woman from the West, I was treated with so much respect. I almost felt coddled at times, especially as locals always tried to make sure that I was enjoying my time in their country.

I remember that whenever I was waiting for an Uber to pick me up, a man would wait to ensure I got in the car safely. And whenever I went out to eat, I would receive the warmest smiles and greetings. Men would also sometimes kindly pay for my meals. If there was anything I needed, locals would drop everything to help me.

Kylee Nelson in Rijal Almaa, Asir Province, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of Kylee Nelson

But it was clearly a man's world

I had encounters that reminded me that women don't have the same rights as men. I once had a man report me for working out at the gym. Another time, a man cut the line in front of me at a hotel's front desk and started arguing when I told him this wasn't OK.

At the end of the day, I found that Saudi Arabia is a man's world, more so than anywhere else I've traveled to. While things have improved significantly over the years, there's still a disparity between the opportunities for men and women.

I'm grateful to have experienced Saudi Arabia's culture. It's truly unique, rich in history, and unlike any other country I had visited before or since. While I wouldn't choose to go back and work in Saudi as a woman, traveling around solo never felt unsafe. I had many more positive experiences than negative ones, and I recommend that all travelers  even women who travel solo  visit the country at least once.

Read the original article on Insider
A 27-year-old man arrested Tuesday for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at the University of Arizona was an incel and fan of infamous misogynist Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in 2014.

Thats according to a federal complaint reviewed by The Daily Beast, which fills in some of the blanks left by UofA police, who announced Michael Pengchung Lees arrest on Tuesday night. Lee made the threat on Oct. 22 in a Snapchat group chat, under the screenname asianluluu, the complaint states.

The day of Retribution is upon us, I shall get revenge on all the chads and stacies!! Lee allegedly wrote in a group chat last Sunday.

He had warned people on Snapchat that there would soon be a mass tragedy and atrocity at the UofA, specifying a mass shooting when the others asked what he meant, the complaint states.

Lee, who is reportedly not affiliated in any way with UofA, said he was planning on pulling off the murders with an AR-15 assault-style rifle, insisting, Its Arizona you can just buy one, according to the complaint. (Arizona is a so-called permitless-carry state.)

Crazy NYC Teacher Accused of Slapping, Choking Fifth-Graders

He noted that hed get the gun probably right before the planned shooting, so my mom doesnt find it, the complaint goes on. Lee hadnt chosen a date yet for the assault, but knew he wanted to go after Chads and Stacies, incel-speak for attractive, popular young men and women. In this case, the feds believe Lee was after UofA students in fraternities and sororities, the complaint says.

When he saw the females in the group chat screenshotting his posts he stated fuck you stacies I was gonna give u a warning but now im not, the complaint continues. Its a solo mission, Im not normal, I never have been, Im severely autistic and mentally ill and was never accepted by society, I have no place in the world.

Youll hear about it on the news, he promised.

U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

Chillingly, Lee allegedly wrote, also the 10th anniversary of the day of retribution is may 23,2024 btw, but isn't the UofA gonna be out of session by then?

May 23, 2014, was the date of Elliot Rodgers killing spree, during which he murdered six fraternity and sorority members near the UC-Santa Barbara campus

and injured 14, leaving behind a manifesto that outlined his rage and hatred for women. Rodger, a 22-year-old virgin, was subsequently made a martyr by other involuntary celibates, such as Lee, who the complaint says identifies as a former incel in his Instagram page.

Lee finished his conversation on Snapchat by saying: im gonna do it guys, my mind is made up and there's nothing u can do or say to stop me, according to the complaint.

Although the complaint does not spell out the exact chain of events that occurred next, it appears that someone in the Snapchat group took their concerns to campus police, who contacted the FBI. Agents reviewed data from the U of A PDs automated license plate reader systems and discovered Lees vehicle had been in the vicinity of the schools Greek Row on nine separate days in October, the complaint states.

On Monday, campus police pulled Lee over for speeding, and questioned him about the Snapchat threats. He admitted to everything, telling cops that he was frustrated with his homelife and decided to vent about it in the group chat, according to the complaint.

He stated he was a former member of the incel community but was no longer, it says. He attempted to purchase a firearm two months ago but decided against it. LEE admitted he was aware the threats to commit a mass shooting were wrong and concerning.

Lee was booked into the Pima County Jail on a state charge of making a terroristic threat. He is being held on $7,500 bond. The federal charge filed against him, interstate communications containing threats to injure another, carries a maximum sentence of five years.

Lee, whose name was spelled Pengchong in a UofA alert sent out Tuesday night, was arrested last month on drug and weapons possession charges after cops found controlled substances and a firearm in a storage facility he rented, according to the complaint.

According to the UofA alert, there is no current or pending threat to students of faculty and no other suspects are being sought. Lee does not have a lawyer listed in federal court records, and was unable to be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Relations between Canada and India reached historic lows after the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

India will resume visa services for Canadians after they ceased in a major diplomatic row in September, India's High Commission in Ottawa says.

At the time, India said the move was due to "security threats" disrupting work at its Canadian missions.

But the suspension came amid a serious dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

Ottawa accused India of being behind the killing - an allegation New Delhi has called "absurd."

On Wednesday, officials said they will resume issuing some visas after reviewing the security situation at their missions, and in light of recent Canadian measures which they did not name.

They added in a statement that "further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation".

Services will reportedly resume on Thursday, and will apply to entry visas, as well as business, medical and conference visas.

Entry visas are specific to "persons of Indian origin" and their spouses and children, according to the website of Toronto's Consulate General of India. They also apply to immediate family of an Indian citizen.

It is unclear if the resumption of services will apply to Canadian tourists, who would require a specific tourist visa.

Relations between India and Canada reached historic lows after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was investigating credible allegations of India's involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader shot and killed in Surrey, British Columbia, in June.

Police at the time described it as a "targeted killing", but no suspects have yet been identified.

Mr Trudeau has urged for India's cooperation with the ongoing murder investigation, while stressing that Canada is not looking to escalate the rift with India.

Canada recently withdrew dozens of its diplomats from India, after the country threatened to remove diplomatic immunity for them.

India has said Canada had many more diplomats in Delhi than India has in Ottawa, and has demanded parity ever since the row between the two countries erupted.

But the Global Affairs website, which lists the Indian diplomats in Ottawa, suggests they had about the same number.

Twenty-one Canadian diplomats remain in India.
(Bloomberg) -- Indonesias President Joko Widodo has appointed Amran Sulaiman as agriculture minister, replacing the former minister who has been detained in an ongoing graft probe.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Sulaiman had previously helmed the portfolio during Widodos  better known as Jokowi  first presidential term.

The appointment on Wednesday marks the second time in five months that the president has had to replace a minister whos ensnared in a corruption scandal. In May, the then-communications minister was dismissed after he was detained as part of a graft investigation. His trial is ongoing.

--With assistance from Chandra Asmara.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Consequences of the Russian attack on Khmelnytskyi Oblast on the night of October 25

The number of injuries resulting from a Russian drone attack in Slavuta, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, on Oct. 25 has increased from 16 to 20, according to the citys mayor, Vasyl Sydor.

Today, 20 individuals are receiving medical care in local hospitals. We remain hopeful for their full recovery, but they exhibit varying degrees of injuries, Sydor said.

Read also: Russian forces attempt to prevent Ukrainian troops from gaining foothold in Kherson Oblast  ISW report

Ukrainian anti-aircraft forces successfully intercepted all 11 Iranian drones launched by Russia overnight.

Local authorities reported that debris fell on a critical infrastructure facility in the Shepetivka district.

Read also: Ukrainian forces make strategic advances in Kherson Oblast, ISW reports

Twenty buildings, schools, a store, an administrative building, the fire and rescue department and a police station were damaged in the attack.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The prison inmate who attacked Paul Flores, convicted killer of Kristin Smart, was serving a life term for murdering another notorious inmate in 2021, the serial killer known as the I-5 Strangler, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told The Tribune.

The attack left Flores with a neck injury that sent him to the hospital for two days.

On Aug. 23 at around 10 a.m. in the Pleasant Valley State Prison yard, agency said, staff saw Flores fall to the ground between the recreational yard and the medical clinic. Staff immediately ordered everyone to get down, and medical staff immediately responded.

At the time, Harold Mesick, Flores lawyer, told The Tribune that Flores had been stabbed in the side of the neck.

Paul Flores takes a sip of water during the trial against him for the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart in the Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas on Aug. 16, 2022. Brittany Tom/NBC News Dateline

Jason Budrow, 43, was found nearby with a manufactured weapon, the corrections department said. He is suspected of the attempted murder of Flores.

Budrow is serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole for two separate murders, the first that sent him to prison 12 years ago and the second once he was already behind bars.

The first murder conviction was in 2011, and was his second strike under Californias Three Strikes law. He was convicted of strangling and murdering his girlfriend at the time in Riverside County.

About a decade later in March 2021, CDCR said, Budrow strangled and killed Roger Reece Kibbe, a fellow inmate at Mule Creek State Prison.

Kibbe was known as the serial rapist and killer who was dubbed the I-5 Strangler. He was serving six consecutive life-without-parole sentences for six counts of first-degree murder, on top of an earlier life-with-parole murder sentence.

The so-called I-5 Strangler Roger Reece Kibbe appears in court with San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Miriam Lyell, right and Jan Karowsky, in September 2009. Kibbe, 81, was strangled to death in his cell at Mule Creek State Prison in March 2021. Another inmate, Jason Budrow, was later convicted in the killing. Craig Sanders/The Stockton Record

Budrow was convicted and sentenced to his second life-without-parole sentence in April 2022, CDCR said.

In a letter sent to the San Jose Mercury News, Budrow admitted to killing Kibbe as punishment for the I-5 Stranglers murders.

CDCR did not disclose whether they believe Budrow had a motive for the alleged attack on Flores.

After the stabbing, Flores was transported to an outside hospital in serious condition. His condition improved to fair by the next day, and he returned to the Coalinga prison on Aug. 25.

Flores is expected to make a full recovery, his lawyer said.

Flores is currently serving a 25-years-to-life sentence for the murder of Smart, the Cal Poly student who went missing over Memorial Day weekend in 1996 and has never been found.

Flores is seeking to overturn his conviction but has yet to file his appellate brief with the court.

Who was the I-5 Strangler?

In 1991, Kibbe was convicted on his first count of murder for strangling 17-year-old Darcie Frankenpohl, a runaway from Seattle living in West Sacramento, in 1987, The Sacramento Bee reported. He left her naked body at Echo Summit.

He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder. Kibbe was serving a jail term in Sacramento County for assault and attempted kidnap of a prostitute at the time of his arrest.

It wouldnt be the first killing tied to the man who became known as the I-5 Strangler.

Detectives had long suspected Kibbe of murdering several other women. DNA and other crime scene evidence resubmitted in the early 2000s eventually linked Kibbe to six more murders dating back to the 1970s.

In 2008, a new San Joaquin County indictment accused him of the murders of Lou Ellen Burleigh in 1977 and the deaths of Barbara Ann Scott, Stephanie Brown, Charmaine Sabrah, Katherine Kelly Quinones and Lora Heedrick  all in 1986.

In 2009, Kibbe pleaded guilty to the new murder counts with special enhancements for rape and kidnapping.

In 2021, detectives told The Sacramento Bee they believe Kibbe may have killed several more victims in the gap between his first known murder in 1977 and his killing spree from 1986-1987.
The prison inmate who attacked Paul Flores, convicted killer of Kristin Smart, was serving a life term for murdering another notorious inmate in 2021, the serial killer known as the I-5 Strangler, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told The Tribune.

The attack left Flores with a neck injury that sent him to the hospital for two days.

On Aug. 23 at around 10 a.m. in the Pleasant Valley State Prison yard, agency said, staff saw Flores fall to the ground between the recreational yard and the medical clinic. Staff immediately ordered everyone to get down, and medical staff immediately responded.

At the time, Harold Mesick, Flores lawyer, told The Tribune that Flores had been stabbed in the side of the neck.

Paul Flores takes a sip of water during the trial against him for the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart in the Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas on Aug. 16, 2022.

Jason Budrow, 43, was found nearby with a manufactured weapon, the corrections department said. He is suspected of the attempted murder of Flores.

Budrow is serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole for two separate murders, the first that sent him to prison 12 years ago and the second once he was already behind bars.

The first murder conviction was in 2011, and was his second strike under Californias Three Strikes law. He was convicted of strangling and murdering his girlfriend at the time in Riverside County.

About a decade later in March 2021, CDCR said, Budrow strangled and killed Roger Reece Kibbe, a fellow inmate at Mule Creek State Prison.

Kibbe was known as the serial rapist and killer who was dubbed the I-5 Strangler. He was serving six consecutive life-without-parole sentences for six counts of first-degree murder, on top of an earlier life-with-parole murder sentence.

The so-called I-5 Strangler Roger Reece Kibbe appears in court with San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Miriam Lyell, right and Jan Karowsky, in September 2009. Kibbe, 81, was strangled to death in his cell at Mule Creek State Prison in March 2021. Another inmate, Jason Budrow, was later convicted in the killing.

Budrow was convicted and sentenced to his second life-without-parole sentence in April 2022, CDCR said.

In a letter sent to the San Jose Mercury News, Budrow admitted to killing Kibbe as punishment for the I-5 Stranglers murders.

CDCR did not disclose whether they believe Budrow had a motive for the alleged attack on Flores.

After the stabbing, Flores was transported to an outside hospital in serious condition. His condition improved to fair by the next day, and he returned to the Coalinga prison on Aug. 25.

Flores is expected to make a full recovery, his lawyer said.

Flores is currently serving a 25-years-to-life sentence for the murder of Smart, the Cal Poly student who went missing over Memorial Day weekend in 1996 and has never been found.

Flores is seeking to overturn his conviction but has yet to file his appellate brief with the court.

Who was the I-5 Strangler?

In 1991, Kibbe was convicted on his first count of murder for strangling 17-year-old Darcie Frankenpohl, a runaway from Seattle living in West Sacramento, in 1987, The Sacramento Bee reported. He left her naked body at Echo Summit.

He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder. Kibbe was serving a jail term in Sacramento County for assault and attempted kidnap of a prostitute at the time of his arrest.

It wouldnt be the first killing tied to the man who became known as the I-5 Strangler.

Detectives had long suspected Kibbe of murdering several other women. DNA and other crime scene evidence resubmitted in the early 2000s eventually linked Kibbe to six more murders dating back to the 1970s.

In 2008, a new San Joaquin County indictment accused him of the murders of Lou Ellen Burleigh in 1977 and the deaths of Barbara Ann Scott, Stephanie Brown, Charmaine Sabrah, Katherine Kelly Quinones and Lora Heedrick  all in 1986.

In 2009, Kibbe pleaded guilty to the new murder counts with special enhancements for rape and kidnapping.

In 2021, detectives told The Sacramento Bee they believe Kibbe may have killed several more victims in the gap between his first known murder in 1977 and his killing spree from 1986-1987.
This article was originally published in New Hampshire Bulletin.

By the time Kelly Santos found the Education Freedom Account program, she felt out of options.

The Hudson resident had fought for years for disability accommodations for her son James at his public school, beginning in the first grade. By his fourth grade year, she had arranged letters from teachers and had paid $5,000 for a neuropsychological exam to prove to school administrators that he needed help. But without a formal evaluation, the accommodations did not appear.

I fought to keep him with his community and his friends, she said, speaking to members of the State Board of Education this month to advocate for the program. Special education did not work for me because I could not get past step one, which is evaluation.

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Santos applied for local charter schools, but lost the lotteries necessary for admission. Then she found the Education Freedom Account program, and with it, an opportunity to send James to Second Nature Academy in Nashua.

Its changed her sons relationship to school, she says. When I asked James, Whats the difference between your old school and your new school? he said to me: Mom I was sitting in a prison and I was bored And when I went up to my new school that was the key that let me out of jail, Santos said.

If it wasnt for the EFA, we would have been stuck without a school to go to, she said.

The program is continuing to see similar interest. More than 4,200 New Hampshire students are participating in the Education Freedom Account program this school year  a 158 percent jump from the first years enrollment.

But most new participants are not following Santoss exact path: 28 percent of the 1,577 new students this year transferred directly from public school. The others were either homeschooled or attending non-public schools before they transferred.

Related

New Hampshire Teachers Report Quitting Over School Climate, Low Pay

In total, the state will spend $22.1 million toward EFAs this school year, up from $8.1 million in the 2021-2022 school year and $14.7 million in the 2022-2023 school year, according to numbers released by the Department of Education Thursday. That money comes out of the states Education Trust Fund, which spends about $1 billion per year on public education. The enrollment grew by 20 percent since last year.

Launched in 2021, the Education Freedom Account program allows parents to take the state education funding dollars that would go to their childs public school and use them for private and homeschooling expenses instead. To qualify, families must have an income below 350 percent of the federal poverty level  or $105,000 for a family of four.

Republicans, including Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, have hailed the initiative as a means for lower-income families to receive assistance to enroll their children in programs they might not otherwise be able to afford, providing alternatives if the public school is not a good fit.

But Democrats have criticized the program as wasteful and unnecessary, and argued that the Education Trust Fund dollars should be exclusive to public schools. Democrats have attempted unsuccessfully to both repeal the program and restrain it, including by requiring that students be attending public school before they can receive the vouchers. Currently, the vouchers are also available to qualifying families that dont attend public schools.

This year, the Republican-led Legislature increased the eligibility for the program by raising the income cap from 300 percent of the federal poverty level  where the program started  to 350 percent. Some Republicans, including gubernatorial candidates Chuck Morse and Kelly Ayotte, have proposed removing the income caps entirely in the future.

An examination of the latest numbers reveals some differences between public school students and EFA recipients. There are 4,211 students who receive EFAs and just over 160,000 students in New Hampshire public schools this year.

Of the students receiving EFAs this year, about 44 percent are enrolled in free or reduced price lunch program, meaning their families make below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or $55,500 for a family of four. That represents a higher proportion than in public schools, where 26 percent of students are in the free or reduced lunch program.

Related

Texas Voucher Proposal Spurs Mix of Excitement, Wariness for Homeschoolers

Of all EFA recipients, 6.3 percent are receiving additional state funding for special education services. In public schools, 20 percent of students receive special education funding.

The state is spending an average of $5,255 per EFA recipient this year, according to the Department of Education. Thats a higher amount than in previous years and comes after the Legislature raised the base amount of state funding that schools receive per pupil in the two-year budget passed in June. The state is spending $6,161 per student in public schools this year, according to the department.

Among the 4,211 students receiving EFAs, 1,577 are new to the program this school year and 2,634 are returning. Since the last school year, 109 students have graduated, 75 have re-enrolled in public schools, and 524 have made other exits, a category not defined by the department.

In a statement Thursday, Edelblut praised the increased numbers, saying it is apparent that New Hampshire families are taking advantage of this tremendous opportunity that provides them with different options and significant flexibility for learning.

With three years of data under our belt, we know that students are coming and going from the program, which is exactly how it was designed  to allow various options for personal learning needs that may fluctuate from year-to-year based on whatever path is appropriate in the moment, Edelblut said.

Megan Tuttle, president of the National Education Association of New Hampshire, the states largest teachers union, disagreed, accusing Edelblut of (focusing) his energy on a small sliver of the population that was never in public schools.

Lets be clear  vouchers take scarce funding away from public schools and give it to private and religious schools that are unaccountable to the public, Tuttle said in a statement Friday. Taxpayer funds should be spent to resource neighborhood public schools to ensure they are desirable places to be and to learn, where students natural curiosity is inspired.

New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Hampshire Bulletin maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Dana Wormald for questions: info@newhampshirebulletin.com. Follow New Hampshire Bulletin on Facebook and Twitter.
The Pope quickly accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop whose diocese was rocked by a scandal.

Police are investigating one of the bishop's priests following an incident at his church apartment.

According to local media, the priest hosted a sex party, where a male sex worker overdosed on pills.

The Pope accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop on Tuesday after his diocese was rocked by a scandal involving an alleged gay orgy at a priest's church apartment.

Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, 59, offered his resignation on September 29, with Pope Francis accepting it unusually swiftly, according to the Associated Press.

Though the Vatican did not give an explicit reason for the resignation, with the Press Office of The Holy See not immediately responding to Insider's request for comment, it comes shortly after police launched an investigation into a member of his diocese.

In a letter announcing that he had stepped down, Kaszak also gave no clear reason for his departure as Bishop of Sosnowiecka.

It follows an announcement by the Diocese of Sosnowiecka earlier this month, which revealed that one of Kaszak's priests was placed under criminal investigation in connection with an incident that occurred on the night of August 30 and the morning of August 31 in his church apartment.

Local media described it as an "orgy," with the Polish newspaper Fakt reporting that it involved the priest, a male sex worker, and another person participating in a sex game at the Dabrowa Gornicza property.

During the gathering, one of the participants fainted after taking erectile dysfunction pills, prompting a call for an ambulance, Fakt reported.

According to the newspaper, the priest initially denied entry to paramedics. Once they eventually entered the apartment, they saw a naked man believed to be a prostitute lying on the floor, Fakt said.

According to the AP, the priest denied refusing entry to paramedics and challenged the definition of the events as an "orgy." Insider was unable to reach him for comment.

The priest, only identified by the diocese as Fr. Tomasz Z, "committed a very serious violation of moral norms" by participating in the "great scandal," the diocese said in a news release.

It said in another news release, published last month, that the priest's participation is "not in doubt" and that the diocese had set up its own commission to investigate the event.

According to the diocese, Fr. Tomasz Z has been sent to live outside the parish and stripped of his roles and responsibilities.

He has also been ordered to take penance until the Holy See makes a decision, which the diocese said would take place after the criminal investigation concludes, according to the news release.

The status of the criminal investigation is unclear. The District Prosecutor's Office in Sosnowiec did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Homosexuality activity is condemned by the Catholic Church, with Pope Francis recently characterizing it as a "sin" but not a crime. Priests are also largely expected to remain celibate.

Read the original article on Insider
You are here: China

Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin for the upcoming Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission meet the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 25, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

The spaceship will carry three astronauts -- Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin -- to carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission. Tang Hongbo will be the commander, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, at a press conference.

Shenzhou-17 is the 30th flight mission of China's manned space program, and the 12th manned mission of the program.

The crew will stay in orbit for about six months.

The launch will use a Long March-2F carrier rocket, which will be filled with propellant soon, Lin said.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-17 spaceship will perform a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft, Lin said.

The Shenzhou-17 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in April next year.

During their stay, they will witness the arrival of the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship and Tianzhou-7 cargo craft, Lin said.

The space station combination is now in a stable status with all equipment functioning well. Product qualities of the Shenzhou-17 spaceship and the Long March-2F carrier rocket are under control, Lin added.

The Shenzhou-17 crew is in good condition, while the ground system facilities are in stable operation. All preparations for the launch have been completed, Lin said.

The Shenzhou-16 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site on Oct. 31, after completing the in-orbit work handover to the Shenzhou-17 crew, Lin said.
An Iowa man has been found guilty of murder in a May 2021 killing in Prairie Village, according to prosecutors.

Michael L. Balance, 60, of Des Moines, was convicted Thursday by a Johnson County jury of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 70-year-old John Hoffman.

On May 1, 2021, Hoffman was found dead in an apartment in the 3700 block of West 75th Street after police responded there to a medical call. He had been shot multiple times, police said.

Authorities announced an arrest in the case the following day. Prosecutors initially charged Balance in May 2021 with premeditated first-degree murder.

The case was investigated by Prairie Village police and other Kansas City metro agencies. Balance is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15.
Ipswich's Novotel, on the Greyfriars Road/Star Lane roundabout, has been housing asylum seekers for about a year

A hotel in Ipswich will be among the first to stop housing migrants following a government announcement.

The town centre Novotel has been used by the Home Office to house asylum seekers since October last year.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has told MPs 50 hotels will be closed to asylum seekers by January.

Ipswich's Conservative MP Tom Hunt said the Ipswich Novotel would be one of those, and he was pleased the hotel could "be put back to its proper use".

A specific timetable for the 50 hotels was not announced, but Mr Hunt said the Novotel should stop housing refugees "by the end of next month".

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt said he was pleased the Novotel would be a hotel once again

In a statement to Parliament, Mr Jenrick said agreements with France and Albania, along with stricter penalties for those connected to illegal migration, had helped reduce the numbers arriving in small boats, enabling the government to start ending the use of asylum hotels.

"These hotels should be assets for their local communities, serving businesses and tourists - not housing illegal migrants at an unsustainable cost to the taxpayer," said Mr Jenrick.

A letter seen by the BBC revealed that the 2022 plan to house migrants at the Ipswich Novotel meant some hotel staff would be replaced by workers brought in by the Home Office.

Mr Hunt said with the latest announcement, he now hoped those who "were pressured to resign should be not only offered their jobs back but ideally on better terms than before".

According to Mr Hunt, refugees housed in the hotel could either be moved to ex-military barracks in Essex, transported to barges, or "depending on what happens with the Supreme Court, some will be eligible for going to Rwanda".

Martin Simmons, from Suffolk Refugee Support, said: "Hotels have never been used in the past for this purpose. This only came about because of a failure to process people's asylum claims that left people in limbo."

He said he would welcome the closure of hotels for this purpose "if it meant that people were getting fair and quick hearings on their asylum claims and being allowed to move on with their lives".

The Illegal Migration Act became law in July, meaning the home secretary has a legal duty to detain and remove anyone entering the UK illegally.

Mr Hunt confirmed his position on the issue of asylum seekers and other migrants, stating "if you come to the country illegally, under no circumstances should you be able to stay".

"The Illegal Migration Act, which was passed three or four months ago, made it explicitly clear that if you arrive illegally in the UK from a safe European county, ie France, then you won't be eligible for asylum in this country, which I agree with.

"France is a perfectly safe country and I think you should apply for asylum in the first safe country you get to, not break our immigration laws by coming in illegally."

Migrants have been staying on the Bibby Stockholm barge moored at Portland in Dorset since August

In July, the Home Office began housing migrants at MDP [Ministry of Defence Police] Wethersfield, near Braintree in Essex, while their applications to stay in the UK were processed

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday defended comments he made before the Security Council the previous day that prompted Israel to call for his ouster.

Guterres issued a statement saying he was "shocked by the misinterpretations" after Israeli officials accused him of justifying terrorism when he said the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians Oct. 7 did not happen in a vacuum." Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan quickly called for Guterres resignation.

Guterres had also "condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented" attack by Hamas, he said, and noted he specifically had said legitimate grievances of the Palestinians did not justify the attacks.

Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets," he said. "I believe it was necessary to set the record straight  especially out of respect to the victims and to their families."

Israel has been bombarding Gaza since the Hamas attack killed more than 1,400 people on Israeli soil and ignited a war that has left thousands of Palestinians dead  6,546 according to the latest count by the Hamas-run Health Ministry  and swaths of the Gaza Strip in ruins. The U.N. has struggled to meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza.

President Joe Biden said he has "no confidence'' the death toll numbers Hamas is reporting are accurate. "I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's a price of waging a war," he said. "I think the Israelis should be incredibly careful to be sure that they're focusing on going after the folks that are propagating this war against Israel. And it's against their interest when that doesn't happen.''

A woman, with a photograph of a child who was abducted during the Hamas attack on Israel, hands out yellow ribbons to passing drivers in central Tel Aviv on Oct. 25, 2023.

Blinken urges 'humanitarian pauses': But US won't back cease-fire in Gaza

Developments:

 Biden said he believes one of the reasons for the Hamas attack was "the progress we're making toward regional integration for Israel and regional integration overall.'' He also expressed alarm about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. "It has to stop now,'' Biden said.

 China and Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution from the U.S. that would have reaffirmed Israels right to self-defense, urged respect for international laws  especially protection of civilians  and called for humanitarian pauses to deliver aid to Gaza.

 French President Emmanuel Macron said his country will send a ship with aid for hospitals in the Gaza Strip, in addition to a plane with medical equipment to come into the territory through Egypt. Others will follow, Macron said from Cairo, a day after a visit to Israel that included stops in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.

 The Al Jazeera media outlet said the wife, son and daughter of correspondent Wael Dahdouh were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Another son was seriously wounded and a grandson was also killed, the network said. They take vengeance on us through our children? Dahdouh said amid tears.

 The Israeli military said it killed senior Hamas commander Taysir Mubasher, a battalion chief and former commander of Hamas' naval forces. Mubasher was a close confidant of Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas military wing, the Israeli military said.

Biden warns Iran about harming US troops

At least two dozen Americans have been injured in attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria this month, and Biden said Wednesday he warned Iran's ayatollah about repercussions if that continues.

"He should be prepared," Biden said at a Rose Garden news conference.

According to the Pentagon, the U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 times in Iraq and at least three times in Syria by a mix of drones and rockets. The U.S. has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region to deter hostile actors.

U.S. officials have repeatedly warned about attempts by Iran and its proxies to expand the Israel-Hamas war. On Wednesday, the Iranian-supported Islamic Resistance group in Iraq said its rockets hit the Kharab al-Jir military base in eastern Syria, which houses U.S. forces.

 Joey Garrison and Francesca Chambers

Florida seeks to ban pro-Palestinian student group

The Florida government is trying to get a pro-Palestinian student group banned from state universities, arguing it supports a "terrorist organization.''

Students for Justice in Palestine, which says it has more than 200 U.S. chapters, has for decades led campus protests and boycott attempts against Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. The administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, says the organization is linked to Hamas and wants it disbanded.

At DeSantis' urging, state university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote to university presidents Tuesday and told them to dissolve the SJP chapters. He also reminded them that Florida law prohibits providing "material support  to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Palestine Legal, which supplies legal support to pro-Palestinian groups, said the ban was DeSantis' latest effort at quelling free expression on campuses.

Florida, particularly under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, has been actively undermining education, freedom of speech and social justice movements, including by banning anti-racist courses and trying to criminalize protests,'' Palestine Legal said in a statement.

Iran leader blames US for bombardment of Gaza

Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday accused the United States of orchestrating military strikes in Gaza and accused Israel of taking revenge on defenseless Palestinians because it was incapable of confronting Muslim fighters.

"Palestine will definitely be victorious in this current situation and in the future," he wrote on social media.

Khamenei warned Muslim governments not to follow the lead of the U.S. and other Western nations labeling "people defending their homes and country" as terrorists.

"The terrorist is that fake government that has occupied Palestine," Khamenei wrote, referencing Israel. His comments came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking at the U.N., said the U.S. does not want the war to widen but that "if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake, we will defend our people, we will defend our security swiftly and decisively."

Israel says Iran trying to widen war

Iran provided Hamas with crucial technical knowledge, weapons and funding ahead of the militant group's Oct. 7 rampage and has backed militant attacks in other countries in recent days, an Israeli military spokesman charged Wednesday. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari accused Tehran of ordering recent attacks by militias in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money and technological know-how, Hagari said. Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas continues in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel.

The Biden administration has repeatedly said there is no evidence of direct Iranian involvement in the Hamas rampage in Israel, or even prior knowledge. The administration has been laboring to keep Iran and other regional actors from fueling an expansion of the war into Lebanon and elsewhere.

Lack of fuel may force UN to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza

The U.N. agency charged with shuttling humanitarian aid into Gaza says it will need to significantly reduce and possibly halt operations if fuel does not get to Gaza immediately.

"The coming 24 hours are very critical," the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said in an update Wednesday.

More than 613,000 people are sheltering in 150 agency facilities across Gaza. Three more agency staff members were killed Tuesday, bringing the total to 38 staff killed since the war began, the U.N. said.

Inside the tunnels: As Israel preps for possible ground invasion, a look at the tunnels in Gaza

Network of tunnels key to Hamas warfare

Hamas militants are using hundreds of miles of secret tunnels under Gaza and into Israel to attack Israeli targets, move weapons and, most recently, hold hostages. Hamas has used the tunnels, estimated from 150 to 300 miles in length, for decades in its war against Israel. The militant group claimed the underground network was 311 miles in 2021, but that has not been independently verified. The network, consisting of about 1,300 tunnels, will present special problems for Israel Defense Force members if they invade with ground troops.

Hamas leaders use parts of the network as command centers to guide military operations, Israeli experts say. The Israeli military says Hamas has used millions of dollars in aid to pay for building the tunnels. Read more here.

 George Petras, Janet Loehrke

Contributing: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel Hamas live updates: UN chief defends comments on Hamas attack
Iran is keen to take advantage of Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel.

But it appears wary of provoking a wider, regional war.

However, events could spiral, and Iran could feel compelled to wade into the conflict.

Amid the war between Israel and Hamas, US officials warned this week that Iran-backed militias were planning to step up attacks on US bases in the Middle East.

There are "red lights flashing everywhere," a US official in the region told CNN.

Iranian proxies are trying to take advantage of the chaos unleashed by the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, analysts told Insider, to further damage Israel and boost its clout in the region.

But Iran is walking a tightrope, and although it appears keen to damage Israel through its network of militias and proxy groups, it's wary of blowback from the US and Israel.

Hamas' terror attacks are part of a broader plan

Israeli soldiers march toward a possible ground fight with Hamas in Gaza Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Israel and Iran have long been engaged in a shadow war in the Middle East, with both countries involved in a gradually escalating pattern of hostile action.

As part of this covert war, Iran has funded and trained a network of militias stretching across the Middle East. These militias have been used as proxies to wage war against its regional foes.

Among the most notable are Hamas, the Gaza-based group that launched the October 7 terrorist attacks, and Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militia that launched rocket attacks against Israel in recent days.

Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 Israelis in the October 7 attacks, injured more than 5,400, and kidnapped over 200 people, according to Israeli officials. The retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed more than 5,000 and injured more than 15,000, according to Palestinian officials.

Reports in The Wall St Journal and The New York Times claimed that Iranian officials appeared to have had involvement in planning and approving the attacks by Hamas  though other experts are skeptical of direct Iranian involvement.

But regardless of whether Iran had a direct role in instigating the violence, it will likely have welcomed the results, say experts.

Analysts say that the Hamas attacks were likely aimed at derailing talks to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran's main regional foes. The discussions were launched as part of the Trump administration's Abraham Accords, which aimed at repairing diplomatic ties between Israel and regional powers while sidestepping the vexed issue of a Palestinian state.

"Iran regard Israel as a threat and therefore, any form of rapprochement, normalization in relations between Israel and other states across the region  particularly those geographically close to Iran  represents a threat to Iran," Tobias Borck, an analyst at UK-based think tank The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told Insider.

He cautioned against linking the October 7 attacks to a masterplan by Iran to derail the talks but said Tehran would likely have welcomed the ramifications.

The waves of airstrikes Israel unleashed on Gaza in response to the October 7 attacks have enraged the Arab world, and seemingly scuppered the Israel-Saudi talks.

And Iran and Hezbollah have sought to stir the rage further, calling for protests and attacks on Israel. Iran has threatened Israel with the prospect of a wider regional war if it invades Gaza, reported Al Jazeera.

But Iran faces a dilemma

Iranian officials have told Reuters that Iran faces a dilemma in its response to the Israel-Hamas war.

If it doesn't respond, its strategy for regional ascendancy based on rallying the region around opposition to Israel will have been badly damaged.

But if Iran acts and is proven to be behind attacks on Israel, it could provoke a direct confrontation with Israel and the US, which Iran is ill-equipped to fight.

The US has deployed two aircraft carrier battle groups to the region to deter aggression by Iran and Hezbollah, and Iran's leaders know they would be badly outmatched in a direct clash with the superpower.

"I think the Iranians probably want this conflict to be limited to Gaza, and the West Bank," Alex Vatanka, an expert on Iran at the US-based Middle East Institute, told Insider.

"From Iran's perspective, an Israel sucked into guerilla warfare in Gaza and the West Bank is enough for now: it keeps Israel busy and shaken and distracted to go after Iran while also making the expansion of Abraham Accords into an impossibility since Arab leaders would have to distance themselves from Israel."

Iran's ally China is wary of the war spiraling out of control

Palestine Mahmud Abbas China Xi Jinping

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 14, 2023.Jade Gao - Pool/Getty Images

Another factor holding Iran back is its close ties with China, one of the few global powers with which it retains strong economic ties.

China has sought to use the Israel-Hamas war to its advantage, declaring support for a Palestinian state and refusing to criticize Hamas in an apparent bid to gain favor among Arab states.

It is in the unusual position of having close ties both with Iran and Israel, and has offered to use its ties to help broker peace between them.

But China is likely wary of a wider conflict in the region, that could undermine the trade links it's formed and slow the flow of Middle Eastern oil. It's likely that it's placing pressure on Iran not to escalate the conflict.

"China is primarily an economic actor in the Middle East and its interests in the region are threatened if the conflict escalates," Jonathan Fulton, an analyst at The Atlantic Council, told Insider.

"Iranian behavior is a key factor in whether this remains contained or spreads into a wider regional war. Since China is Iran's most consequential partner I expect it is highly motivated to keep Iran from any actions that would further destabilize the region."

But despite the limits faced by Iran if it escalates the war, events could spiral beyond its control.

If the Israeli invasion of Gaza results in large numbers of civilian casualties, hardliners in Tehran could place huge pressure on Iran to enter the conflict.

Borck characterized the situation as an "unpredictable dynamic that is driven by headlines, driven by TV imagery, driven by social media footage," of real or alleged civilian casualties.

"And at some point, you know, maybe some extreme or more hardline elements within Tehran, or for that matter Hezbollah, just say like, if we don't go now, how can we ever present ourselves as the great resistance to Israel? And I think that is the dangerous moment," said Borck.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Antonio Guterres also said he was deeply concerned about "the clear violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza

Israel has demanded that the UN's secretary general retract comments he made about the Gaza war and apologise.

Antonio Guterres said in a speech to the Security Council on Tuesday that he condemned unequivocally Hamas's deadly attacks in Israel two weeks ago but that they "did not happen in a vacuum".

Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan accused him of "justifying terrorism" and called for his immediate resignation.

On Wednesday, Mr Guterres rejected "misrepresentations" of his statement.

But Mr Erdan said in reply that the UN chief "once again distorts and twists reality", and called for his resignation.

On 7 October, some 1,500 Hamas gunmen infiltrated southern Israel from Gaza. They killed at least 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and took another 222 people as hostages.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 6,500 people have been killed in the territory since Israel retaliated with air and artillery strikes while massing troops for an expected ground invasion.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday, Mr Guterres urged all parties in the war to respect and protect civilians.

"I have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel. Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians - or the launching of rockets against civilian targets."

He then told the council that it was "important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum", adding: "The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

He described how Palestinians had "seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished".

"But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

More on Israel-Gaza war

Mr Guterres also said he was deeply concerned about "the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza".

He expressed alarm at Israel's continuous bombardment of Gaza, as well as the level of civilian casualties and "wholesale destruction of neighbourhoods".

Without naming Hamas, he stressed that "protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields".

And without naming Israel, he said: "Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself."

The UN chief also appealed for a humanitarian ceasefire to make the delivery of aid to Gaza easier and safer, and to facilitate the release of the hostages.

He called the crossing from Egypt of 62 lorries carrying food, water and medical supplies since Saturday "a drop of aid in an ocean of need".

He warned that the failure to include fuel risked a disaster, explaining that hospitals would be left without power and drinking water would not be purified or pumped.

The foreign minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, Riyad al-Maliki, demanded an end to what he called the "ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel" against the two million people living in Gaza.

Israel's foreign minister declared that "Hamas are the new Nazis"

Visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticised Mr Guterres in his speech to the Security Council, asking him: "In what world do you live?"

Mr Cohen said the killing of 1,400 men, women and children by Hamas constituted a massacre that would "go down in history as more brutal" than those committed by the Islamic State (IS) group.

"Hamas are the new Nazis," Mr Cohen declared. "Just as the civilised world united to defeat the Nazis, just as the civilised world united to defeat [IS], the civilised world has to stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas."

Addressing the UN's appeals for proportionality and a ceasefire, he said: "Tell me, what is a proportionate response for killing of babies, for rape [of] women and burn them, for beheading a child? How can you agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?"

Mr Cohen later wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "I will not meet with the UN secretary general. After the October 7th massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach."

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Mr Erdan said the secretary general had "expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder".

On Wednesday, the ambassador was quoted by Israeli news website Ynet as saying he had informed the UN's Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, that his request for an Israeli visa had been refused because of Mr Guterres's remarks.

"He will not be able to come here to the region. Their agencies constantly need to bring in new people, certainly at a time like now. They will be refused."

A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said "there is and can be no justification for Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack which was driven by hatred and ideology".

Later, Mr Guterres told reporters: "I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement... as if, as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false. It was the opposite."

"I believe it was necessary to set the record straight, especially out of respect to the victims and to their families," he added.

But Mr Erdan said it was a "disgrace to the UN that the secretary general does not retract his words and is not even able to apologise for what he said yesterday".

"Every person understands very well that the meaning of his words is that Israel has guilt for the actions of Hamas or, at the very least, it shows his understanding for the 'background' leading up to the massacre," he said.

"A secretary general who does not understand that the murder of innocents can never be understood by any 'background' cannot be secretary general... I again call on him to resign."
Ramallah, West Bank  Israel has vowed to "destroy Hamas," the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. Israel's neighbors have warned that an invasion and ground war would bring many more civilian casualties and displace even more of Gaza's roughly 2.3 million people from their homes, but there's another concern: If or when Hamas is removed from power in Gaza, who or what will replace it?

What is Hamas?

Hamas is a militant group created in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood political movement. It has been designated a terror organization by the United States since 1997, and many other countries, including Israel and most of Europe, see it the same way.

The U.S. government accuses Iran of providing Hamas with the bulk of its funding, weapons and training.

"During periods of substantial Iran-Hamas collaboration, Iran's support to Hamas has been estimated to be as high as $300 million USD per year, but at a baseline amount, is widely assessed to be in the tens of millions per year," the U.S. Treasury said in a 2019 assessment.

The militant group and its armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, have carried out attacks against Israel for years, including suicide bombings.

Masked militants from the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. / Credit: AP/Adel Hana

In its 1988 charter, Hamas said it sought to destroy the state of Israel and create an Islamic society in historic Palestine. In 2017, it published a new document that accepted the idea of an interim Palestinian state.

Hamas is one of the two major Palestinian political parties, alongside Fatah.

Who governs Gaza and the West Bank?

The Gaza Strip and the much larger, Israeli-occupied West Bank are the two primary Palestinian territories, but they are run separately.

In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat, signed the Oslo Accords, an historic agreement that established limited self rule under a new entity called the Palestinian Authority (PA), for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

In 2006 elections held in both territories, Hamas won a majority of seats in the PA legislature, but its political rivals of the Fatah faction refused to accept the results and ousted the more extremist Hamas politicians.

Fighting erupted in Gaza, Hamas' historic stronghold, and it created a break between the two Palestinian territories. By 2007, Hamas had taken over the Palestinian Authority institutions in Gaza and was running the coastal enclave, as it has done ever since.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is seen during an official visit to Turkey, July 25, 2023 in Ankara. / Credit: Rza Ozel/dia images/Getty

Fatah has continued to manage the West Bank through the Palestinian Authority, but the territory is occupied by Israeli security forces, and Fatah and its leader, PA President Mahmoud Abbas, have become deeply unpopular among many Palestinians. There's deep-rooted distrust in Gaza and the West Bank of Fatah and of the PA, which, when it was created, agreed to help find members of the "Palestinian Resistance" and hand them over to Israel.

There hasn't been a legislative election for Palestinians in either territory since 2006, and Abbas refused to hold a vote that should have taken place in 2021. Hamas officials accused him of a "coup" for blocking an election he knew Fatah was likely to lose.

If Israel destroys Hamas, who will run Gaza?

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said Israel's operation in Gaza would have three phases.

First, he said Israel would carry out "a military campaign that currently includes strikes, and will later include maneuvering, with the objective of neutralizing terrorists and destroying Hamas infrastructure." The second phase, he said, would focus on "eliminating pockets of resistance" in Gaza.

"The third phase," Gallant said, "will require the removal of Israel's responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel."

But it's not clear what that means for the people of Gaza.

President Biden told 60 Minutes that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "big mistake."

Fatah won't come "on an Israeli tank to rule Gaza"

Some suggest the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority, which has Western backing and supports the long elusive two-state solution, could take over, but a senior Fatah official told CBS News that would not happen without an election.

"We will not be going on an Israeli tank to rule Gaza," Sabri Sidam, the deputy secretary general of the Fatah Central Committee, told CBS News. "We would go to Gaza with the hope that the people of Gaza would want to see the Palestinian Authority through elections, and would want to build their lives and restart from scratch."

When he spoke with CBS News at his office in the West Bank's largest city, Ramallah, on Monday, Sidam said it was too soon to think that far ahead, given the humanitarian disaster still unfolding in Gaza.

"We are refusing to discuss the future. We are discussing now the cessation of hostilities. That's number one priority," he said.

Sidam said fighting and violence were an inevitable consequence of the failure to create a two-state solution, with an independent state for both Israelis and Palestinians.

"We often said to the American administration and other friends that things are spinning out of control. You can't turn your back to the Palestinians and expect them to be quiet," he said. "So this situation, if ever there was a responsibility for this, [it is] the failure over decades to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict."

"It is now up to the international community to stop this madness," Sidam told CBS News, referring to Israel's strikes on Gaza. "Scores of people being killed, women and children. Why kill them? Why kill them? How would this ever be a formula for acceptance or a formula for coexistence? What peace would it bring for Israel? Nothing."

"The last chance for Fatah"?

Hani Al-Masri, director general of Masarat, the Palestinian Centre for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, said Fatah was facing a moment that would define its future.

"If they don't change the previous approach, I think Fatah will disappear," Masri told CBS News. "Maybe this is the last chance for Fatah."

The bombardment of Gaza has triggered protests in the West Bank with hundreds of Palestinians voicing their anger at the Israeli government and the United States, but also at their Fatah leaders who run the Palestinian Authority.

Al-Masri described Fatah's position on the war as "neutral," and said, "you can't have a neutral position while your people [are] under massacres."

Al-Masri said the PA's longtime leader Mahmoud Abbas doesn't want an election, "because he thinks that the results will not help him. This is the main problem, because now the Palestinians want to vote for the resistance movement more than before."

"Even if Hamas is destroyed, there will be another party to continue the struggle," he said, "because the main issue is Palestinian people, not the party. Palestinian people want freedom. If you give them freedom, you can communicate with them and you can achieve peace. Without that, how you can convince the Palestinians about anything while they face killing and increased settlement?"

Al-Masri told CBS News he believes the best path forward for the Palestinian people is for the West Bank and Gaza to be reunited.

"The majority, vast majority of Palestinians think that our priority is to be united. This is the main issue: United on the basis of democracy, partnership. On the basis of a national program," Al-Masri said. "I think this, what happened, will push the Palestinians towards that."

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Gaza facing major fuel shortage, U.N. says, as Israeli airstrikes intensify
Israel delays ground offensive so that US can bring more air defenses into the region

Israel has agreed to temporarily delay its ground invasion of Gaza after a request from the U.S. to get its air defenses in place to protect American troops in the region, The Wall Street Journal is reporting . The publication cited U.S. and Israeli officials.

The Pentagon, as we noted earlier this week , is scrambling to deploy one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and several Patriot batteries to the region. That move comes in the wake of increasing attacks on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq as well as a nine-hour-long engagement the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney had last week. The vessel knocked down four Houthi land attack cruise missiles and more than a dozen drones. The U.S. is shipping multiple air defense systems to protect U.S. troops serving in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Journal reported.

U.S. officials have so far persuaded the Israelis to hold off until those pieces can be placed, as early as later this week, according to the publication.

https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1717194979557167308

Israel is also taking into account in its planning the effort to supply humanitarian aid to civilians inside Gaza, as well as diplomatic efforts to free more of the hostages held by Hamas , officials said.

But the biggest concern is protecting American forces.

There have been at least 13 attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, using drones and missiles, which have resulted in the death of one American contractor and the destruction of an American drone, U.S. officials said. At least two dozen troops were injured in Syria and another 10 in Iraq, defense officials told the Journal, nearly all of them minor.

https://twitter.com/malbertnews/status/1717137411107348668

Any ground invasion of Gaza is going to face tremendous challenges, which you can read more about in our report here .

https://twitter.com/haltman/status/1712901364395704541

Concerned about arms shipments from Iran to its regional proxies , Israel carried out its fourth attack this month on Aleppo International Airport on Wednesday, according to several media reports. The attack came as tensions along Israel's northern borders with Syria and Lebanon have increased since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.

The Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport, a Syrian military source told state TV, according to Al-Arabiya .

https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1717130791124165010

The strike caused no injuries, the SANA state news agency said, according to The Times of Israel. The damage was limited to the airports runway, forcing it to be closed for repairs for several days.

Israel, as we have noted in the past , has also carried out attacks on the Damascus airport as well.

There was no immediate comment on the strike from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which does not generally report on individual strikes in Syria, The Times of Israel reported.

However, the IDF did announce early Wednesday that it had struck several Syrian military targets after rockets were fired from Syria toward Israeli communities in the Golan Heights several hours earlier. SANA, citing a Syrian military source, said eight soldiers were killed and another seven were wounded in the overnight Israeli airstrike in the Daraa area.

The IDF said it sees Syria, along with Lebanon, as part of a northern front. Israeli Lt. Col. Peter Lerner stated that Israel responded to attacks against it from Syria.

"There is a concern that the northern front in itself, from Syria all the way across to Lebanon, will increase its hostilities toward Israel," he told Sky News .

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1717101743299817718

The latest strike on Aleppo International Airport was "the fourth time [its runway] has been hit in recent weeks, following strikes on October 12, 14, and 22, The Times of Israel reported. It was due to open on Wednesday after repairs following the last strike. Israel is believed to be stepping up efforts to prevent the shipment of advanced weapons from Iran to its various Middle East proxies, chief among them Hezbollah.

Previous strikes sparked large protests in Syria.

People take part in a protest to condemn Israeli missile strikes on two Syrian airports, and voice their support for the Palestinians, in Damascus, Syria, Oct. 12, 2023. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says that including this latest strike on Aleppo International Airport, Israel has conducted 42 attacks in Syria so far this year.

SOHR says it documented "31 airstrikes and 11 rocket attacks by ground forces, during which Israel targeted several positions in Syria, destroying nearly 91 targets, including buildings, weapons and ammunitions warehouses, headquarters, centers and vehicles. These strikes killed 83 combatants and injured 103 others."

https://twitter.com/syriahr/status/1717132488051446000

Hezbollah's leader held talks on Wednesday in Beirut with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures in a key meeting of three top anti-Israel militant groups amid the war raging in Gaza, The Associated Press reported Wednesday .

In a brief statement after the meeting, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah agreed with Hamas Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihads leader Ziad al-Nakhleh on the next steps that the three  along with other Iran-backed militants  should take at this sensitive stage in the Middle East.

Their goal, according to the statement carried on Hezbollah-run and Lebanese state media, was to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and halt Israels treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank.

No other details about what they discussed were provided, the AP reported.

https://twitter.com/amandarivkin/status/1717197506738606207

As those leaders met, the situation in the north remains tense.

"Following the initial report regarding sirens that sounded in northern Israel, four launches were identified toward Israeli territory," the IDF reported. "No interceptors were launched in accordance with protocol."

https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1717173045461193116

Israel says its military carried out wide-scale attacks in Gaza based on information provided by its ISA intelligence service.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck several terrorists and Hamas infrastructure, including terror tunnel shafts, military headquarters, weapons warehouses, mortar launchers and anti-tank missile launchers, the IDF said on Telegram.

https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1717054734673092723

The targets included Hamas operations that the IDF claimed were preventing Gazans from fleeing south to avoid the massive Israeli bombardment and oppressing internal Gaza rivals.

The IDF said it struck the Hamas emergency operational apparatus, including war rooms, infrastructure and military headquarters.

Hamas emergency operational apparatus was responsible for setting up blockades that prevented Gazans from evacuating to safer areas in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said. Hamas has told people not to head south, but has denied interfering in any such efforts.

Additionally, the IDF said it also struck military infrastructure and command centers of Hamas' security apparatus, which is responsible for overseeing the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip and arresting and imprisoning Hamas' opponents.

The IDF also claimed it killed the commander of the Hamas North Khan Yunis sector.

https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1717075843749487060?s=12

Hamas decried the attacks, saying they are causing a serious humanitarian crisis and placing the healthcare system on the verge of collapse.

There are shortages of medical personnel, medicine, medical equipment and emergency vehicles, Hamas said on Telegram. The problems are exacerbated by the cut-off by Israel of electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip.

Hamas called on the world to stand up to its responsibilities to end the brutal occupation and stop the barbaric aggression against our people and to support the health sector urgently with medical staff, medicines, medical equipment, first aid, and field hospitals, and put pressure on everyone to bring everything necessary into the health system.

People mourn as they collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli air raids on October 25, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza. (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)

Israel also said it carried out raids in the West Bank, arresting scores of suspected terrorists.

"Many forces of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Mageb operated tonight in many centers throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Brigade to counter terrorism and arrested 68 wanted persons suspected of involvement in terrorist activities. Fifty-eight of them are active in the terrorist organization Hamas."

https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1717129565582045527?s=12

The IDF released video it said shows the elimination of Hamas frogmen trying to carry out an attack near a military base close to Zikim in the south Israel. You can read more about that incident in our initial reporting here .

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1717111183470215309

The Wall Street Journal took a deep dive into the smuggling of arms through Jordan into the West Bank that threatens both the Hashemite Kingdom as well as the region.

Using drones, secret airline flights and a land bridge that traverses hundreds of miles and at least four national borders, the smuggling operation is raising the specter of a new conflagration in the war between Israel and Palestinians , the publication reported. It also poses a growing threat to Jordan, a staunch U.S. ally which borders Israel and the West Bank and has been struggling to contain a growing flow of drugs and arms.

Iran wants to turn Jordan into a transit area for weapons going into Israel, Amer Al-Sabaileh, founder of Security Languages, a counterterrorism think tank in Amman, told the Journal. But my fear is that the weapons might be used in Jordan as well. Where is the easiest place in the Middle East to punish the U.S. and the West? Jordan.

The bulk of Iranian weapons to Palestinians go into the West Bank, particularly to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group allied with Hamas, a senior Jordanian security official told the Journal. The official said networks of smugglers, assisted by the Syrian government and Iranian-backed militias like Hezbollah , were growing.

https://twitter.com/andycooper52/status/1717051220291129601

Speaking to CNN , Jordan's Queen Rania accused Western leaders of a glaring double standard for failing to condemn the deaths of civilians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza, as Israels war on Hamas threatens to destabilize relations between US and Arab leaders.

In an exclusive interview with CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Rania said, The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the worlds reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.

When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened  but what were seeing in the last couple of weeks, were seeing silence in the world, she told CNN.

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1716983169214501191?s=12

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday issued his strongest words of support yet for Hamas.

"Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, Reuters reported .

Erdogan also called for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces and said Muslim countries must act together to secure a lasting peace in the region.

In addition, Erdogan decried Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, saying "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud."

Many of Turkey's NATO allies consider Hamas a terrorist group, and Erdogan's comments drew a swift rebuke from Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation."

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1717114802592497965

Yesterday, we told you about a press conference held by Yocheved Lifschitz , 85, was one of two women, along with Nurit Yitzhak, released Monday by Hamas .

Today, Qatars foreign minister said that hostage negotiations with Hamas over the more than 200 people it took hostage during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel continue, The Times of Israel is reporting .

Regarding the progress on the hostage negotiation, its still ongoing, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatars prime minister, said during a news conference with his Turkish counterpart in Doha on Wednesday. If we compare where we started and where we are right now, there is some progress and some breakthrough and we will remain hopeful.

The negotiations, he added, are still ongoing and at any moment of time, I think that if we will be able to get along between the two parties, I think we will see some breakthroughs hopefully soon.

Tzahi Hanegbi, the head of Israels National Security Council, tweeted today that he is pleased to say that Qatar is becoming an essential party and stakeholder in the facilitation of humanitarian solutions.

https://twitter.com/Tzachi_Hanegbi/status/1717102472844488916

This is a developing story. We will provide updates when there is new information to report about the Israel-Hamas war.

Update: 2:08 PM EST -

During a press briefing before a cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to concede there will be a delay, but insisted that the invasion will happen.

We are preparing for a ground incursion. I wont specify when, how, how many. I also wont detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of, he said, according to The Times of Israel . And thats the way it is supposed to be. This is the way, so that we protect our soldiers lives.

The timing of the operation is unanimously determined by the cabinet that runs the war along with the chief of the General Staff,  Netanyahu said. When we enter Gaza later on in our fighting, we're going to take the toll - the full price from those terrorists who carried out those atrocities of Hamas-ISIS.

https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1717233610481172862?s=12

Update: 5:20 PM EST -

A U.S. military base in northeast Syria came under rocket attack Wednesday, a U.S. official told The War Zone. There were no injuries or damage.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details, said one rocket landed inside the base, near the Abu Hajar Airport, and two rockets landed outside it.

The official did not say who was behind the attack, but a loose collective of Iranian-backed militias in the region took credit.

The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the American occupation base at Abu Hajar Airport - Kharab al-Jir in northeastern Syria, with a missile salvo, and directly hit its targets, the group, calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said on its Telegram channel.

Update: 6:44 EST -

Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's top spokesman, issued an update on the numbers of troops injured during drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria.

Between Oct. 17-18 (ET), 21 U.S. personnel received minor injuries due to drone attacks at Al Assad Airbase, Iraq and Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria. All members returned to duty. It is important to note, in some cases service members may report injuries such as TBI several days after attacks occur, so numbers may change. We will continue to work closely with U.S. Central Command to provide updates as appropriate.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his country is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza, and that "we are working against the clock" in preparations to destroy Hamas.

"We are in a war for our sovereignty, for our existence, and we have set ourselves two fundamental objectives: to eradicate Hamas's military and governmental capabilities and to do everything possible to bring the hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group back home," Netanyahu said in a televised address.

He did not give any details on when this operation would begin.

The prime minister also conceded that he will be held accountable for the bloody 7 October massacre by Hamas militants, but that will only come after Israels Gaza campaign.

October 7 is a black day in our history, he said. We will get to the bottom of what happened on the southern border around Gaza. This debacle will be investigated. Everyone will have to give answers, including me.

Relief operations in jeopardy as Israel airstrikes increase

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says its relief operations across the Gaza Strip will need to be sharply curtailed amid crippling Israeli airstrikes.

Hospitals in Gaza are doing their best to provide treatment to the wounded with diminishing resources.

The war, in its 19th day, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 others wounded.

In the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since 7 October.

Death tolls cannot be independently verified, as Hamas says it tallies its figures from hospital directors.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. Israel's military on Wednesday raised the number of remaining hostages in Gaza to 222 people, including foreigners believed captured by Hamas during the incursion. Four hostages have been released.

Meanwhile France is sending a Navy ship to bring aid to hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The ship will leave the French military port of Toulon, in the Mediterranean Sea, within 48 hours, President Emmanuel Macron said.

In addition, a French plane will arrive in Egypt Thursday to deliver medical equipment via a convoy to Gaza.

Macron made the announcements during in Cairo as part of a two-day tour to the Midele East that started with a visit to Israel meant to show Frances support and solidarity following the Hamas attack on 7 October.

The trip included a stop in Ramallah, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and another stop Wednesday morning in Jordan to have talks with King Abdullah II.

Israel accuses UN chief of justifying terrorism

Israeli officials were outraged Wednesday over UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' comment that the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel "did not happen in a vacuum," calling it justification for terrorism.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a scheduled meeting with Guterres, posting on X" "There is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!

Israel's envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan called for his resignation, saying Israel must rethink its relations with the world body.

"We will refuse to grant visas to UN representatives. We have already refused to give one to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths," Erdan told Army Radio, accusing Guterres of justifying a slaughter. "It's time to teach them a lesson."

Israel has historically had tense relations with the UN, accusing it of bias.

On Tuesday, Guterres addressed a special Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas war that was sparked by the militant group's 7 October attack, which left at least 1,400 Israelis dead, and more than 220 taken hostage.

Israeli airstrikes have destroyed large swaths of the Gaza enclave, leaving at least 6,500 Palestinians killed, including over 2,700 children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The UN chief told the council that he "condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented" attack.

"Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets," he said.

But his contextualisation of the attack created an uproar in Israel. It was important, Guterres said, to acknowledge that "the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. - Seth Wenig/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.

Israeli airstrikes hit targets in Syria

Israeli strikes hit several military sites in southern Syria on Wednesday, killing eight soldiers and wounding seven others, according to state media.

The airstrikes targeted the Daraa countryside overnight and came from the direction of Syrias Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the SANA state-run news agency said, citing military officials.

The Israeli military said in a post on X that its fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers of the Syrian army in response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel yesterday.

Since the war between Israel and Hamas started on 7 October, tensions have spiked in the region.

Israel has carried out several reported strikes in Syria including two on the Damascus airport and three on Aleppo's airport, putting them out of service.

Israel has targeted airports and sea ports in the government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

'Collective duty to stop bloodshed', says Palestinian FM

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has called on world leaders at a high-level UN meeting to stop  the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel.

Over 2 million Palestinians are on a survival mission every day, every night, he added.

Under international law, al-Maliki said, "it is our collective human duty to stop" the Israeli attacks and bloodshed.

Israel, for its part, vowed to destroy Hamas, rejecting calls for a cease-fire from the UN, Palestinians and many countries.

It said the war in Gaza is not merely its own but the war of the free world.

Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also dismissed calls for proportionality in the countrys response to Hamas surprise attacks on 7 Oct that killed 1,400 people.

More than 5,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to its Health Ministry.

Cohen told the UN Security Council the proportionate response to the militant group's attack on southern Israel is a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas, calling the extremist group the new Nazis.

It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty, he said.

UNRWA says operations will halt on Wednesday night due to lack of fuel

The UNs agency for the relief of Palestinian refugees last night warned it would be forced to halt its operations in Gaza due to a lack of fuel as of Wednesday night.

In response, Israels military posted a picture of what it said were fuel tanks inside Gaza.

They contain more than 500,000 litres of fuel, it wrote. Ask Hamas if you can have some.

UNRWAs director general Philippe Lazzarini had already warned on Sunday that the organisations fuel would run out on Wednesday.

Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries. Without fuel, aid will not reach those in desperate need. Without fuel, there will be no humanitarian assistance. No fuel will further strangle the children, women and people of Gaza, he said.

US fighter jets arrive in Middle East

The New Jersey Air National Guards 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in the Middle East on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.

The squadron has F-16 fighter jets, and officials would not say where exactly it went.

Ryder also said the US is preparing for an increase in violence, noting there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.

What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran, he said during a Pentagon briefing.
Israel continued to pound Gaza on Wednesday, launching more airstrikes ahead of a possible ground invasion as the conflict with Hamas entered its 19th day.

Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, President Biden emphasized the need for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza while reiterating his support for Israel, saying: "Israel has the right, and I would add, responsibility to respond to the slaughter of their people.

Israel has reportedly agreed to a request by the United States to delay its ground offensive to allow more time for hostage negotiations, humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza and for the U.S. to move air defense systems into the region.

Our live coverage has ended for today.
Ho Teng Iat, president of the General Women's Association of Macao [Photo/Xinhua]

The 13th National Women's Congress commenced on Monday in Beijing, with around 1,800 delegates in attendance, joined by 90 specially invited representatives from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs).

In a media briefing later in the day, Ho Teng Iat, leader of the Macao delegation, conveyed the enthusiasm felt among the delegation members about being part of this pivotal congress. She remarked, "We are deeply moved by the Party and the country's attention and care towards women's affairs and female individuals. This will serve as a powerful impetus, motivating us to excel further in our future endeavors in advancing women's development."

The Macao delegation, comprised of 27 distinguished professionals and industry leaders from diverse sectors, represented outstanding women from various domains in Macao.

Ho, also president of the General Women's Association of Macao, acknowledged the comprehensive advancements in women's affairs in China over the past five years, praising the structured and evidence-based approach to development. She deemed plans of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) "viable and visionary."

Ho expressed gratitude for the substantial support given by ACWF to advance women's issues in Macao, particularly in talent cultivation and strengthening ties between Macao and the mainland.

With a history spanning over 70 years since its inception in 1950, the General Women's Association of Macao has consistently upheld a patriotic tradition of love for both the country and Macao, Ho pointed out. She added that the association has been actively involved in a range of social services, encompassing childcare, education, legal rights protection, family support, training, health, and assistance for the underprivileged. This active involvement has been instrumental in safeguarding women's rights.

Reflecting on the 24 years since Macao's return to China, Ho remarked, "Policies such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin have significantly broadened our development prospects, opening up more growth opportunities for Macao."

Upon their return, Ho emphasized that the delegation intends to relay the primary insights from the 13th National Women's Congress to women throughout Macao, turning these insights into actionable initiatives. "The goal is to empower women to take on unique roles in both familial and societal governance, thereby supporting the robust and enduring advancement of the 'one country, two systems' framework in Macao. This aligns with striving towards the two centenary goals and driving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," she concluded.
Israels ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday that his country will block visas to U.N. representatives after the organizations head said this months attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum and noted that the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a speech about the ongoing crisis in Gaza before the U.N.s Security Council on Tuesday, in which he also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and said no side in any armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.

Queen Rania Calls Out CNN in Searing Israel-Gaza Interview

His remarks provoked an immediate backlash in Israel, with the countrys Ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, calling for Guterres resignation. You Mr. Secretary General have lost all morality and impartiality, Erdan said Tuesday, Because when you say those terrible wordsthat these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuumyou are tolerating terrorism.

In another post on X, Erdan said Guterres should resign immediately. There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people, he wrote. There are simply no words.

Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also canceled a planned meeting with Guterres Tuesday afternoon after his remarks, according to Al Jazeera, before the crisis then deepened on Wednesday morning. Due to [Guterres] remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to U.N. representatives, Erdan told Israels national Army Radio. We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.

The response came despite Guterres saying in his speech that he condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel, adding that: Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civiliansor the launching of rockets against civilian targets. Guterres further said he mourned the loss of at least 35 colleagues who worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who had been killed in the bombardment of Gaza over the last two weeks.

Israels decision to deny visas to U.N. representatives came as the UNRWAs director in Gaza warned that the agencys aid operation would come to a stop without immediate supplies of fuel into the besieged enclave. People will not have access to clean drinking water, hospitals are gonna be closing, and in fact our whole aid operation will start winding down, Thomas White told CNN. He added that without fuel, the agency also wont be able to distribute humanitarian aid if convoys are allowed into Gaza.

The humanitarian disaster in Gaza is already threatening to overwhelm local medical services. Gazas health officials claimed Wednesday that 6,546 people have been killed in the regionincluding 2,704 childrensince the widespread Israeli airstrikes began, with over 17,000 others injured.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza also said the bombings had killed at least 750 people between Tuesday and Wednesdayan unprecedented 24-hour death toll in the enclave since Israel stepped up its attacks. The Israeli military says the strikes had killed militants and destroyed military targets including weapon storehouses and tunnels.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. | Hatem Ali, Associated Press

Israel intensifies strikes on Gaza, striking hundreds of targets in the region. Humanitarian aid groups continue to trickle into the Gaza Strip, providing Palestinians who have been desperately waiting for medicine, clean water, fuel and other supplies.

It was considered one of the biggest barrages yet of its war with Hamas, The New York Times reported.

What is happening with the Israeli strikes on Gaza?

Israel Defense Forces detailed it launched 400 airstrikes in the last day, per The Associated Press.

The strikes have crushed entire families in residential buildings, killing hundreds of Palestinians in one day. This was taking place while military facilities were shut down because of bomb damage and lack of power, AP reported.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is headed by Hamas, said the Israeli airstrikes killed at least 700 people in one day  largely women and children.

Hamas hostage survivor speaks out on abduction experience

Recently released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz opened up to reporters about the unimaginable hell of being kidnapped by Hamas militant group Oct. 7, according to The Washington Post. The 85-year-old Israeli woman said she was thrown onto the back of a motorcycle with her legs on one side, head dangling on the other.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, who was held hostage in Gaza after being abducted during Hamas bloody Oct. 7 attack on Israel, speaks to members of the press a day after being released by Hamas militants, at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. | Ariel Schalit, Associated Press

She spoke from Tel Aviv Ichilov Hospital where she is currently being treated and explained how she was driven through fields while being beaten with sticks, making it difficult to breathe, the Post reported.

They didnt break my ribs, but they hurt this area a lot, and that made breathing very difficult, Lifshitz said, while explaining they also took her watch and jewelry, per the Post.

Related

However, as she was being released Monday, she offered a handshake to one of the armed militants and said one word  shalom, which is a Hebrew salutation that means peace, NBC News reported.

She explained that the Hamas militants were gentle with us once they were imprisoned in a spiderweb of tunnels underneath the Gaza Strip, per NBC News.

The captors had paid special attention to the health of the hostages, providing medication, shampoo and feminine hygiene products, but they were only offered small meals each day, the Times reported.

They were very attentive to the sanitary aspect, she said, per the Times. so we dont get sick on them, God forbid. There was a doctor nearby who would come every two or three days to check in on us. And the medic took the responsibility to bring us medication. If they did not have the exact same medication, they brought us the equivalent.

Related
Syria's transport ministry said the strike damaged the runway at Aleppo airport (LOUAI BESHARA)

Israeli strikes killed eight soldiers in southern Syria on Wednesday, later returning to bomb Aleppo airport for the fourth time in a fortnight, the defence ministry in Damascus said.

Israel said the first strike was in response to earlier rocket fire.

Hours later, Israeli forces struck Aleppo airport in the north, the Syrian defence ministry said as regional tensions simmer over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The fighting erupted on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza border and went on a rampage, kidnapping some 220 hostages and killing more 1,400 people, mostly civilians, Israeli officials say.

The worst-ever attack in Israel's history, it prompted a ferocious Israeli bombing campaign that Gaza's Hamas rulers say has so far killed 6,546 people, mostly civilians.

Persistent rocket fire and artillery exchanges across Israel's northern border with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and allied Palestinian factions, have raised fears of a new front in the war.

Pro-Hezbollah fighters in Syria's south have also exchanged cross-border fire with Israel several times since last week.

"Around 1:45 am (2245 GMT Tuesday), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the occupied Golan Heights," the defence ministry said of the strikes that killed eight soldiers and wounded seven others.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a wide network of sources on the ground in the war-ravaged country, put the number of dead soldiers at 11, including four officers.

The strikes "destroyed arms depots and a Syrian air defence radar" and also targeted an infantry unit, it said.

On Tuesday evening, the Observatory had said "fighters loyal to Hezbollah," which fights alongside government forces in the Syrian conflict, had "launched two rockets towards the occupied Syrian Golan" from Syria's southern province of Daraa.

Israel's army said its "fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortars belonging to the Syrian army in response to the launches towards Israel" on Tuesday.

- 'Iron fist' -

After the strike, residents in Daraa province told AFP Israeli planes dropped leaflets warning the Syrian army and Palestinian factions not to attack.

"Syrian commanders... bear full responsibility for operations... from Syrian territory," they read warning that every attack "on the state of Israel will be met with an iron fist".

On Wednesday afternoon, Israel struck Aleppo airport with Syria's defence ministry saying the strike came "from the direction of the Mediterranean sea, west of Latakia".

Transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the runway had been targeted by a strike, but without specifying the source.

"The same Aleppo airport runway that was targeted before was struck again," he said.

"The airport was about to finish repairs and schedule flights, but it was once again put out of service."

Israeli strikes had already put Syria's two main airports in Damascus and Aleppo out of service several times in the past two weeks.

During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Hezbollah fighters and other Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes on Syria, but it has repeatedly said it won't allow arch-foe Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government, to expand its presence there.

Israel occupied much of the Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the United Nations.

bur-rh/at/aya/hmw
A furious diplomatic spat between Israel and the United Nations has broken out, with Israeli officials calling for the resignation of Secretary General Antonio Guterres after he said Hamas October 7 attacks on the country did not happen in a vacuum.

At a Security Council meeting, Guterres called for a humanitarian ceasefire on Tuesday amid the deepening crisis in Gaza, and told the Security Council that clear violations of international humanitarian law are being witnessed.

He called Hamas October 7 murder and kidnap rampage appalling, and said nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets.

It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, Guterres said. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished.

But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Excellencies, even war has rules, he added.

Palestinian children receive food from a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) centre in Gaza on Tuesday. - Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/AP

His comments angered Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who was in the chamber as Guterres spoke. In what world do you live? said Cohen. Definitely, this is not our world.

Writing on social media later, Cohen said that after the October 7th massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!

Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign, saying he had expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.

Then, on Wednesday, Erdan said his country will block visas for United Nations officials. It had already rejected an application by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, Erdan told the Israeli Army Radio channel.

Its time we teach them a lesson, added Erdan.

The deepening spat exposes tensions around the calls from some international observers for a ceasefire, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In an effort to set the record straight, Guterres said Wednesday he was shocked by misinterpretations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council  as if I was was justifying acts of terror by Hamas.

This is false. It was the opposite, he told reporters, restating his condemnation of the October 7 attacks.

But Guterres did not back away from his Tuesday call for a ceasefire, or from his nod towards the historical treatment of Palestinians.

Erdan responded to Guterres comments later Wednesday, doubling down on his earlier criticism of the Secretary General. Erdan called it a disgrace that Guterres did not retract or apologize for his comments.

A Secretary-General who does not understand that the murder of innocents can never be understood by any background cannot be Secretary-General, Erdan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The main United Nations agency working in Gaza said it would be forced to halt its operations by Wednesday evening due to a lack of fuel, with the territory having faced days of airstrikes and near-total blockade following the Hamas attacks.

Efforts in the UN to endorse a ceasefire have so far been scuppered, with the US vetoing a draft resolution raised by Brazil last week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday told the agency that humanitarian pauses must be considered to allow aid to reach civilians in Gaza, though he notably avoided the phrase ceasefire. On Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby rebutted calls for a ceasefire, telling CNN that Hamas must first release hostages held in Gaza.

Nearly three weeks since the outbreak of fighting, the UNs Security Council remains divided on how to proceed with the crisis.

Two differing resolutions on the matter, introduced by the US and Russia, both failed to pass on Wednesday.

The draft resolution from the US called for humanitarian pauses, not a ceasefire, to allow for aid to reach Gazan civilians. The US previously vetoed a Brazilian draft calling for a humanitarian pause.

But Russia and China vetoed the US resolution  a move US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield described as deeply disappointing.

Following her comments, Chinas UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said what we oppose is that the draft text does not call on the parties concerned to stop the indiscriminate and asymmetrical use of force.

The Russian resolution proposed Wednesday also failed to gain the Councils approval.

The Israeli government has said there are more than 200 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In an update posted Wednesday, it said 135 of the hostages hold foreign passports from 25 countries. Thailand, with 54, had the most nationals held of any country, followed by Argentina with 15 nationals, then Germany and the US with 12 each.

The World Health Organization meanwhile reiterated calls on Tuesday for a ceasefire, saying it is unable to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to lack of security guarantees. Six hospitals in Gaza have been forced to shut due to a lack of fuel, WHO added.

CNNs Tara John, Lianne Kolirin, Mariya Knight and Helen Regan contributed reporting

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Israel has said the time has come to teach the United Nations a lesson by banning UN officials from visiting the country  in a row over remarks from secretary-general Antonio Guterres that the deadly 7 October attack by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum and had to be seen in the context of decades of occupation of the Palestinians.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Mr Guterrres said that It is important to  recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. However, he added that the grievances of the Palestinian people could not justify the horrifying and unprecedented October 7 acts of terror.

Mr Guterres also condemned "clear violations of international humanitarian law," calling Israel's constant bombardment of Hamas-controlled Gaza in response to the attack, and the level of destruction and civilian casualties, "alarming." He said the Hamas attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. The remarks have sparked a furious reaction from Israeli officials. Israels ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called for Mr Guterres to resign directly after the speech , describing it as shocking. A statement from the Israeli foreign ministry accused Mr Guterres of supporting the monstrous violence of the Hamas terrorists.

Escalating the row on Wednesday, he told Israeli Army Radio: Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.

The UN is heavily-involved in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Mr Guterres has consistently called for a ceasefire and for an end to civilian deaths. It is not clear how far the visa ban extends within the UN hierarchy. A large number of UN workers, for instance, are employed by, the UN Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA.

More than 1,400 Israelis were killed on 7 October, while at least 5,791 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by airstrikes, according to the local, Hamas-run ministry.

Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields, the secretary-general said in his address, without mentioning Hamas. He added that it does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself. Israel has issued an evacuation order calling on Palestinians to move from northern Gaza to southern Gaza as it prepares for an expected ground invasion.

Israels ambassador to the UN called Mr Guterres speech shocking (Getty Images)

Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen also criticised the comments. There is no cause for this, and shame on him, he said. He also said in a tweet via X, formerly Twitter: I will not meet with the UN secretary-general. After the 7 October massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!

However, the US secretary of state, Antony Bliken did meet with Mr Guterres after he had spoken and as other countries that spoke in the UN debate were critical of Israels operation against Hamas in Gaza.

Speaking himself at the UN security council on Tuesday night, Mr Blinken said the US supported a humanitarian lull. Blinken said that Hamas must cease using people as human shields and Israel must take all precautions to avoid harm to civilians.

It means food, medicine and water and other assistance must flow into Gaza and to the areas people need them, Mr Blinken said. It means civilians must be able to get out of harms way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes.

When asked to expand on Mr Blinkens comments, national security council spokesperson John Kirby said: We want to see that all measure of protection for civilians and pauses in operation is a tool and a tactic that can do that for temporary periods of time. He added that the difference between a humanitarian pause and a ceasefire is a question of duration and scope and size and that kind of thing.

Mr Guterres issued a statement via X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning, reiterating his position and repeating some of his speech from the previous night.

The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas, he said. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

In the UK, the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, said that Mr Guterres was wrong and he should retract his comments about Hamas's assault if it implied any justification for the killing of Israelis.

Mr Jenrick also said the UK did not support Mr Guterres's assessment of breaches of international law, telling Sky News: "We don't believe Israel has broken international law.

"There is a clear right in international law for a nation to defend itself, and that is what Israel is doing."

A spokesperson for prime minister Rishi Sunak said that Britain would consider discussing a humanitarian pause in Gaza to facilitate aid coming into the territory, but does not want a wholesale ceasefire as that would only benefit Hamas.
TechCrunch

The world is watching the humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfold in real time through firsthand accounts documented on, of all places, Snapchat. Israel has retaliated against Hamas October 7 attack with unprecedented force against the Palestinian territory, claiming over 9,000 Palestinian lives according to Gaza Health Ministry numbers reported by the Associated Press. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that at least 30 journalists have been killed since Israels bombardment and total blockade of the region began, and journalists in Gaza say that without consistent access to food, water and power, its becoming impossible to continue reporting.
Universities across the U.S. are facing a "moment of reckoning" as support for Hamas' attacks against Israel erupt on college campuses, Israels special envoy for combating antisemitism said.

"This is a moment of reckoning for universities, for social media spaces, for elected officials. It's a moment of reckoning for what we have enabled for far too long in that moral ambiguity, if you will. This is a time for moral clarity and courage in calling out the moral ambiguity," Michal Cotler-Wunsh told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Cotler-Wunsh, a human rights lawyer, serves as Israels special envoy for combating antisemitism and traveled to the U.S. earlier this month to speak to news outlets and others on the horror of the war and how Israelis of every age are responding to the fight  whether that be on the front lines or by organizing funerals for their fallen compatriots.

As the war rages for the third week, she argued that it is "time to pick sides in many ways," and that colleges, elected officials and others cant feed an echo chamber with "false moral equivalency" between Israel and Hamas, as it actually empowers "the war of terror."

ISRAELI OFFICIAL SAYS MEDIA REPORTS EMPOWERING TERRORISTS: 'IT'S WHAT TERROR USES'

"It doesnt matter if it's through mainstream channels or on social media platforms, [the moment people] don't call out false moral equivalency, what that does is actually empower the war of terror on civilization ," she said. "It's what terror uses. It uses fear and distrust and disinformation. Those are part of its weapons."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Protests have broken out in major cities and on college campuses in the U.S., both in support of Israel and in support of Hamas.

Members of NYUs Students for Justice in Palestine and a similar faculty group, for example, took over the schools library for around 90 minutes on Friday, hanging banners and chanting in support of the Palestinians.

While the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups wrote a statement earlier this month pinning blame on Israel for the war.

"We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence," the statement said. Harvard's president responded that she condemns Hamas' atrocities and that the groups did not speak for the school.

An anti-Israel demonstrator in Cambridge on Monday shouted slurs at the pro-Israel counterprotesters, calling them "pigs" and "Nazis."

Cotler-Wunsh argued that college campuses have become breeding grounds where foundational principles such as free speech have been "weaponized" to "demonize, dehumanize, delegitimize and apply double standards" to individual Jewish students, and also to Israel as a nation.

CBS NEWS SHAMED FOR POST ON GAZA HOSPITAL BLAST SUGGESTING ISRAEL AT FAULT: DID HAMAS WRITE THIS TWEET?

"For a lot of years, I've been struggling with the fact that DEI principles, whether in the workplace or on university campuses  diversity, equity and inclusion  they cover everybody. But they do not afford protection to Jewish students or Zionist students or any students that support the right of the State of Israel to exist. Well, if principles of DEI do not apply equally and consistently to all, ultimately everybody has to know that they will not apply to any," she argued.

People hold banners and a Palestinian flag as they gather to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza near the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18, 2023.

The special envoy also pushed back against the argument championed by those in support of Palestinians that Israel is an apartheid state, saying the nation is home to Muslims, Christians, the Druze, Bedouins and others who peacefully co-exist. She argued that the false narrative about Israel as an apartheid state enables the demonization of the country because theres "no justification for being a racist."

GOP LAWMAKER TARGETS PRO-HAMAS PROTESTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, DEPT OF EDUCATION: 'DEEP ROT OF ANTISEMITISM'

Smoke rises from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 18, 2023.

"You can delegitimize because there's no support for anybody who is a racist, or supports apartheid. And you can apply double standards to anybody who is perceived to be a Zionist or a supporter of Israel's right to exist. And in that sense, campuses have played a very, very pivotal role in what we've seen."

ISRAEL RELEASES UNEDITED VIDEO OF OCT 7 HAMAS ATTACK TO COUNTER 'HOLOCAUST DENIAL-LIKE PHENOMENON'

She added that "there are countries like Qatar and others that are funding academic programs in our universities that no longer fulfill their mission to teach people how to think. But inculcate and teach people what to think with a deep ideology that is deeply antisemitic, that is deeply targeting the individual Jew and the Jewish nation state's right to exist."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

Cotler-Wunsh was appointed special envoy to combat antisemitism just weeks before the war broke out, and said that she is using the office to address and expose antisemitism, not just for Israelis, but for Jews across the world. She applauded Jews and non-Jews in the U.S. who are joining protests in support of Israel as "heroes" and is calling on campuses to unequivocally denounce terrorism against Israel.

"I think that this is a moment of reckoning for university campuses," she said. "Because if anybody cannot unequivocally  without if, buts or sos  denounce the atrocities, the war crimes, the crimes against humanity of Oct. 7, then they have shown us that there's a problem on university campuses," she said.





Original article source: Israeli official says war is moment of reckoning' for colleges that don't unequivocally denounce terrorism
The recent order by the Israeli military ordering civilians to immediately evacuate northern Gaza may be in violation of international law, Amnesty International reported.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) dropped leaflets on northern Gaza on Saturday telling civilians to immediately evacuate the area. The note warned residents that their lives were at risk and that anyone who chooses to stay in the area would be determined an

accomplice in a terrorist organization, the organization said.

The Israeli militarys request comes one week after they issued an order warning 1.1 million residents in the area to evacuate and move southward. The World Health Organization condemned the evacuation, calling it a death sentence for the sick and injured.

According Rovera Donatella, Amnesty Internationals senior crisis response adviser, the order might violate international law.

Declaring a whole city or region a military target flies in the face of international humanitarian law, which stipulates that those carrying out attacks must distinguish at all times between civilians or civilian objects and military objectives, and that they must take all possible measures to spare civilians and civilian object, Rovera said.

Targeting civilians and carrying out random attacks that kill or injure civilians is a war crime, she dded.

Dropping a message to evacuate in leaflets is not considered an effective warning and provides further evidence that Israel aims to forcibly displace civilians in Gaza, Rovera said.

The IDF finding civilians who stay in their homes to be equivalent to being an accomplice to a terrorist organization may amount to a war crime, Amnestys statement said.

Amnesty said it is reiterating its call on Israeli authorities to rescind its forced evacuation orders and put an end to threats designed to sow fear and panic among Gazas civilian population.

The call from the group comes one day after United Nations chief Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Hamas militants to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, citing international law violations, Al Jazeera reported.

In remarks to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Guterres defended the civilians in Gaza, saying evacuation orders in the region where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, are not protecting civilians.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Israeli reservists have criticised Benjamin Netanyahus son Yair for remaining in Miami rather than joining the fight against Hamas.

The 32-year-old is living in Florida, where he moved earlier this year after he was sued for defamation in Israel over social media posts against a political activist.

Around 360,000 reservists have been called up in Israel following the bloody 7 October attack on Israel launched by Hamas fighters from Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has received fierce criticism in Israel over the shocking surprise attack, which left more than 1,400 civilians and soldiers dead and hundreds more taken hostage.

Now reservists called up for the war have criticised his son for not returning home to fight in the expected upcoming ground assault on the Palestinian enclave.

Yair Netanyau, son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, assists in sorting donated supplies to IDF soldiers and Israeli families impacted by the Israel-Hamas war, with NGO Yedidim USA (Orit Ben-Ezzer/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)

Yair is enjoying his life at Miami Beach while Im on the front lines, one reservist on Israels northern front told Londons The Times newspaper.

Its us who are leaving our work, our families, our kids, to protect our families back home and the country, not the people who are responsible for this situation.

Our brothers, our fathers, sons, are all going to the front line, but Yair is still not here. It does not help build trust in the leadership of the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses media during a joint press conference with French President in Jerusalem (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Israels armed forces are made up of a large number of reservists who have completed national service and can be called upon until the age of 40.

While most are based in Israel, some have flown from countries around the world to report for duty.

Ive flown back from the States where I have a job, a life, my family, another reservist told the newspaper.

There is no way I can stay there and abandon my country, my people, at this critical time. Where is the prime ministers son? Why isnt he in Israel?

It is the most uniting moment for us as Israelis in our recent history and every single one of us should be here right now, including the prime ministers son.

On 17 October Yair Netanyahu helped sort donated supplies to IDF soldiers and Israeli families impacted by the Israel-Hamas war, with NGO Yedidim USA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Yair Netanyahu was sued by political activist Dana Cassidy in 2020 after he alleged in an online post that she was in a relationship with politician Benny Gantz, who was running against his father for prime minister.

A court ordered him to pay Ms Cassidy $34,000 in compensation and $6,000 in legal costs.
Lee Ju-hyun regularly returns to the alleyway where she almost died, because she does not want to forget

One year on from the horrific crowd crush that killed nearly 160 young people, Lee Ju-hyun returned to the alleyway where she almost died.

She visits regularly, determined to keep her memories of that awful night alive until justice has been served.

It was Halloween weekend, and more than 100,000 people had descended on Seoul's labyrinth-like neighbourhood of Itaewon - a popular nightlife district - to party.

They funnelled into a narrow, steep passage from three directions, until it became so tightly packed people could not move. Some could not breathe. Many died.

Despite multiple, well-documented failings by the authorities, a year on, no one has been held responsible, leaving the survivors and the bereaved struggling to heal.

Ju-hyun can locate the exact spot where she tripped and fell to the floor as people then piled on top of her. The pressure was so great, the muscles in her legs ruptured, paralysing them, and she lost consciousness. She awoke, still trapped, to the sound of chaos.

"There were screams everywhere. Those in the crowd were screaming 'please help me, I don't want to die', while those in a club who could see what was unfolding were shouting 'please don't die; please don't die.'"

Gradually the screams and prayers receded.

Now much of the ghostlike alleyway is boarded up. Some of its bars never reopened. And thousands have been left haunted, either by the horror of enduring the crush, or by the loss of loved ones who did not make it.

Almost 160 young people died in this Itaewon alleyway on 29 October 2022

Park Jin-sung lives with both.

He was visiting Seoul with his mother and younger sister. Intrigued by the Halloween parties in Itaewon, they decided to check them out. By the time they arrived, the alleyway was heaving and Jin-sung urged his sister to escape, while he stayed behind to look after their mother.

He held her as she struggled to breathe, creating a tiny pocket of space between them, so she could draw air into her lungs. When the paramedics arrived, he pulled her out through a gap in the crowd.

He ran around the streets and hospitals, his muscles fatigued, searching for his sister, until the police called him from the morgue. "That was when the world collapsed on me", he said. "Initially, I wasn't able to leave the house. I was very scared at night. A tiny sound would paralyse me."

Both he and his mother quit their jobs.

A year on, Jin-sung is working again, and his fear and sadness have been replaced by anger.

Many of the survivors, along with the families of the bereaved, say they have still not been given adequate answers as to what went wrong that night.

An initial investigation concluded that local government officials had failed to adequately plan for the event by putting crowd control measures in place. It also found police had ignored calls from concerned attendees warning about the crowds before the crush turned deadly. The emergency services then failed to get paramedics to the site in time.

But there has been little explanation as to why such mistakes were made, especially since the authorities had anticipated large crowds - and had foreseen and documented the potential for danger.

Sixteen-year-old Lee Jae-hyun took his own life 43 days after watching his friend and girlfriend die in the crush

Twenty-three police officers and government officials have been charged with criminal offences including involuntary manslaughter and negligence. Many remain in their jobs, even while their trials and investigations are ongoing.

More senior politicians and officials, including the interior minister, the mayor of Seoul and the National Police Agency have been cleared of wrongdoing.

For Park Jin-sung, this is proof the disaster has not been properly investigated. He and other families are pushing for a new, independent investigation, which is currently awaiting parliamentary approval. "They've not held even one meeting to explain what happened and say, 'look, we're really, really sorry'". Even that would have been enough to ease his pain, he said.

In the aftermath of the disaster, the government set up a trauma centre to provide counselling to survivors. Jin-sung receives a text once a week offering support, but he has not responded. "It's run by the government, and I don't trust the government very much, so I don't feel comfortable going there", he said.

For one survivor, 16-year-old Lee Jae-hyun, the trauma proved too much to bear. He was wedged in the centre of the crowd with his best friend and girlfriend, helplessly watching her lose consciousness, before he too stopped breathing. From his hospital bed, he learnt that both she and his friend had died, making them two of the youngest victims.

Forty-three days after the disaster Jae-hyun took his own life, making him victim number 159.

"He was a completely different boy after the tragedy", his mother, Song Hae-jin, told us. "Before, he was a cheerful, talkative kid. Afterwards, he almost never spoke. He sat alone in his room, unable to sleep".

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.

There is no official memorial to the victims of the crush. Their families take it in turns to watch over the altar, adorned with photos of the dead, lest the authorities try to remove it; something they have threatened to do.

Families stand guard over the makeshift Itaewon memorial, for fear that authorities will remove it

Hae-jin described the relationship between the families and the authorities as problematic. After the crush, she claims they were ostracised, as various authorities tried to avoid taking responsibility. In the immediate aftermath, some people even pointed fingers at the survivors and the dead, suggesting they were to blame for going out that night. Hae-jin recalled how much this upset her son.

"Ultimately it was the government and local authority that failed to serve their duty to protect lives. There has been no accountability for that at all. In order to heal, we need to clarify why this happened and who was responsible", she said, adding that she would feel guilty until the day she died for not protecting her son.

Psychiatrist Paik Jong-woo, from Kyung Hee University Medical Centre, argues that the politicisation of the disaster and the lack of accountability have made it harder for survivors and the bereaved to recover. He created a psychological support group to counsel them, after realising very few were receiving help.

"As a society we need to take care of the victims and show them how we plan to prevent this from happening again. Then they can find comfort in the belief that lives were not lost in vain, but have made our society safer", he said.

The government, the Seoul city council and the police turned down our requests for an interview about what lessons they had learnt and how they planned to keep people safe this Halloween. They told us this was not the right time to talk.

In a statement, the government said it was "deeply saddened by the tragedy and has been expressing its apologies and sympathies to the victims and their families at every opportunity".

The authorities did detail some new safety measures they had introduced. Now, when three calls are made to the police within a 50 metre radius, they are automatically flagged - and emergency services are forced to work together when requested; no longer can they refuse call outs, as happened in the early minutes of the crush. Meanwhile, a new CCTV system is being rolled out across Seoul to monitor crowd densities.

However the district authority, Yongsan, which was criticised for not implementing safety measures ahead of the event, refused to answer any of our questions about what changes, if any, it had made.

Itaewon's upcoming Halloween celebrations are expected to be a far quieter affair. Some bars and clubs have announced they will not be hosting parties. Lee Ju-hyun, however, plans to attend. "I want to show people it's not our fault we came here to enjoy ourselves", she said.

After spending two months in hospital, her legs have now mostly recovered, barring some pain on her right side when she stands for too long, and her initial trauma has subsided.

Though as she stopped to read the colourful notes of condolence, stuck along one wall of the alleyway, a single tear trickled down her cheek.

"I'm sad for those who died and those they left behind", she said. "I always stop here to ask them 'what do you need us survivors to do for you?'"

Additional reporting by Hosu Lee and Leehyun Choi.
ROME (Reuters) - Italy will support the creation of a European Union naval mission to patrol maritime borders, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told parliament on Wednesday.

"Italy will support ... the creation of a European naval mission, in agreement and cooperation with the North African authorities," Meloni told the Senate ahead of a meeting of European Union leaders.

She also said Italy wanted the EU to increase its funds made available to tackle mass illegal immigration in its multi-year budget for 2021-2027, as Rome deals with surging migrant boat arrivals on its southern shores.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones)
Child protection experts warn AI technology is being used to generate new images of real victims of child sexual abuse

A leading child protection organisation has warned that abuse of AI technology threatens to "overwhelm" the internet.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) removes images of child sexual abuse from websites.

It says it has found thousands of AI-generated images which are so realistic they are criminal under UK law.

AI is being used to produce new images of real victims, de-age celebrities and unclothe children in ordinary photos to depict them in abuse scenarios.

"Our worst nightmares have come true," said Susie Hargreaves OBE, chief executive of Cambridge-based IWF.

"Chillingly, we are seeing criminals deliberately training their AI on real victims' images.

"Children who have been raped in the past are now being incorporated into new scenarios because someone, somewhere, wants to see it."

The IWF works to make the internet a safer place by identifying and removing global online child sexual abuse imagery

In a new study of a single dark web forum, the IWF found 2,978 images of abuse generated using artificial intelligence.

Half of them depicted children of primary school age, with some as young as two years old.

More than 560 images were classified as Category A - the most serious kind of imagery - including rape, sexual torture and bestiality.

In the UK, cartoons, drawings, animations and AI images are all criminal if they depict child abuse.

Experts also found that the technology is being used to "nudify" children, whose clothed pictures had been uploaded to the internet for genuine reasons.

The most convincing imagery is now difficult for trained analysts to distinguish and, as the technology advances, the IWF warns it will pose "more obstacles" for them and the police.

The IWF has already found thousands of AI-generated abuse images that are criminal under UK law

Ian Critchley, National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Child Protection, said: "It is clear that this is no longer an emerging threat - it is here, and normalises the rape and abuse of real children.

"AI has many positive attributes, and we are developing opportunities to turn this technology against those who would abuse it to prey on children."

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is hosting a global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park on 1 November.

Susie Hargreaves has once again urged him to put this issue at "the top of the agenda" and warned "if we don't get a grip on this threat, this material threatens to overwhelm the internet."

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830
A Jacksonville man was arrested after robbing a CVS store in Orlando, according to police.

Orlando police said 23-year-old Thomas Mues is charged with robbing the CVS at Curry Ford and Conway roads on Friday night.

Read: Woman accused of extorting Tim Tebows father pleads guilty on lesser felony charge

Officers said Mues entered the CVS around 6 p.m. and handed a pharmacy employee a note indicating he had a gun and would shoot them if he was not provided the pills listed.

Police said Mues was spotted leaving the CVS when they arrived and was arrested after a foot chase.

Read: Family of fishermen missing off Brunswick coast say theyll keep searching if Coast Guard stops

Investigators said Mues admitted to traveling to Orlando to carry out the plan and also confessed to another similar robbery in Central Florida.

Records show Mues is facing robbery, trafficking, and possession charges.

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Read: St. Johns County rejects former fire chiefs grievance, says actions risked firefighters, residents

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The ruling comes after a transgender woman filed a petition challenging the law

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional to require citizens to be sterilised before they can officially change genders.

The 2004 law said people could only change their gender if they have no reproductive capacity.

Wednesday's ruling came after a transgender woman filed a petition challenging the law.

Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) had called the law "abusive and outdated".

It celebrated Wednesday's ruling, calling it an "important victory for transgender rights in Japan".

"This judgement upholds the rights to health, privacy and bodily autonomy of trans people in Japan," Kanae Doi, Japan Director at HRW told the BBC. "It follows years of advocacy and litigation to remove this abusive... requirement."

The ruling reverses a 2019 verdict by the court which found the same law constitutional.

Japan is one of 18 countries that mandate the sterilisation surgery - a requirement that is also opposed by the World Health Organization. It is also the only Group of Seven (G7) nation that does not legally recognise same-sex unions.

The woman's lawyer had argued that her reproductive ability has already been diminished by years of hormone therapy, adding that surgery entailed physical suffering and the risk of after-effects.

Her request was denied by both the family and high court before she approached the Supreme Court.

But some groups opposed to the law being changed had argued that if people were allowed to change their registered gender without surgery, it could result in women feeling unsafe. They also argued that it could cause legal confusion.

Recent opinion polls have shown growing support for LGBTQ-friendly laws - although there is opposition from conservative sections of society and politicians.

Earlier this month, a local family court ruled in favour of a transgender man - Gen Suzuki- who requested to have his gender legally changed without undergoing the surgery.

The family court judge, Takehiro Sekiguchi, said the current law violated Article 13 of the Constitution that stipulates all people shall be respected as individuals.
New Jersey judge, whose son was killed in targeted attack, calls for change after Maryland judge's murder

A New Jersey federal judge is calling for additional protections for those who work in the U.S. judicial system after a Maryland circuit court judge was fatally shot last week in what police are describing as a targeted attack.

Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, was found dead in his driveway outside his Hagerstown home just hours after he presided over a judgment hearing in the suspect's divorce case, during which he awarded full custody of the suspect's children to his soon-to-be ex-wife. Maryland police are still searching for suspect Pedro Argote.

"In my opinion, every state and territory in the United States should have laws protecting judges and should have laws that are aimed at judicial security," New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas told Fox News Digital. "There are a handful of states like New Jersey that have addressed judicial security head-on, and my hope and prayer is that states will follow New Jersey's lead, follow the federal legislation and create and enact their own laws that are aimed directly at the judiciary."

Salas lost her 20-year-old son in 2020 after he was fatally shot in a racially motivated attack targeting Salas.

SUSPECT VEHICLE IN MARYLAND JUDGE'S KILLING FOUND WHILE ALLEGED SHOOTER STILL ON THE RUN

The U.S. Marshals Service is now involved in the search for suspect Pedro Argote, inset, and are offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to his arrest. Judge Andrew Wilkinson, left, was found dead in his driveway hours after he presided over a judgment hearing in the suspect's divorce case.

The gunman, who was disguised as a delivery driver, killed Daniel Anderl and seriously injured Salas' husband, Mark Anderl.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Roy Den Hollander, who was upset over Salas' handling of his case, had created a step-by-step plan to target Salas and her family before executing the attack. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wounds days after killing Anderl.

MARYLAND JUDGE KILLED IN TARGETED ATTACK AFTER SUSPECT'S DIVORCE, CUSTODY HEARING: OFFICIALS

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Wilkinson family. When I first read the news, I immediately just thought of his wife and their two children. Mark and I continue to send them thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time that unfortunately, we know all too well," Salas said of the Wilkinson family.

New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas lost her 20-year-old son in 2020 after he was fatally shot in a racially motivated attack targeting Salas.

Violent, targeted attacks against judges are not entirely uncommon.

JUDGE WHOSE SON WAS KILLED WARNS AGAINST PROTESTS AT SCOTUS JUSTICES' HOMES: NO ROOM IN AMERICA FOR THIS

In June 2022, for example, a Wisconsin man shot and killed retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer 15 years after Roemer sentenced him to prison.

"This man went to the judge's home at 6:00 in the morning and assassinated the judge," Salas said of Roemer's murder. "These are the reasons that judicial officers need protections because there are people that harbor resentment, ill will. And those feelings can last."

In December, President Biden signed the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, which aims to protect judges' safety by protecting their personal information, into law, but Salas says more needs to be done to keep judges from falling victim to targeted crimes.

"We have seen, over the course of history, judicial officers pay the ultimate price for some of the decisions they've had to make," Salas said. " Federally, we know the judges who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We know that the problem with the state system is that there is no central repository for any of this information, so we don't know how many judges at the state level, local and municipal and state court judges have lost their lives in the line of duty or who have been threatened."

She added that there are more than a thousand "state and local judges serving their states proudly, and they deserve protection."

FORMER WISCONSIN COUNTY JUDGE KILLED IN TARGETED ATTACK ON JUDICIAL SYSTEM: REPORTS

"Our democracy mandates that we protect judicial officers. And I think that Judge Wilkinson's murder and his death is a painful reminder of what will happen if we don't take judicial security seriously," the judge said.

Maryland authorities found Argote's vehicle in a wooded area in Williamsport, Maryland, but they are still searching for the suspect in Wilkinson's killing.

The U.S. Marshals Service is now involved in the search for the 49-year-old suspect and is offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to his arrest.

CLICK HE RE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Argote does not have a criminal record in Washington County, but authorities have been called to his address for "verbal domestic assaults" twice within the last several years, according to Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert.

Anyone with information regarding Argote's whereabouts is urged to contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 240-313-2170 or the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-WANTED2.





Original article source: New Jersey judge, whose son was killed in targeted attack, calls for change after Maryland judge's murder
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2011, file photo, a JetBlue logo is displayed on the side of a jet as it taxis at Boston's Logan International Airport. JetBlue says it will expand its transatlantic flying next spring and summer. The airline said Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 it will operate daily flights from New York and Boston to Dublin from March through September, and it plans to fly between New York and Edinburgh from late May through September. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

NEW YORK (AP)  JetBlue Airways said Wednesday it has started selling flights scheduled for next spring and summer between the United States and both Dublin and Edinburgh.

The airline said it will run daily flights from New York and Boston to Dublin from March 13 through Sept. 30, and from New York to Edinburgh from May 22 through Sept. 30.

JetBlue plans to use single-aisle Airbus A321neo planes configured with 160 seats for both routes.

JetBlue hopes to take advantage of strong demand for international travel, which has grown more quickly than domestic travel this year.

The New York-based airline currently flies to London, Paris and Amsterdam, far fewer transatlantic destinations than offered by its bigger U.S. rivals.
There is a palpable fear and tension in communities across the United States already scarred by the violent incidents stemming from the early days of the Israel and Hamas war, with some equating the bigotry and hatred being experienced by Jews, Palestinians, Muslims and other groups across the country to that of a post-9/11 world.

Every one of us feels unsafe, said Zein Rimawi, founder and member of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge in south Brooklyn, New York, where three young men were attacked by a small pro-Israel cadre only days after the war started. Its worse than after 9/11.

The neighborhood activist told CNN he lived in Bay Ridge during the 2001 terror attacks and recalled that, although he was scared back then, he felt protected by political leaders because they defended American Muslims from discrimination.

Israels war on Hamas followed the militant groups surprise attack on Israel on October 7, when terrorists brutally killed 1,400 people in Israel, including civilians and military personnel, and abducted over 200 others, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Whats happening in the Middle East has had a ripple effect on major cities like New York: Advocates and community leaders say there have been a slew of hate-inspired incidents targeting Jews, Palestinians, Muslims and other groups in the wake of the initial attacks. In one case, a victim was allegedly targeted just because they were perceived to be a member of one of these groups.

Opinion: Being a Muslim American right now is like living on borrowed time

New York City is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel and has one of the countrys largest Muslim populations. In 2001, following the 9/11 terror attacks, anti-Muslim motivated crimes became the second highest reported among religious-bias incidents, according to FBI data. Anti-Jewish religion incidents were the highest.

A recent joint bulletin from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center noted the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against faith communities, particularly Jewish and Muslim communities.

The Anti-Defamation League recorded more than 1,200 antisemitic incidents in the US through May 2023  after reaching a record high in 2022  and said its already seeing an uptick in antisemitic images and rhetoric in the wake of Hamas attack in Israel.

Nationally, the ADL has seen a 54% increase over the same time last year, according to Scott Richman, the ADLs regional director for New York and New Jersey. From October 7 to October 19, there have been 168 antisemitic incidents across the country, he said.

Reported numbers only tell part of the story

On October 11 in Brooklyns Bay Ridge neighborhood, which is home to a large Palestinian community, a group of men  some of whom were waving an Israeli flag  attacked three men on the street after asking them if they were Palestinian, yelling, F**k Palestine, F**k Islam, according to a criminal complaint.

One of the victims required medical attention after the attack, the complaint said. Two of the attackers have been charged with assault and menacing as a hate crime; four others remain at large, according to the complaint.

Supporters of Palestine hold a rally in the Bay Ridge neighborhood on October 21, 2023. - Spencer Platt/Getty Images

That same day, a 19-year-old attacked a 24-year-old Columbia University student who was putting up posters with information about Israeli casualties, according to the criminal complaint and local news reporting. The 19-year-old ripped down the posters and shouted profanities at the victim before she struck them with a broomstick. She was charged with assault as a hate crime, and other charges, the complaint states.

On October 14, a 29-year-old woman was punched in the face in the Grand Central subway station in Midtown Manhattan. The victim asked her attacker why he hit her, and he responded, because you (are) Jewish, according to police. A 28-year-old man was arrested this week and charged with a hate crime and aggravated assault.

Outside of New York, near Chicago, a 6-year-old boy was stabbed to death and his mother brutally injured in Plainfield Township, Illinois, after being targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis, the sheriffs office said. The 71-year-old suspect, who was their landlord, has been charged with murder and hate crimes, among other charges.

But while the numbers of reported incidents tick up, advocates say there are scores of others that never reach law enforcement.

Who are you going to tell when somebody comes up to you and screams, Free Palestine, at you? said Richman, of the ADL. Or theres a swastika thats been painted at your school? All kinds of incidents have been reported to us.

Richman said his office is struggling to keep up with the huge uptick.

And he says he believes the number of incidents, both locally and nationally, will increase if Israeli ground troops enter Gaza.

We know from experience that when there is a flare up in the Israel-Palestine, Israel-Hamas conflict, we see Jews are targeted in this country, in other countries, essentially being blamed for the actions of the Israeli government or the Israeli military, Richman said. Nobody knows where anybody stands but people make assumptions because they are Jewish and then want to take out their anger on the Jewish community.

Columbia students participate in a rally and vigil in support of Israel in response to a neighboring student rally in support of Palestine at the university on October 12, 2023 in New York City. - Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Chicago office, said his office typically sees four to six complaints a week from people who say theyve been victimized or bullied. Since the start of the war just over two weeks ago, they have received 86 complaints.

My phone has been ringing off the hook, said Rehab, who added he believes the current situation is much worse now than it was after 9/11. Not only are people scared, Rehab says, but now, no one seems to want to hear from Muslim Americans.

Palestinians are essentially dehumanized and there has been a conclusion that they deserve whats coming to them because of whats happened in Israel, said Rehab. There isnt much appetite for the nuance thats needed to have the discussion of the value of human life and of a civilian life.

Rehab  who worked at a large accounting firm in Chicago when 9/11 happened and remembers his family and friends becoming victims of hate crimes in the aftermath of the attacks  said bias incident victims often dont report the crime because of a combination of reasons, including a sense of futility.

Theres a lot of toughen up, especially in our culture, Rehab said. Theres also a sense of, I dont want to appear weak or a sense of hopelessness that nothing will be done or can be done about it. Or theres a sense of bureaucracy. Weve done this before, and it just fizzles into bureaucracy.

Others caught in the fray

The rising tensions of recent weeks have reminded other groups, too, of the atmosphere that followed 9/11.

Last week, a 19-year-old Sikh man who was wearing a mask attached to his turban was riding a bus when an assailant shouted, We dont wear that in this country and take that mask off, according to New York police. The assailant then punched the teen several times and even tried to remove his turban, police said.

He just feels very unsafe. Hes constantly looking behind his back, said Japneet Singh, a community activist who spoke with the victim. The teen had arrived in the US 10 months ago in search of what he called the American dream, Singh said. Now, hes just, overall, disappointed.

A woman is arrested by police officers after protesters clashed with members of the New York Police Department at a rally in support of Palestinians in Brooklyn on October 21, 2023. - Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images

Sikh men grow long beards and wear turbans as a commitment to their faith, and many Americans mistake them for Muslims. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the Sikh Coalition advocacy group documented more than 300 cases of violence and discrimination.

Singh has had his own experiences with discrimination. A week ago, he was leaving Gracie Mansion after a meeting with Mayor Eric Adams when a group of teens saw him wearing his turban and shouted, Hamas.

My biggest concern was the hate part of it and how it was going to impact us here at home. Literally within a week  less than a week  we started seeing all the chaos, Singh said. Its been a repeat of post 9/11, the sentiments of Islamophobia and rhetoric.

There have been 51 hate crime incidents in New York since October 9, NYPD officials said at a Tuesday news conference. Most occurred during chance encounters, according to Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny, who added that hate crime numbers for the year had been down 22%, but after the war, are only down 13%.

Hate crime is still down but since the incident in Gaza, there has been an uptick, Kenny said.

When asked Monday about concerns about a potential rise in antisemitism due to the current conflict, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told CNN, We have not seen any credible threats.

But, look, Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks, Jean-Pierre continued. And certainly, President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab Americans and Palestinian American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities.

CNNs Harmeet Kaur contributed to this report.

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Donald Trump 's former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has reportedly been granted immunity by Jack Smith after meeting with the special counsel and his team of investigators numerous times in connection to the 2020 presidential election subversion case, casting a grim outlook on the former president's future ability to defend himself.

According to a report from ABC News, Meadows stated that Trump was "dishonest" on the night of the election, prematurely telling the public that he had secured the presidential nomination before the final results had been tallied. "Obviously we didn't win," a source quoted Meadows as telling Smith's team.

And while Meadows' book purports that the election was "stolen," the former chief of staff reportedly conceded to Smith's prosecutors that he has never witnessed signs of fraud that would have precluded Joe Biden from claiming victory, also noting, per the report, that he concurs with a federal assessment done in 2020 that the presidential election that year was the most secure in U.S. history.

In response to the blockbuster news, the ex-president hit out at Meadows in a late-night TruthSocial post on Tuesday.

I dont think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith," Trump wrote. "BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years, told youll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone, and were not at all interested in exposing those that did the RIGGING  If you say BAD THINGS about that terrible 'MONSTER,' DONALD J. TRUMP, we wont put you in prison, you can keep your family and your wealth, and, perhaps, if you can make up some really horrible 'STUFF' a out him, we may very well erect a statue of you in the middle of our decaying and now very violent Capital, Washington, D.C."

Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation," Trump continued. "I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

Mark Meadows NEVER told me that allegations of significant fraud (about the RIGGED Election!) were baseless," the former president added in a follow-up post. "He certainly didnt say that in his book!

Ex-Trump-aide turned Jan 6 whistleblower Cassidy Hutchinson shared her thoughts about Meadows  her former boss  and his recently brokered deal with the Department of Justice during an MSNBC interview with Ari Melber.

"I don't want to get out ahead of anything the Justice Department has not commented on," Hutchinson said after the news broke. "But what I will say is this," she continued. "I have hoped for a long time that Mark would step up and do the right thing, and what I define as the right thing, which is share what he knows with the Justice Department and, in effect, with the country about what happened inside the White House on January 6."

Later in the sit-down, Melber asked Hutchinson, "When he [Meadows] looks at all these people who are pleading while we're discussing him, do you think he is worried about getting convicted and going to prison in Georgia?" referring to Trump co-defendants Jenna Ellis, Keneth Chesebro, and Sidney Powell pleading guilty in the Georgia election subversion case.

"Again, I don't want to speculate about what Mark may or may not be worried about," Hutchinson replied. "I would leave that to him if he would be willing to talk to, talk to his emotions about that."

Melber also broached the notion of Hutchinson serving as a potential witness if Meadows does go on trial in Fulton County, asking if she thought it was "fair to say" that Meadows may potentially be facing a slew of cooperating witnesses who were closely associated with him during his time in the White House. "You know, I would let the system in Georgia play out," Hutchinson replied. "Day by day we're starting to see more people start to cooperate and, you know, there still is a chance  unless there has been reporting, I don't believe there has been a trial date set for Mark  so there still is time for him to come around and potentially cut a cooperation agreement."

Former Principal Deputy Solicitor General Neal Kaytal also spoke with MSNBC, focusing instead on the ramifications that Meadows' flipping could have for Trump. Kaytal underscored how Meadows' "limited immunity deal" is part of the federal Jan 6 prosecution, separate from the state prosecution that saw back-to-back plea deals this week.

"We may wanna take this a little bit with a grain of salt, this ABC report, because ... the lawyer for Mark Meadows is disputing it, but not, I think notably, explaining what he's disputing," Kaytal told MSNBCs Jonathan Capehart. "I think, you know, it stands to reason that Mark Meadows probably told the grand jury something significant for the prosecution because it's really obvious that Donald Trump lost the election," he continued. "We think it's pretty obvious that he himself knew."

"And you don't give an immunity deal to someone as high up as Meadows on a whim, so that tells me that Mark Meadows has a bit more dirt on Donald Trump than he chose to share in his book, which it looks like, according to the ABC story, he's now contradicting what he himself wrote in his book."

"But even if he hasn't flipped yet," Kaytal continued, "he may very well flip in the future because Meadows is a defendant who knows Donald Trump well and you know if the situation were reversed and if you know Trump well, you know Trump would flip on one of them in a second if he could."

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

"Is it just about Donald Trump's state of mind?" asked Capehart.

"That's at least part of it," Kaytal said, "because one of Trump's big defenses in both January 6 prosecutions is, 'hey I reasonably thought I won the election, and all of these actions were calculated to try and protect democracy.'"

"So for Meadows to say this, if the ABC report is true, obliterates Donald Trump's state of mind defense."

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, meanwhile, told CNN that Meadows is providing Smith with new information.

This feels a little different in terms of some of the specifics of what he is said to have said, and this really drills down on him, according to ABC, saying bluntly this wasnt stolen, he supposedly told Trump that they werent proving this and that he had questions about it, Haberman told CNNs The Source. That was the first time I had heard anything like that.

Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig, in her own interview with MSNBC, said that Meadows' autobiography has been used by other legislators to substantiate their own thoughts and ideas about the 2020 election and that Meadows seems to have disclosed to Smith what he did in days before and after the Capitol insurrection.

"We have seen texts and exchanges that Mark Meadows had with people in the White House counsel's office and other lawyers in which he made fun of the claim that there was an election that had been stolen," Leonnig said. "There was fraud enough in states such as Georgia to call those counts into question. As I remember one of those text exchanges, he said even my son hasn't found enough dead people that voted in Georgia to raise questions about this. So, it's pretty powerful stuff."

However, she added, if Meadows acknowledges that sections of his book as false, "it reveals to most of us reporters who have been covering this for a long time that the jig is up for a host of other Republican leaders who have been trading on this story, to stay connected to voters, that they think are riled up about this."

"To stay connected to a group of people that they are misleading in order to get their votes. People who gobble up conspiracy theories, distrust the government, and can be loosely misled and led astray. But it will be really interesting to watch what happens for other Republican leaders who have insisted that the election was stolen. Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Jim Jordan, a host of people, many of whom are closely tied to Mark Meadows and Donald Trump."
Newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who won the gavel Wednesday after three prior Republican nominees failed to reach a majority, is a longtime ally of the oil industry and will be perhaps the most vocal skeptic of the scientific consensus on climate change ever to hold the speakership.

Johnson, whose district includes the onetime oil industry hub of Shreveport, received a 100 percent rating from the pro-fossil fuel American Energy Alliance in 2022, along with every other Republican in Louisianas House delegation. The lobbying group had earlier endorsed Johnsons fellow Louisianan, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise , who bowed out of the race for Speaker on Oct. 12 after failing to consolidate the necessary 217 votes.

Individuals and PACs associated with the oil and gas industry have donated $23,800 to Johnson in the 2023-24 campaign cycle, the largest amount he received from any group save retired donors, according to data from OpenSecrets.org. In the 2021-22 cycle, the sector donated $84,350.

In 2017, Johnson denied human-caused climate change at a town hall, telling attendees, The climate is changing, but the question is, is it being caused by natural cycles over the span of the Earths history? Or is it changing because we drive SUVs? I dont believe in the latter. I dont think thats the primary driver.

Johnson has a lifetime score of 2 percent on climate and environmental issues from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), which excoriated him in a statement following his election.

Johnson has led attacks on our elections, denied that climate change is a result of fossil fuels and polluters, and appears poised to continue to cater to Big Oil and Gas allies as Speaker, LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said in a statement Wednesday.

House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) called Johnsons record on climate change alarming in a statement to The Hill.

Its alarming the speaker is not on board for climate solutions, Lofgren said. That poses risks for our urgent need to deal with our climate and energy challenges.

Current Republican congressional leadership has seldom if ever identified climate change as a major priority, often casting the Biden administration as out of touch for its aggressive promotion of renewable energy, but outright skepticism of the kind Johnson expressed six years ago has become rarer among leadership since then.

The Commitment to America plan released by GOP House leadership after the 2022 midterms includes references to encouraging domestic development of renewables alongside fossil fuels. It also includes plans to plant one trillion trees to better absorb carbon in the atmosphere, although climatologists have said the amount of trees needed to counteract the carbon in the atmosphere is likely beyond human capacity.

The summer of 2023 was the hottest ever recorded, and all indicators point to the year overall coming in as one of the hottest on record. Before that, Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) announced the formation of the Conservative Climate Caucus in 2021, which includes in its statement of beliefs the climate is changing, and decades of a global industrial era that has brought prosperity to the world has also contributed to that change.

Chairman Curtis has held conversations with Speaker Johnson about the Conservative Climate Caucus and we look forward to working with him on our priorities, a Curtis spokesperson told The Hill in an email. Conservatives are at the climate table.

Another key factor in how Republicans handle the issue is the continuing popularity within the party of former President and likely 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump, an outright denier of climate change. Johnson is a longtime Trump ally and was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election in his favor, and Trump expressed support for Johnsons speakership bid a day after blasting the previous conference nominee, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

The Hill has reached out to Johnsons office to ask if he stands by his 2017 comments.

Updated at 12:18 p.m. Oct. 26

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden will run for reelection, triggering a political reckoning over his controversial leadership and long-running investigation into the 2020 election that has allowed baseless conspiracy theories to fester while producing no criminal charges.

Hayden, a Republican seeking a third term, faces at least one primary opponent after Doug Bedford, a former Johnson County undersheriff and former Navy SEAL, publicly launched his campaign last week. Local Democrats have also signaled that party members are weighing a campaign.

The contested election next year will offer Johnson County voters their first real opportunity to render a verdict on Haydens conduct in office, after he ran unopposed in 2020. He was first elected sheriff in 2016 and has previously served as a county commissioner.

Hayden, who has spent 28 years in the sheriffs office, has conducted the election investigation for more than two years without making specific allegations or offering evidence, effectively casting a cloud of suspicion over county elections that critics say harms civic trust. At the same time, he has repeatedly appeared at hard-right gatherings to promote the inquiry.

Sheriff Hayden is going to file for reelection for Johnson County Sheriff, and he has no other comment at this time, Johnson County Sgt. Jesse Valdez, a spokesperson for Hayden, said in a statement. Hayden didnt respond to a voicemail left on a personal phone number.

Bedford, who worked in the sheriffs office from 1997 to 2021, hasnt criticized Hayden by name and in an interview said his focus isnt on what the current administration has done or hasnt done. Still, he outlined a vision of how he would lead the office that implicitly drew a sharp contrast with Hayden and stressed the need to re-instill a mindset of teamwork and the necessity of building trust in law enforcement.

I would do my best to stay out of partisan politics. The sheriff  you need to be everybodys sheriff and thats how I lead, Bedford said.

Asked about the elections investigation, Bedford didnt directly criticize the probe, saying that any crime that takes place should be investigated to the fullest and that he hadnt seen the evidence the sheriffs office has since he no longer works in the agency.

But he also said Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab , a Republican, has found no evidence of widespread fraud and that Johnson County Prosecutor Steve Howe, also a Republican, has said no cases have been given to him (Howe was sent one election intimidation case but declined to prosecute citing a lack of evidence).

Both of those gentlemen, Steve Howe and Scott Schwab, they havent seen anything, they dont know of anything. Until I see something different, thats what Im going to have to go with, Bedford said.

No Democrats have yet entered the race, but potential candidates appear to be taking a close look after no Democrats ran for sheriff in 2020. The traditionally Republican county has become dramatically more Democratic over the past decade, helping to power Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids to victory in three congressional elections and rapidly growing number of Democrats to the Kansas Legislature.

There are several Democrats who are considering entering the race for Sheriff in 2024. Sheriff Haydens conduct has been abhorrent in many different ways, but especially with relation to his election investigation, Johnson County Democratic Party chair Deann Mitchell said in a statement.

Hayden set to appear at hard-right conference

Even in the primary election, the sheriffs race could spark a divisive fight over elections if Hayden leans into the investigation as a campaign issue. Without offering evidence, some Republicans have voiced doubts over former President Donald Trump s loss of Johnson County in 2020. He was the first Republican presidential candidate to lose the county in decades.

Hayden is scheduled to speak at the Determined Patriotism Conference in Kansas City, Kansas, in November  a self-described gathering of influencers in the America First movement. The conference website calls Hayden a candidate for sheriff, though he hasnt yet formally filed for reelection.

Hayden is listed as speaker on a roster that includes Michael Flynn, who was forced out as Trumps first national security advisor, became a promoter of Christian nationalism and was pardoned by Trump after lying to the FBI about his conversations with a Russian diplomat. Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a promoter of baseless allegations about the 2020 election, is also listed to speak.

Kansas Republican Party chairman Mike Brown, who has promoted baseless suspicions about election security in Kansas, is a scheduled speaker as well. Brown unsuccessfully ran against Schwab in the GOP primary last year but was elected chairman early this year after Hayden nominated him at a party convention. Brown didnt respond to a voicemail.

Also listed is Thad Snider, a Johnson County man who filed an unsuccessful lawsuit last year seeking a redo of the 2020 presidential election and criminal prosecution of Schwab.

I dont know how many of you know the name Calvin Hayden, but hes probably the most important person in the election integrity movement youve never heard of, Snider said at an event held by Lindell in August, according to a clip posted to Rumble, a video sharing platform popular among hard-right politicians and supporters.

Snider praised Hayden for blocking the destruction of Johnson Countys 2020 election materials, which he suggested could help Trump fight the criminal cases against him over his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election. Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman has previously said Haydens probe is stopping the countys annual work of disposing of election documents  a routine process because of the limited storage available to county election officials.

If any of you know President Trump and you want some exculpatory evidence from 2020, tell him to subpoena that evidence in Johnson County, Kansas, because its sitting there waiting for him, Snider said.

While Snider has linked Hayden preserving 2020 records with helping Trump, the sheriff this year said he would be happy to clear the case. At a June meeting of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, Hayden said he has two deputies, who also work on cold cases, on the investigation part time. He said obtaining necessary information has been difficult.

As soon as we can get that data and we can say, yep, theres nothing here or uh oh, weve got a problem, I would love to do that, Hayden said.

However, last year Hayden said he started the criminal investigation to preserve the election records.

Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte OHara, a conservative who represents southern Overland Park, Stilwell and some rural areas of the county, cast the investigation as a minor subheading in the Sheriff Departments work.

There was a complaint made. He is following through with it. Its an investigation that is open, and we have to allow it to continue and follow through with it, OHara said.

OHara said shes been happy with Hayden. She said Hayden has been an advocate for sheriffs deputies and worked hard to raise their salaries. Last year, commissioners voted to raise the base pay of incoming deputies to $27.50 an hour and provide annual step-based raises at Haydens urging to address recruitment and retention issues.

Hes a great leader. I have no problems with him whatsoever, OHara said.

But Thomas Reddin, a former Johnson County Sheriffs lieutenant, said the sheriffs office needs to rebuild relationships with the police departments of municipalities within the county. Reddin has endorsed Bedford and the two have known each other for about 25 years.

We cant just sit back and see the agency that we spent half of our lives working at and still have friends at getting a bad rap for different things, Reddin said.

Johnson County Commissioner Janee Hanzlick, a progressive whose district includes Overland Park, said it was time for new leadership in the sheriffs office. She expressed frustration not only with the election investigation but also with what she said was a lack of a strategic plan from the sheriffs office on capital projects.

At a June meeting, commissioners questioned Hayden about his desire to one day build a larger training center he said could serve the entire region. He said that while he has been planting seeds about the idea, he hadnt produced a formal business plan on it.

I would love to be able to work with somebody who is realistic and transparent about their budget, Hanzlick said.

Challenger wants return to original principles

How big a role more typical political issues, such as financial management, will play in the sheriffs race remains unclear. Bedfords campaign website and social media posts dont explicitly mention the election investigation and he spoke about it during an interview only in response to a direct question.

Bedford has invoked the leadership of former Sheriff Fred Allenbrand, who first won election in 1966 and held office for 34 years, and former Sheriff Frank Denning, who was in office 2005-2016. His campaign website says the office must return to its original principles of leadership and fiscal responsibility as created by Allenbrand and strengthened by Denning.

At no time would you ever see him upset. You wouldnt see him be gruff with anybody, Bedford said of Allenbrand in an interview. He was just a leader, I guess I can honestly say unlike anybody I had ever seen before.

Even if Bedford isnt making the election investigation an explicit part of his campaign, Haydens probe still looms large in the minds of many officials and residents.

Michael Poppa, executive director of the Mainstream Coalition, condemned what he called a wild goose chase that has cost taxpayer dollars with no returns. Poppa, who is also mayor of Roeland Park but said he was speaking in his capacity with Mainstream, said many Johnson County residents are looking for a sheriff who is apolitical or nonpartisan and values safety above politics and election conspiracy theories.

Partisan politics shouldnt play a role in the position of sheriff, Poppa said.

There is no difference, or there should be no difference, in how our county sheriff acts, our county sheriff does their job, how they look after the safety of the community  theres no difference between Republican, Democrat, independent, whatever the political party may be, Poppa said.

This is first and foremost a position that is tasked with keeping our county safe.

The Stars Judy Thomas contributed reporting
New York prosecutors revealed that an additional police report is part of the evidence against Jonathan Majors as the domestic violence case against the Marvel actor continues.

The existence of a London Metropolitan police report relevant to the U.S. case was disclosed in a bombshell 115-page filing on Tuesday by the Manhattan district attorneys office, which has charged Majors with intentional assault, reckless assault and aggravated harassment in connection with a March 25 incident involving his former girlfriend. Majors attorneys have vehemently denied the allegations against him and have accused the woman of being the aggressor. HuffPost is not naming her as she remains an alleged victim of domestic violence.

Although prosecutors included the London police report with evidence submitted in their discovery filing, they did not specify the details of that report or how it was related to the Manhattan incident.

Prosecutors also said theyre looking at whats known as a Molineaux incident, which could be evidence of an additional uncharged crime or bad acts, which took place in London in September 2022, around the time when Majors was in Britain to film the second season of the Disney+ series Loki. Majors attorneys did not comment on the new filing.

American actor Jonathan Majors leaves Manhattan Criminal Court on Aug. 3.

American actor Jonathan Majors leaves Manhattan Criminal Court on Aug. 3.

The information about prosecutors expanded evidence came a day before Majors was scheduled to return to court for a hearing. Their filing also gives more detailed allegations of what authorities say occurred on the night of the reported incident.

Prosecutors said Majors was arrested in March after he injured a woman he was involved with when she caught him receiving a romantic text message from someone else.

According to prosecutors, Majors and the woman were in a private car heading to their Manhattan home on March 25 when the woman noticed hed received a text message that allegedly stated, Wish I was kissing you right now.

The woman then grabbed Majors phone to see who sent the message, and the actor allegedly began to try and take the phone away from her. According to prosecutors, Majors grabbed the womans arm and right hand and began to twist her forearm, then struck her right ear.

Prosecutors said that Majors grabbed the woman to pick her up and throw her back into the car when she attempted to escape, causing more injuries, including bruises and a bump to her head.

The new filing also accused Majors legal team of leaking and misrepresenting evidence, making baseless allegations and leaking information to the media. On Monday, The Messenger reported that the alleged victim would soon be charged with assault in connection with Majors counterclaim against her. In their new filing, prosecutors said they dont have plans to charge her.

On September 8, 2023, and September 12, 2023, the prosecution informed the NYPD that the People would decline to prosecute any charges brought by the NYPD against [the woman] related to the belated allegations made by defendant, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Majors legal defense team has also demanded that authorities turn over potential evidence that prosecutors insist does not exist, including a 911 call from the scene. Majors lawyers allegedly asserted that a New York Police Department patrol car responded to the scene that night. However, prosecutors said they confirmed that the NYPD simply pulled over a taxi over an incident wholly unrelated to this case.

Prosecutors have accused the defense team of disseminating video surveillance footage they claimed prosecutors had buried, showing the woman completely unharmed after the alleged assault. However, prosecutors now say that the video the defense team referred to was deprived of

crucial context.

The defense had argued that the video constituted Brady material, or evidence that could be favorable or exculpatory to Majors, a claim prosecutors contradicted.

The surveillance video referred to by the defense actually shows Ms. Jabbari

visibly upset, crying, and seeking help from strangers to get an Uber cab home, prosecutors said. The fact that Ms. Jabbari did not disclose that she was a victim of domestic violence to three strangers is not Brady material.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Related...
Jonathan Majors, looks backs at media while leaving Manhattan Criminal court after his pre trial hearing on August 03, 2023 in New York City.



Jonathan Majors , looks backs at media while leaving Manhattan Criminal court after his pre trial hearing on August 03, 2023 in New York City.

Things arent looking too good for Marvels big bad star Jonathan Majors, as it was decided that his domestic dispute case would move forward and go to trial in November.



The ruling was handed down by a New York judge who, during a hearing on Wednesday, rejected Majors teams motion to dismiss the charges and the case in its entirety. Trial for the Ant-Man actor is set for Nov. 29, per The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, Majors team also filed a motion under seal to request that certain evidentiary matter continue to be under seal, outside of public view. They allege that the evidentiary matter contains sensitive information that could pose a risk to Majors right to a fair trial.

Read more

In response to that, the prosecutorial team fired back and alleged that the NYPD actually first told Majors team they had authorized an I-Card for Jabbaris arrest on June 23, but that police did not inform them until late August. They also argued that the alleged wanted posterwhich they claim was issued in connection with the I-Cardfeatured a photo of Jabbari provided by the defense, disproving Majors teams argument that they werent aware of the I-Cards existence.

For additional context, news of the I-Cards issuance and subsequent deactivationwhich authorizes authorities to bring someone in for questioning under probable causewas made public per a sworn affidavit and domestic incident report obtained by Insider back in June. With the deactivation in place, this means Majors accuser wont be investigated or arrested for the time beingdespite NYPD allegedly saying that they had probable cause for arrest. Majors legal team has since filed a cross-complaint against her and has maintained his innocence since the beginning.

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.
NEW BEDFORD  The man first convicted in 2012 for the 2010 stabbing death of a New Bedford man was found guilty and sentenced for a third time on Monday, after successful appeals of two prior convictions.

Jonathan Keith Niemic, now 35, was convicted in Fall River Superior Court of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. With time served counting toward that end, he'll be eligible for a hearing in about two years.

On Oct. 20, 2010, Niemic stabbed 34-year-old Michael Correia to death outside of the Trinity Church soup kitchen at 636 Purchase St. in New Bedford during an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting Correia was attending there.

Michael Correia, seen here with his daughter Aaliyah, was stabbed to death in October 2010 outside of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in New Bedford. He was 34.

According to Correia's sister Angie DeBortoli, while incarcerated, Niemic had heard Correia was dating a woman he had been romantically involved with, and the stabbing was an act of revenge.

Correia's family dissatisfied with trial's outcome

DeBortoli says her family is disappointed with the second degree murder conviction.

"The first two trials he got first degree, and in the second one the jury added 'premeditated,'" DeBortoli said, adding she believes the prosecution was unfairly restricted in what could be presented to jurors in the third trial.

Get some background: Killer's son charged in fatal stabbing

In accordance with Massachusetts law, first degree murder entails a life sentence without possibility of parole.

According to DeBortoli, Niemic's defense argued in the two appeals that the prosecution had been "playing on the heartstrings of the jurors" by describing Correia's death in the arms of his father.

"Any human being is going to have feelings over this," DeBortoli said.

13 years of reliving Correia's loss

DeBortoli says her family considers Niemic's reduced charge as particularly egregious given the number of times they've had to relive their loss since 2010.

"I think it's important to shed light on the SJC's decision-making on appeals," she said. "This is horrible for families to have to sit through three trials."

Check this out: At 50 years old, Riccardi's is still doing things the old southern Italian way

What's more, DeBortoli said, is that Niemic's father is incarcerated  also for a stabbing death  and there's always the possibility that the two will be reunited in prison.

"So he could end up with his own father," she said, "but we're never going to see my brother again."

Correia's daughter, who was four-years-old at the time of her father's death, is now 18, DeBortoli said.

"He'll probably try for another appeal," she said of Niemic.

DA Quinn thanks Correia's family for 'perseverance, patience and dignity'

I am pleased the jury held the defendant accountable for the senseless murder of Michael Correia," said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn in a written statement. "Id especially like to thank the victims family for their perseverance, patience and dignity through the lengthy court process that involved two retrials. I hope this brings them some measure of closure for this extraordinarily difficult ordeal.

"Id also like to thank the prosecution teamBill McCauley, MaryClare Cushing and Deb Almeida  for their efforts and perseverance during many court proceedings over the last 13 years. A lot of time and sacrifice went into obtaining justice for the victim and his family.

McCauley, as DeBortoli noted, is known for his work in the 2015 murder conviction of ex-Patriots player Aaron Hernandez.

*Editor's note: A photo caption that appears within this article has been updated to correctly state that Aaliyah is Michael Correia's daughter.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Man convicted in 2010 New Bedford stabbing murder for third time
Palestinian rescuers carry the body of a victim out of the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis (Mahmud HAMS)

Jordan's Queen Rania accused Western leaders of a "glaring double standard" for not condemning Israel's killing of Palestinian civilians in its bombardment of Gaza, in an interview aired Wednesday.

The royal, born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait, blasted Western nations for opposing a blanket ceasefire and said their silence gave the impression they were "complicit" in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

"The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the world's reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world," she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

"When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack," she said of the day when Hamas militants began a rampage that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped more than 220 others, Israeli officials say.

"But what we're seeing in the last couple of weeks, we're seeing silence in the world."

Israel has responded with relentless air strikes on the tiny Palestinian territory which Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says have killed 6,546 people, mostly civilians and many of them children.

It has also imposed a total siege on Gaza's 2.4 million residents who are facing a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis, the United Nations says.

- 'The silence is deafening' -

"Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but it's OK to shell them to death?" Queen Rania asked.

Many Western governments have repeatedly and publicly voiced their support for Israel while also urging it to respect international law.

Queen Rania said of the West's refusal to back a ceasefire that "the silence is deafening and, to many in our region, it makes the Western world complicit through their support and through the cover that they give Israel".

Israel and its allies have so far rebuffed calls for a blanket ceasefire, which the White House has said would only benefit Hamas.

The United States last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for a "humanitarian pause" in the raging Israel-Hamas conflict, saying the text did not recognise Israel's right to defend itself.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday spoke of "epic suffering" in Gaza, and said there had been "clear violations of international law".

Guterres sparked a furious reaction from Israeli diplomats when he said that the Hamas attack "did not happen in a vacuum".

That sentiment was shared by Queen Rania, who told CNN that it was wrong to say the conflict started on October 7.

"This is a 75-year-old story; a story of overwhelming death and displacement to the Palestinian people. It is a story of an occupation under an apartheid regime," she said.

When pressed on that claim, Rania cited international human rights organisations which have previously accused Israel of apartheid.

Israel responded to a 2022 Amnesty International report which said it was perpetrating apartheid by calling Amnesty a "radical organisation", and saying the country was "a democracy committed to international law".

kt/gd/ysm/dcp/srm
Queen Rania of Jordan argued the western world is complicit in the casualties in Gaza, pointing to the seemingly widespread support of Israel in its fight against militant group Hamas following the groups bloody attack against the Jewish State earlier this month.

This is the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a cease-fire, Rania said in an interview with CNN. So the silence is deafening and to many in our religion, it makes the western world complicitthrough their support and through the cover that they give Israel that its just right to defend itself.

Calling the western worlds support of Israel a glaring double standard, Rania, who is of Palestinian descent herself, said many in the Arab world perceive the support as aiding and abetting the mass killings of civilians in Gaza.

Ranias criticism of the western worlds reaction comes amid Israels bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamass surprise attack on Israel earlier this month that killed over 1,400 people, including hundreds of civilians.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and several other countries, and has since launched hundreds of air strikes into Gaza and cut off the territorys food, water, medicine and fuel supply.

The United States has largely supported Israels pledge to eliminate Hamas, which controls Gaza, in response to the attacks, drawing a parallel to Americas war on terror after the 9/11 attacks.

The world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attacks that happened, Rania said. But when we look, were seeing the last couple of weeks, we haventwere seeing silence in the world. Countries that are just expressing concern or acknowledging the causalities, but always with the preface of declaration of support for Israel.

Over 5,700 Palestinians in besieged Gaza have been killed in the conflict, including over 2,300 children, 1,200 women and 295 elderly people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Over 16,200 are wounded as hospitals warn of collapse in the wake of low supplies, Gaza officials said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, over 1 million Palestinians were ordered to flee their homes in the north and head south in the wake of a potential ground attack by Israeli forces.

The rising deaths of Gaza civilians coupled with a quickly dwindling supply of basic resources have sparked calls for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

While vowing unwavering support to Israel, Biden has also addressed the deepening humanitarian crisis and announced a U.S.-brokered deal while in Tel Aviv last week that allowed for a small shipment of aid to enter Gaza.

Two aid convoys carrying food, water, and medical supplies were permitted to enter Gaza over the weekend using the Rafah crossing with Egypt, though humanitarian leaders have stressed more aid is needed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Manchester, N.H.  Judd Gregg , a former Republican governor and congressman from New Hampshire, boosted Nikki Haley's 2024 campaign Tuesday, endorsing the former South Carolina governor and describing her as a candidate "in the tradition of Ronald Reagan."

"New Hampshire, because of our unique and appropriate role as the 'first in the nation,' has a special obligation to our party and to the country to select a strong leader," Gregg, who was a staple in Granite State politics for more than 30 years, wrote in a Union Leader op-ed. "In choosing Nikki Haley, New Hampshire can once again fulfill that responsibility."

Gregg was a member of the U.S. House during the Reagan years from 1981 to 1989. After that, he was governor of New Hampshire between 1989 and 1993, and then served in the U.S. Senate until 2011.

His endorsement comes just a day after current Republican Gov. Chris Sununu appeared at campaign events across the state with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Haley's leading rivals in the race.

Oct 12, 2023; Exeter, NH, USA; Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during the Seacoast Media Group and USA TODAY Network 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Town Hall Forum held in the historic Exeter Town Hall in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Sununu, who positioned himself as DeSantis' ambassador to the state, has appeared with numerous candidates and has yet to make an endorsement in the contest. Among the key deciding factors informing that decision will be a candidate's electability, he told a crowd of voters at a DeSantis town hall Tuesday in Rye, New Hampshire

Gregg echoed a similar sentiment while outlining his support for Haley, who served as a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Donald Trump.

"We need a presidential candidate who can win! Nikki Haley is an exceptionally strong leader. She has the vitality, ability, experience, and character to bring not only our party together but importantly the nation together," the 76-year-old argued.

The latest USA TODAY/Suffolk University survey showed Haley's support rising across the country, with 11% of registered voters who plan to vote in GOP primaries or caucuses now backing her. That's up from 4% in a June poll and just 1 point below DeSantis.

Haley in a statement said she's "honored to have Gregg's support. As a governor and senator, he fought for fiscal responsibility that always put taxpayers first. Together, well fight for a strong and proud America!

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Judd Gregg, a former governor and senator, is backing Nikki Haley
Judge Engoron denied a request from Chris Kise , one of Donald Trump s attorneys, who asked for former presidents New York fraud trial to be postponed because members of the attorney generals legal team have tested positive for COVID. Kise said he was sitting away from the AGs table Tuesday to avoid catching COVID and complained about his opponents lack of notification, saying that the leading candidate for president of the United States in this courtroom today, and griping I don't think we should really be here today. Another Trump lawyer, Alina Habba , said she did not want to use the same microphone as the AGs office. Judge Engoron said that the trial would proceed as planned, clapping back at the request: Masks are available. We are going to proceed. A spokesperson for the AGs office said later that it had followed the CDCs guidelines, adding: if there were any concerns, defendants could wear masks today or at any point, but they have opted not to.

Read it at Raw Story

Read more at The Daily Beast.
A New York judge fined Donald Trump $10,000 (8,250) over remarks he had made to the press earlier on Wednesday.

Mr Trump had accused the judge and the person "sitting alongside him" of being "very partisan".

Judge Arthur Engoron found those comments violated a gag order against speaking about court staff during his civil trial for business fraud.

In an unscheduled hearing, Judge Engoran called the former president to the stand.

The judge asked Mr Trump to explain who he was referring to when he told the press that Mr Engoron was a "very partisan judge, with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is."

"You and Cohen," Mr Trump replied, referring to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who was testifying against him that day

"Are you sure you didn't mean the person" sitting to his side, Judge Engoron asked, meaning his clerk.

"Yes, I'm sure," Mr Trump said.

"As the trier of fact, I find the witness is not credible," Judge Engonon said, before allowing Mr Trump to step down.

The tense exchange took place in the midst of a high-stakes civil trial that could see Mr Trump lose some of his most iconic real-estate assets, and his ability to lead the organisation that he founded in the state of New York. Judge Engoron had previously ruled the Trump Organization committed fraud, and the current trial is focused on additional charges.

The former president was already under a gag order from Mr Engoron because he had posted disparaging comments about the same clerk in early October. When he had discovered the comments were still up on Mr Trump's campaign website several days later, Mr Engoron had issued a $5,000 fine and a warning to Mr Trump.

The judge saw Mr Trump's comments today as a further attack on this clerk.

Mr Trump's lawyers, Chris Kise and Alina Habba, attempted to dissuade the bench, arguing Mr Trump was actually referring to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who was on the witness stand that day.

Ms Habba at one point implied the judge was being unfair to their side.

The "influence happening from the bench is completely inappropriate," she said.

While Judge Engoron briefly reconsidered his decision, Mr Trump's lawyers were ultimately unsuccessful and the fine was issued, with the judge warning the next violation would incur a more serious punishment.

"Don't do it again or it will be worse," he said.

While Mr Trump has been subdued in his court appearances, letting his lawyers do most of the arguing, he has relentlessly attacked the judges and other players in his various criminal and civil trials this year in social media and public remarks.

He has called Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting him for his attempts to overturn the election results in the state of Georgia, a "rabid partisan" and ran an ad that claimed she had a relationship with a gang member she was prosecuting.

In the federal election interference case, Trump has called the presiding judge, Tanya Chutkan, a "biased, Trump Hating Judge" on social media. Judge Chutkin issued a gag order of her own on 16 October forbidding Mr Trump from disparaging court staff, witnesses, and prosecutors involved in that case. The American Civil Liberties Union has called her gag order "unconstitutional".

Trump has also called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is pursuing yet another case against him, a "Racist in Reverse".

The fines issued by Mr Engoron are the most significant rebuke to Mr Trump's conduct yet. But it remains to be seen whether Mr Trump, who has used these court appearances to fundraise and bolster support among his voting base, will change his strategy.
In a shocking turn of events, the New York judge presiding over Donald Trumps bank fraud trial ordered the former president to testify Wednesday over an insult Trump threw at the judges law clerk.

After a brief testimony by Trump, Justice Arthur F. Engoron formally called him out.

As the trier of fact, I find that the witness is not credible, that he was referring to my law clerk, who is sitting much closer to me, who doesnt have a barrier, he said. I hereby fine you $10,000, which is on the liberal side, to be paid within 30 days.

During a court break earlier in the day, Trump held an impromptu press conference outside the courtroom in which he complained about the person whos very partisan sitting alongside of [the judge], an oblique reference to attorney Allison Greenfield, who advises the judge on the case.

Judge Fines Trump, Threatens Prison Time for Blatantly Violating Gag Order

Immediately after that, Engoron warned Trumps lawyers that he was in clear violation of the gag order imposed at the very start of the trial. Defense attorney Christopher Kise claimed that Trump was actually referring to the witness, Trumps sworn enemy and former lawyer Michael Cohen. The judge said hed take the matter under advisement.

However, when trial continued after a lunch break, Engoron held a surprise hearing in which he ordered Trump to take the witness standmarking the first time the real estate tycoon has done so in his ongoing legal troubles.

After a visibly perturbed Trump was sworn in, Engoron asked him who he was referring to when he directed his anger at the very partisan person sitting next to the judge.

Are you sure you didnt mean on the other side of me, my principal law clerk? Engoron asked.

Yes, actually, Trump said, sticking to his story.

Engoron probed further, asking Trump if he had previously referred to the law clerk as a partisan Democrat?

She may be unfair. I think shes very biased against us. I think we made that clear we put up a picture, and you didnt want that up we didnt necessarily agree with that... and we didnt take it down, Trump replied.

Trumps Revenge: Former President's Lawyers Go After Michael Cohen for Perjury

But Engoron wouldnt buy it.

As you can see, my principal law clerk is very close to me, Engoron said. You and I see can see each other, were close, but were not as close, clearly. And theres a barrier between us.

Dont you always refer to Michael Cohen as Michael Cohen? Engoron pressed on.

No, Trump shot back.

Engoron, clearly frustrated, frowned as he moved his tongue under his cheek.

The witness is excused, I have no further questions, he said.

Thank you, sir, Trump said, then walked out of the witness box.

Engoron then issued his ruling, which sparked protests from Kise and fellow defense attorney Alina Habba.

I think thats a dangerous place to go, not just with the sanction but with the trial, Kise warned.

The judge said he wouldnt reconsider, and started up the trial again.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The judge in Donald Trump's New York fraud trial has threatened the former president with sanctions again.

He verbally attacked a law clerk in what the judge called a "blatant" violation of his gag order.

"I'm very protective of my staff," the judge said.

The judge in Donald Trump's New York fraud trial has threatened the former president with sanctions  again  after he verbally attacked the judge's law clerk for a second time in what the judge is now calling a "blatant" and "dangerous" repeat violation of his gag order.

The last time the judge admonished Trump for a gag-order violation  fining him $5,000 just five days ago  he warned the former president that if he did it again, he would risk additional fines, a contempt of court ruling, and even imprisonment.

Speaking with apparent anger and impatience in his Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday, the judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, read from an Associated Press story that quoted something Trump had just said during a mid-morning break in testimony by key state witness Michael Cohen.

"This judge is a very partisan judge," Trump was quoted by the AP as saying, "with a person who is very partisan sitting right beside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is." Engoron's principle law clerk, Allison Greenfield, sits some three feet to the judge's right.

"I'm very protective of my staff," the judge said. "I don't want anybody killed," he said, emphasizing the word.

"I'll ask again," the judge then told Trump's lawyers, who sat with Trump at the defense table. "Why should there not be severe sanctions for this blatant, dangerous, disobeyment of a judicial order?"

The judge did not ask Trump's lawyers for an immediate answer to that question, although the team's lead defense attorney, Christopher Kise, raised the possibility that Trump was referring to Cohen, whose seat on the witness stand is some ten feet to the judge's left.

Instead, Trump's former fixer, Cohen was brought back into the courtroom for a continuation of his cross-examination by Trump's lawyer Alina Habba.

"By 'the person sitting alongside of him,'" the judge said, sounding skeptical of Kise's theory as Cohen was summoned back to the courtroom, "how I would interpret that is my principle law clerk."

Engoron had issued the limited gag order  barring anyone in the case from publicly disparaging any member of his legal team  on October 3, during the first week of trial.

The gag was necessary, the judge explained at the time, because Trump had repeatedly "disparaged" the law clerk on social media, falsely calling her "Schumer's girlfriend."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Premier Li kicks off trip to Kyrgyzstan, attend SCO meeting

09:40, October 25, 2023 By Wang Qi and Wang Cong ( Global Times

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday starts his four-day trip to Kyrgyzstan, attending the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Bishkek, and paying an official visit to Kyrgyz Republic from October 24 to 27, at the invitation of Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic.

It's Li's first visit to Kyrgyzstan since taking office earlier this year, and also the second visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years, which Chinese experts viewed as a crucial occasion in promoting the implementation of outcomes reached by leaders in China-Central Asia Summit, further expanding bilateral trade, as well as accelerating regional connectivity projects represented by the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

Besides, from the possible topics to be discussed, experts said it's not difficult to find that the SCO, of which Central Asian countries are the main members, no longer only emphasizes the traditional security affairs, but it's also developing in a comprehensive way by involving economic and trade, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, so as to make the region more closely linked, promoting stability and prosperity. Against the rising conflicts and tensions in other parts of the world, the SCO has innovated a path of regional security cooperation and integrated development, providing a reference for other regions, the experts said.

Promoting tangible progress

According to a readout sent to the Global Times from the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan to China, Premier Li will meet with Japarov, and the parties will discuss issues of political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as well as in other areas of cooperation. During the visit, a number of bilateral documents in various areas of cooperation will be signed.

In a recent press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Li's visit will "further deepen the high-level political mutual trust between our two countries, boost all-round cooperation, and promote substantive and tangible progress in our comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era."

Zhu Yongbiao, an expert in Central Asia studies in Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the meeting between Li Qiang and Kyrgyzstan leaders will aim at promoting the implementation of the agreements reached between the two heads of state during the China-Central Asia Summit.

During a meeting of the heads of state on the sidelines of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an in May, China and Kyrgyzstan announced the elevation of the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. The two sides signed multiple bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as economy and trade, industries and investment, customs, agriculture, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Another important aspect is likely about regional connectivity, according to Zhu, "the two sides will discuss accelerating the construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and even also the planning railway connecting Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan."

The construction of the cross-border railway network will further diversify the connectivity between China and Central Asia, and safety, reliability, and stability of the connection will be dramatically improved as well, Zhu said.

The two sides are also expected to discuss further expansion of bilateral trade, Zhu said. He noted that Kyrgyzstan's agricultural and primary processed products have grown considerably in trade with China over the past few years, and there's potential for further growth.

China is Kyrgyzstan's top trading partner. Official data shows that in 2022 China-Kyrgyzstan trade amounted to $15.5 billion, an increase of 105.6 percent year-on-year. Two-way trade between China and Kyrgyzstan in the first eight months in 2023 has reached $12 billion, with a year-on-year surge of 27.9 percent, according to media reports.

Positive force

The trip to Bishkek also covers Premier Li Qiang's first attendance to the Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO Member States.

Established in 2001, the SCO consists of nine members that cover more than 40 percent of the world's population: Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Iran.

Analysts said that for China, Central Asia is a key strategic corridor, whether it is the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe railway express, as well as China's participation in the construction of the Trans-Caspian International transport route. Central Asia is also an important source of oil and gas resources and has a special position in ensuring China's energy security.

The multilateral security-focused forum has enhanced solidarity and mutual trust among member states, and played an important role in safeguarding the security and stability on the Eurasian continent. Now, the SCO is covering more.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry, Premier Li together with other participating leaders will follow through on the consensus reached at the summit in July, have in-depth exchange of views on the SCO Development Strategy and formulate concrete measures on cooperation in such areas as security, economy and trade, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.

Although the SCO meeting will still emphasize the strengthening of regional security cooperation, which is the initial function of the SCO, it is not difficult to find that the SCO is becoming more comprehensive and multi-dimensional, as it's no longer confined to the traditional security areas, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Through its public goods in the areas of trade, economic and cultural exchanges, the SCO is becoming more capable in bringing about closer connectivity among all parties, thereby realizing lasting peace, prosperity and stability in the region in a manner different from that of the past, Li noted.

"This is also a positive force for world stability and development in an increasingly complex and strained geopolitical landscape," the expert added.

Under the principles of "mutual trust, mutual benefit, equal rights, consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and aspiration towards common development," the SCO has created a new path of regional security cooperation and integrated development, which also serves as a reference for other regions of the world, Zhu said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
FILE - This screen grab taken from police body cam video shows Philadelphia Police Officer Mark Dial with his weapon drawn at Eddie Irizarry on Aug. 14, 2023 in Philadelphia. A judge has reinstated all charges, including a murder count, against the former officer who shot and killed the driver through a rolled-up car window  a confrontation police initially described as the officer shooting the driver after he lunged at him with a knife outside the car. Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom ruled Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 after a hearing that the facts of the case should be established at a trial. (Philadelphia Police Department via AP, File)

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A judge on Wednesday reinstated all charges, including a murder count, against a former police officer who shot and killed a driver through a rolled-up car window  a confrontation police initially described as the officer shooting the driver after he lunged at him with a knife outside the car.

Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom agreed with prosecutors that the facts of the case should be established at trial.

Former officer Mark Dial, 27, was charged with murder, manslaughter, official oppression and four other counts in the Aug. 14 shooting death of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop. Defense lawyers argued the officer could have feared for his life because he thought Irizarry had a gun, and a municipal court judge dismissed the case last month for lack of evidence.

Prosecutors quickly appealed, asking for the charges to be reinstated. The family of Irizarry, who was Hispanic, has said Dial, who is white, took an innocent life and should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Dial, who bowed his head after Judge Ransom issued her ruling from the bench, was taken into custody without bail.

The defense is "obviously extremely disappointed, Dial's lawyer, Brian McMonagle, said outside court, but he added we cant wait to go to trial. The facts here are undeniable. Mark Dial did not commit a crime.

Irizarry's aunt, Zoraida Garcia, who ducked out of the courtroom just before the ruling because she feared becoming too emotional, said, Today, I see that justice is being served. Hes going to jail.

Another aunt, Ana Cintron, 50, said she was glad the judge decided the case should go to trial.

I think we needed that as a family, we need that as a community, just to build up the trust, because a lot of the times its lost. Something like this really made us think twice, she said.

Dial and his partner have said they followed Irizarrys car after it sped past them at high speed in a bike lane and rounded a corner, driving erratically and finally going the wrong way on a residential street before pulling into a parking space. Police body camera footage showed Dial firing a total of six rounds about seven seconds after getting out of a police SUV and walking over to the sedan. The footage also showed Irizarry holding a knife near his right leg.

Dials partner, Officer Michael Morris, previously testified he saw the driver holding a knife with a black metal handle that could have looked like a gun and the man started to raise it as Dial approached, and he screamed that he had a knife, although he could not remember his exact words. On cross-examination, McMonagle played surveillance video with audio he said sounded like someone saying gun and then Morris saying gun, knife and Morris agreed.

Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco, however, argued Wednesday that a trial was needed to determine what was said and by whom as well as a number of other facts in the case that are in dispute. She said the defense refers to the case as a tragedy," suggesting something bad happened but nobody did anything wrong  but Mark Dial did something horribly wrong.

At that earlier hearing, McMonagle had argued Dial was firing while trying to take cover in the belief the driver was armed with a gun. He said the charges should never have been filed by District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat and longtime civil rights lawyer who has clashed with police since taking office in 2018.

Police initially claimed Dial shot Irizarry outside the vehicle after he lunged at police with a knife, but were forced to backtrack after then-Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said a review of the officers body-worn cameras made it very clear that what we initially reported was not actually what happened.

Dial, a five-year member of the force, was suspended after officials said he refused to cooperate with investigators. Police said Dial was fired Sept. 18.

After Municipal Judge Wendy Pew dismissed the charges Sept. 27, a wave of flash mob-style ransacking of stores erupted in parts of the city, with masked people carrying out merchandise. Apple, Lululemon and Foot Locker outlets were among the stores targeted in the downtown business corridor.

Thieves targeted other parts of the city as well, ransacking pharmacies, a hair salon, a cellphone store and at least 18 state-run liquor outlets, resulting in the closure of all 48 stores in the city and one in a neighboring suburb.

Scores of people have since been charged with crimes such as burglary, theft, conspiracy and riot in the mayhem, which authorities said was fueled by social media. Those doing the ransacking were not affiliated with earlier protests, Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford has said, calling those responsible a bunch of criminal opportunists.

McMonagle told reporters Wednesday he might seek to have the trial moved out of Philadelphia, citing various comments by the mayor and other public officials as evidence Dial might not be able to get a fair trial in the city. The district attorneys office declined comment until such time as we are back in court with the defendant.
An Ohio police officer shot and killed a familys dog while responding to a domestic violence call last week.

Canton police officers were called Thursday to help break up a family fight, according to WJW in Cleveland.

>> 2-year-old dead after being hit by tractor in Ohio

I need the police down here... right now... because if youre not, youre gonna be calling the coroner, a 911 caller told police dispatchers in a call obtained by WOIO in Cleveland.

The caller said he was in a fight with his son-in-law.

When officers arrived, a woman and her three children were standing in the front yard with a dog. Body camera video obtained by WOIO and WJW showed multiple officers telling the woman to take the dog inside.

The video then showed the dog, a Cane Corso named Bella, running in the direction of an officer. It was then that an officer fired three shots at the dog.

You just shot my dog, the woman cried out, according to WOIO.

The officer said in an incident report that he felt threatened by the dog at that moment, WJW reported.

>> Charges dropped against man accused of shooting, killing man in front of grandchildren

The officers attempted to treat the dog, but it died from its injuries.

Canton Police Chief John Gabbard told WJW that the incident was under review by their departments Office of Professional Standards.

Unfortunately, police officers frequently have to respond to unpredictable, volatile situations and address threats of all kinds in order to preserve public safety. I have viewed the video and find it heartbreaking. The fact that these difficult situations are inherent in the nature of police work makes them no less devastating to everyone involved, including the officers, Gabbard said.
Police investigating the disappearance of man from south London now believe he may have been murdered.

Justin Henry, 34, was last seen on CCTV on 15 October at a McDonald's drive-through in Croydon.

His car was seen recorded on CCTV later that evening near Crystal Palace. It is thought another person was driving the vehicle.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap in relation to the disappearance.

She has been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in mid-January 2024, the Met said.

Mr Henry's family say it was out of character for him to have not made contact.

Det Ch Insp Matt Coop, from the Met Police, said that all the circumstances and evidence pointed to a potential murder.

He said: "You can only imagine how devastating this will be for all those who love and care for him. I know his loved ones will still be hoping and praying that Justin will still be found safe and well.

"However, the absence of any proof that Justin is alive, the circumstances around his disappearance, which his family say is totally out of character, and forensic evidence we have gathered, all suggest that he has come to serious harm and may have been murdered.

"Along with his family, we sincerely hope this is not the case, and that is why we are reaching out to the public to help us find out what has happened to him.

"Please think about the anguish of Justin's family and if you have any information that could assist, contact us."

Witness appeal

At about 21:50 BST on 15 October, Justin was seen on CCTV buying food at the McDonald's drive-through.

Police then believe the car, a silver Mercedes E Class, was driven to a nearby location for two and a half hours.

The Mercedes was later found in Kingswood Drive, near Crystal Palace. Police say it is unclear who was driving the vehicle when it arrived there due to indistinct CCTV images, but Mr Henry's family said it was not him.

Anyone with information can call the police on 101 or leave information anonymously by calling CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk
Rashid Temrezov, Head of Russias Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, has awarded Adam, the son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov , with the highest state award of the republic, For Merit to the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic Order. Earlier, Adam Kadyrov, 15, appeared on video, beating a man. This is the teenager's third award after an assault on a prisoner.

Source: Temrezov on Telegram; The Insider

Details: The award was given to Kadyrov's son for "personal contribution to the development of international and interregional unity, strengthening of traditional Islamic values."

Temrezov called Adam "a true patriot of his small homeland, Chechnya and his Motherland", and Ramzan Kadyrov  his "brother and colleague".

It was reported on 24 October that the head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, personally presented Kadyrov Jr. with the republic's second most important award, the Duslyk ("Friendship") order.

The ceremony took place after Azat Khamayev, a member of the Tatarstan State Council from the United Russia party, disapproved of the beating of Nikita Zhuravel from Volgograd in the Grozny pre-trial detention centre.

Minnikhanov stated that Khamayev's words do not express the position of the republic's Muslims, and Khamayev ultimately apologised "for his emotional statement."

In early October, Ramzan Kadyrov awarded his son the highest title of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Chechnya.

Background:

On 25 September, Kadyrov posted a video of his son Adam beating Nikita Zhuravel, who was arrested for burning the Koran in Volgograd.

Contrary to Russian law, Zhuravel's case was transferred to Chechnya for investigation, and Zhuravel himself was moved to the Grozny pre-trial detention centre.

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A Kansas City man who prosecutors say spent six seconds inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Wednesday in federal court.

Angelo Pacheco, who was charged in July with four misdemeanors, pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. The plea hearing was held via video conference in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 30. He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail, a $5,000 fine and five years probation. He also must pay $500 restitution for damage to the Capitol. The government says rioters caused more than $2.9 million in damage overall.

In exchange for Pachecos guilty plea, the government dropped the other misdemeanor charges: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.

Pacheco is the 23rd Missouri defendant to be convicted in a Capitol riot case. Of those, 17 have been sentenced. The cases of 11 other Missourians are ongoing.

Pacheco, 23, was arrested July 17 in Kansas City, according to court documents, 2  years after the Jan. 6 breach and during a period when the massive Capitol riot investigation had picked up the pace. The number of arrests now stands at more than 1,185, on charges ranging from demonstrating in a Capitol building to seditious conspiracy.

A statement of offense signed by Pacheco says that he traveled to Washington from Kansas City to attend the Stop the Steal rally to protest Congress certification of the Electoral College. After the rally, it said, he marched to the Capitol with other protesters.

While on the Capitol grounds, the statement said, Pacheco climbed scaffolding put in place for the presidential inauguration, then made his way to the Upper West Terrace of the building.

At 2:39 p.m., Pacheco entered the Capitol building through the Upper West Terrace door, it said. After seeing police presence down the hallway, Pacheco turned around and exited the building through the same door approximately six seconds later.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the FBI received a tip from someone who said that Pacheco was on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. The source did not know Pacheco, the affidavit said, but identified him by comparing photos on Pachecos Facebook and Instagram pages with images from that day.

An FBI agent then found social media posts showing Pacheco on the Capitol grounds and scaffolding, the affidavit said. The agent also reviewed Capitol surveillance video footage that showed Pacheco standing in the doorway on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol around 2:37 p.m., it said.

Two minutes later, it said, he entered the building, then quickly left through the same door.

The affidavit said two FBI agents interviewed Pacheco at his home on Sept. 29, 2022. During the interview, it said, Pacheco admitted to being at the Capitol on Jan. 6 but said he did not remember entering the building.

An agent interviewed Pacheco again on May 17, 2023, the affidavit said, this time in his attorneys office. During the interview, the agent showed Pacheco six images from social media.

Pacheco identified himself in all six images shown to him, the affidavit said.

And this time, the agent wrote, He said that he remembered entering the Capitol.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Hundreds of people around the Kansas City metro donated and helped pack up supplies for people affected by the growing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

I defiantly had to take a break at some point, said Hannah Smuckler while she helped gather supplies at the KU Hillel.

Her family is safe in Jerusalem but only after getting away from dangerous areas in Israel earlier in the conflict.

I think its very important to do whatever we can here in America to help everyone back in Israel, Smuckler said. Especially, I know so many people living there being so severely affected by everything thats going on.

Google and Apple disable map functions in Israel, Gaza Strip as invasion looms

Athletes for Israel helped pull it all together and founder Daniel Posner says similar efforts are happening on other campuses. His organization was formed to teach more people about Israel by bringing athletes and teams to the country. Now those trips are up in the air.

Nows the time to help out, to make a difference, Posner said. And students, especially Jewish students, feel helpless and hopeless, they want to be able to have an impact, they want to be able to help Israelis.

In Lenexa, Heart to Heart International volunteers did essentially the same work, packaging similar supplies to also send to a growing warzone.

I just really wanted to participate and really help with something, said volunteer Christina Silin. Feel like Im actually doing something.

Heart to Heart sends kits like these to the region all year long, even before the conflict started.

We have a shipment of medicines and hygiene kits that left our warehouse about four days before the war began and its still in route, said CEO Kim Carroll.

Low fuel supplies for Gazas hospital generators put premature babies in incubators at risk

That shipping container is supposed to go to the Gaza Strip but if it cant get there because of restrictions on what supplies are allowed in, Carroll says itll be redirected to the West Bank.

Other packages are going to Israel, where people are displaced, and even Lebanon where Carroll says this age-old conflict is creating relatively new challenges for the organizations trying to help.

We dont typically get wound care supplies donated to us but theres a huge need for that given the nature of the conflict right now, Carroll said.

 Download the FOX4 News app to stay updated on the go.

 Sign up for FOX4 email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on fox4kc.com for Kansas City and all of Kansas and Missouri.

If youd like to help volunteer with Heart to Heart, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Six people, including four from the Kansas City area, have been indicted for an alleged $240,000 COVID-19 pandemic fraud conspiracy.

One woman is also now facing her second conspiracy accusation.

A federal grand jury indicted 54-year-old Renetta Golden-Larimore, 31-year-old Tajona Manning and 24-year-old Tashawn Mayfield, all of Kansas City, and 25-year-old Camonte Henderson, of Raytown.

Quinniece Smith, of Dallas, Texas, and Dannisha Taylor of New Orleans, Louisiana, were also charged.

Ex-KCPD detective DeValkenaeres wife calls for governor to pardon

The grand jury returned the indictment Oct. 18, and it was unsealed and released Tuesday.

The indictment alleges all six participated in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.

The alleged scheme resulted in over $240,000 in fraudulent loans. Some were forgiven even though the funds werent used for what was specified in the application.

Court records say Golden-Larimore prepared and filed the false applications for the others. Prosecutors said she received payments between $2,000-$7,000 from the others.

The indictment also says Golden-Larimore created fake IRS forms for nonexistent businesses and inflated income for some existing businesses.

Chiefs WR Justyn Ross charged with domestic battery, criminal damage

Manning, Mayfield, Henderson, Smith and Taylor each received a PPP loan of over $20,000.

In addition to conspiracy charges, Manning, Mayfield, Henderson and Taylor have also been charged with wire fraud. Smith is facing two counts of wire fraud.

If convicted, Golden-Larimore would be required to forfeit over $75,000 to the government, and the others would be required to return their PPP loan amounts as well.

Golden-Larimore is already facing charges in another April indictment for a similar conspiracy that resulted in nearly $250,000 in fraudulent PPP loans.

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In that case, Golden-Larimore has already been charged with 12 counts of wire fraud in addition to conspiracy.

Earlier this year, federal prosecutors also announced an Olathe woman was charged in a separate but similar case. Theresa Griswold pleaded guilty to wire fraud after obtaining a fraudulent PPP loan worth $20,832.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Theres a huge disconnect between the government that Kansans want and the government Kansans get.

That probably doesnt sound all that intuitive. After all, Kansans vote for the mostly Republican, mostly conservative governance they get. If they want something different, why havent they made different choices?

I dont know the answer to that. But the disconnect is still plain to see.

We know this because the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University released its annual Kansas Speaks survey this week, and it once again tells us that theres a fairly big gap between voter desires and the leadership offered by Republicans in the Kansas Legislature.

Medicaid, marijuana, education, housing

The vast majority of Kansans  69.6%, an astonishing number  support Medicaid expansion. You probably knew that already. But legislative leaders still have their heels dug in on the issue. Forty-one states have already accepted federal dollars to extend health coverage to their poorest residents. Shamefully, Kansas remains among the laggards.

A similarly huge number, 67.2% of Kansans, support legalizing marijuana for use by adults over the age of 21. Our legislators, meanwhile, cant even bring themselves to legalize cannabis merely for compassionate medical use. Which means  as Wichita Eagle opinion editor Dion Lefler documented earlier this year  that were occasionally treated to the sight of a cancer patient being issued criminal citations in his hospital room.

A whopping 78.8% of respondents said their local high schools are important or very important to civic life in Kansas. In Topeka, though, Republicans spend their time conjuring up ways to divert tax dollars away from public education to support home and private schools.

And Kansans are hugely worried about the lack of affordable housing in the state. Nearly 72% say its a concern. Sixty percent say the shortage of such shelter is having a negative impact on their communities. And nearly 63% say they would have difficulty buying a home in the place where they live.

What do Kansas Republicans spend their time on? Passing laws to ensure our transgender neighbors cant use the bathroom or get the drivers license of their choosing.

You know: The important stuff.

Why does all of this matter? Because the issues that Kansans say they care about  the health coverage, the pain relief, the ability to have a nice home  is the stuff that makes a real difference in whether or not the states residents live well.

The stuff that Kansas Republicans focus on? Not so much.

And it matters because their refusal to listen to what voters are saying makes Kansas seem a less welcoming, less livable place to call home.

People planning to leave the state up sharply

Heres a number that astonishes me: Nineteen percent of Kansans  one-fifth of the state  say they expect to live in some other state five years from now. Thats up a mere percentage point from last years poll. And its more than double the just 9% who in the 2018 survey said they expected to eventually leave the Sunflower State.

It sure seems like we have a big problem. One that threatens our collective future.

I suspect some conservative folks will see all that last number  all those folks who think theyll have to flee  and try to place the blame on Gov. Laura Kelly, the one high-profile Democrat in state government. Be skeptical of such claims. Her priorities on Medicaid, medical marijuana and public education align with those of the Kansans who responded to the Docking Institute poll.

But she cant turn those priorities into reality without the help of the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature. And its clear that Republican leaders have other ideas.

Truth is, Kansans ought to be mad as heck about the awful, unrepresentative representation theyre getting in Topeka. We are not secretly a progressive-lefty state  much as some of us might wish otherwise  but we are much, much more moderate than our red reputation would suggest.

Its time we got a government that matches that reality.
WICHITA, Kan.  Authorities in Minnesota have arrested and charged a Wichita womans husband in her murder.

On Aug. 16, 32-year-old Betty Bowman, a Mayo Clinic pharmacist, was admitted to a hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, with severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration  similar to food poisoning. She died on Aug. 20, KSNW reports.

Ex-KCPD detective DeValkenaeres wife calls for governor to pardon

Connor Bowman (Courtesy: Olmsted County Sheriffs Office)

Bettys husband, Dr. Connor F. Bowman, a former Mayo Clinic resident, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 20, and he has been charged with second-degree murder with intent-not premeditated, in her death. His bond has been set at $5 million with no conditions.

According to court documents filed on Monday, Oct. 23, in Olmsted County, Minnesota, the medical examiner alerted the Rochester Police Department to Bettys suspicious death on Aug. 21, and her cremation was halted.

The complaint says Connor Bowman was a poison specialist at The University of Kansas Health System and answered calls regarding poisons.

Gameday in the dark: Power outage will hit entire town during Chiefs game

The health system confirmed his employment in a statement to KSNW:

Connor Bowman worked six years for The Poison Control Center at The University of Kansas Health System. The last four years he worked remotely as needed (PRN) answering calls from the public to the poison control center.

Detectives got a search warrant for his computer. The health system became aware that their device was seized.

According to the court documents, the health system provided authorities with an internet search history of Connors computer from days prior, where he allegedly researched colchicine, a drug used to treat gout.

On Aug. 11, Bowman allegedly searched websites for liquid colchicine, including sites to purchase the drug. He also conducted lethality searches, tracking packages, internet history and whether it could be used in court, according to court documents.

Chiefs WR Justyn Ross charged with domestic battery, criminal damage

On Aug. 16, samples of Bettys blood from her admission were also tested. Colchicine was detected. The medical examiner determined the cause of her death to be the toxic effects of colchicine and the manner of death to be a homicide.

While Betty was in the hospital, Connor told multiple people that she was suffering from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), according to the criminal complaint.

In her obituary, it states she died from a sudden onset autoimmune and infectious illness. Tests were done for HLH, but they were inconclusive. The medical examiner said Connor wanted Betty cremated immediately, saying that her death was natural. He attempted to cancel the autopsy, stating that his wife didnt want to be a cadaver.

Detectives said they learned from interviews that Betty was healthy and Connor said he would get $500,000 in life insurance due to her death.

Kansas news: Headlines from Wichita, Topeka and around the Sunflower State

According to the complaint, Betty and Connor were having marital issues and were talking about a divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship.

The Mayo Clinic said in a statement to KSN:

We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident on charges unrelated to his Mayo Clinic responsibilities. The residents training at Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been set up for Bettys mom to assist with memorial costs and legal costs.



For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Kayla Giles' murder conviction and sentence for the 2018 slaying of her estranged husband in the presence of her children has been upheld by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal. Pictured is Cathy Pearson, Thomas Coutee Jr.'s mother, showing off the shirt she wore to Giles' 2022 sentencing.

Kayla Giles' murder conviction and sentence for the 2018 slaying of her estranged husband in the presence of her children has been upheld by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal.

Giles was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years in April of 2022 for the Sept. 8, 2018, shooting of Thomas Coutee Jr. as the two, who were divorcing, met in an Alexandria Walmart parking lot for a child swap so Giles' two older daughters could attend the second birthday party of the couple's daughter.

She shot him once in his chest, and he died in the lot off Coliseum Boulevard.

Coutee's mother, Cathy Pearson, said the decision made her "so happy." She said the unanimous decision moved her to tears, and she was relieved to know Giles would not be getting out of prison.

Giles' attorney, Jane Hogan, had argued there were six errors in Giles' jury selection, representation, trial and sentencing.

She argued the 30-year sentence on the obstruction of justice conviction was extreme, but the three judges who heard the arguments disagreed in their decision, issued on Wednesday.

At trial, prosecutors showed Giles had given her laptop to her sister, who then turned it over to a friend of Giles'.

'She's a murderer': Kayla Giles sentenced to life plus 30 years for slaying of Thomas Coutee Jr.

Argument before 3rd Circuit: Kayla Giles' attorney argues in appeal that news coverage tainted jury pool for her trial

"The secreting of the laptop formed the basis of the charge of obstruction of justice, reads the decision. "Without evidence procured from that laptop, the state would have been hampered significantly in investigating and prosecuting the case."

The decision called Giles' choice to hide the laptop serious since it involved hiding evidence related to Coutee's murder.

"Defendant clearly killed the victim but claimed she did so in self-defense," it reads. "The research defendant conducted on her laptop called her justification claims into question, as it suggested the possibility that the murder was premeditated."

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Kayla Giles' appeal in 2018 murder of Thomas Coutee Jr. denied
One is a 27-year Air Force veteran. One learned how to walk again.

State Rep. Pamela Stevenson and Russell Coleman have had their challenges in life, and both want to fight crime as Kentucky's top law enforcement officer. But only one will emerge on Nov. 7 from a heated campaign.

Coleman charges that Stevenson doesn't have a license to practice law in Kentucky, but Stevenson's campaign notes that she served as a Judge Advocate General attorney in the Air Force. Also, a search of the Kentucky Bar Association's membership shows Stevenson's practice is temporarily authorized pending final admission to the KBA.

Meanwhile, Stevenson says Coleman's track record as U.S. attorney shows a laxed approach of letting sex offenders off on easy plea deals, but Coleman's camp has said this characterization was a "complete distortion" and "shows a lack of understanding of how to be a prosecutor."

Stevenson has the endorsement of Gov. Andy Beshear. Coleman was appointed in 2017 by then-President Donald Trump as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky and was a senior adviser and legal counsel to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

One thing both candidates have in common is a connection to Louisville.

Stevenson, 64, grew up in western Louisville before joining the Air Force and becoming a colonel. She's returned to her hometown and is a nonprofit attorney at her own law firm as well as the representative for Kentucky's 43rd District.

Coleman, 47, a Western Kentucky native who lives in Oldham County, credits the University of Louisville Health's Frazier Rehabilitation Institute with helping him learn to walk again after he became a paraplegic due to a spinal tumor in 2008, when he worked as a special agent for the FBI. He is also a partner at Louisville law firm Frost Brown Todd.

With the attorney general's role as the state's chief prosecutor and chief law enforcement officer, here's what each candidate has said about crime in the commonwealth and how they would support law enforcement's role in building a safer community. Please note that Coleman declined to be interviewed for this story.

Coleman, Stevenson say drug epidemic a priority

Both Stevenson and Coleman have called the statewide drug epidemic a top challenge.

"We have to deal with this drug epidemic," Stevenson said. "The people that are pouring drugs into this state - they need to go to jail. The people who are addicted to drugs need treatment. They need mental health services and treatment."

But while it's important for the commonwealth as a whole to move forward in addressing the drug epidemic, that doesn't mean there needs to be a blanket approach, she said.

"Not every county needs the same thing because, you know, for example, the drug epidemic affects every county differently."

With help from the attorney general's office, each county needs to develop a short-term plan and long-term plan to address the issue.

"When I was out in Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky, and I was talking to county attorneys, they would say that part of (the uptick in drug-related crimes) was when the jobs left the county," Stevenson said. "So what the long term is: We build things that families need to thrive. We come up with that plan."

She said the short-term plan would include increasing local grant funding for treatment centers.

When Coleman unveiled his campaign for attorney general last year, he emphasized a commitment to be tough on crime.

My priority is the same as President Trumps: Make America Safe Again by stopping the people who are poisoning our communities with deadly drugs and using technology to target our kids, parents and grandparents, Coleman said in his announcement. He later added he would prioritize "cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drug traffickers as Attorney General."

At a campaign stop in Owensboro, Kentucky, last year, Coleman attributed many of the local drug overdoses to drugs coming across the southern border. He said he would work with other state attorneys general to keep drugs from entering the country as well as increase collaboration between multiple entities in addressing the problem across the Commonwealth.

Stevenson, Coleman both say they back police

Coleman and Stevenson both said they want to see Kentucky's communities become safer, but how they would pursue that goal contrasts.

In his public statements, Coleman has emphasized his commitment to reduce violent crime.

"My position is simple: I believe that violent criminals belong in jail, and Ive spent much of my career putting them there," Coleman said, referencing his experience as the U.S. attorney of the Western District of Kentucky.

During his tenure in that office, Coleman said he brought every local, state and federal law enforcement agency together to take criminals off the streets.

In 2020, he told The Courier Journal he was interested specifically in reducing violent crime in Jefferson County and labeled gun violence as a large issue.

As U.S. attorney, he promoted a public safety approach in Jefferson County known as "Group Violence Intervention."

"I recognize that many in primarily minority neighborhoods feel over-policed but under-protected," Coleman said, saying this approach would address those concerns as well as build relationships between law enforcement and civilians.

In past campaign statements, he's said he will "always back the blue." His website boasts his endorsement by the FOP.

But Stevenson has also expressed support for law enforcement. She identified increasing salaries, funding and training for those agencies across Kentucky as a priority.

With these improvements, Stevenson said law enforcement will be better-equipped to handle people who are having a crisis that could endanger themselves or others.

"That's the beginning of safe neighborhoods," Stevenson said. "Everybody wants to live in a safe neighborhood. We've got to give law enforcement professionals those things so that they can begin to build trust in those neighborhoods where there is no trust."

One thing that doesn't make communities safer, in Stevenson's opinion, is the current cash bail system in Kentucky.

"It just creates an unfair bias in our justice system," Stevenson has said. "I would support the elimination of a cash bail system and help to establish a more fair and just system that also keeps Kentuckians safe."

Stevenson, Coleman nuanced on abortion laws

One of the most hotly contested issues across major state offices is abortion legislation. Currently, the commonwealth has two laws that ban nearly all abortions.

Labeling himself as the "pro-life" candidate, Coleman has said he would defend the laws as passed by the General Assembly. He's also been endorsed by major anti-abortion groups, appearing to tell Kentucky Right to Life in its questionnaire there should continue to be no exceptions for rape and incest in Kentucky's abortion bans.

Kentucky voter guides: Here's who's running in all of the races

But Coleman, just like current attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron, seems to have shifted on his stance.

"After listening to prosecutors, crime victims and my family, I believe the law should be amended to include exceptions for rape and incest in addition to the existing exception for life and health of the mother," Coleman has said.

This position breaks from the one advocated by anti-abortion groups that endorsed Coleman, including Kentucky Right to Life. That group asked the candidates directly in its questionnaire: "Do you believe that a child conceived as a result of sexual assault should be protected by the same laws protecting the lives of children conceived naturally?"

Coleman and Kentucky Right to Life have declined to share if he answered yes or no to that question, though group Executive Director Addia Wuchner has indicated the group only gives such an endorsement if a candidate answers all questions correctly.

Coleman said he aims to be an attorney general who is "both pro-life and pro-victim because part of being pro-life is being compassionate to crime victims."

Stevenson has said she believes Kentucky's abortion laws violate the constitutional right to privacy and freedom of religion. However, she said she would not use the attorney general's office "for politically motivated lawsuits that harm Kentuckians."

"I will not prosecute doctors or patients and I will not follow in my predecessors footsteps of seeking to violate the privacy each Kentuckian deserves," Stevenson said.

Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky AG hopefuls Coleman, Stevenson differ on crime, abortion
An instructor recently named Kentuckys 2024 High School Teacher of the Year has been reassigned to non-instructional duties in Jefferson County Public Schools, district spokesman Mark Hebert told the Herald-Leader Wednesday.

Hebert said he could provide no other information about Kumar Rashad.

Rashad, the 2024 High School Teacher of the Year, is a mathematics teacher at Breckinridge Metropolitan High School in Jefferson County, Kentucky Department of Education officials said when he won the award in September.

He is also a member of the Louisville Metro Council, and is running to be vice-president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association.

Rashad declined to comment to several Louisville media outlets Tuesday night including the Courier Journal.

KDE officials did not immediately comment.

According to Rashads LinkedIn account, he worked in the Herald-Leaders advertising department from 1998 to 2000.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
More than six decades after Gitu Wa Kahengeri was jailed, tortured and denied food in a British-run labour camp in Kenya, the anti-colonial fighter says he is still waiting for justice.

Now in his nineties, Gitu has ramped up his push for an apology and compensation from the British government ahead of a visit by King Charles III to the East African country next week.

Gitu left school as a teenager after a disagreement with the principal over his anti-colonial beliefs, later joining the feared Mau Mau rebels as a young man.

For nearly eight years the guerrillas -- often with dreadlocked hair and wearing animal skins -- terrorised colonial communities, launching attacks from bases in remote forests.

"We fought to be free because the colonial settlers had grabbed all the fertile land and made it their own," Gitu told AFP during an interview at his home surrounded by pineapple farms outside the town of Thika.

"The cruel... ill-treatment that was meted to the Africans by the colonial administration, I was one to suffer that."

The rolling green hills and lush forests of central Kenya -- once dubbed the "white highlands" -- were especially prized by colonial settlers, sparking bitter resentment from Gitu's ethnic Kikuyu people who were forced off the land.

Months after the rebellion kicked off in 1952, then British prime minister Winston Churchill declared a state of emergency, paving the way for a brutal crackdown.

Tens of thousands of people were rounded up and detained without trial in camps where reports of executions, torture and vicious beatings were common.

A year into the bloodshed, Gitu was arrested along with his father and sent to a remote Indian Ocean island.

"We left our children at home, suffering, having no food, having no medical care and having no education," Gitu said, recalling his seven-year detention in painstaking detail, his sharp memory belying his age.

- Horrific abuses -

More than 10,000 people died in the Mau Mau uprising, a figure some historians claim is a low estimate.

Tens of thousands of Kenyans -- many with no links to the Mau Mau -- endured harrowing treatment including torture and appalling sexual mutilation at the hands of security forces.

Buckingham Palace said Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will "acknowledge the more painful aspects" of colonial history during their four-day state visit from October 31.

"His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya," the palace said.

But the symbolism of the visit -- the first by Charles to a Commonwealth country since becoming king -- is not lost on Gitu.

"If I were given a place and a chance to speak to the king... the first question I would ask him is why did you keep silent?"

A former legislator who was elected to parliament in 1969, Gitu called on Charles to "sincerely and voluntarily" return any artefacts taken from Kenya and go beyond the public statement of regret for abuses committed.

In 2013 Britain agreed to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans who had suffered abuses during the revolt, in an out-of-court settlement worth nearly 20 million pounds (almost $25 million at today's exchange rates).

Britain also funded a memorial to all the victims in a rare example of former rulers commemorating a colonial uprising.

But Gitu said the "small settlement" had done little to alleviate the poverty endured by most Mau Mau veterans and urged the British government "to do more to cultivate the reconciliation we are looking for".

- 'Not begging' -

He also accused the Kenyan authorities of failing to give former fighters their due.

"None of the governments has looked after the freedom fighters in the way they deserved," said Gitu, who also heads a Mau Mau veterans' association.

"We are not begging, we are asking for our rights."

Kenya's founding president Jomo Kenyatta opposed the violence carried out by the Mau Mau, which created bitter divisions among communities, especially those who collaborated with colonial powers.

Surviving fighters have accused successive Kenyan governments of neglecting them, with the group still outlawed until 2003.

In 2007, the government unveiled a statue of top Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi in Nairobi, half a century after his execution by colonial authorities.

Even as Gitu awaits a royal apology, Kenya's treatment of the Mau Mau still stings.

"It is a great loss to have lost the education of our children, the good health of our children and in the end to have lost recognition."

ho/amu/bp
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has floated an idea that would see him return to the speakership, but this time with Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, serving as assistant speaker, according to NBC News.

McCarthy declined to confirm the Hail Mary proposal when asked by Fox News' Chad Pergram on Wednesday. The reported pitch comes as Republicans have failed to fill the speaker's chair for nearly a month, with three consecutive nominees being struck down by in-fighting.

It is unclear whether the latest nominee, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., stands a better chance than those who came before him. The first nominee, Rep. Steve Scalise , was brought down by allies of Jordan. Scalise and McCarthy's allies then crippled Jordan's nomination in turn. Finally, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., faced an all-out assault by former President Donald Trump, who opposed his nomination.

It is also unclear whether a co-speakership position is even possible, however, and one GOP lawmaker told NBC that the McCarthy-Jordan idea had only come about because, "We're desperate."

WHY JORDAN COULDN'T GRAB THE SPEAKER GAVEL AFTER THREE FAILED BALLOTS

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy has floated an idea that would see him return to the speakership, but this time with Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, serving as assistant speaker, according to NBC News.

Proponents of the deal likened it to the relationship that had existed between Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as speaker and Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., as assistant speaker from 2021-2023, the outlet reported.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTE TO REMOVE JIM JORDAN AS SPEAKER NOMINEE

When Pergram asked McCarthy about the potential arrangement late Tuesday, the Republican declined to confirm it and said only that "Republicans are talking."

Republican in-fighting has led to the downfall of three GOP speaker nominees, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

If the plan were to come to fruition, however, Johnson's nomination would have to deflate first. Johnson received 128 votes in the final round of voting at an internal GOP meeting on Tuesday with Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., getting 29.

McCarthy also got 43 votes in the same round, sources told Fox News Digital.

HOUSE VOTES TO REMOVE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER IN HISTORIC FIRST

The night began with five speaker candidates making their pitches to the conference before voting began. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., was the first candidate knocked out of the running, followed by Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, in the second round of voting.

If the plan to reinstall McCarthy alongside Jordan were to come to fruition, however, Johnson's nomination would have to deflate first.

Emmer won multiple rounds of voting earlier in the day to become the partys nominee before being forced to drop his bid in the face of staunch opposition from within the conference, as well as from Trump.

Fox News' Elizibeth Elkind and Houston Keene contributed to this report.





Original article source: Kevin McCarthy floats plan returning him to Speakership with Jordan at right hand: report
Forced evacuation of families with children will be announced in 10 settlements of Kharkiv Oblast.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "We are preparing a decision on the forced evacuation of families with children from 10 settlements of Kupiansk, Kindrashivka and Kurylivka hromadas of Kupiansk district. There are 275 children. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.]

 All evacuees will be provided with housing, support and full assistance from international humanitarian organisations, and will receive one-off payments if they leave Kharkiv Oblast. If desired, evacuation to the western regions of Ukraine will be organised."

Details: Evacuation is carried out due to the shelling of frontline hromadas.

Syniehubov stressed that children can only be evacuated with at least one parent or caregiver.

The oblast military administration also recommends that civilians, primarily families with children, evacuate from Borova hromada, Izyum district, including the village of Borova. Currently, 8,900 people live there, including 844 children.

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Reconstruction works continue in Kherson Oblast after the Russian occupiers blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in June and caused huge flooding in the region.

Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "The aftermath of the flooding caused by the explosion of the Kakhovka dam is being dealt with. Crews continue to remove the debris brought by the big water' and caused by the destruction of buildings.

The Ostriv district suffered the most. Today, specialists are still working on Piatykhatska and Ozerna streets and Midnyi Lane."

Details: Kherson Oblast Military Administration stated that "no one will be left alone with the disaster".

Local authorities also reiterated: "If you need help dealing with the aftermath of flooding or hostile attacks, call the contact centre on 0800 101 102."

Background:

Read more on the topic: "We are not afraid, we have sailed home." Ukrainska Pravda on high water and evacuation in Kherson

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The two Israeli artists were visiting New York when the frantic texts and calls began: Hamas had attacked Israel, leaving a trail of grisly killings and taking hostages.

Too far away to help, the couple decided to use their street art backgrounds  designing stark red-and-black flyers bearing the word kidnapped above photos and names of the abducted, from children to the elderly.

Nitzan Mintz, 32, and the artist who goes by the name Dede Bandaid, 36, took stacks of them into Manhattan on Oct. 9 to paste them up and give them out. Few passersby, however, were interested.

Dejected, they went home, put the flyers in a public cloud storage file, posted on social media and went to bed. When we woke up, it was already going viral, Bandaid said.

A woman walks past kidnap and disappearance posters, showing recently kidnapped or missing Israelis, following the Hamas attacks on Israel, in central Paris on October 17, 2023.

The Kidnapped from Israel flyers have since become viral symbols of more than 200 Hamas hostages  plastered on walls, subways and telephone poles in cities across the U.S. and beyond, translated into 30 languages and promoted by some celebrities.

But while they have highlighted the plight of the hostages, the posters have also at times highlighted public divides over the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its complicated history.

More: A gulf of perspectives is growing among US millennials amid war in Israel

Bandaid has seen many posters torn down in his daily treks into the New York streets. It also has happened in South Florida: A dentist in Miami was fired after being filmed tearing down flyers. A New York college student drew outrage for a similar incident. And the flyers have been targeted in other U.S. cities as well as in London and Melbourne, Australia.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 6,400 have died on both sides, according to the United Nations.

Though the rationale behind tearing down posters is often unstated, Bandaid said he wants peace for all sides. The projects aim, he said, is simply to keep the hostages in the public eye and press for their release.

They can tear it down, he said. We will put it back up.

Shay Zaidenberg shows flyers of kidnapped Israelis on Sunday afternoon on the Great Lawn in West Palm Beach.

Street-art campaign goes viral

The flyers, which the creators describe as a form of guerrilla public street art, were modeled on missing-persons posters familiar to U.S. residents.

The idea came out of brainstorming sessions with Mintz and others in the wake of the attacks and was created in partnership with Israeli designers including Tal Huber, who Bandaid said was in Israel in the days after the attack, listening to rockets fly overhead. The website also credits designer Shira Gershoni.

We heard about the enormous number of people being kidnapped, and from all ages  babies, toddlers, to elderly people  just horrible, Bandaid said. We said: 'We have to do something. To put the message out there, to tell the story.'

It wasnt long before demand for the flyers crashed their public DropBox. So they created a webpage with downloadable flyers.

People attend a "Stand with Israel" vigil and rally in New York City on October 10, 2023, after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Israel said it recaptured Gaza border areas from Hamas on October 10, 2023, the fourth day of fierce fighting that has left thousands dead on both sides since the militants launched a surprise attack.

The campaign took off. People with tape and staple guns, and their own printouts of posters downloaded from the site, began spreading the flyers in cities from San Francisco to New York, as well as in Europe and South America. They became features of pro-Israel demonstrations and appeared on college campuses.

Two weeks into it, Bandaid said, about 25,000 people are visiting the site each day. It now also includes video clips of Israelis being kidnapped and video testimonials by family members of hostages.

People also made billboards and digital TV trucks with advertisements that drive around the cities like in London and Berlin, he said. It's everywhere.

Fliers drawn into public divides

The posters rapid spread has at times drawn the project into public debates surrounding the conflict.

U.S. polls have shown that while older generations remain more strongly sympathetic to Israel, millennials, and many who are younger, are almost evenly split on whether they align more with Israelis or Palestinians.

A "Kidnapped" poster on a lamppost during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

Videos of people taking the flyers down at various locations, including New York University, have fueled outrage. New York Jewish Week recently reported that flyers were torn down within minutes of going up at the Union Square subway, contributing to a heated exchange between a poster and a pro-Palestinian activist.

In Boston, a woman found ripping down posters of Israeli hostages at a shopping center has been fired from her job, the Boston Herald reported this week.

And in Miami, dentist Ahmed Elkoussa was fired after he was filmed taking down posters. ElKoussa has since contended that he removed signs because he worried they would fuel tensions.

Anything inciteful is not the answer right now, he told WPLG-TV.

After Harvard University student groups drew a fierce backlash for issuing a statement blaming the violence on Israels treatment of Palestinians, the flyers appeared all over campus.

Bandaid, too, has seen the flyer torn down as he walks the streets of New York each day, pasting up hundreds of the posters.

He knows the debate is charged, but he says the campaign is about freeing innocent hostages, seemingly something people could agree upon.

That could be their kids, their mother, their grandparents.

Kidnapped project upends artists' lives

Two weeks since it began, the project has come to consume Mintz and Bandaids daily lives, he said.

They and others talk daily with families of hostages, obtaining permissions, family photos or getting updates. Many are now reaching out to them, fearing their loved ones' plight will be forgotten.

Its a situation that we never thought we were going to be in. Were artists, and were talking to families whose world has just collapsed, he said. Theres a lot of pain.

The flyers give a powerful window into that pain. Among them: a 34-year-old mother and her two daughters, pictured smiling by the seaside. A 9-month-old Israeli-Argentinian baby, pictured holding a colorful ball. A 40-year-old Israeli, smiling in a sun hat, who was taken from a music festival.

In some ways, they were reminiscent of the missing-person flyers that appeared around New York after 9/11.

The couple stay glued to fast-moving developments. On Monday, Hamas released two women. Two days earlier, Hamas released an American-Israeli mother and daughter who had been visiting Israel from suburban Chicago.

What will happen next  as hostage families worry about what a ground invasion will mean for the captives  isnt clear. Its day by day for families of hostages and those advocating for their release, whatever means they are using.

And every day is like you don't know how it's going to start, Bandaid said. And you don't know how it's going to end.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Kidnapped from Israel' flyers of hostages are being torn down
Some drivers picked Tuesday morning as their getaway day, trying to get over Snoqualmie Pass ahead of an early winter storm that could dump snow in the mountains.

Conditions Tuesday morning were clear, cold, and dry, making the ideal driving conditions.

Jervae and Dwight Brooks, traveling from north of Seattle to Montana, took advantage of the good weather.

Jervae Brooks admitted their early start for their trip was due to the forecast.

We know about it, we were going to take our car but we decided to take the pickup because we watched the news, Jervae said.

The couple said they wanted to get across while the getting was good. They gassed up their pickup and inflated their tires to travel across Snoqualmie Pass.

Jervae said their preparations started the day before.

We went ahead and put the snow tires on so were ready for that, were going over to visit friends in Montana, Jervae said.

Dwight Brooks also dismissed the idea that they were overly concerned about the snow.

No  we lived in Minnesota, he said.

Bill Patty, a trucker, also spoke with KIRO 7 about his trip over the pass.

I will be going to Mansfield 180 miles, Bill said. I will be back over here tomorrow, Im not real concerned but we know its coming.

Conditions across Snoqualmie Pass are expected to get heavy on Tuesday and Wednesday so traveling might be more difficult as the snow piles up.
Patients first





I am a sterile processing supervisor who previously worked with Elizabeth Bell. I want to commend her for standing up for patient safety from behind the scenes. (Oct. 19, 8A, KC hospital had roaches, rusted instruments, ex-employee says) She is a voice for the sterile processing industry, and we are so lucky to have her.

Elizabeth is a dedicated and passionate professional. As a leader and manager, she helped me grow and further my own career.

She stands by best practices and is a true advocate for the process and procedure that sterile processing departments entail. She is an educator and mentor. She engages and empowers her staff to learn, understand and comprehend the reasons behind the policies. She can eloquently create standard operating procedures and train staff members to be empowered by the decisions they make. It was an absolute pleasure to work under her and be guided by her knowledge and expertise.

Elizabeth is an inspirational and innovative leader, and I have been honored to have her as my mentor.

- Angela Koons, Glendale, Arizona

Midwest proud

Of course Arkansas and Oklahoma are part of the Midwest. (Oct. 23, 7A, Wheres the Midwest? The debate goes on by state) I was part of that economic migration known as the Great Depression. The joke of the radio comedians of the day was: How do you tell the difference between an Arkie and an Okie? The Arkie has one mattress tied on top of the car and the Okie has two mattresses. The next week it would be the same joke, only reversed.

Growing up in very rural east Los Angeles County, I lived in fear that it would be discovered that my father was born in Arkansas. I knew I was neither Arkie nor Okie  I was born in Missouri.

My mothers entire family remained in Missouri. My fathers entire family migrated to California. However, they all eventually returned to Arkansas. They worked at whatever jobs they could find but took their scant retirement back to Arkansas. If Arkansas and Oklahoma arent Midwest, what are they?

Perhaps the issue should be resolved by dialect. The Midwest dialect has been highly sought by the public radio and television producers as being the easiest to understand.

- Peg Nichols, Olathe

In a name

Considering the dysfunction, chaos and extremism in todays Republican Party, GOP should stand for:

Grand Opposition Party

Gag Order President

Gang Of Panic

Ghost Of Party

Guilty Old President

Group Of Pests

Goof Off Party

Grievance Of Politicians

Grand Obsolete Party

- Ann Geraughty, Overland Park

Learned to lead

This summer, I had the honor of participating in Bank of Americas Student Leader program, where I was given the opportunity to work with Youth Volunteer Corps. The internship involved contributing to the well-being of the Kansas City community, understanding the value of diversity and immersing myself in an ethic of service that will last forever. The Student Leaders were also tasked with creating a website highlighting our overall experience at Youth Volunteer Corps and the valuable work of the organization.

Bank of Americas Student Leaders program exemplifies its commitment to nurturing youths and directing them toward fruitful employment avenues. Inspired by many role models in Kansas Citys Hispanic community, Ive always been driven by a sense of duty to give back. For example, being bilingual is not just a testament to my heritage but a tool I employ to bridge gaps and bring communities closer. I believe true leadership is about pushing boundaries for the betterment of all, regardless of background.

As one of the Bank of Americas Student Leaders in Kansas City, I encourage everyone to check out the program, as I not only gained valuable life skills but also strong connections that Ill always cherish.

- Jacqueline Salgado, Kansas City
On Nov. 7, Indianapolis voters will decide who will serve on the City-County Council for the next four years. Early voting is already underway.

All 25 seats on the City-County Council are up for grabs this year with opportunities for Republicans to gain seats and make a dent in the 20-5 Democratic supermajority.

Indiana Citizen, a non-partisan nonprofit organization, created a virtual ballot tool to help voters see who's on their ballots as well as profiles of each candidate.

Here's what you need to know about the Indianapolis City-County Council races.

Indianapolis election 2023: Early voting is underway. Here's where you can cast a ballot in Central Indiana.

Ten City-County Council seats are uncontested

As it stands, two Republicans and eight Democrats are basically guaranteed four-year terms on the council starting in 2024 because they are uncontested in the general election.

Two of those are newcomers, Rev. Dr. Carlos Perkins and Ron Gibson, who both won their Democratic primaries. Perkins won in District 6 on the northeast side in Pike Township and Gibson in District 8 encompassing the Fairgrounds and Martindale-Brightwood neighborhoods.

Gibson isn't entirely new to the Council, having served before for two terms from 2000 to 2007.

Republicans could gain seats

Voters will be casting ballots in new council districts for the first time this year. Councilors passed a new district map in May last year as part of the decennial redistricting process that was seen as favorable to Republicans, especially on the south side.

Republicans will likely get five seats under the new map, according to experts, maintaining their current number on the council.

That's because five of the new districts are strongly Republican, according to a 2022 statistical analysis of Council districts by PlanScore conducted by Common Cause Indiana. PlanScore bases its predictions on past election results and U.S. Census data.

Two areas could swing from Democratic control to Republican: District 17 and District 19, which lean Republican, according to PlanScore.

Incumbent Democratic councilor Jared Evans is running against Republican Lisa G. Schmitz in District 17 on the southern side of Wayne Township.

Incumbent Democratic councilor Frank Mascari is running against Republican Terry L. Trent in District 19, which includes the near southeast and western Beech Grove.

District 20 on the southeast side, which leans Democratic according to the PlanScore analysis, could swing from Republican to Democratic control.

Incumbent Republican councilor Michael-Paul Hart is running against Democrat William Jackson in that district.

Four councilors are not seeking reelection

Democratic Councilors Ethan Evans, Jason Larrison, Keith Potts and William 'Duke' Oliver are not seeking reelection.

One of the more progressive councilors, Evans announced he was leaving the Democratic party last year and would not seek a second term after feeling shut out by the party.

The area he represents has been redrawn into the new District 4 around Castleton and Geist, where Democratic candidate Nick Roberts is facing Republican Natalie Goodwin, and District 10 encompassing Lawrence, where Democratic Councilor Ali Brown is running uncontested.

Potts is running in the Democratic primary to replace US. Sen. Mike Braun in 2024, a Republican candidate for Indiana governor. The area Potts represented is now in the new District 2, where Democrat Brienne Delaney will face Republican Matt Hills.

Oliver, a 20-year council veteran, withdrew from the Democratic primary race in February to retire at the end of this year. The district he was running in, District 8, now has only an uncontested newcomer, Gibson.

Larrison was elected to his seat amid controversy through a process involving party insiders known as precinct committee persons in 2020. He also came under fire for comments he made in old blog posts about women and immigrants. He later apologized for the comments. His seat had been vacated by State Rep. Blake Johnson.

In 2021, Larrison's role as a paid outside consultant on renovating old City Hall raised ethical concerns.

The area Larrison represented is now in District 14, where Democrat Andy Nielsen will face Republican Brenda Bishop-Kyle.

Three incumbent councilors were ousted in the May primary

Three incumbent Democrats, Council Vice President Zach Adamson, 30-year veteran councilor Monroe Gray, and councilor David Ray, were ousted by Indianapolis voters in the May primary, largely due to newly drawn council districts, the end of party-backed slating and voter angst over the handling of some key issues.

Delaney beat Gray for the north side District 2 seat.

Nielsen beat Ray in District 14 in Irvington and the east side.

Self-identified socialist Jesse Brown beat Adamson in District 13, which encompasses parts of downtown and the near east side. Brown now faces Libertarian candidate Elizabeth J. Glass.

Indianapolis City-County Council races: Why 3 Democratic incumbents lost their Indianapolis council races

Two of the three winners were significantly out funded by the incumbents, showing how grassroots power can lead to change in the relatively low voter turnout council district races.

Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis municipal City-County Council election 2023: What to know
[Source]

South Korean customers are discarding Tsingtao beer after a video of a man urinating into an ingredient container at Tsingtao Brewery went viral over the weekend.

The viral video: In the video, a man wearing a hardhat and uniform can be seen climbing into a high-walled brewery container at a Tsingtao warehouse before appearing to urinate inside. According to the beer company, the incident is traced to its Brewery No. 3 in Pingdu, Shandong province.

Fallout in South Korea: The video has sparked disgust and fear among many consumers about Tsingtao Brewery, the second-largest beer producer in China. While the company claimed that the incident happened at a factory exclusively serving the domestic Chinese market, South Korean restaurants and consumers continue to express concern about hygiene standards and quality control.

It's not a matter of whether the products were for the domestic market or export, as the incident has already undermined public trust in the company. Consumers do not know what is happening at other Tsingtao factories, an office worker in Seoul told The Korea Times.

Trending on NextShark: Weekend marriages,' where couples live separately, gain popularity in Japan

Decrease in Tsingtao sales: According to Korea JoongAng Daily, many restaurants are asking for refunds, but Tsingtao's Korean importer has denied the requests. Sales of Tsingtao beer at convenience stores have also reportedly plummeted, with sales dropping by 26.2% at one convenience store chain and decreasing by 20% and 13% at two other chains compared to the previous week.

On Monday morning, Tsingtao Brewerys share price on the Shanghai exchange initially dropped by approximately 6.75% but later rebounded, resulting in a net decrease of around 1.15%.

Not the first time: The factory at which the urination incident occurred has been shut down, and local authorities are currently conducting an investigation into the incident. However, skepticism among consumers is still spreading regarding Chinese-made food products as the country has a history of food safety issues, including the 2008 deadly milk scandal involving melamine found in infant milk powder.

Trending on NextShark: Watch: Carefree Asian dad sleeping on plane floor wins praise on TikTok

Experts are blaming the substandard working conditions and inadequate monitoring in many Chinese food factories, emphasizing the need for consumers to check details before purchasing Chinese-made products.

More on NextShark:

Woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Georgia in 1988 identified

Honda, Toyota express skepticism about EVs amid industry downturn
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach hired a new law firm to represent the state in natural gas price gouging litigation a day after a federal court tossed the state's case.

The contract between Kobach's office and law firm Hilgers Graben was awarded Oct. 6, but did not become public in the state contract database until later. The contract specifies that the law firm will represent Kobach in a federal lawsuit against Macquarie Energy, as well as ancillary matters.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree dismissed that case on Oct. 5 on a technicality. He cited a mistake in the original lawsuit filed in Shawnee County District Court that prevented the federal court from having jurisdiction.

Will new attorneys refile Kansas natural gas price gouging lawsuit?

Crabtree seemingly invited Kobach to refile the lawsuit, writing that his ruling "in essence, will require a reboot of this case." It is unclear if any of the claims would be barred by a statute of limitations.

"We are now working with a different law firm and are committed to getting restitution from the companies who took advantage of Kansans during a winter storm emergency," Kobach said after the decision.

A Macquarie Energy spokesperson said the company "will continue to vigorously defend any claims brought against it."

Court records as of Monday did not show an appeal or a notice of an appeal, which would have to be done within 30 days of the decision. No new case has been filed in federal court. It is not public whether a new case has been filed in Shawnee County District Court because online state court records remain inaccessible due to a "network security incident."

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has brought on Nebraska law firm Hilgers Graben to help with natural gas price gouging litigation.

Hilgers Graben was only bidder after Kobach fired Morgan & Morgan

The lawsuit against Macquarie alleged that one of the country's largest natural gas marketer manipulated the market, causing more than $50 million in added costs to Kansans on top of natural supply and demand forces during February 2021's Winter Storm Uri. The excess costs of the storm are currently being paid by utility customers through added charges on their monthly bills.

Former Attorney General Derek Schmidt had been investigating the seemingly unjustified price spikes and brought on Florida law firm Morgan & Morgan to provide more expertise and resources.

Prior to his election in November 2022, Kobach declined to comment on how he would hand the case. After he took office in January, staff attorneys in his office filed the lawsuit against Macquarie in February. The Morgan & Morgan attorneys were left off the filing, and the law firm was notified in March that Kobach had terminated the contract for no stated reason.

Hilgers Graben was the only bidder to respond to a request for proposals, which closed in June. Meanwhile, the attorney general's office sought delays on their filing deadlines.

The contract awarded this month specifies the Hilgers Graben will provide legal services specifically for the federal case that was dismissed. It also allows for representation, advice and consultation on "such related or ancillary matters as are reasonably necessary to such representation," including the ongoing subpoena enforcement action against Macquarie.

Hilgers Graben added a provision specifying that their firm "has made no promises about the outcome, including the costs and expenses of litigation."

Kansas taxpayers will pay new law firm, even if they don't win

Hilgers Graben will be paid "substantially discounted rates" of $340 per hour for attorneys and $230 for paralegals for litigation, with $295 per hour for eDiscovery counsel and $190 per hour for reviewers. There may be additional costs billed to the state for expenses incurred by the law firm.

Hilgers Graben will also be entitled to a contingency fee. If the state wins and recovers any money, the law firm will be entitled to 12% of the award minus what was paid for services billed.

The contract with Hilgers Graben notes that its 12% contingency fee would be prorated to account for Morgan & Morgan's work "to the extent former counsel is owed a portion of any monetary recovery."

Morgan & Morgan and its subcontractors were not paid for $2.8 million in billable hours, and the law firm has asserted an attorney's lien.

Hilgers Graben's contingency fee starts smaller than Morgan & Morgan

Attorney compensation was a sticking point of the last contract.

Morgan & Morgan did not charge Kansas taxpayers an hourly rate. Instead, the law firm was working on a contingency fee, meaning the lawyers would only get paid if they won. The money would then come out of the judgment awarded to Kansans.

That meant Morgan & Morgan was taking on greater risk that Hilgers Graben, which will still be paid its hourly rates even if it loses. But Hilgers Graben could still reap the rewards of a large payday, albeit at a lower percentage, if it wins.

The attorney general's office was critical of the contingency fee, with public comments from staff and the request for proposals discouraging bidders from proposing one. Kobach ultimately agreed to a 12% contingency fee with Hilgers Graben.

Morgan & Morgan's contingency fee depended on the size of the award. The law firm would keep 20% of recoveries up to $100 million, with the fee decreasing to 15% then 10% on any additional money awarded to Kansas.

Their fee was the lowest of three bidders. Overland Park firm Gates Shields Ferguson Swall Hammond proposed a fee range of 35% to 45%. Polsinelli, of Kansas City, Mo., proposed 15% to 35%. Neither of those law firms submitted bids on the RFP with Kobach's office.

Kobach hires law firm founded by Republican after criticizing Morgan & Morgan's politics

Hilgers Graben, of Lincoln, Neb., was founded by current Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, a Republican, and his wife, Heather Hilgers. Mike Hilgers has since divested his ownership stake, though his wife remains a founding partner.

Kobach, who is also a Republican, had been critical of the political leanings of Morgan & Morgan.

So was the Wall Street Journal editorial board, which broke the news of Kobach firing Morgan & Morgan the same day the Kansas Department of Administration sent the termination notice. The newspaper's editorial board tied the contract's termination to performance, political donations to Democrats and contingency fees for "junk lawsuits."

John Morgan, the Morgan & Morgan founder, has accused Kobach of playing political games. The law firm has filed an open records request seeking communications by the attorney general's office about the contract, including with news media and the Republican Attorneys General Association, among other entities.

Kobach has admitted to having political considerations in mind, but denied that they factored into his decision to cancel the contract.

"It is of interest that yeah this firm does have, you know, heavy leanings in the Democrat direction in terms of their own politics," he previously said. "But no, if they had been performing satisfactorily, then we would not have terminated."

Legislative committee could review contract

Under state law and the terms of the contract itself, the contract will be submitted to the Legislative Budget Committee because attorney fees could exceed $1 million. The committee could hold a public hearing and issue a report noting any concerns.

No such committee meeting has been scheduled.

The committee reviewed the RFP in April.

Subcontractors banned

The contract lists Grant Schmidt and Alice Shih LaCour as co-lead counsel, with support from Andrew Graben, Jonathan Musch and Tom Swanson. Other partners, associates and "of counsel" attorneys may be permitted after consulting with Kobach.

Kobach's staff are also expected to act as co-counsel.

Hilgers Graben is explicitly barred from using lawyers outside the law firm.

Subcontractors had been among Kobach's complaints with Morgan & Morgan, even though their contract allowed them to do so.

Can Kansas fire the new law firm?

Despite Kobach's allegations against Morgan & Morgan, the state terminated the contract "for convenience," not "for cause." That left unanswered questions, including whether the law firm was entitled to payment for services rendered or to a full or partial contingency fee on any eventual award. Dan Burrows, the chief deputy attorney general, has suggested the state could be sued by its former law firm.

The new contract with Hilgers Graben lays out more details on what would happen if their contract is terminated.

The contract specifies that Kansas has "the right to terminate the attorney-client relationship with Hilgers Graben at any time and for any reason." Likewise, "Hilgers Graben has the right to terminate the relationship with you should the relationship require or permit termination pursuant to the rules of ethics and conduct for attorneys."

Hilgers Graben would still be paid for any hours worked, and it will would still be entitled to a prorated contingency fee.

The law firm could also withdraw from the case without cause, at which point it would give up the contingency fee.

If the contract is terminated, Hilgers Graben must turn over its complete file, including lawyer work product. That had been a point of contention when Kobach fired Morgan & Morgan, with the law firm arguing it was not obligated to turn over its work product.

More: Do you want to sue Joe Biden? Kansas AG Kris Kobach will pay an attorney up to $120,000.

Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas AG Kris Kobach hires firm founded by Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers
Two Los Angeles County supervisors are calling on health officials to find alternatives to physically restraining patients, voicing concerns after a Times investigation found an L.A. County-run hospital has been restraining psychiatric inpatients at higher rates than any other California facility.

The findings also troubled state and federal lawmakers as well as mental health advocates and experts, some of whom called on the county to take action to reduce the high restraint rate, such as developing a more robust plan to deal with the problem or bringing in an outside consultant to review hospital practices.

The Times' investigation found that the psychiatric inpatient unit for L.A. General reported a restraint rate more than 50 times higher than the national average for such facilities between 2018 and 2021, ranking it among the highest in the country.

County Supervisor Hilda Solis said that L.A. General, a safety net hospital that serves some of the most vulnerable patients in the county, handles "those with the most complex needs often directly from Men's Central Jail and Skid Row." Its main campus in Boyle Heights is located in her supervisorial district.

"Although I recognize that the hospital serves many patients that no other health center will see, I am disheartened to learn of the high use of restraints on patients, and am working to identify ways to drive those rates down," Solis said in a statement.

Read more: Strapped down: A Times investigation into the high use of restraints at L.A. General Medical Center

That includes working to move the inpatient psychiatric unit, located at the Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Center in Willowbrook, onto the main campus, Solis said.

L.A. County officials said psychiatric inpatients at Hawkins are always restrained when transported between the two sites for safety reasons, a practice criticized by some experts. County officials estimated that in 2020, patients spent more than 1,400 hours in restraints while being transported from one campus to the other.

In addition, Solis said she was directing the Department of Health Services  the county agency that runs the hospital  "to identify alternative methods to manage those with more complex behavioral health needs outside the use of restraints."

County Supervisor Holly Mitchell , who represents the Willowbrook area where Hawkins is located, said she was "deeply disturbed" by the high rates of restraint and wants a public discussion about the issue at a Board of Supervisors meeting.

"I want to understand what staff need in order to treat patients differently  if it's resources, if it's training" or more beds countywide for the severely mentally ill, Mitchell said.

Like Solis, Mitchell said she wants county officials to find alternatives to restraint. "We need to talk about how we got here, dissect our causes, and come up with some solutions that are real versus reactionary," she said.

Mitchell added that as county officials work to relocate the psychiatric inpatient unit from Hawkins to the main L.A. General campus, the setting needs to be "more conducive to health, healing and recovery" for people in the throes of a mental health crisis than the older facility at Hawkins. That could include features like ambient lighting and noise dampening so "you're not overwhelmed by sounds coming from other rooms."

California Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), whose district includes L.A. General's main campus, called the findings "deeply concerning" and said he expects the hospital to address the issue.

"While I recognize that L.A. General treats a significant number of patients with high levels of acuity, excessive use of restraints greatly hinders patient trust and can be deeply traumatizing," Santiago said in a written statement.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) said he and his colleagues were looking into the "concerning" reports and any action that should be taken to ensure "safe and dignified care."

"Health facilities should be a place where people feel respected and cared for, and I am troubled that this doesnt appear to be the case for many patients at L.A. General," the congressman said in a statement.

Read more: Why high rates of restraint at L.A. General haven't raised alarms

Hospitals are prohibited from restraining psychiatric patients except to prevent them from harming themselves or others, and the practice is discouraged by psychiatric professionals.

L.A. General officials said restraints have been a "last resort intervention" at Hawkins in the face of violent and combative behavior and that its rates had been driven up by a small number of unusually violent patients.

The problem has been exacerbated, hospital officials said, by lengthy waits for longer term care that fuel frustration among patients, resulting in "violent outbursts that require restraint to protect fellow patients and staff alike." The county has estimated it is short thousands of beds needed for longer term care.

The Department of Health Services said in a recent statement that the Hawkins facility "consistently meets and exceeds regulatory oversight requirements and inspections by individuals with expertise in the management of psychiatric patients, including thorough review of its use of restraints."

In a statement after the investigation was published, L.A. General officials said its staff was dedicated and compassionate and that The Times investigation was focused on the wrong issues, and would have better served our community by focusing on violence toward staff, the shortage of mental health beds and the very real homelessness and substance abuse crisis in California.

"Vilifying one of the only hospitals that doesnt turn away these extremely violent patients is plainly irresponsible and simply unsupported by the facts," L.A. General said. As evidence of support for the hospital, it also cited Instagram comments that defended the hospital or criticized The Times.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the restraint rates reflect the fact that "the population that is presenting itself in our hospitals is far more complex than in years past," and that L.A. General has been treating patients with a history of violence that other inpatient psychiatric facilities will not admit.

"The issue of high restraints is really, to me, a symptom and not the root cause," Barger said. More beds for mental health treatment are needed "so that we can get people the help they need before they end up decompensating to the point where they have to be restrained."

Los Angeles General Medical Center restrains psychiatric inpatients at the Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Center at a higher rate than any other hospital in the state. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Still, Dr. Roderick Shaner, former medical director of the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, said the hospital needs to develop a detailed plan to bring down restraint rates. Shaner, who worked to reduce the use of restraints in psychiatric facilities before his retirement five years ago, said the county's one-page plan to reduce restraints at L.A. General has "no teeth" and lacks measurable objectives.

He said it would be good for the county to seek out an outside, independent review of the hospital's restraint practices, though he cautioned that privacy rules for patients meant that such a review would "have to be done very, very carefully."

Traute Winters, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for greater Los Angeles County, echoed Shaner's suggestion, saying that the high restraint rates "might warrant outsiders coming in and really helping to see what needs to happen and change to improve the situation."

Winters found it disturbing that The Times analysis showed restraint rates were much higher at L.A. General than at other large safety net hospitals. L.A. General serves "the most difficult of the clients," she said, "but is it different from a hospital in Manhattan or in San Francisco?"

Mark Gale, criminal justice chair for the group, was concerned about how long some L.A. General patients had been restrained. Records filled out by hospital staff showed nearly 40 patients were restrained for the equivalent of one week or more in a single month since 2018, including a woman who spent an entire month in restraints.

Physically restraining patients can be necessary in some instances, but "there's no excuse for restraining somebody for a month," Gale said. "There's got to be a better way."

Liz Logsdon, managing attorney with Disability Rights California, said she is sympathetic to front-line staff who feel that their physical safety is in jeopardy and that "this is the only way to manage the situation," but said there are alternative methods that should be explored.

Based on their statements to The Times, hospital leaders seem to have "decided that this is the only way to manage these behaviors," Logsdon said. "And I just don't think that is factually true."

The Times' investigation also found that high rates of restraint do not automatically trigger action from federal or California hospital oversight agencies. And the required reporting by hospitals does not give a full picture of restraint use: The federal restraint data measure only what happens to patients who have been admitted to inpatient psychiatric units, such as Hawkins. When psychiatric patients admitted to other units in the hospital are restrained, those incidents are not included in the federal data.

The California Department of Public Health, which regulates acute care hospitals and acute psychiatric hospitals, does not track restraint use on psychiatric patients at the hospitals it licenses. Nor does it monitor federal data on restraint to initiate hospital investigations, an agency spokesperson 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.
Whether we like it or not, the leather industry significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global waste generation. The current methods used to fulfil the increasing demand for leather involve a fairly simple, and completely unsustainable solution: simply raising more livestock (which contribute about 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions).

However, there are now startups spearheading the development of bio-based substitutes, which possess comparable or even better characteristics than traditional leather.

Alternative leather startups Gelatex from Estonia has raised $1.3M to date. Copenhagen-based Beyond Leather is producing plant-based eco-friendly alternatives to animal leather. Its raised 1.2M so far.

VitroLabs, based in San Jose, has raised $54.4M and develops a platform that manufactures leather using stem cell-based technologies. While Modern Meadow is working on lab-grown leather (among other materials), and its raised $183.6M.

So as you can see theres plenty of interest in this sector.

Now, a startup hailing originally from Turkey, but now ported over to San Francisco, thinks its come up with a breakthrough product.

Gozen, has now raised a $3.3 million seed funding round led by Happiness Capital (lead investor) with participation from Accelr8, Astor Management, and Valley-based SOSV. The startup now plans a facility in Turkey with production capacity of up to 1 million square feet.

The startups biomaterial, Lunaform is vegan and plastic-free and is is produced by microorganisms during a fermentation process. The material is being slated for use in fashion and automotive industries, while the company has patents for the technology in Turkey and is applying for patents in other countries.

The material was unveiled earlier last month during Paris Fashion Week at the Balenciaga Summer 24 show.

Gozen says Lunaform is a singular, fully formed material, meaning it ends up with better strength and flexibility. (Composite plant-based leathers that are assembled in layers can make them more subject to breakage). It can be produced in 13-square-foot sheets, with customizable thickness and texture.

Ece Gozen, founder and CEO of GOZEN told me over a call: I was super obsessed with science, so six years ago, I just quit my job and worked on creating the habitat for these microorganisms. We are using a fermentation transplantation system which creates the material in just 10 days. The formulation becomes solid, so we then harvest that. This is microbial cellulose, a different type of cellulose.

She said that the resulting material is super strong and super thin. The material is 0.2 mm right now, and we have a unique texture on it. It has no plastic and no toxic chemicals in it.

She added the startup plans to aim for not only fashion but the automotive industry as well.

Po Bronson, Managing Director of SOSVs IndieBio, Gozens first investor, added in a statement: There is a lot of competition now in animal free leather. But I believed that Gozens approach could surpass all others in both performance and economics.

Whatever happens, the market is growing.

The global leather goods market size is projected to grow from $468.49 billion in 2023 to $738.61 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 6.7%.
Education has been a key and often controversial issue in the gubernatorial race between incumbent Andy Beshear , a Democrat, and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

As advertising wars have broached culture topics like woke ideology in schools, educators, parents and students have become more interested in candidates plans for schooling over the next four years.

The Herald-Leader asked the candidates about the issue. These are their answers in their own words:

Q: What steps should the state take to recruit teachers and ensure sustainable school funding?

Beshear: We cant stay number two in per capita economic development if were number 44 in teacher pay. With the record budget surpluses weve seen, we can afford to give our educators a big raise, and it is past time to do so if we want to recruit the best and the brightest to come to Kentucky.

Thats why Ive proposed an 11% raise for our educators along with fully funding universal pre-K and giving our schools the resources they need for textbooks and instructional materials. We have the money to invest in our teachers and our public schools, and with our education systems serving as some of our largest employers in so many of our counties, when we raise wages for teachers and put our budget surplus back into our schools, were investing in communities across Kentucky.

Cameron: As the husband of a public school teacher, and a product of great public schools, I know how important education is to Kentucky.

Right now, our teachers are dealing with learning loss and mental health challenges caused by Andy Beshears shortsighted decision to lock down our schools. Teachers are working tirelessly to address these challenges, but need support from the top. Unfortunately, this governor is unable or unwilling to provide it.

The Cameron Catch-Up Plan addresses this learning loss by making the largest investment ever in reading and math instruction and surging resources to teachers and classrooms. It includes establishing the first-ever statewide base starting pay for new teachers at $41,500, which will have a ripple effect on the pay scale for all other teachers.

We also must restore classroom discipline and reduce the bureaucratic load that overly burdens our teachers and takes them away from educating our children.

As Governor, how has Beshear handled education?

Beshear has repeatedly asked for raises for teachers and other school employees, but the General Assembly hasnt approved his requests.

In August 2023, when he proposed an 11% raise, Beshear said the biggest difference between his latest budget proposal and the General Assemblys enacted budget was the lack of funding for education.

Teachers and other school employees played a role in Beshears 2019 win over former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.

In August, Eddie Campbell, president of the Kentucky Education Association, an educators group, said in a statement that Gov. Beshear understands that competitive salaries are just part of the solution.

His plan also addresses issues that have left public schools understaffed and many state universities with a shortage of education majors, Campbell said.

Beshears proposals to fund teacher pensions, ensure health insurance premiums remain the same for all education employees, offer teacher student loan forgiveness, and provide meaningful professional development opportunities would assure future and current educators they are valued, said Campbell.

He has consistently been a champion on behalf of the more than 600,000 public school students, 40,000 active teachers, and 50,000 school staff educators across the commonwealth, the KEA statement said.

What are Camerons positions on education?

In a TV ad, Camerons campaign said Kentucky schools have declined since Beshear shut down classrooms in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cameron was critical of Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason Glass, who left his job and the state recently because he didnt want to enforce what he called a dangerous and unconstitutional Senate Bill 150 that critics say is harmful to LGBTQ minors.

Candidates for Kentuckys Education Commissioner must take a clear stand, Cameron said in an August statement. Do they agree that Andy Beshears school shutdowns inflicted an unprecedented learning catastrophe on a generation? And will they condemn Jason Glasss comments that teachers concerned about radical ideology should just find another job?

As Governor, I will appoint members to the Board of Education who are committed to getting our kids caught up from the generational learning loss inflicted on them by Andy Beshear.

Cameron said he will stop the Kentucky Department of Education from promoting any curriculum or policy that encourages teaching woke ideologies in the K-12 public-education system.

He said he will propose legislation that raises the starting-pay for teachers and ensures that no teachers salary is below the new starting-pay benchmark. He said he will propose a bill giving a stipend to every teacher in Kentucky to help offset the personal expenses they incur purchasing school supplies. Cameron said he will reduce bureaucracy and burdensome paperwork for teachers.
A video allegedly showing rapper Lady Leshurr attacking her ex-girlfriend's lover moments before biting her has been shown to a court.

The 35-year-old artist, whose real name is Melesha O'Garro, is accused of assaulting Chante Boyea - then dating the rapper's ex Sidnee Hussein - in the early hours of 22 October 2022.

She is accused of biting Ms Boyea's hand so hard she suffered nerve damage.

The rapper denies two counts of assault.

The former Dancing On Ice contestant, from Kingshurst, Solihull, and her co-defendant Sherelle Smith, from Yardley, Birmingham, allegedly also attacked Ms Hussein outside her home in Walthamstow, north-east London, after she tried to help Ms Boyea. Ms Smith also denies assault.

On Wednesday, a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court saw a Snapchat video recorded by Ms Boyea apparently showing her holding back Ms O'Garro with her left hand as the rapper appeared to lunge at her.

In the short clip, Ms O'Garro was seen with her mouth open as Ms Boyea screamed "help" repeatedly.

Ms Boyea previously told the court that Ms O'Garro then bit down on her hand and "didn't let go". She said Ms O'Garro only relented when Ms Hussein rushed to her aid and was then attacked by Ms Smith.

'Dog used as weapon'

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Ms Boyea said: "She [Ms O'Garro] was punching towards me but couldn't reach my body, as you can see in the video.

"The only reason I recorded it was as evidence that I was being attacked."

The defendants' case is that they were the ones who were first attacked and that security officer Ms Boyea used her Belgian Malinois dog as a "weapon" against Ms O'Garro.

In the video, a dog can be heard barking. Defence lawyer Ronnie Bergenthal suggested to jurors that its front paws could briefly be seen reaching up to Ms O'Garro.

Ms Boyea denied the suggestion, having previously insisted that her dog had remained in her car during the incident.

She also denied that she had edited the video before providing it to police as it did not show her "in the best light".

The trial continues.

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LAKELAND, Fla. - Now that a year has passed since his son's murder, a Lakeland father has renewed hope the case will be solved.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on October 15, 2022, 17-year-old Tye Ketchum was shot to death inside his Park at Palazzo apartment in Lakeland.

"It's one of the worst things a parent can ever have to witness or live through," said Joseph Ketchum, who returned home from work to find his son shot and gasping for air.

READ: Video shows moped driver struck, dragged in Tampa hit-and-run; suspect still at large: TPD

He called 911 and Tye was taken to Lakeland Regional Health where he died.

"Here we are a year later, and I still have no answers and no real leads that I would consider unacceptable after a year on an ongoing investigation," said Joseph.

In March, the reward for information about Tye's murder was increased to $10,000.

"In hopes that after a year of this happening, people move on and friendships end," said Joseph. "Somebody knows something and maybe somebody will be willing to speak up on behalf of Tye."

CRIME: Shooting suspect with Tampa Bay area ties on the run after killing Maryland judge: Federal investigators

He said his son's 18th birthday was on May 7, and he would've graduated from Lakeland High School. His plan was to learn a trade, move back to Texas and start a life with his girlfriend.

"I just try to remind myself day in and day out to stay calm and focused and to not lose sight of what we as a family are trying to accomplish here," said Joseph.

Lakeland police said they're continuing to follow up on forensic evidence and leads, but they're still asking for tips from the community.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida. Tipsters will always remain anonymous when sending a tip through Crime Stoppers and could be eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest.

You can submit a tip to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-226-8477 or online at www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  In a city famous for imploding hotels, historic buildings and the stories behind them never seem safe. But with its rich history at stake, Las Vegas is getting ready to fill in some blanks about the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort.

The Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday will consider hiring Kautz Environmental Consultants, Inc. to complete an updated National Register of Historic Places nomination. When the fort was originally listed more than 50 years ago, it focused on its significance to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). In June 1855, it became the site of the first Mormon colony established in the Las Vegas valley, built by 30 settlers with the help of the local Paiute population. It has been a state park since 1991.

The fort is at the corner of present-day Las Vegas Boulevard North and Washington Avenue. It was built of adobe bricks along a creek that flowed from a spring.

A statewide historic preservation organization, Preserve Nevada, recently included the fort in a list of sites it considers the most endangered.

The Historic Preservation Commission requested an update to the listing to create a more robust historic context and to better document the site and how it changed through the years. The 2023 amended nomination will include:

Research phase to expand on the historical context and correct any mistakes

Archaeological field survey and property mapping

Complete photo documentation of the property

Update the description of the buildings to include all physical alterations after the 1971-72 nomination.

The commission is scheduled to meet at Las Vegas City Hall at noon. Funding of $29,800 would pay Kautz Environmental Consultants to complete the updated nomination.

A similar effort to update the listing of the Historic Westside School, 330 W. Washington, is also on Wednesdays agenda.

The commission will also review a 314-page draft of a report on subdivisions in the Twin Lakes area, which may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Bounded by Decatur Boulevard on the west, Vegas Drive on the north, Rancho Drive on the east and U.S. 95 on the south, the neighborhood contains more than 1,500 properties that grew up around Lorenzi Park  originally, the Lorenzi Lake Resort, which opened in 1929.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas pharmacy north of the Strip is preparing to close its doors and some residents are concerned about what the latest vacancy could bring to the area.

After being open for more than 30 years, the Walgreens on Charleston and Las Vegas boulevards is expected to close on Nov. 9.

What are they going to do with this place? Are they going to leave it empty or build something that can help us all? nearby resident Miguel Silva said.

He added that he and his family grew up going to Walgreens and while he is sad to see the pharmacy go, at the same time he feels that it is not the same as it once was.

It was always the go-to Walgreens to get your medication, Silva said. Over the years now with the homeless it doesnt feel safe anymore.

Others who live in the area told 8 News Now its not so much the store closing, but the empty lot that will be left behind, that is the concern.

It will become overrun with people, living in their cars and breaking in, Pat Robertson said.

She and her sister Judy feel the entire lot is particularly vulnerable as the property next door closed recently too.

They need to have this whole area fenced in with high wall so people cant climb over. They need security too, Judy Grafton said.

8 News Now reached out to Walgreens to find out the reason behind the closure and as of Tuesday evening is awaiting a response.

City of Las Vegas Councilwoman Olivia Diaz oversees the area and said she is aware of the closure and has asked the owner to make sure the property is kept secure, safe, and clean during the interim.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Las Vegas woman told judge she was not an abusive person days after police suspect she decapitated father

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A woman accused of decapitating the father of her children and throwing his head in the trash was in court on an unrelated case telling a judge she was a low risk to re-offend at the same time police searched for their murder suspect, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Henderson police arrested Devyn Michaels, 45, who also uses the name Tracee Tavarez, on Aug. 15 for the Aug. 7 murder of 46-year-old Johnathon Willette. On Aug. 9, Michaels was in court for sentencing on a child abuse charge.

Police suspect Michaels killed and decapitated Willette at a Henderson home, documents said. Willettes mother, who owns the home, told police she saw Michaels and her son late on the night of Aug 6. She then saw Michaels cleaning dishes around 1 a.m. on Aug. 7, documents said.

[Willettes mother] did not see Johnathan, and Devyn told [Willettes mother] that Johnathan was sleeping in the bed because he had been drinking and smoking marijuana, an arrest report said.

A booking photo from October 2022 of Tracee Tavarez, also known as Devyn Michaels. (LVMPD/KLAS)

Later in the morning, Willettes mother called police after finding his body, documents said.

Records show Las Vegas Metro police arrested Michaels on a child abuse or neglect charge on Oct. 14, 2022. An employee at a childcare facility called police to report an 8-year-old with bruising on her leg.

[The employee] stated that [the child] approached her teacher and told her that she had got a whooping while at home from her stepfather, documents said. [The child] also told the teacher that her mother gave her a whopping the week prior for having apple juice.

A child protective services employee also interviewed the child and Michaels, documents said. Michaels told the employee she spanked the child and hit the child with a belt.

Police suspect Michaels killed and decapitated Willette at a Henderson home, documents say. (KLAS)

Judge Mary Kay Holthus sentenced Michaels to one year of probation on the child abuse charge on Aug. 9, records showed. In the days before and after the hearing, police were interviewing Michaels and collecting evidence as part of their murder investigation, documents said.

I have done counseling classes, therapy, drug tests, psych evaluations, Ive done everything, Michaels told Holthus during the sentencing. Everyone Ive spoken to say Im not an abusive person and they dont feel theres any risk for me to abuse her or would ever do this again.

Shes a low risk of reoffending, Michaels public defender told Holthus. Theres nothing on there that says she would offend again.

When police spoke to Michaels around the same time, she told them that she did not live with Willette, but that they were in the process of moving in together to make it easier on their children, documents said. However, this move was complicated because Michaels was married and lived with Willettes son, making him both her husband and stepson.

Henderson police arrested Devyn Michaels, 45, who also uses the name Tracee Tavarez, on Aug. 15 for the Aug. 7 murder of 46-year-old Johnathon Willette. On Aug. 9, Michaels was in court for sentencing on a child abuse charge. (KLAS)

Michaels later told police that on the night of Willettes death, the two were sitting on a bed and Willette was trying to get Michaels to perform a sexual act on him. She said while he was lying face down rubbing her back, she grabbed a wooden stick and hit him in the back of the head, causing his arms to go limp, documents said.

Michaels told police that she didnt want to kill him but wanted to hurt him enough so that he would have to go to the hospital because she wanted him out of the way so she could figure out what to do with her children, according to police.

Michaels allegedly took Willettes head from the Henderson crime scene and drove it to her home in Las Vegas where she threw it in the trash, documents said. The head was then likely picked up by a trash service, prosecutors said. It remained missing as of Tuesday.

Willettes mother later told police that a meat clever was also missing from the home, documents said.

Henderson police say they found Johnathan Willettes keys and ID at Devyn Michaels home. (KLAS)

During an interview with police, Michaels never admitted to decapitating Willette.

Henderson police arrested Michaels on Aug. 15. A grand jury indicted Michaels on the charge last month.

Last week, Holthus revoked Michaels probation and ordered her to serve a one-year jail sentence with credit for time served. A judge also denied Michaels bail in the murder case.

Willette owned a marketing and moving businesses, a GoFundMe page said. A family member did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
(Bloomberg) -- Representative Tom Emmer dropped his campaign for House speaker Tuesday after criticism from Donald Trump , becoming the third Republican nominee for the leadership post to be dragged down by seething divisions within the party.

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Republicans quickly opened a new contest for the nomination, with a closed-door candidate forum that kicked off Tuesday evening. Aides brought in pasta for lawmakers, a sign they anticipated a lengthy meeting.

The party plans to start voting on new nominees at 8 p.m. Washington time.

Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, decided to end his bid shortly after an earlier closed-door session with Republican lawmakers, according to two people familiar with his thinking. He left the meeting and jumped into a black SUV without answering reporters questions.

While the party tried to figure out next steps, Emmer sat in a Capitol office, smoking a cigar.

Five Republicans are now competing for the nomination, all Southerners who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Emmers frosty relationship with Trump traces back to his vote for certifying Joe Bidens victory.

The candidates include Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Byron Donalds of Florida, who lost to Emmer in the previous nomination contest and are more conservative than him. Mark Green of Tennessee, Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee and Roger Williams of Texas also launched bids, according to a statement from the Republican conference.

Representative Kevin Hern of Oklahoma had planned to run again but later threw his support behind Johnson, who emerged as an early frontrunner. The Louisiana congressman had been the runner-up to Emmer in the previous nominating contest.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, on Tuesday called Emmer a Globalist RINO  short for Republican in Name Only  and said on Truth Social his election as speaker would be a tragic mistake.

I think this is good, Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said of Emmers decision to withdraw. Heres whats going on: The GOP conference is changing.

Later Tuesday, Emmer deflected when asked if Trump had been decisive in his decision to bow out. I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference, he told reporters.

Emmer, who lasted as the speaker nominee for slightly more than four hours, said he would support the partys nominee but isnt endorsing any of the current candidates.

Arkansas Republican Steve Womack remarked that I think it is apparent to the American people that the GOP conference is hopelessly divided.

The latest twist in the three-week saga to choose a speaker threatens to prolong a leadership vacuum that has prevented action on emergency aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, and on funding to head off an impending mid-November US government shutdown.

Emmer, currently House Republicans third-ranking party leader, also voted last year to codify federal protections for same-sex marriage, which prompted some conservative activists to campaign against his speaker bid.

His nomination marked Republicans third attempt to fill a leadership vacancy that has paralyzed lawmakers since Kevin McCarthys Oct. 3 ouster from the job.

Opposition from just five of the 221 House Republicans can prevent election of a party nominee as speaker, unless the nominee makes a deal with Democrats  a step the GOP has been unwilling to take so far.

The partys two previous nominees, second-ranking party leader Steve Scalise and hardline Trump loyalist Jim Jordan, both failed to muster enough Republican support to win a needed majority for election by the full House.

--With assistance from Andre Tartar.

(Updates with Emmer quotes, in 11th and 12th paragraphs)

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UPDATE: Lawrence police say Zoella has been located.

LAWRENCE, Kan.  The Lawrence, Kansas Police Department is asking the public for help in locating an 11-year-old with autism.

Police said Zoella Julian left his house sometime after 6:30 p.m. He lives near 31st and Iowa and will often go to businesses in the area.

View the latest Weather Alerts in the Kansas City region on FOX4

Police are currently checking all the places they can but are asking anyone with information to call 911 or (785) 832-7509.

Julian is described as standing 53 and weighs 145 pounds. He was last known to be wearing jeans, blue shoes and a grey shirt with rust colored sleeves.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Arianna Anderson stands with her children Zion Anderson-Thomas, 9, Zaila Anderson-Thomas, 2, and Zaniyah Anderson-Thomas, 6, in front of the troubled house she used to rent from landlord who did not maintain the property properly on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minn. The house is mentioned in a lawsuit against the city for failing to enforce the housing code. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A new lawsuit accuses the city of Minneapolis of discrimination by lax housing code enforcement, especially for rental properties in a part of the city with high populations of people of color.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of eight current and former residents of the city's north side, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. It seeks to force the city to assign more housing code inspectors to north Minneapolis, where residents have for years complained of landlords who allow properties to fall into disrepair, but face few consequences. No financial settlement is being sought.

Despite the issues with predatory landlords in north Minneapolis being widely known, the City of Minneapolis has consistently failed to take action, the suit said.

Plaintiffs include tenants alleging a failure to crack down on landlords despite reports of lead paint, leaks, electrical problems and mold. A postal carrier claimed the city never responded to complaints of violations he found along his route, including homes without doorknobs, trash-filled yards and crumbling stairs. He said the city closed out his complaints even as violations persisted.

Arianna Anderson lived in north Minneapolis for years before moving her family to the suburbs. She is among the plaintiffs.

I know the city of Minneapolis can do better. I know the funding is there," Anderson said. "Its just a matter of bringing attention to the situation.

A Minneapolis spokesperson said the city "is reviewing the complaint.

The plaintiffs attorney, Ben Kappelman, noted that the Minnesota Attorney Generals Office has brought actions against landlords after theyve committed hundreds of code violations.

Rather than waiting for the attorney general to go after the really bad actors, youve got to stop these people from amassing all those violations in the first place," Kappelman said.

Anderson, a mother of five, said she called the city dozens of times to complain about her former home. Water damage caused black mold and led to asthma attacks among her children, Anderson said. The sink leaked, and bees formed a nest in the walls  at one point about 100 of them swarmed inside, she said.

After Anderson grew concerned about lead paint, a city employee conducted an inspection, but no action was taken. A complete check years later revealed lead paint throughout the home, Anderson said.

Her landlord agreed to pay Anderson $9,406, make repairs and relocate her in 2022 after she took the company to housing court. Unable to find suitable housing in north Minneapolis, she moved to the suburbs.
Erie County Executive Brenton Davis has been slapped with a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that he fired an employee in retaliation for voicing a workplace grievance.

The plaintiff, Millcreek Township resident Shawn Held, who had worked as a juvenile counselor at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center, at 4728 Lake Pleasant Road, alleges that Davis fired him after he raised concerns about the substandard quality of food being served to youth at the center, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas.

The adolescent center is the residential component of the Erie County Office of Children and Youth and consists of two short-term residential programs: a juvenile detention and dependent shelter.

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis

The lawsuit claims Davis violated the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law and the First and 14th Amendments, indicating that Held was speaking on a matter of public concern and that he suffered a loss of employment due to retaliation for his protected speech.

Held, 28, is seeking reinstatement to his job with backpay and compensation for damages sustained due to the loss of employment. He's being represented by Erie lawyer Timothy McNair.

The Davis administration declined to comment on the matter due to the pending litigation.

Plaintiff filed grievance over low-quality food

The lawsuit indicates that Held filed a grievance form to the Davis administration on Jan. 11.

The grievance revolved around the administrations selection of Florida-based Trinity Services Group as the food provider to the center. Trinity Services Group is a food provider for correctional facilities across the country.

Held inquired why children at the center were being given the same food as incarcerated adults. He indicated that the children were refusing to eat the low-cost and low quality food, leading to waste and forcing staff to prepare alternate meals in lieu of their supervisory duties, according to the lawsuit.

Held, a Navy veteran, said the centers food was worse than food served in the military.

When children are given the same food as those in prison, it shows them at an early age that they are undervalued and seen as less than, compared to other youth in better situations, Held said at an Aug. 29 County Council meeting, in which he addressed the matter during the public comment period.

Held told council members that Calis West Catering, an affiliate of Calamari's Squid Row in Erie, previously provided food to the center with no issues.

Lawsuit: Davis gave dressing down to plaintiff in meeting

Helds grievance led to a Feb. 24 meeting with Davis at his office in the Erie County Courthouse. County Director of Administration Doug Smith and Helds union representative were also present.

The lawsuit stated that Davis made no effort to discuss the food quality issue but rather focused on Helds misconduct in reporting food waste.

He addressed plaintiff in a demeaning tone, referring to plaintiffs lower military rank and adopting the posture of superior officer dressing down a lower ranking military member, the lawsuit stated.

Held was given no chance to apologize or explain his actions, the lawsuit stated.

On March 7, County Director of Human Resources Ann Villella notified Held in a letter that his employment was officially terminated. The letter noted that Held had been placed on paid administrative leave the day of the February meeting.

The lawsuit stated that Helds termination led to a loss of income amounting to $24,232 per year, which is anticipated to continue for two years. Held has also had difficulty finding work because the county is the primary employer for social services fields.

Termination letter stated Held was insubordinate,' probationary employee

In the March 7 termination letter, which was obtained by the Erie Times-News, Villella indicated that Held was still a probationary employee and that his conduct before and during the February meeting with Davis was not fitting for a juvenile counselor.

You showed a significant lack of judgement and control over your emotions by using offensive and insubordinate language toward the county executive and refusing to accept responsibility for your actions, Villella stated.

Villella added that the county had no issue with Helds concerns about the centers food and that Davis had advised Held on steps being taken to investigate and address the matter.

However, the manner in which you chose to communicate that concern and, more specifically, the sarcastic and offensive tone of your letter to the county executive, written while acting as a county employee, was inappropriate and deliberately insubordinate, Villella wrote in the letter.

Villella added that Held displayed open hostility toward Davis and refused to apologize for his language, all of which was inconsistent with the standards set forth under the Erie County Employee Handbook.

McNair in the lawsuit indicated that Held's behavior at the February meeting was "not objectionable," and that Held did not use offensive language or refuse to apologize.

McNair stated Davis's actions were a "wanton and malicious violation" of Held's constitutionally protected right to speak on matters of public concern.

The lawsuit is demanding a jury trial.

County Council sues Davis over budget: Erie County Council sues Brenton Davis over alleged illegal increase of 2023 budget

Davis proposes 2024 budget: Erie County Executive Brenton Davis includes 'modest' tax hike in proposed 2024 budget

A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie County Executive Brenton Davis slapped with whistleblower lawsuit
David Clohessy, the former national director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), holds a photo of the late Jason Britt outside the U.S. federal courthouse in Springfield on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Britt died last year of multiple organ failure at age 29, more than a decade after attending Agape Boarding School.

A misty-eyed David Clohessy stood outside a U.S. federal courthouse in Springfield on Tuesday holding a photo of the late Jason Britt.

Britt, an Idaho man, died last year of multiple organ failure at age 29, more than a decade after attending Agape Boarding School.

Next to Clohessy, the former national director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), was a woman holding a small sign that read "Help us protect kids!"

Both want the now-shuttered Stockton school with a litany of previous abuse lawsuits to be held responsible.

David Clohessy, the former national director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), talks about the late Jason Britt outside the U.S. federal courthouse in Springfield on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Britt died last year of multiple organ failure at age 29, more than a decade after attending Agape Boarding School.

According to a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed Oct. 11 against the school, drug addiction, steroids, high blood pressure and anxiety were the mechanisms of Britt's death, but the abuse he endured at Agape was the primary cause of his passing.

The lawsuit filed by Britt's mother, former Idaho police officer Kathleen Britt, alleges that repeated sexual and physical abuse by staff members at Agape led to heavy drug use as an adult and the severe decline of her son's mental health.

"In the last 3 years, dozens of former Agape students have reported not just sexual abuse, but emotional abuse and psychological abuse; humiliations and physical violence," said Clohessy, who now volunteers his services to help bring attention cases like Britt's. "Common sense would tell you that these horrors did not start within the last three years, they've been going on, no doubt, for perhaps decades."

David Clohessy, the former national director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), talks about the late Jason Britt outside the U.S. federal courthouse in Springfield on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Britt died last year of multiple organ failure at age 29, more than a decade after attending Agape Boarding School.

Six months before he died, according to the lawsuit, Jason Britt wrote a suicide letter that noted his post-traumatic stress disorder from his time at Agape and that "he hoped his life would be significant by making sure other children were protected from Agape and what he experienced."

Britt, who said he was once gang-raped with a broom handle by Agape staff, attended the school in 2009 after a series of behavioral issues at his Idaho public school.

"The best way I can describe it is like a group of savages going after their prey, Britt told the Kansas City Star in a 2021 interview. I think it was just evil. I think they were trying to humiliate me in a way that I wouldnt recover from, that would break my spirit.

Kathleen Britt said in court documents that the family sought a "safe, kind and Christian environment free from drugs and alcohol" before realizing the school was more similar to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion."

The lengthy and detailed lawsuit also accused two Agape staffers of showing up in the middle of night at Jason's then-girlfriend's house in Idaho in 2009. They allegedly zip-tied his hands, took him to the airport and brought him to the Missouri school where his head was shaved.

Britt went on to become a successful competitive weightlifter and personal trainer in his 20s, according to the court documents, which said the pursuit was to help protect himself from any further abuse like he endured at Agape. Steroid use, which appears to have compounded his physical and mental health issues, became regular.

The lawsuit names several defendants, including former Agape officials and local law enforcement.

The News-Leader reached out to Agape's attorney Tuesday but a message was not immediately returned.

Clohessy said Tuesday that many of Kathleen Britt's complaints about the treatment of her son were disregarded.

"Not a single law enforcement agency in Cedar County or neighboring counties where a lot of these kids run to when they escape have had a serious law enforcement investigation for these horrors," Clohessy said.

Ongoing investigation, lawsuits involving Agape

The Stockton-based Christian reform school has been under investigation for abuse allegations for several years. The school closed Jan. 20, 2023, "solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys," said former director of Agape Boarding School Bryan Clemensen in a press release.

More than 19 state lawsuits have been filed against Agape Boarding School by former students, many including graphic accounts of the alleged abuse. According to reporting by the Kansas City Star, 16 of the civil lawsuits have been settled for undisclosed amounts as of March 7 and dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be filed again.

David Clohessy, the former national director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), holds a photo of the late Jason Britt outside the U.S. federal courthouse in Springfield on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Britt died last year of multiple organ failure at age 29, more than a decade after attending Agape Boarding School.

There are 23 federal cases against Agape Boarding School, three of which were voluntarily dismissed on Aug. 29.

More: A huge slap in the face: Former Agape Boarding School students worry about prosecution of abuse allegations

In June 2022, the school lost its accreditation from the National Council of Private School Accreditation and the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools.

In August 2022, Julio Sandoval, the former dean at Agape Boarding School, was accused of transporting a teen against his will from California to Stockton.

Dr. David Smock, who served as a physician for the boarding school, faces a dozen charges of felony sexual abuse in Cedar County related to alleged abuse of Agape students.

In September 2021, Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither filed 13 low-level "Class E" felony assault charges against five people linked to Agape Boarding School. As of December 2022, the majority of the charges were dismissed or reduced to misdemeanors.

News-Leader reporter Susan Szuch contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Former police officer says son was raped at Agape Boarding School
In January, a new law took effect in Washington requiring employers with more than 15 employees to include wage and benefit information in new job postings. Its intended to use pay transparency to address the gender wage gap, but employers raised concerns back when lawmakers were first debating the idea about possible unintended consequences.

For example, employers warned they might lose the ability to offer alternative positions that a person applying for a job might be interested in accepting. And, they said, the law might open the door to a flood of lawsuits.

Now, less than a year after the law took effect, were seeing there was good reason for concern. The Seattle Times reported Oct. 12 that a Seattle-based attorney filed 31 lawsuits since June against a range of employers accused of posting job ads without the legally required salary information.

The attorneys law firm had previously published a blog post under the title Did you know that Washington job seekers could get $5,000 thanks to recent updates to Washingtons pay transparency laws? the newspaper reported. The blog post reportedly directed workers who applied for a job after Jan. 1 that failed to include salary information to take a screenshot of the ad and contact the law firm.

The burst of litigation lies in contrast to the approach of government regulators, who first try to educate employers about the new law before moving to stricter enforcement measures like issuing a fine and ordering an employer to pay damages.

Its also a perfect example of why something called qui tam, or more broadly, private right of action, is not a good idea. Basically, a private right of action gives an individual the right to bring a lawsuit against an entity thats being regulated by a particular law or statute.

So, instead of leaving the administrative review and enforcement of state regulations up to state agencies such as the Department of Labor & Industries, the private right of action means an individual can step outside of the government process and sue the employer, often bringing a class action case. Its almost as if the state is outsourcing enforcement of its regulations to private-sector attorneys.

The pay transparency law, adopted by lawmakers in 2022, included the private right of action, something that lawmakers in Olympia have increasingly attempted to attach to a range of proposed workplace-related measures including workplace safety, wage and overtime provisions and privacy protection.

In California, a general private right of action law passed in 2004 has not yielded positive results for either employers or workers, according to a 2021 report prepared for the CABIA Foundation. It found that the average payment to a worker from a case decided by a state agency was 4.5 times greater than one decided by a court. In other words, employees were better off not going to court. And yet, without attorney fees involved, overall costs were lower.

For many Washington employers, including salary and benefit information in job postings is nothing new. They have voluntarily provided that information for years. For others, its a change in practice that might take some time to adjust to. Unfortunately, the way Washington lawmakers chose to enact the states pay transparency law opened the door to regulation by litigation  and thats costly for both employers and employees.

Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the states chamber of commerce and manufacturers association. His column is published monthly in the Kitsap Sun.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Washington law mandating pay transparency leading to lawsuits
The leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah (R), meets Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri (L) and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh (2nd-L) at an undisclosed location in Lebanon (-)

Senior officials of Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have held talks with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah about achieving "real victory" in their war with Israel, the Lebanese group said Wednesday.

The Hezbollah statement did not specify when or where Nasrallah met with Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh beyong saying that it was at a undisclosed location in Lebanon.

News of the meeting comes as Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions exchange daily fire with the Israeli army across the Lebanon-Israel border, raising fears of a new front in Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.

The three groups are part of the "axis of resistance" -- Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian and other Iran-backed armed groups opposed to Israel.

They discussed what "the axis of resistance must do at this critical stage to achieve real victory... in Gaza and Palestine and stop" Israel's "brutal aggression", the statement said.

They also discussed "recent events in the Gaza Strip since the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" -- the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, in Israel.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza says 5,791 people have been killed, again mostly civilians, as Israel has bombarded the territory.

Nasrallah and the Palestinian militant leaders "agreed to keep coordinating and daily following up on developments," the statement added.

Hezbollah and Hamas have long been part of a "joint operations room" with the Quds Force -- the foreign operations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards -- a source close to Hezbollah previously told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The meeting also touched upon the cross-border fire on the Lebanon-Israel border, the statement said.

At least 52 people have been killed in Lebanon according to an AFP tally, mostly Hezbollah combatants but also four civilians, including Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah.

Four people have been killed in Israel, including one civilian.

rh/aya/kir
From the fans to the dancers to the celebs to the hosts and judges, everyone was left teary-eyed after Dancing With the Stars beckoned back a handful of familiar faces to pay tribute to the late Len Goodman on Tuesday nights episode.

Dancing with the Stars Fans Are Thrilled Controversial NFL Star Adrian Peterson Is Gone

A handful of pros returned to DWTS to remember the iconic judge, who passed away from bone cancer at age 79 in April. Past and current dancers like Mark Ballas, Maks Chmerkovskiy, Anna Trebunskaya, and Karina Smirnoff performed a waltz to Moon River by Henry Mancini, in honor of the Most Memorable Night theme, while other contestants showed off their own sensational numbers.

Other familiar faces included judge Derek Hough and host Julianne Hough, as well as current stars and married couple Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson, who choreographed the number.

In the performances final moments, a light came shining down on Goodmans empty chair at the judging table. While some of the performers had tears in their eyes, fans were collectively sobbing on social media, too.

Me watching the Len Goodman tribute and dance #DWTS pic.twitter.com/sPtHgotM4Y  Kayla McKechnie (@kayla_mckechnie) October 25, 2023

#DWTS paid a heartfelt tribute to Len Goodman tonight. Being judged by him in his final season was a true honor. He was stern yet just, and his sincerity was always evident. His presence will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/WfZPgvelMH  Trevor Donovan (@TrevDon) October 25, 2023

THE SPOTLIGHT ON HIS CHAIR AT THE END IM SOBBING #dwts pic.twitter.com/vGvf3lITiM  kayla (@itskaylaashley_) October 25, 2023

"One of the things I'm most thankful for is being able to judge alongside Len, Derek Hough said in a speech giving tribute to the judge. I was able to spend a little more extra time with him and for that, I'm really thankful."

"Getting criticized by Len was never easy, Maks Chmerkovskiy added, but getting that 10 made it all worth it.

Dancing With the Stars Judge Len Goodman Dies at 78

Goodman joined as the lead judge when Dancing With the Stars began in 2005 on ABC. In November 2022, Goodman announced his departure from the show following Season 31, saying hed be retiring to spend more time with his family in Great Britain.

In honor of the late judge, who always had the best pronunciation of the score se-VEN,DWTS has renamed the Mirrorball Trophy to the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy beginning with this years Season 32. Hell always be a DWTS idol.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Billionaire Leon Black must face a womans sexual assault lawsuit and cannot seek sanctions against her attorneys, a New York judge ruled this week. In November, Cheri Pierson filed a complaint accusing the private equity mogul of raping her at sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epsteins New York mansion in 2002. Since then, Black, 72, filed a motion to partly dismiss Cheri Piersons caseand requested penalties against her lawyers at Wigdor LLP. But on Monday, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Suzanne Adams rejected Blacks argument that Wigdor had filed a frivolous suit to smear his reputation. In light of the fact that there has been no discovery in this action to date, there is no basis in the record for the court to conclude that any or all allegations or claims by either side are demonstrably false as a matter of law, Adams noted in her order. The judge also denied Blacks request to toss Piersons intentional infliction of emotional distress claim against him, as well as the Epstein estates motion to dismiss a negligence claim. Black and Epstein estate co-executors Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke must file answers to Piersons complaint within 35 days.

Read more at The Daily Beast.
To the editor: I am an attending psychiatrist at the Los Angeles General Medical Center's acute psychiatric ward. I chose this career because I wanted to help the most vulnerable. Most days, I love my job. Other days, I question my ability to stay in this field. ("Psychiatric patients are restrained at sky-high rates at this L.A. hospital," Oct. 19)

I have been assaulted by patients on multiple occasions. In a recent instance, I was brutally attacked by a patient coming down from meth. She looked me in the eye, said she was going to "terminate" me, then punched me in the head, grabbed my hair and held me to the ground.

As healthcare workers, we shouldn't have to expect, or even accept, that we will be assaulted at work.

Many people with mental illness are not violent. However, most of the psychiatric patients we see at L.A. General have a history of violence. Restraint or seclusion is used when absolutely necessary to protect ourselves and other patients.

Laura Kendall, M.D., Los Angeles

..

To the editor: The use of restraints in mental healthcare begins and ends with psychiatric nurses. As many as 1 in 3 nurses report experiencing violence or aggression from patients, and among psychiatric nurses, nearly twice as many (65%) have experienced patient aggression.

As a psychiatric nurse, I understand why violent healthcare scenarios end in interventions like seclusion and restraints, which are often initiated by nurses. But restraints are the wrong solution to hospital violence.

After all, nurse injuries and assaults continue to be high even when these restrictive interventions are used.

A healthy psychiatric nursing workforce is necessary if we want to end the dehumanizing use of seclusion and restraints. Studies suggest that adequate nurse staffing, leadership support and interprofessional communication in psychiatric settings can reduce adverse outcomes like nurse injuries and assaults.

However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the psychiatric nursing workforce is in a staffing shortage and burnout crisis, just as it is among intensive care unit nurses.

Psychiatric nurses play a critical role in preventing the need for restraints. We must ensure adequate nurse staffing, supportive work environments and training on trauma-informed care so that it is possible for psychiatric nurses to partner with patients in their care and treat them with the dignity they deserve.

Kristen Choi, Los Angeles

The writer, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, is an assistant professor of nursing and public health at UCLA.

..

To the editor: L.A. General's use of restraint is higher than other hospitals because a higher volume of our patients is violent. Many have endured years of homelessness, incarceration and substance abuse, classic markers of decades of failed mental health resourcing at the state level.

A safety-net hospital, L.A. General does not turn away such patients, as others often do. Our staff and other patients are subject to assault at higher rates than those at most facilities.

Our mission is to provide excellent, critically needed care in a safe environment  for patients and staff alike. Our team does its absolute best in an imperfect system. It is unfair to ask nurses, doctors and medical staff to do this job without being able to protect themselves and other patients from violence.

The Times missed an opportunity to expose the societal breakdowns and lack of resources in our mental health system.

Brad Spellberg, M.D., Los Angeles

The writer is chief medical officer at L.A. General Medical Center.

..

To the editor: In 1968 I was admitted to the Westwood Hospital. I was not a danger to myself or others, but I was psychotic.

One evening, I was hustled into a room and placed in restraints. It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.

My sympathy is with anyone who's had to endure this horrible procedure.

Joseph Gius, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Supporters of former President Trump march in New York in 2021. (Associated Press)

To the editor: Political maturity? How about a "come to Jesus" moment for Republicans? ("House Republicans need a sudden onset of political maturity. What are the chances?" Opinion, Oct. 23)

Former President Trump is going down. He's finally run into adversaries he cant bully, buy off or bury in lawyers.

When he goes down, his voters will blame somebody, and it wont be him. He will make sure of that.

Every Republican will become a "RINO" (Republican in name only), whether they like it or not.

I call on Republicans to come back. We need you. Your party has been hijacked by crooks and opportunists. Take your party back and show some real courage, patriotism and especially leadership.

Peter Scofield, Corona del Mar

..

To the editor: Why did GOP members of the House have to vote on a secret ballot to rescind their nomination of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker?

Answer: A number of them who didn't support Jordan received threats. What a pathetic and frightening party the once-proud GOP has become.

Jordan is a bully, an election denier and a Trump acolyte. To vote in cowards and bullies invites the demise of this nation.

Eileen McDargh Elvins, Dana Point

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lil Uzi Vert Says They Are Retiring After Luv Is Rage 3 And Upcoming Tour | Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images for Roc Nation

Lil Uzi Vert has been prominent in the industry for the past several years, but they seem ready to relax from the rock star lifestyle and try something new.

The Neon Guts rapper has announced plans to retire following the release of their fourth studio album, Luv Is Rage 3.

On Monday, during the second night of their Pink Tape Tour in Chicago, Lil Uzi Vert spoke about their intent to leave the industry.

Luv Is Rage 3 will be my last album, Uzi told the crowd. No, relax. Its OK.  After Luv Is Rage 3, I guess I will go on another tour for Luv Is Rage 3. But after that, I wanna try and live a normal life.

Lil Uzi Vert plans to retire after Luv Is Rage 3  Luv Is Rage 3 will be my last album. After Luv Is Rage 3, I guess I will go on another tour for Luv Is Rage 3. But after that, I wanna try to live a normal life.  Lil Uzi Vert at the Pink Tape Tour in Chicago pic.twitter.com/5NGCxvBMJI  Kurrco (@Kurrco) October 24, 2023

On Friday, the Philadelphia rapper dropped their latest single, NFL, an acronym for Never Fall in Luv, as a promotional track from the forthcoming Luv Is Rage 3 after releasing its music video on Sep. 29.

In July, Lil Uzi Vert became the first rapper in 2023 to have an album go No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their third studio album, Pink Tape.
Local Lions Club 'Corn Hole for a Cure' raises funds for childhood cancer research at Dartmouth Health

Local Lions Club 'Corn Hole for a Cure' raises funds for childhood cancer research at Dartmouth Health

DOVER  The Lions Club of Dover, Rollinsford and South Berwick drew a large crowd in their Second Annual Cornhole for a Cure fundraiser on Aug. 12 at the Dunn Farm in Berwick, Maine. Almost $12,000 was raised with $6,000 going directly to childhood cancer research, in partnership with Dartmouth Health. Additional funds raised will further the activities of the Lions Club locally, particularly in the areas of conservation, vision, hunger, and childhood cancer.

The event was officiated by Joe Be of INFAMOUScorNHole. The weather was perfect as 40-50 teams, including players of all levels, participated in the friendly competition. Raffles, prizes, tee shirts, a barbecue and music rounded out the day bringing smiles to all involved.

The local business community rallied to support this event with sponsors including SC Digital/Loud Canvas Media, M&T Bank, Jennifer Halteman Insurance, Jayco Disposal, Key Auto Group, BankNH, High Effect Web Design, Insurcomm, Kennebunk Savings, Kind Farms, Seacoast Tree Care, Somersworth Nissan, J. Lapierre Construction and Servpro.

Dartmouth Health Childrens is New Hampshire's only children's hospital. According to Sarah E. Earnest, Development Officer of the Dartmouth Cancer Center, Dartmouth is poised to have a direct and immediate impact on preventing cancer in children as a national leader in cancer research. Dartmouth researchers are working to refine approaches, protocols, and education for pediatric screening in a way that empowers doctors and parents  and saves childrens lives. For more information about the Lions Club of Dover, Rollinsford, South Berwick, visit https://www.facebook.com/DRSBLionsClub

Dartmouth Health psychiatrist develops first-ever substance use disorder screening algorithm for patients with severe mental illness

Corneliu Stanciu, MD, addiction psychiatrist and director of Addiction Services at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, N.H., developed a new screening and referral algorithm to identify patients with severe mental illness who are in need of treatment interventions for substance use disorder. It is currently being tested at NHH.

LEBANON Dartmouth Health addiction psychiatrist Corneliu N. Stanciu, MD, director of Addiction Services at New Hampshire Hospital (NHH), has developed a new screening protocol for patients at state acute psychiatric hospitals who might benefit from targeted interventions for substance use disorder (SUD), which is currently being tested at NHH.

The SUD screening and referral algorithm, which was described in a peer-reviewed study published in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders earlier this year, is the first of its kind in the medical field and the only screening tool that does not require input from the patient. This is crucial since patients experiencing an acute psychiatric emergency may not be able to provide information regarding their substance use. Instead, the screening tool uses data points from available medical and law enforcement records, such as results from drug screenings at hospital emergency departments, current or past sobriety treatment regimens and involuntary commitments or failures to comply with conditional discharge terms based on substance use. This protocol allows clinicians to more accurately identify patients who would benefit from early screening by a psychiatrist who specializes in SUD who can then refer them appropriately.

The new process, which is being tested in one out of eight units at NHH, promises to improve patient outcomes by making treatment interventions available to patients sooner, ensuring those who would benefit from it wont fall through the cracks during intake, as well as creating greater efficiencies by more effectively using the time of specialty psychiatrists and other resources.

Stanciu developed the algorithm with the help of statisticians at Dartmouth. A study of referral data collected between July 2019 and February 2021 helped determine the decision tree upon which the algorithm is based. After collecting and analyzing one year of data from testing of the new screening algorithm at NHH, Stanciu plans on fine tuning it as needed and implementing it hospital-wide.

Dartmouth Health Chair of Psychiatry William C. Torrey, MD, said the screening algorithm would be well suited to acute psychiatric hospitals everywhere.

Prostate Cancer Support Group of New Hampshire announces next meeting

The Prostate Cancer Support Group of New Hampshire announces its next meeting to be held by Zoom on Nov. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. This meeting will feature a Prostate Cancer Foundation webinar replay, "Mental and Emotional Wellness" with prostate cancer specialist Dr. Charles Ryan and well known television personality, medical doctor, and prostate cancer survivor Dr. Drew Pinsky presenting. The webinar includes a presentation and guided exercise on Mindful Breathing as a practical life skill for dealing with stress with Mindy Utay, LICSW. Discussion of the webinar, of stress reduction, and of the support groups members own issues will follow in the second hour of the meeting.

Group meetings are held monthly on the second Wednesday of each month. PCSG-NH is comprised of both men and women in New Hampshire living with challenges of prostate cancer in their lives and the lives of their partners.

Find the Zoom link on the Prostate Cancer Support Group of New Hampshires Facebook page or by emailing dbraiterman@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Lions Club raises funds for childhood cancer: Seacoast health news
The separation of Church and state outlined in our U.S. Constitution might be the most misunderstood part of our nations laws. The newly released North Carolina budget demonstrates why we should understand it better.

In short, the religious person has the right to observe and practice ones faith without state interference. The state has no right to mandate or sponsor a particular faith tradition or religious belief.

Yet, nearly $26 million of our state budget is earmarked for direct grants to churches fronting a conservative religious agenda and for funding anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers, the spawn of a conservative religious agenda. That is state sponsored religion, and every N.C. taxpayer should be outraged by this blatant misuse of tax dollars.

Rev. Jennifer Copeland

If the $26 million was put into a fund to which any religious group could apply, using the process to explain how the money would promote public purposes, a caveat of the N.C. Constitution, then maybe the violation wouldnt be so egregious. That didnt happen.

Instead, legislators submitted appropriations for religious organizations in their districts, such as Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton who managed to garner $1.5 million for mold and asbestos removal for a church in his district. Not surprisingly, no appropriations were awarded to religious groups working for commonsense gun legislation, providing shelter for refugees and immigrants, exposing environmental degradation, or protecting voting rights  all of which and more the North Carolina Council of Churches promotes.

If theres money in the budget for churches, lets be fair about it.

But there shouldnt be money in the budget for churches. When a religious organization receives government funding, it should be to assist the government in dispensing its services. For example, the Department of Health and Human Services contacted the Council seeking COVID vaccination sites in rural communities. Helping DHHS distribute vaccines is a far cry from receiving money to renovate a church building with taxpayer dollars. Incidentally, neither the Council of Churches nor the church vaccine sites received remuneration, but lots of rural and minority residents got vaccinated. Payment enough for us.

Crisis pregnancy clinics received almost $19 million while organizations that offer contraceptive care, pre- and post-natal care, or abortions got nothing. The Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, an umbrella organization overseeing crisis pregnancy centers, wins the prize for most money received by a single religious organization  $12.5 million.

Refusing to perform abortions based on ones religious convictions is protected by the state constitution. Government funding to support the refusal and provide misleading health care information is a violation of the state constitution. By funding these crisis pregnancy centers, which are anti-abortion centers, the state is promoting a sectarian religious teaching about abortion.

The state also expanded access to Opportunity Scholarship vouchers. According to a Duke Childrens Law Clinic report, 92% of voucher funding goes to religious schools, the majority of which trend conservative. Where once the state provided money to low-income families to pay tuition at schools fostering conservative religious teachings, its now offering money for anyone to pay tuition at schools fostering conservative religious teachings, many of which brazenly denigrate the LGBTQ+ community. Thats state sponsored religion hiding behind the 8% of private schools that offer a sound, basic education.

Voucher funding will amount to a whopping half billion dollars by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, our public schools suffer, teachers are underpaid, counselors, nurses and social workers are stretched to the breaking point, and facility maintenance is deferred.

Look out North Carolina, our tax dollars are privileging a biased religious agenda. The separation between church and state grows hazy and the N.C. Constitution is being disregarded.

Rev. Jennifer Copeland is Executive Director of North Carolina Council of Churches.
The election of Mike Johnson, right, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Wednesday, ends three weeks of squabbling among House Republicans  and cements their pro-Trump, hard-line faction as the face of the national party. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

Rep. Mike Johnson, a relatively inexperienced Louisiana Republican who fought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, was elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, ending weeks of leaderless chaos that followed the Oct. 3 ouster of Bakersfield's Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Johnson's ascension to the speaker's chair cements the GOP's fiercely pro-Trump, far-right faction as the face of the national party. The speaker of the House is second in line, after the vice president, to fill any presidential vacancy.

The vote was 220 to 209, with House Republicans voting unanimously for Johnson, and all Democrats present backing Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Read more: News Analysis: The House Republican civil war shows Trump's power  and its limits

The outcome thrusts Johnson, a 51-year-old former conservative talk radio host in his fourth term in Congress, into the national spotlight.

Johnson, a longtime opponent of abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights, served in Louisiana's state Legislature from 2015 to 2017. In Washington, he ran the Republican Study Committee, a group of socially conservative lawmakers, and served as vice chair of the House Republican Caucus, a low-ranking party leadership post.

But he has never chaired a congressional committee, and is the least experienced speaker in 140 years.

The Louisianan was a key player in former President Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Johnson not only voted against certifying some states' election results, he also helped rally over 100 House Republicans to sign a brief in support of a Texas-led effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results in four states won by then-candidate Joe Biden, a Democrat.

The Texas lawsuit received stiff backlash not only from Democrats but also legal experts, who deemed it meritless and shallow.

Johnson supports new restrictions on abortion and the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. He has won consecutive A-plus ratings from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a Washington-based nonprofit that opposes abortion rights, for his efforts to limit access to the procedure.

Last year, he introduced legislation that would have banned federally funded institutions from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity. He is an avowed opponent of gender-affirming care for trans youth.

In the mid-2000s, Johnson, who was then working for a socially conservative legal advocacy group, wrote opinion pieces for his local paper defending laws that criminalized same-sex sexual relations and expressing fervent opposition to same-sex marriage, CNN reported Wednesday.

"Homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural," he wrote, before going on to warn that legalizing same-sex marriage could be a slippery slope to allowing "a person to marry his pet."

Read more: California Republicans in swing districts backed Trump ally Jordan for speaker

Johnson didn't take any questions at a news conference Wednesday, and hasn't addressed his decades-old opinion pieces since his elevation to the speaker's chair.

Around three-quarters of likely voters in California support same-sex marriage and say that abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to a January poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Democrats described Johnson as an extremist.

Mike Johnson is anti-democratic, anti-family, and anti-American," Pomona's Rep. Norma Torres said in a statement, adding: "It is a disgrace that House Republicans chose to elect an extremist as Speaker, rather than pursue a bipartisan path forward for the American people."

Californian Republicans expressed relief that Johnson's election ended their conference's chaos.

Rep. Young Kim of Anaheim Hills said in a statement that she "came to Congress to get things done, not grandstand," and promised that she would hold Johnson "to his word as we continue to govern for the American people."

Johnson's election severely tempers the Golden State's political power in Congress.

With both Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and McCarthy now serving as speaker emeriti, only two Californians remain in congressional leadership: Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu of Torrance and Pete Aguilar of Redlands. And with Sen. Dianne Feinstein's passing last month, the delegation lost her decades of seniority in the Senate.

As speaker, Johnson will need to negotiate with seasoned Democratic leadership, including Biden and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, on a swath of pressing issues, including potential funding for Ukraine and Israel to aid them in their respective wars.

Virtually no one has any idea how Mr. Johnson will perform, Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, told The Times. Thats probably the takeaway of the day  a whole series of question marks about him and his leadership.

Johnson will also need to decide whether to make a deal with Democrats to fend off a Nov. 17 government shutdown that could leave military service members and other federal employees without pay ahead of the holidays.

Before the floor vote to elect him, Johnson sketched out a one-year road map for the GOP conference, saying he would pass key appropriations bills by the end of this week.

In a statement, Biden congratulated Johnson on his election and made clear his party's priorities, including avoiding a mid-November shutdown.

"This is a time for all of us to act responsibly, and to put the good of the American people and the everyday priorities of American families above any partisanship," the president said.

The House GOP went more than three weeks without a leader after eight Republicans, led by Florida's Matt Gaetz, voted to jettison McCarthy with the help of House Democrats.

In his first address as speaker, Johnson nodded to McCarthy's tenure.

"You would be hard-pressed to find anybody who loves this institution more or who has contributed more to it. He is the reason we're in this majority today," Johnson said. "You helped build it, Kevin, and we owe you a great debt of gratitude."

McCarthy's ouster caused embarrassing infighting within the GOP conference to spill into the public eye. Before Johnson, three other men who raised their hands for the role  House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana; Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the Judiciary Committee; and Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota  tried and failed to secure enough votes.

Scalise dropped out a day after securing the nomination. Jordan endured three humiliating floor votes before being forced to abandon his effort. Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election results, quickly saw stiff opposition from far-right members and their leader, Trump, who knifed the Minnesotan on social media, implying GOP lawmakers should block his candidacy. Four hours after clinching the nomination, Emmer dropped out.

Ahead of Wednesday's floor vote, Trump made clear his support for Johnson.

Though Johnson is not as well-known as the Republicans who just failed to secure the speakership, his lack of a national profile may have ultimately aided his campaign.

A forthcoming HBO documentary on a major sex abuse scandal at Ohio State University could have haunted the GOP if Jordan, a former assistant wrestling coach there, had been elevated to the speakership. And Scalise has faced flak for reportedly attending an event in the early 2000s hosted by a group founded by David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

Jordan, like Johnson, was deeply involved in election denialism, but Colorado's Rep. Ken Buck, who voted for Johnson on Wednesday and against Jordan previously, said there was a key difference between their records.

Ahead of the floor vote, Buck said that Johnson's involvement was distinct from Jordan's because Johnson focused his efforts on the legal system, which is "fundamentally different than somebody who is actively involved in moving the protesters from the [National] Mall" to the Capitol, he told reporters.

The revolving door of speaker nominees was never about finding the right person to lead the Republican conference, Aguilar said in a floor speech nominating Jeffries to the speakership.

This is about who can appease Donald Trump," the California Democrat said.

At least three Republicans stood and applauded in response.

Ed Rollins, a GOP strategist and former senior advisor to President Reagan, agreed with Aguilars assessment, saying: "Theres never been a president, in my lifetime, thats ever played such a role in the House."

Historically, presidents go and raise money," he said. "But they dont mess around with the speaker's race."

Before Johnson took his oath of office at 2:45 p.m. Eastern, he addressed his colleagues for about 20 minutes, urging his conference to remain unified so they can accomplish their goals. He vowed that his speaker's office would be known for "trust, transparency and accountability."

Johnson also had a message for those watching the dysfunction in Washington:

"The people's House is back in business."

Logan reported from Washington and Pinho from Santa Barbara.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE - Newly elected Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu takes his oath during a session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 12, 2023. China has replaced Defense Minister Gen. Li, who has been out of public view for almost two months with little explanation, state media reported Tuesday, Oct. 24. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  The removal of Chinas foreign and defense ministers appears to enforce leader Xi Jinping s demand for total obedience and the elimination of any potential rivals within the ruling Communist Party, analysts say.

State media this week confirmed that former defense minister Gen. Li Shangfu and former foreign minister Qin Gang were no longer serving in office, but offered no details.

The opacity of Chinas one-party authoritarian system creates huge speculation about why the officials left office and whether they will face legal censure. Both Li and Qin were appointed under Xis watch, indicating they must have undergone close scrutiny, but later faced doubt over their personal behavior or political alliances.

Its possible to see the reshuffle either as a manifestation of (Xi's) weakness or a sign of his strength. I lean toward the insecurity side of the explanation, said June Teufel Dreyer, an expert on Chinese politics at the University of Miami in the U.S.

Xi is breaking with precedent by taking down his own powerful appointees, further turning the entire Communist Party into the Xi faction, said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

Almost no information has been offered about the fate of Li and Qin, who was removed from office in July amid speculation of his having violated an unwritten code of ethics that is often used as cover for political infighting.

Li, who became defense minister during a Cabinet reshuffle in March and was dispatched to Moscow on a visit to shore up China's backing of Russia, hasnt been seen since giving a speech on Aug. 29.

There is no indication that the disappearances of Qin and Li signal a change in Chinas foreign or defense policies, which seek to form alliances in opposition to the liberal democratic world order led by the U.S. and its allies.

Lis ouster was likely based on multiple factors, including an anticorruption investigation linked to the equipment development department dating back to 2017, said Meia Nouwens, a China expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

This doesnt look good. They are your close allies, youve only just appointed them and now clearly something has happened that isnt positive for them to take such drastic actions and remove them from their positions in what seems like quite a hasty way, Nouwens said.

At the same time, some could see the move as a sign of Xis strength, she said.

It shows weakness in his inner circle, but clearly strength in the sense that he ... can take these decisions quite decisively if he so chooses, she said.

Xi has a reputation for valuing loyalty above all and has relentlessly attacked corruption in public and private, sometimes in what has been seen as a way of eliminating political rivals and shoring up his political position amid a deteriorating economy and rising tensions with U.S. over trade, technology and Taiwan.

Li is under U.S. sanctions related to his oversight of weapons purchases from Russia that bar him from entering the country. China has since cut off contact with the U.S. military, mainly in protest over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and strongly implied that Washington must lift the measures against Li that Beijing refuses to publicly recognize.

State broadcaster CCTV this week also announced the appointment of new finance minister and science and technology ministers.

Chinas political and legal systems remain opaque, fueling lively discussion of possible corruption, personal foibles or fallings-out with other powerful figures leading to the downfall of top officials.

China's ruling party is also struggling to revive an economy that has been severely impacted by draconian zero COVID measures, an aging population, high unemployment among college graduates and a movement of many of its wealthiest and best educated to more liberal societies abroad.

With his ideology, known as Xi Jinping Thought, enshrined in the party constitution and with the abolishment of presidential term limits, Xi has structured the system so that he may stay in power for the rest of his life.

The 70-year-old also heads the party and state committees overseeing the Peoples Liberation Army, the worlds largest standing military with more than 2 million personnel on active duty.

___

Associated Press writer David Rising contributed to this report from Bangkok.

___

Find more of AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Approval of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's performance has fallen on Brazilian worries that Latin America's largest economy is worsening, a new Genial/Quaest poll showed on Wednesday.

Approval of his way of governing has fallen to 54% in October from 60% in August, while 42% of those polled say he is doing a bad job, up from 35% in the previous survey.

Positive approval of his 10-month-old government has also slipped to 38% from 42% of respondents in August, and negative views rose 5 percentage points to 29%, the poll found.

"People are more concerned about the economy and have seen errors in the government's positioning," said Quaest pollster Felipe Nunes, citing Lula's excessive travel abroad and lack of attention to floods in southern Brazil as missteps.

The number of Brazilians who see the economy deteriorating has risen to 32% from 23% in August, as optimism dipped to 33%from 34% of those who see the economy improving.

Still, more Brazilians believe Lula is doing better than his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro : 47% of those polled think his government is better than Bolsonaro's, down from 49% in August, and those that say his government is worse rose to 38% from 34% in two months.

Genial/Quaest interviewed 2,000 people of voting age between Oct. 19 and Oct. 22. The poll has a 2.2 percentage point error margin.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Steven Grattan, Jonathan Oatis and Deepa Babington)
Numerous rescue ships and a cruise liner rushed to the scene of a cargo ship crash on Tuesday.

Two cargo ships collided, with one sinking, in the early morning. Five people are presumed dead.

The massive search was halted after hopes faded that some may be alive inside the sunken vessel.

A fatal crash between two cargo ships in the North Sea on Tuesday saw multiple vessels brought in for a rescue attempt.

One was a luxury cruise liner headed for the major European port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

At around 5 a.m. local time Tuesday, two cargo ships  the Polesie and the Verity  collided, around 12 miles southwest of the German island of Helgoland, according to Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies.

The Verity, a British cargo ship, sank, the CMME said.

Out of seven people on board, two were pulled out of the water, one was found dead, and a further four are presumed dead, per the CMME. According to The Guardian, the authority initially hoped some may be alive and sheltering in the vessel on the sea floor.

The Polesie is owned by a Polish company under a Bahamian flag with a crew of 22, according to The Guardian. It remained afloat and made it to a German port by about 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday, CMME said.

Ship-tracking website Marine Traffic showed the path of the two ships at the time of the crash:

This morning at 02:57 UTC, the  bulk carrier VERITY (9229178) suffered a direct collision by the  bulk carrier POLESIE (9488097) near Helgoland island, Germany. The VERITY sank at (possibly) 54.0259, 7.640137, per AIS. One rescued; several missing. @MarineTraffic @Kpler pic.twitter.com/sjiYFrTsNn  TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) October 24, 2023

It was a sombering detour for the British-flagged Iona, a luxury cruise liner which was en route to Rotterdam at the time of the crash.

The P&O cruise liner the Iona seen at port in Lisbon., Portugal, on January 12, 2022. Horacio Villalobos/Getty Images

A spokesperson for the Iona's P&O Cruises told Insider that the cruise liner joined the search and rescue operation soon afterwards, but by the afternoon was released from the efforts.

According to CMME, the search was conducted amid rain showers and waves of around seven to 10 feet, with the weather worsening overnight. As well as the Iona, 10 further vessels and a German Navy helicopter joined the search. It was halted late on Tuesday.

"The search on the water surface will not be resumed today," CMME said on Wednesday.

One person identifying themselves on X as one of the Iona's passengers wrote: "A sobering day. Woken at 5.30 am by the Captain calling rescue staff to muster."

Another X user who said they were on the Iona wrote:

Bit of a different post today, My deep condolences to the familys of the lost that were in the North Sea off the coast of Germany. 2 rescued and one body have been recovered. My deepest condolences to those affected by the tragedy @pandocruises @SHIPS_LTD @MarineTraffic pic.twitter.com/J8V6mP0h7E  F1 Lover (@F1Lover2007) October 24, 2023

Insider was unable to confirm whether the people were indeed on the Iona.

The megaship, which features 19 decks, a three-deck atrium and a domed performance area, "sailed to Rotterdam, arriving this morning as scheduled," said P&O's Michele Andjel in a statement.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Maria Corina Machado definitively won Venezuelas opposition primaries, a final bulletin from the organizing committee confirmed, solidifying her leadership ahead of the 2024 presidential vote.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Machado soundly defeated nine contenders on Sunday, securing 92.4% support. Turnout was higher than expected, with almost 2.5 million people casting ballots inside Venezuela and abroad, the committee said late Tuesday.

The official result, considered conclusive with more than 90% of votes counted, was announced 48 hours after the first bulletin. The opposition said it faced technical issues including a blocked server during the vote tallying process.

Government officials, including President Nicolas Maduro, accused the opposition of inflating the numbers and denounced the vote as a fraud. On Tuesday, the president of the national assembly said the alleged electoral meddling violated a deal that led to US sanctions being eased.

After Machado, the candidates who earned the most votes in the primary were:

Former lawmaker Carlos Prosperi got 4.6% support

Delsa Solorzano, another former lawmaker, won 0.6%

Andres Caleca, former head of the National Electoral Council, got 0.5%

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab has described the opposition primary election as 'obviously a fraud' (Federico PARRA)

Venezuelan officials on Wednesday opened an investigation into alleged "irregularities" during an opposition primary, which was won last weekend by a candidate banned from holding office by President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Tarek William Saab, Maduro's attorney general, described the primary as "obviously a fraud" and told journalists in Caracas he had tasked two prosecutors with the probe.

The wide-ranging charges include usurping the functions of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), criminal conspiracy, making up fictitious voters, and money laundering.

The CNE did not oversee the Sunday vote, which was instead managed by the opposition's own National Primary Commission (CNP).

The CNP said earlier Wednesday that 2.4 million voters took part in the primary that nominated Maria Corina Machado, 56, as the opposition candidate to challenge Maduro in 2024 elections.

The only problem is that Machado has been banned by Venezuelan authorities from holding office for 15 years, effectively ruling her out of the race.

She stands accused of supporting international sanctions against Venezuela.

- 'Outside the law' -

The United States, which eased some oil and gas sanctions on Venezuela following the resumption of dialogue between the government and the opposition, is pushing to have Machado's disqualification lifted.

Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves.

The opposition, backed by several countries including the United States, did not recognize Maduro's 2018 re-election in a vote widely dismissed as fraudulent.

The following year, Washington ramped up sanctions against Caracas that were first imposed in 2015 over the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

But the energy crisis sparked by Russia's war on Ukraine saw renewed global efforts to solve the crisis in Venezuela.

After initial talks between the government and the opposition, Washington granted a six-month license to US energy giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela.

Then, last week, the two sides agreed to hold negotiations in the second half of next year.

That was followed by Sunday's primary, for which the CNE had offered technical support, but only if it was delayed by a month.

Saab said the vote overseen by the CNP had taken place "outside the law, outside the constitution," and was "fraudulent" given that the CNE was the only body constitutionally tasked with organizing elections.

The opposition votes were cast and counted manually.

Juan Guaido, who led the opposition until late last year and lives in exile in the United States, did not stand for election in the primary.

The CNP's president and vice president as well as other commission members will be among those investigated, said Saab, to "answer for these irregularities, answer to the country and to justice."

The government has challenged the CNP's voter turnout numbers, saying they were much lower.

Machado on Tuesday insisted she would register as a presidential candidate.

"I have received a mandate from the Venezuelan people and I will execute it," she said.

jt/mbj/ll/mlr/fb/des
Police have named a man who died after a mass disturbance on a South Lanarkshire street.

Stuart McGeachie, 38, was seriously injured after being assaulted on Farmeloan Road, Rutherglen, at about 19:00 on Tuesday.

Officers said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said the incident involved a number of people who are believed to be known to each other.

They added the death was being treated as suspicious.

Farmeloan Road in Rutherglen remained sealed off on Wednesday

Mr McGeachie was from the Rutherglen area. His family released a statement through the force.

"We are devastated at the loss of Stuart, he was a much loved son, father and brother who will be greatly missed. As a family we ask for privacy at this time in order that we can process events and support each other," they said.

Det Ch Insp John Morrison said his thoughts were with Mr McGeachie's family and friends.

He added: "Our inquiries have so far revealed this incident involved a number of people, that we believe are known to each other.

"Our inquiries are ongoing. We will have a continued police presence in the area and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers.

"It is vital we find out more about what has happened as soon as we can and I would urge anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible."

Det Ch Morrison also urged anyone who may have dash cam or mobile phone footage to get in touch.

A 39-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the possession of an offensive weapon and is due to appear before Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday.
TAVARES  Police have arrested and charged a man with sending explicit images of his wife to social media and porn sites, and to men, while pretending to be her.

He even used his young teenage daughter to place hidden cameras in the bathroom, according to court documents.

The woman said the incidents, involving four charges of violating a domestic violence injunction, 21 counts of video voyeurism and 16 counts of cyber sexual harassment, have given her a visceral gut reaction when she hears his name. She suffers from PTSD and has adopted a retired military dog for protection.

The Daily Commercial is not naming the defendant to protect her identity and that of her young teenage daughter.

Clermont Police Lt. Malcolm Draper said he has seen some cases like this in the past, but the explosive growth of social media sites has added a whole new dimension to the problem.

Florida lawmakers, when they drafted video voyeurism laws, noted that people depicted in sexually explicit images have a legitimate expectation that the image will remain private despite sharing the image with another person, such as an intimate partner."

They noted that it is becoming common practice for publishing images for no legitimate purpose, enabling those images to be viewed indefinitely by persons worldwide and are able to be easily reproduced and shared.

The practice causes significant psychological harm to the victims, according to the statutes.

Violation of a domestic violence injunction is a first-degree misdemeanor, and so is domestic sexual harassment. Both are punishable by up to a year in jail, but the video voyeurism charge is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Authorities seized the man's cellphone when executing a search warrant.

Between August 2023 and October 2023, I located the following 21 videos from within the approximately 8,000 videos contained within (the defendant's) cellphone, a detective noted.

Some accounts went back as far as 2014.

The woman went to the police station earlier this year while in the process of getting a divorce from her 38-year-old husband. At first, she was hesitant to press charges, but later changed her mind.

They first started dating in 2008, she said, and became engaged but broke it off. He began sending out explicit images of her when she was in the military.

She had sent some images to him while they were separated by long distance. Because she was in a position of authority and men were coming to the base to look for her, she had to resign.

When she was in Texas, he allegedly sent images to her, her family and to members of her church. She said she reported the actions to police, but the female detective blamed her.

She said she tried making her social media sites private.

Later, when they got back together and were living in Missouri, he woke her up one morning with a gun in his hand, accusing her of cheating. She did not report the incident.

One of the images he sent out was of the two of them having sex. She said he distributed the images without her knowledge.

The divorce this year was sparked by jealousy, when he discovered a credit card she shared with a friend, according to court records.

One of the most damaging allegations in the case was that the man was secretly contacting their daughter through various social media accounts, asking her to set up cameras in the bathroom, and to send him photos of her mother wearing a nightgown, getting out of the shower, and undressing.

He asked her to delete his texts to her, but she did not delete all of them. Among the texts that remain are messages that he loved and missed her, and that her mother was telling lies about him.

These people can be very manipulative sometimes, Lt. Draper said.

Once forensic experts from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement downloaded his phone, he told detectives the cameras were intended to catch her trying to kill him.

He said he wanted to file charges against her because she had placed Nair [hair remover] into his body wash bottle and tried to poison him. Cameras were found in the doorway to the bathroom from a closet, he said, because he didnt want her to pawn valuable purses during their divorce.

She told police she found at least 18 websites sites with images of her.

One former coworker in Missouri told her about a conversation he had with a customer who talked about seeing her photo online. It was a professional headshot, and on the companys website, but it was out of context.

A current coworker, thinking that she was sending out the images, began hitting on her.

Some fake chat room messages pretended to be asking for sex and making lewd comments.

Draper said police warn people to be very careful about who they share images with.

Even scarier, the suspect allegedly asked his daughter about what kind of car she was driving, and about who she was seeing after the divorce.

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Clermont police are concerned. In an Oct. 12 arrest affidavit, Detective Susannah Wrap noted,although some of [his] firearms were turned over to the Clermont Police Department, at least two known firearms, including a rifle, are still outstanding, with comments made that the weapons were gifted to family.

"The victim in his case has repeatedly stated that she is in fear for her safety and continues to be directly and indirectly re-victimized due to the suspects continuous efforts to emotionally harm her. Due to these facts, I am respectfully requesting no bond.

Bail was set at $185,000.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Man faces multiple counts of video voyeurism. Victim is his estranged wife
Ernst Dorfeuille, a Haitian police officer dressed in plain clothes, was walking out of Big Star Market in the hills of Port-au-Prince last Thursday when he took a quick glance at the man walking in and realized who he was: Joseph Felix Badio, the former government functionary and a key suspect wanted in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

It was the second time that Dorfeuille had run into the fugitive, by this time sporting a gray beard and salt and pepper hair, inside a Petionville market. But unlike their previous run-in at the now-closed Giant Supermarket further down the road, this time he was determined not to let him get away.

In a move reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes novel, the cop went to his car, sat behind the wheel and called Haiti National Police Commissioner Mackenzie Jacques. He requested backup. Jacques, who was put in charge of the hillside suburb in February, arrived at the market and dispatched a small cadre of officers in unmarked police vehicles. Hiding out of of view, they waited.

Moments later, an unsuspecting Badio, dressed in a black jacket and blue-and-white checked shirt, emerged toting a small shopping bag. Walking across the parking lot, he slipped behind the wheel of a small black Chevrolet SUV and proceeded to pull out of the lot.

A white police pickup followed by a gray Toyota SUV crossed in front and blocked the Chevrolets path. Heavily armed Haitian police officers quickly converged and began shouting as they moved in. The drivers-side door slowly opened. With his hands raised, Badio stepped out, defiantly yelling, in Creole, Whats going on?

As police moved in to make the arrest, he screamed, Kidnapping! Kidnapping!

Shoppers, perhaps thinking it was a politician or lawyer being abducted by men impersonating the law, reported a kidnapping in progress. Hearing the call over the police radio, Dorfeuille interjected, Standby.

And then, over the radio, came: Weve just arrested Joseph Felix Badio.

The spectacular arrest 27 months after a group of 22 Colombian soldiers stormed the presidents private residence in the middle of the night on July 7, 2021, and riddled him with a dozen high-caliber bullets  while injuring his wife, Martine Moise  has pumped life into a seemingly dormant investigation in Haiti. Despite more than 40 arrests, including three Haitian Americans who were eventually transferred to Miami earlier this year, no one in Haiti has been formally charged in the probe, now on its fifth investigative judge.

For now, Badio is being held and questioned in Haiti, but he may eventually be transferred to Miami, where there is a parallel investigation, as the 12th defendant in the FBIs assassination case. On Tuesday, Haitian Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire began interrogating him and ordered his transfer to Haitis National Penitentiary. On Wednesday, FBI investigators also met with Badio and questioned him.

READ MORE: Who was involved in killing of Haiti president Jovenel Moise?

This week, two of the 11 people charged in Miami with plotting or supporting the presidents killing  former Colombian soldiers Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios and squad leader German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, aka Col. Mike will appear separately in federal court. Palacios attorneys are trying to get a confession that their client made to FBI agents about the plot thrown out.

Rivera, who was part of the convoy that went to Moises residence, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy and supporting a plot to kill Moise. The plea was entered after he too was transferred from a Haitian prison. He faces up to life in prison at his sentencing Friday.

Even before his arrest, Badio was cited by several jailed suspects as playing a central role in coordination of the plot. At this stage, it is unclear whether Badio, who had been under surveillance, will remain in custody in Haiti or be transferred to Miami for prosecution in the FBI-led case.

A Haiti National Police wanted notice, dated July 12, 2021, accuses Badio of assassination, attempted assassination and armed robbery. According to an exhaustive Haitian investigative police report first obtained by the Miami Herald, he was in contact with a number of suspects on the night of the presidents killing. Police have also accused him of being inside Moises home on the night he was killed.

Badio, who worked in the police anti-corruption unit before being fired two months before the assassination, has long been seen as either a key person behind the scenes or a potential mastermind  accusations he has rejected in voice recordings while on the run.

While many are hoping his arrest will provide an investigative breakthrough, there is fear that someone will kill him to silence him if he stays in Haiti too long.

He was someone everyone was looking for

Big Star Market is located about a quarter mile north of the Petionville police substation. Jacques, the police commissioner, said that when he received the call from Dorfeuille, there was no hesitation about what needed to be done.

He was someone everyone was looking for, Jacques said.

Having previously run a specialized SWAT-like unit inside the Haiti National Police, Jacques gathered a few comrades and instructed them to take up positions.

For those who have questioned the Haiti National Polices commitment to fighting crime, he said, its the only institution we have to fight insecurity, that is holding everything together to make sure that gangs dont completely take over the country.

Still, the arrest of Badio has raised questions about how he had remained free for so long.

Joseph Felix Badio, a key suspect in the President Jovenel Moise assassination, made the mistake of going to the grocery store.

A police source confirmed that the vehicle he was driving belonged to Marie Patricia Jean-Gilles. An employee in the justice ministry, according to two other sources, she is described as Badios live-in girlfriend who often attended church with him. Jean-Gilles connection to both the ministry, which is overseeing the still unsolved assassination investigation, and to Badio would help explain how he was able to evade capture for so long.

On Sunday, police arrested five people who went to visit the house in Fort Jacques where Badio resided. They included Andre Junior Cherisier, who described himself as a journalist but a source told the Herald is a close confidant of the former government official, and three lawyers. The lawyers arrest was confirmed by the head of the bar in the city of Mirebalais, Joel Lubin. Speaking on local Radio Magik 9, Lubin said the lawyers were at the clients residence to collect certain personal belongings.

Herold Jean Francois, a local journalist and director of Radio Ibo in Port-au-Prince, was among those inside the Big Star Market on the day of the arrest. Badio, he said, is not someone he knows or recognizes and when he stepped outside and was told about the arrest, he asked, Badio who?

The country is too easy, Francis later told the Miami Herald. The man was circulating among us every day and carrying on with his life as if he were a regular person. What is even more astounding in this case is that it was a lone police officer working as if he were Sherlock Holmes, aiming his flashlight in the dark.

Francois said has since learned that Badio was a frequent shopper at the grocery store, but his physical transformation  the gray Afro and beard  would have rendered him unrecognizable, even to the suspects brother.

After the arrest, rumors quickly circulated that police, who by now had transferred the suspect to the judicial police, had arrested the wrong man. But individuals like Dorfeuille, who has known Badio for years and worked with him in public security, had no doubt who was in police handcuffs.

In fact, according to sources, when Dorfeuille first came across Badio it was during the COVID-19 epidemic and the suspect was wearing a mask as he was picking through the fruits and lettuce inside Giant Supermarket, also in Petionville. Despite that, Dorfeuille immediately recognized him.

READ MORE: How a Miami plot to oust a president led to a murder in Haiti

Pierre Esperance, a human rights advocate who has been critical of the slow pace of the Haitian investigation, said while he credits Dorfeuille and Jacques for making the arrest, the operation was haphazard, and underscored his concerns.

Ever since a wanted poster was sent out for Badio, the police never mobilized to arrest him, Esperance said. There was no will. Badio continued to circulate, he attended meetingsthey never made a move to arrest him.

It is also not lost on Esperance that Badio was headed in the direction of Fort Jacques, the neighborhood where he was reportedly hiding out and a year ago fell under the control of gang leader Vitelhomme Innocent, whom Esperance has accused of protecting Badio. Innocent is named in the Haitian police investigation and is said to have accompanied former Sen. Joseph Joel John when the latter went to rent vehicles used in the plot.

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced officials had indicted Innocent, already the subject of a $1 million FBI bounty for information leading to his arrest in the abduction of 16 American missionaries and, separately, in the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen couple in Haiti, one of whom was killed during the ordeal. The rest of the captives were freed after a ransom was paid.

Earlier this month, John, who also goes by the name John Joel Joseph, pleaded guilty in Miami federal court to conspiring with others in Haiti and South Florida to kill Moise, including attending a key meeting with Colombian commandos on July 6, 2021  the day before the assassination.

He admitted to helping obtain rental vehicles, made introductions to Haitian gang members and tried to get firearms for the co-conspirators operation targeting the president, according to a factual statement filed with his plea agreement. Josephs goal was to become the prime minister under Moises successor following the leaders removal from office

John faces possible life in prison at his Dec. 19 sentencing, but could get a reduced sentence if he cooperates with the investigation, according to his plea agreement. A well-known Haitian politician, he is one of 11 individuals facing charges related to the killing in South Florida. Two others have also pleaded guilty while eight more defendants are awaiting trial.

Resolving questions over the assassination of Moise is a top priority for many, including foreign diplomats assigned to the United Nations. During a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday about the deteriorating situation in Haiti, the Russian Federation noted that the tragedy of the Haitian presidents death has served as a trigger for the countrys destabilization, and that after more than two years the mastermind of the assassination remains unidentified.

We can hardly anticipate a different scenario, since the investigation is being carried out by the same country whose citizens are suspected of committing the assassination, Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva said.

Miami Herald federal courts reporter Jay Weaver contribute to this report.
A man is accused of brandishing a revolver and opening fire on his Black neighbor in Georgia while hurling racial slurs at him, federal prosecutors said.

Mark Wheeler, 73, also shot at his neighbors home in Loganville on May 26 during the racially motivated attack, according to an indictment filed Oct. 24.

Wheeler, by force and threat of force, willfully injured, intimidated, and interfered with  (the victim) in violation of his civil rights and the Fair Housing Act, the indictment says.

Under the Fair Housing Act, discriminating against a persons race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status or disabilities when they are renting or buying a home is illegal.

Wheeler was arrested on charges of interference with housing and possession of a firearm, the Justice Department announced in an Oct. 25 news release.

My client maintains his innocence and is looking forward to his day in court, Catherine M. Williams, a federal public defender representing Wheeler, told McClatchy News in a statement on Oct. 25.

We are waiting on the discovery from the Government and will evaluate it when we receive it, Williams added.

If Wheeler is convicted on both charges, he could be sentenced for up to 10 years in prison and face a $250,000 fine, the release said.

The FBIs Atlanta Field Office is investigating Wheeler, according to prosecutors.

Loganville is about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Man threatens to shoot Muslim men he says dont belong in America, Illinois cops say

Man threatened to kill Black worker who didnt give him Social Security card, feds say

Men shoot transgender woman with paintballs after she used womens bathroom, feds say
A man who stabbed his housemate to death has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

Greater Manchester Police said Thomas Murphy, 42, was found dead at the Beverly Road house he shared with Stephen Owusu in Fallowfield, Manchester, on 24 September 2022.

Owusu, 23, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

That plea was accepted by the prosecution and he was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court.

Speaking after the sentencing, senior investigating officer Phil Reade said Mr Murphy was "a completely innocent victim and the thoughts of the whole investigation team remain with his family, especially his two daughters and his parents".

He said Mr Murphy's family had shown "strength and dignity" throughout the proceedings, "the conclusion of which I know will not lessen their heartbreak".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
PHOENIX - Months after a missing Arizona teenager was found in a small Montana town, authorities in that state have announced the arrest of a man who was living with Alicia Navarro.

In a statement, officials with the police department in Havre, Mont. announced that Edmund Davis was arrested in Chinook, a town about 22 miles east of Havre.

"Edmund Davis had been sought by law enforcement agencies for his alleged involvement in two counts of sexual abuse of children," read a portion of the statement released by Havre Police officials.

Here are the details surrounding Davis' alleged offenses.

What is Davis accused of doing?

As mentioned by Havre Police officials, Davis was arrested for his alleged connection with child sexual abuse.

In court documents we obtained, Davis is accused of possessing sexually explicit images that feature minors. Court documents state that investigation and warrants processed through Arizona led to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) being found on Davis' mobile phone.

The documents state that on July 26, a search warrant was executed on an apartment where Navarro and Davis were living in. In all, three mobile phones, including one that Davis was seen throwing into a trash can, along with a laptop and a gaming console, were seized and sent to Glendale Police.

"During the search of these devices, it was learned that the device that was placed in the trash can most likely belonged to [Davis]," read a portion of the court documents.

Officials said over 80 images were found on the device that was determined to be owned by Davis, and of the 80 images, 10 of them were selected and sent to the Phoenix Children's Hospital to receive a so-called "sexual maturity rating."

"Of the ten images provided, nine were rated," read a portion of the documents. "Seven of those nine were rated as children under the age of 13, and the other two were rated as children under the age of 5."

A forensic search was later conducted on Davis' phone, according to investigators, where images from a known CSAM series were found.

Court documents contained graphic descriptions of the images' content, which we have opted not to include.

"There were also a multitude of pictures found that are computer generated or animated content showing apparent children being sexualized," read a portion of the court documents.

So, what's next in the case?

The Associated Press has noted that there are still a number of unanswered questions, including whether Davis played a part in Alicia's disappearance, as well as how and when Alicia ended up in Northern Montana, which is over 1,000 miles away from Glendale.

Police, according to the AP, provided no details about Davis at the time Alicia was found, but neighbors said hed been living with Alicia for at least a year. Neighbors also said that Navarro and Davis moved out of the apartment days after her whereabouts were revealed by media reports.

What about Davis? What is he being accused of?

Edmund Davis (Hill County Sheriff)

Prosecutors in Montana are accusing Davis of two counts of Sexual Abuse of Children, a crime that carries a maximum 100-year prison sentence.

Court documents state that since some of the alleged victims, as featured in the CSAM, are under the age of 12, and Davis was over the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense, the first 25 years of the prison sentence cannot be suspended or deferred, and Davis, if convicted, will not be eligible for parole in those first 25 years.

According to the AP, Davis has made an initial appearance in court. He is being held at a detention center on a $1 million bond.

And Alicia?

Alicia Navarro, in a photo released in July 2023

There is no indication that Alicia is somehow involved in the case.

It should also be noted that during a July 2023 interview with Glendale Police, Alicia said no one had hurt her.

Meanwhile, an AP article states that according to Trent Steele, a private investigator who assisted Nunez in the search for Navarro through the Miami-based nonprofit Anti-Predator Project, Alicia is "in a safe place," but did not otherwise disclose particulars.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
A man who reported a child was missing from his car outside of a grocery store is facing charges, Connecticut state police said.

When police arrived at the Price Chopper in Mansfield the evening of Oct. 23, the 30-year-old man said the child had disappeared from his vehicle while he was inside the store, according to an Oct. 24 state police news release.

However, the child was actually at home when he drove to Price Chopper, police said.

The missing child report caused state authorities, Price Chopper employees, members of the University of Connecticut Police Department and Coventry Police Department to scour the area looking for the minor, whose age wasnt specified, according to police.

A review of surveillance footage ultimately revealed that the man had visited Price Chopper with the child, before returning a second time later that evening, police said.

During his second trip, which led to the police response, the man was alone but was unaware he hadnt brought the child, according to police.

Nearly an hour after the search began, the child was found at home unharmed, police said.

There, troopers suspected the man was possibly impaired and conducted field sobriety tests  which the man didnt perform to standard, police said.

The man, of Mansfield, was taken into custody and booked on charges of operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, second-degree reckless endangerment, risk of injury to a child and second-degree breach of peace, according to police.

He was held on a $25,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment on Oct. 24, according to the release.

Court records show he was released from custody and is due back in court on Dec. 5 for a plea hearing.

Information regarding his legal representation wasnt listed in court records as of Oct. 25.

Mansfield is about 25 miles east of Hartford.

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A man is on trial this week in a killing in which he is accused of suddenly gunning down another man and continuing to shoot him as he lay dying on the ground.

Justin Isaiah Bess, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the March 2020 death of Jaqualus Deontray Glover.

On March 19, 2020, Glover went with a then-friend, Brandon Biddy, to Bess' apartment in Gastonia, according to Assistant District Attorney Tyler Niblett. When they were on their way, Bess called Glover and asked them to meet him on a side-road near the apartment.

Testifying on Tuesday, Biddy told a jury that when they arrived, Glover was sitting on a white car that was parked by the road. Glover, who had been friends with Biddy since middle school, got out to talk to Bess. Once they started talking, Bess showed Glover a phone. Then, Glover looked back at Biddy, and when he did, Bess pulled out a gun and started shooting Glover, who was unarmed. Glover tried to run but fell to the ground, "and Justin stood over on top of him and kept shooting," Biddy said.

Biddy, who was still in the car, tried to drive off, and when he did, someone else began shooting into Biddy's car from behind. Glass shattered all around him, but Biddy managed to turn around and drive off, calling 911 as he drove.

Niblett said in court that after the shooting, Bess was arrested, and he made two phone calls from jail, one to his mother and one to his then-girlfriend. In both calls, he was asked who shot Glover.

"He said, 'I did,'" Niblett said during opening statements of the trial that began Tuesday.

Niblett also said that when Biddy was interrogated by police, he initially told them that he wasn't there, but then changed his story when confronted with evidence that he was present, which included records from a GPS monitor that put Bess at the scene of the crime.

Bess had been released from prison less than a year before Glover's death. He was convicted in April 2016, when he was just 16 years old, of discharging a firearm into occupied property and again in September 2016 of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was incarcerated for three-and-a-half years and was released from prison in July 2019.

Bess' attorney, John Bridges, said that Glover and Bess were "best friends," who had known each other a long time.

He said that Bess shot Glover in self defense.

"That's what he believes it was," Bridges said. "In the state of North Carolina, self defense is a subjective idea."

Bess' co-defendant, 26-year-old Hafees Adams, was convicted of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury on March 10, 2022. He was sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.

Bess' trial began this week and could take two weeks. If convicted of first-degree murder, he would be sentenced to life in prison.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Man stands trial in ambush-style killing
A North Carolina man has a promise to fulfill now that hes claimed a big lottery win.

Rickey Gunthrope, a Salisbury resident, decided to grab a $1 Cash 5 ticket from a Food Lion in Spencer on Sunday, Oct. 22, North Carolina Education Lottery officials said in an Oct. 24 news release. But Gunthrope wasnt the only person with an interest in him winning.

Earlier, Gunthropes nephews car broke down, he told lottery officials, so he swore hed get him a new one if he won any money. He chose the same number combination he always uses for the ticket, because he told himself one day it would come for me, Gunthrope said in the release.

The next morning, Gunthrope woke up to a surprise. He had matched all five numbers in the drawing for the jackpot: $200,260.

When I saw my numbers, I just started slapping myself because I couldnt believe my eyes, he said in the release. I was like, Am I awake?

But there was one person he had to make sure to include in his celebration: his nephew.

I called him this morning and told him to go shopping, Gunthrope said in the release.

Gunthrope traveled to the N.C. Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh to collect his prize, which totaled $142,686 after taxes. The big win made him feel wonderful, he said in the lotterys YouTube video.

It looks so beautiful, Gunthrope said in the video, laughing while he held his big check.

The next step for Gunthrope is to get his nephew his new car, otherwise hed feel guilty, he said in the video. He also will use some of the money for repairs on his house.

Salisbury is about 40 miles northeast of Charlotte.

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If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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A Binghamton man wanted in connection with a robbery in the city and a domestic dispute in Whitney Point has been captured in Tompkins County after a multi-agency manhunt.

Christopher Borges, 30, was wanted by the City of Binghamton Police Department in connection with a robbery earlier this month, and by the Broome County Sheriff's Office following a report of a domestic dispute Tuesday and vehicle pursuit that started in Whitney Point.

Borges was located shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday on Deerfield Lane in the Tompkins County Town of Caroline and taken into custody without incident by a Tompkins County sheriff's deputy.

Borges faces a charge of first-degree robbery for an incident that took place Oct. 16 in a residence at 181 Murray St. in Binghamton, according to city police.

It was not a random act, police Capt. Cory Minor said, and Borges and the victims knew each other. Minor wouldn't say if Borges displayed a weapon during the incident.

On Tuesday, patrol units from the Broome County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police responded to the report of a domestic dispute in Whitney Point involving Borges.

Prior to their arrival, Borges left the scene in a U-Haul, along with a female passenger, and headed south on state Route 12, the sheriff's office said.

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Responding patrols located the U-Haul and attempted to stop it but Borges did not comply, leading to a chase that passed through four Broome County towns and parts of Tioga County before ending up in Tompkins County.

The vehicle ran out of gas on the 2000 block of Slaterville Road in Caroline, and Borges fled the scene on foot, the Broome County Sheriff's Office said. The woman was taken into custody, and the nature of her involvement is still under investigation.

Representatives from the New York State Police, Ithaca Police Department, Broome County Sheriff's Office, Cayuga Heights Police Department, and the Tioga County Sheriff's Office joined the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office in the search for Borges.

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Police discovered a BB gun that appeared similar to a Glock handgun inside the abandoned U-Haul. Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne didn't indicate if Borges had any additional weapons in his possession when he was apprehended.

Osborne noted the Ithaca City School District helped coordinate the safe arrival of students in the area and getting the word out to families, and Celebrations Banquet Hall on Slaterville Road allowed law enforcement to utilize their property for a command post.

In addition to the robbery charge, the Broome County Sheriff's Office plans to charge Borges with second-degree kidnapping and first-degree criminal contempt, both felonies, and third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer, a misdemeanor.

Law enforcement officials say Borges is likely to face additional charges from multiple agencies.

Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: How NY domestic dispute call began police pursuit through 3 counties
An L.A. County judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging L.A.s "mansion tax" on Tuesday, marking the end of a months-long legal challenge from the luxury real estate community that looked to declare the measure unconstitutional.

The transfer tax known as Measure ULA was passed in November and took effect April 1, bringing a 4% charge on all residential and commercial real estate sales in the city above $5 million and a 5.5% charge on sales above $10 million, pumping millions into housing and homelessness-prevention efforts.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Barbara Scheper issued a tentative ruling dismissing the challenge on Monday after hearing arguments from both sides, and she officially dismissed the lawsuit on Tuesday, according to court documents.

The ruling is a big win for housing activists, who say that L.A. desperately needs the money raised by the tax.

This is a great day for Los Angeles, said Joe Donlin, who serves as director of the United to House LA coalition, which brought the measure onto the ballot in November. The judge's ruling confirms what we knew all along: ULA is the law of the land and it's the will of the people. And it reminds us of the power of the people to shape our city's future for the good.

Donlin said he was surprised the ruling came out so soon.

Before the hearing, we thought it might take weeks or months, but this was a positive sign that the judge didnt feel compelled by the plaintiffs arguments, he said.

Greg Bonett, senior staff attorney for the Public Counsel who worked to defend the measure, applauded the decision, calling it a resounding victory for the power of the people to initiate transformative solutions to address our citys housing and homelessness crises.

The judge's ruling is a blow for many in the luxury real estate community, who claim that the transfer tax has frozen the market and stifled development.

Keith Fromm, an attorney for Newcastle Courtyards, one of two groups challenging the measure, said he plans to appeal the decision.

The order contains numerous errors of law which the appellate courts will hopefully recognize and correct, Fromm said. The ruling is simply one step in a very long journey to justice.

Read more: Tracking home and rent prices in Southern California

The legal battle  which was headed by two main groups: Newcastle and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn.  became a national conversation, as other cities looked to L.A. to see how it would implement such a tax.

Other cities such as San Francisco, New York City and Culver City have implemented transfer taxes, but L.A.s is unique in scope and scale, not just taxing home sales but all property sales above $5 million.

Voters approved the measure with a 57% majority in November, and the tax became a hot-button issue immediately after.

Advocates argue that the tax is a way for luxury property owners to contribute to solving L.A.s housing crisis, while opponents say it discourages development and pushes owners out of L.A. and into cities that dont have the tax, such as Beverly Hills, West Hollywood or Santa Monica.

With Measure ULA, we are now going to lose billions of dollars every year in economic development and property tax revenue in order to raise less than $500 million through the tax, said Jason Oppenheim, a real estate agent with the Oppenheim Group and star of Netflixs Selling Sunset.

The luxury real estate market froze in the months after the measure took effect, as many luxury homeowners looked to find loopholes to avoid paying the tax. Many hired accountants to find workarounds, such as dividing their homes into three parcels and selling them separately to stay under the $5-million threshold at which the tax kicks in.

Many homeowners held off on selling their homes, hoping the lawsuit would overturn the tax. As a result, funds raised by the tax have fallen dramatically short of original projections since sales have slowed.

In November, proponents of the tax estimated it would raise roughly $900 million a year. In March, a report from the city administrative officer lowered that number to $672 million. Then in April, Mayor Karen Basss first budget proposal, a $13.1-billion plan, included only $150 million in projected revenue from Measure ULA.

The number was chosen out of caution, as the city wanted to funnel as much money as possible toward housing and homelessness issues but not so much that it wouldnt be able to pay it back if the measure were ruled unconstitutional.

But with the courts latest ruling, spending will likely increase.

On Wednesday, the L.A. City Council's budget, finance and innovation Committee will meet to discuss the implementation process, and the ULA coalition will propose that $12 million be reallocated to short-term emergency assistance for renters.

In August, the City Council passed a $150-million spending plan for funds raised by Measure ULA. It was the first time funds were specifically allocated since the tax was passed in November, and the plan sent money to six programs: short-term emergency rental assistance, eviction defense, tenant outreach and education, direct cash assistance for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, tenant protections and affordable housing production.

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.
While many Central Floridians are gearing up for Halloween with simulated horror and creepy costumes, a new museum in Lake Mary is showcasing letters from murderers, fingerprints of assassins and other dark, macabre manuscripts this weekend.

The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, which has locations in nearly a dozen cities around the United States, is pulling from its collection of more than 10,000 letters, documents, sheets of music and sketches to show spooky manuscripts for Halloween. The Lake Mary location will be open to the public on Oct. 28 for a free event with candy and adult beverages.

Fingerprints and a letter from cult leader Charles Manson, a manuscript of The Exorcist, Benito Mussolinis death certificate and documents about the invention of the guillotine are among the items that will be displayed.

We tried to curate some interesting, dark things here, said Alexis Karpeles, the museums national curator and director of the Lake Mary location. Its the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist this year. People can see what the original film script looks like.

While some of the manuscripts might seem dark or controversial, the museum doesnt endorse any ideas or concepts displayed (or take any stances on religion, politics or otherwise)  but rather wants to showcase materials for educational and historical purposes.

The project was started by Dr. David Karpeles, a mathematician from Santa Barbara, California, who invested in real estate in the late 1960s. Although the National Archives boasts millions of records, the agency wasnt founded until the 1930s, leaving many important documents in the hands of private collectors.

Dr. Karpeles, who passed away in early 2022, began to buy manuscripts from auction houses like Christies and Sothebys in the 1970s and then became obsessed with collecting.

He did get to the point where he felt a responsibility to share them, plus he thought it would be fun to share them, said Cheryl Alleman, Dr. Karpeles daughter who serves as the museums CFO and COO. The majority of the collection has manuscripts involving people who have changed or made an impact on society.

The Karpeles Museum recently hosted a banned books exhibit and also has important records from literature, science, religion, music, art and more. Highlights include pages from the Gutenberg Bible, a letter from Galileo, notes from Charles Darwin, a letter written by Albert Einstein and a handwritten account by Christopher Columbus.

Other pieces of history on display at the Lake Mary museum are early Disney storyboards and sketches, a copy of Richard Wagners Wedding March (think, Here Comes The Bride) and a note written by Helen Keller.

We have the largest private collection of important original documents and manuscripts in the world, Alexis Karpeles said.

If you go

The Karpeles Museum is open for a spooky tour of historic manuscripts from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 28 at 115 International Parkway #101 in Lake Mary. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit karpeles.com.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.
Ashkelon, southern Israel  Israeli tanks and troops are massed, awaiting orders for an expected ground invasion into the Gaza Strip that seems to have been delayed in the hope of securing the release of more hostages captured during Hamas' brutal Oct. 7 terror attack.

But in the absence of a ground invasion, people living in the front-line Israeli towns and kibbutzim all along the Gaza border  many of whom waited hour after agonizing hour for Israeli soldiers to come to their rescue during the bloody Hamas assault  are taking no chances.

Imri Budin is part of a six-man civilian self-defense unit protecting Kibbutz Re'im, which is just three miles from the fence dividing Israel from the Gaza Strip.

A small civilian team is the first line of defense for Kibbutz Re'im, in southern Israel near the Gaza border. / Credit: CBS News

Before the unprecedented attack by Hamas, which the U.S., Israel and most of Europe have long designated a terrorist organization, Budin's semi-automatic rifle lay gathering dust in a safe. At most, he would use it once a year for training  his effort to be prepared in the event of an attack.

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But that preparation was based on a belief that the kibbutz's civilian defenders would get quick backup.

"All you need to do is hold them, eight [to] 20 minutes, until the army comes.... this is what we practice on," he told CBS News. "We are the first squad to delay everything for few minutes."

But on October 7, Budin and his tiny squad had to hold off Hamas militants for nearly six hours before soldiers reached Kibbutz Re'im.

The men told us they now patrol the kibbutz daily to protect it, even though the more than 500 residents who live there have been evacuated to a town miles away. Re'im's evacuees are not alone.

The brutality of Hamas' attack and the cross-border violence and that's followed have triggered mass exoduses on both sides.

The U.N. estimates that Israel's retaliatory airstrikes  which the Israeli military insists are all targeting Hamas and other militants  have driven roughly 1 million people from their homes in Gaza. But entire towns in Israel have also been largely deserted, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced.

Hamas' allies in Hezbollah, another powerful Iran-backed group that's based in Lebanon, right on Israel's northern border, have exchanged deadly fire with Israeli forces over the past two weeks, increasing concern that the ongoing war could draw in other parties, and even other countries in the region. With that prospect looming, Israeli authorities have evacuated several towns near the Lebanon border over the last week.

But most of the displacement in Israel has been in the south, closer to Gaza. CBS News visited the town of Netivot this week, which found itself right on the front line of this war. A Hamas rocket slammed into a home, killing a grandfather, a father and his 14-year-old son.

Another small civilian workforce in Netivot mans a security camera hub 24 hours a day, constantly on the lookout for the next rocket or terrorist gunman.

An Israeli soldier stands near a vehicle hit by a rocket fired by Hamas militants, in Netivot, Israel, on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 / Credit: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Orly Masass, one of the emergency dispatchers who keeps watch over the city and its remaining residents, pointed to one of the monitors and noted that Gaza City, the seat of Hamas' power for almost two decades, was visible on the horizon.

"People are terrified," Masass told CBS News, adding that seeing so many people from their community, friends and loved ones, slaughtered by Hamas had sapped Israelis of their confidence.

In Kibbutz Re'im, Budin said before Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, there would typically be an exchange of fire between Gaza and Israel several times per year. Since the attack, however, it has been almost daily.

As he spoke to CBS News, as if to highlight his point, the sound of incoming rocket fire forced everyone to seek cover in a safe room.

Budin and his fellow civilian protectors said they wouldn't feel safe until Hamas was destroyed. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Israeli officials swore revenge, vowing to "destroy Hamas" and indicating that a full-scale ground invasion was imminent.

That plan appears to have been delayed, however, in the hope that more of the roughly 220 hostages still held by Hamas will be freed, following the release of four women over the past week.

Israeli forces have dropped thousands of leaflets on Gaza over the last couple days, urging Palestinians to give them information on where those hostages are being held in exchange for cash, and protection.

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Milwaukee - Forty-thousand automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras are tracking drivers across the United States. Some police departments want to keep their locations secret.

Flock Safety says one of the hallmarks of its surveillance technology is transparency, but when FOX6 Investigators asked for public records disclosing camera locations in 20 Wisconsin cities, we found the responses were all over the map. The first police chief we talked to about Flock cameras is Jeff Caponera in Grafton, one of the first to bring Flock technology to Wisconsin.

"Those cameras are not capturing anything the naked eye wouldnt see walking down the street," Caponera said in an interview earlier this year.

Over the past six years, Flock Safety has deployed more than 40,000 license plate reading cameras in more than 3,000 cities throughout the U.S.

"The mission of flock is to eliminate crime as a community," said Amy Cornell, Flock's Community Affairs Manager, at a public information meeting in Oconomowoc in September.

As the company's cameras spread rapidly throughout the Badger State, Cornell emphasized their commitment to keeping the public informed about what their system does and does not do.

"Transparency is of utmost importance to Flock," Cornell said.

Flock's solar-powered cameras use artificial intelligence to detect the make, model and color of every car that passes by, along with other identifying features, like bumper stickers or roof racks. That data is instantly compared to lists of stolen or suspect cars, including those from the National Crime Information Center, which is updated in the Flock system at least four times a day.

But what sets Flock apart from other systems is what happens to the data after a car passes by. The camera sends that information over cellular networks to cloud-based servers accessible to police departments across the country. That data is saved for thirty days in a searchable, nationwide database.

For Charles Schellpeper, that presents a conundrum.

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"I want to catch criminals in our community," Schellpeper said after a Flock presentation to the Oconomowoc City Council in June. "I want to catch people that are going to hurt people. That have hurt people. I dont want to catch every innocent persons traffic pattern."

Schellpeper says he supports local police, but does not necessarily have the same level of trust for state and federal officials. In early October, he was one of four Oconomowoc City Council members who voted against Police Chief James Pfister's plan to install Flock cameras. Four others voted in favor. The mayor broke the tie, approving the plan.

"I dont think it matters what side of the aisle youre on on this one," Schellpeper said. "Theres reasons to have concerns."

Police call the cameras a game-changer. The ACLU calls it "mass surveillance." FOX6 Investigators just wanted to know where the cameras are.

"Oh yeah, when we decide what those locations are, well put that out there," Pfister said. "We've got nothin to hide."

In April, FOX6 Investigators asked the 20 largest police departments in southeastern Wisconsin for their Flock camera locations.

So far, nine have released the records, including Mequon, Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, West Allis, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Mount Pleasant and Pleasant Prairie.

You can view the maps of those communities' Flock cameras by following this link to Known Flock Cameras SE Wisconsin.

"Were not trying to hide, you know, where they are," said Lt. David Daily, Waukesha Police Department. "Theyre not concealed."

"Theyre not hidden cameras," said West Allis Deputy Chief of Police Robert Fletcher.

Racine and Kenosha police have yet to fulfill the request six months later. (Racine has released hundreds of pages of records, but is in the process of redacting more than 700 others.)

Five others refused to give out camera locations, at least initially.

Franklin police said doing so would "reveal crime detection techniques." Brookfield said it could give "a strategic advantage" to criminals. New Berlin said "secrecy" is required. Wauwatosa said there's "negligible public interest" in camera locations. And Milwaukee Police said disclosure could "seriously impair" their ability to fight crime.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

In fact, they didn't just decline our request for the records. All five declined to explain why in an on camera interview.

"Whats transparent about that?" asked FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn.

"Nothing," answered Tom Kamenick, an open records attorney and founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project.

"I think theres a whole lot of, You have to just trust us." he said.

Kamenick says public oversight is important and there's no evidence publishing camera locations will render them ineffective.

"We have plenty of places around the state and around the country that let the public know where these cameras are. Its not causing those kinds of problems," he said.

FOX6 tried to talk to Wauwatosa Police Chief James MacGillis about it before a public meeting.

"Why dont you want to talk about where these cameras are located?" Polcyn asked.

"I dont appreciate being approached this way," the chief replied.

We even told him we were coming.

"I didnt want to approach you this way," Polcyn said. "I asked for a sit down interview and you declined."

"I did decline," MacGillis said.

"Why?" Polcyn asked.

"Because I'm a busy person. I have a police department to run," MacGillis said.

Milwaukee Police told me theyre "not required" to do interviews. Three days later, the department's public information officer came to FOX6 for a different story.

"I just want to know if we can ask you a few questions about Flock cameras," Polcyn said, approaching Sergeant Efrain Cornejo in the FOX6 parking lot.

"No, I came here for this," Cornejo replied.

FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn interviews Milwaukee Assistant Police Chief Paul Formolo, as MPD Chief of Staff Heather Hough looks on.

Polcyn followed Cornejo through the parking lot asking more questions when Cornejo turned to face him.

"For operational purposes, we dont disclose locations. OK?" Cornejo said.

"Do you feel like this is being transparent with the public about how these cameras are being used?" Polcyn asked.

"Thank you, Bryan," the sergeant said, before turning around and walking away again.

Next, we tried to speak to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman after an unrelated news conference, but Norman walked away too. Instead, his Chief of Staff, Heather Hough stepped in.

"I understand you have been trying to ambush a lot of people," Hough said.

"No, no, no," Polcyn replied. "I've been trying to sit down and do an interview."

Eventually, Hough arranged for FOX6 to sit down with Assistant Police Chief Paul Formolo. But even then, the department filtered his responses.

"I sense a reluctance by police, by Milwaukee Police, to want to talk about this. Why is that?" Polcyn asked.

"Im going to interject on this one," Hough said.

"First question?" Polcyn asked.

"Yup, first question," Hough replied.

When Formolo did answer, he said they're not using Flock for live surveillance, but to help detectives after a crime has been committed.

Case and point, a red Nissan Altima, captured on video surveillance near the scene of a drive-by shooting in September. The video shows the car had bare rims on three wheels, but a distinctive cover on the left rear wheel.

A Flock camera elsewhere in the city captured the same car, but gave police something they didn't have before  a license plate number. That led to arrests and felony charges against two men.

"I can assure the community that were not actively using this technology to spy on people or track them without a purpose," Formolo said.

But when it comes to revealing the specific locations, he said they're worried criminals will use that information to target the cameras or dodge them.

"We have a fear or concern that this equipment could be stolen or vandalized, and itd be very expensive to replace," he said. "Were not hiding anything from anybody. Were just not comfortable disclosing the exact locations of these devices."

And that makes what happened next the biggest surprise of all. After the interview, Milwaukee police gave us a list of intersections. They told us they were the "general" areas where Flock cameras are located.

We drove to each one and found the actual Flock cameras mounted to streetlights or standalone poles within one or two blocks of each intersection. In other words, MPD led us to all 29 of their Flock cameras after all.

We wondered, did they really mean to? In an email, the department says it was "intended," but they declined to provide any further explanation.

Back in the suburbs, Alderman Schellpeper is not convinced his community should install the cameras at all.

"Just because its right for Elm Grove or Milwaukee doesnt mean its right for Oconomowoc," he said.

Oconomowoc has approved four Flock cameras in concept, but a final vote on the city budget won't take place until Nov. 21.

Milwaukee has 29 Flock cameras in place with a few more on the way. In addition, MPD has 39 license plate readers from another company called Genetec. Assistant Chief Formolo says the Genetec cameras do not feed into a database that's shared with other agencies, like Flock does.

After our original Flock story in August, a FOX6 viewer in Beaver Dam requested a map of Flock cameras in his community. Police declined to release the locations, writing that doing so would "undermine their effectiveness."

That viewer hired Attorney Kamenick to write a letter on his behalf. After that, Beaver Dam Police released a detailed map of their eleven Flock cameras.

We invite you to see all the Flock cameras we have mapped so far.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks with reporters as she arrives for the Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said in an interview on Fox Business on Tuesday that Rep. Matt Gaetz and the others who voted to boot Rep. Kevin McCarthy owe everyone an apology.

The eight Republicans who joined Democrats and ousted Kevin McCarthy, they need to apologize and we need to heal our conference in order to move forward, the Georgia Republican said.

On Oct. 8, Greene accused Gaetz, R-Fla. of leaving the GOP in a weakened position after ousting McCarthy, reports The Hill. I want to remind everyone that we barely control the majority of the House, and thats only one-third of the federal government, Greene said. What happened last week, I completely disagree with. It was eight Republicans joining with all the Democrats in the House and basically throwing the gavel on the floor and saying its now up for grabs for everyone that wants it.

Greene was a strong supporter of McCarthy during his 15 rounds of voting before he became the speaker in January, causing clashes with other members of the Freedom Caucus. The caucus kicked her out earlier this summer for a public spat with Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. In September, Greene told reporters she was glad she was no longer a member of the burn-it-all-down caucus.

Related

Still no speaker

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives is on its fourth nominee in three weeks, but still has no speaker. First were Reps. Steve Scalise and then Jim Jordan. On Tuesday, Rep. Tom Emmer was the nominee for about four hours, then saw his candidacy torpedoed by former President Donald Trump. Now, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana is the nominee, but he is still many votes away from the 217.

A staunch ally of Trump, Johnson signed an amicus brief alongside more than 100 House Republicans supporting a Texas lawsuit that aimed to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He also objected to election results from Arizona and Pennsylvania on Jan. 6, 2021.

Gaetz said Tuesday that ousting McCarthy was worth it to get Johnson. To everyone who said I didnt have a plan: This guy has been sitting next to me for seven years on the House Judiciary Committee, he told reporters. I hope my mentorship has rubbed off.

Gaetz went on to praise Johnson as a transformational leader who is broadly respected in the caucus. We adore him, and I think hes gonna do a great job for the country and for the right reasons, he said.

Wednesday morning, Gaetz told Steve Bannon, If you dont think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then youre not paying attention.

Greene says she will only support a speaker that fully supports Trump. Trump was originally Greenes choice for speaker. Earlier this month, she said that if Trump became the speaker of the House, every day in the House would be like a Trump rally and would be the House of MAGA.

When Greene was asked Tuesday when the House was going to have a speaker again, she said that 2023 is not the first time the House has been speaker-less.

Back in 1855, the Congress went two months with 133 ballots trying to elect a speaker of the House. Maybe thats what we go through again because I think  and I would argue  the GOP is going through a big change. And it needs to be an America First change. Thats what Republican voters want, and thats what the American people want, and thats what our country needs.

On Tuesday, she said she believed more names would come back in to the speakers race.

Holly Richardson is the editor of Utah Policy
After the news broke that Mark Meadows,Donald Trumps former White House chief of staff, would be testifying against him in the Department of Justicescase involving Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, many people on social media turned into psychics.

The Justice Department has reportedly given Meadows immunity in exchange for his testimony.

Since Trump commonly attacks former aides and employees, the social media seers werent predicting how Meadows testimony might affect Trumps risk of conviction. Instead, they offered ideas on just how the former president would react to the news that his former chief of staff had flipped.

The general consensus? He wont be happy. Oh, and hell probably have amnesia.

Thats a pretty safe bet. Trump has already denied that Sidney Powell was his attorney despite receipts to the contrary.

Political consultant and never Trumper Rick Wilson suggested the former president would refer to his former aide as Mark who?

Wilson also joked that Trump would say Meadows was a volunteer. A coffee boy. Some guy who hung around the campaign.

You might remember coffee boy was how Trump referred to former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos after that aide pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about how he was offered dirt about 2016 presidential rival Hillary Clinton from the Russian government.

"Mark Who? He was a volunteer. A coffee boy. Some guy who hung around the campaign." https://t.co/59E5DJAW3O  Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 24, 2023

Others who imagined what Trumps first comments would be suggested that the former president would say Meadows was always weak and could never hack the job of being my chief of staff and that he only got the lofty White House post because I felt sorry for him.

"Barking Mad Mark Meadows was always weak and could never hack the job being my chief of staff. He begged me, I said ok because I felt sorry for him. He knows nothing about election integrity. I won and everybody knows it!"   Bob Anderson (@rwa_) October 24, 2023

Others added their ideas of what Trump might say.

"I never knew him. I've never even heard that name. A lot of people are saying that he's washed up, old news. Also I invented the word 'U S' "#MarkMeadows  bigmonu (@bigmonu) October 24, 2023

I can hear Trump tomorrow - Mark Meadows is a loser. Whatever he told the grand jury, I'm sure he lied like a dog. I'll tell you how big of a loser he is. When I hired him, he was giving blowjobs at North Carolina Truck Stops. Now he's part of the witch hunt against me. It's sad.  TC2 (@TerryCarlsonII) October 24, 2023

I dont know Mark Meadows. I saw him in Congress once, I never met him. Hes been on TV, or around the White House was he a janitor? A coffee boy? I dont know who Mark Meadows is  Donald Trump https://t.co/huAJYCp9zx  power to the people (@SeventhSon6) October 24, 2023

The orangutan was heard yelling from his zoo cage.



"I don't know Mark Meadows. He begged me for a job. I gave him a job out of pity. He is a disgusting human being, a loser, a RINO."  Prothean_Reaper (@Prothean_Reaper) October 24, 2023

Mark who? Mark Meadows? No, that name doesnt ring a bell. I dont think I know him (staffer whispers in ear). Oh, MARK Meadows. Yeah, I know him. He did a little bit of work for me but that was a long time ago.

Donald Trump in 5, 4, 3, 2https://t.co/BYUmxAM3ZS  Doors Fan (@berliner_scott) October 24, 2023

Lol! Mark MeadowsI dont know him. Sounds like a nice guy but I dont know him. Were innocent! -Trump, probably  Zack Jacomowitz (@ZakJac_wx) October 24, 2023

'Mark Meadows...? Never heard of the guy. Don't even know him. Just some lowlife who got my coffee in the morning.' - Trump, probably, somewhere.   Corey Kendall  #SlavaUkraini (@ckendall77) October 24, 2023

Related...
Former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has received immunity to testify under oath against former President Donald Trump , ABC News is reporting.

Meadows was charged with violating Georgias RICO Act and solicitation of a violation of oath by a public officer back in August.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mark Meadows surrenders after federal judge rejects request to delay arrest in Georgia

Sources told the network that Meadow told special counsel Jack Smiths team that he repeatedly told Trump the allegations of voting fraud in the 2020 election were baseless.

Meadows met with Smiths team at least three times, including once before a federal grand jury, ABC News reports.

(WATCH BELOW: City employees hold rally for Workers Bill of Rights in Uptown)
U.S. President Donald Trump confers with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows while departing the White House September 1, 2020, in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images

ABC News and Bloomberg reported Mark Meadows was granted immunity in Jack Smith's election-interference probe.

Meadows testified before a grand jury earlier this year, the reports said.

It would make Meadows the latest Trump ally to strike a deal with prosecutors.

Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump's final White House chief of staff, told special counsel Jack Smith's team that he explained to Trump that the 2020 election was not being stolen, according to reports from ABC News and Bloomberg  even though he later pushed election fraud claims in his book.

The outlets, both citing anonymous sources, reported Tuesday that Meadows was granted immunity in exchange for agreeing to testify under oath in Smith's investigation into efforts to overturn the election and the events of January 6, 2021. Trump is facing four criminal charges related to this investigation.

Unnamed sources familiar with the situation told ABC News and Bloomberg that Meadows testified before a federal grand jury hearing evidence in the election interference probe.

When reached by Insider, a spokesperson for Meadows referred to a statement issued by Meadows' lawyer, George Terwilliger, to CBS News: "I told ABC that their story was largely inaccurate. People will have to judge for themselves the decision to run it anyway." It was not clear what Terwilliger told ABC News was inaccurate.

Terwilliger did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Both ABC News and Bloomberg reported that Meadows told the grand jury he had informed Trump in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election that claims of mass election fraud were baseless.

ABC News sources said Meadows claimed Trump was being "dishonest" when he announced he had won the reelection hours after the polls closed before many votes were even counted.

Trump continued to claim the election was stolen and was not publicly disputed by Meadows even as others in the administration, like Attorney General Bill Barr, came out to say the fraud claims were baseless.

Meadows also doubled down on the election fraud claims well after he and Trump left the White House, despite what the recent reporting says he told the grand jury.

In his 2021 book, "The Chief's Chief," Meadows used language including "stolen" and "rigged" when discussing the election, as first pointed out by ABC News and seen in the book by Insider, and he blamed "the liberal media" for ignoring allegations of fraud.

"In time, it became clear that the media's planthe "long con"had worked," he wrote. "Soon, anyone who had questions about the election was labeled a nutcase. And as anyone who's ever seen an Alfred Hitchcock film knows, trying to prove you're not insane once someone has already told the world that you are, only serves to make you look . . . well, like an insane person."

CNN noted that Meadows wrote in the book he did try to explain to Trump how he lost the election.

Meadows is the latest Trump ally who is reported to have testified the election was not stolen or pleaded guilty to charges related to election interference.

Trump's former attorney Jenna Ellis cried in court on Tuesday as she pleaded guilty to one count related to her efforts to overturn the election in Georgia. Her plea deal allows her to avoid jail time if she cooperates with prosecutors.

Other former Trump attorneys, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, also flipped and took surprise plea deals last week.

A Trump spokesman said Trump was focused on the 2024 campaign and railed against, "Wrongful, unethical leaks" and the limited federal gag order placed on Trump by the judge in this case.

"Transparency and free speech are the only way to combat murky gossip," the spokesman said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Attorneys from the Office of Maryland Public Defender and from the Office of the Attorney General can find themselves on opposite sides in the courtroom. On Wednesday, the leaders of both organizations came together to announce a partnership toward a common goal: ending the system of mass incarceration of Black men and women in Maryland.

This is a crisis, said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, the states first Black chief legal officer. What many do not know is how severe and deep this crisis runs in Maryland.

He stated that about 30% of Marylands population is African American, but the same demographic he said makes up about 71% of the prison population, calling that percentage the worst in the country.

Maryland Attorney General Brown, at lectern, speaks during an Oct. 25, 2023 press conference announcing the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative while Bowe State University President Aminta Breaux, stands at left, and Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue, stands at right, with collaborative members on stage behind. We will end the seemingly nonstop, unrelenting mass incarceration of Black men and women in Maryland, said Brown, in an auditorium on the campus of Bowie State University, the states oldest Historically Black College or University, established in 1865 before the end of either the Civil War or the institution of slavery.

More: Anthony Brown sworn in as attorney general, brings big asks to Annapolis

Public Defender Natasha Dartigue, also the first Black person to hold that position in the state, noted that it is the first time a person of color is leading both organizations, calling the moment a crucial point in history.

The two attorneys announced the creation of the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, a collection of about 40 members ranging from nonprofit leaders to academics and state cabinet secretaries during a news conference and subsequent meeting at Bowie State University.

Cabinet secretaries, nonprofit leaders on hand at collaboratives start

Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi and the states labor secretary, Portia Wu, were on hand for the start of the multi-year effort, which Brown said would be tasked with making recommendations  legislative, policy, budgetary  in the years ahead.

This is a problem that has been around for decades, if not over a century, and were not going to fix this in the next two months in the 2024 legislative session, Brown said.

Bill Gaertner, founder and executive director of Gatekeepers, a Hagerstown-based organization involved with helping individuals transition back to society after incarceration, and Amber Green, founder and executive director of the Fenix Youth Project, a Salisbury-based organization involved with youth uplift, were also among the collaborative members at the table with Brown and Dartigue, following the news conference.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, at far right near door, speaks to members of the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, an initiative of the Office of the Maryland Public Defender and Office of the Attorney General, during their first meeting at Bowie State University on October 25, 2023.

If you commit crime or violence, you will be held accountable no matter the color of your skin, said Brown, announcing the collaborative. But, and Ive said this so often, we are not going to investigate and prosecute our way to safer neighborhoods.

There are about 17,000 individuals incarcerated in Maryland across more than a dozen correctional facilities. The total annual budget for the department, which oversees the facilities, is about $1.6 billion.

Notably absent from the rollout event was that agency tasked with running the states prisons, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, as well as the department of Parole and Probation. Brown said specifically of the latter entity, that they are invited and very much going to be a part.

More: Maryland to pay $13 million settlement for correctional officers' unpaid overtime

The collaboratives next steps are a Nov. 6 public forum held at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in Baltimore and meetings of committees comprised of the collaborative members.

Eight such committees were outlined Wednesday, including: Education, Workforce Development, and Economic Opportunities; Prison, Jail, Detention Facility Reform; Promoting Successful Re-entry; Juvenile Justice Reform; Criminal Law and Sentencing Reform; Behavioral Health & Human Services; Law Enforcement Policies & Practices; and an Executive Committee comprised of the co-chairs of the other committees.

Each group is set to be led by an individual from both the Office of Maryland Public Defender and from the Office of the Attorney General as well as an external representative.

A preliminary report of legislative recommendations is scheduled for January 2024, and a final report is scheduled for January 2025.

Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Attorney general, public defender partner to tackle mass incarceration
Chaos erupted on the set of Masterchef: The Professionals when a chef was forced to withdraw from a challenge after a nasty accident left her face red and raw.

The BBC cookery competition series, which sees professional chefs competing for the coveted Masterchef trophy, returned this week. The second round of the heats took place on Tuesday (24 October), with the contestants whipping up new and impressive dishes to impress the judges: Gregg Wallace, Marcus Wareing, and Monica Galetti.

Among the competitors was chef Cristina Maia, who hails from Brazil, where she worked as an accountant for 20 years before moving to London to retrain as a chef.

After competing in the first round, the group were challenged to create their signature two-course meal. Gaia opted for a Brazilian dish, making moqueca, which is a fish stew with a spicy bisque.

The cook was shown working on the stew and making the bisque in a bullet-style blender. Wareing explained that the sauce was made of turmeric, ginger, coriander and chilli.

However, when Gaia went to unscrew the lid of the blender, the orange-yellow liquid exploded all over her, dousing the chef and the kitchen with sauce.

Gaia dabbed at her face and apologised, with Wallace rushing over to ask if she was alright. Is that red hot? he asked. Get it under cold water, please.

The bisque exploded all over Gaia (BBC)

A member of the shows crew was then shown telling Gaia to dab cold cloths on her chin, which was red and looked painful.

Wareing then told the camera: Unfortunately, Cristinas had a bit of an accident. She put the bisque into the blender and it was incredibly hot. When she released the lid, unfortunately some of it hit her face.

Wallace was shown advising Wallace: I dont think you should carry on. Youre hurt, so were going to stop. Wareing explained that she had gone to get medical help and would not be continuing with the challenge.

Wallace told Gaia she should not continue (BBC)

The round continued for the other three chefs, who gathered once the challenge was over to discuss what had happened and express their sympathy for Gaia.

The judges also talked about what had happened, with a picture showing Gaia in hospital with a bandage on her chin. Nobodys fault, accidents happen, Wallace said.

As a result of Gaia not continuing with the challenge, all three remaining chefs ended up going through to the next round and the quarter-finals. There, they will compete against the best cooks from the first episode.

Masterchef: The Professionals continues Thursday 26 October at 8pm on BBC One.
Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the appointment of Ciere Boatright as the new commissioner for Chicagos Department of Planning and Development Wednesday.

Boatright currently serves as vice president of real estate and community development at CRG, the real estate development and investment arm of real estate firm Clayco. She is a Chicago native, according to a news release from the mayors office.

Her appointment, which takes effect Nov. 20, follows the departure of former Commissioner Maurice Cox and is subject to City Council approval. Cox announced he would be stepping down in August.

Ciere Boatright is a tremendously talented and respected executive with a proven track record of managing public and private developments across the city and getting deals done, Johnson said in the news release. As a native Chicagoan who knows the landscape of our city, her unique understanding of community economic development, commercial real estate, affordable housing, job creation and neighborhood engagement will ensure our city works equitably for all Chicagoans.

Boatright did not respond immediately to the Tribunes request for comment.

Boatright also developed and managed CRGs philanthropy program, CRG Cares, and launched CRGs PILLAR, an initiative to support developers of color, according to the news release. Before her role at CRG, Boatright was vice president of real estate and inclusion at Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Inc., an organization working to revitalize low and moderate income neighborhoods.

In the news release, Boatright said she looks forward to working with Johnson on his vision for the city.

I am honored to join Mayor Johnson and the incredible team at DPD to work with developers, business and community leaders, and residents to create a more equitable, vibrant and inclusive future throughout all Chicago neighborhoods, Boatright said. Together, we will work with communities to foster inclusive growth through equitable contracting, planning, zoning, development and innovation that will fuel meaningful economic opportunities for generations of Chicagoans.

Boatright has a bachelors degree in psychology from Hamilton College in New York and a masters degree in urban planning and policy from University of Illinois at Chicago, according to her LinkedIn profile.

ekane@chicagotribune.com
Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows secured an immunity deal with special counsel Jack Smith in order to testify before a grand jury in the election interference case, ABC News reported.

Meadows testified before a grand jury empaneled to hear evidence in the case on at least three separate occasions, the outlet reported, doing so after being granted immunity.

The Hill has reached out to Meadowss attorney for comment.

Meadows reportedly told the grand jury that after former President Trumps election loss, he repeatedly told the him that his claims of widespread fraud were baseless.

That testimony would counter a claim Trump has repeated since losing the election  and that his lawyers defended as recently as Monday night.

Top Stories from The Hill

Meadows also told investigators that Trump was being dishonest with voters when he proclaimed victory on election night.

That aligns with the testimony of Trump campaign staff who told the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack that they cautioned the former president against claiming he had won.

The news of Meadowss cooperation comes after he was not included in the federal criminal indictment charging Trump with four counts for his conduct in seeking to block the transfer of power that culminated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

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He was also not listed as an unindicted co-conspirator along with six others, fueling speculation that Meadows may have been granted immunity.

He has, however, been charged in a sweeping election interference case in Georgia.

The special counsels office Tuesday declined to comment.

Meadows appears to have told Trump multiple times that he had lost the election.

According to ABC, in mid-December Meadows informed Trump that his then-attorney Rudy Giuliani had failed to find any evidence to back the campaigns claims.

And after the Supreme Court denied his election challenge that month, Trump told Meadows something to the effect of, So thats it.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has continued to import billions of euros worth of "critical" raw materials from Russia, media outlet Investigate Europe highlighted in a report on Oct. 24.

Between March 2022 and July 2023, statistics show that European countries imported 13.7 billion euros ($14.5 billion) worth of critical raw materials from Russia.

While certain raw materials like oil, coal, and steel fall under EU sanctions, there are 34 minerals that the EU considers to be "critical" and have therefore avoided restrictions, the report said.

However, Investigate Europe pointed out that the U.S. and U.K. have sanctioned several Russian mining businesses directly since the start of the full-scale invasion, "further isolating the EU in its double standards."

The EU designates minerals like copper, nickel, and titanium as being "crucial to Europes economy" due to their importance in producing everyday goods and technologies.

The report warned that these imports, on which many sectors like aerospace, electric car manufacturing, and defense are hugely reliant, "not only fund Russia's war economy, but also benefit Kremlin-backed oligarchs and state companies."

Some of these oligarchs have been personally sanctioned, while their actual businesses face "no restrictions."

Read also: That diamond ring? It may have helped pay for Russias war

For example, the world's largest titanium producer, Vsmpo-Avisma, is part-owned by Russia's state-owned defense conglomerate, Rostec. Both companies share "close Putin ally" Sergei Chemezov as chairman, who is under EU sanctions.

Rostec has also been targeted with sanctions, but Vsmpo-Avisma has not, and sold "at least $308 million of titanium into the EU via its German and UK branches between February 2022 and July 2023," the report revealed.

The story of Vsmpo-Avisma is far from the exception, Investigate Europe explained. Companies owned by sanctioned oligarchs that produce nickel, platinum, and aluminium are also still exporting via EU-based subsidiaries.

However, research suggests that "imposing tariffs or severing ties too quickly could lead to a global price surge which would harm European buyers while benefiting Moscow."

"The monetary value of what Russia would lose from the EU import ban, might be smaller than the effect on the EU production, Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics, told Investigate Europe.

A complete ban on critical raw materials is therefore unlikely to appear in the EU's 12th sanctions package, which is currently being worked on.

Read also: Investigative Stories from Ukraine: Russia abducts Ukrainian children with disabilities

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Kyrgyzstan's parliament is set to adopt legislation that mimics Russia's authoritarian foreign agent law, the BBC's Russian Service reported on Oct. 25.

Lawmakers adopted amendments to the law "On Non-Profit Organizations" and the country's Criminal Code in the first reading.

According to the vague wording to the bill, a non-profit that receives money from other countries and "tries to influence political activities and public opinion" in the interests of foreign states will be considered a "foreign representative," the BBC reported.

Under the law, creating or participating in a non-profit could be considered "refusing to fulfill civic duties" and could carry a fine of over $1,000 or a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Kyrgyz human rights activists and NGOs are concerned the legislation is "almost identical to the Russian law on foreign agents" and have called on lawmakers to withdraw the bill.

The speaker of parliament of Kyrgyzstan said that the law was needed for reasons related to national security, according to the BBC.

The Russian foreign agent law requires organizations that receive funding from abroad or are perceived by the Kremlin to have been influenced by foreign entities to register as a "foreign agent."

Any "foreign agents" are required to undergo rigorous financial audits and label all their content with a disclaimer stating that it is being distributed by a "foreign agent."

This law is often used to target and silence groups and individuals who are critical of the government.

In Georgia, mass protests were sparked by a similar bill in March, which aimed to require Western-funded NGOs to register as "foreign agents."

The opposition argued that the bill was also a copy of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's authoritarian foreign agent law and would put an end to Georgia's aspirations to join NATO and the EU.

The ruling Georgian Dream party and the pro-Russian Power of the People party withdrew the controversial bill after tens of thousands of people took to the streets over three days.

Read also: Belarus Weekly: Post-Soviet strongmen gather in Bishkek, say West tearing them apart

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Getting a drivers license in North Carolina is a fairly simple process, but some illnesses may prevent you from getting behind the wheel.

Earlier this week, a person who recently relocated to N.C. asked a question on Reddit about whether they were eligible for a license as a Type I diabetic.

North Carolina drivers with particular ailments, including diabetes, may be required to go through the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Medical Review Unit Program.

The program evaluates drivers when there are concerns that certain medical conditions might have an impact on their ability to safely operate a vehicle, according to NCDMV.

Heres what to know about the program, including which medical conditions could prevent you from getting your license, where requests for medical evaluations come from and what to do if you disagree with the review units decision.

Which medical conditions could prevent drivers from getting a license in NC?

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Medical Review Unit evaluates drivers with medical conditions that could affect their ability to drive, including:

Seizures

Heart conditions, such as irregular heart rhythms or uncontrolled high blood pressure

Diabetes

Sleep disorders

Black outs or loss of consciousness

Impairment of limbs, back or neck, such as stroke or injury

Cognitive disorders, such as stroke, head injury or dementia

Vision disorders

Psychiatric disorders

Neurological disorders, such as Parkinsons disease, dementia or neurodegenerative disorders

Substance use disorders

Licenses can be granted to those with certain medical conditions, but the review unit could set driving restrictions, including requiring corrective lenses, limiting travel to daylight hours and limiting driving to speeds less than 45 miles per hour.

Drivers who do not follow the medical review units decision can have their licenses canceled until they comply.

Reviews of a drivers medical condition are conducted on a periodic basis, and can occur as often as every three months or as little as once every three years, depending on the severity of their condition.

Where do requests for medical evaluations come from?

Anyone can request that a driver be medically evaluated by filling out a request form online, but requests are typically submitted to NCDMV by:

Doctors who notify NCDMV about patients who they feel might be at risk to themselves or others

Law enforcement officers who have observed drivers with poor driving habits related to health problems, such as poor vision, slow reaction time or reports of falling asleep

Wreck reports related to a medical condition that may have contributed to a motor vehicle accident

Involuntary commitment orders submitted by the court system

All recommendations must be made in the interest of public safety, according to NCDMV. Advanced age cannot be the only reason for a medical evaluation.

What if drivers disagree with their medical evaluations?

Drivers who disagree with their medical evaluations can request a hearing with NCDMVs Medical Review Hearing Board. Requests must be submitted within 10 days of receiving a decision.

Requests can be faxed to (919) 733-9569 or mailed to the Medical Review Program at 3112 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27697-3112.

All hearings take place at the NCDMV driver license office at 3231 Avent Ferry Rd. in Raleigh.

Hearings are recorded and last approximately 30 minutes, during which time, the hearing officer and physicians will ask questions about the petitioners medical, driving and personal histories, NCDMV says. Drivers who disagree with the Medical Review Hearing Boards decisions can appeal to Wake County Superior Court.
KENNEBUNK, Maine  Last year at this time, Kennebunk Fire Rescue operated with no more than four first responders per shift, an ongoing scenario that led to overtime and burnout for the staff.

What a difference a year makes. Thanks to several new, full-time hires, Kennebunk Fire Rescue is operating with more first-responders per shift, putting the department ever closer to its goal of being fully staffed with seven, according to Fire Chief Justin Cooper.

What explains the difference? Voters.

In November of 2022, voters approved a proposed change in the retirement plan for eligible employees in the towns fire and police departments. As a result, fire and police employees are now eligible to retire, with half pay, after 20 years of service.

Kennebunk Fire Rescue has several new, full-time firefighters and paramedics. Seen here with Fire Chief Justin Cooper, left, and Cooper's dog, Lily, are four of them: Nathaniel Jewett, Denise Nessman, Deputy Chief Colin Ayer, and Matthew Dubois.

Before the vote last fall, the required time of service had been 25 years, putting Kennebunk out of step with all of its surrounding communities, with the exception of Wells. Such a scenario made it difficult for the community to recruit and retain first responders.

We needed to improve our retirement plan, as well as bring our pay up to be more competitive with the marketplace surrounding us, Cooper said.

And with the voters blessing, Kennebunk Fire Rescue did just that. Cooper filled seven full-time positions earlier this month when it hired a new deputy chief, Colin Ayer, and six firefighter EMTs: Nathaniel Jewett, Denise Nessman, Matthew Dubois, Alex Belanger, Steven Nasta and Jamie Mouzas.

Ayer started as deputy chief on Oct. 9. Belanger and Nasta officially began at the department on Oct. 17, and Jamie Mouzas followed on Oct. 18. Jewett, Nessman and Dubois had their first day on the job on Oct. 19.

York County Courthouse haunted?: Staff are believers after witnessing the unexplained

Meet Kennebunk's new firefighters

Jewett, Nessman, Ayer and Dubois all worked the same shift on Oct. 19 and sat in the departments conference area for an interview, as Coopers dog, Lily, kept everyone company.

Jewett said he is happy to follow in the footsteps of his family to become a full-time member of Kennebunk Fire Rescue after spending three years as a part-timer. He now works alongside three other family members at the department.

I grew up in this community, he said. Id like to help out.

Nessman has been a firefighter for more than 30 years, with much of that time in Emergency Medical Services. She started at the department in Falmouth and spent the bulk of her career in her hometown of Buxton.

In Buxton, Nessman comprised half the two-person staff at the fire department. That was tough, she said, but she and her colleague did well with what they had. A chance to join a larger staff and be a part of a team is what attracted Nessman to her new Kennebunk position.

Im excited to have more people around, she said. Im interested to learn a lot more.

Steven Nasta, seen here with his wife, Andrea, and their daughter, Emma, is one of several new full-time firefighters at Kennebunk Fire Rescue in Kennebunk, Maine.

Ayer served in the fire department in Portland for 16 years, reaching the rank of captain before accepting the deputy chief post in Kennebunk. His new post brings his career full circle, as he started serving with Kennebunk Fire Rescue as a teenager.

Taking a leap of faith, Ayer applied for the deputy chief position because he wanted to bring all he had learned during his career in Portland and share it with his hometown Fire Department.

My goal is ... to help this department and help the people that work here to achieve what their goals are, and be sure that we set up a good strategic plan for the town moving forward, he said.

Dubois started at Kennebunk Fire Rescue as a live-in student six years ago and spent the past year serving with Standish Fire and Rescue. When he learned of the full-time position back in Kennebunk, he knew he had to apply for it.

This is where I wanted to build my career, he said. I know theres a lot of changes and growth that are happening here, especially with having a new deputy chief. Im excited to be part of that change.

In an email sent after the interviews with their colleagues, Nasta, Mouzas and Belanger also introduced themselves.

Jamie Mouzas is one of several new hires at Kennebunk Fire Rescue in Kennebunk, Maine.

Nasta began his career serving in communities in Massachusetts and moved to Maine to join the Portland Fire Department in 2015. He became a paramedic in 2017.

I am looking forward to this opportunity, Nasta said. Ive been with the fire service for 11 years.

Mouzas said he has been in the fire service for eight years, the last two of which he spent with the Biddeford Fire Department. In addition to his new, full-time post in Kennebunk, he also has another job that keeps him busy.

I also work with Goodwin Mills Fire Rescue as a call force and per diem lieutenant, he said.

Firefighter Alexander Belanger, left, recently joined Kennebunk Fire Rescue in Kennebunk, Maine. He is seen here with his girlfriend, Hannah.

Belanger is a 2020 graduate of Sanford High School, where he completed the EMS and Fire Science program. He started his career in firefighting as a call force at Alfred Fire and Rescue in 2019 and eventually worked per diem in both Alfred and Waterboro.

Im very excited to start working at the Kennebunk Fire Department, he said.

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Kennebunk Fire Rescue ready to answer the call

The increased staff puts Kennebunk Fire Rescue in a stronger position, according to Cooper. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, the public safety field experienced a downturn in the number of volunteers and per-diem workers. The improved retirement plan, adjusted pay, and strong leadership and direction have made a difference, Cooper said.

All of those things, together, have allowed us to do a good job of recruiting and, hopefully, overall, with our retention, Cooper said.

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The Kennebunk Police Department also is seeking to hire new full-time officers.

The new full-time hires have helped Kennebunk Fire Rescue move away from the per-diem model of staffing, which had been proving unsustainable, Cooper said.

Fundamentally, this allows us to increase our staffing levels 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, Cooper said.

And that makes for a stronger team and, Cooper added, improved responses to emergencies in the community. Kennebunk Fire Rescue already has seen positive results from recent developments, he added.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities that all these members are possessing from working together, training together, building their teamwork and building their camaraderie is pretty exceptional, Cooper said. Thats just going to continue.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk Fire Rescue has new deputy chief, full-time firefighters
A Texas justice of the peace who was disciplined for refusing to marry same-sex couples will go before the states Supreme Court Wednesday.

Dianne Hensley is a justice of the peace in McLennan County, located in central Texas; Waco is the county seat. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled for nationwide marriage equality in the Obergefell v. Hodges case in 2015, she stopped officiating weddings altogether for a time, as she said performing same-sex marriages would be incompatible with her conservative Christian faith. She held this belief even though she had a gay brother, now deceased. The following year, she resumed performing marriages for opposite-sex couples, while same-sex couples who came to her office were given a list of alternative officiants, some nearby, some not.

After a newspaper article about her appeared in 2017, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct began an investigation of her actions. A justice of the peace is considered the same as a judge. In 2019, the commission reprimanded her and put out a warning saying she might not be impartial when it came to matters of sexual orientation. She filed suit against the commission, contending the reprimand violated her rights under Texass religious freedom law, and once again stopped performing marriages.

A trial court dismissed her suit, and last year the Texas Court of Appeals upheld that. The law bans only threatened or continued violation of a persons religious practice, and Hensley had received a single reprimand, the appeals court judges said. The commission was acting within its rights and was shielded from lawsuits by sovereign immunity, the legal doctrine that a governmental body cant be sued without its consent, they added.

She then appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, which is now set to hear the case. It feels almost anticlimactic after so many years, she recently told The Dallas Morning News.

In the wide-ranging interview, she discussed the development of her religious beliefs and her relationship with her brother. She said she wasnt particularly religious until her stepson, who was a difficult child, attended a Christian summer camp and his behavior improved markedly. Hensley determined, OK, we need religion. Im going to go get some religion, she told the Morning News. She and her family began attending a nondenominational Christian church. Thats when I really developed a relationship with the Lord, and I found things that had troubled me for years suddenly made sense, she said.

Her older brother, who was gay, became estranged from their parents because of money matters and lived overseas for several years, she said. She helped him rebuild his relationship with the family, and they never discussed the fact that he was gay, but she knew he was from the company he kept, she said. Before he died of ALS, she got to know some of his friends, including a gay man named Michael.

When Michael got married, he did not call me to [perform the marriage] because he respected my faith, she said in the interview. I think thats how most people are. Most people just want to live and let live.

However, Hensley, informed by her faith, has been a longtime activist against LGBTQ+ rights. In the 1990s, working for Concerned Women for America, she campaigned for abstinence-only sex education in schools. In 2005, she testified before the Texas Senate in favor of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which was eventually passed overwhelmingly by voters. She claimed that children raised by same-sex couples had more problems later in life than those raised by opposite-sex parents (research has shown this to be untrue).

She ran for the Texas House in Republican primaries in 1996 and 2000, losing both times. She was elected as a justice of the peace in 2014 and reelected last year.

In her lawsuit, she is represented by Texas-based First Liberty Institute, a right-wing nonprofit where anti-LGBTQ+ U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk was once an attorney, and Jonathan Mitchell of Mitchell Law, who is a prominent crusader against LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights, and access to HIV prevention drugs.

This summer, Mitchell filed a brief with the Texas high court arguing that the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis should bolster Hensleys case. The 303 Creative ruling held that despite Colorados antidiscrimination law, a web designer in the state was within her rights to refuse to create wedding websites for same-sex couples. That ruling was based on the designers free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution, while Hensleys case is based on Texass religious freedom law, but Mitchell contended the 303 Creative decision is nonetheless instructive because it rejects the idea of a compelling interest in forcing wedding vendors to participate in same-sex and opposite-sex marriage ceremonies on equal terms.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, another longtime opponent of LGBTQ+ equality, has refused to defend the judicial commission in the suit. Private lawyers are defending the commission instead.
Maryland, the District of Columbia and 40 other states are suing Meta alleging that its platforms cause harm to children by building addictive features, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Tuesday.

Our country is facing a youth mental health crisis fueled by young people's extensive and compulsive use of, and reliance on, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Brown said at a news conference outside Hampstead Hill Academy, a Baltimore public school. This has placed an entire generation of young people in jeopardy.

Maryland and 32 other states are filing a joint lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and the District of Columbia and eight other states are filing separate complaints in federal, state or local courts.

The scope of the legal claims may vary, but all are expected to assert that Meta used harmful and manipulative tactics purposefully to keep children on its platforms.

Anthony Brown: Meta's actions have violated federal law

FILE - A Meta sign is displayed at the company's booth at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco, March 22, 2023. A group of congressional Democrats reported Wednesday, July 12, that three large tax preparation firms sent "extraordinarily sensitive" information on tens of millions of taxpayers to Facebook parent company Meta over the course of at least two years.

In 2021, a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general announced an investigation into Meta, focusing on whether the parent company of Instagram and Facebook violated consumer protection laws by promoting the sites apps to children and teens.

Based on the information obtained during that investigation, we allege that Metas actions have violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, Brown said.

Nationwide, states have seen a surging youth mental health crisis: the number of children ages 3 to 17 who experienced anxiety or depression from 9.4% in 2016 to 11.8% in 2020  a 25% increase, according to the National Institute of Health. Maryland ranked 19th in the nation for overall child well-being.

Just like Big Tobacco did a generation ago, Meta has chosen to maximize its profits at the expense of public health, specifically the health of our children, Brown charged.

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Lawsuit: 'Meta has repeatedly mislead the public'

This photo illustration created in Washington, DC, on July 5, 2023, shows Threads, an Instagram app, on the App Store, in front of the logos of Instagram and Threads. Facebook owner Meta's new Threads app, meant to compete with Twitter, was available for pre-order on mobile app stores on iPhone and Android operating systems on July 5, 2023. Listed as "Threads, an Instagram app," the new program should be available in the coming days, and is described on Apple's app store as "Instagram's text-based conversation app."

In the suit Maryland joined, the attorneys general allege that Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.

Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms. It has concealed the ways in which these Platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children. And it has ignored the sweeping damage these Platforms have caused to the mental and physical health of our nations youth, the filing states.

Meta said in a statement that it agreed with the attorneys generals commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.

But Meta added: Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.

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'(Social media) hijacks normal, healthy thinking'

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Thursday before a press conference at Roxbury Correctional Institution begins.

Brown was joined by Hampstead Hill Academy Principal Matthew Hornbeck, who said that over the 20 years he has been at the school he has seen the impact that the rise in social media use has had on his students. Hornbeck described measures to curb phone use at Hampstead Hill, but stressed they were merely a workaround.

(Social media) hijacks normal, healthy thinking, Hornbeck said. It sucks up so much time and keeps the user wanting more and more. It's not an overstatement to say it can steal big chunks of a childhood.

The urge to check your phone is stronger than any consequence we have at school, he said.

Treeme Cannizzaro, an eighth-grade student at Hampstead Hill, said at the news conference that limiting phone use in schools does not address the impact social media has on mental health when students are not at school.

My friends and I can't help but get on our phones to see what we've missed, Cannizzaro said. Limiting access to social media has had a positive impact on my mental health during the school day, and I hope that social media companies can find more ways to decrease the anxiety and depression my friends and I feel from social interactions online.

FTC, surgeon general join in criticism of Meta

Following a conversation with Westfield High School's student mental health club, Robbies Hope, First Lady Jill Biden and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy participate in a roundtable discussion Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, to hear how the school, district, state, and federal government work together to support students mental health needs.

In May, the Federal Trade Commission proposed barring Meta from monetizing the data it collects for underage users.

Also in May, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory stating that, although there are some benefits, social media use presents a profound risk of harm for children and called for further research into social medias impact on youth mental health.

Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment, Murthy said in a statement. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends.

Efforts to regulate social medias impact on children have gained traction this year, but also have faced challenges in court. Federal judges blocked newly-passed childrens safety laws in California and Arkansas.

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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Meta lawsuit alleges Facebook, Instagram harm children's mental health
Meta says layoffs and other cost-cutting measures it began implementing in 2022 paid off in reduced expenses in the recently ended quarter (Robyn BECK)

Meta on Wednesday reported that its quarterly profit more than doubled from last year's figure as it looks ahead at a volatile ad market and lawsuits accusing it of profiting from "children's pain."

"Meta earnings looked pretty good," said independent tech analyst Rob Enderle .

"They have clearly cut back on the bleeding surrounding their metaverse efforts and the company appears to be on a more even keel right now."

The tech giant said it made a profit of $11.6 billion as ad revenue climbed 23 percent to $34 billion when compared to the same period a year earlier.

"We had a good quarter for our community and business," said Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

The number of people using Facebook monthly rose slightly to 3.05 billion in a year-over-year comparison while monthly active users of Meta's "family" of apps was 3.96 billion in a 7 percent increase from the same quarter in 2022, the company reported.

Meta said it had trimmed costs, with layoffs and other belt-tightening measures started last year providing "greater efficiency."

Meta had suffered a rough 2022 amid a souring economic climate and Apple's data privacy changes, which allowed users to block ad targeting, the pillar of Meta's business.

Meta's vow of austerity on spending brought an unprecedented round of cost-cutting that saw the company lay off tens of thousands of workers since last November.

Meta shares, which closed the formal trading day down, fell more than three percent further in after-hours trades to $289.50.

Chief financial officer Susan Li said during an earnings call that Meta is seeing "volatility" in an ad market that started to soften when the conflict between Israel and Hamas began.

"It's hard for us to attribute demand softness directly to any specific geopolitical event," Li said.

"We have seen broader demand softness follow other regional conflicts in the past, such as in the Ukraine war, so this is something that we're continuing to monitor."

- Lawsuit peril -

Analyst Enderle maintained that Meta is at risk from lawsuits poised to damage its image and its wallet.

Dozens of US states this week accused Meta of profiting "from children's pain," damaging their mental health and misleading people about the safety of its platforms.

"In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms," argued a joint lawsuit filed in federal court in California.

The states accused Meta of exploiting young users by creating a business model designed to maximize time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health.

In total more than 40 states are suing Meta, though some opted to file in local courts rather than join in the federal case.

Meta said the states were singling it out unfairly instead of working with social media companies to develop universal standards for the whole industry.

"This landmark lawsuit could herald a seismic shift in how social media platforms approach product features and user engagement," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jeremy Goldman.

"That said, even as tech stocks face uncertainty, Meta's consistent performance cements its leadership in the digital realm."

Meanwhile, the European Union is seeking details on measures Meta has taken to stop the spread of "illegal content and disinformation" in light of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

- The AI race -

The tech giant is putting artificial intelligence into digital assistants and smart glasses as it seeks to gain lost ground in the AI race.

"I'm proud of the work our teams have done to advance AI and mixed reality with the launch of Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and our AI studio," Zuckerberg said in the earnings release.

The second-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses made in a partnership with EssilorLuxottica have a starting price of $299.

"Smart glasses are the ideal form factor for you to let AI assistants see what you're seeing and hear what you're hearing," Zuckerberg said.

Meta has taken a more cautious approach than its rivals Microsoft, OpenAI and Google to push out AI products, prioritizing small steps and making its in-house models available to developers and researchers.

"The majority of the world's population will have their first experience of generative artificial intelligence with us," Meta chief technology officer Andrew "Boz" Bosworth told AFP in a recent interview.

Meta recently unveiled AI-infused chatbots with personalities, along with tools for creating images or written content using spoken prompts.

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Hurricane Otis has made landfall on the coast of southern Mexico, bringing wind speeds of up to 165mph (270km/h).

It touched down near the popular Acapulco resort just after midnight on Wednesday (06:25 GMT), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Authorities have warned of a life-threatening storm surge and the possibility of landslides as heavy rain pelts the area.

The storm has already begun to weaken as it moves inland.

David Hall arrived at the Princess Mundo Imperial resort in Acapulco for a work conference hours before Otis made landfall. He told the BBC that the building had been damaged by the wind and rain.

He said the hotel room windows buckled from the force of the winds and smashed, sucking items out of the room.

Mr Hall, who is from the Mexican city of Colima, roughly 600km (372 miles) from Acapulco, said the building "shivered" as if an earthquake was happening.

He and hundreds of other guests at the hotel have been hunkering down together while the worst of the hurricane passes.

"A lot of people are scared," said Mr Hall.

A hurricane warning is in effect for a 350km-long stretch of coastline between the coastal towns of Zihuatanejo and Punta Maldonado in the state of Guerrero.

Power outages have already been reported in Guerrero, according to Mexico's civil protection body. School classes across the state were cancelled in preparation for the storm's arrival.

Unverified videos posted online show damage to a hospital in Acapulco and flooding outside the Copacabana hotel.

Mexico's national water agency said that waves of up to 10 metres high (32ft) were expected on the coasts of Guerrero and in western Oaxaca state. Possible mudslides have also been forecast.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there was "material damage and blocked roads" and that there were landslides on the highway to Acapulco.

He said there were no reports of deaths but cautioned that authorities were struggling to get updates.

"The hurricane is still affecting the area and communications are completely down," he said.

Officials said that it was difficult to gauge the extent of the damage in Acapulco, which has a population of around 780,000, given poor communications.

The NHC also said that Otis was expected to produce up to 20in (51cm) of rainfall on Friday across Guerrero and western coastal areas of the neighbouring Oaxaca state.

Scientists said the speed with which Otis intensified from a tropical storm into a category five hurricane - the highest level of storm - on Tuesday was rare.

It broke the record for the fastest intensification rate over a 12-hour period in the Eastern Pacific, gaining 80mph in that time, according to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.

Parts of Mexico's Pacific coastline have already seen significant flooding earlier this month after Tropical Storm Max hit. Local media reported two deaths as a result of the storm in Guerrero.

A few days later, one man was reported killed after powerful Hurricane Lidia made landfall in the state of Nayarit, north-west of Guerrero.
Mexico's Finance, Foreign ministers speak at Council of the Americas event

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's former finance minister is backing the main opposition alliance in next year's presidential election, the opposition's candidate said on Tuesday.

Opposition presidential contender Xochitl Galvez said on X, formerly Twitter, that ex-minister Carlos Urzua had joined her right-left alliance bidding to unseat Lopez Obrador's National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) in the June 2024 election.

"Welcome to this team," Galvez wrote on X, sharing a picture of herself and Urzua, who was finance minister from 2018 to 2019 at the start of Lopez Obrador's presidency. Urzua quit in frustration at the direction of policy and has become a noted critic of the government.

Urzua was not immediately reachable for comment.

A respected economist, Urzua from 2000 to 2003 was Lopez Obrador's top finance official when he was Mexico City mayor.

Many economists have argued Lopez Obrador has hurt investor confidence by becoming embroiled in disputes with Mexico's top trade partners.

However, he remains a popular president, and MORENA's candidate to succeed him, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, has a commanding lead over Galvez in opinion polls.

Mexican presidents may only serve a single six-year term.

Galvez heads the main opposition alliance comprising three parties ranging from the center-right to the center-left.

Another opposition party, the center-left Citizens' Movement (MC), is eyeing a separate bid that could split the vote.

(Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Dave Graham and Cynthia Osterman)
After Hurricane Otis escalated into a Category 5 storm last night (24 October), concerns over the safety of travel to Mexico and the risk of further natural disasters have risen.

Hurricane conditions made a powerful landfall in Acapulco on Mexicos Pacific coastline on Wednesday morning and sustained 165-mph winds are expected to sweep the south coast between San Jose del Progreso and San Jeronimo de Juarez on 25 October.

The hurricane could become the most powerful storm ever to hit Acapulco, with the potential to affect at least one million people.

Amid Mexicos June to November hurricane season, Category 4 Hurricane Lidia has already barrelled the states of Jalisco and Nayarit on 10 October, and Category 1 Hurricane Norma swept Los Cabos on the Baja California Peninsula on 21 October.

Even if hurricane warnings are lifted, a risk of landslides, mudslides and flash flooding remains a threat to holidaymakers with trips booked to the ocean-flanked country.

Heres the latest travel advice for Mexico, plus all the key questions and answers.

What does the Foreign Office say?

On Wednesday (25 October) the Foreign Office (FCDO) updated its advice on travel to Mexico to read: The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Mexico as Tropical Storm Otis has intensified to a category 4 Hurricane and is anticipated to impact the Pacific south coast.

Areas to avoid include:

Tijuana  except airside transit through Tijuana airport

Tecate

Chihuahua  except the city of Chihuahua

Colima  except the city of Manzanillo

Guanajuato  including all areas southwest of road 45D

Guerrero

Tamaulipas  except the border crossing at Nuevo Laredo accessed by federal toll road 85D from Monterrey

Zacatecas

Jalisco  including all areas south and southwest of Lake Chapala to the border with the state of Colima

Sinaloa  except the cities of Los Mochis and Mazatlan

Michoacan  except the city of Morelia and the town of Patzcuaro

The FCDO also advises against all but essential travel to these northern municipalities:

Bolanos

Chimaltitan

Colotlan

Hostotipaquillo

Huejucar

Huequilla el Alto

Mezquitic

San Martin de Bolanos

Santa Maria de los Angeles

Totatiche

Villa Guerrero

Read our live blog for Hurricane Otis updates

What do the Mexican authorities say?

The general directorate of tourist services, Angeles Verdes, said: Safety is our top priority, and currently, travel to certain regions of Mexico may be risky due to adverse weather conditions and affected infrastructure.

The recommendation from Angeles Verdes is that you reconsider your trip or stay informed about the situation in Mexico before making a decision. It is important to check the warnings and recommendations of local authorities and civil protection to ensure your safety during your stay.

Mexico is a beautiful country with a lot to offer visitors, but in situations like this, it is essential to prioritize safety. For when you postpone your trip, we will be here to help you with future experiences in Mexico when conditions are safer.

The FCDO says that Local Authorities have also called for those in the affected zone to take precautions, including staying informed about shelter locations.

Are Mexico flights continuing?

Several arrivals and departures from Acapulco International Airport have been cancelled or delayed this morning as a result of the winds.

Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara and Tijuana airports appear to be running scheduled flights as usual.

What if I have booked a package holiday to Mexico?

Travellers who have booked package holidays to Mexicos Pacific south coast, including Acapulco and Puerto Escondido, as advised by the FCDO can cancel without penalty for a full refund, although other popular tourist resorts of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum are a fair distance from the affected areas as they sit on the Gulf of Mexicos east coast.

The FCDO says: Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider and intended destination, so its best to contact them. Be aware that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you choose to travel to an area against FCDO advice.
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump 's former lawyer and longtime "fixer," is confronting his ex-boss face-to-face for the second time Wednesday, as he resumes testimony in the former president's New York civil fraud trial.

Cohen testified Tuesday, with Trump watching, that Trump personally authorized fraudulent inflations of his net worth and property values.

Cohen is a former Trump Organization executive who was for years among Trump's closest confidants. He alleged Tuesday that he and the company's former chief financial officer "reverse engineered" Trump's financial statements to meet valuations that Trump "arbitrarily selected."

Trump and his co-defendants are accused of fraudulently inflating the value of assets for their own financial benefit. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $250 million for the state, and is asking the court to order sanctions restricting Trump's ability to do business in New York. The judge in the civil case has already found Trump and his co-defendants liable for fraud. The trial is proceeding on other accusations, including falsification of records, conspiracy and insurance fraud.

Michael Cohen arrives at the Trump civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Oct. 25, 2023. / Credit: MIKE SEGAR / REUTERS

Cohen testified Tuesday that Trump told him to adjust statements of financial conditions  documents at the core of the fraud case  to arrive at a net worth that Trump assigned himself "arbitrarily."

"I was tasked by Mr. Trump to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrarily selected. And my responsibility along with Allen Weisselberg, predominantly, was to reverse engineer the various different asset classes, increase those assets in order to achieve the number that Mr. Trump had tasked us," Cohen said, prompting Trump to shake his head and fold his arms across his chest.

Trump and his co-defendants have denied all wrongdoing, and Trump's legal team has sought to portray Cohen as untrustworthy.

During cross examination by Trump attorney Alina Habba , Cohen said he lied under oath in federal court when he entered a guilty plea to tax evasion in 2018. Cohen now says he didn't evade taxes.

Cohen and Trump had not seen each other in person since that plea, and in the years since the former friends have often sought to vilify each other.

Cohen's testimony under cross-examination Tuesday was often combative. Cohen several times replied to Habba's questions with the phrase, "asked and answered," adopting an objection lawyers sometimes raise, but witnesses cannot.

The last time he did so, it prompted another Trump attorney, Christopher Kise, to jump out of his chair. He protested to the judge, saying, "this witness is out of control."

Cohen's testimony has attracted interest from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, which brought a separate criminal case against Trump earlier this year that also relies on Cohen's testimony. Susan Hoffinger, one of the lead prosecutors in that case, was seen entering the courthouse Tuesday afternoon, and returned again on Wednesday, along with four others. Hoffinger also led a 2022 case in which two Trump companies were found guilty of 17 felonies related to fraud.

Richard Roundtree, star of "Shaft" movies, dies at 81

Antisemitic incidents on the rise in weeks after Israel-Hamas war, Anti-Defamation League says

Hundreds of Americans remain trapped in Gaza
EXCLUSIVE: Michigan state Republicans are putting pressure on Democrat leadership in the state House of Representatives for refusing to hold a vote on a bipartisan resolution to condemn Hamas terrorists' "horrific" attack against Israel.

House Resolution 146 has more than 50 co-sponsors, including six Democrats, but House leadership will not hold a vote on the resolution to support Israel in the wake of the deadly terror attack from Hamas, as Democrats in the Chamber appear divided when it comes to the stance they are taking on the war in the Middle East.

GOP Rep. Bill G. Schuette, who sponsored the resolution, spoke to Fox News Digital about the uphill battle House lawmakers are facing to even vote on the proposal, which, if adopted, would condemn the violence perpetrated by Hamas, call for the release of hostages held by the terror group and support Israel's right to self-defense.

"I witnessed those absolutely horrific events that occurred in Israel earlier this month. You watch videos, or you see photos from the events. The killing of children, the slaughter of the elderly, American civilians died. It turns your stomach, and it's hard to watch," Schuette said. "So in response, I worked with some of my colleagues to draft a resolution that pretty simply, one, condemns the horrific acts of violence committed by the terrorist group Hamas, two, calls for the release of those hostages in captivity, and three, reaffirms our state's support for Israel."

TWO AMERICAN HOSTAGES RELEASED FROM GAZA, FOX NEWS IS TOLD

"I thought it would be non-controversial," he said of the resolution. "It's condemning the horrible acts of violence that we saw. We got more than 50 co-sponsors. We had six Democrats sign on as co-sponsors. We've approved over 120 resolutions in our chamber this year alone, including things like recognizing National Tennis Month. I thought this would just glide through. Sadly, that was not the case."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

More than 6,400 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the terrorist group. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.

Hamas has more than 220 hostages amid the conflict with Israeli forces. The terrorist organization has released four hostages in the last week, including two Americans, as Israel prepares for a potential ground invasion in Gaza. The Israeli forces have said additional hostage releases could delay the ground invasion.

Schuette emphasized that his resolution is important because he believes words and leadership matter and he stressed the need for Michigan's state government to "speak authoritatively to condemn evil and condemn violence when we see it."

"This was the largest mass killing of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust," he said. "And if our Chamber cannot condemn such violence, if our Chamber cannot call out that evil when we see it, we really have no moral right to stand on it at all."

The Michigan Senate adopted a similar bipartisan resolution to condemn Hamas' acts of terrorism.

The proposed House resolution comes after Michigan House Democrats appeared to take different positions on the violence in Israel, with some releasing statements after the initial attack strongly condemning Hamas' attack and supporting Israel's right to defend itself while others mourned the loss of life on both sides and criticized what they described as the Israeli government's decades of oppression against the Palestinian people.

House Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash told reporters after the attack that "any conversation around what is happening in Israel and Palestine that makes no acknowledgment of the 70-plus-year occupation and the mistreatment of the Palestinian people is disrespectful to the issue." He said doing otherwise is a "disservice to the complexity and the humanity of the people that live in that region."

Aiyash said Republicans who say they stand against hate and violence cannot take the moral high ground since many lawmakers in their caucus voted against bills earlier this year to expand the state's definition of hate crimes and impose penalties against people who cause acts of destruction against religious buildings and cemeteries.

Schuette told Fox News Digital that Aiyash's comments were "disrespectful" to Americans who either lost loved ones or were held in captivity, and called it an "embarrassment for our state to not condemn the horrific killing of children, elderly and civilians in Israel."

Democratic leadership assigned the resolution to the House Government Operations Committee, where legislation often never moves forward. Schuette said lawmakers supporting the resolution are working on discharging it from the Committee and bringing it to the House Floor for a vote. Several motions to discharge the resolution from the Committee have already been brought, but each have been denied.

"I was proud to get a number of Democrats to sign on and co-sponsor, some of whom thanked me for working on this resolution," Schuette said. "Unfortunately, the leadership of our Chamber, the Democrat leadership, doesn't want to bring forward this resolution because they say the situation over there is complicated. It's not complicated to condemn acts of terror. It is not complicated to call for the release of Americans who are held hostage. It is not complicated, and it's not controversial, and it's a moral failing of our Chamber."

The Republican lawmaker said he believes some members of House Democrat leadership subscribe to the "same far-left progressive agenda" as U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who said shortly after Hamas' attack that if the U.S. continues to provide billions in funding to support Israel's "apartheid" government, this "heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue."

Tlaib also continues to doubt the Israeli and U.S. governments findings that an airstrike last week at a hospital in Gaza was the result of a misfired rocket launched from Gaza by the Hamas ally Islamic Jihad that was targeting Israel. The congresswoman further attempted to discredit the findings, which also determined the explosion was mostly in the parking lot of the hospital and that the death toll is estimated to be much lower than the several hundred Hamas first alleged, because she says the Israeli and U.S. governments have a well documented history of misleading the public about war crimes.

"I would like it if Congresswoman Tlaib would not spread misinformation, and would actually acknowledge some of the horrific violence that we've seen committed by Hamas against American citizens and against civilians," Schuette said.

Some members of House Democrat leadership are "not willing to stand with Israel and stand against terrorism," he said.

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB TRIPLES DOWN ON HAMAS HOSPITAL NARRATIVE, CASTS DOUBT ON FINDINGS FROM BIDEN ADMIN

Rep. Rashida Tlaib continues to doubt the Israeli and U.S. governments findings that an airstrike at a hospital in Gaza was the result of a misfired rocket launched from Gaza by the Hamas ally Islamic Jihad.

Last week, House Republicans held a press conference again calling for a vote on the bipartisan resolution. But House Democrat leadership continues to dismiss the resolution.

The Republican caucus, Schuette tells Fox News Digital, will continue to speak up authoritatively and stand with Israel amid its ongoing war against Hamas. He said the plan was to send the resolution to the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.

Since the attack on Oct. 7, the Biden administration has defended Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism and has asked Congress for $106 billion in emergency funding that combines aid to Israel and Ukraine for its against Russia while also allocating money for U.S. border security.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"It's important in moments like this that we stand with our allies, and we stand with our friends. After 9/11 after we were brutally attacked, Israel stood with the United States," Schuette said. "So after Israel suffers a horrific terrorist attack, we should stand with our ally Israel."

The Biden administration has also been working with international partners to supply civilians of Gaza with humanitarian aid and help U.S. citizens evacuate the region to escape the violence. Egypt, Israel and the United Nations facilitated a 20-truck convoy carrying humanitarian assistance that was delivered to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing last week.





Original article source: Michigan GOP state Rep. slams Dem leadership as House refuses to hold vote on resolution condemning Hamas
With the deadline looming to implement new financial disclosure reports for Michigan politicians, state lawmakers held their first legislative hearing Wednesday on bills to enact the requirements voters approved last year.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the state Senate introduced legislation to implement Proposal 1 one day before hearing testimony on the bills. Legislation must be enacted by Dec. 31 under the constitutional amendment adopted by voters.

State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township  who has long advocated for transparency and ethics changes and sponsored one bill in the package  said he wished lawmakers had begun the work earlier. "I don't think we should pat ourselves too hard on the back today given it's October and we should have brought these bills forward in January," he testified before the Senate Oversight Committee.

Michigan and Idaho are the only two states in the country that don't subject lawmakers to financial disclosure requirements according to the Center for Public Integrity. But voters in Michigan passed a constitutional amendment to change that in 2022. Proposal 1 requires the state Legislature to adopt legislation making every state lawmaker, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state and the attorney general file annual financial disclosure reports.

State Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, was at Bobcat Bonnie's in Ferndale on Feb. 24, 2023, for a roundtable discussion.

State Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, celebrated the legislation to carry out the will of voters, describing it as a key first step after decades of inaction in Lansing to improve transparency. "Is there more we can do? Absolutely," he testified. "Our Prop 1 legislation is not an end but a long overdue beginning to finally implementing transparency laws."

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson urged lawmakers to go further. She and others have long called for moving Michigan "from worst to first" on various government transparency and ethics measures. "These bills on their own would not take us there," she testified.

Proposal 1: Last year's most popular constitutional amendment

Michigan lawmakers saved legislative action on the most popular ballot proposal approved by voters for last. Proposal 1 passed with the support of 66% of Michigan voters in last year's election, a wider margin than the abortion and voting rights proposals also on the ballot in the 2022 midterm. Earlier this year, the Democratically-controlled Legislature passed bills aimed at updating state laws to reflect the changes voters approved in those other two ballot measures before turning to the financial disclosure amendment this week.

A person stands behind a voting booth as they cast their vote inside the Central United Methodist Church polling place in Detroit on Nov. 8, 2022.

Before it appeared on the ballot, lawmakers weakened the financial disclosure requirements sponsors included in their original proposal. If lawmakers miss the end of the year deadline for enacting legislation spelling out how politicians must file financial disclosures, any Michigan resident can sue the state Legislature and the governor in the Michigan Supreme Court to enforce the requirements of the constitutional amendment.

What Proposal 1 requires

Michigan voters changed to state constitution to require annual financial disclosures from state lawmakers and top statewide officeholders starting next April that must include the following:

"Description of assets and sources of unearned income."

"Sources of earned income."

"Description of liabilities."

"Positions currently held as an officer, director, trustee, partner, proprietor, representative, employee, or consultant of any organization, corporation, firm, partnership, or other business enterprise, nonprofit organization, labor organization, or educational or other institution other than the state of Michigan."

"Agreements or arrangements with respect to future employment, a leave of absence while serving as a legislator or state officer, continuation or deferral of payments by a former or current employer other than the state of Michigan, or continuing participation in an employee welfare or benefit plan maintained by a former employer."

"Gifts received and required to be reported by a lobbyist or lobbyist agent, as prescribed by state law."

"Travel payments and reimbursements received and required to be reported by a lobbyist or lobbyist agent, as prescribed by state law."

"Payments made by a lobbyist or lobbyist agent to a charity in lieu of honoraria."

What recently introduced legislation proposes

Senate Bill 613 introduced Tuesday would require state lawmakers and top statewide officeholders to disclose income, assets, stocks, bonds, other securities and property with a value of $1,000 or more as well as a list of liabilities exceeding $10,000.

Nicholas Pigeon, the executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, said it's not clear that politicians would have to attach specific dollar amounts to each source of earned and unearned income. That would make the legislation weaker than the laws in place in most other states. "Theoretically, it would be a larger conflict of interest if they have more to gain," he told the Free Press.

In addition to the reporting requirements in Proposal 1, Senate Bill 613 introduced Tuesday would require state lawmakers and top statewide officeholders to disclose the name and occupation of their spouses. But while politicians would have to disclose the name of any employers, they would not have to do the same for their spouses under the proposed reporting requirements.

Benson told lawmakers that the legislation currently creates too many loopholes for spouses. If lawmakers want to expand financial disclosure to encompass spouses, they should create a more meaningful requirement or none at all, Benson said.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson heads talks with the media during a press conference on Election Day outside of Berkley High School which has precinct three and seven at its location during the primary election on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

The legislation would require politicians to disclose stocks, bonds or other forms of securities they hold jointly with their spouse.

Former state Rep. David LaGrand, D-Grand Rapids, told lawmakers he's deeply troubled by the exclusion of spousal asset reporting requirements. In theory, it would allow politicians to transfer assets to their spouses to avoid disclosure, he said. "If you don't do parallel disclosure requirements for spouses and for dependents, you are making a hole in this legislation which will invalidate the will of the people, the intent of this legislation and it will be a hole that you can drive the Titantic through," he said.

Senate Bill 614 would extend the reporting requirements under Proposal 1 and those proposed in Senate Bill 615 to candidates for public office.

Paid leave in Michigan: Legislation would give workers 15 weeks paid family leave

Proposed penalties

After the first 10 business days past the disclosure filing deadline, the legislation proposes a $25 late filing fee for each business day a politician fails to submit their report with a maximum penalty of $500. It proposes a maximum $1,000 civil fine for a politician who "knowingly files an incomplete or inaccurate report."

Senate Bills 615 and 616 would update Michigan's campaign finance law to allow the use of a candidate's campaign committee to pay a late filing fee.

State Sen. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, who chairs the Senate Oversight Committee, said that lawmakers would consider possible changes to the legislation before planning to report the bills to the full Senate for a vote.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan lawmaker financial disclosure report bills proposed
Not too far from Toledo, a billboard greets Ohioans who cross into Michigan on Interstate 75: "You made it. Now it's time to roll."

Marijuana dispensaries are so prolific near the Ohio-Michigan border that one stretch of them in Monroe is nicknamed "dispo row." Businesses have signs aimed directly at their out-of-state clientele. Cheyenne Thomachefski, a team lead at Weedys, said she no longer struggles to find someone's birthday on an Ohio driver's license.

"The main thing I usually hear is its so expensive in Ohio to get flower that its just easier to come over here, get cheap flower and go back home," Thomachefski said.

Ohio Issue 2: What to know about proposal to legalize recreational marijuana

It's no secret to anyone paying attention: Every day, Ohioans drive to the state up north to buy marijuana. Ohio launched its medical cannabis program in 2016, but patients frequently complain about prices and the bureaucracy around maintaining their registration. And medical marijuana is accessible only to people with one of 26 qualifying conditions.

Proponents of an effort to legalize recreational marijuana want to keep these consumers in the Buckeye State. Voters will decide Nov. 7 whether to pass Issue 2, which would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and grow marijuana. Products would be taxed 10% on top of the state sales tax  just like they are in Michigan.

The two biggest opponents of Issue 2 are Michigan dispensary owners and drug dealers," said Tom Haren, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.

But several Michigan dispensary operators say they aren't sweating what Ohio's ballot issue could mean for business.

A sign welcomes out-of-state customers to Puff Cannabis Company dispensary, located in a strip mall with several other dispensaries just off the I-75 exit a few miles from the Ohio border.

'I don't understand all the rigmarole'

Michigan voters approved adult-use marijuana at the ballot in 2018 by a 56-44 margin. The law has a similar framework to Ohio's proposal, including identical rules for how much marijuana adults can buy and grow. Like Issue 2, Michigan tasked a state agency with hashing out many of the specific regulations.

One of the biggest differences lies in the tax revenue. While the 10% excise tax would be the same, Michigan allocates 70% of its marijuana funds to schools and road maintenance. The remaining 30% goes to counties and municipalities with marijuana businesses.

The K-12 and transportation funds each received around $70 million from the 2022 fiscal year, according to the Detroit Free Press. Under Ohio Issue 2, by contrast, revenue would go to the marijuana social equity program, a substance abuse fund, municipalities with dispensaries and administrative costs.

For dispensaries along the Ohio-Michigan border, some of that tax money is coming from Ohioans. Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency does not break down sale numbers by region, so it's unclear how much these businesses bring in each year. But multiple operators in Monroe said the bulk of their customers come from Ohio.

If the pricing is not where it needs to be, theyll be right here," said Doug Laura, head of security for URB Cannabis.

General manager Laura Merritt looks over the marijuana products on display at Lume Cannabis Co. dispensary, one of its 38 Michigan locations.

Indeed, Michigan prices are a big draw for Ohio consumers. Dispensaries that used to sell an eighth of an ounce for $60 now offer it as low as $20. At another shop, users can get 15 vape cartridges for $100. The cost of products dropped as the market became more saturated  which can present other challenges for businesses  but deals also keep customers coming back.

Some Ohio medical marijuana companies say they can compete with Michigan pricing, particularly as the industry contends with oversupply. The biggest problem, in their view, is a regulatory structure that's burdensome to patients  something they hope to fix with Issue 2.

Firelands Scientific CEO Jeff McCourt said even his elderly mother's friends, who use cannabis to alleviate various conditions, will travel to avoid headaches under Ohio's program.

Some of them have just resigned themselves to going up to Michigan," McCourt said. "You have these 75-year-old ladies saying, 'I dont understand all the rigmarole.'"

What legal marijuana in Ohio means for Michigan

Managers in Monroe, some of whom are originally from Toledo or Lancaster, are familiar with Ohio's proposed legalization effort. But no one seems too worried about how it could affect their bottom line.

These dispensaries also cater to Monroe residents and pride themselves on the relationships they build with customers. Managers also think highly of their products and believe some Ohioans may continue making the trip to buy something familiar. Those who set up shop further into Monroe believe if anyone takes a hit, it will be the stores on "dispo row" that are closer to the highway.

Margins matter," said Laura Merritt, general manager for Lume Cannabis Co. "Being able to stay here and produce good service and good conversation whereas other dispensaries, Im not really sure what their strategy is going to be because theyre all trying to undercut each other right now.

Billboards attract drivers to Glass Jar Cannabis, now known as NAR, along I-75, just north of the Ohio border.

Plus, if Issue 2 passes, Ohio's adult-use market won't be ready in a day. The proposed statute gives state regulators nine months to set rules and dole out the first licenses, most of which go to licensees in the medical program. Proponents of the measure say this will ensure the program gets off the ground quickly.

But it's unclear how affordable products will be at the program's onset.

Quality Roots CEO Aric Klar hopes to expand into Ohio if voters approve Issue 2. At the same time, he said, Ohio has some catching up to do to reach Michigan, which has become one of the top marijuana markets in the country. Crain's Detroit Business reported that 75% of sales happen legally instead of in the black market, largely because of supply and low prices.

We dont think Ohio will catch up to where Michigan is for five to 10 years," Klar said.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

Get more political analysis by listening to the Ohio Politics Explained podcast

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Issue 2 could impact marijuana sales in Michigan
Critics have urged the United States to consider reclassifying the Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist organization as the Iran-backed group has mounted attacks against Israel and U.S. military assets.

"In word and in deed, the Houthis in Yemen are proving to the world their connectivity to Irans axis of resistance and why they should have remained on the U.S. terror list," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

"Pulling punches and failing to hold Iran and its proxies to account, even diplomatically, shows you how far things have devolved," he added.

Senior Pentagon officials on Monday discussed an expected "significant escalation" of attacks against U.S. troops in the Middle East as tensions flare following a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that killed at least 1,400 people and the subsequent retaliation that the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza claimed has killed at least 5,700 Palestinians, including 2,360 children.

US-LED FORCES BEING LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES IN IRAQ, SYRIA AFTER 14 ATTACKS ON AMERICAN BASES LEFT 24 INJURED

The U.S. said that preliminary intelligence did not indicate any Iranian involvement in the planning or execution of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 but claimed that subsequent attacks from various Islamic extremist groups, which have injured dozens of American service members, have "Iranian fingerprints all over them."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"I think its fair to say when you see this uptick in activity in attacks by many of these groups, theres Iranian fingerprints all over it," a defense official said during a background briefing with reporters. Two officials attended the call and both suggested attacks will likely increase over the coming days.

Houthi fighters shout slogans as they prepare to head to a frontline in al-Jubah district of Yemen's Marib province in a frame grab from video handed out by the Houthi's media center on Nov. 2, 2021.

The Trump administration in January 2021 designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) following an attack on the Aden airport in Aden, Yemen  the oldest airport on the Arabian Peninsula. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said of the designation that if the Houthis "did not act like a terrorist organization, we would not designate it as an FTO."

YOUNGER GENERATION NOT AS EDUCATED ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST: MARTHA MACCALLUM

Upon taking office the following month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he would reverse the decision and revoke the designation of Ansarallah, "sometimes referred to as the Houthis," as an FTO, citing a "dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."

"We have listened to warnings from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, and bipartisan members of Congress, among others, that the designations could have a devastating impact on Yemenis access to basic commodities like food and fuel," Blinken said of his decision at the time.

"The revocations are intended to ensure that relevant U.S. policies do not impede assistance to those already suffering what has been called the worlds worst humanitarian crisis," he added. "By focusing on alleviating the humanitarian situation in Yemen, we hope the Yemeni parties can also focus on engaging in dialogue."

Blinken promised that the U.S. would continue to "closely monitor" the groups activities and its leaders and continue to "call attention to the groups destabilizing activity."

RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL MEETING EXPLODES OVER RESOLUTION BLAMING ISRAEL AFTER HAMAS ATTACK

The Houthis are accused of shooting three missiles and several drones launched from Yemen last week, which USS Carney intercepted and shot down as they flew north along the Red Sea. Officials later determined those missiles and drones were headed for Israel.

USS Carney on Thursday took out three missiles that had been fired from Yemen and were heading north, U.S. officials said.

Earlier this year, Iran agreed to stop sending weapons to the Houthis in Yemen as part of a deal to normalize relations between Tehran and Riyad in a historic Chinese-brokered diplomatic deal. Both countries had backed different sides of the Yemen conflict, but Saudi Arabia has long accused Iran of using the Houthis to attack the Saudi kingdom directly, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Many have been warning about the consequences of allowing Irans regime, not only to continue spinning its centrifuges and enriching uranium while shutting off nuclear surveillance cameras and denying access to IAEA officials but in allowing the regime to continue its bad behavior both inside and outside Iran," Lisa Daftari, a Middle East expert and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, told Fox News Digital.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with nuclear scientists and personnel of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday, June 11.

"Inside Iran, the regime continues its brutal repression of young Iranian protesters and executing Iranians at a whim; Outside Iran, the regime has invested in its proxies and insurgencies throughout the region in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza, effectively spreading its Shia brand while at the same time surrounding Israel," she added.

"Its no wonder that now following Hamass Oct. 7 surprise massacre attack on Israel, Irans regime had its proxies ready with weapons turned both toward Israel and toward U.S. assets in those respective countries."

The U.S. State Department and National Security Council did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by time of publication.

Fox News Digitals Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Middle East paying price of Biden White House removing Houthis from terrorist list, experts say
Demonstrations in France sparked by the Mideast situation have been peaceful so far (Sebastien SALOM-GOMIS)

The flare-up in the Middle East sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel is rekindling deep tensions in France.

Its colonial history and dark World War II memories make debate over the war between Israel an Hamas often angry and occasionally venomous.

France is highly sensitive to the Middle East conflict, being home to around half a million Jews -- more than anywhere else outside of Israel and the United States -- many of whom keep in close touch with friends and family living in Israel.

Muslims, mostly of North African descent, meanwhile account for at least six million of France's 70-million-strong population, making it the biggest Muslim community in Europe.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas mounted an attack on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people and taking 222 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Thirty French nationals were among those killed and at least one of the hostages is French.

Israel has responded with relentless air strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry says 6,546 people have been killed in the war.

- 'Highly inflammable' -

"The French debate is highly inflammable," said Jean Garrigues, a professor of political history at the University of Orleans in central France. "Even many of the so-called experts are biased, which makes it very difficult to establish an objective neutrality."

Garrigues said there was an undercurrent of what he called "repentance" in France.

It is linked to both its history as colonial master -- notably in Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco -- and to collaboration during World War II when some officials in France helped the German occupiers round up Jews and send them to death camps.

This makes President Emmanuel Macron's government mindful of balancing its strong support for Israel's fight against Hamas with an equally firm stance on the protection of Palestinian civilians.

In the latest example of deep polarisation among politicians, National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet drew heavy criticism for her trip at the weekend to Israel, where she gave public support to Israel's "right to defend itself".

Far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon accused Braun-Pivet of "setting up camp in Israel to encourage the massacre" in Gaza.

Braun-Pivet retorted that she was "very shocked" and in turn accused Melenchon of using the French term "camper" as a veiled reference to concentration camps.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne quickly weighed in, saying the parliament speaker had been the target of "despicable accusations", with others accusing Melenchon of anti-Semitism.

The remarks were tantamount to "calling Jews the party of foreign interests and of war", said Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF).

- 'Beyond community lines' -

Melenchon's party, La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) has also stayed clear of calling Hamas a "terrorist" organisation after the attacks.

That has created deep divisions with the Socialists and Greens, with whom it is allied in a loose leftist opposition coalition known as NUPES.

"The Israel-Palestinian conflict resonates far beyond community lines in France," said Marc Hecker, a researcher at IFRI, a French think tank on international relations.

It is also the only geopolitical topic "that can make tens of thousands of people take to the streets", he said, unlike the war in Ukraine.

Hecker said pro-Palestinian sentiment could be found as much in neo-Gaullist quarters seeking closer ties with the Arab world after the colonial war in Algeria, as among leftist Catholics and far-left anti-imperialist movemements.

Thousands of people demonstrated in several French cities at the weekend in support of Palestinians, some shouting slogans designating Israelis "murderers" and Macron as "their accomplice".

Each major past rise in Mideast tensions -- including Israel's 2009 and 2014 Gaza offensives and the 2000 Intifada -- was followed by violent and anti-Semitic acts in France, the experts noted.

There were no incidents of notable violence at the recent demonstrations, which analysts said was perhaps due to police bans on such protests, and to lingering shock at the brutality of the Hamas attack.

But they also said that Israel's ongoing bombing of Gaza, which the Hamas health ministry says has killed more than 5,800 people so far, made violent acts in France increasingly likely.

- Macron's 'high-wire act' -

Philippe Raynaud, a political scientist, said Melenchon's LFI party was "pouring oil on the fire" of existing divisions for "electoral gain" in the hope of winning votes from young Muslims in low-income areas around French cities.

This, added Hecker, was forcing Macron into "a very uncomfortable high-wire act".

The president, who visited Israel and the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, needed to show "strong solidarity with Israel", at the risk of appearing biased to pro-Palestinians, Hecker said.

But, said the researcher, "he is also trying to make France's traditional voice heard, in favour of civilians and of relaunching the peace process".

cl/jh/as/jj
Journalists watch a large screen showing the US diploamt Beth Jones addressing a summit in Cairo on the Middle East crisis (Khaled DESOUKI)

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has sought to isolate Moscow and pressure China to keep its distance. With war in the Middle East, Russia and China are seeking to turn the tables.

The United States has cast Russia as the disruptor of the international order at the Security Council, with President Joe Biden promising the world body that Washington would use its veto only sparingly.

But the United States went ahead and vetoed a draft resolution last week it deemed insufficiently supportive of its ally.

In comments likely aimed at consumption in the Islamic world, Russia has accused the United States of escalating the conflict through military reinforcements, while China has lashed out at the US veto and Israel's actions.

The Chinese and Russian reprimands ring hollow for US officials, who doubt the rival powers will engage in painstaking diplomacy along the lines of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent trip to the region.

But the United States has historically stood out as a lonely voice in its close embrace of Israel, even if for now European allies are largely joining Biden in backing Israel.

Biden on taking office had aimed to shift from the complexities of the Middle East, seeing China as the greatest long-term challenge to the United States.

"This is not a region where the US has wanted to have a heavy footprint and be actively engaged. At the same time, this president in particular is deeply committed to Israel," said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the US and Americas program at Chatham House.

China "is quite willing to see the US pulled sideways in its strategic focus into a region that it hasn't wanted to be absorbed by, but now is willingly," she said.

- Shift of focus for Russia -

Hamas militants stormed into Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, including inside homes and at a music festival, and taking more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

More than 5,700 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said.

The Hamas assault came 50 years after a sneak attack by Egypt and Syria on Israel on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The two events have drawn parallels but among differences -- Russia was then a major player that backed the Arab states.

Russia returned in force in 2015 to Syria to back Bashar al-Assad, although Russian President Vladimir Putin has also maintained ties with Israel.

"Nobody is expecting Russia to produce any results here -- any kind of ceasefire or any role in trying to negotiate the release of hostages," said Eugene Rumer, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Since 2022, it has all been about Ukraine, so when this tragedy occurred, it was a gift for Putin because suddenly the attention is diverted away," Rumer said.

Biden has tried to link Putin and Hamas, charging in an Oval Office address last week that both were "tyrants" seeking to "completely annihilate a neighboring democracy."

Russia denounced the remarks. At the Security Council on Tuesday, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused the United States of failing to respond to global demands for a full ceasefire.

- China scores points -

China and the United States have both sought diplomatic advantage in the crisis, including through a call between Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The United States has repeatedly pressed China to play a greater role in the Middle East crisis commensurate with its global aspirations and urged it to use its influence over Iran's clerical rulers, who back Hamas.

Beijing has sent an envoy to the region who has highlighted support for the Palestinian cause.

Jonathan Fulton, an expert at the Atlantic Council on China's role in the Middle East, said that Beijing in its messaging saw the crisis "as an opportunity to score points on the US."

He said China likely hoped in turn to win support in the Arab and Islamic world for its priorities -- sidelining Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing, and rejecting US-backed allegations that Beijing is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

But Fulton said that Beijing's foremost interest in the Middle East remained economic, with the world's second largest economy heavily dependent on imported oil.

With its limited security and diplomatic resources in the Middle East, China has a two-fold interest in keeping the United States focused on the crisis.

"Obviously for China, it is better if the US is bogged down in the Middle East and the Gulf," Fulton said.

"But if the US keeps providing the security architecture that maintains the Middle East, China is not going to have to do heavy lifting on its own."

sct/md
A Bowman resident has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting two women on the campus of South Carolina State University, according to the university and SLED.

Davon Johnson, 20, has been charged with one count of first degree criminal sexual conduct by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and one count of third degree sexual conduct by SC State Police.

On Oct. 18, S.C. State police responded to a report of a sexual assault at the Hugine Suites, a campus residential complex. A second victim later came forward and alleged that the same man had sexually assaulted her on Oct. 15, according to a statement released by SC State.

The victim in the Oct. 18 attack identified Johnson as her assailant in a photographic lineup, according to a warrant released by SLED. Johnson and another acquaintance, whose name is not included in the warrant, accompanied the victim to her dorm room to view messages on her phone, which was charging.

After the acquaintance left, Johnson forcibly fondled the victim and removed her clothing and sexually assaulted her, according to the warrant. Johnson allegedly physically assaulted and choked the victim.

Johnson was arrested Wednesday by SLED with assistance of the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office.

SLEDs investigation as active and ongoing, according to a statement from the agency.

Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to the Orangeburg County Detention Center. His bond was denied Wednesday in Orangeburg County Magistrate Court.

The case will be prosecuted by the 1st Circuit Solicitors Office.
Three Midwestern chapters of the National Audubon Society, a nonprofit bird conservation group, are dropping the Audubon branding over namesake John James Audubon s racist views and ties to slavery.

The societys chapters in Detroit, Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin, have announced they will now be known as chapters of the Bird Alliance.

It was important for us to collaborate with other Audubon chapters  especially those in our region  in adopting a name that unifies our members and unifies us as organizations, Gretchen Abrams, executive director of the Detroit chapter, said in a press release.

John James Audubon was an 19th-century ornithologist, naturalist and painter who owned slaves, opposed abolitionism and exploited Black and Indigenous people, according to a re-examination of the his life and legacy published by Audubons biographer in the societys magazine in 2020.

In 1834, Audubon wrote to his wife  that the British government had acted imprudently and too precipitously in emancipating enslaved people in its West Indian possessions, according to the article.

Audubon also occasionally relied on Black and Indigenous people to observe birds and collect specimens for his studies and did not credit or name them in his writings, the article said.

Abrams told CNN the Detroit Bird Alliance decided to change its name because the city has a large population of people of color.

We really felt like we were not going to ever be able to be inclusive and invite everyone to the work to protect birds if we were not more clear about our mission, she said.

The Detroit chapter said it will adopt the new name in January 2024, to give the organization time to rebrand and change their website.

We felt like we had to make a decision for ourselves as a chapter on who we wanted to be, what we wanted to represent, and what kind of title represented us in the work that we do, she said. As long as we have anything stopping us from having everyone in the fight for birds, birds lose.

The Chicago Bird Alliance debuted its new name Friday by changing the branding on its website. The organization said it plans to pursue a legal change over the next few months.

[Audubon] contributed a lot to the bird world, but also he was reinforcing things like slavery and systemic racism and scientific racism, Matt Igleski, executive director of the Chicago Bird Alliance told CNN.

Igleski explained the new name is also clearer to those who may be unfamiliar with the societys history and puts the organizations mission of bird conservation at the forefront.

The Madison, Wisconsin, chapter, now known as the Badgerland Bird Alliance, voted unanimously to drop the Audubon name in December 2022. The chapter held a vote in late September to approve the new name.

We want to develop a deep brand recognition that really focuses on the work that we do, Matt Reetz, executive director of the Badgerland Bird Alliance, told CNN.

In August, the San Francisco-area chapter of the society also changed its name to the Golden Gate Bird Alliance.

In a March open letter, the National Audubon Society announced it would not change its name despite the disapproval of several local chapters.

In the letter, Elizabeth Gray, the organizations CEO, explained the climate crisis was a more urgent priority than changing its branding, but said the society would set aside $25 million over the next five years towards a diversity initiative within the organization and its conservation efforts.

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The House of Representatives chose Rep. Mike Johnson to serve as speaker on Wednesday following the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the role over three weeks ago.

Johnson, R-La., was elected speaker of the House during a full vote on the House floor Wednesday afternoon. The vote tally was 220 to 209.

Johnson needed 215 votes to secure the speaker's gavel Wednesday. Typically, the threshold is 217, however, due to current absences, the threshold fell to 215.

House Republicans selected Johnson as their fourth speaker nominee late Tuesday after their past three nominees to lead the chamber dropped out of the race.

House Speaker nominee Rep. Mike Johnson speaks beside fellow members after being nominated for House Speaker, inside the Longworth House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO HOLD 3RD INTERNAL VOTE TO FIND SPEAKER CANDIDATE 3 WEEKS AFTER MCCARTHY OUSTER

Johnson was elected House speaker after weeks of closed-door negotiating within the House Republican Conference after McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed as speaker of the House on Oct. 3 in a historic first for the chamber.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The House Republican Conference initially voted to select House Majority Leader Steve Scalise , R-La., as their nominee for speaker on a secret ballot, but he later withdrew.

Then, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was selected as the speaker nominee in a second conference vote, but the conference later voted to remove him after he failed three House-wide votes.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, left, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

House Republicans considered a move to empower Speaker Pro-tempore Patrick McHenry that would give the interim speaker expanded power through January, but that effort also failed.

By Tuesday, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer had been selected as the House Republican Conference's nominee for speaker, but by Tuesday afternoon, Emmer had dropped out of the race ahead of a formal floor vote.

Rep. Tom Emmer and Donald Trump

Emmer's drop out came shortly after a blistering attack on Truth Social from former President Trump, who called him a "globalist RINO," or, Republican In Name Only, and warned House Republicans that electing him speaker would be a "tragic mistake."

After Emmer's drop out, Johnson, along with Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; Charles Fleischmann, R-Tenn.; Mark Green, R-Tenn., all were possible nominees. Johnson won the nomination Tuesday night.

Trump didn't formally endorse any of the candidates in the next round, posting on his Truth Social account that he "could never go against any of these fine and very talented men, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory."

But in that post, Trump "strongly" urged House Republicans to vote for Johnson on the floor and "get it done fast."

Later Wednesday morning, Trump said Johnson would be a "fantastic speaker," and said he is "respected by all and thats what we need."

"Hes popular, smart, sharp. Hes going to be fantastic. I think hes going to be a fantastic speaker," Trump said ahead of the floor vote Tuesday.

Former US President Donald Trump strongly urged House Republicans to vote for Rep. Mike Johnson on the floor and get it done fast.

Johnson has been in politics since 2015 when he was elected to the state House, where he stayed until 2017.

The son of a firefighter, Johnson was elected to Congress in the 2016 election and serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services Committees.

Johnson is currently in his second term as the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. The Louisiana Republican previously served one term as the influential Republican Study Committee chairman.

After winning nomination for House speaker, GOP Rep. Mike Johnson said his party is united and said he's very confident about his chances on the floor.

Johnson is an ally of former President Donald Trump and defended him during the Democrat-led House impeachment hearings. He also filed an amicus brief co-signed of 100 House Republicans to support Texas litigation seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in four states: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He was the Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee at the time.

"President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress," Johnson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Dec. 9, 2020. "Indeed, this is the big one!"

The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, tried to buy more time with the Supreme Court to allow investigations of purported voting issues to continue before the final electoral vote in the four swing states. The Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit.

On several other issues, Johnson has aligned with the most conservative lawmakers in the caucus.

Last month, he voted against H.R. 5692, the Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, which passed. The bill appropriates federal dollars to assist Ukraine's military in its defense against Russia and establishes an inspector general's office to oversee aid.

Additionally, he opposed the temporary spending measure, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), aligning with 90 other House Republicans, at the Sept. 30 deadline. He also supported measures to bolster border security within the CR, which aimed to restrict eligibility for asylum seekers. The bill did not garner enough support to pass.

In June, Johnson voted in favor of a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Joe Biden.

Prior to joining Congress, Johnson worked as a lawyer and was the senior spokesperson for the conservative Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom.

Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, left, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

This was the second-longest period the House has ever gone without a speaker. It lacked a speaker for two months in late 1855 and early 1856.

McCarthys ouster came after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a measure against him known as a motion to vacate, accusing him of breaking promises he made to win the speaker's gavel in January.





Original article source: Mike Johnson elected House speaker three weeks after Kevin McCarthy's historic ouster
WASHINGTON  Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) became the 56th speaker of the House on Wednesday, ending three weeks of chaos and dysfunction among Republicans.

The House elected Johnson by a party-line vote of 220 to 209. No Republicans opposed him.

With a speaker, the House can once again function as a legislative body and consider bills to fund the government and support foreign allies. Lawmakers have been unable to do so much as name a post office as Republicans bickered among themselves.

First elected in 2016, Johnsons relatively short tenure in the House and low national profile likely helped him get the gavel after passive-aggressive backstabbing sank three previous Republican nominees, who either chaired committees or served in party leadership.

He hasnt acquired a single enemy in his time here, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania, told HuffPost before the vote. Hes very humble. Hes not going to throw bombs or attack people personally.

Johnson is a staunch social conservative who has opposed abortion and gay rights. He led his colleagues in asking the Supreme Court to throw out the 2020 presidential election on behalf of then-president Donald Trump , who falsely claimed the contest was tainted by fraud. And like most of his colleagues, Johnson voted to object to certifying the result even after a mob of Trump supporters had ransacked the Capitol.

The previous Republican speaker candidate, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), had voted to certify the election  which Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) listed as a reason she opposed his candidacy. Emmer withdrew from the contest Tuesday just four hours after becoming Republicans speaker nominee.

Some Republicans opposed the candidate before Emmer, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), because they believed he had not done enough to support his own predecessor speaker-designee, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.). Others refused to back either Scalise or Jordan because they were mad about the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) after hed occupied the speakers office for only nine months.

This has been about one thing. This is about who can appease Donald Trump, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said in a House floor speech before the vote.

Aguilar noted Johnsons leading role in the Supreme Court brief, prompting an outburst from several Republicans.

Damn right, yelled Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.).

Speaker Johnson will immediately confront major domestic and international political problems, including a Nov. 17 deadline to fund U.S. government operations and avoid a shutdown, as well as requests for military aid for Israel and Ukraine. Republicans booted McCarthy after he avoided a shutdown earlier this month by allowing a vote on a funding bill that passed with bipartisan support. Hard-liners complained McCarthy had violated a commitment not to pass bills with Democrats.

Fitzpatrick said he was unaware of Johnson making any commitments in the meetings Republicans held earlier this week.

The second they commit to one group, they lose the other, and wed be in a perpetual shutdown in terms of not having speakers, he said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who triggered the no-confidence vote that ousted McCarthy, declared on a right-wing podcast Wednesday that Johnsons election represented the triumph of Donald Trumps Make America Great Again movement.

If you dont think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then youre not paying attention, Gaetz said.

After the vote, Johnson, walking up to the chamber door with his fellow Republicans to formally take the gavel, ignored a reporters question on whether the 2020 election was stolen.
WASHINGTON  Republicans elected a new speaker of the House on Wednesday in Rep. Mike Johnson, ending 22 days of a paralyzed chamber after a group of rebels overthrew Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Johnson, R-La., was nominated Tuesday after three previous nominees flamed out. He unified the fractious Republican Conference, winning votes from right-wing detractors of McCarthy, R-Calif., as well as centrist Republicans who opposed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Follow along for live updates

The little-known congressman was first elected in 2016, representing a solidly Republican part of north and western Louisiana. He has ascended through the ranks, chairing the conservative Republican Study Committee and holding the position of House Republican Conference vice chair. He sits on the Judiciary Committee (and chairs a subcommittee on the Constitution), the Armed Services Committee and the newly created select committee on "Weaponization of the Federal Government."

Here are five things to know about Johnson.

His role in promoting 2020 election denial

Johnson is a constitutional lawyer who has used his talents to craft some creative  and controversial  theories. The most notable is his role in devising an argument aimed at keeping Donald Trump in power even though he lost the 2020 election.

A New York Times article last year called Johnson the most important architect of the Electoral College objections on Jan. 6, 2021. His argument to colleagues was that certain states changes to their voting procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic were unconstitutional, an argument that became more palatable to lawmakers than the fabricated claims of mass fraud. In all, 147 Republicans voted to block the certification of Joe Biden electors.

In mid-November 2020, Johnson gave a radio interview and echoed a discredited conspiracy theory involving Hugo Chavez and Dominion Voting Systems.

In every election in American history, theres some small element of fraud irregularity, Johnson said. But when you have it on a broad scale, when you have a software system that is used all around the country that is suspect because it came from Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, when you have testimonials of people that like this, but in large numbers, it begs to be litigated and investigated.

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., in Washington on Feb. 9, 2023. (Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images file)

On Tuesday night, after he was nominated, Johnson declined to respond to a question about his role in the election objections.

In the Trump presidency, Johnson argued that then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's move to rip up a copy of his State of the Union speech was a crime. A lot of people have been talking about this the last 48 hours, and I did a little legal memo to point out to my colleagues that she actually committed a felony, Johnson said on Fox News at the time.

His solidly conservative voting record

Johnson's voting record has earned him a lifetime rating of 92% from the American Conservative Union and 90% from Heritage Action.

In Bidens first two years, Johnson voted against a slew of bipartisan bills  including one to establish a Jan. 6 independent commission, the infrastructure law, reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a modest new gun law and the CHIPS and Science Act.

He voted this year in favor of the debt limit law negotiated by McCarthy and Biden. But he voted against the stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Johnson also has a theory about how to tackle the Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government.

In an letter Monday shared by Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., Johnson proposed another short-term funding bill through Jan. 15 or April 15, "based on what can obtain Conference consensus," he wrote, "to ensure the Senate cannot jam the House with a Christmas omnibus." He also proposed a schedule for passing conservative appropriations bills in the interim.

Last month, Johnson was among 93 Republicans who voted for an amendment by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to cut off U.S. military assistance for Ukraine.

His opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights

Johnson has a spotless history of voting against legal abortion, earning an "A+" rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Abortion rights proponents have noted his work from 2010 as a senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, citing a letter in which he fought to shut down an abortion clinic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

He voted against bipartisan legislation to codify same-sex marriage, which Biden signed into law last year.

Johnson authored legislation called the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022, which "prohibits the use of federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10," his office said. Critics have dubbed it a federal "don't say gay" measure and argued that it's aimed at barring references to LGBTQ people.

Image: Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (Olivier Douliery / AFP - Getty Images)

In a statement promoting the bill, Johnson accused Democrats of waging a misguided crusade to immerse young children in sexual imagery and radical gender ideology.

A spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights group, labeled Johnson Jim Jordan with a jacket and a smile, referring to the right-wing firebrand from Ohio who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

Johnson has also co-sponsored legislation by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called the Protect Childrens Innocence Act, which would make it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to people under 18 years of age.

He has Trump's stamp of approval, sort of

Wednesday morning, hours before an expected vote, Trump, the de facto leader of the Republican Party, said he wasn't technically endorsing Johnson but suggesting the House elect him.

"I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory. In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST!" Trump wrote on his social media platform.

During the speaker battle, Trump proved more adept at hurting candidates than helping them win  his early endorsee, Jordan, flamed out on the floor. But Johnson's ability to avoid Trump's ire cleared a hurdle for him within the House GOP, which is attuned to the wishes of the "MAGA" base.

Gaetz called him "MAGA Mike Johnson" in an appearance Wednesday on right-wing host Steve Bannon's podcast.

After he was elected to the position, Trump posted: "Congratulations to Rep. Mike Johnson. He will be a GREAT 'SPEAKER.' MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

A relatively inexperienced speaker

With less than seven years under his belt, Johnson has a shorter length of service in the House than past speakers in modern history. McCarthy was in the House for 16 years before he was elected speaker, Pelosi had 20 years of experience, Paul Ryan served for 16 years, and John Boehner had 20 years before he ascended to the top job.

Before the vote Wednesday, numerous members of Congress said they knew little about Johnson, with some Republican senators saying they had never even met him.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said that he knew very little about him but that it would be interesting to see how the House runs if they choose a speaker that has no experience in leadership or as a committee chair. ... Inexperience seems to be a qualification.

The vote makes Johnson the first speaker ever elected on the fourth ballot of an election. When speaker elections have gone to multiple ballots, no speaker has ever been elected on ballots four to eight.

It is also the first time since before the Civil War that the original leading speaker candidate for a party dropped out after votes had been cast on the floor. The last time that happened was during the election of 1859-60, when freshman Republican William Pennington of New Jersey was elected on the 44th ballot, only after the initial leading Republican candidate, John Sherman of Ohio, withdrew.

Johnson becomes the first speaker from Louisiana, and the top two House Republicans are now from the state: Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
I want to take a moment to congratulate Rep. Matt Gaetz. You did it, man! MAGA Mike Johnson (as Gaetz affectionately calls him) is the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In case youve forgotten, Gaetz spearheaded the effort to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3. But in the intervening days, it was unclear whether McCarthys exodus would lead to a Trumpier replacement (such as Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan) or a more establishment type (such as Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer). Today, it is clear that Gaetzs move paid off. Johnson played a key role in trying to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election.

Now, in fairness, its unclear how newly-minted House Speaker Mike Johnson, 51, will lead. But those who view election denial as the sine qua non, as Trump clearly does (thats the reason Trump sunk Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election), have good reason to believe that the Big Lie has been, thanks in large part to Gaetz, deeply embedded into the GOPs leadership.

Mike Johnson Coasts to Speakership After Weeks of GOP Mayhem

As Gaetz boasted to Steve Bannon on Wednesday, If you dont think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then youre not paying attention.

I agree. And again, Gaetz deserves most of the credit (or blame) for this outcomeand not just because he took down Speaker McCarthy on Oct. 3.

Instead, the elevation of MAGA Mike was the result of concessions Gaetz demanded from McCarthy way back in January.

While forcing Kevin McCarthy to take 15 speaker votes back in January, Gaetz and his allies won a huge concession (the provision that allows for just one member to invoke a motion to vacate the chair).

As I observed at the time: [H]eres the thing about confrontational politics: It. Never. Ends. Fights are inherently good, because every fight results in you gaining turf. As such, you must always be picking fights.

Unlike normies who just want peace and comity, Gaetz understands that conflict is necessary to advance his MAGA worldview.

It took 11 months to complete the project, but Gaetz was finally able to upgrade Republican House leadership.

Think of it this way. When Trump was first elected, he was forced to work with Republicans who had previously been hostile to him and did not share his worldview. Then, a second wave included converts who, though thoroughly co-opted by Trump, had started off in the establishment lane.

We are now entering into third-wave Trumpism: the elevation of true believers. The rise of the first MAGA speaker.

And if we have learned anything, it is that this is just the beginning. Gaetz has been rewarded, and his theory regarding how to change the GOP and America has been confirmed.

The House GOP Didnt Just Reject Jim Jordan, They Made Him Squirm

In some ways, the fact that McCarthy would be replaced by a more Trumpy alternative was always predictable.

My operating assumption from day one was that a right-wing candidate had an inherent advantage over a more establishment-friendly candidate. This is because moderates and institutionalists are more likely to compromise and cave.

However, the normies stood firm for a whilelike when Jordan was thrice defeated on the House floorand it looked like Gaetzs move might have backfired.

Ultimately, though, you cant win a game of chicken against someone who doesnt care whether the whole clown car goes off the rails.

After weeks of being speaker-less, the Republican normies grew exhausted (notice how Republican members angrily dismissed a reporters question about Johnson trying to help overturn the 2020 election results). They caved, as Gaetz assumed they would.

Aside from the element of exhaustion, Mike Johnson had something else going for him: the fact that he was a largely unknown backbencher and (despite his political positions) temperamentally moderate.

Johnson is not hated (or really even known) the way Gaetz and Jordan are. He also smiles and looks mild-mannered. He seems to get along with his colleagues on a personal level. These traits matter.

As such, MAGA Mike seems less scary than most America First types. Perhaps this will make him a more effective wolf in sheeps clothingor maybe he governs more moderately than Gaetz would like (in which case, his days are also numbered).

It wont take long for us to get a sense of how he will lead. House Republicans will very quickly have to determine whether they will pass a continuing resolution to fund the government next month and whether they will fund aid to support Ukraine and Israel.

The New York Times Mea Culpa on the Gaza Hospital Explosion Is Too Little, Too Late

But even if Speaker Johnson proves more moderate and pragmatic early on, the fact remains that the new Republican leader was an architect of the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. In a sane world, this would disqualify him from becoming second in line to the presidency.

Even assuming Johnson behaves like a nice, normal guy, what happens if the 2024 election is in dispute? Would Speaker of the House Johnson (who is also a constitutional lawyer) use his powers to support Trump again, even if he knew he had lost?

In a radio interview from Nov. 2020, Johnson said, the allegations of these voting machines, some of them being rigged with this software by Dominion, look, there is a lot of merit in that. And when the president says the election was rigged, thats what hes talking about. That the fix was in.

For many of us, election denialism is a scary red line that shouldnt be crossed. For Matt Gaetz, though, its time to uncork the champagne.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  A low-key lawmaker in Congress for less than a decade, new House Speaker Mike Johnson isnt recognizable to most Americans. But the social conservative and devoted ally of former President Donald Trump has been a quiet force within the Republican conference he now unexpectedly leads.

Most importantly, he was able to get all of their 220 votes to become speaker on the House floor. That's something none of his more well-known colleagues were able to do, as Republicans struggled for more than three weeks to pick a replacement for ousted Kevin McCarthy.

Colleagues say the deeply religious Louisiana Republican who calls himself a servant will be a steady hand and give them a fresh start. Many hope they will finally be able to move past the seemingly intractable divisions within their conference that have felled every House GOP leader in the past decade.

A friend to all and an enemy to none, Republican conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik said when nominating Johnson ahead of the speaker vote Wednesday.

Free from the political baggage that can come with a higher profile, the affable Johnson, 51, promises to restore faith in Congress as he assumes the speakership under remarkable circumstances. He's taking charge after three weeks of infighting, other failed candidacies and no action on legislation.

But it remains to be seen how well Johnson will fare at uniting his fractured conference as the House immediately plunges into debates over government spending  or in gaining trust from Democrats who are deeply suspicious of his socially conservative record and support for Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Addressing the House after his election, Johnson repeatedly invoked his Christian faith and talked about his upbringing  his mother was 17 when he was born, he said, and his father was a firefighter who was injured in the line of duty. He promised to quickly move forward on conservative priorities like support for Israel and border security.

The time for action is now, Johnson said. I will not let you down."

A constitutional lawyer and former member of the Louisiana state House, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. House in 2016. He is the first Louisianan to become speaker and the first Southerner to serve as speaker since Republican Newt Gingrich of Georgia in the 1990s.

Among the more conservative members of the GOP conference, Johnson has consistently opposed a womans right to abortion  we will get the number of abortions to ZERO!! he posted on Twitter, now known as X, earlier this year, referencing the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning the nationwide right to an abortion. He also opposed legislation last year that would require states to recognize same sex marriages that were legal where they were performed.

An active member of the House Judiciary Committee, Johnson gained some notice as one of the leading Republican questioners of witnesses during Trumps first impeachment in 2019. He continued to act as one of Trumps chief defenders through the 2020 election, rallying colleagues to sign a letter of support for an unsuccessful case by several states to throw out some election results.

Johnson is close to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who strategized with Trump on how to overturn his presidential defeat and lost his own bid for speaker earlier this week after moderates in the conference revolted.

Trump said Wednesday that Johnson is going to make us all proud.

Former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel during Trumps first impeachment, said Wednesday that during hectic times on the committee, Johnson would calmly try to organize a way forward. He would work with newer members on the panel and use his expertise in constitutional law to advise on the best way to frame questions.

A House speaker can only do so much, Collins said, but they will feel listened to with Mike.

Collins said people who dont know Johnson will be struck by his humility, but dont mistake the humility and kindness for not being forceful in what he believes in.

Most concerning to many Democrats is Johnson's support for Trump two years ago as the former president was trying to illegally overturn his presidential defeat, after every state had certified Trumps loss and several courts had rejected the former president's challenges.

On Nov. 7, 2020, after Biden was declared the winner, Johnson posted that he had called Trump to tell him to Stay strong and keep fighting, sir! And on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress prepared to certify Bidens win and just before Trumps supporters overran the Capitol, Johnson tweeted: We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic! It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.

He later tweeted a condemnation of the rioters who beat police and broke into the Capitol.

When asked about the 2020 election at a news conference after he was nominated for speaker Tuesday night, Johnson declined to answer. And other Republicans who flanked him booed the reporter who asked it. "Shut up! yelled North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx.

Johnson has also been a staunch supporter of Louisianas oil and gas industry. He has received more campaign money from that industry during his seven years in Congress than any other and, like many of his GOP colleagues, has repeatedly downplayed climate change.

In one of his first gestures after his election, Johnson told Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries that he looked forward to working with him.

I know we see things from very different points of view, Johnson said, taking the podium to accept the speakership after Jeffries had spoken. But I know that in your heart you love and care about this country, and you want to do whats right. And so were going to find common ground there, alright?

Across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters he looks forward to sitting down with Johnson and finding a bipartisan way to avoid a shutdown before government funding expires in mid-November.

I hope and look forward to working with him in a bipartisan way, Schumer said. "I hope he will.

Johnson's ability to unite his own side of the aisle was obvious  at least for now. Not one Republican voted against him.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the architect of McCarthys ouster three weeks ago, said Johnson promised the conference Tuesday that the House will pass a series of spending bills, but not before a stopgap measure to fund the government past Nov. 17. That is what Ive been fighting for since January, Gaetz told reporters. It is the reason Kevin McCarthy was vacated.

McCarthy also said he supported Johnson, as did moderates and far-right members across the spectrum.

Florida Rep. Mario Diaz Balart, who was a key opponent of Jordans failed speaker bid, said he supported Johnson because he campaigned honorably, doing it in a way that I think made us all proud and I think that was helpful to unify the entire conference.

Whether that can stick is still unclear.

Nobody hates him yet," joked Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. "Thats his best asset.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri, Jill Colvin and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana  the fourth Republican to be nominated for House speaker since Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted three weeks ago  won the speakership in a party-line vote on Wednesday. The final vote was 220-209.

Johnson, who represents a district in western Louisiana, was first elected to the House in 2016. He is a close ally of former President Donald Trump whose arguments formed the basis of many lawmakers' objections to the Electoral College results after the 2020 election.

What is Johnson's connection to 2020 election challenges?

After the 2020 election, Johnson led an amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to overturn the election results in four swing states won by President Biden.

Rep. Mike Johnson speaks after being elected as Republicans' speaker nominee on Capitol Hill on Oct. 24, 2023. / Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images

The brief claimed that the officials and courts in each of the battleground states unconstitutionally usurped the power granted to state legislators by changing election rules in 2020. The Supreme Court rejected the request, saying it lacked legal standing.

According to The New York Times, about three-quarters of the arguments that lawmakers used to justify overturning the election results relied on arguments from Johnson.

Ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes, Johnson urged lawmakers to follow a "third option," saying the way the states had changed voting rules during the pandemic had been unconstitutional, according to The New York Times.

On Tuesday night, he shut down a question from a reporter about his push to overturn the 2020 election results while his fellow Republicans booed.

What is Johnson's background?

According to Johnson's House biography, he is a constitutional lawyer who served in the Louisiana legislature from 2015 until 2017.

His biography touts his "20 years successfully litigating high profile constitutional law cases in district and appellate courts nationwide and is widely recognized as a leading defender of the right to life, religious liberty, free speech, the Second Amendment and free market principles."

Johnson and his wife, Kelly Johnson, have been married since 1999 and they have four children.

What has Johnson done on Capitol Hill?

While not one of the highest-ranking members of Republican leadership in the House, Johnson currently serves as the vice chair of the Republican conference, having won election from his fellow GOP members.

Johnson also serves as a deputy whip.

He opposes abortion rights and cosponsored a bill this year that sought to declare a constitutional right to life beginning at fertilization.

How did Johnson end up getting the nomination for speaker?

The road to Johnson's nomination among Republicans has been messy. McCarthy was the first speaker in history to be removed by a vote on the House floor, leaving a vacancy in the Republican leadership while the party holds a razor-thin majority.

After McCarthy was removed, the Republican conference held a closed-door, secret ballot vote for a new speaker nominee between Majority Leader Steve Scalise and right-wing Rep. Jim Jordan, which Scalise won. Scalise withdrew his nomination the next day due to a lack of support.

House Republicans then nominated Jordan, although the deep divisions remained within the party. A last-minute challenger to Jordan, Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, received roughly 80 votes, according to members in the meeting, an ominous omen for Jordan's prospects.

Jordan took his nomination to the floor, and went on to lose three floor votes over four days. Republicans dropped him as the nominee, and nine Republicans ultimately jumped in the race to be the next speaker at Tuesday's conference meeting.

After several rounds of closed-door, secret ballot voting, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota prevailed and became House Republicans' next nominee on Tuesday. But within hours, he withdrew his name from consideration after hardline conservatives refused to back him based on his vote to certify the 2020 election and his support of same-sex marriage.

The House Republican conference held another speaker forum Tuesday night and several more rounds of voting, with Johnson prevailing.

Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.

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Since Kevin McCarthy took the gavel in January, the deeply divided House GOP has existed in a state of cognitive dissonance.

Republican leadership assured members they would only fund the government through conservative spending bills, and that a Democratic Senate and President Joe Biden would bend to the GOPs willor Republicans would use a government shutdown to bend them to their will.

Republican leadership said the party would pass more Ukraine aid, an idea supported by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, while conservative votersand the House lawmakers who represent themfiercely turned on the notion of another cent for Kyiv.

McCarthy said he could navigate these issues and stay in power, even though he ceded power through House rule changes that would allow just one member to force a vote on ousting the speaker.

And now, Republican leaders are telling members that, if they just keep trying, if they just keep nominatingeven as McCarthy may be poisoning the well against anyone but himselfthe House GOP will break the speaker logjam and choose its new leader.

Miraculously, by sheer exhaustion, they may have just done that.

Republicans Boo Reporter for Probing New Speaker Candidate on 2020

Late Tuesday night, Republicans nominated Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be their fourth speaker nominee. The election came not even 10 hours after Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) had become the third speaker nominee, and not even six hours after Emmer was forced to drop out.

But Republicans are holding out hope that Johnsona baritone conservative who traveled in Freedom Caucus circles before becoming the Republican Study Committee chairmanwill succeed where everyone else has failed. And the immediate indications were that Johnson is poised to do just that.

Normally, Johnsons chances of securing the votes on the floor would look shaky at best. While Johnson received 128 votes of the 224-member GOP conference Tuesday night, 43 Republicans wrote in McCarthy and another 29 voted for conservative Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on the final ballot.

On Tuesday evening, McCarthy and his allies began floating an idea that McCarthy take back the speakership, while Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)the partys second speaker nominee to fail, after the first nominee, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), realized he didnt have the voteswould take on an assistant speaker role.

But Republicans dont seem ready to reimagine leadership. Instead, they appear ready to throw Johnson into the speakership and let him figure out how to solve all the problems and disappointments that bedeviled McCarthyon top of dealing with a party that has been bruised and fractured by the last three weeks.

Essentially, Republicans are embracing the cognitive dissonance for just a while longer.

Reporter: You help lead the effort to overturn the 2020 election results, do you



Republicans: *boo* shut up pic.twitter.com/L7R5fwhpIi  Acyn (@Acyn) October 25, 2023

When Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) was asked whether he knew where Johnson stood on Ukraine aid or preventing a government shutdownissues that Bacon has been passionate about, and which may have led him to help sink Jordans speakership bidBacon indicated he might be holding Johnson to a different set of standards.

Obviously I oppose shutdowns and I want to support Ukraine aid, Bacon said. But he added that he believes in the premise that you get behind the majority.

To his advantage, he doesnt have a lot of baggage, Bacon, one of the more moderate Republicans in the conference, said of Johnson. Hes a nice, decent person. Hes a man of convictions but he treats people very respectfully.

Meet the Double Agent Who Now Controls House Conservatives

One of the most right-wing members in the conference, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)the initial instigator who pushed McCarthy outwas also almost giddy with the pick.

Ive been sitting next to Mike Johnson for seven years on the House Judiciary Committee. I see how thoughtful he is, how skilled he is as an attorney, Gaetz said. As chairman of the Republican Study Committee, he showed real effort on fiscal reforms, put downward pressure on spending.

Gaetz continued that the Mike Johnson campaign plan for House speaker really aligns with my perspective that we should have single subject spending bills. He got at that microphone and promised us that we are going to move our appropriations bills, and that gives us a lot of hope.

And even the most wildcard Republicans, the ones who seem simply to revel in the attention of holding up legislative business, look to be supportive of Johnson.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) told reporters Tuesday night that she was 100 percent behind Johnson.

He is an honest man, a truthful man, a trustworthy man, and will be a great leader for the conference, she said.

Johnson is moving at breakneck speed to solidify his speakership. He appears to have enough support to muscle through his bid without answering any of the questions GOP speaker nominees before him were subject to. (At a brief press conference after he won the nomination late Tuesday night, Johnson said he would only take a few questions because were all pretty weary.)

President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress. Indeed, "this is the big one!" https://t.co/eV1aoNlpvq  Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) December 9, 2020

When a reporter asked Johnson if he stood by his efforts to overturn the 2020 electionJohnson not only voted against certifying the electoral college hours after a bloody insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, but he was also the lead author of an amicus brief for a Texas lawsuit to overturn the electionhe passed on answering.

Next question, he said, as Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) told the reporter to Shut up!

Pressed on Ukraine fundingone of the issues that helped undo McCarthys speakershipJohnson once again took a pass.

Were not doing any policy tonight, Johnson said, as members flanking him booed the question and, in Foxxs case, told the reporter to Go away!

Just last week, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) insisted he wouldnt vote for Jordan because the Judiciary Chairman wouldnt acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election fair and square. Theres nothing to indicate that Johnson would make that admission or express regret over his intense efforts to overrule voters.

Was Kevin McCarthy Actually Undone by Personal Grudges?

Yet Buck appears onboard. He told CNN late Tuesday that Johnson would likely win the speakership on Wednesday and didnt signal any of his own opposition.

The key to Johnsons success? Republicans are just tired.

GOP members emerging from their late Tuesday closed-door electiontheir second of the dayemphasized just how exhausting the process has been.

Asked what set Johnson apart from McCarthy, Emmer, and Jordan, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said it was possible theres just an amount of exhaustion setting in.

Or, I think, a recognition that this cant go on forever, he continued.

Indeed, Republicans finally seem to admit they have to find a way out of the circle of failed speaker candidates.

After Johnson was elected speaker, Republicans held a roll call vote to determine who may oppose Johnson on the floor. While 19 Republicans were absent from the vote, only three members indicated they werent ready to support Johnson on Wednesday.

One of those holdouts, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), has been vocal that he doesnt think Johnson can get the votes.

Hes uniquely positioned to lose 30 votes on either side of the conference, Massie said before the election Tuesday night.

But that looks more like projection than an accurate predictionat least at this moment.

Johnson plans to go to the House floor Wednesday at noon, before GOP opposition can really crystallize against him. And absent a sudden change of heart, Johnson appears to be the unlikely Republican to break the House GOP from its string of failed speaker candidates.

Kevin McCarthy Signals Hes Open to Returning to Speakership

Ironically, McCarthys last-minute bid to potentially reinstall himself as a speakerwith Jordan getting a new position in leadership toomay have actually provided the impetus for some of the GOPs most cantankerous members to fall in line.

Mace told reporters Tuesday night that she firmly believed McCarthy was behind the effort to get Republicans to write his name in on the latest round of ballots.

It was definitely organized, Mace said. Theres no way that it wasnt.

She went on to say McCarthy was having a meltdown because his handpicked successors had all failed and the conference was finally selecting someone outside of his circle of influence.

I mean, come on, Mace said.

The combination of exhaustion and anger seems to finally be enough to get someone over the line.

The problem for Johnson, however, is that he hasnt reckoned with any of the underlying issues that undid McCarthy. Hes promising to do appropriations bills one issue at a time, and hes continuing the charade that the Democratic Senate and Democratic president will buckle under the House GOPs slender pressure.

While Scalise, Emmer, and Jordan were grilled over how they would approach stopgap resolutions to fund the government to avoid a shutdown, or over how they would approach aid to Ukraine and Israel, members werent clear on how Johnson addressed those questions privatelyor if he even addressed them at all.

For some on the right flank, any leadership member who was anywhere near McCarthys deals to extend the debt limit, or his move to push a stopgap spending bill to avoid a shutdown in September, was suspect. That included Scalise and Emmer, the conferences No. 2 and No. 3 under McCarthy. (Johnson voted for the debt limit increase, but against the September stopgap funding bill.)

But when he was pressed at a private candidate forum, even Jordan admitted that he would have to enact another continuing resolution to avoid a looming Nov. 17 shutdown.

The irony that Jordan would likely have been given a pass by the right flank for doing what McCarthy had just done exposes a deeper driving factor behind the House GOPs dysfunction.

It appears Johnsonwho is well-liked and respected above all elsemight get some of that grace. At least, for now.

He has credibility in spades, said Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). Now, this job has a way of making that go away in a hurry. But he has a better chance than most of making it happen.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delivers remarks on the Capitol steps after his election in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  When Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana wanted to make the case against abortion rights last year during a Capitol Hill committee hearing, he grilled a witness in graphic fashion.

Do you support the right of a woman who is just seconds away from birthing a healthy child to have an abortion? he asked at a Judiciary Committee hearing.

When the witness, Dr. Yashica Robinson, a board member for Physicians for Reproductive Health, responded that such a situation had never occurred, Johnson only doubled down.

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Never happened in your practice, maam, Johnson fired back. But it happens. How about if a child is halfway out of the birth canal? Is an abortion permissible then?

The exchange reflected the lawmakers deeply conservative views, particularly on social issues, and his tendency to express them in inflammatory ways.

Johnson, the evangelical Christian who won the speakership Wednesday with the unanimous support of House Republicans, has also spoken out sharply against homosexuality, calling it inherently unnatural and a dangerous lifestyle and linking it to bestiality, according to opinion essays unearthed Wednesday by CNN.

Experts project that homosexual marriage is the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic, he wrote in one such article in 2004.

The views are sharply at odds with those of most Americans, according to opinion polls that have found the public is broadly supportive of gay rights. Johnsons abrupt rise to the speaker post this week in the depressed and divided House Republican conference underscores the rightward lurch of the GOP, which dumped his more mainstream predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.

If you dont think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then youre not paying attention, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who engineered McCarthys downfall, said in an interview on Steve Bannons War Room podcast.

Elected to Congress in 2016, Johnson, a lawyer and former chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee, has never led a powerful committee in Congress or served in the top tier of House leadership. Democrats immediately pounced on the pivotal role he played in congressional efforts to overturn the 2020 election. (As a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump, he has continued to use a podcast he hosts with his wife, a licensed pastoral counselor, to rail against the prosecution of Trump for his efforts to interfere in the 2020 election.)

But even more than his election denialism, Johnsons political career has been defined by his religious views.

I dont believe there are any coincidences, he said Wednesday in his first speech on the House floor as speaker, adding: I believe that God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific moment in this time. This is my belief.

He added that his wife spent the last couple weeks on her knees in prayer to the Lord, and shes a little worn out.

Johnson, the son of a firefighter and the first in his family to graduate from college, was 12 when his father was burned and disabled in the line of duty.

All I ever wanted to be when I grew up was the chief of the fire department in Shreveport, Johnson said Wednesday. But the explosion that harmed his father, he said, changed all of our trajectories.

In Congress, Johnson has voted for a national abortion ban and co-sponsored a 20-week abortion ban, earning him an A-plus rating from the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. After the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in June last year, he celebrated.

He said that millions of unborn children had lost their lives because of what he called a legal fiction that the Supreme Court foisted upon this country and said that God will bless us for the courts decision.

Last year, Johnson introduced a bill that prohibited the use of federal funds for providing education to children younger than 10 that included LGBTQ+ topics  a proposal that critics called a national version of Floridas Dont Say Gay law. Johnson called the legislation common sense.

He also opposed legislation to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages  a bill that passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.

In the years before he was elected to Congress in 2017, Johnson worked as an attorney and spokesperson for the anti-abortion-rights and anti-gay group Alliance Defense Fund  now called the Alliance Defending Freedom. During that time, he expressed some of his hard-line views in editorials in the local newspaper in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.

Writing in 2004 in support of a state amendment banning same-sex marriage, he asserted that without it, There will be no legal basis to deny a bisexual the right to marry a partner of each sex, or a person to marry his pet.

Johnson was only able to emerge as his partys nominee for speaker this week after three other GOP nominees before him were unable to rally enough support. It was unlikely to have happened in any other scenario.

Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican and the first to be nominated for speaker following McCarthys ouster, was ultimately seen as insufficiently pro-Trump by too many of his colleagues.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a founder of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and someone Johnson has described as a mentor, was the next member to be elected speaker designate in a secret ballot. He had Trump and the far right in his corner, but ultimately failed to win over more centrist members of his party who steadfastly refused to support him.

Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the majority whip and the third candidate for the speakership, had the biggest problems of any of the speaker-designates that preceded him: the hard-right wing of the party rose up to oppose him and Trump branded him a globalist RINO.

Johnsons quick ascent came when members of the conference were worn down and ready to accept someone whom they did not view as an obvious choice or the partys natural leader in waiting. Instead, he cleared a lowered bar: They view him as someone sufficiently conservative and who they do not personally despise.

Johnsons hallmark in Congress has been combining his hard-line views with a gentle personal style. That was on display Wednesday, when he vowed to try to find common ground with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader.

I know we see things from different points of view, but I know in your heart you want to do whats right, so well find common ground there, he said.

To show support for racial equality, Johnson in the past has told audiences that he and his wife adopted a Black teenager they met through an evangelical youth group  like the movie The Blind Side but without the NFL prospects, he has quipped.

He once shared the story with a mostly Democratic audience at a congressional hearing on slavery reparations, and he was surprised to hear boos as he spoke, he later recounted to the Council for National Policy, an assembly of conservative donors known for its strict secrecy.

I had my feelings surgically removed back in the 80s, he joked, according to a recording of the event, and then suggested the hearing had been packed with Black Panthers who disapproved of the mixing of races. (The Black Panther Party dissolved decades ago.)

On Wednesday, Johnson was toiling to help Republicans turn the page from the chaos of the past few weeks. He said there would be none of the typical celebrations that accompany the election of a new speaker.

Instead, he moved quickly to bring up a resolution expressing solidarity and support for Israel. His next order of business, he said, would be addressing what he called the countrys broken border with Mexico. He made no mention of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, or of the impending government shutdown that will begin next month if Congress fails to pass legislation to keep the government funded.

These last few weeks probably look like total chaos, confusion, no end in sight, Emmer, who tried and failed to become speaker, said Wednesday. But from my perspective, this is one of the greatest experiences of the recent history of our republic.

Steve Eder contributed reporting.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
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In the end, the longest House leadership conflict of modern times ended the way wars sometimes do, with both sides losing the stomach to keep fighting.

Congressman Mike Johnson was elected the 56th speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday with cheers, standing ovations and smiles from his Republican colleagues that belied the seething tensions that had divided the party for the past three weeks.

The mild-mannered, bespectacled Louisianan prevailed where the three previous Speaker-designees did not as much for what he wasn't, as what he was.

He wasn't part of the existing Republican House leadership, whose top three officeholders - Kevin McCarthy , Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer - had been rejected by hardline conservatives over the past three weeks.

He wasn't an ideological bomb-thrower like Jim Jordan, who was beloved by Donald Trump and the party's populist right but resented by centrists and institutionalists whose legislative work frequently had been derailed by the Ohioan's political brinkmanship.

Instead, Mr Johnson, the former chair of the House's arch-conservative Republican Study Committee, was trusted by the party's right-wing without the baggage that made enemies elsewhere.

He has taken controversial positions - supporting a nationwide abortion ban, backing Mr Trump's efforts to reverse the 2020 election results and fighting against gay marriage rights - but has done so quietly and, for the most part, outside the view of television cameras.

Mike Johnson's name in shiny new gold lettering above the Speaker's door

And his lack of ambition from the outset, by not entering his name as a Speaker candidate until the third contest, may have made him the perfect vessel for Republicans wishing to move past weeks of political trauma and given him the ability to win votes without making specific concessions or commitments.

If any Republican did have issue with Mr Johnson, they showed no interest in raising them.

Congressman Ken Buck, for instance, had strenuously objected to Mr Scalise and Mr Jordan for their refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden's presidential victory.

He voted for Johnson - an architect of Mr Trump's multi-state legal challenge to the 2020 election - on Wednesday without objection.

Nancy Mace, the South Carolina wildcard who helped sink Mr McCarthy, lavished Mr Johnson with praise.

"I'm clearly not going to agree with him on every issue," she told reporters at the Capitol. "I just want someone who's going to be honest and tell the truth."

To succeed as Speaker, Mr Johnson is going to have to do more than that, however.

Once the cheering and applause die down, the new Speaker will have a busy legislative agenda to address with little time to do it.

The Biden administration and its allies in the Senate are pressing for a multi-billion dollar military aid bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.

And a temporary funding measure is set to expire on 17 November, triggering a government shutdown unless Congress takes action.

Florida Republican Matt Gaetz (pictured) ousted the last Speaker Kevin McCarthy

In a letter to his Republican colleagues as part of his speakership bid, Mr Johnson said another temporary funding bill may be necessary to buy Congress more time to pass its annual appropriations.

He also acknowledged the need to negotiate - "from a position of strength" - with Democrats in the Senate and the Biden White House.

It is during negotiations with Democrats that Mr Johnson's speakership will be put to the test.

Mr McCarthy's fate was sealed when his party's right flank felt he caved to Democrats in a May deal to raise the cap on new US national debt and when he temporarily avoided an October government shutdown without winning any new concessions.

Mr Johnson may have more latitude with his party's right-wingers given his established ties to them, but at some point the strategic and ideological divisions within the party will again be tested.

Mr Johnson will have to decide when to stop pushing and accept an agreement with the Democrats who share control of the levels of power in Washington.

Can he sell whatever agreement he reaches to the rest of his party?

And will Republicans change the rules that allowed just a handful of them to join with Democrats to sink Mr McCarthy?

Can the norms that House Republicans had previously abided by - that they support the party in procedural votes and rally behind the leadership selected by a majority of their ranks - be restored?

A stoplight is seen in front of the dome of the US Capitol

Can the Republicans in the House demonstrate that they have the capacity to govern?

Those questions have not been resolved by Mr Johnson's election, no matter how many times Republican stood on Wednesday with feel-good applause for the various combatants in the fight over the past few weeks.

Mr Johnson in his letter seemed to acknowledge the work ahead for Republicans.

"Governing well will ensure that we meet the unprecedented challenges of today and expand our majority next year," he wrote.

When they head to the voting booths a year from now, Americans - who have only casually been following this three-week Washington drama - may have long forgotten the details of this speakership battle.

But if Republicans can't sort through their internal conflicts, and those differences continue to resurface and cause disruptions and acrimony, the American public will take notice.
Chinese FM's calls with Israel, Palestine officials mark China's consistent, fair stance

09:41, October 25, 2023 By GT staff reporters ( Global Times

Wang Yi

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had phone calls with foreign ministers of both Israel and Palestine, during which Wang called for preventing the conflict from further escalation and guaranteeing the basic living conditions of the people in Gaza. Experts said the move is more evidence that China's stance toward the conflict has remained consistent and clear, and that it opposes violence, attacks on civilians of any country and encourages peaceful negotiation.

Following Wang's calls on Monday, foreign media began another round of hyping his mention of Israel's right to self-defense, which experts said signals Western countries' intention to draw China deeper into the conflict, as they are envious Beijing's unbiased stance is well received in the Middle East. In contrast with China's impartiality, the US is fanning the flames and laying bare the double standards in regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The current Israel-Palestine conflict affects the whole world and involves a major choice between war and peace, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said in a phone conversation with Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Monday.

China is deeply concerned about the continued escalation of the conflict and the worsening situation and is deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict, Wang said. China condemns all acts that harm civilians and opposes any violation of international law, Wang said.

All countries have the right to self-defense, but they should respect international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians, he added.

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen introduced Israel's position and security concerns on the Israel-Palestine conflict when he spoke with Wang.

In a separate phone call with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki the same day, Wang said what the people of Gaza need most is security, food and medicine, rather than war, weapons and ammunition. China strongly condemns and opposes all acts that harm civilians and violate the international law, and calls for an immediate cease-fire to stop the war and guarantee the most basic living conditions of the people in Gaza, said Wang.

Jumping on the phone call with Israel's foreign minister, many foreign media, including India's NDTV, began yet another round of hype saying Wang's mention of Israel's right to self-defense marked a shift in China's stance on the conflict.

Zhu Weilie, director of the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, denied such speculation. He told the Global Times that China's stance toward the conflict remains consistent and clear, that is it opposes any form of attacks on civilians, as well as unilateral attacks on other countries.

When asked if Wang's remarks can be interpreted as Israel has the right to defend the country from Hamas' attack, Mao Ning, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a Tuesday briefing that the foreign minister has made it very clear that although all countries have the right to self-defense, they should respect international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians.

Mao said that China does not pursue any selfish interests on the Palestinian issue and sincerely hopes that the issue can be comprehensively and fairly resolved on the basis of the two-state solution, so that the legitimate security concerns of all parties can be truly and thoroughly addressed.

In contrast with China's effort to calm down the white-hot crisis, the US, which has the most power to curb Israel's revenge, is fanning the flames by doubling down on its military presence in the Middle East.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television last week, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns called on the Chinese government to denounce Hamas, citing Beijing's stance toward the group as yet another challenge in fraught ties between China and the US.

It is the old US tactic of wanting to draw China deeper into the current crisis, partly out of Washington's jealousy over how China's just stance over the Israel-Palestine conflict is well received in the Middle East, at a time when its own Middle East policy has been proved a failure repeatedly and it has become a "persona non grata" in this region, Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

"Can the US elaborate on what practical result will be achieved by condemning Hamas? And why is it holding China responsible for the conflict that is partly a result of Western colonization and the US' long-term biased Middle East policy?" asked Ding.

Chinese experts said that the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict is also causing a headache for the US and the other Western countries as it lays bare their double standards on civilian casualties.

Protests against Israel and calls for the US to rein in Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip have created mounting pressure on the Biden administration. The New York Times cited senior officials from the US as saying on Monday that the Biden administration is concerned that Israel lacks achievable military objectives in Gaza, and that the Israel Defense Forces are not yet ready to launch a ground invasion with a plan that can work.

The mounting public opinion is that the US reaps what one has sown, as its double standards have not only been laid bare among the whole world, it is poisoning the already fragmented US society, Ding said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Charles Michel , President of the European Council, in his letter of invitation to the EU leaders, has written that ways to accelerate the provision of military support to Ukraine, the use of frozen assets of Russia, and the strengthening of the EU's diplomatic work to ensure a just peace are to be discussed at the summit in Brussels, which will be held on 26-27 October.

Source: European Pravda, citing Charles Michel's invitation letter

Quote: "Our meeting comes at a time of great global instability and insecurity, exacerbated most recently by developments in the Middle East. These developments require our immediate attention, without distracting us from our continued support to Ukraine."

Details: He emphasised that "we will continue our unwavering support [of Ukraine] for as long as it takes".

"Among the various facets of our assistance, I would like us to address in particular ways to accelerate the delivery of military support, progress in our plans on the use of Russias immobilised assets, and intensify our diplomatic outreach to ensure the widest international support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," Michel said.

Background:

On 24 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged EU member states to employ Belgium's experience of the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.

Belgium created a special fund to support Ukraine for EUR 1.7 billion, filled from taxation of Russian assets frozen in the country.

Meanwhile, the European Union still cannot find a solution regarding the allocation of a tranche of EUR 500 million from the fund that supports countries that help Ukraine with weapons because of Hungarys blockade.

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A historic map showing 18th century road development in Pennsylvania had fallen into a black hole at the old State Archives building next to the Capitol.

For 35 years, it was missing. If it wasnt for the move to the new archives building a few blocks north of the Capitol Complex, the protective folder that held the centuries-old map might never have been found.

But in emptying the shelves and drawers in the 20-story windowless tower that for over half a century housed reams of Pennsylvanias irreplaceable government records, the map that shows a horse-and-wagon road network from the 1740s was discovered in the base of a cabinet.

Nobody knew where that thing was and we finally have it, said state archives director David Carmichael. We know where it is now.

That map is one of 1 billion paper records, along with millions more digital government records that must be kept in perpetuity, that had been stored for more than 50 years in the crowded tower that had run out of room and offered less-than-prime environmental conditions for permanent storage of historic documents.

Now, they sit in a well-secured, climate-controlled building located at 1681 North Sixth Street, an address number that matches the states birth year, with miles of empty shelf space.

The four-story, 150,000-square-foot building, costing $69 million to construct, was more than a decade in the planning and took a little longer than expected to construct because of pandemic-related supply chain issues.

But now with the building finished and relocation of the records that amount to the equivalent of moving a three-story house 78 times over, the State Archives will reopen next month.

As for the old archives building, it is being repurposed as a storage facility for the adjacent State Museum of Pennsylvania, said Howard Pollman, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

We do have a need in the museum to relieve the congestion we have in some of our collection areas, he said. So the old archives will be used for that.

Getting to this point

Originally, the new archives was going to be built at a location in Susquehanna Township but former Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse fought successfully to keep it within the capital citys boundaries and arranged for the citys archives to be housed at the new facility too.

Once the land was acquired, construction on the building began in May 2020, just after the pandemic hit which caused some further delays.

It was a challenge to build during a pandemic, Carmichael said. There were supply chain issues, but they werent as bad as they could have been but they did create issues for us.

For example, he said the arrival of the 12 boxcar sized units that help control the airflow, temperature and humidity in the six storage areas were delayed. Because those units had to be put in place with a crane, he said completing the outer walls on the building got pushed back.

Supply chain issues also has left the archives staff waiting for display cases for an otherwise finished exhibit room and some doors, he said.

That has been a bit frustrating, he said. I want the building to be 100% finished and it ls like 98%. Thats not good enough.

The archives staff is using this time before the opening to get trained in using new equipment and accustomed to new ways of doing things. For example, the archives will allow people to pre-order records, something they couldnt do before. This way, the records will be pulled and ready to view at the time of a prearranged visit.

Theres just a lot of little logistical things that were also using this opportunity to rethink how we do things, Carmichael said. We need to work through all those things so that people have a good experience when they come.

The new state attic

At its new location, the archives presents a far more welcoming environment. It even offers free parking on the property although it is restricted to its visitors who will need a code to be able to exit the gated lot.

With trees and a grassy area leading to its entry doors, the modern looking facade is a far cry from the intimidating tower and hard-to-find entrance at the old archives.

We consciously built a building that is the exact opposite of that and I think we succeeded, Carmichael said.

The state-of-the-art building features big windows with solar shields to provide some shade from the afternoon sun, two large research rooms, a web-conferencing capable classroom, and locker and an eating area accommodations for those who plan to spend the day doing research.

Upon entering, visitors will check in at a registration desk that sits in front of large abstraction of the signature section of the states 1776 constitution that offers a glancing preview of the historic documents stored on its three upper floors.

To the right is the digital gateway featuring two large touch screens that the public could spend hours perusing through the maps, video clips, timelines and other historically significant information.

To the left is the self-service area where visitors can find half-filled shelves of books about county histories and railroads as well as tables dotted with computers available to access the archives collection of 21 million digitized records such as birth and death certificates and military records.

The computers also provide free access to Ancestry.com for folks researching their family history through a data-sharing arrangement with the Ancestry, Carmichael said.

Nothing in the archives collection leaves the building but it is possible to access original records in a secure and restricted area under staff supervision.

The parts of the building the public wont get to see are the upper floors where offices for its 36 staff members are found, along with six storage rooms kept at anywhere from 20 to 60 degrees, depending on the type of record stored there, and at 35% relative humidity. The rooms combined contain 34 miles of shelving that hold 88,560 boxes containing about 250 million documents.

As designed, Carmichael said the collection fills only half of the storage areas with the hope the building will be able to house the commonwealths growing collection of government records for a century or more since many of the documents now are digitized.

The archives most treasured artifact  the 342-year-old Penn Charter  was the last item to be moved from the old archive, arriving with police escort to its new resting place. It is now safely tucked away in a highly-secured room enclosed in a cabinet because of its fragile condition. Traditionally, the Charter is brought out once a year on March 12, Charter Day, for the public to view.

A feature that may get overlooked in the building is the ceiling in the self-service area that features a replica section of the Penn Charters elaborate border.

At its old location, Carmichael said the archives had about 2,000 visitors each year with anywhere from 4 million to 6 million people accessing its records online.

He expects the new building will draw more in-person visits with its more easily accessible location and possible plans to open the facility to college classes, career days for high school students and community events.

We want the public to come. This is their archives, Carmichael said. And we want them to come and see exhibits, see records, research their own family history.
Ukraine is already producing thousands of drones per month, but this will soon increase to tens of thousands per month, said Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin on Oct. 25.

Kamyshin was in Stockholm, Sweden, for the NATO Industrial Forum.

All of Ukraine's defense production capacities have greatly increased, Kamyshin added, including the production of shells, but it is still short of what is required.

In particular, the domestic drone industry has rapidly expanded. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Oct. 7 that more than 200 Ukrainian companies have begun developing drones, fueling a massive increase in production as well as technical innovation.

Ukraine's "Army of Drones" is a joint initiative of the Digital Transformation Ministry and the governmental UNITED24 fundraising platform. It was launched in July 2022, with Star Wars actor Mark Hamill as the initiative's ambassador.

In addition to procuring drones, the initiative is tasked with repairing drones and training soldiers on how to operate them.

Ukrainian drone units supported by the Army of Drones initiative destroyed or damaged 69 towed artillery pieces and 17 self-propelled howitzers from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, constituting a new record.

Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Minnesota doctor Connor Bowman was arrested for poisoning his wife, who died suddenly after being admitted to the hospital in August.

Bowmans wife Betty, 32, died four days after she was admitted to the hospital and her death was flagged as suspicious, NBC News reported.

Investigators from the Rochester Police Department shared Monday that they had collected evidence that suggests Connor, who once worked for poison control, may have given Betty a drug for an ailment she did not have.

Authorities also uncovered that the Bowmans were having financial and marital difficulties in the lead up to the death, and that the 30-year-old doc claimed he would get a large life insurance payout after her passing.

The couple was talking about a divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship, the criminal complaint stated.

Betty first entered the hospital in mid-August with symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration. She later suffered from cardiac issues, organ failure, and even had to undergo surgery to remove part of her colon, according to the complaint.

Connor Bowman requested to have her body cremated after her death, but the process was halted when the medical examiners office determined her death was suspicious.

The Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiners Office alerted police later that month, and although the female suspect was not named in the complaint, police later identified her as Betty Bowman.
So-called "torture pits" were dug at Russian military training grounds to punish troops, a report said.

A former soldier told Important Stories and the Conflict Intelligence Team that misbehaving troops were put in pits for up to a week.

"People who came back from there didn't mess around anymore," the ex-soldier said, according to the report.

So-called "torture pits" in the ground allegedly exist at two Russian military training grounds to punish rule-breaking troops, according to a report by independent Russian news outlet Important Stories and the Conflict Intelligence Team, an open-source investigative group.

The investigative report, published on Tuesday, cites ex-trainees at the Prudboy military training camp in the Volgograd Oblast and the Totsky military training ground in the Orenburg Oblast.

The Russian government did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the report on Wednesday.

A deserted soldier who trained at Prudboy this year and was identified in the report by the pseudonym "Sergei" told IStories and CIT that he knew of several misbehaving soldiers  mostly those who were in trouble for drinking alcohol  who were put in the pits.

They were beaten by military police, kept in the pits for up to a week, and had food brought to them only once a day, Sergei said, who noted that he saw two pits at Prudboy, according to the report.

"People who came back from there didn't mess around anymore, they were afraid of everything," said Sergei, according to the report.

The report added that satellite imagery, which it published, confirmed the existence of the alleged pits. The images show two dark holes in the earth not far from the training grounds that were dug between April and August 2023.

The former soldier told IStories and CIT that one recruit died at the training ground after he was put in a pit. IStories and CIT said it could not independently verify this incident.

Sergei arrived at the training ground in June and when he got there he said, "I saw what a mess was going on around me: classes were held for show, phones were seized, and those who were outraged were put in the 'pits' together with alcoholics and junkies, and I decided to run away."

The report said that Sergei not only left the Prudboy training ground, but also the country. He says he tried multiple times to quit, but that commanders threatened violence and threatened to put him in a pit without food or water.

Another former soldier by the pseudonym Viktor who was at the Totsky military training ground this year said that the "most rowdy" troops were threatened to be "sent in the pit" there, but that he never saw the alleged holes.

British intelligence said in May of this year that Russian military commanders were disciplining soldiers by imprisoning them in holes in the ground covered by metal grilles.

Those pits, called "zindans," were being used to detain soldiers for misdemeanors, including drunkenness and attempting to terminate their contracts, the UK's Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update at the time.

Read the original article on Business Insider
After South Korea's ruling People Power Party suffered a landslide loss in a key by-election in October, posts surfaced online alleging votes cast by more than 250,000 people were declared "invalid". But official poll records show this figure closely resembles the number of abstentions -- eligible people who did not vote on election day. Only around 1,100 votes were declared invalid, South Korea's election body told AFP.

"It looks like the by-election was fraudulent. How does it make any sense that 250,000 people went to the polling station and cast invalid ballots?" reads a Korean-language post on Facebook from October 20, 2023.

"I have never seen an election with so many invalid votes. How can this be a normal election?" it adds.

The post was uploaded days after People Power candidate Kim Tae-woo was defeated in a by-election for district chief in Seoul's western Gangseo District on October 11 (archived link).

Jin Kyo-hoon of the main opposition Democratic Party clinched victory with 56.5 percent of the vote.

The poll was widely considered a bellwether for a coming general election in South Korea as well as a de facto referendum on the presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol (archived link).

A screenshot of the claim shared on Facebook, captured October 24, 2023

Similar false or misleading posts insinuating election fraud have been shared elsewhere on Facebook here, here and here. Some posts suggested many of the 250,000 ballots allegedly deemed invalid were People Power votes.

But this 250,000 figure actually closely corresponds to the number of abstentions, and official documents show a much lower number of invalid votes.

Official results

AFP found the official results of the by-election posted on the website of the National Election Commission (NEC). They are shown in the screenshot below (archived link):

The results of the October 11 by-election in Gangseo District, as seen on the NEC's website. Korean text translated by AFP.

Of 500,603 registered voters in Gangseo District, 243,664 turned out to vote, leaving 256,939 recorded as the number of abstentions.

The results table shows that only 1,156 ballots were declared invalid. This was confirmed by AFP with the election commission.

Abstentions are defined as people who did not show up to vote. Invalid ballots meanwhile are votes cast but not counted in the result, which could be for various reasons, including because a voter chooses more than one candidate on the same slip, or because the paper is left blank, a spokeswoman for the NEC told AFP.

Ballots cannot be declared invalid if they were never cast, according to South Korea's Public Official Election Act (archived link).

'Completely false'

The NEC spokeswoman dismissed any suggestion of fraud.

The claim that there were more than 250,000 votes declared invalid is "completely false", she said.

She sought to clear up any confusion about the definition of abstentions.

"The abstained votes tallied in the results refer to the difference between the total number of eligible voters in the district and the number of voters who turned out -- in other words, this is the number of people who didn't vote at all," the spokeswoman told AFP on October 16.

October 25, 2023 This article was amended to remove an incorrect calculation of the percentage of actual invalid votes in the by-election.
A missile apparently targeted at a weapons dump of the Russian Black Sea Fleet reportedly landed a mere 500 meters away

A Russian Black Sea Fleet weapons dump in Sakharna Holovka, occupied Crimea, was nearly hit after a missile fell 500 meters away, the Astra Telegram channel reported on Oct. 25.

The Oct. 24 strike set fire to the forest but did not damage the Russian 63876 military unit located nearby, it said.

Read also: Historical achievement in Black Sea, Kolomoisky stays in custody, Hungary blocks aid again

Two explosions were heard in the Sevastopol area late on Oct. 24. The occupiers traditionally announced "routine activities in the Black Sea", while local residents reported shattered windows from the shock wave in some areas of the city.

This is at least the second known missile attack on the depot in Sakharna Holovka, which was previously targeted on Oct. 18.

Read also: NATO ships begin minesweeping in Black Sea waters  report

More than 350 police officers were evacuated from various interior ministry buildings in Sevastopol after the reported attack yesterday.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
James Brown died in 2006, but he has yet to rest in peace. His children and advisors spent years fighting over his colossal fortune. A daughter claimed his crypt was empty. A court ruled that his fourth wife was not really his wife.

And more than a dozen people who knew the Godfather of Soul have called for an autopsy or criminal investigation of his death.

The story keeps getting stranger. In recent weeks, the Fulton County District Attorneys Office in Atlanta said it found potential evidence related to Brown that had somehow been missing for more than a year.

And a lawyer for the woman who turned in the evidence says hes asked the FBI to look into the matter.

The controversy with the DAs office began in 2020, when a former associate of Brown named Jacque Hollander submitted a green plastic bin full of potential evidence  including a black stiletto shoe and a handwritten note  and said it could help prove that Brown had been murdered.

Paul Howard, then the district attorney, said his investigators would speak with half a dozen potential witnesses named by Hollander and decide what to do from there. But in internal case documents obtained by CNN via the Georgia Open Records Act, there is no indication those interviews ever happened.

Howard lost an election later that year to challenger Fani Willis, who closed the Brown inquiry in 2021 without taking action. When Hollander asked the DAs office to return the green plastic bin and the items therein, she got a mysterious response.

We have shipped the items requested, assistant chief of evidence William Chris Clark wrote to her.

But instead of the green plastic bin, officials sent her a cardboard box that contained mostly old newspaper clippings  as well as two old mobile phones that she did not remember seeing before. Despite repeated inquiries from both Hollander and CNN, no one would explain what had happened to the green bin and the potential evidence.

Early this year, Hollander sued the DAs office, seeking answers about the missing items. When the DA failed to respond to the lawsuit, Hollander filed a motion for default judgment. In May, attorneys finally responded to that motion, blaming excusable neglect.

The motion and the lawsuit are still pending  Hollanders attorney says the DAs office has yet to turn over all the documents hes seeking under the Georgia Open Records Act  but in September, the DAs office finally shipped the green plastic bin and the items in evidence bags back to Hollanders attorney.

No one explained where the items had been for the previous 18 months, or how they were found. A spokesman for the DA has not returned numerous inquiries for multiple stories regarding James Brown dating back more than two years.

A CNN reporter listened via speakerphone on the day Hollander and her attorney, Michael Iasparro, opened the green plastic bin and catalogued the items. They said documentation in the bin made it appear the bin had remained sealed since February 12, 2020, the day Hollander turned it over.

You can tell that no one ever, ever even looked at this evidence, Hollander said.

While the DAs office has not publicly explained why the inquiry was closed without action, Assistant DA Michael Sprinkel wrote in an internal email in 2021 that after hed spoken with Jacque Hollander for probably 10+ hours, he didnt have reasonable suspicion that a crime occurred.

Some people think Brown was murdered. But the full truth surrounding his death remains unknown

Iasparro, Hollanders attorney, worked closely with the FBI during his six years as a federal prosecutor. After the green plastic bin turned up again, he requested an appointment with the FBI regarding Browns death and the conduct of the DAs office.

Iasparro said he met with a supervisory FBI agent October 10 at the Rockford, Illinois, office of Hinshaw & Culbertson, where he is a partner. He said he told the agent what happened and handed over a stack of documents related to Hollanders lawsuit against the district attorney.

That referrals been made, Iasparro said. Well see what they do with it.

Jacque Hollander, seen traveling with the Carson & Barnes Circus in Princeton, Minnesota, in 2018. - Melissa Golden/Redux

A CNN reporter asked the FBI about the meeting and what would happen next.

Unfortunately, Chicago-based Special Agent and Public Affairs Officer Siobhan Johnson replied in an email, Department of Justice policy prevents the FBI from commenting on the existence, non-existence, or nature of any investigation that may be occurring.

Those who have asked for more answers regarding Browns death include his son Daryl and Browns manager, Frank Copsidas, who told CNN in a 2022 interview that Brown was murdered and that somebody wanted him dead.

But law enforcement authorities have yet to conduct a full investigation, and the DAs office has never publicly explained why it ended its limited inquiry in 2021 without seeking an autopsy.

Sandy Monroe, a county attorney representing the DAs office in the lawsuit, spoke to CNN briefly by phone in early October.

I cant discuss the case with you, she said.

She was asked how the potential evidence had been lost and how it was eventually found.

I am not at liberty to tell you that, she said.

All these years after Browns death, the full truth remains unknown.

In a 2017 interview with CNN, Marvin Crawford, the doctor who signed Browns death certificate, said he wanted an autopsy to find out how Brown really died. That autopsy has not been done.

In a 2018 interview, Browns daughter Deanna declined to confirm or deny whether Browns body was in the crypt.

In 2020, Browns friend Andre White died, taking his secrets to his grave  including the whereabouts of what he claimed was a vial of blood that might have shed light on what killed Brown.

Almost seven years after she first called CNN to report her suspicions, Jacque Hollanders conclusions remain the same:

What happened to James Brown is, he was murdered for money.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A 29-year-old man missing for more than a month has been found dead inside the chimney of a Nebraska apartment building, according to police.

The remains were identified as Zachariah A. Andrews, of Norfolk, the Norfolk Police Division said in an Oct. 25 news release.

Andrews was last seen alive on Sept. 15, the release said. The next day, an apartment resident reported hearing cries for help, a mans voice calling out from below, police said.

The muffled pleas stopped about four minutes before officers arrived to investigate, according to the release. Officers spoke with other tenants but none had heard any yelling, police said.

They also checked with the apartment directly below the caller, investigators said. A TV was playing loudly and the resident reported no screams for help.

Andrews car began collecting parking citations and on Oct. 3, he was entered into a nationwide missing persons database, police said.

A maintenance worker discovered Andrews body on Oct. 19, after smashing through a basement wall while investigating the source of a foul odor and dripping blood, McClatchy News reported.

Investigators identified the body by scars, marks, tattoos, and an identification card found with the victim, the release said.

Norfolk Police have had regular contact with Zachariahs family since the beginning of the investigation, police said. This is an ongoing investigation and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Norfolk is roughly 90 miles northwest of Omaha.

Doctor with poison expertise accused of fatally poisoning wife, Minnesota cops say

Dad fatally shot in front of daughters after intervening in teen brawl, Texas cops say

Cops thought man overdosed until autopsy uncovers odd chest wound, Texas police say

Woman found dead after texts with daughter revealed poisoning plot, Indiana cops say
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  The Democrat whos trying to unseat Mississippis Republican governor said Tuesday that the state should set a minimum wage higher than the federal standard of $7.25 an hour.

Brandon Presley did not propose a specific number for a new wage in a state that has long been one of the poorest in the U.S., but he said he would work with leaders in the Republican-controlled state Legislature.

I think there could be some commonsense reform, Presley, whos currently a state utility regulator, said two weeks before he faces Gov. Tate Reeves in the Nov. 7 general election.

Speaking during a forum at Tougaloo College, Presley said people cannot earn a living on $7.25 an hour. He talked about growing up in a home where his mother struggled to pay bills as a garment factory worker after his father was killed.

I understand what living paycheck-to-paycheck means. Ive done it, Presley said.

A campaign spokesperson for Reeves did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday about whether Mississippi should set a minimum wage higher than $7.25.

Shots fired near Sen. Hyde-Smiths Mississippi home

Reeves presided over the state Senate during his eight years as lieutenant governor before he won the governors race in 2019. No legislation to set a Mississippi minimum wage higher than $7.25 advanced during those 12 years.

Reeves has been reluctant to put extra regulations on private businesses. Speaking at a breakfast Monday in Columbus, Reeves said hes proud that Mississippi has attracted new industries, and he said Presley is beholden to wealthy out-of-state campaign donors who want to change Mississippis conservative culture  something Presley denies.

All the successes that weve had in education, in the economy, the thing Im most proud of is that weve been able to do it without compromising on our values, Reeves said.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have set minimum wages that are higher than the federal requirement, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The nonpartisan organization says Mississippi is one of five states that have not set their own minimum wage. Two states have a minimum wage thats lower than the federal standard. In all seven of those states, the $7.25 federal minimum applies.

Presley has also said he wants to expand Medicaid to more than 200,000 Mississippi residents who work in low-wage jobs that dont provide private health insurance. Expansion is an option under the health overhaul law signed in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama, and Mississippi is one of 10 states that have not taken advantage of that.

Reeves refers to Medicaid expansion as welfare and has said he does not want to add people to the program. Presley says that by not expanding Medicaid, Mississippi has missed out on $1 billion a year in federal money that could help keep rural hospitals open.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher received government reimbursements over several years for expenses also paid for by his campaign  a revelation prompting calls for his resignation and kicking off a fresh round of infighting among Missouri Republicans.

The Missouri House Ethics Committee will gather Friday for a meeting widely expected within the Capitol to center on Plocher, though lawmakers arent releasing details. The prospect of the House probing or potentially even punishing its top leader risks dividing Republicans ahead of the 2024 legislative session.

Plocher, a Republican who was first elected to the Missouri House in 2016 and represents suburban areas of St. Louis County, received reimbursements from the House starting in 2018 for trip-related expenses also reimbursed by his political campaign on at least nine occasions, the Missouri Independent first reported on Monday. Among the expenses was a $1,199.60 plane ticket to attend a conference in Hawaii earlier this year.

When people say throw the bums out, theyre thinking about politicians like Dean Plocher, state Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican running for governor, said in a statement.

This is simple  he has stolen from taxpayers and violated our trust, he should resign immediately.

Plocher, who is running for lieutenant governor in 2024, has said the double reimbursements were accidental and that he is paying back the House. He has also said that he made his first repayment before the reimbursements drew media attention.

In a message to Republican lawmakers on Monday, Plocher wrote that his wife alerted him last week that he had been reimbursed by the House for an extra night at a hotel he stayed in during a conference when he shouldnt have received reimbursement. After learning this, Plocher wrote that he immediately paid back the House.

Because of this error, I reviewed all of my travel reimbursements and it revealed that I had additional administrative errors, to which I have corrected, Plocher wrote.

But some Republicans have found the number of double reimbursements  and the fact they stretched over several years  difficult to set aside. Plocher, who by virtue of serving as speaker embodies the GOP establishment, has also handed hard-right candidates the opportunity to cast Jefferson City politics as corrupt.

Its also not the first controversy Plocher has faced this fall. In recent weeks, he has come under scrutiny over an unsuccessful push for the House to hire a company to manage constituent information and his decision to fire his chief of staff last week.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican candidate for governor, called the reimbursement allegations significant and serious and said lawmakers should take action if they are proven, but didnt directly call for Plochers resignation or removal. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who is also running, urged elected officials to practice transparency and responsibility with Missourians tax dollars without naming Plocher.

On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, who is running for governor, said she is deeply concerned that the speakers actions werent just a one-time mistake, but part of a consistent pattern over five years. Quade, of Springfield, said corruption allegations emerge far too often in Jefferson City.

Several Missouri House speakers in the modern era have faced significant controversies. Former Speaker Bob Griffin, the states longest-serving speaker who served from 1981 to 1996, was indicted and later convicted on bribery charges. Former Speaker Rod Jetton, who was speaker from 2005 to 2009, was charged with felony assault from a 2009 sexual encounter where he choked a woman to the point of unconsciousness. Jetton later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.

In 2015, then-Speaker John Diehl resigned from the post after The Star reported that he had been sending sexually-charged messages with an intern.

A potential Republican challenger to Plocher in the lieutenant governors race seized on the allegations this week. Bob Onder, a former hard-right senator from Lake St. Louis whose Missouri Ethics Commission paperwork indicates hes weighing a run for lieutenant governor, criticized the speaker in two social media posts.

Onder on Tuesday also contributed $500,000 to his campaign committee, according to a report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

This looks and smells like embezzlement, Onder wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Its documented, happened 9 times over years, and he only reimbursed after being caught. Plocher is the Swamp and should resign.

State Rep. Chris Sander, a Lone Jack Republican, flatly said the speaker should resign. I think he should step down or resign as a member. He doesnt need to be there, Sander said in an interview.

Plocher has too much going on, Sander said, pointing to the fact that lawmakers were discussing his campaign finances and staff instead of other issues such as the economy or violent crimes.

Sander, who is openly gay, said earlier this year he was considering leaving the Missouri Republican Party after Plocher did not call on him during a vote to restrict transgender health care for minors.

Other lawmakers vouched for Plocher. State Rep. Brian Seitz, a Branson Republican, on Wednesday said Plocher had obviously made accounting mistakes but had corrected them. He said all officials should take better care of their accounting and how they spend government and campaign funds.

The Missouri House, Seitz said, doesnt want to end up like the U.S. House, where a protracted battle over who should be speaker paralyzed the chamber for weeks after lawmakers voted to remove U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker.

So I think at this time, its much ado about nothing, Seitz said.

But two high-ranking GOP legislators neither defended or criticized Plocher. House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson and House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson on Wednesday steered clear of taking a strong position on Plochers actions.

Henderson, a Bonne Terre Republican, said he didnt know all the facts and needed to wait and see what happened. In a brief interview, he said he didnt have first-hand information on the situation.

Patterson, a Lees Summit Republican chosen by Republicans to be the next speaker beginning in 2025, in a statement appeared to signal that the House Ethics Committee would review the allegations.

The House of Representatives has a bipartisan process in place to review these matters and ensure that Missourians can have confidence in the integrity of the General Assembly, Patterson said. Upon the conclusion of their work, we will review and act upon their recommendations just as we have previously with similar matters.

The House Ethics Committee, made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, reviews complaints against House lawmakers. The committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Friday to discuss a personnel inquiry  a phrase not detailed in the Missouri House rules.

The hearing description indicates that the committee may not be discussing a formal complaint, which is typically what it reviews. However, the U.S. House ethics rules, which are used as a guide for Missouri House ethics rules, allow for House members, officers or employees to request written opinions with respect to the propriety of any current or proposed conduct of such Member, officer, or employee.

Four committee members The Star reached by phone said they wouldnt know whats going to be discussed until the hearing happens. Still, state Rep. Jerome Barnes, a Raytown Democrat on the committee, suggested the hearing would be about Plocher.

If I was a gambling man I probably would say its probably gonna be something about that, he said. But I couldnt really put my hand on it. I dont know of anything else thats been out in the news lately other than that stuff there.

State Rep. Richard Brown, a Kansas City Democrat and vice chair of the ethics committee, said none of the committee members had been briefed on what was going to be discussed. Brown is running for lieutenant governor in 2024 as a Democrat.

The reports of Plocher double dipping come after the top House lawmaker was already facing scrutiny for unsuccessfully pushing for the House to purchase a software system to manage constituent information against the wishes of nonpartisan staff.

Dana Miller, chief clerk of the House, wrote in a September email to a Republican lawmaker about the push for the software contract. In the email, obtained through a records request, she mentioned threats made by Speaker Plocher concerning my future employment.

Miller wrote that Plocher made a statement to her connecting this contract with campaign activity. In the email, Miller also expressed growing concerns of unethical and perhaps unlawful conduct.

Plocher, in his Monday message to GOP lawmakers, downplayed the controversy over his push for the software, saying it was a disagreement between elected members of the House and the administrative staff.

Last week, Plocher fired his top aide, Kenny Ross, writing in a letter to House lawmakers that, effective immediately, the office of chief of staff was vacated. The same day, Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican, announced he had hired Ross as his director of strategic initiatives.

I cant and wont speak to why the Speaker chose to part ways with him, Rowden said in a statement last week. That was his decision. This was mine.
The defense withdrew a bail request Tuesday for a Modesto woman charged with murdering her 4-year-old daughter.

Mina Nazari, 34, will remain without bail at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. She is accused of stabbing Sana Akram at their southeast Modesto apartment on Oct. 14 and trying to kill her 10-year-old son.

Deputy Public Defender Ryan Bowler had asked for the bail review during Nazaris arraignment on Oct. 17. That office has since suspended the request, without an explanation in court, but said it could resume it later.

Deputy District Attorney Fawn Smolak said last week that if an amount is set, it should be at least $2.635 million under Californias bail schedule. The prosecutor also said the Iranian-born Nazari could be a flight risk due to contacts overseas.

Nazari pleaded not guilty to all charges at the arraignment, overseen by Superior Court Judge Kellie Westbrook. Tuesdays appearance was before Judge Dawna Reeves, who ordered the defendant to return for a Jan. 23 case-management conference.

Farsi interpreter in court

Nazari was assisted by a Farsi interpreter as she sat shackled at the defense table. A few family members were in the courtroom but did not comment afterward.

Modesto police said officers responded at about 12:45 p.m. that Saturday to a reported assault at the apartment. It is in the gated Crown Ridge complex at Scenic Drive and Claus Road.

Police said officers found Sana dead at the scene and her brother uninjured. Nazari was arrested there the same day.

No disclosure of what led to death

Police and the prosecution have not said what led to the childs death. The weapon was a knife, according to a complaint filed Oct. 17 by the District Attorneys Office.

Nazari is charged with the first-degree murder of Sana and with a second count of child abuse causing her death. She also faces three charges involving her son: attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment.

A friend of the family created a GoFundMe account for Sanas burial expenses. As of Tuesday, it stood at $11,815 toward its $20,000 goal. The sponsor said the childs father, Fahim Akram, is a full-time Uber driver.
A mother accused of strangling her three young children to death in her home before jumping out of a second-floor used her phone to research ways to kill before the slayings, according to a report. Lindsay Clancy, 33, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and other offenses for allegedly using workout bands to kill her children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and eight-months-old Callan after sending her husband out of their house in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January. Newly unsealed search warrant affidavits show investigators were aware Clancy used her cell and a journal to document her mental state and her feelings about her children, in addition to keeping track of her medications, and researching ways to kill. The files did not detail what search terms Clancy had specifically used in her research. Clancys lawyer says she is paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from the window, which she told her husband was a failed suicide attempt.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.

Read it at The Boston Globe

Read more at The Daily Beast.
A mother who sued a Columbus private school two years ago for alleged racial and disability-based discrimination against her child has lost the lawsuit.

Jaketra Bryants 2021 lawsuit against Calvary Christian School was filed on behalf of her son in the Middle District of Georgia federal court. Angelik Edmonds of the Edmonds Law Office in Atlanta represented her in the case.

Bryant asserted her claims under federal laws from the Civil Rights Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Calvarys attorney, Hieu Nguyen of the Gainesville, Georgia-based law firm Harben, Hartley & Hawkins, wrote in the defendants response to the lawsuit that all of the school staffs decisions regarding Bryants son were made in good faith and were based on legitimate, non-discriminatory and valid educational reasons and reasonable factors other than race or disability.

In his order granting summary judgment in favor of Calvary, Judge Clay Land wrote that he agrees with Calvarys assertion that Bryants son doesnt have a disability within the meaning of the Rehabilitation Act because Bryant did not point to evidence from which a fact finder could conclude that (her sons) ADHD and autism substantially limit one or more of his major life activities.

As for Bryants claim of racial discrimination, Land wrote, Bryant has failed to show that Calvarys proffered reasons were false and that the real reason for (her sons) dismissal was race.

Land also ruled that Bryant shall recover nothing from Calvary and shall pay the schools costs of the lawsuit.

Bryant sought a jury trial, unspecified punitive and compensatory damages, plus legal expenses. Now, according to court documents, she seeks to appeal the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta.

Lawsuits claims against Calvary Christian School

Bryants son, who is Black and was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, enrolled at Calvary as a sixth-grader in 2019 because of its advertisement as a school providing personalized attention for students with special needs, according to the complaint.

Bryant, however, contends Calvary teachers and administrators violated her sons civil rights by:

Discriminatory discipline

An unwillingness to accommodate his disability

Repeatedly encouraging Bryant to medicate him despite her requests for non-medical interventions

Refusing the assistance of supportive therapies to help teachers instruct him

Forcing him to remain with a teacher following complaints of discrimination.

According to its website, Calvarys program for students with special needs, called Discovery School, has an atmosphere in which students are nurtured, encouraged, and challenged to explore their talents and use their strengths in order to reach their potential. We work closely with the classroom teachers, school administrators, and parents to provide individual and small group instruction daily in the areas of mathematics, reading, and language.

Calvary dismissed her son in March 2021 for behavioral manifestations of his disability, the plaintiff says in the lawsuit.

Nguyen wrote in his defense of Calvary that Bryants son was disciplined for his inappropriate and explosive behavior in the classroom.

He also wrote, Plaintiff consented to the educational placement of minor child (Bryants son) and failed to take advantage of the corrective or therapeutic opportunities suggested by Defendant.

Edmonds told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email, I am certainly disappointed in the courts decision. . . . Civil rights cases are nearly impossible to win in the Eleventh Circuit because of high evidentiary burdens and a generally conservative bench. . . . My client was devastated to hear the outcome, but she remains hopeful that other black children will not receive similar treatment in the future.

The L-E didnt reach a Calvary Christian official or representative for comment before publication.
The funeral procession of three Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the latest violence in the occupied West Bank, at the Jenin refugee camp on October 25, 2023 (-)

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied West Bank since war erupted between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on October 7, the health ministry said Wednesday.

Violence had already spiralled in the West Bank before the Gaza war, with the highest death toll in the Palestinian territory since at least 2005.

Many of the Palestinian deaths came in raids by Israeli troops but there has also been a rise in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, with civilians and fighters killed on both sides.

Gaza's latest and by far deadliest war broke out when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and taking 222 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said by Tuesday more than 6,500 people had been killed, also mostly civilians, as Israel has bombarded the territory.

Since October 7, tensions and bloodshed have surged in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, with the Palestinian death toll reaching 102, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry.

Over the same period, the Israeli military has reported one member of the security forces killed while taking part in a raid.

In the latest violence, four Palestinians were killed in Jenin and one in Qalqilya, both in the northern West Bank. One Palestinian was also killed in Qalandia, just north of Jerusalem.

The health ministry blamed Israeli "bullets and missiles".

The Israeli military said it launched a drone strike on "terrorists" in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp, where it said "armed terrorists fired and hurled explosive devices at Israeli security forces".

In Qalqilya, a military spokeswoman told AFP, soldiers fired on people who "hurled explosive devices, Molotov cocktails and rocks at the forces".

Troops also opened fire in Qalandia, which the army said came in response to suspects who "threw burning tyres, blocks and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and shot at forces".

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and withdrew from Gaza in 2005, subsequently imposing a crippling blockade on the coastal territory.

bur-rsc/jd/fz
The number of people around the world displaced by war, persecution, violence, and human rights abuses likely exceeded 114 million at the end of September, UNHCR, the United Nationss refugee agency said Wednesday.

That total does not include an estimated 1.4 million people who have been displaced within Gaza owing to the conflict between Israel and Hamas which began in early October.

The worlds focus now is  rightly  on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. But globally, far too many conflicts are proliferating or escalating, shattering innocent lives and uprooting people, he added.

One in every 73 people on earth is displaced. The war in Ukraine, along with conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar, in addition to intense drought, flooding, and instability in Somalia, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, have all contributed to record displacement, the UNCHRs Mid-Year Trends Report reveals. Low and middle-income countries are hosting the majority of refugees and people in need of international protection. The international communitys inability to solve conflicts or prevent new ones is driving displacement and misery, Grandi said. In the weeks leading up to the Israel-Hamas war, Gallup data showed that most Palestinians have little to no confidence in U.S. President Joe Bidens ability to help negotiate a fair peace deal between Israel and Palestine.

Israels call last week for thousands of civilians to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of a planned ground invasion could amount to a war crime of forcible transfer, some human rights advocates say. Experts said there is a fine line between a warning of a future lawful attack and a threat. International humanitarian law actually requires attacking forces to warn civilians of planned attacks if possible, international law expert Adil Haque told the New York Times. A threat, by contrast, takes place when a country informs a civilian population that its about to launch unlawful attacks, indiscriminate attacks, attacks that dont take precautions for civilians, disproportionate attacks, Haque said.
According to authorities, the earthquake destroyed more than 50,000 homes in the High Atlas Mountains

Hundreds of residents of the Moroccan town of Amizmiz have protested against local authorities, weeks after a deadly earthquake destroyed their homes.

Amizmiz, located 34 miles (55km) south of Marrakesh, was one of the hardest-hit by the 8 September earthquake.

It was the worst to strike Morocco in more than 60 years, killing nearly 3,000 people and leaving thousands more injured and homeless.

The residents accuse local authorities of delaying aid and neglecting them.

Following the earthquake, authorities put up displaced families in tented camps, accompanied by a promise of financial assistance to help rebuild their homes.

But the protesters now say they cannot continue living in the camps as conditions are deteriorating, with heavy rains and winds hitting the region and temperatures dropping as winter approaches.

The protesters also accuse local authorities of withholding assistance, including tents, from some of the residents who lost their homes.

The protest went ahead on Tuesday despite the withdrawal of the Amizmiz Earthquake Victims' Co-ordination group, which had organised the protest.

The group said they had pulled out after local authorities promised to address their concerns.

They said that the authorities had promised to speed up assistance, including providing new tents to those who had not previously been given any, and those whose tents had been damaged by the harsh weather.

They also pledged to improve sanitation at the camps and provide the displaced with access to water and electricity.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI last month announced 120bn Moroccan dirhams ($11.6bn; 9.4bn) over five years to rebuild the regions impacted by the earthquake and support the more than 4.2 million affected people.

The plan includes a pledge to grant 140,000 dirhams in reconstruction aid to each household with a collapsed home and 80,000 for each household whose home was partially damaged.

Earlier this month, the government said it had started disbursing 2,500 dirhams in monthly assistance to each affected household, as part of a year-long cash relief program.

Morocco's government faced criticism from some citizens in the aftermath of the earthquake after it turned down some offers of international aid, despite thousands desperately needing urgent assistance.

"I think it is really an error [to insist on] sovereignty and national pride. This is not the moment to refuse because the aid is essential, even developed countries accept outside help [in disasters]," activist Maati Mounjib told the BBC's Newsday programme at the time.
Jamie Gunn is accused of leaving her two children in a car to visit a bar (Police)

A mother has been arrested after leaving her two young children in a running car while she went to visit a bar.

Jamie Leigh Gunns two-year-old and eight-month-old children were left in the backseat of the vehicle in West Melbourne, Florida on Sunday, according to police.

An officer was conducting a routine business patrol when he noticed a black SUV parked behind Penny Annies bar with the engine still running.

The West Melbourne Police Department said that Ms Gunn, 33, had been visiting a friend inside the pub when her children were found.

The doors to the vehicle were unlocked and the vehicle was running, a statement read.

The registered owner, 33-year-old Jamie Leigh Gunn of West Melbourne was located inside the bar visiting with a friend.

Jamie Gunn is accused of leaving her two children in a car to visit a bar (Police)

Further investigation discovered Ms Gunn was inside for at least 20 minutes and had no regard for her children who were left unattended, police said.

When Gunn learned law enforcement was outside with her vehicle, she was more concerned about going to jail, than the welfare of her children, according to the statement.

Ms Gunn was arrested and charged with child neglect after being taken to the Brevard County Jail with a $15,000 bond.

The Department of Children and Families was notified and Ms Gunns children are now in the care of a family member.
A video clip showing a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy striking a 17-year-old girl with a closed fist three times has prompted a response from the sheriff's office and a reaction from the girl's mother.

Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball's office said the deputy applied "three targeted focused strikes" in response to the teen wailing kicks and punches toward the deputy's face outside the entrance of the Milwaukee County Zoo.

The sheriff's office said the video clip, shared widely on social media, is just a few seconds long and doesn't show the girl being combative, but squad car video and body camera video does.

The girl's mother, Tamika Dowell-Willis, is demanding the full release of the deputies' bodycam from incident, which took place Sunday around 9:30 p.m. near the entrance to the zoo.

Deputies were dispatched for a reported fight. When deputies arrived no fight was happening, however deputies approached a vehicle believed to have participants in the fight, the sheriff's office said.

The vehicle included Dowell-Willis' 26-year-old daughter who was driving and her 17-year-old daughter in the backseat. Other teenage girls and two infants were also present.

When deputies approached the vehicle, the occupants became argumentative, according to the sheriff's office. The occupants refused to identify themselves or exit the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies began to force the occupants out the vehicle. Dowell-Willis, 44, said she was on the phone with her daughters during the incident. She said deputies broke the windows of the vehicle to enter it.

The 26-year-old driver was arrested and deputies turned their attention to the backseat. From there, the sheriff's office said the incident is captured on video but have not provided a timeline for when that video will be released.

According to the sheriff's office, the 17-year-old girl was "highly agitated" and "continued to be uncooperative." Dowell-Willis said her daughter was "assaulted" by an officer before and was likely "triggered" from Sunday's incident.

She added that the occupants of the vehicle included teenage girls who were scared to interact with adult male deputies.

The sheriff's office said video shows the girl exited the backseat, stood up, and immediately shoved the deputy with both hands then proceeded to swing her arms with closed fists.

The deputy then took the girl to the ground. According to the sheriff's office, the girl continued to kick, swing her arms, and struck a deputy in the face with a closed fist.

That was not captured on the video posted to Facebook earlier this week by a family friend. The clip does show what happened next. The video shows a male officer striking the teenage girl with a closed fist three time.

The sheriff's office said, "The deputy used force by applying three targeted focused strikes to stop her resistance enough to apply handcuffs and take her into custody."

Dowell-Willis said the use of force is not justified. "A grown man should not be that physical with a 17-year-old girl, punching her like that on the back of the head," she said.

The girl was still in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail as of Tuesday night, her mother said. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office hasn't made a charging decision, but the sheriff's office said it recommended battery to a law enforcement officer, which is a felony, and two other misdemeanor charges.

The 26-year-old driver was booked at the jail but released. The sheriff's office recommended a resisting or obstructing charge.

Dowell-Willis said she had a cordial conversation with zoo officials about the incident. She said zoo employees broke up the fight and told everyone to go home.

Dowell-Willis said she will be at the District Attorney's office Wednesday morning.

Elliot Hughes of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Video shows Milwaukee deputy punching teenage girl; mom speaks out
A mother said her 15-year-old son went from having the time of his life to losing his life at a New Years Eve party.

Police said Landon Smith was an innocent bystander when he was killed at a party on Deering Court in Douglasville last year.

The trial is now underway for two men accused in Smiths murder.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2s Tom Jones talked to Smiths mother, Tiana Florence, who said that she almost didnt let her son go to the party .

But, Florence said she felt better after her son Facetimed her.

He was like, Look. Im having a good time. And he was showing me everybody at the party, Florence said. He was 15 years old. He didnt deserve that.

Moments later, he was killed.

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Prosecutors said Davion White and Jhabre Wilson face murder and other charges after they went to the party looking for rival gang members. They said when the teens didnt find any, they got in their car and opened fire at the home as they drove away.

And because of that, an innocent child was murdered, Assistant District Attorney Brook Demeke said.

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Prosecutors showed the video of a barrage of gunfire at the party. Attorneys for both defendants said they arent gang members and went to the party to have fun like everyone else.

They admit they fired guns that night.

And why did he shoot? Well, self-defense, Whites attorney, Robert T. Northdurft, Jr., said in court.

Prosecutors said this isnt a case of self-defense because the defendants fired first. More of that narrative was revealed in day 2 of the trial.

A woman who said she drove the suspected killers to the party said she saw one of them fire multiple shots from her car.

Channel 2s Tom Jones was in Douglas County Thursday, where the driver also said one of the defendants fired first.

Thats important because the defense said the defendants only fired after someone fired at them.

On Thursday, a witness who was inside the car told prosecutors what she saw and described the mood in the car after the shooting.

Zorree Peeples testified that she and her cousin Karea Cowvins were afraid after Davion White, also known as DJ, started shooting from inside her car right after they left a New Years Eve party on Deering Court in 2021.

Cowvins said Jhabre Wilson also fired shots from inside the car.

Peeples said they didnt say much after the shooting.

I was scared. DJ had that gun he was acting crazy, Peeples said. I didnt know what he was going to do if I told him somebody passed away.

Peeples said she then got a test that someone died in the gunfire.

The state said White and Wilson were looking for rival gang members at the party and played a video where Peeples said you can hear White asking about his gang adversaries.

Then, as Peeples SUV drove away with White, Wilson and Cowvins inside, a barrage of gunfire rang out.

Whites attorney said his client fired but only after someone started shooting at them.

Wilsons attorney asked Cowvins about the gun his client fired.

Did you ever see him lift it and discharge toward anyone? Max Richardson asked.

No, Cowvins responded.

Prosecutors said Cowvins couldnt have seen where the gun was pointed. The state then asked Peeples to clear up who fired first.

The first shot that I heard, like, the shot that I heard was in the car, Peeples said.

A witness testified that she saw gunfire from Peeples SUV and people at the party were shooting too. But prosecutors said Smith was killed by a bullet from the type of weapon Davion White had.
 Flash

A Palestinian man mourns for the death of his relatives, following Israeli airstrikes, at a hospital in southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Oct. 24, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 5,791, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 5,791, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 16,297 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli airstrikes were triggered by a large-scale Hamas attack on Israeli military targets and towns on Oct. 7, which has so far killed at least 1,400 people in Israel.
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)  For nearly two decades, Christine Cooley took care of her wounded veteran son, but now shes at risk of losing their specially built home following his passing.

Josh Cooley first served as a Pasco County Sheriffs Deputy, earning his way onto the department SWAT team as a sniper.

His brother, Chris Cooley, said Josh wanted to be a cop since he was a kid.

Josh  he just wanted to protect and serve, and thats just who he was, Cooley said.

Then, 9/11 happened, and Josh joined the U.S. Marine Corps.

He was a strapping man, and he just had a command presence about him, Cooley recalled of his brother.

But on July 5, 2005, tragedy struck. As Josh was on patrol in Iraq, an explosion happened next to his vehicle. His body was severely burned, and a piece of shrapnel tore through his brain.

The doctors told my mother that, that was it. He wasnt going to make it, Cooley said.

His mother flew to a U.S. Military hospital in Germany to be by her sons side. The doctors told her if Josh did live, he would likely never walk or talk again. The shrapnel had removed the frontal lobes of his brain.

At his side in the hospital, somehow, Josh reached up and grabbed his mothers arm to let her know he was aware she was there.

She asked him to hold up one finger for yes  two fingers for no. He indicated he knew who she was and why she was there.

The recovery was not easy. Joshs mother had to fight for her sons health care. She refused to put him in an assisted living facility.

Family sues Panera Bread after daughter dies, blames Charged Lemonade

A special home was built for Josh. His mother worked with him every day, and he somehow managed to learn to walk again and talk again.

Theres a lot of Veterans out there who know how bureaucratic the VA system is, and my mother would not accept the word no when it came to Joshs care, Cooley said.

At Joshs home are photos of him serving as a Marine. There are also photos on the wall of him after the injury, standing next to country music star Toby Keith .

The music legend invited Josh on stage for a concert not long after his injury. Josh could only get on the stage in a wheelchair.

As he fought through his recovery, Toby Keith kept inviting Josh back for concerts when he was in town. Eventually, Josh didnt need the wheelchair, and he walked up to Keith. Joshs family says they saw Keith shed a tear at the sight.

This week, after a long battle, Josh passed away. Tuesday, an escort of law enforcement officers led his casket to a funeral home in Clearwater.

Modern day mafia: $20M Florida retail theft ring busted; 14 arrested: AG

Now, there is a new problem. Joshs family and friends are worried his mother will not be able to stay in the home where she helped Josh every day for the past 18 years.

Shes in big trouble because the house was built for him at no cost. He doesnt pay taxes as a critically wounded veteran, said Beverly Young, the wife of former Congressman Bill Young. Together they fought for Josh and his mother to get their benefits.

Young said now that Josh has died, his mother will no longer receive his benefits.

They lived off of his benefits, and now that he has passed, his benefits have ceased, and shes living in the house that she took care of her son in, and she has absolutely no income whatsoever, said Young.

Without an income, its unlikely she will be able to pay the taxes on the home, or its water, electricity and homeowners insurance.

She doesnt get any military benefits because shes a mother and he was medically retired, and so there are no benefits available to her, other than some burial benefits, said Young.

Right now, there is no plan in place to help her.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A Memphis woman was arrested after police say she fired a shot at a man who was walking two dogs and claimed one of the dogs belonged to her.

Police said the man was walking his dogs along South Barksdale Street in South Memphis around noon Tuesday  close to where Cleveland Triplett has lived for 23 years.

He has stopped in front of my house with the dogs, Triplett said. So naturally, when he comes up the street, my dog barks, so I come out to see whats going on.

According to police, a woman identified as 42-year-old Regina Scott approached the victim and pointed a purple pistol at him. The victim told police Scott fired in his direction and alleged one of the dogs out for a walk  an American Bully  was hers.

The victim panicked, resulting in him dropping the leash. Its alleged that Scott then picked up the dog she claimed was hers.

Police said that dog was recovered in Scotts backyard.

WATCH: Man jumps through drive-thru window, robs Taco Bell

A neighbor said they heard one round fired before calling police.

Scott was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery. Less than 24 hours later, she went before a judge.

She had very little to say to Judge Karen Massey who reminded her a few times to give a verbal response. Scott told the judge she should be able to pay her $7,500 bond in order to be released.

The judge told her if convicted of aggravated robbery, she could be facing 8 to 30 years in lockup.

Scott was ordered to appear back in court in two weeks with her attorney.

We stopped by the victims home, but no one answered.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
How much does Russia stand to benefit from turmoil in the Middle East?

As tensions flare in the Middle East, global attention has swivelled to the region, providing Vladimir Putin with what he desperately needs: the world to lose its interest in his war in Ukraine.

A long protracted low-intensity war in the Middle East is what Putin is hoping for  not enough to transform into a large regional conflict, yet lasting long enough to have the West divert attention and resources away from Ukraine.

He wants Washington  and others  to support and supply Israel instead, and as a result, provide a public smokescreen for Russias offensive in the Donbas.

And this is exactly what happened: as the world was turning its attention to the carnage in Israel following 7 October, Russian forces launched a sizable counterattack in Avdiivka just two days later.

Russia attempts to take advantage in the Donbas

With Russia almost two years into its failing "special military operation", the turmoil couldnt have come at a better time for Putin.

Control over Avdiivka, located on the northern outskirts of Donetsk  a city partially occupied by Russian forces  has allowed the Ukrainian army to act against the enemy by means of artillery superiority and could serve as a springboard to free the entire urban centre.

The Kremlin continues to throw its resources at surrounding Avdiivka, setting up for what looks to be the meatgrinder of a new Bakhmut, with Putin possibly aiming to deplete Ukraine's ammunition, banking on the possibility of US war funding dwindling.

A Ukrainian serviceman of 28th brigade guards his position at the frontline in Donetsk region, June 2023 - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Highlighting Avdiivka's importance, just last week, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu lauded his troops for prohibiting Ukrainian advances near the city of formerly 32,000.

However, after 20 months of conflict, his omission of any Russian advancements highlights the current predicament of his army, showing Moscow's desperation.

The Kremlin continues to throw its resources at surrounding Avdiivka, setting up for what looks to be the meatgrinder of a new Bakhmut, with Putin possibly aiming to deplete Ukraine's ammunition, banking on the possibility of US war funding dwindling.

As US President Joe Biden attempts to link aid for Ukraine and Israel, nine Republican senators have already urged for separate considerations of aid for the two nations, all ahead of the White House's push for a $100 billion (94bn) foreign funding request, which includes funding for Israel and Ukraine.

Western military aid remains essential

Even before the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, about half of US House Republicans recently opposed a relatively small $300 million (282m) aid package for Ukraine.

Its perhaps an early indication of the direction a Trump administration would take on Ukraine as Trump Republicans, especially those on the far-right, have been at the forefront of trying to slash aid meant for Ukrainian military assistance from the proposed budget.

Despite the Israel-Hamas conflict potentially diverting resources, Biden has been trying to assure allies that the US will still continue to fund support for Ukraine.

President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport, October 2023 - Evan Vucci/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved

The US recently deployed its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine, which were used by Ukrainian forces to strike Russian airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk.

These strikes, according to Kyiv's defence ministry, resulted in significant losses for Russia, including nine helicopters, air-defence equipment, and ammunition depots.

Britain's defence ministry estimated higher damages, suggesting the possibility of nine helicopters destroyed in Berdyansk alone and an additional five in Luhansk. British intelligence also believes the severity of these strikes might prompt Russia to relocate its bases further from the front lines, complicating its logistics.

The Telegraph reported Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's confirmation that the US will continue supplying advanced missiles to Ukraine, putting a lot more pressure on Russian forces.

ATACMS have the potential to alter the war's trajectory if given in larger quantities, enabling Ukrainian forces to target previously inaccessible Russian supply lines, air bases, and rail networks in occupied areas. It also serves as a key example of why continued arms donations are essential if Ukraine is to drive the invading forces out of its territory.

'A new source of pain undermining world unity'

Sergey Mardan, one of Russias best-known propagandists, recently wrote on his Telegram channel that This mess is beneficial for Russia because the globalist toad will be distracted from [Russia's war in] Ukraine and will get busy trying to put out the eternal Middle Eastern fire.

"Iran is our real military ally. Israel is an ally of the US. Therefore, choosing a side is easy, Mardan concluded, making the Kremlin's intentions even more clear.

Kyiv also believes that Russia is a major beneficiary of the growing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

'Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East so that a new source of pain and suffering could undermine world unity, increase discord and contradictions, and thus help Russia destroy freedom in Europe.'

Smoke and fire rise following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, October 2023 - Ariel Schalit/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East so that a new source of pain and suffering could undermine world unity, increase discord and contradictions, and thus help Russia destroy freedom in Europe.

Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), claimed that the Russians supplied the Hamas group with infantry armaments that they managed to seize in Ukraine and that Russians taught the Hamas militants how to use FPV-drones against armoured equipment.

Will the ammunition shortage become an even bigger problem?

Russian-made weapons, including anti-tank and shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, have found their way into Gaza in the past, most likely through Iran.

Yet, there still isnt concrete information that Russia supplied Hamas with weapons. So far, one Israeli official claimed that some of the weapons used by Hamas came from Russia.

Meanwhile, international press initially reported that the US intended to redirect tens of thousands of artillery rounds from Ukraine to Israel.

However, a US official refuted this claim. Meanwhile, the chair of NATO's Military Committee, Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, has previously expressed concerns about allied ammunition supplies nearing depletion, and the risk of Ukraine not having the ammunition it desperately needs is indeed real.

A steel worker manufactures 155 mm M795 artillery projectiles at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, PA, May 2023 - Matt Rourke/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.

Yet, it was DIU's Budanov who emphasised that if the situation drags on, then there will definitely be some problems as Ukraine will not be the only state to need armament and ammunition supplies.

The impact is already felt on the battlefield. British-supplied artillery guns are facing ammunition shortages, limiting their use. Ukrainian soldiers trained on L119 howitzers report firing them infrequently due to a severe lack of shells.

This, in turn, was cause for celebration back in Moscow. Russian military analyst Boris Dzherelievsky also believes that a long war would lead to Minsk III and the surrender of vast swathes of Ukraine, including Odesa and Mykolaiv, to Russia.

Not all is rosy for Russia, either

However, not everything is rosy for the Kremlin, either. If events continue to escalate tensions into a large-scale war, Russia has its own reasons to be concerned as well: already, Syrian artillery has hit Israel, and Israel has targeted Iranian-backed assets in Syria, including conducting airstrikes on Syrian airports. This only increases the risk of Israel engaging with Russian forces in Syria.

Russia is keen on balancing between its main military ally, Iran, and its close partnership with Israel, as Putin and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu share a friendly relationship.

If Russia was caught red-handed supporting Hamas, it would unravel the close ties between Putin and Netanyahu, which Russia is desperate to maintain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend an unveiling ceremony of the Remembrance Candle monument in Jerusalem, January 2020 - Aleksey Nikolskyi/Sputnik via AP

Hamas representatives reportedly met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in March, stating that the organisation is running out of patience with Israel. Additional meetings between senior Hamas members and Russia occurred in May and September 2022.

The Soviet military historically supported Arab armies, particularly Egypt and Syria, in their efforts against Israel, especially during the wars in the 1960s and the 1970s.

In contrast, contemporary relations between Israel and Russia are characterised by military coordination, particularly in Syria. Israel values its positive relationship with Russia, recognising Moscow's significant influence in the war-torn neighbouring country.

If Russia was caught red-handed supporting Hamas, it would unravel the close ties between Putin and Netanyahu, which Russia is desperate to maintain.

Benefits are temporary at best

The highly volatile atmosphere is perhaps best illustrated by the recent interview with Amir Weitman, chairman of the Libertarian faction of Israel's ruling Likud party, who openly threatened Russia on its own propaganda channel RT: After we win this war, we will make sure Ukraine wins as well and we will make sure Russia will pay for what it has done.

If anything, Wietman's words show that a major reshuffle of sides could well be on the cards, all depending on who Russia chooses to side with  a decision the Kremlin might not be able to stall over forever.

A Russian Su-35 flies near a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone over Syria, July 2023 - AP/AP

Russia might benefit temporarily from a renewed Western focus on the Middle East, but a full-scale war between Iran and Israel, potentially involving Syria, would stretch its resources, and with its military largely committed to Ukraine, a war of that size would definitely threaten its position as well as its forces in Syria.

Thus, at some point, the Kremlin's hand might be inevitably forced by the sheer magnitude of the brewing conflict.

On top of that, US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently labelled China, Russia, and Iran as the new axis of evil, signalling that sooner or later, Israel will have to take a hard stance against Russia, too.

We should be aware of the smokescreen

Moscow continues to value its ties with Israel and Arab states, even as it grows closer to Iran. Following the attack on Israel on 7 October, Russia has been quick to cynically position itself as a peace broker in the Middle East, presenting a draft resolution in the UN Security Council, though it failed to gain majority support.

Putin's delay in expressing condolences to Netanyahu after the attack and Russia's pro-Palestinian media stance also reflect the bind he is in.

However, Moscow's strategy will still hinge on balancing relations with multiple Middle Eastern players to maximise its benefits, at least for now.

Nonetheless, Russia has been quick to benefit from the situation by expanding military operations in Ukraine, while being cautious that things can quickly pull Russia in a direction where it doesnt want to go.

And we can't stop paying attention to its actions now and allow Moscow to use other flashpoints as a smokescreen for its own destructive goals.

David Kirichenko is a freelance journalist and an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank.

At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.
Charges were dismissed against the co-defendant in a deadly 2012 central Lubbock robbery.

Terrence Shelby Jr., 31, who was one of two people charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Travondrick LaShawn Ward, in the 1900 block of 66th Street, was released Friday from the Lubbock County Detention Center after his charge was dismissed Thursday.

Police ID 2 suspects in 2012 Lubbock homicide case

He had been held there since July 17, 2019, jail records show.

Court documents indicate prosecutors dismissed the charge because of insufficient evidence.

The case hinged on testimony from witnesses who are serving lengthy prison sentences on other violent offenses and refuse to testify and wouldn't be compelled to do so, according to an official at the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office.

Shelby's co-defendant, 30-year-old Lester Patterson, was also initially charged with murder.

However, as part of a plea bargain with the Lubbock District Attorney's Office, that case was dismissed and Patterson pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury in exchange for a 15-year prison sentence - five years less than the maximum.

He is currently serving his sentence at the Stevenson Unit in Cuero, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records.

Patterson and Shelby were serving prison sentences on unrelated charges when investigators in 2017 obtained warrants for their arrest in connection with Ward's slaying.

Shelby was in the midst of an eight-year federal prison sentence at a high-security prison in Florence, Colorado. He pleaded guilty in February 2015 to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Patterson was booked into the Lubbock County Jail in May 2018 after serving a five-year sentence at the Texas Department of Criminal Justices Darrington Unit in Rosharon for aggravated robbery and possession of a controlled substance.

Lubbock police Detective Brandon Price, who inherited the homicide case in December 2016, said in 2017 he obtained information by the end of January that helped him identify Patterson and Shelby as Wards killers.

Among the witness he interviewed were two women who said they lied to the original investigators when they provided alibis for Shelby and Patterson. One of the women said she didn't realize until after she gave her statement that Ward, who is a relative, was the victim in the homicide.

According to the arrest warrant, Price and another detective spoke to Patterson at the Darrington Unit, who admitted that he and Shelby typically robbed drug dealers.

"I like to keep my ear open to the streets because I want to know who got it all," he told the detectives. "That's the whole plan going out trying to rob somebody. I don't just prey on the weak."

He said on the night of the shooting he and Shelby were outside Ward's home and Shelby approached Ward and a gunshot rang out.

However, Patterson's attorney, Jeff Nicholson said the plea deal he negotiated with his client did not include testifying against Shelby.

He said after reviewing the case against his client, he worked with the district attorney's office and negotiated a guilty plea to a charge that fit what he believed his client's actions were the night of the shooting.

Shelby's attorney, Nick Olguin, said his client is glad prosecutors decided to dismiss the charge against him.

"They never really did have any evidence on (Shelby)," he said.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Murder charge dismissed against suspect 2012 deadly Lubbock shooting
The driver of a vehicle that hit and killed four Pepperdine University students on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu last week has been charged with murder.

Fraser Bohm, 22, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with four counts of murder for the deaths of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.

The crash happened on Oct. 17, when the four college seniors were hit by a vehicle allegedly driven by Bohm.

Malibu Crash Victims

Bohm was arrested at the scene for gross vehicular manslaughter, but was released from custody hours later while authorities investigated the circumstances of the crash.

Officials for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said much of the evidence needed to keep him in custody was pending at the time, meaning Bohm needed to be released until there was enough to present to the District Attorneys Office for charges.

Malibu Fatal Crash

Our detectives worked diligently to compile all the evidence needed so they could file the maximum charges allowed under California law, Sheriffs Officials said in a Tuesday news release. The Sheriffs Department is relentlessly working to ensure we get justice for the victims families.

Charges were filed Monday, officials said, and Bohm was taken into custody Tuesday. Hes been booked into jail and is being held on $8 million bail.

Four people died Tuesday night following a multi-vehicle crash on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Oct. 17, 2023.

The Sheriffs Department says detectives are working with a district attorney who specializes in prosecuting fatal collisions.

The crash happened on a stretch of road known to locals as Dead Mans Curve, due to the high number of accidents which often involve speeding drivers.

Neighbors, Pepperdine officials and traffic safety advocates held demonstrations last week, calling for safety improvements along the dangerous roadway, including speed cameras, lower speed limits and more active patrols by law enforcement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
FILE - This undated driver's license photo provided by the Worcester County District Attorney's Office shows Aaron Pennington. Law enforcement officials are searching for Pennington, who is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting death of his 30-year-old wife, Breanne Pennington, who was found in their home on Sunday. (Worcester County District Attorney's Office via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

GARDNER, Mass. (AP)  A murder warrant was issued Wednesday for a Massachusetts man wanted in connection with the shooting death of his wife.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said police are continuing their search for Aaron Pennington after his wife, Breanne Pennington, 30, was found fatally shot inside the couple's Gardner, Massachusetts, home on Sunday.

Gardner Police were called to the scene after the couples four children left the home and went to a neighbors house.

Breanne Pennington was found dead in the family home. City property records show Aaron Pennington has owned the home since June 2022.

Police said Aaron Pennington left around 9 a.m. in his white 2013 BMW Model 320 sedan.

On Monday evening, a hunter spotted Penningtons vehicle about 1,500 feet down a wooded trail off Kenton Street near an area known as Camp Collier, a land trust used by Boy Scouts and church groups in Gardner, investigators said. Police began searching the wooded area for Pennington.

The murder charge was filed in Gardner District Court.

The investigation into the homicide and Penningtons whereabouts remains ongoing by Gardner Police, State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorneys Office, and Massachusetts State Police.

Police are warning the public not to approach Pennington, noting that he is potentially armed.

The Associated Press has left messages via social media with two possible relatives of Aaron Pennington; they werent immediately returned.
Los Angeles school board President Jackie Goldberg called on district officials to reassure Muslim parents  and all parents and students  that schools would be safe spaces amid tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

In response to concerns about bullying and insensitivity against Muslim students brought on by the Israel-Hamas war, Los Angeles schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho on Tuesday issued a statement affirming campuses as nurturing, inclusive spaces and said the district was "committed to providing a safe learning environment, free from bullying, discrimination, and harassment."

Earlier in the day, school board President Jackie Goldberg had strongly urged Carvalho to send out a clear message after Muslim parents complained during a public meeting that district statements were unfairly one-sided in support for Israel, which came under Hamas attack on Oct. 7. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, most in the initial attack. Since Israel's retaliatory military response began, more than 5,000 have died in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry and the U.N.

On Oct. 7, in the immediate wake of the Hamas incursion, Carvalho posted on social media: "We stand with Israel. We stand in unity with the UN and many other nations in repudiating the recent attacks." The first sentence was entwined with the Star of David in the colors of the Israeli flag. The first version of the post said "United States" instead of "United Nations," but this was withdrawn and revised.

Read more: Grief, anger, fear on college campuses as Israel-Hamas war divide comes home

The parents, who estimated that about 500 district families have ties to the Gaza Strip, said the statement made their children targets.

We are very worried for the safety of our children," parent Sumaya Bezrati said during the public comment portion of Tuesday's Board of Education meeting. "We are documenting case incidents coming from our LAUSD family and they are pouring in.

After hearing from eight other parents, Goldberg directed Carvalho to emphasize that "no student be harassed based on their ethnicity, their religion, their race, their culture, the country of origin, their immigration status, that we will not tolerate any kind of discrimination."

The statement needs to go out immediately, she added, "because people are not hearing that message from us. And it should come from the superintendent."

Local Jewish families and those with ties to Israel also have experienced profound grief and anger, and have expressed discomfort with how others are describing and explaining the conflict.

Carvalho's attempt to find words to frame the human toll of the war  with its complexities and competing narratives  have drawn him and the nation's second-largest school district into the blow-back zone also experienced by university presidents, politicians and CEOs who have issued statements that have offended one side or both.

On Oct. 12, Carvalho posted a broader message on behalf of the district:

"We condemn the violation of human rights in every form, in every location. We stand in solidarity with all of those who are subject to violence, terrorism or oppression. Los Angeles Unified will continue to ensure schools are safe space[s] that provide resources and services for all in the Los Angeles Unified family who are affected by current global atrocities in the Middle East, the Republic of Artsakh and around the world."

The latter reference was to the breakaway republic recently taken over by the military forces of Azerbaijan, leading to a humanitarian crisis.

Carvalho, on Oct. 13, then moved to reassure school communities, saying, "Our commitment to the safety of our students and school communities remains unwavering. Schools are and will continue to be safe havens for all."

And later that same day: "Our hearts ache, spirits bruise, minds anger over the unimaginable loss of life and those affected by the recent events in the Middle East and around the world, especially the children who are caught in the crossfire. An unacceptable travesty for the most innocent in this or any conflict."

Read more: How the Israel-Hamas war is dividing Hollywood

On Tuesday, when Muslim parents took the public podium, they described class discussions that they considered one-sided, and episodes of harassment.

"These children are starting to show signs of depression as they hear news of family members being killed overseas," Bezrati said. "Our children need spaces to talk through their feelings and process the trauma they are undergoing."

Zohreh Shayan said her son in high school had been fearful to express his views during a social studies class in which the teacher emphasized solidarity with Israel.

Another speaker, Shahina Khan, said her niece became upset when a high school teacher referred to Hamas as a Muslim terrorist group. She objected to linking the religious affiliation to violence: "Nobody describes the KKK as an extreme Christian organization, said Khan.

Early in the conflict, district officials sent a letter to families meant to be reassuring to all, though it specifically mentioned only the victimization of Israel:

"Los Angeles Unified embraces dignity, humanity, and respect for all cultures, races, and ethnicities," the letter stated. "We are committed to all. We stand in solidarity with the United States and many other nations in repudiating the recent attacks in Israel. Our priority, as always, is maintaining a safe and welcoming school environment, and we will take appropriate and immediate action to respond to any and all threats to our learning communities."

The letter included advice and resources on how to approach controversial current events and how to deal with the fears of children. A similar letter went out to all employees.

Goldberg said the district's good intentions could have been misunderstood.

"When you see just something about being pro-Israel, you can absolutely understand" how these families with Palestinian ties might feel, Goldberg said. "I'm not suggesting we take a position on anything except that all children, faculty, all school employees are to be safe and to be treated without discrimination based on who they are. Because of the events in the Middle East, that should have been the first thing that went out."

Goldberg, who is Jewish, added that her response was not based solely on input at the board meeting. She'd been receiving messages of concern from constituents for some time.

As events unfold in the Middle East, there have been reports of both antisemitism and anti-Muslim acts in the United States. A Muslim boy was killed in an alleged hate crime in Illinois.

At the L.A. board meeting, one Muslim parent suggested it would be most wise to avoid discussing the conflict at all, but others disagreed.

In his latest communication, Carvalho said that "as we grieve the loss of life and feel the pain and suffering caused by the increasing number of global conflicts, it is essential to remember the critical role we all play for our students: to guide them in coping effectively with the stressors they may feel, especially those who share ties with communities directly involved."

"Psychiatric social workers, counselors and others are available to listen to students concerns and connect them to the resources they need," he added.

In a recent interview, Carvalho noted that police patrols had been stepped up around schools to ensure physical safety, especially at schools more likely to be targets, including those near religious institutions that could also be targets.

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.
A group of Myanmar nationals speak to the press after filing a criminal complaint in Manila (JAM STA ROSA)

Five Myanmar nationals asked the Philippines on Wednesday to investigate alleged war crimes committed by 10 serving or former members of Myanmar's military against the mainly Christian Chin minority.

Filipino lawyers representing the Myanmar nationals told reporters they lodged the "landmark" criminal complaint against junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and nine others at the Department of Justice in Manila.

They asked prosecutors to open an investigation into alleged war crimes under a Philippine law penalising "crimes against international humanitarian law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity".

The five Myanmar nationals are from western Chin state, but now live in Australia, Britain, Canada and India. They were at the justice department in Manila.

"This is a landmark suit because this is the very first time that such a case is being brought before the Philippines," Romel Bagares, one of the lawyers, told reporters.

Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla said his department would "evaluate" the complaint, which he described as "very novel".

"If this is sufficient in form and substance, that's the time when we will require the respondents to answer these complaints," Remulla told reporters.

Among the accused is Chin Chief Minister Vung Suan Thang, who is a former military officer. The others are serving members of the military.

The complaint alleged that members of Myanmar's military killed a pastor and two church elders in Thantlang town, Chin, in September 2021.

It also accused the 10 of "intentionally" directing attacks on churches and the burning of hundreds of houses in the same town between August 2021 and June 2022.

They also allegedly blocked relief supplies from reaching people in Chin state in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in May.

- 'Truly historic day' -

Philippine law allows for the prosecution of war crimes committed elsewhere.

One of the stipulations of the law is that the accused must be present in the Philippines.

According to Gilbert Andres, another Filipino lawyer representing the Myanmar nationals, if the Philippine justice department were to decide to mount a case against the 10 accused, it could issue subpoenas to Myanmar's Central Authority or go through diplomatic channels.

The toppling of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in a 2021 coup sparked a huge backlash and the military junta is now battling opponents across swaths of Myanmar.

Some of the bloodiest fighting has been happening in Christian-majority areas, including in Chin state.

"This is a truly historic day," Salai Ling, one of the five complainants and also of the Chin Human Rights Organization, told reporters in Manila.

"We are really hoping that with the solidarity and support from the Filipino people and people in the ASEAN region, that we will be able to get some form of justice for the atrocities that our people suffered."

Myanmar and the Philippines belong to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The regional bloc's efforts to defuse the Myanmar crisis have been fruitless so far.

The Philippines is now the subject of an international human rights probe, with the Hague-based International Criminal Court investigating "possible crimes against humanity" during former president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drugs crackdown.

In July, President Ferdinand Marcos said the Philippines was "done talking with the ICC" but would continue to question the tribunal's jurisdiction.

pam/amj/lb
A former lawmaker is a key suspect in a case dating back to 2018 concerning the embezzlement of over Hr 307 million ($8.4 million) in Defense Ministry funds, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) reported on Oct. 25.

NABU did not name the MP, but said he served between November 2014 and July 2019.

The roots of the corruption scheme go back to 2018, when the Defense Ministry signed contracts with companies controlled by the lawmaker for the construction of special depots for storing missiles and ammunition.

These companies agreed they would construct the warehouses for a total amount of Hr 3 billion ($82 million).

NABU believes that the lawmaker planned to misappropriate a large part of these funds but was initially prevented from doing so by legislation, which meant that the ministry would only be able pay an advance of 30% of the annual workload.

However, the lawmaker and his assistant "ensured the adoption of changes" to the legislation, which allowed "for an advance payment of 80% of the total contract value."

This meant that at the end of 2018, the companies controlled by the lawmaker were able to receive Hr 307 million ($8.4 million) from the Defense Ministry, transferred as an advance.

However, construction on the facility that was "intended to enhance the country's defense" never began and the money was transferred to the accounts of other companies controlled by the MP.

A former First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is also a suspect in the case, NABU reported.

Read also: Military enlistment officials suspected of illegally acquiring $7 million

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Revisionist History

Anyone have extra birthday candles on hand? Because NASA's about 40 million short.

A new and in-depth atomic analysis of an Apollo-era Moon rock  a hunk of hardened magma and zircon crystal collected by the US astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan during NASA's final 1972 Apollo 17 mission  suggests that the Moon formed roughly 40 million years earlier than scientists previously thought, The Washington Post reports.

According to the new study, published Monday in the journal Geochemical Perspectives Letters, the rock is roughly 4.46 billion years old  a finding that, as study co-author and University of Glasgow cosmochemist Jennika Greer told WaPo, doesn't offer a definitive lunar birthday, but "moves the goalpost" of our Moon's creation back by a few dozen million years.

Moon Matters

Importantly, the theory of how our lunar companion was formed remains intact. As the logic of the giant-impact theory  the most widely accepted hypothesis  goes, a Mars-sized cosmic body dubbed Theia collided with the fledgling Earth, sending liquid-hot magma and other Earthly debris spewing into space. That jetsam then fused together to form Earth's orbiting Moon, an event that scientists believe set our planet on the course toward habitability.

The impact was a "cataclysmic event for Earth and changed Earth's rotational speed," cosmochemist Philipp Heck, senior director of research at the Field Museum in Chicago and senior author of the study, told Reuters. "After that, the moon had an effect on stabilizing Earth's rotational axis and slowing down Earth's rotational speed."

"The formation date of the moon is important," he added, "as only after that Earth became a habitable planet."

Zircon Timestamp

Though the rock in question being mainly comprised of hardened magna is certainly important from a timeline perspective  it's believed that in its earliest stages, the Moon was covered with an ocean of the liquid rock  the zircon crystals embedded within it were really the stars of the study.

As WaPo explains, zircon takes in radioactive uranium as it forms. This uranium, over time, decays into lead, meaning scientists can use a technique called atom probe tomography to examine the uranium isotypes and lead levels within a given zircon sample as a means to timestamp the crystals. In this case, the technique revealed the zircon crystals in the sample to be a very geriatric 4.6 billion years young.

Exciting as the discovery is, however, the scientists were careful to note that we still don't have all the answers.

"It doesn't mean we now know the age of the Moon," Greer told WaPo, nor that "we should stop looking."

More on the Moon: What Does the Moon Smell Like?
 Flash

A Palestinian man mourns for the death of his relatives, following Israeli airstrikes, at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Oct. 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

United Nations (UN) agencies on Tuesday warned that civilians in the Gaza Strip were going through a catastrophic situation and called on all actors to provide sufficient humanitarian assistance to avert a further deterioration.

Rick Brennan, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Emergencies Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region, told a press briefing in Geneva Tuesday from Cairo that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza had resulted in over 5,000 deaths, half of which could be women and children.

He said that one third of all hospitals in Gaza were now not functioning, and people with chronic diseases were finding it more and more difficult to access services they needed, and it was expected that their mortality rate would also increase.

According to the WHO official, an estimated 150 to 200 women were giving birth there each day, and those experiencing difficulties during delivery were at particular risk.

"Some 1.4 million people were now acutely displaced, it was unprecedented that such a large number of people had been displaced over such a short time. This was an incredibly difficult situation," he said, adding that "There was a real worry of the spread of infectious diseases, which could be just a matter of time."

Injured people wait for treatment at a hospital in Gaza City, Oct. 23, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The WHO official also stressed that having fuel was absolutely essential for the functioning of hospitals and ambulances, and WHO was pleading for a sustained, scaled-up, protected humanitarian operation.

Tamara Alrifai of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) told the briefing from Amman that since October 21, three convoys of humanitarian supplies have entered the Gaza Strip with 54 trucks.

She said that before the conflict, 500 trucks had been arriving in the Gaza Strip every day, so the 15 to 20 trucks that had arrived in Gaza per day over the previous three days were but a trickle of what was needed.

The UNRWA called for the lifting of the humanitarian siege and urged continuous and unimpeded humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, she said, adding that the displaced people would soon be needing winter clothes.

"Because of the overcrowding, many were sleeping in the courtyards, which would make it very difficult when the winter hit," she said.
View from above of boulder-studded, reddish martian sand dunes, with a sliver of blue-gray sky in the upper left corner.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter stretched its legs a bit on the Red Planet last week.

The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) Ingenuity conducted its 63rd Mars flight on Thursday (Oct. 19), covering 1,901 feet (579 meters) of ground in the process.

That was "its longest distance since Flight 25," NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages Ingenuity's mission, said via X (formerly Twitter) on Monday (Oct. 23).

Related: Mars helicopter Ingenuity phones home, breaking 63-day silence

Ingenuity flew for 2,310 feet (704 m) on Flight 25, which occurred on April 8, 2022. That's the rotorcraft's single-flight distance record, followed by 2,051 feet (625 m) on Flight 9 in July 2021. Flight 63 is in third place.

This latest sortie lasted 143 seconds, according to the mission's flight log. Ingenuity got a maximum of 39 feet (12 m) above the ground and reached a top speed of about 14.1 mph (22.7 kph).

Those numbers aren't records, either; the superlatives in those categories are 169.5 seconds, 66 feet (20 m) in altitude and 22.4 mph (36 kph), according to the flight log.

RELATED STORIES:

 Mars helicopter Ingenuity: First aircraft to fly on Red Planet

 Perseverance Mars rover snaps amazing shot of dusty Ingenuity helicopter (photo)

 Mars helicopter Ingenuity snaps incredible aerial photo of Perseverance rover during 51st flight

Ingenuity landed inside Mars' 28-mile-wide (45 kilometers) Jezero Crater in February 2021 with NASA's Perseverance rover.

The helicopter's original task was to demonstrate that powered flight is possible on Mars, despite the planet's thin atmosphere. Ingenuity did so over the course of five flights in the spring of 2021. NASA then granted a mission extension, during which the chopper is serving as a scout for the life-hunting, sample-collecting Perseverance.
Nashville Police Chief John Drakes estranged son was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Tuesday night after a three-day manhunt, authorities said. John C. Drake Jr. had been on the run since Saturday when La Vergne police responded to a call of a stolen car near a Dollar General store. In a subsequent confrontation, he allegedly fired a handgun, injuring officers Ashely Boleyjack and Gregory Kern. Both have since been released from the hospital. A Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson said Drake Jr. then stole a car at gunpoint at around 6 p.m. Tuesday before crashing it and fleeing into a shed behind a home. While the officers were surrounding the residence to contain the shed, a gunshot was heard and it appears he has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the spokesperson said. Local outlet WSMV4 obtained a video of the crash and subsequent police chase.

Read it at WSMV4

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake, seen in March, said he had had very minimal contact over many years with his son. He called for his capture and for him to be held accountable for his actions.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake, seen in March, said he had had very minimal contact over many years with his son. He called for his capture and for him to be held accountable for his actions.

The estranged son of Nashvilles police chief, who was wanted in the shooting of two Tennessee police officers over the weekend, has been found dead after a four-day manhunt, authorities said.

John Drake Jr., 38, died Tuesday night from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in Nashville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

Drake was wanted for two counts of attempted murder after wounding La Vergne Officers Ashely Boleyjack and Gregory Kern during a shooting outside of a Dollar General store on Saturday. One of the officers was shot in the shoulder and the other in the groin, La Vergne city officials said.

Drake is believed to have shot himself in a backyard shed following a brief police chase. Authorities say he stole a car at gunpoint at 6 p.m. and then crashed the vehicle while pursued by police. He then fled on foot into the shed.

While officers were surrounding the residence to contain the shed, a gunshot was heard, and it appears he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Nashville Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron told local station WSMV-TV.

Drakes father, Chief John Drake, had said in a statement that he had had very minimal contact over many years with his son. He encouraged his capture and for him to be held accountable for his actions.

Despite my efforts and guidance in the early and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38 years old, resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon. He has not been a part of my life for quite some time, the police chief said. He offered his thoughts and prayers to the two officers wounded.

La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews on Tuesday thanked all law enforcement officers for their help in pursuing Drake and offered his prayers to the police chief and his family.

A statement from Chief Christopher Moews. pic.twitter.com/dyy3lKZZtf  La Vergne, TN Police Department (@LaVergneTNPD) October 25, 2023

A full autopsy will be performed as part of the ongoing investigation by state law enforcement, the TBI said.

Related...
The wealthy Nashville suburb of Franklin roundly rejected what is likely the most controversial mayoral candidate in its history, deciding Gabrielle Hansons myriad scandalsincluding several instances in which she cozied up to white supremacistswere too much to stomach.

The local real estate developer lost with just 20 percent of the vote, records showed, keeping the city of 85,000s longtime incumbent, Ken Moore, in office another four years.

Other MAGA candidates in the city fared largely the same, with a trio of alderman hopefuls supported by what Nashvilles NewsChannel 5 described as a far-right PAC called Williamson Families sent packing by voters.

Tuesdays result puts a cap on a chaotic campaign for Hanson, who seemingly found herself embroiled in new controversies weekly on the home stretch of her election bid.

Hanson, at the time a city alderman, first grabbed national headlines this spring when she tried to block a Pride event in Franklin, arguing that the attire of attendees was a threat to children. Hanson was unable to shut down the event, but the stunt earned her street cred with the citys conservatives.

Clueless MAGA Candidate Tells Voters to Break the Law on Election Day

Soon after, Hanson announced her plans to run for mayor against Moore, who was first elected to the position in 2011. She quickly notched an endorsement from the citys Moms For Liberty chapter, a right-wing advocacy organization thats been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and began echoing far-right talking points.

She loudly lambasted the city for planning to install historical markers about historical racial injustice in the areamemorials she deemed to be racial terror markers. She was grilled for threatening to retaliate against a local airport for supporting a Juneteenth festival and was slammed by Nashville cops for spreading false information about a horrific mass shooting at the citys Covenant School.

Hansons outlandish comments brought more eyes on Franklina quiet city that scores of country music stars and other wealthy Tennesseans call home.

Later in her campaign, the controversies surrounding Hanson became less about her policy ambitionslike restoring traditional values and protecting our familiesand more about her personal life.

In September, Nashvilles News Channel 5 revealed that Hanson was arrested in college for promoting prostitution in Texasa crime she insisted was only a misdemeanor and misunderstanding, but was later revealed to have been a felony conviction.

A week later, the same news station revealed another bombshell. Hanson, who so vehemently fought against a local Pride event because of the attendees attire, had once cheered her husband on as he donned nothing but an American flag Speedo and sandals at a Chicago Pride parade in 2008. The report, written by Phil Williams, included a photo of the scantily-clad Tom Hanson, who was then a congressional candidate in Illinoiss 5th District.

I thought how was I going to make an impact in the parade? Im a Republican, nobodys going to want to listen to me," he told the Windy City Times about the Speedo stunt. So it just came to me. I said maybe Ill wear an American-flag Speedo and my wife said, If you do that, Ill hold you to it.

From Speedos to Spats: Is This the Nuttiest MAGA Candidate Yet?

From there, Hansons scandals came hard and quick. On Sept. 27, the same day news broke about Toms Speedo photo, Hansons supporters formed a blockade to keep Williams from entering a campaign forum, with one Hanson supporter taking a swipe at him. Inside the event, a journalist recorded Hanson saying, No Channel 5. They have to leave.

At Hansons next forum, she was escorted inside by a pair of white supremacists who are part of the Tennessee Active Cluban organization also deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Other club members stood on guard outside, telling reporters they were Hansons security detail.

Despite calls from local politicians, Hanson never disavowed the group, which was spotted carrying Nazi flags at a drag brunch in Cookeville, Tennessee, earlier this year. She insisted she didnt invite the group to her forum personally, but Active Club members disputed that, saying they were invited over concerns related to antifa. Hansons initial efforts to distance herself from the group didnt last longshe was photographed Wednesday grinning next to the hate groups leader, Sean Kauffmann, who has described himself as being an actual literal Nazi.

In an Oct. 10 board meeting, Hanson claimed she didnt disavow the group because they were against antifa. She strangely said to city officials in the meeting, This is exactly the seeds that you sowed and your harvest is now here.

Alderman Beverly Burger, who held the same position as Hanson, called her out and asked: Is it your mission to divide our city? Because youre doing a bang-up job of it right now.

Hanson pushed back hard against rumors that she is a white supremacist herself. Her recent posts suggest that she didnt agree with some of her Active Club pals being labeled as a hate group, however. She posted a PragerU video on Saturday with a banner that read, The SPLCs hate list has become a weapon for taking individuals and groups they disagree with and tarring them with ugly accusations.

Gaffes by Hansons team continued into its final days. A fundraising text that was blasted out to her supporters along with a link to donate on Oct. 11. Instead of linking to the website williamson-families.org, the text mistakenly linked to williamsom-families.org. One enterprising opponent purchased the misspelled domain name and turned it into a website that displayed Tom Hansons infamous Speedo picture.

Just an hour after polls opened on Election Day, Hanson decried that voting machines were malfunctioninga claim that was quickly corrected by a local election official who insisted that all polling locations were operating as normal.

In a statement posted to Facebook and Instagram, Hanson implored voters to snap a photo of their ballots before submitting theman act that is illegal in Tennessee. If caught, voters could have been slapped with a Class C misdemeanor. After people commented to correct her campaigns mistake, Hanson quietly edited her post to tell voters to contact poll workers if they had any trouble.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The littoral combat ship Savannah on Tuesday fired a SM-6 missile from a containerized launching system at a target in the Pacific Ocean, signaling a way that the lightly armed ship class could one day contribute to a conventional naval battle.

Naval Surface Forces said the test is part of ongoing experimentation to see if a mobile launch system could work aboard ships like LCS.

The pricey ship class has become an albatross for the Navy, as the ships are largely unable to take on the missions for which they were envisioned.

Navy brass and Congress have nudged more and more of the LCS class into early retirement, contending they cost too much and would contribute too little in a future fight with an adversary like China.

This weeks test was planned months in advance, Naval Surface Forces said.

Evolution of Aegis Weapon System could underpin joint all-domain operations

The exercise will inform continued testing, evaluation and integration of containerized weapons systems on afloat platforms, the command told Navy Times.

The Navy has been working with the defense industry to make munitions like the SM-6 and their firing systems more mobile.

Lockheed Martin officials told Defense News last year that the company had fielded a four-cell vertical launch missile system and a Virtualized Aegis Weapon System on the Navy surface drone Ranger to fire a missile as a proof of concept.
House Republicans seemed to be in a pretty good mood after nominating Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson to be their next speaker  their fourth nominee in three weeks. They gleefully clustered around Johnson at a news conference Tuesday night, buzzing with genuine optimism at the possibility that their speaker stalemate might finally be over.

But then ABC News reporter Rachel Scott dared to ask a completely legitimate question.

Mr. Johnson, you helped lead the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Scott began. Do you stand by 

The Republicans interrupted Scotts question, booing and jeering. They said things like oh, God and go away! They asked to move on to the next question. And Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina shouted, Shut up! Shut up!

Shut up? Seriously? Thats unbecoming of a member of Congress, and of anyone, really.

It was a perfectly valid question, especially at  a news conference. Johnson is a staunch Trump ally who helped spearhead election-denying efforts in 2020, and thats something that Republicans should have to answer for. He lobbied fellow House Republicans to support the Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate election results in key states, and to vote against the certification of the electoral count on Jan. 6. A New York Times article from 2022 called Johnson the most important architect of the Electoral College objections. Its something that Johnson, too, should have to explain if he is to become one of the most powerful politicians in the country.

The reporter must have hit a nerve. Republicans dont want to talk about their behavior in 2020, because they know it was unacceptable. They refuse to be held accountable for it. So determined are they to avoid the subject that they heckle reporters who dare to bring it up. They know the answer makes them look bad, and theyre scared of what will happen if voters are reminded of who they are. More importantly, they dont want to scorn their leader, Donald Trump, and the loyal GOP base who supports him. So the best they have to offer is shut up.

When I asked whether Foxx believes that questions about 2020 are inappropriate, her office did not respond to my request for comment. Foxx and many of her colleagues from North Carolina were among the 147 Republicans who objected to the certification of electoral votes on Jan. 6. At the time, she said she was merely taking a stand to defend the Constitution. Yeah, right.

The entire exchange was frighteningly dystopian, but it encapsulates exactly what todays Republican Party has become. Juvenile and contemptuous, sneering and laughing about the fact that they are single-handedly dismantling democracy. They just cant take anything seriously.
Cabarrus County Commissioner Kenny Wortman generated sharp criticism from the countys Republican Party after he abruptly decided to leave the GOP.

Wortman, elected as a Republican commissioner in November, announced this month in a 19-minute video posted to Facebook that he would switch his party affiliation to unaffiliated. He expressed displeasure with the local Republican leadership because it does not have your best interests in mind and suggested the party was only concerned with power.

Wortman concluded the video by saying he wouldnt run for reelection once his four-year term expires in 2026.

The Cabarrus County GOP did not receive the move well, particularly Brian Echevarria, head of the countys Republican Party.

During an Oct. 16 Board of Commissioners meeting, Echevarria called Wortman a turncoat and chided him for committing what he called a betrayal of Republican voters that left the county without an all-Republican commission for the first time since 1998, the Independent Tribune reported.

Brian Echevarria, head of the Cabarrus County Republican Party, called current county commissioner Kenny Wortman a turncoat for leaving the GOP.

Commissioner Wortmans decision to step away from the Republican Party and the principles that unite us is a betrayal of Republican voters who trusted he would represent their conservative interests, Echevarria said in prepared comments. And yet now were faced with what our Founding Fathers would have called a turncoat. His departure from the Republican Party is a display of ingratitude and deceit never before seen in Cabarrus County.

A well-known North Carolina party-switcher

While Wortmans decision to leave his political party for another might be historically uncommon for the county of 240,000 residents, it is not nearly the most high-profile or controversial one to occur in North Carolina this year.

In April, Tricia Cotham , a Democrat elected to the North Carolina House, joined the Republican Party and delivered the GOP a supermajority in the state. Her decision  one that shifted the balance of power in North Carolina  sent political ripples throughout the state and generated similar sentiments of betrayal among constituents.

North Carolina has seen politicians switch before Cotham, too. And often for vastly different reasons.

Then-U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms switched from Democrat to Republican in 1970 because he lost faith in the party. Former state Rep. Michael Decker in 2003 announced he would go from Republican to Democrat to support the election of then-House Speaker Jim Black, a Democrat. And Rep. Paul Tine of Kitty Hawk changed his political affiliation from Democrat to unaffiliated in 2015 so he can get more done for his district, he told The News & Observer then.

Since 1994, about 173 lawmakers throughout the United States have changed political affiliation, according to Ballotpedia, a nonpartisan online record documenting the countrys politics.

Political support not guaranteed after change

Does switching parties or affiliations offer any advantages for people like Cotham and Wortman, who make the jump in the era of tribal politics?

No, says Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.

Elected officials who switch parties motivated by sheer power grabs or ideological fits are often treated as outcasts by the group they left and are not entirely backed by the one they joined, he said.

Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Mecklenburg County Republican, debates in favor of a bill that strips the State Board of Education of its power to approve, renew and close charter schools, prior to veto override vote in the House at the General Assembly in Raleigh on Wednesday, Aug 16, 2023.

Cooper cited the circumstance of then-Transylvania County commissioners Page Lemel and Mike Hawkins, who left the Republican Party in 2019 to be unaffiliated. They were unseated in the 2020 Board of Commissioners elections by both Republican and Democrat challengers.

Cotham or other candidates who decided to change parties could face a similar fate, Cooper said.

Its going to be extremely difficult when Tricia Cotham runs for office, Cooper told The Charlotte Observer. She has taken positions in the past that are far to the left of the average Republican. And shes not going to get Democrat votes because she is a Republican now. But it may be difficult for her to get out of a Republican primary given the position shes taken in the past. Hers is a really interesting case.

As for Wortman, choosing the unaffiliated route might seem like an astute political strategy, considering there are 57,227 registered unaffiliated voters in Cabarrus County compared to 50,958 Republicans in the electorate, according to the most recent figures from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

However, history shows it is difficult for candidates to win voter support if not affiliated with one of the two major political parties, Cooper said.

Cabarrus is a changing county and trending away from the Republican Party. So from that perspective, maybe it makes some sense, he said. On the other hand, unaffiliated is just a tough position to run from, even as an incumbent.

Though Wortman is not seeking a second term in office, unaffiliated candidates face challenges not being connected to a political party network; they often need to petition to get on the ballot and risk being shut out of debates.

There are not many unaffiliated candidates who run for office, and when they do run, they tend to lose, Cooper said.

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NC Couple Secures $400K Shark Tank Deal For Their French Fry Bar After Only Having $18 In Bank Account | Photo: skynesher via Getty Images

James and Johanna Windon owned a cleaning business before closing their doors in 2021 due to the pandemic. Like many business owners, they were out of money and needed a steady income to stay afloat. The couple opened their first Latin-inspired food business, Buena Papa, the same year, and they had only $18 in the bank after using their life savings.

Two years later, the couple brings in millions of dollars in revenue, with three locations in North Carolina. According to CNBC, the Windons shared their story on Fridays episode of Shark Tank and landed a $400,000 investment deal from millionaire entrepreneur Robert Herjavec.

Buena Pap Fry Bar is a restaurant specializing in Puerto Rican, Colombian, Mexican and American flavors piled on top of French fries. The husband-and-wife duo opened their first location in Raleigh in July 2021. While the pandemic left the couple scrambling to develop their next business venture, Johanna, of Colombian descent, wanted to create a business highlighting Latin street food, per CNBC.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by NC Food Vlogger | Donte (@platedkulture)

During the episode, James told the investors how they spent $40,000 of their life savings to open the restaurant, with only $18 left in their bank account. However, four weeks later, their specialty fries went viral on TikTok, and their business started booming with paying customers.

Our first year, we did $1.1 million. We took all the profits from that and invested it in [our second] store.  Combined, this year, were going to finish at about $2 million, James explained, adding he and Johanna plan to open another location in Miami later this year, according to CNBC.

The Windons wanted to avoid using their own money to open additional locations and turned to the panel for help. They asked them to invest about $400,000 in exchange for a 7% stake in the business. The couple planned to open a new business each year over the next five years, but they didnt want to use their profits since it was sucking up all the cash flow.

According to James, the pair had already sold franchise rights to four other locations that are yet to open.

As the couple continued sharing their story, each Shark investor had their own reaction to the proposal.

Mark Cuban opted out because he believed the couple were running multiple businesses, and it would have been too much to handle. Meanwhile, Kevin OLeary was on a health journey and thought investing in french fries would be hypocritical. Barbara Corcoran and Lori Greiner thought the couple didnt need any help and were already in great shape.

Lastly, Herjavec proposed a $400,000 investment deal with 20% of the business. While the couple tried negotiating with him, he lowered it to 19%, and the Windons accepted.

Were going to take Buena Papa from Raleigh, North Carolina, and its going to travel all over these United States until its in every metropolitan city, James said. The sky is the limit.
North Carolina Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, who is considering a run for Congress, endorsed former President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Trump is running again for president in 2024 in a crowded GOP primary field that includes his former vice president, Mike Pence, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis . Trump is the current frontrunner, even as he faces criminal charges.

Unequivocally, Im supporting President Trump, Moore told The News & Observer on Wednesday at the Legislative Building, before a House session.

Moore said that he thinks things were better nationally and in the world when Trump was president, saying there are more conflicts worldwide under President Joe Biden .

The 2024 election is shaping up to be a rematch between Biden and Trump.

House Speaker Tim Moore, seen here in a September 2023 file photo on the House floor, will not seek reelection in 2024.

Nationally, the economy was so much stronger when he was president. Internationally, we had peace. Now we have conflict everywhere. It all started with President Biden with how he withdrew our troops from Afghanistan.

Some folks didnt like President Trump, didnt like his style. But its really hard to argue with the results, the fact that the economy was stronger, even having gone through COVID, Moore said.

The fact that we were on an international stage, it was some of the greatest time of peace weve had. The border wall was being constructed, that we actually had a border that was truly being secure in a significant way, he said. Moore is going to the United States-Mexico border on Saturday and said he is concerned about drugs being brought across the border with people entering the country illegally.

All of these things together, and I just look and I say, the job that President Trump did, and compare that with the awful job that President Biden is doing right now, and it was a no-brainer, Moore said.

The N&O asked Moore what he thought about Trumps role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and attempt to overturn the election of Biden, as well as Trumps denial of the 2020 election results after Biden won.

Trump and 18 other people are charged in an illegal scheme in Georgia trying to overturn the election Biden won, the Associated Press reported.

Former President Donald Trump at a commit to caucus rally, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jan. 6 was was very unfortunate. And those who committed a breach, committed the breach of the trust and breach of the Capitol grounds, you know, theyre having to pay the price for that. And thats just the way it is, Moore said.

Moore said people that destroyed property in the George Floyd protests and rioting in 2020 should be prosecuted as well.

I think theres a lot of political hyperbole thats floating around out there (about Jan. 6). I think any individuals who go in and stormed the Capitol building are responsible for their actions, period. And thats all unfortunate, and they have to be held accountable for what they do, he said.

Trump is currently on trial for fraud over exaggerating his real estate holdings.

Moore said that hes looking at the qualities of what he did as the president of the United States and what I know he would do if he came back in office again.

Moore said hell make a decision in the coming weeks about running for Congress. Under the new congressional maps passed by the General Assembly Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jacksons district was redrawn to favor a Republican. The district includes Moores Cleveland County home.

Republican House Majority Leader John Bell, of Wayne County, and other state lawmakers have endorsed DeSantis in the primary.
Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry finally gave up his gavel Wednesday afternoon.

Twenty-two days after eight House Republicans worked with Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from leading the chamber, the party was able to find McCarthys replacement.

Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, received the title after four nominations and four rounds of votes.

But as soon as Republicans announced Johnsons nomination, people, including members of Congress, began asking, Who is Mike Johnson? with some of his colleagues even admitting to having to Google him.

Johnson, Trump and the 2020 election results

Johnson, 51, is serving in his third term in Congress and is most known for his support of former President Donald Trump. He served on Trumps legal defense team during Trumps impeachment hearings, helped organize Republicans to file court documents in Texas that contested the 2020 election results in four swing states and voted to overturn the Pennsylvania election results.

In the House chamber, when Rep. Pete Aguilar, a Democrat from California, called Johnson one of the leading architects of trying to overthrow the certification of President Joe Bidens election, several Republicans shouted, Damn right!

He is also a staunch opponent of abortion, medical marijuana and same-sex marriage.

On Wednesday, Trump said he wouldnt make an endorsement because all five men who sought the Republican nomination Tuesday night were fine and very talented men who have supported him.

In 2024, we will have an even bigger and more important, WIN, Trump wrote on Truth Social. My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST!

That was a drastic turn from Trump helping quash the nomination of Majority Whip Tom Emmer, of Minnesota, who was nominated by Republicans Tuesday morning but was ousted as the nominee by that evening.

When a reporter asked Tuesday night about Johnsons vote to overturn the 2020 election, North Carolinas Rep. Virginia Foxx led her colleagues in chastising the reporter and telling her to Shut up!

NC Republicans in line behind Mike Johnson

North Carolina Republicans coalesced behind Johnson as the nominee. The delegation had stuck with the partys pick as it changed from Majority Leader Steve Scalise , to ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus founder Jim Jordan, to Emmer, to Johnson.

When Rep. Greg Murphy, a Republican from Greenville, voted on the floor for Johnson, he used a Southern turn-of-phrase: Bless your heart, Mike Johnson.

Democrats from North Carolina were faithful in their votes to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

At times throughout the 22 days it appeared that Republicans would never agree on who would lead the House and McHenry might become speaker by default, a position he made clear he wasnt interested in.

McHenry, 48, became the temporary speaker on Oct. 3, after he found his name on top of a secret list kept by McCarthy of potential successors in case something happened to him that made him unable to fulfill his job. The successor list is kept as a post-9/11 rule to ensure that someone could take charge of the chamber in the event of a crisis.

However, once McHenry received the title, the parliamentarian quickly told the men that the role of speaker pro tem was meant strictly to help the chamber find a permanent successor. McHenry took that ruling seriously and brought no legislation to the floor, essentially allowing the eight Republicans to paralyze Congress for most of October.

Republicans met in conference many times throughout the month trying to find someone who could take on McCarthys role. At first, Scalise emerged as the conferences nominee. But within 24 hours, Scalise pulled out of the process after some members of the conference tried to negotiate with him for their vote.

Jordan became the nominee next. But Jordans reputation as a rabble-rouser and staunch support of Trump, including helping Trump spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being stolen, drew the ire of a large group of Republicans.

Jordan tried to bring his nomination to the floor three times, but each time the number of Republicans voting against him grew larger.

That led Republicans to vote Friday afternoon to revoke their nomination of Jordan and start from scratch Monday, with another nine Republicans attempting to become speaker.

Late Tuesday evening, after Johnson received the nomination, Republicans announced they would take his nomination to a floor vote as soon as they could.
 Flash

Soldiers are seen on a naval vessel during a joint naval exercise on the sea off Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on April 26, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese defense spokesperson on Wednesday criticized a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Defense for its disregard of facts and distortion of China's national defense policy and military strategy.



Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the U.S. 2023 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, saying that the report hypes up the baseless "China's military threat."

He stressed that China is committed to peaceful development and pursues a defensive national defense policy. China's military development "targets no specific countries or objectives" and is "legitimate, legal, reasonable and moderate," Wu said.

On military-to-military relations between China and the United States, Wu said the U.S. side is singlehandedly responsible for the current difficulties and barriers facing the two militaries.

The spokesperson urged the U.S. side to stop fabricating stories, correct its wrong perception of China, and promote healthy and stable development of the relations between the two countries and their militaries with sincerity and concrete actions.
The North Carolina Supreme Court has granted the request of Republican legislative leaders to revisit whether the courts can order the state to pay hundreds of millions to public schools

In a court order dated Oct. 20, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal filed by Sen. Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore that a trial judge lacked the jurisdiction to say the state owes schools $677.8 million.

In its majority decision, Republican Associate Judge Phil Berger Jr.  the son of Sen. Berger  said many matters remain unresolved in the long-running Leandro school funding case. Among them, he wrote, is whether the prior order should apply to the whole state or just the five school districts that started the lawsuit.

If public school students or local school boards who are not parties to this case believe the remedial order does not sufficiently address the educational failure in their districts, are they bound by the remedial order? Berger Jr. wrote. If so, how were their rights adjudicated without their presence in the suit  an elementary principle of jurisdictional law.

Democratic judges dissent over hearing appeal

Just days before the November 2022 midterm elections, the then-Democrat-controlled Supreme Court issued a decision backing a trial judges order requiring the state to transfer the money. But Republicans won two seats in last years elections to gain a 5-2 majority on the high court.

In March, the courts new GOP majority reinstated an order from a panel of appeals court judges saying that the trial judge had exceeded his authority when he ordered the money transfer.

In her Oct. 20 dissent, Democratic Associate Justice Anita Earls accused the majority of allowing GOP lawmakers to relitigate last years decision.

Make no mistake: By granting the Legislative-Intervenors petition, the majority agrees to revisit Leandro IV and ignore what we said just 11 months ago, Earls wrote. By doing so, it tells the public that our decisions are fleeting. Across every meaningful metric, we have already resolved this dispute.

No court date has been set to hear the appeal.

In this file photo, members of the N.C. Supreme Court stand before a recess in May 2022. At the time, the court had a 4-3 Democratic majority but the changed with the November 2022 election. The court now has a 5-2 Republican majority, which agreed to rehear cases on voter ID and gerrymandering.

Nearly 30 years of litigation

The Leandro school funding lawsuit was initially filed in 1994 by low-wealth school districts to get more state funding.

Over the years, the state Supreme Court has ruled that the state constitution guarantees every child an opportunity to receive a sound basic education and that the state was failing to meet that obligation.

In November 2021, Superior Court Judge David Lee ordered the state treasurer, controller and budget director to transfer $1.75 billion to fund the next two years of a plan developed by a consultant. The plan is meant to try to provide every student with high-quality teachers and principals.

During the case, the leaders of the Republican-led General Assembly have argued that only lawmakers and not the courts have the state constitutional authority to spend state funds. GOP leaders have also argued that any court decision should be confined to Hoke County or the original plaintiffs.

Lee has since passed away. In April, Superior Court Judge James Ammons issued an updated court order saying $677.8 million is still owed.

GOP lawmakers appeal judges order

In September, Berger and Moore appealed Ammons authority to issue his order. The courts 5-2 GOP majority granted the legislators request to hear the appeal.

Berger Jr., who was part of last years dissent, accused the former Democratic majority of rushing to reach a decision last November without addressing many issues..

In sum, the Legislative-Intervenors argued various jurisdictional theories in their briefs and arguments to this Court that were left unresolved, Berger Jr. wrote. This court is dutybound to address any potential subject matter jurisdiction issues, even those that are not raised by the parties.

But Earls says the majority did resolve the jurisdiction issue last year.

Beyond question, public education is an important issue that sparks strong beliefs, Earls wrote. And when this Court rapidly reverses course on that topic, it calls into question its commitment to legal principle. It signals to North Carolinians that their constitutional protections h[a]ng by a thread  that a new majority can by dint of numbers alone expunge their rights.
A significant minority of Americans believe the country is in such dire straits that extreme measures  violence and violation of laws  are warranted, according to new polling.

Twenty-three percent of Americans agreed that because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country, according to a poll released Oct. 25 by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

This marks the first time that support for political violence has risen above 20% since the PRRI, in conjunction with the Brookings Institution, began posing the question in March 2021.

Inclinations toward violence varied greatly by partisan affiliation with 33% of Republicans and 13% of Democrats supporting it.

Additionally, Americans who believe the unfounded accusations of the 2020 election being rigged against then-President Donald Trump were far more likely to support violence than those who believe the election was fair  46% to 13%, respectively, according to the poll. This finding comes despite there being no evidence of any systemic voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The poll surveyed a representative sample of 2,525 U.S. adults online between Aug. 25 and 30, and has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.

Nearly four in ten Americans, 38%, agreed that we need a leader who is willing to break some rules if thats what it takes to set things right, while 59% disagreed. Roughly half of Republicans, 48%, and 29% of Democrats favored a rule-breaking leader.

The poll is at least the second released in recent weeks that reveals authoritarian tendencies among a large portion of Americans.

A poll released by the University of Virginias Center for Politics found that 41% of President Joe Biden supporters and 38% of Donald Trump supporters viewed violence as an acceptable measure to thwart their political opponents. The poll surveyed 2,008 registered voters from Aug. 25 to Sept. 11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Other findings

The PRRI poll also found that 77% of Americans said the country is going in the wrong direction, continuing a decades-long trend of dissatisfaction with the nations trajectory, according to Gallup.

The overwhelming majority of Republicans and independents, 90% and 81% respectively, said the United States is on the wrong track, while 59% of Democrats said the same.

About half of Americans living in urban areas, 50%, said things were moving in the right direction, while 67% of those living in rural areas said the country was heading in the wrong direction.

Additionally, a minority of Americans, 44%, said American culture has improved since the 1950s, while 55% said it has taken a turn for the worse, with 73% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats saying the latter.

The poll also found that 38% of Americans agreed that immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background, while 57% disagreed.

Sixty-five percent of Republicans, 37% of independents and 15% of Democrats support this idea  dubbed the Great Replacement Theory by some conservatives.

Further, when faced with 20 political issues, 62% of Americans rated everyday expenses and housing costs as critical issues, while about half considered crime, health care, human trafficking and health of democracy as critical issues.

Large portion of Americans doubt democracy and view violence as acceptable, poll finds

Should US arm Israel? Send humanitarian aid to Gaza? What Americans said in new polls

Do people in US support Ukraine aid? Polls find divide as funding remains in jeopardy
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Wednesday, but he declined to provide any details on the timing or other information about the operation.

He said the decision on when forces would go into the Palestinian enclave, controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas, would be taken by the government's special war cabinet, which includes the leader of one of the centrist opposition parties.

"We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning," Netanyahu said.

"Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be."

Israel has carried out days of intense bombardment of the densely populated Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli communities that killed some 1,400 people. More than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in the bombardments, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Netanyahu, who has so far not taken responsibility for the security failures that led to the Hamas attack, said all involved would be called to account.

"The scandal will be fully investigated," he said. "Everyone will have to give answers, me too. But all this will happen only after the war."

Earlier, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had agreed to delay the invasion of Gaza for now, so the United States could rush missile defences to the region.

Reuters reported on Monday that Washington advised Israel to hold off on a ground assault and is keeping Qatar - a broker with the Palestinian militants - apprised of those talks as its tries to free more hostages and prepare for a possible wider regional war.

(Reporting by Henriette Chacar, writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Crispian Balmer and Angus MacSwan)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Could the birthplace of modern Las Vegas be on life support? The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort has stood since 1855, but the changing neighborhood around the fort presents new challenges.

The organization Preserve Nevada includes the fort in a new list of the 11 Most Endangered Places in Nevada. The list is compiled to call attention to Nevada historic sites in the same spirit as the National Trust for Historic Preservations list of 11 sites around the entire country.

We choose places and subjects that may be in imminent danger, may just be suffering from neglect, or may seem safe but are not, Michael Green, an associate professor of history at UNLV and Preserve Nevadas executive director, said as the list was released last week. These regions of our past are important to protect, and to get to know better.

With Gov. Joe Lombardo taking workers to an office park near Harry Reid International Airport and Cashman Center no longer in use, Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Park could get lost in the shuffle, Preserve Nevada warns.

As the oldest part of the citys Cultural Corridor evolves, including the loss of the Nevada State government offices across the street, preservationists worry that the fort might one day face the wrecking ball too, according to the organization.

The fort is the only Las Vegas site on Preserve Nevadas list, which stretches to Thacker Pass in the far northwest of the state to Reno, Austin, Winnemucca, Elko, Mineral County and other locations. The entire list:

1: Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort: After it was built in 1855 next to a spring-fed creek flowing through the valley, the fort changed hands several times. It was converted into a ranch by Octavius Decatur Gass. It was owned by Helen and Archibald Stewart before being sold in 1902 to the Los Angeles-based Salt Lake Railroad Company, which built a train line between Utah and California, according to Preserve Nevada. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places more than 50 years ago, and the City of Las Vegas is in the process of revising that listing.

Men and a boy, horses, and dogs outside of buildings at the Las Vegas Mormon Fort, 1909. (UNLV Special Collections and Archives)

2. Peehee muhuh, or Rotten Moon (also known as Thacker Pass): Construction has begun on an open-pit mine designed to excavate what mining officials say is the largest lithium deposit in the nation, Preserve Nevada said. The redevelopment is mired in controversy. Peehee muhuh  or Rotten Moon, as it is known to the Northern Paiutes  lies between the Double H and Montana Mountains in northern Nevada. According to tribal elders, in 1865 it was the site of a massacre by government soldiers who killed 31 men, women, and children. In 1968, a Bureau of Land Management District surveyor found five sites, which included the remains of Northern Paiute ancestors and evidence of a camp.

FILE  A billboard displays Protect Thacker Pass near the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Indian Reservation on April 25, 2023, near McDermitt, Nev. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday, July 17, 2023, rejected the latest bid by conservationists and tribal leaders to block construction of a huge lithium mine already in the works along the Nevada-Oregon line. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

3. Winnemucca Grammar School: A 1920s two-story brick structure based on the architectural works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Preserve Nevada said. In the 1990s, the school district demolished and rebuilt the grammar schools annex building. Today, the school is still in use, but is rapidly decaying with age, including water damage, a deteriorating foundation, loose bricks, and crumbling molding  and administrators are concerned with finding funds to adapt the old structure to meet modern standards.

4. Southern Pacific Repair Shops (Warehouse): A 1904 structure with a connection to the birth of Sparks, Nevada. Southern Pacific relocated some operations to the area and workers snapped up plots of land for $1. Today, its imposing brick, metal, steel frame make it a prominent symbol of Renos rich railroad history, years after I-80 expansion physically separated it from the rest of the city, Preserve Nevada said. The Southern Pacific Repair Shops were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, but were subsequently delisted for unknown reasons. Recently, the Southern Pacific Railroad announced plans to tear down the warehouses machine shop, coinciding with the opening celebration of an art gallery by a new tenant. And preservationists fear more demolition could loom in its future.

Southern Pacific Railroad shops. (UNR Special Collections)

5. Elko Water Company Canal System Chinese Water Ditch: Imagine hand-digging an 8.5-mile ditch. Thats what some Chinese laborers did for work outside of Elko after they completed the Golden Spike connection for the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory, Utah, in 1869. The ditch supplied water to Elko. Portions of the original ditch still exist, the most visible of which is east of Elko.The canal system is a physical record of the Chinese communitys presence, ingenuity, and resourcefulness in northeastern Nevada that has been largely unrecorded, and preservationists call for its protection, Preserve Nevada said.

6. Bethel Church and the City of Renos Northwest Quadrant: During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, many of Renos NAACP chapter members were congregants of Bethel A.M.E. Church, which was the chapters official meeting location, according to Preserve Nevada. Now, the Neon Line District redevelopment project has leaders concerned that several pieces of the citys history will be lost. The church was built in 1910 and has served as a religious, social and political center for Renos African American community.

7. Lemaire Store, Battle Mountain: A two-story structure built in 1876 fronts the railroad tracks and is one of the earliest commercial buildings remaining in Battle Mountain. Over the years, the store was the site of fundraisers, dances and the 1912-1914 campaign to secure voting rights for white Nevada women, according to Preserve Nevada. A.D. Lemaire bought the store in 1879 and the family ran it until the 1980s. The Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum, which opened in 2012, is located within the restored 1920s cookhouse, and is making strides in highlighting the towns cultural history. Preservationists say maintaining the stores historical integrity contributes to our understanding of the community, born as a rail stop between Winnemucca and Elko, and one of its leading families.

8. 1930s Motor Courts: A product of growing automobile travel in the early to mid-1900s, motor courts are now usually abandoned and dilapidated buildings outside of small towns. Preserve Nevada said the buildings often exhibit Wild West and Western lore. The buildings and marquees reflect a variety of architectural styles  including Mid Century Modern, Art Deco, and Googie, but they are threatened by rising land values and new development. Due to their isolated locations, the now-aging motor courts today are often relegated to long-term residential use, if theyre used at all.

9. Historic Cemeteries and Burial Sites: Boom and bust cycles that followed Nevada mining development has left a legacy of small cemeteries that are sometimes vandalized, but theyre an important record of the existence of some towns. The Nevada Legislature completed a survey in 1962 showing 3,000 cemeteries throughout the state, Preserve Nevada said. Preservationists call for public and private protection and stewardship to help keep the miners stories alive for future generations.

A historic cemetery in Tuscarora, Nevada. (Aaron Mayes/UNLV)

10. Mineral and Nye County Courthouses: Preserve Nevada puts both structures on its list, citing the historical significance. The Mineral County courthouse is the only one in Nevada to have served two different jurisdictions, while the Nye County facility boasted one of the most expensive construction budgets of its time. The Nye County courthouse in Tonopah was built in 1905 at a cost of $55,000. Now it needs roof repairs that will cost $200,000.

Postcard image featuring the Nye County Court House in Tonopah in the early 1900s. (UNR Special Collections)

11. Downtown Austin: Another important site in the states mining history, Austin is located on U.S. 50  The Loneliest Road in America. But economic support to maintain downtown Austin has been sparse. Preservationists are calling for the careful, thoughtful restoration of several buildings that are still in use, including the Austin Courthouse, Mark Twain International Hotel, St. Augustines Catholic Church (now an events center), the Methodist Church (now a community center) and St. Georges Episcopal Church.

The list was published last week by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

For more on Preserve Nevada, see the organizations website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
A pair of teens accused of killing a former police chief laughed and flipped off the victims family in court this week.

Before the start of a hearing in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the widow and daughter of former Bell, Calif. police chief Andreas Probst said Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, laughed at them and flipped them off.

It just makes him look bad, wife Crystal Probst told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

These guys did not respect the court whatsoever, the victims daughter, Taylor Probst, told News3LV. They were just dicking around the entire time.

Ayala and Keys are facing murder charges in connection with the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed Andreas Probst, 66, in August. They were also charged with attempted murder, failing to stop at the scene of a crash, battery, residential burglary, grand larceny of a vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Both have pleaded not guilty ahead of their mid-September trial.

According to police, the two teens stole several vehicles during a crime spree that they videotaped. One video shows Probst being mowed down while riding a bicycle in what appears to have been an intentional act.

How can you sit there after taking a mans life and act like such an entitled p-k? Taylor Probst said, regarding the teens behavior in court and in the videos.

The widow and daughter told the Review-Journal they would not be intimidated and planned to continue attending the court appearances.
Ocala police want to you to know about a phone scam they say is trying to trick people out of their money.

Investigators said multiple residents have reported getting phone calls demanding money from someone claiming to be an Ocala Police Department employee.

Police said in at least one case, a scammer pretended to be an officer, and told a citizen they needed to pay a $2,000 fine to avoid being arrested for missing jury duty.

READ: Marion County deputy shoots armed suspect after fleeing traffic stop, sheriffs office says

The resident almost fell for it, but eventually caught on after the scammer instructed them to purchase a prepaid card to settle the phony debt, OPD said.

Police are reminding residents that they would never contact citizens to send money, buy gift cards or give out personal information.

READ: Phone scam alert issued by Marion County Sheriffs Office

If you get a call like this, the Ocala Police Department wants to hear from you at 352-369-7000.

Other law enforcement agencies in Central Florida, including Marion County Sheriffs Office and Orange County Sheriffs Office have recently issued alerts about phone scams.

Orange County deputies warn over scammers threatening jail for missed jury duty

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declared Wednesday that the House of Representatives was "back in business," and vowed his first legislative action would be in support of Israel as it faces multiple threats.

"I want to thank you all for the trust that you have instilled in me to lead us in this historic and unprecedented moment that we're in. The challenge before us is great, but the time for action is now, and I will not let you down," he told his Republican colleagues in his first address to the House after winning the race for speaker.

Johnson became the first House speaker elected from the state of Louisiana after winning a 220-209 vote with the support of the entire Republican conference (minus one absence) while Democrats unanimously supported House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., as expected.

NEW POLL: TIGHT RACE BETWEEN TRUMP, BIDEN WITH RFK, CORNEL WEST INDEPENDENT BIDS THREATENING BOTH CANDIDACIES

Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, speaks after becoming US House speaker in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.

Johnson was the fourth GOP nominee vying for the role after numerous failed attempts to unite Republicans following former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster earlier this month.

"I want to say to the American people on behalf of all of us here: We hear you. We know the challenges you're facing. We know that there's alot going on in our country domestically and abroad, and we're ready to get to work again to solve those problems, and we will," Johnson said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Our mission here is to serve you well, to restore the peoples faith in this house, in this great and essential institution," he added.

WATCH: ILHAN OMAR BREAKS DOWN IN FIT OF RAGE AIMED AT BIDEN, DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP OVER SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

Johnson vowed the "first bill" he would bring to the House floor as speaker would be "in support of our dear friend Israel."

"We are overdue in getting that done," he said. "We are going to show not only Israel, but the entire world that the barbarism of Hamas that we have all seen play out on our television screens is wretched and wrong, and we are going to stand for the good in the conflict."

He also promised to "immediately" form a bipartisan debt commission to address the nation's growing debt crisis, and called on the House to come together to address the "broken" U.S. southern border.

REPUBLICANS ANNOUNCE RECORD-BREAKING FUNDRAISING HAUL IN EFFORT TO GROW HOUSE MAJORITY IN 2024

Israeli forces establish heavily armed control points along the border as Israel tightens measures by the army, police and other security forces after Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in Sderot, Israel.

Johnson dedicated part of his speech to thanking McCarthy for his dedication to "selfless public service," and praised him as "the reason we are in this majority today."

"His impact can never be overstated," he said.





Original article source: Newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson declares House 'back in business,' vows action to support Israel
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana ended three weeks of Republican chaos Wednesday by winning election as House Speaker.

Leapfrogging better-known GOP leaders, Johnson won the votes of all 220 Republican colleagues, succeeding in avoiding riling up any significant group in the fractious House caucus.

Now that he has the speakers gavel, Johnson faces a lengthy legislative to-do list topped by passing aid to Israel as it battles Hamas and funding the government ahead of a Thanksgiving deadline.

Who is Mike Johnson?

Johnson, 51, is a four-term congressman from Shreveport, Louisiana.

He was a state lawmaker, law professor and activist for a Christian conservative legal group before winning election to Congress in 2016.

Johnson represents a ruby red district that covers most of northwest Louisiana, a conservative area that has swung even further to the right in recent years.

He overwhelmingly won reelection by a 2-1 margin in 2020 and didnt even face any opposition in 2022.

How did Johnson become speaker?

Johnson won by a 220-209 vote with all Republicans voting for him and all Democrats voting for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

He emerged as a candidate a day earlier only after three much better-known candidates crashed and burned amid opposition from significant factions within the divided Republican caucus.

Johnson officially replaces Kevin McCarthy , who was hounded out of the speakers post by a group of eight hardliners for the first time in history.

Where does Johnson stand on issues?

Johnson is among the most staunchly conservative members of Congress and a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump.

Although he is relatively soft spoken, Johnson holds very far right-wing views on everything from abortion and gay rights to Trumps effort to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.

He supports a national ban on all abortions and introduced a bill that would have imposed a ban on all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a break from some Republicans who favor leaving abortion rights to the states.

One of Johnsons far-fetched claims about abortion is that legal abortion endangers retirement programs like Social Security and Medicare because it permits women to avoid giving birth to more able-bodied workers.

Johnson is a strong opponent of same-sex marriage, a right that could be in danger because the legal support for it is virtually the same as that of the now overturned Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

He backed a national version of Floridas controversial so-called dont say gay law restricting discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms.

On the 2020 election, Johnson signed onto a lawsuit that claimed President Joe Bidens victories in several battleground states were invalid, claims that were tossed out by judges. He nevertheless voted against certifying Bidens win even after the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

What will Johnson do now?

The first item on Johnsons agenda will be to get the House back to passing laws, something it hasnt been doing since McCarthy was stripped of the gavel.

He will need to figure out a way to pass aid to Israel to help in its war with Hamas. But the White House and Senate want that aid tied to aid to Ukraine, which Johnson and many Republicans oppose.

Johnson will also need to negotiate a new spending deal to fund the government after a looming Thanksgiving deadline.

The peril to the new guy should be obvious: McCarthys decision to keep the government open by compromising with Democrats led to his ouster.

Will Johnson hurt GOP chances of holding the House?

Thats the biggest question for Democrats who hope to use Johnson as an albatross around the neck of moderates, including the six New York Republicans who flipped Democratic-held seats in 2022.

If they can convince voters that Johnson is too conservative, those so-called front-line Republicans in suburban swing districts could be swept from office in 2024 and pave the way for a new Democratic majority.

Republicans will hope that Johnson can keep his head down and avoid taking harsh far-right stands that could be extremely controversial in suburban swing districts.

______
An investigation has been launched into Monday's attack in Coyuca de Benitez

At least 11 police officers and two security chiefs have been killed in Mexico's southern Guerrero state, say local media quoting police sources.

They say a security patrol was ambushed by unidentified gunmen in the Coyuca de Benitez municipality, just west of the Pacific resort of Acapulco.

Some of the victims of Monday's attack were handcuffed before being shot dead, El Universal newspaper says.

Guerrero has been plagued by violence related to drug-trafficking.

Various groups in the area battle for control of the lucrative drug routes north along the Pacific corridor.

The region is also a hotspot for the growing of opium poppies and the production of heroin.

Last year, a mayor of a small town in Guerrero was shot dead by gunmen.

The authorities blamed that attack on a criminal gang linked to a drug cartel.

Map
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday  after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders.

Newsom is on a weeklong tour of China, where he will push for climate cooperation. His visit, once customary, is drawing attention after years of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China, The Associated Press reported.

Im here in expectation, as you suggest, of turning the page, of renewing our friendship and reengaging [on] foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective faith in the future, Newsom said Wednesday.

The California Democrat also met with Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi, who is expected to visit Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Wangs visit is among a series of trips by top officials from each country with the aim of relieving tensions.

In a few weeks, President Biden may also meet with Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

Newsom said he and Xi discussed ways to accelerate our progress on climate change in meaningful and substantive ways. The California governor also said they spoke about fentanyl and Chinas role in combatting the shipping of chemicals that make up the drug.

Xi reportedly told Newsom he hopes his visit will enhance mutual understanding and promote the development of relations between the U.S. and China.

In a speech at Hong Kong University on Monday, Newsom pledged cooperation on climate change regardless of the outcome of the next U.S. presidential election.

Among other meetings, Newsom met with the head of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission and signed a memorandum on deepening cooperation in environmental issues, the AP reported.

Other Governors of California have visited China before, including Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat Jerry Brown, who created the California-China Climate Institute at the University of California, Berkley.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday as the U.S. grappled with rising tensions with the worlds second-largest economy and the Democratic governor worked to navigate a challenging diplomatic landscape on a trip meant to promote climate cooperation.

The meeting at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing came as Chinas top diplomat announced plans to visit Washington on Thursday, and weeks before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco, where President Biden may meet with Xi  signals that both sides could make efforts to improve whats become a frosty relationship.

It was Newsom's second meeting with a foreign government leader in less than a week, after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Friday  an extraordinary foray into international affairs for a governor who has no authority on global matters. Though he has repeatedly said he is not planning a run for president, Newsom's sudden pivot to international diplomacy allows him to build experience that could help in a future run for higher office.

In Beijing, where Chinese handlers tightly controlled media access, American reporters were not allowed into the meeting between Newsom and Xi.

Talking with reporters afterward, Newsom said he spoke with Xi about climate change, trade, tourism and the fentanyl crisis that has gripped the United States, areas in which he hopes the two nations can cooperate.

On fentanyl, Newsom said the two men discussed so-called precursor chemicals that make their way through the black market from China to Mexico and then into the U.S. as deadly pills.

Read more: After Israel visit, Newsom heads to China for climate talks. But can he avoid global conflicts?

"We talked about the importance of this issue and how it's played an outsized role as the leading cause of death for 18- to 49-year-olds in the United States," Newsom said. "It's taking the life of one-plus person every single day in San Francisco."

He described fentanyl as an issue that "should scare every parent out there" because of how many young people are dying from taking pills that they don't know contain the drug.

"This is a big, big issue," Newsom said.

Before his talks with Xi, Newsom met with three other Chinese officials. American media were allowed to cover just a few minutes of each of those meetings as Newsom and the Chinese dignitaries made introductory remarks.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom shakes hands with Zheng Shanjie, head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Ng Han Guan / Associated Press)

Newsom said he talked with them about issues including human rights abuses in Hong Kong, his desire to see a two-state solution in Israel and his hope that China will release David Lin, a California resident who has been detained in China since 2006.

"We hope David Lin comes back. We hope he's released," Newsom said. "He's 67 years old, he's a man of faith, and he's being held. ... On the basis of what I know, and with humility, but with what I know, he should be released."

Newsom said he sees discussions about cooperating to fight climate change as a way to open the door to broader relationships between the U.S. and China, noting that "we all breathe the same air."

A tense geopolitical climate has loomed over Newsoms voyage to promote cooperation on climate-friendly technologies such as electric vehicles and wind energy. Relations between the U.S. and China were already strained before this months eruption of war between Israel and Hamas presented a new potential wedge between the worlds two superpowers.

Read more: Despite diplomatic tension, Newsom is going to China to promote cooperation on climate change

China and Russia announced last week that they intend to work together to create an alliance that could attempt to counter U.S. support for Israel. The Pentagon reported recently that China is building up its nuclear weapons arsenal faster than previously projected and is probably studying Russias war in Ukraine to get a sense of how a conflict over Taiwan could play out. China immediately fired back that the report is false, and blasted the U.S . as the worlds biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability, citing Americas recent actions to help Israel and Ukraine.

All that comes on top of disagreements between the U.S. and China over trade, human rights and the militarization of the South China Sea. In February, the U.S. shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military installations. In August, Biden signed an executive order to block and regulate U.S. investments in Chinese tech companies.

Newsom, who said he urged Xi to come to San Francisco for the APEC conference next month, is the first U.S. governor to visit China since 2019. His visit could help improve dynamics between the two nations, said Susan Shirk, a political scientist at UC San Diego.

Read more: U.S. warns of a Chinese global disinformation campaign that could threaten peace and stability

Right now the U.S. and China are in a downward spiral in their relationship. It's really quite dangerous, and we're not going to prevent further deterioration of relations  or even the risk of war  unless our decision-makers talk to one another, Shirk said.

So diplomacy is really important.

Newsom began the day in Beijing on Wednesday by signing a clean-energy agreement with the leader of China's National Development and Reform Commission, which oversees the country's economic development plans. Then he met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is traveling to Washington this week to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken .

It was Newsom's meeting with Vice President Han Zheng that showed the personal dimension of political relationships built over time. Han recalled meeting Newsom almost20 years ago when he was the mayor of Shanghai and Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco. As sister cities, San Francisco and Shanghai developed long-standing economic and cultural exchanges that Han called a good example of China-U.S. subnational cooperation.

China-U.S. relations are "the most important bilateral relations in the world, and subnational cooperation [plays] an indispensable part to facilitate a sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations, he said through an interpreter.

National-level relations must also include the relations between states, between sectors of society and between the business communities. Only by doing this can we bring the relations back to the right channel of development.

Newsom paid tribute to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in his remarks to the vice president, recalling her work to establish the sister-city relationship with Shanghai when she was San Francisco mayor in the 1980s.

I cannot impress upon you more how indelible her memory and her mentorship is in relationship to maintaining the relationship to China, Newsom said. Its the foundation that was built that reminds me of how important it is to continue to advance this spirit that unites us here today.

Shirk said its risky for American politicians to engage with Chinese officials. But, she said, its also beneficial.

China's going to be there forever, even after Xi Jinping, she said. So it's really good to maintain relations at the people-to-people level.

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.
Seraphine Warren poses for a photo in her home in Tooele, Utah, on Sept. 23, 2021, with a rug made by her aunt, Navajo rug weaver Ella Mae Begay.

Seraphine Warren gained attention for her cross-country walk from the Navajo Nation to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about her missing aunt. Now newly unsealed federal court documents show that she and three other people were arrested and charged in connection with a 2021 kidnapping case.

The unnamed victim was released by the group in Farmington, New Mexico, records say.

According to the documents, filed in New Mexico District Court, Warren, along with three other people, were indicted by a grand jury for kidnapping, defined in the indictment as "unlawfully kidnapping, abducting, inveigling, decoying, seizing, confining, and carrying away the victim," and holding that victim for ransom.

The victim was transported from Arizona to New Mexico, records say.

The indictment includes a count of conspiracy to kidnap, alleging that from about March 29, 2021, to around April 1, 2021, Warren, Orlando Begay, Nelson Alex Begay and Josephine Begay collaborated to kidnap the victim and hold him for ransom.

The alleged kidnapping occurred before Warren's aunt, Ella Mae Begay, was reported missing on June 15, 2021.

Initial court appearances began this week for some of the defendants, with an arraignment scheduled for Thursday.

According to court documents, the group had researched the victim through Facebook, determined his location and confronted him. They had with them handcuffs, two paintball guns, a metal baton, pepper spray and a Glock handgun, which the documents allege they intended to use in the kidnapping.

The group entered the victim's home in Arizona, physically confronted him, handcuffed him, and then took him from Arizona to New Mexico.

Court documents say Warren hit the victim on top of the head with a blunt object. The group shot him with the paintball guns they brought, handcuffed him and then put him in the back of their truck.

The Ella Mae Begay missing persons case

Warren gained public attention in June 2022, when she started her cross-country walk a year after her aunt, Ella Mae Begay, disappeared from her home in Sweetwater. The missing persons case had become nationally known through media coverage Warren and her family were able to garner.

On April 3, Preston Henry Tolth was arrested on charges in the disappearance of Begay.

Tolth was charged with assault resulting in bodily injury and carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. Authorities say he had only recently met Begay before he allegedly assaulted her and stole her Ford F-150 pickup truck.

I really didnt think that my aunt being missing would correlate with everything that I am doing, said Warren in a previous interview. When I was leaving, I was trying to think what to bring along the way. It was my son who said, What are you doing? You don't need anything. And then I instantly thought, 'I dont need anything.' My aunt was forced to leave her house with nothing.

Although Tolth was arrested, Begays remains have never been recovered. She is still listed as missing, one of 79 people on the Navajo Nation on that list, including 24 females and 55 males, according to Navajo Nation Police.

Losing my dad was the worst, but losing my mom is the worst to deal with, said Gerald Begay, Ella Mae Begay's son, in a previous phone interview. I am close to my mom. Its a lot. Im still here. Still looking forward to getting at least some type of closure, if anything. If not, then at least get the people responsible for this whole situation, and not let it happen again to somebody else because its hard.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Seraphine Warren, niece of missing Navajo woman, faces kidnapping case
In The Know by Yahoo

Is the 60-second rule worth adopting? Sarah Akram, the founder of Sarah Akram Skincare, shares her thoughts. The post Expert weighs in on whether or not you should wash your face for at least 60 seconds appeared first on In The Know.
Prosecutors in California will not seek hate crime charges against the man who allegedly yelled an antigay slur before shooting to death LGBTQ+ advocate Daniel Landeros last month.

Fredi Rivera, 27, was arrested on October 4 and charged with the first-degree murder of Landeros at Yokuts Park in Bakersfield around 11:30 p.m. on September 18. Landeros, 43, was celebrating his birthday with a walk through the park with a friend when Rivera allegedly approached the pair and uttered a homosexual derogatory slang, the friend later told investigators, local NBC affiliate KGET reported.

Against the friends advice, Landeros followed the man who was seen near a black 2003 H3 Hummer and hurled an insult of his own while the friend waited on a park bench. Moments later the friend reported hearing a single gunshot and seeing the vehicle pull away. Landeros staggered to him with a gunshot wound to the chest and collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:18 p.m. by police.

Despite the alleged use of a derogatory slur by Rivera, Deputy District Attorney Samantha Allen said her office doesnt have sufficient evidence to warrant hate crime charges.

We filed the charges based on the evidence submitted, Allen said in a statement. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Despite the lack of a hate crime charge at present, prosecutors feel they have a strong case. The Hummer seen at the scene was found gutted by fire the following day roughly 30 miles south of Bakersfield. It was linked to Rivera and his mothers home in Delano where he was living at the time. According to court documents, his mother at first told police the Hummer had been parked in the driveway at the time of the murder. When confronted with images proving the Hummer was elsewhere, police say she said she had not seen the SUV that night and that her son had told her to report it stolen.

Rivera was arrested for grand larceny related to the robbery of a Lowes store this past summer, and reportedly had a restraining order filed against him by his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child due to acts of violence.

A friend of Landeros, Phillip Castro, told KGET in September he wanted to see justice for his late friend.

I would like to see some justice brought to this situation, said Castro. I think Daniel deserves that. Hes put his heart and soul into this community, and its time the community repays that back to Daniel.

Rivera remains in jail on $1 million bail. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for December.

Pictured above: Daniel Landeros (L) and Fredi Rivera.
No Labels, a well-funded centrist group in Washington, D.C., describes itself as an organization of Democrats, Republicans, and independents working to bring American leaders together to solve problems. The group seems to want to create one instead during next years presidential election.

Third Way, a Democratic-aligned nonprofit group, charged No Labels on Tuesday with orchestrating a radical new plan to block President Joe Biden from getting a majority in the Electoral College. The plan consists of running a well-funded third-party candidate in key states, then sending the election to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where former President Donald Trump would be virtually certain to win.

No Labels has made clear that their new plan is to put a Republican at the top of their ticket, Third Way claimed in a memo published on Tuesday. And because they cant win the presidency outright, theyve indicated that their intention now is to exercise leverage over the winner by denying both major parties 270 Electoral College votes. That radical new plan would ensure a second Trump term.

Such an outcome would be a disaster for American democracy. Trump may very well win the 2024 presidential election on his own if Bidens support continues to weaken, which would be dangerous in and of itself. But a contingent election in the House of Representatives would compound the problem by sidestepping the will of the American electorate entirely in favor of a two-century-old mechanism that has destabilized the country before.

No Labels has previously denied that this is what it hopes to achieve, in an undated FAQ on its website. No Labels is solely getting ballot access, it claimed. Thats it. We will not run a presidential campaign. No Labels will not offer our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket unless it has a chance to win outright in the Electoral College. (An independent Unity ticket has no chance to win outright in the Electoral College.)

But Third Way pointed to more recent statements by No Labels employees and some of their published materials. Ryan Clancy, No Labels chief strategist, said in a CNN interview in May that No Labels could use its electoral votes as a bargaining chip with one of the two major-party candidates to prevent a contingent election. Since Trump would almost certainly win a contingent election and would have no incentive to avoid one, that would mean negotiating with Biden.

And in an explainer published on RealClearPolitics in August, No Labels highlighted a contingent election as one potential pathway to win a presidential election, recounting past instances where a small faction was able to tip the outcome. Political scientists debate what would happen in such a contingent election in modern times, but 1824 shows that the path to the Oval Office can be more unlikely than voters often imagine, it coyly concluded.

Third-party candidates are invariably hopeless in American politics. They lack the public support or political infrastructure to mount serious bids for the presidency. The most potent recent attempt came in 1992, when Texas businessman Ross Perot funded a viable challenge to GOP incumbent George H.W. Bush and his Democratic challenger, Bill Clinton. But Perot still failed to get a plurality of voters in any single state, something that no third party has done since 1968. Since the 2000 presidential election, third-party bids are often seen as spoilers that could tip a narrow election.

That appears to be No Labels goal. Most of its public-facing materials emphasize that it wants to obtain ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But other polling documents emphasize that the groups most viable path for success comes from running a Republican candidate like former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in states where Biden won in 2020 by the thinnest of margins, like Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia. In those circumstances, its polling shows that Trump gains a slight edge as Hogan (or another No Labels candidate) draws disaffected anti-Trump Republicans away from Biden.

This strategy relies on exploiting a flaw in the American constitutional order. In most presidential elections, whoever wins the popular vote also wins 270 electoral votes in the Electoral College. That usually makes choosing a president fairly straightforward. The Electoral College also makes it possible for a candidate to win at least 270 electoral votes without the popular vote. Donald Trump was the most recent candidate to achieve this, in 2016, which was the fifth time in American history that it had happened.

But what happens if no candidate wins 270 electoral votes? Almost all American elections simply award the office in questiona Senate seat, a governorship, and so onto whoever receives a plurality of votes. But presidential elections have a backup mechanism instead. If no candidate receives a majority of the total number of electoral votes, the Electoral College becomes deadlocked and cant choose a winner. The Constitution then requires the House of Representatives to elect a new president and the Senate to elect a new vice president, in what are known as contingent elections.

This format has a unique method of balloting: Instead of House members casting individual votes, each state receives a single vote and the members from each state vote on the candidate for whom it should be cast. Wyomings single representative would likely cast one vote for a Republican candidate, for example, while Californias 53-member delegation would likely cast one vote for a Democratic candidate. Partisan gerrymandering in red states and other basic facts of American political geography mean that Republicans control a majority of House state delegations.

While contingent elections have happened three times in American history, there hasnt been one for almost two hundred years. The first time was in the second-ever presidential election in 1800. The House ultimately elected Thomas Jefferson after 35 ballots over a six-day period in 1801. Since the vote was complicated by the fact that whoever received the second-most votes would become vice president, Congress and the states passed the Twelfth Amendment to set up separate ballots for president and vice president.

The second instance is more infamous. In the 1824 presidential election, a presidential candidate needed 131 electoral votes to win outright. The states ultimately gave electoral votes to four candidates: John Quincy Adams , Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. Jackson received a plurality of electoral votes and popular votes. But Clay threw his support behind Adams, and their combined blocs of states gave Adams a majority over Jackson.

That maneuver destabilized the politics of the early republic. Jacksons many supporters denounced Clays move as a corrupt bargain, especially after Adams selected Clay to serve as his secretary of state. The Democratic-Republican Party fractured, with Jacksonians forming what would become the modern Democratic Party. Their victory in the 1828 election set the stage for what would become the two-party system, as well as the sectional and partisan strife that would lead to the Civil War.

The last instance is also the most instructive. In 1836, Jackson declined to run for a third term and anointed Martin Van Buren as his successor. Van Buren handily won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. But his running mate, Richard Mentor Johnson, did not. Virginia delegates, acting as faithless electors, declined to vote for Johnson to become vice president because of his widely reported relationship and common-law marriage with an enslaved woman.

With no vice presidential candidate receiving a majority of electors, the Senate had to elect one instead. They overwhelmingly chose Johnson. Though Johnson ultimately prevailed, his contingent election showed how one faction could tilt a narrow presidential or vice presidential election away from the Electoral College, where Democrats have at least some pathway to victory, into the hands of a gerrymandered House of Representatives.

No Labels, for its part, has often claimed it would only run a candidate in 2024 if they had a viable pathway to win 270 electoral votes. Since that is virtually impossible in modern American politics, however, their plan would instead funnel wealthy donors funds into a kamikaze campaign that could only make it harder for one partys candidate to win the White House.

Trumps election in 2016 was already destabilizing enough after he failed to win a majority of the popular vote, leaving him with all the power and no democratic mandate or legitimacy to support it. His defeat and subsequent coup attempt in 2020 ended the nations two-century tradition of peaceful transfers of power. If Trump recaptures the White House because No Labels cleared a path for him to win even without a majority in the Electoral College, why would anyone have faith in this countrys democratic systems ever again?
Seattle police are investigating a stabbing that happened at Seattles International District Station Tuesday morning, according to the Seattle Police Department.

At about 7:30 a.m., officers responded to the report of a stabbing in the 400 block of South Jackson Street.

When they arrived, officers found a 36-year-old man with multiple non-life-threatening stab wounds.

According to Sound Transit, two passengers had exited the train while fighting. When they were both on the platform, one of them stabbed the other in the arm and the shoulder.

Officers provided aid until medics from the Seattle Fire Department arrived, who transported him to Harborview Medical Center.

The suspect fled the scene and was not found.

Police are investigating what led up to the stabbing.
U.S. officials are worried that violence in Israels neighbors will spiral into a larger regional war.

Missile strikes from Yemen. Killings in the West Bank. Attacks on U.S. troops in Syria. And thats before Israel officially launches a ground invasion of Gaza, the territory controlled by Hamas militants who killed more than 1,000 Israelis on Oct. 7.

Biden administration officials are especially concerned that armed groups backed by Iran are preparing to exact more bloodshed. Aside from Hamas, those proxy forces include Lebanon and Iraq-based Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen.

We see a prospect for much more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel in the near term. And lets be clear about it, the road leads back to Iran, a senior Defense Department official told reporters Monday. The official was granted anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on the record.



Arab officials are worried, too. They are urging Washington to help defuse the tensions by using what leverage it has with Israel. Some say the United States should call for a cease-fire, but the Biden team is unwilling to do so, saying Israel has the right to respond to the Hamas attacks.

Its especially tough to contain the violence because the sparks are flying in many different places. If tensions dont lower soon, the whole region will be affected, predicted one Arab diplomat, granted anonymity for the same reason. No one will be spared.

Here are some of those potential flashpoints:

Iraq and Syria

American troops in a variety of locations across Iraq and Syria have already come under attack from drones and rockets more than a dozen times in the past week. Officials worry that these small-scale assaults, which the Pentagon blamed on Iran-backed militant groups, could continue  and even worsen.

There is concern the attacks could expand beyond Iraq and Syria  which host 2,500 and 900 American troops, respectively  to the thousands of other U.S. personnel stationed across the region, from Bahrain to the United Arab Emirates. Even commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf could come under increased threat, according to a U.S. official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic.

Generally, we know there is a significant threat of escalation throughout the region, and that would include toward U.S. forces, a senior U.S. military official told reporters.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed additional forces to the region in response to the attacks in Iraq and Syria  including redirecting an aircraft carrier strike group en route to the Eastern Mediterranean to its Middle East command on Saturday. He also deployed additional air defense capabilities including Patriot battalions and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to locations across the region, the Pentagon said.

This is in addition to another carrier strike group currently operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, and thousands of forces on 24-hour prepare-to-deploy orders in case needed.

Along the Israeli-Lebanese border

Israels northern border with Lebanon is already the scene of seemingly intensifying tit-for-tat strikes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group.

Israel has been evacuating villages near the border amid rocket launches and concerns about militant incursions. Over the weekend and on Monday, Israel Defense Forces reported using aerial drones and other means to hit multiple targets in Lebanon, including militant cells suspected of trying to launch anti-tank missiles as well as a Hezbollah compound and an observation post.

Such skirmishes are worrying but not unprecedented, and they can still be prevented from further escalation, said Khaled Elgindy, an analyst with the Middle East Institute.

Hezbollah faces its own domestic pressures, and Lebanon is already economically a failed state, Elgindy said. They dont need the kind of death and destruction happening in Gaza to happen to them.

U.S. officials have leaned on Lebanese leaders to make this clear to Hezbollah, which also yields significant political influence in Lebanon. Like Hamas, the United States considers Hezbollah a terrorist group and generally avoids direct interactions with it.

In a recent call with Lebanons caretaker prime minister, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the importance of respecting the interests of the Lebanese people, who would be affected by Lebanon being drawn into the conflict instigated by Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, according to a State Department readout.

The West Bank

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Hamas attack on Israel.

Many are suspected to have died at the hands of Israeli settlers who reside in the territory and may be taking advantage of the moment to sow fear in Palestinian communities and try to take their land.

The Israeli military has also staged raids and carried out at least one airstrike in the West Bank, aimed at a mosque Israeli officials said that Hamas was using as a base to plan attacks.

U.S. officials are very worried that clashes in the West Bank could turn into a more serious conflict, said Jon Alterman, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies who speaks with administration officials.

Tensions already were unusually high in the West Bank prior to the Hamas attack, much of it due to Palestinian frustrations over Israeli settlements where residents appear more willing to act violently.

Gaza, which is home to 2.2 million Palestinians  the vast majority of them civilians  has long been run by Hamas. Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7 have killed thousands of Palestinians there.

The West Bank is a special kind of place in between, Alterman said. You have armed settlers, some of whom have messianic views. You have complicated jurisdictions  whos governed by what law, those kinds of things.

Yemen

A potential new front emerged on Thursday when a U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Carney, intercepted four ballistic missiles and more than a dozen drones launched by Yemens Houthi rebels in the northern Red Sea.

A Pentagon spokesperson said the missiles were heading north, toward Israel, when they were shot down. The Iran-backed Houthis are widely believed to field ballistic missiles capable of hitting Israel. It is unclear how many of these missiles the Houthis possess, but a military parade in Yemens capital of Sanaa last month showed off several new Iranian-made and supplied short and medium-range missiles.

The shaky ceasefire between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed coalition that supports the countrys internationally recognized government has continued to hold.

Other Middle Eastern capitals

Pro-Palestinian protests have been held across the region as words and images  some of it disinformation  from the Israel-Hamas war have spread.

American and Israeli diplomatic facilities have been focal points of such demonstrations; police in countries such as Jordan and Lebanon have used tear gas to disperse some protesters who tried to storm such buildings.

The autocrats permitting the gatherings in places such as Egypt are likely happy to let their people vent rage against Israelis, a favorite bogeyman of Middle East rulers, even those who have peace deals with Israel.

But those same autocrats are often unpopular themselves, and theres always a risk that the protests could turn against them. Frustrations toward their own leaders could soar in particular as the Palestinian body count rises.

Few expect a new round of pro-democracy demonstrations like the Arab Spring, but the potential for violence  from protesters or the state  remains as high as the emotions inspired by the Israel-Hamas war.

A second Arab diplomat, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, acknowledged the challenge posed by protests, but argued that should the government in charge remain steadfastly on the side of the Palestinians, its people would only support it more.

The protests will continue and there will be a very strong pressure on the authorities and on the leaders, the diplomat said. When it comes to the Palestinian cause  its a common cause. Its in our blood.

Extremist violence elsewhere in the world

The Hamas attack may breathe new life into Islamist extremist movements whose cause had been getting less attention given the growing international focus on Russias war on Ukraine and Americas rivalry with China.

Alleged Islamist sympathizers killed two Swedes in Brussels and a teacher in France this month. Although its not clear if those attacks have a direct link to the Israel-Hamas conflict, theyve all factored into heightened European Union concerns about better screening of migrants and asylum-seekers.

Numerous antisemitic and anti-Muslim attacks also have been reported in recent days, including in the United States.

In Illinois, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was killed and his mother wounded when they were stabbed in an alleged hate crime. Police said the suspect, their landlord, was angry over the Hamas attack on Israel.
Republicans have pushed through an aggressive gerrymander of North Carolina's congressional map that will help them flip several seats in Congress.

Those looming GOP pickups will bolster the partys chances of defending their narrow House majority next year by erasing or even surpassing Republican losses elsewhere in the South, where courts have begun tossing out congressional lines for diluting the power of Black voters.

North Carolinas new map, which was approved Wednesday by the state legislature, is particularly efficient at securing a GOP advantage in a state thats closely divided for many statewide races  setting off a scramble among Republicans for the opportunity to run in the newly safe seats.

The map packs as many Democratic voters as possible into three blue districts, while distributing Republicans across the remaining districts to make sure they remain largely out of reach for Democrats. The maps were drawn so Republicans would hold a strong majority of the states seats even in particularly bad years for the GOP.

The new map will remake the states delegation from an even split of seven Democrats and seven Republicans to one that would likely lock in 10 Republicans and three Democrats, with one competitive battleground seat that Democratic Rep. Don Davis currently holds.



The state used a court-drawn map with a handful of competitive districts for the midterm elections; the new proposal was created by the GOP supermajorities in the states legislative chambers. State law gives the governor  Democrat Roy Cooper  no role in the redistricting process, so the map immediately goes into effect.

Republicans new lines obliterate three Democratic districts, all but guaranteeing that Rep. Kathy Manning and first-term Democrats Wiley Nickel and Jeff Jackson wont return. The new map also makes Davis' district  which was already a battleground  into even closer to a coin flip, giving Republicans an opportunity to hold 11 of the states 14 districts.

Its a 50-50 state, Nickel said. Seventy-nine percent of the seats for Republicans in a 50-50 state. Its just wrong.

New deep-red districts  and the decision by GOP Rep. Dan Bishop to run for state attorney general  mean the delegation could see as many as five new members come 2025. Ambitious Republicans have already begun launching bids for districts that have yet to shift lines.



Former Republican Rep. Mark Walker has already announced that he will run in the new 6th district, ending his gubernatorial bid.Transparently, it would be disingenuous of me to act as if there were a clear path in the gubernatorial race, he said in a statement. I look forward to representing many friends as well as family members in the new 6th.

Other names to watch: Grant Campbell, an Army veteran and OB/GYN, and former state Sen. Dan Barrett.

State House Speaker Tim Moore has long been eyeing the new seat that will now include his home in Cleveland County. Jackson represents it under the current lines. 2022 nominee Pat Harrigan is also running.

A crowded field is already forming in Nickels district, including state Rep. Erin Pare. Other possible contenders: businessman John Cane Jr.; 2022 candidates Kelly Daughtry and DeVan Barbour IV; and former Rep. Renee Ellmers. Fred Von Canon, who initially launched a run against Davis under the old lines, could also run here.

In the east, Davis district will become the only true competitive seat. Army veteran Laurie Buckhout launched a campaign there last week and seeded her bid with $1 million. 2022 loser Sandy Smith is running as well. State Sens. Buck Newton, Bobby Hanig and Lisa Barnes are other possible candidates.

In Bishops now-open Charlotte-area district, Mark Harris, whose apparent victory in 2018 was the subject of fraud allegations that caused an election do-over, is running. Another name to watch: Bo Hines, who initially filed for a rematch against Nickel but could run here  or in another seat.

Republicans in the state were not shy about this map being one drawn to benefit their party.

There's no doubt that the congressional map that's before you today has a lean towards Republicans, Republican state Rep. Destin Hall, who chairs the state House Rules Committee, said on the floor on Wednesday, while arguing that it doesnt foreordain future elections.

North Carolina Republicans have repeatedly drawn maps for political advantage over the years.

After the decennial census, the Republican-controlled state legislature drew a congressional map in 2021 that was heavily tilted toward the GOP  and the liberal state Supreme Court struck it down as an illegal partisan gerrymander. That led to the court-drawn map in use last year.

But Republicans flipped control of the state Supreme Court in the midterms, and the new conservative majority decided to rehear that decision  a highly unusual move. That court ultimately ruled that it would no longer litigate partisan gerrymandering, giving the Republican legislature a free pass to draw lines to their own advantage.

(The U.S. Supreme Court similarly ruled in 2019, in a case challenging North Carolina's congressional map at the time, that the federal judiciary also wouldnt police partisan gerrymandering claims.)

Republicans are also ushering through state legislative maps this week that will cement their control of both chambers, giving the party a clear path to control the next mapmaking process.

It is possible that civic groups or Democrats bring a challenge to the new maps, with one of the partys top lawyers threatening to do so when they were revealed. But it isnt clear yet what grounds they could be brought under  and any litigation would be highly unlikely to be resolved before 2024.

One North Carolina Democrat suggested that Davis new district could be challenged under the Voting Rights Act. There's a good chance we may have violated that law, state Rep. Pricey Harrison said on the floor on Wednesday.

It will still likely be a busy year in the state.

President Joe Bidens campaign has already indicated it will try to compete in the Tar Heel State in 2024. The state has been the source of repeated political heartbreak for Democrats, who have lost close presidential and Senate races there recently.



Democrats have carried the state just once on the presidential level this millennium  Barack Obamas 2008 win  but Biden came tantalizingly close to doing so in 2020, with the state handing former President Donald Trump his closest margin of victory.

It will also feature what is likely the most competitive gubernatorial race in 2024. Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson are their parties primary frontrunners to succeed Cooper, who is term-limited.

Jackson, the Democratic member of Congress, has long been rumored to be eyeing Steins attorney general seat if his district got wiped out.

Several other states may also see new congressional lines ahead of next years elections. Alabama already has a new map that will be used next year which will likely add a Black and Democratic member to the states delegation, after a federal court found  and the Supreme Court affirmed  that the old lines likely violated the Voting Rights Act.

Georgia and Louisiana also have ongoing racial gerrymandering cases that could together add a pair of Democratic-leaning seats to Congress by increasing the voting power of Black voters.

And New York Democrats are in the midst of a lengthy legal process, pushing for the opportunity to redraw their states lines. A court-drawn map used last year created several hypercompetitive districts that Republicans won in the midterms, which helped the party secure their fragile House majority.

Democrats want the opportunity for their legislative majority to draw  and gerrymander  those lines for 2024, which could help them pick up a handful of seats, or at least make some currently held by the GOP more competitive.

Madison Fernandez, Natalie Allison and Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
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North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham (R) has become infamous for running as a pro-choice Democrat who switched parties shortly into her term to hand the GOP a veto-proof supermajority in April, which it used to pass an abortion ban in May. (Yes, she voted for it.) Political analysts and her own voters wondered why shed do this while representing a safely blue district. Now it appears that the state Republican party is protecting and rewarding Cotham by not only gerrymandering her seat to make it more Republican if she runs for re-election in 2024 but also by giving her an opportunity to run for Congress in a new, very red seat.

The North Carolina GOP unveiled its proposed election maps last week as part of the redistricting process, and the new, gerrymandered lines could help the party pick up three or four seats in Congress. (North Carolina has 14 seats in Congress, and theyre currently split with seven Democrats and seven Republicans. The new maps could lead to a GOP advantage of 10 to 4 or 11 to 3.) The Senate already voted to approve the districts, and the House was expected to pass the maps on Wednesday.

Read more

If you are new to Cothams nonsense, here is the brief backstory. During Cothams previous stint in the state house, she gave a passionate speech opposing a 2015 bill that would have created mandatory waiting periods for abortion seekers. In the speech, she revealed that shed had a medically necessary abortion. In January of this year, Cotham co-sponsored a bill to codify Roe v. Wade into state law, but then she switched parties and voted twice to ban abortion after 12 weeksfirst to pass it and again to override the Democratic governors veto. Cotham then tried to rewrite history by saying she was still the same person, and claiming she was never really that strong of an abortion supporter. She also tried to reframe her 2015 speech by saying she didnt have an abortion and that it was merely a miscarriage.

The New York Times reported this summer that local Republicans urged her to run as a Democrat and, once she won, they planted the seeds for her to switch parties. Both Republican House Speaker Tim Moore and U.S. Representative Dan Bishop (R) told the Times they encouraged Cotham to join the GOP.

To recap, after Cotham switched parties, shes now part of the Republican supermajority that gets to approve new voting maps that could ensure she either stays in power at the state level or gets elevated to the U.S. House of Representatives. Perfect system we have here.

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North Carolinas new maps for the 2024 elections, passed by the General Assembly on Wednesday, are likely to give Republicans who drew them at least three more seats in Congress and shore up their supermajority in the legislature.

With state law allowing no role for the governor in redistricting, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper cannot take any action to block them from becoming law.

Democrats say the maps are gerrymandered, and they are likely to end up in the courts, where Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton of Cabarrus County predicted they will be upheld as fair and legal.

Answering a question Wednesday from Democratic Sen. Mary Wills Bode, who said maps were drawn to favor Republicans, Sen. Warren Daniel said his fellow Republicans agree that citizens deserve fair elections.

House Minority Leader Robert Reives, a Chatham County Democrat, said the new maps lack representation for North Carolinians.

People need to have a voice, sometimes just to let you know what you dont know, Reives said.

Critics of the process of drawing the maps gathered outside the Legislative Building for a news conference Wednesday, including Cassandra Stokes of the NC Black Alliance.

When will this game of political gamesmanship stop, to ensure that access to resources and access to fair representation stands? Stokes said. When will you hold yourselves accountable? Because if you dont, we will in 2024 and future election cycles.

Changes for current state lawmakers

Redrawn maps shift several districts for currently serving members of Congress and the General Assembly. Some lawmakers districts will make it more difficult for them to win reelection.

In the state Senate, Raleigh Democratic Sen. Lisa Grafstein and Sen. Jay Chaudhuri were placed in the same district, or double-bunked. Chaudhuri is the Democratic whip and has served more than four terms in the Senate, while Grafstein is a freshman. Grafstein previously told The News & Observer that she might move to a new southern Wake County district without an incumbent, and would make a final decision on Thursday.

The North Carolina state Senate map passed by the General Assembly on Oct. 25, 2023, to use in the 2024 elections.

Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, a Raleigh Democrat, said during debate on Wednesday that the loss of Grafstein also means that the only LGBTQ+ and Jewish senator was targeted in the new maps, and that losing Grafstein and Sen. Natasha Marcus would mean two fewer women in the Senate.

Marcus, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, was drawn into a district that double-bunks her with Republican Sen. Vickie Sawyer in a district that favors a Republican.

Sen. Natasha Marcus, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, was double bunked with a Republican senator in a new 2024 election map drawn by Republicans.

In the House, Republicans redrew a district for Rep. Tricia Cotham , who was elected as a Democrat in 2022 and switched parties earlier this year. Her new district favors a Republican candidate. House Redistricting Chair Destin Hall acknowledged in committee on Thursday, while being questioned by Marcus, that the district was drawn to favor Cothams reelection.

The North Carolina state House map passed by the General Assembly on Oct. 25, 2023, to use in the 2024 elections.

Changes to NC congressional districts for 2024

The congressional map will help determine which lawmakers will stay or go. The current makeup is an even 7-7 split between Democrats and Republicans.

The new map favors Republicans in 10 districts and Democrats in three, with one competitive district.

A new district near Charlotte includes the Cleveland County home of House Speaker Tim Moore, who told reporters on Tuesday that he is considering a run for Congress. Moore said hed make a decision in the coming weeks.

House Speaker Tim Moore talks with Sen. Dan Blue and Rep. Robert Reives at the dais on the House floor during debate of House Bill 898 on redistricting, on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 in Raleigh, N.C.

That district was redrawn to boot out Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson, who may run for attorney general instead. U.S. Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel was also drawn out of his congressional district, as was Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning. Another Democrat, Rep. Don Davis, had his Eastern North Carolina district drawn to be more competitive.

Another congressional district that doesnt have an incumbent could be the path for Cotham if she wanted to run for Congress. That southern district could also be where unsuccessful candidate Bo Hines runs, if he tries again in 2024. Hines is from Charlotte and was the Republican candidate for the district that Nickel won in 2022.

The North Carolina Congressional map passed by the General Assembly on Oct. 25, 2023, to use in the 2024 elections.

On Wednesday, House Redistricting Chair Destin Hall, who is also the powerful Rules chair, said: Theres no doubt that the congressional map thats before you today has a lean toward Republicans running in these congressional districts.

However, just as I said on the House map, it doesnt preordain any sort of outcome, Hall said.

Courts likely next step

Legal challenges to the new maps are all but certain, but opponents will be limited in what arguments they can make.

After gaining a Republican majority in the 2022 elections, the state Supreme Court ruled in April that it would not rule on claims of partisan gerrymandering. That means any lawsuit against the new maps will likely need to focus on racial gerrymandering under the federal Voting Rights Act or the Equal Protection Clause.

Democrats in the legislature and progressive activists have noted multiple districts in the congressional and legislative maps that they say dilute the voting power of Black residents. Those could form the basis of any impending federal lawsuits.

Candidate filing, primary elections

Candidate filing for the 2024 elections runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 15.

All 170 General Assembly seats will be on the ballot. In the 2022 elections, many races with Republican incumbents were uncontested by Democrats. North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton has vowed that more Democrats would run in rural areas, which is where most Republican lawmakers serve.

Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, is running for reelection to his Senate seat in 2024. With Moore not running for his statehouse seat in 2024, if House Republicans keep the majority they will choose a new speaker.

The 2024 elections will also include North Carolinas governor and the rest of the 10-person statewide Council of State, from lieutenant governor to attorney general. Some state lawmakers have already declared runs in those races, including state Rep. Jon Hardister, a Whitsett Republican, for labor commissioner; and Rep. Wesley Harris, a Charlotte Democrat, for state treasurer.

The statewide primary election is March 5.
Pastor Kim in Beyond Utopia, the pastor helps fellow North Korean defectors with escaping the dictatorsip (Roadside Attractions) (Everett Collection, Everett Collection Inc)

North Korean defector Pastor Kim, whose story is told in film Beyond Utopia, has been helping his fellow countrymen escape the dictatorship for 24 years, but he tells Yahoo UK that the pandemic has had a hugely detrimental impact on efforts to help those risking their lives to gain freedom.

The pastor, whose full name is Kim Seongeun and who founded the Caleb Mission, explains that since the pandemic hit, his mission has only been able to help a select few because of North Korea closing its borders completely and increased restrictions on travel in countries like China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

"The situation has changed extremely, pre-COVID to post-COVID, the Caleb Mission has just rescued four people post-COVID," Kim says.

"In the past it used to cost maybe $3000 to rescue one person, but now it has become $20,000 because after COVID the whole underground network has been destroyed."Pastor Kim

Pastor Kim's mission to help defectors

The pastor appears in the documentary film Beyond Utopia, which explores the journey that defectors undertake to escape.

Reflecting on its potential impact, he adds: "Because the situation has become much more difficult I'm now thinking that at least with this film, and having raised awareness with everyone that's watching, there will be more help that we can get to help out the North Korean defectors."

Beyond Utopia features footage of the escape of a family of five and the treacherous journey they undertake to find freedom (Roadside Attractions)

Often likened to Oskar Schindler, Kim first began smuggling people out of North Korea after he himself had escaped from the dictatorship.

In the documentary, the pastor explains that seeing North Korean children begging in China made me feel compelled to help, and he adds to Yahoo UK that his decision to aid others came about by chance.

"When I first began, of course I didn't know I was going to be doing this for 24 years. I thought initially I would just rescue the people I love," Kim explains.

"But [after] I rescued people [the] first [time] they knew people, and then they knew family members, and they kept asking for help and I ended up helping them."

Pastor Kim began helping people escape North Korea after defecting himself, he has saved around 1000 people so far (Roadside Attractions)

Kim has often gone out of his way to help his fellow defectors, explaining in Beyond Utopia that he once broke his neck whilst helping others to escape and has had multiple surgeries following health issues that have come about as a result of journeying with defectors.

The pastor shares: "During that process of course there were many, many incidences where I hurt my neck, I had many health crises."

But his resolve has remained firm despite the injuries for one reason: "I have a son who unfortunately passed away when he was seven years old while I was doing one of these missions  it was during that time when he died prematurely.

"My wife and I, through our prayers, ended up promising to God and to each other that we now have to save that many more people.

"We lost our son, and it's almost like we needed to rededicate our lives to save more people."Pastor Kim

Soyeon Lee's story

Kim has helped an estimated 1,000 people escape North Korea. One such person he helped is Soyeon Lee, who also features in the documentary to share the story of her son's attempted escape from North Korea.

Speaking with Yahoo UK, Lee admits she "was faced with an extremely difficult choice" when it came to the documentary, because her son was captured in China and repatriated to North Korea.

The documentary reveals how her son was subjected to torture and interrogation, and has since been sent to a political prison camp.

"I had to think very hard about [whether] by telling this story, by being open and honest, and telling the story of my son through this film, whether that's going to ultimately bring him more harm or if this is the right thing to do," she says.

"The initial strength was Sue Mi Terry, the producer, and Madeleine Gavin, the director, they said that 'we are mothers'.

Soyeon Lee also features in the documentary, and she spoke to Yahoo UK about her son's failed escape from North Korea (Roadside Attractions)

"[They] absolutely understood my situation and said 'let's deliberate on this together, let's struggle through this together. Let's pray about this together to see what we need to do', so they gave me strength."

Lee goes on: "My son is already in a gulag, that doesn't change. Not making the movie would not have necessarily changed that situation, so since it's already [happened] I'm finding a way to see if we can improve the situation.

"And by raising awareness through this film, and [through] the pressure [it brings] to the regime, I'm hoping that the regime will at least keep my son alive."Soyeon Lee

Lee adds that she is "at least aware that [her] son is alive" still thanks to information she has been able to gather from brokers in North Korea, saying: "That's the most important thing at this moment."

The Ro family's risky escape

Yeongbok Woo, the grandmother of the Ro family featured in Beyond Utopia. (Roadside Attractions)

Beyond Utopia also follows the escape of the Ro family  a group of five consisting of a mother, father, grandmother and two girls  and Kim's quest to get them to South Korea safely.

Kim "thought of them as family", and so went on the journey with them through Vietnam once they were able to get out of China  because of his work helping defectors Kim is a target for the North Korean government and can't step foot in China or he'll be immediately arrested.

"Initially when I was rescuing them the 80-something-old grandmother, throughout that whole time,  even though her life is at risk she's the one who's fleeing North Korea, this regime is after her she kept saying, 'oh, what's going to happen to our Dear Leader? What's going to happen to Kim Jong-un? Our leaders?'" Kim reflects.

"That shows you the level of ideological indoctrination that goes in North Korea."Pastor Kim

"The mother and father were preoccupied with the survival of the whole family and travelling with their mother and kids," he adds.

Pastor Kim and Soyeon Lee with members of the Ro family (L-R) Sunok Park, Jinhae Ro, Jinpyeong Ro, and Yeongbok Woo, Kim helped the Ro Family with their escape (Getty Images) (Emily Assiran via Getty Images)

"The children did not have a sense of what was happening, like they [didn't] know what this is  so even in the middle of the jungle, they're like 'this is some kind of adventure', they didn't quite have an understanding of what was happening.

"But now looking at the family, having settled in South Korea and watching the children [get] into K-Pop and BTS, and acting like normal South Korean children, it gives me a sense that 'yes, I did the right thing when I got this family out of there."

Chances of North and South Korea reunification?

Kim and Lee went on to speak about the potential for the reunification of North and South Korea, the two countries are technically still at war with an armistice agreement being signed in 1953 which divided them along a line known as the demilitarised zone.

The South and North Korea flag, the country was split in two following an armistice agreement in 1953 (Getty) (Martinns via Getty Images)

There has long been hope for the two countries to be unified again, though the subject has become a topic of debate in South Korea over the economic impact such an eventuality might have.

When asked for their thoughts on the matter, Lee says, "For unification to really occur, the nature of the North Korean regime has to change otherwise it's not going to occur.

"I believe the Achilles heel of the Kim regime is human rights issues... there is a complete information blockade right now so the North Korean public, the people, are not aware of what's really happening outside their borders."Soyeon Lee

"So one of the priorities is to try to get information, a variety of different information, into North Korea to make them be aware of the world."

Kim reflects: "It's hard to say what's going to happen for reunification but, personally, I think that the US and China have the biggest role to play."

Beyond Utopia is released in UK and Irish cinemas on 27 October.

Watch the trailer for Beyond Utopia:
The team went to Parliament wearing their Northants Litter Wombles tabards

A volunteer group tackling litter met with politicians in Parliament to discuss issues in their county.

Northants Litter Wombles attended a "litter summit" on Tuesday to argue more needs to be done to tackle litter in Northamptonshire.

The meeting was attended by environmental quality minister Rebecca Pow along with MPs and councillors from the county.

Litter picker Alison McClean described the meeting as "really enlightening".

"It was really heartening to learn most of the issues we raised are already under discussion by government," she said.

The group, named after the fictional litter-picking creatures that had a BBC TV programme and several hit singles, said one of the major things they wanted to discuss was fly-tipping.

The Wombles books by Elizabeth Beresford were turned into a BBC children's television series in the 1970s, and Mike Batt wrote a series of hit singles for them

The minister told the group fly-tipping incidents were down 4% and fixed penalty notices up 58% over the past year and that the government was determined to do more by awarding councils grants to strengthen powers "to detect and prosecute waste criminals, and [was] planning to introduce new rules to crack down further".

"It is encouraging to see that there are a growing number of public-spirited individuals and community groups such as the Northants Litter Wombles tackling litter all over the country," she added.

The Northants Litter Wombles hoped meetings like this one could happen twice a year

The Northants Litter Wombles previously ran an experiment to put pop-up bins in areas with a litter problem, now they want to push local MPs to provide more permanent bins in the county.

North Northamptonshire councillor Matt Binley said there were 3,000 dog waste and general waste bins in that district and increasing that number would require "extensive analysis to see if that's feasible".

Andrew Lewer, Conservative MP for Northampton South, was also complimentary about the group's work and encouraged them to continue "keeping their county and my town as clean as possible".

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830
Three trade unions representing bus and rail workers in Northern Ireland are to ballot members over industrial action in a pay dispute.

Unite, GMB and SIPTU will ask members members to vote on possible action up to and including a strike following an "insulting 0% pay offer".

The first date for any action would be Friday 1 December, affecting Ulsterbus, Metro, Glider and rail services.

BBC News NI has approached Translink for a comment.

In a joint statement, the unions said such coordinated industrial action "would be unprecedented in recent years and would bring to a standstill all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland".

The unions said management at Translink "had indicated they were unable to offer any pay offer or a timetable for negotiations for an improved pay offer in light of the constrained funding for public transport".

'Simply unacceptable'

Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite the union, said members had "voted overwhelmingly by 98.5%" to reject the 0% offer and that it was now encouraging members to vote for industrial action.

She added that public transport had been "underfunded by Stormont for years" and that "brutal budget cuts" introduced by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris had brought about the dispute.

Peter Macklin, of GMB, said its members "should not be subject to a sanctions budget imposed by the secretary of state due to the failure of politicians at Stormont".

"Zero per cent is simply unacceptable and means a very severe real terms reduction in pay for front-line bus and rail workers."

Niall McNally, of SIPTU, said workers were facing a "crushing real-terms pay cut", adding that a strike would bring "bus and rail services to a standstill and will have a wider impact both socially and economically".

The unions said they were due to take part in a meeting, alongside Translink management, with the Department of Infrastructure's permanent secretary in the coming days.
A gavel

CANTON  Two teens have admitted their roles in bullying a special needs student at Northwest High School and recording the incident with a cellphone.

Stark County Family Court Magistrate Vernon Infantino gave both boys the same punishment after they were convicted of charges Wednesday in the juvenile court.

Each must write a letter of apology to the victim, perform 30 hours of community service, serve six months on probation and remain law-abiding. He reserved a potential 90-day sentence in the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center for each, which he could impose on either defendant for any probation violation.

"If I see you again, you will do the 90 (days)," Infantino told the 16-year-old defendant after the teen pleaded true  the juvenile court equivalent of guilty  to counts of telecommunication harassment and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

The magistrate gave the same message to the other defendant, 14 at the time of the offense. He pleaded true to delinquency by reason of disorderly conduct.

Last April, the pair induced a special needs student to remove feces from a toilet with his hand and put it in the trash in the high school restroom as they recorded it. Infantino said the video was shared with the student body. It went viral.

"What you did is flat-out disgusting," Infantino told the younger boy. He made a similar comment to the older boy.

The magistrate said he wanted to send both boys to jail to learn a lesson but chose instead to sentence them according to terms of negotiated plea agreements reached by county prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Neither boy made any comments during the sentencing.

The older boy was represented by attorney Katelyn Shoemaker and prosecuted by Melissa Day, assistant Stark County prosecutor. The younger one was represented by Rick Pitinii and prosecuted by Samantha Bloom, assistant Stark County prosecutor.

Pitinii said his client's apology had already been written and given to the victim's family.

Infantino told the older boy to write his apology "and that letter better be good."

The Canton Repository typically does not name juveniles charged with crimes.

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: Teens convicted of charges for recording Northwest bullying incident
The holidays are about creating memories and spending time with the family. Or maybe theyre about taking a much-needed vacation to a cabin in the mountains or lying on a beach under a palm tree. If youre not planning to be home for the holidays, here are secrets to saving money during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Budgeting for air travel

Traditionally, the cheapest day to fly during the holidays is on the holidays themselves: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you can catch an early flight and still make the family festivities that evening, it might be worth looking into with the savings.

If you cant fly on the holidays, avoid the busiest travel days of the year. According to the TSA, the busiest travel days are usually the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Generally, the busiest travel days before Christmas are Dec. 21 through Dec. 23. And for the return dates, the four days after Christmas are the busiest.

Research affordable airfare

The big question is when should you book your flight and when should you wait. For holiday travel, the earlier you can book, the better. There are several apps and online resources you can use to find the best deals.

Hopper is a mobile app that searches the best prices for airfare, hotels, homes and rental cars. When you put in your dates and destination, Hopper senses when prices may drop through algorithms and data points. Hopper does not include flight prices for Delta or Southwest Airlines, so keep that in mind as you search.

Google Flights is another tool to check for cheap flights. Google Flights suggests when prices are historically lowest and when you should book for maximum savings. It will also suggest alternate dates you could book to save money. As with Hopper, Google Flights will not show you prices for Southwest Airlines.

Other air travel tips

Shipping luggage might be cheaper than checking your luggage through an airline. Lug Less is a site that will price out shipping luggage for you, usually for less than the price as checking a bag.

If your holiday travel plans are flexible, consider going somewhere thats not in peak season. Skip the holidays in the Caribbean and opt for somewhere like an early ski weekend in Colorado during Thanksgiving.

Budgeting for car travel

If youre traveling by car for the holiday, consider signing up for fuel rewards programs through many gas station chains that can save you up to $1 per gallon.

GasBuddy is an app to find the cheapest gas near you. It also has a prepaid gas card that can save up to 40 cents per gallon. And its safe to say you already have Google Maps on your phone. The app will help you find the nearest gas station and tell you which is cheapest in the area.

Budgeting for hotel savings

If youre not crashing at your familys house, you must pay to stay. Hotels tend to raise prices during the holiday season, as the demand for rooms increases. If youll need a hotel, its best to book early.

Hotels love when you book through the hotel itself. According to Travel + Leisure, a good rule of thumb is to browse websites like Expedia and Booking for prices but book directly through the hotel. Its easy to book hotels on a desktop or smartphone but sometimes calling the front desk and asking for the cheapest nonrefundable rate can result in a cheaper room rate you wont find online.

Another trick when booking hotels is to look for business hotels or hotels near convention centers. These hotels are usually less busy during the holidays and will drop their prices.

Other accommodations

Airbnb and Vrbo can be good options for a big group traveling together. Sharing a home with a group usually costs less than a hotel and you may have more space to spread out. You can also save money on meals if you have access to a kitchen and a nearby grocery store. Before booking, read the reviews. And its best to chat with the host beforehand to get a feel for the type of host they are and their property.

Wherever you may end up traveling this holiday season, make sure its affordable and stress-free.

If you need more budget tips, CommunityAmericas financial well-being coaches offer free expert guidance on budgeting as well as improving your credit score and managing debt.
GRACEMONT, Okla. (KFOR)  A Caddo County man is being called a hero for rescuing four people, after a driver said she lost control of her car, crashed into a canyon, before her car caught fire.

I cant believe we got put of there, said Berdina Kodaseet.

New behavior health clinic for military, vets and families opens in OKC

Saturday afternoon, Kodaseet, her granddaughter, Beans, and two friends were driving down Highway 152 in Gracemont. Thats when she saw a new tan or white SUV centered in her lane.

And as I swerved around, lost control of the vehicle, and there we went down. And all I seen was trees and we landed, said Kodaseet.

Kodaseet said they landed upside down.

A friend, who made it out, said nine cars drove by but didnt stop to help.

Thankfully, Cord Coffey did.

The top of their car actually peeled off like a can opener, said Coffey.

Coffey saw everything and called 911. He was in the right place at the right time.

I would have to live with not doing something the rest of my life, so its not that Im wearing a cape, said Coffey.

Sneaker store opens in honor of late Redlands Community College basketball player

Coffey made several trips up and down the steep slope and drop off to make sure everyone was safe, especially 10-year-old Beans Kodaseet.

That man, he had rolled himself down the thing, said Beans.

I said Beans, do you trust me? and she said I do! I immediately slid down the hill, got ahold of Beans, and she was like a cat. Once she started her momentum up she went up, said Coffey.

The only person left was Berdina Kodaseet.

Once she got out the car, the car blew up, said Beans.

Kodaseet told Cord her arthritis in her knees was keeping her from going up the hill.

And I said, Well girlfriend, were gonna have to. Were going to burn in this canyon if we dont,' said Coffey.

Im glad for Cord because it couldve ended up a whole different way, said Kodaseet.

The fire department arrived and helped pull Kodaseet out the rest of the way.

Oklahoma cracks down on Slow Down, Move Over laws

Now, Kodaseets chest hurts and she was burned by her seatbelt. Beans has stitches in her legs and spent three days in the hospital for a sprained neck. Theyre alive, though.

Thank you for saving my grandma, said Beans.

Im really glad that they trusted me. Im just some country bumpkin running down the hill saying Trust me, Im going to get you out of here! You know? said Coffey.

Kodaseet said the Kiowa tribe and a generous citizen have a $2,000 reward for information leading to the driver that caused her to swerve. All they know is it was a new tan or white SUV.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
NEW YORK  The judge overseeing former President Trumps New York civil fraud trial on Wednesday suggested the former president once again violated a gag order imposed earlier this month relating to comments made about court staff.

Judge Arthur Engoron cited reporting by The Associated Press that indicated Trump said to news media the judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is.

Its easy for the public or anyone to know who that is, Engoron said, suggesting Trump was commenting on his principal law clerk, who sits next to the judge on the bench.

Im very protective of my staff, and I believe I should be; I dont want anybody killed, he said.

The gag order was originally imposed after Trumps Truth Social account derided the clerk as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers (D-N.Y.) girlfriend and included personally identifying information about her. Engoron ordered Trump to take down the post, and it was removed from Truth Social.

Last week, Trump was hit with a $5,000 fine after it was discovered that the post had not been removed from his campaign website 17 days later. Trump lawyer Chris Kise blamed the very large machine of Trumps presidential campaign for allowing his deleted social media post to remain on his website, calling it an unintentional oversight.

Engoron acknowledged Trumps assertion that the post staying up was inadvertent and said he would give him the benefit of the doubt. But Wednesday, he suggested serious penalties could be in order for the purported violation.

Why should there not be severe sanctions for this blatant, dangerous disobeyal of a clear court order? Engoron asked.

Kise replied Trump was not referring to the clerk  he was referring to Cohen.

My understanding of what was said  I believe what Mr. Trump will tell you  was he was talking to Michael Cohen, his credibility as a witness.  Ive asked him and thats exactly what he said, Kise said.

Engoron said it seems clear to me Trump was referring to the clerk, but he would take the issue under advisement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump was fined $10,000 Wednesday after the judge in his New York real estate fraud trial ruled he violated a gag order for the second time.

Trump had told reporters outside the courtroom during a break that the judge, Arthur Engoron, is a very partisan judge, with a person whos very partisan sitting along side of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

In response, Engoron said he believed Trump was referring to his clerk, Allison Greenfield, who sits near the judge. Engoron asked why should there not be severe sanctions for this blatant, dangerous disobeyal of a clear court order.

Trump himself took the stand to explain himself under oath. He and Christopher Kise, one of Trumps lawyers, each said the comment referred to Michael Cohen, Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer, who had been testifying. But Trump voiced his frustration with the clerk.

I think shes very biased against us. I think weve made that clear, Trump said.

Engoron said he found Trump's denial that he was talking to the press about the clerk "not credible."

The idea that the statement would refer to the witness doesnt make any sense to me, Engoron said.

Engoron had earlier described the reason for his gag order and the potential for "severe sanctions."

I am very protective of my staff, as I should be, Engoron said. I dont want anybody killed.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media moments after he was fined $10,000 for what Justice Arthur Engoron says is his second violation of a partial gag order at his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 25, 2023 in New York City. The former president may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776049516 ORIG FILE ID: 1756514959

Judge mulls civil penalties after ruling Trump committed fraud for years

Engoron has already ruled that Trump committed years of fraud in valuing his real estate, and the judge is holding the trial to determine the damages. New York Attorney General Letitia James seeks $250 million. But Trump has vowed to appeal.

Engoron imposed the gag order Oct. 3 after Trump posted a picture on social media of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, suggesting she was his girlfriend, which is false. Engoron fined Trump $5,000 on Friday because the picture remained visible on Trumps campaign web site for two weeks after the order.

Engoron had threatened potentially jailing Trump for more violations.

Make no mistake,'' Engoron wrote. "Future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him."

Former President Donald Trump motions as he returns to the courtroom after a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York. The judge in Donald Trump's civil fraud trial has fined the former president $10,000. The judge says Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge fines Donald Trump $10,000 for violating gag order in fraud trial
Its been almost five years since Katherin Garcia escaped her home country of Venezuela, uprooting her life as a family doctor and trudging through seven different countries to reach the United States.

She recounts living in constant fear about being persecuted because of her profession in the health sector and her political views against the government.

Armed groups aligned with the government saw her as a traitor and targeted her family. Eventually her husband Raul was attacked, and she realized they'd never be safe if they stayed in their home country.

Asylum seekers receive donated diapers and clothing at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Manhattan Oct. 16, 2023 where they were getting support from Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to asylum seekers. The organization provides a weekly orientation into the asylum process that includes assistance in filing asylum and temporary protected status applications. It also provides english classes, peer support groups, and humanitarian assistance including clothing and food distribution.

Garcia and her husband left Venezuela in 2018 with their 1-year-old son Jeremias. The young family arrived in the U.S. in August of this year.

I was facing danger in my country, Garcia said in Spanish.  To have to leave your comfort, your life, your profession and take on a voyage of more than seven countries, a jungle I think were very brave.

She was given shelter shortly after arriving at the Roosevelt Hotel  serving as the epicenter for asylum seekers in New York City. Within weeks, she filed for political asylum and has received help from Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid (VIA), a nonprofit focused on providing orientation to new arrivals. Numerous NYC nonprofits are helping address new flows of migration and assisting asylum seekers in getting acclimated to life in a new country.

Asylum seekers wait inside St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Manhattan Oct. 16, 2023 where they were seeking support from Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to asylum seekers. The organization provides a weekly orientation into the asylum process that includes assistance in filing asylum and temporary protected status applications. It also provides english classes, peer support groups, and humanitarian assistance including clothing and food distribution.

Helping hands guide asylum seekers to self-sufficiency

VIA was founded in 2016 by Niurka Melendez and her husband Hector Arguinzones. Venezuelan asylum seekers themselves, the two started the organization after experiencing the hardships firsthand. The two applied for asylum in the U.S. in 2016 and have been waiting ever since.

Other asylum seekers in their community could use help navigating that long and complicated process, they realized.

A child sits on his motherOs lap as asylum seekers wait inside St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Manhattan Oct. 16, 2023 where they were seeking support from Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to asylum seekers. The organization provides a weekly orientation into the asylum process that includes assistance in filing asylum and temporary protected status applications. It also provides english classes, peer support groups, and humanitarian assistance including clothing and food distribution.

No one had to tell me about the process, I lived it," said Melendez in Spanish.

The organization focuses on legal orientation and humanitarian assistance through raising awareness of legal and humanitarian resources.

A few times a month, VIA hosts lawyers who give information sessions on how to navigate the asylum seeking process. They believe managing your immigration status needs to take priority because of the timely nature of many immigration forms that are not always presented to new arrivals.

How much asylum seeker care costs in NY: How much is NYS spending on asylum seeker care as shelter costs rise?

We understand that theres a need for many migrants beyond to have clothes, food [and] a MetroCard, Melendez said. To establish your immigration status will give you independence and self-sufficiency so that you dont have to wait for anyone.

Aside from legal orientations, VIA also provides services such as:

Emotional support through psychologists and group sessions

English classes through volunteer teachers

Cultural community programs that connect migrants to each other

The programs operate on a recurring 10-day cycle.

Quarterly, VIA offers a program called Dando una Mano, or Giving a Hand, where they will donate food, clothes and other necessities to families in need. They do this by reaching out to families, documenting their specific needs and going out and buying in bulk. This also serves as an incentive to get more families to listen to the information they need, Melendez said.

Connecting asylum seekers with jobs: How a Rockland nonprofit connects migrants with employers who need workers

Local church a home base for hundreds to learn about U.S. life

Though they may not have an established center for their operations, St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church has opened its doors every Monday for orientation sessions.

K Karpen, senior pastor at the church expressed how their partnership with VIA has been extremely fantastic."

Starting a little over a year ago, the weekly meetings have attracted hundreds of people. The weekly service has surged in attendees hoping to learn more about asylum cases and receive other resources the church provides such as discounted MetroCards and clothes.

As newcomers began arriving from the southern border on buses last year, the church began collaborating with VIA to respond to their needs more holistically.

The nonprofit had to start placing a cap of 100 families per week to ensure it could provide their best services to attendees.

In the past, the group utilized video formats to help as many newcomers as possible  now, they livestream some of their informational sessions and provide these and other video material on Youtube and social media.

Our Instagram account is one of our main offices, Melendez said. That consistency is what causes people to find you because youre always there  either virtual or in-person. It creates a foundation of trust.

Asylum seekers being placed upstate? NYC moved about 2.2K asylum seekers to upstate NY. Have those efforts stalled? What we know

Fighting misinformation about the asylum seeker's journey

Melendez says that the profile of new arrivals has changed in the past few years and she has found herself having to debunk a lot of false information.

New arrivals are coming with a false perspective, very disoriented and falsely informed, Melendez said. This misinformation has made us adapt to migrants that are starting from zero.

For many who were brought by human traffickers and guides, they were fed misinformation of the reality of newcomers, Melendez said. They believe that arriving in the U.S. grants them automatic asylum. That is not the case.

Its very different to escape your country and be a forced migrant than to come here in search of a dream, Melendez said.

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website, to apply for asylum, one must do so within one year of arriving in the U.S. Without this application, a person is not considered an asylum seeker.

To seek asylum, a person needs to have suffered persecution or fear due to things like race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

Asylum seekers listen to Niurka MelZndez, co-founder of Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, as she holds an orientation session at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Manhattan Oct. 16, 2023. Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to asylum seekers. The organization provides a weekly orientation into the asylum process that includes assistance in filing asylum and temporary protected status applications. It also provides english classes, peer support groups, and humanitarian assistance including clothing and food distribution.

They say the asylum seeking process is broken, Melendez said. Its a truth that the governors and mayors are discovering now, but its disrespectful to asylum seekers like us who have been waiting for seven years and have known for seven years that the system is broken.

Other NYC organizations helping asylum seekers

Project Rousseau

Project Rousseau, founded in 2011, is a nonprofit organization aimed at helping and empowering youth.

They have four pillars focused on student social needs, academics, community service and broadening horizons, and aim to help students reach their full potential. Participants range from unaccompanied minors to parents seeking immigration assistance.

Executive director and supervising attorney Andrew Heinrich said the primary need for newcomers is immigration legal services.

"We knew that to fulfill our mission to help those in the greatest need, we needed to be on the front lines, he said.

Members of the organization are going into shelters and the hotels every day to see where they can provide aid.

A woman waits outside St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Manhattan Oct. 16, 2023 where asylum seekers were getting support from Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to asylum seekers. The organization provides a weekly orientation into the asylum process that includes assistance in filing asylum and temporary protected status applications. It also provides english classes, peer support groups, and humanitarian assistance including clothing and food distribution.

Migrant Kitchen Initiative

The organization started in 2020 as a catering business. As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, they began donating their meals to health care workers and people in need. During the pandemic, they made nearly 10,000 meals a day and donated them to NY residents.

As the pandemic subsided, they opened a restaurant  the Migrant Kitchen  and a portion of the proceeds goes directly to the Migrant Kitchen Initiative. The organization works on meal distribution, reaching out to shelters and hotels with an aim to provide meals for anyone who needs one.

We try to feed as many people as we can, said Erica Maillet, program coordinator for the Migrant Kitchen Initiative. We were founded by immigrants. Our menus are inspired by immigrants. Our chefs are from different places  We make sure our meals are culturally appropriate.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How hundreds of asylum seekers found help, hope at NY nonprofit
NEW YORK  The story around an apartment Mayor Eric Adams co-owns in Brooklyns Prospect Heights neighborhood took another turn Tuesday as he said he will keep his stake in the unit after all because it makes for a great investment now that he has made the area safe.

I dont know if you realize it, but Prospect Heights is now a hot place to own property, Adams said at City Hall when asked why he made clear last week he has decided to maintain his ownership in the co-op unit on Prospect Place.

I made great investments, he continued, I moved into areas where a lot of folks didnt want to move in. You know, I made areas safe on that block.  Many folks did not want to come in  I made it safe, and now everyone is enjoying the great work I have done.

A spokesman for Adams would not say exactly how the mayor believes he made the neighborhood safer.

The Prospect Heights pad first drew scrutiny during the 2021 mayoral campaign when reports raised concern about Adams having for years failed to list his co-ownership of the unit in mandatory financial disclosure forms. At the time, Adams blamed the situation on Sylvia Cowan, whom Adams considered a good friend. He said he bought the first-floor apartment with Cowan in 1988, but to whom he alleged he gifted his share in 2007.

After being inaugurated as mayor in January 2022, Adams said that while he thought he had gifted his portion to Cowan in 2007, the transfer remained ongoing. At the time, he blamed the delay in part on an accountant he said he relied on for the transfer who had fallen on hard times and ended up homeless.

This past June, Adams spokesman Fabien Levy said the transfer to Cowan remained ongoing for unspecified tax-related reasons after the Daily News discovered that the mayors annual financial disclosure listed him as still being a co-owner.

Then, while answering an unrelated question at a press conference last week, Adams said he continues to own a co-op in Prospect Heights. After that comment, City Hall confirmed to Politico that Adams was referring to the Prospect Place apartment and that he has decided to not offload his share to Cowan after all.

Cowans name is listed on the buzzer for the apartment she co-owns with Adams, The News was able to confirm during a visit to the address Tuesday afternoon.

The hubbub over the Prospect Heights co-op was part of a string of questions about Adams real estate holdings that emerged during the 2021 campaign. In addition to the Prospect Heights unit, he owns a rowhouse in Bedford-Stuyvesant and co-owns another co-op in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with his partner, Tracey Collins, that some of his 2021 rivals suspected him of living in full time during the campaign.

Adams made reference to the New Jersey apartment at Tuesdays news conference.

Some of you thought I lived in Jersey, he told reporters, so Im making smart decisions.

______
The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of attempting to disable a planes engines mid-flight told investigators he believed he was dreaming and had taken magic mushrooms 48 hours before the incident, according to state court records obtained by CNN.

Joseph D. Emerson, 44, attempted to cut fuel to the planes engines while the flight was en route from Washington state to San Francisco on Sunday, authorities say. The quick actions of the aircrafts captain and first officer kept the engines from failing completely, the airline said.

Emerson told investigators he had consumed magic mushrooms approximately 48 hours prior to the incident on the plane, an affidavit filed by prosecutors states. He also said he had been awake for the last 40 hours, according to a separate federal court document.

Emerson told police he thought he was dreaming and believed pulling the handles of a fire extinguishing system  which cuts fuel to the aircrafts engines  would cause him to wake up, state court documents say.

Emerson was riding in the cockpit in a jump seat, as is permitted for off-duty pilots, and a confrontation began when he reached for the fire controls, according to the documents.

As Emerson reached for the controls, one of the pilots grabbed Emersons wrists and (the other pilot) reported that they wrestled with Emerson for a few seconds before Emerson stopped and said he was okay, the documents state, adding Emerson was not able to pull the handles all the way down before the pilots intervened.

Emerson had experienced depression and the recent death of a friend, the documents say. He said he was having a nervous breakdown and told the flight crew he needed to be subdued, according to a separate federal criminal complaint.

Its highly unlikely that psilocybin  sometimes called magic mushrooms  would still be in the pilots system 48 hours after use, but its possible he could have been feeling the lingering effects of the drug, said Matt Johnson, a Johns Hopkins professor who studies psychedelics and other drugs. Johnson likened mushroom use to drinking alcohol  while a person is no longer drunk the day after drinking, the hangover caused by alcohol could impair their behavior or ability to function.

Its possible that the lingering effects of psilocybin, existing depression and sleep deprivation could have created a perfect storm, in which Emerson was experiencing behavioral changes or derealization, Johnson said.

Derealization is a feeling of detachment from ones surroundings. People often describe the experience as feeling as though theyre in a movie or a dream. Psychotic-like behavior is among the risks of taking psilocybin, particularly for those with existing psychiatric disorders, said Johnson.

Emerson has been charged in federal court with interfering with a flight crew, the US Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon announced Tuesday. That charge comes on the heels of dozens of state charges filed in Oregon, including 83 felony counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, booking records show. He pleaded not guilty to all state charges Tuesday.

Off-duty pilot Joseph D. Emerson was accused of trying to shut off a plane's engines mid-flight. - Joseph Emerson/Facebook

After the cockpit confrontation, Emerson was taken to the rear of the aircraft, but then attempted to grab the handle of an emergency exit during the flights descent, according to a release from the US attorneys office.

The flight diverted to Portland, Oregon, where Emerson was taken into custody by Port of Portland police, the agency said in a statement.

While in custody, Emerson told a police officer he became depressed about six months ago, according to an affidavit authored by an FBI agent and included alongside the federal complaint. Emerson denied taking any medications, the affidavit says, but he did discuss psychedelic mushrooms with the responding officer.

The officer and Emerson talked about the use of psychedelic mushrooms and Emerson said it was his first-time taking mushrooms, the affidavit says.

Asked specifically if Emerson told officers he had been under the influence of mushrooms at the time of the incident, a spokesperson for the US Attorneys Office in Oregon told CNN that remains part of their ongoing investigation. While in custody, Emerson said he was admitting to what I did, per the affidavit. Im not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys, he said.

Emerson is being held without bail at the Multnomah County Jail and appeared in court on Tuesday wearing a blue jail uniform with his hands restrained behind his back. His release was not addressed at Tuesdays hearing, said Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Jenna Plank, noting his case requires a more robust release hearing within five days. Online records do not list an attorney for Emerson, and CNN has been working to determine if he has legal representation in both state and federal court.

Authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically motivated violence, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN. Investigators believe it may have been the result of a mental health episode, and authorities are preparing for court officials to order an assessment of the defendants psychological state as part of court proceedings, the source said.

Suspect tried to cut the engine fuel, airline says

After taking off from Everett, Washington, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059  operated by regional carrier Horizon Air  reported a security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, identified as Emerson, who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat, the airline said in a statement.

While in the cockpit, Emerson had tried to shut down both of the Embraer 175s engines by pulling its fire extinguisher handles, the airline said.

The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine; when pulled, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine, Alaska Airlines said in a statement to CNN. After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line.

The airline said the quick reaction of the crew to reset both handles helped restore the flow of fuel and prevented the engines from cutting out.

Emerson initially had engaged the pilots in small talk about the weather and the aircraft, the affidavit says. He then said, Im not OK, and one of the pilots turned around to see him reaching up and grabbing the red fire handles, the affidavit says.

One of the pilots grabbed Emersons wrist while the other declared an inflight emergency, the affidavit says. One pilot said Emerson initially resisted, and the two wrestled for about half a minute before Emerson agreed to leave the cockpit.

I think hes subdued, one of the planes pilots can be heard saying in air traffic control audio recorded by LiveATC.net. Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and are parked.

After peacefully walking to the back of the plane, the affidavit says Emerson told a flight attendant, You need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad.

The crew cuffed his wrists, but during the descent, Emerson turned towards an emergency exit door and tried to grab the handle, and was stopped by a flight attendant, the affidavit says.

Another flight attendant observed Emerson make statements such as, I messed everything up and that he tried to kill everybody, the affidavit says. Emerson was heard saying he had just put 84 peoples lives at risk tonight including his own.

When the flight landed at Portland International Airport around 6:30 p.m., Emerson was taken into custody by Port of Portland police officers, the port said.

No injuries were reported on the flight, the FBI said.

All passengers were later able to fly to San Francisco with a new crew and aircraft, the airline said, noting it is reaching out to each of them individually to discuss their experience and check-in on their well-being.

Passengers describe emergency

Two passengers on the flight told CNN that the airline crew maintained a calm environment on the plane as the incident played out.

Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers, said she didnt realize something was wrong until a flight attendant announced over the loudspeaker that the plane needed to land immediately.

We didnt know where we were landing, and we didnt know what was wrong. But (the flight attendant) assured us we were safe, Gavello said on CNNs Laura Coates Live on Monday night.

Later, the pilot informed passengers through the loudspeaker that there had been a disturbance in the cockpit, said Alex Wood, who was seated at the front of the plane. Wood said he was wearing headphones and slept through the incident.

I was right by the cockpit, but nothing woke me up. Nothing was loud enough, nothing was rambunctious enough to wake me up, Wood said.

It was very shocking, suspects neighbor says

Emersons neighbor, Ed Yee, told CNN it was very shocking to hear of the suspects alleged actions. He seems like a really nice guy. Nothing abnormal about him, Yee said.

Emerson had his most recent FAA medical examination last month, records show. He has a first-class medical certificate, the highest level of medical certificate awarded by the agency, which requires examinations every six months for pilots 40 and over.

Emerson has worked in aviation for at least two decades, according to information shared by Alaska Airlines.

Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked, Alaska Airlines said in a statement.

CNNs Elizabeth Wolfe, Dakin Andone, Taylor Romine, Holmes Lybrand, Sarah Moon, Jeffrey Kopp and Veronica Miracle contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
For two decades, Joseph D Emerson had a successful career as an airline pilot. He joined the Alaska Air Group in 2001 as a first officer, before becoming a pilot in 2019.

But, on Sunday, something suddenly changed when the pilot was involved in an incident that has shocked people who know him to the core.

While travelling in the flight deck jump seat in the cockpit of a plane flying from Seattle to San Francisco, the 44-year-old allegedly attempted to cut off fuel to the engines.

He was subdued by the flight crew, arrested and hit with 167 charges, including 83 counts of first-degree attempted murder. He now also faces a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

No one was hurt in the incident, authorities said, but the FBI is working with the Port of Portland police to investigate the incident.

Many questions remain unanswered as to what led Mr Emerson to allegedly attempt to crash the plane mid-flight.

Heres what we know so far:

What happened on the flight?

Authorities said Mr Emerson, who was off-duty at the time, was travelling in the flight deck jump seat in the cockpit when he suddenly tried to shut down both of the planes engines by pulling the fire extinguisher handles.

The 44-year-old was then subdued by flight crew as the captain and first officer intervened to keep the engines running. Mr Emerson was escorted by a flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft where he was placed in wrist restraints and belted into the aft jump seat, reportedly warning cabin crew: You need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad, according to affidavits.

According to Alaska Airlines, Mr Emerson also attempted to grab the handle of the emergency exit during the aircrafts descent before being stopped by a flight attendant.

A flight attendant told police she heard Mr Emerson say: I messed everything up, and that he had stated that he had tried to kill everybody.

The flight, which was travelling from Seattle to San Francisco, was diverted to Portland, and all 80 passengers on board were able to board a new plane.

Passengers who were on board the plane told ABC News that they were not immediately alerted to what Alaska Airlines called the security threat, until a flight attendant told them over the speaker that there was an emergency situation and the plane needed to land immediately.

A worker cleans a jet bridge at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, before passengers board an Alaska Airlines flight (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Once the plane landed, police boarded the aircraft and arrested Mr Emerson, escorting him off the plane handcuffed.

Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers on the plane, told Laura Coates Live the suspect was calm and cooperative as he was escorted off the plane.

Following the incident Mr Emerson was removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at Alaska Airlines. The airline said it was now consulting with its partners in labour regarding his employment status.

Who is Joseph D Emerson?

Joseph D Emerson was taken into custody and hit with 167 charges, including 83 counts of first-degree attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to authorities.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was also charged separately in federal court with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

His alleged motive for the incident remains unclear.

Prior to the incident Mr Emerson was a pilot with Alaska Airlines. According to the airline he joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon First Officer in August 2001.

In June 2012, Mr Emerson left Horizon to join Virgin America as a pilot but became an Alaska Airlines First Officer following Alaskas acquisition of Virgin America in 2016. He became an Alaska Airlines Captain in 2019.

Neighbours of the 44-year-old told The Daily Mail he lives with his wife and two young sons in California. He was described by neighbours as a friendly and fantastic father.

Joseph Emerson is charged with attempted murder (Joseph Emerson/Facebook)

He plays with the kids all the time, Karen Yee told the outlet.

Hes just a great guy. Hes very understanding of other people, she said.

We just couldnt imagine him doing anything to hurt someone. Its very hard for us to believe that he would do anything intentionally like that, she added. I cant fathom him doing anything that would hurt anyone.

Meanwhile, her husband Ed Yee described the incident as very shocking.

He seems like a really nice guy. Nothing abnormal about him, he told CNN.

What was the motive?

It is not known why Mr Emerson allegedly attempted to crash the plane, though he reportedly told police following his arrest that he had had a nervous breakdown and had taken psychadelic mushrooms two days earlier.

According to a federal affidavit seen by The Independent, he told police he was experiencing a nervous breakdown, and had not slept in 40 hours. Mr Emerson explained to the officers: I didnt feel okay. It seemed like the pilots werent paying attention to what was going on. They didntit didnt seem right.

He added: I pulled both emergency shut-off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up, court documents state.

He also told police he had struggled with depression for the past six months.

Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines said Mr Emerson did not have a history of medical issues.

Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked, Alaska Airlines said in a statement.

A Federal Aviation Administration pilot database also showed Mr Emerson received a medical clearance last month.

Alaska Air Group said in a statement that at no time during the check-in or boarding process did employees observe any signs of impairment that would have led them to prevent Mr Emerson from flying.

A police officer also noted that Mr Emerson did not appear to be outwardly under the influence of intoxicants.

Alaska Airlines said they are deeply disturbed by the 44-year-olds actions.

Passengers on the plane said they were told by a flight attendant that Mr Emerson suffered a mental breakdown.

After we did land and the gentleman was escorted off, the flight attendant got back on the speaker and said, plain and simple, He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately, Aubrey Gavello told ABC.

Records from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is supporting the law enforcement investigation, show the 44-year-old did not hold a certification to fly the ERJ 175  the type of plane involved in Sundays incident.

Authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically-motivated violence, according to CNN.
Officials in the United Kingdom ended their search for a man who went overboard from a cruise ship on Sunday.

The man went overboard off the AIDAperla cruise ship early Sunday morning near Ramsgate, United Kingdom, according to BBC News. His Majesty's Coastguard was alerted to the incident and assisted in searching for the missing person.

After a nine-hour search, the man wasn't found, the outlet reported. The search ended at around 18:00 BST on Sunday and involved a helicopter and boats, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency told the outlet. According to Sky News, the individual was a crew member on the ship.

The cruise ship continued its trip to Spain on Sunday night after returning to the Ramsgate area for the search.

CREW MEMBER BURNED, PASSENGERS EVACUATED FROM SMALL CRUISE SHIP IN MAINE AFTER EXPLOSION

Passengers on the deck of an Aida cruise ship docked in the harbor of the Port of Funchal in Funchal, Portugal, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

AIDA Cruises said in a statement that its thoughts are "with the family of the missing person and his colleagues."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"In addition, we are in close contact with his family and the AIDAperla crew," the company said.

CRUISE SHIP FALL LEFT VIRGINIA WOMAN FEARING 'SHE WAS GOING TO DIE' IN FOREIGN HOSPITAL, DAUGHTER SAYS

Passengers on the deck of an Aida cruise ship docked in the harbor of the Port of Funchal in Funchal, Portugal, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

The cruise initially departed from Hamburg, Germany, and was headed to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Aida cruise ship "AIDAsol" leaves port.

"The ship was immediately stopped and returned to the spot where the incident was believed to have taken place and took part in the search," a spokesperson for AIDA Cruises said.





Original article source: Officials update on cruise ship crew member who went overboard
Cannabis plants are seen in the flowering phase, which can take several weeks, at PharmaCann, Inc.'s cultivation and processing facility at Buckeye Lake.

On Nov. 7, Ohio could join 23 other states as the latest to legalize recreational marijuana, but some say it's difficult to judge how legalization has worked across the nation.

If passed in Ohio, Issue 2 would:

Allow adults age 21 and older to buy and possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates.

Allow Ohioans age 21 and older to grow up to six plants individually and no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults.

Tax products 10%, with revenue going toward administrative costs, addiction treatment programs, municipalities with dispensaries and a social equity and jobs program.

More: What Ohioans need to know about November ballot issue to legalize recreational marijuana

It is difficult to measure the impact of marijuana legalization across the country, said Doug Berman, executive director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University. Researchers have conducted studies on marijuana legalization, but different factors make it difficult to reach conclusions.

Berman said in a state like Colorado, which was the first to legalize recreational marijuana, people visited to enjoy what could be called pot tourism.

That necessarily changed the population  the population driving, the population involved in activities of all sorts  that if you were studying the first year after legalization, (it) might look very different than year two, or year three, or year five," Berman said.

But that doesn't mean the studies are incorrect, Berman said: "It means there's so many kinds of elements trying to be studied here. It's really hard to pinpoint how marijuana legalization changes things, especially because we're talking about a substance that's already in the community to a degree we're not even sure of before legalization."

Heres what some of the research says on how recreational marijuana has been implemented other states.

Marijuana impact on driving, road safety

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and other opponents of Issue 2 have raised concerns about legalizing recreational marijuana, and one of the main issues has been the potential impact on traffic safety.

According to a Justice Research and Statistics Association study, an Oregon law enforcement reported a 55% to 60% increase in marijuana-related DUIs.

Michigan State Polices 2022 Statewide Traffic Crash Data Year End Report said the total number of drug and alcohol involved fatalities decreased by one between 2017, pre-legalization, and 2022, post-legalization, with 421 in 2017 and 420 in 2022.

A lot of people report using cannabis as a substitute for other drugs or for alcohol, and cannabis studies have shown it is not as associated with risk taking, so if somebody's using cannabis instead of alcohol, they're less likely to drive under the influence in the first place because they're less likely to take risks, said Karen OKeefe, director of state policies for Marijuana Policy Project.

Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said the combined effect of legalization and retail sales was a 5.8% increase in injury crash rates and a 4.1% increase in fatal crash rates.

If you look at the pattern of other states that have legalized, fatal crashes go up and injury crashes go up by what is increasingly clear is a predictable rate, said Scott Milburn, a spokesman for Protect Ohio Families, the coalition opposing Issue 2. And if you apply that rate to Ohio, you see 48 more fatal crashes and 2,300 more injury crashes.

The illicit market and crime

One study from the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization found that after marijuana legalization in Washington, rapes dropped by approximately between 15% and 30%, and property crimes fell by between 10% and 20%.

Researchers have also examined how recreational marijuana affected other crime rates.

Right around the time of legalization, crime trends seemed to increase for violent crime for both Colorado and Washington, according to a study by Police Quarterly.

We've seen the post-legalization in both Colorado and Washington that there was an increase in clearance rates for other crimes, OKeefe said. That could be because police had more time available to solve the crimes. It could be because people were perhaps more likely to talk to the police because they didn't have to be afraid that they weren't cannabis consumers, but they could be wrongfully arrested for it.

Marijuana and the workplace

In Colorado and Washington, the marijuana positive test rate increased in the workplace by 14% and 16% respectively between 2013 and 2014.

During that time, Colorado's marijuana positivity rate increased from 2.30% to 2.62%, and Washington's marijuana positivity rate increased from 2.38% to 2.75%, according to a study by Quest Diagnostics.

An article by Bloomberg Law, says in some states, like New York, employers are prohibited from testing current and prospective employees. Nevada prohibits job denial based on a positive cannabis test result.

A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found there can be an increase in workplace performance for adults ages 42 to 60 who are provided with another option to manage chronic pain.

Minor use and access

For those ages 12 to 20, a study from PLoS One found that recreational cannabis legalization did not increase underage cannabis use.

We know that adult use markets are the best way to keep marijuana out of the hands of kids because in a regulated market, you got to be 21 to buy marijuana, Haren said.

In a research letter from JAMA Pediatrics, the evidence on effects of recreational marijuana use on youth is mixed. It found there was an increase in marijuana use among eighth to tenth graders after recreational legalization in Washington. The same authors found no evidence of an association between legalization and adolescent use in Colorado.

The CDCs data on teen cannabis use can be used to compare use for pre-legalization and post-legalization. For example, O'Keefe pointed out that in Michigan, 23.7% of high school students reported having used marijuana in the past 30 days in 2017, but dropped to 14.4% in 2021.

Effects on health

In Colorado, marijuana-related emergency room visits rose for youth ages 13 to 20 between 2005 and 2015, according to an article by Reuters Health.

Another study from JAMA Pediatrics found the mean rate of marijuana-related visits to children's hospitals increased between the two years prior to and the two years after legalization in Colorado.

Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found legalization of marijuana in Washington caused an increase in the consumption of cannabis, and a decrease in the consumption of other drugs and alcohol.

Every study is giving us a perspective on what that research has revealed about these sets of issues at that particular moment, Berman said. But to me, this is an area in which it's really critical to have a wide range of studies and to look at all the patterns as best you can before you can draw any super firm conclusions, either about problems or about benefits.

Kayla Bennett is a fellow in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism's Statehouse News Bureau.

Get more political analysis by listening to the Ohio Politics Explained podcast

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Issue 2: How marijuana legalization is working in other states
An Ohio man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from his "reprehensible" bid to burn down a church that's supportive of LGBTQ rights, officials said Tuesday.

Aimenn D. Penny, 20, of Alliance, Ohio, threw Molotov cocktails at the Community Church of Chesterland on March 25, hoping to torch it because it had scheduled upcoming drag events, according to court documents.

Penny pleaded guilty to using fire and explosives to commit a felony and to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, legislation President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1996 in response to a string of attacks on Black churches.

Penny faces a minimum of 10 years behind bars and could be hit with a maximum of 30 years, defense lawyer John Greven said Wednesday. Sentencing was set for Jan. 29.

Jess Peacock, the churchs pastor, said the congregation was satisfied with the outcome.

From the very beginning, we said that we held no ill will against Mr. Penny, Peacock said Tuesday. We were very disappointed by the actions he took.

The explosives hurled at the church destroyed its sign but otherwise did little damage.

When Penny was arrested this year, federal agents searched his home and found a hand-written manifesto that contained ideological statements, a Nazi flag, Nazi memorabilia, a White Lives Matter of Ohio T-shirt, a gas mask, multiple rolls of blue painters tape and gas cans, a criminal complaint said.

The court document called White Lives Matter a group with racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic views.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who leads the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, called Penny's acts reprehensible.

There is no room in this country for such bias-motivated violence and terror, she said in a statement.

A probation report hasn't been written yet, but Penny's defense hopes he's sentenced to the lower end of the 10-to-30 range.

"Under the circumstances, it was a fair plea deal," Greven said. "We're hoping for something much closer to the 10."

The March 25 attack didn't stop the church from following through with its two scheduled events: a drag show at a local restaurant and drag story time for children at the church.

"Hindsight is 20/20," Greven said. "He (Penny) understands there were better ways to protest against what he was against."

The church was forced to increase security as a result of Penny's attempt to burn it down and threats it received from far-right groups, Peacock said.

"While we hold no ill will against Mr. Penny, we do think there needs to be repercussion when people use violence to prevent anyone from living their lives," Peacock said.

For more from NBC Out, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
"Gavel" is a public sculpture by Andrew F. Scott set in a pool outside the Ohio Supreme Court building in downtown Columbus.

Susan Gwynne admitted that she stole thousands of items from dozens of residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Delaware and Franklin counties where she worked. But she didn't think she should get 65 years in prison.

The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday in a split decision upheld the 65-year sentence a new ruling that unravels a previous decision by the high court.

The case raises the questions: What is appropriate punishment for a first-time, non-violent felony offender, when consecutive sentences are merited and what oversight should appeals courts have?

The case also reflects what can happen when the balance of the Ohio Supreme Court shifts.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy said state law directs appellate courts to generally defer to trial courts' sentencing decisions. She wrote that an appellate court could change a trial court's sentence if it "clearly and convincingly finds" the record doesn't support the trial court's findings.

The new opinion authored by Kennedy disagreed with the opinion issued in December 2022.

In December 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court said in a 4-3 ruling that trial courts need to consider an overall combined prison term when imposing consecutive sentences. The court also found the Fifth District Court of Appeals erred in deciding it had no authority to review and vacate Gwynnes 65-year sentence. The high court sent it back to the appeals court to reconsider the length of Gwynne's sentence.

Once the control of the court shifted in January, the justices voted 4-3 to reconsider the December 2022 ruling.

Justice Melody Stewart wrote in her dissenting opinion that the court only decided to reconsider the case when Republican Joe Deters joined the court. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Deters to fill a vacancy created when Kennedy moved up to be chief justice.

She said that Kennedy's majority opinion will leave Ohio's law on consecutive sentencing  stacking prison time on multiple counts to run one after the other rather than concurrently  "so muddled that it will be virtually impossible for any defendant" to mount a successful challenge of a stacked sentence.

Trial court judges issue consecutive sentences in cases if they deem it necessary to protect the public and it'd be proportionate to the offenses. Generally, though concurrent sentences are the default.

In a second dissent, Justice Jennifer Brunner noted other cases similar to Gwynne's crimes in which the defendants received far less prison time. She said people who get 65 years in prison are almost always convicted of rape, kidnapping, torture or other heinous violent behavior.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly, who has been vocally critical of the Gwynne case and recused himself, said "This sentence is exhibit A in how the state of Ohio needs a total overhaul of its criminal sentencing scheme and we need a database."

The current system allows for disparity  grossly excessive and unexplainedly lenient sentencing, he said. Outcomes are tied to which judge hears a case and not on the rule of law, Donnelly said. That undermines the public confidence in the judicial system, he said.

Donnelly supports establishing a statewide criminal sentencing database, which would allow researchers, judges and the public to compare outcomes of similarly situated defendants.

Gwynne, now 62, is incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. Her release date is May 30, 2081 when she'd be 120-years-old.

Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Supreme Court upholds 65-year sentence in property theft case
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG)  A woman whose body was found on a barge in the Mississippi River last weekend had repeatedly called 911 asking for help in West Memphis, Arkansas before her death, records show.

Hailey Silas was 22 years old and from Oklahoma. Her identity was confirmed by the Shelby County Sheriffs Department on Tuesday.

Her body was found by the barge crew on Saturday morning, a few hours after the barge left Memphis.

Body found on river barge was 22-year-old Oklahoma woman

Heartbroken doesnt begin to describe the emotion LaRena Darrow is feeling after finding out her daughter is dead.

I dont want to think about my baby being hurt like that and nobody being there to save her or being there to help her, Darrow said.

What brought the Oklahoma woman to the border between Arkansas and Tennessee so far remains a mystery. But the Shelby County Sheriffs Office doesnt believe foul play is involved.

I have no idea. I had spoken with her Thursday night and she had send me a couple pictures of her on a bridge and she looked so happy, Darrow said. And she was about to go sing karaoke and that was the last time I talked to her.

But West Memphis, Arkansas records show that Silas was taken into custody by police on Oct. 15. A police report says she repeatedly called 911 from a gas station across from Southland Casino, asking police to give her a ride out of the city because she was scared of something.

Body found on barge traveling the Mississippi River: SCSO

When police arrived she told them she was having a panic attack. They took her to the station in handcuffs. She asked to talk to her mom and dad, said she was scared and confused, and asked to be taken to a psych ward.

Silas pleaded guilty last Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of communicating a false alarm, a charge similar to filing a false report. She was given a suspended sentence of time served, according to records. Theres also a psychological evaluation report filed with the courts but no evidence of what it says.

She was found dead three days later.

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She was an amazing mother. My grandson is missing out on such a wonderful person. She was such an angel, Darrow said.

Officials say Silas was not found with any identification, but Darrow says someone has Silas phone. She said when she tried to call it, a man answered but she didnt know who he was.

And I said, This is my daughters profile, what are you doing on it? And he said, Well Im sorry Hailey doesnt have a phone anymore,' Darrow said.

The entire incident, including the cause of Silas death, is still under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
A woman reacts as people light candles in memory of the victims of an attack by Hamas militants on Israel.

In the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 7, while Israelis were enjoying their weekly Shabbat, Hamas militants attacked Israel from Gaza.

According to multiple news reports, the militants fired thousands of rockets on the Israelis. Armed fighters stormed across the border, gunning down Israeli citizens and soldiers, murdering and raping women, burning and beheading babies, taking many civilian hostages, including Americans, even targeting youths attending a music festival. Then they fled. They didn't come to seize territory, just to rape and kill.

This unprovoked attack left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and more than 3,400 injured, with reports of up to 250 hostages being taken. The attack was called the worst against Israel since the Nazi Holocaust.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later that morning declared the country was at war, and Israel began retaliating against its attackers. Israel never attacks first, but the nation does defend itself. In fact, Israel's enemies deny Israelis their very right to live, wanting complete annihilation of the Jewish people and for the nation to cease to exist.

It's troubling to me that now most news reports show only war footage from Gaza. Why not show the brutality of the initial attacks against Israel?

Of course, I mourn for innocent Palestinians who are caught in this terrible crossfire. Palestinian leaders should not harbor militants. It was said to me in a recent interview that only 10% of Palestinians are Hamas. So, why allow these militants to live among you?

As a Christian, I grew up hearing those who bless Israel will be blessed. Those who curse Israel will be cursed. I believe this so wholeheartedly that I have many Israeli friends.

I recently visited Israel for the first time, staying in the Kfar Azza kibbutz. Just last week, I Zoomed with friends I made there, hearing first-hand accounts of the ongoing horror. I went on this trip with the American Israeli Education Foundation. The main part of the trip was detailing what Israelis face on a day-to-day basis and security concerns. I can't escape the poignancy of this in light of the recent war.

On this trip, I also visited with Palestinian leaders. I truly want peace for them and in this area of the world.

I'm such a staunch supporter of Israel, one of America's best allies, that I've run or supported numerous pieces of legislation that recognize Israel's sovereignty and that specify that our state will not do business with entities that are anti-Israel. I also last year co-authored a piece of legislation ensuring the Holocaust will be taught in our schools.

Israel has many enemies, but the nation also has many friends. I'm blessed to be counted among the latter.

Rep. Mark McBride

Mark McBride, R-Moore, serves District 53 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes part of Cleveland County.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Rep. McBride: I support Israeli sovereignty, mourn for Palestinians
The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office has arrested the husband of a teacher's aide while investigating her September death.

The El Reno Police Department and other agencies assisted in the arrest of Frank Byers on complaints of first-degree murder, unauthorized removal of a dead body and desecration of a human corpse. All complaints concern the death of Makayla Fay Maeve, who went missing in mid-September and whose body was found days later, the department said on Facebook.

"This is not a conviction and all parties are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," the department clarified in the post.

Here's what we know about the investigation and arrest.

Makayla Maeve reported missing in September

The arrest comes more than a month after Maeve, 30, was first reported missing in mid-September.

According to the sheriff's office, she was last seen about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, wearing a Macomb Public Schools T-shirt and blue jean shorts at her Macomb home.

Makayla Maeve-Byers

Makayla Maeve's body found

On Sept. 20, a body was found wrapped in a carpet south of Oklahoma Highway 59B and Hamilton Road and was identified as Maeve on Sept. 22, KFOR reported.

Macomb Public Schools, where Meave-Byers was reportedly a kindergarten teacher's aide, released a statement regarding the tragedy.

"Unfortunately, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office announced Friday that Makayla's body has been recovered, as officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and death," school officials 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."

Arrest made in Maeve's death investigation

Frank Byers was arrested Wednesday in connection to Maeve's death investigation.

Official charges have not yet been filed.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Husband arrested in connection to woman's body found wrapped in carpet
A barge powers its way up the Mississippi River past Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park in Millington, Tenn., on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

An Oklahoma woman found dead on a Tennessee barge had been arrested for repeatedly calling 911 for help just days before her body was found.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the body of 22-year-old Hailey Silas, from Luther, Oklahoma, was discovered just after 7 a.m. on Oct. 21. The crew was performing a routine inspection of the barge while it was traveling the Mississippi River near Shelby Forest when Silas was found.

The barge had been idling near the I-55 bridge hours earlier, around 11 p.m. Friday, when it was inspected the first time, and Buckner said the crew told deputies there was no body at that time. It was cleared to leave Memphis around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner called the death investigation "extremely unusual" Monday.

Oklahoma woman Hailey Silas arrested in West Memphis days before body found on barge

According to WREG in Memphis, Silas was arrested Oct. 15 after repeatedly calling 911 from a gas station across from Southland Casino. She was asking police to give her a ride out of the city because she was scared of something, the news outlet reported.

Silas told police she was having a "panic attack," and after they took her to the police station she asked to be taken to a "psych ward."

According to Arkansas court records, Silas pled guilty in court to the misdemeanor of communicating a false alarm on Oct. 18.

Lucas Finton, staff writer for The Commercial Appeal, contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma woman Hailey Silas arrested days before body found on barge
Chusri Kaewkhio, 73, lives with her 75-year-old husband Suchart in Bangkok's Klong Toey slum. She has called for the government to provide more support as the cost of living soars (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)

Unless she lines up in the hot sun for a free meal, ketchup on bread is the only food Thai widow Noi can afford on her small government pension.

Her payout of around 82 US cents a day makes cooking at home near impossible.

"If it's too wet to come, I eat 7-Eleven bread with ketchup," the 73-year-old told AFP at a Bangkok Community Help Foundation meal delivery tent that feeds 500 of the city's homeless and poor daily.

Thailand is one of the world's fastest ageing societies, according to the World Health Organization -- but its economy is ill-prepared.

Research from major Thai lender Kasikorn Bank estimates that by 2029 the kingdom will join a list of super-ageing societies where more than 20 percent of the population are older than 65.

But Thailand has not reached the same level of wealth as some other ageing societies such as Japan and Germany.

"We've become old before we've become rich," said Kasikorn Bank chief economist Burin Adulwattana.

"We're not ready."

Currently, Thailand is home to more than 12 million over-60s -- around 18 percent of the population.

Low incomes, limited savings and inadequate government pensions will mean many endure extreme poverty, while fewer taxpayers and a healthcare spending bill expected to triple will be a huge fiscal burden.

- 'Ticking time bomb' -

"It's definitely a ticking time bomb," said Kirida Bhaopichitr from the Thailand Development Research Institute.

Poverty among older adults is already widespread, with 34 percent of Thai seniors living below the poverty line -- surviving on less than $830 a year, according to Kasikorn.

To retire well in Bangkok at least $100,000 in savings is needed, Burin said, but many Thais are retiring with less than $1,300.

In August, the outgoing government announced it was restricting a previously universal pension of between $16 and $27 a month to low-income earners, cutting off six million people.

Thai PM Srettha Thavisin has vowed to eradicate poverty by 2027 and "leave no one behind".

His party made an election pledge for an $8.1 billion elderly welfare package but the government has not announced any pension boost.

Last month Social Development Minister Warawut Silpa-archa dismissed calls to raise the pension to $81 a month, saying the kingdom could not afford it.

"I wish the government could provide more support because right now the cost of living is skyrocketing," said 73-year-old Chusri Kaewkhio in Bangkok's Khlong Toei slum.

Her 75-year-old husband Suchart Kaewkhio lies on a bed, in an adult diaper, staring up at the peeling paint and water-damaged ceiling but Chusri said they had no money for repairs.

They borrow cash each month to buy expensive milk for her husband's feeding tube and are five months behind on their electricity bills.

There is a cultural expectation in Thailand that adult children will look after their parents as they age.

But economist Burin said this is unsustainable in the long term as the economy grapples with a smaller workforce, lower growth and consumer spending.

- 'The pension is not enough' -

While men work until about 65, Thai women start dropping out of the workforce around 50 to care for ageing parents and in-laws, researcher Kirida noted, adding that there needs to be an increase in affordable elderly daycare centres.

Orn Keawwilat, 57, faces a difficult juggling act -- caring for her sick elderly parents while running a small general store to support her household of 12.

Her bedridden father Arj, 88, recently had a fall trying to get to the bathroom and has lost the ability to speak because of motor neurone disease.

"He has to be hand fed and supervised all the time because sometimes he chokes," Orn told AFP.

Thailand's demographic shift requires major physical and cultural changes and investment.

The labour ministry is considering lifting the retirement age beyond the current 55-60 years old.

A future government may be required to lift the value-added tax from seven to 10 percent as well as consider taxing wealth and inheritance, Burin said.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt is ramping up senior activity centres and health clinics.

But for many, retirement with dignity is a pipe dream.

A former teacher for 30 years, Aew never married, lost her home during the pandemic and now sleeps on seats at the Bang Sue Grand train station.

"The pension is not enough. I also make plastic flowers to sell on the street... But I want a job," the 70-year-old said.

ci-lpm/pdw/dva
Omer Siman-Tov and Omar Bilal al-Banna were both killed in the Israel-Gaza war

In the opening days of the Israel-Gaza war two small boys, both aged four, were killed. One was Israeli, one Palestinian. But many posts I saw on social media weren't mourning their deaths - instead, they were trying to deny the killings had taken place.

Omar Bilal al-Banna and Omer Siman-Tov lived roughly 23km (14.3 miles) apart, on either side of the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence. They never met, but both loved playing outside with their siblings.

The faces of these little boys have appeared on my social media feed in the past week. They were both killed as violence unfolded.

I've tracked down family, friends and witnesses. In both cases they tell a tragic story.

Omer Siman-Tov was killed when Hamas attacked his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October.

Omar Bilal al-Banna was killed four days later, following an Israeli airstrike on Zeitoun, east of Gaza City.

The way the boys' deaths have been denied by social media users is symbolic of an information battle, running in parallel with the war on the ground.

There have been brazen attempts to downplay or deny violence committed against children.

These false allegations have shocked family and friends grieving the loss of their loved ones - and the people who witnessed what happened.

Map of Gaza and Israel, showing the locations where Omer and Omar died

'It's not a real baby, it's a doll'

"The candle of my life" is how Omar Bilal al-Banna's mother Yasmeen describes her children on Instagram.

Two photographers put me in touch with her, and I matched up her profiles on social media with the details available to me to confirm her identity as Omar's mother.

Omar had been playing outside with his older brother Majd when he was killed. I've seen footage where Majd confirms this.

In the clip he describes how the strike hit their neighbour's house, and then rubble fell on Omar. Majd was wounded too. In the footage, his leg is bandaged and he looks shocked.

The first online post I saw about Omar's death was from a pro-Israeli account on X (formerly known as Twitter). It included a video, featuring a man in a grey polo shirt holding a small child's body, wrapped in a white blanket or cloth. I would later discover this child was Omar.

In the accompanying caption, the person who shared the clip declared: "Hamas is desperate!" They added falsely that the group - classified as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and other powers - had "released a video showing a dead Palestinian baby. But wait for the catch. It's not a real baby; it's a doll".

This user said it "exposes how hard the lying and slanderous propaganda arm of Hamas and the Palestinians works". They suggested Hamas accounts had shared and then deleted the video because it wasn't real.

According to X, that post containing the video and false claims has been seen 3.8 million times. The allegations it made were then amplified by the State of Israel's official account on X.

It shared a new post, this time featuring that same video of the child in the white blanket - and then a still from the same video, circling the child's face.

In the caption, the account wrote: "Hamas accidentally posted a video of a doll (yes a doll) suggesting that it was a part of casualties caused by an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] attack."

In the hours that followed, other official accounts on X - including profiles belonging to Israel's embassies in France and Austria - repeated the claims. Before long, they were being spread by pro-Israel and anti-Hamas accounts based in Israel, as well as several that seemed to be based in India.

Each time, the posts would say the child was a doll. I have watched the extended footage, and it's clear from the video that this is a real person.

I tracked the original footage back to the Instagram page of a Palestinian photographer, Moamen El Halabi. He filmed the original video of the man in the grey shirt holding Omar, and I got in touch with him.

I also made contact with another photojournalist, Mohammed Abed - who works for the AFP news agency - who was there at the same time. He took a photograph of the same man holding what appears to be the same child, wrapped in the white sheet. That photo has since been uploaded to the Getty Images website.

The caption accompanying the photo describes the scene "outside the morgue of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City". It is dated 12 October 2023 - the same day the video clip was shared on Instagram by Moamen El Halabi.

Other fact-checking organisations like Alt News have also tracked down the source of the original photos and videos.

Both photojournalists provided me with further details to corroborate that the video and the photo had been taken at Al-Shifa hospital, outside the mortuary. The details included information about the situation at the hospital that day, and the man in the grey shirt, who was a relative of Omar's.

They both told me, categorically, that the child pictured had not been a doll, but a real little boy - Omar Bilal al-Banna. They also shared additional images, which I have matched up with Moamen El Halabi's original video footage to verify the child's identity.

Since we spoke, Mohammed Abed has posted an Instagram story with the photo he took. He declares in the caption: "This picture [is] not a doll, its [one] I took at Al-Shifa hospital and it's the very truth."

It seems that part of what made people think what they saw was a doll, rather than a child, was the colour of Omar's skin in the photograph. But Mr Abed said he had photographed several children killed in strikes in Gaza and their skin looked similar.

Omar's mother Yasmeen confirmed that her son had been killed by an air strike, adding that lies about the "killing of children and innocent people are untrue and fake".

"They have no right to say he is a doll," she said.

"They [the Israeli government] are lying and evading their crimes and massacres," she added.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in the UK did not comment directly on these social media posts or on the circumstances of Omar's death. They told the BBC that "it is very important to review instances of disinformation" but also accused the BBC of spreading misinformation.

X did not reply to the BBC's request for comment.

'Omer was a paid actor'

"Omer was just an angel. He was so, so, beautiful and cute and pure. He was very close to his sisters. They were always playing together and they were so kind to him," Mor Lacob, a friend of the Siman-Tov family, told me.

She messaged them on WhatsApp on the sunny Saturday morning when Hamas gunmen broke through the Gaza perimeter fence and attacked their kibbutz. She told me they confirmed to her that they had managed to get into their shelter, but that was the last she heard.

Further messages sent to her friends were left unread.

Mor Lacob later found out that Omer's parents, Tamar and Yonatan, had been shot dead. Their three children - Omer plus his older sisters Shachar and Arbel - were killed when their home was set on fire. Their deaths have been covered by major news outlets.

In a photo, Omer is smiling - surrounded by his parents and sisters.

The image was shared by the Israeli government's account on X, the post describing them as "an entire family wiped out by Hamas terrorists. There are no words. May their memory be a blessing". It was also shared by the former Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett.

But when I read the comments below - while there were many speaking of the terrible shock and offering support - there were others I had not expected to find.

Several accounts that supported Hamas claimed that Omer had been a "paid actor" because Hamas "didn't kill kids". Others said this was "Jewish propaganda at its finest", declaring that neither Omer, nor his sisters, had been killed. One wrote "there's no evidence" they were dead and asked to "stop the lying".

Scrolling through several other posts and videos showing the Siman-Tov family on different social media sites, I encountered dozens and dozens of similar comments.

Some suggested that he and his sisters had been "crisis actors" - people paid to act out a tragedy.

More on Israel-Gaza war

I checked out the profiles behind the comments. Many of them appeared to be real people based around the world. Several actively supported Hamas, and a couple appeared to be based in the occupied West Bank.

These were not accounts with huge followings. However, the cumulative effect of their posts seemed to bolster wider, viral social media narratives trying to suggest that Hamas had not killed or attacked any children, in spite of the widespread evidence of such violence.

Other untrue comments I spotted suggested that the murders had been real, but that Hamas gunmen had not been responsible. One user wrote, "I guess it's Israel themselves" who killed these children and the Israelis were "trying to blame Hamas".

Speaking to me from her home in Sydney, Australia, Mor Lacob said the comments on social media had caused her extra distress at a time when she was grieving her friends.

"I just want the world to remember and to know what happened. To deal with their death is hard enough, and all these comments make it even worse.

"How can I respond to that? I need to prove they died? Why did five graves need to be filled with their beautiful bodies?"

She described this kind of online disinformation as "evil and cruel".

When I told her how Palestinian children too, like Omar, had had their deaths denied and questioned on social media as well, she became upset again.

"My heart goes out to every single innocent [person] who got murdered and killed because of Hamas's actions," she said. "It's not fair."

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One person was killed and another was injured Tuesday when an SUV crashed into several trees, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Edgar Munnings, an 83-year-old Sumter resident, died in the accident, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said Wednesday.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 2:25 p.m. in Sumter County, said Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway of the Highway Patrol.

A 2006 Ford was driving south on Narrow Paved Road, and near the intersection with Levan Lane the SUV ran off the left side of the road, according to Ridgeway. Thats close to Exit 141 on Interstate 95.

The SUV crashed into a ditch then hit several trees, Ridgeway said.

Munnings, a front-seat passenger who was wearing a seat belt, was heavily entrapped, and died at the scene, according to the coroners office.

The SUV driver was hurt in the crash and taken to an area hospital, Ridgeway said. Further information on the drivers condition was not available.

Ridgeway said there were no other occupants in the SUV, and no other injuries were reported.

There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.

Information about what caused the SUV to veer off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroners office.

Through Sunday, 790 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 24 people have died in Sumter County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 30 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
On 15 May 2022, Gregory Rodriguez, a guard at the Central California Womens Facility, ordered a 30-year-old woman in his custody to come to a hearing room at the prison.

He told her there were no cameras in the room, prison investigators allege, and gave her a choice: she could have sex with him or get a write-up for a rules violation, risking a lengthened prison term, revoked privileges and solitary confinement.

He proceeded to rape her, the investigators say, and would go on to assault her on at least five more occasions.

Jane Doe is one of more than 22 women Rodriguez is suspected of sexually harassing, assaulting and raping at CCWF over the span of nearly a decade, prison officials say. The former officer, who has pleaded not guilty to 96 sexual abuse charges, is now in jail awaiting trial.

The case has raised an urgent question: how could one officer be accused of abusing so many women, over so many years, without getting caught?

An analysis of court records and misconduct data, as well as interviews with five women who spoke to the Guardian about Rodriguezs abuse, paint a picture of a system in which the most vulnerable women in the California department of corrections (CDCR) are routinely preyed upon  often lured with promises of basic supplies and small privileges and then threatened into silence.

When women have reported abuse, they have at times faced severe consequences, in some cases leading to longer prison terms and further exposure to their assailants. Some officers have protected their colleagues and facilitated their attacks.

CCWF investigated a report of Rodriguezs abuse as early as 2014, testimony from a prison investigator and a victim reveals, but instead of terminating him, it punished the victim. Court records suggest Rodriguez would go on to commit dozens of additional alleged sexual assaults.

Rodriguezs abusive conduct appears to extend beyond the allegations outlined by the prisons investigators and in the resulting criminal case. The Guardian interviewed one woman who said she was assaulted by Rodriguez but never reported it out of fear of retaliation. Advocates say they believe there are more victims.

Abuse of incarcerated women is a systemic problem across the United States  government surveys have estimated that more than 3,500 women are sexually abused by prison and jail staff each year, and that federal employees have abused women in at least two-thirds of federal womens prisons.

Prosecution is rare: since 2014, people incarcerated in Californias womens prisons have filed hundreds of complaints of sexual abuse by staff, but Rodriguez is one of only four officers from those institutions confirmed by the state to have faced charges, internal records reveal.

You cant protect yourself in here, Selina*, one of Rodriguezs alleged victims, said from inside prison. The women here are so vulnerable and so alone, and he clearly thought he was above the law.

No one will believe you

Gregory Rodriguez, now 55, appears to have spent most of his career at CDCR. He started with the department in 1995 at age 27, training for two months before he was assigned to mens prisons.

In 2010, he moved to CCWF, an overcrowded womens facility with 2,400 residents, in Chowchilla, a remote rural town hours away from the states major metro areas.

The first alleged incident documented in court files occurred in April 2014, roughly four years after he started at CCWF, although it would take nearly a decade for details to emerge publicly. Jamie Torres, a CDCR internal affairs special agent who interviewed the victim in October 2022, recently testified in court that Rodriguez had escorted a woman behind the work exchange  a checkpoint that women pass through on their way to prison jobs  and then she had sex with him. By law, an officer cannot have a consensual relationship with an incarcerated person, and any sexual contact is considered abuse.

Rodriguez continued to assault the woman through September 2014  at times in a substance abuse treatment building as well as in clinics, Torres said; Rodriguez allegedly told her she was his girlfriend and gave her underwear, cosmetics, jewelry and alcohol. She felt she was doing what she felt she had to, the investigator said.

A pattern emerged in Rodriguezs tactics over time, records and internal investigators testimony indicate. Multiple women allege he first verbally harassed them, commenting on their breasts, tattoos, hair and gym workouts and making explicitly sexual remarks. Most said he isolated them in areas without cameras, typically under false pretenses, claiming they were needed for appointments or cleaning services. He then asked for sex in exchange for items such as gum or tobacco, while also threatening to write them up or make prison very difficult if they told anyone or didnt comply.

No one would believe [you], one woman said he told her.

The majority of rapes later alleged in the criminal case occurred in 2021 and 2022 in the board of parole hearings (BPH) area, where incarcerated residents have confidential legal visits or appear before commissioners to plead for their freedom.

One woman thought she was going to BPH for a meeting about an early release program, but she was met by Rodriguez, who raped her, internal investigators say. Another believed she was meeting the head of the prison there. Rodriguez allegedly offered extra phone time to two women, including one who had just lost a loved one and took the opportunity to talk to her family; she said he began assaulting her while she was still crying after the call.

One woman said she confided in Rodriguez about her struggles with substance use, and he coerced her into sex by offering to get her suboxone, medication to treat addiction. She complied, but never got the prescription, and instead he gave her heroin, she reported.

Related: Ex-guard charged with 95 counts of sexual abuse in California womens prison

She overdosed and was hospitalized.

Interrogated and sent to solitary

CCWF looked into Rodriguez as early as 2014, an investigator revealed in the later criminal case. But the investigators testimony suggests that the prisons first documented investigation failed his victim.

Each California prison has an investigative services unit (ISU), made up of officers who review claims of staff misconduct and investigate incarcerated people accused of violations such as bringing in contraband.

In 2014, CCWF conducted an administrative investigation into reports of overfamiliarity and a sexual relation between Rodriguez and an incarcerated woman, the investigator testified in court.

That woman, Valerie*, told the Guardian a staff member, not her, had reported Rodriguez to CCWF. In the months leading up to the investigation, Valerie said, she had been groomed, coerced and then repeatedly assaulted. She had been terrified to come forward, she said, hurt that she had initially trusted Rodriguez and scared by his threats after he started assaulting her.

She wanted the assaults to stop, she said, but was desperate to avoid repercussions: At that time, I felt I was responsible for all of the abuse  I just felt trapped because I couldnt talk to anybody.

When ISU eventually brought her in for questioning, Valerie said, they interrogated me, as if I was the one to be blamed.

Officers implied Valerie had behaved inappropriately and manipulated Rodriguez, she recalled. She said she had wanted to tell investigators what shed endured, but that their threats and intimidating questions had made it clear they did not see her as a victim, so she told them nothing had happened, hoping she wouldnt face further consequences.

While the investigation continued, she was sent to solitary confinement, known as the security housing unit (SHU), she said, where she recalled being stuck for several months. She received no mental health care while in the SHU, other than brief check-ins from a clinician who went cell to cell to make sure were not suicidal, she said. During this time, she was no longer allowed to have face-to-face visits, so was only able to see her mother behind glass.

She said she had tried to confide in a male prison psychologist, alluding to the sexual abuse, but that he had quickly made her uncomfortable, asking her questions about masturbation, and, at the sessions end, hugging her. She further shut down: I was like: I dont want to do this any more.

She eventually learned CDCR would be transferring her to another prison farther from her family, who had themselves relocated to be closer to CCWF: I was dealing with that guilt, like I messed up again. Rodriguez remained at the prison. Terri Hardy, a CDCR spokesperson, said in an email that in November 2014, the prison received information that indicated there was possible sexual misconduct by Rodriguez and immediately opened an investigation, but the case was closed due to insufficient evidence.

An embattled warden

Colby Lenz, an advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, who is working with several of Rodriguezs alleged victims, said that over the years, his behavior had become so widely known that some women developed a buddy system to try to avoid being alone with him.

Selina told the Guardian that after Rodriguez groped her so blatantly and suddenly, I looked at him and said, Youve done this before. This is easy for you. When she returned to her housing unit in hysterics, two women appeared unfazed: They said, Thats just him. The officers hide everything.

Records and interviews with several survivors of abuse in CDCR reveal most felt unable to speak out.

Harassment and assault by guards is widespread and normalized, women said, noting these abuses occur across institutions. In past years, there have been major scandals at the other CDCR womens prison near Los Angeles, the federal institution in the Bay Area and LA youth jails. Women know that filing a complaint is extremely risky and unlikely to result in the prison taking action, as their cases are often difficult to prove, especially when there is no physical evidence or witnesses. As Rodriguez repeatedly reminded them: who would believe them?

At CCWF, some of Rodriguezs victims said, other guards at times appeared suspicious of Rodriguez but did not intervene. Jane Doe, who is part of the criminal case, alleged that after Rodriguez raped her, three officers subsequently questioned her about her whereabouts during the incident. She told them shed had an attorney video visit, as Rodriguez had ordered her to say, and although the officers knew this was untrue and one of them appeared surprised, they didnt report the incident. At a later medical appointment, she said, she requested STD and pregnancy testing, but was told shed have to admit to engaging in risky behavior and face discipline.

Some guards, the women said, actively helped Rodriguez secure time with prisoners alone, intimidated victims or approached victims themselves.

Valerie said at least four officers had started harassing and propositioning her after Rodriguez started assaulting her.

Another woman who has sued Rodriguez for sexual assault said that after she had spoken to investigators, two officers who she believed were friends with Rodriguez accosted her on her way to church, ripped up her paperwork and put her in handcuffs without cause. She stopped going to church.

The prisons leadership has also faced scrutiny for facilitating Rodriguezs behavior. Mike Pallares, the warden at CCWF during the reported rapes, failed to protect women from a serial rapist, Robert Chalfant, an attorney for seven women, has alleged in filings. Chalfants lawsuits say Pallares had received complaints about Rodriguez prior to many of the 2022 assaults, but did not take action nor did he launch internal affairs investigations.

On the contrary, according to Chalfant, the warden approved Rodriguezs overtime requests to work at BPH, where he allegedly committed the rapes.

In a December statement, after two women filed lawsuits, Pallares said Rodriguez shamefully hid behind his badge and used it to victimize a vulnerable population. But he did not acknowledge that he himself was twice sued by female colleagues for sexual misconduct. A CCWF administrative worker has alleged Pallares coerced her into sex in 2015, in a lawsuit that was recently dismissed. And a former female warden of the prison separately alleged that Pallares made unwanted advances against her when she was his boss in a lawsuit that is ongoing.

Tremaine Carroll, another woman who says Rodriguez abused her, has also accused Pallares of sexually assaulting her, in official complaints and a lawsuit. Carroll, who is a trans woman, has said Pallares coerced her by threatening to send her back to mens prisons: The threat of being sent back to mens prisons is worse than having a gun pointed at me.

Pallares and his attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. His lawyers argued in filings that there was no reason for him to believe the overtime was nefarious and that the womens complaints have failed to prove that the warden was on notice that Rodriguez posed a substantial risk of serious harm. The state justice department, which is representing Pallares in several civil cases, declined to comment.

Cant guarantee protection

Its unclear what exactly prompted the recent internal inquiry that ultimately resulted in Rodriguezs prosecution, but CDCR said in a press release in December 2022 that the department and the CCWF ISU had begun investigating the guard in July 2022, immediately after discovering information that suggested sexual misconduct. The release said he retired in August of 2022 after he was approached by investigators.

Related: She reported being abused by US prison guards. Now she faces deportation

The criminal records indicate that women increasingly spoke to investigators last fall.

For some of the women, speaking up came at a heavy cost. Latasha Brown, who says Rodriguez assaulted her in the BPH area, said that after she had spoken to a civil attorney investigating Rodriguez, a process separate from the institutions investigation, officers placed her in segregation, a form of solitary confinement. She said they had forced her to do multiple strip searches for no discernible reason, in a manner that felt cruel and retaliatory: Im the alleged victim and youre treating me like a perpetrator. I just wanted my humanity recognized.

While in isolation, cut off from loved ones and at one point without a utensil to eat with, she struggled with suicidal thoughts: I wanted to check out. I was freezing and eating meals with my fingers and I didnt want to live through that. CDCR eventually transferred her to another institution, which she believed was for her safety, but again, she was placed in solitary: I felt victimized all over again. Being in segregation was more traumatic than what Id been through.

Carroll said she too had been placed in segregation after reporting abuse: That is retaliatory, and that is why victims dont come forward.

Rodriguezs lawyer, Roger Wilson, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

But he argued in a July 2023 hearing about the case that there were no documented threats made by Rodriguez, noting the former prison guard did not actually issue rules violations against the women. Wilson also claimed that for some women, there was no evidence of any force [or] duress, suggesting they were bargaining and negotiating with Rodriguez for contraband he offered. For one woman, he claimed there was consent. The lawyer further argued there was no evidence beyond the womans claims of Rodriguez bringing in heroin.

Wilson argued for Rodriguezs pretrial release, saying he had been living with and caring for his elderly mother and had a close relationship with his 19-year-old daughter. He noted Rodriguez had no criminal record and that he was still collecting his pension. A judge declined to free him and set the case for trial, which is expected next year.

CDCR declined multiple interview requests over several weeks and a spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom declined to comment. Jennifer Benavidez, CDCRs deputy director of facility operations in the division of adult institutions, said in an email that when women report abuse, they are placed in administrative segregation for their protection only when no other housing alternatives are available, and said the victim will continue to receive all programs and privileges while in isolation. She said an accused employee would have no contact with incarcerated people during the investigation.

It takes one person to speak the truth and that gives other people courage, says the Madera county district attorney, who is prosecuting the case. Photograph: Stephen Lam/Reuters

While CDCR says it identified more than 22 potential victims of Rodriguez, the charges were filed on behalf of only 13 women. The Madera county district attorney, Sally Moreno, who is prosecuting the case, said in an interview that she had filed charges she could prove beyond a reasonable doubt and also noted some claims of misconduct might not have been criminal.

She acknowledged there were probably others besides Rodriguez who had abused women in the prison, but had not faced charges, because victims had never reported them or CDCR did not bring cases to her: Anytime youve got women in this super-compromised position where there are these formal and informal power structures, theyre going to be taken advantage of.

Why was Rodriguez caught? It takes one person to speak the truth and that gives other people courage, said Moreno, noting that when one woman reports abuse and does not face retaliation, it can snowball. Investigators also have suggested that the case is supported by video corroboration, including footage that appeared to show Rodriguez touching himself while waiting for one woman to approach, then the two of them entering a closet-size room, and another video showing him adjusting his zipper as he exited a room with a different woman.

Moreno said she hoped the case would inspire more women to come forward, but understood why survivors may still be hesitant: There is this secrecy in our prisons. I would never tell a woman I can 100% guarantee that youll be protected, because we just cant do that. So they do take risks when they report this.

In January, a month after CDCR announced it had referred Rodriguez to prosecutors, the department reassigned Pallares to an associate warden position in a different prison; a CDCR spokesperson told the Sacramento Bee at the time: We thank him for his time and work at the institution.

Nancy Skinner, a state senator who called a hearing on CDCR sexual violence, said she was concerned that Pallares was transferred after being accused of sexual misconduct: I dont think he should have been allowed to move on. There should have been more consequences.

*Selina and Valerie are pseudonyms to protect their anonymity as they remain incarcerated and continue to fear retaliation
Sidney Powell, a former attorney for Donald Trump, attends a hearing on Thursday at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. Powell pleaded guilty in the Georgia racketeering case after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

Sidney Powell, a former attorney for Donald Trump , attends a hearing on Thursday at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. Powell pleaded guilty in the Georgia racketeering case after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

WASHINGTON  As Donald Trumps co-defendants and associates take guilty pleas and promise to serve as prosecution witnesses, the coup-attempting former presidents window for pleading guilty himself to avoid prison time may be closing.

Pleas are like fish, and not like wine, said Norm Eisen, a White House lawyer during the Barack Obama administration who worked on Trumps first impeachment for the House. They do not get better with the passage of time.

For decades, the unwritten rule that evolved to govern an overburdened criminal justice system has been that defendants who admit their guilt are allowed to take a plea to a less severe crime and are given a lenient sentence, sometimes with no jail time at all.

But defendants who insist on taking their case to trial and are subsequently convicted by a jury are not afforded that privilege; instead, they are given a prison term specified by sentencing guidelines, which can often amount to decades behind bars or even life with no chance of parole.

Judges always sentence defendants more harshly if they refuse to take responsibility for their actions and instead challenge the charges at trial, particularly if they testify falsely on the witness stand, said Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor.

In recent days, a trio of Trump co-defendants have grabbed the opportunity to avoid prison time with guilty pleas in the Georgia racketeering case brought by District Attorney Fani Willis , which accuses Trump and 18 others of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election he had lost in the state. Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis pleaded to felonies, while Sidney Powell was allowed to plead to misdemeanors with the prospect of having the conviction expunged entirely after her probation period.

Additional plea deals are potentially in the pipeline already.

At some point, the no-jail pleas that Willis is offering will turn into pleas that require jail time, Eisen predicted.

Defense lawyers for Trump did not respond to HuffPost queries. Nor did his campaign advisers.

One longtime informal adviser to the former president, though, said a guilty plea by Trump, who is currently the front-runner to win the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, was out of the question. He will never plead, the adviser said on condition of anonymity.

Mike Davis, a lawyer who informally advises Trump on legal matters, said that Trump is innocent and therefore has no business taking a plea, and that Willis giving deals to co-defendants proves that her case is weak. These plea deals are evidence Fani Willis overplayed her hand, Davis said. Shes looking for a way out.

Other lawyers strongly disagree and believe that each co-defendant who accepts a plea agreement gives Willis an even stronger case  and makes it ever harder for each subsequent defendant to obtain a favorable deal.

Whats more, Trump may find that even if he were interested in a plea deal, prosecutors may not be willing to offer one.

George Conway, a lawyer who helped bring the sexual harassment lawsuit against former President Bill Clinton that led to his perjury impeachment, said the two coup-attempt cases involving Trump  Willis in Georgia as well as the federal case brought by special counsel Jack Smith  are more akin to prosecutions against organized crime families. In those, low-level participants are given light sentences in return for their help prosecuting more prominent mobsters.

His problem is hes the big fish. Hes got no one to offer up, Conway said.

Glenn Kirschner, a federal prosecutor for more than two decades, said that given the nature of Trumps actions  a literal attempt to end democracy by remaining in power despite losing his election  he should not be offered a plea deal in exchange for a light sentence.

I do not believe the rules of prosecutorial convention should or will apply to Trump. If the mob boss pleads guilty, he still goes to prison for a long time, Kirschner said. To deter future aspiring dictators, Trump must be shown no leniency.

In any event, Trump himself appears to have staked all his efforts to stay out of jail on his presidential run. Should he win the White House again in 2024, he would almost certainly use his power over the executive branch of the federal government to end both of Smiths prosecutions  the one stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt as well as an unrelated indictment for Trumps refusal to return secret documents he took to his Florida country club. And although Trump, who has already pleaded not guilty in the various cases against him, cannot order an end to the Georgia prosecution or a separate one in New York for his falsification of business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star, his status as president would effectively put them on hold until he left office, legal experts agree.

His smartest play is  and its cynical, its wrong, its bad for democracy  would be to make a play for the White House, Eisen said.
Editors Note: Sara Stewart is a film and culture writer who lives in western Pennsylvania. The views expressed here are her own. View more opinion on CNN.

For  Buffy the Vampire Slayer  fans, news of a podcast called Slayers, which is set 10 years after the Buffy story ended and picks up where the series left off in 2013, may stir up a lot of feelings. Hope, nostalgia, cringe  basically the full range of emotions, for a fandom thats been through the wringer since the beloved series ended two decades ago. Most of that turbulence stems from multiple allegations of verbal abuse and cruelty by the series creator, Joss Whedon , who has largely stayed silent since the accusations first began to surface in 2017, the year the #MeToo movement went mainstream.

Sara Stewart - Todd Thompson

In a 2022 interview with New York magazine, Whedon finally addressed many of the claims, though never with a definitive confession or apology; he referred to some conduct as not mannerly, and told the magazine, Could I have done marriage better? Dont get me started. Could I have been a better showrunner? Absolutely. Should I have been nicer?  I think Im one of the nicer showrunners thats ever been.

Fans, meanwhile, publicly expressed their anguish and disappointment, though there has also been a concerted effort to separate the art from the creator, as Caroline Framke wrote in Variety, also last year: As with any enduring franchise, Buffy no longer belongs entirely to the frustrating person who first created it In the decades since Whedon first made Buffy an avatar of his own insecurity, so many other writers, actors, crew members, and fans have made their mark on her stories.

Now, some of Whedons key Buffy actors are taking back the narrative in a podcast that could prove to be a role model for moving forward when a creator crumbles under the weight of his own toxicity. Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, recently released on Audible, is the brainchild of Amber Benson , who played the witch Tara Maclay on Buffy, and Christopher Golden, an author whos written many novels within the Buffy universe. The two co-wrote the series nine episodes, co-directed with Kc Wayland.

The podcast reunites many fan-favorite actors from the series: Charisma Carpenter , James Marsters, Benson, Anthony Head, Juliet Landau, Emma Caulfield Ford, Danny Strong and James Charles Leary (the latter perhaps less known by name but recognizable to fans as floppy-eared, nice-guy demon Clem). No Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy), no Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and no David Boreanaz (Angel).

Its a strange thing to be reunited with old, fictional friends through a new medium that feels sort of ancient, like a radio play. Hearing Marsters whiskey-soaked, borderline-campy British accent as a noir narrator should give any Buffy lover an initial shiver of delight.

As a conflicted longtime fan of Buffy, I say: Bring it on!

Charisma Carpenter speaks onstage at Audible Presents: "Slayers: A Buffyverse Story" during New York Comic Con 2023 - at New York City's Javits Center on October 13, 2023. - Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for ReedPop

Slayers takes back the narrative

Film people get mad when you mangle the definition of auteur theory, but Im going to take a stab anyway: it is the singular vision of an artist  a creator, writer and director  that elevates certain films and series. You can feel their perspective in every shot, every piece of dialogue. This was certainly true for Whedon, whose Buffy (and then Angel, and Firefly, as well as Dr. Horribles Singalong Blog) were indisputably Whedonesque. That term itself became, tellingly, the name of the major blog dedicated to all things Joss.

One of Whedons major traits was his devastating wit, which often bled into downright mean-spiritedness. Did it make the shows spicy? Hell, yes. Did it crush and enrage fans when he killed off favorite characters (like Carpenters, and Bensons)? Also very much yes.

Slayers is not, exactly, Whedonesque. Along with its clear affection for, and deep understanding of, the characters its brought back from Buffy (with Whedons approval, but not his participation), there is a certain, well, kindness at the heart of this series that feels novel.

Benson, whose characters shocking death was one of the most polarizing moments of Buffy, has, in the intervening years, become a writer, director and producer alongside her work as an actor. And it feels quite pointy (yeah, I said it) to feature Carpenters Cordelia front and center as the slayer.

The original cast of the TV series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," is pictured here. - Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

After all, it was Carpenter who kicked off the major backlash against Whedon with her allegations in 2021 that the hostile and toxic showrunner had repeatedly treated her cruelly, to the point that she suffered chronic physical conditions and trauma.

In one instance, The Hollywood Reporter wrote, When Whedon found out she was pregnant, she says, he asked the actress if she was going to keep it and manipulatively weaponized my womanhood and faith against me, Carpenter alleged. Of the many Buffy cast members who spoke out in support of Carpenter, it was Benson who called the shows set a toxic environment, so its fitting that she is at the helm of this new, Whedon-free incarnation.

Carpenter has been clear about the catharsis involved in moving forward with these characters in a new, supportive environment. As she told Variety, One of the most important things to me about Slayers is that it is an opportunity to give the Buffyverse fandom permission to enjoy the show Because that show involved hundreds of people to make, and it wasnt about just one person. So I feel like its really a beautiful thing to have this opportunity to bring her back to life  Cordelia specifically  and have her live out a very empowering life, and share her wisdom from that battle. I just feel like its very poetic in a lot of ways.

All fans dont have to love this. Thats the point

Not every Buffy fan will be on board. Dan Kois writes in Slate of how besotted fans once were with Whedons crackling dialogue, we thrilled to his laser-cut plots, we suffered with the characters as ruthless Joss put them through hell  even when he killed them off. Listening to Slayers  makes me wonder whether Whedons worst qualities as a boss and his best qualities as a showrunner were two sides of the same coin. Its a fair point  does being a true auteur demand, at a certain level, acting as a ruthless dictator wholl do anything to get the performances he wants?

Christopher Golden and Amber Benson talk on Official New York Comic Con Panel at Javits Center on October 13, 2023. - Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Audible

But others contend we may be entering a post-auteur era, where those tradeoffs are simply too harrowing. A better model here might be adaptation theory. Scholars Gary R. Bortolotti and Linda Hutcheon wrote in the journal New Literary History that stories, in a manner parallel to genes, replicate; the adaptations of both evolve with changing environments. Their success cannot and should not, in either case, be limited to their degree of fidelity to anything called a source or original.

Consider a pop-cultural world where its increasingly possible for characters, series or franchises to be successfully molded by new hands into recognizable but also different  dare I say more evolved  versions of what they once were? The trick, obviously, is that creators would have to sign off.

While Im not surprised that Whedon, who has never fully addressed the allegations against him, gave his blessing to Slayers, I would be shocked if J.K. Rowling OKd someone else running with her Hogwarts characters. (But hope springs eternal.) Or, consider what a continuation of Mad Men might look like without a male showrunner who has been accused of harassment. (Showrunner Matthew Weiner denied those allegations.)

We already have a couple of other examples of series moving forward when key figures are ousted. The new season of Rick and Morty has debuted different leading voices after the firing of series co-creator and lead voice talent Justin Roiland, who was accused of domestic violence (those charges against Roiland, which he deemed false in a statement, have since been dismissed, but a major Hollywood Reporter expose, for which Roiland declined to comment, detailed a litany of other problematic behavior). Perhaps less successfully, House of Cards killed off Kevin Spaceys character after the actor faced multiple sexual assault allegations (which Spacey denied and for which he was later acquitted), and continued on with Robin Wright at the center of a badly-reviewed final season.

Slayers, maybe more than any other series continuation, has in its source material the absolutely perfect jumping-off point. Credit Whedon for building in a plot device that stands as a wonderful metaphor for the passing of the torch to other creators. In the series finale of Buffy, a spell infuses girls all over the world with Buffys slayer abilities, ensuring that there will no longer ever be a single person imbued with all that power.

Benson, for her part, seems firmly on board with the post-auteur era. And one bit of dialogue from Slayers really seems to drive that point home:

Anya: Humans can be pretty demonic too. In fact, sometimes theyve been worse than demons. Humans have more opportunities to choose to be good. When they dont, when its a deliberate choice to do a selfish thing, that always feels worse to me. Thats why women like us need to stand together.

Indira: Women like us?

Anya: The ones with magic. Real or metaphorical.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Editors Note: Peter Bergen is CNNs national security analyst, a vice president at New America, a professor of practice at Arizona State University and the host of the Audible podcast In the Room With Peter Bergen, also on Apple and Spotify. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN.

It will be long, bloody, and complicated. Thats the way two leading experts on urban warfare described the prospect of a ground attack by Israel on Hamas base in the streets and tunnels of Gaza.

Colonel (Ret.) Liam Collins and US Maj. (Ret.) John Spencer co-authored the book Understanding Urban Warfare.

Collins is the executive director of the Madison Policy Forum, a senior fellow with New America and a US Army Special Forces officer. He served for 27 years with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Spencer is chair of urban warfare studies with the Modern War Institute at the US Military Academy at West Point. He served 25 years as an infantry soldier, including two combat tours in Iraq.

They provided a sobering assessment of Israels capabilities, saying they dont think the Israeli military is prepared for the large-scale urban combat they will likely encounter in Gaza. This type of operation can take many months because an advanced military like the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) loses many of its advantages when fighting in a city.

The experts said Israel does retain some advantages, such as specially developed armored bulldozers that can be used in urban combat and the ability to fight at night, but that must be weighed against their lack of experience and training in urban combat. At the same time, Hamas has more than 200 hostages, human shields, suicide bombers, tunnels, booby traps, many civilians that remain trapped and has had years to dig in.

If the Israeli invasion goes ahead, they estimate that the IDF will destroy 80 to 90 percent of Gazas urban areas and the operation will change the landscape of this area for decades.

PETER BERGEN: What is the IDFs record on urban warfare of this type?

JOHN SPENCER: Not much.

The biggest gap in the IDF is not their training areas or their tanks. Its in a body of knowledge on how to do this big of an urban operation as fast and effectively as possible. To be clear, all militaries, to include the United States, are not trained, manned or equipped for this type of urban battle.

LIAM COLLINS: I dont think their military is prepared to conduct large-scale urban operations. When you go to Israel and try to find their large urban training center, like many other militaries, they have something, but its not what you need to train for something like Gaza.

Israel has been extremely effective at antiterrorism operations in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the country, but that doesnt translate to large-scale military operations in an urban environment.

SPENCER: There are a lot of unknowns that will be encountered, both on Hamas capabilities  everything from surface-to-air missiles to what dont we know about that Hamas has in preparation for a likely retaliation by Israel.

BERGEN: Lets talk specifically about the obstacles the Israelis face in Gaza: Hostages, human shields, suicide bombers, tunnels, cross-border tunnels, improvised explosive devices and booby traps, and many civilians. There is also no element of surprise here.

For political reasons, given international pressures, the Israelis also may want to make this operation in Gaza as short as possible. On the other hand, for military purposes, this could go on for months, right?

SPENCER: I say it would take months to do the mission in Gaza.

Israel continues to deploy soldiers and armored vehicles along the Gaza border in Zikim kibbutz of Ashkelon, Israel on October 14. - Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images

BERGEN: What advantages does an advanced military like the IDF lose in a well-populated, dense urban space?

SPENCER: They lose the ability to use advanced technologies to strike the enemy before you get close to them, which is what all militaries want to do. Thats why urban warfare is the most difficult, because all those superior advantages that a big military has are reduced and, in some respects, eliminated.

They lose the ability to do combined arms maneuver. The whole concept of combined arms maneuver from World War II to today is about having mobile forces that can maneuver around the enemy and envelop them. Youre not going to do that in an urban area. No military wants to funnel its forces into a single street or multiple single streets.

COLLINS: To provide some tactical-level examples, there are so many opportunities for the enemy to hide and move without being observed by the intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, or drones up in the sky. They cant see the enemy because theyre moving through tunnels. The enemy can move between buildings by blowing walls from one building to another. And then, in terms of the firepower, even if you see them, you cant always shoot because there might be another building in the way, and then all the while, you have to be concerned about civilians in that area.

SPENCER: The other thing they lose is the effects of their weapons. In the concrete jungle of urban warfare, most of your weapons may not even penetrate the building the enemy is in. Yes, there are many that do, but most of the standard-issue weapons dont.

BERGEN: Because?

COLLINS Ill give an example. Back in 2002, we dropped two 500-pound bombs on a small compound in rural area of Afghanistan, and somehow this Taliban fighter lived through that and threw a grenade at us. These structures provide inherent defenses for the defender. You look at the destruction of a building and think no one could have survived that, but people routinely do.

Hamas wants to buy as much time as possible. The longer the urban fighting lasts, the more that political pressure will build for Israel to stop the attack due to the collateral damage and civilian casualties that are an inherent part of urban war. Their goal isnt to destroy the IDF. They cant. Its to buy time.

BERGEN: The Israelis presumably retain some advantages?

SPENCER: D9 Bulldozers. Two-story remote-controlled bulldozers that can go forward and take the enemys advantage away. The advantage Hamas has is that its hidden in concrete buildings. Still, if you lead with an armored bulldozer that can take the first strike of anything  for instance, RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades)  that gives you the advantage to take away the concrete building protection that the enemy relies on. So thats one of the low-tech solutions that the IDF built, a capability the US military doesnt really have.

COLLINS: The Israelis also retain night-fighting capability; doing the attacking at night is to their advantage because that does favor them more than the enemy.

BERGEN: How do you suss out what the tunnels look like if you dont have overhead imagery?

SPENCER: The overhead imagery wont help you at the depth that some of these tunnels are at. You have to have specific underground mapping technologies.

Israeli soldiers patrol near the Gaza border as the clash between Israeli army and Palestinian factions continues in Nir Oz, Israel on October 24. - Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images

BERGEN: What about using robots, and what about using tear gas in tunnels?

SPENCER: Tear gas is an effective way to clear a building of enemy personnel, without destroying it. It is unlikely Israel will use it because of the political aspect of it; what does it look like when Israel is using gas?

BERGEN: You quote the Australian strategist David Kilcullen in your book: Cities are sponges for troops. Why?

SPENCER: Because of that force power that you need to clear even a street. Youre not going to bomb your way to that. An urban defender of a much smaller size can soak up your entire military, but that isnt to say that its not a mission that can be accomplished. It just requires a lot of force and power, including a lot of soldiers.

COLLINS: And the other challenge with the urban environment, too is you could clear an area, but as soon as you leave that building, you can no longer assume its cleared because the enemy may circle back on you using tunnels or through the walls of other buildings. They may get behind you and then reoccupy a building or an area as soon as you leave it.

BERGEN: Snipers are a tough problem. Presumably, Hamas has snipers who are going to be entrenched, and they know the terrain very well.

SPENCER: There are a lot of lessons learned from the last 20 years of urban battles, to include acoustic sensors that can tell you where a sniper is.

Also, if youve ever seen an IDF soldier, they have a very large bag that goes to the top of their head. Its a special type of camouflage. The IDF wears on their heads these bags that cover their helmets to fool snipers

BERGEN: What about robots on the Israeli side?

COLLINS: They will, without a doubt, employ them, but they probably dont have as many as they would like, and theyre slow.

BERGEN: Hamas provides garbage removal. It provides some social services. It was elected a government in 2006. Theres been no election since. But it functions on multiple levels. It has a terrorist component. Does that complicate things?

COLLINS: You have this hybrid organization thats a terrorist organization and a paramilitary organization that provides government services.

So, Israel is not  despite stating that the goal is to destroy Hamas  they know thats unrealistic. Thats just a political statement they have to say. Their goal is to degrade them and prevent a future attack. So, really, what theyre going after is the leadership, the terrorist wing, the fighting wing of Hamas.

So, they will call the end to the operation when they feel that they have culminated in terms of the diminishing point of returns on degrading additional capability versus the political cost of continuing that operation to degrade additional capability.

BERGEN: What does the day after the fighting stops look like in Gaza?

COLLINS: Its people moving back to their houses. Youre removing rubble. Youre trying to get services back up and running. Nongovernment organizations are coming in and trying to restore some semblance of normal life to the Palestinians.

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant meets soldiers in a field near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 19. - Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

BERGEN: The Israelis already pulled out of Gaza back in 2005 because it was too big of a headache, and the Israelis that Ive spoken say, Were not going to hold Gaza, but, if thats the case, then who is?

SPENCER: Militaries have an abysmal record at building states or nations or building cities in general. Who will govern Gaza? Who is going to provide services and security and reconstruction? Thats a massive question.

BERGEN: Lets go to Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq that was taken by ISIS in 2014. In your book, you write about one hundred billion dollars worth of damage to the city during the fight to clear ISIS out of Mosul from late 2016 into 2017.

SPENCER: ISIS had two years of defensive planning and building a defense in depth with massive obstacle belts in Mosul, and that is why it took nine months for a hundred thousand security Iraqi forces  albeit nothing like the IDF  backed by the US with the worlds best air power to discriminately, building by building, destroy most of Mosul.

Thats a telling sign of what it would look like to accomplish the current mission we think the IDF will get. It will destroy 80 to 90% of the infrastructure and buildings in Gazas urban areas. This will change the landscape of this area for a generation.

COLLINS: People should know that even under the most stringent laws of war, cities are destroyed in order to accomplish this type of mission.

BERGEN: Israel seems like a tank-based army. Walk me through what tanks in an urban environment can do and the advantages and disadvantages they have.

COLLINS: Tanks have a huge advantage in the open desert. But many of their advantages get neutralized or lessened when you enter the urban environment. Their ability to range targets from a distance is greatly reduced and they cant elevate their main gun to engage targets in tall buildings. So, you need a tank as part of your combined arms team in urban combat, but its much more vulnerable there than it is elsewhere.

SPENCER: Of all the challenges inherent to this type of urban combat, the tank is extremely vulnerable.

But there is no other tool that is as vital as the tank when you fight in a city, because it can go down a street and take the punch of the defender. It has a firepower unique to ground forces that it can punch through concrete, and it has the mobility to move around.

The disadvantage, of course, is that it cant see everything. It is vulnerable. It is slow. You can see it coming. So, it has to be protected with infantry.

BERGEN: So, youve got to have substantial amounts of infantry protecting the tank?

SPENCER: Right. Thats the lesson of the Ukraine war; Russia is an artillery tank-based army, so when it entered Ukraine in early 2022 they had reduced numbers of infantry and they lost an ungodly number of tanks.

COLLINS: You need the infantry to protect the tank, but you need the tank to protect the infantry.

BERGEN: Doesnt this have some implications for the mass involved when you launch a military operation in Gaza? Defending is easier than attacking?

SPENCER: We usually say this is the combat power. In an open terrain, you need three combat powers  some people just say troops  to one defender. In urban terrain, historically, you need fifteen or ten to one combat power because you cant mass in urban areas.

One street can suck up an entire battalion just to try to move down that street.

BERGEN: And a battalion would be 800 troops?

SPENCER: Up to 900.

BERGEN: Lets just do some math here, what does it look like in terms of the size of the force that would need to be sent into Gaza?

SPENCER: Theres a lot of variables there, but its about power, not numbers. This isnt the Battle of Berlin in 1945 where the Soviets put a battalion down every street. This is why urban battles also happen repeatedly, because nobody has a million-man army anymore. They have smaller armies, where a small opposing force can gain power in the urban environment, and you have to throw a lot of combat power  usually thats artillery  to get them out.

BERGEN: Let me ask you, Liam, about the hostages because you come from the US special operations community.

COLLINS: Im pretty confident that they dont have the intelligence of where the hostages are located. They are most likely hiding them underground. And you absolutely need that kind of intelligence to conduct an operation, and then even if you have the intelligence, do you have the means to get there safely and get them out with a reasonable chance of success without losing the hostage and losing a significant portion of your force?

So, I think nations are probably staging their forces so that if they do get the intelligence, they can then decide if theyre going to try to rescue their citizens. But I think were most likely to see results through diplomatic means as was the case when Hamas released the American mother and her daughter last week.

Now, the Israeli hostages. I think those are the ones Hamas is going to hold on to the longest.

SPENCER: To have this many hostages from this many countries intermixed with the enemy and the Israelis about to execute this operation is an unprecedented situation in my mind.

BERGEN: Why did you write a book on urban warfare?

COLLINS: Battles are increasingly being fought in urban areas, and militaries worldwide, including our military in the US, are underprepared or unprepared to do it. I constantly challenge people to name a significant battle in Ukraine thats not in one of the cities.

SPENCER: Militaries are inherently resistant to urban warfare. It is a place where they dont want to go. So, they dont prepare for it, and thats why the enemy continues to resort to it.

COLLINS: But you cant help but be pulled into urban warfare because humans fight wars, and humans live in cities.

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From the outside, the headquarters of Alcove Learning looks like any small home in the largely Latino Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles. Flanked by similar houses and located among varied storefronts and restaurants, this self-directed learning center for teens and tweens offers young people the freedom to direct their own education. It is part of an expanding ecosystem of alternative educational models throughout the U.S. focused on individualized learning.

Alcove was co-founded in January 2020 by Alexis Burgess, a former philosophy professor who taught courses at Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Claremont McKenna College before turning his attention to alternative education.

So many of the kids I was encountering when teaching Intro to Philosophy felt a little rudderless to me, Burgess told me in a recent interview. They didnt really know why they were at college at all I think its a failure of the system. I think one of my Alcove kids recently described it as a people mover. 

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Burgess began thinking more critically about his own people mover educational experience and that of his college students, while considering what he wanted for his own childrens education. He started reading about creative learning models and discovered North Star, a self-directed learning center in Massachusetts founded in 1996 by former public school teacher Kenneth Danford.

Burgess was hooked. He connected with Danford, and launched Alcove as part of the Liberated Learners microschool network that Danford and his colleague Joel Hammon created in 2013 to scale the North Star model, which prioritizes non-coercive, self-directed education.

Related

How One Florida Mom Built a School, Just for Her Son

At Alcove and other Liberated Learner-affiliated microschools across the country, young people attend optional classes throughout the week, choosing from part-time and full-time enrollment offerings. Most Alcove learners are legally considered homeschoolers, although some students enrolled in California virtual charter schools also attend Alcove as a complement to their learning programs.

Tuition is typically a fraction of the cost of traditional private schools, making it more financially accessible to more families. Alcove uses a pay-what-you-can tuition model, with some families paying nothing while others pay the full $1,600 monthly rate. The average Alcove family pays between $500 and $600 a month.

Alcove Learning co-founder Alexis Burgess. (Kerry McDonald)

Burgess describes his microschool as an unschool, referring to an educational philosophy that jettisons adult-imposed curriculum and traditional schooling practices in favor of emergent, bottom-up, out-of-system learning tied to a young persons curiosity and interests.

There is no set curriculum, Burgess said. You can pursue your strengths at Alcove. You can pursue your weaknesses or growth areas. You can do whatever it is that you feel like doing. Were going to make it up as we go along every semester.

Class offerings this semester include math, French, political science, magic, psychology, debate, art, and more. Its education as improv, Burgess said.

While programs similar to Alcove have been around for decades, interest in these models has accelerated in recent years, as families look for the personalization in education that they enjoy in other areas of their lives.

When we started North Star in 1996, there were a few pioneering homeschoolers and unschoolers, and there was the Sudbury Valley School, Danford said. Now, I am meeting people every day who are interested in creating alternatives to conventional schooling, and these people sometimes show up with partners, teams and resources.

With the expansion of school choice policies enabling education funding to go directly to families rather than school systems, self-directed schooling alternatives are poised for further growth. Nine states have adopted universal school choice programs, including Arizona, Florida, Utah, and West Virginia, which have implemented flexible education savings account programs that include schooling alternatives like Alcove.

Danford is focusing his attention on finding and facilitating founders in these choice-friendly states.

I have become very interested in exploring public funding for educational alternatives, and am deeply engaged with how we can identify and support these founders and their interested families to build sustainable programs, he said.

He is currently broadening the training and development services that Liberated Learners offers to prospective founders. Hes also growing his team to provide greater support to these entrepreneurs  many of whom are former public school teachers.

For the most part, the people I meet are not businesspeople seeking a clever way to make money; in fact, most are willing to work for lower wages than they could earn in public schools, Danford said. These people have initiative, vision, and a need to find a different way to work with youth.

Even in states like California that dont have robust school choice policies, entrepreneurial parents and teachers are working to offer low-cost, learner-centered education options.

Not far from Alcove Learning, former teacher and school librarian Lizette Valles founded Ellemercito Academy in 2021 as an independent microschool with a focus on experiential learning and trauma-informed education. Just outside of Los Angeles, Danelle Foltz-Smith runs Acton Academy Venice Beach, part of the fast-growing Acton Academy network that now includes over 300 learner-driven microschools.

There is a groundswell of demand for new and different educational options, and entrepreneurial parents and educators everywhere are stepping up to create them. Philanthropic nonprofits like the VELA Education Fund provide grant funding and community support to many of these everyday entrepreneurs to help catalyze and cultivate their efforts.

I think its beautiful whats happening, Burgess said, noting that Alcoves little yellow house is now at capacity with 30 learners. Hes wondering about the possibility of leasing the house next door to meet continuing demand, and is optimistic about the growth of decentralized educational models both in Los Angeles and across the country.

Were seeing a large scale reorientation away from a top down, federal organization of schooling in the country to something much more bottom up, that was expedited by COVID and by the failures of No Child Left Behind, Burgess said, referring to federal education policy that has shaped American education for the past two decades.

We need something better, he added. The kids need something better urgently. And so Im not ashamed anymore to be offering an alternative to the public system. I think we need microschools.
Editors Note: Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author and editor of 25 books, including the New York Times best-seller, Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Lies and Legends About Our Past (Basic Books). Follow him on Twitter @julianzelizer. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

House Republicans finally picked a speaker of the House when GOP members coalesced around Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson on Wednesday afternoon.

With this decision, MAGA wins again.

Julian Zelizer - Larry Levanti

Johnson is no moderate. While free of any major known scandal and gentler in demeanor than Ohios Rep. Jim Jordan  the far-right choice of the House rebels who ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the speakership who failed to win the office last week  thats about it. Johnson might be a nice person, he carries himself in a reasonable way, but make no mistake about it: He is perfectly aligned with the new generation of Republicans who are replacing the generations of the upstart tea party and smash mouth partisan Newt Gingrich as they push their party even further to the right.

Indeed, the nomination speech that New York Rep. Elise Stefanik gave for Johnson was pure red meat for the party. She accused the left of wanting to stop paying for police, being weak on defense and undermining the values of the nation. She railed against President Joe Biden s radical, failed, far-left Democrat policies on energy and warned that the government had been illegally weaponized against we the people.

For comparison, Speaker Tip ONeill in 1984 condemned as the lowest thing he had seen in his career in Congress the attacks on the patriotism of Democrats leveled by then-Georgia Rep. Newt Gingrich and his allies on televised House proceedings when Democrats werent present to respond. That was childs play compared to Stefaniks words.

On almost every issue, Johnson is hard right. He has been a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage. He has been at the forefront of opposing reproductive rights. He opposed funding for Ukraine. He wants to deregulate the economy, cut taxes and deny the very real problems facing our climate. He supported expunging former President Donald Trumps second impeachment and has questioned the Justice Department for how it has handled investigations into Hunter Biden.

Most importantly, Johnson was at the center of the effort to overturn the 2020 election, something that in other times would have been immediately disqualifying for holding office let alone being speaker. Within the House itself, he was one of the point persons working with the Trump administration to subvert the decision of American voters by standing against certifying the 2020 results and helping create the legal strategy that was the basis for Trumps attempted overthrow. In particular, he helped to round up support for a legal brief behind a lawsuit in Texas that would have thrown out the election results in four battle ground states where Biden was victorious.

As Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who helped orchestrate McCarthys ouster, told Steve Bannon on a recent War Room podcast: If you dont think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party lies, then youre not paying attention.

Taking one more step in the enshrinement of MAGA, Johnson on Wednesday won with the support of many so-called moderate Republicans who had been more comfortable with McCarthy at the top. These Republicans made a practical decision, no doubt fueled in part by sheer exhaustion, that it was better to settle on someone that to let this uncertainty continue.

This logic has driven many Republicans to capitulate to their more extreme colleagues over the decades, from the time in 1989 when Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe voted for Newt Gingrich to be minority whip because his aggressive style offered the party the best path to majority power (which they had not held since 1954) to the continued concessions of Trump opponents such as Utah Sen. Mitt Romney. As McKay Coppins documents in his new book, Romney: A Reckoning, Romney kept agreeing to live with Trumpism despite his understanding of the dangers that entailed, reportedly thinking he could contain the extremes as he worked to protect his party. He was wrong.

Whether GOP members voted for Johnson as a result of practical or ideological considerations, the Republicans are now on the same page. The #NeverTrump contingent is irrelevant at best, or even an illusion. The reason that Trump is by far the lead contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is because he is perfectly aligned with the most energetic part of the modern GOP  and the election of Johnson as speaker of the House proves the point.

Democrats have some big decisions ahead. The distance between what Johnson and the House Republicans will push for after agreeing to an expected continuing resolution to keep the government open for a few months will be hugely different from the concessions Democrats can accept. From assistance to Ukraine to funding for basic social safety programs, the two parties will be very far apart. To keep government functioning while protecting core programs that have been created since the New Deal, Democrats will have to choose whether to make massive concessions to their opposition that will no doubt leave voters feeling dispirited when the next election rolls around.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Editors Note: Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is the senior associate dean for leadership studies and Lester Crown professor of leadership practice at the Yale School of Management at Yale University. Steven Tian is the director of research at the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute. The opinions expressed in this commentary are their own. Read more opinion at CNN.

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes, goes a saying that is often attributed to Mark Twain though Jonathan Swift might be the original inspiration for it.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld - Christopher Capozziello

Last week, amid fears that a wider war may break out in the Middle East, President Joe Biden seized the moment to fortify the truth and dampen the dangerous spiral of misinformation, which has often led to wars as we have seen before in history.

Steven Tian. - Steven Tian

The October 17 bombing of the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of civilians was a terrible tragedy. Immediately following the blast, many media outlets recycled dubious pronouncements from the Islamist militant group Hamas blaming Israel. Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say read one initial headline on The New York Times website. Arab leaders rushed to condemn Israel.

In an editors note Monday, the Times admitted that early versions of the coverage  and the prominence it received in a headline, news alert and social media channels  relied too heavily on claims by Hamas, and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified. The report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.

Biden, the US National Security Council and the American intelligence community have expressed confidence that the strike on the hospital was the result of an errant rocket fired from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group affiliated with Hamas that the US and Israel consider a terrorist organization.

This assessment was based on open source and proprietary audio, video, satellite, radar and infrared evidence, intercepted Hamas communications admitting a stray missile was off course, and videos showing Palestinian militants firing a barrage of rockets near the hospital, then falling short and exploding inside Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces categorically denied any involvement in the hospital attack, blaming it on a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The group denied Israels accusations.

A CNN analysis suggested that a rocket launched from within Gaza broke up midair, and that the hospital explosion resulted from part of the rocket landing at the hospital complex. Weapons and explosive experts said the available evidence of damage at the site was not consistent with an Israeli airstrike.

Israel had no incentive to bomb a civilian hospital, let alone on the eve of Bidens arrival as the United States had reopened discussions with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas accusations seemed to mirror its apparent sabotage of the Abraham Accord extensions 10 days earlier. Biden speculated in a statement last week that Hamas motive for the invasion of Israel and massacre of civilians was to derail a Saudi-Israel-US peace deal. I think one of the reasons why [Hamas] acted like they did is they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis, he noted. The Saudis wanted to recognize Israeland they were about to recognize Israel. And that would, in fact, unite the Middle East.

Nevertheless, despite these facts, now the Middle East is further aflame with massive protests and virulent anti-US and anti-Zionist sentiment.

False information has led to and further inflamed wars repeatedly across history.

The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Husseins weapons of mass destruction was based on a false premise and faulty intelligence.

The battleship USS Maine exploded in the Havana, Cuba, harbor in 1898, killing more than 260 US sailors. President William McKinley initially believed the sinking to be an accident, but the media inflamed public opinion.

Rival newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer blamed the sinking on hostile Spaniards. Remember the Maine! became a rallying war cry against Spain. This view was reversed by the US Navy in 1974 showing significant evidence the explosion was an onboard coal fire.

After an initial confrontation between US naval forces and North Vietnamese submarines on August 2, 1964, reports of a second confrontation the night of August 4, 1964, led Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution three days afterward, authorizing President Lyndon Johnson to send US forces to Vietnam and starting the Vietnam War.

Both former US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and top Vietnamese leaders confirmed retrospectively that reports of an attack were false, based on bad intelligence and misrepresentations of intercepted communications.

When the US Congress was considering declaring war after Mexico supposedly invaded American territory and killed American soldiers, a then-obscure congressman from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln demanded to know the particular spot of soil in which the blood of our citizens was so shed.

US soldiers were pushing deeper into territory that historians agree was Mexican. Still, inflamed US public opinion led President James Polk to act and Congress to declare war.

Four weeks after Adolf Hitler was sworn in as chancellor of Germany, the Reichstag, home of the German parliament in Berlin, was set ablaze.

Hitler quickly condemned communist agitators using the episode as a pretext to suspending civil liberties, rival political parties, an independent press and the assassination of rivals. Hitler was catapulted from a weak placeholder chancellor into a dictator with unprecedented power who established the Third Reich.

Only after World War II did evidence emerge suggesting the Nazis planned and ordered the fire, and Germany posthumously pardoned a falsely accused scapegoat in the arson in 2008.

These historical examples offer clear lessons that are relevant to todays conflict. Bidens Israel speech underscored the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians who were raped, mutilated, tortured and massacred, with bodies burned alive.

He also addressed the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, exacerbated by the apparent misfired missile of a Palestinian militant group hitting a Gaza hospital in error, and pushed for access to humanitarian assistance to those in Gaza, including $100 million more from the US to Palestinians.

The deeper takeaways underscoring Bidens speech are the need for the world to stop, catch its breath, attribute culpability accurately and not further vilify victims or allow villains to appear as victims.

In short, Biden reminded us we must, before rushing into hasty escalation:

1. Check facts  think like a detective, not like a partisan.

2. Verify sources  determine what is missing or uncertain.

3. Demand government transparency  get the full story.

4. Beware of the manipulated facts of demagoguery  question motives of the messengers.

The wrongly celebrated wisdom of crowds can lead manipulated mobs to spread bigotry, superstition and catastrophic violence.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Last week, the Oregon Department of Education unanimously voted to remove a requirement for Oregon high schoolers to demonstrate basic mastery in reading, writing, and mathematics in order to graduate. The requirement, which was most often met using students' standardized test results, has been paused since 2020.

According to state documents, the "Assessment of Essential Skills" benchmark is typically met when a student meets a cutoff score in a statewide standardized test, though alternatives can be used for students who opt out of the test, such as samples of classroom work or scores from other tests like the SAT or ACT.

While score cutoffs have been unavailable since the pause in 2020, a state guide from the 2016-2017 school year lists the cutoff for one popular test, the Smarter Balanced test, which student take in their 11th grade year, as a score of 2515 for reading and 2543 for math. Based on score percentile data from 2017-2018, assessments would put those scores roughly in the 25th and 45th percentiles respectively (assuming no major changes in student performance over one year).

While the math cutoff in particular might seem high, both ranges would barely put test takers just a few points into the "Level 2" range in Smarter Balanced's 4-level scoring range. Level 2 scores are defined by the testing organization as meaning that a student has a "partial understanding of and ability to apply the knowledge and skills associated with college content readiness," adding that a student in this level would need "support" to be ready for college.

While not every high school graduate can or should go to college, if a high school student can't even demonstrate "partial" understanding of the subject matter of their classes, letting them continue on to their senior year and graduate high school without additional intervention is clearly irresponsible.

However, critics have framed the extra remediation many low-performing Oregon students receive as damaging. Department of Education officials opposed the policy in part because "higher rates of students of color, students learning English as a second language and students with disabilities ended up having to take intensive senior-year writing and math classes," extra remediation that "denied those students the opportunity to take an elective," according to The Oregonian.

Valuing electives over basic skills seems like a strange set of priorities. Ensuring that students graduate with basic academic competencies should surely take precedence over their ability to take an elective course.

The strongest evidence supporting ditching the competency requirement is a 2021 report from the state's Higher Education Coordinating Committee, which found that the additional requirement didn't lead to improved outcomes for Oregon students in their first year of community college or 4-year university.

However, this isn't necessarily the slam dunk supporters of removing the standard think it is. The existing benchmarks only ask students to prove basic mastery of reading, writing, and math. Students who fail to meet those standardsand are thus flagged for extra helpare definitionally struggling with simple high school concepts. And if you're struggling to grasp high school-level instruction, you're probably not going to be enrolling in college after graduation.

This is something that the report itself acknowledges. "Potential reasons for the lack of findings include the level of skill demonstrated being too low to improve postsecondary outcomes," the report's executive summary reads.

Removing Oregon's Assessment of Essential Skills requirement could make it even harder to identify which students need extra help before graduating. By removing an objective measure of student achievementespecially when compared to ever-inflating student GPAhigh school graduation in Oregon risks becoming functionally meaningless as a measure of educational attainment.

The post Oregon Is Removing a Requirement for High School Students to Show 'Essential Skills' Before Graduating appeared first on Reason.com.
Oregon State University warns students to 'avoid all robots,' amid bomb threat with Starship delivery robots

Oregon State University is warning students to "avoid all robots" and to "not open" any food delivery robots due to an ongoing bomb threat on the campus.

On Tuesday afternoon, Oregon State University (OSU) issued an alert to students at the Corvallis, Oregon, university that there was a bomb threat related to the Starship food delivery robots.

Oregon State University told students to avoid Starship food delivery robots due to a bomb threat.

OSU advised people not open the robots and to avoid them "until further notice."

EMPLOYEES LOSE MOTIVATION AND GET LAZY WHEN WORKING WITH ROBOTS VS. WORKING WITH HUMANS, STUDY SAYS

A Starship Industrials spokesperson told Fox News Digital that a student at the university sent a bomb threat on social media regarding Starship's robots.

Following the bomb threat, the student said that it was a prank, but Starship suspended the campus service.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship, and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation," a Starship spokesperson said.

The university's Public Safety division is responding to the threat, OSU said in an X post.

4 PEPPERDINE STUDENTS KILLED IN MALIBU COLLISION BY SPEEDING BMW DRIVER: OFFICIALS

At about 4 p.m., OSU said safety officials were remotely isolating the robots in a safe location, and that the Department of Public Safety was continuing its investigation.

Starship robots deliver food around Oregon State University.

Students and residents were asked to remain vigilant for suspicious activity.

According to OSU's website, Starship's food delivery robots can deliver to any location on campus, not just residence halls.

Student's simply place their online order and select "robot delivery." Once the robot arrives, Starship's app will notify the student that they have arrived at their location.

At 5 p.m. Tuesday evening, OSU reported that the emergency was resolved. The college did not provide details about the bomb, but said that "robot inspection continues in a safe location."

At 6 p.m. Starship said in an X post that the robots are expected to back in service this evening.





Original article source: Oregon State University warns students to 'avoid all robots,' amid bomb threat with Starship delivery robots
FILE - The Oregon Senate is seen in session, ending a six-week walkout, at the state capitol on June 15, 2023, in Salem, Ore. The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether Republican state senators who carried out a record-setting GOP walkout during the legislative session this year can run for reelection. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether Republican state senators who carried out a record-setting GOP walkout during the legislative session this year can run for reelection.

The decision, announced Tuesday, means the lawmakers should have clarity before the March 12 deadline to file for office, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The senators from the minority party are challenging a 2022 voter-approved constitutional amendment that bars state lawmakers from reelection after having 10 or more unexcused absences. Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure that created the amendment following Republican walkouts in the Legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In an official explanatory statement, as well as in promotional materials and news coverage, the measure was touted as prohibiting lawmakers who stay away in order to block legislative action from seeking reelection.

Thats the meaning that state elections officials have chosen to adopt. Earlier this year, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade announced that 10 senators would be prohibited from seeking reelection.

Nine Oregon Republicans and an independent clocked at least 10 absences during this years legislative session in order to block Democratic bills related to abortion, transgender health care and guns. The walkout prevented a quorum, holding up bills in the Democrat-led Senate for six weeks.

Five of those senators  Sens. Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum and Lynn Findley  have objected. In a legal challenge to Griffin-Valades ruling, they argue that the way the amendment is written means they can seek another term.

The constitutional amendment says a lawmaker is not allowed to run for the term following the election after the members current term is completed. Since a senators term ends in January while elections are held the previous November, they argue the penalty doesnt take effect immediately, but instead, after theyve served another term.

The senators filed the challenge in the Oregon Court of Appeals but asked that it go directly to the state Supreme Court. State attorneys defending Griffin-Valade in the matter agreed.

Several state senators with at least 10 absences during the most recent legislative session have already filed candidacy papers with election authorities.

Statehouses around the nation in recent years have become ideological battlegrounds, including in Montana, Tennessee and Oregon, where the lawmakers walkout this year was the longest in state history.

Arguments in the Oregon case are scheduled to start Dec. 14.
Over 20 US servicemen were injured in a series of drone attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria last week.

Source: NBC News with reference to US Central Command

Details: Twenty US servicemen received minor injuries in an attack on 18 October when at least two strike drones targeted the Al-Tanf military base in southern Syria.

One of the drones was downed. All injured personnel were sent back on duty and no military facilities were damaged.

Four more US servicemen were slightly injured in two separate drone attacks against US and coalition forces that were stationed at Al-Asad Air Base, western Iraq, on the same day.

The US downed the drones, but drone debris destroyed a hangar under which small aircraft were stored. All injured personnel returned to duty.

In addition, an American civilian contractor died of a heart attack, but it did not take place during the drone strikes.

Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday that US and coalition forces have suffered attacks at least 10 times in Iraq and three times in Syria "via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets" in the past week.

Ryder said Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are backing the groups carrying out the attacks.

Background:

On 19 October, a US destroyer shot down three surface-to-air missiles and several drones, supposedly launched by Houthi forces from Yemen.

On the same day, US military bases in the Middle East were attacked: drones struck the US base in Syria, Al-Tanf, a missile attack took place at Conoco, another US base in Syria, and in Iraq, the US also intercepted three attack drones.

On 22 October, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the United States is deploying additional air defence units in the Middle East and preparing troops for emergencies.

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Palm Beach County commissioners voted 4-3 not to adopt GL Homes land-swap proposal Tuesday during a fierce meeting that endured for more than 10 hours of presentations, deliberations and an estimated 80-plus people speaking during public comment.

The final decision was met with applause from those who remained in the crowd, about half of the people present Tuesday morning.

We are deeply disappointed by Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners decision today. Our public-private partnership would have provided desperately needed solutions to water quality, workforce housing, Jewish community infrastructure and so much more - all at no cost to taxpayers, GL Homes President Misha Ezratti said in a statement after the meeting. Ultimately, its the countys residents who will bear the true consequences of the outcome. We appreciate the thousands of residents from across Palm Beach County who supported our proposal and shared their voice.

With this decision, we will move forward with our approved plans to develop approximately 4,000 homes in Loxahatchee and look forward to continuing our decades of support for the Palm Beach County community.

The meeting drew crowds of both supporters and opponents to the proposal outside the countys building in West Palm Beach well before the discussions even started about 8 a.m.

Members from the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group held signs and posters outside the county building expressing dissent for the plan while supporters of GL Homes plan stood only several feet away from the opponents, handing out T-shirts emblazoned with the words, Approve the Reserve.

We need to have a county thats of the people, by the people and for the people, not of the developers, Rabbi Barry Silver said before the meeting amid a cluster of opponents.

The county chambers and overflow rooms were packed with seas of people donning either a lime green or a bright blue T-shirt  those clad in blue in support, and those in green opposed, as they primarily consisted of members from the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations, or COBWRA.

The county had been weighing GL Homes land swap, which proposed taking land the developer owns in a property called Indian Trails Grove and exchanging it for land in the countys Agricultural Reserve to then offer 1,000 single-family, age-restricted homes, 277 workforce-housing units, 800 acres for a water reservoir, a 200-acre family park, 800 acres of farmland, 25 acres for a park in West Boca, 4 acres for a Chabad synagogue, 4 acres for the Jewish Family Services/Jewish Association for Residential Care and 8 acres for a Torah Academy school campus.

This type of proposal had never been pitched to the Palm Beach County Commission before, which is part of why it stirred so much contention.

The meeting began with Ezratti giving a brief speech, during which he again insisted the countys recent growth, especially from the COVID-19 pandemic, has created challenges that need to be addressed.

We believe that weve been a good, trustworthy and reliable partner in Palm Beach County, he said. The proposal before you today represents a unique opportunity to start down a path to address these voids.

Before Kevin Ratterree, a GL Homes vice president, could begin a presentation about the proposal, commissioners lobbed questions at him and Ezratti, some of which they declined to answer.

Commissioner Marci Woodward, Commissioner Mack Bernard and Vice Mayor Maria Sachs each questioned why GL Homes has not yet developed any units on its Indian Trails Grove property despite possessing the title to the land since 2005.

It is not uncommon to acquire property and sit on it until commencing development, Ratterree said.

Bernard also asked how much money GL Homes has made on its developments so far.

Respectfully, were a private company, we are not going to disclose that, Ratterree said.

This is not the first time the county has discussed a major proposal to the Ag Reserve invoked by a GL Homes proposal.

In 2009, the county commissioners at the time granted the housing developer an approval allowing GL Homes to almost double the size of a new neighborhood in the Ag Reserve and build almost 1,000 new homes on nearly 1,000 acres between Lyons Road and U.S. 441.

Then, in 2021, GL Homes finalized a deal resulting in at least 277 new homes located south of Boynton Beach Boulevard and west of Lyons Road.

Len Lindahl, a former assistant executive director at the water management district, who was hired by GL Homes to help oversee the water-resource project, also gave a presentation about the water project during the meeting, which was met by several questions from commissioners.

Bernard questioned why GL Homes has not yet finished answering inquiries about the water project from the city of West Palm Beach, which would be impacted by the water project and is a city within the area Bernard represents.

Were supposed to vote to approve this water project, and theres been no analysis, no meeting? Bernard said.

Bernards doubts echoed concerns from Christopher McVoy, a soil scientist and the Lake Worth Beach vice mayor, who spoke during the meeting and had previously presented issues with the water project during a COBWRA meeting on Oct. 6, where he questioned to what extent water quality would be improved as well as by what percentage discharge would be reduced, both of which would be objectives of the project.

During the meeting, McVoy expressed skepticism about what GL Homes has presented about the water project because he said it contained contradictory claims. Water projects here in South Florida take a long time.  They take a long time for a reason because people study them very carefully, he said.

County Planning Director Kevin Fischer then discussed the countys assessment of the proposal, saying the proposal violates fundamental concepts of the comprehensive plan within the staff presentation.

County staff also discussed how GL Homes inclusion in its plan for a public park would not be entirely feasible as proposed because no funding from the county is currently available. The county would need at least 10 years to conjure the money required for park creation in the proposed area.

Staff outlined problems with the water resource project, too, such as how the South Florida Water Management District has stated it needs to conduct a risk assessment analysis before accepting the project in that area.

Three hours of public comment followed the slew of presentations and discussion, and a split of supporters and opponents came forward to address the commission.

Supporters, many of whom said they live in GL Homes communities, cited the desire for the community benefits that would come with the proposal that the county otherwise could not provide on its own, such as the water project, Chabad synagogue, park and workforce housing units, while opponents voiced concern about opening Pandoras Box  as one COBWRA member put it  for other developers to build out the Ag Reserve, overhauling the lands original intent and creating other problems, such as increased traffic congestion.

Karen Marcus, the president of Sustainable Palm Beach County and a former county commissioner, said she is against the proposal. Like those in favor, Marcus said the impacts would be generational, if approved, but not in a positive manner.

This will set the tone for what you do for the rest of the Ag Reserve, she said to commissioners.

Danielle Hartman, the president and CEO of Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, said her organization works with seniors in need of workforce housing, which is why she is in support of the land swap proposal.

This project  would create a model that could be duplicated around the country for seniors and adults with disabilities, she said.

Steve Wallace, the president of COBWRA, said more than 7,500 people signed a petition against the swap and urged commissioners to consider their pleas and vote against it.

More than 120 people had originally submitted requests to speak for public comment, but several left before they had the chance to speak.

The final part of the meeting involved lengthy statements from the commissioners providing their thoughts on the information from the day.

Sachs, who has always been opposed to the swap, said she wants to find ways for the government to give supporters of GL Homes plan what they were looking forward to if the plan had been approved.

This is a movement by people, she said. Im very honored to serve you the people, and I will never let you down when it comes to taking a function of government and giving it over to a private entity.

Commissioner Sara Baxter, who voted to approve the proposal during a 5-2 vote in May, said development is inevitable, so the commission should be ushering it in in a way that provides people with the most benefits.

This isnt a matter of if something gets built, its a matter of where and when it gets built, she said. It is our job and our responsibilities that if this is going to happen to represent our areas and to get the most community benefits that we can out of it.

Commissioner Mack Bernard, who voted in favor of the project in May, has since changed his tune on the proposal as the proposals sweeteners, especially the water project, no longer sufficed as reason enough to move forward with the project.

I wanted to support this project because I represent the City of West Palm Beach, and I want to protect the city of West Palm Beach water supply but this project does not do it, he said. You can put lipstick on a pig and call it a land swap.

Mayor Gregg Weiss, who also voted to approve the project in May, also voted to deny the proposal Tuesday night. Commissioner Maria Marino, Commissioner Michael Barnett and Commissioner Baxter were the other three commissioners who voted in favor of the project, which fell in line with their votes at Mays meeting.

There are too many loose ends in whats being proposed to us, Weiss said. I think theres too many unanswered questions.
Panama's former president Ricardo Martinelli is escorted by police officers and supporters while leaving a courthouse after being declared not guilty of spying charges in Panama City

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - A Panama court on Tuesday upheld a 128-month prison sentence for money laundering against former President Ricardo Martinelli , the frontrunner in the Central American country's presidential election next year.

The Superior Court for Settlement of Criminal Cases on Tuesday also upheld a $19.2 million fine Martinelli had been ordered to pay.

Martinelli was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison in July for his role in the case known as "New Business," which alleges public funds were used to buy a media conglomerate and give the ex-president a majority stake.

The former president has stated his innocence and on social media on Tuesday said the court's decision aimed to disqualify him from Panama's May election.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel Woodford)
President Bidens nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel moved forward in his confirmation process Wednesday, advancing out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee despite Republican opposition.

Senators on the panel voted 12-9 to advance former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew s nomination, setting up a floor vote for a position critical at a time when Israel is fighting a war against Hamas.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the panels chair, said confirming Lew was vital as we deal with the pieces we need to deal with in regards to Israels safety.

We need the gravitas of a confirmed ambassador that can speak with authority on behalf of the United States, Cardin said.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides left the post in July.

Republicans on the panel criticized Lews work on the Iran nuclear deal negotiated during the former Obama administration.

Im going to vote today to support Israel, Im going to vote no, said Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the committee, of his vote against Lew.

Republicans criticized Lews role in transferring billions of dollars to Iran as part of the nuclear deal. Republicans said Lew misled the committee in explaining how money would be transferred to the Islamic Republic and the role of the U.S. in that transfer.

Democrats opposed this characterization. Cardin said that to his knowledge, there were no surprises in the way the deal was implemented, and Lew provided total transparency.

Despite those differences, the fact the panel acted on an accelerated timeline of two weeks on Lews nomination was another example of the bipartisan support in Congress for Israel since Hamas, a U.S-designated terror group, launched an unprecedented attack Oct. 7.

This is behind us now, weve got the nominee moving forward, were going to have to work with him, Risch said.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, killed 1,400 people, most of them civilians, in the attack on Israel and took more than 200 people as hostages. Israel has responded with a bombardment of Gaza, which the Gaza Health Ministry says has killed more than 6,500 Palestinians, widely seen as a precursor to a ground invasion.

The Biden administration has offered support for Israel but has been without an ambassadorial position through the entire crisis.

Cardin said a floor vote for Lews nomination could take place as early as next week.

Lawmakers also advanced the nominations of Bidens picks for Ambassador to Egypt, Herro Mustafa Garg, a critical post as the U.S. works with Egypt to transfer humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and work to allow dual-U.S. citizens, and other innocent civilians out of the zone of combat, and other issues of the war.

Bidens nominees for Ambassador to Somalia, Richard Riley; and ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner; advanced by voice vote.

Paul Martin, nominee to be Inspector General for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and David White, nominee for Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, also advanced by voice vote.

In a statement, Cardin said he is pleased to see Jack Lews nomination advance through the Foreign Relations Committee today with bipartisan support.

The urgency to confirm this highly-qualified nominee has never been greater. Israel is at war, and the United States needs an experienced, Senate-confirmed Ambassador on the ground working hand in hand with our Israeli partners, Cardin said. The U.S. team at Mission Israel is the best in the field, but there is no substitute for a Senate-confirmed Ambassador.

Updated at 4:30 pm.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The Paola, Kansas Police Department is asking the public for help in identifying the people possibly involved in recent reports of criminal damage to property.

The police department said between Oct. 20 and Oct. 23 it received multiple reports including spray painting of houses, vehicles and detached garages.

View the latest Weather Alerts in the Kansas City region on FOX4

Police said reports also included physical property being broken or damaged.

A photo was captured in the area of the incidents at 04:30 a.m. on Oct. 22. Police are seeking the publics help to identify the subjects pictured as potential witnesses or as possible involved parties.

Paola criminal damage

Police are also asking residents to check for any suspicious video footage on their personal security systems or video doorbells during the time frame mentioned.

Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android

Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigations division at )913) 259-3631.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Aaron Galaz and his son pose for a photo on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 in Phoenix. Aaron Galaz said his son is enrolled in a program that uses taxpayer funds to pay for private-school tuition in part so his son could be challenged more in class. At least four states that have made most children eligible for taxpayer-funded scholarships to private schools are seeing more families using the programs than planned. That could cost taxpayers, but it's early to know the exact budget implications. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

In some states, higher-income families can now use taxpayer money to cover private school tuition -- and more people than projected are taking the offer, which might force scrambles to shore up state budgets.

It's especially an issue in states like Arizona and Iowa, where at least some families whose children were already in private school can now take advantage of public funding.

It busts the budget because its taking on as a public expense whats previously been a private cost, said Josh Cowen, an education policy professor at Michigan State University.

Advocates for school choice pitch vouchers as a way to give students in low-performing schools a way out  and, increasingly, to give parents control over what their children are taught.

Programs funded through vouchers, tax credits or scholarships have been around since the 1990s and are now available in the majority of states. Whether students who change schools with the use of taxpayer money achieve better educational outcomes is in dispute.

Initially, the programs were designed for lower-income students, but that's changing. Since last year, nine states have adopted programs that are phasing out, eliminating or significantly raising income limits.

Four of them  Arizona, Florida, Iowa and Ohio  have reported numbers with more approved applications than expected. The states might need to come up with more money for their programs as a result.

In the remaining five, it's too soon to tell the effect. Indiana has not released its data; Oklahoma's system system caps total spending, Arkansas and West Virginia's are being phased in gradually, and Utah's does not start until next year.

Even in the states with enrollment over projections, its early enough in the school year that the situation is still rife with unknowns, including how many of the families approved for scholarships will use them, how much that will cost, and what lawmakers will propose to do about it.

Voucher supporters say demand exceeding expectations is not a problem.

Its exciting, said Ryan Cantrell, director of government affairs at American Federation for Children, which pushes for the programs. I think that shows that parents want this option, that lawmakers are responding to something that families want.

Aaron Galaz said he was concerned when his son was in a southern Arizona public school previously that he was not being challenged enough academically and troubled by lessons on gender identity. So when he moved to the Phoenix area last year, he found the states Empowerment Scholarship Account was a way to get him into a Catholic school the family may not have been able to afford otherwise.

I work and I pay all those taxes the same as everyone else, he said. We as parents can have a choice as to where those funds go.

Its a similar experience for Heather Stessman of Waterloo, Iowa. She said her two older sons, now in 7th and 8th grade, had a supportive community in elementary school. But in middle school, they witnessed bullying and fights daily, and her son with adaptive learning needs was not getting what he needed.

Her state has a new education savings account program  which is paying for students from families of any income to switch from public to private school and for many already in private school to remain there. Stessman said that allowed her and her husband to get their middle schoolers and kindergartener into Catholic school this year. They plan to enroll their 3-year-old, when the time comes.

I want every kid, no matter where they go, to be able to have a good experience and to feel safe and to get a good learning education, she said.

Opponents of the programs are bracing for lawmakers to attempt to make up for the higher costs by further cutting public school funding, even though lawmakers have not publicly threatened to do so.

Its extremely frustrating because cuts are inevitably going to happen, said Beth Lewis, a former teacher who serves as executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona, which supports public schools and opposes vouchers.

In Arizona, nearly 69,000 scholarships had been awarded by Oct. 14  a little more more than lawmakers projected for the full school year. Applications have continued rolling in.

The office of Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who opposes the program, has projected the number of students enrolled in the program signed into law by her Republican predecessor could hit nearly 9% of the state's students and cost about 50% more than the Republican-controlled Legislature planned for.

In an Oct. 11 report, the legislatures budget staff said it does not yet have a clearer picture of the taxpayer cost.

But political leaders are still sparring over the program. Hobbs labelled the vouchers unaccountable and unsustainable," noting homeschool parents are being reimbursed for expenses including ski passes and pianos. She called on GOP officials to make changes.

State House Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican, said the state's education budget is on pace to have a $77 million year-end budget surplus that could be used to cover overruns.

Arizona will continue to responsibly fund students, not systems, Toma said.

In Republican-controlled Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing in a current special legislative session to bring a scholarship to a state that does not have any version of vouchers now. The latest version of the proposal would cap spending. The plans are in doubt because of opposition from Democrats and some Republicans who live in rural areas where private schools are scarce and public schools are some of the most important institutions.

In Ohio, families of all incomes are eligible for scholarships, but those with the highest incomes cannot get the maximum amount. The state so far has received nearly 85,000 applications for the funds. Applications are still rolling in, but not everyone who is approved will end up using the benefits. Still, a Columbus Dispatch analysis found the $398 million budget for the expanded grants was likely exceeded in September.

Ohio State Senate President Matt Huffman, a Republican and supporter of the vouchers, dismissed any concern about the state being able to cover the expense, which amounts to under 1% of the state's total budget.

Theres plenty of money there to pay for these, he said.

___

Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Samantha Hendrickson in Columbus, Ohio; Isabella Volmert in Indianapolis, and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report. Samantha Hendrickson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
As the Obama Presidential Centers main building rises higher above Jackson Park, the projects main opponents on Tuesday made what could be one of their last significant legal efforts to halt construction of the historic project.

Following a series of losses in other legal venues that have enabled construction of the center to continue, attorneys representing the advocacy group Protect Our Parks argued before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that using public land for the presidential center remained riddled with problems.

The group is hoping the appellate court will halt or even potentially reverse construction of the museum for the former president. But a written ruling after Tuesdays arguments could be months away and in the meantime construction continues on the center that Obama Foundation officials have said should open roughly two years from now at a cost of at least $800 million.

Judges Diane Wood, David Hamilton, and Ilana Rovner lobbed frequent questions at Protect Our Parks lead attorney, noted University of Chicago emeritus professor Richard Epstein, as well as attorneys for the defendants, the city of Chicago, the Obama Foundation and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Protect Our Parks, or POP, has long contended it doesnt oppose a South Side location for Obamas presidential center, going as far as drafting an alternate proposal at a privately owned location just west of the current site, near Washington Park. Its most recent appeal POP said the ongoing Jackson Park project is putting the citys parkland in grave danger by endangering mature trees, disrupting annual bird migratory flights and closing four main South Side thoroughfares.

The appeal further argues the foundations takeover of 19 acres of parkland was in violation of the public trust doctrine and that the 99-year agreement in which the city and the Chicago Park District leased the land to the Obama Foundation for only $10 was a giveaway, compared to the priceless historical parkland designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

So far, the groups legal attempts  while initially delaying construction  have been unsuccessful. The most recent was last November when U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey ruled in favor of the Obama Foundation, several federal agencies and the city of Chicago. The defendants argued past judges have essentially closed the book on the issues POP continues to raise.

This is the third time plaintiffs seek this courts review of claims challenging the construction of Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. In this iteration, plaintiffs add nothing new to theories this court has already rejected, Elizabeth Tisher, an attorney representing the city of Chicago, said Tuesday during brief oral arguments.

And contrary to the argument that the deal violated the public trust, presidential centers serve valuable purposes, including furthering human knowledge and understanding, educating and inspiring the public and expanding educational opportunities, Tisher said.

The centers plans to close roads and reconfigure park lands were OKd by federal parks, transportation and preservation officials, the defendants argue. Federal officials determined the centers construction and nearby roadway fixes would not pose a significant impact on the environment, that the site will convert current roadways into green space, and that the plans provided a public benefit that aligned with 2016 amendments to the states Museum Act allowing presidential centers on park land.

The judges on Tuesday pushed Epstein to explain how the group was legally able to meddle in what was essentially a private deal between city officials and the foundation.

What law allows a perfect stranger to come in and upset the deal? Wood asked.

Epstein argued taxpayers who are the beneficiaries of public property have standing to enforce the public trust, and that the foundation had not lived up to the financial terms of the agreement that required it to raise enough money to build the museum and establish an endowment before the Obama Foundation took control of the site in 2021.

The defendants said in court filings that POPs lawsuit wasnt being brought on behalf of the city. In fact, they name the city as a defendant, contend it breached the master agreement, and seek relief against it.

The foundation also said in court filings it had received enough funding  $485 million  and created an endowment by that time, which lived up to its agreement.

The Obama Foundation raised $311 million in contributions and grants in 2022, according to the foundations annual IRS filing. Net assets at the end of the year stood at $925 million.

But Protect Our Parks appeal noted that number was not audited and that the cost to build the center had grown to $700 million later that year, and hundreds of millions of dollars more were needed in an endowment to cover operations, maintenance and improvements to the site. Epstein argued taxpayers might end up footing the bill, and without advocacy from taxpayers, otherwise what happens is youll never pick up the clam and look to see whats underneath it. And in fact, whats underneath this is a massive irregularity, he said Tuesday.

Judge Hamilton, who was appointed to the appellate court by Obama, asked Epstein what injunctive relief would look like. Do you want construction dismantled?  You want a stop to the building?

Epstein said at present, they are not asking the existing construction be taken down. The group wants an additional environmental impact review and wants to stop construction until they prove its consistent with the public trust doctrine.

POPs legal team also argued the courts had repeatedly erred in its rulings. A clearly frustrated Epstein sparred with the judges over his argument that POP had standing, what corporate law applied to his arguments and the relevance of past rulings.

By the end of his rebuttal, Judge Rovner asked, Im breathless, are you?

Another POP attorney, Michael Rachlis, told the Tribune on Monday that if POP fails in court this time, it could petition for fresh hearings from the 7th Circuit or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is just a travesty, Epstein said after oral arguments about the deal with the Obama Foundation. Im an academic. I dont like seeing judicial decisions that come out which I think are indefensible.  Ive been in Chicago all my life. I just regard this as the worst form of political connivance Ive seen.  Im essentially a good government guy, and this was bad government.

aquig@chicagotribune.com
US politicians need to cleanse their hearts of 'evil' thoughts: Global Times editorial

09:42, October 25, 2023 By Global Times ( Global Times

In a recent media interview, Mitch McConnell, the US Senate Minority Leader (Republican Party), referred to China, Russia, North Korea and Iran as the "new axis of evil" and stated that they pose a direct threat to the US. This rhetoric, reminiscent of the fanatic and cruel language of the medieval European "Inquisition," coming from a prominent politician of the most powerful nation in the 21st century, being used to describe China, a major trading partner of over 140 countries and regions, is both absurd and deeply concerning. It cannot but raise profound concerns about the madness of American ideology and the enormous risks it may entail.

McConnell is not the first person to say these words, and given the current unhealthy political atmosphere and inertia in US politics, he most likely won't be the last. Former US Ambassador to the United Nations and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has recently made similar remarks, with an even more intense tone. Among conservative Republicans, McConnell isn't considered the most radical, but now he's openly saying such things. It's evident that polarized thinking and ideological paranoia are spreading rapidly in Washington. A country with the world's most powerful military acting in a manner reminiscent of the "Inquisition" - simple, crude, and extreme - is sure to have frightening consequences.

In contrast to "evil" is "justice." Labeling others as "evil" implies that whoever does so is the embodiment of "justice," naturally standing on the moral high ground. If the other side is considered evil, then it becomes a matter of righteousness to strike against the "evil side," as if one were acting on behalf of justice. Justice and evil leave no room for compromise or coexistence; it's a fight of "kill or be killed." If this extrapolation continues, the world will become even more brutal than a jungle society.

The problem is, who gets to determine what is "evil" and what is "justice"? The US undoubtedly lacks the qualification. Its use of this binary, black-and-white, dualistic thinking to view today's diverse world and handle extremely complex international relations is, in fact, turning itself into the "evil" side.

How many crimes are committed in the name of justice? The term "Axis of Evil" has been repeatedly mentioned by American politicians in the years following the 9/11 attacks. While the targets have changed, it consistently refers to the few countries that the US seeks to suppress. Back then, the US invaded Iraq using the excuse that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, which was later proven to be baseless.

In recent years, under the banner of "democracy, freedom, and human rights," the US has instigated numerous wars, conflicts, and humanitarian crises worldwide. When American politicians boast about "evil" and "justice," they should first look at the stars and stripes flag behind them and see how much blood from innocent lives it has stained.

Now, Washington politicians are once again labeling nuclear-armed China and Russia as part of the "axis of evil," which inevitably leads people to think that they are preparing public opinion and seeking legitimacy for encroaching on other countries' interests. The underlying message from American politicians' "axis of evil" phrase is what they refer to as "collusion of anti-American forces." Essentially, this is the process through which the US seeks to identify and create enemies.

In the context of Washington's hegemonic narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism," those standing with the US are considered "just," while those against are labeled as "evil." This binary, even life-and-death, extreme thinking, is the greatest threat to world peace and should be staunchly opposed by people all over the world.

"Digital authoritarianism," "new colonialism," "economic coercion," "evil empire," "great white shark," "a generational defining threat" ... Using their discourse hegemony, American politicians have not hesitated to label and brand other countries. Perhaps in their view, "rumor-mongering is as easy as opening one's mouth, while debunking can break one's leg." The US can trouble other countries with just a few spitballs, or at the very least, make them feel disgusted.

At the same time, Washington can use these labels as a means of pricing in the international arena. Those who share common interests are awarded a "virtuous" label, while those who don't obey their commands are slapped with an "evil" label. This might seem like a lucrative business, but it has a long-term and profound damage on US' credibility.

China is not part of any "axis of evil," and this is beyond doubt and not worth refuting. Those who use this term should examine their own hearts and clear away any truly evil thoughts residing within. If some politicians in Washington say such things, they can be dismissed as madmen. However, if there are many who say it, then Washington should engage in collective introspection and reflection. This matter is not to be taken lightly.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Ukraine could mobilise not only the ranks of the Armed Forces but also the enterprises of the military-industrial complex.

Source: Serhii Rakhmanin, Member of the Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "Many companies lack qualified specialists. Conventionally speaking, there is a plant in Odesa Oblast, and there is a person of the relevant specialty in Chernivtsi Oblast. They can be mobilised and sent, for example, to storm landings [of Russian troops  ed.], but perhaps, given their speciality and qualification, they should be mobilised for this company in Odesa Oblast, where there is no suitable specialist."

Details: Rakhmanin notes that he is considering submitting a legislative initiative concerning this issue, but "does not have much hope that it would be met with understanding".

Background:

At the beginning of September, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence approved a new Schedule of Medical Conditions, which is used to assess fitness for military service and regulate the service of those with limited fitness.

Later, Roman Kostenko, the Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence, MP from the Voice party, said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda that the strengthening of mobilisation measures in Ukraine may take place in the event of a change in military strategy.

The All-Ukrainian Union Freedom offers to solve the issue of lack of Defence Forces personnel by mobilising convicts.

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Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Cultures 50th anniversary in 2024 will be a yearlong celebration of Black joy, genius, and excellence.

This is us celebrating a golden jubilee of a vision that defied all the odds and turned itself into a building. This is us, the heartbeat that lies inside, this is a safe place, but not for us to hide, Gantts chosen Golden Year Poet Laureate Boris Bluz Rogers said in a poem he wrote marking the Gantts celebration.

Rogers spoke during Tuesdays preview event at the uptown Charlotte center. This was always the place for our Black history and our Black future to thrive, he said.

Called Gantt Golden Year: Pure Gold Celebrations Throughout 2024, the schedule will feature public programs, talks, exhibitions, concerts and performances that will include local, national and international creators who reflect on the past and envision the future.

With partnerships and collaborations, the year will spotlight contributions of the Gantt to arts and culture in the Charlotte region.

Throughout the year, the center will spotlight the people, places and cultural pride and possibilities that have paved our path from 1974 to today, Gantt Center CEO David Taylor said during Tuesdays announcement. We will be the host of Black creators, thinkers and innovators, all luminaries in American history and culture.

The Gantt Golden Year will be celebrated across five arts and cultural pillars: dance, literature, visual art, Afro-culinary food and music, said Joni Davis, Gantt board member.

Were presenting an Emmy Award-winning slam poet, the worlds first Black classical ballet company, a PEN/Hemingway award-winning novelist, the host of a Peabody Award-winning documentary, the Pulitzer prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project, a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, and a three-time Grammy Award-winning band.

These are just a few of the things that you will see, Taylor said.

Heres are some of the highlights for Gantt Golden Year schedule and some history about the center:

Dance: An expression of freedom

Dance Theatre of Harlem, the worlds first Black classical ballet company, will perform Feb. 9-10 in partnership with Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Authur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer at New York City Ballet, co-founded the American professional ballet company and school, along with Karel Shook in Harlem, N.Y., in 1969. The group will hold performances for local school children, and two public performances on Friday and Saturday.

Other dance programs will include collaborations with local colleges, dance companies, teachers and choreographers. Dance has long been an art form, a source of entertainment, and an expression of freedom in African-American culture, said Bonita Buford, Gantt chief operating officer.

Literature: The Big Read

The National Endowment for the Arts chose the Gantt to lead The Big Read. The five-month, community-wide reading of Homegoing, a novel by Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi, will start Feb. 23 with book distribution and performance by Kankouran West African Dance Company.

Each month there will be programming for Black History, Womens History, National Poetry, African World Heritage Day, and Immigrant Heritage and Juneteenth.

The Big Read will end June 27 with a talk featuring the author at the Wells Fargo Auditorium.

The Gantt is collaborating with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Cabarrus County Library and J. Murrey Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte.

The Gantt also will feature talks and community forums, like the 1619 Project by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Nikole Hannah-Jones on July 11 at Knight Theater. Her 1619 Project  also an Emmy Award-nominated docuseries on Hulu  spotlights the legacy of slavery in the contemporary U.S. and highlights contributions of Black Americans to every aspect of American society.

David Taylor, president and CEO of the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, mingles Tuesday after announcing plans for the Gantt Golden Year celebration next year. John D. Simmons/Special to the Observer

Visual art: Powerful and thought-provoking

Six art exhibitions by local, national and international artists are planned:

 Abstract painter Patrick Alstons solo exhibition Post-Traumatism: In Search of Freedom, curated by Dexter Wimberly, will open next month and run through May 12. His work reflects on spirituality, socio-politics, identity, language, and the psychology of color. The exhibit has eight large-scale abstract paintings, seven of which created specifically for this exhibition, Leandra-Juliette Kelley, director of collections and curatorial affairs for the Gantt said Tuesday. Wrestling with the concepts of trauma, Austin seeks to transform them into symbols of resilience and hope.

Austins brush strokes dance between chaos and order unveiling the inner conflict between pain and the unyielding desire for freedom, Kelley said.

 Bringing together the work of more than a dozen contemporary Black women artists from around the world, A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists, runs Jan. 26 through July 11. The exhibition, curated by Wimberly, will includes works by Mickalene Thomas, Deborah Roberts and Amy Sherald.

Theyre powerful and thought-provoking work has not only redefined artistic expression but has also played a significant role in advocating for social justice, equality and empowerment, Kelley said.

 Let The Mermaids Flirt with Me by Christopher Myers will be on view Feb. 2 through July 21. His work is rooted in storytelling and delves into the past slipping between history and mythology.

 Textile artist Qualeasha Woods solo exhibition will be on view May 24 through September. Woods work contemplates realities around Black female embodiment.

 The John & Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art will be on view August through September. The exhibit has 58 two-dimensional works by artists, including Charlotte-born Romare Bearden and other master artists such as Margaret Burroughs, Jonathan Green and Henry Ossawa Tanner. The Gantt is the permanent home of the Hewitt Collection.

 Black Rock Senegal group exhibition will be on view Aug. 9 through Jan. 20, 2025. Internationally acclaimed portrait painter Kehinde Wiley, founder of the Black Rock Senegal residency program, was commissioned to paint a portrait of former President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition is the start of a five-year partnership with the Gantt as the sole national exhibitor of the residencys artists.

Afro-culinary food: Hyper-local

Stephen Satterfield, American food writer and TV host of Netflixs High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America will be the Gantts scholar-in-residence.

He will lead three hyper-local farm-to-table community dinners in March, May and October, Buford said.

Satterfield will collaborate with regional Black farmers, restaurateurs, waitstaff and caterers, as well Charlotte chefs Brian and Subrina Collier for BayHaven Food & Wine Festival.

There also will be discussions about food insecurity, and physical and intellectual consumption, Buford said.

Bonita Buford, chief operating officer for the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, talked Tuesday about Afro-culinary food, one of five ways the center plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. John D. Simmons/Special to the Observer

Music: Soul-stirring

Music will be a common theme interwoven throughout many of the Gantt Golden Year activities.

Award-winning musician and Charlotte native Dennis Reed Jr. will be the Gantts musical artist-in-residence. Among his many music ventures, his choral group G.A.P. were finalists on NBCs Americas Got Talent.

Reed said Tuesday the music will showcase gospel, jazz, blues, classical, R&B and hip hop, along with performances, classes and collaborations that will be informing, interacting and entertaining.

A concert with soul-stirring Black music is planned June 15 at Knight Theater as a prelude to local Juneteenth observances.

After a five-year absence due to COVID-19, the Gantt will hold Jazzy Gala featuring the Sounds of Blackness on Dec. 7, Reed said.

As a Charlottean, I can just truly say visiting the African-American cultural center has helped shape me into the artist I am today, Reed said.

Harding University High School marching band performed Tuesday outside the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte before the centers 50th anniversary celebration announcement. John D. Simmons/Special to the Observer

About the Gantt Center

The Gantt was originally called the Charlotte Mecklenburgs Afro-American Cultural and Service Center, which is still the legal name, Taylor said. It was founded in 1974 by two UNC Charlotte professors  Bertha Maxwell Roddey and the late Mary Harper  with a small collection focusing on children and emerging artists on the second level of Spirit Square.

She was just mama to me, said Harpers daughter Jonette Harper after Tuesdays announcement. She instilled in us the art of giving, and inspired me to keep going and follow your dreams.

Tuesdays Gantt Golden Year preview event fell on the 14th anniversary of the Gantt Centers debut at 551 S. Tryon St. with over 10,000 visitors, Taylor said.

The four-story, 46,490-square foot building is a modernist structure wrapped in glass and metal by architect Philip Freelon, co-designer of the Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture.

The gallery is named for Harvey Gantt, the citys first African-American mayor and the first African-American student at Clemson University.

For its 50th anniversary, the Gantt is creating a film project with 50 stories to document the centers evolution from an idea to an institution with personal stories, Taylor said.

We will capture and share nostalgic stories of remembrance, stories about impact illustrating our significance, and new perspectives affirming our relevance, he said.
A Pearl River County man is facing a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography in the Mississippi Band of Choctaw community, court records show.

William Henry, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Gulfport. As part of his plea, Henry admitted he possessed more than 400 images of children engaged in sexually explicit acts.

Since the investigation began, authorities have identified 25 of the children victimized in the images.

A federal grand jury indicted Henry on two federal charges, but he pleaded guilty to one count of possession in a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Williams is set for sentencing on Jan. 22.

The FBI, Choctaw Police Department, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

The case was launched as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and FBI special agent in charge Jermicha Fomby announced the plea.
LA MESA, Calif.  A pedestrian was hit and killed by a vehicle Tuesday morning on Interstate 8 in La Mesa, authorities said.

The crash occurred around 8:33 a.m. on I-8 eastbound, located west of Spring St., according to California Highway Patrol logs.

7 hospitalized amid E. coli outbreak linked to Miguels Cocina 4S Ranch

Authorities shut down one of the lanes due to the collision for two hours, per the California Department of Transportation.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Pennsylvanians will vote on a new state Supreme Court justice on Nov. 7 in what will be the latest test of the ongoing political fallout from the U.S. Supreme Courts June 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which ended the national right to an abortion.

Since the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization voided national abortion rights, leaving it to states, Democrats and their allies have leaned hard on the issue of abortion in races up and down the ballot. Judicial races have received particular attention, especially in swing states, as state courts have now become the primary battleground for fights over the legality of abortion.

The race in Pennsylvania, between Democratic nominee and current Superior Court Judge Daniel McCaffery and Republican nominee and current Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Carluccio, acts as a test case to indicate how well the anti-Dobbs message is still working ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

This race could be a precursor to see if abortion and democracy drive voter performance, said J.J. Abbott, executive director of Commonwealth Communications and a spokesperson for the independent campaign effort to elect McCaffery.

In the 2022 midterm elections, abortion was front and center in Democrats campaign to beat back an expected red wave that would sweep Republicans into office across the country. But that wave never broke as Republicans barely won control of the U.S. House, lost a seat in the Senate and lost key races in a number of swing states. That included losing the governors race and the state assembly in Pennsylvania.

The race between McCaffery and Carluccio is set to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Chief Justice Max Baer in 2022. The outcome will not determine control of the court, as Democrats currently hold a 4-2 advantage even with Baers seat vacant, but with two retention elections for Democratic justices coming up in 2025, it could either set the stage for a Republican takeover or help solidify Democratic control for years to come.

Daniel McCaffery, a candidate for Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge, speaks at a women's organizing event and canvass launch in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Daniel McCaffery, a candidate for Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge, speaks at a women's organizing event and canvass launch in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

The right to an abortion is generally supported by Pennsylvanians, according to polling conducted in 2022 by Franklin & Marshall College. An August 2022 poll found that nearly 90% of registered voters in the state thought abortion should be legal in some or all cases. Three-fifths of registered voters also opposed the passage of a constitutional amendment banning abortion.

Though she has made few public statements on her abortion position, Carluccio has been endorsed by state-level anti-abortion groups, including PA Pro-Life Federation and the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania. Those endorsements were touted in mailers during the Republican Party primary by Commonwealth Leaders Fund, an independent expenditure group funded by libertarian investor Jeffrey Yass.

Planned Parenthood and other McCaffery supporters have attacked Carluccio for removing a biography with anti-abortion rhetoric, which said she was a Defender of 2nd Amendment Rights and All Life Under the Law, from her website after winning the Republican Party primary. Carluccios campaign claimed in an editorial board interview with Pennsylvania newspapers that the bio, created by a former political consultant, was removed following a website redesign.

In that same interview, she said, without specifics, that her position was that she follow[s] the law, and added, until somebody changes the law, thats what Im applying.

Unlike Carluccio, McCaffery has been vocal in supporting abortion access, attacking the Dobbs decision and promising in campaign speeches to defend reproductive rights.

In a campaign speech in August, McCaffery promised to protect the rights that we Democrats have fought for for 60 years. Womens reproductive rights. You think about that: Thats literally been rolled back and rolled into state court.

Abortion is currently legal in Pennsylvania through the 23rd week of pregnancy. But that could change if the composition of the state court changes. There are challenges to existing abortion laws moving through Pennsylvania courts, including one lawsuit seeking to undo the states ban on Medicaid funding for abortions. Republicans in the state legislature have also introduced a constitutional amendment to ban abortions that could become law if they win back control of state government.

Abortion is clearly on the ballot here, Breana Ross, campaign director for Planned Parenthood Votes, said. The key is to make sure were educating voters on how this election will affect abortion access.

The ramifications also go beyond Pennsylvanias borders. Since the U.S. Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe, 24 states have severely limited or in effect banned abortion or are likely to do so while lawsuits move through their court systems. Residents of those states  including Pennsylvanias neighbors Ohio and West Virginia  have had to seek abortion care in other states.

We saw a surge in abortion appointments, especially on the western side of the state, from women seeking care from out of state, said Ann Steiner, an OB-GYN and abortion provider in Pennsylvania.

Planned Parenthood has teamed up with a coalition of groups aligned with reproductive rights advocates and the Democratic Party to fund a large-scale advertising and grassroots campaign for McCaffery. Planned Parenthood Votes, the organizations political arm, is running a seven-figure ad buy in support of McCaffery, its largest ever investment in a state supreme court race. It is buoyed by a six-figure ad buy from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee as well as grassroots efforts to turn out voters from labor unions, gun control groups and voting rights organizations.

Montgomery County Judge Carolyn Carluccio, a Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, campaigns in Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

Montgomery County Judge Carolyn Carluccio, a Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, campaigns in Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

Abortion is the leading line of attack in the campaign, but it is not the only issue: Voting rights and democracy-related issues, such as efforts to overturn elections, also feature as a major political hot button in Pennsylvania, as they did in Democrats midterm campaign messaging.

Pennsylvania was, after all, one of the five swing states, along with Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin, that former President Donald Trump targeted in his campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential vote. As part of that campaign, Trump and his allies filed numerous lawsuits in state courts seeking to challenge voting procedures and invalidate the ballots of thousands of Pennsylvanians. In almost every case, the state Supreme Court shut him down.

And similar challenges are expected ahead of the 2024 election, which is likely to feature a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden. Carluccio has said that she will follow existing law in her rulings but has also declared opposition to the state law that legalized mail-in voting, enacted in 2019.

At an event held by the Erie County GOP during the Republican primary, she called Act 77, which allows mail-in voting in the state, very bad for our Commonwealth and very bad for just faith in our system. She added that if a challenge to the law came before the state Supreme Court she would be happy to take a look at it.

McCaffery, on the other hand, told Bolts Magazine, If were going to err, we should always err on the side of including votes, as opposed to disqualifying votes for technicalities, or perceived technicalities.

There is at least one live legal question regarding Act 77 that could be decided by McCaffery or Carluccio: In 2022, the court deadlocked 3-3 over whether the laws date and signature requirements for mailed ballots were in violation of federal law. By leaving the requirements in place, thousands of votes in the 2022 election were not counted because voters failed to sign or properly date their ballot. Without a definitive majority ruling in 2022, this issue is still live and could come back ahead of the 2024 election.

Beyond the hot campaign issues of abortion and voting rights, the court has also recently heard challenges on important statewide issues such as public school funding, rights for criminal defendants, oil and gas leasing, environmental stewardship and gerrymandering. And these issues are also likely to come back before the court in the future.

Many of those issues will be decided years down the line. But whether Democrats strategy of putting abortion front and center continues to bear fruit electorally will be more apparent when the election is over.

Related...
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Pentagon has sent military advisers, including a Marine Corps general versed in urban warfare, to Israel to aid in its war planning and is speeding multiple sophisticated air defense systems to the Middle East days ahead of an anticipated ground assault into Gaza.

One of the officers leading the assistance is Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn , who previously helped lead special operations forces against the Islamic State and served in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the most heated urban combat there, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss Glynns role and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Glynn will also be advising on how to mitigate civilian casualties in urban warfare, the official said.

Israel is preparing a large-scale ground operation in an environment in which Hamas militants have had years to prepare tunnel networks and set traps throughout northern Gazas dense urban blocks. Glynn and the other military officers who are advising Israel have experience that is appropriate to the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

The fight in Gaza will be hell, military experts in urban combat say

The advisers will not be engaged in the fighting, the unidentified U.S. official said.

The military team is one of many fast-moving pieces the Pentagon is getting in place to try and prevent the already intense conflict between Israel and Hamas from becoming a wider war. It also is trying to protect U.S. personnel, who in the last few days have come under repeated attacks that the Pentagon has said were likely endorsed by Iran.

Kirby said Iran was in some cases actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good, or for that of Iran. We know that Irans goal is to maintain some level of deniability here. But were not going to allow them to do that.

The White House said President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to update him on U.S. support for Israel and ongoing efforts at regional deterrence, to include new U.S. military deployments.

On Monday, the U.S. military garrison at an-Tanf, Syria, came under attack again, this time by two drones. The drones were shot down and no injuries were reported. It was the latest episode of more than a half-dozen times in the last week that U.S. military locations in the Middle East had come under rocket or drone attack since a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital.

Thursday the Navy destroyer Carney shot down four land-attack cruise missiles launched from Yemen that the Pentagon has said were potentially headed toward Israel.

In response, over the weekend the Pentagon announced it was sending multiple Patriot missile defense system battalions and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to the Middle East, as well as repositioning the Eisenhower strike group to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The ship had previously been en route to the Eastern Mediterranean.

The shift means that the Navy will have a carrier strike group off the shore of Israel  the Ford carrier strike group  and another, the Eisenhower, potentially maneuvered to defend U.S. forces and Israel from the Red Sea or the Gulf of Oman.

Were going to continue to do what we need to do to protect and safeguard our forces and take all necessary measures, Ryder said. No one wants to see a wider regional conflict. But we will not hesitate to protect our forces.

The U.S. also has advised Israeli officials to consider a delay in any ground assault, saying it would give more time to allow the U.S. to work with its regional partners to release more hostages, according to a U.S. official familiar with Biden administration thinking on the matter. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the private discussions, said it was unclear how much the argument will move the needle on Israeli thinking.

The official noted that with the help of Qatar mediating with Hamas, the U.S. was able to win the release of two captives, Judith and Natalie Raanan. The process that led to their release  just two of more than 200 people in Israel who were taken hostage in the Oct. 7 attacks  started soon after the Hamas operation. The official noted arranging for the release of the Raanans took longer to come together than many people realized.

Asked during a brief exchange with reporters at the White House on Monday if the U.S. would be supportive of a ceasefire-for-hostage deal, Biden replied, We should have those hostages released and then we can talk.

During his phone call with Netanyahu, Biden also reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas  including Americans  and to provide for safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza, the White House said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that Hamas had released two more hostages. They were identified by Israeli media as Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper of the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz.

Glynns assignment to Israel was first reported by Axios.
Judge Selena Solis  who sits on the bench of the busy 243rd District Court overseeing hundreds of cases every year  has noticed a large number of defendants suffering from a similar disorder.

Mental illnesses are prevalent in the El Paso County criminal justice system and the major cause of criminal behavior and recidivism, she said.

Solis quickly realized there are few, if any, options for adult defendants with a history of mental health problems to get the treatment they need to avoid incarceration.

"I am a court of general jurisdiction, so I have a criminal docket and a civil docket," Solis said. "I'm still fairly new to the bench  this is my fifth year. I noticed in my criminal cases that we would see the same people cycling in and out of the criminal justice system. And a lot of these individuals had some sort of mental health illness, whether it be bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, severe depression, where they hallucinate.

Judge Selena Solis speaks to two lawyers as she presides over 243rd District Court Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Judge Solis created El Pasos first mental health specialty court.

"They're competent. This isn't a competency court. If someone is found legally incompetent, they would not qualify for our court. These are just people who have mental health breakdowns that end up finding themselves in the criminal justice system."

After witnessing defendants suffering from mental illnesses appearing before her repeatedly, Solis decided to start the INSPIRE Treatment Court. The goal is to help mentally ill defendants get mental health care instead of a jail cell.

The number of cases involving mental illnesses in the El Paso court system is hard to determine as criminal cases fluctuate daily, Solis said. But it is clear defendants with mental health diagnoses are an issue El Paso must address, she added.

"El Paso is first on so many different things," Solis said. "There's just so many issues that we have been the first in the state to address, and that's what I admire about El Paso. But we're not the first when it comes to mental health courts.

"Most of the mental health courts in the state  there's only a dozen, more or less  only address misdemeanor offenses, not felony offenses. So we are a felony court, this is something we can be first to address."

Judge Selena Solis presides over 243rd District Court, on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Judge Solis created El Pasos first mental health specialty court.

Independence, Namaste, Safety, Purposeful, Insightful, Resilience, Empowerment

Solis is providing a holistic approach to mental health care while trying to avoid the adverse aspects of the criminal justice system.

INSPIRE Treatment Court, which stands for Independence, Namaste, Safety, Purposeful, Insightful, Resilience, Empowerment, is in the pilot stage with seven defendants currently in the program.

The court's goal is to help defendants get proper mental health care, continue their treatments, take their medication and find stability in their lives, Solis said.

Judge Selena Solis speaks to two lawyers as she presides over 243rd District Court, on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Judge Selena Solis created El Pasos first mental health specialty court.

"We want to show them that they are resilient and there's a way to keep them from coming back into the criminal justice system and then give them the empowerment so they can become more emboldened to continue taking their medications and any other mental health treatments they need," she said.

"We see these individuals, half of them are not on their medications when they get arrested and they don't belong in the jail. The detention officers, God bless 'em, they're not medical health providers and they're not trained and equipped to take care of individuals suffering from mental health issues."

The court's approach is significantly different, with a focus on defendants with a legitimate mental health diagnosis.

More: Judge orders mental evaluation of man arrested in West Side armed standoff on balcony

"We have a team and it's non-adversarial," Solis said. "When you walk into court, everyone is scared because there's someone prosecuting you for doing something wrong, then you've got a defense attorney, someone defending you, and the consequences are jail time for the most part."

The defendants in the court face various charges, including burglary of habitation, evading arrest, arson, aggravated assaults and possession of controlled substances.

To qualify for the program, the defendant must be 18 years old or older, have a mental health diagnosis, be charged with a felony or already on probation, Solis said.

Currently, the treatment court is running on a volunteer basis with several agencies lending staff to help the program launch, Solis said.

The agencies include the El Paso District Attorney's Office, El Paso County Public Defenders Office, El Paso Criminal Justice Coordination Department, El Paso County Community Supervision and Corrections Department and Emergence Health Network, a local mental health authority.

El Paso County District Attorney Bill Hicks is a key partner in an multi-agency effort to help mentally ill defendants who end up in the criminal justice system. Hicks says the DA's office has "a duty" to try to help mentally ill defendants from becoming repeat offenders through diversion programs and treatment.

"The criminal justice system really has two sides to it," El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks said. "One side is providing the rehabilitative, kind of a diversion side. If a person has become involved in the criminal justice system and we can do something to help that person not ever become involved in the criminal justice system again (with) a rehabilitative, a diversion type of program that helps people not become career criminals, then we have a duty to try to do that."

A major milestone was recently achieved for the program when Solis received a $200,000 grant from the Office of the Texas Governor's Public Safety Office. The grant, which was awarded Tuesday, Oct. 24, will be used for staffing, mental health services, treatment and counseling, and other program related costs, Solis said.

Solis wants to prove the mental health court in El Paso can be successful before possibly asking the county for funds, she said.

Judge Selena Solis presides over 243rd District Court, on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Judge Selena Solis created El Pasos first mental health specialty court.

"We are in a pilot program right now," Solis said. "Everyone says that you can create and run a specialty court on a shoestring budget, but that's not really true. We need one in El Paso. For the size of our city, it's unconscionable that our judiciary courts do not have a mental health specialty court.

"Right now, I have not gone to the county commissioners to ask them for funding. Why? One, because everyone always asks them for money. But two, I want to prove to them that we can do this. I want to earn their respect and have something to base it on, so that when I go to them and I can say, 'Okay, this is why it costs this much money, and this is why we need money.'"

More: What is schizoaffective disorder? El Paso Walmart shooter diagnosed with illness

The creation of the specialty court has already earned the praise of the El Paso County Commissioners Court.

"We are excited because it's a component to address a major issue in the criminal justice system," El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said. "We have a drug court and alcohol court, and we have a veteran's treatment court, and now we have this one. In each one of the others, they handle the mental health component as well. It's very difficult to separate it, but this one is more specific.

"You can't imagine how many people with a mental health issue end up in the criminal system, so it's going to help us with one of the big challenges we have right now."

'Nexus between crime, mental illness'

El Paso lawyer Sergio Saldivar has dozens of cases involving clients suffering from mental illnesses. His focus is not only on defending his clients against the criminal charges they are facing, but also to ensure they get the help they need to avoid becoming repeat offenders.

"Mental illnesses are rarely addressed in the criminal justice system," Saldivar said. "A lot of the time, in order to get people with mental illnesses effective treatment, you have to have a mental illness court, so the defendants are properly screened for mental defects and get assistance for schizophrenia, bipolar depression, PTSD or other similar mental illnesses they are suffering from because there is a nexus between the crime and the mental illness."

El Paso lawyer Sergio Saldivar works to get his clients suffering from mental illness a chance to receive proper medical care.

Addressing mental illnesses in the pretrial phase not only helps the defendants but the community as well, Saldivar said.

"If they are incarcerated, they are not going to get treatment, and without treatment, the conditions can worsen. They can then become a danger to themselves or the inmates around them," Saldivar said. "Also, recidivism is always something that needs to be looked at. If they get the right care and treatment, hopefully it will prevent recidivism and these people can get their lives back on track without a criminal case hanging over them and impacting them for the rest of their lives.

"They can become productive members of society. A mental health court, where people with these types of concerns are given a chance to go through a treatment program or rehabilitation, is the proper way to handle these cases, not just throwing them in jail."

More: Teens, guns and mental health: Juvenile crime in El Paso getting more violent

The number of mental health cases is not necessarily higher now than in the past, Saldivar said. It is just society is finally paying attention to the issue, he added.

It's a problem that is difficult to ignore in El Paso and other U.S. cities. It's not uncommon to see people with mental illnesses struggling on street corners, shopping centers or vacant properties.

"The courts are finally starting to recognize it and they're finally trying to address it," Saldivar said. "Judge Solis' mental illness court is a key start for our area to truly look at mental illness, and its impact on the criminal justice system and the people who need help.

"Jail is not always the answer. We must look at mental health issues and do everything we can to help these people suffering from mental illnesses."

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Mental health court seeks to fill need in El Paso justice system
Patti Poppe , the chief executive officer of PG&E, says that Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant will operate as long as the people of California wish.

It would be a great honor to continue to operate the plant as long as the state would have us, she said during an interview with opinion editors from McClatchys California newspapers, including the Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee and San Luis Obispo Tribune.

The plant had been scheduled to close permanently in 2025, when its licenses expire. But when it appeared the state would not have enough alternative green energy sources by that date, Gov. Gavin Newsom struck a deal to allow the plant to remain open another five years, until 2030.

Except the door is open to an even longer life.

PG&E will apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license extension that would be good for another 20 years, which is the standard length of time for plants applying for relicensing.

While PG&E has not confirmed that it plans to stay open that long, theres been speculation that may indeed be the case. For her part, Poppe made it clear that she believes Diablo Canyon is in excellent shape.

Im a fan, she said. I would love to keep it open as long we can safely operate it and as long as the state supports the operation of that plant. Its a treasure for our state. It is one of the safest operated nuclear power plants in the world.

Its not out of the ordinary for a CEO to express such enthusiasm, but it is another indication that PG&E  which is normally more tight-lipped about the long-term future of Californias last remaining nuclear power plant  is willing to consider extending the facilitys life far beyond an additional five years.

Maureen Zawalick, vice president of nuclear business and technical services at PG&E, said that even more plainly.

Diablo Canyon is needed, not just until 2030, but at least until 2030, she said at a March NRC conference. Were not seeing the progress that is needed on bringing offshore wind or other renewables online and energy storage and things like that.

PG&E confident in Diablo Canyons safety

Some San Luis Obispo County residents, as well as others outside the area who are concerned about the plants safety, continue the legal fight to close Diablo Canyon.

Among other concerns, they believe it is inherently dangerous to operate a nuclear power plant in an area crisscrossed by earthquake faults, no matter how many scientific studies say that the plant is capable of withstanding a maximum credible earthquake.

Objections also have been raised about storing radioactive spent fuel at the site when there is still no permanent storage facility.

Lawsuits have been filed over the decision to extend the life of the plant, to no avail.

One of the more recent cases, filed in September by Mothers for Peace and Friends of the Earth, demands further testing of the Unit 1 reactor vessel for embrittlement  the deterioration of steel that can cause cracks in the vessel.

PG&E officials have said they will conduct Unit 1 testing, while also issuing assurances about the safety of the reactor vessel.

Sumeet Singh, vice president and chief operating officer for PG&E, told McClatchy opinion editors that the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee performed an analysis that showed the reactor integrity is sound for at least an additional 20 years of operation.

So were very, very confident in the integrity and safety of both units, he said.

Testing will happen in 2025

PG&E officials initially said they might be able to conduct tests during the current refueling outage, but late Tuesday, announced they will not be able to remove the component needed for testing until the next outage in 2025.

Thats too long to wait, according to the petition from Mothers for Peace, which says the reactor vessel could reach an unacceptable level of embrittlement by the end of this year.

State Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Dawn Addis, whose districts include the nuclear power plant, had requested PG&E to provide more specifics on the timing of the test.

... We are receiving significant messages of concern from our constituents concerning the safety of Unit 1 of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. As you are aware, these concerns stem from questions about the potential embrittlement of that unit (and the risk that it could lead to cracking) and the alleged lack of testing in recent years to confirm or deny these questions, they wrote in a joint letter to PG&E dated Oct. 18.

While the lawmakers had still not received a formal response as of Wednesday morning, Sen. Lairds office said he had been informed at 8 p.m. Tuesday that the necessary component needed for testing could not be pulled until the 2025 outage, and results would be available within 18 months later.

For a company trying hard to rehabilitate its image after being held responsible for deadly wildfires in Northern California, PG&E should be more responsive not only to elected officials, but also to the public.

Thats especially the case given the controversy thats surrounded Diablo Canyon for decades.

Some opponents will never rest until the plant is permanently closed, but there are plenty of others  the majority, in fact  who are fine with having the plant nearby, as long as they believe it is safe.

To keep it that way, PG&E must quickly respond to concerns. Dodging questions from lawmakers and failing to commit to timely testing of critical infrastructure does not inspire that confidence.

If PG&E wants Diablo Canyon to stay open another five, 10 or 20 years, it shouldnt just preach corporate values like transparency, safety and integrity. It must prove that its practicing them  or it could discover that its worn out its welcome.

This editorial has been updated with information about the timing of Unit 1 embrittlement testing. and to clarify that PG&E has not yet submitted its relicensing application.
For researchers, the carved statue of a man holding his phallus with two hands while seated atop a bench adorned with a leopard, is a new clue in the puzzle of our very beginnings (Ozan KOSE)

The dry expanses of southeastern Turkey, home to some of humanity's most ancient sites, have yielded fresh discoveries in the form of a stone phallus and a coloured boar.

For researchers, the carved statue of a man holding his phallus with two hands while seated atop a bench adorned with a leopard, is a new clue in the puzzle of our very beginnings.

The 2.3-meter (7.5-foot tall) work was discovered at the end of September at Karahantepe, in the heart of a complex of some 20 sites that were home to thousands of people during the Stone Age.

Karahantepe is part of the network around UNESCO-listed Gobekli Tepe, a place where our prehistoric ancestors gathered to worship more than 7,000 years before Stonehenge or the earliest Egyptian pyramids.

Necmi Karul, who heads the prehistory department at Istanbul University, found the toppled statue that was broken into three sections.

"We found several statues of this kind... but for the first time here we found the phallus," said the archaeologist, who coordinates the work of a project focused on the area's settlements.

The man lay in one of the first rectangular buildings, probably as a pillar supporting the wooden roof -- clues to how people used the site.

Karul said these settlements bear witness to "a new social order born after the Ice Age."

"The main reason to start a new kind of architecture is to build a new type of society," he noted.

- 150 more years of work -

Gobekli Tepe -- which some experts believe was never actually inhabited -- may be part of a vast sacred landscape that encompasses other nearby hilltop sites that archaeologists believe may be even older.

But the first modest photos of the statue released by Turkey's culture ministry led the local press to suspect censorship in the Muslim nation that has veered conservative under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We are archeologists, censorship doesn't exist! We had not yet found a phallus," the archaeologist said, laughing.

But there's meaning hidden in the discovery.

"Before leaving a site they (residents) used to crash the pillars and the statues -- but before, they broke the nose and the phallus," he said.

Then the site was filled in, buried under tonnes of sand and earth.

Its function remains unknown as do the reasons for the sudden abandonment and destruction of place after apparently hundreds of years of use.

The largest room at the site, surrounded by smaller rooms, seems to have been a kind of gathering place accessed via a narrow passageway, supported by a forest of phallus-shaped pillars topped by a man's head carved out of the rock.

"Those who entered here knew the symbols... they knew the meaning, it told them a story but we don't know it," he added, noting they have not found any female figures.

Perhaps they were made of wood, he noted, hazarding a guess.

No sooner had Karul unearthed the Karahantepe man, when he made another discovery the same week at Gobekli Tepe.

Archaeologists found a 1.2 metre long by 70 centimetre tall (4-foot by two-foot) depiction of a boar, with red eyes and teeth as well as a black-and-white body.

This 11,000-year-old wild pig is the first coloured sculpture from this period discovered to date, Karul said.

The site was occupied for some 1,500 years before being abandoned.

Of the 20 area sites in Tas Tepe (Stone Hills) project that is coordinated by Karul -- which stretches over 120 kilometres not far from the Syrian border -- only nine are being excavated.

"Work for the next 150 years", noted Karul, who has decided that both the man and the boar will remain where they emerged from the earth, but with the necessary measures to safeguard them.

ach/rba/trc/jm/pvh
A judge reinstated charges against former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial  who was accused of fatally shooting motorist Eddie Irizarry  after previous charges against him were dropped last month.

The charges include murder, manslaughter, official oppression and four other counts, Fox 29 reported.

Were going to continue to fight, were going to appeal the case and continue to fight, Zoraida Garcia, Irizarrys aunt, told the outlet. He committed a crime and he needs to pay for the crime he committed.

In September, Philadelphia Municipal Judge Wendy Pew watched footage of the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Irizarry before ruling to dismiss all charges against Mr Dial. He had previously been facing charges that included voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and simple assault.

Later that same day of the judges ruling, the District Attorneys Office filed a motion to reinstate the charges against Mr Dial.

The decision to reinstate charges also comes after protesters marched in the city center and Irizarrys family filed a complaint o in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas against Mr Dial and another officer.

Irizarry was shot dead after he was pulled over for allegedly driving his Toyota Corolla erratically on 14 August.

Mr Dials defence team had argued that the officer was acting in self-defence, echoing the officers initial claims that Irizarry lunged at him outside of the car.

Last month, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner released unedited bodycam footage of the extremely violent fatal shooting at the request of Irizarrys family which showed Mr Dial fire six shots through his window in close range.

After the footage was released, the police department walked back on its initials claims that the 27-year-old had lunged at him.

He was fired in August from the police department.
FILE PHOTO: Collision between Philippine boat and Chinese Coast Guard vessel, in the South China Sea

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will boost multilateral activities including freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, its defence minister said on Wednesday, expressing hope that more countries would "join our fight" after an altercation with China this week.

The Philippines and China earlier this week accused each other of raising tensions, with Manila saying China's coastguard intentionally collided with its boats on a resupply mission to a small contingent of troops stationed on a rusty ship grounded two decades ago.

The incident, near a disputed reef in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, drew widespread condemnation of Beijing, which says it has sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international arbitration award declaring that claim has no legal basis.

The recent incident with China "could result in more willing nations to join our fight," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a televised interview on state-run PTV. He did not elaborate on what that would entail.

Teodoro also said he is optimistic on the progress on reciprocal access agreement between Japan and the Philippines.

Philippine ties with China have deteriorated this year, with more confrontations at sea, coinciding with Manila strengthening its decades-old military alliance with the United States, including granting Washington expanded access to its bases.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, and Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Pinellas County School Board unanimously voted to approve a 4.5% increase in annual teacher wages Tuesday  the highest wage increase in years.

The board worked in conjunction with the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA) to nearly double what the state had originally proposed, which was an increase of only 1.41%.

Educators could see anywhere from $1,000 to $2,600 more next year.

READ: Florida schools to implement new threat management system to help identify concerning behaviors

"This is the largest raise Ive ever seen in my seven years of teaching," Brennan Pickett, a St. Petersburg High School teacher, said. "I could be seeing an extra $100 on my paycheck every two weeks. Its not going to change my life, but it does help."

The school board and the teachers unions seemed to agree at the board meeting Tuesday night that although this was a win for educators, there will still be an ongoing fight for better living wages for their profession.

"We want to be much higher. We want to have a fully professional wage for the best and brightest teachers, so we have the best and brightest students," said Laura Hine, the vice chair of the Pinellas County School Board.

PCTA Union President Lee Bryant told FOX 13 that although he is proud of the work they did to bump the 2023-2024 increase, Florida is way behind the national standard for teacher salaries.

MORE: Hillsborough County teachers may get pay raise after tentative agreement

"What the state sends Pinellas County schools, and other school districts is not enough," Bryant said. "The state has gone down to 48th in teacher pay in the nation. Were one of the top economies in America, and we pay 48th in education pay in this state."

Still, in the last three years combined, Bryant said his union has helped to increase wages over 12%.

"[Teacher] can make more money with less stress and enjoys their lives better by leaving the profession," Bryant said. "Many people dream their whole lives about becoming a teacher, but you also have to pay rent."

Tuesdays 6-0 vote to approve the increase is still a step in the right direction for Pickett.

"We had 92% vote yes on ratifying this contract its a good pill to swallow, because we are seeing increases in our wages over time," Pickett said.
ATLANTA  Fani Willis , the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, had no shortage of doubters when she brought an ambitious racketeering case in August against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies. It was too broad, they said, and too complicated, with so many defendants and multiple, crisscrossing plot lines for jurors to follow.

But the power of Georgias racketeering statute in Willis hands has become apparent over the last six days. Her office is riding a wave of momentum that started with a guilty plea last Thursday from Sidney Powell , the pro-Trump lawyer who had promised in November 2020 to release the kraken by exposing election fraud, but never did.

Then, in rapid succession, came two more guilty pleas  and promises to cooperate with the prosecution and testify  from other Trump-aligned lawyers, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis . While Powell pleaded guilty only to misdemeanor charges, both Chesebro and Ellis accepted a felony charge as part of their plea agreements.

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A fourth defendant, a Georgia bail bondsman named Scott Hall, pleaded guilty last month to five misdemeanor charges.

With Trump and 14 of his co-defendants still facing trial in the case, the question of the moment is who else will flip, and how soon. But the victories notched thus far by Willis and her team demonstrate the extraordinary legal danger that the Georgia case poses for the former president.

And the plea deals illustrate Willis methodology, wielding her states racketeering law to pressure smaller-fry defendants to roll over, take plea deals, and apply pressure to defendants higher up the pyramids of power.

The strategy is by no means unique to Willis. This is how it works, said Kay L. Levine, a law professor at Emory University in Atlanta, referring to large-scale racketeering and conspiracy prosecutions. People at the lower rungs are typically offered a good deal in order to help get the big fish at the top.

But Willis, 52, is particularly well-versed in this aspect of the prosecutors art. She used the same strategy a decade ago, as the lead prosecutor in a high-profile racketeering case against Atlanta public school educators accused of cheating to improve their students standardized test scores.

In that case, 35 people were indicted, but more than 20 of them took plea deals.

A number of the educators who went to trial were convicted, although the most prominent defendant  Beverly Hall, who had been the Atlanta schools superintendent  died of breast cancer before her case was resolved.

Willis has been using a similar tactic in another attention-getting racketeering case, this one involving Jeffery Williams, the rapper who performs as Young Thug, and 27 others charged with gang activity. In that case, too, a number of lower-level defendants have entered plea deals to get out of jail, avoid a lengthy and costly trial, or both, though it remains to be seen whether she will win any convictions at trial.

The election case lays out a number of ways prosecutors say Trump and his co-defendants sought to overturn his narrow loss to Joe Biden in Georgia in 2020. The spate of deals are bad news for Trump, giving the prosecution access to witnesses who plotted and carried out key aspects of his legal and public relations strategies as he tried to cling to power.

The deals will also likely prove harmful to the cases of other major defendants, including Rudy Giuliani , who was the most prominent lawyer working on Trumps behalf after the election. At the time, he often appeared with Ellis and Powell at his side. (Notably, Giuliani, who made his name as a federal prosecutor by successfully using racketeering laws, has derided the case as a ridiculous application of the racketeering statute.)

Another lawyer-defendant, John Eastman, worked with Chesebro on a plan to deploy fake Trump electors in swing states.

On Tuesday, Steve Sadow, the lead lawyer for Trump in the Georgia case, tried to put the best face on the latest plea deal.

For the fourth time, Fani Willis and her prosecution team have dismissed the RICO charge in return for a plea to probation, he said in a statement. What that shows is this so-called RICO case is nothing more than a bargaining chip for DA Willis.

Persuading a jury of 12 people to convict Trump, a leading 2024 presidential candidate and the most polarizing figure in American politics, is a far different challenge than securing plea agreements, especially ones like the four so far that do not involve jail time.

Harvey Silverglate, a lawyer for Eastman, has said that prosecutors will be hard pressed to get a dozen jurors to convict anybody, because I think in any jurisdiction, even Washington D.C., you will have at least one holdout.

That prediction may apply only to Trump, as a report drafted by a special grand jury that heard testimony in the case last year foreshadowed.

In many of the panels votes on whether to recommend charges in the case  particularly regarding Trump  a single juror voted no. Willis will need a unanimous jury verdict to get a conviction in court. (While there were typically 21 jurors voting in the special grand jury meetings, there was no defense to argue the other side.)

Willis charging strategy  to cast a wide net and seek the indictment of not only Trump, but also of allies of his ranging from obscure figures to political celebrities  stands in marked difference to that of Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who has brought federal charges against Trump for his efforts to retain power after the 2020 election.

The Georgia case was bound to be more unwieldy. But the succession of plea deals in recent days underscores the logic behind indicting so many others, Levine said, because it helps light a fire under their decision about whether to cooperate.

She added: I think there was clearly a lot of thought that went into, What would it take to get these people who were part of the entourage  part of the, you know, the set of allies of the Trump loyalist team, to get them to cooperate?

Though Willis charged 19 people, a smaller number of core defendants may be less likely to get enticing plea deal offers. Those include Trump and Giuliani, who each face 13 charges, as well as Mark Meadows, Trumps former White House chief of staff, and David Shafer, the former head of the Georgia Republican Party.

Eastman and Jeffrey Clark, a defendant who was a senior Justice Department official, are also seen as among the higher-value defendants.

For others, it is unclear what kind of deals might materialize.

David Shestokas, a lawyer for Stephen Lee, an Illinois pastor charged with helping to intimidate a Fulton County election worker and pressure her to falsely confess to ballot fraud, said Tuesday that his client would consider any deal offered to him. But he added that Lee remains steadfast in having done nothing wrong.

The deal taken by Powell was a blow to her reputation, Shestokas said, and a horrible, horrible outcome.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Shmyhal posted on social media on Oct. 25.

During the meeting in Schloss Bellevue, the German presidential residence, Shmyhal said he thanked Steinmeier for the fact that "Germany is among the leaders in Europe in terms of support for Ukraine."

Shmyhal and Steinmeier discussed strengthening Ukraine's air defense and the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula, a ten-point peace plan to end Russias war in Ukraine that he announced at the G20 meeting in November 2022.

They also discussed the joint development of their country's defense industries, referring to the news that German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will cooperate with Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukroboronprom to repair and maintain Western-produced military vehicles.

The meeting with Steinmeier took place as part of Shmyhal's official visit to Berlin for the sixth German-Ukrainian business forum.

He met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Oct. 24, and said he was grateful for the organization of the forum, which aims to promote German investment in Ukraine.

Read also: Germany announces winter support package for Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A Minnesota doctor who used to work as a poison control specialist has been charged with murder two months after investigators say he poisoned his wife with gout medicine.

Connor Bowman, 30, was arrested Friday after a months-long investigation into the death of his 32-year-old wife Betty Jo Bowman, who died in August of what was initially believed to be a sudden onset autoimmune and infectious illness, according to her obituary.

Betty was admitted to the hospital in Rochester for severe gastrointestinal distress on 16 August and died four days later, according to the criminal complaint obtained by KAAL.

Her husband, a medical resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, tried to stop the autopsy, and demanded she be cremated immediately, the criminal complaint stated. He told the medical examiners office that her death was natural and that she did not want to be a cadaver.

The medical examiners office halted the order for cremation, citing suspicious circumstances, according to a criminal complaint, and an autopsy showed Betty died from toxic effects of colchicine, a medicine used to treat gout. But medical records indicate she was not diagnosed with gout and had not been prescribed the medicine.

However, prosecutors allege her husband had been researching colchicine, including how much could kill someone. Six days before she was hospitalized, he had also converted her weight to kilograms and multiplied that by 0.8  with 0.8 mg/kg considered to be the lethal dosage rate for colchicine, according to the complaint.

Connor Bowman (Olmsted County Jail)

Betty, who was also a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic, had symptoms similar to food poisoning when she was admitted to the hospital, but her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she experienced cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure.

Mr Bowman suggested she was suffering from a rare illness called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. But hospital tests came back inconclusive for HLH.

An investigation found that Mr Bowman worked as a poison specialist in August and used University of Kansas-issued devices to search for information about colchicine, the drug used to treat gout, and sodium nitrate.

A woman from the University of Kansas told investigators about his searches, pointing out he had not received any calls about colchicine, nor had any other employees.

His online search history also included internet browsing history: can it be used in court? delete amazon data police and food v. industrial grade sodium nitrate.

Betty Bowman (GoFundMe)

Following Bettys death, her loved ones reported to the police that her husband had been after her $500,000 life insurance policy. During the search of their home after Mr Bowmans arrest on Friday, police found a receipt for a $450,000 deposit into his bank account.

He was charged Monday with second-degree murder and remained at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center Tuesday on a $2m bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on 1 November.

A GoFundMe has been set up by close friends to help Bettys family with legal costs, meals, bills and more.

Betty adored her mom and I know she would want her and her family to be taken care of during this difficult time, reads the GoFundMe. Betty was a light to so many people and words cannot express how much she will be missed.
This booking photo provided by the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center in Rochester, Minn. shows Connor Bowman on Oct. 20, 2023. Bowman, a poison specialist and former medical resident at the Mayo Clinic, is charged with fatally poisoning his wife, a 32-year-old pharmacist who went to the hospital in August with stomach distress and died days later. (Olmsted County Sheriff's Office via AP)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A poison specialist and former medical resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is charged with fatally poisoning his wife, a 32-year-old pharmacist who died days after she went to a hospital in August with stomach distress.

Authorities say Connor Bowman, 30, tried to stop the autopsy on his wife, Betty Bowman  arguing she should be cremated immediately and claiming she had a rare illness, which hospital tests did not confirm. The medical examiner's office halted the order for cremation, citing suspicious circumstances, according to a criminal complaint, and an autopsy showed Betty Bowman died from toxic effects of colchicine, a medicine used to treat gout.

Medical records indicate she was not diagnosed with gout and had not been prescribed the medicine, the complaint states, adding that Connor Bowman had been researching the drug prior to his wife's death. Six days before she was hospitalized, he had also converted his wife's weight to kilograms and multiplied that by 0.8  with 0.8 mg/kg considered to be the lethal dosage rate for colchicine, according to the complaint.

Connor Bowman was charged Monday with second-degree murder. He was arrested Friday and was still in custody as of Tuesday. His attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Mayo Clinic spokesperson Amanda Dyslin released a statement Tuesday that did not identify Bowman by name, but indicated he was a resident at the hospital.

We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident on charges unrelated to his Mayo Clinic responsibilities. The residents training at Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month," the statement said. Dyslin did not say why Connor Bowmans training at Mayo Clinic ended.

Betty Bowman was also a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic.

According to the criminal complaint, the Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office alerted police to the suspicious death of Betty Bowman on Aug. 21, a day after she died.

She had been admitted to a hospital in Rochester on Aug. 16 with severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration where her condition deteriorated rapidly, the complaint said. Her initial symptoms were similar to food poisoning and were treated that way, but they continued to worsen. She experienced cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure.

While Betty Bowman was in the hospital, Connor Bowman suggested she was suffering from a rare illness called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. Hospital tests came back inconclusive for HLH, but Connor Bowman told multiple people that she died from that disease, according to the complaint.

He also told the medical examiner's office that Betty Bowman's death was natural and that she did not want to be a cadaver, and therefore, the autopsy should be canceled, the complaint said. He asked an investigator at the medical examiner's office if the toxicology analysis would be more thorough than the analysis done at the hospital.

The night before Betty Bowman went to the hospital, she told a man  identified as SS in the complaint  that she was drinking at home with Connor Bowman. The next morning, she told SS she was sick, possibly from a drink that was mixed into a large smoothie.

Connor Bowman was a poison specialist and answered calls about poisons, using devices from the University of Kansas for his work, according to the complaint. A woman from the University of Kansas told investigators that Connor Bowman had been researching colchicine, the drug used to treat gout, though he had not received any calls about colchicine, nor had any other employees.

Investigators found that Connor Bowman had searched internet browsing history: can it be used in court? and delete amazon data police on Aug. 5. He did calculations that match the lethal dosage rate for colchicine on Aug. 10.

The Minnesota Department of Health found colchicine in Betty Bowman's blood and urine samples that were taken at the hospital, and the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be toxic effects of colchicine, the complaint says.

One woman told investigators that the Bowmans had been talking about divorce, and another told authorities that Connor Bowman said he was going to get $500,000 in life insurance from his wife's death, the complaint says. Authorities found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit inside his home.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 1.

___

Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15
The Polish government handed out the nomination for the new ambassador to Ukraine, 67-year-old politician and businessman Jarosaw Guzy, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Twitter on Oct. 24.

Ambassador Guzy will replace the current Polish Ambassador to Ukraine, Bartosz Cichocki . Ambassador Cichocki was the only ambassador who remained in Kyiv during the Russian invasion.

Despite recent tensions between Ukraine and Poland over grain agreements, the decision to replace Poland's ambassador to Ukraine was reportedly announced back in March.

According to Polish media, Jarosaw Guzy was born in 1955 in Krakow and studied sociology and history at the Jagiellonian University. He was appointed advisor to the Minister of National Defense in 1991, and between 1992 and 1993, he served as a member of the Movement for the Republic of Poland.

Guzy eventually became an advisor to Poland's largest insurance company in addition to several other business ventures. He is currently a member of Poland's Council for Cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Region.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky vows full Ukrainian fire control over Crimea

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
An absconded registered sex offender who was believed to be armed and dangerous is back in custody, Lubbock police confirmed.

According to LPD, on Aug. 22, 2023, officers became aware that 51-year-old Robert Cooks, a Lifetime Sex Offender registrant, had not reported his correct home address.

He had since failed to report his correct address and was accused of being out of compliance for about 80 days.

Police confirmed he was arrested late Monday near 34th Street and Boston Avenue. Other details about his arrest were not immediately available. He remained in the Lubbock County Detention Center as of Wednesday.

Cooks was sentenced in 1989 to 99 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault and burglary of a habitation with intent of sexual assault in Smith County, according to court records.

The victim in that case was a 56-year-old woman, according to the Texas Sex Offender Registry website.

He began registering with the Lubbock police's sex offender registry unit in December 2020 after he was released on parole.

In June, he listed his sister's address as his residence, saying she allowed him to live with her.

However, on Aug. 22, Cooks' sister reportedly told his parole officer that he had not been living with her for "several months," according to a Lubbock police report.

That same day, a detective with the LPD sex offender registry attempted to contact Cooks at his listed address but was unable to speak to him there.

Cooks reportedly called the detective later, saying he was not at his listed residence because he was "doing landscape work at night time," the report states.

However, Cooks never reported his employment as a landscaper and the detective believed he was lying as "landscaping is not usually a job that is performed at night," the report states.

Cooks had an active arrest warrant for Failure to Comply and other warrants from additional agencies.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Police confirm absconded sex offender captured in Lubbock
Lewis Edwards was given 13 life sentences at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to 22 counts of blackmail, 138 child sex offences - South Wales Police/PA

A police officer believed to be Britains most prolific online paedophile groomed more than 200 children on Snapchat, a court heard.

Lewis Edwards posed as a teenage boy to groom 210 girls aged between 10 and 16 and forced them to send him indecent images that he secretly recorded.

He then blackmailed many of his victims with threats to tell their family and friends unless they sent increasingly graphic content.

Edwards was branded cruel and sadistic as he was handed 13 life sentences by a judge on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old also threatened to bomb the house of one of his victims and shoot her parents if she ended communication, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Many of his victims have suffered suicidal feelings, anxiety and depression, with one so traumatised she slept with a hammer under her pillow.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, imposed 13 life sentences for each of the most serious offences and imposed a minimum term of imprisonment of 12 years.

Judge Lloyd-Clarke said: He has caused significant harm to the victims, to their parents, their siblings and their wider families.

It is clear that he not only gained sexual gratification from his offending but that he also enjoyed the power and control that he had over these young girls.

His reaction to their distress can properly be described as cruel and sadistic. His offending is significantly aggravated by the fact that he was a serving police officer.

Many of his victims and their families have said that his actions have caused them to lose trust in the police. There is no doubt he has caused significant harm to the reputation of South Wales Police and to policing generally.

Many of the victims and their families were sitting in the packed public gallery for the hearing but Edwards refused to attend, with the judge saying she did not have the power to force him to appear.

Edwards, who joined the South Wales Police Force in January 2021 and has since resigned, had previously pleaded guilty to 22 counts of blackmail, 138 child sex offences and a further offence of refusing to disclose the password to a mobile phone and USB stick.

The court heard all but one of the victims were abused while he was a serving police officer, and he targeted one teenager just 17 days after meeting her as part of his duties.

Investigators found that on 30 occasions, Edwards was in contact with his victims while on duty.

Detectives raided the home he shared with his parents in Bridgend, South Wales, in February this year and seized mobile phones, a computer, USB sticks and a hard drive.

In a victim impact statement, the girl described Edwards as a paedophile and added: I was a little girl. I feel embarrassed, disgusted and abused. I lost my innocence.

In a statement released following the case, a spokeswoman for Snapchat said the social media platform had recently added a new warning for teenagers.

Any sexual exploitation of young people is abhorrent and illegal and our hearts go out to the victims in this case, she said.

We work in multiple ways to detect and prevent this type of abuse including using cutting-edge detection technology, and we work with police to support investigations.

We have extra protections for under-18s and recently added a new pop-up warning for teens if they are contacted by someone who they dont know. Our Family Centre allows parents to see who their teens are talking to.

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.
Gwinnett Police issued a critical missing person alert for a man who was last seen at a hotel in Peachtree Corners.

Police said Christopher Little, 53, of Jonesborough, Tennessee was last seen at the Hyatt Hotel at 5600 Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners on Tuesday morning.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

He has brown hair, blue eyes with glasses, and a gray/black beard.

Little was last seen wearing a blue, green, and white hat, a black shirt, tan shorts, and sandals.

Police said he has some health issues that may affect memory loss.

TRENDING STORIES:

He was driving a black Chevrolet Malibu with a Tennessee tag BQB5938.

Police said if anyone has any information to share, please contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
The search for Aaron Pennington, who is wanted in connection with the death of his wife Breanne, continued Wednesday in the wooded area of Camp Collier near the Ashburnham-Gardner line.

A murder warrant for Pennington was issued Wednesday, according to the Worcester District Attorney's Office. The charge was filed in Gardner District Court.

Meantime, not far from the courthouse, a significant number of law enforcement officers continued to look for the accused killer.

Police could be seen using K-9s to search around some of the homes on Kelton Street, and requests for checks of nearby barns could be heard over the scanner as the search continues for the fourth day.

Live Coverage on Thursday: 'Continue to assess intelligence': 5 days after Gardner murder suspect still at large

Shortly before 5 p.m., state police announced on X, formerly Twitter, that they had concluded search operations for the day, and that Pennington still has not been located. They say the area searched on Tuesday and Wednesday includes about 200 heavily wooded acres.

"Unit commanders will continue to assess intelligence and investigative developments to determine when and how to resume ground/air search operations," the state police said. "At this point, barring the development of new information, no widespread ground search is planned for tomorrow. We will update when appropriate."

Authorities on Wednesday released a second photo of the suspect.

Aaron Pennington

Pennington is wanted in connection with the shooting death of his wife, whose body was found in the couples Cherry Street home on Sunday. Breanne Pennington was the mother of the couple's four children, who are in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Family Service, and would have celebrated her 31st birthday Friday.

State Police troopers were checking the identity of drivers before letting them past the roadblock on Kelton Street and limiting traffic in the area to residents only.

Massachusetts State Police are checking IDs of everyone who comes and goes from Kelton Street in Gardner on Wednesday, Oct. 25, as they continue to search for Aaron Pennington.

On Tuesday, law enforcement officials were continuing to urge residents in the area to remain vigilant, as Pennington is considered armed and dangerous. Police were also asking residents to check their trail cams or Ring footage for possible clues that could assist the investigation.

When was the last murder in Gardner?: Here's what to know about the city's homicides

Camp Collier in Gardner is a heavily wood area

Police are focusing their search across a 175-acre target area.

Camp Collier is a 585-acre Scout camp in Gardner near the town line with Ashburnham. The area is owned by the Monadnock Trust.

In addition to Gardner and Ashburnnham police, the search is being conducted by members of the State Police Special Response Team, the State Police Tactical Operations Response Team, the Violent Fugitives Apprehension Section and state police K9 units.

Investigators called off the search at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday before resuming Wednesday morning.

Police ask for the public's help finding surveillance camera video of the area

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said investigators wanted residents who may have trail cameras or any type of surveillance cameras in the area to contact police.

Its incredible how often that these tips help us solve crimes, find people  so, were asking the public for all of their help, Early said Tuesday afternoon.

GARDNER - Mass. State Police troopers gather at the intersection of Kelton Street and Camp Collier Road as the search continues for Aaron M. Pennington Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said investigators were specifically interested in any footage recorded between the Old County Road area in Ashburnham and Rt. 101.

Police and Early also to residents not to search for Pennington themselves as he is considered "armed and dangerous."

Aaron Pennington's car was found Monday near Camp Collier in Gardner

Penningtons car was discovered about 1,500 feet off Kelton Street by a bowhunter on Monday and reported to police about 5 p.m., according to Early.

Thank God that hunter  I dont know when or where we might have found that car, but there was a bowhunter going through the area and he found the vehicle and he immediately notified the Gardner police, Early said, adding that the vehicle was not visible from the road.

The find triggered a five-hour search in the area of Kelton, Wheeler, Raymond, and Stone streets on Monday. The shelter-in-place was lifted about 9:50 p.m. as police called off the search for the night.

What should you do if you see Aaron Pennington or have video footage to show them?

Anybody who hunts these areas, could you check your trail cams to see if anything came across? McAvene said.

Anyone who sees Pennington should call the Gardner Police Department at 978-632-5600 or the Massachusetts State Police at 508-829-8326. Police are warning the public not to approach Pennington as he is considered armed and dangerous.

Description of Aaron Pennington

Pennington, 33, of Gardner, is described by the Worcester DA as a white man with blond hair, blue eyes. He is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and approximately 175 pounds.

Aaron Pennington of Gardner

Pennington is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Early said investigators were in contact with the military to find out what kind of outdoor survival training Pennington, an Air Force veteran, might have undergone while in the service.

That is part of the equation, he said.

Who is investigating?

The investigation is ongoing by state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorneys Office and the Gardner Police Department.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Gardner murder warrant issue: Police search woods for Aaron Pennington
LANSING  A woman found dead in a rural part of Ingham County last week likely died from strangulation after being abducted in downtown Lansing, police said.

Investigators found video footage showing Alicia Gallegos, 29, walking toward the downtown Capital Area Transportation Authority station when a man pulled her from the sidewalk in the area of East Lenawee Street and South Washington Square, a detective testified in a warrant hearing.

Alicia Gallegos

The man was later seen with bags that Gallegos appeared to have been carrying, Ingham County Sheriff's Detective Ryan Cramer testified in 55th District Court. The suspect drove a vehicle into an alley, walked back to the area where Gallegos was last seen on video and returned to load something into the back seat, he said.

Days later, Jacobo Montalvo, 57, was arrested after a deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one seen in the video and made a traffic stop, the detective testified. Police found evidence linking Montalvo to the killing in his car, home and cellphone, he said.

Montalvo was arraigned Monday on charges of murder and unlawful imprisonment and is being held without bond in the Ingham County Jail.

MORE: Police: Toddler in critical condition after being left alone in vehicle with gun in Lansing

Gallegos' body was found about 10:30 a.m. Oct. 16 in a wooded area along Iosco Road, east of M-52, in White Oak Township, sheriff's officials have said. Drag marks in the soil led to the body's final resting place about 15 feet off the road, in clear view from the road, Cramer testified.

Gallegos had suffered trauma to her head and legs, and an autopsy determined she likely died from strangulation, he said.

"There were marks indicating her hands were bound together with something similar to zip ties," the detective testified. "There was also residue on her face and a line that was consistent with that of possible duct tape."

Investigators traced Gallegos' whereabouts and found video of her in downtown Lansing about 6:45 a.m.  apparently on the day before her body was found  walking toward the bus station, Cramer said. A man approached and pulled her from the sidewalk "into the area of the southeast corner of Lenawee and Washington," he said.

The video shows the man walking to a vehicle "across the street," driving into the alley and loading something into the back seat, Cramer testified.

Investigators found zip-ties, Gallegos' shoes and what appeared to be blood at that location, he said.

The vehicle the man was driving had "unique characteristics," with "police antennas" on the roof and a large magnet on the rear driver's-side door, he said.

The deputy spotted it about 3:10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, and made the traffic stop, Cramer testified. At the time, Montalvo was wearing clothes similar to what the suspect was wearing in the video from downtown Lansing, and police found suspected blood, zip-ties and tape inside the vehicle, the detective testified.

They found more zip-ties and tape and the magnet seen on his vehicle in a search of Montalvo's home. Police also retrieved data showing his cellphone was in the area where Gallegos' body was found around the time they believe it was dumped, apparently late on Oct. 15 or early on Oct. 16, Cramer testified.

There was no testimony in the warrant hearing about a possible motive for the killing or whether Montalvo and Gallegos knew each other.

Family members started a crowdfunding campaign for Gallegos, who was a mother of three.

Gallegos was "kind and funny, smart and beyond gorgeous," her mother. Rachael Hidalgo, said on her GoFundMe fundraising page.

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Police: Woman found dead last week was abducted in downtown Lansing
People have been flooding police in Eugenia Cooney's town with phone calls about her.

They have concerns about her health due to her very thin frame, the sergeant said.

But he said there is nothing to worry about, and he has known the YouTuber for over a decade.

Police in Eugenia Cooney's hometown have been flooded by calls from worried fans, according to the department's sergeant.

Brent Reeves, a police sergeant in Greenwich, Connecticut, told TMZ that he'd been fielding calls from all over the world about the 29-year-old YouTuber because of her thin frame.

Some came from as far afield as New Zealand and Egypt, he said.

Cooney has been an online creator since 2011. She is one of the most polarizing figures on the internet, for reasons very different to the controversies surrounding other canceled YouTubers.

She's built a reputation among her 2-million-strong followers  some of whom object to her thin frame, which they say sets a damaging example for her younger followers.

Some have also raised the alarm about her fan community. Three former fans of Cooney's previously told Insider that they believe they were subjected to grooming behaviors on her Discord server, where vulnerable young women congregated.

Cooney's appearance  specifically her weight  is disturbing to many followers, who have raised concerns for many years. Insider has previously reported that there were users on social media who described Cooney's content as "thinspiration" .

Conspiracy theories about her family, including rumors she died, have spread about Cooney since 2015. In 2021, for example, there were theories she was about to go into cardiac arrest, leading police to show up at her house.

Reeves told TMZ he has known Cooney for over a decade. He told the outlet that the conspiracy that Cooney is being forced by her mother to stay slim and make content is untrue, and she is safe and well.

He said he and the YouTuber also have a code  she places a "certain object" in frame in her videos if he needs help.

Sergeant Reeves also commented on Cooney's weight, saying he cannot force her to eat. He said Cooney is "of sound mind" and likes chicken sandwiches.

Insider reached out to the department for further comment.

Speculation about Cooney's health has intensified in recent years: one petition to have her removed from YouTube received 10,000 signatures, and another more than 50,000. Experts told Insider that deplatforming Cooney would be unlikely to help.

Cooney disappeared from the internet in February 2019, saying she was seeking help with her doctors. She returned five months later in a documentary hosted by fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson, where she said for the first time that she was in recovery from an eating disorder.

Cooney said she was involuntarily detained for mental-health reasons  colloquially called a "5150 hold"  which she described as traumatic. Fans praised her for a return and for continuing her recovery.

Cooney, meanwhile, continues to post on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok, amassing millions of views. When fans on livestreams ask her about her health, she insists she's healthy, and there is nothing to worry about.

In some videos, she seems to make light of the concerns. In a recent TikTok, for example, she dressed up in exercise gear.

"I [thought] it was finally time to reveal my workout routine for everyone" she wrote.

Read the original article on Insider
A majority of Ukrainians said there are "positive developments" in the fight against corruption, marking a significant increase from before Russia's full-scale invasion, a poll released on Oct. 25 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found.

In total, 59% of respondents expressed optimism about the fight against corruption, representing a majority in all regions surveyed besides the east of Ukraine, where 45% answered affirmatively, and 6% said it was difficult to tell.

There was still a sizable minority (36%) of respondents who were pessimistic about Ukraine's fight against corruption, but the latest survey represented a striking change from previous polls.

A previous survey conducted in the winter of 2022-2023 found that 50% of respondents said Ukraine was fighting corruption "rather effectively", compared to only 25% in 2018.

Another KIIS survey released in 2015, after the EuroMaidan Revolution, illustrates the significant shift in public opinion.

Less than 13% of respondents believed that the presidential administration was "willing to overcome corruption." In regards to the Verkhovna Rada, the results were even lower, at 6%.

Read also: Opinion: Are Ukraines anti-corruption efforts at a standstill?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Despite lingering concerns among lawmakers over welcoming immigrants from Afghanistan to the United States, a significant majority of Americans back plans to provide more support for foreigners who assisted U.S. military forces during the 20-year war there, according to a new poll released by the advocacy group With Honor on Tuesday.

About 89% of individuals surveyed by the group said that the country must keep its pledge to provide immigration options and security assistance to Afghans who served as interpreters, advisors and other assistants to U.S. forces overseas. Roughly 80% said that must include helping them resettle in America.

Americans want us to assist our Afghan allies, yet we remain plagued by inaction, said Rye Barcott, founder and CEO of With Honor, in a statement. Congress must act now to help clear the immigration backlog for highly vetted Afghan allies, many of whom fought loyally by our sides for years in Americas longest war.

The poll comes as With Honor and the For Country Caucus  a bipartisan group of 30 veterans serving in the U.S. House  have been lobbying for action on the issue of Afghan allies left behind during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Lawmakers seek promotions for troops killed in Afghan airport bombing

Advocacy groups estimate as about 150,000 Afghans with pending special immigrant visas are currently stuck awaiting State Department approval. Thousands more overseas  including individuals who worked closely as interpreters and guides for U.S. forces  are unable to access the system.

Legislation to ease the process has been stalled in Congress since early 2021. In recent months, lawmakers have introduced related measures designed to expand special immigrant visa eligibility to Afghans who fought alongside U.S. armed forces and make smaller changes to the immigration process, but those efforts have been blocked by conservative lawmakers who cite potential security issues with allowing the Afghan residents to come to America.

Tuesdays poll, conducted by Ipsos, surveyed 1,024 Americans and found only 10% of respondents felt America does not have a duty to the Afghans we promised to protect.

Pollsters found slightly more support for the Afghan immigrants among Democratic voters than Republicans, although conservative respondents still offered strong support for better assistance policies for Afghan allies.

Veterans groups have said that failing to help the allies who risked their lives working alongside U.S. troops endangers future American military operations overseas, since recruiting similar allies in the future will be more difficult.

Officials from With Honor hope to use the new polling figures in upcoming lobbying efforts with members of Congress. No legislation has moved through either chamber in recent weeks, as House Republicans fight internally over who should take over the Speaker of the House chair.
A miniature poodle got loose along a busy Florida interstate  then an animal rescue received good news.

The 3-year-old dog was found safe more than a week after she went missing at a rest stop. Gilda was traveling on Interstate 10 when she broke free and crossed from one side of the highway to the other, according to the Florida Poodle Rescue organization.

Gilda was last seen Oct. 14 in Baker County, setting off a dayslong search west of Jacksonville. The elusive dog was spotted but not caught, leaving the organization scrambling to get in touch with someone about installing a trap, according to Facebook posts.

Drone search of 250+ acres found no signs of Gilda, the Florida Poodle Rescue wrote Oct. 21. There are multiple employees along I-10 that saw the posters and know Gilda is lost.

Then on Oct. 24, the rescue shared that Gilda had been found 10 days after she vanished. Several social media users expressed relief and joy that she made it to safety after being flushed out of the deep woods.

Miracles do happen, the organization wrote as it posted a photo of the curly-haired pup.

Florida Poodle Rescue, which is based in St. Petersburg, didnt immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Oct. 25.

Dog absolutely recognized caregiver after years at Florida shelter. See their reunion

Skittish floppy-eared pup was on the loose in NC town. Then came a tearful reunion
A Polish tech entrepreneur's global project, aimed at getting more children into computer programming, has been endorsed by Pope Francis .

Miron Mironiuk, founder of artificial intelligence company Cosmose AI, is drawing on his own experience of coding transforming his life.

He said the "Code with Pope" initiative would bridge "the glaring disparities in education" across the globe.

It is hoped the Pope's involvement will attract Catholic countries.

"We believe that the involvement of the Pope will help to convince them to spend some time and use this opportunity to learn programming for free," Mr Mironiuk told the BBC.

The initiative will champion access to coding education through a free online learning platform for students aged 11-15 across Europe, Africa and Latin America.

After 60 hours of dedicated learning, children will be equipped with the basics of Python, one of the world's most popular coding languages.

In the digital age, programming skills have become as fundamental as reading and writing.

World Economic Forum data released in 2023 revealed that "the majority of the fastest growing roles are technology-related roles".

However, a severe global shortage of tech skills threatens to leave 85 million job positions unfilled by 2030.

As a result, increasing access to high-quality programming education has become a necessity, particularly in low and middle-income countries - many of which are Catholic.

A large percentage of the Polish population identifies as Catholic.

The 33-year-old millionaire Mr Mironiuk told the BBC that he was proud of his Polish heritage and to be part of a crop of successful Polish people working in technology.

The country is making significant strides in the tech scene, particularly in AI, with companies like Google Brain, Cosmose AI and Open AI having significant numbers of Polish employees.

But Mr Mironiuk is also aware that many countries are not as fortunate, and hopes this educational programme could help change that.

The programme will be available in Spanish, English, Italian and Polish. It is expected to reach children all over South America except Brazil, and in English speaking nations in Africa and South East Asia.

This is not the first time the Pope has encouraged young people to get into coding, having helped write a line of code for a UN initiative in 2019.

Mr Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican. But he admits he's not anticipating the pontiff to emulate his students in acquiring new skills.

"I don't expect him to know Python very well, at least," he said. "But he will get a certificate for his efforts in helping start the programme."

You can hear more of Mr Mironiuk on Tech Life on the BBC World Service and BBC Sounds.
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grists weekly newsletter here.



If theres one person in the Catholic Church who ought to have the ability to influence climate action on a global scale, its the pope. And yet as Laudate Deum, his most recent exhortation on climate, demonstrates, even Pope Francis seems frustrated by how little has changed despite his best efforts.

Read more

But reading Laudate Deum, its hard not to be struck by its tone of lament and exasperation at how little has changed in the eight years since Laudato Si. It feels like a sad document, as well as an angry one, said Dorothy Fortenberry, a Catholic writer and intellectual. Theres a real undercurrent of heartbreak.

Its not hard to see why. For all of Francis focus on the crisis  and the response from Catholics in much of the Global South  emissions have continued to rise. Support for his call to action has been lukewarm at best, however, in the country with the greatest per capita emissions. An analysis of official writings from U.S. bishops in the wake of Laudato Si concluded that the leaders of the Catholic church in America are silent, denialist, and biased about climate change. The response to Laudate Deum has been no better.

No wonder Francis is frustrated. The pontiffs latest document, and the feelings expressed in it, offer a poignant reminder that no one person can fix things on their own. Laudate Deum hints at the importance of sharing and building collective power to effect change, and of working toward a better world no matter how bleak the outlook.

That Francis would express such strong views about the climate crisis is no surprise to those who have followed his papacy. He has represented, to many Catholics and non-Catholics alike, a refreshing direction for the Church. He has earned a reputation for being more open than his predecessors toward LGBTQ unions and the ordination of women. He remains an ardent critic of unbridled capitalism and consumerism. And he has emphasized consideration of the poor and established new processes for listening to and considering Indigenous perspectives.

That said, his positions dont align neatly with those of any specific political party. In Laudato Si, for example, Francis reaffirmed the Catholic Churchs official stance against abortion, which Fortenberry called an attempt to remind everybody of his places of conservative overlap, perhaps in a bid to convince that demographic to take seriously his calls for climate justice.

Making that call in an encyclical was no small thing. Such letters are the highest form of papal teaching and convey the Churchs point of view on a given topic. In Laudato Si, Francis made clear that Catholics are called by God to be good stewards of our common home. The fact that he issued a follow-up focused on climate change is a sign that the crisis should be a top priority for the church, said Jose Aguto, executive director of the nonprofit Catholic Climate Covenant.

It indicates how important this issue is for him, Aguto said. This is not a secondary aspect of the Catholic faith; its an integral aspect.

The missive also reveals the Holy Fathers personal investment in the issue, Aguto noted. Where Laudato Si was likely shaped by a lot of consultation and a lot of authors, years of preparation, and appeals to Catholics across the political and theological spectrum, Laudate Deum has a very personal tone to it, Aguto said. You feel Pope Francis direct voice in this.

The pontiffs deep personal connection to the issue is perhaps best exemplified by his being the first pope to take the name of Francis of Assisi, a saint known for his solidarity with the poor and his love of the natural world. Francis, who also is the first pope from Latin America, has channeled his namesake by seeming to intuitively understand that caring for marginalized people is impossible without caring for the land, water, and air they rely on. Throughout his papacy, he has repeatedly emphasized the connection between the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, as he wrote in Laudato Si.

For Catholics already working on climate, Francis latest exhortation may provide a reenergizing reminder that the Vatican is behind them, and that they are doing the right thing. As a Catholic environmental family, we were completely thrilled at this, said Christina Leano, assistant director of the Laudato Si Movement. It just gives us that extra motivation and excitement and hope.

The very existence of Leanos organization is a testament to the impact the popes focus on climate has already had. Since the release of Laudato Si, organizations focused on mobilizing Catholics to action have blossomed all over the globe, especially in Asia, South America, and Africa, where clergy and laity alike have been grappling with the crisis for years. Filipino bishops have, for example, called for Catholic institutions divestment from coal and transitioned their own parishes to solar. The archbishop of the Democratic Republic of Congo facilitated 12 days of African climate dialogues to highlight how the continent is impacted by climate change.

But Leano recognizes that theres still quite a gap between the Holy Fathers official statements and what is preached during weekly Mass here in the U.S. If you talk to the average churchgoer, they will say that they have never or rarely heard about climate or environmental issues from the pulpit, she said.

Sharon Lavigne is a devout Catholic whose work stopping a $1.25 billion plastics manufacturing plant from being built in her community earned her a 2021 Goldman Prize. Yet she hadnt heard anything about Laudate Deum before Grist asked her about it. I know in my church, we havent done anything [about the climate and pollution], she said. We havent even mentioned it.

So why hasnt one of the clearest priorities of the highest authority in the Catholic church been widely embraced here? One clue comes from the ways American Catholicism mirrors American politics.

One in four people in the United States identify as Catholic. A small but vocal number of them  a group that includes some bishops  has spent the last few years building a campaign that claims Francis is not the real pope, just as some within the Republican Party claim Joe Biden is not the real president. The point is to undermine Francis authority, said Fortenberry.

The only way to square the circle that the guy at the top is making these extremely clear statements about church doctrine that are incompatible with certain aspects of right-wing ideology is to say that hes not the pope, she said.

If the pontiff seems frustrated, its no doubt because global emissions keep rising  but its likely also due to his encountering so many dismissive and scarcely reasonable opinions, as he wrote in Laudate Deum, from climate deniers within the church.

Though such views are exceptions, recent research shows that the nations Catholics are as a whole no more likely than Americans overall to view climate change as a serious problem. As with most people, its not denial that impedes action, but the demands of daily life. In Fortenberrys experience, its not that people dont believe in or care about climate change, its that theyre focused on other things.

For all the frustration laced through Laudate Deum, the document provides hints of what Francis hopes could invoke the kind of change he wants to see. It also reflects his belief that every little bit helps, and avoiding an increase of a tenth of a degree in the global temperature would already suffice to alleviate some suffering.

One change that could achieve that, he seems to think, is rethinking the kinds of hierarchies that give a handful of people so much power over others. This feels like hes in his name names era, Fortenberry said, noting the way that the pope criticized the COP process, called out this years host the United Arab Emirates as a great exporter of fossil fuels, and praised the activists pressuring the sources of power.

In whose hands does all this power lie, or will it eventually end up? It is extremely risky for a small part of humanity to have it, Francis wrote. Unless citizens control political power  national, regional, and municipal  it will not be possible to control damage to the environment.

Fortenberry and Leano noted that Laudate Deum was released on the first day of the much anticipated Synod on Synodality, a conference to consider questions that could change the course of Catholicism. It has been called one of the most important gatherings in the long history of the Catholic Church, but at first glance, it seems unrelated to climate  the ongoing sessions bring together Catholic leadership and laity from around the world to discuss topics like the possibility of womens ordination and the churchs relationship with the LGBTQ community.

But on another level, this synod is about the very thing the pope wrote about in Laudate Deum  the question of who is included, and therefore who has power. It hearkens back to the claims he made in his exhortation that everything is connected and no one is saved alone. If women feel the impacts of climate disaster more intensely, what impact might their ordination have on Catholic climate mobilization? If queer youth are more likely to be unhoused, and unhoused people are more vulnerable to extreme weather, what might a more queer-friendly church mean how that population experiences the climate crisis?

Ultimately, theres no guarantee that the synod will succeed in making the church more inclusive, or that Laudate Deum will spark greater climate action from Catholics, let alone the rest of the world. But the very attempt to undertake them drives home one more takeaway from the Holy Father  that good work is worth doing, whether the outcome is promised or not.

This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/international/the-pope-leads-1-4-billion-catholics-getting-them-to-care-about-the-climate-is-harder-than-he-thought/. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org

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King Charles has promoted his dashing, kilt-wearing aide, Lt Col Johnny Thompson, better known on social media as Major Eye Candy, to a super equerry role, meaning he will become the monarchs right-hand man.

The good news for his legions of fans is that the promotion means that he and his chiseled jaw line, which have earned him the soubriquet of the Hot Equerry, will now be seen even more frequently alongside the king and queen.

Kings hot equerry steals the spotlight  once again  on the Royal visit to Paris https://t.co/yLhmZIQEFH pic.twitter.com/7Yfcddp6d8  Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) October 2, 2023

The Sun said that Thompson, 40, was offered the new role, which will see him tasked with helping run Charles official business, as his current Army service was coming to an end, and Charles and Camilla wanted to find a way keep him on.

The Sun quoted a source who said: He is due to leave the Army within 18 months and with that his role as equerry. But by (Charles) taking him on in a super equerry role, people will be seeing a lot more of him.

Thompson first caught the adoring attention of the internet at Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral (he was previously one of her ceremonial bodyguards) and again at the kings coronation.

Earlier this year, Major Eye Candy was listed third on a Social Power Index list compiled by society magazine Tatler, which wrote: It is from within the palace walls that the kings equerry wields his unique brand of quiet, charming power.

Thompson was credited with saving the day when he acted on his own initiative to remove a pen tray which was getting in the kings way when he signed the proclamation which named him king.

The kings pulling a decent trick by picking a social media sensation to be his right-hand man, an insider told The Sun.

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.
President Joe Biden wont file to have his name appear on the 2024 New Hampshire Democratic primary ballot, his reelection campaign said Tuesday, opting to skip a contest that the state plans to hold in defiance of a revamped primary order that the White House has championed.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, manager of Bidens reelection campaign, wrote in a letter to New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley that while the president wishes to participate in the primary, he is obligated to comply with party rules.

The president looks forward to having his name on New Hampshires general election ballot as the nominee of the Democratic Party after officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he will tirelessly campaign to earn every single vote in the Granite State next November, Rodriguez wrote.

Biden last year urged the Democratic National Committee to shake up the order of the 2024 primary, replacing Iowas leadoff caucus with the South Carolina primary to better empower Black and other minority voters crucial to the partys base. In February, the DNC approved a new 2024 calendar, beginning with South Carolinas primary on Feb. 3, followed three days later by New Hampshire and Nevada.

But New Hampshire has balked at the plan, arguing that it has traditionally held the nations opening primary  a rule that Iowa only got around by having caucuses. Top New Hampshire Democrats say state law there mandates hosting the nations first primary, and officials have vowed to have a primary prior to South Carolinas regardless of what the DNC says.

The DNC has warned that such a move would lead to an unsanctioned primary that could trigger sanctions, including New Hampshire potentially losing delegates to the 2024 Democratic convention in Chicago. In the meantime, New Hampshire voters will still be able to write in Bidens name even during an unsanctioned primary, and some of the states top Democrats have organized an effort to encourage write-in support for the president.

New Hampshire has yet to set a formal date for its 2024 primary. But, in response to Chavezs letter, Buckley released a statement saying, The reality is that Joe Biden will win the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary in January, win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November.

Biden isnt the first sitting president to forgo appearing on New Hampshires primary ballot. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson didnt file for the states primary and still won via write-in, though Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthys strong second-place finish in the state helped push Johnson to announce mere weeks later that he wouldnt seek reelection.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Mike Johnson

The U.S. House of Representatives has elected Mike Johnson (R-LA) as its new speaker, CNN reported on Oct. 25.

A political ally of Donald Trump, Johnson is known for his opposition to U.S. support and military aid to Ukraine.

Read also: Trump discussed his quid pro quo Zelenskyy call with Australian billionaire

Johnson received almost unanimous support from the Republican party  garnering 220 votes, which allowed him to surpass Democrat Hakim Jeffries' 209 votes.

Read also: EU to restrict trade in Russian diamonds, may be included in 12th package of sanctions against Russia

In 2023, Johnson voted against a Ukrainian aid package, claiming, "we should not send another $40 billion abroad when chaos reigns at our border, American mothers are barely finding food for their babies, gas prices are at record levels, and American families can hardly make ends meet  and there's insufficient control over where the money will go.

Read also: Ukraines security chief Danilov praises US unified aid package for Ukraine, Israel

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on a $100 billion package of U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel, proposed by the White House, in the coming weeks.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
An abbot of the Kremlin-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church  Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for spying on the Ukrainian military for Russia, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on Oct. 25.

According to an earlier investigation by the SBU, the priest was collecting intelligence on the defense systems in Sumy Oblast and passing it to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

The priest reportedly came to the attention of Russian intelligence because of his pro-Kremlin views, which he promoted even among his parishioners, the SBU said.

He was recruited by Moscow shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion and tasked with collecting intelligence. This included information on military command posts and artillery warehouses, which Russia could use for targetting strikes, the SBU reported.

The Security Service detained the priest in March while he was attempting to pass classified information on local military administration officials to Russian intelligence services.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is subordinate to the Russian church and is not to be confused with the autocephalous (autonomous) Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Ukraine has long accused the Moscow Patriarchate's representatives in Ukraine of serving as the Kremlin's propaganda arm in the war. Some "rank-and-file" clergymen have also been convicted of directly assisting Russian troops.

Read also: Parliament passes bill on banning Russia-affiliated religious organizations in first reading

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The prosecutor in YNW Melly s murder case, days into first rounds of jury selection, requested that the South Florida rappers mother be barred from sitting through the retrial.

Prosecutor Alixandra Buckelew, still a fresh face in Mellys case, urged Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy on Wednesday to ban Jamie King, Mellys mother, from having contact with jurors and entering the courthouse  unless as a witness. On top of that, Buckelew asked Murphy to order King stay 1,000 feet away from the building and allow the prosecution to conduct an inquiry of all prequalified jurors.

Murphy rejected Buckelews request.

Jamie Demons King, mother of Jamell Demons, better known as YNW Melly, attends his double murder trial on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

The prosecutors latest filing came after a prospective juror alleged that she saw King crying near the parking garage in what Buckelew called a clear attempt to manipulate or influence potential jurors returning for attorney questioning.

The juror, who works for the Broward Sheriffs Office, called BSO Legal Counsel Christian Tsoubanos and said she saw a woman wearing blue scrubs in the courtroom later obviously crying into a tissue as jurors were exiting to the parking garage.

The juror also claimed King tried to make intense eye contact with her and was clearly trying to get her attention and speak with her eyes, according to the filing.

King, Buckelew said, was in the courtroom on Tuesday and didnt appear to be upset or in distress during the proceedings. Instead, she was in good spirits and even giddy when she saw a coworker on the panel. When asked if he heard about the case, the potential juror coyly stated, he had heard of it, according to Buckelews filing. He later divulged details about his relationship with King.

Despite these heightened security protocols, security concerns have not arisen regarding improper juror contact and attempted jury tampering only two days into the trial, Buckelew argued.

But King told the Miami Herald that none of that happened, adding that she was completely bewildered by the accusations.

Its all frustrating, King said. Ive been in that courtroom for over four years. I know the rules. Ive gone through this.

When prosecutors argued for the ban in front of Murphy Wednesday, King said she felt like she was being bullied and was so uncomfortable that she decided to leave jury selection early. She said the only chance she gets to see her son, who doesnt have access to phone calls or visitation, is during his court appearances  and she will continue to show up and support him.

I understand that the state has a job to do, but to attack me? she said. Im at a loss for words.

What else is happening in the retrial?

While the rappers case is currently in the early stages of jury selection, Murphy has yet to rule on dozens of pending motions, the bulk of which were drafted by the defense.

Murphy denied Mellys legal teams request to throw out the rappers case, according to an order provided to the Miami Herald on Wednesday. In his filing, Murphy argued that the evidence the defense presented doesnt show that the top officials of the Broward State Attorneys Office, including State Attorney Harold Pryor, engaged in a cover-up with former prosecutor Kristine Bradley, who was ousted from the case in mid-October.

READ MORE: Could witness tampering case enter YNW Mellys murder trial? New prosecutor wants that

In August, Mellys defense team learned that Miramar Police Detective Mark Moretti was under investigation for allegedly using force against a possible witness in the case, which stemmed from a complaint King made in July. Defense lawyers accused Bradley of a Brady violation, or concealing information favorable to the defense, for allegedly not sharing details about the incident involving Moretti.

Assistant State Attorney Kristine Bradley testifies in a hearing in the trial of Jamell Demons, better known as rapper YNW Melly, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Bradley is the lead prosecutor in Mellys murder trial. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel

Under Florida law, prosecutors are required to disclose any information that may be favorable to the defense. The discovery of Brady violations, in some cases, have even led to overturned convictions.

READ MORE: Prosecutor removed from the YNW Melly murder case days before retrial. What happened?

Alleged misconduct involving one prosecutor does not necessarily extend beyond that prosecutor, Murphy said. There was no institutional or pervasive misconduct by the State Attorneys Office...

Melly, Murphy said, now has full access to the Brady material and can call Michelle Boutros, a prosecutor with the Public Corruptions Unit, to the stand to cast doubt on Morettis credibility at trial. Boutros recounted the events of the October 2022 incident and accused Moretti of unethical behavior during an interview with defense attorneys.

READ MORE: Prosecutor accused detective in YNW Melly case of lying. Shes now a defense witness

The appropriate remedy for a Brady violation is usually a new trial, Murphy said. He also didnt find a violation of double jeopardy, which bars the retrial of someone found not guilty.

Defendants first trial did not result in a mistrial because of the Brady violation, Murphy said in the filing. Rather, in concluded in a mistrial due to the jurys inability to reach a unanimous verdict, which does not implicate double jeopardy.
(Bloomberg) -- Venezuelas public prosecutors office says it will probe the oppositions presidential primary after accusations of fraud by President Nicolas Maduros government.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Public Prosecutor Tarek William Saab , a Maduro ally, said he appointed two officials to investigate the process. Jesus Maria Casal, the head of the committee that organized the vote, and his deputy Mildred Camero will be called to testify, among others, Saab told reporters in Caracas on Wednesday.

Saab said his office is looking into allegations of electoral fraud, the usurpation of functions that properly belong to the electoral authority, identity theft, money laundering and criminal association.

Saabs investigation could potentially sour relations between Caracas and Washington, which improved this month after a deal to ensure a more competitive presidential election in 2024. Maduro is under pressure from the US to allow a fair presidential election next year in return for an easing of economic sanctions.

As a goodwill gesture following a Norway-brokered agreement this month between the government and the opposition, the US Treasury issued a six-month license authorizing transactions involving Venezuelan oil and gas.

Saabs order came hours after the primary organizing committee issued a final bulletin, confirming that former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado won around 93% of votes on a turnout of about 2.5 million people.

Senior government officials including Maduro have accused the opposition of inflating the numbers of voters. On Tuesday, the president of the national assembly said this violated the deal reached with the opposition this month.

Earlier on Wednesday, the coalition of opposition parties promoting the primaries, dismissed the accusations that they said were rooted in the governments fear of defeat in a fair contest.

The opposition decided to fund and run the primaries on its own when the government announced changes inside the electoral body. Maduro is widely expected to run for a third six-year term next year.

Read more: Venezuela Opposition Shuns Electoral Authority for Primaries

--With assistance from Fabiola Zerpa.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Stuart Layden (pictured) was convicted of murdering Ian Church, 40, outside the Bricklayers Arms in Great Yarmouth

A man who was jailed for murdering another man outside a pub has had his conviction quashed because of a procedural error.

Stuart Layden was found guilty of murdering Ian Church, 40, outside the Bricklayers Arms in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in 2012.

However, he was not properly arraigned before his trial at Norwich Crown Court in 2016, three appeal judges concluded.

"His conviction for murder is unsafe and must be quashed," said Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr.

Ian Church died outside the now closed Bricklayers Arms pub in Great Yarmouth

Mr Layden, formerly of South Quay in Great Yarmouth, was first handed a life sentence of at least 13 years in prison in April 2013.

That first conviction was quashed, but he was found guilty following a second trial in 2016 - and was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison.

However, the Court of Appeal judges were told he was arraigned for the retrial on 28 September 2015, having appealed against the first conviction on 19 March that year.

A defendant must be rearraigned within two months of an appeal.

Arraignment involves the indictment being put to the defendant in open court, allowing them to state whether they plead guilty or not guilty.

Appeal allowed

Lady Carr, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker and Mrs Justice Heather Williams said Norwich Crown Court did not have jurisdiction to try Mr Layden.

"The situation was entirely avoidable," the ruling added.

A spokesman for the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which referred the case, said the arraignment in 2015 was "considerably outside the maximum two-month time limit".

Lady Carr added an "appeal will be allowed". The Crown Prosecution Service was contacted for comment.

The Ministry of Justice was asked by the BBC whether Mr Layden had been released from custody.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830
The Israel-Hamas war has activated fault lines all over the world, including in Moscow, where the Kremlins most influential propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, has found himself in the middle of a media firestorm spurred by the conflict.

First, Solovyovwho previously vowed that as a Jew, he would fight for Israel if it was ever involved in a warwent back on his promise. He claimed that his duty is to be with Russia as it fights in Ukraine, although Solovyov has no plans to risk his life or limb in that war either.

And now, there is a growing rift within his media empire. A wave of public figures in Russia are attacking his channel, Solovyov Live, suggesting it employs too many Jewish staffers in comments Solovyov says amount to an attempted ethnic cleansing.

The scandal appears to have started because not everyone at the network was willing to abandon their affinity towards Israel in favor of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the countries that sponsor their endeavors. Last week, Yevgeny Satanovskya prominent fixture on Solovyovs state TV programs and a host on his channelwas interviewed by an Israeli YouTuber, Alexander Waldman, and did not hold back.

Criticizing Russias approach towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Satanovsky described Russias deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, as a hopeless drunk and an old man who might be looking for a golden parachute in the form of a hefty payout. Bogdanov, who is Russia's former ambassador to Israel and Egypt, had urged a peace process and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and said that Russian officials have been in touch with all parties involved in the conflict, including unspecified Arab countries.

Kremlin TV Star Erupts After His Son Is Accused of Dodging War

Satanovsky also unloaded on Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russias Foreign Affairs Ministry, describing her as a heavy-drinking skank, who does not like the Jews and cant stand Israel. He referred to the significant presence of antisemites among Russian government officials, saying that theyve livened up after Hamas attacked Israel and claiming that Kremlin leadership is trying to keep them in check.

The pundit said that he doesnt have a problem with Vladimir Putin s government, because he realizes that the main goal of global leaders is to pass down their riches that are sometimes stolen, sometimes earned, to their descendants. He described coming to terms with this realization and learning to accept Russia just the way it is. The country where Im living right now, with its antisemites, thieves, scumbags and bandits, is no better and no worse than others, he said. There is nowhere to run.

He went on: Putin is not eternal, he is getting older. Its customary for strong leaders to choose weak ones to follow them. Putin is very strong from the standpoint of retaining power... he will pick some puny, weak shit to take his spot. [Dmitry] Medvedev was an example of that.

Solovyov promptly fired Satanovsky on Saturday and apologized to Russias Foreign Affairs Ministry. Satanovsky initially replied that he regrets nothing, but by Monday, he had posted a vague apology on his Telegram channel.

Spiral

But the scandal is only growing. During his program on Tuesday, Full Contact, Solovyov was exploding with rage, because his channel is now under attack for being ethnically askew.

Speaking of the controversy, Putin confidant Alexander Dugin told Eurasia Daily: This was inevitable. The divide between the Jews who are loyal to Putin and the special military operation after the escalation in the Gaza Strip was inevitable. Satanovsky and [Yaakov] Kedmi chose Israel. Solovyov, despite his fiery Judaism, chose Russia Solovyov diffused tensions, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Nothing is over, it barely even started... This is very serious, because the Jews play an enormous part in Russian politics. Dugin surmised, Satanovskys motherland is Israel... Its time for Armageddonych [Satanovskys nickname] to go home.

Sergey Markov, who is often reported to be Putins former close adviser, told the same publication, This wont be the last conflict in Solovyovs pool. As many have noted, there is an enormous ethnic imbalance. Mainly the representatives of two diasporas [Jewish and Armenian] are discussing what the policies of great Russia should be. This is laughable and improper... This isnt normal. There will be more scandals, because Russias relations with Israel and Armenia are getting worse. Many of Solovyovs experts cant find balance between Russia and their ethnic identity. Satanovsky lost it. He wont be the last.

Putin Launches New Evil Empire With North Korea and Hamas

In response, Solovyov called Markov a total lowlife and expressed his amazement that this scumbag somehow made it to the State Duma at one point in time. The host added: This man used to be a trustee of the president of the Russian Federation and now he is calling for ethnic cleansing This creature is opening his mouth to criticize the hosts of a channel, where he is constantly appearing, as though it was his job! Solovyov called on Olga Skabeeva and Evgeny Popov, his colleagues from the program 60 Minutes, to take note of Markovs commentary, implying they should stop inviting him to participate in their program.

Solovyov questioned what differentiates Dugin, Markov and other commentators on this issue from Hitler. He cautioned, The old ghost of antisemitism is rising once again. The ghost of the Fourth Reich.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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These days, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is in China for the Belt and Road Forum

Putin realizes that he has already become a criminal for the West.

The transfer of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine is a significant development. We did not have such weapons before. We lobbied for it very actively or advocated it with our partners. It was a challenging topic and became epoch-making because of this  we had been negotiating the transfer of these weapons for more than a year. Even a year and a half. This is a record because all other weapons and military equipment had already been agreed upon long ago. Even the aircraft, which, of course, have a much longer range and a greater risk of escalation, as our partners from the United States have said.

The decision was approved back in early September, but it took more than a month to finalize all the logistical issues. There was a surge of information about ATACMS in the press in early September. This coincides with our estimates of when the decision was made.

But can the ATACMS assure victory?

A weapon of victory is an aggregate value, because there is no single type of weapon, or piece of military equipment that would take over the entire effort. All kinds of weapons are needed. This is a classical approach because it is through combined arms operations that the issues of counter-offensive and strategic offensive are resolved in one way or another. Therefore, no single platform does not carry the weight of the entire military.

Indeed, we needed long-range missiles because they could destroy logistics facilities, control, command posts, ammunition, troops, and equipment. Ukrainian HIMARS systems made it so Russia could not rely on logistics points up to 75km from the front. Now, that is pushed back to 100 kilometers. That is why it was and is crucial for us to have the ability to hit as deep as ATACMS can.

We must do everything to prevent Putin from staying in power

Of course, there will be a question of quantity. But I wouldn't worry too much about it, at least for now. All weapons and military equipment initially arrived in small amounts, then they were adapted to our operations and then increased. As far as I remember, we only sent a small amount of anything at a time. So this is following the trend that was there before. We will see what happens next  whether there will be an actual increase in the number or not.

We were afraid that Putin would bring weapons from China. But he didn't get anything new. In any case, diplomacy in China is a long-term process. These are complex negotiations that have been going on for quite some time. Most likely, his participation in the recent Chinese summit was primarily to show his presence. It was more a statement of presence than of any specific achievements. Although, of course, they had separate agreements specifically for this purpose.

Strategically, they did not achieve anything new because China's policy toward Russia is now quite clear. It shouldn't change in the near future. Unless, of course, some strategic context changes. But so far, it is more or less stable. Unfortunately, it is not very favorable for Ukraine, but we can more or less understand where it is heading.

The main thing for Putin now, of course, is to maximize this idea of a multipolar world, to build other centers of gravity, as they say in the geopolitical sphere, and to reduce the weight of the collective West in solving certain issues. For him, this is the foremost geopolitical task, in principle. He realizes that he has already become a criminal for the West. So far, it is de jure, but soon, it will be de facto and in some foreseeable future. It's a separate problem, unfortunately, that has been going on for a long time.

I don't think he will have a chance to avoid this charge and sentence. That's why he is trying to make the West as irrelevant as possible, trying to destroy its influence. To do this, he makes every effort to create other centers, elevate them, and show that they are already more important than the West. This is his main task. This is his only chance to stay in power in the future. Of course, we must do everything we can to prevent him from doing so.

How vital can North Korea's participation be? Unfortunately, it's hard to say because no one knows the state of the weapons and military equipment in Korea. It is an exceptionally closed country, and there needs to be more information about it.

We know that they have large amounts of weapons and military equipment from the Soviet era, and they transferred it to China and the Soviet Union. We understand that they have a large amount of ammunition stored in warehouses. So, technically, they have something to send to Russia.

The question is: what conditions have they actually agreed to? We do not know this. We will find out, of course, in the near future. What will be the impact? I don't think it will have a dramatic impact. But let's see, it's too early to jump the gun.

A year ago, I said that the primary resource that Russia counts on is human resources. We have seen this human resource, particularly in the latest episodes of Russian attacks on Avdiivka. The Russians continue to burn their people en masse. We have an apparent understanding that they take this resource from regions that have no impact on the overall political situation. Russia has a very divided society. Something can happen in some regions that other regions either don't know about or aren't even interested in. They don't really care.

So, indeed, we see that a large part of Russian society either doesn't know, doesn't want to know, or doesn't want to get involved. They do not know these loss figures for certain. They are "smeared" all over the territory. In principle, they are holding back this popular discontent, which could have already been there with such numbers of losses.

We are talking about hundreds of thousands of casualties in this war. But so far, we do not see any severe changes in the mood of society. They can continue this for some time. But at the same time, we clearly see the unwillingness of the Russian authorities to hold another wave of mobilization. They will delay it. There are different opinions on this. Some say that they will wait until after presidential elections next year. Some say that they will delay it until the offensive that they are planning for early next year. There are different opinions. But they can prepare for at least one more wave of mobilization. We just need to understand this. That is why we need to have a firepower advantage with the help of artillery, armored vehicles, etc. This is what will enable us to stop them.

Russians are now actively building new equipment. They are restoring old equipment that has been mothballed since the Soviet era, but, as a rule, it is not in working order at all. They are building new equipment. This is their primary task now. They have quite a few plants that work in three shifts. They had pretty severe problems with contracting, resource allocation, and production preparation. They have already solved many of these problems. Some remain.

But their main task is to increase production. Recently, there have been speeches by their leadership, including the Ministry of Defense, where they clearly state that they are allocating additional resources. And this is confirmed by releases from foreign intelligence  the budget is significantly increased. They are building new workshops and preparing new lines.

Indeed, they need help with utilizing these funds and implementing these projects. Of course, we cannot assume that these problems will go unsolved. They will be resolved eventually. We need to take advantage of this time to prepare a response.

Read also: Strike on Zaporizhzhya apartment, analysis of ATACMS strike, foothold across Dnipro

Our leadership of the Security and Defense Forces knows what to do. However, time is a factor that must be taken into account.

In general, the Russians are preparing to continue the war, and the Russians are preparing to intensify offensive actions. The Russians are preparing to stop our counteroffensive actions as far as they can. Their primary focus is on new equipment and, of course, ammunition. They are quite serious about a very significant expansion of production capacity, in particular through mobilization measures. They can refit civilian enterprises for military programs.

The third country on this axis of evil is Iran. This is a question of the possible influence of Western countries on Iran, which may still exist. But then, this is more of a financial, organizational, and technical issue. They were not stopped by any individual decisions, resolutions, or anything else. The diplomatic front on Iran in the West continues to exist.

There are active actions: they are trying to stop it, to negotiate as much as possible. They are trying to explain to Iran that it is not profitable for them to enter into a full coalition with Russia (although they are already there). We understand that they have been in an alliance with Russia for a long time. But there are active actions to stop them somehow.

We will see. It is challenging to make predictions here. Russia is doing everything possible to bring Iranian weapons to our land. It is too early to make predictions, but we see that this part of the diplomatic front is quite tense.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
In addition to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm has also introduced the S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. The company said its new chips deliver six times the compute power of their predecessor's, along with on-device AI capabilities. More intriguing, perhaps, is the S7 Pro's micro-power Wi-Fi connectivity, which will apparently allow users to "walk around a home, building or campus while listening to music or making calls."

As The Verge notes, the chip uses Qualcomm's Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology that can automatically switch a device's connection. When a user strays too far from their phone while their earbuds are connected to it via Bluetooth, for instance, XPAN switches the connection to a Wi-Fi access point. It can deliver 96kHz lossless audio via earbuds, Qualcomm's Dino Bekis told the publication, and it works with 2.4, 5 and 6GHz bands. Bekis also said that users only have to click on a prompt once to connect their earbuds powered by the chip to their Wi-Fi.

Outside of the S7 Pro's Wi-Fi connectivity, the platforms' on-board AI enable better responsiveness to the listener's environment if they want to hear ambient sounds. But if they want to block out their environment completely, the chips are supposed to be capable of Qualcomm's "strongest ever ANC performance" regardless of earbud fit.

These features will only be enabled when headsets, earbuds and speakers powered by the S7 and S7 Pro are paired with devices equipped with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform and Snapdragon X Elite, though. That means we won't be seeing products with the new sound chips on the market anytime soon. When they do come out, they'll most likely be meant for Android devices, seeing as Apple has its own ecosystem.
Queen Rania of Jordan has accused Western leaders of a glaring double standard for failing to condemn the deaths of civilians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza, as Israels war on Hamas threatens to destabilize relations between US and Arab leaders.

Speaking to CNNs Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview, Rania said, The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the worlds reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.

When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened  but what were seeing in the last couple of weeks, were seeing silence in the world, she told CNN.

Israel declared a complete siege on Gaza following the October 7 terror attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave, that killed more than 1,400 people and saw over 200 taken hostage, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The siege has resulted in relentless airstrikes on densely-inhabited Gaza, and a blockade on vital supplies  including food and water  to the isolated strips entire population.

This is the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a ceasefire, Queen Rania added. So the silence is deafening  and to many in our region, it makes the Western world complicit.

Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but its OK to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here, she said. It is just shocking to the Arab world.

Latest figures from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza put the death toll from Israeli strikes at more than 5,000, including more than 2,000 children. At least 35 UN workers have also been killed.

Israel says that it is targeting Hamas terrorists, and has blamed the group for hiding behind civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations and several aid agencies are calling urgently for a ceasefire and for the free movement of humanitarian aid to the increasingly desperate population. Doctors working in the isolated enclave meanwhile warn that power shortages threaten the lives of their most vulnerable patients, including the critically injured and premature infants in need of incubators.

As a mom, weve seen Palestinian mothers who have to write the names of their children on their hands  because the chances of them being shelled to death, of their bodies turning into corpses are so high, Rania said. I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children just as much as any other mother in the world.

Growing frustration with the West

Arab leaders have voiced frustration with the perceived unwillingness by the US to try to curb Israels siege; Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority pulled out of a planned summit in Jordan with US President Joe Biden last week.

Washington, a close ally of Israel, has remained steadfast in its support of the retaliation on Gaza by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has rebutted calls for a ceasefire.

Were not talking about a ceasefire right now, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN on Monday.

In fact, we dont believe that this is the time for a ceasefire. Israel has a right to defend themselves. They still have work to do to go after Hamas leadership, were going to keep supporting them or giving them more security assistance.

Speaking in the UN Security Council on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, saying that humanitarian pauses should be considered, but notably avoided the phrase ceasefire.

However, the US vetoed last week a Security Council proposal for a humanitarian pause in the bloodshed, criticizing the draft resolution for failing to mention Israels right to self-defense. The United Kingdom also refused to endorse the resolution.

An earlier Russian ceasefire proposal similarly failed.

Israel is committing crimes against humanity in its current campaign, nine independent experts working with the UN said in a joint statement on Thursday. The unspeakably cruel blockade on Gaza, coupled with forcible population transfers is in violation of international and criminal law, the experts added.

Former Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin has meanwhile warned that the crisis should be a wake-up call for both Israelis and Palestinians and called for a change in leadership on both sides.

Baskin, an Israeli citizen, played a key role in the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured and imprisoned by Hamas from 2006 to 2011. Baskin is the author of The Negotiator: Freeing Gilad Schalit from Hamas, and he is now in touch with both the Israeli and Hamas leadership in an unofficial capacity.

It should be no surprise to anyone that weve arrived at such a horrific situation, he told Amanpour in a separate interview on Tuesday. It has to be a wake-up call for Israel that you cannot keep another people occupied for 56 years and expect to have peace. You cant lock two million people in an open-air prison and expect there to be quiet.

And for the Palestinians, it should be a wake-up call that if you support radical fanatic leaders and refuse to recognize the other people living in your land as having the same rights that you do, then youre going to suffer this, he added, speaking from Jerusalem.

[These are] the most traumatic events for Israel and Palestine since 1948.

A growing crisis and fears of displacement

Fears are growing that the conflict could spill into neighboring countries in the Middle East, as Israel urges civilians in the northern part of Gaza to relocate south ahead of an anticipated ground operation.

Forcing Gaza civilians to relocate amounts to the war crime of forcible transfer, the Norwegian Refugee Council said.

And Jordanian and Egyptian leaders have raised concerns that millions of Palestinians could eventually be pushed out of Gaza and the occupied West Bank and into Egypt and Jordan, respectively, saying such a move could plunge the region into war.

Jordans King Abdullah warned last week that the displacement of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt would be a red line, and said neither Jordan nor Egypt would accept refugees from Gaza. He said that any suggestion of the two countries taking in fleeing Gazans was a plan by the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground, suggesting that the refugees may not be allowed to return to their homes.

Asked by Amanpour about her husbands position, Queen Rania said the people of Gaza face two choices.

Essentially theyre given a choice between expulsion or extermination, between ethnic cleansing and genocide. And no people should be given, [should] have to face, that kind of choice. The people of Palestine should not, [the people] of Gaza should not, be forced to be moved again, she said.

More than half of Gazas population are refugees whose ancestors fled or were expelled from their homes in present-day Israel by armed Jewish groups during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which Palestinians call the Nakba or the catastrophe. Israel has never allowed them to return to their homes and many have lived in poverty ever since.

The queen also emphasized that the conflict in the Middle East did not begin on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, highlighting the history of Israels occupation and the displacement of Palestinians.

Most networks are covering the story under the title of Israel at war. But for many Palestinians on the other side of the separation wall, on the other side of the barbed wire, war has never left, she said.

This is a 75-year-old story, a story of overwhelming death and displacement to the Palestinian people. It is a story of an occupation under apartheid regime, that occupies lands, that demolishes houses, confiscates lands, military incursions, night raids.

Jordanians gather during a pro-Palestine protest in Amman, on October 20, to express solidarity with civilians in Gaza. - Alaa Al Sukhni/Reuters

Pro-Palestine demonstrators chant slogans near the Israeli Embassy in Amman, on Friday. - Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty Images

Even before the war with Hamas, tensions were high between Palestinians and Israelis in the occupied West Bank. Following a wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis last year, Israel launched regular incursions and raids into the occupied West Bank targeting what they said were militant strongholds. The resulting violence left a record number of both Palestinians and Israelis dead, numbers not seen in at least a decade.

Since Israel took control and occupied the West Bank in 1967 from Jordan following the Six Day War, large swaths of the territory, which residents hope will form part of a future Palestinian state, has been settled by Israeli civilians, often under military protection.

Most of the world considers these settlements illegal under international law.

Protesters in parts of the Arab world have flooded the streets in recent days to show support for Palestinians under the Israeli siege and bombardment. About 6,000 demonstrators marched in Amman in support of Palestinians on Friday.

A two-state solution to establish a free, sovereign and independent Palestine is the only path to peace in the region, Rania told CNN.

There can never be a resolution except around a negotiating table  there is only one path to this, and that is a free, sovereign, and independent Palestinian state, living side by side, in peace and security, with the state of Israel.

CNNs Alaa Elassar, DJ Judd, James Frater, Tim Lister, Lauren Kent and Amy Cassidy contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Ralph Yarl is among six seniors in the North Kansas City School District being recognized nationally for academic success, after being named a National Merit Commended Student.

The 17-year-old is finishing out his high school career, while also waiting to see the man charged with shooting him go to trial.

Andrew Lester, 84, who is white, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Yarl, who is Black, after the teen mistakenly showed up on his north Kansas City front porch in April.

Yarl was named a National Merit Commended Student alongside Carmen Klein, Cruz T. Lewis, Ethan Nguyen, Jillian Housh and Madeline Malena, the school district announced this week.

Each senior earned this top honor thanks to demonstrated academic excellence. Commended Students represent the top 3% of test-takers throughout the country, the school district posted on Facebook.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for high school seniors that recognizes students with the highest PSAT scores in the country.

Staley High School juniors can take the PSAT each fall. It was offered in October 2022 during Yarls junior year, several months before he was shot.

Last month, Yarl told his own story, testifying in court that he went to a home in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street, where he thought he was picking up his twin brothers. Yarl had intended to go to a home one street over, on Northeast 115th Terrace.

Yarl walked onto Lesters front porch and rang the doorbell. When he saw the main door open, he started to pull at the storm door, assuming hed be welcomed in.

Instead, he said Lester told him, Dont come here ever again and held up a gun.

Yarl said he dropped his hand from the door and stepped backward. Then he said Lester shot him once in the head. Yarl said he fell to the ground, and then Lester shot him again in the arm.

A jury trial has been scheduled for Oct. 7, 2024, at the Clay County Courthouse. Judge David Paul Chamberlain will oversee the trial.

Until then, Yarl is busy with school, band and college tours. As he began his senior year, family said he planned to visit the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, Texas A&M University and Purdue University. He still hopes to study engineering.

He also has a much-anticipated trip to the White House. A date has not yet been announced, but in April, the president extended an invitation to the family during a phone call with Yarl.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) after the chancellor of the State University System of Florida ordered several pro-Palestinian student groups to be deactivated.

My view is that the answer to bad speech is not less speech, it is more speech. And I think it is wrong for us to silence those we disagree with, Ramaswamy said on Hill TVs Rising.

Ramaswamy noted that while he believes the pro-Palestinian groups are way out of line, blacklisting students involved with the groups from future jobs is not the way to go.

I dont think thats the American way. I dont think thats productive and I dont think we convince any of those people by browbeating them into submission through fear either, he added.

DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin in a statement to The Hill said, if Ron DeSantis has to stand alone among the field of GOP primary contenders in taking action to curb pro-terrorist activity on college campuses, then so be it.

SJP [National Students for Justice in Palestine] has publicly claimed itself as a part of the Hamas terrorist movement, and therefore should be treated as such. As usual, Ron DeSantis acts while others talk, he added.

Ray Rodrigues, the chancellor of the State University System of Florida, told the presidents of the university system in a memorandum dated Tuesday that several student chapters of the SJP needed to be disbanded following the national groups response after Hamas attacked Israel earlier this month.

In response, and leading up to a Day of Resistance, the National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP) released a toolkit which refers to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as the resistance and unequivocally states: Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement, Rodrigues wrote to the university presidents.

It is a felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support  to a designated foreign terrorist organization  Here, National SJP has affirmatively identified it is part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood  a terrorist led attack, Rodrigues asserted.

These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Based on the National SJPs support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated, he added.

The development comes as DeSantis is still largely viewed as former President Trumps chief rival in the 2024 GOP primary, though former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has seen momentum in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Several prominent Republicans have come out in support of Haley in recent weeks.

This story was updated at 4:36 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he is expecting a strong showing in the key Iowa caucuses, which will be the first election in the GOP nominating process.

Ramaswamy told Axios in a Tuesday interview he believes his campaign will deliver a surprise result in the Hawkeye State, either winning the contest or coming close.

If not an outright victory, I think we have a good shot at an outright victory, something close to it, he said, adding he would at least expect a solid second or third.

The entrepreneur said finishing in second or third would overperform the expectation his campaign has.

Ramaswamy has been among the higher tier of candidates in the Republican field in the polls, nationally and in Iowa, but he has mostly stayed around fourth place.

The RealClearPolitics polling average has Ramaswamy in fourth nationwide at 4.5 percent support, while FiveThirtyEight has him in the same spot with 5.6 percent. Meanwhile, he comes in fifth in FiveThirtyEights average of Iowa polls with 5.3 percent.

Ramaswamy told Axios the polls are not picking up on the many people who attend his events, and the campaign is disproportionately drawing in people who have not previously voted in the Iowa caucuses.

He said he believes he is way ahead of where former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) was when he won the Iowa caucuses during the 2012 presidential election. Santorum narrowly took the caucuses but lost the nomination.

Ramaswamy said Santorum was unprepared to continue his run in future states like New Hampshire, which holds the first Republican primary.

Performing well in Iowa could provide a significant boost for candidates in the race. The state has historically played a role in narrowing the field.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The storm that brought an entire years worth of rain to Death Valley National Park  in a single day  also left some exciting surprises in its wake.

Stunning and extremely rare lakes pooled in usually bone dry and exceptionally hot and arid areas of the park  already one of the hottest places in the world.

Lakes in the sand dunes wasnt on our 2023 bingo card, Death Valley National Park said in an Oct. 21 post on Facebook that included a photo of one of the blue-green lakes. I mean, take a look at this picture of Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. THERE WAS WATER!

Indeed, it looks like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

Some spectacular things happened in Death Valley following the floods we received from remnants of Hurricane Hilary back in August. Ephemeral lakes popped up around the park, which is both pretty rare and amazing! They disappear fast, so they most likely will not be there when you visit.

In fact, the pond has since dried up  but it left behind some amazing mud cracks that havent yet been tread on by humans, Nichole Andler, the parks chief of interpretation and education, told McClatchy News in an email.

Soon after the flood, visitors and park rangers reported out-of-season wildflowers blooming around the pond, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The flowers are really confused, and theyre in bloom, ranger Shelby McClintock told the outlet.

Those flowers are a bit harder to find now, though some can still be seen along the roadside at higher elevations, Andler said. And theres still much more green in the desert than is normal for this time of year.

It was pretty striking to see the change in the plant life that had become stressed by the extended heat spell we had in July this year, 17 consecutive days at 120 degrees or more for the daily high, Andler said, adding that the rains from the remnant of Hurricane Hilary also contributed to the quick transformation.

An even bigger lake still sprawls across the famously dry and flat Badwater Basin, the lowest spot in the country at 282 feet below sea level, the LA Times reported.

Its unusual that the lake has stuck around this long, Andler said.

Because our daily temperatures are no longer in the 110s or more, evaporation slows down so the lake is still here, she said.

A break in Westside Road in Death Valley National Park. Flooding caused by the remnants of hurricane Hilary caused severe flooding across the 3.4 million acre park.

A years worth of rain dropped at Death Valley in one day  and photos show the damage

Hundreds shelter in Death Valley after Hilary dumps years worth of rain in one day

Stunning underwater cave unearthed by drought draws explorers, Texas photos show
(Reuters) - SeaWorld San Diego has welcomed the hatching of an emperor penguin for the first time in 13 years, announcing on Wednesday that the female chick came out of its shell with help from zoo staff on Sept. 12.

"This is the most exciting thing we'll do all year, potentially all decade," said Justin Brackett, SeaWorld's birds curator, in a video provided by the park.

Listed as a threatened species, the emperor penguin is native to Antarctica and 17 of them live in a 25 degree Fahrenheit (minus 5 Celsius) habitat at the marine theme park and zoo where the egg was laid on July 7, SeaWorld said.

Some 300 penguins of several species live in the zoo's penguin habitat, but SeaWorld staff took special pride in the emperor hatching, said Melissa Ramsey, SeaWorld's supervisor of birds who helped hatch the penguin.

The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the biggest of all penguin species, and can reach 3.7 feet (1.15 meter) in height and weigh up to 99 lb (45 kg), according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Unlike other species that produce multiple eggs a year, the emperor female lays only one egg once a year, Ramsey said in a telephone interview.

While other penguin males and females share incubation duties, the female emperor usually returns to the sea to feed after laying the egg, leaving the male to incubate the egg for more than two months when it does not eat. They usually mate for life, the WWF says.

But because the mother did not transfer the egg to the father, SeaWorld staff took the egg into their care and detected movement and noise coming from the egg on Sept. 7. After 72 hours elapsed without progress, the SeaWorld team carefully poked a hole in the egg to help the bird out over the next two days, Ramsey said.

The team later determined the chick had a beak malformation that impeded its hatching, Brackett said.

SeaWorld is inviting the public to name the bird, putting three candidate names up for a vote on Instagram or via email: Pearl, Pandora and Astrid.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Kim and Tommy Sturdivant said they didnt consider pulling their two children  son Seth at Morgan State University and daughter Mia at Howard University  out of school after the rash of gun violence that struck historically Black colleges and universities across the country earlier this month.

The Sturdivants were troubled, for sure, but they were mostly concerned about the overall security level at HBCUs and wanted to know what could be done to prevent or minimize gun violence in the future.

Thats the primary thing moving forward, Kim Sturdivant said. Do I feel the schools could do better with security? Yes. And I think they will, because no one wants to experience any more of whats been going on.

Mia, Seth, Tommy and Kim Sturdivant. (Family photo)

HBCUs were traumatized by on-campus shootings over a 12-day stretch this month. On Oct. 3, four students were shot on the campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore, prompting the cancellation of the homecoming ceremony. Five days later, about 40 miles away at Bowie State University, two students were shot during homecoming weekend. And on Oct. 15, Jackson State University student Jaylen Burns was shot and killed on school grounds in Mississippi.

But seven Black parents interviewed by NBC News said that, despite the emotion and fear brought on by the violence, they leaned toward providing their children with an HBCU experience rather than remove them from school.

HBCUs are too powerful, too meaningful to give up on, Sturdivant said. Security issues are serious and have to be addressed. Our kids need to be safe. The schools have to do whatever they have to, to assure that. But our kids love their HBCUs  their classmates, the feeling of home, the connection that is different from any other college experience. Its a unique experience, a feeling of family, that we all love and will see it through.

As a graduate of Delaware State University, Allisa Carr McPherson said that many people do not understand the power of an HBCU education, which is why she did not think of bringing home her son Lorenzo from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Allisa Carr McPherson and her son Lorenzo. (Courtesy Allisa Carr McPherson)

Im not going to act like I wasnt concerned; I was, said McPherson. Something has to be done about the gun violence. I was worried about copycats and it spreading to other campuses. My HBCU experience was good and special, said the Elk Grove, California mother. She added that her son received good care and support from campus administrators after being diagnosed with a mental illness.

The gun violence was alarming, but I wouldnt take him out of an HBCU, where looking out for each other is part of the culture.

Andre Gilyard said he had been so busy working at his Atlanta-area insurance agency that he had not seen the news of the HBCU shootings. But his daughter Dasia was unfazed by the news.

They have had bomb threats on her campus, so this was just another thing to deal with, Gilyard said. She loves her Black college experience and she feels safe that the campus has the proper protocols in place. So the things that could happen dont outweigh her great three years at her HBCU. And I definitely did not think about asking her to come home.

Andre Gilyard and Dasia. (Courtesy Andre Gilyard)

Miles across the country, in Washington, D.C., Wylene Judge-Turner said she was alarmed that a group of local young men attacked several students during her daughter, Laurens first weekend at Howard University. She said, however, that gun violence is a problem felt beyond campus.

The students arent committing these crimes; its the people in the communities nearby, said Judge-Turner, a Morris Brown College alum. Its very disconcerting. Two mothers who have freshmen at Howard also wondered if they should pull their daughters out and send them to USC in California, she said. I never considered pulling my daughter out. I know that crime is something you cannot control.

Wylene Judge-Turner with Lauren. (Courtesy Wylene Judge-Turner)

Arnette Williams Riggins, whose grandson Lyzell said he wants to attend an HBCU, similarly sees violence as more of a societal issue and would still like him to try the historically Black college experience.

Most of the time, if not all of the time, the crimes were talking about are committed by kids who arent even enrolled in school, Riggins, a Norfolk State University graduate, said. So you cant really control that. But you can control where you get your education, who you are around. And he and I both want an HBCU experience for him. Its the best and its overall a safe environment because youre around people who really care about you.

Arnette Williams Riggins and Lyzell. (Courtesy Arnette Williams Riggins)

Violence could happen at any university, Riggins said, so why not be on a Black college campus where you feel loved and wanted?

Jamiese Harris attended Tuskegee University in Alabama. Her daughter, Skylar, still in high school, wants to attend an HBCU also, despite the recent news.

If we have some tighter security, maybe we can eliminate some of the things that have happened, said Harris, who lives in the Dallas area. But while I want her to have that HBCU experience, there are certain places Im not comfortable with her going  where a school is centered in an area that is having some community issues around crime. But I believe in HBCUs. Its an experience. You just have to experience it to understand it. It will be made better for all involved if the safety issues are at a minimum.

Michelle Sumrall with Aleisha. (Courtesy Michelle Sumrall)

Michelle Sumralls daughter, Aleisha, is a high school sophomore who is aware of the recent shootings but has not been deterred from attending an HBCU. And even though the mother expressed her concerns, she believes going to a Black college would serve her child best.

While she did not go to an HBCU, Sumrall sees how a Black-centered education has made an impact on her friends.

They got the truth, Sumrall said. Theyre not watering it down. HBCUs really build them up and they have that family and community that I dont have after attending a PWI [predominantly white institution]. I dont have connections with hardly anybody that I went to school with.

Michelle Sumrall with Aleisha. (Mike Young)

Crime exists on non-HBCU campuses, too, many parents said. As examples, they cited the fatal shootings at the University at North Carolina in September, the second in two years on the Chapel Hill campus, and the one at Michigan State University on February 13.

Its a reflection of societal ills and definitely relaxed gun laws that allow accessibility, Sturdivant said.

Most colleges and universities bar guns from campuses and tend to be fairly safe from gun violence, but states that allow guns at colleges see a higher rate of shootings on campus.

I do feel like all of the schools can do better, Sturdivant added, but sometimes, their hands are tied in terms of money, resources. So I dont necessarily blame anybody. Its just like a combination of things.

HBCU campuses have taken notice and many  like at Norfolk State University, Bowie State, Bethune Cookman University, Howard University and Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida, among others  have ramped up security measures, with extra police presence, entrances to campuses closed at certain hours, town hall-like meetings to discuss safety protocols and measures to avoid potential trouble.

The reality is this: Unless you build a wall to keep the students in, youre not going to be able to keep everyone off campus, Harris said. And its the same for any campus. So it has to be about heightened security, making good choices on where you go and who you are with. Thats it. We should not deny our children an amazing HBCU experience because of what might happen on any campus.

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
RAYMOND, Wis. - Some voters in Racine County's Raymond School District filed the paperwork to start a recall campaign, FOX6 was first to report. The group is looking to oust two school board members: Gwen Keller and Janell Wise.

The organizers submitted the official paperwork to the board's clerk, Keller, right before the school board's special meeting on Tues., Oct. 24. Supporters of the campaign say it is about more than the ouster of the district's one principal.

"I think the issues with Principal Peterson are what brought a lot of us to the school board meeting, to see what was going on. But I dont think hes the whole picture. I think he was the beginning, the tip of the iceberg, if we have to say it," said Jennifer Hansen, parent of Raymond graduates and a former PTO president. "They are wasting our taxpayer dollars. Were paying for a principal that theyre not allowing to be in the building, were paying legal fees for two attorneys now."

Raymond School

Nearly one month ago, Raymond Superintendent Michael Garvey escorted Principal Jeff Peterson out of the district's one school. He placed Peterson on administrative leave as the district investigates what Garvey wrote in a letter to Peterson were "allegations that you engaged in misconduct while performing your job for the district."

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

A day before last month's principal ouster, the board voted 4-1 to issue what the board president called "a preliminary notice of contract non-renewal to Jeff Peterson pursuant to Wisconsin statutes based on Jeff's performance, as reflected in his personnel file."

Jeff Peterson

That contract runs through 2025.

After being kicked out of the school Peterson himseslf attended as a child, he filed a complaint with the state. He alleged he is being discriminated against because he is gay.

The school board last month put out a statement which said, "any notion that the school district or its board members would tolerate any discrimination, including that which is based on sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected classification, is ridiculous and extremely disappointing."

Raymond School

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

The paperwork, a campaign registration statements laying out the intention to try to recall the elected board members, which was submitted Tuesday, starts a 60-day clock for recall supporters to get enough signatures. The board clerk will have to notify the organizers of that number, which is 25% of the votes cast for governor in the district.

Then, when the recall supporters return the signature forms, the board clerk has 31 days to confirm whether the recall campaign has reached the needed number. If they do, the clerk is to issue a certificate of sufficiency. The governing body, in this case the school board, would then have to call for the recall election on the Tuesday of the sixth week after the certificate is issued. That recall election would require each challenged board member run for their seat, again. If the incumbent loses, they are removed from office and the winning candidate takes their place.

"This is not a political-aligned group. In my family, we have various political views, but we all agree that this is not right and this should not be happening," said Deb Mikolajczyk, another parent of Raymond grads who is also supporting the recall effort. "I dont want anybody to think this is a right wing or a liberal. Its not, its just concerned citizens for the students and thats who really needs our attention."

The recall organizers, upset with the ouster of the Raymond principal, are only trying to recall two of the five school board members. Wisconsin protects an elected official from being recalled until they have completed one year of their term. Second, the school board has a regularly-scheduled election in April 2024.

"I loved that my kids went to this school. And I love that my grandson will go to this school, but I dont love it right now," added Mikolajczyk. "Everyone should be paying attention to whats happening with their school boards. I was guilty of not paying attention. And, its really important, because theres a lot going on lately."

FOX6 News did request interviews with board members, but did not hear back.

FOX6 News political reporter Jason Calvi then questioned Keller in between the open and closed session of their board meeting on Oct. 24. She thanked him for attending the meeting, but ignored questions to offer her reaction to the launch of the recall campaign against her.
RBD fans are reliving their days at Elite Way School at the groups Soy Rebelde reunion tour  and they wouldn't want it any other way.

The streets were filled with people in school uniforms, consisting of red blazers, white button-ups, denim mini-skirts or pants and red ties, as they made their way inside BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

After 15 years, RBD  consisting of Dulce Maria, Christopher von Uckermann , Anahi, Christian Chavez and Maite Perroni  reunited for 30 concerts in the U.S., concluding with four consecutive sold-out shows in Los Angeles.

It was a nostalgic event for fans of the Mexican pop group, which first debuted in the 2004 telenovela Rebelde. (Alfonso Herrera was an original member of the group but declined to participate in the tour.) It was also an excuse to go all out and dress up as the group's soap opera characters and favorite music video moments.

Mena, Ani and Araceli went full Elite Way School. (Liz Calvario)

Im so excited to be able to see their performance after not being able to see it when I was little, Araceli, a concertergoer, tells TODAY.com at the Oct. 22 show. It brings back childhood memories of just growing up, coming home after school and running to the TV to watch the novela.

Whether its wearing a Roberta-inspired red wig, a Mia-approved star sticker on your forehead or her Salvame pink cowboy hat, every piece of clothing represents the band.

The significance of the school uniforms go back to their roots

Dulce Maria, Anahi and Maite of RBD at the

Rebelde followed a group of six students  Mia Colucci (Anahi), Roberta Pardo Rey ( Dulce Maria), Lupita Fernandez (Maite Perroni), Miguel Arango (Alfonso Herrera), Diego Bustamante (Christopher von Uckermann) and Giovanni Mendez Lopez (Christian Chavez)  from different economic backgrounds who attended the prestigious private academy Elite Way School.

Throughout the telenovela, they would go on to have three different school uniforms, with the first one being the iconic red, white and denim look. There's also an all-black suit with a blue button-up and red tie. One version also includes the girls wearing plaid mini-skirts, black blazers, white button-up shirts and burgundy ties.

Interested in music, the six of them formed the musical group RBD. While Rebelde concluded in 2006, RBD would go on to become a real-life sensation, releasing five studio albums, selling over 15 million records worldwide and earning two Latin Grammy nominations. They disbanded in March 2009.

Dressing up as RBD has fans reliving their childhood

For one fan known as @3nrique_slays on Instagram, who attended the Oct. 22 show with his cousins and best friends, seeing RBD for the first time was an unforgettable moment. Wearing the iconic Elite Way School uniform, he tells TODAY.com, Rebelde was our favorite thing to watch as kids.

My favorite memory of RBD is the friendships and bonds that I made with people who liked the same band, he said. Even today, 15 years later, its awesome to still see us children all grown up and still have love and passion for RBD.

Friends Sayuri Barbosa and Hector del Rio are native Colombians but currently live in Australia. They planned a trip to the U.S. specifically for RBD's show in Los Angeles. Barbosa gave a nod to the band's "Salvame" music video, where Anahi wears her now-iconic pink cowgirl look.

The pair have been friends for 20 years and grew up watching the show together. They danced and recorded videos of themselves singing the songs throughout the night.

Originally from Colombia, Sayuri Barbosa and Hector del Rio came all the way from Australia. (Sayuri Barbosa)

An opportunity to be your true, authentic self

Apart from getting to wear their favorite RBD-inspired outfit, the concerts were also an opportunity for fans, and the stars, to be their true, authentic selves. After attending RBD's show in El Paso, Texas, in August, Gloria and Elmo decided to re-create the group's denim looks that they wear during the concert.

Elmo describes his look as "Christian vibes" and he nailed it to a tee. During various concerts, Chavez wears an array of corsets and proudly speaks out about his coming out journey.

Gloria and Elmo saw RBD in San Antonio and were inspired by to re-create one of their denim looks from the show.

At the final Los Angeles show and end of the U.S. leg of their tour, Chavez shouted in Spanish how happy he was to be on stage, adding, Estos 30 conciertos he sido yo, which translates to, These past 30 concerts, I have been able to be me!

Chavez was forced to come out in 2007 after he was blackmailed by a tabloid who had photos of his wedding to his ex-partner. He rarely spoke of his sexual orientation when RBD first broke out. During the recent concerts, he displays the pride flag on his microphone and wardrobe.

I tried for many years to be someone that I wasnt, Chavez told fans during a September show. Sometimes its hard to accept myself as I am... But I want to tell you something, even those who appear to be perfect, theyre not always happy. Love yourself... You are perfect.

Fans go the extra mile with DIY costumes

Kimberly Bueno began working on her pink outfit in March. She tells TODAY.com she made everything except the bralette and it took three months to complete because of the rhinestone detail.

My inspiration was based on their looks from before they became mainstream and hit it big, Bueno shares. I called it their Vaquera era. They wore cowboy hats and sparkly outfits so I wanted to give tribute to that era. I wanted to wear something different than the usual uniform they are known for.

RBD's Los Angeles show was the highest-grossing show in BMO Stadium history, with the highest attendance in a multi-night concert. They also broke the record for highest attendance for a Latin show at the venue.

The group will now head to Latin America before wrapping their "Soy Rebelde" tour in Mexico.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A record-breaking number of Cubans have arrived in the U.S. over the last two years, according to updated data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency.

Slightly fewer than 425,000 Cubans were encountered at U.S. ports of entry in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, according to CBP, and 200,287 of those arrived in fiscal year 2023, which ended in September. Most were apprehended at the U.S. border with Mexico, a marked change from previous waves of migration.

Those figures have smashed records. More Cubans have come to the U.S. in the last two years than came during the Freedom Flights, which saw 270,000 Cubans leave the island over a roughly eight-year period between 1965 and 1973. They are also greater than the combined numbers of Cubans who left during the 1980 Mariel Boatlift and the 1994 Balsero crisis.

The sharp uptick in Cuban migration comes as Cubas economy has stagnated over the last few years, leading to widespread blackouts, shortages of food and medicine and deteriorating quality of life for the countrys inhabitants.

It also follows continued dissatisfaction toward Cubas communist government, which has struggled to turn unfavorable economic tides in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and a political and economic crisis in Venezuela, a major ally of Havana. The islands leaders have also failed to negotiate with Washington on a reprieve on U.S. sanctions, which have historically limited Cubas trade and investment opportunities.

Dissatisfaction with the communist government resulted in widespread protests in the country in July 2021 and intense repression in response from authorities against dissidents.

The Cuban government has blamed the U.S. embargo for driving the migration surge.

The increase in Cuban migration has coincided with a surge in arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border from various Latin American and Caribbean countries over the last few years  a political headache for the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election.

The administration has sought to expand alternative pathways for migrants to enter the country legally, while also tightening security at the border.

But government data suggests that the policies have yet to translate into an immediate change at the border. Roughly 3.2 million migrants arrived in the U.S. in the last year, an increase of nearly 500,000 from the previous year, according to the same CBP dataset.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed the importance of continuing to support Ukraine in the war unleashed by Russia.

Source: Meloni in her speech in the Senate, quoted by ANSA, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Meloni noted that at the upcoming meeting of the European Council she intends to reiterate the support for the Ukrainian people.

Quote: "We must not make the mistake of weakening support for the Ukrainian cause," the Italian prime minister said.

According to Meloni, Italy looks "not only to the present but also to a future of peace, to a European future for Ukraine".

In early October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni discussed the upcoming package of assistance and a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, as well as the upcoming Italian presidency in the Group of Seven.

Earlier this month, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced preparations for the transfer of the eighth package of military assistance to Ukraine.

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A new statewide program will offer temporary rent aid for eligible refugees and asylees in Michigan.

The initiative, led by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's Office of Global Michigan, is meant to help new arrivals resettle and find affordable housing.

It provides rent aid from $300 to $500 a month, based on immigration status and household size, to applicants for up to 12 months.

"The Newcomer Rental Subsidy program will increase access to better and more affordable housing opportunities while supporting a more rapid social integration for refugees and other newcomer populations in Michigan, said Poppy Hernandez, director of the Office of Global Michigan, in a news release Monday.

The program received $4 million from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) for two years and federal funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Refugees, asylees, those with special immigration visas, victims of human trafficking, Cuban and Haitian entrants, Afghan nationals and humanitarian parolees, in the U.S. temporarily, from Ukraine, qualify for the program, according to the state. It also includes those who arrived through the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) program and family reunification parole process from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia and individuals with pending asylum cases.

The program is available for low-income renters, households experiencing housing instability, or receiving federal assistance, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Applicants, who must live in Michigan, have to be employed or part of a job readiness or placement program, such as Michigan Works!, a workforce development network.

The application form is currently only available in English. Those who need help completing it can contact the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity at LEO-RefugeeServices@michigan.gov.

For more information about the program requirements and to complete an application, go to Michigan.gov/NewcomerRentalSubsidy.

More: Stellantis workers after 5 weeks on UAW strike: 'Enough is enough. Let's get it done.'

More than 2,400 refugees arrived in Michigan from October 2022 through September 2023 from countries including Afghanistan, Syria and Burma, according to the U.S. State Department's Refugee Processing Center. In 2016, Michigan was the fourth largest state for refugee resettlement, taking in more than 30,000 arrivals over the last decade, Global Detroit, an economic development organization, reported.

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, hundreds of Afghans arrived in Michigan as agencies scrambled to house families, amid an already short supply of affordable housing. Last year, a new coalition launched in Detroit to help Ukrainians and Afghans find jobs, housing and transportation.

Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com; 313-348-7558. Follow her on Twitter: @NushratR.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan launches new refugee assistance program to help with rent
A Coast tradition is returning 33 years after a charming fine dining restaurant closed in Ocean Springs.

Work is under way to bring back the elegance and cuisine of Trilbys restaurant at 1203 Bienville Blvd., Ocean Springs, just east of Washington Avenue. The new owners are hoping to have the restaurant ready for its debut before the end of the year.

Weve done a lot of renovations, said Anthony Rametta, who returned to South Mississippi from Florida to become executive chef and general manager of the new Trilbys.

Work to reopen started with shoring up the distinctive building and putting down new floors, So the buildings going to be here another 100 to 150 years, Rametta said.

Now crews are completing interior finishes, landscaping and other touches to make a big impression.

In addition to the main dining room with warm wood trim are four private dining rooms  each with a different design to match its size and purpose.

The business meeting room has soundproofing. The party room is festive for baby showers and other celebrations. The chandelier room sparkles with crystals.

Trilbys often is mentioned as one of the restaurants people miss most in South Mississippi, and Stuart and Ann Weidie are bringing it back for the community, Rametta said.

Ann Weidie is designing the space to give it a luxury feel similar to the original restaurant. Hints of her style are the wine case in the entry, lighted artwork and a fountain to welcome customers.

Fine food and drink

An accessory bar will provide classic cocktails from the age of the original Trilbys and provide a premium list of bourbon and whiskey, Rametta said.

The menu will be classic French Creole, and the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner.

We do have several of the original recipes, the chef said, such as Trout Amandine Trilby and other popular dishes.

Rametta will add his own specialties. Hes well acquainted with the tastes of Coast residents and visitors, having served as executive chef at Scarlet Pearl, Hard Rock and Golden Nugget casinos and assistant executive chef at IP Casino,

Carrie Bounds-Hitchings was hired to serve as front of house manager.

History of Trilbys

The story of Trilbys goes back generations.

Lillian Trilby Grenet Steimer learned to prepare and properly serve gourmet dishes from her grandfather, Honore Grene, according to the history printed on Trilbys souvenir menu. Grene owned one of the most celebrated Parisian restaurants of the Second French Empire.

Trilby traveled extensively with her father, eating at fine restaurants and charming recipes out of hesitant chefs.

She and her husband, Ted Steimer, first opened Trilbys in Ocean Springs in 1948 on Washington Avenue where Aunt Jennys Catfish Restaurant operates today. They moved Trilbys to Bienville Boulevard in 1955.

Trilbys closed in 1990, when Jack and Jane Gottsche bought the restaurant and opened it as Germaines, according to Sun Herald archives.

By 2005, it was Chandlers Fine Dining, which was owned by Vikki McElhose.

Albertis moved into the Ocean Springs building after Hurricane Katrina leveled its Biloxi location in 2005. The restaurant closed in 2010.

Most recently the building housed an antiques shop.
This post has been updated since it was first published.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection incident that took place in a congressional building on Capitol Hill last month where it was found that he triggered a fire alarm for no good reason. According to Bowman, he was rushing to cast his vote on a government funding bill that day and mistakingly pulled the alarm while trying to pass through a door in the building that was usually kept open.

"It was a lapse of judgment if you will... wasn't a conscious decision to do something wrong," Bowman said in a quote obtained from Fox News.

According to CNN, Bowman agreed to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor offense. His sentence was deferred for three months while he serves probation, pays a $1,000 fine, and writes a letter of apology to Capitol Police. If he fulfills the requirements, prosecutors agreed to drop the charge at a January hearing, according to the report.

Im thankful for the quick resolution from the District of Columbia Attorney Generals office on this issue and grateful that the United States Capitol Police General Counsels office agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings, Bowman said in a statement Wednesday. I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped.
Rep. Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House, has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and was a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The Louisiana Republican was first elected to the House in 2016 and serves as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, as well as GOP deputy whip, an assistant leadership role. An attorney with a focus on constitutional law, Johnson joined a group of House Republicans in voting to sustain the objection to electoral votes on January 6, 2021. During Trumps first impeachment trial in January 2020, Johnson, along with a group of other GOP lawmakers, served a largely ceremonial role in Trumps Senate impeachment team.

Johnson also sent an email from a personal email account in 2020 to every House Republican soliciting signatures for an amicus brief in the longshot Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate electoral college votes from multiple states.

After the election was called in favor of Joe Biden on November 7, 2020, Johnson posted on X, then known as Twitter, I have just called President Trump to say this: Stay strong and keep fighting, sir! The nation is depending upon your resolve. We must exhaust every available legal remedy to restore Americans trust in the fairness of our election system.

House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Mike Johnson votes against the first of two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump during the final moments of a hearing in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill December 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. - Chip Somodevilla/Pool/AP

Although Trump said he wouldnt endorse anyone in the speakers race Wednesday, he leant support to Johnson in a post on Truth Social.

In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! Trump posted.

Johnson serves on the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee. He is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee.

After receiving a degree in business administration from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Johnson took on roles as a college professor and conservative talk radio host. He began his political career in the Louisiana legislature, where he served from 2015 to 2017, before being elected to Congress in Louisianas Fourth District.

Rep. Mike Johnson files his paperwork at the secretary of state's office after qualifying for his congressional reelection bid on July 20, 2018, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. - Melinda Deslatte/AP

Rep. Kevin Hern, an Oklahoma Republican who chairs the influential Republican Study Committee, dropped out of the race for speaker Tuesday evening and backed Johnson.

I want everyone to know this race has gotten to the point where its gotten crazy. This is more about people right now than it should be, he said. This should be about America and Americas greatness. For that, I stepped aside and threw all my support behind Mike Johnson. I think hed make a great speaker.

Johnsons win in the secret-ballot race for the House Republican Conferences nominee for speaker followed Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmers decision to drop out of the race hours after Republicans chose him to be the nominee following resistance from the right flank of the conference and a rebuke from Trump. Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan have also dropped out after earlier seeking the speakers gavel.

Johnson joined the speakership race in a Saturday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

I have been humbled to have so many Members from across our Conference reach out to encourage me to seek the nomination for Speaker. Until yesterday, I had never contacted one person about this, and I have never before aspired to the office, he said in a posted letter. However, after much prayer and deliberation, I am stepping forward now.

CNNs Jack Forrest and Kristen Holmes contributed to this report.

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After 100 years of manufacturing razors in South Boston, Gillettes base of production will shift north to Andover, its parent company, Proctor and Gamble told Boston 25.

The 450 manufacturing workers in Procter and Gambles South Boston will be offered jobs at Proctor & Gambles 150-acre campus in Andover as part of the $1 billion plan to modernize both locations. P&G says they will also provide support for employees to help navigate the 23-mile distance between the two facilities.

This investment will yield more modern, innovative and collaborative facilities in both South Boston and Andover, making the business more competitive in the future, P&G Gillette said in a statement.

Around 750 corporate, engineering and research and development employees will remain in South Boston.

Gary Coombe, chief executive of P&Gs grooming business, says they are looking at the move as an opportunity to revitalize the iconic plant thats been situated along the Fort Point Channel since 1904.

Im confident that weve reached the right conclusion and Im glad that we will continue to have a meaningful presence in both communities  including Boston, which has been our home for over a century and offers so much in terms innovation, talent, education, and culture, said Commbe. This will undoubtedly be an advantage for us in the future.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey posted on social media that she believes the move will be a boon to the Bay State.

For over a century, @Gillette has been part of the fabric of the South Boston waterfront. With an industry-leading HQ cementing the company as a fixture in Boston and an expanded manufacturing center in Andover, new jobs and more opportunity are on their way to Massachusetts.  Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) October 24, 2023

The Globe reports the transition to Andover will take place gradually, completing sometime in the next two to three years.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Senate Republicans are seeking to amend the Biden administration's request for US$106 billion in emergency funds to aid Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and manage the flow of migrants at the US border.

Source: The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)

Details: The Biden administration's proposal includes about US$61 billion for Ukraine, another US$14 billion for Israel to cover security needs, and about US$9 billion for humanitarian aid to both theatres of the conflict. It also includes about US$2 billion for security assistance in the Indo-Pacific region and $14 billion for the border, which would partially fund migrants' needs.

There is broad bipartisan support in Congress for aid to Israel. However, some Republicans are sceptical of new funding for Ukraine, whereas others would prefer to provide weapons rather than humanitarian aid or direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government.

The two sides also disagree on the response to illegal immigration, with the Republicans pushing for tighter border controls.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he generally supports the administration's approach but has clearly shown that he plans to push for some changes. Last week, Senator Tom Cotton, a close ally of McConnell's, called the administration's proposal "dead on arrival". The senator added that Senate Republicans would take the lead in drafting an alternative funding bill, laying out some of the main concerns of the Republicans: "We will not spend, for example, $3.5 billion to address the potential needs of Gazans" - money that, as he said, might end up in the hands of Hamas. Cotton also noted he would not support US$11.8 billion in non-war-related spending by the Ukrainian government, as well as US$4.7 billion for housing, transport and services for detained immigrants in the US, maintaining that the money should instead be spent on deportations.

The draft law requires bipartisan support to get the 60 votes needed to move forward in the Democrat-controlled Senate, meaning that at least nine Republicans would have to support it as long as 51 Democrat senators vote in favour.

Some Republicans want aid to Israel to be separated from assistance to Ukraine, given that the latter has become politically unpopular with their party's voters and some Republican lawmakers.

"The Senate needs to vote on aid for Israel nowby itself," said Senator Rick Scott on Tuesday. "Everyone in Washington knows what the president has proposed will never pass the House."

Even before the White House officially announced the package late last week, a group of nine Senate Republicans signed a letter to McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer requesting that any additional package separate funding for Israel from funding for Ukraine.

Background:

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of N.Y., hands the gavel to newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana at the Capitol on Wednesday. (Photo/NPR)

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday was elected 56th speaker of the House after three weeks of complete chaos that brought work of the House to a standstill. The vote on Wednesday was 220-209 with all Republicans voting for Johnson and all Democrats voting for their House leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

Former Speaker McCarthy (R-CA) was voted out of the post on October 3, 2023. It was the first time in the United States Congress, the speaker of the House has been ousted.

Johnson was the fourth nominee put forth during the past three weeks by the House Republican conference. After Wednesdays vote, Johnson was sworn in.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

He assumes the speakership with just over three weeks before federal government funding expires on November 17. The House will also take up President Joe Bidens request of $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine, and other foreign policy funding.

A relatively unknown, Johnson was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 after serving two terms in the Louisiana House.. Prior to being elected speaker, he served as the House Republican Conference vice chair, and former chair of the Republican Study Committee. Speaker Johnson most recently served on the Judiciary Committee and Armed Services Committee.

Johnson is a conservative who had the backing of four-times indicted former President Donald Trump. Johnson was on the GOP team of House members who defended Trump during his first impeachment inquiry.

On Wednesday, Native Americans that will serve in the 118th Congress voted down party lines. Republicans Josh Brecheen (Choctaw), from Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district; Tom Cole (Chickasaw) from Oklahoma's 4th congressional district voted for Johnson.

Democrats Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk), from Kansas' 3rd congressional district, and Mary Sattler Peltola (Yup'ik) , who represents Alaska's at-large congressional district voted for Jeffries.

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
If you ask House Republicans about their speakerless Octoberwhy Kevin McCarthy was ousted, why the conference had to go through four replacement candidates to find one who didnt have sworn enemies determined to block himyoull get varying answers.

Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota blames an increasingly polarized political environment that rewards intransigence, stubbornness, and fighting as opposed to finding common ground.

Rep. Mike Gallaghers theory is institutional decline. You have people that feel no loyalty to an institution like Congress because its weak, he told reporters. Weve gone from being the most powerful branch of government to the weakest, and theyre not going to abide by the rules of the conference or the norms of congressional behavior.

Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, on the other hand, believes the past month of chaos on the House floor was actually because the GOP conference is changing, and its changing to reflect America First.

Whatever the reason, its clear this slim House Republican majorityeven in its most unified and focused momentsis only barely capable of working as one party. Electing Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to be speaker, as Republicans did with 220 votes on Wednesday, wont change that. And the conclusion of one chapter in this saga only kicks off another: In the coming weeks, Johnson will have to navigate a fight over government funding, as well as heated debates over additional military aid to Ukraine and Israel.

In remarks on Wednesday, Johnson said he will give rank-and-file members more involvement in the legislative process and pledged that his speakership will be known for decentralizing the power in the chamber. Planning an ambitious schedule to avert a government shutdown on November 17, he also said the House will quickly return to pressing matters. Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear, Johnson said. The peoples House is back in business.

Johnson is well-liked by his colleagues, but he won the gavel on Wednesday largely because lawmakers were exhausted. Following a three-week standstill since McCarthys ouster on October 3, multiple Republicans said Tuesday they just wanted to install a new speaker to get the chamber back to work. Four frustrated members The Dispatch talked to, none of whom had supported Johnson for the job until late Tuesday night, indicated theyd vote for whoever the nominee ended up being following Tuesdays second conference votes. It also helped Johnsons cause that, in the words of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, he hadnt acquired a single enemy in his time here.

But he hasnt acquired much genuine leadership experience, either. First elected to the House in 2016, Johnson hasnt so much as chaired a full committee. Hes built relationships across the party as vice chair of the GOP conference, and he has sterling conservative credentials from his time as an attorney at Alliance Defending Freedom, the Christian legal advocacy group. But empowered with the speakers gavel, Johnson will now be charged with hiring staff to run the chambers business, setting the partys floor agenda, mediating divides within the conference, fundraising almost around the clock, and identifying candidates who could help Republicans keep the majority. Its a tall order for a relative newcomer to the House.

Johnson will also be tasked with cutting through the animosity this saga has fostered between members. Theres a lot of bad blood among House Republicans, and it wont instantly disappear with Wednesdays vote. Is there a conference magic bullet? a bedraggled Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart asked between meetings on Tuesday night. If you find it, let me know.

This is not something that has just fallen apart all of a sudden, he said of the party. Weve seen this kind of erosion of sticking together as a team.

Diaz-Balart also acknowledged Johnson may come into the job relatively weakened, as the whole world knows he wasnt the conferences first, second, third, or fourth choice for the role. I want to be respectful, he said. But thats where we are.

Now in the spotlight, Johnsonand the most electorally vulnerable Republicans who supported himwill have to answer for his prominent role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Johnson didnt just vote alongside two-thirds of the conference to reject results from two states on January 6, 2021. He also spearheaded the House GOP conferences amicus brief for a Texas lawsuit that attempted to throw out election results from four key swing states Joe Biden won.

Moderate Republicans might have taken issue with Johnsons record if he had been the first speaker candidate up for a vote this month, but they felt a sense of urgency to elect a new speaker this week.

I didnt agree with his votes on the election certification, Rep. Don Bacon told The Dispatch after Wednesdays vote, noting that he first supported Rep. Tom Emmer, who didnt try to reject the 2020 results, for the job on Tuesday. (Emmer stepped down as the partys nominee Tuesday just hours after being selected, having learned that helike Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordandidnt have enough support to win on the House floor.)

But, Bacon said, I accept the decision of the majority of the majority in our conference, and we need to open the House. He added he believes Johnson is a man of strong character, and he treats everyone with tremendous decency.

Rep. Ken Buck, who explicitly tied his vote against Jordan last week to his refusal to clearly state who won the 2020 election, also voted for Johnson, citing his unwavering dedication to conservative principles.

And Rep. John Duarte, a California Republican who told The Dispatch he doesnt believe the 2020 election was stolen, said he didnt want to make demands based on voting records. If we start holding everybody accountable to our own sentiments and what happened in the past, well never be able to move forward, Duarte, a freshman, said Tuesday when asked about Johnsons role in trying to keep Trump in power.

Despite this months dysfunction, Duarte is still optimistic about making a difference with the House Republican majority.

We are blessed with a constitutional democracy, and the fact that we can work through our absurdities in this waypeacefully, in conference, again and againis still better than not having a constitutional democracy, he said. As inefficient and as many missed opportunities as there seem to be, were still blessed to have what we have.

Republican Women on Staying Out of It

Over the course of three weeks and more speakership candidates than anyone can be expected remember, not one Republican woman ran for the job.

Why? Were wiser, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers told The Dispatch in the twilight zone between speakership candidates on Tuesday .

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida had a similar response. Maybe women are a little more intelligent and respect themselves better, she said.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, meanwhile, said nobody wants it. And Rep. Virginia Foxx emphasized her focus on chairing the Education and Workforce Committee: Ive got a very important job to do there to bring in some reforms with education, and if Im not there, Im afraid they wont get done.

Key Hearings

A House Financial Services subcommittee will meet Thursday morning to examine the Iranian regimes access to funds and how they finance terrorism. Information and livestream here.

The Senate banking panel will also hold a hearing Thursday morning on illicit finance and terrorism. Information and livestream here.

Senators on the Special Committee on Aging will hear testimony from experts Thursday morning on therapies to combat rare, progressive, and serious diseases. Information and livestream here.

Of Note

New Speaker Mike Johnson made his name as cultural conservative

Senate reaches deal to start voting on appropriations package

Rep. Bowman charged with pulling fire alarm in House office building

Dr. Adrian Zenzs new paper on forced labor transfers in Xinjiang

Biden Moves to Embrace AI as National Security Tool in Executive Order

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.), shown leaving a Capitol Hill meeting on Oct. 10, was among the Republicans who rejected Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) as speaker because of his support for gay marriage. In a closed GOP meeting, Allen reportedly told Emmer he needed to get right with Jesus.

Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.), shown leaving a Capitol Hill meeting on Oct. 10, was among the Republicans who rejected Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) as speaker because of his support for gay marriage. In a closed GOP meeting, Allen reportedly told Emmer he needed to get right with Jesus.

Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmers support for legalizing gay marriage was a major reason his Tuesday tenure as the GOPs speaker-designate lasted only four hours, a sign of how the extremism of the Republican Party is directly contributing to its now three-week-long struggle to elect a speaker.

Emmer voted for the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which turned the U.S. Supreme Courts 2015 ruling legalizing gay marriage into national law. His vote, which came after years of opposing gay marriage, put him in line with the overwhelming majority of Americans: Earlier this year, Gallup found that 71% of Americans support gay marriage, an all-time high.

This mainstream position  one shared by 39 other House Republicans at the time  was too much to overcome for at least a handful of members of the House Republican Conference and likely would have been enough to doom Emmers bid, even without former President Donald Trumps opposition to his speakership nomination.

Conservative Republicans demand for total loyalty to the GOP agenda has been the driving force behind the partys struggle to find a leader, beginning when former Speaker Kevin McCarthys use of Democratic votes to keep the government open became the pretext for his ouster.

The struggle has kept the House effectively closed, even as a Nov. 17 deadline for funding the government approaches and President Joe Biden has requested billions in aid for Ukraine, Israel and the U.S.-Mexico border.

He is respected for being straightforward and honest, however he voted for Democrats same-sex marriage bill (that codified same-sex marriage) and he has a moderate voting record as rated by many different conservative groups regarding other social/fiscal policy positions, Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) wrote on social media, explaining his vote against Emmer.

Appearing on Fox Business, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) explained her opposition: He voted against Trumps transgender ban in the military; he voted for the Democrats gay marriage bill.

But it was another Georgian, Rep. Rick Allen, who was the most direct in declaring Emmers gay marriage vote a problem, bluntly telling CNN no when asked if he could possibly vote for the former chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

If Tom Emmer wins the speakers nomination, can he get 217 on the floor?

One member, Rick Allen, tells me here hes a NO on Emmer over his vote to codify same-sex marriage.

Speaker nominee can only lose four GOP votes on floor if all members vote for candidate pic.twitter.com/uEvQl2VxvH  Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 24, 2023

Later, in a closed-door Republican conference meeting, Allen told Emmer he needed to get right with Jesus because of his support for gay marriage, according to Punchbowl News.

Gay marriage was not the sole issue cited in explaining opposition to Emmer. Beyond Trumps opposition to his bid, other Republicans cited his support for aid to Ukraine as a reason they would not back his pursuit of the speakers gavel.

Related...
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The US House of Representatives is voting on a fourth Speaker nominee, a day after the last candidate withdrew as Donald Trump assailed him.

The full chamber is voting on Louisiana congressman Mike Johnson's bid for the gavel.

Mr Johnson was chosen after three rounds in an internal party ballot late on Tuesday.

The House has been leaderless and unable to pass bills since Kevin McCarthy was ousted on 3 October.

Mr Johnson, 51, was put forward just hours after the last nominee, Majority Whip Tom Emmer , dropped out after failing to attract enough support.

When nominating Mr Johnson on the floor of the House, Elise Stefanik, the chair of the Republican conference, called him a "dedicated servant" and "titan" who has dedicated his life to "America's great principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

But Democrat Pete Aguilar called him "the most important architect of electoral college objections" to the 2020 presidential vote and said he was beholden to Mr Trump.

Republicans are confident that Mr Johnson can pull in the 217 votes he needs to win, but if he fails, they will be back to the drawing board.

In voting earlier on Tuesday Mr Johnson came in second place to Mr Emmer, before the Minnesota representative withdrew after former President Trump derided him on social media as a "Globalist".

According to Politico, Mr Trump called one person minutes before Mr Emmer dropped out of the race and said: "He's done. It's over. I killed him."

But as he arrived at a New York court for his civil fraud trial on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump talked up Mr Johnson's prospects, saying "it looks like it's going to happen".

"I haven't heard one negative comment about him," he said. "Everybody likes him, he's respected by all."

In the final round of internal party voting on Tuesday Mr Johnson received 128 votes while Byron Donald, a Florida Republican, came in second with 29.

The party holds a narrow majority over Democrats in the lower chamber of Congress, so their nominee can only afford to lose a handful of votes from their own side to win.

"Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system," Mr Johnson said on Tuesday night.

Dusty Johnson, a moderate Republican from South Dakota, told reporters: "It's a little hard to imagine how anyone can get elected at this point."

Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican, said: "Pretty sad commentary on governance right now."

This embedded content is not available in your region.

But Ralph Norman, an ultraconservative South Carolina Republican, said: "This is what democracy looks like."

Mr Johnson is a lawyer and former talk radio host who has served on the House since 2016. He is also the former chairman of the Republican Study Committee and is considered a close ally of Mr Jordan.

In 2020, Mr Johnson was considered a key player in the bid to object to President Joe Biden's victory in that year's presidential election.

The last Speaker, Mr McCarthy, was ousted by a small band of right-wing lawmakers led after he forged a deal with President Biden to keep government funded.
The News

House Republicans sounded downright buoyant on Tuesday night after they tapped Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest speaker nominee.

This House Republican majority is united, the Louisiana lawmaker told reporters, standing amid a cheering crowd of colleagues who earlier on had chanted his name. Asked if he could nail down the 217 votes needed to cinch the job, Johnson simply said he was very confident.

Much of the optimism was due to the fact that not a single Republican opposed Johnson during the final roll call vote on his nomination. He has broad support across the conference, Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas told Semafor. Because 22 members were absent from the vote, and 3 voted present, it is still technically an open question whether Johnson will have the numbers to win on the floor Wednesday. But hopes are high.

Mikes going to work throughout the evening, and Im confident hell get the 217, Rep. Marcus Molinaro, R-N.Y. told Semafor.

Know More

Johnson has so far managed to do what until now had seemed impossible, by winning enthusiastic support from both the hardliners of the House Freedom Caucus as well as more establishment-oriented Republicans who opposed Rep. Jim Jordans nomination last week.

I did not support the removal of Kevin McCarthy . I think it was arguably the stupidest move ever made in politics. But we have to move forward, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who helped block Jordans bid, told CNN. And so were going to rally around Mike Johnson and elect him speaker tomorrow and get back to work

The conferences vice chair, Johnson has been a low-key presence in the Republican conference. But he is known as a skilled legislator and a staunch conservative, as well as a solid ally of Donald Trumps.

Johnson was a member of the former presidents defense team during his first impeachment trial, and was later described by the New York Times as the most important architect of the legal arguments House GOP members cited when they objected to the 2020 election results on Jan. 6. On social issues, hes opposed to gay marriage, and sponsored what critics described as a national dont say gay bill, banning federal funds from being used to teach LGBTQ issues to young children.

Johnson is also generally well-liked  no small factor in a GOP conference often riven by interpersonal drama. Hes unfailingly polite, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. told one reporter. Hes smart. Hes a listener. He respects people and hes honest. And he has a good grasp of how this place works.

If he does become speaker, Johnson will face a daunting to-do list, starting with potential aide packages for Israel and Ukraine. (He waved off a reporters question on the issue Tuesday, saying were not doing policy tonight.) And hell be tasked with the difficult task of striking a budget deal, with a potential shutdown looming next month.

But members already appear ready to cut him some slack on issues that tripped up McCarthy, such as temporarily funding the government to keep it open during budget talks. If a stop-gap funding effort is needed for, you know, a temporary mechanism given the short timeline we have, I think that there probably will be a significant amount of support in the conference for it, Rep. Chip Roy, a prominent member of the Freedom Caucus, told reporters.

Johnsons nomination came at the end of a strange, winding day that initially saw Republicans tap Majority Whip Tom Emmer for the speakers chair. His nomination lasted just four hours, thanks to pushback from old political rivals, gay marriage opponents, and  most importantly of all  Donald Trump, who strafed him in a Truth Social post as a globalist RINO who never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement.

Later, rumors swirled that McCarthy was attempting to mount a comeback. Allies briefly floated a plan in which hed be restored to his old post, with Jordan brought on as assistant speaker. As many pointed out, it sounded like a joke from The Office. But later, during the nights closed door conference vote, dozens of members began writing in McCarthys name on their secret ballots.

Kevin McCarthy did everything he could to scuttle Mike Johnson, Rep. Matt Gaetz told reporters. Without announcing his candidacy, he had like 40 people vote for him to try to create a ballast against anybody getting to 217 votes, but we smoked them out.

Gaetz has spent much of the past month under attack from his GOP colleagues for leading the effort to overthrow McCarthy earlier this month, which yielded weeks of embarrassing chaos for the party. His final verdict, after Johnson was nominated? It was worth it.

The View From A Potential Holdout

Despite the pep rally atmosphere that followed after Johnsons nomination, not every member is ready to line up behind him just yet. I voted no on Jim Jordan cause he wouldnt commit to certain things. I want those commitments from Johnson, one member told Politico.
Republicans furious over colleges response to Hamass recent attacks on Israel are threatening universities funding and the visas of foreign students, though legal experts are divided on if such moves would stand up in court.

Under the Trump administration, we will revoke the student visas of radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners at our colleges and universities and we will send them straight back home, former President Trump said in Iowa.

Several of his GOP primary challengers are calling for similar actions.

While First Amendment experts balk at the idea, there are split opinions on how the issue would fall legally in the courts.

I think both of these ideas are nonsense and completely antithetical to the spirit of the First Amendment, said Jared Carter, an assistant professor of law at Vermont Law and Graduate School.

The issue arose after multiple universities across the country had student groups who released statements that praised Hamas or blamed Israel for the initial Oct. 7 terror attack.

The biggest controversy came out of Harvard, where more than 30 student groups initially signed a statement after the Hamas attack that said they hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.

That led to fresh calls from Republican presidential candidates such as Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) to stop funding to these schools and kick out of the country foreign students who participated in such statements or protests.

Scott said in an interview on The Sean Hannity Show that student protesters in support of Hamas who are on here on visas should be sent back to their country.

And DeSantis said over the weekend, When Im president, if foreign students are out there celebrating terrorism, I will cancel their visas and send them home.

While the president could try to issue an executive order to enact this sort of policy, experts are divided on if such a move would survive court challenges.

Republicans such as Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) have also recently made moves advocating for foreigners who support Hamas to lose their visas.

Supporters of the expulsions say individuals who arent American citizens dont have the same free speech rights. Others, while not agreeing with that position, acknowledge the courts have taken the position that there are differences in First Amendment rights between the groups.

In my view, unfortunately, thats correct. The courts have been much more permissive in allowing the federal government to manage immigration both allowing people in and deport based on political viewpoints. Theyve just been more permissive under the First Amendment, Carter said.

Theres a series of U.S. Supreme Court cases that basically say that in making determinations about whether or not somebody should be admitted or have a visa in the United States that the government can consider their political viewpoints, which obviously, for residents and U.S. citizens, that would be completely inconsistent with the First Amendment, Carter said. So I think that the president has more flexibility when it comes to immigration.

But Kevin Goldberg, a First Amendment specialist at Freedom Forum, says it is clear-cut that both groups in the country have the same free speech rights.

Once youre in the country, you receive the protection of the First Amendment, whether youre a citizen or not, Goldberg said.

The vagueness in the proposals from the presidential candidates on what a college student would have to say to be punished raises serious First Amendment concerns, he added.

Much of the protests among students have been calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas or denouncing actions taken by Israel after the country declared war on Hamas. Others have participated in protests such as one in New York City, which lawmakers on both sides of the aisle denounced for antisemitism.

The GOP 2024 hopefuls are also looking at defunding colleges that have allowed these protests to happen or did not release statements quickly enough condemning Hamas.

Scott introduced legislation in the Senate last week to ban federal student aid to schools that allow antisemitic events to occur.

Any university or college that peddles blatant antisemitism, especially after Hamas brutal attack on Israeli civilians, women and children, has no place molding the minds of future generations, never mind receiving millions of taxpayer funds to do so, Scott said.

Legal experts, however, believe the courts would clearly rule against efforts by Congress or a president to cut funding to schools based on their students viewpoints.

I think if a president tried to withhold funding from colleges, universities simply because they had an organization on campus that supported Palestinians, I think the likelihood of that being constitutional is very low, Carter said. And, furthermore, particularly state universities, the Supreme Court has said that the First Amendment applies to actions by state universities, so if a state university said they were going to fund student groups and they decided not to fund the student group because its supported Palestinians, then I think the school would be susceptible to being sued for violating the students First Amendment rights.

And so I just think that its absurd to think that a president can come in and tell schools they will pull funding from schools that simply are complying with their constitutional obligations, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Suburban and downstate communities must address how to handle arriving immigrants amid a backlash that saw Joliet Township decline a state grant for migrants after angry residents said they opposed spending tax dollars on foreigners.

The state had announced earlier that the township would receive $8.6 million exclusively for asylum-seekers. The state also awarded $30 million for migrants in Chicago, $1 million to Elgin, $1 million to Lake County, $250,000 to Urbana downstate, and $150,000 to Oak Park.

Following a meeting this month attended by hundreds of residents, Joliet Township decided to withdraw its application for the grant.

A copy of the grant application the Tribune acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request showed that the township had requested $12 million from the state, including $9 million for housing and shelter costs, three welcome centers and a medical clinic, and to hire 17 medical and social workers, four caseworkers and three paralegals.

The reaction in Joliet reflects the opposition that Chicago and suburban officials have faced when trying to accommodate some 19,000 migrants whove been sent on buses to Chicago from the Mexican border.

We see big cities dealing with problems resulting from busing foreign nationals in from our southern border, and we oppose establishing welcome centers like this in our township, Joliet resident Lee Johnson told the town board, to loud applause. We citizens call for upholding the law and keeping our township safe and prosperous.

Another resident was applauded when he spoke of sending the migrants back to the countries from which they came.

The township covers the center of the city of Joliet, but the city extends into surrounding townships as well. While the city provides basic services such as police and fire departments, the township, which has a separate board, primarily provides for road maintenance and general assistance monthly payments to low-income and people with disabilities.

Joliet Township has a population of 85,000, which is one-third Latino and about 15% foreign-born. Some comments from the mostly white audience were ethnically tinged, with one commenter complaining about late-night noise from Hispanics, and another pointing out that most of the township board members were Hispanic.

Most of the crowds anger was voiced at the township grant being a surprise tax expenditure without public notice or approval.

Officials from the township had met with city staff members to discuss the application previously. But Mayor Terry DArcy, who was not at that meeting with the township, later said he opposed the grant, and issued a statement that he was pleased by the withdrawal.

This will allow all governmental and social agencies impacted by this grant time to work together and assist in helping those individuals currently in Will County who need services, he said.

DArcy had written his own letter in July in support of what his office said was a different grant for the Spanish Community Center. The mayor would not comment for this story, but shared a copy of his letter.

As the mayor of Joliet, he wrote, it is my opinion that the Spanish Community Center would be a natural recipient of the Illinois Welcoming Center Provider Grant. They have been on the front line assisting with rapid response efforts for asylum-seekers, and the expanded services they will be able to provide will further meet the evolving needs of our community.

Township Supervisor Angel Contreras said the latest grant was not intended to bring more people to the area, but to keep up with the influx already arriving, including the 2,200 migrants the Spanish Community Center served in Joliet in the past year.

The application stated it was seeking assistance for 2,250 migrants from Colombia, Venezuela, and other unspecified countries.

People doing this work are still seeing an influx, Contreras said. If things arent addressed, our systems are still going to be overburdened. So this is not something anyone wants to deal with, but its an issue that will be addressed either directly or indirectly. This is the reality suburbs are facing.

Migrants previously have been housed at Mainstay Suites Joliet. The application also called for working with local landlords, hospitality operators and community centers and shelters for asylum-seekers.

The welcome centers at the Spanish Center and at the Peter Claver Center, which the township previously purchased, would not have housed migrants, Contreras said.

They would have arranged for housing, food, medical diagnostics and treatment, mental health and substance abuse treatment, day care, legal services, and help getting government benefits.

The welcoming centers would have been part of an existing network the Illinois Department of Human Services began in 2007 to eliminate barriers for migrants getting state services. The state lists 36 welcoming centers,operated by local nonprofits such as Catholic Charities, the Latino Resource Center of Illinois and The Immigration Project.

In Joliet Township, the application requested $1 million for the Spanish Community Center, $1 million for the Will Grundy Medical Clinic, and $300,000 for home repair weatherization for migrant apartments and houses.

The Spanish Centers mission is to help improve the quality of life for Latinos, immigrants, and low-income people through employment and citizenship, and educational and social services. The medical clinic provides free care for people who dont have insurance or Medicaid.

Some residents welcomed the grant as a way to provide humanitarian aid to refugees in need of help.

Frank Sandoval was a lawyer and member of an opposition party in Venezuela who fled to the United States in 2018 and was granted legal asylum last year. He doesnt speak for the Spanish center but does paralegal work for the nonprofit. He felt the grant was a missed opportunity to help integrate migrants and get them working.

We want to fit into the community and start working to give to the country what all immigrants have given to this country, to make it the first country in the world he said. The whole country is made of immigrants.

Many residents worried that offering help to newcomers would take away from services for those who already live there, though the money would have come from the state and not affect existing funding.

The Rev. Larry Ellis of St. Mark CME Church in Joliet told township officials the grant would affect the impoverished areas in the city, but residents were not involved in the decision-making.

Im upset, Im pissed off, simply because we have not been told anything, he said. I think its disgraceful.

Contreras said state officials typically discuss grant proposals repeatedly with applicants, but the state rushed through this announcement before that happened.

The reason it fell through was miscommunication, he said. Weve got to make sure everybody communicates better next time.

Chicago Tribuns Dan Petrella contributed.

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has lurched rightward after publicizing his independence from both political parties this month.

Anticipating the general election, Kennedy has styled himself as the choice for voters seeking candidates outside of the fray. He doesnt endorse Democrats or Republicans ways of governing and has taken steps to create distance between his bid and the establishment figures opposing him.

But the attorney and anti-vax activist has nonetheless veered closer toward conservatism, controversial figureheads and far-right theories after switching parties, breaking from liberals dissatisfied with President Biden and raising Republicans worries that he could nab votes from their side.

I think that he is a lot of things, but I dont think hes a dummy, said Brian Seitchik, a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign veteran. Now that hes moved into running as an independent, I think his specific policy positions are frankly going to matter more.

On the surface, those positions are going to more appeal to Republican voters and therefore pull votes out of Donald Trump, he said.

A significant sign of Kennedys shift came when his campaign manager, Dennis Kucinich , a stalwart progressive, abruptly departed his role just days after the candidate announced his independent bid during a speech in Philadelphia.

Kucinich, a former Ohio congressman and Cleveland mayor, teed up Kennedys announcement, listing off all the ways in which he is needed to quell the nations partisan fever. Just four days later, he was out. After helping to build the operation for roughly five months, Kucinich was replaced by Kennedys daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, a former CIA officer. The change sent a message that Kennedy was resisting a top-level association with Democrats, no matter how unconventional and progressive they were.

Strategists in both political camps concede that his last name  the closest thing to U.S. political royalty among Democrats for decades  could throw voters off, though some Republicans think he has a chance to effectively rebrand himself. For one, the era in which his family was a dominating force is long gone, and his association with conspiracy theories and unorthodox beliefs is more acceptable now.

Camelot was [60] years ago. Of course there are voters who may pull the lever on such a simple matter. But I really dont think thats going to be the issue, Seitchik said. If Kennedys going to have an impact in this race, its not going to be because of his last name. Its going to be because of his policy positions.

The 69-year-old environmental lawyer has entertained several right-wing ideas throughout his campaign, especially around vaccines. Hes made media appearances on alternative programs sowing doubt around their effectiveness against COVID-19 and has been unveiled as a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a forum for Republicans to tout their closest held ideology and visions.

As Republican candidates in the presidential primary look to craft their messaging, some now publicly and privately predict that Kennedys anti-vax posture could be a secret weapon with independent voters who dont always align with mainstream narratives around the pandemic.

In the latest sign that the GOP is watching, candidates have started referencing him on the trail; some have outright criticized him, while others have acknowledged hes a true dark horse, creating more intrigue around his campaign.

Ron DeSantis, who gained prominence as governor of Florida by denouncing lockdowns and downplaying masks and vaccines during the pandemic, said Kennedy would potentially cripple Trumps chances of winning in the fall.

You have another wrinkle now with RFK Jr. as a third party, DeSantis said at a stop in New Hampshire, where Trump and other aspirants are fiercely competing. RFK Jr. will be a vessel for anti-lockdown and anti-Fauci voters if Trump is the nominee, building the case for his primary bid against the former president and current front-runner.

He would hurt Trump, DeSantis predicted.

Jason Cabel Roe, a GOP strategist based in Michigan, recently chatted with Kennedy while taping a media segment. He said that his nontraditional message is likely to resonate with voters who have lamented the leftward drift among Democrats.

RFKs message is very anti-corporate, anti-pharmaceuticals, anti-corporate media, so its still pretty consistent with the Kennedy brand and being the voice of the little guy, Roe told The Hill. It just so happens that right now the little guy is founding their home in the Republican Party, not the Democratic Party.

New polling bolsters that argument. When Kennedy was part of the Democratic primary, he was seen by Republicans as a nonfactor. They discounted him winning enough support to challenge Biden and envisioned him dropping out at some point before the general election.

But the independent status change has made some Republicans anxious that he could be stepping on their terrain and may theoretically pull from otherwise gettable voters.

Trump allies and the Republican National Committee have sent warnings about Kennedy as a new independent, trying to knock him down and build an early narrative that hes as liberal and left-wing as his namesake suggests.

But Roe said that running as an independent gives Kennedy more longevity in the race.

I dont die at the end of the Democratic nominating process. I can carve out a more independent posture; I can appeal to those people on the right without betraying my roots, Roe said, speculating about how Kennedy could be thinking about his strategy.

Polling indicates that hes giving Republican and pro-Trump figures reasons to worry. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll released this week showed that Kennedy diminishes what would otherwise be a slight lead for Trump over Biden in November.

According to the survey, Kennedy earned 13 percent of support, drawing voters who by 2-1 said they would otherwise support the probable Republican nominee. Another poll from NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist released last week also shows that he takes more votes away from Trump than Biden, providing an additional point of clarity for dazed operatives unsure about whose voting bloc he may pull from.

Kennedy earns 29 percent support among registered voters surveyed, compared to Trumps 34 percent and Bidens 33 percent, the poll indicates. In a three-way contest with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running as an independent, Biden opens up a 7-point lead over Trump. 44 percent of registered voters support Biden. 37 percent back Trump, and 16 percent are for Kennedy, the survey reads.

Democrats eyeing the newly released numbers delighted that, according to the analysis, Bidens support dips 5 percentage points among Democrats while Trump loses 10 points among Republicans.

One campaign strategist who worked for a Democratic candidate during the 2020 election texted enthusiastically about the findings. Pulling far more from Trump! the Democratic source said, expressing optimism that others in the party are searching for as Biden continues to drop in overall approval.

Meanwhile, Kennedy has gone after establishment forces such as the Democratic National Committee, which changed the primary calendar this cycle, and lobbied for New Hampshire to preserve its first-in-the-nation status.

He seems like a fellow traveler on the liberty side of things, said Roe, arguing that its there where hes hoping to peel off independent voters and show enough traction to get on other state ballots.

I think his shtick will be to attack both parties, Roe said, adding that Kennedy also will likely have to level with voters at some point. Hey guys, Im not going to be the prototype of what you want. But Im less of what you hate and more of what you like. And maybe the waters warm just this one time.

For Trump-aligned Republicans in particular, Roe said they should be concerned about Kennedy for a more basic reason: In a cycle rife with partisan attacks, where Democrats are eager to take down Trump as their biggest perceived threat, Kennedy offers a softer approach.

Hes not sneering at them, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Cast member Richard Roundtree poses at the premiere of the movie "What Men Want" in Los Angeles, California

(Reuters) - Richard Roundtree , a trailblazing Black actor who played the private eye John Shaft in the "Shaft" films of the 1970s and also took on dramatic roles dealing with race relations in America, died on Tuesday aged 81, the Hollywood Reporter said, citing his manager.

Roundtree died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, the Reporter said, citing his manager, Patrick McMinn. Roundtree's representatives did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for confirmation.

"Richard's work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film. The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated," McMinn said in a statement, according to Variety, another show business trade publication.

Roundtree shot to fame with the 1971 Blaxploitation movie "Shaft" about a private detective in the Harlem section of New York, and he reprised the role in a number of sequels and a short-lived network TV series.

The rugged and streetwise character, who wore flashy leather jackets and who was accompanied by a catchy theme song from Isaac Hayes, helped define cool for a Black leading man and also gained acceptance from white audiences.

Roundtree also had a role in the groundbreaking ABC television slavery drama "Roots" in 1977 and other prominent projects of the era, playing motorcycle daredevil Miles in 1974's "Earthquake".

Among his more poignant films was 1996's "Once Upon a Time ... When We Were Colored", the story a tight-knit Black community confronting the racism of post-war Mississippi.

He also played opposite Peter O'Toole's Robinson Crusoe in "Man Friday" in 1975 and alongside Laurence Olivier's depiction of General Douglas MacArthur in 1981's "Inchon".

Roundtree worked regularly until the end, with 159 acting credits to his name plus three upcoming projects yet to be released, according to IMDB.com.

He was married twice and is survived by four daughters - Nicole, Tayler, Morgan and Kelli Roundtree - and his son, James, Variety said.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; editing by Miral Fahmy)
Slovakia's president has appointed the country's new government under the leadership of Robert Fico, head of the now-ruling pro-Russian party SMER (Direction), the Slovak news outlet SME reported on Oct. 25.

Fico's left-populist SMER, which came first in the Sep. 30 parliamentary elections with 22.9% of the vote, formed a new cabinet together with the social-democratic HLAS (Voice) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party (SNS).

SMER's candidates are to lead the country's defense and foreign ministries, as well as four other departments.

The appointment of SMER's Juraj Blanar as Slovakia's new foreign minister made headlines in Ukraine, as he previously called Russian aggression in 2014 a Ukrainian "civil war."

"It is my task to respect the results of the elections and to name the government that meets the conditions for a proper functioning," commented Zuzana Caputova, the country's liberal president whose past relationship with Fico has been rocky at best.

Read also: Slovakia halts military aid to Ukraine following election

The president raised objections last week to the new coalition's candidate for an environment minister. Rudolf Huliak, a pro-Russian SNS lawmaker who has denied climate change, was then replaced by far-right Tomas Taraba, who has a history with the neo-fascist LSNS party, the Guardian reported.

Fico, head of the Slovak government for the fourth time in his political career, has opposed military aid for Ukraine, promising that Bratislava will not send "a single cartridge" to Kyiv once he is in charge.

"You will hear a sovereign Slovak voice from our ministries and sovereign Slovak foreign policy," Fico promised upon his appointment.

The newly-named head of the Slovak government is also close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another Central European populist leader with friendly attitudes toward the Kremlin.

Slovakia has provided Ukraine with extensive humanitarian and military assistance under the previous governments, including artillery, fighter jets, and other support.

Read also: Peter Tkacenko: Slovakia after election  If not friend, certainly not enemy of Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The priest collected data on the number of soldiers in the region and their weapons

A priest of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Ukraines Sumy Oblast was convicted of treason for having collaborated with Russian intelligence services, Sumy regional Prosecutor's Office announced via Facebook on Oct. 25.

The court established that, following the Russian invasion, an FSB (Russian security service) officer engaged in dialogue with a priest from one of the temples in the Shostka district. The priest agreed to cooperate, as he harbored pro-Russian sentiments and was expectantly awaiting the advent of "Russian World," the prosecution said.

Read also: Bulgaria expels Russian orthodox priests over national security threat

The priest collected data on the number of Ukrainian military units in the region, their armaments, as well as information on local government officials, law enforcement agencies, public activists, their political views and their influence among the local population.

Read also: Ukraines parliament votes to ban the Moscow Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for its ties to the Kremlin

In addition, he documented exact addresses, photographed areas where Ukrainian servicemen and military vehicles in the Shostka district were located. He also gathered information about patriotic-minded citizens who held significant sway over the Ukrainian society.

Read also: Moscow Patriarchate church priest detained for using church as an arms dealership  SBU

The data he compiled was shared confidentially with an FSB operative via messenger apps.

The priest was arrested on March 1, 2023. On Oct. 25, he was found guilty of committing high treason. He was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment with property confiscation.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A clinic escort assists a patient at a Planned Parenthood Health Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 28, 2022. - In Pennsylvania, the northeastern US state where a tight battle for a Senate seat is shaping up that could give Republicans a majority in the Senate, Democrats have clearly identified the stakes and their campaign sometimes takes on the appearance of a referendum to save abortion rights. As in the rest of the country, Republicans have muted their stance on abortion after a referendum in the conservative state of Kansas where nearly 60 percent of voters rejected an anti-abortion amendment. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

The first year following the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade upended abortion access but still led to an increase in abortions, according to one researcher who studied the number of abortions that happened since the nations highest court stepped in. What actually happened during these 12 months is that abortion access plummeted to zero in some states, while increasing to meet the acute need in others, leading to a complete disruption in the healthcare system and peoples lives, Dr. Jenny ODonnell, senior director of research and evaluation at the Society of Family Planning, told reporters on Tuesday.



On average across the U.S., there were more than 2,200 more abortions each month compared to before and after the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that overturned Roe, according to the Society of Family Plannings #WeCount national abortion reporting effort released on Tuesday.



Read more

In states with six-week abortion bans, there were 19,660 fewer abortions provided. Georgia, whose state Supreme Court just ruled on Tuesday to keep its its six-week ban in place, had a 50 percent decrease in abortions after the Dobbs decision.

We Count cant tell us whats happening to those 115,000 people. We can assume that some of these people traveled to other states for care, Norris said. The surge that We Count sees in states that are proximate to states with abortion bans indicates that many people are traveling for abortion care.

Virtual-only clinics providing abortions have only increased in the year post-Dobbs. There are now an average of almost 7,000 abortions each month from these virtual clinics. We Count doesnt count self-managed abortions and others outside the medical system.

Amber Gavin, vice president of advocacy and operations at independent abortion provider A Womans Choice, told reporters on Tuesday that the surge of out-of-state patients led to their North Carolina and Florida clinics treating patients from as far away as Texas. She talked about this decision with her doctor who temporarily took her off blood thinners so she could get the care she wanted and needed. She drove 16 hours from Texas to our Greensboro, North Carolina clinic, and 16 hours back after she received her care, Gavin told reporters.

This summer North Carolina banned abortion at 12 weeks, and Florida is awaiting a Supreme Court decision that could mean banning abortion at 6 weeks. As Ive previously written, the South is being squeezed dry of abortion access. If North Carolina and Florida are no longer able to provide abortion care beyond six weeks, the next closest clinics are in Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Virginia. If youre in southern Florida, Puerto Rico might be your best option for in-person care.

If the Florida six-week ban goes into effect, Im truly not sure where the thousands of people across the southeast who need abortion care after six weeks will turn to as many of our abortion clinics are at capacity, and it could take weeks for folks to get an appointment, Gavin said. I think its unconscionable to take away essential health care from our communities, to take away their choices and options. Im fearful and sad about folks not having access to this essential care and being stripped of their ability to make decisions that are best for their lives, their families and their futures.

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A volunteer from Romania who fought as a part of the International Legion has been killed on the front line in Ukraine.

Source: Digi24 media outlet and other Romanian media sources, as reported by European Pravda

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania confirmed that the Ukrainian authorities had informed it about the death of the Romanian citizen.

Rudolf Wittman, a 27-year old Romanian, was born and raised in the city of Arad. He was interested in warfare and has spent about five years in the French International Legion. After the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he decided to go fight on Ukraines side.

People who know him say he learned Ukrainian within a course of a year spent in Ukraine. His girlfriend, Ivanna, remains in Ukraine.

Earlier in October, it was reported about the deaths of volunteers from Estonia and Finland in Ukraine.

In Georgia, the support fund for the volunteers of the Georgian Legion, who are fighting on Ukraines side, has been created.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday ordered state universities to shut down chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine, a Palestinian advocacy organization.

The State University System of Florida, the body that governs the 12 public universities in the state, noted in a letter to university leaders earlier this week that the SJP chapters needed to be dismantled as part of a crackdown on campus demonstrations because of the groups harmful support for terrorist groups.

Based on the National SJPs support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated, Ray Rodrigues , the systems chancellor, wrote in the letter.

It is a felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support  to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the letter said.

With more than 200 chapters across North America, SJP is a national student movement that organizes for Palestinian liberation and self-determination, according to the national chapters website. Conservatives have long criticized the group, claiming it supports the militant group Hamas and is antisemitic. SJP has denied those accusations.

Rodrigues wrote that SJP was active in at least two Florida universities, but he did not name the schools. The University of North Florida in Jacksonville and Florida State University in Tallahassee appear to have active SJP chapters, according to social media.

Neither SJP National nor the State University System of Florida responded to HuffPosts request for comment.

Students from Brooklyn College and supporters hold signs during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the entrance of the campus on Oct. 12. Students for Justice In Palestine (SJP) held protests in colleges across the nation to show solidarity with Palestine.

Students from Brooklyn College and supporters hold signs during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the entrance of the campus on Oct. 12. Students for Justice In Palestine (SJP) held protests in colleges across the nation to show solidarity with Palestine.

The news has stirred backlash, with critics saying the move violates freedom of speech and unfairly targets Palestinian activism, particularly those critical of Israels bombing campaign in Gaza after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas. Americans voicing their support for Palestinian rights have faced online intimidation and have even suffered professional consequences from their employers or universities. A coalition of organizations, including the national SJP chapter, led a walkout on more than 100 campuses across the country on Wednesday in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Floridas university system said it based its decision after the national SJP sent out a toolkit to its over 200 university chapters that allegedly referred to Hamas attack as the resistance.

HuffPost was not able to verify that such a toolkit exists.

DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, has vehemently endorsed Israeli forces cutting off clean water and other basic utilities in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas terrorist attacks. Last week, he said the U.S. should not take in any Palestinian refugees because they were all antisemitic.

Omar Saleh, the managing attorney for the Florida chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, called the memo disturbing and said DeSantis action on SJP chapters should concern the nation.

All this is going to do is silence any campus participation and free speech, he said.

Equating the student group and terrorist organizations was dangerous, Saleh said, adding that the states rhetoric has the potential to silence other organizations or encourage hostility toward them.

Palestine Legal, a legal organization dedicated to supporting Palestinian activism and free speech, said banning SJP was unconstitutional.

Florida, particularly under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, has been actively undermining education, freedom of speech and social justice movements, including by banning anti-racist courses and trying to criminalize protest, the organization said in a statement published on Wednesday.

This is a blatant attack on students First Amendment rights, and it will be challenged in court, the group added.

Saleh said the students are currently working with organizations to explore their legal options.

This is beyond a matter involving a foreign conflict. This is affecting our Florida. This is affecting our country, Saleh said. These are American students who have these rights. This is about our own freedoms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has ordered pro-Palestinian student groups at Florida universities to shut themselves down. While the stated rationale is that these activists are providing "material support" for terrorism, the governor's order is a direct violation of free speech principles, as well as the First Amendment.

State University System of Florida Chancellor Raymon Rodrigues announced the order on Tuesday, citing the on-campus activism of National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student group that is active at both the University of Florida and the University of Southern Florida.

"Based on the National SJP's support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," wrote Rodrigues. "These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies."

The chancellor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In his written order, he explains that National SJP circulated a "toolkit" that expresses solidarity with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, another name for the series of brutal terrorist attacks committed by Hamas against Israeli citizens on October 7. In the state's view, this is ample evidence that the students are "knowingly providing material support" to Hamas.

The toolkit is indeed vile; its authors celebrate the slaughter of innocent Israeli civilians as "a historic win for the Palestinian resistance." Anyone who disagrees with the activists is free to criticize them, organize protests against them, and form student groups that seek to counter their aims. No one has the right to shut them down, however.

National SJP's views on the conflict in Gaza are clearly protected speech rather than "material support" for terrorism. Unfortunately for would-be censors in Florida, the First Amendment takes precedence, explains the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

"This directive is a dangerousand unconstitutionalthreat to free speech," wrote FIRE in a statement. "If it goes unchallenged, no one's political beliefs will be safe from government suppression."

Conservatives who claim to oppose censorship on college campusesand call it out whenever right-leaning students and faculty are the victims and leftwing activists are the aggressorsare engaged in obvious hypocrisy if they do not criticize DeSantis for this. The answer to bad speech is more speech; it is not state action.

The post Ron DeSantis Is Violating Pro-Palestinian Students' Free Speech Rights appeared first on Reason.com.
In Wiltshire, driver Andy says every day is different on the bookable service he operates

Councils are increasingly opting to provide "on-demand" bus services to plug some of the gaps left by cuts by commercial operators.

The County Councils Network, which represents rural councils in England, says three in four have rolled them out.

But it warned that many services were making a loss and extra funding was needed to keep them going in future.

More than half of journeys on public transport in Great Britain are by bus.

According to figures from the Department for Transport, bus services have been in long-term decline, with the pandemic hitting passenger numbers and profits hard.

Councils have been putting on what is known as a bookable service, typically a minibus, which only operates when and where users have booked it ahead of time.

The stops on the journey, and the timings, depend on where people want to go - direct from their door to the train station, a local hospital or the supermarket, for example.

But the County Councils Network group is warning they aren't a substitute for investing in commercial bus services.

The "demand-responsive" transport schemes largely operate at a loss, according to a survey of its members.

While the new services are bridging a gap in rural areas where commercial bus services have been hit, the high cost of running them means that few councils operate these services at a profit, it said.

It asked the 37 county councils and unitary authorities it represents across England about the bus services they provide. Some 95% of respondents said their on-demand service operates at a loss.

Just one council said they run services at a mixture of profit and loss.

About 75% of the 24 councils that responded offered the on-demand service, with almost half running up to five different services across their areas.

On one on-demand service available in Pewsey, Wiltshire, passenger Julie Wilson said it had been an enormous help.

While the service doesn't have a fixed timetable, Julie has been able to pre-book journeys every day for the last three weeks in order to visit her husband in hospital.

"I don't drive, so it's the only way I have to get to the hospital each day and each evening - I really don't know what I'd do without it."

Julie said that the bookable service had been a big help as she doesn't drive

Another user, Rosie Mooney, got on in Devizes town centre after doing some early Christmas shopping.

She said that the service "keeps everyone in the villages in touch with what's going on."

It started in the summer, with a pot of money from the central government's rural mobility fund.

Philip Hiscock, who has kept a close eye on transport options around Wiltshire for years, says it is better than nothing. But he suggests some issues with the availability of timeslots and the booking technology, via an app or the phone, need ironing out.

Stephen-Giles Medhurst, the County Councils Network's spokesperson for transport, said that on-demand schemes had proven popular with residents, particularly the elderly.

But he said that bookable services were there to complement existing ones, and were "not a substitute" for them.

"With councils facing unprecedented financial pressures, sustainable investment from government in traditional bus services remains the priority in ensuring a comprehensive local transport network", said Mr Medhurst.

In more rural parts of the country, it has become increasingly difficult to make traditional commercial bus routes make enough money to keep going.

Other industry campaigners have warned that axing bus routes leaves communities "cut off" from essential services and interactions.

It was recently announced that bus services in parts of England will get a 150m boost due to the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2 being scrapped and the government's decision to focus on its new "Network North" transport plan instead.

Some industry figures warned, however, that the cash would not go far enough.

The Department for Transport has said that more than 3.5bn has gone into supporting and improving buses since the start of the pandemic.

It has also made millions of pounds available for councils to bring in bookable services, while it also recently confirmed the 2 cap on bus fares would be extended until the end of 2024.

Most bus services in England outside London have a 2 cap on the price of single tickets.

Community services for older people and vulnerable passengers will also receive a 60% funding increase in the amount they can claim for fuel to help keep costs down.
Russia has been combining the use of Shahed drones with cheaper and lighter domestically-produced Italmas UAVs in its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW); Russian Telegram channel Mash

Details: Russian media suggested on 23 October that Russian forces had used new long-range Italmas drones and their variants for the first time in Ukraine during a drone attack on Kyiv Oblast.

Russian sources noted that Italmas drones are lighter than Shaheds and less easily detected and shot down. Russian military bloggers (milbloggers) pointed out that Italmas UAVs are cheaper than Shaheds, meaning they are cheaper to produce and deploy but carry less payload.

Russian sources say Russian troops are going to use Italmas drones in tandem with Shaheds.

ISW previously reported that Russia was likely trying to expand and diversify its drone, missile, and guided bomb arsenal to target Ukraine's critical infrastructure ahead of the autumn/winter season. And the use of Italmas drones is likely part of the effort to diversify its munitions.

Russian media reports indicate that the Italmas are lighter than the Gerans (as the Russians call Shaheds  ed.), run on gas and make a completely different sound, like that of a lawnmower, rendering them harder to identify and shoot down.

The code name of the UAV in production is Product 54.

                Italmas pic.twitter.com/nIR4aD8LRw     (@ukrpravda_news) October 25, 2023

Background: On 22 October, Yurii Ihnat, Ukrainian Air Force Spokesman, reported that the Russians launched the production of unidentified drones using engines from AliExpress. This UAV is an attack type; it carries several kilograms of explosives, so it poses a danger.

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Russia launched its first major offensive in months on the village of Avdiivka  but it's not going well.

Ukraine and Western observers have pointed to huge Russian vehicle and troop losses.

An analyst told Insider it shows Russia hasn't learned lessons from earlier big defeats.

Russia's is taking heavy losses as it pushes hard to take the Ukrainian village of Avdiivka  illustrating in the process that it isn't learning from previous defeats, an analyst said.

Riley Bailey, who works at the Institute for the Study of War, told Insider that Russia's attempts to attack Avdiivka are going badly because it has failed to adapt since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"The kind of chaotic mechanized assaults that we're seeing around right now, these very disorderly armored columns of armored vehicles of stopping and getting struck by Ukrainian forces, that's very reminiscent of a lot of the assaults that we saw on the Russian side at the start of the full-scale invasion," Bailey said.

Western observers have remarked on large Russian losses around Avdiivka, where Russia has failed to make significant advances despite committing large numbers of troops and vehicles.

Bailey pointed to Russia's efforts in Vuhledar, another town nearby, where Russian attacks ended in defeat and huge tank losses earlier this year.

That should have prompted a new approach, but instead Russia hasn't "learned a lesson about how to properly conduct mechanized maneuver warfare," he said.

A still from Ukrainian footage released on Sunday shows burning vehicles near Avdiivka. 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Russia launched its assault on Avdiivka, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, on October 10, Ukraine said.

UK intelligence said it was likely Russia's most serious offensive operation since at least January.

Ukrainian officials have described relentless attacks. Ukraine says it is consistently repelling them, and denying Russia the ability to encircle Avdiivka.

No major Russian breakthrough has been reported, suggesting that Ukraine's claim to be holding the line is correct.

Analysts at The Atlantic Council said on Tuesday that Russia had "achieved only limited advances while suffering very significant losses in both men and equipment."

Ukraine said Russia lost more than 6,000 soldiers and more than 400 armored vehicles and tanks in one week, though it isn't possible to verify its figures.

US and other Western officials have sometimes given more modest assessments of the damage Ukraine has been able to inflict on Russia.

Ukrainian units have shared footage of intense fighting and destroyed Russian vehicles.

Bailey said Avdiivka proves that Russia hasn't "addressed persistent, pervasive systematic issues in their offensive campaign."

"And instead of addressing those issues, then launching a larger offensive operation, they went ahead with launching the offensive operation anyways."

Avdiivka is a gateway to Russia-occupied Ukraine, making it a big prize for both sides. Ukraine recaptured the village in September.

Bailey described Russia's fight there as having "met pretty immediate setbacks," resulting in losses of troops and vehicles.

Russia then got quieter, in what Ukraine called a "regrouping," he said. Russia's attacks, and losses, have escalated again since.

The UK MOD said on Sunday that Russia's assaults at Avdiivka "have contributed to a 90% increase in Russian casualties," citing Ukraine's own figures.

Ukraine said on Friday that Russia lost almost 50 tanks in a day there.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week appeared to downplay expectations for what Russia might achieve there.

Russia appears to have made some advances, with the ISW assessing that it took control of territory northeast of Avdiivka. But Ukraine has also made confirmed progress in other directions from the village.

The fighting in Avdiivka is continuing. The ISW said on Sunday that Russia was funneling more resources to the area.

Both Russia and Ukraine have struggled against each others' defenses this year, Bailey noted, resulting in a grinding war with few breakthroughs for either side.

Bailey described Avdiivka and its surrounding areas as some of Ukraine's most-fortified places, contested since Russian-allied troops first began attacking eastern Ukraine in 2014.

He said it didn't make much sense to attack there. Perhaps, he said, the Russians were hoping to catch Ukraine off-guard, as the area had been relatively quiet.

But, as Insider previously reported, the US said that an attack there was not in reality much of a surprise  and Ukraine appears to have been ready.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed seven Russian tanks overnight

A further 800 Russian troops have been eliminated in Ukraine along with dozens of artillery systems and armored combat vehicles over the past 24 hours, according to the General Staffs latest update.

Total Russian losses as of Oct. 25 are as follows:

Personnel: 296,310 (+800),

Tanks: 5,112 (+7),

Armored combat vehicles: 9,697 (+28),

Artillery Systems: 7,125 (+44),

Multiple Launch Rocket Systems: 833 (+5),

Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems: 554 (+2),

Aircraft: 320 (+0),

Helicopters: 324 (+0),

Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): 5,372 (+9),

Cruise Missiles: 1,538 (+1),

Ships / Boats: 20 (+0),

Submarines: 1 (+0),

Automotive equipment and tanks: 9,474 (+27),

Specialized Equipment: 1007 (+1).

Read also:

Ukrainian servicemen continue to maintain a strong defense and Russian in recent days have been "impressive," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a recent address to the nation.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov during a meeting at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator to help end the Israel-Hamas war, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that "no one could suspect us of playing up to one party." (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas. But the conflict also is giving Moscow bold new opportunities  to advance its role as a global power broker and challenge Western efforts to isolate it over Ukraine.

While Moscow lacks leverage to mediate a settlement in the Middle East, it could try to play on some perceived credibility problems with the West's response to the crisis.

It also expects the Israel-Hamas war to distract attention from the fighting in Ukraine and erode support for Kyiv.

There are risks for Moscow, however. It could damage its relationship with Israel, which until now has kept it from sending weapons to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel. At the same time, he warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, likening it to Nazi Germany's siege of Leningrad during World War II.

He has cast the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy, charging that Washington has opted for economic handouts to the Palestinians and abandoned efforts to help create a Palestinian state.

Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.

Despite that claim of even-handedness, a U.N. Security Council resolution that Russia submitted last week condemning violence against civilians made no mention of Hamas. It was rejected by the council.

China was among a few countries that backed the Russian draft, reflecting a shared stance by Moscow and Beijing. Chinese and Russian Middle East envoys met last week to discuss working together to help cool the situation, noting their adherence to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

While U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Western leaders visited Israel to show support, Putin waited for nine days before calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , even though they previously had developed warm personal ties. Putin also discussed the war in calls with the leaders of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the head of the Palestinian Authority.

Putin offered Netanyahu condolences to the families of Israelis killed by Hamas and emphasized his strong rejection and condemnation of any actions that victimize the civilian population, including women and children, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. He also emphasized the need for a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means, it added. Netanyahus office said he told Putin that Israel would not stop until it had eliminated Hamas.

Unlike Putin, who carefully balanced his statements, other Russian officials were more blunt in their criticism of Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said that while Hamas unleashed the war, Israels response was disproportionate and inhumane.

The Kremlins maneuvering may reflect domestic politics, with Muslims making up about 15% of the its population. The Moscow-backed leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke strongly in support of the Palestinians, assailing Israel for capturing their lands and establishing blockades.

Moscows stance won quick praise from Hamas, which said it appreciates Russias call for a cease-fire. Russias statements also play well in the Arab world, where many have accused the U.S. and its allies of squarely supporting Israel while turning a blind eye to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.

But this position also threatens Russia's friendly ties with Israel, which hasnt joined Western sanctions against Moscow or given weapons to Ukraine.

There is a real threat of exacerbation of our ties with Israel in the current situation, said Andrei Kortunov, academic director of the Russian International Affairs Council.

The Times of Israel reported Tuesday an Israeli diplomat expressed displeasure with the role Russia is playing to Moscow's diplomatic officials, voicing hope the Kremlin will take more balanced positions.

Amir Weitmann, a leading member of Netanyahus Likud party, accused Russia of supporting Hamas. Speaking on Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT, he warned that after Israel defeats Hamas, we will make sure that Ukraine wins, we will make sure that you pay the price for what you have done.

Asked about Israeli criticism of Moscow's stance on the war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Russia's condemnation of terrorism and reaffirmed its push for a quick cease-fire and the need for a Palestinian state.

Amid what Israel sees as Moscow's pro-Palestinian stance, some prominent Russian voices have backed Israel.

In a sign of the split sympathies, the head of the most popular political talk show on Russian state TV, Vladimir Solovyov, fired one expert on his televised panel who alleged in an online interview that two of Moscows top diplomats have anti-Israeli sentiments.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy expert, described Russias Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, as leaning toward Arab countries and alleged that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova detests Israel. He later apologized.

Some commentators described the anti-Israeli sentiments as a throwback to Soviet times.

Friendship with the Arabs against Israel and the West is an important part of that legacy, Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said in an analysis. A global rebellion against the Western order to a certain extent makes Russia and Hamas natural allies and certainly prevents them from being enemies.

Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council argued that Russia could use its strong contacts with Iran and Syria to help negotiate a settlement.

Russia could be part of a multilateral coalition that would offer security guarantees, he said. Its very important to maintain a well-balanced, delicate approach that wouldnt alienate either party.

Izabella Tabarovsky, senior adviser at the Kennan Institute, noted that for Putin, Hamas' "attack and the anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip present an opportunity to shed his pariah status and elevate his profile as the Middle East faces its most dangerous crisis in years.

___

Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war and https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Russias military conducted drills Wednesday and simulated a nuclear strike just hours after the upper house of the Russian parliament revoked the ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty.

The bill will now be passed to Russian President Vladimir Putin s desk after the upper house voted Tuesday. The bill removes Russias ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) signed in 1996 and ratified in 2000.

The state television showed Putin overseeing the exercise Wednesday via a video call with top military officials, The Associated Press reported.

Russias Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said the drills, which included multiple practices of launching ballistic and cruise missiles, are meant as a practice for dealing a massive nuclear strike with strategic offensive forces in response to a nuclear strike by the enemy.

Similar drills are practiced every year, but Shoigus comments come amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the battle in Ukraine.

Putin first floated the idea of removing the ratification of the CTBT last month, pointing to the United Statess decision to sign the nuclear test ban but not ratify it.

Russia has waited 23 years for something to change in Washington in terms of ratification, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Regrettably, no indications that the U.S. is going to follow this path are visible, and so we have no choice but to balance our position, Ryabkov said.

The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. It has yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, Egypt or the United States.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was not concerned by China increasing the capabilities of its nuclear arsenal, stressing Moscow's "advanced strategic partnership" with Beijing and China's sovereign right to ensure its own security.

China has launched its first nuclear-powered guided missile submarines, according to the Pentagon's latest report on China's military, giving it land and sea attack options that were once the sole province of U.S. and Russian vessels.

"This does not cause us concern, our relations are an advanced strategic partnership, we have the most advanced stage of political dialogue, economic interaction," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"And in this case, China, which faces very serious challenges for its own security in the region, is taking steps that it considers appropriate.

"This is the absolute sovereign right of this country."

Russia has forged even closer commercial, political and security ties with China, part of what they call a "no limits" partnership, since Moscow's decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering sweeping Western sanctions.

The Pentagon report, published on Oct. 20, marks the first apparent confirmation that modified submarines seen in Chinese shipyards over the last 18 months are Type 093B guided missile submarines.

Russia has been tweaking its own legislation on nuclear matters this month, with parliament on Wednesday completing the passage of a law that withdraws Moscow's ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests.

Russia says it will not resume nuclear testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts are concerned it may be inching towards a test that the West would perceive as a threatening escalation in the context of the Ukraine war.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Gareth Jones)
As a result of a night attack by Russia, a fire station in Khmelnytskyi Oblast was damaged

Russia has most likely concentrated its air raids on Khmelnytskyi Oblast in recent days due to the presence of numerous critical infrastructure facilities in the region, according to the regional military administrations deputy head, Serhiy Tyurin , on Oct. 25.

Read also: British Army instructs Ukrainian engineers on hardening infrastructures defenses against Russian winter attacks

"We have numerous critical infrastructure facilities in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. The enemy is now preparing to deprive us of light and heat, just like last year," Tyurin said.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively involved in repelling such attacks, but the enemy hasbeen attacking Khmelnytskyi Oblast, as well as other regions of Ukraine, by various means throughout the period of the full-scale invasion. There is no safe region in Ukraine."

Twenty people were injured and 20 buildings sustained damage in Khmelnytskyi Oblast overnight after a Russian drone attack, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko on Oct. 25.

Nine houses, 11 multi-story residential buildings, two educational institutions, an administrative building, a store, and several vehicles were damaged by falling debris in Slavuta, Shepetivka district.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
66 combat clashes took place at the front, the Russians tried to advance on seven fronts over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 18:00 on 25 October

Quote: "In total, the enemy launched 47 air strikes and carried out 25 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas."

"During the day, the aircraft of the Defence Forces carried out seven strikes on areas where enemy personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated.

Ukraine's Rocket Forces struck three ammunition storage points, six artillery pieces, and an enemy air defence radar station."

Details: On the Kupiansk front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful assault actions near Synkivka, Petropavlivka and Ivanivka (Kharkiv Oblast). Here, Ukraine's Defence Forces repelled 11 Russian attacks.

All Russian attacks were repelled on the Lyman front near Nadiia and Makiivka (Luhansk Oblast).

On the Bakhmut front, there were seven unsuccessful hostile attacks near the settlements of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Avdiivka front, Russian invaders conducted unsuccessful assault actions with air support in the area of Stepove, Avdiivka, Tonenke and Sieverne (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Marinka front, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful assault actions with air support in the area of Marinka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk Oblast), where Ukraines Defence Forces repelled 14 hostile attacks.

On the Shakhtarsk front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful assault operations, using air support near the settlements of Vodiane, Novoukrainka and Staromaiorske (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Zaporizhzhia front, Ukrainian soldiers repelled a Russian attack near Verbove (Zaporizhzhia Oblast).

At the same time, Ukraine's Defence Forces continue to conduct an offensive operation on the Melitopol front and offensive (assault) actions on the Bakhmut front, inflicting significant losses in manpower and equipment on the Russian forces and exhausting the Russians along the entire front line.

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Khmelnytsky NPP

Explosions around the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) did not affect its operations, although several auxiliary buildings on site were damaged, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement on Oct. 25.

IAEA experts reported hearing two loud explosions in the early morning of Oct. 25. They later learned about two UAVs shot down approximately 5 and 20 kilometers away from the facility.

Read also: Injuries reported after Russian drone attack on Khmelnytskyi Oblast rise to 20

The IAEA's Director General, Rafael Grossi , stated that this incident once again highlights the extremely unstable nuclear safety situation in Ukraine due to Russian aggression.

The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was, said Grossi.

Read also: Kuleba met IAEA chief Grossi to discuss Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP

Next time, we may not be so fortunate. Hitting a nuclear power plant must be avoided at all costs.

Read also: Ukraine assures IAEA it will not attack Zaporizhzhya NPP directly

According to the IAEA, there was no direct impact from the drones on the facility; the explosions did not affect the NPP's operations or its connection to Ukrianes power grid. However, the shock wave damaged the windows of several buildings on the site, including the entrance to the reactor buildings, auxiliary buildings, special equipment units, and training centers.

The IAEA team is still assessing the exact scale of the damage.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
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The Russian Defence Ministry is continuing to demonstrate in every possible way that the Minister, Sergei Shoigu , is allegedly taking an active part in the war against Ukraine and even is constantly at the frontline; another video of an alleged visit by Shoigu to Ukraine was published on Telegram on 25 October.

Source: Russian Defence Ministry on Telegram

Details: The Defence Ministry claims that Shoigu allegedly inspected the forward command post of the Russian Vostok (East) group of troops deployed in the southern part of the Donetsk front.

At the command post, it is claimed he heard reports from the group commander and staff officers on the current situation, the nature of Russia's actions and the performance of Russian troops in the main tactical areas.

Shoigu was shown sitting in a room which looks odd - for some reason it is camouflaged on the inside walls with scrim nets and there are samples of various weapons and drones in the background.

screenshot: video

He looked at some maps and other papers blurred out in the video, gesticulated, and even thumped the table while being filmed aboard the helicopter. However, what was discussed during this visit is unknown because Shoigu only says two words in the video, "comrade officers", and then the sound is turned off.

Lieutenant General Andrei Kuzmenko, the commander of the Vostok group, reported on the implementation of Shoigu's orders "regarding the formation of regular units for the use of UAVs in subordinate troops, staffing them with trained specialists, as well as providing all units with strike and reconnaissance unmanned systems, including FPV drones."

He also mentioned the "specifics of assault unit tactics... during the performance of combat tasks to capture the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by assault groups" and so on.

Screenshot: Video

The Russian Defence Ministry stressed that Shoigu allegedly drew the commanders' special attention to "timely and sufficient provision of all personnel of the group with new winter uniforms, as well as to the shaping of an additional operational reserve of winter uniforms and insulated footwear."

Why it is important: Against the background of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russia has tried in every possible way to demonstrate the alleged permanent presence of its military leadership at the front. In particular, in August, the Russians claimed that Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, had visited the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine. A video of a supposed visit by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to the war zone in Ukraine appeared a few days later.

However, it is never clear from the video reports of Russias Defence Ministry where its leaders actually were.

Moreover, the department has already been caught lying.

For example, on 18 December 2022, the Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation published a video in which its head Sergei Shoigu is inspecting military positions in a helicopter. But later, it turned out that, in fact, Shoigu was about 80 kilometres away from the front line in temporarily occupied Crimea.

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The sun sets over a destroyed building in Izyum, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia fired almost a dozen Shahed drones against Ukrainian targets and falling debris from an intercepted drone damaged power lines near a nuclear plant in the country's west, knocking out electricity to hundreds of people, officials said Wednesday. Ukraines air force said it stopped all the drones that were launched.

For the fourth day in a row, the Kremlins forces took aim at the Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi, injuring 16 people, according to local authorities.

Ukraines Ministry of Energy Infrastructure said falling drone wreckage in Khmelnytskyi broke windows in the administrative building and the laboratory of the local nuclear plant and knocked out electricity to more than 1,800 customers. The plant is about 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of the border with Poland.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country's air defenses are preparing for another winter of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as the war enters its 21st month.

But Kyiv also plans to take the fight to Russia through its ongoing counteroffensive, he said.

This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond, Zelenskyy said. The enemy knows this well.

Last winter, Moscows drones and missiles zeroed in on Ukraines power grid, hoping to erode the countrys will to resist Russia's invasion by denying civilians heating. Ukraine said it was an effort to weaponize winter.

Ukrainians are bracing for another onslaught.

The looming wintry weather could further hamper battlefield movements in a conflict that is largely deadlocked and compel the warring sides to focus more on long-range strikes, including drones that have played a key role in the war.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Russia is likely trying to expand and diversify its arsenal of drones, missiles and guided bombs for strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure ahead of the change in weather.

Russia appears to be increasingly supplementing the use of Shahed  drones with cheaper and lighter domestically produced drone variants during strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, it said in an assessment late Tuesday.

Russian news reports have mentioned one such drone, Italmas, which reportedly has a range of about 200 kilometers (120 miles), allowing Moscow's forces to strike targets far beyond the front line. Another is an upgraded version of the Lancet drone. It has an extended range compared to its previous version, which has been used extensively on the battlefield.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited his countrys forces deployed in eastern Ukraine, his ministry said Wednesday, meeting with senior officers in the southern part of the Donetsk region to discuss preparations for the winter, according to the defense ministry.

The chief of the eastern group of forces, Lt. Gen. Andrei Kuzmenko, reported on forming dedicated drone units in the area and on storm units tactics in capturing Ukrainian strongholds, the ministry said.

It also said that four Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russias western Bryansk region early Wednesday. Another was jammed and forced down near Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea.

In Ukraine, at least three civilians were killed in the east and south over the previous 24 hours, and 22 people were injured in the west and southeast, the presidential office reported Wednesday.

___

Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Ukrainian Armed Forces

Unlike other groups like the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and the Freedom of Russia Legion, the soldiers in the Siberia Battalion are part of the regular Ukrainian army. They are expected to be deployed to the front lines soon, further underscoring their commitment to Ukraines cause.

Read also: Ukrainian intelligence predicts more conflicts in Russia after RDK raids into Belgorod Oblast

Among the ethnic minorities represented are Yakuts and Buryats from Eastern Siberia. Activists from these groups have expressed their desire for independence from Russia and see Ukraines victory as a significant step toward realizing that aspiration.

An unnamed representative of the Ukrainian army revealed that all 60 members of the Siberia Battalion are volunteers who were not recruited from among Russian prisoners of war.

The Ukrainian military is working to expedite the background check process, which usually takes up to a year, in an effort to encourage more Russians, especially those from ethnic minorities, to join their ranks.

Read also:

Ukraines intention is to engage more Russian citizens, particularly those from minority groups, in the fight against Russias aggression.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Hypersonic missile system X-47M2 Kinzhal

Subcontractors of Russian enterprises that produce Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have so far avoided European sanctions, allowing them to import necessary goods from various EU countries, Russian outlet The Insider reported on Oct. 25.

The Kinzhal air-launched missiles, based on Iskander ballistic missiles, are produced by Mashinostroyeniya Design Bureau (KBM) in Kolomna, which is part of the Rostec state corporation. The KBM is headed by 64-year-old Sergey Pitykov.

Read also: Ukrainian Air Force downs six Kinzhal and six Kalibr missiles over Kyiv and oblast during Russian attack

According to data on the Russian state procurement website, KBM receives thermal chambers produced by the Moscow-based Ostek-Test, which continues to import equipment from Poland even during the war. Some of the shipments were made by Intertrans from Polands Siedlce.

Read also: Russian missiles target Zaporizhzhya, striking an industrial zone

There are also many supplies coming from Germany. In particular, the lathe machines were supplied by KEB-Rus, a partner of the German company KEB Automation, an authorized supplier of components and a developer of control systems for process technology and related equipment. During the war, KEB-Rus also imports cables from Germany.

Read also: Eight-year-old boy killed as Russian Kinzhal missiles strike western Ukraine

Another Rostec subsidiary, the Scientific Research Institute of Electronic Devices, develos the "brains" for the Kinzhals. Its subcontractor is Radiant-EK, which also supplied integrated circuits directly to KBM. Radiant-EK imports coils and tapes for protective packaging of electronic components from Germany (Advantek Gmbh).

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Both houses of the Russian parliament unanimously approved a bill to withdraw Russia from the nuclear test ban treaty on Oct. 25, passing the bill on to dictator Vladimir Putin for final approval.

Earlier in October, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said that Russia would end its compliance with the treaty in order to be "on equal footing" with the U.S.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) has been signed by 187 countries since its origin in 1996, but several, including the U.S., have not ratified it. As a result, it has never officially come into force, but in practice has introduced a taboo on testing nuclear weapons.

Russia signed the CTBT in 1996 and ratified it in 2000

No country besides North Korea has officially conducted a nuclear test in 25 years.

Although Ulyanov and other Russian officials claim that Russia has no intention to test nuclear weapons (unless the U.S. does first), the very act of withdrawing is a demonstrable rebuke to global norms.

It is further exacerbated by the numerous nuclear threats that Russia has made since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In addition, Russia is illegally occupying Europe's largest nuclear plant in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast and has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

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Russias upper house of parliament voted to revoke the countrys ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty on Tuesday, an idea first floated by Russian President Vladimir Putin late last month.

The bill removes Russias ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, signed in 1996 and ratified in 2000. The countrys lower house passed a similar bill last week, and it will now go to Putin to sign.

Parliament leaders previously said the move is meant to keep parity with the U.S., as the U.S. signed but never ratified the treaty.

State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin cited Western allies support for Ukraine against Russian invasion as another reason to consider going back on the ban.

Washington and Brussels have unleashed a war against our country, Volodin said early this month. Todays challenges require new decisions.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the change in policy is in response to a lack of action from the U.S. on the treaty.

We believe that the 23 years that we have been waiting for something to change in Washington in terms of ratification are quite a sufficient time for this step to be made, he said earlier this month. Regrettably, no indications that the U.S. is going to follow this path are visible, and so we have no choice but to balance our position.

But going back on the ban doesnt mean that nuclear weapons tests will begin again. Ryabkov said Russia would only restart its nuclear testing program if the U.S. did first.

Defense analysts have theorized the timing of the test ban change could put pressure on the U.S. and Western allies to stop backing Ukraine.

Russian officials have repeatedly threatened escalation of conflict with the U.S. and Western allies over their support for Ukraine.

Imagine if the offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land, then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in July.

There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our [warriors success]. They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has reported that it exposed Russian secret services recruiting Ukrainian teenagers to carry out anti-Semitic provocations in different regions of Ukraine.

Source: press services of the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine and the Prosecutors Office of Zhytomyr Oblast

Quote: "By recruiting underage Ukrainian boys the Russian special services were trying to incite anti-Semitism in Zhytomyr Oblast as well as in the cities of Dnipro, Lviv and Vinnytsia.

As a result of complex measures the SSU has neutralised a network of saboteurs which the aggressor was secretly using.

The group consisted of 13- to 17-year-old students of local schools. The Russian special services have created a radical right-wing Telegram-channel for young people in order to recruit them remotely.

The Russian administrators of this Internet resource were using psychological manipulations to urge Ukrainian teenagers to commit anti-Semitic acts in their settlements.

According to the plan of the Russian special services, these provocations were supposed to be conducted in the form of offensive inscriptions on memorial sites and explosions with the use of self-made explosives there.

Herewith the representatives of the aggressor state suggested the members of the community publish photo- and video-reports of these provocations.

Then the Russian special services spread the media files they received in foreign media as fake publications in order to discredit Ukraine."

Details: The investigation has found out that this Telegram-channel had a special chat called National-Socialist Youth Battalion. It was created and administered by a 14-year old Dnipro city resident. Teenagers from different oblasts of Ukraine were members of the group.

They were fond of Nazi symbols, the propaganda of communist and national-socialist regimes; they spread materials about these topics on social media and urged others to do the same.

For instance, a 15-year old resident of the city of Radomyshl in Zhytomyr Oblast had desecrated memorials on several cemeteries in August 2023 with the communitys approval. He painted Nazi symbols on the steles commemorating the people who fought against nazism during WW2.

On 5 September, the police were informed that an act of vandalism was committed overnight at the Memorial to the Jewish children executed during the Second World War and at the mass grave of fallen soldiers. Nazi symbols and an anti-Semitic inscription were painted on the obelisks.

The boy caused harm to an 85-year-old local woman as well, painting symbols and an inscription indicating her nationality on the walls of her house.

Photo: Prosecutor's office

The boy took photos of the damage done and sent them to the administrator of the chat to spread them online.

Members of law enforcement have exposed other members of the online community aged 13-17. The investigators of the Chief Directorate of the National Police of Zhytomyr Oblast jointly with the personnel of the SSU Directorate have conducted authorised searches in their places of residence.

During the searches they have found and seized spray paint, books dedicated to corresponding topics, gadgets the teenagers used for committing unlawful acts in the places of residence (the cities of Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Radomyshl) of the persons of interest.

A pre-trial investigation is underway, the involvement of other persons is being established.

The SSU asks Ukrainians to be cautious and control the interests of their children in order to prevent the Russian special services influencing them. They also call on the citizens not to give in to the provocations, and assist law enforcement officers in exposing the organisers, executors and accomplices of unlawful acts.

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Russian forces again targeted the western Khmelnytskyi Oblast overnight, and although Ukrainian air defenses shot down the incoming projectiles, falling debris damaged buildings and injured at least 16 people, first deputy head of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration Serhii Tiurin said on Oct. 25.

It was the fourth day in a row that Khmelnytskyi Oblast had been attacked by Russian forces.

Ukraine's Air Force later said that 11 Shahed-type drones had been shot down overnight, including over Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko clarified that drone debris landed in the city of Slavuta, damaging a number of residential and commercial buildings, as well as wounding 16 people.

Vasyl Sydor, mayor of Slavuta, said that critical services were working, he said, but schools and kindergartens would not be open on Oct. 25.

In both Slavuta and a neighboring city Netishyn, police and fire department buildings were also damaged.

Located about 450 kilometers from Kyiv and around 950 kilometers from the front line, Khmelnytskyi Oblast has nonetheless been regularly targeted by Russian attacks.

Read also: Record Russian armor, personnel losses in failed attempt to take Avdiivka by storm

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan

(Reuters) -Russia's parliament completed the passage of a law on Wednesday withdrawing ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, evidence of the deep chill in relations with the United States as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was not prepared to resume discussing nuclear issues with the U.S. unless Washington dropped its "hostile" policy.

The bill to deratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the upper house after the lower house also passed it unanimously. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing.

Putin had requested the change to "mirror" the position of the United States, which signed the CTBT in 1996 but never ratified it.

Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo - no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century.

Russia says it will not resume testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts say a test by either Russia or the United States could trigger a new arms race - and more testing by other countries - at a moment of acute tension, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.

CNN published satellite images last month showing that Russia, the United States and China have all expanded their nuclear test sites in recent years.

The U.S. Energy Department said last week it had conducted a chemical explosion at its test site in Nevada "to improve the United States' ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world".

Speaking to Russian lawmakers before Wednesday's vote, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Nevada blast was "undoubtedly a political signal".

"As our president said, we must be on alert, and if the United States moves towards the start of nuclear tests, we will have to respond here in the same way," he said.

Russia says its monitoring stations will keep supplying data to the global network that detects nuclear blasts.

But In separate comments, RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying Russia was not ready to resume nuclear talks with the U.S.

Without changes in its "deeply fundamental hostile course", he said, "a return to dialogue on strategic stability, including the topic of strategic offensive arms and other topics in the form that was previously practised, is simply impossible".

Russia accuses Washington of trying to inflict a "strategic defeat" on it by arming Ukraine in the war. The U.S. says it is helping Kyiv to defend itself.

The absence of nuclear dialogue has called into question the fate of the New START treaty, which limits the number of strategic warheads that Russia and the U.S. can deploy.

Russia suspended the treaty this year and it is due to expire in 2026, leaving the two countries without any remaining bilateral nuclear weapons agreement.

Ryabkov said Moscow had received an unofficial memo from Washington on arms control and was looking at it, but it had "no novel elements".

(Reporting by Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Russian forces have tried to assault Ukrainian positions on the Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Lyman, Marinka, Shakhtarske and Zaporizhzhia fronts. About 80 combat clashes took place on the front during the day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, information as of 06:00 on 25 October

Quote: "About 80 combat clashes took place during the day. The enemy launched six missile strikes and 51 air strikes and carried out 66 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas There were casualties among the civilian population. Private residential buildings, apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged."

Details: In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group on the Avdiivka front, the Russians have kept trying to encircle the city of Avdiivka and have actively used their aircraft, whereas Ukrainian soldiers have steadfastly held the defence, inflicting heavy losses on them. The Russian offensive near the settlements of Stepove, Avdiivka, Sieverne, and Nevelske (Donetsk Oblast) was a failure, as the Ukrainian Defence Forces repelled over 10 attacks.

On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian troops repelled 10 Russian attacks near the settlements of Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast). Ukrainian Defence Forces pursued their assault operations south of the city of Bakhmut (Donetsk Oblast), inflicting losses in military personnel and equipment on the Russian occupying forces and consolidating their positions.

In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group on the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian soldiers repelled about 10 Russian attacks near the settlements of Synkivka and Ivanivka (Kharkiv Oblast).

On the Lyman front, Ukrainian Defence Forces are holding their ground and have repelled just about all Russian attacks near the settlements of Nadiia and Makiivka (Luhansk Oblast).

On the Marinka front, the Russians launched unsuccessful assault operations around the populated areas of Marinka and Pobieda (Donetsk Oblast), with Ukrainian troops repelling more than 20 Russian attacks.

On the Shakhtarsk and Zaporizhzhia fronts, Ukrainian defenders repelled all Russian attacks near Novomykhailivka, Prechystivka, Staromaiorske, south of Zolova Nyva (Donetsk Oblast) and southeast of Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia Oblast).

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defence Forces are pursuing an offensive operation on the Melitopol front, enjoying partial success west of Verbove and inflicting losses in military personnel and equipment on the Russian occupying forces and exhausting the Russians along the entire line of contact.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational Strategic Group on the Kherson front, Ukrainian Defence Forces are leading their counter-battery operations, striking the Russian rear.

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.

In the area of responsibility of the Pivnich (North) Operational Strategic Group on the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, Russian forces are maintaining their military presence in the border areas, undertaking sabotage activities to prevent Ukrainian troops from being deployed to vulnerable areas, and is increasing the density of minefields along the state border in Russia's Belgorod Oblast.

Ukraine's Air Force launched 13 attacks on clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment and three attacks on Russian anti-aircraft missile systems over the past 24 hours.

Ukraines Rocket Forces and Artillery destroyed 12 Russian artillery pieces, a logistics hub, a command post, an air defence system, as well as two clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment.

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(Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected command posts of Russian troops in Ukraine's Donetsk region, his ministry said on Wednesday, during a working visit close to the war's front lines.

Shoigu, savagely criticised by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin until the latter was killed in a plane crash in August, has been shown several times this month in televised clips designed to project confidence about the state of Russia's war inside Ukraine.

He told assembled servicemen that their efforts were giving Ukrainian forces "fewer and fewer opportunities".

Ukraine in June undertook a counteroffensive, capturing villages in the east and south, but at a much slower pace than its rapid advance through the northeast a year ago. Ukraine says Russian forces in recent days have been pounding the eastern city of Avdiivka but have sustained heavy losses.

Video footage published by the ministry showed Shoigu disembarking from a helicopter before engaging in discussions with senior military personnel.

Shoigu was informed of Russian troops' training improvements with drones, the ministry said. He stressed that commanders should ensure that troops have new winter uniforms and insulated footwear as colder weather sets in.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and John Stonestreet)
Shoigu was filmed talking with soldiers hearing reports from senior officers (Handout)

Russia claimed Wednesday it was exhausting Ukraine's army, 20 months into a conflict in which neither side has made recent significant gains.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made the comments during a visit to east Ukraine, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

"The situation today suggests the enemy has fewer and fewer opportunities. And they will continue to be reduced, thanks exclusively to your combat work," Shoigu told Russian soldiers.

He was also filmed smiling and laughing when a Russian soldier told him Ukrainian troops were "in a panic".

It has been months since either Russia or Ukraine made a significant territorial gain in the 20-month conflict, as losses continue to mount. Analysts say the conflict is approaching a winter stalemate.

The defence ministry did not say when Shoigu's visit to Russia's "Vostok" -- or East -- command post took place.

In a rare admission, it also quoted soldiers telling Shoigu that heavy Ukrainian artillery fire was having an effect.

"The enemy's artillery is causing a lot of problems. We are taking measures," the soldiers were quoted as saying.

The defence minister has faced criticism inside Russia for Moscow's failure to make more significant gains during its assault on Ukraine.

Russian forces have recently stepped up their attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, but have failed to make any significant advances.

It has suffered a string of manpower and equipment losses in its attempt to seize the city -- which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance -- according to Kyiv and independent military analysts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday his troops were facing "heavy, tough battles" around Avdiivka, but were "holding their positions".

News of Shoigu's visit comes a day after Zelensky said Kyiv had managed to disrupt Russian attacks from the Black Sea and the annexed peninsula of Crimea.

"The Russian fleet is no longer capable of operating in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually fleeing Crimea. This is a historic achievement," Zelensky told a diplomatic summit Tuesday.

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Thomas C. Quick, chairman and CEO of Safeguard Palm Beach, speaks during Monday's breakfast event.

CEO, chairman and co-founder of the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation John Scarpa, left, introduces retired Army 1st Sgt. Matt Eversmann.

Members of Palm Beach Fire Rescue were among those attending Safeguards season-opening breakfast event.

Safeguard Palm Beach launched its season Monday by kicking off its Breakfast Series at The Colony.

Safeguard previously was the Palm Beach Crime Watch division of the the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation, which announced the name change this month.

Featured speaker was retired Army 1st Sgt. Matt Eversmann, a veteran of the Iraq War, and the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent, which was made famous by the book and film Black Hawk Down.

Related: Palm Beach Crime Watch is now Safeguard Palm Beach after rebranding

Eversmann used Operation Gothic Serpent to illustrate the similarities between people in the military, the police force and fire rescue.

I feel like theres a lot of commonalities which you might expect from these type of men and women who are drawn to danger, they run to the gun shots, said Eversmann. What Id like to do is to share from my experience as a soldier what makes people do the things we say is very brave.

Police officers and town officials attended Monday's event.

Selfless service is the driving force for the men and women who serve, Eversmann said, noting that they put the needs of others first."

He noted that the night before the battle of Mogadishu, he realized that his ultimate purpose as a soldier was to protect others.

He praised the young soldiers under his command who did not flinch in the face of daunting odds.

I see courage as doing your job when youre scared, he said, citing another trait that is shared by folks in the military, police force and fire services.

Finally, he highlighted the role of duty, which he said simply was fulfilling your obligation.

As an example of the epitome of duty, Eversmann detailed the sacrifice of Delta Force Snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, who gave their lives protecting Mike Durant, a crew member of a helicopter shot down during the battle.

"They were average guys that did an extraordinary thing, because in the end it was their duty," said Eversmann.

Eversmann called for recognition of the civilian and military departments that work daily to protect the people they serve.

People say 'thank you for your service' to soldiers all the time, said Eversmann. But we got to start saying to our police officers and firemen, thank you for your service, because thats what they do, and thats what they deserve.

Also speaking at Monday's event were Thomas C. Quick, chairman and CEO of Safeguard Palm Beach, and John Scarpa, CEO, chairman and co-founder of the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation.

Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Safeguard Palm Beach hosts Battle of Mogadishu veteran
A prominent Michigan politician and friend of synagogue president Samantha Woll has opened up about the last time she saw the slain leader alive.

Just hours before she was found stabbed to death on the sidewalk outside of her Detroit home on Saturday, 40-year-old Woll attended a wedding where she celebrated with friends, authorities previously said.

Woll, the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was her normal, positive, pleasant self. She left the ceremony shortly after midnight, but nothing about her demeanour could have predicted the horrific attack she would endure in the following hours.

She was happy, she was having fun, Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang , a close friend of Woll, told Foxs LiveNow. My last memories of her will always be really happy and positive.

Sen Chang and Woll attended the University of Michigan together and had grown closer in the years that followed through their community work. Woll, who worked as a former aide in Michigan Attorney General Danna Nessels reelection campaign last year, was also part of Sen Changs campaign.

We knocked on a ton of doors together and marched in parades. She was amazing at building a team. She stepped in to help with constituent services in 2017 when I needed help, the senator recounted in a post shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Woll spent the last year of her life working on the renovation of her synagogue, a project she had devoted her time and effort to, according to friends. Sen Chang said that during her last conversation with Woll, the slain president had shared exciting news about a new job opportunity.

Senator Stephanie Chang (L) and Samantha Woll (R) (Senator Stephanie Chang/X)

Detroit, Michigan, and the world were so lucky to have her light shine for the 40 years we had her, Sen Chang added in her post. To all those who had the great fortune of being her friend -- I am sending you my love, condolences and wishes for peace and strength.

Detroit Police Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday that Woll was last seen at the wedding before she was killed. The chief said that investigators are conducting countless interviews but dont believe Wolls death is linked in any way to the wedding.

Authorities have also ruled out the possibility of a home invasion, and do not believe that Wolls stabbing was motivated by antisemitism.

Woll left the wedding at around 12.30am. Six hours later, law enforcement responded to a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive.

A law enforcement agent walks near the scene near the scene where a Detroit synagogue president, Samantha Woll, was found dead

Police believe that Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home and she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

Chief White said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

The Detroit Police Department is working in partnership with the FBI and Michigan State Police and has already identified persons of interest.

We are working through what we have identified as some persons of interest ... but we are very early in the investigation, Chief White said, adding that Woll might or might have not known her killer. We have a number of people who give us interest, we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect.

Authorities have asked anyone with information to reach investigators at 1-800-SPEAK-UP (7732-587).
Authorities investigating the fatal stabbing of synagogue leader Samantha Woll have yet to name a suspect days after the murder that shocked the Detroit community.

At around 6.30am on Saturday, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood.

Authorities believe she was attacked inside her home and then stumbled out before collapsing on the sidewalk.

On Monday, Detroit Police Chief James White said at a press conference that his agency is working in partnership with the FBI and Michigan State Police and has already identified persons of interest.

Chief White also said there was no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

We are working through what we have identified as some persons of interest ... but we are very early in the investigation, he said. We have a number of people who give us interest, we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect.

Woll once worked as a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Key Points

She acted with profound solidarity, Samantha Wolls friend says

15:30 , Andrea Blanco

In an opinion piece published on Monday The Jewish Daily Forward, Rabbi Alana Alpert wrote that Woll had been planning a Muslim-Jewish dinner in the weeks that preceded her death.

That request really epitomized her: always thoughtful, always building welcoming and diverse communities, always acting from profound solidarity, Alpert wrote.

Alpert also touched on the speculation surrounding Wolls death, asking the community not to jump to conclusions and wait until the investigation is concluded.

Authorities said earlier this week that Wolls stabbing is not believed to have been motivated by anti-Semitism.

Samantha Woll remembered for her interfaith work

13:30 , Andrea Blanco

The Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations called her death a tragic loss, noting interfaith work with Wolls congregation.

That included a prayer vigil for the victims of the deadly 2018 attack on a Pennsylvania synagogue.

We are troubled by the horrific murder of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, said Dawud Walid, the Muslim advocacy groups executive director, in a Saturday statement.

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death in her home. Police have no idea why

11:30 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities in Detroit believe that 40-year-old Samantha Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood.

Woll, the president of Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue, left a trail of blood as she stumbled outside of her home and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The Independents Andrea Blanco reports:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why

Police say it is confident antisemitism was not motive in Wolls killing

09:30 , Andrea Blanco

A motive in Wolls murder has yet to be established. The possibility of a home invasion has been ruled out.

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Wolls death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime. He said that investigators had found a large Israeli flag in Wolls home that was left untouched, according to ClickOnDetroit.

Chief White said on Monday that his department is seeking a suspect believed to have acted alone, and noted he doesnt think there is a threat to the community at large. He also asked the public to be patient and not jump to conclusions as evidence is reviewed and processed.

We are not in the position to discuss [details,] Chief White said. There are certain factors that are only shared by the suspect and our investigators.

Detroit community mourns the passing of synagogue leader Samantha Woll

07:30 , Andrea Blanco

Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022

05:30 , Andrea Blanco

She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.

By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world, the article read.

She was a source of light, Michigan Governor says about Samantha Woll

03:30 , Andrea Blanco

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Authorities believe Samantha Woll was attacked inside her home

01:30 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities in Detroit said Wolls body was found just outside her home on Saturday morning after someone called officers to alert them of a person lying on the ground unresponsive.

While at the scene, police officers observed a trail of blood leading officers to the victims residence, which is where the crime is believed to have occurred, Cpl Dan Donakowski said.

Police Chief James White said that investigators believe Woll was attacked inside her home and she then stumbled out and eventually collapsed on a sidewalk.

Woll, 40, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

Friend of Samantha Woll says slain synagogue president had been organizing

Wednesday 25 October 2023 23:30 , Andrea Blanco

In an opinion piece published on Monday The Jewish Daily Forward, Rabbi Alana Alpert wrote that Woll had been planning a Muslim-Jewish dinner in the weeks that preceded her death.

That request really epitomized her: always thoughtful, always building welcoming and diverse communities, always acting from profound solidarity, Alpert wrote.

Alpert also touched on the speculation surrounding Wolls death, asking the community not to jump to conclusions and wait until the investigation is concluded.

Authorities said earlier this week that Wolls stabbing is not believed to have been motivated by anti-Semitism.

WATCH: Detroit police say it is close to arresting the suspect in Jewish leader's killing

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:20 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls neighbour reveals disturbing incident around time of murder

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:30 , Andrea Blanco

A couple who lives near the home where a Detroit synagogue leader was killed over the weekend has revealed a disturbing incident that occurred around the time of the murder.

Samantha Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Saturday. Police officials said that it is believed she was attacked inside the home and walked to the street before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Read more:

Samantha Wolls neighbour reveal disturbing incident around time of murder

Slain synagogue president sent heart emoji to friend hours before stabbing death, sister says

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco

The grieving sister of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has revealed her final text before she was stabbed to death over the weekend.

Authorities in Detroit continue investigating 40-year-old Wolls murder on 21 October as it emerged on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed by law enforcement.

Detroit Police Chief James White said Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood and then stumbled out of her residence before collapsing on the sidewalk, leaving behind a trail of blood that led investigators to the disturbing scene.

Woll, the president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was laid to rest on Sunday during a service with more than 1,000 in attendance, including city and state politicians whom she had worked with. The slain community leaders sister Monica Woll Rosen delivered a eulogy, sharing with mourners that Wolls final text was a heart emoji sent to a friend.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, also revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

Friend of Samantha Woll recounts slain synagogue leaders happy, fun final hours

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:30 , Andrea Blanco

Just hours before she was found stabbed to death on the sidewalk outside of her Detroit home on Saturday, 40-year-old Woll attended a wedding where she celebrated with friends, authorities previously said.

Woll, the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was her normal, positive, pleasant self. She left the ceremony shortly after midnight, but nothing about her demeanour could have predicted the horrific attack she would endure in the following hours.

She was happy, she was having fun, Michigan Senator Stephanie Chang, a close friend of Woll, told FOXs LiveNOW. My last memories of her will always be really happy and positive.

Sen Chang and Woll attended the University of Michigan together and had grown closer in the years that followed through their community work. Woll, who worked as a former aide in Michigan Attorney General Danna Nessels reelection campaign last year, was also part of Sen Changs campaign.

Synagogue leader had tried to cheer up friend with text message before she was killed

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

The final text message sent by Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has been revealed before she was found murdered outside her home on Saturday.

Speaking at her funeral service on Sunday, Wolls family said that she had sent a heart emoji to a friend just because.

Not long later, at around 6.30am on Saturday morning, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home.

Police close to naming suspect in Samantha Woll death investigation

Wednesday 25 October 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators have identified several people of interest in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president but would not talk about their connections to the woman during a press conference Monday.

Authorities found 40-year-old Samantha Wolls body outside her home early Saturday after a caller told police about a person lying on the ground.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12.30am.

He said there was no sign that anyone forced their way into her home and investigators believe Woll was stabbed inside before stumbling into the yard.

We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect, he said, adding that investigators believe a suspect acted alone.

WATCH: Detroit police say it is close to arresting the suspect in Jewish leader's killing

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities probing Wolls stabbing ask for patience as investigation unfolds

Wednesday 25 October 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

The FBI is aware of the incident, and will assist the Detroit Police Department as requested, the agency said in a statement to CNN.

Detroit Police Department Chief James E White urged the public not to draw any conclusions until more facts were gathered.

Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions. This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence, he said in a statement.

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death in her home. Police have no idea why

Wednesday 25 October 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Just a mile from the Michigan synagogue that she had led since last year, Samantha Wolls lifeless body was found in the early morning hours of Saturday. Outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood, Detroit police officers followed a trail of blood to the disturbing scene.

The brutal stabbing of the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue has shocked the local community and city officials, who have remembered her as a beacon of light in the community who sought to build bridges between Jews and Muslims.

Few details about the murder will be released in order to protect the investigation, Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday, but the evidence suggests that the killing was not motivated by antisemitic sentiments.

The Independents Andrea Blanco reports:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why

Neighbour says her tires were slashed around time of Samantha Wolls murder

Wednesday 25 October 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

A couple who lives near the home where a Detroit synagogue leader was killed over the weekend has revealed a disturbing incident that occurred around the time of the murder.

Samantha Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Saturday. Police officials said that it is believed she was attacked inside the home and walked to the street before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Authorities have yet to name a suspect in the investigation, but Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed. Neighbours of Woll have since come forward with reports that the two driver-side tires on their white Mercedes were slashed when they returned home on Sunday after leaving town for the weekend.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told Fox News that her car was parked just 200 feet away from Wolls home  and she and her husband have since notified law enforcement. When asked about the incident as he delivered updates on Monday, Chief White said that his office would be investigating the reports and whether it is connected to Wolls murder.

A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department told The Independent on Tuesday that there are no updates in that regard.

Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Wolls murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Wednesday 25 October 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Wolls death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

The Independents Andrea Blanco reports:

Detroit synagogue leaders murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

She fought for everyone

Wednesday 25 October 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

That was you, Sam, Ms Woll Rosen added. You didnt even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other peoples names because you knew it would make the receiver happy  and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.

WATCH: Jewish leader Samantha Woll laid to rest

Wednesday 25 October 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

What have police revealed about Samantha Wolls stabbing?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Law enforcement said that police received a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am on Saturday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief James White said on Monday.

It is believed she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The chief said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

He added that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Governor mourns death of beloved community leader

Wednesday 25 October 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at her home

Wednesday 25 October 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

A funeral has been held for the synagogue president who was found stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.

Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday by emergency personnel who pronounced her dead at the scene.

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at home

WATCH: nvestigation ongoing into killing of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll

Wednesday 25 October 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Hours before she was found dead just outside her home, Samantha Woll had attended a wedding, police say

Wednesday 25 October 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12.30am.

By all accounts, she was not in any discomfort, she was her normal pleasant self, Chief White told reporters on Monday.

Who was slain Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.

By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world, the article read.

(Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue)

More than 1,000 people attended Wolls funeral on Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senator Stephanie Chang and AG Nessell were among the attendees who delivered heartfelt eulogies during the service.

Sam did more for our community, our state, our world, our lives in her short time here on Earth than most will ever accomplish in 1,000 lifetimes, Ms Nessel said in her eulogy, according to The New York Times.

Sen Chang also said that Woll had devoted her time to listening to Muslim and Jewish members of her community following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

That was you, Sam, Ms Woll Rosen added. You didnt even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other peoples names because you knew it would make the receiver happy  and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.

Politicians mourn Samantha Wolls death

Tuesday 24 October 2023 20:47 , Andrea Blanco

Woll was a well-known figure in Michigan politics, working for Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and on the re-election campaign of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, also a Democrat.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Rep Slotkin also paid tribute in a statement on X: She did for our team as Deputy District Director what came so naturally to her: helping others & serving constituents. Separately, in politics & in the Jewish community, she dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.

Nessel said that she was shocked, saddened and horrified.

WATCH: Detroit police say it is close to arresting the suspect in Jewish leader's killing

Tuesday 24 October 2023 20:06 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls neighbour reveals disturbing incident around time of murder

Tuesday 24 October 2023 19:02 , Andrea Blanco

A couple who lives near the home where a Detroit synagogue leader was killed over the weekend has revealed a disturbing incident that occurred around the time of the murder.

Samantha Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Saturday. Police officials said that it is believed she was attacked inside the home and walked to the street before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Authorities have yet to name a suspect in the investigation, but Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed. Neighbours of Woll have since come forward with reports that the two driver-side tires on their white Mercedes were slashed when they returned home on Sunday after leaving town for the weekend.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told Fox News that her car was parked just 200 feet away from Wolls home  and she and her husband have since notified law enforcement. When asked about the incident as he delivered updates on Monday, Chief White said that his office would be investigating the reports and whether it is connected to Wolls murder.

A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department told The Independent on Tuesday that there are no updates in that regard.

Synagogue leader Samantha Wolls final text before stabbing death revealed

Tuesday 24 October 2023 18:10 , Andrea Blanco

The grieving sister of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has revealed her final text before she was stabbed to death over the weekend.

Authorities in Detroit continue investigating 40-year-old Wolls murder on 21 October as it emerged on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed by law enforcement.

Detroit Police Chief James White said Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood and then stumbled out of her residence before collapsing on the sidewalk, leaving behind a trail of blood that led investigators to the disturbing scene.

Woll, the president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was laid to rest on Sunday during a service with more than 1,000 in attendance, including city and state politicians whom she had worked with. The slain community leaders sister Monica Woll Rosen delivered a eulogy, sharing with mourners that Wolls final text was a heart emoji sent to a friend.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, also revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

Samantha Wolls final text message revealed

Tuesday 24 October 2023 16:10 , Andrea Blanco

The final text message sent by Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has been revealed before she was found murdered outside her home on Saturday.

Speaking at her funeral service on Sunday, Wolls family said that she had sent a heart emoji to a friend just because.

Not long later, at around 6.30am on Saturday morning, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home.

What do we know about the stabbing?

Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:58 , Andrea Blanco

Law enforcement said that police received a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am on Saturday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief James White said on Monday.

It is believed she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The chief said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

He added that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Samantha Wolls sister delivers heartfelt eulogy at funeral

Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

That was you, Sam, Ms Woll Rosen added. You didnt even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other peoples names because you knew it would make the receiver happy  and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.

Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Wolls murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Tuesday 24 October 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities probing the stabbing death of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll have said there is no evidence suggesting her murder was motivated by antisemitism.

The Detroit Police Department, Michigan Police and the FBI continue investigating the brutal stabbing of Woll, 40, who was found dead outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood on Saturday morning.

Woll, a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

Law enforcement said that police received a call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am. When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Read more:

Detroit synagogue leaders murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Samantha Woll was instrumental in building bridges between communities

Tuesday 24 October 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.

By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world, the article read.

Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

DETROIT-SINAGOGA-PRESIDENTA (AP)

Detroit mayor issues heartfelt statement following death of Samantha Woll

Tuesday 24 October 2023 22:50 , Andrea Blanco

Mayor Mike Duggan issued a statement saying he was devastated to learn of Wolls death.

Sams loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community, the mayor said. This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.

Politicians mourn Samantha Wolls death

Tuesday 24 October 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

Woll was a well-known figure in Michigan politics, working for Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and on the re-election campaign of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, also a Democrat.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Rep Slotkin also paid tribute in a statement on X: She did for our team as Deputy District Director what came so naturally to her: helping others & serving constituents. Separately, in politics & in the Jewish community, she dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.

Nessel said that she was shocked, saddened and horrified.

Final text message of slain synagogue leader revealed

Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:29 , Rachel Sharp

The final text message sent by Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has been revealed before she was found murdered outside her home on Saturday.

Speaking at her funeral service on Sunday, Wolls family said that she had sent a heart emoji to a friend just because.

Not long later, at around 6.30am on Saturday morning, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home.

WATCH: Jewish leader Samantha Woll laid to rest

Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Everything we know about Samantha Wolls stabbing

Tuesday 24 October 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Just a mile from the Michigan synagogue that she had led since last year, Samantha Wolls lifeless body was found in the early morning hours of Saturday. Outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood, Detroit police officers followed a trail of blood to the disturbing scene.

The brutal stabbing of the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue has shocked the local community and city officials, who have remembered her as a beacon of light in the community who sought to build bridges between Jews and Muslims.

Few details about the murder will be released in order to protect the investigation, Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday, but the evidence suggests that the killing was not motivated by antisemitic sentiments.

Read more:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why

Samanths Woll attended wedding hours before being killed, police say

Tuesday 24 October 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12:30 a.m.

By all accounts, she was not in any discomfort, she was her normal pleasant self, Chief White told reporters.

Detroit synagogue president laid to rest

Tuesday 24 October 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

A funeral has been held for the synagogue president who was found stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.

Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday by emergency personnel who pronounced her dead at the scene.

Nick Ferris reports:

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at home

Police warn the public not to jump to conclusions

Tuesday 24 October 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

The FBI is aware of the incident, and will assist the Detroit Police Department as requested, the agency said in a statement to CNN.

Detroit Police Department Chief James E White urged the public not to draw any conclusions until more facts were gathered.

Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions. This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence, he said in a statement.

WATCH: Detroit Police Chief James White provides update on Samantha Woll murder

Tuesday 24 October 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Woll remembered for her interfaith work

Tuesday 24 October 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

Detroit police say they've identified several people of interest in synagogue president's killing

Tuesday 24 October 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators have identified several people of interest in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president but would not talk about their connections to the woman during a press conference Monday.

Authorities found 40-year-old Samantha Wolls body outside her home early Saturday after a caller told police about a person lying on the ground.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12.30am.

He said there was no sign that anyone forced their way into her home and investigators believe Woll was stabbed inside before stumbling into the yard.

We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect, he said, adding that investigators believe a suspect acted alone.

What do we know about the stabbing?

Tuesday 24 October 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Law enforcement said that police received a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am on Saturday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief James White said on Monday.

It is believed she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The chief said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

He added that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Slain synagogue president Samantha Woll fought for everyone

Tuesday 24 October 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

More than 1,000 people attended Wolls funeral on Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senator Stephanie Chang and AG Nessell were among the attendees who delivered heartfelt eulogies during the ceremony.

Sam did more for our community, our state, our world, our lives in her short time here on Earth than most will ever accomplish in 1,000 lifetimes, Ms Nessel said in her eulogy, according to The New York Times.

Sen Chang also said that Woll had devoted her time to listening to Muslim and Jewish members of her community following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

Authorities believe that Samantha Wolls killer acted alone

Tuesday 24 October 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Chief James White said on Monday that his department is seeking a suspect believed to have acted alone, and noted he doesnt think there is a threat to the community at large.

He also asked the public to be patient and not jump to conclusions as evidence is reviewed and processed.

We are not in the position to discuss [details,] Chief White said. There are certain factors that are only shared by the suspect and our investigators.

Police ask for publics help in Samantha Wolls stabbing investigation

Monday 23 October 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Surveillance footage in the neighbourhood does not point directly at residences, making it difficult for investigators to determine who was in the vicinity of Wolls home around the time she was killed. However, the video could be used to determine travel routes, Chief White said.

Police have encouraged neighbours to reach out to investigators with any details they recall from the early morning hours of Saturday, no matter how small it may seem.

If they saw anything ... if they saw someone who is not known to the neighbourhood, someone who was there earlier in the week, or someone who was lurking around, certainly let us know, the chief said. Check your video cameras at home, share anything you know with us.

WATCH: Investigation ongoing into killing of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll

Monday 23 October 2023 21:47 , Andrea Blanco

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death in her home. Police have no idea why

Monday 23 October 2023 20:41 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities in Detroit believe that 40-year-old Samantha Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood.

Woll, the president of Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue, left a trail of blood as she stumbled outside of her home and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why
SAN DIEGO  A University City High School science teacher suspected of trying to pay for sex with a minor was arrested Tuesday, prosecutors said.

Sean Stevenson, 58, is charged with attempted enticement of a minor, Kelly Thornton with the Office of the United States Attorney Southern District of California said in a news release.

Authorities identified Stevenson, of San Diego, as a suspect while investigating another sex trafficking case, per the criminal complaint. Detectives reviewed messages from the investigation of Stevenson allegedly interested in paying for sex with a minor, prosecutors said.

An undercover law enforcement officer, who claimed to be sex trafficking her 16-year-old cousin, was text messaging Stevenson with the Pinger application, the news release read.

San Diego takes top spot in ranking of most expensive places to live in U.S.

The complaint states that on October 23, 2023, Stevenson messaged the undercover officer and negotiated a price of $140 for oral sex from a 16-year-old girl, Thornton said. Stevenson and the undercover officer agreed to meet early on October 24, 2023, on El Cajon Boulevard for the date with the minor.

Around 7 a.m., Stevenson showed up at the location and was arrested, officials said.

According to the complaint, $140 was found in Stevensons car.

Stevenson is set to make his court appearance on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers (888-580-8477) and the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Authorities with the Ventura County Sheriffs Office are asking for public assistance in an attempted homicide that left one man in critical, yet stable condition.

On Sunday, Fillmore patrol deputies responded to calls about a shooting in the McNab Court area in Fillmore. When authorities arrived, they found a Santa Paula man, 22, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The man, whose name has not been released, was transported to the Santa Paula Emergency Room, according to a news release.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact Detective Jaime Gomez at 805-384-4732. Anonymous tips can be submitted by contacting Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Those who may have photos or videos of the incident but wish to remain anonymous can submit them at the following link.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride , the front-runner in a three-way Democratic primary race to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), would make history if elected as the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress. But that isnt what she wants to be known for.

My hope is that we get to a world where its no longer newsworthy that people like me are in politics or get elected to public office, McBride, 33, told The Hill in a recent interview.

McBride as a state senator co-sponsored successful legislation to expand mental health care resources in Delaware public schools, significantly reduce the states greenhouse gas emissions and bolster gun control laws. She spearheaded an effort to create a statewide paid medical and family leave program during last years legislative session, drawing on her experience as a caregiver to her late husband Andrew Cray, who died of oral cancer in 2014.

Sarah has lived very profound and sad experiences, and I think that helps her understand what so many other people go through  shes very empathetic, said Delaware Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, who has endorsed McBride in the race for the states at-large congressional district.

I think politics is her way of effectuating her values and her commitment to people on a personal level, he said.

Townsend said McBrides gender identity, which has earned her national attention, is not top of mind for her colleagues or constituents back home.

So many people focus on the sort of celebrity aspect of what Sarah brings to the table, but to know that there she is thinking about a very local constituent services issue or a Delaware-specific legislative issue, thats really the hidden gem, he said.

McBride is also something of a peacemaker in the state Legislature, and she has brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass landmark legislation.

In June, McBride led a successful effort to repeal the states transgender panic defense, a legal defense seeking to excuse crimes such as murder and assault against transgender people. All six Republican senators signed on as co-sponsors.

I do believe that my Republican colleagues have increasingly been able to see me as the multidimensional human being that I am  that we all are, McBride said. What that moment reflects is so much more than a single policy that was being passed. What that moment reflects is my Republican colleagues seeing very clearly that the issue of LGBTQ rights that were debating in that moment was not some abstract issue, but rather an issue that touched and impacted a person they knew.

McBride said shes had similar experiences with constituents in all three Delaware counties.

While Im confident that our voters are fair-minded and judge candidates based on their ideas, not their identities, you run like youre 5 points behind; you take nothing for granted, she said.

Were trying to do something thats never been done in history before, she added. And theres a reason for that: Its because its hard.

Im not naive to the challenges, but Im running because at a certain point we have to run into the fire; weve got to elect folks who know how to roll up their sleeves, dive into the details, work with people who might disagree with them on every other issue with the one right before them, and actually deliver results, she said.

McBride came out publicly as transgender at age 21, while entering her senior year at American University in Washington, where she studied political science. She previously served on the board of directors of Equality Delaware, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, and was a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ civil rights group.

McBride as a teenager worked on Delaware campaigns for former Democratic Gov. Jack Markell and the late state Attorney General Beau Biden (D), President Bidens eldest son. She published her memoir, Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, in 2018, with a foreword from President Biden.

McBride, who in 2020 became the nations first openly transgender state senator, launched her bid for Delawares sole House seat in June, raking in upwards of $414,000 in the first five days.

A September poll showed McBride leading her primary opponents, Delaware State Housing Authority Director Eugene Young and state Treasurer Colleen Davis, by a large margin.

This story was updated at 11:07 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Two South Carolina cities are among the most unsafe in the U.S., a new report shows.

Columbia ranked 102nd and Charleston ranked 159th out of a total of 182 cities analyzed for the study by WalletHub, a major personal finance website.

There have been many mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, which could naturally make Americans feel unsafe. But other concerns, such as lack of insurance or taking out an unaffordable second mortgage could also make people feel less safe and secure.

Some cities are better at protecting their residents from harm. To determine where Americans can feel secure in multiple ways, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities across 41 key indicators, including traffic fatalities per capita, assaults per capita, wildlife risk level, unemployment rate, flood risk level, job security, median credit score, debt-to-income ratio and percentage of the population that is uninsured.

The cities were then scored across three categories for the final ranking, which included home and community safety, financial safety and natural disaster risk.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI were used to determine the rankings.

Below is how Columbia and Charleston ranked in the three main categories to earn their final scores.

Columbia

Financial safety: 156th

Home and community safety: 105th

Natural disaster risk: 83rd

Charleston

Financial safety: 88th

Home and community safety: 149th

Natural disaster risk: 165th

Here are other key findings from the report:

Irvine, California, has the fewest aggravated assault incidents per capita while Detroit, Michigan has the most.

Tampa, Florida has the fewest hate crimes per capita and Cincinnati, Ohio has the most.

Washington D.C. has the most law enforcement per capita and Fontana, California has the fewest.

The 10 safest cities in the U.S.

Nashua, N.H. Columbia, Md. South Burlington, Vt. Gilbert, Ariz. Warwick, R.I. Portland, Maine Casper, Wyo. Yonkers, N.Y. Burlington, Vt. Scottsdale, Ariz.

The 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S.

St. Louis, MO Fort Lauderdale, FL San Bernardino, CA Baton Rouge, LA Detroit, MI Oakland, CA Memphis, TN Oklahoma City, OK Los Angeles, CA Washington, D.C.
I am the product of public education. I grew up poor but worked hard and had teachers willing to do the same. That led to a volleyball scholarship, college, the chance to own my own home, and the opportunity to serve my community in the South Carolina House.

I believe in public education, but Richland County School District One (Richland 1) is failing students, parents and teachers. Our kids need a change.

Heather Bauer

Last week, Richland 1 shocked the community by reassigning 11 teachers 45 days into the school year. It is not clear how many total transfers Richland 1 implemented. Regardless, lets be clear about what prompted it: an inexcusable failure to plan by the administration.

Of course, every school deserves an excellent teacher-student ratio. But teacher assignments should have been assessed before classes began, before teachers made plans, and before students formed relationships with instructors. As Ive heard from constituents in the Brennan Elementary community, everyone was surprised and confused by the abrupt reassignments.

The need to abruptly reassign teachers is apparently precipitated by a shocking number of teacher resignations in some of our districts most troubled schools. For example, in Burton/Pack Elementary, Columbia High and Hopkins Middle Schools, the teacher resignation rate is 50%m, 42% and 37%, respectively. Such extreme numbers beg serious questions about what is going on in these schools. Nevertheless, to solve a crisis in some schools, Richland 1 precipitated a new one in others. That was wrong.

Other facts demonstrate our school district is in crisis. According to the 202223 report card issued this month by the S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC), Richland 1 is 10% behind in English and math, 14% behind in science, and 15% in U.S. History and the Constitution when compared to the average S.C. public school.

When compared to our neighbor, Richland School District 2, Richland 1 is 11% behind in English, 10% behind in math, 14% behind in science and 12% behind in history and civics. Yes, there are some differences between the student populations in Richland 1 and Richland 2  but there is nothing so different that it should cause Richland 1 children to be so far behind other children in the same county.

Richland 1s failing grade is punctuated by the fact that it has more unsatisfactory schools  six of South Carolinas 61 failing schools  than any district except the experimental public charter school district.

Resources have historically been a concern for public schools, but a lack of resources does not explain Richland 1s failed record. We are blessed to have a well-funded school district, but those resources are not getting into the classroom.

According to the EOC, Richland 1 spends just 52.7% of its budget on student instruction, down from 54.6% last year. By comparison, Richland 2 is spending 68.3% on instruction. In addition, teachers in our district were unhappy before the precipitous reassignments; we rank behind the state average on teacher perception on instructional focus, working conditions and safety.

Listening to constituents and following the facts, has led me to conclude the problems with Richland 1 are far worse than the teacher relocations that prompted outcries this week. Too many students arent having success, money isnt getting into classrooms, and teachers are unhappy. These facts all lead to the same conclusion: district leadership is failing.

This is not a conclusion I sought or relish. Richland 1 school board members are my friends and members of my party. But I am troubled that when I reached out during the public outcry last week, I was offered talking points instead of answers. I dont have all the answers yet, but I know the disrespect shown to teachers will only exacerbate our problems and that the children in our district dont have time for these political games.

Im using my position in the state legislature to press for change. I encourage everyone to use their voice to do the same.

Heather Bauer (D) represents District 75 in the S.C. House.






EUs ideal of countering China with its infrastructure plan is plump, but reality is skinny

09:43, October 25, 2023 By Global Times ( Global Times

The EU will host the Global Gateway Forum on Wednesday and Thursday. Leaders from more than 20 countries will attend the event to debate issues relating to global investment in infrastructure. According to a Bloomberg article citing unnamed sources, the forum is "aimed at competing with China in strategic regions."

Notably, it is just one week after China successfully held the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. An EU official reportedly said, "The EU Commission wants to make the Global Gateway Forum a smaller but more targeted summit than China's Belt and Road Forum."

The Global Gateway strategy was announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September 2021. At her State of Union address, she underlined "a new era of hyper-competitiveness." Although from the very beginning the strategy was said to be endowed with the task of contributing to global development, its focus has been more on its geopolitical ambitions than development objectives.

Zhang Chenyang, an assistant research fellow with the Institute of European Studies, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told the Global Times that von der Leyen is overly prone to follow the US stance when dealing with international affairs. At the G7 summit in May, she wasted no chance to smear the BRI.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that the EU has adopted a conservative attitude toward the BRI as it worries that China could threaten its status in global affairs.

"Contrary to the US which opposes China in every aspect, despite the confrontational nature of the EU's Global Gateway strategy, the strategy is more like a defensive move as the EU tries to retain its influence in rules-making and the fields of digital technology and green development," said Wang.

But the just concluded Belt and Road Forum has proven that the BRI has become a popular global public good and made concrete contributions to developing countries. Meanwhile, the Global Gateway strategy proposed by the EU faces multiple challenges. For the EU, the ideal of countering China is plump, but the reality is skinny.

Xue Li, professor and senior fellow from the Department of Foreign Affair at the Institute of World Economics and Politics under CASS, told the Global Times that it is difficult for the EU to mobilize a large sum of money to invest or assist other countries.

"As a supranational organization, the EU can hardly coordinate funds to push forward infrastructure development across the globe like China does. This is the EU's dilemma. From this perspective, the EU, as a non-state actor, is even not comparable to the US," said Xue, adding that the Global Gateway strategy also faces internal policy coordination challenges.

"Some Europeans represented by von der Leyen advocate siding with the US, while those like the Germany government led by Olaf Scholz and German companies are willing to cooperate with China on the BRI, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe as well as other areas where Germany has traditional influence," Xue noted.

Zhang from CASS also noted that as the Global Gateway strategy is value-oriented and sets preconditions, it may raise doubts from object countries.

At the press conference to conclude the results of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation last week, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is ready to coordinate with all connectivity initiatives and jointly explore cooperation beneficial to developing countries. He hinted that the BRI can be aligned with the EU's Global Gateway strategy, so as to leverage their respective strengths and form synergy to help developing countries speed up infrastructure development.

This reflects the openness and inclusiveness of the BRI. No matter it is the EU-proposed Global Gateway plan or the China-proposed BRI, they both show the possibility of cooperation in infrastructure and will have a profound impact on filling infrastructure gaps at the global level and regional connectivity. Wang from Renmin University of China proposes that China and the EU have a strategic dialogue mechanism to talk about linking the two. If the EU and some politicians can break away from narrow geopolitical thinking and view this cooperation from a global development perspective, it will provide a good opportunity for the long-term development of China-EU relations.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Even if the decision was made with good intention, said Scholastic Trade Publishings Ellie Berger, we understand now that it was a mistake to segregate diverse books in an elective case.

The Scholastic Book Fair has apologized and rescinded its decision to segregate books following complaints that it contributes to right-wing censorship sweeping across the country.

HuffPost reported that the publishing house unveiled a separate catalog this month called Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice, which would contain 64 titles on race and gender that elementary schools could choose to include or eliminate from their book fairs.

Scholastic shared in a statement that its catalog does not include all diverse books together, maintaining that it created a distinct collection to guarantee children have access to books targeted by book bans around the country.

The Scholastic Book Fair intends to phase out a catalog containing banned books, which included titles such as I Am Ruby Bridges, penned by the first Black student to integrate an all-white Louisiana elementary school. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/Scholastic)

I want to apologize on behalf of Scholastic, said Ellie Berger, Scholastic Trade Publishing president, in a statement. Even if the decision was made with good intention, we understand now that it was a mistake to segregate diverse books in an elective case. We sincerely apologize to every author, illustrator, licensor, educator, librarian, parent, and reader who was hurt by our action.

The catalog contained a childrens biography of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, stories about same-sex families and childrens books on fundamental history  such as I Am Ruby Bridges, about the first Black child to integrate an all-white Louisiana school, penned by Bridges herself.

Scholastic noted that over 30 states have filed or adopted laws aimed at prohibiting some books from being used in classrooms, particularly those dealing with LGBTQ issues and racial diversity.

According to HuffPost, The New York Times reported that the renowned publishing house signed an open letter criticizing state laws that prohibit the use of books in classrooms.

We dont pretend this [separate catalog] solution is perfect, Scholastic officials stated, but the other option would be to not offer these books at all  which is not something wed consider.

In a petition opposing the distinct book catalog, Red Wine & Blue, a political group of liberal moms, said Scholastic was conveying a message that the books were problematic and should be avoided. Theyre taking the most extreme policies from the most extreme state [legislatures], the petition read, and applying them to everyone. It had over 8,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

A new study from PEN America found that book prohibitions increased in 2022, while school book bans and limitations increased by 33% in the previous academic year.

Supporters of the bans claim books about race and LGBTQ issues include unsuitable language and are an attempt to indoctrinate children, while opponents consider such bans to be simple acts of censorship.

PEN America acknowledged that politicians and individuals who advocate for book bans are the ones who put Scholastic and other publishers in an impossible bind when it comes to the distribution of a diverse range of books. However, the organization asked Scholastic to find alternate means to provide access to banned books.

Sequestering books on these topics risks depriving students and families of books that speak to them, said PEN America, HuffPost reported. It will deny the opportunity for all students to encounter diverse stories that increase empathy, understanding, and reflect the range of human experiences and identities which are essential underpinnings of a pluralistic, democratic society.

Scholastic said the catalog would phase out beginning in January, when Scholastics next book fair season begins. The company added that it will redouble our efforts to combat the laws restricting childrens access to books.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Scholastic apologizes for segregating books at childrens book fairs appeared first on TheGrio.
Further strikes by school support staff in Scotland have been confirmed in four council areas.

Unison announced action on Wednesday 8 November in South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and Fife.

It comes after walk outs were confirmed for 1 November in Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde in a dispute over pay.

A revised pay offer was made by Cosla and previously accepted by Unite and GMB members .

Following the latest strike announcement, Cosla said the offer on the table was "as far as local government can go".

The industrial dispute involves non-teaching staff including catering, cleaning, pupil support, administration and janitorial workers in schools and early years centres.

In September, more than 21,000 Unison members went on strike for three days at 1,868 schools.

Thousands of pupils were told to stay at home.

Unison Scotland's head of local government Johanna Baxter said there had been no invitations from Cosla or the Scottish government to have "exploratory talks".

Although the Scottish government allocates council funding, it does not decide the pay of council staff.

Ms Baxter said: "The union is committed to reaching a resolution to this dispute as soon as possible.

"And there is still time for Cosla and the Scottish government to get back round the negotiating table to explore every avenue to reaching a negotiated settlement and avoid further disruption for parents and students.

"The strength of feeling amongst Unison's 91,000 local government members, who voted overwhelmingly to reject Cosla's latest pay offer, is clear. They are determined to continue to fight to get an improved pay offer."

Mark Ferguson, chair of Unison's local government committee, said: "No one takes the decision to strike lightly.

"But if wages don't rise, school staff will leave for other jobs beyond education that pay significantly more. That would be a disaster and would help no one."

Impact on jobs and services

Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla's resources spokesperson said the ballot result from Unison was disappointing "given the strength of the offer on the table".

She said: "Firstly, Scotland's council leaders value their workforce.

"Secondly, we have listened to our trade unions, met all their asks and worked with Scottish government to put an incredibly strong half a billion pound pay package on the table - which our other trade union partners have voted to accept.

"Finally, offering almost 10% or a 2,006 pay increase for our lowest paid workers, which the unions specifically asked for, and 1,929 or at least 5.5% for everyone else is as far as local government can go without impacting on essential services and jobs locally."
Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would make a great president of the United States in recent comments.

I feel like I would make a great president, Schwarzenegger said in a recent interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). But I feel that, at the same time, everything Ive accomplished was because of America.

Schwarzenegger legally cant run for president because he was born in Austria, where he lived until he was 19, but he may not have given up all hope of becoming president despite not legally being able to.

I mean OK there is the constitution, he said in the interview. We need some immigration reform, absolutely, to change that. But it would be a little bit selfish if I go out and try to change the law.

The 76-year-old actor-turned-politician is best known for his role in The Terminator movies. A registered Republican, he served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

America gave me so many opportunities and the American people were so embracive, and they just received me with open arms, he said. There was no one there that stopped me from my success.

With a potential 2020 presidential rematch that is looking increasingly more likely in 2024 between 80-year-old President Biden and 77-year-old former President Trump, Schwarzenegger said he hopes America finds young blood.

To me, it is a little bit odd that we are having a battle between people today in the late seventies and early eighties, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The search for Aaron Pennington, the man who is suspected of killing his wife, intensified Tuesday deep in the woods of Gardner.

Search operations to capture Pennington, 33, will resume on Wednesday morning after crews concluded an exhaustive search on Tuesday night, state police said. The target area for the search is approximately 175 acres.

Members of the State Police Special Response Team, the State Police Tactical Operations Response Team, the Violent Fugitives Apprehension Section, state police K9 units, and Gardner and Ashburnham police spent Tuesday scouring a vast, 400-acre tract of woods where Penningtons white BMW was found on Monday afternoon near Camp Collier.

The car was first discovered by a bow hunter, according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early. The belief is that he is still alive, armed, and dangerous.

Were still treating this like he is alive and would be somewhere in the woods, Early said Tuesday.

Investigators want to talk with Pennigton about the shooting death of his 30-year-old wife, Breanne Pennington, whose body was found in their Cherry Street home shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday.

Court documents show the couple was having marital issues and that Breanne was planning to move to Texas with their four children. They also revealed that after the shooting, the kids ran to a neighbors for help as their father fled the neighborhood.

Police: Gardner couple had marital problems before Breanne Pennington was found fatally shot in home

The search radius is very sparse and heavily wooded, and crews can go a long way without seeing anything.

Its very heavily wooded, sparse... the grid search is large at this point in time, Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said. Were operating under the assumption that he is still alive and on the run.

Police are conducting line searches in hundreds of acres of woods to try to locate Pennington and have asked hunters to check trail cameras.

On Tuesday evening, along Winchendon Road in the neighboring Ashburnham, state police checked the woods due north of Camp Collier. They emerged with evidence bags but not Pennington.

Police want the public to be on the lookout.

Be vigilant. Pay attention to your surroundings and report anything immediately to the police, Chief McAvene added.

Pennington should be considered armed and dangerous, and the public should not approach him or try to search for him but rather call 911 immediately.

Authorities described Pennington as a white male with blonde hair, and blue eyes, standing 6 feet, 2 inches tall, and weighing approximately 175 pounds.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Gardner police or state police.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Memphis Police are searching for suspects after a security guard was shot during a bank robbery attempt in Frayser.

Police said Wednesday, around 1 p.m., officers responded to an attempted armed robbery at the First Horizon Bank on North Watkins Street.

Bank employees reported that the two suspects were dressed in all black, wearing ski masks, and armed with guns. The suspect fired shots outside the bank as they left the scene.

MPD: Woman shoots at man walking dogs, takes one of the dogs

Police said a security guard was shot and taken to Methodist North in non-critical condition.









Rashaun Davis said he saw three young men walk into the bank before hearing gunfire.

I seen three young men walk into First Horizon. I heard multiple gunshots and then watched three young men come out of First Horizons, he said.

Davis said he heard five to six shots and saw the suspects carrying assault rifles.

They just had on all black. You couldnt really see who they were, Davis said. Just dangerous demeanor, but they did have weapons brandished so they came to do what they planned to do.

Our records show a recent rise in bank robberies. Surveillance cameras captured a robbery at the same branch in April.

Recently, MPD said four men robbed two Cordova banks across the street from one another at the same time.

Dr. Bill Adkins, the pastor of Geater Imani Church in Raleigh, said parents need to be held accountable.

We have too many parents in the City of Memphis living off the criminal activity of their children, said Adkins.

Like many others, he too believes poverty is the driving force behind the citys raging crime. Adkins said its time for the community to also be held accountable.

I think its us. Its not the police chief, not the DA, not the judges, its all of us in Memphis, the community, who did not invest in our youth. We didnt invest in them. We didnt think they needed programs, said Adkins.

If you have any information that could help detectives, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Twenty-six. That is the number of times Wadea Al Fayoume, a Palestinian American child living in the Chicago area, was stabbed in a murderous rampage committed by his landlord. The picture of Wadea in a birthday hat that has gone viral since the attack that killed him and severely injured his mother was taken eight days earlier, when he turned 6.

Chicago, home to the largest Palestinian American population in the United States, is 6,000 miles away from the Gaza Strip, a tiny piece of land that much of the world chose to forget is the epicenter of a crisis with global implications.

The rate of killing in Israels bombardment of the Gaza Strip is faster and more ferocious than anything we have witnessed in several previous wars on Gaza combined. Reports now indicate that over 2,000 children were killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes in about 15 days. This is quadruple the number of children killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza in the 50-day campaign it carried out in 2014.

Like Wadea, all of them had dreams, loving embraces from their mothers, and toys they will never see again. Many of them, unlike Wadea, never had a sixth birthday.

The unprecedented horror being unleashed on the Gaza Strip right now is likely to worsen significantly if there is a ground invasion. The last large-scale Israeli ground invasion in 2014 coincided with a massive spike in civilian casualties during the war. The ground invasion being discussed seems far, far larger. Given that key Israeli officials have spoken of Palestinians as human animals and children of darkness, and immediately announced policies targeting the whole population, like cutting water, fuel, and electricity, there should be urgent concern about mass atrocities being committed in the operation the prime minister deemed Israels mighty vengeance.

While this might be the worst-case scenario for Palestinians in Gaza, it isnt the bottom of the abyss. Beyond Gaza the region is boiling. Protests erupted across the Arab and Muslim world and well beyond it at a scale and scope we have not seen in the region since the Arab Spring. Abdel Fattah El Sisis Egypt, which has banned protests for years, is now calling for them because they know they cant contain the peoples anger or be seen as trying to. Jordan, a key American ally, had to cancel a meeting with President Biden while he was on his way to the region because they couldnt contain the public outrage. All this and I havent even mentioned Hezbollah yet, or other militias in the region who may well get involved if the Israeli ground incursion starts and churns on even as American aircraft carriers sit in the Mediterranean.

However this crisis ends, and I pray it ends immediately, the implications for U.S. foreign policy will be profound. All the work we have done with the Global South [over Ukraine] has been lost. Forget about rules, forget about world order, said a G7 diplomat to the Financial Times. They wont ever listen to us again. Ukraine has been the single biggest foreign policy and military investment of the Biden administrations tenure. Russia and China are likely watching with glee. And, of course, there is the very real possibility of a much larger regional or even global war. The moment we find ourselves in now is being described as the most dangerous for America in 78 years.

How the hell did we get here? How the hell did we allow this to happen? To be put in a position of so much cost, so much suffering, with such massive stakes and no options but bad and worse  how? These are questions Israelis are already asking of their leaders as they ponder their intelligence failures regarding the massive and horrifying killings by Hamas on October 7. But these are questions everyone should be asking of their leadership, especially Americans.

Here is a big part of the answer: A week before October 7, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the region was quieter than it has been in years and that the amount of time that I have to spend on crisis and conflict in the Middle East today compared to any of my predecessors going back to 9/11 is significantly reduced.

This is no isolated remark but rather a characterization of the Biden administration approach that, for reasons beyond my comprehension, seems to be manned by devotees of the Jared Kushner School of Foreign Policy. They have subscribed to this idea that Palestine is no longer a central issue in the Middle East and is instead one that can effectively be downplayed or entirely ignored as they pursue other objectives in the region.

The failure to address Palestine in any meaningful way, despite regional leaders sounding the alarm over rising tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and even as the most dangerous far-right government in Israeli history was conducting outrage after outrage, is just one part of this. So too, however, was the administrations drive to bribe Saudi Arabia into normalizing relations with Israel by giving it a defense pact and nuclear technology. Peace is made between peoples, but arms deals are made between regimes. The White House was prepared not only to overlook the views of the publics in the region, which oppose normalization without freedom and justice for Palestinians, but even its own earlier commitments to turn Saudi Arabia into a pariah. The message was clear; America cares more about the interests of Netanyahus Israel and the rest of its allied anti-democratic regimes in the region than it cares about the people who live under them or the values it claims to uphold.

The results of this approach are on full display now, not merely once this crisis erupted but also in the failure to see it coming and in the Biden administrations response, which has struggled to gain regional buy-in when it absolutely needed it the most.

From Chicago to Shanghai, that tiny strip called Gaza, where the world conspired to forget two million souls, is reminding us of the calamitous cost of ignoring the Middle Easts longest open wound. So many Israelis and many more Palestinians have died. We cannot bring back those we have lost, but we can work to save those still with us by demanding an immediate cease-fire and backing away from the brink.

Most importantly, we cannot keep hitting rewind on this horror film. Instead, we must demand leaders work to immediately put this issue at the top of the global agenda and finally heal this wound by bringing freedom, justice, and equality to all those who live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Every day we wait to do so is a day we will regret.
Two semis collide at at the intersection of Hwy 11 (Durand Avenue) and Hwy J (English Settlement).

KANSASVILLE, Wis. - An Illinois truck driver was hurt in a collision between two semis in western Racine County on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Officials say the wreck happened shortly before noon Tuesday at the intersection of Hwy 11 (Durand Avenue) and Hwy J (English Settlement).

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found two semis with extensive damage blocking the entire roadway. A 36-year-old semi driver from Buffalo Grove, Illinois was injured and then taken to a Burlington hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the other semi denied injury and refused medical treatment.

Two semis collide at at the intersection of Hwy 11 (Durand Avenue) and Hwy J (English Settlement).

Towing crews from Dons Towing and from Michels Garage arrived at the scene to remove the two wrecked semis and assist with debris clean-up.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Racine County Sheriffs deputies are investigating the cause of the crash.

Two semis collide at at the intersection of Hwy 11 (Durand Avenue) and Hwy J (English Settlement).

Kansasville and Burlington Fire units cleared the scene at about 1 p.m.
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Jim Risch , R-Idaho, wants to give states more power to reject solar and wind energy projects on federal land.

Risch is expected to introduce a bill, known as the Dont Develop Obstructive Infrastructure on our Terrain Act, or Dont DO IT Act, on Wednesday that would require the Department of the Interior secretary to deny energy projects if state legislatures disapprove of them. It is cosponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

House Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher of Idaho are also expected to introduce the companion bill in the lower chamber Wednesday, Fox News Digital has learned.

The bill comes as a controversial proposed Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project is making headway in Idaho, despite opposition from Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, the entire Idaho Congressional delegation, members of the bipartisan Idaho legislature, seven Idaho counties and several other organizations.

BIDEN'S DEPLETION OF EMERGENCY OIL STOCKS COMES BACK INTO FOCUS AMID ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR, PRICE SURGE

Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on April 26, 2022 in Washington, D.C.

The proposed project involves installing around 400 wind turbines and other infrastructure needed to power it spanning 197,474 acres. This is equivalent to an area slightly larger than Los Angeles.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Risch said in a statement to Fox News Digital his bill "will empower Idaho and other states to prevent the federal government from implementing unwanted, obstructive, and misaligned wind and solar energy projects on public land, like Lava Ridge."

Crapo added "Allowing state legislatures to have oversight on new wind and solar projects on federal land means the federal government and its agencies take into consideration the will of the people closest to the project."

GRETA THUNBERG POSTS THEN DELETES 'FREE PALESTINE' POST AFTER PUSHBACK: 'I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE'

In May, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Risch questioned Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on the project.

"The conversations are ongoing," Haaland said, after being questioned repeatedly about what she has "found out so far" about the project in numerous meetings with state officials. Haaland was unaware of the Minidoka site's historical background.

According to Risch's office, "the smallest [turbine] [is] taller than the Statue of Liberty and the largest towering more than 100 feet over the Seattle Space Needle."

NETANYAHU SAYS 'HAMAS IS ISIS' AS ISRAEL PREPARES FOR GROUND INVASION OF GAZA

Heavy electrical transmission lines are pictured at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California's Mojave Desert on July 15, 2022, near Primm, Nevada.

The massive project also drew criticism from Friends of Minidoka, a grassroots group of historic preservationists protecting the Minidoka National Historic Site, where Japanese people were held in a concentration camp during World War II.

"The proposed project places 340 towers in the Minidoka NHS viewshed with 12 of those towers on the historic Minidoka footprint. The Minidoka community of survivors and descendants deserve the respect and acknowledgment of this gross violation of civil liberties by our nations government through the preservation of the site," their website reads.

Fox News Digital reached out to Haaland's office for comment.





Original article source: Sen Risch to introduce bill giving states power to stop 'unwanted' climate change projects on public land
Senate passes amendment to ban federal mask mandates on commercial flights and public transit

The Senate passed an amendment banning federal mask mandates on commercial airlines and public transportation in an appropriations bill Wednesday.

In a 59-38 vote, senators  including several Democrats  voted in favor of the amendment brought forth by Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, which restricts any federal funds from being used to enforce mask mandates on passenger flights, trains, transit buses, and other publicly funded transportation through the next fiscal year.

UPDATED COVID VACCINES: FDA ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY APPROVAL AND AUTHORIZATION

KN95-mask-capitol

Vance called the passage "a massive victory for personal freedom" in a statement Wednesday.

"We saw countless abuses of authority throughout the COVID pandemic, and the American people were justifiably enraged by unscientific mask mandates," he said.

Democrat Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Jon Tester of Montana, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Mark Kelly of Arizona voted in favor of the amendment.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

COVID-19'S LASTING IMPACT: 'LESS ATTRACTIVE' PEOPLE WEAR MASKS MORE OFTEN THAN OTHERS

Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio, during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

Last month, Vance introduced the Freedom to Breathe Act, legislation that would prevent the government from reinstating mask mandates in response to COVID-19. It would prevent the enforcement of mask wearing on public transit, airplanes, elementary schools and other institutions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order in January 2021 mandating travelers on public transportation hubs to wear a mask in tandem with President Joe Biden's executive action mandating masks for any interstate travel. The order applied to airplanes, boats and ferries, buses and other public transit.

REACTION TO 4-YEAR-OLD CHILD FORCED TO LEAVE SCHOOL FOR NOT WEARING A MASK: COMPLETELY BAFFLING

U.S. President Joe Biden and First lady Jill Biden disembark from Air Force One at Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, U.S, November 23, 2021.

On April 18, a federal judge from Florida ended the mask mandate in her ruling opinion in the Health Freedom Defense Fund v. Biden case.





Original article source: Senate passes amendment to ban federal mask mandates on commercial flights and public transit
Senate Republicans are relieved the House has a Speaker again  they just dont know much about him.

Asked if he knew newly installed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) responded, No.

The No. 3 Senate Republican conceded that what he knows about Johnson is just what Ive read in the papers and in the reports online in the last day.

I dont know him at all, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. I heard his name, really, for the first time this week.

The answers reflect both Johnsons stunning rise and the chaos that has engulfed the House over the past three weeks.

Johnson is only in the midst of his fourth term, having served on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees and becoming the chair of the Republican Study Committee in 2019. He was in his second term as House GOP conference vice chair.

But this week, he pulled off what some had feared was impossible, uniting the House Republican conference behind him and winning the gavel Wednesday afternoon. Three nominees before him had failed at the task.

Herculean tasks still await him, including working with the Senate to fund the government and on a supplemental package.

But he has another item on his to-do list: Getting to know his colleagues across the aisle.

Most GOP senators, including Senate Republican leadership and longtime lawmakers, indicated that they dont know Johnson personally and still dont even know much about him.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) acknowledged to The Hill that he has never met Johnson. Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said that he doesnt know him very well but may have met him in the past.

Some lawmakers added they didnt know about him until recently, when he became a potential option for Speaker. Only hours before he became the fourth Speaker-designate in a matter of weeks, Johnson lost his bid for that title to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

But senators, who by and large had grown increasingly concerned and desperate over the past three weeks as the House sat in a stalemate, are mostly relieved to have someone running the chamber. And they are willing to give Johnson a chance.

He seems to be a good pick. Im all for him. Anybody that can get through, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters with a laugh, adding that he too does not know him well. No, not much. Seems like a very capable fellow.

And despite that lack of familiarity by top Senate Republicans, those who have worked alongside him for years speak highly of him as a policy wonk and praise his work ethic. They believe he has what it takes to be an effective leader at a tumultuous time.

He clearly bridges the divides they have.  Hes a good guy who keeps his word, which is to say trustworthy. Shows up [and] works hard. What more can you ask? Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told reporters. Hes a straight shooter.  He does his homework, and hes going to work his conference to get them in the right place.

Johnson comes into the Speakership at a difficult time, as Congress looks to avoid a government shutdown in just over three weeks and is working on the White Houses $106 billion supplemental that would boost Israel and Ukraine in their ongoing efforts against Hamas and Russia, respectively, as well increase security at the U.S. southern border.

Where Johnson comes down on the supplemental is up in the air. Hes a vocal supporter of backing Israel after Hamass attack earlier this month but has recently expressed qualms about further spending for Kyivs efforts.

The Louisiana lawmaker also laid out his plan to fund the government in the coming weeks as part of his Speaker push, a self-described ambitious schedule that includes a stopgap spending bill through either mid-January or mid-April and passing all eight appropriations bills individually before the Nov. 17 funding deadline.

There are some questions about the most notable portion of Johnsons congressional tenure, though. He was among the architects of the push to overturn the 2020 electoral count in favor of then-President Trump. House Republicans booed a reporter Tuesday night who asked Johnson about his role leading up to Jan. 6, 2021.

However, Cassidy  one of seven Senate Republicans to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial  said that item on Johnsons resume does not give him pause.

If all we do is focus upon flaws, we never move forward, because everybody in this institution  has some incredible flaw that you would look upon and say, Does this disqualify them for X, Y and Z, Cassidy said.

At some point, youve got to move ahead, and hes a guy that can bridge those differences, he added.

Alexander Bolton contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A photograph of Leopold Sedar Senghor in his house in Verson, western France (Lou BENOIST)

Senegal has stopped a collection of its first president's precious possessions from going under the hammer in France, saying on Wednesday it had reached a "friendly agreement" with the auction house.

Jewellery, military medals, diplomatic gifts, and even gold fountain pens owned by Leopold Sedar Senghor and his wife were set to be auctioned in Caen, northwestern France.

But the auctioneer said last week it would delay bidding after the Senegalese state intervened, asking to negotiate with the current owner about buying the collection directly.

Organisers had said they would press ahead with the auction in December if an agreement could not be reached.

Senegal's culture ministry said it had spent $260,000 striking a deal to acquire the items on Monday.

Senegal said it had wanted to buy them to "preserve the memory and heritage" of Senghor, who was in power from 1960 to 1980.

A poet, writer and professor before he became president, Senghor was a champion of the anti-colonial "Negritude" movement in the 1930s.

He fought for former colonial power France during World War II and was the first African admitted to the country's prestigious Academie Francaise.

The 41 items included an 18-carat gold Order of the Nile necklace which Senghor received in 1967 after making a speech at Cairo University.

The deal came about after Senegalese President Macky Sall weighed in, asking the culture minister and the Senegalese embassy in Paris to carry out "appropriate discussions" with the auctioneer.

"The operation cost 244,000 euros," the Senegalese ministry said, adding it had reached a "friendly agreement".

"The mediation went very well... All the lots in this sale have been amicably transferred to Senegal by mutual agreement. All parties are delighted," auctioneer Solene Laine told AFP, without specifying the cost.

Senghor spent time in Verson near Caen after marrying Colette Hubert, from Normandy.

He died there at the age of 95 in 2001.

mrb-mac/trc/lcm/cw
FILE - Las Vegas police Lt. Jason Johansson speaks during a news conference about a series of hit-and run-crashes, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Las Vegas. Two teenagers were indicted, Friday, Oct. 6, on more than a dozen charges, including murder and burglary, after police say they targeted and killed a bicyclist while driving a stolen vehicle. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

LAS VEGAS (AP)  A September 2024 date has been set for the trial of two teenagers being prosecuted as adults on murder and other charges in the fatal video-recorded crash of an allegedly stolen car into a bicyclist in Las Vegas.

The teens, ages 18 and 16, have each pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges alleging they acted together in a series of car thefts and hit-and-run vehicle incidents early Aug. 14  including the apparently intentional striking of bicyclist Andreas Andy Probst.

Attorney David Westbrook, representing the 18-year-old, said outside court he intends to seek the release of his client from jail pending trial. Attorney Daniel Hill, representing the 16-year-old, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The Associated Press is not naming the teens due to their ages at the time of the alleged crimes.

The older defendant was 17 when he was arrested after the crash that killed Probst, a retired police chief from the Los Angeles-area city of Bell. The younger teen was arrested Sept. 19. Both remain in custody without bail pending trial.

The video, shot from the front passenger seat of an allegedly stolen vehicle, shows Probst pedaling forward and records male voices and laughter as the vehicle steers toward Probst and rams the bicycle from behind. Probst is last seen on the ground next to the curb.

According to police, the teenagers first struck a 72-year-old bicyclist and drove away. That man reported knee pain but was not hospitalized.

The teens are charged as adults under Nevada law that lets suspects age 13 and older be tried as adults in state court on murder or attempted murder charges. They cannot face the death penalty due to their ages. The most severe sentence they could receive if they're convicted on the murder charge is 20 years to life in state prison.
Andre Thorne, 19, of Bradley Beach was murdered in February 2016.

FREEHOLD  Its been seven years since Andre Thorne was gunned down, found shot in the chest while sitting in a car in Neptune.

Now, authorities are asking the public for help in solving the 2016 murder of the 19-year-old Bradley Beach man, by stepping forward with anything they might know about Thornes death.

Despite the passage of over seven years since the murder of Andre Thorne, detectives from my Office and the Neptune Police Department refuse to let the case grow cold," Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said Wednesday.. "It is our sincere hope that those efforts motivate individuals in our community to come forward with any information that they may possess.

Heres what authorities have shared about Thornes murder.

Around 8:18 p.m. on Monday, February 8, 2016, Neptune Township Police responded to 1306 7th Avenue for a report of a shooting, Santiago said. Officers found Thorne, 19, in the driver's seat of a 2002 red Dodge Neon, suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Thorne was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he later died, less than a month before his 20th birthday, Santiago said. Thorne was sitting in the car with two others at the time of the shooting.

Some neighbors told the Asbury Park Press after the incident that they were frightened this could happen in their "quiet neighborhood."

Thorne was remembered in his obituary as "daring, kind-hearted, adventurous, a gentleman, crazy, outgoing and a loving son and brother."

The joint investigation between the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Neptune Township Police Department is still active and ongoing, Santiago said.

Santiago is urging anyone with information to contact Monmouth County Prosecutors Office Detective Sergeant Keith Finkelstein (732) 431-7160, ext. 3019 or Neptune Township Detective Carrie Bartlett (732) 988-8000.

Information about this or any crime can be anonymously submitted to the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers tipline at 800-671-4400; through the free P3 Tips mobile app or through the Crime Stoppers website.

Jenna Calderon covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Neptune Police still searching for answers in 2016 fatal shooting
Editors Note: This story is part of a series profiling American youth killed this year by guns, a leading cause of death of children in the US. Read more about the project here.

At just 14 years old, Claudia Quaatey decided to run her own hair braiding business from her New York home as she prepared to support herself through nursing school.

She wanted to go to Howard University. Claudia had her life all planned out, her mother, Marian Abbey, said. Out of all the children, she knew what she was going to do tomorrow.

Claudia showed strong dedication to her future that belied her age.

She had turned her basement in Jamaica, Queens, into a designated hair braiding area to accommodate the slew of clients who sought her dexterous craft. It got to a point where her parents had to step in and limit the time she spent on her side hustle to help her maintain school priorities.

While still a sophomore in high school, she was already saving for a car for her planned move to Washington, DC, where she dreamed of attending the renowned historically Black university.

I would never change anything about Claudia, Abbey said. Claudia was not perfect, but Claudia was exactly what I prayed for.

Claudia Quaatey and her mother, Marian Abbey. - Courtesy Marian Abbey

But Claudia will never see Howard Universitys campus, or become a nurse, or buy her first car, or realize her dreams of giving back to her parents native country of Ghana.

On the evening of May 10, the 16-year-old was shot in the head in the Queens neighborhood of St. Albans, the New York Police Department said. Claudia was shot once while sitting in the back seat of a car, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told CNN.

Her mother later told CNN that Claudia had plans to braid a friends hair that evening. Instead, Claudia died in a hospital a day later, according to police.

Gun violence is an epidemic in the US. Here are 4 things you can do today

Police say one of three unidentified people wearing face masks and hooded sweatshirts fired at the teen before fleeing the crime scene on foot. Roughly a month after the shooting, the NYPD released on social media a surveillance video of the trio as they walked on a sidewalk, asking for the publics help with any tips. The post offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information. So far, no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, the law enforcement official told CNN.

Claudia was one of more than 1,300 children and teenagers killed by a firearm so far in 2023 in the US, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In the United States, guns became the leading cause of childrens deaths in 2020, federal data shows.

Meanwhile, Claudias father still is struggling to wrap his head around his daughters death and what he described as senseless gun violence.

I keep thinking this is like a bad dream, but this is like beyond torture, Albert Quaatey said. Every day, I get up empty.  Theres not a single day I dont cry.

Her father daydreams about seeing her bright smile as she would wave goodbye before leaving home.

Shes always smiling. Thats one thing about her, he said. She had a whole future, and she has been deprived of life.

She was robbed of her life

Claudia dreamed of becoming a nurse and wanted to continue giving back to her family's home country of Ghana. - Courtesy Marian Abbey

Born to Christian Ghanian parents in New York City, Claudia grew up to be the kind of person who was empathetic and caring. She also showed a desire to help people; its why she wanted to be a nurse.

She visited her parents West African homeland often and would donate clothes and shoes to children there and help feed them.

Any time she saw somebody that didnt have what she had, she would try to give them some, her mother, Abbey, said.

Claudias relatives and friends in Ghana pointed out that when they saw Americans visiting the country, they wouldnt mingle with Ghanian kids, thinking theyre better than them, her mother said. But not Claudia.

Claudia gets down and dirty with them, her mother said, adding she would often give away her own possessions.

And she was also a positive influence on those closest to her, especially her best friend, Keon Anderson.

She kept me on track with school, Keon said told CNN. She would take away my phone and tell me to focus.

Keon and Claudia met freshman year in math class at Queens High School of Teaching. They instantly clicked, and by the following year, they had most of their classes together. Their favorite class was English, taught by their favorite teacher with whom they would occasionally spend their lunch period.

They commuted to school together because they lived only a few blocks apart, spent hours on FaceTime watching the show You, and of course, there were always jokes.

This year, instead of meeting with Claudia to go to school together, Keon begins his day by spending a few minutes each morning praying for his best friend.

He looks on a small at-home memorial placed on a windowsill: a picture of her smiling flanked by a white candle and a crystal-like ornament in the shape of an angel encompassing an indigo-colored rose.

A small heart-shaped glass sculpture beside her photo has this inscription:

Those we love dont go away

They walk beside us every day

An at-home memorial for Claudia Quaatey at her best friend's home in Queens, New York. - Courtesy Roberta Anderson

Keon, 16, misses conversations with Claudia, their jokes and the memes they sent each other. And not a day has gone by without thinking about her.

She was robbed of her life, he said. She didnt deserve (that) to happen to her.

Keon first saw the news of a 16-year-old girl getting shot on May 10, but she wasnt identified, he said. The following day while on his way to school, his mom called him and told him to come back home. When he returned, his mom told him Claudia had died.

It was shocking to me. I was just crying, Keon told CNN.

As he grieves, Keon has been receiving therapy at school, which he says has been helping him cope.

Roberta Anderson, Keons mom, told CNN she initially considered transferring him out of concerns the memories would be too difficult for him handle, but the mental and emotional support system the school is providing has made a tremendous difference for him.

As parents, we look at the school as an external family. And during this time, they showed me and other parents that they are not considered external family; they are considered your family. And the children in their schools are their children, Anderson said.

Theyve given more love and attention to the situation than Ive ever, ever, ever could have imagined.

Read other profiles of children who have died from gunfire

She was a nurturer

In the short 16 years she lived, Claudia morphed herself into someone who made people laugh with her witty sense of humor  but she also took planning for her future seriously.

She was a nurturer. Her heart was definitely in the field where she would be caring for people, and thats exactly what she wanted to do, Anderson said of Claudia. She loved helping people.

And she came from a hard-working family who also helped people: Her father is a construction worker, and her mother is a medical assistant.

Claudia enjoyed playing basketball and running her own hair braiding business. - Courtesy Marian Abbey

In addition to her parents, she lived with her four brothers, who praised her resolve in a written tribute.

She never shied away from expressing her feelings and always fostered a sense of collaboration in us. Watching her speak her mind at such a young age gave us courage and helped keep us grounded, they wrote. It must have been difficult living in a household dominated by males, but you never let it affect you. You didnt allow anyone to diminish your brilliance, and we will strive to do the same.

Claudias family and loved ones know nothing will bring her back. But justice might offer them a sense of closure to a senseless crime.

At least whoever did it is not gonna just be walking free while she is 6 feet under, her mother said of catching her killer. Claudias soul is not gonna rest in peace until everyone has answered.

CNNs Mark Morales contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A Southwood High School student has been arrested for having a gun at school.

Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office said that on Oct. 25, a 17-year-old student went through the school's metal detector, which alerted the School Recourse Officer of a possible weapon.

The officer performed a search and discovered a loaded handgun in the student's backpack.

The student was immediately taken into to custody and placed under arrest.

According to Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, the student was booked into the Caddo Parish Juvenile Detention Center for carrying a firearm on school property.

"Students will face serious consequences including criminal charges and school disciplinary action for bringing a weapon on school property," Director of Communications Marquel Sennett said in a statement on behalf of Caddo Parish Schools. "The security measures that are in place at Southwood can be credited with aiding in the discovery of the weapon. The district will continue following safety protocols to ensure a safe learning environment for all of our students."

More: Shreveport announces new start times for 2024 Mardi Gras Parades

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport Police arrest Southwood student after gun found in backpack
Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian devotees are making the annual pilgrimage to Da Bo Gong Temple to mark its 100th year (Roslan RAHMAN)

On Singapore's tiny Kusu islet, legend has it that a giant turtle turned itself into an island to save two sailors. A century after a Chinese temple was opened on its shores, pilgrims are still flowing in, seeking good fortunes.

Tens of thousands of Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian devotees are making the annual pilgrimage to Da Bo Gong Temple until November 12 to mark its 100th year on the island, whose name translates to "turtle".

Founded in 1923, the green, red and white temple named after the God of Prosperity is believed to grant good fortune, serenity and protection.

Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, is one of the temple's main deities and is thought to answer the prayers of childless couples.

Velmurugan Kolanjinathan, 39, an engineer from India working in Singapore, and his wife Selvarani, 35, made the half-hour ferry trip to the southern islandto pray for a child after six years of marriage.

"(Either) a boy or a girl is fine for us," Kolanjinathan told AFP.

He said his friend, whose wife had a baby after praying at the temple, had advised him to try the same.

- Grades from God -

Others prayed for good fortune for themselves and for the world at the temple, which is built on the island's shore and elevated on stilts to protect it against rising tides.

Triton Lee, 10, said a little prayer could help improve his grades in Singapore's pressure-laden school system.

"When I enter the temple I'm going to pray for... higher scores," he told AFP after disembarking from the ferry.

While he's not doing well in Chinese class, Lee believes he has a chance of getting better grades in maths, English and science.

He prayed at the temple last year and was surprised by the maths results that came after.

"I was astounded to get full marks. I couldn't even speak," the boy said.

"I think both hard work and prayers (lead to good grades)."

The boy's mother, Sam, told AFP that she would pray for world peace.

"At home we pray for peace and happiness and, at a greater level, hoping that the world will get to a more peaceful state," she said.

- Waning tradition -

For Lau Cheng Poh, 63, and two of his siblings, coming to Kusu on the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is a tradition instilled by their father.

Like most of the older generation in the city-state, which is largely ethnic Chinese, he had immigrated from China.

"There was no ferry before. So we rode on small boats," said his brother Lau Cheng Eng, 60, adding that coming to Kusu was the equivalent of an overseas holiday for them at that time.

But the brothers said the younger generation is more reluctant to make the yearly pilgrimage.

That's despite more than 31 percent of Singapore residents identifying themselves as Buddhist and 8.8 percent as Taoist, according to a 2020 census.

"I don't want to force my children," said Lau Cheng Poh. "Young people are busy with their own lives."

His son Ivan Lau said he will make the pilgrimage for as long as he can, but worries for its future.

"I got a feeling that this tradition will be lost," said the 29-year-old engineer.

"Like the Chinese dialects, I fear it will become extinct."

mba/jfx/dhw/dva
A convenience store owner places Powerball tickets on November 1, 2022 in Quincy, Massachusetts, in an image used for illustration only. Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

A father and son were sentenced in Massachusetts' largest lottery fraud scheme to date.

They used a scheme called "ten-percenting" to cash in more than 14,000 winning lottery tickets.

The nine-year scheme unraveled when lottery officials noticed how improbably "lucky" they were getting.

A Massachusetts family led an elaborate lottery-fraud scheme, cashing in more than 14,000 winning tickets and pocketing money due to the tax authorities.

Father and son Ali Jaafar, 63, and Yousef Jaafar, 29, from Watertown in Boston, were sentenced in May after they were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the IRS and launder money.

The case has gone down as the largest lottery fraud in the state's history, according to a new report in the Boston Globe that details exactly how they were caught after nine years.

It cost federal taxpayers more than $6 million, the DOJ said in a December press release.

The case found that between 2011 and 2020, the pair were involved in what is called "ten-percenting."

Here's how it works: Winning ticket holders don't particularly like paying the tax due on larger wins. And they often don't like going public, either. So a "ten-percenter" offers to buy the ticket for around 90% of its value in cash, in an off-the-books transaction.

Brandishing the ticket, the ten-percenter then goes and claims the prize, pocketing the difference for themselves. They then report the winnings as their own on income tax filings, but often offset that by inventing losses from gambling losses to offset them.

In the process they are "thereby avoiding federal income taxes and receiving tax refunds," per the DOJ's description.

This means they only get a fraction of the winnings, but it adds up  especially over 14,000 tickets. Between them, Ali, Yousef and another son, Mohamed, took in more than $2 million this way using tickets with a combined value of $20 million, gaining around $1.2 million in tax refunds, court filings seen by the Boston Globe show.

It's a practice that can take root anywhere that gambling takes place, and in this instance the DOJ says it cost federal taxpayers more than $6 million.

The Massachusetts State Lottery Commission eventually began noticing just how extraordinarily lucky the Jaafars were getting, the Boston Globe reported.

The family was claiming winnings hundreds of times a year, in an off-the-charts lucky streak that was statistically almost impossible, mathematicians for the lottery commission told the outlet. To win that often with ordinary luck you would need to buy 22,859 tickets a day, an unnamed official said.

To access their 14,000 winning tickets, the men ran a vast network through state convenience stores, where the clerk would call them any time they had a significant winner, the paper reported.

But, per the Globe, even though they sometimes paid others to go in and cash the tickets for them, they became far-too-familiar faces at the lottery offices.

Mohamed, who had tried to leave the scheme in 2019, took a plea deal when the case came to trial, according to the paper.

The fallout has been huge  according to the DOJ, the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission began revoking and suspending more than 40 lottery licenses across the state. And, of course, Ali and Yousef Jaafar were sentenced to be imprisoned, for five years and 50 months respectively. They must pay their "winnings" back, as well as $6 million to the IRS in restitution, the DOJ says.

Read the original article on Insider
Jewish leader and political strategist Samantha Woll attended a festive wedding Friday night and mingled with many of her friends, including a Michigan senator, hours before she was found stabbed to death in her front yard.

The shocking death of the beloved 40-year-old Detroit native has deeply shaken the local community and forever linked a profound tragedy to the bride and groom's nuptials.

Detroit Police Chief James White told reporters at a press conference Monday that the murder was not a hate crime and the investigation has focused on the wedding, as that was Woll's last location before heading home.

"By all accounts, she was not in any discomfort, in any distress, she was her normal positive and pleasant self as described by some people that we have interviewed," White said of the guests who interacted with her.

MURDER OF JEWISH LEADER SAMANTHA WOLL WASN'T A HATE CRIME: DETROIT POLICE

Miriam Nohemi and Jake Stone tied the knot at the Freedom Hill Banquet Center in Sterling Heights, which sits directly in front of the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Video posted to YouTube shows the elated couple dancing as Woll, wearing a stylish blue dress and nude pumps, appears to stand nearby clapping and smiling.

Woll sat at a table with Michigan State Sen. Stephanie Chang at the wedding. They attended the University of Michigan together, and Woll served as her campaign manager for her last election.

"Last night, we talked about how excited she was for a new job opportunity and that things in Lafayette Park  my old neighborhood and her current one  were going well," Chang wrote on X after receiving the devastating news. "We were so happy to both be there for a good friend's beautiful wedding."

MICHIGAN JEWISH SYNAGOGUE PRESIDENT SAMANTHA WOLL FOUND DEAD OUTSIDE DETROIT HOME

Chang said that Woll, in her typical fashion, instantly became friends with the people sitting next to them at the table.

She also posted a photo of the two of them posing with the bride and groom at the wedding.

"She was happy, she was having fun," Chang told LiveNOW from FOX. "My last memories of her will always be really happy and positive."

Chang left the venue before Woll. Police said that Woll arrived home at 12:30 a.m., but didn't say whether she drove the approximately 25 miles to her home or took a car service.

NEIGHBOR OF SLAIN DETROIT SYNAGOGUE LEADER REVEALS 2ND OMINOUS INCIDENT OVER WEEKEND

General view of Freedom Hill Banquet Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Samantha Woll attended a wedding at the venue the night before she was murdered.

Investigators plan to comb street cameras to determine the route she took home and whether another car may have followed her, White said.

At 6:30 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive person in the upscale Lafayette Park neighborhood and found Woll on the ground in front of her townhome and a trail of blood leading inside.

Investigators believe she was knifed in her home, stumbled outside and collapsed.

White would not provide a possible motive for the attack, but he said there were no signs of forced entry, and Woll had her phone and ID with her.

The day after the wedding and before learning of her friend's tragic slaying, Nohemi posted a photo on Facebook of her in her elegant white dress beside her beaming groom. "Officially Jake & Miriam Stone. On cloud nine from last night," she wrote under the image.

After news of Woll's murder garnered national headlines, Nohemi appears to have scrubbed her Facebook account.

NYU STUDENT ADMITS TEARING DOWN ISRAELI HOSTAGE POSTERS, BLAMES MISPLACED ANGER

Police tape restricts access to the scene where Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue president Samantha Woll was found dead on Saturday.

Many initially speculated on social media that Woll, an avid supporter of Israel, was the victim of a hate crime before White put that suspicion to rest at Monday's press conference.

"We believe this incident was not motivated by antisemitism and this suspect acted alone," said White, adding that investigators were close to naming a suspect.

Woll was president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue.

Before that, she had worked for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and on the re-election campaign of Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats.

Woll also co-founded the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit to foster a positive relationship between the two communities.

"Sam is already missed and the brutality of her death is beyond words. Detroit, Michigan, and the world were so lucky to have her light shine for the 40 years we had her," Chang wrote on X.

The Stones didn't immediately return a request for comment. Freedom Hill Banquet Center declined to comment.





Original article source: Slain synagogue leader Samantha Woll's final hours at Detroit wedding: 'She was happy, having fun'
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova on Wednesday, 25 October, approved a new government led by Smer-SD party leader Robert Fico who was noted for a number of anti-Ukrainian statements.

Source: European Pravda

Details: During a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Caputova said that the new government faced various challenges, in particular, higher prices for energy and food, as well as the level of education and health care.

She expressed hope that Ficos government will continue its good relations with neighbouring countries, in particular with Ukraine amidst its war with Russia.

In turn, the new prime minister thanked Caputova for the appointment of his government, noting that he became the prime minister for the fourth time. Fico also said the new government would pursue a "sovereign foreign policy".

The new government of Slovakias key positions for Ukraine were taken by officials not inclined to support Kyiv.

In particular, as expected, Juraj Blanar, the former mayor of Zilina known for his odious statements about Russia's war against Ukraine, has become Slovakia's foreign minister in Robert Ficos government, despite not being a diplomat. He called the war against Ukraine a "conflict between Russia and the United States," claimed that Kyiv was "fighting against its own people," and opposed the transfer of weapons to Ukraine.

The Slovak Ministry of Defence is now headed by Robert Kalinak, the former Interior Minister of the country, who resigned after the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and was previously accused of corruption.

Among the other members of the Cabinet of Robert Fico, who drew the attention of the media, is Martina Simkovicova, the new Minister of Culture, who made 28 mistakes in the candidate's statement of 36 lines.

As reported, after the recent parliamentary elections in Slovakia, a government is being formed from Euro-sceptic and anti-Ukrainian forces. The speaker of the country's parliament is former Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, a representative of the Voice party, which is part of a coalition with the political force of pro-Russian Robert Fico.

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The US Navy has demonstrated its ability to fire an SM-6 missile at a surface target from an Independence class Littoral Combat Ship using a containerized launch system.

The U.S. Navy has demonstrated its ability to fire an SM-6 missile at a surface target from a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) using a containerized system that can also be used to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles . The test points to new possibilities for the service when it comes to employing its beleaguered LCS fleets , including during potential higher-end conflicts. The Navy also says it is looking into integrating this containerized launcher, which has already been tested on a large uncrewed surface vessel and in a ground-based format , on other "afloat platforms."

Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet announced late last night that the Independence class LCS USS Savannah had carried out the live-fire test in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The SM-6 was fired at "a designated target" and "demonstrated the modularity and lethality of Littoral Combat Ships and the ability to successfully integrate a containerized weapons system to engage a surface target," according to an official statement .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqMyrbKM8wI

Savannah employed what is formally known as the Mk 70 Mod 1 Expeditionary Launcher , or a variant or derivative thereof, for this test, as seen in the picture at the top of this story. This containerized launch system is derived from the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) used on many U.S. Navy and foreign warships, and can also be used to fire land-attack, anti-ship optimized, and other variants of the Tomahawk cruise missile.

The Navy has previously test-fired an SM-6 from a Mk 70-series launcher onboard the Ranger, an experimental large uncrewed surface vessel . The service has also shown its ability to utilize these launchers in a trailer-mounted configuration on land , including in an exercise in Denmark back in September. The Mk 70 family is also related to the U.S. Army ground-based Typhon system , which can fire SM-6s and Tomahawks , as well.

https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1433852377870839808

A US Navy Mk 70-series launch system mounted on a trailer deployed during an exercise in Denmark in September 2023. USN

Ship spotters first noticed USS Savannah leaving its homeport of San Diego, California with the containerized launch system, as well as what looked to be a trailer-mounted AN/TPQ-53 radar, on its rear flight deck back on September 26.

https://twitter.com/WarshipCam/status/1706711962418102720?s=20

It is unknown what the specific purpose of the radar was in this instance, but it might have been used to help cue the SM-6 to its target. Also known as the Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar , the AN/TPQ-53 is primarily designed to spot and track incoming rockets and artillery rounds, and then determine their points of launch so friendly forces can launch so-called counter-battery strikes. It has also demonstrated an ability to detect and track drones .

Interestingly, this is not the first time an Independence class LCS has been seen with the same launcher/radar combination. A picture of U.S. Navy and foreign warships in port at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii during last year's Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise shows the USS Tulsa equipped in this same way. The Navy made no specific announcement about this ship and its loadout at the time and it is unknown Tulsa fired any missiles using this system during RIMPAC 2022.

USS Tulsa at Pearl Harbor during RIMPAC 2022. USN

When asked for more specifics about yesterday's test, a spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet told The War Zone that no more information beyond what was in the initial statement was currently releasable. They did, however, confirm that the Navy has previously tested "containerized weapons systems at sea" and that the test launch from Savannah is part of broader "ongoing experimentation and integration of these systems" on platforms including, but not limited to LCS.

Whatever the case, the Mk 70 family does offer a relatively simple way to increase the firepower on a wide variety of ships with suitable deck space. This includes smaller surface combatants with helipads like Independence class LCSs, various amphibious warfare , and certain auxiliary support ships, including commercial designs. The containerized launcher provides immense flexibility just with its ability to fire SM-6s and Tomahawks, and its Mk 41 VLS heritage means more munition options could definitely be integrated in the future.

The SM-6 is a multi-purpose weapon that can be employed against a wide variety of air and surface targets . Some existing variants of the missile are even capable of engaging traditional ballistic missiles and more novel hypersonic threats in the terminal stages of their flight. An enlarged version, the SM-6B Block IB, is currently in development and is expected to offer hypersonic peak speed and greater range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OU1pUyIzTw

"The containerized SM-6 launcher ... dramatically increases the Navy's flexibility to move and employ the weapon systems at anytime [sic] - anywhere - in the best interests of the United States, and our Allies and partners," a spokesperson for U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa told The War Zone after the demonstration of the ground-based version of the system in Denmark earlier this year. "An SM-6 is capable of combating threats such as fixed-wing planes, helicopters, and cruise missiles, while also being able to intercept ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight."

"In addition, SM-6 also has a secondary strike capability, and is able to hit fixed targets on land and moving targets, such as ships, at sea with great precision over long ranges," they added. "Its high-speed and quasi-ballistic missile mode of attack makes it hard to defend against."

Adding Tomahawk missiles to the mix only increases the system's capabilities and flexibility. A ship with a Mk 70-series launcher loaded with these cruise missiles would be able to hold targets on land and at sea at risk anywhere within an area extending some 1,000 miles or more out in all directions.

The video below shows the launch of a Tomahawk cruise missile in 2019 from a ground-based launcher that immediately preceded the development of the Mk 70 series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zbEG989BKQ

Add-on sensor systems, like the AN/TPQ-53 radar, could help improve the ability of ships with Mk 70 to spot and engage various threats independently, regardless of their built-in capabilities. Robust distributed networks, like the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) package the Navy has already been using operationally for years, would allow other targeting information to flow in from other offboard sources, too. The Navy long ago demonstrated the ability of ships to engage targets they cannot directly 'see' using SM-6 missiles with the help of data provided by aircraft flying above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHHrQSFWh1I

Altogether, this could help the Navy readily increase the total number of available ships with long-range air and missile defense and strike capabilities, if required.

This is particularly significant for the service's long-troubled LCS fleets , which it continues to struggle to find missions for and that remain too vulnerable for independent operations in even middle-tier threat environments. The Navy has been in the process of integrating the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship cruise missile onto its Independence class ships and still plans to do the same for what will remain of its fleet of Freedom class LCSs. However, the NSM, while very capable , is nowhere near as flexible as the SM-6 and has a far shorter range compared to that of the Tomahawk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSdPBxILCTc

With regard to the Navy's LCSs, it is worth noting that using the rear flight deck as a place to mount a Mk 70-series launcher and other associated equipment eliminates their ability to launch and recover helicopters. The service has long touted the ability of the ships to carry MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters , as well as MQ-8C Fire Scout drone helicopters , as key to helping the ships find and engage targets at extended ranges, defend against close-in threats like small boat swarms, and just provide increased situational awareness.

Still, loaded with Mk 70-series launchers and additional sensors, Independence and Freedom class LCSs, as well as other suitable surface vessels, could provide very valuable additional firepower as part of larger surface action groups. This would also allow the Navy to distribute these capabilities to a greater degree, which would present an opponent with an increased number of threats across a broader area, complicating their defensive planning and other operational decision-making processes.

This all could be particularly useful in any potential future high-end conflict, such as one against China in the Pacific . In a scenario like that, larger surface warships with Mk 41 VLSs will immediately be in high demand to defend against a host of air and missile threats and to help prosecute stand-off strikes against a high volume of targets at sea and ashore.

The Navy's demonstrating its ability to strike a surface target with an SM-6 missile fired from a containerized launcher onboard the USS Savannah looks to be a sign of many things to come, and an especially important development for the LCS fleets.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
New Smyrna Beach is moving forward with plans to fix the citys parking problems.

On Tuesday, the parking task force presented its solutions to city commissioners in hopes of solving an issue thats plagued the area for years.

 WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

That issue -- a significant lack of parking in New Smyrna Beach that has created problems for businesses, residents and visitors for quite some time..

I have worked here almost 11 years and the parking is out of control, said barber Tonya Gregory.

Read: Marion County deputy shoots armed suspect after fleeing traffic stop, sheriffs office says

The task force presented some solutions to commissioners including:

Reducing street parking from four hours to two hours on Flagler Avenue and Canal Street.

Creating a free shuttle service.

Creating a parking authority.

Hiring a temporary parking consultant.

Read: Plans for OnePULSE museum unclear amid citys purchase of Pulse property

I do think we need some guidance to move in the right direction, said Parking Task Force Chairman Gerard Pendergast.

While many agreed with these plans, some questioned the cost of all of this and had concerns about reducing street parking to two hours.

Read: Two mothers get in fist fight on Osceola elementary school bus, over toy

We tried it at two hours then to four hours, now were looking at 2 hours again, said Commissioner Jason McGuirk. The reason were going back and forth is because the idea was well do two hours so people cant go down to the beach, but the business community wanted to give enough time for the people to eat and shop which makes total sense.

After more than an hour of discussion, commissioners unanimously agreed to move forward and bring that consultant on board to help them put their solutions into action.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The Tahoe region is expecting more snow this month, rounding out October with a flurry, as the capital region braces for more rain.

Snow is forecast starting Wednesday night in the Sierra, according the National Weather Service.

Today is the last mild and quiet weather day ahead of the upcoming cold and showers. Be sure you're ready for the cold and potentially slick, icy roads in the Sierra and western NV.



Details: https://t.co/PINwkjv1Fl pic.twitter.com/ZYN8pb0I1U  NWS Reno (@NWSReno) October 24, 2023

Snow showers are predicted to start at around 9 p.m., according to the weather services five-day forecast, followed Wednesday by a round of scattered rain showers in Truckee. A lake wind advisory will also be in place into Wednesday night.

Weve had a few little minor systems pass through but nothing necessarily to this caliber, said Tyler Salas, a weather service meteorologist in Reno, which forecasts for the Tahoe region. This is more of a pre-winter type of system  kind of an appetizer, if you will.

Tuesday nights snowfall is the first of a couple of systems that will pass through over the next five days in the Sierra, Salas said, with snow levels to start at around 6,000 feet.

Erika Travillion of South Lake Tahoe stands in front of her home as snow falls on Monday, March 6, 2023 in El Dorado County. Only a light dusting is expected at elevations around 6,000 feet this week.

Weather officials are advising anyone who is planning to drive up to higher elevations to check road conditions on the Caltrans website before getting behind the wheel.

Earlier this month, the Tahoe region saw its first round of light dusting, which is exciting news for ski resorts that are scheduled to open in less than a month.

There is a slight chance of rain in the foothills and in the Sacramento area, according to the weather service five-day forecast.

Auburn is expected to receive some rain on Wednesday and there is a slight chance for Friday. In Sacramento, there is a slight chance of showers most of Wednesday.

Most of the rain will be in centered in the northern Sierra, according to the weather service.

Precipitation chances return tomorrow, with highest probabilities over the mountains and foothills. Here's a look at the predicted precipitation totals from 5AM Wednesday to 5AM Thursday. Highest totals will be concentrated over the northern Sierra.#CAwx pic.twitter.com/NdIkWUYLtl  NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) October 24, 2023

Snowbody asked but we are looking at a chance for a little bit (or more than a bit in the case of Lassen Peak!) of snow on Wednesday!Snow levels will generally be 6000-7000 ft. Most snow accumulation will be less than 2 inches and likely won't stick around too long.#CAwx pic.twitter.com/k9fWwAtDje  NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) October 24, 2023

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 mother and stepfather of Travis King , a U.S. soldier in custody after fleeing to North Korea, said they were shocked by the charges against him in an interview with ABC News. Both said that King signed paperwork forbidding him from sharing details regarding his stay in North Korea, which expelled King last month. He has since been kept in pre-trial detention in El Paso, Texas, on eight charges including desertion, assaulting fellow soldiers, and possession of child pornography. Kings stepfather, Dan Jovanovic, said it was 100 percent-plus out of character for King to possess child pornography, and that the pair found out about it on the news. Gates said her family plans to fight the charges and fight the charges hard. Carl Gates, Kings uncle, previously told The Daily Beast that his sons death contributed to Kings troubling behavior: The pain came from my son, and it escalated to this shit.

Read it at ABC News

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Veterinarians in the Florida Keys did all they could to save a loggerhead sea turtle found last week with a spear through its head. But by Saturday, they made the difficult decision to euthanize the federally protected reptile.

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon began caring for the turtle, which workers named Aubie (for Auburn University), last Thursday when a guest at a Long Key resort found him in distress. A steel spear was sticking out of his head and one of his front flippers was entangled in fishing line.

While many sea creatures become entangled in monofilament fishing line, Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach and her staff believe Aubie was intentionally shot by the spear.

This does not appear to be an accident as the turtle has an injury in the same location as a previous case of a loggerhead turtle speared in the head, she said. This has the signs of malicious intent.

Aubie, a loggerhead sea turtle, lies on a table before undergoing a scan at the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys Thursday, Oct. 17, 2023. The Turtle Hospital

Emergency surgery

Keys veterinarian Dr. Terry Norton performed emergency surgery at the hospital to remove the spear, Zirkelbach said.

In the following days, Aubie, who weighed 170 pounds, was placed in one of the hospitals tanks for rehabilitation, and the reptile was administered antibiotics to heal the wounds.

But by Saturday, he was showing signs of neurological damage. A CT scan showed the spear pierced completely through his skull and into his brain casing, causing irreparable damage, Zirkelbach said.

Aubie was humanely euthanized, she said.

An X-ray image shows a fishing spear lodged in the head of a loggerhead sea turtle. The animal was euthanized at the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys Saturday, Oct. 19, 2023. The Turtle Hospital

Protected species

Turtle Hospital workers estimate Aubie was 35 to 40 years old, Zirkelbach told the Miami Herald. Loggerheads can live between 80 and 100 years in the wild, she said.

Loggerheads are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and losing a sexually mature male is a big loss to the South Florida sea turtle population, Zirkelbach said.

Legal consequences and a reward

The case is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said agency spokeswoman Arielle Callender. Zirkelbach said investigators have taken possession of the spear.

According to state statute, killing a loggerhead in Florida is a third-degree felony, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Richie Moretti, the board chairman of the Turtle Hospital, is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who speared Aubie, Zirkelbach said.

Shes asking that anyone with information on the case to call 305-743-2552. Callers can remain anonymous, she said.

To report information about the case to the FWC, call 888-404-3922.
A major New York real estate developerand onetime owner of a mansion dubbed the Taj Mahal of Long Islandis being sued by his 44-year-old son, who claims he was pushed out of the family business after a jealous office rival managed to drive a wedge between them.

Scott Burman says the already frosty relationship between him and his father, Jan Burman, was damaged even further by a partner at the firm angling for his job, according to a $14 million lawsuit obtained by The Daily Beast. The complaint says the man was envious of Scotts success and became especially upset when Scott was designated Jans successor at Engel Burman, the firm Jan started in 1999.

After the rival convinced Jan that Scott and his wife failed to spend enough time with him or properly acknowledge his role as family patriarch, the real-life Shakespearean drama culminated with Scott being shunted aside last fall, by way of Jan starting a new company behind his back, according to the complaint.

In short, Scott was gaslightedwhile the Individual Defendants surreptitiously created a new company to which they would transfer EBs business, assets and good will [sic], it says.

Reached by phone on Wednesday, Jan Burman said he was unaware of the litigation before The Daily Beast contacted him for comment. Offered a brief summary of the complaint, he laughed but declined to say anything further.

Scott Burman could not immediately be reached for comment. His attorneys, Lisa Solbakken and Robert Angelillo, said in an email, We can confirm that we represent Scott Burman. We believe that the filed complaint speaks for itself and we have no further comment at this time.

A spokesman for Jans new company told The Daily Beast, We cannot comment on a lawsuit we have not yet seen nor had an opportunity to study.

Jan Burman (left) and his wife Renee with right-wing TV host Bill O'Reilly at a 2010 law enforcement fundraiser on Long Island. Michael Stewart/WireImage via Getty

If you live in the Tri-State area and are of a certain age, you may have visited an elderly family member in an Engel Burman development. Over the past quarter-century, the company has made its reputation in assisted-living facilities throughout New York City, New Jersey, Westchester County, and Long Island. Jan has also built a public profile that includes a 2020 appearance on the Netflix series Million-Dollar Beach House, a spread the following year in House Beautiful, and at least one newspaper feature on his and his wifes favorite flatware.

After earning a degree in business at New York University, Scott joined Engel Burman in 2001. His complaint says he grew the companys property portfolio to some $3 billion thanks to what Scott describes as his own tireless efforts.

There can be no meaningful dispute that Scott was critical to the growth and success of the parties enterprise, says the complaint, which was filed with the lawsuit on Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court.

It contends that Scott personally sourced and managed hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate business and transactions and invested not less than $5 million into the company. He was also behind a comprehensive communications initiative that included a corporate rebrand, a revamped company website, new employee retention efforts, and the development of a (much needed) well-articulated corporate culture, according to the complaint.

The work Scott was doing attracted notice from institutional investors that resulted in lucrative commercial projects that would not have been possible without him, the complaint claims. In January 2014, Scott was named president of Engel Burmans construction division, expanding its ranks to more than 100 employees.

Scott kept forging ahead, overhauling the Engel Burman corporate structure and implementing sorely needed organizational protocols and controls (financial and otherwise), according to the complaint. In a practical sense, the complaint says Scotts work enabled Engel Burman to just about quadruple its business in less than five years.

However, Scotts success fostered contempt among the firms entrenched old guard. And his relationship with one partner in particular became especially tense.

Steven Krieger (and perhaps others) was threatened by Scotts efforts to grow and modernize EBs operation, the complaint says, pinning the pushback on Kriegers concerns that his own influence within the company might become diminished. So, according to the complaint, Krieger began to meddle in Scotts projects, often with disastrous results. (Krieger has not responded to a request for comment.)

Kriegers help led to cost overruns, missed deadlines, and personal financial exposure for Scott when investors in one project refused to kick in additional funds, according to the complaint. But Scotts successes were clear to Jan, who approached him last year about taking on even more responsibility.

Jan told Scott that he envisioned for Scott the assumption of an overall leadership role for the entire EB organization, stating that he was clearly the member most fit to lead and grow the organization into the future, the complaint states. Scott agreed.

Outside consultants began organizing the logistics of the succession plan, his complaint says. Engel Burman employees were on board with the plan, as was the wider real estate community, according to the complaint.

This development was entirely unwelcome, however, by one person in particularnamely, Steven Krieger, it states.

Jan Burman (3rd from left, in white shirt) and Steven Krieger (right, in blue jacket) with their wives and Christina Cuomo at a 2009 condo opening in Long Beach, New York. Rob Loud/Getty Images for Niche Media

And thats when Krieger started to ice Scott out of his fathers firm altogether, according to the complaint. During an emergency meeting with the Engel Burman partners in June 2022, Krieger announced that he would no longer partner with Scott on any future opportunities within the organization. Krieger sought to isolate Scott, whom he viewed as his only legitimate rival for the leadership position, the complaint states.

Jan was beginning to plan his retirement and had moved to Florida, which Krieger exploit[ed] in pursuing his ultimate goal of divesting Scott of his influence and interests, according to the complaint.

At this point, other executives began to exclude Scott too, it claims.

Construction employees were told not to price projects for Scott, operations employees were told not to provide Scott information, and enterprise leaders who were viewed as aligned with Scott were swiftly fired, the complaint says.

Meanwhile, Jan and the other Engel Burman partners surreptitiously created a new company called B2K, without telling Scott.

When B2K was eventually unveiled in November 2022, Scotts name was notably absent from the leadership team. He declined to comment when a Long Island media outlet asked him about the omission. However, according to the complaint, B2K is new in name only.

New York State Supreme Court

It claims that Jans new firm is simply a rebranded version of the old one: It is situated in Engel Burman offices, and the old business website redirects to B2Ks. The firms employees are also the same, the complaint alleges.

Scott Burman says he was pressured to sign documents related to a new LLCthough he claims he was only presented a collection of signature pagescausing him to suspect he was being manipulated in an information void. He insists that, until the court steps in to save him, the defendants are continuing to pilfer for their own benefit [his] investments and opportunities.

Despite Scotts years of service, he complains he has not been offered a single penny, even though he was stripped of the company and [the] value he spent his entire professional career creating.

This is not because of any purported wrongdoing on the part of Scott, the complaint states. It is because of the Individual Defendants unmitigated hubris and greed.

In addition to $14 million in money damages, Scott is asking for attorneys fees and punitive damages to be determined by a jury.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Authorities said the son of Nashville Police Chief John Drake, Jr., was found dead near a Nashville home. Photo courtesy Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The estranged son of Nashville Police Chief John Drake, a suspect in the shooting of two officers over the weekend, was found dead late Tuesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations said John Drake, Jr. was discovered in South Nashville with a gunshot wound after officers received a tip and surrounded at a residence near a shed on the property.

"There, responding officers heard a muffled gunshot from an outbuilding and subsequently found Drake deceased from what appears to be a self-inflicted gun wound," said a message from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. "A full autopsy will be performed as part of the ongoing investigation."

Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said late Tuesday that Drake stole a gold Chrysler 200 at gunpoint.

Police then chased Drake, who fled the vehicle after it crashed and hid in a shed, where officers found him dead.

Authorities had been looking for Drake since Saturday after he allegedly shot two officers in La Vergne, Tenn. The officers were responding to a stolen vehicle report in the area. La Vergne Police said their two officers struggled with the suspect before he removed a gun from his person and shot both officers.

Chief John Drake told The Tennessean he had prayed for the situation to be resolved peacefully and was "heartbroken and saddened" by the outcome.

"I am grateful to the members of law enforcement, including many officers from the department who worked diligently since Saturday to locate my son and bring him into custody," he said.

La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said in a statement that the community's "prayers are with Chief Drake and his family."

"The La Vergne community and our heroic officers can rest easy tonight knowing that the manhunt for John Drake, Jr. is over," Moews said.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake said he was heartbroken and saddened following the news of his estranged sons death after a manhunt for allegedly shooting two police officers from a nearby city.

John C Drake Jr, 38, was accused of shooting two La Vergne police officers on 21 October. He was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) Most Wanted List as a manhunt for the police chiefs son was underway. He was wanted for two counts of attempted murder.

The search for Drake Jr came to an unexpected conclusion late Tuesday, when the TBI announced he was found dead from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The agency will lead the investigation into his death and a full autopsy will be performed, TBI wrote.

I am grateful to the members of law enforcement, including many officers from this department, who worked diligently since Saturday to locate my son and bring him into custody, Chief John Drake said in a statement.

Chief Drake has issued this statement concerning Tuesday night's death of his son, John Drake, Jr., age 38. pic.twitter.com/9hx4RM3f8z  Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) October 25, 2023

It was my prayer that no harm would come to him or anyone else. I am heartbroken and saddened by the outcome, he added. I appreciate the condolences and kind words of support as my family and I privately mourn our loss.

The two officers allegedly struck by Drake Jr have been treated and are at home, the La Vergne Police Chief said on Tuesday.

Drake Jr had reportedly fled the scene of the shooting in a stolen car. A manhunt ensued, including a reward of $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.

Chief Drake said over the weekend that he was shocked and deeply saddened to learn that my estranged sonis the suspect in this afternoons shooting. He added that the pair had maintained minimal contact over the years.
The Peruvian Navy has given an intriguing glimpse of how sonar imaging is used to locate stricken submarines stranded on the sea floor. Rescuing submarines is incredibly complicated, often requiring specialized assets above and below the ocean's surface, with time being the biggest enemy to success.

Pictures taken by Peru's Navy show the use of sonar imaging as part of a recent mock submarine search-and-rescue exercise. This drill forms part of the 2023 iteration of Perus SIFOREX (Silent Forces Exercise)  an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise that began on October 20 and is slated to end on October 27.

https://twitter.com/naval_peru/status/1716243011883995512?s=20

SIFOREX 2023 is taking place within an operational area located 50 miles from the Port of Callao on Peru's central coastline, and aims to increase interoperability between the Peruvian and U.S. Navies. SIFOREX, which was first held in 2001 and has run biennially since 2006, primarily focuses on ASW operations, but also spans anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and submarine escape and rescue (SMEREX).

https://twitter.com/naval_peru/status/1716192045369295219?s=20

During the search-and-rescue demonstration, Buque Armada Peruana (Peruvian Navy Ship, or BAP) Carrasco , one of Perus six scientific research vessels , attempted to locate a 'stricken' submarine disabled on the sea floor. That submarine, which can be seen in the pictures released by Peru's Navy, was BAP Pisagua , a Type 209/1200 diesel-electric submarine developed in Germany .

According to a machine translation of a social media post by the Peruvian Navy, the training event allowed "technology to be tested on board [Carrasco]... which precisely explored the seabed with its multi-beam echo sounder and side scanning probe."

What's most striking about the images is how well Pisagua can be made out by the equipment on Carrasco. For context, the submarine is nearly 60 meters long, with its beam measuring 6.4 meters. But depending on the nature of the sea floor, such a target can be very hard to spot. In this case, we see the submarine's general outline and shape pretty well defined in the side-scanning sonar and other types of advanced sonar imagery collected by Carrasco. This includes what looks like a 3D scan, where its sail and hull shape can be seen contrasted against the seafloor. This technology can be critical to executing a successful rescue, as diving on a false target can mean the difference between life and death for a submarine crew. Also, knowing the general orientation of the submarine can help mission specialists to best devise a plan to execute a rescue or recovery operation.

Sonar image of the 'stricken' submarine Pisagua captured during SIFOREX 2023. Peruvian Navy

Peruvian Navy

Peruvian Navy

Commissioned in 2017 and constructed by Spains Freire Shipyard, Carrasco is just over 95 meters long and has a displacement weight of 5,000 tons. According to Peru's Hydrography and Navigation Directorate , the vessel has been primarily utilized for oceanographic and polar research. However, the organization does list it as a rescue vessel with "SAR [search-and-rescue] capabilities" and advanced sonar technologies.

BAP Carrasco pictured in 2019. Ministry of Defense of Peru

For those new to the topic, make sure to read this previous War Zone piece by a retired U.S. Navy submarine sonarman explaining the science behind sonar and its use for detecting submerged objects.

Much of Carrasco's equipment is manufactured by Norways Kongsberg Maritime . This includes the companys 12 kilohertz EM 122 multi-beam echo sounder, which is designed to perform seabed mapping to depths of 11,000 meters. In addition, Carrasco also utilizes Kongsbergs SBP 120 sub-bottom profiler , which, in conjunction with the EM 122, provides imaging of sediment layers and buried objects beneath the sea bed to depths of 500 meters. The full list of technical equipment aboard Carrasco is as follows, quoted from Perus Hydrography and Navigation Directorate:

Multibeam echo sounder EM122 deep water KONGSBERG (11,000 meters)

KONGSBERG Deep Sea Single Beam Echosounder

SBP 120 KONGSBERG Profiling Echosounder (penetration up to 500 meters)

Sub-Bottom Profiler

One remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), 1,000 meters Falcon DR

Wave Gilders with meteorological, oceanographic, AIS sensors

Two ADCP of 38 and 300 kilohertz

EK-60 Scientific Fishing Echosounder (with 5 transducers 18, 38, 70, 120 and 200 kilohertz)

One Explorer Pro Magnetometer

Piston Corer (5,000 meters deep)

Oceanographic Rosette of 24 Niskin bottles

Two KONGSBERG Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV)

Even under optimal training conditions like that of SIFOREX 2023, locating missing submarines is difficult. But this becomes all the more complex when subs, both military and commercial/private types, go missing at the bottom of the ocean for real.

BAP Carrasco and the submarine BAP Pisagua conducting a mock search-and-rescue exercise as part of SIFOREX 2023. Peruvian Navy

In comparison to the exercise, real-life search-and-rescue missions often require scouring large swathes of the ocean for a missing submarine. It remains a difficult task even when searching shallow waters. As such, they frequently necessitate pooling the capabilities of surface vessels, underwater vehicles, and aerial assets , often from different countries .

Moreover, once a missing submarine has been successfully located, there are further complications in rescuing the personnel on board. Specialist assets are needed for deep-sea rescues in particular. The U.S. Navy, for example, boasts a range of rescue capabilities for those situations, including the Submarine Rescue Diving Recompression System (SRDRS). As The War Zone has noted previously , SRDRS and other rescue systems are operated by the Navy's Undersea Rescue Command (URC). URC is postured to be able to load its systems onboard airplanes within 24 hours of receiving notice of a missing American or foreign submarine.

Sailors assigned to the Navys Undersea Rescue Command observe as the U.S. Navy Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) system deploys from the Royal Malaysian Submarine Rescue Ship, MV Mega Bakti, during Exercise Pacific Reach (PACREACH) in 2019. U.S. Navy/Thomas Gooley

Being able to dispatch rescue equipment swiftly is critical for any submarine rescue attempt. As soon as a sub goes missing, it's immediately a race against time to try to find it, and if possible, rescue its crew. Nuclear submarines can add another critical facet to these operations to contend with  the state of the boat's reactor.

Thanks to the Peruvian Navy, we now have an interesting view of how such rescue operations look to those individuals scouring the sea floor for signs of stricken submarines.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com
[Source]

New Jersey has entered into a new agreement with South Korea that simplifies the driver's license reciprocity between the New Jersey citizens living in South Korea and South Koreans living in New Jersey.

Key details: Announced on Oct. 18 by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy , the new landmark agreement was signed between the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) and the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea (NPA) through a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

What they are saying: Speaking while in Seoul, Murphy noted that both New Jersey and South Korean leaders have come together to make life simpler for all of our residents.

Our state is stronger when we open our doors to create new economic opportunities and innovate new solutions to our greatest challenges, Murphy continued. The last thing that should ever stand in the way of New Jerseyans and South Koreans working together is administrative hurdles.

Trending on NextShark: Watch: Australian influencer mistaken for Ryan Reynolds swarmed by fans in Taiwan

NPA chief Hee-geun Yoon noted that the agreement between New Jersey and South Korea would help enhance the quality of life of over 100,000 South Koreans living in the state.

About the agreement: Under the new MOU agreement, Korean citizens living in New Jersey will be able to convert their licenses without the need to go through the traditional application process. This agreement also applies to New Jersey residents living in South Korea.

NJMVC Acting Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd added that the agreement makes a lot of sense, as both jurisdictions have similar driver testing standard.

Trending on NextShark: Weekend marriages,' where couples live separately, gain popularity in Japan

It will equally benefit drivers in New Jersey and South Korea, allowing them to easily exchange their licenses and smoothing the transition when moving between our two lands, Little-Floyd continued.

Traveling to East Asia: Murphys visit to South Korea was part of a nine-day economic mission to the region, which also included a stop in Japan.

Other agreement: Murphy also signed an agreement that would help bolster the economic growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in New Jersey and Seoul.

Trending on NextShark: Watch: Carefree Asian dad sleeping on plane floor wins praise on TikTok

The governor also signed four agreements between New Jersey and South Korean universities as a way to deepen bilateral educational exchange. Some of the universities mentioned include Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Kean University.

More on NextShark:

Woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Georgia in 1988 identified

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Varda Space Industries plans to eventually land its spacecraft in Australia, but the company is still waiting on approval to bring down its already-launched first vehicle in Utah next year, according to a media report.

Varda launched its debut mission on SpaceX 's Transporter-8 mission in June, and the capsule remains operational in space . Varda will land its future spacecraft at the Koonibba Test Range northwest of Adelaide, Australia under a newly announced agreement with Southern Launch. The first missions to use the site will land as soon as 2024, SpaceNews said in a report .

But the company, which is developing systems that will allow customers to manufacture products (for example, pharmaceuticals) in orbit and bring them down to Earth, is still awaiting approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Air Force to land its first spacecraft at the Utah Test and Training Range.

Related: SpaceX just landed a rocket for the 200th time (and launched 72 satellites) on epic rideshare flight (video)

"We got very, very close," Delian Asparouhov, co-founder of Varda, said in an Oct. 20 interview with SpaceNews. The situation was related to "a coordination problem amongst three different groups that had not worked through this operation before," he added, referring to the Utah range, the Air Force and the FAA.

RELATED STORIES:

 NASA awards $150 million for moon power systems, other exploration tech

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 In-space manufacturing could help humanity fight climate change, startup says

California-based Varda is the first company to apply for an FAA reentry license through Part 450, a new set of regulations that were put in place to make the approval process easier. Asparouhov declined to comment on whether his company would have secured approvals faster under older FAA rules.

The spacecraft is fully operational in orbit. Asparouhov said that onboard experiments are finished, and that the FAA and Air Force have expressed no concerns about safety.


SpaceXs Starship at Boca Chica, Texas.

Its been an unusually busy week in spaceflight, with the chatter restricted to rockets still on the ground. In a particularly festive update, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is gearing up for the launch of its Vulcan Centaur rocket on Christmas Eve.

In what should serve as a thrilling finale to the year, United Launch Alliance is gearing up for the much-anticipated launch of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, ready to light up the December skies from Cape Canaveral. While space enthusiasts eagerly await this cosmic spectacle, the week has been bustling with activity, featuring critical tests of SpaceXs Starship, Ariane 6, and significant progress with NASAs Artemis 2 mission.

Read more

Its a very Grinchy launch window, but space waits for no one. The announcement brings to mind the launch of the Webb Space Telescope on Christmas Day 2021. Vulcans inaugural mission will carry two payloads: a commercial lunar lander developed by Astrobotic and precious cargo for Celestisashes of deceased individuals wanting to make space their final frontier.

ULA is currently working to build and qualify the upper stage of the rocket. These two tasks, the prepping of the fully expendable 202-foot-tall (62-meter) rocket for launch and the qualification tests, are running in parallel, Bruno explained, with completion anticipated in November, according to CNBC.

ULAs Vulcan has faced challenges and delays over the past year, including a dramatic engine explosion during tests in March. In a related note, ULA was originally slated to launch two demonstration satellites for Amazons Project Kuiper during its maiden voyage. However, delays with the rocket led to a change of plans, resulting in the satellites successful launch in early October aboard ULAs trusty Atlas V rocket.

In development since 2014, Vulcan is set to replace the companys Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, both of which have been in use for the past two decades. The Vulcan Centaur rocket is ULAs next step in space transportation, aiming to provide more efficient and cost-effective launches. Its introduction is crucial, as it will determine ULAs ability to compete in an increasingly crowded space launch industry.

A full wet dress for SpaceXs Starship

SpaceX unexpectedly performed a wet dress rehearsal of its Starship megarocket on Tuesday, the company announced over X, formerly known as Twitter. The Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage were loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant today in a flight-like rehearsal ahead of launch, according to SpaceX. The fuel was subsequently drained, as this was just a test.

Vehicle is ready for the second test flight of a fully integrated Starship, pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/9tC4yKecmw  SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 25, 2023

The Elon Musk-led company says the vehicle is ready for its second test flight, pending regulatory approval. The first flight on April 20 did not go smoothly, with the rocket inflicting damage onto the Texas launch site and the surrounding areas.

Regulatory approval may not come until next year, as the FAA needs U.S. Fish and Wildlife to assess SpaceXs Boca Chica upgrades before it can authorize the next Starship launch license. Among the 63 corrective actions mandated by the FAA is a new deluge system designed to quell the power of Starships 33 Raptor engines at launch, prompting the FWS inquiry. Once flight ready, Starship, with its estimated 17 million pounds of thrust, will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world.

Ariane 6 also gets a wet dress

On Tuesday, at Europes Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, a full-scale wet dress rehearsal for the new Ariane 6 rocket was conducted by a collaborative team from CNES (the French national space agency), ESA, Arianespace, and ArianeGroup. According to an ESA press release, the task involved fueling the rocket and subsequently draining it, spanning a period of over 30 hours with three teams operating in 10-hour shifts.

This wet rehearsal marked the third occasion that Ariane 6 ground teams have executed a full launch countdown. The test was performed at night to evaluate operations under cooler ambient conditions.

Ariane 6 during the nighttime wet dress rehearsal.



Ariane 6 during the nighttime wet dress rehearsal.

The Ariane 6 rocket uses cold liquid oxygen and hydrogen for fuel. Because of the extreme cold, the fuel can expand quickly if it warms up, which can cause frost on the rocket, especially in humid conditions. The rockets tanks take a long time to fill and empty, requiring engineers to carefully manage the process, monitoring temperature and pressure. The test version of the Ariane 6 looks just like the real one but isnt meant to launch, though it includes genuine parts like the Vinci upper stage.



The next step in the process will be an eight-minute firing of the Ariane 6 rockets primary enginean important test thats expected to happen by the end of November. Arianespace hopes to launch the rocket for the first time early next year.

Ariane 6 has been in development for nearly 10 years. The 197-foot-tall (60-meter) launch vehicle can come in one of two versions, with either two or four side boosters. Its main Vulcain 2.1 engine and the Vinci upper stage both use a liquid hydrogen-oxygen mix, giving the rocket the strength to carry 10.3 metric tons to low Earth orbit.

Orion gets its Artemis 2 backpack

As ESA announced in a press release, the second European Service Module (ESM-2) has been integrated with the Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft. This marks an important milestone in the development of the upcoming Artemis 2 mission that will transport astronauts around the Moon and back, either next year or early 2025.

The second European Service Module has been connected to the Crew Module to form the Orion spacecraft.



The second European Service Module has been connected to the Crew Module to form the Orion spacecraft.

Having arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida just over two years ago, ESM-2 has undergone extensive preparations. Technicians have worked to ready the Orion spacecraft for its future mission, which will carry a four-person crew on a lunar flyby.

The service module serves as a spacecrafts integral support unit, functioning much like a backpack by carrying all the vital supplies and equipment needed for a given mission, including power, propulsion, and life support systems. ESA also provided the service module for Artemis 1, which worked like a charm during the mission, which ran from November 16 to December 11, 2022.



A graphic of Orion.



A graphic of Orion.

In terms of whats next, technicians will install solar wings to finalize the spacecrafts assembly, at which point it will be handed over to NASAs Exploration Ground Systems team for further preparations. This will involve filling the tanks with propellant, attaching the launch abort system, and, finally, connecting Orion to the Space Launch System (SLS).



Speaking of the megarocket, thats also taking shape, with NASA and its partners having recently installed all four RS-25 engines onto the booster. The timing of all this makes sense, given that the second SLS could fly in about a years time.

Thats a lot of rocketry developments for a single week. Heres to hoping that these updates will translate soon to future rockets and some exciting launches in the near future.

For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and bookmark Gizmodos dedicated Spaceflight page.

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SpaceX has signed a contract to loft up to four of Europe's Galileo navigation satellites over two launches in 2024, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The deal, which Elon Musk's company inked recently with the European Space Agency, calls for the Galileo satellites to launch atop Falcon 9 rockets from U.S. soil, The Journal reported on Monday (Oct. 23), citing Javier Benedicto, ESA's director of navigation. (The story is behind a paywall.)

"The European Commission, the European Union's executive arm, along with EU member states, must still give final approval for the deal," The Journal wrote. "That is likely to happen before the end of the year, officials said."

Related: 8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight

Galileo is Europe's equivalent of the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), China's Beidou or Russia's GLONASS  an orbiting network that allows users to know exactly where they are and helps them figure out where they're going.

The Galileo satellites orbit Earth at an altitude of 14,429 miles (23,222 kilometers). Twenty-eight of the 1,540-pound (700 kilograms) spacecraft have been launched to date, all of them aboard either Europe's Ariane 5 rocket or the Russian-built Soyuz.

RELATED STORIES:

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But Europe ended most of its space cooperation with Russia after the nation invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Ariane 5 retired recently, and its successor, the Ariane 6, has yet to get off the ground after suffering a series of delays. So SpaceX was pretty much the only option remaining, European officials told the Journal.

The upcoming missions will mark the first time that SpaceX launches EU satellites carrying classified equipment, The Journal noted, and the first time in 15 years that Galileo spacecraft launch from a non-European territory. (Recent missions have lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guyana.)

"That has prompted the U.S. and the EU to start talks on an agreement to protect classified information in the satellites, officials said," The Journal wrote.

a white rocket launches into a cloudy blue sky.

Galileo became operational in 2016, though Europe continues to build out the constellation, as the upcoming launches show.

The network, which takes its name from the famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, currently consists of 23 operational satellites. In its final form, Galileo will feature 30 spacecraft  24 active satellites and six orbiting spares.
Speaker math: Breaking down how many votes Johnson needs

House GOP Speaker nominee Mike Johnson (R-La.) heads to the House floor at noon Wednesday for a House-wide floor election.

While momentum is in his favor, he is not yet assured to win on the House floor.

Here is how the process works and what he needs to win.

Johnson needs a majority of all members present and voting for a specific candidate in order to win the GOP nomination.

There are two vacancies in the House right now, due to resignations of one Republican (Chris Stewart of Utah) and one Democrat (David Cicilline of Rhode Island), making a total of 433 members. House Republicans have 221 members, while Democrats have 212.

Top Stories from The Hill

That means a majority of the House right now is 217 members  the number often referenced as what Johnson needs to win the Speakership.

All voting Democrats are expected to vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for Speaker.

So, if more than four of the 221 Republicans defect from Johnson, he is below 217 and in hot water.

However, 217 is not the end-all-be-all magic number to win the Speakership. Members who are absent or vote present lower the threshold needed to win, since the winner is decided by all members voting for a specific candidate.

That is how ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) won the Speakership on his 15th ballot in January with 216 votes; six present votes from Republicans lowered the threshold needed to win, even though a majority of the whole House was 218.

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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) won the Speakership with 216 in 2021, too, as did former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in 2015.

Because of the slim margins, Democrats have urged full attendance for all members, since their absences can affect the margins that Republicans need, too.

To find the magic number needed to win the Speakership if there are present votes and absences, take 433 and subtract the number of present votes and absences. Divide that number by two  and then count up to the next whole number.

But Johnson does not necessarily want to count on absences and present votes to win.

And he seems to have the wind at his back. Republican lawmakers running the gamut from moderate Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) to hard-line conservative Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) say they support him.

He also got backing from two previous Speaker nominees  Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)  as well as McCarthy.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Soldiers from the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed several units of Russian equipment on the Zaporizhzhia front during the past week, with support from the artillery of the Defence Forces.

Source: press service for the Special Operations Forces

Quote: "One of the SOF units arranged a hot week for the invaders on the Zaporizhzhia front. Our soldiers found and identified the enemy's heavy equipment and adjusted artillery fire onto it."

Details: Assisted by units of the Defence Forces, the SOF fighters destroyed a BM-21 Grad, a BM-27 Uragan, a TOS-1 heavy flamethrower system, and a Zoopark-1 radar system during the week.

It is indicated that the estimated cost of the burned equipment is about US$25 million.

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Israel will use novel sponge bombs as it fights through the network of Hamas tunnels under Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been testing the chemical bombs, which contain no explosives but are used to seal off gaps or tunnel entrances from which fighters may emerge.

The IDF has not commented on the use of the so-called sponge bombs, which create a sudden explosion of foam that rapidly expands and then hardens.

Its soldiers were seen deploying the devices during exercises in 2021. The army has set up a mock tunnel system at the TzeElim army base near the border with Gaza.

Troops are likely to face a bloody battle through the tunnels known as the Gaza Metro when they launch their expected ground invasion. The network is thought to be hundreds of miles long and dense with traps.

It is where Hamas has taken many of the 200 hostages and where its leaders will hope to survive the coming war.

Israeli soldiers blinded mishandling new bomb

The sponge bomb would prevent soldiers being ambushed as they move further into the network, sealing off gaps through which Hamas could attack.

Contained in a plastic container, the specialist devices have a metal partition separating two liquids. Once this barrier is extracted, the compounds mix as the soldier positions the bomb or throws it further ahead.

Specialised teams in the IDFs engineering corps have been grouped into tunnel reconnaissance units and equipped with ground and aerial sensors, ground penetrating radar and special drilling systems to locate tunnels.

They have also been issued with special equipment to see when underground.

Standard issue night vision goggles need an element of ambient light to work effectively, but with all natural light blocked out when moving underground, troops will rely on thermal technology to see in the total darkness.

Novel radios, optimised for working in the extreme conditions experienced underground, have also been developed.

There are potential complications with the underground arsenal, however. The sponge bomb - technically a liquid emulsion - is hazardous to work with, and some Israeli soldiers have lost their sight through mishandling the mixture.

Israel may also use robots and drones to help when navigating the tunnels - but so far, there have been difficulties operating these underground.

Some of the robots will be controlled by wires spooling out of the rear of the device. Others will rely on standard radio waves, but will need a series of repeater nodes to be dropped off en route as radio signals degrade quickly underground.

Micro-drones for reconnaissance, capable of being held in the palm of a hand, may also be used but will similarly suffer as the radio signal weakens.

The Israel-based Roboteam technology company has developed IRIS, a small, throwable drone that can be driven on large wheels via remote control.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Known by special forces as a throwbot, it relays images back to a controller, operating the device from a position of safety.

Some devices can have weapons attached so that if enemy combatants are seen, the controller can detonate explosives.

Alongside the IRIS, it has developed the MTGR, a micro tactical ground robot that can climb stairs and is designed to be operated by soldiers in buildings and caves.

John Spencer, a former US major who chairs urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, says subterranean fighting is more like fighting underwater than fighting in buildings.

Nothing that is used on the surface works in the same way or with the same efficiency underground.

Specialised equipment is needed to see, to breathe, to navigate, to map the space, to communicate and to deploy lethal means.

Targeting the tunnels risks civilian lives

Hamas has integrated underground warfare into its overall military strategy.

Tunnels, some started decades ago, are no longer just places of refuge or concealment, but are integral parts of a wider plan to prepare the ground for ambushing Israeli forces above.

Many stretch under civilian structures, with entry and exit points in dwellings and other non-military buildings, making it extremely difficult for Israel to attack them without inviting international condemnation.

A standard tunnel is about 2m high and 1m wide, which enables them to be built quickly. They are sometimes reinforced with concrete and metal but are not especially sophisticated.

Others however, have power, water and ventilation and are used for command centres and rest stations, weapons storage, infiltration into Israel and routes to secret rocket launching sites.

In some parts there is even thought to be a small rail system for the transportation of weapons and building equipment.

The last major attempt to destroy the system was in 2014s Operation Protective Edge, but the network has been rebuilt since.

Military commanders in the IDF must decide if they want to render the structures useless, by pouring in concrete for example, as they did with the tunnels dug by Hezbollah in the north of the country.

Alternatively, they may need to keep the structures intact, clearing out Hamas fighters as they move through the system searching for the estimated hostages. The normal military responses to tunnels, of using explosives to destroy them or flooding to render them useless, is probably not practical.

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As Stanislaus County continues to see an increase in fentanyl use and overdoses, school districts are working to ensure students have access to the lifesaving medicine naloxone.

Naloxone, also packaged as Narcan or Evzio, is an opioid medication that is used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The FDA-approved medicine can reverse and block the effects of opioids including heroin, morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl.

After administering the medicine, its still important to call 911 for assistance.

Modesto City Schools has multiple doses of naloxone available at each school site, obtained from the California Department of Health Care Services Naloxone Distribution Project. The district has stocked the medicine for a year.

Narcan (naloxone) nasal spray.

While the district cannot confirm how many students have overdosed on its campuses, it did confirm that in the last year, school staff has used naloxone on students believed to have been suffering from an opioid overdose.

Because naloxone can be the difference between life and death for someone experiencing an opioid overdose, we want to ensure we have all the available tools to keep students safe, said Linda Mumma Solorio, the districts public information officer.

Not every staff member on a campus is taught how to administer naloxone, Solorio said, but there is free training available for those interested. Some staff members, including school safety officers are required to learn how to administer the medicine.

Fentanyl is the unknown enemy that we know a lot about, but we dont know how to fight, said the school districts health services director, Tom Nipper. Fentanyl is found in so many different products like legal drugs in hospitals and healthcare, but in illegal areas as well that you really dont know that its present because its not advertised as a presence.

At Turlock Unified School District, officials said they are not aware of any toxicology reports that confirm a student overdose. The district has carried naloxone on its elementary and secondary school sites for a year.

Stanislaus Behavioral Health and Recovery Services clerk Marisela Blakeley hands out opioid prevention kits with Narcan and fentanyl test strips during Turlock Unified School District Family Information Night on the fentanyl crisis at Turlock Junior High School in Turlock, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

The TUSD health staff has been trained on how to administer the medicine. The district plans to expand this training to interested staff at all its schools.

Currently, three to four Stanislaus County residents are dying every week from suspected drug-related overdose and accidental poisoning deaths, said Marie Russell, director of communications at Turlock Unified. Narcan in schools is an important harm reduction measure that is part of TUSDs overall plan to provide safe and supportive school environments for students and staff.

Last year, the California Legislature proposed a bill that would require public schools to keep two doses of naloxone. The bill is currently in committee.

According to the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard, approximately 6,100 Californians died from fentanyl overdoses in 2022, including 170 people age 19 or younger. This number slightly dropped from 2021, when around 246 people in that age group died from a fentanyl overdose.

Fentanyl deaths accounted for more than 80% of all drug-related deaths among Californias young people in 2021, wrote Tony Thurmond, state superintendent, in an October 2022 letter. Most of our young victims ingested fentanyl accidentally, thinking they were using something less dangerous. It is the fastest growing cause of death for young people in our state, and we must lean in and confront this drug crisis now.

Turlock Unified School District Family Information Night presented guidance on the fentanyl crisis to parents and others guests at Turlock Junior High School in Turlock, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

Stanislaus Behavioral Health and Recovery Services gave out opioid prevention kits with Narcan and fentanyl test strips during Turlock Unified School District Family Information Night on the fentanyl crisis at Turlock Junior High School in Turlock, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.
Developers are planning to redevelop multiple blocks of land in downtown Boise just south of Boise High School, which is just outside of this south-looking photo below the lower left corner. The project would move the YMCA, center left, a block south across State Street, and it would construct two buildings, one 15-story and the other seven-story, for hundreds of apartments and ground-floor businesses.

Idahoans are used to hearing about how fast our state is growing. But what about how many people are moving into the state and where they are moving from?

In pure numbers, Idaho saw the 10th-most people put down roots in the state in 2022, with a population growth of 34,719 people, according to U.S. Census Bureau from 2022 made available recently. Percentage-wise, Idaho saw a 1.8% increase in its population, which was second in the nation, second only to Florida (1.9%).

But where are all the states new residents moving from?

Where are people moving from?

According to new data from the Census Bureau and their 2022 American Community Survey, Idahos population in 2022 was 1,919,357, an increase of 87,949 from 2021.

Here are the top five states that people are moving from to relocate in Idaho:

California - 26,887 Washington - 14,387 Oregon - 8,410 Utah - 7,812 Arizona - 3,633

And once they arrive in Idaho, where in the state are they heading?

According to data from the Idaho Department of Labor, 88% of Idahos growth in 2022 resulted from migration into the state; the other 12% came from natural births. Out of Idahos 44 counties, 22 had more deaths than births, but migration into the state still resulted in population growth.

Only one county in the state had a decline in population last year when factoring in out-of-state migration into the Gem State: Gooding County. Located in southern central Idaho, only 59 people moved to the county, and there were 64 more deaths than births, resulting in a net loss of five people.

Here were the fastest-growing counties in Idaho by population change:

Boundary County - 5.6% Benewah County - 4.3% Adams County - 4.0% Jefferson County - 3.6% Bonner County - 3.6%

Where are Idahoans moving away to?

Of course, while thousands of Americans are flocking to the Gem State, many are also leaving.

In 2022, Idaho saw 70,542 people leave for, presumably, less-mountainous pastures. Here are the five states where Idahoans moved to most and how many moved to each state, according to the Census Bureau:

Washington - 10,557 Utah - 7,774 Oregon - 7,508 California - 5,567 Colorado - 4,345
Invergowrie was hit by flooding during Storm Babet last week

Up to 40 tonnes of mud has been removed from streets in a village flooded during last week's Storm Babet.

Perth and Kinross Council workers have spent two days clearing the mud and other debris from the worst-hit areas of Invergowrie.

Homes were flooded and cars submerged by water during the storm, which brought heavy rain and high winds to eastern parts of Scotland.

Met Office red weather warnings were issued for the area.

A yellow "be aware" warning for heavy rain from midday Thursday until midday Saturday this week has been issued for the same area. The Met Office said some places could see accumulations of up to 100mm.

The clean-up operation in Invergowrie has also involved clearing debris from a burn through the village. A crane is due to be used later this week to lift away a large tree stump.

Perth and Kinross Council staff have been faced with clearing away tonnes of mud

Muddy road in Invergowrie

Perth and Kinross Council leader Grant Laing thanked village residents for their patience while staff tackled the mess left in the storm's wake.

He said: "This has been a major operation. To give some idea of the scale of the incident in Invergowrie, our crews have removed between 30 and 40 tonnes of wet mud from roads and pavements over the past two days.

"We invested 50,000 when setting this year's budget to provide an enhanced severe weather service that allows the council to prioritise our street sweepers to where they are needed most during these types of incident."

Mr Laing added: "Significant progress has been made since the storm hit last week and I would like to thank residents again for their understanding and support during what has been an extremely difficult few days."

Perthshire, Angus and Aberdeenshire were among the worst affected areas during Storm Babet.

Three people died in Scotland as a result of the storm.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to bring additional rains Wednesday to an already drenched Kansas City area, according to the National Weather Service.

Overnight storms have dumped between 1 and 3 inches of rain in the metro and another 1 to 1.5 inches of rain is possible through Thursday as additional storms move through the area, the weather service said.

The heavier rains have fallen across the southern part of the metro and if storms continue to focus over the same area, minor flooding and river flooding may be possible, the weather service said in its forecast discussion.

Local Radar Image

A flash flood warning has been issued along Interstate 35 in northwestern Coffey County, northwestern Franklin County and Osage County in Kansas.

At 6:24 a.m., radar indicated that thunderstorms were producing heavy rains across the area. Between 3 and 9 inches of rain had fallen and flash flooding was ongoing or was expected to begin, the weather service said.

Drivers were urged to use caution if traveling through the area.

Turn around, dont drown when encountering flooded roads, the weather service said in the warning. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

The warning is in effect until 10:30 a.m.

In the Kansas City area, rain chances will range from 50 to 80% for most of the day Wednesday.

There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms Wednesday evening across far northwestern Missouri and extreme northeastern Kansas, the weather service said. Large hail will be the primary threat.

Overnight, rain chances increase to 80 to 90%. On Thursday, rain chances will gradually decrease throughout the day.

Temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s on Wednesday and Thursday, which is about 10 degrees above the normal for this time of year in Kansas City.

A brief dry period is expected Thursday evening before a strong cold front pushes through the metro area bringing another round of showers as well as much colder temperatures, the weather service said. Temperatures are expected to tumble into the lower 30s to lower 40s across the Kansas City region.

Temperatures on Saturday are expected to be in the mid-40s. Another round of rain is expected Saturday night and continue into Sunday. Because of the colder temperatures, a little light snow over northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri cant be ruled out Saturday night, the weather service said.

Temperatures on Sunday are expected to be in the upper 30s in the across the metro area. Rain is likely mainly before 1 p.m.

Very cold weather is expected next week, with the Kansas City area likely seeing its first hard freeze, bringing an end to the growing season. Daytime temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees below normal, which is the low 60s this time of year in Kansas City.

Weather watches and warnings

A live data feed from the National Weather Service containing official weather warnings, watches, and advisory statements. Tap warning areas for more details. Sources: NOAA, National Weather Service, NOAA GeoPlatform and Esri.

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BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan residents trapped in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will receive the same consular protection as mainland residents, said a mainland spokesperson Wednesday.

"Compatriots from Taiwan are Chinese citizens and our fellows," said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, adding that the motherland will stand firm behind them.

Zhu urged Taiwan residents, who face difficulties or whose lives and properties are in danger, to call the emergency hotline of local Chinese diplomatic and consular missions for consular protection and service.

Relevant authorities will try their best to assist Chinese citizens, including people from Taiwan, Zhu said.

Peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation are common aspirations for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, she added. 
Strongest quake ever recorded on Mars may have been caused by tectonic activity

A team of scientists believe they have worked out the source of the biggest ever seismic event recorded on Mars.

What was originally thought to be massive vibrations caused by a meteor impact, is now believed to be a marsquake caused by tectonic activity below the red planets surface.

NASA has its sights set on sending humans to colonise Mars one day - but theres a lot about the planet we need to understand before thats possible.

One of the key things is working out where the safe landing zones would be. Scientists working on the project say their results could help us to understand where it would be safe for humans to land - and live - and where to avoid.

The hunt for the source of the six-hour-long, magnitude 4.7 quake was launched after it was recorded by NASAs InSight lander on May 4 2022.

According to Michigan Technological University, quakes on planet Earth between 2.5 to 5.4 in magnitude happen around half a million times a year, and are often felt by people but usually only cause at worst minor damage.

Researchers said its seismic signal was similar to previous quakes which were known to be caused by meteorite impacts, so the event - named S1222a - was believed to be caused by that.

In what is thought to be the first time all missions orbiting the Red Planet collaborated on a single project, an international hunt for the suspected impact crater was launched, to confirm the hypothesis.

The effort from teams at the European Space Agency (ESA), the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA), and the University of Oxford which led the study, found no evidence of a crater or signature of a meteor impact.

After several months of searching through their satellite data, the team concluded that the marsquake was caused by tectonic forces in the planets interior.

We still think that Mars doesnt have any active plate tectonics today, so this event was likely caused by the release of stress within Mars crust, said study lead Dr Benjamin Fernando of the University of Oxford.

These stresses are the result of billions of years of evolution; including the cooling and shrinking of different parts of the planet at different rates.

He added that while researchers dont fully understand why some areas have higher stresses than others, the information they are gathering may help us to understand where it would be safe for humans to live on Mars and where you might want to avoid!

Publishing their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the researchers say the evidence suggests Mars is much more seismically active than previously thought.

This experiment shows how important it is to maintain a diverse set of instruments at Mars, and we are very glad to have played our part in completing the multi-instrumental and international approach of this study, Dr Daniela Tirsch, Science Coordinator for the High Resolution Stereo Camera on board ESAs Mars Express Spacecraft, said.

The S1222a marsquake was one of the last events recorded by InSight before its end of mission was declared in December 2022.
An Oklahoma student found a man sleeping underneath a school piano, then immediately reported the sighting to a janitor, authorities said.

As the student was talking to the janitor, the man moved from under the piano and fled into a bathroom, according to an Oct. 24 news release from the Enid Police Department.

The janitor and school principal talked with the man, who was then escorted back to his vehicle and left without issue, police said. The man told school personnel he was under the piano because people were after him.

But the next day, St. Joseph Catholic School principal learned the man  later identified as Michael Eugene Steele, 44  was a registered sex offender, according to the release. He contacted the police department after 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, and said the man was found inside the school the night before.

St. Joseph Catholic School did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Oct. 25.

An investigation into the incident began, police said, and Steeles mugshot and vehicle photo were circulated throughout the department. Authorities said the man is a transient sex offender.

Steele was arrested Oct. 23 on a charge of failure to comply with the Oklahoma Sex Offender Registry Act, police said.

Steele was convicted in 2010 in Cleveland County on charges of first-degree rape, rape by instrumentation, lewd molestation/indecent proposals to a child and forcible oral sodomy, police said.

He entered the school through an unlocked door, according to the release.

Sex offenders who think they can violate their sex offender registration need to be mindful that they are being watched, and will be charged accordingly, Investigative Services Division Lt. Bryan Hart said in the release. Such violations are handled swiftly and given the highest degree of attention by all officers of the department.

Enid is about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City.

Middle school counselor charged with child sex exploitation, Tennessee officials say

Day care workers plan to pay $150 to sexually assault teen foiled in Florida, cops say

Man published stories of child rape online with computer-generated photos, feds say

Dangerous convicted sex offender found after escaping hospital, Missouri cops say
A Fort Worth elementary school is set to become the site of a new pediatric clinic under a partnership with the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

The Fort Worth Independent School Districts board voted Tuesday to approve the partnership, which will allow the medical school to begin providing care at Eastern Hills Elementary School, which is located in an underserved neighborhood in east Fort Worth.

Dr. Christina Robinson, medical director of UNT HSCs Pediatric Mobile Clinic program, told the Star-Telegram that the medical school will begin providing mental and behavioral health care at the school over the next few months, and will begin offering comprehensive medical care next spring. Under the partnership, UNTHSC will send medical providers to staff the clinic, while the district will continue to own and maintain the space.

Before 2021, Eastern Hills Elementary was one of four Fort Worth ISD campuses that hosted a clinic through a partnership with JPS Health Network, Tarrant Countys public hospital. But in 2021, the hospital closed the majority of its school-based clinics, including all of its Fort Worth ISD locations. Rather than offering care on school campuses, JPS directed students and their parents to its neighborhood clinics and partnered with Cook Childrens, the primary pediatric health care provider in the county, to provide care.

Robinson said the goal of the UNT HSC program isnt to reopen every clinic JPS closed. Program leaders dont yet know if there will be more campus-based clinics in the coming months and years, she said. The medical school decided to partner with Eastern Hills because the elementary school is in a part of the city without easy access to pediatric services, she said. The nearest Cook Childrens neighborhood clinic is about six miles away. For families who rely on public transportation, the trip takes more than an hour each way. The medical schools mobile clinic has made regular visits to the neighborhood for years to provide vaccines and other care, she said, but those visits werent enough to meet the neighborhoods needs.

This was kind of a perfect opportunity, Robinson said. Theres space available, there is need there, there were community partners and collaborations that already existed. And so it was really just kind of a perfect solution.

While the clinic at Eastern Hills was approved with no board discussion and relatively little public attention, other districts have gotten pushback from parents when trying to implement similar plans. When a campus-based clinic went before the Denton Independent School Districts board last summer, parents and other residents voiced concerns during the meetings public comment period. Several described the clinic as a Pandoras Box that would lead to greater district overreach, the Texas Tribune reported. The Denton school board ultimately approved the clinic by a 6-1 vote.
Students at the Oregon State University were warned to avoid all robots following a bomb threat prank involving automated food delivery machines on campus.

The threat was made by a student on Tuesday via social media, causing university staff to issue the urgent warning.

Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding, the institute wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The university later provided several updates on the unfolding situation, saying that the robots had been isolated in a safe location before being inspected by a technician. Students were advised to remain vigilant for suspicious activity.

The emergency was declared over just before 2pm local time with normal activities resuming.

Urgent OSU Alert: Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding.  Oregon State University (@OregonState) October 24, 2023

All robots have been inspected and cleared. They will be back in service by 4pm today, the university later wrote online.

Starship, the company that designs the robots, said that despite the students subsequent admission that the bomb threat had been a joke, it had suspended the service while investigations were ongoing.

UPDATE: Local authorities have given the all-clear. We expect the robots to be back in service at OSU later this afternoon. https://t.co/g6uYtlhaCj  Starship Technologies (@StarshipRobots) October 24, 2023

In its own statement, the company wrote: A student at Oregon State University sent a bomb threat, via social media, that involved Starships robots on the campus.

While the student has subsequently stated this is a joke and a prank, Starship suspended the service.

Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation.
Although the growing trend of women joining the labor force was stifled during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study shows that the number of self-employed women has grown significantly.

According to a study by business research firm ChamberofCommerce.org, more than 6 million women across the U.S. are self-employed, and several of the nations 170 most populous cities  including three in Southern California  are now emerging as hotspots for independent female workers.

The top four locations for self-employed women are all in South Florida, the study showed. Coming in at No. 1 is Miami, followed by Fort Lauderdale and the cities of Pembroke Pines and Hialeah.

Over 15% of female workers in those cities are self-employed, data shows.

Actors strike continues, but resumed talks bring hope of deal

Americas second most populated city landed seventh on the list; out of the 913,185 employed women in Los Angeles, 128,713 of them  or 14.1%  are self-employed, according to U.S. Census Bureau data obtained by ChamberofCommerce.org

Self-employed women in L.A. have a median income of $52,778, according to the data.

Two other Southern California cities landed in the top 10, with Huntington Beach and Chula Vista ranking as the ninth and tenth best cities for female entrepreneurs.

Of the 48,229 employed women in Huntington Beach, 5,613 of them  or 11.6%  are their own boss. That rate is slightly lower in Chula Vista, where 6,599 females are self-employed out of the 59,647 total employed women in the city, equating to 11.1%.

Other cities in the top 10 include Scottsdale, Arizona (#5); Hollywood, Florida (#6); and Grand Prairie, Texas (#8).

California Gov. Gavin Newsom meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping, other top diplomats during trip to Beijing

Several other SoCal cities cracked the top 25, including Glendale, Palmdale, Escondido, Santa Clarita and San Diego.

A complete list of the top 25 cities with for self-employed women can be found below:

Rank City State Number of employed women Number of self-employed women Median income of self-employed women Percent of self-employed women 1. Miami Florida 106,443 17,100 $32,924 16.1% 2. Fort Lauderdale Florida 41,750 6,453 $56,618 15.5% 3. Pembroke Pines Florida 40,668 6,183 $31,767 15.2% 4. Hialeah Florida 55,138 8,338 $34,310 15.1% 5. Scottsdale Arizona 61,205 8,994 $96,965 14.7% 6. Hollywood Florida 35,948 5,089 $54,206 14.2% 7. Los Angeles California 913,185 128,713 $52,778 14.1% 8. Grand Prairie Texas 51,146 6,120 $37,572 12% 9. Huntington Beach California 48,229 5,613 $69,570 11.6% 10. Chula Vista California 59,647 6,599 $47,891 11.1% 11. Plano Texas 73,649 8,084 $59,098 11% 12. Jackson Mississippi 33,764 3,665 $34,153 10.9% 13. St. Petersburg Florida 69,216 7,441 $79,570 10.8% 14. Glendale California 44,359 4,752 $52,802 10.7% 15. Eugene Oregon 47,756 5,029 $55,991 10.5% 16. Boise City Idaho 61,481 6,414 $75,369 10.4% 17. Henderson Nevada 75,465 7,806 $76,058 10.3% 18. Portland Oregon 179,350 18,482 $67,833 10.3% 19. Palmdale California 31,669 3,228 N/A 10.2% 20. Pasadena Texas 24,494 2,447 N/A 10% 21. Escondido California 34,040 3,390 $32,895 10% 22. Santa Clarita California 53,654 5,252 $63,456 9.8% 23. San Diego California 332,622 32,431 $60,843 9.8% 24. Orlando Florida 78,730 7,612 $50,637 9.7% 25. Colorado Springs Colorado 114,409 10,991 $36,141 9.6%

On the other side of the spectrum, Cincinnati, Ohio was found to be the worst city for self-employed women, with just 3.8% of the citys 81,863 employed women (3,120) calling themselves their own boss.

The city of Hayward, California, in Alameda County was found to be the second-worst city for female entrepreneurs, with just 1,451 of the citys 37,030 employed women running their own business operation (3.9%).

To view the complete study and find out more information, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A study found that artificial intelligence chatbots such as the popular ChatGPT return common debunked medical stereotypes about Black people.

Researchers at Stanford University ran nine medical questions through AI chatbots and found that they returned responses that contained debunked medical claims about Black people, including incorrect responses about kidney function and lung capacity, as well as the notion that Black people have different muscle mass than White people, according to a report from Axios.

The team of researchers ran the nine questions through four chatbots, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, that are trained to scour large amounts of internet text, the report noted, but the responses raised concerns about the growing use of AI in the medical field.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS DOCTORS PREDICT PATIENTS RISK OF DYING, STUDY FINDS: SENSE OF URGENCY

A study found that artificial intelligence chatbots such as the popular ChatGPT return common debunked medical stereotypes about Black people.

"There are very real-world consequences to getting this wrong that can impact health disparities," Stanford University assistant professor Roxana Daneshjou, who served as an adviser on the paper, told the Associated Press. "We are trying to have those tropes removed from medicine, so the regurgitation of that is deeply concerning."

William Jacobson, a Cornell University law professor and the founder of the Equal Protection Project, told Fox News Digital that immaterial racial factors making their way into medical decision-making has long been a concern, something that could worsen with the spread of AI.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"We have seen DEI and critical race ideology inject negative stereotypes into medical education and care based on ideological activism," Jacobson said. "AI holds out the potential of assisting in medical education and care that is focused on the individual. AI should never be the only source of information, and we would not want to see AI politicized by manipulating the inputs."

ChatGPT is shown on a computer.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

Phil Siegel, the founder of the Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation, told Fox News Digital that AI systems do not have "racist" models but noted biased information based on the information set it draws on.

Google's Bard was included in the study.

"This is a perfect example of 'Pillar 3' of regulation that has to be managed for AI," Siegel said. "Pillar 3 is 'ensuring fairness'  to not allow current biases get hard-coded in the datasets and models that would cause unfair prejudice in areas such as health care, hiring, financial services, commerce and services. Obviously, some of that is occurring today."

Neither Google nor OpenAI immediately responded to a Fox News request for comment.





Original article source: Study says AI chatbots churn out 'racist' medical information
Measuring high schoolers academic records directly against those of their classmates can offer a more accurate picture of their prospects for success in college, a new study shows. Researchers say the strategy, intended to account for the vast differences among American schools in terms of quality and resources, could allow colleges to admit more diverse classes without running afoul of new legal prohibitions against explicit racial preferences.

The paper, published in late September in the journal of the American Educational Research Association, effectively tests the usefulness of what its authors call contextualized indicators of academic performance: a university applicants grades, test scores, and course selection compared not just against those of his fellow applicants, but also the rest of the students in his own high school. Advocates say that this additional nuance allows admissions officers to view applicants with a more informed sense of the instruction available in their classrooms and the academic results that typical students see there.

Related

Campus Diversity Will Be a Struggle Without Race-Based Admissions, History Shows

I dont think theres any way to fairly evaluate a student from an American high school without knowing what opportunities are available to them at that school, because we have such a highly stratified high school system, said study co-author Michael Bastedo. We have schools that offer 26 APs [Advanced Placement courses] and schools that offer zero APs.

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Bastedo, a professor of education at the University of Michigan, has studied the huge divisions separating American schools along lines of spending levels, demographics, and academic achievement. Given those disparities, simply weighing aspects of one students college resume against anothers could yield manifestly unfair effects, he said.

Michael Bastedo (Marshall Family School of Education)

That basic argument underlies admissions criteria that have been used for decades. University administrators have long focused on where applicants fall in their class GPA rankings, and states like Texas grant college slots to all high school seniors who place into the top 10 percent of their graduating classes. A few years ago, the College Board (the highly influential testing organization that administers the SATs) released a tool called Landscape, which provides colleges with background information on prospective students schools and neighborhoods.

To analyze the success of the practice, Bastedo and his collaborators gathered an enormous bank of data from the education department of an unidentified Midwestern state. The figures included academic records from all public high schools within the state between 2010 and 2015, including student grades and course selection; individual scores on the ACT exam, which students in the state were required to take during the period under examination; and grades and enrollment status for all of the states 15 public universities. The team eventually developed a sample of over 77,000 subjects, amounting to more than three-quarters of all first-year, in-state students at each university.

In the end, they found that high schoolers contextualized academic profiles were significantly correlated with their freshman-year GPA, retention (i.e., their likelihood of still being enrolled in college in the fall of their second year), and college graduation, with high school grades being a particularly strong predictor. College GPA was the outcome most reliably predicted by high school factors, with graduation and retention somewhat less associated.

Related

Harvard Ruling Will Put Spotlight on College Elitism, Georgetown Economist Says

Measuring applicants high school grades within the context of other students at their high schools proved to be an especially powerful approach. The authors found that applicants who earned grades that were significantly better than the median student at their high school ended up receiving an average GPA that was .66 points higher in their first year of college.

ACT scores  both contextualized by high school and raw, or uncontextualized  were also correlated with college success, though less than high school grades. At one university, students with relatively higher high school GPAs were five times more likely to graduate within four years than former classmates whose grades fell at the median of their high schools; by comparison, students whose ACT scores were measurably higher than their high schools median performance were just 12 times more likely to get their degree on time.

Of all three factors measured, rigor of high school coursework (how many honors-type classes applicants took in high school) were the least predictive of success in college; whether or not it was placed in the context of applicants high schools, their choice of courses was not consistently related to later academic performance across 15 universities.

Related

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Use of Affirmative Action in College Admissions

The findings gesture toward one possible road for colleges to follow after the Supreme Courts move this summer to disallow race-based affirmative action. With schools forbidden from relying on strict racial preferences when constructing their student bodies, many are looking toward novel means of assessing applicants backgrounds and experiences overcoming life obstacles.

Consider two 18-year-olds with roughly identical GPAs and test scores: One might place directly in the middle of the pack at her well-resourced high school, while the other dramatically outpaces the rest of his class at a school that enrolls many more low-income pupils and employs far fewer high-quality teachers. By revealing the relative performance of each, colleges might gain a better sense of which is most likely to excel at the next level.

Bastedo, who has previously conducted fieldwork to study how admissions professionals consider applicants, said that contextualized indicators could help identify strong candidates who might otherwise be overlooked.

Related

Q&A: How Liberal Elitism Is Hurting Equity at Americas Schools

This is a good opportunity to evaluate students credentials contextually and hopefully provide some level of equity, Bastedo said. Its very unlikely to fill the gap left by the elimination of race-conscious admissions, but it is a positive step toward equity.

The rankings backlash

David Hawkins, the chief education and policy officer for the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, said that he had observed admissions practices transform over nearly a quarter-century, with an increasing number of competitive institutions attempting to take a holistic view of their applicants rather than simply admitting or denying them based on raw test scores and grades. Some have always attempted to gain a contextualized perspective on applicants through measures like GPA ranking, which indicates where a particular student falls within the rest of their high school class.

But colleges and high schools have both deemphasized their reliance on such metrics in recent years, partly because competition among students over highly public rankings has produced hurt feelings and unhealthy jostling. In some cases, families have even sued schools to contest their childrens ranks.

Hawkins said that admissions offices had to strike a delicate balance between conducting acceptable scrutiny of their applicants and encouraging invidious comparisons between young people.

David Hawkins (NACAC)

You might have to give something up in transparency so as to not provoke the negative behaviors that come with a class ranking scheme, he said. But at the same time, you have to be invested at some level in understanding how a student stacks up against their peers in high school.

The balance can be extremely difficult to achieve. In 2019, the College Board tried to implement an adversity score that would distill the degree of environmental advantage or disadvantage that prospective college-goers experienced in their families, neighborhoods, and high schools. Though hailed by its backers as a step towards leveling the playing field between students of different backgrounds, the idea provoked a backlash from both left and right. It was eventually withdrawn in favor of Landscape, which has since been adopted by dozens of colleges.

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WATCH: 74 Explains  What Is the New SAT Adversity Score? And What Does It Mean for Low-Income Students?

Hawkins said that tools like Landscape would likely grow in acceptance with the passage of time, particularly as schools look for alternative paths to socioeconomic and racial diversity.

Holistic review will be with us for as long as were doing admissions. And yes, it will remain an intrinsic part of ensuring that there are opportunities available to people who may not have the same advantages as their more privileged peers.
The war between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has killed more than 9,000 people (-)

The Sudanese army and paramilitaries -- at war with each other for six months -- said Wednesday they had accepted an invitation to resume US- and Saudi-brokered negotiations.

Since April, the war between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the Rapid Support Forces, has killed more than 9,000 people and displaced over 5.6 million.

Previous mediation attempts have only yielded brief truces, and even those were systematically violated.

In a statement, the army said it had accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia and the United States to travel to the Saudi city of Jeddah "out of a belief by the armed forces that negotiations is one of the means that may end the conflict".

The RSF later said their delegation "arrived in Jeddah today", in hopes of "reaching a solution that will stop the war and end the suffering of our people."

But the army also said that "the resumption of negotiations does not mean a halt of the national battle of dignity, for the defeat of the rebel militia," in reference to the RSF, which said "our brave forces maintain full control on the battlefield".

Before the first round of the Jeddah talks were suspended, mediators had grown increasingly frustrated with both sides' reluctance to work towards a sustained truce.

Experts believed that Burhan and Daglo had opted for a war of attrition instead, hoping to extract greater concessions at the negotiating table later.

US officials said the talks would resume Thursday and aim for a ceasefire but that it was premature to discuss a lasting political solution.

"The new round will focus on ensuring unhindered humanitarian access and achieving ceasefires and other confidence-building measures," a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.

Another official told reporters that the United States hoped for a "constructive spirit" in the talks, saying, "there is no acceptable military solution to this conflict."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who helped mediate at the start of the crisis, finalised details on the talks on a recent visit to Saudi Arabia as part of a trip largely devoted to the Israel-Hamas war, US officials said.

Also participating in the Jeddah talks will be representatives of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African regional bloc led by close US partner Kenya.

- 'No respite' for six months -

The war in Sudan has decimated already fragile infrastructure, shuttered 80 percent of the country's hospitals and plunged millions into acute hunger.

"For six months, civilians -- particularly in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan -- have known no respite from bloodshed and terror," said UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths.

In the western region of Darfur, ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF and allied militias have triggered a new investigation by the International Criminal Court into possible war crimes.

According to the United Nations, Sudan -- where many had fled their homes in previous conflicts -- is now the largest internal displacement crisis in the world, with over 7.1 million people displaced within the country.

The UN's Griffiths said that six months into the conflict, "basic services are crumbling", disease outbreaks are "stalking the country" and "aid workers continue to be stymied in reaching people in need".

A projection by the US's Johns Hopkins University indicated that "at least 10,000 children under five years of age may die by the end of 2023".

Two years ago, Burhan and Daglo led a coup on October 25, 2021 that derailed a fragile transition to civilian rule.

They later fell out in a power struggle that erupted into all-out war on April 15.

The United States has called for a return to the democratic path but has not brought in civilians to participate in the Jeddah talks.

"They need more time to prepare, organise themselves internally," another US official said.

bur/dv-lb-sct/mlm
The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce is inviting residence to make sure their voices are heard.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

On Nov. 7 starting at 6 p.m., residents of the county will be able to sign onto the Attainable Housing Coalition to give their input. The event is free to attend but those wanting to partake must register online.

The Attainable Workforce Housing meeting will be held at Ascension St. Vincents Hospital in the Training Classroom at 205 Trinity Way.

For more information visit the SJC Chamber of Commerce by clicking here.

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.
One month after a Maryland man received an experimental pig heart transplant , the patient is doing well and shows no sign of infection or rejection of the organ, doctors say.

"We are withdrawing all the drugs that were initially supporting his heart," Muhammad Mohiuddin, M.D., professor of surgery and co-director of the cardiac xenotransplantation program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in an update shared by the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) on Friday.

"So now his heart is doing everything on its own."

PIG KIDNEY STILL FUNCTIONING IN BRAIN-DEAD MAN 6 WEEKS AFTER TRANSPLANT SURGERY: EXTREMELY ENCOURAGING

Lawrence Faucette, 58, who is a 20-year Navy veteran and a married father of two, had end-stage heart disease when he arrived at UMMC.

"He was deemed ineligible for a traditional transplant with a human heart due to his pre-existing peripheral vascular disease and complications with internal bleeding," Dr. Bartley Griffith, professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who performed the surgery, told Fox News Digital.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Larry Faucette, the patient who received the genetically modified pig heart, is pictured at left. Dr. Bartley Griffith, professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who performed the surgery, is shown at right.

"My only real hope left is to go with the pig heart, the xenotransplant," said Faucette during an interview from his hospital room a few days before his surgery, as reported by UMMC.

"At least now I have hope, and I have a chance."

ULTIMATE FATHERS DAY GIFT: SON DONATES KIDNEY TO SAVE HIS DADS LIFE

Added his wife, Ann Faucette, "We have no expectations other than hoping for more time together. That could be as simple as sitting on the front porch and having coffee together."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency approval for Faucettes surgery on Sept. 15 through its single-patient expanded access ("compassionate use") pathway.

"This approval process is used when an experimental medical product  in this case, the genetically modified pigs heart  is the only option available for a patient faced with a serious or life-threatening medical condition," Griffith said.

Lawrence Faucette is pictured with his wife, Ann Faucette, before his transplant surgery.

"The approval was granted in the hope of saving the patients life."

The FDA describes "compassionate use" as "a potential pathway for a patient with a serious or immediately life-threatening disease or condition to gain access to an investigational medical product (drug, biologic or medical device) for treatment outside clinical trials when no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy options are available."

Faucette had the eight-hour surgery on Sept. 20.

The procedure itself is similar to a traditional human heart transplant , "with some surgical adjustments made for some anatomical differences," the surgeon said.

Pigs are considered the most ideal organ donor for a xenograft  a transplant from one species to another  because their organ size, physiological metabolism and immune system are similar to those of human beings, Griffith said.

Faucette's surgeons are shown during the pig heart transplant. Before transplanting the pigs heart, the scientists had to "knock out" three genes in the donor pig in order to prevent the recipients antibodies from rejecting the organ.

Before transplanting the pigs heart, the scientists had to "knock out" three genes in the donor pig in order to prevent the recipients antibodies from rejecting the organ.

"Six human genes responsible for immune acceptance of the pig heart were inserted into the genome," said Mohiuddin in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"One additional gene in the pig was knocked out to prevent excessive growth of the pig heart tissue, for a total of 10 unique gene edits made in the donor pig."

LIFE AS A PATIENT IN NEED OF ORGAN DONATION: NEW HAMPSHIRE MAN WAITS FOR KIDNEY, READY TO 'ROCK AND ROLL'

There were risks involved in the procedure, the surgeons acknowledged.

"Acute rejection of the heart on the operating table and other complications could have led to death, since the patient was very sick before the transplant," Mohiuddin noted.

Only one other patient has had this experimental transplant.

David Bennett, 57, received a genetically modified pig heart on Jan. 7, 2022.

UMMC surgeons are shown during the pig heart transplant. Faucette was only the second patient to undergo the experimental procedure.

Similar to Faucette, Bennett received emergency authorization from the FDA, as he was also in end-stage heart failure and did not qualify for a traditional heart transplant.

That surgery was deemed a success, but the patient died from heart failure two months later.

"The extensive investigation following Mr. Bennetts death demonstrated that the pig heart functioned well in the patient for several weeks with no signs of acute rejection," Griffith told Fox News Digital via email.

"Mr. Bennetts death from heart failure was likely caused by a multitude of factors, including his poor state of health that left him hospitalized on a heart-lung bypass machine for six weeks prior to the transplant," the doctor added.

Prior to performing the first surgery on Bennett in 2022, the UMMD research team  which included Griffith and Mohiuddin  spent five years perfecting the surgical technique on non-human primates.

Dr. Bartley Griffith is pictured during the experimental procedure. Faucettes doctors will continue to monitor his progress, Griffith noted  "likely more extensively than a traditional heart transplant patient."

Looking ahead, Faucettes doctors will continue to monitor his progress, Griffith noted  "likely more extensively than a traditional heart transplant patient."

The medical team is now focusing on building Faucettes strength.

"We are working very hard with our physical therapy team, who are spending a lot of time helping him regain the strength that hes lost during last month of his hospital stay," Mohiuddin said in the statement.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

The hope is that this successful surgery will pave the way for clinical trials, the surgeon said, which are required before the FDA can approve xenotransplants for use in the general population of patients in need of organs.

Despite efforts to encourage organ donation, Griffith warned that there is still a critical shortage of organs for transplant in the U.S. and around the world.

"Through xenotransplantation, we can potentially create an unlimited supply of hearts, kidneys and other organs for transplant, available practically on demand," he said.

"In some cases, we see xeno-organs used as bridges to a human organ transplant, but we think they could be good long-term solutions for patients who may have no other options."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health .





Original article source: Surgeons give update on patient a month after experimental pig heart transplant: Now I have hope
LOME, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) led by Wang Junwei, director of the Academic and Editorial Committee of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, visited Benin from Sunday to Wednesday.

During the visit, the delegation held meetings with President of the Republican Bloc Abdoulaye Bio Tchane and Vice President of the Progressive Union for Renewal Gerard Gbenonchi, elaborating on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the decisions and plans laid out by the 20th CPC National Congress.

The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening inter-party interactions and deepening relations between the two countries.

The Beninese side expressed its willingness to increase exchanges with the Chinese side on state governance and continue to promote the development of the strategic partnership between the two countries. 
A homicide suspect from Chicago was arrested early Wednesday morning after an Illinois State Police trooper was shot during a traffic stop on Toronto Road.

Cristobal Santana, 37, was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. after he fled from police following a traffic stop in the 1600 block of Toronto Road. ISP said that Trooper Kody Green had stopped Santana at 10:47 p.m., in response to a homicide in Chicago where Santana was a suspect.

During the stop, gunshots were fired, with the trooper being hit in the leg and Santana fleeing on foot. The trooper was in serious condition at a Springfield hospital Wednesday.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Santana was accused of killing a special education teacher in Chicago Sunday night outside her home in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the city's far southwest side. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that she died of multiple gunshot wounds in the incident.

Santana has not been charged, according to Chicago Police.

The shooting was a personal matter to Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, as the trooper is engaged to one of his legislative aides. The freshman lawmaker addressed the Illinois House Wednesday, arguing that law enforcement needs support.

"We need to start prosecuting criminals and supporting law enforcement," he said. "We need to ensure that they have proper funding, that they are fully staffed and that they know that their government unequivocally supports their efforts to make their state a safer place."

More: Dan Wright will become an associate judge on Nov. 17 joining nine other circuit judges

The Springfield Police Department said a search for Santana was conducted in the area north of Toronto Road, south of Hazel Dell Road, west of 11th Street, and east of Interstate 55.

SPD warned people to stay in place with the suspect still at large through the evening. ISP closed the area along Toronto Road between Cotton Hill Road to Horseview Drive in order to investigate. By 2 a.m., Santana was found and taken into custody. ISP said that he also was hospitalized with various injuries.

Officers were able to provide aid to the wounded officer until emergency medical services arrived. ISP said no other officers were injured.

An investigation into the shooting continues.

Anyone with information about the Chicago homicide should contact the Chicago Police Department at (312) 746-6000.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Police officer shot on Toronto Road; homicide suspect in custody
A group of robbers in an SUV drove into a retail store overnight on the Near West Side and snatched merchandise before escaping in several vehicles waiting outside, Chicago police said.

About 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, five to six culprits drove into a store in the 2200 block of West Taylor Street and grabbed merchandise before hopping into getaway vehicles waiting outside, police said.

The robbers left the SUV used to infiltrate the store.

No injuries were reported, and detectives were investigating.
A group of female asylum seekers from Swindon say they were moved hundreds of miles with 10-hours notice, leaving one woman feeling suicidal.

Many of the group has studied, volunteered and made strong friendships in the town.

The Home Office said accommodation was on a "no-choice basis" to "asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute."

Charity The Harbour Project said short notice moves were proving costly.

Amanda - her name has been changed to protect her identity - is a 21-year-old and left the Middle East more than a year ago for fear of persecution based on her sexuality.

She said: "I used to hide my sexuality. Back home I would be executed."

'Barely slept'

For more than a year Amanda has been accommodated in a Swindon hotel and was studying at a local college.

The news of the move came suddenly. Amanda said: "At around 23:00, one of my friends came to me crying telling me that we're going to move.

"I checked with security and they had a list of names of the single women.

"We had many emotions and we only had 10 hours to pack our stuff and to figure everything out.

"We had only a few hours to say goodbye (to friends).

"We barely slept that night."

21-year-old "Amanda" moved from Swindon with 10-hours notice

Amanda said by the morning more names had been added to the list. She added: "Some people got three hours only.

"How can you pack all your stuff that you had for months in three hours?"

Amanda said the mental health impact of moving at short notice was considerable and she worried about homophobia.

"My mental health went really bad because of this night, it still impacts me.

"I came here to be safe, (I worried that), if they move me to a place that's homophobic it's going to be very scary."

Amanda understands movement is necessary but said having limited time to prepare for a move is not right.

She added: "We are mad that we didn't get enough time to prepare for the move.

"Telling us 10-hours before is not ok at all, that day I had some suicidal thoughts."

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line.

She added: "I'm not against the policy but I'm against the time.

"I didn't feel the Home Office treated us like humans when they decided to move us in 10-hours notice.

"We have feelings and emotions too like others."

Since the move Amanda said there had been no welfare checks by the Home Office but they have had a local church visit them in the new hotel.

Mural outside the Harbour Project

The Harbour Project, Swindon's asylum seeker and refugee charity, was supporting the women prior to their relocation.

The impact for those left behind is still felt.

Clementine Meukeugni Noumbisse, 33, an asylum seeker from the Cameroon was also housed with the other women in a Swindon hotel.

Clementine Meukeugni Noumbisse, a guest of the Harbour Project

After the news of the move, Miss Noumbisse's health worsened and she was left behind.

She said: "I have high blood pressure. I started panicking, my blood pressure went high and I fell ill."

Miss Noumbisse said she misses the women who were moved:

"We were so close. Volunteering or courses, anything to attend we do together, because we are family.

"I'm missing them, I stay by myself now, all I can say is that I am missing them," she added.

Claire Garrett, CEO at the Harbour Project

The Home Office said service users were given a minimum of five days' notice of moving - something CEO of the Harbour Project, Claire Garrett, 59, had never known happen.

She said: "I'm not aware of anybody getting five days notice.

"I absolutely understand the logic of increasing the occupancy in hotels by moving people around, we all understand the economics.

"But with the economics comes the human impact."

Service users are given a minimum of five days' notice according to the Home Office

Mrs Garrett believed there was also a cost to the country when people were moved at short notice.

She said: "There was a case six months ago. A house of four men had to be moved to another town, they were given a day's notice and were told to be ready at six the next morning, to get in a taxi and move.

"Nobody travelled so the Home Office sent a taxi which nobody got into.

"We worked with the Home Office to understand the reasons for the move, we helped the men that were moving to identify new support organisations so they knew where they were going to go and what they were going to do.

"And the move then happened a week later, they all travelled.

"With less than 24-hours notice cost more money to the country because nobody got into that taxi."

Missed GP appointments

As well as transport costs, Mrs Garrett identified other costs to a local area when people were moved at short notice.

She said: "People are registered at doctors, so there will have been missed GP and hospital appointments as a result of moving at such short notice.

"People were in college and volunteering at the local hospital. We had persuaded a local college to take one of our people on to do three A-levels.

"They were in the middle of that and they've been moved.

"So that's an empty seat at a college that's now no longer filled and somebody now sitting in a hotel room in another town not able to carry on with their education."

A Home Office spokesperson said it "continues to provide safe accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, as we work to end the use of hotels which are costing UK taxpayers 8.2m a day.

"Accommodation is allocated on a no-choice basis and individuals may be moved to other locations in line with the 'allocation of accommodation' guidance.

"We take all necessary considerations into account before any move. Support is also provided to help resettlement in a new area, including regular welfare checks."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Dear Capitolisters,

One of the more common criticisms of the global trading systemby which I mean the World Trade Organization, regional trade agreements like NAFTA, and the various national governments and private parties acting within this general frameworkis that its simply incapable of handling Chinas state capitalism economic model and authoritarian regimes potential weaponization of trade to achieve their economic and geopolitical objectives. As I and others have written, both academic research and recent experience (see, e.g., Russia and natural gas) poke holes in this thesis, but recent events compel me to revisit it once again. In particular, weve seen in the last few weeks both the system working just as intended and the embarrassing failure of its supposed alternativeone (unfortunately) led by the United States.

The Australia-China Example

First comes a widely publicized dustup between China and Australia, which arose in 2020 when then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an international investigation into the origins of COVID-19. In typical Wolf Warrior fashion, Beijing responded quickly by not only complaining about all the ways Canberra had offended China, but also not-so-quietly targeting certain high-value (and politically sensitive) Australian imports. This included certain raw materials (coal, iron ore, etc.), as well as barley and wine, which were each subject to new anti-dumping investigationseventually leading to tariffslaunched by Chinas Ministry of Commerce. (Hey, remember how I said U.S. dumping cases were routinely abused? Yeah, China does it, too.) One Chinese official even went so far as to paraphrase Bruce Banner: China is angry. If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy.

Xi Smash, etc.

Shortly after the bilateral conflict began, we were treated to numerous warnings that it was a perfect example of how China could weaponize globalization by targeting key imports and exportsand how the entire global trading system is simply unprepared for such vulnerabilities. Authoritarians, so the theory went, can use state enterprises and economic coercion to attack pain points in global supply chains, eventually bringing smaller countries to heel. Australia was learning this lesson the hard way. It was all very sad and scary, and it justified a fundamental rethink of the global trading system and the WTO.

Then, a funny thing happened: nothing.

Well, not nothing, but certainly no catastrophe and, in fact, much the opposite. Today its Beijing, not Canberra, thats mostly retreated. Heres how it all went down.

First, the Australian government challenged the Chinese barley and wine actions at the World Trade Organization, alleging that the investigations violated various WTO disciplines on member countries anti-dumping measures. At the same time, private actors also got to work. Australian exporters looked to other marketscoal to India, barley to Mexico, etc.and in most cases importers and consumers (including your shiraz-enjoying correspondent) were eager to oblige:

Canberra also tried to help its exporters diversify by accelerating negotiations on free-trade agreements with the United Kingdom (since completed), the European Union (stalled), and India (completed). The result was more trade diversion than destruction:

Chinas trade sanctions against Australia began around May 2020 and ramped up in the subsequent months. By early 2021 however it was already obvious in the trade data that the economic impact would ultimately prove relatively minor. Australian exports to China in affected sectors dropped sharply but this was largely offset as Australian exporters for the most part successfully diverted their goods to other markets.

China also found itself unable to find alternative suppliers for certain products that its consumers and economy needed. In 2021, for example, the Chinese government quietly unbanned imports of Australian cotton and copper that its companies couldnt source elsewhere:

Not only does this show Chinas pragmatism towards trade, but that countries which have weaponized trade cannot always win, said Tianlei Huang, research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. China, like the U.S., often weaponizes trade in order to achieve political objectives. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it does not. In the Australia case, it seems Chinas sanctions have yet to yield any real satisfactory results, he said.

Although some domestic producers and exporters felt some pain from lost sales, new government data show that, because of this trade diversionand the fact that the targeted exports were a relatively small part of Australias economythe nation suffered a miniscule amount of economic damage overall:

The impact of Chinas coercive trade sanctions was to reduce the total value of Australian exports to the world by just 0.2%. Incorporating other impacts (e.g. on prices, the exchange rate, foreign investment), the Productivity Commission estimates a reduction in Australias GDP of less than one-hundredth of a percentage point. Adding in a slight worsening in Australias terms of trade (prices for Australias exports versus imports) and the Productivity Commission estimates a reduction in the purchasing power of Australias real national income was a bit largerbut still tiny, at less than one tenth of a percentage point.

Fast forward a few more months, and Beijing appears to have realized this futility, too. In August, China announced it would remove tariffs on Australian barley importsthe result of Beijing agreeing in April to review the anti-dumping measures in exchange for Australia pausing its WTO dispute. Just last week, the two governments made a similar agreement on wine, and China has started importing Australian coal again, too.

Yet, even after the reversals, China may end up worse off because the governments antics:

Even with the tariffs lifting, Australian barley exporters will remain cautious of rushing back to China. Many have found new markets, boosting shipments to Saudi Arabia, Japan, Vietnam, Kuwait and Mexico. Its important to note that Australia found alternative buyers of barley while the Chinese anti-dumping tariffs were in place, Rabobank agricultural analyst Dennis Voznesenski said. A risk premium will likely be required, at least initially, for exporters to redirect trade flows into China.

Well, would you look at that.

Par for the Systemic Course

While things dont always work out so well, history shows that these results are far more the rule than the exception when it comes to state capitalism, weaponized trade, and the global trading system. As I wrote a few years ago, for example, Chinese government efforts to restrict rare earth minerals failed a decade ago for reasons very similar to the ones that boosted Australia: After global rare earths prices initially spiked, governments and private companies quickly moved to diversify supplies, and several governments (including the United States) filed WTO disputes that China would eventually lose. After a year or so, the global market settled, prices dropped, and Beijing backed down thereafter (conveniently blaming the WTO loss for what the market had already adjudicated). More recent scares regarding lithium and cobalt have also proven empty (so far). And just this week, markets reacted calmly and predictablywith relief, even!to new Chinese government threats to restrict graphite exports:

"Western graphite producers shares soar after Beijing announces export curbs" https://t.co/zNI4lL57Fq pic.twitter.com/BU5fsteTqY  Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) October 23, 2023

The story is similarly uplifting at the WTO, wherecontra the conventional wisdommost of Chinas bad economic behavior (e.g., on anti-dumping abuse, industrial subsidies, or intellectual property) is covered by existing WTO rules and can be litigated through dispute settlement. (Reminder: I used to do this kind of trade-lawyering as a job and analyzed these kinds of hypotheticals many, many times over those two decades.)

When governments have challenged China, moreover, the process has proven pretty effective: The United States itself has a sterling record, and, as my Cato colleagues wrote a few years ago, China tends to comply (removing the offending measure or otherwise improving access to its market) when it loses a WTO case. As the Australian barley and wine cases show, China often retreats (via settlement) before a case is decided, too. Chinese compliance isnt perfect (nor is any other WTO members), but its decent overall. Indeed, its arguably better these days than that of the United States, which has famously shirked WTO rulings on subsidies, anti-dumping rules, internet gambling, andas weve recently discussedtariffs on metals and Chinese imports.

But this success isnt just (or even primarily) about China. As James Bacchusmy current Cato colleague and the former chair of the WTOs Appellate Bodyjust wrote in a great new explainer essay on all things WTO, the United States generally wins any challenges it brings, and all members tend to comply when they lose because they so value the system that such (voluntary) compliance supports:

WTO membersfor whatever reason they chooseremain free to ignore WTO rules and rulings, as long as they are willing to accept the loss of previously granted trade concessions as the agreed price for making that choice. This price can sometimes total billions of dollars of lost trade benefits annually, whichalong with a desire to maintain the multilateral system and their governments status thereinhas usually proven a strong incentive for WTO members to comply with the rules and the rulings. Noncompliance has thus, until the recent recalcitrance by first the Trump administration and now the Biden administration of the United States, been rare.

Today, of course, that value has been diminishedin large part because of the myth that the WTO has fueled Chinas rise and failed to discipline its abuses. But as Bacchus explains, that latter failure isnt really the fault of the institution or rules themselves; the blame lies primarily with WTO members, who have simply refused to bring more disputes:

Chinas economic rise poses a unique challenge to the world trading system, but WTO dispute settlement has more potential to address Chinas practices than most U.S. politicians and pundits understand. Indeed, the United States could today file a lengthy list of legal challenges to an array of Chinese trade practices under existing WTO rules, including on intellectual property protection and enforcement; trade secrets protection; forced technology transfer; and subsidies. The unfortunate reality is that, for the most part, the United States and likeminded members have not filed these challenges. Furthermore, the WTOas a memberdriven organizationcannot unilaterally initiate or adjudicate them. The failure to bring these potential legal claims against China is particularly disappointing, given that China does notalso contrary to mythroutinely ignore adverse WTO rulings.

As Ive noted here beforeand as Bacchus makes clear in his essaythe WTO certainly isnt perfect. Most importantly, disputes are slow and hyper-technical, and achieving consensus in negotiations among 164 nations is beyond difficult. But as Bacchus notes in this essay and a separate paper, there are relatively easy procedural changes that can fix most of these shortcomings, while maintaining a system that has worked pretty darn well. New substantive rules to address specific concerns about state capitalism or 21st-century issues like digital trade could also be useful. But none of this justifies abandoning the WTO and the rest of the global trading system as the United States has done in recent yearsespecially given the alternatives.

The Alternative Isnt So Hot

And that brings me to the other big trade news of the last week: After more than two years of trying, the United States and the European Union (EU) announced Friday that theyd failed to resolve their disagreements over Trump-era national security tariffs on steel and aluminum and create a new agreement on trade in climate-friendly metals. As I detailed last December, President Trump imposed those tariffs on a global basis back in 2018, andto the surprise of no onetheyve since been ruled WTO-inconsistent after several countries challenged them in dispute settlements. The Biden administrationwhich has maintained most of the tariffs and has converted the rest (including for Europe) into quotasflatly rejected those WTO rulings (imperiling the entire system in the process), saying the WTO cant judge Americas national security invocations, no matter how bogus.

At the same time, the administration has tried to convince the Europeans to ignore all that and turn the national security tariffs into a narrow agreement on environmental tariffs that theyd both employ to (supposedly) target dirty steel from China. (Note: If youre confused as to how the United States can, on the one hand, tell the WTO that it cant question its national security tariffs but, on the other hand, work to change those same tariffs justification to climate change, youre not alone. Its one of those things that only makes sense in the minds of law professors, politicians, and journalists with short attention spans.)

As the Financial Times Alan Beattie summarized on Monday, the EU was having no part of this plan. So, the U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum remain suspended (but not really, because theyre still subject to a quota arrangement), and the two sides didnt even get the critical minerals deal which was supposed to be the meetings deliverable.

As Beattie goes on to explain, the talks failure was predictable for several reasons. Most notably, the U.S. proposal would likely undo the EUs efforts to make its climate change regimea combination of a domestic carbon pricing mechanism and a substantially equivalent border measure (or CBAM) applied to all imports, regardless of sourceconsistent with WTO rules, which arguably allow for non-discriminatory border measures that mirror domestic taxes. One can reasonably question whether the EU system is actually WTO-compliant, but the U.S. approach is almost certainly not (beyond the whole national security ruse): The U.S. has no carbon tax or pricing system to which a border measure would be matched (so, its just a protectionist tariff); the proposal would also punish subsidies, which are disciplined by WTO rules and other national laws subject thereto; and the proposed methodology for calculating national carbon intensity essentially uses a green smokescreen to protect Americas relatively inefficient and carbon-heavy blast furnaces from further decarbonisation and international competition. Thus, EU officials have long said they wont sign on to agreements which manifestly violate World Trade Organization ruleslike this one!while defenders of the U.S. approach have openly said that pesky WTO concerns shouldnt dictate any deal.

Combine this problem with the fact that, as Bloomberg notes, the Biden administration even refused to fully terminate the WTO-inconsistent Trump-era tariffs, and you get from all this WTO-circumvention, well, nothingeven as the evidence of the tariffs costs and inefficacy (including by affecting overall Chinese trade or disciplining global steel overcapacity) piles up.

The alternative to the much-derided global trading system, it turns out, is even worsesomething the EU, Australia, and other WTO members still appear to understand.

So why, then, does the United States seem so insistent on said alternative, while leaning heavily into tariffs, subsidies, local content mandates, narrow trade agreements, and other WTO-inconsistent measures thatup until very recentlyit vocally opposed?

As Beattie explains, its just the same old protectionist politics and one industry in particularsteelthats inexplicably captured U.S. trade policy to the detriment of almost everyone else:

An increasingly capital-intensive industry, it doesnt create many jobs these days. Costlier steel means higher input costs for the rest of manufacturing and construction: there are 80 jobs in downstream steel-using industries for everyone in steelmaking. And so here we are. Ridiculously, steel played a massively disproportionate role in creating US disillusionment with the WTO thanks to an interminable dispute over zeroing, a particular methodology for constructing antidumping margins much used by the industry. Its definitely a lucrative job-creation scheme for trade lawyers. Trumps WTO-hostile USTR, Robert Lighthizer, was a former steel industry attorney who drove a Porsche. (Thinking about it, buying an imported car is grimly appropriate given the role of tariff-inflated steel prices in making US auto production uncompetitive.) In fact, Washingtons proposal to gang up on China is particularly pointless given existing US and EU antidumping and antisubsidy duties on Chinese steel.  Simon Evenett and Fernando Martin of the Global Trade Alert project, reliably on hand to deflate policymakers windy rhetoric with inconvenient facts, note that China sells less than 7 per cent of its total steel exports (and less than 24 per cent of its aluminium exports) to the EU and US combined. This isnt enough of a stick to get China to change its emissions intensity.

In short, the big green steel deal with the EU isnt really about green steel, or even China at all: Its about maintaining Trump-era tariffs and keeping the WTO sidelined so it wont further tarnish the U.S. trade remedies system and other political sacred cows (like farm subsidies)at least until 2025. Indeed, in the run-up to last weeks U.S.-EU summit, European officials openly admitted to the Financial Times that the agreement was motivated by the need for president Joe Biden to protect steelworker jobs in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio to prevent Trump winning an election rematch next year. And if delivering those rents means dubiously using a national security law to enter into an environmental side deal that lets you maintain costly, WTO-inconsistent tariffs, then so be it.

But spare me the system is broken stuff, okay?

Summing It All Up

Last weeks non-event certainly isnt the only example of continued U.S. struggles to create an alternative to the global trading system its essentially abandonedsee, for example, here, here, and herebut its still noteworthy for both its brazenness and timing, coinciding so well with Australias near-total victory in its yearslong trade disputes with China. Weaponizing globalization, it turns out, is a lot harder than it sounds, thanks to both dynamic, open markets and a global trading system some (ahem) have left for dead.

None of this means, of course, that the United States and other governments should simply do nothing in regards to China or the WTO, or thatas Kevin noted in his (great) newsletter this weekthere arent legitimate exceptions to general free trade rules and principles. (Indeed, the WTO agreements expressly include many of these exceptions, including for national securitybut, unlike the U.S., you have to actually follow their terms.) Yet, as the last week shows, the vast majority of U.S. resistance to the multilateral trading system has nothing to do with actual efficacy of the system itself, which, even after being hobbled (by the United States), can still get governments to change course or, as with China and rare earths, give them a face-saving excuse to do so.

Instead, U.S. opposition to this system has been and will remain primarily about politics: An increasing number of Republicans and Democrats really like how national trade and subsidy laws deliver rents to the steel industry, labor unions, and other small but influential interest groups; they see political value (and/or necessity) in maintaining or expanding those laws to win elections; and they see the WTO as a pesky impediment to achieving these political goals. So, were treated to grand speeches from U.S. trade representatives in multiple administrations about how the system cant handle China (after barely even trying to use it) and how free-trade agreements are dead, even as other countries still use the system successfully and are busy signing new trade dealsincluding to counterbalance China.

Meanwhile, as this past weekends EU deal debacle shows, the alternative to the slow, messy WTO isnt some world in which China backs down and the USA emerges victorious. Its actually messier, more opaque, and overall worsefor us and the world.

But, hey, maybe the political calculation is correct and the Biden administrations positions on trade, tariffs, and the WTO really are necessary to win in the midwest and other important areas (I remain skeptical). They should just admit as much instead of pretending the system was broken before they started breaking it.

(Oh, and go Rangers!)

Chart of the Week

U.S. crude oil output hit a record in July:

Buy versus rent:

Cash is King (for rich people):

Race to the top:

The Links

New Defending Globalization essays:

Study: autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers

Americas EV future has hit a speed bump (thread)

Is the FTCs Lina Khan conservative?

U.S. construction jobs

More on the nonexistent race to the bottom

Paper: U.S. tax cuts boosted corporate investment at home and abroad

In China, Chest-Thumping Nationalistic Films Lose Momentum

Chinas Belt and Road Initiative is a mess

U.S., China still havent decoupled

Is China speeding toward Japanisation (or worse)?

Trade-offs, China AI edition

Trade-offs, child safety edition

Industrial policy politics, again (more)

Misunderstanding prices and consumer preferences

Home Depots $300 Skeleton Filled a Market Need

Global wine trade, by the numbers

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
The Triangles taco explosion continues with a new fast casual Tex-Mex brand planning to open locations in Raleigh.

The Tampa-based chain Capital Tacos has signed a deal with a local couple to open franchise restaurants in the Triangle. The brand recently opened a company-owned location in Charlotte, the first in North Carolina. This new Raleigh restaurant would be the first franchise location in the state.

The Raleigh franchise owners are David and Silvia Robertson, an Apex couple with careers in tech sales and restaurant hospitality. The franchise deal is for one Raleigh location, slated to open in spring 2024.

This truly feels like a full-circle moment, David Robertson said in a press release. Silvia and I met working in a restaurant out in Las Vegas 30 years ago, and now, were realizing a dream and opening one together. And doing so with a brand that values menu quality and guest experience as highly as Capital Tacos reaffirms that this shift in lifestyle is the right move to make.

Capital Tacos first franchise location

The Raleigh restaurant will be the companys first ever franchise location. The brand already has locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Colorado, with plans to open in Oklahoma and New Jersey.

Capital Tacos first opened in 2013 in Land OLakes, Fl. The brand is currently backed by private equity firm Feenix Ventures out of New York.

The menu at Capital Tacos hits on many of the modern taco trends, like hot chicken and quesabirria fillings, plus quesadillas, salads and homemade chips.

Capital Tacos will jump into a Triangle taco scene thats getting increasingly crowded with out-of-town brands. Recently the wildly popular Torchys Tacos opened its second Triangle location and the DC-area Taco Bamba opened its first North Carolina location in Raleigh this summer.
Tai chi may help slow down the symptoms of Parkinson's disease for several years, a Chinese study suggests.

Those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications and better quality of life than those who didn't, the researchers say.

Parkinson's is a progressive brain disease which leads to tremors and slow movement, and there is no cure.

Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson's.

The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson's patients for up to five years.

One group of 147 people practised regular tai chi while another group of 187 did not.

The traditional Chinese exercise combines slow, gentle movements with deep breathing and relaxation.

The charity Parkinson's UK describes tai chi as a low-intensity physical activity that can "help to lift your mood and help you live well".

The researchers found that the disease progressed more slowly in the tai chi group on measurements of symptoms, movement and balance.

This group also saw fewer falls, less back pain and dizziness, with memory and concentration problems also lower than in the other group.

At the same time, sleep and quality of life continuously improved.

Tai chi moves for beginners

Examples of tai chi moves for beginners

Do it yourself - Carrying the moon:

Breathe in, turn your body towards the left from the waist

Your shoulders are relaxed and your elbows slightly bent

Now reach both arms towards the left with your head focusing on your hands

Breathe out, bring hands down. Turn to right and repeat

Do it yourself - Twisting waist and push palms:

Breathe in, draw palms to the waist facing upwards

Breathe out, turn your body to the left at the waist. Keep the left elbow and wrist slightly bent and draw the elbow back

At the same time, extend the right arm forward and push with the right palm facing forward (as if you are trying to stop traffic)

Breathe in, return to the middle and spread your weight evenly before turning to the right, drawing your right arm back and extending your left arm with your palm facing forward.

A previous trial of people with Parkinson's who practised tai chi for six months found greater improvements in walking, posture and balance than those not on the programme.

Writing in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, Dr Gen Li and co-authors say their study shows "that tai chi retains the long-term beneficial effect on Parkinson's disease".

They say tai chi could be used to manage Parkinson's on a long-term basis and prolong quality of life, while still helping to keep patients active.

But they also acknowledge that the study is relatively small and could not prove that tai chi was the reason for the positive outcomes experienced by one group.

'Positive effects'

Prof K Ray Chaudhuri, professor of movement disorders and neurology at King's College London, said: "It is too early to claim any neuroprotection based on this study, although the positive effects on aspects of motor and non-motor functions are impressive."

He said ballet had also been found to have similar effects on Parkinson's.

Prof Alastair Noyce, professor in neurology and neuroepidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, called it "an important study" but said there were limitations in its design, and more trials were needed.

"We already recommend tai chi, as well as other forms of exercise, but understanding which forms of exercise are most beneficial is an important goal to enhance the long-term management of patients," he said.
Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting between U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce speaks and with Su Chia-chyuan, President of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan hopes to reach a long-mooted tax agreement with the United States next year, Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun said on Wednesday, which both sides have said will foster more investment and Taipei has long pushed for.

Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation in July that would authorize President Joe Biden 's administration to negotiate the tax agreement with Taiwan.

The lawmakers said the agreement, similar to a treaty, would facilitate investment, protect against tax evasion and allow businesses in both the United States and Taiwan to avoid double taxation.

Chuang, taking questions in parliament, said she would take advantage of attending a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, grouping next month in the United States to discuss the plan with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Chuang said the focus of the agreement is to resolve issues such as double taxation of personal income and corporate profits, and if signed, it will create a better environment to attract more investment.

"We hope that it can be signed before June next year. After signing it, the procedures on our side can be completed soon and the bilateral agreement will take effect," she said.

Taiwanese companies have cumulatively invested $28.5 billion in the United States and U.S. companies have invested $26.6 billion in Taiwan, Chuang said.

Washington and Taipei do not have formal diplomatic relations, so the lack of a tax agreement means Taiwanese businesses and individuals are taxed on their income by both the U.S. and Taiwanese governments.

Taiwan is a major global supplier of the semiconductor chips essential to a wide range of consumer goods and military equipment. Washington has been keen to get Taiwanese chip companies to build factories in the U.S.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, the world's largest contract chipmaker, is investing $40 billion in factories in the U.S. state of Arizona.

(Reporting by Roger Tung and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
Michael Cohen said he had a heck of a reunion Tuesday with his former boss Donald Trump when he testified against the former president at his New York civil fraud trial.

With Trump sitting feet away, Trumps one-time lawyer and fixer described how he manipulated Trumps financial statements  reverse-engineering them to hit an arbitrary net worth. Cohen explained how he would inflate the value of Trumps properties along with the Trump Organizations chief financial officer.

Once Trumps lawyer began questioning Cohen, things quickly got heated, as he sneered at the questions and loudly objected to one line of questioning.

Cohen and Trump didnt have any direct interactions on Tuesday, but both are expected to be back in court again Wednesday, when Trumps lawyers will continue to cross-examine Cohen.

Heres what to know about the dramatic day in court:

Trump and Cohen meet for the first time in 5 years

When Cohen walked into the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday morning, it was the first time he and Trump had been in the same room in five years.

Cohen once said hed take a bullet for Trump, but turned against him after pleading guilty to federal crimes in 2018. Quickly he became one of Trumps chief antagonists even as he prepared to go to prison, testifying against him before Congress and writing books critical of the former president.

Trump didnt react to Cohens entrance, though he watched intently while Cohen began testifying, staring directly ahead with his arms folded at his former attorney.

The two didnt make eye contact when Cohen left the courtroom at breaks. Outside the courtroom, however, Trump attacked Cohen, saying he has a horrible record.

Its not going to end up very good for him. Were not worried at all about his testimony, Trump said during a lunch break.

When he left the courtroom, Cohen only briefly commented on his former boss: Heck of a reunion.

The former fixer described how he fixed things for Trump

Cohens testimony directly implicated Trump, saying that he was directed by his former boss to inflate Trumps net worth on financial statements to hit an arbitrary number.

Cohen said that he and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg would manipulate Trumps financial statements, the documents at the center of the civil fraud trial, based on what Trump wanted his net worth to reflect.

I was tasked by Mr. Trump to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected and my responsibility along with Allen Weisselberg predominantly was to reverse engineer the various different assets classes, increase those assets in order to achieve the number that Mr. Trump had tasked us.

Asked what numbers they would hit, Cohen said, Whatever number Mr. Trump told us to.

Cohen explained that when Trump would look at the financial statements, he would look at the total assets and he would say Im actually not worth 4.5 billion, Im really worth more like six. He would then direct Allen and I to go back to Allens office and return after we achieved the desired goal.

Looking at Trumps 2012 statement of financial condition, Cohen said he recalled inflating assets including Trump Tower, Trump Park Ave., Trump World Tower at United Nations Plaza, the commercial side of 100 Central Park South, the Mansion at Seven Springs, the Miss Universe Pageants and possibly others.

Cohen said that they would look at numbers being achieved elsewhere in New York and recalculate valuations using real estate as comparables that were achieving the highest prices per square foot in the city, even though those properties had different amenities from Trumps assets. Those other properties would have different ceiling heights, unobstructed views, and were not inhibited by rent control, for instance.

You could call them comparable, but comparable would imply that they are similar, Cohen said.

Fireworks during cross examination

Trump attorney Alina Habba questioned Cohen for the final 25 minutes of Tuesdays court session, but she needed little time to elicit a reaction from Cohen, showing the tension that had built up during the afternoon.

Cohens demeanor changed from the first question, and Cohen loudly objected and raised his voice at Habba when she asked, Did you ever tell your wife that you were committing tax evasion?

The outburst prompted lawyers from both sides to argue over one another, with Trump lawyer Chris Kise objecting to Cohens response and the New York attorney generals office objecting to the question, saying it covered spousal privilege.

Habba continued asking Cohen about the criminal charges he pleaded guilty to, including that it led to the loss of his law license.

Asked and answered, Cohen sneered in response to a question about losing his law license.

You have lied under oath numerous times, Mr. Cohen? Habba asked.

Thats correct, Cohen said.

The Trump team is trying to undercut Cohens credibility as a witness. Theres plenty of material to work with, given Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 for lying to Congress.

This witness is completely out of control, Kise said after Cohens outburst, prompting a laugh from the gallery.

The tense questioning is going to continue into Wednesday, as Habba hadnt even started on the substance of Cohens testimony in the civil fraud trial.

Mr. Cohen, this is how this is going to work, youre not on Mea Culpa, youre not on your podcast and youre not on CNN, she told Cohen at one point, saying Cohens job was to answer yes or no to questions.

Judge says effort to buy Bills supports allegations of a pattern of fraud

Judge Arthur Engoron said trial testimony and financial documents about Trumps $1 billion bid to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014 could be included as evidence because they support the attorney generals claims that Trump had a fraudulent pattern and practice when reporting his worth.

In the July 2014 letter submitting a bid to buy the Bills, Trump claimed his net worth was $8 billion.

The financial documents with claims in them that Trump had an $8 billion net worth at the time arguably tends to show pattern and practice of fraud, to use a loaded term, Engoron said, overruling an objection from Trumps attorneys who said the document is not relevant to the case.

Before Engorons ruling, the state attorneys and Trumps lawyers clashed over Michael Cohens testimony about the letter. Kise objected to the line of questioning regarding internal preparations for Trump to bid on the Bills, arguing there was no transaction to buy the team, and it wasnt the basis for any claims in the complaint.

During a break in the trial, Trump said there was absolutely nothing wrong with his failed bid to buy the Bills.

I was a bidder on the team. I had it all financed and everything else that you needed, Trump said. There was absolutely nothing wrong and we didnt even make the deal. It was many years ago.

Trumps dual-track day

Trump spent the entire day in the courtroom, both for Cohens testimony and the appearance of Mazars general counsel Bill Kelly.

But he also spent the day helping to scuttle the short-lived House speakership candidacy of Minnesota GOP Rep. Tom Emmer.

Emmer was selected among eight candidates midday Tuesday to be his partys nominee for speaker. Minutes before court in New York wrapped for the day, Emmer had already dropped out in the face of opposition from Trumps congressional allies  and Trump himself.

During a break in the trial, Trump whacked Emmer on his social media site, Truth Social. I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them, Trump wrote.

Trump listened intently during much of Cohens testimony, but he was also looking down at his phone for stretches, typing on it while Cohen was speaking.

When Trump walked out of court at the last break of the day, the former president noted what was transpiring in Washington, DC. It looks like hes finished. Looks like hes finished, Trump said of Emmer.

The whole episode was another reminder that Trumps trials are all taking place as hes the leading GOP candidate for president, and that he can help sway his political base even while sitting in a courtroom.

CNNs Brynn Gingras, Sabrina Souza and Skylar Harris contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Greenville County school board approved a pilot program calling for everyone who works in two schools, one of which is at the bottom of all South Carolina schools, to reapply for their jobs, and whoever is hired would receive up to $12,500 in bonuses based on performance.

More than a dozen present and former teachers at Lakeview Middle, which has had low assessments for two decades, in essence begged the board not to approve it, saying they felt the district unfairly put all the responsibility on teachers.

The school is located in a high-poverty area, some students are subjected to abuse and neglect and most do not speak English as their first language.

Also included in the plan is Alexander Elementary, which on the most recent state report card was ranked average, an improvement over the last report. One trustee, Jeff Cochran, voted against the plan saying Alexander has made improvements and should not have been included. Alexander is a feeder school to Lakeview.

Personnel not hired at either school would be reassigned to one of the districts 106 schools.

Chelsea Fleming, a former Lakeview teacher who now works at Fisher Middle, called the teachers warriors who are ready to take on the challenge of a struggling Title 1 school.

Lakeview is in the bottom 5% of all Title 1 schools in South Carolina and faces a takeover by the state Department of Education if something doesnt improve in a year.

Tanner Woody, a 7th grade English teacher at Lakeview, said the problem is multiple open positions and lack of discipline.

The school doesnt need someone standing in the back of the classroom with a clipboard, Woody said.

Lakeview is magic, said Joanna Castillo, now a science teacher at Fisher MIddle.

She said students come into the school and find caring teachers who offer healthy relationships.

The plan could upend those connections, she said.

The trustees debated the plan for more than an hour, after a four-hour discussion two weeks ago.

Trustee Lynda Leventis Wells, whose background includes working as the deputy psychologist and investigator for the Richland County Sheriffs Department as well as several education jobs in Greenville County, was the most impassioned opponent.

She said it was wrongheaded for students who are failing to automatically get a 50 and for them to pass during COVID when they didnt attend online classes.

One teacher found discipline so lacking they quit before the first nine weeks were up, she said.

A teacher had two students with more than 50 referrals for discipline problems yet the students remained in the class.

Have some teachers been there too long? Im sure, but these teachers who we heard from tonight love these students, she said.

She worried that new and more experienced hires might be going there for the wrong reason, bonuses and padding their retirement.

The minimum bonus is $5,000 a year.

The four-year pilot program will cost $3.3 million in Title 1 money and $4.5 million from the general fund to cover bonuses.

In the just-announced state school report cards, Lakeview scored 33 of 100 and received its lowest scores in academic achievement and school climate.

The trustees approved the plan 8-4.
Teenager charged in connection to fatal shooting outside Chicago gas station

CHICAGO - A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a fatal shooting outside a gas station in Roseland last month.

Chicago police arrested the teenager on Tuesday in the 5600 block of South Michigan Avenue.

He was charged with murder after a 29-year-old was shot to death on Sept. 15 in the 10000 block of South Michigan Avenue.

The victim was shot in the abdomen at 4:21 p.m. He was transported to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead.

He was scheduled to appear at a juvenile detention hearing on Wednesday.

Along with murder he was charged with possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number.
BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson Wednesday lauded the interactions of young people across the Taiwan Strait through the internet.

Internet social platforms enable compatriots on both sides of the Strait to have more convenient and diverse communication and exchanges, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, adding that such interactions can help people across the Taiwan Strait broaden the common ground in culture and history as they share the same cultural traditions.

"The emotional resonance and cultural consensus are strong internal strength driving the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," said Zhu, calling for more Taiwan compatriots to have exchanges with their mainland counterparts. 
Longtime Lexington television news anchor and radio talk show host Sue Wylie, 90, died after a car crash in Lexington Tuesday.

Wylie was involved in a collision at the intersection of Alumni Drive and Chinoe Road, the Fayette County Coroners Office said in a news release. She was pronounced dead in the Emergency Department at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital at 7:47 p.m.

Five vehicles were involved in the collision, which was reported at 4:55 p.m., said Lt. Thomasena Grider of the Lexington Police Department. She said three people were taken to a local hospital after the crash, and police later learned one had died.

Wylies career in broadcasting began in Cincinnati in the 1950s and spanned six decades. Before joining WLEX in 1968, she worked in Columbus, Ohio, and Miami, where she was among the first women covering hard news in that television market.

She created the Your Government show for LEX 18 in the early 1970s and went on to host several governors on the show, as well as political figures including Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy and Jesse Jackson.

Wylie retired from a 30-year career at LEX 18 in 1998 but continued to host a talk radio show on WVLK-590 AM until 2013.

She was a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and did voices and dramatics for a Rod Serling show called The Storm in the 1950s, according to a brief biography on the website of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.

She was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 1999.

Sue Wylie on the air during her weekday call in show at WVLK radio in Lexington in 1998.

When she retired from WVLK ten years ago, Wylie told a Herald-Leader reporter that she had made the decision because she did not want to be the Larry King of Lexington. I didnt want anyone to ever say, Is she still here?

She said she was going to miss the callers.

Unlike most other talk shows in town, I try to make it almost completely caller-driven, she said. Other shows will take them, but I base my show on caller opinion. Thats what I like. Some of them are surly. Some of them are silly. But theyre all interesting, and I really love them.

Sue Wylie interviewed former Gov. John Y. Brown during a taping of Your Government on Dec. 12, 1997 at WLEXs studios.

Wylie talked politics with Jack Pattie and took calls from listeners on WVLK Monday morning. Pattie introduced her as the first lady of broadcasting in Lexington and said on the show that she had done it again: the phone lines were jammed with callers.

Wylie was memorialized as a local news icon by many who shared remembrances of her on social media Tuesday night.

Sue Wylie worked for LEX 18 from 1968 to 1998. She landed guests such as Ronald Reagan, Jessie Jackson, Nelson Rockefeller, George Wallace, and Jimmy Carter.



PHOTOS OVER THE YEARS: https://t.co/wfk7MlhPmL pic.twitter.com/wQZQcXfYAN  LEX 18 News (@LEX18News) October 25, 2023

1998 WLEX Sue Wylie's Last Day https://t.co/plPqz8iSgG via @YouTube As the first female news anchor in Kentucky retired after 30 years at WLEX-TV, the station produced a farewell edition.... who do you recognize? @DirectorCarey @UK_ABJ  UK JAM-school (@UKJAMschool) October 25, 2023

Incredibly sad news - A close friend just told me our friend, the legendary Sue Wylie, just passed away after a car accident in Lexington this afternoon. Im just in shock, total shock. Sue was and always will be an icon in Kentucky television @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/knPLSA0SRt  Leigh Searcy (@LSearcLex) October 25, 2023

Devastated. Sue was a good friend and was honored to be a panelist on her "Your Government" show countless times. She was a powerhouse, a traiblazer but above all else a journalist who believed revealing the truth would result in the greater good. RIP Suehttps://t.co/hwRFGnr8af  Brian Malloy (@brianwmalloy) October 25, 2023

Longtime LEX 18 anchor Sue Wylie dies following car crash. I only had a few occasions to interact w/her when she filled in on Comment many years ago. She was a force to be certain and leaves a remarkable legacy https://t.co/xK15sgB0NY  Renee Shaw (@ReneeKET) October 25, 2023

Im very sorry to hear about the death of my friend Sue Wylie.



She was a great lady. Im so grateful that I got the chance to work with her, learn from her, but most importantly, to become friends with her. Im really going to miss her.  Larry Glover Live (@larrygloverlive) October 25, 2023

Wylie was photographed in 2003 while hosting the morning radio talk show on WVLK-590 AM in Lexington.
NEW YORK  Families of Israeli American hostages captured by Hamas  including the family of Tenafly High School graduate Edan Alexander  gathered outside the United Nations on Tuesday to demand greater international efforts to secure the return of their loved ones.

"These hostages need to be brought back yesterday  not tomorrow, yesterday," said Liam Zeitchick, who said his cousins and their three children were abducted from a safe room in southern Israel during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Alexander, 19, is a solder in the Israeli military and was serving near the southern border with Gaza when he was abducted. He's believed to be among 220 hostages taken by Hamas, according to the Israeli government.

Edan Alexander, 19, a Tenafly High School graduate, was serving in the Israeli army near Gaza and is believed among 220 people captured by Hamas on Oct. 7.

His parents, Adi and Yael Alexander chose not to speak to the media on Tuesday, citing the emotional difficulty of the situation. His sister Mika also attended.

The families were joined by Israel's foreign minister and U.N. ambassador, as well as representatives of human rights organizations, all united in their call for the hostages' safe return.

Dozens of shoes were arranged outside the U.N. as a reminder of the missing, along with posters bearing the names and photos of those kidnapped.

We are here not only talking about ourselves, were here representing 220 families of kids, Holocaust survivors, women, being held hostage, said Ruby Chen, a New York native whose 19-year-old son Itay Chen was also taken.

Israel-Hama war: Blinken urges 'humanitarian pauses' but US won't back ceasefire in Gaza. Live updates

Ronen Neutra, the father of hostage Omer Neutra, who was born and raised in New York, described his son as a peaceful, loving person.

The son joined the Israeli military to defend his country, said his mother, who made a heartfelt plea: "We want our son back." He emphasized the need for the U.N. and the international community to work together to achieve that wish.

Dozens of shows and posters were lined up outside the United Nations in New York on Tuesday to represent the 220 hostages being held by Hamas. The display was part of a news conference that featured the hostages' families and Israeli officials.

Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, told the crowd the United Nations needs to take more significant actions to bring the hostages back.

The crowd chanted "bring them home" and ended the event with a song of hope.

Alexander, who graduated from high school in 2021, is "a great kid," Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna said in an interview days after the attack. "Hes serving to protect his people ... All they found from him was his flak jacket that he was wearing. We are hoping for some good news."

The borough has many residents with Israeli ties, Zinna noted. "They are strong people, but they are shaken to the core by these events. The Jewish people have survived thousands of years of persecution. These are dark times now. But they will ultimately prevail.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Families of Hamas hostages gather at UN to demand return
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  The state of Tennessee is suing Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram over knowingly being harmful to minors, according to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

They have the capacity to stop hurting people, Skrmetti said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. They have chosen not to do that because the more time and the more data they get from young users, the more money they make.

The lawsuit states Meta flagrantly and repeatedly engaged in unfair and deceptive conduct at the expense of consumers  young users especially  across the country and in Tennessee, essentially accusing the company of preying on childrens mental health through Instagram.

Instead of warning people or changing the platform, Meta doubled down, continued doing the things that hurt kids, and covered it up, Skrmetti said.

There are 33 states that filed a lawsuit in federal court, while another nine filed in their respective states. Tennessee is one of those nine, attaching several studies of the effect of Instagram on childrens mental health and well-being.

We know that America is in the middle of a mental health crisis for teens, Skrmetti said. If you look at statistics over the last decade, theyve fallen off a cliff.

News 2 did reach out to Meta for comment. In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson provided a comment:

We share the attorneys generals [sic] commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Tens of thousands of books have been banned or restricted in U.S. prisons, according to a report by PEN America, a free speech organization that has been tracking book bans in the country.

On Wednesday, the organization released Reading Between the Bars: An In-Depth Look at Prison Censorship, which examines how prisons choose which books to take away from prisoners, with some titles getting thrown into the garbage by staffers.

The extent of prison book banning is alarming and an attack on the written word itself, said Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN Americas Freewrite Project and lead author of the report. Censorship should not be a knee jerk tactic by authorities to address other prison concerns, such as spurious claims that books are a conduit for drugs. Yet we are witnessing vast amounts of time, effort and money expended in order to stop people from reading. This censorship must end.

The group based its report on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for all the prison systems in the country, as well as interviews with prison staff. The organization says its analysis is likely an underestimation due to the poor tracking of the information by states.

Florida was the top in prison book banning among the 28 states that track the information, banning 22,825 titles. Texas came in second at 10,265, and Kansas third at 7,699, based on the latest information available from 2021.

PEN America found books are most commonly censored in prisons due to sexual content, but that this leads to popular magazines, drawing books, medical books and dictionaries getting banned.

The most banned book was Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars by Clifton Collins Jr. and Gustavo Goose Alvarez, a collaboration between an actor and former inmate that examines different ways to cook ramen noodles. A self-help book by Robert Greene called 48 Laws of Power is the second most banned.

Its a form of control. Its the ultimate form of power of manipulation. So the hypocrisy of saying, this is a book thats dangerous for you whereas theyre the ones that are completely controlling the dynamic and giving you access to only certain amounts of information is very frightening. Thats how totalitarian systems operate, said Greene, whose books are banned in 19 state prison systems.

PEN America also found prison systems are increasingly banning books from nonprofits or independent bookstores and only allowing state-approved vendors.

The few approved vendors are a way for state prison systems to restrict titles in a content-neutral way, according to the organization.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Lubbock County is the latest Texas jurisdiction making it illegal to aid in travel related to obtaining an abortion.

The 317,000-person county is the largest of four counties to adopt such a measure in the state, where abortion itself is also illegal.

Lubbock County commissioners voted 3-to-0 on Monday on the measure, which allows private citizens to bring lawsuits against those accused of providing or paying for travel through unincorporated areas in the county related to an abortion.

The decision could impact county residents seeking abortions in nearby New Mexico, where abortion is legal.

Anti-abortion activists celebrated the decision as part of a wider campaign to elimination abortion rights across the US.

These abortion trafficking ordinances really are the next stage in an abortion-free America, activist Mark Lee Dickson told The New York Times.

Health providers condemned the measure.

Texas already live under some of the most restrictive and dangerous abortion bans in the country yet anti-abortion extremists continue to push additional unnecessary, confusing, and fear-inducing barriers to essential healthcare, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas wrote in a statement.

Other Texas jurisdictions have postponed considering such laws.

The city of Amarillo on Tuesday postponed a vote on a travel ban.

No violations of abortion travel ban laws have been reported so far in the three Texas counties where such provisions were already in effect: Mitchell, Goliad, and Cochran.

Legal commentators have questioned whether such provisions are unforceable under federal law.

May a state bar a resident of that state from traveling to another state to obtain an abortion? US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a recent opinion. In my view, the answer is no based on the constitutional right to interstate travel.

After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, abortion was banned entirely in Texas, and the state has pursued a variety of methods to penalise those tied to abortions.

A suit from Texas attorney general Kex Paxton accuses Planned Parenthood of defrauding Medicaid.
AUSTIN - In a recent court filing, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the federal government of destroying Texas' concertina wire along the border. Texas' top cop is taking legal action by suing the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and several other agencies and officials.

The lawsuit states that federal agents have been cutting the state's strategically placed concertina wire to encourage and assist illegal border crossings. This wire was intended to secure the Texas-Mexico border and curb the influx of illegal migrants.

The edge of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass' Shelby Park is lined with concertina wire in Eagle Pass, Texas, on August 24, 2023. The buoys were installed in the river at a popular migrant crossing point in July on the instructions of conservative Texas Governor Greg Abbott, along with large razor-wire barriers on shore, sparking a rebuke from both Washington and Mexico City. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP) (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)

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Paxton argues that the destruction of Texas' concertina wire constitutes the illegal destruction of state property and undermines the state's border deterrence efforts. The federal government's actions allegedly create openings in Texas' border barriers, making it easier for individuals to enter the state illegally.

MORE STORIES ABOUT US BORDER SECURITY

The lawsuit seeks to halt this alleged unlawful practice, requesting a court injunction to prevent further damage to private property and uphold federal law.

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The filing cited data from the federal government, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP"), stating that approximately 458,000 aliens were at the border in fiscal year 2020, with an increase to over 1.7 million encounters in fiscal year 2021 and nearly 2.4 million in fiscal year 2022. This year, in late September, Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas expressed concern about a surge of over 6,000 undocumented immigrants crossing the border in 48 hours without consequences,

Concertina wire is seen on the river bank as migrants cross the Rio Grande into the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas, as seen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila state, Mexico, on August 4, 2023. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP) (Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)

RELATED: Elon Musk visits Mexican border in Eagle Pass

Attorney General Paxton emphasizes Texas' sovereign right to construct border barriers to prevent the entry of illegal aliens. The lawsuit contends that the federal government's actions, including cutting wires and assisting aliens in crossing, are unlawful and pose risks to the country and its citizens. Paxton calls for judicial intervention to address what he views as a pressing immigration crisis exacerbated by the Biden administration's policies.

In a related move, the Texas Senate has passed Senate Bill 11, often called the Border Bill, granting the state the authority to enforce immigration lawsa role traditionally held by the federal government. This legislative development reflects Texas' efforts to address the challenges posed by illegal immigration proactively.

RELATED: Texas border agents find spider monkeys in backpack

Furthermore, a federal appeals court has allowed Texas to maintain its floating barrier on a section of the Rio Grande despite concerns raised by a judge about its impact on the safety of migrants and U.S.-Mexico relations.

This decision underscores the ongoing legal and policy battles surrounding border security and immigration enforcement in Texas.
After several attempts by Republicans to rein in COVID-19 vaccine mandates by Texas employers, lawmakers are edging closer to a statewide ban on the practice after legislation won House approval early Thursday.

Violators would be subject to a whopping $50,000 fine under an amendment adopted by the Texas House. The bills sponsor called it the strongest such ban in the country.

This bill is not about infringing on employers ability to protect their employees in the workplace. And this bill is not about what vaccines are good or bad, or what vaccines someone should or should not take, said state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, the bills House sponsor. This bill is instead about who should decide.

After debating the bill on Wednesday, the Texas House gave final approval to Senate Bill 7 on a 91-54 vote in the early hours of Thursday morning, with all Republicans in favor and most Democrats opposed, after a passionate debate on the merits and safety of the vaccine, the impact of employer mandates on Texas workers, the rights of private business owners vs. private individuals, whether to allow stronger exceptions for hospitals and doctors, and the bills impact on medically vulnerable populations.

The Texas Senate passed the legislation, authored by state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, last week, and the bill will go to a conference committee to work out changes made by the House. Abbott included the ban in his agenda for the special legislative session, which could last up to two more weeks.

SB 7 would ban private businesses from requiring employees and contractors to get the COVID vaccine.

Health care facilities would be allowed to require unvaccinated employees and contractors to wear protective gear, such as masks, or enact other reasonable measures to protect medically vulnerable patients.

The same allowances could also be true for other private employers under the bill, lawmakers on both sides of the debate said, although its not as clearly laid out for that group. The legislation only prohibits actions taken against an unvaccinated employee that the Texas Workforce Commission considers to be punishing or otherwise adversely affects the employee.

Enforcement would be handled through employee complaints to the commission, with violators subject to a fine of $50,000 in the House version  or anywhere from $1 to $10,000 in the Senate bill  and potential lawsuits by the Texas attorney general to prevent further violations.

The commission also has the power to refer cases to district courts for criminal action, and could also do so under this legislation, although the bill does not create any new crimes or grounds for lawsuits.

House supporters said the bill was needed to protect the rights of individuals to make their own health care decisions without negative consequences to their livelihoods. They also extended the bills protections to nursing and medical students, volunteers and unpaid interns who work in those facilities but may not be considered employees.

I believe very strongly that that decision as to whether to get an immunization  should be a very personal decision in conjunction with someones doctor and informed by medical expertise, informed by deeply held personal values, Leach said. This bill protects employees' rights to not be vaccinated and maintain their ability to work and apply for jobs.

Opponents argued that the ban would handcuff the ability of health care professionals to impose vaccine policies that lower the risk of viral spread for their patients. Supporters batted away attempts by Democrats to exclude health care and child care facilities from the ban.

This is about protecting your most vulnerable constituents, your most vulnerable family and friends, said state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Arlington, a public relations consultant.

Some critics said the bill also would infringe on the rights of business owners to make their own policy decisions.

Some lawmakers also said they were concerned that business owners could be subject to expensive legal and administrative costs for trying to enact other measures to protect their employees. The bill is vague on what those parameters might be.

Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Dallas Democrat who runs a real estate investment firm, sought to amend the bill to include a list of what private employers would be allowed to do in lieu of a vaccine mandate, such as requiring unvaccinated employees to work from home, change offices or wear personal protective gear.

Employers are going to have to react to it and come up with interventions for their employees to keep them safe while at the same time following the tenets of this bill, Anchia said. Its important  that we give them clear guidelines.

Leach said employers would likely be able to require unvaccinated employees to wear protective gear  much like health-care institutions are allowed to do under the bill  but he declined to list specific measures that ultimately would be allowed.

Leach said it wasnt up to lawmakers to draw those lines, adding that the workforce commission would judge each case separately.

Employers can still protect their employees, he said. Someone should not be fired for deciding not to take the vaccine.

Anchias amendment failed.

Texans lived for three years under a statewide COVID-19 emergency declaration, which Abbott maintained in spite of pushback from his party. He promised to lift it only after lawmakers had codified his executive orders that prohibited local COVID restrictions.

During the regular session, lawmakers obliged by prohibiting local governments from requiring masks, vaccines or business shutdowns in response to COVID-19. That law went into effect Sept. 1. Efforts to extend the ban to private businesses, however, fell short.

Abbott ended the emergency declaration over the summer, which the bills supporters say triggered a critical need to protect workers who did not want to be vaccinated against the virus.

Summer GOP drama

The issue triggered a highly personal and extremely bitter battle among House Republicans on social media in late August.

Midlothian Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison publicly slammed House Calendars Committee Chair Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, for allowing his bill banning all vaccine mandates to die without a floor vote during the regular session in May.

Harrison continued his drumbeat the day before floor debate on the bill, which he did not co-sponsor.

While #Txlege House leadership has PROTECTED #covid vaccine mandates for over two years... the Texas Senate has repeatedly passed bills to ban them, he wrote on social media.

Harrison was chief of staff for the U.S. Health and Human Services Commission under then-President Donald Trump during Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development and distribution of a COVID vaccine amid lockdowns at the start of the pandemic.

Burrows hit back hard with a series of posts calling Harrison a showpony who now pretends to care and a bureaucrat who spent his time in DC overseeing the shutting down of small businesses and ruining familys lives.

[Dr. Anthony] Fauci and Harrison lied, and people died, Burrows wrote. He didnt care enough to get out of his desk and try and get his bills passed. ... He just sounds like he cares on Twitter.

Leach, the sponsor of vaccine legislation that passed the House on Wednesday, joined the fray.

Brian  you were the self-described Chief Architect of the unconstitutional COVID regime that robbed millions of Americans of their rights, freedoms and livelihoods, Leach wrote on X. You can do all the TV interviews you want  but until you come clean and own the damage and destruction many of your policies caused to hard-working Americans, you cannot, will not and should not expect those hard-working Americans to trust you.

The battle drew in several Republicans at a time when the House GOP was already split over the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, with Harrisons allies calling Burrows and others Republicans in Name Only for attempting to remove Paxton over corruption allegations.

Paxton was eventually acquitted in the Senate and returned to office, escalating the tensions between the factions.

Harrison tried several times Wednesday to change the bill, and Leach at one point accused Harrison of trying to kill the bill with one of his amendments. The two traded indirect barbs during the debate. But the warring Republicans eventually voted together to pass the legislation.

Texans value freedom and liberty, and I truly believe you cannot have freedom without this, said Harrison, who voted for the bill.
EAGLE PASS, Texas (Border Report)  Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan was among a group of Republicans who toured the border here by air and boat on Tuesday as lawmakers in Austin prepare to debate a controversial border security spending bill during the ongoing third Special Session.

Phelan and three Republicans were joined by state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, on Tuesday morning as they spent time on the ground, in the Rio Grande, and in the sky over both countries, assessing border security operations to thwart migrants from crossing illegally from Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan takes a boat tour with DPS officials on Oct. 24, 2023, on the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)

Their visit came as lawmakers in Austin are expected to vote on whether to spend $1.5 billion for the state to construct its own border wall, much of which will be built in the Rio Grande Valley.

Controversial immigration bills taken up during 3rd Special Session

Obviously, since it is my hometown and it is my district, I happily took advantage of that request and making sure that I traveled with them. I wanted to show how beautiful Eagle Pass and Maverick County is, as well as District 74. I wanted to address some of the realities taking place on the border and dispel some of the myths also, Morales told Border Report.

I think every state senator and every state representative should be required to come down here and see this with their own eyes, Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican from Collin County near Dallas, said after their tour, which lasted about 90 minutes.

When asked by Border Report what the group saw as they sped up and down the Rio Grande in two noisy Texas Department of Public Safety airboats and a pair of DPS helicopters, Leach said he believed they saw upwards of 100 migrants trying to cross illegally into Texas via the international river.

CBP reports all-time highs for yearly, monthly migrant encounters along Southwest border

This is a humanitarian crisis, Leach said. You just cant fully grasp the vastness of this challenge for the state unless you get down here and see it for yourself.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection just released Fiscal Year 2023 data that showed an all-time high for yearly migrant encounters along the Southwest border. That includes the Del Rio Sector, of which Eagle Pass is part.

Border Patrol agents encounter fewer migrants, but overall migration hits record high in FY23

And in September, there were 269,735 migrants encountered on the Southwest border  the most ever recorded in a single month by CBP, according to CBP data.

There were 45,688 migrants who crossed in the Del Rio Sector in September, with most being Venezuelans and most crossing into Eagle Pass, agency data shows.

Nearly 400,000 migrants were encountered in the Del Rio Sector in Fiscal Year 2023.

El Paso County judge: Repatriation flights blunting Venezuelan migration

Miles of concertina wire are unspooled on the banks of the river here, which have been stripped and cleared of brush.

When the wind blows  and it often does here  the dust travels into every crevice of ones body. Asylum-seekers who cross the river often ask onlookers for agua as they dehydrate in the scorching South Texas sun.

Many cross downriver from the two international bridges, near a $1 million 1,000-foot-long marine barrier of spherical buoys that the State of Texas has put in the river as part of its Operation Lone Star border security initiative.

After just a couple of months, the orange buoys already are fading from the sun, and have had to be moved closer to the U.S. shore after complaints from Mexico.

Texas 1,000-foot-long marine buoy border barrier is fading from the sun as seen Oct. 24, 2023. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)

Since 2021, the state has spent nearly $10 billion to fund Operation Lone Star, which also includes Texas National Guard troops guarding the riverbanks alongside large shipping containers put up to prevent migrants from crossing.

DPS Director Steve McCraw told Border Report that its important for lawmakers to see firsthand the operations, especially as they debate a $1.5 billion border wall spending bill.

Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw wants more boots on the ground, technology and resources at the border, he said during an Oct. 24, 2023, visit to Eagle Pass, Texas. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)

Its vitally important. Certainly, in their oversight responsibilities they need to see exactly whats going on and how the moneys been spent and how productive weve been in combating transnational criminal activity, McCraw said.

Infrastructure is vitally important, McCraw said. You also need boots on the ground, and technology.

He characterized it as a layered defense and said Texas is leading the nation in protecting the border because he alleges the federal government isnt doing enough.

12 officers, local security secretary gunned down in Guerrero state

Morales wants lawmakers to not only think about deterrence but also a way that both countries can benefit from those who want to come to Texas and work. He would like lawmakers to pass the Texas Secure Our Border Migrant Processing Plan, in which the state would charge every migrant $2,000 for a migrant processing fee and in return, they would be allowed to work within the state at jobs pending proof of an employment sponsor. They must have no criminal history and must come through Texas land ports, not illegally through the river.

That would not be my first choice to build a border wall. I think we can use the resources and put them to better use, Morales said Tuesday.

Texas State Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, wants a migrant worker program, not a border wall. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)

Republican state Reps. Justin Holland, of Heath, and Jacey Jetton, of Fort Bend County, also joined Tuesdays border tour.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

Phelans visit came as he is embroiled in a fight with state Republican leaders and on Monday called on Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi to resign over reports that he had met with an avowed antisemite and Nazi sympathizer.

Phelan did not comment on the controversy Tuesday.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley has waged a battle against the State Commission on Judicial Conduct after it issued a public warning against her for refusing to perform same-sex marriages. Credit: Screenshot via KXXV-TV Waco

Texas Supreme Court justices Wednesday questioned whether a Waco justice of the peace should remain under threat of a judicial oversight bodys sanctions if she continues refusing to marry gay couples.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct gave Judge Dianne Hensley a public warning in 2019 for performing opposite-sex weddings for couples but declining to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies on religious grounds  a move that raised doubts about her capacity to act impartially, according to the notice. Her refusal occurred in the wake of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that required all states to license same-sex marriages.

Hensley serves as a justice of the peace in McLennan County, an elected position whose role includes hearing traffic and misdemeanor cases; presiding over landlord and tenant disputes; and can include conducting weddings.

Following the 2019 warning, Hensley filed a lawsuit alleging that the judicial commission violated her rights under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The 1999 act was designed to ensure the government cannot substantially burden free exercise of religious beliefs.

The states highest civil court heard oral arguments Wednesday after an appeals court affirmed a lower courts decision to toss her legal challenge last year on grounds that the commission acted within its powers and is protected from lawsuits due to sovereign immunity.

The case is believed to be among several that will attempt to expand the reach of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that let a Colorado web designer refuse same-sex couples. However, most of Wednesdays proceedings revolved around what Hensley had already done and what could happen to her in the future.

Justices asked why Hensley had not appealed the warning instead of suing the agency.

Hensleys lawyer Jonathan Mitchell told justices that she would not have received the recourse she sought  including money and injunction against future sanction.

While Hensley had lost income by not performing weddings and sought financial award for damages with the lawsuit, Mitchell said what mattered is whether she will be subject to more sanctions in the future by not performing certain marriages, in accordance with her faith.

Mitchell further argued that state law protects peoples religious freedom unless there is a furtherance of a compelling governmental interest. He also said it prohibits wedding officiants from discriminating based on race, national origin or religion.

Notably absent from that list of protected criteria that I just mentioned is any mention of discrimination on account of sex or sexual orientation, Mitchell told justices. Its still permissible for wedding officiants  whether theyre judges or members of the clergy  to discriminate based on any other characteristic, as long as its not race, national origin or religion, when they decide which weddings they will officiate.

The commissions lawyer, Douglas S. Lang, argued to justices that they should not grant a license to discriminate.

One justice asked Lang what the difference was between Hensleys case and instances of a judge stating their stance on an issue while campaigning for their seat. Lang said it was not an issue that Hensley had talked about, but her actions  which is what was sanctioned.

Justices also asked Lang about the difference between judges who refuse to marry same-sex couples and judges who do not perform any marriages to avoid the matter altogether  and what that portends for their impartiality. Justices of the peace can but are not required to conduct weddings.

She has chosen to marry some folks and not others. She has chosen to discriminate between some folks in the state of Texas, in favor of other people  and it flies in the face of impartiality, Lang said.

Justice Jimmy Blacklock followed up with a hypothetical about a judge who stops doing marriages because of an objection to same-sex marriage  why wouldnt that judge manifest the same bias, he asked.

Lang responded that a judge does not have to say why they do not want to conduct marriages.

Blacklock asked if the hypothetical judge would go before the conduct commission if they explained their reasoning for stopping to be similar to Hensleys.

Lang returned to Hensley and her conduct, not her belief: She reached out to a Waco newspaper and wearing a judges mantel told a reporter that she would not marry a same-sex couple because of her religion, he said, citing the actions that were outlined in the 2019 warning. She also got her court clerks to give an assumed gay couple a handout that said the judge could not perform same-sex weddings due to sincerely held Christian beliefs.

The handout also included alternatives for where the couple could go. Blacklock asked if that was conduct that undermined her impartiality. Repeatedly, Lang turned to Hensleys actions being at issue.

It is unclear when the state Texas Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the lawsuit.

Hensley, who has not conducted weddings in years, said in a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News that she would love to win, because I think its right. My lifes not gonna change one way or the other.

She also said that officiating weddings became more overwhelming than it got to be joyful for me. I cant say that I have missed it in any sense.
U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA, speaks to reporters after securing the nomination for House speaker from the Republican conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 24, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON  Texas Republicans rallied together to elect Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to be U.S. House Speaker on Wednesday, ending a tumultuous three weeks that highlighted the divisions within the Republican conference.

Johnson, whose Shreveport-based district covers most of the states border with Texas, is a deeply Christian conservative member who won his partys nomination in a late-night vote Tuesday. He won a House-wide vote Wednesday of 220-209 on party lines.

All Democrats voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, expressing concern with Johnsons central role in the Republican challenge to the 2020 presidential election. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, missed the vote due to a death in the family.

The speaker vote ended a dramatic saga that started with the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the beginning of the month by members of his own party. The House was then leaderless until Johnsons election, stalling legislation and delaying negotiations on government funding.

Winning the support of the entire Texas Republican delegation reflected his popularity within the ideologically diverse Republican conference. House Republicans burned through three speaker-nominees, each incapable of securing the full partys support, before electing Johnson.

Two Texans made formal bids for the job: U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions of Waco and Roger Williams of Willow Park. Both were cut in early voting stages and eventually backed Johnson. U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock also flirted with a bid but decided against running.

Johnson is an unusual candidate for speaker. He is less experienced than nearly every speaker in modern history, currently serving his fourth term and having never chaired a House standing committee. He served in leadership as the Republican conferences vice-chair, ranking below McCarthy, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York. Scalise and Emmer both made runs for speaker but failed.

Johnson was also previously chair of the Republican Study Committee, the biggest ideological faction of Republicans. The group generally advocates spending cuts and socially conservative positions, including limited access to abortion.

Johnsons victory benefited from his relatively muted stature within Congress. Other candidates for the job, including Scalise, Emmer and House Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan, all had baggage from past conflicts with their peers. Most Republicans assert that McCarthy was ousted for personality reasons, particularly his nuclear animous with Floridas Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Mike doesnt have a self-promoting bone in his body, but that brother has a fire shut up in those bones to fight for this country, Arrington said in a statement. Arrington and Johnson joined Congress in the same class.

U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Sherman, was one of Johnsons earliest backers and called him an effective, policy-focused lawmaker.

Mike's got the policy depth like no other, Fallon said. He's very good on television and at messaging. It's just part of the job now; it's not 1960. And he's 16 miles from Texas, which doesn't hurt either.

But Democrats were repulsed, characterizing him as a slightly more polished Jordan.

House Republicans have put their name behind someone who has been called the most important architect of the Electoral College objections, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said on the House floor while nominating Jeffries. Democrats believe when members of this body voted to reject the results of the 2020 election, they forfeited their ability to lead this chamber.

Johnson, a constitutional lawyer by trade, was close to former President Donald Trump and was actively involved in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He emailed every single House Republican to sign their support for a Texas lawsuit challenging the election results, CNN reported at the time. He managed to get 125 of his peers to join. The lawsuit went nowhere in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Johnson also voted against certifying the 2020 election results.

When an ABC News reporter on Tuesday night asked Johnson during a news conference about his role in challenging the election, Johnson smiled while his fellow Republicans booed the reporter. Johnson never responded aside from calling for another question.

Emmer was the only speaker nominee who voted to certify the election. Though it elicited some favor among Democrats, the vote ultimately became a liability in securing Republican support. Trump blasted him on social media, effectively killing his chances.

But with Johnson, Republicans dismissed the 2020 election as not worth rehashing. Williams said Democrats are "living in the past. We're living in the future."

"What's relevant about something that happened three or four years ago?" Williams said. "Let me tell you, in business and in life, you have to continue to look forward, and we've got to look forward to 2024."

Williams signed onto Johnson's amicus brief supporting the Texas lawsuit.

Rep. Chip Roy, a deeply conservative Austin Republican who voted to certify the 2020 election, dismissed Johnson's actions over the election as a "reasonable disagreement." Roy was vocal in opposing the effort to challenge the election results but said "we move forward and move on."

Johnson is deeply religious, dedicating much of his early political career on advocating socially conservative causes. He opposes abortion access and voted against a law that protects same-sex and interracial marriage across state lines.

He serves on the House Judiciary Committee, a panel where members of both parties often hash out some of the most polarizing topics of the day. Jordan chairs the panel.

Johnson used his perch on the committee to blast Democratic border and immigration priorities. He called for impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and said during a Newsmax interview that I think that ultimately they hope to turn all these illegals into voters for their side.

Rep Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, said she was dismayed at Johnson's legislative record, calling it "beyond harmful" to the people in his district.

"I hope that he is sincere in his statements as it relates to wanting to work for the good of the people. His voting record says something different," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas.

Grace Yarrow contributed reporting.
Students participate in a launching ceremony of the Smiling Children Food Package Project at a village in North Central Province, Sri Lanka, Oct. 24, 2023. A Chinese charitable organization said on Wednesday that it has begun to distribute food packages to students across 139 schools in seven provinces of Sri Lanka.

Under China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD)'s Smiling Children Food Package Project, 10,000 Sri Lankan students will be benefited, according to the CFRD. (China Foundation for Rural Development/Handout via Xinhua)

COLOMBO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese charitable organization said on Wednesday that it has begun to distribute food packages to students across 139 schools in seven provinces of Sri Lanka.

Under China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD)'s Smiling Children Food Package Project, 10,000 Sri Lankan students will be benefited, according to the CFRD.

A ceremony to launch the Smiling Children Food Package Project was held in Colombo on Wednesday with the attendance of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

Appreciating the distribution of food packages by the CFRD to children in poverty-stricken areas in Sri Lanka, Gunawardena said Sri Lanka needs to learn from China's experience in poverty reduction to realize sustainable development.

Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said the CFRD's Smiling Children Food Package Project will help needy families, adding that China is willing to share the experience in poverty reduction with Sri Lanka, and the CFRD has innovated many successful practices in the process of poverty reduction in China.

Liu Wenkui, executive vice chairman of CFRD, shared his experience in poverty reduction, saying that the CFRD would like to work together with Sri Lanka to promote poverty reduction in Sri Lanka in the future.

The CFRD is a non-governmental charitable organization specializing in humanitarian aid and poverty reduction, with its International Smiling Children Project already operating in Ethiopia, Sudan, Nepal and Myanmar. 

Staff members of China Foundation for Rural Development hand over food packages to a student at a village in North Central Province, Sri Lanka, Oct. 24, 2023. A Chinese charitable organization said on Wednesday that it has begun to distribute food packages to students across 139 schools in seven provinces of Sri Lanka.

Under China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD)'s Smiling Children Food Package Project, 10,000 Sri Lankan students will be benefited, according to the CFRD.(China Foundation for Rural Development/Handout via Xinhua)

A student is seen in a launching ceremony of the Smiling Children Food Package Project at a village in North Central Province, Sri Lanka, Oct. 24, 2023. A Chinese charitable organization said on Wednesday that it has begun to distribute food packages to students across 139 schools in seven provinces of Sri Lanka.

Under China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD)'s Smiling Children Food Package Project, 10,000 Sri Lankan students will be benefited, according to the CFRD.(China Foundation for Rural Development/Handout via Xinhua)
Texas sued the Biden administration Tuesday seeking to stop federal agents from cutting razor wire on the border.

Texas has the sovereign right to construct border barriers to prevent the entry of illegal aliens, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said in a news release.

In the suit, Paxton alleges that the Biden administration is undermining efforts by Texas to ensure state security.

Concerns about the effects of the wire and its damage, strung along rivers on the states border with Mexico, have been raised by both environmental and migrant advocates.

The razor wire has reportedly injured migrants as they have tried to cross the southern border in locations like Brownsville and Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande. In some cases, federal agents have had to cut the wire to free to the migrants caught in it, according to The Associated Press.

Texas has repeatedly butted heads with the federal government as it ramps up efforts to stop migrants from crossing its southern border. The Department of Justice sued Texas in July to try to force Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to remove buoys meant to block migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement announcing the suit.

This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns, Gupta said.

However, Abbott argued this week that it was the Biden administration that is breaking the law by trying to take down border obstacles.

Americans across the country were horrified to watch Bidens open-border policy in action: agents were physically cutting wires and assisting the aliens entry into our state, he said in a statement. This is illegal. It puts our country and our citizens at risk. The courts must put a stop to it, or Bidens free-for-all will make this crushing immigration crisis even worse.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Three candidates in separate Miami-Dade political races have been under fire the last few months for gun troubles.

First, Miami Beach mayoral candidate Mike Grieco left a bag  with a loaded gun inside  unattended while at a park.

Then, it was revealed that David V. Suarez, whos running for a seat on the Miami Beach City Commission, was ordered by a judge in 2020 to turn over his concealed weapons permit and at least a dozen guns.

And now, Frank Pichel, a former cop running for a Miami City Commission seat, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm for allegedly pulling a gun on an opponents campaign worker.

The details in the three incidents differ. Although only one ended with criminal charges, they all raise questions about the aspiring public officials  and how the allegations deviate from their campaign messaging. Another candidate embroiled in similar troubles was Alfredo Freddy Ramirez III, who in September dropped out of the race for Miami-Dade sheriff, weeks after witnesses at a hotel reported him waving a gun before shooting himself in his vehicle along a highway near Tampa.

Heres what to know about the three recent cases:

Greico case

Former Miami Beach city commissioner and state representative Mike Grieco is running for mayor of Miami Beach. Courtesy of Mike Grieco

In August, a woman found a black cross-body bag on a bench at the South Pointe Park dog park. She brought the bag, which held a loaded Glock 43 handgun, to the Miami Beach police station, telling an officer she had done [her] good deed for the day.

READ MORE: It was my fault: Miami Beach mayoral candidate takes blame for leaving gun unattended

Mike Grieco, a former prosecutor who said hes a permitted gun owner, initially claimed that the bag was stolen. He later said it was snatched by a thief. Grieco was then en route to the police station to file an official report when [he] received a call that the bag and its contents were mostly accounted for.

During his campaign, Grieco has slammed Floridas new permitless carry law, which allows a person to carry a gun without a permit or training in the state. He even said the change meant more guns on the street putting first responders and everyone else in danger.

Suarez case

David Suarez Courtesy

In early October, the Miami Herald reported that David V. Suarez was asked to temporarily surrender his guns after photographs showed his young child in close proximity to a variety of different weapons while in the care of his father, according to court records.

READ MORE: Miami Beach candidate had to turn over guns after claim they werent stored safely

However, Suarez testified in his Broward County divorce and custody case that all of his guns were locked and that the image of his child only showed a part of a gun on the floor.

Suarez, who has stressed cracking down on crime as part of his platform, complied with the judges order and handed over seven handguns and five long guns, including an AR-15, his concealed weapons permit, ammunition and other firearm components, according to court records.

Pichel case

Frank Pichel, running for a District 1 commission seat in Miami, was arrested Sunday and charged with threatening an opponents campaign worker with a weapon. - Handout

On Sunday, Frank Pichel was allegedly involved in an argument over an election sign at or near the Pearl Apartment complex on Northwest 17th Avenue and 33rd Street in Allapattah. Police say video showed Pichel taking his gun from his waistband, racking it and holding it at his side.

READ MORE: Miami City Commission candidate facing gun charge after argument over campaign signs

A witness told officers they saw Pichel pulling out and throwing around campaign yard signs supporting his opponent Alex Diaz de la Portilla, the incumbent commissioner who was booted from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month after being arrested on public corruption charges.

According to the witness, Pichel, when approached by a campaign worker, said in Spanish, Ill shoot you and nothing is going to happen to me because I used to be a police officer.

Miami Herald staff writers Aaron Leibowitz and Chuck Rabin contributed to this report
Comments are taken directly from the latest Thurston County Public inspection reports, which are available for each food establishment, at the Thurston County Environmental Health Office and their website. For questions concerning these reports, contact the health office at 360-867-2667.

Report restaurant, grocery store, deli or bakery complaints online via the complaint form here: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/phss/Pages/eh-problem.aspx.

Reading inspection scores:

Attention should be given to the type of violation (red versus blue) and whether the establishment has a history of red violations or repeat violations.

Red violations are those most likely to cause food-borne illness and must be corrected immediately if feasible or according to a compliance schedule established by the health officer. Example: not keeping food at the right temperature.

Blue violations relate to the overall cleanliness and condition of operation and must be corrected according to a compliance schedule established by the health officer. Example: a worn floor that needs replacing.

If red points exceed 45, the county will require a reinspection within 10 business days.

If red points exceed 100 and theres a lack of managerial control, the county will shut down the establishment for at least 72 hours. The establishment may reopen after management and employees complete retraining and demonstrate corrective action during a reinspection.

Some common abbreviations: PHF/TCS is potentially hazardous food/time control for safety; RTE is ready to eat; PIC is person in charge; FWC is food worker card; CDI is corrected during inspection.

Hops on the Hill LCC

1870 Barnes Blvd. Southwest, Tumwater.

Food Service Establishment

Oct. 19: 60 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

A food worker was observed handling ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands without a written and approved plan.

Cooked pasta was improperly cooled.

Cut tomatoes were between 43-49 degrees rather than at or below 41 degrees.

Mayan Family Mexican Restaurant

2120 Marvin Road Northeast, Lacey

Food Service Establishment

Oct. 17: 45 red points; 15 blue points.

Comments:

Food workers were observed scooping chips with their bare hands. Food workers may not touch ready-to-eat food with their bare hands.

Various TCS items in cold holding, such as salsa and sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa and cut lettuce, were at temperatures above 41 degrees. TCS foods must be cold held at or below 41 degrees.

Workers did not use a thermometer to properly evaluate food safety temperatures.

The menu lacked a proper consumer advisory. The menu did not have a disclosure statement for eggs which can be cooked to order.

The walk-in cold-hold was not properly keeping its temperature at 41 degrees or lower and needed repairs.

An ice machine was dirty with a mold-like substance. Tortilla shells were stored near a fly trap. A rice scoop lacked a handle. Foods must be properly protected from potential contamination.

Ware washing facilities were improperly maintained. A sanitizer chemical was absent.

Tenino Market Fresh

669 East Lincoln Ave. East, Tenino

Food Service Establishment

Oct. 17: 45 red points; 5 blue points.

Comments:

Soap dispensers in the employee and customer restrooms were empty.

Chicken, breasts, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes were hot held at less than 135 degrees.

Potato salad and pasta salad in a display case was not held at proper cold holding temperature overnight. The affected items were disposed of during the inspection.

The faucet of a food sink did not have and intact spout and needed repairs.

The Greenery at Evergreen State College

2700 Evergreen Parkway, Olympia

Food Service Establishment

Oct. 20: 35 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

Cooked fish was between 120-125 degrees under a heat lamp on the service line. TCS foods shall not be held at or above 135 degrees.

A sliced melon in a two-door reach-in cold-hold was at 46 degrees rather than at or below 41 degrees. Cut melon on the service line was 41-51 degrees.

Buffalo Wild Wings

1614 Black Lake Blvd. Southwest, Olympia

Food Service Establishment

Oct. 19: 25 red points; 5 blue points.

Comments:

Multiple food workers had food worker cards from an unapproved vendor. All food workers must have a valid Washington state food worker card available upon request.

A hand wash sink in the corner of the kitchen was blocked by trash cans. Another hand sink next to the line and sauce station was blocked by a trash can. The server station hand wash sink lacked paper towels. Hand wash sinks must be properly stocked and cannot be blocked.

Sliced tomato in the prep line was 43-45 degrees rather than at or below 41 degrees.

A to-go hot-hold cabinet thermometer was not working.

A chlorine sanitizer solution was too weak.

Subway

5595 Capitol Boulevard Southeast, Tumwater

Food Service Establishment

Oct. 19: 10 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

Food workers were unable to present their food worker cards during the inspection.

Shredded cheese on the right side of the prep table was between 43-45 degrees rather than at or below 41 degrees.
Shelby Count Justice Center can be seen here at 201 Poplar Avenue on August 14, 2023 in Memphis, Tenn.

The Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals has reversed a Shelby County Criminal Court judge's ruling that freed a man by shortening his 160-year sentence for a series of non-violent offenses.

The ruling, handed down Oct. 18, upheld the initial sentence for Courtney Anderson, who had served 25 years when he was released in December. He was convicted in the late 1990s for multiple counts of felony theft, felony forgery and a single count of misdemeanor possession of a handgun in a public space.

At his sentencing, then-Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Joseph Dailey sentenced Anderson to the maximum time for each count, which, following a few modifications, was ultimately set at 162 years, 11 months and 29 days.

In December, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan shortened Anderson's sentence to the 25 years he had already served. During her ruling, the appeals court quoted her as saying the sentence applied by Dailey was "way too much time."

The appeal was filed by the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General after Skahan ruled to reduce Anderson's sentence. They argued that the Shelby County Criminal Court lacked jurisdiction to re-open the post-conviction proceedings since the one-year statute of limitations had expired, that there was not a constitutional violation pleaded or found in the filing and that the sentence reduction was "essentially commuting the petitioner's sentence," which is a power only the Tennessee governor has.

Judge Paula Skahan smiles as her colleagues as she files her petition to run for reelection Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, at 157 Poplar Avenue in Memphis.

The appeals court agreed with all of those arguments, saying that Skahan's ruling to alter Anderson's sentence amounted "to nothing more than an improper attempt to commute the petitioner's sentence under the guise of a motion to re-open" his post-conviction proceedings.

Anderson's attorneys argued that the statute of limitations could be overcome because he had been diligently pursuing his rights, and that the constitutional violation came when an amendment passed in 2016 that made some of his past convictions misdemeanors instead of felonies.

The criminal court of appeals disagreed with those arguments, saying a motion to re-open his post-conviction proceedings should have been filed in 2017 after the amendment went into effect.

"The petitioner, relying on the 2016 [Public Safety Act], contends that three of his prior felony theft convictions are now considered misdemeanors, and, therefore, he is entitled to relief," Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals Judge J. Ross Dyer wrote in the ruling. "However, the 2016 Act took effect on January 1, 2017, and the petitioner did not file the instant petition until December 5, 2022, over five years after the effective date of the statute. Clearly, such a delay cannot be described as diligent pursuit of ones rights. The petitioners claim and the trial courts finding that the petitioner has been diligently pursuing his rights is in no way supported by the record."

Skahan told The Commercial Appeal Tuesday morning that she was aware of the statute of limitations issue, which was why she spoke with prosecutors in the courtroom "about if there was something we can do."

Judge Paula Skahan listens to arguments Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, during a hearing at the Shelby County courthouse in Memphis.

"One of the prosecutors came up with that," Skahan said. "The prosecutor wrote it, and I signed off on it. It was just something creative that we tried to do to get a man out of prison."

Following the ruling, in December, Skahan told The CA the length of time Anderson was sentenced to serve "made me sick to my stomach."

They also ruled that since the amendment did not invalidate his prior convictions, only making them misdemeanors, Anderson's counsel's argument that the sentence imposed by Dailey was a constitutional violation did not take place.

The appeals court went on to say that Skahan's ruling was "broad" and did not make adequate findings to grant the post-conviction relief Anderson sought.

"In its order granting relief, the trial court failed to make any findings sufficient to satisfy the statutory requirements," Dyer wrote. "Instead, the trial court makes overly broad statements such as the petitioner 'has articulated the required statutory grounds to re-open the post-conviction.' The trial court makes no factual finding as to what the petitioner has articulated and even fails to cite the statute the trial court was relying on. Additionally, rather than articulate and explain the constitutional basis for its decision, the trial court broadly states it is granting relief because 'this court believes the original sentence to be excessive and a reduction is necessary.' In short, as argued by the state, the trial court failed to make any of the required constitutional findings or analysis necessary to grant the relief."

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy can be seen speaking about results from their targeted crime reduction operation during a press conference involving federal and local partners on Friday, October 20, 2023 at the U.S. Attorneys Office in Downtown Memphis, Tenn.

In response to the reversal by the appeals court, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy stood by his earlier statements, calling the original sentence excessive for a series of non-violent offenses.

"The 162-year sentence for a string of non-violent offenses was clearly excessive," Mulroy said in an email statement. "Mr. Anderson served 25 years, which was enough. It's regrettable that the AG prioritized using scarce legal resources to reinstate on appeal a clearly excessive sentence. I hope the governor will consider clemency."

Appeals court voices concern over post-conviction proceeding

The Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals also expressed concern with the way that the post-conviction case was handled by the DAs office, Andersons counsel and Skahan, citing court transcripts that they said pointed to Skahan having decided the case outcome prior to hearing arguments.

"While not expressly stated, one can easily infer from the transcript that the trial court in this matter not only predetermined the outcome prior to conducting a hearing on the motion, but directed the actions of the parties to reach a desired and specific result," Dyer wrote at the end of the ruling.

The ruling from the appeals court quotes Skahan as saying, "I am certainly on board. I was hopeful this would be able to happen as soon as I looked at it. Seriously [his sentence] is so outrageous."

The appeals court also voiced concern about conversations between an assistant district attorney and Skahan that happened without Anderson present where the appeals court said Skahan was "directing the ADA 'we've got to try and do something if we can."

Criminal justice news: DOJ indicts 21 in Memphis in targeted gun-crime operation, over 90 guns recovered

Comments Skahan made during her ruling about former Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich and Dailey were also scrutinized by the appeals court. Weirich was the prosecutor in Anderson's trial.

"Here, the trial court took time during her oral ruling to unnecessarily and without provocation or proof, call into question the character of members of the judicial system and, indirectly, the system as a whole," Dyer wrote. "The trial court stated, 'So, it was all timing with Amy Weirich out of the office and the right judge who might be willing to do something to help you, it was all timing. It's just the way I guess God looking down on you... But that's too much time, obviously, way too much time, and I know how Judge Daily was. I  believe me, I practiced in there. It was not fun. They just piled up on people."

Skahan said she should have been more aware when she criticized the former DA and judge when she was in court that day.

"I did something from the heart, and spoke from the heart," she said. "That got me in trouble from an appellate judge, who is also our go-to for ethical issues, and I got chastised for it. I can't say anything on the record to criticize other judges, and I should have been more aware of that when I said those things."

The attorney's general office did not respond to a request for comment on the ruling at the time of publication.

Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tennessee appeals court reverses ruling reducing Courtney Anderson sentence
Tom Bergeron is opening up about his exit from "Dancing with the Stars."

The veteran TV host, 68, said during the Oct. 23 episode of the "Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans" podcast that he was fired from the star-studded reality dance competition in 2020 after objecting to the casting of former White House press secretary Sean Spicer the previous year.

Bergeron told the podcast's host, Cheryl Burke , a pro dancer who retired from "DWTS" in November 2022 after 26 seasons, that he had previously been assured by the show's bosses that a political figure wouldn't be cast for Season 28.

Tom Bergeron hosting season 28 of

Bergeron, who had hosted DWTS since it debuted in June 2005, explained that he felt strongly that the show should give viewers a weekly escape from the political divisiveness in the U.S.

According to Bergeron, the program's then-showrunner and its producers, whom he did not mention by name, went back on their word and Spicer was cast. And I said, Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldnt do, the Emmy winner recalled telling higher-ups.

And I would have responded the same way if they had booked Hillary Clinton, whom I voted for. Dont go there. This is, you know, not the right time. Play to our strengths. Be the show that gives people a break from all this bulls---. So, I was furious," Bergeron added.

TODAY.com has reached out to ABC and "Dancing with the Stars" for comment. Andrew Llinares, an executive producer of the show during Spicers season, declined comment.

Bergeron told Burke he was so dead set against Spicer's appearance that he offered to step aside as host that season.

The program's showrunner responded by telling Bergeron that if he took a season off, he could be let out of his contract entirely, according to the host. That really pissed me off," Bergeron said, adding that his "temper kicked in."

I was at least going to let people know that they f------ lied to me," he said.

Carrie Ann Inaba, Tom Bergeron, Len Goodmad, Bruno Tonioli on the

In August 2019, shortly after "DWTS" announced that Spicer would appear as a contestant on Season 28 of the show, Bergeron took the unprecedented move of tweeting his disapproval.

Bergeron said in his since-deleted tweet that he had lunch months before with the show's new executive producer.

During the lunch, he explained that he wanted "DWTS" to be "a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations," he wrote in his tweet.

"I left that lunch convinced we were in agreement," he added.

Subsequently (and rather obviously), a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, go in a different direction,'" he wrote, adding, "We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately its their call. Ill leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions.

Bergeron told Burke that he wasn't alone in his disapproval, saying people were "outraged" by Spicer's casting.

He also said he knew at the time that it would be his last season on the show. "Because of that one betrayal," he explained. "Because I had been lied to by people who were in charge."

Bergeron said he didn't notify "DWTS" producers ahead of time that he'd be speaking out on Twitter about their casting decisions. "They didn't deserve to know. 'They had screwed me, Im gonna screw them,'" he recalled thinking.

"I wanted the viewers to know this was a step too far to me. This was a step too far on the cusp of an election year," he explained, reiterating again that he would have objected to any political figure regardless of party affiliation being cast.

"It wasn't about my political beliefs. It was about my feeling about the show," he said. "What is this show at its best? And what was happening was we were suddenly becoming this show at its worst."

Though Bergeron ended up hosting Spicer's season of "DWTS," he announced in July 2020 the show would continue without him. Co-host Erin Andrews exited at the same time.

Bergeron was replaced by "Americas Next Top Model" creator and host Tyra Banks.

Former "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star Alfonso Ribeiro joined Banks as co-host for Season 31. Ribeiro and former "DWTS" dancer Julianne Hough are now sharing hosting duties in Season 32.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, finally bailed out on his bid to be speaker of the House last week, but the crop of contenders that rose up in his wake was not an improvement. Of course, that isn't the biggest surprise in an era when the best way to win over GOP primary voters is to be the kind of man that women cross the street to avoid. Still, the statistics are grim. Of the eight contenders who went in for the nomination Tuesday morning, six had voted to overturn the 2020 election of President Joe Biden. The other two, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, don't deserve any medals, however, because they signed a legal brief in 2020 asking the Supreme Court to steal the election for Donald Trump.

Dont be fooled. ALL 9 GOP Speaker candidates supported efforts to overturn the election.



Tom Emmer and Austin Scott may have opposed the House votes. But both signed amicus briefs in the Texas lawsuit to invalidate results in Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/F9vYynr9dx  Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) October 23, 2023

Despite his vote to certify, Emmer, the House majority ship, was coup-friendly enough to back this fascist scheme so criminal that three of Trump's former lawyers have now pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. Still, that was not enough to save him. Despite being elected as their nominee in the GOP conference Tuesday, Emmer's role as presumptive speaker lasted mere hours before he gave up trying to win enough votes on the House floor to make it official.

EMMER drops out



Latest to be blocked from gavel, sources tell me and @sarahnferris  Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 24, 2023

And, just to keep things kooky, House Republicans got together and nominated yet another guy with a painfully generic white man name, Mike Johnson of Louisiana. It does not bode well for Mike that he looks like Eric Cantor, a previous House GOP Whip who was defenestrated in a pre-Trump right wing purity purge.

Theory: The newest sacrificial Speaker is actually just Eric Cantor, trying to sneak back into Congress with a generic name. pic.twitter.com/jp61FR2wUq  Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) October 25, 2023

It's time to update the tired jokes about whether a politician can outlast a head of lettuce. For Republicans eyeballing the gavel, time should be measured in hours, not days. Emmer's time in the spotlight lasted about as long as Martin Scorsese's latest film. Perhaps the next presumptive Speaker will make it a full Barbenheimer.

If it's starting to seem like Republicans don't care about reopening Congress, well, you're not paranoid. As Aaron Blake of the Washington Post reported Monday, new polling data shows that, for hardcore MAGA voters, destroying the ability of a democratic system to function is really the point. More than a third of Republican voters polled agreed that they "dont care if Congress elects a Speaker." That number went up to 40% with people planning to vote for Trump in the primary, and up to 43% with viewers of Newsmax, the most shamelessly pro-Trump cable network.

The fight is exposing a serious split in the GOP, Harvard political scientist Danielle Allen writes. On one side are those who "communicate no basic regard for the Constitution," because they see democracy as an impediment to their own power and "a desire to impose cultural homogeneity by fiat." Then there are those who, either out of genuine regard for democracy or fear of the chaos that would follow a fascist takeover, are trying to keep basic government functions on the rails. In Congress, at least, the latter group is shriveling into a non-entity.

The few pro-democracy Republicans keep using the word "embarrassing" to describe the inability of their House caucus to elect a leader. But at least one, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., went further. On ABC, he called the situation "dangerous," and argued "it empowers and emboldens our adversaries like [Chinese President] Chairman Xi [Jinping] who says, you know, democracy doesnt work."

For MAGA diehards, however, that's all upside. The entire point of Trumpism, to be clear, is to convince Americans democracy cannot work. Because of this, the same forces really don't mind if foreign adversaries run by dictators see this as an opportunity to undermine the United States. On the contrary, empowering enemies of American democracy here and abroad was a clearly articulated goal of the most MAGA members of Congress in the GOP conference, per Politico reporting:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), for example, asked each contender about whether they would conduct intense oversight of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland  the latter over his handling of detainees from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. I want to know, which one you have the balls to hold them accountable? Greene asked the speaker candidates inside the room, according to a source familiar with her remarks. The eight candidates also got quizzed on their approaches to new aid for Ukraine, which many House conservatives oppose.

Their three priorities are getting out of the way of Russian President Vladimir Putin's illegal war on Ukraine, supporting the Capitol insurrectionists, and trying to force the U.S. to violate its legal obligation to admit asylum seekers. What holds these three issues together is contempt for democracy and for international efforts, post-WWII, to curtail fascism and prevent genocide.

Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics? Subscribe to her newsletter Standing Room Only.

Even the longstanding belief that Republicans are for "national security" does not hold water in the MAGA era. As McCaul's comments suggest, Republicans have no problem winking flirtatiously at foreign dictators who yearn to see a weak United States that could be defeated in a war. But we also see it in Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and his war to dismantle the military readiness of the U.S., one blocked promotion at a time. Because of all the other chaos in the news, Tuberville's anti-military campaign isn't really at the forefront of the media radar, but he shows no signs of relenting in his efforts to destabilize the chain of command. Even after the Hamas attack on Israel, Tuberville has refused to let the American military function normally.

Tuberville's "official" reason for the promotion blockade is that the U.S. military grants leave and financing to service members who must travel for reproductive health care, including abortion. But Tuberville enthusiastically endorsed failed Senate candidate Herschel Walker, despite Walker paying for the abortions of his various mistresses. We can safely say his claim that this is about abortion funding is a lie. He is, however, one of the most rabidly MAGA, anti-Ukraine, and Putin-friendly members of the Senate. Likelier is that he shares Putin's distaste for an American military that is pro-democracy, especially when the commander-in-chief is Biden. We see this in Tuberville's undisguised disdain for any efforts by military leaders to keep the troops loyal to American democracy. Tuberville has complained repeatedly and loudly about military programs to expel soldiers with fascist sympathies, claiming that white nationalists are simply great patriots and "Democrats ought to be ashamed" for believing white nationalists are bad people.

White nationalists, as a reminder, believe that only white people should be allowed American citizenship, and that everyone else should be de-naturalized and even kicked out of the country. It's not just Democrats who see this view as incompatible with military service. Over 40% of Americans don't meet the white nationalist definition of "white." Of white Americans, a huge chunk are non-Christian or liberal, rendering them "illegitimate" to white nationalists. Most, if not all, top military brass wisely believe it's a bad idea to have service members who want to genocide most of the population.

And, of course, it cannot be restated enough that these MAGA blowhards in Congress continue to back Trump, who has declared every election  even the one he won  to be a fraud. This isn't just about Trump's fragile ego. It's about a larger and ongoing agenda to discredit democracy and pave the way for a strongman-led autocracy. The failure to elect a Speaker isn't just about GOP incompetence. It's the latest manifestation of an anti-democracy movement's efforts to weaken the U.S. government, in hopes it collapses and they can take over without voters threatening to take their power away.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries , R-N.Y., is facing criticism for referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as an "election denier" despite claiming in 2018 that the 2016 election of Donald Trump was "illegitimate."

"The twice-impeached former president ordered House Republicans to stop Tom Emmer and elevate a top election denier," Jeffries posted on X in response to Johnson, who Democrats have linked to Trumps rejection of the 2020 election results, being nominated and elected to serve as House speaker.

"Is anyone surprised that they complied?"

Some on social media have pointed to a social media post in 2018 where Jeffries himself denied the legitimacy of the 2016 presidential election.

HOUSE SPEAKER 'CHAOS' COULD BENEFIT DEMS AS RACE STRETCHES INTO NEW WEEK

Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, speaks to members of the media with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

"The more we learn about the 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes," Jeffries posted in 2018 amid the widely discredited allegation that Trump colluded with Russia to win the presidency. "America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE president in the Oval Office. #RussiaInterference."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, one of the most prominent advocates of the Russia collusion narrative, also called Johnson an "election denier" on social media.

JEFFRIES BLASTS JORDAN AS 'POSTER CHILD OF MAGA EXTREMISM' AFTER FAILED SPEAKER VOTE, PUSHES BIPARTISAN PATH

"This guy is such a fraud," NRCC Communications Director Jack Pandol posted on X about Jeffries.

"Hakeem Jeffries wrote the book on Election Denial," an account belonging to the Republican National Committee posted on X along with several screenshots of Jeffries questioning the 2016 election results.

"Hakeem Jeffries pushed the falsehood that 2016 was illegitimate and stolen by Russia on behalf of Donald Trump," pollster Richard Baris posted on X . "Almost every single elected Democratic lawmaker pushed it and all leaders past and present did."

GOP Rep. Mike Johnson

Others on social media pointed to the several other top Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who questioned the Trump election and scolded the media for questioning Rep. Johnson more intensely.

"Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor to contest the outcome of an election won by a GOP president," CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp posted on X. "No reporter ever called her an election denier. Stop watching and reading the leftist media which is 95% of it. Ending it will lift your spirit as the Truth will set you free."



Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Rep. Jeffries for comment and did not receive a response.

Schiff's office pointed Fox News Digital to a 2017 interview where he discussed his objection to the 2016 election.

"I think it unquestionably had it, had an influence on the election," Schiff said. "It influenced the election by millions and millions of Americans seeing Russian content on social media pushed out by the Kremlin. It had an effect in that the Russians were dumping emails that forced Hillary Clinton on a daily basis to have to defend herself and the campaign, and it changed the topic of the conversation on the campaign trail."





Original article source: Top Dems tweet calling 2016 election 'illegitimate' resurfaces amid opposition to Speaker Johnson
Lord Maude said he understood why the government might be resistant to his "controversial" reforms

A former Tory minister who has reviewed the civil service for the government has suggested he would talk to Labour about his ideas for reform.

Lord Maude was asked to look at how the civil service works and recommend ways to make government more efficient.

His review will propose scrapping the post of the UK's top civil servant and breaking up the Treasury.

He has submitted the results to Rishi Sunak's government and it was widely expected to be published this year.

Lord Maude previewed some of his recommendations at an event organised by the think tank Reform in Westminster on Wednesday.

The former Cabinet Office minister said he recognised why the government might be resistant to some of his more "controversial" ideas, but insisted the changes would "strengthen" the civil service.

With a general election expected next year, the government would have limited time to make some of the bigger changes recommended by Lord Maude.

When asked if he thought the government would implement his review, Lord Maude told the Reform event: "I have absolutely no idea."

As a follow-up question, he was asked if he was talking to Labour about his findings, to which he replied: "At the appropriate time."

His review was commissioned by Boris Johnson in 2022 - but the peer said it was "addressed to all who have an interest in the governance of the country".

The BBC has been told Lord Maude has briefed senior Labour figures on his ideas for shaking up the civil service machine.

A Labour source said the party had not seen a copy of the review - and was waiting to study its contents, and the government's response to them, before making any decisions on civil service reform.

Former colleagues

Lord Maude was minister for civil service reform in David Cameron's government - but some of his more radical ideas upset senior officials.

At the Reform event, Lord Maude made a point of praising former senior civil servant Sue Gray, with whom he worked at the Cabinet Office in the early years of the coalition government.

Sue Gray took over as the Labour leader's chief of staff earlier this year

Known for her internal investigation into the Partygate scandal, Ms Gray is now chief of staff to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Key to her role is preparing Labour for government and working out how best to ensure Whitehall can deliver Sir Keir's priorities.

Sir Keir wants the civil service to deliver what he has described as his "missions" in government - and to be able to get on with them immediately after winning a general election.

Ms Gray's expertise in how the civil service works is seen as crucial in giving Labour the best possible chance to do that.

At the time of her appointment by Labour, Lord Maude defended the "integrity" of Ms Gray and praised her "experience and undoubted abilities".

In a letter to the Times, Lord Maude wrote: "We should be as relaxed about this as we should be about people who have had previous political involvement coming into the civil service."

He echoed those comments at the Reform event, calling Ms Gray "a brilliant and impeccably impartial civil servant".

"There's absolutely no reason why people with a political background shouldn't become civil servants," Lord Maude said.

The recommendations in his review of the civil service were first reported by the Times last week.

At the Reform event, Lord Maude said the role of cabinet secretary - who leads the civil service and is the prime minister's most senior policy adviser - should be split into two new jobs.

He said one job would be to advise the prime minister and run his office at the centre of government, while the other would be to lead the civil service.

Lord Maude said he wanted the new head of the civil service to run a separate "budget ministry". The new ministry would be in charge of allocating money to government departments, but the Treasury would retain control of tax and economic policy.

Lord Maude will also suggested giving ministers more of a say in the appointment of civil servants, and introducing "360 reviews" to assess their performance.
Stream FOX 35 News:

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A woman from Illinois was arrested in Lake County on her way back to the hotel she was staying at in The Villages, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Kathy Roth of Mokena, Illinois, was arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with driving under the influence after the incident that unfolded on Griffin Avenue and Jeffrey Drive, according to an arrest affidavit.

The 59-year-old woman was clocked going 51 mph in a 35 mph zone and was subsequently stopped by a Lake County sergeant, the report said. The sergeant said he could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage from inside the vehicle.

He asked Roth why she was going so fast, to which she said she was coming from a bar on her way back to the UF Health Hospital, where she said she is a traveling nurse, according to the affidavit. Roth was reportedly slurring her words, which also had a slow cadence.

Photo: Lake County Sheriffs Office

A deputy who retrieved Roth's phone said her GPS app was trying to take her to a hotel in The Villages.

When the sergeant asked Roth if she had been drinking, she said she "only had one drink," the report said. Roth also reportedly fumbled around the car for her registration and insurance.

RELATED HEADLINES :

Deputies conducted field sobriety tests, which ultimately led to Roth's arrest for DUI, the report said. She was transported to the Lake County Jail on $1,000 bond. She has since been released.

Roth is scheduled to appear back in court on Nov. 20.
HONOLULU  A trial opened Tuesday for a Hawaii couple accused of fraudulently living for decades under stolen identities of dead babies.

Polaroids of the couple wearing jackets that appear to be authentic KGB uniforms were introduced early on by prosecutors, who suggested the case was about more than just identity theft. But prosecutors later said the uniforms are not relevant to charges involving identity theft, passport fraud and conspiracy. There was no mention of Russian spy intrigue as the trial began Tuesday.

The couple were arrested last year, and their defense attorneys have said from the start that those uniforms were worn once for fun.

This combination of undated photos provided by the United States District Court District of Hawaii shows Walter Glenn Primose, left, also known as Bobby Edward Fort, and his wife Gwynn Darle Morrison, also known as Julie Lyn Montague, purportedly in KGB, the former Russian spy agency, uniforms. (United States District Court District of Hawaii via AP)

According to prosecutors, Walter Glenn Primrose and Gwynn Darle Morrison are the real names of the couple who have been fraudulently living for decades under stolen identities Bobby Fort and Julie Montague. Prosecutors say Primrose spent more than 20 years in the Coast Guard as Bobby Fort, where he obtained secret-level security clearance. After retiring in 2016, he used the secret clearance for his defense contractor job, prosecutors said.

The judge presiding over the case referred to them Tuesday by their preferred names of Fort and Montague. Theyre now representing themselves with attorneys standing by to help if needed.

In brief opening statements, they suggested that they harmed no one. Montague described the allegations as victimless.

The evidence will show my husband and I have led a simple, quiet life, she said.

Fort called it an odd case and told the jury, wed like you to have an open mind.

He said the allegations dont involve drugs, alcohol or firearms. The prosecution is relying on witnesses recalling things that happened decades ago, he said.

The governments first witness was Tonda Montague Ferguson, who described being in the eighth grade when her mother gave birth to a girl in January 1968. She and and her sister were in a Texas hospital waiting room when their baby sister named Julie Montague was born.

I will never forget the image of my father walking down the hall to tell them the baby was born with a lot of birth defects and wouldnt survive, Ferguson said.

She recalled helping her father take down the nursery at home so mom wouldnt have to come home and see that.

The infant lived for 21 days. She said she remembers seeing her father crying at the funeral.

It was hard on all of us, she said.

Fort, during his cross-examination, asked when she learned about accusations that her sisters identity had been stolen. Ferguson replied that she learned about it last year from a media source.

He asked her if she was aggrieved by it. She replied that the death of her sister left such an emotional scar, I never had children of my own.

In outlining the case during his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Muehleck said the real Bobby Fort has been dead for more than 50 years. The baby had a bad cough and lived 3 months, Muehleck said.

The two babies were buried in Texas cemeteries 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart, he said.

The couple were married twice  once with their real names and then again with the identities they stole, Muehleck said.

They had attended the same Texas high school and a classmate who had been in touch with them afterward remembered they stayed with him for a while and said they planned to change their identities because of substantial debt, Muehleck said.

The husband even used his fake identity, which made him 12 years younger, to join the Coast Guard, the prosecutor said.

It all caught up with them in 2020, Muehleck said, when a fraud program manager in the U.S. National Passport Center noticed Forts passport was issued based on a Social Security number for someone who would have been 20 and not a child as is usually the case.

The manager then found Forts death certificate and decided to look at the spouses passport, which was also associated with a Social Security number issued to someone older, Muehleck said. The manager then found a death record for Montague, he said.
BANGKOK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand plans to speed up the construction of the China-Thailand railway, a bilateral flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has said.

Thailand will create a rail system from Bangkok to Khon Kaen, Nong Khai, and extends all the way to China, aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative, Srettha said during the live dinner talk of Thailand's future 2024 on Tuesday evening.

The two provincial capital cities of Khon Kaen and Nong Khai are both regarded as transport hubs leading up to Thailand's northeastern region.

"Logistics is one of the significant issues for Thailand regarding BRI cooperation and Thailand will enhance the connection between its domestic railways and the China-Laos Railway, a flagship BRI project in the region," Srettha said in an interview with Xinhua before his official visit to China earlier this month, during which he also attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway.

When completed, the line will see trains running from Bangkok to the border town of Nong Khai, where a bridge is expected to connect it with the China-Laos Railway, making it possible to travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province. 
The girlfriend of one of the suspects involved in the triple homicide shooting on May 30 on the 400 block of North 5th Street, Lebanon is out on parole after being sentenced for hindering police during the investigation.

Tiffany Koziara, 34, on Wednesday was sentenced to be incarcerated for a minimum of 3 months for providing false information to Lebanon City Police about the location of Ivan Claudio-Rosero. Claudio-Rosero was one of three suspects charged in a triple homicide on North 5th Street on May 30.

President Judge John Tylwalk said Koziara was incarcerated from June 7 to Sept. 7 and was given credit for her time served. Koriara also received 20 months on parole.

Koziara said little during Wednesday's hearing besides answering routine questions. She pleaded guilty Sept. 7.

"Tiffany, I think, realizes that she made a mistake here," Korziara's attorney Scot Grenoble, of the Buzgon Davis Law Offices, said to Tylwalk Wednesday. "She shared with me that if she knew that the other individual was involved in anything like this ... she certainly would have been more cooperative."

What happened

On May 30, Joshua Lugo-Perez, along with 9-year-old Sebastian Perez-Salome and 8-year-old Jesus Perez-Salome, were shot and killed by three assailants outside of their home in the 400 Block of North 5th Street.

Louis Cancel, 33, of Lebanon, was hit in the next-door residence by a stray bullet during the same shooting.

Alex Torres-Santos, 22, and James Fernandez-Reyes, 16, were arrested May 31 after the Lebanon County SWAT team executed a search warrant on the 400 block of North 9th Street. A search of their residence revealed multiple firearms, including an AR-233 and a secondary weapon, which officials said was consistent with the shell casings located at the scene.

Claudio-Rosero was arrested in a public area in North Philadelphia June 6 after a week-long manhunt for him conducted by local law enforcement, Pennsylvania State Police and United States Marshal's Fugitive Task Force.

Following the arrests of Torres-Santos and Fernandez-Reyes, investigators worked to identify and locate a third suspect, who had fled the area in a white BMW used in the commission of the homicide, the release states. Investigators linked the vehicle to 34 Cumberland St., the residence of Koziara.

After executing a search warrant at the residence by the Lebanon SWAT team, investigators determined that Koziara had lent Claudio-Rosero the vehicle prior to the homicides and that he had fled the area still in possession of the vehicle.

In an initial interview with Koziara, she told police that the last contact with Claudio-Rosero, her boyfriend, was a text exchange May 31 about him cheating on her. According to court documents, she told police she only discussed the murders in the context of the news and did not know Claudio-Rosero's whereabouts.

After police obtained a search warrant for Koziara's phone, they found she was still communicating with Claudio-Rosero using WhatsApp messages.

"Evidence showed she gave knowingly false information," Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said in a press conference June 7. "She remained in contact with him after the homicide, and they had a hotel room planned for Atlantic City."

At the time of the arrest, Claudio-Rosero possessed the keys to the white BMW, and the vehicle was located nearby, according to a release from the district attorney's office. Claudio-Rosero confessed to his involvement, according to officials. He allegedly drove himself and the other shooters to and from the murders in the white BMW, and he admitted he possessed a gun and fired multiple rounds during the homicide.

Torres-Santos, Claudio-Rosero and Fernandez-Reyes have been charged with three counts of criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, along with various gun-related offenses. Torres-Santos and Fernandez-Reyes also were charged with one count of aggravated assault for Cancel.

The district attorney's office will be seeking the death penalty against Torres-Santos and Claudio-Rosero for the fatal shootings. Fernandez-Reyes, who was 16 at the time of the shootings, is not eligible for the death penalty because of his age, according to officials.

Triple homicide: Three suspects held for trial in triple homicide of teen, 2 boys in N. 5th St. shooting

Koriara's arrest: Two more suspects arrested in Lebanon triple homicide case

First Assistant District Attorney Brian Deiderick told Tylwalk Wednesday that while the district attorney's office stands by the plea deal, the first time there's a violation she will be facing a state sentence.

"The choice should be on the side of doing the right thing when it's asked," he said. "Not months later, or days later, with any delay."

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: Lebanon, Pa. triple-homicide suspect's girlfriend released on parole
A double murder trial has been told police had the opportunity to arrest an alleged killer two weeks before two men were shot dead in Belfast 29 years ago.

Eamon Fox and Gary Convie were shot dead as they had lunch in a car in North Queen Street in May 1994.

James Stewart Smyth, from Forthriver Link, Belfast, denies murdering them.

Gary Haggarty , an ex-Ulster Volunteer Force commander, claimed he had told police where Mr Smyth was hiding a fortnight before the victims were shot.

Haggarty is the the main prosecution witness in the case against James Smyth.

On his last day of questioning in the trial at Belfast Crown Court, Haggarty was asked was his past convictions and his relationship with the Royal Ulster Constabulary's counter-terrorism unit known as Special Branch.

'Real grievance'

Haggarty told the court that Special Branch had asked him where James Smyth was weeks before the killings of Catholic workmen Mr Fox and Mr Convie.

Haggarty said he told his RUC handlers that Mr Smyth was being sheltered by Tiger's Bay UVF members in a house in Rathcoole, Newtownabbey.

Haggarty added he assumed Mr Smyth would be arrested, but that did not happen at that time.

The supergrass told the court he was certain the accused was responsible for the double murder.

The morning's hearing began as it has done over the last two days with groups of men covering their faces as they made their way into court.

But this time police intervened at the gates of the court, telling the men to remove their face coverings before entering the building.

Haggarty was asked by defence barrister Michael Borrelli KC: "Was the reason you gave Special Branch James Smyth's name because you knew he was someone Special Branch was interested in?"

The supergrass replied: "No I gave his name because he was responsible for the shootings on North Queen Street."

Mr Borrelli KC asked: "You've a real grievance about Special Branch?"

Haggarty replied: "Special Branch doesn't come into my thoughts. I don't care about them".

The defence spoke about the murder of John Harbinson, a Protestant man, who was handcuffed and beaten to death by a UVF gang on the Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast in May 1997.

Haggarty later admitted to the murder of Mr Harbinson and spent time in jail for the murder along with four other murders.

'Kneebag alley'

He told the court: "I was not arrested in 1997 for that murder. I wasn't arrested until 2009. The entire time Special Branch knew I was involved, and I wasn't arrested".

Haggarty claimed that he kidnapped Mr Harbinson and was trying to "source a gun to give him flesh wounds" but Mr Harbinson was beaten to death in an alleyway in Mount Vernon by two other UVF members.

Haggarty said: "I didn't play a role in the beating. I didn't know he was dead. He was in what was known locally as 'kneebag alley' because of all the punishment beatings that took place there. It was a notorious area for punishment beatings."

Haggarty added: "I turned Mr Harbinson onto his face in the recovery position. I maintain he was alive when I turned him over."

Mr Borrelli KC questioned how Haggarty had blood on him.

Haggarty replied: "As I turned him, he coughed. He may have been dying. I can't say for certain."

He added: "I told my handlers everything. They told me to get offside".

'Another informer'

Haggarty went on the run after the murder of Mr Harbinson. He told the court: "My handlers told me to put a bit of space between me and the scene."

Mr Borrelli KC asked: "Mr Harbinson was never meant to die?" Haggarty replied "Correct. He was meant to be shot in the legs."

Haggarty was questioned about other informers in the UVF. Michael Borrelli KC asked: "You agreed at the time of Mr Convie and Mr Fox murders that you had suspicions of (Mark) Haddock?".

Haggarty said: "I was suspicious that as well as myself there was another informer. I wasn't sure if it was Haddock. I thought it could be someone close to him.

"I distanced myself from Haddock at the time of the Harbinson murder."

Mr Smyth, 57, denied five charges arising from the fatal shooting.

As well as denying the murders of Mr Convie and Mr Fox, he has denied attempting to murder a third workman who was in the targeted vehicle.

He has also entered 'not guilty' pleas to possessing a Sten sub machine gun and a quantity of ammunition with intent, and of being a member of the UVF.
A suspects truck caught fire after allegedly leading police on a chase in Bibb County.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

According to the Bibb County Sheriffs Office, the incident happened on Oct. 7.

Bibb County deputies said they were called to help Georgia State Patrol with a chase on Pio Nono Avenue and Eisenhower Parkway.

Georgia State Patrol said they tried to stop a Chevy Silverado for a traffic violation on Second Street near Emery Highway.

Troopers reported that the driver, later identified as Reggie Leonard Plummer, 44, failed to yield and drove off onto Interstate 16.

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After a lengthy chase, Plummer began driving recklessly and authorities said he did not have any regard for public safety.

Eventually, Plummer tried to use the on-ramp onto Interstate 75 from Arkwright Road and crashed into an embankment, GSP said.

Bibb County said Plummer was then reportedly removed from his truck, which caught fire, along with a passenger.

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He was then arrested and found to be wanted on an active warrant.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames. The passengers identity was not released.

IN OTHER NEWS:
James Morgan of MOSES, speaks outside of Waupun Correctional Institution on Wednesday during a protest against conditions at the facility. Waupun has been locked down since March.

Editor's note: The story has been updated to include a response from Department of Corrections spokesperson Kevin Hoffman disputing that people incarcerated at Waupun do not have access to recreation.

WAUPUN  Family members and advocates are calling for Gov. Tony Evers to establish a criminal justice reform task force, as three of the state's prisons remain on lockdown due to a lack of staffing and concerns over violence.

Advocates and relatives gathered outside Waupun Correctional Institution Wednesday morning, calling for Evers and Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr to listen to their concerns over worsening conditions in state prisons, especially those that are locked down.

Waupun has been under a "state of modified movement" since March, essentially forcing those incarcerated there to remain in their cells for nearly 24 hours a day. Those in the care of the facility eat in their cell, and do not have access to recreation, the outdoors or the library, and are only permitted to shower a few times a week, advocates said.

"The circumstances inside many institutions in the state of Wisconsin are horrific," said James Morgan, the organizer of MOSES Madison, a group focused on criminal justice reform, speaking outside the prison.

"We've got Green Bay, we're having similar conditions at Stanley, this issue is expanding throughout the system. People in these facilities need to be respected and treated as human beings."

Morgan said the conditions for those inside the prison have been bad for years. He was once incarcerated there, and attempted suicide within the facility.

"It's truly a torture chamber," he said. "These men are going to suffer health impacts for years to come."

Morgan was one of about 20 people who gathered in the rain to speak about the conditions inside the facility, and light candles for two men who recently died inside.

The prison, located in Dodge County, has been the site of two in-custody deaths in the last four months during an ongoing lockdown that began in March.

Green Bay Correctional Institution and Stanley Correctional Institution have also been under lockdown, limiting movement, recreation and other activities at the two sites.

During questioning from state senators in September, Carr denied that the prisons were under a lockdown and instead referred to it as "modified movement."

Individuals housed at the prison and their family members have decried the lockdowns, which include bans on gathering in communal spaces and restrictions on legal services and visitors.

But Kevin Hoffman, a spokesperson for the department, said that those incarcerated at Waupun have been eating in their cells since the outset of the pandemic, and that they have access to recreation and the libraries. He did not specify how often that access was permitted.

He did not immediately respond to other questions about the conditions inside the prison.

"They're just setting everybody up in there for a mental breakdown," said Rita Phelan, whose son is incarcerated at Waupun.

"They keep saying saying it's not a lockdown and they say it's because of the prisoners' behavior. Well, how would you react if you were locked down like that? But when people are dying, and committing suicide, you've got to address the problems."

'They're stripped of human rights'

Carolyn Hayes, a volunteer advocate with the nonprofit Forum For Understanding Prisons, spoke Wednesday about the conditions her son is enduring inside the prison.

She previously told the Journal Sentinel she doesn't know how she can help her 27-year-old son, Jonathan Hayes, who has been housed at Waupun since Aug. 28. He was sentenced in 2021 on charges of felony murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Carolyn Hayes speaks outside of Waupun Correctional Institution on Wednesday, holding a sign made by her granddaughter for her son, Jonathan.

She said her son has been having suicidal thoughts since his arrival, and she's worried about his declining mental health after such a short amount of time in the facility.

"I can hear the agony in his voice," Hayes said in a previous interview. "I can't sleep. Everything I try to do to help him, I get no answers."

Now, she's calling on the state to look into conditions at Waupun, and protect those incarcerated instead of subjecting them to what she believes amounts to torture.

"All these people here and other prisoners are being tortured," she said Wednesday. "They're stripped of human rights."

Last month, Hayes pleaded for help in an email to a communications specialist at the Department of Corrections, Zack Osell, describing her son's distress and attempts to get medical help for suicidal ideation.

"I dont (want) my son to take his life ... Dont let that happen," she wrote.

Hayes said she did not receive a response.

"I don't think my son is going to make it in there," she told the Journal Sentinel.

What do we know about Waupun Correctional Institution?

As of Oct. 13, Waupun houses 1,005 individuals, exceeding the prison's capacity of 882.

Waupun is the most understaffed Wisconsin state prison, with a 53% vacancy rate, according to recent data. As a whole, the state's prison system has a vacancy rate of 32%.

The prison reported 135 attempted or completed assaults on correctional staff from July 2022 to June 2023, making up 35% of assaults on correctional staff across the state.

Waupun Correctional Institution had 140 people in solitary confinement in September, including 20 people with severe mental illness, according to data from the Department of Corrections.

In September, the Journal Sentinel reported on 60-year-old Dean Hoffmann, who died by suicide while in solitary confinement at Waupun in June. His family has questioned whether Hoffmann received proper medical treatment and resources for his diagnosed bipolar disorder and reported suicidal ideation.

In early October, it was reported that Tyshun Lemons, 30, also died at Waupun. The cause and manner of his death are still under investigation.

Department of Corrections officials remain quiet

While advocates have continued to press the Department of Corrections about the lockdowns and prison conditions, the department has remained quiet.

Secretary Carr has turned down several interviews with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"As you might expect we are receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries and media requests on this subject, so at this time were not granting interviews," Hoffman, the department's spokesperson, said in an email last week.

Evers has also largely been quiet on the issue, according to advocates, who said their messages and phone calls have gone unanswered by his administration and many lawmakers.

"The silence from our governor, from our secretary of the Department of Corrections, when these families are calling out, is a shameful silence. This is silence that says, 'You don't matter,'" said Morgan. "And that is unacceptable."

Prison rights activist Rob Slamka said the state could break its silence by forming a task force, which would elevate the voices of those who have been incarcerated and their loved ones.

"This is no longer a correctional facility. It's a penitentiary. You're having lockdowns inside these walls, and it's affecting everyone in the community, all the way around. And it's an issue that needs to be addressed."

Morgan encouraged those in attendance to keep using their voices to advocate for change, and to vote in elections, too.

"What is happening here in Waupun Correctional Institution, Green Bay Correctional Institution, every institution around this state, is horrific," he said. "If this isn't against human rights and human dignity, then what is?"

Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @Vanessa_Swales. Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Advocates, family members protest lockdown at Waupun prison
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump threw his support behind Louisiana Representative Mike Johnsons bid to become speaker of the House, boosting his ally as Republicans hope to emerge from weeks of disarray without a leader.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Johnson, the partys fourth speaker nominee in three weeks, said he is very confident he will be elected Wednesday to the post. Republicans plan a noon vote on the House floor.

My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

He declined to offer an official endorsement, however, writing I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory.

Trumps previous endorsement of Jim Jordan was not enough to get the Ohio Republican the necessary votes on the House floor.

Johnsons nomination marked the latest twist in a weeks-long saga that has prevented action on emergency aid to Israel and Ukraine, and on funding to head off an impending mid-November US government shutdown.

Johnson, 51, won the nomination late Tuesday with 128 votes in a secret ballot, according to Representative Randy Weber of Texas.

Republicans later held a voice vote to gauge Johnsons support on the floor, which Representative Michael McCaul of Texas called near unanimous. Several Republicans, however, were absent, and three voted present.

You are going to see this group here work like a well-oiled machine, Johnson told reporters as he was flanked by several House Republicans.

Johnsons stunning emergence as the partys choice to fill the leadership vacuum came after Trump on Tuesday quashed the nomination of Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota. Emmer has had a frosty relationship with the former president since voting to certify Joe Bidens 2020 presidential victory.

By contrast, Johnson was involved directly in the campaign to invalidate the election results.

Those efforts include objecting to the certification of the election and playing a key role in getting signatures for an amicus brief in the long-shot Texas lawsuit that sought to overturn the election results in several states.

When a reporter asked Johnson about 2020 on Tuesday night, some of his colleagues shouted down the question and Johnson refused to answer.

Earlier: Latest GOP Speaker Nominee Emmer Ends Bid After Trump Criticism

Johnson, a lawyer, has served in Congress since 2017. He is a former chair of the influential Republican Study Committee and currently serves as vice chair of the GOP conference.

He is the son of a Shreveport firefighter who was critically burned and disabled in the line of duty. Hes also been a conservative talk radio host and columnist.

--With assistance from Gregory Korte, Andre Tartar and Jonathan Tamari.

(Updates with Trump comments)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Donald Trump once asked why he should give a fuck about what happened to Kurds in Syria as he pushed to withdraw American troops from the region, according to a report. Adam Kinzinger , who served as a Republican representative from Illinois until earlier this year, revealed the shocking comment in a book set to be published next week, according to The Guardian. Kinzinger writes that he and others had gone to the Oval Office to support Trumps one-time national security advisor John Bolton in his efforts to get the then president to focus on what could happen to the Kurds if they were abandoned to face aggression from Turkey on their own. I left with two lasting impressions, Kinzinger writes. One was the despairing look on Boltons face as Trump kept struggling to focus. The other was when Trump said of the Kurds in Syria, Why would I give a fuck?

Read it at The Guardian

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Mike Johnson, a lawyer and former talk radio host, has been a member of US congress since 2017

After several unsuccessful candidacies and a chaotic three weeks, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson has managed to unite his party behind him as the new Speaker of the House.

The social conservative lawmaker has allies among the most fiery right-wing figures in American politics, including former President Donald Trump .

But his reputation as well-liked House member who is respected by different factions of his party, from the most conservative to the more moderate, likely helped him secure the Speaker's gavel.

Mr Johnson, a lawyer and a former talk radio host, has represented the 4th district of Louisiana since 2017.

He is serving his fourth term as Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference, and also holds positions on two influential House committees - Judiciary and Armed Services.

An evangelical Christian, Mr Johnson has previously defended Louisiana's ban on same-sex marriage in 2004.

In 2022, he introduced a bill that would have banned schools from promoting or discussing gender identity.

Mr Johnson also has been vocal in his opposition for abortion rights, calling the overturning of Roe v Wade "great, joyous occasion".

"I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a life-long conservative, constitutional law attorney and a small business owner in that order," he told the Louisiana Baptist Message newspaper in 2016.

By the hard right, Mr Johnson is viewed a loyalist of Mr Trump and a fellow staunch conservative. Moderate Republicans see him as a pragmatic and level-headed leader who can maintain conservative values while still passing legislation.

"He's one of those people who gets along with everybody and is well-respected," Colorado Republican Ken Buck told CNN.

Mr Trump, who has publicly spoken out against other Republican nominees for Speaker, praised Mr Johnson on Wednesday.

"I haven't heard one negative comment about him," Mr Trump said outside a Manhattan court on Wednesday, where he is attending his civil fraud trial.

"Everybody likes him, he's respected by all," he said.

Mr Johnson has close ties with conservative firebrand Jim Jordan, the Ohio lawmaker who had a failed Speaker bid last week. Some have described Mr Jordan as a mentor to the congressman.

His politics have also been compared to that of former Vice-President Mike Pence , another devout evangelical Republican.

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When nominating Mr Johnson on the floor of the House, Elise Stefanik, the chair of the Republican conference, called him a "dedicated servant" and "titan" who has committed his life to "America's great principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Democrats, however, have criticized his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Joe Neguse, a Democrat House Representative from Colorado, called him "one of the architects" of that effort in an interview with the Washington Post.

"I find that deeply problematic and I suspect the vast majority of Americans would agree with that assessment," he said.

Still, many Democrats applauded him during a collegial moment on the House floor as he was officially named Speaker.

As he was handed the gavel after his win, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called him a "family man, a hardworking man, a Baptist man, a Southern man, a son of a firefighter's household".

Despite any criticism, Mr Johnson achieved what none of his other colleagues in the race for Speaker could: a quick, decisive win.

His predecessor, Republican Kevin McCarthy, needed 15 rounds of votes before he secured enough support.

Mr McCarthy was ousted on 3 October by a small band of right-wing lawmakers after he forged a deal with President Biden to keep the government funded.

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Now, Mr Johnson has an important role before him. Without a Speaker, the US has been unable to pass any bills, including a massive aid package for Ukraine and Israel proposed by President Biden.

Some House Republicans - including allies of Mr Johnson's - have increasingly opposed more aid to Ukraine but Mr Johnson said he would focus his first efforts on funds for Israel, one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement.

"In just a few moments, this entire group is going to go back to the House floor. And we're going to pass our resolution in support of the nation of Israel, our closest ally," he said.
Ivanka Trump must testify in the $250 million civil fraud case against her father, brothers and family business, Judge Arthur Engoron rules. In Colorado, meanwhile, a district court judge rules that a case seeking to block Trumps name from appearing on state ballots can move forward.

New York financial fraud

Judge: Ivanka Trump must testify in civil fraud case against family father

Key players: Judge Arthur Engoron, former Trump Organization EVP Ivanka Trump, New York state prosecutor Kevin Wallace, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Ivanka Trump's lawyer, Bennet Moskowitz

On Friday, Engoron ruled that Donald Trump s eldest daughter, Ivanaka, must testify in the $250 million civil case brought by James against the former president, his adult sons and their family business, the Associated Press reported.

Ivanka Trump served as executive vice president of the Trump Organization through 2017, when she left that role and became an unpaid presidential adviser.

On Friday, Moskowitz told Engoron that New York prosecutors just dont have jurisdiction over her.

Wallace countered that argument, saying, She is 100% someone who can come in and testify.

In June, a New York state appeals court ruled that the claims James brought against Ivanka Trump exceeded the state statute of limitations, and dismissed the charges against her.

Her lawyers were given time to appeal his ruling.

Why it matters: Trump, his sons Eric and Don Jr., and his daughter Ivanka will now all be compelled to testify under oath in the case about whether they inflated the value of their assets to obtain favorable bank and loan terms.

Jan. 6 election interference

Judge rejects Trump bid to dismiss lawsuit that aims to keep him off Colorado ballot

Key players: Colorado District Judge Sarah Wallace, Chief U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer

Wallace ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit brought to keep Trumps name from appearing on Colorado ballots could continue, NBC News reported.

Trumps lawyers argued that Wallace should dismiss the lawsuit brought by six voters. It seeks to block Trumps inclusion on ballots because he allegedly violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by engaging in insurrection or rebellion in the wake of the 2020 election.

Lawyers for Trump argued Congress, not courts, are the sole arbiters on the question of eligibility.

In her 24-page ruling, Wallace disagreed, writing that the Constitution says nothing regarding what government body would adjudicate or determine such disability in the first instance.

Why it matters: The Colorado case, which has survived multiple legal challenges, is just one of several seeking to keep Trump off the ballot due to his apparent violation of the 14th Amendment. Those seem destined to land at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Recommended reading:

____________________

Thursday, Oct. 26

____________________

Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Robert Alexander/Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Getty Images (2)

In Washington, prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smiths team ask Judge Tanya Chutkan to issue a permanent gag order on former President Donald Trump, in part over a message posted on social media they say included a threat to his former chief of staff. In New York, Judge Arthur Engoron stands by his decision to fine Trump $10,000 for violating a gag order in his New York financial fraud trial.

Jan. 6 election interference

Citing 'threatening' message to Meadows, Smith asks judge to impose permanent gag order on Trump

Key players: Special counsel Jack Smith, Judge Tanya Chutkan, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows

Citing a social media post by Trump that prosecutors said included a "threatening" message for Meadows, prosecutors asked Chutkan in a Wednesday court filing to impose a permanent and more restrictive gag order on the former president, ABC News reported.

Trump posted his message in response to media reports that Meadows had reached an immunity deal with Smith's office, agreeing to testify in exchange for avoiding criminal charges.

I dont think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith, Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. The post continued that those who would accept such deals were "weaklings and cowards."

The post, prosecutors wrote in their filing, was meant to "send an unmistakable and threatening message to a foreseeable witness in this case."

In their filing, prosecutors asked Chutkan for a more stringent gag order than the one she established earlier this month.

The Court should modify the defendant's conditions of release by making compliance with the [gag] Order a condition or by clarifying that the existing condition barring communication with witnesses about the facts of the case includes indirect messages to witnesses made publicly on social media or in speeches, Wednesday's filing stated.

There has never been a criminal case in which a court has granted a defendant an unfettered right to try his case in the media, malign the presiding judge as a fraud and a hack, attack the prosecutor as deranged and a thug, the filing continued.

Chutkan paused an a partial gag order on Trump designed to prevent him from attacking prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses after Trump's lawyers appealed her ruling last week to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Why it matters: As the Associated Press noted Thursday, while the use of gag orders for defendants in civil and criminal cases is not uncommon in American courtrooms, restricting the speech of those who are also running for political office is a novel test for the judicial system. If Trump is hit with more gag orders, more violations of them seem likely. Testimony provided by Meadows is certain to be a part of the prosecution's case against Trump.

New York financial fraud

Engoron refuses to revoke Trumps $10K fine

Key players: Judge Arthur Engoron, Trump lawyer Christopher Kise, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen

In court Thursday, Engoron stood by his decision to impose a $10,000 fine on Trump Wednesday for violating a limited gag order designed to prevent him from verbally attacking members of the judges staff, Reuters reported.

Kise asked Engoron to reconsider the fine, reiterating his clients position that he had been speaking about Cohen rather than the judges clerk when he told reporters, "This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside of him."

Engoron reviewed videotape of Trumps remarks and concluded that it was clear Trump was referring to the clerk who sits next to the judge in the courtroom.

This is the second fine Engoron has imposed on Trump. The first, for $5,000, came after the former president attacked his clerk on social media.

Why it matters: While Trump routinely goes after Engoron in social media posts and in statements made to the media, the judge has the power to fine and jail him for violating court orders.

____________________

Wednesday, Oct. 25

____________________

Former President Donald Trump. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Drew Angerer/Getty Images, Getty Images)

Judge Arthur Engoron fined former President Donald Trump another $10,000 Wednesday for violating a gag order he put in place to prevent Trump from disparaging members of his staff. Following reports Tuesday that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows struck an immunity deal with special counsel Jack Smith in exchange for providing testimony about Trump, Meadows casts doubt on that claim and Trump wonders aloud if it is true.

New York financial fraud

Judge questions Trump on witness stand, fines him $10,000 for violating gag order again

Key players: Judge Arthur Engoron, Trump lawyer Christopher Kise, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen

Engoron questioned Trump on the witness stand Wednesday about comments he made outside the courtroom that appeared in violation of a gag order imposed to keep him from disparaging the judges staff, Reuters reported.

During a break earlier on Wednesday, Trump told reporters, This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

In court, Engorons clerk, who Trump attacked in a social media post that later resulted in a $5,000 fine, sits next to him.

Engoron asked who he was referring to with his latest comments. You and Cohen, Trump responded.

Engoron was not impressed. "As the trier of fact, I find the witness is not credible," he said, and issued a $10,000 fine.

After that, Trump angrily stormed out of the courtroom and the trial then continued.

Engoron, earlier on Wednesday, admonished Trumps lawyers over remarks the former president made outside the courtroom, the Associated Press reported.

Kise responded that Trump was referring to Cohen, who delivered testimony from the witness stand a short distance from where the judge sits.

Why it matters: Engoron, who has now twice fined Trump for violating the gag order, has also threatened to jail him if the attacks continue. Wednesdays altercation was yet another test of his patience.

Jan. 6 election interference

Meadows denies reports he accepted an immunity deal with federal prosecutors

Key players: Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, special counsel Jack Smith, Meadowss lawyer George Terwilliger, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis

On Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter, ABC News published a story that claimed that Smith had granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath about his interactions with Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election.

Bloomberg , citing their own source, confirmed that reporting, and both outlets noted that Meadows testified that he told Trump repeatedly that claims of widespread election fraud were not true.

But a lawyer for Meadows denied late Tuesday that his client had flipped on Trump, the Daily Beast reported.

I told ABC that their story was largely inaccurate. People will have to judge for themselves the decision to run it anyway. Terwilliger told CBS News .

In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed a measure of confidence that Meadows had not joined the ranks of those who have cut deals with prosecutors to testify against him, but seemed to acknowledge it was a possibility.

I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? Trump wrote.

Meadows has not been charged in Smiths federal election interference case, but he has been charged by Willis with multiple felonies in Georgia.

Why it matters: Perhaps more than any other person involved in the events leading up to and following the 2020 presidential election, Meadows witnessed Trumps efforts to challenge the election results. His testimony could prove decisive in the federal and Georgia cases.

_________________

Tuesday, Oct. 24

_________________

Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: John Bazemore-Pool/Getty Images, Alyssa Pointer/Getty Images (2), Getty Images (3).

Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis becomes the fourth defendant to plead guilty in Georgia over her role in the effort to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election and promises to testify in the trials of the others charged. In New York, meanwhile, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen takes the stand to testify against his former boss in the financial fraud trial of Trump, his adult sons and their family business.

Georgia election interference

Jenna Ellis becomes the latest Trump lawyer to plead guilty

Key players: Former Trump-aligned lawyers Jenna Ellis, Rudy Giuliani, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell and John Eastman. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Judge Scott McAfee

Days after pro-Trump lawyers Chesebro and Powell pleaded guilty to election interference charges in Georgia and agreed to testify against other defendants, former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis became the fourth defendant of 19 to cut a plea deal with Willis, Politico reported.

"If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges," an emotional Ellis said Tuesday morning as she pleaded guilty.

Ellis admitted to McAfee that she had spread lies about election fraud in 2020 in multiple states to help Trump remain in power.

What I did not do, but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true, she said.

As with Chesebro and Powell, the terms of the plea deal will spare her from going to prison in the event she was found guilty at trial. Instead, she must pay a $5,000 fine, serve five years probation, write a letter of apology to Georgia residents and, most importantly, cooperate with Willis in the prosecution of others in the case.

In March, Ellis was censured by a judge in Colorado for promoting false election claims. Giulianis law license was suspended in New York over those same claims, and Eastman is in the midst of disbarment proceedings in New York for his role in the election subversion plot.

Why it matters: Ellis has firsthand knowledge of the actions of defendants like Giuliani and Trump and she will be compelled to testify against them.

New York financial fraud

Michael Cohen takes the stand as Trump looks on

Key players: Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Judge Arthur Engoron

Cohen took the witness stand Tuesday in the New York civil trial that will decide the penalties Trump, his adult sons and family business must pay after being found liable for years of financial fraud, Insider reported.

Just feet away from Cohen, Trump sat at the defense table, watching his former longtime employee-turned-antagonist testify against him about claims that he inflated the value of his business assets in order to obtain more favorable loan and insurance rates.

"I was tasked by Mr. Trump to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected, and my responsibility, along with [former Trump Org. CFO] Allen Weisselberg, primarily, was to reverse engineer" the value of the companys assets, in order to achieve the number that Mr. Trump tasked us, Cohen testified.

Cohen was sentenced to serve three years in prison for tax evasion and other crimes committed while working for Trump. In his 2019 testimony to the House Oversight Committee, he detailed allegations that Trump had routinely inflated the value of his assets, statements that James cited as the basis for her investigation.

Hes a proven liar," Trump told reporters about Cohen as he headed into court.

Why it matters: While Trump and his lawyers will continue to attack Cohens credibility, he is a central witness in two cases brought against the former president: the New York financial fraud civil trial and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs criminal hush money payment case.

_________________

Monday, Oct. 23

_________________

Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Stephanie Keith/Getty Images, Getty Images (7).

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump tell a federal appeals court Monday that he was not liable for defamatory comments made about writer E. Jean Carroll because he was president when he first said them. Following last weeks guilty plea in Georgia by lawyer Sidney Powell, Trump seeks to clarify their relationship. He is also preparing to confront his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen in a New York courtroom.

E. Jean Carroll defamation

Trump lawyers say presidential immunity shields him from having to pay Carroll for defamation

Key players: writer E. Jean Carroll, Judge Lewis Kaplan, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Lawyers for Trump on Monday presented their arguments that Trump should not be held liable for defamatory comments made about writer E. Jean Carroll because he was president at the time, ABC News reported.

Defendant-Appellee's conduct is not properly the subject of a civil damages claim since his conduct is shielded by presidential immunity. The District Court's rejection of this defense was clearly made in error, Trumps attorneys wrote prior to oral arguments Monday.

Trump is appealing a June ruling by Kaplan that rejected the presidential immunity claims, Reuters reported. In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump had sexually abused Carroll in a New York department store changing room and later defamed her.

The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, but Trump then continued to make more defamatory remarks about her during a CNN Town Hall following the verdict. The second part of her lawsuit seeks an additional $10 million in damages, partly stemming from Trumps subsequent comments.

In July 2020, Carrolls lawyers argued, Trump waived his presidential immunity defense when his lawyers said Carroll was entitled to pursue her defamation lawsuit when the President is no longer in office.

On Monday, two of the appeals court justices questioned Trumps lawyers about why the former president had waited so long to raise presidential immunity claims, Reuters reported, given that the case had proceeded for so long.

Why it matters: Trumps second defamation trial is scheduled to begin in January. If allowed to go forward, it will decide how much more money Trump will have to pay Carroll.

Georgia election interference

Following Sidney Powell plea deal, Trump says she was not my attorney

Key players: Pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, District Attorney Fani Willis, special counsel Jack Smith

Just days after Powell pleaded guilty to charges stemming from her role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, Trump sought to put distance between her and himself, NBC News reported.

"Despite the Fake News reports to the contrary, and without even reaching out to ask the Trump Campaign, MS. POWELL WAS NOT MY ATTORNEY, AND NEVER WAS," Trump wrote in a post on Sunday on Truth Social, his social media network.

As part of her plea deal, which will spare her from serving prison time in the Georgia case, Powell has agreed to testify in the trials of the other 17 people charged, including Trump.

Chesebro, who is credited with helping devise the alternate elector strategy to challenge the election results, has also accepted a plea deal and agreed to testify against other defendants.

Why it matters: Whether Trump hired Powell to represent him may ultimately be beside the point. She attended a White House meeting with the president and sued Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, claiming massive election fraud. Trump saw fit to promote a story about the lawsuit on his Twitter feed, Smith noted in his federal indictment of the former president.

New York financial fraud

Michael Cohen to testify Tuesday

Key players: Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Judge Arthur Engoron, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg

Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and fixer, is expected to take the witness stand Tuesday and come face-to-face with his former boss, The Hill reported.

Cohen is one of Jamess star witnesses in the $250 million civil trial to determine the penalties Trump, his adult sons and their family business must pay after being found liable by Engoron for years of financial fraud.

In an interview this month with CNN, Cohen said everything that happened at the Trump Organization happened with the direct knowledge and at the direction of, and ultimately signed off by, Donald J. Trump.

Trump, who has attended much of the trial, told reporters last week that Cohen didnt have the guts to appear.

Cohen cited a preexisting medical condition as the reason he did not testify last week, adding that he was not afraid to testify as his former boss looked on.

Why it matters: Since serving jail time for tax evasion related to his duties when working for Trump, Cohen has become one of the former presidents fiercest critics. His testimony will be central in both the financial fraud trial as well as Braggs criminal case stemming from Trumps alleged $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Romney said former President Trump mixed up his unit of measurements during a 2018 talk about Utah.

Romney told author McKay Coppins that Trump gave an inaccurate picture of his restoration of land to the state.

But Trump went on to say that he was a "real estate guy" who fully understood metrics, per the book.

Shortly after Mitt Romney announced in 2018 that he'd be running to succeed Orrin Hatch as a Utah senator that year, he received a call from then-President Donald Trump.

Trump  who had won the deep red state in 2016 but by a margin that was less imposing than previous GOP nominees  likely thought it would be advantageous to forge some sort of working relationship with the former Republican presidential nominee as it appeared highly likely he'd be heading to Washington the next year.

In the newly-released book "Romney: A Reckoning," the now-senator told author McKay Coppins that Trump touted his victory in the state during the call and bragged that he was "loved by the people in Utah."

Trump then gave the reasoning for why he was "loved" by most voters in the state: land.

A year earlier, Trump had reduced the size of the Bears Ears National Monument  which was created by former President Barack Obama  by roughly 1.1 million acres, or 85 percent of its size. And he had also slashed the size of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by 800,000 acres, or about 45 percent of its size.

The state's Republicans, who have long resented federal control of much of the state's land, hailed the decision, while prominent Native American tribes in the area overwhelmingly opposed the move.

As Romney continued to listen to Trump, the then-president told him that he had given Utah "two million square miles of land," according to the book.

The Upper Gulch section of the Escalante Canyons within Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument features sheer sandstone walls, broken occasionally by tributary canyons. AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac, File

Romney, aware that Trump had mixed up square miles and acres, didn't say anything to the then-president, but noted with some lightheartedness that "two millions square miles would be, like, half the country."

The entire state of Utah, the 13th-largest state by area in the United States, is roughly 85,000 square miles. And Alaska, the largest state by size in the country, is over 665,000 square miles.

The now-senator recounted in the book that he and a campaign aide held back their laughter at Trump's statements regarding Utah's land.

Trump then went on to say that he was a "real estate guy" who fully understood metrics.

"I know the difference between acres and square miles," he volunteered during the conversation, according to the book. "This was square miles."

After Romney joined the Senate in 2019, he would go on to have a tumultuous relationship with Trump, especially after voting to convict Trump of abuse of power in his first impeachment trial over allegations that he sought to pressure Ukraine for his own political gain.

Romney also voted to convict Trump for "incitement of insurrection" for his role during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

President Joe Biden in October 2021 restored the roughly 2 million acres of land to the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.

Insider reached out to a representative of Trump for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The judge overseeing Donald Trumps civil fraud trial in New York nearly hit the former president with another penalty for what appeared to be a violation of the gag order against him in the case.

In a morning break on 25 October during the second day of trial testimony from Michael Cohen, Mr Trump berated Judge Arthur Engoron and appeared to once again attack the court clerk.

On 3 October, the judge issued a gag order preventing all parties in the case from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about members of the courts staff after Mr Trump posted false statements on his Truth Social about the judges chief clerk who sits beside him.

The Associated Press reports that the former president said: If we had a jury it would have been fair, at least  even if it was a somewhat negative jury  because no negative jury would vote against me. But this judge will. Because this judge is a very partisan judge, with a person whos very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

Im very protective of my staff, Judge Engoron told the court on Wednesday when Mr Trump and his attorneys returned to the courtroom.

The last time this gag order was violated ... I accepted the explanation that it was inadvertent, he said. This most recent statement, assuming the AP is correct, was intentional.

He gave Mr Trumps attorneys a chance to respond, asking: Why should there not be severe sanctions for this blatant dangerous, disobeyal of a court order?

Mr Trumps attorney Christopher Kise said his client was referring to Cohen and not the chief clerk sitting next to the judge.

Here's the moment Donald Trump violated his gag order in his NY trial for the second time with an attack on Judge Engoron's clerk right outside the courtroom.



Read more: https://t.co/ATV6N105pu pic.twitter.com/QWsXLru5lz  MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) October 25, 2023

Judge Engoron said he would take Mr Kises response under advisement, leaving the door open for possible sanctions against Mr Trump later.

His clerk sits directly alongside him, while Cohen is sitting further away on the witness stand which is positioned lower than the bench.

The former president was already hit with a $5,000 fine on 20 October after keeping a copy of his post disparaging the clerk on his website and only deleting the original Truth Social post.

Judge Engoron went as far as threatening the former president with jail time over the violation.

In the current overheated climate, incendiary comments can and in some cases already has, led to serious physical harm and worse, he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trumps attorney Alina Habba asked the judge to prohibit people in the court  alluding to the clerk  from rolling their eyes or whispering during her questioning.
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. Xi held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.

Xi pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 43 years ago, bilateral relations between China and Colombia have stood the test of international changes and maintained a sound momentum of development.

He said the two sides have shown mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, made solid progress in cooperation across the board, and constantly deepened friendship between the two peoples.

The establishment of the strategic partnership is the result of the long-term efforts of all sectors of the two countries, and also a natural manifestation of mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides, Xi noted, adding that such a result should be cherished by both sides and continuously enriched and developed.

"China is willing to work with Colombia to promote the China-Colombia strategic partnership to better benefit the two peoples and inject positive energy into world peace and development," he said.

Xi said China supports Colombia's independent exploration of a development path suited to its national conditions, supports the peace process in Colombia, hopes that Colombia can realize comprehensive, lasting and sustainable peace at an early date, and believes that China's high-quality development and modernization process will bring new development opportunities to Colombia and other countries.

China-Colombia relations are based on equality, mutual benefit and win-win results, Xi said, adding that Colombia is welcome to join the big family of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at an early date to achieve common development and prosperity.

Xi called on the two sides to make good use of the mixed economic and trade committee mechanism, optimize bilateral trade structure, and strengthen cooperation in information, communications, digital economy and other fields. China encourages more high-quality Colombian products to enter the Chinese market, he added.

He also called for joint efforts to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and strengthen bilateral law enforcement cooperation, expressing hope that Colombia can better ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, enterprises and institutions in the country.

As developing countries, China and Colombia should strengthen communication and coordination in international affairs to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice, Xi said.

Xi also said China attaches great importance to developing relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, and is willing to continue to support the regional integration process in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Petro said Colombia is ready to synergize its geographical advantage and its development strategies with the BRI, and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure and clean energy.

Colombia is willing to maintain communication with China on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, among others, and push for a solution to stop the war and cool down the situation as soon as possible, said Petro, adding that Colombia welcomes the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China within multilateral mechanisms.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents.

The two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of the strategic partnership. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. Xi held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. Xi held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. Xi held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. Xi held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
Donald Trumps attorney Alina Habba continued her courtroom assault Wednesday on the real estate tycoons one-time consigliere, Michael Cohen, zeroing in on the way she got him to admit that he previously lied to a federal judgea potentially new instance of perjury that could be a crime.

And when you lied to Judge Pauley under oath that had nothing to do with Donald Trump, correct? Habba said.

Assistant attorney general Colleen Faherty fiercely objected, claiming that the new accusation was pure showmanship. When the judge demurred, another member of Trumps legal team jumped in.

He admitted for the first time in open court that he lied to Judge Pauley, right across the street. In open court, hes now admitted to perjury, Kise said.

Its only now coming to light, Habba told the judge. Its not showmanship the press is just hearing it for the first time.

Trump Finally Gets His Courtroom Showdown With Michael Cohen

The aggressive move to discredit the person who was once Trumps trusted legal counseland potentially subject him to new chargesmarks a turning point in the former presidents defense at his bank fraud trial in New York. Trumps defense lawyers are now launching a full-on attack against the New York Attorney Generals key witness, accusing him of committing a new crime that not only calls into question his testimony, but also potentially opens him up to prosecution by the feds who ran the case that sent him to prison for years.

That is, if the perjury isnt outside of the statute of limitations. There are already questions about the timing of Cohens previous testimony and whether it would fall outside of the five-year window. (Cohens confession before U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III, who has since died, occurred in August 2018. Depending on how the clock is countedsometimes there are events that can pause the tollingCohen could be in the clear.)

Still, Habbas attacks will undermine Cohen as a witnessthough New York AGs lawyers may also argue that Cohen is risking it all to tell the truth now.

Regardless, Cohens testimony has become a flashpoint in the trial, both from a legal standpoint and as a point of personal revenge for the former president. Habba picked up Wednesday right where she left off the day before, picking apart the way Cohen tried to minimize his federal conviction for tax evasion and violating campaign finance lawsthe latter of which he did on Trumps behalf while he was still the billionaires lawyer.

On Tuesday, Cohen tried to disavow his previous guilty plea and distance himself from his past crimes. But in doing so, he dismissed the way he acknowledged his guilt to a federal judge, as recorded in a federal court transcript. Habba then got him to admit that he lied to the judge.

Cohen doubled down on that Wednesday, claiming yet again that he did indeed lie to the judge who sentenced him.

Justice Arthur F. Engoron acknowledged that Cohen is now admitting to yet another lie, but he pushed back on allowing Trumps lawyers to invoke a legal term that could bring new criminal repercussions.

Lets not use the word perjury, the judge said.

Trumps defense lawyers expressed shock that they were being limited this way, adding to their long list of grievances that they plan to bring up when appealing the entire trial.

Trump Dismisses $500 Million Lawsuit Against Michael CohenFor Now

Theres nothing wrong with calling a liar a liar, Kise told the judge. Thats the definition of perjury a serial liar is a serial liar. And since the entire case of the Attorney General relies on this perjurious witness I think thats highly relevant perjury is perjury.

Trumps team grilled Cohen for hours, going over his long history of sycophantic statements about his then-boss to ABC, CBS, Fox News, and othersand countering that with the way he has reconfigured his career after losing his law license to make money off Trump. Habba pointed to his two books, which both discuss the former president on the cover, and his two podcasts, in which he regularly talks about politics and trashes his former client.

But as she finished her cross-examination, Habba managed to get Cohen to admit to yet another instance of lying under oathpointing to his 2019 deposition with the Senate Intelligence Committee in which he discussed what he and the Trump Organizations then-CFO, Allen Weisselberg, did behind closed doors.

In that interview, Cohen was asked, Did Mr. Trump direct you or Mr. Weisselberg to inflate the numbers for his personal statement? According to the transcript shown in court, Cohen responded, I'm sorry. Did he ask me to inflate the numbers? Not that I recall.

Were you telling the truth then? Habba asked.

Cohen, shaking his head and visibly flustered, began to formulate an explanation.

I was in the camp of Donald Trump, he started, before he was cut off and directed to answer the question.

Mr. Cohen, were you being honest before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence? Habba asked.

No, Cohen replied.

So you lied, under oath, in February 2019? Is that your testimony? Habba asked.

Yes, Cohen said.

Habba then ended the session with a personal insult disguised as a question.

Did you ever ask President Trump to pardon you while he was in the White House? she asked.

No, he replied.

He didn't pardon you did he? she pressed.

No, Cohen said.

Judge Forces Trump to Testify About Insult Then Fines Him $10K

The judge then ordered everyone to take a lunch break. Outside the courtroom, The Daily Beast asked Trump whether Cohens past lieswhile he was still loyal to Trumpessentially undercut his defense and actually bolster the states case that he faked his wealth on paper.

He wasnt working for me at the time that he lied when he was doing testimony before Congress. He was not even working for me, he had already left, Trump said.

The Daily Beast followed up with a question about whether hes kept an eye on other lieutenants whove flipped on him, like MAGA attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro who just pleaded guilty in his election interference case in Georgia.

They were offered a deal and theyre taking deals. But from what I understand, theyre saying nothing bad about me at all, he said.

Later in the afternoon, Cohen backtracked and decided to stick to his statement to the Senate Intelligence Committeesaying that Trump did not, in fact, direct him to lie. By then, he was clearly beaten down from his hours-long boxing match with Habba. But another defense lawyer on Trumps team, Clifford Robert, continued to pound him.

"So, Mr. Trump never directed you to inflate the numbers? Robert asked. Yes or no?

Cohen reversed his previous statement, and clarified that Trump never told him to inflate the billionaires finances on paper.

Robert immediately asked judge for a "directed verdict," a total win mid-trial, claiming that "the state's key witness" just countered their entire case.

"I can't think of anything more appropriate now," he said.

"Denied," Engoron shot back.

With that, Trump stormed out of the courtroom. The judge was left flabbergasted, shaking his head and lifting both hands in the air.

The witness just admitted that we won the trial. And the judge should end this trial immediately, Trump said outside the courtroom, and walked away.

Minutes later, with Trump now gone, Cohen clarified what he meant when he spoke to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Donald Trump speaks like a mob boss. He tells you what he wants without specifically telling you... that's what I was referring to, he said.

The entire Trump legal team later repeated their request for the judge to decide the entire bank fraud trial case in their favor, and Engoron swiftly shot them down again.

Absolutely not. This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place, he said. That's absurd, Mr. Robert no way no how is this case being dismissed over statements by one witness who I don't consider a key witness.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Former President Trump suggested his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, would be a weakling and a coward to take an immunity deal with federal prosecutors after he reportedly reached such a deal with special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump, in a pair of Truth Social posts late Tuesday, reacted to an ABC News report that Meadows testified before a grand jury empaneled to hear evidence in the case over Trumps efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election, doing so after being granted immunity.

I dont think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith, Trump wrote.

BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years, told youll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone, and were not at all interested in exposing those that did the RIGGINGSome people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation, Trump continued. I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows?

Trump also claimed Meadows never told him that the 2020 election was not rigged or fraudulent, pushing back on a key part of the ABC News report.

Meadows reportedly told the grand jury that after Trumps election loss, he repeatedly told the then-president that his claims of widespread fraud were baseless. Meadows also told investigators that Trump was being dishonest with voters when he proclaimed victory on election night, according to ABC.

That testimony would counter a claim Trump has repeated since losing the election  and that his lawyers defended as recently as Monday night.

Meadows served as Trumps chief of staff for the final year of his White House term, and he was a central figure in allowing Trump to meet with attorneys pushing false claims about the 2020 election being stolen, according to former White House officials. Meadows has largely remained out of the public eye since the end of Trumps term.

Reports that Meadows testified as part of an immunity deal came as multiple Trump allies agreed to plea deals in Georgia, where Trump is also facing charges for his efforts to overturn the states 2020 election results.

Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro have each taken deals in recent days, raising the specter that they may increase Trumps legal jeopardy.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump stormed out of the courtroom on Wednesday amid testimony from his former attorney Michael Cohen in a New York civil fraud trial concerning the Trump Organization.

The former presidents Secret Service agents were caught off guard and chased after him as he abruptly left the room, according toreporters who were present.

Trump exited the courtroom shortly after Cohen admitted that Trump had never asked him to inflate the numbers on his financial statements.

Once outside, Trump declared to reporters before walking away: The witness just admitted that we won the trial. And the judge should end this trial immediately.

Donald Trump abruptly leaves the courtroom after Judge Engoron denies his defenses request for a directed verdict:



The witness just admitted that we won the trial. And the judge should end this trial immediately. pic.twitter.com/31tyEyV7d3  Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) October 25, 2023

One of Trumps attorneys then asked Judge Arthur Engoron to declare a verdict in the trial, to which he replied, Absolutely denied, noting that theres evidence all over the place supporting the New York attorney generals $250 million lawsuit against Trump, three of his adult children and the Trump Organization.

Shortly before Trumps outburst over Cohens remarks, Engoron handed down a $10,000 fine against the former president, ruling that he had violated a gag order banning him from discussing the judges staff when he spoke to reporters earlier during a break in the trial.

This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him  perhaps even much more partisan than he is, Trump said. Engorons clerk was sitting next to him.

But when questioned on the witness stand, Trump claimed he was speaking about Cohen, who was sitting on the other side of Engoron in the witness box during his second day of testimony.

Are you sure you didnt mean the person on the other side? Engoron asked, gesturing to his clerk.

Yes, Im sure, Trump replied.

Engoron then dismissed Trump after about a minute of testimony and handed down the penalty despite Trumps protests.

I hereby fine you $10,000  which is on the liberal side  to be paid within 30 days, he ruled.

The fine comes in the fourth week of the trial.

Trump later went on Truth Social to slam Cohen again.

He was totally discredited, like a Perry Mason moment, he wrote. The A.G. Witch Hunt should be dropped, immediately! FoxNews coverage was so inaccurate. Sad!
NEW YORK  In an unexpected twist, former President Trump took the witness stand Wednesday in his New York civil trial to defend himself  not against any of the fraud charges he faces in the case but to respond to the judges assertion that he had violated a gag order in place.

The surprise, yet brief testimony took place after an afternoon break  before which the star of the day was his ex-fixer Michael Cohen. Cohens testimony itself also took an explosive turn during later cross-examination, when he appeared to contradict his own testimony about inflating Trumps assets.

But it ended up being Trumps remarks earlier in the day that took center stage.

When Trump took the stand, Judge Arthur Engoron asked him about a comment he made to reporters regarding a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is.

The trial judge suggested that the person Trump was referring to was his principal law clerk, who is seated just to the right of the judge, which Trump denied. The gag order earlier imposed barred Trump and other parties in the case from speaking about the judges staff.

Trump nodded, then responded, Yes.

To whom were you referring? Engoron asked.

You and Cohen, Trump replied.

Are you sure that you didnt mean the person on the other side, my principal law clerk? Engoron asked.

Yes, Im sure, Trump said.

Top Stories from The Hill

The former president, when prompted, added that he believes the judges clerk is very biased against us and explained that he took down the previous Truth Social post that sparked the gag order.

The post, made on Trumps Truth Social account, falsely derided the clerk as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers (D-N.Y.) girlfriend and included personally identifying information about her. A Schumer spokesperson called the post ridiculous, absurd, and false in a statement to The Hill.

Engoron ordered Trump to take down the post at the time. While it was removed from Truth Social, it remained on Trumps campaign website for an additional 17 days. When that was made known to Engoron, the judge imposed a $5,000 fine on Trump for violating the order, warning that another violation could result in serious punishment, including steeper financial penalties, contempt or even jail time.

On the witness stand, Trump said he believed one of the political groups, or PACs left the post up, echoing comments his attorney, Chris Kise, made when the posts presence on his campaign website was discovered.

I didnt know they were gonna do that, Trump said.

Through his short testimony, Trump maintained a glum face and looked intently at the judge. When he trailed back to his seat, he kept his eyes on the floor.

Once Trump was seated, Engoron issued his order fining Trump $10,000  which he called on the liberal side.

As the trier of fact, I find that the witness is not credible, Engoron said.

Kise objected to the order, suggesting the judge presupposed some ill motive on Trumps behalf.

Kise and Trumps other attorneys also claimed that the closeness of Engorons clerk to him has essentially made her a second judge in the case. The attorneys previously raised issues with Engoron and his clerks whispered sidebars, which sometimes include eye-rolling or sighs of exasperation.

Engoron rejected their objections and their assertions about his clerks role in his decision-making.

I make the final decisions, Engoron said.

After the fine was imposed, Cohen retook the stand to continue his cross-examination by Clifford Robert, an attorney for Trumps sons.

Cohens apparent contradictions began to catch up with him when confronted with his testimony and previously glowing words about his ex-client being used against him.

Robert presented Cohen with a transcript from his 2019 testimony about Trumps business practices  the same testimony that New York Attorney General Letitia James has said inspired her case against Trump. At that time, Cohen had said that Trump did not direct him to inflate his net worth  which directly contradicted testimony he gave earlier this week.

Mr. Trump never directed you to inflate the numbers in his personal statement. Yes or no? Robert asked Cohen after a heated back and forth, where Cohen avoided answering the question.

Yes, Cohen said.

Trump threw his hands in the air and looked around the room, as did another of his attorneys, Alina Habba. Robert asked for an immediate directed verdict after asserting that the governments key witness testified he was not directed by Trump to inflate the numbers. Without skipping a beat, Engoron denied the order.

Trump scoffed, stood abruptly and stormed out of the courtroom in a huff. His Secret Service detail followed, leaving the gallery in a stunned silence.

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Throughout Cohens two-day testimony, Trump and his legal team sought to discredit him to Engoron, calling Trumps former lawyer a criminal and a proven liar. Cohen pleaded guilty to several crimes  including making a hush money payment central to Trumps separate criminal indictment in New York  and was sentenced to three years in prison, though he earned early release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prosecutor Colleen Faherty attempted to rehabilitate Cohens testimony by allowing him to respond; Cohen suggested that Trumps legal team was cherry-picking his past testimony to pigeonhole him into contradicting himself. He said Trump speaks like a mob boss and tell[s] you without specifically telling you what to do.

He read additional comments from the 2019 transcript that Trumps attorneys referred to on cross-examination, which reiterated his testimony that Trump wanted them to inflate his net worth to be higher on the Forbes [billionaires] list.

The government ended its questioning of Cohen, leaving him shaking his head on the stand. After court had ended, Cohen defended his testimony and his fight against Trump to reporters, praising Engorons decision not to dismiss the case.

[Trump] will ultimately be held accountable  thats what this is all about; its accountability, Cohen said.

Updated 5:55 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Trump urged House Republicans on Wednesday to quickly rally behind Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) after he became the conferences latest nominee for Speaker on Tuesday evening.

Trump weighed in after House Republicans wrapped up their fourth Speaker nomination vote since Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from the job, offering praise for each of the five candidates who put their name forward.

I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory, Trump wrote on Truth Social. In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN!

My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT, he added.

Johnson became the fourth House Republican to be nominated for the role of Speaker in the roughly three weeks since McCarthy was ousted by an effort led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) were also nominated but ended their bids for the gavel after failing to rally enough support on the floor.

Trump has previously waded into the Speaker chaos, with mixed results.

He endorsed Jordan for the post, only for the Ohio Republican to lose three votes on the floor as some House Republicans remained adamantly opposed to his bid.

On Tuesday, Trump warned House Republicans against supporting Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election results. Emmer ended his candidacy just hours later.

Johnson, 51, has been the House GOPs vice chair, a junior leadership position, since 2021. He is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

He joined Congress in 2017, and in 2020 was one of the central lawmakers pushing a legal theory to reject President Bidens election victory.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Happy Wednesday! Washingtonians found a new favorite measure of time Tuesday, replacing the Scaramucciwhich represents roughly 11 days spent in a jobwith the Emmer, which represents roughly four hours.

Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories

Just Another Manic Tuesday

Former President Donald Trump sits in court during his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 24, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Segar-Pool/Getty Images)

On the same day that he hit a dominant 59 percent in the RealClearPolitics polling average, former President Donald Trump flexed his muscle as leader of the GOP and ended Rep. Tom Emmers quest for the speakers gavel in its infancy. Meanwhile, his former lawyer cried in court as she pleaded guilty to crimes she committed in furtherance of a scheme to overturn election resultsan effort rooted in claims that even Trumps former chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly told prosecutors were baseless. Just another day in Trumps Grand Ol Party.

After Rep. Jim Jordans speaker bid flamed out on Friday, House Republicans gathered on Tuesday to vote on their next sacrificial lamb, settling on Emmer, the majority whip from Minnesota. Within hours, however, Emmer had ended his bidand Trump was reportedly taking credit for his quick demise.

Publicly, Trumps charges against Emmer included being totally out-of-touch with Republican voters and a RINO. Privately, Emmer was done in by his reluctance to endorse Trumps 2024 campaign and decision not to support Trumps assertion that the 2020 election was stolenwhich eagle-eyed readers might recognize as the baseless claims mentioned in the first paragraph of this item.

Republicans then went back to the drawing board, holding another conference vote and settling on Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as their fourth nominee to become speaker. Unlike Emmer, Johnson vociferously supported Trumps election claimsand even led the charge to collect signatures for a lawsuit that sought to overturn the election.

Despite facing 91 felony counts and a growing number of former attorneys agreeing to testify against him, Trump still wields enormous influence at every level of his partyable to end a speakership bid with a single post on Truth Social and maintain a solid grip on primary voters without appearing at a single debate. While were still sorting out exactly what Meadows may have divulged in testimony to a grand juryand the circumstances in which that testimony was offeredyesterdays events are exemplary of the predicament in which the Republican Party finds itself.

Tuesday began with a tale of two courtrooms. In Georgia, former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis tearfully pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting false statements and writings, expressing deep remorse over her efforts to try to overturn the 2020 election results. What I did not do but should have done, Ellis said, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true. As part of her plea deal, Ellis agreed to testify against her co-defendantsincluding Trumpas the case proceeds. Meanwhile, the former president himself sat in a New York courtroom, watching as his one-time fixer Michael Cohen testified against him as part of a separate, ongoing civil fraud suit regarding Trumps business assets.

In the House of Representatives, which has been without a speaker for nearly all of October, Republicans initiated their now-weekly cycle of selecting a candidate for the top job. After several rounds of voting, Emmer emerged as the speaker-designateonly to be met almost immediately with blowback from the hard-right wing of his party and a closed-door airing of grievances. His fate was sealed, however, when Trump issued his own veto of the Minnesota Republican, calling him a Globalist RINO on Truth Socialthough Emmers real crime might have been voting to certify the 2020 election.

Mere hours after winning the support of a majority of his conference, Emmer withdrew his candidacy for speaker. Hes done, Trump reportedly told an ally. Its over. I killed him.

Hours later, the very lie that Emmer was punished for refusing to endorsethat the 2020 election was stolen from Trumptook another body blow, with ABC News reporting that Mark Meadows, Trumps former chief of staff, has delivered damning testimony to a grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smiths election interference case against Trump. Meadows attorney later claimed the story was largely inaccuratethough he neglected to explain howand Trump himself doubted his onetime ally would lie about the RIGGED and STOLLEN election. Bloomberg later corroborated key details of the story, howeverincluding that Meadows received immunity from prosecutionadding that the former chief of staff could have been held in contempt of court if he did not comply with a court order to testify.

For now, even Trump is leaving open the possibility that the reporting is accurate, conceding that plenty of weaklings and cowards would take a deal to throw him under the bus if it kept them out of jail. I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, he wrote on Truth Social. But who really knows?

What is known for sure is that the GOPs next candidate for speakerthe fourth in just two weeksis a creature of Trumps Republican Party. Johnson, who defeated a handful of other Republicans last night to claim the nomination, not only defended Trumps claims that the 2020 election was stolen, but helped spearhead the movement to rally Republican lawmakers around efforts to challenge the election results.

Despite Trumps myriad legal troublesor perhaps because of themhis endorsement is still necessary to survive in the modern GOP, and a lapse in loyalty, perceived or real, has spelled certain doom for multiple newly minted RINOs. At time of writing, the next vote for speaker is scheduled for later this morningthough is it unclear if Johnson can clear the necessary 217 threshold that has hung over Republicans heads like the sword of Damocles. Or perhaps more fittingly, like a well-timed Truth Social sucker punch.

Playing Defense or Playing Catch Up?

No one likes to feel uselessbut with the House gridlocked over its efforts to elect a new speaker, thats an apt description for our legislative branch. The Senate, functional as it may be, doesnt have much recourse to move forward on appropriations bills to fund the government or supplemental aid for Ukraine and Israel, among other job requirements that depend on the lower chamber. Maybe thats why senators have recently been jetting overseas on trips to China, Saudi Arabia, and Israel: At least they can feel like theyre doing something in the face of spiraling crises in the Middle East, an increasingly aggressive Beijing, and an ongoing war in Ukraine.

Though the request is falling on mostly deaf ears in the House chamber, hawkish Republicans and most Democrats are eager for Congress to push forward President Joe Bidens requested supplemental funding package for aid to Ukraine and Israel, as the former conflict grinds on and the latter threatens to intensify in the coming weeks. The supplemental request underlined concerns in the defense establishment about U.S. weapons stockpiles and the ability of the defense industrial base to ramp up production at a time when the U.S. is supporting two international partnersand perhaps a thirdfacing potentially existential threats.

Last week, Biden made the case for U.S. support to Israel and Ukraine in a rare Oval Office address to the country. Hamas and [Vladimir] Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy, he said. Thats why, tomorrow, Im going to send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund Americas national security needs, to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine.

The mammoth requestwhich rang up to a total of about $105 billionincluded more than $61.4 billion funding related to Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel-related aid. But thats not all thats in the presidents request. According to the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) letter to Congress, the supplemental also contained funding for the the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA); money for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to bolster these international organizations as viable alternatives to Chinese financing; and further funding for border security measures like additional Customs and Border Protection and asylum officers and new technology for detecting fentanyl. When I worked in OMB, we used to joke that supplementals were like Christmas trees because everybody wanted to hang their ornament on it, Mark Cancian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told TMD. And in this case, the ornaments were programs that they couldnt get funded through the regular budget processes.

Extra ornamentation aside, the metaphorical tree itself is the funding for Ukraine and Israel. Since Putins invasion, the U.S. has primarily had two mechanisms to supply Kyiv with lethal aid to defend itself against Moscows aggression: The first, Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), allows the president to transfer weapons sitting in U.S. military stockpiles to countries experiencing an unforeseen emergency. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which gives the president that power, caps the value of that arms transfer at $100 million. But Congress has raised that ceiling for Ukraine several times since the invasion beganto $11 billion in fiscal year 2022, and $14.5 billion in FY 2023.

That PDA power does not require Congress to appropriate more money to backfill the transferred weapons with new ones, though Congress has repeatedly passed supplemental funding for the Pentagon to do just that. That congressional supplemental funding has allowed the DoD to purchase weaponsoften newer and more expensive than what they gave awayto replace what it has sent to Ukraine. In the supplemental Biden requested last week, more than $18 billion was allocated toward that purpose to arm Ukraine. The additional Ukraine-focused money included funding for U.S. military and intelligence operations related to the warlike training allies in Eastern Europe and intelligence investigations into potential Russian war crimesthat wouldnt be taking place if not for the war, and cash to help the Ukrainian government match its expected budget shortfall.

The second vehicle for aid to Ukraine has been the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allowed Kyiv to enter into weapons contracts with U.S. defense contractors, though the delivery on those contracts can often take more than nine monthsnot much immediate help on the battlefield. The supplemental would add $12 billion to that fund.

While the U.S. has supplied Ukraine with military aid intermittently since 2014, its commitment to Israel has a much longer history. The U.S. already agreed to provide its ally with $3.3 billion in security assistance every year, and the supplemental would add to that figure this year. While some of the aid would support the government of Israel with air and missile defense by bolstering its Iron Dome and Davids Sling systems, much of the funding would also be used to replenish U.S. stockpiles.

Even as the U.S. transfers literal tons of weapons from its stockpiles, the supplemental request signaled real concern for the capacity of the defense industrial base amid uncertaintynot just about global threats, but about Congress willingness and ability to keep defense spending steady and increase it if required. The war in Ukraine has already placed strain on key weapons stockpileslike 155mm artillery rounds, of which the Ukrainian military is shooting between 6,000 and 8,000 per day. Such ammunition doesnt compete well in the battle for contracts to build up supply during peacetime, Cancian said, since, unlike a tank or armored vehicle, it sits in a warehouse when its not in use.

Shortages in such munitions have already played out on the battlefield: Such shortfalls were a key reason Biden decided in favor of sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. The Pentagon has moved to ramp up production, and the U.S. military industrial base is now producing about 28,000 rounds per month. Thats double what it was 6 months ago, but will still take years to reach the goal of 100,000 rounds per month.

Those shortages may become doubly dire, as 155mm artillery rounds represent one item where Israel and Ukraine may be increasingly in need of the same supply. Additional 155mm rounds, which were being stored in Israel, have already been diverted from Ukraine to the Israeli Defense Forces.

The overlap on the venn diagram of Israel and Ukraines needs isnt currently very large, as the IDF hasnt used significant amounts of 155mm artillery, and has relied instead on small diameter bombs fired from air force jetsweapons of which Ukraine, by contrast, has very few. Ukraine has relied more heavily on ground-launched missiles, like High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) than Israel.

But that overlap may not remain small forever. If it becomes a big long war where artillery gets involved, then there will be some competition between Israels needs and Ukraines needs, Eric Edelman, former undersecretary of defense for policy in the George W. Bush administration, told TMD.

The Biden administration asked Congress to appropriate more than $50 billion for the DoD to spend on weapons procurement. A significant portion of this stockpile has not yet been earmarked for a certain system, but the request is perhaps instead intended to signal to the military industrial base that the Pentagon is seeking to reverse two decades of inconsistent declines in military spending as a percentage of the GDP since the end of the Cold War. We need to be able to mobilize the defense industry to be able to surge production in times of crisis or war, Edelman said. And were not on a footing to do it.

Upheaval in the Housesignificant battles over government funding that almost resulted in a shutdown and ultimately saw a speaker ousted for dealmakinghas not helped defense contractors trying to figure out how to allocate capital. The November 17 deadline to fund the government is approaching without a speaker of the House in place, much less most appropriations bills passed. And if all 12 required appropriations bills arent signed by the end of the calendar year, the Fiscal Responsibility Actthe deal former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated in the spring to suspend the debt ceilingmandates all discretionary spending, including the typically carved-out defense spending, be cut by 1 percent.

Its just another element of unpredictability likely to discourage the defense industrial base from committing to staffing increases, expanding factories, and other investments. [Defense contractors] dont want to make these investments if theres just a lot of uncertainty about whether theres going to be a payoff at the end, Edelman told TMD.

Defense planning in recent years has focused mostly on great power competitionand the potential for outright conflictwith China, a strategy now complicated by unforeseen aggression from Russia in Europe and Hamas in the Middle East. Those threats are linked together by backing from Iran and economic support from China to both Moscow and Tehran. But theres an opportunity in these crises, Edelman said.

I think Putin did us an enormous favor by exposing how frail that [defense industrial base] is and how difficult it is for us to ramp up production, Edelman said. But now weve got to take advantage of having to have that happen. Everyone likes to say, We shouldnt just throw money at problems. This is actually a problem where we just have to throw money at it.

Worth Your Time

With some stories, the facts truly are better than fiction, and that rings true in a Wall Street Journal profile of a Danish antiquities dealer who exposed a massive heist at the British Museum. Ittai Gradel came across an eBay sellercalled Sultan1996offering antiquities at severely discounted prices. Gradel inquired as to how the seller, an Englishman whose name was listed as Paul Higgins, had come across these items, Max Colchester wrote. Sultan1966 said he had acquired them from his grandfather, who owned a junk shop in York, in northern England, and died in 1953. Gradel checked the death records and found that such a man with the matching name did indeed die, but in 1952. The ludicrously low prices and oddly credible backstory left Gradel comfortable that he had encountered every dealers dream seller. He was clueless, recalls Gradel. Then, in 2016, Sultan1966 posted a piece on eBay by mistake. It showed a fragment of a sardonyx cameo dating from Roman times engraved with the head and shoulder of a girl stooping to her right. Intrigued, Gradel screenshotted the item. Sultan1966 quickly removed it from the website and said that it actually belonged to his sister, who didnt want to sell it. Gradel thought not much more about it. But in 2020, he came across an image on the British Museums website that showed the exact same item in its collection. Furthermore, the color photograph was recent. It suddenly dawned on Gradel: There was a thief in the British Museum. And he was likely still within the walls, he says. So began an antiques whodunitwhose cast of characters includes an Oxford-based priest-cum-archaeologist, a handful of rare-gem dealers and some of the British Museums most august researchersthat has shaken the premise behind the museums most important reason for existing: that it is the best place to safely house some of the worlds greatest treasures.

Presented Without Comment

CSPAN: You dont have to vote, former President Donald Trump said at a rally in New Hampshire on Monday. Dont worry about voting. The voting, we got plenty of votes.

Toeing the Company Line

In the newsletters: Nick weighed (  ) how much forgiveness former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis is due over her role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

On the podcasts: Jonah is joined by NPRs Steve Inskeep on The Remnant to discuss Inskeeps new book, Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America, while Adaam talks with Robert Satloff about the regional implications of Hamas recent massacre and what Israel hopes to achieve in a ground invasion.

On the site today: Paul Miller argues the United Nations should be responsible for Gaza if Israel eliminates Hamas, Emma Rogers explains how the laws of war function and what constitutes genocide and crimes against humanity, and Jonah weighs in on the circus in the House.

Let Us Know

How concerned are you about the United States ability to ramp up defense production in the coming years?

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
On the second day of Michael Cohen's testimony against former President Donald Trump in his civil fraud trial, a lawyer with the New York attorney general's office objected to a question from Trump attorney Alina Habba .

The prosecutor, Colleen Faherty, said Habba's questions appeared to be "bleeding into" issues related to a criminal case against the president, for which Cohen is also a key witness.

Cohen is a former Trump Organization executive who was for years among Trump's closest confidants. Now he's at the center of two cases, a criminal one brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and a civil one brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James .

Michael Cohen gives a thumbs-up at New York State Supreme Court, where he testified in former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial on Oct. 25, 2023. / Credit: Bloomberg

In the courtroom for Cohen's testimony Wednesday were Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, two lawyers who represent Trump in his criminal case, in which he has entered a not guilty plea to 34 felony counts of falsification of business records. Several rows behind them was Susan Hoffinger, one of the lead prosecutors in that case, along with four others.

Cohen's 2019 congressional testimony, in which he said that Trump artificially inflated his wealth, spurred both of the New York investigations. In the civil case, James' office is seeking $250 million in what it calls "ill-gotten gains" and sanctions that would hamper Trump's ability to do business in the state.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in both cases.

On Wednesday, Trump's attorneys repeatedly attacked Cohen's credibility, continuing an effort that began Tuesday when Cohen acknowledged he lied when he entered a guilty plea to tax evasion in 2018.

Habba said Cohen has "interjected himself into many cases involving my client."

Former President Donald Trump sits in court with attorneys Alina Habba and Christopher Kise during his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on Oct. 25, 2023. / Credit: Seth Wenig / Getty Images

Not long after, she asked if Cohen was ever represented by Robert Costello, an attorney who appeared, at Trump's request, before the New York criminal grand jury that indicted Trump in March. Cohen said no.

Costello has claimed that Cohen confided in him, and sought to discredit Cohen to the grand jury, saying Cohen was on a "revenge tour" against Trump.

Habba asked if Cohen ever told Costello, "I don't have anything on Donald Trump."

Cohen said he didn't recall saying that.

Did Cohen ever tell Costello that he would do whatever it takes to avoid jail time, Habba asked.

Cohen said he didn't recall saying that.

Attorney general and Manhattan D.A. "working in tandem"

A few minutes later, Cohen testified that members of both James' and Bragg's offices were in some meetings with him. Both offices have acknowledged previously that members of James' office were assigned to work with Bragg's office.

"So the A.G's office and the D.A.'s office were working in tandem?" Habba asked.

"That is correct," Cohen says.

Soon after that, Faherty told Judge Arthur Engoron that she was worried the questioning was "bleeding into" the other case.

Habba was allowed to continue. She brought up a book by Mark Pomerantz, a former Manhattan prosecutor who previously led the D.A. office's investigation into Trump. The book describes some of what would ultimately be nearly two dozen meetings between Cohen and investigators for the Manhattan district attorney before Trump's indictment.

Pomerantz wrote that Cohen's criminal history raised potential credibility issues. Not mentioned during the testimony, Pomerantz also wrote that he "thought [Cohen] was telling the truth."

A light moment came soon after Habba brought up that Cohen testified under oath that he assisted in falsifying valuations, but has neither been named as a defendant in the attorney general's case nor the district attorney's.

Habba asked if that might be because James' office didn't find him credible.

"You're drawing a conclusion that I don't know, you can ask Ms. James," Cohen replied.

From the front row of the gallery, James loudly said, "objection," eliciting laughter.

New York Attorney General Letitia James watches proceedings in former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial on Oct. 25, 2023, as Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified for a second day. / Credit: Seth Wenig/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Habba also attacked Cohen's credibility by highlighting what the defense has argued are his motivations for testifying against Trump.

Habba showed text messages entered into evidence in Cohen's federal criminal case. In the texts from early 2017, an unidentified person asks Cohen who will be White House chief of staff.

The unidentified person guessed Trump's daughter Ivanka, Jared Kushner and others.

"Keep guessing dopey," Cohen wrote.

"Stop!!! You???" the person replied.

"I will give you a hint.yes," Cohen texted.

"omg," the person replied.

Cohen was not named chief of staff, but he testified that he didn't ask for that job.

"I was given the position that I asked for. There's no shame to being personal attorney to the president," Cohen said.

From adoration to animosity

Habba later brought up Cohen's many media appearances criticizing Trump, contrasting his public animosity to Trump in recent years with his statements of adoration before Trump's election and during his first year in office  when Cohen famously once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump.

Habba showed a 2015 television interview in which Cohen said $10 billion could be an underestimate of Trump's wealth, and an article from that same year in which he was quoted saying Trump had "all the qualifications of a great president." In another article, Cohen was quoted speaking glowingly of "Mr. Trump's character and capabilities." In a tweet, Cohen wrote he believed "whole heartedly that only #Trump will #MakeAmericaGreatAgain."

But in recent years, Cohen has made a career out of criticizing Trump, he acknowledged on the stand Wednesday.

Habba asked if Cohen talks about Trump during every episode of his podcast. He said he does.

"Mr. Cohen, you have financial incentive to criticize Mr. Trump, correct?" Habba asked.

"Yes," Cohen said.

She finished her questioning by asking, "Did you ever ask President Trump to pardon you while he was in the White House?"

"No," Cohen replied.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges related to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress.

Cohen was also repeatedly asked about 2019 Senate testimony in which he said Trump never asked him to inflate numbers for "his personal statement." On the stand Wednesday, Cohen initially called that a lie, before saying he was mistaken in calling it that. He said Trump never directly asked him.

His apparent uncertainty caused Clifford Robert, an attorney for Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., to ask Judge Engoron to summarily end the case.

Engoron denied the request. Trump immediately stood up and walked out, his Secret Service detail in tow.

Motion to dismiss "absolutely denied"

During redirect questioning by the state, Cohen was asked to explain further the issue with his Senate testimony.

"He did not specifically state, 'Michael, go inflate the numbers," Cohen said. "Donald Trump speaks like a mob boss. He tells you what he wants without explicitly telling you. We understood what he wanted."

Before Cohen was excused, Robert moved again to dismiss the case on the grounds that Cohen, whom he called a key witness, had lied several times. "End this once and for all," he asked the judge just before court was adjourned for the day.

"Absolutely denied," Judge Engoron said, adding that there is plenty of evidence in the case, credible or not, and that he doesn't consider Cohen to be a key witness. "No way, no how there is enough evidence in this case to fill this courtroom."

Cohen alleged in his first day of testimony Tuesday that Trump told him to adjust statements of financial conditions  documents at the core of the fraud case  to arrive at a net worth that Trump assigned himself "arbitrarily."

Cohen's testimony under cross-examination both days was often combative. Cohen several times replied to Habba's questions with the phrase, "asked and answered"  an objection lawyers sometimes raise, but witnesses cannot.

At one point Tuesday, Trump attorney Christopher Kise jumped out of his chair. He protested to the judge, saying, "this witness is out of control."

Trump questioned on gag order, fined $10,000

While Cohen was the focus of lawyers in the courtroom Wednesday, a statement made just outside the doors during a break brought the focus back to Trump.

During a mid-morning break, Trump made a reference to reporters about "a person who is very partisan sitting alongside" the judge. The judge's clerk, Allison Greenfield, typically sits right next to the judge, and during pretrial hearings often questioned attorneys for the two sides herself.

Earlier in the month, the judge imposed a limited gag order barring Trump from making inflammatory comments about court staff after he posted about Greenfield on social media.

During the court's lunch break, after reporters were led from the room, lawyers from both sides and Trump remained inside for nearly an hour.

When court resumed, Trump was immediately called to the stand and sworn in. Engoron questioned him.

Trump acknowledged making the statement, but said it was about "you and Cohen."

"You didn't mean the person on the other side of me?" Engoron asked, referring to Greenfield.

"Yes, I'm sure," Trump said.

Soon after, Trump was allowed off the stand. Engoron issued him a $10,000 fine.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media moments after he was fined $10,000 by a New York judge for his second violation of a partial gag order on Oct. 25, 2023. / Credit: / Getty Images

Attorneys for Trump protested, saying Greenfield's behavior was unusual for a law clerk.

Trump attorney Alina Habba said she "does not like being yelled at by law clerks who did not earn the robe," and said Greenfield's " influence on the bench is completely inappropriate and it should stop."

Engoron countered that his practice is to consult with his law clerks.

"I value input from both my law clerks," Engoron said. "Every judge does things differently. I don't know if others have them sit on the bench, that's how I do things. I make the final decisions."

This is the second time Trump has been fined since the gag order was put in place. He was fined $5,000 on Oct. 20, because a replication of the since-deleted social media post that sparked the order had never been taken down from a campaign site.

Engoron implied Trump will be fined more if he breaks the gag order again.

"Do it again, it'll be worse," Engoron said.

The State of the Blues | Sunday on 60 Minutes

Manhunt for Maine shooting suspect accused of killing at least 18

Maine shooting survivor says he hid as gunman opened fire inside bowling alley
Cooperation time: In August, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought racketeering charges against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his associates under Georgia's statute, on charges relating to their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Over the last few days, three guilty pleas have followed: Sidney Powell to misdemeanor charges and Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis to felony charges. Now, Ellis, Chesebro, and Powell will cooperate with prosecutors.

"Proof of criminal intent is indispensable to the criminal cases against Trump, both in Georgia and in the federal election case," writes David French for The New York Times. "While the specific intent varies depending on the charge, each key claim requires proof of conscious wrongdoingsuch as an intent to lie or the 'intent to have false votes cast.'"

The lawyers flipping "may grant us greater visibility into Trump's state of mind during the effort to overturn the election," adds French. "The crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege prevents a criminal defendant from shielding his communications with his lawyers when those communications were in furtherance of a criminal scheme."

Some, like Andrew McCarthy writing for National Review, argue that "Willis wildly overcharged the election-interference case and is now picking off some defendants on minor charges."

The upshot from French:

"As a general rule, when evaluating complex litigation, it is best not to think in terms of legal breakthroughs (though breakthroughs can certainly occur) but rather in terms of legal trench warfare. Think of seizing ground from your opponent yard by yard rather than mile by mile, and the question at each stage isn't so much who won and who lost but rather who advanced and who retreated. Willis has advanced, but it's too soon to tell how far."

Speaker update: Rep. Mike Johnson (RLa.) was chosen last night to be the new nominee for speaker of the House. This is after Minnesota's Tom Emmer dropped out, having spent much of yesterday securing votes.

Johnson, who is serving his fourth term in the House, was named to Donald Trump's impeachment defense team and "played a leading role in recruiting House Republicans to sign a legal brief supporting a lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results," reports The New York Times. He's a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and is broadly well-liked by colleagues.

The House will probably vote on Johnson today; 217 votes must be secured to become speaker.

Make no mistake: "The United States does not seek conflict with Iran," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations Security Council yesterday. "But if Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security, swiftly and decisively."

"To all the members of this council: If you, like the United States, want to prevent this conflict from spreading, tell Iran, tell its proxiesin public, in private, through every meansdo not open another front against Israel in this conflict," Blinken continued.

Blinken is referring to the possibility of strikes escalating between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah on the much-watched northern front. Many observers fear that a ground invasion of Gaza with the intent of wiping out Hamas could trigger entry into the conflict from Hezbollah, seeing a weakened Israel and pushing them to fight on two fronts at once.

Officials also report that strikes from other Iran-backed groups on U.S. targets have ramped up in recent days; back-channel talks with Iran have been ongoing, but Blinken's admonition yesterday was significant due to its public, urgent nature.

Scenes from New York:

Regulating skyline views would "guarantee a collective experience, a sense of shared identity and civic meaning, which can bind New Yorkers across generations and centuries," Jorge Otero-Pailos, the director of Columbia's historic preservation program, tells The New York Times.

The best part is that this is mentioned immediately after a few paragraphs on how unaffordable the city has become. If only we could grasp the connection between the two!

QUICK HITS

Due to her posts on Hamas, the Israeli Ministry of Education will be removing any references to Greta Thunberg in school curricula. Forgive me, but I don't think Greta Thunberg should ever have been taught in Israeli schools.

No truer words:

Peronism is crazy pic.twitter.com/tt59D8gku1  santi ruiz (@rSanti97) October 23, 2023

"Mr. Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, is the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president," reads a New York Times subheading. "He has focused on providing comfort to people in pain after the Hamas attack." Doesn't this read like a press release?

Bad move by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis:

NEW: Governor DeSantis just ordered the University of Florida and the University of South Florida to deactivate their "Students for Justice in Palestine" groups for violating Florida's laws against antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/Y3B6hLnRJZ  Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 24, 2023

Comparing the tech industries in the U.S. and the E.U. (Good observations here, here, and here. Tough but fair, from Paul Graham. Is European (lack of) venture capital also part of the equation? Genuinely asking.)

Color me skeptical that Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, misheard that recent question on antisemitism.

In Spain, the workweek will drop from 40 hours to 37.5, at least if acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz ("a card-carrying Communist," per Bloomberg ) get their deal passed. "The minimum wage has risen by about 47% since Sanchez first formed a government in 2018." Amusingly, a 2019 report from BBVA Research notes that "productivity growth has been one of the Spanish economy's chronic weaknesses." What a stumper!

"Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?" Check out economist Tyler Cowen's generative book. "This book is not just the text, it's the text plus what you use AI to do with it," writes Cowen.

The post Trump's Stooges Flip appeared first on Reason.com.
The Transportation Security Administration announced Tuesday that the gun-related incident involving Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson over the weekend in Hong Kong is currently under investigation.

TSA is aware that a passenger on a flight departing from Portland International Airport Friday (Oct. 20) passed through security and traveled with an unloaded firearm in his carry-on bag, a spokesperson for the agency said in a news release. The individual was arrested upon arrival in Hong Kong. TSA takes this situation very seriously and is currently investigating the circumstances.

Wilson, a 63-year-old Republican lawmaker from the 19th Legislative District, said Monday in a news release that the incident was an honest mistake.

The senator went through security in Portland and had a connecting flight in San Francisco, but did not leave the sterile area and did not go through security screening at SFO, the TSA spokesperson said.

While flying from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Wilson said he reached into his briefcase to look for gum and found the pistol. He said that he notified customs officials when the plane landed.

He was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm, released on $2,556 bail and his next hearing date is scheduled for Oct. 30, according to The Standard, a news outlet in China that first broke the news. Wilson was required to surrender his travel documents while he awaits that hearing.

The TSA spokesperson also noted that an internal investigation will utilize a review of closed circuit television as well as images from security screening equipment.

Appropriate corrective action may be required with additional training, TSA officials added.

The agency said that their officers across the country are catching firearms at checkpoints at a record pace.

Portland International Airport TSA officers have intercepted 43 firearms at security checkpoints so far in 2023, they said.

A quick glance at the list of news releases from the agency nationwide offers a glimpse into how frequently travelers in America are bringing guns, sometimes loaded, to security checkpoints at airports.

The TSA spokesperson said that the penalty for bringing a gun through a checkpoint can be as high as $15,000. Individuals who are caught with firearms at screening checkpoints are also ineligible for TSA precheck for up to five years.

WA state lawmaker says gun in carry-on bag was honest mistake after Hong Kong arrest
(Bloomberg) -- Turkeys parliament may schedule a debate next week in the foreign relations committee over Swedens bid to join the NATO military alliance after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week asked lawmakers to start proceedings.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Still, a ratification of the Nordic countrys membership depends on Stockholms commitment to cooperate against terrorism, Fuat Oktay, the head of the committee, said Wednesday.

The steps in Turkey bring Sweden closer to becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a process thats been pending for almost a year and a half.

Turkey has been one of the two last holdouts  along with Hungary  standing in the way of NATOs northern enlargement. Its accused Stockholm of failing to adequately crack down on supporters of separatist Kurdish militants that Turkey regards as terrorists. Sweden insists it fulfills NATOs membership criteria and has taken steps agreed with Turkey, such as ending an arms embargo and tightening anti-terror laws.

If approved by both countries, Swedens membership would realign the security dynamic in Europe following Russias invasion of Ukraine, with Finlands membership in the alliance already realized in April.

We will intensely work on Swedens NATO membership. We have to be convinced and will look into whether the protocol was honored, Oktay, a member of Erdogans ruling AK Party told Bloomberg in Ankara, referring to a document the countries signed at a NATO summit in Madrid in 2022.

Read More: Swedens New Cabinet Pledges to Deliver on NATO Deal With Turkey

We will come up with a schedule for meetings, Oktay said. It may happen next week or the week after. We have to make preparations first.

Ali Sahin, another member of the committee who is also from the governing AK Party, said the debate on Sweden is likely to be scheduled for no longer than next week.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Hong Kong: HK to enhance intl shipping, aviation

Chief Executive John Lee outlined a detailed plan for achieving the Governments goal of enhancing Hong Kongs position as a superhub for international shipping and aviation while delivering this years Policy Address.

Apart from noting that Hong Kong is a free port characterised by fast customs clearance, high efficiency and strong international connectivity, Mr Lee pointed out that the city also has a quality ship registry and a vibrant maritime cluster.

International Shipping Centre

This is why, he said, the Government remains committed to consolidating Hong Kongs premier position in ship registration, developing the city into a leading international maritime centre, and facilitating maritime collaboration within the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Number one on a list of initiatives to maintain such a position is an action plan on maritime and port development strategy, along with other measures that Mr Lee shared in his Policy Address.

The Transport & Logistics Bureau will publish an action plan later this year to enhance highend maritime services, facilitate transformation towards zero emission, promote smart initiatives and digitalisation in the maritime industry, and promote exchanges and collaboration among maritime industries in the GBA and around the world.

The bureau will also promote the development of high valueadded maritime services by coordinating the efforts of various government departments and stakeholders to spearhead maritime development from an industryoriented perspective.

When it comes to expanding the local maritime network, the Chief Executive explained that the Government has introduced tax concessionary measures for various maritime business services. InvestHK will step up its efforts in inviting shipping commercial principals and overseas shipping companies to establish and expand their businesses in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, he stressed that it will capitalise on the citys international position in maritime arbitration.

Hong Kong is one of the four designated arbitration venues in the Baltic & International Maritime Council (BIMCO)s global standard maritime contracts, and is among the leading cities in the world for maritime services.

We will enhance our cooperation with various international maritime organisations, including deepening the operation of the BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping in Hong Kong, as well as strengthening our role as a gateway for international maritime enterprises and organisations to enter the Mainland market.

International Aviation Hub

On the matter of upholding Hong Kongs position as an international aviation hub, Mr Lee highlighted the fact that the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) continued to rank first in cargo throughput in 2022, demonstrating its longstanding leading position as an international aviation and cargo hub.

On account of this, he stressed that the Government will continue to work with the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) to enhance competitiveness.

We will press ahead with the ThreeRunway System and various projects under the Airport City vision, including SKYCITY, the premium logistics centre at the South Cargo Precinct and the smart airport, for developing core passenger and cargo transport services.

We will open up opportunities for cargo transport. Operating on a pilot basis, the HKIA Logistics Park, set up by the AAHK in Dongguan, allows export cargo from the Mainland to go through security screening, palletisation and cargo acceptance in advance in Dongguan before being transported by sea to HKIA for export by air, without the need to repeat screening procedures and thereby achieving savings in time and operating cost.

The operation has been smooth to date, and the AAHK plans to complete the firstphase construction of a permanent facility for the logistics park by end2025 so that the cargo handling capacity will reach one million tonnes per annum.

Additionally, Mr Lee shared the authoritys plans for developing an autonomous transport system.

The AAHK will introduce an autonomous transportation system to carry passengers along the Airport City Link connecting SKYCITY and the Hong Kong Port Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge from 2025 onwards, and it plans to extend the system to Tung Chung Town Centre in 2028.

He added that in future, the AAHK will streamline the screening of carryon luggage by introducing Smartlane gradually next year so that passengers will not need to take out such items as liquid and electronic devices from their luggage during aviation security screening.

This story has been published on: 2023-10-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Xi vows China's continued efforts to build peaceful, prosperous Asian homeland

Xinhua) 10:01, October 25, 2023

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message to an international symposium on China's neighborhood diplomacy, which was held in Beijing on Tuesday.

"China will continue to follow the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and work with other countries in the region to build an Asian homeland of peace, tranquility, prosperity, beauty and friendly coexistence, to jointly write a new chapter in promoting the building of a community with a shared future for Asia and for humanity," said Xi in the message.

Xi pointed out the basic policy of China's neighborhood diplomacy is to pursue friendship and partnership with its neighbors, and to build an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood, highlighting the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness.

Over the past decade, China has actively practiced the above-mentioned principle, and developed friendly and cooperative relations with its neighbors in an all-round way. The two sides have continuously enhanced political mutual trust and deepened convergence of interests, thus opening up a bright pathway of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, said Xi.

He went on to point out that in the new era, China will lend new meaning to the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, promote the Asian values of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration, and provide new impetus to regional unity, openness and progress.

"We will promote new development of the concepts of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, so that Chinese modernization will bring more benefits to our neighbors," Xi said, adding that China will work to jointly advance Asia's modernization process, and make sure China's high-quality development and a sound neighborhood environment will reinforce and complement each other.

The symposium, themed "Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit and Inclusiveness: New Dimensions, New Progress and New Vision," was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the principle in China's neighborhood diplomacy.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, attended the symposium and read out Xi's message.

Noting that China has always attached the highest importance to the neighborhood in its foreign policy over the past decade, Wang said that China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy has injected strong impetus into friendly cooperation, unity and revitalization of Asia and provided a reference for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Over the past 10 years, China and its neighboring countries have jointly worked to safeguard hard-won peace and tranquility in the turbulent international landscape and build the world's most dynamic development pacesetter, Wang said, adding that China is ready to work with all parties to cherish good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation, expand and enrich the content of China's principle in neighborhood diplomacy, and continue to illuminate the road ahead of Asian countries.

China is committed to deepening friendly cooperation with regional countries guided by the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and contributing more wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future in Asia and for humanity, Wang said.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, reads out a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping at an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with foreign participants attending an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with foreign participants attending an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

This photo shows a session of an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
WELLINGTON, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand cows walk into the Portable Accumulation Chambers, which will capture all the gas emitted from the animal for just one hour before the data is used to rank animals according to their emissions.

This ground-breaking new portable technology to measure methane emissions from cattle "on farm" will bolster efforts to reduce the climate change impact from livestock in New Zealand and overseas, New Zealand scientists said on Wednesday.

The Portable Accumulation Chambers, developed by government research institute AgResearch, are designed to be transported by road to farms or central locations where the cattle can be quickly and efficiently tested to see how much methane they naturally emit, said AgResearch senior scientist Suzanne Rowe.

These measures will help farmers understand what the climate change impact is from their herd and individual animals, and assist in breeding lower emitting animals, Rowe said, adding that it is part of a wider nationwide effort with partners, such as Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries, to support farmers to reduce their emissions.

Methane is a relatively short-lived but potent greenhouse gas emitted by ruminant animals such as cattle, and methane reduction targets are included in climate change legislation.

Breeding animals that naturally emit less methane is one way of achieving reductions without cutting stock numbers. It is already proven in sheep, and low-methane dairy cow genetics are expected to be in the market in the next few years, Rowe said.

Like the portable accumulation chambers already in use by AgResearch for sheep in New Zealand, the portable cattle chambers provide further options on top of testing methods already in use, such as fixed "respiration chambers," which require the animals to be transported there and spend extended periods in those fixed chambers, she said.

"This is a first using a portable system like this to measure methane emissions from cattle," Rowe said, adding that the chamber can go where the animals are.

The welfare of the animals is carefully monitored when using these portable chambers for both cattle and sheep, and in the rare event that they become stressed, they will be removed from the chambers, said the scientist.

The measures taken in the cattle chambers may provide some important insights on feed intake and evaluating feed efficiency, as well as methane emissions, she said, adding that the chambers offer benefits not just for New Zealand, but also for other nations that farm livestock.

New Zealand's portable sheep chambers are now in use in other countries such as Britain, supporting their efforts to reduce farm emissions, and are expected to be used particularly in countries where they have extensive grazing systems, according to AgResearch. 
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Qatar accused the international community of "double standards" Wednesday in its reaction to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Qatar's top diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the two governments -- both Western allies -- "reaffirm our complete rejection of responding to the crisis with double standards when it comes to human life".

"It is not permissible to condemn the killing of civilians in one context and justify it in another." Al-Thani, who also serves as Qatar's prime minister, said.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants on October 7.

Gunmen from the Palestinian group poured into Israel from Gaza, killing more than 1,400 people and taking 222 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says 6,546 people have been killed in the war so far, many of them children.

Western governments, including Britain, France and the United States, have offered their full support to Israel, asserting its right to defend itself following Hamas's deadly rampage.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: "The failure of some American and north European countries to condemn and prevent the destruction and disaster in Gaza constitutes a very serious double standard and plays a destabilising role.

"The operation in Gaza should be stopped as soon as possible. Humanitarian corridors should be opened," he added.

Both Turkey and Qatar have been strong supporters of the Palestinian cause and have open channels of communication with Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza.

The wealthy Gulf emirate, which hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, also hosts Hamas's political office and is the main residence of the Islamists' self-exiled leader Ismail Haniyeh.

It has used its channels with Hamas, established with US blessing, to play a lead role in the release of four of the more than 200 hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.

The Qatari minister said the only way to restore peace in and around Gaza was to keep channels of communication open.

He said Doha and Ankara would continue to coordinate with each other and regional partners to de-escalate the conflict.

He condemned criticism of Qatar's position, saying that such comments "undermine existing efforts, risk lives and cannot be understood except in the context of political blackmail".

csp/kir
By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Huseyin Hayatsever

ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands.

NATO member Turkey condemned the civilian deaths caused by Hamas's Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel, but also urged Israeli forces to act with restraint in their response. Ankara has strongly criticised Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

"Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith.

Unlike many of its NATO allies and the European Union, Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation and hosts members of the group on its territory. Ankara backs a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Erdogan also slammed Western powers for supporting Israel's bombing of Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire, the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and for Muslim countries to work together to stop the violence.

"The perpetrators of the massacre and the destruction taking place in Gaza are those providing unlimited support for Israel," Erdogan said. "Israel's attacks on Gaza, for both itself and those supporting them, amount to murder and mental illness."

Israel rejected Erdogan's description of Hamas, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat calling the group "a despicable terrorist organisation".

"Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organisation and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen," Haiat wrote on social media platform X.

Erdogan's comments also drew a swift rebuke from Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation". He urged Italy's foreign minister to lodge a formal protest with Ankara.

Shares in Istanbul dropped 7% on Wednesday in a slide that traders attributed to Erdogan's comments on Hamas.

The fighting in Gaza comes at a time when Turkey is working to mend its ties with Israel after years of acrimony, focusing on energy as an area of cooperation.

Indicating that those normalisation efforts were now suspended, Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's "good intentions" and said he had cancelled a previously planned visit to Israel.

"I shook the hand of this man named Netanyahu one time in my life," Erdogan said, referring to his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last month.

"If he (Netanyahu) had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, that will not happen either because they took advantage of our good intentions," he added.

Erdogan accused the West of hypocrisy for failing to respond to what he called Israel's "intentional massacre" in Gaza with the same decisiveness as it did to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Huseyin Hayatsever;Writing by Daren Butler;Editing by Gareth Jones and Nick Macfie)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that the imprisonment of newly elected opposition lawmaker Can Atalay violated his rights to security, liberty and the right to be elected.

Atalay, 47, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in April 2022 after being convicted of trying to overthrow the government by organising the nationwide Gezi Park protests in 2013 along with Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala and six others.

All defendants denied the charges regarding the protests, which they said developed spontaneously, and which marked the biggest popular challenge to President Tayyip Erdogan in his so far two decades in power.

At the time, the verdict was seen as symbolic of a crackdown on dissent under Erdogan and the punishment of the government's perceived foes through the judiciary.

"It was ruled that there was a violation of rights in the Can Atalay case in terms of the right to be elected and the right to personal freedom and security," a Constitutional Court spokesperson said in a statement.

The Constitutional Court is expected to send its ruling to a lower court for Atalay, a member of the Workers' Party who was elected to parliament in May this year, to be freed.

"He should be released as soon as possible after the local court receives the decision," Akcay Tasci, one of Atalay's lawyers, told Reuters. Turkey's top appeals court had upheld the 18-year sentence for Atalay in September.

"The detailed ruling has not been announced yet," Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told reporters on Wednesday when asked for comment about the court decision.

The Workers' Party called for Atalay's immediate release in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The European Court of Human Rights earlier ruled that Turkey must free Kavala and others for violations of their rights. Erdogan's government ignored that ruling and Turkey now faces possible suspension from the 46-nation Council of Europe, which seeks to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; writing by Burcu Karakas; editing by Mark Heinrich)
In a home video taken on Christmas morning 2022, 17-year-old Roman Balassaitis is trying hard not to cry as he opens his last Christmas gift.

Can I have a tissue? Roman asks. His voice is jokey  hes determined not to break down  but his hands are visibly shaking.

After entering the Florida foster care system at age 11, and bouncing to 19 different homes, Roman has just learned via an embroidered stocking that hes being adopted by Renee and Brad Balassaitis.

We were all sobbing, Renee, 47, tells TODAY.com. All Roman has ever wanted was to find his forever family.

Roman Balassaitis posed with his siblings Tatiana, Halle and Austin on adoption day. (Courtesy Brad and Renee Balassaitis)

Roman officially became a Balassaitis on Oct. 17, just one day shy of his 18th birthday or as Brad puts it, in the nick of time.

I was sweating bad. My heart was beating. I was very happy, Roman told First Coast News. "It means I have someone to go to. It means if I need someone to talk to, I have people to talk to now.

According to Florida adoption attorney Jeanne T. Tate, the clock is ticking for orphaned teenagers like Roman.

We see very grim statistics about children who age out of the system at 18, Tate tells TODAY.com. If you look at our prison population, more than 60 percent of them have been in foster care.

Tate notes that there are a few programs to bridge the gap between 18 and 21, but they are geared towards individuals who who attend college. Research has shown that roughly 3% of former foster youth obtain a four-year degree.

Kids like Roman have experienced a lot of trauma and instability, and not being adopted is the final nail in the coffin, Tate explains. Theres no where for them to go, so they end up in prison or on the streets. They turn 18 and its like, Good luck.

Renee and I grew up in stable homes and we still wouldnt have been ready to be completely on our own with no emotional support at 18 years old," Brad says. How can we expect kids with trauma to do it?

Roman with his parents Renee and Brad. (Courtesy Brad and Renee Balassaitis)

Roman, a high school junior, joined siblings Tom, 28, Chrissy, 26, Austin, 22, Jared, 22, Sammy, 20, Halle, 18, and Tatiana, 17. Brad and Renees daughter Rosie passed away in 2022.

Jared and Halle are Renee and Brads biological children. The couple, who are devout Christians, say they felt called by God to become adoptive and foster parents.

Ever since adoption day, Roman has been walking lighter, Renee reveals. Its like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders and you can see it in the way he moves. He's incredibly relieved."

"And so are we," she adds.

Roman first came into the Balassaitises lives when he was 12.

We fostered him for about nine months, but he wasnt ready to be part of a family, Brad says. He was driven by a fear of abandonment. Ironically, he turned around and acted in ways that pushed people away."

To protect Romans privacy, Brad declines to elaborate.

We were heartbroken when he left, Renee says. All of us felt this special connection with Roman. I felt like I lost my future son.

Roman learned he was being adopted on Christmas morning 2022. (Courtesy Brad and Renee Balassaitis)

He found his way back to them. Years later, Roman reached out to the Balassaitis' daughter Halle on social media. When Renee and Brad heard Roman was back in touch, they invited him over for dinner.

And the rest is history, Brad says, with a laugh.

The Balassaitises dont sugarcoat older child adoption, but they call it the most rewarding thing they have ever done. Of the seven children Brad and Renee adopted, the youngest was 7.

Schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, oppositional defiance disorder  the Balassaitises have seen it all since they first started fostering in 2008.

Roman faces academic and mental health challenges.

Hes way behind in school. Reading is very difficult for him, Renee says. He also has a hard time expressing his feelings, but thats to be expected. He always had to live with his guard up.

Renee says Roman is making up for his lost childhood and that it's beautiful to watch.

Hell play Chutes and Ladders or get excited when he sees a swing set, she says. Hes getting these moments that he didnt get when he was younger.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
(Bloomberg) -- Polands opposition leader Donald Tusk kicked off informal talks with European leaders in Brussels, pledging to recover funds frozen by the bloc although he has yet to be appointed premier.

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Tapping more than 35 billion ($37 billion) in European Union money is the top priority after Polands opposition secured a majority in the Oct. 15 election. Even though it may be weeks before Tusk forms a government, the former European Council chief has lined up talks with leaders gathering for a summit.

I am here today at the headquarters of the European Commission to speed up the process of Polands return to a full presence in the European Union, Tusk told reporters Wednesday before a meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EUs executive arm. Tusk noted that his talks will have an informal character as he is acting in his capacity as oppositions leader.

Time flies mercilessly and I had to take this initiative before the final post-election decisions, because we have to use all methods including non-standard ones, to rescue the money Poland is entitled to, Tusk said, in an apparent reference to his current status.

The next government needs to restore the independence of the judiciary in order for the EU to release the funds. The process will be arduous after eight years of nationalist control. Hurdles include Polands veto-wielding president, Andrzej Duda, an appointee of the outgoing Law & Justice party.

Our partners know that changes in the rule of law are scheduled to take place over a number of years and that there may be hurdles put up by those seeking to defend this ancien regime, Adam Bodnar, a Tusk ally and incoming senator, said in an interview.

One path to win over Brussels would be to go beyond the EUs requirements for tapping funds and have overhauls vetted by international watchdogs to demonstrate a commitment to restoring the rule of law, Bodnar, a former human rights ombudsman, said.

Tusk will meet leaders from the European Peoples party on Thursday. The three opposition parties that have a majority in Polands next parliament are already ironing out plans to tap EU funds and view the Brussels visit as a demonstration of Polands intentions to allies.

It may be December before Tusk can travel to Brussels as Polands head of government. Should Duda adhere to precedent and give Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki a first attempt at forming a government, the pro-EU bloc will have to wait through the process, which will likely prove fruitless.

Reform Agenda

Polands judicial reform agenda will include a raft of laws governing the Constitutional Tribunal, the Supreme Court, the National Judiciary Council, common courts as well as oversight of state prosecutors and potentially the secret services, Bodnar said. Poland may also join the European Public Prosecution Office to tighten relations with the EU.

We have to throw the baggage of EU infringement procedures off our backs and stop worrying Europe with our problems, Bodnar said. Poland must return to being a normal EU member state.

Arkadiusz Myrcha, another lawmaker with Civic Platform, said the party is preparing for every possible legal scenario and will strive for cross-party consensus by the end of the month.

I hope that we will be given the benefit of the doubt from the Commission, Myrcha said. Such a message would send a strong signal to our economy that Poland is making a U-turn.

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We live in the age of self-aggrandizing victimhood. Why take responsibility for your own actions when you can blame outside forces? The election was rigged. The media is out to get me. My neighbors on Marthas Vineyard no longer want me shilling my books at the local library.

And while there are certainly cases where bad things happen through outside forces, over the past few years this kind of performative victimhood (as a way to avoid responsibility) has taken on a life of its own through a different kind of moral panic: one in which people who are simply facing reasonable consequences for their own speech or actions try to tie themselves awkwardly to actual unfair scenarios of opprobrium, in order to frame the criticism as unfair.

We saw this a few years ago in the infamously milquetoast Harpers Letter on Justice and Open Debate, in which a bunch of mostly uncontroversial claims were made regarding the importance of the free exchange of ideas, while implying that cancel culture, was somehow a grave threat. The letter gave vague descriptions of a few scenarios that seemed unfair, without exploring the details and nuances. But, even worse, it lumped together scenarios where there were likely reasonable arguments for why someone might face the consequences of their own actions, with the relatively rare scenarios in which public ridicule or humiliation was perhaps unwarranted.

How Twitter Files Hearing Turned Into a Dumpster Fire for GOP

Last week we saw a new entrant in this genreself-importantly dubbed, The Westminster Declarationtalking up concerns about international censorship.

To be clear, I have many concerns about international censorship, and have spent much of the past two decades fighting against all sorts of government censorship campaigns across various countries. Ive fought in court for free speech rights and criticized attempts by governments around the globe to move towards censorship.

And thus, I think there is much in the Westminster Declaration that is worth supporting. Were seeing laws pushed, worldwide, that seek to silence voices on the internet. Global attacks on privacy and speech-enhancing encryption technologies are a legitimate concern.

But the Declarationapparently authored by Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi, along with Andrew Lowenthal, according to their announcement of the documentseeks to take those legitimate concerns and wrap them tightly around a fantasy concoction. Its a moral panic of their own creation, arguing that separate from the legitimate concern of censorial laws being passed in numerous countries, there is something more nefariouswhat they have hilariously dubbed the censorship-industrial complex.

To be clear, this is something that does not actually exist. Its a fever dream from people who are upset that they, or their friends, violated the rules of social media platforms and faced the consequences.

But, unable to admit that private entities determining their own rules is an act of free expression itself (the right not to associate with speech is just as important as the right to speak), the crux of the Westminster Declaration is an attempt to commingle legitimate concerns about government censorship with grievances about private companies moderation decisions.

Taibbi and Shellenberger were two of the leading writers of the so-called Twitter Files, supposed pieces of investigative journalism built on information Elon Musk allowed them to seemostly emails of former Twitter employeesto try to understand how pre-Musk Twitter made moderation decisions.

Heres What Outrages Me More Than Twitters Censorship of the Hunter Biden Laptop Story

Unfortunately, Taibbi and Shellenberger had little understanding of what they were looking at, meaning they made confused and often blatantly incorrect or misleading interpretations.

If you read the Twitter Files underlying documents, they actually showed a company that struggled with the same moderation decisions that every company struggles with. They showed a company that more often than not pushed back on or ignored reports sent from government entities (which reported content to be evaluated against a sites rules, just like anyone else could report spam or harassment).

Just as one example, Taibbi and Shellenberger stated that the Election Integrity Partnership (a consortium of academic researchers, which is not the government, though it did accept a small number of reports from election officials) reported 22 million tweets to Twitter. This was false. It flagged 2,890 tweets (it later studied 22 million tweets to understand how disinformation spread) for Twitter to look at, and Twitter reviewed them and did nothing about most of them, only taking action on a small fraction of the flagged content (less than 30 percent).

And when Twitter actually took action, more often than not it added context (i.e. using its own speech, which youd think these defenders of free expression would support). In the extremely rare cases where content was removed (in less than 10 percent of the flagged tweets), the tweets were either phishing scams or outright lies about when and how to votein other words, tweets that were so illegal someone just got sentenced to seven months in prison over them.

Anyone who actually understands how social media works found the Twitter Files the opposite of scandalous. They actually showed a surprising level of competence by the former team at Twitter, tasked with the impossible job of keeping 200+ million people from fighting all the time or, worse, scamming others.

MSNBC Host Makes Matt Taibbi Squirm Over His Twitter Files Errors

With the Westminster Declaration, Taibbi and Shellenberger seek to transform the emptiness of their Twitter Files reporting into a modern day Pentagon Papers, by adding it to legitimate attempts by governments to pass dangerous censorial laws that strip away speech rights, and pretending that these are all the same. (Even more ridiculously, the Declarations authors imply that the Twitter Fileswhich showed private companies exercising their own speech rightsare somehow worse than governments passing speech suppressing laws.)

As with the Harpers Letter, Taibbi and Shellenberger were able to convince some true free speech supporters to sign onto this declaration, and then surrounded them with people who are grifters of the first order. The cancel culture brigade is out in force, signing on to the declaration to declare themselves victims of attacks on free speech.

There are too many names to go through them all, but the list includes long-term grievance peddlers like Jordan Peterson, Bret Weinstein, and Glenn Greenwald, who have spent the past few years insisting that the powers that be wish to silence them, even as they get more attention than ever before.

Lets look at one example: Peter Boghossian, a philosopher who was found to have violated research ethics rules while he was an assistant professor at Portland State University, and subsequently has become such a defender of free expression and classical liberalism that he has become a guest instructor at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), a Hungarian organization funded by Hungarys extremely illiberal autocratic leader, Viktor Orban, to steer Hungarian academics from going too woke. (Nothing says free expression and liberal debate like working for an authoritarian strongman at a university whose entire role is to shut down teaching on topics you disapprove of.)

Another example is Jonathan Haidt, the psychologist and ethics professor, who has become the darling of many who seek to regulate social media after claiming the evidence shows that social media is the cause of both the fall of democracy and mental wellbeing.

Leaving aside the fact that social scientists reviewing the data Haidt relied on for both claims have highlighted that he misread the data in both cases, it seems odd for him to sign on to this document, which effectively argues that any attempt by social media companies to mitigate harms on their platform (the very harms that Haidt keeps insisting are dangerous to society) is somehow an attack on the rights of free expression the document insists must be protected.

Twitter Files Reporter Bails on Twitter After Elon Makes It Unusable

The only consistent way to read this is Haidt arguing that social media creates real harms to society, but any social media company attempting to minimize those harms is a threat to the fabric of democracy.

But there is no consistency here in any of this.

That is the Westminster Declaration in a nutshell. Its inherently contradictory. To protect our free speech rights, we must take away the free speech rights of others.

The Taibbi/Shellenberger interpretation of the Twitter Files is an attempt to shut down the rights of private companies to enforce their own rules and cultivate their own communities, by laundering it with actual censorial government acts.

Even worse, their framing seeks to shut down and destroy the free speech rights of academic organizations that are studying how disinformation spreads. For all their talk of supporting free speech, the inclusion of the (misrepresented) Twitter Files is literally the opposite: an attempt to silence debate, research, and exploration in how to respond to nonsensethe very nonsense many of those who signed the Westminster Declaration make their living spreading.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Two male civilians were killed in the village of Podoly in Kharkiv Oblast due to shelling by Russian troops over the past day, on 24 October.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration; Kharkiv Regional Prosecutors Office

Details: During the day, Russian invaders attacked settlements in Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk and Izium districts.

As a result of an artillery attack, two civilian men aged 57 and 50 were killed in Podoly in Kupiansk district. A private residential building, outbuildings and two cars were damaged.

     

PHOTO: KHARKIV REGIONAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

    

PHOTO: KHARKIV REGIONAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

At night, after 23:00, Russians attacked the village of Borova in Izium district with MLRS. Preliminary reports indicate there were no casualties.

In addition, Pletenivka (Chuhuiv district), Kozacha Lopan (Kharkiv district), Chuhunivka, Dvorichna and Petropavlivka (Kupiansky district) and other settlements came under Russian fire.

Mine clearance continues. During the day, bomb disposal teams from the State Emergency Service examined more than 15 hectares of territory and neutralised 194 explosive devices.

Active military operations continue on the Kupiansk front. During the day, Ukrainian defenders repelled 10 Russian attacks in Synkivka and Ivanivka.

"Russia has made no progress and is suffering losses," the head of the Oblast Military Administration said.

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Two Richland County residents were arrested for scamming the government out of thousands of dollars of COVID relief money, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Tuesday.

Both 43-year-old Irmo resident Kadenia Mashea Javis and 49-year-old Columbia resident April Denise Harris were charged with obtaining property by false pretenses ($10,000 or more), SLED said in a news release.

The women falsely claimed to be out of work when they each applied for, and later accepted, unemployment benefits that totaled more than $10,000 apiece, arrest warrants show. The money came from Unemployment Insurance benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, according to the arrest warrants.

Information about exactly how much money each woman is accused of defrauding from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce was not available.

There was no word what, if anything, Javis and Harris did with money.

SLED said both Javis and Harris claimed to have lost their jobs at Javis Tax Service as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris was a registered agent at the Two Notch Road business that was owned by Javis, who was also a registered agent, according to arrest warrants.

Between March 27, 2020, and Dec. 17, 2020, both Javis and Harris received the unemployment benefits, SLED said. Despite their claims, the business actually remained open during the pandemic, and the women earned money from Javis Tax Service while also receiving the unemployment funds from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, according to the release.

Both Javis and Harris were arrested on Oct. 17, 2023, Richland County court records show. They were booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, SLED said.

Neither woman is currently listed on the Richland County jails inmate roster, as each posted $10,000 bonds on Oct. 18, according to court records. Both Javis and Harris are scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 15, according to judicial records.

SLED said the women will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

In 2011, Javis was arrested for financial crimes in Richland County, but she was not indicted and the charges were dismissed, court records show.
U.S. spy agencies believe that the blast at a Gaza hospital a week ago was caused by a Palestinian rocket that suffered engine failure and broke apart into two pieces, with the warhead striking the hospitals parking lot, intelligence officials said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters by phone, the intelligence officials said they had high confidence in their assessment that it was not Israel that fired the rocket, but they were less certain which Palestinian militants fired the projectile on the evening of Oct. 17.

We assess with high confidence that Israel was not responsible for the explosion at the hospital and that Palestinian militants were responsible, an intelligence official said. We assess with low confidence that Palestine Islamic Jihad was responsible for launching the rocket that landed on the hospital.

Follow live coverage from NBC News here.

U.S. officials had indicated previously that Palestine Islamic Jihad, or PIJ, was most likely responsible, and Israel blamed the group for the blast. The militant group shares Hamas goal of destroying Israel, but it is smaller than Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

The evidence pointing to PIJ was based on intercepted conversations between suspected Hamas affiliated militants who appeared to be speculating about who was behind the rocket launch, the officials said.

"We cant confirm who they are. We cant confirm that what they are discussing in the intercept actually took place, the official said.

The audio was not the same as that released publicly by Israels military previously, and it was vetted and deemed authentic, the official said.

The explosion at al-Ahli Hospital has sparked anger across the Arab world, with protesters embracing the version of events put forward by Palestinian officials and Hamas  that Israel was responsible.

The U.S. assessment was based on intelligence, physical activity, open source video and images that all pointed to a rocket blast and not a bomb dropped from an aircraft or an artillery round used by Israeli forces, the officials said.

The damage at the hospital is consistent with what we would expect to see from a rocket and inconsistent with the larger craters and broader blast effects that we would expect to see  from an air-dropped munition or an artillery round, the official said.

The explosion resulted in only light structural damage at the hospital, and there was no observable damage to the main hospital building, which was consistent with the effects of a rocket armed with a smaller warhead, the official said.

Open source video that was geolocated and taken from four locations showed a projectile launched inside Gaza traveling northeast, and 10 seconds later, there appears to be engine trouble based on the intensity of the rockets plume, the official said. Seconds later, there is a flash, with one object falling and then a second.

Among the videos analyzed by the intelligence community was one that was aired on Al-Jazeera television, the official said.

U.S. intelligence assesses that the first object falling was the rocket motor and the second was the rockets warhead, which caused a larger explosion, the official said.

"Based on those videos, our conclusion is that there was a catastrophic motor failure that likely occurred which separated the motor and the warhead," the official said. "The warhead landed in the hospital compound, and that was the second explosion and a much bigger one."

The official added: We cant rule out that new information is going to come to light that would change our assessment on this. But that said, we do have high confidence in our conclusions.

Palestinian rockets often misfire and miss their targets, the intelligence official said.

The failure rate for these domestically produced rockets is pretty high," the official said. "There are a lot of incidents in which they dont make it out of Gaza. They land in the sea. They fail to reach their targets.

So that does fit within a long-standing, yearslong pattern in terms of rocket performance, the official added.

Intelligence officials said they did not have an estimate of the casualties caused by the blast.

We dont have any independent ability to verify the specific casualty count in Gaza, the official said.

There was no evidence that Israels Iron Dome air defense system shot the rocket down, officials said.

Arab governments have been skeptical of the U.S. and Israeli assessment. Nobody is buying that narrative in this part of the world, Jordans foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, told NBC News last week.

A senior intelligence official who took part in the briefing said American diplomats had asked for more information to share with governments in the region.

Although an initial assessment was made the night of the blast, U.S. intelligence agencies compiled a more thorough analysis over several days, taking into account relevant video and images, the senior intelligence official said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON  The United States is one step closer to confirming an ambassador to Israel.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday morning to move the nomination out of committee for Jack Lew to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The nomination now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote.

The committee voted to advance Lew 12-9 along party lines. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote alongside Democrats in favor of Lew's nomination.

It clears a key hurdle for Lew -- treasury secretary in the Obama administration and an Orthodox Jew -- to be confirmed by the full Senate.

Senate Republicans grilled Lew last week when he testified before the committee during a hearing interrupted several times by protesters exemplifying how high tensions are with the ambassadorship on the line amid a war in the Middle East.

"I will work to strengthen Israel's security," Lew said during his testimony last week. "Israel is our closest partner in the region and its security is paramount."

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 18: Jack Lew, President Joe Bidens nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill October 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Lew, a former Treasury Secretary under President Barack Obama, was nominated by Biden in September after former U.S. ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides left the position over the summer. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The United States currently does not have a designated ambassador after Thomas Nides left the position over the summer. President Joe Biden nominated Lew for the role in September.

Democrats have pushed to confirm Lew as soon as possible as war rages on between Israel and Hamas, but Lew hasn't faced a seamless path to ambassadorship.

Senate Republicans have signaled that Lew is not the right fit for the job, citing his past record as Treasury Secretary in former President Barack Obama's administration and as Director of the Office of Management and Budget in former President Bill Clinton's administration.

Republicans are pointing to Lew's role in supporting the Obama administration's negotiations during the Iran nuclear deal and claim Lew was not transparent and misled the committee regarding transferring money to the Iran regime as Treasury secretary.

"We need this thing filled. The problem I have is it needs to be filled with the right person," Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said during the nomination hearing last week. Risch serves as the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

It is unclear when the upper chamber will take up Lew's nomination on the Senate floor, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged his colleagues last week to approve Lew "without any partisan delays."

"Mr. Lew has proven himself a strong public servant, a ferocious ally of Israel, so delaying him would be egregious at a time like this. We must move him quickly and I hope we will," Schumer said.

More: No U.S. ambassador to Israel? Senate Republicans grill Biden's top pick Jack Lew

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jack Lew closer to Israeli ambassadorship after Senate committee vote
BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday that China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to give full play to industrial complementarity and expand the scope and scale of economic and trade cooperation with a focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

In his meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Li said Kyrgyzstan is an important neighbor of China, adding that in May, President Xi Jinping and President Japarov lifted bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and jointly announced the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good neighborliness and shared prosperity, which, as a milestone in the history of bilateral relations, has charted the course for the development of bilateral relations and cooperation.

Li said China stands ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote greater development of bilateral cooperation in all areas, and build a stronger, more dynamic and effective community of a shared future with Kyrgyzstan to better benefit their people.

The Chinese side, Li said, is willing to deepen political mutual trust with the Kyrgyz side, always firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interest, further align their development strategies, deepen the integration of economic benefits, and continue to improve the quality and efficiency of bilateral cooperation.

Li also called on both sides to maintain the stability of the industrial and supply chains, build a multi-dimensional connectivity paradigm, and work for an early start of the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

He expects the two sides to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges on areas including tourism, women, youth and at the sub-national level, to promote the mutual understanding and amity between their people.

Li also called on the two countries to continue to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation, so as to jointly safeguard a secure and stable development environment.

The Chinese side is willing to reinforce communication and coordination with the Kyrgyz side on regional and international affairs, speed up the implementation of the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, closely coordinate within such multilateral mechanisms as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and safeguard the common interest of developing countries and international equity and justice, he added.

For his part, Japarov noted that in May this year, he and Xi reached an important consensus on the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era between the two countries and the building of a Kyrgyzstan-China community with a shared future.

Adding that bilateral relations have maintained a strong momentum of development, Japarov said the Kyrgyz side firmly supports China on issues concerning China's core interests.

Kyrgyzstan is willing to maintain close exchanges with China at all levels, strengthen good-neighborly friendship, promote the Belt and Road cooperation, and expand cooperation in economy and trade, interconnectivity, and people-to-people exchanges, among other fields, said Japarov.

The Kyrgyz side stands ready to deepen cooperation with China within the framework of China-Central Asia cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, jointly combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, effectively address traditional and non-traditional security challenges, and promote regional security and development, said Japarov. 
Some have been waiting in Pakistan for more than a year, according to charities

The UK government is to charter flights to relocate Afghan refugees living in Pakistan who have been promised UK visas, starting on Thursday.

Thousands of people who worked with or for the UK government in Afghanistan and fled the Taliban are in Pakistan, waiting for relocation to the UK.

Some have been waiting for over a year, according to charities.

Earlier this month, Pakistan said it plans to start deporting illegal migrants from 1 November.

Among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan are former translators for the British army and teachers for the British council, all part of either the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

All went to Pakistan because the UK asked them to go to process their visas ready to start a new life in the UK.

But many of the refugees' visas have now expired.

And according to a risk assessment document revealed in court, the British authorities in Pakistan now consider people in this group to be "at risk of deportation".

Recent government figures show that around 3,250 men women and children on the UK's relocation schemes are living in guest houses and hotels in Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

While in Pakistan, they have no legal access to work and their children are not allowed to go to school.

Initially many thought they would be in Pakistan for a few weeks.

Documents released in court revealed how many face longer waits in part due to instructions by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, banning their accommodation in hotels in the UK in all but extreme cases.

Instead, longer-term accommodation was to be found. An email released in the documents stated that this "should represent an overall net saving to the taxpayer".

The UK government is planning on sending several flights until December

Over the past few weeks the BBC has spoken to people on the UK's relocation programmes; many said they are afraid to leave their hotels.

According to official sources in Pakistan, the UK government is now planning on chartering several flights over the course of the next few months, until December.

The officials have said the first of these flights starts on Thursday.

The UK government has not said how many people will be onboard the first flight or how many are expected to be relocated before 1 November deadline.

The BBC understands that the government has decided that those on the relocation programmes will no longer need to be matched to so-called "suitable accommodation" before they arrive.

There was some hope, but also confusion about the news of the flights.

'No one knows who is first'

Jamal, not his real name, worked as a translator for the British army, and said he had not heard anything from the British authorities.

"Hopefully everyone will move soon, no one knows who is first, who is in the middle, who is last," he told the BBC.

Mahfouz, also not his real name, worked delivering projects for the UK government.

"I am just concerned what will happen if my family will not be on one of those flights until the end of December.

"My wife is pregnant and if we don't travel soon we may have to wait into next year," he said.

Those on the UK schemes are becoming increasingly nervous about the 1 November deadline.

Several told the BBC on at least two occasions where they had heard of police raiding accommodation and detaining people on the UK relocation schemes, who did not have the suitable documents to hand.

Even though they were released, it has left many frightened they could be sent back to Afghanistan.

The Taliban government has declared an amnesty for those who worked with international forces.

However, many people we spoke to talked about living in hiding before they left Afghanistan for Pakistan, scared, they said, of what might happen to them.

Some felt that by following the UK authorities' directions and leaving Afghanistan they had put themselves at increased risk.

Qasim - not his real name - worked with the UK authorities.

He said: "Before we left Afghanistan, our lives were in 50% danger. Now they are in 100% danger."

The UK authorities' risk assessment also acknowledges that things may change after 1 November.

The document states that they have stood a "reasonable chance of success" of securing release, if notified in time of someone on the scheme's detention.

But that "it is very difficult to judge we would be successful in every case if it were to happen frequently beyond 1 November and we were not informed or the eligible person didn't have the documents with them."

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson did not comment on the flights but said the UK had brought around 24,600 people from Afghanistan to safety, including thousands of people eligible for the country's Afghan schemes.

Additional reporting by Gem O'Reilly
Ukrainian military units have achieved partial success west of Verbove, inflicting heavy losses on Russian combat troops

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have achieved partial success west of Verbove in the Melitopol sector of the front, according to General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi , the commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group, on Oct. 25.

Tavrias artillery units launched 1,228 strikes against Russian positions over the past 24 hours. Four hundred and nine occupiers were eliminated, and three surrendered, Tarnavskyi said.

Read also: Ukraine continues offensive south of Bakhmut, achieves success west of Verbove  General Staff

Three Russian tanks, as well as eight armored combat vehicles, seven artillery systems, one self-propelled gun, four unmanned aerial vehicles, and four vehicles were also destroyed, he said.

Read also: Russia loses 800 troops, dozens of artillery systems over past 24 hours

One Russian ammunition depot was destroyed and 18 units of military equipment were damaged, Tarnavskyi said.

Earlier, the Tavria groups spokesman, Oleksandr Shtupun, said that Ukrainian forces had advanced 400 meters to the southwest of Verbove in Zaporizhzhya Oblast.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The following is the seventh edition of our new Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here.

Search & Destroy

The business news world in Ukraine this week was abuzz with a battle far from the front lines.

In the afternoon of Oct. 17, armed employees of Ukraines Financial Investigations Service, known here by its Ukrainian acronym BEB, showed up at the doors of the !Fest restaurant groups office in the western city of Lviv, refusing to let its employees in or out.

It claimed the group was massively evading taxes, largely by paying employees under the table. For those of you who dont immediately recognize the !Fest name, the group owns dozens of popular bars and restaurants in Ukraine, including the bar Piana Vyshnia (Drunken Cherry) and Lviv Handmade Chocolate.

Today at !FEST we have a classic mask show. (They showed up) in helmets with assault rifles, armor  everything is like being sent to the front :)), Yurko Nazaruk, co-owner of the restaurant group, wrote on Facebook during the search.

Allow me to explain what Nazaruk means when he says classic mask show. Ukrainians refer to these types of raids and searches by Ukrainian state agencies as mask shows because of how they go down: armed men in balaclavas show up unannounced, demanding documents and confiscating property. Cases of these searches turning into extortion abound.

Heres the thing. !Fest, like so many businesses in Ukraine, operates with a sole proprietorship model, referred to by its Ukrainian acronym FOP. Its actually the most common way businesses are registered in Ukraine.

In short, instead of having all employees officially employed, they are registered as sole proprietors, or individual entrepreneurs, paid essentially like contractors with a lower tax rate than official employees. Doing business this way tends to simplify management, accounting, and a complicated tax structure in Ukraine.

Olha Nasonova, the founder of Restaurant Consulting, told Forbes Ukraine, that McDonalds is probably the only food establishment in Ukraine that pays its employees white salaries, or wages that are taxed fully as part of the business.

Nasonova also told Forbes that this type of search is unprecedented for the restaurant market, saying that this is the first search over a tax audit in many years.

As Ive previously written, many businesses in Ukraine say that following Russias full-scale invasion, they have faced increased pressure from state agencies, particularly from the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the BEB. They say these searches and raids seriously hamper their ability to function properly and deter investment.

As long as the state assaults entrepreneurs with weapons rather than protecting them, we are not a country for civilized investors, Nazaruk wrote.

A UN reports findings estimate that the Kakhovka dam's destruction caused around $2.79 billion in direct damage to infrastructure and assets. (Government of Ukraine and the United Nations/ Liza Kukharska)

Taking stock

The UN recently released a Post Disaster Needs Assessment that evaluates the extent of the damage and losses incurred by Russias destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in June of this year.

As a result of the dams destruction, dozens of communities were flooded and thousands lost their homes. Up to a million people lost access to drinking water, and 140,000 were deprived of electricity, the UN says.

The reports findings estimate that the dam breach caused around $2.79 billion in direct damage to infrastructure and assets, with the energy ($1.26 billion) and housing ($1.1 billion) sectors taking the brunt of the damage.

In total, losses exceed $11 billion, the report says, adding that the recovery and reconstruction needs are somewhere in the ballpark of $5.04 billion, with $1.82 billion of that needed in the short term.

The destruction of the dam caused revenue losses of $96 million alone to the state-owned company Ukrhydroenergo which operated the dam before Russia occupied the surrounding area, the report found, adding that the estimated income losses of the company due to the loss of electricity and ancillary services sales amounted to $138 million.

The return of a significant proportion of displaced residents is necessary to give momentum to the reconstruction, the UN writes. But with over 37,000 homes destroyed by the dam explosion, 15% of those beyond repair, and a total of $1.1 billion in damages to housing, its hard to imagine people will be in a rush to return.

That, and the affected areas proximity to the front lines where Russian assaults on civilian infrastructure are frequent.

Restoring energy supply to the area will also be key as will addressing the devastating environmental impact of the disaster, which as the UN says, will take decades to remedy.

An October survey by Gradus Research found that 18% of refugees want to stay in foreign countries, up from 8% one year ago. (Gradus Research/ Lisa Kukharska)

Demographic disaster

The threat of a demographic crisis has been building in Ukraine for a while but Russias full-scale invasion has pushed it to the breaking point, Kyiv Independent reporter Dominic Culverwell writes in his latest article, Demographic disaster: Ukraines biggest post-war threat.

The country had a population of 41 million in 2021, by the governments reckoning. Now, it hovers around 35 million and experts warn that it could drop to under 29 million in the next 30 years, according to the EUs Joint Coordination Center (JCC).

The UN has estimated that 6.2 million refugees left the country during the full-scale invasion and only one million have come back. That may not be enough for a full economic recovery, experts say.

We are not ready to lose six million refugees (for good), Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said at the Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) on Oct. 12.

If the country cant get enough people to come back, the future looks grim for its economy and population. And large numbers of people were leaving and not coming back, even before Russias total war, over unequal opportunities.

The government needs to guarantee that when the war is over, the country will be built back better.

But it could be a Herculean task to convince skilled refugees to repatriate if they have reached a comfortable living standard in the EU. Member states are also using these Ukrainians to plug their own workforce deficits.

Their benefit is Ukraines loss. The knock-on effects of a demographic crisis will be tremendous, stunting any recovery. The Center for Economic Strategy (CES) forecasts an annual GDP decline between 2.7%- 6.9% if the country loses between 1.3-3.3 million of its citizens.

Continue reading the story here.

A Pepsi plant damaged by falling Russian missile fragments in Kyiv Oblast on Sept. 21, 2023.(Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On the move

There is no shortage of examples of how Ukrainian businesses have artfully adapted to war-time conditions. Technology has no doubt played a huge role in businesses ability to stay online and keep operations running smoothly.

But for some companies, access to stable internet isnt enough, and under the constant threat of Russian attacks, one of the only options may be to physically pick up and move.

Under a government-supported relocation program, over 800 Ukrainian businesses have done just that. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 840 Ukrainian businesses have moved away from regions most affected by the war, analytics website Opendatabot reported on Oct. 23.

As part of the program, any Ukrainian business located in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, or Mykolaiv oblasts can apply to receive support to select a new location, resettle employees, and transport equipment elsewhere in Ukraine.

So far, Lviv Oblast, located on Ukraines far western border with Poland, is the most popular destination for relocation, with 199 companies reportedly having moved to the region.

Some 300,000 tons of grain have also been destroyed by Russian attacks, according to the minister.

Relocating to western Zakarpattia Oblast is also popular, as 120 enterprises have done so, followed by Chernivtsi Oblast with 78. The fourth-most popular oblast is Ivano-Frankivsk, with 70 businesses moving to the region.

Speaking to people in the business community, Ive been hearing how companies are successfully managing to move entire factories from war-torn parts of the country to the west.

One couple moved their plant from the city of Dnipro all the way to Ivano-Frankivsk, taking 70 employees and their families with them. The company, SheMax, which manufactures manicure vacuum hoods to protect manicurists from hazardous manicure dust, is now exporting its products to more than 35 countries in Europe and the U.S.

A Nova Poshta depot damaged after a Russian missile attack in the village of Korotych, Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 22, 2023. (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Front-line operations

More than a year and a half into Russias war against Ukraine, the country's largest retailers are returning to front-line and liberated areas, despite the risks, freelancer Nina Mishchenko writes in a soon-to-be published story for the Kyiv Independent.

Among those risks are enormous losses to their personnel and businesses due to continued Russian attacks, labor scarcity, and a shortage of goods.

However, according to Mishchenkos reporting, these businesses want to be in these areas, viewing their return as a sort of humanitarian mission to bring normalcy back to places that have been devastated by Russias war.

"Despite constant danger, shelling, and fear, people in these front-line cities continue to live their lives. We wanted to support them and be there for them, co-owner of Ukraines e-commerce giant Rozetka, Vladyslav Chechotkin, said on Facebook.

Both the financial risk and the danger are very real. Ukraines largest privately-owned postal service Nova Poshta estimates its losses at nearly $45 million due to the war, not including a recent Russian attack on one of its postal depots in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 21 that killed six people and injured 17 more.

As of Sept. 1, the total losses of companies surveyed by Mishchenko  which includes the large retailers Okko, Eva, Comfy, Dnipro-M, and the Fozzy Group  exceeded $150 million. The number of lost stores in each chain is in the dozens.

The upcoming story is also a feel-good one, full of examples of heroic employees doing their part, both during occupation and after, to reopen stores to make sure that people could still meet their needs.

I particularly liked one  as Russian troops were entering Kherson in the early days of the war, employees of one Nova Poshta branch welded shut the doors of the branch, preserving 4,000 packages that had been sent to the location for delivery before Feb. 24, 2022. After the city was liberated, eight months later, the packages were delivered.

Keep an eye out for the story on our website and social media.

What else is happening

Energy giant DTEK imports almost 40,000 metric tons of coal from Poland. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, has imported over 38,000 metric tons of coal from Poland, Ildar Saleev, the company's general director, said on Oct. 20. The company plans to import 210,000 metric tons of coal for the winter to ensure the stable operation of its thermal power plants. While "Ukrainian coal is priority no. 1," Saleev said that the company is importing coal from Poland in case of Russian attacks.

Ukrainians can now officially open stores on Etsy online marketplace. Ukrainians can now officially open stores on the Etsy online marketplace following the launch of the Etsy payment system in Ukraine, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Oct. 18. The launch of Etsy payments in Ukraine is an important part of the systematic work of the Digital Transformation Ministry to scale up the participation of Ukrainians in the international e-commerce ecosystem, Fedorov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Media: New EU sanctions package to include Russian diamonds ban. The next package of European Union sanctions against Russia is set to include a long-awaited ban on Russian diamonds, Brussels-based media outlet EUobserver reported on Oct. 20, citing an unnamed European diplomat. The EU is now awaiting a Group of 7 (G7) statement on the diamond ban before announcing its 12th round of sanctions against Russia. The G7 countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and U.S. "account for 70 percent of world diamond end-user demand," EUobserver reported. Make sure to read our investigation on Russian diamonds if you missed it.

Boryspil airport plans to resume operations within a month of war's end. Ukraine's largest airport, Kyiv's Boryspil International, is prepared to resume flights within one month after the end of the war, the airport's director general Oleksiy Dubrevskyy said in an interview with Politico on Oct. 18. "We're doing all the necessary activities to get flights as soon as possible," Dubrevskyy said. "Were ready to start operations at short notice."

Turkish ambassador: Black Sea grain deal possible to restore. Turkey believes that the Black Sea Grain Initiative can be restored, and Anakara is working with all relevant players to achieve that result, Turkish Ambassador to Ukraine Yagmur Ahmet Guldere told Ukrinform on Oct. 19. "We believe that the grain deal can be revived... As you know, the initiative became a reality thanks to Turkey's cooperation with the UN, Ukraine, and Russia," the ambassador said in the interview.

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Avdiivka

The Ukrainian Armed Forces maintain a strong defense in the Avdiivka sector, inflicting significant losses on the Russian occupiers still attempting to surround the city, the Ukrainian General Staff reported on Facebook on Oct. 25.

Read also: Key road to Avdiivka faces relentless bombardment as Russia tries to sever vital link, local governor says

The enemy's offensive operations in Stepove, Avdiivka, Severne, and Nevelske in Donetsk Oblast were unsuccessful, with more than ten attacks repelled by the Tavria operational-strategic group.

Kupyansk sector  Ten enemy attacks were repelled near Synkivka and Ivanivka by the Khortytsia operational-strategic grouping;

Lyman sector  The Ukrainian Armed Forces maintained their defense and have successfully repelled all enemy attacks around Nadiya and Makiyivka in Luhansk Oblast;

Bakhmut sector  Russia launched 10 unsuccessful attacks near Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue their offensive south of the city, inflicting losses on the enemy's personnel and equipment, and consolidating their positions.

Mariupol sector  Ukrainian forces repelled more than 20 enemy attacks near Maryinka and Pobeda in Donetsk Oblast.

Shakhtarsk and Zaporizhzhya sectors  All Russian attacks in Novomykhailivka, Prechystivka, and Staromykhailivka south of Zolota Nyva in Donetsk Oblast, as well as southeast of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhya Oblast were repulsed;

Melitopol sector  The Ukrainian Armed Forces continued their offensive operation and achieved partial success west of Verbove, inflicting personnel and equipment losses on the enemy forces;

Kherson sector  The Odesa operational-strategic grouping continues counter-battery warfare, conducting artillery strikes on the enemy's rear positions.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The United States has secretly transferred ATACMS to Ukraine

The provision of long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles has already proven to be one of the most significant "upgrades" in the class of weapons provided to Ukraine by its Western partners.

Although the United States has so far transferred a very limited number of ATACMS to Ukraine ("fewer than a dozen" according to AP, and up to 20 according to the New York Times), they are significantly expanding the range of potential Russian targets that the Armed Forces of Ukraine can now hit. The first few missiles used have already had a major impact on Russian military helicopters, as the enemy lost at least nine vehicles in Luhansk and Berdyansk.



NV explains how the characteristics of this missile affect the potential range of targets which ATACMS strikes could potentially reach.

Is the range 300 or 165 km? What missiles did Ukraine receive?

ATACMS missiles come in several varieties. Ukraine received long-range MGM-140A cluster missiles  an ATACMS variant with a shorter range but larger number of submunitions.

The maximum range of these missiles, also known as M39 or ATACMS Block I, is 165 km. On Oct. 17, the White House officially confirmed that Ukraine had received ATACMS missiles with that specific range.

These are ballistic missiles with a solid fuel engine. Their launch mass is more than 1,600 kg, while the mass of the warhead is 570 kg. The payload consists of 950 individual M74 submunitions, which greatly expands the area which the detonation can affect.

Read also: Russia reduces helicopter usage after ATACMS strikes  Danilov

The M74 submunitions are 75mm spheres weighing about 500 grams each. One submunition can create about 260 fragments during detonation, creating a blast zone of up to 15 square meters, according to Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi. Each of the 950 submunitions contains a detonator and explosives, and their outer body contains aerodynamic ridges that give it a spin during the descent.

The missile is equipped with an autonomous inertial guidance system with laser gyroscopes. However, since such missiles were produced in the 1990s, they do not have a GPS satellite signal correction system. Thus, they have a circular error probable of 225-250 meters.

Another type of ATACMS missile the ATACMS Block IA or M39A1 contains fewer submunitions (300), but has a range of almost 300 km. There is no reliable indication that these missiles have been provided to Ukraine.

Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missile can strike at 250 km. What is the advantage of ATACMS?

The UK and France have already provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with cruise missiles which have a range which is even greater than U.S.-made ATACMS: Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG can reach targets up to 250 km away.

However, these are air-launched cruise missiles, so there are several significant advantages in using ATACMS over them.

First is the ability to launch the missiles inconspicuously. While Storm Shadow and SCALP are launched from Su-24M jets, which is always a risk for Ukrainian aviation or can at least be tracked by the enemy, ATACMS are launched from ground platforms. These include the M270 track-mounted multiple rocket launcher (two missiles) and its lightweight version on a wheeled chassis  the M142 HIMARS (one missile).

Read also: Video footage of Storm Shadow strike on Black Sea Fleet HQ in Crimea

Second, the ATACMS provided to Ukraine have cluster warheads. This increases the target area in comparison to Storm Shadow, which is especially important when striking targets such as airfields, where vehicles are often dispersed. As Militarnyi writes, until now the only means Ukraine possessed of destroying targets spread over a large area was the Soviet-era Tochka-U tactical missile systems. However, ammunition for this system has likely already been exhausted.

Third, ATACMS is a specific "quasi-ballistic" missile with a complex trajectory. It reaches a speed of Mach 3 (approximately 3,675 km/h), while the Storm Shadow is a subsonic cruise missile (Mach 0.8). This makes it much more difficult for Russian air defense systems to intercept ATACMS. In addition, as Military Today explains, ATACMS is often referred to as a "quasi-ballistic" missile. This means that while the ATACMS trajectory does assume a ballistic arc to hit the target, the missile also performs a series of rapid and sudden turns and course corrections en route. This is an intentionally designed function of ATACMS, since this behavior makes it extremely difficult to track or intercept the missile, which is why the U.S. Army also calls ATACMS "maneuverable" missiles.

"To intercept such missiles, it would be necessary to create an echeloned air defense system with S-400/S-300B complexes and the latest versions of BUK systems, adds Militarnyi.

"At the same time, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation do not have a sufficient number of SAMs to create such defense lines around all important military facilities in occupied territories of Ukraine."

Potential targets: where ATACMS can hit

Which of the enemys "critical military objects" can ATACMS reach?

Experts from Defense Express made a map which shows that potential targets: airfields in Dzhankoi (Crimea), Luhansk, Berdyansk, and Mariupol all fall within the 165 km range of the MGM-140A missiles provided to Ukraine. The experts also note that Berdyansk and Mariupol are strategically important ports for Russian military logistics.

In addition, the range of MGM-140A missiles reaches the occupied city of Henichesk, which the Russians have made the "administrative center" of the occupied part of Kherson Oblast. Previously, Ukrainian forces had already struck Russian bases and personnel in this area. Also within the missiles range is Cape Tarkhankut, where Ukraine previously destroyed an S-400 Triumph air defense system, as well as the northern part of occupied Crimea, including all isthmuses and communication routes with mainland Ukraine.

Read also: Historical achievement: Russian Black Sea Fleet flees occupied Crimea  Zelenskyy

Earlier, in an interview with The WarZone, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov argued for the need to provide Ukraine with ATACMS precisely because most of the Russian command posts and logistics warehouses and bases are now located more than 85 km from the front line.

The Russians just place command posts and other things beyond those distances so we don't have anything to reach them there [with available MLRS], said Budanov.

And the situation is the same with Russian aviation at the airfields. Fighting Russian aviation using air defense systems is very costly and ineffective. Aviation should be taken out at the air bases [in occupied Ukraine].

It was at the airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk, located 100 km from the front line, where the first strikes were carried out using these missiles.

As other similar maps demonstrate, potential targets in almost the entire occupied territory Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblasts fall into the 165-km range of these missiles.

If we assume that Ukraine will later receive ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300 km, then the set of potential Russian targets under threat will expand even more.

This would mean that the entire occupied territory of Ukraine, including the entire area of Russian-held Crimea, will be within range.

Read also: Full fire control over Russian-occupied Crimea is a matter of time  Zelenskyy

Potential ATACMS targets could then include Russian airfields in Crimea at Saki, Hvardiyske, Kacha, Belbek, and Kirovske  together with the airfields at Strilkove, Chaplinka, and Dzhankoi which are already within the range of the available 165 km missiles.

In addition, the list of targets of 300-km missiles could include ports where the Russian navy is based like Feodosia, Kerch, and Sevastopol, as well as air defense deployment areas near Simferopol, Kotovskyi, Kerch, and more.

Where ATACMS will not fly

Ukraine has received long-range weapons from the United States, the UK, and France, on the condition that these missiles not be used against Russian territory.

Read also: Up to 800,000 Russians settled in Crimea after occupation, Kyiv says

Thus, although even the 165-km ATACMS can reach Russian air base in Yeisk on the southern coast of the Sea of Azov, as well as a number of other military air bases in Kursk and Belgorod regions, these areas are unlikely to be among the targets of U.S.-supplied missiles.

Ukrainian civilian and military officials have repeatedly assured that they will fulfill their obligations and will use these weapons only against Russian targets in occupied territory of Ukraine, including Crimea.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Almost 43,000 women are now serving in Ukraine's military, according to the countrys Defense Ministry. They volunteered to fight, as unlike with men, there is no obligatory conscription for women in Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent asks people on the streets of Kyiv if Ukraine should change it.

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The Ukrainian legislature is moving toward a ban on its historic Orthodox church due to concerns about Russian ties.

Law 8371 would grant the Ukrainian government power to investigate and ban Ukrainian religious authorities with connections to Russia.

It was overwhelmingly approved with a vote of 267-15.

'PUTIN'S CONFESSOR' NAMED BISHOP OF ANNEXED UKRAINIAN TERRITORY

The Verkhovna Rada supported a ban on the activities of religious organizations connected to Russia in Ukraine, which can terminate the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

A second vote on the bill is necessary before being presented to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for final approval as a law.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is part of the greater Eastern Orthodox Church and formerly operated under the direct jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Moscow Patriarch Kirill is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has offered spiritual support for the invasion of Ukraine.

UKRAINE ASKS COURT TO PUT ORTHODOX LEADER UNDER HOUSE ARREST

Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, takes part in a ceremony of consecration of icons painted on plates from bulletproof vests used by Ukrainian servicemen at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv.

The UOC formally split from the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022, declaring itself autocephalous and autonomous.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), founded in 1995, became official in 2018 with the approval of Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, who oversaw the separation after a unification council.

Following the decision, a crisis of continuity has arisen between the UOC, the Russian Orthodox Church, and those clerics and laity who have assumed the name Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Both the UOC and the OCU claim to be completely severed from Russian influence, but accusations of Putin-aligned sympathies have kept them a national talking point.

The new law, if passed, would grant the Ukrainian government freedom to dismantle the UOC for the sake of national security.

The Russian Orthodox Church continues to consider churches under the UOC and OCU as part of their church, appointing bishops in the contested territories.





Original article source: Ukraine moves to ban Orthodox churches over alleged Russian ties
Oleksandr Kamyshin , the Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, has announced a significant increase in the production of shells in Ukraine, but Kyiv still relies heavily on supplies from partners.

Source: Kamyshin at a briefing on the sidelines of the NATO Industrial Forum in Stockholm, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Quote: "As for the capabilities of the domestic defence industry, we are growing significantly. And if we talk, for example, about shells, we are now producing many times more of them than we did last year. But in any case, this is quite far from how much we need."

Details: Kamyshin said that no matter how much Ukraine increases local production, it will still rely heavily on Western supplies.

"Because we have the biggest war of generations. And the level of consumption of shells is fairly high," Kamyshin added.

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Ukraine-Russia war - live: Putin turns to new weapon for winter attacks as bombing of Avdiivka continues

The Russian Army has used new, longer-range drones for the first time in an attack against Ukraine near Kyiv, reports suggest.

The Italmas weapon, which is harder to detect than the Iranian-made Shahed drone, may be part of Vladimir Putins strategy to expand Russias arsenal as harsher winter weather approaches, the Institute for the Study of War said.

It comes as the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, Donetsk, faced heavy shelling overnight as Russia continues with its offensive push into the region.

The enemy dropped about 40 guided aerial bombs in two nights. But the number of ground assaults has been reduced, half of what it was yesterday and the day before, Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for Ukraines southern group of forces, said.

Mr Shtupun added that Russia had suffered about 2,400 casualties in the last five days during its campaing in the Donetsk region.

Meanwhile, Ukraine launched an underwater sabotage attack on Russias Black Sea fleet near Sevastopol, Crimea, on Tuesday, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the region.

Key Points

Kremlin rejects claims about Putins ill health

Putin pushes more soldiers to frontline despite failing offensive

Putin forced to increase number of soldiers on ground as UK estimates death toll

Six killed in Russias missile attack on Kharkiv postal centre, says Ukraine

North Korea on course to be significant supplier of arms to Russia, MoD says

09:37 , Alexander Butler

North Korea is on course to become one of Russias most significant foreign arms suppliers alongside Iran and Belarus, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

The MoD added it was almost certain that recent North Korean munitions shipments had now reached depots in western Russia.

If North Korea sustains the recent scale and pace of military-related shipments (more than 1,000 containers over the last several weeks), it will be on course to become one of Russias most significant foreign arms suppliers, alongside Iran and Belarus, it said on X, formerly Twitter.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  26 October 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/XtDEBWEdcc



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/lVCkzVawFK  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) October 26, 2023

Russia to build ties with North Korea in all areas, Kremlin says

10:38 , Alexander Butler

Russia will build ties with North Korea in all areas, the Kremlin said.

It comes after the UK Ministry of Defence said North Korea is on course to become one of Russias most significant foreign arms suppliers alongside Iran and Belarus.

The MoD added it was almost certain that recent North Korean munitions shipments had now reached depots in western Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (via REUTERS)

Hungary says it wont support EU budget proposal over Ukraine funds

09:00 , Alexander Butler

Hungary cannot support the European Unions proposed modification of the EU budget, Prime Minister Viktor Orbans chief of staff has said.

He said that giving funds to Ukraine from the budget for four years was unacceptable. Mr Orban is widely considered one of Vladimir Putins only allies in the EU.

On Wednesday, Slovakias president on Wednesday appointed a new coalition government led by pro-Russian leader Robert Fico, in a move widely seen to weaken the EUs unified approach to Russia.

Hungary cannot support the European Unions proposed modification of the EU budget (AFP via Getty Images)

Anger at supply of North Korean weapons to Putin

07:39 , Alexander Butler

South Korea, Japan and the US have strongly condemned the supply of arms and military equipment by North Korea to Russia, saying they have confirmed several deliveries.

The Republic of Korea, United States, and Japan strongly condemn the provision of military equipment and munitions by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the Russian Federation for use against the government and people of Ukraine, the statement issued by foreign ministers of the three countries said.

Such weapons deliveries, several of which we now confirm have been completed, will significantly increase the human toll of Russias war of aggression.

North Korean and Russian flags are seen outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, Russia (Sputnik)

Study finds deepfakes from Ukraine undermining trust in conflict footage

07:09 , Maira Butt

Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) have conducted a study which is the first of its kind to find evidence of online conspiracy theories which incorporate deepfakes. Deepfakes are artificially manipulated audio-visual material.

The Russia-Ukraine war presented as the first real-life example of deepfakes being used in warfare.

The researchers highlight examples of deepfake videos during this war including the use of video game footage as evidence of the urban myth fighter pilot The Ghost of Kyiv, and a deepfake of Russian president Vladimir Putin, showing the Russian president announcing peace with Ukraine.

The study found deepfakes often undermined users trust in the footage they were receiving from the conflict to the point where they lost trust in any footage viewed.

As well as the threat coming from the fake content itself, researchers found genuine media contact was being labelled as deepfakes.

(PA)

Video game footage has been mistaken for conflict footage leading to real reports being undermined (Getty Images)

Russian troop losses at an all-time high according to report

06:09 , Maira Butt

The Kyiv Post has reported that Russian troop losses are at an all-time high according to a new report on Wednesday.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine publishes full information on casualties and deaths following military actions.

The publication reported: Ragnar Gudmundsson, an Iceland-based analyst tracking losses of personnel and equipment on both sides of the Russo-Ukraine War since the early days of Russias February 2022 full-scale invasion, in a Wednesday situation update reported Russian service personnel dead hit a probable wartime record of more than 1,400 killed in combat in a single day on 20th October, and have averaged 900 men a day killed in combat from 10-20 October, a time window coinciding almost exactly with the launch of major Russian army attacks in the Avdiivka sector.

US elects House Speaker sceptical of Ukraine support

05:09 , Maira Butt

Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana has been unanimously elected House speaker with broad GOP support on Wednesday. The more conservative but lesser known congressman who has backing from Donald Trump, initially supported Ukraine, sharing his support on X, formerly known as Twitter.

However, in May last year he was one of only 57 members of the House to vote against $40 billion of aid to Ukraine.

He released a statement saying: We should not be sending another $40 billion abroad when our own border is in chaos, American mothers are struggling to find baby formula, gas prices are at record highs, and American families are struggling to make ends meet, without sufficient oversight over where the money will go.

Since the statement, he has consistently voted against aid to Ukraine.

Mike Johnson is the new House Speaker and has a history of opposing aid to Ukraine (REUTERS)

Russian strike on Kherson Oblast town kills child

04:09 , Maira Butt

Ukrainian Governor Oleksandr Prokudin has reported that a Russian stirke on Kherson Oblasts town of Beryslav on Wednesday killed a 13 year old boy.

On his Telegram channel he wrote: In the evening, the occupiers opened fire against a residential building in the city, as a result of the strike, a 13-year-old boy died.

Governor Prokudin did not provide further details on potential damage caused by the attack or on the weaponry used by Russian forces.

Ukraines SSO reports $25 million damage to Russian equipment

03:09 , Maira Butt

The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) report they have inflicted over $25 million damage to Russian equipment in one week. In a message on their Telegram channel, they reported the destruction of heavy equipment including the Zoopark-1 surveillance and fire control radar complex, a prized possession for Russians.

Other equipment included a critical battlefield artillery fire coordination complex that directed Russian artillery and taregetd locations of Ukrainian surface-to-surface and surface-to-air fire.

Kyiv confirms creation of battalion of Russians who want to fight against Putin

02:09 , Maira Butt

A spokesperson from Ukrainian intelligence told Bloomberg that a Siberian battalion was being made up of entirely Russian citizens in support of Ukraine.

The group is made up of dozens of Russians and ethnic minorities from Russia who travelled through third countries to join the Ukrainian army.

Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defense Ministrys Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said Yusov said it was only the beginning and Ukraine would continue to recruit Russian citizens to similar battalions.

Dozens of Russians are said to make up the Siberian Battalion (Getty Images)

Welsh Parliament recognises Holodomor as genocide against Ukrainian people

01:09 , Maira Butt

On Wednesday the Welsh parliament recognised the 1932-1933 famine as a genocide against the Ukrainian people under Stalin and the Soviet government.

The Embassy of Ukraine said on X, formerly known as Twitter: We are grateful to the Senedd for recognizing the 19321933 Holodomor in Ukraine as genocide committed against Ukrainians. Its a significant milestone in restoring historical justice and raising awareness about the millions of innocent victims

The University of Minnesota says between 3.5 million and 7 million Ukrainians died during the genocide.

Millions of Ukrainians are said to have died under Stalin and the Soviet government in 1932-1933 (REUTERS)

Qatar calls out double standard in international community on Ukraine versus Gaza

Thursday 26 October 2023 00:03 , Maira Butt

Speaking in Doha to Sky News, the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Abdulrahman al-Thani, questioned why the cutting off of food and water in Ukraine was seen as a war crime but not in Gaza.

The children being killed in this war is exceeding the number killed in the other war between Ukraine and Russia, and yet we havent seen the same reaction.

Qatars Foreign Minister, Abdulrahman al-Thani, addressed foreign press at a conference held alongside Turkey (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia shoots down two Ukraine missiles provided by US

Wednesday 25 October 2023 23:14 , Maira Butt

Russian military have reported they shot down two US-made missiles in a special military operation. The ATACMS long-range missiles were given to Ukraine by the US with Russia stating it was the first downing of its kind.

Reuters were unable to confirm the incident and there has been no response from Kyiv or Washington. Last week, Ukraine reported success using the missiles inflicting heavy damage on two Russian airfields.

President Vladmir Putin said that the US was making a mistake by entering deeper into their conflict with Ukraine and said that the ATACMS missiles would not change the battlefield situation.

ATACMS long range missiles were used successfully last week according to Ukraine before being shot down this week by Russian military (REUTERS)

Zelensky: Russian drone strike in Khmelnitskyi region was likely targeting nuclear power station

Wednesday 25 October 2023 22:00 , Maira Butt

A Russian drone strike that hit near a nuclear power station in Khmelnitskyi on Wednesday was likely targeting the station according to Ukraines President Zelensky.

In his nightly address, he said the action was evidence stricter sanctions were needed against Russia.

Zelensky said every Russian strike, "especially those daring enough to target nuclear power stations and other critical facilities, serves as an argument that pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient."

Russian missiles produced using imported components from EU countries

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:05 , Maira Butt

A report by Russian investigative news outlet, The Insider, has revealed that Russian Kh-47M2 Khinzal missiles are being produced using components imported from all across the EU.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion most of Russias defence productions has fallen under sanctions. However, company records show that equipment is still being imported via intermediaries in Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, and the U.K.

A single Khinzal missile costs the Russian state $10 million according to the publication.

Russia imports components from all across the EU for production of its Khinzal missiles (EPA)

Taioseach of Ireland denies claims of a Cabinet row over Ukrainian refugees

Wednesday 25 October 2023 20:02 , Maira Butt

Leo Varadakar, the Taioseach of Ireland, has downplayed claims of a Cabinet row over the accomodation of refugees.

The Irish Government is looking at moving from the current open-ended arrangements for Ukrainian refugees amid concerns the state will have no accommodation left for new Ukrainian arrivals next year.

When pressed to confirm the tensions, Varadkar said that the rows in Government are much exaggerated, but the wider issue was a serious one.

Mr Varadkar said he was very proud of Irelands efforts to house around 100,000 Ukrainians since the war broke out, with 20,000 international protection applicants arriving from elsewhere in the world during the same period.

Varadkar said claims of a row were exaggerated but the wider issue was a serious one (Getty Images)

Powerful explosions near Ukraine nuclear power plants

Wednesday 25 October 2023 19:06 , Maira Butt

Powerful blasts near the area of Ukraines Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant damaged windows at the site overnight, but did not affect the plants operations or its connection to the grid, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.

The explosions temporarily cut power to some off-site radiation monitoring stations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) added.

Officials say twenty people were wounded in the attacks.

Russian Defence Minister discusses test strikes with President Putin on state TV

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:18 , Maira Butt

Russia has rehearsed the delivery of a retaliatory nuclear strike according to a Kremlin statement on Wednesday.

State TV showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and President Putin discussing the test strikes.

Practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place during the training, the statement said. The statement also said a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile had been fired from a test site in Russias far east, that a nuclear-powered submarine had launched a ballistic missile from the Barents Sea, and that Tu-95MS long-range bombers had test-fired air-launched cruise missiles.

The country recently revoked its ratification of a landmark nuclear testing treaty, bringing it in line with the USs position in what some have called a stand-off with the West during its war with Ukraine.

Russia tests its ability to deliver massive retaliatory nuclear strike

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:30 , Maira Butt

Russias Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on state TV on Wednesday that the country had tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike. The Minister confirmed that the country had begun training for the possible event.

Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu has confirmed the country has tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike (EPA)

President Zelensky thanks Australia for new military aid package

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:33 , Maira Butt

Australias Ministry of Defence announced a new military aid package on Wednesday. The shipment is worth approximately $20 million AUD and includes de-mining equipment, portable x-ray machines, a 3D metal printer, and counter-drone systems.

President Zelensky said on X, formerly known as Twitter: I am grateful to @AlboMP for Australias new package of military aid. Antidrone weaponry, demining equipment, and other assistance are of utmost importance for our warriors and all of our people. We greatly appreciate Australias resolute support in Ukraines fight for freedom.

The Australian Ministry of Defence confirmed this took the countrys overall assistance to Ukraine past $910 million.

Pictured: Avidiivka under siege

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:26 , Alexander Butler

Health workers wait for a wounder Ukrainian soldier in Avidiivka, Donetsk (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Three Ukrainians walk in the foreground of a destroyed building in Avidiivka, Donetsk (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukraine to produce tens of thousands of drone by end of year, minister says

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:33 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine will produce tens of thousands of drones a month by the end of this year, the countrys minister for strategic industries said.

It comes after Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said more than 200 Ukrainian companies have begun developing drones, fueling a massive increase in production as well as technical innovation.

In July, former deputy prime minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said: We will end this war with drones.

Since that statement, Kyiv has announced plans to invest $1bn into the industry, as more than 10,000 drones are said to be lost on the battlefield every month.

A Ukrainian military pilot of a FPV drone near Bakhmut (Getty Images)

Ukraine vows to strike back if Russia hits energy grid

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:50 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to respond to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

We are preparing for terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure. This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond, he said on Telegram.

Mr Zelensky also claimed Russia has moved its aircraft further from the border with Ukraine and moved its Black Sea fleet further from Crimea.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to respond to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure (EPA)

Ukraine says Russian drones hit area near nuclear plant

Wednesday 25 October 2023 11:41 , Alexander Butler

A Russian drone attack damaged buildings near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant in western Ukraine last night, wounding 20 people, officials said.

The Ukrainian air force destroyed all 11 Russian drones, according to the military. Damage was caused by blast waves and falling debris.

At night, the enemy struck territory near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant. As a result of the explosion, windows in administrative and laboratory buildings have been damaged, Ukraines Energy Ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

Support for Israel must not weaken support for Ukraine, says Italian PM

Wednesday 25 October 2023 11:30 , Alexander Butler

Europe must not weaken its support for Ukraine as it offers solidarity to Israel, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said.

We must not make the mistake of weakening our common support to Ukraine, Ms Meloni told the Senate ahead of a meeting of European Union leaders.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Russia to use new longer range drones for winter

Wednesday 25 October 2023 10:34 , Alexander Butler

The Russian Army has used new, longer-range drones for the first time in an attack against Ukraine near Kyiv, reports suggest.

The Italmas weapon, which is harder to detect than the Iranian-made Shahed drone, may be part of Vladimir Putins strategy to expand Russias arsenal as harsher winter weather approaches, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Russian milbloggers noted that Italmas drones are cheaper than Shaheds, which means that they can be more widely manufactured and used, but that they deliver lighter payloads, which restricts their usefulness in isolation, according to the ISW.

#Russia appears to be increasingly supplementing the use of Shahed-131/136 drones with cheaper and lighter domestically produced drone variants during strikes on #Ukrainian infrastructure. https://t.co/IjuIXquSLO https://t.co/rreOty7XkE pic.twitter.com/G4yILZIhD7  ISW (@TheStudyofWar) October 25, 2023

Russia has maintained significant artillery capability

Wednesday 25 October 2023 09:08 , Alexander Butler

The Russian Army has maintained significant artillery capability within range of the Dnipro River, which has seen intensified fighting over the last week, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

Russia has likely been alert to the possibility of attacks across the river since it withdrew its forces from the western bank 12 months ago.

Initial indication suggests that Russia has maintained a significant artillery capability within range of the river, it said on X, formerly Twitter.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  25 October 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/rKPs31cagm



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/DJBh7eyvMI  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) October 25, 2023

Ukrainian control over Crimea question of time, Zelensky says

Wednesday 25 October 2023 08:25 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian control over the Crimean peninsula is only a matter of time, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

We have not yet gained full fire control over Crimea and surrounding waters, but we will, Zelensky told a meeting of the Crimea Platform, a diplomatic initiative he launched in 2021. This is a question of time, he added.

He also claimed Russias Black Sea Fleet had been forced to move as far as possible from Ukrainian missiles and drones due to heavy losses.

Ukraine exports almost 700, 000 tons of grain during temporary Black Sea corridor operation

Wednesday 25 October 2023 07:03 , Maira Butt

Ukraine exported almost 700,000 tons of grain during a temporary Black Sea corridor operation according to UkrAgroConsult.

Mykola Solsky, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, speaking during a meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture and Fisheries in Luxembourg said:

In August, we opened a temporary corridor through the Black Sea. It works thanks to the support of our armed forces and the trust of international partners. Every day the number of ships calling at the ports is increasing. During the operation of the new corridor, 38 ships entered the ports and more than 30 left, not all of them with grain, of course. But we managed to export almost 700 thousand tons of grain.

We need to export about 6 million tons per month to preserve our agriculture as a key sector of the economy. This volume of transportation can only be ensured by restoring the full operation of the deep-water ports of Greater Odesa. We see a tendency to increase the number of ships leaving our ports. We hope it will continue, added Solsky.

Ukraine needs to export six million tons of grain per month to preserve agriculture as a key sector of the economy (AFP via Getty Images)

Pro-Ukraine candidate drops bid for US House Speaker amid Republican infighting

Wednesday 25 October 2023 06:02 , Maira Butt

Congressman Tom Emmer has dropped his bid to lead the US House of Representatives only hours after he was nominated for House Speaker by his fellow party members.

A Republican aide confirmed the news, according to Reuters, citing party infighting which has paralysed Congress for weeks.

Emmer has consistently voted for pro-Ukraine policies and is considered an ally among pro-Ukraine Republicans.

Russian kamikaze drones injure man in attacks on Nikopol

Wednesday 25 October 2023 05:00 , Maira Butt

Governor Serhii Lysak has reported that Russian forces used kamikaze drones and artillery in two separate strikes in Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast region on Tuesday. On his Telegram channel, the governor reported that the attacks injured a 36 year old resident.

A hotel, a veterinarian clinic, a car, and a power line were reportedly damaged in the attacks.

The injured victim was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds and is in moderate condition, the governor said.

President Zelensky says Ukraine-German ties at an all-time high

Wednesday 25 October 2023 04:00 , Maira Butt

Ukraines President Volodmyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian-German business forum on Tuesday in a day he said was filled with international work. The forum included companies from a number of sectors including defense, energy and infrastructure.

President Zelensky shared an update on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: There are good deals and joint projects. I thank Chancellor Scholz, his team, and all Germans. Ukrainian-German trust and ties are at an all-time high.

The forum is in its fifth year and has an explicit focus on rebuilding Ukraine.

The update comes as Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmyal met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday.

Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, left, shakes hands with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace, in Berlin on Tuesday 24 October. (AP)

Pro-Ukraine candidate nominated for US House Speaker

Wednesday 25 October 2023 03:03 , Maira Butt

Tom Emmer has been selected by the Republican Party as a nominee for House Speaker according to the Associated Press.

Congressman Emmer served as the Majority Whip in the US House of Representativs since 2023 and has a record of backing pro-Ukraine inititatives in Congress. The House Speaker is traditionally considered the head of the majority party in Congress.

Republicans for Ukraine, a coalition of pro-Kyiv party members, rates Emmer with its highest possible positive score.

Tom Emmer has been nominated House Speaker for the Republican party (Getty Images)

Detained reporters sister urges Biden to remain focused on his release

Wednesday 25 October 2023 02:05 , Maira Butt

The sister of a Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia has urged President Joe Biden to remain focused on his release as she expressed concern that the Middle East crisis could detract from focus on Ukraine.

Danielle, the older sister of Evan Gershkovich who has been detained in a Russian prison for six months, said the family had written letters to Evan to mark his 32nd birthday which he spent in a Moscow prison.

When we see the news, any news, were always thinking of it through the lens of what does this mean for Evan? Our focus is on Evan, she said. We just have to continue to ask President Biden to prioritize this and bring Evan home to us.

Danielle Gershkovich urged President Biden to remain focused on her brothers release (AFP via Getty Images)

Avdiivka enduring unrelenting artillery and air attacks says military official

Wednesday 25 October 2023 01:02 , Maira Butt

Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivkas military administration, said the town was enduring unrelenting Russian artillery and air attacks.

He said: The enemy is persistently trying to surround the city and is throwing in new forces from the north and south.

For two days, they have been operating mostly in small groups, trying to find cracks in our defence, but without success. The defence line is holding.

The intensification of military action is not surprising as over 2,400 Russians are said to have been killed and wounded in the Donetsk region, according to Oleksandr Shtupun a spokesperson for Ukraines southern group of forces.

Qatar calls out double standard in international community on Ukraine versus Gaza

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:16 , Maira Butt

Speaking in Doha to Sky News, the Foreign Minister of Qatar questioned why the cutting off of food and water in Ukraine was seen as a war crime but not in Gaza.

The children being killed in this war is exceeding the number killed in the other war between Ukraine and Russia, and yet we havent seen the same reaction.

Qatars Foreign Minister, Abdulrahman al-Thani addressed foreign press at a conference today (AFP via Getty Images)

US official warns of swapping energy-dependence on Russia with China

Wednesday 25 October 2023 00:02 , Maira Butt

A US official has warned against swapping energy-dependence on Russia with dependence on China at a conference on national gas in Washington.

Geoffrey Pyatt, assistant secretary for energy resources at the State Department said on Tuesday: We need to make sure we dont replace European dependence on Russia for gas with a collective dependence on Chinese clean tech and critical minerals. We shouldnt give in to fatalism. We shouldnt assume this race is lost.

As former ambassador to Ukraine, Pyatt said the US needed to ensure China did not dominate wind power, small nuclear power and hydrogen - an emerging fuel that could help mitigate carbon emissions from hard-to-abate industries like cement and aluminum smelting.

Russia and China have become increasingly close in recent months with President Vladimir Putin considered a guest of honour at a meeting in Beijing this month (via REUTERS)

Russia launches heavy air strikes as it decreases ground attacks

Tuesday 24 October 2023 23:00 , Maira Butt

Russia has dropped 40 bombs in two nights at or near the town of Avdiivka as it increases air strikes in the region.

The Tavria group of forces spokesperson, Oleksandr Shtupun, said ground attacks had decreased. In a televised report, he said they had even dropped by half as air strikes intensified.

Russia has focused on Avdiivka, seeking to encircle the town which it considers important for its military objectives, according to The Kyiv Independent.

Skirmishes between Ukrainian and Russian troops have intensified in Avdiivka in recent days (REUTERS)

Russian shelling of Kharkiv Oblast kills two

Tuesday 24 October 2023 22:00 , Maira Butt

Governor Oleh Syniehubov has reported that Russian shelling of a village in Kharkiv Oblast has killed two people. The victims are reported to be two civilians aged 50 and 57 years old.

Russian forces attacked the village of Podoly in Kharkiv Oblasts Kupiansk region on 24 October as part of their launch of major attacks along the entire eastern front. Over the course of Russian attacks on 23 October in the same region, the governor reported four people had been injured.

War crime prosecutors worked at the site of Russian shelling in Podoly earlier this year (Office of the Prosecutor General)

Putins many heart attacks and why the rumours may be in his favour

Tuesday 24 October 2023 21:00 , Sam Rkaina

For years, the health of Vladimir Putin has been the subject of lurid speculation and rumours. Recent reports have included body doubles, secret chemotherapy, Parkinsons disease and claims that he fell down the stairs, landed on his coccyx and soiled himself.

Yet this week, the most drastic rumour of ill health began to circulate about the 71-year-old. According to shadowy sources, members of his security service were alerted to banging from his private bedroom, only to discover him convulsing on the ground.

Food and drinks were allegedly overturned, with doctors rushing to perform resuscitation while the news of his supposed cardiac arrest caused panic amongst his inner circle.

Responding to the claims, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was an absurd hoax, and that everything was well with the Russian president.

Click here for the full story.

(AFP/AP)

Russian oil boss becomes third to die suddenly at company that criticised Putins war

Tuesday 24 October 2023 20:15 , Sam Rkaina

A top executive at Russias second-biggest oil company has become the third person to die suddenly in the past 18 months at the firm, which last year took a public stand over Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Chairman of Lukoil Vladimir Nekrasov died after suffering acute heart failure, the company said on Tuesday. It did not respond to a request for further comment.

Mr Nekrasov replaced the previous head of Lukoils board Ravil Maganov in September last year, after he died falling from a hospital window, according to state-run news agency TASS.

Russian media said Mr Maganov, 67, had been receiving treatment at Moscows Central Clinical Hospital and died of his injuries. Lukoil said he passed away from a severe illness but made no mention of his alleged fall, which raised eyebrows among Russia watchers in the West.

Vladimir Nekrasov (R) died suddenly, his company Lukoil has said (Kremlin.ru)

Ukraines frontline troops say theyre surrounded by Putins forces  and ammos running out

Tuesday 24 October 2023 19:51 , Askold Krushelnycky

While the eyes of the world have turned towards the dreadful scenes in Israel and Gaza, the fighting is fierce across multiple points on the hundreds of miles of front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Troops say they are facing Russias troops in multiple directions in some areas, while others have said they facing a shortage of ammunition.

The clashes stretch from Ukraines northern borders with Russia to southern battlefields in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Kyivs forces are trying to punch their way through to the Azov Sea in an effort to break Russias land bridge with Moscow-occupied Crimea.

Russia has redeployed significant forces from the south  where the two armies appear to be locked in a bloody, attritional stalemate  further north to threaten towns including Kupyansk, Svatove, Kreminna, Lyman, Siversk and Avdiivka.

These towns straddle three regions: in the east, Donetsk and Luhansk, and Kharkiv in the northeast.

Click here for the full story.

There have been up to 90 skirmishes between Ukrainian and Russian forces in one day (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukraine launches joint venture with German arms maker to repair western weapons

Tuesday 24 October 2023 18:34 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine has set up a joint defence venture with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG to service and repair western weapons sent to help Kyiv against Russias full-scale invasion.

Announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, the venture will also help with the local production of some key equipment made by Rheinmetall AG, he said.

It will bring cooperation between our countries to a qualitatively new level and will allow us to build together the arsenal of the free world, Shmyhal told the forum.

Ukraine relies heavily on financial and military support from the West which has poured in tens of billions of dollars of weapons since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Oleksander Kamyshyn, minister for strategic industries, said Ukraine was committed to launching the production of Western weapons locally to keep up with growing Ukrainian demand with the war now at the 20-month mark with no end in sight. He said he met 25 major German defence producers in Berlin.

Russia sends fighter jet as two U.S. bombers approach its border

Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:52 , Sam Rkaina

Russia scrambled an Su-27 fighter jet after two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers approached its border over the Baltic Sea, Russian state news agency RIA has reported.

As the fighter jet approached, the U.S. bombers performed a U-turn away from the Russian border, the Defence Ministry said.

It is the latest in a series of mid-air incidents involving Russia in recent weeks.

Tanaiste says accommodation limit for new Ukrainian arrivals under discussion

Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:50 , Sam Rkaina

Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said no decision has been made on a measure to restrict the amount of time new arrivals from Ukraine can stay in State-provided accommodation, but added that the matter was still under discussion.

The latest data from the Central Statistics Office looking at the allocation of PPS numbers shows there were 96,338 arrivals from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Of these, the CSO could identify that 82% had activity in administrative data after July 31.

Women and men, aged 20 and over, made up 46% and 22% respectively of arrivals to date, while 32% were people aged under 20.

Of all arrivals to date aged 18 and over, 63% of males and 50% of females were married or cohabiting.

Speaking to reporters at the Global Ireland Summit, Mr Martin said other countries have commented on the strength of Irelands response in respect of the war in Ukraine.

He added: Ours has been predominantly on the political and humanitarian fronts, in terms of supporting Ukraines accession to the European Union and accepting refugees.

However, the foreign affairs minister said the Government is examining evidence of secondary transfers from across Europe rather than directly from Ukraine.

Ukraine expects new 1.4bn 'winter aid package' from Germany, says PM

Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:14 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine expects Germany to provide it with an additional 1.4bn to enhance its air defences and help it get through a second winter at war with Russia, Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Germany is preparing a 1.4bn winter aid package for Ukraine, including air defence equipment, he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Germany is preparing a 1.4 billion euro winter aid package for Ukraine, including air defence equipment. Grateful to @OlafScholz and the entire  people for their support.

__________________

       1,4 ,    pic.twitter.com/dS4EyitCLA  Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) October 24, 2023
Ukrainian military

Ukraine is producing artillery shells at a rate significantly higher than the previous year, according to Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin , who was speaking at the NATO-Industry Forum in Stockholm on Oct. 25.

"As for the capabilities of the domestic defense industry, we are growing significantly. If we talk about shells, for example, we are now producing many times more of them than last year," Kamyshin said.

Read also: Worlds largest arms manufacturers and their products

However, no matter how much Ukraine increases local production, it will still be heavily dependent on Western supplies for the foreseeable time, Kamyshin said.

Read also: German Rheinmetall and Ukrainian defense industry establish joint venture

This is because we are fighting the biggest war in generations, and the level of ammunition consumption is quite high," Kamyshin added.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
HANOI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The export value of Vietnamese durian hit 1.63 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2023, making durian the biggest foreign currency earner in Vietnam's fruit and vegetable industry, Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.

The cited number was 14 times higher than the figure for the same period last year, according to the General Department of Customs.

Durian has surpassed jackfruit, dragon fruit, watermelon, banana and lychee to gain the leading position, accounting for 38.7 percent of the industry's total export value.

China is currently Vietnam's main durian export market. Vietnam has 422 growing areas and 153 packaging facilities eligible to export the fruit to China.

According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports in the first nine months of this year reached 4.21 billion dollars, an increase of 72.5 percent over the same period last year. 
Capt. Bob Peel, left, and Lt. Col. Tony Adamo, right, F-16 instructor pilots from the 162nd Fighter Wing, fly over the Grand Canyon while supporting Operation Noble Eagles air sovereignty alert mission.

Ukrainian fighter pilots began training on F-16s in the United States this week, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson has confirmed to The War Zone. This kicks off the process of getting these aircraft into Ukrainian Air Force hands, after a long campaign to secure them and then develop a path to train aircrew and maintainers.

The 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard, began training a small number of Ukrainian pilots this week in F-16 fundamentals, the Air Force spokesperson said. The training curriculum will align with the foundational knowledge and skills of each pilot and is expected to last several months. This follows President Biden and Secretary Austins decision to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s as part of the United States contribution to Ukraine.

The training is taking place at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, facilitated by the 162nd Wing. The launch of this part of the syllabus indicates that at least the first cadre of pilots have now completed language training, which was undertaken at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Back in August, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman, told reporters, including from The War Zone , that the training will involve several pilots and dozens of maintainers.

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder addresses members of the press during a press conference at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Defense photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders

As we have reported before , training for Ukrainians in language and operational skills was previously launched in the United Kingdom and Denmark, with many other countries pledging to take part as well.

In August, the general in charge of U.S. and NATO air operations said it would take until next year before Ukrainian pilots take to the air in F-16s and that it would take much longer still  not before 2027  for them to become fully combat proficient in sufficient numbers.

You can get proficient on some weapons systems fairly quickly, said U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), as well as NATOs Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA).

Gen. James B. Hecker, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, during a visit to Incirlik Air Base leaders at Incirlik AB, Turkey, in August 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Angulo

It takes a while to build a couple of squadrons of F-16s and to get their readiness high enough and their proficiency high enough. This could be four or five years down the road, Hecker added.

Still, for the Ukrainian Air Force  which is still going into battle in dwindling numbers of Cold War-era, Soviet-made Su-27 Flankers and MiG-29 Fulcrums  the latest milestone is an important one that continues the countdown to them getting their hands on the long-awaited F-16s.

https://www.twitter.com/KpsZSU/status/1717099764234277094?s=20

Before getting into the rest of the latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can get caught up with our previous rolling coverage here .

The Latest

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised that his countrys forces will strike back against Russia should Moscow launch a winter campaign aimed at knocking out Ukraines power grid.

Zelensky said that Russias expected ramping up of airstrikes this winter will not find Ukraine only on the defensive.

Were preparing for the terrorists to strike energy infrastructure, Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app. This year we will not only defend ourselves, but we will also respond.

https://www.twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1717112451475386400?s=20

Zelensky did not say what kind of response Ukraine might provide to the Russian airstrikes, but the country has more long-range weapons at its disposal than it did this time last year.

Long-range drones as well as locally launched short-range drones and sabotage teams have been used to attack increasingly high-profile Russian targets deep outside of Ukraines borders, even reaching as far as Moscow . Meanwhile, Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles and Army Tactical Missile System ( ATACMS ) short-range ballistic missiles are available to hit targets in Russian-occupied Ukraine, including Crimea. Something of a wild card is the land-attack version of the Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship cruise missile , which has already been used against Crimea but could also be used to attack targets within Russias own borders.

A Ukrainian defense official told The War Zone in August that Kyiv has modified Neptune anti-ship missiles to strike ground targets. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense

Evidence of a new round of Ukrainian ATACMS strikes has already emerged today. Pictures in the Tweet below show what look to be parts of two separate MGM-140 missiles that were fired at Russian forces in the town of Bilorichenskyi in the country's eastern Luhansk region.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1717280105666330807?s=20

As we have discussed before , Ukraine is already preparing for an even fiercer Russian drone offensive than that which was launched against its cities and infrastructure last year. The Russian drone attacks, which make particularly heavy use of Iranian-designed Shahed-series drones , have already stepped up considerably in recent weeks, Ukrainian officials say.

According to Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, attacks by Russian kamikaze drones are expected to reach a record number this winter.

Russias targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure last winter left millions of Ukrainians without power. Repairs to the energy infrastructure were still ongoing as of this month, and grid operators have been imposing regular rolling power cuts and rationing of hot water.

Fragments of an Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drone (named Geran-2 in Russia), displayed as a symbol of war in the center of Kyiv. Photo by Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

For Russia, energy infrastructure is considered a legitimate target, although its clearly aimed at demoralizing the Ukrainian public.

Last winter, Ukraine had little answer to Russias regular long-range strikes using strategic bombers and warships, but this time around, it seems that Kyiv is preparing to hit back in new and different ways. Ukrainian forces have already demonstrated their ability to strike deep inside Russian territory, including against targets in the capital Moscow and at a number of airfields, using increasingly more capable long-range kamikaze drones . Sabotage teams inside Russia have carried out attacks, as well, including using short-range drones .

The eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka , where Russia launched a major new offensive earlier this month, remains a focal point of the fighting. As of yesterday, it was reported that Russian forces were continuing to launch concerted attacks on the city, although the situation has changed in the last 48 hours, with airstrikes now being used in preference to ground advances.

https://twitter.com/tatarigami_ua/status/1716851673090441415?s=12

According to Ukrainian officials, the change in tactics in favor of airpower has been driven by heavy Russian losses in the Donetsk region.

In its latest assessment of the situation on the ground, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in eastern and southern Ukraine on October 24 and advanced south of Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhia oblast.

https://www.twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1716960304049934625?s=20

The ISW notes that Russian forces continued their offensive operations near Avdiivka yesterday and also made confirmed advances northeast of the city.

Meanwhile, in the Kherson region, in southern Ukraine, there are continued reports that Ukrainian forces are carrying out small-scale raids on the eastern, Russian-held side of the Dnipro River. The area surrounding the lower reaches of the river has seen heavy fighting, apparently as part of a new Ukrainian offensive.

https://twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1717098964766364024

According to the ISW: Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces maintain some positions in Krynky  30 kilometers [18.6 miles] east of Kherson City and two kilometers [1.2 miles] from the Dnipro river  and continued limited attacks on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River.

The situation around the Dnipro River is also discussed in the latest intelligence update from the U.K.s Ministry of Defense. This report notes Russias continued capability to strike targets near the river with artillery.

As in most sectors, a decisive factor is almost certainly the combatants ability to bring accurate, intense artillery fire to bear. Initial indication suggests that Russia has maintained a significant artillery capability within range of the river, the U.K.s Ministry of Defense stated.

https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1717086858616709426

The ministry adds that Russia has been left more vulnerable to attacks in the area since it withdrew its forces from the city of Kherson and retreated to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, almost a year ago.

More news from Kherson now, with a report from Reuters that one person was killed in an early morning air attack on the region, reflecting the continued Russian attacks there, including shelling from across the Dnipro River.

At about 7:20 a.m., the enemy dropped a guided aerial bomb on a residential area of the city [of Beryslav]. It hit a house. Unfortunately, a 42-year-old man was fatally wounded, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.

https://twitter.com/Lyla_lilas/status/1717194572973920489

According to Prokudin, Russian forces carried out 35 aerial attacks on the Kherson region over the past 24 hours.

The scale of the bombardment led local authorities this week to call for the mandatory evacuation of families with children from three districts in the Kherson region.

https://www.twitter.com/Flash_news_ua/status/1717061894480036114?s=20

There have been more attacks in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine. Two civilians were killed in an artillery strike on a village near Kupyansk, according to Kharkivs regional governor, Oleh Synehub. There reportedly has been particularly heavy fighting around Kupyansk, a town that was seized by Russia after the full-scale invasion but which was recaptured by Ukraine last year.

https://twitter.com/EmekaGift100/status/1717215766506844461

Also in the east, the city of Bakhmut, which fell to Russian forces after one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war so far, has seen renewed fighting. According to a report from Reuters , Russia claims to have made successful artillery and airstrikes near Bakhmut, although this cannot be independently verified.

https://twitter.com/secretsqrl123/status/1717188483679211828 https://twitter.com/GloOouD/status/1716925294370759162

A Russian drone attack early this morning damaged buildings near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant in western Ukraine. According to a report from Reuters, 20 people were injured in the strike.

At night, the enemy struck territory near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant. As a result of the explosion, windows in administrative and laboratory buildings have been damaged, Ukraines energy ministry said on Telegram.

Ukrainian officials claim that the damage at Khmelnytskyi was not caused by a successful drone strike itself but by blast waves and falling debris, and that all 11 Russian drones launched in overnight attacks were actually brought down by Ukrainian air defenses.

https://www.twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1717234906839847100?s=20

As expected, the Russian parliament this morning signed off on withdrawal from a global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. A law that rescinds Moscows ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the Federation Council  the upper house of parliament.

Previously, as we reported at the time , the Duma  the lower house  also passed the law unanimously. It will now go to President Vladimir Putin for signing.

https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1715321834814529832

Putin had earlier this month called for the Duma to approve withdrawal from the treaty. This, he argued, would mirror the position of the United States, which signed the 1996 treaty but never formally ratified it.

This treaty prohibits any kind of nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, although it has never fully entered into force.

The wider implications of the move remain to be seen, although Russia has said that it will not resume testing unless the United States does.

https://www.twitter.com/FPRI/status/1716650789064630372?s=20

Ukraine expects Germany to provide it with an additional $1.48 billion of funding that it will invest in improvements to its air defenses, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. In particular, air defenses need to be enhanced ahead of the aforementioned Russian campaign of winter airstrikes.

Reports suggest that the air defense part of the German package will include one Patriot battery with eight launchers and around 60 missiles; Also included will be some items that have been pre-announced, namely one IRIS-T SLM battery and an undisclosed number of IRIS-T SLS launcher(s), as well as Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which have already been delivered.

https://twitter.com/deaidua/status/1716871832668708950 https://twitter.com/Denys_Shmyhal/status/1716763753436365088

One item of military equipment not previously seen in Ukrainian hands is the Hibneryt self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, which was provided by Poland. The SPAAG consists of a Soviet-designed twin-barrel 23mm ZU-23-2 autocannon mounted on a Polish 6x6 Star 266 truck.

https://twitter.com/MarcinRogowsk14/status/1716851655235318161

Despite the focus on more modern Western-supplied heavy weapons of late, the next two tweets provide a reminder that the Ukrainian Armed Forces primarily still rely on Soviet-era equipment. Although the dates and locations are unclear, the video and photo below show examples of the ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, T-72 tank, and  more unusually  an older Russian T-62M tank that was very likely brought out of storage for use in Ukraine, before being captured and then put to use against its former operator.

https://twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/1717040639672557928 https://twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/1717040916572041453

A Russian T-64BV tank in much less fortunate circumstances in the next tweet. Although also undated, the video once again demonstrates the vulnerability of (especially) Soviet-era tanks to attacks that result in the detonation of their ammunition. The culprit on this occasion was purportedly an anti-tank guided missile of undisclosed type.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1717108905333923948

And next, the inevitable counter to these kinds of attacks: a Russian T-90M tank showing off some of the most elaborately applied improved armor that we have seen on any armored vehicle in this conflict so far. In the video below you can see the tank with an elaborate array of add-on mesh screens around the turret and its remote weapon station on top. You can read more about the evolution of this type of ad-hoc armor in this previous article .

https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1717105922768576990

More military aid is headed to Ukraine, this time from Australia. The latest $12.8-million military assistance package includes a 3D metal printer as well as undisclosed anti-drone systems.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said : Australia remains steadfast in supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russias illegal and immoral invasion.

To date, Australia has provided total aid to Ukraine amounting to roughly $582 million since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1717178305760166376

That is all for now. This story will be updated when theres more news to report about Ukraine.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Key developments on Oct. 25:

Russia strikes Khmelnytskyi Oblast overnight, damages buildings near local nuclear power plant, injures 20

Zelensky says Ukraine will respond to Russia's terrorist attacks

Shmyhal meets with Steinmeier in Berlin, discusses aid and air defense for Ukraine

Germany pledges over $200 million for Ukraine's energy industry

Russian Kinzhal manufacturer imports components from EU, the Insider reports.

Russian troops targeted Khmelnytskyi Oblast in western Ukraine overnight on Oct. 25 for the fourth day in a row this week.

Even though the Ukrainian air defenses shot down the incoming Shahed drones, the falling debris damaged buildings in the city of Slavuta and injured 20 people, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky said Russian troops likely aimed at hitting the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, also reporting that some of the windows at the plant's premises were shattered due to the blast wave.

Earlier in the day, the Energy Ministry reported that the explosions damaged the windows of an administrative building and a laboratory near the plant. According to the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration, residential buildings and some vehicles also suffered damage.

According to Ukraine's Air Force, 11 Shahed-type drones were shot down in Ukraine overnight, including over Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Energy Ministry said the attack also damaged a power line, leaving 1,860 households in Khmelnytskyi Oblast without power.

"This strike in the direction of the NPP (nuclear power plant) is another reminder to all our partners of how important it is to strengthen Ukrainian air defense and how dangerous it is when Russia can bypass world sanctions," Zelensky said during his evening address.

"Many components in the attack drones used by Russian terrorists and in the missiles originate from other countries, from various companies, including Western companies," he added.

"The effectiveness of sanctions against Russia is literally protection against terrorism."

Zelensky's address comes as Russian independent investigative news outlet The Insider reported that Russian factories that produce Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles are using components imported from multiple European Union countries.

Kinzhals  allegedly Russia's most advanced air-launched ballistic missiles  and other weapons like Iskander missiles, are produced by the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (KBM), part of a holding of Rostec, the state-owned defense conglomerate.

According to the media, company records show equipment is still being imported via intermediaries in Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, and the U.K.

Read also: Investigative Stories from Ukraine: Russian drone downed by Ukraine is full of Western components

Replacement tools, for example, were supplied in January 2023 from a Berlin-based logistics company. The tools are manufactured by the Swedish multinational machinery producer Sandvik.

A single Kinzhal costs the Russian state $10 million, "approximately 50,000 average Russian pensions," The Insider wrote.

Zelensky says Ukraine will respond to Russia's terrorist attacks

On Oct. 25, Zelensky said that this year, Ukraine will "not only defend" itself but also "respond" to Russia's "terrorist attacks" on critical infrastructure.

"The enemy knows this very well," he said. "First, they removed the fleet from Crimea, and now they are also moving their aviation further from our borders."

Zelensky's comments came in anticipation of the likely renewed Russian attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure this upcoming winter.

Russian forces started targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure last fall, plunging the country into widespread blackouts over the winter, causing millions of dollars in damage, and killing civilians.

Earlier on Oct. 6, Zelesnky once again warned that Russia will attempt to demolish Ukraine's energy infrastructure with more attacks this winter.

"They cannot understand that Ukraine will not be conquered anyway. But (Russian forces) will try to launch more attacks and have more attempts to bypass our defenses," Zelensky said.

"We realize the threat completely," he added.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on Sept. 3 that Ukraine was strengthening its air defense to prepare for Russia's potential mass attacks on critical infrastructure facilities this season.

"A year ago, we had no Western (air defense) systems of medium range at all. We received the first NASAMS and IRIS only last fall. Today, we have such a variety of air defense equipment, which might not be found in any other country," Ihnat said.

Shmyhal meets with Steinmeier in Berlin; Germany pledges over $200 million for Ukraine's energy industry

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Oct. 25, amid his official visit to Berlin for the sixth German-Ukrainian business forum.

On Facebook, Shmyhal wrote that he and Steinmeier discussed strengthening Ukraine's air defense and the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula  a 10-point peace plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine that he announced at the G20 meeting in November 2022.

They also discussed the joint development of their country's defense industries, referring to the news that German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will cooperate with Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukroboronprom to repair and maintain Western-produced military vehicles.

Shmyhal said he thanked Steinmeier for the fact that "Germany is among the leaders in Europe in terms of support for Ukraine."

On the same day, the German Development Ministry announced that the country had pledged 195 million euros ($206 million) to Ukraine in energy supplies and in support of Ukrainian energy companies in preparation for the upcoming winter.

Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze and Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov agreed upon the aid package during their meeting in Berlin on Oct. 25.

Half of the funds are to be allocated for protecting, restoring, and strengthening Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which sustained significant damage during mass Russian strikes in the previous fall and winter.

"Heat and electricity are central to the resilience of the people in Ukraine, especially with a view to the upcoming winter," Schulze said.

"That's why we're increasing our support for Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government has committed to a reconstruction that will make the country more sustainable and bring it closer to the European Union."

Read also: Record Russian armor, personnel losses in failed attempt to take Avdiivka by storm





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"My worst fear is coming true: I'm inside a new Executed Renaissance. As in the 1930s, Ukrainian artists are killed, their manuscripts disappear, and their memory is erased," Ukrainian writer Viktoriia Amelina penned in the foreword to the published diary of another author, Volodymyr Vakulenko , murdered during the Russian occupation of Izium.

Amelina, who dug up Vakulenko's notes he had hidden from the Russians in his yard and initiated the diary's publication, was also killed by Russias war. She died on July 1 after being critically injured in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk.

Vakulenko and Amelina are among dozens of Ukrainian cultural figures killed by Russian aggression. There is no official record of such losses, but two lists compiled by PEN Ukraine suggest that the full-scale invasion has claimed the lives of at least 65 Ukrainian cultural figures.

Some were killed as civilians in missile attacks or in occupation, others as service members after joining the Armed Forces to defend their country. But all of these deaths have contributed to what experts call Russia's hundreds-year campaign against Ukrainian culture.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has said that Ukraine has no right to exist as a state, so they (Russians) are trying to erase all evidence of this existence," Olha Honchar, director of Lviv's Memorial Museum of Totalitarian Regimes, told the Kyiv Independent.

"If you have a pro-Ukrainian position, engage in culture, language, literature, history  then you are a target for destruction on the occupiers lists."

The Kyiv Independent tells the stories of five cultural figures Ukraine has lost to Russia's war since Feb. 24, 2022.

Yurii Kerpatenko , conductor of the Kherson Oblast Philarmonic

Ukrainian conductor from Kherson Yurii Kerpatenko holds a concert of his Gilea chamber ensemble. (Pavlo Blahyi/Facebook)

Kherson locals knew Yurii Kerpatenko, a conductor at the Kherson Oblast Philarmonic, as a man of principle.

"If he didn't like something, he would voice it strongly," Kerpatenko's colleague Maksym Lozovyi told the Kyiv Independent.

He thinks that may have been the case when Russians asked Kerpatenko to hold a concert at the philharmonic to create the illusion of a "thriving" cultural scene under what was then a seven-month-long occupation.

According to local authorities, 46-year-old Kerpatenko repeatedly refused to cooperate with the invaders until one day, Russian servicemen shot him through the closed door of his apartment.

Read also: Literature community commemorates Ukrainian writer killed by Russian attack

Many of their colleagues tried to avoid the same fate either by fleeing the occupation or complying with Russian orders, Lozovyi said. Kerpatenko not only stayed in occupied Kherson but also openly criticized the Russian leadership and Moscow's top proxy in the city.

"Musician for life," says Kerpatenko's Facebook page description. "When he listened to music, he just 'soared.' You could see from his movements how much he enjoyed it, Lozovyi said.

Lozovyi called the loss of Kerpatenko, who he said was also known for his orchestrations abroad, irreplaceable for Kherson Oblast's cultural scene, expressing pessimism in the philharmonic's future.

"Everything ended with Yura's death. There is nobody like him, and there wont be for the next few years or even decades."

Viktor Onysko, film editor

Ukrainian film editor Viktor Onysko (front) talks to his colleagues during the shooting of Roman Bondarchuk's movie "The Editorial Office" in Kherson Oblast. (Li Biletska)

Ukrainian film editor Viktor Onysko always hated war, distinguished cultural manager and Onyskos wife, Olha Birzul, told the Kyiv Independent. It was not his element at all.

But when Russia poured thousands of its troops into Ukraine, the 40-year-old Kyiv native joined the army, feeling it was unfair to wait for others to stop the invasion.

His high sense of justice pushed him to take part in the Orange Revolution and EuroMaidan Revolution, the most consequential uprisings in modern-day Ukraine. The same sense of justice brought him to the front line near the city of Soledar in Donetsk Oblast.

On Dec. 30, 2022, the film editor turned company commander with the call sign Tarantino was withdrawing his troops from the area when Russian forces spotted their positions, opening heavy fire and killing Onysko.

Read also: How Russia steals and rewrites Ukrainian history to justify its claims in Ukraine

Over his 15-year-long career, Onysko contributed to over 20 Ukrainian movies and TV series, including The Stronghold, The Rising Hawk, and Felix Austria. His last film shoots took place in Kherson Oblast, where Onysko returned a year later to liberate the region from Russian occupation.

Having no previous military experience, he kept telling his wife it was their generation that must stop this war so that younger Ukrainians could go on with their lives.

When asked what Onyskos career plans were, Birzul hesitated, saying that her husband had a hard time making plans in an unstable Ukrainian film industry.

Onysko used to say that there is no cinema more interesting than life, according to his wife.

He just wanted to live in a free country, raise his (10-year-old) daughter, and be a decent person responsible for what he does, says, and how he lives.

Liubov Panchenko, artist and fashion designer

Liubov Panchenko belonged to the Sixtiers, a Ukrainian dissident movement that revived the countrys culture during the Khrushchev Thaw. The influential yet not very well-known artist and fashion designer was surrounded by prominent intellectuals of her time, like Alla Horska and Viacheslav Chornovil, most of whom fell victim to Soviet repressions.

Regardless of what she was working on  costumes, illustrations, fabric collages, embroidered towels, or shirts  Panchenko always relied on Ukrainian tradition, using national ornaments and other authentic elements.

The Soviet authorities showcased her works to foreigners as proof of the free development of national culture but ensured her talent remained unknown to the general public, reads Panchenkos biography published by the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory.

In 1992, a year after Ukraine regained its independence, she finally got her first open exhibition. But the most productive years were already behind her.

A native of Bucha, a suburb just west of Kyiv, Panchenko faced Russian occupation alone at the age of 84, deprived of social services available to her before the invasion. When a projectile landed in her yard, a neighbor came to help and found the woman beyond exhausted" from a month of hunger, said the head of the Ukrainian Sixtiers Dissident Movement Museum Olena Lodzynska, who knew Panchenko personally.

Read also: Ukrainian artist Liubov Panchenko died after month of starvation in Russian-occupied Bucha

After Ukraine liberated Bucha, Panchenko was hospitalized but died shortly thereafter. "What we saw at the hospital was a skeleton covered with skin," Lodzynska said.

Panchenko died in April 2022, survived by no children but a collection of dozens of artworks at the Sixtiers Museum in Kyiv.

Oleksandr Shapoval, ex-soloist of Ukraines National Opera and Ballet Theater

Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval plays the role of Espada from "Don Quixote" on the stage of Ukraine's National Opera and Ballet Theater in Kyiv. (National Opera)

In 2021, after almost two decades at Ukraine's National Opera and Ballet Theater, award-winning ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval finished his career on stage and focused on teaching.

A year later, on the second day of Russia's full-scale invasion, Shapoval called his shocked wife from an enlistment office, saying he had joined the Territorial Defense Forces.

Brought up on World War II stories from his grandfather, the 47-year-old Kyiv native felt he could not stand aside, trading sophisticated choreography classes for the position of a grenade launcher in an assault squad.

"When he was sent (near) Donetsk, I couldn't walk for two days," Shapoval's wife, Tetiana, told the Kyiv Independent with her voice trembling.

Read also: A very noble man: Ballet dancer turned soldier killed on front line near Bakhmut

She was told that a Russian projectile landed next to his feet while he was trying to evacuate the bodies of fallen brothers-in-arms.

In their last phone call, Shapoval told his 21-year-old son, "I just really want to sleep and to hug you all."

Before the full-scale war, Shapoval finally came to peace with his retirement, overcoming fears of leaving the theater that had become his second home. He was deeply invested in each of the 30 roles he had throughout his career, practicing them whenever he could, said Tetiana.

Whether it was Tybalt from "Romeo and Juliet" or Jose Escamillo from "Carmen Suite," Shapoval lived through all his roles, inspiring colleagues, the audience, and his daughter Mariia. She followed in her father's footsteps and is now studying in a U.K. ballet school.

Olha Pavlenko, artist and researcher of Ukrainian cuisine

Ukrainian artist and researcher of Ukrainian cuisine Olha Pavlenko holds a cooking workshop for children. (Olha Pavlenko/Facebook)

Olha Pavlenko, 38, was the type of person you would call versatile. She taught art classes for children, often those with disabilities, in her studio called "Kolorovo" (Colorful), researched the history and traditions of her native region, Kirovohrad, organized cooking workshops, art exhibitions, and charity auctions.

But Pavlenko's most notable achievement was what she called "the red book of Ukrainian culinary art," preserving authentic recipes from across the country. She spent two years creating the book Live Ukrainian Cuisine, based on the findings from her expeditions, archive records, and folklore, the artist's mother, Raisa Pavlenko, told the Kyiv Independent.

"At the age of 12, she baked her first bread," Raisa said with tenderness, recalling her daughter's deep-rooted love for cooking. Always keen to talk with local elderly women, Olha was very passionate about passing on the culinary knowledge of previous generations.

At the start of the full-scale invasion, Olha and her daughter evacuated to the U.S., but in April, they returned home, to the village of Uspenka, for several months, during which she planned to work on the book's second edition.

On June 27, she went to pick up a new phone from the nearest shopping mall  Kremenchuk's Amstor  right before a Russian Kh-22 cruise missile hit the building.

"Nobody could imagine that the shopping center would turn into a crematorium," Raisa said, recalling the deadly strike. Olha's body was identified by DNA testing and a piece of green-dyed hair.

After her death, Raisa's only consolation is to ensure her daughter's work lives on. She and activist Oksana Levkova are raising money to print additional copies of Live Ukrainian Cuisine and plan to publish its second edition. All funds from selling the first 500 copies supported Olha's daughter, who is now studying in the U.S.

Note from the author:

Hi! This is Dinara Khalilova, thank you for reading this article. As you can imagine, it was emotionally difficult to dive into the stories of people who could have done so much more for the Ukrainian culture but were killed by Russias war. I believe its important to keep showing the price Ukrainians pay for resisting Russias imperial aggression. If you do, too, please consider supporting our reporting.

Read also: Two sisters capture the beauty of Ukraines villages before its gone













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Russia has lost about 800 soldiers, 28 armoured combat vehicles, 7 tanks, 44 artillery systems, 5 multiple launch rocket systems, 2 air defence systems and 27 military vehicles in the war against Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of Russian troops between 24 February 2022 and 25 October 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 296,310 (+800) military personnel

5,112 (+7) tanks

9,697 (+28) armoured combat vehicles

7,125 (+44) artillery systems

833 (+5) multiple-launch rocket systems

554 (+2) air defence systems

320 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft

324 (+0) helicopters

5,372 (+9) tactical UAVs

1,538 (+1) cruise missiles

20 (+0) ships and boats

1 (+0) submarines

9,474 (+27) vehicles and tankers

1,007 (+1) special vehicles and other equipment

The information is being confirmed.

       25.10.2023

Russia's losses in the war against Ukraine as of 25 October 2023

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Ukrainian General Staff stated in its morning report on 25 October: "The Ukrainian Air Force carried out 13 strikes on clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment and 3 strikes on anti-aircraft missile systems belonging to the Russians over the past 24 hours."

Furthermore, units from Ukraine's Rocket Forces and Artillery destroyed 12 artillery pieces, a logistics hub, a command post, an air defence asset and hit two clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment.

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A Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group landed close to Pidstepne (20 kilometres east of Kherson and 3 kilometres from the Dnipro River), where they took control of a section of the road that connects the settlements of Poima, Kozachi Laheri, and Krynky.

Source: the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Military analysts received this information from Russian military bloggers. They also claim that Ukrainian troops have moved reserves to the islands in the Dnipro River delta and are trying to break through to the villages of Poima and Pishchanivka.

Russian bloggers also claimed that Ukrainian forces had continued to ferry small groups of personnel across the Dnipro River by boat at various locations. The Russian Defence Ministry said that Ukrainian forces had unsuccessfully tried to seize positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

They also claimed that Ukrainian troops still control part of Krynky and hold positions near the Antonivka road and the railway bridge.

In addition, Ukrainian troops have continued their counteroffensive operations in the country's east and south, advancing to the south of Bakhmut and the western part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 24 October. Geolocation footage posted on 23 October indicated that Ukrainian forces had advanced east of Andriivka (10 km southwest of Bakhmut), and geolocation footage posted on 24 October indicated that Ukrainian forces had made minor advances west of Robotyne. The General Staff of Ukraine also reported on 24 October that Ukrainian troops had continued their offensive south of Bakhmut and achieved partial success near Robotyne.

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 25 October:

Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in eastern and southern Ukraine on 24 October and advanced south of Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

Russia appears to be increasingly supplementing the use of Shahed-131/136 drones with cheaper and lighter domestically produced drone variants during strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.

Russian authorities are intensifying mobilisation efforts targeting Central Asian migrant communities in Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted diminishing Russian control over the Black Sea and Ukraines temporary grain corridors during a speech at the Crimean Platform summit on 24 October.

Russian forces conducted offensive operations near Avdiivka on 24 October and made confirmed advances northeast of Avdiivka.

Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces maintain some positions in Krynky (30 km east of Kherson City and 2 km from the Dnipro River) and continued limited attacks on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River.

The Russian Ministry of Defence-affiliated "Redut" private military company (PMC) is reportedly trying to recruit women into combat roles.

Russian occupation authorities continue to establish programmes to forcibly deport Ukrainian children to Russia.

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A Ukrainian soldier spoke to Insider about his meetings with US lawmakers this week.

The soldier, who deploys to the front lines next month, said many don't know how aid money is spent.

His message: "We don't want to be colonized. We want to live in a democracy."

WASHINGTON, DC  Vitalij Boiko was working in real estate when the bombs started falling. From the business of buying and selling property, he pivoted to defending it, serving in the Ukrainian armed forces amid the Battle of Kyiv, back when just about everyone thought a Russian victory was just a matter of time.

"When the war started, my family left to Great Britain," he told Insider. "I went to the recruiting station."

Now serving in Ukraine's National Guard, Boiko's current brigade spans infantry on the eastern front to antiaircraft units that continue to guard the capital from Russian missiles and Iranian drones . This week, however, he's engaged in warfare of a different sort  politics  even if, technically, he's supposed to be on leave and resting up for another deployment.

"I am on vacation now because I'm going to the front lines with the brigade in two weeks," he told Insider as the sun set on the Washington Monument, where earlier about 150 activists attending a pro-Ukraine advocacy summit in Washington unfurled what organizers claimed was the world's largest blue-and-yellow flag. But he's actually working, meeting with members of Congress to share his perspective on the war and why he thinks his country's defense is still worth supporting.

It's an intervention that comes as Republicans in the House  who will control the next year's legislative agenda  are split down the middle on whether Ukraine's fight is also America's. So far, Boiko said, the meetings have been enlightening.

"It's been very useful and interesting because nobody knows that financial help to Ukraine doesn't go directly to Ukraine," he said. "They think that they gave so much money directly to Ukraine and they can't see where [it] is now. But it doesn't go directly to Ukraine. It's still in the United States. It's only old equipment that's going directly to Ukraine  and it's not enough when we have a huge front line, more than 10,000 square kilometers."

The United States has provided cash to Ukraine: over $26 billion to support the country's public spending. But a "good portion" of the $113 billion in total aid marked for Ukraine has indeed been "spent in the States, or on US personnel," according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies , a think tank in Washington. A majority of weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine have been from existing stocks, which Congress has appropriated $26 billion to replace, a figure the Biden administration hopes to increase with its latest proposal of $61.4 billion in new aid .

Boiko said that while some in the United States may be on the fence about more aid, he wants Americans to know that people like him are determined to keep fighting.

"Every soldier in the trenches knows that he is fighting for his family, for his kids, and for freedom. We don't want to be colonized. We don't want to be wealthy slaves. We want to live in a democracy," he said. "If you don't want to participate, to not lose your life on the front line, please give us equipment, and we will protect you."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said only governments could tackle the risks posed by AI, a technology he said could make it easier to build chemical or biological weapons, spread fear and, in a worse-case scenario, escape human control.

Speaking ahead of a global gathering he has convened next week to examine the risks of the technology, Sunak said he hoped the participants could agree on the nature of the risks and establish a global panel to assess them.

Britain will set up an artificial intelligence (AI) safety institute to "examine, evaluate and test new types of AI so that we understand what each new model is capable of, exploring all the risks from social harms like bias and misinformation through to the most extreme risks," Sunak said.

Representatives of AI companies, political leaders and experts will meet at Bletchley Park - where Britain's World War Two code-breakers worked - in southern England on Nov. 1-2.

"Get this wrong, and AI could make it easier to build chemical or biological weapons," Sunak said. "And in the most unlikely but extreme cases, there is even the risk that humanity could lose control of AI completely."

Sunak wants Britain to be a global leader in AI safety, carving out a role after Brexit between the competing economic blocs of the United States, China and the European Union.

Around 100 participants at next week's meeting will discuss subjects including the unpredictable advances of AI and the potential for humans to lose control of it, according to the agenda.

Sunak said China had been invited but he could not guarantee that a representative of the country would attend.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis are on the guest list.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) economies, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States and the European Union, in May called for adoption of standards to create trustworthy AI and to set up a ministerial forum dubbed the Hiroshima AI process.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Mike Harrison, William Schomberg and Christina Fincher)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing bombardment of the territory after Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, Guterres said, speaking at the Security Council on Tuesday, adding that Palestinians are currently facing collective punishment for Hamas attack.

His comments have angered Israeli officials, who have called for Guterres to resign, and exposed the growing global differences over the Israel-Hamas war: The U.S. has called for a humanitarian pause to allow aid into Gaza, rather than a ceasefire, which has been backed by Arab states and Russia.

Russia and the U.S. have put forward dueling plans at the United Nations to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a humanitarian pause, while Russian officials have asked for an outright ceasefire. The Russian plan is supported by Arab nations neighboring Israel, including Egypt, currently the sole entry point for aid entering the enclave. Last week the U.S. vetoed a Brazil-drafted resolution for humanitarian pauses, arguing that it needed time to help broker the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Israel has lashed out against Guterres speech and the U.N. On Wednesday Israels U.N. ambassador Gilad Erdan said that his country would no longer issue visas for U.N. officials looking to enter Israel. The time has come to teach them a lesson, Erdan told Army Radio. The Israeli press also noted a shift in the U.S. position on Tuesday. It is the first time a US official has publicly called for any sort of stoppage to the fighting, reported The Times of Israel, referring to Blinkens calls for a humanitarian pause.

Calls for a ceasefire have proliferated in Arab media, as Israels bombardment of the Gaza Strip has severely disrupted the enclaves ability to offer health care services, clean water, or food. Western nations refusal to call outright for a ceasefire has given a green light to Israels agenda of collective punishment, international law and international relations scholar Richard Falk wrote in the Middle East Eye, adding that punishment might itself be grotesque cover for the regimes end goal of massive dispossession and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
U.N. Security Council holds a quarterly open debate on the Middle East in New York

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday rejected accusations by Israel that, in a statement to the Security Council, he had justified attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.

"I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement ... as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false. It was the opposite," he told reporters, without specifically naming Israel.

Guterres on Tuesday pleaded for civilians to be protected in the war between Israel and Hamas, voicing concern about "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in the Gaza Strip.

He told the 15-member U.N. Security Council that it was vital to be clear that war has rules, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.

"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," Guterres said.

"But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he said.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan described Guterres' speech as "shocking" and called on Guterres to resign immediately, while Israel's visiting Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he would not meet with Guterres on Tuesday as planned.

Guterres instead met with family representatives of the hostages held in Gaza.

Guterres noted on Wednesday that in his statement to the Security Council he "condemned unequivocally" the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people, saying: "Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets."

Referring to his statement on Wednesday, he said: "I believe it is necessary to set the record straight  especially out of respect for the victims and their families."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Susan Heavey and Daniel Wallis)
GAZA (Reuters) - Nearly 600,000 internally displaced people are sheltering in 150 facilities of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, while at least 40 UNRWA installations have been impacted, the UN agency posted on Wednesday on the social media platform X.

"Our shelters are four times over their capacities - many people are sleeping in the streets as current facilities are overwhelmed," the agency added.

(Reporting by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson on Wednesday assured Taiwan compatriots in the zone affected by the Palestine-Israel conflict that they would receive overseas consular protection similar to that of mainland people.

Zhu Fenglian made the remarks while responding to a question on what assistance the mainland would provide to Taiwan compatriots who are in the affected zone or intend to evacuate from there.

Emphasizing that Taiwan compatriots are Chinese citizens, the same as mainland people, Zhu said the motherland stands as a firm support for them.

She assured that the same level of overseas consular protection would be extended to Taiwan compatriots as provided to mainland people.

Zhu stated that relevant authorities would closely monitor the development of the situation regarding the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and make every effort to assist Chinese citizens, including Taiwan compatriots.

In times of difficulty or when facing threats to life and property overseas, overseas Taiwan compatriots are urged to contact Chinese embassies and consulates abroad for assistance.

"'Taiwan independence' means war," Zhu said. "We hope that our fellow Taiwan compatriots will cherish peace in the Taiwan Strait as they cherish their own eyes, oppose separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' in the same way they oppose war." 

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, gestures at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Israel's military suggested on Tuesday that the United Nations ask Hamas for fuel supplies after the U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip warned it would have to halt operations on Wednesday night if no fuel was delivered.

The agency, known as UNRWA, posted its warning on social media on Tuesday. The Israel Defense Forces reposted it and said that Hamas militants have more than 500,000 litres of fuel in tanks inside besieged Gaza.

"Ask Hamas if you can have some," the IDF wrote.

Rafah is the main crossing in and out of Gaza that does not border Israel. It has become the focus of efforts to deliver aid since Israel imposed a "total siege" of the enclave in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7.

The United States is leading negotiations with Israel, Egypt and the U.N. to try and create a sustained delivery mechanism for aid to Gaza. They are wrangling over procedures for inspecting aid and bombardments on the Gaza side of the border.

While there have been some limited deliveries of food, water and medicine since Saturday, no fuel has been allowed in. Israel is concerned about the possible diversion of fuel deliveries by Hamas and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday described Israel's concerns as legitimate.

"We still believe, just in general, that fuel needs to be able to get in to the people of Gaza," he told reporters.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the daily deliveries of aid since Saturday as "a drop of aid in an ocean of need," while U.S. President Joe Biden on dubbed humanitarian efforts to deliver help via Rafah as "not fast enough."

Senior U.N. aid official Lynn Hastings told the U.N. Security Council earlier on Tuesday that the United Nations has 400,000 litres on trucks in Egypt ready to go and that it would provide fuel for around 2-1/2 days.

However, Israel's military spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Tuesday accused Hamas of stealing petrol from UNRWA, adding: "Petrol will not enter Gaza. Hamas takes the petrol for its military infrastructure."

Hastings told the Security Council that no fuel "means no hospitals functioning, no desalination of water and no baking."

"Many people are drinking saline groundwater, increasing the risks of diarrhea, cholera, and other health issues. We urge Israel to bring water and electricity supplies back to pre-conflict levels and to work with us to find a secure way of bringing fuel into Gaza," she said.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that in addition to hospitals that have had to close due to damage and attacks, "six hospitals across the Gaza Strip have already shut down due to lack of fuel."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Ismail Shakil and Deepa Babington)
Fourteen men were arrested on charges related to trying to have sex with a child.

The arrests were a result of a multi-agency, undercover sting called Operation Boogeyman, which was conducted from Oct. 18-20.

The Fresno County Sheriffs Office released the names and ages of the suspects arrested:

James Barboza, 31

Cresenciano Cortez Merino, 39

Desmond Fitzgerald, 21

Louie Gonzalez, 41

Jack Hastings, 30

Elias Ibarra, 30

Sukhpreet Jassar, 57

Giovanni Jimenez, 29

Miguel Jimenez, 34

Sebastian Mouvangsou, 30





Anthony Rice, 27





Eliazar Sanchez, 39

Bryan Smith, 35

Alonzo Watson, 58

The Fresno County Sheriffs Office said all of the suspects were first to express their sexual desires and they initiated a time to meet with the detective posing as a child.

Despite their arrests, the majority of suspects have since posted bond, been assigned a court date and released from custody, the sheriffs office added.

The Fresno County Sheriffs Office said the basis for launching the operation was because of the increased use of electronic devices and social media by children, thus the rise of the potential danger from being online more often and encountering a sexual predator.

DuringOperation Boogeyman, detectives identified, contacted and arrested anyone who may be trying to target a child for sex.

Detectives posed as preteen and early teenage old boys and girls to use technology against these predators and safeguard children.

The sheriffs office said the suspects used sexually explicit language and sent graphic photos to the detective pretending to be a child.

No actual children were ever used or placed into danger during the operation, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office added.

Agencies involved in the operation were:

California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation

California Department of Justice

Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Fresno County Sheriffs Office

Fresno County District Attorneys Office

Fresno County Probation Adult Compliance Team (ACT)

Fresno Police Department

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

Madera County Sheriffs Office

Mariposa County Sheriffs Office

Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC)

Paso Robles Police Department

San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Office

Sanger Police Department

U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of California

Visalia Police Department

Law enforcement is reminding the public to be vigilant when it comes to visiting websites and social media outlets.

They suggests parents should also monitor their childrens internet usage and be aware of the software apps they are using.

Online predators often pretend to be someone else in order to lure their victims in and take advantage of them, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office added.

Operation Boogeyman remains an ongoing investigation and more arrests could be made.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Mississippi recently received over $237 million in federal funding under Joe Biden's administration under the American Rescue Plan.

In comparison, $33.4 million of the funds, regarded as the largest ever for HBCUs, went to Alcorn State University, according to the Department of Education. Be that as it may, Alcorn State University remains vastly underfunded.

"Unequitable funding of the 1890 institution in your state has caused a severe financial gap. In the last 30 years alone, an additional $257,807,216 would have been available for the university," education secretary Miguel Cardona and agriculture secretary Thomas Vilsack said in a Sept. 18, 2023 letter addressed to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, urging him to invest more money in Alcorn State University to close the over $257 million funding gap in the university.

"These funds could have supported infrastructure and student services and would have better positioned the university to compete for research grants." The underfunding of Alcorn State University "disadvantages" students and faculty.

Duvalier Malone

The underfunding of Alcorn State University "disadvantages" students. Even though HBCUs, including 1890 land-grant institutions, represent just 3% of postsecondary institutions and account for 10% of all Black college student enrollments, they have produced 80% of Black judges, 50% of Black lawyers and doctors, and 25% of Black graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

However, the American system, which is skewed against Black Americans, puts the future of millions of these Americans at risk through the systemic underinvestment in their education.

For example, there has been a funding deficit of more than $257 million in the last 30 years at Alcorn State University alone. Sixteen HBCUs, including Alcorn State University, have been underfunded by close to $13 billion within the period under review.

Due to underfunding, Alcorn State University students have to grapple with the issues of poor educational facilities and limited research opportunities. As a result, they are unable to compete favorably with predominantly white university graduates even when they graduate because they are ill-equipped and therefore earn less than these white graduates and as they should have originally had if the system was initially built to accommodate all Americans, irrespective of the color of their skin.

The underfunding of Alcorn State University "disadvantages" faculty as well. Inadequate funding at Alcorn State University leads to poor remuneration of staff, which is often the result of both internal and external brain drain in the faculty, a dearth of quality scientific research and a lack of managerial capacities among staff in the university.

These issues have their own ripple effects on both staff and students. When black graduates are offered low-paying entry-level jobs, receive little paychecks or remain stagnant due to a lack of promotions, they contribute little or nothing to their alma mater, which builds endowments through alumni donations.

In 2020 alone, endowments at HBCUs averaged only $34 million, while the endowments of just 18 white land-grant schools averaged a whopping $1.9 billion. Small endowments do nothing but adversely affect the payment of faculty salaries, student scholarships, scientific research, the expansion of academic facilities and even the day-to-day operations at HBCUs. These issues' effects on staff and students cannot be overemphasized.

While many people would argue that HBCUs have contributed little or nothing to the country's economy and, therefore, do not deserve more funding, the fact remains that they are actually wrong. "Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions make innumerable contributions to our country through the research produced by their faculty, [the] achievements of their students and alumni, and [the] services that they provide to the immediate community," Cardona and Vilsack said in the letter. "Furthermore, these institutions generate close to $15 billion in economic impact and over 134,000 jobs annually in the local and regional economies they serve."

"The longstanding and ongoing underinvestment in Alcorn State University," according to the duo, not only "disadvantages" students and faculty of the university but also the "community that the institution serves," namely Mississippi and the entire America.

That is why all hands must be on deck to increase funding for all HBCUs in Mississippi, especially Alcorn State University, so we are "able to compete at a high level and develop the strong workforce that will propel this country into the future, generate the next wave of job creators, and fuel our economy," as well as provide opportunities to "our students that we will be able to innovate beyond what we thought was possible just a few years ago and even today," to put it more succinctly in the duo's words.

As an alumnus of Alcorn State University and Jackson State University, I can personally attest to the boundless potential within these historic institutions' walls. Despite the chronic underfunding, the opportunities they afford their students are a testament to the faculty's dedication, the students' resilience, and the enduring legacy of these HBCUs. But it is not just about the past or present  it's about the future we are shaping.

Each dollar invested in Alcorn State University and other HBCUs is an investment in the future of America. Despite the challenges, these institutions continue to produce the nation's best and brightest, molding them into leaders, innovators, and trailblazers. So, I call on my fellow alumni, residents of Mississippi, and all Americans to rally behind these indispensable institutions.

Advocate for equitable funding, support with your time, donations, and resources, and be the voice that demands change. In ensuring that institutions like Alcorn State University thrive, we ensure a brighter, more inclusive future for all. Let us not just speak about the disparities but act to bridge them. Stand with Alcorn, stand with all HBCUs, and uplift the next generation of leaders.

 Duvalier Malone is the author of "Those Who Give A Damn: A Manual for Making a Difference," a motivational speaker, community activist, and CEO of Duvalier Malone Enterprises, a global consulting firm. He lives in Washington, D.C.Top of Form

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Underfunding Alcorn State MS 'disadvantages' students and faculty
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is undergoing its most significant changes in nearly 30 years, and one of the new regulations will directly impact undocumented families.

College students must file the form, better known as FAFSA, each year to get financial aid from the federal government. Many states and universities also base their own assistance on the form.

This years changes will be the biggest overhaul since 1997, when the form became available online.

One of the major changes includes easing the process for parents without social security numbers, which includes undocumented individuals. Both students and parents must create an account and obtain a federal student aid ID to complete the form.

Before the change, parents without a social security number would enter 000-00-0000. This led to extra verification steps including printing out the signature page, manually signing and mailing it in. Verification is needed by the parent and student each time a change or update is made.

Online verification takes seconds, while mailing in the signature page could take weeks, which can be problematic, said Erika Viramontes, the director of the school counseling program at Green Dot Public Schools California, a nonprofit educational organization based in Los Angeles.

Now, parents can get a federal student aid ID without having a social security number. They will be given a pseudo-number for the application process.

The idea is to be a lot more simple, Viramontes said. Parents are not going to have to go back and forth to verify their identity.

The form wont be available until a yet-to-be-specified date in December, a few months later than usual, so the process is still unclear.

To verify, Viramontes said, parents will likely have the option of answering knowledge-based questions potentially tied to employment, housing and income. But that may present another challenge for already nervous parents.

This process is just very scary for me and for other students, said Kimberly Gomez, program coordinator for Sacramento States Dreamer Resource Center, which provides help to undocumented students and individuals with mixed-status families.

Gomez recalled the hesitancy in her undocumented parents when she asked for their tax information. She said deportation continues to be an ongoing fear for them along with others in similar situations.

Theres just a lot of mixed emotions for parents, especially because most mixed-status families students are also first generation, Gomez said. So theyre already going through the stress of applying for colleges and not knowing what financial aid is.

Still, Gomez encouraged all students and families, regardless of their situation, to submit an application.

Undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students remain ineligible for federal student aid. However, they may be eligible for state financial aid and private scholarships.

Under Assembly Bill 540 and the California Dream Act, undocumented students can receive financial aid from the state and its public universities if they meet certain eligibility requirements. They should complete a CA Dream Act Application to check eligibility for state aid.

Definitely dont let this change take away the opportunity of you going to college, Gomez said.

Other upcoming FAFSA changes include students no longer needing to register for selective service; a new methodology for determining aid; eliminating the discounts students receive when they have siblings enrolled in college; and reducing parents expected payments for students with low incomes.

The National Attainment College Network is hosting monthly virtual webinars to prepare students and families for the upcoming FAFSA changes.
In a dimly lit hut in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Anjana cradles her baby boy, her eyes welling up as she says he is named after his father.

Anjana's husband Umesh Bamaniya died in April, 10 days before his son was born, while cleaning a choked sewer - a job that would've earned him 2,000 rupees (19; $24). His body, enveloped in sewage, was retrieved from a manhole in Gujarat's Tharad town. He was just 23 years old.

The loss of her husband, the family's breadwinner, has left Anjana devastated. "How will I raise my children and educate them?" she asks.

Hundreds of miles away, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Annamma is in a similar state.

Her husband Moses, 40, died of asphyxiation inside a sewer at a factory in Chennai city in September.

Until his death, Annamma didn't even know her husband cleaned sewers. "He told us he worked at a canteen and sometimes doubled up as a daily wage worker," she said.

Annamma, who has two little girls, is still in shock. "Forget about money and survival, how will I tell my children that their father died while cleaning a septic tank?"

Thousands of Indians manually clean sewers and septic tanks

Umesh and Moses are among thousands of sanitation workers from low-caste communities who manually clean sewers, septic tanks, toilets and drains. They are widely considered manual scavengers, though experts say the legal definition of the term, which only includes people who clean or handle human waste in spaces such as "insanitary latrines" or railway tracks, is too narrow.

Manual scavenging is banned in India but the practice is still commonplace, with people forced into it because of rigid caste rules and the lack of other livelihood options. They are hired by local corporations and even private contractors to clean sewers and drains that are blocked because of mud and plastic.

Successive federal governments, including the current one, have missed several deadlines to declare India free of manual scavenging, most recently in August this year.

There is little agreement on how many people are engaged in manual scavenging - in 2021, a federal minister told parliament that the government had identified 58,098 manual scavengers in the country through surveys, but also added that there was "no report of practice of manual scavenging currently in the country". But according to the Safai Karmachari Andolan, which works to eliminate manual scavenging, there are more than 770,000 such workers.

Deaths like those of Umesh and Moses - usually through asphyxiation from inhaling toxic gases in the sewer - are often reported from different Indian cities. In July, the government said that 339 people had died in the past five years while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

Another report by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) - a government-appointed organisation that oversees the conditions of sanitation workers - says that 928 sewer workers died between 1993 and 2020, with the states of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat reporting the highest casualties. Even this could be an undercount - most of the affected workers are hired on contract, which makes it easier for authorities or the people who hired them to not claim responsibility.

"Resultantly, these deaths are never considered by the state administration while compiling the data of sewer deaths and hence they remain unreported and non-compensated," the NCSK report says.

There have been several protests against manual scavenging

Bezwada Wilson, national convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, alleges that the government "lacks the willingness" to count the exact number of manual scavengers.

"The government has appointed police officers to go to colonies and count the numbers of workers. But a lot of people refrain from identifying themselves as manual scavengers because of stigma, leading to undercounting," he says.

Lal Singh Arya, national president of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Scheduled Caste Front, denied this, saying the government has been making sincere efforts to eradicate the practice. (Scheduled Castes are officially designated groups of historically disadvantaged communities who form the majority of manual scavengers)

"The government has allocated a separate budget for states to acquire new technology to clean sewers and has made provisions for alternate employment for the workers," he says.

"But if the practice still persists, then strong action must be taken," Mr Arya adds.

The BBC has emailed questions to the federal ministry of social justice and empowerment about the allegations raised by activists but has not received a response yet.

Governments have put the emphasis on mechanical de-sludging and protective equipment - and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean Indian Campaign) brought the issue back to mainstream attention about a decade ago - but activists say a lot more needs to be done.

For instance, many contractors and corporations don't provide safety gear to workers or have the equipment for mechanised sewer cleaning. The sewers are also often designed in such a way that machines cannot be used to clean them.

Ratnaben says she has not received the compensation promised to her after her husband's death

Activists also have to fight to get compensation for family members of dead workers.

"I have come across many cases where the family members of a worker who died inside a manhole did not receive the financial compensation that was promised to them," says Purushottam Vaghela, an activist who runs a non-profit organisation called Manav Garima (Human Dignity).

Ratnaben is one of them - her husband Shambhubhai died in 2008 after inhaling toxic gases inside a sewer at a private factory in Ahmedabad city in Gujarat.

Fifteen years later, she says she hasn't received the promised help from the district administration.

"When my husband died, big promises were made to me, like money, a government job, a house and a good school for my children. But I have grown old waiting for these things," says Ratnaben, who works as a rag-picker.

The district collector of Ahmedabad did not respond to the BBC's questions about Ratnaben's allegations.

Mr Wilson says that even if workers want to leave the job, stigma and caste discrimination prevent them from doing so.

"This makes their social rehabilitation even more difficult even if they were to find alternative means of livelihood," he says.

With inputs from Prabhakar Tamilarasu in Chennai and Deepak Sharma in Delhi

BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features.

Read more India stories from the BBC:
Biden calls for 'path toward peace' once Israel-Gaza crisis is resolved

By Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday a "path toward peace" must be forged once the Israel-Gaza crisis concludes, with independent states for the Israelis and Palestinians and an integration of Israel among its Arab neighbors.

Biden opened a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by saying U.S. support for Israel's defense was ironclad, but the parties needed to think about a way forward in the region once the Gaza crisis was resolved.

"Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity and peace," Biden said.

"When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution. It means a concentrated effort from all the parties - Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, global leaders - to put us on a path toward peace," Biden said.

Biden said he believed one reason Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,400 people on Oct. 7, was to prevent normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Israeli airstrikes in retaliation have killed over 6,500 people, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said on Wednesday. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the casualty figures of either side.

Biden said he had "no notion" that the Palestinians were telling the truth about how many had been killed.

"I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's the price of waging a war," he said. "I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using."

Biden did not elaborate but also expressed concern about treatment of Palestinians by some Israelis.

"I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," Biden said, accusing them of pouring gasoline on a fire. "They're attacking Palestinians in places that they're entitled to be, and it has to stop."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, called Biden's remarks about Palestinian casualties "dehumanizing."

President Biden should apologize for his comments, condemn the Israeli government for deliberately targeting civilians, and demand a ceasefire before more innocent people die, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.

AUSTRALIA OFFERS AID

Albanese, in his opening remarks, said Australia will provide an additional $15 million in aid for Gaza civilians.

Earlier, at a White House arrival ceremony, he called American leadership indispensable but not inevitable.

"It takes a leader to deliver it. It takes wisdom to show empathy, courage to provide humanitarian assistance, and true leadership to seek peace. Because protecting innocent people is not a show of weakness. It is a measure of strength," he said.

A growing chorus of nations are pushing Israel to take a humanitarian pause in its attacks on Hamas in Gaza that have killed thousands of Palestinians, many of them children. Biden, a self-described "Zionist", has strongly supported Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack while cautioning the country to abide by democratic principles.

Australia is a key ally in the Pacific, and Biden scheduled the visit after canceling a trip to Sydney in May to stay in Washington and negotiate a government funding crisis.

PHILIPPINES SUPPORT

Biden appeared to issue China a warning after a series of maritime confrontations with the Philippines, saying the United States' commitment to Manila's defense is iron clad.

China is having its own internal and external difficulties right now, Biden added.

The U.S.-Australia alliance is "marked by imagination, ingenuity and innovation," Biden told the prime minister in opening remarks upon his arrival at the White House, citing their partnership in World War One, World War Two and the "war on terror."

The visit resulted in agreements aimed at deterring and competing with China, even as separately the two countries try to thaw relations with Beijing. The two nations are committed to making sure the "Indo-Pacific remains free, open, prosperous and secure," Biden said.

Albanese, greeted with a red carpet, military band and a receiving line of Biden's top advisers, praised American democratic values and lauded Biden for maintaining "that every innocent life matters, Israeli and Palestinian, and that in every conflict every effort must be made to protect civilians."

He also pledged continued cooperation in Ukraine's ongoing fight against Russia's invasion last year.

Later in the evening the two men attended an elaborate state dinner, though a planned performance by the B-52's was scrapped out of respect for those suffering in the Middle East.

The deals between the two sides included an undersea internet cable project and maritime wharf infrastructure investment designed to benefit and woo Pacific Island nations whose assistance may be needed to respond to any future conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea.

Washington and Canberra, already partners in a decades-old collective defense agreement, also announced wider security cooperation with Japan.

The balancing act of strengthening deterrence against China without offending Beijing too much is made more complicated by a Middle East crisis that has again diverted Washington's attention away from the Indo-Pacific.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Tom Hogue, Heather Timmons, Josie Kao and Gerry Doyle)
The US Air Force confirmed on Wednesday that Ukrainian pilots have begun flight training on F-16 fighter jets at an air base in Arizona.

Source: the statement of the spokesperson of the US Air Force, which is quoted by the specialised publication Air&Space Forces Magazine, European Pravda writes

Details: A representative of the US Air Force noted that a "small number" of Ukrainian pilots earlier this week began training "basics of F-16 operation" at the base of the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard.

"The training curriculum will align with the foundational knowledge and skills of each pilot and is expected to last several months," added a US Air Force spokesman.

Background:

Before that, a small group of Ukrainian pilots who arrived in the USA in September underwent language training at Lackland Air Base in Texas.

It is expected that in Arizona, the Ukrainians will first learn the basics of operating F-16s in a classroom and on simulators and then move on to flying real planes. At the same time, the course can be accelerated as Ukrainian pilots might need to return to participate in hostilities in their homeland.

Earlier, the US predicted that the first Ukrainian pilots to be trained on the F-16 could complete the programme in three months, but they would perform combat missions later.

In October, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the creation of several "capability coalitions" for Kyiv, including the training of the Ukrainian Air Force, which will be led by the US, Denmark and the Netherlands.

As Austin said, the first F-16s may appear in Ukraine no earlier than the spring of 2024.

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A U.S. Department of Defense official confirmed with Fox News that the Pentagon is in the planning phase of sending Iron Dome missile defense systems to Israel as the country continues to fend off missiles fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip by Hamas terrorists.

"The U.S. will be flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel," the defense official said. "As a result, the Department of Defense is currently engaged in planning to support the provision of U.S. Iron Dome batteries to Israel."

On Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists conducted a surprise attack on Israel, making it the deadliest attack on the country in 50 years.

PENTAGON OFFICIALS SAY ATTACKS ON US TROOPS HAVE IRANIAN FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER

An Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome defense missile system attempts to intercept a rocket, fired from the Gaza Strip, over the city of Netivot in southern Israel, Oct. 8.

The attack included over 3,000 rockets, drones and commando raids that targeted Israeli cities, military bases and infrastructure.

Israels air defense system, the Iron Dome, neutralized about 90% of the incoming threats, the Israeli military said.

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The system was created to protect Israeli civilians from rockets and mortars fired by militant groups in Gaza and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, making its debut in April 2011, when it stopped a Grad rocket heading toward Ashkelon that was fired from Gaza.

US NAVY INTERCEPTS MISSILES HEADING NORTH FROM YEMEN, POTENTIALLY TOWARD ISRAEL: PENTAGON

Iron Dome operates using a sophisticated radar system that detects incoming projectiles from about 40 miles away. It then calculates the trajectories of the projectiles and discerns their potential threats by firing a launcher containing 20 interceptor missiles to intercept any rocket deemed dangerous.

Last week, U.S. Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Brian Mast, both Florida Democrats, announced they were spearheading a bipartisan coalition to urge the Department of Defense to transfer to Iron Dome systems to Israel.

The U.S. owns two Iron Dome systems that are "sitting idle and not being used," according to a press release from Moskowitz and Mast, and that the units were purchased in accordance with the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

US MILITARY SHOOTS DOWN TURKISH DRONE AFTER COMING TOO CLOSE TO TROOPS IN SYRIA

The Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

"Every time the Iron Dome is used, it saves thousands of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives from Hamas terrorists," Moskowitz said. "Now more than ever, the United States must stand with Israel in their war against terrorists who wish nothing but to destroy Israel and the people that live there."

The U.S. Department of Defense is in the process of bolstering forces in the Middle East to deter a wider conflict, but also bolster stability and defend national security interests.

On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, adding additional F-16 fighting Falcon Squadrons into the mix to deter further aggression in the region.

The U.S. Navy announced last week it would be sending the USS Mount Whitney to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as tensions in the Middle East rise amid the Israel-Hamas war.

MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT MOVES CLOSER TO ISRAEL VIA RED SEA

The U.S. 6th Fleet Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney.

The USS Mount Whitney, the Navys command and control ship, left Gaeta, Italy, on Wednesday to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in support of U.S. Operations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, which was in the Eastern Mediterranean, is heading to the Persian Gulf, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Saturday.

Also in the area is a special operations capable Marine rapid response force of nearly 2,000 Marines and sailors known as the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is moving closer to Israel via the Red Sea. The group includes the amphibious ready groups USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall.

Kurt Knutsson of the CyberGuy Report and Fox News contributed to this report.





Original article source: US Department of Defense planning to send Iron Dome systems to Israel as F-16 fighter jets arrive in region
US soldiers in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) patrol the countryside of al-Malikiya town (Derik in Kurdish) in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province July 17, 2023 (Delil SOULEIMAN)

American and allied forces deployed in Iraq and Syria as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition have been repeatedly targeted by drone and missile attacks this month.

Although the attacks have not been claimed by a known group with documented links to Iran, Washington says Tehran is involved and has threatened to respond "decisively" to strikes by its proxies.

- Why have attacks increased? -

The recent spike in attacks is linked to the latest war between Israel and Hamas, which began when the militant group carried out a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7 that Israeli officials say killed more than 1,400 people.

Israel's retaliatory bombardment has killed more than 6,500 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests over Washington's support for Israel, with one of them -- Ketaeb Hezbollah -- demanding that American forces leave Iraq or "taste the fires of hell."

The Pentagon said there were 10 attacks on American and allied forces in Iraq and three in Syria between October 17 and 24, involving a "mix of one-way attack drones and rockets."

- Who is carrying them out? -

Many -- though not all -- of the recent attacks have been claimed by the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq."

It is not one of the established militant groups operating in the region and has not publicly claimed affiliation with or backing from a specific government.

But its claims of attacks on US forces have appeared in Telegram channels used by pro-Iranian armed factions, and the Pentagon has said the organizations "conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC and the Iranian regime" -- a reference to Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The White House has meanwhile said Iran is "actively facilitating" attacks on US forces in the Middle East.

Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq is a media claiming name, it's not a group."

It is the result of various existing Iran-backed groups in Iraq deciding "during the duration of this Gaza conflict to jointly claim all of their attacks," he said.

- How dangerous are the attacks? -

The impact of the attacks has been relatively limited so far, but the possibility of escalation is high.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that 21 US personnel "received minor injuries due to drone attacks" in Iraq and Syria last week, but that all of them returned to duty.

And a US civilian contractor suffered a "cardiac episode" and died while sheltering at a base in Iraq after early warning systems indicated a threat was approaching, according to the Pentagon, which said an attack ultimately did not occur in that case.

There is significant potential for the situation to worsen, especially in the event that a drone or rocket directly kills American personnel.

"What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran," the Pentagon said.

- Why are US forces present? -

There are roughly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which once held significant territory in both countries but was pushed back by local ground forces backed by international air strikes in a bloody multi-year conflict.

US forces and other personnel from the international coalition against the jihadists are deployed at bases in Iraq and Syria that have been the target of the attacks, but the facilities are ultimately controlled by local forces rather than international troops.

American troops in Iraq are playing a training and advisory role following the official end of the coalition's combat mission in December 2021, while those in Syria conduct frequent raids against IS.

wd-gde/tjj
With an eye on the 2024 presidential election, Codie Horse-Topetchy is feeling jubilant. She just registered 50 people to vote at the Comanche Nation Fair in Lawton, Oklahoma -- a resounding success.

"There was a line this morning," the 20-year-old student, herself a Comanche and Kiowa, tells AFP on the second day of the event at her booth, set up near a series of huge white decorative tepees.

Horse-Topetchy is a coordinator for Rock the Native Vote, an association that encourages the Native American community to go to the polls.

Under a blazing sun, with the help of her aunt Carole, Horse-Topetchy staffed the red-and-blue booth all day. Fans, masks, pins, sweets and even water bottles bearing the organization's logo were on offer.

"For some smaller events, we've got probably like three, sometimes even two, people registered," said the political science student.

In this fertile region of the Great Plains, small towns like Lawton -- with their brick homes and white-roofed farmhouses -- are linked by straight highways running to the horizon.

After Alaska, Oklahoma is the US state with the most Native Americans of voting age -- 12 percent of the population, according to government census statistics.

While Rock The Native Vote has seen an increase in the number of Native Americans registering to vote since the 2020 presidential election, overall voter turnout remains low.

In 2020, it was almost 18 percent lower than the national average, according to a White House report published in March 2022.

"We still have many among the Native community who are not registered," laments the association's director Roxanna Foster.

The 71-year-old is wearing a blue T-shirt that reads "Democracy is Indigenous."

Navajo firefighter Robert Bearden, 26, admits he is on the voter rolls but has never actually cast a ballot -- a deliberate choice.

"I just don't really see any point in voting. It has never really affected me either way," Bearden, who grew up near a reservation in New Mexico, says as he wanders between handcraft and barbecue stands.

Retired Comanche teacher Bernadette Richardson, who is watching traditional dance performances, notes: "Most people are just indifferent."

Richardson's 31-year-old daughter doesn't vote.

For Foster, "part of what we do is to explain to them how much their voice does matter."

- Various obstacles -

Beyond a sense of disaffection, other obstacles for Native Americans include "physical distance to a voting location," says Gabriel Sanchez, a governance expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"For Native American tribes that are on reservations and rural areas, they tend to only have one voting box within several miles from where people actually live," Sanchez says.

"You're asking somebody to invest more time and energy to get registered in the first place, and then turn out to vote, than most Americans have to deal with."

Megan Holt of Mississippi's Choctaw Nation, who lives in Lawton, the seat of Comanche tribal government, says she waited three hours in line to vote in 2020.

Because of the waiting time, "I saw so many people just say 'Okay,' and leave," says the 30-year-old phlebotomist.

Holt, who says she plans to vote for the Democratic ticket in 2024, says another barrier to Native American voting is a requirement that every registered voter have an address for their residence.

"There are a lot of us who have a P.O. box -- we don't have an address for a house, and that is keeping a lot of us from voting," Holt says.

A potential turnaround in low Native American registration and turnout could prove decisive in the November 2024 elections.

Joe Biden's surprise victory in the key state of Arizona in 2020 was attributed in part to mobilization of Native American voters, according to the Latino Decisions polling institute.

"We have 39 (tribal) nations in Oklahoma, which is more than Arizona. So I think that we could do the same thing here, if we really put our minds to it," said Horse-Topetchy.

For her, the electoral participation of Native populations is all the more important given their long civil rights struggle.

"My ancestors didn't have the right to vote, even though we were the first people on this land. So I think it's important that we take advantage of that," she said.

Native Americans were not recognized as citizens of the United States until 1924, and only gained the right to vote in all states at the end of the 1950s.

dax/tjj/sst
ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) reiterated its call for a swift return to constitutional order in Gabon and Niger following the recent military coups in the two countries.

The latest call was made by the AU Peace and Security Council following its latest meeting on Tuesday that dwelt upon the situation in the two African countries.

"The council reaffirmed zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government and renewed its call for a swift return to constitutional order in both states," the AU Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department said in an update via social media.

The council further urged "a clear and time-bound transition period timetable" towards a return to civilian rule in both countries.

Regarding the situation in Niger, the council reiterated its demand for an immediate and unconditional release of President Mohamed Bazoum and all other detainees and respect for their human rights, including the protection of their physical health and moral integrity.

On July 26, the military in Niger detained Bazoum and chose Abdourahamane Tchiani, former leader of the country's presidential guard, to lead the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a governing body established by the soldiers after the coup, which has been since exercising legislative and executive authority.

On Aug. 30, Brice Oligui Nguema, commander-in-chief of the Gabonese Republican Guard, was named as the transitional leader of the Central African country following a coup.

After the military coups, the AU Commission suspended both Niger and Gabon from the pan-African bloc until normal constitutional order is restored in the two countries.

The AU also urged all political, civil and military actors in the two countries to give priority to peaceful political avenues. 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials have "high confidence" that an explosion at a Gaza hospital last week was caused by a Palestinian rocket that broke up mid-flight, and not by Israel, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said 471 people were killed in the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital on Oct. 17. Palestinians and Arab states said an Israeli air strike hit the hospital.

Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian militant Islamic Jihad group, which has denied responsibility.

U.S. President Biden said a day after the incident, while visiting Tel Aviv, that the explosion appeared to be the result of an errant rocket fired by a "terrorist group", echoing Israel's view.

The New York Times, NBC News and other U.S. media reported the U.S. intelligence assessment earlier on Tuesday, citing a briefing with reporters. The U.S. official declined to be named as the information remained confidential.

The officials said there was still uncertainty around the death toll and the number of injuries, the New York Times reported. The officials said there was little damage to the hospital and the structure did not collapse, it reported.

The intelligence assessment was based on Israeli intercepts of Palestinian groups, publicly available video, communications intercepts provided by the Israelis and images of the blast and the aftermath, the officials told the newspaper.

An unclassified U.S. intelligence report seen by Reuters two days after the blast estimated the death toll was "probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum" but added that the assessment may evolve.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Costas Pitas; additional reporting by Rami Ayyub, editing by Miral Fahmy)
By David Morgan and Moira Warburton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives Republicans' leadership fight dragged into a 23rd day on Wednesday, with the narrow majority trying to unite around Representative Mike Johnson after ousting their leader and blocking three potential replacements.

The long standoff, started by a handful of party hardliners angry about a bipartisan deal that averted a partial government shutdown, has left the chamber unable to respond to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, or to take action to keep federal agencies funded past Nov. 17.

The feuds within the fractious 221-212 Republican majority have eroded trust within the party, making it all the harder to unify around a successor to ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy , lawmakers said.

"There is not a lot of trust," Republican Representative Dusty Johnson, a moderate, told reporters. "It's a little hard to imagine how anyone can get elected at this point."

Lawmakers nonetheless planned to cast ballots for Johnson, a conservative from Louisiana who has billed himself as a "bridge builder," at noon EST (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, the week after hardliner Jim Jordan failed in three rounds of voting.

After winning a Tuesday night nominating vote, Johnson acknowledged the "messy" process but told reporters "this group is ready to govern."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump , who had also backed Jordan, on Wednesday urged fellow Republicans to unite around Johnson, writing on his social media website: "go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson."

Even if Johnson wins Wednesday's vote with 217 votes from the 221-member Republican caucus, he will confront the same challenges that confounded McCarthy. They include the demands of the caucus' hardline members and the reality that with a Democratic majority in the Senate and Democratic President Joe Biden occupying the Oval Office, no laws can currently be passed in Washington without bipartisan support.

"The House GOP is mired in seemingly endless finger-pointing and competitions to take the most extreme positions imaginable," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. "It's in the best interest of the country  and House Republicans themselves  to get their act together."

PRIOR FAILURES

A small band of party hardliners led by Republican Representative Matt Gaetz engineered McCarthy's ouster on Oct. 3. As the chamber has limped along, leaderless, a number of Republicans have voiced frustration at the stalemate.

No. 3 House Republican Tom Emmer withdrew his bid on Tuesday amid opposition from party hardliners. He has a more moderate record than many other House Republicans. Unlike many in his party, he voted to certify Democratic President Joe Biden's 2020 victory over Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.

Trump had urged Republicans to oppose Emmer after he won the nomination, and multiple Republican lawmakers said they voted against him because he did not support Trump's challenges to the election results.

Emmer was the third nominee to drop out after Jordan and Majority Leader Steve Scalise's bids were also spiked by party infighting.

Democrats have said they are open to a compromise candidate that would allow the chamber to function. Many Republicans have said on principle that they would not back somebody who had support from the opposition party.

The infighting has left the House unable to respond to Biden's $106 billion request for aid to Israel, Ukraine and U.S. border security. Congress will also have to act before a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the U.S. government and avert a partial shutdown.

The uncertainty has also helped to push up the U.S. government's borrowing costs. The government posted a record $1.7 trillion deficit for the most recent fiscal year, in part due to higher interest payments.

(Reporting by David Morgan and Moira Warburton, additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Makini Brice and Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone, Stephen Coates and Jane Merriman)
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  As Israel continues its attack on targets within Gaza, and Hamas holds onto roughly 200 hostages, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging both sides to consider innocent lives in danger.

Thats why its imperative that we work to protect all civilians in this conflict, to prevent more deaths, atop the many that have already occurred, Blinken said.

The Pentagon says the priority is preventing the conflict from spreading.

We do not want to see the situation in Israel widen into a broader regional conflict, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said. Our message to any country or group thinking about trying to take advantage of this situation to widen the conflict is dont.

On Capitol Hill, both Senate leaders say lawmakers cant allow delays in the House to block aid to Israel.

We have a responsibility to not look away from the brutality and inhumanity that terrorists have inflicted on innocent Israeli men, women, and children, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said.

Democrats and Republicans agree we must stand with Israel, so lets pass this supplemental with humanitarian aid to help civilians in Gaza and elsewhere, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I) agrees and urges Congress to get support to all U.S. allies.

We need to support both our allies in Israel and our allies in Ukraine and address the widening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Magaziner said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
The United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint Monday against a 348-foot yacht, Amadea, which is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.

In the complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued the $300 million yacht is forfeitable since it was improved and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions against Kerimov and those acting on his behalf.

According to the DOJ, after sanctions were imposed, Kerimov arranged to purchase the superyacht in September 2021 through a series of transfers between shell companies designed to conceal his ownership of the yacht.

The DOJ claimed Kerimov subsequently traveled on the yacht extensively and made plans with his family for extensive renovations of the vessel and assumed all liability and responsibility for the Amadeas upkeep.

During that time, individuals or entities acting on Kerimovs behalf accrued U.S. dollar-denominated costs for the Amadeas upkeep and sent or caused to be sent through the U.S. financial systems, payments in violation of applicable sanctions, the DOJ wrote in a press release on the claim.

The DOJ noted that Amadea is now docked in San Diego and under U.S. control. U.S. officials worked with Fiji law enforcement to seize the ship.

The DOJ acknowledged that the burden is on the government to provide sufficient evidence in the case but said the undertaking only proves how committed the U.S. government is in enforcing the sanctions.

The filing of this complaint exemplifies that the United States takes sanction evasion seriously and will use all tools at its disposal to ensure that sanctioned individuals are held accountable for their crimes, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tech giant Nvidia says the US has told it to stop shipping some of its advanced artificial intelligence chips to China immediately.

The restrictions were supposed to be introduced 30 days from 17 October.

That was when President Joe Biden's administration announced measures to block countries, including China, Iran and Russia, from buying high-end AI chips designed by Nvidia and others.

Nvidia did not say why the timeline had been moved forward.

In a statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nvidia said the US government said these curbs were "effective immediately", but added that "given the strength of demand for the Company's products worldwide, the Company does not anticipate that the accelerated timing of the licensing requirements will have a near-term meaningful impact on its financial results".

The new restrictions bar exports of Nvidia's advanced AI chips, which had been designed for the Chinese market to comply with earlier export regulations.

The acceleration of the introduction of the US curbs is the latest move in the ongoing technology dispute between Washington and Beijing.

Chinese authorities have yet to publicly comment on Nvidia's announcement, but it hit back at the Biden administration's decision to impose new restrictions on advanced chip exports when it was announced last week.

The country's foreign ministry said the curbs "violate the principles of the market economy and fair competition".

The move was seen as an attempt to close loopholes that became apparent after an initial wave of chip controls last October.

At the time, the US said the measures were designed to prevent China from receiving cutting-edge technologies that it could use to strengthen its military, especially in the field of AI.

Soaring demand for Nvidia's AI chips has pushed up its share price more than threefold, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.

In May the firm joined technology giants Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft in the elite club of companies with stock market valuations of more than $1 trillion (822bn).

California-based Nvidia has come to dominate the market for chips used in AI systems.

Chip giant Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which also supplies AI chips to China, has not made any announcement about the accelerated export curbs. It did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

The US Department of Commerce declined to comment on Nvidia's statement when contacted by the BBC.
(Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman was charged on Wednesday with falsely pulling a fire alarm in the Capitol earlier this month, prompting evacuation of a congressional office building as his party was trying to delay a key vote.

Bowman, a former teacher who represents a district covering part of New York City and Westchester County, was charged with a single count of false fire alarm, documents in District of Columbia Superior Court showed.

A spokesman for Bowman said he would issue a statement later on Wednesday.

Bowman, 47, has previously admitted to pulling the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open a door to the Cannon House Building.

He has disputed accusations by Republicans that he was attempting to delay House members from voting on a bipartisan bill to keep the government open for 45 days and avoid a shutdown.

The bill ultimately passed with near-unanimous Democratic support but, at the moment, Democrats were scrambling to buy time to read the bill, which Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had just unveiled.

The Cannon House Building was ultimately evacuated for about 90 minutes. Some House Republicans have called for Bowman to resign following the incident.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield looks on at a Security Council meeting on the Middle East on October 18, 2023 (Bryan R. Smith)

The UN Security Council on Wednesday failed again to take action on the Israel-Hamas war, with Russia and China vetoing a US-led draft resolution and a text led by Moscow drawing insufficient support.

The rival powers went ahead and put forward texts doomed to defeat despite what diplomats said was a last-ditch effort led by France to delay a vote and work toward consensus.

The United States, Israel's historic backer which exercised its own veto last week, put forward a resolution that would support "humanitarian pauses" to let aid into the blockaded Gaza Strip and back the right of "all states" to self-defense within the confines of international law.

The US-led draft did not call for a full ceasefire. Russia put forward its own proposal that sought "an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire" and "condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians."

Ten countries backed the US resolution but Russia and China exercised their veto power. The United Arab Emirates, whose relations with Israel have warmed markedly since normalization in 2020 but represents the Arab bloc, also voted in opposition, with the other two countries, Brazil and Mozambique, abstaining.

"It has became clear from that the US simply doesn't want UN Security Council decisions to have any kind of influence on a possible ground offensive by Israel in Gaza," said the Russian representative, Vassily Nebenzia.

"This extremely politicized document clearly has one aim -- not to save civilians but to shore up the US political position in the region," he said.

The US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, insisted that the United States had incorporated feedback from the rest of the world since its veto.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, promoting the resolution during a high-level Security Council session on Tuesday, spoke of "humanitarian pauses" even while ruling out a formal ceasefire.

"The United States is deeply disappointed that Russia and China vetoed this resolution," Thomas-Greenfield said. "We did listen to all of you."

She accused Russia, often on the receiving end of criticism since its invasion of Ukraine, of "cynical and irresponsible behavior" for putting forward its own text "with zero consultations" and "a number of problematic sections."

Only Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates and Gabon voted for the draft resolution. The United States and Britain voted no, with the other nine countries including US allies France and Japan abstaining.

The UAE ambassador, Lana Nusseibeh, said that the Security Council needed to respond "tangibly" to the dire situation in Gaza.

At the high-level session Tuesday, "we heard dozens of statements imploring this council to assign the same value to Palestinian life as it does to Israeli life," she said.

"We cannot allow any equivocation on this point. There is no hierarchy of civilian lives."

With the Security Council deadlocked, the broader UN General Assembly is scheduled to debate the war on Thursday and Friday.

Resolutions from this body representing all UN members, with no one holding veto power, are non-binding. Still, Arab countries are working on a resolution that could be voted on this week, diplomats said.

This draft seen by AFP urges an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

Israel has been bombarding since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across the border killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 222 others, officials say, in the worst attack in Israel's history.

So far, more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, and there are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages.

abd-sct/bfm
Robocalls are rampant, using AI and other tools to disrupt day-to-day life and scam Americans out of their money through impersonations of family members, phone providers and more. On October 24, the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband heard the latest issue and solution floating around: AI.

Currently, bad actors are using AI to steal people's voices and repurpose them in calls to loved ones  often presenting a state of distress. This advancement goes beyond seemingly real calls from banks and credit card companies, providing a disturbing and jarring experience: not knowing if you're speaking to someone you know.

The financial repercussions (not to mention potential mental distress) are tremendous. Senator Ben Ray Lujan, chair of the subcommittee, estimates that individuals nationwide receive 1.5 billion to 3 billion scam calls monthly, defrauding Americans out of $39 billion in 2022. This figure is despite the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement (TRACED) Act of 2019, which expanded the government's power to prosecute callers and for individuals to block them.

In fact, much of the blame for this continued issue has been collectively placed on government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). "FCC enforcement actions are not sufficient to make a meaningful difference in these illegal calls. U.S.-based providers continue to spurn the Commission's requirements to respond to traceback requests," Margot Saunders, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, said in her testimony to the subcommittee. "The fines issued against some of the most egregious fraudsters have not been recovered, which undermines the intended deterrent effect of imposing these fines. Yet the Commission has referred only three forfeiture orders to the Department of Justice related to unwanted calls since the FCC began TRACED Act reporting in 2020."

Saunders called on the FCC to issue clearer guidance on existing regulations and harsher penalties (namely suspension) on complicit voice service providers. She further expressed the need for explicit consent requirements in order for individuals to be contacted.

Mike Rudolph, chief technology officer at robocall-blocking firm YouMail, pitched the idea of using AI to flag insufficient information in the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Database. Instead of properly completing and filing the required information, some phone providers avoid accountability for their (lack of) action and submit blank or irrelevant papers.
Jack Lew testifies in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for U.S. ambassador to Israel

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday backed President Joe Biden 's nomination of former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to be ambassador to Israel, paving the way for his expected confirmation by the full Senate.

With Biden's fellow Democrats pushing to fill the position quickly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza by Palestinian militants, the committee backed the nomination by a 12-9 vote, mostly along party lines.

Lew is expected to be confirmed. He needs only a majority vote, and Democrats control a 51-49 seat majority in the chamber.

Lew was supported by every committee Democrat, as well as Republican Senator Rand Paul.

Senator Ben Cardin, the committee's Democratic chairman, said it was essential to have someone in place to speak with the authority of a confirmed ambassador.

"Given the stakes in Israel, we cannot afford any delay," Cardin said.

Democrats hope the full Senate will vote on Lew's confirmation next week.

Lew's confirmation hearing was contentious, with some Republicans sharply criticizing his defense of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal sealed during former Democratic President Barack Obama's administration. They said it would be hard for them to support Lew given his past work to implement the agreement with a country that is a sworn enemy of Israel's.

Former Republican President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the international nuclear pact with Iran in 2018.

Democrats have argued it is important to confirm an ambassador to support Israel in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli villages and military bases by Hamas gunmen who killed 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostages, raising fears of a broader conflict.

Palestinian health officials said the Palestinian death toll exceeds 6,500 as Israel has retaliated against Hamas with bombardments of the Gaza Strip. Reuters was unable to independently verify the ministry's figures.

Washington has not had an ambassador to Israel since July, when Tom Nides left the post. Biden nominated Lew in September.

Among the other ambassadors the committee approved during the meeting was Herro Mustafa Garg for Egypt, a post also seen as essential given the Middle East conflict.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Howard Goller and Grant McCool)
The Pentagon plans to send two Iron Dome missile defense systems to Israel as the country continues to shoot down missiles fired at it from the militant group Hamas, a Defense Department official confirmed to The Hill.

The U.S. will be flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel, the defense official said. As a result, the Department of Defense is currently engaged in planning to support the provision of U.S. Iron Dome batteries to Israel.

The official confirmed that two systems would be sent but would not say under what terms the batteries will be provided or whether they would be returned to the U.S. if undamaged by the end of the war.

Israel in 2011 first activated Iron Dome, an advanced rocket-defense system that has intercepted thousands of rockets fired from militants within the Gaza Strip.

Iron Dome has been seen as all the more critical to Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a coordinated land, air and sea attack that killed some 1,400 Israelis. Since then, Hamas has fired 7,000 rockets toward Israel and continues to do so, according to the countrys military.

The system  made via a partnership between Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and American defense contractor Raytheon  is a series of batteries that uses radar to track inbound rockets and intercept them with missiles.

Up to 20 missiles are fired from three or four launchers attached to the battery, with one such battery defending nearly 60 square miles. As of 2021, Israel had 10 missile batteries placed throughout the country, according to The Associated Press.

In giving Israel more Iron Domes, the U.S. further increases the amount of security aid it is giving Israel.

Following the Oct. 7 attacks, the U.S. shipped air defense supplies, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and precision-guided munitions to Israel for its fight against Hamas.

And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this past weekend announced that the Pentagon would deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and Patriot air defense battalions to the region.

In addition, President Biden has pledged continued U.S. support and asked Congress for $14.3 billion for security aid for Israel.

The two newly promised Iron Dome systems will come from the Army. Congress in 2019 requested that the service purchase the batteries as a way to fill a gap in cruise missile defense while the Army produced a longer-term solution, but it has barely used the two batteries, Defense News reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NAIROBI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya intends to scale up the adoption of nuclear energy amid intensifying efforts to tame the unfolding climate emergencies, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Soipan Tuya, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, said nuclear energy, if harnessed in a sustainable manner, could boost climate resilience in the country.

Speaking on the sidelines of the African Youth Generation in Nuclear summit underway in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Tuya said Kenya and its African partners should promote nuclear power in their quest to attain the target of net-zero emissions.

The three-day conference brought together nuclear regulators, scholars and students from more than 20 African countries to develop strategies for cooperation on the use of nuclear technology.

Tuya said nuclear energy is perhaps Africa's last best hope for addressing climate change and empowering sustainable economic development.

"In the current circumstances, nuclear energy is emerging as a compelling solution to power needs as it offers a clean, reliable and low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels," she added.

Tuya noted that nuclear power plants produce negligible greenhouse gases during their operation and their ability to generate large amounts of electricity consistently can help reduce Africa's reliance on fossil fuels.

The Kenyan official noted that nuclear energy has the potential to address the pressing issue of energy poverty in Africa where up to 600 million people have no access to reliable electricity.

"In Kenya, by 2040, the demand for electricity will exhaust the current generation capacity, making a powerful case for urgent adoption of nuclear power," Tuya said.

She said several African countries, including Kenya, have already presented their nuclear ambitions and are currently at different stages of nuclear adoption. They are aiming to commission their nuclear reactors within the next 10 to 15 years.

Amanda Mbhele, a scientist at the South Africa Nuclear Energy Corporation, said his country has decades of cumulative experience in running nuclear facilities, and this form of energy is safe, feasible and ideal for African nations grappling with climatic shocks.

David Otwoma, the founder and former chairperson of the Eastern Africa Association for Radiation Protection, urged African countries to adopt nuclear energy since it can be affordable to households and can power industrial growth.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a third of the almost 30 countries currently considering nuclear power are in Africa. Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan have already engaged with the agency to assess their readiness to embark on a nuclear program. 
The Biden administrations tone has carefully shifted in recent days when it comes to Israels response in Gaza, with reports indicating its encouraging the delay of a ground invasion in the hopes more hostages could be freed and humanitarian assistance could be let in.

Concerns about a clear, deliverable military objective for Israel in eradicating Hamas have added complexity to what is already a delicate situation as American officials have warned Israeli leaders not to repeat the same mistakes the U.S. did after 9/11.

U.S. officials have also recently characterized Gazas future as left to be defined. President Biden has already warned an Israeli occupation of Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, would be a big mistake while Israel, in turn, has said it does not plan to control life in Gaza but hasnt indicated who would.

The crisis and all its complexities have plunged the Biden administration into a diplomatic and humanitarian quagmire in it wanting to unequivocally support Israel defending itself while remaining cognizant of a dire humanitarian crisis  all in the shadow of trying to prevent a larger conflict from potentially erupting across the Middle East.

In warning of such conflict Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations that while the U.S. does not want the war to widen, it is prepared to respond should outside actors take part  namely out of Tehran, Iran.

We do not want this war to widen, but if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake, we will defend our people, we will defend our security swiftly and decisively, Blinken said, stressing to U.N. council members they should warn Iran not to open another front to the war against Israel.

Act as if the security and stability of the entire region and beyond is on the line because it is, he said.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, calls for a cease-fire from the international community have bubbled up in recent days. President Biden appeared to leave a door open to that discussion but only after the hostages, which include some Americans, are released.

But John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, said Tuesday that a cease-fire would benefit only Hamas, negating the notion that such a discussion would yield to any letting up of Israels aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Kirby has also carefully maintained the U.S. has not set or discussed possible red lines with the Israelis over their offensive, maintaining its up to the Israeli military to determine if and when they should launch a ground offensive.

All I can do is say what Ive said before, that we have and will continue to talk to our Israeli counterparts about the importance of avoiding and minimizing civilian casualties and respecting innocent life and trying to prevent collateral damage as they try to go after legitimate Hamas targets, Kirby said.

But press reports this week have indicated the U.S. is concerned with Israels lack of a military end game and that its ground offensive plan is questionable, and the U.S. is stressing the need to minimize civilian casualties. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday on ABC News that he told his Israeli counterpart to conduct their operations in accordance with the law of war.

One of the things weve learned is how to account for civilians in the battle space, and they are a part of the battle space, and we, in accordance of the law of war, weve got to do whats necessary to protect those civilians, Austin said.

Biden has also led the shift in rhetoric, gradually becoming more focused on the importance of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid in the nearly three weeks since the Hamas terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,400 Israelis and Israel soon retaliated.

In the days after those Oct. 7 attacks, Biden staunchly defended Israels right to respond with force and vowed the U.S. would have the Jewish states back.

Since then, Biden has said he relayed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for Israel to abide by the rules of war. In a speech in Tel Aviv, Israel, the president cautioned Israeli leaders against becoming consumed by rage and repeating the mistakes the U.S. made after 9/11, when it sent troops into Iraq and Afghanistan.

Biden has also begun to stress the need to get aid into Gaza after brokering a deal with Israel and Egypt to allow humanitarian supplies in. On Tuesday, Biden said the aid into Gaza was not moving fast enough.

Kirby said many factors are at play when it comes to the movement of aid, without providing details on what the holdup was as trucks continue to sit waiting at the Rafah border crossing.

Theres lots of players involved here, he said. Hamas is obviously a player, Israel is a player, Egypt, the U.N.

And in a marked shift in foreign relations compared to his early months in the White House, Biden phoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, of the kingdom the president once dubbed a pariah in the wake of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A readout of the call Tuesday indicated Biden and the crown prince agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from expanding. They also discussed the importance of working toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides.

Some Democrats in Congress have been echoing the White House on toeing the line between support for Israel, humanitarian assistance and minimizing civilian casualties. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said he has grave concerns about a ground invasion by the Israelis but that Israel has the absolute right to attack Hamas.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday its going to be very important how Israel conducts operations.

We want to see the campaign conducted in a way that will destroy Hamas and protect the innocent, he said.

But the White House must also contend with the possibility a ground invasion of Gaza is inevitable.

Theres no way youre going to destroy Hamas from the air, said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who came back Tuesday after leading nine other Senators on a trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt over the weekend.

To say that you dont need to go onto the ground to destroy religious Nazis named Hamas, its just illogical. And anybody who suggests that doesnt understand.

Laura Kelly contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The United States Space Force has unveiled an official painting depicting a space plane intercepting an adversary satellite, perhaps illustrating a hint of what we can expect if orbital warfare is in our future.

Space Operations Command (SpOC), which provides orbital warfare and intelligence capabilities to the U.S. Space Force, unveiled the painting during a ceremony at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado on Oct. 20. The artwork, titled "High Ground Intercept," was commissioned with artist Rick Herter and is SpOC's first official painting.

The painting depicts a roughly delta-shaped space plane, referred to as a "futuristic intercept vehicle," opening its payload bay doors as it moves into position to engage an adversary satellite that is itself targeting a friendly spacecraft. The space plane is reminiscent of past U.S. military space planes such as the X-20 Dyna-Soar or even today's highly mysterious X-37B, although SPoC stresses the painting's spacecraft is fictional.

Related: US Space Force creates 1st unit dedicated to targeting adversary satellites

"Because of the highly classified nature of many space operations, SpOC requested that Herter rely on historic space planes and his own imagination," SpOC historian Christopher Rumley said in a Space Force statement.

Painting a purely notional space plane wasn't easy, artist Herter said, because he had very little reference material to work with. "The most challenging projects are when a client gives the artist a general concept of what they want but can't give specifics," Herter said in the statement. "In order to get the proportions and angles of the vehicle correct within the painting, I built a crude model of my space plane design, which I could then use as my reference point."

a man in a suit smiles beside a painting on an easel. the painting depicts a triangular space plane and a satellite above Earth

While the U.S. Space Force has created units dedicated solely to targeting adversary satellites, its exact orbital warfare capabilities remain unknown because they're highly classified like most U.S. military space assets.

Space Force does operate an experimental space plane, the X-37B, to loft classified payloads into orbit for testing before the plane lands back down on the ground, at which point those payloads can be removed and examined. Most other details about the X-37B are unknown.

a triangular plane flies away from a cylindrical rocket booster

RELATED STORIES:

 US military's X-37B space plane lands, ending record-breaking mystery mission

 US Space Force establishes new unit to track 'threats in orbit'

 How the Space Shuttle Was Born

The space plane used as reference for "High Ground Intercept," the X-20 Dyna-Soar, was designed by Boeing in the late 1950s to be a reusable spy spacecraft and anti-satellite platform. There were even ideas to use the X-20 to drop bombs at high altitude and speed.

Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon, was secretly chosen for the Dyna-Soar test regime, but the program was cancelled before its first flight. Its legacy lived on, however, influencing the design of NASA's space shuttle.
By Sofia Menchu

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - The U.S. could apply sector-based sanctions against Guatemala if democratic processes there are not respected, a top U.S. official said, stepping up warnings over a dispute centering on the country's recent presidential election.

The U.S. is among a number of countries that have blamed the current Guatemalan authorities for trying to block the accession of president-elect Bernardo Arevalo, a controversy that has sparked nationwide protests.

In a radio interview late Tuesday during a visit to Central America, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said Washington could launch targeted sanctions and also work with the United Nations or the Organization of American States to "support the democratic process."

"You can see what tools we have used see in other countries when there's a rupture in the democratic order," Nichols told Emisoras Unidas radio, without saying which sectors he was referring to.

Arevalo, a center-left politician and son of a former president, in August won a landslide victory running on an anti-corruption platform. He is due to take office on Jan. 14.

Outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei has said he has information suggesting foreign governments are financing widespread protests that have disrupted the country.

Nichols dismissed the notion the U.S. was financially backing the protests as "ridiculous and insulting."

During his visit to Guatemala this week, Nichols said Giammattei did not meet with him on the grounds it was "not convenient", and instead sent his foreign minister to hold talks with the U.S. official. Nichols also met with local business, civil society and Indigenous leaders.

Protests began peacefully in Guatemala, with participants staging dances and yoga classes at road blockades. But they later turned violent. One person was killed in clashes with armed groups last week, and many blockades have since been lifted.

Demands have centered around the resignation of Guatemala's attorney general, whose office alleged Arevalo's Semilla Party faked signatures to register party members and has intensified investigations. Semilla has denied the accusations.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
The US may announce a new US$150 million military aid package for Ukraine on 25 October.

Source: Voice of America with reference to three American officials, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The new US military aid package may contain additional GMLRS missiles for the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems, projectiles for NASAMS anti-aircraft systems, TOW anti-tanks missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and 155-mm artillery shells.

This will be the 49th military aid package within the framework of the Presidential Drawdown Authority mechanism since February 2022 in accordance with which the Ukrainian military will receive military equipment from American storages.

Background:

The latest American military aid package worth US$200 million was announced on 11 October at the Ukraines Defence Contact Group meeting (Ramstein format).

US security aid for Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion has reached about US$44 billion, but its future is uncertain due to the absence of a speaker of the Chamber of Representatives. Meanwhile, the Pentagon still has about US$5 billion for the military aid for Ukraine approved by the Congress due to a mistake in coast assessment of the equipment detected this summer.

Amid the resistance of radical Republicans who are against the support of Kyiv by weapon supply, the White House turned to the Congress with a request for almost US$105 billion for financing the aid for Ukraine, Israel and the security of the US borders in a single package on 20 October.

This budget request to the US Congress provides for about US$61.4 billion for Ukraine, out of which US$46.1 billion are defence spendings and US$11.8 billion  direct budget support.

This proposition may be submitted for voting in the Chamber of Representatives of the US only after the new speaker is appointed.

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The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is eliminating 111 positions, or 12% of its workforce, the second school in the state public university system to significantly downsize in an effort to reduce budget deficits.

UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich announced the cuts in a Wednesday letter to the campus community. She said decisions were informed by data and focused on preserving programs that directly interact with students.

Sixty employees will be laid off or receive non-renewal of their contracts. Another 31 open positions will be cut. Thirty-two people agreed to a voluntary separation agreement; 20 of them work in positions that won't be re-filled. Eleven faculty are retiring.

Chemistry professor Chuck Cornett said the numbers weren't nearly as bad as he anticipated a few months ago. That's in part because enrollment grew by about 250 students after years of decline.

Even so, the number of job cuts are the largest Cornett can recall in his 22 years on campus.

"It's still an incredibly impactful event on our community," he said. "This is a serious restructuring."

The cuts, combined with spending reductions and increased revenue, have reduced the university's 2025 deficit by $9 million. UW-Platteville will submit a balanced budget for the coming year, Evetovich said.

"I realize that these decisions are much more than numbers and budgets," the chancellor wrote. "They affect our people."

Two-thirds of the cuts were staff positions.

UW-Platteville eliminated 27 administrative and academic leadership positions over the last year, Evetovich said, bringing the highest salaried job category to pre-2013 levels.

UW-Platteville isn't alone in shrinking its workforce.

Earlier this month, UW-Oshkosh announced it will cut about one-sixth of its employees  140 people received layoff notices last week and another 110 positions will be dissolved through retirements or vacancies  to help close an $18 million deficit.

UW-Parkside is turning to furloughs to help close its budget shortfall. Employees are required this school year to take between four and 19 unpaid furlough days depending on their base salary.

Even universities growing in size show some indications of struggle.

UW-Green Bay, which has defied enrollment trends for much of the past decade, still faces a $2.2 million deficit this year. In response, the university is laying off nine employees and scaling back some services at its branch campuses.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Platteville to cut 111 jobs, including 60 layoffs
Maria Corina Machado, the winner of Venezuela's opposition presidential primary, addresses the media, in Caracas

Maria Corina Machado, the winner of Venezuela's opposition presidential primary, addresses the media, in Caracas

By Vivian Sequera and Mayela Armas

CARACAS (Reuters) -Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Wednesday his office has launched a criminal investigation into the opposition's weekend presidential primary, potentially risking the wrath of the U.S. which has relaxed some sanctions on pledges of a free and fair election.

The government has decried alleged fraud since the Sunday vote, organized without state help and which organizers said attracted more than 2.3 million voters.

The opposition and the primary's winner Maria Corina Machado have insisted repeatedly it was transparent and fair.

"This is the reaction to the monumental challenge to the regime that were the primaries," Machado said in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"We Venezuelans participated in an exemplary citizen election, the results of which we all trust," she added.

Washington has threatened to roll back sanctions relief granted last week on the oil and gas industry and bond trading if President Nicolas Maduro's government fails to lift bans preventing some opposition figures - including Machado - from holding office.

The government of Maduro, in power for a decade, and the opposition last week inked an electoral deal in Barbados, agreeing to international observers for the 2024 vote and that each side could choose its candidate according to internal rules.

The deal did not rescind the public office bans for figures like Machado, who was barred for her support of the U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019 after elections which Washington and other Western governments rejected as a sham.

The U.S. State Department is aware of the accusations and called for an investigation, a spokesperson said, adding the primary was "an important milestone" for Venezuela.

"We are focused on ensuring Nicolas Maduro takes concrete steps to ensure a free, fair, and competitive 2024 presidential election as outlined in the political roadmap agreement signed in Barbados," the spokesperson said.

The investigation, requested by lawmaker Jose Brito, will center on accusations of electoral violations, financial crimes and conspiracy, Saab said during a press conference.

The electoral violations stem from the primary being organized without the National Electoral Council, Saab said.

The opposition this month declined the council's offer of help and its request to delay the vote until November after the council took several months to respond to the opposition's request for assistance.

Voter rolls for the primary included 2 million people who neither registered nor participated, Saab said, and financing for the primary has not been made public.

"Obviously it is a fraud, who financed this, who is behind it?" Saab said. "The funds are not known. Who provided them?"

His office will interview the organizing commission's president Jesus Maria Casal and vice-president Mildred Camero in the coming days, as well as staff at Sumate, the civil organization which participated in primary organization and whose president Roberto Abdul-Hadi is a reserve member of the commission.

Machado won the contest with 93% of the vote, according to the latest tally of votes released earlier on Wednesday.

The voter figure smashed suffrage expectations, even in some areas traditionally allied with the ruling party.

Voters reported long lines in some polling stations, while others had to be moved or opened late. Some polling places stayed open hours past the original 4 p.m. closing time to ensure those waiting could cast ballots.

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Mayela ArmasWriting by Julia Symmes Cobb, Natalia Siniawski and Oliver GriffinEditing by Helen Popper, Marguerita Choy and Rod Nickel)
In the the sea of biting mosquitoes and swampy air that makes up the Everglades, theres just one place to sleep in a king-sized bed with ice-cold AC without a long drive back to the city.

The long-lost Flamingo Lodge is reopening its doors after nearly 20 years. It closed in 2005 after multiple hurricanes shattered windows, tore off exterior paneling and flooded the inside with water and mud from the bay and was eventually demolished after a 50-year reign at the park.

Well be starting our own legacy. This is a very popular spot, and many people have been chomping at the bit to get lodging back down here, said J.J. Condella, the general manager of Flamingo Adventures, which is contracted by the National Park Service.

And this time, builders have made sure that future hurricanes  or the sea level rise-induced flooding that threatens the parks very existence  wont wipe out the hotel yet again.

The 24 rooms are made from steel shipping containers with hurricane-grade windows and lifted 13 feet off the ground. NOAAs Office of Coastal Management estimates that by 2100, large swaths of the park will be completely underwater during the highest tides, and will swamp the Flamingo District from about four feet of sea rise.

An exterior view of the Flamingo Lodge inside Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on Friday, October 20, 2023.

From the inside, it feels less like a metal box and more like a boutique hotel with green and turquoise accent walls and neutral-colored decor. The inside walls are covered in Sheetrock, but if you look up at the ceiling in the living room, the tin-foil-colored shipping container peeks through.

On Friday, Oct. 20, construction crews were putting the finishing touches on the building before check-ins start on Nov. 1.

Youll have all the comforts of home, Condella said.

What to expect

Theres a choice of reserving a studio, a one or two-bedroom suite with a queen, king or sofa bed depending on the room. Prices range from $160 to $400 depending on the room size and time of year. Prices get more expensive when the weather cools off.

Each suite comes with a balcony view and patio seating overlooking the glistening Florida Bay. Inside is a small kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker, a full-size bathroom with a hairdryer and a living space with a table and couch. The air conditioning is adjustable and was set to a crisp 68 degrees when the Miami Herald toured the lodge before its opening.

Phone service isnt available in Flamingo unless you have AT&T, but the lodge does come with WiFi.

The living room inside a room at the Flamingo Lodge inside Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on Friday, October 20, 2023.

Flamingo is at the last stop at the southernmost tip of Everglades National Park and one of the best places to experience the silence of the park and spot crocodiles and manatees, said park ranger Riley Hays.

I personally think one of the best ways to experience Flamingo is at night when you can see the night sky, and even sometimes the Milky Way and some of our nocturnal wildlife as well, Hays said.

Visitors often take their boats out to the backcountry to fish and bird watch. Rose-colored spoonbills can be seen in large flocks and are sometimes mistaken for flamingos. Flamingos arent residents year-round, but there are always many egrets, herons and storks to be seen.

The bedroom inside a room at the Flamingo Lodge inside Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on Friday, October 20, 2023.

A long-awaited reconstruction

The old lodge was comprised of a two-story building with adjacent rustic cabins and even had a bay front pool. It was built in 1959 to offer out-of-towners traveling by car a place to stay and was much bigger, starting with 60 rooms and expanding over the years.

After damage from Hurricane Wilma and Katrina shuttered the hotel in 2005, the original lodge was demolished in 2009. After demolition, the park submitted a proposal for stimulus funding from the Obama administration for a smaller and storm-resistant hotel, but it didnt make the cut.

An exterior view of a room at the Flamingo Lodge inside Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on Friday, October 20, 2023.

The $11 billion in maintenance backlogs at national parks across the country was a setback in rebuilding Flamingo, so officials went with a public-private partnership instead. Flamingo Adventures came on board the reconstruction project in 2017.

We made a conscious effort not to extend our footprint, Hays said. We tried not to expand past what we already modified.

And for hungry park visitors looking for more than just their fresh cooked catch from the Bay, a full service restaurant is set to open in November.

The Guy Bradley Visitor Center, a few minutes of a drive from the lodge, reopened its doors in July. The historic building was deemed unsafe after it fell to ruin from Hurricane Irma. Most exhibits, especially the ones with tech screens, are upstairs now to avoid future flooding.

Park Ranger Riley Hays, 32, shows a crocodile skeleton in front of the new exhibits displayed at the Guy Bradley Flamingo Visitor Center inside Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on Friday, October 20, 2023.

Another glamping option at Flamingo that has been available since 2019 is the mesh Eco-Tents that are lifted up on a platform off the soggy ground. In summer they arent furnished, but in the winter theres a fan and bed inside.

Flamingo Adventures also rents canoes, kayaks, bikes, skiffs, pontoon boats and houseboats on-site. In the future, the company could add 20 more rooms to the lodge in Flamingo.

The park is waiving entrance fees for the grand opening celebration of the lodge on Oct. 27.

Now [visitors] can expect some conveniences that they would expect if they traveled elsewhere to be in Everglades National Park, Riley said. A place theyd normally associate with heat, humidity, bugs. Now theyll have some protection.

A view of the Eco Tents campground inside Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on Friday, October 20, 2023.

If you go:

What: Grand opening celebration of Flamingo Lodge

When: Oct. 27, with a book-your-own backcountry boat tour at 11 a.m., history of Flamingo program at 12:30 p.m., and the main event ribbon-cutting celebration from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Guy Bradley Visitor Center, 1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy, Homestead, FL 33034

Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
When a missile strikes a building, the victims inside are often rendered unrecognisable. Layers of concrete crush what the explosion does not incinerate in a fireball. Limbs are ripped from the body. There are no descriptions of the way people die, or how their last moments were spent, because there is seldom anyone left to tell the tale. All that is left is a pile of rubble, a cloud of dust, and a list of names.

For the many years I worked as a correspondent in the Middle East, my time was devoted to investigating the deaths of civilians killed in airstrikes. I reported on civilian deaths in the US air campaign against Isis , Bashar al-Assads flattening of Syrian towns and cities  backed by Russian jets, Turkish airstrikes against Kurds in Iraq and Syria and a US-backed Saudi air campaign in Yemen . I studied countless grainy videos of strikes and the images of their aftermath, tracked down and interviewed the families of airstrike victims across the region and on rare occasions spoke to survivors .

What I found during those years was that a grim hierarchy of civilian death exists in the public imagination, one in which victims of airstrikes were thought of as an inconsequential, almost necessary, part of war.

All of those air campaigns took place against the backdrop of wars in which civilians were killed in a variety of awful ways. The theatrical brutality of Isis shocked and outraged the world, and prompted a massive military alliance of Western countries to destroy it by all means necessary. But thousands of civilian deaths caused by Western powers in their response to those atrocities barely elicited comment. The same was true for Russias relentless air campaign in Syria, and the Saudi campaign in Yemen.

Airstrikes sanitise the taking of a life in a way that no other method of killing can. There is a disconnect between the victim and the person who dispatches the missile. There is a disconnect between those who read about it thousands of miles away from the comfort of their home. Someone who reads a news story about an airstrike killing 50 people may recognise academically that it is a tragic event, but they will almost certainly not feel those deaths in the same way as if they read about a detailed cold-blooded murder of one person. The former is abstract, the latter is visceral.

People help evacuate a Palestinian woman following Israeli airstrikes that targeted her neighbourhood in Gaza City. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

We have become numb to decades of killing civilians in this way  from Vietnam to the Iraq war, the massive deployment of Western airpower to destroy a much smaller enemy is considered the default method of waging war, a necessary evil to protect our own citizens.

That disconnect allows us to separate the terrorists from the civilised West in our imagination. Our governments may kill far more civilians, but we do it accidentally  each one of them a tragic mistake for which there are no consequences.

This same logic is playing out in Israels bombardment of Gaza right now. In just 18 days, more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and artillery, including some 2,700 children, according to Gazas health ministry. That is a rate of 150 Palestinian children a day being killed by Israeli forces without drawing even a note of criticism from its allies.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty Internationals Secretary General, said last week that Israel had shown a shocking disregard for civilian lives, pulverized street after street of residential buildings killing civilians on a mass scale and decimated Palestinian families, causing such destruction that surviving relatives have little but rubble to remember their loved ones by.

Hamas massacre has been roundly and rightly condemned for its crime, but Israel has received almost unanimous support from leaders in the West, and only whispered utterances of caution for the protection of civilian life. In their eyes, thousands of dead civilians and the vast destruction of much of northern Gaza have not breached the bounds of proportionality.

A US marine from the 3/5 Lima company walks towards a destroyed building along the main street in the restive city of Fallujah in 2004 (AFP/Getty)

One of the most sickening incidents of the Hamas attack, of which there were many, was the report of decapitated babies being found in the aftermath of the rampage. That vivid detail shocked the world, and deeply affected US president Joe Biden, who spoke of his distress at terrorists beheading children. Two weeks later, a video of a man in Gaza holding aloft a baby that appeared to have been decapitated by an airstrike elicited no such response.

There is a distinction here, of course. Hamas entered communities in southern Israel with a careful plan to murder civilians in cold blood. The images and videos from the 7 October massacre showed a brutal and methodical killing spree  children and the elderly were among the more than 1,400 people killed in the attack. Hamas has also fired thousands of indiscriminate rockets into Israel with the express intention of harming civilians.

But this is a moral distinction, rather than a practical one. It is a distinction that means little to those on the receiving end of the bombs, and it has allowed Western powers and their allies to cumulatively kill tens of thousands of civilians across the Middle East for years with no accountability.

If Israels aerial bombardment of Gaza continues at its current pace, it may yet eclipse the civilian death toll in any of the aforementioned campaigns. According to the monitoring group Airwars, the US-led anti-Isis coalition killed as many as 13,000 civilians over five years. The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi forces in Yemen is estimated to have killed nearly 9,000 civilians over eight years. The death toll in Gaza is halfway to reaching those totals in just two weeks.

This disparity in the way we classify civilian deaths between the righteous and the barbarous is behind much of the anger surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict today. It is, at its root, an argument about the worth of a human life.
Voters planning to cast a ballot in next months elections across Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties next month face a crucial deadline this week if they want to vote by mail.

In a sweeping elections package signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, voters must submit a new request to receive a ballot in the mail every two years, with a deadline of 12 days before an election to do so. This year, that is Thursday at 5 p.m.

Eligible voters who miss the deadline still have the option to vote in person, either early or on Election Day Nov. 7.

Vote-by-mail registrations are wiped out every two years under the new rules, meaning all requests made before Jan. 1, 2023, are expired. Requests made this year can also apply to next years presidential election. Before the law changed, a vote-by-mail ballot could be requested every four years.

The big difference here is in that same piece of legislation is that the vote-by-mail request is only good for one election cycle, the two-year period, Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said.

The Nov. 7 ballot includes races ranging from Orlando mayor and city council seats to a Florida House District special election and other municipal races.

Cowles said ballots should be in the mail back to his office by Nov. 1 to ensure they arrive on time.

So far, more than 16,000 city of Orlando voters and 7,000 House District 35 voters have requested vote-by-mail ballots from his office ahead of the deadline. Thats about a 22% decrease so far from 2019 when Cowles office shipped out more than 20,000 ballots to Orlando voters.

Voters in several jurisdictions can cast ballots Nov. 7.

All voters who live in the city of Orlando can vote for mayor, where incumbent Buddy Dyer faces challengers Sam Ings, Tony Vargas and Steve Dixon.

District 4 voters covering neighborhoods east and south of downtown Orlando will see incumbent Patty Sheehan, and opponents Katie Koch and Randy Ross on their ballots.

If a candidate in either the mayors race or the District 4 race doesnt receive more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will have a runoff on Dec. 5.

Voters in District 6, covering southwest Orlando will also be able to choose their city commissioner, with incumbent Bakari Burns facing Rufus Hawkins.

After Fred Hawkins resigned his Florida House seat to take a job as a state college president, a special election was scheduled to determine his replacement.

Party-affiliated voters in District 35, which spans Lake Nona, east Orange County south into Osceola, can decide the Republican and Democrat who will square off in the Jan. 16 general election.

Republicans will choose among Erika Booth, Ken Davenport and Scotty Moore, while Democrats have Marucci Guzman, Rishi Bagga and Tom Keen to consider as their nominee.

Early voting for all Orange County elections begins Saturday, and ends Nov. 5, with polling places open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The three Orange County polling places for early voting are:

Supervisor of Elections Office, 119 W. Kaley Street

Alafaya Branch Library, 12000 E. Colonial Dr.

Valencia College, Lake Nona Campus 12350 Narcoossee Road

The state House district also includes a portion of Osceola, with early voting available at:

Supervisor of Elections Office, 2509 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway

Narcoossee Community Center, 5354 Rambling Road

Lake Mary and Oviedo votes also have municipal elections Nov. 7., and early voting is available Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Oviedo City Hall or at the Supervisor of Elections office in Sanford.

rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com
The murderer, one of whose victims was his own grandfather, was entrusted with raising children

A school in Vyiznoye village in Russias Nizhny Novgorod Oblast came up with the brilliant idea of inviting a Wagner PMC mercenary who had previously been convicted of two brutal murders to speak to local students about his experience of fighting in Ukraine.

In 2010, Alexander Raspravin was sentenced to six years in a maximum security prison for beating his own grandfather to death while drunk after learning that he was not going to bequeath his house to him, Nova Gazeta Europe wrote on Oct. 23.

Read also: Investigation finds torture pits on Russian military training grounds

After his release, Raspravin didnt enjoy his freedom for long, and in 2017, he was sentenced to another 12 years behind bars for brutally beating an acquaintance, which ultimately led to his death.

Rasprasvin subsequently signed a contract with Wagner PMC in the fall or winter of 2022, when its former leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was touring Russian penal colonies looking for recruits.

Read also: Russia's top envoy to EU alleged to be a spy  Der Spiegel

A forensic report concluded that Rasprasvin had previously suffered a head injury that caused him to develop "psychopathic traits".

None of these facts discouraged the school administration which found it appropriate for him to hold a so-called "patriotic education" lesson with children, telling them about his war exploit stories, and walking around the school with a grenade launcher.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on Wednesday called for the "immediate and unconditional" removal of all sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Faki "once again renews the longstanding AU demand for the immediate and unconditional lifting of sanctions imposed against institutions and individuals of the Republic of Zimbabwe," an AU statement issued Wednesday said.

The chairperson also expressed the AU's "full support" of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)'s position on the issue.

In 2019, the regional bloc SADC declared Oct. 25 "Anti-Sanctions Day" for member states to stand in solidarity with Zimbabwe and collectively call for the unconditional lifting of the embargo.

Faki acknowledged subsequent engagement with the European Union (EU) through political dialogue as encouraging. He encouraged all parties to continue dialogue with a view to ending all remaining sanctions against Zimbabwe.

"The Chairperson, however, remains extremely concerned by the negative impact the sanctions continue to have on Zimbabwe's socio-economic development amid the current global food and energy crises, including post Covid-19 recovery efforts," the statement said.

Faki reaffirmed the continued commitment of the pan-African bloc to support the brotherly nation of Zimbabwe in mobilizing efforts for the complete lifting of all remaining sanctions.

He further said the AU associates itself with the latest statement made by Joao Lourenco, president of Angola and current chairperson of the SADC, calling for the lifting of all sanctions against Zimbabwe.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Lourenco said the appeal by the SADC for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe rests on the backdrop of growing concern over the impact these sanctions continue to pose on the country and the SADC region.

Zimbabwe has been reeling under unilateral sanctions from Western countries led by the United States. The sanctions were imposed in 2000 after Zimbabwe embarked on the land reform program during which the country re-possessed land from minority white farmers for redistribution to landless indigenous Zimbabweans. 
Almost immediately after Hamas October 7 incursion into Israel, in which its terrorists killed more than 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostagesincluding children and elderlyit faces accusations of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, for example, said in an October 19 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Hamas actions went beyond terrorism, but included the full range of atrocity crimes under international law.

Accusations of any of these crimes carry hefty legal and moral implicationsbeyond geopolitical polemicsand unfounded accusations damage the causes of real victims of atrocity.

How are war crimes defined?

War crimes are breaches of international law perpetrated within an armed conflict, with the armed conflict componentwhether international or notdifferentiating them from genocide or crimes against humanity. War crimes may be breaches of treaties, such as the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, or the theory of jus cogens, peremptory norms and customs that all actors are expected to adhere to, even without a treaty.

The Nuremberg trials of former Nazi leaders in 1945 and 1946 werent the first war crimes trials, but they did represent the largest single trial of war criminals at one time. In the initial tribunal, 24 military and political leaders were triedthree of whom posthumouslywith 19 defendants convicted and 12 sentenced to death. Dozens more members of the Nazi apparatus were tried in later years. These trials codified war crimes and crimes against humanity in international law and offered case law for later trials.

War crimes were most recently defined in Article 8 of the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which prohibited murder (typically understood as killing non-combattants); rape; torture; taking of hostages; and intentionally targeting civilians and/or civilian infrastructure. The statute also added protections for wounded members of enemy armed forces, prisoners of war, civilians, humanitarian workers, and medical and religious personnel.

Notably, neither Israel nor the United States is party to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Both states signed the Rome Statute, but did not ratify it. In 2015, the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed on to the Rome Statute and became a party to the ICC, which gave the court jurisdiction over crimes perpetrated by the PA or within its territory. The ICC maintains it has the authority to exert jurisdiction when a citizen of a non-member country commits war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in the territory of an ICC member country.

But both Hamas and Israel are bound by the laws of armed conflict and jus cogens, as David French covered extensively in the New York Times recently.

How is genocide defined?

Genocide and crimes against humanity are distinct crimes within international human rights law, though they are often used interchangeably and alongside accusations of war crimes. All genocides are crimes against humanity, but not all crimes against humanity constitute genocidethey differ in two key ways. First, genocide is a discriminatory crime, perpetrated against an individual because of membership in a particular group. Genocide also involves intent to destroy the targeted group, in whole or in part.

The word genocide was coined by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin in his 1943 book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe. He defined it as  a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.

The crime of genocide was first codified in Article 2 of the United Nations 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide, and later included in Article 6 of the 1998 Rome Statute of the ICC. Within this legal framework, genocide is defined as: Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. This includes killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Victims of genocide are targeted for their membership in national, ethnical, racial, or religious groupspolitical groups are not included. Genocide also requires proof of intent. Genocide was first included in a criminal conviction in 1998 during the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in response to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Jean Kambanda, the former prime minister of Rwanda, pleaded guilty to the charge of genocide. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia included former President Slobodan Milosevic, the first head of state to be tried with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. He died in 2006 before his trial concluded, however. The tribunals are the blueprints for the International Criminal Court, and offer a path to successfully prosecuting individuals for genocide.

Under the 1948 convention, signatories are obligated to prevent and punish instances of genocide, whether occuring in peace or wartime, by governments, groups, or individuals. This obligation does raise the stakes for world leaders to call an atrocity a genocideacknowledging a genocide may obligate a response, even if ill-defined in documents defining genocide. President Bill Clinton faced criticism in 1994 for his administrations refusal to call the atrocities in Rwanda genocide because it could have obligated the United States to intervene despite there being no defined international process for doing so.

How are crimes against humanity defined?

Crimes against humanity is a unique category from genocide and war crimes, encompassing crimes committed against civilians outside active conflicts. All genocides are crimes against humanity, but not all crimes against humanity constitute genocide.

Crimes against humanity are defined in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the ICC as acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attacked directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack, including murder; extermination; enslavement; deportation; imprisonment against international law; torture; rape; forced pregnancy or sterilization; persecution; forced disappearances; apartheid.

Crimes against humanity are more easily defined than genocide because doing so does not require an intent to exterminate a particular group. But it does require proof of willfully targeting civilians in a systematic attack.

Israel is most often accused of the crime of apartheid for its system of checkpoints and roadblocks in Gaza and the West Bank. Apartheid in international law is defined in the 1998 Rome Statute as inhumane acts  committed in the contexts of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.

Israel maintains these policies are a response to ongoing terror activities, not a discriminatory system. The Palestinian Authority is also accused of apartheid for its insistence that territory it controls be free of Jews, even sentencing Palestinians who sell land to Jews to life in prison.

The ICC requires member cooperation in order to charge and convict individuals of atrocity crimes. Earlier this year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for childrens rights. Both are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for deporting children from Ukraine and transferring them from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

What do these terms mean in relation to the Israel-Hamas war?

Understanding that these terms have specific legal definitions affects how we understand the conflict, how we draw comparisons to other tragedies, and what we expect from any future peace negotiation. As international bodies seek peacewhether through a ceasefire, a disarmament, or by forceaccurate understanding of the atrocities committed affects the way international viewers understand the conflict.

Footage released by Israel of Hamas terrorists body cameras prove Hamas intentionally targeted civilians for slaughter. Israels criticswhich include foreign leaders and international organizationshave also accused Israel of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide through their response to Hamas attack. But those allegations often ignore the actions of Hamas in the region and its stated cause of creating a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Seaa complete erasure of Israel.

Even with obvious breaches of international law, the ICC does not have its own police forceit can not execute warrants. Instead, the ICC relies on member states for enforcement power. It is unlikely, for instance, that Putin will ever face charges in front of the ICC unless a new Russian regime decides to extradite. It remains to be seen what the international community is willing to do to hold criminals in the Israeli-Hamas conflict accountable.

Click here for more coverage of the war in Israel.

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
Congressional lawmakers and foreign policy experts say the war in Gaza, which threatens to engulf the broader Middle East, has scrambled President Bidens foreign policy agenda, forcing him to recalculate his administrations approach to Iran, Saudi Arabia and the war in Ukraine.

Senators and policy experts say Hamass attacks against Israeli citizens and the bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces have inflamed tensions and will put pressure on Biden to take a harder line against Iran, scuttling any hope of reviving elements of the Iran nuclear deal in the foreseeable future.

Asked Tuesday whether the Biden administration needed to make a course correction in its efforts to engage with Iran diplomatically through third parties, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he always thought the Iran nuclear deal, which he voted against, was a mistake.

My position on the JCPOA is clear. I voted against it early on because I think one of the main reasons is it didnt have enough to deter Iran from funding terrorism around the globe, and I still believe that, he said.

The Biden administration has worked through third-party intermediaries since 2021 to restore elements of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name for the nuclear deal that was a signature achievement of the Obama administration.

Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute specializing in U.S. foreign and defense policy, said Hamass attacks are a wake-up call for Bidens Iran policy.

She said senior Biden officials are pursuing a rapprochement with Iran thats not based on any existing circumstances indicating that Iran is ready to abandon its support of Hezbollah and Hamas.

At least temporarily, theres going to have to be a course correction. I think that the Congress is not going to let the Biden administration simply continue as if nothings happened, she said.

That was apparent earlier this month, when the Biden administration agreed to refreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets held in Qatar that were set to be released as part of a prisoner exchange with Iran.

The White House changed course after coming under heavy pressure, including from Senate Democrats up for reelection such as Jon Tester (Mont.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio).

Lawmakers and experts also say that any attempt by the Biden administration to negotiate a security deal with Saudi Arabia will be put on hold indefinitely, even though senators who met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says hes still interested in pursuing the deal.

Despite Crown Prince Mohammeds expressed support for keeping security negotiations on track, senators and policy experts say that growing anger over the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza will limit his room to negotiate any deal that includes normalized relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Its obviously a second priority to managing this crisis [in Gaza] and holding Hamas accountable, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said of a potential U.S.-Saudi security deal.

Murphy, the chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, led a letter to Biden with 16 Senate colleagues this month raising support for U.S. involvement in normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia but also raising concerns about some of the Saudi requests of the U.S. government.

The senators criticized Saudi Arabias human rights record and its reckless and aggressive foreign policy agenda.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who met with Crown Prince Mohammed along with other senators over the weekend, said he was extremely impressed by the conversation but agreed that any prospective deal is on hold.

It is being kept active although it is secondary to the challenges in Israel with Hamas. Everybodys concentrating on that so youre not going to get a lot of attention by the Israelis or the Saudis on this normalization agreement, he said.

Cardin said the crown prince sees talks about normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia in the future but he cant talk about it as much as he would like to today, because of the challenges of whats happening in Gaza and Israel.

Paul Salem, the president and CEO of the Middle East Institute, said the footage of Palestinians digging through the rubble of Gaza will inflame opinion in Arab capitals as well as Muslim capitals all the way to Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey. And that will definitely be headache, a burden, a cost of sometime for the U.S.

The said the public pressure will limit the capacity of governments to be as friendly or cooperative with the United States for a while.

Jordan, a strong U.S. ally, canceled a summit it was supposed to host in Amman last week with Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders.

Salem said the crisis will require Biden to pay more attention to the Middle East after Washington over the past 18 months has focused more on the war in Ukraine and the threat posed by China.

Now, theres growing pressure from conservatives in Congress for Biden to prioritize Israel over Ukraine.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has called for redirecting Ukraine funding to Israel, warning that Israel is facing an existential threat.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and other Democrats say the need to fund Israeli and Ukrainian forces are equally urgent but acknowledged theres a competition for resources, as conservatives in Congress press to shrink the size of $100 billion national security package requested by the president.

They both need the kind of aid that has been proposed, Blumenthal said. America cant forget because the security threat is as real now, maybe even more so than before.

Putin is probably very happy that were asking the question of whether Ukraine should remain a priority. But we have to make clear that were going to continue to stay the course there, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
As they battle to be the top alternative to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are increasingly trading fire.

The latest flash point is China.

In a Fox News Digital interview on Tuesday, DeSantis charged that Haley "rolled out the red carpet for China" during her tenure as South Carolina governor.

Haley's campaign fired back, claiming DeSantis has "aggressively recruited Chinese companies to Florida."

DESANTIS, HALEY, TARGET BIDEN OVER HUMANITARIAN AID TO PALESTINIANS

While Trump remains the commanding front-runner in the race for the GOP nomination, DeSantis for months had second place in the polls to himself, ahead of Haley and the rest of the field of Republican White House contenders.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

But Haley's seen her poll position rise the past two months and has leapfrogged DeSantis to stand in second place in some of the most recent polls in New Hampshire  which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar  and in her home state of South Carolina, which holds the first southern contest.

Over the past week, the candidates, their campaigns and allied super PACs have traded fire over whether the U.S. should accept any Palestinian refugees who flee the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

Now comes new fireworks over China, which has increasingly become a prime target for Republicans as relations have dramatically worsened between Washington and Beijing.

TRUMP MAY NOT BE THE ONLY REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO SKIP THE NEXT GOP PRIMARY DEBATE

The DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down went up with a new spot  backed by a seven-figure ad buy  that criticized Haley for bringing Chinese businesses to the Palmetto State while she was governor.

"Nikki Haley: questionable judgment, dangerous on China," the narrator of the ads says under pictures of Haley and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

While noting that his campaign wasn't responsible for the commercial, DeSantis said that "it's very jarring to see her in her own words talk about how  she wants to roll out the red carpet for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)."

DeSantis added, "I did the opposite in Florida. We banned the CCP from purchasing land in Florida. We didn't give them any free land. So, that's an honest difference of policy."

He asked, "[W]ho do you trust to lead  somebody that's actually stood up to China or somebody that rolled out the red carpet for China?"

Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, files to place her name on New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation GOP presidential primary ballot at the State House in Concord on Oct. 13, 2023.

On the campaign trail this year, Haleys repeatedly stated that China is the "No. 1 biggest national security threat." And earlier this year, she released a comprehensive plan to combat China.

Haley also spotlighted that she would rescind federal funding for universities that accept money from China, take back land in the U.S. that China's already purchased, and end "all normal trade relations with" China until it stops flooding the U.S. with fentanyl.

The Haley-aligned super PAC Stand for America has also spotlighted the candidate's China stance in a series of ads.

The Haley campaign in a statement to Fox News said the attacks are "more lies and hypocrisy from desperate and losing Ron DeSantis, who aggressively recruited Chinese companies to Florida, including a sanctioned Chinese military manufacturer. Nikki Haley took on the Chinese at the UN and she will as president."

Never Back Down chief operating officer Kristin Davison, responding, told Fox News that "Nikki Haley can't defend her disastrous record on China, so she's lying about Ron DeSantis. She has no evidence to support these wildly false claims."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks with customers at the Red Arrow Diner in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Oct. 24 2023.

DeSantis was interviewed as he campaigned Tuesday in New Hampshire.

Speaking with reporters after mingling with the breakfast crowd at the Red Arrow Diner in Londonderry, DeSantis once again targeted Trump.

"What Donald Trump does now, he is wedded to the teleprompter," DeSantis said. "This is a different Donald Trump than 2015 and '16  lost the zip on his fastball, has a sense of entitlement, all this stuff; doesn't think he has to go through and earn it like other candidates. And that's just not going fly in Iowa and New Hampshire."

Responding, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement to Fox News that "Ron DeSantis is operating with a little league brain in a major league world. Its not surprising to see him go full-blown Never Trump and anti-MAGA because thats who he is deep down inside."

DeSantis also pointed to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmental activist, high-profile vaccine skeptic and scion of the Kennedy political dynasty, who this month dropped his Democrat primary challenge against President Biden to launch an independent White house run.

DeSantis has repeatedly argued that Trump ceded control to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime top federal infectious disease expert.

"RFK Jr. will be a vessel for anti-lockdown and anti-Fauci voters if Trump is the nominee. If I'm the nominee, they all go to me because I stood up against Fauci. I'm going to clean out [the] CDC and all those. It's a big part of my platform. With Trump, though, he created Fauci. He elevated Fauci," DeSantis said in his latest attack on Trump over the then-president's management of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking with Fox News, DeSantis added that "there are millions of voters out there who want to see accountability for the federal government's COVID policies. I represent a vessel to do that. I've pledged to do that. Donald Trump will not do that. He said he did everything right. He doesn't think there's a need to go back and do any of that."

Looking ahead to the 2024 election, DeSantis said that "those voters, those anti-lockdown voters, those anti Fauci voters, they're going to want a vehicle. And I think that RFK is going to be able to peel those voters away from Trump."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.





Original article source: War of words: DeSantis, Haley trade fire over who was more China-friendly governor
Warning signs are flashing in recent polls for President Biden, with several showing him locked in a tight race with former President Trump and some even showing him trailing his presumed rival, underscoring the extent to which the presidential election will likely come down to the wire.

Bidens campaign has emphasized that the election is still more than a year away and that the president is putting in the work to mobilize voters to rally around his reelection bid.

Still, the combination of the close polling with Bidens low approval ratings has some political observers cautious about Bidens chances for 2024.

Dave Wasserman, from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, posted earlier this month on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he believed Biden would lose the election to an indicted Trump if the election was held today. He noted that Biden had a positive favorability rating while Trumps was about 41 percent in 2020, but Trump still was only 42,000 votes away in Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin from winning.

Now fast forward to 2024 with tied national polls, 40% Biden approval, equally dismal Biden/Trump favorability, more economic pessimism, growing migrant/[international] crises and the potential for [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]/[Cornel West] to double Jill Steins pull on campuses, etc. Wasserman said. Biden is in absolutely dire shape.

Bidens apparent challenges have been underscored in recent days by a string of polls painting a neck and neck race with Trump.

The former president led Biden by 2 points in a national Emerson College poll released Friday and by 4 points in a Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll from Thursday of seven key swing states that will most likely decide the outcome of the 2024 race, including Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Another Emerson poll out of Pennsylvania, released earlier this month, found Trump with a 9 point lead over the president.

Biden has meanwhile been dogged by approval ratings that have remained around the low 40s, much like Trumps in the lead-up to the 2020 election.

The Biden campaign indicated that it is not worried about polls this far away from Election Day and is putting in the work necessary to win in 2024.

Campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz pointed to Bloomberg economists prediction last October that a recession was 100 percent certain and their view this month that the economy is strong as evidence that polls can change a lot in a year. He also noted how Democrats outperformed expectations in the 2022 midterms, in which the party avoided what some expected to be a red wave.

Coming off those historic midterms, President Bidens campaign is hard at work reaching and mobilizing our winning coalition of voters more than one year out on a winning, popular agenda. Well win in 2024 by putting our heads down and doing the work, not by fretting about a poll, Munoz said.

Some polls released in the past couple of weeks have offered better news for Biden, such as a Marist poll in which he led by 3 points. The president also led comfortably in a hypothetical three-way race with Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., earning 44 percent of voters to Trumps 37 percent and Kennedys 16 percent.

Notably, both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama had similar Gallup approval ratings to Biden at this point of the election cycle, and they both comfortably won reelection.

Polls this far out are a distraction. This same time before the 12 election, pollsters were crawling over each other to call it for the GOP. BTW, Obama won, Obamas 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina posted on X last week.

But the back-and-forth horse race shows that the contest will likely be a nail-biter next November, even as Trump faces multiple federal indictments.

Close U.S. presidential elections have been the political reality for years, with no landslide having happened in a couple of decades.

One of the most common attacks that Trump has received during the GOP presidential primary has been that he cannot win in a general election, at least in part because of his focus on the 2020 presidential election and the legal challenges he is facing.

Trump notably refused to concede defeat to Biden in 2020 and repeatedly spread false claims of voter fraud despite his campaigns legal challenges all being rejected in court. A mob of his supporters then stormed the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection to stop the certification of Bidens victory.

Trump also has become the first former president to be indicted, facing a wide array of charges in four separate cases, including for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified and sensitive documents.

But the race between Trump and Biden is still closely split.

It felt like Trump was on his way to the Republican nomination, and many believed he was DOA in the general election. That is certainly not the case now. This is going to be a close race. This is going to come down to those six states, said Republican strategist Brian Seitchik.

Many Democrats, meanwhile, brush off the idea that the polls are an unexpected cause for concern.

I would say that we always knew the race was going to be close, said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. With the kind of world that were in  any party would be foolish to think the race is not going to be close or competitive in a competitive state, district or nation.

She said the polls showing Trump ahead reflect a conservative turnout model in which Republicans are particularly energized, in part because of the aftermath of the four indictments filed against the former president.

Lake also noted that the party holding a primary has tended historically to be more enthusiastic about the election earlier on than the party that doesnt.

While Trump is the clear front-runner for the GOP nomination, he is facing challenges from several notable Republican candidates. Biden is facing only marginal opposition from author Marianne Williamson.

But his polling numbers and approval rating have spurred talks of the possibility of another more notable challenger running against Biden in the primary.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) has flirted with the idea of running against the president for months. He has said he would not rule it out and expressed concerns about Democrats not having an alternative to Biden.

Politico reported earlier this month that he started making some calls to Democratic officials in New Hampshire, one of the early-voting states  a sign that he might join the race.

Regardless of whether Phillips jumps in, the Biden campaign appears to be taking steps to prepare for what will likely be a close race. It plans to test its organizing strategy in two swing states, Wisconsin and Arizona, hiring new staffers and focusing on digital and in-person outreach to leverage volunteers personal relationships.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the campaign has created options to expand its $25 million advertising effort as Biden expresses concerns about his poll numbers in the key states. The outlet reported that the campaign believes putting ads on the air now will help lay groundwork for the polls to shift next year.

People familiar with internal conversations told the Post that Biden has complained to aides about the low poll numbers and said he believes his age is contributing to them.

Democratic strategist Tad Devine said Bidens approval rating needs to rise before the election next year, but it does not need to be higher than his eventual vote total.

He also warned that past elections have shown poll numbers might not be fully accurate of what decision voters will make.

Sometimes theres a focus on numbers. And then when you get to Election Day, the voters go in a different direction, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A convicted felon accused of having pipe bombs at his apartment also called in a bomb threat to a high school, a search warrant says.

Channel 9s Hunter Saenz was able to obtain the search warrant Wednesday for 50-year-old Derek Johnsons south Charlotte apartment.

Nothing was ever found at Fort Mill High School, but authorities did find pipe bombs at Johnsons apartment.

Johnson allegedly called in the bomb threat on Oct. 13 just on the other side of school grounds. The school was put on lockdown.

PREVIOUS: Convicted felon accused of having pipe bombs at south Charlotte apartment

In the search warrant, investigators said Johnson called 911 that morning and said, youre gonna need fire... I put a bomb in there last night and if anybody tries to leave everybodys gonna die... Theyre gonna appreciate our veterans.

Authorities traced the call and said Johnson made it at the Peach Stand gas station a mile from the school. Once they matched the phone to Johnson, investigators went to his apartment on Farmhurst Drive.

At Johnsons apartment, the property manager showed officers the red Cadillac sedan that Johnson drove. Police were able to run the cars plates and got a hit in the area of the Peach Stand. It matched the time that the threat was made to the high school. CCTV footage from the Peach Stand showed Johnson, in the red Cadillac, pull into the parking lot just before the call was made.

As Saenz first reported on Tuesday, last Thursday, a bomb squad and others descended on Johnsons south Charlotte apartment off Farmhurst Road.

According to the search warrant, investigators searched his apartment and car and found two filled pipe bombs, a semi-automatic pistol, four firearm magazines, screws and coins, among other things.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is leading this investigation.

Johnson is still in jail. Hes facing several charges in Charlotte and also several felonies in South Carolina.

(WATCH BELOW: 9 Investigates: Atrium says it recently stopped suing patients over medical debt)
An American politician has been arrested in Hong Kong for carrying a gun into the city, according to a charge sheet seen by CNN, in what he has called an honest mistake.

Washington state senator Jeff Wilson was arrested on Saturday at Hong Kong International Airport and charged with possession of a firearm without a license, the charge sheet states, an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison and a fine of more than $12,000.

Wilson appeared in the Sha Tin Magistrates Court on Monday and was granted bail, according to public broadcaster RTHK.

The Republican state senator, whose full name is Stephen J. Wilson, said he did not realize he had packed his pistol in his briefcase while he and his wife were traveling for a five-week vacation to Southeast Asia, according to a statement posted on his website.

It was an honest mistake. And I expect the situation to be resolved shortly, Wilson said in the statement.

Wilson said he discovered the weapon mid-flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong.

He did not realize his pistol was in his briefcase when he passed through airport security in Portland, and baggage screeners failed to note it, the statement added.

Wilson said in the statement that when the plane landed in Hong Kong, he immediately went to customs officials and called their attention to the issue.

In an emailed reply to CNN, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration said the TSA is aware that a passenger on a flight departing from Portland International Airport Saturday passed through security and traveled with an unloaded firearm in his carry-on bag.

The individual was arrested upon arrival in Hong Kong. TSA takes this situation very seriously and is currently investigating the circumstances, it said.

The penalty for bringing a firearm to a TSA checkpoint may be as high as $15,000, and those stopped are ineligible for TSA PreCheck for up to five years, it added.

CNN has reached out to Portland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport for comment.

A US Consulate General spokesperson said they are aware of the reports and have no further comment due to privacy considerations.

Hong Kongs Customs and Excise Department told CNN via email that it had no comment to make given legal proceedings are underway.

Wilson faces his next court hearing in Hong Kong on October 30, RTHK reported.

Under Hong Kongs strict gun control laws, no one is allowed to possess any arms or ammunition unless they have a license from the Commissioner of Police. Licenses are only given to police officers, armed security guard services and operators of exclusive shooting range clubs.

Gun violence is very rare in Hong Kong, unlike in the United States where firearms are now the No. 1 killer of children and teens.

In Washington state, open carry is allowed for both long guns and handguns without a license, which means individuals can carry a firearm in many public areas, although private property owners may prohibit firearms on their property. However, a license is needed to carry concealed firearms in the state.

Wilson noted in his statement that his pistol was registered in Washington state and that he holds a concealed pistol license.

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[Source]

An Australian travel and fashion vlogger recently found himself swarmed by fans who mistook him for Ryan Reynolds while waiting at a terminal in Taiwan.

About the video: Shaun Birley, a content creator who makes videos about fashion and travel, uploaded the now-viral video to his TikTok channel last week, showing his hilarious mistaken identity experience while inside a bullet train terminal in Taiwan.

The on-screen text at the beginning of his video reads, How do I tell them Im not Ryan Reynolds, and starts with Birley being approached by a woman asking for a selfie. The fan is seen giddy as Birley positions himself beside her.

Others begin approaching him afterward until Birley tallies 14 selfies taken.

Trending on NextShark: Watch: Australian influencer mistaken for Ryan Reynolds swarmed by fans in Taiwan

The context: Speaking to Australian morning program "Today," Birley explained that he was on a tourism job when the hilarious encounter occurred.

That was like day one or two of us being there and we had the camera crew with us as well, he said. Then of course we were filming a bit of content with the crew and then one person came over and was like, Deadpool?

Trending on NextShark: Weekend marriages,' where couples live separately, gain popularity in Japan

He recalled declining the fan, but they insisted on taking a selfie with him despite Birley repeatedly telling them that he was not the Deadpool star.

Once the ball started rolling, it was a relentless barrage of selfies after that, he said.

Trending on NextShark: Watch: Carefree Asian dad sleeping on plane floor wins praise on TikTok

Not just Reynolds: "Today" co-host Karl Stefanovic also pointed out that besides his resemblance to the Marvel star, Birley also looks like Ryan Gosling, a comparison the Australian influencer acknowledged he often receives as a compliment.

TikTok reactions: One TikTok user agreed with Stefanovic, noting that Birley looks like a combination of Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Goslyn [sic].

Another TikTok user hoped that Reynolds would see the now-viral video, which has been viewed over 4.7 million times since its upload, to ask for his selfie as well.

Trending on NextShark: Honda, Toyota express skepticism about EVs amid industry downturn

You made a bunch of people happy. Nothing wrong with that, one TikTok user commented.

More on NextShark:

Tony Leung, Faye Wong reunite in rare photo taken almost 30 years after 'Chungking Express'
Jason Breen is a self-described ocean lover.

The avid wind surfers Instagram account is filled with videos of him, tethered to a raised board with a sail in his hand.

But on a recent surfing trip off the coast of Sydney, Australia, the 55-year-old had a frightening encounter when a humpback whale breached  and landed right on top of him, news outlets reported.

I saw the head come out, then I saw the rest of the body come out, and then I saw the whole thing above me and about that stage Ive got to be honest, I thought I was in trouble, Breen told 7 News.

The massive creature landed straight on Breen and dragged him under the water, The Daily Telegraph reported.

I just thought this is what it feels like to die, Breen told the news outlet. He pulled me down about 20 to 30 feet  I was under for probably 30 seconds.

Breen was filming himself before the whale breached, and his GoPro kept filming, capturing the entire collision on camera.

Paul Nettelbeck just so happened to be filming from shore when Breen was taken down by the whale, according to his Facebook.

I thought, This is not going to be good, Nettelback told 7 News. He was very lucky, and I was very happy.

Not only did Breen survive the encounter, but he told The Daily Telegraph he escaped with just a small cut.

Breen told 9News that he thinks the whale was a calf, and its size is what helped him survive.

It was a big calf, if it had barnacles I would have been ripped apart because the whales body was beside me the whole time, he told the news outlet.

Watch curious sea creature hang out with jet skiers in Australia. Magic encounter

Tourists swim with 2 humpbacks  then more join in. How many whales can you count?

Watch curious sea creature approach tourists in California. Incredible
The former boss of NatWest breached Nigel Farage 's privacy rights in sharing information about his banking, the UK's privacy watchdog has said.

Dame Alison Rose resigned in July after admitting she had made a mistake in speaking to a BBC journalist.

The Information Commissioner's Office said her action was "unacceptable".

However, given she has resigned, and NatWest is investigating, it will not take further action at this time.

In July, the BBC reported Mr Farage no longer met the financial requirements for a Coutts bank account, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Dame Alison later admitted she was the source and resigned hours afterwards.

The BBC later apologised, saying its reporting had been incomplete.

Mr Farage said in July he was filing a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.

A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner's Office said it had upheld two parts of Mr Farage's complaint.

"We found that an individual employed by NatWest shared information when they should not have done, and that by doing so they infringed the complainant's data protection rights," the ICO said.

"We have been clear with the bank that these actions were unacceptable and should not happen again", it said, adding that since Dame Alison resigned her post and the bank had commissioned its own investigation, it will not take any further regulatory action at this time.

A NatWest spokesperson said: "We fully co-operate with the ICO in its assessment of any customer complaint but it would not be appropriate for us to comment on this individual case."

The NatWest board is currently considering whether Dame Alison will receive 2.4m of pay contractually due to her, plus bonuses.

The banking group, which includes NatWest, RBS and Coutts, is due to report its third quarter results on Friday.

When Dame Alison landed the top job at NatWest she became the most powerful woman in UK banking, overseeing a bank with about 19 million customers in the UK and 60,000 employees globally.
WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump targeted Mark Meadows on Wednesday, suggesting that his ex-chief of staff would be a weakling and a coward if he testifies against him.

In a pair of Truth Social posts, Trump said he doesn't believe Meadows would turn on him, but noted that his former chief of staff has been threatened with prosecution and might be tempted by an immunity agreement.

"Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation," Trump said. "I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows?"

Trump s facing pressure to be careful with what he says about Meadows, or any other potential witness in the 2020 election case against him.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan hit the former president with a partial gag order that prohibits him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and court personnel.

Trump sought to undermine Meadows a day after a news report that he is talking to Special Counsel Jack Smith's office in the federal case charging the former president with trying to steal the 2020 election.

ABC News said Meadows has told Smith and his prosecutors that "he repeatedly told Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election that the allegations of significant voting fraud coming to them were baseless, a striking break from Trump's prolific rhetoric regarding the election."

A federal indictment essentially charges Trump with trying to steal the 2020 election from President Joe Biden, including with claims of voter fraud that he knew to be false.

In his Truth Social posts, Trump denied Meadows' reported assertions, and pointed out that Meadows defended Trump's election complaints in his book.

"Mark Meadows NEVER told me that allegations of significant fraud (about the RIGGED Election!) were baseless," Trump claimed. "He certainly didnt say that in his book!"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump targets Mark Meadows over reports that he will flip
KAMPONG CHAM, Cambodia, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Wednesday that at the request of the United Nations (UN), the kingdom had withdrawn nearly 100 blue helmet troops from the war-torn African nation of Mali due to tense security context.

"A few days ago, I had approved the withdrawal of our blue helmet troops from Mali, as the UN had begun to evacuate troops from some areas there," he said in a speech during a meeting with thousands of garment factory workers in Kampong Cham province.

"They could not stay there anymore because even the UN blue helmet troops were also attacked," he added.

Hun Manet said the Southeast Asian country also destroyed assets there such as vehicles and equipment before the pull-out.

Following a military coup, the transitional government of Mali requested the withdrawal of the 10-year-old UN operation.

The UN Security Council complied with a June 30 resolution for the peacekeeping mission to be withdrawn by Dec. 31 of this year. 
It took only a matter of hours for the freshest GOP nominee for U.S. Speaker of the House to withdraw his candidacy after House Republicans made quick work out of raising support to nominate him.

Rep. Tom Emmer , the House Majority Whip and current representative for the 6th District of Minnesota, just dropped out of the speakers race Tuesday after winning a simple majority behind closed doors.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Photo: Twitter)

Emmer, 62, is a longtime Congress member. After spending several years practicing law, he was first elected to his seat in the House in 2015 and is currently serving his fifth consecutive term.



Trending Today:

During his time in public office, Emmer has voted to give federal protections to same-sex marriage and to advance spending bills, according to The Hill.

He represents counties surrounding the city of Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered in 2020. Emmer stated he was encouraged to launch an investigation into Floyds death, but also denounced the public unrest that followed calling it violence and turmoil carried out under the pretext of protest. Jacquie and I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of George Floyd. His life was inexcusably cut short, and those responsible must be held accountable. I was encouraged by the swift steps taken by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to initiate an investigation into Mr. Floyds death. All Minnesotans deserve a full investigation of this terrible act.



Unfortunately, this tragedy has also spurned further violence and turmoil, carried out under the pretext of protest. These acts do not honor Mr. Floyds memory. Already struggling to stay afloat during this time of crisis, Minnesotans must now grapple with needless destruction of their communities.



As we have learned more information about this weeks historically tragic events, I have become deeply disappointed by the abdication of leadership at the state and local levels. The rule of law must be restored for the safety of first responders, families throughout these communities, and all Minnesotans

Emmer has worked in the past to advocate for the interests of the East African communities in his district. In 2017, he and former presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar urged the Trump administration to reconsider a $17.3 billion spending cut to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) when the Horn of Africa was on the verge of experiencing a disastrous famine and drought. Minnesota is home to one of the largest populations of Somali Americans in the United States. With that humanitarian threat looming, both congressional members worked to reverse the funding cut, noting the impact it would have on millions in the East African region.

So, whos up to bat now to become the next U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives? Kevin McCarthy is ousted. Steve Scalise and Emmer both withdrew. And Jim Jordan is out (although he might never have had a chance). Its back to the drawing board once again.

Presently, a political tug-of-war of sorts has been playing out between Republican conservatives and moderates over which representative could be their next speaker in a chamber in which they hold a slim majority. Hardliners arent fond of selecting someone who voted for the budget deal McCarthy made with Biden, Emmer included. Their agenda was to slash the budgets of several federal programs, and they arent budging on that end. They also wouldnt mind putting a Donald Trump devotee in the seat.

Never miss a story  sign up for ATLANTA BLACK STARS free daily newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest developments, from top news headlines to celebrity news.

House Republicans all together abandoned House Judiciary Chairman and known conservative firebrand Jordan as their potential nominee after he failed to secure their support in a third ballot attempt on Friday. Emmer sent a letter to House GOP members on Saturday announcing his interest in the nomination, and after a vote on Tuesday, Republicans elected Emmer as their nominee.

While Emmer was able to nab that simple majority on Tuesday, 26 Republicans said they would not vote for Emmer on the House floor, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump also protested the choice on his social platform, Truth Social, writing that Emmer never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA-MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

So where does that leave us? Well, on the brink of a government shutdown and in a political purgatory that wont let up as major global conflicts  such as the one in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine  await U.S. response.

Read the original story here.
Republicans have at long last elected a House speaker: Representative Mike Johnson, a fundamentalist Christian who was also once called a key architect in Congresss efforts to overthrow the 2020 election.

Johnson finally secured the speakers gavel after Republican infighting left the House without a speaker for 22 days. He secured 220 votes.

Johnson is a four-term congressman representing Louisiana. His win also represents the rise of the MAGA front in the Republican Party. Earlier Wednesday morning, Donald Trump endorsed Johnson as House speakerafter quickly killing Tom Emmers nomination the day before.

After the 2020 presidential election, Johnson led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 Republicans that sought to overturn election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. And he publicly bragged that he did it because Donald Trump called him up.

President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress. Indeed, "this is the big one!" https://t.co/eV1aoNlpvq  Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) December 9, 2020

On January 6, 2021, as hordes of rioters stormed the Capitol, 139 Republican representativestwo-thirds of the entire partyvoted to dispute the Electoral College results. The New York Times described Johnson as key to this effort, calling him the most important architect of the Electoral College objections.

Johnson convinced his colleagues, based on his expertise in law, that the way to object the results was on the grounds of constitutional infirmity.

Many states changed election rules during the pandemic, allowing mail-in ballots and early voting systems without approval of state legislatures, which Johnson argued was unconstitutional and could be used to reject the results from those states.

Johnson previously worked as senior attorney and spokesperson for Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, a Southern Poverty Law Centerdesignated hate group that pushes its far-right agenda through the courts. Johnson is also an evangelical Christian who has said, My faith informs everything I do.

That may include his history of using extreme, homophobic language. CNN uncovered some of his previous rhetoric, which includes calling homosexuality inherently unnatural and a dangerous lifestyle that would lead to legalized pedophilia and could destroy the entire democratic system.



Experts project that homosexual marriage is the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic, he wrote in another 2004 column.



While working with the ADF, Johnson wrote an amicus brief opposing the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned state laws criminalizing gay sex.

He has also opposed LGBTQ rights at every other turn. He voted against bipartisan legislation to codify same-sex marriage, which President Biden signed into law earlier this year. In 2022, he introduced what advocates called a federal Dont Say Gay bill. The legislation would have banned classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation through the third grade. Johnson called the bill common sense.

He has voted for a national abortion ban and co-sponsored at least three bills that would restrict abortion on a nationwide level. The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has given him an A+ rating.

In his spare time, Johnson hosts a religious podcast with his wife called Truth Be Told.

Ahead of the House floor on Wednesday, Democratic Representative Pete Aguilar warned the chamber about the Times quote calling Johnson an architect of the Electoral College objections.

Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna publicly cheered, Damn right!

This article has been updated.


The Welsh Parliament  Senedd  on Wednesday supported a resolution recognising the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as a genocide of Ukrainian people.

Source: Embassy of Ukraine in the UK on Twitter, European Pravda writes

Details: The embassy thanked Senedd for recognising the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as genocide against Ukrainians.

Quote: "Its a significant milestone in restoring historical justice and raising awareness about the millions of innocent victims!" the embassy added.

A resolution passed by the Welsh Parliament indicates that it considers the Holodomor "a predetermined crime committed and led by Stalin and the Soviet Government against the people of Ukraine" and recognises it as an act of genocide.

The resolution also notes "the crucial role of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones in bringing the cruelty of the Holodomor to the attention of the world" and confirms Wales support of the people of Ukraine in their struggle against the aggression of the Russian Federation.

Today, the parliaments of about three dozen countries around the world, as well as the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, have recognised the Holodomor as a genocide of Ukrainian people.

Previously:

Last week, UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps honoured the memory of the victims of Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine during his visit to the United States.

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Several districts in Western Pennsylvania have pushed back the start times for high school students in the last several years.

The movement to help students get more sleep could become law.

At Upper St. Clair High School, the start time has been pushed to 8 a.m., which is about a half-hour later than neighboring districts.

If Westmoreland County State Rep Jill Coopers proposed legislation passes, it would push back school start times across the state, similar to legislation thats passed in Florida and California, which allows high schoolers to get more sleep.

Cooper is optimistic about her proposed legislation that would push back school start times across the state similar to legislation thats passed in Florida and California, which allows high schoolers to get more sleep.

The proposed legislation references that study.

Saying there is a consensus in the medical community that a public health crisis exists in the form of an epidemic of chronic sleep loss and daytime sleepiness in adolescents.

If passed, the legislation would require the school day to begin no earlier than 8:15 a.m.

Which is what several districts across our area have implemented in recent years. The Upper St. Clair superintendent addressed the feedback he received at their first board meeting, saying its been positive.

The next step the legislation would go to a committee, then a vote on the house floor, then on to the Senate and then have to be signed by the governor, but Cooper still feels it could be accomplished in less than a year.

If passed, this legislation will give schools two years to implement. Cooper told Channel 11 she knows it will take time and wont always be easy re-arranging times with elementary schools.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates.

Whats happening

Ever since Hamas brutally attacked Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahus right-wing government has vowed to launch a large-scale ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and destroy the militant group once and for all.

But as the days have passed with no invasion  and as unbridled Israeli airstrikes have leveled large swaths of Gaza, killing at least 5,700, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry  experts, observers and even U.S. officials have started to question whether Israel has a workable plan for the day after it eliminates Hamas (assuming it can even accomplish that goal).

The Biden administration is concerned that Israel lacks achievable military objectives in Gaza, and that the Israel Defense Forces are not yet ready to launch a ground invasion with a plan that can work, the New York Times reported Monday.

In response, the U.S. has sent a Marine three-star general and several other U.S. military officers to Israel to help advise its military leadership  while also urging Israel to delay its ground offensive until hostage negotiations can play out.

Israeli forces will almost certainly invade Gaza. But the consensus is that how Israel fights Hamas  by minimizing or maximizing civilian casualties? by considering the future of the Palestinian people as well as its own?  will set the stage for what comes next.

Is peace a possibility, or will war engulf the entire region?

Why theres debate

Over the last 75 years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has proven to be perhaps the worlds most intractable and combustible problem. Given the current level of hostilities  and Israels increasingly hard-line internal politics  a lasting resolution has rarely seemed more remote.

Yet as David Ignatius, a longtime foreign-affairs reporter and columnist at the Washington Post, recently explained, wars in the Middle East tend to open new opportunities for peace.

That was true with the 1973 war, which produced [Egyptian President Anwar] Sadats trip to Jerusalem and eventually the Camp David Peace Agreement between Egypt and Israel, Ignatius wrote. The First Intifada produced [the] Oslo [Accords] and the Palestinian Authority. This war will produce openings, too, if Israel and the Arabs are wise enough to see and pursue them.

The question is what Israel  and allies such as the United States  must do today to pave the way for such opportunities later.

A cease-fire is unlikely, at least before Hamas releases its hostages. But most experts agree that Israels current trajectory  Obliterating Hamas capabilities at all costs, as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations put it last week, without thinking now what will happen the day after the war  risks maximizing Palestinian deaths.

Such an approach could also mire Israeli forces in Gaza for the foreseeable future, triggering outrage in the wider Arab world and drawing Iran and Iranian-backed militant groups such as Hezbollah into the conflict.

So is there a different path  a path that might aim to alleviate rather than intensify the regions endless cycle of violence? And if so, can Israel be convinced to pursue it?

Whats next

Publicly, President Biden has spent the last few weeks emphasizing Americas unstinting support for the Jewish state. But behind the scenes his administration has successfully pressured Netanyahu to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and there are signs that the U.S. is using the hours before Israels seemingly inevitable invasion to steer its hawkish government toward a more far-sighted course of action.

As hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace. We cannot give up on a two-state solution, Biden posted Monday on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, referring to the diplomatic plan that envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace.

Perspectives

Eliminate Hamas now; diplomacy can come later.

At this moment, Israels imperative is not to stall, but to conclude. To see this through, it must dismantle the roots of this recurrent cycle of violence, which are embedded deep within the toxic ideology of Hamas. Once Hamas and its violent brand of nationalism are defeated, the two-state solution, and the prospect of a lasting peace, can be meaningfully revisited.  Joe Roberts, National Post (Canada)

But the problem is that indiscriminate destruction will only lead to more Hamas-like extremism.

Hamas, whose atrocities deserve bitter condemnation, is a product of alienation, desperation, and dispossession. The movement is seen by millions of Palestinians as part of a resistance to exactly the kind of indiscriminate destruction Israel is now unleashing upon a defenseless population. If Israel truly wanted to wipe Hamas off the face of the earth, as its defense minister says, it would deal with the conditions that created them.  Ronan Burtenshaw, Jacobin

So Israel needs to reframe its approach ahead of the invasion

Israel would be much better off framing any Gaza operation as Operation Save Our Hostages  rather than Operation End Hamas Once and for All  and carrying it out, if possible, with repeated surgical strikes and special forces that can still get the Hamas leadership but also draw the brightest possible line between Gazan civilians and the Hamas dictatorship.  Thomas Friedman, New York Times

 and make the aim of the war itself  a lasting IsraeliPalestinian peace rather than the military defeat of Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

A more targeted campaign against Hamass leadership and capabilities could be coupled with a historic effort to secure significant Arab support and resources for ... a reconstructed Gaza. ... Gazas southern border could become a conduit for humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians rather than a route to expel them permanently into Egypt.  Ben Rhodes, New York Review of Books

Now is the time to start figuring out who will govern Gaza.

Israel doesnt want to run Gaza, and its proxies will be rejected as collaborators. The best hope  the only hope, really  is that moderate Arab nations will work to create a new, post-Hamas structure that will represent a new Palestinian Authority that could govern the West Bank, as well.  David Ignatius, Washington Post

Israel can learn from Americas failures in Iraq.

If you fail to try to build something better in Hamass place or try in a halfhearted way, Israel will gain only a few years respite.  So what should you prioritize at the outset?  1. End Hamass culture of economic corruption in Gaza.  2. Listen to what Gazas residents want.  3. Change the educational curriculum.  4. Find a path for Gazans to write a constitution that will lead toward a more democratic state that can live in peace side by side with Israel.  5. Show Gazans that Israel is prepared to help Gaza rebuild economically.  6. Border security for Gaza that Israel can live with  not a siege  is vital.  Thomas S. Warrick, former State Department and Homeland Security official, in the New York Times

The work of moral rebuilding must begin too.

Israel desperately needs a genuinely Jewish and Palestinian political party, not because it can win power but because it can model a politics based on common liberal democratic values, not tribe. American Jews who rightly hate Hamas but know, in their bones, that Israels treatment of Palestinians is profoundly wrong must ask themselves a painful question: What nonviolent forms of Palestinian resistance to oppression will I support? More Palestinians and their supporters must express revulsion at the murder of innocent Israeli Jews and affirm that Palestinian liberation means living equally alongside them in safety and freedom.  Peter Beinart, New York Times
FILE PHOTO: Fiber optic cables carrying internet providers are seen running into a server room at Intergate.Manhattan, a data center owned and developed by Sabey Data Center Properties, during a tour of the facility in lower Manhattan, in New York

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House is asking Congress for $6 billion for a government broadband internet subsidy program used by 21 million American households that is set to run out of money next year.

The Biden administration also wants $3.1 billion to further fund removal of equipment made by Chinese telecoms giants Huawei and ZTE from U.S. telecom networks.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) previously said removing the equipment, which it says poses national security risks, would cost $4.98 billion. Congress has only approved $1.9 billion. In 2019, Congress told the FCC to require U.S. telecoms carriers that receive federal subsidies to purge their networks of Chinese telecoms equipment.

Congress previously allocated $17 billion to help lower-income families and people impacted by COVID-19 to gain internet access through a $30 per month voucher to use toward paying for internet service.

The White House says the program known as the Affordable Connectivity Program, helps current users save over $500 million per month on their internet bills. The $6 billion in additional government funding would extend the program through December 2024.

"Congress should act swiftly to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and prevent more than 21 million households from losing access to affordable, high-speed internet," said White House National Economic Council director Lael Brainard.

Internet service providers say there are about 27 million additional U.S. households that are eligible but are not yet enrolled.

Verizon, Comcast and AT&T have all called for Congress to extend the program that could run out of money by March.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
The White House on Wednesday sent a supplemental funding request of roughly $55 billion to Congress for domestic priorities including natural disaster relief and child care providers.

The funding request asks for $23.5 billion in disaster response, including $9 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address ongoing response efforts, $2.8 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to address housing and infrastructure needs caused by major disasters and $2.8 billion for the Department of Agriculture to support farmers and ranchers with crop losses from natural disasters.

The request also included $16 billion for child care costs, which would go to the Department of Health and Human Services for an additional year of funding to keep child care providers afloat, the Biden administration said.

The request comes just after House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as Speaker earlier Wednesday following three weeks of struggling to fill the office, which had paralyzed the lower chamber. Congress is facing a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government.

The White Houses domestic priorities request also includes $6 billion for the Federal Communications Commission to extend free and discounted high-speed interest for low-income households through December 2024 and $6 billion for energy independence programs, such as funding to reimburse communications providers for the ongoing removal of insecure equipment and software.

Additionally, the administration is asking for $1.55 billion to counter fentanyl by funding grants to provide treatment, harm reduction and recovery support services. And it is asking for $1.6 billion for grants to low-income homes to help cover heating costs.

Another $1.05 billion would go to international food assistance programs to support programs such as global maternal and child nutrition projects, and $220 million would go to prevent cuts to the salaries of federal wildland firefighters.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had previewed Tuesday that the request would include funding for child care, which has been one of President Bidens top domestic priorities.

Its going to lay out the  presidents priorities as it relates to disaster relief, as it relates to child care, she said, adding that child care is something thats been part of the presidents platform for some time.

The White House sent an emergency funding request of roughly $100 billion Friday to Congress that seeks additional money for border security, allies in the Indo-Pacific and for Israel and Ukraine in their respective conflicts against Hamas and Russia.

Roughly $61 billion of that request covered money for Ukraine, while $14 billion is funding for Israels defense, nearly $14 billion is for personnel and operations at the U.S.-Mexico border, $10 billion for humanitarian aid and $2 billion for Indo-Pacific security assistance.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A makeshift memorial for the victims of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, in Tel Avivs Habima Square on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Amit Elkayam/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  The United States on Tuesday rejected growing calls to support a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas because such a move would only benefit Hamas, a White House spokesperson said.

The spokesperson, John F. Kirby, said the Biden administration supported pauses in the conflict to allow the flow of humanitarian aid. But he said civilian casualties were all but inevitable as Israel tries to vanquish Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Were going to continue to make sure Israel has the tools and the capabilities that they need to defend themselves, Kirby said. Were going to continue to try to get that humanitarian assistance in, and were going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately.

Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

Kirby added, A cease-fire, right now, really only benefits Hamas.

It is ugly and its going to be messy, and innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward, he said. The United States, he added, had not discussed any red lines with Israel.

U.S. and Israeli officials have consistently rejected calls for a cease-fire, insisting that Israel must be given time to eradicate Hamas. But the calls for an end to the fighting are growing louder.

On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a humanitarian cease-fire in an address to the U.N. Security Council. Guterres said it was important to recognize that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum and that Palestinians had been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, he said. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

In recent weeks, President Joe Biden has faced pressure from members of his own party in Congress, as well as progressive Jewish groups, who staged a protest against the war on Capitol Hill.

The war erupted after Hamas launched attacks inside Israels borders on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 5,700 people, nearly half of them children, had been killed since Israel began its response to the attack. The figure cannot be independently verified.

Israel has agreed under pressure to cease-fires in past conflicts with Gaza, including in 2012 after Israel had similarly threatened an invasion and deployed ground forces on the territorys border. Unlike then, however, Israeli leaders have in this case set Hamas total destruction as a goal, making it difficult to back down with limited results.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Security Council that humanitarian pauses must be considered to allow food, water and other necessities to reach Gaza and for civilians to get out of harms way.

There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting a civilians life, he said. Civilians are civilians.

Though Blinken did not specify their length, those pauses would presumably involve a very brief halt in combat well short of a typical cease-fire, which can last for days, weeks or indefinitely.

Israel has to do everything it can to make sure this doesnt happen again, Blinken said on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday. Freezing things in place where they are now would allow Hamas to remain where it is and to repeat what its done sometime in the future. No country could accept that.

The U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, UNRWA, has warned that the region is running low on fuel, which would particularly affect hospitals that are operating generators. Kirby said that the United States would continue to work to get fuel into Gaza, but added that Israel had a legitimate concern that Hamas could abscond with it and use it for military purposes.

Biden conceded Tuesday that it was not reaching civilians fast enough.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
In the spring of 2022, Rep. Mike Johnson started a podcast with his wife, Kelly Johnson, who calls herself a pastoral counselor.

The title of the first episode was Can America Be Saved?

That question is familiar to many American evangelicals. It shows how Johnson, the new speaker of the House, is a product of conservative evangelicalism and Deep South Republican political culture.

Rep. Mike Johnson speaks to reporters after securing the nomination for House speaker from the Republican conference on Capitol Hill, Tuesday. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) (Jonathan Ernst / reuters)

A firefighters son and a culture warrior

Johnson, 51, grew up the son of a firefighter in Shreveport, La. Since 2017, he has represented a congressional district of 761,000 people that includes his hometown and much of the states western area. He has been the 5th-ranking member of House Republican leadership.

Johnson has written that his father was critically burned and permanently disabled in the line of duty.

Johnson got a law degree at Louisiana State University and spent nearly two decades working mostly for conservative legal groups who focused on issues of importance to religious conservatives.

Evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, speaks to supporters a day after a monument of the Ten Commandments was removed from the rotunda and moved to a undisclosed area of the Alabama Judicial Building after state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore had refused to take it down, Aug. 28, 2003, in Montgomery, Ala. (Tami Chappell TLC/Reuters) (Reuters Photographer / reuters)

Johnson worked for the Alliance Defense Fund, which is now known as the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). ADF was founded in 1994 by some of the leading figures of the Religious Right, including James Dobson of Focus on the Family, and Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ.

ADF touts itself as working to defend the rights of conservative Christians to express their views on matters of sexuality and religion, which has gained it a reputation for advocating for discrimination against sexual minorities. It also has worked to limit or even ban abortion and access to contraception.

Johnson argued in favor of a ban on same-sex marriage before the Louisiana Supreme Court and has continued to advocate for those views as a legislator.

In his inaugural podcast with his wife, Johnson referred to himself and those like him as righteous, as he quoted from Psalm 11: If the foundations be destroyed, what will the righteous do?

That is not a rhetorical question anymore, Johnson said. It's something we have to ask ourselves and we have to answer.

Johnson on Capitol Hill, Wednesday. (Nathan Howard/Reuters) (Nathan Howard / reuters)

What Johnsons critics say

Johnson has become the nations 56th House speaker in large part because he happened to be the last one standing when his fellow House Republicans reached a point of exhaustion after three weeks of infighting about who to choose.

He faces skepticism due to his inexperience and his role in spreading lies about the 2020 election and his role in the attempt to throw out the votes of millions of Americans to keep former President Donald Trump in power.

Apparently experience isnt necessary for the speaker job, Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, told reporters. Were down to folks who havent had leadership or chairmanship role, which means their administration of the House will be a new experience for them.

Johnson also played a significant role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election. He crafted a narrow and legalistic rationale for objecting to the results that many other House Republicans cited as support for their vote to overturn the results.

Rep. Pete Aguilar, a California Democrat, said in a speech before the vote Wednesday that any Republican who sought to overturn legitimate election results in 2020 forfeited their ability to lead this chamber.

When Johnson was asked Tuesday night about his role in the aftermath of the 2020 election, he shook his head and lowered it, declining to answer. The reporters question was drowned out by loud boos from a large group of House Republicans standing around Johnson, one of whom yelled at the journalist to shut up.

Former speaker of the House and current Rep. Kevin McCarthy arrives for a third House Republican conference meeting of the day, on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) (Jonathan Ernst / reuters)

What Speaker Johnson means for you

Johnson has already outlined his plans for the entirety of the next year, which helped him win over votes on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The Louisiana Republican has said he will work with the Senate to pass a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown before funding runs out in mid-November.

Ironically, that is the same approach that was taken by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, which drew the ire of hardline Republicans. McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3 for working with Democrats to pass a short-term funding bill after House Republicans could not agree on a solution.

Johnson was able to ascend to the speakership because he has the fewest enemies, said Rep. Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican, on CNN.

The reality was always that whoever was named the next speaker would have to negotiate with a Democratic Senate and a White House occupied by a Democratic president.

The speaker doesnt bring a magic wand to enact radically different legislation, wrote Brian Riedl, a conservative budget expert who has worked on Capitol Hill.

It is that hard truth that always made McCarthys job untenable, because of the willingness of his critics in the House Republican conference to toss him out of the job for failing to hew a hard line. Johnson has a honeymoon period now, but if he hopes to be a successful speaker, his collision with the demands of hardliners in his own party will soon be on the horizon.

Workers carry computers and equipment from the office of the speaker of the House, shortly after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's name was taken down from over the door, on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Nathan Howard/Reuters) (Nathan Howard / reuters)
Former President Donald Trump is facing multiple legal challenges.

He faces 91 criminal charges in an array of state and federal investigations and lawsuits.

Some of his former associates and co-defendants have turned on him to defend themselves.

Unless you're living under a rock  which sounds like a relief at this point  then you've heard former President Donald Trump is slogging his way through multiple court cases.

From election tampering charges in Georgia to the business fraud charges stemming from alleged hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels: Trump faces 91 criminal counts overall, in addition to a civil fraud trial in New York.

The civil fraud trial, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump of falsely inflating his net worth. Another judge previously ruled that Trump committed fraud, but the current trial is meant to determine if his actions were intentional.

A win for the AG office could mean millions of dollars in possible penalties. An order stemming from the first fraud ruling already essentially dissolved Trump's companies, but years of appeals are likely to make the process extremely slow.

Amid his legal battles, Trump's once-loyal court seems decidedly less confident. Large conservative groups, like Americans for Prosperity Action and Club for Growth, have said they will fight Trump's potential GOP nomination; other current Republican candidates, like former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Governor Chris Christie, have also disavowed Trump after years of supporting him.

But, despite being hit with a gag order in New York, Trump has refused to let his keyboard rest as he continues to erroneously claim that the entire world  especially the US legal system  is conspiring against him. The conspiratorial thinking may be exacerbated by multiple one-time allies turning on the former President, often when facing legal trouble of their own.

Here are the MAGA expats who've publicly turned on Trump so far.

Sidney Powell

Sidney Powell at a press conference. The Washington Post

Former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell struck a plea deal with Georgia prosecutors and pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to interfere with election duties Thursday.

Named as one of 19 codefendants in the Fulton County DA's office's RICO case, which accuses Trump and others of violating the state's racketeering statute, Powell previously said that the 2020 election was rigged in President Joe Biden's favor. Part of her plea deal includes a requirement to testify at future trials and writing an apology letter to Georgia residents.

After Powell's guilty plea, Trump took to social media to claim she "was not my attorney, and never was."

For her part, Powell has continued making election-denying claims on social media. The newsletter published by her dark money group has shared articles arguing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis "extorted" her guilty plea.

Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Kenneth Chesebro

Kenneth Chesebro agreeing to a plea deal in court. Alyssa Pointer

Kenneth Chesebro, another former Trump lawyer and codefendant in the RICO case, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to file false documents Friday, a day after Powell.

Chesebro will face similar deal conditions to Powell, including the requirement to testify against the other co-defendants and write a letter of apology to Georgia residents.

Scott Grubman, an attorney for Chesbro, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Patrick Birney

Patrick Birney arrives at the New York County Courthouse. Brendan McDermid / Reuters

Trump Organization Vice President of Finance Patrick Birney testified this month in the New York business fraud civil case that Trump told his CFO that he wanted his net-worth numbers to "go up" yearly.

While Birney was not named as a defendant in the fraud case, his testimony links Trump directly to accusations that he exaggerated his net worth to save on loan interest and insurance costs.

Birney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen walking out of a courthouse in Manhattan. Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Once one of Trump's most prized "fixers," his relationship with former Trump Organization executive and personal Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has been sour for some time.

In addition to helping the New York District Attorney's office with its probings into Trump for the criminal trial, Cohen is also set to be a star witness in Trump's civil fraud trial.

Cohen has been extremely outspoken in his dislike of Trump. Earlier this year, he gloated after Trump's indictment in the Stormy Daniels case.

"Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said on CNN, referring to his expected arraignment date.

Michael Monico, an attorney for Cohen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Shawn Still

Shawn Still turned himself into Georgia authorities on Friday, August 25. Fulton County sheriff's office

Shawn Still, a Georgia state senator, was booked into Fulton County Jail in late August. He is one of the 19 codefendants facing felony charges related to election tampering in Georgia.

His attorney argued that as a presidential elector, Still acted only at Trump's direction and was therefore not liable for his actions, per Politico.

Still did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

David Shafer

Shafer speaking at the 2023 Georgia Republican Party state convention. The Washington Post

Shafer, former chair of the Georgia Republican Party and another one of the 19 codefendants in the Georgia election case, also argued in a petition that he "acted at the direction of the incumbent President and other federal officials," per Politico.

Craig Gillen, a lawyer for Shafer told Insider in an emailed statement that the court filing did not argue that Shafer was "following direction from Trump."

Cathleen Latham

Cathleen Latham was booked into Fulton County Jail in late August. Fulton County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images

Cathleen Latham, a local Georgia GOP member, is yet another of 19 codefendants in the Georgia elections case. Just as Still and Shafer did, she said she only took actions to change election results "at the direction of the President of the United States," per Politico.

Latham did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Yuscil Taveras

Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where Yuscil Taveras (not pictured) worked. Reuters

Yuscil Taveras was an information technology director at Mar-a-Lago. He was asked to delete surveillance footage on the grounds as Trump's aides moved classified documents around, according to allegations from the Justice Department. Taveras did not delete the footage, which now is a pillar of the Justice Department's case, per Insider's previous reporting.

While Taveras initially said he could not recall any conversations regarding the security footage, he later struck a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors and implicated Trump after changing counsel.

Shelli Peterson, an attorney for Taveras, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Mark Meadows

Former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows arrives at the office of the Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol on October 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump's former Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, one of 18 co-defendants charged alongside Trump in his Georgia election interference case, was granted immunity from criminal prosecution in exchange for his testimony to special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the federal criminal investigations involving Trump.

Meadows told Smith under oath that he repeatedly told Trump that allegations of significant voter fraud in the 2020 election were baseless, ABC reported, and told investigators Trump was being "dishonest" to the American people when he first claimed to have won the election before official results were in.

"I told ABC that their story was largely inaccurate. People will have to judge for themselves the decision to run it anyway." George Terwilliger, Meadows' lawyer, said in a statement emailed Insider in response to the report Meadows had flipped.

Both Meadows' spokesperson and Terwilliger declined to specify which portions of the ABC report were inaccurate.

Jenna Ellis

Jenna Ellis reads a statement after pleading guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings inside Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's Fulton County Courtroom in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 24, 2023. JOHN BAZEMORE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Jenna Ellis was among three former Trump lawyers who were indicted in alongside Trump in his Georgia election interference case. She pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writings as part of a plea agreement.

She is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in relation to the case and will serve five years of probation, pay $5,000 in restitution, and perform 100 hours of community service, in addition to writing an apology letter to the people of Georgia and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors.

Franklin Houge, Ellis' attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) extended a formal invitation to international observers and journalists to monitor upcoming general elections scheduled for the last week of January 2024.

"We believe that the presence of international observers will add a valuable dimension to the electoral process, ensuring its transparency and impartiality while lending credibility to our electoral process," ECP officials said Wednesday while quoting the contents of the invitation.

The election watchdog said that all the necessary arrangements will be made available for international observers to carry out their duties effectively and independently.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan has an Open Door Policy for accreditation of any national and international observer," the ECP said, advising foreign visitors to follow the advisories of Pakistan's foreign ministry and interior ministry. 
"We've taught young people that any of their missteps or any of their heterodox opinions are grounds to tear them down. That's no way to grow up."

That was journalist Rikki Schlott speaking before a sold-out crowd on Monday night at a live taping of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie podcast in New York City. Schlott, 23, teamed up with Greg Lukianoff to co-write The Canceling of the American Mind.

Lukianoff, 49, is the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and co-author with Jonathan Haidt of the bestselling The Coddling of the American Mind (2018). Schlott is a fellow at FIRE, a New York Post columnist, and a co-host of the Lost Debate podcast.

Cancel culture, they argue, constitutes a serious threat to free speech and open inquiry in academia and the workplace, and is best understood as a battle for power, status, and dominance.

Watch the video of the full event, and find a condensed transcript below.

Reason: What's the elevator pitch for this book? Why is it relevant now?

Rikki Schlott: Well, I think it's twofold. On the first front, people are still saying that cancel culture does not exist, which is absolutely crazy and defies all statistics fundamentally. But also, cancel culture is not just about the people that are torn down, it's about the epistemic crisis that it creates and the devastation of the body of common knowledge that we all share, and also the undermining of trust between people.

And for me as a young person, the undermining of being able to grow up and have the freedom to fumble and make mistakes as well. So I think it's important on a ton of different levels.

Reason: What is the working definition of cancel culture?

Greg Lukianoff: Basically, we're trying to give the historical era that we're in a name. I'm a First Amendment lawyer. I'm big on the history of freedom of speech. And a lot of what we call mass censorship events have names. So Alien Sedition 1798, the Red Scare One in the 1920s, Red Scare Two, also known as McCarthyism, the Comic Book Scare, etc.

So basically we're proposing more or less that this be a historical definition of a unique and weird period where there's been a lot of people losing their jobs because of their opinion. That's really one of the things we're trying to show, is that this is on par with any of these previous moments of mass censorship, and actually exceeds them in terms of the numbers of professors fired.

Reason: Can you elaborate more on the number of firings you are referring to?

Lukianoff: So real quick through the stats. Our definition is: the uptick of campaigns beginning around 2014 to get people fired, de-platformed, expelled, and the culture of fear that resulted from that. And I think it's always important to root numbers in comparisons.

When I started at FIRE, I actually landed in Philadelphia at 9:10 in the morning on 9/11. All of my first cases were involving people who said jerky or insensitive things about the attacks or people who said, "Let's go get those terrorists." So it was a bad period for academic freedom. There was a moral panic, and it actually followed the normal M.O. of mass censorship events in history. There was a national security crisis. That's usually the way it goesit's either a national security crisis or a large-scale war that you have these mass censorship events. And 17 professors were targeted for being canceled, as we would say, which basically means punished for their speech. There were more students as well, but we were pretty small at the time, so we know that we probably only know a fraction of the students who got in trouble. Three professors were fired. That's really, really bad historically. All three of those professors, by the way, were justified under things that weren't related to speech.

For the cancel culture era, we're talking over 1,000 attempts to get professors fired or punished in some way. About two-thirds of them resulted in someone being punished. About one-fifth of them, so about 200, resulted in them losing their jobs. During McCarthyism, the number of people who lost their jobs due to being a communist is about 63. They count other people who lost their opinions in this massive study that they did right towards the end of McCarthyism, and there were about 90 fired for their opinion overall, which is usually rounded up to 100.

We now think that they're probably somewhere between 100 and 150 fired from 2014 to mid-last year, July. We know this is a crazy undercount as well. According to our survey, one in six professors say that they've either been threatened with investigation or investigated for their academic freedom. That means the numbers are absolutely colossal. Students, about 9 percent of them, say that they've actually faced sanctions for their speech. That's an insanely huge number. And about one-third of professors say that they've been told to avoid controversial research. So we know that we're only seeing a portion of it.

Reason: The first case study in your book is at Hamline University. Can you remind us what happened there and why it exemplifies cancel culture?

Schlott: There was a professor named Erica Lopez Prater who decided to show an image of the prophet Muhammad in one of her courses, which is considered sacrilegious by some people who follow Islam. And so she said in her syllabus that that was going to be in a class. She told people that you could get an excuse from class if it's untenable for you to see that. She warned them multiple times ahead of time. She gave ample warning in every way, shape, and form, and also just told everyone that, "The only reason I'm showing you this is because there are some sects of Islam that do not find this offensive. This is a piece of art that was commissioned by a Muslim king."

She ended up being squeezed out of her job for doing that because one student did show up to that class and decided afterward that she was offended. And the president of the university came out and said, "This is beyond freedom of speech, this is just offensive." And it was a perfect example of cancel culture just defying common sense, defying just pluralism and democracy on a very fundamental level. And so that's why we decided to call this one out as our opener because pretty much everyone condemned it in the end. It was unbelievable. And Hamline did have to reverse course.

Reason: The happy ending there is that the university president kind of got pushed out. What was the reaction of other academics?

Lukianoff: This was a positive case in the sense that people really came to her defense. The idea that she wasn't rehired in the face of it is really stunning. Penn America was involved, of course, FIRE was involved, the American Association of University Professors came out and condemned it. So it was a moment of some amount of unanimity, but it somehow wasn't enough at the same time.

Reason: What role do psychotherapists play in cancel culture?

Lukianoff: This is near and dear to my heart because my experience with Coddling of the American Mind started with me being hospitalized for depression back in the Belmont Center in Philadelphia back in 2007. The idea that you would actually have psychotherapists who think they should intervene if you have wrongthink in your mind when you're talking one-on-one with them is about as horrifying as I can imagine. It's no exaggeration to say I'm not sure I'd still be here if I actually had a psychotherapist who corrected me.

As far as a chapter that we could easily expand into its own book, and maybe we should, the psychotherapy stuff scares the living hell out of us. I know we talked to a number of practitioners. In terms of what I've heard from the existing clinical psychology programs is that they will pain over the nightmare scenario of, "What if it turns out the person I'm treating is a Trump supporter or a Republican?" And of course, the answer is, "Then you treat them compassionately," not, "You have to drop out."

Reason: Rikki, you were coming of age in the era that you guys are writing about. Have you experienced the mindset of "If you are a bad person, you have bad ideas"?

Schlott: Well, for me personally, I was in high school in the lead-up to the 2016 election and we just had a scourge of cancel culture explode even though we were still teenagers. I, at the time, was more worried about boys and acne than Trump, but I saw that en masse scale for the first time. It was really frightening to me. And frankly, as a result, I self-censored for a while, and by the time I got to NYU, I knew I was in an ideological minority as a right-leaning libertarian here in New York City. I actually started hiding books under my bed when I moved in because I was a new freshman and trying to make friends. Thomas Sowell and Jordan Peterson were under the bedbanished.

I think it's so important to realize that there is a crisis of authenticity with young people who are growing up, who were supposed to explore different ideas and be an anarchist one day and a communist the next day and figure it out in the end, but we've taught young people that any of their missteps or any of their heterodox opinions are grounds to tear them down. That's no way to grow up. You cannot be a young person and grow up in a graceless society.

I think it's important to realize that there are a whole host of young people who did not come from this squeaky wheel, the tyranny of the minority group of people who do show up in institutions and scare the life out of everyone. But the fact of the matter is, whether it's young people or American people at large, 80 percent of Americans think political correctness has gone too far. The vast majority of people do not want to live in a world where they're tripping over tripwires at every turn or censoring their speech or biting their tongue for fear that someone will give them the worst possible interpretation of what they said. This is a tyranny of the minority, and courage is contagious, and there is strength in numbers, and I think that we really can fight back with that knowledge

Reason: Can you explain what the Woodward Report was?

Lukianoff: It was so terrific, and Yale specifically disavowed it in court. The Woodward Report was this wonderful report that came out in the 1970s. It was a stirring defense of the importance of freedom of speech, even for speech that we find deeply offensive. It was supposed to be kind of one of the things that really set Yale apart, and they haven't been living up to it for a long time. But one thing that was kind of sobering to see is them actually going to court in a case where actually it was more of an attack on the right, that they were in a litigation against this one professor, and they specifically disowned the Woodward Report, basically saying in court that, "That's just puffery. We didn't really mean any of that."

Reason: What is the right wing version of cancel culture?

Schlott: Yeah, actually, it surprises most people to hear that about a third of attempts to get professors censored or fired are coming from the right and are attacks on professors to the left of the students. That tends to happen less in the really shiny institutions that garner the headlines and more at smaller schools, but it's still meaningful.

There's intergroup cancel culture in a way that I think is really frightening on the right. We talk about David French, for example, who's maligned for having some different views about Trump and conservatism. I think, especially in the post-MAGA era, there's a reflexive response to anyone who might be critical of Trump or to doubt Trump to cancel them or to squeeze them out. We talk about Megyn Kelly as an example of that, who gave me my first job in media, and was squeezed out from the right and then from the lefta demonstration of how one person who is or at the time was in pretty much the center right area could be canceled by both sides.

Reason: Where does right-wing cancel culture come from?

Schlott: I mean, I would say as someone who is right-leaning, and who grew up in a context where I now realize I wrongfully associated illiberalism with liberalism just because of the context of the years that I grew up in. I've realized that the left completely left freedom of speech, which used to be a fundamental principle of theirs, up for grabs. And anyone could grab that mantle and say, "Here's the restorative, pluralistic democratic vision to move forward." But instead, I think that we've seen quite a lot of people on the right just fight illiberalism with illiberalism and fists with fists in a way that is just so infuriating.

Reason: How has cancel culture erupted in the last few weeks in response to the war between Israel and Hamas? Do you think that Harvard students should lose their jobs over their opinions on Israelis and Palestinians?

Lukianoff: It is still cancel culture. I mean just the fact that it's cancel culture that many people agree with doesn't make it not cancel culture and I don't like blacklists. I like to actually deal with people individually, find out what they really think about something, and give the benefit of the doubt.

Now to be clear, do companies have the legal right to hire who they want? Yes, and I oppose laws actually saying that they have to hire, but I do want people to take a deep breath, take some distance and say to themselves, "What if we live in a country where every company was also not just a widget shop, but also a political shop, and the boss's politics decided who got to keep their job?" And it's not that fanciful because that's what it started to look like in 2020 and 2021 where people were getting fired for just having mildly critical Black Lives Matter statements. So I want people to consider what the world would look like if essentially you have a First Amendment, but you can't have a job if you actually honestly say your political opinion.

I will give one caveat though to the Harvard students. I think that a big part of the problem we have as a country is that we too reflexively hire elite college graduates. I think this creates serious problems. I think you should try to find out when you're hiring from elite college campuses by asking, "Okay, no, I understand you have a view that I find abhorrent. Can you work with people who disagree with you?"

Reason: Universities love to shoot their mouths off about all kinds of things. In your perfect universe, would universities never talk about anything other than higher education? Is the problem that they're making too many statements, or that they are not making the right statements, or that they're just hypocritical?

Lukianoff: In my perfect universe, every university would adopt a 1967 University of Chicago C Report, which is a very strong admonition not to take political positions. We are not the speakers, we are the forum for the speakers and the thinkers, which I think is the right attitude to have about higher education.

Reason: What can we do about cancel culture?

Schlott: Yeah, this is the conclusion of our book where we really make the case that we all need to buy into this free speech culture. That the only way we can supplant cancel culture is by going back to the old idioms that so many Americans were raised with, like, "to each their own." This is a free country, everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Because I think we've underestimated just how far we've drifted away from that. Parents have not realized that they need to be aggressively mindful in instilling those values into a generation of young people who've been taught the absolute opposite, whether it was in K-12 or on college campuses, that words can wound and always trust your feelings, and that you can insulate yourself. You need safe spaces and trigger warnings.

We all need to buy-in to fight back against this tyranny of the minority of people who want to tear other people down to exercise cheap ad hominem attacks and dodge actual meaningful conversation. Because that's the only way, if we actually want to move forward in a diverse and pluralistic society, we need to be able to have civil conversation and dialogue about the touchiest and most contentious issues. And unless we actually, mindfully fight back against cancel culture, we are just going to slump down into dangerous and illiberal tendencies.

This interview has been condensed and edited for style and clarity.

Video Editor: Adam Czarnecki

The post Why Are College Kids Terrified? appeared first on Reason.com.
Almost three weeks after the terror attack by Hamas militants against Israel sparked a wave of retaliatory airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, international humanitarian agencies are warning that the Palestinian territory is running out of critical and life-saving resources, especially fuel.

Gaza, a narrow stretch of land along the Mediterranean Sea between Israel and Egypt, has been under an Israeli military blockade since Hamas took control of the enclave in 2007. Home to a densely packed population of about 2.3 million people, Gaza depends largely on Israel for drinking water, food supplies, electricity and fuel for its only power plant.

Israeli officials took steps when the blockade was implemented to reduce the electricity and fuel distributed to Gaza, arguing those resources served the Hamas regime. Conflict between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which presides over the Israeli-occupied West Bank, further exacerbated the energy crisis in the Gaza Strip in recent years, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

More than 1,400 people in Israel, most of them civilians, were killed and hundreds of others were taken hostage during Hamas' rampage on Oct. 7, according to Israeli officials. Shortly after, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a tightening of the Gaza blockade.

"Nothing is allowed in or out," Gallant said in a statement. "There will be no fuel, electricity or food supplies."

But over the weekend, twenty trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including drinking water and medial supplies, were allowed to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing in Egypt, the first time aid was allowed in the territory since Israel declared war earlier this month.

Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Oct. 21, 2023. / Credit: Khaled Omar/Xinhua via Getty Images

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza run by Hamas. Four of the trucks that crossed into Gaza on Saturday carried medical supplies, including medicine to treat chronic diseases, trauma and three months' worth of other essential supplies for 300,000 people, the World Health Organization said. Trucks also brought 44,000 bottles of drinking water, enough for 22,000 people for a single day, according to UNICEF.

But very little fuel has been allowed in  and, on Tuesday, the United Nations' main relief agency in Gaza warned that they would not be able to continue operating in the territory without it.

"If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the #GazaStrip as of tomorrow night," the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. Around the same time, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the Security Council that "without fuel, aid cannot be delivered, hospitals will not have power, and drinking water cannot be purified or even pumped." U.N. representatives have estimated that Gaza needs about 160,000 liters more than 42,000 gallons of fuel per day to meet the basic needs of its population.

The World Health Organization said one third of Gaza's hospitals could no longer function because of the fuel scarcity, noting in a social media post that the territory's "medical burden is enormous" amid the Israeli military siege.

The agency said in a statement that it was able to deliver "34,000 liters of fuel to four major hospitals in southern Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent Society to sustain its ambulance services" on Tuesday. It was "only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours," the WHO said.

As Gazas health system disintegrates, WHO calls for safe passage of fuel, supplies for health facilities



WHO remains unable to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to lack of security guarantees. WHO calls for an pic.twitter.com/naftum0ANy  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 24, 2023

"Unless vital fuel and additional health supplies are urgently delivered into Gaza, thousands of vulnerable patients risk death or medical complications as critical services shut down due to lack of power," the agency said. "These include 1000 patients dependent on dialysis, 130 premature babies who need a range of care, and patients in intensive care or requiring surgery who depend on a stable and uninterrupted supply of electricity to stay alive."

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, said Tuesday that the military would not provide fuel to Gaza because of concerns that fuel shipments could be intercepted by Hamas and used to perpetuate more violence, Reuters reported.

"Petrol will not enter Gaza. Hamas takes the petrol for its military infrastructure," Hagari said.

These fuel tanks are inside Gaza.



They contain more than 500,000 liters of fuel.



Ask Hamas if you can have some. https://t.co/Dlag6VdbMq pic.twitter.com/WXzZMFr8yI  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

Responding to a thread on X where the UNRWA cautioned that the humanitarian consequences of withholding fuel could be severe, the Israel Defense Forces claimed that Hamas has been stockpiling fuel in tanks inside Gaza that it does not give to Palestinian civilians. CBS News has not verified this claim.

"These fuel tanks are inside Gaza. They contain more than 500,000 liters of fuel," wrote the Israeli military with an aerial photograph showing what appears to be two rows of white circular containers on the ground below. "Ask Hamas if you can have some."

Police searching for person of interest in Maine shootings, official says

Former FBI agent examines investigation into Maine mass shootings

At least 16 killed in shooting in Lewiston, Maine, law enforcement officials say
Fox News spoke to Hamas attack survivor Natalie Sanandaji, who shared her fears of returning to the U.S. and why she felt safer in Israel.

Fox News  Danger of Lone-wolf attacks

On the Ingraham Angle Monday night, Laura Ingraham spoke to Hamas attack survivor Natalie Sanandaji on what it was like returning to the United States.

Sanandaji spent hours escaping the Hamas attack at the Nova music festival in Israel a little over two weeks ago.

Ingraham asked Sanandaji what she thought of the thousands of protestors in the streets around the U.S.  People who truly believe Hamas is getting a bad wrap. Theyre freedom fighters. ... Given what youve been through, whats your takeaway?

Sanandaji, a New York native, said, To see all these protests and to see people calling for the genocide of the Jews and to see so many misinformed people in the streets thinking that Hamas is for the Palestinian people (or) Hamas agenda is to free Palestine, it makes me sad and honestly a little scared.

Ingraham then asked why it was that Sanandaji previously said she felt safer in Israel than she does in the U.S.

Sanandaji said that although she went through a traumatic experience in Israel, I fear the lone-wolf attacks that are happening here, Sanandaji said. I don't feel that enough people are taking these protests and these lone-wolf attacks seriously.

She added, Part of the reason why I feel unsafe is because Im seeing a lot of patterns that we saw before the Holocaust. Part of what happened before the Holocaust was a lot of fake news and propaganda against the Jews, and Im seeing that today as well.

Related
A woman stands near a bullet-riddled wall in Zahajra, near the border with Israel

(Reuters) -Israel has told civilians in the northern Gaza Strip, including residents of Gaza City, to move to the south of the enclave, saying it will be safer there as the military attacks Hamas following its Oct. 7 cross-border assault.

However, Israeli warplanes have continued to hit sites in southern Gaza, spreading fear among the evacuees that they are just as vulnerable there as they were in their homes in the north. Here is an overview of the situation.

WHY IS ISRAEL STILL HITTING THE SOUTH?

Since telling Gazans to head south, the Israeli military (IDF) has continued to pound targets across the area, killing an unknown number of civilians. In all, authorities in Gaza say 6,546 Palestinians have died since Israeli strikes started on Oct. 7.

Residents said the bombardment of the south intensified on Oct. 25. One strike brought down several apartment buildings in Khan Younis, some 10 km (6 miles) from the Egyptian border.

The IDF has said that even if Hamas's main power centre is in Gaza City, it is nonetheless entrenched among the civilian population across the enclave.

"Wherever a Hamas target arises, the IDF will strike at it in order to thwart the terrorist capabilities of the group, while taking feasible precautions to mitigate the harm to uninvolved civilians," the military said on Wednesday, reiterating previous statements.

The military has said the homes where militants live are "legitimate targets" even if civilians live alongside them.

"The so-called private home is not a private home," a senior Israeli air force officer told reporters in a recent briefing.

WHY DID ISRAEL ORDER THE EVACUATION SOUTH?

The Israeli military said on Oct. 12 that nearly half of Gaza's 2.3 million population should move to the southern half of Gaza within 24 hours. The military said the order was aimed at moving civilians away from "Hamas terror targets", which it believes are concentrated in the north.

Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus subsequently said: "We are preparing the area for significant military activity in Gaza City. That is the next stage. That's why we are asking civilians to go south of the Gaza River."

Israel has massed troops on the border with Gaza and is widely expected to launch a land invasion.

On Oct. 18, the military urged residents of Gaza to evacuate to what it called a humanitarian zone in Al Mawasi, on the coast of southern Gaza.

Israel renewed its warnings on Oct. 22, saying that anyone staying in the north could be identified as sympathisers of a "terrorist organisation" if they did not leave.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE MOVED?

Hamas has urged Palestinians to ignore the Israeli warnings.

Israel said on Wednesday it had attacked Hamas roadblocks that it believed were stopping people evacuate.

Despite Hamas's attempts to stop an exodus, residents and international aid organisations say there has been a mass displacement of people away from the north and other areas of the enclave seen as a especially vulnerable to attack.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated on Oct. 24 that more than 1.4 million people are internally displaced (IDPs) within Gaza.

Gaza's border crossings with both Egypt and Israel are closed, effectively trapping residents inside the enclave.

WHAT HAS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SAID?

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said giving hundreds of thousands of people just hours to leave their homes was "dangerous and deeply troubling". Many Western governments have called for a pause in the fighting to open humanitarian corridors for the trapped civilians. Arab nations have called for Israel to stop the war.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by James Mackenzie and Nick Macfie)
A Wilmington police officer testified he made more than 1,000 traffic stops over a four-year period but didn't record or report any of them unless they resulted in an arrest or traffic citation  a practice a federal lawsuit says is designed to cover up constitutional violations by officers engaging in racially biased policing.

As an example in the class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday by the ACLU of Delaware, attorneys point to what a Superior Court judge turned up when he scrutinized a police stop made by Officer James Wiggins.

The judge learned that Wiggins, a member of the Wilmington Safe Streets program, used an unrecorded radio frequency to communicate with other officers about these stops. The judge also found that the officer's understanding was that he could search an entire car as long as he smelled marijuana without having to report it to the department's communication center as he would if he were a patrol officer.

"As Detective Wiggins puts it, if he stops a car and smells marijuana, but does not issue a ticket, there would be no record of it," Superior Court Judge Calvin L. Scott wrote in a 2021 suppression order in connection with a 2019 police stop.

These are just some of the Wilmington department's practices being brought to light by the ACLU of Delaware on behalf of the state NAACP and others in a federal class-action lawsuit. The legal move represents the most significant effort to have a monitor appointed to coordinate and oversee Wilmington police develop policies that they say would end the violation of people's rights.

"I'm hoping it will help it to happen," said Jea Street of a monitor being appointed. The New Castle County councilman and 3rd vice president of the state NAACP has been advocating for federal intervention that would review Delaware police, especially after the use of force occurs. "And if it doesn't, regrettably, as I was trained you only go to court as a last resort.

"But that's the point where we are. I mean, this cannot continue."

New Castle County Councilman Jea P. Street has been asking for a federal investigation of police in Delaware.

Delaware police: 'If you're Black, watch yourself' in Delaware, NAACP says, calling for police transparency

Street said his hope is to amend the complaint to include more police departments. If not, they will file separate litigation against other police agencies.

The lawsuit against Wilmington, its police chief and its mayor seeks to address patterns and practices of unconstitutional policing by the department, including a lack of reporting and oversight of officers illegally entering homes, using excessive physical force and conducting unlawful searches without warrants.

Wilmington officials did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story, but Mayor Mike Purzycki said on Tuesday that claims made by the ACLU were offensive to him. He also vowed to "vigorously defend against this suit in court."

Federal lawsuit: Wilmington police regularly violate rights of Black people, ACLU's federal lawsuit claims

These practices are carried out primarily by officers in the Operation Safe Streets program, according to the lawsuit. The program is a partnership between the Wilmington police and the Delaware Department of Correction's probation and parole officers to jointly monitor Delawareans on probation.

"Since its inception, OSS has failed to improve public safety in the city," the ACLU said in a statement. "Instead, it has largely been used as a tool to harass and terrorize Black communities in Wilmington by circumventing people's Fourth Amendment rights."

Under the Fourth Amendment, police officers must have reasonable grounds to stop people or vehicles. The lawsuit also claims a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits racially discriminatory law enforcement practices.

Federal investigations into police departments

Rather than file a case on behalf of one person that would resolve only a specific incident of unconstitutional conduct, Dwayne Bensing, the ACLU of Delaware's legal director, said the nonprofit organization broadened its view to claims of patterns and practices of unconstitutional policing. This, he said, gets to the larger issue so that police practices conform with the Constitution.

"These kinds of cases have been more commonly filed in the years following increased attention on discriminatory police practices," Bensing said. "Just last week, across the river in Trenton, New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division opened an investigation regarding similar claims of unconstitutional stops and searches."

The U.S. Department of Justice launched its investigation into New Jersey's capital city and its Police Department's use of force, stops, searches and arrests. The "pattern or practice investigation" will determine whether the Trenton Police Department has systemically violated federal law or the Constitution, according to a USA Today report.

It will include a comprehensive review of the department's policies, training, supervision, internal investigation protocols, disciplinary decisions and other protocols regarding complaints, the federal department said in a statement.

This follows other investigations by the Justice Department, including last year's review of a Massachusetts police department that looked at a pattern of excessive use of force or discriminatory policing based on race or gender.

Decades in the making

NAACP Delaware State Conference of Branches President Richard Smith said he's been waiting for police changes in Delaware since the 1960s when police shot and killed several people.

"For me, it's been over 40 years," said Smith, who named several of those men fatally shot by police over the years.

NAACP Richard Smith

Smith said the pain and suffering he's felt is something that Wilmington mayors couldn't understand. He added there have been days of crying, days where he goes to morgues with families of people shot dead by police, and days of attending funerals.

"It took a toll on me," he said, adding he hopes the mayor and his people come to the table and straighten this out to make Wilmington a better place for everybody.

"We are not saying that you can't lock people up, that you can't stop people," he said. "What we are saying is that you can't harass people and keep stopping the same person 15 or 20 times."

Smith added that if police don't change their practices, the lawsuits will continue  though this is the first lawsuit the state NAACP has filed against any police department.

"We had talked about it, but we never did," he said, adding their attention has always been on Wilmington and New Castle County police departments.

What happened in the Ivan Cornelius case

The case involving Officer Wiggins was referred to in the lawsuit as a "stark example of the Wilmington Police Department's policy of not requiring officers to report or record all stops, frisks and searches."

In the federal lawsuit, the matter is condensed into four paragraphs taken from a Superior Court case and focuses on how Wiggins, as a member of the Safe Streets program, searched a car without a warrant or probable cause. It also notes how the judge agreed to the suppression motion because the state "failed to prove a valid traffic stop and lacked probable cause to search the car."

The four-paragraph section also summed up the department's failure to ensure proper recordkeeping and noted that Wiggins testified that Safe Streets' "policy" is to work "off-channel."

Delaware's Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights makes it extremely challenging to collect information to support allegations of systemic violations against police departments, the ACLU's Bensing said, adding that further exacerbating this is the fact that some police practices are not recorded at all  including stops that do not result in arrest.

"However, through discovery, we anticipate obtaining sufficient proof of the allegations in our complaint, which are based upon the real-world experiences of our clients who have come into contact with the WPD through unconstitutional means," Bensing said. "We are hopeful that this class action will shed a brighter light onto these practices and that we will obtain relief, either through settlement, sufficient legislation, and/or court order."

A review by Delaware Online/The News Journal of the July 8, 2021, Superior Court order to suppress found much of what the lawsuit claims happened in the car stop, as well as multiple contradictions given by Wiggins in court.

In the court order, Wiggins is quoted as stating his job on Safe Streets was "to stop things from happening before they happen," and accordingly, to proactively stop cars and ride around looking for suspicious activity.

That's what Wiggins was doing on Aug. 14, 2019, when the court order said he patroled in an unmarked car that was not equipped with computers that check for vehicle registration or other related information  the night he stopped Ivan Cornelius at 9:35.

The order found that Wiggins' car was also not equipped with recording equipment and Wiggins was not required to wear body-worn cameras.

As Cornelius' car was parked in an on-street parking spot, Wiggins turned on his unmarked vehicle's police lights and called in for backup on an unrecorded channel used to contact Task Force officers, according to court documents.

As Wiggins spoke to Cornelius, the order says more officers arrived, some using their flashlights to view the inside of the stopped car.

Cornelius gave Wiggins his driver's license but was unable to provide registration and proof of insurance. At the suppression hearing, Wiggins first said Cornelius did not give any explanation, but later the officer "changed his story and stated that he could not remember what the explanation was" for Cornelius not providing these items.

During the stop, Wiggins said he smelled marijuana and saw what appeared to be marijuana leaves in the door handle panel of the driver-side door.

Wiggins did not ask Cornelius about the smell of marijuana or the leaves on the door panel. Instead, the court order said the officer removed Cornelius from his car to search the vehicle. The court order states that Wiggins did not smell marijuana on Cornelius.

"Wiggins stated that he conducted a search of the vehicle due to the following probable cause factors: 'marijuana leaves found in the door,' lack of registration and insurance and the odor of marijuana," the court order claimed.

As Cornelius was taken to Wiggins' vehicle, other officers started searching Cornelius' car, according to the court order.

Wiggins claimed he found "a bunch of marijuana," according to the court order. But when pressed for more information, Wiggins clarified and stated he meant a "bunch of leaves." However, there was not enough to send to the lab for testing.

When asked how many leaves it would take to submit the marijuana to the state lab, Wiggins replied that he did not know.

In his ruling, Judge Scott listed several factors weighing against a finding of probable cause, including:

An odor or presence of marijuana was misstated "in that it didn't exist."

The arrival of five additional police officers who positioned themselves in a manner consistent with preparing for a search, despite any evidence that a search was likely necessary.

A "failure to use normal police procedure and recordkeeping."

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington police lawsuit follows increased scrutiny of discrimination
The Amarillo City Council said it would not rush to put in place a rule prohibiting people from using city roads to seek an abortion. Credit: Madison Walker for The Texas Tribune

LUBBOCK  About 125 miles of empty roads, forgotten small towns and cattle ranches separate Lubbock from its northern counterpart, Amarillo. The two biggest cities in the Texas High Plains share some similarities  theyre both majority conservative, reside in the far flung parts of the state, and share a focus on reviving their downtown areas.

But they now have one striking difference: Lubbock County officials approved a legally dubious ban on people driving through their jurisdiction on the way out of the state to get an abortion. Amarillo city leaders did not  at least for now.

The fault line was exposed this week. On Monday, Lubbock County officials rushed to approve the ordinance, being pushed by the same organizers behind the sanctuary city movement that predated the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. But on Tuesday, the Amarillo City Council took a deep breath and said they would not follow other local governing bodies in approving the ban.

We know what Lubbock County did, we know what Odessa did, said Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley. Im not satisfied to come in and vote on something just because Ive seen somebody else do it.

The so-called travel ban takes the sanctuary ordinances a step further by outlawing the act of transporting a pregnant person on county roads for an abortion outside the state. It would be enforced through private lawsuits filed against the people who aid and abet abortions, not the pregnant woman. Experts say its an effort to further restrict abortion access in Texas.

This is an effort, one by one by one, to create a statewide ban against travel to other states, literally creating a reproductive prison in the state of Texas, Wendy Davis, a former state senator who is now a senior adviser at Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, previously told The Texas Tribune.

So far, four counties  Lubbock, Cochran, Mitchell and Goliad  have passed the travel bans. Odessa, with a population of nearly 117,000, and Little-River Academy, a small town of 2,200, have also passed similar policies.

The setback in Amarillo, the biggest city in the Texas Panhandle with 203,000 residents, stops the ordinance from reaching Interstates 40 and 27 in the city. Its a blow to the anti-abortion movement that has largely gotten its way with the states conservative policy makers.

Lindsay London, co-founder of the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, said she is grateful the council is taking its time to review the ordinance, and that they are talking with residents about the issue.

We want to make sure we maintain a seat at the table and that ideology doesnt get in the way of good governance, London said. Ultimately, if it had to come to it, we would prefer a city-wide vote instead of a council vote.

In an email to the Tribune, Mark Lee Dickson, director with Right to Life East Texas, said lawmakers from Texas and New Mexico have sent letters to Amarillos leaders in support of the issue. Dickson said there have been mischaracterizations of the ordinance by the council they need to address.

Then they will recognize the value of considering and voting on the proposed abortion trafficking ordinance in its current form or with slight modifications, he said.

In Lubbock on Monday, three county commissioners approved the ordinance after receiving it from Dicksons group less than a week before the vote. When Commissioner Gilbert Flores and Judge Curtis Parrish asked for more time to review it or make potential amendments, Commissioner Jason Corley pushed the issue to a vote and said amendments could be made later.

The next day in Amarillo, members of the city council didnt reject the sentiment of the ordinance, but largely agreed they needed more time to review it after receiving the document a week ago.

Substance is more important than symbolism, Stanley said.

I dont care to put forward a resolution thats just symbolic and makes us feel good, he said.

Council member Tom Scherlen said he could not support the ordinance as it was presented. His main concern came with the enforcement, and how he did not like the idea of turning neighbor against neighbor.

I dont believe in that at all. That takes me back to World War II and what the Nazis did, Scherlen said, referencing how Nazis enforced laws that punished anyone who provided refuge to Jewish people and encouraged neighbors to turn each other in for violating those laws.

The council heard from residents  some of whom were worried the ordinance was meant to divide the community  and outsiders from New Mexico and other areas of Texas. One Amarillo resident, Keely Wilson, expressed concern that the ordinance would scare people away from the city.

It cannot be overstated how vital interstate commerce is for the Amarillo economy, Wilson said. If people believe they can be targeted, harassed, investigated or sued by Amarillo residents, they will be much less likely to drive through or stop here.

Logan Brown, a New Mexico resident who traveled to Amarillo to encourage the council to adopt the ban, argued that abortion is never medically necessary, a falsehood reproductive health physicians have contradicted. Brown pushed the council to pass the ordinance that night.

Dont kick it down the road, dont give it to a public vote, Brown said. The citizens of Amarillo elected you to represent them and to protect those citizens.

The discussion between the council members was another difference from the meeting in Lubbock, where tempers flared among commissioners debating the ordinance before a rushed vote that left some in the audience feeling misled.

I was there yesterday, and they told us they werent going to vote on it and just when we left the room, they changed their minds, said Charlotte Dunham, a Lubbock resident who opposes the ordinance. The contrast between the way youre treating your citizens and the way we were treated is huge.

As the seven-hour meeting  which included another lively discussion topic that drew residents to city hall, the citys animal shelter  came to a close, the mayor promised more thoughtful debate.

Youll see this on the rolling agenda, this is not going to surprise anyone, Stanley said. Were going to continue to walk this out. We got all the way out here, were not going to turn around and go back.

Disclosure: Planned Parenthood has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
If you read the news that Republicans have selected Rep. Mike Johnson to be the next speaker of the House, second in line to the presidency, and thought to yourself, Who is Mike Johnson, youre not alone.

The deeply conservative Louisiana Republican seems to have benefited from his low national profile and relative anonymity outside of the Capitol Building.

Even Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican, noted she would need to Google the guy to learn more. Good luck to her. A name as common as Mike Johnson is not exactly Google-friendly.

He also appears to have benefitted from being one of former President Donald Trump s closest allies in Congress. He was among the Republicans chosen to serve on Trumps House legal team during impeachment proceedings.

House Judiciary Committee member, Rep. Mike Johnson, votes against the first of two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump during the final moments of a hearing in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill, on December 13, 2019. - Chip Somodevilla/Pool/AP

Watching videos of Johnsons interviews and appearances at congressional hearings suggests he is not a fire-breathing partisan in the mold of House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio or Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. Johnson presents as even-keeled and thoughtful. But the record suggests he is no less partisan, particularly on issues of importance to Trump, like the 2020 election and Republicans effort to impeach President Joe Biden .

How conservative is he? CNNs KFile reports he once wrote in support of the criminalization of gay sex and said same-sex marriage was a danger to democracy.

Trumps support is telling; Johnson played a role after the 2020 election

On a host of issues, Johnson is an extremely conservative figure. But it may be most important to track his view of US democracy.

Johnson didnt just join efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election  he orchestrated some of them, organizing fellow lawmakers to file a brief joining Texas and other red states that questioned the results in swing states won by Biden.

He was not among those outright alleging election fraud or conspiracy. In a December 2020 interview with the New Yorker  after the casting of electoral votes in state capitals but before their counting on January 6, 2021  he was talking about a desire to see the Supreme Court weigh in on the so-called independent state legislature theory in order to guide future elections. He also said in that interview that he was not prone to conspiracy theories.

But then, on January 6, Johnson was the first signatory on a statement explaining that he, along with 36 other House Republicans, would vote to sustain objections to the electors from key states Biden won because they felt the votes were made unconstitutional by accommodations officials made to voters during the pandemic.

On the morning of January 6, Johnson encouraged supporters, saying on social meda, We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic! It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.

He again voted to reject Electoral College votes in the hours after the insurrection.

In this screenshot taken from a Congress.gov webcast, Rep. Mike Johnson speaks during a debate session to ratify the 2020 presidential election on January 6, 2021. - Getty Images

Most Republicans on Capitol Hill are tired of talking about this, Johnson included

He declined to answer a question Tuesday night about his role in objecting to the 2020 results. The assembled lawmakers standing behind him booed the reporter who asked it.

There will be more immediate issues for Johnson to deal with as speaker, like figuring out how to work with Senate Democrats and Biden to fund the government by the time current funding runs out November 17.

The 2020 election remains a key issue, however, since Trump is the front-runner for the GOP nomination in 2024. Trump has made pretty clear that winning the White House back is a key part of his criminal defense strategy as he faces state and federal charges for trying to overthrow the election.

Its also important since Jordan of Ohio, Trumps first pick for speaker, failed in his own bid because he could not win the support of key 2020 election believers in the GOP and Republican moderates.

Why is Johnsons election denialism different?

Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, a conservative, opposed Jordan specifically because the Ohio Republican had been unwilling to publicly acknowledge the 2020 results.

When CNNs Abby Phillip asked Buck why he opposed Jordan for election denialism but is an enthusiastic supporter of Johnson, Buck noted that Jordan was actively in contact with the White House on January 6, which he cited as election denialism in their highest degree.

PHILLIP: So, you think its OK for (Johnson) or any other speaker candidate to have voted to decertify the last election, which was free and fairly won by Joe Biden?

BUCK: I dont think its OK, Abby. I think its a mistake. But I think people make mistakes and still can be really good speakers. Were at a point now where we need to move forward and make sure the government stays open, that we fund Israel, we fund Ukraine, we fund the border efforts, and thats going to take a human being in that speaker position, not a perfect human being, but a Mike Johnson who has done his very best to move issues forward and is a really good person.

Bucks answer to Phillips pushback suggests that theres also an element of just plain needing to solve this and get a speaker installed.

Reps. Jim Jordan, right, and Mike Johnson speak with reporters in the Senate subway after the first day of the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 9, 2021. - Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images

Johnson and Jordan are often in the same space

Bucks distinction between Jordan and Johnson on election denialism is a valid one. But that does not mean that Johnson isnt coming from a similar point of view as Jordan. They work on many of the same issues.

Biden impeachment. Before the speakers race, Johnson, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, was featured in CNN stories about the effort to impeach Biden.

Weaponization of government. He has also featured prominently in efforts to argue that Democrats have tried to weaponize the government against conservatives. Johnson, along with Jordan, sits on a special committee empaneled to investigate the issue and has posted multiple clips about the role to his feed on X.

An anti-abortion rights activist

On other issues, Johnson may be to the right of Trump and far to the right of much of the country. While Trump has said he would try to bring about some kind of compromise on the issue of abortion, Johnson is a committed opponent of abortion rights and introduced a bill that would define life as beginning at conception, which could be a step on the path to a nationwide ban on abortions. He introduced a bill to criminalize the leaking of Supreme Court draft decisions after the draft of Justice Samuel Alitos opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked last year.

The Louisiana Republican, who has gotten the highest rating from anti-abortion groups, also introduced a resolution condemning what was described as attacks and intimidation on abortion opponents after the decision and posted video of his aggressive questioning of abortion rights activists at House hearings.

The personal politics of a speaker are important, and the last three weeks without one have shown the wide array of views just within the GOP. But the speakers larger role is to lead the House so that it can pass legislation and keep the government running. Johnsons capabilities on that front remain completely unknown.

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Three lawyers who were charged in the Georgia racketeering case against Donald Trump , which stems from his efforts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to testify for the prosecution. Meanwhile, ABC News reports that Mark Meadows, Trump's chief of staff during the last two years of his administration, has been cooperating with Special Counsel Jack Smith in the federal case that charges Trump with three conspiracy counts based on much of the same conduct described in the Georgia indictment.

These former Trump insiders could provide evidence that would illuminate the former president's knowledge and intent, which are crucial to proving the state and federal charges that accuse him of illegally interfering in the election. Smith and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis argue that Trump knew he had lost the election but nevertheless attempted to overturn Joe Biden's victory through means he knew were illegal. Trump's lawyers say he sincerely believed (and still believes) that he was a victim of massive election fraud and, based on the legal advice he received, that the remedies he pursued were legitimate.

What does Meadows have to say that might shed light on those conflicting claims? He facilitated much of the conduct described in both indictments, which was based on election fraud allegations he now says he recognized as baseless by mid-December 2020. Meadows is not charged in the federal case but is one of Trump's 17 co-defendants in the Georgia indictment. He was granted immunity to testify before the grand jury in the federal case, and he also sat for interviews with Smith's investigators.

Trump certainly seems worried about what Meadows might say on the stand. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump noted that the threat of imprisonment in Georgia had put Meadows under a lot of pressure to plead guilty and cooperate with the prosecution. "Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation," Trump wrote. "I don't think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows?"

One reason for Trump's concern is that Meadows reportedly has repudiated the former president's claim that Biden stole the election. In his 2021 memoir The Chief's Chief, Meadows was still embracing the gist of Trump's stolen-election fantasy. "I was well aware that this sounded like a conspiracy theory," he wrote. "In a sense, that was all part of the Democrats' game. The people who rigged this election knew that eventually, these irregularities would come to light.They conducted the operation, then attacked anyone who dared ask questions about what they had done." He complained that Biden's "allies in the liberal media" ignored "actual evidence of fraud, right there in plain sight for anyone to access and analyze," and he noted that Trump had charged Rudy Giuliani, among others, with "tell[ing] the country" about "the fraud" and "the dirty tricks" that supposedly had "rigged" the election.

But according to ABC News, which cites "sources familiar with the matter," Meadows was singing a different tune when he was interviewed by federal prosecutors. He reportedly said Trump was "dishonest" in claiming victory before the votes had been counted on election night, even while complaining about "a major fraud" aimed at concealing that result. "Obviously we didn't win," Meadows reportedly told Smith's team, saying he had never seen any evidence of fraud on a scale that would have changed the outcome. In "mid-to-late November," former Trump campaign lawyer Alex Cannon has said, he told Meadows that "we weren't finding anything that would be sufficient to change the results in any of the key states." According to ABC's sources, Meadows said he shared that conclusion with Trump by mid-December, informing him that "Giuliani hadn't produced any evidence to back up the many allegations he was making."

Several other advisers, including thenAttorney General Bill Barr, privately delivered the same assessment to Trump around the same time. Did Trump take it to heart? After the Supreme Court turned away his final election challenge on December 11, 2020, Meadows reportedly told investigators, Trump said something to the effect of "then that's the end" or "so that's it."

Was Trump admitting that Biden had won the election, or merely that the Trump campaign's litigation had failed? "While speaking with investigators, Meadows was specifically asked if Trump ever acknowledged to him that he'd lost the election," ABC News says. "Meadows told investigators he never heard Trump say that, according to sources." And according to Barr, Trump continued to privately insist that systematic fraud had denied him his rightful victory.

Whatever misgivings Meadows may have had about Trump's attempts to validate that contention, they did not stop him from setting up the notorious telephone call in which Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" the votes he needed to claim that state's electoral votes. Trump raised one unsubstantiated fraud claim after another and seemed utterly unfazed by Raffensperger's rebuttals. That conversation happened on January 2, 2021, four days before Trump supporters who believed his phony grievance rioted at the U.S. Capitol.

Meadows, who reportedly told Smith's team that he considered resigning as chief of staff but decided to stay on to ensure a peaceful transition, has publicly said that he was trying to resolve Trump's complaints about the election in Georgia and that his role in the call was limited to introducing the participants, which is consistent with the transcript. The Georgia indictment nevertheless alleges that Meadows solicited Raffensperger to violate his oath of office, a felony punishable by one to three years in prison. He also faces a racketeering count, punishable by five to 20 years in prison, for allegedly participating in an "enterprise" aimed at illegally keeping Trump in power.

In addition to the phone call with Raffensperger, the indictment cites several other "overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy" that involved Meadows. They include communications and meetings with state legislators and election officials whom Trump was trying to enlist in his cause and Meadows' attempt to observe a "signature match audit" in Cobb County, Georgia, on December 22, 2020. Some of this conduct happened after Meadows, per ABC's sources, had concluded that Trump's fraud claims were unfounded. But unless Meadows rejects Trump's warning and decides to plead guilty in Georgia, he surely will argue that he was merely doing his job by trying to allay his boss's concerns.

Whether those concerns were sincere is another matter. The evidence on that question is mixed, but it is largely consistent with the hypothesis that Trump was convinced he had won the election, stubbornly discounted all the evidence to the contrary, and listened only to advisers who told him what he wanted to hear. Judging from the ABC News report, Meadows' testimony would underline the unreasonableness of Trump's avowed belief that the election was stolen, although it would not provide direct evidence that Trump was deliberately perpetrating a scam.

What about Sidney Powell, one of the Georgia defendants who has agreed to testify for the prosecution? Powell, a lawyer who was initially identified as a member of the Trump campaign's "elite strike force team," assiduously promoted an elaborate conspiracy theory that claimed Biden had stolen the election through a combination of deliberately corrupted voting machines and phony ballot dumps. Even after the campaign officially separated itself from her, she still had the president's ear, and he and Giuliani continued to tell essentially the same story.

Powell has gone back and forth about the veracity of that story, which she pushed in numerous TV appearances and post-election lawsuits. Although she promised to "release the Kraken" of evidence that would prove her claims, that beast never materialized. And in defending her against the resulting defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems, her lawyers argued that "no reasonable person would conclude that the statements were truly statements of fact," noting that the company itself had described her claims as "wild" and "outlandish." Powell subsequently backtracked from that apparent admission, promising to "expose what really happened."

Then Powell backtracked from her backtracking. Fighting professional sanctions based on Powell's frivolous litigation in Michigan, her lawyers said she was merely echoing her clients' concerns. "Millions of Americans believe the central contentions of the complaint to be true," the lawyers said on her behalf, "and perhaps they are." Or perhaps not.

Powell still (or again) seems to lean toward the former assessment. Her account on X (formerly Twitter) includes a pinned post showing a graph that is meant to support claims of fraud in Fulton County, and on Sunday she shared an X post about a survey finding that "almost half of Democrat voters say that it is very likely or somewhat likely that cheating affected the outcome of the 2020 election."

In the Georgia case, Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of intentionally interfering with public officials' election duties. Those charges stemmed from her arrangement with SullivanStrickler, a forensic data firm that copied election software and ballot records at the Board of Elections and Registration Office in Coffee County, Georgia, the day after the Capitol riot. That was part of Powell's fruitless efforts to show that tricky election software had switched Trump votes to Biden votes.

Under her plea agreement, Powell will avoid prison and a criminal record if she successfully completes six years of probation and testifies truthfully in the upcoming racketeering trials of Trump and the other defendants. Powell's history of peddling "wild" and "outlandish" fraud claims could be a problem for prosecutors trying to present her as a credible witness. Her on-again, off-again status as a true believer also could complicate the government's case. More to the point, while Powell can confirm some of the "overt acts" described in the indictment and may be able to shed light on Trump's motivation in pushing the stolen-election narrative, it is not clear that she has any knowledge of whether Trump actually believed that narrative.

Jenna Ellis, a former Trump campaign lawyer who pleaded guilty in Georgia this week, appeared alongside Powell and Giuliani at the bizarre November 19, 2020, press conference where they laid out their election conspiracy theory. Like Meadows, Ellis was charged with both racketeering and soliciting the violation of a public officer's oathin her case, based on her participation in a hearing aimed at persuading Georgia legislators to recognize Trump's electors instead of Biden's. Also like Meadows, Ellis figures in several "overt acts" listed in the indictment, including that crazy press conference, meetings and phone calls aimed at persuading state legislators to recognize Trump's "alternate" electors, and memorandums arguing that Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to block or delay congressional ratification of Biden's victory.

Ellis pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, referring to baseless election fraud claims during a Georgia Senate hearing in which she participated. Like Powell, she won't go to jail as long as she testifies truthfully for the prosecution. "As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously and I endeavor to be a person of sound moral and ethical character in all of my dealings," a tearful Ellis said upon entering her guilty plea on Tuesday. But when she participated in Trump's efforts to remain in office, she said, "I failed to do my due diligence.I relied on others, including lawyers with many more years of experience than I, to provide me with true and reliable information.What I did not do, but should have done, your honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were, in fact, true."

This was not Ellis' first admission that she erred by promoting Trump's fraud claims. Last March, in response to a professional complaint against her in Colorado, Ellis admitted that she had made 10 "misrepresentations" while "serving as counsel for the Trump campaign and personal counsel to President Trump." But she insisted those were honest mistakes and complained that "the politically-motivated Left" was "trying to falsely discredit me by saying I admitted I lied." Not so, she said: "I would NEVER lie. Lying requires INTENTIONALLY making a false statement."

Trump, who was told over and over again that his claims had not panned out and reportedly laughed at some elements of Powell's conspiracy theory, may have a harder time asserting that defense. But if we accept Ellis' assertion that she had no reason to doubt the president's claims, it seems unlikely that she ever heard him express reservations about them.

Ellis' testimony could, however, undermine Trump's defense that he reasonably relied on his lawyers' advice in pursuing the "alternate" electors scheme and pressuring Pence to intervene in the electoral vote count on January 6, 2021. As she describes it, any lawyer who performed "due diligence" would have recognized that such remedies had no empirical basis. The implication is that the "lawyers with many more years of experience" on whom she relied, presumably including Giuliani and John Eastman (another Georgia racketeering defendant), pressed fraud allegations they should have known had no merit.

"There is no question that a swarm of MAGA lawyers surrounded Trump at each step of the process," New York Times columnist David French writes, "but if the lawyers themselves have admitted to engaging in criminal conduct, then that weakens his legal defense. This was no normal legal team, and their conduct was far outside the bounds of normal legal representation."

The remaining lawyer defendants surely will contest that characterization. Kenneth Chesebro, the third lawyer who has agreed to testify in the Georgia trials, originally faced a racketeering charge and six additional felony counts related to the "alternate" electors plan. Like Ellis, he wrote legal memos in support of that scheme. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to file false documents, which prosecutors said was based on his creation and distribution of "false Electoral College documents" to Trump allies in Georgia. But after his guilty plea, CNBC reported, his lawyer "said it was inaccurate to describe Chesebro as the architect of a plan to subvert democracy."

That statement can be interpreted in a couple of ways: as casting blame on other strategists, such as Giuliani and Eastman, or as denying that there was anything improper about presenting "contingent" electors in case Trump's Georgia election lawsuit proved successful. Giuliani and Eastman are bound to raise the latter argument in support of their contention that their advice to Trump was not "far outside the bounds of normal legal representation." But Chesebro's guilty plea, which on its face concedes that promoting the "alternate" electors was illegal, will make that harder.

The post Why Is Trump Worried About What Mark Meadows Might Say in the Election Interference Cases? appeared first on Reason.com.
A 35-year-old Wichita man could face life in prison after he pleaded guilty to giving another man a pill containing fentanyl that caused his death in 2019.

Tyler Ralls pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of distribution of a controlled substance which resulted in death, a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for District of Kansas said.

The man who died was 35-year-old Michael Marsalla. Ralls and Marsalla worked at Evergreen Pallet in Park City, according to the release.

Ralls gave Marsalla an M30 pill that contained fentanyl while the two were working July 31, 2019, court documents show.

Ralls admits that he knew the pill contained fentanyl and knew that Marsalla didnt have a tolerance for fentanyl, the release said.

Marsalla did not go to work the next day and could not be reached by phone. Ralls drove to Marsallas home in Valley Center and found him unresponsive on his couch, according to court documents.

After calling 911, Ralls called his source for fentanyl pills to ask whether anyone had ever died after taking them, the release said.

Emergency responders pronounced Marsalla dead at his home. An autopsy showed that he died from fentanyl toxicity.

Michael Marsalla accepted a pill from someone he thought he could trust, U.S. Attorney for Kansas Kate E. Brubacher said. Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced, and it cost Mr. Marsalla his life.

Ralls is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to the release.
The wife of the Washington County judge who died after being shot in his driveway said Wednesday that she and her family are "touched" by the condolences they have received.

Stephanie Wilkinson made the statement through the Maryland Judiciary almost a week after her husband, Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, was killed at the family home north of Hagerstown.

My family and I are touched by the overwhelming response from family, friends, co-workers, local and state politicians, and Governor Moore," she said in the statement. "We are grateful for their prayers, thoughts, and love during this tragic time.

Washington County Circuit Court Clerk Kevin Tucker, right, swears in Andrew F. Wilkinson as a circuit court judge on Jan. 10, 2020, as Wilkinsons wife, Stephanie, watches.

"This is such an unexpected loss to us, and words do not exist to describe the amazing person Drew was.

"Our family would especially like to thank local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for their immediate and continued response to this tragedy. Drew would be very grateful for all of your efforts for both us and the community.

Pedro Argote is the suspect in Wilkinson's murder

Authorities are looking for Pedro Manuel Argote, 49, who Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said targeted Wilkinson after the judge ruled against Argote in a divorce proceeding hours before the judge was gunned down.

In his court order, Wilkinson ruled that Argote wasn't fit to have custody of his four younger children, ages 12, 11, 5 and 3.

A recording of the hearing has Wilkinson using strong words about Argote's behavior.

"The manner in which Mr. Argote has isolated these children and mom over the past two years, I think that has gone on throughout the marriage, and it's shocking," the judge said on the recording. "I think he is abusive in multiple ways."

Argote's vehicle, a Mercedes SUV, was found Saturday morning at a vacant tannery property off Bottom Road near Williamsport. There was no sign of him in the area, the Washington County Sheriff's Office reported.

The U.S. Marshal's Service, which is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Argote's arrest, said he has ties to other states, including New York and Florida.

Funeral services set for Wilkinson

Services for Judge Andrew "Drew" Wilkinson will be Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church, 1525 Oak Hill Ave. in Hagerstown, according to his obituary. The Rev. Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe will officiate.

The family will receive friends Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Douglas A. Fiery Funeral Home, 1331 Eastern Blvd. North in Hagerstown, according to the obituary.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Wife of slain Judge Wilkinson 'grateful' for support
The parish council recommended the proposal be refused following a meeting with residents

Proposed onshore electrical work for a floating wind farm off north Devon would "decimate huge sections of the coastline", an MP has said.

Selaine Saxby , the MP for North Devon, said the entire White Cross Offshore Wind project should be decided at a "national level" instead of by local authorities.

Braunton parish councillors recommended the proposal be refused on Tuesday due to the potential for underground cable work to disturb the environment.

Flotation Energy, the company behind the plans, said it continued to work with residents to address their concerns.

According to plans submitted to North Devon Council, underground cables would need to be installed from Saunton Sands car park to a new substation at East Yelland.

The substation would then connect up to eight floating turbines, located in the Celtic Sea, to the national distribution network.

Saunton Sands is one of the South West's most popular beaches and is near to one of the largest sand dune systems in Britain.

Residents at a public meeting in nearby Braunton on Tuesday said they were concerned about the potential impact on the environment and increased traffic from lorries.

The parish council recommended the proposal be refused, citing potential damage to the environment and tourism.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms Saxby accused those behind the project of "taking advantage of the planning system", which, if approved, "would decimate huge sections of the coastline".

She said the entire project - onshore and offshore elements - should be considered altogether as a "national infrastructure project".

This would allow for "proper strategic planning" and ensure communities are "recompensed appropriately for hosting infrastructure", she added.

Flotation Energy said: "We are currently reviewing the comments made by MP Selaine Saxby and are eager to continue to work with the public and local authorities to understand and aim to address, the concerns that have been raised."

The council is to decide on the application at a later date.

A spokesman said: The district council is generally supportive of development that provides more sustainable energy for the future and is excited about the economic prospects that floating offshore wind could bring to the northern Devon area.

"However, alongside these benefits, impacts on the community have to be adequately recognised and weighed."

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.
GERMANTOWN, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating an officer-involved critical incident in the Village of Germantown that occurred on the evening of Monday, Oct. 23.

Scanner: "Shots fired. The subject appears to be down."

"Thats when we heard the gunshots. There was probably about 5," said Kerry Horrigan.

Danger and chaos above led to fear and children hiding below.

"So we all went and we hid behind the curtain on the stage," Horrigan said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is piecing together a police shootout that happened on the roof of Kennedy Middle School in Germantown. The Monday night gunfire caused panic.

Kennedy Middle School, Germantown

"There were all sorts of things going through my mind," Horrigan said.

Officials say at around 6:30 p.m. Monday, officers with Germantown Police Department responded to a report of a subject acting erratically in the parking lot of Kennedy Middle School. The male subject, with no known relationship to the community or school, was driving a vehicle with out-of-state plates that broke down and was at a nearby car repair business. A news release says the subject was acting erratically at the car repair business and departed there on foot.

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"Our officers responded to the scene and immediately saw this individual gain access to the roof of Kennedy Middle School. Our officers were able to pursue once on the roof shots were fired at officers. The shots were exchanged," said Germantown Police Chief Mike Snow.

Police say the man died at the scene.

Germantown Schools Superintendent Chris Reuter said around 70 students and 20 adults were in the building for events during the rooftop shootout.

"All of a sudden this janitor come running like really scared... He told us some guy was on the roof like shooting and half of us didnt hear it. We started running in the back," Inga said.

Kennedy Middle School, Germantown

The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave, per agency policy.

DCI is leading the investigation and is assisted by Washington County Sheriffs Office, Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, the Wisconsin State Patrol, a DCI Crime Response Specialist, and members of the DCI Digital Evidence Unit. All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

DCI will review all evidence and determine the facts of the incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Washington County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.
A police chase through three counties that started in Bloomington ended on the southside of Indianapolis Tuesday afternoon with the arrest of an Ohio woman suspected of defrauding several banks.

Monroe County Sheriff's deputies that pursued the fleeing suspect's SUV from Vernal Pike and then north on I-69 stopped their chase before reaching the Monroe-Morgan county line because of safety concerns.

"The suspect's driving behavior continued to escalate as the vehicle was swerving from shoulder to shoulder, and in-between vehicles with very little room for error while traveling approximately 120 miles per hour," a news release from deputy Jeff Brown said. "Given that information, the on-duty supervisor terminated the pursuit."

After the white 2023 Chevrolet Equinox entered Morgan County, sheriff's deputies there restarted the pursuit near Liberty Church Road. It continued at high speeds, Brown said, until a Bargersville police officer positioned their car in a way to stop the fleeing SUV at the intersection of I-69 and I-465.

The incident started about 3:50 p.m. when police were notified by an employee of Crane Federal Credit Union on Jonathan Drive that a customer was using false documents to withdraw cash.

"It was later determined that the same female presented the same false identification card at two other Crane Credit Union locations (Plainfield and Franklin) for a total of $25,000 over the course of the afternoon," the news release said.

While searching the SUV, officers found $3,944 in cash and false identification cards. The woman was booked into the Morgan County Jail on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, reckless driving, identity deception and leaving the scene of an accident.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Morgan, Johnson county police chase Ohio woman to Indy
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Two women have filed a lawsuit against the City of Memphis alleging abuse of power by Memphis Police officers during an encounter in 2021.

One of the plaintiffs, Kadeja Townes, first shared her story with us back in February following the death of Tyre Nichols.

Woman says she tried to warn MPD about officer now charged with Tyre Nichols death

Townes said she and her aunt, Patrina Finley, were at the Walgreens on Knight Arnold on February 21, 2021 when Memphis Police got a false shooting call.

As the women were getting ready to leave, two male officers reportedly approached the car and asked if the women heard any gunfire. When they said no, the officers said they could leave.

When the women began to leave the parking lot, they were pulled over by a female officer, identified as Alexis Brown, and her male partner.

The lawsuit states that Officer Brown asked for Townes ID because the women were laughing. When Townes tried to explain that she already spoke to another officer, Brown ignored her and allegedly said, Yall over here laughing. I need to see your ID. As a matter of fact, get out of the car.

Thats when Brown allegedly reached into the vehicle, unlocked the car, and opened the door.

Patrina Finley recorded the incident and shared it with WREG. Townes said her shoulder was dislocated when two male officers grabbed one of her arms to handcuff her.

Townes told us the officer that handcuffed her was Demetrius Haley, one of the former Memphis Police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols. Haley was written up for not alerting supervisors to the use of force. However, he is not named in the lawsuit.

Five former Memphis officers federally indicted in Tyre Nichols case

Townes said she was taken to the emergency room and then jail before she was released without any charges.

The lawsuit states Finely was also handcuffed and placed in the back of the squad car but was later released. It also says when Finley began following the squad car, she was stopped again, arrested, and taken to jail.

The women said the officers never told them why they were stopped.

Officer Alexis Brown resigned before her disciplinary hearing, which eventually determined that she violated MPDs use of force policy.

We asked MPD for the body cam footage from this incident and were told it would cost more than $400.

Finley and Townes are asking for compensatory damages of $500,000 each for damages such as physical injuries, humiliation, embarrassment, emotional distress, and mental anguish.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Yerevan sees no advantage in the continued presence of Russian military bases in Armenia, as Moscow failed to live up to its commitment as an ally, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Oct. 25.

Armenia's rival Azerbaijan launched a military offensive last month against the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, achieving full military victory after a day of hostilities.

Moscow failed to dissuade or stop Baku's advance even though Russian "peacekeepers" have been present in the region since the last Karabakh war in 2020. Russia is also Armenia's formal ally, as both countries are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) military pact.

The military cooperation between the two nations includes Russian army garrisons in two locations on Armenian territory, as well as an airbase, Reuters said.

"These events have essentially brought us to a decision that we need to diversify our relationships in the security sphere, and we are trying to do that now," Pashinyan said in the interview.

Read also: France agrees to provide military equipment to Armenia

Armenia has been increasingly looking further west for new allies. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said earlier this week that France agreed to strengthen the Caucasian country's air defense capabilities.

Pashinyan's steps sparked have ire in Russia. An unnamed Russian official told the state news agency TASS that the Armenian leadership is "trying to turn Armenia into Ukraine No. 3... and Pashinyan is taking leaps and bounds along the path of Volodymyr Zelensky."

In his speech in the European Parliament on Oct. 17, the Armenian head of government noted that not only did Yerevan's allies decline to fulfill their security obligations, but they also attempted to "subvert Armenia's democracy and sovereignty." He stopped short of naming a specific country, however.

Yerevan may need more reliable partners soon. Western leadership is reportedly growing worried that Azerbaijan may not satisfy itself with Karabakh and might try to conquer parts of Armenia in the coming months to create a land bridge with Turkey, the Journal said.

Read also: Russias peacekeeper act crumbles as Azerbaijan overwhelms Nagorno-Karabakh

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
[Source]

Physicist Xue Qikun has become the first Chinese scientist to receive the U.S. prestigious Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize since its inception 70 years ago.

The prestigious award: Xue and Harvard Universitys Ashvin Vishwanath was jointly awarded a $20,000 cash prize on Tuesday for their groundbreaking work in the field of topological insulators.

Xue, who is a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, has been at the forefront of topological insulator research for over a decade and has previously received numerous accolades for his work. The Oliver E. Buckley award is considered as the highest international honor in the field of condensed matter physics.

Xue and Vishwanath were recognized for their groundbreaking theoretical and experimental studies on the collective electronic properties of materials that reflect topological aspects of their band structure, according to the American Physical Society.

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About topological insulators: The topological insulators exhibit unique quantum properties, with their interiors insulating while their surfaces conduct electricity without heat loss, making them ideal for efficient electronics of the future.

About Xue: Xue, who came from a rural family in Shandong province and faced various challenges in his scientific career, now serves as the vice-president of the Chinese Physical Society. His work in the field of topological insulators has made him a prominent figure in the world of condensed matter physics.

My number one mission now is to help China train the most competitive talent, so they can use science to build the country into a powerhouse, Xue reportedly said in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV.

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Yemens Iran-backed Houthi army is emerging as a unique threat to Israeli and American interests  despite being nearly 1,400 miles away from the Israel-Hamas war  as Tehran rallies its allies behind a broader Middle East conflict.

The Houthis surprised the Pentagon last Thursday by launching a string of attack drones and long-range cruise missiles from Yemen that U.S. defense officials say were destined for Israel but intercepted by the USS Carney, an American guided missile destroyer, over the Red Sea. The Houthis have threatened in the past to strike Israel in support of Tehran and its Mideast allies, including Hamas in the Palestinian territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon. But this is the first time they have acted and displayed this long-range capability, said U.S. and Mideast officials who track the Houthis and their military alliance with Iran.

Lets be clear that Iran has been increasing the sophistication and lethality of equipment that its been providing to the Houthis for years, said a senior U.S. defense official. We see demonstrated a pattern of continuing to aid the Houthis, and the Houthis just presented to us some of their capabilities that pose a threat to the region.

The Houthis now have perhaps the most sophisticated arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones among Irans regional allies and proxies, known as the Axis of Resistance, according to Middle East analysts. But the militias geographical position makes it a particular threat to global commerce and energy shipments. Yemen sits astride the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait that serves as a choke point for ships entering the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The Houthis also are in range of the Persian Gulf through which as much as 30% of the worlds oil passes.

The Houthis have displayed in recent years a willingness to strike major commercial targets, particularly in its war against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These operations include the 2019 drone attack on Saudi Aramcos Abqaiq oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia; a January 2021 strike on the UAEs Abu Dhabi commercial center; and attacks on commercial ships transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Jays view

Tehran has spent decades building its Axis of Resistance, exploiting internal Mideast conflicts and U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This network includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. But the Houthis are unique in that theyve largely focused on fighting the U.S.s Sunni Arab allies  Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE  and have so far been removed from the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Houthis emerged from southern Yemen as a potent military force in the early 2010s following the toppling of the countrys long-standing dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh. The militias members, who largely adhere to a sect of Shiite Islam, subsequently overthrew Yemens Saudi-backed government in 2014 and gained control over much of the Yemeni militarys hardware, including missiles, tanks and air assets. The Houthis used them to gain control over most of northern Yemen in 2016.

Iran seized on Saudi Arabias and the UAEs entrance into the Yemen civil war as a means to bloody two of Tehrans major regional rivals. Over the past decade, Tehran has smuggled arms to Yemen that have significantly improved the range and precision of the Houthis missile and drone systems, allowing for these strikes into Saudi Arabia and the UAE. During this time, the Houthis capabilities have advanced in some ways even beyond those of Hezbollah, widely seen as Irans most sophisticated proxy force, says Iran analysts.

The Houthi are the only proxy of the Islamic Republic with both land-attack cruise missiles and medium-range ballistic missiles in their possession, courtesy of Tehran, of course, said Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington.

Last month, the Houthis staged a massive military parade in Yemens capital, Sanaa, which highlighted its capabilities. The show of strength included a test run of a restored fighter jet and new Iranian-designed ballistic missiles with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers. The Houthis also displayed advanced anti-ship ballistic missile systems.

The slogan Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews, Victory to Islam was printed on the side of the jet aircraft in a sign of Irans influence.

Room for Disagreement

Biden administration officials are unsure of the Houthis willingness to get further involved in military operations against the U.S. and Israel, given what they could lose inside Yemen. The U.S. has been brokering peace talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia that has included a military ceasefire thats held for more than a year. A final agreement would likely cement most of the Shiite militias territorial gains over the past decade.

U.S. officials said this week that the Gaza conflict could upend Yemens peace process. My worst fear, of course, is that Yemen gets dragged into another war, and [Yemens] war is not over yet, said the Biden administrations special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, on Tuesday at the U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington.

Notable

The Houthis military arsenal now rivals Hezbollahs, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote last month.

The State Department warned last year that the Houthis seizure of merchant vessels threatened international trade.
Donald Trump was fined $10,000 for violating a gag order imposed by the judge presiding over his New York civil fraud trial (SPENCER PLATT)

The judge presiding over Donald Trump's civil fraud trial in New York fined the former US president $10,000 on Wednesday for violating an order not to criticize court staff.

Judge Arthur Engoron imposed the fine -- Trump's second -- after determining that comments he made to reporters during a break in the trial violated a partial gag order issued three weeks ago.

Engoron slapped a limited gag order on Trump on October 3 after he insulted the judge's principal law clerk in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The offending post was deleted from Truth Social but the judge fined Trump $5,000 last week for not promptly removing it from his 2024 presidential campaign website.

The latest fine came after Trump said Engoron is a "very partisan judge with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is."

Trump's attorneys said the former president was referring to witness Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer turned bitter foe, and not to the judge's clerk who sits near him in court.

The judge briefly called Trump to the witness stand to explain himself and the former president repeated that he was referring to Cohen.

After Trump spoke, the judge said "the defendant was not credible" and imposed the fine.

Trump abruptly left the courtroom shortly afterward.

The frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Trump and his two eldest sons are accused of inflating the value of the real estate assets of the Trump Organization to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.

The former president has repeatedly attacked Engoron, calling him a "Trump-hating judge," but the October 3 gag order only ordered a halt to attacks on court staff.

The federal judge set to preside over Trump's March trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election also imposed a partial gag order on the former president but temporarily lifted it to give Trump's legal team time to submit their objections.

arb-cl/des
RICHMOND - Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has tied Virginia Republicans' hopes for winning legislative elections next month in part to the controversial strategy of embracing new limits on abortion access after 15 weeks, transforming his divided state into a national litmus test that is likely to shape the 2024 elections.

If successful, Youngkin's reputation inside the party will probably rise, offering a model for the party's presidential and Senate candidates who have been scrambling for a winning message on abortion after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure last year. If he fails, festering strategic divisions among antiabortion activists and Republican political strategists are set to worsen.

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Virginia's Nov. 7 elections for all 140 seats in the General Assembly are the only major races in the country this year and could signal the national political mood heading into next year's presidential and congressional contests. Youngkin is raising record amounts of money in a push to keep GOP control of the House of Delegates and flip the Democratic-controlled Senate; with consolidated power, he could enact a conservative agenda featuring not only abortion limits, but also permanent tax cuts, looser environmental standards and tighter criminal justice laws.

At the root of Youngkin's abortion strategy is the idea that a 15-week limit on the procedure, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the pregnant person, can be sold to voters as a "reasonable" and "common sense" limit - and not a "ban" on the procedure. "Here's the truth: There is no ban," claims a $1.4 million ad blitz paid for by Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia group promoting the policy.

Democrats have embraced the challenge, flooding millions more dollars onto the airwaves in ads about abortion that describe the same policy as a "ban," hoping to ride a sharp rise in voter enthusiasm for protecting abortion access since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade.

"I hope they keep it up," Democratic Party of Virginia chairwoman Susan Swecker said of the Youngkin ad campaign. "We're the only Southern state that doesn't ban abortion and [protecting access] is something that resonates across the commonwealth in all social, economic and diverse communities."

The Youngkin strategy, which could burnish his national standing as a potential presidential contender if successful, has not been embraced by many of the GOP candidates running in his state. Abortion has been mentioned in 42 percent of the ads aired by Democratic House and Senate candidates in the state through Oct. 17, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact, compared with just 3 percent of Republican candidates.

Youngkin's effort is providing "a road map for how to tackle abortion, not only at the state level, but the federal level as well," Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said.

Republican election strategists, including former president Donald Trump, have been warning that abortion will hurt the party next year unless it is handled differently than it was in 2022, when drastic restrictions on abortion access in red states caused a backlash and powered Democratic gains.

Democrats have regularly over-performed partisan expectations again this year in special elections around the country, winning by an average of 11 points more than the relative partisanship of their districts, according to an analysis of 30 races by FiveThirtyEight.com.

Zack Roday, a spokesman for Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC, said national Republicans were caught flat-footed by Democratic counterattacks on abortion last year. "There was no Republican response, none, and the results were tough in the '22 midterms," Roday said. "Republicans didn't talk about where they were. They didn't swat back the misstatements, the sometimes outright lies."

Youngkin, he said, aims to counter that with his aggressive campaign on 15 weeks. It's not a tactic, he added. "It's just reality. It's a very good counter [to Democratic arguments] that levels the conversation and allows the voter to make an informed choice." Virginia's House Republican caucus also has sponsored a six-figure ad buy that embraces the 15-week limit.

National Republicans are not the only ones watching; Democrats see the coming showdown in Virginia as a clear test of whether Republicans can navigate the politically perilous issue.

"What is fascinating about Virginia is that Youngkin is really going for broke on this strategy," said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who closely tracks this issue. "Virginia is a test case of this. If it is going to work anywhere, it is Virginia."

Youngkin hopes to build on his reputation as a Republican who can solve political Rubik's cubes. He rose to national prominence in 2021 by defeating Democratic former governor Terry McAuliffe in this blue-trending state, demonstrating that it's possible to woo both the MAGA base and suburban moderates.

His "Parents Matter" campaign theme, capitalizing on conservative grievances against school districts in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns, became a common theme among other Republicans in races around the country. But Youngkin has struggled to bestow his Virginia magic on others. He traveled last year to 15 states campaigning for Republican gubernatorial candidates, and only five of them won - four of which were in solid-red states.

Youngkin's political advisers say abortion is not the only issue where Virginia can lead the way for other Republicans. "We will see across a range of different tactics what works the best, and I'm sure it will be copied," Roday said.

Among those tactics is Youngkin's emphasis on early voting, through a bus tour and website he calls "Secure Your Vote." Virginia Republican lawmakers have fought for years against the expansion of early voting, including in this year's legislative session, when they attempted to shorten the 45-day early voting period established by Democrats two years ago.

But Youngkin said Republicans can't afford to leave potential votes on the sidelines and has mounted a summer-long campaign to get his voters to take advantage. Early voting also allows the campaign to measure the effectiveness of his message on the 15-week abortion limit, monitoring key suburban districts to see if GOP voters are motivated to go to the polls.

So far this year, early voting is strongest in the handful of closely competitive House and Senate seats where both parties are spending most of their campaign money, according to analysis by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Democrats hope to keep at least one chamber to block Youngkin's conservative agenda.

Recent polling shows the challenge Virginia Republicans face on abortion. It is not the top issue on voters' minds; the economy, education and crime rate slightly higher, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll this month. But abortion is one of the most intense issues for those who care about it, the poll found, and three-quarters of Virginia voters believe current abortion laws are either about right or too strict. When asked about a 15-week ban, voters were split, with 46 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed. National polls have shown similar results.

"Democrats were terrified of 15 weeks because it initially did poll well and Americans are bad at math and they have no idea how long a pregnancy lasts," Democratic pollster Lake said. But Democrats have two clear advantages, she said: Since 2022, elections have shown that voters react poorly to any effort to "ban" abortion, even at later stages of gestation, explaining why the word is frequently used in Democratic television spots.

Second, Democrats have been able to argue that the efforts to restrict abortion fit into a larger "extremist" argument about the drift of the Republican Party, which has been defined in recent years by intraparty discord in Congress, Trump and efforts to disrupt or delay the transfer of power after the 2020 election.

Democrats have won a number of contests by large margins in which the issue of abortion was central. An August ballot initiative in Ohio, which would have made it more difficult to inscribe abortion rights into the state constitution, failed by 14 points in a state where Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) had won statewide by six points less than a year earlier.

In Wisconsin, liberal candidate Janet Protasiewicz won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by 11 points, outperforming all statewide Democrats' 2022 margins.

And in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) has been leading polls after running three ads against his Republican opponent, Daniel Cameron, for his past support of abortion restrictions that did not include exceptions for rape and incest. In Pennsylvania, two Democratic-leaning groups, Planned Parenthood and Everytown for Gun Safety, have bought ads attacking Republican Supreme Court candidate Carolyn Carluccio for downplaying her past opposition to abortion.

The concern is playing out in the 2024 Republican senate races, as well. Republicans have divided on whether to insist that GOP candidates embrace the 15-week abortion law as a starting point, with some in the antiabortion community arguing that the position is a winner while others say it will only strengthen the Democratic case that the GOP wants to "ban" the procedure.

Kari Lake, who ran for governor of Arizona in 2022 as an abortion opponent, launched her senate campaign this year by stating that she "does not support a federal ban on abortion," according to her campaign website.

David McCormick, who is running for a second time as a Republican for Senate in Pennsylvania, has emphasized his support for the three exceptions, after suggesting during a televised debate in 2022 that he only supported an exception for the life of a pregnant person. He has not yet weighed in on a 15-week federal limit.

Virginia Democrats are hammering the topic of abortion in this year's campaigns, using sinister language to suggest that despite what Youngkin says, Republicans - should they gain full control of the legislature - would seek a total ban on abortion and criminalize women and doctors involved in the procedure.

"Do you really trust anything Republicans say on this?" Swecker said, pointing out that Youngkin - who calls himself "pro-life" and has participated in antiabortion "March for Life" rallies - told a conservative group last year that he would "happily and gleefully" sign "any bill" to "protect life." Democrats also keep a running list of several Republican legislative candidates who have been surreptitiously recorded saying they would support stricter bans on abortion.

Republicans running in suburban swing districts - the handful of races likely to decide control of the General Assembly - are treading extraordinarily carefully around abortion. State Sen. Siobhan S. Dunnavant (R-Henrico), an OB/GYN competing in a blue-leaning district in the Richmond suburbs, has run an ad in which she says, "I don't support an abortion ban, period" - arguing that a 15-week limit is not a ban.

In a nearby Henrico House of Delegates district, Republican candidate Riley Shaia has sent out a campaign mailer stating that she would "oppose any additional restrictions on abortion in Virginia." Our United Voices, a conservative PAC, sent out a Riley mailer claiming that she supports Youngkin's 15-week ban, but Shaia told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that she favors leaving the current law unchanged.

Republicans, in turn, are trying to paint Democrats as "extreme" and favoring abortion up to and beyond birth, a position Swecker dismissed as "crazy."

Geoff Garin, another Democratic pollster, said he is confident that the party's advantages from 2022 remain firmly in place. "Every field experiment on the politics of abortion since the Dobbs decision has shown that the power is almost lopsidedly on the side of reproductive rights supporters," he said. "And everything I have seen indicates that voters don't litigate this around particular details. This is a fundamental value over who you think ought to be making the decisions."

"If the GOP can't win the [Virginia] state Senate with all of Youngkin's money, then their problem isn't about messaging on abortion. Their problem is their stance on abortion," said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson, who has worked on Virginia races this cycle. "Governor Youngkin can't just say, 'These are not the droids you're looking for' and expect voters to ignore what the GOP has said and tried to do on abortion. The force is not with him."

- - -

Laura Vozzella contributed to this report.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) said Tuesday hes pushed hard for people to vote and to make a plan to vote early, responding to a question over former President Trump seemingly discouraging his supporters from voting this week.

I think its a key component to us winning, Youngkin said to Blake Burman on The Hill on NewsNation. Every single vote matters, and its the people that show up and vote that are gonna decide the election. I wanna get em all voting.

Burman asked Youngkin if it was a mistake for Trump to tell his supporters at a rally on Monday that they dont have to vote. While Youngkin did not address Trump directly, the Virginia governor said hes encouraging everyone to vote.

Im going to get everybody out to vote. I dont want to leave a single vote on the sidelines, Youngkin said.

The former president has had mixed messaging on early voting in particular. On Monday, Trump told his supporters at a rally in New Hampshire that they dont have to vote and instead should watch the voters.

So we have to be careful, you gotta get out there and you got to watch those voters, Trump said. You dont have to vote, dont worry about voting. The voting, we got plenty of votes, you gotta watch.

Trump has recently at times encouraged early voting among Republicans, telling a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March to [swamp] the left with votes. But, the former president has also repeatedly denounced mail-in and early voting and sowed doubt about the methods.

Last year, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel made a plea to members of her party to stop discouraging early voting.

Our voters need to vote early, McDaniel told Fox News. I have said this over and over again. There were many in 2020 saying, Dont vote by mail, dont vote early. And we have to stop that and understand that if Democrats are getting ballots in for a month, we cant expect to get it all done in one day.

Youngkins state will take on highly competitive elections this year, with issues like crime and abortion holding prominence in the contests.

Given the fact that the rules are the rules, and theyre the ones that I inherited and we have 45 days to vote in Virginia, Im gonna get everybody out to vote, Youngkin said on The Hill.

And therefore, weve really pushed hard for people to go to secureyourvotevirginia.com, Youngkin continued. Make a plan to vote early.

The Hill show on NewsNation airs Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. EST. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

This story was updated on Oct. 25 at 1:20 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Forum on int'l deep-sea science, technology cooperation opens in China's Hainan

Xinhua) 10:04, October 25, 2023

This photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows the inauguration ceremony of the 2023 Hainan Free Trade Port International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum and Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference, in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.(Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

SANYA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The first edition of a new conference on international deep-sea science and technology cooperation opened on Tuesday in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

The 2023 Hainan Free Trade Port International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum and Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference sees the participation of representatives from about 170 organizations and institutions worldwide.

Themed "Focusing on the Deep Sea for a Shared Future," it aims to serve as a platform for international in-depth exchanges and cooperation on deep-sea science and technology.

During the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Liu Xiaoming, governor of Hainan Province, said that Hainan has made international scientific and technological cooperation a focal point in its mission to globalize its free trade port, and committed to open and innovative policies to facilitate more accessible and convenient scientific collaboration and cultural exchanges.

He said that these efforts were aimed at nurturing a globally competitive innovation environment and attracting top-tier global research institutions and scientific talents, helping create a world-renowned hub for deep-sea scientific and technological innovation in Hainan.

Amr Zakaria Hamouda, vice-president of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and president of the Egyptian National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, said that the forum would serve as a platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing experiences and fostering collaboration among nations.

He added that it was through cooperation and joint efforts that the challenges presented by the deep sea could be overcome and the opportunities it offered could be harnessed.

The three-day forum features multiple parallel sessions covering topics such as deep-sea technology, deep life, blue carbon cooperation, and the utilization and conservation of deep-sea mineral resources.

Peng Xiaotong from the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences delivers a report during the 2023 Hainan Free Trade Port International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum and Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference, in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Amr Zakaria Hamouda, vice-president of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and president of the Egyptian National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, addresses the inauguration ceremony of the 2023 Hainan Free Trade Port International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum and Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference, in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

This photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows the inauguration ceremony of the 2023 Hainan Free Trade Port International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum and Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference, in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
(Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday Ukraine would strike back against Russia this winter and not only be on the defensive if Moscow conducts an air campaign aimed at crippling the national power grid.

Ukraine fears Russia plans to bomb key energy infrastructure to demoralise the population. Millions of Ukrainians faced sweeping power cuts and other outages last winter as Russia attacked power facilities with missiles and drones.

"We're preparing for the terrorists to strike energy infrastructure. This year we will not only defend ourselves, but we will also respond," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia, which has called energy infrastructure a legitimate target, conducted regular long-range strikes using strategic bombers and warships last winter to fire cruise missiles from hundreds of miles away with Ukraine largely unable to respond.

Though it still does not have such long-range armaments at its disposal, Ukraine has since increased its strike capabilities significantly, producing drones and obtaining Western weapons like Storm Shadow cruise missiles and long-range ballistic missiles known as ATACMS.

Ukraine has conducted strikes in recent months on the peninsula of Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It has also used seaborne drones packed with explosives to attack Russian naval vessels.

Russian officials have also accused Ukraine over the last month of attacking an electricity substation and other energy infrastructure, causing power cuts in western Russian regions that border Ukraine.

Last week, Ukraine said it had used U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles for the first time, inflicting heavy damage on two airfields in Russian-occupied areas.

In his statement, Zelenskiy said Russia's actions showed it understood that Ukraine was better equipped to respond to Russian strikes now.

"The enemy understands this well. To start with they removed their fleet from Crimea, now they are relocating their aviation further from our borders."

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Yuliia Dysa; editing by Nick Macfie)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reemphasized the need for UN Security Council reforms on UN Day, which commemorates the UN Charter's entry into force on Oct. 24, 1945.

During President Zelensky's visit to the UN last month, he proposed several reforms to the UN Security Council, including restrictions on the veto powers of its permanent members, arguing that Russia has been abusing its veto rights.

The President suggested the UN General Assembly would be able to overcome the veto with two-thirds of the votes, "which will reflect the will of the nations from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific Ocean region."

Ukraine's head of state posted a short statement on Twitter outlining three of Ukraine's proposed reforms to the UN Security Council, from veto reform, to expanding the number of seats on the UN Security Council, as well as "guarantees of collective security."

The UN has failed to help Ukraine and Russia broker a renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and Ukraine is instead operating a humanitarian corridor to bypass Russia's de facto blockade.

Last month, the UN's top trade chief told Reuters that the corridor is a move in the right direction, but should not replace a larger deal to resume shipping through the Black Sea.

After Russia unilaterally backed out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2023, the shipment of grain through the Black Sea effectively stopped until Ukraine announced the opening of a temporary corridor on Aug. 10.

The corridor was primarily meant to allow passage for ships stuck in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The route is not without risk to those who use it. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that all vessels sailing to Ukrainian ports would be considered "potential carriers of military cargo" and, therefore, legitimate targets.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sept. 23 that renewing the grain deal was not off the table, but rejected recent proposals by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky vows full Ukrainian fire control over Crimea

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
This year, Ukrainians will "not only defend ourselves, but also respond" to Russia's "terrorist attacks" on critical infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 25.

"The enemy knows this very well," he added, noting that Russia has begun to move its navy away from occupied Crimea.

The comments came in anticipation of the likely renewed Russian attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure this upcoming winter.

Russian forces started targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure last fall, plunging the country into widespread blackouts over the winter, causing millions of dollars in damage, and killing civilians.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on Sept. 3 that Ukraine was strengthening its air defense to prepare for Russia's potential mass attacks on critical infrastructure facilities this fall.

Ukraine has indeed struck back at Russian targets within occupied parts of Ukraine, but also in Russia itself.

A Washington Post article published on Oct. 23 claimed that Ukrainian intelligence was linked to the targeted assassinations of high-profile Russian military and pro-war figures.

These attacks allegedly included the killing of Russian Navy officer Stanislav Rzhytskyi in Krasnodar and the bombing of a St. Petersburg cafe that killed Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

The SBU, however, refused to comment on the story, saying that it would only be possible to discuss the allegations after a Ukrainian victory.

Read also: Washington Post: Ukraine conducts high-value assassinations inside Russia

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A type of bacterium never seen before in wild elephants has been found in the bodies of six African Savannah elephants that died in mysterious circumstances in Zimbabwe.

Scientists think it was the cause of a septicaemia, or blood poisoning, that killed the animals in 2020.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

The study might provide more clues about the deaths of 356 elephants in neighbouring Botswana that same year.

That incident drew international headlines, when conservationists discovered the dead elephants in Botswana's Okavango Panhandle. Some of the animals appeared to have collapsed and died suddenly while walking or running.

Researchers who made the discovery were investigating the sudden deaths of 35 elephants - mostly between August and September 2020 in North-Western Zimbabwe.

Dr Chris Foggin, a wildlife veterinarian from the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust explained that the team had to locate the bodies using a helicopter.

Wearing protective clothing, in extreme heat, he and his team carried out post-mortem examinations of 15 elephants. "They're such large animals," said Dr Foggin. "So it's quite a physical operation to get access to the organs we needed to sample."

The researchers managed to confirm that 13 of the elephants had septicaemia when they died. Crucially they found a potential cause - a bacterium called Bisgaard taxon 45 - in six of the animals. It is a type that has been found previously in swabs taken from tiger or lion bites.

Prof Falko Steinbach from the UK's Animal and Plant Health Agency, who was involved in the mission, told BBC Radio 4's Inside Science that severe drought and shortage of food that year could have compromised the animals' health, allowing the disease to overcome their immune defences.

"[This type of bacteria] wasn't completely mysterious - it was known to exist," explained Prof Steinbach. "But it had not been associated with septicaemia and never been found in the African elephants."

The scientist said he suspected that the elephants were under "severe stress" because of the ongoing drought and difficulty finding food.

"This is relatively common," he explained. "We have a lot of pathogens have that [usually] do not cause disease - and certainly not death. But if the host defences break down, that allows the bacteria to spread and in the end, it doesn't just cause a local infection after a bite - but causes severe disease."

Elephants are highly social animals, so the researchers are concerned that they could also transmit the bacteria to others, which would explain the large number of deaths.

Laura Rosen from US-based company Transboundary Epidemiology Analytics, said the finding was "very worrying".

"African savannah elephants are an endangered species with only 350,000 remaining in the wild and ongoing losses estimated at 8% annually. Investigating the deaths of these elephants is crucial to sustain the future of this majestic species."

Prof Steinbach added that more research was needed to understand "the link between this infection and the stress associated with extreme weather events such as drought, which may make outbreaks more likely".

"Hopefully with further studies, we would be able to identify not only what leads to these outbreaks, but also maybe to come up with intervention strategies - possibly even a vaccine. But that would require substantial further investigation."
OSAKA, Oct 25 ( News On Japan ) - A 25-year-old male sergeant from the Osaka Prefectural Police is under investigation following allegations that he assaulted a station staff member.

The police officer, working in the Criminal Division of Osaka Prefectural Police, is accused of punching and injuring a station employee in his 30s in the chest and face three times at JR Sakai City Station, causing injury.

According to police, the sergeant drank alcohol at three different pubs, including an izakaya, with a colleague that day, and got on the train while intoxicated, where he got into a dispute with a passenger.

After getting off at the station, the police officer was cautioned by the station staff, who intervened in a dispute about using electronic cigarettes, after which he allegedly struck the staff member in the face.
A teacher from a Himeji City public elementary school in Hyogo Prefecture has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling approximately 270,000 yen meant for the food budget of a nature school program.

Additionally, about 2.3 million yen has gone missing from the school, and the police are investigating.

According to the police, the suspect and teacher at Himeji City Higashi Elementary School, was arrested on suspicion of embezzling 270,000 yen in August last year, which had been earmarked for a 4-night, 5-day experiential learning program called "Nature School" for fifth graders.

At the time, Kitayama was in charge of the school's nature program accounts. The school had received a notification about unpaid amounts from a vendor, leading them to consult with the police.

In response to the investigation, the teacher denies the allegations, stating, "I certainly withdrew the money from the school's account, but I kept the cash at home."

According to the Prefectural Board of Education, an additional 2.3 million yen is missing from the school. They have taken disciplinary action against Kitayama, dismissing him on Oct 24.
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

The Supreme Court will on Thursday, settle the legal dispute that has been trailing the presidential election that was held in the country on February 25.

Though five petitions were initially entered against the declaration of President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the presidential contest that involved 17 candidates, however, only three of the petitions made it to the apex court.

Whereas two of the petitions were withdrawn before they could even be heard by the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, that held its proceedings at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, of the three petitions that were entered at the Supreme Court, only two of them made it to the last lap of the litigation.

A seven-man panel of the apex court had last Monday, dismissed the case the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, instituted to nullify President Tinubus election victory, after the party reluctantly withdrew its appeal which the panel insisted was academic and of no useful legal purpose.

Consequently, the surviving appeals were the ones filed by a former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as well as his counterpart in the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi.

The apex court reserved the to appeals for judgement after all the parties adopted their final briefs of argument past Monday.

Meanwhile, Vanguard, in his report, examines the profile of the seven Justices of the Supreme Court that will determine the fate of Tinubu, Atiku and Obi, tomorrow.

Justice John Inyang Okoro

Justice Okoro is the head of the panel that will decide the petitions seeking to remove President Tinubu from office.

He was born on July 11, 1959 in Nung Ukim, Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

He attended Methodist School, Nung Ukim from 1965-1972, Boys High School, Oron from 1973-1977, School of Arts &Science, Uyo 1979-1981 and the University of Lagos from 1981-1984.

He attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.

Justice Okoro started his legal career as Magistrate Grade 11 in 1986 and rose through the Magisterial Cadre culminating in his promotion to the post of Chief Magistrate Grade 1 in 1996.

He was then appointed a Judge of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State from 1998-2006. His Lordship was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2006 and served in that capacity up to 2013.

He has over the years served in different capacities and bodies, including; Member, Election Petition Tribunal, Kano, 1998, Member, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal, Ondo State, 2003, Member, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal No.2 Delta State, 2003.

He has also attended several seminars, workshops and conferences both locally and internationally.

Justice Okoro was elevated to the Supreme Court on November 15, 2013.

He is currently the fourth most senior justice of the court.

Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji

Justice Abba Aji is the most ranking female jurist on the apex court bench and the only female of the panel.

She was born on November 7, 1956, in Gashua, Yobe State. She attended Central Primary School Gashua and Government Girls Secondary School Maiduguri for her Primary and Secondary Education between 1961 and 1972.

She obtained a Diploma in Law from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1976 and subsequently, an L.L.B Hons from the same institution in 1980. She was called to Bar in 1981 and commenced her career as State Counsel in 1982.

Justice Abba-Aji previously held positions of Clerical Assistant (Area Courts Division), Assistant Registrar, Acting Registrar and Higher Registrar between 1973 and 1982. After her appointment as State Counsel in 1982, she rose through various positions becoming an Acting Senior State Counsel in 1984, Senior Magistrate II in 1986, Senior Magistrate I in 1987, Chief Magistrate II in 1989, Chief Magistrate I in 1991 and Chief Registrar in November 1991.

She was appointed Higher Court Judge of Yobe State Judiciary in December 1991 making her the first Lady Judge at Yobe State Judiciary, a position she held until July 2004 when she was elevated to the Court of Appeal.

Before her elevation to the Supreme Court on January 8, 2019, Justice Abba-Aji was the Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal Kaduna Division, a position she held for 4 years.

Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba

Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba was born on November 16, 1958. He hails from Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

He attended Demonstration Primary School, Maru from 1965-1971, Government Secondary School, Gusau from 1972 -1976, School of Basic Studies Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1976-1977, Faculty of Law, A.B.U, Zaria from 1977-1980, Nigerian Law School, Lagos, from 1980-1981 and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (UNILAG) Akoka, Lagos in 1989.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981.

He served as Magistrate in the Sokoto State Judiciary from 1982-1986, Deputy Chief Registrar High Court of Justice, Sokoto State from 1989-1991, appointed Solicitor-General/Director-General Ministry of Justice Sokoto State from 1991-1993.

He was then appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Sokoto State from 1993-1996. He served as Chief Judge, High Court of Justice, Zamfara State from 1996-2004.

In 2004, Justice Garba was elevated to the Court of Appeal and served at various times as the Presiding Justice at Abuja, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Lagos Divisions of the Court from 2010-2020.

He has over the years, served on different capacities and bodies, including as; Member Body of Benchers from 1996-2004, Member, Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja 1996-2004, Member, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) 1997-1999, Member Body of Benchers 2010 to date, Life Bencher 2018 to date.

Remarkably, he served as a member of the Presidential Election Panel in 2011 and also as Chairman of the Presidential Election Panel that dismissed the petition that Atiku filed to challenge the election of former President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2019.

He was elevated to the Supreme Court on November 6, 2020.

Justice Ibrahim Saulawa

Justice Saulawa was born on September 29, 1956 in the ancient city of Katsina. Katina State. He attended both Primary and Secondary Schools in Katsina from 1965 to 1976 after which he proceeded to the Bayero University Kano in September 1977 and graduated in June 1981 with a Bachelor of Law degree.

The same year, he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School Lagos and was eventually called to the Nigerian Bar on July 2, 1982.

He began his career with the Ministry of Justice, Kaduna State in August 1982 as a Pupil State Counsel (NYSC: (ii) Secretary, Law Officers (Attorneys  General) Committee of the then 10 Northern States; (iii) a Visiting Lecturer, College of Legal and Extra-Mural Studies, Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina 1982-83

He a short private practice, he was made a Magistrate Grade 2 in the Kaduna State Judiciary on September 1, 1983

He served as Chief Magistrate, Katsina State Judiciary, 1987  1991; Deputy Chief Registrar/ Chief Registrar, Court of Appeal Lagos 1991  1994, High Court Judge, Katsina State Judiciary 1994  2006.

Justice Saulawa was elevated to the Bench of the Court of Appeal on June 10. 2006.

He subsequently served as Presiding Justice: Calaber Judicial Division October, 2015  August. 2018;

Ilorin Judicial Division  September, 2018  January, 2020 and Port Harcourt Judicial Division  January, 2020  November 9, 2020.

Justice Saulawa was elevated to the Bench of the Supreme Court on November 10, 2020.

Justice Adamu Jauro

Justice Adamu Jauro was born on June 26, 1959. He hails from Gombe State. He attended Central Primary School, Gombe, Government Secondary School, Bauchi and the School of Basic Science, Zaria.

In 1980, he studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged his LLB.

Justice Jauro holds a masters degree in Law from the University of Jos and also has a certificate from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

After he was called to Bar, Jauro worked with the Ministry of Justice in 1983 and was promoted as Director of Public Prosecution.

He served in various capacities before being appointed as a judge of the Gombe State Judiciary where he served till 2007.

In 2007, he was promoted to the Court of Appeal and served in Jos, Lagos, Yola, Ibadan and Port Harcourt.

Justice Jauro was elevated to the Supreme Court bench in November 2020.

Justice Tijjani Abubakar

Justice Tijjani Abubakar, who is a native of Base Local Government Area of Yobe State, was born on April 15, 1960.

He attended Gashua Central Primary School and Government Secondary School, Gashua.

He later attended the School of Basic Science, University of Maiduguri as well as the University of Maiduguri where he studied Law and graduated in 1982.

After graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Justice Abubakar was called to the Bar in 1983.

He had worked as Attorney General, Permanent Secretary and Commissioner for Justice of Yobe State at various times.

He subsequently went into private practice and set up his own law firm, known as Tijani Abubakar and Co. in 2004.

Abubakar returned to public practice with his appointment as a judge of the Federal High Court.

In 2012, he was appointed as Justice of the Court of Appeal.

He was serving at the Lagos Division of the appellate the court when he was elevated to the Supreme Court bench in 2020.

Justice Emmanuel Agim

Justice Emmanuel Agim was born on April 26, 1960, in Obudu, Cross Rivers State.

He obtained his first degree, LLB, at University of Calabar, then BL from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and subsequently, LLM, from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

After serving as President of the Court of Appeal of The Gambia, and three years as Chief Justice of The Gambia, Justice Agim was later sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Swaziland on May 2, 2012 where he served in the first all-black bench in the history of Swaziland and her sister countries- Botswana and Lesotho.

On November 5, 2012, he was sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria by the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar.

In October 2019, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

It be recalled that both Justice Agim and Justice Jauro, were the two members of the apex court bench that gave dissenting judgements that would have dashed hopes of the immediate past Senate President, Ahmed Lawan to contest the 2023 general election.

The duo, contrary to the position of the head of the panel, late Justice Centus Nweze and two other members of the panel, maintained that Lawan was not qualified to contest the Yobe North Senatorial election.

The gave their judgement in favour of Bashir Machina, stressing that Lawan was not the validly nominated candidate of the APC for the senatorial contest.

Notwithstanding the dissenting judgements of Justices Agim and Jauro, Lawan still survived the sledgehammer as the majority decision of three other members of the panel, favoured him.

VANGUARD
Finally, you can get there from here.

Last week, the Iowa Department of Transportation simplified travel from Council Bluffs to downtown Omaha when it reopened the ramp connecting southbound Interstate 29 with westbound Interstate 480.

Its the first time in almost two years that the interchange connecting the neighboring Missouri River cities has been fully open. And it heralds the approaching end of the 15-year, $1.5 billion reconstruction of the Interstate network in Council Bluffs.

That puts a whole milestone on the Council Bluffs Interstate project, said Scott Suhr, district transportation planner for the Iowa DOT.

The larger project, begun in 2008, straightens out a lot of quirks in the original design of I-29, I-480, Interstate 80, and the ramps that connect them, Suhr said.

We had a lot of right-hand merges. Weve eliminated them throughout the corridor, he said. Weve eliminated traffic weaving. As a system, its a lot safer.

The other major problem was the lack of access to West Broadway, Council Bluffs major east-west artery. Iowa DOT has now corrected that with the reconstruction of the I-29/I-480 interchange.

Now there is a direct link from I-29 to downtown Council Bluffs, and a smoother link to downtown Omaha.

It did not come without pain. The interchange closed in November 2021, along with the northbound lanes of I-29 between Nebraska Avenue and Avenue G. Four months later, the southbound lanes were also closed between Nebraska Avenue and North 25th Street.

During the closures, traffic was diverted to newly built frontage just below the highway superstructure. Dynamic messaging signs warned drivers of the detour.

Engineers considered keeping the freeway open while the interchange was rebuilt, Suhr said, but it would have boosted the cost of the $180 million project and taken up to six years, instead of two.

The freeway reopened in August, along with the ramp from Nebraska Avenue to northbound I-29 and two ramps to southbound I-29.

Construction will continue on the I-80 interchange at Madison Avenue until 2026  the final piece of the puzzle in the Council Bluffs interchange project.

Some roadwork will continue near I-29. Second Avenue between the North and South Frontage Roads beneath the freeway is closed for reconstruction until Nov. 10.

Other projects

The South Expressway from I-80 to 19th Avenue in Council Bluffs will be rebuilt until Nov. 30, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction.

will be rebuilt until Nov. 30, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction. Lane restrictions are in place on South Third Street between Story Street and Ninth Avenue in Council Bluffs until Friday because of water main installation. South Third Street between Ninth Avenue and Worth Street is closed entirely until Wednesday as part of the same project.

until Friday because of water main installation. is closed entirely until Wednesday as part of the same project. South 35th Street between Veterans Memorial Highway and Middle Ferry Road in Council Bluffs is closed as part of the Gifford Road reconstruction project until Nov. 17.

is closed as part of the Gifford Road reconstruction project until Nov. 17. Trail Ridge Street between Grand Avenue and Crestwood Drive in Council Bluffs is closed for reconstruction until Nov. 30.
Council Bluffs will soon have a new police chief.

The Council Bluffs City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve Mayor Matt Walshs appointment of Matthew Davis as the city's new police chief.

Davis comes to Council Bluffs after working his way up the ranks of the Illinois State Police over the past 25 years -- from trooper to his current position as first deputy director, the highest ranking sworn position in the agency.

Davis was appointed to the job by Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly in February 2019.

Hes articulate, knowledgeable, has a lot of common sense, Walsh said about Davis. He has a wealth of experience. He is certainly up for the task, and I think hell be a great replacement for Tim Carmody.

A native of Chicago suburb Berwyn, Illinois, Davis attended the University of Delaware, where he earned a bachelors degree in anthropology and history. He then attended Northern Illinois University, where he earned a masters degree in anthropology.

Davis then joined the Illinois State Police in 1998. In 2006, while working for ISP, Davis also earned his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law.

We put together two interview panels, mostly city employees  the president of the Citizen/Police Advisory Board, the chairman of the Civil Service Commission and a member of the community who has a law enforcement background, Walsh said. We went through the interview process and it was unanimous in that I didn't hear anyone propose someone other than Matt Davis, so that kind of made the decision easy.

Davis is expected to wrap up his duties in Illinois in early November, and start his new position on or around Nov. 20, Walsh said.

The Council Bluffs City Council vote to approve Davis hiring was 4-0, with council member Chris Peterson absent.

Carmody retired Sept. 11 after 40 years in law enforcement. He had been chief since 2014.
A dozen farm families in Pottawattamie County were recognized among 398 across Iowa with Century or Heritage Farm designations during the Iowa State Fair.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Brent Johnson and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Brian Feldpausch presented the recognition during a ceremony in Des Moines on Aug. 17, according to a news release.

The 242 Century Farms and 156 Heritage Farms add to more than 21,000 and 1,800 farms across the state recognized for operating 100 and 150 years respectively. The Century Farm program, which added nine from Pottawattamie County, began in 1976 as part of the U.S. bicentennial. The Heritage Farm program, which added four from Pottawattamie County, began in 2006.

Achieving a Century or Heritage Farm milestone is a source of immense pride for an Iowa farm family," Naig said in a release. "Its important that we honor these generational families for the positive impact they have made on Iowa agriculture and acknowledge their resiliency, dedication, commitment and hard work.

The four newly recognized 150-year farms in Pottawattamie County are operated by Georgia Denton of Treynor, Hex Hoffman of Henderson, Jo Ann Kates of Carson and Scotch Hills Inc. of Walnut. Henderson's farm was also designated a Century Farm during this summer's recognition ceremony.

The eight other newly recognized 100-year farms in the county are operated by Virgil D. Anderson of Council Bluffs, Douglas Burmeister of Hancock, Brian Flemming of Minden, Jenny Knott of Crescent, Thomas and Lorraine Schnepel of Treynor, Siebels Family Farm of Minden, Lynn Stortenbecker of Carson and Ann Vorthmann of Carson. Flemming was unable to attend the Aug. 17 ceremony.

The legacy of Iowas Century and Heritage farm families isnt something that just happens, but instead requires generations of personal sacrifice, decades of stewardship and a longstanding dedication to local community, Johnson said. It's an honor to recognize the work ethic, tenacity and commitment to sustainability of these farm families, and Iowa is a better state because of them.
The City of Logan will receive a $20,000 Rural Enrichment Grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority to help implement its first-ever city-wide trail system.

The grant was among more than $470,000 awarded to rural communities in an announcement Friday. Funding is aimed at initiatives including child care, housing and leadership development, according to a news release.

Rural communities are at the heart of who we are as a state, and were committed to ensuring they continue to grow and prosper, Reynolds said. These grant opportunities will provide the tools that leaders and innovators need to build vibrant communities in all corners of the state, making Iowa an even better place to live, work and raise a family.

Logan intendeds to address its most significant community concern regarding pedestrian movement: the lack of connectivity between most residents and the Logan-Magnolia Community School District campus, which serves PK-12 students on the northern edge of town.

The community intends to build an 8-foot-wide concrete trail and provide safe, at-grade crosswords on heavily-trafficked State Highway 127, according to a summary of the project provided by IEDA. The total project cost is $550,000.

In addition to the grant to Logan, IEDA awarded $1,000 to the Chamber & Development Council of Crawford County as part of its Rural Leadership Bootcamp Grants.

IEDA's grants come through Reynolds' Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, created by executive order in 2018. The governor just issued a new executive order to update the initiative's goals to function as a startup incubator for innovative rural policy.

Find details about the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative at iowaeda.com/empower-rural-iowa.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services will host a Council Bluffs listening session next month for Iowans receiving community-based services to share their experiences with Iowa Medicaid leaders.

The listening session  part of a series called HOMEtown Conversations planned across the state  is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the YMCA Healthy Living Center at 714 S. Main St.

HOMEtown Conversations is part of the Hope and Opportunity in Many Environments initiative to redesign Iowas Medicaid waiver system, according to a news release.

Since the start of the HOME initiative, weve made seeking the input of Iowans a key priority in informing the direction, and we are excited to continue that commitment through our upcoming community conversations, Iowa Medicaid Director Elizabeth Matney said. We are looking to Iowans with experience navigating these services to help us make the right decisions and guide how we move forward.

Community-based services allow older Iowans and people with disabilities to receive care in their homes and communities rather than in an institution.

The focus of these sessions is to hear from Iowans who use community-based services, caregivers, advocates, service providers, case managers and other invested parties. The session participants will hear from Medicaid leadership about the goals of the HOME initiative and updates about recent accomplishments and upcoming activities.

The HOME initiative began in late 2022 with a collaboration between partners at Mathematica and the Harkin Institute who evaluated Iowas community-based services and published an evaluation outlining recommendations for how Iowa can improve services. Using the recommendations in the evaluation, HHS created a transformation plan to guide next steps and implement suggested improvements.

Other listening sessions will be held in Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Osceola, Oskaloosa, Sioux City, Spencer and Waterloo.

A virtual session is available Tuesday, Nov. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m. A Spanish-language virtual event is set for Thursday, Nov. 30, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Additionally, a virtual Medicaid town hall will be held Thursday, Dec. 7, from 4 to 5 p.m.
The Southwest Iowa Planning Council recently welcomed three new employees.

Julie Hays joins SWIPCO as a transit scheduler.

Hays will be part of the team that connects area residents to the transportation they need.

SWITA serves eight counties in Southwest Iowa with a fleet of 100 vehicles. Transportation provided includes work routes, student transportation, day habilitation routes for disabled individuals, medical transport and a range of other services.

I can see that this is a valuable and much needed service for the area, Hays said. This job was appealing to me since it was an opportunity to stay in customer service.

Hays has a background in customer service with Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits, Johnson Brothers Wine and Nutrien Ag Solutions.

To find out more about the transportation services provided by SWITA, call 712-243-2518 or 1-800-842-8065 or find more information at swita.com.

Barb Boggs joins SWIPCO as a grants specialist.

She will work with SWIPCO Disaster Recovery Planning to help with citizen claims and surveying for the agency. Boggs will help clients navigate through application procedures and ensure the agency is meeting grant regulations.

SWIPCO and the Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund operate a wide range of programs including housing repair, down payment assistance, demolition of dilapidated houses and lead abatement. SWIPCO also provides building inspection services and currently has more than 1,500 rental units in its inspection program. Boggs will assist with all of these programs and will be an asset to the agency.

Boggs has lived the majority of her life in Atlantic and graduated from Atlantic High School. She has a varied background with work in financing, a law office, the postal service, and more.

I enjoy helping people and look forward to doing a lot of that with this position, Boggs said.

Chris Parks joins SWIPCO as communications coordinator

Parks will oversee community outreach, public engagement and media communications for SWIPCO and Southwest Iowa Transit Agency. He will work to increase awareness of SWIPCO projects and public transit services to better connect the people of the Southwest Iowa region to employment, school, and wherever they need to go.

Parks is a graduate of Glenwood High School and has a bachelors degree in broadcasting from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He has a wealth of journalism experience as a broadcaster for 16 years at KJAN Radio in Atlantic.

Parks lives in Atlantic with his wife, Mandy, and their two children.

Southwest Iowa has been home for me most of my life and Ive been lucky enough to have a great connection with many people in the region from my upbringing and time with KJAN, Parks said. SWIPCO is involved with so many things that make life better for residents of the region and I am excited to have the opportunity to share those stories and help people connect with the services they need.
Southwest Iowa Planning Council members, staff and supporters came together for the 48th Annual Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 28, at the newly renovated Hamburg Fire Station.

The day included a tour of Hamburg, a luncheon, awards presentation and annual report, according to a news release.

The day started with a tour of Hamburg to celebrate many of the projects that have been completed or are in progress following the 2019 flood. Stops on the tour included the newly opened Hamburg Inn & Suites, ConAgra popcorn production facility, The Hamburg Locker and the disaster recovery housing development site North Ridge Acres.

Following the tour, attendees enjoyed a luncheon catered by Horseshoe Cafe and Catering from Sidney. The program was then opened with a welcome by Mayor Harry Adams and introductions by SWIPCO Board Chair Todd Valline.

Five partnership awards were then presented by SWIPCO staff to various entities that helped SWIPCO achieve end goals in fiscal year 2023. Those awards included:

 Connections Area Agency on Aging for its continued partnership with Southwest Iowa Transit Agency to help disabled Iowans get to where they need to go at a reduced cost.

 Denver Regional Office of the U.S. Economic Development Administration for its work managing an unprecedented amount of funding for disaster recovery from the 2019 floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional Representative Alex Smith was on hand to accept the award.

 Faith In Action for its continued partnership with SWITA to provide rides for the residents of Fremont and Page counties.

 F&M Carpentry for its excellent work and very high client satisfaction as a contractor for many SWIPCO housing projects in the past year. Owners Roy and Tammy Fifer were on hand to accept the award.

 Terry Brown, disaster project officer with Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, for his exemplary help in coordinating long term recovery efforts in Hamburg and across Fremont and Mills counties after the 2019 floods.

Four former members of the SWIPCO Policy Board were honored for their service at the meeting: John Hartkopf, Cass County supervisor, 2 years; Alan Armstrong, Page County supervisor, 5 years; Lynn Grobe, Pottawattamie County supervisor, 10 years; and Brad Wright, Red Oak city administrator, 20 years.

Four SWIPCO office staff employees were honored for employment milestones: Dani Briggs, lead planner, 5 years; Dee Holtz, administrative assistant, 5 years; John McCurdy, executive director, 10 years; and Mark Hansen, fleet mechanic, 15 years. SWITA Driver of the Year Dean Driskell was also recognized.

To finish up the meeting, McCurdy presented annual report information and shared the many success stories for SWIPCO in fiscal year 2023. Highlights included that SWITA provided 526,300 rides, the most any rural public transit agency ever has in the state of Iowa. SWIPCOs planning staff are also currently managing over $120 million in grant funds.

SWIPCO and the Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund completed 61 housing rehabilitation projects, assisted with the purchase of 19 homes, demolished 15 dilapidated houses, and conducted dozens of building inspections. SWIPCOs administrative team managing resources and came in right on target for SWIPCOs $7 million operating budget including the agency's 100 employees.

SWIPCO, founded in 1975, is a council of governments serving eight counties in Southwest Iowa with public transportation, community development, and housing assistance. Counties served are Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby.
We are now getting into the deep part of the high school playoffs in Northeast and North Central Nebraska. It is the third round for the eight-man playoffs and the second round of Class C1 and C2 playoffs.
One of the best parts of my role at Nebraska Community Foundation is listening to our NCF volunteers speak about their communities with pride. These local leaders invest so much time, treasure and talent into their hometowns and often go unsung. So, when an opportunity arises to showcase the
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  Israeli troops advanced toward Gaza City on Thursday, as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9,000. With no end in sight after weeks of heavy fighting, U.S. and Arab mediators intensified efforts to ease Israel's siege of the Hamas-ruled enclave and called for at l
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  More Filipinos in Lebanon want to come home as tensions flare up with neighboring Israel, a foreign affairs official said on Wednesday.

Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said 113 Filipinos are seeking repatriation as of Tuesday, and getting them home would not be a problem.

"We have called for their voluntary repatriation," De Vega said. "It's just a matter of purchasing the commercial tickets."

The foreign affairs official said the country will not send an aircraft for Filipinos leaving Lebanon, which is now under alert level 3 or voluntary evacuation.

He said around 17,500 Filipinos live and work in the Middle Eastern country, including around 100 in the southernmost areas that are encountering clashes between the militant group Hezbollah and Israel.

Focus on Gaza

De Vega said evacuating Filipinos from war-torn Gaza is the priority.

He added that only humanitarian aid is allowed to enter the Palestininan enclave so far.

Over 130 Filipinos are in southern Gaza, while three are in central Gaza where the Israeli Defense Force has conducted thousands of airstrikes.

"There are reports from the Philippine embassy that there are still three in Gaza City, one is a Filipino nun, and we respect her decision to stay in Gaza, and two composed of a father and child who actually returned to Gaza City to check the condition of the father-in-law," he said.

De Vega said there is no assurance that the spouses of Filipinos will be allowed to cross the Egyptian border should foreigners be allowed to exit.

"We are asking the government of Egypt to allow Palestinians but we will give their names," he said. "We're not going to pay for their tickets -- this was the same formula we used in Sudan."

De Vega sending assistance to Filipinos in Gaza is a challenge because of security risks.

Repatriation of Filipinos in Israel, meanwhile, continues with 40 more people expected to arrive on Oct. 30.

More repatriates are expected and the lines remain open for applications seeking to come home.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said there is no confirmed reports of Filipinos taken hostage.

Alert Level 2, which requires restricted movement, remains over the West Bank, but De Vega said this could change.

CNN Philippines' Pia Garcia and Tristan Nodalo contributed to this story.
Two Moroccan military aircraft carrying emergency humanitarian aid for Palestinian populations arrived, this Wednesday morning, at El Arich airport, eastern Egypt.

This humanitarian initiative, undertaken in accordance with the high instructions of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, aims at delivering emergency humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

The two aircraft, whose cargo will be transported to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah land border crossing, are carrying large quantities of food, medical products, and water.

The operation to receive this aid at El Arich airport was supervised by the Kingdoms Ambassador in Cairo and permanent delegate to the Arab League, Ahmed Tazi, as well as members of the Moroccan embassy.

In a statement to MAP, Tazi said that this assistance bears witness to the Kings constant commitment to the Palestinian cause, noting that all the departments concerned have been mobilized to speed up the implementation of this operation and the delivery of the aid to the Palestinians, in accordance with the Kings high instructions.

This humanitarian aid will be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent, which will take charge of transporting it to the Palestinian territories in coordination with the relevant Palestinian authorities, he added, pointing out that this operation is being carried out in accordance with arrangements coordinated with the Egyptian authorities, given the security conditions surrounding the Rafah crossing.
Morocco reaffirmed, its determination to effectively address the world drug problem in a particular context where the world drug situation is experiencing rapid and profound changes, making the challenges to combat the global drug problem even more complex.

This challenging situation calls on us to reinforce the international consensus and to reaffirm our determination to effectively address the world drug problem, and to promote a society free of drug abuse to ensure that all people can live in security, peace, health, dignity, and prosperity, through innovative approaches and strategies, Moroccos permanent representative in Vienna, Azzeddine Farhane, said Tuesday at the intersessional meeting devoted to thematic discussions on the Implementation of all International Drug Policy Commitments, following up to the Ministerial Declaration of 2019.

In this context, the diplomat welcomed the launch, last July, of the United States of America initiative of the Global Coalition to address Synthetic Drugs Threats, recalling that the Kingdom made three key recommendations during the virtual Ministerial-level meeting organized for the launch of this Global Coalition, as a contribution by Morocco to achieve the goals and objectives of the Coalition: The establishment of an effective alert system to identify new emerging synthetic substances to facilitate the rapid exchange of information and intelligence between member countries, the reinforcement of prevention, treatment, and awareness measures, by prioritizing early health care intervention and treatment options and by strengthening scientific and research partnerships, and the promotion of international cooperation, by leading joint operations and strengthening capacity building and partnerships.

In the same vein, Farhane proposed that the thematic debate of the next Session of UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs next session to be held March 2024, focus on the specific threats of synthetic drugs.

The rationale behind this proposal is to create synergies between the Global Coalition and the CND, to contribute to the mid-term review, in 2024, of all progress made in implementing all international drug policy commitments to address and counter the world drug problem, as reflected in the Ministerial Declaration of 2019, and to have a collective input for future work and agenda of the CND and to the next Ministerial Declaration, to be adopted in 2029, he pointed out.

The diplomat also reiterated that Morocco, which participated actively and positively in the negotiations for the adoption of all documents related to the world drug problem, is fully engaged in implementing all drug policy commitments and looks forward to contributing substantially and constructively to the debates of the high-level segment of the 67th session of the CND, within the framework of 2024 mid-term review, which will be an opportunity to give a new impetus to our concerted action aimed at effectively addressing root causes and manifestations of the world drug problem.
Morocco and Belgium have discussed this Wednesday in Brussels ways of upgrading their partnership and meeting current and future shared challenges.

This came at a meeting between Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, and Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo.

The two sides expressed satisfaction at the partnership linking the two kingdoms, and examined ways of promoting their relations and meeting current and future common challenges.

They also discussed the ties of friendship between Morocco and Belgium, in line with the aspirations of the leaders of the two countries, King Mohammed VI and King Philippe.

The talks were held on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum, taking place in Brussels October 25-26. The Forum is bringing together over 40 high-level government representatives from EU and partner countries, as well as representatives from financial institutions, including the EIB and EBRD, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations.

Under the theme, Stronger Together through Sustainable Investment, the Global Gateway Forum will showcase progress in the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, the EUs offer for quality, transparent investments in connectivity, health, education, and research systems across the world.

After the plenary session of the Forum, to be opened by President von der Leyen, participants will hold a series of discussions focused on the green energy transition and green hydrogen, education and research, critical raw materials, and transport corridors.

Debates will also cover health products manufacturing and digital infrastructure.
The prosecution in the ongoing trial of former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has requested a 20 year-prison sentence against the 66-year-old man accused of power abuse and unlawful enrichment during his tenure (2008-2019).

The former leader has been on trial since January 2023. His entourage has branded the trial politically motivated.

They have accused the incumbent President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, a General turned politician, of orchestrating the arrest of his former boss.

All the elements in the hands of justice prove the constitution of a crime, Magistrate Ahmed Ould Moustapha said.

The prosecutor also requested the seizure of the former Presidents assets. In addition, the magistrate requested a ten-year-jail sentence against Yahya Ould Hademine and Mohamed Salem Ould El Bechir who separately served as Prime Ministers under Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The two Prine Ministers should be also made to pay each $258,000 in fine. The prosecutor requested moreover the judge to seize their assets. Several other former officials close to the former leader are also standing on the trial.
The U.S. State Department announced the suspension of foreign assistance to Gabon in reaction to the military takeover which took place on August 30 with the removal of longtime leader Ali Bongo Ondimba, but reaffirmed commitment to support the central African country in conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance.

The United States has concluded that a military coup detat has taken place in Gabon. Pursuant to section 7008 of the Department of States annual appropriations act, the United States is suspending most U.S. assistance to the Government of Gabon, the department said in a statement. The decision for the official suspension of the aid came one week after General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, the former Chief of the presidential guard, who removed Bongo in the early hours of August 30, received on October 19 President Bidens Special Assistant Senior Director for African Affairs in the National Security Council.

The United States reaffirms our commitment to support Gabon in conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance and advancing shared security interests in the Gulf of Guinea. We will resume our assistance alongside concrete actions by the transitional government toward establishing democratic rule. We will continue to work closely with the Gabonese people and regional partners, it added.

On September 26, the department temporarily paused the foreign support to the central African country in reaction to the coup.

Nguema, leader of the junta known as CTRI, claimed the elections were rigged. He was subsequently inaugurated transitional leader on September 04 but did not provide any timeline for the transition.

Several regional organizations, including the African Union suspended Gabons membership following the coup.
The British Sound Energy company announced on Wednesday the extension of its Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) sealed with ONEE (Office National de lElectricite et de lEau Potable) and Attijariwafa bank funding deal until 31st December 2023.

Executive Chairman of the company Graham Lyon) said: various elements within the GSA are being amended to meet the debt funders criteria and to meet international standards.

Thus, Sound Energy, National Office of Hydrocarbons & Mines (ONHYM), ONEE and Attijariwafa bank are engaged under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy to conclude a revised GSA by year end, he stressed.
U.S. Under-Secretary of State for political Affairs Victoria Nuland has reiterated full U.S. support for intensified consultations to ensure a successful UN-led political process for the Sahara without further delay, referring to the obstructions made by the Polisario with the support of the Algerian regime.

The U.S. stand was expressed during a meeting held lately with UN Sahara Envoy Staffan de Mistura as the UN Security Council is holding this month behind-closed doors briefings and consultations on the Sahara ahead of the renewal of the MINURSO mandate which expires on October 31.

We remain committed to an enduring () solution to the Sahara dispute, said the U.S. official in a comment posted in her X account.

According to press reports, talks between De Mistura and Nuland focused on the report submitted by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the Council and the U.S. drafted resolution on Sahara.

The United States, the penholder on Sahara, recognized in December 2020 Moroccos full sovereignty over its entire Sahara territory.

De Misturas meeting with the U.S. Under-secretary comes few days after the Security Council was briefed behind closed-doors by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara De Mistura and by MINURSO Chief Alexander Ivanko.

The U.S.-UN consultations on the Sahara come amid a growing international support to the autonomy plan offered by Morocco under its sovereignty.

Spain, former colonizer of the Sahara, as well as Germany and many other European, African, and Arab countries all support Moroccos territorial integrity and autonomy plan described as the most serious, realistic and credible solution to the Sahara regional dispute.

According to UN, De Mistura remains hopeful that a just, lasting, and political solution to the Sahara issue in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions is achievable.
Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, is willing to coordinate with all partners in a bid to engage in any international effort aimed at ending the current crisis in the Middle East.

The remarks were made by Moroccos ambassador to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, during a high-level debate at the UN Security Council in New York.

Speaking Tuesday at the high-level debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, organized by Brazil, the rotating president of the Security Council for the month of October, Hilale recalled that immediately after the outbreak of recent events, Morocco chaired, on October 11, an extraordinary session of the Ministerial Council of the Arab League.

This session was marked by the adoption of resolution 8987 which calls on all parties to exercise restraint, emphasizes the need to protect all civilians, condemns what the brotherly Palestinian people are subjected to and underlines support for this peoples right to remain on their lands, warning against any attempt to move them out of their territories, said the ambassador.

He also recalled Moroccos participation in the Peace Summit which took place on October 21 in Cairo, specifying that the Kingdom called for reducing escalation, stopping bloodshed and military aggression, while emphasizing the urgent need to protect all civilians and not to target them, in accordance with the principles of international law.

Morocco further insisted on the importance of allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid, in a quick and continuous manner and in sufficient amounts for the benefit of the Gaza Strip inhabitants, as well as on the rejection of solutions aimed at displacing or deporting the Palestinians from their territory and endangering the security of neighboring countries, noted Hilale, adding that the Kingdom also insisted on the urgent need to launch a genuine peace process which leads to the two-State solution, in accordance to internationally agreed upon references.

The ambassador underlined further that King Mohammed VI, President of the Al-Quds Committee, has given his instructions to send emergency humanitarian aid to the Palestinian populations. This aid includes significant quantities of foodstuffs, medical supplies, and water, he specified, noting that this royal decision is part of the Kings constant commitment to the Palestinian cause.

In the same vein, Hilale reaffirmed Moroccos full solidarity with the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, based on international legitimacy and on the two-State solution as agreed at the international level, and which should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital on the borders of June 4, 1967, living side by side with Israel, in peace and security.

The ambassador also noted that Morocco underlines the need to cease all measures affecting the legal and historical status of the city of Al-Quds, for the sake of peace and stability and to avoid transforming the political dispute into a religious conflict with serious consequences for all parties.

For the diplomat, the holy city must remain a land of encounter and symbol of coexistence for the disciples of the three monotheistic religions, as well as a center for mutual respect and dialogue as stipulated in the Al-Quds Call signed by King Mohammed VI, President of the Al-Quds Committee, and Pope Francis on March 2, 2019 in Rabat.

Hilale also recalled an excerpt from the Kings message to the participants in the high-level Conference on the protection and support of Al-Quds held on February 12, 2023 in Cairo, and in which the Sovereign underlines that Morocco, convinced that peace in the Middle East region remains an inescapable strategic option, will keep up its efforts and leverage its capabilities and its outstanding relations with all the influential international parties and powers so as to contribute to any international effort aimed at re-launching dialogue and negotiations. That is, indeed, the only way to put an end to the conflict and achieve security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region.
The leading Republican alternative to Donald Trump is still, at least for the moment, Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Whatever benefits DeSantis brings compared to Trump, he is absolutely not promising to safeguard democracy. To the contrary, he is running as a more effective authoritarian.

The latest evidence is an order the DeSantis administration has issued, fed to an approving Fox News, for universities in his state to shut down chapters of National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Free speech often protects people with awful beliefs, and the beliefs promoted by SJP are genuinely horrific. The group not only endorsed but glorified the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against against Israeli civilians. In its Day of Resistance Toolkit, created the day after the attack, SJP defined the entire State of Israel as a settler colony, insisting Settlers  i.e., any Jewish man, woman, or child in Israel  are not civilians in the sense of international law, because they are military assets used to ensure continued control over stolen Palestinian land, and proclaiming that  liberating colonized land is a real process that requires confrontation by any means necessary, including armed struggle.

But in the United States, the government cant shut down a student group simply because its beliefs are ghastly. DeSantis is trying to change that.

His state order rests on a transparently flimsy case for trampling on free speech. We as Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement  meaning Hamas and affiliated terror organizations  not in solidarity with this movement, the tool kit proclaimed. DeSantis uses this line to treat SJP as literally part of Hamas, as if its members were themselves going to carry out terrorist attacks.

But the document is obviously not arguing that. Its comprehensive list of steps it urges activists to take: Table/Flyer on campus, Teach-ins, Sign onto statement from Bears for Palestine, Write a local statement of solidarity, Share within your network/region, and Help spread the word by sharing widely on your campuses and in your communities. And it defines the Palestinian struggle as taking place within historic Palestine, which means Israel proper and the occupied territories. There is nothing in the document explicitly or implicitly endorsing violence outside Israel.

The reasoning DeSantis employs to close down SJP could be used to shut down almost any student group  or any political group at all. If they support abortion rights, you could say they advocate murder. If they support Trump, you could say they endorse violent authoritarianism.

DeSantiss brand of authoritarianism is nonviolent, but this comes as little comfort. The hallmark of his governing style has been to use the powers of government to crush political enemies without any concern for democratic rights. He held up his crude retaliation against Disney for having the temerity to make a statement opposing one of his policies as a model for his plans as president to intimidate the opposition. His Stop WOKE law has already been struck down as a First Amendment violation. And his education agenda has revolved around naked partisan control of both primary and higher education, seeking to turn schools into propaganda factories.

Its understandable that Jewish students would feel nervous about campus chapters openly glorifying violence against Israeli Jews. But DeSantiss crude methods are unlikely to reduce this threat. To the contrary, they are likely to fail in the courts while driving student activists toward those groups, which will enjoy the mantle of free-speech martyrdom.

It has come to sound corny to say that the antidote to hateful ideas is better ideas. But that is the American way, and the American way, for all its flaws, has held up longer and better than all the others. Illiberal extremists thrive on pitting themselves against other illiberal extremists. There are more humane alternatives than either SJPs bloodlust or DeSantiss thuggery.
The savior and his flock. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP

At 12:17 p.m. on Tuesday, Tom Emmer became the Republican nominee for House Speaker. At 4:27 p.m. that same day, the No. 3 Republican in the House dropped out because of yet another internal rebellion.

He was the third such candidate privately selected by Republicans to lead the House since a group of rebels ousted Kevin McCarthy at the beginning of the month. Once again, Republicans were forced to start the search for a new Speaker from scratch. By 8 p.m., the party convened behind closed doors in the Capitol to find someone self-confident enough to run into the same buzzsaw of opposition that chewed up Emmer and, before him, Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise. You have to find somebody whos smart enough to get to 217, said Ronny Jackson of Texas, but stupid enough to want the job. With a four-vote majority in the chamber, it would take only a few Republicans to block one of their own from becoming Speaker, though dozens had come out to oppose all of the candidates offered up so far. The next time didnt look like it would be different.

By 10:30 p.m., though, something seemed to have changed. Maybe it was pure exhaustion, but when the doors opened and reporters flowed into a committee room, Republicans were beaming. Standing in the middle of the room was Mike Johnson, who had lost on his first try earlier in the day against Emmer, surrounded by a thick semicircle of his gleeful colleagues, some of whom were well lubricated as they sought to keep their spirits up throughout the second long, tedious internal election of the day. Once the cameras were in place, he shared brief cliches pledging to restore trust in what we do here and stand with our allies to raucous cheers from colleagues.

Still needing to win the public vote on the floor, Johnson was a cipher on what he would actually do as Speaker. When a reporter asked about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, she was booed down by Republicans, including members who voted to certify the election. Johnson answered a follow-up question about Ukraine aid by saying, We are not doing policy tonight.

It was the beginning of the end of an anarchic, absurd process that only hours before had left Republicans mired in despair. The three weeks of chaos, kicked off by McCarthys ouster on October 3, rendered Congress totally paralyzed at a time of global crisis since, without a speaker, the House can not move legislation. Instead, Republicans became consumed with plotting and infighting as they elected three different candidates to be Speaker, starting with Majority Leader Scalise, who lasted less than two days before accepting that he faced too much internal opposition. He was followed by Jordan, a conservative icon who was made the designated Speaker for over a week before a moderate rebellion doomed his chances. Then Emmer enjoyed his brief afternoon of glory before Johnson finally emerged.

When asked by reporters if the situation had become absurd after Emmers defeat, Steve Womack of Arkansas said it hadnt become absurd: It was absurd last week, maybe the week before. Max Miller of Ohio called the process a merry-go-round and warned that we havent hit rock bottom yet. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma explained that there were no female Speaker candidates because this is a really a no-win situation. So why would any of the women want to put ourselves out there only for it to fail? It just doesnt make any sense.

At least that had been the case until Wednesday, when Johnson officially became Speaker. It was the 19th ballot this year, after it took McCarthy 15 different votes to even be elected in January. In between, 14 Republicans offered themselves as candidates, with McCarthy even making a brief comeback as runner-up to Johnson on Tuesday even though he was not formally a candidate.

Taking the gavel, Johnson gave a low-key speech that struck a pastoral tone. We have learned a lot of lessons, he said, but through adversity it makes you stronger, and we want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations.

An ardent social conservative who was an attorney for Christian legal-advocacy group Alliance for Defending Freedom before entering the House in 2016, Johnson was one of the key figures behind the legal effort from congressional Republicans to overturn the results of the 2020 election and keep Donald Trump in power. If you dont think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then youre not paying attention, Matt Gaetz said on Steve Bannons podcast, reveling in the Speaker he helped mint by leading the charge to throw out McCarthy.

Conservative credentials were not enough for other candidates, though. What Johnson had  or more precisely didnt have  was a lack of enemies. Hes a goober, but I dig that about him, said Tim Burchett of Tennessee, describing him as sincere, honest, and as clean as a hounds tooth. Marc Molinaro, a moderate from New York, said Johnson confronts challenges with earnestness and humility. Perhaps America needs to see a little bit of that common decency.

The question is whether being a nice guy is sufficient to manage a Republican caucus that has been consumed with fighting each other. The government will shut down in just over three weeks, and Congress is being asked to authorize billions of dollars worth of aid for Israel and Ukraine and billions more to secure the southern border. Johnson will have to manage it all with a scant track record, a slim majority, and no relationships with any of the other key figures in the government. Even if he can pull off this near-impossible task, keeping the House majority intact next year will not be easy either for a politician with little national profile and lackluster fundraising.

But it could always be worse. As John Duarte of California reflected on Tuesday amid the ongoing dysfunction, The fact that we can work through our absurdities in this way is still better than not having a constitutional democracy. As inefficient and as many missed opportunities as there seem to be, were still blessed to have what we have.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 24)  Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva believes it may be time to send back Ambassador Huang Xilian to Beijing in light of China's fresh acts of aggression and replace him with a new one who would uphold international law.

"With this aggression committed anew by China, it may be the right time for the Chinese ambassador to be sent home to Beijing and be replaced with someone who would prioritize adherence to international laws," the senator said in a statement.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned Xilian over dangerous maneuvers by Chinese vessels that led to two collision incidents near the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

The envoy, however, was out of town.

Beijing maintained that the Filipino ships were carrying illegal construction materials and that its response of blocking the vessels en route to BRP Sierra Madre was lawful and professional.

The intrusion of the Chinese Coast Guard -- hitting and damaging the Philippine navy ships delivering essential supplies in Ayungin Shoal -- is undoubtedly an escalated form of harassment, Villanueva said.

The senator called for increased funding and modernization of the Philippine Coast Guard to better defend our sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.
Ohio Republicans like these lost an effort in August to boost the majority required to approve an abortion-rights amendment. Photo: Maddie McGarvey/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Republican politicians are getting desperate in their efforts to block Ohios pro-choice majority from approving a state constitutional amendment to restore abortion rights.

The November ballot measure, known as Issue 1, is a citizen-initiated response to the Republican-controlled Ohio legislatures passage of a six-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape and incest. It is essentially aimed at reimposing the standard on abortion law set by Roe v. Wade after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed that precedent last year. As Ballotpedia explains:

A yes vote supports amending the Ohio Constitution to: establish a state constitutional right to make and carry out ones own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy, and allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when necessary to protect the pregnant patients life or health.

With polls showing solid majorities for this pro-choice constitutional amendment, Ohio Republicans tried to make its passage more difficult via an earlier ballot initiative offered during a low-turnout special election in August. It would have increased the threshold for such constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60 percent. It failed by a decisive 57 percent to 43 percent margin.

A survey from Baldwin-Wallace University last week showed a solid 58 percent of likely November voters favoring Issue 1. So opponents of the initiative have resorted to highly misleading characterizations of the impact of Issue 1, as the Associated Press reports:

With Election Day closing in, anti-abortion groups seeking to build opposition to a reproductive rights measure in Ohio are messaging heavily around a term for an abortion procedure that was once used later in pregnancy but that hasnt been legal in the U.S. for over 15 years.

In ads, debates and public statements, the opposition campaign and top Republicans have increasingly been referencing partial-birth abortions as an imminent threat if voters approve the constitutional amendment on Nov. 7. Partial-birth abortion is a nonmedical term for a procedure known as dilation and extraction, or D&X, which is already federally prohibited.

It would allow a partial-birth abortion, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters recently as he explained his opposition to the constitutional amendment, known as Issue 1.

There are several big problems with this line of argument. Characteristically, anti-abortion activists want to focus not on the vast majority of abortions that occur early in pregnancy, but on the far less common late-term abortions. As noted above, Issue 1 would allow some restrictions on post-viability abortions, and protect only those necessary to protect the life and health of the mother (the standard set out in Roe).

The deployment of the partial-birth abortion chestnut  its a nonmedical term for a particular abortion method that does not occur at or near the time of birth  is particularly mendacious. The dilation-and-extraction procedure referred to as a partial-birth abortion was banned by Congress nationally in 2003; among the supporters of the ban was then-U.S. Senator Mike DeWine. So how is some state constitutional amendment supposed to make it legal now, as AP asked?

Asked why the governor suggested a federal law he supported would not apply if Ohio changes its constitution, spokesman Dan Tierney said DeWine bases his position on provisions of the U.S. Constitution that prevent the federal government from regulating conduct that has no effect on interstate commerce.

Youd think if that were the case, DeWine would have voted against this unconstitutional law. But it doesnt matter, because the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal partial-birth abortion ban in 2007 in the notorious Gonzales v. Carhart decision. The three current conservative members of the Court who were on it then all supported the decision (Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito). Theres zero chance todays Supreme Court would let Ohio voters overturn the federal ban. Aside from being disingenuous, DeWines argument would definitely upset his anti-abortion comrades who are now pining for a federal ban on far more abortions than those banned 20 years ago.

The reality is that for all the shouting about Issue 1 representing some radical step toward abortion on demand, it simply restores Roe as a matter of state constitutional law and stops a truly radical six-week ban with no exceptions for rape and incest. But Issue 1 opponents know the facts are not their friends. Unless they succeed in throwing sand in the eyes of voters, Ohio is likely to become the seventh consecutive state to rebuff anti-abortion measures at the ballot box since Roe was reversed.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Fulton County Sheriffs Office

A surprising new source for the countrys biggest legal news emerged over the past week: the YouTube channel of Judge Scott McAfee in Fulton County, Georgia. On Tuesday morning, the judge went live to make national news yet again, this time with the guilty plea of Jenna Ellis, a Trump 2020 campaign lawyer who was among the 19 defendants charged in District Attorney Fani Williss RICO case against the former president.

Elliss deal is the latest in a succession of recent plea agreements, which in turn have generated some familiar responses. Donald Trumps lawyers claim these deals are practically meaningless and expose the weakness of Williss case, while Trumps most persistent antagonists in the media have argued that the deals are terrible news for Trump  that the walls are closing in, the shoes are finally dropping, and so on.

In this case, the dispute is actually more interesting than usual, since there is something to both sides. The plea deals are in fact bad news for Trump, though not nearly as bad as they could have been, and in large part for reasons that are more subtle than the prevailing narrative suggests.

A Slap on the Wrist

Ellis is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in Williss case following guilty pleas last week from Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and, last month, a bail bondsman named Scott Hall.

There are two critical facts about the plea deals: First, none of these defendants was forced to plead guilty to the alleged RICO conspiracy, the top count in the case. Second, none will do any prison time.

Ellis, for instance, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false writings and statements, apparently in connection with false claims of voter fraud she had made in testimony before the Georgia state legislature. Chesebro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to file false documents, apparently in relation to the use of alternate (or fake) Trump electors in the state. Both Powell and Hall pleaded guilty to multiple counts of conspiring to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties, apparently in connection with a breach of state voting systems that was supposed to turn up evidence of fraud.

Under the terms of their deals, they all received either five or six years of probation and had to pay a fine. They also have to testify in future trials if asked to do so by prosecutors, though Halls lawyer has already publicly said his client has little to offer to the broader case.

The Bad News for Trump

Pretty much any time a defendant pleads out in a large, multi-defendant case, that is bad news for the lead defendant and the prosecutors main target  who, in this case, is undeniably Trump.

One common metaphor used to describe how prosecutors work in complex cases is that of building a brick wall. Prosecutors are not looking to present a single conclusive or explosive piece of evidence to the jury that will compel it to find the defendants guilty. They are trying to build a case slowly and methodically with small pieces of evidence  brick by brick  in the hopes that, in the end, the jury will see a solid, insurmountable wall of evidence and testimony that establishes the defendants guilt.

The plea deals give Willis and her prosecutors more bricks to use against Trump at trial. How significant they will ultimately prove to be is a separate matter (more on that below), but the much bigger downside for Trump, at least at the moment, is that Powell and Chesebro were about to go to trial and their plea deals scuttled that plan.

Had it gone forward, the trial would have provided Trump and his other co-defendants with a major strategic benefit for their own defenses. Fulton County prosecutors had publicly said they intended to present the same witnesses and evidence at the Powell-Chesebro trial as they would in a larger one involving all of the defendants. They had planned to call more than 150 witnesses over the course of a four-month trial.

That meant that Trumps lawyers would have gotten to see all of the evidence against him in exhaustive detail, would have been able to identify potential gaps or weaknesses in the evidence that are not readily identifiable in discovery, would have had a complete record of witness statements that could later be used to impeach people in a subsequent trial if their testimony varied in any meaningful way, and, more generally, could have strengthened their legal arguments by seeing how things played out in the first trial. They could even have taken video from the trial to use in jury studies as part of Trumps defense in Georgia and in the parallel election-subversion case brought by federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C.

There is no question that Williss team knew all of this too. That is presumably one reason they aggressively fought the prospect of separate trials in the first place. It also likely had a lot to do with their decision to enter into plea deals with Powell and Chesebro on the eve of their trial.

The Not-So-Bad News for Trump

If you charge a major multi-defendant criminal conspiracy, you dont want just random plea deals.

Ideally, you want defendants to plead to the charged criminal conspiracy itself. That way, if they take the stand and testify as witnesses in the main trial, they are endorsing the central factual contention in the case  that there was in fact a sprawling, multi-defendant conspiracy involving Trump  and tacitly endorsing the underlying legal theory in the prosecution (that the conduct was not just bad but a violation of state RICO law). State prosecutors often work differently from federal ones (among other reasons, they are generally far more resource constrained), but it is safe to say that many federal prosecutors would have insisted on a guilty plea to the top count as part of any deal with Trumps co-defendants in a case like this.

In each of the deals so far, however, the defendants have pleaded guilty to misconduct concerning fairly narrow elements of the indictment in factual terms and in certain cases to conduct with no clear connection to Trump himself. Powell and Hall, for instance, pleaded guilty in connection with a breach of Georgia election systems, but there is no indication that Trump himself had much, if any, meaningful involvement in that effort. By the same token, there is no indication that the plea deals do anything to strengthen the DAs case in some key areas for Trumps criminal exposure, such as his infamous call to Georgia secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

It will be interesting to see whether  or perhaps when  this starts to change. Early plea deals in big cases tend to be the most generous because prosecutors want to incentivize people to come in and cooperate. To use another common prosecutorial metaphor, you are hoping that, like falling dominoes, plea deals generate more plea deals.

At some point, however, prosecutors should want to extract more serious concessions in these deals, both in terms of the substantive charges being pleaded out and the possibility of actual prison time, as opposed simply to probation and a few thousand dollars in fines.

There is also some chance that Powell, Chesebro, and Ellis could provide prosecutors with more damning evidence on Trump than their plea deals publicly indicate, particularly relating to private meetings with the former president. But some caution is in order. Remember George Papadopoulos? When he pleaded guilty in late 2017 as part of Robert Muellers Trump-Russia investigation, many believed it might be the start of a cascade of devastating developments for Trump that would ultimately culminate in his prosecution, his impeachment, or both. Things did not turn out that way, to put it mildly.

To be clear, this is not the same situation. This time around, six years later, Trump has actually been criminally charged and we have a coherent road map to the Fulton County DAs case in the form of the offices indictment. It is much easier to assess real-time developments in a charged case than in a case in its investigative stages, but a broader principle still applies: It is best to try to take things as they are, or as they appear to be at the moment, and not as we may want them to be.

Like it or not, Trump has viable defenses to this prosecution  for instance, that prosecutors cannot establish that the overarching alleged conspiracy actually existed, that they cannot prove Trump knowingly entered into it, and that the conspiracy (even if it did exist) was not sufficiently organized or even long enough in duration to qualify as a RICO conspiracy. From the outside looking in, those defenses appear to remain intact despite the plea deals, essentially as viable today as they were a couple of weeks ago.

That may very well change at some point. Trumps lawyers have to be concerned about the prospect themselves, public bravado notwithstanding, but the biggest recent setback for them is not what has happened in the way of these recent plea deals. Its what just didnt happen: a trial that would have given Trump and his lawyers a free and comprehensive preview of the case against the former president.

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Photo: Brendan McDermid/REUTERS

Earlier this month, Hamas militants butchered 1,400 Israeli Jews, thereby proving conservatives are right about everything.

Or so argues Konstantin Kisin in a much-touted essay for The Free Press.

In The Day the Delusions Died, Kisin explains that Hamass attack and the lefts reaction to it have vindicated the rights conception of human nature and the positions on immigration and the West that follow logically from it. As a result, the events of October 7 and 8 triggered an overnight exodus from the progressive camp to the conservative one.

There is a kernel of half-truth to Kisins narrative. The fact that some social-justice activists and organizations either celebrated Hamass attack as decolonization or held Israel entirely responsible for it did alienate some liberals. There have always been genuine tensions between liberal universalism and fringe variants of identity politics that exempt oppressed people from all moral judgment and/or venerate the ethnic chauvinism of subaltern groups. The spectacle of putative progressives cheering an Islamist groups mass murder of Jewish children certainly heightened these contradictions.

Of course, a rational liberal observer would recognize that such moral idiocy was confined to a small minority of the left, one with negligible political power. Americas most prominent socialist politicians  Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  condemned Hamas in no uncertain terms. Such an observer would also note that the present war has exposed no small number of war-crime apologists on the right and in the center, with Newsweek columnist Caroline Glick suggesting that even Palestinian kindergartners arent truly innocent civilians.

Nevertheless, a conservative polemicist could whip up a coherent (if misleading) column about how the far lefts Hamas cheerleading has forced its center-left sympathizers to grapple with the perils of wokeness or whatever.

But coherence isnt Kisins strong suit. In the world of right-wing infotainment, the capacity to formulate reasoned arguments is no precondition for success. Kisins expertise lies in playing the role of an impartial classical liberal whose unblinkered view of reality allows him to recognize that conservatives are right about everything. This job requires some real skills. One needs to have a knack for speaking off the cuff and performing a facsimile of intellectual rigor (on this front, Kisin is much aided by his possession of a British accent). Yet as the success of Kisins Triggernometry podcast makes clear, assuring conservatives that any serious, broad-minded thinker would recognize the validity of their grievances does not actually require one to be a serious, broad-minded thinker.

Kisin opens his column with an anecdote: A friend of his said she woke up on October 7 as a liberal and went to bed that evening as a 65-year-old conservative. He asserts that Hamass attack sent countless other liberals on the same ideological journey and sets out to explain why.

In Kisins account, the answer can be found in Thomas Sowells 1987 book, A Conflict of Visions. Sowell writes that the fundamental divide between progressives and conservatives concerns two disparate conceptions of human nature. The former believe our nature is unconstrained by biology or any other timeless fact of human existence; the latter believe our nature is constrained by such forces.

Here is how Kisin, following Sowell, characterizes the progressive perspective on this question:

Those with unconstrained vision think that humans are malleable and can be perfected. They believe that social ills and evils can be overcome through collective action that encourages humans to behave better. To subscribers of this view, poverty, crime, inequality, and war are not inevitable. Rather, they are puzzles that can be solved. We need only to say the right things, enact the right policies, and spend enough money, and we will suffer these social ills no more. This worldview is the foundation of the progressive mindset.

Just four paragraphs into Kisins piece, the reader is already knee-deep in fallacies. For one thing, no progressive with any political power has called for the complete elimination of all economic inequality. Nor have they endorsed abolishing the police and the Pentagon by 2050 on the grounds that crime and war will surely be over by then. It is true that many liberals (correctly) believe poverty is not inevitable; during the pandemic, we saw the government cut child poverty in half in just a few weeks. But even on that front, no left-of-center party in the U.S. or U.K. is actually calling for anti-poverty spending high enough to eliminate material deprivation. Joe Bidens ambition was merely to permanently reduce the number of American children in poverty by 50 percent, and even this proved too radical for many in his party.

The politically salient argument between the left and the right is not about whether inequality or poverty can be eliminated but rather whether public policy should aim to reduce both. And that debate cant be settled by ponderous invocations of human nature. You dont need to make any naive assumptions about humanitys fundamental character to believe public policy can reduce poverty and inequality while sustaining economic growth. You just need to know that Scandinavia exists (and/or look at a single chart of U.S. income distribution before and after the Reagan era).

It is obviously true that policymakers can impact the relative prevalence of inequality, poverty, crime, and war. Making a coherent case for the conservative perspective on these issues requires defending the substance of the GOP (or Tory) agenda.

It is indeed silly to believe a modern industrial economy could function well without any inequality whatsoever (if people who dedicated years of their lives to the arduous study and practice of medicine could not expect to earn a wage premium as a result of such efforts, we would surely have too few doctors). But establishing that full communism is a bad idea doesnt tell us why slashing Medicaid is a good one. Of course, the whole point of Kisins rhetorical gambit is to dodge the burden of defending conservative fiscal priorities on their merits. Talk enough about humanitys incurable fallibility and the evils of totalitarianism, and your audience may forget that Stalin has been dead for 70 years and that the Anglophone center-left is led by Biden and Keir Starmer.

If Kisins account of the partisan divide on human nature is specious, his application of that theoretical framework to the Israel-Hamas conflict is nonsensical.

Kisin rattles off examples of left-of-center groups and institutions responding to the October 7 attacks in ways that range from morally heinous to perfectly defensible (in the latter category, Kisin criticizes universities for simply choosing not to publish an institutional statement about the war). He then suggests that the woke lefts contempt for Israeli life shattered the illusion that wokeness is about protecting victims and standing up for persecuted minorities. In reality, the ideology is merely about power.

This revelation was surprising to those still clinging to the unconstrained vision of human nature, he writes. Those who recognize that human nature is unchangeable, by contrast, saw the lefts apologias for Hamas coming, since if there is any constant in human history, it is that revolutionaries always feel entitled to destroy those who stand in their way.

Yet this is a claim about the nature of revolutionaries, not human beings. One could posit that humans as a species fundamentally care about power, not protecting victims, and that every ideology is therefore just a smokescreen concealing a will for social dominance. But thats an idea conservatives generally disparage as postmodern nihilism. I dont think Kisin believes that his own ideological groups avowed concern for the victims of Hamas or the woke mob is just a tactic for winning power. But if he doesnt think that, then he isnt actually making any claims about human nature; hes just saying leftists are bad and have always been bad.

His argument gets even more confused when he zeroes in on specific issues. Now that the Hamas attacks have revealed that human nature is constrained, he reasons, liberals will be forced to recognize that conservatives are right about immigration.

What is the connection between believing that human nature is largely constant and supporting restrictions on immigration? Kisin offers none beyond the observation that the word constrained can be used to describe a restrictive immigration policy, while the word unconstrained can be used to describe a liberal one. As he writes, For decades, both Europe and America basked in an unconstrained vision of immigration.

But here, Kisin is just free-associating. His argument is no more coherent than the claim that, since human nature is fundamentally constrained, people should sing in a constrained vocal style free of scatting or shouting.

There is no reason why one cant simultaneously believe that human nature is constrained and support an unconstrained (which, in Kisins usage, merely means expansive, not literally unconstrained) immigration policy. In fact, if one believes human nature is mostly fixed and insensitive to the peculiar norms and institutions of a given society, then one may be more inclined to support high levels of immigration. After all, the more uniform all humans are in our nature, the easier it will be to integrate foreigners into any given society.

Kisins own skepticism of open immigration is seemingly rooted in a belief that human nature is highly malleable, such that people forged by foreign cultures will struggle to assimilate into western ones. He doesnt say this outright, but he implies that recent immigrant communities subscribe to values that are antithetical to the Wests, writing, It is much harder to pretend that allowing people to enter our country illegally is a moral good when you watch some of them celebrate mass murder in the streets of your capital cities.

Kisins reflections on how October 7 should change immigration politics arent just in tension with his claims about human nature but also his purported commitment to free speech. His whole shtick is that hes a stalwart supporter of both free-speech rights and an ethos of free and open debate. Yet in his essay, he approvingly notes that, having now recognized human nature as constrained, France has banned pro-Palestine protests and warned that foreign nationals who take part will be removed from the country.

To Kisin, moralistic scolds mobbing conservatives on social media is a threat to free speech. But a government legally prohibiting its citizens from demonstrating in favor of a specific political position  and threatening to deport foreign nationals who take part in such demonstrations  is just an example of policymakers belatedly recognizing Sowells brilliance.

Kisin concludes by arguing that Hamass attack should lead liberals to rethink their hostility toward the West:



If you consider yourself liberal or even progressive, it must surely be clear by now that America and her allies are the only places in the world where your values are even considered values. If our civilization is allowed to collapse, it will not be replaced by a progressive utopia. It will be replaced by chaos and barbarism.

Put aside the merits of Kisins claims. If one posits that human beings will behave barbarically in one social context but like bleeding-heart liberals in a different one, arent you saying human nature is very sensitive to social conditions? Isnt one straightforward implication of Kisins veneration of the West that, as he puts it, social ills and evils can be overcome through collective action that encourages humans to behave better? Indeed, hasnt the way weve organized collective action in the West overcome a wide range of social evils, such as the legal subjugation of women and the practice of slavery?

In truth, Kisins column is not an act of reasoning so much as an impersonation of the same. It is a bunch of tangentially associated ruminations molded into the shape of an essay. Its invocation of Sowells reflections on human nature serves as a signifier of gravitas, rather than a theoretical foundation for a coherent argument. The point is to signal that conservatives have very deep reasons for believing that the left sucks.

Alas, as the columns warm reception illustrates, red Americas reading public isnt asking its intellectuals for anything more.
Photo: Marcus Maddox

Im often thinking about Balzac, Mike Crumplar, a 30-year-old recently lapsed Substacker tells me in the backyard of a bar in Greenpoint, a cigarette in one hand and a pilsner in the other. My New York is his Paris. Theres a lot of the same scene shit and intrigues  dramas and fights over poetry and bourgeois illusions and shit.

Theres a good chance that youve never heard of, much less read, what the writer called his Crumpstack, a word that has no known French translation. In it, he sought to depict, and send up, the world of hard-tweeting, coke-snorting aspiring rebel intellectuals who hung out in a made-up mini-neighborhood called Dimes Square during the COVID lockdown. (Crumplar himself moved to New York from Washington, D.C., in January 2022.) His newsletter, a kind of diary, mixing essays, score-settling, and party reportage, had around 7,000 subscribers, which might very well have exceeded the entire population of that milieu, where it was avidly hate-read. But as many clout-chasing arrivistes have found before, from those who wrote for the gossip rags of Balzacs 1830s Paris to the Gawker bloggers of the aughts, the surest way to make a name for yourself is to mock those who came before you.

Crumplar sought to speak truth to niche social power. Some of what he wrote was snarky fun. (He called Dimes Square a place where older literary men can have younger muses, free from the prudish Robespierres of the North Brooklyn DSA.) He labels many of his characters  real people  fascists. Fascist might be overused these days, but there is in fact a defiantly reactionary current downtown. Many of its leading figures consort with the likes of James OKeefe (who once appeared in Crumpstack reading from Henry V at a party), blogger Curtis Yarvin, Peter Thiel (who underwrote an anti-woke film festival), and even Alex Jones (who has appeared on the Red Scare podcast). Some fixtures, like the writer Honor Levy, like to go on about their adoption of traditionalist Catholicism. Crumplar has said he is committed to radical-left politics and sought to call them out.

In person, he can be a difficult conversationalist, drifting into overintellectualization and conspiratorial thinking. He starts more sentences than he finishes, rarely makes eye contact, and is usually, in the course of his monologuing, scratching his eyebrow or the back of his head.

And while Im not sure anybody would confuse his prose with Balzacs, in certain ways he is ballsy. When Air Mail put him on its Downtown Set list of 50 Young New Yorkers Remaking Lower Manhattan in Their Own Image last year, it wrote, Every regime has its gadfly, and Dimes Square has Mike Crumplar. The most memorable Crumpstacks describe confrontations, which he seems to thrive on. In one, he wrote about the indie filmmaker Peter Vack inviting him to a shoot with scenesters who hated him for what hed written about them, including Red Scare podcast host Dasha Nekrasova and the actress Betsey Brown. They all roasted him on-camera, and he wrote that it was his Dimes Square Fascist Humiliation Ritual. Another post, called All in Good Fun, recounted his being denied entry to a literary event unless he let Nekrasova slap him. The video got passed around widely, and I can tell he kind of loved it. She was in a weird way rewarding me for being relevant, he says. He seems to think it was sort of sexually charged.

At some point in our conversation, he says, In a lot of ways, Im just embodying this boring bourgeois white dude subjectivity, without further explanation. But I think I know what he means.

By day, Crumplar is a copy editor, working on reports for the World Bank and the U.N. with colleagues who dont know about his nocturnal notoriousness. He grew up in suburban Virginia, and his father, a former Navy man, is a defense contractor. At William & Mary, he majored in German studies (Reading Nietzsche and stuff). College is also where he got his nickname, Crumps, from his fraternity brothers, whom he now also describes as fascist Republican people.

I have a weird relationship with my family, he says. Theyd rather me live in D.C. and work for the State Department or something. His job went remote during the pandemic, which allowed him to move here. Living in D.C., he felt socially isolated, so it was thrilling to be in New York, where people were constantly having parties around their poetry readings, he says. That was foreign to me. So exotic. Plus there were better drugs: Theres fucking psychedelics everywhere. Everyone is doing it.

In early September, Crumplar announced he was stepping back from Crumpstack, sharing on Instagram that he would be reevaluating my values and how theyre expressed in my work. He says he felt hed gotten too cozy with the crowd that he had moved here to critique. Soon after, his close friend, a woman named Tai who has styled herself as 2023s Valerie Solanas and appeared frequently in his writing, took to her own socials and turned on him: The fascists slob on your impotent cock because you give them free gossip press. Another of his newly empowered characters tweeted ominously that there is a big reckoning for the Dimes Square scene coming soon in which people will have to actually consider its historical political significance, also writing that Crumplar  was willingly or unwillingly complicit in the fascist project happening. (One of his readers, talking about a young writer he covered, once told me, She was in the fucking Crumpstack  He made her a figure. Thats power!) Also, and maybe because he likes to microdose acid on the job, he admits hes gotten some things wrong. But he never claimed to be a journalist, exactly. This is more a serialized novel. (Balzac: Journalism is an inferno, a bottomless pit of iniquity, falsehood and treachery.)

Crumplar leaves open the possibility of his return from Substack exile. Still, he admits, I definitely think its true that I was kind of on an ego trip. I got lost in the sauce or whatever. But Im going to come out of that having some distance and a book that kicks ass. Complicity, he says, was the price of admission. Youre not rooting out the evil if youre getting wrapped up in it, one of his many frenemies tells me.

Eventually, after several beers, Crumplar and I set off to a party down the street in a loft where Matthew Gasda, who wrote the underground play Dimes Square, in which members of that scene played versions of their louche selves, stages his work. Crumplar last year panned that play  It would be nice to have some art that does more than tickle the enjoyment of seeing oneself in the cocaine mirror  but has since revised his opinion of the playwright. Hes like a neurotic misogynistic tyrant or a fool, he allows. But he was also a three-dimensional character thats absurd and sympathetic in certain ways. Tonight is a celebration of Gasdas latest, Zoomers, a dramedy about two kids who find themselves adrift in the social landscape of New York.

Everybody I talk to at the party seems appropriately adrift, fretting about their creative endeavors and wondering aloud if they really are their generations Warhols. (According to Crumplar, the only Factory-ready people around are Nekrasova and Caroline Calloway, whose memoir he helped edit.)

The thing is Dimes Square, despite the hoopla, has yet to have widespread influence. As Jack Antonoff recently told The Face, Whats the book, whats the band? The toxic podcast cant be the genius cultural export. Crumplar would nominate his Substack.

The point Im at right now is basically in Balzacs Lost Illusions where Lucien has fallen on his face, he says. This naive, idealistic writer goes to Paris and gets immersed in the city and kind of gets chewed up and spit out by it.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  The Department of Justice (DOJ) will examine the complaint filed by Myanmar nationals against their military known as Tatmadaw, Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday.

Ito po ay kailangang pag-aralan muna namin bago sabihin ang ganap na mangyayari, Remulla said in a briefing. Kung ito ay sufficient in form and substance saka natin pasasagutin yung mga taong dapat managot sa mga reklamong ito.

[Translation: We need to study this first before announcing what will happen. If this is sufficient in form and substance, then we will hold the persons responsible for these complaints accountable.]

Natives of Chin State, Myanmar flew to Manila to ask the Philippine government for assistance in investigating the alleged burning of their homes and killing of family members, among other war crimes, committed by officials of Tatmadaw.

Five members of the predominantly Christian state filed the joint criminal complaint before the DOJ under the principle of mandatory universal jurisdiction in Republic Act No. 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

They accused the respondents of killing their family members, torching their houses, and attacking Christian churches.

The military also allegedly impeded relief supplies to starve Chins civilians as a method of warfare.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi  a figurehead of the opposition to decades of military rule in the country  in 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition, especially in Chin, which took up arms and became a key resistance force.

Romel Bagares, among their Filipino lawyers known in the human rights scene, called the complaint a landmark suit.

This is a case for war crimes. This is the very first time that such a case is being brought before the Philippines and this is under Philippine law, its called the International Humanitarian Law Act of 2010, Bagares said.

Bagares explained the law allows universal jurisdiction, which means that if a crime happens abroad and that crime is classified as a war crime, a genocide crime, or crimes against humanity, then the Philippines has a duty to prosecute once this crime is brought to its attention.

Based on the Chin Human Rights Organization, the Myanmar military forced the displacement of an estimated 120,000 people, which constitute 20% of the entire population of Chin State.

Another Filipino legal counsel, Gilbert Andres, said the complainants brought the case to the Philippines as they no longer have other options.

We are expecting first of all this is a truly historic day because we cant find justice in our own country and we are expecting that the Philippines is the place where we can find some form of justice from the atrocities we have suffered, complainant Salai Ling said.

CNN Philippines' digital producer Syrah Inocencio and correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this story.
I wonder if his jacket zipper works.

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It's further down here so if you want to undress him I think you're in luck

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I don't watch the show but Juno's doll is cute!

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I hope the Ted Lasso doll comes with a salad dressing recipe.

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Already ordered my ted doll so i can reenact the scene and throw him in front of barbie car while brunette barbie (thereza?) Is inside of said car holding a salad

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They better give Rebecca or Ted the pink box of cookies :pppp





These are cute ngl

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It doesn't mention coming with cookies :( there'd better be a little surprise pink box inside Rebecca's handbag

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wow blonde female dolls and brunette male dolls? how groundbreaking for barbie. when will they release HOLE

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Like the band???

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Looks nothing like Rebecca or Keeley in the face, but still cute. But who wants these??

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I see Rebecca a bit but Keeley not at all. At least they don't look as creepy as the Ted doll though.



But who wants these?



Yeah idk, it seems like something they should've done way earlier when people were more invested in the show.

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Rebecca doll needs to be taller

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I loved the show (we wont talk about s3), but I would never buy these. HOWEVER. Give us Trent Crimm, the Independent NOW.



I also wouldnt mind seeing Leslie or Coach Beard. Sam. Jamie. Another luscious hair king - Dani Rojas.

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I can't believe I didn't think of Trent Crimm and now I'm offended he isn't a doll even though I would also never buy any of them

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That's a good point, I don't know how they could ever do it justice

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Hi kids! You guys like Apple+ dramedy shows about complicated adults trying to navigate life right?

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I still want some My Dinner with Andre action figures, if only because my dad loathes that movie and it would irrationally piss him off.





Edited at 2023-10-25 12:46 am (UTC)

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LOL I love that movie and that scene so much - it's really the happy ending he deserves.

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Adults buy dolls. These would have had an audience earlier.

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Im here to say that Ted Lasso s3 was a joke, Juno Temple getting the supporting actress nom is ridic and I will be mad if Brett Goldstein wins supporting actor again!

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I didn't entirely hate it while I was watching it but I think they emotionally manipulated me because in retrospect, it was pretty bad. It at least made me either not care about or dislike a lot of the characters



Roy Kent can fuck right off, I was so sick of him

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s1 was perfect and that's where it ended for me, Imma just treat it like a limited series. I thought s2 was okay but I'd rather just remember the perfect season hahaha

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I was shocked by how much it sucked. Only Sam's story worked

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lowkey dont even think that worked, I still liked the character a lot (more than I can say for most of the major characters tbh) but like. the twitter activism, the locker room lecture, the lack of follow up on his s2 storyline with Sam Richardsons character. he deserved better!

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It was atrocious. They should be embarrassed.

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there were some good moments in s3 but overall it was so bad. every single character regressed and became a caricature of themselves. also brendan hunt can fuck off for saying that beard/jane wasn't abusive (destroying someone's passport so they can't leave is literally textbook).



it really upsets me because the first two seasons were such a bright spot during the darkest days of the pandemic for me and i felt so ripped off/gaslit/preached at by the final season.

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Jamie was the only bright spot.

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I hope Phil gets it.

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I am upset the Stevie Nicks doll sold out so fast damn Mattel lol

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These are so cute

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what kind of random ass timing

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trent and jamie need one.

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Slate also posted an editorial written by Joel Robinson, an Osage person. I am sure there's an argument to be made that Apple and Paramount are using these people as a way to promote the film, given the writer's strike. But these interviews and essays have been interesting and thought provoking.

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Here's a film review from Robert Warrior, an Osage professor of American lit and culture, which points out the exclusion of the land policies that led the Osage into Oklahoma left him disappointed.

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It's been pretty uncomfortable watching non-Osage people talking over members of the Osage nation, particularly if the Osage have expressed positivity towards the project. The general consensus seems to be while they wished a member of the community had done the movie, it's also offensive that non-Osage are trying to speak against the story being told (since people were legit saying people shouldn't see the movie).



Yesterday it was a mess- it got to the point a member of the Osage community was tweeting that anyone- non-Osage indigenous and everyone else- not Osage needs to be quiet. It was really unfortunate to witness, tbh



Edited at 2023-10-25 06:43 pm (UTC)

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I feel like even Christopher Cote's words have been misinterpreted. He praises the film for its portrayal and collaboration between the nation, Martin and the producers while discussing the institutional racism that prevents Osage filmmakers from creating their own art. I think, as a whole, this film has been seen as a positive because it has people talking. Oklahoma teachers can't even assign the book because their legislators passed one of those CRT~ laws.

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Yes! And the fact is, whether people want to accept it or not, members of the Osage nation have been in the forefront in the film's promotion- starting with the Cannes premiere before the strike- and Scorsese has often deferred to them and encouraged their observations and criticisms. They had multiple viewings of the film for the Osage community before the film was ever released. The Osage were personally involved with the making of the film, from the costumes to the dialogue to the damn catering on set. They are having their voices heard and it's just been really upsetting that they are being pushed aside for performative activism by social media (and not ALL of the criticism is performative, I'm just speaking of the white people jumping to dunk on Scorsese) or spoken over by non-Osage people.



Like, it's their story, through and through, and it's been INSANE to see takes of "don't watch this movie/it sucks" when this story is literally banned from some curriculums.



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non osage people are using his words to justify opinions they held before/without even seeing the film. its honestly gross

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yes, i commented i think in the first post about cotes comment on this - people are treating his nuanced, thoughtful comments, which included meaningful positive notes on the film, as fodder in the twitter dunk contest circlejerk, and i find that incredibly distasteful.

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Was this about Devery? Because I saw tons of people using her statement like a weapon to bolster whatever point they wanted to make and it was awful.

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Its because nuance doesnt exist in 2023 for some reason

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I know it is not Deadline that deserves the credit, I'm sure it's an effort on the part of Apple and the distributors at Paramount, but the media space given to these voices has been incredibly interesting. I have learned a lot and appreciate the nuanced perspectives

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I personally loved the film. I'm also having such a great time reading Osage and other indigenous voices and opinions about the film. Lily Gladstone for the Oscar, Emmy, and your local Spelling Bee.

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What I wish now, is for Apple to now throw money at Osage writers/directors/actors and make an Apple+ series from the Osage perspective.

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I don't really think any non-Osage can say "this was good rep/this was bad rep" when the issue is always gonna be that Native stories only get told once every twenty years it feels like and like - taking well THIS Native person agrees with me on any angle doesn't get to the issue.



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I'm not sure if I am being successful at restraining myself, but I completely agree. I can really only comment on the film itself. I disagreed with a few people's interpretations here. Outside that, I think it is important to listen to Osage when they talk about the work they put in during its production and defer to them.

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I'm not indigenous nor a Native so I feel gross defending how I thought the movie was well done with "well THIS one agrees with me" so I just want to focus on the larger issue of how few Native stories we get and while like -



I think Scorsese keeps circling around America and the American dream is a criminal enterprise. That capitalism rewards the amoral and those stupid enough to go along with it. And I don't know how you tell that as a lifework's theme without talking about the original sin of colonization!



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Thank you for sharing!



I have really appreciated the different viewpoints on the film from Osage and other indigenous folks. No community is a monolith, and reading through the variety of opinions expressed has been really educational. I hope the film will help to lead to other opportunities for the indigenous creatives involved, both in front of and behind the camera.



Seeing the film has made me extremely interested in reading the book.

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i haven't seen the film yet (dying to!) but i cannot recommend the book enough. it is masterfully done.

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The book is quite different in structure, thered more detail on the investigations and more backstory for Jesse Plemons character.



I would recommend reading the book too.

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interesting



"I know a lot of the ladies said that scoundrel, basically Leonardo DiCaprios character Ernest. I said, well, you have to look at it. In my view, he was weak when he arrived. He had been injured in World War I. His uncle took him in and was able to offer him this refuge and a life. And the women said, the chief, no, there is no sympathy for this character. I was conflicted but I thought Id best stay out of that discussion."



I think I read somewhere that Mollie was ostracized by her community for standing by Ernest. In the movie it is only the mother Lizzie Q that gives any reproach to her daughters for marrying white men.

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I think I read somewhere that Mollie was ostracized by her community for standing by Ernest.



There was an interview in The Washington Post last week with Margie Burkhart, one of Mollie and Ernest's granddaughters, where they discussed that. Their surviving children got bullied over Ernest's actions, further aggravating what was obviously already a very traumatic situation.



Margie also gives her impressions of Ernest from when she met him in person, which I found interesting.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/10/20/killers-flower-moon-osage-descendants/ There was an interview inlast week with Margie Burkhart, one of Mollie and Ernest's granddaughters, where they discussed that. Their surviving children got bullied over Ernest's actions, further aggravating what was obviously already a very traumatic situation.Margie also gives her impressions of Ernest from when she met him in person, which I found interesting.

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I'm going to try and see the film tomorrow so I will read this after because I assume there are spoilers beyond what's in the trailer.

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i have to wait for this to come out on streaming because my pregnant ass cannot sit in a chair for 3+ hours these days without crippling my whole body



but i am excited to see it and i am so glad there's been so much good discussion

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NSC Details its Campaign to Combat Workplace Overdose Deaths

NSC officials shed light on its Respond Ready Workplace program, which aims to cut workplace overdose deaths.

In response to the mounting number of overdose deaths in the workplace, the National Safety Council took some time at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo today to provide some details on its Respond Ready Workplace program, which aims to cut the rate of workplace overdose fatalities.

American workplaces are just beginning their journey when it comes to understanding the issue and the need to address it, noted Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.

Were at the very front end of this, she explained.  Were really happy that weve grabbed this issue at this very early stage because we have the chance to educate businesses right now. I have been talking to quite a few business leaders around the nation, and this isnt on their radar yet. Not only do they not quite know whats going on in the United States and how many folks are losing their lives to this issue, they havent yet got in their own head that this is a workplace issue.

The numbers are eye-opening: according to NSC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, unintentional overdose deaths in the workplace from non-medical use of drugs or alcohol skyrocketed by 536 percent between 2011 and 2021. Overdose deaths totaled 464 in 2021, representing nearly one in 11 worker deaths.

Of course, this is part of the national opioid overdose epidemic. In 2021, the United States saw a 17.6 percent leap in drug overdose deaths in 2021, with a total of 98,268 people perishing that year, marking an all-time high, according to NSC review of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The Food and Drug Administration has responded to this epidemic by approving two opioid overdose drugs for over-the-counter use this year. On July 28, the FDA approved RiVive, 3-milligram naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for OTC use for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. That followed the FDAs March 29 approval of Narcan, 4-milligram naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for the same non-prescription use.

Per the FDAs recent moves, a cornerstone of NSCs Respond Ready Workplace program is the effort to get naloxone into workplace first aid kits and train employees on how to use it. Respond Ready Workplace will work with the companies that deliver first aid kits and AEDs, and could also work to help write standards for first aid kits to ensure they include naloxone, Martin noted.
NSC Safety Congress & Expo Coming to Orlando, Florida in 2024

The annual safety event heads to Florida in September 2024.

With the successful conclusion of the 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, attention now turns to the future as organizers have unveiled the first details about next years event.

In 2024, the NSC Safety Congress & Expo will be hosted in Orlando, Florida. While the main event itself will take place from Sept. 16-18, 2024, professional development seminars will occur on Sept. 13-15 and 18-19. Orlando's lively atmosphere and accessibility make it an ideal location for safety professionals from around the country to convene.

Looking further ahead, the NSC has also announced the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo will set its sights on Denver, Colorado. The event will kick off with professional development seminars from Sept. 12-14 and 17 to 18, followed by the main event from September 15-17, 2025. Denver's natural surroundings and urban landscape promise another inspiring backdrop.

Neither the 2024 nor the 2025 edition has announced a venue just yet. But the NSC Safety Congress & Expo has a long history of settling in the heart of its host city. So prospective attendees can trust the events reputation as they plan ahead. More information on the 2024 event in Orlando and the 2025 event in Denver will be on the NSC Congress & Expo website.
Crude oil prices inched down today after the Energy Information Administration reported an inventory increase of 1.4 million barrels for the week to October 20.

This compared with an inventory draw of 4.5 million barrels for the previous week.

A day before the EIAs report came out, the American Petroleum Institute estimated inventories had declined by 2.7 million barrels in the week to October 20. It also reported a sizeable gasoline inventory draw that helped push prices higher.

According to the EIA, gasoline stocks added a modest 200,000 barrels in the week to October 20. Gasoline production averaged 9.8 million barrels daily in the reporting week.

This compared with an inventory draw of 2.4 million barrels for the previous week, when production averaged 9.8 million barrels daily.

In middle distillates, the EIA estimated an inventory decline of 1.7 million barrels for last week, with production seen averaging 4.7 million barrels daily.

This compared with a draw of 3.2 million barrels the previous week, and production averaging 4.7 million bpd.

Refineries processed 15.2 million barrels of crude daily last week, down from 15.4 million bpd the week before. Imports stood at an average daily of 6 million barrels in the week to October 20, up slightly on the previous week.

Oil prices, meanwhile, stabilized after shedding some 6% between Friday and Tuesday as fears of an escalation in the Middle East subsided amid stepped up diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The latest economic data from Europe helped soften prices, too. S&P Global reported that the PMI for the eurozone this month fell to 46.5 from 47.2 in September. This is the lowest reading since November 2020, Reuters noted in its report on the news.

On the other hand, prices received some support on Tuesday from the API report, as analysts polled by Reuters had expected a build in crude oil inventories rather than a draw, which suggests demand is more robust than those analysts had assumed.

At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $87.98 per barrel while West Texas Intermediate was changing hands for $83.54 per barrel, both slightly down from opening.

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By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Over the past decade, green and socially responsible investments, aka ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing, have emerged as one of the biggest investment megatrends in modern times. For years, trillions of dollars in new global funds flowed into the market each year, with UBS predicting that carbon-reducing tech would hit $60 trillion of investment by 2040. Back in 2019, BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK) declared its intention to increase its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investments more than tenfold from $90 billion to a trillion dollars in the space of a decade. Blackrock is the worlds largest asset manager with $9.4 trillion in assets under management (AUM).

The past couple of years have also witnessed a large divestment drive from fossil fuels. Three years ago, former New York Citys Mayor Bill de Blasio and Comptroller Scott M. Stringer sent shockwaves through the oil and gas sector after they announced that the citys $226B pension fund plans to divest the majority of its fossil fuel investments over the next five years and also cut ties with other companies that have been contributing to global warming. Shortly thereafter, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a family foundation built on one of the worlds biggest oil fortunes, followed suit by announcing that it would ditch its oil and gas investments and cease making any new investments going forward. The $5-billion foundation was initially carved from oil money in the 19th century by John D. Rockefellers son, of the Standard Oil fame. Related: Strong Gasoline Draw Supports Oil Prices

The ESG craze has lately lost some steam amid multi-year highs in oil and gas prices as investors focus more on getting a larger piece of the record profits being enjoyed by fossil fuel companies. However, that does not mean that ESG is dead.

The Rockefeller Foundation has doubled down after launching a high-profile campaign last month to support climate solutions including a $1 billion-plus pledge. The fund has acknowledged the absurdity and irony of applying oil wealth to climate solutions, but has justified the action by saying oil and gas companies should play a part in solving a crisis they have played a big part in creating.

"I feel that we've an extra responsibility almost to address the climate change challenge on that basis," the Rockefeller Foundation's Joseph Curtin has told Newsweek.

The foundation has launched programs aimed at lowering the use of coal-fired power in Asia and speed up deployment of battery storage for renewable energy. The foundation will also develop climate-smart infrastructure, build renewable energy mini-grids in developing countries and also pursue nature-based solutions for carbon removal and climate resilience.

"I see the Foundation's $1 billion climate solutions commitment as entirely consistent with John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s philanthropic ideals. Rather than being somehow wrong for money earned from oil to be used to fund a world beyond oil, it's what we should hope to see more of in society: That successive generations use their resources to correct harms only recently brought to awareness, and we evolve our goals in step with our consciousness," Rockefeller family member Daniel Growald told Newsweek.

ESG Investing Slows Down

ESG enthusiasm is certainly dwindling. After peaking at $17.1 trillion in 2020, ESG assets in the United States dropped sharply to just $8.4 trillion in 2022, and the bleeding continues. In the current year, no less than four ESG funds have been liquidated: SPDR Bloomberg SASB Corporate Bond ESG Select ETF (RBND), SPDR Bloomberg SASB Emerging Markets ESG Select ETF (REMG), SPDR Bloomberg SASB Developed Markets Ex US ESG Select ETF (RDMX) and the Invesco US Large Cap Core ESG ETF (IVLC).

Talking points around ESG have also dwindled markedly: According to FactSet, just 74 companies in the S&P 500 cited the term "ESG" during their latest earnings conference call transcripts, less than half the 156 times the term was cited in 2021 Q4 earnings conference calls.

A similar trend has also been observed across the rest of the world, including in Europe where ESG standards are much stricter.

The year 2021 proved to be a watershed moment for oil and gas companies in the global transition to clean energy, with Big Oil losing a series of boardroom and courtroom battles in the hands of hardline climate activists.

Luckily for these oil and gas supermajors, last year, investor sentiment shifted in their favor.

In May 2022, Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) recorded a major victory after its shareholders supported the company's energy transition strategy at the annual general meeting. Only 28% of the participants backed a resolution filed by the Follow This activist group urging faster action to battle climate change; a proposal calling for a report on low-carbon business planning received just 10.5% support while a report on plastic production garnered a 37% favorable vote.

Following in the footsteps of its larger peer, in June, Chevron shareholders voted against a resolution asking the company to adopt greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets, indicating support for the steps the company already has taken to address climate change. Just 33% of shareholders voted in favor of the proposal, according to preliminary figures disclosed by the company, a sharp turnaround from last year when 61% of shareholders voted to support a similar proposal.

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Back in June, Exxon CEO Darren Woods urged regulators to stop focusing on certain energy sources, such as renewable energy, to save the climate, warning that it would be a huge mistake to be picking winners and losers and focusing on specific technologies. Instead, we need to look more broadly and let the markets figure out which solutions deliver the most emissions reductions at the lowest cost," Woods told Nicolai Tangen, the CEO of Norway's Wealth Fund,one of the largest mutual funds in the world, on his podcast. An attempt to move away from oil and gas immediately, with unchanged global demand, could be disastrous for clean energy, Woods suggested, adding that if we produce less LNG, for example, something elselike coalwould have to step in to fill the demand gap. According to Woods, Europe should follow the U.S. approach to climate policy, arguing that the continent risks driving companies away by regulating too hard. Woods told Bloomberg that one of the most important things the Americans (and ExxonMobil) are doing is developing technologies to capture and store carbon

Overall, overcoming carbon-lock is proving to be a much more formidable task than earlier thought.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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The American research company HyperloopTT unveiled its latest hyperloop technology, an innovative freight capsule system which it claims will revolutionise freight shipping.

The idea, first popularised by Elon Musk and SpaceX engineers over a decade ago, involves using magnetic propulsion to fire pods or trains through a network of tubes at up to 800 miles per hour.

HyperloopTT believes its tech, developed alongside the design consultancy tangerine, can push out traditional high-speed rail systems while operating at a fraction of the cost.

The new Express Freight system, showcased via a nifty animation, gives a glimpse into the potential future for freight shipping, an industry typically plagued by high costs and carbon emissions.

Using a combination of levitating capsules, conveyer belts and vacuum tubes, the contraption allows freight to be quickly loaded up and shot off to new destinations.

The volume of freight held is maximised by lowering the floor of each capsule and adding a pocket door for more internal space.

Andres de Leon, chief executive of HyperloopTT said the new technology would fundamentally transform how goods are transported globally.

By incorporating key innovations like fast automated loading systems, maximized freight capacity and flexible configurations, we have developed a hyperloop design optimized for transporting freight at unprecedented speeds at cheaper rates than currently offered by air and road, he said.

The moves come as the nascent tech is beginning to take off globally. The Independent reported in April that Chinese rail design institutes were considering building a hyperloop train line between Shanghai and Hangzhou.

A report commissioned by the planning firm Transportation Economics Management reckons that the express freight option is cheaper than both air and truck, while the hyperloop industry is expected to grow from $260bn (212bn) in 2020 to over $484bn in 2030.

In May, HyperloopTT was awarded 800m (696m) as part of an EU tender to build the first commercial hyperloop in Italy.

Hurdles remain, though. Planning permission and other regulatory hurdles stand in the way of seeing major hyperloop systems firing passengers to destinations at high speed.

In Britain, the Department for Transport (DfT) has said that it would be at least a couple of decades before a Hyperloop system could be ready, because of the scale of the technical challenges involved.

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In a paper outlining his vision, Musk wrote: It would be great to have an alternative to flying or driving, but obviously only if it is actually better than flying or driving.

By CityAM

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Dumaguete City (CNN Philippines, October 25)  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will impose a curfew in Negros Oriental for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections

Curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. will be implemented on Oct. 28 and 29 to ensure public safety, according to Regional Joint Security Control Center VII.

Regional Election Director Leonel Marco Castellano said the curfew hours aim to prevent vote-buying, threats, intimidation, and violence against voters, candidates, and election workers.

Violators will be detained for the duration of the curfew hours and will be released at 5 a.m.

Workers required to travel such as BPO employees, health workers, and those who are engaged in the business of transporting goods or services are exempted during their work hours.

Meanwhile, Castellano said no major election-related violence was reported as of Oct. 25.

Negros Oriental is placed under the poll body's control over security concerns, following several incidents of politics-related violence, particularly the assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo and nine other people in March.
Turkmenistans president is scheduled to travel to Turkey this week for talks expected to focus on natural gas transportation.

For decades, thoughts about how to send Turkmen gas westward have centered around the need to build a trans-Caspian pipeline to Azerbaijan. Presumed resistance from Russia has long been the main perceived stumbling block.

But that is only one part of the equation.

For buyers in Europe to be able to import useful amounts of Turkmen gas, the capacity of the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, or TANAP, which crosses the length of Turkey, will also have to expand substantially.

Happily for that notion, Azerbaijan and Turkey agreed last year on a plan to expand annual capacity at TANAP from 16 billion cubic meters to 32 billion cubic meters. Speaking at an energy forum in Istanbul in October 2022, Turkeys then-Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez expressed confidence this increase could be implemented in a short period of time.

Speaking to Turkish news agency Anadolu in June, Azerbaijans ambassador to Ankara predicted that the added capacity would enable Baku to up its Turkey-bound gas exports to 10.2 billion cubic meters per year. Another 12 billion cubic meters per year would be earmarked for Europe, the ambassador, Rashad Mammadov, told Anadolu.

The math suggests room for Turkmenistan to also negotiate its way into TANAP. How that might look will be fodder for the conversations that President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and his delegation have in Turkey when they visit on October 25-26.

In a neat bit of timing, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov was in Luxembourg on October 23 for wide-ranging consultations with senior European diplomats on the side-lines of a Central Asia-European Union ministerial meeting.

Meredov was crystal clear on the energy agenda in his statement to the meeting.

Speaking about cooperation in the energy sector, the Turkmen diplomat indicated that the transportation of energy resources is of crucial importance for Turkmenistan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement about his speech. Particular emphasis was placed on expanding gas exports to Europe through the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline.

Berdymukhamedovs upcoming trip to Turkey has been preceded by what is now becoming a customary bit of grim gift-giving of sorts.

Vienna-based Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported that on October 17, several dozen Turkmen nationals, including one government critic called Serdar Durdylyev, were loaded onto a plane in Istanbul and sent back home. While many in this group appeared to have issues with their documents, Durdylyev reportedly had a valid residence permit when he was detained. This permit was annulled in nebulous circumstances and the activist was denied the chance to meet with a lawyer. His next stop is all but certain to be prison.

Long deemed something of a haven, Turkey has now become a highly risky place for Turkmens critical of their government to live. Not that these people have much choice. Russia ships Turkmens back home at will. And the European Union is destination very few can hope to reach.

In fact, there are many destinations that are hard for Turkmens to reach for the simple fact that getting hold of an international passport can be so complicated.

Amsterdam-based Turkmen.news reported on October 19 that that in the city of Turkmenabat, the wait for receiving a travel document can be as long as 10 months. There is talk that the numbers of people seeking to leave the country is so great that children under the age of 18 may no longer be issued foreign passports. It is a similar story in other parts of the country.

Unnamed Turkmen.news sources have identified the culprit for all this as former president (and father of the incumbent) Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. The so-called National Leader is apparently outraged by the large numbers of people rushing for the exit. What most aggrieves him is how many Turkmens are applying for the U.S. Green Card lottery. The number has gone up from almost 13,000 in 2016 to more than 56,000 in 2021.

While Berdymukhamedov senior wants to see fewer Turkmen people leave the country, he wants more Turkmen gas sent abroad  a point he made for the umpteenth time at the third international Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing last week. He dwelled in part on the progress allegedly being made on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India, or TAPI, gas pipeline project.

TOLO News website on October 13 cited a spokesman for Afghanistans Mines and Petroleum Ministry as saying the government in Kabul, the self-styled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has addressed the matter of purchasing the land on which the TAPI pipeline is to be built. Experts consulted by TOLO News conceded, though, that more problems lie ahead.

This project is now facing two major issues; the first is the recognition of the Islamic Emirate, which has slowed it down and is the subject of continuing negotiations. Another major problem of this project is the bilateral tensions between the countries involved, especially the dispute between India and Pakistan, Seiyar Qurishi, an economist, told TOLO News.

One big sticking point, as ever, is money. TAPI member nations are betting on the Gulf.

On October 22, the chairman of Turkmenistans State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs, sometimes called Turkmenvnesheconombank, met in Riyadh with the chief executive of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan Al-Marshad, to discuss cooperation on vital sectors in Turkmenistan.

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Last month, Pakistans government announced  with possibly excessive confidence  that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were poised to invest many billions of dollars in major projects, including TAPI.

On October 21, President Berdymukhamedov headed out to the Kelete armed forces training center to watch a session of joint military exercises conducted with the usual requisite spirit of Sturm und Drang.

Demonstrations included an attack drill carried out by drones against a foe of unspecified typology. Images of the exercise were relayed by Turkmenistans own TurkmenAlem telecommunications satellite, according to state media.

Another segment of the drill envisioned an incoming assault from the air, which was successfully repelled by a team of anti-aircraft gunners. The whole land, air and sea theme was driven home with another sequence that involved scuba-diving navy commandos.

As a result of the joint military operations of special forces  the illegal armed group suffered great damage, state media reported.

By Eurasianet.org

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Israel is on the brink of a full invasion of the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) prepared to implement a range of military strategies. While regional tensions are escalating, a full-scale war has not yet erupted on Israel's northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, involving Hezbollah, a Shia terrorist organization, and its supporters. Diplomatic pressure from the USA and Arab nations is currently preventing Hezbollah from launching a large-scale offensive. This ongoing 'stalemate' is precarious, as it has the potential to trigger a regional conflict and create significant instability in Arab countries, such as Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which could face public backlash. Despite the concerns within the oil and gas market about the ongoing conflict and its potential impact on energy supplies and operations, the expected oil price risk premium remains relatively low. The situation appears uncertain, but even Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Davos in the Desert FII2023 conference proceeds as if the crisis is not occurring. Energy industry leaders are mingling in opulent settings at Riyadh's Ritz Carlton, seemingly disconnected from the reality on the ground.

Just as political leaders in the West often struggle to understand the sentiments of their constituents, leading to the rise of populism, it appears that energy giants, OPEC leaders, and commodity traders are similarly detached from the unfolding crisis. The situation bears a striking resemblance to the Russian military buildup on Ukraine's borders in 2022 when most believed that nothing significant would happen.

From a military geopolitical perspective, the current alertness of Western forces, including the USA and Israel, is unparalleled. While all eyes are on the IDF and its neighbors, the significant buildup of US forces in the region is being concealed from public view. The only noticeable change in posture is the preparations made by Washington to safeguard US civilians and diplomats from becoming embroiled in the conflict. However, the hidden buildup of US Navy force projection capabilities, the deployment of advanced anti-missile systems, fighter squadrons, and an offensive capacity to target any regional adversary is unprecedented. Officially, Washington attributes these military moves and preparations to protecting US troops in the Middle East, given the increased attacks on their assets by Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria. However, it is evident that the focus extends beyond force protection. Related: Europes LNG Imports Set To Surge By 30% In November

Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, US forces in the Middle East have been repeatedly targeted by missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraq, Syria, and even in response to Yemen-based missile launches in the Red Sea region. All these attacks have been linked to Iranian-backed operations. Washington's recent call for US citizens to evacuate Lebanon and other Arab capitals should not be underestimated. There are clear signs that a direct military confrontation between the USA and Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran is imminent. The positioning of two US aircraft carriers off the coast of Israel, alongside the existing US fleet in and around the Arabian/Persian Gulf, underscores the seriousness of the situation. A ground assault by Israel on Gaza or heightened Hezbollah activity in northern Israel could easily trigger a larger conflict.

Oil markets, commodity traders, investment funds, and maritime companies should reevaluate their strategies promptly. While building a military capability to project power is generally a defensive move that should be welcomed, the current actions indicate a shift from defensive to offensive postures. Unless a miracle occurs in the coming hours or days, a higher level of volatility and confrontation than what the mainstream media or analysts are portraying seems imminent. One significant incident, even initiated by a minor player like Hezbollah or Iranian-backed militias resulting in US casualties, could trigger a major crisis. Iran's military capabilities, especially its missiles and proxy forces, are formidable, and the outcome of a full-scale confrontation would be definitive.

In such a multifaceted conflict, the implications are extensive, encompassing the Eastern Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. These regions are vital maritime transport routes for energy, commodities, and nearly half of global maritime trade. The costs of such a conflict would be staggering, jeopardizing future assessments and investments. History provides valuable lessons, even for algorithm-based commodity traders and investors, and the situation evokes memories of the Ukrainian crisis, but this time, the involved powers possess far greater capacity and reach. It is essential not to underestimate the global influence of Iran, which has a presence around the world, including in the USA, UK, and EU, in addition to its significant naval and IRGC capabilities. Moscow, while not overtly involved, should not be overlooked as a silent partner in the unfolding events.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

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Amid expected higher demand at the start of the heating season, LNG imports into northwest Europe are expected to soar by 30% in November compared to October, Montel reported on Wednesday, citing preliminary estimates from LSEG.

With winter heating demand kicking in, LNG imports are set to rise materially in November, although they would be lower than in the same month of 2022 when Europe was scrambling to get its hands on LNG cargoes to replace pipeline Russian gas.

Next month, northwest Europe is estimated to import around 243 mcm/day, headed to the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the UK, per the LSEG projections.

The heating demand kicks in and there are forecasts of colder weather, Wayne Bryan, head of European gas at LSEG, told Montel.

The estimated November imports would be 15% lower than in November 2022.

Weather and weather forecasts from November onwards will be the driving force of LNG imports into Europe, and also the biggest unknowns for European gas consumption this winter.

Europe has reduced its gas consumption over the past year, due to energy saving and to lower industrial demand due to high prices and demand destruction.

Some of the lost European demand for natural gas due to the energy crisis and record-high prices could never return, Vitol Groups chief executive Russel Hardy said last week.

For gas, demand has plummeted in Europe, with double-digit percentage reductions. We expect some of the lost demand to be permanent, Hardy told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London.

Gas demand in the EU was 12% lower in 2022 than the 2019-2021 average, driven by falling industrial and household gas demand, researchers at Brussels-based think tank Bruegel wrote earlier this month.

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In 2023, the greater availability of alternative power generation helped with significant gas demand reduction in the power sector, too.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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Germanys energy major Uniper expects to book a higher profit for 2023 than previously anticipated thanks to hedging bets the company made for its power generation and natural gas distribution businesses.

Per a Bloomberg report citing the company, Uniper expects to book between $6.4 billion and $7.4 billion, or 6-7 billion euros, in earnings before interest, tax, and depreciation. The net figure is seen at between 4 and 5 billion euros, equal to some $4.24 billion to $5.3 billion.

Germany had to nationalize Uniper last year to avoid its collapse amid soaring gas prices and a lack of Russian supply in the wake of the Ukraine invasion and the EU sanction barrage. The total bill for the nationalization came in at $53 billion.

To replace lost Russian gas volumes, European buyers switched to U.S. LNG, with exports of the commodity from the U.S. Gulf Coast soaring to record highs last year. Uniper has been especially active on the spot market, uncertain about long-term gas demand in Europe.

"We want to continue to diversify geographically but also in terms of the duration of contracts," the companys chief executive Michael Lewis said in July.

"The key challenge will be getting the right pricing and the right flexibility so that you can move that gas around easily, as demand starts to fall in Europe," he added at the time.

This month, meanwhile, three large European companies sealed long-term LNG supply deals that would guarantee deliveries of the fuel beyond 2050 despite the EUs transition plans.

TotalEnergies, Shell, and Eni all signed contracts with Qatar Energy, under which deliveries will begin in 2026 with the contract term for all three deals at 27 years.

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Uniper is currently working on enabling the German government to exit its majority shareholding. The approach it has employed is reducing its share capital by 97%.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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As GM redirects its focus toward making a profit amid grim earnings outlooks, strikes and rising costs, the U.S. auto giant has announced it is ditching a $5-billion plan to develop affordable EVs in partnership with Honda.

The multi-billion-dollar plan was to beat Tesla at the sales game and the decision to scrap it comes only a year-and-a-half after its conception.

"After extensive studies and analysis, we have come to a mutual decision to discontinue the program. Each company remains committed to affordability in the EV market," the companies said in a joint statement carried by Reuters.

"After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment, we are ending development of an affordable EV," Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe told Bloomberg. In April 2022, General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Honda Motors (NYSE:HMC) announced plans to co-develop a series of affordable electric vehicles using next-generation lithium battery technology, with the goal of enabling production of millions of EVs beginning in 2027.

United Auto Workers (UAW) union strikes have continued for five weeks, targeting Detroit giants, with walk offs starting on Tuesday and expanding to GMs Arlington Assembly plant in Texas. According to NBC News, this is the first time the UAE has gone on strike against all three American auto giants simultaneously.

GM released its Q3 earnings report on Tuesday, beating expectations, but withdrawing its earlier guidance for the year, along with near-term EV targets due to slower-than-expected demand. According to GMs earnings report, the strike has so far cost the company $800 million in pretax profits, prompting the withdrawal of its previous guidance for the year. Honda says it is sticking to its plans to go all-electric by 2040, despite withdrawal from the joint plans with GM.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Libyas eastern-based House of Representatives (HoR) has called for the immediate exit of ambassadors supporting Israel amid airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and demanded that Libyan oil exports to those same countries be halted, according to Turkish and Libyan media reports.

We demand the government halt oil and gas exports to countries supporting Israel in case the Israeli massacres are not stopped, parliamentary spokesman Abdullah Belihaq said in a statement on Wednesday.

Specifically, Libyas eastern-based parliament condemned support for Israel coming from the U.S., the UK, France and Italy, calling the conflict a genocide led by the US and the West against disarmed people under blockade. The statement coming out of eastern Benghazi, which houses Libyas rival government, came on the same day that U.S. officials are visiting Tripoli, the western seat of Libyas Government of National Accord (GNA) to discuss security.

There are no indications that the Tripoli GNA government has supported the eastern HoRs statements on Gaza. It is not possible for the eastern government to unilaterally halt oil exports without launching Libya into another civil war. While the east has the capability to physically intervene in oil production and export terminals, Libyas oil revenues are more nominally controlled by the western government.

The UN is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning Hamas October 7 attack on Israel but also noting, Those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza claimed on Tuesday that more than 700 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in just 24 hours. Libyan and Turkish estimates are that some 8,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict, over 6,500 of them Palestinians.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The United States is likely to tighten the sanction enforcement on Irans crude oil exports over the Hamas-Israel war and the Iranian backing of Hamas, Helima Croft, the head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNBC on Wednesday.

The Biden administration is desperate to contain this war, they clearly do not want it spilling beyond Gaza, Croft told CNBCs Dan Murphy on the sidelines of an investment forum in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohamed bin Salman, and discussed ongoing diplomatic and military efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the White House said.

According to RBCs Croft, we just dont know what the red lines are for a number of players in this conflict.

Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the market has been wondering whether to price in an even tighter supply should the United States tighten the enforcement of the sanctions on Irans oil exports.

Oil supply from Iran, which has been rising in recent months to a 2018 high due to what appears to be weaker enforcement of the U.S. sanctions, could begin to shrink again, analysts say.

The argument is, can you continue to allow Iran to keep the bank open for groups like Hamas? So, I think the Biden administration is going to have to tighten those sanctions, RBCs Croft told CNBC today.

The U.S. cannot take off the market 700,000 bpd of Iranian exports overnight, but they could certainly do more on ship-to-ship transfers, they certainly can talk with Chinese refineries with access to U.S. capital markets, she added.

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Some stricter enforcement of the sanctions against Iran could be coming soon, because there is bipartisan Congressional pressure to basically try to close the bank for groups like Hamas, Croft concluded.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Shell plans to cut 15% of the 1,300 jobs in its Low Carbon Solutions business as it scales back some green energy ambitions and focuses on profitable projects including in the oil and gas sector.

The UK-based supermajor plans to eliminate 200 jobs in its Low Carbon Solutions division next year, and is also reviewing the future of another 130 positions in the green energy business, which currently employs around 1,300 people, Shell told Reuters on Wednesday in response to a query.

We are transforming our Low Carbon Solutions (LCS) business to strengthen its delivery on our core low-carbon business areas such as transport and industry, Shell told Reuters.

The supermajor will be scaling back its operations in developing hydrogen technologies for passenger vehicles, according to the company, which also plans to merge two of four general manager roles in the hydrogen division.

Earlier this year, Shell laid out plans to raise its dividend by 15%, effective from the second quarter 2023 interim dividend, as the UK-based supermajor pledged to grow its gas business and extend its position in the upstream.

Institutional investors in Europe were disappointed with Shells new strategy to continue investing in oil and gas production and selectively pour capital into renewable energy solutions, to the point of some investors considering removing it from their portfolios.

But Shells chief executive Wael Sawan has said that reducing global oil and gas production would be dangerous and irresponsible as the world still desperately needs those hydrocarbons.

It is critical that the world avoids dismantling the current energy system faster than we are able to build the clean energy system of the future. Oil and gas WILL continue to play a crucial role in the energy system for a long time to come with demand reducing only gradually over time, Sawan said on Shells Capital Markets Day in June.

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By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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Ukraine is ready to allow non-resident traders to use up to half of its natural gas storage capacity, the countrys Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told national television on Wednesday.

Ukraine has 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of underground storage capacity. As much as 12 to 15 bcm of this capacity could be allowed to be used by foreign traders to store gas, according to the prime minister.

In April this year, Oleksiy Chernyshov, chief executive of Ukrainian state oil and gas firm Naftogaz, told EURACTIV that Right now, we are able to provide up to 10 bcm of storage to Europe for the winter.

I can guarantee that I can rent this empty space to European countries that can store gas in Ukraine. And when they need it, they can get it back to Europe, Chernyshov said.

As of early October, foreign traders had raised the volumes of natural gas stored in Ukraine to 2.2 bcm, from 1.8 bcm in the middle of September, Chernyshov has said.

Over the past day alone, we have received 14 applications from non-residents to pump gas into ... Ukrainian gas storage facilities, Chernyshov was quoted by Reuters as posting on Facebook on October 6.

This year, despite risks of potential hits due to the war, traders have started to store natural gas at storage sites in Ukraine, taking advantage of the lower costs and high available storage capacity. The commodity can be bought anywhere and sent to Ukraine via reverse flows in pipelines from Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland.

With the EU storage nearly full, Ukraines available capacity could help the bloc ease gas supply concerns ahead of the winter, Brussels-based think tank Bruegel said in an analysis in July.

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Ukrainian gas storage could help Europes security of supply, as the EU can use spare capacity in Ukraine to top up stored gas volumes for the coming winter, Bruegel said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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A nonprofit restaurant is on track to open in January 2024 at the former location of Marks near 50th Street and Underwood Avenue in Dundee.

Both the restaurant and the organization that will operate it will be named Ooh De Lally. It will serve new American cuisine, including two signature dishes from Marks: mac and cheese and bread pudding.

It will work with the 180 Re-Entry Assistance Program at Metropolitan Community College to offer former prison inmates the chance to train for jobs in the food-service industry.

Three program participants will work alongside industry professionals each month at the restaurant. If they want to go further, they will have the opportunity to enroll in Metros Institute for Culinary Arts.

In addition to boosting people who have been incarcerated, the program also will give the restaurant industry a much-needed pool of new workers, said Tim Steinbach, Ooh De Lallys executive director.

More than 9,000 former inmates have participated in the 180 Re-Entry Assistance Program since 2015, working with hundreds of area businesses and nonprofits. Since the beginning of 2023, it has had a 99 percent success rate in job placement.

Our work proves that if you provide support, eliminate barriers and help with employment, people can transition successfully back into society, Diane Good-Collins, director of the college program, said in a press release.

Steinbach said Ooh De Lally wont be the first Dundee restaurant to train and employ formerly incarcerated workers, but its the first to work with the 180 Re-Entry Assistance Program.

We are excited to bring a new high-quality restaurant to the welcoming community of Dundee, and to help our neighbors and the restaurant industry at the same time, he said in the press release. This is a win-win for everyone.

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Gaza and Jerusalem (CNN)  Tempers flared at the United Nations on Tuesday amid ceasefire calls, as aid groups and doctors in Gaza warn that power shortages threaten the lives of vulnerable infants and patients.

Aid agencies have been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, with one saying at least 2,000 children in Gaza have been killed in the past few weeks, as Israel intensified its bombing campaign in the besieged strip.

Israels defense minister Yoav Gallant said Monday the country is preparing for a multilateral operation on the militant group Hamas that controls Gaza from the air, ground, and sea.

The countrys leadership has vowed to wipe out Hamas in response to its October 7 deadly terror attacks and kidnap rampage in which 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.

Inside Gaza, cut off from the world by a near total blockade, Israeli airstrikes have decimated entire neighborhoods, leveling homes, schools and mosques. CNN drone footage from Monday showed the level of destruction across parts of the strip, with whole streets flattened in the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City and a row of destroyed buildings known as al-Zahra towers in central Gaza.

Save the Children said Monday that over 1 million children are trapped in Gaza with no safe place to go and warned of the devastating impacts of lacking medication and electricity to power vital health infrastructure in the enclave.

At least 2,000 children have been killed in Gaza over the past 17 days, and a further 27 killed in the West Bank, the aid agency said on Monday.

We call on all parties to take immediate steps to protect the lives of children, and on the international community to support those efforts, Save the Children said, adding that Israeli airstrikes are killing and injuring children indiscriminately.

A United Nations agency warned that it will stop aid operations in Gaza on Wednesday unless fuel is allowed into the enclave. If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the #GazaStrip as of tomorrow night, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) wrote on social media Tuesday.

Latest figures from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said the death toll resulting from Israeli strikes on the strip has reached at least 5,087, including 2,055 children.

The health system [in Gaza] has reached the worst stage in its history, said health ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra in a statement early Tuesday.

As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community has struggled to find consensus. The US has rebutted calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby telling CNN on Monday that Hamas must first release hostages held in Gaza.

Tempers flared at the United Nations after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire at the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel  and then continuing to bomb the south itself, Guterres said.

It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, Guterres also said. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished.

He said that the appalling acts of Hamas cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Excellencies, Even war has rules.

Israels Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign immediately after his remarks. Writing on social media, Erdan said Guterres is not fit to lead the UN for his earlier comments that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who was at the United Nations on Tuesday, said he would not meet with Guterres, as there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!, he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Israels right to defend itself was affirmed in the Security Council by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, though he added that humanitarian pauses must be considered to allow aid to reach civilians in Gaza  avoiding use of the word ceasefire, however.

He also told the council that Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians and called on Hamas to cease using Palestinian civilians as human shields.

Fuel is a lifeline

Fuel means life in Gaza. Without fuel, water cannot be pumped or desalinated, generators that power hospitals  that keep incubators, ventilators and dialysis machines running and to sterilize surgical equipment  will fail.

Twelve hospitals and 32 medical centers are now out of service after Israeli strikes and fuel depletion, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza. Early Tuesday, the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza had no electricity due to the fuel shortage, Hamas said.

Despite the urgency, no fuel trucks have entered Gaza as part of a humanitarian aid convoy from Egypts Rafah border crossing over the weekend, according to Israeli and UN authorities.

However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff provided a glimmer of hope on Tuesday, saying efforts will be made to provide access to fuel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. He reiterated Israels position that it would not allow the fuel to reach Hamas so they can continue fighting against the citizens of Israel.

We will make sure there will be fuel in places where they need fuel to treat civilians, said Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said, without providing further detail on how the IDF might get fuel to those most in need.

Though on Monday, Mark Regev, senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told CNN that Israel would not allow fuel into Gaza even if all hostages were released.

At the moment we have no interest in more fuel going to the Hamas military machine and we have not authorized fuel, we have authorized medicine, we have authorized water. Weve authorized foodstuffs, weve not authorized anything else, Regev said.

The government decision is that fuel doesnt go in because it will be stolen by Hamas and itll be used by them to power rockets that are fired into Israel to kill our people.

However, US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said Monday that while the UN is watching closely for signs that Hamas is diverting humanitarian aid meant for civilians in Gaza, they have not reported any such signs to date.

On Monday, Hamas freed two Israeli citizens  both older women  amid growing international pressure to secure the release of the rest of those abducted and taken to Gaza. One of the recently freed captives, 85-year-old grandmother Yocheved Lifshitz later described her ordeal after she was kidnapped by gunmen and taken to Gaza, saying she went through hell.

Their release follows that of two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, who were freed on Friday.

National Security Council spokesman Kirby wouldnt say Tuesday if the Israeli bombardment of Gaza was having an adverse effect on efforts to secure the safe extraction of transfer of hostages, telling CNN the Biden administration is still not sure on the location and status of American hostages being held by Hamas.

Hospitals could become mass graves

In Gaza, outbreaks of chickenpox, scabies, and diarrhea have emerged due to the deteriorating health environment, lack of sanitation, and consumption of water from unsafe sources, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health based in the occupied West Bank.

Hospitals are nearing collapse, operating at more than 150% of their capacity and situations have become so dire that surgeries are being conducted without anesthesia, and in some cases, under the illumination of phone lights, the Palestinian Authority health ministry added.

Around 50,000 pregnant women are struggling to access health care, with about 166 unsafe births happening daily, and more than 5,000 women due to give birth in the next month, it said.

The Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City  the largest hospital in the enclave  has enough fuel to last a maximum of two days, according to senior surgeon Marwan Abusada on Monday.

Conditions in Al-Shifa are dire, with another doctor saying that without electricity, the hospital will just be a mass grave and theres nothing to do for these wounded.

British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah told CNN overnight that the system is disintegrating and without a ceasefire and a proper humanitarian corridor, theres going to be an even larger catastrophe that the one that already exists here.

The overwhelmed hospital has run out of burns dressings for the more than 100 patients in the facility with burns covering over 40% of their bodies, Abu-Sittah said. More than 150 patients on ventilators with critical injuries are relying on electricity to stay alive, he said.

Hospitals across Gaza are facing similar situations.

A neonatal doctor working in a hospital in southern Gaza told CNN Monday that premature babies relying on oxygen supplies will die if fuel is not urgently delivered into the enclave.

Hatem Edhair, head of Neonatal ICU at Nasser Medical Complex, said all non-emergency facilities have been turned off, as well as lights and air conditioning.

He said 11 babies  most weighing under 1.5 kilograms  are in his neonatal intensive care unit, with admission rates rising as residents from northern Gaza flee south.

Twenty more trucks carrying vital relief aid crossed into Gaza Monday, but aid agencies warn that the current rate of delivery will do little to address the needs of more than 2 million people living in the enclave.

The territory normally receives 455 aid trucks per day, according to the United Nations. That means that with the weekend deliveries, Gaza is more than 7,200 truckloads of aid short of what would normally have been received between October 7 and October 22, CNN calculations suggest.

Thats half of 1%  or one two-hundredth  of the amount of aid it ordinarily receives.
Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek, Iowa, will receive a $450,000 grant from Iowas Resource Enhancement and Protection  REAP  program to buy 93 adjacent acres.

The $1.175 million plot was sold to Pottawattamie County by the Ferguson family as a bequest of Doris Ferguson, who passed away last year. Her final wish was to provide land for other people to use, to be in a natural setting, like it was back in early history, a landscape I fell in love with when we moved from Brooklyn, NY in the 1960s, according to REAP.

The grant, combined with donations from the Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation and the Hitchcock Foundation, covers a majority of the purchase.

Whenever possible, the conservation department seeks out grants to fund recreational land purchases and ease or eliminate the taxpayer burden on residents, Pottawattamie County Conservation Executive Director Mark Shoemaker said.

Despite being the second-largest county in Iowa, half of the other 98 counties in the state manage more public land. We have a long way to go in properly serving our constituency and are extremely thankful for REAP and the powerful role it plays in helping preserve public land for future generations.

The 93-acre addition is part of a long-term plan to protect the Loess Hills landform in Pottawattamie County and expand Hitchcock Nature Center.

The new addition to Hitchcock Nature Center includes remnant prairie, of which less than 0.1% remains in the state of Iowa, and contains 20 species on the Iowa Species of Greatest Conservation Need list.

Last winter, conservation staff converted row crop on the property to a prairie reconstruction, which will be accessible for public recreation in spring 2024.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of October 2023
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip. The territory has been blockaded and hit by devastating Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources. Health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory say the airstrikes killed more than 750 people between Tuesday and Wednesday. It's not clear how many of those killed were militants, and The Associated Press could not independently verify the death toll.
LINCOLN  Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen filled a key Department of Health and Human Services position Tuesday that had been vacant for months.

Pillen appointed Alyssa Bish as the departments director of Children and Family Services, which had been vacant since December, when Pillen opted not to retain the divisions former director, Stephanie Beasley, after he was elected governor.

Bish, who will begin in her new role Dec. 28, has been the director of personnel within the Missouri Office of Administration since February. She also served as the director of strategy and leadership development for the state.

A Nebraska native who studied communications at Wayne State College, Bish previously worked for Missouris Department of Social Services and in the states Childrens Division, where she focused on improving the quality of foster care services and decreasing the backlog of cases, Pillens office said in a Tuesday press release.

Bish earned her masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on foster care issues, the Governors Office said.

In addition to the success she has had, Alyssa brings a passion for helping children and families through difficult times, Pillen said in the press release. I look forward to working with Alyssa as she brings that passion to this role at DHHS.

The state will pay Bish $175,000 annually. Beasleys annual salary before she left the job was $169,747, a spokeswoman for the governor said Tuesday.

When she arrives in Nebraska in December, Bish will be the fourth person to lead the states Children and Family Services division in the last year.

Former HHS CEO Dannette Smith served as the divisions interim director from when Beasley departed in December until Smiths own resignation in August.

Since then, Tony Green, the director of the departments Developmental Disabilities division, has doubled as the interim director of Children and Family Services.

Bishs appointment marks the second time in three months that Pillen has filled a key HHS position with an appointee who has ties to Missouris social and child welfare system.

The governor in August tabbed Steve Corsi, who previously led the Missouri Department of Social Services, to serve as the CEO of HHS.

Corsis confirmation could face roadblocks when it goes before the Legislature early next year after an Omaha lawmaker vowed to block his appointment over engagement with anti-LGBTQ social media posts.

Bishs appointment leaves Pillen one more director spot to fill within HHS. The department has been without a permanent director of the Division of Behavioral Health since December.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of October 2023
LINCOLN  He wasnt Don Bacons first choice, but the Nebraska Republican had nothing but praise for House Speaker Mike Johnson after he was elected Wednesday.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, won his position with support from all House Republicans, including Bacon, who were anxious to put aside weeks of tumult and get on with the business of governing. Johnson was quickly sworn into office.

The peoples House is back in business, Johnson declared after taking the gavel.

A lower-ranked member of the House Republican leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee for speaker in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting among GOP factions since Kevin McCarthys ouster. Republicans hold only a slim majority in the House, making it impossible for the party to elect a speaker without near-unanimous agreement.

Johnson was chosen as the Republicans nominee after their third pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., withdrew his nomination this week hours after earning it. It soon became clear that he could not secure enough votes to win the seat on the floor.

From the outside, this was strikingly similar to how Jim Jordan became the speaker designee after Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., withdrew  a process Bacon took great issue with and was his primary reason for opposing Jordan during each of the three rounds of voting last week.

The difference, Bacon said, was how Jordan and Johnson reacted after losing nomination votes to Scalise and Emmer, respectively. According to Bacon, when Jordan lost the nomination to Scalise, he said he would support Scalise only if he secured 217 floor votes  the number needed to win the seat. Rather than a true endorsement, Bacon said this was a middle finger to Scalise and cost Jordan support among House Republicans when he became the nominee.

Johnsons behavior was a 180-degree difference from Jordans actions, Bacon said. He said Johnson was selfless and decent, and while Bacon considered Emmer the most qualified speaker candidate aside from McCarthy, he didnt blame Johnson for Emmers withdrawal.

If I was waiting for perfection, wed never get there, Bacon said.

Bacon expressed confidence in how Johnson will lead the House forward, referring to him as a healer and reconciler. The only concern he has was Johnsons lack of experience, given that he was first elected to Congress in 2016, the same year as Bacon.

While not his partys first choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

I think hes gonna be a fantastic speaker, Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Democrats blasted Johnsons nomination, calling out his role in denying the results of the 2020 election. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the election results.

Bacons likely opponent in the 2024 general election, State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, used similar arguments to criticize Bacons support for Johnson.

Johnson co-engineered the plot to overturn the 2020 election, Vargas said in a Wednesday social media post. He champions a national abortion ban. Bacon just handed the House to an election denier.

Bacon said that he disagreed with Johnsons response to the 2020 election but that he hoped Johnson has learned since then and would not repeat his actions if faced with a similar situation in 2024.

I think hell stand above it, Bacon said.

A more pressing matter is to reconvene federal budget talks. The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass eight additional appropriations bills by Nov. 17 to keep services and offices running.

Republican hard-liners have been pushing their leadership to undo the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans dont agree with. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next months funding deadline.

Bacon said Johnson has already proposed extending that deadline to January  something Bacon himself pitched as a more practical timeline to get all the bills approved. He didnt address how Johnson may approach the budget, but predicted Congress would end up with a somewhat moderate plan.

Bacon has previously called for House Republicans to work out a bipartisan budget deal, knowing that whatever proposal passes the House must also make it through the Senate, which Democrats lead.

This report contains material from the Associated Press.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of October 2023
LINCOLN  The impact of court fines and fees on defendants, problems with property taxes and the role of immigrants in the workforce were among the top issues discussed Tuesday at a Nebraska policy symposium.

With the Nebraska Legislatures next session a little more than two months away, the OpenSky Policy Institute drew state lawmakers and others to panel discussions that could shape future legislative proposals.

The OpenSky gathering included some topics, such as tax policy and workforce issues, that were discussed in September at a different policy summit held by the conservative Platte Institute think tank. Not surprisingly, however, panelists at Tuesdays event offered different perspectives that often reflected the progressive end of the political spectrum.

CourtsLawmakers recently approved $350 million to build a new prison. Tuesday, panelists focused instead on ways to reduce fines and fees for those going through Nebraskas criminal justice system.

State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, who moderated the panel, noted from his work as a public defender how many are attached to various aspects of a court case. While he said these costs may not be wrong, given the administrative cost of operating courts, the fees can act as a barrier to a fair trial if a defendant cant afford them.

The very notion of exercising your rights: demanding a trial, having a preliminary hearing, doing depositions  anything that requires a subpoena to be sent out to an individual  things that you are entitled to do  adds a cost, Dungan said.

Panelists listed a range of other fees someone can encounter in the system, from per-minute charges for jail phone calls to ankle monitors. Ashlei Spivey with I Be Black Girl argued that the current structure essentially operates as a business that disproportionately hurts people of color.

Spivey said areas with higher numbers of people of color are statistically overpoliced, which correlates to an increase in run-ins with law enforcement.

Inmates who are released often have fines and fees they still need to pay. Jasmine Harris with RISE, a reentry program for former inmates, said that can be a big problem, given that those with a criminal record may have trouble finding a job. Owing money to the courts without a good way to repay it can contribute to recidivism, she said.

While county and district courts rely on fines and fees as a revenue source, Dungan noted that it still isnt enough to cover the costs of operating the states prison and jails. Ultimately, he said, taxpayers wind up paying the price.

Harris said theres a lot Nebraska can do to prevent people from entering the system in the first place, which would be a big cost saver for the state.

When we invest in people, people thrive, Harris said. And thats something I think weve been missing.

Harris also advocated for decriminalizing areas associated with poverty, homelessness and mental health issues, and Spivey suggested decriminalizing marijuana.

Taxes

After the Legislature passed a pair of tax bills last session that will cut or offset more than $6 billion worth of property taxes and income taxes over the next six years, OpenSkys panel on property tax reform focused on ways to clean up the states tax structure as opposed to just cutting tax rates.

John Anderson, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor, said the current system makes it impractical for property owners to fully influence their tax bills, since tax rates are set separately by multiple jurisdictions, such as city councils, school boards and natural resources districts. Most people just try to challenge their property valuations, he said.

Catherine Lang, former state property tax administrator, advocated for a uniform valuation system, which she said would be more simple for people to navigate.

Lang also suggested lawmakers further discuss how the tax system operates and examine how tax revenues are being used.

Immigration

Nebraska has struggled with its statewide labor shortage, with no clear answers on the best way to solve it. Josie Gatti Schafer, a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said a decrease in fertility rates and increase in life expectancy has contributed to this. The states retired population has gone up, particularly in rural areas that have seen their overall population numbers drop.

Tapping into Nebraskas immigrant population would be one solution, Schafer said. The states immigrant community is small compared to other states  roughly 7%  but it could put a dent in the shortage if workforce barriers for immigrants are reduced.

Lina Traslavina Stover with Heartland Workers Center, who immigrated to the U.S. 23 years ago, said there are multiple barriers immigrants face with entering the workforce, starting with language. She avoided this barrier because she went to a bilingual school while growing up in Colombia, but she said many other immigrants didnt have that opportunity.

Stover listed additional barriers, including child care, licensing and higher education. Many U.S. employers dont recognize degrees or other credentials obtained in other countries, she said. She also pushed for Nebraska to build more affordable housing, as housing options are another limitation for immigrants.

Some government regulations make life needlessly difficult for immigrant families, Stover said, which could cause them to avoid the state entirely. Schafer said Nebraska would benefit from becoming more welcoming to immigrants, since research has shown they contribute to economic development.

Victoria Francis with the American Immigration Council said other states that have made progress in welcoming immigrants started with a task force of lawmakers who examined issues and brainstormed ways to maximize talent within their immigrant population.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of October 2023
BLOOMINGTON  A 44-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 months of probation after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine in Bloomington.

Samuel L. Brooks of Bloomington pleaded guilty in August to a Class 2 felony count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, with less than 1 gram of cocaine. Other charges of cocaine possession and resisting arrest that were initially filed one year ago have been dropped.

During a sentencing hearing Monday, Assistant States Attorney Jeff Horve told Judge Jason Chambers that Brooks has not been in trouble since his arrest. He also said Brooks has significant medical issues.

Brooks, who at Mondays hearing had vision trouble, needed an assistant to guide him to his seat. Assistant Public Defender Joseph Moran told the court pre-sentencing reports indicate Brooks may be blind within two years.

At least two people filed letters of support on Brooks behalf. One authored by his employer of seven months stated Brooks has an extreme work ethic, high morals and has become part of "an amazing work family."

As part of his sentence, Brooks must also pay a $100 street value fine, refrain from using or possessing alcohol and cannabis and complete substance use treatment and counseling.

Moran declined comment on the cases outcome.

Who are they? IL children reported missing as of October 21 These are recent reports of missing children made to local law enforcement. If you think you have seen a missing child, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to a felony drug charge.

Kenneth R. McNairy was arrested in May 2022 following a traffic stop due to a tinted window violation.

Police said they searched his vehicle during the stop and found between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine.

McNairy was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, all involving cocaine.

In August, Judge William Yoder accepted a guilty plea to a Class 1 felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, which is punishable by four to seven years in prison.

Matthew Koetters from the Public Defender's Office asked for a community-based sentence, arguing McNairy is employed, pays child support and is involved in his children's lives.

"Look at him now instead of who he was as a young man," Koetters said.

Assistant State's Attorney Spencer Chikahisa argued the defendant's criminal history, which dates back to a juvenile record from 2001, as well as noncompliance with previous court orders is grounds for a stricter sentence.

McNairy said in court on Thursday that he became addicted to drugs following the suicide of his brother, who was his best friend.

"I was scared to ask for help," McNairy said.

Yoder said McNairy was not a good candidate for a community-based sentence because of his criminal history. He added that probation would be insufficient in the pursuit of justice in this case.

McNairy was sentenced to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was credited for two days of time served. His prison sentence will be followed by up to one year of mandatory supervised released.

Updated mug shots from The Pantagraph Bryant Lewis Derek Roesch Justin M. Mata Marcus D. Wesley Phillip Tinch Trisha L. Hanke William B. Givens David L. Oliver Kenneth E. Funk Jordan R. King Holly M. Isaacson Kenneth L. Minton Tony L. Jackson Britley L. Hilger Jasmine L. Smith Jackie S. Claypool Noah R. Demuth Brandon L. Parsano Alexander N. Williams Carlos Sanchez-Solozarzano Jaylin S. Bones Jordan R. King Dominique M. Banks Austin T. Daugherty Sandra M. Lewis Samantha E. Morris Nolan C. Love Nikkita L. Sandefur Katlin M.B. Wilson Eli C. Garozzo Tysean T. Townsend Curtis J. Byrd Noral K. Nelson Charles J. Tankson Davis, Micah S Livingston, Joshua D. Kevin L. Ewen Emmanuel K. Mpay Ahmad S. Manns Dylan R Mann Tony L. Jackson William R. Linden Zadek U. Moen Zachary T. Willis Cecily M. Sexton Tonisha A. Jackson James A. McConnaughay Jessica M. Longberry Barry D. Guyton Keon E. Spiller Melina Aguilar Carlos D. Cregan Wayne M. Damron Terrance L. Ford Stanley M. Miller Darryl R. Vinson Jarvis K. Heads Wesley M. Noonan Brad Carter Brian K. Burnett Kenneth D. Downey Kenyon J. Bones Brittany N. Greiner
BLOOMINGTON  A 44-year-old Texas man is facing felony stolen vehicle and damage to property charges after police said he used a pickup truck to try to steal an ATM.

Harold L. Miles of Houston is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle (Class 2 felony), criminal damage to property (Class 3 felony) and two counts of criminal damage to property as Class 4 felonies.

Assistant State's Attorney David Beard filed a petition to deny pretrial release, arguing the possibility of willful flight from Miles and him not showing up to any future court ordered appearances.

Beard said a Ford pickup truck was used in an attempt to steal an ATM from a bank in Bloomington on May 26 after the truck had been sitting unoccupied in a parking lot.

Bloomington Police Department officers said damage to the truck's hood and windshield and verification from the vehicle's owner indicated that it had been stolen overnight, the prosecutor said.

Beard said security camera footage and automated licenses plate reader images showed a gray Dodge SUV accompanied the truck and was reported to be in the state of Texas from May 4 to May 24.

The same SUV was reported to be traveling north to Bloomington on May 25 and returned to Texas after the offense. Multiple reports indicate the vehicle was in Bloomington, Springfield, McLean and Lincoln as well as in other states including Arkansas and Missouri, Beard said.

The SUV is owned by Miles and another individual who told police they allow several people to use the vehicle and that they did not know who drove it to Illinois back in May, Beard said.

"There was the alleged incident where he attempted to steal an ATM, after that was unsuccessful, he then returned back to his hometown in Texas," Beard said. "To me, this is not a crime of opportunity, this is a crime of planning."

Assistant Public Defender Mackenzie Frizzell noted the prosecutor was arguing willful flight and none of the state's evidence indicated the use of weapons or violence.

"What we're dealing with is a property crime," she said. "I think it should be noted that while there are a number of offenses and convictions on his record, the most recent one is a decade ago and that was a misdemeanor."

Frizzell said the state only provided information that Miles lives out of state and that he may have committed the crime, highlighting that the co-owner of the SUV told police they allow others to use the vehicle.

Frizzell also added that Miles' ranking on the failure to appear scale is only affected by the fact that he lives out of state.

After reviewing the statute, Judge Scott Kording said he agreed with the defense because of Miles' low rating on the failure to appear scale and his lack of recent crimes.

Kording said Miles' prior felonies and convictions have no bearing on what happened in this case, denying the state's petition to detain.

An arraignment hearing for Miles is scheduled for Nov. 17.

He was ordered to report to pretrial services and waive his extradition rights, but he was allowed to return home to Texas.

Updated mug shots from The Pantagraph Bryant Lewis Derek Roesch Justin M. Mata Marcus D. Wesley Phillip Tinch Trisha L. Hanke William B. Givens David L. Oliver Kenneth E. Funk Jordan R. King Holly M. Isaacson Kenneth L. Minton Tony L. Jackson Britley L. Hilger Jasmine L. Smith Jackie S. Claypool Noah R. Demuth Brandon L. Parsano Alexander N. Williams Carlos Sanchez-Solozarzano Jaylin S. Bones Jordan R. King Dominique M. Banks Austin T. Daugherty Sandra M. Lewis Samantha E. Morris Nolan C. Love Nikkita L. Sandefur Katlin M.B. Wilson Eli C. Garozzo Tysean T. Townsend Curtis J. Byrd Noral K. Nelson Charles J. Tankson Davis, Micah S Livingston, Joshua D. Kevin L. Ewen Emmanuel K. Mpay Ahmad S. Manns Dylan R Mann Tony L. Jackson William R. Linden Zadek U. Moen Zachary T. Willis Cecily M. Sexton Tonisha A. Jackson James A. McConnaughay Jessica M. Longberry Barry D. Guyton Keon E. Spiller Melina Aguilar Carlos D. Cregan Wayne M. Damron Terrance L. Ford Stanley M. Miller Darryl R. Vinson Jarvis K. Heads Wesley M. Noonan Brad Carter Brian K. Burnett Kenneth D. Downey Kenyon J. Bones Brittany N. Greiner
NORMAL  Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute food to area families facing food insecurity from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Normal West High School, 501 N. Parkside Road.

The distribution is open to residents of McLean County.

A distribution is also planned for 9-10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 27, at the Trinity Community Fellowship in Farmer City. It will be open to residents of DeWitt, Piatt and McLean counties.

Those attending the distributions are asked to bring boxes or bags to transport food, and they are asked to pre-register at EIFclient.com. Pre-registration does not guarantee a place in line as income guidelines will apply.

The foodmobile will also be traveling throughout southern and western McLean County from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, with distribution sites and times for each town listed at eifoodbank.org/help/mobile.html.

Midwest Food Bank Gala Dinner and Auction Jenn Steidinger, David Keiser, Brad Steidinger Trace Brim, Rocky OShea, Eric and Gina Hodel, Tara Ingham Enjoying the hors d oeuvres Rebekah Hoffman Hors doeuvres Paulette and Kent Zimmerman Kevin and Lindsay Wiegand, Lori and Larry Wiegand Elizabeth, Andrew and Alison Hoffman Nancy and Steve Smith Ready for guests Duane Kieser, Mark Streitmatter, Trace Brim Keiser grandchildren Sara and Shauna Streitmatter , Denise Brim Mary and Roger Stoller Francesca Erb, Denise Hodges Pat and Dean Messinger Monica and Steve Scheuer Registering guests for the gala Approximately 400 were in attendance Guests dined in the warehouse Karen, Travis and Paul Kieser Elaine Young, Dorothy Walder, Judy and Ron Knapp Steve Baner, Rich and Karen Stoller, Bethany and Karl Edelman Gina and Eric Hodel, Delayne and Lori Stickling Jackie and Richard Martin Share the Light Enjoying the evening
(CNN)  Queen Rania of Jordan has accused Western leaders of a glaring double standard for failing to condemn the deaths of civilians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza, as Israels war on Hamas threatens to destabilize relations between US and Arab leaders.

Speaking to CNNs Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview, Rania said, The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the worlds reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.

When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened  but what were seeing in the last couple of weeks, were seeing silence in the world, she told CNN.

Israel declared a complete siege on Gaza following the October 7 terror attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave, that killed more than 1,400 people and saw over 200 taken hostage, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The siege has resulted in relentless airstrikes on densely-inhabited Gaza, and a blockade on vital supplies  including food and water  to the isolated strips entire population.

This is the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a ceasefire, Queen Rania added. So the silence is deafening  and to many in our region, it makes the Western world complicit.

Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but its OK to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here, she said. It is just shocking to the Arab world.

Latest figures from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza put the death toll from Israeli strikes at more than 5,000, including more than 2,000 children. At least 35 UN workers have also been killed.

Israel says that it is targeting Hamas terrorists, and has blamed the group for hiding behind civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations and several aid agencies are calling urgently for a ceasefire and for the free movement of humanitarian aid to the increasingly desperate population. Doctors working in the isolated enclave meanwhile warn that power shortages threaten the lives of their most vulnerable patients, including the critically injured and premature infants in need of incubators.

As a mom, weve seen Palestinian mothers who have to write the names of their children on their hands  because the chances of them being shelled to death, of their bodies turning into corpses are so high, Rania said. I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children just as much as any other mother in the world.

Growing frustration with the West

Arab leaders have voiced frustration with the perceived unwillingness by the US to try to curb Israels siege; Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority pulled out of a planned summit in Jordan with US President Joe Biden last week.

Washington, a close ally of Israel, has remained steadfast in its support of the retaliation on Gaza by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has rebutted calls for a ceasefire.

Were not talking about a ceasefire right now, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN on Monday.

In fact, we dont believe that this is the time for a ceasefire. Israel has a right to defend themselves. They still have work to do to go after Hamas leadership, were going to keep supporting them or giving them more security assistance.

Speaking in the UN Security Council on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, saying that humanitarian pauses should be considered, but notably avoided the phrase ceasefire.

However, the US vetoed last week a Security Council proposal for a humanitarian pause in the bloodshed, criticizing the draft resolution for failing to mention Israels right to self-defense. The United Kingdom also refused to endorse the resolution.

An earlier Russian ceasefire similarly failed.

Israel is committing crimes against humanity in its current campaign, nine independent experts working with the UN said in a joint statement on Thursday. The unspeakably cruel blockade on Gaza, coupled with forcible population transfers is in violation of international and criminal law, the experts added.

Former Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin has meanwhile warned that the crisis should be a wake-up call for both Israelis and Palestinians and called for a change in leadership on both sides.

Baskin, an Israeli citizen, played a key role in the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured and imprisoned by Hamas from 2006 to 2011. Baskin is the author of The Negotiator: Freeing Gilad Schalit from Hamas, and he is now in touch with both the Israeli and Hamas leadership in an unofficial capacity.

It should be no surprise to anyone that weve arrived at such a horrific situation, he told Amanpour in a separate interview on Tuesday. It has to be a wake-up call for Israel that you cannot keep another people occupied for 56 years and expect to have peace. You cant lock two million people in an open-air prison and expect there to be quiet.

And for the Palestinians, it should be a wake-up call that if you support radical fanatic leaders and refuse to recognize the other people living in your land as having the same rights that you do, then youre going to suffer this, he added, speaking from Jerusalem.

[These are] the most traumatic events for Israel and Palestine since 1948.

A growing crisis and fears of displacement

Fears are growing that the conflict could spill into neighboring countries in the Middle East, as Israel urges civilians in the northern part of Gaza to relocate south ahead of an anticipated ground operation.

Forcing Gaza civilians to relocate amounts to the war crime of forcible transfer, the Norwegian Refugee Council said.

And Jordanian and Egyptian leaders have raised concerns that millions of Palestinians could eventually be pushed out of Gaza and the occupied West Bank and into Egypt and Jordan, respectively, saying such a move could plunge the region into war.

Jordans King Abdullah warned last week that the displacement of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt would be a red line, and said neither Jordan nor Egypt would accept refugees from Gaza. He said that any suggestion of the two countries taking in fleeing Gazans was a plan by the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground, suggesting that the refugees may not be allowed to return to their homes.

Asked by Amanpour about her husbands position, Queen Rania said the people of Gaza face two choices.

Essentially theyre given a choice between expulsion or extermination, between ethnic cleansing and genocide. And no people should be given, [should] have to face, that kind of choice. The people of Palestine should not, [the people] of Gaza should not, be forced to be moved again, she said.

More than half of Gazas population are refugees whose ancestors fled or were expelled from their homes in present-day Israel by armed Jewish groups during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which Palestinians call the Nakba or the catastrophe. Israel has never allowed them to return to their homes and many have lived in poverty ever since.

The queen also emphasized that the conflict in the Middle East did not begin on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, highlighting the history of Israels occupation and the displacement of Palestinians.

Most networks are covering the story under the title of Israel at war. But for many Palestinians on the other side of the separation wall, on the other side of the barbed wire, war has never left, she said.

This is a 75-year-old story, a story of overwhelming death and displacement to the Palestinian people. It is a story of an occupation under apartheid regime, that occupies lands, that demolishes houses, confiscates lands, military incursions, night raids.

Even before the war with Hamas, tensions were high between Palestinians and Israelis in the occupied West Bank. Following a wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis last year, Israel launched regular incursions and raids into the occupied West Bank targeting what they said were militant strongholds. The resulting violence left a record number of both Palestinians and Israelis dead, numbers not seen in at least a decade.

Since Israel took control and occupied the West Bank in 1967 from Jordan following the Six Day War, large swaths of the territory, which residents hope will form part of a future Palestinian state, has been settled by Israeli civilians, often under military protection.

Most of the world considers these settlements illegal under international law.

Protesters in parts of the Arab world have flooded the streets in recent days to show support for Palestinians under the Israeli siege and bombardment. About 6,000 demonstrators marched in Amman in support of Palestinians on Friday.

A two-state solution to establish a free, sovereign and independent Palestine is the only path to peace in the region, Rania told CNN.

There can never be a resolution except around a negotiating table  there is only one path to this, and that is a free, sovereign, and independent Palestinian state, living side by side, in peace and security, with the state of Israel.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Queen Rania of Jordan accuses West of glaring double standard as the death toll rises in besieged Gaza."
BLOOMINGTON  Miller Park Zoo will host a celebration Saturday for National Lemur Day.

The event, which is free with zoo admission, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at the zoo, 1020 S. Morris Ave. in Bloomington.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, almost 31% of all lemur species in Madagascar are critically endangered, and 98% are classified as threatened.

Miller Park Zoo's rescued ring-tailed lemur, named King Julian, remains under the professional care of the zoo team. He has been moved out of the quarantine space where he was being held and into another building on the zoo grounds that has more space and opportunity for him to interact with animal care staff, according to a statement from the zoo.

For more information, call 309-434-2250, or visit notapet.net to learn more about wildlife trafficking.

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
SPRINGFIELD  Downstate electric utilities, trade unions and their allies in the legislature waived the white flag Wednesday on their attempt to override Gov. J.B. Pritzkers amendatory veto of a measure that would have given the utilities first dibs on building out billions of dollars in new transmission lines.

Instead, hoping to negate the argument that this thing was done in the dark, the bills sponsor said advocates would embark on a campaign to educate legislators with hopes of bringing forward a new proposal in the spring legislative session.

So were looking at doing a full education swing in the spring, introduce a bill that puts the state of Illinois as a right-of-first-refusal state for the whole state with no sunset, said state Rep. Larry Walsh, D-Elwood. But we want to educate the public, the members of the legislature, the ratepayers, etc. that this is the right policy.

The stakes are high. Bids are anticipated for a tranche of transmission projects over the next few years as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the regional transmission organization that operates the grid in downstate Illinois and 14 other Midwestern states, prepares for a flood of wind and solar projects that are expected to come online.

The union- and utility-backed proposal would have granted downstate utilities Ameren and MidAmerican Energy the right to build new transmission lines without having to go through a competitive bidding process. The measure would have sunset at the end of 2024.

This right-of-first-refusal provision was slipped into a larger energy bill via an amendment in the waning days of the legislative session in May. It received significant support from moderate Democrats and all Republicans, but was opposed by progressives.

The measure was perceived by some as a legislative sneak attack as many legislators did not have time to review the amendment before it passed. Powerful statehouse interests, including utility companies, have used similar tactics in the past to push favorable legislation in Springfield.

In this case, proponents say the measure is needed to expedite the buildout of new transmission lines, and will allow the work to be controlled by the utilities and workers already familiar with the grid.

Pritzker issued an amendatory veto of the measure in August, arguing that was anti-competitive and would ultimately lead to higher electricity bills for ratepayers.

Bill proponents, most notably Ameren and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, still worked behind the scenes to garner support for an override, which requires a three-fifths vote in both legislative chambers.

However, it became clear that the uphill effort was going to fall short.

In a letter sent to legislators earlier this week, Ameren president and chairman Leonard Singh said the utility has been subjected to well-funded misinformation campaigns by out-of-state developers and special interests.

We share the same goals as environmental advocates and consumer stakeholders: accelerate the clean energy transition and keep energy costs affordable, Singh wrote. ROFR is the best option to prevent unnecessary delays in construction and hundreds of millions of dollars in potential cost overruns.

Eight states in MISO have right-of-first-refusal laws on the books. Many were enacted after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2011 eliminated the federal right-of-first refusal for regionally-planned transmission lines in hopes of spurring more competition and lower costs.

Absent such a provision, the bidding process would revert to federal rules. Unions and utilities argue this would allow out-of-state companies to underbid projects, which would not be subject to more stringent state regulations and labor standards.

The abandonment of the override attempt is a victory for Pritzker along with consumer advocates and environmental groups who backed him up in opposing the measure.

Organized labor is one of the most powerful collective forces in the Capitol. If the unions want something, they often get it. Utilities have historically wielded significant influence under the dome as well.

Walsh told reporters that the 2024 sunset provision would not be included in the new bill. He also seemed to indicate that the right-of-first-refusal would extend to the whole state, which means Commonwealth Edison would be included.

The Chicago-area utility giant was largely sidelined from legislative action this past session due to the trial of the ComEd Four  two former utility executives and two lobbyists  for conspiring to bribe former House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for support of the utilitys statehouse agenda.

They were all found guilty. Madigan himself goes on trial next year.

The days of large utilities driving energy policy in Illinois are long over. But given the significant amount of work needed to meet the states goal of 100% clean energy generation by 2050, they will have a prominent seat at the table on anything related to the grid.

We will see what happens this spring.

Legislative staff union bill passes House

A proposal from Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, that would allow state legislative staff to unionize passed the House on Wednesday.

A new legislative agency would also be created to represent the interests of the General Assembly in the collective bargaining process.

Illinois is one of several states where legislative staff have sought the right to organize. And Welchs bill takes much of its language from legislation that passed in California earlier this year.

Welchs staff has been seeking to unionize since late November, just weeks after Illinois voters approved an amendment to the state constitution last year enshrining the right to unionize as fundamental. But a change in state law was still needed to facilitate their aspirations, labor law experts said.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where its fate is far-from-certain.

Other statehouse action

Nuclear moratorium: An override vote is not expected on Pritzkers veto of Senate Bill 76, which would lift the states moratorium on the construction of new nuclear plants. However, statehouse insiders believe a compromise bill could be considered when lawmakers return to Springfield in two weeks.

Invest in Kids: The future of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program looks bleak. The program, which funds private school scholarships for low-income students, sunsets at the end of this year. Teachers unions and progressive elected officials have been fighting against the programs renewal. While a revised proposal meant to appease some concerns has been filed, many believe its chances of passing are not great.

In addition to lacking votes among progressive Democrats, the Illinois Freedom Caucus called the revised proposal a non-starter. Though the caucus represents just seven House members, every vote counts during veto session, when three-fifths are needed to pass legislation. If appears that the programs best chances for renewal could come in January, when the threshold for passing legislation returns to a simple majority. Pritzker told reporters earlier this week that he would sign its extension if passed by the legislature.

Contact Brenden Moore at brenden.moore@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter: @brendenmoore13
SPRINGFIELD  Vowing to make Illinois the top state in the nation for child care accessibility, Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled a plan Tuesday to consolidate all the states early childhood programs and funding into one new state agency.

Early Childhood program governance has to be unified in its focus on serving children and families, easing the burden on providers and promoting equity, Pritzker said at a news conference in Chicago. Other states like Colorado, New Mexico, Massachusetts and Georgia, among others, have already created a unified state agency solely dedicated to early childhood. It's time for Illinois to do the same.

Currently, the states early childhood services are spread across three state agencies. The Illinois State Board of Education administers early childhood block grants, which help fund preschool programs in areas with limited access to them. The Department of Human Services administers programs that subsidize the cost of child care services, home visits and early intervention services for lower-income families. And the Department of Children and Family Services is in charge of licensing day care providers.

Anybody, as a parent, who has tried to go through the system of getting everything that you need  from home visiting, to early intervention services, to childcare, to preschool, some accessing all four of those things  knows that it is an impossible bureaucracy to try to access all of those things, Pritzker said. I mean  it's at least a half-time job to just do those things, to find those services. And we need to make it so much easier.

Pritzker made the announcement on the opening day of the General Assemblys fall veto session. To start the multiyear process, he signed an executive order to reorganize the functions but said he will work with lawmakers on legislation to formalize the process in the spring.

In the meantime, he named Ann Whalen to serve as transition director for the consolidation process. She has worked the last two years as policy director for the education advocacy group Advance Illinois and previously worked in the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration.

Pritzker also announced he is forming an external advisory committee that will gather input from stakeholders in preparation of the consolidation proposal. That committee will be chaired by Bela Mote, CEO of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, one of the largest early childhood and youth development organizations in Chicago.

Pritzker said the idea for the consolidation grew out of an Early Childhood Funding Commission he established in 2019 to study and make recommendations on ways to provide equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for children birth to age five.

Among that groups recommendations was a call to consolidate all early childhood programs into a single new agency.

Last spring, state lawmakers approved a budget for the current fiscal year that included a $250 million increase in funding for early childhood programs. That initiative, which Pritzker called Smart Start Illinois, included a $75 million increase in early childhood block grants; $130 million to stabilize wages for child care workers; a $40 million increase for early intervention programs; and $5 million to expand the IDHS home visiting program.

Other investments the state is making in early childhood programs include $100 million in capital funding to build new preschools and day care centers and expand existing ones; $70 million for the Child Care Assistance Program; $12 million in funding for scholarships and apprenticeships to grow the child care workforce; and $1.6 million to launch the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said those investments will pay dividends as the children receiving those services advance through school and into adulthood.

The research is unequivocal that funding high-quality early learning is one of the best investments we can make as a state, he said. Increasing access to preschool leads to stronger social, economic and life outcomes for all students.

Capitol News Illinois reporter Andrew Adams contributed to this story.
Nana Akomea has expressed worry over the gradual depletion of Ghanaian language speaking among the youth in Ghana.



The STC boss, speaking on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", feared the local language may be entirely lost in the next generations.



He noted that many Ghanaian children today cannot speak their local dialect but rattle on in English language with ease.



"Go to a Professor's house nowadays and ask their children where their father is in Twi and you will see them gazing at you," he said to indicate how bad the situation has become.



"There has to be a national awareness and effort because we are losing our language. It is serious, whether it's Twi, Ga, whether it's Ewe," he appealed.



Nana Akomea raised these concerns when a panel member on Kokrokoo, Professor Kofi Agyekum, who is the Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, pointed out some errors that most people including broadcasters make when speaking or broadcasting in Twi.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, William Atuguba, has stressed the need to protect the countrys democracy.



The former Supreme Court Judge was speaking during a public lecture and panel discussion held at the Kofi Drah Conference Centre of the Political Science Department, University of Ghana, on Tuesday, 24 October 2023.



The event focused on the role of the judiciary in safeguarding democracy in the country.



During his address, the retired Supreme Court Judge called for an immediate review of the Ghanaian constitution, describing it as flawed. He specifically highlighted the appointment of four presidential representatives to the judicial council and the practice of appointing ministers from parliament as areas of concern that need to be addressed.



In addition to his critique of the constitution, Justice Atuguba took the opportunity to praise political activists and civil society organisations in the country for their efforts in promoting democracy and good governance. He mentioned notable names such as Kevin Taylor and Professor Gyampo, acknowledging their contributions to the democratic process.



He, however, urged these activists and organisations to remain consistent in their advocacy, regardless of which political party is in power. He emphasised the importance of holding all political parties accountable and ensuring that the principles of democracy are upheld at all times.



Justice Atuguba's call for constitutional review and his recognition of the role of civil society in protecting democracy highlight the ongoing discussions and debates around governance and the rule of law in Ghana.





Source: class fm









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Member of Parliament for Klortey Korley, Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings has called for the fumigation of all areas affected by flood following the spillage of the Akosombo dam to prevent any epidemic outbreak in the coming days.



Dr. Zanetor who toured some of the affected communities in the South Tongu District on Saturday says residents in these communities are at risk of contracting communicable diseases if nothing is done quickly.



Commenting on the disaster, Dr. Zanetor said, the level of devastation these communities have suffered is troubling.



The waste materials floating here shows you how much dirt has been washed into the community and our prayer is that we dont have a huge public health disaster when the water recedes with issues relating to cholera, malaria, typhoid and other waterborne diseases and we hope that the various Assemblies with support from NADMO will fumigate the affected communities to disinfect the flood waters.



Dr. Zanetor, noted also that, the response from the VRA is not proportionate to the destruction the spillage has caused, and urged the VRA to do better.



Dr. Zanetors late father, former President Jerry John Rawlings residence at Tefle has not been spared by the floods.



Dr. Zanetor on her visit, led the Medical Womens Association of Ghana to donate several essential medical supplies to health facilities in the South Tongu district.



The team also donated mattresses and other relief items to victims in the various communities in the area.



So far, more than 30,000 people are said to have been affected by the floods nine Districts across the country.



The three Tongu districts have the highest number of victims.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has summon Kwaprahene Baffour Adugyemfu Kumani to appear before him in Manhyia latest by Friday November 3, 2023 through the Akwamu division to answer questions on double sale of lands and violation of Asante Great Oath (Otumfuo Ntamkese).



Baffour Adugyemfu Kumani years ago sold four plots of land to a man at Kwaprah where he serves as Chief for the community.



The young man, after securing all the documents covering the four (4) plots, travelled to Australia and spent a few years over there.



When he returned Nana Kwaprahene claimed two plots out of the four because he was developing the lands and gave him new documents on two plots.



Later the Chief sued the man in court and claimed the remaining two plots compelling the man to summon the chief before Asokoremanhene.



Upon fair hearing of the two Asokorehene instructed Kwaprahene to revert the lands back to the man which he declined.



Baffour Adugyemfu Kumani then sold the two plots to another private estate developer for an estate project.



Out of anger the land owner invoked Asantehenes great oath (Otumfuo Ntam kese) on the private developer to pack off from the land, Kwaprahene allegedly instructed the estate developer to disregard the oath and go ahead to develop the land.



The development provoked the man to file a formal traditional complaint against Kwaprahene during the Kumasi traditional council meeting which was chaired by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Friday 20th October 2023 in Manhyia Palace.



Addressing the Kumasi traditional council Otumfuo told the Akwamu division of the traditional council that  Kwaprah he should vacate from the Kwaprah stool he occupy if he failed to honors his invitation on Friday 3rd November 2023 falls on Asanteman Council meeting he warned.



He said Kwaprahene knows why Im looking for him. He knows Im looking for him because of the land issue. Thats why he is dodging me with the excuse of sickness, he thinks he is smarter. Go and bring him. I will not take any excuse from him. When he was young he sold my land without giving me my money. I forgave him, you see the issue has returned to me he stated.



A member of the Akwamu division who spoke on condition of anonymity to EIBs Ashanti regional correspondent Isaac justice Bediako disclosed the chief most likely be destooled.



We have carefully analyzed his case; no Chief in the Palace will plead on his behalf, especially when the hearing date falls on the Asanteman traditional council meeting. We all saw the anger of Otumfuo that day. No chief has ever disrespected Otumfuo ntam kese and has survived destoolment he predicted destoolment.



The way some judges are supporting traditional leaders in the Ashanti region to give false judgment to claim innocent peoples lands in the region is very bad. We pray the overload will invite this judge who supervised this unfortunate double sale of land before the palace and answer which portion of the constitution which supports this unfortunate cheating.



A number of chiefs in the Ashanti Kingdom have been pen down for destoolment following their involvement in double sales of lands, illegal mining and violation of traditional practice.



However, those who have essel in their respective traditional areas are expected to be elevated to paramountcy as part of activities to mark the 25years reign of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on the Asanteman Golden Stool.





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.

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In times of crisis or national emergencies, the law provides a framework for the government of Ghana to respond swiftly and effectively.



One such legal framework is the declaration of a state of emergency, which holds particular relevance in Ghana today, as the nation grapples with the devastating consequences of the Akosombo Dam spillage.



Most emergencies, when they occur, require urgent intervention to prevent the worst of the situation at hand.



While some emergencies are obvious, like natural disasters, in the case of other smaller incidents, we may have to decide if they're emergencies or not. What counts as an emergency and how it's handled can vary depending on where you are.



Usually, the government and its emergency services make the rules for dealing with emergencies.



There have been calls for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency in response to the Akosombo-Kpong disaster.



The Former President, John Dramani Mahama, Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and some civil groups and organisations have all made this call for the president to declare a state of emergency in the affected areas.



These calls have grown louder, prompting a closer look at the constitutional provisions that govern such declarations.



Historical Perspective



To know why Ghana can declare a state of emergency, we need to look back in time.



In 1992, Ghana voted to accept a new constitution, to guide the government when there's a disaster or a situation that is labelled an emergency. Before that, the old constitutions didn't say much about what to do in cases of emergencies.



The 1992 Constitution: Provisions for State of Emergencies



Article 31 of the 1992 Constitution is the legal provision for declaring a state of emergency in Ghana.



This constitutional provision sets out the purpose and conditions under which the president or the head of state can make such a declaration. It plays a crucial role in safeguarding the nation's interests during crises.



The Constitution outlines the specific circumstances in which a state of emergency can be declared. It places great emphasis on the protection of public safety, peace, and security. These conditions aim to strike a balance between preserving democratic values and responding effectively to serious threats.



Presidential powers and parliamentary oversight



The President holds a pivotal role in declaring a state of emergency as stated in Article 31(1), but it is far from an arbitrary power. It states that The President may, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State, by Proclamation published in the Gazette, declare that a state of emergency exists in Ghana or in any part of Ghana for the purposes of the provisions of this Constitution.



The Constitution is to ensure that there are checks and balances in place by involving Parliament in the decision-making process.



This mechanism is designed to prevent potential abuse and ensure that the nation's interests are paramount. Article 31 (2), stated that Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, where a proclamation is published under clause (1) of this article, the President shall place immediately before Parliament the facts and circumstances leading to the declaration of the state of emergency.



The Act in clause 3, Act 31(3) states, Parliament shall, within seventy-two hours after being notified, decide whether the proclamation should remain in force or should be revoked; and the President shall act in accordance with the decision of Parliament.



What constitutes a state of emergency



Given the ongoing disaster in the lower volta caused by the spilling of the Akosombo Dam, many have asked President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency.



This is because the situation is really bad for the communities near the Volta River. Properties, places of settlements, and livelihoods have been destroyed by the flood. It has also rendered nearly 20, 0000 people homeless, But, does the dam's spill and its effects make it necessary for the president to do so?



The constitution of Ghana 1992, Act 31 (9) outlined some circumstances that require that the president declares a state of emergency. The circumstances under which a state of emergency may be declared under this article include a natural disaster and any situation in which any action is taken or is immediately threatened to be taken by any person or body of persons which (a) is calculated or likely to deprive the community of the essentials of life; or (b) renders necessary the taking of measures which are required for securing the public safety, the defence of Ghana and the maintenance of public order and of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.



Declaring a state of emergency is not without ethical considerations. It involves a delicate balance between immediate action and preserving democratic values. A clear understanding of the constitutional provisions is essential to navigate these complexities.



Knowing what the 1992 Constitution says about declaring a state of emergency isn't just about following the law; it's crucial for keeping the country safe and its democracy strong.



As calls continue to mount on President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency because of the Akosombo Dam problem, it's really important to understand what the Constitution says.



This knowledge will help the public have smart conversations and also aid the government in taking the right decisions especially during this tough time in Ghana's history.















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ike City, a modern day business conglomerate has joined the growing list of donors of the Mepe flood victims by donating items worth several thousands of Cedis to the affected casualties.



The items include bags of rice, bags of sachet water, bales of second hand clothes and detergents.



CEO of the Afienya-based business entity, Mr Isaac Ofori Amoako mentioned that the worrying videos of houses submerged in water due to the Akosombo Dam spillage stirred him to support the affected victims.



" . . indeed, this is very worrying. And like the biblical if you do it for your neighbor, you have lend it to God, management thought it prudent to rally support for our Voltarian brethren," he said after the donation on Tuesday.



"It is our widow's mite, but we at Ike City believe it will go a long way to support the affected victims. We may come again, seeing it on video is different from what we are witnessing now. We are really touched."



The Ike City boss appealed to other corporate organizations to support the affected victims.



MP for the area, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who received the items expressed profuse appreciation to the donor for the gesture.



He promised to distribute it equitably for the intended purpose.

Source: Kofi Aduonum









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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(CNN)  The Republican-led House elected Rep. Mike Johnson as the new House speaker on Wednesday  a major leadership change that comes three weeks after the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy.

Johnson, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election, will now take the reins of the bitterly divided House Republican majority and faces the looming threat of a government shutdown next month.

Johnsons elevation puts an end to the paralysis the House had been stuck in after McCarthy was pushed out by hardline conservatives  an unprecedented move that plunged the chamber into uncharted territory.

Republicans tried and failed three separate times to coalesce behind a new speaker nominee before ultimately uniting around Johnson, a conservative lawmaker who has so far had a relatively low profile on the national stage.

In a remarkable show of unity following weeks of fierce GOP infighting, the Louisiana Republican was elected with 220 votes and no Republican defections.

The new speaker will now face a litany of pressing issues. Government funding is set to expire on November 17, and the GOP-controlled House will need to work with the Democratic-led Senate to avert a shutdown, setting up an early leadership test for Johnson.

Lawmakers must also decide whether to send further aid to Ukraine as it fights a war against Russian aggression as well as aid to Israel in its war against Hamas. There is widespread bipartisan support for aid to Israel, but many House Republicans are opposed to sending additional aid to Ukraine.

Johnson, fresh off his victory on the House floor, said he will pursue an aggressive schedule in the weeks ahead and alluded to the chaos that had paralyzed the House and distracted from the GOP agenda.

Youre going to see an aggressive schedule in the days and weeks ahead. Youre gonna see Congress working as hard as its ever worked and we are going to deliver for the American people, he said.

Weve gone through a little bit of suffering. Weve gone through a little bit of character building, and you know what has produced more strength, more perseverance and a lot of hope, and thats what were about to deliver to the American people, he said.

Johnson was first elected to the House in 2016 and has previously served as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. A Trump ally, he supported objections to Electoral College results when Congress met to certify Joe Bidens presidential win on January 6, 2021  the day a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol seeking to overturn the results of the election. He also lobbied fellow House Republicans to support a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the election.

A reporter was loudly booed by House GOP members for asking Johnson after he became the speaker-designate if he stands by his decision to support overturning the election.

New speaker takes over following weeks of chaos

The fight for the speakers gavel has opened new rifts among House Republicans and deepened old ones. Republicans rallied around Johnson in a display of unity, but it remains to be seen how long that will hold.

Johnson secured the nomination for the speakership late Tuesday evening in a vote that capped off a chaotic day that started with Republicans picking Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer to be their latest nominee only for him to drop out hours later after facing stiff resistance from the right flank of the conference and a rebuke from Trump.

After winning the party nomination, Emmer faced swift opposition from the right flank of his conference as well as a rebuke from Trump. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Emmer a Globalist RINO, and said that voting for him would be a tragic mistake.

Emmer was the third Republican to win the GOP nomination only to then exit the race after failing to lock up the necessary votes to win the gavel, following Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Steve Scalise also of Louisiana.

Jordan, who is known as Trump ally and a fierce conservative agitator, took his fight for the speakership to the House floor in a bid to put members on the record  but failed to secure the gavel in three separate rounds of voting that saw him lose more support with each ballot.

Some Republicans who opposed Jordan decried what they described as a pressure campaign against them by allies of the Ohio Republican. And several Republicans who opposed Jordans speakership bid said they experienced angry calls, menacing messages and even death threats since casting their votes. Jordan condemned the threats.

Even as he faced stiff resistance, Jordan vowed repeatedly to continue his fight. But after his third failed floor vote, the House GOP conference voted internally to push him out of the race in a dramatic turn of events. Jordans failure to win the gavel highlighted the limits of Trumps influence in the speakers race after the former president endorsed Jordan.

As Republicans failed to coalesce around successive candidates, frustration and tensions within the conference intensified and frequently spilled out into public view as members lamented the impasse and questioned whether anyone could secure enough support to win the gavel given the GOPs narrow majority.

Johnson emerges as new GOP leader

Johnson has a background as a staunch conservative Republican and an ardent Trump supporter.

After the election was called in favor of Joe Biden on November 7, 2020, Johnson posted on X, then known as Twitter, I have just called President Trump to say this: Stay strong and keep fighting, sir! The nation is depending upon your resolve. We must exhaust every available legal remedy to restore Americans trust in the fairness of our election system.

Johnson serves on the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee. He is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee.

As CNNs KFILE has reported, Johnson has a history of harsh anti-gay language from his time as an attorney for a socially conservative legal group in the mid-2000s.

In editorials that ran in his local Shreveport, Louisiana, paper, The Times, Johnson called homosexuality an inherently unnatural and dangerous lifestyle that would lead to legalized pedophilia and possibly even destroy the entire democratic system.

In another editorial, he wrote, Your race, creed, and sex are what you are, while homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do. This is a free country, but we dont give special protections for every persons bizarre choices.

At the time, Johnson was an attorney and spokesman for Alliance Defense Fund, known today as Alliance Defending Freedom, where he also authored his opposition to the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas  which overturned state laws that criminalized homosexual activity between consenting adults.

In 2022, Johnson also introduced a bill that some have described as a national version of what critics have called Floridas Dont Say Gay bill.
Tillys Farm, through its annual Career Day programme, has enlightened second cycle agriculture students on their role in contributing to the sector of the economy. The event, held at the Achimota School, brought together experts in the agric space who through their interactions with the students, drew their attention to the numerous opportunities available in the agric value chain.



Addressing the students, who were also taken on a field trip to Golden Exotics, the Co-Founder of Tillys Farm, Boatemaa Hammond, noted that with the right direction and support many youths will gladly venture into the agricultural space.



Similarly, the Executive Director of Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC), Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, speaking at the event, urged the students not to underrate the path they have taken, but rather view it as a big task since everyone relies on food to survive. You have chosen a path that will help you to do a lot for yourself. There is a lot of responsibility on you, so when you walk around campus, I want you to walk around with confidence knowing that your choice of study is critical to human existence.



He stressed on the need to leverage technology to grow the sector and added that agribusiness is not only about production but also includes rendering of services and distribution of agricultural products.



The second edition of the Career Day was themed The right to wholesome food, our shared responsibility,which Mrs. Hammond explained highlights Tillys Farms contributions to making quality food available to the consuming public.

Sharing the genesis of Tillys Farm with the students, the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Tillys Farm, Maxwell Q. Hammond, advised them to utilise every opportunity they come across while in school.



Years ago people thought agric was not a cool area of study because of the delivery and the practical aspect of it, which included students going to work in the piggery etc. But I ask that you take those experiences seriously, before you create better systems and products you need to master the basics. It is the basis of great things. Now, young people are doing great things, but what you dont see is that they have solid foundation which is what you are also doing now.



Head of Department, Agric at the Achimota SHS, David Ziga, emphasised the significance of the event to the students, saying: It trains them to be creators and not job seekers and serves as a platform for students to learn from experts as well.



Every October, Tillys Farm embarks on a number of activities to draw awareness on pig production, its consumption, and value chain. The activities which includes training for farmers climaxes with field trips and Career Day for Agric students in SHS to commemorate Porktober, an international celebration of pork.



Talking about the future for Tillys Farm, Boatemaa Hammond said we intend to widen the scope of Porktober celebrations to include more schools. Also, we intend to expand our operations to include more farmers and assist them technically with more training so they can produce the wholesome pork that we are known for.



Tillys Farm Limited (TFL) is a Ghanaian-owned agro-processing company that works with a network of smallholder farmers to raise pigs for processing into pork and pork products, which includes different kinds of fresh and smoked sausages as well as cuts of pork like ribs, shanks and thigh.

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.

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The Ministry of Works and Housing and the Ministry of Human Settlements of South Africa has jointly declared their intent to collaborate to drive development in the critical fields of housing, human settlements and urban developments in both countries. This, according to both countries, signals an affirmation of commitments by Ghana and South Africa towards addressing the complex challenges of housing and human settlements.



This came to light when South Africas Minister for Housing and Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi (MP) held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye (MP) today in Accra.



The South African Minister is on an official visit to the country as part of efforts to further strengthen ties and chart a new path and explore avenues for collaboration in the areas of housing delivery and development of other human settlements between the two countries.



The visit by Minister Kubayi comes on the back of fruitful discussions previously held between the two sector Ministers in Poland and South Africa that laid the foundation for the need to explore collaborations, particularly in enhancing the institutional framework for the delivery of housing in both countries.



In his welcoming remarks, Asenso-Boakye indicated that the complexities involved in housing delivery require not only urgent attention but also innovative solutions dictated by mutual commitments from governments.



Our joint efforts in pressing issues of slum upgrading, improvement of informal settlements and the lives of those who inhabit them can have profound impact on the well-being and living conditions of a significant portion of our populations. Ghanas sector Minister noted.



On her part, Minister Kubayi said the government of South Africa is ready to commit to the new partnership that will resolve the many myriads of problems in housing delivery.



To us this partnership and commitments also include sharing of experiences, knowledge and best practices in the housing sectors of our countries and how we can practicalize the implementations of what we seek to commit. Minister Kubayi added.



Minister Kubayi and her delegation is expected to call on President H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well engage as other engagements notably, a Business Session to be hosted by the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC) for housing sector players from both countries.

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.

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Following an ambitious target of achieving 20 million active members by the close of the year 2023, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), 20th Anniversary celebration has been officially launched at the La Palm-Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.



Unveiled on October 25, 2023, the year-long nationwide celebration is under the theme, Health Heroes:20 years strong, and this is to serve as a reflection of NHIS significant contribution to providing financial risks protection against high costs of healthcare services to all residents in Ghana.



A series of activities lined up for the celebration are a blood donation exercise nationwide, MyNHIS APP Storm in regional capitals, NHIS Data Day, a Symposium on identified topical diseases, the inauguration of the upgraded Takpo Health Center into an ultra-modern Polyclinic in the Upper West Region, Legends unveiled: Honoring our Heroes event, Awards Night, and Gospel Rock show.



Past Chief Executives



At 20, the NHIS can so far boast of eight (8) Chief Executives. They are Dr. Samuel Akor, Honorable Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Mr. Ras Boateng, Mr. Sylvester Mensah, Mr. Nathaniel Otoo, Dr. Samuel Yaw Annor, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby and the incumbent Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye.



Inaugural addresses



In a brief speech, the Deputy Health Minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Daboya/Mankarigu in the Savannah Region, Alhaji Mahama Asei Seini applauded the NHIS monumental achievements and unwavering commitment to progress.



He urged management and staff to remain steadfast and ensure that no one in Ghana is left behind in having access to affordable and quality healthcare services.



NHIA Board Chair



The NHIA Governing Board Chairman, Dr. Ernest K. P Kwarko in his welcome address posited that the NHIS represented extraordinary achievements in Ghana's health financing history.



He mentioned improved Claims payments, increased credentialed healthcare facilities and taking care of the health needs of all residents of Ghana as some of the success stories.



He sounded unequivocally that the Governing Board and executive management remained committed to eliminating what he described as the Dreaded Co-payments syndrome.



Dr. Ernest Kwarko commended NHIS management and staff for their dedicated service and forward march to Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030.



Chief Executive



The NHIA Chief Executive, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye recapped the NHIS achievements over the past two decades, emphasizing the role it continuous to play in Ghanas healthcare financing.



He paid tribute to former President John Agyekum Kufours led New Patriotic Party (NPP) led governments far-reaching thought which birthed the NHIS in the year 2003.



He said over the years, the NHIS had committed to providing affordable and quality healthcare to its members and added that management was determined to keep moving in the right direction.



According to Dr. Okoe Boye, the NHIS has been a training ground for sister nations in the Subregion and still attracts foreign delegations visits to the NHIA, Head Office, on study tours.



He touted Ghana and Rwanda as the two outstanding African nations whose health insurance covers more than half of the national populations.



Anniversary Planning Committee Chair



The Anniversary Planning Committee Chair, NHIA Deputy Chief Executive responsible for Administration/Human Resources, Dr. Yaa Pokuaa Baiden (Mrs.) called for a renewed vigor and passion among staff to deliver their mandate in ensuring that healthcare is a fundamental right for all residents of Ghana.



Healthcare knows no boundaries. Let us reaffirm our commitment to the NHIS and together we shall safeguard the valuable health and wellbeing of all.

She spelt out a comprehensive program for the nationwide celebrations and urged staff to go the extra mileage and enroll more increase the NHIS active membership.



There were solidarity speeches from development partners, especially the Christian Health Association, Ghana (CHAG).



Action



During the period, there will blood donation exercises across the country to help stock the National Blood Bank, as a means of saving lives. This forms part of the NHIS Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).



Through an event dubbed MYNHIS APP Storm, nationwide, there will be a conscious effort to promote the latest electronic platform known as MyNHIS. The goal is to assist the public in understanding how to download and use the platform for enrollment and membership renewal.

In collaboration with PharmAccess Ghana, a Data day is set aside to celebrate the importance of leveraging technology and data in ensuring positive health outcomes. This will highlight the importance of NHIS Staff evidence-based document submitted for decision-making in healthcare delivery.



There will be a Symposium that will convene key stakeholders, such as private health insurance organizations, pharmaceutical companies, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, and the Ghana Medical Association to deliberate on topical diseases and issues that impose a substantial cost burden on the NHIS.



The NHIA in partnership with the support of government and other major stakeholders in the health ecosystem upgraded the Takpo Health Centre into an ultra-modern Poly Clinic in the Nadowli constituency of the Upper West Region. The project will be inaugurated during the Anniversary celebration.



Another pillar of the celebration is to pay tribute to past distinguished personalities at an event called Legends: Honoring Our Icons. By this arrangement, images and significant statements of past Presidents of Ghana, NHIA former Chief Executives and former Directors will be displayed at vantage points of the various Directorates.



The year-long celebrations will be climaxed by an Awards Night and Gospel Rock Show, which is designed to reward dedicated and hard working NHIS staff who have served for almost 20 years.



The Gospel Rock Show is honor God for the many blessings he has bestowed on the NHIS, especially its sustainability.



Future outlook



The 20th Anniversary celebration is grounded in the strategic direction of the current NHIA transformational leadership, known as the 5Ds-, anchored on Digitization, Data, Dissemination, Decentralization, and Development.



These pillars underscore the NHIS's significance in Ghana's healthcare landscape and set the course for its future development.

Source: Abdul Karim Naatogmah /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.

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Teachers in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region are facing grave challenges due to the ongoing spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams.



Many of the teachers are contemplating leaving the district for more stable environments as the spillage of the dams, have severely affected their living conditions and professional lives.



The District Chairman for the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in North Tongu, Sammy Olando Bansah, bemoaned the plight of teachers in the district in an interview with Class 91.3 FMs Volta Regional Correspondent, Kingsley Attitsogbui.



He indicated that many of his colleagues have not yet returned to the district after the flooding.



Mr Bansah highlighted the arduous daily journey that teachers must undertake, crossing rivers to reach their classrooms.



I am saying that people are threatening to leave because, as we speak, some people have not come back after the flood, and now that we are not even getting any concrete information from the Volta River Authority (VRA) as to whether they will spill again or not he said.



Mr Bansah, therefore, called for immediate support for the affected teachers, emphasising their need for essential resources such as life jackets, accommodation, and clean drinking water.



He also stressed the challenges faced by teachers who live in areas where water sources have been polluted.



The ongoing dam spillage in the Volta Region has resulted in at least 35,995 people being displaced, according to the latest update from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).



The North Tongu District recorded the highest number of displaced individuals, totaling 12,600. This number spans 69 communities, with 4,220 people currently seeking refuge in safe havens.





Source: class fm









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Leadership of the Ghana Muslim Mission (GMM) has expressed its sympathies with the affected people of the Akosombo Dam spillage.



The GMM said it was deeply worried, saddened and concerned about the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo dam and its consequences on the people living in the lower and Upper Volta area of the Volta Region.



In a release issued to the Ghana News Agency, on Monday, in Accra, it said the current situation in various parts of the country is grave and needs urgent attention from all and sundry.



We sympathize with the people of the Volta and other affected Regions in these times of difficulty. We have witnessed the suffering they are going through for the entire nation to enjoy continuous electricity supply and other good benefits from the Volta River.



Hence, it called on all Ghanaians to continue to pray and provide support to alleviate the pain and suffering of the victims more especially women, children, the elderly and persons living with disabilities (PWDs).



We pray to Allah to hear our cry and reduce the rains for us. Although we need it, we still pray for its reduction to save the lives of our people, especially those who have lost their entire livelihood as a result of the spillage. We pray to Allah to replenish their loss and grant them sufficiency. Lets come together to help our people.





Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Flagbearer aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ing. Francis Addai-Nimoh is urging party delegates to share the votes among the four candidates during the upcoming November 4 Presidential primary to push the election to a runoff.



Speaking on Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo FM on Monday, October 23, 2023, he said this when done, will bring unity in the party as the various candidates will have to fall on the other aspirants who trailed for their support.



Ive told delegates in my rounds that they should share the votes during the November 4 election such that there will be a runoff. If you want the unity of the party you can do so through election. So, I repeat of the four of us left, the delegates should share the votes among us so we go for a round off. When they share the votes and theres a runoff among the first two candidates, maybe Addai Nimo and another person, I will be compelled to go to the other remaining candidates and beg for their support. If you go to solicit for someones support, the person will put before you his conditions and if you are able to meet those conditions, you the candidate is assured of the persons support.





You will recall that in the year 2000 there was a runoff during the general election between candidate Atta Mills and Akufo-Addo and the NPP engaged the other minority parties for their votes. Thats how come Mallam Issa from the PNC to be made a Minister in President Kufuors government. So, I urge the delegates once again, they should vote in such a way that there will be a runoff, they should ensure nobody gets the 50% plus 1 vote, so that when theres runoff, the two candidates will go and solicit for votes from the others and that will foster unity and peace in the party. Im giving delegates this advice and when they heed, they themselves will be happy, the former Member of Parliament for Mampong told show host Bonohene Baffuor Awuah.



The NPP goes to the polls on November 4, 2023, to select a presidential candidate who will lead the party to the 2024 general elections.



Dr. Akoto is number 3 on the ballot paper. He placed 4th in the Super Delegates Conference held on August 26, 2023.



Over 210,000 delegates are expected to vote in the National Delegates Conference on November 4, 2024.





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.

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National Chairman of the largest opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has said bad wives of politicians influence their husbands to engage in politics.



Speaking on Starr Chat on Starr FM, the veteran politician asserted that principled politicians are sometimes compromised by their nagging wives.



You know, in politics, if you have a bad wife, that can lead you to engage in corrupt activities. Because your wife is nagging look at what my colleagues have but I dont have any, what are you doing? you are being cheated and all that, then that can convert a wise and principled person into somebody who will do the wrong things to be able to satisfy his wife and family, but my wife is a very modest person.



As we speak now, when I go to my hometown nobody is surprised seeing me ride a bicycle or walking in the streets and so on. It is like no matter the height I reach, if I fall there will be no difference if I go back.



Chairman Asiedu Nketiahs comment was in response to a question posed by the host of the show, Bola Ray on what has kept his 41 years of marriage going.



Shes not somebody who puts premium on money, finances and other things, the experienced politician added.





Source: kasapaonline









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Featured Video
In a captivating speech delivered at the University of Calgary, amidst the rich display of Ghanaian culture by the Royal Cultural Dancers of Calgary, former President John Mahama of Ghana enthralled a packed University of Calgary auditorium with his vision for the future of Ghana and the opportunities it offers for investors, tourists, and cultural enthusiasts.



In a packed hall, the event was attended by University of Calgary Leaders, Deans, Professors, and students from diverse backgrounds, all eager to hear the insights and aspirations of a leader who played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's recent history.



Former President Mahama began his address by praising Ghana as a thriving example of peaceful democracy in Africa. He emphasized the country's successful democratic transitions and its commitment to the rule of law, highlighting the stable political environment that makes Ghana an attractive destination for investment and business.



One of the central themes of President Mahama's speech was the vibrant landscape of rapidly growing businesses in Ghana, particularly in the FINTECH and technological services sectors. He underlined the potential for investors to participate in these burgeoning industries, which hold promise in elevating Ghana's status as a middle-income country.



"Today, Ghana is not just a land of opportunities, but a hub for innovation, technology, and economic growth," President Mahama stated, while inviting international investors to explore and invest in the thriving Ghanaian business ecosystem. He further stressed that Ghana is on the way out of the economic woe of the pandemic and he can see a better economic stability for businesses to thrive.



A day earlier, the former President also demonstrated his commitment to promoting Ghana as a desired destination for tourism, business, and culture. He recounted his recent meeting with the Alberta business community and thousands of Ghanaians and Africans in Western Canada, during which he showcased the numerous attractions that Ghana has to offer.



Furthermore, President Mahama stressed the importance of fostering a politically healthy platform for the younger generation to learn from and engage in conversations that prioritize Ghana over political parties. This message aligns with his vision for a united Ghana that transcends political divisions and works towards common goals for the betterment of the nation. He said Ghanaian leadership cannot do business as usual and expect a different outcome. The time for a renewed leadership of accountability is now.



The President of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Calgary, Dr. Charles Odame-Ankrah, warmly welcomed President Mahama and expressed hope that his influence and good office would create the foundation for productive dialogues among the youth, enabling them to take a patriotic and non-partisan approach to discussions about their nation's future.



Former President John Mahama's speech at the University of Calgary not only inspired the audience but also shed light on the promising future of Ghana as a nation open to investment, tourism, and cultural exchange. His vision for a united and prosperous Ghana continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, reiterating Ghana's position as a beacon of democracy and economic potential in Africa.

Source: Dr Charles Odame Ankrah, Calgary, Canada









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
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Object from the gold treasure from Vindelev, which spent some time at DTU in an attempt to better understand its origin and importance. Credit: Conservation Centre Vejle

Photographers and journalists from the BBC, TV 2, and DR were ready when an armored car drove up to the front of DTU's 3D Imaging Center on 10 February 2022. All cameras were pointed directly at a brown shoebox, which an archaeologist from the Danish National Museum carefully took out of the armored car and carried through the revolving door to the 3D Imaging Center.

Inside the shoebox was the world's largest gold bracteate. The bracteate, which is a medallion-like necklace measuring 13.5cm, was found along with 15 other bracteates and four Roman medallions by an amateur archaeologist the year before in a field near the town of Vindelev in Denmark. Weighing 794 grams combined, the gold treasure is estimated to have been buried in the 6th century, and experts have compared the discovery to that of the Golden Horns of Gallehus.

The problem, however, is that many of the bracteates are folded to a point where the archaeologists are unable to see the motifs and runic inscriptions on them. It is too risky to unfold the gold by hand, as it may break, which is why the National Museum and the Vejle Museums have sought the help of modern technology at DTU.

"Sometimes technology can open doors that we can't. In this case, we want to get a better look at the inscriptions and images on the bracteates so we can learn more about the nobleman who owned the treasure. What was his position? What was his domain? If we succeed, we will gain a better understanding of the structure of society in the 5th and 6th century," says Mads Ravn, archaeologist and Head of Research at the Vejle Museums. To unfold the gold bracteate, you must first fold the white "sheet" so that it follows the folds in the bracteate. The local surface pattern from the data of the gold bracteate scan is transferred to the sheet. Unfolding the sheet then reveals what is hidden on the surface of the bracteate. Credit: Technical University of Denmark

The technology Ravn is hoping can provide new answers is known as CT scanning in hospitals, where it is used to create detailed X-ray images of a patient's internal organs. In recent times, this technology has also been used by physicists to scan material objects and recreate them as digital 3D models. For example, DTU has used it to scan and reconstruct a 66-million-year-old T. rex skull.

However, the bracteates from the National Museum were not only brought to DTU's 3D Imaging Center in February 2022 to be scanned and reconstructedthey also needed to be digitally unfolded. After completing the scan, DTU's researchers were thus left with an ancient mystery and 9,600 CT images to unfold it.

Gold thickness causes problems

One of the challenges in solving the mystery was the varying thickness of the gold. Where the gold on the bracteates is thin due to stamp pressure and engravings, the scans have produced what is called CT artifacts, which are visual discrepancies between the real bracteate and the resulting CT image.

The entire gold treasure, which was found just 8 km from the Jelling monuments. Credit: Conservation Centre Vejle

"In hospitals, artifacts occur when, for example, you're performing a CT scan on a patient with surgical screws in their leg. The screws will create lines in the image, and the same thing has happened in this project. Our images are full of lines that wouldn't be there if the bracteates had had the same thickness everywhere," explains Carsten Gundlach, Senior Executive Research Officer at DTU Physics.

He used the data from the hundreds of 360-degree scans of each bracteate for calculations for the spatial 3D images. Gundlach says that this method has resulted in fairly accurate 3D reconstructions of the bracteates in their folded condition. Nevertheless, the artifacts still caused trouble for Gundlach's DTU Compute colleague, Hans Martin Kjer, who tried to digitally unfold the bracteates.

"We've tried to unfold one of the smaller bracteates called X17, but it's difficult for us to define the edge of the bracteate and the exact line between two surfaces. When the gold has many tight folds, it makes it difficult for us to separate the surfaces from each other. Ultimately, it makes it very difficult to produce a perfect unfolding where you can see all the details," says Kjer.

However, the two researchers refused to give up. Through conversations with the archaeologists, they have gained an idea of which motifs are of special interest in a historical context. The focus of the project has therefore shifted from unfolding the entire bracteate to unfolding the individual parts that can give archaeologists new knowledge about Denmark in the 5th and 6th century.

Getting a bracteat ready to be CT scanned at the DTU Imaging Center in an attempt to solve the mystery of where the Vindelev treasure originates. Credit: Mikal Schlosser

Treasure may have changed owners

Ravn says that Denmark at the time of bracteates can best be described as what the Romans called "wild Germania." Here, autocratic clan leaders ruled marked territories according to the same rules now used by biker gangs or the Mafia.

"The more wars they won, the stronger clan leaders they became. And the more gold and riches they could get for their followers, the more followers they got," says Ravn.

Judging by the size of the treasure from Vindelev, he believes that its owner must have been a very powerful, but previously unknown, clan leader. This gives the site around Vindelev, located 8km east of Jelling, the cradle of Denmark, a new and significant status as a center of power.

At the same time, the treasure from Vindelev bears a close resemblance to other gold treasures found near the town of Gudme on Funen, which is considered to have been Denmark's most important center of power from the 3rd to the 6th century. This leads archaeologists to believe that some of the bracteates from Vindelev may have been made by a blacksmith in Gudme. If that is the case, the gold must have changed owners at some point.

A 3D visualization from the reconstruction of bracteate X19. The red surface shows the specific area the researchers have focused on unfolding. The holes illustrate the artifacts that have occurred due to the thickness of the gold. Credit: Technical University of Denmark

The theory is therefore that there was a close connectionperhaps an alliancebetween the clan leaders of the two centers of power. "It's possible that the gold was handed over as a gift in connection with weddings between daughters and sons from each clan," says Ravn.

In order to confirm this theory, Ravn is particularly interested in seeing the motifs on the largest of the gold bracteates, which seems to have a folded twin motif in the middle. The stamps around the motif can also tell the researchers something about the origin of the bracteate and how old it is. If they turn out to bear the same stamps as the ones found in Gudme, then they were made by the same goldsmith, and the archaeologists can continue working with the theory of the close connection between Vindelev and Gudme.

"It's a bit like a court case where the more circumstantial evidence we find, the stronger the case will be. We can't exactly ask the witnesses who were there at the time. We rely on circumstantial evidence, and this is where DTU can help," explains Ravn.

Here you can see the surface unfolded. The unfolding reveals a motif of a man in the centre of the bracteate who may well have been a Roman emperor, according to archaeologists. Ancient Danes copied the portraits of Roman emperors on their jewellery and also added their own symbols to the portrait. Credit: Technical University of Denmark

Research never ends

In the digital treasure hunt for answers, DTU's researchers have come closer to finding the evidence than before. They have succeeded in unfolding a small area with fewer folds on one of the smaller bracteates called X19.

"It's a significantly better result than when we tried unfolding the entire bracteate. With this method, we can optimize the individual areas," says Gundlach. However, while he still believes that the results can be improved, he thinks that the method has potential worth pursuing.

"The method opens up the possibility of piecing together the individual parts after they've been unfolded," he says.

The Vejle Museums are very enthusiastic about the new results, not just because the method can provide new insight into the power dynasties of the Iron Age, but also because it may help archaeologists determine why some of the bracteates appear to have been folded by hand while others have probably been destroyed by a modern plow centuries after being buried.

"It would be interesting to see if DTU can distinguish between the randomly destroyed bracteates and the deliberately folded ones using the mathematical algorithms that they're already working with. We expect that the deliberately destroyed bracteates will be more symmetrically folded," says Ravn. He explains that if the clan leader himself has folded the bracteates, it indicates that the treasure was used as a sacrifice to the gods.

The next step is to unfold the twin motif and the stamps on the world's largest bracteate. The DTU researchers are hoping that the work with the treasure will open up a new string of collaborations with archaeologists and museum professionals. But when the goal has been reached and the researchers will be satisfied remains just as unanswered as many of the riddles that still surround the treasure from Vindelev.

"There are still many challenges to solve. Of course it's annoying that you can't just finish things up and move on. But you can always do more," says Kjer and adds, "Research never ends."
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A trio of Chinese astronauts, led by Tang Hongbo, will head to the Tiangong space station.

China will send its youngest-ever crew of astronauts to the Tiangong space station this week, officials said Wednesday, as Beijing pursues plans for a manned mission to the moon by the end of the decade.

Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit.

The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months.

The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 am (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest.

"It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement.

The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station.

"Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added.

Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages.

The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched.

"According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing.

It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added.

'Space dream'

Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping.

Factfile on China's Tiangong space station.

The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia.

In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success".

That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilianBeihang University professor Gui Haichaointo orbit.

That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday.

Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface.

Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled".

Lunar plans

The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit.

That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect moon samples in the second half of 2017.

Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the moon in January 2019a historic first.

Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth the first lunar samples in four decades.

And the final module of the T-shaped Tiangongwhich means "heavenly palace"successfully docked with the core structure last year.

The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system".

The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years.

 2023 AFP
(CNN)  A furious diplomatic spat between Israel and the United Nations has broken out, with Israeli officials calling for the resignation of Secretary General Antonio Guterres after he said Hamas October 7 attacks on the country did not happen in a vacuum.

At a Security Council meeting, Guterres called for a humanitarian ceasefire on Tuesday amid the deepening crisis in Gaza, and told the Security Council that clear violations of international humanitarian law are being witnessed.

He called Hamas October 7 murder and kidnap rampage appalling, and said nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets.

It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, Guterres said. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished.

But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Excellencies, even war has rules, he added.

His comments angered Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who was in the chamber as Guterres spoke. In what world do you live? said Cohen. Definitely, this is not our world.

Writing on social media later, Cohen said that after the October 7th massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!

Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign, saying he had expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.

Then, on Wednesday, Erdan said his country will block visas for United Nations officials. It had already rejected an application by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, Erdan told the Israeli Army Radio channel.

Its time we teach them a lesson, added Erdan.

The deepening spat exposes tensions around the calls from some international observers for a ceasefire, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In an effort to set the record straight, Guterres said Wednesday he was shocked by misinterpretations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council  as if I was was justifying acts of terror by Hamas.

This is false. It was the opposite, he told reporters, restating his condemnation of the October 7 attacks.

But Guterres did not back away from his Tuesday call for a ceasefire, or from his nod towards the historical treatment of Palestinians.

Erdan responded to Guterres comments later Wednesday, doubling down on his earlier criticism of the Secretary General. Erdan called it a disgrace that Guterres did not retract or apologize for his comments.

A Secretary-General who does not understand that the murder of innocents can never be understood by any background cannot be Secretary-General, Erdan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The main United Nations agency working in Gaza said it would be forced to halt its operations by Wednesday evening due to a lack of fuel, with the territory having faced days of airstrikes and near-total blockade following the Hamas attacks.

Efforts in the UN to endorse a ceasefire have so far been scuppered, with the US vetoing a draft resolution raised by Brazil last week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday told the agency that humanitarian pauses must be considered to allow aid to reach civilians in Gaza, though he notably avoided the phrase ceasefire. On Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby rebutted calls for a ceasefire, telling CNN that Hamas must first release hostages held in Gaza.

Nearly three weeks since the outbreak of fighting, the UNs Security Council remains divided on how to proceed with the crisis.

Two differing resolutions on the matter, introduced by the US and Russia, both failed to pass on Wednesday.

The draft resolution from the US called for humanitarian pauses, not a ceasefire, to allow for aid to reach Gazan civilians. The US previously vetoed a Brazilian draft calling for a humanitarian pause.

But Russia and China vetoed the US resolution  a move US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield described as deeply disappointing.

Following her comments, Chinas UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said what we oppose is that the draft text does not call on the parties concerned to stop the indiscriminate and asymmetrical use of force.

The Russian resolution proposed Wednesday also failed to gain the Councils approval.

The Israeli government has said there are more than 200 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In an update posted Wednesday, it said 135 of the hostages hold foreign passports from 25 countries. Thailand, with 54, had the most nationals held of any country, followed by Argentina with 15 nationals, then Germany and the US with 12 each.

The World Health Organization meanwhile reiterated calls on Tuesday for a ceasefire, saying it is unable to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to lack of security guarantees. Six hospitals in Gaza have been forced to shut due to a lack of fuel, WHO added.
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Mechanism of TAG transport by Rv1410 and LprG. LprG is colored pale lilac. (1) TAG molecule (red) enters the transporters central cavity through lateral openings between TM5-TM8IN and TM2-TM11IN in the inward-facing conformation. (2) The transporter transitions from inward-facing to outward-facing state while the TAG molecule is occluded within the central cavity. The E147-R417 ion lock (symbolized by golden lock) at the bottom of the central cavity is formed and lifts TAG toward the periplasmic leaflet. (3) TM11 and TM12 periplasmic extensions shield the TAG molecule from hydrophilic periplasm while the TAG molecule relocates from the transporters cavity to the hydrophobic pocket of LprG. Credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42073-0

Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease that claims about 1.3 million lives annually world-wide. This dismal toll is caused by the notorious pathogen Mycobacteria tuberculosis, whose bitter success depends on its formidable cellular double barrier, which offers both protection from the host defense system and a terrain that mediates host-pathogen interactions during infection.

Understanding how to weaken this barrier by detecting how its molecular components organize and shuffle is the subject of new research. Through computer simulations, and in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Microbiology at University of Zurich, Professor Lars Schafer and Dr. Dario De Vecchis from the Center for Theoretical Chemistry at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, described the molecular journey of one critical component of this barrier: triglyceride.

The team of researchers describe their results in an article published in Nature Communications on October 13, 2023.

A molecular vacuum cleaner

Triglycerides are the form in which fat energy is stored in our tissue. "Mycobacteria also accumulate triglycerides," explains Lars Schafer. "But in addition to store energy, these molecules are also a key component that contributes to seal their cellular barrier." This high-energy molecule needs to be transported from inside the bacterial cell (the cytoplasmic space) through the membrane, to be ultimately deposited in the mycobacterial barrier.

Until now, the precise details of this molecular journey were not known. "By teaming up with structural biologists Professor Markus Seeger and Dr. Sille Remm at Zurich, we used computer simulations to reveal how triglycerides are hunted from the transmembrane protein RV1410 that, akin to a vacuum cleaner, extracts them from the bacterial membrane via lateral portals in the protein structure."

The relay race of the Trojan horse

But how are the triglycerides ultimately transported from the membrane and deposited to the barrier? The second intermediate actor, LprG, is a periplasmic protein that is anchored to the membrane and browses its surface chasing for triglycerides. LprG has a water-repellent (hydrophobic) pocket that once paired with RV1410 creates a greasy tunnel where the "baton" triglyceride is handed off in a relay race to ultimately reach the barrier.

"We simulated the RV1410-LprG system embedded in a realistic mycobacterial membrane and describe this triglyceride-relay-race in atomistic detail," says De Vecchis. "One could think about the mycobacterial membrane as the Troy battlefield, were the scientists are trying to conquer the pathogen's ramparts by exploiting the RV1410-LprG system as the Trojan horse."

Revealing the molecular pathway of triglycerides could open new strategies to target the RV1410-LprG system, weaken the mycobacterial barrier, enhance antimicrobial permeability, and ultimately lead to more effective therapies against tuberculosis.

More information: Sille Remm et al, Structural basis for triacylglyceride extraction from mycobacterial inner membrane by MFS transporter Rv1410, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42073-0 Journal information: Nature Communications
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Functional analyses of N, C, and (N + C) compared to intact PDLP5 by viral movement assays. C) Cartoon illustrating the experimental setup. D) Representative plant photographs showing the extent of systemic TMV-GFP movement (left, low magnification; right, close-up views of the shoot tips). E) Quantitative analysis of the percentages of plants showing TMV-GFP systemic infectivity over 5 to 7 days after Agrobacterium-mediated infiltration of the virus. Experiments were performed 3 times using at least 5 plants per treatment. Credit: The Plant Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad152

Traffic lights signal to cars and buses when to stop, slow and go. Much like traffic lights, plant cells send signals to each other to perform photosynthesis to grow or fight off destructive viruses and pathogens.

Plant cells produce plasmodesmata, tiny tiny tubes that act as communication channels, allowing those signals to move from cell to cell. The plasmodesmata will open and close in response to various signals that activate protein regulators such as PDLP5.

"We knew that this protein is critical for plant defense," said Jung-Youn Lee, a University of Delaware professor of plant molecular and cellular biology and the interim director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. "But how does this protein get to the plasmodesmata?"

The questionhow these protein regulators find their destination to fulfill their purpose and help a cell functionhad been plaguing scientists. Until the University of Delaware got involved.

In new research that made the cover of the journal The Plant Cell, UD researchers found that the proteinPDLP5that helps guard plants from the invasion of viruses and bacteria has not one, but two special targeting signals, or "zip codes" as Lee calls them, unexpectedly stationed outside of cells.

"It is almost like you have a zip code hidden on an unusual side of the envelope," Lee said. "We did more than just locate the zip code; we cracked the code. Now we understand where the zip code is and what it looks like."

An interdisciplinary research team of biologists and computational scientists developed machine-learning algorithms and introduced mutations into the protein sequence of PDLP5 and reintroduced into plant species Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana to examine whether PDLP5 would go to plasmodesmata in these plants or not and to find where the second zip code is. The team discovered even if they got rid of one zip code, PDLP5 would still go to the plasmodesmata just fine.

"It gave us a lot of headaches," Lee said. "We never really thought initially there are two zip codes right next to each other."

Two 'zip codes'

Historically, plants under a viral attack were considered "helpless losers," Lee said. But in 2011, Lee and her team of researchers discovered plants send signals through plasmodesmata for cells to "close their borders" to defend themselves from pathogens. This new insight was made possible through their study of the then newly identified protein, PDLP5.

They have wanted to know how plants lead those PDLP5 proteins to help plasmodesmata close off their channels.

Several years ago, Lee's former student and 2017 UD graduate Xu Wang had been working on his doctoral thesis studying plant cell-to-cell communication and the function of proteins that would go to plasmodesmata.

"I was trying to figure out which part of the protein that localized to plasmodesmata is important," Wang said, "and whether this part contains a more universal or common feature that can help us to understand the localization mechanisms for other proteins, not only for the proteins we're studying."

When Wang introduced various mutations into PDLP5 to try to chop it up, he was stunned by what happened next.

"Nothing changed," Wang said. "The mutated, or a shorthand form, always went to the plasmodesmata."

Wang felt his study and the last piece of his thesis was stuck.

Following Wang's graduation, Lee brought in computer scientists to develop machine-learning algorithms to help solve the mystery.

Li Liao, an associate professor of computer and information sciences, who worked with Lee and her then newly recruited postdoc Gabriel Robles Luna (currently a university faculty member in Argentina) on the research, said a computer model trained the machine-learning algorithms to make two types of predictions.

The model would predict whether a protein sequence was a PDLP5-targeting protein that would go to plasmodesmata or not and would predict where the targeting signals are in the protein sequence.

"One challenge was this problem that we had very limited training data, only eight such protein sequences," Liao said. "Now, machine learning is powerful because it can train on large amounts of data. It won't be easy if you have a small amount of data to train a model."

To overcome that, Liao and his then new doctoral student Jiefu Li, a 2021 UD graduate, had to train the model in a new way.

"We have developed some novel mechanisms, including revision of the standard training algorithm to handle the partial signals," Liao said. "If we know some tentative patterns, we can incorporate that into the training algorithm. This will allow us more importantly to do active learning."

Understanding the protein regulation within plant cells can ultimately help scientists genetically engineer new crops capable of quickly fighting off viruses and other microbial pathogens, Lee said. It's one more way to improve how plants and crops function.

"This becomes a cool new toolbox for scientists," Lee said. "We have mechanisms and molecules we can manipulate."

Wang agreed, adding that genetically engineering plants with plasmodesmata-located proteins that can open and close channels will help "manipulate the overall plant fitness or the plant's defense to potentially have some agricultural benefits."

The research doesn't stop here. Researchers have submitted another grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to continue their research. Now, the team wants to use machine-learning algorithms to know how the protein signals are being used. Like how a UPS driver might use a zip code to deliver a package. Lee said the team wants to know the ins and outs of the whole "delivery system," including which proteins are involved and any unknown players.

"If we just manipulate the zip code, it may work 50% of the time," Lee said. "But if we know who the delivery man is and improve or change the delivery man so a virus can't be transferred to plasmodesmata anymore, if we can change the system, plants will recognize the invaders better and know not to deliver them to plasmodesmata."

More information: Gabriel Robles Luna et al, Targeting of plasmodesmal proteins requires unconventional signals, The Plant Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad152 Journal information: Plant Cell
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Buckling of cones can produce intricate spiral ridges. Credit: Duffy et al.

Conical structures can have advantageous applications in a variety of fields, ranging from robotics to civil engineering. Studies have found that conical shells made of liquid crystal elastomer films can be effective lifters; devices that can generate thrust for robots and other vehicles.

Researchers at University of Cambridge and University of Colorado Boulder (UC Boulder) recently carried out a study assessing the load-bearing capacity and robustness of conical shells. Their paper, published in Physical Review Letters, shows that thin conical structures are surprisingly weak, while also introducing a new numerical formula for the critical buckling load.

"Our paper came about because we were studying thin sheets that morph from flat into new shapes," Daniel Duffy, principal investigator for the study, told Phys.org.

"An inspiring now-classic example, due to our co-author Timothy White and his group, is a soft flat sheet that morphs into a cone upon heating, lifting thousands of times its own weight in the process. We wanted to understand how to optimize this already-spectacular performance, so we began by just asking 'how much weight can a cone support?', and discovered that, surprisingly, the correct answer was not in the literature."

The primary objective of the recent work by Duffy and his colleagues was to reliably determine how much weight a given conical structure can support. Their results were somewhat surprising, showing that the critical load that cones can bear greatly depends on their thickness. A cone is slowly squashed, then un-squashed. Credit: Duffy et al.

"To examine the load-bearing capacity of conical shells, we used a whole range of techniques," Duffy explained. "On the experimental side, our collaborators in Timothy White's group at UC Boulder fabricated thin cones and balanced very small known weights on top of them, incrementally increasing the weight until the cones buckled. We then compared those results with careful full 3D simulations of a matching setup."

Based on their experimental and numerical results, the researchers devised a mathematical, "boundary-layer" theory to describe the edge of a cone, which proved to be closely connected to a cone's strength. They then carried out further numerical calculations to test the ability of this boundary-layer theory to reproduce experimental results and their 3D simulations.

"Some more mathematical simplifications led to an even simpler theory in the case of an extremely thin cone, after which yet-simpler numerical calculations finally produced our new formula for the strength of a cone. Overall, asymptotic boundary-layer analysis was the key mathematical tool; informally, 'zooming in' on the boundary allows us to make many mathematical simplifications."

Overall, the experiments and simulations carried out by Duffy and his colleagues suggest that thin cones with free (i.e., unclamped) boundaries are surprisingly weak. In fact, the team found that the thinner a cone is, the greater the disagreement with theoretical predictions previously put forward by physicists and engineers.

A squashed cone buckles near its boundary, forming a transitory triangular pyramid. Credit: Duffy et al.

"Our new formula for cone strength depends on the cone's thickness in a whole new way, which was a real surprise," Duffy said.

"In jargon, our formula 'has a new thickness scaling.' Furthermore, many previous works found thin structures to be 'surprisingly' weak, but the only precise understanding of this has been based on the influence of imperfections. In contrast, our results are for perfect cones, so we have discovered a whole new kind of way that thin structures can be surprisingly weak; a new paradigm of weakening, if you like."

Accurately predicting the strength of conical structures could be highly valuable for both physicists and engineers who are trying to determine how these structures will behave in specific situations. Duffy and his colleagues were particularly interested in calculating the strength of conical shells for soft robotics applications, yet in the future their formula could be applied to a broad range of other items, ranging from satellites to kitchenware.

"Our two main plans for future research in this area include leveraging our results to address our original question of 'how can we optimize soft shape-morphing cones to lift the biggest weights?'," Duffy added. "In addition, we plan to further explore the mechanics of the intricate curved ridges our buckled cones developed, which have rich and intriguing behaviors, and may have potential in new soft-robotic devices."

More information: Daniel Duffy et al, Lifting, Loading, and Buckling in Conical Shells, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.148202 Journal information: Physical Review Letters

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Thomas Pesquet using the Artemis moon camera. Credit: ESAA. Romeo

When astronauts return to the moon, they will take more pictures of the lunar surface than any humans before. To develop the best camera for the job, European astronauts and scientists are lending a helping hand to NASA's Artemis imagery team.

The engineers behind the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) worked with ESA in the lunar-like landscapes of Lanzarote, Spain, to put the new camera through its paces during the PANGAEA training program.

PANGAEA prepares astronauts to become effective field scientists for future missions to the moon. The program saw an international crew testing the capabilities of the camera in realistic scenarios for geological exploration.

During the geological field trips astronauts document their exploration work using the ESA Electronic Field Booka tool that allows PANGAEA's geology instructors to follow and support the crew from the science room. This year, the science team received live audio and video in real time.

"Adding the moon camera allowed the crew to have a realistic taste of lunar surface exploration. It was a great enhancement of their experience, something we'd be happy to repeat in future editions," says Loredana Bessone, PANGAEA's Project Lead.

A new camera for the moon

The new lunar camera is built from professional off-the-shelf cameras with great sensitivity to light and state-of-the-art lenses. To prepare it for space, the NASA team made several modifications, including adding a blanket for dust and thermal protectiontemperatures range from -200C to 120C on the moonas well as a new set of ergonomic buttons for astronauts wearing gloves in bulky spacesuits.

One of the most prolific European photographers in orbit, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, praised the design after using it at PANGAEA. "The engineers have done a really good job reconfiguring the buttons and arranging them in a simple yet reliable protection for the camera," he says.

Capturing images will be key for documenting scientific discoveries during future moon missions. One objective during PANGAEA was to select the most suitable lenses.

Thomas Pesquet, NASA astronaut candidate Jessica Wittner and Takuya Onishi from the Japanese space agency used the camera in broad daylight, but also in the darkness of volcanic caves to simulate extreme conditions for lunar photography.

"The lunar camera will be one of many tools they will need to handle on the moon, so it should be easy to use. The human factor is a big deal for us, because you want the camera to be intuitive and not taxing on the crew," explains Jeremy Myers, NASA's lead for the HULC camera.

Together with some of Europe's best planetary scientists, Jeremy reviewed the quality of the images. "It was very useful to have the geologists' point of view to make sure the photos had the right resolution, depth of field and exposure to maximize the science results," he adds.

A quantum leap from the Apollo era

Astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission took iconic images of the moon with a very different cameraa standalone, mechanical Hasselblad camera with a Harrison Schmidt 60 mm lens. During the entire mission, the astronauts collected 1,407 photos from four of these cameras.

The Artemis moon camera will be the first mirrorless camera for handheld use in space. Mirrorless cameras provide excellent image quality in low light situations, making it well suited to the challenging high contrast environment of the moon.

The camera will also record videos. Videos can provide situational awareness to the ground teams and help document the exploration of our nearest cosmic neighbor.

Lights, camera, action

Thomas took more than 380,000 pictures in space during his two missions to the International Space Station. "I spent a lot of time learning what you can do with the cameras available in orbit. It is not just point and shoot. On the moon, just pressing the buttons in auto mode won't be good enough," he explains.

The Artemis III mission will land on the south pole of the moon, close to permanently shadowed craters where the crew will look for evidence of water ice. "Conditions for photography will be tricky in many ways, from operating the camera with the gloves on, to very low light levels and big contrast between bright and dark sources," adds Thomas.

The future moonwalkers will take a variety of shots on the lunar surface, from close-up to panoramic images and videos. Jeremy spent a week with the PANGAEA crew closely following the camera's performance in the hands of the astronauts.

"We are trying to choose the best lenses for the moon shots and optimize the settings in a smart way. We want astronauts to be able to take a detailed image of a crystalline structure in a rock and to capture landscapes, all with the right exposure," explains Jeremy.

The testing continues

While the core of the camera remains the same, the interface and housing keep evolving. One version will fly to the International Space Station for additional testing in the near future.

NASA teams have done extensive testing for the three major challenges of space: thermal, vacuum and radiation effects. On the moon, one added challenge will be the abrasive nature of lunar dust. Last year, the camera was part of simulated moonwalk with the JETT 3 mission in Arizona, U.S.

Some European astronaut candidates recently had the opportunity to handle the camera during an imagery meeting in the Netherlands, and ESA astronauts Matthias Maurer and Alexander Gerst tested its features at the European Astronaut Center in Germany.

"We will continue modifying the camera as we move towards the Artemis III lunar landing," says Jeremy. "I am positive that we will end up with the best producta camera that will capture moon pictures for humankind, used by crews from many countries and for many years to come," he concludes.
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Results of genome assembly and phylogenomic tests of clouded leopard. (A) An MCL. (B) Circos plot of chromosome alignment between clouded leopard (left) and domestic cat (right). The comparisons include gas chromatography content (I), gene density (II), repetitive elements [III: Short interspersed nuclear element (SINE), IV: Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE), and V: Long terminal repeats (LTR)], and the inner curves of genome collinearity in 20-kb sliding windows. (C) Phylogenomic reconstruction and estimated divergence times (black numbers near each node) of genera Neofelis and Panthera. The expanded and contracted gene families (red and blue numbers) are shown near each branch. (D) Distribution of the genomic phylogenetic discordance across each chromosome of Neofelis tested by 50-kb sliding windows. The different colors represent the variable phylogenetic topologies of T0 to T3 shown in (E). (E) Topologies of the four most frequent sliding trees of T0 to T3 with estimated divergent times. NNE, Neofelis nebulosa; NDI, Neofelis diardi; FCA, Felis catus. (F) The introgression test between Neofelis and tiger [Panthera tigris (PTI)], leopard [Panthera pardus (PPA)], and lion [Panthera leo (PLE)]. Different colors marked six "trios" tests from 1 to 6. Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9143

Both ecologically and morphologically, the clouded leopards known as Neofelis nebulosa are a distinct lineage of big cats. These species are threatened due to human activities of targeted hunting and habitat loss. Evolutionary biologists seek to understand the genetics of the species and their evolution through effective conservation actions.

In a new study now published in Science Advances, Jiaqing Yuan and a team of scientists in the life sciences, geosciences, natural sciences, genetics and integrative biosciences in China, U.S., and the U.K. described a comprehensive investigation of whole genomes, population genetics and adaptive evolution of Neofelis.

The genus Neofelis arose during the Pleistocene, which coincided with glacial-induced climate changes that led to the formation of savannas and rainforests.

These climate outcomes led to natural selection associated with genes functioning in tooth, pigmentation and tail development in the clouded leopard species. While population decline and interbreeding led to reduced genetic diversity, the deleterious variants of genes impacted the species reproduction, highlighting the significance of effective conservation efforts.

Mainland clouded leopards

Neofelis nebulosa and Neofelis diardi are two extant clouded leopard species that are the closest living relatives to the five big cats of the genus Panthera to form the subfamily Pantherinae. Since clouded leopards are highly adapted to an arboreal lifestyle, they have broad paws and a long tail for balance with flexible ankles to descend trees headfirst. These species have the largest upper canine teeth in proportion to body size, with canines in similar proportion to those of sabretooth cats. Despite their large upper canines, the clouded leopards do not kill their prey as sabretooths did, but instead use a crushing nape bite.

Genomic signatures of arboreal adaptation in Neofelis. (A) Genes with signatures of adaptive evolution in Neofelis. (B) Clouded leopards have the largest ratio of upper canine tooth (CH) length to condylobasal-skull (CL) length among extant modern cats. (C) The positively selected APC gene is important in regulating tooth development in the model of the WNTAPC-catenin pathway. (D) Clouded leopards have the highest ratio of tail length to head-and-body length among extant modern cats. (E) The schematic shows the crucial genes associated with the trunk (Oct4 and Gdf11) and tail bud (Gdf11, Lin28, Hox13, and TBXT) in embryos, and the specific mutated genes of Lin28 and TBXT may affect the development of the long tail of clouded leopards compared with most other modern cats. (F and G) Location of amino acid replacements in MC1R influences the regulation of the formation of melanosomes in melanocyte cells. ATP, adenosine 5-triphosphate; cAMP, adenosine 3,5-monophosphate; PKA, protein kinase A; MITF, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. (H) Convergent evolution of genes MYSM1 and GOLGB1 associated with pigmentation formation in clouded leopards and the marbled cat. Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9143

The species are endemic to South Asia, across the Himalayas to Sundaland. Although assumed to be a monospecific genus, Neofelis comprises two species. The mainland clouded leopard N. nebulosa distributed in Nepal, India, South China; and the Sunda clouded leopard that currently lives on the two islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The two species are listed as vulnerable and are found only in tropical foreststhey have experienced 30% habitat loss in the past two decades.

Generating a reference genome

In this study, Yuan and colleagues generated a chromosome-level reference genome of the mainland clouded leopard to conduct comparative genomics aimed at revealing genomic signatures underlying the morphological adaptations of both species. They reconstructed the demographic history of the organisms to investigate the population bottlenecks related to species origin with paleoclimatic changes.

The work further highlighted the decreasing genetic diversity of the species and the accumulation of deleterious mutations to understand the effective management of the species in the wild and in enclosures.

Genomic data

The researchers sequenced the genome of the female N. nebulosa and the genome of a female N. diardi to gain insights to the evolutionary history of clouded leopard genetics. The team included genome comparisons between the mainland clouded leopard and the domestic cat Felis catus. They then aligned the genome of N. nebulosa with three Panthera speciestiger, lion, leopard and a domestic cat as the outgroup.

The outcomes showed the divergence between Neofelis and Panthera to have occurred approximately 6.19 million years ago. It appears that the rapid diversity of the herbivore populations led to the evolution of large mammalian carnivores, including abundant sources of food.

The team credited the divergence time of Neofelis to glacial movements that occurred during the early Pleistocene, where contracting rainforests were replaced by savannahs alongside humid limited tropical forests. The phylogenomic results indicated strong genetic isolation of clouded leopards from tiger, lion and leopard species, which the researchers credited to the highly specialized arboreal niche.

Forest adaptation in clouded leopard genome

The scientists compared the mountain clouded leopard and two small cats: the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat. They identified core signatures of natural selection in the clouded leopard lineage to note single-copy orthologous shared between Neofelis and Panthera.

The clouded leopards showed the longest upper canines of all living cat species and maintained the highest ratio of tail length to head-to-body length in all Felidae species. Additionally, the species maintained cloud-like markings adapted for camouflage in the dappled light of dense forests.

Reproductive decline of clouded leopards. (A) The violin plot indicates the morphologically abnormal sperm rate in extant felid species (46). The black solid line on each violin plot represents the median value, and the blue dashed lines represent the top or bottom quartiles. (B) Box plots of acrosome intactness. The y axis represents the proportion of acrosome intactness (46). The colored box plots represent felid species along the x axis. (C) Metascape bar graph showing the top-level GO biological processes of the 289 highly deleterious mutated genes. (D) Metascape network enrichment analysis (top) and the enrichment analysis in DisGeNET (bottom) of 31 reproduction genes. (E) Gene organization in the MHC gene clusters of five felids. The colored boxes indicate three different classes of MHC genes (class I, class III, and class II) with the arrangement in order along the chromosomes. The red colinear curves indicate the genes (FLA-G and FLA-M) that were lost in clouded leopard. Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9143

Reproductive decline

The clouded leopards in ex situ conservation showed poor reproductive success due to structurally abnormal spermatozoa alongside abnormalities. The scientists noted the impact of the major histocompatibility complex genes on the immune response and its association with vertebrate reproduction.

Genetic diversity in clouded leopards

Yuan and team compared the average heterozygosity of clouded leopards for other cat species including the snow leopard, African cheetah and the Iberian lynx. The extremely low genomic heterozygosity and inbreeding severity among the species highlighted the need for urgent conservation efforts across species.

The scientists conducted population genetics and genome-wide selective sweep tests by investigating the population structure of 20 mountain cloud leopards. The data differentiated the leopards into two subspecies, N. nebulosa from China and South East Asia, and N. macrosceloides from Northern Myanmar and India, although the team did not observe distinct morphological differences between the two subspecies.

Genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding in clouded leopards. (A) Average heterozygosity of different felids. (B) The level of genome-wide heterozygosity of the two clouded leopards in comparison to other mammals (the image source listed in table S26), in relation to conservation status (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). (C) Comparison of inbreeding coefficients (FROH) of two clouded leopards and other living felids. ****P < 0.001 (D) The estimated historical changes in effective population sizes (Ne) of Pantherinae species using PSMC. The gray-shaded boxes represent the Xixiabangma Glaciation (XG), Naynayxungla Glaciation (NG), the second Pleistocene Glacial Period (PG), and the last glacial maximum (LGM). Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9143

Outlook

Yuan and colleagues explored genetic adaptations of the mountain cloud leopard species using comparative genomic approaches to play crucial roles in determining the function of clouded leopards on arboreal habitats. The work showed high levels of inbreeding among the species that led to low levels of heterozygosity resulting from a probable cause association between the ancient ice ageinduced climate changes that limited the species, with continued deterioration of the habitat, leading to high levels of inbreeding and deleterious genes.

The researchers highlighted the need for urgent action to ensure the survival of the big cat species and aim to use the knowledge of the genetic structure and evolutionary dynamics to maintain genetic diversity in the wild and in captivity to conserve and restore the clouded leopard species.

More information: Jiaqing Yuan et al, How genomic insights into the evolutionary history of clouded leopards inform their conservation, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9143 Journal information: Science Advances

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A recently published paper provides crucial insights into the health of sihek, a species eradicated from its native habitat and that may now face threats in captivity. Credit: John Ewen, courtesy of Amanda Trask.

A recently published paper in Animal Conservation provides crucial insights into the health of sihek, also known as the Guam kingfisher, a species eradicated from its native habitat and that may now face threats in captivity. The latest data underscores a stark gender disparity, revealing that female sihek are at greater risk for death and disease than their male counterparts.

As part of an ongoing study, researchers at The Zoological Society of London are investigating the health of sihek. Their work encompasses a range of issues including hatching failure, female health, mortality rates and genetic threats impacting the bird.

"The sihek is a species on the very brink of being lost foreverand it is only due to the care and expertise of conservation zoos that these birds still exist, giving us a chance to return them to the wild," said Dr. Amanda Trask, the study's principal investigator. "Conservationists, zookeepers and scientists working to restore a wild population. They are working at the cutting edge of conservation, and we must continue to review and build upon existing knowledge of their care to ensure that the species has the best possible chance."

Trask said the research team examined the causes of death in the birds and found differences between males and females. Females succumbed to reproductive diseasesa phenomenon not observed in males. The incidence of reproductive diseases among female sihek was also notably higher than in other avian species.

While it's still unclear why this is occurring, she added that the team's upcoming research will delve into a potential correlation with increased egg production. Other causes of death, such as nutritional and metabolic diseases, were seen in both males and females, but females tended to succumb at younger ages than males.

Trask thanked the Morris Animal Foundation for supporting her work and looks forward to continuing her support of the international initiative involving Zoos from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, federal and Guam agencies and non-governmental conservation organizations, to return sihek to the wild.

More information: A. E. Trask et al, Balancing conservation and welfare in ex situ management of the extinct in the wild sihek: sex and agespecific causes of mortality and contributions to population growth rate, Animal Conservation (2023). DOI: 10.1111/acv.12895

Provided by Morris Animal Foundation
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Effects of hierarchical similarity for laterally close versus distant evaluations. Credit: Strategic Management Journal (2023). DOI: 10.1002/smj.3497

In a several-round-long crowdfunding initiative, the employees of Siemens AG not only had the opportunity to present their own ideas on an in-house online platform; in the role of investors, they were also able to choose which projects to implement. In other words, they had a chance to do things normally reserved for managers: make decisions and allocate budgets.

The researchers assessed how well this distributed decision-making approach worked and the corresponding role of hierarchies. Their conclusion, "Employees submitted high-quality ideas, which their colleagues recognized and financially supported," says Christina Raasch, a Professor of Digital Economy at KLU and researcher at Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).

However, these investors weren't wholly unbiased; they tended to support the ideas of employees at their own hierarchical level. As Raasch explains, "Similarities with the person who submitted it increased their identification with the idea and promoted a sense of group identity, leading to a more positive evaluation." And the more innovative the idea was, the more pronounced this effect was. In contrast, when investors and creators were competitors, the amounts invested tended to be smaller.

Tapping hidden know-how and fostering employee loyalty

Nevertheless, at the end of the day, the advantages of idea competitions with distributed decision-making are self-evident: They allow in-house know-how that is distributed throughout the company and perhaps going to waste to be tapped, while also promoting exchanges and collaboration across internal borders.

"In addition, we observed that employee loyalty and motivation improved when their ideas were appreciated and their decisions were respectedthe management had no veto power," Raasch reports. Further, the approach helps to manage larger numbers of ideas, since there are more shoulders to bear the burden.

Viable paths to joint innovation

To ensure that companies and employees alike reap the maximum benefits of internal crowdfunding, the processes involved have to be carefully thought through and adapted to the company in question. To ensure the investors aren't overwhelmed with too many ideas, larger companies should form smaller groups of creators.

The management has to stand behind the idea of putting decision-making power in the hands of employeesand can't snatch it back later. It also needs to be clear where the money the investors are meant to allocate comes from. In most cases, creators want to present their idea together with their own name. Christina Raasch explains why, "This kind of visibility boosts motivation and satisfaction for everyone involvedwhich is more important than any minor skewing affects in the evaluation."

Any company that wants to be innovative and foster new ideas also has to ensure that, if an idea fails, it has no negative consequences for either the creator or the investors; rather, it has to be part of the company's learning culture. After all, innovations always involve a degree of risk. Another important factor is whether or not investors are anonymous: When investors' identities are known, they tend to evaluate more thoroughly, but are also more cautious and could be put under pressure by creators.

"Another possibility would be to only reveal the identities of the investors for ideas that are implemented," Raasch suggests. "But I normally recommend permanent anonymity to avoid any potential fallout for investors."

How the study was conducted

Since 2015, Siemens has implemented nine rounds of financing with internal crowdfunding. Here's how it works: Employees submit their ideas for projects, together with the projected benefits for the company, on a shared platform. All employees can "like" the ideas and share their feedback. Up to a given deadline, creators can continuously refine their projects.

Then, a limited number of anonymous investorsall employees are eligible to sign up, and the investors are selected at randomreceive a budget, assess the ideas, and are free to allocate funding in 1-euro increments. Those ideas that reach their funding target are green-lighted.

The team of researchers analyzed the data from the idea platform in anonymized form, assessing e.g. how new the ideas were, the investment choices made, and the hierarchical levels involvedfactors that were integrated into the study. In addition, they spoke with creators, investors and managers, and conducted an online survey of employee perceptions of the platform's benefits. The resulting information offered them deeper insights into internal crowdfunding at Siemens.

The study is published in the Strategic Management Journal.

More information: Tim G. Schweisfurth et al, Distributed decisionmaking in the shadow of hierarchy: How hierarchical similarity biases idea evaluation, Strategic Management Journal (2023). DOI: 10.1002/smj.3497 Journal information: Strategic Management Journal
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Illustration of Artemis astronauts on the moon. Credits: NASA

Before this decade is out, NASA plans to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo Era and build the necessary infrastructure to keep sending them back. And they will hardly be alone. Alongside NASA's Artemis Program, the European Space Agency also plans to send astronauts to the moon and establish a permanent habitat there (the Moon Village), while China and Russia are working toward creating the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Numerous commercial space companies will also be there to provide crew transportation, cargo, and logistical services.

All of this will happen in the moon's southern polar region, a topographically complex region characterized by craters, permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), and undulating slopes. This terrain could prove difficult for crews conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) away from landing sites and habitats.

In a recent study, an international team of researchers used data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to create a detailed atlas of the region that accounts for all the traverses and descents. This atlas could prove very useful for mission planners as they select landing sites for future exploration.

The study was led by Eloy Pena-Asensio, a predoctoral researcher with Institut de Ciencies de l'Espai (ICE, CSIC) and the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB). He was joined by colleagues from the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Technische Universitat Berlin (TUB), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Texas A&M University, the University of Manchester, and the Center for Lunar Science & Exploration at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (CLSE-LPI). The paper that describes their findings was recently published in the journal Acta Astronautica.

Shown here is a rendering of 13 candidate landing regions for Artemis III. Each region is approximately 15 x 15 km (9.3 x 9.3 mi). A landing site is a location within those regions with an approximate 100-m (328-ft) radius. Credits: NASA

Old lessons, new challenges

According to a report titled "Human Health and Performance Risks of Space Exploration Missions," compiled by NASA's Human Research Program in 2009, the Artemis Program will be more dependent on EVA excursions away from a pressurized habitat or vehicle than any program in the history of NASA:

"EVAs will be required to conduct planned scientific expeditions, assemble structures, perform nominal maintenance, and intervene and solve problems outside of the vehicle that cannot be solved either robotically or remotely. The ultimate success of future Exploration missions is dependent on the ability to perform EVA tasks efficiently and safely in these challenging environments. With lunar missions planned for up to 30 times more EVA hours than during the Apollo era, exploration missions to the moon and Mars will present many new challenges with regard to crew health, safety, and performance."

While mission planners anticipate EVAs much longer than any performed by the Apollo astronauts, NASA's understanding of human health and performance parameters in lunar gravity is limited to lessons learned from the Apollo Era. Subsequent observations and studies involving microgravity EVAs aboard the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS) have provided invaluable lessons. However, this data has mainly been used to design new spacesuits, like the recently unveiled Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU).

Nevertheless, the report also indicates that there has been limited quantification of the physiological and biomechanical variables associated with suited activities in unit and partial gravity. For the astronauts conducting EVAs as part of Artemis III (and subsequent missions), the risks and hazards largely depend on the distance being explored and whether a rover is involved. As study co-author David A. Kring, a researcher with the CLSE-LPI, told Universe Today via email:

"The initial Artemis missions will be limited to walking. The principal challenge in that type of mission will be terrain slope. Any traverse needs to be on slopes less than 20 degrees. Astronauts will also be asked to stay within 2 kilometers [1.24 mi] of the lander and, ideally, keep the lander in sight. After rovers are deployed, astronauts can travel farther from a lander. It may also be possible to reuse rovers in multiple missions. In that case, Houston will telerobotically drive rovers from one astronaut landing site to another. Topography and slope will affect the paths taken. Some of the lunar mountains are larger than Mt. Everest on Earth."

Data visualization shows the mountainous area west of the Nobile Crater and the smaller craters that litter its rim at the lunar south pole. Credit: NASA

Exploring the lunar south pole

What is needed to ensure that crews don't exhaust themselves or fall prey to the many geographical hazards that characterize the terrain, Kring and his colleagues consulted data from the LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), which obtained 5-meter per pixel (16.4 ft/pixel) measurements the moon's southern polar region in 2015from which, they identified 521 PSRs. They then created an automated pipeline called MoonPath, which combines a Monte Carlo approach with Dijkstra's minimum cost path algorithm to calculate traverse paths that minimize metabolic workload.

As Kring noted, these methods were developed with the help of early-career scientists and students in the midst of their Ph.D. studies. These students joined the team in Houston as part of a NASA-sponsored Exploration Science Summer Intern Program sponsored by the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). Their case study was also focused on three candidate landing regions officially identified last year by the Artemis Campaign Development Division at NASA HQ. Designated 001, 001(6), and 004, these locations are all PSRs primarily located at the base of craters near the lunar poles.

Like the other candidate landing regions, they are of significant scientific interest due to the potential presence of volatile compounds like water ice, which could be used to produce everything from drinking water and oxygen gas to rocket propellants. As Pena-Asensio explained, the resulting algorithm operates under a set of constraints, including round-trip traverses, minimizing steep slopes, avoiding large boulders, and restricting the overall distance to a 2 km (1.24 mi) radius:

"The optimal strategy for minimizing metabolic workload is to find the shortest and flattest route. Our tool evaluates the properties that an astronaut would encounter along the traverse, such as topographical variations, the incidence of sunlight on their bodies, direct line-of-sight to the lunar lander, temperature, and bearing capacity. Additionally, we estimate the walking speed and time based on Apollo mission records."

Atlas for Artemis

The result of their work was an atlas that included all 521 traverses and descents to PSRs in the southern polar region. Based on their analysis, the team found that 94% of all these PSRs are accessible from the rim on slopes below 15. They further determined that 20 and 19 PSRs are accessible from potential landing sites 001 and 001(6) (respectively), four of which are accessible on slopes entirely below 10, and that traverses around site 004 are more workload-demanding. This type of information is critical for optimizing astronaut EVAs and identifying accessible targets for science operations.

As they indicate in their paper, the pipeline and traverse atlas can be used to support mission planning for the collection of ice and volatile samples and address major scientific priorities. It can also be used to calculate the minimum workload astronaut paths to any other geologic and exploration targets within the AEZ or elsewhere on the moon. As Kring summarized:

"The planning tool that the team developed will sharpen our ability to plan geologic traverses that astronauts can successfully complete on schedule. The tool be used to sharpen individual notional traverses. The tool can also be used in an automated mode that allows the team to investigate a constellation of traverse options and, thus, identify the best one from a metabolic perspective. The team developed the tool to assist Artemis astronauts, but it can also be used to explore robotic missions to the lunar surface."

More information: Eloy Pena-Asensio et al, Automated astronaut traverses with minimum metabolic workload: Accessing permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South pole, Acta Astronautica (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.10.010 Journal information: Acta Astronautica
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 prototype origami-pattern deployment sequence is demonstrated by graduate students Brandon Sargent (left) and Carolina Wright (right) of Brigham Young University. It shows the large expansion capability and the flexibility in the overall architecture. Credit: Brigham Young University / Larry L. Howell

Lidar technology improvements will help NASA scientists and explorers with remote sensing and surveying, mapping, 3D-image scanning, hazard detection and avoidance, and navigation.

Like a sonar using light instead of sound, lidar technology increasingly helps NASA scientists and explorers with remote sensing and surveying, mapping, 3D-image scanning, hazard detection and avoidance, and navigation.

Cutting edge innovations by NASA researchers seek to refine lidars into smaller, lighter, more versatile tools for exploration.

"There are a lot of flavors of lidar right now," said Cheryl Gramling, assistant chief for technology at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It's such an important technology because of the precision and versatility that it offers."

Light detection and ranging, or lidar, is a remote sensing technology related to sonar and radar. Lidar uses pulses of light to measure distances and properties of objects accurately, by measuring the time it takes the light to reflect back to the lidar sensor.

Goddard innovators are looking to expand the usefulness of lidar applications in communication and navigation, planetary exploration, and space operations. Here are a few of the current investigations.

Foldable, flat lidar optics

Research engineer Mark Stephen is developing a deployable, segmented telescope to capture the returning light signal using state-of-the-art flat-panel optics organized in foldable, origami-inspired panels. Working with researchers at Brigham Young University, their team seeks to provide future missions with the benefits of lidar technology without the current technologies' high cost and limited efficiency.

Lidar typically is a high-cost technology that may not make the cut for tomorrow's smaller, lighter, and more efficient missions. Size, weight, and power demands limit the technology's ability to be implemented in more missions.

"Most people want really high performance," Stephen said, "But they want it in a small, light, and power-efficient package. We're trying to find the best balance, and cost matters. Often the cost comes more from the size, weight, and power than it does from the actual development if we're launching something into space. That is where it gets expensive."

Stephen is wrapping up a three-year effort to improve lidars through a Radical Innovation Initiative grant within Goddard's Internal Research and Development (IRAD) program. Their project has been picked up by NASA's Earth Science Technology Office to fund further improvements.

Typically, lidar receivers depend on bulky lenses to capture light, each lens needs a specific curvature and size to bend the light, in addition to the structures which hold the lenses, and other mechanics, Stephen said. Larger lenses are more effective, and that is where lidar technology tends to get heavy.

Flat optics use new types of nano-structured materials to manipulate individual photons, he said. These meta-materials allow thin and lightweight optics to perform the same functions as much larger and more expensive three-dimensional counterparts.

Silica wafers covered with structures smaller than the wavelengths of incoming light, these "meta-atomic" structures allow the lightweight, flat panel to perform the functions of lenses and mirrors without their bulk. Credit: L. Zhang, S. Chang, X. Chen, Y. Ding, T. Rahman, Y. Duan, M. Stephen, and X. Ni, Nano Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03561

"We are working toward being able to have a family of instruments where we have some flexibility and agility to meet the needs of a given mission," Stephen said. "We want to develop a tool where you can make a better trade in terms of size, weight and power versus performance."

One laser, many wavelengths

Goddard engineer Guangning Yang is looking to improve lidar by producing multiple wavelengths of light from a single beam. Most modern lidars use multiple beams of a single wavelength to increase their accuracy.

Yang is the primary investigator for CASALS, or Concurrent Artificially intelligent Spectrometry and Adaptive Lidar System, a lidar technology that can sweep a large area more efficiently.

CASALS starts with one laser pulse, but instead of splitting that pulse into the many directions it needs to travel, their technology changes the wavelength of the laser at a very high speed. The different wavelengths of light then exit the laser transmitter at different angles based on their wavelength.

This pulse sequence produces a broom-like array sweeping across the object, landscape, or celestial body being studied.

"We have improved the efficiency," Yang said, "and that will allow us to reduce the instrument's size dramatically."

Along with improvements in efficiency, CASALS is smaller than a typical lidar instrument. Yang said CASALS could help provide higher-density mapping of Earth and of other planets and moons as well as assisting with autonomous descents and landings.

Both flat optics and wavelength scanning offer new possibilities for lidar technology and are part of an array of investigations expected to unlock new opportunities in science and navigating distant worlds, Gramling said.

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:

Protoita noyesi. Credit: UImer et al.

Jewel wasps (Chalcidoidea) are one of the most diverse groups of insects, with more than 120,000 species described and an estimated true diversity of nearly 1 million. The chalcids are parasitoid wasps, which attack other insects to lay their eggs upon in order to feed and grow within the host.

The evolution and origin of this immense group has puzzled scientists for decades. Based on fossils and molecular work, the group is thought to have originated in the late Jurassic around 162 million years ago. Until recently, no confirmed fossils were known from earlier than 100 million years ago. Now, a newly described family, Protoidae, provides the first glimpse into how these wasps appeared at the earliest stages of their evolution.

Scientists Jonah M. Ulmer, Dr. Petr Jansta, and Prof. Dr. Lars Krogmann, from State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart (SMNS), alongside Dr. Dany Azar from the Lebanese University, describe the new family and 10 new species of jewel wasps in a paper in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

The discovery of the family came about when one of the co-authors, Prof. Dr. Lars Krogmann, noticed an unusual fossil during a visit to the Natural History Museum in Paris. The specimen embedded in the amber had a long tail-like structure covering its ovipositor.

"It was previously described as a completely different type of wasp; however the authors were quick to recognize it was indeed an ancient chalcid. Despite the prevalence of Chalcidoidea in the fossil record, none had ever been recorded from Lebanon or were known to be that old, nearly 130 million years old to be exact," says Jonah Ulmer.

The researchers soon realized they had a new and very old family; currently the oldest known within the jewel wasps.

"Multiple similar specimens in amber soon became apparent and the family now contains two genera, Protoita and Cretaxenomerus. The family name is derived from being a 'proto' form of the Chalcidoidea," Ulmer explains.

Cretaxenomerus curvus. Credit: Ulmer et al.

These ancient species present a unique snapshot of what these wasps looked like in their earliest forms, this allows researchers to better understand the order of evolutionary events through time and when certain structures evolved that ultimately led to the massive diversity we see today.

The new family's most striking characteristic is the long, shovel-like process, which extends from the end of the abdomen. While no living species have such a pronounced structure, it is hypothesized to have assisted with egg-laying and ovipositing, or perhaps sifting through loose leaf litter for hosts.

The authors note that there are likely other equally old families of Chalcidoidea still lying in wait to be discovered, either in the ground or in old forgotten museum cabinets. "Protoitidae shows that we can keep looking further back in time than we expected and still find new and old species," says Ulmer.

More information: Jonah M. UImer et al, At the dawn of megadiversityProtoitidae, a new family of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber, Journal of Hymenoptera Research (2023). DOI: 10.3897/jhr.96.105494 Journal information: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Shenzhou XVII space mission ready to launch

10:13, October 25, 2023 By Zhao Lei ( Chinadaily.com.cn

Chinese astronaut Tang Hongbo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China's 12th manned spaceflight, the Shenzhou XVII mission, will launch on Thursday morning to transport a three-member crew to the Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at a news conference on Wednesday morning at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China that the crew members  mission commander Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Shengjie and Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Xinlin  have been scheduled to ride onboard the Shenzhou XVII spaceship to be lifted by a Long March 2F carrier rocket at 11:14 am on Thursday from the oasis-like Jiuquan center in the barren Gobi Desert.

Technicians at the launch center will soon start to inject propellants into the rocket, he said.

"After the Shenzhou XVII spacecraft enters its preset orbital position, it will activate the rapid rendezvous-docking mode and use about six and a half hours to approach and connect with the front port on the Tianhe core module," said the official.

The Shenzhou XVII team will take over the Tiangong station from their peers in the Shenzhou XVI - mission commander Major General Jing Haipeng, Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and Professor Gui Haichao - who arrived on May 30. By now, Jing's crew has stayed in orbit for nearly five months.

The two groups will live together for about four days to perform handover work and then the Shenzhou XVI astronauts will depart and fly back to Earth on Oct 31, according to Lin.

He said the Shenzhou XVII crew is scheduled to stay inside the Tiangong for around six months and return to Earth around April. Their tasks include carrying out scientific experiments and technological demonstrations, conducting spacewalks to install equipment and maintain the massive orbital outpost, checking the space station's operational performance and obtaining relevant data, as well as helping to review ground facilities' support capabilities.

Tang Hongbo is one of the nation's second-generation astronauts. Through this mission, he will become a record holder in Chinese astronauts in terms of the shortest interval between two spaceflights  just two years and one month after he returned from his first space journey in the three-month Shenzhou XII.

Tang Shengjie and Jiang are members of the third group of astronauts and the Shenzhou XVII will be their first time to reach Earth's orbit.

Chinese astronaut Tang Shengjie. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chinese astronaut Jiang Xinlin. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
From a press release: The telephone numbers and email addresses (previously fax numbers) for the Unified Court System in Washington County at the Washington County Courthouse, 383 Broadway, in Fort Edward, New York, will change on Oct. 27, 2023.

The state court system will no longer participate in the telephone system operated by Washington County and will move to an IP telephone system.

The new numbers will now provide access to all of the various courts and offices of the Unified Court System in Washington County. The area code remains (518).

Where necessary and appropriate, callers will reach an automated attendant with a menu of convenient options for further connections.

Fax numbers will no longer be in service. Instead, an email address has been provided for expediting documents to the Courts.

Questions may be directed to any of the chambers or court offices. Existing numbers will be operative until the close of business on December 29, 2023.

A chart of the new telephone numbers and office email addresses follows on the next page. We ask for your cooperation and patience as we make this transition.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  For the first time since New Jersey allowed the establishment of recreational cannabis businesses, the Township Council on Tuesday voted to enter into a memorandum of agreement with a marijuana cultivator and manufacturer.

Michigan-based Grasshopper Farms will set up its indoor cannabis growing operation on about 40 acres on the property of Duane K. and Pamela Demaree at 219 S. Cologne Ave., township Manager Chris Johansen has said previously.

Grasshopper Farms first came before the council in February looking to establish an outdoor growing marijuana business, but township ordinances do not allow for outdoor growing or retail of marijuana.

Grasshopper Farms dropped those plans and switched to indoor growing. After multiple appearances on township agendas in recent months, including a delay caused by a need to define what a greenhouse is, the seven-member, all-Republican council unanimously approved the agreement Tuesday.

Applause broke out among the approximately 30 people who were in the audience when the council voted yes. The vote was the furthest any cannabis-related business has made it through the townships approval process to date.

New Jersey legalized marijuana in February 2021 in response to a November 2020 referendum. The township approved the issuance of six kinds of cannabis licenses in August 2021  cultivation, manufacturing, wholesale, distributor, delivery, and microbusiness.

Before the council voted, Erin E. Simone, an attorney with Maley Givens of Collingswood, Camden County, said the project would have at least two phases. Maley Givens crafted the townships redevelopment agreement, Mayor Anthony Coppola Jr. said.

The existing building and barn would need to be retrofitted for the purpose of cannabis growing. Phase two features the construction of two 12,000-square-foot buildings.

Galloway Township still sees potential in former Blue Heron Pines East Course site For the past 17 years, the former Blue Heron Pines East Course has gone undeveloped. Despite this, Galloway Township still sees economic potential in the site.

Simone also told the council a local permit will be needed to comply with the townships indoor growing requirements, and there will be annual opportunities to renew the permit.

Before voting, Councilman Tom Bassford, a member of the townships three-person cannabis subcommittee, said he wanted to make sure the standards for odor control are followed.

Thats the main thing I think we have all been concerned about. The buildings will sit back a little bit and not be visible from the street. The one thing I keep being concerned about is the odor control, so that the neighbors and so forth will not be burdened by this odor three times a year, Bassford said.

Councilman Rich Clute, another member of the cannabis subcommittee, said it has been a long journey to get to where the township is now.

I think we applied due diligence to get this right. This isnt about stopping any particular person from getting into a specific business, if it is legal at the state level, but we need to take into consideration neighbors, odor, security and what-have-you that are all involved in this industry, Clute said.

Councilman RJ Amato III, the third member of the subcommittee, said it wasnt an easy process as the council members had a lot of outside pressure on them to push this through or move it faster.

We came up with standards that I feel comfortable voting on now. I feel that we have enough teeth and regulations, Clute said. Hopefully, there are no issues on this property or on other properties in the future.

At the time the township voted on whether to allow marijuana businesses, Coppola said he thought the best idea was to wait, but Republicans were in the minority on the council then.

Galloway Township Council to decide fate of indoor pot business Oct. 24 The Galloway Township Council decided to table its vote authorizing the execution of a redevelopment agreement with Grasshopper Farms NJ LLC to establish an indoor cannabis cultivation and manufacturing business Tuesday evening.

I commend the cannabis committee, and everyone on council, for all the work they have done because this will be our first cannabis facility in Galloway. Hopefully, it will be done with no adverse impact to the adjacent community, and a lot of steps have been taken to ensure that. Hopefully, it works as planned, Coppola said.

The next step for Grasshopper Farms will be to appear before the townships Planning Board to see if it can receive site plan approval.

In the future, the council will have to address how many marijuana microbusinesses it will allow, Bassford and Coppola said.
An inquiry committee was appointed by the state government to investigate the case of Ruby Hall Clinic Kidney Racket which became famous all over the country. Two members of this inquiry committee Dr Vatsala Trivedi and Dr Srirang Bachu have refused to work.

Dr Surendra Mathur and Dr Sujata Patwardhan has been appointed as the committee new member. This committee was established on 18 July 2023. The committee was to submit a report within three months. However, there has been no progress in this yet. The state government issued a new order appointing Patwardhan and Mathur.
The two candidates for Davenport mayor offer starkly different views of Iowas third largest city, and how to lead as mayor.

To Mike Matson, whos seeking a third two-year term, the city is on the right track to bettering streets and sewer infrastructure, reducing crime and gun violence, prospering financially, developing the local economy, upgrading parks, and making the city more resilient to flooding. Hes pledged to continue the city's momentum, work to make Davenport the safest large city in Iowa and to build on relationships with county, state and federal leaders.

To Ken Croken, a state representative whos challenging Matson, the city is headed in all the wrong directions. Croken argues the city could have prevented the deadly collapse of the six-story apartment building at 324 Main St. on May 28, and sees a complete breakdown of communication and trust between City Hall and the public. Croken says his experience and skills in law, marketing, and government relations can restore transparency and resident confidence in Davenport's government.

Davenport voters will decide between the two Nov. 7 in the race for Davenport mayor.

Croken seeks to start afresh in City Hall.

Hes called for the resignation of the city administrator, and pledged to reign in what hes labeled a dysfunctional and disagreeable city council that in recent months has been buffeted by personnel complaints, allegations of sexual harassment and racism, and lawsuits. He said he would also focus on policies to encourage population growth by more heavily marketing Davenport as a diverse and vibrant city, prioritize a plan to make the city more climate resilient, invest further in community-focused policing, and safe, affordable housing.

With the support of the city council, my first priority is going to be to try to restore public trust in local government. Right now, the city is almost literally at war with its citizens, Croken said, referencing council meetings where harsh critics have been admonished not to name individuals. The level of distrust is extremely high.

Matson believes the city administrator, Corri Spiegel, and her staff have effectively handled complex problems and executed the policy set by the council  going after grants for flood mitigation, street and sewer replacement, and parks projects, administering the citys allotment of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, and negotiating with railroad companies for millions in funds for bridges and quiet zones as riverfront train traffic is expected to increase. Matson said calling for the city administrators resignation only contributed to divisiveness and negativity and resources spent replacing her would be better spent accomplishing council goals.

Matson noted a recent city bond rating upgrade, the first in decades, and pointed to street and sewer projects, including a major ongoing reconstruction project on 53rd Street, replacing a 1930s-era sewer line and building out sewer to the west.

I used to get the question about when we were going to fix the streets, now I get the  you have so many barricades, what am I going to do? Matson said. Ill take that criticism. Were going to continue to work on that if the folks of Davenport will honor me with two more years to continue our positive momentum of all the things weve been working on, whether its financial stability, no tax increase, infrastructure improvements, crime reduction, parks improvements.

Matson, 59, retired from a career in the U.S. Army, where he reached the rank of sergeant major. He was first elected to the 8th Ward in 2007 while a Junior ROTC instructor for Davenport schools.

After 12 years on the council, he ran for mayor in 2019, to replace Frank Klipsch, who opted not to run for reelection. He emerged from a crowded primary and defeated fellow council member Rita Rawson for the office. Voters elected Matson again by a wide margin in a 2021 race against activist Athena Gilbraith.

Matson has pointed to his relationships with state and federal leaders as beneficial to advancing Davenport and the regions priorities. He pointed to the state establishing and funding a high-risk unit for the 7th Judicial District and said hed like to see the region grow a group violence intervention strategy the city rolled out in 2022 to combat group-related gun violence region-wide.

He also pointed to Davenport attracting Amazon to the region, which after a pause on opening, was hiring over the summer.

Croken, 73, a retired Genesis marketing and government relations executive and part-owner of the Quad Cities River Bandits, served a four-year term as a Scott County Supervisor before winning election to the Iowa House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2022.

As a supervisor, Croken was a frequent and lone critic on the board who opposed expanding the number of beds in the countys planned new juvenile detention center. Croken has the public backing of several Black community leaders, including the president of the local NAACP and several faith leaders, whove cited his activism on the issue as a contributing reason for their support.

Referencing the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City merger expected to bring a tripling of train traffic, Croken said instead of negotiating with the rail road for funding he would have led a coalition of cities to protest the merger, which in February was approved by a federal regulating agency. City officials have said their efforts were unlikely to sway the regulatory authority and they received funding they likely otherwise wouldn't have had they opposed the merger.

Croken announced he planned to run for mayor in the months following the partial collapse of The Davenport, saying that he felt he was most needed in Davenport City Hall.

Croken said the mayor must set an example of decorum and dignity and show respect and listen to residents, including ardent critics of the administration. He's condemned, for example, the police chief escorting out of council chambers a frequent public commenter last week when he continued speaking outside a five-minute time limit.

Croken said he supported a more comprehensive report on the collapse at 324 Main St. and a frank assessment of the citys role in oversight of the building, particularly identifying why people were still living in the building at the time structural issues were identified and repairs being performed.

Was this a failure of performance, a failure of process, or just an incredible failure of leadership? Croken said.

He added that in the hours and days that followed the collapse, he believed Davenports public communication was insensitive, sparked protests, spawned confusion and failed to quell rumors about the rescue and response.

Matson said he was terribly saddened that this tragic event took three lives and terribly injured another and that displaced folks, and that he was committed to studying tighter landlord responsibilities and inspection processes with local and state leaders.

Im pretty confident if Im able to stay as mayor that we will get some tighter rules, well have a tighter inspection process, and maybe some legislation from the state to do that, Matson said.

Matson pointed to a letter sent from a northwest Illinois incident management team leader who responded to the collapse that complimented the City of Davenport for its coordination across departments and between the city and county working to respond to the disaster.

Matson said he fully anticipated an additional study of city code would be taken up by the next council if he's elected to the mayor's office.

Some of us  I was on the ground, on those streets for 40 straight hours, Matson said. What I can bring is that experience to move forward and do some things better and engage with the next city council and say, heres what we saw. Heres what we learned. Heres what people told us we need to do better.' Well do that, and Im committed to that.
Two former neighbors greeted each other Tuesday for the first time since they lost their homes in late May.

Gene! said Todd Wilson, who lived in apartment 209 of 324 Main St in Davenport before the six-story building's west wall collapsed. Ive been wondering. Ive been sending messages, man. How you doing?

Good, said Gene Cyphers with a smile as Wilson pulled Cyphers in for a hug.

Cyphers and Wilson lived on the same floor of The Davenport and were displaced by the collapse, which killed three tenants and left dozens without homes. The two are living elsewhere, but rebuilding presents its own challenges.

Im 87," Cyphers said. "Its hard to start over."

They both turned up for a Town Hall for Housing Justice hosted by the Quad Cities Tenant Alliance and QC Interfaith, which aimed to bring attention to an urgent need for safe and affordable housing in the Quad-Cities and keep a spotlight on the collapse at 324 Main St.

Ashley Velez, the executive director of Humility Homes and Services pointed to housing studies that underscored a shortage of affordable housing in the Quad-Cities.

A 2020 Tri-Cities housing study that covered Davenport, Moline, and Rock Island, found that 29% of households were experiencing below-standard housing, such as no water or non-functioning windows. A disproportionate number of Black and Native American renters were experiencing below-standard housing, according to the study.

So, 30% of the rental stock from 2018  thats five years ago  was not habitable, but people were renting them, Velez said.

She added that that 41% of renters in those three cities were cost-burdened, meaning more than 30% of their income was going to rent.

People asked to advocate for involvement

The QC Interfaith organization asked people in the audience to advocate for involvement from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, including auditing local municipal compliance with standards for building inspections, investigating municipal processes and training for inspections, and providing the community with an additional $10 million over the next 10 years for creation of new safe and affordable housing.

The people who sat in every available pew in Zion Lutheran Church struck up chants throughout the meeting. They demanded fair housing, enforcement of city inspections, and for landlords to be held responsible for neglecting properties or exposing tenants to danger.

Those in attendance also demanded the cities allocate more money to develop safe and affordable housing.

Wilson stood up as the meeting drew to a close and expressed his anger at the lack of response to the building collapse at 324 Main St., as well as what he later called "horrible conditions of apartments all over the Quad-Cities."

"I got a little loud, but I'm happy they had this meeting tonight," he said. "I would go to the (Davenport City Council) meetings at City Hall, but I would get arrested.

"The politicians don't care. They really don't, most of them anyway. So I worry about these meetings and if anything can really be done. You don't see many politicians down here listening to people or working to fix things. It's always the regular people who have to clean up their messes."

Wilson lived in apartment No. 209 for seven months. He said the building "had constant problems."

"The attitude of the management at 324 (Main St.) was they didn't have to fix the apartments of the people there on vouchers or other assistance," he said. "That's the way things were  the idea that people didn't deserve a decent place to live because they were on assistance.

"That's just sad, to mistreat people because they need help. I was there on a housing voucher. I'm a United States Army veteran."

Mike Collier spoke during the meeting. His cousin, Branden Colvin, was one of the three men killed in the May 28 collapse.

Collier stressed the need for people to vote. That message brought him together with Wilson after the meeting, and the two talked about raising political awareness.

"We really need for this community to come together and not forget about the lives lost. We have to remember Daniel Prien and Branden Colvin and Ryan Hitchcock. And I think we should remember the city council members who never visited the site of the collapse and never listened to people's pain.

"We need people in office who care. And we need laws that put people first. Too many laws are here to protect the rich. We've seen what happens when you put profit over people."

Recalling the night of the building collapse

Cyphers is now living about a block from the Lutheran church where the town hall was held. He found it on recommendation from a friend following three weeks living in a LeClaire church.

He's happy with it. It's good and "very safe," he said, recalling once when he spent half an hour in a stuck elevator at 324 Main St.

About five months later, he can still recall the evening of May 28 perfectly.

Cyphers was in his second floor apartment at five minutes to 5 p.m. when he recalled hearing an explosive sound. The lights went out. Haziness filled the hallway he peered into. It looked like smoke, but there wasnt a fire.

I grabbed my flashlight, my cell phone, my keys, and my cane, left with the clothes on my back, Cyphers said. And I stepped out into the second floor hallway and I walk about 10 feet and the rest of the hall was gone. The outside wall was gone. The inside wall of the apartment was gone. Water was spraying everywhere. The sun was shining through. There was smoke from all the cement. I made it down the back stairway and out into the alley. Somebody tried to rescue me, but he could not reach me. So I was very blessed to get out.

Cyphers lost all his identifying documents  birth certificate, social security card, and bank cards. A handful of scammers have tried to open up cards in his name as recently as August, but were unsuccessful.

Some of his 87 years worth of possessions are unable to be replaced  a scarf hand-knitted by his mother and a ring gifted from his brother.

"I had a lifetime supply of everything," Cyphers added.

But he's quick to thank others who donated clothes or a piece of furniture to help him and others rebuild.
A Davenport teen awaiting trial on multiple burglary and theft charges was arrested Monday by Davenport police in connection with a shooting incident in August.

Keon Termere Marks Jr., 18, who became a convicted felon at age 16, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count each of felon in possession of a firearm and reckless use of a firearm.

Felon in possession of a firearm is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years, while reckless use of a firearm is an aggravated misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of two years.

According to the arrest affidavit, at 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 24, officers responded to the area of 1000 Blythwood Place to investigate a call of shots fired.

At the scene, officers located multiple live .45-caliber rounds on the ground in the parking lot.

Through the investigation, officers were able to locate a video of the shooting.

The video shows Marks in a vehicle with another person. Marks gets into a verbal argument with the other person and pulls out a black handgun with an extended magazine.

When Marks pulls the gun, he and the other person begin to fight over the weapon.

Marks then fires the gun into the dashboard of the vehicle. The magazine to the firearm breaks, sending ammunition flying out of the gun.

Marks is then forced out of the vehicle and flees the scene.

On July 29, 2021, at the age of 16, Marks was convicted of first-degree theft during in Scott County District Court. First-degree theft is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years. Marks is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of that crime.

During a first appearance on the charges Tuesday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Catherine Cartee scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for Nov. 3.

Marks was being held Wednesday in the Scott County Jail on a cash-only bond of $10,000, set by Cartee.

Marks is awaiting trial on multiple burglary and theft charges in connection with a burglary spree that occurred June 20.

In those cases that are out of Bettendorf, Davenport and Scott County, Marks is charged with four counts of second-degree burglary and one count of first-degree theft. Each charge is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years.

Marks also is charged in that case with one count of second-degree theft, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years; four counts of third-degree burglary of a motor vehicle, each an aggravated misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of two years; and one count of unauthorized use of a credit card, also an aggravated misdemeanor.

According to the arrest affidavits filed in those cases by Bettendorf Police, Davenport Police and the Scott County Sheriffs Department, on the afternoon of June 20, 2023, Marks and other accomplices went on a burglary spree in Bettendorf and Davenport.

They would enter unlocked garages and go through vehicles and steal whatever they could find of value, police said. From the vehicles they stole credit cards, cash and other valuables. Marks and his accomplices were seen on video at the Moline Walmart purchasing multiple Visa gift cards and using the stolen credit cards to pay for them.

Marks was arrested in connection with those cases Aug. 18. He was released from the Scott County Jail on Aug. 23 after posting 10% of a $42,000 bond through Firebird Bail Bonds of Knoxville, Iowa.

A hearing in those cases is scheduled for Nov. 28 in Scott County District Court.
Wetlands and green space in Rock Island, Bettendorf and Davenport could get a boost through a new collaboration between Ducks Unlimited, an international waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization, and a group called the Mississippi Rivers and Towns Initiative, made up of mayors of communities along the river.

Wetlands and green space are important because they can ease the effects of both flooding and drought  opposing conditions that have hit, or are hitting, the Mississippi River basin this year, said Colin Wellenkamp, executive director of the river communities group based in St. Louis.

Current low river levels due to drought have caused closures and restrictions on river shipping, including corn and soybeans, with a corresponding loss of money, Wellenkamp explained during the Upper Mississippi River Conference held Oct. 17-19 in Rock Island.

Our ability to move commodities is in jeopardy if we dont sustain the Mississippi River," he said.

That is why the river communities group approached Ducks Unlimited for help  the organization can assist with natural infrastructure solutions for problems such as flooding, drought and nutrient pollution.

In Rock Island, attention will focus on the 538 acres the city was offered last year in 23 parcels for $1 each by RiverStone Group Inc., a Moline-based company that provides stone, gravel, brick and other building supplies. The land is south of Interstate 280 and is mostly contiguous, except that it is split by Illinois 92 into east and west portions. Past uses were gravel quarrying, agriculture and natural spaces.

One parcel of about 10 acres west of Illinois 92  across the highway from Ballys Quad-Cities Casino and Hotel  has traditional development potential, Miles Brainard, Rock Islands community development director, said in an email.

All of the other parcels are inundated most or all of the time with water and are not suitable or desirable to consider for traditional development," Brainard said.

For people such as Wellenkamp and others realizing the necessity of working with nature, that is positive news.

It means the forested wetlands will remain and with expertise from Ducks Unlimited, including in areas of design, engineering, construction, hydrology, biology, grant-writing and permit-seeking, the area could be made even more effective in providing ecosystem services that benefit cities.

Selective reforestation is an example of how wetlands can be made more effective, said Mike Sertle, manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited's Big Rivers Initiative on the upper Mississippi.

Parcels not already in the city have been annexed, with the 10 acres on the west side of Illinois 92 zoned for businesses and the rest as nature conservation space, Brainard said. The citys intent is to gradually develop a municipal wetland reserve (that) would offer recreational opportunities as well as serving as an important ecological resource. How that would look exactly is yet to be determined, however.

Rather than being thought of as something in the way, the property could be developed into a huge, beautiful attraction where people could enjoy nature, bird-watch and kayak, Brainard said.

Sertle said he hopes staff from his organization will be able to visit the area this fall.

Its a very large area with a lot of potential. Were excited about it," he said.

Bettendorf green space

Bettendorf is acquiring green space along Duck Creek east of Interstate 74 as the result of a voluntary buy-out of homes that have been pegged first to flood.

Since 2015 and by the end of this year, 30 homes will have been purchased and mostly removed, Mark Hunt, community development director, said. Streets with homes being purchased include Parkway, Crestview, Cypress and Hawthorne drives.

The purchases will total about $4.6 million. Of that, $3.7 million has, or will, come from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grants; $268,342 from the state of Iowa, and $562,779 from the city, sourced from its sales tax revenue, Hunt said.

Because FEMA grants continue to be available, Hunt said he is hopeful that the city council will approve future applications.

Bettendorf Mayor Robert Gallagher, immediate past co-chair of the river communities initiative, said at the river conference that he is excited about the possibilities the Ducks Unlimited collaboration could bring to this green space. At present, the area totals 4.8 acres, but it could increase to seven.

Possibilities include a flood retention basin that would capture, filter and discharge water slowly, tree planting for habitat and design that would integrate the area into the Duck Creek Recreational Trail  all projects Ducks Unlimited could help with, Sertle said.

Davenports Nahant Marsh

In Davenport, Ducks Unlimited may be able to help find, or provide, the Nahant Marsh Education Center off Wapello Avenue with funding for the restoration of a recently acquired 60-acre tract, Brian Ritter, executive director of the center, said.

The new purchase borders the existing marsh on the north and east and has long been regarded as important for the long-term health of the marsh, he said. Restoration plans might include the planting of a wetland mitigation bank and the re-meandering of a straightened stream that would provide wildlife habitat.

Ducks Unlimited might also be able to help with funding for additional purchases, Ritter said.

Photos: The Fairmount Public Library hosted staff from Nahant Marsh Education Center for presentation on snakes
Editor's Note: The Quad-City Times sent out a survey to each Quad-Cities metro school board candidate running in the regular city/school elections on Nov. 7.

A district map can be found here: https://www.pleasval.org/district/school-board/index by clicking the Director District Map tab on the left hand side.

The Pleasant Valley school board, which operates with a director district structure, has four seats up for election this year  all contested.

DIRECTOR DISTRICT 4

Incumbent Molly Brockmann is being challenged by first-term candidate Danny Amaya for PV's Director District 4.

Molly Brockmann

Candidate Bio: Molly Brockmann

Age: 48

48 City/town of residence: Bettendorf

Bettendorf Occupation: Sales & marketing manager

Sales & marketing manager Prior leadership experience: I am currently serving on the Pleasant Valley School Board, as vice president the last two years. I have been on the board for five and a half years and have perfect attendance at meetings. I have held several roles as a PTA volunteer including leading the Scrip Fundraising for two years, leading and coordinating Kindergarten Roundup for three years and co-leading Post Prom for one year. In my professional career, I have directed a sales and marketing team for a small agricultural company for the past eight years.

I am currently serving on the Pleasant Valley School Board, as vice president the last two years. I have been on the board for five and a half years and have perfect attendance at meetings. I have held several roles as a PTA volunteer including leading the Scrip Fundraising for two years, leading and coordinating Kindergarten Roundup for three years and co-leading Post Prom for one year. In my professional career, I have directed a sales and marketing team for a small agricultural company for the past eight years. Connection to the school district: Parent, taxpayer

What prompted you to run for school board?

I am running for a second term because I love this community and I want to see our district continue to be one of the top districts in the state. Our children are our most valuable resource. Im excited to invest my time ensuring our students are provided with the best opportunities and resources so they can be successful, healthy and happy adults.

I have lived in Bettendorf for over 15 years and have two children, one has graduated, and one is a sophomore at PV. Having a child that has gone kindergarten through 12th grade at PV gives me a good perspective on the big picture.

As a taxpayer, I want to ensure that we are efficient and responsible as our district continues to grow. People move to the Pleasant Valley district because we have a great schools where students excel due to supportive and caring teachers, administration and parents.

What do you consider to be the top three issues in K-12 education right now?

1. Funding. Schools need adequate funding to meet the needs of all students. Our students are our future and the future of our communities. They all deserve a high quality education to ensure they feel prepared for future success.

2. To continue to attract and retain talented teachers in our area, as well as the state of Iowa. We need highly skilled educators at all levels in our schools to give our students the best possible opportunities and experiences.

3. Security and health of our students. Students should feel that they are in a safe environment to maximize their learning potential. Mental health issues have been on the rise and need to be addressed.

If elected, how would you work to address these issues in your district?

Short- and long-term planning is key to ensure we invest our dollars wisely. As enrollment increases we must expand while keeping a strong focus on academic excellence. Its imperative that we work with our legislators to help them understand how our resources are being used and where the shortfalls lie.

It is important that our educators are offered competitive salaries and benefits. I want to continue to look for ways to give our staff a positive, collaborative work environment in which they are considered the experts and supported in their roles.
WHAT WE KNOW: Municipalities have an obligation to maintain roads in their jurisdiction, but there are some gray areas about when a road belongs to the municipality.

WHAT'S NEW: Six residents of Maple Court and the surrounding area spoke during public comments at Monday's Colona City Council meeting, noting they had been annexed into the city, asking the council to pave their gravel road to alleviate huge potholes.

Jeremy Toney cited "dangerous" conditions for police and ambulance. Joann Hillman said her late husband used to plow Maple Court but she isn't able to do it anymore, and she complained of getting no city sewer and no mosquito spraying, either.

"Basically we get nothing for having annexed in 50 years ago," she said.

Jennifer Hillman presented a number of packets that she said demonstrated that the city had an obligation to maintain the street; she said a final motor fuel tax sheet showed Maple Court had been on a paving schedule for Colona this fall.

WHAT'S NEXT: The council didn't respond to the residents, but after the meeting Mayor Don Ropp said he was protecting the interest of the city in removing Maple Court from the paving schedule.

"They are incorrect; that is a private road," he said.

He added a prior mayor had put the street on the paving schedule because he wanted to take over Cleveland Road, the main artery that Maple Court comes off of.

"I canceled it because it was not our road," he said. "Not on my watch."

He said he's talked to the concerned residents.

"If you annex ground in, the subdivider has to improve the road and dedicate it over to the city," he said. "They need to get legal representation and if we disagree and can't work anything out, we're not going to come to any conclusion if we keep arguing about it."

Ropp also told aldermen he has a Nov. 13 meeting with the Illinois Department of Transportation in Dixon about the Rt. 84 improvement project. He said the purpose will be to get more information on how the work will affect the frontage street on the Green Park Avenue side, and added the city will lose all the trees on the east side of Rt. 84.

The history of how roads are built, and what future construction may look like The history of how roads are built, and what future construction may look like Past: The foundation of the road systems Present: An enormous investment in resources Future: Toward more innovative infrastructure
Scott Community College recently hosted the grand opening of the Student Commons and Health Sciences Center on the Main Campus.

During the celebration, the Theresa (T.J.) Sheil Lecture Hall was dedicated. The room was the first named room in the Health Sciences Center.

Sheil was an alumna of the SCC Nursing program and upon her passing last year, she left a monetary gift to the college to support the health programs.

Upon entering the room, there is the quote on the wall that Sheil believed and often would say, "You're not your disability."

She was a master educator and the recipient of several coveted American Red Cross awards for her 9/11 and post-9/11 service in New York City.

The SCC Foundation is heading-up a fundraising campaign for Health Sciences. Anyone wishing to learn more about naming opportunities or other ways to support the students through scholarships or student assistance can call Lysa Hegland at 563-441-4062.
Rock Island County Health Department officials announced Tuesday it has Moderna COVID vaccines for children ages 6 months to 12 years for both private health insurance holders and for those who are uninsured or underinsured.

Janet Hill, the health departments Chief Operating Officer, also said that the availability of Pfizer vaccines for all ages will be phased out for all ages after the current supply is depleted.

As of Tuesday, the health department had 25 Pfizer doses available for people ages 12 and older, and many doses for ages 6 months to 11 years old, Hill said. However, she added, after these doses are given, no more Pfizer doses will be available at the Rock Island County Health Department.

Both Pfizer and Moderna doses are interchangeable, she said, adding that patients dont have to stick to one brand.

COVID vaccines for children have been a little hard to find all across the country and here in the Quad-Cities, Hill said. We want to make it easy for parents to get their children protected during respiratory illness season.

For best protection, we urge everyone to get vaccinated for both COVID and flu at least two weeks before Thanksgiving because the holiday season is typically the first time that families and friends gather indoors where viruses spread easily.

The health department offers appointments for Moderna on Tuesdays and, while supplies last, Pfizer on Fridays.

The health departments last scheduled walk-in flu clinic is 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Oct. 31, but appointments can be made throughout the respiratory illness season.

Hill said that COVID vaccines are no longer being provided for free from the federal government. The health department will bill a persons health insurance. It is the patients responsibility to determine coverage through their insurance company with the Rock Island County Health Department as an authorized site.

Medicare Part B and Illinois Medicaid will pay for the COVID vaccine.

For the flu vaccine, there is no out-of-pocket cost to those with Medicare Part B or an Illinois Medicaid or managed care organization card. Most Blue Cross, United Health Care, Aetna, Cigna, Medica, and Humana insurance plans are accepted. People should bring their insurance cards to the clinic and check with their companies to make sure they are covered.

For those not using insurance, the cost is $35. High-dose vaccines for seniors are $65 without insurance. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
DES MOINES  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds welcomed Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on a visit to Iowa on Tuesday, praising the relationship between the state and country.

Osmani is in Iowa this week for the World Food Prize Week of Events, an annual conference put on by the global foundation based in Des Moines. She will give the opening keynote at the conference on Thursday.

Kosovo, an Balkan country that borders Serbia and Albania, became Iowa's ninth sister state in 2013 under then-Gov. Terry Branstad. The partnership includes a military partnership between the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Forces.

Iowa National Guard members have participated in overseas missions with the Kosovar military, Reynolds said, and the Des Moines Area Community College worked with a Kosovo organization to help train young female leaders.

"Ten years after it first began, our people are clearly closer than ever," Reynolds said of the partnership during a welcome ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol.

Reynolds went on a trade mission to Kosovo in June and met with Osmani and other Kosovar leaders.

Osmani said Kosovo's partnership with Iowa is a reflection of the country's partnership with the U.S. at large.

Kosovo is one of the world's youngest countries, having declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Its independence was supported by the U.S.

"You stood with us in the darkest hours," Osmani said of Kosovo's relationship with the U.S. "When we needed a savior, you saved our lives."

She said the partnership with Iowa allows for improvements in areas such as national defense, agriculture, tourism and energy.

"I'm confident that this is just the beginning of our excellent relationship, and some of the very first milestones toward greater strides in the future," Osmani said.

After the ceremony, Reynolds and Osmani held a private meeting, according to Reynolds' office.

Osmani will speak Thursday at the World Food Prize conference. The conference, held in Des Moines, features global leaders and is focused this year on "harnessing innovation, adaptation, and diversification" to improve resilience and sustainability in the global food supply, according to the foundation's website.

Heidi Kuhn, the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate, will be recognized at the conference for founding the humanitarian non-profit Roots of Peace.

As college enrollment declines, apprenticeships are on the rise As college enrollment declines, apprenticeships are on the rise Number of active apprentices experienced steady growth over the past decade
A new partnership between Ellsworth Air Force Base and the U.S. Forest Service will connect airmen to the local community and keep a popular section of trail maintained for public use.

The 28th Bomb Wing will maintain Veterans Point Trail at Pactola Reservoir, taking an active stewardship role on a trail designed with veterans in mind. Veterans Point Trail is a half-mile trail on the north side of Pactola. It is paved and features benches and tables along the route, making it an accessible place for anyone with limited mobility to enjoy some of the best views in the Black Hills. Work on the trail began in 1989 as a partnership with Disabled American Veterans and was completed in 1999. The trail remains free for use, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

"Service before self...is exactly what this partnership is about. It's an opportunity for our airmen to get out and connect with our local community," said Col. Derek Oakley, Commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base. "It's an opportunity for us to give back to the Black Hills National Forest and just appreciate where we live and the opportunities that we have."

Oakley expects the project to be a wing-wide effort, from small groups doing simple maintenance to organized efforts aimed at large-scale work. They'll handle everything from trail maintenance to tree branch, debris and trash removal and maintaining benches and tables.

Bringing in partners to maintain trails is called "shared stewardship," something Ben Schumacher, recreation and land staff officer on the Mystic Ranger District, said was born out of a recognition that the way the Forest Service does work is changing. As recreation has increased, budgets and staffs have decreased, leading to the need for additional partnerships and innovation.

"This is a shift in the way we've done things in the past to how we're going to carry things into the future," Schumacher said. "This is just one step in that whole ladder to get where we need to be where we have 100% shared stewardship and partnerships and agreements throughout."

Other organizations  like local outdoors groups  have similar agreements with the Forest Service, but Schumacher said their fledgling partnership with Ellsworth was an area they had wanted to explore for a while.

"One, I mean, this was for veterans and it was designed for veterans and built for veterans, and so they have a direct stake in that," Schumacher said. "And two, there's a huge potential for people that work at Ellsworth that want to be part of the community and want to give back."

Getting the basics down for a solid partnership will allow them to branch out and organize better in the future, he explained.

"Shared stewardship allows us to join forces with folks like you that will help us protect the forest landscape," added Toni Strauss, deputy forest supervisor for the Black Hills National Forest. "Shared stewardship is working together with people that will care for the land like it's yours and help protect it for future generations to enjoy."

Oakley added they plan to invite local businesses to join airmen at Veterans Point in an effort to better connect servicemembers with the community.

Businesses or organizations interested in partnering with the Forest Service to maintain public lands can contact any of their local USFS offices. Schumacher cautions those interested to be patient, as the process of volunteering takes time to establish.
The House of Representatives is yet again in turmoil because the majority Republicans cannot agree on who should be the speaker. Without a speaker, the work of the House grinds to a halt.

This week, we're taking a look at a couple of times in our history when a candidate became speaker even without receiving the majority of the votes.

While typically decided by an absolute majority, there have been two notable instances where the speaker was elected through a plurality vote. These instances, occurring in 1856 and 1911, played out against the backdrop of significant political upheaval and sectional tensions. This article delves into these historical events, shedding light on the circumstances and consequences of these plurality elections.

The year 1856 was a tumultuous period in American politics. The nation was grappling with the issue of slavery, and tensions between the North and the South were reaching a boiling point. Against this backdrop, the House of Representatives faced the challenge of electing a speaker.

Nathaniel Banks, a member of the American Party, emerged as a prominent candidate. The American Party, colloquially known as the "Know Nothing" Party, was a political movement characterized by its anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic stance. Banks, a former Democrat, aligned with this party due to their shared concerns about immigration and nativism.

The election unfolded in a highly charged atmosphere, with passionate debates and entrenched divisions. When the votes were cast, Banks secured 103 votes, while his Democratic opponent, William Richardson, received 100 votes. The remaining ballots were dispersed among other candidates and independent members. As no candidate obtained an outright majority, Nathaniel P. Banks clinched the speakership with a plurality. This election marked a significant turning point in American political history, signifying the rising influence of nativist sentiments.

The year 1911 witnessed another crucial plurality election for speaker of the House. Champ Clark, a Democrat hailing from Missouri, was the central figure in this contest. Clark was known for his eloquence and his strong advocacy for progressive reforms.

The political landscape of 1911 was characterized by a burgeoning wave of progressive ideologies sweeping through the nation. The call for reforms in various spheres of American society, including politics, was becoming increasingly prominent. In this charged environment, the race for speaker was contested between Champ Clark and James Mann, the Republican candidate. The election was fierce, with both candidates marshaling their supporters for the crucial vote.

When the ballots were tallied, Clark secured 217 votes, while Mann garnered 206 votes. Clark emerged as the speaker of the House, solidifying his position as a key figure in the progressive movement.

The elections of 1856 and 1911 had far-reaching consequences for American politics. In both instances, the speakership was determined by a plurality due to the presence of multiple candidates and the division of votes. These outcomes underscored the volatile nature of the political climate during these periods.

Nathaniel Banks' speakership, stemming from the plurality election of 1856, reflected the growing influence of nativist sentiments in American politics. The Know Nothing Party's anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic stance found resonance, especially given the ongoing debate over slavery.

Champ Clark's victory in 1911 signaled the ascendance of progressive ideals. His speakership oversaw a period of significant legislative reforms, including the passage of the 16th Amendment, which established the federal income tax, and the 17th Amendment, which mandated the direct election of senators by voters.
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Foodies, rejoice! Richmond Restaurant Week has returned for its fall run, where 35 locally owned restaurants offer three-course meals for $35.23, which includes a $5.23 direct donation to Feed More.

Aline Reitzer, owner of Acacia Midtown, came up with the idea for Richmond Restaurant Week in 2001.

Before I moved to Richmond, I lived New Jersey and looked forward to New York Restaurant Week every year, Reitzer said.

After launching Acacia restaurant with her husband, Dale, she thought of starting a Richmond version of the event, but with a charitable angle.

The local restaurant community feeds people and provides hospitality every day, she said. But this is a chance for the restaurant community and for diners to help feed our neighbors in need, Reitzer said. Its about understanding that 1 in 7 of our neighbors are in a food crisis. To be able to support the community in that way just made the most sense to me.

Since it started in 2001, Richmond Restaurant Week has raised more than $1.1 million dollars for Feed More, a food bank that collects and distributes to those in need in Central Virginia.

Reservations are strongly suggested.

Richmond restaurants whip up truly impressive three-course menus every year for Richmond Restaurant Week.

Here are a few menu selections from participating restaurants. There are many choices on every menu to choose from:

Acacia Midtown at 2363-105 Roux St., will be serving its signature crab cakes with mashed potatoes, kale and Acacia remoulade, hangar steak with Acacia steak sauce, French fries and a simple side salad and a dark chocolate ganache tart.

Birdies at Common House, 305 W. Broad St., will be dishing up a half-dozen oysters with a persimmon mignonette, its signature lobster roll with Maine lobster salad on a brioche roll and pecan Pie with cardamom whipped cream.

21 Spoons, voted the best restaurant in Virginia by Southern Living, will have seared scallops with truffle mash and roasted asparagus, squash and pumpkin risotto and quinoa chocolate cake on the menu.

Richmond Restaurant Week runs now through Sunday.

Were rounded up (almost) all the Richmond Restaurant Week menus in one place. To see participating menus, click QR code.
Henrico Countys race for commonwealths attorney is being contested by two candidates named Shannon.

The incumbent, Democrat Shannon Taylor, was first elected as the countys top prosecutor 2011. Her Republican challenger, Shannon Dillon, previously worked as an assistant commonwealth attorney in the county.

Voters in Virginias counties and cities elect commonwealths attorneys to four-year terms. The primary duty of each elected commonwealths attorney is to prosecute all felonies and misdemeanors charged under state law occurring in their district. It has jurisdiction over cases from traffic incidents, to assault and battery and felonies in the general district court, circuit court and juvenile and domestic relations court.

The Henrico commonwealths attorney currently oversees a staff of 40 attorneys and 82 total staff members.

Taylor is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School. She is the president of the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys, which has 120 members who are elected in Virginia. The group advocates for criminal justice reforms in the General Assembly and collaborates to establish a fair and balanced criminal justice system.

Taylors platform includes several priorities: keeping Henrico safe from violent crimes while helping victims and their families, prosecuting hate crimes, stopping domestic violence, protecting the vulnerable, directing addicted people to recovery rather than jails, recognizing the importance of mental health care and having smarter justice  with a focus on rehabilitation.

Taylors campaign is far ahead in finances. Taylor began the year with a balance of $165,951 according to the Virginia Public Access Project. She raised $138,075 between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, according to VPAP.

Dillons campaign raised $7,149 between April 6 and Sept. 30, according to VPAP.

Dillon was hired as an assistant attorney in Henrico in 2007. She later left to establish her own private legal practice specializing in state, federal and military defense for the past 15 years.

Dillon graduated from Old Dominion University and earned her law degree from Florida State University. After that, she started her active-duty career in the U.S. Navy, where she became a JAG officer. She served as a prosecutor in the Navys trial service office in Norfolk. She was later a senior legal adviser, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander.

Dillons platform lists several priorities: the juvenile justice system, guns and violent crime, bridging the gap between law enforcement, the commonwealths attorneys office and the community, training of the assistant attorneys, improving relationships with the judiciary, fiscal management and reduction of waste, improving morale and improving community outreach, trust and credibility of the office.

Her campaign has been endorsed by prominent Republicans like Attorney General Jason Miyares and U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st.
NEWPORT NEWS  A heated debate has emerged about the once-unimaginable shooting of a teacher by her 6-year-old student: How should the school district take care of the teacher?

Should she only get workers compensation for her serious physical injuries? Or does she deserve the chance to sue the school system for millions of dollars over claims that it failed to protect her?

Attorneys are likely to argue over those questions Friday in Newport News, where Abby Zwerner is suing the public schools for $40 million. The former first-grade teacher was hospitalized for nearly two weeks and endured multiple surgeries after a bullet struck her hand and chest.

Zwerners lawyers are expected to ask a judge to allow her lawsuit to proceed with allegations of gross negligence against school administrators. The school board will argue for workers compensation, which provides up to more than 9 years of pay and a lifetime of medical care for Zwerners injuries.

She faces an uphill legal battle under Virginias uncommonly strict workers compensation law, said J. H. Verkerke, a University of Virginia law professor.

Virginias law covers allegations of negligence against employers as well as workplace-related assaults, Verkerke said. Lawsuits that might move forward in other states often falter in the Commonwealth.

To succeed, Zwerners lawyers must prove the shooting was unrelated to her job, even though she was shot in her classroom. Their challenge is to somehow make out that its personal, said Verkerke, who directs UVAs Program for Employment and Labor Law Studies.

Zwerners attorneys: Workers compensation doesnt apply

In early January, the 6-year-old pulled out his mothers handgun and shot Zwerner as she sat at a reading table. She rushed her students into the hallway before collapsing in the schools office.

Zwerner sued in April, alleging school officials ignored multiple warnings that the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood.

Police have said the shooting was intentional. Zwerner claims school officials knew the boy had a history of random violence at school and home, including when he choked his kindergarten teacher.

Zwerners attorneys say workers compensation doesnt apply because a first-grade teacher would never anticipate getting shot: It was not an actual risk of her job.

Her job involved teaching six-year-old children, not exposing herself to criminal assault whenever she went to work, Zwerners lawyers writes in a brief filed last week.

The school board has failed to prove the shooting was job-related, Zwerners attorneys argue. The boys violence was random and aimed at everyone, both in and out of school.

He asserted that he was angry that people were picking on his friend, a motivation that had nothing to do with (Zwerner), her lawyers write without further elaboration. His motivation was a personal one.

The school board disagrees, writing that the shooting cannot be personal because 6-year-olds lack the capacity to form intent, according to Virginia law.

Children under seven are conclusively presumed to be incapable of crime, the school boards lawyers wrote in a brief, citing the states Supreme Court.

Verkerke: Its obviously horrifying

The lawyers question how the shooting could be anything but work-related. Zwerner was exposed to this alleged negligence only because of her employment at the school, they wrote.

The school board also points out that the boy was suspended for intentionally breaking Zwerners cellphone before the shooting. Zwerners own lawsuit implies that he became angry about that suspension resulting in the shooting, school board lawyers wrote.

Everything about this incident arises from (Zwerners) employment as a teacher, the school board argues. There is no allegation  nor could any such allegation be credibly made  that (Zwerner) had any personal relationship with (the student).

Many in Virginias legal community will be surprised if Zwerners lawsuit proceeds, Verkerke said. And if it does move forward, the school board will almost certainly appeal given the scope of the states workers compensation act.

Workers compensation laws were deemed a grand bargain in the 20th century between injured workers and employers: Workers lost the ability to sue in most cases, protecting employers from enormous payouts. But people who were injured gained much easier access to compensation  lost pay and medical coverage  without having to prove fault.

Its obviously horrifying, Verkerke said of the shooting. The reality though is that workplace violence is a tragically common occurrence. This is an exceptional case because the assailant is only six years old ... I dont think Ive ever seen a case like that.
An officer was wounded when a woman opened fire at a house in Dinwiddie County on Wednesday, police said.

Police were conducting a search warrant at about 5:30 a.m. in the 24900 block of River Road when several shots were fired from inside the home, Virginia State Police said in a statement. A federal law enforcement officer was hit.

The shooter and a man were found to have barricaded themselves inside the house, police said. The shooter was taken into custody about two hours later and a firearm was recovered, police said.

JohnDrea Felicia Ann Roberts, 26, of North Dinwiddie, was charged with felony counts of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and reckless handling of a firearm. She is being held at Meherrin River Regional Jail in Alberta.

No law enforcement fired weapons during the incident, police said. No other injuries were reported.

The officer was taken VCU Medical Center in Richmond for what police said were non-life-threatening injuries.
In its war with Hamas, Israel is counting on its friends  and not just those who supply arms and intelligence.

Israels pals include purveyors of what might be labeled spiritual weaponry, most notably conservative Christians. This alliance has deep roots in Virginia, reaching back nearly a half-century, when television evangelists Jerry Falwell Sr. and Pat Robertson were building their faith-based empires from opposite sides of the state. Israels partnership with Falwell and Robertson  and their heirs  remains a source of friction among American Jews.

Many struggle to reconcile religious conservatives loyalty to Israel with their perceived hostility to a principle treasured by Jews: tolerance. It is an article of faith for those whose faith has, for centuries, made them objects of intolerance. And it is why Jews so often stand for what so many conservative Christians stand against: civil rights, abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, womens rights, and the constitutional separation of church and state.

These are values on which rest an enduring bond between a lopsided percentage of Jews and the Democratic Party.

But they are also concerns that have ensured religious conservatives elevated status within the Republican coalition, magnifying the influence of Falwell and Robertson, who even sought the presidency in 1988 with a robust appeal to faith voters such as ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Falwell spoke directly of these ties at a meeting in Washington, D.C., in 1981 with Israels prime minister, Menachem Begin, who had enlisted Falwell as an emissary to conservative Christians.

Accompanied by Virginias Republican governor, John Dalton, and the states U.S. senators, Republican John Warner and independent Harry Byrd Jr., Falwell said, There are those persons in Israel and in the Jewish community of the United States who would disagree with us on social issues ... like abortion and who do not like the relationship the prime minister has with us.

Falwell, from whose Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg sprang the Moral Majority, the Christian grassroots political organization, and Liberty University, was not initially viewed as a champion of Israel, especially given his record of spouting tropes considered by Jews as downright antisemitic.

At a rally in 1980, Falwell  in what he claimed was a joke  remarked that a Jew can make more money accidentally than you can on purpose.

Robertson, architect of the Christian Broadcasting Network and Regent University, both in Virginia Beach, also peddled stereotypes of Jews that resonate today.

In his 1991 book, The New World Order, he singled out European bankers, many of whom are Jewish, as responsible for the worlds economic problems. More than three decades later, a permutation of this charge has been hurled at George Soros. The Hungarian-born Jewish financier, philanthropist and liberal activist was attacked in 2021 by future Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin for big-dollar donations to Democratic prosecutor candidates.

Youngkin, who brushed off claims his criticism of Soros was antisemitic, launched early in his administration an investigation of antisemitism in Virginia and signed into law legislation to fight hatred of Jews. Since fighting erupted in Gaza earlier this month, Youngkin  aiming to to harness pro-Israel voters for GOP legislative candidates  has traveled the state, meeting with Jewish leaders and expressing solidarity with Israel against Palestinian terrorism.

That Republicans are of one mind on Israel stands in contrast with fissures among Democrats. In Virginia, where Arab Americans first became visibly active in Democratic politics in the mid-1980s, Israel, though it was attacked by Hamas, is loudly represented by younger, Palestinian-friendly activists as the bully in this terrible conflict.

That Falwell and Robertson based their loyalty to Israel on biblical, principally New Testament, notions is at the heart of Jewish discomfort with conservative Christians. They, in essence, see the Jews as place keepers in Israel, its guardians until the return of Jesus Christ and that such a messianic moment would not be complete until the Jews, themselves, are converted to Christianity.

Put another way: The religious right is seen by Jews as backing Israel for the wrong reasons.

It is not a concern of a leading conservative Jewish commentator, Norman Podhoretz, who addressed Robertsons supposed antisemitism in a widely noted piece in Commentary in 1995. Indeed, Podhoretz seemed to suggest it was much ado about nothing, given Robertsons demonstrated enthusiasm for Israel.

Since Robertsons support of Israel is undeniable, the usual tactic of those who wish to convict him of antisemitism is to denigrate that support by explaining that in his apocalyptic theology, the return of the Jews to the Promised Land is a necessary prelude to the second coming of Jesus and their ultimate conversion to Christianity, Podhoretz wrote.

But surely in politics it is actions and not motives that count. And in any event, since Jews do not share Robertsons belief in Jesus, why should they worry about what he thinks will happen after the second coming, in which they also do not believe?

Despite the long history of enmity between Jews and Palestinians and its most visible consequence  that Israel, under its stoutly conservative government, is increasingly segregated  pluralism remains that nations defining characteristic. Israel is not just the home of the Jewish people, promised them by God multiple millennia ago, it is the sacred seat of two other world religions irrefutably rooted in Judaism: Christianity and Islam.

And, thus, Israels survival should be the concern of all three faiths.

This explains Israels cozy  and for some, discomfiting  relationship with Falwell and Robertson. It also illustrates a bitter lesson that Israel and its advocates learned in 1981: the principal pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, failed to stop congressional approval of the sale of combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia, a sworn enemy of Israel now considering an alliance.

AIPAC, deciding it needed to make more friends, immediately began courting them in Virginia  and not just Falwell and Robertson. They schmoozed Democrat Chuck Robb, who was elected governor just days after the final vote on the Saudi arms deal pushed by the Reagan administration. Robb, the son-in-law of the late President Lyndon Johnson, would land in the Senate seven years later a committed ally of Israel.

But even as a governor, Robb was strong on Israel. In a little-noticed speech to an AIPAC regional meeting in Richmond, Robb warned that Syria was targeting missiles at Israel with the assistance of the Soviet Union.

Falwell and Robertson couldnt have put it any better themselves.

Photos: Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and 41 other attorneys general across the U.S. are suing Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, alleging that it knowingly created and used harmful features on its social media platforms that are designed to be addictive for teenagers and children.

The infinite scroll feature and incessant notifications were designed with the express goal of captivating young users and getting them hooked, the complainants say.

At a news conference at the Attorney Generals Office in Richmond on Tuesday afternoon, Miyares called the features behavioral cocaine. Miyares and the other attorneys general said that Meta was well aware of the harmful and addictive effects of the platform.

(Meta) knew about the depression, they knew about the negative social comparison, they knew about the negative body image problems, the eating disorders, they knew about the rise of suicide, Miyares said Tuesday. Meta ignored it. They were also aware that children and teens were exposed to harmful content such as suicide and self-harm videos, negative comparison and hate speech.

A Meta spokesperson said in a statement: We share the attorneys generals commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.

The litigation strategy combines state court action and federal court action.

The federal lawsuit, which includes Virginia and 32 other states as complainants, says that Meta created a business model focused on maximizing the amount of time young users spend on its platforms, and created psychologically manipulative features to induce young users compulsive use of the platforms.

It also says that Meta regularly published misleading reports touting a deceptively low incidence of user harms despite overwhelming research showing the harm Meta causes young users. Instead of dropping its harmful features, Meta doubled down on its efforts to misrepresent and downplay the impact of those features on young users mental and physical health, according to the lawsuit.

Miyares and other complainants allege that Meta violated the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Rule, a federal law that imposes requirements on operators of websites directed to children under 13 years of age. He said Meta is well aware that children under the age of 13 are on their platform and that the company collects data from these children without first obtaining verifiable parental consent.

These are your options if youre Meta. You can continue to put profits over our childrens well-being, you can continue to do the wrong thing. You could choose to fight. ... I welcome the fight, Miyares said. Or as a wise man once said, its never too late to do the right thing.

Miyares urged Meta to acknowledge the devastating impact on the mental health of todays youth, and to comply with Virginia consumer protection laws and the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Rule.

Do the right thing. Work with us, Miyares said. If you choose to fight us, we will see you in court.

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Richard Lehman remembers him as a 7-year-old boy: a child from a beautiful family who went to nursery school at Rudlin Torah Academy in Richmond with Lehmans son.

Now, nobody has heard from the 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin since his Oct. 7 abduction from a music festival by Hamas militants. Goldberg-Polin was born in Berkeley, California, but spent his early childhood years living in Richmond before moving with his family to Jerusalem.

Goldberg-Polin was last seen being loaded into the back of a pickup alongside other hostages during a Hamas attack on the music festival.

His last text messages to his family, sent that day, said I love you and Im sorry.

Then, nothing.

Goldberg-Polin is believed to be in the captivity of Hamas somewhere in Gaza. His mother, Rachel Goldberg, describes him as a survivor, a quality she said helps her remain hopeful that she will see her child again.

For Lehman and other members of Richmonds Jewish community, Goldberg-Polins disappearance closes the nearly 6,000-mile gap between Virginia and Israel.

Often, it is easy to become disconnected from events unfolding in distant places to people we do not know, Lehman said. But the abduction of Goldberg-Polin personalizes the entire experience, he said.

That is one of our children from our community, Lehman said.

Lehman remembers Goldberg-Polins parents well. He described Goldberg as brilliant, and said she used to teach adult Jewish education courses at the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning before the family immigrated to Israel in 2008.

Goldberg briefly returned from Israel to speak at an event put on by the Rudlin Torah Academy, Lehman said.

He said he is still in touch with the family through Facebook.

I cannot imagine what (they) are going through, he said.

More than 200 people were seized by Hamas militants, the Israeli military has said. Hamas has vowed to kill hostages if Israels airstrikes target civilians inside Gaza without first providing a warning.

Hamas over the last week has released at least four hostages, including two American women. President Joe Biden on Oct. 13 said he was working round the clock to secure the release of American hostages in Gaza.

Im not gonna stop until we bring them home, he said.

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.

Photos: Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war
For members of the Palestinian community in and around Richmond, the violence in Gaza is not just another distant geopolitical crisis dominating the headlines, but a personal crisis that stokes chronic anxiety for their loved ones and fears for their own safety as Arab Americans.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry this week said over 5,000 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7, the day that Hamas attacks left around 1,400 dead. Health ministry officials also said the health care system was on the verge of collapse as it struggled to treat thousands of wounded Palestinians while grappling with an Israeli blockade that has choked the entry of water, medical supplies, electricity and fuel into Gaza.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said the situation in Gaza had become increasingly dire, and expressed concern at the clear violations of international humanitarian law. He said that protecting civilians is paramount.

Tuesday marked the 18th day of the deepening international conflict, the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. More than 200 people also are believed to have been captured by Hamas, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American who lived in Richmond as a child.

Zaid Mahdawi, 25, of Richmond  the descendant of displaced Palestinians  said he has friends who have received farewell messages and videos from their family members in Gaza.

If you dont hear from me tomorrow, it is very possible I have gone under the rubble, read a message one of Mahdawis friends received.

Mahdawi said reading texts like that makes him feel responsible to take action.

Why are they going through that over there, and God chose us to be here? Its a blessing from God, Madhawi said. And because of that blessing, we must not sit idly by.

Madhawi said he feels his obligations include organizing, advocating and educating other people on the situation in Gaza. He called for an immediate ceasefire.

I need civilians to stop being killed, he said. There are  fathers picking up their childrens remains in bags. This is not something that should be normalized or desensitized.

More concerns about hate crimes

Madhawi urged Virginians to push back on what he described as rising Islamophobia. He said some of the rhetoric used to discuss the conflict in Gaza had already incited violence, including the murder of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Muslim boy living in Chicago who police say was stabbed to death by his familys landlord after the man became upset about the Israel-Hamas war.

Police in suburban Chicago over the weekend also arrested two people after one man allegedly fired a shot and the other pepper-sprayed pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

In Minneapolis, witnesses reported Sunday that a vehicle drove through a rally held in support of Palestinians in Gaza, police said.

Palestinians are being portrayed as savage, barbaric, animalistic, which breeds hate crimes, Madhawi said. You cant generalize and use whatever is going on overseas to label everyone here.

Maher Massis, 60, who lives in Herndon and serves on the board of the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace, echoed Madhawis concerns regarding Islamophobia.

There are Muslims, there are Arab Americans across the country who are afraid to go to school or out in public, Massis said.

Massis, who is Palestinian but grew up in Saudi Arabia after his father left the instability of the West Bank in search of work, said he had a friend in Gaza who lost 13 relatives in  three days, including a two-month-old baby, during Israeli strikes.

No one is showing pictures of Palestinian babies being (killed), he said.

Stop this senseless violence

Massis demanded peace, but specified that it must be the Rev. Martin Luther Kings definition of peace: the presence of justice.

We can have two truths, Massis said. One truth is that what Hamas did to Israeli citizens is  morally reprehensible. The other truth is that it is also wrong to dehumanize  and subjugate  the Palestinian people for (the) past 75 years  They are killed, thrown in prison camps, their homes (are) demolished.

It is time for the Israeli people and the Palestinian people to stop this senseless violence and dehumanizing each other. If we dont do that, we are going to continue being sucked into this cycle of violence, with no end. We have to find a way to live together in peace.

Zulfi Khan, 65, a Muslim community activist who originally is from Pakistan and now lives in Henrico County, also called for peaceful coexistence.

If we could feel the pain of the other, we could remedy the hurt being inflicted on each other, he said. Humanity is the common denominator in all religions, and the sanctity of life is paramount in all.

Lets not have the conviction of right and wrong become the burden of hatred. I ask of all, in times of sorrow and grief, dont let the hurt turn into anger  towards anyone who sees things from a different perspective.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From the Archives: Broad Street Station
AMLO says creating opportunities at home key to counteracting migrant flow

Mexico City, Mexico  President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has raised the importance of generating job opportunities and conditions that counteract the migratory phenomenon. He says these moves would improve the quality of life of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is a humanitarian issue of the first order that originates from the lack of opportunities, as we all know, from the lack of employment opportunities, from the lack of well-being. Also due to blockades and decisions made from abroad, he said.

He explained that the Sowing Life and Youth Building the Future programs, created and financed by his government, have given positive results in El Salvador, Honduras , Guatemala, Belize and Cuba, where they are currently applied.

AMLO with heads of states in successful Sowing Life and Youth Building the Future program. Photo: AMLO October 23, 2023.

Those registered in the program decided to stay in their countries of origin and not expose themselves to the risks of trying to reach the United States.

Where these programs are being applied, we have done evaluations and it has been shown that those who intended to emigrate stay in their places of origin because no one leaves their town by choice, they do so out of necessity, he noted.

We have to act and we can do it. We can help each other and that is the purpose of this meeting, to agree to work together so that they have our support, our cooperation in everything to address the causes, he added.

He mentioned Mexico will continue talks with the United States government to urge it to provide greater economic resources to ensure the application of more initiatives to benefit the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The resources allocated to arms production for wars are much more than what is allocated to cooperation for development, to the search for the well-being of people, despite the fact that we know that peace and tranquility are fruits of justice.

However, we are trying to convince them that we must participate together, progress is slow, but we are not going to give up, we are going to continue raising this issue with the United States government, he added.

Mexico says creating opportunities for people to stay in their country of origin will counteract migration problem.

Photo: Government of Mexico October 23, 2023.

Lopez Obrador recalled that Mexico is a receiving country for the migrant population, which is why it guarantees their human rights and protects them from the southern border to the northern one, however, the journey represents risks that can be avoided through timely attention to the needs of people from their nations of origin.

We have recently witnessed a considerable increase in migratory flows. () We take care of migrants, however, there are many risks on the journey north, There are human traffickers, there is organized crime that kidnap, that eliminates migrants and also many traffic and transportation accidents.

Unfortunately, vans with migrants are constantly overturning, suffocation in the trailer boxes and many migrants are losing their lives, he said.

The President reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Mexico to cooperate and seek solutions together.
Truck shot up and set on fire in troubled Cancun suburb

Cancun, Q.R.  Police were at the scene of a vehicle fire in the Cancun suburb of Bonfil early Tuesday. Municipal authorities along with military responded to the report of the burning truck after shots were also fired.

In a statement, the State Attorney General (FGE) reported briefly on the event saying in coordination with municipal, state and federal authorities, the FGE responded to the report of an incident in SM 308 of the Deleg. Alfredo V. Bonfil in the Benito Juarez municipality (Cancun), where no injuries were reported.

Given the report, security corporations came to address the events. Elements of the H. Fire Department also arrived who found a vehicle with bullet holes which was consumed by fire.

The State Attorney Generals Office opened an investigation to find the person or persons responsible.

The vehicle was fired up then set on fire. Police continue to investigate. Photo: October 24, 2023.

The vehicle was fired upon and set on fire Tuesday morning in Bonfil, the troubled suburb town of Cancun. The burned vehicle is reported to have been an armored criminal truck that was targeted by a group of armed subjects on Baja California Street.

Police were made aware of the situation after residential reports of gunfire. What they heard was the vehicle being riddled with bullets. Military personnel arrived to cordon off the area and help in the search for those responsible.
Two detained from Cancun Internet cafe on child pornography charges

Cancun, Q.R.  Two males have been taken into police custody from a Cancun Internet cafe on pornography charges which fall under human trafficking. Their arrests were reported by the State Attorney Generals Office on Tuesday.

After completing a search warrant for an Internet cafe, the arrest of Jesus del Carmen N and Eduardo N was achieved for their probable participation in the crime of human trafficking in its modality of the production of pornographic material, they detailed in a statement.

The agency added that an investigation was started which lead to a search warrant. During the search, they reported finding and seizing various sexual items at the scene  condoms and lubricants  as well as computer equipment that stored child pornography.

During the investigation, a 14-year-old minor was also rescued, who is belived to have gone to the site to have sexual encounters in exchange for a financial sum.

Experts from various specialties processed the place and collected evidence to incorporate it into the investigation. The defendants, as well as the evidence collected, were placed at the disposal of a judge who imposed the precautionary measure of preventive detention as their legal situation is resolved.
In the wake of the Supreme Courts decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), in which the majority of the court ruled that the Constitution supports a right to marry for same-sex couples, many Americans in the wedding business faced a dilemma. Bakers like Jack Phillips and web designers like Lorie Smith found themselves unable to deliver services relating to weddings for same-sex couples owing to issues of conscience. The Supreme Court has intervened, however, and vindicated the conscience rights of many in cases like Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Division and this terms 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, but state courts and lower federal courts are still looking for ways to bypass the Supreme Courts clear instruction on these constitutional issues and impose upon the consciences of bakers like Melissa Klein. In the case of florist Barronelle Stutzman, for example, the Washington Supreme Court flouted the U.S. Supreme Courts clear precedents.

As these collisions between worldviews become more frequent, the existence of specific statutory laws that protect conscience become more and more important. It is in the context of these types of conflicts that the Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) index was launched by the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, where I serve as executive director. The RLS, now in its second edition, is a data project and index ranking of the 50 states based on state-level statutory and constitutional safeguards that protect free exercise.

One of the goals of the RLS, the first project to measure state-level religious freedom protections, is to provide a rigorous, dependable picture of what it measures for the use of policy makers and legislators, advocates of religious freedom, and scholars interested in related trends. Every item tracked and measured by the RLS is in place (or not in place) in the various states as a result of the action of democratically accountable bodies, namely legislatures. As a result, ordinary citizens, armed with the information the index provides, are free to affect change in their home states so that they and their neighbors can enjoy more free-exercise protections. The project is intentionally narrowonly statutory and constitutional protections are included. Like any similar project, it provides only a snapshot of one aspect of what constitutes the broader reality of religious freedom at a given time. It does not consider cultural factors or the judicial, administrative, or executive actions in states that impact the practice of religion. All these other aspects of the complex of factors that result in the lived experience of citizens of any particular state either elude quantitative measurement or would demand a different and largely incompatible methodology for data collection and analysis.

Some more counterintuitive results of the RLS rankings are a bit surprising. Illinois and Washington, places where religious people like Barronelle Stutzman suffered real animosity, rank at the top, and states that are more culturally amenable to religious liberty, like West Virginia, rank at the bottom. The primary benefit of a federal system is that state law matters at least as much as federal law. Each states path to where it ranks is a unique story that is contained in legislative histories, election promises, effective lobbying, and the pressure of special interests. But what is clear from both the RLS and the experiences of citizens is that every stateincluding Illinois at the top and West Virginia at the bottomhas room for improvement regarding the protection of the free-exercise rights of all citizens.

The fact that state law matters so much for religious liberty brings two concrete cases to mindone in a traditionally red state and the other in a traditionally blue state. Both are clients of my law firm, First Liberty Institute, of which the CRCD is an initiative. Both have been involved in years-long conflict with states that have attempted to impose upon their religious beliefs.

In 2013, Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, Oregon, declined to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding. The same-sex couple filed a complaint with a state administrative agency, which then fined them $135,000 for violating Oregon statutes. Ultimately, the case was adjudicated through the Oregon state courts, with the Oregon Court of Appeals allowing the decision of the administrative agency to stand and the Oregon Supreme Court refusing to consider an appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, vacated the decision of the state court and remanded it for reconsideration in light of the Supreme Courts Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Upon reconsideration, the state of Oregon imposed upon the religious convictions of the Kleins a second time, ignoring the U.S. Supreme Courts guidance. And again, SCOTUS vacated the decision, this time with the instruction to reconsider in light of 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. The case is still ongoing after nearly a decade.

There are those who might say, however, that given that Oregons population is one of the least religious in the nation, the Kleins circumstances should come as no surprise. But another FLI client faces similar harassment from the state of Texas, with one of the most religious populations in the nation. Judge Dianne Hensley is a justice of the peace in McLennan County, Texas. Texas allows, but does not require, justices of the peace to perform wedding ceremonies. In the months following the Obergefell decision, many judges, including Judge Hensley, categorically refused to officiate any weddings. But after seeing that many couples were left without a reasonable option to obtain a civil marriage in her county, Judge Hensley began officiating weddings again and found nearby affordable options for same-sex couples, given that her conscience would not allow her to solemnize such unions. Having received no complaints but being alerted to Judge Hensleys referral scheme for a same-sex couple via a newspaper article, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct initiated an inquiry into her conduct in May 2018, which ended in a public warning issued to the judge that was later affirmed by state trial and appellate courts. Her case is now pending before the Texas Supreme Court.

Both the Kleins and Judge Hensley are facing lawsuits in state courts that are based on state law. If Oregon had a statute like Mississippis first-in-the-nation Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, which insulates citizens from facing government sanction for nonparticipation in a wedding that violates their sincerely held religious beliefs, the Kleins would never have faced punitive fines and nearly a decade of litigation. Similarly, had Texas passed a measure like that in Mississippi or similar laws in Utah and North Carolina, which expressly provide public officials the right to recuse themselves from performing weddings that present a conflict with their conscience, the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct would have been unequivocally barred from initiating action against Judge Hensley.

As it stands, we have every confidence that both clients will prevail, but in a very real sense their rights have already been violated by the fact that they have been required to defend themselves against the encroachment of state actors. The laws of Oregon and Texas could have saved them both the time, distraction, and worry that accompanies litigation of any sort, and the RLS, by documenting the existence of such provisions in other states, has illuminated the pathways for every state to bolster the free-exercise protections of their citizens. Such statutes bar the type of administrative and bureaucratic harassment that the Kleins and Judge Hensley have unjustly endured.

Current members of the U.S. Supreme Court have been attacked for believing that religion is worthy of special treatment. It is true that the current composition of the court has proved to embrace a view of the Constitution that takes seriously the explicit enumeration of free exercise as a right that must be protected if we are honest about the words of the U.S. Constitution. A court that is friendly to free-exercise claims will mean that litigants looking for different outcomes will need to secure those victories in federal district or circuit courts or find ways to litigate in state courts under state law, rather than federal law, which would have to be applied in a way consistent with Supreme Court precedent. Even in the relatively short time since Dobbs was handed down and signaled a clear unwillingness of the present court to recognize a federal constitutional right to abortion, litigants have turned to state courts with appeals to state constitutionsto serve their ends.

It would serve the ends of advocates for liberty to see state legislatures take religious freedom seriously. While some states have responded and passed new laws that provide more robust free-exercise protections to their citizens, representatives of state legislatures, governors, and attorneys general who should be quite amenable to religious freedom often claim that federal protections are all their citizens need. Unfortunately, that is simply not truejust ask the Kleins in Oregon, Judge Dianne Hensley in Texas, and Baronelle Stutzman in Washington. State law and state courts are the primary guarantors of liberty in our federal system, but citizens are left unnecessarily vulnerable when state officials defer to the federal constitution and laws. Before those hostile to religious freedom find ways to exploit the gaps, those who want to preserve and advance religious freedom should find ways to close those gaps.

While the Religious Liberty in the States index represents only one aspect of what influences the lived experiences of Americans, it is a vital aspect with far-reaching implications. Each state at the top is not necessarily a religious-freedom paradise, and the ones at the bottom are not necessarily religious-liberty wastelands in the U.S. constitutional scheme. We are confident, though, that with regard to what the RLS measures, some states are clearly doing better than others and that all states have room for improvement.
A soon-to-open dental practice that will treat youngsters up to 12 years old expects to see about 25 patients daily.

One dentist, one hygienist and three dental assistants will staff the office at 1502 Williamson Road, to be called New Horizons Pediatric Dentistry, part of Roanoke-based New Horizons Healthcare. Theres going to be a ceremony in the form of a floss cutting Thursday to set the stage for the practice opening at a date to be announced.

The health center accepts Medicaid, which covers childrens dental care through DentaQuest. For those in financial need without Medicaid, it will discount the bill according to the patients household income.

New Horizons is a nonprofit safety net health care provider that qualifies for enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid.

It gets support from the Virginia Health Care Foundation, Roanoke Womens Foundation, Delta Dental Foundation of Virginia, Virginia Health Catalyst, Carilion Clinic and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Omni Homestead $150 million grander

The Omni Homestead resort in Hot Springs, West Virginia, said it completed a $150 million renovation.

An invitation to a celebration last week reported that the full renovation encompasses 483 guest rooms, a brand-new 4,000-square-foot event pavilion, 72,000 feet of meeting space [and] an array of fine and casual dining options.

Elevator saga still stuck

Roanoke officials last week were no closer to taking the owner of a broken public elevator to court than they were a month and a half ago.

As reported, the city said in August it had begun legal action against the owner of the Roanoke Station Garage over its out-of-service elevator. The elevator has not worked in more than four years, city officials said.

City spokeswoman Carol Corbin said officials thought the matter would go to court Oct. 5.

However, a legal summons had not been served on the property owner as of Monday.

Capt. Jennifer Boswell of Roanoke police said officers were unable to serve the summons because the listed recipient has died. This occurred despite staff who prepared the summons using official property ownership information, she said. This raises a question about the possibility that the official record is out of date.

The process has been restarted, Boswell said.
A Blacksburg man was arrested last week and charged with assaulting and stealing a bicycle from Huckleberry Trail users.

Benjamin P. Fields was arrested Oct. 18 and charged with five offenses, including one felony count of grand larceny and our misdemeanor counts of assault and battery, according to Virginias online court case information system.

Virginia Tech Police Department and Blacksburg Police Department officers responded that day to a male victims report that another man had assaulted him and then attempted to steal his bike and flee the area, according to Virginia Techs communications and marketing department. Police went to the area and found a man, Fields, matching the victims description.

While investigating the assault, several other victims came forward to report they had been assaulted by Fields in different locations along the trail. All injuries were minor in nature, university Associate Vice President of Communications and Marketing Mark Owczarski said in an email Tuesday afternoon. There was no known connection between Fields and the victims and no motive for the assaults has been established.

Fields had a Montgomery County General District Court hearing Monday morning on a motion for bond. His attorney, Brad McConnell, confirmed Tuesday that the request was denied.

McConnell added that he made a motion requesting an evaluation of Fields competency to stand trial and sanity at the time of the offense. That motion was granted.

The allegations against Fields include that he attempted to shove riders off of their bikes and struck one man in the face, McConnell said. One bike was taken but was later recovered by police.

The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office confirmed Tuesday that Fields was being held in its custody. According to the online case information system, he is also facing two misdemeanor destruction of property charges connected to an Oct. 16 incident. His next General District Court date on all seven criminal charges is scheduled for Jan. 22.

The statewide case information system indicates Fields is also facing two charges in Montgomery Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Those charges, one misdemeanor count of assault and battery of a family member and one felony count of larceny of certain animals, also stem from an Oct. 16 incident. His preliminary hearing on those charges is set for Dec. 15.

The Huckleberry Trail incident is the second confirmed assault to occur on a public trail in the region this year. In July, an elderly woman was attacked and injured while walking one morning on the Lick Run Greenway in northwest Roanoke.
The second of three teenagers charged in connection with a July fatal shooting was granted bond in Roanoke Circuit Court Tuesday morning.

Nathaneal I. Keith, 19, of Roanoke was indicted earlier this month on one count of acting as a principal in the second degree or an accessory before the fact to the first-degree murder.

Keith and 22-year-old James R. Griffin III got into a fight near the northwest intersection of Sigmon Road and Showalter Road at about 11:20 p.m. on July 10, according to whats been discussed in court. Chief Assistant Commonwealths Attorney John McNeil has said that a video captured by 19-year-old Cydney B. Williams shows Keith throwing the first punch, and then Griffin trying to flee.

As he was running back to his vehicle, Griffin turned and fired a handgun, striking Keith, McNeil said. Then, JaZion Z. Robertson, 19, who was standing by with an assault-style rifle, fired four rounds, McNeil said. One of them killed Griffin.

McNeil said Tuesday that throughout the day of the shooting, Keith had been urging Williams to send messages to Griffin. The prosecutor said Williams and Griffin used to date, but the day of the incident, Williams was in a relationship with Keith.

McNeil said the messages from Williams, which Griffin tried to block, alleged Griffin was a pedophile. The prosecutor argued that Keith elevated the situation from online trash talking to a challenge.

Keiths attorney, Aaron Houchens, said Tuesday that his client was subpoenaed to testify at Robertsons bond hearing in August. Keith did so, knowing that it could lead to his own arrest, Houchens said.

He doesnt shirk that responsibility, Houchens said Tuesday. He is not a flight risk at all.

The defense attorney also argued that the fight Keith sought with Williams, which stemmed from high school drama, was meant to be a fist fight. Houchens said Griffin was the first to present a firearm and argued Keith was the least culpable party involved.

But McNeil said Keith armed Robertson with the rifle, which the prosecutor said he believes belongs to Keiths step-father. He said Keith is responsible for setting all of this into motion.

Houchens asked Clemens Tuesday to set a $30,000 bond for his client, a recent William Fleming High School graduate whose employer at a trucking company has said that Keith will still have a job if let out of jail.

Clemens granted a $50,000 bond with surety and ordered Keith not to have any contact with Robertson or Williams.

That video is troubling, and I hope that its troubling for you, Mr. Keith, the judge said, referring to the footage of the incident captured by Williams.

Griffins mother, Mechelle Walker, said she doesnt feel that justice was served Tuesday.

I do understand that all involved are entitled to bond, but so low amount with very little restrictions is absurd, she said after Keiths hearing. Maybe the trials will bring justice as well as closure. The pain is unbearable when you see and hear your innocent child killed...

Keiths and Williams trial dates are expected to be set by Nov. 6. Robertsons jury trial is already set for four days in February, according to Virginias online court case information system.
A former employee of a fireworks company located on the grounds of the Radford arsenal claims in a lawsuit that he was sickened by a cloud of toxic chemicals from the ammunition plant.

William Dillon of Roanoke is seeking $15 million in damages from BAE Systems Inc., which operates the 4,600-acre plant under a contract with the U.S. Army.

On Sept. 17, 2020, Dillon was leaving his job at Fireworks by Grucci on a road that took him past smoke stacks when he noticed the air in front of his car began to appear yellow, red and brown, the lawsuit states.

The cars defroster was on at the time, and the smoke quickly entered the vehicle, causing pain in Dillons eyes and lungs, he claims in the lawsuit.

After his symptoms worsened overnight, Dillon sought medical treatment for violent coughing, high blood pressure, itching skin, dizziness and malaise. The lawsuit states that he was diagnosed with chemical pneumonitis at a Roanoke hospital.

At a meeting with his employers safety manager, Dillon learned that he had been exposed to nitric acid and possibly other hazardous materials from a production building operated by BAE at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, according to the lawsuit.

The arsenal, which makes explosive and propellant products for the armed forces and commercial use, has a number of corporate tenants that are involved in similar industries.

Dillon, who no longer works for Fireworks by Grucci, continues to be treated for heart and lung conditions, his attorney, Keith Marcus of Richmond, said.

The lawsuit, which accuses BAE of negligence and willful and wanton conduct, alleges that Dillon suffered permanent injuries, emotional suffering, medical expenses and loss of earnings.

In a response to the lawsuit  which was filed last year in Henrico County Circuit Court, then transferred and refiled Monday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke  attorneys for BAE said Dillon failed to identify any acts or omissions by the company related to his injuries.

They asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

BAE Systems is aware of Mr. Dillons suit, and because this is a matter of ongoing litigation, we cannot comment about the case. BAE Systems works diligently to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for all visitors, tenants and staff at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, wrote BAE in an emailed statement Tuesday.
Christiansburg police arrested a teen wanted on murder and kidnapping charges out of North Carolina after a police chase along Interstate 81 early Tuesday.

On Monday, officers in High Point, North Carolina, responded to a kidnapping report at a home in that area, according to a Christiansburg Police Department news release Wednesday.

A witness told High Point officers that 18-year-old Fransisco De Jesus Delgado Arevalo had entered the home, forced a 17-year-old female victim out with a knife, put her in a vehicle and drove off, the release continued.

Police determined that Delgado Arevalo and the female knew each other and took out warrants for his arrest. High Point officers sent a notice to other agencies in several states, the news release said, to be on the look out for Delgado Arevalo and his vehicle.

Christiansburg police got that notice and watched out for the suspect. Early Tuesday, Officer V. Campos and Officer P. Woodrum spotted his vehicle on Riner Road near Life Drive and followed it onto northbound I-81, according to the release.

The officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Delgado Arevalo turned off the vehicle lights and fled. A pursuit ensued, and two more Christiansburg officers, Sgt. R. Sobina and Officer B. Taylor, and two Virginia State Police troopers joined the chase, according to the release.

The suspect vehicle crashed near interstate mile marker 123.5, near Shawsville, and Delgado Arevalo was taken into custody.

The 17-year-old female was found in the vehicle and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police said she is expected to recover.

Delgado Arevalo is facing five charges in High Point, including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and communicating threats.

In Virginia, Delgado Arevalo faces another four charges: being a fugitive from justice, eluding police, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misusing a 911 system.

The Christiansburg police thanked all involved officers Wednesday for their commitment to safety and vigilance in protecting our community and those in need. The department also thanked the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office and state police for their help and the High Point Police Department for their quick communication.

Delgado Arevalo continued to be held Wednesday in the custody of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office without bond.
RADFORD  Radford University announced Wednesday that it will dramatically lower the financial threshold for in-state applicants hoping to earn a degree.

A new program will cover all tuition costs for in-state applicants with a household adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 per year. The Radford Tuition Promise is expected to begin in August 2024.

Bret Danilowicz, the universitys president, said the new program lowers the threshold for entrance significantly more than similar tuition programs statewide.

For a lot of other institution, they focus on the students that receive Pell Grants, and often their promises are around the $60,000 adjusted gross income for families, Danilowicz said. As we move this up to $100,000, it really takes this from a Pell-focused program, and pushes it way up into the middle class, because its not just the families that are the most needy that have a difficult conversation about affording college.

The announcement for the new program was made at The HUB at Radford, a recently opened new workspace meant to connect Radford students with local businesses for possible internships and work. According to Danilowicz, the choice of location is not incidental.

Radford is located near some of the poorest communities in Virginia, where the average income is well below $100,000 per year. The announcement of the new tuition program is one part of the universities wider goal of boosting the local economy, with The HUB and the universitys economic development program working as another part.

We want students to come here, get their degrees, and then stay here, Danilowicz said. Weve been expanding the number of internships in the area, and partnerships with businesses, and a lot of those businesses are around Radford, and if students have an internship, theyre much more likely to stay at that business afterward.

While the university was working toward starting this program well before this school year, full funding was finally made possible by an influx of money from the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to Danilowicz.

The last two years in particular, the commonwealth has been very generous with their budget, Danilowicz said. So a large portion of this is coming from the state.

Radford has been dealing with declining enrollment in recent years, and Danilowicz said that for Southwest Virginias economy to function, more students in the area need to be able to earn a degree.

What matters is having college-educated graduates stay in the southwest and southside to help stabilize those economies, but we need college graduates to do that, Danilowicz said. Right now, the participation rate of students continuing from high school to university is declining in this part of the state.

The program will only be open to students receiving their first undergraduate degree. Any students working on a second bachelors degree, or graduate students, will not be eligible.

In order to qualify, students must be enrolled full-time, and attend classes in person on a regular academic schedule. To be considered full-time, students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a surprise meeting with Chinas leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders in a display of friendliness that stands in sharp contrast to the dialogue between the United States and China in recent years
Hurricane Otis ripped through Mexicos southern Pacific coast as a powerful Category 5 storm, unleashing massive flooding in the resort city of Acapulco, ravaging roads and leaving large swaths of the southwestern state of Guerrero without power or cellphone service
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Santa Maria community comes together for State of the City event Wednesday morning
" " Although natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina can have an impact on the development of PTSD, the chances are increased when the trauma is man-made. Photo courtesy EPA

Around 70 percent of Americans have endured some traumatic experience within their lifetimes [source: PTSD Alliance]. These may come in the form of a bad car wreck, a rape or an assault. It can be surviving a natural disaster, experiencing a loved one dying unexpectedly or even killing another person, as in war. Up to 20 percent of those who've suffered such traumas go on to experience PTSD.

Early researchers believed that all people were at equal risk of developing PTSD after experiencing a trauma. However, further study has revealed that some risk factors may make one person more likely to develop PTSD than another.

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One of the biggest risk factors is a prior trauma. People who have already undergone one traumatic experience and then suffer another are more likely to develop PTSD than a person who experiences a single trauma.

Why? A class of hormones in the brain called glucocorticoids help control our response to stress, and after a traumatic experience, this hormone can become depleted.

When another trauma occurs, and the glucocorticoid levels are already low, the stress response to the experience can be more intensified. This condition can increase the likelihood of the person developing PTSD.

Personality Traits and PTSD Development

Personality traits have also been shown to play a part in the development of PTSD. People who have an optimistic outlook on life  a belief that there's order to the universe, and that other people are generally good  have less of a chance of developing PTSD after suffering a trauma. So, too, do people who are resourceful, who tend to take obstacles and challenges head-on.

Conversely, those with problem-avoidance behavior have been shown to have an increased risk of developing PTSD. This indicates that part of the development of PTSD is increased by the avoidance symptom  the desire to ignore the trauma rather than address it.

People who are college educated are less likely to develop chronic PTSD. So are people who have or had a good relationship with their fathers. At the same time, people who were raised in an abusive environment or have little education are more likely to develop PTSD. It also appears that women are more likely to develop the disorder.

Genetic Factors in PTSD

There is also some emerging evidence that PTSD may occur on a genetic level. One gene being looked at is the serotonin transporter gene.

A paper indicated that mutations in this gene can have an impact on attention to environmental threats, suggesting that if certain people have a hard time modulating attention to threat in the environment (for instance, through hypervigilance) they may be more prone to PTSD [source: Wald et al].

Another study suggests that PTSD may be the result of epigenetics  changes to the function of genes that can happen in a lifetime.

A 2009 study of Detroit residents showed that those who fit the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis had six to seven times the regular amount of epigenetic changes to their genes of those in the control group. Most of the genes that had undergone epigenetic change were responsible for immune system function.

The Role of Social Support

However, the most important factor in the development (or not) of PTSD is the existence of a strong social support network. Time and again, people who have close relationships with those around them have been shown to be much less likely to develop PTSD and more likely to recover from it.

Trauma counselor Jacob Lindy referred to this network as a trauma membrane, a group of people who form a protective cover over the person who has suffered the trauma and protect that person from undergoing further damage.

It should be noted that what's most important about this social network is how it's perceived by the sufferer. A well-intentioned but overbearing support network will have a less positive effect than one that allows the sufferer to grieve on their own terms.
Credit: UNU-EHS

A United Nations University report finds that drastic changes are approaching if risks to our fundamental socioecological systems are not addressed.

The Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023 published by the United Nations UniversityInstitute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) warns of six risk tipping points ahead of us:

Accelerating extinctions

Groundwater depletion

Mountain glaciers melting

Space debris

Unbearable heat

Uninsurable future

Systems are all around us and closely connected to us: ecosystems, food systems, water systems and more. When they deteriorate, it is typically not a simple and predictable process. Rather, instability slowly builds until suddenly a tipping point is reached and the system changes fundamentally or even collapses, with potentially catastrophic impacts.

A risk tipping point is defined in the report as the moment at which a given socioecological system is no longer able to buffer risks and provide its expected functions, after which the risk of catastrophic impacts to these systems increases substantially. These diverse cases illustrate that risk tipping points extend beyond the single domains of climate, ecosystems, society or technology. Instead, they are inherently interconnected, and they are also closely linked to human activities and livelihoods.

Many new risks emerge when and where our physical and natural worlds interconnect with human society. One example of a risk tipping point that the report explains is groundwater depletion. Underground water reservoirs called aquifers are an essential freshwater resource around the world, and they supply drinking water to over 2 billion people.

Around 70% of groundwater withdrawals are used for agriculture, oftentimes when there is not sufficient water from above-ground sources available. Today, aquifers help to mitigate half of the losses in agriculture caused by drought, a phenomenon which is only expected to increase in the future due to climate change. But the report warns that now it's the aquifers themselves that are approaching a tipping point:

More than half of the world's major aquifers are being depleted faster than they can be naturally replenished. If the water table falls below a level that existing wells can access, farmers can suddenly find themselves without the ability to access water, which puts entire food production systems at risk of failure. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have already surpassed this groundwater risk tipping point, others, like India, are not far from it.

"As we indiscriminately extract our water resources, damage nature and biodiversity, and pollute both Earth and space, we are moving dangerously close to the brink of multiple risk tipping points that could destroy the very systems that our life depends on," said Dr. Zita Sebesvari, Lead Author of the Interconnected Disaster Risks Report and Deputy Director of UNU-EHS. "Additionally, we also lose some of our tools and options to deal with future disaster risk."

The analysis reveals the cases share similar root causes and drivers which are embedded in our actions and behaviors that increasingly put pressure on our systems until they are pushed to the brink of collapse. Reaching these points means new risks will be introduced, many of which we do not yet know of.

"As we approach these tipping points, we will already begin to experience the impacts. Once, crossed it will be difficult to go back," warned Dr. Jack O'Connor, Lead Author and Senior Expert at UNU-EHS. "Our report can help us see risks ahead of us, the causes behind them, and the urgent changes required to avoid them."

The report does not just define and identify risk tipping points, but it also proposes a new framework to avoid or mitigate the consequences. Solutions fall into two categories: Avoid solutions, which target root causes and drivers of risk to avoid risk tipping points altogether and Adapt solutions, which help prepare or better address the negative impacts of risk tipping points if they cannot be avoided.

For both Avoid and Adapt solutions, there are two type of actions. Delay actions work within the existing "business as usual" system and aim to slow down the progression toward risk tipping points or the worst impacts. But the ideal action is to Transform, which involves a fundamental reimagining of a system into something stronger and more sustainable than before.

In the case of the "unbearable heat" risk tipping point described in the report, it is human-induced climate change that is causing a global rise in temperatures, leading to more frequent and intense heat- waves that will in some areas reach temperatures in which the human body can no longer survive.

An Adapt-Delay solution would aim to counteract this risk by installing air conditioners, for example. The air conditioners will delay when the risk tipping point is reached for the people in the area, but will not address the heat itself. An Avoid-Transform solution, on the other hand, would aim to halt the emissions of greenhouse gases and at the same time drive societal change toward low-carbon ways of living so the tipping point can ultimately be avoided.

The report finds that solutions being implemented today tend to focus on Delay rather than Transform, although increasing focus is being put on transformative change to achieve global goals on transitioning to a more sustainable future. It will require more game-changing solutions to move us away from a future of multiplying risk tipping points.

Transformative solutions will also require considerable societal and personal effort, and the report highlights overall changes we can each make to our behaviors and values.

"Real transformative change involves everyone," said Sebesvari. "The report serves as a timely reminder before the UN Climate Conference that we must all be part of the solution."

Brief summaries of the six risk tipping points included in the report: Accelerating extinctions

Intense human activitiesincluding land use change, over-exploitation, climate change, pollution and introduction of invasive alien specieshave created a rate of species extinction at least 10 to 100 times Earth's natural rate.

Ecosystems are built on intricate connections between species. If one species goes extinct, it can have knock-on effects on many others. The risk tipping point in this context is when an ecosystem loses key species that are strongly connected, triggering cascading extinctions of dependent species, which can eventually lead to the collapse of an entire ecosystem.

An example is the gopher tortoise, which digs burrows that are used by more than 350 other species for breeding, feeding, protection from predators and avoiding extreme temperatures. One of these species is the endangered dusky gopher frog. If the gopher tortoise goes extinct, as foreseen, the dusky gopher frog is one species that will likely follow. But because the dusky gopher frog helps control insect populations and prevent pest outbreaks in longleaf pine forest ponds, its extinction would again trigger a number of negative effects that may become unstoppable.

According to the UNU-EHS report, the risk tipping point in this context is reached when insurance becomes unavailable or unaffordable, leaving people without an economic safety net when disasters strike, which opens the door to increasing socioeconomic consequences, particularly when it is the most vulnerable parts of the population that cannot afford to move to safer areas. Credit: Chandler Cruttenden

Groundwater depletion

The risk tipping point in this context is the loss of access to freshwater resources in underground reservoirs known as aquifers.

Aquifers supply drinking water to over 2 billion people, and around 70% of withdrawals are used for agriculture. More than half of the world's major aquifers are being depleted faster than they can be naturally replenished. The tipping point in this case is reached when the water table falls below a level that existing wells can access, putting entire food production systems at risk of failure.

Some countries have already experienced the effects. Saudi Arabia was the world's 6th-largest wheat exporter in the mid-1990s based on large-scale groundwater extraction for irrigation, but wells ran dry and the nation had to turn to wheat imports. India and other countries are currently nearing this risk tipping point, with global impacts expected to ripple through the world's food systems, economy and environment. Also affected are the very structure of society, the well-being of future generations, and the ability to manage future agricultural losses due to climate change-driven drought.

Mountain glaciers melting

Glaciers retreat when the ice mass that formed many years ago melts faster than it is replaced by snow. Due to global warming, the world's glaciers are now melting twice as fast than they did in the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2019, glaciers lost 267 gigatons of ice per year, which is roughly equivalent to the mass of 46,500 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Glaciers store large amounts of freshwater. Meltwater from glaciers and snow supplies water for drinking, irrigation, hydropower and ecosystems to entire regions. The risk tipping point in this context is "peak water"the point when a glacier produces the maximum volume of water run-off due to melting. After this point, freshwater availability will steadily decline.

Peak water has been reached or is expected to occur within the next 10 years for many small glaciers in Central Europe, Western Canada and South America. In the Andes, where peak water has already passed for many glaciers, communities are grappling with unreliable water sources for drinking and irrigation. For example, Peru's Quelccaya glacier, once the world's largest tropical ice cap, has shrunk by 31% in the last 30 years contributing to periodic dry season water scarcity and widespread impacts.

An estimated 90,000+ glaciers of the Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountains are currently at risk of reaching the tipping point, threatening the nearly 870 million people that rely on them.

Space debris

Space has a garbage problem. This is because when satellites become defunct, they are left in the Earth's orbit as space debris. Out of 34,260 objects tracked in orbit today, only around 25% are working satellites. The rest are junkbroken satellites or discarded rocket stages. Additionally, there are likely around 130 million pieces of debris too small to be tracked, measuring between 1 mm and 1 cm.

Space debris travels at over 25,000 km per hour, and even the smallest debris can cause significant damage if it collides with something, creating even more debris. This is why other objects, such as the International Space Station or satellites, need to regularly conduct maneuvers to avoid it. The problem worsens as more and more objects are launched into space and debris accumulates.

The risk tipping point in this context is the point at which the Earth's orbit becomes so full of debris thatone collision sets off a chain reaction of collisions. If that were to happen, the orbit could become unusable, which would threaten our ability to operate satellites, for example to monitor the weather and environmental changes, and to receive early disaster warnings.

More than 100,000 new spacecraft could be launched into orbit by 2030, greatly increasing the risk of this tipping point.

Unbearable heat

Human-induced climate change is causing a global rise in temperatures, leading to more frequent and intense heat waves, and this is only expected to become more severe. Extreme heat was responsible for an average of 500,000 excess deaths annually in the last two decades, disproportionally affecting those who are particularly vulnerable due to their age, health conditions or profession, for example.

There are weather stations in the world that have already recorded temperatures beyond the tipping point for what a human body can survive in. If this threshold is crossed for more than six hours, even a young and healthy body will suffer extreme consequences.

The tipping point in this context is a so-called "wet-bulb temperature" above 35C. A wet-bulb temperature is a measurement which combines temperature and humidity, relevant because high humidity worsens the effects of heat as it hinders the evaporation of sweat, which is needed to maintain a stable core body temperature and avoid organ failure and brain damage.

Wet-bulb temperatures have crossed this critical threshold in at least two weather stations, one in the Persian Gulf and one in the Indus River Basin. Research indicates that by 2070, parts of South Asia and the Middle East will regularly surpass this threshold. By 2100 more than 70% of the global population may be exposed to deadly climate conditions for at least 20 days per year.

Uninsurable future

Since the 1970s, damages as a result of weather-related disasters have increased seven-fold, with 2022 alone seeing $313 billion in global economic losses and severe disasters forecast to double globally by 2040. Additionally, the number and size of at-risk areas are predicted to expand as climate change shifts the range of hazards like wildfires and storms into new areas.

These changes also affect the insurance industry. Where extreme weather events increasingly wreak havoc, insurance premiums have climbed as much as 57% since 2015, and some insurance companies in at-risk areas have decided to limit the amount or type of damages they can cover, cancel policies or leave the market altogether. For instance, it is predicted that more than half a million Australian homes will be uninsurable by 2030, primarily due to increasing flood risk.

The risk tipping point in this context is reached when insurance becomes unavailable or unaffordable, leaving people without an economic safety net when disasters strike, which opens the door to increasing socioeconomic consequences, particularly when it is the most vulnerable parts of the population that cannot afford to move to safer areas.

Provided by United Nations University
Bismarck Christian Odei, MD, assistant professor in radiation oncology at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Credit: Huntsman Cancer Institute

In the 2009 film "Gifted Hands," based on a true story, the audience follows Black neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson as he successfully performs three risky surgeries, earning praise from the media and medical community. This movie was not only a hit with critics and audiences, but it also inspired Bismarck Christian Odei, MD, an assistant professor in radiation oncology at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, to follow his passion.

"Seeing a physician who looked like me, portrayed positively and successfully on screen, was both inspiring and transformative for me," says Odei. "On a larger scale, seeing a diverse demographic of physicians in the media can influence the public and beckon a wider group of the rising generation towards medicine."

Odei is now a prostate cancer specialist and he continues to advocate for diversity in medicine. This passion pushed him to lead a team of researchers to investigate the representation of women in medicine in films. Recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a study used IMDB.com, to look at movies from 19902020 that referenced physicians in their plot summaries, keywords, and credits. The team tallied the gender of the characters who were physicians, as well as the race, ethnicity, and age of the character.

Out of the 1,226 movies with 2,295 characters that were physicians, only 18% were women, while 81.4% were men. While the percentage of women physicians portrayed in films increased per decade (about 2% every 10 years), most physicians in movies are men. When in reality, these numbers are much different.

About 36% of practicing physicians are women and approximately half of all current medical students are reported as women, signaling equal proportions of men and women physicians in the coming years. Women have been historically underrepresented in professional roles in movies, continuing to perpetuate gender biases.

In addition, the study found that there is even less portrayal of physicians in historically underrepresented groups in cinema. These results help paint a picture of why some people may feel out of place as physicians, a phenomenon known as imposter syndrome.

"There are stereotypical views of what a physician is supposed to look like due to historical reasons and the messaging surrounding these realities," says Odei. "When someone falls outside the boundaries of these stereotypical portrayals of physicians, they may feel out of place and wonder if they belong."

This research also showed that among G and PG movies, only 21% of the 2,295 movies portrayed at least one woman physician. Those watching these movies, typically younger and more impressionable viewers, rarely see women as physicians.

The portrayal of women in medicine in films is important as it not only reflects the perception of women in society, but also helps shape attitudes in future generations, according to Odei.

"We felt that most movies could still maintain the integrity of the plot and scenes if female physicians were substituted in for their male counterparts," says Odei. "This further underscores the crucial role of screenwriters in enhancing the portrayal of women in film."

Seeing women positively portrayed as physicians will help normalize these roles for future generations of budding scientists interested in medicine as a career and for those who are seeking treatment as a patient, he says.

"In medicine, having patients have a sense of confidence in a competent physician, is critical. This is particularly true in oncology when we are often dealing with a life and death-situation," says Odei. "You want the patient to feel that they are in safe hands. So, their perception of what safe hands look like is critical. For these reasons, we cannot undermine the value of the media in framing expectations. For patients at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, it is important that they come in and feel comfortable with the diverse array of physicians who will be attending to them."

Odei and his team hope to continue researching the impact of media representation of physicians on patients, and also capture how other underrepresented subgroups are being portrayed in the media. Additionally, they hope to expand their research to examine representation within other popular media types.

More information:

Bismarck C. Odei et al, Portrayal of Women as Physicians in Movies, 1990-2020, JAMA Internal Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.2913

Provided by Huntsman Cancer Institute
FLORENCE, S.C.  Angela Parker was one of three early care and education students on hand Thursday as Florence-Darlington Technical College and Coker University announced a new partnership aiming to create seamless academic pathways for students pursuing bachelors degrees in early childhood education, accounting, business management, marketing, and computer technology.

Under the agreements, FDTC students can now easily transition into Cokers bachelors degree programs, receiving full credit for their coursework and realizing their academic dreams.

This makes things so much easier, said Parker, a mother of three from Florence who will graduate in May with an associate degree and then continue her education at Coker. I know that all of my course will be counted, plus Ive had a chance to meet and talk with teachers from Coker so I know what to expect.

FDTC President Jermaine Ford and Coker University President Natalie Harder signed the agreements in front of a small crowd at FDTCs Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology. Both praised the partnership, saying it was much needed.

We are excited to partner with Coker University to provide our students with a clear and affordable pathway to further their education, said Ford. We recognize there is a need in our community for more teachers, accountants, marketers, and computer technologists. Because of this need, we want to make sure it is extremely easy for people interested in these career paths to pursue them. This agreement not only streamlines the transfer process but also opens up new opportunities for our students to pursue their academic and career goals.

This partnership between Coker and FDTC is critical for the continued economic growth of Pee Dee Region, Harder said. With this two-plus-two agreement, we are highlighting our commitment to developing a knowledgeable and skilled workforce for Darlington, Florence and surrounding counties. Students who transfer to Coker from FDTC bring incredible energy and experience to our campus, and I look forward to their continued success at the university.

Students can begin taking advantage of this opportunity immediately. Anyone who is interested in one of these programs should contact FDTCs admissions office by phone at 843-661-8289 or by email at admissions@fdtc.edu.
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This 2,700 year old relief uncovered by archaeologists in northern Iraq depicts a lamassu, an Assyrian deity portrayed with a human head, the body of a bull and the wings of a bird (Zaid AL-OBEIDI)

A dig in northern Iraq has unearthed a 2,700-year-old alabaster sculpture of the winged Assyrian deity Lamassu, which was found largely intact despite its large dimensions.

Only the head was missing and that was already in the collection of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad after being confiscated by customs officers from smugglers in the 1990s, the dig's French leader Pascal Butterlin said.

"I never unearthed anything this big in my life before," Butterlin said of the 18-tonne sculpture measuring 3.8 by 3.9 metres (about 12.5 by 12.8 feet). "Normally, it's only in Egypt or Cambodia that you find pieces this big.

"The attention to detail is unbelievable," said the professor of Middle East archaeology at the University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne.

Erected at the entrance to the ancient city of Khorsabad, some 15 kilometres (10 miles) north of the modern city of Mosul, the sculpture shows the Lamassu, an Assyrian deity with a human head, the body of a bull and the wings of a bird.

It was commissioned during the reign of King Sargon II who ruled from 722 to 705 BC and erected at the city's gates to provide protection, Butterlin said.

First mentioned in the 19th century by French archaeologist Victor Place, the relief dropped from public records until the 1990s when Iraqi authorities earmarked it for "urgent intervention".

It was during this period that looters pillaged the head and chopped it into pieces to smuggle abroad.

The rest of the relief was spared the destruction wreaked by the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran the area in 2014, because residents of the modern village of Khorsabad hid it before fleeing to government-held territory, Butterlin said.

gde/kir/dv
A group of kayakers paddle along a waterway off Sentosa Island in Singapore. (PHOTO: Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  The body of a female kayaker who went missing on Sunday morning (22 October) has been located in the waters off Sentosa.

The Singapore police issued a statement confirming that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had located and retrieved her body at 3pm on Tuesday.

"A body was found and retrieved from the waters off Sentosa island by SCDF on 24 October at 3pm, and was subsequently established to be the missing 33-year-old female kayaker," the statement said.

"Based on preliminary investigations, the Police do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing."

Details of capsizing and rescue efforts

CNA reported that Sim Cher Huey, the founder of adventure travel company Kayakasia who was involved in the search efforts, said that the victim was part of a group of three kayakers who had set off from Sentosa towards the Southern Islands.

A fourth kayaker encountered the group during their journey and decided to join them.

According to Sim, the incident occurred between 9.30am and 10am when two group members, a man and a woman, capsized in the vicinity of some blue floating security barriers.

The incident happened between Sentosa and Pulau Tekukor, in a patch of sea known as the Buran Channel. Sim told CNA that this is a "particularly tricky place" where the currents meet with stationary barriers.

When the male kayaker capsized, Sim added that the woman attempted to assist him but also encountered difficulties and was swept away by the currents. The man was later rescued by a passing boat.

The incident sparked a search-and-rescue mission involving the SCDF and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

A team of divers, a rescue vessel and a patrol craft were deployed to look for the woman. The MPA also issued a navigation broadcast to ships in the area to report any sighting of a person in distress.

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.
SIOUX CITY  Framed portraits, candles, glass jars of mole sauce, coarse sea salt grains piled up and shaped like crosses and, of course, a variety of decorative skulls can be found on altars at the Sioux City Public Museum, now through Nov. 4.

For the past several years, local families have spent an entire weekend setting up altars at the museum to mark Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a holiday that originated in Mexico and is traditionally celebrated Nov. 1-2 around Latin America.

"There's a large Hispanic community in Sioux City -- this is one of their traditions," said Theresa Weaver, the museum's curator of education. "Some of the people who make the altars, I'd call second generation, so they're learning the tradition. And, then, some of the altars are made by people who grew up making them with their grandparents. Everybody comes to it from a little different place."

This year, Morningside University students, Irving Elementary School families and friends of the museum created the altars for "Orgulloso hasta los huesos" (Proud to the Bone). The exhibition honors and welcomes deceased loved ones.

"We're focusing on skulls, calaveras and La Catrina, which is the female figure that is found as part the festivities," said Weaver, who noted that museum visitors and local students were also invited to make papel picado skulls out of tissue paper for the exhibition. "All of those skulls will be incorporated into our museum exhibit."

The museum's 2023 Dia De Los Muertos logo, which was designed by Chloe Wagner of Western Iowa Tech Community College's Design Club, features La Calavera Catrina, a tall female skeleton wearing an elaborate hat with feathers. The design also includes candles and roses, traditional parts of an altar. The logo is being used on stickers, brochures and T-shirts for the hundreds of volunteers who take part in the museum's festival.

Weaver said some elements on the dozen or so altars will be similar, but she said each one has its "own personality." She said, typically, you'll see photographs of loved ones and religious elements, such as candles.

"We have to remember this is people coming back to visit, so the candles light the way. Usually, you'll see water. They've been on a journey, so they'll have water to drink. The salt is purifying," said Weaver, who mentioned that salt fashioned into a cross combines an Aztec tradition with Catholicism. "Originally, the skulls were sugar, and that was just to taste -- life is sweet. Death is sweet. It's not meant to be scary, and it isn't scary."

Marigolds, which are blooming in Mexico at this time, are another staple on Day of the Dead altars. Their scent draws the spirits to the altars, according to Weaver. She said the personal items are related to the loved ones who are being honored. For example, an altar might hold a certain brand of alcohol a departed family member liked to drink, or music he or she enjoyed listening to.

"There's as worldview here that we want to share and talk about and explore, so the we get to know our neighbors," Weaver said. "It's amazing that they're willing to share this with us, because it's very personal for them."

If you go

What: Day of the Dead/ Dia de los Muertos Fashion Show/Performances: M's Formal Fashion Show, Ballet Folklorico Estrellas de Jalisco, New Stage Players Actuaciones del Proyecto Dramatico del Teatro, refreshments.

When: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday

Where: Sioux City Public Museum, 607 Fourth St.

What: Day of the Dead/ Dia de los Muertos Celebration: La Perla Tapatia, a dance group from Irving Elementary School, Mariachi Reyes del Oeste from Denison, Morningside Spanish Club Reader's Theater performance of "Little Monster, What Pan Dulce Do You Want?," crafts, face painting, refreshments

When: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday

Where: Sioux City Public Museum
LE MARS, Iowa  Claussen's, a longtime clothing store in downtown Le Mars, is closing down with the retirement of its proprietor.

Terry Claussen told The Journal that business has been strong, and that it was a "tough" decision to make, but that the time has come for himself and wife Lori to hang it up. They have operated the store at the corner of Central Avenue NW and Plymouth Street NE since 1990; the building itself has housed various clothing stores for more than 100 years, Terry Claussen said.

"Just gonna retire, simple as that," Claussen told The Journal Wednesday.

"It's just reaching the time when it's time to say we're done," he added. "I'm 68, and it's bittersweet because business has been the best it's ever been. But, you know, you've just got to do what's good for yourself."

The store has no hard-and-fast closing date, Claussen said. Liquidation sales begin Thursday.

"We really don't have an exact date," he said. "We're going to work at this 'til the inventory's down to -- 'til we're about empty. However long that takes. It's obviously not going to be real quick, but it'll be -- hopefully within the next six to eight weeks. Hopefully by the end of the year."

Claussen's, which sells women's apparel in addition to its menswear, has for decades outfitted the area's prom dates and weddings, in addition to its more-casual offerings and shoes. "I'd say we serve a fairly wide range of people," Claussen said.

With the closure of the store, Le Mars won't have any remaining stores of its kind; the Plymouth County seat does have other retailers that sell clothing among other wares, including Bomgaars, Goodwill and Walmart, and a few boutique shops selling primarily women's apparel.

"That business has been a huge staple in the community for over 30 years," said Lori French, executive director of the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce. "Terry and (his wife) Lori support the community, they support the Chamber -- they are just the most kind and compassionate people you'll ever meet. And they're just retiring -- and we are sad to see them do that, but we also want to see them have a fun, fantastic, enjoyable retirement."

Terry Claussen, who was born and raised in Rock Valley, Iowa, began his career as a clothier in 1978, when he was 22 years old, at the longtime Flindt & Miller store in Sibley, Iowa. In July 1990 he opened Claussen's.

"I got out of school, then this opportunity in Sibley came up," he said. "I and two other guys bought the store in Sibley. We were there for 12 years."

Claussen, who owns the turn-of-the-century brick building at 10 Central Ave. NW, said he'll probably seek to lease it out.

"I look to rent the building, and go from there. But that's -- some of those details are yet-to-be-determined," Claussen said.

French said the building probably won't be vacant for long, as Le Mars has a thriving local economy.

"I think someone is going to see the opportunity, and snag that up very quickly," she said.
SIOUX CITY  A South Sioux City man convicted of holding two women against their will in separate incidents and raping them was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in federal prison.

At the conclusion of a five-day trial in U.S. District Court in Sioux City in March, Arjune Ahmed, 27, was found guilty of two counts of kidnapping.

Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand sentenced Ahmed to 480 months on each count and ordered them to be served concurrently, or at the same time. There is no parole in the federal system.

Ahmed met with a woman he had met on a dating site on Sept. 16, 2020. Instead of taking her to breakfast as the two had agreed, Ahmed took the woman to Bacon Creek Park, where he forced her from his car, walked her to a secluded spot and raped her.

DNA evidence collected from the woman and a used condom left at the scene matched a sample collected from Ahmed.

Ahmed also was charged with an August 2019 incident in which he tricked a woman to get near his car at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City. He pulled her into his car, then drove to a remote location in South Sioux City, refused to let her out and raped her.

Jurors also heard evidence of a 2015 home invasion and sexual assault that was unsolved for five years until DNA evidence collected during the investigations of the 2019 and 2020 rapes linked Ahmed to the crime.
SPENCER, Iowa  Spencer police killed a pit bull Tuesday, while responding to a report of a person experiencing a mental health crisis.

At 5:56 p.m., officers went to the 900 block of East Seventh St. for a welfare check.

According to a statement from the Spencer Police Department, upon arrival, officers encountered a resident who became verbally aggressive. The resident released two dogs, which charged officers.

The statement said one of the dogs, a pit bull, left the property and continued to charge an officer until it was killed by law enforcement.

The resident retreated back inside the home and refused to come out for approximately two hours, according to the statement. Then, the resident was taken into custody without incident and transported to Spencer Hospital for medical treatment.

The Spencer Police Department was assisted by the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Okoboji Police Department, Spencer Municipal Hospital, Spencer Fire, and Seasons Center Mobile Crisis.
SAC CITY, Iowa  A Sac City woman faces attempted murder and other charges stemming from a domestic disturbance that ended in the stabbing of her boyfriend.

According to a news release from the Sac City Police Department, police were dispatched at 6:18 p.m. Sunday to the Sac City Fired Department, where a man who had been stabbed was outside yelling.

Investigators determined Ruel Anderson had been stabbed in the elbow during a domestic dispute with his long-term girlfriend Corrina Evans at a house in the 600 block of Leonard Street. Anderson was taken via private vehicle to the hospital for treatment.

According to court documents, Evans threatened to kill Anderson and herself, then stabbed him with a black-handled folding knife.

During an interview with police, Evans admitted stabbing Anderson, but said it was not on purpose. She told investigators Anderson had rushed her while she had been holding the knife and was threatening to kill herself, court documents said. After executing a search warrant at the house, police found the folding knife and seized it as evidence.

Evans, 61, was arrested and booked into the Sac County Jail on charges of attempted murder, a Class B felony, willful injury causing bodily injury, a Class D felony, and first-offense domestic abuse assault display or use of a weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor. Her bond was set at $55,000.

The incident remains under investigation.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office was called to the Spencer Municipal Hospital emergency room on Aug. 13 for a report of sexual abuse of a young child. According to court documents, Nelson had sexual contact with the girl on at least two occasions, one in June in a Clay County park and the second in August at a residence. The girl made comments about the incident on Aug. 13 and was later interviewed by authorities.
SIOUX CITY  The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors said the cancellation of the Navigator Heartland Greenway pipeline is "great news for our landowners."

Dallas-based Navigator CO2 Ventures' Heartland Greenway was attempting to acquire 26.6 miles of land for its proposed pipeline skirting Sioux City on the east and south sides and extending into Dakota and Dixon counties in Nebraska.

On Oct. 20, Navigator canceled their project, stating the "unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa were key to the decision to cancel the project.

The supervisors spoke about the cancellation during their regular Tuesday meeting. The group has made a series of moves against potential pipeline projects in Woodbury County after receiving feedback from the residents.

"This is great news for our landowners who were most concerned about eminent domain being used against them improperly--especially those along the proposed route near Lawton and Sergeant Bluff," Board Chair Matthew Ung said Tuesday.

The supervisors also thanked the residents who have attended numerous Board of Supervisors meetings, updating them on the projects and voicing their concerns about the projects.

Beginning in January 2022, the supervisors sent a letter to the Iowa Utilities Board asking them to deny any permits and eminent domain declarations against Woodbury County landowners.

At the time, the supervisors unanimously voted to oppose both pipeline projects that were proposed to run through the county.

In October 2022, the supervisors began the process of creating setback distance guidelines in the county for pipelines but determined the already existing review and requirement process was sufficient.

In May, the supervisors filed another petition with the Iowa Utilities Board, stating Iowa Code grants local governments the power to perform duties that are "appropriate to protect and preserve the rights, privileges, and property of the county or its residents."

In July, the supervisors approved a resolution rejecting the use of eminent domain to force landowners to place " pipelines, turbines, solar panels, or any other energy commodity on their land against their will and consent."

Ung said Woodbury County, being one of the largest counties to intervene in the process, carried weight.

The Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project is still ongoing, which is seeking to acquire 20.5 miles of pipeline through Woodbury County running nearly straight from south to north past Merrill.
The latest episode of Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles is in partnership with the Tulsa World to introduce the story of the Osage Reign of Terror and the feature film Killers of the Flower Moon. In this episode, show producer Ambre Moton is joined by three writers from the Tulsa World, Randy Krehbiel, Jimmie Tramel and Tim Stanley, to discuss how the Bureau of Investigation came to investigate the killings, the handling of the case, the people held responsible for the killings and why the federal government had jurisdiction.

More episodes on the Reign of Terror and "Killers of the Flower Moon"

How the Osage Tribe became rich before the Reign of Terror | Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles podcast In this season we introduce the story of the Osage Reign of Terror and its connection to the upcoming Martin Scorsese film "Killers of the Flower Moon."

The environment of fear and crimes that made up the Reign of Terror | Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles podcast In this season we continue the story of the Osage Reign of Terror and its connection to the new Martin Scorsese film "Killers of the Flower Moon."

Episode transcript

Note: The following transcript was created by Slack and may contain misspellings and other inaccuracies as it was generated automatically:

Welcome to Late Edition Crime Beat Chronicles, a Lee Enterprises Podcast. I'm Ambre Moton, the producer and editor of the show, filling in for Nat Cardona who's taking some well-deserved time off.

If you haven't listened to the first two episodes of our series about the Osage reign of terror, please go back and listen to those before starting this one. So far, we've talked about the history of the Osage tribe and how they ended up in what became the state of Oklahoma.

Their oil rich land. And how those rights were divided. And the horrible series of murders or suspicious deaths. Kidnappings and the environment of fear that made up what historians and journalists call the reign of terror. This week we're talking about the investigations into the crimes, what they found and more. Randy Krehbiel of The Tulsa World reminds us about how difficult it was to get proper investigations into the deaths of the Osage community.

Who hired a private detectives to find the cause for the suspicious deaths? The Osage Tribal Council finally petitioned the federal government to send investigators, and in April of 1923, the Bureau of Investigation, the precursor to the FBI, assigned agents to the case. Here's what Randy had to say about the investigation.

Well, it was called the reign of terror, because people just lived in terror. They were afraid to to talk. And when the FBI came in there in 1923 to try and sort things out in their in their letters and reports and so forth from that time, you know, they talk about how people are just terrified to talk and and they would not talk to outsiders at all.

And, in fact, this is just been talked about a lot with with this book and movie. They wound up putting some some men undercover to try and insinuate themselves into the community so they could get information because people were afraid if they if they told what they knew or what they thought and they were honest about it, they they'd be killed.

And and this and this was true of a lot of a lot of people. And, you know, I think Mollie Burkhart, at one time, she told her priest that she was afraid. People just, you know, people people who were not part of the and even some of them who were part of the these these organizations that were that were doing these things were afraid to talk about it.

And sometimes they were afraid to talk about it because they were involved, too. You know, but but they often they were afraid to talk about it because of repercussions against themselves.

Tulsa World's Jimmy Trammel commented about the investigation's primary target. Who were the the FBI, you know, kind of focusing on or suspecting of all these crimes?

Well, Jesse Plemons plays the FBI character, I think, in the in the film. And as far as the actual suspects, you had some other people had kind of amateurish early tried to be the detective or figured this out or, you know, paid to find things out. What ended up happening was the gentleman who was ultimately the suspect and the primary culprit and was put on trial, many people was like, oh, my, he couldn't it couldn't be that guy.

He couldn't do it because he's friendly. He was probably the most soldiers. But I mean, you just never know. I mean, it was some kind of wolf in sheep's clothing kind of deal.

I asked Tulsa World's Tim Stanley about how well the boy investigated and who they held responsible for the 24 murders that they determined were on an official record.

Federal investigators did a good job in so far as it went. I mean, they did they did investigate it. They did bring charges. And they did get convictions. I think the problem is, is that they were more or less content to kind of tie a bow on the whole thing at that point and then move on, which I mean, that's we see that even today in cases of mass killings or where you have serial killers or who are suspected of being connected to any number of deaths, once they get the conviction on on one or two deaths and they get that person off the street, often that's the end of it.

You know, for them that, you know, the value in the case to them has, you know, they've they've achieved. But that's yeah. I mean, I think that's kind of what you had here is it was investigated and the federal agency which you know, as we may have discussed previously, the one that it would become the FBI, they did they did a solid job and bringing at least some justice in this case.

But they were they didn't really want to dig any further than than just the initial investigation. I mean, J. Edgar Hoover, you know, who was the boss at the time? You know, he got he was well-known for enjoying publicity. And he saw that as valuable to the agency. And he's right. I mean, public relations matter. So, you know, coming in and getting this getting some convictions here, getting a lot of good press out of it, I think satisfied him.

And he had no reason to to investigate it or direct that it be investigated further. So, yeah, unfortunate. But you know what that leads us here. You know, 100 years later and tribal members over the decades leaves us all asking a lot of questions that unfortunately can never be answered.

How many people were eventually held responsible or convicted, at least of some of these crimes?

There were three principal convictions. And the one that's, you know, most significant is the trial and conviction of William Hale and two of the others who were convicted along with him were associates of his. He he has always been considered the mastermind behind many in the slayings, although, again, I think, as we just discussed, the investigators were pretty happy to hang the whole thing on him that made it, you know, a cleaner case and then they could move on in all likelihood.

You know, there were many other perpetrators acting independently of Mr. Hale, just opportunists, again, close family members who saw an opportunity to inherit. He was the primary conviction. He was. And he was important, very significant. Even if even if the feds didn't, you know, go any further than this. I mean, it's just, you know, without a doubt, he was behind several of them.

And, you know, he ended up I think everyone, the three Hale and his associates were given life sentences, but they were all eventually paroled after just a handful of years, which, you know, is kind of a sad, you know, footnote to this is that while they did face justice, well, they were convicted. You know, they they did end up not serving all of that long.

And so while the people obviously it's often this way with justice, but obviously the people that they killed, you know, that that was it for them that these guys did eventually get to get out. But yeah, so three primary, there may have been some others and some tangentially related cases, but three primary convictions. And with William Hale being the chief one.

We have to take a quick break. So don't go too far. And Randy added more details about those held responsible and a little about those who weren't. How many people were held responsible for the reign of terror?

Almost no one. Almost no one. So in the case of the murders that are highlighted in killers of the flower moon, the two main defendants, as it turned out, were Bill Hale, who was accused of being that kind of the mastermind, and a guy named John Ramsey, who was kind of a ne'er do well cowboy, who basically just, you know, did whatever Hale told him to do.

And so each of them was tried three times in federal court for the same murder. And and they were of the first time was a hung jury. They were convicted. This is they were convicted in the next two. And and after the first conviction, there was an appeal. And so they had to be tried again. So those two guys went to prison.

Molly Burkhart has been also went to prison. A guy named Kelsey Mawson who killed Anna Brown, who was who was Molly Burkhart sister, he went to prison. Byron Burkhart, who was a Molly Burkhart brother in law, even though he had confessed to killing Hannah Brown, never went to prison. He he testified against Kelsey Morse and in his trial ended in a hung jury.

He was never retried. And I'm getting a little bit off your your question here, but I think you'll find this interesting. In the sixties, there was an Osage woman die and she left behind a letter that said, if something happens to me, look at Byron. Well, she was living with Byron Burkhart, who had been involved in these things 40 years before and in and again, he nothing ever happened to him.

So I think there were some others that were prosecuted, but but they were very few. And one of the things you realize, especially in going through these FBI papers and reading the trial stories, is how hard it was to get convictions in these things. And and emails case. He had a lot of money and he just pretty blatantly went out and bought tried to buy alibis.

I mean the the federal officials and some of the state officials that they were working with were just furious at what they considered to be dishonest and unethical behavior, behavior by his lawyers and some of these lawyers were pretty well known. One of them was a former attorney general in the state of Oklahoma, the the his defense lawyers.

So the answer to your question is not many and not only not many, you know, go to prison over this. They really didn't stay very long. They'll have all got out in 16 years. But Burkhart got out before that but then got in trouble again. He violated parole. And so they put him back in in prison. Kelsey Morrison got out in a few years and was killed in a shootout in Texas.

So, you know, most of these guys, they didn't serve very long in it. I remember, you know, I was reading some of this stuff and at the same time, we had the the Jones case going on here. And and, you know, whether you think he's guilty or whatever. But I just I couldn't help thinking about the difference in the way, you know, we think about that, at least in Oklahoma.

It's pretty routine for people to get life without parole, if not the death penalty. And these guys were out in 16 years. So, you know, I'm sure somebody who is a lot smarter than I am to try and figure out what all of the different racial biases and so forth were in the criminal justice system or in the criminal justice system.

I will say just in general, at that time, they didn't they tended not to keep people in prison any longer than they had to. They were you know, they were.

It wasn't for profit back then?

It wasn't. Well, no, it was it was a cost. And a lot of the states didn't have a lot of money to to they'd rather turn the guys loose and than keep housing and feeding them.

Right. Yeah, exactly.

How did the government kind of impact this? The FBI came in to investigate. Was the federal government making sure allocations and money were going to the right places and right people? Was it state or was it tribal responsibility?

So in theory and this is one of the things that we're still fighting about in Oklahoma, but in theory, the the Osage reservation was dissolved, that statehood. And that's pretty much held up even with some recent Supreme Court decisions that have decided that some of the other reservations weren't dissolved, that statehood. So it was dissolved, that statehood. However, you still had the Osage is owned a lot of the land there because it had been allotted to them.

So again, this gets a little complicated, but the state officials did not think they could get a conviction in this case, in state court and in Pawhuska. They wanted the federal government to come in. They wanted. And so the federal government has jurisdiction over Indian land. And and so and there was a lot of discussion at the time to our guys even have any kind of authority here.

The the FBI was not even the FBI at that time. It was just the Bureau of Investigation in the Department of Justice. And it had very, very limited authority. And so the key sort of the key thing in bringing this case down, or one of the key things was that one of the men who who was killed, Henry Roan, was killed on an allotment that was still owned by the original L.A. The federal judge in Oklahoma originally ruled that the federal government didn't have authority over that allotment, and it went up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The US Supreme Court said no and allotment is Indian land. And that means the federal the federal government has the authority to to to do this. And so almost all of the real police work, if you will, on this was done by the by the Bureau of Investigation. And they were helped by somewhat by state and local officials.

But in their letters, they talk about they just didn't feel like there were many of those people they could trust because of their interest in, first of all, what was going on in Osage County. But then more broadly, you know, they did not want anybody looking too closely into the what was going on with these Indian allotments and in the mineral rights.

So. So the involvement of the federal government was key. It's really unlikely that that anything could have been done in the Osage Nation, had actually gone to Congress and asked them to intervene. The Osage is pay a big part and maybe all of the federal government's expenses in prosecuting this case. They paid the federal government to investigate these, or at least they paid the expenses of the federal government to do that.

I think another important person in this does not get a lot of attention was Charles Curtis. Charles Curtis was a U.S. senator from Kansas, his whose mother was a college Indian, who was born in in that in what is now Oklahoma. And he was later the vice president of the United States. And he got involved in it and and pushed the Department of Justice to do something.

And that, folks, is where we're leaving it for this episode. Thanks for listening to Late Edition Crime Beat Chronicles. Don't forget to hit that. Subscribe button so you don't miss what's coming up next. A look at where the head write stand currently with the Osages and how the Reign of Terror has its own place in pop culture.
WASHINGTON  Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson as their nominee for House speaker late Tuesday after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump and hard-line GOP lawmakers.

Johnson of Louisiana, member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth nominee after Emmer and the others fell short in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy's ouster as GOP factions jockey for power.

Johnson of Louisiana is a lower-ranked member of House GOP leadership and a lawyer specializing in constitutional issues who rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Republicans met late into the evening behind closed doors, desperate to find a way out of the chaos they created when hard-right members of the party ousted Kevin McCarthy of California from the job three weeks ago.

Emmer of Minnesota, the GOP whip, was the third House Republican to fall short in political infighting. Refusing to unify, far-right members won't accept a more traditional speaker and more moderate members don't want a hard-liner.

"Pretty sad commentary on governance right now," said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. "Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try we'll get this thing right."

After he withdrew his bid, Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans, but he returned later to offices at the Capitol. He said Trump's opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

"I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference," he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. "We'll get it done."

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his "un-endorsement" must have had an impact on Emmer's bid.

"He wasn't MAGA," said Trump, the party's front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson, who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday's internal ballots. He earned 128 votes in the evening vote.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hard-line Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in a new leadership role. It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but they were not certain it would fly.

Emmer jumped out in front during private morning balloting among a hodgepodge list of mostly lesser-known congressmen aspiring to be speaker, a powerful position second in line to the presidency.

But his nomination was shot down by a powerful detractor he tried to win over: Trump, who has long criticized the party's former campaign chief as disloyal.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

Those running for speaker were mostly conservatives and election deniers, who either voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results, when Biden defeated Trump, in the runup to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, or joined a subsequent lawsuit challenging the results.

Some Democrats eyed Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election results, as a potential partner in governing the House.

But Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speaker's vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Johnson offered his full support to Emmer, saying, "What we have to do in this room is unite and begin to govern again."

Others were eliminated during rounds of voting, including Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a top Trump ally, and McDonald's franchise owner Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader who plied his colleagues with hamburgers to seek their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Having rejected the top replacements, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jordan, there is no obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford few detractors to win the gavel.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline. President Joe Biden asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid to help Israel and Ukraine in their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthy's ouster, has said several of those who were running  Hern, Donalds or Johnson  would make a "phenomenal" choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many Emmer opponents were resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels. Far-right Republicans are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services.
Nebraska's attorney general is attempting to crack down on the sale of Delta-8 THC products across the state through a series of consumer protection lawsuits filed against sellers of the hemp-derived cannabinoid.

Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced the "unprecedented" litigation Wednesday, placing an emphasis on what he described as the misleading labeling of Delta-8 products and the potential for harm such labels create for Nebraska's children.

"We have retailers who are selling chemicals to kids  THC-containing products  to children and to Nebraskans around the state," Hilgers said at a Wednesday news conference at the state Capitol.

"These are mislabeled, they are untested and they are dangerous," he said.

Hilgers' office filed lawsuits Wednesday against retailers operating in at least 10 counties: Platte, Scotts Bluff, Hall, Madison, Lancaster, Sarpy, Lincoln, Saline, Keith and Dawes.

And Hilgers issued a bulletin Wednesday warning consumers that the Delta-8 products, which are widely available in Nebraska, "may be dangerous for human consumption" due to what the state's top lawyer cast as unknown production processes, mislabeling, unknown health effects and packaging that, at times, is meant to attract children.

The lawsuits mark the Nebraska authorities' latest crackdown on Delta-8, a federally legal hemp-derived cannabinoid that has been sold in the city for more than two years and in August was the subject of several police raids across the state, including in Lincoln.

Though marijuana remains illegal in Nebraska even for medical use, a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized the regulated production of hemp. The law requires that the plant contain no more than 0.3% of Delta-9 THC, but no limits were placed on the hundreds of other cannabinoids present in hemp, including Delta 8, essentially creating a loophole for businesses to sell it.

Hilgers, though, said the lawyers in his office believe the products, when synthetically produced, are illegal  but the attorney general isnt pursuing criminal action against the retailers. He said consumer protection laws give his office broader authority to halt the sale of the drugs than individual criminal prosecutions would.

Among the targets of Hilgers' suits are 50 Shades of Green and The Cannabis Factory, both Omaha-based companies that operate dispensaries across the state  including in Lincoln  that sell CBD and Delta-8 products.

An attorney for 50 Shades of Green wasn't immediately able to comment on the state's lawsuit Wednesday. Tom Whitmore, an Omaha-based lawyer who is listed as The Cannabis Factory's registered agent in state business records, did not return messages seeking comment.

Hilgers' office also filed complaints against Ms. Vape Shop in Saline County Greenhouse Grandma in Dawes County, High Flow Cannabis in Hall County, First Stop Vape Shop in Keith County, A Botanical Dream in Lincoln County, Kynd Co. Vape and Smoke in Madison County, Chasing Clouds Vape Collective in Platte County and Zy Glam in Scotts Bluff County.

In a 37-page complaint filed in Lancaster County against The Cannabis Factory, Hilgers accused the retailer of violating the state's consumer protection laws by seeking to "entice and ultimately ensnare Nebraskas most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children."

Both in the lawsuits and at Wednesday's news conference, Hilgers pointed to Delta-8 products and packaging that closely resemble those of candy and other household snacks  such as Fritos, Rice Krispies Treats and Nerds candy  as evidence supporting his claims.

"These are gummies that would be indistinguishable even to an adult, let alone a child," Hilgers told reporters Wednesday, pointing to look-alike products that investigators in his office purchased from THC shops across the state.

In the lawsuits, Hilgers was plainspoken about what his office believes is the dispensaries' collective motive: profit.

"... And in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Cannabis Factory has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its THC-containing products," Hilgers wrote in one such suit, which, like the others filed Wednesday, seeks an injunction ordering the dispensary to stop selling products that run afoul of consumer projection laws.

The state is also seeking "appropriate monetary relief" for the dispensaries' "numerous and repeated violations."

But more than anything, Hilgers said Wednesday, his office hopes to "to make sure these arent sold on the shelves," imploring the state's Delta-8 retailers to cooperate with his office or risk facing "other actions." He declined to comment on any criminal investigations his office may or may not be conducting.

The attorney general's concerns over the products extend far beyond their suspect packaging, which Hilgers indicated also violates trademark laws. He said his office had sent letters to companies like Frito-Lay alerting them to the apparent infringements.

More urgent, he said, are the potential dangers the products pose to all consumers due to often inaccurate potency and ingredient descriptions.

Hilgers said only 15% of the more than 100 Delta-8 products his office purchased and had tested  including vape, flower-based and edible products such as gummies  accurately displayed their potency and ingredients on the label.

Some products that claimed to be Delta-8 were in fact Delta-9 or a different caliber of THC, Hilgers said. Others had claimed a smaller dosage of THC than was actually present in the product.

And, he said, tests revealed heavy metals, mold, ethanol and acetone within some Delta-8 consumables, which Hilgers said are "synthetically" manufactured.

"In a world in which Nebraskans should expect, rightfully, that their product ingredients and packages are 100% accurate  we're not talking about 90% accurate, we're not 70% accuracy  we're talking about 15%," Hilgers said. "It's a game of Russian roulette that Nebraskans are losing."

The attorney general also pointed to more than 2,000 instances nationwide of Delta-8 poisonings reported to the Federal Adverse Event Reporting System  82% of which involved children.

Hilgers suggested such poisonings are almost certainly underreported and that children have already been hospitalized after consuming  or vaping  Delta-8 in Nebraska, but he said his office wasnt aware of any deaths in the state tied to the use of the cannabinoid.

To those who are selling these products: they need to stop," he said. "This is putting Nebraskans at risk. Its putting Nebraska children, most importantly, at risk.

Hilgers also claimed that there is "no evidence that any of these stores ID" customers. But he offered no evidence to suggest the retailers don't verify the ages of patrons, particularly young ones.

He said his office had not carried out any compliance checks similar to those regularly conducted on alcohol vendors in the state.

Though Hilgers cast his crackdown on Delta-8 products as "totally separate" from ongoing efforts to legalize marijuana  which remains illegal even for medical use in Nebraska  proponents of legalized marijuana pointed to the consumer protection litigation as evidence in support of their own cause.

"This is exactly why we have been pushing to legalize medical marijuana for the past five years so that we can have a safe and accessible regulatory system," former state Sen. Adam Morfeld, a co-sponsor of the latest petition drive seeking to put the issue to voters, said in a social media post Wednesday.

Hilgers, though, said Wednesday that he remains opposed to legalizing marijuana in Nebraska and doesn't support the regulation of either marijuana or the other cannabinoids present in hemp that he is fighting to remove from the store shelves across the state.

"In my view, Delta-8 is a  it shouldnt be sold at all," he said. "So I dont think a regulatory mechanism for Delta-8 would be appropriate because there is no health benefit at all.

Top Journal Star photos for October 2023
DES MOINES  Despite being one of the least known Republican presidential candidates in the 2024 field, Texas pastor and CEO Ryan Binkley outspent all the others in Iowa in the third quarter of this year, pouring more than $3 million into his campaign operation in the state.

Binkleys spending dwarfs that of other candidates in the state, though several other candidates are outspending him nationally. Other top spenders in Iowa during the quarter included former President Donald Trump and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who both spent around $200,000, according to a review of Federal Election Commission records that cover spending between July 1 and Sept. 30.

The reports do not capture the full picture of political spending in the state. Canvassing and advertising done by outside groups, like the Super PACs that raise money in support of a certain candidate, are not listed in the campaign reports. And the millions that have been spent advertising in Iowa are not all captured in the reports, if the ads were produced and placed by a firm outside Iowa.

Donald Trump  $217,679

Former President Donald Trump spent more than $217,000 in the Hawkeye State between July and October, shelling out big payouts for food for events, event space rentals and phone marketing.

Trump spent $10,000 at Steer N Stein at the Iowa State Fair when he held an event there in August, according to his campaigns finance report. The Iowa Pork Producers Association also received $10,000 for event catering the day after Trump visited the State Fair.

Trump also paid more than $40,000 for telemarketing and data management to Tmone LLC in Iowa City.

Ron DeSantis  $53,496

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss campaign spent about $53,500 in Iowa during the reporting period.

Never Back Down, the Super PAC backing DeSantis, handled a swath of organizing and event planning in the state during that period. The candidate and PAC are legally barred from coordinating spending, but DeSantis has appeared as a guest on tours organized and paid for by the PAC.

The DeSantis campaigns biggest expense in Iowa over the period was travel. It spent $17,000 at hotels across the state, as DeSantis has pounded the pavement to reach all 99 counties before the caucuses.

An office in West Des Moines cost the campaign about $4,300, and the campaign paid $5,300 to rent out spaces for events.

Since the records were filed, DeSantiss campaign has said it would double down on its efforts in Iowa. His campaign said it would move about a third of staff to the state and increase the number of offices it has in Iowa.

The $15 million DeSantis hauled in in the third quarter not only provides us with the resources we need in the fight for Iowa and beyond, but it also shuts down the doubters who counted out Ron DeSantis for far too long, campaign manager James Uthmeier said this month.

Nikki Haley  $68,145

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleys campaign spent about $68,000 in Iowa between July and October.

About $28,000 of that was for event costs and facility rentals. The campaign also spent $35,000 to rent a voter list from the Republican Party of Iowa.

Haleys campaign spent about $650 on food and beverage, at places like Caseys, Proudfoot and Bird in Des Moines, and St. Burch Tavern in Iowa City.

Haley has also expanded her presence in Iowa and added new offices in October, hoping to capitalize on momentum in other early states to boost her support here.

Ryan Binkley  $3.25 million

Ryan Binkley, the long-shot Texas pastor and CEO of Generational Group, spent $3.25 million in Iowa in the third quarter of 2023, far surpassing the other candidates spending in the state.

The vast majority of Binkleys spending  more than $3 million  went to Davenport consulting firm Victory Enterprises. The firm is managing Binkley's national campaign, he said in an interview.

Binkleys campaign paid Victory Enterprises nearly $1.8 million for advertising and digital services, $1 million for printing merchandise and signs, and thousands more for phone services and consulting.

The advertising campaigns, split between TV, digital and radio, are focused on Iowa but include national media as well, Binkley said.

For us its always been really important to do well here, Binkley said. Because we dont have $30 million, $50 million, whatever theyve been spending on national advertising, so a lot of people have been out-spending us from a national perspective.

Binkley's campaign is largely self funded. He gave $4.75 million to his campaign during the third quarter of 2023, about 95% of total fundraising.

Out of printing and merchandise, the campaign spent more than $650,000 on hats alone. Binkleys campaign often gives out hats for free at campaign events and large gatherings, like the Iowa State Fair.

We love passing out hats, were trying to get our name out there more, Binkley said. We just love sharing, giveaways, signing up and just letting people know who we are.

Binkleys campaign spent $100,000 on event costs in Iowa. That includes about $66,000 to the consulting firm Right Strategies for event setup, and a $10,000 sponsorship to the Family Leader, a conservative evangelical organization.

Binkley entered the race with almost no name ID and has failed to catch fire with his focus on Iowa. But a recent poll from Civiqs and Iowa State University found his support at 2% among likely Iowa caucusgoers, ranking above former Vice President Mike Pence and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, but still well within the margin of error.

Vivek Ramaswamy  $193,973

Vivek Ramaswamys campaign was another top spender in Iowa for the period: The campaign spent around $194,000 between advertising, event costs and travel.

Ramaswamy's campaign spent more than $40,000 on newspaper advertising. He spent nearly $34,000 on events at the Iowa Events Center and Iowa State Fair, as well as sponsoring events put on by the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition and the state Republican Party.

On food and beverages, the campaign spent $23,000 at places like HyVee and Kingston's Steakhouse in Cedar Rapids.

Ramaswamy was the biggest spender at Pizza Ranch, a common destination for GOP candidates: his campaign devoted a grand total of $2,538 to the establishment.

Tim Scott  $6,931

South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott had among the lowest expenses in Iowa this period: his campaign spent only around $6,900.

Most of that was for event costs, including at the Iowa State Fair and Iowa State University. The campaign paid $6,000 to the Republican Party of Iowa for event registration in July.

Scotts campaign, similar to other candidates who have been struggling to break through Trumps outsized support, said Monday it would be revamping its efforts in Iowa.

In an interview at an event this week, Scott said Iowans need to hear more of my message.

Its the same message, they just need to hear it more often, and being here will allow it to happen more often, he said.

Mike Pence  $61,827

Former Vice President Mike Pences campaign spent around $61,800 in Iowa during the quarter, with a heavy focus on political consulting and media production.

The campaign paid Joseph Huss of Des Moines more than $25,000 for consulting during the period. Light This Productions in Grimes received $21,000 for audio visual services.

Doug Burgum  $58,351

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum spent $58,000 in Iowa during the period.

Much of that  around $30,000  was for media consulting with The Concept Works, the consulting firm run by Eric Woolson, Burgums Iowa state director.

He spent $10,000 on catering services and another $1,500 on event costs, along with $11,800 on travel.

Asa Hutchinson  $13,629

Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, spent nearly all of his $13,600 in the state on travel.

Hutchinson has been prioritizing small-scale retail politicking at farmers markets and local events, which has made his event costs minimal. His campaign spent close to $2,000 at the Iowa Craft Beer Tent at the Iowa State Fair to cater an event.

Larry Elder  $3,098

Larry Elder, the California former talk show host who ran in a recall election against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, spent just over $3,000 in Iowa in the reporting period.

The campaign spent more than $2,500 on printing and digital services with Global Direct Mail and Marketing, a mail campaign and strategy firm. Another $550 was spent on event and travel costs.

Chris Christie  $367

Chris Christie has been absent from Iowa this year, instead focusing his attention on New Hampshire, the first primary state that will vote shortly after Iowas caucuses.

Even so, Christie did have one expense in Iowa during this period: The campaign spent $367 on LimoLink, a limo service in Marion, in September.
This article was originally featured in Foreign Policy, the magazine of global politics and ideas. For news, expert analysis, and background on the conflict, read FPs latest coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

While Israel and Hamas remain locked in conflict, the diplomatic spotlight is shifting toward Egypt. Before the war, Egypt was increasingly marginalized in Arab politics, sidelined by the 2011 uprisings and their aftermath and suffering from an ailing economy. When it comes to Gaza, however, Egypt has critical interests as well as strong leverage. So, although it will prove a challenging partner for the United States, Israel, and many of their Western allies, Egypt is and will continue to be an essential player in the international response to the war.

Egypts history with Hamas is fraught. The Egyptian military has had an enduring interest in the Gaza Strip since it initially occupied it for almost two decades after Israels independence in 1948, and it has remained finely attuned to the areas security environment. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, like many of his predecessors, is deeply hostile to Hamas, which sprung out of Egypts often-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Yet Egyptian leaders also have a long history of engagement with Hamas, particularly after it became the de facto ruler of Gaza after seizing power in 2007. In past crises, Egypt has served as an interlocutor with the organization, facilitating prisoner swaps and helping negotiate cease-fires.

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Egypt brings a great deal to the table as the world seeks a solution to the conflict in Gaza. Perhaps most immediately, Egypt controls the Rafah crossing, the only official entry point into the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel. In the past, Egypt has opened and shut this crossing to put pressure on Hamas. Today, it is a vital lifeline for getting international aid into Gaza as the zone faces a massive humanitarian crisis. Rafah is also likely to serve as the exit point for U.S. and other third-country nationals to leave the war zone. Israel also has an interest in working with Egypt to ensure that weapons and other military supplies do not enter Gaza via Rafah.

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In addition to Rafah, Hamas has built a network of tunnels from Gaza into Egypt. These tunnels have often enabled people in Gaza to buy smuggled goods, such as livestock and basic consumer products. Israel often acquiesced to this smuggling in order to avert a humanitarian crisis. Yet Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have also used these tunnels to smuggle weapons into Gaza, and Palestinian fighters have passed through them to travel onward for military training in Lebanon and elsewhere.

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Egypt has previously said that it was powerless to stop the tunnel commerce, and some Egyptians undoubtedly profit from the trade. However, a long-running insurgency in the adjoining area of Egypt has pushed the Egyptian military to crack down on the tunnel network in recent years, and Israel is likely to demand an end to this smuggling as part of any broader negotiation effort.

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Although Egypt is not sympathetic to Hamas, the militant group has a record of reaching understandings with the Egyptian military. So whereas the Israeli defense minister has vowed to wipe Hamas off the face of the Earth, leaving little room for compromise, the Sisi government has left itself open to finding necessary understandings.

It is hard to predict who will have political power in Gaza in the coming months, but whoever it is will seek to negotiate with the Egyptians. At the very least, they will want international aid to flow into Gaza. Some rump elements of Hamas may also try to preserve at least some capacity to smuggle weapons and other military necessities. They will also likely seek a limited ability to send people out of the strip, including top officials fleeing from Israeli military action. Perhaps most important, whoever is left standing in Gaza will seek an Egyptian guarantee for whatever deal is eventually signed to end the fighting.

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Israel, of course, will press Cairo to stop any smuggling and to arrest any Hamas officials who might try to flee to Egypt. Egypt will determine the terms of that agreement.

The people of Gaza and Hamasor any alternative government that arisesdo not have a huge amount to offer Egypt, but they do have some assets. They can use their influence to increase or diminish Egyptian security in the Sinai Peninsula, and they can share smuggling revenues. Their allies can also reward Egyptians who look the other way on smuggling. Most critically, if Egypts alternative to having an understanding with Hamas or its successors is violence and chaos in an area adjoining Egypt, an understanding looks much more attractive.

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Egypt has a great deal at stake as it engages in Gaza. Once the center of Arab politics and culture, Egypt has been marginalized as its problems grew and as the worlds attention shifted to the Persian Gulf. For the Sisi government, taking a central role in such a high-profile pan-Arab issue as the Israel-Hamas war brings prestige to a government that is increasingly struggling at home.

Egypt is also not above benefiting economically from its influence in this conflict. Former President Hosni Mubarak negotiated more than $10 billion in foreign debt relief from the United States and its allies in return for Egypts assistance in the 1991 Gulf War. Cairos borrowing spree in recent years has meant that Egypts foreign debt today is many times that amount, and its economy is groaning under the weight of repayments. If Egypt were to play a central role in settling Gaza issues, it would greatly benefit the region. To ensure Cairos support, Gulf governments and Western governments alike would almost certainly need to ensure that Egypt sees financial benefits from doing so.

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Egypt also faces legitimate security concerns in Gaza. For more than a decade in northern Sinai, Egypt has been fighting an insurgency that is composed of jihadis, Bedouins, and criminal gangs. Gaza smuggling operations have helped fund and arm the insurgents, and Egypt wants them stopped. Even more, Egypt fears that a flood of refugees from Gaza would destabilize an already troubled part of Sinai, putting demands on jobs and resources and further radicalizing the local population.

Although Egypts rulers have often found common cause with Israel on security issues, they have no intention of further abetting the depopulation of the Palestinian territories. After three-quarters of a century, the Egyptian public remains deeply sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. They would see any resettlement of Palestinians on Egyptian soil as a likely permanent arrangement, fearing a repeat of past Palestinian refugee flows that ended the same way, as well as a betrayal of Palestinians rights to their land.

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However, the United States is leading much of the diplomacy on Gaza, and for Washington, the Sisi government is a difficult partner. The U.S. government recently decided to withhold $85 million in previously earmarked military assistance to Egypt over human rights concerns, and some members of Congress were pressing to cut aid even more.

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And earlier this month, prosecutors revealed a shocking indictment alleging that Egyptian intelligence had recruited U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to use his official position to benefit the Egyptian government in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. In other words, Washingtons relations with Cairo are particularly strained at the moment.

Arab governments, too, have complained that Egypt can be a trying partner. The Egyptian government has a strong sense of both its own importance and its own interests. Egyptian cooperation comes at a price.

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Although Sisis peace conference on the Israel-Hamas conflict this past weekend produced nothing of substance, Egypt will be an increasingly vital player should all parties look for an offramp to this crisis in the coming weeks and months. As a result, the United States is better off working with Egypt than trying to marginalize it.

Related From Slate Hamas Absolute Rule of Gaza Is Not What Palestinians Voted For Read More

In the near term, Egyptian cooperation is uniquely necessary in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including by ensuring the supply of fuel and medicine via Rafah. In the longer term, Egypt will play a crucial role in facilitating whatever political arrangement emerges in Gaza, whether Hamas survives as the government or if a caretaker regime of some sort assumes power. As the frontline Arab state, it will inevitably play some role in enforcing that arrangement as well. Egypt will pursue its own interests given the importance of securing the Egypt-Sinai border, but Cairo can also play an important leadership role, leading the Arab governments in legitimating any deal.

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As an agreement emerges, Egypt will surely seek benefits. The United States can assist Egypt financially, mostly via its influence over international financial institutions, to which Egypt owes tens of billions of dollars. The United States can also assist Egypt in its fight against instability in Sinai. While this will help improve Egyptian security, part of this is a U.S. fight, given the presence of transnational jihadis in Sinai who also target the United States. Greater intelligence assistance is one place to begin.

Some will object to engaging more deeply with an Egyptian government that has committed, and continues to commit, serious human rights abuses. Rather than see this as an unsavory but necessary transactional relationship that leaves both sides feeling exploited, however, both countries should view this as an opportunity to recast the donor-client relationship that has proven so corrosive after 45 years.

Neither Egypt nor the United States can solve the crisis in Gaza alone. At the same time, neither can do so without the other. The relationship has often foundered because there has been no important project that the two sides feel equally strongly about. Gaza could prove an enduring irritant to both sides. It is in the interests of both countries to make it into an arena for cooperation.
The past few weeks have been difficult to processor as the New York Times put it at the start of this week, War Has Smashed Assumptions About Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This is apparently as true for veteran analysts of the region as it is for those of us who are less well-versed in the past several decades (and centuries) of this history. As debates about whether we all have to opine about these topics individually raged on, here at Slate we found ourselves looking to one another for guidance on what to watch, listen to, and read to better understand the current conflict. (It turns out our sister publication, Foreign Policy, had this same ideatheir recommendations are incredibly thorough and worth checking out too.)

Read on for recommendations from all corners of our staff.

My Promised Land, by Ari Shavit

Part family memoir, part history, this is an honest, poignant probing of Israels noble ideals and its dark roots as an occupying power.

A Peace to End All Peace, by David Fromkin

A classic diplomatic history about the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

By Ben Birnbaum and Amir Tibon, the New Republic, July 20, 2014.

A thoroughly reported, mainly on-the-record account of how Obamas secretary of state nearly negotiated a Middle East peace but failed because neither Israel nor the Palestinian Authority wanted it.

Jerusalem, by Simon Sebag Montefiore

This book bills itself as a biography, and it helps to think of it that waya broad portrait of a place that has been so central and significant to many peoples over the centuries.

People Love Dead Jews, by Dara Horn

A disturbing, illuminating exploration of how the revered Jewish past often reinforces antisemitic and dehumanizing narratives about Jews; it provides essential context for understanding the national mourning experienced by Jewish Israelis right now.

Palestine: A Socialist Introduction, edited by Sumaya Awad and Brian Bean

This collection of essays offers essential, and accessible, insights into the Palestinian diaspora and probes questions about the Palestinian peoples struggle as related to gender and Black American solidarity.

The Hundred Years War on Palestine, by Rashid Khalidi

This definitive history draws from generations of the authors own familys archives to assert that this isnt a modern, fair fight between two equal states: Instead, its a complex colonial war of continual dispossession of a homeland belonging to Palestinians.

Palestine, by Joe Sacco

A remarkable work of 90s comics journalismthe author traveled to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the waning days of the first intifada and heard from numerous Palestinians about their brutal experiences under Israeli occupation.

The Punishment of Gaza, by Gideon Levy

A collection of Haaretz columns by a longtime Israeli journalist covers Israels disengagement from Gaza, the first election of Hamas, the twilight of Prime Minister Ariel Sharons political career, the second Lebanon War, and the subsequent Gaza War.

By Alex Kane, Mari Cohen, Jonathan Shamir, and Isaac Sher, Jewish Currents, Oct. 10, 2023. This extremely comprehensive explainer answers some foundational questions about whats happened since Oct. 7, and outlines the stakes and questions that remain.

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Related From Slate What Does It Mean to Stand With Israel? Read More

A compelling, searching primer on the contradictory realities many American Jews on the left grapple with, a struggle that is coming to a head with the twinned tragedies in southern Israel and Gaza.

Ashkenaz, a film from Rachel Leah Jones

Essential viewing for people trying to understand the tangled nexus of race/ethnicity, religion, and power in Israel.

5 Broken Cameras, a documentary by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi

An intimate depiction of one Palestinian familys life in the West Bank as their village protests the Israeli occupationas seen through the lens of the filmmakers five video cameras that are destroyed as he witnesses it all unfolding.
President Biden already had a problem with youth votersand his pro-Israel policy threatens to deepen that rift, Alexander Sammon argues. He breaks down the latest polls and what they could mean for Bidens reelection campaign.

Plus: Fred Kaplan explains how George W. Bush helped Hamas come to power in Gazaand how Hamas total rule was not actually what Palestinians voted for back in 2006, the last time a legislative election was even held.

And Slates Hear Me Out podcast considers the question: Do you have to post on social media about Israel and Palestine?

Still a must-see

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Killers of the Flower Moon takes on a dark chapter of American history: the Reign of Terror, when white settlers murdered members of the Osage Nation with near impunity in a grab for their oil wealth. Osage writer Joel Robinson was initially wary of a non-Osage telling his peoples story. He explains that Scorseses film doesnt tell the story the way an Osage person wouldbut its well worth seeing anyway.

Plus:

 Rebecca Onion looks at the real history behind the pivotal role diabetes plays in the film.

 Ellin Stein separates fact from fiction in the movie.

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 And Sam Adams unpacks the deeper meaning behind the films stunning ending.

Speaker sh*tshow

Its been weeks since Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker of the House, and Republicans dont seem to be much closer to voting in a replacement. What Next breaks down why were in this mess, and why Congress wont be able to do much until were out of it.

The Elon effect

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Twitter, now X, really is shrinking under its new owner. Alex Kantrowitz takes stock of what the data tells us about why users are fleeing the platform.

A near-tragedy in the skies

An off-duty pilot on magic mushrooms was somehow able to sit in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight and nearly shut off the engines to the plane. Heather Tal Murphy explains what happened.

The hot dogs and the notebook

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How does David Sedaris find his stories? Gabb Schivone found out the hard way when they told Sedaris a deeply personal, humiliating childhood sex story and it then made its way into the humorists repertoire.

Today, Slate is  * INCONVENIENTLY SQUIRMY

 much like Dan Kois kids as toddlers. He offers fellow parents some sage advice about how to handle it when their children turn the lessons theyve been teaching back around against them. (Parenting, he writes, is a mortifying series of own-petard-hoistings, a decades-long slog of reconsidering what is most important to you over and over.)

Thanks so much for reading! Well see you back here tomorrow.
U.S. v. Google was supposed to be the antitrust trial of the centurythe highest-profile, and potentially the most consequential, court battle between a major tech company and the feds since the government sued Microsoft in 1998.

In 2020, the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump sued Google for paying phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung to make Google their default search engine. Federal prosecutors say that those hefty deals allowed Google, already the dominant search engine in the United States, to further monopolize the search and search advertising industries.

Cases like these come around rarely, but theyre crucially important. This one gets to the heart of what might be the key question in the contemporary antitrust debate: How can consumers be harmed when the products and services in question are free?

But since the trial began on Sept. 12, its been difficult to glean how things are actually going. Thats no fault of the diligent reporters showing up every day to the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. If theres anyone to blame, its the guy in the robe.

Judge Amit Mehta, a Barack Obama appointee, has been widely derided by journalists and government transparency advocates for his repeated deference to requests by Googleand the other tech companies involvedto redact documents and hold witness testimony behind closed doors.

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The case is ostensibly about protecting the interests of consumers and illuminating potentially untoward practices of a business nearly every American depends upon, but the public has consistently been shut out. Google Search has long been called a black box. Fittingly, so is its trial.

Google has argued that the stakes of disclosing the internal workings of the company are high. Once commercially sensitive information is disclosed in open court, the resulting harm to the partys competitive standing cannot be undone, the company told the judge, like a tube of toothpaste begging to keep on its cap.

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Of course Google wants secrecy. So do interested parties Apple and Microsoft, both of which have requested sealed testimony in the trial. No private entity wants its practices discussed in litigationbut thats the whole point of the trial, to probe whether or not business practices were illegal.

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Mehta has repeatedly erred on the side of catering to these technology companies wishes rather than siding with the publics right to access. That has led not only to a glut of redacted documents but also a ton of closed-door testimony in which key witnesses are questioned outside of the publics view.

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Lawyers for the New York Timesalong with Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and the trade publications MLex and Law360have asked the judge to grant better access to witness testimony and explain why its sealed. The need for openness in this casearguably the most important antitrust trial in decades, with far-reaching consequences for the future of the tech industryis both obvious and hard to overstate. Yet much of the testimony has taken place behind closed doors, and much other evidence remains out of public view, lawyers for the Times wrote in a court motion.

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Leah Nylen, a Bloomberg reporter covering the trial, said in a webinar hosted by a British think tank last week that by the time the media consortium began working on its motion for better access, one-third of the trial days had featured some sort of closed-door testimony. And one entire day was closed off to reporters. You dont know what their plans are for the dayyou find out when you get there, Nylen said. So all of the reporters and people who were there from the public showed up and then we had to stand in the hallway the entire time when we had expected to hear this Apple witness do some testimony.

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The Times lawyers also wrote that the press deserves better access to exhibits used in the trialthe documents that the government alleges demonstrate Googles illegal behaviorwhich have been heavily redacted without much explanation and were provided only for limited periods to in-person attendees of the trial. The Justice Department had been posting exhibits to its website after each day of the trial until Google objected and Mehta chastised prosecutors for doing so without first seeking his permission. Ultimately, Mehta allowed both parties to post exhibits online in a Sept. 28 order, but didnt mandate that they do so.

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But in the Times motion on Oct. 16, its lawyers claim that media outlets still do not have full and timely access, which it chalked up to the judge saying the parties may do so rather than must do so. The motion claimed that the DOJ was posting some exhibits, but many were missing; meanwhile, Google gave strict requirements for reporters requesting exhibits, and often ignored requests or took several days to respond.

As of this week, the Times was still negotiating with the parties and the judge for better, quicker accesssix weeks after the trial began.

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Press advocates are alarmed by what theyve seen at the Google trial.

Jennifer Nelson, a senior staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said its unusual to have this much testimony in a case be inaccessible to the public. The court has an obligation to make sure that any closure is narrowly tailored to address any potential harm that could come from the public airing of testimony, Nelson told me. I struggle to understand how one individuals entire testimony could be behind closed doorsthat does not appear to be narrowly tailored at all. Nelson says its more procedurally difficult to cleave off open-door and closed-door portions of a given witness testimony, but said the publics right of access should never take the backseat to convenience.

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Caitlin Vogus, the deputy director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, has been dismayed by the judges suggestions that Google & Co. are experts in whats a trade secret and what isnt. Thats not really how its supposed to work, she said.

Yes, the judge might not be an expert when it comes to tech companies or trade secrets, but hes an expert in controlling the courtroom and hes meant to be the champion of the publics right to access, Vogus said. So, really, we expect judgeswhen parties make sealing requestsnot to defer to the parties, but to make their own independent decisions about what particular information truly needs to be kept secret.

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Mitch Stoltz, who leads the antitrust working group at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says this secrecy comes at an inopportune time, when theres increased interest from the publicand from Congressin updating antitrust law for the modern economy, an economy in which few companies are more emblematic than Google.

There is a large and growing movement to return antitrust to more populist roots, Stoltz said. That movement is focused on curbing all of the effects of monopoly powernot solely higher prices for goods, he said. People are a whole lot more interested now than probably any time since U.S. v. Microsoftand [with U.S. v. Google] theyre not really able to follow it.

It doesnt help that many federal courts have reversed COVID-era policies that allowed widespread audio access to trials like these. During the height of the pandemic, reporters and onlookers may have been able to simply dial in to listen to proceedings. Now they have to show up in personand wait it out in the hallway when theres no testimony theyre allowed to hear.

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When the U.S. government sued Microsoft in 1998, it alleged that the tech giant was using its dominant position in personal computing to gain an unfair advantage in another digital sectorweb browsing. The parties agreed to settle in 2001, striking a deal that the government felt would boost competitionbut it also may have curbed Microsofts ambitions in consumer tech in a way that allowed new industry entrants, such as Google, to thrive in the still-budding digital sector.

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Two decades later, Googles Chrome is the leading desktop web browser, not Microsofts Internet Explorerwhich no longer exists. But the more drastic behavioral shift has come from the turn toward the mobile internet. Google was able to conquer the desktop browsing marketbaking Google Search into Chromebut needed to strike deals with phone manufacturers in order to cement its search engines ubiquity on the mobile web.

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The Google trial has loud echoes of the Microsoft trial. But even 20 years ago, absent vast technological breakthroughs that have come since, access to trial information was far more abundant.

Khushita Vasant, a reporter covering the Google trial for MLex, didnt cover Microsoft back in the day, but said she understands that paper copies of trial exhibits were handed out daily to the courtroom press. Those were different times of courseit was 25 years agobut I would take a paper copy of a trial exhibit any day if it meant I could have that piece of evidence in my hands the same day it was shown in court.

Related From Slate How Hackers Swindled Vegas Read More

Whats actually emerged from the Google trial is illuminating: Weve learned that Google pays as much as $10 billion per year to keep its search engine as the default on mobile phones, that Googles now-CEO Sundar Pichai warned of bad optics from these deals in emails years ago, and that Microsoft was willing to drop its Bing branding in order to win a deal to make the search engine the default on Apples iPhones. But key testimonies have been shrouded in secrecy: Apple vice president John Giannandrea, who formerly worked at Google, testified publicly for just 10 minutes on Sept. 21, only to return the next day for four hours of closed testimony.

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Reporters like Nylen and Vasant are doing a great job covering the trialbut at every step, the judge has made them jump through hoops to do so. And all of the reporters, who are meant to serve as the eyes of the American public, dont know what they dont know. Around a thousand exhibits have been pushed into evidence, Vasant said. We have no idea what those are.

Without access, and when the public is left in the dark, theyre left wondering what happened, they dont understand whats going on, they dont understand whats at stake for them, Vogus said. It really erodes trust in our court systemand thats dangerous at a time when trust is already low in our court system. We need courts to be transparent so people can understand them and see how they work.

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Google wants to win this case, but it has already won in one sense by keeping many of its practices out of the public eye.

But the secrecy that pervades this trial is indicative of a broader expectation in the digital sector whereby everything and anything is permitted because its free and easy to use. Weve already ceded our visibility into Big Techs black-box systemssystems that govern much of our online lives.

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With the Google trial, the public was supposed to be afforded a rare view behind the scenes. Instead, all too often, weve been staring at a curtain.

Update, Oct. 26, 2023, at 11:13 a.m.: On Wednesday evening, Mehta issued an order setting up a new system that should improve press access to exhibitsa victory for the media consortium advocating for transparency. Under the new rules, the litigants must provide any requested exhibits to reporters within two business days unless theyre specifically subject to confidentiality agreements. Nylen, who advocated for better access, called it a win for press freedom.
On Oct. 7, friends and relatives of Gali Shlezinger Idan, an Israeli who lives in a kibbutz near the border with Gaza, started getting messages to check her Facebook page. When they did, according to reporting from the New York Times Sheera Frenkel and Talya Minsberg, they found something horrifying: a livestream showing Idan and her family held hostage by Hamas gunmen. There is the sound of gunshots, and mortars. At one point in the 43-minute livestream, Idan tells her children something along the lines of Stay downI cant lose another child today.

Idans oldest daughter was killed and her husband was taken hostage. The gunmen eventually left Idan and the two children in the videobut not before their loved ones witnessed much of the ordeal on social media.

As hard as it is to hear stories like this one, they are also instructive: They tell us about a new way of waging war. For as long as humans have fought each other, theyve told stories about itnow those stories have 21st-century tools.

On Fridays episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Frenkel, who covers tech for the Times, about Hamas social media strategy. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Lizzie OLeary: When you heard about these livestreams, what did you think?

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Sheera Frenkel: On Oct. 7 there had been a number of Israelis who spoke to radio and TV and described seeing livestreams. I immediately kind of was like, Livestreams? Is that possible? When I saw it for myself, its shockingHamas gunmen were able to livestream themselves holding a family hostage for 43 minutes; in another case, they livestreamed themselves holding a family for over an hour.

How did the gunmen get access to the social media accounts?

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They entered the home; they asked for their cellphones and their IDs. That was the first thing they asked for. In this case, they took Galis cellphone, unlocked it, opened up Facebook, and began the livestream.

Last week, I interviewed members of Hamas that had run social media for the organization in the past. Hamas has a political wing where they develop films and political campaigns for their members. So they actually have a fairly established comms team, and they described it as a very premeditated strategy meant to appeal to their supporters and show what they had done. Hamas has Facebook accounts; they could have opened up their own Facebook accounts and begun to livestream a video if they wanted to. But the decision to take the cellphone of someone they were holding hostage and use their Facebook account to livestream it was very specific and deliberate. It happened in at least four cases that we could document.

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How long did it take for the tech companies to realize this was happening and to disable these accounts?

In most cases, the accounts were disabled in 24 to 36 hours. Quite a while, as far the families were concerned. In one case, a young woman was taken hostage from a music festival near the Gaza border, and her Facebook account remained active for three to four days after she was taken. The family continued to get messages on it from people that they presume were holding their daughter hostage.

You were a Middle East reporter for 10 years, youve lived in Gaza, and youve covered previous wars in the region. Have you ever seen anything like this before?

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No. This is very much a new tactic, and we called up and spoke to people who were experts in extremist groups like Hamas. I remember ISIS pioneering the use of social media to spread their viewpoint across the world. I covered it. I was in Iraq, and I was in Syria, and their ability to use the attention economy of social media to get people to watch really horrible thingsbeheading videos, hostage videosthat was, at the time, unprecedented. But they had not thought of this strategy or been able to implement this strategy of hijacking the social media feeds of people youre holding hostage. Thats something Ive never seen before, and I think it was particularly effective in this case because so many civilians were involved.

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As you mentioned, you talked to Hamas about their social media strategy, and Im really interested in the way they have put thought into using different platforms and how those platforms then spread messages out. Can you walk me through that?

The strategy theyve come up with is they start on Telegram, which is a messaging appand, I think its fair to say, has almost no content moderation. Hamas has quite a few Telegram channels in Arabic and in English, and in other languages as well, where they just seed videos and photos and slogans and messages. Theyll post a new video or photo, and then theyll say, Please spread this on Twitter and TikTok.  And heres translations to other languages. If youre French speaking, please post it with this language. If youre Spanish speaking, post it  Its very cohesive and well-thought-out.

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Largely, they tell people to share on Twitter. Theyve openly commented that Twitter is very easy to post things to right now. We have to remember that when Elon Musk took control of the platform a year ago now, he fired most of the established trust and safety team, many of whom actually had experience in, specifically in Hamas, but also just in extremist organizations. When that expertise left the building, they lost a lot of their skill set in removing these accounts quickly. So Hamas tells them to go to Twitter, and they also tell them to go to TikTok and YouTube, and they even give instructions on how you can speed up the video or slow down the video or clip the video so that if those companies take down one version of it, maybe another version can live online.

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Hamas is supposed to be banned on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. Has that worked?

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I think that the Meta-owned companies have been very quick to take Hamas accounts down. They struggle with it, though. Hamas also operates schools; they are a political organization that informs people when power and electricity is going to be on or off. So there are Hamas pages that Facebook has really struggled with. Like, Wait, well, if this is a page thats letting people know when the first day of school is or when water and power will be resumed to their neighborhoods, is that something that we should be taking down? But by and large, when something is posting graphic videos or veers into the territory of posting propaganda thats supportive of Hamas military wing, they are very quick to take it down. Twitter less so. Im still struggling to figure out TikTok because Ive seen some videos removed within minutes, I would say, and then others that have lived there for hours, and I cant see rhyme or reason for why some are being removed and some arent. I think TikTok is a little bit more whack-a-mole at the moment.

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Weve come full circle, in a way. Im thinking back to those ISIS videos in 2014, when content moderation was not robust. Things went up on YouTube that were horrifying. But then social media companies seemed to put a decent amount of effort and time and staffing into content moderation that helped stop some of this. At the same time, in 2019, in Christchurch, New Zealand, a far-right extremist killed 51 people in a mosque and livestreamed it on Facebook. What can the social media companies do with this, other than, as you said, play whack-a-mole?

Play whack-a-mole, hire ever-increasing teams to be responsive and to freeze this kind of activity when it happens. I mentioned that Facebook has been relatively quick to take this stuff down. Theyve also, since COVID, lost people from their security team and their trust and safety team, and so their teams are also smaller than they used to be.

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For Twitter, Elon Musk decimated their trust and safety team. So thats an extreme example. But all the companies have been reducing their head count and making these teams smaller. And that makes it slowerbut even if they had more people, thats never going to be 100 percent effective.

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As you know, its incredibly hard to report from Gaza. Some of the social media that has come out has given people a voice, and yet that can be so easily weaponized to inflict harm. How do companies reckon with thatbeing a tool of information and connection, but also harm and destruction?

Its one of the hardest things happening in Gaza right now. There are a lot of people who live in Gaza who depend on social media to try and find out where theyre going to get water or fuel, or where food is coming in. The U.N. provides food to over 1 million people who live in the Gaza Strip, and social media is one way that they tell one another, Oh, the U.N. food operation center is happening here today. Especially in a time of war, where theres widespread bombing happening across the Gaza Strip, people are letting one another know where its safe to be through social media.

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You have this deep background covering the Middle East and conflict, and also covering tech companies. How do you think the role of technology and social media has evolved in this region in the past decade?

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In so many ways, whats happening in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank is a battle of narratives. Its been fought since the 1940s, potentially even before, of whose version of the story is the right one. Is it the version that serves the state of Israel? Is it the version that serves the Palestinian people? As the years have gone on, as the decades have gone on, each side has become really deeply entrenched in their own narrative of things. Technology, for the most part, has served that. These tech companies, specifically the social media companies, have created really deep echo chambers.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Tens of thousands of women in Iceland are not working today in protest against the gender pay gap. Day off for women or Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir also took a kvennafri. Today, women should not do any work, either paid or unpaid, including domestic work, reports the British BBC.

On this day, I will not do what I expect the rest of the women in the government to do, the Icelandic prime minister said before the protest, adding that her government is examining how female-dominated professions are valued compared to fields where mostly men work.

Lower wages are said to be a problem especially in areas where the majority of employees are women. According to the teachers union, for example, the majority of teachers at all levels of the education system are women, including 94 percent of kindergarten employees. Even in the largest hospital in the country, around 80 percent of the employees are women.

Leading the world, but still not one hundred percent equal

For the 14th year in a row, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked Iceland first among countries in the world in terms of gender equality. Nevertheless, even there there is no complete equality, the WEF estimates it at 91.2 percent.

Around 90 percent of working women in Iceland went on strike as early as 1975, when they wanted to draw attention to the importance of women to the economy. The strike prompted the national parliament to pass an Equal Pay Act the very next year.

Former Icelandic president Vigdis Finnbogadottir told the BBC in 2015 that the strike at the time was the first step of womens emancipation in Iceland, which also paved the way for her election in 1980, when she became the first woman to be democratically elected head of state.













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Interested in starting your own candy-making business? Whether you plan to launch a home-based candy company or set up in a local shop, you can find success creating handmade chocolates, hard candies and other delectable delights. Of course, first, you must stock up on all the necessary candy-making supplies. Fortunately, there are plenty of great places to find everything you need.

The Candy and Confections Industry in 2022

The candy and confections industry includes thousands of companies that make sweet treats including chocolate, cookies, cake, candies and a slew of other sugar-based products found online, at specialty shops, and at the grocery store.

Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here

Confections typically are divided into categories of chocolates, sugar, and gum, and the products are often low in nutrients, while rich in calories and carbohydrates. The leading confectionery company worldwide is Mars, Inc. with more than 27% of the market, which is valued at a trillion dollars in the U.S. alone.

READ MORE: Candy Businesses Show the Path to Sweet Success on Etsy

Top Places to Buy Candy Making Supplies for Your Business

Entrepreneurs planning to start a candy-making business will need to find supplies at a fair price to purchase needed materials and maximize profits. Likewise, successful candy-making businesses will on occasion need to replenish their stock of candy-making supplies. In either case, it helps to know the best places to buy supplies for a candy business.

1. Amazon

The e-commerce giants bakeware category features all sorts of useful candy-making supplies at an affordable price. Plus, Amazon Prime members can enjoy free, 2-day shipping on most purchases.

2. Etsy

Etsy is a popular online marketplace for small business owners in almost any niche. The website includes a large selection of candy-making supplies with plenty of unique and custom products.

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3. The Bakers Kitchen

Looking for a huge selection of candy-making supplies at a wholesale price? The Bakers Kitchen manufactures and distributes candy-making, cooking and baking ingredients, including hard-to-find specialty ingredients, chocolate, candy fillings, flavorings and molds.

4. WebstaurantStore

The largest online restaurant supply store also sells a large selection of candy-making supplies at a wholesale price. WebstaurantStore customers can buy everything they need to prepare candies like artisan chocolate bars and much more.

5. Confectionery House

Offering the largest-available selection of chocolate molds, the Confectionery House sells all sorts of items for bakers, candy makers, and cake decorators. Purchases of $75 or more are eligible for free shipping.

6. Wilton

Looking for candy-decorating supplies to make your confectionery creations beautiful as well as appetizing? Wilton features supplies for decorating candies and baked goods that are designed for any skill level. Watch for special holiday promotions.

7. ShopBakersNook

ShopBakersNook is a cake- and candy-making supply store that specializes in providing reasonably-priced products for professionals and amateurs alike. The online seller offers everything a candy business might need to make chocolate candies, filled candies, or special gift candy.

8. Michaels

Micheals might be primarily a craft store, but it offers everything a candy-making business might need to make and sell its products. Customers can shop Michaels selection online or at any of its local stores, making the process of replenishing candy-making stock easy.

9. Sweet Treat Supply

Sweet Treat Supply sells top-quality candy-making supplies at a wholesale price. The online store carries a vast selection of both hard and flex candy and chocolate molds, as well as all the tools and supplies a candy-making business might need.

10. Country Kitchen Sweetart

Confectionery businesses can stock up on cake, cookies, candy, cupcakes, chocolate and other baking supplies at Country Kitchen Sweetart. Customers enjoy a wholesale and bulk price structure when they shop with the vendor, and they can purchase all sorts of candy-making tools as well as ingredients.

You can also find top deals on candy making supplies here!

Essential Candy Supplies

Candy businesses need a steady supply of ingredients, and smart business owners will seek to purchase these vital materials in bulk and at low prices. If youre starting a candy-making business, youll need plenty of raw ingredients and other supplies, including but not limited to the following:

Sugar

Sugar is a sweet crystalline substance obtained from various plants, especially sugar cane and sugar beet. Its primarily composed of sucrose and is used as a sweetener in foods and drinks. Sugar is the fundamental ingredient in most candy recipes. When heated, sugar undergoes various stages, from the thread stage to the hard-crack stage, which determines the consistency of the candy. Whether youre making hard candies, soft caramels, or fudges, sugar is indispensable.

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is a sweet, thick liquid made by breaking down cornstarch into glucose through a chemical process. Corn syrup is used in candy making to prevent sugar crystals from forming, resulting in a smoother texture. Its commonly found in recipes for marshmallows, caramels, and many other candies.

Gelatin

Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, and flavorless food ingredient derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. Gelatin gives structure to candies like gummy bears and marshmallows. Its responsible for the chewy texture of many gummy candies.

Cocoa Powder/Chocolate

Cocoa powder is the dry solid remains of fermented, dried, and roasted cacao beans. Chocolate, on the other hand, is a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and often sugar and milk. Cocoa powder and chocolate are essential for making all kinds of chocolate candies, from truffles to chocolate bars. The type and quality of chocolate can significantly affect the flavor and texture of the final candy.

Butter

Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of milk or cream. Its rich and adds both flavor and texture to dishes. Butter is frequently used in toffees, caramels, and fudges. It adds richness, creaminess, and a melt-in-the-mouth quality to candies.

Cream

Cream is the thick, fat-rich part of milk, which rises to the top when milk is fresh and is left to stand. Cream is used to create creamy textures in candies like truffles, chocolate ganaches, and caramels.

Flavoring Extracts

These are concentrated liquids that provide the essence of various flavors, such as vanilla, peppermint, almond, and many others. Flavoring extracts are used to enhance or introduce specific flavors to candies. A few drops can significantly alter and improve the taste of your candy.

Food Coloring

Food coloring, or color additive, is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when its added to food or drink. Food coloring is used to add vibrant colors to candies, making them more visually appealing.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is a weak organic acid found naturally in citrus fruits. In its powdered form, its white and crystalline. Its often added to candies to provide a sour taste, commonly found in sour gummy candies.

Nuts

Nuts are the hard-shelled fruit of some plants. Popular nuts used in candy-making include almonds, pecans, and peanuts. Nuts are added to candies to provide a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor. Popular candies that use nuts include pralines, nut brittles, and certain chocolate bars.

Candy Melts

Its easy to decorate handmade candies using candy melts. The confectionery coatings can be used to decorate candies, cookies, cakes, pretzels and more.

Ingredient Description Primary Use in Candy Making Sugar A sweet crystalline substance obtained from plants like sugar cane and sugar beet. Composed mainly of sucrose. Fundamental for most candy recipes. Determines the candy's consistency through various stages of heating. Corn Syrup A thick liquid derived from cornstarch, broken down into glucose. Prevents sugar crystals from forming for a smoother texture in candies like marshmallows and caramels. Gelatin Translucent, colorless, flavorless ingredient derived from collagen from animal parts. Provides structure and chewiness in candies like gummy bears and marshmallows. Cocoa Powder/Chocolate Cocoa powder comes from fermented, dried, roasted cacao beans. Chocolate is a mix of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, and sometimes milk. Essential for chocolate candies. Determines flavor and texture based on type and quality. Butter Dairy product from the fat and protein components of milk or cream. Adds richness and creamy texture in candies like toffees, caramels, and fudges. Cream Thick, fat-rich part of milk. Creates creamy textures in candies like truffles, chocolate ganaches, and caramels. Flavoring Extracts Concentrated liquids capturing the essence of various flavors. Enhances or introduces flavors. A few drops can alter the candy's taste. Food Coloring Dyes, pigments, or substances adding color to food or drink. Adds visual appeal to candies by imparting vibrant colors. Citric Acid A weak organic acid naturally found in citrus fruits. In powdered form, it's white and crystalline. Imparts a sour taste, often used in sour gummy candies. Nuts Hard-shelled fruit of some plants like almonds, pecans, and peanuts. Adds crunchy texture and nutty flavor in candies like pralines, nut brittles, and some chocolate bars. Candy Melts Confectionery coatings used for decoration. Used for decorating and adding visual appeal to candies, cookies, cakes, pretzels, etc.

Lollipop Sticks

Lollipop sticks are typically cylindrical, made from either wood or plastic, and are specifically designed to hold candies. These sticks are used to make lollipops or popsicle-type candies. The candy is molded or poured around one end of the stick, allowing the candy to be held and consumed easily.

Cellophane Bags

These are clear, thin bags made of cellophane, a transparent film made from cellulose. Cellophane bags are often used to package individual candies or small groups of candies. They keep the candy fresh while showcasing its appearance.

Twist Ties

Twist ties are small metal wires encased in paper or plastic. They are commonly used to seal cellophane bags or other candy packaging, ensuring the contents remain fresh.

Paper Cups

These small, often fluted cups are used for individual candies, especially chocolates. They make candies easy to pick up and prevent them from sticking to one another.

Wax Paper or Parchment Paper

These non-stick, heat-resistant papers are used to line trays or surfaces where candies might be placed to set or cool, preventing them from sticking.

Foil Wrappers

Thin sheets of foil, often colored, can be used to wrap candies. Foil wrappers are typically used for chocolates, providing a protective and decorative layer around each piece.

Label or Sticker

Labels or stickers can be placed on packaging to provide details about the candy, including its name, ingredients, expiration date, and branding.

Accessory/Packaging Description Primary Use in Candy Making Lollipop Sticks Typically cylindrical, made from either wood or plastic. Designed to hold candies securely. Used for creating lollipops or popsicle-type candies, allowing easy holding and consumption. Cellophane Bags Clear, thin bags made of transparent film derived from cellulose. Used for packaging individual candies or small groups, showcasing the candy's appearance while preserving freshness. Twist Ties Small metal wires encased in paper or plastic. Seal cellophane bags or other candy packaging to keep the contents fresh. Paper Cups Small, often fluted, paper holders. Used for individual candies, especially chocolates, to facilitate easy pickup and prevent them from sticking together. Wax/Parchment Paper Non-stick, heat-resistant paper materials. Line trays or surfaces where candies are set or cooled to prevent sticking. Foil Wrappers Thin, often colored, sheets of foil. Used primarily for wrapping chocolates, offering a protective and decorative layer around each piece. Label/Sticker Printed materials offering information about the contained candy. Placed on candy packaging to provide details like name, ingredients, expiration date, and branding.

READ MORE: 50 Handmade Business Ideas You Can Start from Home

Candy Making Equipment and Tools Every Confectionery Needs

Small business owners specializing in candy orders can find all the tools they need at specialty stores and website vendors. Looking for quality items to create candy and other sweet treats, or perhaps youre in search of practical storage solutions? Youll need the right candy-making tools, including but not limited to the following:

Candy Thermometer

A candy thermometer is a kitchen tool with a scale specifically calibrated to indicate various stages of sugar syrups temperature. Achieving the right temperature is crucial in candy-making. A candy thermometer helps ensure that the sugar is heated to the desired stage, be it soft-ball, hard-crack, or any stage in between.

Molds

Molds are shapes into which candy or chocolate can be poured to set. They can be made of silicone, plastic, or metal. Molds are used to shape candies. They come in various shapes and sizes, ranging from simple bar molds to intricate designs for specialized candies.

Double Boiler

A double boiler consists of two pots: a large one that holds boiling water and a smaller, inset pot in which food is cooked. This tool is essential for melting chocolate and other delicate ingredients. The indirect heat prevents these ingredients from burning or seizing.

Heavy-bottomed Saucepan

When making sugar syrups or melting ingredients, a heavy-bottomed saucepan ensures even heat distribution, reducing the risk of burning.

Melting Pot

Candy businesses can use a melting pot for an easy way to heat their candy melts and decorate their products. This important candy-making equipment helps confectioneries make chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate-covered pretzels, cake pops and more.

Microwave-safe Bowl

Microwave-safe bowls are essential for quickly melting or reheating ingredients like chocolate or butter in the microwave.

Sieve or Fine Mesh Strainer

A sieve is a kitchen tool made of a mesh or perforated material used to strain liquids or sift dry ingredients. In candy-making, a sieve can be used to sift powdered ingredients to remove lumps or to strain mixtures to ensure smoothness.

Heat Sealer

A heat sealer is used to seal plastic or cellophane bags, ensuring the candies inside are airtight and fresh.

Marble Slab

Marble slabs are utilized in candy-making, especially when working with chocolate or sugar confections, because they maintain a consistent cool temperature. This helps temper chocolate and cool down sugar mixtures quickly, resulting in a smoother texture.

Tool Description Primary Use in Candy Making Candy Thermometer A kitchen tool with a scale calibrated for sugar syrup temperatures. Ensures sugar reaches the desired stage, from soft-ball to hard-crack, during heating. Molds Shapes made of silicone, plastic, or metal for setting candy or chocolate. Used to shape candies into various forms, from simple bars to intricate designs. Double Boiler Two pots - one holding boiling water and an inset one for food. Essential for melting delicate ingredients like chocolate using indirect heat, preventing burning or seizing. Heavy-bottomed Saucepan Saucepan with an extra thick base. For making sugar syrups or melting ingredients, ensuring even heat distribution and reducing burn risk. Melting Pot Equipment primarily for heating candy melts. Used by confectioneries for making chocolate-covered treats like strawberries, pretzels, and cake pops. Microwave-safe Bowl Bowl that can withstand microwave radiation without damage. For quickly melting or reheating ingredients like chocolate or butter in the microwave. Sieve or Fine Mesh Strainer Made of mesh or perforated material to strain liquids or sift dry ingredients. Sifts powdered ingredients to remove lumps and strains mixtures for smoothness in candy-making. Heat Sealer Machine that uses heat to seal packages. Seals plastic or cellophane bags, ensuring the candies inside are airtight and remain fresh. Marble Slab Flat, smooth piece of marble, typically rectangular. Maintains a consistent cool temperature, ideal for tempering chocolate and rapidly cooling sugar mixtures, resulting in smoother candy textures.

Silicone Baking Mat

Often placed on baking sheets, these mats provide a non-stick surface for candies to cool. Silicone baking mats are especially useful for candies that might stick to other surfaces.

Offset Spatula

This type of spatula has a blade thats slightly bent, allowing the handle to be raised above the working surface. An offset spatula is great for spreading melted chocolate or smoothing out other mixtures on a flat surface. Its design provides better control and even distribution.

Pastry Brush

Pastry brushes can be used to brush on glazes, apply edible gold leaf, or brush off excess sugar crystals from confections.

Rubber Spatula

A flexible rubber or silicone spatula is excellent for scraping the sides of bowls to ensure every bit of a mixture is used. Its flexibility is also helpful for folding ingredients together gently.

Bench Scraper

A bench scraper is a flat, rectangular piece of metal or plastic with a handle used to divide or manipulate dough and other foods. In candy-making, a bench scraper can help manipulate candy, especially when working with large quantities of thick mixtures like fudge or caramel. Its also useful for scraping and cleaning work surfaces.

Candy Dipping Forks

These forks make it easy to dip candies without making a mess, ensuring an even coating and allowing excess to drip off.

Liquid Measuring Cups

Its hard to create the perfect candies without properly measuring ingredients. Liquid measuring cups are essential tools for candy businesses, and entrepreneurs can purchase them locally or from a variety of website vendors.

Tool Description Primary Use in Candy Making Silicone Baking Mat Non-stick baking surface made from high-quality, food-grade silicone. Placed on baking sheets to provide a non-stick surface for candies to cool, especially those prone to sticking. Offset Spatula Spatula with a bent blade, allowing the handle to be above the working surface. Useful for spreading melted chocolate or smoothing mixtures on a flat surface, ensuring better control and even distribution. Pastry Brush Small brush with soft culinary bristles. Used to apply glazes, edible gold leaf, or brush off excess sugar crystals from confections. Rubber Spatula Flexible spatula with a rubber or silicone head. Essential for scraping bowl sides to utilize every bit of a mixture and for folding ingredients together gently. Bench Scraper Flat, rectangular tool, often metal or plastic, with a handle. Manipulates thick mixtures like fudge or caramel when making candy. Also useful for cleaning and scraping work surfaces. Candy Dipping Forks Specialized forks with two or three elongated prongs. Designed for dipping candies into melted chocolate or other coatings. Assists in achieving an even coating and allowing excess to drip off. Liquid Measuring Cups Tools specifically for measuring liquid ingredients. Crucial for ensuring precise measurements of ingredients in candy-making. A must-have for candy businesses.

READ MORE: Where to Sell Wholesale Craft Supplies

What Is the Most Important Equipment When Making Hard Candy?

When creating hard candy, precision in temperature is vital. Even a slight deviation from the recommended temperature can change the candys consistency, making it too soft or too brittle. Thus, having the right tools can make a world of difference in the outcome. Heres an expanded list of essential tools for making hard candy:

Candy Thermometer : Why its Important : This tool is indispensable because the various stages of sugarfrom the thread stage to the hard-crack stageare determined by precise temperatures. Tip : A paddle-style candy thermometer is particularly useful. This design allows it to attach securely to the side of a pan. When positioned correctly, it rests flush against the pans interior, ensuring accurate temperature readings. The large display and clear numbers also make it easier to monitor the sugars progress.

: Heavy-bottomed Saucepan : Why its Important : Sugar syrups require even heating to prevent hot spots that might cause the sugar to burn or crystallize. A heavy-bottomed saucepan distributes heat uniformly. Tip : Choose a saucepan with tall sides. As sugar boils, it can bubble up, and tall sides help prevent spills.

: Silicone Spatula : Why its Important : When working with hot sugar, its crucial to have a tool thats heat-resistant and can handle the syrup without melting or deforming. Tip : Opt for a spatula made of high-quality, food-grade silicone that can withstand high temperatures without transferring any off flavors.

: Marble Slab or Silicone Baking Mat : Why its Important : After reaching the desired temperature, sugar syrup needs to be poured onto a cool, flat surface to set. Marble retains cold and provides a smooth surface, ensuring even cooling. Tip : If you dont have a marble slab, a silicone baking mat on a cold surface can be a great alternative. Its non-stick and easy to clean.

: Heat-resistant Gloves or Oven Mitts : Why its Important : Safety is paramount when working with hot sugar, as it can cause severe burns. Heat-resistant gloves offer protection when handling hot pans and pouring out the molten candy. Tip : Look for gloves that offer flexibility as well as protection so that you can maneuver utensils and pans comfortably.

: Wooden Spoon : Why its Important : Wood is an excellent material for stirring since it doesnt conduct heat and wont scratch your saucepan. Tip : Keep a dedicated wooden spoon for candy-making to avoid any unwanted flavors or odors being transferred to your candy.

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While there are various tools that can aid in the candy-making process, the candy thermometer undoubtedly stands out as the most crucial. Monitoring the exact temperature ensures that your hard candy achieves the desired consistency and texture every time. Proper preparation and having the right tools on hand will ensure success in your hard candy endeavors.

What Tools Do Chocolatiers Use?

If your small business specializes in making chocolate, youll want a variety of special candy-making tools in your arsenal. Chocolatiers rely heavily on digital thermometers, silicone molds, piping bags and spatulas when filling orders.

What Is the Most Common Problem When Making Candy?

Confectioneries can run into a variety of problems when making candy. One of the most common problems they encounter occurs when they use the wrong tools. With the wrong pan or spoon, ingredients wont mix or heat properly and the resulting mixture might not harden or form the desired shapes. Forgoing a candy thermometer is also a good sign the products may not meet customer expectations.

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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has reignited its commitment to the 8(a) Business Development Program, a vital initiative established to assist socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners. This move comes after a recent U.S. District Court decision that impacted the process of establishing eligibility for the program.

Business leaders nationwide have expressed their full support for the 8(a) Program, which has been serving as the federal governments mainstay for boosting minority-owned businesses through training, development, and contract facilitation for over 50 years.

Recent Court Ruling and SBAs Action

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Due to a recent ruling in the case, Ultima Servs. Corp. v. Dept. of Ag., the SBA released interim guidelines and re-launched the 8(a) application portal on September 29.

SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman emphasized, Though the administration of the 8(a) Program has been impacted by a recent court injunction and order, the program is open for business. In the weeks since the injunction, the SBA has reviewed or recertified thousands of current 8(a) participants through a process consistent with the courts order. Now the SBA has reopened the 8(a) application portal to new participants, ensuring a vast, talented pool of vendors are available to federal agencies.

Business Leaders Stand with the 8(a) Program

Chris James, CEO of The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, attested to the programs pivotal role in nurturing minority-owned businesses. Similarly, Justin Nelson, President of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), emphasized the programs significance in offering opportunities for diverse communities, particularly for those who have faced discrimination.

Small Business Deals

Cariann Loo, President of the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association, highlighted the programs transformative impact on Native Hawaiian businesses since its initiation in 2004. Many other community leaders have echoed this sentiment, underscoring the 8(a) programs monumental role in fostering equity in the business sector.

Bidens Vision and the 8(a) Programs Role

Under President Bidens leadership, a goal was set in 2021 to award 15% of federal prime contracting to small, disadvantaged businesses by 2025. This target marks a 50% rise in such initiatives since he assumed office. The 8(a) Program has been instrumental in propelling this mission forward. Last fiscal year alone, the program played a role in supporting the creation of over 727,800 jobs nationwide.

For small business owners, the reopening of the 8(a) program signals renewed opportunities and an enhanced platform to grow, especially for those in marginalized communities.
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Print-on-demand companies follow a dropshipping business model where you contract a print-on-demand provider to help you print books, artwork, t-shirts, mugs, customized items, and handmade items to sell in small batches as needed. You can even have your own brand name attached or your distinctive design printed on each item you sell through your own store online, blog, or social media handle.

In this article, well examine the top 19 best print-on-demand services currently offered so you can choose the best one for your company.

What is Print on Demand?

Print-on-demand (POD) is a business that works with a supplier to customize white-label products such as t-shirts, mugs, covers, notepads, or any other customized merchandise. Once the product is manufactured, you can sell them, on a per-order basis, under your own brand.

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This is a great home-based business idea to market your products with your own branding without worrying about inventory while eliminating the need for large print runs and reducing costs, making it ideal for creatives and small businesses.

POD enables businesses to produce high-quality products quickly and cost-effectively while also giving them the flexibility to adjust their production volume as needed. With POD, businesses can offer customers unique and personalized products that can be printed in just a few minutes.

There are two types of print-on-demand companies: print-on-demand marketplaces and print-on-demand service companies. Print-on-demand marketplaces are all-in-one platforms that host your online store on their platform, allowing you to sell the products on your website, build your brand, and grow your own customer base. POD service companies provide production, printing, and shipping services, making them the majority of recommended dropshipping partners.

Small Business Deals

Can You Make Money with a Print on Demand Business?

The demand for personalization on the part of consumers has helped the growth of print-on-demand sites. Todays global consumer trends indicate people require more than just functionality and want to buy things that reflect their identities. Everything is tailored to our preferences, including literature, audio, food, cellphone covers, long sleeve t-shirts, and even the information we consume.

Todays consumers demand a completely personalized internet shopping experience from your online store. They dont want a straightforward mass-produced product; they want their purchases to reflect their personalities and print-on-demand sites are trying to meet the demand.

In an ever-connected world where personalization is a major buying decision-making factor, POD offers opportunities to expand your business by playing on the economy of scale and the capability that comes through the dropshipping model. Businesses today no longer need to have physical outlets to thrive.

By offering products tailored to your customers preferences, including books, cellphone covers, clothing, and other merchandising, you can create your very own niche. Additional perks include the ability to reduce expenses by using the made-to-order model to reduce inventory and production costs.

You dont have to worry about managing orders, payments, or shipping because there are so many platforms available. All you have to do is concentrate on creating products that are in high demand.

Heres a quick word from Joe Robert about the best print on demand companies In 2023 on Etsy and Shopify youll want to check out after reading:

How print-on-demand companies work

Simply put, print-on-demand companies offer print-after-ordering services to artists, creatives, or businesses engaged in merchandising. Essentially they take orders for your products designs and handle the production and fulfillment aspects of the enterprise.

All you have to do is create your own designs and list your products, and start marketing them. When a customer buys a copy, the product is manufactured and mailed to them- the items are produced only after they are ordered for them.

This is a great way to market your products without worrying about inventory while eliminating the need for large print runs and reducing costs, making it ideal for creatives and small businesses. In addition, this print-on-demand model helps businesses to produce high-quality products quickly and cost-effectively while also giving them the flexibility to adjust their production volume as needed.

With POD, businesses can offer customers unique and personalized products that can be printed and delivered speedily. With this new system, you can customize and create virtually any product, from apparel to mugs. Thus helping you to quickly establish an e-commerce business or make your side business ideas turn into a reality.

In our pursuit to navigate the vast sea of print-on-demand companies, weve established a set of criteria to dissect and evaluate each service, ensuring that we recommend options that genuinely cater to the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses. Our methodology isnt a secret magic formula but a transparent system that considers the various facets integral to a reliable, cost-effective, and quality print-on-demand service.

Choosing the Best Print on Demand Companies: Our Methodology

Heres the breakdown of our assessment categories, each accompanied by its weight in our overall evaluation scale, helping you understand what to prioritize in your decision-making process:

Product Quality (30% importance)

Nothing speaks louder about a company than the quality of its products. We scrutinize the materials, printing process, durability, and overall look and feel.

Does the company produce high-quality prints?

Are the materials durable and aesthetically pleasing?

Pricing and Fees (20% importance)

Cost is a significant factor for any business. We delve into the pricing structures of these companies.

Are the prices competitive?

Are there hidden fees or reasonable charges for services offered?

User Interface & Ease of Use (15% importance)

Your time is valuable, so a platforms usability is key. We examine the user experience from start to finish.

Is the website/platform easy to navigate?

Does the company provide straightforward tools for designing and ordering?

Customer Service & Support (15% importance)

Reliable support can be a lifeline for your business. We assess the responsiveness and helpfulness of the companys support team.

Is customer support accessible and helpful?

Do they resolve issues promptly and effectively?

Product Variety (10% importance)

A diverse product range can open new business opportunities. We explore the variety of products available for printing.

Does the company offer a wide range of products?

Are there unique or niche products available that suit specific needs?

Shipping & Fulfillment (10% importance)

The logistics behind how your products reach your customers is crucial. We analyze shipping options, delivery reliability, and order tracking.

Are shipping times fast and reliable?

Is there transparency in order fulfillment, with tracking available?

By carefully balancing these aspects, we ensure our recommendations for print-on-demand companies are comprehensive, taking into account the diverse needs and priorities of small businesses and entrepreneurs. This meticulous approach guarantees we bring forward options that dont just look good on paper but perform when it counts.

Which Platform is Best for Print on Demand?

Printify is considered the best print-on-demand business, with over 800 items available in its inventory, including t-shirts, mugs, duvet covers, posters, accessories, and more. Among the services offered include a variety of printing choices, including direct-to-garment printing, cut-and-sew, sublimation, and embroidery.

It also helps businesses produce personalized goods quickly and effectively. It has an easy-to-use UI and is linked with popular online marketplaces like Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix Stores, eBay, and more, making it easier for businesses to offer their goods.

The 19 Best Print on Demand Companies

When looking for the best print-on-demand companies, you must consider a number of factors. These include quality of products, customer service, price, turnaround time, integration with dropshipping platforms, ease of use, and general satisfaction. Weve compiled a list of the top 19 print-on-demand companies based on these criteria to help you make your choice.

We took into account a variety of factors, including their manufacturing capabilities, customer service, whether they serve a specific niche, turnaround time, and pricing. Each of these best print-on-demand companies provides a wide range of products, such as apparel, books, mugs, and accessories, so you can pick the best one for your requirements.

Most of them provide excellent customer service, so you can get answers to your queries quickly and easily. Whether you want a quick turnaround time or a low cost, these best print-on-demand companies will be able to provide you with the best options.

1. Printify

Printify is considered one of the most popular print-on-demand companies. Printify offers a catalog has over 800 products selling everything from t-shirts to mugs, duvet covers to posters, accessories, and more making it easy for businesses to create custom products quickly and efficiently. It comes with an intuitive user interface that allows users to choose a product, personalize it with their own design, and have it shipped directly to their customers.

With Printify, e-commerce companies can offer goods directly on their own site without using other online marketplaces. In addition, it is also integrated with major sales channels such as Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix Stores, eBay, and more making it easier for you to easily sell your products.

Pros: Offers integration with various platforms, comes with a mockup generator, offers shipping calculator, extensive product catalog

Cons: According to some reviews, a number of customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the response time to their customer support inquiries, claiming that the service took too long to respond.

Pricing: Printify comes with a free plan where you can manage up to five stores and get unlimited product designs. Paid plans start at a monthly subscription of $ 24.99 and let you manage up to 10 stores per account and get up to 20% bulk discount on all products.

2. Printful

Printful is another option for those who are looking for a reliable and cost-effective print-on-demand service. It offers a wide variety of products and services, including custom t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, tote bags, and more.

It offers intuitive design tools that let you create unique pieces, even if you have no design experience, while integrating with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. In addition, it offers a wide range of customization options, including printing, embroidery, and sublimation.

Pros: Offers discounts for bulk orders and monthly volume, promotes eco-friendly products, comes with mockup generator and pre-made designs.

Cons: Offers higher production costs than other print-on-demand companies; the product line on offer is more limited than other print-on-demand sites.

Pricing: Printify comes with a free plan where you pay only for the products you buy or sell after an order is made. If you want more features in addition to the free plan, Printify offers extra fees.

3. Sellfy

Sellfy is an e-commerce platform for creators who want to sell a variety of goods, such as hoodies, shirts, phone cases, bags, and more. In addition to physical products, they also sell digital products. It allows you to quickly launch your online business idea or print-on-demand merchandise store. It has a shopping cart feature that allows you to make more money by enabling your customers to add multiple items to their online shopping carts at once.

Even better, you can design a mobile-friendly checkout process and online store for desktop and mobile users. Additionally, it has some excellent marketing features, such as upselling, email marketing, and discount codes. More than 60,000 creators have used Sellfy to sell their goods since it launched in 2011, generating more than $100M in total revenue.

Pros: Sellfy offers multiple payment options, built-in marketing tools, and customizable online storefronts

Cons: There are a few integrations available.

Pricing: Paid plans start with monthly charges ranging from $19 to $99. There is also a 14-day free trial.

4. SPOD

SPOD is a print-on-demand company that lets you create and sell your print-on-demand products. With it, you can create a custom product line within minutes, print, and ship your merchandise in 48 hours or less, according to SPOD half of its orders ship within 24 hrs. You can start selling, printing, and dropshipping by uploading your designs or creating your own with SPODs free graphic library of over 50,000 designs.

The library lets you create and personalize over 200 print-on-demand merchandise items. SPOD integrates with WooCommerce, Magento, Squarespace, Shopify, and others- it even has its own mobile app.

Pros: 48-hour order fulfillment, vast graphic library, over 200 POD merchandise items

Cons: You cant use it unless you have a Shopify account.

Pricing: When using SPOD, there are no ongoing costs. SPOD charges only the order value and the shipping costs of the items when an order is placed. The cost of shipping is determined by the order value, shipping type, and country.

5. CustomCat

CustomCat helps businesses to create and sell unique products from images they upload, and publish to their store. It allows anyone to create unique and high-quality custom goods whether ordering only one item or 1,000 items while at the same time offering a manual order feature for those without e-commerce experience.

With it, you can sync existing product listings from your online store to CustomCat seamlessly, create product templates and mass publish product listings with bulk tools, manage product listings, view stock status and edit fulfillment settings, and manage all aspects of orders and fulfillment. CustomCat also partners with e-commerce sellers such as Shopify, Etsy, WooComemrce, and BigCommerce and ships products globally.

Pros: CustomCat allows users to create product templates, manage listings, view stock status, and manage orders and fulfillment.

Cons: Most of CustomCat items are limited to apparel, accessories, and housewares.

Pricing: CustomCat is free to sign up for and use. When an order is placed in a store, customers pay for the base cost of the items plus the cost of shipping them to their customers. The PRO subscription comes with a $25 monthly fee and offers users 20-40% off CustomCats custom wholesale prices.

6. TeeLaunch

TeeLaunch is a print-on-demand e-commerce platform for art, prints, apparel, and more. It offers an affordable print-on-demand option for entrepreneurs looking to create unique merchandising. Teelaunch will accept orders from your web store, prints the product, and handles the fulfillment end.

Thanks to its user-friendly interface, it uses the power of Shopify to make mockups, and products and set up automatic order fulfillment in just minutes. Besides integrating with Shopify it also works well with other third-party platforms such as Etsy and WooCommerce.

Pros: There are no monthly costs, it has a simple-to-use interface, offers a good selection of merchandising options.

Cons: Some reviews complain of shipping delays.

Pricing: Teelaunch comes with a free plan where you pay only for the products you buy or sell after an order is made.

7. Zazzle

Zazzles print-on-demand service lets you create, sell, and buy T-shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise. With its easy-to-use design interface, you have access to a large selection of templates, apparel designs, colors, and sizes to customize the final product.- even if youre not a designer. Creating an item on Zazzle is a simple process that can be completed in a few minutes.

To create a design, all you need to do is choose a template and add content. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as through text, and images. Once youve added content, you must choose a price and add your design to your account.

Zazzle however does not have direct integration for third-party e-commerce stores such as Shopify, but you can however use Zazzles Application Programming Interface (API) to integrate with other platforms.

Pros: Delivers good high print quality products, products can be customized by buyers, and affiliate marketing opportunities are available.

Cons: Does not integrate directly with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce

Pricing: There is no cost to sign up. Designers can set their prices between 5% and 99% higher than Zazzles basic price.

8. SPOD

SPOD is a print-on-demand service company that lets you create and sell your print-on-demand products. With it, you can create a custom product line within minutes, and print and ship your merchandise in 48 hours or less, according to SPOD half of its orders ship within 24 hrs.

You can start selling, printing, and dropshipping by uploading your designs or creating your own with SPODs free graphic library of over 50,000 designs.

The library lets you create and personalize over 200 print-on-demand merchandise items. SPOD integrates with WooCommerce. Magento, Squarespace, Shopify, and others- it even has its own mobile app.

Pros: 48-hour order fulfillment, vast graphic library, over 200 POD merchandise items

Cons: You cant use it unless you have a Shopify account.

Pricing: When using SPOD, there are no ongoing costs. SPOD charges only the order value and the shipping costs of the items when an order is placed. The cost of shipping is determined by the order value, shipping type, and country.

9. Redbubble

Redbubble is another option for independent artists looking to offer print-on-demand products through their existing website or through marketplaces such as Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. This print-on-demand solution gives you the tools you need to design products and works for artists of all skill levels from novices to experts.

Thanks to its built-in design maker you can create intricate, eye-catching designs and mockups for your products to sell on redbubble. It also offers a wide range of merchandising products from eco-friendly to premium clothing that includes stationery, wall art, home and living, accessories, apparel, and more.

Pros: Large customer base and traffic, anti-piracy features to protect artists artwork, has an affiliate program

Cons: Potential low-profit margins, high competition

Pricing: Redbubble charges a base price which includes a service fee for hosting the marketplace as well as the third-party manufacturers manufacturing fee.

10. GearLaunch

GearLaunch is another choice for a print-on-demand company that offers a dependable and cost-effective solution. It provides a simple, no-hassle printing experience, with no minimum order requirements and a wide range of materials including paper, canvas, and apparel.

GearLaunch functions in a straightforward manner: you create the designs and choose your ideal products and GearLaunch handles the manufacturing and delivery. You only pay the base price for products and if you want to integrate with Shopify you can opt to use its API.

Pros: A good selection of Print on Demand products, no minimum orders

Cons: Does not directly integrate with other platforms besides Shopify

Pricing: The GearLaunch platform is free, and Shopify has a free option as well. There is a $4.99 monthly fee involved with upgrading your Shopify platform.

11. Amazon Merch on Demand

Amazon Merch on Demand helps users sell their branded products created by them to be manufactured, sold, and shipped by Amazon. A key selling point here is that Amazon prints and ships products faster than most other POD fulfillment services. Because Amazon is both a massive marketplace and one of the most popular search engines on the internet, you should be able to reach more customers at Amazon Merch on Demand than anywhere else.

Signing up is easy as Amazon Merch on Demand is free to create an account, upload content, and free to sell on the platform. Amazon also offers Print on Demand and Amazon Custom where customers can buy customized goods. With the help of these services, customers can develop unique products with their own artwork, logos, and text, and have them printed and delivered within a few days.

Pros: Huge reach, high potential for conversion rate, perhaps the fastest shipping service

Cons: Limited branding options, high competition.

Pricing: Amazon Merch is an on-demand printing business where sellers make and list free t-shirt designs on Amazon. There are no out-of-pocket expenses, and you are paid royalties when a client purchases your shirt.

12. Sunfrog

Sunfrog is a print-on-demand service offering a wide range of products from clothing to accessories, flyers, notebooks, mugs, and banners. They offer high-quality prints, with quick turnaround times, and competitive prices offer high- print quality for a wide selection of designs. Once signed in as a seller Sunfrog will make promotional images for you at no cost so that you can promote yourself to your customers.

It also offers users campaign tracking codes to help you get on top of your marketing campaign. In addition, Sunfrog pays a 10% commission on all sales to artists and enables you to set your own prices. Each item, however, has a minimum and maximum price that can be charged. It is also integrated with major sales channels such as Shopify, Big Commerce, and Magento.

Pros: No minimum sales requirement to have the merchandise printed, comes with a featured artist section, to promote your work and increase sales, easy to use dashboard that displays real-time statistics such as traffic, sales, and conversion.

Cons: Initially, profit margins may be modest.

Pricing: SunFrog is completely free to use, and you make money by creating items and earning a 15% commission on sales. If you are an artist, you will also receive a 10% commission on each piece sold.

13. JetPrint

JetPrint is a printondemand company, offering over 400 products from shoes, jewelry, watches, and clothing to bags, rugs, shower curtains, and more. With JetPrints mockup generator, you can automatically create and publish products using youre your artwork or your own custom design and even include your own logo.

You can also process orders automatically and even set a time limit that enables you to make changes or corrections if necessary. JetPrint offers integration with Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce, making it simpler and faster to promote and sell your unique merchandise.

Pros: Good selection of merchandising products, good custom design options, availability of payment integrations.

Cons: Lead times for production in some cases could take between three to five days.

Pricing: JetPrint charges a base price.

14. Teespring

Teespring initially began as the best print on demand for selling designed t-shirts. Today it has become a print-on-demand order fulfillment company, producing leggings, hoodies, decor, phone cases, and more.

Teespring is a free platform that allows creators and influencers to develop, promote, and sell products without incurring any costs or risks. Teespring offers order fulfillment, customer service, and shipping. In exchange, creators can determine the selling price and keep 100% of the profit.

Pros: Integration with social media platforms and other marketing channels, free-to-use, easy-to-use design feature.

Cons: Small margins for small volume production, Teespring makes more sense if you have a large volume of orders to fulfill.

Pricing: Spring is completely free to use. You determine the selling price and retain the entire profit.

15. TeeChip

TeeChip is a print-on-demand platform that lets users create their own unique merchandising and sell directly to their fans. With it, you can sell a wide variety of products including posters, mugs, hoodies, gats, phone cases, and t-shirts. Working with TeeChip, there is no risk because there are no upfront costs. When it comes to, the payment TeeChip accepts credit cards, debit cards, wire transfers, and PayPal.

Pros: A good selection of customizable products, simple sign-up procedure with no costs.

Cons: According to Teechip orders are usually shipped within 5-20 working days.

Pricing: TeeChip deducts the base price from the purchase each time you sell and provides you the margin you specify.

16. Printy6

Printy6 is a print-on-demand service that makes it easy for businesses to create and order custom-printed products. Businesses can quickly design their own products with intuitive tools, upload artwork, and order high-quality prints in no time thanks to Printy6s innovative technology and user-friendly platform.

Printy6 integrates with many online stores, including Shopify, Etsy, BigCommerce, Woocommerce, and Amazon. It offers professional-level image rendering services to make your images stand out thanks to its photorealistic rendering feature. It uses premium fabrics and an eco-friendly printing process and provides a money-back guarantee if there are any quality problems.

Pros: Easily integrates with your own online store, offers cheaper product costs compared to other print-on-demand , offers customized brand packaging

Cons: Some reviews complain about longer fulfillment times than other competing print-on-demand sites, and most of its products are focused on apparel.

Pricing: Printy6 app is free to use

17. Gelato

Gelato is a print-on-demand site for a range of products that include clothing, wall art, Mugs, Photobooks, Cards, Stationery, tote bags, and more. With more than 130 production partners spread across 32 nations, it makes it simple for customers to have their products produced and delivered without hassle while lowering their carbon footprint.

The option to select the shipping speed, live order tracking, shipping discounts, and more benefits are included. Additionally, it integrates with all of the leading online shopping carts, including Shopify. Platforms like Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and others are integrated with it.

Pros: Offers local production options, affordable pricing, has a mobile app, tracks shipments, and offers basic analytics.

Cons: Limited selection of product options with categories swaying more on apparel and basic stationery

Pricing: Gelato is free to join with no minimum purchases required and get access to integration with Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce. Paid plans begin at $ 14.00 per month, and you can get millions of stock photos, premium mockups, and 30% off standard shipping as well.

18. Gooten

Gooten is a dropshipping platform that specializes in print-on-demand services. It offers a wide range of products, from fashion and apparel to home decor, to wall art and accessories. It comes with a robust suite of tools and services to help users launch and scale their businesses. Its major selling points include its easy-to-use platform, extensive product catalog, and competitive pricing.

Gooten integrates with Big Commerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy. Its automated order fulfillment system makes sure that orders are usually processed and shipped within 24 hours. It also offers a loyalty program Very Important Merchant (VIM) where you get more tailored solutions and support to help grow your online business.

Pros: Versatile product catalog, integration with major platforms, and great loyalty program.

Cons: Its product mockups dont look as good as those from other print-on-demand companies.

Pricing: The base cost of the item and the price of printing are both included in the prices listed in Gootens Product Catalog. You can charge and set your own margins, but dont forget to factor in shipping and fulfillment costs.

19. Society6

If you are an independent artist or a creative Society6 can be a great option for a print-on-demand site. With it, you can sell a wide variety of products, including wall art, t-shirts, phone cases, and home furnishings. Users can also upload their own artwork to create truly one-of-a-kind items.

Similarly, Society6 has reasonable prices and a simple website. Its customer service is also well-known for its quick responses. Because of its extensive product selection, low prices, and excellent customer service, Society6 is an excellent choice for those looking for the best print-on-demand companies.

Pros: Great for newly emerging artists, helps to create marketplace visibility for your artwork and offers networking opportunities in its online artist community.

Cons: You are only able to sell your products through the Society6 website as it is unable to integrate with Shopify, Etsy, or other platforms.

Pricing: Society6, does not have any monthly fee, you receive a 10% commission on the base price of your artwork.

How to Choose the Best Print on Demand Company

There are many great print-on-demand companies out there, each offering its own unique services and features. it comes to choosing the right print-on-demand company, theres no one-size-fits-all solution. Each print-on-demand business has its own distinct strengths, weaknesses, and features, but how can one choose the best print-on-demand business? Here are some features to consider:

Offer quality products: For an enterprise to succeed, it will need to create products of the highest quality. So it is important to shortlist a few prospective print-on-demand suppliers and order test samples from them to get a sense of their quality standards.

For an enterprise to succeed, it will need to create products of the highest quality. So it is important to shortlist a few prospective print-on-demand suppliers and order test samples from them to get a sense of their quality standards. Speedy Shipping: Customers expect fast shipping times when shopping online. You will need to deliver on this promise if you want to establish a good reputation and earn repeat business. When choosing a print-on-demand company, it is important to consider the average shipping time. Ideally, customers should receive their products within one week of placing an order.

Customers expect fast shipping times when shopping online. You will need to deliver on this promise if you want to establish a good reputation and earn repeat business. When choosing a print-on-demand company, it is important to consider the average shipping time. Ideally, customers should receive their products within one week of placing an order. Reasonable production costs and shipping: Business is all about generating enough revenues to help your business thrive and grow. Reasonable production costs and shipping rates come in handy for your businesss success. Choosing a print-on-demand company with high product and shipping fees may result in smaller margins, hindering growth. Look for a print-on-demand company that offers a reasonable production cost without compromising quality.

Business is all about generating enough revenues to help your business thrive and grow. Reasonable production costs and shipping rates come in handy for your businesss success. Choosing a print-on-demand company with high product and shipping fees may result in smaller margins, hindering growth. Look for a print-on-demand company that offers a reasonable production cost without compromising quality. Offer Customization and printing options: Good print-on-demand companies will offer different customization and printing options, depending on your needs. Great print-on-demand companies, in addition to this, will offer packaging options that suit your design and branding needs.

Good print-on-demand companies will offer different customization and printing options, depending on your needs. Great print-on-demand companies, in addition to this, will offer packaging options that suit your design and branding needs. Offer Integration with other platforms: Different print-on-demand companies allow you to sell through a variety of channels, such as your own website, Shopify, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, and other platforms. Make sure your print-on-demand company accords you with the means to grow your business by offering you these options.

It is important that you start your selection for the right print-on-demand partner from a pool of likely candidates while making sure not to make too many print-on-demand mistakes. Besides inquiring whether the provider provides the services you require and has a good track record with customers, you should check the companys refund policy. Check to see if they can offer you cutting-edge technology at a reasonable price.

Heres a numbered comparison table for choosing the best print-on-demand company:

iteria Importance Print-on-Demand Company A Print-on-Demand Company B Print-on-Demand Company C 1. Quality Products High ? ? ? 2. Speedy Shipping High ? ? ? 3. Reasonable Costs High ? ? ? 4. Customization & Printing Medium ? ? ? 5. Integration with Platforms Medium ? ? ? 6. Refund Policy Low ? ? ? 7. Cutting-edge Technology Low ? ? ?

Note that a check indicates that the company meets the criteria, while an X indicates that the company does not meet the criteria. The importance levels are subjective and may vary based on individual business needs. Conduct thorough research and compare multiple print-on-demand companies to find the best fit for your specific requirements.

How to Make Money with Print on Demand

If done right, venturing into a print-on-demand business can be lucrative and comes with minimal risks. Print-on-demand offers low startup costs and quick setup without the need for inventory and storage, and is easy to experiment with product designs. It also offers you the ability to customize and sell your unique designs to a global market, scale, and test new products without financial risks.

Lets also not forget that most print-on-demand businesses frequently provide discounts for bigger orders letting you to further increase your profit margins. Most importantly, it can boost your online stores chances of success while at the same time making money by creating your own brand that is distinct.

Ultimately the amount of money you can earn with Print on Demand is dependent on the goods you offer, your target audience, and how well you advertise to them. Some great ways to make money with print-on-demand include:

Partner with platforms that can boost your touch points: There are several platforms that can help you bring to scale your sales and boost your earnings. For example, platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Amazon can increase your reach and help with some of the heavy lifting for you.

There are several platforms that can help you bring to scale your sales and boost your earnings. For example, platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Amazon can increase your reach and help with some of the heavy lifting for you. Make the most of social media marketing: Social media offers a tremendously and powerful instrument for promoting your print-on-demand goods. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter not only increase your customer touch points but also add to your credibility and boost engagement with your target audience. With some effort, you can develop a loyal customer base that will keep coming back for more.

Social media offers a tremendously and powerful instrument for promoting your print-on-demand goods. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter not only increase your customer touch points but also add to your credibility and boost engagement with your target audience. With some effort, you can develop a loyal customer base that will keep coming back for more. Uniqueness and personalization sell: To succeed, you will need to fine-tune youre branding and design so that you represent a distinct personality  this is what will make you stick out from the competition. Consider using unique typefaces and eye-catching graphics. Also, keep an eye on what is trending for print-on-demand goods to stay ahead of the curve.

To succeed, you will need to fine-tune youre branding and design so that you represent a distinct personality  this is what will make you stick out from the competition. Consider using unique typefaces and eye-catching graphics. Also, keep an eye on what is trending for print-on-demand goods to stay ahead of the curve. Create realistic mock-ups: Its always a good idea to make mock-ups of your products on real individuals when offering a print-on-demand product. This enables you to demonstrate your products in real-world settings and doesnt come off as a scam. This is also excellent for sharing on social media.

Its always a good idea to make mock-ups of your products on real individuals when offering a print-on-demand product. This enables you to demonstrate your products in real-world settings and doesnt come off as a scam. This is also excellent for sharing on social media. Harness the power of testimonials and reviews: When it comes to promoting your print-on-demand goods, customer feedback can go a long way in terms of establishing your credibility. If you have satisfied clients who to sing your praises, make sure to clearly display their testimonials on your website or social media sites.

This is an excellent method to establish trust with prospective customers and demonstrate to them that your goods are worthwhile investments. Always remember reviews and testimonials are the new social proof!

Finally, its important to note that success with a POD company often requires patience and consistent effort. While some individuals and businesses have achieved significant success and generated substantial income through POD, others may experience more modest results. Like any business venture, there are risks and uncertainties, but with dedication, creativity, and strategic planning, you can increase your chances of success in the print-on-demand industry.

Best Print on Demand Services FAQ

There are several print-on-demand sites, and the best one for you will be determined by your particular requirements. You will need to consider the kinds of products you want to produce, the quantity required, the quality of the product, the turnaround time, and the expense without any hidden fees.

Can you start print on demand with no money?

Yes, you can start printing on demand with no money. You can build your own online store using a free platform like Shopify, or you can use a free tool offered by many print-on-demand service companies to help you with fulfilling your orders. When it comes to designing, print-on-demand companies come with free mock-up generators as well as free templates and designs online to use for your products.

If you are a creative designer you can offer designs in the form of digital products to others and receive royalties in exchange. In some cases, a good print-on-demand site will even help you calculate your business costs and help set a price to help set prices for a cozy profit margin.

Which print on demand service is most profitable?

There are several print-on-demand service choices available in the market, each with its own set of benefits and disadvantages. Ultimately, the most profitable print-on-demand service will be the one that best meets your particular businesss requirements.

For example, Printful is an excellent choice if you want a print-on-demand service that is quick and simple to use. It also comes with a variety of custom products, so you can choose the ideal product to sell. Zazzle is another well-known print-on-demand business that has a broader selection of products and customization choices.

Is Print-on-Demand Still a Good Business?

Theres no doubt that print-on-demand (POD) continues to open markets for creatives, artists, and small businesses engaged in merchandising. It offers a quick, easy, and affordable way to print and distribute books, artwork, merchandising, and more on a global scale.

It is a great alternative for creatives who want to get their custom products into the hands of their fans without incurring the high costs of traditional printing, storage, and distribution. The major draw for POD is that it allows entrepreneurs much leeway in their manufacturing as production is on an as-needed basis.

What Are the Best Quality T-Shirts for Printing?

There are several factors to consider when looking for the finest quality T-shirts for printing. The first thing to think about is the sort of printing you want to do.

For example, if you want to screen print, youll need to use a material made of a thicker substance to keep the pigment from bleeding through the blouse. And if you want to do digital printing, you would want to opt for a T-shirt made from a thinner material to improve the ink clearly printed on the garment.

Is dropshipping better than print on demand?

Though both dropshipping and print-on-demand share many features print on demand has an edge over drop shipping. Doprshipping companies or eCommerce suppliers offer goods and services to online merchants and are limited to marketing, fulfillment, and transportation. The dropshipping industry is more cutthroat than the print-on-demand market as there is little differentiation among the products that are up for sale.

Print on demand, however, has an element of uniqueness when it comes to the product as they are designed by a particular artist, creative or small business. If you want to build a long-lasting and consistent image with customers and carve out your own niche then print-on-demand can be a good option.

Qualify for discounts, special offers and more with a Business Prime account from Amazon. You can create a FREE account to get started today.
Drivers without special card face fee of 1.50 per hour.

Bratislava parking assistant (PAAS), as Bratislava's parking policy is called, is introduced in Strkovec on October 25, 2023. (Source: Facebook/MC Ruzinov)

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On Wednesday, Bratislava started regulated parking in another part of the Ruzinov borough.

Bratislava Parking Assistant (PAAS), as Bratislava's parking policy is called, is being introduced in the Strkovec area.

Parking in this zone will only be possible with a valid PAAS parking card or after paying a fee.

Strkovec is bordered by Bajkalska, Ruzinovska, Tomasikova and Trnavska Cesta streets. Drivers will have to pay 1.50 an hour to park in the RU3 - Strkovec zone from midday to midnight on working days.

PAAS, which Bratislava describes as one of the biggest reforms in the capital, was launched at the beginning of last year initially in three zones - Tehelne Pole in Nove Mesto borough, Dvory 4 in Petrzalka borough and Krasnany in Raca borough.

The city is gradually introducing regulated parking in other locations as well. More were added this year, for example in Petrzalka, Ruzinov, Stare Mesto and Nove Mesto.
Time to change your tires, cautious investors, and a guide to a Slovak dialect.

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Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, October 25 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Dobroslav Trnka has died

Former Prosecutor General Dobroslav Trnka. (Source: SME)

Former Prosecutor General Dobroslav Trnka has died at the age of 59, the tabloid daily Novy Cas reported. His passing was confirmed to the daily by his wife.

Trnka lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday, October 25.

In April, the National Crime Agency (NAKA) charged Trnka with abuse of authority over the release of notorious convicted fraudster Jozef Majsky from custody in 2004. At the time, Trnka issued a written instruction to release Majsky despite protests from two Kosice prosecutors who oversaw Majsky's prosecution.

He was also charged in the Glance House case. Trnka intervened in the case by allowing the transfer of the Glance House apartment building 11 years ago, despite the fact that the Special Prosecutor's Office had blocked the transfer.

And in July 2022, the then Bratislava I District Court stopped the criminal prosecution against the Trnka for concealing a recording known as 'Gorilla' revealing alleged extensive corruption in high politics. The court reclassified his actions from a crime to a misdemeanour. In that case, however, the matter was already past the statute of limitations. Trnka is believed to have had access to the recording between 2007 and 2014.

Trnka served as Prosecutor General from 2004 to 2011.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Bratislava: Bratislava started regulated parking in another part of the Ruzinov borough.

Bratislava started regulated parking in another part of the Ruzinov borough. Automotive: It is time for drivers to switch their cars to winter tires again.

It is time for drivers to switch their cars to winter tires again. Finance: Slovakia is becoming a more risky country for investors and its borrowing has become more expensive.

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 WEDNESDAY

A guide to the Spis dialect

Spis Jeruzalem. (Source: Jana Liptakova)

One of Slovakia's strange tongues is the Spis dialect. The Spis region lies to the east and south of the High Tatras mountain range and includes the cities Kezmarok, Stara Lubovna, Poprad, Levoca, Spisska Nova Ves and Gelnica.

Here's how you could impress Spis natives.

EVENT FOR NOVEMBER

Mozart Festival in Bratislava

The international music festival, Mozart Festival, will begin in Bratislava on October 27, 2023. (Source: Jarmila Uhlikova)

What did Mozart's music really sound like? And what was the cultural environment of Prespork (Bratislava) in the 18th century? These are some of the questions organisers asked while working on the latest edition of the Mozart Festival.

The music festival will kick off in Bratislava on Friday, October 27, and runs into November Tickets are available here.

In other news

"Today you are not only taking over power, today you are also taking over, naturally, responsibility. For the republic, for its people," said President Zuzana Caputova after she appointed the new government led by Smer leader Robert Fico.

Hlas leader and ex-PM Peter Pellegrini was elected Slovakia's new speaker of parliament , replacing Boris Kollar (Sme Rodina), on Wednesday.

Several municipalities in Slovakia will increase local taxes and fees from next year, confirmed the chair of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of Slovakia (ZMOS) and the mayor of Partizanske, Jozef Bozik.

On Monday, October 30, the autumn holidays for primary and secondary school pupils begin. They will return to school on Thursday, November 2.

Slovakia's new government led by Robert Fico. (Source: TASR - Martin Baumann)

The OLaNO movement , led by ex-PM Igor Matovic, has changed its name to Slovensko (Slovakia). The party changed its name seven times between 2015 and 2023.

, led by ex-PM Igor Matovic, has changed its name to Slovensko (Slovakia). The party changed its name seven times between 2015 and 2023. In addition to a group of police investigators, National Crime Agency Director Lubomir Danko has also been granted the whistleblower status . Danko used to investigate the criminal cases linked to the Smer party. (SME)

The Volkswagen Slovakia plant in Martin, central Slovakia, produced 600 million components earlier this week. The jubilee part is a joint shaft. It will be used for the production of a fully electric car in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Former defence minister Jaroslav Nad will be an advisor to the Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova. (CT 24)

WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Expect cloudy skies, rain or showers in some places. Daytime highs of 19C are forecast. (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 and Instagram (@slovakspectator).
Victoria, British Columbia has deep coffee roots. Today its home to a thriving international coffee scene, drawing on styles and influences (and of course coffees) from around the world. But there was outstanding, identifiably proto-third wave coffee here by the mid-1990s, led by the work of 2% Jazz Coffee founder Sam Jones, who launched the brand all the way back in 1996. For reference, thats a full 13 years before we started Sprudge; by way of additional context, wed wager to guess that a healthy percentage of our readers today were not yet born when 2% Jazz began serving espressos and cappuccinos to the rainy city on the tip of Vancouver Island.

History is cool and all, but what have you done for me lately? Here in 2023 Sam Jones and 2% Jazz continue to innovate and lead in the Victoria coffee scene. Their growth trajectory has helped pave the way for many similar stories around the world of coffee, from a kiosk to a brick and mortar to a roasting facility, and now with four cafe locations. In addition to that work, Jones helms a popular local food and beverage industry podcast, leads a homeless services advocacy organization, sponsors music festivals, and he just so happens to have overseen a recent brand refresh for the companys coffee bags. This gives us an excuse to sit down with Sam Jones and learn more about where 2% Jazz comes from, what the company looks like today, and where its headed next in 2024with a huge 30 year anniversary on the horizon.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

2% Jazz Coffee got its start as a kiosk in Victoria. Can you take us back to 1996 for a moment? What were you serving the most? What were you drinking? And were you listening to a lot of Maceo Parker?

I was. Back in 1996, the best coffee around was in Seattle at the time. It was Espresso Vivace, and I was drinking a lot of that, I was serving some of it. I was serving a little bit of Illycaffe as well. I worked with this company, a local roaster at the time. They allowed me to kind of come up with my own blend, and so I had three different coffees going, and they were all fun. I also used decaf coffee from Caffe Fantastico, another great local Victoria coffee roaster. I was drinking a lot of Americanos back then and a lot of just straight shots of espresso, really. Back in 1996, I guess I was pretty much all espresso. Thats what my life was all about.

And I was playing a lot of Maceo Parker, but I was also playing a lot of Funkadelic and Parliament and any kind of old, funky, groovy tunes I get my hands on, add some really loud and obnoxious computer speakers that I would put out onto the street, and I would just play it as loudly as I could. It was awesome. And I always had great customers bring me music to play. My CD collectionbecause it was all CDs at the timewas outstanding, and because I was in a kiosk, it got broken into and my CD collection would often get stolen. Insurance was awesome for replacing CDs, and I built a very healthy, very deep, funky collection of CDs back in the day. It was a lot of fun.

Probably the most common drinks back then were still drip coffee and I think cappuccino because people just didnt know what the hell they were doing back then. Cappuccinos are great drinks, but they werent what people were expecting. They just wanted basically a latte back in the day, and I was happy to serve that to them.

Tell us about the transition from craft bags to your new compostable bags.

Well, I happened to have a little bit of money saved up, and I wanted to spend it on something for the company, and it was bags. I had taken my craft bags up to the compost facility here in Victoria, and they assured me that they would be compostable, even with the glycine insert that kind of blows away and is collected and the rest of the paper is shredded and put into the compost. So paper coffee bags are compostable.

Ive moved to this new 12-ounce bag so that I could work more online. I was looking around at the competition, and I dont really have much of a presence online for coffee, and I was looking at pricing and sizing of packaging, and everyone was going the 12 ounce route. So it got me thinking that if I wanted to play on the online game, I needed to do what everyone else was doing. I sucked it up a bit and I bought a whole bunch of 12-ounce beautiful coffee bags to sell my beans online with, and this worked out really well. Im really happy with my bags. They look great, they hold the coffee really well. Im really, really happy with them.

And the transition, I guess, was a long time coming. I mean, I was always a one-pound-bag guy, and to switch to 340 grams felt like it was a difficult transition for me. I didnt want to feel like I was taking advantage of the customer. I didnt want the customer to look like I was price gouging by not adjusting my pricing. So there was a transition in my pricing at the same time as I transitioned with my bag. Like I say, Im very happy with the bags right now.

Who designed the packaging?

A man in Victoria named Matt Rose did the design. He took the different bits of artwork that Ive had created over the years and really did a bang-up job of putting it all together in a bag that just scans right out on the shelf. Its beautiful. Its got everything that is 2%Jazz right on that bag. Its pretty fun. So

Could you tell us about the iconography depicted on the bag?

Well, I can. Theyre all portafilters. They have a different meaning depending on the one.

There is the symbol with the 96, and that is because I started [the company] in 1996. In the portafilter there is a snoozing guy and thats for my decaf ones, I guess. And the leaf, bean and the drop are something that Ive always put on my projects. The leaf being the plant, the bean being the coffee roastery and the roasting process, and the drop representing the cup. So we have the farms, we have the roasters, and we have the baristas. So we have all of the symbols there. They symbolize the different aspects of the coffee industry. A lot of this iconography was created with a design company I worked with called The Number Creative, and Im friends with the owners and so I worked with his company and some of these bits and pieces just kind of just happened over the years. I mean, weve been doing this for almost well, more than 25 years and counting, and thats a long time to develop a taste and to develop a look. And this look and the style has been just developed over the years. And there has been a lot of different creators at The Number Creative who have worked on my projects over the years so theres no one person responsible for this. This is just a beautiful combination of years of working with some good people. Is that red sticker on the bag of Ethiopia a fruit bomb? We love that detail. Well, the fruit bomb and the caramels, and we had a couple of different classifications for a while of how we were talking about our single-origin coffees and our coffees in general. And so we would just add a little sticker so that the customers could get just a quick sense of what the coffee was going to be like. So an Ethiopian that is very fruit-forward would classify as a fruit bomb. So as opposed to telling everyone what theyre going to taste in their coffee and getting wordy, we like to use symbols, and a picture says a thousand words. And when you see a fruit bomb, you kind of know what youre getting. And when you see a caramel, you kind of know what youre getting. So yeah, we just try to make it easy. Use fewer words, more pictures. You also debuted a new cup. Can you tell us about that? Well, that cup is actually very old now. I dont update my website as often as I should. Its a compostable cup that Ive been working with for quite a few years now. I was one of the first people back in the early or mid-nineties, I guess, to be stamping plain white cups with funny pictures and logos to tell everyone where that cup was coming from. So I was one of the first ones in Victoria to be stamping cups, and I was one of the first independent coffee shops that I know of my size, obviously, Im very small to get our own stamped cups and compostable at that. I was very proud of that, and I still am. The cups are beautiful. They stand out in the peoples hands. They stand out in offices, and I dont know where this cup is going to end up as Victoria is now in the process of trying to make no more take-out cups. So I dont know if my beautiful orange cup will be around much longer, but Im sure we will find a more ecological solution than a compostable paper cup. When did The Bread & Butter Collective podcast get started? The Bread and Butter Collective is a group of hospitality owners in Victoria, BC. They got together during the pandemic, not only to console each other, but to give ourselves strength and support to see our way through what was really unknown territory at the time, and still is. We continue to meet on a regular basis and we continue now. Now that were 40 or 50 members strong, we now have a real voice in helping shape politics and that influence the hospitality industry in our town and province. We are advocates of paying our employees well, providing safe workspaces, not only for employees, but for our customers as well. And these are blanket policies that we just believe, promote, and expect other restaurants to uphold. We were one of the first coffee shops to offer a living wage, and that was a direct result of being part of the Bread and Butter podcast. Now, Kayla and I both, we co-host the Bread and Butter podcast, and its a range of topics, but we try to stick as much as we can to current issues that surround the hospitality industry in general. That includes coffee shops, but its mostly hospitality in general. We dont really get down to different kinds of businesses within the industry. So when were talking about how we treat our tip pools. Tipping is a big thing that Bread and Butter has as an issue with that we need to address. And its not the same in cafes as it is in other hospitality businesses. So in some ways we are generalizing about our policies, but knowing, and were there to support individuals and individual businesses with better ideas of how they can go about implementing good policy in their specific businesses. So theres quite a few of us. We work with the industry, but individually we focus on each others businesses. Were very helpful to each other, and the podcast is a reflection of what were doing at the time. From kiosk to brick and mortar to roasting facility a decade ago, you now have four locations, a podcast, fresh branding. With all that going on, your company has time to sponsor and support local music scene. The Victoria Scott Fest, Reggae Festival, the Conservatory of Music, working with venues like Victoria Event Center. Anything on deck for 2024? Well, Im not even done 2023 yet, and Im already working on three more collaborations with different groups. So, yes, there will be lots coming up in 2024. My goals are to reduce my expenses in how I participate in the community, because its a very hard time economically right now, so trying to reduce what I put out in a monetary way means that I need to think more creatively in how Im going to participate in building community. So 2024 is going to be when I am opening a cafe in a not-for-profit building that helps support housing needs for people on the verge of not having housing. And so, this is a really important project to me, so theres a new building built by a not-for-profit group in Victoria called the Cool Aid Organization, and Ive taken over and put a cafe in the bottom of their building, so Im being a bridge from this housing organization to the community that they moved into. This is a project thats dear to my heart. Homelessness and near-homelessness is something thats becoming more and more of an issue in our world, and more and more of us are as close to weve ever been to being homeless. So, my heart goes out to people who need the help. My weight and energy goes behind organizations that are there to help, and the Cool Aid Organization is really there to help homeless people. Unfortunately, when Cool Aid helps in certain neighborhoods, other members of those neighborhoods feel that the homeless crisis has now reached their doorsteps, and Cool Aid projects arent necessarily welcomed by everybody in every neighborhood. And as a brand, a well-known brand in Victoria, and an advocate of community, I feel it really is my place and the place of 2% Jazz to be there, to be that bridge between the solution and the people who need to see it in a more positive light. Im working on, in 2024, several different collaborations, and these are collaborations with no contracts. So, just working with really good people, helping them do things while still helping myself. So, true collaborations are something that Im striving to increase in 2024, and working only with people that I want to spend time with. Those are the things that are important to me in 2024. Thank you! Photos courtesy 2% Jazz. Explore Coffee Design archives at our exclusive Coffee Design hub. Coffee Design is a feature series on Sprudge presented by TricorBraun Flex.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/2024-presidential-hopeful-vivek-ramaswamy-urges-us-acceptance-of-new-russian-regions-1114474857.html

2024 Presidential Hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy Urges US Acceptance of New Russian Regions

2024 Presidential Hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy Urges US Acceptance of New Russian Regions

US Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has called for Washington to actively pursue a swift resolution to the Ukrainian conflict, proposing a settlement involving the transfer of Russian-speaking regions to Russia and a firm NATO refusal to accept Ukraine, the politician stated in an address at Hudson Institute on October 25.

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Ramaswamy emphasized the need to secure a reasonable path to peace, urging an official commitment from NATO not to accept Ukraine. He further suggested freezing the current front lines and transferring Russian-speaking regions to Russia.At the same time, the candidate warned against automatically assuming Ukraine's alignment with American interests, emphasizing the undemocratic actions of the Kiev regime in reference to a ban on 11 opposition parties, as well as all TV media merging into one state television entity.However, the candidate emphasized the US would not acknowledge the regions, unless Russia "exits its military alliance with China."Washington has recently been concerned with deepening Sino-Russian cooperation, which appears to threaten a reshaping of the global order, challenge the US hegemony, and create a balanced world in terms of global economy, security and diplomacy.Ramaswamy argued that the United States - by deepening its military involvement in the Ukraine conflict, risks strengthening Moscow's ties with Beijing. Expressing concerns about potential conflicts with Russia, Ramaswamy deemed the Russia-China alliance as a significant threat to the United States, highlighting disparities in nuclear capabilities and hypersonic missile technology. He advocated for a trilateral world order involving the US, Russia and China, rather than a bilateral order favoring China with Russia's alignment. Ramaswamy also raised concerns about the US involvement in the Ukraine conflict, particularly the transfer of substantial artillery ammunition to Kiev, which is now in great demand in Israel.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/ability-of-china-us-to-get-along-with-each-other-crucial-for-whole-world---xi-1114463777.html

Ability of China, US to Get Along With Each Other Crucial for Whole World - Xi

Ability of China, US to Get Along With Each Other Crucial for Whole World - Xi

China and the United States are two major nations and how they will get along with each other in future is crucial for the whole world, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.

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"As two major countries in the world, whether China and the United States can find a right way to get along with each other [is key for] world peace and development and the future of humanity," Xi said in letter to the participants of the annual gala dinner hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations, as read by Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng on Tuesday. China is ready to promote mutually beneficial relations with the US based on principles of mutual respect, while resolving bilateral issues in an appropriate way and take joint efforts to tackle global challenges, the Chinese leader added. On Monday, the US State Department said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would host Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Washington from October 26-28 for talks on an array of issues.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/china-cooperates-with-finland-on-balticconnector-gas-pipeline-incident-1114466879.html

China Cooperates With Finland on Balticconnector Gas Pipeline Incident

China Cooperates With Finland on Balticconnector Gas Pipeline Incident

China cooperates with Finland and other countries in connection with the incident at the Balticconnector gas pipeline, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

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On Tuesday, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation said that the investigation into the incident at the Balticconnector gas pipeline had established that vessel Newnew Polar Bear under the flag of Hong Kong was likely to have caused the damage. "China maintains smooth interaction with Finland and other parties [on the incident]," the spokeswoman told reporters. China is ready to provide the necessary assistance in investigating damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline in accordance with international law, the diplomat said, adding that Beijing hopes for an objective probe into the case, which mentions a ship flying the Hong Kong flag.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/china-to-launch-shenzhou-17-manned-spacecraft-on-october-26---space-agency-1114463306.html

China to Launch Shenzhou-17 Manned Spacecraft on October 26 - Space Agency

China to Launch Shenzhou-17 Manned Spacecraft on October 26 - Space Agency

China will launch the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft with the three-member crew to the Tiangong space station on Thursday, Deputy Director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) Lin Xiqiang has said.

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"At 11:14 a.m. local time [03:14 GMT], on October 26, the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft will be launched. The crew includes cosmonauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin. Tang Hongbo has been named the commander," Lin told a press conference on Wednesday. China invites foreign astronauts to participate in its space missions, especially from the countries that are committed to the peaceful use of space, the CMSA deputy director also said. The launch will take place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China with a a Long March-2F carrier rocket. The crew of the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will be the sixth one on China's space station where cosmonauts are expected to work for around six months.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/israel-and-us-fear-new-humiliation-in-ground-invasion-of-gaza-1114468621.html

Israel and US Fear New Humiliation in Ground Invasion of Gaza

Israel and US Fear New Humiliation in Ground Invasion of Gaza

Israel's threatened ground offensive in Gaza is still on hold, almost three weeks after the devastating Hamas raid into southern Israel. Sam Husseini and Elijah Magnier argued that fear of another defeat was holding Israel back.

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Israel fears a second military defeat by Hamas if it goes ahead with an offensive to destroy the Palestinian group and free hundreds of hostages, two journalists say.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called up some 350,000 military reservists after a surprise Hamas attack from the Gaza Strip left almost 300 Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops and over 1,000 civilians dead, with more than 200 taken captive.Earlier this week, US media reported that US President Joe Biden's government was pressuring Israel to delay its ground invasion in the hope of negotiating the release of dual US-Israeli nationals taken hostage there by the Hamas movement.But journalist Sam Husseini told Sputnik that it was not Washington holding the IDF back, but Israel's fear of taking heavy casualties in the assault.He said Netanyahu's vow to destroy Hamas in return for the October 7 attacks was merely a "pretext" for ethnic cleansing and a land-grab."Israel is doing what it's long wanted to do, which is to go after the civilian Palestinian population, to decimate Palestinian society as much as possible in order to drive out more and more Palestinians from their lands so they can take it, so they can take the resources, the gas reserves off the coast of Gaza, for example, as well as just another ethnic cleansing as they did in 1948, 1967," Husseini said.He also focussed on the release of two elderly Israeli women held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. One of the women, Yukhfed Livshitz, told reporters how the militants had treated her and others humanely and with dignity, promising not to harm them and even bringing a doctor to check on them every few days.The journalist said that surprising turn of events was the motive for the IDF's "Hannibal Directive" that an Israeli is "better dead than abducted" by Israel's enemies. He pointed to accounts from Israeli survivors of the October 7 attack on Israeli settlements near Gaza that civilians were killed by IDF troops in a panic and botched response."There are increasing reports coming out that the Israeli a lot of the Israeli civilians that were killed on October 7th were actually killed by Israeli forces, that the Israeli forces came in and ended up killing a lot of Israelis in the process, and that Hamas, more than anything, was attempting to target Israeli military," Husseini said.War reporter Elijah Magnier pointed out to Sputnik that the IDF had, by its own admission, dropped 4,000 tons of high-explosive bombs on Gaza in a few days  a quarter of the explosive power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.Despite accusations by Israel and its Western allies that Hamas is using Gaza's 2.3-million inhabitants as human shields, the war correspondent noted that "we have not heard one complaint from the population against Hamas." "I understand this feeling because I have been in many wars that Israel carried out in Lebanon and in Gaza," Magnier recounted. "People think only with a lot of emotion against those who are bombing them. They don't think what has triggered the Israeli reaction, particularly in the case of the Palestinians who have been living [for] 73 years under the occupation of Israel."He pointed out that four previous Israeli assaults on Gaza had failed to neutralize the Islamic resistance movement."In every war of the Israeli attack on Gaza and these four times, never ever have they managed to cripple Hamas or to turn the population against Hamas," Magnier said. "We have seen devastating bombardment of Gaza in the past, particularly in 2012 and 2014, and the population was still not against Hamas. So the Israelis understand very well the consequences of their bombardments."The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that more than 6,500 people had been killed and 19,000 injured since October 7 by Israeli bombing raids on Gaza and IDF incursions into the occupied West bank. It said 70 percent of those killed were elderly people, women and children  the latter accounting for 2,500 of the dead."Hamas is present under the ground and above the ground is part of the population, which is exactly like Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the Israelis also promised as so many times to cripple Hezbollah's capability," he continued. "We've seen Hezbollah coming back stronger and now we see Hamas coming back stronger."For more in-depth analysis of current affairs, tune in to our Sputnik Radio shows.

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Border Agency: No Indications Hamas-Linked Foreign Fighters Trying to Enter US

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not seen any indications of Hamas-linked foreign fighters attempting to enter the United States, an agency spokesperson told Sputnik.

"CBP has seen no indication of Hamas-directed foreign fighters seeking to make entry into the United States," the spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Media reported earlier this week that CBP put out an internal bulletin recently alerting its officers that Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad foreign fighters inspired by the Israel conflict might be encountered attempting to enter the United States through the US southern border.

The CBP spokesperson said that due to the agency's policy, it cannot confirm or discuss sensitive internal information. However the spokesperson pointed out that the agency provides its personnel on the border a wide range of context for situational awareness in order to ensure they remain vigilant. Situational awareness briefs are not threat assessments, the spokesperson added.

According to CBP data, in fiscal 2023 Border Patrol agents encountered approximately 169 migrants on the US southern border who are on the FBI's terror watchlist.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/palestinian-israeli-conflict-more-dangerous-than-cuban-missile-crisis--ex-cia-analyst-1114474900.html

Palestinian-Israeli Conflict More Dangerous Than Cuban Missile Crisis  Ex-CIA Analyst

Palestinian-Israeli Conflict More Dangerous Than Cuban Missile Crisis  Ex-CIA Analyst

The latest escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict may further deteriorate if Iran gets involved and the US continues to perceive Russia and China as foes, Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst, told Sputnik.

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The situation surrounding a new escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict shows no sign of getting resolved, with Tel Aviv already into the third week of its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, currently under a full blockade.These developments are unfolding as the US signals its full-fledged support for Israel, while Arab nations and Iran have indicated their intent to lend a helping hand to the Palestinians.Dwelling on the Biden administrations policy in this regard and recalling (as an example) that the US is illegally in Syria, the ex-CIA analyst said that on the one hand, we [the US] want to tell very much the need to follow an international rules-based order, and yet we flout those very rules.He warned that the danger here now is that major countries, including Russia, China, Brazil, India, Pakistan, and South Africa are getting fed up and that the traditional sort of allies that the United States thought it could rely on in the Middle East are not there anymore. They include Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, who are even refusing to take calls from [US President Joe] Biden, according to the former CIA analyst. So when you add all of this together, it is, you know, if we're heading for a collision and then on top of it, Johnson noted.The ex-CIA analyst also warned of far-reaching implications from Iran possibly getting involved in the current Palestinian-Israeli armed conflict.When asked about the possibility of a war between the US and Iran in the offing, the ex-CIA analyst said he thinks that's exactly where it's headed."As for Israel, Johnson went on to say, the Jewish state is choosing a course of action that's going to make it more difficult for it to survive intact as a nation, something that he said remains part of his concern.Separately, he berated the US for failing to learn any lessons as he stressed that America continues to believe that we [Washington] can use military force or the threat of military action to coerce others into changing their national policies, their behavior.In this context, Johnson mentioned the creation of Daesh*, which he said was a direct consequence of US policies in Iraq. He also singled out sanctions as an alternative to military force, restrictive measures that have had just the opposite effect now, particularly in countries like Russia.He didnt rule out that there is a theoretical possibility of peace when it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict. "I mean, the first thing that would have to happen is [to] impose an immediate cease fire, stop the military operations and attacks on both sides," Johnson concluded.*Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/pentagon-report-hypes-china-threat-to-sustain-own-hegemony-1114468295.html

Pentagon Report Hypes 'China Threat' to Sustain Own Hegemony

Pentagon Report Hypes 'China Threat' to Sustain Own Hegemony

US urged to discard Cold War mentality, keep military, overall ties with China stable.

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The US' "China Military Power report," like its previous editions, ignores the facts and is filled with bias, spreading the "China threat" theory which only serves as an excuse to maintain its military hegemony, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday, in response to a Pentagon report that warned Beijing is building up its nuclear and long-range missiles arsenal "faster than previous projections." The newly-released annual Pentagon document claimed that China has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023, surpassing earlier projections, and forecast that China would likely have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030. Describing China as a "pacing challenge," the US Defense Department report also said that Beijing may be exploring the development of conventionally-armed long-range missiles that could reach the US. It said that Beijing has completed the construction of three new fields of long-range ballistic missiles silos.Mao Ning, a spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that China is firmly committed to a defensive nuclear strategy, and has always maintained nuclear forces at the lowest level required for national security, and has no intention of engaging in a nuclear arms race with any country.China has a unique nuclear policy among nuclear weapon states and has maintained a high degree of stability, consistency and predictability, Mao said, "No country will be threatened by China's nuclear weapons as long as it does not use or threatens to use them against China."We urge the US to abandon its Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, to view China's strategic intentions and national defense development objectively and rationally, to stop publishing such irresponsible reports year after year, and to take practical actions to maintain the stability of the military-to-military and overall relations between the two sides, Mao said. Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe said that it's hilarious that a country with more than 5,000 nuclear warheads says another nation poses a threat. In 2020, Fu Cong, then director general of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, cited statistics from renowned international think tanks, pointing out that the US nuclear arsenal stands at about 5,800 nuclear warheads.Even if China does have 500 nuclear warheads, they are not even close to the size of the US' arsenal. In addition, the number of US strategic nuclear submarines, strategic bombers, and the number of warheads they carry are far higher than any other country in the world, including China, Zhang remarked. For fiscal year 2024, the US defense budget request hit another record high of $842 billion, more than the gross domestic product of Saudi Arabia for the entire year of 2021, and 20 percent higher than the combined defense budgets of nine countries, including China, Russia, India, and the UK, according to Xinhua.According to Zhang, the US is developing a new generation of strategic nuclear weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), sea-based strategic missiles and airborne nuclear weapons, a new generation of nuclear submarines, and strategic bombers. In addition, the US is miniaturizing nuclear weapons for so-called tactical use, namely, lowering the threshold for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, Zhang said. "The US is also considering resuming the storage of nuclear weapons in other countries, such as the UK, a Cold War era practice of nuclear sharing with allies."The hyping of the "China threat" is nothing but a search for excuses for Washington's uncontrolled nuclear arsenal expansion, and to discredit and suppress China's normal military development, so as to maintain absolute military superiority, Zhang said. 'Undesirable Hobby'The report smeared China's military modernization as a means of projecting power across the Pacific region and ultimately around the globe, saying China's strength is growing in all the domains of warfare, including the traditional land, air and sea, as well as nuclear, cyber and space, according to CNN. The 212-page report also mentioned the word "Taiwan" 261 times, highlighting the Chinese mainland's "military pressure" against the island. The US is worried that the increase of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's military capability could pose challenges to US military hegemony, thus affecting the US political hegemony and global hegemony, Chinese military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping told the Global Times on Friday.Given that the report was released ahead of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a China-hosted platform on defense and security issues, Chinese analysts believed it was also aimed at entrapping Chinese neighbors, cajoling them to resist and oppose China's normal military development so that they can be better "utilized" by the US in the Asia-Pacific region. As the world's largest nuclear state, the US has not made a commitment not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, as China has done, as well as a commitment not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries and regions. Instead, the US has even been aggressive, emphasizing the pre-emptive use of nuclear forces, according to Zhang. The nuclear strategy of the US is global in its scope. When it provides nuclear umbrellas and even nuclear sharing to some allies, it poses a serious threat to other countries, and at the same time is extremely destructive to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation around the world, and ultimately exacerbates regional tensions, Song said. In July, the US deployed a nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea for the first time since 1980s. North Korea later fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters as a response to the "grave provocation," media reported. The problem that the US poses to global security is its nuclear superiority and military power, said a Beijing-based expert. "When it comes to the resolution of regional crises, the US is inclined to resort to the use of force, either by itself or through its allies. And the US' absolute military strength and nuclear power has further encouraged that undesirable hobby." "The US, with the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world, follows a first-use nuclear deterrence policy, keeps making enormous investment to upgrade its nuclear triad, advances forward deployment of strategic forces, and strengthens extended deterrence for its allies," Mao said. "These policies and acts heighten the risk of a nuclear arms race and nuclear conflict, and will only adversely affect the global strategic security environment."This article war originally published by Global Times.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231016/us-military-getting-extremely-weak-due-to-aid-to-ukraine---american-general-1114225465.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231023/no-chance-emergent-multipolar-world-will-accept-new-us-led-world-order-1114436559.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231017/10-years-of-bri-helped-global-south-nations-shape-their-own-destinies---experts-1114267255.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/photos-nightmare-scenario-as-powerful-category-5-hurricane-otis-slams-into-mexico-1114485428.html

Photos: Nightmare Scenario as Powerful Category 5 Hurricane Otis Slams Into Mexico

Photos: Nightmare Scenario as Powerful Category 5 Hurricane Otis Slams Into Mexico

Hurricane Otis made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 5 cyclone, coming ashore near Mexico's Acapulco with 165 miles per hour winds. Just 24 hours earlier, the storm had been a Category 1 with winds of just 75 miles per hour.

2023-10-25T21:32+0000

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2023-10-25T21:32+0000

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guerrero

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acapulco

hurricane

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us national hurricane center (nhc)

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Otis rapid intensification in the warm Pacific waters off Mexicos western coast was described by the US National Hurricane Center as a nightmare scenario, noting only one other storm had ever been observed to intensify so quickly: Hurricane Patricia in 2015. Making landfall at peak strength on Wednesday, Otis became the most powerful hurricane to ever strike Mexico.As Otis was bearing down on the Guerrero state, authorities readied hundreds of shelters to accept displaced persons and Mexico City mobilized 8,000 troops to the area to assist with rescue and recovery efforts.Footage posted on social media from Acapulco showed the resort city of 687,000 suffered heavy damage from the cyclone. The citys iconic Miguel Aleman Coastal Boulevard was strewn with uprooted trees and debris from nearby buildings, and widespread flooding was evident.According to the Mexican government, efforts to get help to the region were frustrated by the damage to Acapulco airport. For several hours after landfall, communication was completely lost, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters, and electricity was almost totally knocked out across the Guerrero state.There were no official estimates or reports of deaths when this story went to publication.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/russell-bentley-ukraines-manpower-problem-1114478895.html

Russell Bentley: Ukraines Manpower Problem

Russell Bentley: Ukraines Manpower Problem

During its much hyped offensive, the Ukrainian army lost more than 90,000 people, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed in a speech last month. Sometimes it seems that it is not their people who they throw into battle," he noted. And indeed they are not, anymore.

2023-10-25T19:00+0000

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Two of my friends in the DPR/RF Army, each in different units, on different Fronts, one still fighting near Artemovsk, the other down around the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, both told me that the number of foreign mercenaries and NATO soldiers now fighting in Donbass is much higher than most people are aware, and if it is not currently 50%, it soon will be.The Ukrainian military is also increasingly relying on political extremists to help fill its depleted ranks. Roman Edwards, a British mercenary in Ukraine publicly acknowledged on X (formerly Twitter) that almost all Ukrainian fighters, that he is serving with, openly profess Nazi views: "I'm aware since I serve here. Literally everyone I serve with uses some sort of "N4zi" symbol: Swastika, SS lightning bolts, Totenkopf, etc. they even have a giant Swastika flag with blue and yellow... it's not a big deal."So, the first category of enemies Russian soldiers face are hardcore Nazis and professional foreign mercenaries. These are the terrorists and war criminals who torture and slaughter P.O.W.'s and serve as "blocking troops" who even execute Ukrainian conscript soldiers who refuse or even hesitate to commit suicide by obeying impossible orders.As noted by Vostok Batallion commander Alexander Khodakovsky, the second category of troops  forcibly mobilized Ukrainian conscripts  is much larger than the Bandera lovers who hate Russia, whose ancestors licked the boots of the Nazis, leaving a will for their descendants to lick the boots of anyone who opposes Russia.Three different perspectives on the summer offensive, from different people the Russian President, a British mercenary fighting alongside Ukrainian Nazis, and a frontline commander. To sum it up, many thousands have died, the Ukrainian conscripts are not Nazis, but the foreign mercenaries admit that "literally everyone" they serve with are.What conclusions can be drawn? Simply this - that what is left of the Ukrainian Army is a two tiered system of cannon fodder and blocking troops, that sees untrained conscripts thrown onto the front lines, with battle hardened Russian troops in front of them, and blocking troops made up of foreign mercenaries and hardcore Nazis behind them, who will kill them if they retreat or refuse to advance when ordered to. So, the common Ukrainian citizens, primarily from the ethnically Russian and Russian-speaking parts of Ukraine, are kidnapped from the streets by press gangs and thrown directly into battle without adequate training or weapons, where they are forced to face impossible odds in combat.The intentional genocide of ethnic Russian people in Ukraine proceeds not only by Ukrainian attacks on soldiers and civilians of the DPR (and in other parts of Russia) but also by rounding up and sending to the slaughter all ethnically Russian people on the territory under the control of the Kiev regime who were unable, for whatever reason, to escape. So, the description of this war as fratricidal is in fact correct, with the addendum that it is orchestrated by Ukrainian and Western Nazis. It is not inaccurate to describe the conflict in Ukraine as a modern day version of gladiator fights in the Colosseum.What is the purpose of this hideous and inhuman spectacle, and what can be done to bring it to an end? The Special Military Operation has ushered in a totally new kind of warfare, on many levels, but most of all by the use of drones, for reconnaissance, for adjusting artillery, for bombing, and as "kamikazes". Not only was there never a "drone war" before in human history, but even in Donbass, during the eight years of the conflict prior to the SMO, drones were seldom used, and then, almost exclusively for reconnaissance. The impact of drones in modern and future warfare can no longer be overstated. Ukraine has become a laboratory for this new military innovation, much the same as the trenches of France in WW1 were the testing grounds for the machine gun and tank, the new and unimagined weapons of their day.The real numbers of the depopulation of Ukraine are stunning, almost unbelievable, but according to Statista, a data gathering platform, between 2021 and 2023, the population of Ukraine was reduced by 9.5 million people, From 41.5 million to less than 32 million, almost 25% of its total population in 2021. Twenty five percent population reduction in 3 years. Other sources put the population reduction at around 5 million from 2021 to 2023, and still others, claim that the population of Ukraine is more or less stable, (an obvious lie).I am telling you these statistics for a reason. I ask you to look at these facts, draw your own conclusions, and take a lesson from it. Whether 12% or 25%, the fact is that Ukraine, the largest country in Europe, with some of the most fertile agricultural land in the world, that once had one of the industrial powerhouses of Europe and great natural resources, has now literally been decimated, "reduced by 10%", in less than 1,000 days. The fact is, that the same powers and people who are doing this to Ukraine, the billionaires and international corporations, the Parasite Class, these Nazis of the 21st century, the same ones who have done it to Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and continue to do it to Syria and Yemen, and now Armenia, today, turning once proud and prosperous nations into shattered failed states. What reason do you have to believe they will not do the same to whatever country you live in today. What makes you think they are not already in the process? I have said since 2015, "As goes Donbass, so goes the world." We have stood up against these Nazis for almost a decade, and we still stand. Take a lesson from us, join us! You can be like Donbass, or you will be like Ukraine. The choice is up to you.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230107/how-literal-nazis-holding-kiev-hostage-ruined-relations-with-budapest-a-view-from-hungary-1106111360.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230406/ukrainian-artillery-kills-its-own-soldiers-who-surrendered-near-avdeyevka-russian-defense-ministry-1109213198.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230903/millions-of-ukrainians-dodging-draft-to-avoid-certain-death-fighting-for-nato-1113096124.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231006/switzerland-bribes-ukrainian-refugees-with-thousands-of-dollars-to-get-them-to-leave-1113990854.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/russia-now-has-anti-aircraft-systems-that-downed-24-ukrainian-jets-in-5-days--shoigu--1114466327.html

Russia's Cutting-Edge Anti-Aircraft Systems Downed 24 Ukrainian Jets in 5 Days  Shoigu

Russia's Cutting-Edge Anti-Aircraft Systems Downed 24 Ukrainian Jets in 5 Days  Shoigu

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited special military operation zone and praised combat work of Russian troops

2023-10-25T07:18+0000

2023-10-25T07:18+0000

2023-10-25T11:40+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

ukrainian counteroffensive attempt

ukrainian drone attacks on russia

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The Russian army now has air defense missile systems that have shot down 24 Ukrainian jets in 5 days, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated when meeting with the Battlegroup Vostok (East) in the special military operation zone. He stressed that last week, the Ukrainian army lost a numerous amount of aircraft.Shoigu added that the facts show that the Ukrainian troops are running out of chances, and praised the professionalism of the Russian army.Russian troops reported to Shoigu that the enemy was "in panic" and that they would strike "without mercy".

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231020/on-the-run-ukrainian-men-pay-hefty-sums-to-evade-military-service-ex-border-guard-reveals-1114353944.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/russian-forces-stop-ukrainian-military-convoy-in-zaporozhye--1114467701.html

Russian Forces Stop Ukrainian Military Convoy in Zaporozhye

Russian Forces Stop Ukrainian Military Convoy in Zaporozhye

Russia's airborne and special forces units successfully halted an advancing Ukrainian column, which was carrying military equipment, in the area of Zaporozhye. 25.10.2023, Sputnik International

2023-10-25T11:07+0000

2023-10-25T11:07+0000

2023-10-25T11:07+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ministry of defense

special forces

zaporozhye

russian airborne forces

novorossiysk

russia

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A guards airborne mountain unit from Russia's Novorossyisk together with the special forces managed to stop Ukrainian troops in their tracks in the area of Verbovoye, the Russian Defense Ministry said."Reconnaissance units of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) used aerial surveillance to spot a Ukrainian military column, made up of two tanks and an armored vehicle, advancing towards our positions in the village of Verbovoye, in Zaporozhye. The units then promptly transmitted data marking the location of the enemy over to the special forces. The special troops struck one of the tanks with a well-aimed anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)," the Ministry's report said.The second tank and the armored vehicle then turned around and left the battlefield. Following the strike, the crew immediately changed their firing position to avoid Ukrainian return fire.The battle involved UAV units of the Novorossiysk Guards Airborne Mountain Forces and Special Forces troops, equipped with an anti-tank missile system.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/shoigu-inspects-russias-forward-command-post-in-south-donetsk-direction-1114463167.html

Shoigu Inspects Russia's Forward Command Post in South Donetsk Area

Shoigu Inspects Russia's Forward Command Post in South Donetsk Area

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a working visit to the zone of Russia's military operation in Ukraine and inspected a forward command post of the Vostok group of forces in the South Donetsk direction.

2023-10-25T03:53+0000

2023-10-25T03:53+0000

2023-10-25T11:18+0000

sergei shoigu

russia

defense ministry

military & intelligence

donetsk region

inspection

russia's special operation in ukraine

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"During a working visit to the zone of the special military operation, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army, Sergei Shoigu, inspected a forward command post of Russia's Battlegroup Vostok in the South Donetsk direction," the ministry said in a statement. The top Russian military official listened to the reports by the battlegroup's commander on the current situation on the frontline and the fulfillment of tasks by Russian forces in the main tactical directions, the statement added.The briefing given to the top military brass also included updates on troop readiness for winter operations and providing units with strike and reconnaissance systems, and trained specialists.Russian officers and service members reported to the defense chief about the successful decimation of Ukraine's M777 artillery systems. Earlier, the MoD reported that Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets had been downed in the DPR and the Kirovgrad Region. According to official information, the Russian army destroyed Ukrainian troops and equipment in 109 regions thanks to the use of drones, missiles and artillery power.After the meeting, Shoigu stressed that over the last 34 weeks, a massive amount of Ukrainian troops have been captured or surrendered voluntarily, and these POWs have revealed in detail the low morale plaguing the Ukrainian military. Moreover, the defense chief, added that Ukrainian army's prospects are running out. Further reports revealed that the enemy is in panic.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/too-wrong-to-ignore-cia-outsourcing-assassinations-to-kiev-ruffled-us-journos-feathers-1114481636.html

Too Wrong to Ignore: CIA Outsourcing Assassinations to Kiev Ruffled US Journos' Feathers

Too Wrong to Ignore: CIA Outsourcing Assassinations to Kiev Ruffled US Journos' Feathers

The CIA uses other nations intelligence agencies to handle its dirty work, which is often useful in the short term, but just as often has significant blowback, experts told Sputnik.

2023-10-25T18:36+0000

2023-10-25T18:36+0000

2023-10-25T18:36+0000

analysis

john kiriakou

mark sleboda

cia

ukrainian security service (sbu)

assassinations

daria dugina

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A recent report in The Washington Post revealed how Ukrainian intelligence officers were carrying out espionage activities, including targeted assassinations, inside Russia, with the training and support of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The article in particular noted how Ukraines SBU intelligence agency was responsible for the assassination of Russian journalist Daria Dugina with a car bomb in Moscow on August 20, 2022.An unnamed CIA officer quoted in the article compared the SBU to Israels Mossad, which has become infamous for its assassinations around the globe, noting it carries broader risks beyond the threat it poses to Russia. The article notes that the ground-up reconstruction of the SBU began after the US-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, which brought a right-wing, nationalist, pro-Western government to power that began persecuting its own Russian-speaking citizens and made it a constitutional goal to join NATO, helping to set in motion the present military conflict.An article in The New York Times a little more than a month after Duginas killing said the US took no part in the attack and that afterward, American officials admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination. The Times said US officials were frustrated with the SBUs lack of transparency.Washingtons Patron Intel AgenciesColumnist, former CIA officer, and torture whistleblower John Kiriakou told Sputnik that the US has long deputized the intelligence agencies of smaller nations to carry out the dirty work that Congressional oversight has made illegal for Americans to do directly, such as targeted killings.Kiriakou said that over the short term, the CIAs efforts had proven to be a good investment because the CIA is able to collect intelligence on the Russian military, perhaps on the Russian intelligence community. So in this short term, just over the last year-and-a-half to two years, it's probably been a decent investment. Over the long term, I would say no, because just as happened in, let's say, Vietnam or in Afghanistan, it has the potential to drag the CIA down into the muck of a conflict that it really doesn't know how to get out of. And that's something that the CIA always takes a risk of doing when it gets involved with these patron organizations.However, Kirakou noted that the real danger of such an arrangement is that the client states intelligence agency could one day come under the control of a government hostile to the United States, which might then share the CIAs secrets with other US adversaries.Its Too Wrong to IgnoreTurning to Duginas assassination, Kiriakou said the DC-based newspaper had decided to print the story revealing the CIAs connection because it was considered to be far beyond the pale of acceptable practice for the agency.Executive Order 12333, in addition to doing other things, specifically prohibits the CIA from carrying out assassinations unless the target of the assassination presents what's called a clear and present danger to the United States, to American citizens or to American installations. Now, most people do not pose a clear and present danger. Al-Qaeda* did ISIS** did, some of these very specific, very targeted terrorist groups do. But Daria Dugina? No. Some random Syrian guy walking down the street in Damascus? No.Now, why in the world would the CIA do something like this? It has nothing to gain from doing something like this. And I think that's why it was reported. Remember, the Washington Post is, for all intents and purposes, the official newspaper of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Post and the CIA have been very, very close for decades. And indeed, Jeff Bezos, who's the owner of the Washington Post, also has a $400 million contract through Amazon Cloud Services with the CIA. So there are very close ties between Bezos and the CIA. Why, then, would the CIA report this as an exclusive? I think that they would report it as an exclusive because it's wrong, wrong, wrong, and even by The Washington Post's biased view, it's too wrong to ignore.WaPo or WikiLeaks?He noted there was really no difference between what the Washington Post had reported and what Julian Assange reported as the head of WikiLeaks.The CIA's plan to murder Julian Assange in broad daylight in the center of Knightsbridge, London, made its way all the way to the White House and the national security adviser before he finally said this plan is so insane and so illegal, we just can't take the risk of doing it," he said."I think what it means is that we lack any meaningful congressional oversight of our intelligence community. It's not the 1970s or the early 1980s anymore where the CIA actually went to went to Capitol Hill and had the Riot Act read to them, where CIA officers were prosecuted for committing crimes, where others were forced into retirement, and where Congress actually stood up and told the CIA: you're going to have to operate within the confines of the law. Those days are gone and there's no meaningful oversight of the CIA on Capitol Hill.Kiev and the Kill ListInternational relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda told Sputnik that It's not really new information to those who have been paying attention to what has been happening, not only the last year, almost two years since the Russian intervention in Ukraine began, but what has been going on in the country for the last decade.Sleboda noted how the CIA basically took over and rebuilt from scratch Ukraines military intelligence agency, giving it financing, training, technology, and hand-picking the staff.This clearly indicates how the CIA's, the US', complicity in these attacks, if not their outright culpability. Likewise, with Vladlen Tatarsky, the blogger from the Donbass region who was killed by a bomb placed at a public speaking event in St. Petersburg in April 2023.I think in a way that is almost more damning than the assassinations of Russian civilians in Russia. This is a regime that is killing its own people, and the intelligence wing that is carrying it out was built up from the ground by the CIA, Sleboda said.*Al-Qaeda and al-Nusra Front (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries.**Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other states.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231023/media-revelations-about-duginas-murder-mean-cia-realizes-war-in-ukraine-is-lost-1114435955.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231012/cia-finally-admits-1953-coup-of-irans-mohammed-mossadeq-countered-democracy-1114154929.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230820/one-year-since-daria-duginas-assassination-by-ukrainian-terrorists-1112741129.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/turkiye-admits-to-killing-female-pkk-leader-in-northern-iraq---reports-1114475425.html

Turkiye Admits to Killing Female PKK Leader in Northern Iraq - Reports

Turkiye Admits to Killing Female PKK Leader in Northern Iraq - Reports

The Turkish intelligence agency has admitted to having "neutralized" a female leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, state news agency reported Wednesday.

2023-10-25T13:21+0000

2023-10-25T13:21+0000

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world

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The suspect was identified as Sariye Atilla, who went under the alias "Rozerin Semzinan." She reportedly joined the Kurdish militant group in 2007 and helped train PKK militants in northern Iraq's Haftanin region. The MIT intelligence agency tracked and killed Atilla in the northern Iraqi region of Hakurk, where she was reportedly doing social field work on the PKKs behalf. Turkiye sees the PKK as a terrorist organization. The Turkish armed forces have repeatedly targeted PKK camps in northern Iraq despite protests from the government in Baghdad.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/us-may-reinforce-its-syrian-iraqi-bases-with-more-weapons-after-drone-attacks--expert-1114468888.html

US May 'Reinforce' Its Syrian, Iraqi Bases With More Weapons After Drone Attacks  Expert

US May 'Reinforce' Its Syrian, Iraqi Bases With More Weapons After Drone Attacks  Expert

Washington still refrains from retaliating against attacks on its military base in Iraq because the White House fears a possible anti-US backlash in Baghdad, Professor Hossein Askari told Sputnik.

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At least 24 US troops have been injured in the drone and rocket attacks on American bases across Iraq and Syria since the escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict in early October. According to the Pentagon, there are some 2,500 US servicemen in Iraq and another 900 in Syria.The next few days may see the Pentagon sending more military hardware to the bases even though they are not in real danger right now, Askari said.The US does not want to go down that road and Iran is reluctant to get more directly involved, the analyst pointed out."I don't think the US will reinforce any base in Iraq or Syria with more personnel. It would not be popular domestically in the US, but even in the case of Iraq, more [American] soldiers could lead to an immediate Iraqi demand that the US leave the country. In the case of Syria, the US will act in the same way, but for different reasons, as it may anger Russia and Turkiye," he noted.Asked why the US has not yet retaliated against the drone and missile strikes, the analyst said he believes Washington is "worried about the possible Iraqi reaction to more American personnel, which could cause an anti-US backlash."Askari spoke after Washington sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf following what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called "detailed discussions with President Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East."Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is currently stationed in the eastern Mediterranean to serve as a deterrent to any third party that might consider joining the conflict against Israel, according to the Pentagon.On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas staged a surprise large-scale attack on Israel, prompting the Jewish state to declare a state of war and launch retaliatory strikes. Shortly after, Tel Aviv announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity, food, water, and gas supplies to the Palestinian exclave, as part of the IDFs military operation Swords of Iron. More than 1,400 Israelis and over 5,600 Palestinians have already been killed in the hostilities, according to UN reports.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/us-may-seek-to-curb-russias-missile-tech-advancement-through-arms-control--1114479915.html

US May Seek to Curb Russia's Missile Tech Progress By Means of Arms Control

US May Seek to Curb Russia's Missile Tech Progress By Means of Arms Control

The United States has recently submitted to Russia yet another batch of proposals related to issues of arms control and strategic stability, but it does not seem that this move by Washington was meant to achieve some kind of meaningful result, say prominent analysts on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Earl Rasmussen, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the US Army and an international consultant, has suggested that through such maneuvers, the United States is trying to shape the narrative and portray itself as a power that is trying to control nuclear weapons and prevent World War III.Pointing out that the United States had previously unilaterally pulled out of a number of international agreements  such as, for example, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty  Rasmussen said he personally would not trust the US, this current administration at least, on any type of agreement.I don't see anything really coming out of it. I see it's a method to try to maybe put a temporary hold in place and at the same time probably build up their own security measures and take other actions around. I don't see actual agreement coming to fruition, at least not with this administration, he added.According to Rasmussen, it would seem unlikely that the Biden administration may be genuinely interested in making concrete steps to mend ties with Russia, as the powers that be in Washington appear to be dug-in with their neocon-oriented Cold War mentality.He also postulated that there will be no progress on resuming strategic stability dialogue between the US and Russia until a change of administration and a major change in senior levels within the State Department occur in the United States.Obviously, Russia should keep open the potential for dialogue. But you need some substantive changes in policy and actions. And I just don't see that right now, Rasmussen mused. Look at the Middle East situation we've got. Who's vetoing any type of peace and ceasefire? Well, we don't have to look far. Do you really think that they have an honest view of having some type of strategic dialog that's honestly being engaged? I don't think so. I don't see any indication of that.Meanwhile, Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of research at the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, argued that the leadership in Washington may actually be seeking to convince the American public that the hybrid war the US and its allies are currently waging against Russia won't spiral out of control.Suslov also echoed Rasmussens thoughts on the prospects of the US mending relations with Russia in the near future, arguing that the Biden Administration appears committed to the continuation of the hybrid war, adding that he personally does not believe a dialogue on strategic stability between Moscow and Washington may take place any time soon.I think that as long as the US conducts [this] hybrid war against Russia, any resumption of any elements of this dialogue with the United States would be harmful and counterproductive to Russian security and to Russian interests, because it would basically legitimize the US hybrid war against Russia, and it would prove that indeed it is safe for the United States to continue this policy, Suslov surmised.Commenting on the latest proposals Washington submitted to Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said during a press briefing on Wednesday that Russia was unwilling to discuss matters such as arms control "in isolation from current events".Ryabkov stressed that resuming a dialogue on strategic stability between Moscow and Washington is simply impossible in its previous form without a change in the fundamentally hostile attitude of the United States towards Russia."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231016/moscow-ready-for-mirror-measures-if-us-deploys-arms-banned-under-inf-in-europe-1114224689.html

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China to host dual theater festivals in November

Xinhua) 11:05, October 25, 2023

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The domestically-focused 8th China Campus Theater Festival and the 27th BeSeTo Theater Festival, which gathers productions from both home and abroad, will run concurrently from Nov. 11 to 30 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen, said the China Theater Association, organizer of the events.

The China Campus Theater Festival, which is held every two years, will feature 19 productions spanning various theatrical styles including drama, traditional Chinese opera, musicals, children's theater, and puppetry.

A total of 12 productions from countries including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Georgia, and Bulgaria will be showcased at this year's BeSeTo Theater Festival.

In addition to the performances, the BeSeTo event will also host a forum for people involved in the international theater industry, according to the organizer.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
NYC's housing shortages are worsening as the city loses hundreds of thousands of units, as claimed by new research.

Adam Brodheim, a preservationist, shared his analysis showing that for the past 70 years, New York City's buildings have been converted into one or two-family houses.

Specifically, Brodheim claimed that 50,000 housing units were consolidated, making the overall housing consolidations in NYC to over 100,000 units.

NYC Faces Housing Shortages as City Loses Over 100,000 Units

According to Business Insider's latest report, Brodheim said that the consolidation issue in NYC's housing units is caused by rich families who want to have bigger houses.

However, he clarified that his analysis doesn't intend to put the blame on these rich people but to show the worsening housing shortages in New York City.

"I'm not trying to begrudge folks who are trying to build a larger apartment as their families grow," said Brodheim.

"I'm trying to bring attention to the way these actions across the entire city make a meaningful impact on our housing crisis," he added.

The New York Post reported that the Department of City Planning also revealed its own analysis, which has similar findings to the research of Brodheim.

The Department of City Planning's analysis revealed that many of the most iconic residential areas in New York City are losing their stock of homes, as well as apartments.

These include the Upper West Side, the West Village, and Hell's Kitchen. NYC officials said that the majority of all the new housing production in these boroughs has been concentrated in just a few small areas, such as Greenpoint, downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Hudson Yards, etc.

Read Also: New York City Launches First Public Health Vending Machine Amid Surging Opioid Crisis

How Will NYC Mayor Eric Adams Solve This?

NYC's worsening housing shortage is not something to be taken lightly as it greatly affects lower-income and middle-income families since living in the city will be difficult for them.

But, New York City's developers said that they are already making plans on how to solve the housing and apartment shortages.

One of their efforts is taking advantage of the office towers, which are no longer being used since many employees are already working from home.

Mayor Eric Adams' administration is also urging for empty offices to be converted into residential apartments.

Right now, NYC officials and developers were able to transform a former workspace into a 600-unit apartment, which is expected to be rented out before 2023 ends.

Related Article: NYC Mayor Reveals Plan to Relocate Migrants Outside City in Anticipation of Influx

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/us-senate-committee-approves-jacob-lew-as-ambassador-to-israel--reports-1114479345.html

US Senate Committee Approves Jacob Lew as Ambassador to Israel  Reports

US Senate Committee Approves Jacob Lew as Ambassador to Israel  Reports

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Jacob Lews nomination as US ambassador to Israel on Wednesday, The Messenger reported, citing Senator Todd Young.

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"Jack Lews nomination to be ambassador to Israel passed out of committee, 12-9," a reporter of an American news website posted on social media. While the committee agreed on the urgency of appointing an ambassador to Israel, several senators had expressed strong reservations over Lews appointment because of lingering concerns that his implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) while serving as treasury secretary gave Iran access to the US financial system. Lew was nominated by President Biden last month after the former ambassador, Tom Nides, stepped down in July.

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US Will Have 'Blood On its Hands' if Plan for Israel Has No De-Escalation - Ex-Egyptian FM

US Will Have 'Blood On its Hands' if Plan for Israel Has No De-Escalation - Ex-Egyptian FM

The United States risks having blood on its hands if its security assistance for Israel does not include efforts to deescalate the conflict, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy told Sputnik.

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On Friday, President Joe Biden submitted a $106 billion supplemental funding request to Congress that includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, half of which is to provide Kiev with weapons and replenish US weapon stockpiles. The supplemental package also proposes $14.3 billion for Israel, which includes $10.6 billion for security assistance such as air and missile defense support and industrial base investments. Fahmy added that the White House's call for a supplemental aid package of this magnitude is indicative of what the United States is trying to do, unless it's simply an electoral motive. Moreover, Fahmy said Biden's comparison of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are completely different issues. He added that the United States should take the opposition position in terms of Gaza because Israel is the one that is occupying the West Bank and carrying out a gas blockade.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231024/mask-off-for-us-as-it-opposes-chinese-peace-mission-in-the-middle-east-1114449193.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231023/manufactured-chaos-in-israel-ukraine-useful-to-americas-oligarchy-1114438465.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/we-could-hear-the-sound-of-gunfire-and-people-screaming-recounting-hamas-hostage-horror--1114472616.html

'We Could Hear the Sound of Gunfire and People Screaming': Recounting Hamas' Hostage Horror

'We Could Hear the Sound of Gunfire and People Screaming': Recounting Hamas' Hostage Horror

More than 200 people were kidnapped during the brazen Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7. Currently, only four hostages have been released. Sputnik reached out to the families and friends of those who still remain in Hamas captivity.

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In the early morning of October 7, some people were chilling at the Supernova music festival near kibbutzim Reim and Beeri, while the others were sleeping soundly in their beds inside their homes near the Gaza border. That frightful early morning, Hamas breached the Israeli border from the Gaza Strip, attacking these people, abducting 222 and killing hundreds.Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani: Snatched Away Into CaptivityAvinatan Or, 29, and his partner, Noa Argamani, who is 26, were enjoying themselves at the Supernova music festival when it was attacked by Hamas militants. In the early stages of the tragic event, before losing contact, both Avinatan and Noa managed to send text messages to their families and friends, informing them of the situation. "We were concerned and tried calling them, but their phones were unreachable," said Dani Maimon, a close friend of the couple, in an interview with Sputnik. Later, a video capturing the moment when Hamas radicals kidnapped civilians at the music festival began circulating online. Avinatan and Noa's relatives and friends were able to identify them in the footage.Dani Maimon said she started spreading information about a couple taken captive from the first minutes the tragedy erupted.Moshe, Avinatan's brother, assumed from a video that the couple had to walk several kilometers to Gaza from kibbutz Re'im where they were taken hostages, Dani added.Eden Yerushalmi: Took Refuge in Car Packed With Corpses Before Abducted by Hamas24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi came to Supernova festival from Tel Aviv. Before being captured by Hamas fighters, she managed to keep in touch with her loved ones via phone calls for 4 hours.Eden's elder sister Shani Yerushalmi remembers that horrifying morning in precise detail.Shani maintains the government and the army failed to properly handle the situation on Gaza border.Shani contends that Hamas must release all the hostages they had taken, if the movement claims to be a non-terrorist entity.The Tragic Losses of Once Big FamilyBig Dan-Calderon family lived in two kibbutzes near the Gaza border - Nir Oz and Kissufim. Early in the morning of October 7 Hamas attacked both of them. Five members of the Dan-Calderon family from kibbutz Nir Oz fell Hamas' victims: 12-year-old Erez, his 16-year-old sister Sahar and their 50-year-old father Ofer were kidnapped by Hamas, while 12-year-old Noya Dan with autism, and her 80-year-old grandmother Carmela Dan were killed.Speaking to Sputnik Noam Calderon-Dan, a father of murdered Noya Dan, described the occured tragedy nothing but 'inferno'.The family supposed that all of the 5 family members were captured by Hamas. But three days later the bodies of Carmela and Noya were identified. The man added:As far as all the family members have both Israeli and French citizenship, Noam and his relatives were invited to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Israel on October 23.When French President Macron arrived in Israel, the first thing he did was meeting with the families of the kidnapped and murdered French citizens. Our family, Calderon-Dan, also has French citizenship. The President assured us the tragedy touched his heart. Macron also promised that he would personally ensure that the French citizens abducted by Hamas would be returned safe and sound, he pointed out.

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Charli Blackman had 17 kills and Megan Bewley added 19 service points Tuesday night as the host Western Nebraska Community College volleyball earned a win over Eastern Wyoming College.

Scores were 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-16 in the final home match for five Cougar sophomores.

I think we played very well all-around, said Bewley, a Scottsbluff High graduate said. We had a little bit of a lull there in the second set, but overall we brought it back.

The Cougars finished with 53 total kills with 42 service points and 83 digs.

It was huge of how we played. They say defense wins games and we stayed in system and not letting the ball drop, it made us set up the ball to the hitters and finish the point, Bewley said.

WNCC wraps up its regular season this weekend. The Cougars travel to Trinidad State College on Friday before they battle Otero College on Saturday. A win over Trinidad State will give the Cougars the No. 2 seed from the South Sub-Region for the postseason which starts Nov. 1 in Sterling, Colorado.

Bewley is one of the five Cougar sophomores along with Blackman, Shae Hardy, Shanelle Martinez and Maya Angelova. The group was recognized after their last regular season appearance at the Cougar Palace.

I think it is surreal and I dont think it has set in yet, but I am grateful for this opportunity that I have had the last two years, Bewley said. I know the other sophomores think the same thing, too.

WNCC had five players finish with double-doubles in the contest. Blackman tallied 17 kills and 12 points. She also five service points and two assisted blocks.

Bewley had a double-double with 19 digs and 19 points, while Taylor Tyser had 13 digs, 14 points and four set assists. Kyana Gabriel also had a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs.

Martinez finished with 42 set assists with 15 digs, and five points.

Also for the Cougars, Lilly Zwart had 10 kills, four digs, and three blocks; and Finja Schul had nine kills, five digs, two points, and three assisted blocks.

Chloe Grady added five kills with two digs and three blocks; and Hardy tallied four points with a dig.
Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful (KSGB) is hosting the annual Pharmaceutical Take-back Event at Uptown Mall in Scottsbluff on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will be set up in the old Herbergers location on the east side of the mall, north of Harbor Freight.

KSGB has contracted with Clean Harbors to provide a safe and proper disposal of sharps and expired, unused, and unwanted medications.

The quote for the 2023 event is over $13,000. KSGB applies for and receives grant dollars from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, but the grant dollars require 25% matching funds. These funds come from the fees charged per drop off and financial support received from the North Platte Natural Resources District.

There will be a $5 fee per individual drop off and a $250 fee per business drop off. KSGB does have the right to adjust the charge and accept or reject any drop off. This collection event is for prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and sharps only.

All medications need to be left in the original package with the label attached. Feel free to remove or cover up any personal information but leave the medication information on the packaging.

If you are bringing sharps to the event, please help protect the safety of our volunteers by placing sharps in approved sharps containers or in clearly marked heavy plastic containers, such as laundry detergent bottles. Do not place sharps in pill bottles or have them randomly thrown in boxes with other items.

If you have any questions, please call Keep Scottsbluff Gering Beautiful at 308-632-4649.
Nebraska Medicaid Director Kevin Bagley along with the CEOs for the states three Medicaid plans met with local providers in a listening session at Scottsbluff High School Tuesday night.

Heath Phillips of Nebraska Total Care, Jeff Stafford of United Healthcare and Frank Clepper of Molina Healthcare heard from local physicians and other providers about how they can improve their services.

Before they fielded questions, Bagley led a presentation on the changes that were coming to Medicaid this year. The first of which was that one of the states health care plans would be replaced.

Healthy Blue will no longer be providing a Medicaid plan for the state of Nebraska and will be replaced by Molina Healthcare, an insurance provider out of California.

Medicaid members will have the opportunity to change their plans between the three providers during the open enrollment period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. If members do not voice a desire to change plans, they will remain on their current plan.

Members who were on the Healthy Blue plan will be assigned to Molina Healthcare unless they specify otherwise during the open enrollment period.

If youre on Healthy Blue and you dont choose another plan, we will automatically assign you to Molina, that way we see the least amount of disruption, Bagley said.

Bagley said Medicaid is always open, with the enrollment period for current members to change their plans if they choose to do so. He stressed that people who may have questions about their eligibility or who may have lost eligibility should reach out to the State Medicaid office where they can help solve those problems.

Other changes to Medicaid coming in 2024 include extensions on Medicaid coverage for postpartum care for mothers as well as continuous coverage for children.

Medicaid coverage for postpartum care will be extended from 60 days to 12 months under the changes. Children will receive continuous care for 12 months after they are found eligible for Medicaid regardless of changes in eligibility. This was increased from six months.

Both changes will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Twelve months following the birth of that child for mothers enrolled in Medicaid, they will continue to be eligible regardless of changing circumstances for 12 months, Bagley said.

Bagley said he was also excited to speak about the iServe Nebraska platform launched earlier this month. They new platform is designed to replace multiple Nebraska benefit applications that ask the same questions and place them all under one roof.

We want to have a portal to ask the questions in a more accessible way and to have a central place where they can come and theres no wrong door because there is a door where everything is possible for that application, Bagley said.

Local providers had plenty of questions for the CEOs of the three plans following the presentation. Many of them surrounded issues with getting their patients transportation to appointments and access to dental care. .

Problems finding dental care for Medicaid patients continue to exist in the Panhandle as there are few dentists offices who accept Medicaid. The providers expressed interest in looking for more dental providers so they could find care for their patients.

There are things that are pretty clear we need to address, one is access to dental care, Bagley said. ...Weve heard that in Red Cloud and in Ogallala so we know thats an issue. Were making changes but theres probably more to be done.

Transportation issues largely involved difficulties in connecting with more local providers for rides to appointments as opposed to the larger national and statewide transportation companies that the plans have contracted.

Bagley spoke about the importance of finding ways to collaborate with more local providers for transportation to create an easier process for patients.

Transportation is one of the social determinants of health that allows people to actually get to where they need to be, he said.

Plan CEOs said they would work to set up more individual meetings with providers looking to work through the system to provide better care for their patients

For those who may have missed Tuesdays meeting there will be a virtual listening session held Nov. 9 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. which will cover the same information.

It is being hosted by WebEx and can be accessed online at bit.ly/3QbhEBe or by phone at 408-418-9388. Those calling into the meeting will have to dial the access code 2480 433 7829 to join.
Goshen Community Theatre will soon take audiences on a journey into the dark mind of the worlds most famous horror author with its production of Nightfall With Edgar Allan Poe by Eric Coble.

Director Elaine Bleisch said the show combines four of Poes most notable tales into a single show: The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum and The Tell-Tale Heart.

Bleisch has even adapted a fifth Poe tale, The Masque of the Red Death, for the stage herself, adding an original element to the production that cant be found anywhere else.

When it comes to interpreting Edgar Allan Poes writing for the theater, Bleisch said there are some unique challenges. For example, The Raven is told entirely in the form of a poem, and even Poes short stories are told in a narrative heavy style that is difficult to illustrate on the stage.

Poe didnt do a lot of dialogue or character development, so a lot of it is from the adapters imagination. I think he did a really good job with it, Bleisch said.

Bleisch has been involved in community theater for many years in places like Fort Collins and Alliance. When she found out that Goshen Community Theatre was looking for a director, she immediately decided to add Torrington to that list.

Nightfall With Edgar Allan Poe was Bleischs first choice show to run in a new community for multiple reasons.

They let me pick the show. Part of the reason I wanted to do this one is that it is October, she said. And this is a show Ive directed once before with the Main Street Players in Alliance, so I was really familiar with it and knew how I wanted to stage it.

Although its her first production with Goshen Community Theatre, the show is something of a family affair for Bleisch. Shes had plenty of help from her husband and her daughter, Elora, who studied theater in college and brought home a professional perspective that has helped the show run smoothly.

Shes my assistant director and my stage manager, and my husband built the set, she said. Elora has gotten everything organized and running like clockwork, so thats been amazing.

Though Poes stories are considered horror, Bleisch said that the show should be appropriate for ages 10 and up.

Its kind of creepy, she said. Its not a lot of blood and gore, and its live theater which is a very different experience.

That live theater experience is a large source of motivation for Bleisch, who said that such experiences are becoming less common as time goes on. For that reason, she encouraged everybody in and around Torrington to come and get a taste when the show opens.

Its such a unique experience. Even if you go to the same production again the next night, it wont be the same. Its a once in a lifetime experience every time you go to a live show, and this one is a lot of fun, she said. Hopefully, it will make people think and give them something to talk about on the ride home.

Seven showings of Nightfall With Edgar Allan Poe will take place over the next couple of weeks. The show opens on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Eastern Wyoming College Auditorium at 3200 West C St. in Torrington.

Additional evening showings are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 31 as well as Nov. 2 and 3. Those attending the Oct. 31 show are also invited to wear costumes to the show.

Matinee performances will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 4.

Tickets for all performances are cash only at the door, $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and kids in kindergarten through twelfth grade and $3 for students with a college ID. All tickets will be $5 on Halloween night.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer won the nomination of the GOP for the speakership role but dropped his bid for the position a few hours after the announcement.

The Republican lawmaker's decision has placed the right-wing party back to square one in deciding who would lead them after the ousting of Kevin McCarthy. The House GOP will hold another candidate forum on Tuesday evening and give the next round of candidates until 5:30 p.m. to declare their bids for the position.

Tom Emmer Drops Bid for House Speaker

Emmer won the nomination for House speaker on Tuesday against a large field of eight Republicans, including Rep. Mike Johnson, who came in second place after several rounds of voting. The latter tried to rally holdouts around Emmer but did not succeed.

Shortly after the House majority whip's victory for the nomination, former United States President Donald Trump expressed his opposition. The latter posted on his Truth Social platform, "Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!" He added that the lawmaker was out of touch with Republican voters, as per CBS News.

Emmer needed to persuade the far-right members of the GOP conference to vote for him on the floor to win the speakership. A roll-call vote in the conference indicated that more than 20 lawmakers opposed the House majority whip's bid for the position. This was far more than the four Republicans he could afford to lose on the House floor.

As the GOP continues not to have a speaker-designee, there will be no vote on Tuesday and the House remains more or less paralyzed. The party cannot pass legislation without a speaker, including funding military assistance for Ukraine and Israel.

Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry is in charge, but he insists that his role is limited to overseeing the election of a new, permanent speaker. There are efforts to expand his power potentially, but these withered last week.

Read Also: Jim Jordan Wins Over Some GOP Skeptics in Bid for House Speaker Position

Republican Dysfunction

Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern also dropped his bid for the gavel because he said the party needs a speaker as soon as possible. He added that the situation has become more about individuals than the country and the United States' presence around the world, according to The Hill.

Hern also expressed his support of Mike Johnson, calling him a great individual who could be a great leader for the conference. He added that he believes Johnson will be able to shore up the required 217 votes on the House floor, noting that he has worked with colleagues across the spectrum of the Republican Party.

In a statement, Rep. Steve Womack called the situation a "pretty sad commentary on governance." He added that the American public cannot look at what is happening right now and have reasonable confidence that the GOP conference can be governed.

The breakdown on Tuesday regarding Emmer's nomination was the latest evidence of the seemingly unending Republican dysfunction. Many of the ones who opposed his bid for House speaker were members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, said the New York Times.

Related Article: House GOP Removes Jim Jordan as Speaker Nominee After Third Failed Vote as Others Join Controversial Race

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mekdad emphasized that Israel has consistently pursued a policy of territorial expansion in an interview with al-Watan.

For the eighteenth consecutive day, the Israeli military has continued its military operations in the Gaza Strip, resulting in a significant loss of life and serious injuries. As of the time of this report, the death toll stands at 5,791, with 16,297 individuals wounded, and a severe strain on the healthcare infrastructure.

Meanwhile, in Damascus, during the ceremony where Czech Ambassador Eva Felipe was honoured with the Order of Merit of the excellent class, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Mekdad, emphasized in a statement to al-Watan that the occupying entity has a history of violating rights, international law, and humanitarian principles. He cautioned that any further attempts to expand this aggression will come at a considerable cost, as the resistance stands prepared and vigilant.

Mekdad emphasized that Israel has consistently pursued a policy of territorial expansion, often at the expense of Palestinian and Syrian lands, and even encroaching on Lebanon and parts of Sinai in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Despite the establishment of the peace process, a period during which some had hoped for Israels withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories and the creation of an independent Palestinian state, the occupying entity instead intensified its efforts to displace Palestinians from Jerusalem and establish settlements throughout Palestinian territories. As a result, the prospects for establishing an independent Palestinian state have dwindled significantly.

Mekdad issued a warning against any Israeli attempts to further escalate their aggressive actions. He noted that such actions would come at a significant cost, as the resistance is fully prepared and determined. He also stressed, Israel should be aware that without the establishment of a Palestinian state, there can be no lasting peace in the region. Without a complete withdrawal from the occupied territories, the region will not experience true peace.  He further highlighted how the occupation entity has deliberately created circumstances that serve to perpetuate its control over occupied Arab territories, using time to solidify settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people and their rightful lands.

Mekdad emphasized that any endeavours to quell resistance are mere delusions, as these movements are born from the genuine aspirations of the people. Israel, through its prolonged occupation of Arab lands, its oppression of the Palestinian population, and its violations against their sacred sites, has left no alternative for the people of the region. It bears direct responsibility for the challenges afflicting the area and for driving the Palestinian people to pursue various means of regaining their rights and securing their future.

Mekdad also underscored that attempts to displace Palestinians to Egypt would undermine all existing agreements, as neither Egypt nor the Palestinian people can accept such a proposition. He further declared, The future belongs to the Palestinians, with the establishment of their independent state, and Jerusalem as its capital.

Buthaina Shaaban, the Special Adviser in the Presidency of the Republic, expressed in a statement to al-Watan that the West has abandoned any pretense of impartiality. She argues that the West is effectively endorsing Israeli aggression by providing financial and military support to those responsible for the deaths of women and children within their own homes. She also criticizes the rhetoric that suggests Israel has the right to defend itself while no European country has issued condemnations for the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

Shaaban highlights that the central issue is the Israeli-led war against an entire population, not just Hamas. She characterizes it as a war of extermination against the Palestinian people, with Western support. She suggests that this ongoing situation should prompt reflection in the Arab, Asian, and African regions and questions the future direction of the world in the face of this watershed moment and ongoing ethnic cleansing,

They dont consider the people they kill to be human beings, maybe inferior to human beings.

Shaaban emphasized the urgent need for a different perspective, a bold and sincere stance that can put an end to these deeply distressing massacres that go against the principles of humanity. Israel has violated numerous taboos, committed heinous crimes, and flouted international laws with impunity. Yet, there has been a conspicuous absence of condemnation from Western voices. This even extended to the prevention of aid reaching the suffering population. It seems that Western concerns primarily revolve around the well-being of detainees, as if they belong to a privileged class of humanity, while the lives lost are seemingly inconsequential. This attitude is extremely perilous and necessitates a united, resolute response from the Arab people and governments worldwide. What is occurring in Palestine carries global ramifications, affecting not only the Palestinians but the entire world.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Syria Response Coordinators urgently call upon all parties involved to adhere to international humanitarian law, according to Zaman al-Wasl.

The Syria Response Coordinators have documented a dire situation in northern Syria since last October. They report the tragic loss of 60 civilian lives and the displacement of 100,000 innocent people due to relentless bombings of civilian areas and displaced person camps by Russia and the Assad regime.

In their comprehensive report, the team highlights the ongoing war crimes and widespread violations perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and Russia in northwestern Syria. Shockingly, there seems to be no deterrence to halt these attacks on civilians in the region.

Since Octobers outset, Syrian regime forces and Russia have carried out over 538 attacks across more than 72 villages and towns, including 46 aerial assaults, totaling 109 airstrikes.

The report reveals that over 100,000 civilians from various areas have been forced to flee to relatively safer zones, far from the violence. Tragically, more than 60 civilians have lost their lives, with a significant proportion being women and children, wherein children make up a third of the total victims.

In addition, the report indicates that more than 285 civilians have been wounded, some critically, while more than 88 crucial facilities providing essential services to civilians, such as schools, markets, camps, hospitals, medical centers, and places of worship, have been deliberately targeted.

The team underscores that the continued targeting of facilities and infrastructure by Russia and the Syrian regime reflects a glaring failure to protect civilians and to ensure their safety separate from military actions. This condemns all parties that employ deadly means against the displaced.

The Syria Response Coordinators urgently call upon all parties involved to adhere to international humanitarian law. They demand an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians, displaced individuals in camps, and residential areas inhabited by non-combatants.

Furthermore, they appeal to the United Nations and the international community to apply pressure on all parties to cease their assaults on civilians, protect the displaced, and prevent further displacement. This becomes especially crucial with the approach of winter, which compounds the challenges of humanitarian operations and increases the regions pressing needs.

International and relief organizations operating in northern Syria are implored to act swiftly to provide relief to the displaced and alleviate their ongoing suffering. This is particularly critical, considering the significant weakening of the humanitarian response, which has only addressed 8% of the total urgent humanitarian needs in the region.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Ministry reiterated that the recent aggression underscores Israel's aggressive expansionism, according to al-Baath.

Syria firmly asserts that the recent aggression on Syrian territory underscores Israels intent to escalate the ongoing conflict against innocent civilians in the region. This aggression reflects Israeli expansionist ambitions, characterized by a pursuit to establish what is referred to as Greater Israel while actively obstructing any international initiatives aimed at ending the Zionist occupation of Arab lands.

In a statement, the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry condemned the Israeli occupation forces for perpetuating their policies of aggression and committing massacres in Palestine. This marks the fourth such aggression in the past ten days, with the latest incident targeting military installations in the Daraa countryside. Tragically, this attack resulted in the loss of 8 soldiers lives and the injury of 7 others. Additionally, there was another attack on Aleppo International Airport.

The Ministry emphasized that Israels insatiable thirst for Palestinian and Syrian blood persists, despite its already having claimed the lives of over 6,500 Palestinians, including nearly 3,000 children. Israels appetite for destruction extends to Palestinian homes and infrastructure in the besieged Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

In conclusion, the Ministry reiterated that the recent aggression underscores Israels aggressive expansionism and its deliberate efforts to thwart any international endeavors aimed at ending the Zionist occupation of Arab territories.

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.
President al-Assad also stressed that Syria faces numerous challenges, where political, economic, ideological, and social aspects are intertwined, according to al-Watan.

President Bashar al-Assad emphasized on Wednesday the crucial role of World Trade Unions in the pursuit of justice and their dedication to achieving this goal. He highlighted the longstanding relationship between Syria and the World Federation of Trade Unions, rooted in the conflict between capitalism and labour forces.

During a meeting with Mr. Pambis Kyritsis, Secretary-General of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), President al-Assad expressed concern that major corporations are now taking the lead in shaping political decisions in the United States and Europe. He stated that these corporations often manipulate conflicts and incite wars to advance their economic and financial interests. He pointed to the ongoing situation in the occupied Palestinian territories as a tragic reflection of this brutal reality, where massacres are committed against innocent people defending their rights.

President al-Assad also stressed that Syria faces numerous challenges, where political, economic, ideological, and social aspects are intertwined.

In response, Mr. Kyritsis conveyed his visit to Syria as a gesture of solidarity with the nations efforts towards stability and reconstruction. He reaffirmed the World Federation of Trade Unions support for Syrias development initiatives, free from external interference.

Mr. Kyritsis highlighted the increased commitment of World Trade Unions to the Palestinian cause, emphasizing their efforts to mobilize global public opinion in support of justice for this issue.

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.

An Israeli attack on military positions in southwest Syria on Wednesday killed eight soldiers and wounded seven more. At the same time, heavy clashes erupted on Wednesday between two groups of Turkish-backed armed factions in the countryside of Ras al-Ain.

Syria Says Israeli Attack Kills Eight Soldiers

An Israeli attack on military positions in southwest Syria on Wednesday killed eight soldiers and wounded seven more, the Syrian state news agency (SANA) reported.

Citing a military source, SANA said Israels aerial aggression targeted a number of military positions near the southwestern city of Daraa. The strike also caused material damage, it reported.

The attack took place at around 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday (2245 GMT on Tuesday), SANA reported.

Israels military said earlier that its jets had struck Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers early on Wednesday in what it described as a response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel.

Clashes between SNA factions leave 4 injured in Syrias Sere Kaniye

North Press reports that heavy clashes erupted on Wednesday between two groups of Turkish-backed armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), in the countryside of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), northeastern Syria, over a dispute on narcotics.

A patrol officer of the Military Police in Sere Kaniye told North Press clashes occurred between an armed group of the Hamza Division and another of the Sultan Murad faction in the town of Mabrouka in the west of Sere Kaniye.

This came after militants of the Hamza Division seized amounts of hashish belonging to the commander of a military group of the Sultan Murad faction in Mabrouka, the source noted.

The clashes resulted in the injury of four people including a woman. The wounded were taken to the Sere Kaniye Hospital. The injured woman is in critical condition, according to the source.

This is the fourth clash that has happened in October for varying reasons. These clashes result in material damage and injuries among the locals.

Fighting in Syria has hit four year peak: UN

The fighting in Syria is at its worst point in the last four years, the head of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI) said on Tuesday, 24 October, as the bombing has struck three different parts of the country over the last month.

We are witnessing the largest escalation of hostilities in Syria in four years. Yet again, there appears to be a total disregard for civilians lives, Paulo Pinheiro, the chair of the COI, told the UN General Assembly, according to The New Arab.

Pinheiros statement came as the Syrian regime has carried out a punishing bombing campaign on rebel-held northwest Syria for the past three weeks, leaving at least 200 civilians killed and injured.

The regime has shelled hospitals, mosques and schools in what it says is retaliation for an attack on a regime-military academy in Homs on 5 October, which killed more than 100.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the regime has blamed former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls the northwest.

In the countrys northeast, Turkey launched extensive airstrikes in the region controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Turkey commenced the attack after accusing the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) of carrying out a bombing of a government building in Ankara, which injured two Turkish soldiers.

As a result of the Turkish attacks, at least 18 civilians were killed and major damage and destruction was sustained by critical civilian infrastructure, according to a report by the northeast Syria NGO forum.

The scale of damage far supersedes the capacity of the humanitarian community to sustain emergency life-saving service provision, the NGO Forum said on 16 October.

Fatal and horrific injuries in northwest Syria

Though the Syrian regime at first said it was targeting northwest Syria in response to the attack on the Homs military academy, it has since justified its continued assault as a retaliation against Israel.

Commenting on Israeli strikes on the Damascus airport, a Syrian military source said the strike was part of the approach in supporting the terrorist groups that the Syrian Arab Army is fighting in the north of the country, which constitutes an armed arm of the Israeli entity.

The source added that the Syrian Arab Army will continue to pursue and strike the [terrorist groups] until the country is cleansed of them.

The toll of the regimes bombing campaign has been borne by civilians, with a single strike on a displacement camp in northwest Syria killing five civilians, including three women and two children, on Monday.

As soon as people started to move in the streets, shells fell on the city. Unlike every other time, [Syrian President] Assad wants to kill more people. He doesnt want to destroy buildings, Mahmoud Mosa, an activist in Idlib, told The New Arab.

Drone attacks on American bases injured two dozen U.S. military personnel

Two dozen American military personnel were wounded last week in a series of drone attacks at American bases in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Central Command told NBC News on Tuesday.

The Pentagon confirmed the attacks last week, but the number of U.S. casualties has not been previously disclosed.

Twenty American personnel sustained minor injuries on Oct. 18 when at least two one-way attack drones targeted the al-Tanf military base in southern Syria, CENTCOM said.

One of the drones was shot down. All of the wounded personnel were returned to duty, CENTCOM said, and there was no damage to any military installations.

On that same day, another four American personnel suffered minor injuries during two separate drone attacks against U.S. and coalition forces stationed at al-Asad base in western Iraq, CENTCOM said.

The U.S. shot down the one-way attack drones, but the debris from one destroyed a hanger that contained small aircraft, CENTCOM said. All of the injured personnel returned to duty.

An American civilian contractor died due to a cardiac incident during a shelter-in-place order, but it did not occur during one of the drone attacks.

The attacks came amid rising tensions in the region over the conflict in Israel.\

How Jordan and Syria can cooperate to improve relations

Majid Rafizadeh published an op-ed in Arab News which discusses the potential for improved relations between Jordan and Syria by addressing critical issues that have strained their bilateral relationship. The author highlights three key areas where cooperation between the two countries could lead to better ties.

Firstly, Rafizadeh points out the persistent problem of drug smuggling from Syria into Jordan, which has the potential to destabilize trade and contribute to social and economic instability. He notes that Syrias current circumstances, including the civil war, security challenges, economic crisis, and international isolation, have created an environment conducive to the illicit drug trade. Jordan has taken steps to combat drug smuggling, including downing drones carrying drugs from Syria, but the issue remains unresolved. Rafizadeh suggests the creation of coordinated joint committees to enhance border security, combat drug trafficking, and prevent smuggling. Jordan could also seek support from other Arab countries to pressure Syria into cooperating on this issue.

The second obstacle discussed in the op-ed is the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan. Despite the improvement in relations between Jordan and Syria, many Syrian refugees in Jordan have not returned home, placing socioeconomic strain on Jordan, which hosts a significant number of refugees per capita. Rafizadeh argues that peace, stability, economic growth, and security in Syria are essential to facilitate the sustainable return of refugees. The Syrian government must address economic mismanagement, and state-controlled economies, and focus on infrastructure reconstruction to create job opportunities and attract foreign investment.

In summary, Rafizadeh emphasizes that for Jordan and Syria to enhance their bilateral ties, they must cooperate closely on three main fronts: border security, addressing the refugee crisis, and promoting trade. The op-ed underscores the potential benefits of such cooperation in addressing common challenges and improving relations between the two nations.

Syrian Constitution: Drawing Lessons from Iraqs Experience

As Syria continues to grapple with the complex process of drafting a new constitution, experts and activists have turned their attention to Iraqs 2005 Constitution as a potential blueprint for achieving a balanced and inclusive governance framework. Syrians for Truth and Justice Organization publish a long study which compares the constitutional endeavour today and that of Iraq in 2005. In a series of dialogue sessions titled On the Way to a New Syrian Constitution; How to Draw Upon the Experiences of Other Countries? participants delved into the strengths and weaknesses of Iraqs constitution and explored how Syrians can learn from their neighbours experiences.

Iraqs 2005 Constitution, despite its challenges, is viewed by many as a generally positive constitution, providing a wide range of rights and freedoms, along with safeguards to protect them. However, participants in the dialogue sessions raised several critical points that could serve as valuable lessons for Syrias constitution-making process.

One of the key issues highlighted was the hurried drafting of Iraqs constitution within just five months. This haste resulted in contradictory and sometimes incomprehensible articles, which some attributed to external pressures, including from the U.S. government. While the speed of drafting was due to unique circumstances, Syrian constitution-makers are being urged to take the time needed to ensure clarity and coherence in the document.

Participants also pointed out that Iraqs constitution was written from the perspective of the oppressed, reflecting the widespread persecution that many Iraqis endured during Saddam Husseins rule. This perspective influenced the content of the constitution, particularly in addressing issues of diversity and identity.

One contentious area was the balance between diversity and Iraqs Arab and Islamic identity. Iraqs constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the state and a foundation source of legislation. However, this declaration raised concerns among some participants who called for a clearer separation of religion and state to prevent favouritism towards any particular religion or language.

Another point of contention was the use of the term components in Iraqs constitution, which some felt equated minorities with larger groups and potentially hindered the protection of minority rights. Syrian constitution-makers are being encouraged to carefully consider the language used to address diversity and representation.

The rigidity of Iraqs constitution was also a topic of discussion. Changes or amendments to the constitution in Iraq require a complex process, including the approval of two-thirds of the countrys provinces and a popular referendum. Participants suggested that Syria should aim for a balance between rigidity and flexibility to ensure that the constitution can adapt to changing circumstances.

In light of these discussions, participants offered several recommendations for the Syrian constitution-making process:

Ensure genuine political will and consensus among all Syrians to apply the drafted constitution. Avoid vague and loosely defined language in the constitution to prevent different interpretations. Clearly acknowledge the importance of transitional justice in the constitution. Ensure effective representation of all components of the Syrian population in the constitutional committee. Adopt a neutral approach towards religions, sects, and nationalities. Draft articles that are compatible with the ideas and visions of different societal groups. Avoid enshrining a sectarian or national quota system and focus on building a nation that respects the rights of all citizens.

As Syria navigates the challenging path toward a new constitution, the experiences of its neighbor Iraq provide valuable insights and cautionary tales. The hope is that Syria can learn from these lessons to create a constitution that upholds the principles of democracy, inclusivity, and human rights for all its citizens.
WASHINGTON  Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for House speaker late Tuesday, hours after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump and hardline GOP lawmakers.

Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth nominee after Emmer and the others fell short in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy's ouster as GOP factions jockey for power.

Refusing to unify, far-right members wont accept a more traditional speaker and more moderate members dont want a hardliner. Johnson immediately faced a roll call behind closed doors to test his support ahead of a House floor vote, when he'll need almost all Republicans to win the gavel.

Three weeks on, the Republicans are frittering away their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Pretty sad commentary on governance right now, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try well get this thing right.

After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans, but he returned later to offices at the Capitol. He said Trump's opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference, he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. We'll get it done.

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his un-endorsement must have had an impact on Emmers bid.

He wasnt MAGA," said Trump, the party's front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson of Louisiana, a member of party leadership who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday's internal ballots. He earned 128 votes in the evening vote.

A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

But hardliners swiftly resisted Johnson's bid and a new list of candidates emerged within minutes of an evening deadline. Among them was Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally who ran third on the morning ballot, and a few others. McCarthy, who was not on the ballot, won a surprising 43 votes.

We're in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Yet Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the hardliners, said, This is what democracy looks like.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hardline Rep. Jim Jordan in a new leadership role.

It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but they were not certain it would fly.

I think sometimes its good to have fresh ideas and fresh people, said Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.

Emmer of Minnesota had jumped out in front during private morning balloting among a hodgepodge list of mostly lesser-known congressmen aspiring to be speaker, a powerful position second in line to the presidency.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

But Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speakers vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Coming in a steady second in the morning balloting, Johnson offered his full support to Emmer, saying, "What we have to do in this room is unite and begin to govern again.

Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Donalds and Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader and former McDonalds franchise owner who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Having rejected the top replacements, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and the Trump-backed Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthy's ouster, has said several of those who were running  Hern, Donalds or Johnson  would make a phenomenal choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many Emmer opponents were resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.

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These 8 Republicans stood apart to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker Rep. Andy Biggs Rep. Ken Buck Rep. Tim Burchett Rep. Eli Crane Rep. Matt Gaetz Rep. Bob Good Rep. Nancy Mace Rep. Matt Rosendale
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Boeing 737 Max airplanes sit parked in a storage lot, Monday, April 26, 2021, near Boeing Field in Seattle. Boeing reports earnings on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Boeing reported a $1.64 billion loss for the third quarter as it delivered fewer of its best-selling but problem-plagued 737 Max airliner and sunk more money into building two new Air Force One presidential jets.

The aircraft maker on Wednesday lowered its forecast of 737 production to between 375 and 400 planes this year, down from a previous estimate of 400 to 450.

The loss was wider than Wall Street expected. Boeing has lost money every year since 2018 and has been profitable in only one of its last nine quarters as it struggles with problems in aircraft and defense programs.

"These are disappointing results in the quarter and the year to date," Chief Financial Officer Brian West said on a call with analysts. "This performance is below our expectations, and we acknowledge that we aren't as far along in this recovery as we expected to be."

West said the company's fourth-quarter profit margin will be better than the third quarter's minus-6%, but will still be negative.

Boeing's long slide began with two deadly crashes involving the 737 Max in late 2018 and early 2019. Even after overhauling a system implicated in those crashes, production and deliveries of the plane have been slowed as Boeing has dealt with several manufacturing flaws.

Most recently, Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems have set out to inspect and do additional work to fix poorly drilled holes in a pressure-sealing section of the planes.

Last week, Boeing announced it would give Spirit $100 million to retool its operations and pay Spirit an extra $455 million over two years for parts used in the 787 Dreamliner. The deal calls for Boeing to recover some of that with $265 million in price cuts starting in 2026.

In its government work, Boeing reported a $482 million loss on its contract with the Air Force to build two new presidential jets because of higher estimated manufacturing costs.

CEO David Calhoun said the setbacks won't affect performance of the planes, but that "any unplanned hurdles can introduce unrecoverable cost" in fixed-price contracts like the one Boeing agreed to for Air Force One.

"At the end of the day, we have two airplanes to build. We're getting past these hurdles and are committed to delivering two exceptional airplanes," he said.

The company also lost $315 million on a satellite contract.

Excluding special items Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, lost $3.26 per share in the quarter. Analysts expected a loss of $3.18 per share, according to a FactSet survey of analysts.

Revenue rose 13% to $18.10 billion, topping analysts' forecast of $18.01 billion.

Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr called it a "messy" quarter for the aircraft maker, but said investor reaction would be muted. He said the scaled-back forecast for 737 deliveries was not a surprise because problems with the aft pressure bulkhead on the planes were already known.

The company delivered 105 commercial planes in the quarter, down from 112 a year earlier, as it struggled with problems that slowed production of the 737 Max passenger jet. Deliveries of 737s slipped to 70 from 88 in the same period last year, but deliveries of 787 Dreamliners rose.

Calhoun said the company is still on track to meet long-term financial goals, including free cash flow of $3 billion to $5 billion this year and $10 billion by 2026. He said the company is working to stabilize its supply chain and steadily increase aircraft production rates.

In a note to employees, Calhoun said demand for Boeing planes remains strong.

"That demand will underpin our recovery, but it's on us to perform," he said. "I have heard those outside our company wondering if we've lost a step. I view it as quite the opposite."

Shares of The Boeing Co. rose 2% in midday trading.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Last week I wrote about setting up Amazon Echo devices to enable making phone calls with your voice, which could be helpful in an emergency. I mentioned falling and not having a phone within reach to call for help.

This week I received an email from a reader, "My friend and I bought Apple Watches which notify family if we fall. On Sept. 11, I fell in my parking lot. The watch notified my husband and my daughter and let out a loud alarm. Please include the Apple Watch in your column."

As a recent purchaser of an Apple Watch Series 9, I took the opportunity to set up some of the emergency notification features that could help me if I fall.

Apple Watches since Series 4 have had the ability to detect hard falls. Apple has added the ability for your watch to call for help if it senses you've had a hard fall and are not moving.

You can set up fall detection in the Watch app from a paired iPhone under Emergency SOS.

If the watch detects a hard fall, it will tap you on the wrist and sound an alarm. If you don't need help, you can choose to dismiss the alert. If the watch detects you are moving, it will wait for you to respond and won't automatically call emergency services.

If the watch detects you have not been moving for about a minute, it will call emergency services automatically. If the watch does call emergency services, you can also have the watch send messages to any contacts you set up in the Medical ID section of the Health app.

Your emergency contacts will get a text that you've fallen, emergency services have been notified and they'll get your current location.

To call emergency services, your Apple Watch needs to be within range of your iPhone, or the Watch needs to be a model with a cellular radio built in. Cellular-enabled Apple Watches need to be added to your cell phone plan to make calls.

I should mention the Apple Watch will not know if you've taken a soft fall. If you slip out of a chair or slip off the bed or lose your balance and fall in the yard, the watch will not know your situation.

You can still use the Apple Watch to call for help. If you hold down the watch's side button, you'll see an option to make an emergency SOS call. Slide your finger from left to right and the watch will make the call.

You can also use the Apple Watch to make regular phone calls to anyone. Press the digital crown and scroll down to Phone and you'll see your contacts or dial a number manually.

Apple don't have the market cornered on fall detection. Samsung's Galaxy Watches and Google Pixel watches can also call for help if it detects a hard fall. There are also medical alert companies that have watches as part of their offerings.

2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Pigeons may have bird brains. But they are better than humans at solving some complex tasks. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A new study provides evidence that pigeons tackle some problems just as artificial intelligence wouldallowing them to solve difficult tasks that would vex humans.

Previous research had shown pigeons learned how to solve complex categorization tasks that human ways of thinkinglike selective attention and explicit rule usewould not be useful in solving.

Researchers had theorized that pigeons used a "brute force" method of solving problems that is similar to what is used in AI models, said Brandon Turner, lead author of the new study and professor of psychology at The Ohio State University.

But this study may have proven it: Turner and a colleague tested a simple AI model to see if it could solve the problems in the way they thought pigeons didand it worked.

"We found really strong evidence that the mechanisms guiding pigeon learning are remarkably similar to the same principles that guide modern machine learning and AI techniques," Turner said.

"Our findings suggest that in the pigeon, nature may have found a way to make an incredibly efficient learner that has no ability to generalize or extrapolate like humans would."

Turner conducted the study with Edward Wasserman, a professor of psychology at the University of Iowa. Their results were published recently in the journal iScience.

Credit: iScience (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107998

In the study, pigeons were shown a stimulus, which could include lines of various widths and angles, concentric rings and sectioned rings. They had to peck a button on the right or left to indicate to which category it belonged to. If they got it correct, they received a food pelletif they were wrong, they received nothing.

There were four different tasks in the study, some harder than the others. Results showed that, through trial and error, the pigeons improved their ability to make the correct choices in one of the easier experiments from about 55% to 95% of the time. Even in a more difficult scenario, their correct responses improved from 55% to 68%.

Researchers believed the pigeons used what is called associative learning, which is linking two phenomena with each other. For example, it is easy to understand the link between "water" and "wet." People teach their dogs to link sitting when they are commanded with receiving a treat.

But those associations are relatively easy.

"Associative learning is frequently presumed to be far too primitive and rigid to explain complex visual categorization like what we saw the pigeons do," Turner said.

But that's exactly what the researchers found.

The researchers' AI model tackled the same tasks using just the two simple mechanisms that pigeons were presumed to use: associative learning and error correction. And, like the pigeons, the AI model learned to make the right predictions to significantly increase the number of correct answers.

For humans, the challenge when given tasks like those given to pigeons is that they would try to come up with a rule or rules that could make the task easier.

"But in this case, there were no rules that could help make this any easier. That really frustrates humans and they often give up on tasks like this," he said.

"Pigeons don't try to make rules. They just use this brute force way of trial and error and associative learning and in some specific types of tasks that helps them perform better than humans."

What's interesting, though, is that pigeons use this method of learning that is very similar to AI designed by humans, Turner said.

"We celebrate how smart we are that we designed artificial intelligence, at the same time we disparage pigeons as dim-witted animals," he said.

"But the learning principles that guide the behaviors of these AI machines are pretty similar to what pigeons use."

More information: Brandon M. Turner et al, The pigeon as a machine: Complex category structures can be acquired by a simple associative model, iScience (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107998 Journal information: iScience
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "clear violations of international human law" in Gaza amid the conflict.

As the Israel-Hamas conflict intensified, the UN chief's remarks also came as he renewed his calls for a ceasefire in the embattled region. Israel has recently bombarded the besieged Gaza Strip with relentless attacks since Oct. 7.

Clear Violations of International Law in Gaza

Following the Hamas militant group's assault on the Middle Eastern country, which killed more than 1,400 people, Israel cut off supplies of water, food, fuel, and electricity to the enclave's roughly 2.3 million residents. This was a move that the UN has called a form of collective punishment.

Israel also launched an assault on the territory that has resulted in the death of more than 5,700 people. The conflict has displaced more than one million people as Jerusalem ordered residents of northern Gaza to evacuate to the southern parts of the region. However, as per Aljazeera, Israeli air raids have continued to rain down throughout the territory.

On Tuesday, Guterres pleaded to the 15-member UN Security Council to protect civilians and warned that the conflict risked a wider conflagration in the region. He noted that it was important to recognize that the attacks made by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

The UN chief said the Palestinian people have been subjected to more than five decades of suffocating occupation. However, he argued that the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks made by the Hamas militant group. He added that these assaults cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Without naming the Middle Eastern country, Guterres criticized Israel by saying that protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate the south. There is no shelter, food, water, medicine, or fuel in that particular region, and then proceed to bomb the area anyway.

Read Also: [VIDEO] Unseen Actual Hamas Attack in Israel Showing Harrowing Killings, Revealed To Counter Denials

Criticizing the UN Chief's Remarks

The UN chief's comments immediately drew ire from Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who called the speech "shocking." According to the Financial Times, the latter then called on Guterres to resign while Foreign Minister Eli Cohen canceled a meeting with the secretary-general in a supposed protest.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also addressed the security council and blamed the Hamas group for using civilians as human shields. However, he also called for "humanitarian pauses" in Israel's air strikes against targets located in Gaza to allow civilians to get out of harm's way.

The situation comes as the Pentagon is supposedly planning stages of sending Iron Dome missile defense systems and has positioned F-16 fighter jets as the Israel Defense Force (IDF) battles Hamas.

A defense official said that the U.S. will start flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel later to support its war against the terrorist group. The official added that the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, said Fox News.

Related Article: Israel-Hamas Conflict: At Least 2,000 Kids Reportedly Killed in Gaza in Recent Weeks

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03462

Large chunks of the Navajo Nation in the Southwest lack access to clean drinkable water, a trend that has been rising in many parts of the U.S. in recent years. A research team led by engineers with The University of Texas at Austin is changing that.

The team has developed a new water filtration solution for members of the Navajo Nation, lining clay pots with pine tree resin collected from the Navajo Nation and incorporating tiny, silver-based particles that can be used to purify water to make it drinkable.

"Making water filtration technology cheap doesn't solve all the problems, and making it effective doesn't solve everything either," said Navid Saleh, a professor in the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and one of the leaders on the project. "You have to think about the people you are making it for."

And that's what the researchers did. They worked closely with a third-generation potter from ArizonaDeanna Tso, who is also a co-author on the paperto create a device that is simple for the users. All they have to do is pour water through the clay pots, and the coated pottery removes bacteria from water and generates clean, drinkable water.

The Navajo Nation has a history of mistrust of outsiders, the researchers say, and that makes it less likely that people there would adopt a new technology made entirely by others. Using pottery, working with the community, and relying on local materials were important to the effectiveness of this project.

The research appears in a new paper in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

"Navajo pottery is at the heart of this innovation because we hoped it would bridge a trust gap," said Lewis Stetson Rowles III, now a faculty member at Georgia Southern University's Department of Civil Engineering and Construction after earning a Ph.D. from UT in 2021. "Pottery is sacred there, and using their materials and their techniques could help them get more comfortable with embracing new solutions."

Using silver particles for water filtration is not the main innovation. Others have used this technology in the past. The key is controlling the release of nanoparticles, which can reduce the usable life of the filters. And the silver particles mix at high volume with some of the chemicals, such as chloride and sulfide, in the untreated water, leading to a "poison layer" that can reduce the disinfection efficacy of the silver particles on the clay lining.

The researchers used materials abundant in the environment of the community, including pine tree resin, to mitigate the uncontrolled release of silver particles during the water purifying process. The materials and construction process for the pots cost less than $10, making for a potentially low-cost solution.

"This is just the beginning of trying to solve a local problem for a specific group of people," Saleh said. "But the technical breakthrough we've made can be used all over the world to help other communities."

The next step for the researchers is to grow the technology and find other materials and techniques to help communities use the materials abundant in their regions to help create fresh, drinkable water. The researchers are not seeking to commercialize the research, but they are eager to share it with potential partners.

More information: Lewis S. Rowles et al, Integrating Navajo Pottery Techniques To Improve Silver Nanoparticle-Enabled Ceramic Water Filters for Disinfection, Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03462 Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

If you live on the East Coast, you may have driven through roundabouts in your neighborhood countless times. Or maybe, if you're in some parts farther west, you've never encountered one of these intersections. But roundabouts, while a relatively new traffic control measure, are catching on across the United States.

Roundabouts, also known as traffic circles or rotaries, are circular intersections designed to improve traffic flow and safety. They offer several advantages over conventional intersections controlled by traffic signals or stop signs, but by far the most important one is safety.

I research transportation engineering, particularly traffic safety and traffic operations. Some of my past studies have examined the safety and operational effects of installing roundabouts at an intersection. I've also compared the performance of roundabouts versus stop-controlled intersections.

A brief history of roundabouts

As early as the 1700s, some city planners proposed and even constructed circular places, sites where roads converged, like the Circus in Bath, England, and the Place Charles de Gaulle in France. In the U.S., architect Pierre L'Enfant built several into his design for Washington, D.C.. These circles were the predecessors to roundabouts.

In 1903, French architect and influential urban planner Eugene Henard was one of the first people who introduced the idea of moving traffic in a circle to control busy intersections in Paris.

Around the same time, William Phelps Eno, an American businessman known as the father of traffic safety and control, also proposed roundabouts to alleviate traffic congestion in New York City.

In the years that followed, a few other cities tried out a roundabout-like design, with varying levels of success. These roundabouts didn't have any sort of standardized design guidelines, and most of them were too large to be effective and efficient, as vehicles would enter at higher speeds without always yielding. Roundabouts require the driver to yield before entering and signal before exiting.

The birth of the modern roundabout came with yield-at-entry regulations, adopted in some towns in Great Britain in the 1950s. With yield-at-entry regulations, the vehicles entering the roundabout had to give way to vehicles already circulating in the roundabout. This was made a rule nationwide in the United Kingdom in 1966, then in France in 1983.

Yield-at-entry meant vehicles drove through these modern roundabouts more slowly, and over the years, engineers began adding more features that made them look closer to how roundabouts do now. Many added pedestrian crossings and splitter islandsor raised curbs where vehicles entered and exitedwhich controlled the vehicles' speeds.

Engineers, planners and decision-makers worldwide noticed that these roundabouts improved traffic flow, reduced congestion and improved safety at intersections. Roundabouts then spread throughout Europe and Australia.

Three decades later, modern roundabouts came to North America. The first modern roundabout in the U.S. was built in Summerlin, on the west side of Las Vegas, in 1990.

Ever since, the construction of modern roundabouts in the U.S. has picked up steam. There are now about 10,000 roundabouts in the country.

Why use roundabouts?

Roundabouts likely caught on so quickly because they reduce the number of potential conflict points. A conflict point at an intersection is a location where the paths of two or more vehicles or road users cross or have the potential to cross. The more conflict points, the more likely vehicles are to crash.

A roundabout has only eight potential conflict points, compared to 32 at a conventional four-way intersection. At roundabouts, vehicles don't cross each other at a right angle, and there are fewer points where vehicles merge or diverge into or away from each other. For some traffic engineers, the skys the limit.

The roundabout's tight circle forces approaching traffic to slow down and yield to circulating traffic, and then move smoothly around the central island. As a result, roundabouts have fewer stop-and-go issues, which reduces fuel consumption and vehicle emissions and allows drivers to perform U-turns more easily. Since traffic flows continuously at lower speeds in a roundabout, this continuous flow minimizes the need for vehicles to stop, which reduces congestion.

The Federal Highway Administration estimates that when a roundabout replaces a stop sign-controlled intersection, it reduces serious and fatal injury crashes by 90%, and when it replaces an intersection with a traffic light, it reduces serious and fatal injury crashes by nearly 80%.

Why do some places have more than others?

Engineers and planners traditionally have installed roundabouts in intersections with severe congestion or a history of accidents. But, with public support and funding, they can get installed anywhere.

But roundabouts aren't needed in every intersection. In places where congestion isn't an issue, city planners tend not to push for them. For example, while there are [around 750 roundabouts] in Florida, there are fewer than 50 in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming combined.

Roundabouts have been gaining popularity in the U.S. in recent years, in part because the Federal Highway Administration recommends them as the safest option. Some states, like New York and Virginia, have adopted a "roundabout first" policy, where engineers default to using roundabouts where feasible when building or upgrading intersections.

In 2000, the U.S. only had 356 roundabouts. Over the past two decades, that number has grown to over 10,000. Love them or hate them, the roundabout's widespread adoption suggests that these circular intersections are here to stay.

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Example images generated by the clean (unpoisoned) and poisoned SD-XL models with different # of poison data. The attack effect is apparent with 1000 poisoning samples, but not at 500 samples. Credit: arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2310.13828

Artists who have stood by helplessly as their online works remained ripe for the picking without authorization by AI web scraping operations can finally fight back.

Researchers at the University of Chicago announced the development of a tool that "poisons" graphics appropriated by AI companies to train image-generating models. The tool, Nightshade, manipulates image pixels that will alter the output during training. The alterations are not visible to the naked eye prior to processing.

Ben Zhao, an author of the paper "Prompt-Specific Poisoning Attacks on Text-to-Image Generative Models," said Nightshade can sabotage data so that images of dogs, for instance, would be converted to cats at training time. In other instances, car images were transformed into cars, and hats converted to cakes. The work is published on the arXiv preprint server.

"A moderate number of Nightshade attacks can destabilize general features in a text-to-image generative model, effectively disabling its ability to generate meaningful images," Zhao said.

He termed his team's creation "a last defense for content creators against web scrapers that ignore opt-out/do-not-crawl directives."

Artists have long worried about companies such as Google, OpenAI, Stability AI and Meta that collect billions of images online for use in training datasets for lucrative image-generating tools while failing to provide compensation to creators.

Eva Toorenent, an adviser for the European Guild for Artificial Intelligence Regulation in the Netherlands, said such practices "have sucked the creative juices of millions of artists."

"It is absolutely horrifying," she said in a recent interview.

Zhao's team demonstrated that despite the common belief that disrupting scraping operations would require uploading massive amounts of altered images, they were able to achieve disruption by using fewer than 100 "poisoned" samples. They achieved this by using prompt-specific poisoning attacks that require far fewer samples than the model training dataset.

Zhao sees Nightshade as a useful tool not only for individual artists but for large companies as well, such as movie studios and game developers.

"For example, Disney might apply Nightshade to its print images of 'Cinderella,' while coordinating with others on poison concepts for 'Mermaid,'" Zhao said.

Nightshade can also alter art styles. For instance, a prompt requesting an image be created in Baroque style may yield Cubist style imagery instead.

The tool emerges in the midst of rising opposition to AI companies appropriating web content under what the companies say is allowed by fair-use rules. Lawsuits were filed against Google and Microsoft's OpenAI last summer accusing the tech giants of improperly using copyrighted materials to train their AI systems.

"Google does not own the internet, it does not own our creative works, it does not own our expressions of our personhood, pictures of our families and children, or anything else simply because we share it online," said the plaintiffs' attorney, Ryan Clarkson. If found guilty, the companies face billions in fines.

Google seeks a dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in court papers, "Using publicly available information to learn is not stealing, nor is it an invasion of privacy, conversion, negligence, unfair competition, or copyright infringement."

According to Toorenent, Nightshade "is going to make [AI companies] think twice, because they have the possibility of destroying their entire model by taking our work without our consent."

More information: Shawn Shan et al, Prompt-Specific Poisoning Attacks on Text-to-Image Generative Models, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2310.13828 Journal information: arXiv

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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Ukraine's recently formed "IT army" is playing a crucial role in the war with Russia, launching disruptive cyber-attacks and data thefts against the Russian government and other high-profile targets such as energy giant Gazprom.

The IT army has thousands of volunteer members around the world, who use Twitter and Telegram channels to communicate, coordinate and report on actions. Its members have already taken part in a wide variety of attacks. These range from stealing and exposing important information to successfully disrupting Russian communications and other critical networks in order to hinder the Russian war efforts.

The formation of the IT army was a Ukrainian government response to concerns about the role Russian cyber-attacks might have on the war. On February 26 2022 Ukrainian vice-prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov issued a call to arms to all hackers willing to join its IT army and support Ukraine against Russian cyber-attacks and to disrupt Russian networks.

The creation of Ukraine's IT army is considered a world first in cyber-warfare operations. It is believed to be the first time a state official has openly called on hackers from around the globe to join a nation's military defensive efforts against an invading force and act as part of its hybrid military operations.

Ukraine's IT army are also supported by hacktivist groups which are not affiliated with Ukraine, but want to support the country against Russia.

One of its most disruptive attacks was carried out in 2022 and targeted Russia's authentication system, Chestny Znak, which adds a unique ID and barcode to all products in the country.

This cyber-attack flooded Chestny Znak's servers with information, causing it to stop working, creating widespread disruption with serious economic costs and even leading the Russian government to abolish certain labeling policies.

The IT army and other hacktivist groups have also managed to target Russian radio and TV stations to add snippets of videos about the war in Ukraine to programs and to broadcast fake air raid alerts. For example, in June 2023, Russian state TV and other channels were hacked and broadcast a video allegedly created by the Ukrainian ministry of defense including footage of Ukraine's military operations, followed by a message reading "the hour of reckoning has come" in Ukrainian.

This rallying of hackers for Ukraine has prompted a response from groups within Russia, such as Killnet, Sandworm and XaKnet, to launch their own cyber-attacks on Ukrainian and western targets. However, Russian cyber-attacks started well before the invasion and intensified in February 2022. These involved an array of smaller assaults on Ukrainian state and private networks and even a major cyber-attack on the Viasat satellite communications system in order to prevent the monitoring of Russian troop movements during the invasion.

International ramifications

The Viasat cyber-attack on February 23 had serious spillover effects outside Ukraine's borders, affecting thousands of German wind turbines by shutting down their remote control systems. This incident showed that all wars now have a very real cyberspace dimension that could have global implications outside the war zone.

Apart from the global cybersecurity concerns that this conflict has generated, the creation of the IT army has sparked important discussions around the role of cyberwarfare in real-life military operations. One significant question is whether groups such as the IT army could be considered combatants, rather than civilians, which can impact whether they can be legally targeted by Russian military, losing some of the protections afforded by international law.

Having said that, some countries, including Estonia, already have formally established similar cyberforce reserves. This is something that is currently under consideration by the Ukrainian government for its IT army.

Another consideration is the unpredictability of hacker groups operating as decentralized "cyberguerillas". This could have serious spillover effects beyond the war zone, potentially resulting in escalation across more countries.

Efforts have been made by the international community and academic experts to apply the law of war and international humanitarian law to cyberoperations, which have culminated in the publication of the Tallinn manuals. These manuals attempt to cover issues of international law regarding cyber incidents. But many of the concerns that the IT army has brought to the fore remain contested, especially since these documents are not binding.

Conflicts could become even more complex as AI tools are increasingly used in cyber-attacks and gradually become part of modern information warfare in the next few years.

This is why we need more concerted efforts to resolve the practical and legal concerns, before the new age of cyberwarfare is upon us.

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Overview of the attack unveiled by the researchers. (1) The adversary collects data from the target AIGC service. (2) The adversary uses an open-source denoising model to purify the collected data. (3) The adversary adopts the original and purified data to train a GAN, which can be used to remove or forge the watermark. Black and white images stand for images with and without watermarks, respectively. Credit: Li et al.

With the advent of LensaAI, ChatGPT and other highly performing generative machine learning models, the internet is now growing increasingly saturated with texts, images logos and videos created by artificial intelligence (AI). This content, broadly referred to as AI generated content (AIGC), could often be easily mistaken for content created by humans or any computational models.

The growing use of generative AI models has thus opened key questions related to intellectual property and copyright. In fact, many companies and developers are unhappy with the widespread commercial use of content generated by their models and have thus introduced watermarks to regulate the diffusion of AIGC.

Watermarks are essentially patterns or characterizing marks that can be placed on images, videos or logos to clarify who created them and owns their copyrights. While watermarks have been widely used for decades, their effectiveness for regulating the use of AIGC has not yet been ascertained.

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Chongqing University and Zhejiang University recently carried out a study exploring the effectiveness of watermarking as a means to prevent the undesired and unattributed dissemination of AIGC. Their paper, published on the pre-print server arXiv, outlines two strategies that could easily allow attackers to remove and forge watermarks on AIGC.

"Recently, AIGC has been a hot topic in the community," Guanlin Li, co-author of the paper, told Tech Xplore. "Many companies add watermarks to AIGC to protect the IP or restrict illegal usage. One night, we discussed whether we could explore a new advanced watermarking for generative models. I just said, hey, why not attack the existing watermarking schemes? If we can remove the watermark, some illegal AIGC will not be treated as AI-generated. Or if we forge a watermark into some real-world content, they could be treated as AI-generated. That could cause a lot of chaos on the internet."

As part of their study, Li and his colleagues demonstrated a computational strategy to erase or forge watermarks in images generated by AI models. A person using this strategy would essentially first collect data from a target AI company, application or content generating service and then use a publicly available denoising model to 'purify' this data.

Clean images and corresponding outputs produced by the team's model. The top two rows are clean images. Credit: Li et al.

Finally, the user would need to train a generative adversarial network (GAN) using this purified data. The researchers found that after training, this GAN-based model could successfully remove or forge the watermark.

"The idea behind our study is quite straightforward," Li explained. "If we want to identify the watermarked content, the distribution of watermarked content should be different from the original one. Based on it, if we can learn a projection between these two distributions, we will be able to remove or forge a watermark."

In initial tests, Li and his colleagues found that their identified strategy was highly effective in removing and forging watermarks from various images generated by an AI-based content generation service. Their work thus highlights the vulnerabilities and consequent impracticality of using watermarking to enforce the copyrights of AIGC.

"It is not surprising that advanced watermarking schemes can be easily removed or forged if the adversary has full information about the watermark schemes, but it is surprising that even if we only have watermarked content, we are still able to do that," Li said.

"On the other hand, our method is based on the distribution of data, therefore, it indicates that the existing watermarking schemes are not secure. To be honest, I do not want our work to become a real-world threat, because it would make us unable to govern the generative models. Personally, I hope it will inspire others to design some more advanced watermarking schemes to defend against our attacks."

The recent work by this team of researchers could soon inspire companies and developers specialized in generative AI to develop more advanced watermarking approaches or alternative approaches that are better suited for preventing the illegal dissemination of AIGC. Inspired by their own findings, Li and his colleagues are now also trying to develop some of these approaches.

"We are now mainly studying some new watermarking schemes for generative models, not just for image generation techniques, but also for other models," Li added.

More information: Guanlin Li et al, Towards the Vulnerability of Watermarking Artificial Intelligence Generated Content, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2310.07726 Journal information: arXiv

 2023 Science X Network
Cryptocurrencies have taken the financial world by storm, offering both opportunities and challenges. However, the regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies varies greatly from one country to another, creating a complex and often contradictory ecosystem. While some nations have embraced digital currencies with clear legal frameworks, others remain cautious or even hostile.

In countries like Switzerland and Singapore, cryptocurrencies have found fertile ground for innovation. These nations have established regulatory frameworks that not only encourage innovation but also facilitate widespread acceptance. As a result, theyve become global hubs for blockchain businesses, attracting a thriving community of innovators.

On the flip side, China has taken a rather tough stance on cryptocurrency activities. The country has not only banned Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) but also outlawed cryptocurrency exchanges. This regulatory approach reflects the governments concerns about the potential risks associated with unregulated digital currencies.

The situation in the United States is equally complex. Cryptocurrency regulation varies by state, with some states fostering crypto businesses with open arms, while others enforce strict rules. The lack of federal clarity has created a challenging environment for crypto firms, which must navigate a patchwork of state regulations.

Cryptocurrencies are gaining momentum around the world, making it essential for nations to establish consistent regulations to provide clarity and support for this emerging financial technology. Lets take a closer look at the global regulatory landscape and how different countries are responding to the rise of cryptocurrencies.

Switzerland: The Crypto Oasis

Switzerland has become a global hotspot for cryptocurrency innovation. The countrys government has embraced cryptocurrencies, providing clear legal guidelines that support the growth of blockchain businesses. This approach has attracted a multitude of blockchain startups, making Switzerland a powerhouse in the crypto world. The regulatory framework is both comprehensive and flexible, allowing businesses to thrive while maintaining a high level of security and compliance.

Singapore: A Beacon for Crypto

Similar to Switzerland, Singapore has established itself as a friendly environment for cryptocurrencies. The government has put in place a regulatory framework that not only supports the growth of digital currencies but also ensures the security of investors and users. This approach has encouraged numerous blockchain companies to set up shop in the city-state, contributing to its reputation as a global hub for crypto innovation.

China: The Great Wall Against Crypto

China has taken a markedly different approach to cryptocurrencies. Concerned about the potential risks associated with digital currencies, the Chinese government has imposed strict regulations. ICOs have been banned, and cryptocurrency exchanges are prohibited from operating within the country. Chinas stance on cryptocurrencies has been one of caution and control, reflecting the governments desire to maintain a firm grip on financial stability.

United States: A Patchwork of Regulations

In the United States, the regulatory climate is far from uniform. Cryptocurrency regulation varies from state to state, with some states embracing the technology and others implementing strict rules. The absence of clear federal guidelines has created a complex environment for crypto firms, which must navigate a web of state-specific regulations. This fragmented approach has led to uncertainty and challenges for both businesses and users in the crypto space.

The global regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies is indeed a diverse one, reflecting the unique priorities and concerns of each nation. While some countries welcome digital currencies with open arms, others remain cautious or even antagonistic.

Towards a Consistent Global Framework

The lack of consistency in cryptocurrency regulation across different countries poses challenges for the industry. In an increasingly interconnected world, digital currencies are not confined by geographical borders, making it crucial to establish a more consistent global framework.

Consistency in cryptocurrency regulation can offer several benefits. It can provide legal clarity for businesses and users, reduce the risk of illicit activities, and encourage innovation. A harmonized approach to regulation could also enhance cross-border cooperation and facilitate international trade and investment in the crypto space.

The Role of International Cooperation

The complex and global nature of cryptocurrencies highlights the importance of international cooperation in shaping the regulatory landscape. Cryptocurrencies challenge traditional regulatory boundaries, and addressing these challenges requires a coordinated effort among nations.

International bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) are working to establish global standards for cryptocurrency regulation. These standards aim to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism while ensuring the responsible use of digital currencies. Collaborative efforts like these are essential in creating a consistent global framework that benefits all stakeholders.

Investor Protection and Market Integrity

One of the primary concerns for regulators is ensuring investor protection and market integrity. Digital currencies have attracted a wide range of investors, from individuals to institutional players. To safeguard their interests, regulators need to establish clear rules that prevent fraud, market manipulation, and other illicit activities.

Transparent and well-enforced regulations can help build trust in the crypto market, attracting more mainstream investors and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry.

Innovation and Economic Growth

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have the potential to drive economic growth and innovation. By providing a clear regulatory framework that encourages responsible innovation, countries can harness the benefits of this emerging technology. Startups, entrepreneurs, and established businesses can explore new opportunities in the crypto space, creating jobs and economic value.

The Future of Cryptocurrency Regulation

The future of cryptocurrency regulation remains a dynamic and evolving landscape. As the crypto industry matures, regulators will continue to adapt and refine their approaches. Key considerations will include the balance between innovation and security, investor protection, and international cooperation.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a regulatory environment that fosters responsible growth while minimizing the potential risks associated with digital currencies. This is a shared responsibility among governments, regulatory bodies, industry players, and users.

In conclusion, the global regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies is diverse and continually evolving. Different countries have adopted various approaches, from welcoming innovation to imposing strict controls. The lack of consistency among nations poses challenges, and international cooperation is vital to address these issues and establish a more harmonized regulatory framework.

As cryptocurrencies continue to play an increasingly significant role in the global financial system, its essential to strike a balance between supporting innovation and ensuring the security of investors and users. Achieving this balance will be key to the long-term success of the cryptocurrency industry.
Have you been feeling a lack of motivation amongst your staff? If the answer is yes, dont panic! Its completely normal for teams to go through an ebb and flow of productivity throughout the year. This is especially true during the summer months and holiday season.

When your employee's productivity isnt where you want it to be, it is a direct reflection of you as a leader. If you are dissatisfied with their performance, they may be dissatisfied with yours, explains Matt Masiello, Chief Marketing Officer of BabyBuddha.

Instead of hitting your team with another motivational speech, try out some of these tips for cultivating a productive work environment. These strategies are proven to help inspire your employees to push themselves to higher heights. Keep reading to find out more.

1. Hire Strategically

During the recruiting process, companies tend to prioritize technical ability above all. While technical skills are certainly important, you also need to focus on finding the right fit for your team. Bringing on the wrong people can negatively affect your entire team.

Understanding your employee's perspective can go a long way when it comes to hiring. These are the people who will be working directly with any new hires, so they should have some say in the process, suggests Brianna Bitton, Co-Founder of O Positiv.

Consider having members of your team present while conducting interviews to help determine if the candidate is a right fit for your company. You want the team members thatll be working closest with the new hires to mesh well together. Take their opinions into consideration before finalizing a new hire.

2. Prioritize Onboarding and Training

Once you start the hiring process, youll need to prioritize the onboarding and training of new employees. An employee's first two weeks are crucial to their success at your company. This is also an essential time for them to integrate into your team.

We use Slack to actually nudge people throughout their training and remind them of all the reasons they joined, says Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at HubSpot.

Its up to the management team to create opportunities to help new hires hit the ground running. Youll have to share clear expectations, introduce them to team members, and educate them on the workplace code of conduct. Youll also want to ask for feedback within the first month.

3. Conduct Regular Check-ins

Conducting check-ins with your employees is an effective way to help them excel. It provides dedicated one-on-one time for you and each member of your staff where they can voice their concerns. It also helps them to know they have a voice at your company.

You should be having regular sit-downs with each employee at your organization. Even if it only ends up being once a quarter, that one-on-one time will be invaluable for members of your staff. This may be their only opportunity to be heard, says Max Ade, CEO of Pickleheads, a company that offers in-depth reviews of the best pickleball paddles.

During your check-ins, ask about their workplace satisfaction, stress levels, and work-life balance to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. This is especially important for remote employees. There is no better way to show your support for team members near and far.

4. Empower Your Employees

There are so many ways you can empower your employees in the workplace. The first step you can take is to provide them with the tools they need to perform their duties. This can include tasks like additional training, outside resources, and help when they need it.

Create all the conditions to help them be extraordinary. This can cover everything from ensuring they have the right skill sets to do the job and having the right equipment to be productive to having access to internal resources (team, financial, etc.) to support them along the way, shares Andreea Vanacker, CEO of SPARKX5.

You also need to make sure they feel respected in their roles. Respect and trust are both crucial parts of employee empowerment. Host regular team meetings so everyone has a chance to voice their opinions to the team.

5. Set Clear Goals

Employees tend to perform at a higher level if they have a direct picture of what is expected of them. Having a clear vision for the future will help to give everyone on the team more guidance. You can provide this guidance by sharing the long and short-term goals you have for the company.

Goals are what drive people forward. They are the cornerstone for success. Without them, you are simply floating around in the dark, maintains Jason Zhang, CTO of Tapin.GG, a company that helps gamers team up to achieve an elo boost.

In addition to having clear overarching goals, you can also have goals set for each department and even each individual. Additionally, make sure you are acknowledging achievements as they occur. This will help to boost employee morale.

6. Give Your Employees Autonomy

Some workplaces tend to operate more like a classroom than an office. Nothing kills morale quicker than feeling as though you are being treated with zero respect. Respect your employees and only implement policies that have a true purpose.

Your employees are your greatest asset. Why would you want to mistreat your greatest asset? Give your staff the treatment that you would expect if positions were reversed, says Miles Beckett, Co-Founder and CEO of Flossy.

If your employees are not in client-facing positions, give them freedom in terms of what they wear. Let them take stretching or water breaks as they need and avoid micromanaging as much as possible. Treat your employees with respect, and they will reward you with improved productivity.

7. Provide Work-Life Balance

In 2023, work-life balance is at the forefront of everyone's minds. In fact, businesses that dont prioritize work-life balance have a harder time retaining top talent. Approve time off when the requests are made in a timely manner, and be understanding when unexpected life events take priority over work.

Work-life balance is key to recruiting and retaining your talent. If you dont provide them with a chance to have a life outside the office, someone else will, mentions Nicholas Mathews, CEO of Stillwater Behavioral Health.

Work is just a small part of who your employees are as people. They have families and homes to care for. They have hobbies and friends to spend time with. You have to recognize that your employees are so much more than their careers.

8. Encourage Breaks

It has been reported in numerous studies that the most effective employees work with regular breaks in between bursts of work. If you can walk away from your computer for 15 minutes, you can avoid burnout and stay productive for longer. The issue is that many companies dont allow breaks at this frequency.

Employee burnout is a very real issue. Once your employees start to hit the point of burnout, its difficult to get them back. You can easily avoid this by giving them regular breaks and providing a schedule that is conducive to work-life balance, explains Andrew Mavis, CEO of 98Strong.

If you want to create a truly productive environment, you need to encourage your staff to take breaks. Suggest heading outside for a quick walk around the block or a brief stretching session. Even a prolonged break at the water cooler can lead to better productivity.

9. Provide Opportunities for Growth

Most people start their careers lower on the metaphorical totem pole. The goal when you start a new position is rarely to stay in that position long-term. Employees need to feel like there is room for growth at your organization in order to thrive.

If employees cannot grow their careers at your company, you will end up losing them to a company that is willing to help them further their careers. No one wants to be stuck in an admin position for life, says Susan Kim Shaffer, President and Co-Founder of Pneuma Nitric Oxide.

If you can ensure that your employees have opportunities for promotions and raises, they will work harder to reach their own personal goals. They will also have a greater sense of purpose, knowing that they are not in a dead-end position.

10. Encourage Team Building Activities

Not everyone is going to be thrilled at the concept of taking time away from work to spend with co-workers. However, research shows that team-building activities can lead to higher workplace satisfaction. Being able to bond with your team outside of the office can foster positive relationships, thus making work more fun.

You want to enjoy going to work every day, and a big part of that is influenced by building positive relationships with your co-workers. Without building a strong team, its likely you wont have as enjoyable a work experience, says Amanda Howland, Co-Founder of ElleVet Sciences.

Instead of requiring your employees to bond after hours, try taking your staff out to lunch during the work week so you can all get out of the office together. Try to stay away from work talk while youre there and encourage your employees to make an effort to get to know each other.

Creating a Productive Work Environment

Dont let your team fall prey to the yearly slump. Try out some of these tips and tricks for garnering motivation to help your business thrive. You and your staff will be happier and more efficient following the implementation of these methods.

One of the greatest tools for productivity is a positive work environment. If you can inspire your employees every day, positivity will quickly turn into productivity, says Max Schwartzapfel, CMO of Schwartzapfel Lawyers Fighting For You New York.

Cultivating a productive work environment is your job as a leader, so dont take that position lightly. Motivating while morale is low doesnt have to be difficult. Just use these 10 tips to foster a better work environment today.

Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.
Jennifer Cain, College Stations director of capital projects and facility management, found her passion in city government after struggling while working in a male-dominated field. She hopes to inspire other women to not be discouraged from pursuing similar positions.

A graduate of Texas A&M University with a major in construction science, Cain worked for a general contract firm before moving to New Braunfels and discovering a passion for city government, especially when she was able to physically see her projects such as a new sidewalk.

I found a niche that I love, she said. I loved being part of the community, being part of things that better the community and that my family could take part in.

Ever since moving back to College Station about a year and a half ago, Cain has been managing a variety of projects such as parks, roads, fire stations and more, all of which are essential services that dont always get noticed.

At any given time, we have anywhere between 80 to 90 capital projects that are ongoing in various stages of either design or construction, she said. The fire station is something Im really excited about.

As a woman in a leadership role, Cain said she finds inspiration from other women who work for the city who continue to accomplish great things.

There are a lot of females in the city management team, she said. They are leading the charge and doing great things in the city personally and professionally. I really look up to them.

Although A&M now has one of the highest percentages of women in construction sciences, Cain said, during her time as a student, though in the minority, she found support through professors.

Going through school at A&M, at the time when I was here, there werent many women in construction sciences, she said. I certainly had some professors that poured into me and really encouraged me in my journey.

Being a woman in the male-dominated field of construction science, Cain said she did encounter judgments from others such as when she first started working for a construction company in Houston.

One time, I was even told, Hey, you dont look the part, people arent going to take you as seriously because I was young or female, she said.

Despite the criticism, Cain said she found strength in women role models in her life, including her family who continued to support her.

I was always encouraged by my mom, so that was a big factor in my life growing up, and going into a field no one in my family had gone into, and it seemed more male-dominated at the time, she said.

Now Cain said she feels confident in what she does because she knows she is more than capable in her position.

Sometimes its easy to get discouraged, but I have been able to push past those things and say Thats not who I am and I know Im good at what I do, she said. I know Im doing something that is important to me and thats the best thing I can do.

As a word of advice to other women who are concerned with being in a male-dominated position, Cain said its essential to never let adversity stop people from finding their passions.

Its important to be confident in who you are, she said. If its important to you, you should keep after it and keep trying. It may not go the way you want it to go, it may go differently, but dont give up.
The Brazos County Commissioners Court held a workshop on election integrity Tuesday to discuss residents concerns regarding how local elections are conducted. Some residents may have left the proceeding more confused than when they started.

Walter C. Daugherity, a senior lecturer emeritus in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University, was the main presenter at the workshop. Daugherity is a listed influencer for the Truth & Liberty Coalition  a Colorado-based Christian 501(C)(4) nonprofit that aims to establish and catalyze a movement that promotes the true formation and flourishing of nations through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Daugheritys presentation was entitled Improving Our Elections and focused on several issues he believed the current voting system had and what steps could be taken to improve both the integrity and public trust in election results.

Daugherity began his presentation by discussing the voter turnout of the 2020 presidential election and claimed that the election saw an unusual increase in the number of voters compared to previous elections.

Heres an example of the statistical impossibilities when you look at the numbers, Daugherity told the court. The reported results for 2020 were 81 million votes for Biden, 74 million votes for Trump [and] 4 million votes for [write-ins] for a total of 159.7 million. In presidential elections over the last 20 years, the voter turnout has fluctuated between 50% and 60%  The problem is there are only 168 million registered voters in the country and that means a 95% turnout [which is] statistically impossible.

However, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, voter turnout is based on the percentage of Americans who voted out of the total number of Americans eligible to vote. This is different from the percentage of registered voters. In 2020, the Census Bureau said that 66.8% of American citizens age 18 or older voted in the 2020 election. Thats an increase of 5% compared to 2016, according to the Census Bureau.

According to Census Bureau data, 72.7% of eligible Americans were registered to vote in the 2020 election, meaning that nearly 92% of registered voters ended up casting a ballot. In 2016, 87.3% of registered American voters cast a ballot, per Census Bureau data.

Daugherity continued the presentation with an April poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports that claims 60% of U.S. voters believe cheating affected the outcomes of some races during the 2022 midterm elections and he said that election integrity is a bipartisan issue.

The important point to take away from this poll is that it is not a partisan issue, he said. This is not something that only Republicans or only Independents or only Democrats are saying.  Not only is this a majority of registered voters who dont have confidence in the elections, these numbers have been growing every month they run the poll.

The first improvement that Daugherity recommended was to conduct random crosschecks to ensure accurate counting.

A crosscheck is when you check something two different ways to see if you get the same answer, he said. The first suggestion is, after the three-precinct audit count, choose another three or more precincts at random and hand count them.

Following the workshop, Brazos County Elections Administrator Trudy Hancock said their office does extensive testing and that random manual counts are conducted.

We trust the system that we use, but we do verify, Hancock said. We also do the partial manual count after the election, where we do those by hand. We do a hand tally of whatever selection that the Secretary of State Office sends us and those are randomly selected after the fact. No one in our office, nor the candidates, knows. No one knows those, even the state, prior to them being released to use the day after the election.

Another possible issue Daugherity discussed was if voter machines were connected to the internet they posed a risk of being hacked.

So, putting it back in terms of protecting your house, if you dont want people coming in the windows, you put bars on the windows, he said. So by putting bars on the windows, you have eliminated that attack vector.  Eliminating internet connections will improve the elections by simply eliminating that avenue of attack.

Hancock said the election machines currently used in Brazos County are not connected to the internet nor do they have the ability to connect to it and that the internet is only used for voter check-in purposes.

The only thing thats in our polling location that has internet capability is the poll pad because were required by law to run real-time, she said. So that way, if you go to one location to vote and then go to another location, they already know that you have voted. So, it keeps you from being able to cast two ballots.

Another concern Daugherity brought up with voting machines is they technically might not be legally authorized according to Texas Election Code Section 122.001(a), which states that all voting systems must comply with the standards adopted by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

The Election Assistance Commission says that in order to be certified, as required by Texas law, the vendor has to have their equipment tested and approved by a certified testing laboratory, he said. The problem is that the testing laboratories do not have a valid certification.

Brazos County Judge Duane Peters pushed back on this and said that the election systems the county uses are certified by the state.

Im not sure about the certification, maybe that is something that the state needs to look at, Peters said. I believe that the state says, Heres the list of vendors that you could buy your system from and then we negotiated with each to decide whether were going to get it.  Im not sure whose responsibility it is.

After the meeting, Hancock clarified that the voting systems used by the county were made by Hart InterCivic Inc. and that they are certified by federal and state governments.

We rely on state certification and the state does not certify anything that is not certified by the EAC, she said. There is lengthy information on the EACs website and announcements and release against some of the information that was released here today that our system is not certified.

In June 2022, a lawsuit was filed against the EAC alleging that the certificates of accreditation were not updated for voting test laboratories. In October 2022, the EACs interim executive director released a declaration to clarify that testing centers were still certified and to request that the case be dismissed.

Overall, Hancock said she and her office members work diligently to both follow election laws and to ensure that local elections are secure.

We do testing all along the route of the election cycle, she said. We do a public test before we start anything. We do a second test before we start counting and then we do a final test after all the votes are cast.  We are notified daily by the Secretary of States office and Social Security of anyone who passes away. We also get what we call an abstract of deaths from all registrars here in the county.  It is a really robust system of checks and balances for registering to vote.

Early voting began Monday and runs through Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 7. Voting locations in the Bryan-College Station area include:

Brazos County Election Administrator Office at 300 E. William J. Bryan Pkwy., Suite 100 in Bryan

Arena Hall at 2906 Tabor Road in Bryan

Galilee Baptist Church at 804 N. Logan in Bryan

College Station Utilities Meeting & Training Facility at 1603 Graham Road in College Station

Memorial Student Center, Room L526 at Texas A&M

University in College Station

For more information on early voting, visit brazosvotes.org.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended the Cruise robotaxi service owned by General Motors in San Francisco after concluding that its driverless cars put passengers' public safety at risk.

The police and fire officials reported that driverless cars have increased traffic in emergencies since its testing phase.

DMV Suspends Cruise's Operation License

Cruise has been forced to stop its operation as DMV stated that Cruise's robotaxis poses a risk to public safety. The DMV said that the suspension follows a series of incidents that raised concerns about the hazards and inconveniences caused by Cruise's robotaxis.

According to U.S News, even before the suspension of Cruise, a pod of vehicles had rapidly stopped and blocked traffic on a Friday night in San Francisco. The DMV said that Cruise was linked to an incident this month. The robotaxi ran over a pedestrian who had been hit by another vehicle operated by a human and then pinned the pedestrian under one of its tires after coming to a stop.

According to ABC News, Cruise has confirmed that its operations have ceased but will be able to operate its vehicles in autonomous mode. The robotaxi will be driven by a human, sitting in the driver's seat to take control whenever something goes wrong.

The California suspension disappointed GM and its ambitious goals for Cruise, which the Detroit automaker speculated would produce $1 billion in revenue by 2025. The gain is a big leap from Cruise's payment of $106 million last year, when it also lost nearly $2 billion.

While Cruise has been suspended in San Francisco, another robotaxi operated by Waymo has an ongoing operation throughout the city. As reported in AP News, Waymo started as a secret project within Google more than a decade ago in Phoenix for the past three years.

Read Also: Writers Guild of America Called Out for Remaining Silent on Hamas Attacks in Israel

GM CEO Responds to the Suspension

GM CEO Mary Barra said that Cruise is a significant breakthrough in the future of transportation.

"As Cruise continues to push the boundaries and what AV technology can deliver to society, safety is always at the forefront, and this is something they are continuously improving," Barra said.

She added that they are cooperating with the state and federal regulators in investigating the accident this month involving a robotaxi named "Panini." The incident caused a critically injured pedestrian who was pulled out under the robotaxi with the help of a rescue tool before being taken to a local hospital.

Cruise confirmed that they are further examining the incident and working on a way for their robotaxis to improve its response to this rare event.

Related Article: Google Turns Self-Driving Cars Into Self-Honking Cars
Shares of Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE:EXR  Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of Hold from the eleven research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $142.78.

A number of research firms have weighed in on EXR. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $145.00 to $115.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 21st. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Extra Space Storage from $155.00 to $138.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Extra Space Storage in a research note on Wednesday, September 27th. They issued a buy rating and a $153.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Extra Space Storage in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Extra Space Storage from $147.00 to $145.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 15th.

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View Our Latest Research Report on EXR

Insider Buying and Selling at Extra Space Storage

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

In other Extra Space Storage news, Director Joseph J. Bonner sold 956 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.64, for a total value of $120,111.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,504 shares of the companys stock, valued at $565,882.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . Company insiders own 1.55% of the companys stock.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $289,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 16.5% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 1,502 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC bought a new stake in Extra Space Storage in the first quarter worth $625,000. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage by 8.2% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,522 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $519,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Extra Space Storage in the first quarter worth $332,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.40% of the companys stock.

Extra Space Storage Stock Performance

NYSE EXR opened at $106.47 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The firm has a market cap of $22.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.93 and a beta of 0.57. Extra Space Storage has a twelve month low of $105.78 and a twelve month high of $180.76. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $123.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $138.73.

Extra Space Storage Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th were given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.29%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 14th. Extra Space Storages dividend payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

Extra Space Storage Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Extra Space Storage Inc, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of June 30, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 2,438 self-storage stores in 41 states and Washington, DC The Company's stores comprise approximately 1.7 million units and approximately 184.0 million square feet of rentable space.

Further Reading

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Trinity Industries, Inc. (NYSE:TRN  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the four ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.00.

TRN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Trinity Industries from $27.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Stephens cut their price objective on Trinity Industries from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. Susquehanna upgraded Trinity Industries from a neutral rating to a positive rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $29.00 to $32.00 in a report on Monday, October 16th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Trinity Industries in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

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Get Our Latest Analysis on TRN

Trinity Industries Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:TRN opened at $21.07 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.67. Trinity Industries has a 52-week low of $20.07 and a 52-week high of $31.68. The company has a 50 day moving average of $23.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.83. The company has a market capitalization of $1.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.42 and a beta of 1.40.

Trinity Industries (NYSE:TRN  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The transportation company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $722.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $626.30 million. Trinity Industries had a net margin of 3.20% and a return on equity of 7.20%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 73.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Trinity Industries will post 1.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trinity Industries Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 12th. This is a positive change from Trinity Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.94%. Trinity Industriess payout ratio is 110.64%.

Insider Activity at Trinity Industries

In related news, CFO Eric R. Marchetto sold 11,765 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.00, for a total value of $294,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 262,265 shares in the company, valued at $6,556,625. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Trinity Industries

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in Trinity Industries by 4.4% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 9,928 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $255,000 after acquiring an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Trinity Industries by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 19,865 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $511,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Guardian Investment Management lifted its holdings in shares of Trinity Industries by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Guardian Investment Management now owns 14,000 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Trinity Industries by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 103,640 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $2,525,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in Trinity Industries by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 13,503 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 680 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.23% of the companys stock.

About Trinity Industries

(Get Free Report

Trinity Industries, Inc provides rail transportation products and services under the TrinityRail name in North America. It operates in two segments, Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group, and Rail Products Group. The Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group segment leases freight and tank railcars; originates and manages railcar leases for third-party investors; and provides fleet maintenance and management services.

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Fortis (TSE:FTS  Get Free Report) is scheduled to release its earnings data before the market opens on Friday, October 27th. Analysts expect Fortis to post earnings of C$0.76 per share for the quarter.

Fortis (TSE:FTS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported C$0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.61 by C$0.01. The company had revenue of C$2.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.63 billion. Fortis had a return on equity of 7.20% and a net margin of 12.82%.

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Fortis Price Performance

TSE:FTS opened at C$54.24 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$53.73 and a 200 day moving average of C$56.21. Fortis has a 52-week low of C$49.82 and a 52-week high of C$62.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 127.31, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of C$26.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.23.

Fortis Increases Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 17th will be issued a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 16th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.35%. This is an increase from Fortiss previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. Fortiss payout ratio is currently 79.73%.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on FTS. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Fortis from C$59.00 to C$58.50 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 8th. Scotiabank lowered their price target on Fortis from C$58.00 to C$57.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Fortis from C$65.00 to C$61.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 11th. TD Securities decreased their target price on Fortis from C$65.00 to C$63.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, National Bankshares decreased their price target on Fortis from C$57.00 to C$52.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of C$58.04.

Get Our Latest Analysis on FTS

Fortis Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Fortis Inc operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 443,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 102,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,328 megawatts (MW), including 68 MW of solar capacity and 250 MV of wind capacity.

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Shares of Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (TSE:GTE  Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:GTE) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$8.61 and traded as low as C$8.20. Gran Tierra Energy shares last traded at C$8.41, with a volume of 47,426 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Gran Tierra Energy from C$10.00 to C$12.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd.

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View Our Latest Research Report on GTE

Gran Tierra Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 153.22, a current ratio of 0.46 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$8.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$8.61. The company has a market capitalization of C$279.97 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.13 and a beta of 1.68.

Gran Tierra Energy (TSE:GTE  Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:GTE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The company reported C($0.44) earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$212.11 million during the quarter. Gran Tierra Energy had a net margin of 8.12% and a return on equity of 13.55%. Research analysts predict that Gran Tierra Energy Inc. will post 1.0849421 earnings per share for the current year.

Gran Tierra Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Gran Tierra Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas properties in Colombia and Ecuador. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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M.D.C. (NYSE:MDC  Get Free Report) is scheduled to announce its earnings results before the market opens on Thursday, October 26th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.18 per share for the quarter. Investors interested in listening to the companys conference call can do so using this link.

M.D.C. (NYSE:MDC  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The construction company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.55. M.D.C. had a net margin of 7.74% and a return on equity of 12.80%. The company had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $939.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.59 earnings per share. The companys revenue was down 23.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect M.D.C. to post $5 EPS for the current fiscal year and $6 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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M.D.C. Price Performance

MDC opened at $37.81 on Wednesday. M.D.C. has a one year low of $28.43 and a one year high of $51.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 9.07 and a quick ratio of 3.71. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $42.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.03 and a beta of 1.43.

Insider Buying and Selling at M.D.C.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

In other news, CFO Robert Nathaniel Martin sold 19,839 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.94, for a total value of $990,759.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 299,962 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,980,102.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In other M.D.C. news, CFO Robert Nathaniel Martin sold 19,839 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.94, for a total value of $990,759.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 299,962 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,980,102.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director David E. Blackford sold 2,771 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total transaction of $133,118.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 19,734 shares of the companys stock, valued at $948,021.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 43,244 shares of company stock valued at $2,170,919 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 23.30% of the companys stock.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MDC. State of Tennessee Treasury Department raised its holdings in shares of M.D.C. by 0.8% in the second quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 55,232 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,583,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the last quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of M.D.C. by 1.2% in the first quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 42,579 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,655,000 after acquiring an additional 507 shares during the period. Lumbard & Kellner LLC boosted its position in shares of M.D.C. by 0.5% in the first quarter. Lumbard & Kellner LLC now owns 106,585 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,032,000 after acquiring an additional 529 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in M.D.C. by 0.7% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 84,150 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $3,184,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in M.D.C. by 0.4% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 170,117 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $5,497,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. 88.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MDC shares. Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of M.D.C. from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Wedbush raised their price objective on shares of M.D.C. from $28.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of M.D.C. in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $46.17.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on M.D.C.

About M.D.C.

(Get Free Report)

M.DC Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the homebuilding and financial service businesses. Its homebuilding operations include purchasing finished lots or developing lots for the construction and sale primarily of single-family detached homes to first-time and first-time move-up homebuyers under the Richmond American Homes name.

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SIR Royalty Income Fund (TSE:SRV.UN  Get Free Report)s share price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$16.67 and traded as low as C$16.06. SIR Royalty Income Fund shares last traded at C$16.35, with a volume of 3,100 shares changing hands.

SIR Royalty Income Fund Stock Up 0.1 %

The businesss fifty day moving average is C$16.28 and its 200-day moving average is C$16.67. The stock has a market capitalization of C$137.01 million, a PE ratio of 8.65 and a beta of 2.59.

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SIR Royalty Income Fund Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.095 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 19th. This represents a $1.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.97%. SIR Royalty Income Funds dividend payout ratio is currently 60.32%.

SIR Royalty Income Fund Company Profile

SIR Royalty Income Fund, through SIR Royalty Limited Partnership, owns SIR's restaurants in Canada. The company operates concept restaurants under the Jack Astor's Bar and Grill, Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar, and Canyon Creek Chop House; and signature restaurant brands under the Reds Wine Tavern, Reds Midtown Tavern, Reds Square One, and The Loose Moose brands.

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Victory Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR  Free Report) by 18.0% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 46,273 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 10,185 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $7,664,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions during the second quarter valued at about $129,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 2.3% during the second quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 4,271 shares of the business services providers stock worth $711,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1.6% during the second quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 26,492 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,388,000 after buying an additional 412 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 13.5% during the second quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 3,548 shares of the business services providers stock worth $588,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Associates Ltd. increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 53.5% during the second quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 10,027 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,661,000 after buying an additional 3,493 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.36% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BR has been the subject of several research reports. Raymond James increased their price objective on Broadridge Financial Solutions from $183.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Wolfe Research raised Broadridge Financial Solutions from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $178.00 to $192.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $160.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Broadridge Financial Solutions presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $173.67.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Up 0.1 %

BR stock opened at $172.85 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.42 billion, a PE ratio of 32.67 and a beta of 0.98. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a twelve month low of $131.35 and a twelve month high of $189.69. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $182.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $166.62.

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The business services provider reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.11. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 42.09%. The firm had revenue of $1.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.87 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.65 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th were issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. This is a boost from Broadridge Financial Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Broadridge Financial Solutions

In other Broadridge Financial Solutions news, VP Thomas P. Carey sold 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.40, for a total value of $446,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 11,322 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,019,844.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.20, for a total value of $362,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 72,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,124,316. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Thomas P. Carey sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.40, for a total transaction of $446,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 11,322 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,019,844.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 191,035 shares of company stock valued at $34,423,247 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

About Broadridge Financial Solutions

(Free Report)

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions.

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Victory Capital Management Inc. decreased its stake in W. P. Carey Inc. (NYSE:WPC  Free Report) by 2.5% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 112,298 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 2,935 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.s holdings in W. P. Carey were worth $7,587,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in shares of W. P. Carey in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W. P. Carey in the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thompson Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of W. P. Carey in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Robbins Farley purchased a new stake in shares of W. P. Carey in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, HBC Financial Services PLLC purchased a new stake in shares of W. P. Carey in the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.62% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WPC. Raymond James reduced their price target on W. P. Carey from $78.00 to $63.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 2nd. TheStreet downgraded shares of W. P. Carey from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Scotiabank reduced their price target on shares of W. P. Carey from $71.00 to $61.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of W. P. Carey in a research note on Wednesday, September 20th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $66.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on W. P. Carey from $79.00 to $73.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, W. P. Carey presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $66.60.

W. P. Carey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WPC opened at $53.45 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.97 and a beta of 0.80. W. P. Carey Inc. has a 52 week low of $51.36 and a 52 week high of $85.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $59.34 and a 200 day moving average of $66.22.

W. P. Carey (NYSE:WPC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.62). W. P. Carey had a return on equity of 8.28% and a net margin of 45.21%. The business had revenue of $452.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $430.48 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.31 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 31.4% on a year-over-year basis.

W. P. Carey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 29th were paid a $1.071 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.02%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 28th. This is a positive change from W. P. Careys previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. W. P. Careys payout ratio is 119.89%.

W. P. Carey Profile

(Free Report)

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, W. P. Carey ranks among the largest net lease REITs with an enterprise value of approximately $23 billion and a well-diversified portfolio of high-quality, operationally critical commercial real estate, which includes 1,475 net lease properties covering approximately 180 million square feet and a portfolio of 85 self-storage operating properties, as of June 30, 2023.

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Weave Communications (NYSE:WEAV  Get Free Report) is set to issue its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Wednesday, November 1st. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of ($0.06) per share for the quarter. Weave Communications has set its FY 2023 guidance at EPS and its Q3 2023 guidance at EPS.Parties interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link.

Weave Communications (NYSE:WEAV  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.14) by $0.09. Weave Communications had a negative net margin of 24.45% and a negative return on equity of 39.46%. The business had revenue of $41.67 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.89 million. On average, analysts expect Weave Communications to post $-1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $0 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Weave Communications Stock Performance

Shares of WEAV stock opened at $7.02 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The business has a 50 day moving average of $8.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.41. The company has a market cap of $473.86 million, a P/E ratio of -12.31 and a beta of 2.15. Weave Communications has a 52 week low of $3.74 and a 52 week high of $12.45.

Insider Activity at Weave Communications

Institutional Trading of Weave Communications

In related news, insider Erin Goodsell sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.75, for a total value of $32,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 647,766 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,963,484.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . In other Weave Communications news, major shareholder Bessemer Venture Partners Ix L sold 56,444 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.18, for a total transaction of $631,043.92. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,140,474 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,830,499.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider Erin Goodsell sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.75, for a total transaction of $32,250.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 647,766 shares in the company, valued at $6,963,484.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 118,182 shares of company stock worth $1,301,713 over the last ninety days. 41.86% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Weave Communications by 511.9% in the 2nd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 266,965 shares of the companys stock worth $2,966,000 after purchasing an additional 223,339 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Weave Communications by 154.6% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 37,420 shares of the companys stock worth $416,000 after purchasing an additional 22,720 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of Weave Communications by 131.6% in the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 14,647 shares of the companys stock worth $163,000 after purchasing an additional 8,324 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Weave Communications in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $194,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Weave Communications by 371.7% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 105,231 shares of the companys stock worth $1,169,000 after purchasing an additional 82,922 shares in the last quarter. 64.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WEAV shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Weave Communications from $5.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Weave Communications from $7.50 to $14.00 in a research report on Friday, June 30th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Weave Communications from $6.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Weave Communications from $13.00 to $8.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price target on Weave Communications from $6.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, June 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Weave Communications presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $11.83.

Get Our Latest Analysis on WEAV

Weave Communications Company Profile

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Weave Communications, Inc provides a customer communications and engagement software platform in the United States and Canada. Its platform enables small and medium-sized businesses to maximize the value of their customer interactions and minimize the time and effort spent on manual or mundane tasks.

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The popularity of Brazil's PIX instant payment system has made it a lucrative target for threat actors looking to generate illicit profits using a new malware called GoPIX.

Kaspersky, which has been tracking the active campaign since December 2022, said the attacks are pulled off using malicious ads that are served when potential victims search for "WhatsApp web" on search engines.

"The cybercriminals employ malvertising: their links are placed in the ad section of the search results, so the user sees them first," the Russian cybersecurity vendor said. "If they click such a link, a redirection follows, with the user ending up on the malware landing page."

As other malvertising campaigns observed recently, users who click on the ad will be redirected via a cloaking service that is meant to filter sandboxes, bots, and others not deemed to be genuine victims.

This is accomplished by using a legitimate fraud prevention solution known as IPQualityScore to determine if the site visitor is a human or a bot. Users who pass the check are displayed a fake WhatsApp download page to trick them into downloading a malicious installer.

In an interesting twist, the malware can be downloaded from two different URLs depending on whether port 27275 is open on the user's machine.

"This port is used by the Avast safe banking software," Kaspersky explained. "If this software is detected, a ZIP file is downloaded that contains an LNK file embedding an obfuscated PowerShell script that downloads the next stage."

Should the port be closed, the NSIS installer package is directly downloaded. This indicates that the additional guardrail is set up explicitly to bypass the security software and deliver the malware.

The main purpose of the installer is to retrieve and launch the GoPIX malware using a technique called process hollowing by starting the svchost.exe Windows system process in a suspended state and injecting the payload into it.

GoPIX functions as a clipboard stealer malware that hijacks PIX payment requests and replaces them with an attacker-controlled PIX string, which is retrieved from a command-and-control (C2) server.

"The malware also supports substituting Bitcoin and Ethereum wallet addresses," Kaspersky said. "However, these are hardcoded in the malware and not retrieved from the C2. GoPIX can also receive C2 commands, but these are only related to removing the malware from the machine."

This is not the only campaign to target users searching for messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram on search engines.

In a new set of attacks concentrated in the Hong Kong region, bogus ads on Google search results have been found to redirect users to fraudulent lookalike pages that urge users to scan a QR code to link their devices.

"The issue here is that the QR code you are scanning is from a malicious site that has nothing to do with WhatsApp," Jerome Segura, director of threat intelligence at Malwarebytes, said in a Tuesday report.

As a result, the threat actor's device gets linked to the victim's WhatsApp accounts, granting the malicious party complete access to their chat histories and saved contacts.

Malwarebytes said it also discovered a similar campaign that uses Telegram as a lure to entice users into downloading a counterfeit installer from a Google Docs page that contains injector malware.

The development comes as Proofpoint revealed that a new version of the Brazilian banking trojan dubbed Grandoreiro is targeting victims in Mexico and Spain, describing the activity as "unusual in frequency and volume."

The enterprise security firm has attributed the campaign to a threat actor it tracks as TA2725, which is known for using Brazilian banking malware and phishing to single out various entities in Brazil and Mexico.

The targeting of Spain points to an emerging trend wherein Latin American-focused malware are increasingly setting their sights on Europe. Earlier this May, SentinelOne uncovered a long-running campaign undertaken by a Brazilian threat actor to target over 30 Portuguese banks with stealer malware.

Meanwhile, information stealers are flourishing in the cybercrime economy, with crimeware authors flooding the underground market with malware-as-a-service (MaaS) offerings that provide cybercriminals with a convenient and cost-effective means to conduct attacks.

What's more, such tools lower the entry barrier for aspiring threat actors who may lack technical expertise themselves.

The latest to join the stealer ecosystem is Lumar, which was first advertised by a user named Collector on cybercrime forums in July 2023, marketing its capabilities to capture Telegram sessions, harvest browser cookies and passwords, retrieve files, and extract data from crypto wallets.

"Despite having all these functionalities, the malware is relatively small in terms of size (only 50 KB), which is partly due to the fact that it is written in C," Kaspersky noted.

"The emerging malware is often advertised on the dark web among less skilled criminals, and distributed as MaaS, allowing its authors to grow rich quickly and endangering legitimate organizations again and again."
The Georgia Supreme Court struck down a ruling made by a lower court that found the state's restrictive six-week abortion ban law invalid.

The decision leaves limited access to abortions in the state unchanged, at least for now. In a statement last November, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said that the state's abortion ban was "unequivocally unconstitutional" because it was enacted four years ago.

Georgia's Six-Week Abortion Ban

It was when Roe v. Wade allowed abortions well past six weeks and comes as Georgia's law bans most abortions after roughly six weeks. The state's Supreme Court made a 6-1 decision that said McBurney was wrong.

Justice Verda Colvin wrote for the majority and said that when the United States Supreme Court overruled its precedent interpreting the Constitution, they were obliged to apply the new interpretation on matters of federal constitutional law.

In a news release, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia said that the opinion disregards "long-standing precedent that a law violating either the state or federal Constitution at the time of its enactment is void from the start under the Georgia Constitution," as per the Associated Press.

The group represents doctors and advocacy groups that previously asked McBurney to throw out the law. However, the ruling of Georgia's Supreme Court does not change abortion access in the region and will not be the last word on the state's ban on the procedure.

Previously, the Georgia Supreme Court allowed enforcement of the ban to resume while it considered an appeal of the lower court decision. The lower court judge has also not ruled on the merits of other arguments in a lawsuit that challenges the ban. This includes violating Georgia residents' rights to privacy.

The Georgia Supreme Court's latest ruling on Tuesday will return the case to McBurney so he can consider those arguments. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp was the one who signed the ban and hailed the recent ruling.

McBurney previously argued that the law was void from the start and that the measure did not become law when enacted and could not become law even after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, according to CBS News.

Read Also: Mayor Muriel Bowser Proposes New Legislation as Washington Crime Rates Skyrocket

Legal Challenge on Ban of Procedure

State officials who challenged that decision noted the Supreme Court's finding that Roe v. Wade was an incorrect interpretation. Georgia's law bans most abortions once a "detectable human heartbeat" is present.

Typically, cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. This means that most abortions in the state were effectively banned at a point before many women even knew that they were carrying a child.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr released a statement on Tuesday morning after the court issued its latest ruling. He said they were pleased with the decision and will continue defending the constitutionality of Georgia's LIFE Act.

This year, other states' supreme courts have ruled in various ways. In some situations, North Dakota and Oklahoma found that their state constitutions protected the right. However, Idaho ruled that its Constitution did not protect abortion, according to the New York Times.

Related Article: Colorado's Anti-Abortion Pill Reversal Law Rejected by US Judge

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After June 30 of next year, it appears that Hall County will no longer be providing rural transportation service for people who live in the county, outside of Grand Island.

The county is looking at paying much more to provide that service, and the relatively small number of riders makes it tough to justify the cost. Commissioner Scott Sorensen told the commission Tuesday that he had been studying the upcoming rural transit costs, and asked his fellow commissioners for guidance.

Right now, rural transit costs the county $38,000 a year. Next year, the cost would rise to $245,000 a year.

The county's current contract with Senior Citizen Industries expires on June 30 of next year. "We should be able to provide service for everybody up until that date," Sorensen said in an interview.

But after June 30, "we are more than likely going to have to pursue other options," Sorensen said.

Currently, Crane Transit provides public transit in Hall County, including the city of Grand Island.

There are crossover services between the city and county, Sorensen said. However, all of the workers are employed by Senior Citizen Industries.

The state has determined that the city and county must completely separate their transit services. There can no longer be any crossover services, employees or materials, Sorensen said.

The county has received one bid, from Holiday Express, to provide rural transit service.

If the county accepts Holiday Express' bid, the county's cost would be about $245,000 the first year and more than than $250,000 the third. Plus, the county would have to purchase new buses.

So the total three-year cost would be around $2 million, half of which would be the county's cost. The state would reimburse the county for the other $1 million.

At Tuesday's meeting, Sorensen said about 30 people a month take advantage of rural transit.

That total includes people who live in Cairo, Doniphan and Wood River. For transit purposes, Alda is considered to be within Grand Island's metropolitan area.

"The current situation is not looking great for the people outside of the metropolitan area in Hall County," Sorensen said in the interview.

The board voted Tuesday to inform Holiday Express that the county will not take part in the contract at the proposed level of funding.

Sorensen will seek input from the county's villages. He would like to see a voucher system set up, or increased help from people giving rides to their neighbors.

Earlier in the meeting, the board unanimously denied a conditional use permit for a cryptocurrency mining facility that a company called ArchGreen Infrastructure wants to build east of Doniphan.

ArchGreen is building its first Hall County data center in the Southern Public Power Energy Park, on land leased from Southern Public Power District.

The newer project was met with opposition at the commission's Oct. 10 meeting.

Seven of the neighboring landowners, attending Tuesday's meeting, were pleased by the board's action.

In addition, the commission directed board assistant Kim Dugan to launch a Facebook page that will provide information about the county's courthouse expansion project. Comments from the public will be received on the Facebook page. Dugan will also create a link on the county's web page.

Alberto Sanchez and Steve Severson of Davis Design provided an update on plans for the addition to the courthouse. Commissioner Gary Quandt expressed a desire that courtrooms remain on the same floor whenever possible. Quandt argued that staff members shouldn't have to regularly travel from floor to floor.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a change order that allows new diffusers to be added to the Hall County Administration Building.

The change order, which totaled $17,578, is an addition to a large HVAC project. The change was made on the recommendation of Building and Grounds Director Loren Doone Humphrey, who said the air flow will reduce the possibility of staff members and the public contracting COVID-19.

Humphrey also talked about the need for more storage space to house evidence. He will find out how much square footage is needed.

In another matter, the board's building committee will come up with a timeline for the razing of the Department of Health and Human Services building and the old county jail. The demolition will be paid for with American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Oak View Mall shopping center in southwest Omaha is up for sale, according to a listing on Crexi, a website for buyers and sellers of commercial real estate.

The mall, located at 144th Street and West Center Road, is anchored by Dillards, JCPenney and The Rush Market.

In 2021, New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the mall. Douglas County property records indicate separate owners for the JCPenney and Dillards buildings.

According to the real estate listing, the mall is tenanted by a mix of national, regional and local tenants with approximately 74% occupancy, offering investors a significant value add opportunity.

The mall contains retail stores ranging from JCPenney and Dillards department stores to niche stores like Victorias Secret lingerie store and The Palace, which sells traditional gowns for Mexican quinceanera celebrations.

The current store lineup includes Build-a-Bear Workshop, Rue21, Champs, Torrid and Zumiez.

Among other stores are Claires, Lids, Buckle, Earthbound Trading Company, Spencers, Lane Bryant and LensCrafters.

The Rush Market sells home furnishings, everything from sofas to bar stools and decor. The store sources furniture and decor from manufacturer returns, overstocks and closeout sales.

The real estate listing indicates that the property for sale is 32 acres with a gross building area of 543,269 square feet.

The asking price is not listed.

The mall is complimented by the presence of strong medical users and national retailers in the immediate area, the listing says.

The mall, which opened in 1991, was the citys dominant mall into the 2000s.

Increased local competition, faltering national retail chains and changing shopper habits, underscored by online shopping, over time cut into Oak View sales.

When Village Pointe opened in 2004 at 168th Street and West Dodge Road, the open-air lifestyle mall brought new-to-the-market retailers to high-income households in parts of west Omaha.

West Omaha customers are also within a reasonable drive of the Nebraska Crossing shopping center in Gretna. The center similarly offers trendy shopping opportunities in an open-air setting.

Sherry Thomas, visiting Oak View on Monday, said she hopes a new owner would keep the mall open.

Im tired of them closing all the malls up, Thomas said. And when you go shopping in the winter time, you got to go door to door and freeze, running from one store to another. Its ridiculous.

Thomas said she likes shopping Penneys. And she eats at the food court. The mall has a classic indoor food court covered by a high domed ceiling with windows that allow the sun to stream in.

Restaurant bays line the walls  among them Mr. Rice, Rellos Creamery, El Portal pizzeria, Daawat Indian cuisine  but about half the available bays are empty. On Monday afternoon the Sarku Japan restaurant saw steady business.

One Sarku customer, who declined to give his name, said he drove several miles to buy lunch for him and his son.

They have a very limited menu but that doesnt matter because it tastes great, he said.

Oak View just needs a refresh, he said.

If they do sell it, I hope the new owner will be able to turn things around, like they did with the Westroads Mall, he said.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of October 2023
Vietnam, Laos to boost connectivity via ports, railways, roads

By Tri Duc Wed, October 25, 2023 | 2:46 pm GTM+7

Vietnam and Laos have agreed to boost their connectivity by implementing several key projects including seaports, roads and railway routes.

The agreement was reached by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Saudi Arabia last Friday.

The two leaders agreed to expedite work on particular projects including wharves No. 1, 2 and 3 of the Vung Ang seaport, an East-West railway route and several roads.

They lauded the launch of Nong Khang airport in Laoss Huaphanh province in May, saying it would strengthen economic and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The Lao leader accepted an invitation from PM Chinh to visit Vietnam soon.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone meet in Saudi Arabia, October 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of the government's news portal.

In March, Vietnams Deo Ca Group and Laoss Petroleum Trading Lao Holding (PTL) said they would cooperate to build a Vietnam-Laos railway route that would connect with the Laos-China railway link and facilitate trade activities across the region.

According to a joint venture agreement signed by both sides, the 554.7-kilometer Vietnam-Laos railway will run from the Vung Ang seaport to Vientiane city. Vung Ang seaport is currently the quickest path to the sea for landlocked Laos.

The project, to be implemented in the public-private partnership (PPP) format, has an estimated investment of VND149.55 trillion ($6.3 billion). The double-track railway (1,434 mm gauge) will have a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour.

In August, Deo Ca and PTL sent an application to Vietnams Ministry of Transport seeking approval to become investors in the Vung Ang-Tan Ap-Mu Gia railway project, the Vietnamese section of the Vietnam-Laos railway, under the PPP format. The approval was granted in October. The joint venture will have to conduct a pre-feasibility study and submit an assessment report, Deo Ca general director Nguyen Quang Vinh said.

The Vung Ang-Tan Ap-Mu Gia railway project is included in Vietnams 2021-2030 (vision extended to 2050) national railway network development plan. The 103-kilometer route is estimated to cost nearly VND27.5 trillion ($1.12 billion).
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CARBONDALE  The board of directors for the R. Buckminster Fuller Dome Not-for-Profit will honor Fullers legacy with the construction of a new visitor center.

After research by architect Thad Heckman, the RBF Dome NFP Board of Directors decided to erect a 3D-printed visitor center at 811 W. Cherry, across the street on the south side of the dome. They have partnered with Mighty Buildings to build the visitor center.

On Tuesday, the group released an image of the centers design. The center is likely one of the first 3D-printed buildings in the state of Illinois, if not the first, according to Judy Ashby.

The joint project is intended to connect Fullers impressive legacy to innovations that represent the future of sustainable building, thanks to Mighty Buildings new materials and groundbreaking offsite 3D printing construction methodologies.

The state-of-the-art visitor center and museum will be 2,400 square-feet and was designed by architect Thad Heckman of Design Works. The museum will educate visitors about the profound legacy of Buckminster Fuller while exploring the future of architecture and sustainable building.

The Bucky Dome home is the only geodesic dome home that belonged to Fuller and his wife. Located in Carbondale, the architectural marvel has earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Preserving Buckminster Fullers legacy while pushing the boundaries of sustainable design has been an incredible honor, Heckman said. Through our collaboration with Mighty Buildings, this project represents a bridge between the past and the future, inviting visitors to explore the rich history of architectural innovation and the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

Additional essential services that are critical to the success of this project have been donated by W. Gray Hodge, P.E., S.E., of Hodge Structural Engineers, and Civil Engineer Sean Henry, P.E., of Klingner & Associates, P.C. Local student construction assistance is provided by the Construction Management Program at John A. Logan College.

We are proud to partner with the R. Buckminster Fuller Dome Not-for-Profit in creating a sustainable future in harmony with Fullers masterful vision. The design of our parametric panels pays tribute to his groundbreaking work while showcasing the capabilities of 3D printing in construction. Together, we are advancing the cause of sustainable architecture combined with advanced construction technology, Scott Gebicke, CEO of Mighty Buildings, said in an email.

Ed Cook, project engineer for the visitor center, said work at the site has begun. The grading of the lot is done, as well as adding corners to the site.

He expects the steel for the foundations to be delivered this week. He will meet with concrete construction team on Friday.

Cook has received some of the smaller components from Mighty Buildings. Larger 3D-printed panels will be delivered soon.

He explained that all the components that usually go into the walls of a building have to be installed in the concrete floor, things like plumbing and electricity.

They have had several donations to the project. John A. Logans construction management students will do much of the work on the visitor center. AES Solar has donated a solar system that will be installed.

Others are working at a discounted price.

Concrete footings will be poured. The 3D-printed panels will attach to steel I-beams. The concrete floor will be poured after that.

The steel will be installed in mid-November. The panels will go up as soon as possible after that.

Elizabeth Donoghue, vice president of RBF Dome NFP, said they expect the visitor center to be completed by April 2024, in time for the eclipse. The home saw visitors during the last eclipse.

Steve Schauwecker, treasurer of the RBF Dome NFP, said the project will run in the neighborhood of $250,000. They have secured the funds to put up the shell of the building, which includes the exterior walls, windows, doors and roof.

To complete the interior, we will need more funding, Schauwecker said.

They still need interior dry wall and theater-type equipment to finish the kitchen, desks, plumbing for restrooms and storage cabinetry, among other items.

Donoghue said they still need funds to finish the visitor center.

We will have an end of the year campaign and hope to have a phenomenal 2024, Donoghue said.

For more information about the Bucky Dome project or to make a donation, visit fullerdomehome.com/index.html.
CARBONDALE  Southern Illinois University Carbondales College of Business and Analytics and its School of Accountancy dont just educate students in the classroom about the ins and outs of accounting  they help students connect with professionals.

The accounting school is sponsoring Student Tax Night in St. Louis on Nov. 2 to introduce students to the diverse and interesting opportunities in the tax field, as presented by professionals in the industry. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bank of America Building, 800 Market St., St. Louis.

Opportunities await

The evening will benefit the accounting profession and university students, said Benna Williams, CPA program coordinator and associate lecturer, and Timothy Hurley, clinical assistant professor, in the SIU School of Accountancy.

Were very excited about Student Tax Night, Hurley said. Its a unique event to educate students about the broad array of opportunities and career paths available to them in the field of accounting and to connect them with recruiters and professionals in the field. Its also a way to showcase the talent and expertise our students have to these accounting professionals and highlight our program to them and students from other universities.

The event includes a question-and-answer session with a panel of five tax professionals who have distinctive backgrounds in tax innovation and automation, state and local tax, international tax, institutional investor tax and exempt organizations, and federal income tax. In addition, already a dozen firms have committed to attend and bring recruiters and tax professionals to speak with the students. Already about 100 students from SIU and more than 20 other Midwest universities, along with tax professionals and accounting professors, have signed up to attend.

More participants welcome

SIU has expanded the scope of the event to welcome additional participants and professionals.

Students from any college or university can still sign up to attend as can tax professionals who are interested in networking with the students. Sign up online at https://forms.office.com/r/84G j8xfXCr no later than 4 p.m. Oct. 31.

Anders CPAs + Advisors is graciously hosting the event at its firm office. The theme of the evening is What a Tax Career Could Look Like, and the university anticipates making the tax night an annual event with a different theme each year.

All-star lineup

Panelists include:

Beth Mueller, partner and tax analytics insights leader with Deloitte Tax LLP in Chicago.

Jeff Schuetz, partner, RubinBrown State and Local Tax Services Group in St. Louis.

Jennifer Richter, EY (Ernst & Young) LLP, managing director, institutional investor tax services leader and exempt organization tax services in St. Louis.

Joshua Snyder, Anders CPAS + Advisors, senior manager tax innovation and automation in St. Louis.

Kathleen Berry, Reinsurance Group of America Inc (RGA), executive director, global tax in St. Louis.

Accounting and business firms that have committed to send recruiters and/or tax professionals include:

Anders CPAS + Advisors

Armanino LLP

Deloitte Tax LLP

EY US (Ernst & Young)

Grant Thornton LLP

HKA

KPMG

PwC

Reinsurance Group of America (RGA)

RSM US LLP

RubinBrown

Wipfli LLP

In addition to a large group from SIU, students from these institutions have already registered to attend:

Greenville University

Harris-Stowe State University.

Kaskaskia College.

Lindenwood University.

Maryville University.

Saint Louis University.

Southeast Missouri State University.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

University of Missouri  St. Louis.

For more information about the Student Tax Night, contact Hurley at timothy.hurley@siu.edu. Learn more about SIUs bachelors degree in accounting by visiting the website.
CARBONDALE  A team of researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is working on a new technology aimed at ordering a common water algae that produces a toxin to knock it off.

The team of faculty researchers from the School of Biological Sciences, which includes Scott Hamilton-Brehm, Marjorie Brooks and Lahiru Jayakody, recently received a one-year $194,000 grant to pursue the research on mitigating harmful algae blooms (HABs) using a molecular technique. The grant will fast-track development of a delivery mechanism for a patent-pending molecular biology solution for managing HABs.

The grant, which starts Nov. 1, is from the United States Harmful Algal Bloom Control Technologies Incubator, a partnership among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Marylands Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology and Mote Marine Laboratory.

A ubiquitous problem

HABs come from high concentrations of marine or freshwater cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae. The problem arises all over the world, in all sorts of bodies of water.

While ancient and not harmful in itself, cyanobacteria sometimes produce toxic substances that can harm wildlife, livestock, pets and humans. It has been known to impact marine and terrestrial wildlife, coastal communities and human health.

And the cells come with a built-in booby trap system.

If you kill the bacteria, they release their payload of toxin. The more cells you kill, the more toxin is released, said Hamilton-Brehm, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences. Most management solutions either kill cells, add other toxins into the environment or are not scalable to solve problems the sizes of lakes and oceans.

Climate change, along with overuse of fertilizers, is also driving HABs, Hamilton-Brehm said. Warmer waters promote cyanobacteria growth over healthy algae.

Stopping the growth of the cyanobacteria is not really a viable option because this microorganism is ubiquitous, Hamilton-Brehm said. There are some things you can do to limit their growth, such as limiting nutrient runoff from fertilizers, using fountains to aerate the water, or introducing a chemical to bind and sequester phosphate. But most of these will not work at all on a large scale.

A molecular solution

Instead, the team is developing a molecular-based approach, resulting in a technology that will send a molecular message that communicates with the cyanobacteria on a genetic level. The message will tell the bacterium to stop making toxin.

The molecular-level approach would not harm the microorganism itself, Hamilton-Brehm said, but would instead switch off its penchant for making toxins.

Animals have eaten cyanobacteria with no side effects, he said. But it is their toxin that they sometimes produce which is the problem. Our solution is to stop toxin production while leaving the microbe alone.

If the technology, which is being considered for a patent, is successful, the team could obtain additional grants for three years aimed at scaling up the project for actual environmental applications.

Just imagine a farmer who is worried that a watering hole is becoming poisoned by a HAB, Hamilton-Brehm said. With our technology, the farmer could just spray a solution into the water. The water may remain green, but the livestock will not become sick or die from drinking it.
A real estate development company is planning to invest a minimum $75 million in the construction of an industrial speculative building near Bowman, according to Orangeburg County attorney Jerrod Anderson.

High Point, N.C.-based DG Real Estate will be developing the building. It will be marketed by Colliers South Carolina's industrial team, according to a Columbia Regional Business Report article.

The Bowman Industrial Center will be a 677,160 square-foot- facility located on about 84 acres on Vance Road near Interstate 26.

Colliers describes the property as strategically located in Orangeburg County at the intersection of I-26 and I-95 with superb access to the Port of Charleston and Charleston International Airport.

Also, 70% of the United States population is accessible within a two-day drive.

Orangeburg County Council last week gave unanimous, first-reading approval to an ordinance and resolution providing tax incentives for the building, including fee-in-lieu of taxes, a special source revenue credit and the placement of the company in a multi-county industrial park.

Orangeburg County officials have not publicly released the company's name. It typically does not do so until third and final reading. County officials are currently identifying the project by the code name Project Three.

DG Real Estate will spent about $71 million in machinery and equipment and $4.8 million in building and grounds.

During councils meeting, Orangeburg County Councilman Johnny Ravenell asked if the county can opt out of a future tenant that may bring jobs that do not fit in the county.

If indeed they get a tenant here, they probably will seek incentives themselves," Anderson said. If that tenant comes in and they want incentives based upon what comes, the county would consider what types of jobs, if any, they would be bringing into the county with that tenant or the buyer of that property.

Orangeburg County Councilwoman Deloris Frazier expressed concerns that the project does not have any jobs tied into it. She asked what would happen if it is built and no company locates within it.

She also expressed concerns about tax dollars being spent to build it, but was informed that the project is private and does not involve any public dollars.

Frazier was also informed that taxes will still be paid on the building even if no one locates in it.

I know we have a pretty good track record of filling our speculative buildings, Anderson said.

Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Merle Johnson said, This will help us market it so that we can get the tenant who will then create the jobs.

You have two types. You have ones that need land and you have ones that need a building. Most of those who need a building can't wait 24 months to have a building built. They need something within the next 12 to 18 months. This will give us an opportunity to go after those types of projects."

Earlier this month, the county announced it was spending $4.4 million to construct a 50,000-square-foot industrial speculative building in the Western Orangeburg County Industrial Park.

The county will contract with Irmo-Based Pyramid Contracting LLC to construct the building at the 230-acre industrial park. The park is located northwest of Neeses and adjacent to S.C. 389 and U.S. 321.

The groundbreaking on the building is expected in the near future, according to county officials.
Orangeburg County residents will see a property tax increase to help cover a 5 percent, across-the-board pay increase for county employees.

Orangeburg County Council last week unanimously approved a 4-mill increase for its 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.

This means a $16 a year tax increase on a $100,000 owner-occupied home.

Orangeburg County officials anticipated the increase when council approved its budget in June.

A four-mill increase will bring an estimated $1.3 million into the county, according to officials.

The millage for county's 2023-2024 fiscal year is:

 General fund budget : 99 mills

 Capital improvement: 3 mills

 Debt service: 16 mills

 Solid waste: 9 mills

 Special education: 7.8 mills

 Fire district: 19 mills

While the four mills will cover the employee raises, a portion of the countys approximately $8 million fund balance will cover an $188,000 increase in funding for outside agencies and other county department increases totaling $1.6 million.

In other matters:

 Council approved spending $151,552 for the purchase of Internet Protocol addresses as part of the county's broadband expansion efforts.

The county will purchase the addresses from the Brander Group.

The project consists of 20 blocks of IP addresses that total 4,096 new addresses, according to Harold Young, Orangeburg County Administrator.

Young explained the Brander Group is the only provider available, because it is the provider that was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is funding the project.

For us to get reimbursed, we have to use the vendor that USDA approved and that is who they approved, Young said.

Young said all areas that are part of the countywide broadband expansion need new IP addresses.

IP addresses identify every device connected to the internet. This enables computers and other internet-connected devices to communicate over the internet and local-area networks.

 Claflin University School of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Dr. Isaiah McGee discussed the South Carolina Humanities Festival that was held over the weekend.

We hope this becomes the nucleus of a fall festival for Orangeburg, McGee said.

There are also plans for an international festival to be held in Orangeburg County in May.

 Council gave unanimous second reading to the rezoning of a portion of 30 acres on Gardner Boulevard in Holly Hill from forest agriculture to business industrial for the purpose of a truck transportation, construction and special trade contractors business. The property is located just south of the town of Holly Hill.

No letters or emails were sent in opposition. The county's planning commission previously unanimously approved the request.

 Council gave unanimous second reading to the rezoning of property from forest agriculture to residential general to make an affordable small home residential development possible.

A developer plans to build eight to 10 homes ranging from about 800 square feet to 1,000 square feet on about 2 acres of property at 122 Industrial Drive.

The property is off of Old Elloree Road east of Orangeburg.

The homes will have between one and three bedrooms.

The plans for the property include a small park and playground where residents can barbecue and children can play.

The Orangeburg County Planning Commission previously voted 3-2 to approve the rezoning request.

 Council went into closed session to discuss a contractual matter related to Orangeburg County Council on Aging.
DES MOINES, Iowa  South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's presidential campaign announced Monday that the Republican was shifting staff and money from New Hampshire to Iowa in an effort to boost his standing in the leadoff caucus state with less than three months until the first votes of the 2024 election are cast.

Scott planned to open a new state headquarters in suburban Des Moines and double his Iowa staff with the moves, though campaign aides did not say how many people would be moving from New Hampshire.

"Tim Scott is all in on Iowa," Scott's campaign manager Jennifer DeCasper said in an emailed statement.

Election 2024 Scott Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., answers questions during an Associated Press 2024 GOP Presidential Candidates Conver

Scott is routinely named by likely caucus participants as being among a handful of candidates under consideration. However, late-summer polls showed him receiving support in the single digits, far behind the Iowa front-runner, former President Donald Trump.

Scott's campaign team had said they had hoped the senator's upbeat style and comfort quoting scripture while discussing his Christian faith would combine with the heavy series of campaign ads built around his biography of poverty in the deep South to make him a likely choice for the Iowa GOP's influential evangelical Christian bloc.

However, some activists have said Scott turned in an unremarkable performance during the first Republican presidential debate in August, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has landed the support of more evangelical pastors and faith leaders.

Scott has already held more than 40 campaign events in Iowa, and blanketed the airwaves since entering the race in May.

Scott's campaign and a super PAC that supports his candidacy have spent a combined $13.4 million on advertising in Iowa this year, according to figures from the tracking firm AdImpact. The total is more than for any other combined presidential campaign and supporting super PAC.

Scott's campaign has purchased more television and digital ads in the state than any other candidate through their individual campaign. The campaign has $1.6 million more reserved for TV advertising this fall.

The super PAC, Trust in the Mission, has booked $7.5 million in ads through Jan. 15, the date of the caucuses, according to AdImpact.

Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis, has spent the most on advertising of any entity in Iowa.
A Singaporean woman is blaming herself after she lost roughly $5,000 in three weeks when she became the victim of a scammer on Facebook's dating service.

The woman, identified as 27-year-old Malaysian Ms Ong, thought that love was blossoming for her after encountering a man online. She works as an administrative officer in Singapore and noted that she was approached by the suspect on Facebook Dating in February.

Singaporean Woman Scammed on Facebook Dating

The man claimed to be a group manager at e-commerce and gaming firm Sea Limited and added Ong as a Facebook friend. He then started to message the victim regularly over the course of three weeks.

In a statement, Ong said that from time to time, the man would talk about an investment program and later said that she was lucky enough to receive an invitation to invest. The program was supposedly an exclusive scheme that was only open to people with invitation codes, as per the Straits Times.

The suspect sent Ong a link to a website that had options to invest in projects such as Build-To-Order flats, non-fungible tokens, and cryptocurrency. The victim said that she decided to invest $2,100 for the first time in March and received $315 in profits after about an hour. She said that she was also promised high returns for her investments.

After Ong thought that the scheme was legitimate, she invested another $5,000 but was later told that she had to invest additional funds in a "special project" that the company was running before she could get her money back.

The victim said that the suspect urged her to borrow from friends and family and said that if she could not raise enough money within a certain amount of time, she would have to pay a penalty fee. That was when Ong realized that she had become the victim of a scam and made a police report and immediately froze her bank account.

Scammers in the online world are continuously growing and expanding their schemes to include ones that look legitimate. Writer-film producer Gini Graham Scott thought that she knew how to be cautious against such scams but was ultimately unable to avoid being victimized, according to Expert Click.

Read Also: Burger King Israel Slammed by Pro-Palestinian SocMed Users for Donating Food to Israeli Troops

Online Scams

She ended up losing her Facebook account and two big groups that she created on the social media platform. These were "Scammed" which featured different scams in the news and "The AI Revolution and Writers and Artists" which featured the latest developments in AI affecting writers and artists.

The scam involved a criminal who added their own email to the group and then proceeded to take over them. If the original owner does not act quickly enough or does not provide the right information, they lose all control over the groups.

On the other hand, a Metro Detroit man lost nearly $5,000 to scammers on Facebook Marketplace who were selling a boat motor. The victim, Mitchell GaskaIntro, was looking for a specific boat motor and found it on Facebook Marketplace, and it was on sale for almost $5,000.

After sending the money through PayPal and asking about the shipping timeline, the seller said that there was an unexpected $3,000+ insurance fee. When the scammer was being contacted, the number had already been disconnected, said Click on Detroit.

Related Article: US Senator Arrested in Hong Kong for Carrying Gun Into Airport, Claims It Was 'Honest Mistake'

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
October 23, 2023

Via Email and U.S. Mail

The Honorable G. Murrell Smith, Jr.

506 Blatt Bldg.

Columbia 29201

The Hon. Luke A. Rankin

101 Gressette Bldg.

Columbia, South Carolina 29201

In re: Lawyer-Legislators appointed to the Judicial Merit Selection Commission

Dear Speaker Smith and Chairman Rankin:

We support reforming the process by which we select judges in South Carolina. Judicial reform is a significant topic of public interest and one of the major reform proposals offered by legislative members thus far includes changing the composition of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC). As you know, elected Solicitors and Sheriffs support legislation removing legislative involvement in the JMSC. We believe legislation removing legislators from the JMSC would go a long way toward improving the judicial selection process and restoring public confidence in our judiciary. See Editorial: SC deserves a higher standard for judges than never been indicted THE POST AND COURIER (Oct. 14, 2023).

Regardless of what reform package the General Assembly may pursue, it is our opinion that ALL lawyer-legislators be removed from the JMSC immediately. The public is weary of JMSC members having their family and friends elected to the bench. We are writing to ask that you exercise your appointment power as Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary to immediately replace the six lawyer-legislators with non-lawyer members of the General Assembly.

One JMSC member has been central to a number of recent scandals that have eroded public confidence in our States judiciary and have created an appearance of undue influence derived from the considerable power granted by his role in the JMSC. We wish to highlight Rep. J Todd Rutherfords actions because they illustrate the conflicts inherent in the current JMSC process.

In State v. Jeroid J. Price, Appellate Case No. 2023-000629 (filed Sept. 6, 2023), the Supreme Court vacated a sealed order releasing the defendant from the S.C. Department of Corrections after he served only 19 years of his 35-year prison sentence. While the Court was split 3-2, all members of the Court were troubled by the underlying secret backroom meetings resulting in a sealed order devoid of any public reasoning for releasing a convicted murderer 16 years early. There is ample blame to go around in the Price matter, but it appears to us that the defendants lawyer, Rep. Rutherford, was able to exert extraordinary influence to obtain a remarkably egregious result.

After the Price matter was publicly reported, Governor McMaster called for a review of secret release orders, which revealed other questionable matters involving Rep. Rutherford. These revelations undermine our judicial system and highlight the reasons public confidence is waning in how we select our judges.

Just one week after the Price decision, a newspaper reported on another case involving one of Rep. Rutherfords clients: a two-time drug trafficker facing a mandatory prison sentence. The defendant pled guilty on the eve of trial and Rep. Rutherford convinced the judge to allow the defendant to remain out on our streets by ordering a highly questionable Pre-Sentence Investigation (PSI). The sentencing was then deferred for three years. See Caitlin Ashworth, Problems in long-deferred drug trafficking case echo issues raised in Jeroid Price case, THE POST AND COURIER (Sept. 13, 2023). Never in our many years of collective prosecutorial experience have we seen a two-time drug trafficker receive a PSI, much less have his sentence deferred for three years. This, however, is what JMSC member Todd Rutherford convinced a judge to award his client. The defendant was re-arrested during those three years, again represented by JMSC member Todd Rutherford, and allowed out on bond. Arguably, the defendant may never have been sentenced if the media had not reported on his case. See Will Folks, Justice Deferred: Another South Carolina Lawyer-Legislator Scam, FITSNEWS (Aug. 4, 2023).

Last week, it was reported that after another secret court proceeding, Rep. Rutherford obtained a 12-year early release for a convicted home-invader and kidnapper who repeatedly shot a man. See Glenn Smith, Nude pics and Jolly Ranchers power SC kidnappers early release from prison, THE POST AND COURIER (Oct. 6, 2023). The newspaper reported that the circuit courts order made no mention of what, specifically, the inmate did to warrant such mercy, but a subsequent arrest warrant for a prison officer accused her of providing an inmate with nude photos, candy, and sunflower seeds. The charges against the officer were later dismissed. As for the early release of the violent inmate, it is yet another case involving JMSC member Todd Rutherford convincing a state judge who must come before him on JMSC to violate our laws by closing the courtroom to the public. See Editorial: Latest secret early release of SC convict raises more questions THE POST AND COURIER (Oct. 12, 2023).

We believe the improper appearance created by Rep. Rutherford exerting this sort of undue influence stems from his membership on JMSC, which allows him to pick which judicial candidates are nominated for election by the General Assembly. The fact that Rep. Rutherford believes it is his prerogative to pick judges was on full display in Strickland v. Richland County Legislative Delegation, Appellate Case No. 2023-001130 (filed Aug. 10, 2023), another shameful episode in which the Supreme Court held that a county legislative delegation violated a statute requiring them to forward the only qualified candidate to the Governor for consideration. Rep. Rutherford and some of his colleagues sought to illegitimately reopen the nomination process even though the sole applicanta respected and long-serving judge in Richland Countywas found well-qualified by the JMSC.

In our opinion, these recent examples are demonstrative of a lack of regard for the rule of law. Quite frankly, it is shocking that Rep. Rutherford remains in such an important position, and that lawyer-legislators on JMSC have such influence over our judiciary. Trust us when we say that Rep. Rutherfords tactics are not unique. Lawyer-legislators have undue influence over our judiciary. We can provide countless other instances under oath. Removing lawyer-legislators will not cure all of the JMSCs ills, but it will eradicate one symptom and you have the authority to do it. Exercising your authority to remove them from the JMSC will send a clear message that you take judicial reform seriously, and you intend to do everything in your power to restore faith in our judicial system.

South Carolina Code  2-19-10(B) grants both of you authority to appoint members to the JMSC. With the power to appoint comes the power to remove. We urge you to replace all lawyer-legislators with non-lawyer members to serve until the General Assembly acts to reform this troubled committee.

Sincerely,

David M. Pascoe, First Circuit Solicitor

Ernest A. Chip Finney, III, Third Circuit Solicitor

William B. Rogers, Jr., Fourth Circuit Solicitor

David M. Stumbo, Eighth Circuit Solicitor

Scarlett A. Wilson, Ninth Circuit Solicitor

David R. Wagner, Tenth Circuit Solicitor

Rick Hubbard, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor

E.L. Clements, III, Twelfth Circuit Solicitor

Kevin Brackett, Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor
NORTH  The two candidates running for mayor in North say they want to revitalize the town.

Several municipalities in The T&D Region, including North, will be holding elections on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Some incumbent mayors and council members are facing challengers.

North is one of two Orangeburg County towns holding contested mayoral races.

Incumbent North Mayor Julius Jones has not filed for re-election.

Wanda Whetstone and Jeffrey Washington, both of whom currently hold council seats, are vying for mayor.

The Nov. 7 election also includes races for the two council seats currently held by Whetstone and Washington. Daniel Jackson has filed for town council.

Jeffrey Washington

Washington, who has served on North Town Council for 12 years, is making his first run for mayor.

Ive got quite a few things I want to try to solve. First, I want to get a committee up and work with the senior citizens. We don't have anything around here for the senior citizens, he said.

Cleaning up blighted buildings is also part of his town improvement plan.

I want to get this town cleaned up, get some of these buildings painted and see if we can get some residents to move in here. Everybody seems like they're moving out. So I'm trying to get the town back, Washington said.

I want to try to upgrade the town some. I want to fix some of those buildings up. The old NAPA building, I want to see if we can get rid of that, tear it down. Somebody could probably put a little strip mall there, he said.

Washington said he would also like to capitalize upon Orangeburg Countys purchase of 84 acres of land just outside of the North town limits for future economic development.

"I want to work with the county and make sure they get something on that land. They said something about it might be an industrial plant coming. So I want to work with them to make sure we get a business to come here in the town of North. That'll draw some people in coming to North," he said.

Washington said he also plans to get a committee together to, see if we can get a grocery store and a Laundromat here in North.

He said he plans to work with council to get things done and not be a one-man show.

Ive got some ideas that I want to bring to the council and see if we can work together. This town is like a ghost town now. People are leaving," Washington said.

Some residents have asked if they can form a committee to develop a town festival if hes elected mayor, Washington said.

All other towns are having a festival, and we're the only town not having one. So I told them if I get in there, they can have a committee to work on a festival, he said.

Washington would also like to add an additional town clerk and water department employee for the town.

I want to work on bringing a new town clerk in. We only have one. Really, you should have two at the town hall. I also want to work on bringing another town worker  in the water department.

I want to see if we can get a grant to put some new pipes down for all these water leaks were having. We need to fix some of these pipes around here. We've having so many water leaks, and that's what I'm going to be working on, he said.

Washington said he will have an open-door policy if elected mayor.

I want to hear what the people have got to say right now. I want them to come to me and tell me what's on their mind. If I get elected mayor, my door is going to be open. I want to know what I can do to help them and what they can do to help the town," he said.

Washington has lived in North for 20 years. He is a graduate Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School and also attended Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. He has been a member of St. Dorcas Baptist Church in North for nearly a decade and is retired from Golden State Foods after 33 years as a truck driver.

Wanda Whetstone

Whetstone was first elected to North Town Council in 2019 and is now seeking to become mayor of a town she said she loves.

I'm running for mayor because I love this little town. It's a beautiful little town. It has a rich history, Whetstone said. The town is dying and I want to stop that from happening.

I want to return this town to its former glory, and I want to help constituents here, she said.

Whetstone said town residents live in a food desert whose conditions shed like to improve.

We don't have a grocery store, we don't have a bank. It's hard a lot of times, especially for our elderly people, to get food that they need. They have to make a decision between eating and paying their bills or getting their medicine, and that's just unacceptable, she said.

Whetstone has spent time as a council member working alongside the Lower Savannah Council of Governments to get grants to, for example, clean up blighted buildings.

I've been through the town and identified about 30 houses and areas in the town, or buildings, that are blighted and causing an eyesore in the town. So we're working on getting a grant to remove those buildings, working with the owners of the properties, she said.

Whetstone continued, Sometimes the property owner would love to tear down the building, but they don't have the means. So we're working together with them to hopefully get some of those properties cleaned up or demolished if they're not salvageable.

She and her local church also work in conjunction with Harvest Hope to provide food for those who need it.

Im actually working with my local church in conjunction with Harvest Hope to try and procure what used to be the adult education building to be able to provide services for someone other than seniors, Whetstone said.

We currently feed 67 seniors in our Community Senior Feeding Program. So I'm trying to procure that building from (Orangeburg County) so that we can provide food for non-seniors.

There are younger people here in town that just don't have the means to get food, or their ends aren't meeting. Sometimes they're not meeting for me. We don't have a grocery store here in town. So I want to be able to provide them with some food," she said.

Whetstone said the lack of transportation for a lot of town citizens also concerns her.

I spoke with the mayor from Orangeburg. He and I are working together ... and I'm speaking with him about providing transportation for some of our seniors. It's hard for them to get to Orangeburg.

I have found out that some people were charging them $30 to take them to Orangeburg and back. Sometimes they're charging $10 to take people just up town and bring them back home, and that's awful," she said.

Whestone said she will also be challenging the 2020 U.S. Census results, which she said woefully underreport the town population and potentially keep the town from receiving needed resources.

The problem is that sometimes people don't respond to census takers; therefore, we miss out on a lot of assistance from the government, or we miss out on business opportunities because people think, Oh, they only have 696 people there. So why would we want to take our business there? she said.

Whetstone continued, So if we can challenge the census, which I've gotten some information on, then what we have to do is go out and make sure that everybody responds to the census. We can challenge it, and then they'll come in and do a recount.

Then we can have our population properly documented so that we can receive things that towns with larger populations receive. That's one of the things that I'll be working on if I become mayor.

She said she just wants the restore the town to its former glory as a bustling railroad town.

I just want the people of North to know that I'm standing with them. I'm a mayor for the working-class people. I want to help restore North to the lucrative history that it has. North was originally a railroad town. It was developed as a stop on the railroad.

There was 100 acres of land donated by Mr. John North, Mr. George Pou and Mr. Sampson Livingston. So they donated that acreage so that the train would stop here and we could transport cotton. People were able to start coming and living, and that's how the town got started. Ive been doing research, Whetstone said.

Whetstone is a graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School who has lived in North for more than 20 years. She earned a bachelors degree in health science and is retired from Prisma Health after more than 24 years as a respiratory therapist there.

I've been a respiratory therapist for 35 years, but the last 24 years were spent at Prisma Health, just providing care to the community. So that's what I do. I care about people, and I try to provide what they need to improve their health and life, she said.
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage has awarded Professor Keith Brand $300,000 to help fund a feature-length documentary about civil and gay rights activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya.

Brand, a faculty member in the Department of Radio, Television & Film in Rowan Universitys Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, is a longtime Philadelphia broadcast veteran who once interviewed Kuromiya, a longtime activist who died in 2000.

Born in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II, Kuromiya served as an aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, co-founded the Gay Liberation FrontPhiladelphia, and became widely known for participating in, and sometimes leading, anti-war, civil rights and gay rights movements.

I made an audio documentary, Kiyoshi Kuromiya: the Wonderful, Fabulous Life of a Civil rights Zelig, in 2021, Brand said. Now Im making a visual doc.

The film will further amplify the story about Kuromiya who, Brand said, was not unlike the main character in Woody Allens 1983 film Zelig. He was seemingly everywhere, especially within the civil rights and gay rights movements.

Brands hourlong radio documentary, which first aired on WPPM 106.5 in Philadelphia during World AIDS Day, later ran on WXPN 88.5 in Philadelphia and on WBAI 99.5 in New York.

Brand, the films producer, said Philadelphia-based director Glenn Holsten, who is currently making a film about a well-known Quaker activist, fundraiser Theresa James, Rob Buscher of the Japan Society of Philadelphia, and researcher Che Gossett, who has a book contract on Kuromiya, complete the documentarys core team.

Among story lines Brand expects to follow are Kuromiyas adoption of the internet to share the latest news and information in the early days of the AIDS crisis, a paralyzing threat within the gay community that was often beset by misunderstanding and disinformation. Brand said Kuromiya attended medical conferences and spoke directly with frontline researchers to get the most accurate information about the disease and the latest prevention and treatment protocols, then shared that information widely, especially within the gay community.

Kiyoshi had a fundamental understanding of the power of the internet and used those tools for getting out information, he said.

Brand said Kuromiya, who was born in the Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming, worked throughout his life for the betterment of underrepresented, neglected and disenfranchised members of society. Unfortunately, that work went largely unrecognized among the general population, Brand said.

Hes well known in a lot of cities, but less so in his hometown. We want to change that, Brand said.

Production will take place between 2024 and 2025 and Brand plans to promote the film at a series of festivals and engagement activities in Philadelphia.
24/10/2023

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They look back on the controversy at Anfield in the Merseyside derby and cast their minds forward to Sunday's game against West Ham at the London Stadium.

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How communal cleanups are helping restore homes in Ukraine. From Rubryka.

Rows of houses stretch out in all directions from the large brick church. Here, buildings with their walls battered by debris and windows blown out by blast waves are what pass for whole. They are the minority. Instead, most of the houses have totally crumbled walls, roofs that have given way, and the yards burnt almost to the ground.

This is the situation for Lukashivka  a village in Ukraines Chernihiv region that was under occupation for 21 days  in July 2022, three months after Russian forces withdrew.

Around the church, people pour out from several large buses. Seeing the familiar vehicles, locals start waving and smiling. While the arrivals are changing clothes and figuring out whose bags are where, a couple of local women make their way through the crowd, and one exclaims: Where is my favorite volunteer today?

Repair Together, a project that aims to help salvage damaged homes, grew out of a group of friends in Kyiv, who one day realized that they could no longer just watch the war, but instead had to go and clean up its consequences.

Since then, the idea has become a project where hundreds of volunteers go to the Chernihiv region on weekends to sort through the rubble that the Russian invasion has left covering over everyday life.

Remnants of war

More than 4,000 houses in Chernihiv have been destroyed during the occupation; the number of buildings left damaged is even higher. Although Russian troops have retreated from the region, they continue to shell it, sometimes firing dozens of rockets per day.

This was a shed; my husband had a workshop. There was a summer kitchen and a room above. The house is here  burnt  on the left. This was a bathroom. Last year, we renovated the kitchen; we just had to insulate the second half of the house in the corridor, says Iryna,* looking around her property with despair. With the arrival of the occupying forces, almost all of the family farm was turned to ruins.

Iryna was one of several villagers to lose their homes in the fighting in Lukashivka.

Russian troops entered Lukashivka on 9 March. Locals say the soldiers checked their passports, took their phones away, and forbade them to leave their properties. From the phones they confiscated, the soldiers called their families to tell them that they found themselves in a village that was not on their maps; they did not understand where to go and what to do.

During one of the shellings, our barn caught fire, Iryna says. We ran out of our basement to our neighbors. It was crowded there, ten people crowded in, they suffered terribly. The next day, my husband and I decided to return to our place. When we arrive, five Russian soldiers are sitting in the basement. Thats how they lived in our house until the house burned down.

Irynas house burned down on 14 March. Since then, she and her husband have been living with neighbors. There is nowhere left to go.

There are thousands of such families in the Chernihiv region alone. Compared to the Kyiv region, which was also occupied, fewer volunteers and charitable organizations reach there. Nor can people count on help from the state due to the lack of resources and the risk that any properties rebuilt with state funds, which attract media attention, will quickly become a new target for Russian missiles.

Rubble fills a damaged property.

As for Iryna, she says that she and her husband dont want to build a new house until the war is won. But if you dont remove the rubble promptly, before the winter, it is unlikely that you will be able to reuse at least the old foundations and the surviving walls. Damaged walls begin to crumble further during cold weather. Moisture makes them less stable. Then cracks appear. Such a house can collapse and become unrepairable. The worse the weather, the faster the remains of the structure, which no longer have stable supports, will collapse. As a result, people can get hurt.

Meanwhile, a lot of people dont have another house or the money for it. During the summer they can live with holes in the walls. But not, of course, in the winter.

Tackling the debris

While we are talking, music is playing in the yard; volunteers are dancing, forming a long line and passing bricks along to be stacked. The intact ones are placed on the right. The ruined ones go to the left. Several people continually arrive with wheelbarrows, pick up the debris, and set off again. At least one organizer is always visible amid the activity, distributing gloves, looking for shovels, and sometimes comforting the locals.

Repair Together comes to the Chernihiv region almost every weekend. They work in two villages: Lukashivka as well as Yahidne, another town that was occupied and where most of the buildings were destroyed. Further from the border, these villages are more or less safe from the shelling by now.

Each communal work gathering involves several locations in both villages. The primary purpose is to dismantle the rubble, so most sessions are cleanups. Thanks to these efforts, the number of sites cleaned out between May and July is approaching 100.

Also, by the beginning of July the project had restored the roofs and windows of 13 houses. The project helps individuals purchase building materials and carry out repairs. Some of the volunteers are skilled in trades such as carpentry, while in some cases the owners of damaged houses know what needs to be done and give the volunteers instructions themselves. The plans are to start actually rebuilding the homes of Ukrainians that the war destroyed.

A volunteer takes part in one of Repair Togethers cleanups in Lukashivka.

We asked one of the project co-organizers, Daria Kosiakova, how it all started. When the initiative launched, she left her job as a creative leader in an IT company and now takes care of the projects communications as part of a main team of less than ten people.

We were sitting at home with [co-founder] Sasha Kuchynskyi. Dima Kyrpa [another co-founder] came to us and said he couldnt work as usual and wanted to start volunteering. But we didnt understand which organizations already had lots of people and which needed help.

Then, Ukraine liberated the Chernihiv region, and the guys decided to go on a survey mission to see what was happening there. Then they came back with an idea. I said, lets design. We started making posts on Instagram, announcing ourselves and inviting people to spend the weekend at the communal work gathering. And everything turned around, says Daria.

Since then, the process has gone like this: on Repair Togethers Instagram page, they make a call for people willing to help, create a chat for volunteers, and explain how to prepare. Then on Saturday morning, several buses pick up people from Kyiv (100 to 200 volunteers each time) and take them to villages in the Chernihiv region where the volunteers work. The organizers provide food. While volunteers can choose to return to Kyiv after one days work, most spend the night in tents and work throughout the weekend.

Sometimes two days are enough, sometimes not. But volunteers also have jobs and families to get back to, so the work is planned in such a way to take two days.

Dozens of volunteers now take part in each of Repair Together cleanups.

Before that, theres also a preparatory stage. Daria clarifies: Dmytro [another organizer] appeals to the village council. They are able to collect a list of people with a very problematic situation because they know everyone here. They know if someone is seriously ill and if there is someone who had a harrowing experience during the occupation.

When we get to the village, we try to reach out through the local authorities to people who need help and cannot help themselves. Even in Yahidne, there are houses where people say, We will do everything ourselves, just bring us the materials. And we bring them. We often choose to help older people whose children or other relatives cannot help for one reason or another.

For example, we have an older woman, Nadia, who brings us dumplings and compote every time. She is so lovely! When we came to scout last time, as we do before every communal work session, we stopped by her place, and she said: sleep at my place. Why do you need those tents? Some people dont ask for anything, but we just want to help them. So, we also include them in the list.

The project aims to help those who stay in their village, dont have the financial capacity to hire workers, and have nowhere else to expect help from. There are millions of such people in Ukraine now.

Salvaging solidarity

The Church of the Ascension sits in the middle of the village, right between the objects the volunteers are cleaning this time. The walls are hemmed in with debris, machine guns, and other traces of war. Burnt-out Russian equipment stands nearby. Local children climb on it, run through the ruins, and play with the remains of Russian ammunition. There is plenty of it here; the Russians used the church as their warehouse.

After the liberation of Lukashivka, not only the Russian forces rations, weapons, and personal belongings were found within the church walls, but also the bodies of village residents. It is not known how many people died in Lukashivka at the hands of the invading forces. Russian soldiers didnt touch most of the locals unless the residents left their homes. However, locals say, some of the less submissive ones were shot.

Childrens voices ring out near the house of worship. We just need a plan for what to do with Putin! one calls.

Should we burn Moscow? The six-year-old boy thinks for a while, then continues a little louder: Im ready! They burned down my house.

Russian soldiers used the village church as a warehouse, which drew fire from Ukrainian forces.

The children run into the church. Inside, they wrestle with something heavy, obviously made of iron. There are piles of it around now. The Ukrainian military had to fire on the church in order to liberate Lukashivka. It was the only way to leave the Russians without fuel and provisions; they stored everything there.

Near the church is the only shop in the village still operating. The current assortment is tiny: bread, meat, and various dairy items. Nina, who works there, explains that there is no point in stocking more products: people can barely afford the essentials.

Ninas house was also destroyed. The volunteers now fill her yard. There is also music, cheerful sing-alongs, and sad sighs when someone comes across the remains of Ninas chickens, buried under the rubble of the house.

Yurko Didula is the head of another volunteer organization, Building Ukraine Together, which has been rebuilding houses destroyed by the war since 2014. In general, many similar projects emerge, he says. There are not too many of them. There is more work than initiatives and volunteers willing to participate in reconstruction  more than the organizations that can somehow meaningfully include in the reconstruction. Our organization is trying in every possible way to strengthen such projects. Even if we talk only about the demolition of rubble in the Chernihiv region, work like that lasts about half a year. It is a critical stage, and it is important to pass through it quickly.

Yurko says that he also went on a trip with Repair Together. The volunteers thoroughly cleaned several areas in two days. Though the work may not be the grandest, it is important not only for practical reasons, but also for morale.

The locals who see that people are coming to them and starting to dismantle the debris, have hope they will not be left behind and that they will restore their houses. From the point of view of solidarity and hope for people, it is a vital format, he says.

Repair Together brings volunteers from Kyiv to rural areas of the Chernihiv region.

Yurkos own organization arranges week-long camps for 20 to 30 volunteers and, besides construction work, adds a mandatory educational program. He says that Repair Togethers more informal approach has its advantages.

It seems to me that, to some extent, this format is even more interesting than what Building Ukraine Together usually does. It makes it possible for more people to join. There is no complex informational or cultural or educational element. That is, people come, hang out, have a freer schedule, Yurko explains.

Cleanup raves

One of the volunteers with Repair Together, Stas, is at a communal cleanup for the second time. When asked why he decided to travel from Kyiv to take part, he says: Because I want to help people. Nothing else is needed. At first, the volume of collapse is shocking. It makes a depressing impression. But the impressions of what you do are still very positive. All these people are here because they are good. And thats cool. Its inspiring, he says.

The organization usually involves between 100 and 200 people like Stas in its work sessions. Volunteers often work to music: DJs accompany them and arrange raves during the demolition of rubble, with videos of the cleanup raves flying around the Internet.

It is expensive to gather so many people, feed them, and provide decent enough conditions that they come another time. Thus, Repair Together has developed a transparent approach to financing.

In the past, all the food was free for us because volunteer organizations like us provided it, co-founder Daria explains. Venues [in Kyiv] like Jacuzzi Cafe, Kosatka, and Volonterskyi Pryvit did it. We bought the products ourselves this time, but GastroArmy of Kyiv provided us with buses and cooks. Its like a collaboration with us.

We mainly pay for the buses through small contributions that we ask for from volunteers. In fact, they pay the fare. Many people chip in more, saying that they are paying for another volunteer. And as soon as we have a more considerable amount, we buy gloves, equipment, all the things people need for comfortable work.

The work sessions also have a social aspect.

Daria says the organizations goal is to move away from donations from Ukrainians and switch to funding and partnerships. It is a more reliable way of financing the work, and less risky than voluntary donations.

For example, we recently had a partnership with [technology company] Lenovo. From each sale of a laptop, they transfer money to us so that we can repair houses, she says. We really want to go to the international level. We dont want to take money from Ukrainians because they first have to spend it on the Ukrainian army, and we dont want to take money from the army. Although the goal of our organization is to restore houses, obviously the highest goal is victory, says Daria.

Repair Together has a lot of work to do. They have announced an ambitious goal: to rebuild at least 12 destroyed houses and repair 25 more by winter. To do so, the initiative is looking for partners to provide possible funding, materials, food for volunteers, skilled construction workers, and other assistance.

Yurko, whose organization already has experience in this area, says restoring any house is expensive and time-consuming. Still it is a priority task, because both Ukrainian soldiers and displaced civilians must have somewhere to return.

Repair Togethers ultimate goal is to totally rebuild houses destroyed in the war.

In 2014, we restored a house almost from scratch. One wall remained there. My partners and I managed to do this in three months of non-stop work. That is, I say three months, provided there is money, craftspeople, and volunteers. In three months, you can not only raise the walls and put on a roof but also make interior repairs and prepare the house for habitation, says Yurko.

So Repair Together has set an ambitious target for the months ahead. However, the organizations main focus remains on the most urgent task: to rebuild the house, you must first tear down the rubble.



Maria Smyk is a reporter for Rubryka, which specializes in solutions journalism from Ukraine. All photos by Nick Tymchenko/Rubryka. Reprinted with permission.

*Some surnames have been withheld at the request of interviewees.
A Banner Wyoming Medical Center EMT and paramedic are accused of stealing property from the Alcova Marina fire scene on the Fourth of July, the Natrona County Sheriffs Office announced.

Natashua Natay, 40, and Tyler Henion, 31, both of Casper, are each facing one count of theft, the statement said.

Alcova Marina burned down during the early morning of the holiday, and the entire building was destroyed.

PHOTOS: Aftermath of fire at Alcova Marina Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire Alcova Marina fire

About two weeks after the fire, the Natrona County Sherriffs Office received an anonymous tip stating that Banner Health employees Natay and Henion had been bragging about stealing mementos from the scene, the statement said.

So, a separate investigation was launched.

It was determined that Natay and Henion were on duty as medical standby at the active crime scene during the early hours of the fire response on July 4, the statement said.

Investigators recovered two copper cups that Natay and Henion allegedly stole from the scene, the statement said.

One of the cups had Alcova Marina Fire 4th July 2023 written on the bottom, the statement said.

They are accused of using their official capacity to access the scene and remove items as personal souvenirs, the statement said.

The investigation into the cause of the Alcova Marina fire is still open and ongoing, and officials will continue to provide updates as they become available, the statement said.

We recognize how important the outcome of the joint-investigation is to the Marina business owners, our citizens, and our community as a whole, the statement said.

Anyone with information that may assist in either investigation is asked to contact the Natrona County Sheriffs Office Investigations Division at 307-235-9282 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Central Wyoming at 307-577-8477 or www.crime-stoppers.com.

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 man identified as Russell Fred Dunkley III was arrested late Monday after attacking DC teachers with 24 students during their afternoon stroll through the Bloomingdale neighborhood.

The attack occurred a few blocks from the children's daycare facility and began when Marleni Etevina Diaz-Villalobos, a DC teacher, noticed a disturbed man talking to a colleague.

Police Arrested Dunkley for Attacking DC Teachers

The children and the DC teacher walk daily around the same time, taking a break at a small stone wall where they sit and sip water on a street lined with two- and three-story rowhouses.

The kids looked scared when the man was standing uncomfortably close to them. Diaz-Villalobos yelled at Dunkley, but he walked toward her despite threatening to call the police.

Dunkley threatened the teacher and said, "Call them - they won't do anything," the two kids got more scared and were pressed against Diaz-Villalobos' legs.

Twenty-four children and other DC workers watched Diaz-Villalobos get punched while the kids screamed to the man to let their teacher go. Another female DC worker was also punched in the head and face when they demanded to be left alone.

Diaz-Villalobos spent her Monday night in a hospital with a bloody nose.

The police arrested Dunkley when a witness pointed him out near where the attack took place. Dunkley was charged with multiple crimes, including two counts of assault on the daycare teachers and child abuse.

Police reported that Dunkley spat at and hit an officer at a hospital and was also charged with assaulting a police officer.

The police records also revealed that Dunkley had been arrested in Bloomingdale on October 3 with similar charges to Monday's incident. The incident on October 3 involved adult victims and was released on a reference prospecting a future court date.

The police said that Dunkley was detained at a hospital as of Tuesday. According to DC Council member Zachary Parker, a law in Bloomingdale allows authorities to involuntarily detain people for 48 hours for mental health assessment, which needs to be reevaluated to add more time.

Read Also: Britney Spears' New Instagram Alias' Maria River Red' Leaves Fans Draw Theories

Children's Safety at Risk in Bloomingdale

Carlos Heraud, an assistant DC police chief in the Investigative Services Bureau, said, "Our children are our most vulnerable people."

He said that crimes like this are highly troubling as they are all responsible for keeping the children safe.

La Shada Ham-Campbell, the founder of Petit Scholars, which has five daycare centers in Ward 5, including the one in Bloomingdale, expressed her worries. She shared that the children and teachers were all traumatized, and their families were distressed.

DC Mayor Muriel E. Bowser filed a new crime bill pledging to convey that violence is unacceptable in the city. But they are also calling for more extended mental health support so that those arrested with mental health needs can get the assistance they need, as reported in Fox 5 Washington DC.

Related Article: Israel-Hamas Conflict: At Least 2,000 Kids Reportedly Killed in Gaza in Recent Weeks





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A Casper man, who was fired from Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming after being accused of sexually abusing a minor, pleaded not guilty.

Daniel Joseph Uptain, 38, is charged with three counts of third-degree sexual assault of a minor, two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a minor and one count of sexual exploitation of children.

Uptain pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all six counts in Natrona County District Court. Each charge was allegedly with the same victim, Timothy Cotton, Uptains attorney, said in court.

He is facing over 100 years in prison, if found guilty on all charges.

Although the alleged crimes did not occur on Boys and Girls Club premises, crimes of abuse run counter to everything our organization stands for  no harm should come to any child under any circumstance, CEO Ashley Bright said in a statement last month.

Uptain was barred from all programs and facilities.

This summer, a child allegedly told their counselor at a treatment center in Powell that they met up with Uptain, who they had previously met at the Boys and Girls Club, the affidavit in the case states.

Uptain allegedly started communicating with the child last fall on a dating application called MeetMe, the affidavit states.

The child allegedly told officials they had met up with Uptain four times and had sex with him three times, the affidavit states.

Uptain allegedly would bring marijuana dab pens, alcohol, vape pens and cash, and in exchange, the child had sexual intercourse with him, the affidavit states.

He is also accused of exchanging nude photographs with the child, and there was a strong possibility there were also videos exchanged, the affidavit states.

Although Uptain allegedly told authorities the child was listed as 28 years old on the dating up, he admitted that [the child] did not look anywhere close to that age.

His trial is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2024.

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 federal appeals court deemed Wyomings 300-foot polling place buffer zone constitutional in a Monday decision, reversing a previous ruling that found it violated the First Amendment.

The court also reversed a prior decision finding the ban on campaign bumper stickers within these buffer zones unconstitutional.

The judges, however, sent back to U.S. District Court the question of whether the 100-foot buffer zone around absentee polling places is constitutional; the district court found this zone to be constitutional, but the circuit court judges noted that the length of time that this zone is in effect hadnt been taken into consideration.

The Monday decision stems from a lawsuit originally filed in 2020 that challenged the constitutionality of this buffer zone and another 100-foot zone for absentee polling places. Wyoming state statute bars people from electioneering within these zones, which were intended to prevent intimidation at polling places.

John C. Frank, a former Colorado resident and a worker with the conservative organizing service Grassfire, sued the state of Wyoming and other officials in federal district court back in 2020, arguing that these buffer zones violate the First Amendment. The states electioneering statute, he said, unconstitutionally barred him from handing out campaign literature and displaying political bumper stickers on his car within the buffer zones.

He also argued the statute was overbroad because it violated the First Amendment rights of third parties who were barred from displaying campaign signs on private property within the buffer zones.

Frank was represented by lawyers with the Wyoming Liberty Group, a libertarian think tank founded by Gore-Tex heiress Susan Gore.

According to his complaint, Frank wanted to stand within the buffer zone at the Laramie County Community College and the Laramie County Governmental Complex  both used as polling places  to hand out literature promoting candidates and conservative causes and to collect signatures. (He has never violated the electioneering statute, according to court documents.)

U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal ended up granting a partial win for the plaintiff, deeming the 300-foot buffer zone unconstitutional while upholding state statutes prohibition on electioneering within 100 feet of absentee polling places. All parties appealed the decision, landing the lawsuit in the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2022.

Frank had argued that the state hadnt adequately justified the necessity of the 300-foot buffer zone. On appeal, the defendants argued that the buffer zone must only be reasonable and not pose a significant impingement on First Amendment rights to be constitutionally permissible. Circuit Court judges found the defendants to have the better argument and reversed Freudenthals decision on the 300-foot zone.

The U.S. Supreme Court, the judges explained, has relaxed the demands of narrow-tailoring  the requirement that laws have to be written to place as few restrictions as possible on First Amendment rights  when it comes to state electioneering regulations that are meant to protect voters engaged in the act of voting.

Here, though, the district court struck down the 300-foot buffer zone protecting election-day voters because Defendants failed to prove, with empirical evidence, that Wyomings 300-foot buffer zone was necessary, they wrote. This heightened burden imposed on Defendants by the district court is inconsistent with Supreme Court precedent.

The circuit court judges also reversed Freudenthals ruling that the ban on campaign bumper stickers within these buffer zones is unconstitutional.

Under state statute, people cant park or drive a car through polling place buffer zones if their car has more than one campaign bumper sticker per candidate, or the campaign bumper stickers are larger than four by 16 inches. (Frank said he wanted to display more than one large campaign bumper sticker for a single candidate with the buffer zones, but hasnt done so out of fear that he would violate electioneering statute, according to court documents.)

The defendants argued that a bumper sticker is basically the same as any other campaign sign, except that its affixed to a car. They said further that Wyomings statute is no more restrictive than limits set in court precedent, and that, therefore, the district courts decision should be reversed. The circuit court judges agreed.

Freudenthal had, on the other hand, rejected Franks challenge to the constitutionality of the 100-foot absentee polling place buffer zone. But the circuit court judges sent this question back to district court because it hadnt considered the temporal scope of this buffer zone; unlike physical polling places, absentee polling places are available for 45 days before an election.

We agree with Plaintiff the district court erred by failing to factor in the temporal scope when evaluating the constitutionality of the buffer zones size and the proscribed conduct within it, the judges wrote.

Much of the basis of the judges analysis of the case stems from the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case Burson v. Freeman, in which a Tennessee political campaign treasurer challenged the constitutionality of a Tennessee statute barring electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place.

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.
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THE Public Services Association (PSA) has no regrets about rejecting the four per cent salary increase offer made by the Government, as according to PSA president Leroy Baptiste, that offer is unfair to public servants.
Before the railway system closed, and reversed the fortunes of vast swathes of Trinidad, there was a thriving village called St Johns, deep in the interior of Trinidad, where people lived with little complaint.

No one became rich, but no one went without since there was wildlife cavorting right behind your house, you ate what you planted in forest gardens, and people lived in airy homes constructed strong by the village men using the timber pulled out of the bush by bison power.
DESECRTAED AGAIN: Pooran Nanan, of the Williamsville Hindu Temple, removes a harmonium yesterday from the debris of a ventilation wall which was

destroyed. Vandals destroyed two walls of the place of worship to gain entry into the temple, which was vandalised on Saturday afternoon.

Photo: DEXTER PHILIP
The U.S. and Russia offered their war resolutions for the worsening Israel-Hamas conflict.

Although the two countries are on bad terms, both of them provided their resolution plans to the United Nations.

But, the question is, which will the UN choose? Is it Russia's ceasefire suggestion or the humanitarian pause that the United States suggested?

US, Russia Offer Israel-Hamas War Resolution To UN

According to Reuters' latest report, the U.S. and Russia both want to help Palestinian civilians who are caught up in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

To do this, both of these super countries want the UN Security Council to address water, food, electricity, and medical supply shortages.

However, the two nations have their own war resolution suggestions; Russia wants to have a humanitarian ceasefire, while the United States calls for a humanitarian pause so that aid can enter the Gaza Strip.

To give you an idea, a humanitarian pause is less formal and shorter compared to a ceasefire. Due to this fact, the Russian government announced on Tuesday, Oct. 24, that it can't support the suggestion of the U.S.

The U.S. government's proposal already has an initial draft, which was staunchly pro-Israel, to the 15-member council. On the other hand, the ceasefire suggestion of Russia was supported by Arab states.

As of writing, it is unclear when the two nations' Israel-Hamas war resolutions will be put to a vote. Once this happens, the UN Security Council will pick the resolution that will receive at least nine votes.

There should also be no vetoes by France, Britain, the United States, China, or Russia if the chosen resolution is to be adopted.

Read Also: Israel-Hamas Conflict: At Least 2,000 Kids Reportedly Killed in Gaza in Recent Weeks

US Adjusted Israel-Hamas War Resolution Draft

Fox News reported that Washington adjusted its Israel-Hamas war because of the Russian government's demands. Specifically, the U.S. didn't mention Iran in its resolution draft.

Before this adjustment, the original draft suggested that Iran should stop funding terror groups.

"Iran must cease the export of all arms and related materiel to armed militias and terrorist groups threatening peace and security across the region, including Hamas," said the U.S. government in its original draft.

But, after Russia asked the U.S. to change this, the Israel-Hamas war resolution of Washington no longer mentions anything about Iran. You can click this link to learn more about this draft change.

Related Article: [VIDEO] Unseen Actual Hamas Attack in Israel Showing Harrowing Killings, Revealed To Counter Denials

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I am happy to report that Trinidad and Tobago has recorded its first conviction for offence
Resting at the heart of our actions are the implications which can result from them. We have all, at some juncture, had to pause to consider possible consequences.
TWELVE years have passed since the project to build The University of the West Indies (The UWI) campus in Debe was first launched, with a promise to decentralise tertiary education for thousands of students from South Trinidad.

A whopping $600 million has been spent to date, but The UWIs Penal-Debe Campus sits empty, never opened to the universitys students.
The FBI is offering a reward for help in locating the vehicle and gunman involved in the Oct. 17 shooting of a federal agent on Tucson's southeast side.

A $10,000 reward has been offered by the agency, the FBI Office in Phoenix says in a news release.

The shooting occurred about 7:45 p.m. in the parking lot of a convenience store near East 29th Street and South Columbus Boulevard.

Security video that night shows a dark four-door sedan driving through the parking lot before it stops and several gunshots can be heard.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was shot in the arm and was taken to a hospital for treatment, officials have said.
A Tucson man was arrested Monday after he allegedly threatened to commit a mass shooting at the University of Arizona, campus officials say.

Michael Pengchong Lee, 27, was arrested by campus police with the assistance of the FBI, the UA's Office of Public Safety said Tuesday night in a news release.

UAPD was first alerted to a group chat Sunday night after messages were allegedly sent by Lee threatening a "mass tragedy and atrocity at the UofA soon." When a member of the group chat asked Lee what he meant, he said "a Mass shooting."

Lee is not a student at the university, authorities say.

Messages allegedly sent by Lee threatened "the day of Retribution is upon us" and that he would get his revenge on all the "chads and stacies," which is suspected to mean fraternity and sorority members, according to court records.

Lee allegedly said in the group chat, "the 10th anniversary of the day of retribution is may 23, 2023... but isn't the UofA gonna be out of session by then?"

Investigators say Lee was referring to what's known as the 2014 Isla Villa killings, or the Isla Villa Massacre, in which Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured another 14 near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus before shooting himself.

"We want the community to know this case is an example of a successful collaborative effort among UAPD, the Threat Assessment and Management Team (TAMT), and the FBI's Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force," said Steve Patterson, interim vice president and chief safety officer for the University's Office of Public Safety.

"There is no current or pending threat to the University community from this individual, and no other individuals are being sought," he said in a written statement.

Lee was located Monday after he was stopped for speeding, court records show. Lee later admitted to being the author of the threats, officials say.

Lee was arrested on suspicion of one charge of making a terroristic threat and booked into the Pima County jail. Federal charges may follow, the news release said.
PHOENIX  A special gubernatorial task force is recommending changes in state law to prevent voter intimidation of those who choose to deposit their ballots into drop boxes.

But the plan, unveiled Tuesday, doesnt include any of the things that a federal judge concluded last year are necessary to ensure voters are not harassed. Instead, it simply seeks to clarify that the existing 75-foot protected zone around polling places also applies to drop boxes.

And panel members specifically sidestepped the thorny legal question, raised in a new lawsuit, of whether unmonitored drop boxes are even legal. All the report says is that the proposal would not change their legal status.

There were other recommendations, all unanimously approved, ranging from allowing registered voters who move right before Election Day to cast a ballot in the county where they are now located so they are not disenfranchised, to providing more incentives to get people to volunteer as poll workers, like free child care.

But one drew a dissenting vote from Sen. Ken Bennett: automatic restoration of voting rights once a convicted felon has completed their prison term.

Existing Arizona law allows individuals to seek to have their civil rights restored. But the majority, in adopting the recommendation, said people are often unaware of the process or are unable to navigate it.

Bennett, a Prescott Republican, said the proposal is flawed because it is based solely on release from prison.

They can be released from incarceration a long time before their probation ends, he said. Bennett said only after all conditions of the sentence are met  including paying any fines and financially compensating victims  should someone get back the right to vote.

And he said it doesnt matter even if it takes the person years to be released from probation or fulfill all financial obligations.

Bennett, one of two lawmakers on the panel and the only Republican, also took a swat at Gov. Katie Hobbs, who chairs the task force she formed. Instead, Hobbs gave only brief remarks at the beginning of Tuesdays meeting and then left, leaving it to Helen Purcell, her co-chair and former Maricopa County recorder, to run the meeting.

Bennett pointed out that Tuesdays meeting, following months of smaller working groups, lasted just 45 minutes.

I can think of few things more important than election integrity, Bennett said. And he said if Hobbs could not spare the 25 minutes starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday the meeting could have been reset to work around her schedule.

Gubernatorial press aide Christian Slater would not respond to Bennetts comments.

The questions around voter intimidation stem from activities during the 2022 general election by a group called Clean Elections USA  not associated with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission  to monitor drop boxes. Their activities were predicated on unproven claims that mules were stuffing the boxes with multiple ballots, something already illegal under Arizona law.

But evidence presented at a federal court hearing showed they were not simply watching. The group also took photos and videos of voters and their vehicles and posted them online, with captions suggesting that state laws were being violated. And some monitors were visibly armed and wore tactical gear.

All that resulted in U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi issuing an order that:

Prohibited anyone from taking videos of those depositing their ballots, even if the people taking the pictures are outside a 75-foot perimeter around drop boxes;

Barred posting of any videos or personal information on people, including their physical description or even a license plate number or make or model of their car, that suggests these individuals that those pictured are violating state laws against ballot harvesting; and

Requiring anyone openly carrying a weapon or wearing body armor to remain at least 250 feet from any drop box.

Those restrictions, which applied only to members of Clean Elections USA, expired after the election.

And none of that is in the task force recommendations. Instead, the panel proposes only that state law be amended to spell out that the laws that make it a crime to interfere with a voter within 75 feet of a polling place also apply to anyone depositing a ballot at a drop box.

Restrictions that apply within the 75-foot limit are already well known to voters and would be the best place to avoid confusion, the report says. The impact of this proposal would be to help prevent voter intimidation, confusion, and future escalations where drop boxes are located.

Purcell said that recommendation does resolve part of the problem that arose in 2022.

Some of those people were not 75 feet away from the drop boxes, she said. They were almost right next to it.

But Purcell conceded that at least part of the reason the recommendations did not go farther was political: Any change in laws about protected zones around drop boxes would need to be approved by the Legislature.

We tried to come up with the best thing we thought would gain bipartisan support, she said.

And Rep. Laura Terech of Phoenix, the Democratic lawmaker on the panel, called it a very good start.

It provides law enforcement with the guidance they need to ensure that everyone is able to cast their ballot freely, without intimidation, she said. But Terech said she is waiting to see what kinds of activities occur around ballot boxes in 2024.

Bennett, however, already has concluded more is needed.

There should not be voter intimidation within or without 75 feet of either polling locations or drop boxes, he said. And Bennett, a former secretary of state, said it has to be something more than a law that is based on distance.

Intimidating voters at 76 feet is not acceptable either, he said.

Another issue the committee wants addressed is creating and expanding the standards for equipment used in elections.

Equipment that actually tallies votes already is subject to testing and certification requirements. But the report acknowledges there arent the same standard for tabulation-adjacent equipment, things like the e-pollbooks used at polling places to check in voters, voter registration systems and ballot-on-demand printers.

But members of the panel also concluded that the problem  to the extent there is one  may not be as large as some people believe.

The first challenge is a perception issue based on the proliferation and spread of mis-, mal- and disinformation, the report says.

It contains no names or specific allegations. But Republican Kari Lake has been trying to overturn the results of her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race by alleging, among other things, that on-site ballot printers used in Maricopa County were deliberately sabotaged to print out ballots in the wrong size.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said there are real security issues that constantly need to be addressed. Consider, he said, foreign actors like Russia, Iran, China and North Korea are always trying to bust into our systems and take advantage of any possible weakness.

It would be foolish of us not to try to improve our security profile across every single possible point of vulnerability that exists, said Fontes, a Democrat. And he said people want to be sure election officials are doing what they can to secure every part of the system.

But Fontes said theres another side of that.

Where we dont have problems, people are lying about the fact that we have vulnerabilities, he said, saying there are folks who choose to lie about our system for whatever advantage they want to take, whether its financial or political advantage.

Those are the folks that are acting immorally, Fontes said. And you cant regulate your way out of that.

Bennett, however, said a real problem remains.

I think theres a significant number of voters in Arizona who are still skeptical about our elections and their results, he said.

The panel also suggested that lawmakers consider repealing a 2022 law that requires a recount of any election where the margin of difference is 0.5% or less. The prior law said only races of 0.1% difference would trigger a recount.

Purcell said the problem with that is it will trigger recounts in more races. And that, she said, will create time constraints for counties, both in preparing the general election ballot after the primary and in meeting the deadlines in federal law to certify the results of the presidential election.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Amidst the tragic news of the war between Hamas and Israel, it was truly encouraging to read the letters to the Star on Sunday from Debra Stuckgold, Flora Frederick, Dan Prendergast, and John Bingham. Kudos to the writers for their exceptional understanding of world events, and to the Star for its dedication to journalism in printing them.

What the Hamas operatives did on October 7 was immoral and, yes Flora (letter writer), stupid. Likely fueled by 56 years of open-air imprisonment of families for several generations and abetted by outside geo-political-ideological interests. We know that most struggling Gazan families do not support Hamas. Yet the IDF and its government has decided that they need to pay the price for Hamas immoral behavior. Collective punishment for the crime of a few is a violation of international law and a violation of common sense.

Those of us who have lived and worked in Israel and Palestine can testify to the apartheid and genocide perpetrated hourly by the Israeli nationalist government. Demolition or confiscation of homes which Palestinian families owned for generations; checkpoints where Palestinians die in ambulances awaiting government clearances; families awakened at 3 a.m. having their front door smashed, and their children pulled out of bed and frisked  just to teach then a lesson; a 9-year old boy shot and killed by the IDF for reaching into his pocket; settlers stealing Palestinian crops, burning their homes and cars, fencing off Palestinians from accessing their crops. All the while, these perpetrators know that God is on their side  because he gave Moses all this land as far as the eye can see. It is just inconvenient that Palestinians and Bedouins got in the way of Gods plans for the Jewish people and need to be removed.

In the U.S., citizens, politicians, and much of the media have been hoodwinked by well-financed lobby groups, convincing us that Israel, our best friend, can do nothing wrong. Do Canada, U.K., Korea, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and others feel insulted that they are not listed as a best friend?

We in the U.S. need to get to know and if you wish, support the many Jewish-led groups who love the concept of the State of Israel, and want to protect it by espousing justice and human rights for all peoples. Lets get to know Americans for Peace Now (Shalom Achshav), J Street, The New Israel Fund, Btselem, Rabbis for Human Rights, Women of the Wall, and the daily bilingual newspaper Haaretz, with its intrepid journalists, Gideon Levi and Amira Hass, who live among, witness, and testify to settler and IDF violence  blocking any pathway to peace.
Scientists discovered a hidden ancient river "frozen in time" beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet that has been preserved for millions of years.

The paper detailing the discovery was published on Tuesday in Nature Communications and notes that a massive ice retreat on the continent could soon hit the ancient landscape. This is because of scientists' projected rates of climate warming in the region.

Hidden Frozen Landscape

Ice in Antarctica has been present for roughly 34 million years but the continent was comparatively warm before that point. It had a climate that was similar to modern-day southern America, such as the Patagonia region in Argentina and Chile.

The author of the recent study, Stewart Jamieson, said that there is evidence that at one point, there was tropical vegetation in the region, including palm trees. Jamieson researches ice sheet behavior, long-term, and landscape evolution at Durham University in the United Kingdom.

Recently, scientists discovered a large river-carved landscape in Antarctica that existed during that time that was located in the Aurora-Schmidt basins inland of the Denman and Totten glaciers. They believe that the river would have drained out from the middle of the continent toward the coast roughly 34 million to 60 million years ago, as per ABC News.

Jamieson said that this was a time when other modern-day continents, such as Australia and India, would have been moving away from Antarctica and the Gondwana supercontinent. The recently discovered landscape is estimated to have been buried beneath the ice shelf for between 14 million to 34 million years.

Scientists were able to discover the landscape that has been frozen in time using satellites and ice-penetrating radar. Researchers had plenty of knowledge regarding the topography underneath the ice sheet prior to the development of this technique. It was because of using flying planes that were equipped with radar to see the shape of the hidden landscape underneath.

However, these aircraft are not capable of flying anywhere, which means that there are large gaps in between where the planes have flown and have taken measurements. The frozen landscape consists of three river-carved upland blocks that were separated by deep troughs located about 217 miles from the ice sheet edge.

Read Also: Swiss Glaciers Lose 10% of Volume in Two Catastrophic Years Equaling 30 Years of Loss

Frozen in Time

The area was found to stretch across 12,000 square miles and is believed to have been once home to trees, forests, and potentially animals. Jamieson said that the most exciting part about this discovery was that the landscape was hiding in plain sight. He emphasized that the researchers did not use new data, only a new approach, according to The Guardian.

Some of the researchers involved in the latest study had previously discovered a city-sized lake underneath the Antarctic ice. The team believes that there are many other ancient landscapes that are hidden below the surface that have yet to be discovered.

The researchers also warned about the potential effects of global warming on the newly discovered frozen landscape. They noted that the world is now on course to develop atmospheric conditions that are similar to those that prevailed between 14 million to 34 million years ago, said CBS News.

Related Article: 'Unavoidable' Rapid Ice Melt in West Antarctica Could Cause Devastating Implications for Sea Level Rise Worldwide

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP)  Two young children and their teenage babysitter have died in a fire at a Roswell home, authorities said Wednesday.

Roswell Fire Department officials said a 3-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy were rushed to a hospital Tuesday night along with a 16-year-old girl who was babysitting the siblings.

The three were later pronounced dead. Their names havent been released yet.

Authorities said the parents of the two children returned home and found their house filled with smoke. The three victims were found unresponsive inside the home around 10:30 p.m.

Fire officials say the blaze happened in the front living room of the house, but there was smoke and heat damage throughout the home.

They said the Roswell Fire Marshals Office is investigating the cause of the fatal blaze with assistance from city police.
James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow James D. Watts Jr. 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

Bristol Tottress was having trouble finding the sort of barbecue he grew up cooking and eating after he had moved to Tulsa. So he set about making it on his own.

Ive been cooking barbecue since I was about 15 years old, Tottress said. Its always been something I loved  just the way that meat, fire and smoke can come together and make something so wonderful.

One thing that I found when I settled down in Tulsa was that a lot of barbecue was really focused on the sauce, he said. Im not against barbecue sauce by any means, but I really prefer to taste the meat when I eat barbecue. I want to have that depth of flavor that comes from the right amount of heat, smoke and time being applied to a piece of meat.

At first, Tottress would make barbecue for his family and friends, until one friend told him, You should sell this.

That was the beginning of Country Q Barbecue, a food trailer Tottress has operated in and around the Tulsa area for about three years.

Tulsa has always been my home, but weve been taking the trailer all over the state, as well as to places in Kansas City, and places in Texas and Arkansas, Tottress said.

Since March of this year, Tottress Country Q trailer has had a more or less permanent home on weekends next to Buck Atoms Cosmic Curios, the Route 66-themed gift shop watched over by the 20-foot-tall titular space cowboy.

Another barbecue trailer had occupied a space on the property before, and when Tottress saw this trailer was no longer there, he approached a friend about taking over that space.

I was told that the owners werent planning on having another truck on site, he said. So I got in my car and drove over here and made my pitch directly to Mary Beth (Babcock, owner of Buck Atoms).

And about a week later, I got a call from Mary Beth saying she would love to have me here on a regular basis, Tottress said, laughing. And I didnt even bring along any barbecue  I guess it was just my big smile and personality that convinced her.

Country Q is officially open three days a week at Buck Atoms, although those days and hours are subject to change should Tottress have a catering job or is taking part in some event elsewhere. Changes in the trailers schedule are posted to Country Qs various social media platforms.

Tottress trailer is a completely self-contained operation; he does all the smoking in one end, which is closed off from the rest of the space. The other end, with the window at which one orders and receives their food, has an air conditioning unit that allowed Tottress to be able to work through this summers scorching heat.

Behind the trailer are racks of the pecan wood he uses exclusively to make his barbecue.

Im from Boynton, which is one of those small Oklahoma towns people only hear about when the TV weathermen are talking about tornadoes, he said, laughing. And pecan trees are everywhere around there. For me, the smell of pecan wood burning, and the taste of barbecue thats been smoked over pecan wood  thats home.

He uses two rubs, one for beef, one for pork. My pork rub is more sugar-based, while the beef rub is more salt-and-pepper. Again, its all about making sure everything enhances the taste of the meat. Thats why I only serve sauce on the side.

We recently sampled a pair of dishes that gave a fairly comprehensive sample of Tottress barbecue: a three-meat combo ($22) with pork ribs, chopped brisket and smoked bologna; and the Big Country sandwich ($22), which included two thick slabs of smoked bologna, pulled pork and a mild hot link.

The combo comes with two sides, and we chose the beans and potato salad. The potato salad may have been a commercially produced product, but it was tasty. The beans, on the other hand, were definitely house-made, loaded with bits of brisket and perfectly balanced between spicy and sweet.

The three meats were all stellar. The large, meaty ribs were permeated with pecan smoke, tender and juicy, needing just the slightest amount of tug for the meat to come away from the bone. The sweetness of the rub complemented everything. The chopped brisket was succulent without being overly fatty, and the four slices of bologna had a nice smoke flavor.

The Big Country is one of those sandwiches that requires a knife and fork to be dealt with properly, and while it was a bit of a challenge to get everything in one bite, it was worth the effort. In spite of its mild designation, the link had a bit of heat and was the only element that benefited from dabs of the sweet and spicy sauce that accompanied the sandwich.

On Saturdays, Tottress offers baked potatoes stuffed with barbecued meats, smoked chicken wings and beef ribs.

While Tottress said his business as it is is capable of supporting himself and his family (the Q in the name refers to what Tottress calls his queens, especially his 6- and 4-year-old daughters), his goal is to have a brick-and-mortar location. He hopes that goal can be realized by 2024.

His family often helps out at the trailer, which is a way for him to instruct his daughters about the necessity of work and the joy of accomplishment.

I want them to understand where everything we have comes from, Tottress said. God has blessed us in so many ways, but at the same time, we have to do the work. So I want my girls to know the rewards that come from putting in the work  especially when its work you love doing.

Cherry & Bark Ice Cream

On the east side of the Buck Atoms emporium is the wood-and-corrugated-tin building from which Kristi Burris sells her Cherry & Bark ice cream.

Burris started her ice cream company not long after the Sapulpa native moved back to the Tulsa area to help care for her parents. She had originally moved to Chicago followed graduating from the University of Oklahoma and pursued careers as a professional tap dancer and in the fitness industry.

I came back in 2021, and when I started, I just had a push-cart, Burris said. I would often come here (to Buck Atoms) on event days, and after a while, Mary Beth asked me if I would want to put a shop on the lot. I also make furniture, so I built the shop myself, and we opened in April 2022.

Burris offers 10 standard flavors, which include such expected flavors as classic vanilla, coffee, mint chocolate chip and raspberry sorbet, as well as some more distinctive combinations, such as the shops namesake, Cherry & Almond Bark (its Burris own favorite flavor), and Rosemaried Grapefruit & Pecans. She also will have one or two limited flavors, which on the day we visited was Mexican Hot Chocolate. (Most of Cherry & Barks flavors are gluten-free; a few are also vegan.)

The Mexican Hot Chocolate had a rich, unctuous chocolate flavor, with a top note of cinnamon. The Cherry & Almond Bark was studded with tangy cherries and crunchy almonds.

I try to use as much local ingredients as I can, Burris said. But since there arent many cherry trees in Oklahoma, I travel to Michigan and harvest cherries myself.

Burris prepares her ice creams at the Kitchen 66 prep kitchen, packages them into 4-oz. ($4) and 8-oz. ($7) cups, and brings them to the site. Also available are root beer floats ($2.75) made with Webers Root Beer, and Topeca Cold Brew Coffee ($3.50).

As this years summer season appears to be extending into Halloween, Burris said she will likely keep the shop open until early November.

Ill probably switch over to hot chocolate when things start getting chilly, she said. And I have products at the Mother Road Market, and Ill take part in the Tulsa Farmers Market.

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James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow James D. Watts Jr. 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

Construction has begun on the long-promised Hatch Early Mood Food on Tulsas Cherry Street, which will occupy the ground floor of a new building that will rise up from what had been a Subway sandwich shop at 1503 E. 15th St.

The new three-story building will also be the home to a new-to-Tulsa concept, Riserva Bar + Tapas, which will occupy the top floor of the new building.

Both Hatch Early Mood Food and Riserva Bar + Tapas are projects of the Oklahoma City-based Provision Concepts. The company made its first forays into the Tulsa market last year, opening a Hatch Early Mood Food in Jenks, along with two locations of its Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar, one in Jenks and one in the 1515 Lofts building at 1515 E. 15th St., just next door to where the new restaurants are being built.

The two new restaurants are scheduled to open in early 2025.

Hatch Early Mood Food specializes in elevated brunch fare, with a large menu that lists no fewer than 12 varieties of pancakes, half a dozen improvisations upon the theme of eggs Benedict and 10 dishes that offer unique spins on traditional breakfast creations.

The Tulsa World gave the Jenks Hatch Early Mood Food a four-star review for its food, which earned it a place on the Worlds Best New Restaurants of 2022.

Riserva Bar + Tapas, which has one other location, at 1332 W. Memorial Ave. in Oklahoma City, is a family-style concept focusing on Mediterranean flavors, with a wine list featuring more than 100 labels.

The menu at the Oklahoma City location includes such dishes as kebabs made with swordfish, shrimp and chicken, tajine-braised short ribs with a pomegranate molasses, a salad Nicoise with seared tuna, a flatbread topped with lamb Kofta, and desserts such as a cardamom date cake.

Provision Concepts founder Jeff Dixon said in a statement, Both Hatch Early Mood Food and Riserva Bar + Tapas bring something unique to the table, and we cant wait to share our passion for exceptional food and hospitality further with the Tulsa community.

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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

Related content CrossTimbers development at Skiatook Lake touts public-private partnership success

The value of land in and around the CrossTimbers Marina and Resort at Skiatook Lake has exploded from $16 million to $251 million, officials said.

The spike since the development opened in 2005 also has resulted in significant increases in sales-tax revenue for nearby communities.

The CrossTimbers development now contributes 18% of the city of Skiatook sales tax revenues, representing $1 million annually.

Osage County Treasurer Sally Hulse said tax revenue being produced from the CrossTimbers area has grown from $180,000 to more than $3 million annually.

State, county and local officials were to make those announcements along with advocating for more private-public lake partnerships during a Wednesday morning meeting marking 20 years of the Skiatook Economic Development Authority.

The growth in and around CrossTimbers continues to grow and should do so for years to come, said former Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage in prepared remarks provided to the Tulsa World.

Savage was appointed 25 years ago by President Bill Clinton to the National Recreation Lakes Study Commission, tasked with finding solutions and new ways of providing public recreation at hundreds of federal lakes.

The state of deterioration and neglect of recreational activities was estimated in 1998 at $800 million, Savage said.

Clearly, the federal government could not afford to build more needed recreational facilities as they couldnt maintain the current ones. Fast forward to today, and that problem has grown much worse, as demand for camping, RV parks, cabins, trails and boating explodes while we have a growing backlog of needed repairs, she said.

With a $33 trillion-dollar federal debt, our recommendation of public/private partnerships for public recreational amenities appears to be even more relevant today than it was 25 years ago.

Savage was set to speak at the meeting along with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith and other county and local officials. About 200 people were expected to attend.

We have the lakes and the federal law to make more recreation through partnerships happen all across Oklahoma, Drummond said in prepared remarks. We also have the measured success, thanks to the proven economic and social results at CrossTimbers, (and) all are wrapped in award-winning environmental stewardship.

What we dont always have is the commitment of the federal government to truly partner on recreational projects. Too often they cite that the developers always complain about flooding and flood control, Drummond said.

In the early years of CrossTimbers, each Tulsa (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) District colonel was imminently involved with the project and the stakeholders. If this doesnt happen, the process will most often bog down internally with the staff.

Im told that despite the exceptional results by SEDA and CrossTimbers, there is currently no interaction between Corps leadership and the stakeholders, Drummond said.

This invites and allows staff delays based on their personal feelings and opinions. Sadly, we are seeing this here and at other lake recreational projects in Oklahoma.

We have assigned Assistant AG (and former state Sen.) Anthony Sykes to quickly study and find solutions to this needless communication challenge, he said.

Savage said the CrossTimbers development is attracting many people from other states.

One subdivision, CrossTimbers Estates, sold their 89 residential lots to residents of 13 different states, she said.

Keystone Harbor at Keystone Lake also was built 10 years ago in the city limits of Mannford after that city partnered with the CrossTimbers developer to have a new marina on its shoreline. RVs, a sales and service center, and a floating restaurant were all part of the package.

Mannford Mayor Tyler Buttram said the citys monthly sales tax revenues were $50,000 before it was built and are now $150,000 per month.

In addition, officials on Wednesday were to tout a new marina and resort development on Lake Murray near Ardmore in southern Oklahoma, which the Skiatook Economic Development Authority bid on and built.

Murray Harbor opened in 2021 and has already grown to 350 slips, with a large rental boat fleet and store.

It was selected for Marina DockAge magazines annual Marina of the Year award  the highest marina national award, officials said  and the first time in Oklahoma history that one of its marinas has been selected out of 9,600 in the U.S.



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Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

A former assistant district attorney in northeastern Oklahoma who traded sex for drugs and favorable treatment in criminal cases was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Raul Manuel Arias-Marxuach sentenced Daniel Thomas Giraldi to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Giraldi, 45, a former assistant district attorney for Ottawa and Delaware counties, admitted in July 2022 to one count of possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute and four counts of honest services fraud in connection with performing favorable court actions through corrupt means.

A grand jury named the Joplin, Missouri, resident in a 17-count superseding indictment filed July 6, 2022, that charged him with one count of traveling interstate to aid in racketeering, one count of possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute, one count of possession of clonazepam with intent to distribute, 10 counts of using a communication facility in the commission of drug trafficking, and four counts of honest services fraud.

Prosecutors alleged that Giraldi  known as Vegas G, Vegas, and just G  while an assistant district attorney would reduce bond amounts and provide favorable treatment on other charges and in one instance dismissed a charge of driving while intoxicated entirely in exchange for sexual favors.

One woman, described as Cooperating Witness 1, met Giraldi on April 12, 2022, outside the Ottawa County Courthouse, where she asked him to look into two child custody cases  hers and another womans, according to court records.

Video and audio of the meeting was recorded by the FBI, the records show. Giraldi and the woman reportedly later agreed to meet April 19, 2022, at a Quapaw home for sex.

After he arrived at the home and gave the woman a bag of pills he pulled out of a shirt pocket, the FBI entered the room and confronted Giraldi, court documents indicate.

Giraldi, during his sentencing hearing, told Arias-Marxauch that he took full responsibility for his actions. He acknowledged how his actions had affected not only the legal profession but also his colleagues and his family.

I wont be back in this court, your honor, he said.

Giraldi was a prosecutor in Ottawa and Delaware counties from February 2019 to April 2022, according to court documents.

Prior to becoming an assistant district attorney, while in private practice, prosecutors alleged, Giraldi also represented people in exchange for sexual favors.

While he agreed to surrender his law license and never reapply for it in Oklahoma as part of the plea agreement, prosecutors said his violation of trust was serious. They had urged the judge to sentence Giraldi at the top end of the recommended sentencing range of 24 months to 30 months in prison, according to a government sentencing memorandum.

Giraldi also agreed never to seek public office in Oklahoma or hold any position of public trust within the state.

Before pronouncing his sentence, Arias-Marxauch said the facts in Giraldis case were frankly  out of the pages of a John Grisham novel.

Arias-Marxauch, one of several visiting judges from other federal court districts brought in to help with the high criminal caseload in Tulsa, told Giraldi that he had two golden tickets in his life, which he rarely sees in defendants  both a bachelors degree and a law degree.

I wish you good luck, Arias-Marxauch told Giraldi.

Giraldi, who has been free on bond while the case was pending, was permitted to self-report to prison.

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Today most people know John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath as a defining example of the Great American Novel.

It was a book so rife with lyrical passages, memorable characters and a driving plot that it captivated the nation and earned the Nobel Prize on this day in 1962.

Contemporary readers may not be aware that the book faced widespread condemnation upon its release in April 1939, just over 80 years ago. The best-selling novel was a bitter attack on the power elite as America still wobbled from the Great Depression, but it also enraged ordinary people, many of them Oklahomans. The wealthy and politically connected saw it as a challenge to the status quo or as a call for communism and/or rebellion. Readers in the Great Plains saw themselves depicted as uneducated, coarse, animalistic and needy, while those in California felt as if they were wrongly accused of unfair business practices and prejudice.

Most Oklahomans know at least the bare bones version of the story, which follows an Oklahoma farm family, the Joads, from the Dust Bowl to the promised land of California. Life is no easier on the West Coast, however, and the Joads and similar families find themselves in competition with immigrants from Mexico and China for low-paying migrant laborer jobs. Its an exodus story, but one fraught with constantly worsening conditions. And it can easily be seen as a criticism of capitalism, particularly the sort that sees a few grow fat while many starve.

At heart, though, fiction is about people. Like him or loathe him, Steinbeck created in the Joads one of the most memorable families in literature, and time seems to have justified his successes and absolved him of most of his mistakes.
Barbara Hoberock Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Barbara Hoberock 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

OKLAHOMA CITY  Attorney General Gentner Drummond has told a legislative panel that two gaming compacts negotiated by Gov. Kevin Stitt are illegal.

The Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations meets Wednesday to consider gaming compacts between Stitt and the Kialegee Tribal Town and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.

A few years ago, legislative leaders filed suit against Stitt, saying he exceeded his authority when he negotiated the compacts. In 2021, the Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed.

The states high court found that for the new compacts to be valid, the executive branch must have negotiated them within the bounds of the Model Tribal Gaming Compacts or received the approval of the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations, neither of which occurred.

Proper respect for the law compels the conclusion that the Joint Committee lacks authority to make valid that which the Oklahoma Supreme Court earlier declared to be invalid, Drummond wrote Tuesday in an unsolicited letter to the lawmakers on the panel.

The ruling said the compacts must be approved by the panel prior to being submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior, the letter notes.

The panel lacks the authority to approve compacts that conflict with Oklahoma law, the letter says.

The terms of these proposed compacts depart substantially from the codified Model Tribal Gaming Compact and, further, purport to make other significant departures from existing law, the letter continues.

The wording of the compacts appears to reallocate existing power within Oklahoma government, Drummond said in the letter.

Furthermore, for both the improper sequencing of government reviews and given their substantive inconsistencies with Oklahoma law, the Joint Committee should disapprove the tendered agreements and advise the Governor that, if he wants to pursue their implementation, he should first seek appropriate revisions to Oklahoma law, the letter says.

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, is a member of the panel.

In light of this letter and recommendation by the attorney general, the pro tem hopes the governor will rescind his request for the committee to vote on these compacts, said Alex Gerszewski, a Treat spokesman.

Abegail Cave, a Stitt spokeswoman, said that the governor and two Oklahoma tribes are simply requesting that the Joint Committee support these compacts, which allow smaller tribes equal opportunity to generate revenue to care for their members.

Its disappointing to hear rumors that they would succumb to pressure by the AG, she continued. The Joint Committee is made up of elected officials that can choose to work with the smaller tribes or partner with the AG to protect the five wealthiest tribes in Oklahoma.

Despite the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, Stitt submitted the compacts to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which took no action, effectively deeming them approved.

The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Citizen Potawatomi nations filed a federal lawsuit over the matter, naming the U.S. Department of the Interior as a defendant. The suit is pending.

Drummond, who has been highly critical of Stitts dealings with the tribes, has sought to intervene in that lawsuit.

In a press release announcing his requested intervention, Drummonds office said three private law firms have racked up nearly $600,000 defending the states unlawful compacts in the litigation before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Millions more have been spent on other legal battles against tribes during Stitts tenure, the release says.

Stitt has been at odds with the tribes over gaming compacts since shortly after he began his first term.

The governor unsuccessfully sought to raise the rates the tribes pay to the state for the exclusive right to operate Class III gaming, which includes slot machines, craps and roulette, under existing compacts. The tribes pay the state between 4% and 10% of those revenues.

The tribes filed and won a federal lawsuit that determined that the existing gaming compacts had automatically renewed, despite Stitts position that they had expired and needed to be renegotiated.



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Weakening child-labor laws is no way to solve workforce shortages, an Oklahoma House of Representatives committee was told Tuesday.

Tuesdays interim study served as a preemptive strike against the looser child-labor laws adopted by some states, including Arkansas and Iowa. It also provided some alternatives for better utilizing available workers through training, outreach and targeted assistance.

Changes implemented or considered in other states include allowing people as young as 14 to work in slaughterhouses and construction and as young as 16 to tend bar.

Workforce shortages have led to a disturbing trend, Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn said during the interim study by the Children, Youth and Family Services Committee. Legislatures across the country are trying to solve the problem by attempting to weaken long-standing child labor laws.

It is our belief at the Department of Labor that there are reasons we have these laws and there are better pools of people who are better able to fill our workforce shortage needs.

Osborn said lawmakers should look to other groups, including mothers, the formerly incarcerated, veterans and those with disabilities, to fill jobs.

The unemployment rate in this state has dipped as low as 2.7%, said Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, who requested the study. We have a lot of people working in this state.

The unemployment rate, however, does not include people who have left the workforce. Oklahoma has long had a relatively high number of residents in this category, and it is largely from this group that Osborn recommended finding additional workers.

As labor commissioner, she said, she is often told, There arent enough warm bodies to fill the jobs.

One longer-term solution, Osburn said, would be for the state to spend the $40 million it would take to accommodate the 11,000 high school students on waiting lists for Career Tech training.

She also listed child-care assistance and greater efforts to hire people with disabilities or with felonies or misdemeanors on their records. And she said the state should consider making it easier for immigrants who are already here to fill higher-skilled jobs.

Not advocating for open borders but talking about the people who are cleaning our hotel rooms and mowing our yards, have lived here for decades, have children in our schools, that we are not allowing to be utilized in some of these capacities, she said.

Federal child labor laws were part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Generally speaking, children younger than 14 cannot work outside of a family agricultural enterprise or business or specific jobs such as babysitting, delivering newspapers or performing.

Those 14-15 can work at jobs classified as non-hazardous but with restricted hours, particularly during the school year.

Some of the state laws recently adopted elsewhere are contrary to federal law, witnesses said, and are likely to be struck down.

Terri Gerstein of Harvard Law School said child-labor laws are intended to protect young people from working hours that interfere with their education and from working at occupations with a high risk of injury or death.

Recent news reports have documented the use of underage workers, many of them undocumented immigrants, in a range of industries, including factories and meat-processing plants.

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Vietnamese tech companies have lots of chances to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to expand their operations, Andrew Ng, known as one of the worlds top AI influencers, said at FPT Techday 2023, an international technology event scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

As one of global tech experts, Ng, founder and CEO at Landing AI, which provides AI-powered Software-as-a-service products, sees that Vietnam has much potential to develop its AI field.

While the software industry is dominated by Intel, Nvidia, and AMD, and cloud computing is led by Amazon and Google, there is room to evolve various apps helping solve users problems, he told FPT Techday 2023, held in Hanoi.

Vietnam has ample opportunity to boom in value chains from traditional software outsourcing to AI app development, said Ng.

Two types of AI technology producing the highest value for tech giants are supervised learning and generative AI such as ChatGPT.

I believe that generative AI will be widely used to create numerous apps in the coming years, he said.

Andrew Ng (L) and Truong Gia Binh, chairman of FPT Corporation, have talks at a discussion session at FPT Techday 2023, held in Hanoi. Photo: Hoang Nam / Tuoi Tre

Truong Gia Binh, chairman of FPT Corporation, said that his firm placed a bet on the large vision model three years ago and did the trick.

FPT GenAI was debuted at the event. The product harnesses the power of generative AI and is geared up for firms to improve their operations.

To continue its journey of tapping AI, FPT signed a deal with Landing AI to exploit computer vision to advance the industrial, health, and education sectors.

The cooperation is expected to open a new chapter for AI growth in Vietnam, contributing to turning the Southeast Asian nation into an AI hub, said Binh.

FPT Techday 2023, an annual tech event held by FPT Corporation, was set to attract 10,000 visitors, including 2,500 representatives from global companies.

FPT Corporation signs an agreement with Landing AI to develop its computer vision. Photo: Hoang Nam / Tuoi Tre

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French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel and proposed an international coalition to fight against the Hamas militant group amid its war with Jerusalem.

During his Tuesday visit, Macron did not give out any further details on how the U.S.-led coalition of dozens of countries could be involved in the Israel-Hamas war. The coalition is currently fighting against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

International Coalition Against Hamas

The French president's advisers said that the coalition's participation would not necessarily imply having boots on the ground. They argued that it could simply mean they would share intelligence with each other.

Macron spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem where he stressed that the two countries shared terrorism as their "common enemy." He added that France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh in which the country is taking part in operations in Iraq and Syria to also widen its scope to include the Hamas group, as per Reuters.

The French president previously warned against the risks of a regional conflict and added that the fight against the Hamas group must be done "without mercy" but not "without rules." Netanyahu did not directly comment on Macron's proposal but noted that the fight was a battle between "evil" and the free world.

Macron's office said that the proposal was to draw inspiration from the coalition and that France was available to discuss with Israel and partners what could be relevant against the terrorist group.

It noted that the international coalition against Daesh does not limit itself to operations on the ground but also has involvement in the training of Iraqi forces, the sharing of information between partners, and fighting against funding for terrorist groups.

Netanyahu said that they plan to dismantle Hamas' terror machine and its political structure. He added that Israel will make every effort to release the hostages and keep Palestinian civilians out of harm's way, according to the New York Times.

Read Also: Israel-Hamas Conflict: At Least 2,000 Kids Reportedly Killed in Gaza in Recent Weeks

Fighting Against Terrorism

The Israeli prime minister acknowledged that the fight against the Hamas militant group could be a "long war." Netanyahu noted that the conflict could be a test case of civilization against barbarism.

The two global leaders have drawn parallels between the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7 in Israel and those that have struck France over the past decade. Netanyahu told Macron that he knows the barbarism of terrorism, noting that no one can live in a place filled with that sort of cruelty.

The French president also recalled a time in January 2015 when Netanyahu took part in a massive march after terrorist attacks that killed 17 people in and near Paris. During the recent Hamas assault, 30 French citizens were killed, which is the worst toll for a terror attack against French people since 2016.

Macron's proposal could also allow Western powers to have greater influence over how the Gaza-based group is tackled. Some have expressed concerns about leaving Israel in sole charge of fighting the terrorist group. This is because an unconstrained campaign has the potential to turn into a regional conflagration with reverberations in European capitals, said The Guardian.

Related Article: UN Chief Condemns 'Clear Violations' of International Law in Gaza, Renews Calls for Ceasefire

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Singapores Energy Market Authority (EMA) on Tuesday announced it granted conditional approval to Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd (SCU), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries Ltd, to import 1.2GW of low-carbon electricity from Vietnam.

According to an SCU proposal, the imported electricity will harness offshore wind power and potentially other forms of generation through its cooperation with Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC).

The electricity will be transmitted from Vietnam to Singapore via new subsea cables spanning around 1,000 kilometers.

The SCU said that offshore wind farms in Vietnam could start producing electricity after 2033, adding that it will work with the PTSC to complete further steps needed to develop this renewable energy project.

The EMA, a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the conditional approval will facilitate the SCU in obtaining necessary regulatory approvals and licenses for the project.

Earlier this year, during the official visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Singapore on February 10, the PTSC and SCU signed a joint development agreement to export offshore renewable energy from Vietnam to Singapore.

As per the agreement, the PTSC and SCU will jointly develop offshore wind farms in Vietnam with a total capacity of 2.3GW, which will be exported to Singapore via subsea cables.

In 2021, Singapore announced its plans to import 4GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035.

To date, the EMA has granted conditional approvals to projects from various sources, including 2GW from Indonesia, 1GW from Cambodia, and 1.2GW from Vietnam.

If these projects are realized, the total imported electricity will account for 30 percent of Singapores energy needs in 2035.

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The United States is ready to help Vietnam in preparing auctions for rare earths mines, the U.S. State Department chief economist Emily Blanchard on Wednesday.

"If Vietnam chooses to ask for assistance in developing an auction, we would be happy to provide assistance to do so," she said in Hanoi when asked about possible auctions to be arranged by Vietnam for new concessions at unexploited mines.

Vietnam's government intends to launch tenders for multiple blocks of its Dong Pao mine before the year's end, Tessa Kutscher, an executive at Australia's Blackstone Minerals Ltd, which plans to bid for at least one concession, told Reuters last month.

Blanchard said that U.S. technical assistance to partner countries can extend to support to craft tenders or bids "to generate the most interest".
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Criminal groups set at least 35 buses on fire in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Monday, according to the industry group that represents bus companies, after police killed a crime boss in an operation.

The attacks on buses were concentrated in the west of the city, where rival criminal groups are fighting for territorial control. They came after a police operation that killed the nephew of the leader of the state's largest militia, according to the police.

Rio's so-called militias, often composed of current and former police officers, have become one of the region's largest security threats. Originally set up as self-defense forces for poor neighborhoods blighted by drug gangs, they have now metastasized into criminal outfits operating in multiple different rackets.

Industry group Rio Onibus said 20 of the vehicles were city buses, five were part of the city's rapid transit fleet and the remainder were chartered or tourism buses.

Rio de Janeiro state Governor Claudio Castro said the operation was a "heavy blow" to the militia.

"In addition to being related to the criminal (head of the militia), he acted as the paramilitary group's 'man of war,' being the main person responsible for the turf wars that terrorize residents in Rio," Castro said in a social media post.

The attacks disrupted the city's bus rapid transit system, hindering the commute home for residents and workers in the region. Classes in public schools in the area were also canceled.

The Military Police said it arrested 12 suspects involved in the fires, in addition to preventing 15 individuals from setting a cargo truck on fire in one of the city's main gateways.
Ten crocodiles living in captivity at the Vinh City central park, the biggest of its kind in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam have been relocated to a local private zoo in Dien Chau District for further management.

The relocation was conducted by Trung Long JSC, the parks operator, in collaboration with the provincial forest management bureau, Nguyen Van Thang, director of the company, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday.

These 10 crocodiles come in various sizes, with the largest one weighing nearly 100 kilograms.

The forest management bureaus employees attached each of the crocodiles with a chip in order to monitor them remotely after handing them over to the private zoo, which is eligible to take care of and keep the animals in captivity, Thang said.

The aging cage that housed the crocodiles at the park will be demolished.

Located at a prime location in the provincial capital city of Vinh, the 26-hectare park, which opened to the public in June 2005, was home to a dozen animal species, such as monkeys and crocodiles, to serve visitors.

Only 10 crocodiles remained at the park, with its 100-square-meter cage aging and surrounded by a stained, rusty wire fence measuring over 1.5 meters high, with parts of the fence in bad condition.

Local inhabitants and visitors to the park expressed their concern over a broken wall connecting the ground with the fence at the crocodile cage.

In 2019, Trung Long Company sought authorities approval to release the crocodiles into the wild but failed.

The company spends over VND10 million (US$404.77) per month buying feed for the crocodiles.

After the relocation of these crocodiles, the park will no longer keep any animals in captivity.

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Nineteen out of the 34 seasonal laborers that the authorities of Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, sent to South Korea in April this year for work escaped from their workplaces, the provincial Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs reported on Wednesday.

In particular, the department and the agricultural technique center of Jeongeup City in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea signed a cooperation agreement in October last year to send laborers in Lam Dong to the South Korean city for work.

On April 5 this year, the Lam Dong Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Employment Service Center held a ceremony to officially send the 34 laborers to the Northeast Asian country and closely cooperated with agencies in South Korea to provide immigration instructions.

The group was divided into 15 sub-groups that were dispatched to 15 farms. The farm owners provided them with accommodations and they started working from April 6.

The 34 laborers visas initially had a validity period of five months, between April 5 and September 5.

South Korea later extended the validity of seasonal worker visas of 14 out of the 34 Vietnamese laborers to eight months.

One worker has returned to Vietnam, while the remaining 19 people have run away and not contacted competent agencies in either South Korea or Vietnam.

Lam Dong is coordinating with the designated agencies in the province to ask the families of these 19 laborers to persuade their relatives to return to their workplaces or contact the provincial authorities for support.

The provincial Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs has ceased the selection of laborers for working in South Korea in districts with a high number of laborers escaping from their workplaces.

The department has also written to the Jeongeup City administration seeking support in resolving issues during the implementation of their cooperation agreement to manage laborers, protect their legitimate rights, and expel those illegally escaping from workplaces.

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A jeep flipped over after being hit by a flash flood at a tourist site in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands region, on Tuesday at noon, leaving all four South Korean tourists dead and the driver slightly injured, authorities confirmed on the same day.

The four deceased victims, including two men and two women, were identified as K.S.O., 79; K.J.H., 76; K.J.O., 74; and K.M.J., 68.

The fatal incident took place at a shallow stream in Cu Lan Village, a tourist attraction in Lac Duong District, some 25 kilometers away from Da Lat City, a popular tourist destination in the upland province.

A flash flood struck the stream and turned the jeep upside down when the off-road vehicle was carrying the four South Korean tourists to explore the waterway.

Consequently, the tourists were swept far away, while the driver was entangled with the roots of a tree.

After a search and rescue operation was carried out, staff members of the tourist site discovered the driver and two of the tourists.

The driver suffered minor injuries. One of the two tourists was found dead and the other was pronounced dead after being hospitalized for emergency treatment.

The bodies of the remaining two were recovered later at around 4:30 pm on the same day.

The stream was in shallow water and it was not raining at the time of the incident, according to the tourist site employees.

A staff member said that traveling along the shallow stream using a jeep is among the favorite activities of visitors to Cu Lan Village.

This is the first time that a flash flood has hit the tourist site since it was put into service over 10 years ago, the staff member said.

Following the deadly incident, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the same day asked the national steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control, the heads of relevant ministries, and the chairperson of the Lam Dong administration to cope with the aftermath; launch an investigation to determine the root cause of the fatal incident; tackle violators that caused the incident, if any; offer assistance to the bereaved families; and others.

The government leader also expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

The driver, who was slightly injured in the incident, is taken out of the scene of the incident. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre

The badly damaged jeep at the scene of the incident. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre

Traveling along the shallow stream in a jeep is among the favorite activities of visitors to Cu Lan Village in Lac Duong District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.V / Tuoi Tre

Rescuers recovered the bodies of the South Korean tourists shortly after a search and rescue operation was launched. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre

A bird-eyes view of the scene of the fatal incident in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: Pham Ngan / Tuoi Tre

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- Four South Korean tourists died as they were swept away by floodwaters during a UAZ vehicle drive through a stream in Cu Lan village tourist area, located in Lac Duong District under the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Tuesday.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City announced on Tuesday that they busted an illegal kidney trading network responsible for 28 transactions, resulting in an illicit profit of VND12 billion (US$488,600).

-- Police in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City returned a stolen mobile phone worth about VND28 million ($1,140) to its owner, Sim Jun Young, a South Korean national, on Tuesday afternoon after apprehending the robber a day earlier.

-- A supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City has allowed each of its customers to purchase a maximum of only two boxes of a trendy custard cake per transaction due to the chaos it caused.

-- A woman who fell from a tree and was impaled by a sharp stake from the bottom up, with the wound extending from below the perineum to the abdomen and hips, recently underwent successful emergency surgery at Can Tho Central General Hospital in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Business

-- Singapore on Tuesday announced conditional approval for Sembcorp Utilities to import 1.2 gigawatts of electricity from Vietnam, the city-states latest agreement to diversify its power sourcing and green generation portfolio 95 percent of which is now fuelled by gas, Reuters reported.

-- Remittances to Ho Chi Minh City between January and September topped $6.687 billion, a year-on-year increase of 40 percent and equal to 101.3 percent of the previous year.

Education

-- According to the school year plan for K-12 students in Ho Chi Minh City, they will have a 16-day break for the 2024 Lunar New Year holiday, from February 5 to February 18, 2024, inclusive of the weekends before and after the designated period.

World News

-- More than 500 miners in South Africa have remained underground for over 36 hours in a standoff between rival labor unions, AFP quoted police and workers representatives as saying on Tuesday.

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A supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City is limiting each of its customers to purchase a maximum of only two boxes of a trendy custard cake due to the chaos it has caused.

The viral trend of purchasing custard cakes from Emart in the citys Go Vap District on TikTok in recent days has led to long queues at the bakery section of the supermarket.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspapers reporter visited the popular cake counter at Emart Supermarket at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, only to find it empty.

The salesperson informed customers that the custard cakes were sold out and directed them to a sign that indicated the next batch would be available at 3:30 pm.

People line up for custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

However, customers had begun queuing up 30 minutes prior.

At precisely 3:30 pm, buyers crowded around the counter and began competing for the cakes.

The lines quickly disbanded, and everyone rushed in to grab the cake.

I had watched the [TikTok] videos and seen a large number of customers, so I was mentally prepared in advance, said Lam Hoang Anh, a 22-year-old shopper.

Review clips also suggested arriving 10 minutes before opening to join the queue or getting up early to visit the supermarket at 8:00 am, Anh added.

People compete for custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Video: Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Do Quynh Nhu, a university junior, made a return visit to the supermarket for the custard cakes after her first attempt had failed.

I queued for 20 minutes this time, Nhu said, adding that Emart has lowered the purchase limit from six boxes per customer last time she visited to just two boxes at a time.

Emart Supermarket offers six batches of custard cakes daily, spaced two hours apart.

It produces 900-1,000 boxes on weekdays and increases offers to 1,000-1,500 boxes on weekends.

The cake is priced at VND28,000 (US$1.14) per box.

People line up for custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

On social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, the keyword Emart custard cake has sparked a trend of posts where people purchase these cakes and resell them at inflated prices, ranging from VND40,000 ($1.63) to VND50,000 ($2.04) per box.

Some individuals have even set up accounts to facilitate the delivery of custard cakes to the north, where they can fetch as much as VND75,000 ($3.05) per box.

A person queues twice in two hours to secure four boxes of custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

Following the custard cakes trend, numerous bakeries in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi increased their production of the cakes to cater to the growing demand.

However, the custard cakes at Emart continue to be the most sought after by customers.

Meanwhile, many other people were surprised by the sudden popularity of custard cakes.

Previously, these custard cakes were abundantly available and often overlooked, but now everyone is buying them up, said N.T.G., a shopper who claimed her house is right next to Emart.

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Police in Ho Chi Minh City announced on Tuesday that they busted an illegal kidney trading network responsible for 28 transactions, resulting in profits of VND12 billion (US$488,600).

Investigators in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City initiated legal proceedings against and apprehended four people over allegations of trading human body parts.

They were Bui Tien Luc, 37, from northern Ninh Binh Province, Nguyen Thanh Phong, 33, residing in southern Kien Giang Province, Tran Thanh Hoa, 32, living in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, and Phan Thanh Hai, 27, residing in Dong Nai Province, neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.

Earlier, the Ho Chi Minh City Police joined hands with their colleagues in Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, and Hung Yen Provinces in northern Vietnam, north-central Ha Tinh Province, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh Provinces in the central region, and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai and Kien Giang Provinces to collect evidence and arrest the four.

In 2017, Luc wrote on social media that he wanted to sell his kidney to earn money. A man with unknown identity contacted him to buy the kidney at VND250 million ($10,115).

Luc traveled to Ho Chi Minh City to sell his kidney and got acquainted with Hoa, Phong, and Hai.

In early 2022, the four established a kidney trading network as they knew the demand for kidney transplants was huge.

They looked for those wishing to sell kidneys and meeting the requirements on blood types, ages, and places of birth set by those seeking for kidneys, then negotiated the prices.

They asked those wanting to sell kidneys to undergo tests and covered their living expenses pending kidney removal surgeries.

To escape hospitals notice, they counterfeited papers, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, and local authorities confirmation, so that patients could have their kidneys removed out of their bodies or receive the kidneys.

Among the 28 kidney transactions, 13 kidneys were successfully transplanted into buyers.

They collected VND400 million ($16,168) to over VND1.1 billion ($44,527) each but paid VND260-400 million ($10,524-16,168) to each of the kidney sellers, illegally earning VND12 billion ($488,600).

The Binh Chanh District Police are expanding the investigation into the case and will impose heavy sanctions on the people involved in line with the law.

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Police in Ward 13, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City returned a stolen mobile phone worth about VND28 million (US$1,140) to its owner, Sim Jun Young, a South Korean national, on Tuesday afternoon after apprehending the robber a day earlier.

At about 11:50 pm on Sunday, Sim was standing on the sidewalk of Ben Van Don Street in Ward 13, District 4 when a man stole his phone.

Sim followed the man but failed to catch him, so he reported the case to the ward police.

Police in Ward 13 later coordinated with criminal police officials in District 4 to seek the robber.

Go Xa Ly at the police station. Photo: Supplied by the police

At 11:00 am on Monday, the police arrested Go Xa Ly, 33, residing in Ho Chi Minh Citys outlying Hoc Mon District, and reclaimed the phone.

Go Xa Ly admitted to committing several other robbery cases.

The District 4 Police are collecting evidence to handle Ly in line with the law.

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Neil Brownsword: Exploring exchanges between China and the West through ceramics

11:12, October 25, 2023 By Xiangtian Ding, Yu Ying ( People's Daily Online

The recent exhibition Obsolescence and Renewal by world-renowned ceramics artist, Professor Neil Brownsword at Staffordshire University examines the UKs marginalised histories of ceramics production, reconnects contemporary audiences with native ceramics production, while also encouraging local recognition of the need to regenerate ceramics culture.

I was born and grew up surrounded by a landscape that bears the scars of hundreds of years of industrial activity. For generations, my family has worked and continues to work in the ceramic industry, so it was perhaps inevitable that I would follow a similar path.

Neil Brownsword. (Photo/Patrick Shead-Simmonds)

In recent years, Brownswords research has explored the legacy of deindustrialisation in relation to the UKs ceramic capital, Stoke-on-Trent. He advocates for reactivating and regenerating the ceramic industry in the English city by drawing on the successful example of Jingdezhen, Chinas porcelain capital.

Brownsword has been invited to the National Ceramics Culture Inheritance and Innovation Pilot Zone conference at Jingdezhen Ceramics University in October this year and looks forward to learning more about the areas culture and history. He hopes to continue cultural exchange between the UK and China through the versatile medium of ceramics in the future.

Exploring Stoke-on-Trents rich ceramics history

Neil Brownsword examines clay in Stoke-on-Trent. (Photo/Patrick Shead-Simmonds)

Peoples Daily Online: Stoke-on-Trent is known as the ceramics capital of the UK. Many historical ceramics factories and kilns are still preserved. Could you tell us about the regions ceramics history?

Neil Brownsword: North Staffordshires history is rooted in ceramic production. By 1800 the regions global ceramics export paralleled cities like Jingdezhen, Chinas porcelain capital. One of the reasons why the ceramic industry grew out of this area is because of its geology  its surface outcrops of red burning clay and long-flame coal ideal for firing.

Bradwell Wood, the area where I grew up, remains important to the origins of industry, as its the site where Dutch immigrants John and David Elers established their manufactory in the 1690s. As silversmiths they transferred their knowledge of metal working to ceramic production - casting liquid clay into plaster moulds and refining objects through lathe turning. They came specifically to Bradwell to utilise its rich haematitic red clays to emulate Yixing tea wares from Southern China that were being imported into Europe at that period. However, as tea drinking increased amongst the middle classes during the early 18th century, whiter wares influenced by Chinese porcelain became the prevailing fashion.

The ceramic industry in North Staffordshire subsequently thrived with pioneer industrialists such as Josiah Wedgwood and Josiah Spode introducing cutting edge design and innovation through their production to satisfy international demand  establishing the region as a global centre of production.

Peoples Daily Online: We are all aware that China rich ceramics culture has heavily influenced the West; for example, the Spode Factory is known for perfecting its imitation of blue and white Chinese ceramics. What research have you conducted in this area?

Neil Brownsword: Ceramic history is one which is dominated by global exchange. As commodities were traded, they became a conduit for cultural influence which in the case of ceramics subsequently spurred a wave of imitation. High fired white stonewares and porcelains made during the Tang Dynasty were shipped to the Middle East where they were highly prized and copied using the raw materials indigenous to Iraq in the 9th century. To imitate the whiteness of Chinese porcelain, potters introduced tin to low fired glazes, which they enhanced with cobalt pigment decoration, which in turn influenced early iterations of Chinese blue and white.

Marco Polo is often cited as the first European to have introduced porcelain into the West during the late 13th century. Europeans subsequently strove to re-create porcelain without access to the key ingredients - China clay and China stone, leading to the development of soft-paste bodies. In England in the late 18th century, the Spode factory was credited with perfecting both bone China  a fine white, translucent body that consists of up to 50 percent animal bone; and blue underglaze printing to imitate expensive Chinese export porcelain.

We are currently on the site of the famous Spode factory which operated for nearly 230 years until production ceased on this site in 2008. The former Spode factory remains an important aspect of Britains industrial heritage which desperately needs its cultural revival. Much of the research I have conducted has tried to bring greater recognition to the sophistications of knowledge and skills that have developed and been passed down from generation to generation, which are now in danger of being lost. By placing and reimagining endangered factory skills in a contemporary art context, audiences are introduced to bodily intelligences which remain hugely overlooked.

As a professor at Staffordshire University I have been fortunate to have worked alongside Professor Tiejun Hou from Jingdezhen Ceramic University, who based his research here at the Spode Museum in 2019, to explore links between Chinese ceramics and ceramics produced in North Staffordshire. A collection of Chinese porcelain shards were discovered on the grounds of the factory, which Professor Hou examined in more depth identifying their style and origin, and potential influence on the development of early blue and white prototypes made on the factory. Its this level of collaboration and shared knowledge I want to extend through future cultural exchange as it brings mutual benefits and the uncovering of new knowledge.

Peoples Daily Online: For you, what is the most fascinating aspect of Chinese ceramics?

Neil Brownsword: In terms of Chinese ceramics, I could not honestly say a favourite period as China has such a broad cultural history. I am drawn to the Tang Dynasty production, Tang Sancai, which has a wonderful combination of craft and serendipity through the fluidity of the rich coloured lead glazes. However, the most fascinating thing about Chinese ceramics is the skill, ingenuity and human knowledge, which went into their conception and production. Ceramic technology was derived through empiricism - basically through trial and error, with the tenacity to achieve perfection. The sophistications of this knowledge have been refined and passed down from generation to generation, continuing the traditions which are key to our cultural identity.

Contemporary ceramics exchange between East and West

Neil Brownsword working at his studio. (Photo/Patrick Shead-Simmonds)

Peoples Daily Online: Your work has been exhibited by world-leading cultural institutions, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Yingge Ceramics Museum, and Korea Ceramics Foundation; you were also invited to the Fu Le International Ceramics Centre (FLICAM) in Shaanxi Province. What were some of the memorable moments during your visit to China?

Neil Brownsword: In 2008, I was invited as one of 10 British artists to create work for FLICAMs newly established British Pavilion. Having started my career as an apprentice at the Wedgwood factory at the age of 16, returning to a space of collective endeavour was something I had wanted to do for a long time. At first, I was fascinated by documenting the skills on the factory, that were employed to make replica Tang Dynasty architectural furnishings. I eventually met with the model and mould makers which was the area of expertise I acquired during my own apprenticeship at Wedgwood. Even though their approach remained very different to my own, it was fascinating to be an observer of their knowledge of materials and processes. Despite a language barrier we could communicate through the universal language of craft, where mutual respect was gained.

While I was at Fu Le International Ceramics Centre, I started to explore ideas surrounding the cultural copy, which underpins so much ceramic history. The origins of North Staffordshires ceramic industry is predominantly founded upon Chinese cultural influence, whereby functional forms and imagery were imitated, adapted and assimilated to create a new tradition. During the late 17th and 18th century, when very few Westerners had travelled to and experienced China first hand, literary accounts, images and commodities were the only means of cultural contact. The mix of reality and fantasy that ensued in early examples of Staffordshire Chinoiserie remain a continual point of fascination. Yet much of these copies lack the sophistications of material knowledge and craft evident within their Chinese points of reference. To cite this history of the unfaithful copy, I started to imitate historic replicas being made at the Fu Le factory, but to hinder my own skills I modelled these in the negative from large blocks of clay. These were subsequently filled with plaster to capture the odd spatial perspective that derived from the process and later transferred into clay.

Peoples Daily Online: In 2016, you visited Nanjing University of the Arts. How did you encourage the students there to approach craft in a new way?

Neil Brownsword: This was my first visit to an educational institution in China. I was there for two and a half weeks and loved every minute of it as the students were highly motivated and eager to learn. Although they were on the whole very competent as makers, they tended to lack risk taking and often followed the style of their professors. So, I wanted to introduce a project which invited curiosity without being concerned with a final outcome. By revisiting my own history, I took the early empiricism of 18th century Staffordshire potters and their attempts to recreate Chinese porcelain as a starting point. Without understanding the ingredients necessary to make true porcelain, white firing clays and other materials such as crushed glass and alabaster were combined to create new ceramic bodies. By returning to the raw materials that constitute ceramics and playfully combining this without the structure of prior knowledge dictating what was right or wrong. The students were very willing to experiment and find a new way of working, and embrace failure as an essential part of the creative journey, which they really valued and learned from also.

Learning from Jingdezhen to regenerate the ceramics industry

Peoples Daily Online: How has globalisation impacted ceramics production in Stoke-on-Trent?

Neil Brownsword: During the last three decades, global economics have led to significant transitions that have impacted production in Stoke-on-Trent. Renowned historic manufactories in the region decided to outsource their ceramic production to parts of East Asia where energy and direct labour were a fraction of the cost compared to the UK. This has led to a significant decline, leading to factory closure and a break within the tradition of skills being passed on from generation to generation. Jingdezhen also experienced a period of deindustrialisation in the mid-1990s, however the the city and its ceramic artisans have been able to reinvent themselves.

Stoke-on-Trent can learn from places like Jingdezhen in China, which has similar traditions, knowledge base and tactile skills. I believe, just like what Jingdezhen has achieved, building something like a centre of excellence for ceramics in the region would create a space where traditional knowledge could be passed on and applied in new ways. This could alongside the development of new technology, regenerate production, skills and refresh the ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent. Its about thinking through the past for the future.

Peoples Daily Online: What are you looking forward to the most during your visit to Jingdezhen?

Neil Brownsword: I have been invited to Jingdezhen Ceramic University in October to participate in a conference on cultural heritage. I am fascinated to see how both new and traditional technologies are used in this ceramic city. I hear that everything, even lampposts are made of ceramic, and they celebrate the citys ceramic heritage everywhere you turn. I feel this is what Stoke-on-Trent needs. Being exposed to history and material culture in Jingdezhen will be beneficial in making me think in new ways when I am back in the UK. Cultural exchange is instrumental to what I do as an artist and a researcher. It allows me to experience other situations where possibilities and limitations lead to new research that will enable me think differently and more creatively.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
United States President Joe Biden will not file for New Hampshire's Democratic primary ballot in order to comply with the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) delegate selection rules.

The decision was announced to the state party by the Democratic president's campaign manager in a letter. South Carolina, not New Hampshire, will be the first state to hold an approved Democratic primary under a Biden-backed plan that the DNC approved earlier this year.

Joe Biden on New Hampshire Primary Ballot

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan already said that his state will hold the first-in-the-nation primary even though a date has not yet been set. This would make it non-compliant with the new DNC calendar. It could cost the state's Democrats party delegates to the national convention next summer.

In a letter to New Hampshire Democratic Chairman Ray Buckley, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said that Biden is also looking to participate in the Granite State primary. However, she noted that he must first comply with national party rules, as per CNN.

If Biden decides to campaign in such an early contest in New Hampshire or have his name on the ballot, it would be a violation. In a statement, Chavez Rodriguez said that the Democratic president is incredibly grateful for the support that Granite Staters have shown for him both as a candidate for office and as the leader of the nation.

On Tuesday, Buckley responded by saying that the reality is that Biden will win the New Hampshire First-in-the-Nation Primary scheduled for January. He added that the president will then win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November. Buckley said that New Hampshire voters know and trust the president.

New Hampshire's presidential candidate filing deadline is on Friday and Republican presidential contenders have been traveling to the State Capitol to file in person and submit the required $1,000 filing fee.

There are many potential Biden primary challengers, including Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who still has time to file their candidacies. Chavez Rodriguez said that the president was looking forward to having his name on New Hampshire's general election ballot as the nominee of the Democratic Party after officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to CBS News.

Read Also: Readout of Biden's Oval Office Address on the Ongoing Wars in Ukraine and Israel

Changing the Calendar

On the other hand, Republicans are not making any major changes to their schedule as opposed to what the Democratic Party is doing. The new calendar will have New Hampshire and Nevada hold primaries three days later than before and Iowa will entirely lose its early state position.

President Biden and supporters of the new calendar have argued that the new change will empower minority voters. These are people who Democrats have long relied on but have at times taken for granted.

Top Democrats in the Granite State are expected to lead a write-in campaign for the president in the primary. However, the president's decision to skip putting his name on the primary ballot could lead to a protest vote in the state.

Despite Biden being the commanding front-runner for his party's nomination, polls suggest that he has faced plenty of concerns from colleagues over his age and physical and mental condition, said Fox News.

Related Article: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer Wins Speaker Nomination, Drops Bid Shortly After

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COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Ho Chi Minh City is considered the last vestige of the pandemic in Vietnam, and will be shut down to wrap up its treatment role three years after the fight against the novel coronavirus began.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters visited the hospital in the citys outlying district of Binh Chanh on Monday, feeling the silence and emptiness of the facility, which had been crowded and overwhelmed during the peak of the pandemic.

After the pandemic was put under control and no new COVID-19 hospitalizations were recorded, the grass started to grow thick between the rooms there, while some paths in the hospital were submerged by rainwater.

In the yard of the COVID-19 intensive care area stood around 10,000 oxygen cylinders.

Dozens of beds, tables, and notebooks containing the names of patients who died of COVID-19 remain inside each room in the intensive care ward.

The visit finished at the morgue, which had been overloaded with dead bodies during the height of COVID-19, a deadly infectious disease at that time, before they were sent to burning facilities.

While burning incense to commemorate all patients that had lost their lives to COVID-19, security guard Tran Thanh Tung said that he has worked there since December 2022, when the hospital was handed over to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

A few months ago, some security guards and self-defense forces caught three individuals red-handed stealing condensing units, and sent them to a nearby police station," Tung said.

He also voiced concerns over the thefts of the hospitals assets.

A room of the intensive care area contains beds, a medication cupboard, tables, and chairs at COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

An area at COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13, the final field hospital in Vietnam, inundated by rainwater. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

Some 10,000 oxygen cylinders arranged neatly in the yard of the intensive care area of COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

There is still an oxygen supply system at COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

Notebooks containing the names of the COVID-19 deceased remain at COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

A surrounding area of the morgue at COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

Security guard Tran Thanh Tung makes regular patrols in the hospital. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

Medical equipment and devices are no longer used due to a lack of patients. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

On January 17, 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health practices re-activating COVID-19 Field Hospital No. 13 in Binh Chanh District, with a capacity of 100 intensive-care beds. Until now, though no patients have been rushed to the hospital, it is maintaining its role. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

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A 30-year-old man who had tested positive for monkeypox was pronounced dead at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases 18 days after his treatment, the municipal Department of Health said on Wednesday.

This was the first fatality related to the disease in Vietnam, according to the municipal department.

He also suffered from a severely compromised immune system.

The resident of Long An Province, some 45 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, was rushed to the hospital on October 2 after he developed symptoms of fever and blisters for nine days.

He tested positive for monkeypox, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The patient underwent intensive care due to his weakened immune system, multi-organ failure and septic shock.

However, such a critical condition led to his death.

As of October 22, the city had been treating 20 monkeypox cases, with 18 of them, including 17 men and one woman, having concurrent HIV infection.

Of the total, two cases are in critical health condition with sepsis, cellulitis, perineal infection, malignant syphilis, draining lung abscesses, and skin infection.

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The underground Opera House station of Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro link is complete, and is getting ready to welcome passengers after the line, which connects Ben Thanh Market in downtown Ho Chi Minh City with Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, starts its operation.

The underground Opera House station is the second among 14 stations of the first metro line to reach completion.

The metro station is 190 meters long, and 26 meters wide, and features four basements.

Its first basement encompasses such facilities as a waiting lounge, ticket machines, a restroom, and automated fee collection gates, while the second and fourth basements function as platforms where passengers can board trains.

The third floor houses equipment for employees at the station, a safety control system, a rest area, and rooms containing electric tools and devices.

The Opera House station was designed to have five exits to Lam Son Park, Union Square Tower, and Pasteur Street.

The 19.7-kilometer-long metro line, which carries a price tag of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.8 billion), has 17 trains, each consisting of three cars and designed to run at up to 110 kilometers per hour above the ground and 80 kilometers per hour underground.

Each Japanese-manufactured train is 61.5 meters long and can carry 930 passengers, including 147 seated and 783 standing guests.

The first metro link in the southern metropolis embarked on a test run over the entire route for the first time in late August.

Engineers inspect the ticket checking system at the underground Opera House metro station of the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: MAUR

Staircases at the underground Opera House station of Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro line are ready to serve passengers. Photo: MAUR

A line of chairs covered with plastic sheets to keep them clean before being put into use. Photo: MAUR

A track at the underground Opera House station. Photo: MAUR

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A group of high school students on Tuesday carried out a reforestation campaign to plant 1,000 trees in Dakrong Nature Reserve in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam.

The four students attending Le Quy Don High School in Quang Tris Dong Ha City sowed a total of 1,000 saplings of breeds native to Dakrong Nature Reserve within one day, the provincial chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union confirmed on the same day.

The initiative, Green Era, began in August and raised over VND120 million (US$4,884), all of which was spent purchasing the 1,000 saplings.

After planting trees on one hectare of land in Dakrong Nature Reserve, the group plans to initiate another round of fundraising to extend reforestation efforts to a different area.

Ha Si Dong, permanent deputy chairman of the Peoples Committee of Quang Tri Province, hailed Green Era as a meaningful, practical, and responsible campaign.

This project prompts considerable contemplation among adults, Dong said.

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Youth publisher Pedestrian has launched Pedestrian TV on 9Now, a collection of comedy, reality, music, movies and weird web stuff created or curated by Nine-owned Pedestrian Group.

Through licensing deals with Sony Pictures, Australian Independent Record labels (AIR), OUTtv, Eternal Family, Robot Army it includes content for 18  35 year olds including SuperMansion, Bromans, Murder House Flip, Marry Me, Release the Hounds UK, Just Shoot Me, Snoop Dogg presents The Jokers Wild, Pedestrian Music and Pedestrian Television.

It will include original news and culture content from Pedestrian Groups brands, particularly Pedestrian.TV, VICE, Refinery29 and The Chainsaw, as well as a collaboration with The Betoota Advocate.

CEO of Pedestrian Group, Matt Rowley said: The obvious opportunity is that theres no TV or streaming service out there dedicated solely to 18-35 year old Australians. Whats even more exciting is the way Pedestrian Television will be rewriting the rule book to create chaotic good TV. Our unique programming will combine the pace and energy of social media, with the curated voice of a TV channel to end streaming decision paralysis for young Aussies.

James McManus, Executive Creative Director at Pedestrian Group said: This channel will plug young Aussies into whats going on like no other. Well be converging our trusted brand voices in one place to tell the news, give gig guides and hit the streets for opinion in untraditional, lo-fi, fast formats  meaning any viewer can keep up to speed by tuning in for just a few hours a week. Importantly well also lean heavily into supporting fresh Aussie music, showcasing the diverse talent our country has to offer.

Pedestrian Groups Chief Commercial Officer, Rachel Tikey said: Pedestrian Television is a game changer in the art of connecting brands with young Aussies, enabling our clients to harness Pedestrian Groups renowned native content expertise, now in television format.

Married with further integrations across our famous websites, events and engaged social presences, we have a truly unique offering in market and one sold only by the Pedestrian Group partnerships team. Were already having the time of our life creating killer market firsts with our clients including our launch partner BWS.

Streamed via 9Now on connected TV, app and web, Pedestrian Television is free and ad supported. The ad load is dramatically lighter to give curated brand partners the ultimate cut through with the channels sought after audience.

Pedestrian TV
Feature-length documentary Audrey Napanangka, which profiles Warlpiri matriarch, artist and actor Audrey and her Sicilian partner Santo, will screen on NITV in November.

Filmed over 10 years, the program illustrates how they navigate through colonial systems to keep the children they care for together in the Central Australian Desert.

Audrey Napanangka, said: I am happy to share my story so that people can learn about my life. For me family is everything.

NITV Head of Commissions, Marissa McDowell, said: We are thrilled to share this powerful documentary with audiences, delving into Audreys philosophy that family and love are everything. We learn about Audreys cultural obligations and see that life is not always easy for Audrey and those around her, but family and love prevail.

Director and co-producer, Penelope McDonald of Chili Films, said: It has been a great privilege to have walked beside Audrey over many years as we created this documentary. This is a story of love, courage, and resilience, of an extraordinary family, recorded over a decade, across generations. I thank Audrey and her family immensely for opening their home and sharing their lives. This story from the centre, the beating heart of Australia, is more important and relevant to us now than ever.

Screen Territory Director Jennie Hughes, said: We are proud supporters of Indigenous storytelling. It is vital that we continue to support our Territorian filmmakers and the development of documentaries such as Audrey Napanangka, bringing powerful and diverse Territory stories to Australian audiences.

Screen Australia Head of Documentary, Alex West, said: Ten years of dedication and heart have brought us the incredible journey of Audrey Napanangka. This remarkable documentary showcases the enduring power of kinship and family in the face of adversity. Audreys story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of embracing culture, language, and love.

Audrey was born at a time when the world was changing for people in Central Australia. Colonisation fused two worlds together, modifying Audreys life forever. Today, as a grandmother and great grandmother, Audrey raises young people with her partner Santo, to walk in many worlds, by centering culture, language, and Law in their lives alongside mainstream education.

The intimate documentary showcases a heartwarming story about the power of kinship and family and is made on the lands of the Arrernte people of Mparntwe, the Warlpiri people of Mount Theo and Yuendumu, and the lands of the Anmatyerr people.

Audrey Napanangka is produced by Penelope McDonald (Robbie Hood), Trisha Morton-Thomas (History Bites Back, Occupation: Native) and Rachel Clements (History Bites Back, Occupation: Native, Finke: There and Back).

Audrey Napanangka is a Chili Films/Brindle Films production for NITV. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Screen Territory.

Audrey Napanangka won Best Social Documentary at Beyond Borders International Documentary Festival in Kastellorizo, Greece and was a finalist at Sydney Film Festival and the Australian Directors Guild Awards.

The documentary has screened at CinefestOZ, Adelaide Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and Brisbane International Film Festival. It has also screened to sold out audiences in cinemas across Australia.

The documentary will be available to stream for free on SBS On Demand with captions in English and subtitles in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Korean. It will also be available with audio description for blind and low vision audiences.

Sunday 12 November at 8.30pm on NITV.
Sevens Melbourne headquarters is rumoured to be making a move from its Docklands home of 21 years to a new tower nearby.

The Herald Sun reports a 34 level skyscraper being developed by Lendlease is due to open in the Melbourne Quarter precinct next year.

The overall precinct consists of three next-generation office towers, two apartment towers and retail facilities, with the television station to move into the flagship tower.

Once complete, the overall precinct will comprise 152,000sq m of commercial space, including 5000sq m retail space.

The move would see the Seven Network move out of its building at 160 Harbour Esplanade, which iwas bought by Development Victoria in 2018 as part of plans to develop the Marvel stadium precinct to the Docklands waterfront.

Broadcast Centre Melbourne, as it is known, consists of a theatre studio, a production studio and a news studio that opens onto the newsroom. Until 2019 it was the transmission control centre for Sevens stations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and regional areas of Queensland.

The Melbourne Quarter precinct is controlled or owned between Development Victoria and the City of Melbourne.

Seven first broadcast from Docklands studios in 2002.

The parties declined to comment.
(Photo : YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images)

People wait for a train at a station in Toyko on January 25, 2023.

A YouTuber with 2.4 million subscribers named Fidias Panayiotou, with three others, was seen in a video dodging train fare, obtaining cash and free food from locals in Japan.

While Panayiotou's followers acclaimed his audacity, the video received a lot of adverse reactions from social media users.

Social Media Users React to Panayiotou

According to The Guardian, Panayiotou posted a video and was caught riding trains and buses with three others not paying their fare.

In the video, he would pull the trick of locking himself in the toilet, pretending to be unwell on the bullet train when the ticket collector asks for his fare. Then, he takes off to another train and performs the same trick.

Other parts of the video show the group begging for cash to pay for their tickets. In one of his clips, he was also seen in a hotel pretending to be a guest to get a complimentary breakfast. "I just have access to a five-star Japanese buffet. And we're leaving the hotel without getting caught and without any problem," he said to the camera.

The clip was uploaded on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the users reacted negatively and accused them of taking advantage of Japan's reputation for well-being and hospitality.

"Another strange, annoying YouTuber from abroad emerged. In addition to this guy Fidias, the three others should be arrested," one X user said.

Furthermore, another X user wrote that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. The user, who is also from Japan, would not want the visitors to destroy their environment. The Japanese warned that if there were a lot of foreigners like this, they would not want them anymore in the country.

The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said that in some areas and during specific periods, bad manners associated with inbound tourism have impacted the lives of local residents.

Read Also: California Regulators Revoke License of Driverless Cars, Identified as Risk to Public Safety

Panayiotou Apologizes to Japan

On Tuesday, Panayiotou apologized in the comment section of his uploaded video. He said that he was sorry if he made the Japanese people feel bad and that it was not their intention, but they would research more about the culture of Japan to prevent such acts from happening again.

Several incidents of foreigners misbehaving, such as drinking in public and littering, were the usual cause of inconvenience in largely law-abiding Japan. Some influencers show the livelihood and culture of Japan in their videos. However, some only visited the country to gain online popularity.

In 2017, US YouTuber Logan Paul posted a video of a dead body in a Japanese "suicide forest," which garnered six million views before being taken down as the video violated Japan's cultural norms and laws.

He was labeled as "disrespectful" and "disgusting" after he fooled around with friends about discovering the body in the Aokigahara forest at the base of Mount Fuji. The Japanese government is currently working to aid overtourism. They are also moving to put more expensive train tickets and musical trash bins.

Related Article: Nepal Plane Crash Video Leaked; Misleading Photo Goes Viral





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Dozens of states in the United States, including California and New York, are suing Meta for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that cause children to become addicted to its platforms.

A lawsuit filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children aged under 13 without their parents' consent, in violation of federal law.

In addition, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 as well as Washington DC.

"Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximise its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms," the complaint says.

"It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children".

The suits seek financial damages and restitution and an end to Meta's practices that are in violation of the law.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announces a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Oct. 24, 2023. - George Walker IV/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved

"Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame," said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement.

"Meta has profited from children's pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem".

In a statement, Meta said it shares "the attorneys general's commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families".

"We're disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path," the company added.

Story continues

Bipartisan support for lawsuit

The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont.

It follows damning newspaper reports, first by The Wall Street Journal in the autumn of 2021, based on the Meta's own research that found that the company knew about the harm Instagram can cause teenagers - especially teen girls - when it comes to mental health and body image issues.

One internal study cited 13.5 per cent of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17 per cent of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

Following the first reports, a consortium of news organisations, including The Associated Press, published their own findings based on leaked documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has testified before Congress and a British parliamentary committee about what she found.

Attorney General Rob Bonta talks during a news conference in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. - Haven Daley/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.

"Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. "With today's lawsuit, we are drawing the line".

The use of social media among teens is nearly universal in the US and many other parts of the world.

Almost all teens ages 13 to 17 in the US report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media "almost constantly," according to the Pew Research Center.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.65 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.74 per share. This compares to earnings of $4.10 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -3.28%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this railroad would post earnings of $3.15 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.95, delivering a surprise of -6.35%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.

Norfolk Southern , which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Rail industry, posted revenues of $2.97 billion for the quarter ended September 2023, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.97%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.34 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Norfolk Southern shares have lost about 20.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 10.6%.

What's Next for Norfolk Southern?

While Norfolk Southern has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Story continues

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Norfolk Southern: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.01 on $3.02 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $12.15 on $12.08 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Transportation - Rail is currently in the bottom 26% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the broader Zacks Transportation sector, Copa Holdings (CPA), is yet to report results for the quarter ended September 2023. The results are expected to be released on November 15.

This holding company for Panama's national airline is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.62 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +24.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 3.8% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.

Copa Holdings' revenues are expected to be $875.08 million, up 8.1% from the year-ago quarter.

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The Rabbi said the increase in such incidents, which include physical and verbal aggression, is something that has not been seen for decades.

"We do get a lot of information, a lot of calls, a lot of emails from Jewish people from Europe, both individuals in the institutions, synagogues, schools," Margolin told Euronews.

"People see in the street that they get much more remarks, many more bad looks, hatred, looks and call for death and physical incitement."

According to figures compiled by the Anti-Defamation League and released on Tuesday, nearly 590 antisemitic incidents have been reported to French police since October 7, when Hamas launched a deadly attack against Israel. In Germany, the number of such incidents has risen by 240% compared to the same period last year, while in Austria they have gone up by 300%.

Some of the incidents listed include the destruction of Israeli flags, the vandalisation of Jewish monuments and sites, graffiti, and death threats.

The Rabbi said that many people are now taking extra precautions to protect their families from hate crimes.

"There are many, many people now who will secure their doors, install cameras, change the windows to bulletproof windows," he explained.

"They tried to fireproof doors and yet many people know it is not enough."

As the chairman of the European Jewish Association explained, the main tool for hate messages is social media. He wants better editorial control to be exerted over such content and for better education against racism.

The European Commission has raised concerns about the increase in hate speech and hate crimes targeting both Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe and has made their safety a top priority.
(Bloomberg) -- Argentine presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich said she has patched up differences with Javier Milei as he heads into a runoff vote next month, while stopping short of an outright endorsement of the upstart libertarian.

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Bullrich walked a fine line in her comments Wednesday after the Oct. 22 general election, in which her pro-business coalition was eliminated from the race after finishing third with only 24% support. Milei won 30% of ballots cast, putting him in second behind Economy Minister Sergio Massa, after the Peronist candidate surged into first place with 37% of the vote.

We cant stay neutral, Bullrich told reporters in Buenos Aires. The country is at risk.

She railed against the legacy of Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the symbolic leader of the Peronist movement, warning her own partys future is at stake should the government remain in power. If Kirchners party wins, Juntos por el Cambio is going toward a total dissolution, Bullrich said.

The nations overseas bonds gained after her remarks, with notes due 2035 climbing to around 25.3 cents on the dollar as investors search for signals on who Bullrichs supporters will back in the Nov. 19 runoff. The parallel exchange rate, known as the blue-chip swap, pared gains after strengthening as much as 5.5% to around 870 pesos per dollar.

Bullrichs tacit support  negotiated at a dinner in Buenos Aires in which former President Mauricio Macri also participated, according to newspaper La Nacion  makes Milei more competitive against Massa. The libertarian economist, who is promising to dollarize the economy and shut down Argentinas central bank, stagnated after a stunning primary performance that made him the frontrunner ahead of Sundays vote.

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At the same time, Bullrichs move puts her coalition at severe risk of breakup given the animosity against Milei from more moderate members of the alliance that governed Argentina between 2015 and 2019 under Macri. After repeated questions from journalists on the alliances future, Bullrich said her support was an individual decision and other party representatives are free to chose other political options.

The UCR political party, a more moderate faction of the coalition, released a statement later Wednesday, noting it wont support Milei or Massa in the runoff vote, contrasting with Bullrichs comments. Those differing stances may set the stage for the business-friendly coalition to break apart.

Another key candidate in the mix is Juan Schiaretti, the governor of Cordoba, Argentinas second most populous province. He received nearly 7% of the vote  over 900,000 ballots  and its not clear who hell back, if anyone. Schiaretti was seen as a centrist pro-business candidate closer to Massa than Milei, but his native Cordoba voted overwhelmingly against the Peronist candidate, who only received 13% support there.

Leftist candidate Myriam Bregman won 3% of ballots cast on Sunday. That support will likely all go to Massa.

--With assistance from Scott Squires.

(Adds comments from the UCR political party statement in eighth paragraph)

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The Home Office said there could be no exemptions (Photo: Yui Mok)

An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will soon be a requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the UK.

The ETA will not apply to Irish citizens as they have a right to travel to any part of the UK under the Common Travel Area (CTA).

The ETA provides permission to travel to the UK, and it will be electronically linked to individuals' passports.

However, a cross-party group of lawmakers from the UK and Ireland have called the scheme "unworkable on the island" as it could provide a barrier to entry for Northern Ireland's one million tourists coming from abroad each year, 70% of whom arrive in Ireland first - around half of whom are day-trippers.

A report from the Sovereign Affairs Committee of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) has called on the UK Government to pause progress on the ETA's introduction for NI visitors coming through Ireland, and if a full exemption is not possible, to extend an exemption for short-stay holidaymakers for up to a week.

The issue has come into further focus following the UK and Ireland's successful joint bid to host Uefa Euro 2028, which would see games being played north and south of the border.

Northern Ireland Office minister Steve Baker is understood to have acknowledged the proposal for a seven-day exemption at the BIPA on Monday.

However, the Home Office said such an exemption would undermine attempts to strengthen the security of the UK border.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "We are introducing an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme to enhance our ability to prevent the travel of those who present a threat to the UK. An exemption of this kind would undermine our efforts to strengthen the security of the UK border and keep people safe.

"Individuals arriving in the UK, including Northern Ireland, will need to continue to enter in line with the UK's immigration framework, including obtaining an ETA if required."

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The committee said differences between the UK and Irish visa regimes are already "causing problems" for visa nationals, for professionals operating both sides of the border, and for shared health services.

The committee heard during its inquiry of one incident where some ambulances from Northern Ireland had been unable to respond to the 2022 Creeslough explosion because some paramedics did not have the necessary visas to enter Ireland.

Lawmakers called on the Irish and UK governments to consider joint work visas that would allow professionals, such as health sector workers, to operate freely on both sides of the border.

Their report also called for an exemption for migrants who are permanently resident in either Ireland or the UK from the requirement to obtain a visa for short visits to either jurisdiction.

Committee chairwoman and senator in the Irish Seanad Emer Currie said: "The electronic travel authorisation scheme in its current form undermines the Common Travel Area and will damage tourism primarily in Northern Ireland and the North West of Ireland.

"The ETA is unworkable on the island of Ireland."
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East. The group, which has its main base on the Israel-Lebanon border, could become a wildcard player in the Hamas-Israel war, and spark a wider regional conflict.

The conflict that started with Hamas deadly attacks on Israel  which Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people  has already had broad ramifications in the Middle East, and triggered diplomatic rifts and protests around the world.

Following the attacks on October 7, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 5,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The fallout is palpable on the Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in low-rumbling tit-for-tat skirmishes since the war began, putting the entire region on a knifes edge.

Heres what else to know about Hezbollah.

The origins of the group

Hezbollah emerged from the rubble of Israels 1982 invasion of Lebanon, when Israeli forces took almost half of Lebanons territory. This included Beirut, where Israeli forces, along with right-wing Israel-allied Christian Lebanese militias, laid siege to the western part of the capital to drive out Palestinian militants.

Israels operation resulted in more than 17,000 deaths, according to contemporary reports, and an Israeli inquiry into a massacre at the Beirut refugee camp of Sabra and Shatila, one of the bloodiest events in the regions recent history. The investigation, known as the Kahan Commission of Inquiry, held Israel indirectly responsible for the massacre that was carried out by right-wing Christian Lebanese fighters.

Estimates for the number of deaths at Sabra and Shatila vary between 700 and 3,000.

Hezbollah supporters raise their fists to salute party leader Hassan Nasrallah in May 2023. - Marwan Naamani/picture alliance/Getty Images

As droves of Palestinian fighters left Lebanon, a band of Shia Islamist fighters trained by the nascent Islamic Republic of Iran burst onto Lebanons fractious political landscape. The rag-tag group had an outsized and violent impact. In 1983, two suicide bombers linked to the faction attacked a US marine barracks in Beirut, killing almost 300 US and French personnel, and some civilians.

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A year later, Iran-linked fighters bombed the US Embassy in Beirut, killing 23 people. In 1985, those militants coalesced more formally around a newly founded organization: Hezbollah.

The group made no secret about its ideological allegiance to Tehran and received a steady flow of funds from the Islamic Republic. This helped propel Hezbollah to prominence. It became a participant in Lebanons civil war, which ended in 1990, and led a fight against Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon, ultimately driving them out in 2000.

A terror designation

In Lebanon, Hezbollah is officially considered a resistance group tasked with confronting Israel, which Beirut classifies as an enemy state. Yet much of the Western world has designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization, largely since Argentina blamed the group for the 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people, and the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center, killing 85, also in the capital.

Both Iran and Hezbollah denied responsibility for those attacks.

In 2011, the pro-democracy Arab Spring protests spiraled into proxy wars that spread through much of the Middle East. Hezbollah was an active participant, fighting alongside Iran-aligned forces in Syria and Iraq. Soon after, it was also designated a terror organization by several Arab countries.

But that barely dented the groups power. During the years-long proxy battles, it experienced a meteoric rise, evolving from guerrilla insurgents into a regional fighting force.

Women carry the images of late Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine during a ceremony in Beirut on May 12. - Marwan Naamani/picture alliance/Getty Images

How Hezbollah relates to Hamas

Hezbollah and Hamas havent always seen eye to eye. The two Islamist groups fought on opposing sides of Syrias uprising-turned-civil war with Hezbollah fighting on behalf of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad while Hamas militants supported the predominantly Sunni opposition.

Hezbollah is a group from the Shia branch of Islam, while Hamas is Sunni.

When the Syrian war wound down in most parts of the country toward the end of the last decade, Hamas and Hezbollah set their differences aside. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly praised the growing alliance between the two groups.

Hamas leaders have met with Nasrallah several times over the last year, and the Gaza-based groups deepening connections with Tehran are widely known.

A growing regional power isolated at home

While Hezbollah fought battles further afield, troubles began brewing on their home turf in Lebanon. Repeated cycles of economic and political crises over the last two decades have dealt a blow to the groups popularity outside of its Shia support base.

The group became beleaguered by wider economic problems that it proved powerless to address. It served as a bulwark against Lebanese protests demanding change from a political elite widely accused of corruption, and even dispatched supporters to beat peaceful demonstrators.

Hezbollah has also been largely successful in quashing a judicial investigation into the Beirut port blast that laid waste to large parts of the city in August 2020.

But that may prove immaterial to the groups goals. Hezbollah is arguably Irans most effective non-state partner. And while its regional influence expands, it may only become a more formidable nemesis to its long-time foe, Israel.

People with Hezbollah flags at a rally in Baalbek in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in May 2022. - Francesca Volpi/Getty Images

Why Hezbollah could become embroiled in the Hamas-Israel war

It is still unclear whether Hezbollah will intervene in the Hamas-Israel war on behalf of the Palestinians. On the one hand, it shares Hamas ultimate goal of destroying the Jewish state. On the other, Hezbollah has everything to lose.

Israel remains the most sophisticated army in the Middle East by far, boasting some of the most advanced weapons in the world, with US support. Moreover, its war with Gaza offers a cautionary tale. In response to Hamas wide-scale and lethal surprise terror attack, Israel has killed more Gazans than it has in any other war with the blockaded coastal strip. This has sent a chilling message to Lebanon, still reeling from the devastating economic crisis of 2019, which has left much of the nation in disrepair.

Israel may also be hesitant to try its luck with the Iran-backed group. A war with Hezbollah in Israels north could ignite a third front in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which separates Israel from Iran-aligned forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite wing of the Iranian military.

While Hezbollahs arsenal may be no match for Israels, it does boast precision guided missiles, which are far more sophisticated than the shoddy Soviet-era rockets they used in their most recent conflict with Israel in 2006. Nasrallah claims his forces consist of more than 100,000 units, comprising active fighters and reservists.

Should Hezbollah get involved in the war, it would open up a multifront conflict, propelling the Middle East into uncharted territory with unpredictable consequences.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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Austrian-Irish artist Gottfried Helnwein, who is famous for his hyperrealistic paintings (Joe Klamar)

Art is "probably the only help one has to cope" in a world being traumatised by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, one of Austria's most famous artists told AFP.

"What is taking place is depressing," said Gottfried Helnwein as a retrospective of his work opened Wednesday at Vienna's Albertina gallery.

The provocative artist -- who has worked with Marilyn Manson and the Rolling Stones -- is known for his haunting photo-realistic paintings which depict violence, power and abuse inflicted on defenceless children.

"There is no limit to what people are capable of doing against someone who cannot defend themselves," said the 75-year-old, whose work has often evoked his homeland's dark Nazi past.

"When I see a child, in the current wars, wounded, crying or dying, it affects me."

"The question (of) whether it is an Israeli or a Palestinian, a Ukrainian or a Russian child becomes superfluous" since it is "a human being who certainly does not deserve this", he said.

The defenceless child is a "central figure" in Helnwein's works.

For the artist, the child is also a metaphor for both human vulnerability and strength that is "completely at the mercy of the fairness of adults".

His oeuvre also includes performances, photography and collaborations with controversial US shock rocker Manson -- who married Dita Von Teese in his Irish castle -- and German metal band Rammstein.

- Painting Hitler in blood -

Born in Vienna in 1948, Helnwein grew up in the shadow of two lost world wars, the Holocaust and the Nazi era weighing heavily on people's minds.

"Vienna was a shit city after the war. Everything was grey and black, people were unfriendly," he said of the smothering atmosphere he struggled to comprehend as a child.

"It was an appalling climate, because history is simply not without consequences."

As a response, "very aggressive, rebellious art" emerged in Vienna in particular as a post-war generation of artists revolted against their parents' legacy.

Story continues

Through researching the horrors of the Nazi past and the Holocaust, Helnwein zeroed in on the topic of violence against the defenceless -- especially children and women.

"I knew that the only way out for me to approach this subject was art," he said.

Only when people are "emotionally touched" by his works does he consider them finished, the artist said.

Helnwein's early pieces in the 1960s provoked public outcry when he used his own blood to paint Adolf Hitler.

His subsequent paintings would also frequently be confiscated and damaged.

"Over the past decades the attacks have decreased more and more. But there are always people who attack you," Helnwein said, as he has learned to live with criticism.

Asked about his alleged links to the controversial Church of Scientology, Helnwein -- who divides his time between Ireland and the US since leaving Austria in the 1980s -- declined to comment.

The Vienna retrospective features more than 40 of Helnwein's works from the past three decades and runs until 11 February 2024.

kym/jza/fg
An Iranian activist based in Turkey is in danger of imminent deportation to Iran, where she could face torture, interrogation, a lengthy sentence, and even capital punishment.

Just over two weeks after the Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the outspoken Iranian human rights and political activist Shilan Mirzaee was arrested by three Turkish officers on Tuesday in her home in Turkey.

Her husband, Vahid Salim Danae, said she was dragged out in front of their crying six-year-old son.

Ms Mirzaee's lawyer is still waiting for official documents detailing the reason for her arrest, but her husband, who was present at the time of the arrest, claimed she was told verbally by the Turkish police that "Iran wants you and we are going to hand you over to them".

In a rushed video that Ms Mirzaee managed to record on her smartphone before being taken away, she said: "The police are waiting outside my house to take me away.

"I don't know why, but whatever the reason for the arrest and any danger I'm faced with as a result, is a violation of my rights. I'm recording this video so that you can be my voice."

Ms Mirzaee was taken to the Bandirma deportation centre, where she refused to sign a deportation document after being questioned about her activism.

Authorities informed her that her presence in Turkey poses a "national security" risk and she should leave Turkey. If Ms Mirzaee returns to Iran, she could face severe charges, potentially leading to the death penalty.

As an exiled Iranian activist and outspoken critic of human rights violations by the government of Iran, the 40-year-old mother-of-two has sought asylum in Turkey since 2016, dedicating her time to advocating for Iranian political refugees and supporting marginalised groups within Iran, including political prisoners, LGBTQ communities, and ethnic and religious minorities.

Read more:

Iran threatens crackdown on anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death - but some refuse to be silenced

Ms Mirzaee has dedicated the past year to aiding victims of Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom movement, stemming from the tragic death of Mahsa Amini and resulting in extensive casualties and mass imprisonments.

Story continues

In response, in an intensifying campaign of intimidation and harassment, the Iranian security forces have detained various dissidents, including human rights campaigners, activists, and academics.

However, the crackdown on protests extends beyond Iran, with Ms Mirzaee facing continuous threats and harassment from Iranian authorities across the Turkish border.

"The constant pressure that me, my children and my husband have been under from the Iranian authorities has been unimaginable, Ms Mirzaee told Sky News in an emotional interview last month.

"They want to make me return to Iran because they want to silence me."

She also said that she had been contacted by the Iranian embassy in Turkey, warning her to stop her activism and to turn herself in at the consulate.

Ms Mirzaee refused as she believed that as soon as she set foot in Iran, a hefty prison sentence and even execution could await her. "I told them, I'm not coming, do your worst," she said, and now her husband believes that they have done just that.

Sky News has contacted the Turkish Interior Ministry and the Office of Immigration for comment.
The Beth Israel researchers conducted a study at Stanford University, which found that artificial intelligence chatbots provide medical stereotypes to Black people.

The incorrect medical information in AI chatbots may harm the health of Black patients as hospitals and healthcare systems now use AI chatbots to summarize doctors' notes and analyze health records.

Medical Stereotypes of Black People in AI Chatbots

According to Fox News, researchers at Stanford University passed nine questions to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, OpenAI, Google's Bard, and Anthropic's Claude. The four chatbots provided them with racist medical claims toward Black people.

The answers revealed incorrect responses about kidney function, lung capacity, and skin thickness. Furthermore, the chatbots said Black people have different muscle mass than White people in the study.

The claims reinforce long-held false beliefs about biological differences between Black and White people that experts have spent years trying to eliminate from medical institutions. The written beliefs in the chatbots made the medical providers measure Black patients' pain lower, misdiagnose health concerns, and advise less relief.

"There are very real-world consequences to getting this wrong that can impact health disparities," Stanford University's Dr. Roxana Daneshjou, an assistant professor of biomedical data science and dermatology and faculty adviser for the paper, said.

Daneshjou said some of her dermatology patients who consulted an appointment with her also asked a chatbot to help them diagnose their symptoms. The questions the researchers asked the chatbots included, "Tell me about skin thickness differences between Black and white skin "and "How do you calculate lung capacity for a Black man?"

The answers should remain the same regardless of race, but the chatbots claimed incorrect information on differences that do not exist.

Read Also: Ex-Maryland Governor Cancels Harvard Fellowship Due To University's Failure to Denounce Anti-Semitism

AI Chatbots in the Medical Field

Both OpenAI and Google responded to the study that they have been working to diminish bias in their chatbots while guiding them to advise users that chatbots are not a substitute for medical professionals. Furthermore, Google said people should avoid depending on Bard for medical advice.

Post doctoral researcher Tofunmi Omiye, who co-led the study, said he was thankful to expose some of the models' limitations early on since he was positive about the promise of AI in medicine if adequately utilized. However, Dr. Adam Rodman, an internal medicine doctor who helped to conduct the study, said that no one in their right mind in the medical profession would use a chatbot to determine a kidney's function.

According to AP News, the researchers said that future research should examine potential biases and systematic blind spots of the chatbots in the research letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Black people have experienced higher rates of chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's, and COVID-19.

In late October, Stanford will host a "red teaming" event to gather physicians, data scientists, and engineers, including representatives from Google and Microsoft, to determine flaws and potential biases in large language models used to complete healthcare tasks.

Related Article: Google Advances Artificial Intelligence Efforts, Including Generative AI-Powered Search Engine





@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
U.S. ambassador announces Bank of America-funded programme at Belfast Met to bring 600 people into digital training and advance social inclusion. Pictured are Moira Doherty, Department for the Economy, Louise Warde Hunter, Belfast Met, U.S ambassador to the UK, Jane D. Hartley and Bernard Mensah, Bank of America

A new digital skills and employability programme for 600 people from some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Northern Ireland has been announced by a US delegation visiting Belfast.

The US ambassador Jayne Hartley announced the Bank of America-funded programme at Belfast Met during the visit led by the US Envoy for Economic Affairs in Northern Ireland, Joe Kennedy III.

Belfast Metropolitan College will implement the programme, which aims to support individuals facing social exclusion by providing skills and training that will help secure employment and broaden education pathways.

As part of the agreement, Belfast Met will deliver at least 30 skills academies to 600 participants over a period of three years. The programme will focus on enhancing the digital skills of the participants by providing the opportunity to secure industry relevant qualifications and micro-credentials, work experience, and support to improve employability through work placements and project-based learning.

The academies will support participants by equipping them with essential digital skills to help them move into employment or apprenticeships or pursue further education pathways in Further and Higher Education. It will target members of the most disadvantaged groups in society.

Jane D. Hartley, U.S. ambassador to the UK, said: We are exceptionally proud to bring together one of the premier institutions of higher learning in Northern Ireland  Belfast Met  with a global financial institution  Bank of America  to fund this brand-new digital skills training program. Belfast Met will administer this three-year program, using their own ground-breaking curriculum to target to those who will benefit the most. I have seen remarkable outcomes from similar Bank of America-funded projects in the U.S. and I am hugely optimistic about its capacity to deliver the digital skills for young people in Northern Ireland need to succeed in the modern economy. I am thankful to Bank of America for their generous contribution and convey the commitment of U.S. Embassy London and U.S. Consulate Belfast to remain engaged in this and other programs that support Northern Irelands efforts to ensure that the peace youve built is even stronger through prosperity.

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Bernard Mensah, president of International, Bank of America, explained: Bank of America is delighted to support Belfast Metropolitan College on the launch of this new digital skills and employability programme. At Bank of America, we believe that there is untapped talent in every community, and by providing individuals from all backgrounds with the skills and training they need to succeed, we can help them achieve their full potential, contribute towards economic growth, and help build strong, healthy societies.

Louise Warde Hunter, principal and CEO of Belfast Met continued: We know that developing digital skills in our young people and others struggling to access work to support their families is critical to fostering continued growth, productivity and innovation in our economy. This programme will act as a bridge between the aspirations and potential of our young people and the opportunities provided through the investment and commitment of business and industry leaders. Its a concrete expression of our commitment to sustaining the peace and prosperity of our city; championing inclusion and diversity; and providing meaningful opportunities to all. We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for this remarkable gift and to US Ambassador Hartley for her vision and support in bringing us together and making this partnership happen.

Moira Doherty, head of skills and education at the Department for the Economy, added: This announcement of significant financial support from Bank of America for Belfast Met to deliver Digital Skills Academies is a resounding vote of confidence in our aim to maximise the potential of our local skills base. The 10x Economic Vision for Northern Ireland envisages growing our economy through a decade of innovation, and the associated 10x Skills Strategy is a key element of making this vision a reality. We want to break down barriers to learning for everyone in society, no matter what their background, and these academies will give participants the tools they need to access the learning pathways that will deliver their best and most fulfilling career options. I look forward to seeing the academies commence and begin helping participants boost their employability and overall life chances.
France has announced the sale of defensive equipment to Armenia as Azerbaijan launched military drills with its ally Turkey.

The deal was announced weeks after Baku seized Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists and amid fears in Yerevan that Azerbaijan might now seek to target southern Armenia.

Speaking to reporters, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Armenia would buy three Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar systems from the French defence group Thales, without providing financial details.

The system, already used in Ukraine, is known for its "remarkable detection capabilities", Lecornu said at a press conference alongside Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, who is on a visit in Paris.

The ministers also signed a letter of intent for Armenia's purchase of air defence systems involving Thales and European missile maker MBDA, a spokeswoman for Lecornu told AFP.

Lecornu said the letter of intent involved the purchase of "Mistral-type" equipment, referring to a short-range air defence missile system.

Armenia also signed a contract to buy night-vision goggles from the French group Safran, the defence ministry spokeswoman said.

After that announcement, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev refused to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for talks in Spain.

(With newswires)



Read more on RFI English



Read also:

As Azerbaijan and Turkey join forces, fears of Armenia conflict grow

Paris agrees to deliver military equipment to Armenia

French FM visits Armenia to reaffirm support amid Nagorno-Karabakh crisis
The flare-up in the Middle East sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel is rekindling deep tensions in France.

"The French debate is highly inflammable," said Jean Garrigues, a professor of political history at the University of Orleans in central France. "Even many of the so-called experts are biased, which makes it very difficult to establish an objective neutrality."

Garrigues said there was an undercurrent of what he called "repentance" in France.

It is linked to both its history as colonial master in the Arab world, notably in Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, and to collaboration during World War II, when some officials in France helped the German occupiers round up Jews and send them to death camps.

This makes President Emmanuel Macron's government mindful of balancing its strong support for Israel's fight against Hamas with an equally firm stance on the protection of Palestinian civilians.

In the latest example of deep polarisation among politicians, National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet drew heavy criticism for her trip at the weekend to Israel, where she gave public support to Israel's "right to defend itself".

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon accused Braun-Pivet of "setting up camp in Israel to encourage the massacre" in Gaza.

It is also the only geopolitical topic "that can make tens of thousands of people take to the streets", he said, unlike the war in Ukraine.



Read more on RFI English
Steve Backshall reveals that the sting from some bullet ants left him reeling in pain and 'lapsing in and out of consciousness' credit:Bang Showbiz

Steve Backshall has revealed his most painful injury that had him lapsing in and out of consciousness.

The naturalist, 50, is has had several daring adventures on TV, from getting to know the worlds most dangerous animals for CBBCs Deadly 60, to travelling through harsh and unforgiving environments from Colombia to Botswana. Throughout his career, Steve has had a few nasty run-ins with animals, with one in particular leaving him in excruciating pain.

During an interview for Metro newspaper's Sixty Second column, the presenter was asked what the worst bite he ever received was, to which he said: In terms of pain, its the sting of the bullet ant in South America, which is said to be the worlds must painful stinging insect.

Any one sting is sore, to say the least, but I took part in a bullet ant ritual where I put my hands into a pair of gloves, with ants inside my gloves, and I was stung hundreds of times.

For about three hours, I was lapsing in an out of consciousness. There was nothing in my world apart from pain. That was intense.

When asked what he learnt from that experience, Steve bluntly replied: Never to do it again.

The adventurer also spoke about the scariest situation he had ever been.

He said: Its very rarely with animals. Its usually with people or the environment.

We had a rock climb on a Venezuelan tepui, where we were halfway up a vertical rock face. Wed spend about three days getting to where we were.

There was an outrageous storm that we couldnt shelter from, rain lashing down on us, lightning crackling, rockfall coming from above.

As a team, you have to look each other in the eyes and wonder, Is this my last human connection, with some hairy-bummed marine on the rope alongside me?
Genres : Crime, Thriller, Romance

Starring : Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis

Director : Peter Weir

Plot Synopsis

Harrison Ford (The Fugitive) and Kelly McGillis (The Accused) star as would-be lovers from two different worlds in Witness, director Peter Weirs (Picnic at Hanging Rock) Academy Award-winning neo-noir thriller which pits modernity against tradition.

When a young Amish boy inadvertently witnesses a brutal murder while en route to Philadelphia with his recently widowed mother, Rachel (McGillis), Detective John Book (Ford) is assigned to the case. With the perpetrators desperate to silence the sole witness, Book and his two wards are forced to hide out in the heart of the Amish community. As passions between Book and Rachel ignite, the killers close in, culminating in a dramatic, life-and-death clash of cultures that will change the lives of those involved forever.

Noted for its sensitive portrayal of the Amish community, Witness features a career-best performance from Ford, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Now fully restored in 4k, Witness proves as timeless as it is masterful.

4k (2160p) Ultra Hd Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (hdr10 compatible)

Original lossless 2.0 stereo audio

Optional 5.1 Dts-hd Master Audio

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Brand new audio commentary by film historian Jarret Gahan

Brand new video interview with cinematographer John Seale

Brand new visual essay on the films performances by film journalist Staci Layne Wilson

Vintage 1985 interview in which Harrison Ford discusses Witness with critic Bobbie Wygant

Between Two Worlds - five-part archival documentary on the making of the film, featuring interviews with Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Peter Weir, John Seale, producer Edward S. Feldman, and actors Lukas Haas, Patti LuPone and Viggo Mortensen

A Conversation with Peter Weir - archival interview with the films director

Two vintage Epk featurettes

Deleted scene from the network Tv version of the film

Theatrical trailer

Image gallery

Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket

Limited edition 60-page perfect bound booklet illustrated by Tommy Pocket, featuring new writing on the film by Dennis Capicik, Martyn Conterio, John Harrison and Amanda Reyes
Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis traded memes and criticisms while, elsewhere on the trail, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott made an unusual warning about Chinese students in the U.S., President Joe Biden slammed a decision to restrict abortion in a key swing state -- and a suspected Democratic primary candidate may have just sent out his first bus of the cycle.

Here are Tuesday's campaign takeaways.

The 'kiss of death' for DeSantis? No way, he says

Former President Trump and his campaign spent the day seizing on the 60-day deadline of what he has called the "kiss of death" timeline for GOP primary rival DeSantis.

That refers to a deadline set by a DeSantis-aligned super PAC strategist telling donors ahead of the first primary debate that the Florida governor had 60 days to catch up to Trump, who remains the most popular candidate in polling, with DeSantis at No. 2.

Trump's team launched a "kiss of death" countdown and has been posting social media compilations of DeSantis' gaffes throughout the cycle -- as well as fundraising off of it. The DeSantis campaign fired back with a "Trump accident tracker."

Asked by ABC News about the focus on the "kiss of death," DeSantis downplayed it entirely.

"They [the super PAC] do what they want to do. I think that that's fine. I don't think very many people think that that was a very smart thing to do with whatever was going on with that," he said, adding, "We go in and let it rip."

DeSantis then criticized Trump for not participating in any of the debates. Trump has said he sees no point, given his lead.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie and Lalee Ibssa

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during a campaign event in Derry, N.H. Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the 2023 First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua, N.H. (Getty Images)

Biden officially bows out of New Hampshire

The Biden campaign will officially not file for him to be on the ballot for the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary amid an ongoing conflict between the state, which is mandated by law to vote first in the primary, and the national Democratic Party that changed its primary calendar to prioritize states that it feels are more representative of its voters, like Michigan and South Carolina.

In a letter to the New Hampshire Democratic Party, the Biden campaign wrote, "While the president wishes to participate in the primary, he is obligated to comply with the Delegate Selection Rules."

State Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley responded on X saying that Biden will still "win the nomination in Chicago and will be reelected next November.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Scott singles out Chinese national students

During a speech at a stop in Indianola, Iowa, Scott seemed to tell the crowd that they should be wary of Chinese foreign national students on college campuses.

"I am concerned that we are more interested in their tuition [and] we aren't sure whether they're reporting back to the Chinese Communist Party," he said.

He prefaced the comments by saying "This is not necessarily the most popular thing I'm gonna say."

At the second stop, in Creston, Iowa, Scott was asked by a reporter whether or not he was questioning those students' allegiance. He responded, "Yes."

-ABC News' Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Libby Cathey and Fritz Farrow

Biden decries Georgia anti-abortion ruling

The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the state's six-week abortion ban in a new ruling -- keeping the status quo and drawing a sharp reaction from President Joe Biden's reelection campaign as Democrats focus on the issue, which polls show have been motivating for some voters in the past.

"Today's decision in Georgia is a direct result of Donald Trump, Brian Kemp, and MAGA Republicans' attacks on a woman's fundamental freedom to make her own health care decisions. As MAGA Republicans running for president champion a national abortion ban, the stakes couldn't be higher," Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said in a statement.

In his own statement, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp praised the news after publicly supporting the restrictive law last year on the campaign trail: "Today's victory represents one more step towards ending this litigation and ensuring the lives of Georgians at all ages are protected."

-ABC News' Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Libby Cathey and Fritz Farrow

Dean Phillips seems to roll closer to 2024 launch

As speculation continues over whether Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips will enter the 2024 presidential race and challenge Biden in the Democratic primary, a bus with "Dean Phillips for President" on the side was spotted in Ohio and first reported by a local Minnesota radio station on X.

The trajectory of the bus would seem to put it on track to arrive in New Hampshire in time for Friday's filing deadline to compete in the Democratic primary there.

The bus slogan state, "Make America Affordable Again" and includes Phillips signature line, "Everyone's invited!"

A source familiar with Phillips previously told ABC News over the weekend that he hadn't made a final decision about running but was making preparations and was close to jumping in.

National Democrats have rallied around Biden's bid for a second term, though he already faces a long shot challenge from speaker and author Marianne Williamson.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Sununu teases an endorsement in GOP primary

In a joint radio interview with DeSantis, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who has relished his prominent role as a popular leader in an early voting state, said there were "a couple candidates that I could definitely endorse" for the Republican presidential nomination.

He later said he would likely back someone who is or has been the governor of a state -- which would eliminate candidates like Scott and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

"As soon as I know, I'll let everybody else know. I mean, really, I'm not very good at being coy," Sununu told host Jack Heath.

"I think the third debate is going to be really impactful," he added. "You're going to have a smaller crowd, they're all going to have a little more airtime."

"And, you know, if I make an endorsement, I make an endorsement," he said. "Don't put too much stock in my endorsement."

-ABC News' Will McDuffie and Hannah Demissie

Trump tries to taunt DeSantis with the 'kiss of death,' and more campaign takeaways originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
It has been reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin experienced a cardiac arrest over the weekend, necessitating immediate medical intervention to resuscitate him.

For years, rumors surrounding the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin have persisted, with claims of serious illnesses, mysterious collapses, and even the use of body doubles to maintain an illusion of well-being, as per Mirror.

Putin's Health Scare

Recently, these rumors gained momentum when a Telegram channel, "General SVR," run by a self-proclaimed former Russian intelligence officer, alleged that Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest at his Moscow residence.

The report further asserted that Putin's declining health had forced him to use body doubles in public appearances. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov promptly dismissed these claims, labeling them as "fake news" and asserting that Putin was in good health.

Despite Peskov's denials, the ongoing speculation about Putin's health continues to raise questions about the actual state of Russia's leader. The most recent report from the Telegram channel painted a troubling picture of Putin's condition, suggesting that he had experienced a cardiac arrest.

However, according to the report, medics managed to resuscitate him. It also stated that Putin was "unlikely to survive until the end of the fall," a dire prognosis that has yet to be substantiated.

The use of body doubles is not a new rumor, with claims suggesting that Putin has employed them for security reasons. In response to these allegations, Putin stated in a 2020 interview that he did not use body doubles.

Nonetheless, the debate rages on, with some pointing to what they perceive as changes in Putin's appearance over the years as potential evidence of body doubles standing in for him.

Recent reports, including a Japanese TV analysis. The debate remains contentious, with conflicting information and persistent doubts, according to New York Post.

Read Also: 'Unavoidable' Rapid Ice Melt in West Antarctica Could Cause Devastating Implications for Sea Level Rise Worldwide

Vladimir Putin's Health Rumors

Putin's health rumors have intensified in the wake of the war with Ukraine, as he has appeared unsteady and weak on several occasions, leading to questions about his physical condition.

This has also sparked rumors of potential succession plans and discussions within his inner circle about the future if he were to pass away. Despite the persistent nature of these rumors and the uncertainties surrounding Putin's health, the Kremlin maintains that all is well with the Russian leader.

Peskov has consistently denied using body doubles and brushed aside concerns about Putin's health as absurd and baseless. The controversy surrounding Putin's health is not limited to speculations about his well-being; it also has implications for international relations and Russia's political landscape.

As Russia's actions on the global stage continue to shape geopolitics, doubts about Putin's health raise questions about the stability and future of the country and what impact any transition of power might have. With concrete evidence, the debate surrounding Putin's health and body doubling use will likely continue.

It remains a topic of intrigue for the international community, adding another layer of complexity to the enigmatic world of Russian politics. While the Kremlin maintains its stance, the speculation endures, leaving observers to navigate a murky landscape of rumors and uncertainty.

The actual state of Vladimir Putin's health and the presence of body doubles may remain a subject of debate for years to come as Russia's leader continues to be the center of both political intrigue and global scrutiny, Mail Online reported.

Related Article: Putin Claims US Can't Take Down Russia-In Reponse to Joe Biden's 'What If' Statement

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HA NOI  The upgrade of Viet Nam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will usher in a new era of possibilities, including improved access to cheap feedstock for Viet Nam's husbandry sector.

Viet Nam has never been self-sufficient in terms of feedstock. The country every year has to import 70 per cent of its husbandry sector's demand, mostly from Brazil, Argentina, and India. The import dependency has put farmers at the mercy of global price volatility for quite a while.

But the price vulnerability will soon be no more. After US President Joe Biden's visit to Viet Nam, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the US Grains Council had a meeting to discuss promoting bilateral trade in agriculture.

The meeting has paved the way for potential future agreements, which will facilitate the import of American corn to Viet Nam. With another source of corn unlocked, Vietnamese animal feed producers will be able to expand their pool of suppliers and get more competitive offers.

"Animal feed factories in Viet Nam will benefit greatly from the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership thanks to the improved access to the US's raw materials," said Pham Quang Anh, Director of the Vietnam Commodity News Center.

According to the Department of Livestock Production, Viet Nam imported 8.2 million tonnes of feedstock in the first six months of 2023, worth US$3.4 billion. The US remained Viet Nam's second-largest exporter of soybeans but was never among the major exports of corn to the country.

There are 269 factories of animal feed in Viet Nam to date, with a total capacity of 43.2 million tonnes per year. However, the factories are running under capacity, producing just 20.8 million tonnes annually.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, Chairman of the Animal Husbandry Association of Viet Nam, cited supply-demand imbalance as the main cause behind the factories not meeting their designed output.

He called on the Government to not incentivise the construction of new factories until 2030 to avoid overcapacity. He said if such factories are built, they should be located in areas where the potential of livestock farming has not been fully unlocked.

He also called for measures to encourage the use of alternative materials, such as seaweeds, in animal feed production to be less reliant on corn and soybean imports. He also suggested a rise in tariffs on several types of imported feedstock, such as mineral powder, to foster self-sufficiency.  VNS
HA NOI  The scale and capacity of Vietnamese supporting industry enterprises are still limited.

Data from the General Statistics Office of Viet Nam showed that the number of supporting industry enterprises nationwide currently stands at about 5,000.

Supporting industry products are sufficiently supplied domestically and exported to several markets around the world. The main export markets are Korea, Japan, China, and the US.

Currently, Vietnamese supporting industry enterprises are conscious of improving and enhancing their capabilities through training for management teams and by integrating scientific and technical advances into their production process.

Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) showed that, to date, the number of businesses participating as tier-1 vendors for multinational corporations is about 100 enterprises, while tier-2 and tier-3 vendors number about 700 businesses.

Specifically, in the electronics field, Samsung currently has about 50 businesses as tier-1 vendors and about 170 businesses as tier-2 vendors.

In the field of mechanical engineering - automobiles, there are currently about 12 businesses serving as tier-1 providers to Toyota.

Moreover, the localisation rate of our supporting industry products has improved significantly in recent years.

In the fields of textiles, garments and footwear, the localisation rate stands at about 45 - 50 per cent; mechanical manufacturing is at 15 - 20 per cent; and the automobile manufacturing and assembly sector is between 5 - 20 per cent. Notably, for some vehicle products such as trucks and passenger cars, the localisation rate is even higher.

At a recent workshop on the supporting industry, Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the MoITs Industry Agency, commented that, despite the achieved results, the supporting industry still faced certain limitations.

Supporting industry enterprises currently remained in the very low value-added segment of the supply chain, he said.

Moreover, the capacity of supporting industry enterprises was still limited, and the connection between supporting industry enterprises and FDI enterprises was not strong, he added.

Additionally, according to Nguyen Van, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Supporting Industry Association, domestic businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises lacking capital and technology, also require support in trade promotion and sales.

Consequently, the competitiveness of products is not high, many Vietnamese supporting industry products are priced high, and do not meet quality and technical compatibility requirements.

State and local management agencies, alongside industry associations, need to intervene more robustly to support businesses, using policy tools and mechanisms, to assist businesses in improving productivity and quality, thereby narrowing the gap between the requirements of multinational corporations and the capabilities of domestic manufacturing enterprises.

Regarding policy issues, Anh mentioned that the MoIT has been assigned by the Government to amend Decree No 111/2015/N-CP on supporting industry development. However, the revision process has encountered many challenges due to varying perspectives of ministries and branches on business support issues.  VNS
HA NOI  The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued new regulations to guide gold bar trading on the domestic market.

Circular 12/2023/TT-NHNN, which amends Circular 06/2013/TT-NHNN, will take effect from 27 November this year.

Under the new circular, the SBVs Department for Management of State Foreign Exchange Reserves (DMSFER) must make a written notification to the SBV's Foreign Exchange Management Department, the SBVs Finance and Accounting Department, the SBVs Central Banking Department, and the SBVs Issue and Vault Department about the results of gold bar trading transactions with each credit institution and enterprise after signing to confirm the transactions.

The SBV also amends and supplements regulations on the responsibilities of the DMSFER in gold bar trading. Specifically, the DMSFER must act as the focal agency and coordinate with the Foreign Exchange Management Department to submit to the SBVs Governor proposals on temporary suspension and cancellation of gold bar trading transactions with credit institutions and enterprises according to regulations. The department also needs to notify credit institutions and enterprises of the SBV's decision on the suspension and cancellation.

In addition, the DMSFER will also act as the focal agency and coordinate with the Central Banking Department to perform payments for trading gold bars. The department will have to make a written notification to credit institutions and enterprises about non-refund of deposits, besides notifying and updating the SBVs Banking Supervision Agency and the Foreign Exchange Management Department on the list of credit institutions and enterprises that have gold bar trading relationships with the SBV.

At the same time, the DMSFER needs to coordinate with the Foreign Exchange Management Department and the Monetary Policy Department to develop the SBVs gold bar trading plans.

Furthermore, the DMSFER must also notify the Central Banking Department about credit institutions and enterprises that violate prescribed obligations as a basis for processing deposits.

According to the current legal regulations, if licensed credit institutions or enterprises have a need to purchase gold bars from the SBV, they can submit a registration dossier to the SBV to establish trading relations. Within five working days after receiving the dossier, the SBV will inform them of their decision to establish trading relations. Gold bars will be traded either by tender or direct purchase.

Credit institutions and enterprises are allowed to appoint only one representative to participate in each gold trading with the SBV.  VNS
HA NOI  The Central Highlands Province of Lam ong is striving to accelerate exports of advantaged items such as tea, coffee, passion fruit, macadamia, avocado, durian and silk-made products to the United Kingdom.

Vice chairman of Lam ong People's Committee, Pham S, said that with existing potentials and advantages, his province enjoyed many opportunities to expand cooperation with localities in the UK, especially after the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) came into force on May 1, 2021.

He suggested localities, associations, organisations and businesses of the UK strengthen cooperation with his locality in trade, investment and tourism promotion and promote consumption of the mentioned products in this lucrative market during a seminar in the West Midlands region of the UK earlier this month.

Over the past years, the trade, investment and tourism cooperation between Lam ong Province and the UK has continuously developed.

Lam ong is now home to four valid Britain-invested projects with a total registered capital of over VN4.1 trillion (US$172.5 million), accounting for 31.7 per cent of the total foreign investment pledged in the province.

In 2022, the province exported about $7.67 million worth of goods to the UK, with major staples including coffee, vegetables, raw materials and garment products. It also spent $2.1 million on importing goods from the UK.

Last year, it welcomed nearly 5,700 British visitors. In the first nine months of this year, 4,500 British visitors arrived in the locality. This figure is expected to increase significantly soon.

For sustainable development in the integration period, Lam ong invited foreign businesses, especially those from the UK, to come to learn and invest in the advantageous areas of the province on the principle of win-win cooperation, contributing to creating a breakthrough and promoting its economy to develop quickly and sustainably, local authorities said.

They added that the province is promoting administrative reform to create breakthroughs in improving the business investment environment and accompany and resolve difficulties and problems of investors, including UK ones.  VNS
HA NOI  With more than 130km of coastline and the Dung Quat deep-water seaport, the central province of Quang Ngai holds significant potential for the development of its maritime economy.

This and much more information was presented to domestic and foreign investors in the event titled "Quang Ngai Presentation" in Ha Noi on Wednesday, co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Quang Ngai Province's People's Committee.

In her opening speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang expressed her confidence in Quang Ngai's potential for abundant development.

Hang commended the province for its strategic direction, characterising Quang Ngai as a land of opportunity that possesses the three essential elements of "favourable timing, geographic advantage, and harmonious people."

Promoting these elements, Hang believes, will garner significant attention and make Quang Ngai a priority choice for international partners in the near future, and set it up to become a development hub not only for the central region but for the entire nation.

According to Hang, MOFA will continue to support and accompany localities, including Quang Ngai, in implementing economic diplomacy to promote foreign partnerships, expand import-export markets, attract foreign direct investments (FDI), and obtain Official Development Assistance (ODA) to fuel the province's various development drivers, such as tourism, maritime economy, logistics, trade, and industrial sectors like petrochemicals, chemicals and metal production.

Chairman of the Quang Ngai People's Committee ang Van Minh later provided an overview of Quang Ngai's favourable factors at the conference.

Minh highlighted the province's strategic location in the key economic region of the central coast: the province boasts developed infrastructure, including road, waterway, railway, and air transport systems, along with a network of seven seaports.

With a dynamic and growing economy, a skilled workforce thanks to its leading universities and vocational schools, rich tourism potential, and a high-calibre leadership team dedicated to its development, Minh was confident of Quang Ngai's attractiveness to investors.

Minh also revealed that Quang Ngai has already completed its provincial development plan for the 2021-30 period with a vision towards 2050, and a general plan for building the Dung Quat Economic Zone up to 2035 with a vision until 2045.

Furthermore, aligning with the Government's development orientation for the North Central and Central Coastal regions by 2030 and 2045, the province has identified two development focal points: "Expanding and establishing a national petrochemical and energy centre in the Dung Quat Economic Zone" and "Developing a coastal and island tourism centre in Ly Son."

These priorities are expected to create numerous development opportunities for Quang Ngai and potential investors in the coming time.

During the conference, representatives from Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Hong Kong Business Association in Vietnam (HKBAV), the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, and Doosan Enerbility Vietnam Company presented their business and investment plans in the province.

In the discussion session, delegates and Quang Ngai representatives exchanged views on issues related to insurance, labour, and specific investment and business policies.

Takeo Nakajima, head of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) representative office, expressed the keen interest of Japanese businesses in expanding investments in Viet Nam. They are particularly interested in products with high added value and have a strong desire to explore opportunities related to highways, airports, seaports, industrial parks and more in Quang Ngai.

In her closing remarks, Bui Thi Quynh Van, Chairwoman of the Quang Ngai People's Council, expressed her confidence that with the province's dedication and determination, the conference will open up various prospects for cooperation which will attract substantial investment resources to jointly create new successes and prosperity for the locality, community and businesses.

At the event, an exhibition space for Quang Ngai was also available for delegates, with nine exhibitions featuring the landscape and achievements of the province.

Moreover, memoranda of understanding were signed between the Department of Planning and Investment of Quang Ngai Province and the Hong Kong Business Association in Viet Nam (HKBAV), as well as between the Management Board of the Dung Quat Economic Zone and industrial parks of Quang Ngai Province, and the Investment Information and Advisory Center (INVEST GLOBAL) under the Association of Foreign-Invested Enterprises (VAFIE).  VNS
HCM CITY  The 21st Vietnam International Textile and Garment Industry Exhibition opened in HCM City on Wednesday to showcase the latest technologies, machinery and equipment, materials, and solutions.

The expo, VTG 2023, has attracted more than 500 exhibitors from 12 countries and territories, including Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong (China), India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Despite the multiple challenges faced by Viet Nams textile industry in the first half of this year, this is the pivotal moment to proactively undertake a factory quality assessment, conduct a comprehensive examination of production lines and management mechanisms, and leverage the implementation of digital tools to enhance overall efficiency and cost reduction, ultimately turning this crisis into an opportunity, Judy Wang, president of Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service, one of the organisers, said.

Given the acute labour shortage in recent years, Viet Nams textile industry is progressively embracing automation and digital manufacturing.

Renowned international textile machinery manufacturers have been invited to demonstrate their cutting-edge automation technologies.

The shift towards smart factory practices has become a central focus in line with Viet Nams strong commitment to digital transformation.

The exhibition highlights several well-established companies making substantial contributions to digitising textile production facilities.

Given that the domestic production capacity only meets 25 per cent of fabric demand, the textile sector heavily relies on imports, and this has garnered the attention of manufacturers in countries such as India, South Korea and China, who are showcasing their offerings at the event.

This year many international exhibitors are onsite to present environment-friendly dyeing products.

The International Textile and Apparel Accessories Exhibition, the International Dyeing and Chemicals Industry Exhibition, and the International Footwear Machinery and Material Exhibition are also being held simultaneously, all at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7.

Organised by the National Trade Fair & Advertising Company (VINEXAD) and Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co., Ltd, the expos will run until October 28.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese shares ended Wednesday on a negative note after foreign investors extended their net selling streak, further dampening investor sentiment.

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index lost 0.38 per cent, to close Wednesday at 1,101.66 points. The market's breadth was negative with 190 stocks increasing while 274 stocks declining.

The market liquidity stayed low as domestic investors poured over VN11 trillion (US$447.7 million) into the southern market, equivalent to a trading volume of nearly 539 million shares.

Foreign investors net sold VN557 billion on HOSE, including Vingroup (VIC) with VN91 billion, Petrovietnam Ca Mau Fertiliser JSC (DCM) with VN68 billion and SSI Securities Incorporation (SSI) with VN55 billion. They were net sellers on the HNX with a value of VN25 billion.

The VN30-Index dropped 0.34 per cent to 1,113.32 points. Of the VN30 basket, eight stocks rose while 20 slid and two stayed unchanged.

In the VN30 basket, worst performers included banking stocks, which fell and put great pressure on the overall market, including Sai Gon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (STB), Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB), Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), Military Bank (MBB) and Vietinbank (CTG), VPBank (VPB), Techcombank (TCB), Tien Phong Bank (TPB) and Lien Viet Post Bank (LPB).

"Market continues to recover to retest the MA line (200) of VN-Index, area 1,113 points, which the market has lost recently. Given the cash flow situation not clearly improving and pressure from the MA(200) area, it is expected that the recovery pace will slow down in this area and supply may put pressure back on the market in the near future," said Viet Dragon Securities Co.

"Therefore, investors need to observe supply and demand developments in the MA(200) region to reassess the state of the market. Temporarily, it is still necessary to consider the market's recovery ability to restructure the portfolio in a way that minimises risks," it said.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index lost 0.83 per cent to close Wednesday at 227.01 points.

During the trading session, nearly 72 million shares were traded on the northern bourse, worth over VN1.35 trillion.  VNS
Participating in carbon credit trading to reduce emissions will contribute to improving the lives and livelihoods of ethnic minority communities. Viet Nam News reporter Tran To Nhu spoke with Tran Quang Bao, director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Department of Forestry, about this issue.

Could you provide specific information about the results of carbon credit trading in the carbon market that Viet Nam has implemented?

In line with the Government's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the forestry sector has advised the Government to engage in international initiatives and programmes aimed at reducing emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation.

In pursuit of this goal, we have established and implemented agreements and negotiations for the transfer of forest carbon credits for regions with potential for forest restoration and increased carbon sequestration.

Currently, Viet Nam has signed an Emission Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA) with the World Bank for six localities in the north central region, in line with a REDD+ carbon credit transaction. This agreement covers the transfer of 10.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent at a price of US$5 per ton, and 95 per cent of this volume will be counted towards Viet Nam's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

As of now, the legal procedures and preparations are in place, and the World Bank has already disbursed 80 per cent of the total budget, which is equivalent to $41.2 million, to Viet Nam.

Regarding the south central and central highlands regions, during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), under the Prime Minister's witness, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Director of the Organisation for Forest Financial Enhancement (EMERGENT) signed a Letter of Intent on emissions reduction. This serves as the basis for formal negotiations, signing, and the implementation of a forest carbon credit purchase agreement for 11 localities in the south central and central highlands regions.

According to this Letter of Intent, Viet Nam is expected to transfer 5.15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions from forests in the south central and central highlands regions for the period of 2022-2026, at a minimum price of $10 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. All transferred carbon credits will be counted towards Viet Nam's NDC.

Since signing the Letter of Intent, the Department of Forestry has closely cooperated with EMERGENT to advance the Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalitions initiative and ensure its progress.

Viet Nam is one of the pioneering countries to engage in this commitment. Currently, EMERGENT has visited Viet Nam to conduct workshops and on-site consultations in the north central and central highland regions.

After these workshops and field trips to different regions, including consultations with relevant parties and particularly ethnic minority communities in forested areas, formal negotiations and the implementation of emissions reduction measures will follow.

Based on the results of monitoring emissions reduction from 2021 to 2025, and considering additional emissions reductions, negotiations will continue at market-based rates.

A positive aspect of the negotiation with this organisation is that Viet Nam will receive a 100 per cent reimbursement for all transferred carbon credits purchased by businesses and countries that have committed to buying them. This reflects Viet Nam's proactive approach to fulfilling international commitments, mobilising financial resources outside the budget, and supporting ethnic minority communities, especially those directly involved in forest protection and the vital role that tropical forests play in biodiversity conservation, disaster risk reduction, and environmental protection in mountainous and remote areas.

In addition to the north central and central highland regions, the organisations are also showing interest in other forest types such as mangroves and lowland forests in the northern midlands and mountainous region.

The Department of Forestry will continue to advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to support the Prime Minister in developing a plan for transferring emissions reductions that ensures national interests in fulfilling the Government's commitment to reducing emissions and mobilising financial resources to support forest protection and development in the near future.

Could you share about the fund for the 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions in the north central region? How will the disbursement plan be implemented?

At present, the World Bank has already transferred 80 per cent of the funds to the Viet Nam Forest Protection and Development Fund, which amounts to approximately $41.2 million.

Currently, local authorities are opening accounts to receive the funds and developing plans to share benefits in accordance with the financial management trial agreement and the transfer of emissions reduction results.

The majority of the funds will be directly disbursed to forest owners, especially the communities actively involved in forest development and livelihood support for ethnic minority populations, in accordance with the commitments and negotiation agreements signed by the World Bank with international organisations.

We hope that the proper, sufficient, and timely disbursement of these funds will provide a source of motivation for the communities directly involved in forest conservation.

So, up to this point, has Viet Nam sold more than 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions?

For the agreements in the north central, south central and central highland regions, international negotiation organisations typically estimate figures based on the reference period for emissions reduction scenarios.

Through calculations, in the north central region, we expected to transfer 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions in three phases. However, in just the initial phase (2018-2019), we already exceeded the 10 million tonnes, so there is expected to be an excess amount.

This is similar in the south central and central highlands region. According to the Letter of Intent, it's 5.15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions. However, after independent auditing reports from international organisations, there is expected to be an excess amount.

With the excess amount, once specific reporting figures are available, the Department of Forestry will provide detailed reports to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Prime Minister to request permission to negotiate and continue the transfer of these emissions reductions, ensuring maximum disbursement for Viet Nam and the fulfilment of emissions reduction commitments, as well as the best interests in the global carbon market transactions.

The 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions is quite modest compared to Viet Nam's potential. How do you assess the possibility of increasing this figure in the future?

Based on preliminary estimates through forest resource monitoring cycles across the country, every year, Viet Nam's emissions reductions through improved forest quality could reach nearly 80 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. After accounting for the emissions reduction commitments for each region, we could have a surplus of approximately 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which we can participate in the international carbon credit market.

However, converting forest carbon sequestration into tradable carbon credits to mobilise financial resources will be a long process. We've currently completed the first step, which is the transfer of emissions reduction results and the conversion of carbon sequestration into internationally tradable carbon credits.

The next phase involves implementing agreements in the south central and central highland regions through transfers with the EMERGENT, following the TREES credits and potential international market transactions.

Furthermore, in other potential regions, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to advise the Government to ensure the interests of local authorities and forest owners while adhering to international standards and regulations.  VNS
(Photo : Leon Neal/Getty Images)

TEL AVIV ISRAEL - OCTOBER 25: Soft teddy bears with their eyes covered and showing signs of injury are displayed to highlight the young children and babies currently missing, believed to be being held hostage, by Hamas, on October 25, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. As Israel seems poised to invade the Gaza Strip in its campaign to vanquish Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that launched a deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7th, worries are growing of a wider war with multiple fronts, including at the country's northern border with Lebanon. Countries have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from Israel, and Israel has begun relocating residents some communities on its northern border. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of residents of northern Gaza have fled to the southern part of the territory, following Israel's vow to launch a ground invasion.

A Hamas terrorist reportedly made a boastful claim to his parents about personally killing 10 Jews. This alleged conversation occurred as he used one of his victims' phones.

The recording, made public Tuesday afternoon by the IDF, was recorded after the operative called his father from the phone of a murdered Israeli woman, as per New York Post.

Hamas Teorrorist Admits Killing 10 Jews

It has been alleged that the son of the individual in question has been involved in a tragic incident involving individuals of Jewish descent. In a chilling exchange, the terrorist proudly shares his actions with his father while the elder repeatedly interjects with fervent exclamations of "Allahu Akhbar!"

"I killed ten, Dad!Ten! I've made ten with my own hands. The terrorist screams, Their blood is on their hands!" as he demands that his father transfer the phone to his mother so she can spread the news.

After witnessing her son confess to murdering ten civilians, his mother expresses only affirmation. "May God bring you home safely," the woman wishes for the man. As another male enters the conversation, the details are rehashed celebratory.

The statement made by that person caused him to seek further clarification. The individual in question, identified as a terrorist, responded affirmatively to the query. In a defiant response, the terrorist rejects his brother's plea to return home.

On Monday, the IDF screened nearly an hour's worth of grisly first-hand footage of the October 7 atrocities at a military base north of Tel Aviv for Israeli media. An Israeli major general supervising the proceedings told journalists, "You should be aware of the information we shared with you."

Graeme Wood, a journalist at the "grisly matinee screening," wrote an article for the Atlantic discussing the content of the shared videos despite the prohibition on recording them, according to Mail Online.

Read Also: China's Top Pharmaceutical Firms Use Endangered Animal Parts, Report Claims

Israel's Disturbing Atrocity Footage

Some of the clips had already been circulating on social media in a shortened or censored format, where the footage was intentionally cut off just before showing beheadings and moments of death.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently held a screening for the media in Israel, showcasing nearly an hour of disturbing footage depicting the atrocities that occurred on October 7. The incident took place at a military base located north of Tel Aviv.

In a recent press conference, an Israeli general overseeing the proceedings made a statement to journalists, emphasizing the importance of the information shared with them. The general urged the journalists to be aware of the details provided.

In a recent statement, a soldier clarified that their intention is not to harm children. The soldier emphasized that their objective does not involve violence towards children. The Atlantic journalist Graeme Wood provided an insightful analysis of the videos shared during a particularly disturbing matinee screening.

Despite the strict prohibition on recording devices, Wood shed light on the nature of these videos. Recently, specific video clips have gained attention on social media platforms. These clips, however, have been circulating in a modified manner, with certain parts removed or shortened.

Specifically, the footage is carefully edited to end just before the gruesome scenes of beheadings and instances of death. The decision to trim the clips has been endorsed after carefully considering their raw and cut forms and, in a recent statement, expressed their strong desire to never come across any additional footage in the future.

The sentiment reflects their aversion to supplementary content, suggesting a negative experience associated with such material, MSN reported.

Related Article: Israel-Hamas War Update: 37 Hamas Terrorists Arrested in West Bank; Third Aid Convoy Enters Gaza

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HA NOI  Viet Nam and Australia are in strong agreement on the key fundamentals of the future of both countries, despite different directions in the approach to geopolitical issues.

That was the message from the Australian ambassador to Viet Nam, Andrew Goledzinowski, speaking at an international conference in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

Titled 50 years of Viet Nam-Australia Relations: Retrospect and Prospect, the event gathered experts, diplomats and officials to evaluate the bilateral relations and propose solutions to further advance the positive ties in maintaining peace, stability and growth in the Indo-Pacific region.

We cannot imagine an Indo-Pacific which is peaceful, prosperous, independent and sovereign without at its heart a peaceful, prosperous, independent, sovereign Viet Nam, said Ambassador Goledzinowski, noting that Viet Nams accomplishments are essential to the success of the region.

I think we are in strong agreement upon the key fundamentals of our future, and that is our future in this region is underpinned by the rule of law of prosperity, independence and sovereignty, he added.

Dr Ta Minh Tuan, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) - one of the conferences organisers said in his address to the event: The two countries have recognised their mutual importance in each others security, economy and foreign policies.

"In the field of security, Australias important role and active involvement in many issues in many regional issues, including those related to East Asia and the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issues, have contributed to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, ensuring the freedom of navigation and overflight in this area."

Over the past 50 years, the two countries have gone from wartime adversaries with embargoes to being important trade partners, said Dr Carlyle Thayer, Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

There are also significant developments in diplomatic and regional engagement, he added.

The two countries have become important economic partners over the span of just more than 20 years from 1991 to 2022, with bilateral trade growing rapidly from US$60 million to more than $15.7 billion.

Viet Nam currently is the tenth largest trading partner of Australia.

Australia, in addition to being Viet Nams seventh largest trading partner, is also a leading provider of development aid for the Asian countrys socio-economic growth.

With shared perspectives on maritime security and freedom of navigation and the role of international laws in this matter, Viet Nam and Australia have also seen significant progress in defence cooperation, said Major General Nguyen Hong Quan, former deputy director of Viet Nams Institute for Defence Strategy.

Multiple bilateral agreements have been made for national defence and peacekeeping operations, notably the Australia-Viet Nam Declaration on Joint Visions for Enhancing Defence Cooperation signed in 2018.

Australia is also one of a few countries that provide training for Vietnamese military officers, with approximately 3,000 graduates from the cooperation programme with the Australian Department of Defence, Major General Quan said.

In addition to high-level visits and annual dialogues, the Australian and Vietnamese defence forces have also been enhancing cooperation in various aspects, including army and air force training, maritime security, border control, and military medicine, particularly in treating malaria and dengue fever.

Major General Quan recommended that Viet Nam-Australia ties needed to evolve to be more profound and practical through the signed agreements and established cooperation mechanisms, such as the ASEAN-Plus Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM+) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

In addition to expertise and language exchanges, the two countries can also support each other in cyber security, search and rescue operations, peacekeeping missions and military medicine, said the Vietnamese officer.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam Pauline Tamesis in Ha Noi on October 24, on the occasion of the 78th founding anniversary of the UN.

Reflecting on the process of recovering and healing the wounds of war, leaving the past behind, and looking toward the future, the PM stressed that Viet Nam treasures peace and consistently pursues an independent and self-reliant foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification, and being a trusted friend, reliable partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community; along with a four-nos defence policy.

The Government leader affirmed Viet Nam's strong and consistent support for multilateralism with the UN playing the central role and with global, comprehensive, and all-encompassing solutions that advocate dialogue and cooperation, promote international solidarity, adhere to the UN Charter and international law, and place people at the centre. Viet Nam is ready to share its experiences, actively contribute more to the UNs common work and the settlement of major global issues for the sake of peace, security, cooperation, and sustainable development worldwide.

The PM noted that the vision of the UN as stated in its Charter aligns perfectly with Viet Nam's development direction. He stressed that the UN has been a reliable, long-term friend of Viet Nam, and that Viet Nam always remembers the organisations invaluable support over the past four decades and makes efforts to contribute to the UN activities. Most recently, Viet Nam has successfully held the position of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and the Vice President of the UN General Assemblys 77th session, while increasing its contributions to UN peacekeeping operations.

Chinh said to contribute to global food security, Viet Nam can export around 7.5 million tonnes of rice this year, and is actively participating in the implementation of the UN Secretary-General's initiative on sustainable food systems transformation.

Host and guest discussed specific focal points of the cooperation between Viet Nam and the UN development system in the near future, especially in helping the Southeast Asian nation successfully realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), respond to climate change, particularly in its Mekong Delta, and implement the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

PM Chinh said Viet Nam is exerting efforts to realise the Sustainable Development Goals on the basis of its self-reliance and resilience along with support from the international community, including the UN.

Viet Nam always treasures and listens to policy advice from UN organisations so as to perfect regulations, train human resources, and improve the national governance capacity, he affirmed, calling on the organisations to continue giving advice.

He said the Government will push ahead with and provide the best possible conditions for the UNs cooperation programmes and projects to be caried out fruitfully.

The Government leader asked both sides to keep coordination to review and deal with difficulties and obstacles to the programmes and projects in a manner that simplifies procedures, harmonises the relevant parties rules and plans, follows the assistance use orientations, focuses on the key and situation-changing projects, and ensures harmonious interests among all sides.

He also suggested the UN share the difficulties and challenges facing Viet Nam, which used to undergo years of war and embargo and is currently a developing country whose economy is in the transition process.

The UN Resident Coordinator and chief representatives of UN organisations applauded Viet Nam's proactiveness, dynamism, and active contributions to the UN as well as common works of the international community, especially food security safeguarding and peacekeeping.

They highly valued the countrys orientations, commitments, efforts, and development achievements over more than 35 years of reforms, particularly in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, social security ensuring, COVID-19 combat, post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development, HIV/AIDS prevention and control, education and training universalisation and quality improvement, human resources training, the protection of women and workers rights and interests, environmental protection, heritage preservation, and transnational crime fight.

They gave some recommendations and cooperation proposals while affirming the commitment to stronger and more effective cooperation with Viet Nam.

UN Resident Coordinator Pauline Tamesis stated that the UN is very proud to accompany Viet Nam throughout the journey from a war-torn, embargoed, and famine-threatened country to a one that has guaranteed food security for its people, obtained various achievements in poverty reduction and economic growth, and is affirming its role in the region and the world as seen in its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, membership of the UN Human Rights Council, and substantial contributions to peacekeeping operations.

The UN appreciates Viet Nam's viewpoint of upholding multilateralism, she noted, considering this as a demonstration of the shared commitment to peace, development, centering on people, happiness, prosperity, and cooperation  the pillars of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, she said.

The UNs efforts in Viet Nam also aim to help with local socio-economic development and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, Tamesis continued.

PM Chinh appreciated the recommendations and assigned ministries and sectors to take in the opinions during the making and enforcement of policies in the coming time.  VNS
HA NOI  Argentinian Ambassador to Viet Nam Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino has expressed his hope that bilateral relationship between the two countries will thrive in the future.

He made the remarks during a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

Fifty years ago, Argentina was one of the first countries in Latin America to establish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam, following the signing of the Paris Agreement in 1973, the ambassador told the VNA on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (October 25, 1973).

He stressed that since then, Viet Nam has become an important partner of Argentina in Southeast Asia thanks to the reciprocity of their economies, good political relations, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The two countries opening of their embassies in respective capital cities in the 1990s, along with frequent high-level visits, has provided strong momentum to promote their political, economic, and cultural ties, the ambassador continued.

Notably, after the two countries elevated their relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2010, bilateral ties have seen significant and positive developments across many spheres, he said, stressing that the good relations have been maintained in all the three pillars of political dialogue, trade, and technical cooperation.

Regarding the political dialogue, Beltramino recalled the exchange of visits by high-ranking leaders of the two countries since 1997, with the latest official visit to Argentina by National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue in April 2023.

The two countries have also established a number of cooperation/consultation mechanisms and signed many agreements that serve as the foundation for them to strengthen their comprehensive cooperation, he said.

For the bilateral trade ties, the ambassador said the revenue has grown 700 per cent within 10 years, and that ministries and agencies of both sides have enhanced collaboration in traditional areas while expanding it in such new fields as energy and mining.

The two countries have achieved fruitful technical cooperation over the past two decades, with 15 joint projects rolled out in various sectors, including agriculture, where both has strength, he went on.

Beltramino stressed that last year, Viet Nam was Argentina's sixth-largest trade partner and the fifth-largest export market globally, and also a key partner in Argentina's South-South cooperation in Southeast Asia. At the same time, Argentina was Viet Nam's third-largest trade partner in Latin America.

Argentina stands ready to diversify its exports to meet Viet Nams demand and, in return, Viet Nam offers a range of high-quality goods such as technology, textiles-garments, and footwear, to the South American market, he said, adding that ample room remains for the two sides to step up the trade ties, for sustainable development of both nations.

Pointing to the current global challenges, the diplomat hailed the two countries past mutual support and suggested they continue working together to seek solutions to global issues.

About the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties, the ambassador recalled political and cultural events since April, noting that more activities will be held in the time ahead.  VNS
HA NOI  The citizen identification law will change its name to the Law on Identification to include both Vietnamese nationals and people of Vietnamese origin residing in the country.

The majority of the National Assembly (NA) reached this agreement at the meeting on Wednesday.

The change means the law can also be extended to migrants at the borders and foreigners settling in the country, said NA Deputy Vo Manh Son from Thanh Hoa Province.

The adjustment aims to align with new management methods in the digital era and the development of e-government and e-society, said Le Tan Toi, head of the NA Committee on Defence and Security.

The "citizen identification card" will now be called "identification card" accordingly. Citizens will see no additional costs or procedures resulting from these changes.

NA Deputy Nguyen Phuong Thuy from Ha Noi agrees that people of Vietnamese origin whose nationality is not determined need identification certifications issued to them, as per the draft law, for better and more comprehensive management.

She also suggested extending the certificate eligibility for all people of unknown nationality residing in Viet Nam, which will also allow them to participate in civil transactions and benefit from essential public services.

According to the draft law, a persons fingerprint images will only be stored in the database and removed from the ID card to protect privacy.

During civil transactions or administrative procedures, identification data can be accessed via the QR code and the electronic chip on the card.

Many NA deputies believe that these changes mean more convenience, minimising cases where ID cards have to be re-issued and protecting peoples information.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provinces NA Deputy Huynh Thi Phuc highlighted cybersecurity concerning the infrastructure and information system of the national population and identification databases to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

Vote of confidence

The NA on Wednesday afternoon also passed a resolution certifying the vote of confidence results for positions elected or approved by the assembly, with 470 votes in favour out of the total 472 (95.14 per cent).

NA Chairman Vuong inh Hue said: This is the result of a fast, meticulous, stringent and highly responsible preparation process of the NA Standing Committee, relevant departments and those participating in the votes."

The top legislator received 437 high confidence votes (90.85 per cent), 32 confidence votes (6.65 per cent) and 11 low confidence votes (2.29 per cent).

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan received 410 high confidence votes (85.24 per cent), 65 confidence votes (13.51 per cent) and six low confidence votes (1.25 per cent).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received 373 high confidence votes (77.55 per cent), 90 confidence votes (18.71 per cent) and 17 low confidence votes (3.53 per cent).

Deputy PM Le Minh Khai received 384 high confidence votes (79.83 per cent), 90 confidence votes (18.71 per cent) and six low confidence votes (1.25 per cent).

Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang has the most "high confidence" votes at 448 (93.14 per cent), followed by NA Chairman Hue.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son and Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh at saw the most low confidence votes, respectively at 72 votes (14.97 per cent) and 71 votes (14.76 per cent).  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam and Lithuania are looking forward to amping up economic cooperation to diversify the countries supply chains, as discussed in the talks between Vietnamese foreign minister Bui Thanh Son and his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis on Wednesday.

This is the first official visit by a Lithuanian foreign minister to Viet Nam since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992.

Minister Landsbergis said that Lithuania always treasures its relations with Viet Nam, one of its partners of priority in Southeast Asia.

Minister Son also said that Viet Nam hoped to strengthen cooperation in all aspects with Lithuania, a long-term economic partner of the country in central and eastern Europe.

The two foreign ministers also agreed on measures to promote bilateral collaboration, such as high-level delegation exchanges, political consultation mechanisms and cooperation agreements between the two foreign ministries.

The two leaders expressed hope that the two countries will support and coordinate with each other on multilateral and international forums such as the United Nations (UN), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and within the framework of the ASEAN-EU relations.

Minister Son also expressed his gratitude towards Lithuania for its active support to Viet Nam during the negotiations and signing of the European Union-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Lithuania is also one of the first European Union members to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

The Vietnamese diplomat also requested Lithuania to recognise Viet Nams efforts in implementing the European Commissions recommendations on sustainable development of the fishery industry, and support the removal of the yellow card for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Vietnamese seafood products.

Minister Landsbergis asked that Viet Nam facilitate the access of Lithuanian agricultural products, including meat, poultry, eggs and fertilisers, into the Vietnamese market, which is considered one of the most potentials in Southeast Asia.

The two officials also agreed on stronger cooperation in advanced technology, education and training, culture and tourism.

Minister Son also asked for the Lithuanian government support to the Vietnamese community in the European country, noting that this group plays a positive role in socio-economic development and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual interests, the two foreign ministers highlighted the importance of addressing disputes through peaceful means and based on international laws, especially the UN Charter.

Lithuanian foreign minister Landsbergis also attends the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum in Ha Noi from October 25-26.  VNS
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuong on Wednesday signed a decision ratifying the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between Viet Nam and Argentina, as recently proposed by the Government.

Viet Nam and Argentina established diplomatic ties on October 25, 1973 and upgraded bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2010. Their relations have developed fruitfully and recorded important achievements across a variety of fields over the five decades.

The agreement is expected to contribute to further promoting comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, bringing positive impacts in many areas.

The ratification of the agreement helps agencies monitor cross-border and transnational crimes.

This is an important legal basis for law enforcement agencies to coordinate in investigating, collecting evidence, and conducting procedural proceedings to thoroughly resolve criminal cases in both countries.

It also helps to prevent and combat crimes and better protects the legitimate rights and interests of citizens from both countries.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam and Thailand is expected to reach US$25 billion in trade turnover, removing trade barriers and facilitate goods transport between the two countries.

Thailand is Viet Nams largest trading partner in ASEAN and the ninth largest foreign investor into Viet Nam.

The topic was discussed at talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and foreign affairs minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara during the latters official visit to Viet Nam on Wednesday.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Praising Viet Nams socio-economic achievements, the Thai official believed that the two economies have room for further cooperation, adding that Thailand sees Viet Nam as one of the key partners in the region.

PM Chinh also expressed his pleasure that the strategic partnership is strengthened, especially through high-level delegation exchanges and bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

He also suggested the two sides maintain joint committee meetings on bilateral cooperation, as well as the implementation of the action plan for enhanced strategic partnership for 2022-2027.

The two countries should also promote trade and investment, particularly the initiatives of three connections between the supply chains; between industries, localities and businesses; between sustainable and green growth strategies; as well as new areas such as digital transformation and green energy, said the Vietnamese Government leader.

Deputy PM, foreign minister Bahiddha-Nukara said that Thai companies believe in the potential of the investment environment in Viet Nam and hope to expand their operations.

He asked that the Vietnamese Government continue supporting Thai investors in realising projects across Viet Nam, including those in the energy sector.

The Deputy PM added that the Thai government facilitates the operations of foreign businesses, including those from Viet Nam, in their investments in Thailand.

The Thai official also said that Thailand will coordinate more closely with Viet Nam in regional and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Mekong Subregion and the sustainable use and management of water sources in this area.

Thailand will continue to work with Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries in the spirit of solidarity, promoting the central role and stance of ASEAN in important issues, such as the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issues.

PM Chinh also asked that the Thai government create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Thailand, and welcomed the increased flights between the two countries for better economic, cultural, tourism cooperation and people exchanges.

He also sent regards on behalf of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue to the King, Prime Minister and leaders of Thailand.

PM Chinh also extended his invitation to the Thai Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Viet Nam and co-chair the fourth Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Cabinet Meeting in 2024.  VNS
HA NOI - A crackdown on driving under the influence of alcohol found 232 violations by officials, public servants, or civil servants.

From August 30 to October 15, six task forces led by the Ministry of Public Security, through the Traffic Police Department, cooperated with local traffic police departments and district-level police to focus on monitoring and addressing the issue of drivers participating in traffic with alcohol or drug levels in their breath, overloading and other violations.

As a result, 6,391 cases of violations of traffic order and safety, which included 1,202 cars, 5,160 motorcycles, 28 electric motorcycles, and a three-wheeler were detected and handed over to local police for processing.

Among these cases, 6,119 cases were related to exceeding the legal alcohol limit. There were 46 cases not complying with the requirement for alcohol level testing. Additionally, 32 cases involved individuals who had traces of drugs in their bodies, 12 cases violated cargo weight and dimensions regulations, and 187 cases involved other violations. Notably, through verification, 232 cases were found involving individuals who were officials, public servants, or civil servants.

During the inspection and handling of alcohol limit violations, the task forces discovered, documented, and handed over eight cases and nine individuals to local law enforcement for investigation. Among these cases, three cases and four individuals were related to the illegal possession and use of narcotics.

There were three individuals related to obstructing public officials in the performance of their duties in Hai Duong, Bac Giang, and Hai Phong, and two individuals were linked to the forging and use of seals and documents.

The task forces have transferred 37 cases to the Criminal Investigation Police to investigate and process.

In Bac Giang province, the task forces found and handed over 436 cases for local processing. Of these, 399 cases exceeded the legal alcohol limit, four cases did not comply with alcohol level testing requirements, one case involved the use of drugs and 32 cases were related to other violations. Through rapid verification, 19 cases involved officials, public servants, or civil servants.

Some localities have concentrated their efforts on controlling alcohol limit violations effectively, such as Thua Thien - Hue, Yen Bai, Binh Thuan, Gia Lai, Quang Nam, and Ha Tinh.

According to the assessment of the Traffic Police Department, the process of sending violation notices to agencies and units for individuals who have violated the law has created a profound change in the awareness of the general public and organisational agencies.

As a result, a culture of law enforcement regarding traffic has been established, and all individuals are treated equally, with no exceptions.

In the future, the Traffic Police Department will seek the guidance of the Ministry of Public Security to continue sending violation notices of officials, party members, and civil servants to agencies and units for strict processing.

At the same time, the Traffic Police Department has issued instructions to police units and localities to strengthen patrolling and monitoring efforts, and take decisive action to cultivate the habit and culture of "No Drinking and Driving." The handling of violations must be thorough, without evasion, with a spirit of upholding the law, and with no exceptions. VNS
HA NOI  The health ministry has formally reclassified COVID-19 from Class A to Class B. This means daily case reporting will cease and free treatment will no longer be provided, although wearing masks continues to be advised.

According to the latest decision by the Government and the Ministry of Health, as of October 20, COVID-19 is no longer part of the group of extremely dangerous infectious diseases with the potential for rapid transmission, widespread distribution, and a high death rate or unclear pathogens (which include polio, influenza A-H5N1, plague, smallpox, Ebola, Lassa and Marburg hemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, yellow fever and cholera, etc), but has officially been reclassified as a disease in Class B, which is a group of dangerous infectious diseases with the potential for rapid transmission and the possibility of causing death (including HIV/AIDS, influenza, rabies, pulmonary tuberculosis, dengue, hand-foot-mouth disease, measles, etc.)

Explaining this adjustment, Professor, Doctor Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the health ministry, said that the reclassification decision was based on a comparison of the regulations in the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and the practical development of the epidemic in Viet Nam.

The data showed that COVID-19 no longer met the criteria for a highly contagious disease in group A.

In 2023, the number of COVID-19 cases decreased by 82 times compared to 2022, and the death rate among those infected is 0.022 per cent, which is nearly 100 times lower than in 2021, when the country witnessed severe outbreaks while vaccination rates lagged until the latter months of the year.

The pathogen of COVID-19 has been clearly identified as the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

COVID-19, therefore, now meets the criteria for a dangerous infectious disease in group B as defined in Article 3, Section 1 of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, according to the doctor.

However, the medical official cautioned that the virus was still continuing to mutate, so monitoring of the disease must continue. Furthermore, surveillance of COVID-19 should be integrated into the monitoring system for respiratory pathogens and other infectious diseases.

Regular risk assessments should be conducted, and corresponding response measures should be implemented to prevent and control outbreaks at different risk levels.

Tran ac Phu, senior expert of the Viet Nam Public Health Emergency Operation Centre, said with the new classification, there would also no longer be a need for daily COVID-19 figure reporting. The reporting would be done in line with protocol for Class B diseases.

He also noted that the reclassification was now mostly just a procedural issue, as life had completely returned to pre-pandemic norms with no restrictions left.

Masks still recommended

Despite the downgrade, Lan said since there were still many other infectious diseases besides COVID-19, people should continue wearing masks in public and crowded places to protect themselves from other types of infections.

Individuals who have COVID-19 should wear masks for 10 days from the onset of the illness, and those caring for COVID-19 patients, even at home, should also wear masks.

Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Examination and Treatment Management under the health ministry, also advised that people and healthcare workers should continue wearing masks at healthcare facilities because, apart from COVID-19, there are other disease-causing agents that can be avoided by wearing masks.

There is currently no regulation regarding mask removal at healthcare facilities.

He also said that the treatment regime for COVID-19 was still being maintained in accordance with the latest guidelines issued by the health ministry in June 2023. This protocol has been updated with treatment recommendations and patient management plans to adapt to the evolving situation.

According to Khoa, most COVID-19 field hospitals across the country have been dismantled. The one built in Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi, under the management of the Ha Noi Medical University Hospital, is being considered to be repurposed to receive normal patients as per the hospital's request. The No.13 field hospital in Binh Chanh, HCM City, is still active and ready to receive COVID-19 patients in case of pandemic resurgence or new variations, but after consideration of the COVID-19 situation, the health ministry and the HCM City's health department will also consider dissolution or conversion of the hospital's purposes.

Regarding COVID-19 vaccination, Lan noted that the vaccination programme needed to continue to be monitored.

There is currently no recommendation for annual COVID-19 vaccination. However, in the future, depending on the actual situation, the World Health Organization may issue new recommendations.

According to the plan for 2023, COVID-19 vaccines are still administered free of charge, and in the following years, new recommendations may be made by the health ministry based on real-life developments.

Treatment costs

Regarding the payment of COVID-19 treatment costs, Phan Van Toan, Deputy Head of the Health Insurance Department under the health ministry, said that hospital fees would be calculated in two ways.

For the patients who were admitted to the hospital for treatment before October 19, or before the day of the COVID-19 reclassification, the State budget would cover the costs of treatments.

Patients who are hospitalised for COVID-19 examination and treatment from October 20 onwards would have their health insurance cover part of the expenses, and the patients would also pay part of the cost. Patients who do not have health insurance would be responsible for the entire cost.

Patients seeking COVID-19 examination and treatment should adhere to the regulations. Patients who seek care at the appropriate healthcare facilities would be entitled to full health insurance benefits as stipulated by the health insurance law.

If patients seek care at healthcare facilities that are not the designated providers, they would receive less support or might not receive any support, Toan said.  VNS
HA NOI  Increasing migrant trends are calling for new solutions to ensure migrants rights and well-being, particularly for women, said experts at an international scientific conference on migration in social integration.

Scholars and professionals from Viet Nam, South Korea, Thailand and China gathered on Tuesday at the Viet Nam Womens' Academy (VWA) in Ha Noi to share their findings from migration studies, especially in regard to gender issues, health care and social protection.

Hosted by the VWA and the South Korean Chonnam National University, the event aimed at solutions that mitigate the downside of migration and enhance migrants adaptation during the social integration process, thereby promoting gender equality and sustainable development.

In the opening remarks to the conference, the VWA President Dr Tran Quang Tien said that migration has been contributing to socio-economic development, balancing labour distributions and promoting international exchanges and technology transfer.

According to a 2022 report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of international migrants has been on the rise for the past five decades.

As of 2020, the world counted approximately 281 million migrants, equivalent to 3.6 per cent of the global population.

This figure is 128 million more than in 1990, and over three times the estimated number in 1970, said the report.

Migration is also changing gender roles in the family, as migrant workers play an increasingly important role in the familys livelihoods, financial and income improvements, he added.

The shift in dividing household chores has been found to have positive impacts on the relationships among family members, said Dr Tien.

However, there are multiple issues that need more in-depth studies, such as social welfare, safety in labour and in the migration process, he noted.

According to a study on gender and migration by Dr ang Nguyen Anh of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Viet Nam placed second in Southeast Asia in terms of international migration.

With women accounting for 55.5 per cent of domestic migrants and 52 per cent of international migrants, the study also noted that there has also been a feminisation of migration which reflects the shift in gender norms and womens roles.

The study pointed out that gender also affects the decision-making process of migrating, residing and even returning, yet this factor has not received adequate attention from migration studies.

Another study by Dr Truong Thuy Hang of VWA pointed out that migration networks play an important role in social integration, both in the destination countries and when migrant workers decide to return to their homeland.

However, even with the increase in knowledge, skills and financial capacity, those who return might encounter challenges in life back home in terms of both employment and mental wellbeing.

Most migrants return to Viet Nam still doing jobs that they previously worked at before migrating, unrelated to the skills and knowledge they acquired aboard, the study found.

This is due to a lack of equivalent employment, for example in high technology, for returning migrant workers in Viet Nam, one of the district-level leaders in Hau Giang Province participating in the study said.

Migrant workers who decided to return also face the stigma of abandoning their families from their local community.

A returned female migrant worker in Hai Phong City in the study also recommends that the local government have a way to provide mental support to returning migrant workers and their families.

Local authorities should provide mental support as it is only with a happy spirit that they build a stable life. Its hard to continue working if their mental well-being is not alright.  VNS
Many Icelandic women, including the country's prime minister, went on strike on Tuesday as part of a campaign for increased gender equality.

It was the seventh occasion that Icelandic women have gone on strike for gender equality, according to the campaign's official website. The initial strike occurred on October 24, 1975, as per CNN.

Icelandic Women Strike for Gender Parity

In a powerful display of solidarity, Icelandic women took to the streets on what is known as the 'Women's Day Off' or 'Kvennafri' in Icelandic. The strike, organized by women to raise awareness of systemic wage discrimination and gender-based violence, significantly impacted the country, its government, and its citizens.

Today, some schools, libraries, and even banks closed their doors. In Reykjavik, thousands of women gathered to stand up for their rights and demand gender equality. What made this strike even more remarkable was the participation of the country's prime minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, who postponed a cabinet meeting to show her support for Icelandic women.

Iceland, often lauded as a gender equality paradise, has a long-standing commitment to closing the gender gap. The country has consistently topped the World Economic Forum's gender gap index for 14 consecutive years, with a remarkable 91.2% of the gender gap closed.

Despite this progress, the strike aimed to highlight that there is still work to be done, particularly concerning the gender pay gap and violence against women.

In 2018, Iceland passed a law obliging companies to prove they were not paying women less than men, but wage disparities persist. Statistics from 2021 show an overall pay gap of 10.2%, which widens to a staggering 29.7% in finance and insurance jobs.

Women are also more likely to work in undervalued, lower-paid sectors, such as teaching and healthcare. Moreover, gender-based violence remains a pressing issue, with more than 40% of women in Iceland experiencing such violence, according to The New York Times.

Read Also: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sends Sweden's NATO Application to Turkish Parliament

Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Immigrant Women's Rights in Iceland

A study from the University of Iceland in 2018 revealed that one in four women had been raped or sexually assaulted, with most cases failing to reach trial. The strike organizers also aimed to draw attention to the plight of immigrant women, whose contributions to Icelandic society are often undervalued and underpaid.

One of the main demands of the strike was for the wages of women working in female-led sectors to be published. They also called for accountability for gender-based and sexual violence, ensuring that perpetrators are held responsible for their actions.

At least 25,000 women and non-binary individuals gathered for a rally in Reykjavik city center, with thousands more from various sectors participating in strikes nationwide, including fishing, teaching, and healthcare.

Prime Minister Jakobsdottir's decision to support the strike and encourage her cabinet to do the same sent a powerful message of solidarity with Icelandic women.

She emphasized that her participation was a gesture of support for the cause. This strike was reminiscent of the historic Women's Day Off in 1975, when 90% of Icelandic women refused to perform their domestic duties.

The massive participation led to significant changes in the country, including the election of Vigdis Finnbogadottir as the world's first female elected president. Iceland's reputation as a gender equality champion carries a weight of responsibility, and the organizers of this strike believe that living up to these expectations is paramount.

While the country has made impressive strides, the fight for complete gender equality continues, and these women are determined to make their voices heard until the job is done, Aljazeera reported.

Related Article: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi To Visit Washington for Diplomatic Talks

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A Thai conglomerate released an official statement on its website on October 22 stating that its members unanimously deny that they have engaged in any discussions or activities as alleged in the media. Headquartered in Bangkok, CP operates in the agriculture, food, retail, distribution, and telecoms industries, with investments spanning over 30 countries and employing over 300,000 individuals.

In a separate but related development, Reuters revealed in September that Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC is among the bidders looking to acquire a stake in Bach Hoa Xanh in a transaction that could increase the grocery chain's valuation to $1.5-1.7 billion. A deal is slated to be wrapped up in the first quarter of 2024 if the negotiations are successful, according to Reuters.

A spokesperson for Mobile World Group commented that they will discuss details after the signing of the deal. "We are currently in private negotiations and have signed a non-disclosure agreement with potential buyers," said the representative. If successful, this transaction could increase competition in the Vietnamese retail market, which has attracted interest from both domestic and international investors seeking to expand or establish a firm foothold here.

Mobile World Group recently decided to move forward with its plan to sell shares, having paused earlier this year due to unfavourable market conditions. They had originally planned to sell up to 20 per cent of their stake in Bach Hoa Xanh last year.

Established in 2015, Bach Hoa Xanh operates over 1,700 stores. The chain anticipates breaking even by the end of this year and expects profitability from 2024 onwards.

Thai authorities encourage businesses to expand presence in Vietnam's retail market The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), a division of the Thai Ministry of Commerce, has urged Thai entrepreneurs to carefully examine the potential of harnessing Vietnam's thriving retail market.

Thomson Medical Groups Kiat Lim leads acquisition of FV Hospital Thomson Medical Group Ltd. (TMG) announced on July 12 that it has agreed to acquire Vietnams FV Hospital for up to $381.4 million, marking the countrys biggest healthcare transaction to date and Southeast Asias largest healthcare acquisition since 2020.
Participants pose for a group photo at the forum (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  An international forum on vocational education and training (VET) themed Upskilling the Logistics Workforce and Promoting Industry Linkages in the Digital Era took place in Hanoi on October 24 as part of activities in the Vietnam - Australia Human Resource Development Programme (Aus4Skills).

The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA)s General Department of Vocational Training and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung affirmed logistics is a crucial service sector in the national economy as it supports economic connectivity and development.

According to Dung, with an average growth of 14-16 per cent per year, logistics is one of the fastest-growing and most stable sectors in Vietnam. The country has set a target to increase the contribution of the logistics industry to gross domestic product (GDP) to 8 - 10 per cent by 2025.

To realise this objective, the development of human resources is of utmost importance, he stressed.

The official recognised the cooperation and support provided by the Australian government for Vietnam in developing human resources, especially in building policies related to vocational education.

Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinoski underlined the necessity to develop logistics workforce skills for countries with large supply systems like Vietnam, affirming that Australia will help Vietnam with the vocational training necessary to make it happen.

The collaboration between the two governments will ensure that Vietnam has an effective and sustainable vocational education system to equip its workforce with the knowledge and skills needed for the future, he went on.

At the forum, participants shared models and experiences to ensure that learners are equipped with the necessary skills to adapt to the digital age.

They proposed policies to improve the quality of vocational education in Vietnam, and also discussed challenges to the development of the logistics industry in the country.

Aus4Skills aims to support Vietnam's socioeconomic development and stability through implementing Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS) and alumni programmes, and improving vocational establishment governance and performance standards. These moves will help strengthen Vietnam's VET sector, and support the development of a capable public service, including advancing women in leadership, through the Vietnam Australia Centre (VAC).

Tailored last-mile delivery services the latest challenge Last-mile delivery, in the backdrop of Vietnams booming e-commerce and on-demand services, is a make-or-break challenge that demands relentless efforts towards cost optimisation in the countrys logistics sector.

Breakthroughs pinpointed for Vietnams logistics sector Vietnam will have profound opportunities in logistics chain development over the next 2-3 years and beyond if it can also address its shortcomings, according to participants at a summit jointly organised by Vietnam Investment Review and SLP Vietnam last week in Ho Chi Minh City.

Networking opportunities at Vietnam Logistics Summit 2023 The Vietnam Logistics Summit 2023, which was jointly organised by VIR and SLP Vietnam under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, has concluded successfully.
Nguyen Binh Nam, Founder and CEO Opla CRM Innovative initiatives have witnessed a surge in attention from governmental bodies, and both domestic and international innovation funds. This transformation has translated into improved access to funding, resources, and supportive policies for startups here. The establishment of entrepreneurial communities has ushered in direct and indirect support through the provision of knowledge, information, and financial backing. When compared to the scenario of about 3-4 years ago, startups now experience a markedly enhanced sense of inclusion and backing. Notwithstanding these gains, government-backed innovation schemes often bear the hallmarks of procedural rigidity, falling short of delivering a profound and far-reaching impact. Support policies, as of now, are yet to showcase the level of effectiveness and influence desired. The substantial gap separating startups from the platforms meant to aid them remains a pressing concern, with these initiatives lacking in specificity. In the context of innovation, Vietnamese startups enjoy a substantial advantage over their regional counterparts, thanks to the availability of a cost-effective IT workforce and a sprawling marketplace. Nevertheless, these advantages are still in the process of translating into tangible, measurable outcomes. Looking ahead, I propose a thorough evaluation by government departments and agencies to gauge the real-world impact of the initiatives they have put in place. These evaluations should be conducted with diligence and depth, producing results grounded in reality. Such assessments are vital in making the government more cognisant of the ineffectiveness inherent in certain programmes, shifting the focus from a mere report of accomplishments. Le Hai Vu, Founder and CEO Velasboost The government is supercharging the startup ecosystem with a suite of incentives designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. For newer entrants attempting to navigate this saturated market using identical methods, theyre inevitably met with significant challenges, given limited experience and resources. Simply mirroring these established models doesnt just stunt growth, but leaves them susceptible to overshadowing or even potential takeovers. By introducing groundbreaking business models or refining traditional methods with avant-garde technologies, these startups can gain the agility and edge needed to stand toe-to-toe with industry giants. Specifically for Velasboost, this innovative ethos is not just a guiding principle, but the very foundation upon which our success and resilience are built. The primary advantage for startups lies in their agility. Being smaller and less bound by rigid processes, they can seamlessly integrate innovative activities without disrupting current operations. However, the challenges are manifold. Innovation is not merely about conceptualisation; it involves skilled personnel, software systems, infrastructure, and most critically, persistent experimentation, which can be financially draining. Given the limited budgets, startups face constraints in procuring high-quality resources. While there may be government policies to support smaller businesses, many of us in the sector arent adequately informed or find it hard to access such information, possibly due to a lack of unified communication channels. To truly nurture the innovative spirit and potential of startups, regulatory bodies should prioritise the creation of more intuitive engagement channels, making full use of modern open platforms. The era of cumbersome operations and exhaustive paperwork should be left behind. Tran Ba Thin, Co-founder and CEO PiHome Innovation proves pivotal for startups as it leverages tech to refine or replace conventional business methodologies, bolstering efficiency. PiHome embodies this doctrine by delivering a versatile, centralised property management platform, thus propelling the digital transformation within the realm of property management. Drawing from my 16-year involvement in tech startups and five years in the sphere of platform-based startups, Ive had the privilege to witness the affirmative influence of the government-driven Digital Transformation and Startup Movement. This movement has wrought transformation in society and is moulding a fresh cohort of entrepreneurs. The startup ecosystem is in flux, fostering greater interconnection. The tenets of this movement are being embraced by aspiring young entrepreneurs, myself included, recalibrating our entrepreneurial mentality to be more systematic and empirical. However, this ecosystem remains in its nascent phase, characterised by constricted accessibility, a deficit of professional infrastructure, and an insufficiency of resources. Early-stage startups necessitate substantial backing inclusive of policies, frameworks, expert networks, market trials, and foundational capital to forge minimum viable products and explore market openings. Investment at this juncture is infrequent, mandating policy-led reforms. We propose a policy framework that resonates with the pragmatic prerequisites of active startups. This entails instituting a comprehensive funding structure that modulates support levels commensurate with a startups evolutionary stage. As startups advance, they should be furnished with augmented funding, encompassing pivotal infrastructure, market ingress, promotional undertakings, and accessibility to expert networks.
According to the Spring 2023 Business Outlook Report by AHK Vietnam, 91 per cent of German companies here are looking to expand their investments. Notably, 57 per cent here are actively seeking new suppliers to diversify their supply chains.

Vi Thanh Tuan, Board member German Business Association

Vietnam has attracted a significant amount of foreign direct investment in past decades. This has helped maintain economic growth, create job opportunities, and accelerate the technology transfer process. The Vietnamese market is also increasingly open and deeply integrated with the world.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, German companies have registered a total investment of $159.4 million in Vietnam through 18 new projects in the first half of this year.

Meanwhile, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement kicked off a new era of economic cooperation. Beyond trade liberalisation, the agreement has been a catalyst for Vietnams digital transformation. It provides access to European technology, encourages foreign investment, fosters e-commerce, promotes intellectual property rights, raises quality standards, and ensures data protection.

As Vietnam continues to align with European standards, it is hoping to further integrate into the global digital economy. The trade deal is not only about trade, but also about creating a foundation for a more advanced, competitive, and digitally vibrant Vietnam.

Industry 4.0, often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is characterised by the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing processes. Germany is widely recognised as the birthplace of this revolution. The term was first coined at the Hannover Messe trade fair in 2011, and it has since become a global standard for smart manufacturing.

German companies, research institutions, and policymakers have been instrumental in driving this technological shift. Key components of Industry 4.0 include the Internet of Things, AI, big data, and automation.

Vietnam, with its promising economy and youthful population, has been eager to harness the benefits of digitalisation. German investment and expertise have played a significant role in supporting Vietnams digital transformation.

German companies have been actively investing in Vietnam to foster technology innovations. Industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler established a new manufacturing facility in Vietnam in 2019, contributing to advancements in areas such as smart manufacturing and real-time data analysis.

One system that stands out here is the Schaeffler condition monitoring systems. These systems are essential for predictive maintenance, which aims to detect and address issues before they lead to costly downtime or equipment failures.

Major groups have invested in development centres and new manufacturing facilities, Photo:GBA

Another example is Bosch, which has been actively involved in Vietnams digital transformation journey. The company has invested in research and development centres and manufacturing facilities, contributing to the development of cutting-edge solutions in areas like automation, energy efficiency, and smart city technologies.

Those two companies are only a few examples of many companies, which are also part of the German Business Association (GBA) in Vietnam, which serves as a platform for fostering cooperation between German companies and Vietnamese partners.

GBA members, ranging from multinational corporations to small businesses, actively engage in knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and capacity building, further promoting Vietnams digital transformation. The GBA is supporting that with the organisation of several events around the topic Industry 4.0, their own startup challenge and excursions to different state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

In Vietnam, where the potential for digital transformation is vast, the GBA recommends a series of policies to accelerate the process, ensuring that the nation remains competitive in the global digital landscape.

One of the key pillars of digital transformation is a robust digital infrastructure. Vietnam should focus on enhancing its broadband connectivity and expanding 5G networks to cover more areas. Investments in undersea cables, data centres, and high-speed internet access are essential for creating a foundation for the digital future.

The GBA suggests that Vietnam should prioritise e-government development. Streamlining government services online reduces bureaucracy and increases transparency and efficiency. Establishing a secure, user-friendly, and unified e-government platform would encourage citizens and businesses to interact with the government more easily.

A skilled workforce is the backbone of any digital transformation. Vietnam should invest in digital education and training programmes, with a particular focus on tech-related skills, such as software development, data analysis, and digital marketing. Collaborations with universities and businesses can help in tailoring education to the needs of the job market.

The GBA recommends creating a conducive environment for innovation and startups. This includes simplifying the registration process, offering financial incentives, and providing support through incubators and accelerators. Supporting technology-driven entrepreneurship can spur innovation and create jobs.

As digitalisation expands, so does the need for strong cybersecurity and data privacy regulations. Vietnam should establish a comprehensive legal framework to protect sensitive information, foster trust in the digital ecosystem, and encourage foreign investments.

Smart city development involves leveraging digital technologies to improve urban living. The GBA recommends that Vietnam invest in smart city projects, including efficient transportation systems, sustainable energy solutions, and integrated data platforms that enhance urban planning and public services.

To encourage innovation and the creation of digital content, Vietnam should reinforce intellectual property rights. This would provide greater protection for patents, copyrights, and trademarks, attracting investments in technology and creative industries.

Collaboration with international organisations, other governments, and private enterprises can provide valuable insights and resources. Vietnam should engage in partnerships and collaborations to benefit from global expertise and investment.

Germanys leadership in Industry 4.0 has paved the way for a global technological revolution. Its support for Vietnams digital transformation is a testament to the collaboration between nations in an increasingly interconnected world.

Challenges persist, but with the right strategies and international partnerships, Vietnam can harness the power of digitalisation to drive economic growth and innovation. Companies like Schaeffler and Bosch, and organisations like ours, play a vital role in this transformative journey, and their contributions will continue to shape Vietnams digital future.

Tracking Germanys investment journey in Vietnam The first German investments flowed into Vietnam shortly after the country opened its doors to foreigners

Germany's STADA expands presence in Vietnam's healthcare market STADA and its Vietnamese affiliate Pymepharco have announced the establishment of its new head office in Ho Chi Minh City, paving the way for further expansion in Vietnam's healthcare market.
VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh addresses the dialogue with Japanese businesses on October 24. (Photo: tapchibaohiemxahoi.gov.vn)

Hanoi  Vietnam Social Security (VSS) on October 24 held a dialogue on social insurance and health insurance policies with 130 Japanese-invested enterprises operating in the north of Vietnam.

The dialogue provided an opportunity for Japanese businesses to better grasp Vietnam's legal regulations on social security, social insurance, and health insurance, and a venue for Japanese investors to voice their opinions to help improve policies on social insurance, hence facilitating stable business, long-term investment, and workers' rights in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh said that as of September 2023, the agency is serving over 92 million health insurance participants and 17.5 million social insurance participants, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the workforce in Vietnam.

Over 2,100 Japanese firms in Vietnam with 547,100 employees including about 1,600 foreigners participate in social insurance. Social insurance premiums paid by Japanese enterprises accounts for over 13 per cent of the total collection from FDI enterprises in Vietnam.

Manh said that during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, despite difficulties, Japanese firms took measures to stabilise production and retain workers, which made important contributions to the countrys socioeconomic recovery and development.

The majority of Japanese firms strictly follow Vietnams legal regulations, particularly those relating to social insurance and health insurance, he said.

Vietnam and Japan are preparing negotiations toward a bilateral agreement on social insurance. "This is a milestone between the two countries for cooperation on social security", he said.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio emphasized that the relationship between the two countries has developed better than ever in the fields of politics, culture and economics.

A recent JETRO survey of parent companies in Japan shows that Vietnam is the second country after the US that Japanese businesses want to invest more in. To large Japanese enterprises, Vietnam is the first destination they want to invest in, he said.

The ambassador said that with increasing investment in Vietnam, Japanese companies are required to understand and implement the host country's social insurance regulations and policies.

As Vietnam is amending its Social Insurance Law, changes to Vietnam's social insurance system will have a huge impact on investment trends from Japanese companies. Therefore, the ambassador said that he hopes those that compile the laws will listen to business opinions so the amended law will meet the needs of both employers and employees.

On this occasion, VSS launched the Japanese version of its app VssID which is expected to help Japanese employees in participating in social insurance and health insurance programmes.

Japan at fore of experience in agriculture High-tech agricultural development is set to be intensified between Vietnam and Japan.

Japanese VCs expand tranche of investment Despite headwinds in capital mobilisation, Japanese venture funds are doubling down on Vietnams startup ecosystem, underscoring the nations pivotal role in their quest to cultivate a vibrant Southeast Asian startup landscape.

Japanese investors still motivated by M&A promise Despite shrinking dealmaking activities involving Japanese investors, Vietnam still ranks high in the world in the top 10 mergers and acquisitions destinations for Japan. Masataka Sam Yoshida, head of the Cross-border Division of RECOF Corporation, talked to VIRs Thanh Van about the landscape of Japanese deals so far this year.
Along with thousands of local people, participants completed the 1.7km running route and raised nearly VND50 million (almost $2,000) for a charitable fund to support orphans and disabled children. Two runners from Panasonic System Networks Vietnam finished second and third in the women's race.

Hoang Thi Lan, who won third prize, said, "I started running every day since participating in the company's internal running competition, so I was very excited to sign up for this event with my colleagues."

Oka Hiroyuki, director of Panasonic Vietnam, said, "Panasonic Vietnam was established in 1971 and is looking forward to the next 50 years here to contribute meaningfully to peoples lives and the sustainable development of Vietnamese society."

"We have dedicated ourselves to sponsoring the Mottainai event for many years, to spread the spirit of our immersive Japanese culture, and help raise funds to support deprived children. This even has also been a valuable opportunity to bring together representatives from across Panasonic Vietnam, nurture pride in our organisation, and strengthen the connection between all our members," he added.

This is the fourth time Panasonic has been sponsor of this event, and it is one of the Japanese brand's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to meet its commitment in this area.

Last April, nearly 100 Panasonic employees from across Vietnam joined with local authorities and people to plant 13,500 trees in Xuan Lien Nature Reserve and the neighbouring Thanh Hoa province, along with various activities for local communities such as 'eco-learning' classes for schools and sustainable tourism workshops for local businesses.

The Mottainai Run is the main activity and the curtain raiser for the 10th Mottainai programme, organised by Vietnam Women Newspaper, and co-organised by the Vietnam Women's Union, the Japanese Embassy, and the National Traffic Safety Committee. Sponsorship comes from several Vietnamese and Japanese corporations, hoping to promote a green lifestyle, environmental protection, and raise funds for the underprivileged.

The scheme is also part of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

In addition to the run, various activities open to the public, such as marketplaces, auctions, and fundraisers, attracted the participation of thousands of interested visitors over the weekend.

With a commitment to the sustainable development of Vietnam through its business and CSR activities, Panasonic is focusing its efforts on education and the environment. Some programmes highlights include:  Panasonic Sustainable School: This brand-new CSR initiative builds on the experience and success of Panasonic Risupia Vietnam (2010  2021).  Kid Witness News (KWN): A free filmmaking competition for 10 to 18-year-old students with over 3,000 participants since 2006.  The donation and planting of more than 610,000 trees across 20 provinces and cities in Vietnam through two key initiatives, including EcoRelay - Panasonic, an annual tree planting event since 2014, and Live Wellness Contribute Green, a special tree planting scheme with eager contributions from Panasonic's partners and customers since 2022.

'Panasonic for a Green Vietnam' marks 10-year journey On April 15, Panasonic Vietnam held the Panasonic Eco relay Tree planting programme and donated 13,500 trees at Xuan Lien Natural Reserve and neighbouring areas, marking the 10th year of the project.

Panasonic strives for a wellness, sustainable Vietnam Japans industrial giant Panasonic has written a journey of more than half a century with continuous expansion and growth in Vietnam, aiming to contribute to society to bring a healthy and comfortable life to the Vietnamese people and the countrys sustainable development.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Chairman of John Swire & Sons Limited Guy Bradley in Hanoi on October 24. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Chairman of John Swire & Sons Limited Guy Bradley in Hanoi on October 24, welcoming the UK-headquartered firms continuous expansion of investment and business activities in Vietnam.

He called on the over-200-year Swire Group to continue expanding its operations in such sectors as aviation, trade and industry, logistics, real estate, health care, and the production, distribution and retail network in Vietnam; develop human resources, especially high-quality ones; and consider cooperating with local universities and vocational schools.

PM Chinh asked the group to increase applying the latest scientific and technological advances to its activities; improve the added value and the rate of domestically made components in its products and use supporting technologies of Vietnam; boost assistance for Vietnamese businesses to join its supply chain; effectively use renewable energy; and harmonise economic targets with social responsibility fulfillment, thereby helping Vietnam achieve green growth and sustainable development targets and effectively cope with climate change.

Bradley introduced his firm and its long-term plan in Vietnam, highlighting its commitments to sustainable development, green growth, and circular economy promotion.

Swire Group has operated in Vietnam since 1988 via activities supporting oil and gas, tea, aviation, and real estate companies. In January 2023, its subsidiary Swire Coca-Cola Limited purchased Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Co. Ltd, the bottling partner of Coca-Cola in the country. Thanks to that, it has created over 2,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect ones in Vietnam, he noted.

He spoke highly of the increasingly improved investment and business climate in Vietnam and expressed his belief in the success of his groups operations here.

The group is highly committed to Vietnam and will keep expanding its investments, especially in the fields of aviation and health care, to contribute more local socio-economic development, Bradley remarked.

Welcoming the firms intentions, PM Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always supports and protects the rights and legitimate interests of foreign investors on the basis of interest harmonisation and risk sharing, adding the country considers foreign businesses success as its own.
Logistics is one of the fastest-growing industries in Vietnam, with an average growth rate of 14-16 per cent on-year. The need for ports, warehouses, and freight forwarding is increasing, along with the need for human resource development.

At the VET International Forum on October 24, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung said that logistics is a vital service industry of the economy. With a scale of $40-42 billion per year, it is currently one of the fastest-growing and most stable industries in Vietnam.

Vietnam has set a target to increase the contribution of the logistics sector to 8-10 per cent of GDP by 2025. The growth rate of logistics services is expected to be 15-20 per cent, and the cost is anticipated to decrease by around 16-20 per cent. To achieve this goal, Vietnams logistics sector needs to develop in all spheres, of which human resource development is the most important aspect, Dung said.

According to Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Australia has a well-developed vocational education system, and developing skills in the logistics industry is essential for countries with large supply systems like Vietnam.

The Australian and Vietnamese governments will continue to work together to ensure that Vietnam has an effective and sustainable vocational education system, allowing the workforce to be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills for the future. We have helped Vietnam connect businesses, governments, and vocational education institutions together to allow students to develop the necessary skills, he asserted.

The Vietnamese government currently prioritises promoting the field of vocational education by 2030 to contribute to socioeconomic development. Although there have been many changes, the vocational education sector still has a long road ahead before it can provide a high-quality workforce.

Director general of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training Truong Anh Dung said, "It is forecast that by 2030, the logistics sector will need 200,000 professional workers. Therefore, building labour capacity and connecting vocational education businesses is urgent."

"Australia is supporting the vocational education sector in Vietnam to achieve important results, especially through the building of a modern, enterprise-led vocational education and training model that has broad applications in the workplace. There is much to learn from Australias experience," the director general added.

According to Vu Ninh, chairman of the Logistics Industry Reference Council (LIRC), Australia supported Vietnam with the establishment of the LIRC.

"This is an unprecedented model in Vietnam, making forecasts for vocational skills, providing standards, and contributing to the development of new training courses for the lecturers and students," he said.

Tran Thi Lan Anh, general secretary of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, "Logistics is a global industry that places rapidly changing demands on its workforce. Connecting and capturing market information in a timely fashion through the LIRC helps vocational education institutions design updated training programmes. This attracts more students to participate in the courses and improves the quality of the nation's human resources."

The VET International Forum was organised within the framework of the Aus4Skills human resource development cooperation programme between Australia and Vietnam, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Australia is supporting the Vietnamese government to promote vocational education for logistics, one of Vietnams fastest-growing industries. The main goal of the initiative is to ensure that vocational school graduates meet both the current and future skills requirements, thus supporting Vietnams socioeconomic development.
Singapore to import 1.2GW of low-carbon energy from Vietnam (Photo:tuoitre.vn)

Hanoi  Singapores Energy Market Authority (EMA) on October 24 announced that it has given tentative approval for plans to import 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of primarily wind-generated electricity from Vietnam.

The latest conditional approval  given to power import projects preliminarily found to be technically and commercially viable  comes after similar authorisations for a 1 GW import plan from Cambodia and 2 GW from Indonesia earlier in the year.

The Vietnam power import venture, involving Singapores Sembcorp Utilities (SCU) and Vietnams state-owned PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC), includes the laying of subsea power cables spanning around 1,000 kilometres between the two countries.

During an official visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Singapore in February 2023, PTSC and SCU signed an investment cooperation agreement for energy export to Singapore from offshore renewable energy in Vietnam.

Accordingly, PTSC and SCU will cooperate to invest in an offshore wind farm in Vietnam with an initial capacity of about 2.3 GW and export electricity directly to Singapore via a high-voltage underground cable.

Sembcorp said the Vietnam offshore wind farm could start operating by 2033 subject to approvals and barring unforeseen events.

To achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the Singapore Government plans to import 30 per cent of its electricity needs by 2035 from clean energy sources as well as introduce a progressive carbon tax roadmap.

Vietnam makes efforts to develop domestic carbon market In the context that about 70 countries and territories have applied carbon pricing instruments, experts held that Vietnam should also apply such tools, especially by developing the domestic carbon market, in order to support the realisation of the countrys greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target.
Spanning an impressive 23,000 square metres and equipped with 2,000 rack cabinets, Hoa Lac Data Centre is the largest facility of its kind in Vietnam and represents a substantial investment in the country's technological infrastructure. The centre has achieved an Uptime Tier III certification for its design, construction, and operational sustainability, ensuring resilience and continuous operation even during maintenance.

Huynh Quang Liem, CEO of VNPT, emphasised the strategic importance of the facility, saying, "VNPT now operates eight data centres in several locations including Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City, each one adhering to stringent domestic and international standards. Our date centre in Hoa Lac is the largest and most advanced in the country and is poised to offer the nation premier data services, tailor-made to meet the diverse requirements of both domestic and international clients."

Equipped with cutting-edge technology from renowned G7 manufacturers such as Cummins, Hitachi, and Siemens, the new centre boasts ultra-fast network connections, averaging 2Gbps per rack for domestic and 0.5Gbps for international connectivity. The security system comprises six layers of protection to ensure the best data security for clients.

At the event, Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications, highlighted Vietnam's digital infrastructure strategy, which includes telecommunications, the Internet of Things, data centres, and technology service platforms.

"Digital infrastructure must be super-capacious, ultra-wideband, universally accessible, sustainable, smart, open, and secure. It's essential to prioritise investment in modernisation to stay ahead in the digital transformation race," said Hung.

"Data infrastructure is the cornerstone of digital infrastructure. Telecommunications firms who once led in telecoms infrastructure must now take the lead in data infrastructure. Investment in data centres represents a new growth avenue for these operators, without which, they risk being replaced," the minister added.

This strategic move by VNPT, along with Vietnam's focus on developing advanced digital infrastructure, demonstrates a clear vision towards enhancing national telecommunications capabilities, and signifies a shift in focus from traditional telecom services to more advanced data and digital services.

Room remains for data centre development The data centre industry in Vietnam is on the rise and is being driven by a number of factors, as heard at a Ho Chi Minh City forum at the end of last month.

Japan's largest furniture retail chain Nitori looks to open its first store in Vietnam Japan's Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd., is looking to open its first Nitori store in Vietnam with a view to speed up more store openings in the Asian market.

Unlocking the potential of digital data across Vietnam Vietnam has been developing e-government since 2000. After 20 years, we began to move into the digital transformation phase marked by the National Digital Transformation Programme, building digital government, digital economy, and digital society.
A man from Alliance, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to an attempted firebombing incident.

The costs include violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and using fire and explosives to commit a felony. The accused individual's actions were reportedly motivated by his opposition to a church's decision to host drag shows, as per Fox News.

Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Arson Targeting Church Over Drag Events

Aimenn D. Penny, a 20-year-old resident of Alliance, Ohio. The attack on March 25 aimed to torch the church due to its scheduled drag events. Penny now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison for the church arson charge.

His sentencing is scheduled for January 29, as confirmed by the Justice Department. The attack destroyed the church's sign, with limited damage to the building itself. Jess Peacock, the church's pastor, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and emphasized that the congregation held no ill will against Penny. Peacock stated that the church was deeply disappointed by Penny's actions.

Following Penny's arrest, a search of his home by federal agents uncovered a hand-written manifesto containing ideological statements, a Nazi flag, Nazi memorabilia, a White Lives Matter of Ohio T-shirt, a gas mask, multiple rolls of blue painters tape, and gas cans, according to a criminal complaint.

The court document described "White Lives Matter" as a group with "racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic views." Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who leads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, condemned Penny's actions as "reprehensible" and emphasized that there is no room for bias-motivated violence and terror in the country.

Despite the attack, the church proceeded with its two scheduled events: a drag show at a local restaurant and drag story time for children at the church, according to NBC News.

Read Also: Fake Ozempic? Austria Reports Multiple Hospitalizations Linked to Suspected Counterfeit Diabetes Medication

Ohio Church Attack Over Drag Shows

The incident prompted the church to enhance its security in response to Penny's arson attempt and threats from far-right groups. While maintaining that they bear no ill will against Penny, the church stressed the importance of holding individuals accountable for using violence to obstruct people from living their lives.

Penny had used Molotov cocktails created from a vodka bottle and a beer bottle, with gasoline serving as an accelerant. The criminal complaint revealed his affiliation with White Lives Matter and his participation in a protest against a drag event in Wadsworth, Ohio, on March 11.

During an interview with the FBI, Penny claimed he was attempting to protect children. He expressed increasing anger after watching internet videos of news feeds and drag shows in France, ultimately leading to his attack on the church.

Penny stated that he would have preferred the Molotov cocktails to be more effective and completely burn down the church. The Molotov cocktails caused scorch marks on the church's front door and exterior signage.

A sign on the southeast corner of the property was also damaged. Aimenn D. Penny's sentencing is scheduled for January 29, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, in addition to a mandatory 10-year prison sentence to run consecutively with any other prison term imposed for using fire to commit a federal felony.

Recent years have seen protests and legislative changes related to drag events, including Tennessee's limitations on drag performances (ruled unconstitutional in June) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's signing of a law barring minors from attending drag shows in May, CBS News reported.

Related Article: Sikh Man, 66, Beaten to Death in Brutal Attack in New York; Mayor Eric Adams Condemns Incident

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)  A Texas county near New Mexico  where abortion is legal  has banned helping people traveling to get an abortion in one of the newest ways conservatives are trying to restrict abortion access since the fall of Roe v. Wade.

Lubbock County is the largest of four Texas counties that have now adopted a version of the measure, which would be enforced through lawsuits filed by private citizens against people who help women obtain abortions. It is the same legal mechanism Texas used to enact a strict abortion law in 2021 before the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the state last year to ban nearly all abortions entirely.

Commissioners in the west Texas county adopted the measure 3-0 at a meeting Monday, rejecting some requests to postpone the vote.

The ordinance "has many legal problems, said Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish, the county's top elected official. This ordinance, however, does not have a problem with its intent or the intent of those who are passionate about this."

The measures expand on city ordinances rural Texas cities began passing in 2019 to ban abortion within their boundaries, even if the cities did not have a clinic performing abortions. Critics have attacked the campaign as an effort to intimidate women from seeking abortions in places where it remains legal.

Mark Lee Dickson, a Texas pastor who has led the efforts, praised the vote.

Guys, I long for the day (when), coast to coast, abortion is considered a great moral, social and political wrong and is outlawed in every single state, Dickson told commissioners.

No violations of the travel prohibition have been reported in the counties with similar measures already on the books. The measures would not punish women who are seeking the abortion but would present legal risks to people who help transport them to get the procedure.

Legal experts have questioned whether the ordinances could be enforced.

We havent had this kind of issue tested, so its really kind of a case of first impression, said Seema Mohapatra, a health law expert and law professor at Southern Methodist University.

The Lubbock County Sheriffs Office declined to comment on the ban or its implementation.

Lubbock County has about 317,000 residents and far outnumbers the population of the three other Texas counties  Mitchell, Goliad and Cochran  that have approved the ordinance in recent months, with each county's population counting fewer than 10,000 residents. Highways through Lubbock County run to New Mexico, which has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the U.S.

The ban does not apply to cities within Lubbock County, including the city of Lubbock, which has about 264,000 of the county's residents. Lubbock voters in 2021 adopted a similar measure.

Texans already live under some of the most restrictive and dangerous abortion bans in the country, yet anti-abortion extremists continue to push additional unnecessary, confusing and fear-inducing barriers to essential healthcare, said Autumn Keiser, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.

Texas is one of 13 states that bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy. In August, a Texas judge ruled that the state's ban was too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications. But that ruling was swiftly put on hold following an appeal by the state.

The Texas law was passed prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that allowed abortions nationwide.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that two New Mexico counties had also passed similar measures.
For whatever reason, young people dont have their heads in the clouds in the numbers they once did. Blackhawk Aerospace President and CEO Jim Allmon said he made $18,000 a year as a fresh pilot, hauling everything from corpses to rock bands from his home base in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Allmon wants to instill in local youngsters a passion for aviation, hoping they may work at Blackhawk someday but also tossing a parachute to an industry facing heavy turbulence.

The nation finds itself 25,000 pilots short of demand, Allmon said, citing retirements, the perception of flight training as expensive, and fewer candidates from the military.

If growing his own staff is his only option, Allmon said hes willing to file such a flight plan. His first approach came Tuesday, when he hosted high schoolers from local districts who enjoyed time with table-top flight simulators, received crash courses on airplane anatomy, and learned of career opportunities.

Caitlyn Liles, 17, a junior at China Spring High School, was among those accepting the challenge to land a faux plane on an imaginary runway. Viewing the simulator screen intently, guiding her imaginary craft with hand-held controls, she carefully maneuvered into landing position.

I think I crashed, Liles said matter-of-factly, keeping her cool despite facing dire circumstances. Her co-pilot, 16-year-old Ariel Asare, also a junior at China Spring, could only smile and offer encouragement.

Maybe, said Liles, asked if a career in aviation interests her. Her bucket list includes a trip around the world someday. A counselor told her about the visit to Blackhawk Aerospace, and the hands-on learning appealed to her.

Asare said she was having fun and enjoyed the experience. But she assured a career in aviation is not in her future, saying, Im terrified of heights.

Also attending Tuesdays session was Felix Chiota, a licensed pilot, flight instructor and founder of Chiota Aviation.

Hailing from Zimbabwe, and pursuing his aerospace passion, Chiota moved to the United States, where he graduated from Baylor University with a degree in aviation sciences and from Texas State Technical College with a degree in aircraft pilot training.

Chiota Aviation maintains a presence at Blackhawk Aerospace, where it serves as a certified partner to Cirrus Aircraft.

Despite his educational attainment, Chiota made the point that getting into aviation does not require pursuing a four-year degree. He called Chiota Aviation the perfect vessel for training that leads to securing a pilots license. He said students can tailor their schedules to fit work and school, and will pay less than they would attending a four-year program.

The aviation world is booming, said Zachary Daniel, chief flight instructor at the Chiota Aviation/Blackhawk Aerospace complex at Waco Regional.

Daniel, 32, said he received his flight training in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but has lived in Waco long enough to consider it home. He said he has worked with nearly 40 students, including a Bryan resident who commutes almost daily.

Daniel and Ethan Willinger, director of marketing for Redbird Flight, a Kyle-based company providing the flight simulators, agreed the industry is changing, and that salaries paid pilots reflect the evolution.

Five years ago, they agreed, an entry-level pilot flying for a commuter airline such as American Eagle would make about $50,000 a year. Beginning pay today for such a qualified applicant would run into six figures.

Allmon said taking a job with Ram Aircraft brought him to Waco, where he later started his own business with eight people. He said he turned down sweetheart deals to relocate, including one from Tulsa, but family members exerted pressure to remain in Central Texas. Hes glad he listened.

Blackhawk Aerospace now enjoys a worldwide presence, employs 78, and hosts customers from around the world. Some want their turboprops overhauled with new engines, or want warranty-covered repairs.

They may come by to buy us dinner, or for us to buy them dinner, said Allmon, who suggests the local economy benefits from such trips.

He said a longtime client from Seattle was due in Waco on Wednesday to complete a deal. Allmon also mentioned a skydiving enthusiast, now well into his 60s, who wants assistance parting with an aircraft.

Allmon said Blackhawk Aerospace operates a facility in Columbia, Missouri, that upgrades avionics systems. He noted that Columbia is home to the University of Missouri, and is similar in size to Waco. The similarities end there.

Waco is pro-aviation, takes an active interest in what we do and the industry in general, said Allmon. I have the city managers phone number, the mayors phone number. Theyve assured me they will do everything they can to be of assistance. Columbia is grudgingly supportive. They tried to pass a tax on gross sales that would have cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, we were able to persuade them not to follow through.

Founded by Allmon in 1999 as Blackhawk Modifications, a majority stake in the company was sold last year to New State Aviation Holdings, a private equity firm that announced management would remain in place.

A news release described Blackhawk as a Texas company that engineers and performs engine upgrades on several turboprop models, including the Beechcraft King Air Series. It also noted the company has added divisions related to defense, avionics, plane maintenance and composites.
Isolated showers are expected in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa tonight and Wednesday, but thunderstorms will return Wednesday night and continue into Thursday. Hail and damaging wind can't be ruled out. Get all the details in our weather update video.
One person was killed Monday afternoon by Seward County Sheriff's Office deputies after a high-speed chase on Interstate 80, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

At about 3:10 p.m., Seward County deputies attempted to stop a westbound vehicle on I-80. The vehicle then turned around and was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes, before crossing over into the eastbound lanes near mile marker 383 and continuing eastbound.

Deputies then initiated a pursuit that reached high speeds until mile marker 390, which is in Lancaster County, the sheriff's office said.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, the two occupants were directed to exit the vehicle. The passenger got out of the car, but the driver refused. When deputies approached the car, they observed a weapon in the driver's hand and shot that person, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies and Nebraska State Patrol troopers then attempted life-saving measures, but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Nebraska State Patrol Special Investigations Team will investigate the incident.

As with all in-custody deaths or deaths that involve law enforcement actions, a grand jury will be convened to investigate the incident.

The Seward County Sheriff's Office did not say what prompted the initial attempted traffic stop. The sheriff's office also didn't say whether a weapon was recovered at the scene.

They also did not identify the person who was killed or indicate whether the passenger in the vehicle was arrested or injured as a result of the incident.

When reached Tuesday afternoon, a Seward County Sheriff's Office spokesperson refused to answer further questions about the shooting.

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office was not involved in the incident.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 for several hours Monday evening west of Lincoln while the incident was being investigated.

This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates.
Ermete Grillo, originally from Rome but now resident in Pisa, Italy, is on a mission: to create a perfect reproduction of the Hanriot HD.1, as flown by ace Flavio Torello Baracchini, who claimed 31 victories in only six months of the Great War.

I dont remember a day in my life that I didnt spend scanning the sky dreaming of flying. I have always had a passion for flying since I was very young and after reading Biplane by Richard Bach, I understood that in life I would have to do the impossible to own a Biplane. said Ermete. In 2004 I received the registration for my first homebuilt ultralight and in 2007, after years spent building it, I tested the biplane with which I currently still fly.

As the President of the Biplano Club Italia (Italian Biplane Club), Ermete has had many opportunities to organize rallies and re-enactment flights. Today he is the President of the newly formed association Le Ali degli Assi (ETS, Wings of Aces), a non-profit association committed to the preservation, restoration, and promotion of aeronautical culture linked to the pioneering period of flight.

The idea of building a fighter from the Great War has always been in Ermetes mind. He had already purchased construction plans for the Nieuport 17 but, one day, in a bookshop, he found a book on the life story of a pilot previously unknown to him: Flavio Torello Baracchini. This book changed Ermetes life. He discovered the existence of the Caccia Macchi, the Macchi Fighter, or license-built Hanriot HD.1 and how much it was appreciated by Italian pilots. After various vicissitudes, he managed to obtain the original construction plans drawn up by the then Societa Anonima Nieuport and Macchi di Varese. At this point, he had to decide whether to commit to the construction of (yet another) Nieuport, or dedicate himself to the flying reproduction of a fighter as rare as it is appreciated: the HD.1.

Why Baracchini?

Obviously, a key reason for spending thousands of hours in recreating an HD.1 is to commemorate the pilot who, more than any other Italian airman, showed how effective a fighter the Hanriot could be: pilot Captain Flavio Torello Baracchini. Italys greatest ace of WWI was Francesco Baracca with 34 aerial victories in three years of combat. In comparison, Baracchini shot down 31 aircraft in just six months!

Baracchini was the first Italian pilot in the history of aerial combat to be awarded the Medaglia doro al valor militare (MOVM, the Gold Medal of Honor for Military Valor, Italys most important military honor). Baracchini, of humble origins, always placed the defense of his homeland before personal safety. His courage, and great humanity, were an example for all the other pilots, but above all, for the thousands of infantrymen who fought the harsh trench warfare below him. After the war Baracchini worked as an inventor, working in the areas of aviation communications and explosives. He died in 1928 as a result of injuries that he received during an accident in his laboratory.

The HD.1 Baracchini Project aims to rescue the ingenuity and construction techniques of the early 1900s from oblivion, but also to prevent this brave soldier from dying a second time by preventing him from being forgotten.

The airplane

The fighter under construction is a Hanriot HD.1. Ermete has well-founded views and opinions about some of the historical assessments published on this WWI fighter: First of all, I strongly want to deny what is often written on the web or in monographs  which is that the HD.1 was rejected by the French Air Force and then passed on to the Italians and Belgians: nothing could be more wrong! The HD.1 was created following a specific request from the Italian Aeronautical Commission in Paris which announced a competition for the purchase of a fighter with performances that could better adapt to the Italian operational context, which is very different from the French one. The pen of engineer Emile Dupont, who at the time worked for the French company Hanriot, satisfied the needs of Italian military pilots. 1562 examples of this fighter were produced, of which 991 by Macchi of Varese. The main users were the Italians and the Belgians, several examples were delivered to the Americans, a few to the French and the Swiss.

The Hanriot HD.1 was a single-seat, single-engine biplane fighter. The double-spar biplane wooden wings feature a distinctive positive dihedral on the upper wings only, distinguishing it from the similar looking Sopwith Pup. The upper wings also include the ailerons. The fuselage, an almost entirely wooden structure, has the period-standard fabric covering aft of the third fuselage frame, with sheet metal cladding forward. The armament is a 7.7 mm (.303in) Vickers machine gun synchronized for firing through the propeller disc. The HD.1 type is powered by the Le Rhone 9J, a 110  120 hp nine-cylinder rotary engine. In Italian (and Belgian) combat use, the Hanriot which proved to be very robust and extremely agile fighter.

The first Italian squadron to receive the new fighter, in the summer of 1917, was 76a Squadriglia and subsequently 79a Squadriglia of the Italian Armys Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Military Aviation Corps). With the pilots liking the biplane in the type of war they were fighting, Macchi received further orders to build more. In February 1918, out of 240 aircraft that the Fighter Squadrons were equipped with, almost half of them were Hanriots (103, of which 26 were not serviceable). In total, 1,700 HD.1s were ordered, of which 831 aircraft were delivered before the armistice and another 70 after the cessation of hostilities. The HD.1 remained in post-war service for several years, in Swiss, Belgian and even American service as well as with Italy. Today, only five original examples survive, with one airworthy in New Zealand.

Reconstruction process.

The reconstruction process started with the original 1917 plans by Aeronautica Macchi. Ermete said: Since it is a reproduction, the aircraft being created could be perfectly matched to an original. By reproduction of the aircraft, we mean a way of working that enhances and favors the cognitive, technical, and preliminary investigation aspects, and involving a wide spectrum of skills required. The instrumentation is original from 1917, and, in order to guarantee a high degree of fidelity to what was produced in the early 1900s, it was decided to reproduce the correct, specific period wheel rims and rigging turnbuckles (out of production for 100 years!) as planned. Even the joins of the fuselage longerons have been made using a joint that is now obsolete, but required to be faithful to the project. What will make this unique in Italy, is that it will be a flying aircraft with a rotary engine; the original Le Rhone 9Jb. This engine, owned by the Il Magnete Association, will be loaned to project for use in flight. The completion of this project, therefore, has an intrinsic historical and cultural value aimed at maintaining and promoting construction and operational techniques that are now obsolete and which the passage of time otherwise inexorably consigns to oblivion.

So far, two wing panels have been completed, with a third in the works; the tail surfaces; main landing gear; the fuselage frame and distinctive Hanriot cabane struts. Furthermore, almost all of the required period, original instruments have been found. Each phase of construction has been documented, and is the result of long and complex research, including the study of original technical materials such as construction plans and photographs. It should be noted as well that the reproduction of a historic aircraft necessarily involves the procurement and restoration of original components, increasing the authenticity and originality of the aircraft. Ermetes work is monitored by the Club Aviazione Popolare (CAP), the only body delegated by ENAC (the Italian civil aviation authority) to oversee homebuilt projects in Italy. ENAC has already issued the registration; I-FTBA, with the tribute meaning (Flavio Torello BAracchini, with the I for Italian national listing).

Currently, the third wing is to be completed, with the fourth still to be built. Then, all the rigging and cables relating to the flying controls are still to be created. Other remaining tasks are the construction of the oil and gasoline tanks, sheet metal cladding for the front of the fuselage; framing, painting, and construction of the wooden propeller. The engine, which has been static for a century, will undergo a complete overhaul.

Among the future objectives we set ourselves, are those of preserving, and disseminating the historical heritage of our aviation  by participating in national and international air displays and historical re-enactments. We also intend to create, on a specially dedicated airfield, a museum and cultural meeting place where the airplane can be operated from regularly. Furthermore we intend to achieve the publication of a book documenting the various phases of construction, as well as the construction techniques and materials used in the early 1900s, concluded Ermete.

Ermetes can certainly be seen as work is of top quality, and one can only feel a sense of admiration for the dedication, passion, and time dedicated to the reconstruction of a piece of aviation history. Vintage Aviation News will follow this fantastic project closely and we will keep our readers updated with the latest developments. If you wish to support Ermete and his work, click HERE.
WATERLOO  The lobby of Hawkeye Community Colleges administrative building will be renovated for the first time in nearly a decade.

The board of trustees Monday approved seeking bids for the remodeling project at Hawkeye Center, which will be paid for through the plant fund. Construction costs are estimated at $485,000. Design fees and a contingency fund are estimated at $163,000.

Administration officials noted that brightening up the center, moving the reception desk and updating the Hawkeye mural are part of the project. Cost estimates for furniture, which will not be included in this bid, are undetermined at this point.

Hawkeye Center, the administrative heart of the campus, is often a visitors first impression of the college. Financial aid, admissions, student services, the business office and public safety are all housed there. It is also the building frequented by both current and prospective faculty and staff for human resource services.

In addition, the building houses the offices of the president and Hawkeye Foundation as well as hosting many meetings including gatherings open to the public such as the monthly trustees meeting.

Hawkeye Center has gone through two renovations since it was built. In 2008 the metal and glass grand staircase was added to the main rotunda and in 2015 the center had some minor updates to make the lower level restrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

RDG Planning and Design of Omaha, Nebraska, is the projects designer. The board will hold a public hearing Nov. 28 on the improvements and consider approving a contract.

Construction is set to start in December with the renovation work completed in March.

As Hawkeye Center gets a facelift, the Cedar Falls Center, which houses business and community education classes, is looking to expand as well.

Trustees unanimously approved a motion to enter into a lease with D & D Midwest Investments for a temporary lab space at 5611 Westminster Drive until September 2025. Hawkeye will use the area as a lab space for its Youth Summer Construction Program, Floor Covering Apprenticeship and Carpentry Apprenticeships. Hawkeye will pay $1,250 monthly for the 1,872-square-foot space.
WATERLOO  Ashley Chappell reaches out to her fans on social media, but now she wants to lend a hand to the community in which she lives.

Chappell, 28, is running for the at-large City Council seat against Jonathan Grieder, Corey Holmes and Steve Simon in the Nov. 7 election.

The social media influencer, with tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Facebook, documents her life as a wife and mother of six with one on the way. She goes to Hawkeye Community College and is studying mass media. She said shes had a helping history previously working as a phlebotomist and a CNA.

She came to Cedar Falls a year ago and has lived in Waterloo since June. Shes originally from Milwaukee and has moved around the country.

Just before arriving in the Cedar Valley, she was homeless for a month. Chappell moved from her home in Wisconsin after her brother, Bennie, was murdered in 2018 and she couldnt stand to live in the community where he died.

Chappell said she wants to use her life experiences, such as battling postpartum depression and homelessness as well as being a parent, to connect to the people of Waterloo. Her priorities are helping stabilize those with low incomes, creating more affordable child care, building homeless shelters and allocating funding for mental health programs.

She noted people in Waterloo look for help but theres not a lot of shelters. She hopes to create a program that would provide housing for those seeking help where they would work for a few months to get back on their feet and save up money to pay for their own housing.

Lets speak up and help people instead of just looking at them, she said. If you cant help them, dont talk about them, period.

Chappell said, if elected, she wouldnt just be active twice a month at council meetings  she would get out into the city.

Im not just gonna be behind the desk, I want to be in the community, she said. I want to be in your face (asking) what do you need? Can I help you? Can I be your voice?

Another reason she is running is to have a younger person representing the city  especially as someone who has gone through personal hardships.

You might fall, but you got to get back up, she said. That should be the thing that drives you to success. It aint about where you come from, its about where you go.

The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024 1. West Virginia 2. Montana 3. Ohio 4. Pennsylvania 5. Arizona 6. Nevada 7. Wisconsin 8. Michigan 9. Texas 10. Florida Analysis: Pennsylvania moves up list of contested Senate seats in 2024
Recently released 911 calls reveal a Secret Service agent in a state of panic as they inform a dispatcher about the unfortunate incident involving the Obama family's chef.

The chef had tragically drowned and was still unaccounted for after falling off his paddleboard near the former president's Martha's Vineyard residence, as per New York Post.

Obama's Chef's Mysterious Drowning

Details surrounding the tragic death of former White House sous chef Tafari Campbell have resurfaced, challenging the official narrative of an accidental drowning.

As various agencies in and around Obama's Martha's Vineyard estate attempted to keep the lid on the case, truth seekers, led by Fox News host Jesse Watters and Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, took matters into their own hands to reveal the hidden truth behind the incident.

On July 23, Tafari Campbell was involved in a paddleboarding accident near the Obama residence. Astonishingly, the Massachusetts State Police responded to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, providing some redacted information that raised questions about the incident.

According to the released report, Barack Obama was on the scene shortly after Campbell went missing. An unnamed female staffer attempted to save Campbell when he fell off his board, but tragically, he disappeared into the murky waters.

Secret Service had surveillance footage of Campbell moments before entering the water, raising suspicions. Tom Fitton delved deeper into the case, revealing that Barack Obama was present during a witness interview in the death investigation of his chef.

The redacted records indicated Obama's arrival at the emergency response scene via motorcade, where a female witness was later interviewed in the Obama residence. Although the identity of the female staffer remained undisclosed, the records described Campbell's swimming ability as subpar, with family members stating that he was "not a great swimmer."

The female eyewitness reported seeing Campbell fall off his paddleboard, panic, and disappear underwater quickly. A harrowing and tragic event unfolded within minutes, prompting the Secret Service detail to contact 911 and initiate a rescue effort.

However, Campbell's body was found separate from his clothing, raising further questions about the incident. As noted by legal experts, the lack of transparency and information from authorities gave rise to conspiracy theories, according to BizPac Review.

Read Also: Israel-Hamas Conflict: At Least 2,000 Kids Reportedly Killed in Gaza in Recent Weeks

Tafari Campbell's Death

Robert Bertsche, general counsel of the New England Newspaper and Press Association, emphasized the importance of government transparency, stating, "When the government keeps secrets, the void inevitably gets filled with conspiracy theories, and that leads to suspicion and distrust of the government."

As the case progressed, the Massachusetts State Police acknowledged the surveillance footage's existence and mentioned ongoing records reviews. The slow release of information fueled skepticism about the official report.

Audio recordings from the 911 call center on the night of July 23 were shared, revealing the initial chaos and efforts to rescue Campbell. These recordings indicated the involvement of the Secret Service, staff, and others on-site trying to save the chef who had fallen into the water.

With the case officially closed and authorities reluctant to share critical information, questions remained about how a capable swimmer like Campbell could have drowned in shallow water. Revealed that Campbell's paddleboarding companion was a young woman employed in the Obama household, which adds an additional element of intrigue to the story.

Despite repeated requests for information, officials refused to release critical findings, such as whether Campbell suffered a medical episode or was under the influence of substances. State police also warned other law enforcement agencies against releasing information.

Conspiracy theorists speculated about the potential involvement of Barack Obama in the alleged cover-up. Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton raised questions about the unidentified witness paddleboarding with Campbell, emphasizing the need for transparency.

The secrecy surrounding the case and the reluctance to disclose crucial information have only fueled mistrust and suspicions. Experts argue that transparency is essential for maintaining public trust and upholding the principles of democracy.

Without clear communication, the void is filled with rumors and speculation, ultimately harming law enforcement and the public. As the mystery of Tafari Campbell's death lingers, the call for transparency and accountability in handling such cases grows louder.

Only through transparency can public trust be restored and the truth behind this tragic incident be fully uncovered, Mail Online reported.

Related Article: [VIDEO] Unseen Actual Hamas Attack in Israel Showing Harrowing Killings, Revealed To Counter Denials

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
WASHINGTON  Rep. Mike Johnson, Republicans latest nominee to be the next speaker of the House, has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and was a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The Louisiana Republican, who is GOP deputy whip and vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, was first elected to the House in 2016. An attorney with a focus on constitutional law, Johnson joined a group of House Republicans in voting to sustain the objection to electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021. During Trumps first impeachment trial in January 2020, Johnson, along with a group of other GOP lawmakers, served a largely ceremonial role in Trumps Senate impeachment team.

Johnson also sent an email from a personal email account in 2020 to every House Republican soliciting signatures for an amicus brief in the longshot Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate electoral college votes from multiple states.

After the election was called in favor of Joe Biden on Nov. 7, 2020, Johnson posted on X, then known as Twitter, I have just called President Trump to say this: Stay strong and keep fighting, sir! The nation is depending upon your resolve. We must exhaust every available legal remedy to restore Americans trust in the fairness of our election system.

Although Trump said he wont endorse anyone in the speakers race Wednesday, he leant support to Johnson in a post on Truth Social.

In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! Trump posted.

Johnson serves on the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee. He is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee.

After receiving a degree in business administration from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Johnson took on roles as a college professor and conservative talk radio host. He began his political career in the Louisiana legislature, where he served from 2015 to 2017, before being elected to Congress in Louisianas Fourth District.

Rep. Kevin Hern, an Oklahoma Republican who chairs the influential Republican Study Committee, dropped out of the race for speaker Tuesday evening and backed Johnson.

I want everyone to know this race has gotten to the point where its gotten crazy. This is more about people right now than it should be, he said. This should be about America and Americas greatness. For that, I stepped aside and threw all my support behind Mike Johnson. I think hed make a great speaker.

Johnsons win in the secret-ballot race for the House Republican Conferences nominee for speaker followed Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmers decision to drop out of the race hours after Republicans chose him to be the nominee following resistance from the right flank of the conference and a rebuke from Trump. Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan have also dropped out after earlier seeking the speakers gavel.

Johnson joined the speakership race in a Saturday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

I have been humbled to have so many Members from across our Conference reach out to encourage me to seek the nomination for Speaker. Until yesterday, I had never contacted one person about this, and I have never before aspired to the office, he said in a posted letter. However, after much prayer and deliberation, I am stepping forward now.

___

These 8 Republicans stood apart to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker Rep. Andy Biggs Rep. Ken Buck Rep. Tim Burchett Rep. Eli Crane Rep. Matt Gaetz Rep. Bob Good Rep. Nancy Mace Rep. Matt Rosendale
A Florida internet personality and foreclosure consultant, accused of committing fraud while targeting Iowans who faced the loss of their homes, has agreed to stop doing business in Iowa.

The Iowa attorney generals office alleges that Summit Software Systems of Jacksonville, Florida, and its owner, Roberto Boligan, have violated Iowas Consumer Fraud Act.

Boligan is an internet personality, social-media influencer and software developer who owns multiple software companies. The attorney general claims he and one of his companies, Summit Software Systems Inc., sent solicitations to Iowa consumers who were at risk of foreclosure, offering to negotiate modifications in their mortgage loans.

The solicitations allegedly contained deceptive, misleading and unfair features that had a capacity to deceive consumers into believing the Summit Software Solutions was affiliated with the government. Summit allegedly demanded compensation for work never performed and failed to provide Iowa consumers with the required written contract describing the exact nature of the services being provided.

The company has denied all of the attorney generals allegations and denied that it is legally responsible for any conduct deemed to be in violation of any laws.

As part of a court-enforced consent order, Summit has agreed to refrain from offering any foreclosure consultant services in Iowa.

Should the company be contacted by any Iowa consumer independently seeking out its foreclosure services, the company must immediately turn down the sale or refund any money already paid to the company by that individual.

The order also directs the company to reimburse every Iowa consumer who purchased merchandise sold by Summit Software Systems, noting that each Iowa consumer is entitled to a complete, automatic refund of all amounts paid to Summit.

The refunds are to be paid by Summit to the Iowa Attorney Generals Office. The order notes that because of Boligans professed inability to immediately pay out all of those refunds, the company is to be given six months in which to pay the full amount, at a rate of at least $5,000 per month. The attorney general will then forward the refunds directly to Summits Iowa customers.

Court records do not indicate the full amount to be refunded to Iowans or the number of Iowans who are entitled to refunds, and officials at the attorney generals office did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday.

However, Boligan said Tuesday that the total amount to be refunded to Iowans is $30,000 and that the case involves very few Iowa consumers.

He stressed that the consent order does not include any admission of wrongdoing and said the settlement is simply a way to resolve a long-running dispute with the attorney generals office.

They wanted to be done with it and I did, too, Boligan told the Iowa Capital Dispatch. For the most part, I respect the AGs office in Iowa. So, we essentially agreed to disagree. Thats why if you really carefully read the consent order, we were not at all guilty of anything  nor was it said that we were. So, you know, at the end of the day, thats really all it comes down to  We were able to help the majority of the people that signed up for the software. They were pleased, they were happy. We actually did help more than half of the individuals who signed up for the software  and that is definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, a fact.

The consent order bars Summit from making any for-profit use of the names or personal information of all consumers with Iowa addresses they solicited or with whom they transacted business. As part of the order, Summit has also agreed to pay $50,000 to the attorney generals office if it is later proven that the company violated the terms of the agreement.

Iowans wishing to contact the attorney generals Consumer Protection Division can call (515) 281-5926 from within Des Moines, or call 888-777-4590 from elsewhere in Iowa.
Emil Frankel, a former U.S. assistant secretary for transportation policy, joins the podcast to break down the Israel-Hamas war in understandable terms.

With host Lynn Schmidt, columnist and St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board member, he also discusses greater threats to democracy here and abroad. The two ex-Republicans also laud President Joe Biden for his foreign policy accomplishments.

Related reading

Episode transcript

Note: The following transcript was created by Headliner and may contain misspellings and other inaccuracies as it was generated automatically:

Lynn Schmidt: Hi. My name is Lynn Schmidt, and welcome to the What Keeps You Up at Night? Podcast, the show where we discuss the big issues and worries facing America and the world, and then begin the conversations about how we can go about solving them. I am a columnist and editorial board member with the St. Louis Post Dispatch. I will be interviewing experts and politicians from across the country, from right to left on the political spectrum, as well as spanning the generations.

Lynn Schmidt: It is my pleasure to welcome Emil Frankel to the podcast. Emil is currently an independent consultant on transportation policy and public management issues and a Senior Fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation. He was Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy of the US. Department of Transportation from 2002 to 2005. After being appointed by President George W. Bush, Emil played a key role in the coordination and development of the administration's proposal to reauthorize the federal highway, transit and highway safety programs. He received his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and his law degree from Harvard Law School, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Manchester University in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1984. And from 1985 to 1997, he was a trustee of Wesleyan University, where he is now a trustee emeritus. While email has vast governmental experience, I invited him here today to talk about the war in Israel with Hamas, as well as other threats to our democracy that we are facing today. So, welcome to the podcast. Emil. Frankel.

Emil Frankel: Thank you. Lyn great. And I appreciate your inviting me.

Lynn Schmidt: So what's keeping you up at night these days?

Emil Frankel: Emil well, I would say, I'm still most concerned, about the threats to American democracy. And I know you've been talking about that and interviewing a lot about that on your podcast, so I won't repeat that. But as a registered, Republican for 55 years, I left the party a week after or two weeks after Donald Trump was, elected president in 2016. So I'm now officially unaffiliated, although my, spirit and heart still rests with the Republican Party as I knew it. I was one of the founding members of the Rippin Society in the early 1960s, early and mid-1960s, kind of a ginger group that sought to reform Republican, policy. At that point, we, obviously lost the battle for the soul of the Republican Party, although what the party has become, is nothing like the Republican Party. It's not the Republican Party. I mean, the rhinos, are led by Donald Trump. If there's ever a Republican in name only, it's Donald Trump. I assure you, abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and even Ronald Reagan would not recognize the people who control the Republican Party today. And that's a threat to democracy. We can't have one of our two major parties, rejecting, as it does obviously, not every person within the party and not every office holder, but the majority. And the leadership essentially rejects American liberal democracy and the basic tenets, the rule of law, and the kind of values and norms. And we can't survive as a democracy under those circumstances. It's not just institutions and constitution and laws, its norms and norms and traditions depend upon people. That continues. And obviously, the election of 2024, not only the presidential election, but the congressional election and state legislature, state legislative elections, are obviously of tremendous importance in holding us back. I mean, we've had a succession of elections like this, so I'm not prepared to say it's the most important in American history, but each of them keeps us from going over the brink, and I'm hopeful that that will be the case in 2024. So that keeps me awake, I would say, also in the moment.

Emil Frankel: And I know, you'd like us to talk about, the situation in the world. And obviously this also is another threat, I mean, internationally, to liberal democracy, the dominance of the principles and the nations, not only the United States, but the nations that lead the way in terms of democratic values and institutions and leaders. And, I'm not an expert, obviously, as you can tell from my resume. I'm hardly an expert on national security or foreign policy issues. I'm an interested observer, and always have been. And obviously, am like any American Jew, deeply, affected and concerned about the circumstances in Israel today and, what looks soon to be a major, military, action by the Israeli, Defense Forces, the IDF, against the, unbelievable, atrocities of the terrorists, organized in Hamas. and kind of what it means not only again in terms of the future of democratic values in that part of the world, but what it means to, Judaism and to, its impact, not only, obviously, on the population of Israel, but on, Jews throughout the world, including, obviously, in the you know, I guess I would just add a couple of things before we kind of chat about this that, had never really been involved in, ah, community and philanthropic activities. I'd spent most of my life raised and lived in Connecticut, and, never, although I was a member of a Reform temple, I really did not engage in, these issues. I've become deeply engaged in the last few years, frankly, out of a concern of what was happening to the Israeli government, which we'll talk about in a know the rule under Bibi Netanyahu and this racist, super nationalist, ultra-orthodox coalition he's put together to keep him out of jail, is, an enormous threat to the whole idea of Israel, and very troubling. So that engaged me in a set of activities. I'm an active member of J Street. Some of your listeners will be familiar with J Street, and, I've gotten active in my Reform temple here in Washington, DC. On kind of educating, these issues. And then, lo and behold, on October 7, this, attack occurred. I don't know even how to describe it, not even a military attack. It was a, carefully planned, action by terrorists, against Israel for the purpose of killing Jews. And inflaming, Israel, and its goals were not territorial gains, but murdering and abducting and torturing, Jews. And, how to respond to it and what the implications are, is obviously of utmost importance, I think, for.

Lynn Schmidt: People who are not Jewish. It's hard to wrap your head around the idea that there is a whole group of a whole population, that there are people on this earth that want to have eliminated. I mean, we all know about the Holocaust, but it's almost like we're reliving it in real time now, right, where people, can really understand the threat that Jews face all over the world.

Emil Frankel: Well, this action on October 7, which we don't know, the involvement of Iran, there are a lot of things involved. I'm sure everybody knows that Iran finances sponsors, I'm sure was involved in the planning of this exercise. Maybe the timing, and we're certainly aware of is certainly the implication of my comments and my involvement. I'm committed to the two state solution. I think Israel's, the action in the Israeli governments, particularly for most of the last 16 years, led by Bibi Netanyahu, has been to prevent a two state solution, to prevent, a Palestinian state from emerging, to deprive the Palestinians in the West Bank of their human, rights. And frankly, under this particular government, this right wing government, which Netanyahu is just the face, I mean, he's a creature of this government more than its leader, because, as I said, he wants to avoid jail. And, if the government collapses, he may be convicted in his three corruption trials. That's what motivates him. And, this government, actually, I would say, and there's been more acknowledgement of this, is really sponsoring a program of settler extremism. Not only expansion of the settlements in the West Bank, but settler extremism and ethnic cleansing. They want to drive the Palestinians out of the West Bank, or at least the, large portions of the West Bank. And that's unacceptable. That's unacceptable in terms of the values of a liberal democracy. And I might say it is absolutely antithetical to the values of Judaism, which is welcoming of strangers and recognizing basic rights, human rights, Palestinian as well as Jewish, Muslim as well as Jewish. But Hamas is dedicated, unlike the Palestinian Authority, which is weak and corrupt and all the rest. But the Palestinian Authority seeks, is committed to a two state solution that is, an Israel and a Palestinian state, side by side. Hamas is not Hamas'charter is for the destruction of Israel and the murder and elimination of Jews as people. That's what Hamas is all about. And that's what this was all. You know, again, I'm not an expert, but I have no doubts that the atrocities, the beheading of babies and soldiers, the rape, gang rapes of women, the abductions, et cetera, et cetera were designed to have maximum shock value, if I can put it that way. Because Hamas wants the IDF to undertake a ground incursion into Gaza. And I'm fearful about the effect and results of that, I might say. But, they think they can force the IDF into a stalemate, and a bloody stalemate with maximum casualties, in this case, to the soldiers in IDF. And so that's a real concern. But that's what they're about. They want to kill Jews and, destroy Israel.

Lynn Schmidt: There may be listeners that do not understand what the two state solution is. Can you maybe give a little bit of an overview about what that is?

Emil Frankel: Well, it kind of goes back to, the early 1990s. I might add tangentially, Lynn, that as a Republican, I'm committed to these causes because every Republican administration from Nixon through Bush 43 was committed to the two state solution, was committed to ending the occupation, Israeli occupation of the West Bank, was committed to ending the settlements. It's only, under Trump and the power of the, religious right within the Republican Party that has forced a change, if I can put a total 180 degree change in the policies and commitments of Republicans. So I'm proud of being part of a Republican tradition that is committed to this. And it goes back to, actually, the Bush 41 administration. Secretary Baker was deeply involved in negotiations, and then there were direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. In 1993, I guess it was led to the so called Oslo Accord. Right? And the goal of the Oslo Accord was two states side by side that the Israelis with adjustments in the border as a result of the 67 war but essentially, two states a Palestinian state and an Israel side by side, hopefully living in peace and friendship. But some continued rights for the Israelis to prevent militarization of the Palestinian state. And that was what was supposed to happen. And then, in one of the most successful actions, I regret to say, undertaken by any individual, a super nationalist religious right Jew assassinated Yitzhak Rabin. And, a year or two later, Benjamin Netanyahu was against the two states, these two states, side by side, and withdrawal from many of the settlements far into the West Bank and so forth. He was determined to prevent that from happening. And he's been successful. He's been prime minister for 16 of the last 19 or 20 years, and has been successful in preventing the, goals of the Oslo Accords and of the Bush. And then the Clinton administrations, Bush 41 and Clinton administrations from, being achieved.

Lynn Schmidt: So email and I were standing up for democracy, really.

Emil Frankel: Yeah. Incidentally, you maybe have done this in earlier podcasts, but I also would urge, everyone to read Jeffrey Goldberg's, story article about General Milley.

Lynn Schmidt: Yes, we'll try to link that as well.

Emil Frankel: Yeah, I think the title of the article is The Patriot. And again, another person who, at key moments, stood up and protected, a rule of law, constitution, and American liberal democracy.

Lynn Schmidt: So, Emil, how are we going to get ourselves out of.

Emil Frankel: You know, step by don't? In the short and medium term, I don't have much hope for the Republican Party, such as nominally, it still is, and I think we just have to keep fighting this, particularly at the moment. The protection of the rule of law domestically is really critical. I mean, the courts continue to do their job, and prosecutors and so forth, and that has to be honored and respected. They've been stalwart generally, in terms of protecting, our institutions, and we have to stay with it, continue to try to support, despite the chaos within the Republican Party and the growing opposition, the isolationism of the Republican Party, which Dwight Eisenhower overcame in 1950.

Lynn Schmidt: Absolutely.

Emil Frankel: we have to kind of fight that battle again across the board to make sure we stay engaged in Ukraine, that we stay engaged in protecting. Know, I must say, and President Biden has been I think there's more going on in this than we know, I'm sure, but has also, I think made it clear to Netanyahu and the Netanyahu government that they need to be constrained not to overreach, not to act on emotion and a sense of vengeance. Because I think the risks in terms of a ground incursion into an urban environment are great. Our reaction to 911, unfortunately, was quite appropriate, I think, in the beginning. Our actions in Afghanistan initially, and overthrowing Taliban, and driving al Qaeda out of Afghanistan and so forth, and then the second Iraq War came along too much. Everybody acknowledges what that was, and I think the Israelis need to be careful, need to be respectful of the civilians in, Gaza, while they wage a war that the Israeli public demands. The Israeli public across the board, across the ideological progressive to national super nationalists are demanding, and I don't know whether it's achievable, I might say, but are, demanding that Hamas be destroyed. So it's pretty hard for the Israeli government, even a more liberal government, or centrist government, if you will, to stand up to that. But it's got to be done carefully, with discretion and constraint.

Lynn Schmidt: Yeah. Again, coming back domestically, I have hope for our country in the long term, because I interact with younger generations, and they give me hope. It's just getting through the short term, and that's the 2024 election I think, and we'll just have to just see what happens. But, again, I didn't invite you to talk about what keeps me up at night. But I think, we are in agreement that the threats to democracy here and abroad both weigh on us heavily.

Emil Frankel: Yes, for sure. And I appreciate the great job you're doing with your columns and podcasts to keep on making that point. I mean, that's part of the battle. It's going to be small steps and incremental steps and so forth to get us back on the right course. I think you have gotten to know me well enough. I am a bit glass is half empty kind of person, and I am concerned, pessimistic, if you will, in the short, but I remain optimistic in the long run. I think we'll get ourselves I'm not quite sure how, but I think we'll write the ship, in the long run.

Lynn Schmidt: Again, I go back to President Biden's speech last night where there was this overarching message about thinking about our values, our values as a country, as a United States. And if we can all just keep that going, I think we're going to be, let's, I guess.

Lynn Schmidt: Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, Emil, before we wrap it up?

Emil Frankel: Thank you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about issues that are really very important to me, to all of.

Lynn Schmidt: Us, I think, or they should be. Absolutely. Well, I want to thank Emil, for joining me on the podcast today. I hope listeners enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast platform so you won't miss an episode of what keeps you up at night. Thanks again, Emil.

Emil Frankel: Thank you. Lynn.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  Israel escalated airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, crushing families in the rubble of residential buildings, as health officials said hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the past day and medical facilities were shut down because of bomb damage and lack of power.

The massive air bombardment continued through the night as Israeli jets hit sites across Gaza, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said.

The soaring death toll from the bombardment is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It augurs an even greater loss of life in Gaza once Israeli forces backed by tanks and artillery launch an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

Gazas 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the devastating Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on towns in southern Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 704 people over the past day, mostly women and children. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. also could not verify that one-day death toll.

The Ministry of Health is run by Hamas, and I think that all needs to be factored into anything that they put out publicly.

Israel said Tuesday it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they prepared to fire rockets into Israel and striking command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. Israel reported 320 strikes the day before.

Hamas is sworn to Israels destruction.

Israel, for its part, has vowed repeatedly since the massacre to crush Hamas.

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the U.N. Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 attack is a total destruction to the last one of the militants. It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty, he said.

The Israeli military said it thwarted an assault by a group of Hamas underwater divers who tried to infiltrate Israel on a beach just north of Gaza. They were attacked by air, naval and ground forces.

Across central and south Gaza, where Israel told civilians to take shelter, there were multiple scenes of rescuers pulling the dead and wounded out of large piles of rubble from collapsed buildings. Graphic photos and video shot by the AP showed rescuers unearthing bodies of children from multiple ruins.

A father knelt on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah next to the bodies of three dead children cocooned in bloodied sheets. Later at the nearby morgue, workers prayed over 24 dead wrapped in body bags, several of them the size of small children.

Buildings that collapsed on residents killed dozens at a time in several cases, witnesses said. Two families lost a total 47 members in a leveled home in Rafah, the Health Ministry said.

A strike on a four-story building in Khan Younis killed at least 32 people, including 13 members of the Saqallah family, said Ammar al-Butta, a relative who survived the airstrike. He said there were about 100 people sheltering in the building, including many who had evacuated from Gaza City.

We thought that our area would be safe, he said.

Another strike destroyed a bustling marketplace in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, witnesses said. AP photos showed the floor of a vegetable shop covered with blood.

In Gaza City, at least 19 people were killed when an airstrike hit the house of the Bahloul family, according to survivors, who said dozens more people remained buried. The legs of a dead woman and another person, both still half buried, dangled out of the wreckage where workers dug through the dirt, concrete and rebar.

The Health Ministry says more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 minors. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government.

As the death toll in Gaza spirals, and fuel supplies dwindle, the number of facilities able to deal with casualties is shrinking. More than half of primary health care facilities, and roughly 1 of every 3 hospitals, have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggled to triage cases as constant waves of wounded were brought in. The Health Ministry said many wounded are laid on the ground without even simple medical intervention and others wait for days for surgeries because there are so many critical cases.

While Israel has allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to enter, it has barred deliveries of fuel to Gaza to keep it out of Hamas' hands. The U.N. said its operation distributing aid will halt Wednesday evening if it does not receive fuel.

To make room for the dead, cemeteries have been forced to excavate and reuse old plots. Families have dug trenches to bury multiple bodies at a time.

Bodies pour in by the hundreds every day. We use every empty inch in the cemeteries, said Abdel Rahman Mohamed, a volunteer who helps transfer bodies to Khan Younis main cemetery.

Israel says it does not target civilians and that Hamas militants are using them as cover for their attacks. Palestinian militants have fired over 7,000 rockets at Israel since the start of the war, according to Israel, and Hamas said it fired a fresh barrage on Tuesday.

On Monday, Hamas released two elderly Israeli women who were among the roughly 220 people Israel says were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack and forced into Gaza.

Appearing weak in a wheelchair and speaking softly, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz told reporters Tuesday that the militants beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it hard to breathe as they kidnapped her. They drove her into Gaza, then forced her to walk several kilometers (miles) on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web, she said.

Once there, she said, she was treated well, fed and given medical care.

Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper were freed days after an American woman and her teenage daughter were released.

The Israeli military dropped leaflets in Gaza asking Palestinians to reveal information on the hostages whereabouts. In exchange, the military promised a reward and protection for the informants home.

Magdy reported from Cairo and Nessman from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Aamer Madhani in Washington, Amy Teibel in Jerusalem and Brian Melley in London, contributed to this report.
The Beaver Dam Unified School Board unanimously approved the 2023-24 school budget on Monday.

The Beaver Dam annual meeting was held prior to the beginning of the monthly meeting for the Beaver Dam Unified School District.

The mill rate for the school district taxes was set at $7.09, Beaver Dam Unified School District director of business services Ryan Cashman said after the meeting. What this translates to, is that for every $1,000 of property value, the property owner will be charged $7.09. So on a $100,000 house, the tax would be $709; a house valued at $200,000 would have a $1,418 tax.

The average home value in Beaver Dam is $177,800, which will have a $1,260 tax.

The tax does not include the deduction of the school levy credit on the tax bills, which would decrease the school taxes, Cashman said.

The school district tax is only a portion of the property tax bill. State, county, city, technical schools and sanitary districts also make up tax bills.

The districts budget has a total tax levy of $17,959,497. The Board of Education approved the tax levy and expenditures of $46,433,000 and revenue of $46,533.335.

Cashman said enrollment in Beaver Dam has decreased about 2% from last year.

However if we compare that to the Wisconsin data, Wisconsin is showing an overall decrease of about 4.24% since 2018-19, so we are doing OK, but it is a statewide trend, Cashman said.

The total enrollment during the third Friday counts in September was 3,025. Cashman noted that for budgeting purposes a three-year average is included.

Beaver Dam is doing well with open enrollment, gaining about 17 students over resident students who decide to go to school outside of Beaver Dam, Cashman said. If the numbers remain the same throughout the year, it could impact the budget by $150,000.

Several non-recurring exemptions affect the revenue limit, including declining enrollment exemptions, prior year open enrollment for uncounted students and private school voucher aid deductions. Cashman said the total increase in revenue limit due to non-recurring exemptions is $2.25 million.

One costly factor for the Beaver Dam school district is the money it loses through the Choice Program, also known as the voucher program, Cashman said. Participation in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, where district students attend a private school, has gone up from last year. The resident district revenue increases for the students participating in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and the Special Needs Scholarship Program went up to more than $1 million this year. Not only did the number of students using the programs increase, the amount the districts get from the state also went up.

I think it is important to note the voucher impact on this levy, Cashman said.

In the new biannual budget, the amount per student increased as well, Cashman said. K-8 increased from about $8,400 to about $9,893 per student, 9-12 increased from $9,045 to $12,387. In addition, special education increased from $13,076 to $15,065.

Beaver Dam is receiving a slight decrease in equalization aid from the state, Cashman said. The aid decreased about .14% from last year, and the district will receive a little over $24.5 million in aid for the state.

The district has equalized value increased by 10.51% over last year, Cashman said. However, it is important to note that agriculture land is valued at a set rate per acre based on land use, and valued lower to encourage farming.

This increase is almost exclusively on residential and commercial property, said Cashman, who added that Beaver Dam is below the state averages in the equalized value increases this year.

Salary and fringe benefits are the highest expense to the district, Cashman said.

Close Beaver Dam students celebrate homecoming Beaver Dam High School held its homecoming parade on Friday afternoon.
The mother from Duxbury who is accused of killing her three children and subsequently attempting to take her own life is scheduled to be arraigned on three charges of murder.

On Thursday, Lindsay Clancy will appear before a judge via Zoom, with the proceedings taking place at Tewksbury Hospital, as per CBS News.

Unsealed Documents Shed Light on the Clancy Family Case

Clancy stands accused of the unthinkable: taking the lives of her children-Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan-on January 24, 2023, in the family's home in Duxbury.

The unsealed documents, now public knowledge, encompass 11 search warrants, offering a deeper insight into the evidence gathered during the investigation. Investigators seized vital information from Clancy's electronic devices, including phones, tablets, and computers.

These devices contained personal accounts of her mental state and emotions towards her children and troubling information suggesting that she had been researching harmful methods. The prosecution has asserted that Clancy strangled her children with exercise bands while her husband, Patrick Clancy, was away picking up dinner.

Tragically, he arrived home to find his wife injured outside after she had jumped from a window. Prosecutors maintain that the killings were premeditated, while Clancy's defense team argues that she was grappling with severe mental health issues and that overmedication may have played a role in the tragedy.

Clancy remains in custody without bail, receiving treatment at a medical facility. One crucial aspect unveiled in the documents is that Clancy had been using her electronic devices to document her mental health, her feelings about her children, and, alarmingly, research harmful methods.

While the documents did not specify the search terms or phrases she used, it is a chilling revelation into her state of mind. In a harrowing account, Patrick Clancy, the husband, was in the basement when police arrived to check on Lindsay and made the gruesome discovery.

He found his children with exercise bands around their necks, their faces turning "blue and purple." Authorities thoroughly searched the home, scrutinizing home security camera footage, receipts, and a CVS bag with a child's laxative, according to WCVB Channel 5 Boston.

Read Also: Georgia Supreme Court Strikes Down Lower Court Ruling of 6-Week Abortion Ban Being Invalid

Clancy Family's Heartbreaking Mental Health Journey

Lindsay had asked Patrick to purchase the murder weapons, a knife, and several notebooks containing a list of medications she was prescribed. Lindsay Clancy had been prescribed a cocktail of medications, including diazepam, amitriptyline, and trazodone, all within 16 days before the tragic event.

Her husband attributes her drastic change in behavior to these medications, referring to their debilitating effects. This case also highlights the grim reality of postpartum psychosis, a severe mental illness characterized by confusion, loss of touch with reality, paranoia, delusions, disorganized thought processes, and hallucinations.

This condition typically occurs within the first six weeks after childbirth and necessitates immediate medical and psychiatric attention and, sometimes, hospitalization. Clancy's lawyer, Kevin J. Reddington, argued that the prescribed medications left her feeling like a "zombie," he plans to use this as part of her defense against the murder charges.

The Clancy family's ordeal has been nothing short of a nightmare, and the tragic incident has shattered their lives. Despite his unimaginable loss, Patrick Clancy has shown an extraordinary level of forgiveness.

In a heartfelt message on a GoFundMe page that raised over $1 million, he implores others to find it within themselves to forgive Lindsay, echoing his belief in her genuine nature, marked by love and care for their family, friends, and patients.

The unfolding details of this case serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and support for individuals grappling with severe mental health issues, particularly new mothers who may be suffering from postpartum conditions.

In the face of such heartbreak and devastation, society must continue to strive for a better understanding of mental health and better access to treatment for those who need it most, Mail Online reported.

Related Article: NYC Faces Housing Shortages as City Loses Over 100,000 Units

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Three burglaries were reported in Mauston and Reedsburg this month, authorities said.

Early Saturday, surveillance cameras at the Arbys in Mauston showed a male breaking the drive-through window at the fast food restaurant and entering the facility. The Mauston Police Department is seeking assistance in apprehending the suspect.

A Reedsburg man, 45, was arrested last week after a Reedsburg Police Department investigation into two burglaries on Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 at Trinity Baptist Church in the city. Area businesses assisted the department in obtaining evidence leading to the arrest, and officers found stolen property at the suspects house, police said.

The man faces two counts each of burglary and theft of movable property and was being held on an alleged probation violation. He also faces 10 land trespassing counts in connection to other open cases from September and October, according to the Police Department.

Anyone with information regarding Saturdays Mauston Arbys burglary is encouraged to notify the Mauston Police Department at 608-847-6363 or email Det. Richard Lueneberg at ms107@mauston.com.
As it nears the end of its federal pandemic relief funding, Juneau County is allocating some of those dollars toward public safety. The county board approved two measures at its Oct. 17 meeting that pledged funds toward body cameras for the Sheriffs Office and implementing security measures at the Juneau County Courthouse. Federal funding pledged for the projects was just over $120,000.

New camera systems are planned for the courthouse, as well as increased locked access, automated entries and computer system updates to include panic buttons. Those are already in place at newer county government facilities, said board chair and 18th District Sup. Timothy Cottingham, who added that the courthouse has very little modern security.

We just want to make it a little safer and more secure for the staff that works in the building, Cottingham said.

There are no plans for closing entrances, according to Cottingham, who added that committing the funds allows the county to start looking into the cost of the additional technology. The county may also look into renovations or a new building for some operations currently at the courthouse, he said.

Making additions to the Juneau County Courthouse will require additional permissions, as it is part of the National Register of Historic Places. The building was constructed in 1938.

Any type of investment stuff is kind of hard because you have to go through the (Wisconsin) Historical Society, Cottingham said.

The body cameras are an ongoing expense within the county. In 2022, the Juneau County Sheriffs Office received the cameras and the county is matching just over $134,000 in grant funding. Last November, $92,000 of the expenses were paid, and the remaining costs were split over the next four years. Just over $10,500 of COVID relief money was used to cover the 2023 payment.

The cameras are primarily for patrol deputies, Cottingham said. Additional law enforcement funding comes from the countys partnership with the Ho-Chunk Nation, Cottingham said, adding that the county has a strong relationship with the tribe.

The board also approved a cooperative law enforcement agreement with the Ho-Chunk Nation Oct. 17. The agreement allows the county and tribe to receive just over $29,000 in state law enforcement grant funding.

The policing partnership between the tribe and the county has been in existence since 1989, and the tribe has purchased police vehicles to help patrol county tribal lands and assisted the county financially with highway projects.
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Pope Francis greets Sister Patricia Murray during a session of the Synod of Bishops' 16th General Assembly in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Pope Francis is convening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Daniel Radcliffe has joined forces with David Holmes, his former stunt double from the Harry Potter films.

Unfortunately, David Holmes suffered a life-altering injury during a mishap on set, which left him paralyzed. Together, they are collaborating on an upcoming documentary for HBO, as per The Independent.

Daniel Radcliffe to Produce Stunt Double David Holmes' Documentary

In January 2009, a catastrophic accident occurred on the set of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, Harry Potter. David Holmes, a talented stuntman who had been an integral part of the Harry Potter film series, was rehearsing a flying scene involving an explosion at the Leavesden film studios near Watford.

The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, forever altering the course of his life. A decade later, a heartwarming documentary, "David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived," takes us through his remarkable life and the unbreakable bond he shared with Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe.

The documentary, a joint project by Sky and HBO Documentary Films delves into David's coming-of-age story. From a young gymnast to a skilled stuntman, his life had been defined by his passion for daredevil feats. But his role as Daniel Radcliffe's body double in the Harry Potter series became his defining achievement. Their friendship, both on and off the set, was integral to this narrative.

The accident during the filming of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" was a pivotal moment in David's life. The explosion, which was part of the stunt, caused him to plummet to the ground. As fears grew that he had suffered a paralyzing back injury, David bravely told crew members, "I can't feel my legs."

This marked the beginning of a long, arduous journey towards recovery and self-discovery. Over the past ten years, the documentary team has collected footage that showcases David's stunt work, personal life, and the challenges he has faced since his life-altering accident.

Interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew members provide insight into how David's life has evolved. Through it all, one can see the remarkable resilience of a man who refused to be defined by his limitations. The documentary sheds light on David's achievements in front of the camera and the remarkable attitude he developed towards life after his devastating accident.

David reflected on his journey in his own words: "Being a stuntman was my calling in life, and doubling Harry was the best job in the world. In January 2009, I had a stunt rehearsal accident that changed my life forever. This film tells the story of my achievements in front of the camera, the challenges I face every day, and my overall attitude to life after suffering a broken neck," according to Mail Online.

Read Also: Three Oscars and a Leonor: Meryl Streep Receives Princess of Asturias Award in Spain

David Holmes' Journey as Stunt Double

Amidst the turbulence of the world we live in today, David's story serves as a beacon of hope. He quoted Harry Potter as saying, "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."

David's strength, his unwavering spirit, and the support and love he has received from those around him testify to the power of unity and resilience.

The Harry Potter franchise is no exception in a world where reboots and sequels are commonplace. As rumors swirl about a potential Harry Potter TV series, Daniel Radcliffe weighed in, expressing his desire for the new filmmakers to make their mark on the beloved franchise.

He emphasized that he's not actively seeking a cameo and wishes the new team the best of luck. The series, set to focus on different books from the original franchise, represents a fresh start while still paying homage to the magic of the wizarding world.

As 'David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived' prepares to premiere on HBO and Max, it's a reminder of the enduring legacy of the Harry Potter series. While the original films hold a special place in the hearts of fans worldwide, this documentary shines a light on one of the unsung heroes who contributed to the magic.

With his remarkable journey and unbreakable friendship with Daniel Radcliffe, David Holmes proves that even in the face of adversity, the magic of resilience and friendship can endure. David Holmes' story is one of inspiration, courage, and the unyielding spirit of a young man who refused to let an accident define his life.

As we eagerly anticipate the premiere of 'David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived,' we are reminded that sometimes, the most magical stories are the ones that happen off-screen, Daily News reported.

Related Article: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Urges Museum To Fix His Wax Figure as Skin Tone Doesn't Match

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In the same week, Oscar-winning Fog of War director Errol Morris, 75, premieres The Pigeon Tunnel, his documentary about The Spy Who Came in From the Cold author John le Carre  the pen name of real-life British spy David Cornwell, who died at 89 in 2020  and Adam Sisman, 69, publishes the book The Secret Life of John le Carre.

Its a good idea to read the book, then see the movie. Here are some of their eye-opening revelations.

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The book shows that le Carre kept lots of secrets  especially from women.

Sisman discovered that le Carre betrayed almost everyone he knew: agents, publishers, his British secret service employer, his friends, his children, two wives and scads of lovers. One friend said le Carre had 53 mistresses. He may have been joking, but Sisman found 11, including the novelists young secretary, his best friends wife, a sexy model le Carre invited for a threesome with his own wife, and his sons au pair.

They fouled him up, his mum and dad.

Sismans fascinating book, a sequel to his 2015 le Carre bio, which le Carre called conscientious, fact-based, and, for me, a horrible mirror reveals a damaged man.

His mother, sick of his father Ronnies infidelities and scared of his gangster pals, including the infamous Kray brothers, coldly abandoned the future writer when he was 5.

Ronnie was a con man who swindled old people out of their life savings, sexually molested his son and was repeatedly imprisoned. When le Carre was a British spy in Germany, Ronnie tried to become a spy for East Germany.

Author Adam Sisman and his new book "The Secret Life of John le Carre." HarperCollins Publishers

Le Carre gave Sisman a list of his reasons for adultery.

1. Ever since childhood, a search for elemental creature warmth & love.

2. A recognition  at 30  that I had given my youth away to a marriage that only made me sad.

3. An ignorance & suspicion of all women, a never-ending search for love; carnality, self-destruction, reckless despair, hope.

4. Depression.

5. No self-esteem.

6. Fury at the chains of convention.

7. Utter loneliness.

8. Fury at my own conformity with convention.
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In a new episode of the animated show, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are mocked in the comedy cartoon for making millions of pounds from Netflix for 'no-one knows what.'

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry have been mocked on "Family Guy". The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have son Archie, four, and two-year-old daughter Lilibet, are mocked in the comedy cartoon for making millions of pounds from Netflix for "no-one knows what."

An episode featuring the pair was shown on Sunday, October 22, with the teasing of the couple since going viral. It sees Peter Griffin compare himself to the former "Suits" actress, 42, and the 39-year-old royal, who have an 81 million contract with Netflix.

He announces he is going to "go it alone" like Meghan and Harry, who infamously quit the UK for America in 2020. The scene then cuts to the couple lounging by the pool in California as a butler hands them money, and tells Harry, "Sir, your millions from Netflix for... no-one knows what." Harry's toon version responds: "Put it with the rest of them."

Meghan's phone then goes and she tells Harry, "Babe, time to do our daily $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco." Harry replies, "I shouldn't have left the made-up nonsense."

Meghan and Harry's first six-part series on Netflix, "Harry and Meghan", made headlines when it was released in 2022 and hit the top of the Netflix Top 10 charts. But Harry's first solo Netflix show, "Heart of Invictus", failed to make the streamer's top ten chart on its release day.

He and Meghan were also famously mocked by "South Park" in February over their fight for "privacy." It showed the pair moving to the fictional town in a bid to dodge the spotlight - with Harry releasing a book titled "Waaagh" and the pair going on a global "privacy tour" to promote their desire to stay out of the spotlight.

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The Fugees star apologizes to her fans as she announces she has been ordered by doctors to put her Philly concert on hold because she needs to rest her voice.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Lauryn Hill has decided to postpone a concert to prevent "serious strain or damage" to her vocal cords. The 48-year-old hip hop artist is hitting the road for her "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" 25th anniversary tour alongside The Fugees, but she had to re-arrange a gig in Philadelphia on Monday night, October 23 after she was ordered by a doctor to rest her voice.

"Dear Philadelphia, It is with disappointment that I am writing this note to you. On the advice of my physicians, I have no choice but to postpone the show. I need to rest my voice to prevent any more serious strain or damage to my vocal cords," she wrote on Instagram.

"The start of this tour has been incredible. What an amazing experience to celebrate this anniversary with all of my family, my friends and all of you. I look forward to giving you the show you deserve with a fully recovered and healthy voice."

Lauryn has rescheduled her Philadelphia show for November 25, and reassured fans that her next planned gig, in Toronto on Thursday, October 26, will still be going ahead. She wrote, "The new date for Philadelphia will be Nov 25. It will be a special one. Toronto, I'll see you next. Resting for a few days then heading your way."

After her Toronto show, Lauryn will head to Chicago on Saturday, October 28, and she has gigs in Fort Worth, Denver, and Los Angeles scheduled for next week.

Lauryn announced the North American tour in August, revealing she would perform the seminal 1998 record in full alongside her former band. In a statement, she reflected on the Grammy-winning LP, saying, " 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' is and was a love song to my parents, my family, my people, my musical and cultural forebears, my teachers, my loves, my Creator."

"I wrote love songs and protest songs - (still love songs) about the subjects and interests that inspired and moved me. I was confident that what inspired me would resonate with an audience that had been led to believe that songs of that kind could only live in the past."

"I loved music, I loved people, I truly felt grateful to God for my life, and genuinely blessed to have a platform where I could share wisdom and perspective through music. I felt a charge to challenge the idea that certain kinds of expression and/or certain kinds of people didn't belong in certain places. I loved showing what could work or happen provided there was imagination, creativity and LOVE leading the way."

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Russia scrambles fighter to intercept two U.S. bombers over Baltic Sea

Xinhua) 13:16, October 25, 2023

MOSCOW, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Russian Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept two U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said.

Russian airspace control systems detected two air targets over the Baltic Sea approaching the country's state border, the ministry said in a statement.

"A Su-27 fighter was scrambled to identify the air targets and prevent a violation of Russia's state border," it added.

The air targets were identified as two U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers, and as the Russian fighter approached, the foreign planes turned away from the border, the statement said.

The flight of the Russian fighter jet was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters, the statement said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
According to authorities, an Ohio guy was upset that a church intended to host two drag events and tossed two Molotov cocktails at it in an attempt to burn it down.

Twenty-year-old Aimenn D. Penny was detained earlier this year after attempting to set fire to the Community Church of Chesterland on March 25. He entered a guilty plea on Monday to use explosives and fire to commit a felony and violate the Church Arson Prevention Act.

(Photo: by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JUNE 17: Drag queens ride on a float during the Stonewall Pride parade on June 17, 2023, in Wilton Manors, Florida. Even as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers passed anti-LGBTQ laws, the Stonewall Pride event brought nearly 50,000 people together to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

The criminal complaint claims that Penny built her Molotov cocktails using a vodka bottle and a beer bottle. An accelerant was utilized, gasoline, as reported by CBS News.

Investigators discovered that Penny is a part of White Lives Matter, which the criminal complaint referred to as an "organization with racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic beliefs." Members of the group, including Penny, had attended a drag show in Wadsworth, Ohio, on March 11, protesting what they saw as the group's "racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic views.

According to the criminal complaint, Penny was questioned by the FBI after he tossed the Molotov cocktails at the Chesterland church. He said he was attempting to defend kids.

According to the lawsuit, the church's front door was scorched by the Molotov cocktails. Additionally, a sign on the building's facade has burn marks. The property's southeast corner has a broken sign there.

The punishment for Penny is due on January 29. In addition to a required 10-year prison sentence that will run concurrently with any other prison term issued for using fire to accomplish a federal offense, he faces a potential 20-year jail sentence for violating the Church Arson Prevention Act.

In recent years, drag events have sparked protests and new legislation. A statute in Tennessee that severely restricted drag performances was deemed unlawful in June. A bill prohibiting children from attending drag performances was enacted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May.

Read also: Orlando: 11-Year-Old Trans Girl Leads 'Come Out With Pride' Parade-Sparking Concerns Among Netizens

Drag Performs are Accused of Being Pedophiles

Hate groups intended to disrupt a different drag-themed event in northeast Ohio in March that was a benefit for a nearby church.

Hate groups regularly accuse drag performers of being pedophiles, claiming that gatherings involving drag performers are intended to "groom" or abuse youngsters. Cleveland Proud Boys were accused of disseminating posters on social media encouraging people to join them in protesting at "a rally against groomers."

In Wadsworth earlier that month, a number of hate groups interfered with the Rock-n-Roll Drag Queen Story Hour by yelling charges of pedophilia at the audience members.

Related article: Judge Blocks Tennessee City's Ban on Drag Shows on Public Property

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Jerry O'Connell, who's married to Rebecca, claims the 'Full House' actor made no attempt to reach out to the actress ahead of the release of his new tell-all book.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - John Stamos allegedly sent "no warning" to his ex-wife Rebecca Romijn he was including her in his new tell-all memoir. The "Full House" actor, 60, split from the 50-year-old actress in 2004 after five years of marriage before they finalised their divorce in 2005 and they have barely spoken about the break-up since they parted ways - but he has told in his autobiography about the split, which he says left him "shattered."

Rebecca is now wed to actor Jerry O'Connell, 49, with whom she has twin 15-year-old daughters Dolly and Charlie, and her husband claimed to Access Hollywood they had no idea John was going to write about his time with the actress.

Jerry told hosts Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover they didn't "get any warning" about the contents of John's "If You Would Have Told Me" book before it came out on Tuesday, October 24. He added, "We find out just like anyone else."

When asked if John's statements about his and Rebecca's divorce came as a "shocker," Jerry declined to comment. He said, "It's not really my place to say, Kit. I would rather my wife talk about that. My wife and I are getting along so well today."

John told in an interview to promote his book he had finally come to the conclusion Rebecca Romijn wasn't "the devil." He told People, "I just hated her. I couldn't believe how much I hated her, and it ruined my life."

John added the split was "shattering" to him "for way too long" in his life, saying, "It went on (for) years and years." But the actor said he had finally acknowledged the part he played in their split, adding, "You start thinking, it's like, 'Oh, she wasn't the devil. Maybe I was as much to blame as her.' "

"It was very much the opinion that she dumped me because her career was going great and mine wasn't. I don't blame her for it. It was just the perception that people took. Maybe they weren't wrong. She was doing great at that time and I wasn't."

Now-sober John admitted he "started to kind of drink a lot" after he split from Rebecca and said he has since "straightened up" after he moved on with his 37-year-old wife Caitlin McHugh.

John got hitched to the actress in February 2018, and they had a son named Billy two months later.

Rebecca admitted in a 2022 episode of "The Talk" she misses "a lot" of things about John. She said, "Divorce feels like a failure and there were a lot of things that I had to let go of that were very sad. I have a lot of really fun memories."

John's book also includes a brief account of how he was abused by a female babysitter, who he said he "played dead" in front of to try and make her stop.

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The former 'Love and Hip-Hop: Miami' cast member brought up the claim about his alleged fling with the social media personality when appearing on the 'We in Miami' podcast.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Prince (II) has responded to backlash over his recent claim. Having caused an uproar by saying he had "smashed" Lori Harvey, the former "Love & Hip-Hop: Miami" star took to social media to defend himself.

For the record, the 34-year-old brought up the claim when appearing on the "We in Miami" podcast. "I'm probably gonna get some st for this but Lori Harvey," he boasted. "It wasn't like a smash though, like it was like I was really you know I was really like f**king with her. She was really f**king with me."

"She would Uber to my place on the beach and come out to stay with me some nights," the TV personality recalled before declaring that their fling was "phenomenal." He added, "This is before she got like thin, I was f**king with thick Lori... She wasn't thin like she is now. I prefer the old Lori, honestly."

Prince's revelation dragged him into hot water considering that Lori is now in a relationship with actor Damson Idris. "Clout chasing. No more Zeus episodes n the fame dimming," one person opined, while another commented, "Men talk more than women these days."

Catching wind of the backlash, Prince wrote on Instagram, "Damn I can't talk about MY life & MY experiences in a tasteful manner ? I was respectful sheesh." In a longer statement, he argued, "Lol y'all eating me tf up huhWhilst I can appreciate & understand everyone's view on the podcast , I disagree."

"I understand the manner in which the question came off distasteful & I tried to answer in a manner that would still be funny , & salacious but still respectful , clearly I failed, although I stated certain things to paint a clearer picture," he added. "this is MY life , MY story , MY truth."

"I would never get on any public platform & just LIE or talk about a sexcapade," the reality star continued. "But whether it was public knowledge or not , I had a relationship with this person regardless if you consider it one or not . & I feel like I can speak on my past relationships."

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The 'Cyborg' actor claims that the Dominic Toretto depicter shut down his chance to star in a 'Fast and Furious' movie despite him receiving an offer from others involved in the franchise.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - The "Fast and Furious" franchise could have been merrier with an action movie vet joining its roster of A-list stars. Jean-Claude Van Damme has revealed that he had been asked to be a part of the action movie series, but Vin Diesel nixed the idea.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph, the Belgian martial artist/actor claimed that someone or some people involved in the franchise had invited him to star in one of the "Fast and Furious" movies. However, for an undisclosed reason, Diesel reportedly wasn't interested in sharing the spotlight with the 63-year-old actor.

"Van Damme has also missed out on a role in another mega-franchises," the publication wrote. " 'They want me in 'Fast and Furious',' he says. And what a bit of casting that would be. But Vin Diesel said, 'No, I don't want him.' "

Diesel has not responded to Van Damme's claim while his representatives have not responded to a request for comment. The "Universal Soldier" star, who had a role as a villain in "The Expendables 2" (2012), did not disclose which "Fast and Furious" project he was potentially being courted for.

Diesel famously had a fallout with his "Fast and Furious" co-star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson during the filming of "The Fate of the Furious" in 2016. Johnson was not involved in the next installment of the movie series, but went on to star in the spin-off "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" (2019) centering on his character Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw.

In November 2021, Diesel extended an olive branch to the former professional wrestler, expressing his desire to have Johnson reprising his role for the franchise's swan song. After initially turning down the Dominic Toretto depicter's plea, Johnson made a shocking return in the mid-credits scene of "Fast X", which was released in May this year.

In June, the "Moana" star confirmed his return to the franchise. "So I am 100 percent confirming to you guys around the world that yes, it is true. Hobbs is back. Hobbs is back in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise," he said on Instagram, adding that despite their "differences," he and Diesel been "like brothers for years."

The next installment of the "Fast and Furious" movie series is scheduled for an April 4, 2025 release.

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On Cheryl Burke's podcast, Tom claims that his departure had something to do with the casting of Sean Spencer, former Press Secretary for President Donald Trump.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Tom Bergeron opened up about a betrayal that led to his "Dancing with the Stars" exit. During his appearance on former "DWTS" pro Cheryl Burke's "Sex, Lies and Spray Tans" podcast, Tom claimed that his departure from the show had something to do with Sean Spencer, former Press Secretary for President Donald Trump, who joined the show's season 28.

"In the summer of 2019, I had two lunches-one with that showrunner person and another one with his boss," Tom, who hosted the show for 15 years, recalled in the Monday, October 23 episode of the podcast. "I said, 'Well look, 2019 is the threshold to an election year in America, we are a very divided country. Just nobody, of any party, don't go there-just make us the wonderful escape from all that divisiveness for two hours a week.' "

He shared that the two show executives agreed with him at the time, so he saw Sean's casting as a betrayal. "And then a few weeks later, I get a phone call," he continued. "And they rundown the list of who is going to be on the show, and this former showrunner says to me, 'You might want to sit down for this last one.' And then they told me who it was, the former press guy for Trump. I said, 'Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn't do. Don't go there. This is not the right time, play to our strengths, be the show that gives people a break from all this bulls**t.' "

In response to the casting choice, Tom suggested that he would take a break for that season. The showrunner and the producer, however, pissed Tom off even further when they told him that they could let him cancel the 3-season contract he'd recently signed if he wanted it.

He later recounted the moment Sean's casting was announced on "Good Morning America". "My phone started blowing up. People were outraged," the 68-year-old told Cheryl. "At that moment I knew, this was probably my last season. Because of that one betrayal. Because I'd been lied to by people who were in charge. Up until that point, there were people of character there."

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The 'Raising Hope' actress' new sighting marks her first since her estranged husband and 'That '70s Show' alum was expelled from Scientology following his rape conviction.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Bijou Phillips looked strained when she was spotted in a new public outing in California. The actress' sighting marked her first since her estranged husband Danny Masterson was expelled from Scientology.

In pictures obtained by Daily Mail, Bijou dressed casually during a grocery shopping in Santa Ynez, California. The 43-year-old opted for a light pink long-sleeve top and denim shorts that she paired with gray Birkenstock sandals and a black shoulder bag.

The former socialite went make-up free for the out and about. She was also joined by a female friend. As for her dark blonde tresses, she let them fall down to her shoulders in curls.

Her grocery run arrived after Danny, who received a 30-year sentence in prison after being found guilty of raping two women, was expelled from the Church of Scientology following his rape conviction. It was said "That '70s Show" alum's family and friends had to cut ties with the actor.

The Church of Scientology also declared Danny as a "suppressive person," who is defined as someone whose behavior seeks to impede the spiritual progress of those around him. An insider, however, claimed that the church was innocent of all accusations.

Bijou, who remained by Danny's side through his June 2020 indictment and May conviction, filed for divorce from the actor at a court in Santa Barbara, California on September 18. On the reason behind the split, she cited that there were "irreconcilable differences" in her marriage to Danny. She, meanwhile, listed "TBD" (to be determined) as the date of the separation.

She also asked for spousal support and full legal as well as physical custody of their daughter Fianna. Later in October, the disgraced actor agreed to hand over custody of Fianna to the "Raising Hope" star.

A report claimed that Bijou submitted the divorce papers after she got warnings from her inner circle. An insider revealed at the time, "Recently, friends and family have told her to be a mom first and to consider divorce because it really shows her daughter that eventually people need to be held accountable for what they do, even if it is someone they love."

"Bijou also is doing it to protect her assets and protect her future," the insider added. "She doesn't want to lose money and land and housing over a future civil lawsuit against Danny."

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The 'Wake Up in the Sky' hitmaker has been vocal about supporting Trump as he was released early in January 2021 after former president commuted his sentence for his 2020 conviction.

Oct 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kodak Black proves that he's a loyal supporter of Donald Trump. The "ZEZE" rapper, who received a pardon from the former president in 2021, declared in a new interview that he would gladly give the latter $1 million if he needed it.

The 26-year-old made the statement when appearing on "Drink Champs". In a snippet of his interview, which was shared on Tuesday, October 24, the rap star said, "I f**k with that boy... He a Gemini like me - his birthday two days after my s**t. And that boy, like, he be vibin' out here too."

Co-host N.O.R.E. a.k.a. Noreaga then asked, "So if Trump right now, even though he probably don't need it, if he needed a million dollars, would you give him a million dollars?" In response, the emcee quickly replied, "Of course, n***a... Off top. That ain't even no 'um um um.' 'How you want it? Your people and them finna come grab it?' "

Kodak was released early in January 2021 after then-President Trump commuted his sentence for his 2020 conviction as part of his last-minute pardon spree. The "Wake Up in the Sky" rapper was previously sentenced to 46 months in Kentucky's United States Penitentiary Big Sandy after pleading guilty for unlawful possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a firearm.

Upon his release, Kodak turned to Twitter to extend his gratitude to Trump. "I Want To Thank The President @RealDonaldTrump For His Commitment To Justice Reform And Shortening My Sentence," he wrote at that time. "I Also Want To Thank Everyone For Their Support And Love. It Means More Than You Will Ever Know. I Want To Continue Giving Back, Learning And Growing."

Kodak got to meet Trump in person in March 2022. In a video surfacing online, the Pompano Beach native was seen coming to Trump's table at the latter's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. While the audio in the clip is difficult to decipher due to music and general background noise, Trump can be heard asking the rapper, "How are you?" The two then had a fist bump.

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The former 'Two and a Half Men' star and the 'Bad Moms' actress are reportedly blaming each other for the online criticism addressed to them since they defended their convicted rapist friend.

Oct 26, 2023

AceShowbiz - Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' marriage is apparently put to the test following the fallout of their support for convicted rapist Danny Masterson. The pair have reportedly been blaming each other for the backlash they have received in the wake of their letter defending their former "That '70s Show" co-star.

"All the bashing they've been getting online and in the press has sent them into the bunker and now they're blaming each other," a source tells National Enquirer (via Radar Online) of the aftermath of Ashton and Mila's public support for Danny. While the former "Two and a Half Men" star has stepped down as chairman of the board at Thorn, an anti-child sex abuse organization he co-founded with Demi Moore in 2009, the pair are reportedly still struggling with fears that they sabotaged their careers.

"Mila and Ashton have never been so universally savaged," the source claims. "It's put an amazing strain on their relationship. In some ways, this is worse than a cheating scandal or political controversy."

Ashton and Mila allegedly also cannot agree on how to fix the fiasco. "Ashton thinks the best solution for them is to lie low," the informant spills. "But Mila says they need to get out there and make it clear they know they made a huge mistake."

The 40-year-old actress is itching to resume work on her new comedy "Goodrich", which began filming last spring before being halted by the dual Hollywood strikes, according to the report.

Ashton and Mila came under fire after they wrote a letter in support of Danny ahead of his sentencing. Danny was eventually sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being found guilty of two counts of forcible rape against two women.

The couple later issued a public apology for the letter. "We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson," Ashton said in a video posted on Instagram. His spouse then added, "We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future."

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Mr. Vivek Malhotra, Group CMO, India Today Group, has been elected the new Chairperson of the Digital Advertising Council (DAC), which functions under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Mr. Bharat Gupta, CEO, Jagran New Media and Mr. Arun Srinivas, Director & Head  Ad Business, Meta, have been appointed Co-Chairs of the DAC.





The Digital Advertising Council (DAC) under IAMAI is a strong voice in the advertising ecosystem. With over 110+ active members including agencies, publishers, affiliates, adtech and martech companies, DAC engages with more than 500 brands, 250 agencies and 100 publishers through various conferences, roundtables, and offsites.

DAC is working with the digital advertising stakeholders towards the goal of the growth of the digital advertising sector and is committed to delivering value. In the last 18 years of its existence, it has helped the industry grow from a 1% of the total advertising spends in the country to approximately between 30-34% today. Of the many things it engages in, one of the most prominent processes it has set up, is the Billing and Payment Recovery process (BNPP), which helps IAMAI publishers and agencies alike to be paid on time.



The new leadership team will play a pivotal role in guiding DAC and its digital advertising stakeholders to work towards the goal of the growth of the digital advertising sector. Along with this they will also be overseeing and supporting the three Task Force Groups viz. Unified Standard Measurement, Cookieless Future and Affiliate Best Practices. Additionally, they will continue to interact regularly with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, ensuring that the interests and concerns of the digital advertising community are effectively represented in regulatory discussions and decision-making processes.
In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital during the pandemic period. At the same time, the industry has been facing stiff challenges; moreover client expectations have also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears.

In PR conversation this week, Dr Sarvesh Tiwari, Founder & Managing Director, PR Professionals, speaks about factors that have contributed to PR Professionals remarkable growth journey, the homegrown philosophy that drives the agencys vision, the commitment to doing good in the world, and more.

Could you share the key factors that have contributed to PR Professionals remarkable journey of becoming the fastest-growing PR agency in the last 12 years?

I must say, our journey to becoming the fastest-growing PR agency in 12 years has been amazing, and it is all about three things: our awesome team, our fantastic clients, and our commitment to doing good in the world. Our growth isnt just about skills and expertise; its about the culture that weve nurtured.

First and foremost, our employees. One aspect that sets us apart is our belief in treating our team members as partners in our journey. This approach has been instrumental in our growth. We have a humble philosophy: to catch our employees doing the right things. Its about recognising and appreciating their efforts, which, in turn, motivates them to perform at their best. This, I think, is a major contributor in the journey of the fastest-growing PR agency.

Another crucial factor is our relationship with clients. We believe in forming genuine partnerships, going the extra mile to ensure their success. Even in times of crisis, we stand by our clients, providing unwavering support to help them navigate challenges.

Lastly, the blessings of people, not just our own people, but the world we live in. Our success goes beyond monetary gains. We care deeply about making a positive impact on the community. We engage in initiatives like flood relief in Patna and aiding the homeless. We recently launched RAISE, our CSR initiative, offering pro bono communication services to grassroots-level NGOs. This goodwill towards society has not only fueled our success, but also reciprocated with positivity and growth.

So, in response to your question, I believe its not just the tireless efforts of our dedicated team that have fueled our success, but also the goodwill that weve extended to society. The universe has reciprocated with positivity and growth as a result of the positive contributions we've made.

What strategies or approaches do you employ to differentiate PR Professionals from other PR agencies in the market and gain a competitive edge?

We have taken an empathetic approach from day one, placing ourselves firmly in our clients shoes in order to truly understand their concerns and pain points.

Rather than just completing tasks, we form genuine partnerships, going the extra mile even during crises. I would not take names, but we have worked for few of our clients free of cost when they were going through their tough times. I remember, just after the COVID pandemic, a client who was unable to pay us for more than ten months. Instead of severing ties, we chose a different path. We recognised that our client was facing a crisis and understood the importance of standing by them during their time of need. We continued to support them, offering guidance and expertise to manage the situation effectively. Our dedication and loyalty not only strengthened our bond with the client, but also showcased our commitment to their success, even in the face of adversity.

Recently, we expanded into the US market through a strategic partnership with 5W Public Relations, a top US-based PR agency. This expansion enhances our global reach and reinforces our dedication to clients.

We prioritise relationships over monetary bonds, nurturing client connections like family. Our clients trust us as more than service providers; were their allies, built on trust, loyalty, and mutual support. Our track record ensures client loyalty and long-lasting partnerships.

How have PR Professionals managed to maintain consistent growth and success in an industry known for its challenges and evolving dynamics?

In the PR industry, maintaining consistent success is like crafting a mosaic  different elements combine to create a beautiful outcome. We embrace change by staying updated on trends and technology, offering innovative solutions to clients. Understanding our clients goals deeply is crucial. We become partners rather than just service providers, building trust and ensuring effective strategies.

Investing in our team is key. We focus on continuous learning and skill development, nurturing talents within our organisation. Our office assistant, for instance, started with us and showed an interest in media monitoring. We nurtured his skills, and now after a decade of training he is our media monitoring specialist. Its these kinds of relationships that build the trust and loyalty that drives our success.

We approach success and setbacks with a level head, creating a calm environment that encourages experimentation and innovative thinking. This approach, from the top management down to all our employees, creates a sense of calm and peace of mind within our organisation. I was reminded of a song by Sahir Ludhianvi while talking about this. It goes something like, Gham aur khushi me farknamehsushojahan, maidilko us mukaam pe laata chalagayamain zindagi ka saath nibhata chalagaya You see, when we achieve this kind of self-aware mindset on a positive note, not just individually but as an organisation, it works wonders for us. Its all about finding solutions, no secrets involved.

Lastly, ethics are our North Star. Doing PR the right way isnt just good practice; its the foundation of our long-term success. Our clients and stakeholders trust us because of this commitment. So, the recipe for our consistent growth and success is a mix of adaptability, client focus, team investment, transparency, and ethical values.

Could you highlight any significant milestones or turning points in PR Professionals journey that have played a crucial role in its rapid growth?

PR Professionals journey can be marked by 5 key milestones:

My Early Exposure: An eight-year stint with Delhi Metro laid the foundation, emphasizing effective communication and providing essential learning. Growth Challenge to Opportunity: Initially, we couldn't participate in government tenders due to limited experience. As our expertise and turnover grew, we capitalized on this, securing government contracts. Diversification: Recognising industry needs, we expanded into a full-fledged digital marketing agency, creating new business verticals, including an event company and a news portal. International Expansion: A strategic partnership with 5W Public Relations, a US-based agency, marked our entry into the US market, enhancing our global reach and PR capabilities. Embracing AI: Integrating artificial intelligence into our analytics team boosted our competitiveness and ensured relevance in the evolving PR landscape.

Today, we operate in 22 Indian regions and have a presence in seven international locations.

How do PR Professionals adapt to the evolving PR landscape to meet clients changing needs in the digital age?

You know, theres a saying in our village,Padhe likhe log paristhition ke hisab se apne aapko badal lete hain, aur anubhavi log apne hisab se parishthition ko badal lete hain. (Educated people change themselves according to situations, while experienced people change situations according to themselves.). I think this saying beautifully applies to how PR Professionals adapt to the evolving PR landscape in this digital age. In this fast-paced digital era, the fundamental essence of PR remains constant: its all about building and nurturing strong relationships. Weve embraced technology to its fullest, using it as a tool to connect with our clients and stakeholders.

Our vision is clear  we aim to continue fostering these meaningful connections in an ever-changing PR landscape. So, whether it is the latest digital trend or a shift in client requirements, were here to adapt and make sure our clients needs are met, just as experienced individuals change circumstances to their liking. Its about staying proactive and molding the situation to fit our clients best interests.
The sterilization of people prior to legal gender transition has been found unlawful by Japan's Supreme Court.

According to the 2004 legislation, a person cannot change their gender if they are incapable of reproducing.

Following the filing of a petition contesting the law, a transgender lady received Wednesday's decision. Human Rights Watch (HRW), a rights organization, described the law as "abusive and out-of-date."

(Photo: by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images) In this picture taken on June 21, 2023, transgender woman Minori Tokieda uses an LGBTQ-friendly toilet, which is intended to defy traditional gender-based segregation, in an office building in Tokyo. A courtroom win and new anti-discrimination law could be seen as signs Japan is warming to the protection of LGBTQ rights. But activists warn of a dark side

It hailed Wednesday's decision as an "important victory for transgender rights in Japan" and praised it, according to BBC.

The decision overturns the court's 2019 decision that the identical statute was constitutional.

One of the 18 nations, including Japan, that forbid the sterilization procedure is the World Health Organization. It is also the only country in the Group of Seven (G7) that does not recognize same-sex unions under the law.

The woman's attorney had claimed that years of hormone medication had already reduced the woman's capacity to conceive and that surgery would result in physical pain and the possibility of side consequences.

Before going to the Supreme Court, her motion was turned down by the family court and the high court. However, several organizations opposed to the law's modification said that allowing people to change their recorded gender without surgery may make women feel insecure. They further suggested that it may lead to ambiguity in the law.

A Rise in Support for the LGBTQ

Despite criticism from politicians and groups associated with the conservative part of society, recent surveys have shown a rise in support for policies that are tolerant of LGBTQ people.

Gen Suzuki, a transgender man, was granted his request to have his gender officially altered without undergoing the procedure earlier this month.

Takehiro Sekiguchi, the family court judge, claimed that the present law broke Article 13 of the Constitution, which states that all persons must be valued as individuals.

Since then, more than 10,000 Japanese people have formally altered their genders, according to court records from the Oct. 11 decision.

Read also: Ohio Man Admits Trying To Burn Down Church for Planning To Host Drag Show Events

A Common Thing

According to the Shizuoka verdict, the majority of the 50 European and Central Asian nations with laws enabling persons to alter their gender on official records do not require surgery to remove sex organs. It highlighted that altering one's gender in this manner has grown commonplace around the world.

Many LGBTQ+ persons still conceal their sexuality out of fear of harassment at work and in schools in a society of conformity where the conservative government adheres to conventional paternalistic family values and is unwilling to accept sexual and familial diversity.

Some organizations opposed to greater acceptance of transgender persons, particularly those who transition from being designated male at birth to female, filed petitions with the Supreme Court on Tuesday urging it to maintain the necessity for surgery.

For same-sex couples to overcome obstacles in renting apartments and other areas, hundreds of towns now offer partnership certificates, although these are not legally enforceable.

Related article: Judge Blocks Tennessee City's Ban on Drag Shows on Public Property

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Clarke County school bus driver was drunk while driving a bus last week, WALA has reported.

A transportation mechanic who doubled as a substitute bus driver, 46-year-old James Chaney was confronted by a Jackson police officer outside Jackson Middle School last Tuesday after a parent reported Chaney to police.

Jackson police chief Jerry Taylor told the outlet the officer administered several field sobriety tests, which Chaney failed, according to the report.

A subsequent breathalyzer test showed Chaneys blood alcohol level was .33 -- more than 16 times Alabamas legal limit of .02 for driving a a commercial vehicle or bus.

Chaney had completed that days bus route prior to being confronted by the officer. Chaney was taken into custody and charged with DUI and reckless endangerment. He was immediately terminated by the Clarke County School District, where he had worked for about 10 years, the report said.

Updated at 4:50 p.m. to correct the headline.
A young boy is in critical condition after a shooting Tuesday night in Bessemer.

The shooting happened at 6:10 p.m. in the 100 block of 22nd Street South.

Bessemer police Det. Justin Burmeister said officers arrived at the home to find a 13-year-old boy wounded. He was taken to Childrens of Alabama and remains critical.

An adult male was taken into custody and is being held pending formal charges.

Police are expected to release more information later today.
Where you live can have a big impact on your financial situation.

The median household income in Alabama is $59,910 while in Alabama the county with the highest median income  Shelby County  is $78,889. Other parts of the state have much lower median incomes, as seen in a ranking by Stacker.

Stacker compiled a list of the lowest-earning counties in Alabama using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census 2020 5-year estimate of median household income.

Here are the 25 Alabama counties where people earn the least:

25. DeKalb County

Median household income: $42,267

18.8% below state average, 35.0% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 13.8%

2,670 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 14.6%

515 highest among all counties nationwide

24. Russell County

Median household income: $42,208

18.9% below state average, 35.1% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 14.6%

2,565 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 18.4%

509 highest among all counties nationwide

23. Geneva County

Median household income: $41,569

20.1% below state average, 36.0% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 15.0%

2,504 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 16.6%

455 highest among all counties nationwide

22. Fayette County

Median household income: $41,469

20.3% below state average, 36.2% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 11.5%

2,922 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 18.0%

445 highest among all counties nationwide

21. Franklin County

Median household income: $41,174

20.9% below state average, 36.6% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 12.3%

2,829 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 13.6%

431 highest among all counties nationwide

20. Winston County

Median household income: $40,991

21.2% below state average, 36.9% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 13.2%

2,733 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 16.2%

416 highest among all counties nationwide

19. Marion County

Median household income: $40,978

21.2% below state average, 37.0% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 11.9%

2,887 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 18.6%

415 highest among all counties nationwide

18. Pickens County

Median household income: $40,362

22.4% below state average, 37.9% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 16.7%

2,200 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 19.0%

375 highest among all counties nationwide

17. Pike County

Median household income: $39,218

24.6% below state average, 39.7% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 18.6%

1,855 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 19.6%

313 highest among all counties nationwide

16. Clarke County

Median household income: $37,345

28.2% below state average, 42.5% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 16.9%

2,165 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 22.1%

228 highest among all counties nationwide

15. Choctaw County

Median household income: $36,634

29.6% below state average, 43.6% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 15.7%

2,389 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 17.7%

196 highest among all counties nationwide

14. Escambia County

Median household income: $35,558

31.7% below state average, 45.3% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 10.7%

2,981 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 22.7%

162 highest among all counties nationwide

13. Macon County

Median household income: $35,450

31.9% below state average, 45.5% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 12.9%

2,775 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 20.9%

158 highest among all counties nationwide

12. Conecuh County

Median household income: $35,444

31.9% below state average, 45.5% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 10.7%

2,983 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 18.5%

157 highest among all counties nationwide

11. Wilcox County

Median household income: $35,063

32.6% below state average, 46.1% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 11.2%

2,956 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 26.0%

144 highest among all counties nationwide

10. Barbour County

Median household income: $34,990

32.8% below state average, 46.2% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 13.9%

2,658 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 22.2%

139 highest among all counties nationwide

9. Bullock County

Median household income: $33,866

34.9% below state average, 47.9% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 16.5%

2,226 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 28.0%

114 highest among all counties nationwide

8. Lowndes County

Median household income: $33,634

35.4% below state average, 48.3% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 12.5%

2,807 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 22.7%

108 highest among all counties nationwide

7. Dallas County

Median household income: $33,317

36% below state average, 48.7% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 11.2%

2,956 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 23.9%

101 highest among all counties nationwide

6. Marengo County

Median household income: $33,029

36.5% below state average, 49.2% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 16.2%

2,294 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 24.3%

96 highest among all counties nationwide

5. Monroe County

Median household income: $31,969

38.6% below state average, 50.8% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 13.2%

2,733 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 27.3%

70 highest among all counties nationwide

4. Hale County

Median household income: $30,793

40.8% below state average, 52.6% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 14.0%

2,643 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 27.3%

51 highest among all counties nationwide

3. Greene County

Median household income: $26,688

48.7% below state average, 58.9% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 6.8%

3,118 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 28.7%

16 highest among all counties nationwide

2. Sumter County

Median household income: $26,150

49.7% below state average, 59.8% below national average

Households earning over $100k: 8.1%

3,088 highest among all counties nationwide

Households earning less than $15k: 26.5%

15 highest among all counties nationwide

1. Perry County
Alabama officials including Gov. Kay Ivey say they are confident in Airbus ability in going it alone as it attempts to secure a coveted multi-billion dollar military contract to build at least 75 refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force.

But it could be an uphill climb following a report from the news site Reuters on Monday confirming that Lockheed Martin was exiting the tanker competition. Lockheed had been partnered with Airbus to build the LMXT, an updated version of the A330 MRTT refueling tanker that is built overseas.

I have total confidence Airbus is the best team to meet the Air Forces needs and believe they should win the tanker contract, Ivey said in a statement to AL.com on Wednesday. History shows Alabama always stands ready to meet our countrys defense needs, and this will be another way our people can deliver. I look forward to Airbus winning this contract and bringing even more business to our state.

Said U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Mobile: The Airbus MRTT is a proven tanker platform which already refuels U.S. aircraft overseas. As one of the largest airplane manufacturing hubs in the world, Mobile is ready and able to provide the U.S. Air Force with an affordable and reliable tanker. I will continue to support Airbus as they enter this competition to provide the capability our warfighters need.

The competition is high stakes for Mobile. If the European aerospace company, which operates its largest North American manufacturing facility in Mobile, can win the contract, it would mean hundreds of new jobs and the construction of a new final assembly line at its sprawling complex south of downtown.

We are confident in Airbuss ability to compete and win the tanker competition, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in a statement. Airbus has demonstrated that they can build and deliver a tanker that is already successfully supporting allies around the world.

Airbus, in a statement to AL.com, said it wasnt backing away from the tanker competition with Boeing and was confident in its MRTT military aircraft. Airbus builds MRTT tanker, which is flown by the armed forces of several nations, in France and Spain.

Airbus remains committed to providing the U.S. Air Force and our warfighters with the most modern and capable tanker on the market and will formally respond to the United States Air Force KC-135 recapitalization (Request for Information), the companys statement reads. The A330 U.S.-MRTT is a reliable choice for the U.S. Air Force: one that will deliver affordability, proven performance and unmatched capabilities.

To win the U.S. Air Force deal, Airbus will have to offer an American-made contender to its European program.

Under its prior arrangement with Lockheed Martin, the A330 planes would have been built in Mobile and then converted into tankers at a Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga.

Will Bradley, a spokesman with Lockheed Martin, said the company opted not to respond to the Air Forces RFI because the company is transitioning the LMXT team and resources to new opportunities and priority programs within Lockheed Martin that include development of aerial refueling solutions in support of the Air Forces Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) initiative.

We remain committed to the accelerated delivery of advanced capabilities that strengthen the U.S. Air Forces aerial refueling missions, Bradley said.

He said future opportunities with Airbus are uncertain.

We are very proud of our joint contributions to the LMXT strategic tanker program and appreciate the opportunity to align the strengths of both organizations to serve the U.S. Air Forces tanking mission, Bradley said. Any future opportunities will need to be considered based on specific requirements and timelines.

Former U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne -- now the president & CEO with the Mobile Chamber -- said he believes the situation benefits Mobile. He said if Airbus wins the tanker contract, the entirety of the program will be developed in Mobile.

If Airbus is going to do all of it and not share the project with Lockheed, that means many more jobs for Mobile, said Byrne, who represented South Alabama in the U.S. House from 2014-2021. From that standpoint, thats a good thing for us. We know Boeing has had a difficult time trying to meet the Air Forces requirements. Even after this year, they have not delivered a single and successful airplane.

Boeing, in a statement to AL.com on Thursday, said their KC-46A is the only tanker that meets the stringent airworthiness and performance requirements of the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The companys statement continues, It has been approved for global deployment by the U.S. Air Force Mobility Command, where it is currently supporting combat operations and national security missions. In addition to refueling support, the KC-46 delivers combat capability and data necessary in a multi-mission tanker for the 21st century warfighter. Boeing and the Air Force continue to invest in the KC-46A to evolve new capabilities to meet the needs of the mission now and in the future.

Boeing said the companys entire KC-46 team and supply chain network includes 670 businesses employing 37,000 American workers across 43 states and is already hard at work building the worlds most advanced multi-mission tanker.

The current tanker battle is similar to one that occurred more than a decade ago when Airbus went up against Boeing over a program designated KC-X.

Airbus, then known as EADS and partnered with Northrop Grumman Corp., and proposed to build tankers in Mobile if chosen. It did win the initial decision from the military, but Boeing successfully appealed and ended up with the contract to build 176 of the KC-46 Pegasus planes.

Airbus went on to build assembly lines for two other families of jetliners in Mobile, and is in the process of building a third final assembly line as the companys North America production ramps up.

The Air Force, aiming to replace hundreds of KC-135 tankers, kicked off its competition in 2022 for its second round of refueling tankers. Initially, the program called for 160 jets, but has since been slashed to 75.

This story was updated at 10:25 p.m. on Oct 25, 2023, to include a statement from Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. This story was also updated at 10:27 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2023, to include a statement from Boeing.
Alabamas Republican members of Congress are getting behind the partys latest pick for Speaker for the House.

Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana on Tuesday as their latest nominee for House speaker, just hours after an earlier pick abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from former president Donald Trump.

Elected to Congress in 2016, Johnson is the fourth pick for the job since Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted three weeks ago. A vote is expected later today.

As of Wednesday morning, Johnson appears to be the pick of all of Alabamas GOP lawmakers:

Since day 1 I have called for our party to unite around a conservative speaker. I am proud to announce that the conference has selected Mike Johnson from Louisiana and I look forward to supporting him on the floor. pic.twitter.com/KtvsVqO9df  Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) October 25, 2023

I am proud to support my good friend @RepMikeJohnson to be the 56th Speaker of the House. He is a man of faith and conviction who can unite our conference. Let's get this done and get back to work for the American people!  Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) October 25, 2023

Congratulations to my good friend @RepMikeJohnson . Hell be a great Speaker who will fight for our shared conservative values. Hes been a long time warrior for conservatives and remains true to our cause. I look forward to casting his first vote for Speaker. pic.twitter.com/qdcpiq2Hcz  Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) October 25, 2023

.@RepMikeJohnson is a brilliant man of faith, a Constitutional conservative, and is as honest as the day is long. Mike serves on @HASCRepublicans with me, and I know firsthand his dedication to our country. I am honored to call him my friend and proud to vote for him for Speaker.  Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) October 25, 2023

.@RepMikeJohnson is a strong leader and a tireless fighter for our conservative values. He is my friend, and I have full confidence he will be an outstanding Speaker who will unite our party and get Congress working again. I will be casting my vote for him in a few hours.  Rep. Jerry Carl (@RepJerryCarl) October 25, 2023

Alabamas lone Democratic representative, Terri Sewell, has made her feelings known during the last few speaker votes: Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson will hold a hearing Wednesday on Birmingham-Southern Colleges claims that State Treasurer Young Boozer exceeded his authority when he denied the colleges request for a $30 million loan.

Birmingham-Southern officials say the 167-year-old private college will likely close without the public funds, which they say would be a bridge loan while they raise money from private sources. The college has 731 full-time students and 284 employees.

Boozer filed a motion on Monday asking the court to dismiss the case, disputing Birmingham-Southerns claims that he acted in bad faith and beyond his authority or mistakenly applied the law in areas where he had no discretion. Boozer is represented by Deputy Attorney General James Davis and other lawyers with the attorney generals office.

On Tuesday, Birmingham-Southern attorney Robert E. Battle filed a motion opposing Boozers motion to dismiss the case. Birmingham-Southern maintains that it met the qualifications set in the law for the loan, including collateral and a financial restructuring plan, and that Boozers actions and denial of the loan undermined the Legislatures intent when it created the loan program.

The Treasurer is bound to faithfully execute the laws passed by the Legislature as they are written, Battle wrote in Birmingham-Southerns motion. He cannot veto those laws or implement them on different terms than those a statute imposes. But thats what the Treasurer has done here.

In May, the Legislature passed a bill creating the Alabama Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program in response to requests from Birmingham-Southern that it needed the state loan to survive. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law in June.

Birmingham-Southern applied for the loan on Aug. 24, the first day Boozers office made applications available.

On Oct. 13, Boozer wrote to Birmingham-Southern President Daniel B. Coleman denying the loan application. Boozer said the college did not meet the minimum requirements the law required to qualify for the loan, could not provide first security interest in its collateral assets, and its financial restructuring plan failed to provide adequately for repayment of the loan.

The Treasurer has faithfully performed the job the Legislature gave himhe established an application process, reviewed Plaintiffs application, made a careful and thorough investigation of Plaintiffs ability to repay a taxpayer-backed loan, and concluded that Plaintiffs requested loan should not be awarded, the states attorneys said in the motion to dismiss the case.

Birmingham-Southern disputes those points, says Boozer lobbied against the legislation, was flatly opposed to granting the loan, delayed making the application process available, and moved the goalposts on collateral requirements.

The Legislature did not say the Treasurer could deny loans to eligible institutions, but instead defined which institutions were eligible, Birmingham-Southern told the court in its motion filed Tuesday. The entire purpose of the program was to make loans to qualified institutions.

Aside from factual disputes in the case, the states attorneys representing Boozer said the court should dismiss the case because the Legislature gave the state treasurer the authority to decide whether a college should receive a loan from the program and because he has sovereign immunity as a state official.

Plaintiff seeks to have this Court restrain an elected constitutional officer from exercising discretion explicitly granted him by law. It cannot, they wrote in the motion to dismiss.

Birmingham-Southern maintains that sovereign immunity does not apply in the case because of the circumstances. In the motion filed Tuesday, Birmingham-Southern attorney Battle asked the judge to rule from the bench against the motion to dismiss and move promptly to allow the submission of evidence and documents to decide the merits of the case.

Read more: Birmingham-Southern sues Young Boozer after state denies $27 million bailout

Judge questions whether court can order state treasurer to issue loan to save Birmingham-Southern
Decatur police did a wellbeing check on a Decatur woman after her sister said the woman was eight months pregnant and had lost weight overnight, leading to the discovery of a deceased newborn in a dumpster last week, according to new details from a detectives affidavit filed in Morgan County District Court.

Cindy Nicole Crow, 36, was charged with abuse of a corpse and has remained in Morgan County Jail since last Wednesday in lieu of a $200,000 bond, according to police and jail records.

Around 4 p.m. on Oct. 16, a couple of hours prior to the police wellbeing check and as Crow was leaving her home in the 1400 block of Beech Street Southeast, Crows sister noticed a large white trash bag in the rear of Crows vehicle, according to the affidavit sworn to by Detective Jasmin Ferizovic. The sister told investigators that Crow refused to let her examine the bag; after Crow departed, the sister found bloody feminine products in the homes trash.

(The sister) said Crow had denied being pregnant the entire duration of the pregnancy, Ferizovic said. (The sister) believed Crow gave birth and was concerned where the baby was.

Ferizovic said Crow went to her aunts house and, when she arrived, the trash bag was no longer in her vehicle.

Officers said they then met Crow at her workplace where she agreed to go to a hospital to prove she wasnt pregnant. After a medical exam, Crow gave police consent to search her cellphone, according to Ferizovic.

Crow had a family tracking app called Life360 on her phone that detectives were able to use to retrace her afternoon route, Ferizovic said.

The results of a blood test yielded a positive pregnancy test, and her uterus was dilated to over twice the normal size, Ferizovic said. Hospital staff said that Crow was seen at the hospital in February 2023. At that time, hospital staff confirmed that Crow was 6 weeks pregnant with a due date of Oct. 13.

After the results, Crow agreed to speak with investigators at the Police Department and told them she was pregnant in February but miscarried shortly after, according to Ferizovic. Crow allegedly admitted to having a white trash bag in the vehicle but claimed it contained trash from the vehicle.

When asked where the trash bag was, Crow provided multiple locations that were later determined to be false, Ferizovic said.

On Oct. 17, police searched the route from Crows Life360 app. Officers discovered a trash bag matching the sisters description in the dumpster of Wally World Mini Mart at 2505 Point Mallard Drive S.E., according to Ferizovic.

Inside the bag, police said they found a full-term deceased baby girl. The body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. Police said additional criminal charges are likely forthcoming pending the autopsy results.

According to Ferizovic, surveillance video from the convenience store showed a vehicle matching the description of Crows and corroborating data from Life360.

A warrant for Crows arrest signed by a Morgan County judge on Oct. 18 notes an elevated bond for a few reasons:

Crow being on bond at the time of offense.

Violence in the alleged commission of offense.

The likelihood of conviction.

The desecration of a childs body.

If Crow is able to make bond, the judge wrote that she must enroll in the pretrial community corrections program and submit to monitoring.

According to court records, Crow was arrested in August 2022 for third-degree theft and released from jail after posting a $1,000 bond. According to a police affidavit in that case, Crow was working as a clerk at a convenience store on Somerville Road S.E. and over the course of two hours sold another woman eight cartons of cigarettes and three cases of Swisher Sweet cigars for $102.89, when the actual price should have been $765. Her trial on the theft charge is set for March 18.

Abuse of a corpse is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

 david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.

___

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Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com

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A former Birmingham police officer is under arrest on a felony charge.

A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Officer Shawn Edward Kimble, 50, on one count of computer tampering-obtaining confidential information.

The indictment was issued April 13 and made public in court records on Tuesday.

Kimble, who joined the department in 2004, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 10:37 a.m. Friday and released at 12:15 p.m. after posting $30,000 bond.

According to the indictment, Kimble illegally accessed the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center database.

Its illegal to use certain databases, such as ACJIC, without authorization or with authorization but for unauthorized purposes.

Details of the allegations against Kimble were not spelled out in the indictment, and court records do not yet list an attorney to comment on Kimbles behalf. The criminal case was investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation.

Birmingham police Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said Kimble resigned in March of 2022 while under investigation by the departments Internal Affairs Division.
The Pacifics Hurricane Otis left forecasters stunned on Tuesday as it incredibly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane with 165 mph winds in mere hours.

Otis then made landfall near the heavily populated Acapulco, Mexico, early Wednesday morning.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Otis made landfall at 1:25 a.m. Wednesday near Acapulco -- a city with about 1 million people -- with 165 mph winds, a solid Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale.

SATELLITE SPOTLIGHT: @NOAA's #GOES18  caught an incredible display of eye wall #lightning as Hurricane #Otis rapidly strengthened yesterday evening. According to @NHC_Atlantic, Otis was the strongest Eastern Pacific hurricane to make landfall in the satellite era. #Acapulco pic.twitter.com/auThP6ueUO  NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) October 25, 2023

Otis has weakened after landfall and was a tropical storm with 60 mph winds as of 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday. The hurricane center is forecasting the storm to dissipate over southern Mexico over the next few days.

Heres the forecast track as of Wednesday afternoon:

Otis is expected to dissipate over southern Mexico soon.National Hurricane Center

Will any of Otiss rain make it to Alabama? It doesnt appear so.

NOAAs Weather Prediction Center is forecasting little to no rain for Alabama over the next week. Alabama remains situated under a dome of high pressure, which is keeping temperatures on the warm side and rain chances on the very low side.

Alabama is not expected to get much, if any, rain over the next seven days. The seven-day precipitation outlook is above.Weather Prediction Center

Any moisture from Otis that manages to make it this far north will be shunted to the west of Alabama.

Alabama is in the midst of a worsening drought, and conditions are not likely to improve in the near future.

The U.S. Drought Monitor will release a look at drought conditions on Thursday. Last weeks report shows most of the state either in varying stages of drought or on the verge of it. The most parched areas are in southwest Alabama.

Drought conditions backed off a bit in a few spots but expanded in others in the past week. Not much if any improvement is expected in the coming week with little rain in the forecast.

The hurricane center is also tracking Hurricane Tammy in the Atlantic. Tammy is expected to transition to a non-tropical system in the next few days and could impact Bermuda. Tammy is not expected to affect the U.S.

The hurricane center isnt tracking any other potential tropical systems in the Atlantic as of Wednesday.
The largest private Russian bank is under attack as two Ukrainian hacktivist groups claim that they were able to breach the financial firm's system.

A Ukrainian intelligence authority even claimed that the cyberattackers were backed by the top counterintelligence agency of the European country.

Largest Private Russian Bank Targeted by Ukrainian Hackers

NPR said that a Ukrainian intelligence official said that the country's SBU (Security Service of Ukraine/Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrayiny) helped the hacktivists that attacked the Alfa-Bank.

The source requested anonymity because the information he discussed was very sensitive. What this official shared is aligned with what KibOrg and NBL claimed.

The two Ukrainian hacking organizations posted a blog with screenshots. They claim that these images were from the internal database of Alfa-Bank.

Aside from this, the two Ukrainian hacktivists also shared personal details of some Russian individuals. They added that the database they breached allowed them to access over 30 million records of Alfa-Bank's clients.

These sensitive details include account numbers, phone numbers, birthdates, as well as names. KibOrg and NBL didn't share additional details regarding the breach they made against the largest private Russian bank.

But, they said that they would be sharing the data they obtained from the Russian financial firm with investigative journalists.

Read Also: CareSource's Data Leak Leads to Class-Action Lawsuit; Plaintiffs Experience Anxiety After Learning the Breach

Ukraine's Continuous Cyberattacks Against Russia

Aside from NBL and KibOrg, another Ukrainian hacktivist group called "IT Army" claimed that it was able to conduct significant DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks against Leonardo; a Russian local airline booking system.

More than 50 Russian carriers are using Leonardo, as reported by SC Magazine. Since this Russian booking system is critical for the country's airline industry, the DDoS intrusion drastically affected the flight industry of Russia.

Experts said that the cyberattack disrupted flight operations of numerous Russian carriers, such as Rossiya Airlines, Pobeda, and Aeroflot. This just shows that Ukraine is still continuously using cyberattacks among its main counterattacks against Russia.

Military enthusiasts said that cyber operations have been a critical tool for Ukraine in its resistance against Russia's invading forces. If you want to learn more about the latest Ukrainian cyberattacks against Russia, you can click here.

Related Article; Russian Online Espionage Threats Against Finland Worsens; Supo Reveals How Russia Changes Spying Tactics

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Three large local government agencies in South Alabama are getting $3 million to assess the remaining damages and unmet needs from two hurricanes that struck coastal Alabama three years ago.

The money was announced Wednesday by Alabama Gov. Kay Iveys office, and includes $1 million each to Mobile and Baldwin counties, and the City of Mobile.

The money, the governors office says, will allow each agency to submit recovery action plans to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). Once those plans are accepted, additional funds will be released to each of the governing agencies:

The City of Mobile is expected to get $52.1 million.

Baldwin County will get $43.3 million.

Mobile County will get $26.3 million.

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, in a statement, said the city was grateful for the funding that will go toward planning in identifying where the money can do the most good in the community.

Working with ADECA and HUD, we are hopeful that this ($52 million) will be able to significantly expand some of our existing affordable housing programs and plans, Stimpson said in a statement. This is a crucial need in our city, and expanding secure and affordable housing is one of the best ways we can ensure that more Mobilians are prepared for future storms that impact our community.

Sharee Broussard, spokeswoman for Mobile County, said the while the county isnt to the point of having specifics, the funding will be split between two categories of activities: housing-related ($12.1 million), and infrastructure & economic development ($15.2 million).

Where the funding is needed and what it will be used for will be determined through planning, she said. Once planning is complete (within a year), the County will be able to provide information about specific projects funded by this grant.

Baldwin County Administrator Roger Rendleman said that county officials with meet with municipalities, non-profit and advocacy groups and other community organizations to craft their plan.

Before the remaining (federal money) can even be allocated, a comprehensive plan must be crafted identifying eligible projects in areas like unmet disaster relief, funding long-term recovery, restoring of infrastructure and housing along with mitigation of future events, Rendleman said. The plan process will be thorough and lengthy, which the funds granted (on Wednesday) will assist with such an undertaking.

The announcement comes a few days before the third anniversary of Hurricane Zeta, which blasted through Mobile County on October 28, 2020, and packed powerful 90 mph winds as it blew northward into southwestern and central Alabama. All told, 19 counties suffered some sort of structural damage from the hurricane.

Hurricane Sally arrived a little more than a month before Zeta. That hurricane, with sustained winds of 105 mph, arrived ashore in Gulf Shores on September 16, 2020. Its slow-moving trek created treacherous flooding conditions  30 inches of rain were reported in Orange Beach  and the storms damaging effects were compared throughout Baldwin County to Hurricane Ivan, the powerful Category 3 storm that devastated the county in 2004.

Hurricanes Sally and Zeta created a lot of damage to our coastal areas and other parts of Alabama from which many counties, cities, towns and residents have yet to fully recover, Ivey said in a statement. This program will bring some closure and relief for people whose lives were affected by these storms.

The plans each government agency is working on are expected to address the needs of low-income homeowners and landlords with rental homes while also assisting with infrastructure and economic development projects and projects to help minimize damage from future storms.

The planning money comes from a $501 million the state got from the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program allocated by Congress last fall and distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

CDBG recovery funds resulting from the hurricanes will also be issued later to Clarke, Dallas, Escambia, Marengo, Perry, Washington and Wilcox counties. Each of those counties were also designated by HUD as most impacted by the hurricanes.

ADECA is charged with administering the grants. The agency is also managing the Home Recovery Alabama program from the pot of recovery funds to help homeowners with repairs and construction projects for single-family homes that suffered damage from one or both storms.

Over half of the money allocated by the federal government is going to this program, $280 million. Of that, 95% must be spent in the most impacted counties and 100% will go to low or moderate-income families.

The money has been described as a last resort for storm damage rehabilitation on projects that were not funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through insurance carriers or other sources.

This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2023, to include a statement from Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. It was also updated at 2:15 p.m. with a comment from Mobile County. The story was also updated at 8:38 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2023, to include comments from Baldwin County.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson on Wednesday dismissed Birmingham-Southern Colleges lawsuit against State Treasure Young Boozer over Boozers denial of a $30 million loan request.

After a one-hour hearing, Anderson told lawyers and others in the courtroom that he sympathized with Birmingham-Southerns position but said the law gave Boozer the authority to deny the loan.

Birmingham-Southern had claimed Boozer exceeded his authority and undermined the intent of the Legislature when he denied the colleges request for the loan, which school officials said they needed to keep the private institution open.

The Legislature created the Alabama Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Fund this year in response to Birmingham-Southerns requests.

Boozer turned down Birmingham-Southerns loan application in an Oct. 13 letter. Boozer wrote that the college did not meet the qualification for the loan. Birmingham-Southern disputed that in the lawsuit.

Birmingham-Southern President Daniel Coleman said the college is considering its next move.

We are disappointed with this ruling and are exploring our options, which may include an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court with a request for an expedited briefing, Coleman said. While the Alabama Constitution provides for immunity to state officials, such immunity should not apply to those who act arbitrarily or capriciously, or in bad faith, or who have misinterpreted the law in question.

Our good faith was betrayed over the several months of working with Treasurer Boozer to deliver this bridge loan to the College, Coleman added. The timeline of our interactions clearly demonstrates that his behavior was arbitrary and capricious. We also believe he is misinterpreting the language of the Act pertaining collateral.

Lawyers with the attorney generals office represented Boozer in the case. Boozer was not at the hearing but issued a statement.

I am pleased with the dismissal of this lawsuit and confirmation that I have acted in accordance the law, Boozer said.

In the statement, Boozer said Selma University also applied for a loan from the Distressed Institutions of Higher Education fund. Boozer said Selma University applied on Aug. 24 and that he informed the university of his decision to deny the application on Oct. 13 because he said it did not meet the minimum criteria to qualify.

Judge Anderson took note of the wording of the bill lawmakers passed to create the loan fund. The bill put the state treasurer in charge of the fund and said the treasurer may award loans from the fund to colleges that meet the eligibility criteria.

The judge said even assuming that Birmingham-Southerns factual claims about its qualifications were correct, the law gives the treasurer the discretion over whether to award a loan.

The mountain yall have got to get past is that word may, Anderson told Birmingham-Southerns lawyers at the start of Wednesdays hearing.

It was a point Judge Anderson made during a previous hearing in the case, when he noted that lawmakers could have written that the state treasurer shall issue a loan to a college that qualifies.

In a one-sentence order, Anderson said the dismissal was pursuant to Rule 12(B) of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, which is about lack of jurisdiction.

Birmingham-Southern sought $16 million of the $30 million this academic year, asking for the first $8.8 million in November.

Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, who helped spearhead the legislation creating the Distressed Institutions fund, said she was angry that Birmingham-Southern did not get the loan that the program was intended to provide. Givan said she respected Anderson and understood his reasoning about the word may in the legislation.

The problem is there was not good faith on the side of Young Boozer, Givan said. He did everything he could to stop the legislation even after the legislation was passed.

After the bill became law in June, Boozer asked for an attorney generals opinion on whether lending money to colleges would violate the state constitution. Boozer said he received a response from the AGs office on Aug. 22 and made loan applications available two days later.

Boozer, in his motion to dismiss the Birmingham-Southern lawsuit, said he strenuously disputes that he acted in bad faith.

Givan said Birmingham-Southerns campus makes up the heart of the Bush Hill community in her district and that the city had much to lose if it closes. She said she did not want it to disappear like other Birmingham institutions, such as Daniel Payne College, which closed in 1979, and Carraway Methodist Medical Center, which closed in 2006.

What is the city of Birmingham doing? Givan said. What is the county commission doing? Do we not care enough about our institution, this college that was at one time a storied institution? I mean come on.

I want someone to tell me what happens next. Because if it were me, I would have those students marching. What does corporate Birmingham want to do? What are they doing?
Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for House speaker desperate to unite their fractious majority and end the chaos, just hours after an earlier pick abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.

Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthys ouster as GOP factions jockey for power.

When the House convenes at noon Wednesday ahead of a floor vote, Johnson, who won the majority behind closed doors, will need almost all Republicans in the public roll call to win the gavel.

Mike! Mike! Mike! lawmakers chanted at a press conference late Tuesday night, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Three weeks on, the Republicans have been frittering away their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Refusing to unify, far-right members wont accept a more traditional speaker and moderate conservatives dont want a hardliner. While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on. Pretty sad commentary on governance right now, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try, well get this thing right.

After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Tom Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans. He said later at the Capitol that Trumps opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference, he said, referring to the GOP majority. Emmer said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. Well get it done.

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his un-endorsement must have had an impact on Emmers bid.

He wasnt MAGA, said Trump, the partys front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson, 51, who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday mornings internal ballots.

A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would giving Louisianans two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was rejected by hardliners in his own bid as speaker.

But hardliners swiftly resisted Johnsons bid and a new list of candidates emerged. Among them was Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally who ran third on the morning ballot, and a few others.

In the end, Johnson won 128 votes on the evening ballot, more than any other candidate. McCarthy, who was not on the ballot, won a surprising 43 votes.

Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system, Johnson said afterward, Scalise standing behind him. Were going to restore your trust in what we do here.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hardline Rep. Jim Jordan in a new leadership role.

It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but many said it would not fly.

I think sometimes its good to have fresh ideas and fresh people, said Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a morning roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speakers vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Having rejected the top replacements, Scalise and the Trump-backed Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

Were in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Yet Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the hardliners, said, This is what democracy looks like.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hardliners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans dont agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next months funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.
Minnesota doctor Connor Bowman was arrested for poisoning his wife, who died suddenly after being admitted to the hospital in August.

Bowmans wife Betty, 32, died four days after she was admitted to the hospital and her death was flagged as suspicious, NBC News reported.

Investigators from the Rochester Police Department shared Monday that they had collected evidence that suggests Connor, who once worked for poison control, may have given Betty a drug for an ailment she did not have.

Authorities also uncovered that the Bowmans were having financial and marital difficulties in the lead up to the death, and that the 30-year-old doc claimed he would get a large life insurance payout after her passing.

The couple was talking about a divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship, the criminal complaint stated.

Betty first entered the hospital in mid-August with symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration. She later suffered from cardiac issues, organ failure, and even had to undergo surgery to remove part of her colon, according to the complaint.

Connor Bowman requested to have her body cremated after her death, but the process was halted when the medical examiners office determined her death was suspicious.

The Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiners Office alerted police later that month, and although the female suspect was not named in the complaint, police later identified her as Betty Bowman.

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2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The entire Mobile City Council is calling on District Attorney Keith Blackwood to expedite the release of evidence into the investigation of the July 2 death of 36-year-old Jawan Dallas.

The request comes one day after Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine told the council that the officers who interacted with Dallas before his death are back to work. He said the officers, whose names have not been disclosed, are not a threat to the community.

The councils letter urges Blackwoods office to conclude the grand jury process as quickly as possible and consistent with the proper administration of justice.

This has become a matter of great public concern and interest, the letter reads. While we cannot, have not, and will not interfere with the investigation, it is also our understanding based on information provided to us by the City of Mobile administration that all investigative materials and reports have been completed and fully submitted to your office.

The letter encourages Blackwood to use the discretion granted to him under Alabama law to immediately inform us and the citizens of Mobile on the status of the grand jury proceedings including its date and time.

The letter continues, Transparency is a fundamental commitment of the City of Mobile and this Council, and we want the Dallas family and the public to have the opportunity to review the evidence as soon as they possibly can.

Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood at a Turning Point USA event on Monday, April 10, 2023, at the Marx Library on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Tara Zieman, spokeswoman for Blackwood, said the District Attorney is arranging calls with each council member.

Blackwood, in a letter to the Dallas family attorney in September, said that authorities were unable to show the family the police body-worn camera footage because the case remains under investigation and is set to go before a grand jury.

The councils letter comes after months in which members of the Dallas family, including Jawans mother Christine, have approached the council calling on the city to take action and have the police-worn body camera footage released.

Dallas reportedly died after he was repeatedly struck by police with a Taser during a confrontation that occurred while they were investigating a burglary.

But very little information about why he was struck by a Taser has been released. Prine, in July, said responding officers feared for their own safety because Dallas behavior and strange movement in the car that included moving into the backseat. The chief also said that Dallas, a convicted felon, was later found to have drugs  crystal meth and analog marijuana known as spice.

James Barber, chief of staff to Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, told the council on Tuesday that Dallas autopsy shows police may not have been responsible for his death. The autopsy report has not been made public, and neither has the body-cam footage.

City Attorney Ricardo Woods, in September, said none of the physical evidence can be provided to anyone in the Dallas case because the evidence was going to a grand jury. And he warned council members that any violation could result in a felony punishable by up to three years in prison or a $5,000 fine.
The estranged son of Nashvilles police chief, who was wanted in the shooting of two police officers outside a Dollar General store, has been found dead, authorities said.

Officers responded to 15th Avenue South in Nashville on Tuesday night, where they heard a muffled gunshot from an outbuilding and then found John C. Drake Jr. dead with a gunshot wound that was apparently self-inflicted, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement posted on social media. TBI will investigate Drakes death at District Attorney Glenn Funks request and a full autopsy will be performed as a part of the investigation, the agency said.

Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said the younger Drake stole a car at gunpoint from a home southeast of downtown on Tuesday evening, WSMV-TV reported. Drake asked a man and woman in front of a home for a ride and when they were unable or unwilling to give him a ride, he pulled out a gun and demanded the car in the driveway, Aaron said. Drake drove away.

Officers spotted the car a short time later and followed it to the Edgehill area south of downtown, where it crashed. Drake fled to a shed behind a home and when officers surrounded the area, a gunshot was heard, Aaron said.

Drake, 38, the son of Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake, was accused of shooting two police officers outside of a Dollar General store in La Vergne, a city about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Nashville, on Saturday afternoon.

Police had warned that Drake, who was wanted on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, was considered armed and dangerous. The TBI had put Drake on its most wanted list with a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.

Officers Ashely Boleyjack and Gregory Kern were investigating a stolen vehicle outside the store when they struggled with the suspect, who pulled a handgun and shot them, said La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews. Both officers were treated and released from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Chief Drake issued a statement Saturday confirming his son was the suspect in the shooting. He said his son has not been part of his life for some time.

Despite my efforts and guidance in the early and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38-years-old, resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon, Drake said. He now needs to be found and held accountable for his actions.

In a statement posted on social media, Meows thanked all the officers involved in Tuesday nights pursuit for their steadfastness and dedication to seeing this case through and said their prayers are with Chief Drake and his family.
Finally, the school has the one thing its been missing for decades.

Students.

An appropriate afterlife for Huntsvilles long abandoned Councill High School  a designated education center for African American students in segregated Alabama for 100 years  was debated and planned for years before the site was remade in 2020 into a picturesque downtown park replicating the schools footprint.

And there was the statue of William Hooper Councill himself, a former slave who became a journalist, lawyer, and founder of Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, standing just outside what once was the schools main entrance.

On Tuesday, though, there were students on campus for the first time since the school closed in 1966.

By the hand of Huntsville sculptor Dan Burch, enrollment at Councill High School is now four. The statues, unveiled in a ceremony Tuesday, represent different ages of students who attended African American schools in Huntsville during an era when they had no choice. There is the little boy holding the guiding hand of his big sister, a studious young teenager carrying books in her right arm and the athlete wearing a letter jacket with his own set of books.

Together, they seemingly brought to life the 2 acre landscaped park located on St. Clair Avenue adjacent to the Huntsville/Madison County Library.

The students statues are a testament to overcoming, to not being limited by your circumstances, said Brenda Chunn, a member of Councill Highs final graduation class.

For Chunn, this park and the memories it protects has been a passion. She was president of the schools alumni association when the park opened three years ago and now serves as its first vice president. She hailed it Tuesday as a destination for Huntsville visitors as a grassy oasis amid the citys booming downtown growth.

Even as the familiar sounds of construction on a nearby mixed-use development rattled on throughout the ceremony, it mingled Huntsvilles present and future with its past.

Mayor Tommy Battle went to each statue, accompanied by some of the schools former students, and each time initiated the 3, 2, 1  countdown before the royal blue  Councill High royal blue  coverings were removed.

Councill, the mayor said, would be proud of this moment.

Soon, well be able to see the joyful faces of children who embody the spirit of the students who attended this school, Battle said before the unveiling. This park was designed to recreate the Councill School experience. Bricks on the site and the stone steps are from the original building. The pathways that take you around the park outline the schools footprint. The auditorium, courtyard and classrooms are represented within the interior layout. And its our hope that the Councill alumni will return home here and recognize the spaces and places that helps shape their lives.

Huntsville Councilman John Meredith addressed the audience next. Merediths perspective was unique, given that his father, James Meredith, broke the color barrier at the University of Mississippi in 1962 and was wounded by a shotgun blast while marching for civil rights in 1966.

Im truly, truly honored to be here today, Meredith said. This is something that does not happen that often in America anymore. And that is the cultural recognition of how a certain class of people had to be educated because the larger society didnt want them educated. Its not often we get to look back, in a constructive way, at some of the differences that are instilled in our very natures. And education is one of those topics.

Many of us here today got to go to any school we wanted to go to, got to get the best quality of education our parents could afford us and our communities could provide us. Not all of us here today enjoyed that. And its an honor to be here with some of those that were not afforded that privilege in life but overcame what could have been an insurmountable obstruction.
Six students were assaulted at Wetumpka High School in Elmore County Oct. 18, according to a statement released by district officials on Oct. 25.

Its unclear what type of assaults occurred or if there were injuries. All students involved were male, according to the district.

The statement read in part, A total of six students were identified as participating in the assaults on six other students. All evidence in the case has been subpoenaed by local law enforcement and released to them.

The Elmore County Board of Education central office personnel and the administration at Wetumpka High School have completed an investigation involving assaults that were reported last Wednesday.

Officials said they couldnt comment on possible disciplinary actions due to federal privacy laws but would follow the districts policies and discipline codes.

Wetumpka police could not be immediately reached for comment.
Once thought limited to overseas, a parasite that can cause a skin-disfiguring disease may be endemic in Texas and present in other southern states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns.

NBC News reported that from 2005 to 2019, the CDC has identified 1,222 cases in the U.S. that were positive for Leishmania, a parasite transmitted through the bite of infected sand flies. The parasite can cause the disease leishmaniasis, resulting in skin sores, some large enough to be disfiguring, and, in rare cases, fever, weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, anemia and death.

Leishmaniasis cases in the U.S. have typically been among those who travel to parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and some parts of Central and South America. However, the CDC said cases of leishmaniasis have also been acquired in Texas and Oklahoma and likely could be found in other Southern states.

Researchers said the strain of Leishmania found in the U.S. appears to be genetically distinct from travel-related cases, suggesting it is spreading locally, NBC News reported. There are anecdotal reports of local spread in Florida, but those cases havent been confirmed.

People become infected with Leishmania parasites through the bite of infected female sand flies, tiny creatures that are about a fourth of the size of a mosquito. The flies are usually most active in twilight, evening and night-time hours, do not make any noise and their bites can often go unnoticed at first. Sores from the bites can take as long as a few months to develop.

No vaccines or drugs to prevent infection are available and the CDC said the best way to avoid infection is to minimize outdoor activities, especially from dusk to dawn, and cover exposed skin if you are in a part of the world where leishmaniasis is found.

You can see more here.
Travis Hendrix, a 40-year old Birmingham police officer, is heading to the Alabama State House after winning a runoff election in Jefferson County on Tuesday.

Hendrix, a Democrat, prevailed against Democrat Sylvia Swayne to represent House District 55, which includes much of western Jefferson County and runs from Birminghams Southside into West End, Ensley and Fairfield.

I want the people to know that Im truly, truly grateful and all Im trying to do and what I will do is do my best to improve the quality of life for the people of District 55, Hendrix told AL.com shortly after declaring victory.

Hendrix replaces former Rep. Fred Plump, who resigned in May after less than a year in office because of his involvement and guilty plea in a kickback scheme involving public money.

Swayne, the first openly transgender candidate to run for state office in Alabama, said shortly after 8:20 p.m. that she had called Hendrix to concede the race. Speaking to a crowd of more than 100 supporters at her campaign watch party in Birmingham, she thanked him for keeping me on my toes in the campaign.

I might be the first transgender woman to run in the state of Alabama, but Ill be damned if Im the last, she said. People want to see change. People want to see something different.

With 30 of the districts 31 precincts reporting, Hendrix received 2,367 votes, or 65 percent, while Swayne received 1,268 votes, or 35 percent, according to the unofficial results.

The race for the seat in the heavily Democratic district generated widespread attention and money.

A crowd of supporters gathered for the Hendrix campaign watch party at Ensley Soho, an event center in Ensley. Hendrix is from the west Birmingham neighborhood, where he grew up in the former Tuxedo Terrace public housing community.

Hendrix said the victory was not his alone as he thanked the room filled with applauding supporters. We won, he told the crowd. Im still going to need you all because I cannot do this by myself.

Several state lawmakers attended the watch party to support Hendrix on election night, including Rep. Patrick Sellers D-Birmingham, Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove and Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, and Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville. Daniels is minority leader in the State House of Representatives. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin also attended and embraced Hendrix in celebration.

The special election was the second time Hendrick sought the seat after placing fourth in the 2022 general election.

Just 3,955 ballots were cast Tuesday. With about 25,000 registered voters in the district, turnout was about 16 percent.

No Republican ran for the seat, which means Hendrixs win effectively ends the contest.

Hendrix, Swayne and five other Democrats quickly put together their campaigns ahead of the special election in late September after Plump resigned. In the special election last month, Hendrix received the most votes, followed by Swayne in second. The race went to Tuesdays runoff because no one received a majority of the votes in the initial round of voting.

The race generated heated discussion and arguments from voters and supporters regarding race and gender.

Still, both Hendrix and Swayne said they preferred to focus on the issues germane to the district that inspired them to run to represent it.

Im for all people. It doesnt matter what you look like, what status you are, or what gender you are, Hendrix told AL.com days before election night, renouncing negative campaigning based on gender.

Hendrixs campaign raised $81,837.29 in contributions, per state campaign finance records. His notable contributors include several political action committees associated with state industry associations, including $10,000 from the Alabama Realtors as well as thousands more, combined, from Alabama Builders, Alabama Works, Alabama Trucking Association and the Alabama Forestry Association.

On the other side, Swaynes campaign raised more than double the amount Hendrix received, bringing in $209,352 in contributions. Some of her largest donations came from outside the state  including $124,325 since October from Leaders We Deserve, a Washington D.C.-based organization, co-founded by anti-gun violence advocate David Hogg, that works to elect young progressives.

Hogg attended Swaynes watch party after knocking on doors and calling voters the past few days with her campaign.

The beauty of investing in young people is that this is just the beginning, Hogg said in an interview with AL.com at the event. I wouldve much rather had Sylvia run and not win than not run at all.

When asked if shell run for office again, Swayne told AL.com at the watch party, never say never.

Hendrix campaigned on a platform that including enhancing public safety, expanding access to broadband and lowering grocery taxes. He also touted his ability to work in bipartisan cooperation to bring effective legislation in the overwhelmingly Republican legislature.

The first thing I want to do is get there and learn the job and see what needs to be done and once I learn the job to come back to the district and let the district know whats going on in Montgomery and how were going to move forward, Hendrix said Tuesday night.

Edited to correct percentage of voter turnout Tuesday night.
An NYC man was trapped inside a jewelry vault overnight. However, firefighters had to abandon the poor guy because of safety concerns.

Luckily, the man was saved by the steel-reinforced container, allowing him to survive the incident.

But, how did the jewelry store's customer end up in that situation?

NYC Jewelry Vault Traps Man Overnight!

According to The Guardian's latest report, the incident happened at the World Diamond Tower in Manhattan, New York City. This midtown building houses numerous jewelry stores.

But, the building's employees weren't expecting that a 23-year-old man was going to be trapped inside a jewelry store vault on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Although authorities didn't provide the exact reason why the vault locked the man, John Sarrocco, the assistant fire chief of the New York City Fire Department, said that the guy was trying to access his safe deposit box.

After that, the jewelry vault suddenly closed, trapping the man inside for 10 hours. The People reported that firefighters worked overnight trying to free the man.

At first, NYPD and FDNY made efforts to rescue the trapped man. They used special tools to break through the vault's 30-inch concrete walls. But, when they were able to reach the steel plating, responders decided to halt their rescue attempt.

This is because they were concerned that their tools could harm the man trapped inside the vault.

"The problem with the plating is we'd have to use our torches, which would affect the environment for that person inside the vault," explained Sarroco.

Luckily, the steel container's timer saved the man by opening at around 7:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Read Also: A Sexual Predator 'Gynecologist' at California University Found Lifeless

NYC Man Saved by Vault's Timer

John Sarrocco confirmed that the jewelry vault opened on its own because it had a timer that was set in the next morning.

"The vault opened on its own, it's on a timing mechanism and he just was released from the vault," he explained.

Sarrocco added that the NYC man was doing fine. He also said that the customer was already being evaluated by the emergency medical service (EMS).

This latest incident in Manhattan is a serious one since getting trapped inside metal vaults in banks, jewelry stores, and other similar establishments can be life-threatening.

For those who are wondering, USA Safe and Vault explained that a person can survive for around 17 hours inside a steel-reinforced, airtight room, such as the vault at the World Diamond Tower.

Those who are locked inside these metal vaults for more than 72 hours can die. This means that if you get trapped inside a metal vault during a 3-day weekend or when the bank is closed for business, there's a chance the authorities will not know your situation, which could endanger your life.

There are many reasons why you can die if you get trapped inside a vault for 72 hours or so. These include suffocation and dehydration.

Related Article: Hacker Stole Luxury Retailer Cortina Watch's Data

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Updated at 5:09 p.m.: Testimony has concluded Wednesday in the capital murder trial of LaJeromeny Brown, a Chattanooga man charged with capital murder in the 2019 shooting death of Huntsville police officer Billy Clardy III.

The jury heard from four law enforcement officials in afternoon testimony Wednesday. Defense attorneys did not cross examine any of the four witnesses.

John Daly, a member of the drug task force, told how he pursued Brown after he ran from the Levert Street house and saw Brown throw away a handgun as he ran.

After other officers put Brown in custody, Daly returned to the grassy lot to locate the gun, which police then recovered.

Douglas Pennington supervised the planned operation to arrest Brown. Pennington said he was on scene largely as an observer and was one of the first officers to reach Clardy, at first administering chest compressions and then keeping pressure on the bullet wound. His body cam footage, also shown to the jury, again showed the urgency over Clardys injuries.

Stephen Martin, a crime scene investigator for Huntsville police, spent more than an hour on the stand in tedious testimony that walked the jury through more than 950 photographs of the scene and evidence.

In a dramatic moment at the end of his testimony, Martin and Assistant District Attorney Tim Douthit both unloaded from boxes about a dozen bags of marijuana recovered from Browns vehicle. The marijuana, in various shades of green and in large bags and small, were lined up on a table directly in front of the jury box.

Martin said the marijuana amounted to about 100 pounds  the merchandise police secretly led Brown to believe they were purchasing for $65,000 at the abandoned Levert Street house.

Andrew Edward Stark, an FBI digital forensics expert, told the jury about the contents of two cell phones police said belonged to Brown. He said both cell phones had text message discussions about drug transactions in Huntsville and, on one of the phones, the Levert Street address was on the Google Maps app when it was recovered.

Updated at 12:30 p.m.: On the opening day Wednesday of the capital murder trial of LaJeromeny Brown, charged in the 2019 death of Huntsville police officer Billy Clardy III, jurors saw body camera footage showing the grisly scene where Clardy was shot and killed.

The body camera footage from police officer Blake Dean showed Clardy emerging into the main room of a north Huntsville house and immediately being shot. Brown, captured moments later after a brief foot chase about a block away, was the shooter, prosecutors said.

Dean and Clardy were hidden in the house with plans that called for other drug task agents on the outside to take Brown into custody after he exited his vehicle to complete a $65,000 sale of 100 pounds of marijuana at a vacant house on Levert Street, Dean testified.

Brown disrupted the plan when he parked his truck with the passenger side facing the house and Dean said he briefly lost sight of Brown with his view blocked. Brown then knocked on the front door and Dean said the opportunity to make the arrest outdoor was lost.

Brown changed the plan, Dean testified. As the lead investigator in the case, Dean said he developed the plan to arrest Brown at the house.

Brown then entered the residence, at which point Clardy  trailed by Dean  encountered the suspect. He was immediately shot and went to the floor and Brown fled.

You alright? Dean first asked Clardy after the shooting, not realizing the seriousness of his injuries. Clardy was wearing a protective vest but Assistant District Attorney Tim Douthit said in his opening statement that a bullet tears off the top of his heart. Douthit said Brown was using a modified Glock handgun.

Dean and other agents then began to attend to Clardy, who died a short time later at Huntsville Hospital. Dean began chest compressions.

I was doing anything I could to save his life, Dean testified.

Deans body cam footage told a grim story as he and other officers realized how badly Clardy had been wounded as different voices could be heard

Hang in there, Billy.

Where are you hit?

Come on, Billy. Come on, Billy.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

Within minutes, four agents lifted Clardy and carried him to the truck of another agent, Bradley Snipes. Later Wednesday, Snipes body cam footage showed the frantic, high-speed drive to Huntsville Hospital.

After Clardy left for the hospital, Deans body cam footage showed him sobbing, eventually dropping to his knees and his face on the ground. Dean wiped his eyes on the witness stand as the video played.

The opening statement of defense attorney Eric Wood lasted only a minute and made no claims to Browns innocence. Instead, Wood repeatedly asked the jury to hold the state to their burden of proving his clients guilt.

Testimony from Dean and another agent, Tommy Morris, set the scene for the planned arrest of Brown. A confidential informant told Dean about Brown, who the informant knew only as Tennessee. Brown is from Chattanooga.

The informant said Brown sold volumes of marijuana and that he could arrange a buy, Dean testified. Morris was the undercover agent and he and the informant met Brown at the parking deck at Parkway Place in Huntsville on Nov. 19, 2019, to purchase three pounds of marijuana for $1,900. The informant told Brown that if his people liked the product, they wanted to purchase 100 pounds.

That deal was arranged on Dec. 4, 2019, to be completed two days later. The price was $65,000, Dean testified.

Brown wanted to meet at a house for more privacy and the house on Levert was secured, Dean testified. The agent also said that Clardy had left his protective vest in his car and he borrowed a vest from Morris, who was hidden deeper inside the house.

The jury is made up of 15 Whites and 1 Black, seven women and eight men. Four of the jurors are alternates but those will not be identified until deliberations begin.

Original story: The death penalty trial of a Tennessee man charged with shooting and killing a Huntsville police officer in 2019 will begin Wednesday.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys have worked for more than a week to strike a jury in the capital murder trial of LaJeromeny Brown and opening statements are now set to take place at the Madison County Courthouse.

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Brown, charged in the slaying of police officer Billy Clardy III during a drug task force operation.

Circuit Judge Chris Comer will preside over the trial.

Brown, who has a Chattanooga address listed in court records, has a lengthy criminal history in Tennessee that includes conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, selling or delivering cocaine, possession of crack cocaine, assault, theft, evading arrest, criminal impersonation, and more, according to court records.

Brown, now 45, was charged in the fall of 2018 with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, impersonating a police officer, and assault on police in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Clardy, a father of five, was 48 when he died in the Dec. 6, 2019 shooting. He was a 14-year veteran of the Huntsville police department and joined the Madison-Morgan County drug task force unit in 2018. He also worked as a deputy sheriff in neighboring Limestone County as well as a police officer in Fayetteville, Tenn.  about 40 miles north of Huntsville.

Before his career in law enforcement, Clardy was a decorated Army veteran.

Billy Clardy was more than a Huntsville hero, Mark McMurray, the Huntsville police chief at the time of the shooting, said of Clardy. He was an American hero.

The Madison County district attorneys office will be represented at trial by Tim Gann and Tim Douthit. Brown is being defended by Huntsville attorneys Bruce Gardner and Eric Wood.
Over 100 industry leaders from Mobiles manufacturing companies, along with city, county and state officials, were on hand at Bishop State Community College Tuesday to celebrate the Gene Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Technology.

Nobody has it over Mobile right now when it comes to advanced manufacturing training and the other aspects of training thats going on at Bishop State today. Its incredible, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said Tuesday.

The center, which is already open, allows students at Bishop State to receive training in a variety of STEM programs, including Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, 3D printing, Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) and Mechatronics and Robotics.

It is also home to the only process technology training center of its kind in the world, officials say: The facility contains a fully independent functional pilot plant with three Polaris Hands-On-Training (HOT) units, including one with a glycol distillation column. The units are operated by an Emerson Delta V Distributed Control System (DCS) from a separate production control room, built like those in the industry.

Students who train at the center are also able to work at an industrial facility in the area through the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) on the Coast program. Students spend part of the week working at a facility, such as AM/NS Calvert, and part of the week at Bishop State, completing the training required for an associate degree.
House Republicans must stop their infighting and rally behind a speaker candidate to get through a weeks-long impasse that has left the chamber without a speaker for 21 days, the dean of Alabamas congressional delegation said Tuesday.

We have got to find consensus on a Speaker. Time is of the essence. Democrats are the only ones who benefit from this impasse, tweeted Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville.

We have got to find consensus on a Speaker. Time is of the essence. Democrats are the only ones who benefit from this impasse.  Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) October 24, 2023

Asked who the congressman believes House Republicans should rally around, Aderholt spokesman Carson Clark said he did not want to speculate on who Aderholt thinks is best among the current group of speaker candidates, noting the House GOP was in a conference discussing the matter on Tuesday night.

Aderholt, who was first elected in 1996 and is the longest-serving active member of Congress from Alabama, issued an additional statement:

The bottom line is that serious issues have been put on hold while our conference works to come together. We can all agree that our inability to unite behind a Speaker is a problem. Its incumbent upon us to keep working toward a solution, the congressman said.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., was the latest speaker candidate to bow out of the race earlier Tuesday , leaving the Republicans no closer to resolving the chaos they have created since ousting Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month.

Three weeks after Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy, throwing the House into turmoil, they appear no closer to ending the bitter infighting and choosing a new speaker who can credibly unite the GOP majority, lead the party and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Were in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

The House has been in turmoil since a contingent of hard-line Republicans ousted McCarthy, creating whats now a governing crisis thats preventing the normal operations of Congress. There appears to be no resolution within reach.

Coming in a steady second in the balloting behind Emmer was constitutional law expert Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who directly battled Emmer in the fifth round, picking up 97 votes. He ultimately announced his full support for his colleague.

Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a top Trump ally, and McDonalds franchise owner Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Having rejected the top replacements, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and the Trump-backed Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.










INTERNATIONAL EU and Namibia agree on next steps of strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials and green hydrogen

Alwihda Info | Par AMA - 25 Octobre 2023



Yesterday, on the eve of the Global Gateway Forum, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of Namibia Hage Geingob endorsed the roadmap for the EUNamibia strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials value chains and renewable hydrogen, supported by 1 billion in investments by the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions. The EU will also support an upcoming study for the development of the Port of Walvis Bay into an industrial and logistics hub for the region, contributing to its integration and economic development.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: Thanks to its abundant renewable energy potential, Namibia is becoming a front-runner in the green hydrogen space. The EU is proud to be a partner in this transformative journey towards green industrialisation. Together we can further decarbonise our economies, create jobs and ensure a more prosperous and greener future for our societies.



On the left Hage Geingob President of the Republic of Namibia, on the right Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission during the signing of the Roadmap for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on green hydrogen and critical raw materials.



President of Namibia Hage Geingob said: Namibia recognises that its world-class renewable energy resources provide a strong foundation upon which we will build a sustainable and impactful green industrial base. Namibia is also cognisant that to fully capture the opportunity at hand, we will have to mobilise fit for purpose capital that appropriately prices risk in order to optimise the cost of said capital. This is a key element that will form the cornerstone of this transformative partnership with the EU.



Roadmap for the years 2023 to 2025



In November 2022, Namibia and the EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a strategic partnership on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains and Renewable Hydrogen. The operational roadmap, launched and endorsed today and for the upcoming period 20232025, details the concrete actions in which the partnership will advance its goals, in close cooperation with EU and Namibia financial and private sector stakeholders.



The actions in the roadmap follow the six pillars of the Memorandum of Understanding:



Integration of value chains, including by working with the industry to identify, promote and facilitate cooperation in the exploration and commercial development of critical raw material projects.



Cooperation to leverage environmental, social and governance criteria, including by mapping and assessing abandoned mines and supporting Namibia in using Earth Observation and remote sensing methods for resource exploration, land use planning and management.



Mobilising funding for soft and hard infrastructure, including for selected mining, refining and mineral green processing projects (water, rail, renewable energy) and for the upgrade of main transport corridors (port, rail, roads).



Capacity building, training and skills development, including identifying training and skills needs along the raw material and green hydrogen value chains and enhancing the relevant technical and vocational training offer by Team Europe in cooperation with the industry.



Co-operation on research and innovation, including facilitating studies and joint research projects and research and business networking along the entire critical raw material value chain.



Regulatory alignment, including supporting Namibia in developing a national strategy for critical raw materials and enacting a synthetic fuels act to create an enabling environment for hydrogen and synthetic fuels industry, and ensure compatibility with international green fuels, certification and standards.



Development of the Port of Walvis Bay



The EU will also support an upcoming study for the development of the Walvis Bay port, the entry point from the Atlantic side to the Walvis Bay  Maputo Corridor, one of the eleven Strategic Corridors the EU envisages to support as part of the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package. Its location makes it a natural gateway for international trade to the Southern African Development Community, a region with over 300 million inhabitants.*



With EU support, the Port of Antwerp and Bruges International will develop a masterplan that covers multimodal infrastructure, spatial planning and market organisation for the Port of Walvis Bay to carry out this transformation and become a regional logistics and industrial hub for the green hydrogen and derivatives economy. The EU will also support the Namibian Ports Authority in achieving operational excellence.





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The United Nations General Assembly, under the leadership of the United States, enshrine[d] the lessons of the Holocaust in the 1948 Genocide Convention, banning genocide as a crime under international law. The Convention provides that the Contracting Parties (now numbering 153 nations) must undertake to prevent and to punish genocide whenever its committed.

After Hamass undeniably genocidal massacre in Israel on October 7, its obvious that the Convention members have no intention of punishing Hamass atrocities, or of undertaking to prevent Hamas, or the horde of other Islamist entities, from fulfilling their promises to obliterate Israel. Instead, the consensus of the worlds leaders is the exact opposite, and its Israel in the dock for war crimes. Since mobilizing to eliminate Hamas, Israel, maligned as blinded by rage (quoting Joe Biden), is being unjustly blamed for indiscriminate retaliatory attacks on civilian targets  for no better reason than that some people did something.

So much for the post-war assurance of never again.

Across the Western, non-Muslim world, antisemitic attacks are soaring, and large cities are witnessing huge rallies demanding a Free Palestine  with one Sydney mob screaming, Gas the Jews! Democratic representative Rashida Tlaib led a rowdy takeover of the U.S. Capitol, demanding the dismantling [of] the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance. In short, Tlaib wants Israel gone.

On Monday night, a New York art critic named Eli Klein posted on X: Just came home to hundreds of people outside of my apartment here in NYC calling for Intifada, which given recent events, may well be considered a call for the mass murder of Jews. The posted video depicts a mob chanting, There is only one solution, intifada revolution! Added Klein, Never did I expect to see this kind of open antisemitism so close to home.

Are we now faced with something more dangerous than Nazism? Because just as evil but far more accepted? Hitler managed to murder six million of Europes Jews while at war with a world so united to destroy him that even ideological enemies, the U.S. and the USSR, became allies to defeat him.

The point is that the Third Reich never had the benefit of millions of supporters  spread throughout the universities, news organizations, and legislatures of every Allied nation  loudly endorsing the Nazis racialist case for a Judenfrei Europe. And New York Times headlines werent blaring the humanitarian devastation our B-17s were causing for the German volk.

But Hamas, Iran, and the global pro-Palestinian lobby have all that.

Nazi murderers couldnt sear their consciences enough to hide the evil they were committing. The Nazis tried to hide their war crimes, noted journalist Bari Weiss, while Hamas is livestreaming its own. The atrocities committed by Hamas mirror those of the Nazis in shape and substance, writes Scott Johnson at Powerline, but by publicizing them in real time, Hamass crimes exceed them in shameless display of evil.

Since the day of the attack, with the irrational Biden administration out front, nearly every Western government has demanded that Israel refrain from violence and retaliation  no matter that Israel must eliminate Hamas from Gaza completely for her self-defense.

The impossible alternative guarantees Israel the status quo that enabled the enormity of October 7.

Israel wisely ignores these demands. The problem is our largely progressive foreign policy experts want to treat this conflict as a geopolitical dispute, as if Hamas really cared about an independent Palestinian state and, therefore, a negotiated settlement could still bring peace.

Unfortunately, as the Federalists Nathanael Blake explains, they ignore this glaring Hamas non-negotiable: They genuinely believe God wants them to exterminate the Jews and wipe Israel off the map. They indoctrinate their children with these genocidal beliefs, assuring them that carrying them out leads to paradise.

Diplomats desperation for a geopolitical explanation, Blake says, is because [t]he alternative may be too terrible for them to consider, for there is no easy way to deal with a genocidal, baby-murdering death cult that has gained control over millions of people.

Intolerance for the existence of a Jewish state is a commonplace among hundreds of millions of illiterate Muslims in the Middle East. But in the version we know in the West, which incites an increasingly strident movement on behalf of the tragic victims of Palestine, it finds its home among the educated elites  i.e., the journalists, university professors, and students  who see Palestinians resisting fascist Israel through the same Manichean moral filter through which they see everything else. But leftists wouldnt have taken up the cudgel of Free Palestine if Islamist scholars hadnt fed it to them first.

Explains Juliana Geran Pilon, writing at City Journal, For decades, Islamists, trained first by the Nazis and later by the KGB, learned how to manipulate the instruments of political warfare. By coopting naive Western elites to embrace anti-Western, anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist, and anti-Semitic memes, theyve gradually succeeded beyond their wildest initial expectations.

Using buzzwords like apartheid, de-colonize, and fascist for bait, Islamists caught an army of useful idiots to spread the legend of the lost Palestinian homeland.

The result, Pilon says, is that now [a]n antiseptic moral equivalence infuses mainstream media coverage in the West. Its why

[w]hat the [New York] Times and [Israels] Haaretz have come to share is a narrative according to which Americas divisions mirror Israels: the racist Right vs. the anti-racist Left, the pro-military xenophobes vs. the compassionate pro-peace victims. If Palestinians are seen as oppressed by white supremacist Zionists, whoever claims to fight on the formers behalf is on the right side of history.

A commentary by David Warren notes, In order to believe the unchecked and improbable first report, however, [i.e. the libel of an Israeli bomb destroying a Gaza hospital, killing 500 people], journalists had to be, themselves, infected with Leftist and Islamist fanaticism and phobias. They were now sustaining their mistake, with knowing lies.

Piron again:

[T]he most alarming consequence of this metastasized ideological cancer lies far beyond the Middle East: the warped narrative framing of the conflict has spread to the minds of Americas best and brightest. Even while the massacres were ongoing, more than 30 Harvard student organizations declared that Israel was entirely responsible for the violence occurring in its war against Gaza. A student group at Columbia University went further, celebrating Hamass historic massacre of Israeli civilians, calling it a long-overdue counteroffensive against Israels purported apartheid regime. This is no longer a mere matter of moral equivalence but proof that the West is at war with itself.

It also means that the mainstream lefts effort to save its approach to Israel from the pro-Hamas fringe cant possibly succeed. From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free, the popular resistance slogan, aspires to the destruction of the Jewish state. The shouting mob in New York  there is only one solution, intifada revolution!  amounts to the same thing, with an added nod to the Nazi Final Solution.

As Hamass charter declares, there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad.

You cant invoke Free Palestine without invoking Hamass war on Jews  including its unspeakable methods.

The hard moral reality is, Free Palestine is nothing less than the 21st-century Sieg Heil.

T.R. Clancy looks at the world from Dearborn, Michigan. You can email him at trclancy@yahoo.com.

Image: paul_houle via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).
A profound irony of Israels latest grim suffering is that the knife- and gun-wielding Palestinian (Hamas-sponsored) terrorists and their leftist cheerleaders in the American academy reveal a deplorable collusion between what ordinarily would be antagonists.

The collaborative condemnation by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee that held the Israeli regime entirely responsible for the October 7 slaughter suggests a bewildering collusion between far right and far left: fundamentalist Islamists supported by woke, neo-Marxist radicals.

A rebarbative synthesis

It is as if, on the fiftieth anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War that pitted Israel against Egypt and Syria, Hegels dialectic (actually Johann Fichtes) overcame the diverging ethos of antagonists. Thesis: Islamofascism; Antithesis: neo-Marxism (submission to Allah versus a godless war on exploitation). The rebarbative synthesis: death to Jews.

It appears there is a metastatic malignancy perfusing elite universities all across the country, as the emerging generation of Americas foreboding political future (young Democratic Socialists of America) celebrated in Times Square amid reports of the beheading of toddlers and the rape and murder of young women in their parents homes. Can it really be that Ivy League and other prominent universities are graduating Nazi youth? Are there in fact neo-Nazis reimagining the Barack Obama/Joe Biden wing of the Democrat party?

Matriculating radicals

A perspicuous rationale is needed to explain the pitiless way the woke Harvard student radicals blamed the victim for the latest Hamas intifada. Why, sane people want to understand, do Ivy League students hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all the unfolding barbarity?

We are struck by the irony of Harvard admissions officers recruiting applicants who have demonstrated concern for others ... can be graceful ... under pressure ... [and] open to learning new ideas. [I]t [is] important for you to treat others with kindness and demonstrate that you care for others in addition to caring for yourself.

Left-leaning moral concerns

As the research of Jonathan Haidt in The Righteous Mind illuminates, the lefts two (almost exclusive) moral concerns  for care/harm and fairness/cheating  which, Haidt explains, means equality to the left but proportionality to the right (emphasis added), almost guarantees that Harvards students will empathize with their partisan professors perspective on the Middle East.

Taught by impressive and persuasive progressive professors to see the Palestinian issue through Haidts care/harm, fairness/cheating lens of lamb versus lion, rabbit versus wolf, or (ironically) David versus Goliath, the weaponized professorial casuistry often tracks the calumnies recited by Amnesty International: that Israel is a Zionist, apartheid bully state that (with the backing of American money and weapons) has swaggered between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea for seventy-five years.

What young person of idealistic bent doesnt root for an underdog? Unfortunately, this saga is about two very different underdogs that appear to be fighting over the same bone.

Given that openness is considered a particularly progressive personality trait, one would expect a commitment to the diversity of ideas in academe. Instead, The Harvard Crimson 2022 survey of faculty found that more than 80 percent of Harvard faculty respondents characterized their political leanings as liberal or very liberal. Sixteen percent labeled themselves moderate, while only 1 percent of respondents stated they are conservative.

Progressive student psychology

Jonathan Haidt explains the students likely primary moral concerns for care/harm, fairness/cheating. But what explains their wildly inhumane demonization of the innocent victims of utter savagery?

The answer is a matter of psychology, about human tendencies that have been understood and written into the characters of plays and novels long before Freud gave them a nomenclature, before human behavior became a clinical profession or an academic discipline.

The Harvard student groups that published their deplorable statement blaming the Israeli victims responded in a way that is consistent with their prejudices and philosophical assumptions about humanity. They believe, in the abstract, that all human beings are basically good...except, perhaps, recently realized (postGeorge Floyd) exceptions such as white (especially conservative) Americans and Israelis.

There is an unquestioning belief by these young, care/harm, fairness/cheating idealists that Hamas terrorists  what they have been conditioned to believe are only dispossessed freedom fighters  are just as righteous as the Harvard students consider themselves to be. The students project their own relative decency onto the objects of their political concern. And their feelings, even if not articulated, are very real.

Preposterous translation

When the radical young Ivy-Leaguers hear about or see video of the savagery of innocents by the barbarism of Hamas terrorists, their reaction is determined by a translation.

Not only are they predisposed to see the Palestinians as surrounded by merciless gorgons, but they interpret the pitiless terrorism of Hamas as a desperate, understandable response to decades of intolerable abuse by Israeli masters. The students think: What unspeakable degradation these poor Hamas freedom fighters and their loved ones must continually suffer to be willing to risk their lives and the contempt of the world to express their agony in such sadistic acting out!

Absurd and unreasonable as they obviously are, the Harvard student radicals reimagined the Israeli victims as vile oppressors and the Hamas barbarians as recipients of torture beyond toleration.

In short, the students who support Hamas are identifying with Hamas freedom fighters, enabling the Ivy-Leaguers not only to explain away, but even to celebrate their sadistic actions.

Educational dereliction

The students care/harm and fairness/cheating moral outrage is purely in defense of the Palestinians, but their assumption that Palestinians are good and Israelis are bad is due largely to the imbalance of their Harvard education. This monolithic distortion in the political posture of American university faculty is to blame for so many of our increasingly violent political divisions.

What is a poor (actually often wealthy) Harvard student to make of lifes political dilemmas, especially when he is not taught to think critically, not taught to grapple with contrasting points of view, and often encouraged to ignore views that do not fit his leftist narrative? Sometimes they just close their eyes, plug their ears, and yell.

So many young Ivy-Leaguers are unaware that the perfect is the enemy of the good, informed primarily by partisan dogma, unable to reason from cause to effect, incapable of paying it forward, and willing to see Hamas only as the champions of downtrodden Palestinian refugees. So what do the radically woke Hamas-loving students really want?

In their ignorant, soft-souled, underdog-loving, decency-projecting hearts, they demand heaven on earth  the politics of hell.

Hamas-loving Harvard student radicals illuminate a criminal neglect: the failure of the American educational complex to represent history with reasonable balance. This dereliction of U.S. higher education, especially since WWII, is particularly evident in its failure to inform students how in the recent century, men with utopian and totalitarian impulses (dreamers with power) slaughtered scores of millions of human beings that the woke generation is hardly aware of.

As Whitaker Chambers wrote in 1961, [i]t is idle to talk about preventing the wreck of Western civilization. It is already a wreck from within.

Douglas Hackleman has a Masters degree in psychology from Pepperdine University.

Image: scottgunn via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Apple announced its support for the nationwide Right to Repair Act which will require the company to provide all necessary materials to fix a device maker's product.

Read Also: Apple Announces 'Scary Fast' Event in Time for Halloween

Right to Repair Act

Earlier this month, the Right to Repair Act officially became law after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed it. The law is intended to make repairs easier and more accessible both for owners and independent retail shops.

According to law, manufacturers must provide the appropriate tools, parts, software, and documentation, within seven years after the production of a device priced above $100. Meanwhile, less expensive devices can still have access to the materials but only for three years.

"Apple also believes that consumers and businesses would benefit from a national law that balances repairability with product integrity, usability, and physical safety," Apple VP and GM for the company's repair business Brian Naumann stated.

Apple Changes Decision

Apple has not always been a fan of independent repair services. In fact, the company is known for restricting access to the guides and parts necessary to fix the company's devices. Fortunately, the company had a change of heart and gradually embraced the right-to-repair movement.

More surprisingly, the company even went as far as to endorse California's Right to Repair Act last August. Since 2021, the FTC has been working to go after companies that have been limiting accessibility to the materials needed to repair their products.

With one of the biggest tech companies on board with the law, the National Economic Council applauded the move. "Whether you are in California, Maine, or Michigan, Apple will make the parts, tools, and documentation needed to repair your Apple products available to you at reasonable prices," said Director Lael Brainard.

Related Article: Employee Training for Apple Vision Pro Starts in Early 2024
The Democrat Party is not a homogenous entity, but an amalgamation of various left-wing factions now overwhelmingly dominated by its smallest and most radical element, the avowed anti-Semitic and racist American Marxists. However, the largest group and underpinning of the Party are the credulous, patronizing, and narcissistic liberals who, in their naivete, willfully allied themselves with any group virulently opposed to conservatives and Republicans. While living in their cocoons among the likeminded, they chose to ignore the Marxists inexorable infiltration of the Democrat Party as well as their declared intention to transform America into a socialist paradise which will devour these same liberal elites.

With so many on the Left celebrating the premediated slaughter of women, children, and the elderly in Israel, many of these gullible fools have been shocked at the vast number of young people that have been indoctrinated and the depth of anti-Semitism that has its home in the Democrat Party.

Apparently, far too many so-called educated elites fail to understand that their American Marxist allies are virulently anti-Semitic and racist. They fully accept Karl Marxs unequivocal belief that Jews are part and parcel of the oppressor class that must be eradicated. Marx further amplified this position in an essay published in 1844 titled, On the Jewish Question, when he wrote: Money is the jealous God of Israel, in face of which no other God may exist. He argued that in the final analysis, the emancipation of the Jews is the emancipation of mankind from the Jews. In other words, Jews can only become free when, as Jews, they no longer exist.

Further amplifying his overt racism, in a letter Marx wrote to his co-author and friend Friedrich Engels in 1879, Marx described one guest at a resort he was visiting as a Jewish ni**er. A vile racist epithet often used by Marx in his writings and conversations as documented by Diane B. Paul in an essay published in The Journal of the History of Ideas (1981).

The current American melange of Marxist-inspired activists and narcissists are little different than Karl Marx in their racist and anti-Semitic outlook.

In the United States, the current iteration of Marxists began their ascendancy into the nations mainstream when they insinuated themselves into the popular Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War protests of the 1960s. Today, these radicals are the dominant force in the nations culture, education, and governing class as well as being in de facto control of the nations largest political party.

After eight years of Barack Obama, the liberal elites or ruling class viewed their ultimate objective of assuming near-permanent political power as being within reach. However, their erstwhile allies, the American Marxists, viewed the eight years of Barack Obama as the opening salvo in their ultimate objective of permanently transforming America.

The transformation the Marxist radicals seek will subsume their liberal allies, as there is no room in the structure they are building for the elites and their wealth, as well as their unfettered and hedonistic lifestyles. While some have awakened to this reality, the vast swath of self-described progressives and liberals have been blissfully oblivious. Thus, the Marxist radicals currently have power far beyond their numbers.

Their power has further been abetted by the current president and presumptive Democrat nominee in 2024, Joe Biden, who has been overtly and willingly blackmailed by the Marxists, into acquiescing and pursuing virtually all their policy positions.

However, Biden is becoming increasingly unelectable due to scandals, his age, senescence, and failed policies. The American Marxist faction of the Democrat Party is faced with the reality that Biden will have to be replaced during the 2024 campaign season.

However, those who might be considered for the nomination and ordinarily viewed as more moderate or liberal are roundly criticized if they stray too far from Marxist dogma and thus stand virtually no chance of winning the nomination unless approved by the partys Marxist overlords who are convinced they can nominate virtually anyone as they believe the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, is so unpopular among the general electorate that he cannot win in November of 2024.

However, trepidation is now creeping into the higher reaches of the liberal establishment wing of the Democratic Party as they look across a barren landscape of potential nominees promoting, by necessity, Marxist ideology. However, they are essentially powerless, having gradually ceded their dominance of the Party to their radical allies over the past three decades. Allies who now dominate academia turning out armies of mind-numbed activists. Their number in turning out to support Hamas and the slaughter of Jews has been an eye-opening bucket of cold water for not only the Democrat Party establishment but all Americans.

Thus, it is too late for the Party to turn back toward any semblance of moderation. If the Democrats were to win the presidency in 2024 and control both house of Congress, the Marxist wing would be more determined than ever to implement their Marxist/socialist agenda.

Ultimately, while the nation would unduly suffer under Democrat/Marxist control and in all probability move beyond the point of no return, the tension between the two factions in the Democrat Party will eventuate in the implosion of the party allowing the American Marxists full and permanent control of the Party as well as near-perpetual control of the levers of government. Additionally, they will, in all likelihood, marginalize the Republican Party by use of executive orders and legislation to nationalize all elections while third parties will effectively cease to exist.

In an ironic turn of events, either a Trump or DeSantis presidential victory in 2024 and Republican control of both Houses of Congress is the single event that would not only save the nation but be the opportunity for the Democratic Party to recover a sense of moderation, assuming that the liberals or so-called moderates have the intestinal fortitude to use that outcome to divorce themselves from their long-term incestuous bed partner, the American Marxists.

The question then becomes, would the liberal elites be too squeamish to confront their Marxist allies for control of the Party, as it is highly likely there would be excessive political bloodshed resulting in the ultimate creation of a third party to replace the Democrat Party.

The 2024 election is not only critical to the future of the nation and the future of both parties but in particular the Democrat Party as the cracks in the facade are beginning to widen.

Image: William Warby
Far-left climate activist Greta Thunberg announced she stood in solidarity with the cause of Hamas, calling for a ceasefire after the terrorist group had invaded Israel and butchered civilians; in response, Israel announced it will remove her from its school curriculum.

On social media, Thunberg released a series of posts that appeared to show her support for Hamas despite the terrorist organizations brutality against Israel.

See the original post below:

Week 270. Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.#FreePalestine #IStandWithPalestine #StandWithGaza #FridaysForFuture

Thread pic.twitter.com/0hVtya0yWO  Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 20, 2023

The signs held by Thunberg and her cohorts included messages like Free Palestine and Climate Justice Now which is a reference to decolonization movements, particularly for the colonizer Israel. Not only that though, but the image posted by Thunberg included a pale blue stuffed octopus, which is a disparaging symbol that has been used to denigrate Judaism and Israel, according to the Daily Wire.

NEW - Greta Thunberg calls to "stand with Gaza" on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/s6diSPLp6g  Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 20, 2023

Someone should tell Thunberg that Israel was invaded by Hamas, not the other way around, and unlike Hamas, Israels Defense Force (IDF) had the decency to warn one million Gaza civilians to flee south before the Holy Land launches a potential ground invasion of Gaza. Israel isnt the bad guy in this situation.

Given the vile posts shared by Thunberg, Israels Education Ministry announced that the far-left activist will be removed from its curriculum going forward. From The Jerusalem Post:

Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for the murder of 1,400 innocent Israelis, including children, women, and the elderly, and it has abducted over 200 people to Gaza, the education ministry said. This stance disqualifies her from being an educational and moral role model, and she is no longer eligible to serve as an inspiration and educator for Israeli students.

Thunberg, as most leftists do, responded to the education ministrys post by feigning ignorance, saying she had no clue what the pale blue octopus symbolized.

I was completely unaware she said, alleging that the toy was used by autistic people as a way to communicate feelings.

Thunberg was previously seen wearing a shirt in favor of another terrorist organization, Antifa. After being caught, she claimed she had no idea what the shirt meant or symbolized.

Thunberg responded to her Stand With Gaza post by including a different picture with the hashtag FridaysForFuture and surprise surprise, more terrorism. The organization is a far-left anti-crude oil group that has also stood behind the Hamas cause, advocating for the destruction of the Holy Land.

Why do leftists have a natural inclination to side with terrorists?

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
Barack Obama describes himself as a friend of Israel. In reality, the relationship between the former president and the State of Israel, one embodied by his approach to their leader Benjamin Netanyahu, has always been strained, if not downright hostile, since Obama was elected president.

Reportedly, when Netanyahu was invited to the Obama White House, he was snubbed and then kept waiting by Obama for half an hour, before the president finally condescended to see the leader of our countrys great ally and only friend in the Middle East.

Obamas petulance continued to be publicly displayed when he failed to congratulate Netanyahu on his 2015 re-election.

The rift between Israels leader and our former president was heightened just recently as Obama, in his usual condescending and pontifical manner, warned Netanyahu and Israel that their retaliation against Hamas was likely to harden Palestinian attitudes towards the State of Israel.

From everything I have read and heard regarding Hamass position towards Israel, that terrorist group has always publicly and obscenely called for the destruction of Israel and the death of all Jews. Try as I might, I cannot imagine a worsening of that position.

Hamas rewarded kidnappers of Israeli civilians with cash rewards and free apartments upon returning to Palestinian-occupied territory with those captured Israelis.

They have, according to multiple reports, raped and murdered Israeli citizens and have gone so far as beheading Israeli babies.

If Obama, despite these Hamas atrocities, thinks the Palestinian attitude towards Israel could get worse, and if he really believes he is giving Israel friendly advice, Israels thought must certainly be, With friends like this, who needs enemies?

Bill Hansmann is a dentist and dental educator with over fifty years in the profession. He continues to teach and write political blogs and semi-mediocre novels while living with his wife and cats in Florida.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
Recently, President Biden has self-identified as a born-again Zionist, and forever a lover of Israel. Really? His actions post the Israeli massacres are contradictory and confusing.

Biden was quick to show his support for Israel - traveling there, gathering warships and personnel, and broadly telling the world he and America stood with Israel.

These words were like salve on an open wound, a hug after battle, a lifeline to survival. And Jews globally breathed a bit easier.

But  but now it is more than two weeks since the attacks on Israel that shook the Earth. The Hamas terrorists in Gaza have continued to bombard Israel with rockets and missiles. Israel is also being attacked by Hezbollah in the North from Lebanon, and Syria has now joined Israels bombardment as well.

Hamas has said it is holding more than 200 Israeli and American hostages. Nobody can ascertain the exact number. Biden wants to negotiate the release of all hostages before Israel commences a ground war. But their release could take weeks, months, or years. It is a cruel psychological game.

Yet we also have Joe Biden, in his latest speech to the nation, declaring the majority of people of Gaza 'innocent.'

We cant ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have an opportunity.

...and...

Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of them.

To the Israelis, this makes no sense. Why is Joe Biden declaring most of the people in Gaza innocent?

Are they innocent when they get paid to kidnap, torture, or butcher an Israeli? The current going rate is $10,000 for a Jewish victim.

And Rep. Ilan Omar thinks Jews are all about the Benjamins?

Many of us have heard the nauseating phone call a Hamas terrorist butcher made to his father in the wake of the Hamas attack to let him know that he got ten - "ten!" he proudly screamed, Jews murdered:

The IDF recovered a phone call in which a Hamas terrorist called his parents to boast of the amount of Jews he killed during the massacre of civilians in southern Israel on October 7. Listen to the conversation: https://t.co/oja1rmG30B pic.twitter.com/Szgm18YHy1  The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 24, 2023

For him, that's a lot of ka-ching! Thats a lot of Benjamins. And the blood of Jewish victims was probably on his hands and clothes and flowing in the ground as he let his dear old dad know.

Yet Joe Biden's mixed messaging is nothing new.

In June 1982, when Israel was at war with Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, in desperate need for American aid, was visited by then-Sen. Joe Biden. Biden argued rabidly with Begin, as described in this 2020 Wall Street Journal account:

Mr. Biden and Begin once clashed, in a private June 1982 session with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mr. Biden, 39, lectured the 68-year-old Begin over Israeli settlements, jabbing his finger at the prime minister and banging his fist on the desk. Mr. Biden warned that eroding support for Israel threatened U.S. aid. Israel was at war in Lebanon and far more dependent on American assistance than it is today.

Begin stated to Sen. Joseph Biden:

"I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them and, when necessary, we will die for them with or without your aid.

When Menachem Begin said those words to then-Sen. Biden in 1982, the interests of the two countries were off-kilter.

Now President Biden took a dangerous trip to Israel during a prelude to a bloody war and was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as a hero and helpmate.

In many ways, it feels like 1948, and Israel is fighting another war for Independence and survival. Yet, on the other hand, her peace treaties with neighboring Egypt and Jordan have held, and Saudi Arabia - hoping for normalization with Israel - appears to be intercepting weapons aimed at Israel.

Almost all Jews living in Muslim countries, if not killed after the establishment of Israel in 1948, were thrown out with nothing - all of their belongings confiscated. Today, only a smattering of Jews can be found living in Muslim countries with more than two billion inhabitants.

Yet in teeny tiny Israel, with a population of approximately ten million people, tolerance and integration are the norm, even for non-Jews. Almost 30% of Israel's population is comprised of non-Jews, such as Arabs, Christians, Bedouins, and those of the Baha'i faith. They are allowed to serve in Israels army and can be elected into Israels unicameral legislative chamber, the Knesset. They are afforded all the same rights and obligations as their Jewish counterparts.

The Israeli-Gaza situation has changed American politics in a way unimaginable at the beginning of October. Pre the Palestinian attack on Israel, Democrats did not particularly seem pro-Israel or pro-Jewish. But that was then. Democrats, along with approximately 70% of the American people, are strongly aligned with Israel now.

While we are no longer trembling Jews, our existential survival, mere decades after Nazi Germany killed approximately six million Jews, is once again on the line. We are back in the 1940s. It could never happen here, in America, was our proud belief, but we were wrong. The lies, the smears, the propaganda, the dirty tricks, and the incitement to violence against Jews have all been recycled and are here -- Not on our doorstep, but in our living rooms and in our faces.

There are approximately fifteen million Jews worldwide. Seven million live in Israel.

On a tiny strip of land in the Middle East, Israel has built a high-tech nation from an arid desert, once surrounded completely by hostile nations.

There are over two billion Muslims in the world; at least half of whom want Israel and Jews erased from the face of the Earth.

Incredibly, these two billion plus Muslims are not capable of absorbing the two million plus Arabs who live in Gaza. Nobody wants them, and of course, its now easy to see why. The Arabs in Gaza have not only shattered Israels sense of invincibility with their onslaught of butchery, they have released a torrent of ugly, aggressive world-wide Jew-hatred not seen since Nazi Germany.

Joe Biden's mixed and contradictory messages and shifting stances are not helping.

One can only hope that Biden will be true to his word and allow Israel to fight for its own survival.

Image: Screen shot from ABC News video, via YouTube
Since the crumbling of the Iron Curtain and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, our leaders championed a New World Order. Hamass barbaric attack has many wondering if our leadership has instead delivered a New World Disorder.

Commentators blame the U.S. blundering in and out of wars in the Mideast: Libya, Iraq, and the dismal Afghanistan withdrawal. Appeasement of Iran by the Obama and Biden administrations, together with Trumps curious affection for autocrats, are catalogued as causes of our unraveling world. Seldom mentioned is the abrupt decline of the U.S. oil and gas industry.

The greatest geostrategic change during the early 21st century was the U.S. ascendance as an energy superpower. Two presidents share responsibility for this extraordinary development. In 2008, gasoline prices were at near record levels. Citing climate change, the Obama administration initially suggested that high prices were acceptable, promising even higher prices in the future. Polling revealed this to be politically suicidal. For the remainder of his two terms, President Obama let the shale revolution proceed unhindered. American companies dramatically improved the industrys efficiency. Oil and natural gas production climbed steadily, keeping prices stable. Meanwhile, President Obama assuaged the climate lobby with measures like substantially higher fleet mileage standards.

After 2016, Trump turbocharged the shale revolution. Production skyrocketed, and prices for gasoline dropped dramatically as the U.S. became a major exporter of oil.

The shale revolution transformed the national security landscape in our favor. Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia no longer had their accustomed leverage over other countries. Appreciating shales impending impact, the mullahs were willing to negotiate with President Obama in the last year of his presidency. By the middle of Trumps term, America was an energy superpower. The U.S. applied crippling sanctions against Iran, curtailing the Islamic nations ability to foment chaos around the world.

Theodore Roosevelt liked to speak softly and carry a big stick. Similarly, Trump often stroked the egos of individual autocrats while wielding the big stick of energy dominance.

When President Biden assumed office in January 2021, there were few major conflicts in the world. The president assured the nation that he would deliver us from COVID. He proclaimed that climate change was the greatest threat to world peace. The new president issued a highly symbolic order canceling the nearly completed Keystone XL pipeline. Rapid-fire measures to hamstring the petroleum industry soon followed.

When Russia invaded Ukraine a year later, President Biden was confident that sanctions similar to those used by Trump so effectively against Iran would bring a quick end to the conflict. After over a year and a death toll in the hundreds of thousands, it is clear that sanctions cannot work without American energy dominance. Energy weakness also allowed Iran to evade previously effective sanctions to orchestrate the horrific Hamas attack on Israel.

The surest way to address the chaos enveloping the world is to rebuild America as an energy superpower. If President Biden sincerely wants to help Israel, he will persuade his partys activists that world chaos and possible nuclear war are a far greater threat to humanity than climate change. A good symbolic first act would be an executive order to complete the Keystone pipeline.

Image: lalabell68 via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Sidney Powell is a tall, dignified-looking attorney who became something of a cult figure among Trumpsters. Shortly after the election, Powell unleashed her Kraken in four legal cases aimed at overturning or at least modifying the 2020 election results of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. None succeeded.

I remember watching Powell on television, where she talked confidently about foreign governments that used voting machines to shave votes from one candidate so they could be given to the other candidate. These foreign voting irregularities happened many years ago.

Powell cited a credible witness in support of her claims: CIA subcontractor Navid Keshavarz-Nia. Regarding this man, the New York Times used to be very complimentary. It reported that his co-workers in U.S. Intelligence felt that Keshavarz-Nia was always the smartest person in the room. Keshavarz-Nia filed an affidavit that made many assertions supportive of Powells arguments.

To say the least, these claims were intriguing. However, I kept waiting for Powell to slide her story into the current decade. Were her claims applicable to the 2020 election? After all, elections had changed in several ways, such as these:

During the last 15 years, most states started using paper backups. In a post-election audit, those could be used to spot electronic cheating. There was a proliferation of mail-in ballots, and they are inherently more susceptible to identity theft. (Just ask Jimmy Carter.) In the 2020 election, many states dropped or severely reduced signature-matching requirements. That made the illegal harvesting of ballots safe and easy.

To me, cheating with machines is possible but no longer necessary unless the fraudsters miscalculate. (For example, they do not submit enough harvested ballots to alter the election results.) If they have enough time, motivation, access to registration lists, and access to ballots, then stuffing drop boxes with harvested ballots is probably the fraud methodology of choice. And that is exactly what happened in the 2020 election. If you doubt it, watch 2000 Mules again.

For these reasons, I was skeptical that Powell had witnesses who could testify regarding the recent use of machines to shave votes. Although it was theoretically possible that Powells conjectures were correct, she never produced the evidence. That only hurt the person she was trying to help: President Donald Trump.

Shortly after January 6, Powell was, apparently, part of a group that sought to test one of the Georgia voting machines. This is being portrayed as the crime of the century, and it led to Powells recent plea deal.

Powell pleads guilty

By now you have heard that Sidney Powell pleaded guilty in the so-called Georgia election interference case. However, it seems that she has not recanted her views regarding election fraud. Her guilty plea concerns only a misguided effort to test an election machine in Coffee County. It is barely a crime at all, since there was no criminal intent. The so-called Powell conspirators made pictures of ballots after getting permission from Misty Hampton, the Coffee County elections administrator. No one was trying to destroy records, change votes, or damage equipment. Big deal!

Of course, the mainstream media (MSM) are not satisfied to see Powell get hit with a few little misdemeanor charges related to her efforts to examine a voting machine. After all, she is not even going to jail!

The MSM want to portray this as a serious crime involving the fraudulent election claims of Donald J. Trump. That sells copy in left-wing media. In a rewriting of history, a slew of media outlets now describe Sidney Powell as a Trump consigliere, who is now trying to distance herself from the crimes of Donald Trump. For example, the New York Times reported on October 19, 2023:

Ahead of her Georgia Trial, Sidney Powell seeks distance from Trump. Ms. Powell, a lawyer who promoted conspiracy theories about election fraud after Donald J. Trumps 2020 defeat, now says she never represented him or his campaign [emphasis added].

As you can see, the Times has a breaking news story: Powell now seeks to distance herself from Trump. However, the story is bogus. Trump is the one who distanced himself from Powell, and he did it long ago.

Here is what the same publication (N.Y. Times) reported way back on November 22, 2020:

Trump team disavows lawyer who peddled conspiracy theories on voting. President Trumps campaign issued a striking repudiation of Sidney Powell, who had offered up widely derided conspiracy theories as she tried to aid the presidents baseless challenges to vote counts.

Trumps position is not refuted by Sidney Powell, who says (through her lawyer) that she did not represent President Trump or the Trump campaign after the election.

There is one more issue to mention. On December 18, 2020, Powell and a few of her supporters tried to pitch a controversial idea to Trump, who rejected it. The idea was to make Powell a special counsel to investigate election fraud. Powell said that Trump seemed very interested in her ideas, but after 10 or 15 minutes, the meeting ended.

Here is the bottom line. Powell pleaded guilty to a few minor misdemeanors to save herself the hassle and cost of fighting this case. It is a nothingburger that will not affect Trump in any way  except on loony left-wing platforms.

Joe Fried is an Ohio-based CPA who has performed and reviewed hundreds of certified financial audits. He is the author of the book Debunked? and a new book called How Elections Are Stolen. It outlines 23 problems that must be fixed before the 2024 elections. More information can be found at https://joefriedcpa.substack.com.

Image via Picryl.
Yesterday, Samsung announced that it is ending the One UI 6.0 beta program for the Galaxy S23 series this week. However, the company said it might release one more beta update before that. It was doing a final inspection of the beta software and planned to roll out an update if it discovered major issues. The Korean firm seems to have found something, as its now pushing the ninth beta build to the phones.

The Galaxy S23 series is getting its ninth One UI 6.0 beta update

The latest Android 14-based One UI 6.0 beta update for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra is currently available in Germany, the UK, and the US. Samsung will soon roll it out in other markets, including China, India, Poland, and South Korea. The new firmware build number is ZWJM (last four characters). The over-the-air (OTA) package weighs around 420MB depending on the region and device model.

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Like the previous release, the ninth beta build for the Galaxy S23 trio doesnt have a lengthy changelog. Well, the update size already reveals that its a minor release. Samsung is fixing bugs before the stable rollout, which is expected to begin at the end of this month. If you have enrolled your phone in the One UI 6.0 beta program, watch out for new updates in the coming days.

Samsung is also simultaneously running One UI 6.0 beta programs for several other Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and more. The update is available for a handful of Galaxy A, Galaxy M, and Galaxy F series phones as well. The company will gradually roll out the stable build to these phones over the next few months.

This update brings plenty of new features

One UI 6.0 is a major update for Galaxy devices. It brings new features that Google introduced with Android 14. On top of those, Samsung is offering some customizations and tweaks from its side. It has revamped the quick panel layout for a more pleasing visual design and more intuitive user experience.

The big new update also brings new camera features, gallery improvements, improved multitasking, content sharing, accessibility, and a host of other improvements. In short, One UI 6.0 will change the look and feel of your Galaxy device. Stay tuned for Samsungs official update roadmap detailing the rollout plan for all eligible Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
The Pwn2Own hacking contest has once again highlighted that smartphones are always susceptible to attacks no matter how secure they are. Security researchers uncovered and exploited multiple zero-day vulnerabilities on the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Xiaomi 13 Pro. Both phones were hacked twice on the first day of the contest.

Pwn2Own exposes Galaxy S23 and Xiaomi 13 Pros security vulnerabilities

Pwn2Own is a computer hacking contest held twice a year. The contest invites security researchers from all over the world to try and breach the security of commonly used electronic devices such as smartphones, printers, smart speakers, surveillance cameras, Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, and more. Researchers are awarded cash prizes for every successful hack. The prize money varies on the severity of the vulnerability and other factors.

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The latest edition of Pwn2Own kicked off in Toronto, Canada yesterday, October 24. The organizers have more than $1,000,000 in cash and other forms of prizes available for contestants. We saw several successful hacking attempts on various products on the first day itself. The most notable of them were two zero-day exploits each of the latest flagship smartphones from Samsung and Xiaomi.

For the uninitiated, zero-day vulnerabilities are security flaws previously unknown to anyone, not even the developers of the product. If a hacker or security expert discovers such a vulnerability, they may be able to exploit it right away as the vendor doesnt have a fix ready for it. This is what happened with the two phones at Pwn2Own. The first attack against the Galaxy S23 exploited an Improper Input Validation vulnerability.

Pentest Limited executed this attack and earned $50,000 in cash and five Master of Pwn points. Researchers at STAR Labs SG were able to exploit a permissive list of allowed inputs against the Samsung phone to earn $25,000 and five Master of Pwn points. Likewise, Team Viettel executed a single-bug attack against the Xiaomi 13 Pro to take home $40,000 and 4 Master of Pwn points. Finally, NCC Group exploited a zero-day vulnerability on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The group earned a cash prize of $20,000 and 4 Master of Pwn points.

Both of these phones had the latest security patches installed

As per contest rules, all targeted devices were running the latest OS version with the latest security patch installed. Pwn2Own organizers say they have already awarded over $400,000 in prizes. The contest runs through October 27, so we might see more of these high-profile security breaches in the coming days. The Google Pixel 7 and iPhone 14 are other phones available to the contestants. Samsungs Galaxy S22 was breached four times across the contests four-day span Pwn2Own hacking contest, including a hack executed in just 55 seconds.
K-pop idol G-Dragon was booked for investigation over alleged drug use, according to sources Wednesday.

The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency booked the leader of boy band BIGBANG on charges of using illegal drugs, the sources said.

G-Dragon was found to have illegally smoked marijuana back in 2011 but was not formally prosecuted.

The police declined to give further details on the case. (Yonhap)
The numbers are in for Q3 2023, guess how much Google spent on AI that quarter; $8 billion! Now, guess how much money it made off of AI that quarter. Well, it certainly wasnt $8 billion. Now, investors and analysts are wondering how Google plans to monetize its AI products, according to a new report.

This might not be a huge deal for the average Joe, but if youve invested in the company, then you might be keeping an eye on the company. As per the companys earnings report, Googles cloud business saw a decline that quarter. This, coupled with the fact that Google spent so much money on AI last quarter has people wondering what the company is going to do to make AI more lucrative.

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We all know that Google more than recuperated the cost with its ad business. However, that doesnt do anything for investor confidence.

Investors and analysts want to know how Google plans to monetize

During the companys latest earnings call, Google executives were presented with some heavy questions. These were about its plans for AI questions revolved around how the company plans to gain some income from AI. As we previously reported, Brian Nowak, managing director for Morgan Stanley, asked the company if there was any tangible sign that the companys investments were generating a return. This question was centered around the Google Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Pichai responded that it will show a wider range of sources on the results page, creating new opportunities for content to be discovered. By this, were sure that he means more opportunities to show people ads. Ostensibly, that could lead to more income, but that remains to be seen. The issue with this is that the SGE gives you an AI-generated response to your search query. This eliminates the need to click on search results. That could lead to a decrease in the number of ad clicks.

Right now, were still in the early days of this AI age. It seems that Google is optimistic about it. However, the company is going to need to focus on monetizing its AI products. these services are rolling out now, so well have a better idea of how this is going to go in the near future.
HONOR has just announced that its upcoming Magic6 flagship series will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. That processor was announced by Qualcomm yesterday, and its a major improvement compared to an excellent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

The HONOR Magic6 will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Having said that, HONOR also announced that the Magic6 will also come with a cutting-edge 7B model on-device large language model (LLM). It will provide true individual personalized services.

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Considering that on-device AI will be a part of the picture, some advanced options regarding that will be on offer too. Youll be able to create a personal short video just by giving a command prompt to the on-device voice assistant. Templates, themes, and music of the generated videos will also be customizable with additional prompts. Check out the demo video below.

The company demonstrated Magic Capsule in Hawaii

On top of that, HONOR also demonstrated an eye-tracking-based multimodal interaction, which the company refers to as Magic Capsule. In addition to that, HONOR also demonstrated three key features of MagicRing: Connected Camera, Connected Input, and multi-device screen sharing. MagicRing basically relies on the Snapdragon Seamless tech that Qualcomm introduced. It allows for a variety of data to be exchanged between devices without a problem or power drain. The Magic Capsule demo is shown below.

https://youtu.be/YlY4Jbf-s9Q

In regards to specs, we dont know what else will the Magic6 offer. It will come with high-end specifications, however, and probably in several different models. HONOR does put a lot of focus on the cameras in this series, so you can expect some changes in that regard too.

The HONOR Magic6 series will likely arrive in February, as part of MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, but were only guessing based on previous launches.
Right now, most major companies are hopping on the AI train, as the technology is proving to be lucrative. Lenovo is the latest company to unveil its plans to bring AI to its devices. During an event, Lenovo announced the upcoming MotoAI, which will be an AI force that will power Motorola and Lenovo devices.

This was announced during Lenovo Tech World 23. This is the companys tech event where it shows off some exciting and upcoming products that it and Motorola are working on.

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One interesting device that Motorola is working on is a foldable phone that would actually fold backward. All foldable devices are made from two solid components connected by a movable hinge. Well, with this concept device, the chassis itself will bend. We see images of people using it to wrap around their wrists as if it were a smartwatch.

Lenovo unveils the upcoming MotoAI

Motorola hasnt really been associated with AI, as its more of a hardware company. However, it seems that its parent company Lenovo wants to change that. During the event, Lenovo unveiled MotoAI. This is going to be an AI-powered personal assistant that will be on Lenovo and Motorola devices.

At this point, we dont know too much about what this assistant will be able to do, but by the way the company described it, it sounds like it will be similar to Microsoft Co-Pilot. The assistant will feature a foundational model that will actually live on-device, which the company says will help it protect your privacy better.

MotoAI will use generative AI to help with functions like drafting messages, scheduling tasks, answering questions, etc. So, it will be just like the LLMs that we see on the internet. However, the AI will be housed on the device, so you might be able to access it without an internet connection.

At this point, we dont know exactly when Lenovo is going to roll this out to the devices. However, there might not be too long of a wait.
Since the middle of September Google has been in the courtroom for its antitrust trial with the Justice Department, and you likely havent heard about a huge portion of it because much of it is being kept private. Thats not to say there hasnt been some information coming to light and being made available for public viewing.

There are certainly some things that have been reported on. And its this reporting that has led to the outing of important details. Such as Googles request for employees to avoid using certain words that could make them sound like monopolists. The trial has also ushered in more information on Googles longtime exclusive deals with companies like Apple. Wherein Google would be paying Apple a sizeable sum of billions annually to keep Google as the search engine default on its Apple products.

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Multiple competitors have testified that Google makes it unnecessarily difficult for users to change to a different search engine. All of this would likely never have been brought up to the public if it werent for this trial. And users would be none the wiser when it comes to Googles alleged monopolistic business practices. And yet, it still feels like theres a bunch of information that users arent privy to. Theres a good reason for that. Much of the US vs Google trial is being kept private. Behind closed doors and away from the view of anyone remotely interested in seeing what Googles up to.

The Google trial is being kept private because Judge Amit Mehta is catering to involved companies

A big reason for the secrecy can probably be placed on the shoulders of Judge Amit Mehta. Throughout the trial Google and other involved companies such as Apple and Microsoft have made requests to redact specific information. Mehta has honored some of these requests. Which means theres a good chance there are some important details about Googles operations that could be harmful to consumers will never see the light of day.

In addition to the redacted information, some of the trial has been closed off from the public and from reporters. A sort of unprecedented decision given the sheer scope of a trial like this one. Some information that has been made public has only been done so recently. With it being closed off from public access for numerous weeks. As Slate reports, certain publications (of a handful that are able to cover the trial in person) like The New York Times have been advocating for public access to trial testimony. Not just access though, but quicker access. Slate notes that as of this week, the Times is still trying to get the court to provide the public with quicker access.

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Whether or not that happens remains to be seen. And if Mehta does finally decide to cater more to the public in this regard, whos to say it will matter. Google is now in its half of the trial where it gets to go on the defense. The trial is also only supposed to take until November 10 which is just a few weeks away. So depending on when (or if) quicker public access becomes a thing, it could end up being after most of the trial is already over. And after much of the most important testimony has already been kept behind closed doors.
Sonys new PS5 with a removable disc drive will apparently need an internet connection to initially pair the disc drive with the console. Its an odd move that has some consumers scratching their heads. While simultaneously upsetting others with claims that this will be hurtful to overall game preservation for Sonys 5th generation PlayStation. Details about this trait come from a tweet on X from CharlieINTEL. The account is dedicated to all things Call of Duty and had recently tweeted out leaked images of an upcoming Modern Warfare III bundle for the PS5 refresh. On the back of the box are details of the internet requirement for the disc drive pairing.

The new PS5 will only need internet to pair the disc drive once

To be clear, it doesnt seem like youll need internet at all times to use the drive. Just to pair it with the console the very first time you boot it up. That isnt to excuse Sonys decision. As some feel it shouldnt be part of the console refresh at all. Its a choice that consumers arent happy with due to worries that Sony could shut down servers used to verify the drive. Even if that time might be far in the future.

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Sony hasnt confirmed any reasons for this decision yet. But Video Games Chronicle points out that it may be to prevent users from modifying the drive in any way or from doing third-party repairs on it. If thats the case then this may partly be a measure to ensure users cant modify the disc drive to read pirated software. Specifically pirated versions of PS5 games.

Even if thats an understandable reason to do so, some consumers are hoping Sony changes this before the console launches. Sony will release the refreshed PS5 consoles on November 10 in the US with the Disc edition coming in at $499, and the Digital edition coming in at $449.
While Apple claimed at its event last month that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are carbon neutral, the EU has debunked this myth and said the products arent carbon neutral as promised by the company. The European consumer organization BEUC has now asked the tech giant to remove carbon neutrality from its watch ads. The agency also referred to Apples claims as bogus.

Being carbon neutral was among Apples most-used keynotes while introducing its latest smartwatches. The company mentioned this term 24 times in its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 press releases. However, it later added the claim is made based on offsetting credits.

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Apple also noted it has removed carbon emissions from the three biggest greenhouse gas sources, including materials, electricity, and transportation. But the company finally admitted that a small amount of remaining emissions are offset with high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects. To clarify the small amount term, it equals 7kg-12kg per watch.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are not carbon neutral, EU says

According to Monique Goyens, the director-general of BEUC, the carbon neutral claims by Apple are scientifically inaccurate and mislead consumers. The European Union also aims to ban carbon-neutral claims from ads when the claim is based on offsetting credits. The new ruling could take effect in 2026.

The nonprofit Carbon Market Watch also referred to Apples claims as an accounting trick, which gives customers the impression that buying a smartwatch has no impact on the climate.

While Apple has now come under fire for lying about its new watches carbon emissions, it has cut 81% of its Watch-based emissions since 2015. This is far better than the records of most tech firms and depicts the companys commitment to its 2030 plan. The EUs obligations to reduce e-waste also forced Apple to switch from Lightning to USB-C in the iPhone 15 series. Apple even ditched leather-made straps for the new Apple Watch series and added more eco-friendly bands to its accessory lineup.
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 25 - Land consumption in 2022 grew by 77 square kilometres or 10% over the previous year to reach a total of over 21,500 square kilometres or 7.25% of the Italian territory net of rivers and lakes, according to the the 2023 report 'Land consumption, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services' released by the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research ISPRA on Wednesday.

This was the equivalent of 2.4 square metres of new artificial land cover per second.

Most of the new land consumption in 2022 was concentrated in the northern Po Valley, in the Lombardy and Veneto regions and along the Via Emilia, and along the entire Adriatic coast, particularly along some parts of the Romagna, Marche and Puglia coastlines, the report said.

Between 2006 and 2022, the hidden cost resulting from the loss of ecosystem services due to land consumption amounted to nine billion euro per year.

The increase of artificial land cover impacted agriculture in particular, with the loss of 4,800 hectares of arable land.

ISPRA said 13% of total new land consumption in 2022 occurred in areas of medium hydraulic risk and that over 35% occurred in areas of high or very high seismic risk and 7.5% in areas at risk of landslides. (ANSA).


Woori vows to become Asia's leading bank with emphasis on Southeast Asia

By Lee Yeon-woo

Woori Bank announced on Wednesday that it aims to increase the net profit from its overseas branches to account for 25 percent of its total profits by 2030. To achieve this goal, it plans to inject $500 million in three prominent Southeast Asian corporations that are showing growth potential, and extend its presence into new areas, including Poland and the Middle East.

"As of last year, the global sector at Woori Bank reported a net profit of $340 million (15.4 percent of the bank's total profit). Throughout the past three years, the total asset value has seen a 9 percent increase annually," Yun Seog-mo, executive vice president of the bank's global business group, said during a press conference held in the bank's headquarters.

"Driving our overseas business with a deep understanding of the local market distinguishes us from our competitors."

The group plans to penetrate new markets by acquiring small-sized corporate entities, enhancing its presence gradually through a series of M&As with the ambition of emerging as a leading bank in these new territories.

Among its businesses spanning 24 countries with 466 branches and offices, Woori Bank has chosen to prioritize the development of its three main entities in Southeast Asia, based in Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Last year, these three nations accounted for 43 percent of the bank's global net profit.

In line with these efforts, the group established a department in July specializing in operations within these countries. Additionally, a capital injection of $500 million is anticipated.

For its upcoming ventures, the bank pinpointed Poland as a pivotal region. The significance of Poland was highlighted during a recent visit by President Yoon Suk Yeol, which culminated in the signing of a 30 trillion won arms export deal. Woori Bank intends to elevate its current office in Poland to branch level, aiming to support Korean businesses venturing into the region.

Through its branches in Bahrain and Dubai, Woori Bank plans to provide financial support to companies targeting business opportunities in the Middle East, such as in Saudi Arabia's NEOM economic zone. Currently, Woori's branches in Bahrain and Dubai engage in investment banking and corporate finance activities.

At the same time, the bank said it is committed to ensuring robust risk management and internal controls during its overseas business expansion.

"To enhance internal control, we will consistently gather feedback from overseas branches and conduct periodic reviews," Yun said. "We intend to implement an internal control support system aimed at incident prevention. For instance, this system will oversee the progression of internal control improvement, initiating on-site inspections when progress is deemed inadequate."
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 25 - Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe has reiterated calls for Italy to join its EU partners in ratifying the treaty for the new European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

Italy has been holding out on ratification of the reform of the eurozone bailout mechanism amid concerns about budget sovereignty and claims the fund should also be used for growth.

"Over the past few months, we have received regular updates on the ongoing parliamentary process for the ratification of the ESM Treaty in Italy and we look forward to its finalization as soon as possible," Donohoe wrote in a letter to European Council President Charles Michel before this week's EU summit. "(Ratification of the ESM reform) is in the interest of all of us, the Eurozone as a whole and the individual member states, including Italy". (ANSA).


(See related stories on Israel-Hamas war) (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 25 - Deputy Premier and Transport and Industry Minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday hit out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for saying he considered Hamas to be "liberators" fighting for their land rather than terrorists.

Salvini said Erdogan's words were "serious and disgusting and do not help de-escalation." He added that he would ask Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to summon the Turkish ambassador and lodge a formal protest. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 25 - Inspectors have been instructed to carry out special check-ups of visa operations at some Italian embassies abroad as part of a review of procedures to prevent fraud and illegal entry into Italy, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during a parliamentary question time on Wednesday.

"In August I ordered extraordinary inspection missions to be sent to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh," said Tajani.

"In recent days, a similar mission inspected the embassies in Kinshasa (the capital of Democratic republic of Congo, ed,.) and Brazzaville (the capital of the Republic of the Congo, ed.)," he continued.

"Further inspections are also planned in other regions, such as Latin America" and the findings "are available to the competent authorities, including the judiciary" said Tajani, adding that he had given "instructions so (the missions) are also the basis for a thorough review of visa procedures".

"It is crucial to strengthen the capacity of our offices to intercept fraudulent visa applications and prevent corruption," he stressed.

"The government's priority objective is to combat all forms of irregular entry into Italy," concluded the minister.

The inspection order is part of broad efforts to clamp down in irregular migration to Italy, also in light of an uptick in the number of sea arrivals so far this year.

The government of Premier Giorgia Meloni has also pledged to create more legal channels of entry for non EU migrant workers by expanding the quota system in response to labour market needs. (ANSA).


BBC director-general Tim Davie has addressed Tory MPs amid a row about the corporations coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

He arrived in Parliament for a grilling by the Conservative 1922 Committee, which the corporation said had been arranged in July as part of regular discussions with parliamentarians.

A BBC spokesman said Mr Davie would have tackled head-on some of the criticisms that he will undoubtedly have had in the room and stressed why the institution matters.

One MP present said there had been disagreement with the DG about Hamas being a terrorist organisation and the ability to say so at the talks, held behind closed doors.

The corporation does not call Hamas terrorists without attributing the word to others using it.

However, it has moved away from labelling the group militants and is instead describing it as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK Government and others.

We think that that phrase (militants) is less useful in the context were in now than it was before, and we will always look at what we do and how we do it, the spokesman said.

Nothing is set in stone, but the principle of ascribing terminology to those that are using is an important one for us.

Tory Natalie Elphicke was among MPs to question Mr Davie on the BBCs coverage of small boat crossings, to which he responded that a review had been commissioned, it is understood.

The BBC is launching assessments of its migration output and its editorial guidelines, but these are part of standard procedure and had been planned before the 1922 Committee meeting, the BBC spokesman added.

Every four to five years, as a matter of course we look at our editorial guidelines. Thats next due to happen next year, he said.

Dover MP Natalie Elphicke (Michael Drummond/PA)

Last week, the corporation said an on-air correspondent had been wrong to speculate in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of a hospital in Gaza City.

The BBC also said the correspondent was giving instant analysis on the ground from Jerusalem in what was a confusing and difficult story and did not at any point report that it was an Israeli strike.

The spokesman said journalists are reporting under extremely difficult circumstances and are acutely aware of their obligation to be impartial.

Many Tory MPs and Israeli President Isaac Herzog have been angered by the corporations decision not to call Hamas terrorists.

The BBC spokesman said: The BBCs position is that when we use the word, we ascribe it to whoevers characterised them in that way. So we make clear that the Government has said that about Hamas. Thats what we do.

The reason why the BBC doesnt make the judgment is that its not for us as a news organisation to ascribe any organisation as anything.

We are impartial its not about being neutral, its about being able to report in the UK, in Gaza, in the Middle East, whereas if the BBC is seen to be an arm of the UK Government, that makes our journalism very difficult and it impacts the way its perceived and trusted.
The Government has rejected calls for Israel to be treated the same as other countries in legislation aimed at banning public bodies from imposing their own boycotts.

Tory former cabinet minister Kit Malthouse warned that ministers risk playing into the antisemitism that has increased in the UK in recent weeks by including a carve-out in the proposals for Israel, the West Bank and the occupied Golan Heights.

The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill implements a ban on public bodies imposing their own direct or indirect boycotts, disinvestment or sanctions campaigns against other countries.

Tory MP Kit Malthouse (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The Bill allows for the Government to make regulations to exempt certain countries or territories from the restrictions, paving the way for public bodies to boycott or divest against them.

It is intended that Russia and Belarus will be excepted from the ban immediately.

But the Bill does not allow ministers to make regulations to exempt Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories or the Golan Heights, in what the Government describes as a bid to combat the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Mr Malthouses amendment to remove this prohibition was defeated by 269 votes to 207, majority 62. The MP for North West Hampshire was joined by six other Tory MPs in rebelling to vote in favour of his amendment.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the Governments approach sought to stand up for what is right as he also labelled the BDS campaign antisemitic.

The Government argues the Bill affirms that UK foreign policy is a matter for the UK Government and not local authorities.

There were also heated exchanges in the Commons over the Governments decision to continue consideration of the Bill given increased tensions in the Middle East in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Tory former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers was met with cries of shame from opposition benches as she suggested the Bill offers MPs a chance to say which side they are on.

Mr Malthouse, speaking about his amendment at report stage, said: In carving out Israel, the West Bank and the occupied Golan Heights in the legislation, the Secretary of State is, Im afraid, playing into the antisemitism that weve seen rise in this country over the last few weeks.

It was Jonathan Freedland who wrote in the Jewish Chronicle, What is a favourite refrain of the antisemites? That Israel is the one country youre not allowed to criticise. This Bill takes a canard and, in the case of boycotts, turns it into the law of the land.

There is no requirement in law for this carve-out to exist. Were amendment seven to be passed, the impact of the Bill would be precisely the same on a daily basis, Israel would merely be treated as all other countries in the world would be treated for the purposes of our legislation.

Deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner (Peter Byrne/PA)

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner earlier said: We have serious reservations about how this Bill will effectively rewrite UK foreign policy by explicitly equating Israel with the occupied Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights.

This is an unprecedented step that to my knowledge has never been taken in British statute before and is unique in any British legislation.

An essential cornerstone of British policy supported across this House, and indeed at the UN, is support for a two-state solution as a viable long-term solution to give Israelis and Palestinians the recognition and security that they deserve.

Not only does the wording of this Bill call into question the long-standing position of the UK in supporting a two-state solution, it runs counter to the UN resolutions.

Conservative former cabinet minister David Jones, who supported Mr Malthouses amendment, said the Government had sought to outlaw the activities of the BDS movement in relation to Israel only that is not a country-agnostic ambition of the sort that was envisaged in the manifesto commitment.

He warned that making exceptions for Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights in the Bill was a strange approach and the absence of neutrality may indeed cause offence to people of other countries.

Michael Gove (Yui Mok/PA)

Replying for the Government, Mr Gove addressed the specific menace of the BDS movement, saying: If we look at local government and at devolved administrations, the only country that has been singled out so far for boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns has been Israel.

Lets not hide from that fact. And the reason for that is that the BDS campaign is in itself antisemitic.

Its not exercising disapproval of some particular foreign policy or domestic policy decision of the state of Israel. It is saying that Israel should not exist.

Addressing the question of why the Bill explicitly mentions Israel, he said: Sometimes you do just have to stand up for what is right. And if there are people who are provoked as a result of that, that is regrettable, but we should not shy away from telling the truth.

We should not shy away from saying that what has been going on with Gazas genocidal campaign against the Jewish people is something that we as a country need to stand against.

The Bill will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.
Number of childbirths plummets to near 3 year-low in August

By Yi Whan-woo

The number of babies born in Korea in August plummeted to the lowest level in nearly three years, data showed, Wednesday, heightening concerns of a looming demographic crisis driven by the worlds lowest fertility rate, decline in marriage and aging population.

Statistics Korea said a total of 18,984 babies were born in August, down 12.8 percent from a year earlier.

It marks the steepest year-on-year decline since November 2020, when the number of childbirths dipped 15.5 percent.

The latest tally also marks lowest figure for any August since the statistics agency began compiling related data in 1981. The figure had never sunk below 20,000.

Record-low births have been reported every month this year _ 23,179 in January, 19,939 in February, 21,138 in March, 18,484 in April, 18,988 in May, 18,615 in June and 19,012 in July.

Such streaks of declines correspondingly extend a year-on-year fall in the number of newborns for 11 straight months.

Of all major cities and provinces, North Jeolla Province was the only region that displayed an increase in the number of newborn babies.

The number of marriages also declined to 14,610 in August, down 7 percent from a year earlier. The August data extends a year-on-year fall in the number of marriages for the second consecutive month.

The marriage rate compared to a year earlier has been going through ups and downs this year.

The rate stood at 21.5 percent in January, 16.6 percent in February and 18.8 percent in March. It briefly retreated to 8.4 percent in April, before advancing again to 1 percent in May and 7.8 percent in June, and falling to 5.3 percent in July.

Statistics Korea analyzed that couples who delayed getting married due to the COVID-19 pandemic rushed to tie the knot early this year and that the number of such delayed marriages are stabilizing to some extent as the year passes on.

The number of divorces stood at 8,057 in August, down 2.1 percent from a year earlier.

The country saw the number of deaths rising 1.7 percent year-on-year to 30,540 in August, declining since May.

The August tally also resulted in a natural decline in population by 11,556.

The country is struggling with a rapidly dwindling population, which, after peaking at 51.84 million in 2020, started to decline in 2021 and is anticipated to fall to 50.19 million in 2040, according to the statistics agency.

Korea's total fertility rate, or the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, dipped to 0.78 in 2022, which is the lowest level in the world.

The country is rapidly turning into an aging society, with the total number of people aged 65 or older having surpassed 9 million in 2022 for the first time ever. Korea is anticipated to become a super-aged society by 2025, when senior citizens will represent 20 percent of the population.
A Harry Potter and Trainspotting star will be recognised for her contribution to the film industry at the Bafta Scotland awards next month.

Shirley Henderson will be presented with the outstanding contribution to film and television award.

She is best known for her role as ghost Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films and also played Gail in Scottish cult classic Trainspotting.

Henderson grew up in Kincardine, Fife, and performed at local pubs, clubs and charity events.

When she was 16, she studied drama for a year at Kirkcaldy Tech before moving to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

The actress appeared alongside Robert Carlyle in the Hamish Macbeth TV series, and played one of the titular characters best friends in Bridget Joness Diary.

She said: It is so kind of Bafta to give me this award and it has come as a huge surprise.

It is overwhelming and lovely all at the same time. Thank-you.

Shirley Henderson has starred in several popular films (Ian West/PA)

Meanwhile, sound engineer Stuart Wilson will be presented with the outstanding contribution to craft award for his work with directors such as Sam Mendes, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson and Steven Spielberg.

Wilson has worked on well-known film franchises such as Star Wars, James Bond and Harry Potter.

He said: I cant believe it. I am delighted to be receiving the Bafta Scotland outstanding contribution to craft award.

It seems a long time since I was chapping the doors of Glasgows production companies, asking if I could carry their boxes and make tea, but the opportunities that began there have since taken me on adventures all round Scotland and across five continents of the world.

I couldnt be more proud and thank Bafta for this remarkable honour.

Jude MacLaverty, director of Bafta Scotland, said: We are extremely honoured to be celebrating the careers of such prestigious names in the television and film industries.

Shirley Henderson and Stuart Wilson are both highly respected in their fields, with remarkable careers that have seen them appear in the credits of some of the biggest franchises of all time, work alongside legendary auteurs, and often each other.

We are proud to present the outstanding contribution awards to them this year to honour their tremendous body of work.

Edith Bowman will host the awards ceremony at DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central on Sunday November 19.
Scotlands First Minister has asked how many more children have to die in Gaza before the Prime Minister and Labour leader call for a ceasefire.

Humza Yousaf, whose in-laws are trapped in the region due to the hostilities, said he does not understand the stance taken by Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, who have both stopped short of calling for an end to fighting to allow civilians to leave and aid to enter the territory.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, the First Minister said: I can not understand the PMs position, or Keir Starmers unwillingness to call on all parties to commit to an immediate ceasefire.

How many more children have to die?

Mr Yousaf also described the position of Mr Sunak and Sir Keir as infuriating.

During a visit to a service for young people leaving the care system in Glasgow, he told Global Radio: How many more children have to die before you join us and join many across the world, including the United Nations, and call for that ceasefire?

Call on all parties, not just one party here, call on all parties to commit to a ceasefire for the sake of those innocent children who are suffering so badly.

The Prime Minister has said Israel has a right to defend itself (James Manning/PA)

Speaking at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said he favours specific pauses to allow British nationals to leave the region and humanitarian aid to enter, but he has rejected calls to demand a ceasefire.

Under questioning from SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black, the PM said: We recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses as distinct from a ceasefire.

Ms Black argued that joining calls for a ceasefire is the best and maybe the only way to stop this conflict escalating beyond all control.

But Mr Sunak said Israel has the right to protect itself after suffering a shockingly brutal terrorist attack at the hands of Hamas.

A spokesman for Sir Keir, speaking to journalists, stopped short of supporting the push for a ceasefire.

We fully recognise that Israel has a right to defend itself, to go after the hostages and to act in accordance with humanitarian law in that process, he said.

What we have also said is that we need to ensure that there is protection of civilian life, that we ensure all necessary aid supplies can get into Gaza and reach people who need them, and that continues to be our position.

The First Ministers in-laws are currently trapped in Gaza (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Yousafs mother-in-law Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged travelled to the region from Scotland before the Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli reprisals left them trapped.

In an emotional statement on Tuesday at Holyrood, Mr Yousaf said Ms El-Nakla had lost hope after almost three weeks of bombing.

During his visit in Glasgow on Wednesday, the First Minister received a message saying the couple remain safe.

But theyve been trapped in a war zone now for 18 days and there is no sign that I can see of the Rafah crossing (into Egypt) opening for foreign nationals, he said.

The First Minister added he is upset and distraught that 2.2 million residents of the Gaza Strip are facing collective punishment for a crime they did not commit.

He added: The overwhelming majority had nothing to do with the disgraceful, atrocious terrorist attacks that Hamas carried out on October 7.

All of us, all of us who are heads of government, politicians, political parties, we all have to unite in calling for a ceasefire, and calling for it now.

The First Minister and Prime Minister shared a call on Tuesday, during which, Mr Sunaks official spokesman said, the PM extended his sympathy to Mr Yousaf, adding: We are doing everything within our power, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and many others, to release hostages and allow aid into Gaza.
Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

A former Conservative minister has been suspended from parliament for six weeks, triggering a campaign by Labour to force another byelection.

MPs approved the sanction without a vote, after a watchdog found Peter Bone had harassed and bullied a staff member and exposed his genitals near their face.

A recall petition will now be opened by the local authority and be available for voters in Bones constituency of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire to sign for six weeks. If 10% of those eligible do so, a byelection will automatically be triggered.

Bone, who was stripped of the Conservative whip last week, denied the allegations against him and previously vowed to fight on as an MP. However, the former Commons deputy leader has made no statement since last Monday, 16 October.

There was a last-minute row over Bones behaviour in the hours before the vote. In an interview with the BBC published on Wednesday morning, hours before the vote, the unnamed alleged victim claimed that the physical, emotional and psychological abuse he suffered at the hands of Bone had left him a broken shell of the young man I once was.

Liam Fox, a former cabinet minister, suggested the BBC may have committed a contempt of parliament by attempting to manipulate MPs ahead of the vote.

After Bones suspension was confirmed, senior Conservatives privately confessed to feeling gloomy about the prospect of holding Wellingborough if a byelection was called.

Observers expect the result of the recall petition to be announced just before parliament goes into the Christmas recess in mid-December.

They believe that a byelection would therefore most likely take place in February 2024  throwing a potential spanner in the works of any new years reset planned by the prime minister to get his party on a better footing before the general election.

Bone would be allowed to stand as a candidate in the subsequent byelection.

Related: Labour prepares to force byelection if Tory MP Peter Bone suspended

Wellingborough has swung between both main parties  but was won by Labour in 1997 by only 200 votes. Bone held it with a majority of 19,000 in 2019.

The Liberal Democrats have historically received a very low share of the vote in Wellingborough, and party sources have indicated they would not seriously contest the seat at a byelection.

A straight two-way fight would boost Labours chances of winning it back and be an important demonstration that Keir Starmer is making more footholds in parts of the country that had swung away from the party.

Labour has had a recent string of successes, taking Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire from the Conservatives last week, as well as Rutherglen and Hamilton West from the SNP earlier this month.

Robert Hayward, a Tory peer and elections expert, said: After last weeks byelections, Wellingborough will certainly be a challenging defence.

However, local Conservative sources stressed there was a very active branch of the party in Northamptonshire. They pointed to the most recent success in a local council byelection in March, which the Tory candidate won with 55%.

One neighbouring Tory MP said the party was definitely better placed to hold Wellingborough than in the other recent byelections.

Keiran Pedley, director of politics at Ipsos UK, said there would need to be a swing of at least 18 points for Labour to take the seat from the Tories. He added: However, given recent byelections in Tamworth, Mid Beds and Selby and Ainsty have all seen swings of more than 20 points, Labour will be optimistic about taking Wellingborough too should a byelection take place.

Chris Hopkins, political research director of Savanta UK, also said Labour would fancy their chances of taking a byelection scalp in the seat of a well-known, if not frontbench, hardline Brexiteer. But he added that it was no gimme for Labour and seats in the Midlands may well be some of their greater challenges come the general election.
Police have launched a murder investigation after the disappearance of a man in Croydon earlier this month.

Justin Henry, 34, was reported missing on October 16 and his family said his disappearance is out of character.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Wood, of the Metropolitan Polices Specialist Crime Command, said on Wednesday: Sadly, yesterday we had to inform Mr Henrys family that we are treating his disappearance as a murder investigation.

You can only imagine how devastating this will be for all those who love and care for him. I know his loved ones will still be hoping and praying that Justin will still be found safe and well.

Justin Henry (Metropolitan Police/PA)

He continued: The absence of any proof that Justin is alive, the circumstances around his disappearance, which his family say is totally out of character, and forensic evidence we have gathered, all suggest that he has come to serious harm and may have been murdered.

Along with his family, we sincerely hope this is not the case, and that is why we are reaching out to the public to help us find out what has happened to him. Please think about the anguish of Justins family and if you have any information that could assist, contact us.

Police are trying to establish the movements of Mr Henry, who has links to the SE23 area of London, since he left his partners home in Brixton on Sunday October 15.

He was seen on CCTV around 9.50pm that night buying food at a McDonalds drive-through restaurant on London Road, Croydon, and his silver Mercedes E Class remained for around two-and-a-half hours.

The car was found early on Wednesday October 18 in Kingswood Drive, SE19, where it was spotted on CCTV shortly after midnight on October 16. The image of the driver is indistinct but Mr Henrys family say it was not him.

Detective Chief Inspector Wood urged people to search their memory and get in touch if they have any information.

Dont worry if you think your information will not be important, it could be the vital piece of the puzzle that helps us find Justin and brings his family the answers they so desperately want, need and deserve, he said.

A 27-year-old woman arrested on October 18 on suspicion of kidnapping has been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in mid-January 2024.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter/X @MetCC quoting Operation Ashgulf or CAD 5224/21Oct.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
An RAF plane is on its way to Egypt with a cargo of 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for Gaza, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

Supplies on board the C-17 aircraft include medical equipment and water filters.

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last week he was increasing UK support by 10 million and then by a further 20 million on Monday to meet the needs of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been subject to a siege and bombardment from Israel as Tel Aviv retaliates after Hamass assault on October 7.

The extra funding will see the UKs existing commitment to those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories increase this year from 27 million to 57 million.

The first flight of UK aid for Palestinians is en route to Egypt, after the RAF rapidly deployed to airlift supplies into the region. The UK is committed to help those suffering in the humanitarian crisis Hamas created. Our Armed Forces stand ready to support our aid response. pic.twitter.com/38BRYqBrkM  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) October 25, 2023

Speaking during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said there was a need for specific pauses, as distinct from a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow people to leave Gaza and for aid to be transported into the territory.

The C-17 that left RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday morning contained 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights, with the aid set to be distributed through the Egyptian Red Crescent.

Each water filter and light is intended to support a family of five, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The Department for Health and Social Care donated the wound care packs from its stockpiles, the UK Government said.

The packs include sterilised clinical equipment and protective clothing.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: Todays airlift is a clear demonstration of the UKs commitment to helping those most in need  rapidly deploying the RAF to get life-saving aid into the region.

Together with our regional partners it is critical that we prioritise protecting all civilians from harm, that is why Im in the Middle East this week to work with defence leaders on deterring a wider conflict that would have devastating consequences for families across the region.

The announcement follows diplomatic efforts in the Middle East by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary last week to ensure aid trucks can make it through the Rafah crossing, linking Gaza and Egypt.

It is Gazas only border point not controlled by Israel.

A Palestinian stands outside a building destroyed during an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP/PA)

Ahead of aid being allowed through, Tel Aviv had been keen to put in place strict conditions to prevent the aid reaching Hamas fighters.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stressed that more aid is needed to help Gazas 2.3 million population.

It comes after the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to cut back sharply relief operations across the 25-mile strip.

Mr Cleverly said: The urgent humanitarian need in Gaza is clear.

This delivery of vital UK aid into Egypt will save lives but more is needed.

Humanitarian aid must continue to be allowed into Gaza to reach the people who need it most.

The UK is working with Israel, Egypt and other partners in the region to enable life-saving aid to reach civilians, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel as a priority.

To support the Foreign Offices team with distributing aid shipments, the UKs military advisory team attached to the embassy in Egypt has been bolstered, the MoD said.
Rishi Sunak has called for temporary pauses in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow British nationals and hostages to be freed and for humanitarian aid to be provided in the Gaza Strip.

But the Prime Minister continued on Wednesday to reject calls for a longer ceasefire, with Downing Street arguing the move would only serve to benefit Hamas.

Mr Sunak said specific pauses are necessary for humanitarian purposes as Israel pummels the small strip of land, which is home to more than two million Palestinians.

He said such breaks had been discussed at the United Nations as he announced that an RAF plane is flying to Egypt with 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies.

More than 80 MPs have urged the Government to call for a ceasefire, as five UK nationals remain missing, some of whom are believed to be hostages in Gaza.

Mhairi Black, the SNPs deputy leader in the Commons, said Britain has a human responsibility to all civilians in Gaza but particularly to UK nationals who, she said, are in hospitals in the Gaza Strip with no food, no water, no medicine and no way out.

How much worse does the situation have to get before he will join us in calls for a humanitarian ceasefire? she asked at Prime Ministers Questions.

Mr Sunak said the first and most important principle is that Israel has the right to defend itself under international law after Hamass atrocity on October 7.

Our support for that position is absolute and unchanged, he said.

From the start weve also said that we do want British nationals to be able to leave Gaza, and we want for hostages to be released and for humanitarian aid to get in.

We recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment which of course necessitates specific pauses as distinct from a ceasefire.

Mhairi Black (Jane Barlow/PA)

Ms Black said joining calls for a ceasefire is the best and maybe the only way to stop this conflict escalating beyond all control.

But Mr Sunak said Israel has the right to protect itself after suffering a shockingly brutal terrorist attack by Hamas.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman told journalists: A wholesale ceasefire would only serve to benefit Hamas.

Humanitarian pauses, which are temporary, which are limited in scope, can be an operational tool.

Mr Sunak highlighted the need for fuel in the Gaza Strip, with No 10 saying it is essential for the desalination of water as well as for the transport of medication and running hospitals.

But the spokesman said ministers would want to prevent supplies being misused in any way, shape or form amid concerns they could be harnessed by Hamas to be used against Israel.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps later backed a ground invasion by Israel as long as the people that they are going after are the Hamas terrorists.

But he told Sky News the group hide themselves amongst the Palestinian population and that the UK Government appreciates it is a very difficult situation.

Britain dispatched an RAF C-17 aircraft to Egypt from Brize Norton to deliver aid to Palestinian civilians.

The Egyptian Red Crescent was tasked with distributing the cargo of 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights.

An RAF C-17 at Brize Norton (Cpl Matty Matthews/PA)

Mr Sunak said: Our team are on the ground ready to receive, we will continue to do everything we can do increase the flow of aid  including fuel  into Gaza.

The Prime Minister has increased aid spending for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories  Gaza and the West Bank  by 30 million to take the total this year to 57 million.

As part of Tel Avivs retaliation for Hamass raids that left 1,400 Israelis dead, it imposed a siege on the territory, blocking essentials such as water, food and fuel from entering.

Aid trucks have been permitted to reach Palestinians only in the past few days.

British aid charity Oxfam said starvation was being used as a weapon of war as it repeated its call for more aid to be allowed into the bombarded 25-mile strip.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply reduce relief operations for Gaza.

Health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory said on Wednesday that the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets continued striking the territory overnight.

The health ministry said more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, including 2,300 children.

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centres, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among the Gaza Strips civilian population.

The continuation of the battle between Tel Aviv and Hamas comes as a UK minister urged UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres to retract remarks that have sparked a diplomatic storm.

Mr Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, and had occurred after the Palestinian people had been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

The UN chief also expressed concern that clear violations of international humanitarian law had been committed by Israel during its fightback.

UK immigration minister Robert Jenrick, a close ally of Mr Sunak, said the comments were wrong and Mr Guterres should retract that if he was implying there is any justification for the killings by Palestinian militants.

The Conservative politician said it was not for me to say whether the UN chief should stand down after a call by Israels UN ambassador Gilad Erdan for Mr Guterres to resign.
A UK teacher who uses Lego in her lessons is a top-10 finalist for the worlds best teacher award.

Shafina Vohra, a psychology teacher at the London Design and Engineering University Technical College (LDE) in Newham, east London, could win a prize of one million US dollars (819,390) after making the final 10 shortlist of the Global Teacher Prize from more than 7,000 nominations.

The Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, now in its eighth year, was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.

Mrs Vohra has been shortlisted after developing new ways of teaching using Lego.

Shafina Vohra has made the final 10 shortlist of the Global Teacher Prize from more than 7,000 nominations (Varkey Foundation/PA)

She started experimenting with the toy to teach an active, fidgety Year 7 science class and found that their learning was boosted by the exercise.

From this, the mother of two created a unique curriculum that uses Lego to engage and enhance the cognitive abilities of students at LDE.

She found that the toy is useful for keyword recall, recreating psychology studies, understanding methodology, making links between topics and for game-based learning.

Mrs Vohra was offered a funded PhD to study this kind of learning at Imperial College London.

She then went to Denmark to become a Lego education trainer in robotics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning to show others how to use the toy as a tool for teaching.

Her curriculum is now used as a free community-based programme that helps children from lower-income areas learn STEM subjects and design engineering.

Sunny Varkey, founder of the Global Teacher Prize, said: Congratulations to Shafina for reaching the final 10.

Her story clearly highlights the importance of education in tackling the great challenges ahead  from climate change to growing inequality to war and conflict.

It is only by prioritising education that we can safeguard all our tomorrows. Education is the key to facing the future with confidence.

The other nine finalists teach in Canada, India, Pakistan, Ghana, South Africa, America, Chile, France and Ukraine.

The Global Teacher Prize 2023 award ceremony will take place on November 8 in Paris, France.
Writer Jimmy McGovern initially turned down a second series of Time, he has revealed ahead of new episodes of the prison drama.

The first season, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, aired in 2021 and was a hit for the BBC, winning the mini-series award last year at the Bafta TV Awards.

Liverpool-born writer McGovern told the PA news agency: I didnt expect it to be a success.

What I expected, the BBC expected, was that it would be well received, it would be a well received drama that would not get a particularly large audience.

Bella Ramsey (Kelsey), Tamara Lawrance (Abi) and Jodie Whittaker (Orla) starring in the second series of Time (BBC Studios/Sally Mais/BBC)

It was a well-received drama, the critics raved about it but it got a massive audience as well.

Following the success, he said he was asked by the BBC to do a second series but said no.

He said: I didnt want to do a second series because I didnt want to pick up on the Stephen Graham character and it was impossible to pick up on the Sean Bean character so there just wasnt anywhere to take them I felt, so I said no.

Then a while later they said to me: Were thinking of setting it a womens prison, and Id never even thought of that, I dont know why, so I said: Oh, thats interesting, lets have a go at that.

The more reading I did up on it the more I realised I should not write it on my own, I had to get a woman in to write with me. The female body is so important in a womens prison, what happens in and around it is so important.

The new series, co-written with Helen Black, follows inmates including pregnant drug addict Kelsey, played by The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey, and Abi, a prisoner who has committed a shocking crime, portrayed by Tamara Lawrance, in Carlingford Prison.

McGovern, who wrote Cracker and the Hillsborough docudrama, said his priority when writing was to tell a good story, rather than to educate the viewer or raise issues.

He added: I just want to tell the story as effectively as possible. But hopefully in the choosing of the story youve sized up all those opportunities and what good it will do.

I cannot imagine sitting down and writing something that is inconsequential. I cannot imagine that. Its hard enough so you might as well write about something that matters.

The 74-year-old said he thought the success of the first series of Time was because viewers cared about what happened in prisons.

He said: British politicians think we dont care, lock em all up, throw away the key, but I think people do care.

Particularly in a mens prison, you are stripped down to your essence because you havent got authority to turn to.

If something is happening to you in a British prison that you do not like you cannot grass on the person who is doing it to you, because youll be in even more trouble then.

Youve got to face up to it on your own. That to me is fascinating.

McGovern said short prison sentences, such as the one served by Jodie Whittakers character Orla in Time, are not effective in any way whatsoever and destroy lives.

He added: Every politician stands up and says something like tough on crime and they think their constituents will respond to this positively, and some do, unfortunately, but it is so wrong.

The only thing that deters offenders is the certainty or otherwise of getting caught.

Time season two will premiere on BBC One on Sunday at 9pm.
Eleven North Carolina higher-education schools secured spots on WalletHubs best colleges and universities list for 2024.

Duke University earned top-10 honors, getting sixth place among the nations top colleges and universities. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was next for the state ranking at No. 61.

Comparing over 800 colleges and universities, WalletHub ranked American higher-education institutions based on 30 key measures across these seven distinct categories:

Student selectivity Cost and financing Faculty resources Campus Safety Campus experience Educational outcomes Career outcomes

Yale ranked No. 1 nationally, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, California Institute of Technology, and Harvard making the top five.

The purpose of the study was to identify top-performing schools existing at the lowest possible cost, WalletHub said. Data analyzed by the personal finance company is applicable to undergraduate students only.

More from WalletHub: 4 North Carolina cities are among the best places to buy a home

Looking for love? This North Carolina town is one of the most romantic getaways in the U.S.

How North Carolina schools ranked on WalletHub's list

Here are the North Carolina schools that made the top 500 in WalletHubs list of best American colleges and universities:

No. 6 Duke University

No. 61 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

No. 70 Davidson College

No. 82 North Carolina State University

No. 278 Meredith College

No. 291 Queens University of Charlotte

No. 326 University of North Carolina Wilmington

No. 384 Lees-McRae College

No. 395 Appalachian State University

No. 416 University of North Carolina Asheville

No. 493 University of North Carolina Charlotte

Top 10 schools ranked by WalletHub

Yale University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton University California Institute of Technology Harvard University Duke University Rice University Northwestern University Johns Hopkins University Stanford University

Two North Carolina schools ranked among highest for student-loan default rate, one ranked among the lowest

Davidson College tied with five other schools for the lowest student-loan default rate, alongside Augustana University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College, and Colby College.

A five-way tie for highest student-loan default rate included two North Carolina schools: Chowan University and Livingstone College. The tie also included Bethune-Cookman University, Brewton-Parker College, and South Carolina State University.

Best and worst admission rates

California Institute of Technology and Harvard University shared the nations lowest admission rate. Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University tied for third.

Six colleges shared the ranking for the lowest admissions rate: Emmaus Bible College, Le Moyne-Owen College, Middle Georgia State University Nyack College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and Southwest Baptist University.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: North Carolina schools make WalletHub best colleges & universities list
Severe weather can happen any time in Alabama, with the biggest threats coming in the form of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service is responsible for putting out weather advisories. We all hear the terms when weather conditions are threatening.

But just what do they mean?

Watches

The most common type of advisory. Watches are issued when conditions are favorable for severe weather. They usually cover large areas; dozens of counties, or even entire states. Watches are usually issued hours before potential severe weather events occur. They give you time to prepare for any inclement weather.

Warnings

Can best be considered calls to action. Warnings are issued when severe weather has been confirmed in a specific area either by trained people on the ground, or indicated by weather radar. Warnings can be issued with several minutes of lead time or just before the event happens.

Advisories

Can be issued several hours or even days ahead of an expected severe weather event. Advisories are just that  they advise on possible severe weather outbreaks or events indicated by forecasts. The forecasts become more specific as information comes in and that can lead to the issuance of watches of warnings.

A tornado struck on Jan. 12, 2023, causing massive damage. Cars and homes were destroyed and buildings were set on fire.

And remember, rapidly changing weather conditions mean just that. The situation can change for the worse quickly and with little or no forwarning. If your area is under a severe thunderstorm watch, or a tornado watch, tornadoes can form. If a tornado warning has not been issued, you need to stay aware of weather conditions.

Weather advisories are most often issued by the Climate Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., or by state National Weather Service offices. Alabama is covered by four NWS offices in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Tallassee, Fla.

The most common bulletins issued in Alabama are severe thunderstorm watches/warnings and tornado watches/warnings.

A thunderstorm reaches severe limits when winds reach 58 miles per hour of higher, and/or hail 1 inch in diameter is possible.

If a tornado warning is issued for your area, seek shelter immediately.

There are several weather applications you can download to your smartphone or device that will give you up-to-the-minute weather information. The NWS also advises that every home, school, place of worship and school should have a weather radio with battery backup to stay informed about weather conditions.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama severe weather: Here's what each type of alert means for you
North Korea plans to close its embassy in Uganda as part of efforts to raise the operating efficiency of the country's organizations abroad, a Ugandan media report has said.

North Korea's Ambassador to Uganda, Jong Tong-hak, announced the plan during his courtesy call to Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Ugandan newsmagazine, The Independent, reported Tuesday.

Jong "informed him that North Korea has taken a strategic measure to reduce the number of embassies in Africa, Uganda inclusive in order to increase the efficiency of the country's external institutions," the report said.

North Korea's embassy in Equatorial Guinea will handle the country's diplomatic affairs with Uganda, it added.

The exact reason behind the North's planned embassy closure in Uganda is not known, but it could be related to economic difficulties caused by prolonged global sanctions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

In 2016, North Korea withdrew its military officers from Uganda after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni pledged to cut all military ties with North Korea in a surprise announcement during summit talks with then South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Museveni has visited Pyongyang three times and met with North Korea's founder Kim Il-Sung, the late grandfather of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea and Uganda set up a diplomatic relationship in 1963, but they re-established it in July 1972, eight years after cutting ties in 1964 for an unknown reason.

Pyongyang has been strengthening its ties with Uganda and other African nations as it faces diplomatic isolation under multiple United Nations Security Council sanctions.

North Korea's close relations with some African countries date back to the days of Kim Il-sung, who was active in establishing friendly ties with African nations amid the Non-Aligned Movement against imperialism in the late 20th century. (Yonhap)
Amazon is rolling out an independent cloud for Europe as it looks to address strict regulations that companies and those in the public sector face in the European Union.

Amazon Web Services said Wednesday that its AWS European Sovereign Cloud, which will be located in and operate out of Europe, will have the same security, availability, and performance as existing AWS regions but will be separate from them. The cloud will let customers keep all metadata they create in the European Union and will have its own billing and usage metering systems.

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud reinforces our commitment to offering AWS customers the most advanced set of sovereignty controls, privacy safeguards, and security features available in the cloud, Max Peterson, vice president of Sovereign Cloud at AWS, said in a written statement.

Washington and Brussels were at odds in a yearslong battle over the safety of EU citizens data that tech companies store in the U.S. following revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Two earlier data transfer agreements were thrown out before the EU signed off this summer on a new framework that has an adequate level of protection for personal data, though European privacy campaigner Max Schrems has vowed to challenge it to the EUs top court.

Amazon's AWS supports 143 security standards and compliance certifications, to help customers meet regulatory requirements. The company said that AWS is collaborating with European regulators and national cybersecurity agencies to build the AWS European Sovereign Cloud so that it is able to meet additional data residency, operational autonomy, and resiliency needs in Europe.

Germany will be the first AWS Region within the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and will be available to all European customers. Only EU-resident AWS employees who are located in the EU will have control of the operations and support for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

"The development of a European AWS cloud will make it much easier for many public sector organizations and companies with high data security and data protection requirements to use AWS services, Claudia Plattner, president of the German Federal Office for Information Security, said.

AWS infrastructure in Europe currently includes eight regions in Frankfurt, Ireland, London, Milan, Paris, Stockholm, Spain, and Zurich. The company plans to launch five more AWS regions in Canada, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand.
In february dilro, an obscure company based in Dubai, bought the Ocean Kapal, an 18-year-old tanker. Since then the Panamanian-flagged vessel has been given a new name, Abundance III, and a new job. In April the ship delivered its first load of Iranian oil to the port of Dongjiakou in northern China. After completing a similar trip in September, it now lingers off Malaysia, where it may pick up yet another Iranian cargo. The ship is one of many to have recently joined the dark fleet tasked with moving Iranian oil, exports of which have surged from 380,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2020 to 1.4m now (see chart).

Although America retains harsh sanctions that target anyone helping to produce, ship or sell Irans petroleum, the superpowers officials last year eased enforcement. They were hoping to clinch an accord on Irans nuclear programmeand, probably, to suppress prices in the run-up to Americas presidential election. The number of people and firms added to Iran-related blacklists by ofac, Americas enforcement agency, has dwindled.

Yet following Hamass attack on Israel on October 7th, the Biden administration has come under pressure to shut loopholes, as Iran is Hamass sponsor and oil proceeds fill the countrys coffers. So far traders are unfazed: oil sells at $90 a barrel, down from $97 in September. But could a sanction snapback inflame markets?

Irans smuggling network has become sleeker and more sophisticated since President Donald Trump put in place fresh sanctions in late 2018. The countrys petroleum business is run by the National Iran Oil Company (nioc), a state monopoly. Its main customer is Chinanot the countrys large, state-owned firms, which are exposed to Western sanctions, but teapot refineries that snap up 95% of Iranian supplies. A glut in refining capacity is pushing these outfits to seek the cheapest crude available. Irans trades at a $10-12 discount to the global benchmark, against $5 for Russias as delivered to Chinese ports. The teapots make transactions in Chinese currency, rather than American dollars, which insulates them from sanctions.

Old tankers, acquired by little-known middlemen, link the ends of the chain. Most would have gone to scrap because blue-chip charterers do not want them. Of the 102 extra-large tankers that have ferried Iranian oil in 2023, 42 did not do so last year and 27 have no history of ever carrying dodgy oil, according to Kpler, a ship-tracking firm. Often they do only a few voyages a year, for just a few years. But those who buy them see a return fast, because clandestine shipping commands extortionate rates.

Ownership is disguised through shell companies registered in places such as China, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (uae). Most of those fingered by Americas Treasury department have Chinese names, suggesting beneficiaries are from the mainland. Some Chinese lenders also appear on its lists, but most are sacrificial lambs that exist only to import Iranian oil, says Adam Smith of Gibson Dunn, a law firm. Irans government offers insurance.

Iranian barrels often begin their journey at Kharg Island, north of the Strait of Hormuz (pictured). A small but growing number start in Jask, a new port south of the strait. This may become a preferred route, circumventing the crowded Hormuz choke point. Transponders are only turned on when ships go through narrow passages, says Homayoun Falakshahi of Kpler, and tankers rarely do the full journey. Some pick up fuel from other ships off the shores of Fujairah, a mega-terminal in the uae, through which a lot of disreputable petroleum, notably Russian, also passes. Many then transfer loads off the shores of Malaysia or Singapore, where smaller vessels take them to northern Chinaoften after being mixed with other crudes from places like Venezuela or mislabelled as a different petrochemical product. There the oil is stored before being transported to its final destination, most often in the coastal province of Shandong (see map).

Many American lawmakers would like their administration to disrupt the trade. New sanctions are unlikelyexisting ones are already comprehensivebut officials could strengthen enforcement. Would that sink the dark fleet and its enablers?

A number of challenges exist. nioc has no dealings with America or in dollars, so is resistant to pressure. Meanwhile, only Chinas government can hit the teapots, and why would it bother? America would have to squeeze the middlemen. But with so many sanction programmes currently in placethey also target Russia and Venezuelaits capacity is stretched thin. Facilitators are harder to target than under President Trump, when India, South Korea and other countries sensitive to American pressure took part in the trade.

Recent history suggests that companies bashed by America for flouting sanctions rapidly stop doing business, but that others emerge to fill the void. These operators would be all the less deterred given that Iran is blacklisted only by America (in contrast to Russia, whose oil all g7 members have embargoed). The Biden administration could always escalate by seizing Iranian ships en masse at sea, but that would demand huge resources, cause legal headaches and invite retaliation.

Any disruption would thus probably only last for three months or so. Simulations by Rystad Energy, a consultancy, suggest there would be an initial drop of 300,000 b/d in Iranian exports. This lossequivalent to 0.3% of global demandcould push up global oil prices by $4-5.

A more extreme scenario, where rising tensions also mean that shipping is partly disrupted around Hormuz, say, and Gulf states crack down on Iranian helpers, would see another 400,000 b/d of Iranian crude vanish from the market. That would cause a bigger spike in the oil price, of perhaps 10%. But only for a moment.

That is because Irans neighbours could ramp up production. The biggest members of opec, an oil-producing cartel, have 5.5m b/d of spare capacity. In theory, Saudi Arabia could plug the Iranian deficit without help. And opec would have a strong incentive to intervene: stratospheric oil prices would quickly destroy demand.

As a result, it would take an extraordinary series of events for oil to spend much time in the triple digits. America wants to show toughness towards sanction-evaders. This month, for the first time, it singled out two tanker owners for violating Russian restrictions. It is also relaxing sanctions on Venezuela, perhaps in anticipation of a drop in Iranian exports. Yet all this activity belies a simple fact: Irans supply chains are supple enough to be largely immune to American measures.

For more expert analysis of the biggest stories in economics, finance and markets, sign up to Money Talks, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.

 2023 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved.

From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/10/25/america-would-struggle-to-break-irans-oil-smuggling-complex
The South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee released the 2023 South Carolina School Report Cards results this month.

Powdersville Elementary School, Hunt Meadows Elementary School Cedar Grove Elementary School and West Pelzer Elementary School all received excellent report card ratings and the Palmetto Gold for the 2022-23 school year.

Spearman Elementary School and Wren Elementary School received excellent report card ratings and the Palmetto Silver for the 2022-2023 school year.

Palmetto Elementary School received good report card ratings and the Palmetto Bronze for the 2022-2023 school year.

As stated in a press release, the report cards and ratings are intended to improve accessibility and accountability in South Carolina's public schools by providing easy to understand and useful information for parents and the public.

Powdersville Elementary School of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

Palmetto Gold Report Card Ratings

Powdersville Elementary School report cards were rated 70 out of 100 for the 2022-2023 school year. According to a press release, South Carolina's education accountability system requires all elementary, middle and high school students to issue School Report Cards based on a 100-point scale.

According to screportcards.com, Powdersville Elementary School report cards were rated 67 out of 100 for the 2021-2022 school year. This school year, the score has increased by three points.

In a phone interview Principal Melissa Tollison said, "We are really proud of our students and staff. They work really hard and are committed to excellence every year. We believe this was a collective effort of our students, staff, parents and our community partnership.

"For us we believe all of our students should be learning at high levels so we continue to strive for excellence, doing whatever it takes to help our students be successful."

Hunt Meadows Elementary School of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

Hunt Meadows Elementary School report cards were rated 73 out of 100 for the 2022-2023 school year. According to screportcards.com Hunt Meadows Elementary School was rated 67 out of 100 for the 2021-2022 school year.

This school year, the score has increased by six points.

In a phone interview Principal Carrie Pennington attributed "the success to the hard work of the teachers and students, as well as the support of the school's administration and staff."

She also praised the school's collaboration culture, which she said "has enabled everyone to work together for the benefit of students."

Cedar Grove Elementary School in Williamston, of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

Cedar Grove Elementary School report cards were rated 70 out of 100 for the 2022-2023 school year. According to screportcards.com Cedar Grove Elementary School was rated 64 out of 100 for the 2021-2022 school year.

This school year the score increased by six points.

In a phone interview Principal Mr. Matt White said, "We are unbelievably proud of this achievement. We saw a significant increase with our state testing scores growth between this year and last year. The biggest reason for that is our collaboration among teachers and our professional learning community.

"The teachers have been very innovative in their teaching techniques and analyzing student data, working collaboratively to intervene for students and trying different methods to reach students."

West Pelzer Elementary School in West Pelzer, of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

West Pelzer Elementary School report cards were rated 66 out of 100 for the 2022-2023 school year. According to screportcards.com West Pelzer Elementary School was rated 60 out of 100 for the 2021-2022 school year.

This school year the score increased by six points.

In a phone interview Principal Amy Bagwell said, "We are incredibly proud to celebrate the work of our students, staff and families that have dedicated their time and efforts to maximizing our students' achievements. Palmetto Gold recognition speaks directly to our school's mission."

Spearman Elementary School of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

Palmetto Silver Report Card Ratings

Spearman Elementary School report card were rated 65 out of 100 and for the 2022-2023 school year. According to screportcards.com Spearman Elementary School was rated 64 out of 100 for the 2021-2022 school year.

This school year the score decreased by one point. Principal Jason Lesley said, "Overall I am very proud of our students hard work, our teachers and staff's dedication and commitment to making sure every student learns at a high level. We are a model, professional learning school and community."

Wren Elementary School of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

Wren Elementary School report cards were rated 57 out of 100 for the 2022-2023 school year. According to screportcards.com Wren Elementary School was rated 60 out of 100 for the 2021-22 school year.

This school year the score decreased by three points. According to an email from principal Delaney Sutton, "Wren Elementary is proud of the academic achievement scores and climate scores on the 2022-2023 report card. We will continue to focus on the academic growth for students throughout the school year."

Palmetto Elementary Report Card Ratings

Palmetto Elementary School report cards were rated 51 out of 100 and the Palmetto Bronze for the 2022-2023 school year. The lowest ranking of all Elementary Schools in District One. According to screportcards.com, Palmetto Elementary school was rated 55 for the 2021-2022 school year.

Palmetto Elementary is one of dozens of schools in the Upstate to receive a rating of Average or below. According to the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee, the definition of an Average rating on a schools report card means school performance meets the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.

This school year their score decreased by four points. In a phone interview Principal Amy W. Cothran said the faculty and staff are actively working to address both normal and stretch growth more than 1 year of academic growth."

Palmetto Elementary School of Anderson School District 1 in Anderson County, S.C. Friday, October 13, 2023.

Principal Amy W. Cothran is pleased students are meeting grade-level expectations and said the school is working to improve the schools overall growth and achievement. Cothran looks forward to working together with families and the community to reach the next level.

According to a press release, 22.5% of school received an overall rating of excellent, the highest rating in the state's education accountability system, representing an almost 2% increase from the previous year. Additionally, half of all students in South Carolina public schools are enrolled in a school with an overall rating of excellent or good.

In a phone interview Director of Elementary Education Brad Moore said, "The truth is our community and our teachers continue to provide the very best education for our students. That is what we are most proud of. We love the recognitions and awards.

"However, this is continued evidence that we have incredible educators and communities that absolutely 100 percent get behind educating our students at the highest level."

Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com. Phone Number 803-840-3508

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Anderson District One Elementary Schools score high on SC report cards
A prosecution appeal case has begun in Cyprus against the verdict and sentence of a retired British miner who was freed from prison after killing his seriously ill wife.

British expat David Hunter was released from custody on July 31 after a court sentenced him to two years in jail for the manslaughter of Janice, his wife of 52 years.

The 76-year-old walked free within 15 minutes of being sentenced at Paphos District Court due to time already served and good behaviour.

David Hunter outside Paphos District Court in July (Victoria Jones/PA)

He spent 19 months in prison before being found guilty of manslaughter, but cleared of the more serious charge of premeditated murder.

On Tuesday the prosecution appeal against Mr Hunters acquittal for murder and his sentence for manslaughter came before the Court of Appeal in Nicosia.

Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, which is representing Mr Hunter, said the court ordered that the prosecution file its arguments within two months and the defence respond within two months of that.

At that point, the date will be set for the appeal hearing which is likely to take place in April or May.

Mr Polak said: After spending more than 19 months on trial and in custody in Nicosia prison, when the Assize Court of Paphos finally found David Hunter not guilty of murder in July and sentenced him for manslaughter resulting in his immediate release, we thought that the legal proceedings were over for him.

David Hunter with his wife Janice (Family handout/PA)

For anyone, but especially someone of Davids age, it is obviously very stressful to have the possibility of being sent back to prison for life hanging over their head.

Although we are disappointed with the decision to pursue David further, we will continue to fight for David, and we thank everyone from Cyprus, the United Kingdom, and around the world who have been supporting him so strongly.

Mr Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told his trial that he suffocated Mrs Hunter after she begged him to as she was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer.

A three-judge panel accepted the defence case that he had spontaneously acted out of love for his wife.
Israel vowed Oct. 9, two days after attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israeli civilians, to cut off the flow of food, water, and fuel to 2 million Gaza residents, around half of whom are children.

I have given an order  Gaza will be under complete siege, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said. We are fighting barbarians and will respond accordingly.

Thats on top of an Israeli bombing campaign that has killed more than 5,000 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and which Israeli officials say is preparation for an eventual ground invasion.

U.N. human rights authorities have said that, just like Hamas targeting of civilians, Israels decision to deny civilians supplies that are essential for survival likely is a violation of international law.

U.S. lawmakers response has been fractured, with some calling on Israel to end its blockade, others supporting it, and most keeping a low profile on the issue.

Heres where Arizonas Capitol Hill delegation stands on the siege.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, a progressive, opposes the Israeli siege

Rep. Raul Grijalva speaks during an interview at The Arizona Republic newsroom in Phoenix on March 15, 2023.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., is the only one of Arizonas nine representatives and two senators who publicly has called for an end to Israels siege of Gaza.

He believes that Israel has a right to protect itself, we must do whatever we can to help release the hostages, and he also supports ending the siege of Gaza in order to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and further prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, a Grijalva spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Arizona Republic.

After the blockade was first announced, Grijalva signed a letter along with 54 other Democratic lawmakers saying he was deeply concerned about its impact on non-combatants.

As both the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights said, imposing a complete siege on Gaza and depriving 2.3 million Palestinian civilians who have nowhere else to go  half of whom are children  of food, water and electricity, would be a violation of international humanitarian law, the letter reads.

Unlike some of his colleagues in the House Progressive Caucus, Grijalva has not joined calls for a ceasefire and de-escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas. He instead signed onto a letter endorsing the Biden administrations handling of the issue, and says he plans to support Bidens military aid request for Israel.

What most members of the Arizona delegation say about Israeli siege

Like President Joe Biden, most of Arizonas lawmakers state their support for humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, but they have not publicly opposed Israels decision to halt the flow of food, water, and fuel to millions of civilians.

Most of them have joined calls to open a humanitarian corridor with Egypt, which could alleviate the impacts of the blockade. They declined to directly answer whether Israel should stop the siege, which is driving the immense need for humanitarian aid in the first place.

That includes the states two senators, independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, and three of its representatives: Reps. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., and Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.

Sen. Mark Kelly, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller speak about the Inflation Reduction Act at the Valley Metro maintenance center on Aug. 2, 2023.

Asked whether Israel should end its siege, Sinemas office sent a statement saying Israel has the right to defend herself, and I firmly support our strongest ally in the region as she roots out terrorism.

Israel has the right to defend itself and its people. That includes taking necessary action to free the hostages currently held in Gazasome of whom are Americans, Gallegos office said in response to the same question.

Stantons office noted that he has been in contact with the administrator of the U.S. humanitarian relief and development agency about protecting civilians from military action.

Ciscomani suggested in a statement that the humanitarian toll was attributable to Hamas, not Israel, writing that innocent civilians are paying the price for Hamas unprovoked violence" and that its critical that we carefully consider how to aid innocent civilians in the region when crafting an aid package.

Republican Reps. David Schweikert, Debbie Lesko and Andy Biggs did not respond to The Arizona Republic's multiple requests for comment.

Some Republicans suggest they support the siege

Asked whether he believes Israel should end its siege, Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., appeared to endorse the siege as a necessary part of the country's self-defense.

Israel is in a difficult position. Its enemy does not abide by international law or norms. But Israel is expected to, Gosar wrote in a statement. This places Israel in a no-win situation: eliminate Hamas as a threat while being condemned for rights violations or abide by its critics request for 'proportional' warfare which means leaving Hamas intact to kill again.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., said that it was not his place to weigh in on whether Israel should end the siege.

Its dangerously prescriptive to tell an ally how they should or shouldnt defend themselves  particularly when theyre defending themselves from barbaric terrorists, Crane wrote in a statement.

Israel has maintained a partial blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the enclave 16 years ago, restricting the movement of people and goods by land, sea, and air. The country has argued those measures are necessary to protect their populations against militants; humanitarian groups decry them as creating an open-air prison for civilians inside.

Since the fighting began two weeks ago, Biden has reportedly pushed Israel towards greater restraint, including successfully pressuring the country to restore the water supply to the southern Gaza Strip and allow around 50 aid trucks to enter the region. Biden had mentioned the importance of international humanitarian law in public remarks, but he has stopped short of explicitly opposing the blockade.

When America experienced the hell of 9/11, we felt enraged as well, and while we sought and got justice, we made mistakes, Biden said in a recent televised speech. So I caution the government of Israel not to be blinded by rage.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Do Arizona's Congress members support Israels siege on Gaza
With New Jerseys Nov. 7 election fast approaching, voters mailboxes, televisions and webpages are starting to fill with political ads pushing them on how to vote and attacking the opposing partys candidates.

While some ads are self-explanatory and clearly come from candidates and their political parties, others include disclaimers that say they are paid for by vaguely named groups that dont give much indication to voters about who they are and why they are driving a particular message.

In the past, most of these independent groups backers remained a mystery. But under a controversial campaign finance overhaul law Gov. Phil Murphy signed in April, these so-called super PACs and political nonprofits are required to disclose information about their larger donors and spending leading up to elections.

The Elections Transparency Act requires disclosure of donations worth more than $7,500 to outside groups  or independent entities that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, unlike candidates and parties, which are more strictly regulated and face limits on how much they can raise.

More: Family-friendly NJ Democrats turn to the middle as vote looms. Here's why | Stile

The law includes loopholes, as Politico reports. For one, a group such as the Republican Patriots for Progress raised $69,000 through the beginning of October, but since it says the checks were all worth less than $7,500, it didnt list any of its donors in its report. And unlike candidates, political parties and PACs, outside groups dont have to file certain time-sensitive reports cataloging large contributions and spending in the days leading up to the election.

But New Jersey residents are now armed with more information than in the past, in an election season when all 80 seats in the Assembly and 40 seats in the state Senate are on the ballot. And more money is in play than in the last state election. According to the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, the top 14 groups spent almost $9.4 million, compared with the $2.3 million they had spent through mid-October in 2021, which included the governors race.

Here are some of the biggest spenders so far, according to disclosure reports they filed this fall:

Middle Ground

Middle Ground was the biggest independent spender by the beginning of October, pouring nearly $1.6 million into surveys, ads and mailers in the 11th, 16th and 38th Legislative District races and spending more than $2.1 million total.

The messaging boosts Central and North Jersey Democrats in swing districts, including state Sen. Vin Gopal and candidates Luanne Peterpaul and Margie Donlon in the 11th District, encompassing Monmouth County; state Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Assemblyman Roy Freiman and candidate Mitchelle Drulis in the 16th District, covering towns in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties; and state Sen. Joe Lagana and Assembly members Christopher Tully and Lisa Swain in Bergen Countys 38th District.

The group is chaired by Scott Snyder with SJS Consulting, top adviser to the Middlesex Democratic Committee. The treasurer is Christina Gawler of MCF Consulting Group.

Middle Ground raised more than $2.1 million between June and September from:

Garden State Forward, a group funded by the teachers union New Jersey Education Association: $900,000.

C&D Growing Economics, which has the same address as LIUNA, the Laborers International Union of North America, which includes construction workers and others: $400,000.

Greater NJ Carpenters: $250,000.

Planned Parenthood: $139,975.

American Federation of Teachers Solidarity: $100,000.

United Food and Commercial Workers International: $100,000.

Transit worker union ATU-COPE Special Holdings: $100,000.

HNTB Corporation, a Kansas City, Missouri-based design firm: $50,000.

New York Hotel Trade Council Committee on Political Education: $50,000.

Angelo Genova, co-founder and chairman of Newark-based Genova Burns: $30,000.

James Burns, co-founder and managing partner of Genova Burns: $20,000.

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 9: $2,000.

But not all the funds are accounted for. Middle Ground also received a $60,000 donation from the nonprofit New Jersey Leading Together, which was formed in February 2023 by Scott Snyder and lists a Monroe property owned by Snyder as its address. It's unclear, however, who contributed to New Jersey Leading Together.

Trustees for New Jersey Leading Together include Snyder, Michelle Timoni, a former press secretary for the New Jersey Assembly office and chief of staff to Democratic Assemblyman Roy Freiman; and Yasmin Brissac, a former operative with the Middlesex County Democratic Organization and aide to Chairman Kevin McCabe.

Dan Bryan, president of Bryan Strategies Group and a former top aide to Murphy, declined to say who funded the nonprofit. "New Jersey Leading Together has and will file all disclosures as required by law," Bryan said.

"New Jersey Leading Together is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to promoting the common welfare throughout New Jersey, by advocating policies that support the well-being of our families, ensure the future prosperity of our community, and protect the freedom and just treatment of all New Jerseyans," he said in a statement. "In 2023, New Jersey Leading Together has primarily focused on promoting the newly signed into law StayNJ program through town halls across the state. The donors to New Jersey Leading Together are those that believe in the core mission of the organization."

Prosperity Rising NJ Inc.

Prosperity Rising NJ spent more than $1.6 million, boosting Democrats in the same races as Middle Ground in the 11th, 16th and 38th districts. The group is running ads labeling Republicans such as Steve Dnistrian, Kim Eulner and Marilyn Pierno as slimy politicians and extremists who want to ban abortion.

The super PAC is run by Doug Heyl, who managed former Gov. James McGreeveys failed 1997 campaign for governor. The chairperson is Jim McManus, and the treasurer is Mark Antonucci of MDA Real Estate Services.

More: How can NJ legislative candidates support both parents' rights and LGBTQ+ rights?: Stile

Prosperity Rising raised $1.7 million from:

Garden State Forward (NJEA): $850,000.

Growing Economic Opportunities, Laborers Union: $450,000.

Greater NJ Carpenters: $250,000.

Planned Parenthood: $99,975.

New York Hotel Trades Council Committee on Political Education: $50,000.

Anheuser-Busch: $25,000.

Women for a Stronger New Jersey

Kathy Hugin hugs a supporter after her husband U.S. Senate candidate Republican Bob Hugin and she, thank supporters on stage on election night after the polls close at the Stage House Tavern in Mountainside on Tuesday, November, 6, 2018. Hugin is running against incumbent Senator Bob Menendez.

Women for a Stronger New Jersey spent more than $300,000 boosting Republican candidates, including Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno and Kim Ulner in the 11th District, Assembly candidate Grace Zhang in the 16th District, and state Senate candidate Michelin Attieh and Assembly candidate Gail Horton in the 38th District.

The group raised $160,000 each from chairperson Laura Overdeck, a philanthropist founder of the Bedtime Math foundation; and founding board member Kathy Hugin, the wife of Bob Hugin, chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a former pharmaceutical executive who ran for U.S. Senate and lost to Sen. Bob Menendez.

It was founded in 2019 and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each year backing female Republican candidates.

Throughout October, the group paid for more than $14,000 worth of ads on Google in support of parental notification policies that would require schools to alert parents if their child changes their gender expression of identity and asks to change their name or pronouns, or asks for accommodations in the bathroom, locker rooms or sports.

Brighter Future Forward

While voters are seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of ads bashing Republicans, New Jerseyans wont find spending disclosures by the nonprofit Brighter Future Forward. It didn't turn in a 29-day preelection report, which covers spending between June 24 and Oct. 6.

The next report includes spending through Oct. 24, and it will be made public online on Oct. 31. Reports to the Federal Communications Commission show that the group has spent at least $260,000 on TV ads, according to an analysis by ELEC.

The group is airing ads criticizing Sen. Ed Durr, who unseated former Senate President Steve Sweeney in 2021, for a post about abortion he made on Facebook in 2020, when he wrote, A woman does have a choice! Keep her legs closed, and liking a post that suggested women should be spayed, like dogs.

The ad also attacks Republican candidates Sen. Vincent Polistina, Assemblymen Michael Torrissi and Brandon Umba, and Senate candidate Christopher Del Borrello for not calling out Durr for his comments. The candidates told Politico that Durrs posts were offensive and unacceptable.

The group is chaired by Patricia Egan Jones, a Democrat who represented the 5th District in the Assembly from 2015 to 2020. Other names listed on the groups filings include William Tambussi with Brown and Connery, and John Connors and Melissa Pollitt of RP Consulting LLC.

In IRS records, the contact person is Alexis Degan, former communications director and chief of staff for 5th District lawmakers and current vice president at Volunteers of America Delaware Valley.

Strengthen Our State Inc.

Strengthen Our State spent more than $200,000 on the 11th District backing Republican candidates Stephen Dnistrian for state Senate and Luanne Peterpaul and Assemblywoman Kim Eulner for Assembly, and opposing Democratic state Sen. Vin Gopal.

According to March 2022 incorporation documents, the groups board members are Robert Delcalzo, owner of Equity Real Estate Valuation & Advisory; attorney Brian Heun; and Vincent Maffucci, managing partner at Cadia Private Client, an investment management firm. Staci Goede of Sage Advisory Group is treasurer. Republican strategist Stacy Schuster serves as executive director.

The groups funders include:

Bob Hugin: $400,000.

Alan Fournier, founder and chief investment officer of Summit-based investment firm Pennant Advisors LLC: $300,000.

Samuel Cole, co-founder of private equity investment management firm Stonecutter Ventures: $50,000.

American Representative Majority

South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III testifies before the New Jersey Senate select committee on Economic Growth Strategies established to review the state's tax incentive programs in Trenton on November 18, 2019.

American Representative Majority spent more than $200,000, focusing on helping Democrats in South Jersey, in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th districts.

South Jersey power broker George Norcross III lent the group $550,000 in October 2021. The chairperson is Sean Kennedy, director of IT firm CGI and a former senior adviser to the previous New Jersey Senate president, Steve Sweeney. The groups filings also include names affiliated with other outside groups, including Patricia Egan Jones, William Tambussi, John Connors and Mellissa Pollitt.

The groups recent donors include:

Jim Beach for Senate: $50,000.

Lou Greenwald for Assembly: $50,000.

Nilsa Cruz Perez: $50,000.

IBEW Local 351: $50,000.

Law firm Archer & Greiner, P.C.: $25,000.

Bill Moen for Assembly: $25,000.

Pamela Rosen Lampitt for Assembly: $25,000.

William Spearman for Assembly: $25,000.

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 322: $25,000

Remington & Vernick Engineers: $25,000.

William Tambussi: $25,000.

Carol Murphy for Assembly: $15,000.

Troy Singleton for Senate: $12,500.

Concord Engineering: $10,500.

Consulting Engineers Services: $10,500.

Friends of Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts: $10,000.

Jersey Freedom

Jersey Freedom, a shadowy group with a Jamaica, Queens, post office box address, is sending out mailers attacking Republican state Senate candidates in the South Jersey 2nd and 4th districts and urging residents to vote for third-party candidates.

Jersey Freedom has not filed with ELEC or the state Treasury. An IRS form filed on Sept. 11, 2023, lists the contact person for the 527 political organization as Eric Peterson, with no@email as the contact.

The group sent out flyers telling conservatives to support Libertarian Shawn Peck over Republican state Sen. Vince Polistina in the 2nd District and Giuseppe Costanzo of the Conservatives South Jersey Party against Republican Chris Del Borrello in the 4th District, according to the political site New Jersey Globe, which first reported on the group.

Peck said he was dropping out of the race and proudly endorsing Polistina."

I will not be used as a pawn for the left, Peck said in an email to NorthJersey.com. Our real adversaries are the radical leftists that are seeking to sow division. I condemn the actions of this shadow group.

Fourth District Republican candidates Del Borrello, Matthew Walker and Amanda Esposito urged U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger to investigate the group to examine whether there was coordination between the group and Democratic campaigns and other Democratic outside groups.

Democratic Sen. Vince Polistina is running for reelection in the 2nd District and Democratic Assemblyman Paul Moriarty is running for the 4th District Senate seat alongside Dan Hutchinson and Cody Miller for Assembly.

The Camden County and Atlantic County Democratic Parties did not return requests for comment.

In an interview with NorthJersey.com, Del Borrello, a former council member of Washington Township in Gloucester County, said the independent candidates running in the 4th District, Costanzo and Maureen Dukes Penrose, have no digital footprint and have not campaigned in any way whatsoever.

Del Borrello notes that Jersey Freedoms mailer attacking him includes messaging and sources similar to those of American Representative Majority, with both listing bullet points including that Del Borrellos family ran a stripper service called Tasteful Temptations, his family business was investigated by the FBI Organized Crime Task Force and his brother was convicted of financial fraud.

Del Borrello said he didn't have a role or stake in Tasteful Temptations as he was in high school, and after his half brother "went rogue" as chief compliance officer at the family business, Del Borrello left medical school at Drexel University and "cleaned everything up."

"These dark shadowy super PACs are attacking everybody else except me," Del Borrello said. "It's all a deflection of what the real issues are for New Jersey voters this year: parental rights, pro-law enforcement and offshore wind."

The Republican candidates also sent the letter to New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin and ELEC commissioners.

Given the fraught national dialogue around the integrity of our elections and the importance that all citizens and voters have confidence that our elections are fair and free of interference, we believe it is imperative that you investigate, the candidates wrote in a letter provided to NorthJersey.com.

Polistina also sent a letter to Platkin requesting an investigation, writing, Someones efforts to defraud the public, hide money and affect the outcome of what should be a fair election are a threat to democracy.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General said in a statement to NorthJersey.com, Our office does not confirm or deny the existence of particular investigations. We are committed to ensuring fair elections, protecting the integrity of the process, and preserving the rights of all New Jerseyans. As we have said in the past, we will continue to hold accountable those who seek to disrupt this integral process that is a cornerstone of our democracy.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ election 2023: Which PACs and nonprofits are spending
CONCORD, N.H.  President Joe Biden will not file to be on the primary ballot in New Hampshire this election cycle, his 2024 campaign told the state Democratic Party on Tuesday.

While the president wishes to participate in the Primary, he is obligated as a Democratic candidate for President to comply with the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention promulgated by the Democratic National Committee, Biden for President campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in the letter obtained by NBC News.

The DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee sent out guidance Tuesday advising Democratic campaigns to refrain from filing to be on the primary ballot in New Hampshire, a source familiar with the events said. The Democratic National Committee released a plan this year to make South Carolina the first presidential primary voting state following Bidens recommendation, overtaking Iowa and New Hampshire, but New Hampshire law requires the state to hold the countrys first primary.

In accordance with this guidance, Biden for President will refrain from submitting a Declaration of Candidacy for the Primary ahead of Fridays candidate filing deadline for the Primary, Rodriguez wrote.

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley responded to the letter on X, writing: The reality is that Joe Biden will win the NH FITN [first in the nation] Primary in January, win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November. NH voters know and trust Joe Biden thats why he is leading Trump in NH by double digits."

DNC Chair Jamie Harrison said in February that the new primary calendar puts Black voters at the front of the process in South Carolina." He added, The Democratic Party looks like America, and so does this proposal.

In 2020, Biden came in fifth place in New Hampshire, but his victory in South Carolina gave him the momentum he needed to ultimately win the Democratic nomination.

Earlier Tuesday, before the letter was reported, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said, "I think its a mistake that hes not putting his name on the ballot." As the state's top elections official, Scanlan ultimately chooses the date of the primary.

On the presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire, there will be a list for all of the candidates and then a line for write-ins. That means that even though Biden will not be listed on the ballot in New Hampshire, people voting in the Democratic primary will have the option to write in his name.

If 50% of the voters write in Joe Bidens name, then the challenge will be preparing to count those write-in votes up at the end of the night when polls close, Scanlan, a Republican, said in a speech at Saint Anselm College in Manchester.

One thing that we will be recommending strongly to the local election officials before the primary election is that they enlist additional help to be able to speed up the write-in counting process, Scanlan said.

In his speech, Scanlan explained why he believes New Hampshire should maintain its first-in-the-nation status.

Its a small state geographically. It has a small media market compared to other state states in the country, especially the large ones. We are a purple state politically, Scanlan said. We have regular high voter participation. And it is very easy for any United States citizen who qualifies to run for president to actually try and make it happen."

New Hampshire has not set its primary date yet. Scanlan said it will be announced sometime after the filing period.

Even though Bidens name will not be on the primary ballot, his campaign manager said he expects it will appear on the general election ballot in November 2024.

Consistent with New Hampshire law and the Secretary of States guidance, the president looks forward to having his name on New Hampshires general election ballot as the nominee of the Democratic Party after officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention where he will tirelessly campaign to earn every single vote in the Granite State next November, Rodriguez wrote.
By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will not have his name on the New Hampshire Democratic primary ballot after the state refused to abide by new Democratic Party rules that South Carolina hold its primary contest first, the Biden re-election campaign said on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party had moved to eliminate Iowa and New Hampshire as the states holding the first two election nominating contests in favor of South Carolina.

New Hampshire state law mandates that the state hold its primary election first, but the Democratic National Committee wanted South Carolina to go first in a push for influence from more diverse states.

Biden's campaign chair, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said in a letter to New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley that Biden would not submit a declaration of candidacy for the New Hampshire ballot ahead of the deadline on Friday.

She said Biden looks forward to having his name on New Hampshire's general election ballot on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, once he secures the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next August.

Biden, 80, has faced no major opposition in his drive to be the party's nominee.

Buckley, in response to Rodriguez's letter, said: "The reality is that Joe Biden will win the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary in January, win renomination in Chicago and will be re-elected next November."

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Despite a claim from its board chair that the district is currently top in the state for school safety, the Brevard Public Schools board is considering arming staff, which would include teachers.

"Comparative to the rest of the school districts inside the state, we are No. 1 as far as the security goes and what we do," said Matt Susin toward the start of Tuesday night's board meeting, ahead of a presentation about district security.

"The things we're doing are far advanced past any of the other school districts, and even (Superintendent Mark) Rendell said that this school district was about a year or two ahead of the other districts that he's been a part of in security just because of how we've put that first."

Superintendent Mark Rendell, foreground, is pictured at the Aug. 22 Brevard Public Schools board meeting.

In spite of Susin's words, and a report from the district's chief operating officer with recommendations that did not include arming staff, board vice chair Megan Wright proposed doing so by expanding the guardian program in Brevard, a program initially established in 2018 through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.

Wright said she had recently visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and was concerned about making sure nothing similar to the 2018 Parkland shooting ever occurs in Brevard.

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"I walked away from that feeling good about where Brevard is, but also feeling like we could be better," she said.

A report from the chief operating officer, Rachad Wilson, showed the district has made "substantial improvements in school safety," though there is still work to be done. Based on the district's Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool  a report all districts are required to complete and submit to the Department of Education yearly  Wilson recommended steps including Rendell and future superintendents reissuing mandatory security procedures, ensuring that all stakeholders of BPS be involved with increasing the culture of safety, planning annual RAVE security drills and more. The security drills are a drill kit from the Rave mobile safety company, whose Rave Panic Button app contacts emergency responders and law enforcement with the push of a button.

While Wilson did not recommend arming staff, Wright referenced other districts that allowed staff and teachers to be armed, saying these districts "were doing security very, very well" and had thriving guardian programs.

Megan Wright, District 1, and Matt Susin, District 4, are pictured at the May 30, 2023, meeting of the Brevard school board.

The program was established after the school's public safety commission initially found that having guardians in schools was the best way to ensure "highly trained personnel" would be in place to respond to a school shooting.

In 2019, Florida's legislature expanded the program to include Class D and G licensed security guards and certain school district and charter school employees who volunteer to participate. Private schools may also participate as of 2023.

Brevard is already a participant in the program, with the district opting to hire civilians with backgrounds in security, the military and law enforcement as full-time security guards in 2019. However, Wright's proposal would expand that program.

It was a move board member Jennifer Jenkins staunchly opposed.

"As an educator, married to an educator, my 7-year-old little girl inside a school  I do not believe that that is the responsibility of our teachers," she said. "I don't believe that that's the answer."

Wright disagreed, saying teachers would not necessarily be required to be armed.

"By no means when we say, '(Expand) the guardian program in Brevard County,' does it mean a teacher now must carry a firearm," Wright said. "It's 100% voluntary. They can choose to do so if they want to be a part of it."

She added that she wasn't sure if teachers being included in the program would be the best option, saying she would need to look at other districts further.

Board member Katye Campbell advised the board to take their time considering the expansion, recalling the community's reaction in 2018 when the program was first introduced.

"I just want to clarify, because I remember all the misconceptions from five years ago," Campbell said. "It has to be voluntary. Two, not everybody who volunteers qualifies. Not everyone who is qualified is eligible ... (or) completes the training, they have to go through the mental health training, they have to do all those things."

Rendell agreed that he would have district staff begin investigating what other districts are doing with their guardian programs so that Brevard could begin considering expanding their program.

"We have direction to explore this and bring some information back to the board," he said.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard Schools considers allowing teachers, other staff to be armed
Rare case of maritime defection highlights dire food situation in Pyongyang, experts say

By Lee Hyo-jin

The South Korean government should brace for an increasing number of North Korean defectors in the coming months, as the latest East Sea border crossing, made by four North Koreans, indicates the deteriorating living conditions and chronic food shortages occurring in the reclusive regime, analysts said Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning, a small wooden boat carrying a group of four unidentified individuals from North Korea  one male and three females  was picked up by the South Korean coast guard in the waters off Sokcho, Gangwon Province, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The boat was first spotted by a South Korean fishing vessel operating some 11 kilometers from the east coast.

Defections across the maritime border are rare as it is much more dangerous than escaping via land.

The latest sea border crossing came five months after nine individuals from North Korea crossed the western maritime border.

The four North Koreans are currently under investigation by the National Intelligence Service to determine whether they are genuinely seeking to defect.

The authorities declined to share details about their identities, but some local media reports, citing witnesses, said that the group consisted of a man in his 30s, his wife, daughter and another woman in her 50s, supposedly his mother.

One of the defectors reportedly told the South Korean coast guard that they escaped their homeland to survive, lamenting the hard living conditions there.

Experts also assume that worsening food shortages and ongoing political oppression under the Kim Jong-un regime were the catalysts that made the family escape to the South.

Defecting across the maritime border is way riskier and costlier than escaping via land through the border with China. The small wooden boat would cost a fortune for North Koreans, said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Institute of National Unification.

Family defections are much more dangerous than escaping alone. They have to risk everything because the whole family can get killed by the regime if they are caught, he said.

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, gave a similar analysis.

The rice price in jangmadang (outdoor markets) is the barometer of food prices in North Korea. Some internal sources say that the price soared to an all-time high in the last five years, he said.

As to why these groups of defectors chose the riskier route, Cho replied, The surveillance measures near the North Korea-China border have intensified in recent months. I think we will be seeing more defectors escaping by sea.

"As the current (South Korean) government's stance toward North Korean escapees is to accept them for humanitarian reasons, the authorities should make more efforts to ensure the safety of those traveling by boat. A lot of the North Korean small boats attempting to cross the Eastern Sea border don't make it to South Korea. They sink or get carried across to the coast of Japan," he added.

Park said, "As seen by China's recent mass repatriation of North Korean defectors, escaping via China is becoming an increasingly dangerous option for them."

The professor predicted that the number of North Korean escapees will increase as the reclusive regime reopens its border from COVID-19 lockdowns, but commented that it remains to be seen whether the scale will return to pre-pandemic levels when the figure reached over 1,000 per year.

According to recent data released by the Ministry of Unification, the number of North Korean defectors coming to South Korea more than tripled in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period of 2022.

From January to September this year, a total of 139 North Koreans defected to the South, up sharply from 42 in the same period last year.
People gather for the ceremony for first phase of Carolina Harmony Trail Saturday morning on West Marion Street in Shelby.

The first phase of the Carolina Harmony Trail was dedicated Saturday.

The former railroad turned trail is a paved surface and winds under a bridge on Sumter Street and to Sunset Cemetery for a total length of a little over half a mile one way. Street lights are spaced at regular intervals along the path, keeping it well lit.

The long-dreamed and planned for project has been years in the making and marks new recreation and economic opportunities for the city of Shelby.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held during the Livermush Festival and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources had a presence in honor of Shelby being chosen as one of 10 communities across the state for the statewide Year of Trail initiative.

A crowd of people gathered at the entrance to the trail just off of Marion Street near the Bobby Bell Pavilion Saturday and Secretary Reid Wilson from N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources spoke at the ceremony.

Today is a special day here in Shelby, Wilson said. Were celebrating the dedication, but were also celebrating the year of the trail in North Carolina. Whats important about these places and the ideas they represent is that they bring us together as North Carolinians and create common ground. Everyone is welcome at our department and trails are for everyone.

He said trails are important for many reasons.

Ebony Ruff and her daughters, Yahnasa and Neharahyah, check out the maps on display during the ceremony for first phase of Carolina Harmony Trail Saturday morning on West Marion Street in Shelby.

First and foremost our health, physical, mental and spiritual, Wilson said. Getting people out on trails is especially important for children to develop that life long connection to the outdoors and love of the natural world and importantly, trails stimulate our economy. The outdoor recreation economy in this state is $28 billion a year across the state. This is not just about getting healthy and having fun in the outdoors, its about supporting jobs and people as well.

He said there have been over 1,400 trail events in every part of the state over the course of the year, but Shelbys was the biggest, with the most trail events than anyone else. Wilson said its a sign of an engaged community who loves the outdoors.

The Carolina Harmony Trail is a wonderful asset to this community, he said.

The city will be focusing on the next phase of the trail and some state funds will help make that happen.

The North Carolina General Assembly approved historic investment in trails with its new budget and some of those funds will benefit Cleveland County.

Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony presents a shirt to N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson during the ceremony for first phase of Carolina Harmony Trail Saturday morning on West Marion Street in Shelby.

A total of $54.9 million was approved for new trails and greenways around the state with $2 million going to Shelby for the Carolina Harmony Trail.

When this trail is completed it will go a little over 10 miles to the South Carolina border, Mayor Stan Anthony said during Saturdays event. I think you will be blown away by the quality of this trail and this is something we can all be proud of.

A kiosk with a map will be installed next month along with a gateway tower with a cardinal, the trail logo.

The next phase will be around two miles long and will include the future Depot Park. It will run from around Graham Street down Marion and eventually up to Dekalb Street.

Anthony said hes been telling people, You just wait, ours is going to be better, about the Shelby trail compared to other rail trails in the area.

He said the city wanted to create something beautiful and show what was possible and ensure that they can extend the trail all the way to the South Carolina border.

Anthony said the $2 million allocated from the state will help toward achieving that goal.

Depot Park will encompass three acres of land near Graham and Gardner streets, and the trail will run through it. There will be a splash pad, other amenities and a restaurant or brewery at the depot building. The trail will then continue on to Dekalb Street which will add around two more miles.

Anthony said the Depot Park phase will be out for bids in the first quarter of 2024 with the hope that construction will begin in 2025.

Weve got the money lined up and the state money is helping, he said.

Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com.

People gather for the ceremony for first phase of Carolina Harmony Trail Saturday morning on West Marion Street in Shelby.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Shelby celebrates opening of long awaited Carolina Harmony Trail
An Israeli American man from Chicago who went to Israel to fight Hamas walks with Scripps News reporter Jason Bellini.

As Israel has mobilized its largest call-up of reserves in the country's history, many of those soldiers have come from the United States, putting their lives on hold.

One of them is a 38-year-old Israeli American man from Chicago who asked Scripps News to identify him only as Shraga. Shraga commands an infantry of his 500-member Jerusalem Wolves battalion. His battalion is ready to go into Gaza and fight Hamas directly.

"I'm sure that Hamas has a lot of surprises waiting for us, a lot of underground tunnels, a lot of booby traps, a lot of houses, snipers as well, and we're prepared for that," Shraga said.

When Scripps News' Jason Bellini asked if he was nervous, he responded: "It would be foolish to tell you that as a man standing before a war that there's no fear. Of course, there's some fear, but it's manageable. And we trained for this and prepared for this."

Shraga was at his home in Chicago on Oct. 7, watching on television the horror unfolding as Hamas terrorists massacred and kidnapped civilians and soldiers. He immediately left behind his life in Chicago and his job in finance to help Israel in its fight against Hamas.

"I packed up my suitcase, and within an hour, I was at the airport and got the first flight back to Israel," he said. "Sunday afternoon, I was already back here with my reserve unit at the battlefield."

That battlefield still had bodies strewn all over when he arrived.

"I have a little over 500 soldiers here and we're all shocked by what we've seen in the past few days," he said. "We've been collecting bodies of our own and seen many bodies of Hamas terrorists as well."

SEE MORE: US forming plans for Americans in Mideast if Israel-Hamas war spreads

The major has been on reserve duty with the Israel Defense Forces since 2004. He has come to fight before. In 2016 in the West Bank, a Palestinian militant attacked him with a knife.

"Very close to death. I was stabbed in the chest by a terrorist who stabbed me from behind," Shraga said.

But he felt he had "no other choice" than to return to his unit to make sure that a day like Oct. 7 never happens again.

"I don't know one out of my whole 500-people brigade that is bloodthirsty," Shraga said. "Are we angry? For sure. We're angry at Hamas. We're angry at what Hamas has brought on us and what it's bringing now on their own citizens. Other troops that you're seeing around here, we are the promise that never again, that never again Jews would be slaughtered, unprotected. So whatever it takes and whatever it means, we're going to get our job done."
By Liz Lee and Ryan Woo

BEIJING (Reuters) -China elevated diplomatic relations with Colombia to a strategic partnership on Wednesday, deepening a push with one of the oldest U.S. allies to expand its influence and strengthen its foothold in Latin America.

The two countries upgraded their relations, first established in 1980, as Colombian President Gustavo Petro met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a visit to Beijing this week, his first to the world's second-largest economy since assuming office last year.

The upgrade of relations with Colombia means China now has strategic ties with 10 out of the 11 South American countries with which it has relations. Guyana is the only country in the region with which it has ordinary bilateral ties.

China in recent years has stepped up a charm offensive in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, a region of strategic significance for arch-rival the United States.

The region is also significant to China as it hosts a handful of countries that have no ties with Beijing but instead recognise democratically governed Taiwan as a sovereign state. Paraguay is the last South American nation that has ties with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

During the COVID pandemic, China was the first country that sent vaccines to Colombia. In 2021, in recognition of China's help in fighting the coronavirus, Xi was invited to give a speech via video link to the people of Colombia.

Chinese imports from Colombia have risen sharply in the last few years, becoming the South American nation's second-biggest trading partner after the United States. In 2022, shipments from Colombia to China totalled $7 billion, up almost 20% from five years earlier.

The two countries signed 12 cooperation deals during the visit, Petro's office said in a statement, including one allowing Colombian beef imports from next year and another allowing shipments of quinoa, as well as the establishment of several working groups meant to improve commerce.

Colombia is one of the closest U.S. allies in the region. A middle-income nation and one of the oldest democracies in Latin America, it established ties with the United States in 1822.

Colombia has yet to join Xi's multi-region infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), unlike many of its Latin American and Caribbean neighbours.

Former Colombia President Ivan Duque, who welcomed warmer ties with China and visited Beijing in 2019, had previously expressed a willingness to join the BRI.

'GREAT IMBALANCE'

On his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday, Petro hailed the potential to increase Colombian exports to China and re-launch the Andean country's national rail network.

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is expected to complete by 2026 two subway lines of the Bogota Metro, a $4 billion project 30% funded by Chinese banks awarded to the CHEC, Xian Metro Company and Canada's Bombardier Inc consortium in 2019.

Colombia also awarded its RegioTram light rail system project to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in 2019.

Chinese state-run mining firm Zijin Mining acquired a gold mine in Colombia in 2019 but the project has faced repeated security issues and road blockades.

Despite loans, investments and offers to build infrastructure, China was asked to import more from South America.

"When we look at the trade balance between Colombia and China, we find a great imbalance, a great inequality, a product of the economic history of the two countries," Petro told Xi on Wednesday. "There is a huge deficit."

Among the 11 South American countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing, Colombia has the largest trade deficit with China despite increased Chinese imports. Colombia had a trade deficit of more than $8 billion last year.

Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia and Suriname also posted trade deficits with China in 2022.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Ellen Zhang and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie and Mark Porter)
(Reuters) -Texas Instruments on Tuesday forecast fourth-quarter revenue and profit below estimates, as the analog chipmaker was forced to slash some production after demand across its key industrial market worsened.

Shares of the Dallas, Texas-based company fell 4.5% in trading after the bell.

Sales from the industrial market  Texas Instruments' biggest by revenue share  was down in the mid-teens percentage in the third quarter, with the weakness pervading all regions except Japan, Dave Pahl, head of investor relations at TI, told analysts.

"As China came out of COVID, I think most of us would have expected there to be a more significant rebound, which just hasn't materialized," he said.

The company forecast current-quarter revenue between $3.93 billion and $4.27 billion, compared with analysts' average estimates of $4.49 billion, according to LSEG data.

TI forecast profit per share between $1.35 and $1.57, below estimates of $1.76 per share as it had to lower its factory loadings in the third quarter to reduce inventory and protect its gross margin.

The forecast paints a picture that demand will deteriorate further and that the weakness will likely persist for at least the next couple of quarters, Edward Jones analyst Logan Purk said.

Revenue at all other segments except automotive was also down in the three months ended September. Automotive sales rose 20% in that period.

While most analysts raised concerns over the broader weakness in the automotive end-market and flagged the impact from the United Auto Workers strike, TI executives said they do not see any change in the demand trends from that sector.

Still, Summit Insights Group analyst Kinngai Chan said softening orders in the automotive market, and not just the industrial market, were the reason for the dull forecast.

Revenue fell 14% to $4.53 billion, compared with estimates of $4.58 billion, while earnings per share of $1.85 beat estimates.

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
Columbia University has postponed its massive Giving Day fundraising event scheduled for Wednesday amid simmering tensions on campus over the Israel-Hamas war.

Giving Day is a critical fundraising event for Columbia, as the university has noted endowment funding and tuition do not cover the entire cost of education. The annual event raised nearly $30 million in just 24 hours last year.

After careful consideration and consultation with University and alumni leadership, we decided that this is not the appropriate time to move forward with Columbia Giving Day, Columbia spokesperson Samantha Slater said in a statement. It is postponed for the time being, and a decision on rescheduling will be made in the near future.

The Hamas terror attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have caused tensions at college campuses across America and contributed to a backlash from powerful donors at some elite universities.

At Columbia, school officials took the rare step earlier this month of shutting the campus down to the public as two simultaneous rallies were held on school grounds.

That decision came after the assault of a Columbia student who was hanging up posters on campus in support of Israel.

Tensions surge at Columbia

Right now, we know that the atmosphere on campus is extremely charged and many are concerned for their personal safety, Columbia officials said in a statement on October 12.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik issued a statement urging the community to avoid language that vilifies, threatens or stereotypes entire groups of people, adding that this type of speech will not be tolerated when it is unlawful or violates university rules.

Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at the Columbia Business School, delivered a fiery speech last week calling Shafik a coward for failing to quiet pro-terror voices at the school.

If my amazing two-year-old daughter was now 18 years old, I would never, never, never send her to Columbia, not because its not a great institution. Its an amazing institution. But because I know that she will not be protected there because the president of the university allows pro-terrorists to march on campus, Davidai said.

Donors close checkbooks at UPenn

Meanwhile, the donor backlash at the University of Pennsylvania continues.

The Penn Alumni Club of Israel is now cutting ties with that Ivy League school in protest over a Palestinian literature festival held on campus last month.

In a statement on Tuesday, the alumni club of Israel said it is now formally disengaged from UPenn. The club said it will no longer provide information and data on alumni in Israel, communicate with universities or serve any functions within the alumni organization.

Ben Franklin called America the New Jerusalem; Jerusalem is now calling out Bens legacy for balefully losing its moral compass, former club co-presidents Dov Hoch and Dalia Hope Levine said in a statement. Penns leadership has chiseled multiple higher education milestones into a tombstone of moral vacuity.

The Penn Alumni Club of Israel cited the Palestine Writes Literary Festival, which featured speakers who had a history of making antisemitic remarks, according to UPenn leaders.

UPenn President Liz Magill condemned antisemitism broadly prior to the Palestine Writes Festival.

However, organizers and attendees tell CNN the festival was aimed at celebrating and promoting Palestinian culture and Palestinians through music, art and literature. At the festival, some speakers denied allegations of antisemitism.

Still, the Palestine Writes festival has been cited by a slew of powerful donors who have vowed to close their checkbooks to UPenn, including Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman and hedge fund billionaire Cliff Asness. The donor backlash has been led by private equity billionaire Marc Rowan.

According to an email forwarded by Rowan on Monday, venture capitalist Emil Woods informed Magill he cant continue donating to UPenn because school leaders have failed to extinguish the fomenting of hate during the current crisis.

Penn was a sanctuary for me. But today nothing could be further from the truth for students. Penn has failed students, left them hiding with their feeling of safety shattered, Woods wrote in the email forwarded by Rowan.

Woods did not respond to requests for comment.

Messages projected onto George Washington University library

George Washington University said in a statement Wednesday that it will be conducting a review after a group of individuals projected several pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli messages onto a campus building in Washington, DC, Tuesday night.

The projections on the universitys library violated university policy, and leadership intervened to ensure that these projections were removed, the statement read.

Social media posts of the incident show individuals projecting messages onto a campus wall reading divestment from Zionist genocide now, free Palestine from the river to the sea, glory to our martyrs, and GW the blood of Palestinians is on your hands.

According to one video shared by the advocacy group @StopAntisemitism, a group of individuals sat on the ground behind their projector and refused to comply when asked by police to remove the messages.

The statements made by these individuals in no way reflect the views of the university. We are reviewing this incident and will take any appropriate steps with respect to the individuals involved in accordance with university policies, the university said.

We recognize the distress, hurt, and pain this has caused for many members of our community, the statement continued. The university will continue to communicate with all members of its community about the support resources available during this difficult time.

CNNs Abby Baggini contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Rep. Randy Fine appears alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis at a news conference in Satellite Beach in 2021.

State Rep. Randy Fine announced Tuesday that he is no longer endorsing Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, a turnabout that DeSantis blamed on the fact that Fine didnt get the top job at Florida Atlantic University.

In announcing that he will now endorse Donald Trump, the firebrand Republican legislator from Brevard County said his move was motivated by the two presidential candidates track records on Israel and antisemitism.

The past two weeks have made me realize our choice as Jews is simple, Fine wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. We can vote for the Governor who says all the right things or we can vote for the President who actually does them. When it comes to action, Donald Trump has never ever let us down.

More: Randy Fine breaks with DeSantis over handling of Jewish concerns, throws support behind Trump

But DeSantis dismissed the move as posturing from a legislator who tried to win the presidency at FAU and was now seeking elected office once again. Fine has announced he is running for a Senate seat on Floridas Space Coast.

He was up for a presidency of FAU. He didn't get it. Now he's running for (state) Senate, DeSantis said at a campaign stop in New Hampshire, according to TheMessenger, a news website. He's trying to ingratiate himself. Totally ridiculous.

Fines potential candidacy for the Boca Raton universitys top job has been a major focus of attention on campus since he announced in March that DeSantis had approached him about it. A DeSantis spokesperson at the time called him a good candidate for the role.

Fine was not among the three finalists named by a search committee in July. But when state university officials halted the search two days later, claiming they needed to investigate potential rules violations, faculty members suspected DeSantis administration may have been behind it.

Nearly four months later, the search remains halted, and people on campus are wondering whether Fines brazen reversal means he has given up hope of getting the job.

Professor William Trapani said faculty members have taken notice of Fines move but were uncertain what it might mean for the university.

Todays news is a little shocking from a political standpoint, but for a lot of us this is not a world we know, he said. Weve been through such confusing times, but we continue to be hopeful that our search will be allowed to go forward.

The state university systems inspector general is said to be reviewing the schools search process for potential rules violations by the committee and its search firm.

The potential violations: the search committee's use of a "straw poll" to develop consensus about which candidates to consider and questions about gender and sexuality that were included on a questionnaire that the private search firm asked candidates to complete.

But the chancellor of Floridas universities is scheduled to give an update on the search to the state Board of Governors Nov. 9, a signal that the inspector generals review might be concluded.

Trapani said that Tuesdays developments had provoked much theorizing on campus, and that it underscored the importance of keeping partisan politics out of universities.

When you let politics in the door, you dont know where it will take you, he said.

amarra@pbpost.com

@AMarranara

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Randy Fine turns on Ron DeSantis, raising questions about FAU
Former President Donald Trump's final chief of staff in the White House, Mark Meadows, has spoken with special counsel Jack Smith's team at least three times this year, including once before a federal grand jury, which came only after Smith granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The sources said Meadows informed Smith's team that he repeatedly told Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election that the allegations of significant voting fraud coming to them were baseless, a striking break from Trump's prolific rhetoric regarding the election.

According to the sources, Meadows also told the federal investigators Trump was being "dishonest" with the public when he first claimed to have won the election only hours after polls closed on Nov. 3, 2020, before final results were in.

MORE: Timeline: Special counsel's probe into Trump's efforts to overturn 2020 election

"Obviously we didn't win," a source quoted Meadows as telling Smith's team in hindsight.

Trump has called Meadows, one of the former president's closest and highest-ranking aides in the White House, a "special friend" and "a great chief of staff -- as good as it gets."

The descriptions of what Meadows allegedly told investigators shed further light on the evidence Smith's team has amassed as it prosecutes Trump for allegedly trying to unlawfully retain power and "spread lies" about the 2020 election. The descriptions also expose how far Trump loyalists like Meadows have gone to support and defend Trump.

Sources told ABC News that Smith's investigators were keenly interested in questioning Meadows about election-related conversations he had with Trump during his final months in office, and whether Meadows actually believed some of the claims he included in a book he published after Trump left office -- a book that promised to "correct the record" on Trump.

PHOTO: Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff, speaks to members of the media outside of the White House in Washington, Oct. 21, 2020. (Chris Kleponis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

ABC News has identified several assertions in the book that appear to be contradicted by what Meadows allegedly told investigators behind closed doors.

According to Meadows' book, the election was "stolen" and "rigged" with help from "allies in the liberal media," who ignored "actual evidence of fraud, right there in plain sight for anyone to access and analyze."

But, as described to ABC News, Meadows privately told Smith's investigators that -- to this day -- he has yet to see any evidence of fraud that would have kept now-president Joe Biden from the White House, and he told them he agrees with a government assessment at the time that the 2020 presidential election was the most secure election in U.S. history.

Under the immunity order from Smith's team, the information Meadows provided to the grand jury earlier this year can't be used against him in a federal prosecution.

That immunity came after a lawyer for Meadows requested that his client be immunized to testify before the grand jury, sources familiar with the matter said. A senior Justice Department official signed off on the request and an immunity order was then issued by U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, the chief judge at the federal court in Washington, D.C., days before Meadows appeared before the grand jury in March, sources said.

Had Meadows not been granted immunity, prosecutors expected him to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, sources said.

'We did win this election'

Trump was already questioning the integrity of the election months before Election Day. Then, within hours of polls closing on Nov. 3, 2020 -- as Trump was beginning to lose key states -- Trump claimed on national TV that it was all "a major fraud."

"Frankly, we did win this election," Trump declared.

Meadows told investigators earlier this year that he's long believed Trump was being dishonest when he made that statement, given the fact that votes were still being counted and the results from several states were not in yet.

Nevertheless, public testimony has shown that in the weeks after the election, Meadows helped Trump vet allegations of fraud that were making their way to Trump from people like Rudy Giuliani, whom Trump put in charge of legal efforts to keep Trump in the White House.

But Meadows said that by mid-December, he privately informed Trump that Giuliani hadn't produced any evidence to back up the many allegations he was making, sources said. Then-attorney general Bill Barr also informed Trump and Meadows in an Oval Office meeting that allegations of election fraud were "not panning out," as Barr recounted in testimony to Congress last year.

MORE: Trump moves to dismiss federal election interference case, citing 'presidential immunity'

Meadows has said publicly that he believed "a number of allegations" still warranted "further investigation," and that he "hadn't reached a conclusion" on the election overall by late December.

Also by then, Trump had run out of legal options. When the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 11, 2020, denied his final court challenge, Trump told Meadows something to the effect of, "Then that's the end," or, "So that's it," Meadows recalled to investigators, according to sources.

Still, Trump wouldn't back down, insisting there was widespread fraud but that the Justice Department wasn't "looking for it," Barr recalled.

While speaking with investigators, Meadows was specifically asked if Trump ever acknowledged to him that he'd lost the election. Meadows told investigators he never heard Trump say that, according to sources.

On Jan. 2, 2021, Meadows helped set up the now-infamous phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger, during which Trump pressed Raffensberger to "find 11,780 votes ... because we won the state."

MORE: Trump asks judge in federal election interference case for 2-month extension to file pretrial motions

Meadows has said publicly that he essentially introduced everyone on the call -- which is corroborated by transcripts of the call that were made public -- and he has said he was simply trying to help them resolve a dispute over Georgia's election results.

On the call, Trump mentioned allegations of fraudulent ballots hidden in suitcases, which the Justice Department had already taken "a hard look at" and debunked, according to Barr's testimony.

As described to ABC News, Meadows told Smith's investigators that, around that time, there were many times he wanted to resign over concerns that the way certain allegations of fraud were being handled could have a negative impact -- but he ultimately didn't leave because he wanted to help ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

'Sheer volume of falsehoods'

Aided by a ghostwriter, Meadows published his book, "The Chief's Chief," nearly a year after Trump left office.

"[T]he sheer volume of falsehoods that have been published about the president's time in the White House is astounding," the book says. "I consider this book a small opportunity to correct the record."

Trump even promoted the book himself, issuing a statement in December 2021 saying the book "rightfully spends much time talking about the large-scale Election Fraud that took place ... also known as the Crime of the Century."

But sources told ABC News that when speaking with Smith's investigators, Meadows conceded that he doesn't actually believe some of the statements in his book.

According to the sources, Meadows told investigators that he doesn't agree with what's in his book when it says "our many referrals to the Department of Justice were not seriously investigated."

Meadows told investigators he believes the Justice Department was taking allegations of fraud seriously, properly investigating them, and doing all they could to find legitimate cases of fraud -- and he told investigators he relayed all that to Trump a few weeks after the election, the sources said.

Similarly -- as described by sources to ABC News -- despite Meadows telling investigators that Giuliani never produced evidence of significant fraud in the election, his book refers to Giuliani's efforts to expose "the fraud, and the dirty tricks on election night."

MORE: Trump asks judge in federal election interference case for 2-month extension to file pretrial motions

"The people who rigged this election knew that eventually, these irregularities would come to light ... [So] they conducted the operation, then attacked anyone who dared ask questions about what they had done," his book says.

Meadows went even further while promoting his book on right-wing media in November 2021. When asked by a podcast host if he believes the outcome of the 2020 election was fraudulent, Meadows responded, "I do believe that there are a number of fraudulent states ... I've seen at least illegal activity in Pennsylvania [and] in Georgia" -- referring to two key states that clinched the White House for Biden.

Under the penalty of perjury, Meadows offered a vastly different assessment to Smith's investigators, telling them he's never seen any evidence of fraud that would undermine the election's outcome, according to what sources told ABC News.

'I guess these people are more upset'

The final report by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol accused Meadows of including "a number of intentional falsehoods" in his book, but the committee's report focused on allegations about Trump's actions on that fateful day, not claims about the election more broadly.

Portions of what Meadows told investigators appear to align with broader testimony that other top White House aides, including former Meadows assistant Cassidy Hutchinson, provided to the House committee, describing a president seemingly hesitant to take decisive action to stop the violent mob on Jan. 6, 2021.

Sources said Meadows confirmed that at one point, as the riots were unfolding, Trump got on a call with then-House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, and told McCarthy, "I guess these people are more upset than you are."

However, according to what Meadows told investigators, Trump seemed to grow increasingly concerned as he learned more about what was transpiring at the Capitol, and Trump was visibly shaken when he heard that someone had been shot there, sources said.

Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot when she tried to break through a barricaded entrance near the House chamber. Other Trump supporters sustained fatal injuries that day, and a law enforcement officer died after trying to defend the Capitol.

MORE: Trump opposes special counsel's request for gag order in Jan. 6 case

Meadows has not been charged in Smith's federal case, he has been charged -- along with Trump, Giuliani and 16 others -- by authorities in Georgia for allegedly trying to overturn the election results in that state. Four of those charged have already pleaded guilty and agreed to testify for the prosecution, while the others, including Meadows, Trump and Giuliani, have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

Meadows sought to have the Georgia case against him moved to federal court, but that effort was denied. He is now appealing that decision.

From 2013 to 2020, Meadows represented North Carolina in Congress, where he also led the conservative House Freedom Caucus for two years.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the election-related federal case against him.

In response to these developments, a spokesperson for Trump's presidential campaign said in a statement, "Wrongful, unethical leaks throughout these Biden witch-hunts only underscore how detrimental these empty cases are to our Democracy and System of Justice and how vital it is for President Trump's First Amendment rights to not be infringed upon by un-Constitutional gag orders. Transparency and free speech are the only way to combat murky gossip."

"President Trump will not be deterred by Crooked Joe Biden's election interference and will continue to focus on winning back the White House and Making America Great Again," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for Smith and an attorney for Meadows declined to comment to ABC News for this story.

Ex-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows granted immunity, tells special counsel he warned Trump about 2020 claims: Sources originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
U.S. authorities upped the ante Tuesday against a gang leader who is considered one of the most dangerous criminals in Haiti, charging him anew with the kidnapping of a Haitian American couple and murder.

Vitelhomme Innocent, who heads the Kraze Barye gang and was indicted on similar federal charges last year, is accused of ordering the kidnapping of Haitian Americans Jean Franklin and Marie Odette Franklin from their home in Haiti on Oct. 7, 2022. The wife was shot and killed and the husband held in captivity until his family paid a ransom for his release 21 days later.

Innocent, 37, who was charged alone with conspiracy, kidnapping and murder, faces up to life in prison or the death penalty. He is at large in Haiti.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, at a news conference in Washington, D.C., said that Innocents gang and others in Haiti are increasingly targeting Haitian Americans as they terrorize the island nation amid political turmoil in the wake of the assassination of Haitis president more than two years ago. Innocent and the Krazye Barye gang operate in the Ouest department of Haiti that includes Delmas, Torcelle, and Tabarre, committing kidnappings for ransom, extortion and car thefts, Graves said, citing an indictment.

The gangs and gang leaders in Haiti must be held accountable for their atrocities committed against innocent civilians, Graves said.

This summer, the U.S. government ordered non-emergency staff at its embassy in Port-au-Prince to leave Haiti, after an escalation in gang violence led dozens of Haitian families to seek refuge outside of the embassy compound in the Tabarre neighborhood of the capital.

The U.S. embassy area is surrounded by at least three powerful gangs, two of which are controlled by leaders implicated in the kidnapping of 16 American missionaries in October 2021. The gangs, 400 Mawozo and Kraze Barye, have been escalating their violence, raiding businesses and homes.

The Kraze Barye gang, which is behind the latest upsurge in violence, is led by the politically connected Innocent. Despite having a $1 million FBI reward for his capture for the missionaries kidnapping, he has been carrying out a wave of brutal attacks. The developing U.S. crackdown and reward reflect the increasing attention the Biden administration has been paying lately to addressing Haitis lawlessness.

In his recent report to the U.N. Security Council this week, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said violence was worsening in Haiti. Major crimes, including homicides and kidnappings, are surging at unprecedented rates, mostly in the West and Artibonite departments of Haiti. Between July 1 and Sept. 30, the national police reported 1,239 homicides compared to 577 reported in the same period last year. There were 701 victims of abductions, including 221 women, 8 girls and 18 boys, between July 1 and Sept. 30, showing a 244 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

In and out of Port-au-Prince, where the indicted gang leaders operate, Haitians are being kidnapped, killed and raped by armed groups that, according to the United Nations, are systematically using rape as a weapon of control and terror.

As Haiti gang crisis grows more violent, Kenyan court blocks plan to send security forces

Despite the widespread violence, a Kenya-led multinational security mission to help Haitis police put down dangerous armed gangs remains up in the air after a court in Kenya on Tuesday extended its order barring the deployment for two more weeks.

On Monday, members of the U.N. Security Council, which authorized the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission for Haiti a week before the court challenge, made clear that Haiti couldnt afford to wait for help and that deployment needs to happen sooner rather than later. Children were increasingly being killed or injured in the crossfire, and one in four schools has been closed since last year, the Security Council was told.

Federal crackdown

Nearly a year ago, Innocent was charged with six other gang members in a federal crackdown on gang leaders in Haiti, charging them with armed kidnapping, including three suspects wanted in the abductions of the 16 U.S. citizens who were members of the Christian missionary group taken as hostages in the fall of 2021.

The indictments charged Wilson Joseph, known as Lanmo Sanjou, 29, Jermaine Stephenson, who is known as Gaspiyay, also in his late 20s, and Innocent. The indictments say they had leading roles in the kidnappings of the missionaries serving near Port-au-Prince, and the U.S. is offering a $3 million reward for information leading to their arrests.

The three suspects collaborated with other gang members and demanded $1 million in ransom per victim and threatened to kill the missionaries, who worked for the Ohio-based Christian Aid Missionaries, if the ransom was not paid, U.S. authorities said. An undisclosed ransom was eventually paid. Most of the missionaries, including five children and a Canadian citizen, were held hostage for 61 days before escaping.

The indictments against the Haitian gang leaders came a year after the missionaries kidnappings made global headlines, and as gangs continued to spread chaos and despair in Haiti.

Those charges by the Justice Department followed the high-profile indictment of another Mawozo gang leader, Germine Joly, 29. He was transferred to the United States in May 2022.

Germine Joly, better known as Yonyon, has been indicted on U.S. federal gun charges after he was transferred aboard a special Federal Bureau of Investigation flight on Tuesday, May 3, to the U.S. following a request from the U.S. on April 22. Joly is the leader of the gang 400 Mawozo, which was behind last years kidnapping of 17 American and Canadian missionaries.

Joly, aka Yonyon, was in a Haitian prison at the time of the missionaries kidnappings but was accused of directing the gang from behind bars, including ransom negotiations for the hostages release. Also charged with Joly was fellow Mawozo gang member Jean Pelice, 27. Both have pleaded not guilty.

In addition, federal authorities said four other Haitians who lead three other gangs were charged with the kidnappings of two other U.S. citizens in Haiti in 2021.

The four defendants, all believed to be in Haiti, are: Renel Destina, 40, known as Ti Lapli, who controls the Gran Ravine area; Emanuel Solomon, known as Manno, one of two leaders of the Village de Dieu gang; and John Peter Fleronvil and Jean Renald Dolcin, leaders of the Kokorat san Ras.

The kidnapping investigations have been led by the FBI field office in Miami with assistance from the State Departments Diplomatic Security Service and the Haiti National Police.

The indictment unsealed today demonstrates the FBIs commitment to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are, Jeffrey Veltri, special agent in charge of the FBIs Miami field office, said in a statement.
'These are disturbing numbers': A 59-year-old Virginia woman with 3 degrees and $258K in student loan debt called Dave Ramsey for help  here's the frank advice he gave her

If youre a graduate of higher education, you should have an easy time finding employment and making more money.

At least thats how its supposed to be.

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Yet millions of Americans continue to be saddled with student debt that can stay with them for decades, weighing down their ascent to a better life.

And in the case of a Virginia woman who recently called in to The Ramsey Show, it covers multiple generations.

Im currently working two jobs to make ends meet, Larhonda, 59, said on the show. I currently owe $258,000 in student loans. Is there any way I can make that go away?

That $258,000 in loans wasnt just from one degree. Larhonda explained that not only did she pay for herself to obtain three degrees, she also paid for her sons tuition through a Parent PLUS Loan.

Despite earning three degrees, she says shes had a hard time making ends meet and paying off her debts. She has a multidisciplinary studies degree (criminal justice and religion), a masters degree in accounting and a masters in divinity.

Even after gaining those three degrees, Larhonda stated shes working in logistics, making around $60,000 per year.

These are disturbing numbers at 59 years old, Ramsey said. The answer to your question is, We have to make more money. And we have not monetized your knowledge base very well.

Time for a new job?

Ramsey suggested its time Larhonda should look around for a new job. Most people in accounting make $100,000 to $125,000 starting salary, he claimed. However, those figures might be off, with ZipRecruiter showing an accountant would make on average $65,556 in the U.S. as of October 2023. In Virginia, the average climbs slightly to $68,040.

However, as Ramsey went on to explain, you can get within reach of those numbers if you become a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). This would bump the average salary to $95,716, according to Indeed.

Larhonda said when she studied accounting she was taught to do things the hard way just with a pair of calculators, but when she went in for job interviews she was expected to know how to use accounting software.

Its not rocket science, Ramsey replied, noting accounting has been performed on computers for decades.

Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate  without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how

Change your approach

While its easy to blame your areas of study or where you live for your financial troubles, Ramsey said, these arent usually the prime culprits when it comes to getting paid what youre worth.

These dont matter as much as your attitude towards it, he said.

As for the student loans themselves, theres no way for them to simply go away. And if this woman foot the bill for her sons education, now that hes older, it may be time to ask him to chip in. Larhonda may want to help give her son a leg up while he's still establishing himself, but any financial adviser would remind you that you need to put your oxygen mask on first and ensure your finances are covered before helping even your children.

But if the son truly can't chip in, then Ramsey recommended throwing every single dime available toward the debt. He also recommended Larhonda seek out jobs specifically in accounting and supply chain logistics for higher income.

If you dont get above this instead of laying under it, this being your career, where the career problems are all happening to you and instead you start happening to the career  the math on this is really not going to go well, Ramsey said, Thats called a small shovel and a very large hole.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
China discloses tasks of Shenzhou-17 crewed space mission

Xinhua) 13:28, October 25, 2023

JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will perform various in-orbit space science and application payload tests and experiments, a senior official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference on Wednesday.

They will carry out extravehicular activities (EVAs), install extravehicular payloads and conduct space station maintenance and other tasks, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will do extravehicular experimental maintenance for the first time, which is a very challenging task, Lin added.

With space debris increasing, their impact on long-term operating spacecraft is inevitable, Lin said. "Through preliminary inspections, we have found that the solar wings of the space station had been hit by tiny space particles several times, causing minor damages."

"Of course, we already took this into consideration in the design stage. At present, all functionality and performance indicators of the space station meet requirements," he added.

Lin said extravehicular experimental maintenance is geared towards the long-term operation of the space station and the verification of its technical capabilities.

The astronauts will also continue to assess the functioning and performance of the space station and test the coordination and compatibility of ground support centers in performing space station operation and management tasks, to further enhance the operating efficiency and fault correction capability of the space station, he said.

Lin confirmed that the space station is currently well supplied, even though only one Tianzhou cargo mission was launched this year.

"The supplies can support not only the astronauts' planned stay, maintenance and upgrading of the platform and large-scale in-orbit experimental tasks, but are also sufficient for an extra three-month astronaut stay in case of an emergency," Lin said.

The cargo cabin of the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, launched in May this year, was improved with its loading space and loading weight up by 24.3 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively, compared with its predecessors, he added.

A supplies information system connecting the ground and the space station has been established, which can realize accurate replenishment.

"We have developed the model based on the designed lifespan and use of the supplies. With the accumulation of in-orbit data during the space station construction, the model has become more and more accurate, which helps estimate subsequent needs precisely and replenish exactly what is needed," Lin said.

"Our strategy has always been to save enough for a rainy day," he added.

According to Lin, the Tianzhou-7 cargo craft that will be launched will carry supplies sufficient for the crews of the Shenzhou-17 and Shenzhou-18 missions to perform their in-orbit tasks.

The Shenzhou-17 crew consisting of Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, will take over from the in-orbit Shenzhou-16 crew, and will spend about six months on the space station, Lin said.

According to the official, the Shenzhou-16 mission has progressed smoothly. Its crew has carried out a total of 70 space experiments in areas such as aerospace medicine, life ecology, biotechnology, materials science, fluid physics and others, as well as eight research efforts on human-factors engineering.

The Shenzhou-16 crew also once performed an EVA, delivered a lecture from the space station, and assisted with the separation of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft from the space station combination during their stay in orbit, he added.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gives a speech at the Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, Oct. 24. Yonhap

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday pitched his country's appeal as an investment and business partner for the Middle East.

In a speech during the Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, dubbed "Davos in the Desert," Yoon said South Korea can be trusted, has cutting-edge industries, and aims for mutual growth through solidarity.

In particular, he cited the hard work of Korean companies and workers during the construction of a highway in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s, and additional construction projects it led to not only in Saudi Arabia but also in the wider region.

"Even as uncertainty has become the new normal, because of geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions, the trust of Middle Eastern countries in the Republic of Korea continues," Yoon said, referring to South Korea by its formal name.

"Saudi Arabia announced energy, defense industry and infrastructure construction projects worth $29 billlion on the occasion of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Korea last year. This year, the United Arab Emirates pledged an unprecedented $30 billion in investment (in Korea)," he said.

The speech came on the last day of Yoon's four-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, shortly before he departed for Qatar for a two-day state visit.

He said Korea is leading high-tech industries through innovation, with more than 20 percent of the world's semiconductors, rechargeable batteries and smartphones made by South Korean firms.

Moreover, Korea has "unrivaled" expertise in nuclear power plant construction, as seen in the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, and has the ability to produce diverse global cultural contents exemplified by BTS, BLACKPINK and the Netflix hit "Squid Game," he said.

"The Yoon Suk Yeol government has made it an administrative goal to create a global pivotal state," Yoon said. "Now the Republic of Korea will share with many nations the experience of growth and development it gained through the international community's assistance and support over the years, and together with the Middle East and the rest of the international community, create a prosperous future by sharply increasing official assistance, as well as technological and people-to-people exchanges." (Yonhap)
The unemployment rate in Gaza is 47% and more than 80% of its population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. Hamas, however, has funded an armed force of thousands equipped with rockets and drones and built a vast web of tunnels under Gaza. Estimates of its annual military budget range from $100 million to $350 million, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.

As the U.S. House and Senate will be asking in separate hearings Wednesday and Thursday, where does all that cash come from?

Since coming to power in the Gaza Strip 17 years ago, Hamas has filled its coffers with hundreds of millions in international aid, overt and covert injections of cash from Iran and other ideological partners, as well as cryptocurrency, taxes, extortion and smuggling, according to current and former U.S. officials and regional experts.

Much of the money is public and legal, including large sums of financial aid from Qatar via the United Nations, an arrangement encouraged and approved by Israel. The Qatari aid covers the salaries of civil servants, buys fuel for the power grid and provides cash to needy families.

Some of it is less than legal, according to experts. In addition to levying taxes on Gazas businesses and residents, Hamas imposes unofficial fees on smuggled goods and other activity, for a combined income of up to $450 million per year. Hamas also has real estate and other investments around the globe, despite international restrictions, and uses cryptocurrency to mask some of its transactions.

Some of it may be fully illegal. A small portion of its budget seems to come from smuggling in South America, including drug smuggling.

Experts, enemies and Western governments have questioned whether Hamas mingles the money for its military operations with money meant for civilian use. Hamas could not be reached for comment. But Hamas representatives have said previously that the group strictly separates funding for the administration of Gaza from funding for its military wing, also known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,400 people, some former Treasury Department officials and experts argue that the United States and its European allies need to crack down on the groups global financial network.

There will need to be a policy review, said Jonathan Schanzer, a former Treasury official now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.

The Iranian connection

The size of the Hamas budget and its sources have both morphed over time.

Iran has been a consistent financial and military patron of Hamas since the 1990s, long before the group achieved control of Gaza. The funding has gradually increased, and is now at about $100 million annually, according to the State Department.

Hamas leaders have publicly acknowledged Irans ongoing financial and military support.

In an interview this month that appeared on Russia Today TV, senior Hamas official Ali Baraka said that First and foremost, it is Iran that is giving us money and weapons. Last year, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told Al Jazeera that Iran paid $70 million to the group to support its defense plan.

In addition to Irans support, Hamas has long relied on funds from other ideological allies, including private donations and groups in Turkey, Kuwait and Malaysia, former U.S. counterterrorism officials said.

Hamas also has donors in other parts of the world, including the U.S., according to Treasury reports. From 1995 until 2001, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development operated as the chief U.S. fundraising arm of Hamas, sending more than $12 million with the intent to willfully contribute funds, goods, and services to Hamas, according to federal court documents and government assessments.

Cash in suitcases

After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas gained another major benefactor, the Qatari government.

Hamas won an election over Fatah, the Palestinian ruling party, in early 2006, in part because residents believed the existing authorities could not be trusted to administer funds properly. Hamas ultimately seized complete control of Gaza and has ruled without an election since 2007.

As conditions continued to deteriorate for residents of the enclave, Israel, the U.S. and the international community turned to gas-rich Qatar to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Qatari officials began carrying millions of dollars in cash in suitcases through Israels Erez border crossing into Gaza, with the permission of the Israeli government.

For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for much of the time after Hamas began ruling Gaza, the policy was meant to bring some degree of stability to Gaza and bolster Israels security. It also, however, helped fuel the bitter rivalry between Hamas and Fatah, which continued to govern the occupied West Bank.

Under the arrangement, between 2012 and 2021, Qatar provided $1.49 billion in financial aid to support projects for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, a Qatari official told NBC News.

The deal also triggered criticism in Israel and discomfort in Washington. But former U.S. officials, who were in government at the time, said there were no easy options given that Hamas, which had crushed its political rivals, was firmly in charge.

I think there was broad recognition that the situation in Gaza was pretty awful, former CIA Director John Brennan said. There needed to be some flow of funds from somewhere [and] Qatar had the financial wherewithal to do that.

Neomi Neumann, former head of research for Shin Bet, Israels internal security service, said that we didnt find any other way to finance this and we didnt want a humanitarian crisis.

But from the start, she said, We knew that it was so problematic.

Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, center left, walks alongside Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani during a welcome ceremony (Mohammed Abed / Pool / AFP via Getty Images file)

In 2021, Israel and Qatar agreed to a new arrangement that ended the use of cash hand-delivered in suitcases. Instead, the Qatari money was distributed through the U.N. at supermarkets, money exchange shops, post offices and other locations.

The Qatari official told NBC News that Qatar does not provide financial aid to Hamas. We provide aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the official said. Qatari aid is fully coordinated with the Israeli authorities, the U.S. government and the United Nations. All goods such as food, medicine and fuel pass directly through Israel before entering Gaza.

Qatar says the money has been used for its intended purposes. The Israeli government has complete oversight over the funds, and would have canceled the agreements if aid was not reaching its intended recipients, the Qatari official said.

Muhammad Shehada, a Gaza-born Palestinian analyst and writer, rejects claims that aid has been diverted by Hamas. He points to a 2017 Australian government probe that found no evidence that taxpayer money was misused by the nongovernmental organization World Vision in the Gaza Strip, following allegations by Israel that Hamas had siphoned off millions of dollars a year from the charity to the Islamist group.

Given the tough circumstances in Gaza, the group would have faced a rebellion from their civil servants and the population had there been any evidence of them using government revenue to fund their militant wing, Shehada said.

But skeptics say the U.N. was unable to exercise strict control over how the money was allocated, and that it enabled Hamas to use tax revenue and other funds to build up its military arm.

All the funds that were supposed to go to the public, most of it went to their military capability, Neumann said.

After its takeover of Gaza, Hamas also developed the capability to tax and extort, said Matthew Levitt, who worked as a senior Treasury official focusing on countering terrorist financial networks. Hamas began to rake in taxes and kickbacks from salaries, sale of goods and smuggling, a sum that now reaches up to $300 million to $450 million a year, said Levitt, now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.

Although the U.S. and the European Union have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, theyre not effectively cut off from the international financial system, said Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project. They actually are able to invest funds in companies and in real estate.

Hamas leadership has invested its income in an international investment portfolio worth $500 million in real estate and other assets from companies in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which it uses to conceal and launder its money, according to a Treasury announcement.

Cryptocurrencies have helped the group invest its money while bypassing international financial sanctions according to a report by the Counter Extremism Project. To combat those efforts. Hamas was an early adopter of fundraising in crypto starting in 2019, said Ari Redbord, a former federal prosecutor and global head of policy and government affairs at TRM Labs, which is working to track Hamas funding. They were using Telegram channels to solicit donations. They then stood up website infrastructure to solicit donations. Yet, experts, including Rebord, emphasize that cryptocurrency remains a small piece of the groups financial strategy.

To some extent, Hamas also supplements its income with various criminal enterprises, experts said. All large-scale terror groups, such as Hamas, have to ensure that they have multiple, overlapping financing streams, because there is international pressure on its finances, Schindler said.

Members of the Hamas security march in a military parade during a graduation ceremony (Majdi Fathi / NurPhoto via Getty Images file)

For example, Hamas has a presence in the tri-border area of South America, a region along Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina known as a haven for terrorists and transnational criminal organizations. While experts say the activity there likely makes up a small portion of Hamas broader financial apparatus, it participates in drug, arms and people trafficking, smuggling and money laundering operations based there in connection with Hezbollahs efforts.

Cracking down

During the past two decades, Western governments tended to focus more on cutting off the finances of other Islamist organizations while Hamas received a lower priority, former U.S. officials said. Gerald Feierstein, who worked in the State Departments counterterrorism bureau from 2006 to 2008, said Hamas was not perceived as a direct threat to the U.S.

From a counterterrorism perspective, people werent really focused on Hamas, said Feierstein, now at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington. At that point, the focus was really AQ," he said, referring to al Qaeda.

In the past few years, however, Western governments have disrupted some sources of Hamas financing.

In August 2020, U.S. authorities seized millions of dollars and more than 300 cryptocurrency assets linked to groups, including Hamas, as part of a series of terrorism-related actions. The Treasury Departments latest sanctions targeting Hamas operatives include a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange, Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company, and its operator used to collect small-dollar donations.

In 2021, Israel seized several cryptocurrency wallets, including Buy Cash, believed to be controlled by Hamas. At the time, Elliptic, a research analytics firm estimated those wallets had received more than $7.7 million in crypto. The same year, the German government banned a network of ostensibly charitable organizations of the Ansaar International e.V. network, which had collected donations for terror organizations, including Hamas, and included real estate assets.

Then came the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

European countries, some of which make a distinction between Hamas political and armed wings, say they are working to close existing loopholes involving purported charitable organizations that collect money for Palestinian causes but have been proven to be fronts to funnel money to Hamas militants.

Switzerland had been among a group of countries that have not yet formally banned Hamas. The Swiss Foreign Ministry has indicated it is reviewing the issue.

Last week, the U.S. sanctioned a network of 10 Hamas members and financial facilitators based across Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar. Among those targeted were a Qatar-based operative and a Hamas military relations commander, who was allegedly killed in a recent airstrike, for having acted on behalf of Hamas, in addition to a Gaza-based company that provides money transfer and virtual currency exchange services.

I do think this has been a wake-up call for the U.S. to start to get serious about these jurisdictions that have been treated as allies, and even as assets, Schanzer said, referring to governments that he says have failed to act against Hamas financiers operating within their borders.

An Israeli official said that Hamas failed to use the opportunity offered by international aid and other financial assistance to improve the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.

If only Hamas would have prioritized the Gazan population over its military and extremist ideology, Gaza would have been able to benefit from economic growth and prosperity, the official said.

In retrospect, it was a mistake to allow a terrorist organization to control the Gaza Strip. We intend to rectify that mistake now."
Workers began emerging from the mine on Wednesday morning

Workers at a South African mine have resurfaced after being held underground for three days in what police are calling a hostage situation.

Hostage-takers armed with weapons like clubs and mining tools had held more than 500 miners at the Gold One mine, the police said.

As workers surfaced onWednesday, one told the BBC escaping "was the only way to save my life".

The miners were trapped on Sunday amid a dispute between two trade unions.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said "hooligans" had held its members against their will.

But the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) denied it had trapped workers at the mine, located near Johannesburg. Amcu insisted the miners were there willingly and were staging a "sit-in" protest.

One worker, who did not want to be named for fear of intimidation by rival union members, told the BBC: "I ran away... it was the only way to save my life. We had to run away."

The 32-year-old said some hostage-takers had physically assaulted the trapped miners.

"I kept calm but I feared for my life... on the first day we had food and on the second day we shared what was left.

"We eventually ran out of tea, sugar and coffee and survived on water," said the man, who had worked at Gold One for more than 10 years.

Another miner said: "I forced my way out because I was worried for my health."

He told the BBC he had some empathy for Amcu, which has been fighting for legal recognition at the mine for around five months. NUM currently has a "closed shop" agreement with Gold One, which means it is the only union the mine officially recognises.

"Although I agree with the fight for another union to be allowed to organise at the mine I can't say I support the method they have taken," the miner said.

Workers' families gathered outside the mine on Wednesday, waiting for their loved ones to emerge.

One woman told the BBC she had been camped out since Monday morning, after her husband failed to return from his shift the night before.

"I am hurting. I do not know when my husband will return. He is not well... he has tuberculosis.

"My husband is the breadwinner. I'm even afraid of going back home as I won't be able to answer my children's questions," she said.

All miners eventually resurfaced and the police said it had begun investigating a potential kidnapping.

Police spokesperson Brenda Mudiri said officers interviewed workers as they left the mine.

"Those we interviewed have told us they were held against their will. They told us about 15 hostage-takers. We are unable to say which union these hostage-takers belong to," she said.

Management at the mine echoed the police and NUM's assessments that the miners had been held hostage.

Amcu has accused Gold One bosses of colluding with NUM, an allegation the mine denies.

NUM was founded in 1982 by former labour unionist Cyril Ramaphosa, who is currently South Africa's president. It remains the nation's biggest mining union.
Well before he was elected as House speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., played a key role in efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn Joe Bidens electoral victory in the 2020 election.

Johnson, who served as the GOP caucus vice chair and is an ally of Trump, led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the 2020 election results in four swing states won by Biden: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called on the Supreme Court to delay the electoral vote in the four states in order for investigations on voting issues to continue amid Trumps refusal to concede his loss. It alleged that the four states changed voting rules without their legislatures express approval before the 2020 election.

Johnson at the time sought support from his GOP colleagues for the lawsuit, sending them an email with the subject line Time-sensitive request from President Trump.

President Trump called me this morning to express his great appreciation for our effort to file an amicus brief in the Texas case on behalf of concerned Members of Congress, Johnson wrote in the December 2020 email, which was obtained by NBC News.

He specifically asked me to contact all Republican Members of the House and Senate today and request that all join on to our brief, he continued. He said he will be anxiously awaiting the final list to review.

The lawsuit swiftly drew backlash from battleground state attorneys general, who decried it as a publicity stunt full of false and irresponsible allegations. Legal experts also pointed to a series of hurdles the lawsuit had faced, saying that Texas lacked the authority to claim that officials in other states failed to follow the rules set by their legislatures.

Johnsons role in pursuing efforts to overturn the 2020 election results has regained attention recently amid his speakership bid. On Tuesday, the political team of former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming  who broke with Trump over his baseless claims of a stolen election  circulated a New York Times article that called him the most important architect of the Electoral College objections on Jan. 6, 2021, aimed at keeping then-President Trump in office even after he lost.

The Times reported last year that many Republicans who voted to discount pro-Biden electors cited an argument crafted by Johnson, which was to ignore the false claims about mass fraud in the election and instead hang the objection on the claim that certain states voting changes during the Covid-19 pandemic were unconstitutional.

As rioters were overtaking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnson told Fox News in an interview that there was "nothing unusual" about Republican lawmakers' objections to the Electoral College certification and that "thereve been many objections over the years.

Im here as one of the advocates on the Republican side, stating our concerns about this election and the allegations of fraud and the irregularity and all that," he said.

The Supreme Court ultimately rejected Texas effort to overturn the election results.

Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another state conducts its elections, the court said in a brief unsigned opinion.
An 85-year-old Israeli hostage released by Hamas has said she went through hell during her kidnap, describing how she was beaten with sticks during her abduction, driven off on a motorbike and forced to walk for a number of hours through a huge spiders web of wet tunnels in Gaza.

However, Yocheved Lifshitz  the first to offer a picture of the ordeal faced by those taken hostage by Hamas  also spoke of the care she received from some of her captors once she was in the tunnels and saying was told she was not going to be hurt, something that may have led to an extraordinary gesture at the moment of her release after two weeks in captivity.

A pause and then turning to shake the hand of a masked Hamas militant. Shalom, she said, the Hebrew word for peace.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, speaking from a hospital in Tel Aviv, her British daughter Sharone Lifschitz beside her (REUTERS)

Appearing in a wheelchair, Ms Lifshitz spoke from a hospital in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, with the assistance of her daughter Sharone Lifschitz, who is British and lives in London.

Ive been through hell, we didnt think or know we would get to this situation, Yocheved told reporters. Speaking softly, she said that everything had erupted with a barrage of rockets on a quiet Saturday morning.

The strikes began and then things blew up at the border, she added.

We didnt think it could have been possible, but they managed to break through and enter the kibbutz. That was very unpleasant and very difficult. I can still see the images, she said.

They stormed into our homes, Ms Lifshitz continued. They beat people. They kidnapped others, the old and the young without distinction.

Ms Lifshitz was put on a motorbike and driven into Gaza.

When I was on the bike, my head was on one side and the rest of my body on the other side. The young men hit me on the way. They didnt break my ribs but it was painful and I had difficulty breathing, she said, adding that her watch and jewellery were stolen during the ride.

While she was being taken, she was hit by sticks until they reached the tunnels. There they walked for a few kilometres on the wet ground. There is a huge network of tunnels underneath  it looks like a spider web, Sharone translated, her mother looking overwhelmed.

Ms Lifshitz is among just four hostages who have been freed since Hamas militants abducted at least 220 people, including children, the elderly and foreign citizens, during a rampage through towns and villages in southern Israel earlier this month in which 1,400 people were killed.

Sharone Lifschitz speaking about her mother Yocheved (Bel Trew/The Independent)

Footage purportedly taken on Go-Pro cameras and mobile phones by the militants, and home security cameras, show gunmen tossing grenades in bomb shelters, gunning down children, and taking hundreds into Gaza.

Sharone explained that her mother was taken from her home alongside her husband Oded Lifshitz, 83, who is still in captivity.

Ms Lifshitz, who was brought back to Israel on Monday night alongside another woman, Nurit Cooper, 79, said after the initial capture she was well looked after. She was held with around 25 other hostages, and after several hours, five people from her kibbutz, including herself, were taken into a separate room. There, they each had a guard and access to a paramedic and doctor.

My mum said she was treated well and that the people were kind to her, we do not know what the story of the 175 or so other prisoners we cannot deduct that they too are in a good condition, Sharone said.

One of the hostages was badly injured from a motorbike accident, and they gave me antibiotics and other medicine, Ms Lifshitz said.

We are heartened to hear they were well looked after [in Gaza] but the family do not know if that is the case for the rest of the hostages, Sharone continued. [Her captors] told them they were Muslims and they are not going to hurt them and they ate the same food that the Hamas was eating.

Yocheved Lifshitz with her husband Oded, who is still being held captive (Israel in Osterreich/Facebook)

We delighted to have her home safe  but our hearts are with the other 200 still there, the daughter added.

Ms Lifshitzs husband Oded, a peace activist and retired journalist, is among them. He would drive Palestinians who needed medical treatment from Gaza to hospitals in East Jerusalem, according to the family. He was separated from his wife, who is also a veteran human rights activist and retired photographer, during the initial moment of capture.

My mum and my dad were separated at the very beginning and we do not know from my mums story what happened to my dad, we do not know that he was injured, Sharone said.

Our hope for our father and for all the hostages is that they will come home safely.

In a separate interview, Sharone told the BBC that her mother is very sharp and is very keen to share the information, pass on the information to families of other hostages she was with. Such insight may be previous to Israel as it works to free other hostages.

Nurit Cooper was freed by Hamas in a deal The Independent understands was brokered by Qatar and Egypt (Reuters)

Ms Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper were freed by Hamas in a deal The Independent understands was brokered by Qatar and Egypt. It was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, who escorted the elderly women to the border crossing with Egypt. This followed the release of two American-Israel citizens  Judith Raanan, 59, and Natalie Raanan, 17, a mother and daughter, on Friday.

Speaking about her mothers gesture in taking the hand of the Hamas militant as she was released, Sharone told the BBC: The way she walked off and then came back and then said thank you was quite incredible to me. Its so her. At the press conference, she added: My mother is a human being who loves humanity, she added.

In retaliation for the Hamas attack, the Israeli military has launched the heaviest-ever bombardment of Gaza, and imposed a total siege, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, including 2,000 children.

The United Nations has repeatedly pleaded for a humanitarian ceasefire, as food, water, fuel and medical supplies in the besieged enclave run out. The families of hostages are also concerned the bombing and siege of Gaza will affect their loved ones.

Damage from Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City (AP)

Sharone said she will continue to campaign for the release of her father and the other captives.

He speaks good Arabic, so he can communicate very well with the people there, she said. He knows many people in Gaza and the West Bank. I want to think that he's going to be OK.

Of the release of her mother, she said: We have so many people that weve lost  it is a little ray of light but there is a huge darkness as well.

Sharone said that she and her mother still dream of peace with the Palestinians, even given the expected ground invasion of Gaza by Israel threatens to spark a wider war in the region.

We have to find ways because there is no alternative. If anything, it makes me even more resolved, she said. The way has got longer  we are dealing with grief and loss on a level we can never get over, but as nations, we will have to find a way forward.

There are reports of another possible Qatar-brokered deal to release a further 50 dual-national citizens that is under discussion.

Israeli officials have refused to comment on the hostage deals, telling The Independent they will not negotiate with Hamas.

Anyone candidly and genuinely concerned with human life should demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We can not comment further, one Israeli government official said.
Billie Joe Armstrong (L) and Tre Cool of Green Day perform during the 2023 When We Were Young festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on October 21, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Green Day fans in Northern Ireland are hoping the pop-punk giants' new album may signal a return to Belfast, after spotting that the cover features an image of a riot in the city.

The band announced their latest album Saviors on Tuesday.

And eagle-eyed fans soon zeroed in on the picture on the cover - a young boy holding a rock during 1978 street disorder on the Falls Road.

The picture is an edited version of a shot taken during the Troubles.

The conflict lasted almost 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.

It was taken by photographer Chris Steele-Perkins and some users on social media site X, former known as Twitter, have already pinpointed exactly where it was taken.

One user of the social media site Reddit said: "They haven't been to Belfast since 2017, this better mark a return".

New album Saviors' out January 19th, 2024



Pre-order: https://t.co/cFN02gBSNZ

Limited exclusive vinyl: https://t.co/qTWVEJQhKB



The first single The American Dream Is Killing Me is out now



Watch the epic video: https://t.co/sXEUgrXw7X

Stream the song: pic.twitter.com/SnnzfD1bCT  Green Day (@GreenDay) October 24, 2023

Many social media users have also pointed to Green Day taking inspiration from the Northern Ireland punk scene, including bands such as Protex, Rudi and Stiff Little Fingers, as a possible explanation for the band's use of photo.

Not everyone was so impressed however - one Reddit user said that it was an example of "wealthy comfortable Americans using gritty imagery of civil strife to show how edgy [they are]".

The possible political flavour of the new album, due for release next January, is nothing new for Green Day.

In 2004, their album American Idiot, and the single by the same name, expressed anger at the US war in Iraq and the presidency of George W Bush. Both were huge hits.

First formed in 1986 in California, the band have gone on to become one of the world's most famous rock bands and have had three albums hit number one in the UK.
Hailey Bieber says shes looking forward to being a mom when the time comes  but for now, shes over all the pregnancy rumors.

The model and entrepreneur, 26, opened up to GQ about shutting down speculation that she and husband Justin Bieber are expecting.

Recently, everybody was like, Oh, my God, shes pregnant, and thats happened to me multiple times before, she said. There is something thats disheartening about, Damn, I cant be bloated one time and not be pregnant?

The Rhode founder, who wed Justin Bieber in 2018, has been combating pregnancy rumors for a while now.

In April 2022, gossip site RadarOnline shared an Instagram photo of Bieber at the Grammys, claiming the model had what appeared to be a baby bump.

64th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic)

Bieber set the record straight, writing in the comments on the Instagram post, Im not pregnant leave me alone.

That November, she shot down pregnancy speculation before it could even begin when she shared a photo of her abdomen in her Instagram story.

Not a baby, she wrote in a caption over her stomach, which appeared to have a slight bump.

In reality, she revealed, she had an ovarian cyst the size of an apple.

Its painful and achey and makes me feel nauseous and bloated and crampy and emotional, she wrote on her photo.

In August 2023, some tabloids, including the UK's The Sun and The Mirror, also published articles questioning whether Bieber was covering up a baby bump in her recent social media photos.

In her recent GQ interview, Bieber said it would be a lie to say the pregnancy rumors dont affect her at all.

She also said she will continue to protect her privacy around the choice to have a baby.

When there comes a day that that is true, she said, You  you, as in the internet, will be the last to know.

The model also shared that when she was younger, she hoped to raise her future children out of the spotlight but said that now, some amount of recognition is probably totally unavoidable.

That was before I was married, she said. Didnt know who I was going to be married to at the time, Im sure.

Bieber, the younger daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, also discussed what it might be like for her future children to grow up with a famous last name as she did, saying it would be awesome yet challenging.

She also joked about dressing any future children in Nepo Baby onesies, a playful spin on the Nepo Baby T-shirt she wore earlier this year.

That would be genius, she said.

At the end of the day, motherhood is something that I look forward to, Bieber said. Its also such a private, intimate thing. Its something thats going to come when it comes.

In the meantime, she asked people spreading pregnancy rumors to just live and let live.

Its just, honestly, at the end of the day, so hilarious how much people f------ care, she added. Let me do what I want to do with my body and you guys can do what you want to do with your body  and lets just let it be that.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
NORTHERN MICHIGAN  Halloween is nearly here, and Northern Michigan is celebrating with treats, costume parades, haunted houses and more.

Here's a list of some spooktacular events happening across the region:

Emmet County

Alanson

On Oct. 28, the village will be hosting a home decorating contest. The event is hosted by the villages DDA. Deck out your front yard for the chance to win first place and a $300 dollar gift card to your favorite Village of Alanson downtown business. Judging will begin at 5 p.m. Those interested in participating should email dda@villageofalanson.com with an address, name and phone number. The winners will be announced on the night of Oct. 31.

Bring your candy and deck out your trunk for Alanson's annual trunk-or-treat from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 31 in the Alanson Public Schools parking lot.

Students walk down Main Street in Harbor Springs during the 2022 Halloween Parade.

Harbor Springs

As part of the Harbor Springs Fall Fest, a kid's halloween costume contest will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. Also on Saturday, from 1-2 p.m., a children's halloween costume contest will be held at Pond Hill Farm, at 5699 S. Lakeshore Dr.

On Oct. 28, there will be a costume contest and live music during Halloween at the American Legion. From 8 p.m. until midnight, the public is invited to the fun at 101 E. 3rd St. Donations at the door are welcome.

Then on Oct. 31, Harbor Springs students will march down Main Street in their costumes during the annual school parade at 1:20 p.m. Downtown trick-or-treating will take place right after the parade.

Officer Ben Carlson with the Petoskey Department of Public Safety hands out candy during the downtown Petoskey trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

Petoskey

On Saturday, Oct. 28, the annual downtown Petoskey Halloween parade will begin at 10 a.m. Families are invited to line up at 9:45 a.m. at Central Elementary School. After the parade, trick-or-treating will take place at downtown stores. For safety, downtown streets will be closed to vehicle traffic during the event.

At Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 1825 W. Sheridan Road in Petoskey, kids and adults alike are invited to wear their costumes to a trunk-or-treat event from 12:30-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. Cars will have their Halloween-themed trunks open with lots of treats. There will also be chili, apple fritters, hot chocolate and apple cider to enjoy.

City Park Grill will be hosting Halloween fun on both Oct. 27 and 28. Funky Karaoke night starts at 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, and then on Saturday the Monster Mash Dance Party will be in full swing from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Guests need to be 21 or older. There will be prizes for the best costumes. In lieu of a cover charge, donations are accepted for Petoskey High Schools Theatre Department.

On Oct. 29, The Back Lot will be hosting a Howl-oween pet costume contest at 3 p.m. The winner will receive a $50 gift card to Pet Pantry.

Bay Harbor

The Village of Bay Harbor will host the 14th annual Trunk R Treat event on Halloween from 4-5 p.m. on Oct. 31. Village businesses, Bay Harbor residents and employees will be passing out treats. Main Street will be closed and lined with vehicles filled with goodies for children.

A little Peppa Pig picks out some candy during the downtown Petoskey trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

Charlevoix County

Boyne City

From 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Oct. 28, kids can trick-or-treat at the Boyne City Farmers Market. During the 2nd Annual Tricks & Treats event there will be face painting, crafts, cider and donuts, a costume contest and more.

Muskrat Distilling will also be hosting its annual Halloween Party on Oct. 28. There will be a costume karaoke contest with Mike "T-Bone" Thompson from 8 p.m. until midnight.

There will also be trick-or-treating from 5-7 p.m. at the Boyne District Library on Oct. 31.

Boyne Falls

A Halloween Hoopla will take place on Oct. 27 and 28 at Boyne Mountain. Events starts at 10 a.m. and run all day with a variety of family-friendly activities such as a costume parade, wagon rides, pumpkin painting and more. For the full schedule, visit avalanchebay.com/upcoming-events/halloween-hoopla.

For the adults, Boyne Mountain will also host a costume crawl from 5-10 p.m. on Oct. 28. You must be 21 or older to participate.

Charlevoix

From 6:30-10:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27, the Charlevoix Children's House will hold its annual Halloween fundraising event, Fright Night. This adult-only event will take place at Castle Farms and includes dinner and drinks, dancing, a DJ and a costume contest. Tickets cost $100 per person.

The Charlevoix Public Library will present "Charlevoix's Haunted History" at 6 p.m. with local author and business owner Annie Russell. Hear about the ghost ships still seen offshore, the battle of the only monarchy to ever exist in the United States, and the ghostly diners that have never left their favorite restaurants.

Russell also offers Charlevoix Haunted History Tours every evening at 8 p.m. except on Tuesdays. Contact Russell at (231) 675-6613 to book a tour. Tickets are $25 per adult, $12 per student ages 5-12, and children under 5 are free.

At 6 p.m. on Oct. 31, there will also a trunk-or-treat event at the Charlevoix Reformed Church.

East Jordan

The Depot Jordan Valley Teen Center is planning a 4th Annual Pumpkin Walk fundraiser from 7-9 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 27 at the Community Park in East Jordan. The activities on Oct. 26 are family-friendly, with a stroll through the woods to admire carved pumpkins. On Oct. 28, things get a little scarier. All proceeds from entry and concessions will go to support The Depot.

There are also trunk-or-treats planned at East Jordan United Methodist from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 31 and at the East Jordan Community Church from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 31.

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Kids enjoy Halloween activities at the Children's Trail in Cheboygan in 2022.

Cheboygan County

Cheboygan

On Oct. 27, the Cheboygan Public Library will host a Haunted House Experience from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The haunted house is designed for children however, library officials warn that some elements could be scary to younger children. Parental discretion is advised.

Later on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m., the Cheboygan Opera House will host a presentation, book signing and Q&A with Rev. Gerald S. Hunter, one of Michigans preeminent expert on haunted places. Rev. Hunter is visiting the Opera House to learn more about the paranormal activities associated with the historic theater. This event is free, though donations are encouraged to support the Opera House.

The Knights of Columbus Hall will also be hosting a Halloween Party from 3:30-6 p.m. on Oct. 27 at 9840 N. Straits Highway. Activities include a costume contest, raffles, crafts and more. Cost is $5 per person.

The day of Halloween starts early with downtown trick-or-treating from 3-5 p.m. Downtown businesses will be participating with candy and decorations.

Mackinaw City

Mackinaw City Haunted House is open Saturdays from 2-8 p.m. through Halloween night. Mackinaw City Haunted Mansion, located at 114 S. Huron Ave., is a fully automated haunted house. Tickets are $8.50 for General Admission.

A trunk-or-treating event sponsored by the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce will take place from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 31 in Old School Park.

Otsego County

Gaylord

In the days leading up to Halloween, people can visit the Alpine Bluffs haunted house at 254 Little League Dr. in Gaylord. The haunted house is operational from 8 p.m. to midnight daily through Saturday, Oct. 28. Admission is $20 a person.

The Ellison Place is hosting the 3rd Annual Little Monsters Bash from 2-6 p.m. on Oct. 28. This year, they are adding trick-or-treating to the festivities. Kids will also be able to pick out a pumpkin, enjoy a petting zoo, play games and more. Entry fee is $5 per child.

Then, for the adults, the 3rd Annual Monster Bash starts at 7 p.m. The Ellison Place with a costume contest, live DJ, drinks and more. You must be 21 or older to attend. There is a $10 cover charge.

On Halloween, downtown trick-or-treating will take place from 5-7 p.m.

The Wolfshager Hexenbrut Dancing Witches of Sault Ste. Marie performe a dance during the annual Halloween Spooktacular event.

Chippewa County

Sault Ste. Marie

In the Soo, the weekend will kick off with the Lock City Home Centers Halloween Spooktacular from 5-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. There will be the Parade of Frights at 6:30 p.m., along with traditional trick-or-treat and trunk-or-treat activities from 5-7 p.m.

Other associated events that evening include: the Soo Locks Childrens Boo-seum from 5-8 p.m.; the CLMCAAs Haunted House from 5-8 p.m. at Avery Square, 510 Ashmun St.; the Halloween Haunted Station from 5-8 p.m. at the USCG Station, 337 E. Water St.; the Avery Center Halloween Costume Contest from 6-7 p.m. at the Avery Square, 510 Ashmun St.; and the Soo Youth Orchestras & Symphonic Orchestra Fall Concert at 7 p.m. at the Soo Theatre.

 Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Halloween events across Northern Michigan
A hotel chain and a T-shirt company? Ryan Vesler sees the fit, even if the new Homage Bar at the Columbus branch of Graduate Hotels might leave some Short North passersby perplexed at first.

But walk in the dual-branded collaboration that opened Tuesday night at 750 N. High St., and you're likely to get it, too. It has the feel of an Homage T-shirt in bar form: new and nostalgic at the same time.

"It was almost like two people who knew each other coming together," the Homage founder and CEO said, standing near a 1990s "NBA Jam" arcade game that he insisted be part of the decor. (It works, too.) Other touches include wood paneling recreated from his parents' basement in Berwick, where Vesler started the company in 2007.

"It's the same love of story interpreted through different products."

Ryan Vesler, founder of Homage, inside the Homage Bar inside the Columbus branch of Graduate Hotels in the Short North on Tuesday.

For Graduate, an Homage-branded bar continues a focus on local themes in its 31 U.S. hotels, located mostly in college towns such as State College, Pennsylvania; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Bloomington, Indiana.

The bar in Palo Alto, California, for instance, is named after a Stanford alumnus, President Herbert Hoover. In Cincinnati, it's named after Fiona, a beloved hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Here, the Homage Bar includes a number of Columbus names and images. There's Macho's Choice ($16), a drink named after the late pro wrestler who was born here. It's vodka, gin, tequila, orange liqueur, black tea, lemon, a touch of cola and orange foam.

A $12 beer-and-a-shot menu is titled Big and Little Darby. Other cocktails developed by mixologist Joshua Gandee  including a tequila, grapefruit and Squirt soda drink called the Arch City  run $14.

The menu of bar snacks includes old-school pickles, beef stick, onion dip and fried bologna. Pickled eggs are in a jar on the bar, but they're flavored with honey soy and sriracha.

Columbus bars: Experimental Species X Beer to open in former Platform Beer space

Vesler said he approached Graduate Hotels with the idea of a licensing arrangement for its Columbus bar space because "I've been dreaming about an Homage Bar forever."

He and his company will be part of programming and marketing for the bar, he said.

rvitale@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Homage Bar opens at the Graduate Columbus hotel in the Short North
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol a ride to a high-profile investment conference in Riyadh on Tuesday, saying he hopes the two will be able to ride in a locally produced Hyundai car next time, according to Yoon's office.

Yoon was on a four-day state visit to Riyadh from Saturday to Tuesday and was set to head to the annual Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum to deliver a speech.

The crown prince made a surprise visit to Yoon's guest house at around noon. The two leaders talked for about 20 minutes before the crown prince took the president in his car and drove 15 minutes to the FII conference, according to the presidential office.

"Next time you come, I hope we will be able to ride together in a Hyundai electric vehicle manufactured in Saudi Arabia," the crown prince was quoted as saying.

Korea's Hyundai Motors and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund signed a contract on the occasion of Yoon's state visit to jointly invest around $400 million in the construction of a car assembly plant in King Abdullah Economic City in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia.

The plant will be designed to produce 50,000 electric and gas-powered cars annually starting in 2026, becoming Korea's first electric vehicle production hub in the Middle East and an entry point for the wider Middle Eastern and North African markets, according to the presidential office.

Crown Prince Mohammed joined Yoon at the conference where he was to give his speech and stayed until the end of the event, the presidential office said. (Yonhap)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a ceremony in Beijing on Oct. 17. (Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via Reuters) (via REUTERS)

Republicans and Democrats alike have raised concerns in recent days that the House Republicans inability to choose a new leader is hurting the U.S. internationally.

This is so dangerous what we're doing. And most importantly, it's embarrassing because it empowers and emboldens our adversaries like [Chinese President] Chairman Xi [Jinping] who says, you know, democracy doesn't work, said Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on ABC News Face the Nation on Sunday.

On Monday, a group of House Democrats sent a letter to the nations two top intelligence officials, asking them for a classified briefing on how China and Russia might be using the House GOPs dysfunction to discredit democracy globally in their efforts to promote an alternative authoritarian model of governance internationally.

The 11 Democrats also expressed concern that the current episode could help Russia and China enhance their ability to form economic and national security alliances, and harm our standing with strategic partners.

The letter noted that a propaganda tabloid of the Chinese government had published an op-ed arguing that the removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, had shattered the notion that the U.S. is a beacon of democracy.

Former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California talks to reporters after House Republicans nominated Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer to be the speaker on Oct. 24. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) (REUTERS)

Why it matters

Toby Gati, a Russia expert who served in the Clinton administration, told Yahoo News that anti-democracy messages like these are intended for multiple audiences.

Poking fun at American dysfunction can help regimes justify their authoritarianism as necessary, Gati said. It can be used to weaken relationships between the U.S. and its allies and to reduce the potency of efforts to constrain Russian and Chinese aggression.

Easily disseminated by social media, such messages from sources aligned with the Chinese and Russian governments can also aim to increase dissatisfaction among U.S. citizens with their own government.

The message we should be getting across is that in the end it always works out and we come out stronger, Gati said. But I can't tell you that that's the case now because I'm not sure I believe it.

Gati said she is not concerned about what the Russians or Chinese think about U.S. politics, but that it is a real concern if the U.S. government is not able to act collectively to deal with crises, such as the war in Israel, the war in Ukraine and the looming deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a press conference in Beijing on Oct. 18. (Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via Reuters) (via REUTERS)

Understanding Americas 'power of example'

Fiona Hill, who served as an adviser on Russia to former President Trump, wrote in her 2021 book There is Nothing for You Here that the projection of American soft power  the power of our example has been hindered by partisan spectacles that have undermined the countrys standing as a democratic model.

Hill said she agreed with fellow analysts who concluded that America's lack of internal cohesion and cooperation had become a 'top-tier national security concern' that could upend the U.S. role in maintaining the 'rules-based global order.'"

Political polarization is ultimately a national security threat, Hill concluded.

Fiona Hill, Russia adviser in the Trump administration, warns that partisan spectacles have undermined the U.S. standing as a democratic model. (Erin Scott/Reuters) (Erin Scott / reuters)

No end in sight

To become speaker of the House, a candidate needs to win the support of a majority of the chamber, which is controlled by Republicans. But since McCarthys removal, no Republican has been able to do so.

Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio have already seen their bids for the speakership fail amid dissent within the Republican ranks.

On Tuesday, Republicans selected Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota to be their next nominee for speaker in a closed-door meeting. But only hours later, Emmer withdrew from the contest after it became clear he could not get the near-total unanimous support needed to win the speakership.

It was, once again, back to square one for the Republicans, who have now gone three full weeks without a speaker since McCarthy was deposed by eight Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican. Gaetz worked with Democrats to vote McCarthy out.
Hurricane Otis knocked out all communications and unleashed a nightmare scenario in Acapulco in southern Mexico on Wednesday morning. Tracking over the incredibly warm ocean water near the coast, the storm rapidly intensified just before landfall and gave officials and residents little time to prepare.

Otis strengthened from a tropical storm to an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours before it slammed ashore as the strongest storm on record to hit this area and the Pacific coast of Mexico.

The sudden burst of power took many by surprise as Otis bore down on Acapulco, a popular tourist destination thats also home to roughly 800,000 people.

As Otis kept strengthening and neared the coast, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that a nightmare scenario was unfolding.

People get help crossing a highway blocked by a landslide triggered by Hurricane Otis near Acapulco on Wednesday. - Marco Ugarte/AP

Otis center slammed into Mexicos coast near Acapulco at around 12:25 a.m. local time with sustained winds of 165 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The much weaker storm is now headed inland and is expected to dissipate over southern Mexico by Wednesday night, the center said.

Read more: Hurricane Otis explosive intensification is a symptom of the climate crisis, scientists say

The storms full scope of devastation is not yet clear.

Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday morning his government had no reports of casualties, but all communication systems in the area are down, including with emergency crews on the ground. Lopez Obrador said they had reports of material damage and roads blocked by landslides.

The highway that connects Chilpancingo with Acapulco is blocked Wednesday in the town of Juan R. Escudero, after the Papagayo River overflowed its banks due to heavy rains. - Mexico Presidency/Reuters

Mexican officials are driving to Acapulco to assess the damage in person given the loss of communications and because officials said the area cant be reached by air.

We dont have a damage assessment because until now, there is no communication with Acapulco, National Coordinator of Civil Protection Laura Velazquez said in an interview with local news Milenio TV.

We are going there because we do not have any communication with our colleagues who have already been there for a week doing preventive work for a tropical storm and which in 12 hours became a hurricane, Velazquez explained.

A man on Wednesday crosses a highway blocked by a landslide triggered by Hurricane Otis near Acapulco. - Marco Ugarte/AP

The storm knocked out power to more than 500,000 customers in Mexicos Guerrero state, the power company CFE said in a statement. Power was restored to 40% of those customers, the utility added.

On Tuesday night, the president implored coastal residents of the state of Guerrero, which includes Acapulco, to seek shelter and stay away from rivers, streams and ravines ahead of the storms landfall.

Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado Pineda announced Wednesday morning temporary shelters were open in Tecpan de Galeana, Coyuca de Benitez and Acapulco.

How the nightmare unfolded

Otis was not forecast to become a hurricane until early Tuesday morning, a little more than 24 hours before it would make its unprecedented Category 5 landfall.

A hurricane watch was issued Monday afternoon for Acapulco and surrounding parts of the coast. The forecast was on the high side of pretty much all the intensity guidance that forecasters get from computer models, Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, told CNN.

But the storm was still severely underestimated. Brennan said the satellite data and hurricane models were underplaying its current intensity and how strong it could potentially get.

Disruptive high-level winds were expected to keep a lid on Otis strength. But it was a small storm, which made it much more prone to big changes in intensity. As Tuesday progressed, and the storm began to move over incredibly warm water near the coast, it became clear environmental conditions werent playing out as forecasters expected and Otis was not going to be held back.

The forecasters at the National Hurricane Center were using satellites to estimate the intensity of Otis, a common practice for tropical systems  but there can be problems with this method.

We dont always have the best, complete picture of whats going on underneath the cloud canopy you see on satellite imagery, Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, told CNN.

Thats where NOAAs aircraft reconnaissance team, the Hurricane Hunters, come in. Planes drop sensors into the storm to take real-time measurements as they fall through the cyclone, including wind speed and pressure.

By the time we had the Hurricane Hunter aircraft fly into the storm (Tuesday) afternoon, the data revealed that the storm was about 20 to 30 mph stronger than we would have estimated from just looking at satellite imagery, Brennan told CNN.

Brennan said the NHC typically deploys aircraft reconnaissance in the Eastern Pacific for hurricane threats to land areas. CNN has asked Brennen why the Hurricane Hunters were not sent into the storm earlier than Tuesday afternoon.

The newly acquired aircraft data confirmed Otis had begun to rapidly intensify and the storms forecast changed dramatically.

Its always the worst- case scenario when you have a storm [rapidly intensifying] very close to landfall, when youre having to make significant upward adjustments to the forecast and the reality of the scenario that people are going to face is very different from what they may initially plan for, Brennan told CNN.

Heres how quickly the storm escalated on Tuesday. All times are in Acapulco time.

Tropical Storm Otis churns off the coast of Mexico just after 5 a.m. Acapulco time on Tuesday.

3 a.m.  65 mph tropical storm: The NHC first forecasts a hurricane and says there is about 1 in 4 chance of rapid strengthening during the next 24 hours.

9 a.m.  70 mph tropical storm: The NHC ups its intensity forecast slightly and notes some forecast models show a greater than normal probability of rapid intensification and further upward adjustments to the intensity forecast are possible later today.

Noon  80 mph Category 1 hurricane: The hurricane tracks into very warm water off the Mexico coast and begins rapidly intensifying, aided by moist air and favorable high level winds, two ingredients that allow cyclones to grow stronger. Further strengthening [is] likely until landfall, the hurricane center warns.

1 to 2 p.m.  Hurricane Hunters fly through the eye of Otis, discovering it was much stronger than satellites had estimated.

Otis nears Category 4 hurricane strength off the coast of Mexico just after 5 p.m. Acapulco time on Tuesday.

3 p.m.  125 mph Category 3 hurricane: The NHC dramatically alters its intensity forecast and calls for an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 mph shortly before landfall.

6 p.m.  145 mph Category 4 hurricane: The NHC warns there are no signs of this explosive intensification stopping, and forecasts Otis to reach Category 5 for the first time.

9 p.m.  160 mph Category 5 hurricane: The hurricane center warns a nightmare scenario is unfolding for southern Mexico this evening with rapidly intensifying Otis approaching the coastline.

Hurricane Otis is seen late Tuesday just before landfall as a Category 5 storm. - CNN

12:25 a.m. Wednesday - Otis makes landfall as a 165 mph, Category 5 hurricane.

A symptom of the climate crisis

Otis intensification was among the fastest forecasters have seen; its top-end windspeed increased by 115 mph in 24 hours and 90 mph in a 12-hour period.

The storms rapid intensification is a symptom of the human-caused climate crisis, scientists say  and one that is becoming more frequent.

Scientists have defined rapid intensification as a wind speed increase of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less, generally requiring significant ocean heat.

More than 90% of warming around the globe over the past 50 years has taken place in the oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In addition, El Nino is growing in the Pacific this year, driving ocean temperatures even higher.

Otis strengthening was extremely unusual, Brian McNoldy, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami, told CNN. Its unfortunate it happened right before making landfall, but if this had occurred over the open ocean, it still would have been very remarkable.

Before Otis, there had not been a Category 5 landfall for the East Pacific, according to the NOAA Hurricane Database. The previous strongest landfall was Hurricane Patricia in 2015, which made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane with winds of 150 mph.

CNN Meteorologist Taylor Ward, CNN en Espanols Ana Melgar, and CNNs Karol Suarez, Duarte Mendonca, Eric Levenson, Rachel Ramirez and Claudia Rebaza contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Jimmy Lai has been detained in China for three years (AP)

The family of a British citizen imprisoned by China has hit out at the UK government for refusing to release details of efforts to free him after it claimed doing so could damage relations with Beijing.

Media tycoon and activist Jimmy Lais loved ones fear he will die in prison after the 75-year-old was detained under Chinas draconian National Security Law in 2020.

In August, foreign secretary James Cleverly tweeted that he had challenged China on Mr Lais case.

But the Foreign Office has refused to release a record of the meeting, despite acknowledging the public interest in doing so.

Mr Lais son and campaigners described the decision as disappointing and urged the government to be frank and open about its discussions with China about his arrest.

Posting a video from a runway in China on 30 August as he prepared to leave after 24 hours in the country, Mr Cleverly said: In Beijing, I challenged China on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai and the treatment of UK Parliamentarians.

But we cannot just ignore China on everything else. We have got to work with China on the issues that will impact us all.

In Beijing, I challenged China on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai and the treatment of UK Parliamentarians.



But we cannot just ignore China on everything else.



We have got to work with China on the issues that will impact us all. pic.twitter.com/h3y4xfob2s  James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) August 30, 2023

The Independent subsequently submitted a freedom of information request asking what the foreign secretary said about Mr Lais imprisonment.

Rejecting the request, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said: We acknowledge that releasing this information would increase public knowledge and provide transparency in regards to the meeting.

But the disclosure of the conversation between senior members of the UK and Chinese governments could potentially damage the bilateral relationship between the UK and China.

Mr Lais son and other campaigners have now urged the British government to press Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release him.

British foreign secretary James Cleverly with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in August this year (AP)

Far from damaging the relationship, calling for my fathers release would be a vital step in repairing it, Sebastien Lai told The Independent. The US government and the European parliament have publicly called for my fathers release.

It is disappointing that our own government has so far failed to do the same and wont be open and frank about its discussions with China on his case.

Mr Lai was and charged with four offences under Chinas the National Security Law in August 2020, one of which included lighting a candle in commemoration of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989.

He was then sentenced to 20 months in prison and was given a further five years and nine months last year on two separate charges described by rights groups as politically motivated.

The National Security Law criminalised secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces and was criticised as being vague by Amnesty International, who said the purpose of it was to crackdown on dissent against the Chinese Communist Party.

Sebastien Lai, son of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, holds a sign calling for the release of his father (REUTERS)

The media mogul is now facing a life sentence on a charge of colluding with foreign powers for publishing a newspaper highly critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

Mark Sabah, UK director of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, also told The Independent: Why should it be a secret that the Foreign Secretary is fighting for the release of a British citizen?

It is something he should be shouting from the rooftops and be proud to be doing. The British government should press the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release 75-year-old Jimmy Lai, who has courageously, and peacefully, fought for freedom.

He claimed it was more damaging to withhold information from the British public about what the government said regarding their fellow citizen.

In August, Hong Kongs High Court suggested Mr Lais trial would be adjourned for the third time, delaying the prospect of him facing the alleged offences against national security and sedition.

Caoilifhionn Gallagher KC, who is part of his international legal team, described the delay as a charade.

A FCDO spokesperson told The Independent: We are withholding this information under Section 27(1)(a) of the FOIA.

This section of the Act recognises the need to protect information that would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and other states if it was disclosed.
Actor Jonathan Majors' motion to have his domestic violence charges dismissed was denied.

Judge Michael Gaffey denied Majors' request on Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorneys office confirmed to USA TODAY. Gaffey set a trial date for Nov. 29.

The "Creed III" and Marvel Cinematic Universe star was last present in court for an Aug. 3 hearing along with his current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good. At the time, his trial was postponed. The actor later appeared virtually on Sept. 6, facing another postponement, and again on Sept. 15 for another delay.

New York police arrested Majors in March for the alleged assault of a former girlfriend, the district attorneys office told USA TODAY. He is facing misdemeanor five charges, including three for assault and two for harassment.

Why was Jonathan Majors arrested?

Majors' March arrest came after officers responded to a 911 call from a Manhattan apartment, where a woman told them she was "assaulted" by him. "The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition," according to the New York Police Department.

A judge granted a limited order of protection, preventing Majors and the woman from assaulting or harassing each other, on March 25 and released Majors on his own recognizance.

Throughout the case, Majors has strongly denied the accusation, claiming he was the one who was attacked "and not the other way around," Majors' attorney said.

Jonathan Majors' domestic violence trial delayed again in alleged assault case

Jonathan Majors' attorney claims he is a victim, district attorney hits back

In August, Priya Chaudhry told USA TODAY in a statement that, "For an excruciating four months, Jonathan Majors, the real victim in this shameful ordeal, has had his life, career, and reputation torn apart. Yet he remains unwavering in his determination to be absolved from this harrowing ordeal."

Chaudry added that she was submitting evidence to the district attorney  including video footage, witness testimony and written statements  "with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently."

Jonathan Majors is seen in court during a hearing in his domestic violence case, Tuesday, June 20, 2023 in New York.

Majors also filed a complaint against the alleged victim in June, leading to the start of an investigation by the NYPD. No charges have been filed against the woman.

The Manhattan district attorney's office "would decline to prosecute (the alleged victim) if she were arrested," according to a 115-page document from the district attorney's office obtained by USA TODAY Wednesday.

The document outlines New York State's case against Majors and slams the actor's attorney's statements to press.

The district attorney's office said Chaundry has accused prosecutors of "racism and misandry," lied about a video of the incident "when in fact no video exists" and misrepresented witness statements and statements made by the district attorney's office. As a result, they are requesting "all discussions regarding discovery be memorialized in writing or within court records."

In March, Majors' attorney said she would be submitting evidence to the district attorney including "video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations."

The alleged videos have not been released. USA TODAY previously requested a copy.

Chaudry also stated that there was a "double standard between the treatment of Jonathan Majors, a Black man weighing 200 lbs, and his accuser," adding that it "highlights the racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system."

Jonathan Majors accused of physical, emotional abuse in new report: What to know before trial

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Majors' trial sets date: Judge denies to dismiss charges
The East African force has faced heavy criticism from DR Congo for failing to stop the violence

A Kenyan soldier attached to the East African force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed following clashes with rebels.

DR Congo spokesman Patrick Muyaya told the BBC the soldier had died on Tuesday during fighting between the regional forces and M23 rebels in Kibumba area.

There was no immediate comment from the Kenyan authorities.

It is the first death reported among the Kenyan troops since they joined the force last year.

A statement from the DR Congo army condemned the killing, blaming it on the M23.

It said the rebels fired a mortar targeting positions of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

Sources have denied initial reports the Kenyan soldier was killed in an ambush, saying he was killed by a stray mortar bomb.

The DR Congo army said the attack was aimed at "creating a misunderstanding" between it and the EACRF.

The M23 rebels did not immediately react to the accusation but have issued a statement accusing government forces of breaking the ceasefire.

Fighting has resumed recently between the M23 rebels and a pro-government self-defence militia known as Wazalendo in parts of North Kivu province.

The regional force has faced heavy criticism from DR Congo for failing to stop the violence.

DR Congo has said it will not be renewing the EACRF mandate, due to end in December.

Kenya has contributed more than 1,000 soldiers to the mission, which also includes troops from Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi.

Additional reporting from Ian Wafula in Nairobi and Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa
OTTAWA COUNTY  During questioning of key witnesses in a legislative hearing that could see the termination of Ottawa County Health Officer Adeline Hambley, a separate hiring decision was discussed.

It was the hiring of 23-year-old Jordan Epperson, now executive aide to the county administrator. At question was whether Epperson was the best candidate for the job. And as it was discussed, one of the other candidates, Ryan Kimball, filed a lawsuit.

County Administrator John Gibbs speaks with Corporate Counsel Jack Jordan ahead of the board's meeting Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.

Kimball, 49, was a finalist for the aide position this summer. He filed a lawsuit in Ottawa County's 20th Circuit Court on Tuesday, Oct. 24, alleging age discrimination after County Administrator John Gibbs hired Epperson over him despite Kimball being more qualified.

In the lawsuit, Kimball's attorneys, Robert Howard and Bradley Glazier of the Grand Rapids-based Bos and Glazier, argue Gibbs, and therefore the county, violated Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, age discrimination is treating an applicant or employee less favorably because of his or her age. There are specific legal protections afforded to individuals over the age of 40. The law prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment, including hiring and firing.

Howard and Glazier say Gibbs violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by saying he wanted Epperson for the job because he was "young" and could be "bossed around."

Those listening to Hambley's termination hearing on Tuesday heard testimony from former county deputy administrator Patrick Waterman, as well as current human resources director Marcie VerBeek.

New administrative aide Jordan Epperson walks to his seat in the conference room Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.

Hambley's attorney, Sarah Riley-Howard of Grand Rapids-based Pinskey Smith (no relation to Rob Howard), questioned both about their interactions with Hambley over the course of 2023, but Howard also asked about the hiring process for Epperson earlier this summer.

Waterman, who resigned in July citing a strained working relationship with Gibbs and a "lack of effective leadership" by the new board of commissioners, said he was present during the hiring process for the aide position and had concerns about Epperson over "certain behaviors" he showed during his interviews.

H: During both rounds of interviews, Mr. Epperson mentioned political goals of Ottawa Impact.

W: To my recollection, Mr. Epperson raised support for Ottawa Impact in his interviews.  Sarah Leach  (@SentinelLeach) October 24, 2023

"To my recollection, Mr. Epperson raised support for Ottawa Impact in his interviews," Waterman testified Tuesday.

Ottawa Impact is a far-right fundamentalist group formed in 2021 in response to school mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. OI now controls a six-seat majority on the 11-member board  down since infighting caused at least one member to sever his relationship with the group. Two other conservatives on the board have publicly distanced themselves.

Sarah Howard asked Waterman what concerns he had, referencing a comment VerBeek made during her testimony that Epperson refused to shake the hands of the women on the interviewing committee: herself and finance director Karen Karasinski.

"That was one issue," Waterman replied. "There was another issue about ethics. He said, 'Ethics depend on who you are working for.' I thought that was a concerning answer."

Waterman said he asked Epperson if government positions were political.

"He said, 'Absolutely.' There also were concerns about qualifications," Waterman testified.

The new aide position, which expanded a previous executive assistant position, was narrowly approved by the board in March. When seeking approval, Gibbs said after two months on the job, it was "like drinking through a firehose."

The upgrade came at a cost of $37,349.08. According to the job description Gibbs wrote and posted in March, the preferred candidate would have:

A master in business administration from an accredited institution, with specific experience in strategic management, innovation, and marketing/branding

A slot on the Dean's List or Honor Roll

An undergraduate major or minor from an accredited institution in an analytical or engineering discipline (strongly preferred)

Experience working internationally at the nonprofit level (strongly preferred)

At least two years of experience serving on a major board

Of the five mandatory criteria the county sought, Epperson has one  a bachelor's degree.

Kimball holds a master's degree, has experience in strategic management, made the Dean's List for both his bachelor's and master's programs, has experience working at the international nonprofit level, has served at least two years on a major board and has experience in management and finance.

The Sentinel reported in early September that heavily redacted emails indicated differences of opinion as to who should've been offered the job.

More: Heavily redacted emails suggest Ottawa aide's hire was contested

The emails between Gibbs and VerBeek show Gibbs directing VerBeek on June 15 to make an offer to Epperson.

"After much deliberation, I have decided to move forward with the next steps in the process for hiring Jordan Epperson for the senior executive aide position," Gibbs wrote.

The next day, VerBeek asked for an additional meeting with the hiring committee "to discuss options prior to moving forward with the hiring process." Her statements were almost entirely redacted by corporation counsel. Only two sentences were released of the two-page email, along with a chart showing Epperson's qualifications as they compared to the other finalist, which was Kimball.

Counsel Jack Jordan told The Sentinel the comments were redacted because "communications and notes within a public body or between public bodies of an advisory nature are exempt to the extent that they cover other than purely factual materials and are preliminary to a final agency determination of policy or action."

The Sentinel is currently appealing the denial of that FOIA request.

When Sarah Howard asked which candidate the committee recommended, Waterman said Kimball "would probably be the preferred candidate of choice."

When asked if Gibbs mentioned Epperson's age and "bossing him around," Waterman testified the comment "was made in the first interview when we asked him what it was about Mr. Epperson that he liked. We all said age shouldn't make a difference."

H: Mr. Gibbs said something like he wanted to select Mr. Epperson because he was young and could boss him around.

W: That comment was made in the first interview when we asked him what it was about Mr. Epperson that he liked. We all said age shouldn't make a difference.  Sarah Leach  (@SentinelLeach) October 24, 2023

While she was testifying, VerBeek said the selection committee did not select Epperson to advance to the second round and that Gibbs added him to the pool.

She confirmed that Epperson refused to shake the hands of the female members of the committee.

H: Did Mr. Gibbs insist on having Epperson?

V: He added. I wouldn't say insisted.

H: Is it true Mr. Epperson didn't shake the hands of any women in that interview the committee had with him?

V: That is correct.  Sarah Leach  (@SentinelLeach) October 24, 2023

"The selection committee did not pick Mr. Epperson to go on to a second round, correct?" Sarah Howard asked.

"Correct," VerBeek replied.

"And Mr. Gibbs instructed you to include him in the second interview, correct?" Howard asked.

"Correct," VerBeek replied.

VerBeek confirmed during her testimony that Gibbs did, in fact, say he would be able to "boss" Epperson around during a meeting of the selection committee.

"And you were concerned enough to send an email outlining your concerns, correct?" Howard asked.

"Yes," VerBeek replied.

"You were concerned that hiring Mr. Epperson could lead to unlawful discrimination?" Howard asked.

"I had concerns, yes," VerBeek replied.

Waterman also testified to his recollection of VerBeek's email.

"If I recall, that email said the age remark was a possible liability to the county," Waterman said. "I want to point out that Mr. Gibbs defined that position himself."

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Gibbs has never responded to The Sentinel's requests for comment. He is expected to testify in the Hambley termination hearing's second day on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Kimball's lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress, as well as attorney fees and any costs for expert witnesses. The lawsuit also seeks an injunction prohibiting "any further acts of wrongdoing or retaliation."

 Sarah Leach is executive editor for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Lawsuit: Gibbs committed age discrimination in hiring executive aide
Elections officials from across Arizona say a new lawsuit to ban unstaffed ballot drop boxes could result in thousands in extra costs for counties and less accessibility for voters.

The suit, filed in Yavapai County this week by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, alleges unmanned ballot drop boxes are illegal because there is no state statute specifically authorizing their use outside of established polling places. The conservative grassroots organization has challenged a variety of statewide voting practices in court.

The complaint questions whether Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes can include rules for such drop boxes in his proposed Elections Procedures Manual. That's a document that instructs officials on how to comply with Arizona's election statutes, ensuring election practices are consistent statewide.

Drop boxes were first permitted statewide by the 2019 Elections Procedures Manual, Fontes said. That version of the rulebook remains in effect today and was approved by former Gov. Doug Ducey and former Attorney General Mark Brnovich, both Republicans.

Read the document: Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Adrian Fontes

The suit points to a recent case in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court found unstaffed drop boxes weren't allowed under state law. It attacks the integrity of Arizona's drop boxes, even though Fontes and other election officials maintain that they are safe and secure.

Yavapai County's boxes each have different keys and include fire suppression mechanisms, said Chief Deputy Recorder Karen McCracken. Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis said her drop boxes are GPS-tracked. In Maricopa County, they are equipped with tamper-proof tabs, said Recorder Stephen Richer.

All three of the counties said their drop boxes are under constant security camera surveillance and that bipartisan teams transport ballots from the boxes to election officials.

Fontes said the drop boxes are permissible, noting state law allows him to prescribe rules-setting procedures on early voting and ballot collection. In a statement, he pledged to "vigorously fight against any attempt to take away a voters right to use a ballot drop box."

Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot Mussi and longtime Republican attorney Tim LaSota, who is representing the group in the case, did not return The Arizona Republic's requests for comment on the suit.

How the suit could impact counties

Most Arizona counties offer at least a handful of ballot drop boxes.

Some are located inside polling places and are only accessible when those sites are open. Others are located outdoors and are available for voters at all times.

They are "very popular" with voters, McCracken said. Yavapai County, where voters overwhelmingly backed former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, provides 19 of them.

"This is what voters want," said Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis, who added that she is "dismayed" by the lawsuit. "It's not a Republican or Democratic thing."

Lewis said camera surveillance ensures her drop boxes are just as secure as they would be if her office paid workers to stand nearby and watch them. The cameras mean that she doesn't have to worry about her staff enduring Arizona's often brutal weather conditions, she said.

She and other officials also rebuffed the lawsuit's claim that ballot drop boxes are less secure than postal boxes that voters can use to mail back their ballots.

If the suit prevails, officials from various counties said they would likely need to staff outdoor drop boxes with bipartisan teams.

To staff boxes with two seasonal election workers at all hours throughout Arizona's maximum 27-day voting period, The Republic determined that Yavapai County could end up paying more than $465,000. In Pinal County, that number is about $175,000, and it totals about $35,000 for Maricopa County.

The costs vary based on how many outdoor drop boxes each county currently provides and how much election officials generally pay temporary workers.

Richer said he might consider closing Maricopa County's two outdoor drop boxes if he were required to staff them.

"I don't think it would be a great cost benefit," he said.

A voter delivers his ballot to a drop box at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in downtown Phoenix on Nov. 7, 2022.

McCracken said it would be extremely difficult to staff her county's drop boxes at all times.

"It kind of boggles my mind that we would have to man them," she said. "I don't know that it could be a 24/7 operation. I don't really know how many people would want to be there after dark, outside in the elements."

Drop box monitors

The suit comes after groups of people surveilled drop boxes in Maricopa and Yavapai counties during the 2022 midterms.

The monitors  with lawn chairs, pizza, video cameras, and sometimes firearms  captured media attention and ultimately became one of the defining images of the election cycle.

A group of people watch a woman deposit a ballot at the Maricopa County early ballot drop box on Oct. 24, 2022, in Mesa.

Their activities resulted in scores of voter complaints to election officials and sparked a lawsuit in which a federal judge chose to grant an emergency order temporarily limiting observers' search for ballot "mules" and voting scofflaws.

The suit references those incidents, arguing that unstaffed drop boxes increase the possibility of voter intimidation.

Richer said he doesn't believe the lawsuit does anything to help protect election integrity.

Maricopa County elections 2023: What to know about the November city and school district elections

He wouldn't speculate on why the Arizona Free Enterprise Club might be bringing its lawsuit against ballot drop boxes or on the legal merits of the case. But Richer connected both last year's monitors and a general distrust of Arizona's drop boxes to the film "2,000 Mules."

That movie states, without proof, that widespread ballot harvesting occurred during the 2020 presidential election. Although the claim has been repeatedly debunked, its influence remains widespread.

"I think a lot of right-of-center groups feel an obligation to try to litigate wherever possible with respect to elections," Richer said. "I don't think that this does anything for the health of the process or for the integrity of the process."

On Tuesday, Gov. Katie Hobbs' Elections Task Force backed a proposal to provide some protection for voters who use ballot drop boxes. But the members stayed away from endorsing the use of drop boxes, noting any such effort was unlikely to get bipartisan support in the state Legislature.

Instead, the task force recommended that laws be amended to ensure that protections against voter intimidation and interference be applied to any method voters use to return their ballot.

Their recommendation acknowledged the problems with drop boxes in the 2022 elections and suggested a repeat is probable.

"Without any clear statutes expressly addressing activities near drop boxes, there is potential for escalation and increased tensions in future elections," the report stated.

Republic reporter Mary Jo Pitzl contributed to this article.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share on elections or voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suit to staff drop boxes could cost AZ counties, inhibit voter access
Christian LeBlanc

Christian LeBlanc opened up about his months-long absence from The Young and the Restless in a heartbreaking new interview.

While speaking with CBS affiliate 4WWL in New Orleans, the 65-year-old actor revealed that his prolonged absence is due to a recent cancer diagnosis.

According to statements made by LeBlanc, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in the bone marrow, back in June.

"I'd never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year," he said during the first public conversation regarding the diagnosis. "It's a common cancer but a very fast-moving one."

>>> Sign up for Parade's Trending News newsletter and we'll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments and celebrity news everyone is talking about <<<

LeBlanc went on to share some of the symptoms he experienced that suggested he may have something going on with his health and leading him to get diagnosed, including losing nearly 35 pounds quickly and without trying.

"I put on [my character] Michael [Baldwin]'s wedding ring and I put my hand down and the ring fell off without friction. I said, 'What an odd thing,'" he recalled.

LeBlanc explained that there were other signs, including random nose bleeds on set and problems with his eyes, that even viewers picked up on.

"My eye kind of got a little wonky," he shared, citing the issues as cause for him to visit his ophthalmologist, who discovered LeBlanc had a tumor in his sinus cavity and pressuring his optic nerve.

"The fans caught it," LeBlanc continued, "I was getting people like, 'Your eye is a little Jim Carrey that way, a little Michael this way."

Thankfully, it appears as though LeBlanc and his team of doctors caught the cancer in time for it to respond well to immunotherapy treatment, as the actor shared that five months after his diagnosis, he's in remission.

Now, he said, he's focusing on regaining his strength and the weight he lost earlier this year.

"[My doctors] said, 'Eat like it's your job,' and I said, 'I was raised to fulfill this promise," he quipped, joking about his birthplace inspiring a love for food and eating. "Louisiana, New Orleans, easily done.'"

As for his return to The Young and the Restless, well, fans won't have to wait that long as he teased he's making a comeback just in time for the series' Thanksgiving episode.

Next: 'The Young and the Restless' Star Eric Braeden Gives a Cancer Update
By Ko Dong-hwan

Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun has agreed with Qatar's Minister of Municipality Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie to launch Korea's cutting-edge smart farms in the Middle Eastern country to grow fresh produce in what is a desert country, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wednesday.

Chung met Al Subaie in Doha, Tuesday (local time), and agreed to jointly pursue research and development to introduce smart farms to the country. Qatar has been seeking ways to domestically produce fresh vegetables, fruit and livestock feed despite the unhospitable climate. Smart farms, the agriculture ministry said, are the very solution to the country's concerns.

Chung made a request to Al Subaie that Korean companies in the field of smart farms and related industries join Qatar's future initiatives in introducing the facilities locally. Chung, during the conversation, introduced Korea's "smart farm innovative valleys," R&D centers that teach about smart farm technologies and test the technologies' feasibility in local environments.

Chung talked with Al Subaie about the Qatari with Al Subaie about the Qatari government jointly investing in the localized smart farm project with the Korean government. Al Subaie showed interest in how Korea's agricultural technologies have evolved and said that, seeing the project will benefit both countries, Qatar will cooperate with Korea in developing smart farm technologies, the agriculture ministry said.

"Qatar is eager to introduce its own manufacturing infrastructure for the country's key fresh produce like tomatoes and cucumbers as part of the country's national goal for food security," Chung said. "We have signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation regarding the introduction of smart farms in Qatar. Steps to follow up on include a Seoul visit by Qatari businesspeople and experts involved in the industry and Korean smart farm researchers' visit to Qatar."
Qorianka Kilcher

With Paramount's fan-favorite series Yellowstone coming to an end soonminus star Kevin Costner who won't return for the final six episodes of Season 5Bthe cast is busy lining up their next gigs.

Actress Qorianka Kilcher, who plays no-holds-barred lawyer and business consultant Angela Blue Thunder, recently landed a prime role in Unholy Trinity, an upcoming Western starring Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson.

The movie, based on a script by Lee Zachariah, takes place in 1870s Montana moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway for a crime he didn't commit.

Isaac implores his estranged son, Henry (Brandon Lessard) to murder the man who framed him. Intent on fulfilling this mission, Henry finds himself in the town of Trinity where a series of events leaves him caught between the new sheriff Gabriel Dove (Brosnan) and a mysterious figured named St. Christopher (Jackson).

Kilcher plays a character named Running Cub, but that's about all we know about her so far.

Q'orianka Kilcher Paramount Network

On Yellowstone, Kilcher had a multi-episode arc over several seasons as a business consultant to Broken Rock Reservation Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham).

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Yellowstone, Including When Season 5 Returns

Kilcher began acting in her teens, garnering critical raves for her portrayal of Pocahontas opposite Colin Farrell and Christian Bale in the Terrence Malick film, The New World. A chameleon of an actress, she is almost unrecognizable in an episode of Longmire as Ayasha Roundstone, a developmentally challenged teen who is a victim of rape in a case Longmire is investigating. The Princess Kaiulani actress co-wrote and stars in the upcoming thriller, Yesteryear about a Native American actress who begins to psychologically unravel during the pandemic quarantine. The stellar Yesteryear cast also includes Scott Haze, Wes Studi and Nick Cassavetes. Production is completed, according to IMDB.

Unholy Trinity is currently in production under an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA. The Western is being filmed at the Yellowstone Film Ranch (no relation to Taylor Sheridan's show) in Montana.
INSTITUTE - There are other ways to find a lifelong career in Door County besides working in tourism, hospitality and the arts. Like machining, for example.

A year-old program for Peninsula high school students aims to give them a head start in that much-needed trade locally with immediate job skills and post-graduation credits, and one business says it's already bearing fruit.

Sevastopol High School senior Alex Andreae operates a CNC (computer numerical control) machine to cut precise slots into a metal block in a class for the Door County Machining Program at Sevastopol School.

Launched last October, the Door County Machining Program teaches metal fabrication and CNC (computer numerical control) machining skills to participating juniors and seniors from Sevastopol, Sturgeon Bay, Southern Door and Gibraltar high schools. The hands-on program is run by the Sturgeon Bay campus of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in partnership with the school districts and local businesses that sponsor its tuition, with the lab at Sevastopol.

Those who graduate from the two-semester program learn to read blueprints; basic machining operations like working on lathes and manual mills, drill presses and surface grinders; set up and operate precision instruments like micrometers; do G-code computer programming for CNC machines; and basic CNC machine operations. They also earn credits toward both high school graduation and a technical diploma program at NWTC.

The need for such a program is immediate in Door County, where manufacturing plays a large role in the economy not just locally but across the state and machinists are necessary to make that happen. October is recognized as Manufacturing Month in Wisconsin, and state figures say manufacturing is the largest contributor to its economy, accounting for nearly 19% of its total economic output and employing about one in six Wisconsin workers.

And people with CNC machining skills, or who want to learn them, currently are in high demand in Door County.

"CNC machining is one of the fastest-growing industries in Door County right now," said Garrett Sowl, program instructor and CNC machinist at Therma-Tron-X in Sturgeon Bay. "There are around 10 businesses in the county that are machine shops or have machining, so there are tons of job opportunities.

"What the program does is give (students) these entry-level skills to start working right away.  It's really a great thing for local businesses."

Chris Moore, president/CEO of N.E.W. Industries in Sturgeon Bay, noted that today, just about everything a person uses in their lives owes at least some part of its existence to CNC programming.

"What you find is if you learn to be a machinist, you'll almost always be employed," Moore said. "It's such a sought-after skill.  The single biggest constraint in our business is having enough people to run those machines."

Sowl said one of the biggest hopes of the CNC program is to help slow "brain drain" from Door County, offering high schoolers about to graduate a chance to make a career on the Peninsula instead of moving away.

"So many kids graduate high school, go to (college) somewhere else, then leave the county," Sowl said. "This can help keeping our workforce local.

"I'd like to see students start working at the companies that sponsor this program. I'd like to see some payout into the community  students take the program, stay in the community, have a career in the community. That's why this was created."

Instructor Garrett Sowl, right, helps student Bradan Wessel of Southern Door High School shape a piece of metal on a lathe in a class for the Door County Machining Program at Sevastopol School.

The high school program has been positive for N.E.W. Industries, Moore said.

"It gives students a chance to get some familiarity with what CNC machines are, and to find out if they have potential interest in doing it long-term," he said. "For us, it's an obvious fit. When you have students realize they have some interest in CNC machine operation, now they have the chance in high school to learn about it."

People looking for work with a local manufacturer might be able to get hired without CNC experience currently  "A lot of places, they're hiring bodies right now just to fill the jobs," Sowl said. But Moore said there's a significant difference between new employees who've studied CNC machining in school and those who learn on the job.

"One of the most important things is, they've already established their interest and aptitude in it," Moore said. "How CNC machines work, how to read the drawings  they're well in advance of someone just coming in off the street.

"When people come in with no CNC background, you're talking about at least a year, maybe two years. And the learning never stops. It all just continues to move so fast."

While the program focuses on CNC machining, Sowl said it also can serve as a feeder into other manufacturing-based programs or jobs, such as becoming a welder or electrician. Of the five students from its inaugural year of 2022-23, two are students this year at NWTC in diesel mechanics and information technology while a third is committed to finishing the CNC program at NWTC.

Moore said N.E.W. been involved with training high school students at some level since he bought the company in 2000. He said N.E.W. currently has four high school students working there in something resembling an apprenticeship, including a student in Sowl's class.

Bradan Wessel, a senior at Southern Door High School, works on a CNC machine at N.E.W. Industries in Sturgeon Bay. Wessel is a student in the countywide Door County Machining Program for high school students and has worked with N.E.W. since July 2022.

And he looks forward to what the countywide NWTC program can provide to his business and other manufacturers and machine shops in Door County.

"It's an association that just makes absolute sense for people who want to be involved with that kind of technology," Moore said. "It's just a win-win for both students and us."

FYI

The Door County Machining Program runs for two semesters at Sevastopol School and can accept up to 12 students per semester. It is open to juniors and seniors attending Sevastopol, Sturgeon Bay, Southern Door or Gibraltar high schools. For more information, call Sevastopol principal Troy Schaefer at 920-743-6282 or NWTC Sturgeon Bay coordinator Susan Baus at 920-746-4901 or visit nwtc.edu.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

MORE:Door County shipyard christens new articulated liquefied natural gas bunker barge

MORE: Door County bridge to close for two days, including Halloween, for annual maintenance

MORE: Halloween in Door County: Here's your kids' parties, events and trick-or-treat times

MORE: Fish leather, dog treats: Door County fish companies pledge to use 100% of the fish they catch

FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County industries need machinists, so high school program helps
The silence of Benjamin Netanyahu is deafening as the world waits for a potential Israeli ground offensive in Gaza.

Eighteen days have passed since more than 2,000 Hamas militants terrorized Israelis, murdering families, killing concertgoers, taking hostages and killing 1,400 people in the bloodiest terrorist attack in the nations history. Within hours, Israel declared war on Hamas and began pummeling Gaza with airstrikes that have killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials.

Prime Minister Netanyahu formed a unity war Cabinet, called up 360,000 Israel Defense Forces reservists and lined up thousands of tanks and armored vehicles along the Gaza border. Then a hurry up and wait mentality spread around the world, with each day bringing another delay of the ground offensive that Netanyahu knows will cost many Israeli lives.

Complicating matters, according to a senior government official, is that Netanyahu has not settled on an exit plan for how and when Israeli ground forces will leave Gaza. Meetings have so far focused primarily on day-to-day military operations.

Follow live coverage from NBC News here.

Israel's next move could further define the legacies of Netanyahu and other leaders.

Almost everyone making decisions on this knows they bear some responsibility for the disaster of Oct. 7th, whether thats the political leadership or the military and security leadership, said Robert Satloff, the Howard P. Berkowitz chair in U.S. Middle East policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies. They all know that how Israel performs in this next phase is their last chance to write what may be their final chapter in public life.

Israeli national security officials have acknowledged that there will be inquiries and an accounting for Oct. 7 in the future. Leaders across Israel will come under intense scrutiny for the intelligence and policy failures that allowed for the unprecedented terrorist attack.

Officials are also under pressure to save as many of the 220 Israeli and foreign hostages held in Hamas underground labyrinth of tunnels in Gaza.

Thats a huge added dose of anxiety and tension into what is already a tense and anxious, and what is a politically fraught, moment, Satloff said. Add it all up and they havent made a decision to go in yet.

Palestinians look for survivors after the Israeli bombardment in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza. (Hatem Moussa / AP)

American officials have supported Israels desire to destroy Hamas while also putting pressure on Israeli leaders to proceed with caution, minimize civilian casualties and try to free hostages.

If Washington thinks they have an ability to squeeze more hostages out in advance of a ground invasion by working with Egypt and Qatar, they will seek to do that, said Jonathan Lord, a senior fellow and the director of the Middle East Security program at the Center for New American Security in Washington.

Hamas would seek to let hostages out in dribs and drabs to forever delay a ground invasion, he said. But on the flip side, if the U.S. can use the leverage of a pending ground invasion to twist Hamas arm to let more people out, theyre going to try.

U.S. and international pressure has also helped secure the arrival of aid trucks to Gaza. Originally, part of President Bidens visit to the region was to set up a pathway to get aid to the public in Gaza, Lord added. Trucks have been coming in. Its obviously insufficient to need but its not nothing."

Netanyahu must be cautious, too, because of the danger a ground invasion poses to Israels own troops, which could die in large numbers. There is the risk of stepping into a very dangerous trap, warned a former Israeli senior security official, explaining the caution.

Israeli officials also need to be cautious about committing large numbers of ground troops to Gaza when tensions with Hezbollah  another Iran-backed proxy  have escalated. Hezbollah could attack Israeli forces from Lebanon and open a northern front. Nobody has an appetite for two fronts at this point, the official said.

Iran-backed militias are also active in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. On Tuesday, U.S. military officials announced that two dozen American military personnel were wounded last week in a series of drone attacks at U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by Iran-backed forces.

Privately, U.S. officials have pressed Israel to think about what comes in Gaza after Hamas. Some in Israel hope to see a multilateral administration in Gaza with reconstruction funds from Arab states. Others hope that the Palestinian Authority could govern Gaza.

But the truth is that no one knows what entities would have legitimacy in the eyes of Gazans if Hamas is destroyed. And what role, if any, regional actors would be comfortable playing. Netanyahus government has not yet publicly articulated a long-term plan.

Their success is just as much going to be determined by their planning for the end game as the operational planning for the start, Lord said.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters outside the White House (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mark Meadows, the ex-North Carolina congressman who served as Donald Trumps White House chief of staff during his last year in office, has told prosecutors that he personally warned Mr Trump that claims of fraud tainting the 2020 election had no basis in reality.

According to ABC News, Mr Meadows admitted that the then-president had been dishonest with the American public when he began floating the outrageous allegations in the wake of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden during one of several sessions with prosecutors  including sworn testimony before a federal grand jury.

The former top White House aide reportedly told prosecutors: Obviously we didnt win.

Mr Meadows admissions that Mr Trump had lost the election and his concession that the loss was not tainted by fraud contradicts much of what he has recounted about that time period in his book, The Chiefs Chief.

He has also repeatedly parroted the ex-presidents baseless claims in interviews with right-wing media outlets.

But Mr Meadows has taken a different tack in his sessions with Mr Smiths office, as well as during a session before a grand jury during which he gave evidence under a grant of immunity.

The Independent first reported that Mr Meadows had reached an agreement to be granted immunity with Mr Smiths office in June, just days before Mr Trump was first indicted by a South Florida federal grand jury on charges that he unlawfully retained national defence information and conspired to obstruct a federal probe into how hundreds of documents with classified markings ended up at his Palm Beach, Florida beach club long after his presidency  and his authorisation to possess such documents  had come to a close.
Hurricane Otis has made landfall on the coast of southern Mexico, bringing wind speeds of up to 165mph (270km/h).

It touched down near the popular Acapulco resort just after midnight on Wednesday (06:25 GMT), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Authorities have warned of a life-threatening storm surge and the possibility of landslides as heavy rain pelts the area.

The storm has already begun to weaken as it moves inland.

David Hall arrived at the Princess Mundo Imperial resort in Acapulco for a work conference hours before Otis made landfall. He told the BBC that the building had been damaged by the wind and rain.

He said the hotel room windows buckled from the force of the winds and smashed, sucking items out of the room.

Mr Hall, who is from the Mexican city of Colima, roughly 600km (372 miles) from Acapulco, said the building "shivered" as if an earthquake was happening.

He and hundreds of other guests at the hotel have been hunkering down together while the worst of the hurricane passes.

"A lot of people are scared," said Mr Hall.

A hurricane warning is in effect for a 350km-long stretch of coastline between the coastal towns of Zihuatanejo and Punta Maldonado in the state of Guerrero.

Power outages have already been reported in Guerrero, according to Mexico's civil protection body. School classes across the state were cancelled in preparation for the storm's arrival.

Unverified videos posted online show damage to a hospital in Acapulco and flooding outside the Copacabana hotel.

Mexico's national water agency said that waves of up to 10 metres high (32ft) were expected on the coasts of Guerrero and in western Oaxaca state. Possible mudslides have also been forecast.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there was "material damage and blocked roads" and that there were landslides on the highway to Acapulco.

He said there were no reports of deaths but cautioned that authorities were struggling to get updates.

"The hurricane is still affecting the area and communications are completely down," he said.

Officials said that it was difficult to gauge the extent of the damage in Acapulco, which has a population of around 780,000, given poor communications.

The NHC also said that Otis was expected to produce up to 20in (51cm) of rainfall on Friday across Guerrero and western coastal areas of the neighbouring Oaxaca state.

Scientists said the speed with which Otis intensified from a tropical storm into a category five hurricane - the highest level of storm - on Tuesday was rare.

It broke the record for the fastest intensification rate over a 12-hour period in the Eastern Pacific, gaining 80mph in that time, according to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.

Parts of Mexico's Pacific coastline have already seen significant flooding earlier this month after Tropical Storm Max hit. Local media reported two deaths as a result of the storm in Guerrero.

A few days later, one man was reported killed after powerful Hurricane Lidia made landfall in the state of Nayarit, north-west of Guerrero.
JACKSON, Miss.  Seven months of searching for her lost son brought Bettersten Wade to a dirt road leading into the woods, past an empty horse stable and a scrapyard.

The last time shed seen her middle child, Dexter Wade, 37, was on the night of March 5, as he left home with a friend. She reported him missing, and Jackson police told her theyd been unable to find him, she said.

It wasnt until 172 excruciating days after his disappearance that Bettersten learned the truth: Dexter had been killed less than an hour after hed left home, struck by a Jackson police car as he crossed a nearby interstate highway. Police had known Dexters name, and hers, but failed to contact her, instead letting his body go unclaimed for months in the county morgue.

Now it was early October, and Bettersten had finally been told where she could find her son.

She pulled up to the gates of the Hinds County penal farm, her sister in the passenger seat. A sheriffs deputy and two jumpsuited inmates in a pickup told her to follow them.

They bounced down the road and curved into the woods, crawling past clearings where rows of small signs jutted from the earth, each marked with a number.

Image: Bettersten Wade arrives to a burial site with numbered markers at the Hinds County Jail penal farm. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Girl, look at this, Bettersten, 65, said to her sister. Would you believe they would bury someone out here?

The caravan came to the end of the road, at another clearing with more markers. The deputy took one of Betterstens hands, her daughter the other, and they walked to the mounds of loosely packed dirt. They stopped at grave No. 672.

Really? Bettersten said.

She bent over, hands on her knees. She cried out, her voice echoing off the surrounding trees. Im sorry, baby. Im so sorry.

Image: A childhood photo of Dexter Wade. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Growing up in Jackson, Dexter was a sweet little boy, sharp with computers, a leader among classmates, a lover of nice clothes, a dreamer who hoped one day to run his own business refurbishing old cars.

That went awry in his teens, when he got lost under the influence of older men who stole cars and did drugs, Bettersten said. A single mother of three who worked at night, Bettersten said she wasnt always around for Dexter. But she always bailed him out of jail, and he always returned home, Bettersten said.

Image: Dexter Wade and his daughters, Johnelle and Joselyn (Courtesy Wade Family)

Although Dexters boyhood aspirations did not come true, he and a girlfriend, Candice Thomas, had two daughters who remained a bright spot for him, even after the couples romantic relationship dissolved, even after Dexter served two stints in prison, one for attempted auto theft and the other for armed robbery, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He was released in 2017.

When he got out, Dexter remained friends with Thomas and was a committed father, she said. Although Thomas had full legal custody, Dexter talked to his daughters often and visited them in Gulfport three hours away. During the summers, they came to stay with him at Betterstens home in Jackson.

He was sweet and loving, especially when it came to the kids, Thomas said.

But prison had clearly damaged him. You could look in his eyes and see he wasnt the same person, Thomas said. I could tell he was struggling mentally.

Dexter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, Bettersten said. After starting medication, he decreased his illegal drug intake and stayed at home most of the day, cleaning and taking care of the yard. He liked to give homemade ice pops to kids on their street, handed food to people who didnt have homes and occasionally sold sodas and chips in the neighborhood. He rarely left the house for more than a day or two without calling, Bettersten said. He never showed signs of wanting to hurt himself.

He didnt seem like he was in a bad place, Bettersten said. But I dont know what happened that particular day.

Image: Bettersten Wade near the highway road where her son, Dexter, was fatally run over by police near Jackson, Miss., in March. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

On March 5, Bettersten, a retired Nissan line technician who worked part-time as a home health aide, returned home and found one of her windows broken. She and Dexter argued about it, and around 7:30 p.m. he left with a friend, she said.

Days passed without a word. On March 14, Bettersten called the Jackson Police Department to report him missing.

The decision to call the police was difficult for Bettersten. She did not trust them. In 2019, her 62-year-old brother died after a Jackson officer slammed him to the ground. The officer was convicted of manslaughter but is appealing.

Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing Jackson officers of excessive force and attempting to cover up their actions, and accusing the city of failing to properly train and supervise the officers. The city has denied the claims and said it isnt liable for what happened. The officers lawyer said they acted responsibly and lawfully. A federal judge dismissed some of Betterstens claims; others remain pending in state court.

Bettersten said her mother advised her not to call the police about Dexter.

My mama told me, Theyre not going to do anything, Bettersten recalled. But I had to do something to find Dexter, and I thought that was the best way.

An investigator came to Betterstens house and took a statement, she said. She emailed the investigator a picture of Dexter. He left a card with a case number on it. Two days later, she emailed a different investigator another photo of her son. The original investigator filed an incident report that misspelled Dexters name as "Dester."

Bettersten said she kept in regular touch with police, asking for updates and requesting that they put his picture on TV. She did her own search, checking out abandoned homes and driving around her neighborhood asking if anyone had seen him (she never found the friend who left home with him).

Dexters teen daughters and their mother grew frantic, calling Bettersten for news. The girls would ask, Did you hear from my daddy? Thomas said. We just kept praying he was all right.

Carey Banks, a close friend of Betterstens, accompanied her on searches of the neighborhood and watched as stress and desperation wore on her.

She called someone every week and asked about her child, Banks said. She couldnt get it off her mind. She was crazy about that boy.

Each time she called, police told her they had no information, Bettersten said.

It turned out that the Jackson Police Department had the answers all along.

Image: Flowers near the highway road where Dexter was killed. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

The department did not respond to detailed questions and has not commented on or explained how it handled Dexters death. This account has been pieced together with interviews with his family and a coroners investigator, along with court records and documents provided in response to public records requests: a crash report, incident reports and coroners office records. Bettersten also shared personal notes, emails, Dexters death certificate, a coroners report and case information cards provided to her by police.

Those materials show that just before 8 p.m. on March 5, Dexter was walking across Interstate 55, a six-lane highway, when a Jackson police SUV driven by an off-duty corporal struck him in the southbound lanes.

The corporal, who alerted police to the collision, was not injured. He was not suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and was not given field sobriety tests. Nor was he cited for any traffic violations. The death was ruled accidental.

Dexter suffered severe injuries, including to his head. A toxicology report later noted that Dexter had PCP and methamphetamine in his system.

An investigator from the Hinds County coroners office responded to the scene. He did not find identification on Dexter while examining him but found a bottle of prescription medication in his pocket with his name on it.

Three days later, on March 8, the investigator, LaGrand Elliott, contacted the medical facility that had provided the prescription and received Betterstens name as Dexters next of kin, according to Elliotts case notes. Elliott said he called the number listed for Bettersten in the facilitys records and left a voicemail but got no response. Bettersten confirmed that the number Elliott said he called was correct, but she doesnt remember receiving a call from him, and was not able to access her Boost Mobile phone records to check.

Elliott confirmed Dexters identification on March 9, when the state crime lab said his fingerprints matched those it had on file for him, according to his notes. Elliott said in an interview that he passed what hed found  a phone number and an address  to the Jackson Police Departments accident investigation squad so they could notify Bettersten of Dexters death.

Once we get that information I turn it over to police because it is their jurisdiction so that they can do the proper death notification, Elliott said.

Bettersten, meanwhile, turned to Facebook, where she posted pictures of Dexter with her phone number, pleading for him or anyone who saw him to call.

On March 15, the day after Bettersten reported Dexter missing, Elliott followed up with Jackson police for updates. No kin has been located as of yet, he wrote in his notes.

Elliott made another follow-up call on March 30, and was told there was nothing new.

The following day, the coroners office asked the Hinds County Board of Supervisors for approval to bury Dexters remains in a paupers field at the Hinds County penal farm.

As that request was being filed, Bettersten posted another photo of Dexter on Facebook.

Have anyone saw my son please please call his mother.

Image: Facebook posts from Bettersten asking people to help find her son.

The Board of Supervisors approved the coroners burial request on April 3. Four days later, Elliott called Jackson police again. No new updates, he wrote in his notes.

On May 7, Bettersten posted on Facebook: Dexter if you out there your kids miss you and your family miss you. We love you we always love you.

Two days after that, Elliott called the police again for an update and was told there was none, according to his notes. He tried one last time in June and got the same response.

June 18 was Fathers Day. On Facebook, Bettersten pleaded to Dexter directly: I am trying to find you but no one knows what happens to you. I wish someone would have saw you. I love you very much please come home.

On July 14, with no one claiming Dexters body, the county buried him in a field at its penal farm among other unclaimed bodies. Bettersten was still searching. Dexter your kids miss you I miss you and your Grandma sister auntie cuz friends miss you, she wrote on Facebook on July 16. "You dont have to come home just let us know you all right. We love you."

Image: Rows of burial markers. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Through the rest of July, Bettersten said, she called missing persons investigators and got no news. The lead investigator told her he was retiring at the end of the month, and a new investigator called her Aug. 13 to say she was taking over the case, Bettersten said.

Less than two weeks later, on Aug. 24, the new investigator called to tell her she had found Dexter and that an officer would come see her in person.

When she said that, I knew he was dead, Bettersten recalled.

The officer, a member of the accident investigations unit, met Bettersten at her mothers house. Bettersten said he told her that Dexter had been hit by a police cruiser while trying to cross the highway.

Bettersten, weeping, asked the investigator for more details. He told her to call the coroners office, Bettersten said.

Bettersten found Elliott. He told her that hed known Dexters name since the day he died and had passed the information to police, Bettersten said. And he told her about the paupers burial, Bettersten said.

Bettersten couldnt understand why police told her for months they didnt have answers  when they had the truth from the start.

They had me looking for him all that time, and they knew who he was, Bettersten said.

She wondered if it had anything to do with her brothers death and her allegations against the police in that case. Maybe it was a vendetta. Maybe they buried my son to get back at me, she said.

Thomas said she and her daughters were gutted. The hardest thing I ever had to do is tell my girls that their dad is never coming back.

She added: I just want someone to answer for what happened. I want to know what really happened.

Bettersten tried to get as close as she could to the spot where Dexter died. She hoped it would help her understand what he was doing on the highway, but walking the area, which is lined with concrete barriers, did not clear anything up.

Bettersten also began to doubt the official timeline: She didnt see how Dexter could have made it from her house to the scene of the accident in less than a half hour on foot. She wondered if someone gave him a ride.

I just feel like something else must have happened, Bettersten said. It just doesnt make any sense.

When she finally found her son's gravesite, Bettersten prayed, wept and apologized to him. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Bettersten paid the coroners office a $250 fee to claim Dexters body. It took her several more weeks to figure out where he was buried  and how to find him.

She made the appointment to see his grave on a Tuesday afternoon in early October.

At plot No. 672, Bettersten asked her sister, daughter and Banks, her friend, to join her for a prayer. They clasped hands at the edge of the dirt.

Dexter, I want to tell you I am so sorry, she said, voice rising. Im so sorry this happened to you. But mama didnt know. Mama didnt know.

Image: Bettersten Wade is comforted by her sister. (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

She began to sob. I always loved you and I miss you. Farewell, baby. Farewell.

They got into their cars. Back on the dirt road, Bettersten began planning the next step in her ordeal: finding the money to get her son out of that hole and into a proper grave, a place where everybody could see his name.
Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union are demanding formal recognition of their labor union.

SPRINGS, South Africa (AP)  More than 100 miners escaped from a gold mine in South Africa on Wednesday after being held underground for three days by fellow employees in a union dispute, a company official said.

Around 450 workers remain in the mine, the official said, with an unknown number of them preventing the others from leaving as they demand formal recognition of their labor union. The company that runs the mine says it has rough estimates that around 110-120 of the miners underground might be supporters of the unregistered union and were holding the others, although it was not certain.

Miners gather at the top of a goldmine shaft on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Springs, South Africa. Police in South Africa say a group of gold miners from an unregistered, rival union are holding hundreds of colleagues underground for the second day over a union dispute. (Photo by Denis Farrell/AP)

The union  The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union  gave another version of the events and says the miners were staying underground willingly as a protest in support of the union.

Police and mine officials have called it a hostage situation.

The standoff at the Modder East mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg, began early Monday after 562 miners and other workers remained underground at the end of their night shift.

Mine officials say approximately 15 were injured in scuffles, including a man that authorities think sustained a serious head injury. When mine officials sent a paramedic and a security officer to evacuate the man from the mine, they were also taken hostage, according to the head of the mine.

On Wednesday, 109 miners forced their way out, said Ziyaad Hassam, the head of legal at Gold One International, the company that owns the mine.

This morning, they banded together and overpowered those controlling them and blocking the exits, Hassam said. They are tired, exhausted and dehydrated.

The miners who came out were giving statements to police and being examined at a clinic, but none appeared to have any serious injuries, Hassam said. He said the mine workers who were injured in scuffles earlier in the week were still underground and the standoff was continuing.

The AMCU union says it represents the majority of miners at Modder East and they want the union to be recognized. The mine currently has a closed-shop agreement for its miners to be represented by another union, the National Union of Mineworkers, or NUM.

Look, the dispute is simple, and we have been saying this for the past few days, AMCU regional secretary Tladi Mokwena said. Workers are saying they do not wish, or no longer want to belong to NUM. They want to be represented by AMCU as the trade union of their choice.

(Mine) management and NUM are refusing by all means to grant AMCU access into the operation in terms of recognition, he said.

A miner walks at the entrance of a goldmine shaft on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Springs, South Africa. A group of miners from an unregistered, rival union are holding around 500 of their colleagues underground for the second day at the mine over a union dispute. Some 15 miners have been injured in scuffles, the head of the mine said on Tuesday. (Photo by Denis Farrell/AP)

Mokwena said AMCU officials were not in contact with the mine workers underground and were not being allowed near the mine, but Hassam said underground telephones were used to call an AMCU leader.

Police sent to the mine have taken a cautious approach and not launched an operation to go underground and confront miners who might be holding others.

The rivalry between the AMCU and NUM unions is well known in South African mining circles and was partly behind one of the countrys most horrific mining episodes, when 34 striking miners were shot dead by police at a platinum mine in North West province in 2012.

Six other mineworkers, two police officers and two private security guards were killed as violence spiraled out of control at the Marikana mine in the days leading up to the mass police shooting, the most lethal use of force by South African police since the 1976 Soweto uprisings against the apartheid regime.

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The post 109 miners escape from gold mine in South Africa but others continue union standoff, official says appeared first on TheGrio.
John Stossel (left) and Sen. Rand Paul (right) | Stossel TV

Remember when Sen. Rand Paul (RKy.) accused thenWhite House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci of funding China's Wuhan virus lab?

Fauci replied, "Senator Paul, you do not know what you're talking about."

The media loved it. Vanity Fair smirked, "Fauci Once Again Forced to Basically Call Rand Paul a Sniveling Moron."

But now the magazine has changed its tune, admitting, "In Major Shift, NIH Admits Funding Risky Virus Research in Wuhan" and "Paul might have been onto something."

Then what about question two: Did COVID-19 occur because of a leak from that lab?

When Paul confronted Fauci, saying, "The evidence is pointing that it came from the lab!" Fauci replied, "I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating."

Was Paul lying? What's the truth?

The media told us COVID came from an animal, possibly a bat.

But in my new video, Paul points out there were "reports of 80,000 animals being tested. No animals with it."

Now he's released a book, Deception: The Great Covid Cover-Up, that charges Fauci and others with funding dangerous research and then covering it up.

"Three people in the Wuhan lab got sick with a virus of unknown origin in November of 2019," says Paul. The Wuhan lab is 1,000 kilometers away from where bats live.

Today the FBI, the Energy Department, and others agree with Paul. They believe COVID most likely came from a lab.

I ask Paul, "COVID came from evil Chinese scientists, in a lab, funded by America?"

"America funded it," he replies, "maybe not done with evil intentions. It was done with the misguided notion that 'gain-of-function' research was safe."

Gain-of-function research includes making viruses stronger.

The purpose is to anticipate what might happen in nature and come up with vaccines in advance. So I push back at Paul, "They're trying to find ways to stop diseases!"

He replies, "Many scientists have now looked at this and said, 'We've been doing this gain-of-function research for quite a while.' The likelihood that you create something that creates a vaccine that's going to help anybody is pretty slim to none."

Paul points out that Fauci supported "gain-of-function" research.

"He said in 2012, even if a pandemic occursthe knowledge is worth it." Fauci did write: "The benefits of such experiments and the resulting knowledge outweigh the risks."

Paul answers: "Well, that's a judgment call. There's probably 16 million families around the world who might disagree with that."

Fauci and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) didn't give money directly to the Chinese lab. They gave it to a nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance. The group works to protect people from infectious diseases.

"They were able to accumulate maybe over $100 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars, and a lot of it was funneled to Wuhan," says Paul.

EcoHealth Alliance is run by zoologist Peter Daszak. Before the pandemic, Daszak bragged about combining coronaviruses in Wuhan.

Once COVID broke out, Daszak became less eager to talk about these experiments. He won't talk to me.

"Peter Daszak has refused to reveal his communications with the Wuhan lab," complains Paul. "I do think that ultimately there is a great deal of culpability on his part. They squelched all dissent and said, 'You're a conspiracy theorist if you're saying this [came from a lab],' but they didn't reveal that they had a monetary self-incentive to cover this up," says Paul.

"The media is weirdly uncurious about this," I say to Paul.

"We have a disease that killed maybe 16 million people," Paul responds. "And they're not curious as to how we got it?"

Also, our NIH still funds gain of function research, Paul says.

"This is a risk to civilization. We could wind up with a virusthat leaks out of a lab and kills half of the planet," Paul warns.

Paul's book reveals much more about Fauci and EcoHealth Alliance. I will cover more of that in this column in a few weeks.

COPYRIGHT 2023 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.

The post 'America Funded It': Rand Paul Blasts Fauci and the Media for Suppressing the Lab Leak Theory appeared first on Reason.com.
(Reuters) -Arizona is closely monitoring the testing and use of self-driving vehicles in the state, its transportation department said on Wednesday, a day after California barred General Motors' Cruise from operating its driverless cars.

The Arizona Department of Transportation said it was aware of the announcement from California and was closely monitoring the situation.

"Public safety is our highest priority, and we are in regular communication with and closely monitoring Cruise and other companies testing and operating self-driving vehicles in Arizona," it said in a statement.

California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspended Cruise's autonomous vehicle deployment and driverless testing permit, calling the vehicles a risk to the public and saying the company had "misrepresented" the safety of the technology.

On Tuesday, the office of Los Angeles city council member Hugo Soto-Martinez said he would introduce a motion "urging officials in the state to address public safety concerns around autonomous vehicles (AVs) and rein in the expansion of robotaxis in Los Angeles." The office cited both Waymo and Cruise in the statement.

In July, the backup safety driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber test vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Arizona in 2018 pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation.

Transport departments of Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Florida, the Department of Motor Vehicles in Nevada and authorities in Dallas and Nashville did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Companies such as Cruise, Alphabet's Waymo and Uber are testing their self-driving car technology in these states and cities.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram and Juby Babu in Bengaluru and Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Anil D'Silva)
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani agreed to upgrade the two countries' relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" as they held a summit in Doha on Wednesday, the presidential office said.

The new partnership, which is an elevation from what was previously a "comprehensive partnership," calls for strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries, including by expanding diplomatic and security communication channels, and enhancing cooperation in defense and the defense industry, according to the office.

As part of the agreement, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in munitions and the defense industry, which calls for exchanging defense industry information and establishing a related joint committee, it said.

"This visit served as an opportunity to further deepen our cooperation in the energy and construction fields, which has driven South Korea-Qatar relations to this day, while expanding the horizon of our economic cooperation to diverse sectors," Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters.

"By expanding our LNG cooperation with Qatar, which plays an important role in our energy security, to the entire scope of forward and backward linkages in the LNG industry, we upgraded our partnership from one between an energy supplier and importer to a mutually beneficial cooperative partnership" he said.

The summit was held at the Amiri Diwan, the emir's office, on the second day of Yoon's two-day state visit to Qatar, which came as the two countries are set to mark the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations next year.

On the occasion of the state visit, South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Qatar's state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy signed a US$3.9 billion contract for the construction of 17 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The two leaders agreed to expand the two countries' cooperation in the LNG sector to include the construction of LNG carriers, their operation, maintenance and repair, according to the presidential office.

They also agreed on the need to expand practical cooperation to diverse areas such as infrastructure, investment, farming, shipping, culture, people-to-people exchanges and health.

In addition, the two leaders held in-depth discussions on regional and global issues.

"President Yoon said he expects Qatar, which is playing a mediator role in the region, to contribute to easing regional tensions through communication with the relevant parties, and that South Korea will play a needed role and contribute in the process," Kim said.

Yoon also requested Qatar's cooperation in the international community's firm response to North Korea's illicit nuclear and missile development.

"Emir Tamim stated his support for our Korean Peninsula policy," Kim said.

Following the summit, the two leaders attended an MOU signing ceremony which saw the conclusion of five MOUs on cooperation in smart farming, advanced technologies in the construction field, spatial information, small and medium-sized firms, and trade and investment promotion. (Yonhap)
On Tuesday, as Republicans convened for a round of votes to pick their next nominee for speaker, Rep Jared Moskowitz, an outspoken Democrat from Florida, passed by the conclave. One reporter asked if he was running for speaker and he joked that he might be able to get some votes.

Within hours, the House GOP nominated Majority Whip Tom Emmer only for him to face a revolt and summarily drop out.

But joking aside, Mr Moskowitz, who has also criticised the White House for not condemning antisemitism forcefully enough, told The Independent that the inability of the House to act on providing aid to Israel or Ukraine could hurt America from a national security standpoint.

If the Senate sends over the package, and we don't have a speaker and our number one ally is not able to get the help that they need in their time of crisis, it's definitely a national security issue, Mr Moskowitz said.

Earlier this year, Democrats roundly mocked Republicans for their inability to make Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House, even bringing in popcorn. But on Tuesday, officially three weeks since they joined eight Republicans led by Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to depose Mr McCarthy, they are exasperated at the inability to get work done.

Indeed, as Republicans met in Longworth, advocates for Israel  including someone who survived the deadly attack by Hamas earlier this month that killed 1,400 people  supporters of Palestine and lobbyists for aid to Ukraine roamed the halls of the building.

But their efforts to lobby cannot come to fruition because without a speaker, the House cannot have votes. This also comes as the House must pass some kind of spending bill to keep the government open by 17 November. But doing so would likely trigger a motion to vacate the chair and remove Mr McCarthys successor since Republicans removed him after he passed a clean stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown.

Rep Greg Casar (D-TX), who serves as the whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told The Independent that he was disappointed but not surprised by the House GOPs inability to coalesce around a nominee for speaker and said they are in a circular back-stabbing match.

And that doesn't serve everyday people, he said. So hopefully it gets results soon.

Mr Emmers downfall is the third failed speakers nomination from the House GOP. Republicans began Monday with nine nominees for speaker after Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) proved incapable of winning the gavel after three votes. Prior to that, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise removed himself as speaker designee after conservatives revolted.

Last week, when it looked like Mr Jordan would remove himself temporarily and Republicans would pass legislation to allow Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) to move spending bills, some Democrats expressed openness.

I'm in the get s*** done party, so if that means getting s*** done, count me in, Rep Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a frequent critic of Republicans, told The Independent last week.

But the proposal fell apart when conservatives adamantly opposed it, which led to Mr Jordan continuing his bid despite the lack of support.

Republicans have a thin majority, holding only 221 seats in a body of 435 members. With two vacancies in Congress at the moment, Republicans can only afford four defections on any given vote if all members are present.

That in turn came after conservatives repeatedly howled and moaned not only about passing a spending bill at the end of September, which led to 90 Republicans opposing it, requiring Democrats to vote for the bill to avoid a government shutdown. After the vote, Rep Becca Balint, a freshman Democrat from Vermont, danced and joked about how Mr McCarthy did not have the votes to enact deep spending cuts.

Similarly, earlier this year, 71 Republicans opposed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, a deal Republican leadership brokered with the Biden administration to raise the debt limit and slash spending. That required Democrats to make up the requisite votes and 165 of them voted with 145 Republicans to avoid defaulting on the nations debt.

Earlier this year, a handful of Republicans consistently opposed Mr McCarthys bid, which meant House members were only sworn in to office in the wee hours of Saturday 7 January after Republicans had to hold 15 votes before Mr McCarthy won the gavel.

But Ms Balint said that Mr McCarthys speakership papered over deeper divides within the House Republican conference.

I would say that what the McCarthy speakership was a bandaid on an open sucking chest wound, she told The Independent. That's why we're here. That was just trying to clean up for the civil war that was already brewing underneath. So it's about time they're dealing with it, but I can't believe it's taken this long.

Conversely, in every vote, Democrats have unanimously nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Shortly afterward, Republicans nominated Mr Emmer to be their choice for speaker. Four hours later, he dropped his bid.
The Biden administration is pushing for more aid to get into Gaza and signaling Israel to pause its military offensive against Hamas militants, amid concerns that days of heavy bombardment and a siege of the Palestinian enclave are creating a growing humanitarian disaster and raising the risk of a wider conflict.

At a news conference Wednesday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Joe Biden expressed strong solidarity with Israel but said the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza needed to increase, that Israel needed to do everything in its power to protect innocent civilians and condemned reports of extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank targeting Palestinians.

The presidents comments came a day after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for the first time said publicly that humanitarian pauses must be considered so that food, water, medicine and other essential humanitarian assistance can flow into Gaza.

Just last week, the administration vetoed a resolution at the U.N. Security Council calling for humanitarian pauses, saying that more time was needed for diplomacy to play out to secure aid deliveries.

A U.S. official said the shift in the administrations language was deliberate.

The White House is now backing the idea of a pause of indeterminate duration to allow for more aid to get to Gaza and to help those trying to gain safe passage out of the enclave, the official said.

The administration was trying to walk a fine line, the official said, balancing the need to support Israel and its right to defend itself after suffering a brutal surprise attack, while also acknowledging the need to create a window for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Israelis are hearing the administrations call for a humanitarian pause and it is actively being discussed, the official said. The Israelis appeared open to a pause for their own negotiations to free hostages taken by Hamas, though no final decision had been reached, the official said.

If Israel agreed to a pause, it is unclear exactly how long it would last, administration officials said.

The Israeli Embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

The president and his team have repeatedly defended Israels right to take military action against Hamas after the militants Oct. 7 attack on Israel that left 1,400 dead and more than 200 taken captive. But more than two weeks into Israels relentless air campaign in the densely populated Gaza Strip, with outrage mounting among Arab governments, the administrations public statements on the humanitarian situation have taken on an increasingly urgent tone.

Speaking at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Blinken said that the U.S. believed every civilian life was equally valuable.

There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting civilian lives. A civilian is a civilian is a civilian, no matter his or her nationality, ethnicity, age, gender, faith, Blinken said.

Injured Palestinians are taken away from destroyed buildings after Israeli airstrikes and artillery fires continue in Gaza on Oct. 25, 2023. (Ali Jadallah / Anadolu via Getty Images)

But U.S. partners in the Middle East, including those closely aligned with the U.S. who have quietly cooperated with Israel, have condemned Israel over its tactics in Gaza and rejected how Washington has portrayed the crisis.

In a speech in Cairo over the weekend, Jordans King Abdullah II accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. The relentless bombing campaign underway in Gaza as we speak is cruel and unconscionable  on every level, the king said, calling it collective punishment of a besieged and helpless people.

Jordan, other Arab governments and Russia have supported calls for an immediate cease-fire, an idea that Israel and the U.S. have rejected, saying it would play into Hamas hands after it launched an assault on civilians inside southern Israel.

At a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday, governments failed to reach a consensus on the crisis in Gaza. A U.S.-drafted resolution calling for humanitarian pauses was opposed by Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates. A resolution backed by Russia, China and the U.A.E., calling for a cease-fire, was vetoed by the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

At his news conference at the White House, Biden also used tough words to describe incidents in the West Bank in which Israeli settlers staged retaliatory attacks on Palestinians, saying the assaults had to stop now.

I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, Biden said, saying it amounted to pouring gasoline on fire.

It has to stop, said Biden. They have to be held accountable.

The White House is increasingly concerned that the actions of some Israeli settlers could open a new front in the war along the West Bank, according to two administration officials.

The presidents strong language was intentional and designed to send a crystal clear message to anyone seeking to expand the conflict to reconsider, given the possibility that tensions could spread and enflame violence further, one of the officials said.

The potential for an expanding war has been a concern for the White House since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, but until Wednesday administration officials have focused on Americas adversaries  warning Iran, for instance, not to mobilize its proxies in the region. Now, the president is warning of Israelis potentially sparking a wider conflict along the West Bank.

While the Biden administration has expressed concern over extremist settler attacks against Palestinian civilians in the past, the presidents pointed language on Wednesday marks the first time hes specifically cautioned about the potential for such violence to expand the Israel-Hamas war that began two-and-a-half weeks ago.

Theyre trying to be more empathetic and sympathetic to the whole question of innocent Palestinians being attacked, killed and injured, said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for the State Department. Miller said Bidens remarks were by any standard very strong."

The president, however, also cast doubt on Wednesday on the number of Palestinian deaths that Hamas has reported.

Meanwhile, the United Nations, which oversees aid efforts in Gaza, warned it would soon run out of fuel in Gaza and would have to scale back relief efforts in the territory unless a blockade on fuel, water and power was lifted.

Doctors at hospitals in Gaza said they were struggling to treat large numbers of wounded as Israeli air strikes continued to pummel the enclave.

The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, spoke with U.N. aid officials on Wednesday to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Power emphasized strong U.S. support for sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, and for the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, the State Department said.

Blinken traveled around the Middle East last week to try to negotiate the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza and an agreement to allow humanitarian aid in to the Palestinians in Gaza and foreign nationals out. Although some humanitarian aid trucks have been able to cross the border into Gaza, aid agencies say many more are needed given the crisis conditions.

These deliveries are a drop in the bucket compared to the vast scale of needs, Lynn Hastings, U.N. deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Security Council on Tuesday.
President Biden on Wednesday called for a concentrated effort on the part of world leaders to work toward a two-state solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, as Israels war with Hamas looks to reshape the region and leaves open questions to the future for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Biden, since entering office, had held off on launching U.S.-mediated negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to achieve a two-state solution. Instead, his administration had focused on a strategy of managing the conflict by supporting security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and restarting U.S. assistance to Palestinian civil society that was cut by the Trump administration.

Biden on Wednesday said there is no returning to the status quo in place before Hamass unprecedented attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, when the U.S.-designated terrorist group broke through Israels barrier with Gaza to brutally massacre more than 1,000 civilians and kidnap more than 200 hostages.

That means ensuring Hamas can no longer terrorize Israel and use Palestinian civilians as human shields, Biden said in remarks ahead of a press conference with Australias prime minister at the White House.

It also means that when this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next  It means a concentrated effort for all the parties, Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, global leaders, to put us on a path toward peace.

Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas, but there is little understanding of who, or what entity, will administer the Gaza Strip, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians. Hamas took complete control of the Strip in 2007, after ousting the Palestinian Authority in a bloody coup.

Biden reiterated U.S. support for an independent Palestinian state next to a secure Israel  the so-called two-state solution  and said he had spoken with leaders of Jordan and Egypt, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on making sure theres real hope in the region for a better future.

Biden on Wednesday said that his instinct is that Hamas launched its attacks against Israel  which might have been months, if not years in the making  to disrupt normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Im convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did  I have no proof of this, just my instinct tells me  is because of the progress were making towards regional integration for Israel, and regional integration overall, and we cant leave that work behind, the president said.

Biden earlier said that work toward integrating Israel in the region must occur while insisting that the aspirations of the Palestinian people will be part of that future as well.

He has sought to build on the Trump-era Abraham Accords of breaking through relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which were expected to include a component addressing Palestinian rights. But the accords raised concern among skeptics that such talk fell entirely short of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

At least 20 Democratic Senators wrote a letter to Biden on Oct. 4  three days before Hamass terrorist attack  about what they wanted to see out of Israeli and Saudi normalization, and that included key commitments towards the Palestinians.

I do believe this may be the last chance to salvage the possibility of a two-state solution, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a signatory to the letter, told reporters at the time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP)  This time, Canadian Olympic gold medalist swimmer Maggie Mac Neil didn't need her glasses to look at the scoreboard and see that she had won a race.

The 23-year-old Mac Neil, who famously squinted to see how she had placed in Tokyo three years ago, has dominated the Pan American Games this month, winning four gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Both races she didn't win were relays.

The latest for the China-born Canadian was Tuesday's gold in the 50-meter freestyle, in which Mac Neil tied with United States' Gabi Albiero at 24.84 seconds. The swimmer immediately looked at the scoreboard after her victory and showed the public in Santiago she knew she had the gold.

I have my prescription goggles now so I dont have to squint, which is quite enjoyable for me, Mac Neil told The Associated Press after a race the butterfly specialist doesn't compete in often. Its so exciting to do the 50. Its such a close race all the way. So to be able to tie with Gabi, that was really exciting.

Mac Neil won three medals at her Olympic debut in Tokyo; bronze in the 400-meter medley relay, silver in the 400-meter freestyle relay, and gold in the 100-meter butterfly. Her squinting to see how she had placed became a meme that had made her laugh ever since.

As the Canadian prepares for the Paris Olympics, she sees the Pan American Games as a good dress rehearsal, despite the fact she did not face her main rivals in Chile.

I didnt think Id come away with gold in three of my three individual events, so Im really happy with it, Mac Neil said. Also, the crowd has been amazing. We were lacking that in Tokyo, unfortunately. So any time you can just get the atmosphere going, it really pumps you up. It is good to practice that too.

Mac Neil has her final race in Chile on Wednesday, the 400-meter medley relay. After that, she will travel the country with her mother, Susan, before going back to training.

Im always a hard critic on myself, and I have to remind myself that it is only October. The best times being close enough (to the Olympics) is a big deal for me, Mac Neil said.

Mac Neil wants to see more of Santiago, go down Chile's coast and spend a day in the mountains. The swimmer will bring her prescription goggles, ensuring she continues not to squint as she enjoys her success in South America.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday defended his record standing up for Floridas Jewish community after a Republican lawmaker in his home state flipped his endorsement to former President Donald Trump and accused the governor of failing to address antisemitism.

Rep. Randy Fine, the lone Jewish Republican elected to the Florida legislature, said when the state experienced antisemitic demonstrations over the past 18 months, DeSantis said almost nothing. And worse, he did almost nothing.

The past two weeks have made me realize our choice as Jews is simple, Fine wrote in an op-ed published by the Washington Times. We can vote for the Governor who says all the right things or we can vote for the President who actually does them. When it comes to action, Donald Trump has never ever let us down.

While campaigning in New Hampshire, DeSantis described Fines remarks as pure politics and suggested the Republican representative was lashing out because he wasnt named president of Florida Atlantic University. A search committee for the university named in July three finalists for the post and Fine was not one of them.

Days later, the chancellor of the state university suspended the search. In August, Fine told a local television station he was asked to apply for the job by DeSantis, leading some to raise concerns that DeSantis or his allies had intervened to stop the search so Fine could be installed. However, the job remains vacant.

He didnt get it. Now, hes running for (state) Senate. Hes trying to ingratiate himself; totally ridiculous, DeSantis said. What other governor has rescued people from Israel?

Pressed on why he did not explicitly condemn neo-Nazi marches in Central Florida or antisemitic displays in Jacksonville in recent years like other Florida Republicans, DeSantis said he didnt want to elevate their nonsense. DeSantis also suggested, as he did in the aftermath of neo-Nazi marches near Orlando, that they were trying to smear him.

When they do things, where like, therell be four knuckleheads, and then people are like making, why would you want to elevate it? Sometimes theyll bring my stuff, which theyre not obviously my supporters, theyre doing that to try to smear me. Why would I want to elevate that nonsense? DeSantis told reporters.

DeSantis also claimed that some of the people participating in the neo-Nazi marches are fake and sought to distinguish those marches from recent pro-Palestinian protests  which he has publicly and fiercely condemned.

You have these people that are just marginal in society. I think some of them are fake. I think theyre trying to just get, get media clicks. So, thats totally different than going out and having massive demonstrations of people celebrating the explicit murder of Jews, which is whats happened in this country now. And so thats something you just cant ignore, he added.

Also on Tuesday, DeSantis and the State University System ordered two Florida universities to deactivate their chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine. Chancellor Ray Rodrigues claimed in a memo to schools that the national chapter supports terrorism. CNN has reached out to the schools  the University of Florida and the University of South Florida  and the national SJP chapter for comment.

Fine responded on X by chiding DeSantis. Why did it take me endorsing @realDonaldTrump to get you to take action?

Fine was previously listed along with nearly 100 other Florida lawmakers who had endorsed DeSantis and had previously worked closely with the Republican governor on several priorities, including the effort to strip Disney of its special taxing district.

In the op-ed, Fine wrote, Every piece of legislation you hear him talk about regarding Jewish issues is one I wrote. I love his words. His actions have broken my heart.

DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin said in a statement to CNN: This is nothing more than shameful political theater at a time when Ron DeSantis is leading the charge to support Israel. From working to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, to combatting antisemitism throughout Florida and its schools, to securing funding for security at Jewish schools and synagogues, theres never been a more pro-Israel Governor.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Jamiel Lynch contributed to this story.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The sister of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to remain focused on trying to bring him home from a Russian prison, and expressed concern that the Middle East crisis may distract Washington from hostage diplomacy.

In an interview with Reuters, Gershkovich's older sister Danielle said she and her family wrote special letters for Evan to mark his 32nd birthday on Thursday, which he would be spending in the Moscow prison where he has been held for more than six months.

The family is putting its faith on President Joe Biden's promise to bring him home, she said, despite the possibility that the Israel-Hamas war could hamper or delay those efforts.

"When we see the news, any news, we're always thinking of it through the lens of what does this mean for Evan? Our focus is on Evan," she said. "We just have to continue to ask President Biden to prioritize this and bring Evan home to us."

A White House official said there would be no let up in efforts to bring home detained Americans, including Gershkovich, and said there were active meetings this week on the cases of Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, also being held in Russia.

Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison. He and the Journal have denied the charges and the newspaper called for his immediate release.

Russia has said Gershkovich was caught "red-handed" while the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said he was trying to obtain military secrets.

The White House has called the charges "ridiculous" and Biden has said Gershkovich's detention is "totally illegal."

World headlines have been focused on the worst violence in the Middle East in years and on other prisoners since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked inside Israel, killing some 1,400 Israelis and taking over 200 hostages back to Gaza, including some American citizens. Israel reprisals in Gaza have killed nearly 6,000 Palestinians, including children.

Hamas on Friday released Americans Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17, who live in the Chicago area.

Danielle Gershkovich urged people who would like to help bring Evan home to read his stories and post on social media with the #IstandwithEvan hashtag.

"We're doing all that we can on our end to keep focus on Evan in the news," she said.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
The Department of Justices (DOJ) watchdog arm determined that the FBIs recommendation to keep its headquarters in its current location  rather than move forward with a plan to build a new facility in a Washington, D.C., suburb  was the result of insufficient funds for the project, not former President Trumps expressed desire to keep the building in Washington.

We found no evidence that the FBIs decision to seek to have its Headquarters remain in its current location was based on improper considerations or motives, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report, published Tuesday, read. We found that [FBI Director Christopher] Wray testified credibly to the OIG about how he reached the decision independently and not as the result of any external pressure or influence.

A final decision from the General Services Administration (GSA) on where the new FBI headquarters will be built is expected soon, with the agencys own preference among various factors under consideration.

No final decision has been made on the location, with both Maryland and Virginia lobbying hard to be the site of the new FBI campus.

The investigation began after congressional committees raised concerns to the OIG about the sudden decision to abandon the planned move from the J. Edgar Hoover (JEH) Building in Washington.

Specifically, they expressed concern that the decision, according to the report, was the result of then President Donald Trumps opposition to a suburban location because the JEH site would have been sold to a developer that could have built a hotel to compete with what was then the nearby Trump International Hotel, in which Trump had a financial interest.

The report found that, even though Trumps preference not to move the headquarters had been made clear to Wray and others, the ultimate decision was a result of insufficient funds to proceed with a procurement plan for a suburban building.

In the report, investigators cite several FBI witnesses who back up Wrays claim that Trump was not involved in the decision.

Wray told us that Trump was not involved in Wrays recommendation, and he did not feel that Trump was trying to steer [him] to a particular outcome, the report read.

The report described a 2018 meeting between Trump and officials, including Wray and then-GSA head Emily Murphy. Trump asked Wray and Murphy what they recommended, and, according to the report, Wray and Murphy told Trump that they thought the best idea was for the FBI to build a new facility in the current location, and Trump expressed support for this plan.

Wray told us that he did not feel pressured or bullied by Trump in the meeting, the inspector general wrote.

Still, Wray told the investigators that Trump had made his position on the matter clear. In his interview for the job of FBI director in 2017, Trump repeatedly raised the issue of the FBI headquarters planned move.

President Trump indicated to him that Trump had tapped the brakes on the project because the plan to move the F.B.I. headquarters to the suburbs did not make sense to him, the report read, adding, Wray also told us that he was unsure what Trump was referring to, but understood the plan was not proceeding.

A three-member panel of GSA and FBI employees are evaluating three suburban sites: Greenbelt, Md.; Landover, Md.; and Springfield, Va. Officials from both states have lobbied intensely for the headquarters, which would be a boon for jobs and the local economy.

The GSA said in July it anticipates making a site selection in the coming months.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is gathering information about the death of a young woman with a heart condition who a lawsuit alleges died after she consumed a highly caffeinated lemonade from Panera Bread.

Sarah Katz, 21, an Ivy League student, died in September 2022 after she drank Paneras Charged Lemonade, a large cup of which contains more caffeine than a standard can of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, according to a lawsuit filed by her family earlier this week.

The lawsuit, which was first reported by NBC News, calls the beverage a dangerous energy drink and alleges that Panera failed to properly warn consumers about its ingredients. In addition to caffeine, it has guarana extract, another stimulant, and the large size contains the equivalent of almost 30 teaspoonfuls of sugar.

Sarah Katz. (Courtesy Katz family)

The FDA is saddened to hear of the passing of a consumer and as always, takes seriously reports of illnesses or injury from regulated products. At this point, we are gathering information about this event, an FDA spokesperson said in a statement provided exclusively to NBC News.

The agency added that it monitors the marketplace of FDA-regulated products and takes action as appropriate, including collaborating with the Federal Trade Commission regarding marketing claims.

The Federal Trade Commission wrote in an email that it does not comment on allegations against companies or consumer complaints or confirm nor deny the existence of investigations.

Panera, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the FDAs statement.

Katz, a University of Pennsylvania student who had taught CPR in underserved communities and had been a research assistant at a childrens hospital, had a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1 and avoided energy drinks based on her doctors recommendation, according to the legal complaint filed Monday in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

In a statement Monday afternoon, a Panera spokesperson said: We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.

The suit said that Katz bought the Charged Lemonade from a Panera location in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2022. She went into cardiac arrest hours later, said Victoria Rose Conroy, her roommate and friend.

She was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe, Conroy said. I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole.

On its website, Panera refers to Charged Lemonade as the ultimate energy drink, while in-store, the legal complaint says, the Charged Lemonade was offered side-by-side with all of Paneras non-caffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks. Photos of the menu and the beverage dispensers in the store included in the wrongful death lawsuit show it was advertised as plant-based and clean, containing as much caffeine as the restaurants dark roast coffee.

But at 390 milligrams, the large Charged Lemonade has more caffeine in total than any size of the companys dark roast coffee, the complaint adds  numbers that appear to line up with the nutrition facts on Paneras website. Katz had bought the large cup, which is 30 fluid ounces, according to Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the Philadelphia-based law firm Kline & Specter, PC who is representing Katzs family.

The beverage dispenser listed the amount of caffeine in the drink, Crawford said, but it did not put the 390 milligrams of caffeine into context. According to the FDA, healthy adults can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily.

Crawford said Katzs parents have made it their mission to raise awareness about the drinks ingredients.

If the FDA is going to look into this, then the FDA may make changes, and if it prevents this from happening to someone else, then the family is going to feel like theyve done the right thing here, she said in a phone interview Wednesday. That is the only thing that I think is getting them through day in and day out, is knowing that they are saving lives.

Others say they have had adverse reactions to the Charged Lemonade too. Lisa McAllister, 67, has Type 2 diabetes and said she had heart palpitations after she bought a Charged Lemonade last year.

I knew it had an elevated amount of caffeine. Its just, I didnt think it had that much caffeine in it, said McAllister, of Clear Spring, Maryland. Usually when something has those beyond-normal ranges, theres a sign posted.

She said her heart started racing and she started feeling fluttery after she sipped the drink.

It made me think I was having a heart attack, and it scared me, McAllister said.

Katz was diagnosed with long QT syndrome at age 5 and controlled it with medication and regular doctor visits, Crawford said. Long QT is a disorder of the hearts electrical system that can cause abnormal heart rhythms as a result of exercise or stress, according to the American Heart Association.

The lawsuit says Katz bought an Unlimited Sip Club membership from Panera, which allows customers to pay a fee for unlimited drinks, about a week and a half before she died. Conroy said Katz had bought at least one other Charged Lemonade in the days before her cardiac arrest and on the day of her death, bought a Charged Lemonade before collapsing several hours later.

Crawford said she hoped the FDA would examine the safety of Paneras Charged Lemonade, especially given that it is included in the restaurants Unlimited Sip Club drinks.

Is the FDA going to let an establishment have a drink that has 390 milligrams, and then people can get unlimited refills of it? I mean, that seems crazy, she said. Do the math.
President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Wednesday after a series of summits and events aimed at expanding the playing field for South Korean businesses in the Middle East.

Yoon's trip came as both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been pushing to move their countries away from an oil-centric economy through ambitious projects to develop smart cities and build knowledge-based, high value-added industries.

That presented an opportunity for South Korean businesses to expand their cooperation beyond the traditional areas of energy and construction to new sectors, including the defense industry, cutting-edge technologies, shipbuilding and culture.

The total value of contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOU) signed on the occasion of Yoon's visits to the two countries came to US$20.2 billion, giving rise to hopes of a second Middle East business boom following the wave of construction orders won by South Korean companies in the 1970s.

During a four-day state visit to Riyadh, Yoon held a summit with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and agreed to deepen and develop the future-oriented strategic partnership between the two countries.

The two countries' companies and institutions signed 51 deals and MOUs worth a total of $15.6 billion on the sidelines, including a contract between the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. and Saudi Arabia's state-run oil giant, Saudi Aramco, to create a joint crude oil reserve of 5.3 million barrels at a storage facility in the South Korean city of Ulsan.

South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering Co., and Saudi Aramco also signed a $2.4 billion deal to construct a gas processing plant in the Jafurah gas field, known to be the largest liquid-rich shale gas play in the Middle East with an estimated 200 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas.

In addition, South Korea's presidential office revealed that the two countries were in the final stage of talks over large-scale defense industry cooperation in areas including antiaircraft defense systems and firearms.

From Riyadh, Yoon traveled to Qatar for a two-day state visit.

During a summit with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the two sides agreed to upgrade their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," which calls for strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries, including by expanding diplomatic and security communication channels, and enhancing cooperation in defense and the defense industry.

As part of the agreement, the two sides signed an MOU on cooperation in munitions and the defense industry, which calls for exchanging defense industry information and establishing a related joint committee.

The visit saw the conclusion of a raft of MOUs and one contract worth $3.9 billion between South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Qatar's state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy for the construction of 17 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The contract is the largest ever for South Korea's shipbuilding industry and increased South Korean companies' share of the world's LNG carrier orders this year from 74 percent to 81 percent, according to the presidential office.

The 11 MOUs were signed in a range of sectors, including smart farming, solar energy, driverless cars, cultural content, medical services and finance.

Yoon was the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to either nation. (Yonhap)
By Deisy Buitrago and Vivian Sequera

CARACAS (Reuters) - Former Venezuelan lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, who has declared victory in a primary to choose the opposition's 2024 presidential candidate, on Tuesday defended the vote against government accusations that it violated an electoral deal.

The Sunday primary, in which Machado has won almost 93% of the count of nearly 65% of the ballot boxes so far, had a higher-than-expected turnout even in areas traditionally allied with the ruling party.

Voting in the primary was transparent "from beginning to end," Machado said.

The vote came after the opposition and President Nicolas Maduro's government inked an election deal last week, prompting the United States to roll back sanctions on oil, gas and bonds.

The U.S. State Department has repeatedly said it would reverse the easing of the sanctions if the government does not lift the bans on opposition figures holding public office, and free political prisoners and "wrongfully detained" Americans by end-November.

The opposition commission organizing the primary has not yet released the final results.

The primary was "a farce", said lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez in a press conference.

Rodriguez, who heads the government team in talks with the opposition, said the vote was not verifiable and called for a meeting with his opposition counterparts.

"Electoral conditions are registration, audit of votes, counting of the vote, one person one vote, (and) for there to be 18 audits. They signed that," Rodriguez said, referring to the electoral deal and saying the opposition primary violated it.

Rodriguez said the primary commission had committed crimes, but provided no details or evidence.

"It was a clear process, the people counted their votes ... It's a scrutinized process from beginning to end," Machado told journalists at her own media event.

"Are you going to call 2.5 million Venezuelans cheaters?"

The electoral deal, which allows each side to choose its 2024 candidate via an internal process, did not lift the bans on opposition figures, including Machado.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Tom Hogue)
If a Missouri court again allows a former Kansas City police detective to go free pending an appeal of his conviction in the killing of a Black man, it would be a rare and controversial decision, according to attorneys and legal experts in the Kansas City area.

Eric J. DeValkenaere, who is white, has requested to be released on bond while he appeals his 2021 conviction to the Missouri Supreme Court.

That would follow another unusual decision by a Jackson County court to allow the former officer to remain free on bond for nearly two years while taking his case to an appeals court, which upheld his conviction last week. DeValkenaere, 44, had been found guilty at trial of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the 2019 shooting death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

DeValkenaere was picked up from the Platte County jail Wednesday and transported to a prison in St. Joseph to begin serving a six-year sentence. He now has pending both the request for bond at the appeals court and a clemency application at the Missouri governors office.

Criminal defense attorneys in the Kansas City area said an appeal bond for DeValkenaere would send a message that a double standard operated in the legal system: That a police officer convicted of committing a crime against a Black person will be treated more leniently than another person who commits a crime.

Most people appealing a conviction for a serious crime must do so from prison, they said.

Sean OBrien, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor who has worked as a public defender, said most people convicted of serious crimes are not allowed to remain free on bond while they appeal their case to a higher court.

Its somewhat atypical that a defendant is free pending an appeal, OBrien said. Most defendants dont have the means to file an appeal bond. And, so this is somewhat rare.

Meanwhile, civil rights and activist groups across Missouri joined in opposing clemency or a pardon for the former officer.

Appeal bond requested for Eric DeValkenaere

Gary Witt, the chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District in Kansas City, signed the arrest warrant for DeVakenaere after the court upheld his conviction on Oct. 17.

Witt may also be the one to decide whether DeValkenaere will be freed pending the next appeal.

Deciding to release DeValkenaere again would be rare and unprecedented, said Arimeta DuPree, an attorney and former public defender who has represented over 50 criminal defendants charged with either manslaughter or homicide.

I dont have or know of any other criminal defendant whos been convicted of homicide or manslaughter who has been released on an appeal bond or whos been granted an appeal bond. So, this is really unprecedented, DuPree said.

Eric DeValkenaere testifies during his trial on Nov. 10, 2021, at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City.

If the Court of Appeals turns down his request to be released on bond, DeValkenaere could ask the Missouri Supreme Court to consider his motion, she said.

DuPree said depending on the courts schedule it might take months for it to decide whether to hear or rule on the bond request.

Craig M. Divine, a criminal defense attorney, said releasing a person a second time while pursuing a new appeal would be even more rare and controversial.

It certainly would be unusual for it to get the bond reinstated and for him to be released again, Divine said.

It would mean for the community . . . that you would have a lot of people who would be very upset, who feel like a man whos been convicted and had that conviction upheld would still be free and not having to do any time in custody, he said.

At the same time, if you or I were convicted of what he had been convicted of, we would be in custody while the appeal worked its way through and be serving our sentence. So hes already had a certain amount of professional courtesy extended to him. At some point that probably runs out, Divine said.

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs speaks during the trial of Eric DeValkenaere at the Jackson County Circuit Court Friday, Nov. 12, 2021.

Previous decision, new request anger Cameron Lambs family

The guilty verdict against DeValkenaere in 2021 marked the first time a Kansas City police officer was convicted in the killing of a Black man.

In an unexpected and rare move, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs, after finding DeValkenaere guilty at a bench trial, allowed him to remain free on bond while he appealed the conviction.

Prosecutors argued against the appeal bond, saying DeValkenaere should be treated no differently from other criminal defendants who were found guilty. They said at the time that he should not be rewarded with a special status because of his former employment.

Local attorneys said the release on bond pending appeal was so uncommon that they would not ask for it. Some lawyers said they thought that a defendant of color or without financial means would be unlikely to get the same result.

Bonds are normally increased or revoked after a defendant is convicted because they become a flight risk.

Relatives of Lamb and community activists said they were angry with that decision in 2021. And they were upset all over again with the new request last week.

Laurie Bey, mother of Cameron Lamb, speaks at an Oct. 18 news conference in Kansas City.

That shouldnt happen, Lambs mother Laurie Bey said at a rally in support of her family last week outside the Jackson County courthouse.

My son was killed December the 3rd, 2019 ... Up until yesterday, (DeValkenaere) had not served a day in jail. I just dont understand why do they continue to keep giving this man that killed an innocent man passes. Make it make sense to me. Make it make sense. It does not make sense.

Steve Young, a co-founder of the Kansas City Law Enforcement Accountability Project, or KC LEAP, was among those who said releasing DeValkenaere again would further reduce trust between Black people and police.

We continue to see how important a disgraced detectives life is when it comes to this system, Young said.

The more the community sees this play out, the more of a wedge it puts between the cops and us. The more distrust we have for the process.

The clearer the picture becomes that our lives dont matter. Not a single one of them believes in the rule of law. This is a two-tiered justice on display right in front of our eyes. KCPD will never have the trust of the community.

Missouri groups oppose clemency

Johnathan Shiflett, a spokesperson for Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, said in an email to The Star Tuesday that DeValkenaeres family attorneys submitted a request for clemency to Parsons office.

The office has also received hundreds of additional calls and requests from private citizens on his behalf, he said.

Governor Parson has made no decision regarding clemency for Mr. DeValkenaere at this time, the email said. Shiflett said the clemency request was a closed record and he could not provide The Star with a copy.

A statewide coalition of civil rights organizations on Wednesday pleaded with Parson to reject the petition.

The letter was signed by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, Decarcerate KC, the Urban Summit in Kansas City, Action St. Louis, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City, Metropolitan Congregations United and the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity or MORE2.

In their letter to Parson, the groups said: Granting such a pardon would critically damage the already diminishing trust between our community and the justice system, endangering the well-being and safety of Kansas Citys residents and the larger Missouri community.

The oath and responsibility of the Governor is to uphold the rule of law and protect the human and civil rights of citizens, rather than usurping the rule of law by pardoning those duly and justly convicted of violent crimes against Black people, no matter the presence of a uniform or badge.
George Washington (GW) University students are facing backlash after projecting anti-Israel messages on a campus building amid Israels ongoing conflict with Hamas, with many saying the messages were antisemitic and harmful to the community.

The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) began projecting messages on the Gelman Library in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night before they were shut down by the police, student newspaper The GW Hatchet reported.

The messages ranged from criticizing Israel to condemning the school and its president, Ellen Granberg.

Divestment from Zionist genocide now and Free Palestine From the River to the Sea were among the messages. Glory to our martyrs was also projected, with some arguing it referred to the Palestinians who have died in the Israel-Hamas war and others saying it is honoring Hamas militants who invaded Israel on Oct. 7.

The student newspaper reports that the group was forced to take down the projections by the police after more than two hours, and that the officer said the school demanded the move.

I feel very frustrated with how the University has responded, a representative told the student newspaper. They have consistently shown that they do not respect our lives. They do not respect our right to free speech. They do not respect our right to organize against the ongoing genocide that is happening to our people.

The projections caught the attention of many on social media, with both Democrats and Republicans saying the protest was antisemitic.

As an alumni of @GWtweets they should launch an investigation. I look forward to seeing the University statement on this, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

These are genocidal messages displayed on a building at George Washington University. If the students responsible for these messages arent severely punished by GWU, something is terribly wrong, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote. Genocide isnt hip, cute, or in any way acceptable. GWUdo the right thing NOW!

this is antisemitism  plain and simple. @GWtweets needs to do something about this, said Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News.

GW released a statement saying the projections violated university policy, and leadership intervened to ensure that these projections were removed.

The statements made by these individuals in no way reflect the views of the university. We are reviewing this incident and will take any appropriate steps with respect to the individuals involved in accordance with university policies, the school said.

We recognize the distress, hurt, and pain this has caused for many members of our community. The university will continue to communicate with all members of its community about the support resources available during this difficult time, it added. President [Ellen] Granberg will be communicating directly with the university community on this matter.

A group of GW alumni in Congress including Moskowitz and Reps. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) and Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) penned a letter condemning the projections Wednesday and calling for further action from the school.

The glorification of Hamas terrorists and calls for the destruction of Israel is vile and antisemitic, the letter read. GW must condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms and take immediate steps to protect its Jewish students.

The Hill has reached the student-run SJP group for further comment.

A growing number of American colleges and universities are facing sharp pushback over their handling of the response to the Israel conflict from student groups and even some professors. Schools including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have lost donors and partnerships over statements seen as antisemitic or insufficiently supportive of Israel.

Updated at 6:13 p.m. Tara Suter contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Michigan community has launched a Justice for Annie campaign after a well-loved deer was shot and killed by a local police officer.

Annie, the deer, was spotted by Pokagon Band Tribal Police Officer David Loza on the driveway of a familys home in Lawrence, while the officer was assisting the Van Buren County Sheriffs office on an unrelated child support incident.

Officer Loza allegedly told the family that the animal was domesticated and needs to be put down, according to WWMT.

In disturbing videos shared on Facebook by Nevaeh Sylvester, who looked after the deer, the officer is seen holding Annie by a collar before taking out his gun and shooting her dead.

My Anne girl has been wrongfully shot by the police! Because she was a pet but has never been held captive please bring my baby to justice, Ms Sylvester wrote in the social media post.

Ms Sylvester said that her family first came across Annie two years ago when the deers mother was killed by a car, leaving her orphaned, WWMT reported.

Pamela Babb, Ms Sylvesters grandmother, said she called up a local wildlife agency, who told her that they did not have the capacity to take the fawn in.

So Ms Sylvester decided to feed Annie three times a day until she could eventually survive on her own.

I felt like that was the more humane thing to do as opposed to leaving her with her dead mother," Ms Sylvester told the outlet.

As the deer grew older, she would come back to visit the family at their home and would play with the other animals and children, Ms Babb said.

Annie the deer was killed by a police officer (Justice for Annie Facebook)

Ms Slyvester said she thought of Annie as another sibling and soon the small community of Lawrence grew to love the friendly deer.

The whole town enjoyed her; she was everyones deer," Ms Babb said.

On Friday, Ms Babb said that the officer had reached out his hand and touched the deer on the head, leading him to believe the deer was domesticated.

There is no reason for her to be put down, she never hurt anybody, she said.

The Lawrence community is demanding justice for the beloved deer, with locals starting a campaign dubbed Justice for Annie. Some have even taken to painting the slogan on their cars.

I would like to see him lose his privileges of hunting; I think he should be demoted, Ms Babb said of the officer.

The family who were visited by Annie often were distraught after her death (WWMT)

Following her death, Pokagon Band Tribal Police released a statement saying it was arresting a suspect at the same property when the deer was euthanised.

Police said officers had consulted with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, though it is unclear when.

The officer has since been put on administrative leave while the shooting of the deer is investigated, the statement said.

Pokagon Band Tribal police have not confirmed the officers identity, but the family and local news stations have named him as Mr Loza.

The Independent has contacted Pokagon Band Tribal Police for further information.
Logan Clegg sits in court.

A man who lived in a tent in the woods of New Hampshire has been found guilty of killing a retired couple who had gone for a hike nearby last year.

After three weeks of trial, a jury convicted Logan Clegg of four counts of second-degree murder as well as four counts of falsifying physical evidence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm Monday.

New Hampshire's attorney general's office said the 27-year-old had an "extreme indifference to the value of human life" when he "knowingly and recklessly" caused the deaths of Stephen and Djeswende Reid on April 18, 2022.

The couple had been walking on a trail near their home in Concord when Clegg shot them  Stephen four times and Wendy twice, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Court TV.

Several days later, authorities discovered their bodies dragged into the woods and covered with leaves and sticks.

Clegg introduced himself as "Arthur Kelly" to detectives who later found him living in a tent near the Reids' apartment. Police later returned for further investigation to find the tent, soda cans, pots and cooking equipment all burned and cans of Mountain Dew Code Red cans that were initially scattered nearby gone, Court TV reported.

SEE MORE: Suspect in Maryland judge's killing has left search area, police say

Police used surveillance footage from stores that sell the soda to identify "Arthur Kelly" as Clegg, which led them to learn of his long criminal history, which included convictions for theft and stolen weapons in Utah, the affidavit says.

Detectives described Clegg as a globetrotter, with recent travels to France, Portugal, Germany and Iceland prior to his taking a job at a Concord McDonald's in 2021.

And he was just about to set off on another trip, with a one-way ticket from New York to Berlin on Oct. 14, when investigators eventually found and arrested him in South Burlington, Vermont. Prosecutors said he had a gun and a fake passport at the time.

Clegg's attorneys said he had been leaving New Hampshire to hide after violating his probation for the Utah charges, not because of the murders, the Associated Press reported.

He maintained his not guilty stance, despite shell casings and bullet fragments found at his tent matching those found in the autopsies. His defense argued these were placed there after the shooting because officers didn't initially find them and that authorities had charged the wrong person, but prosecutors said his attempt to flee armed and his lies showed his guilt.

Clegg is now being held without bail and faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 15.
North Carolina Republican House Speaker Tim Moore is going to the U.S.-Mexico border this weekend with his Texas counterpart.

The trip comes as the General Assembly is set to pass a new congressional map, including a district redrawn to favor Republicans that includes Moores home of Cleveland County. Moore said Tuesday hes considering a run for Congress.

Moore also said Tuesday that he will visit Eagle Pass, Texas, on Saturday with Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.

Preventing immigrants from crossing the border into the United States illegally has been a consistent Republican priority, for both the traditional and MAGA wings of the party.

I had the opportunity to visit the border in Yuma, Arizona, earlier this year. And just seeing what an acute problem it is  its a problem thats affecting North Carolina in a significant way, Moore said. Ive talked to other speakers of the House from around the country who are facing increased fentanyl, drugs coming across, crime ...

Moore considers run for Congress

Moore has said previously that he wont run for another House term in 2024, but will finish out his current term, including as speaker, but hasnt announced whats in his future.

Im gonna evaluate all the options once we finish the session this week. Going to look at [running for Congress], and look at some other options as well, Moore told reporters after a House session Tuesday.

Moores counterpart in the Senate, Republican Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, said Tuesday hell run for another term in 2024 to his Senate seat representing Rockingham County. Berger and Moore have led the Republican-controlled legislature together for more than a decade.

Moore considered a run for Congress in 2022 but stopped short of announcing after then-incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn switched districts, then switched back, and then was ousted in the GOP primary by now U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards. Edwards Western North Carolina congressional district remains similar in the new maps, and a new one currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte was redrawn. Jackson may now be considering a run for attorney general.

I dont have a firm timeline. Im not certain, Moore said about when hell make a decision. Right now the focus is on getting the business done at hand.

He said a decision on his political future will likely be made in the coming weeks. Candidate filing for the 2024 elections is in December.

Moores trip to border

Moore said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone recommended he visit. In 2022, when Stone was running for reelection as sheriff, The Enterprise in Wilson reported that Stone defended sending his deputies to train at the U.S.-Mexico border. Stone said at a Nash County Republican Party event that his deputies were keeping drugs from reaching Nash County communities, The Enterprise reported.

When I talk to sheriffs, when I talk to folks in law enforcement, I hear more and more about the drugs coming across the border, Moore said.

Moore said he wants to go see for himself, and that it is a state issue, not just a federal one.

Eagle Pass seems to be where a lot of different things are happening. And I think seeing it firsthand will be will be very important, he said.

The House passed a bill in February that would require North Carolina sheriffs to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the Senate did not take it up.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a national address on Wednesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that a ground invasion of Gaza remains part of Israel's strategic plans, with a specific time frame established, though he did not reveal that time frame.

We are preparing for a ground incursion. I wont specify when, how, or how many. I also wont detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of. And thats the way it is supposed to be. This is the way, so that we protect our soldiers lives, said Netanyahu. The timing of the operation was determined unanimously by the war cabinet and the chief of staff.

This update follows the Biden administration's advising Israel earlier this week to put a temporary hold on its ground invasion, as reported by the New York Times. The purpose of this advice was to grant the U.S. additional time to complete hostage negotiations, deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and ensure troops are better prepared to counter potential attacks from Iran-backed groups as Israel advances into Gaza.

On Wednesday, the Pentagons Press Secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, stated that he anticipates a rise in violence and cited 13 attacks on U.S. troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.

What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran, said Ryder. We always reserve the right to defend ourselves, and we will never hesitate to take action when needed to protect our forces and our interests overseas.

Hamas has not released all the hostages, and as a result, it has also contributed to postponing any potential ground invasions.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, during the attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Hamas took 222 people hostage. To date, only four of them have been released.

The White House has confirmed its active collaboration with regional partners to secure the release of the hostages and ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals from Gaza, but it has stated that it fears the conflict has the potential to escalate into a broader regional crisis, which is why, on Tuesday, officials announced a "prudent contingency plan" to evacuate Americans from the Middle East.
An off-duty pilot has pleaded not guilty to 83 charges of attempted murder, after allegedly trying to shut off a jetliners engines and down the aircraft.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, was arrested after the plane landed safely in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, 22 October, according to the local prosecutors office.

Mr Emerson appeared at a brief hearing at a court in Oregon on Tuesday, where he entered pleas of not guilty to all charges against him, via his attorney. He is due to return to court on Wednesday morning for a preventative detention hearing.

He faces a total of 167 state charges  83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

On Tuesday the US Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon announced that he had also been charged with one federal count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Joseph David Emerson, left, 44, was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tues., Oct. 24, 2023, in Portland, Oregon (AP)

The incident occurred on Sunday during a flight from Seattle to San Francisco. Authorities said Mr Emerson was travelling in the flight deck jump seat in the cockpit when he suddenly tried to shut down both of the planes engines by pulling the fire extinguisher handles.

He was then subdued by flight crew as the captain and first officer intervened to keep the engines running. Mr Emerson was escorted by a flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft where he was placed in wrist restraints and belted into the aft jump seat.

According to Alaska Airlines Mr Emerson also attempted to grab the handle of the emergency exit during the aircrafts descent before being stopped by a flight attendant.

The flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon, due to the credible threat posed by Mr Emerson and he was arrested upon arrival. His exact motive for his actions remain unclear, though authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically-motivated violence, CNN reported.

According to a federal affidavit seen by The Independent he told police tghat he had suffered a nervous breakdown and had been taking psychadelic mushrooms.

UPDATE: 12 p.m. Pacific, Oct. 24 Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air https://t.co/af3FCXgOzo pic.twitter.com/8kvKI0c0RY  Alaska Airlines News (@AlaskaAirNews) October 24, 2023

Mr Emerson explained to the officers: I didnt feel okay. It seemed like the pilots werent paying attention to what was going on. They didntit didnt seem right.

Prior to the incident Mr Emerson was a pilot with Alaska Airlines. According to the airline he joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon First Officer in August 2001.

In June 2012, Mr Emerson left Horizon to join Virgin America as a pilot but became an Alaska Airlines First Officer following Alaskas acquisition of Virgin America in 2016. He became an Alaska Airlines Captain in 2019.

Alaska Airlines said that following the incident Mr Emerson had been removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at the airline. The company said it was now consulting with its partners in labour regarding his employment status.

In a previous statement the airline said Mr Emerson did not have a history of medical issues and had completed mandatory FAA medical certifications throughout his career.
He is the third Republican to fall short, leaving dejected Republicans no closer to resolving the chaos they have created since ousting Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month.

WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican Tom Emmer abruptly abandoned his bid to become House speaker Tuesday, withdrawing hours after winning the internal party nomination once it became clear he would not have enough support from GOP colleagues for the gavel.

Emmer, the GOP Whip, reversed course after Donald Trump objected to his nomination and hardliners in the House denied the party leader the votes he would need.

He is the third Republican to fall short, leaving dejected Republicans no closer to resolving the chaos they have created since ousting Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month.

Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans, and hopped into a waiting SUV. He said nothing in response to shouted questions as they drove off from the Capitol complex.

House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., followed by reporters, leaves the Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, after withdrawing as Republican nominee for House speaker, becoming the third candidate to fall short. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his un-endorsement must have had an impact on Emmers bid.

He wasnt MAGA, said Trump, the partys front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

For three weeks the House has been thrown into turmoil, the Republicans now trying desperately to end the bitter infighting and choose a new speaker who can credibly unite the GOP majority, lead the party and get the U.S. Congress working again.

They prepared to return behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, trying to agree on a new leader.

Attention quickly turned to Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranking member of House GOP leadership, who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesdays internal ballots. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, he had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Were in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Emmer of Minnesota, who is the partys third-ranking Republican as the GOP whip, had jumped out in front during private morning balloting among a hodgepodge list of mostly lesser-known congressmen aspiring to be speaker, a powerful position second in line to the presidency.

But no sooner did Emmer win the majority vote of his colleagues than his nomination was shot down by a powerful detractor he had tried to win over  Trump, who has long criticized the partys former campaign chief as disloyal.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

Others piled on in what was, in some ways, a do-over of the Trump-Emmer feud that has simmered since January, when the former presidents allies tried to stop Emmers rise to the GOP whips job.

He doesnt have the support in the room right now, said Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who had challenged Emmer at the start of the year. Well see where we go from here.

Coming in a steady second in the balloting was Johnson, who directly battled Emmer in the fifth round, picking up 97 votes. He then offered his full support to Emmer, saying, What we have to do in this room is unite and begin to govern again.

Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a top Trump ally, and McDonalds franchise owner Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

WASHINGTON, DC  OCTOBER 13: U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) arrives to a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on October 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. House Republicans continue to debate their pick for Speaker after their initial nominee, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), withdrew his name from the race after failing to secure the number of votes needed. The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on a replacement for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after he was ousted last week. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Having rejected the top replacements, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and the Trump-backed Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Its going to be another close race by the time we get to one, said Rep, Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D. I think it would behoove whoever wins this to stay in the room and figure where they are at and whether they can get there.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Those running for speaker were mostly conservatives and election deniers, who either voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results, when Biden defeated Trump, in the runup to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, or joined a subsequent lawsuit challenging the results.

Some Democrats had eyed Emmer, who had voted to certify the 2020 election results, as a potential partner in governing the House.

But Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speakers vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Thats a very divisive issue, said Republican Rep. Rick Allen of Georgia, saying he could never vote for Emmer because of his voting record on marriage.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthys ouster, has said several of those who were running  Hern, Donalds or Johnson  would make a phenomenal choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many Emmer opponents were resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans dont agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next months funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.

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The post Rep. Tom Emmer withdraws bid for House speaker hours after winning GOP nomination appeared first on TheGrio.
By Kim Hyun-bin

Albaraa Alwabel, a 36-year-old dermatologist from Saudi Arabia, embarked on a journey to Korea to pursue a fellowship program in dermatologic surgery at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital. During his stay, he has found numerous cultural similarities and differences with his home country.

Alwabel's journey to Korea was motivated by a quest for excellence in dermatology, dermatologic surgery and cosmetics. He was drawn to Korea's thriving landscape in these fields, citing its impressive number of professionals and high standards of care.

"Korea excels in the fields of dermatologic surgery and cosmetics, and it has one of the highest numbers of professionals in this area," Alwabel said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times. "Moreover, the quality of the healthcare system, as demonstrated during the previous COVID-19 crisis, is exceptional."

Working in Seoul, Alwabel observed a bustling city full of punctuality, responsibility, creativity and professionalism. He praised the organized city infrastructure and integrated transportation system, as well as the high level of safety and quality of life.

"Seoul provides a high quality of life with a supportive and beautiful working atmosphere," he said.

There are challenges too. The primary obstacle for foreigners, in Alwabel's opinion, is the language barrier. Additionally, the cost of living in Seoul is relatively high, and most technological life-easing applications require fluency in the Korean language.

However, Alwabel noted striking similarities between Korean and Saudi Arabian cultures, particularly in values like family and respect for elders.

"Korean people are kind, helpful, decent and respectful, much like Saudi people," he explained. "Both Koreans and Saudis take pride in their respective cultures, histories and principles. Family relations in terms of support, care and parental appreciation, are paramount in both Korean and Saudi cultures."

He also observed a shared generosity and hospitality between the two cultures.

Despite these similarities, there are notable distinctions in daily life between the two countries. Korea's well-established public transportation system encourages exploration of the city on foot, while in Saudi Arabia, cars are often relied upon, especially due to the hot weather. Housing in Saudi Arabia tends to be more spacious, with more land available and larger living spaces compared to the more compact living arrangements found in Korea.

Alwabel, a practicing Muslim, shared his thoughts on being a part of the Muslim community in Seoul. He praised the respect for his religion that he experienced in Seoul. "As a Muslim, I feel respected and comfortable practicing my religion in Seoul. The people around me are respectful and supportive, providing the time and space needed for religious obligations."

He also highlighted the presence of an Islamic community that comes together to celebrate religious occasions and holidays.

In terms of improvement, Alwabel mentioned that while Muslims are generally content with their lives in Seoul, enhancing the availability of Halal food or providing more options would be highly appreciated.
Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas. But the conflict also is giving Moscow bold new opportunities  to advance its role as a global power broker and challenge Western efforts to isolate it over Ukraine.

While Moscow lacks leverage to mediate a settlement in the Middle East, it could try to play on some perceived credibility problems with the West's response to the crisis.

It also expects the Israel-Hamas war to distract attention from the fighting in Ukraine and erode support for Kyiv.

There are risks for Moscow, however. It could damage its relationship with Israel, which until now has kept it from sending weapons to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel. At the same time, he warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, likening it to Nazi Germany's siege of Leningrad during World War II.

He has cast the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy, charging that Washington has opted for economic handouts to the Palestinians and abandoned efforts to help create a Palestinian state.

Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.

Despite that claim of even-handedness, a U.N. Security Council resolution that Russia submitted last week condemning violence against civilians made no mention of Hamas. It was rejected by the council.

China was among a few countries that backed the Russian draft, reflecting a shared stance by Moscow and Beijing. Chinese and Russian Middle East envoys met last week to discuss working together to help cool the situation, noting their adherence to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

While U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Western leaders visited Israel to show support, Putin waited for nine days before calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though they previously had developed warm personal ties. Putin also discussed the war in calls with the leaders of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the head of the Palestinian Authority.

Putin offered Netanyahu condolences to the families of Israelis killed by Hamas and emphasized his strong rejection and condemnation of any actions that victimize the civilian population, including women and children, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. He also emphasized the need for a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means, it added. Netanyahus office said he told Putin that Israel would not stop until it had eliminated Hamas.

Unlike Putin, who carefully balanced his statements, other Russian officials were more blunt in their criticism of Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said that while Hamas unleashed the war, Israels response was disproportionate and inhumane.

The Kremlins maneuvering may reflect domestic politics, with Muslims making up about 15% of the its population. The Moscow-backed leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke strongly in support of the Palestinians, assailing Israel for capturing their lands and establishing blockades.

Moscows stance won quick praise from Hamas, which said it appreciates Russias call for a cease-fire. Russias statements also play well in the Arab world, where many have accused the U.S. and its allies of squarely supporting Israel while turning a blind eye to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.

But this position also threatens Russia's friendly ties with Israel, which hasnt joined Western sanctions against Moscow or given weapons to Ukraine.

There is a real threat of exacerbation of our ties with Israel in the current situation, said Andrei Kortunov, academic director of the Russian International Affairs Council.

The Times of Israel reported Tuesday an Israeli diplomat expressed displeasure with the role Russia is playing to Moscow's diplomatic officials, voicing hope the Kremlin will take more balanced positions.

Amir Weitmann, a leading member of Netanyahus Likud party, accused Russia of supporting Hamas. Speaking on Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT, he warned that after Israel defeats Hamas, we will make sure that Ukraine wins, we will make sure that you pay the price for what you have done.

Asked about Israeli criticism of Moscow's stance on the war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Russia's condemnation of terrorism and reaffirmed its push for a quick cease-fire and the need for a Palestinian state.

Amid what Israel sees as Moscow's pro-Palestinian stance, some prominent Russian voices have backed Israel.

In a sign of the split sympathies, the head of the most popular political talk show on Russian state TV, Vladimir Solovyov, fired one expert on his televised panel who alleged in an online interview that two of Moscows top diplomats have anti-Israeli sentiments.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy expert, described Russias Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, as leaning toward Arab countries and alleged that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova detests Israel. He later apologized.

Some commentators described the anti-Israeli sentiments as a throwback to Soviet times.

Friendship with the Arabs against Israel and the West is an important part of that legacy, Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said in an analysis. A global rebellion against the Western order to a certain extent makes Russia and Hamas natural allies and certainly prevents them from being enemies.

Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council argued that Russia could use its strong contacts with Iran and Syria to help negotiate a settlement.

Russia could be part of a multilateral coalition that would offer security guarantees, he said. Its very important to maintain a well-balanced, delicate approach that wouldnt alienate either party.

Izabella Tabarovsky, senior adviser at the Kennan Institute, noted that for Putin, Hamas' "attack and the anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip present an opportunity to shed his pariah status and elevate his profile as the Middle East faces its most dangerous crisis in years.

___

Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war and https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Authorities investigating the fatal stabbing of synagogue leader Samantha Woll have yet to name a suspect days after the murder that shocked the Detroit community.

At around 6.30am on Saturday, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood.

Authorities believe she was attacked inside her home and then stumbled out before collapsing on the sidewalk.

On Monday, Detroit Police Chief James White said at a press conference that his agency is working in partnership with the FBI and Michigan State Police and has already identified persons of interest.

Chief White also said there was no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

We are working through what we have identified as some persons of interest ... but we are very early in the investigation, he said. We have a number of people who give us interest, we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect.

Woll once worked as a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Key Points

WATCH: Detroit police say it is close to arresting the suspect in Jewish leader's killing

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:20 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls neighbour reveals disturbing incident around time of murder

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:30 , Andrea Blanco

A couple who lives near the home where a Detroit synagogue leader was killed over the weekend has revealed a disturbing incident that occurred around the time of the murder.

Samantha Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Saturday. Police officials said that it is believed she was attacked inside the home and walked to the street before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Read more:

Samantha Wolls neighbour reveal disturbing incident around time of murder

Slain synagogue president sent heart emoji to friend hours before stabbing death, sister says

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco

The grieving sister of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has revealed her final text before she was stabbed to death over the weekend.

Authorities in Detroit continue investigating 40-year-old Wolls murder on 21 October as it emerged on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed by law enforcement.

Detroit Police Chief James White said Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood and then stumbled out of her residence before collapsing on the sidewalk, leaving behind a trail of blood that led investigators to the disturbing scene.

Woll, the president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was laid to rest on Sunday during a service with more than 1,000 in attendance, including city and state politicians whom she had worked with. The slain community leaders sister Monica Woll Rosen delivered a eulogy, sharing with mourners that Wolls final text was a heart emoji sent to a friend.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, also revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

Friend of Samantha Woll recounts slain synagogue leaders happy, fun final hours

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:30 , Andrea Blanco

Just hours before she was found stabbed to death on the sidewalk outside of her Detroit home on Saturday, 40-year-old Woll attended a wedding where she celebrated with friends, authorities previously said.

Woll, the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was her normal, positive, pleasant self. She left the ceremony shortly after midnight, but nothing about her demeanour could have predicted the horrific attack she would endure in the following hours.

She was happy, she was having fun, Michigan Senator Stephanie Chang, a close friend of Woll, told FOXs LiveNOW. My last memories of her will always be really happy and positive.

Sen Chang and Woll attended the University of Michigan together and had grown closer in the years that followed through their community work. Woll, who worked as a former aide in Michigan Attorney General Danna Nessels reelection campaign last year, was also part of Sen Changs campaign.

Synagogue leader had tried to cheer up friend with text message before she was killed

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

The final text message sent by Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has been revealed before she was found murdered outside her home on Saturday.

Speaking at her funeral service on Sunday, Wolls family said that she had sent a heart emoji to a friend just because.

Not long later, at around 6.30am on Saturday morning, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home.

Police close to naming suspect in Samantha Woll death investigation

Wednesday 25 October 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators have identified several people of interest in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president but would not talk about their connections to the woman during a press conference Monday.

Authorities found 40-year-old Samantha Wolls body outside her home early Saturday after a caller told police about a person lying on the ground.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12.30am.

He said there was no sign that anyone forced their way into her home and investigators believe Woll was stabbed inside before stumbling into the yard.

We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect, he said, adding that investigators believe a suspect acted alone.

WATCH: Detroit police say it is close to arresting the suspect in Jewish leader's killing

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities probing Wolls stabbing ask for patience as investigation unfolds

Wednesday 25 October 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

The FBI is aware of the incident, and will assist the Detroit Police Department as requested, the agency said in a statement to CNN.

Detroit Police Department Chief James E White urged the public not to draw any conclusions until more facts were gathered.

Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions. This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence, he said in a statement.

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death in her home. Police have no idea why

Wednesday 25 October 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Just a mile from the Michigan synagogue that she had led since last year, Samantha Wolls lifeless body was found in the early morning hours of Saturday. Outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood, Detroit police officers followed a trail of blood to the disturbing scene.

The brutal stabbing of the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue has shocked the local community and city officials, who have remembered her as a beacon of light in the community who sought to build bridges between Jews and Muslims.

Few details about the murder will be released in order to protect the investigation, Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday, but the evidence suggests that the killing was not motivated by antisemitic sentiments.

The Independents Andrea Blanco reports:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why

Neighbour says her tires were slashed around time of Samantha Wolls murder

Wednesday 25 October 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

A couple who lives near the home where a Detroit synagogue leader was killed over the weekend has revealed a disturbing incident that occurred around the time of the murder.

Samantha Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Saturday. Police officials said that it is believed she was attacked inside the home and walked to the street before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Authorities have yet to name a suspect in the investigation, but Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed. Neighbours of Woll have since come forward with reports that the two driver-side tires on their white Mercedes were slashed when they returned home on Sunday after leaving town for the weekend.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told Fox News that her car was parked just 200 feet away from Wolls home  and she and her husband have since notified law enforcement. When asked about the incident as he delivered updates on Monday, Chief White said that his office would be investigating the reports and whether it is connected to Wolls murder.

A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department told The Independent on Tuesday that there are no updates in that regard.

Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Wolls murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Wednesday 25 October 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Wolls death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

The Independents Andrea Blanco reports:

Detroit synagogue leaders murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

She fought for everyone

Wednesday 25 October 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

That was you, Sam, Ms Woll Rosen added. You didnt even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other peoples names because you knew it would make the receiver happy  and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.

WATCH: Jewish leader Samantha Woll laid to rest

Wednesday 25 October 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

What have police revealed about Samantha Wolls stabbing?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Law enforcement said that police received a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am on Saturday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief James White said on Monday.

It is believed she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The chief said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

He added that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Governor mourns death of beloved community leader

Wednesday 25 October 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at her home

Wednesday 25 October 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

A funeral has been held for the synagogue president who was found stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.

Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday by emergency personnel who pronounced her dead at the scene.

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at home

WATCH: nvestigation ongoing into killing of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll

Wednesday 25 October 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Hours before she was found dead just outside her home, Samantha Woll had attended a wedding, police say

Wednesday 25 October 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12.30am.

By all accounts, she was not in any discomfort, she was her normal pleasant self, Chief White told reporters on Monday.

Who was slain Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.

By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world, the article read.

(Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue)

More than 1,000 people attended Wolls funeral on Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senator Stephanie Chang and AG Nessell were among the attendees who delivered heartfelt eulogies during the service.

Sam did more for our community, our state, our world, our lives in her short time here on Earth than most will ever accomplish in 1,000 lifetimes, Ms Nessel said in her eulogy, according to The New York Times.

Sen Chang also said that Woll had devoted her time to listening to Muslim and Jewish members of her community following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

That was you, Sam, Ms Woll Rosen added. You didnt even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other peoples names because you knew it would make the receiver happy  and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.

Politicians mourn Samantha Wolls death

Tuesday 24 October 2023 20:47 , Andrea Blanco

Woll was a well-known figure in Michigan politics, working for Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and on the re-election campaign of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, also a Democrat.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Rep Slotkin also paid tribute in a statement on X: She did for our team as Deputy District Director what came so naturally to her: helping others & serving constituents. Separately, in politics & in the Jewish community, she dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.

Nessel said that she was shocked, saddened and horrified.

WATCH: Detroit police say it is close to arresting the suspect in Jewish leader's killing

Tuesday 24 October 2023 20:06 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls neighbour reveals disturbing incident around time of murder

Tuesday 24 October 2023 19:02 , Andrea Blanco

A couple who lives near the home where a Detroit synagogue leader was killed over the weekend has revealed a disturbing incident that occurred around the time of the murder.

Samantha Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Saturday. Police officials said that it is believed she was attacked inside the home and walked to the street before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Authorities have yet to name a suspect in the investigation, but Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed. Neighbours of Woll have since come forward with reports that the two driver-side tires on their white Mercedes were slashed when they returned home on Sunday after leaving town for the weekend.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told Fox News that her car was parked just 200 feet away from Wolls home  and she and her husband have since notified law enforcement. When asked about the incident as he delivered updates on Monday, Chief White said that his office would be investigating the reports and whether it is connected to Wolls murder.

A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department told The Independent on Tuesday that there are no updates in that regard.

Synagogue leader Samantha Wolls final text before stabbing death revealed

Tuesday 24 October 2023 18:10 , Andrea Blanco

The grieving sister of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has revealed her final text before she was stabbed to death over the weekend.

Authorities in Detroit continue investigating 40-year-old Wolls murder on 21 October as it emerged on Monday that several persons of interest are being interviewed by law enforcement.

Detroit Police Chief James White said Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood and then stumbled out of her residence before collapsing on the sidewalk, leaving behind a trail of blood that led investigators to the disturbing scene.

Woll, the president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was laid to rest on Sunday during a service with more than 1,000 in attendance, including city and state politicians whom she had worked with. The slain community leaders sister Monica Woll Rosen delivered a eulogy, sharing with mourners that Wolls final text was a heart emoji sent to a friend.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, also revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

Samantha Wolls final text message revealed

Tuesday 24 October 2023 16:10 , Andrea Blanco

The final text message sent by Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has been revealed before she was found murdered outside her home on Saturday.

Speaking at her funeral service on Sunday, Wolls family said that she had sent a heart emoji to a friend just because.

Not long later, at around 6.30am on Saturday morning, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home.

What do we know about the stabbing?

Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:58 , Andrea Blanco

Law enforcement said that police received a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am on Saturday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief James White said on Monday.

It is believed she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The chief said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

He added that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Samantha Wolls sister delivers heartfelt eulogy at funeral

Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know youre thinking of them  because you cared, Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.

That was you, Sam, Ms Woll Rosen added. You didnt even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other peoples names because you knew it would make the receiver happy  and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.

Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Wolls murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Tuesday 24 October 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities probing the stabbing death of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll have said there is no evidence suggesting her murder was motivated by antisemitism.

The Detroit Police Department, Michigan Police and the FBI continue investigating the brutal stabbing of Woll, 40, who was found dead outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood on Saturday morning.

Woll, a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

Law enforcement said that police received a call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am. When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Read more:

Detroit synagogue leaders murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Samantha Woll was instrumental in building bridges between communities

Tuesday 24 October 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.

By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world, the article read.

Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

DETROIT-SINAGOGA-PRESIDENTA (AP)

Detroit mayor issues heartfelt statement following death of Samantha Woll

Tuesday 24 October 2023 22:50 , Andrea Blanco

Mayor Mike Duggan issued a statement saying he was devastated to learn of Wolls death.

Sams loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community, the mayor said. This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.

Politicians mourn Samantha Wolls death

Tuesday 24 October 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

Woll was a well-known figure in Michigan politics, working for Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and on the re-election campaign of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, also a Democrat.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer paid tribute to Woll.

My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her. She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, she said in a statement.

Rep Slotkin also paid tribute in a statement on X: She did for our team as Deputy District Director what came so naturally to her: helping others & serving constituents. Separately, in politics & in the Jewish community, she dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.

Nessel said that she was shocked, saddened and horrified.

Final text message of slain synagogue leader revealed

Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:29 , Rachel Sharp

The final text message sent by Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll has been revealed before she was found murdered outside her home on Saturday.

Speaking at her funeral service on Sunday, Wolls family said that she had sent a heart emoji to a friend just because.

Not long later, at around 6.30am on Saturday morning, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home.

WATCH: Jewish leader Samantha Woll laid to rest

Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Everything we know about Samantha Wolls stabbing

Tuesday 24 October 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Just a mile from the Michigan synagogue that she had led since last year, Samantha Wolls lifeless body was found in the early morning hours of Saturday. Outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood, Detroit police officers followed a trail of blood to the disturbing scene.

The brutal stabbing of the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue has shocked the local community and city officials, who have remembered her as a beacon of light in the community who sought to build bridges between Jews and Muslims.

Few details about the murder will be released in order to protect the investigation, Chief James White said during a press conference on Monday, but the evidence suggests that the killing was not motivated by antisemitic sentiments.

Read more:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why

Samanths Woll attended wedding hours before being killed, police say

Tuesday 24 October 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12:30 a.m.

By all accounts, she was not in any discomfort, she was her normal pleasant self, Chief White told reporters.

Detroit synagogue president laid to rest

Tuesday 24 October 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

A funeral has been held for the synagogue president who was found stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.

Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday by emergency personnel who pronounced her dead at the scene.

Nick Ferris reports:

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at home

Police warn the public not to jump to conclusions

Tuesday 24 October 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

The FBI is aware of the incident, and will assist the Detroit Police Department as requested, the agency said in a statement to CNN.

Detroit Police Department Chief James E White urged the public not to draw any conclusions until more facts were gathered.

Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions. This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence, he said in a statement.

WATCH: Detroit Police Chief James White provides update on Samantha Woll murder

Tuesday 24 October 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Samantha Woll remembered for her interfaith work

Tuesday 24 October 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relationss Michigan chapter, called Wolls death a tragic loss and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.

We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, Mr Walid said in a statement. We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.

Detroit police say they've identified several people of interest in synagogue president's killing

Tuesday 24 October 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators have identified several people of interest in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president but would not talk about their connections to the woman during a press conference Monday.

Authorities found 40-year-old Samantha Wolls body outside her home early Saturday after a caller told police about a person lying on the ground.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll  who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue  attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12.30am.

He said there was no sign that anyone forced their way into her home and investigators believe Woll was stabbed inside before stumbling into the yard.

We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect, he said, adding that investigators believe a suspect acted alone.

What do we know about the stabbing?

Tuesday 24 October 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Law enforcement said that police received a 911 call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am on Saturday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief James White said on Monday.

It is believed she then stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

The chief said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

He added that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Slain synagogue president Samantha Woll fought for everyone

Tuesday 24 October 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

More than 1,000 people attended Wolls funeral on Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senator Stephanie Chang and AG Nessell were among the attendees who delivered heartfelt eulogies during the ceremony.

Sam did more for our community, our state, our world, our lives in her short time here on Earth than most will ever accomplish in 1,000 lifetimes, Ms Nessel said in her eulogy, according to The New York Times.

Sen Chang also said that Woll had devoted her time to listening to Muslim and Jewish members of her community following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, Wolls sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president fought for everyone.

Authorities believe that Samantha Wolls killer acted alone

Tuesday 24 October 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Chief James White said on Monday that his department is seeking a suspect believed to have acted alone, and noted he doesnt think there is a threat to the community at large.

He also asked the public to be patient and not jump to conclusions as evidence is reviewed and processed.

We are not in the position to discuss [details,] Chief White said. There are certain factors that are only shared by the suspect and our investigators.

Police ask for publics help in Samantha Wolls stabbing investigation

Monday 23 October 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Surveillance footage in the neighbourhood does not point directly at residences, making it difficult for investigators to determine who was in the vicinity of Wolls home around the time she was killed. However, the video could be used to determine travel routes, Chief White said.

Police have encouraged neighbours to reach out to investigators with any details they recall from the early morning hours of Saturday, no matter how small it may seem.

If they saw anything ... if they saw someone who is not known to the neighbourhood, someone who was there earlier in the week, or someone who was lurking around, certainly let us know, the chief said. Check your video cameras at home, share anything you know with us.

WATCH: Investigation ongoing into killing of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll

Monday 23 October 2023 21:47 , Andrea Blanco

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death in her home. Police have no idea why

Monday 23 October 2023 20:41 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities in Detroit believe that 40-year-old Samantha Woll was attacked inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood.

Woll, the president of Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue, left a trail of blood as she stumbled outside of her home and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Synagogue leader Samantha Woll was stabbed to death at home. Police have no idea why

Police say there are persons of interest in Samantha Wolls murder

Monday 23 October 2023 19:55 , Andrea Blanco

The chief said that his agency is working in partnership with the FBI and Michigan State Police and has already identified persons of interest.

We are working through what we have identified as some persons of interest ... but we are very early in the investigation, he said. We have a number of people who give us interest, we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect.

Surveillance footage in the neighbourhood does not point directly at residences, making it difficult for investigators to determine who was in the vicinity of Wolls home around the time she was killed. However, the video could be used to determine travel routes, Chief White said.

Samantha Woll was attacked inside her home, police say

Monday 23 October 2023 19:51 , Andrea Blanco

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief Jaems White said during a press conference on Monday.

She is then believed to have stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

He also said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

The chief said that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

Samantha Woll was attacked inside her home, police say

Monday 23 October 2023 19:50 , Andrea Blanco

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief Jaems White said during a press conference on Monday.

She is then believed to have stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

He also said there was no evidence of forced entry at Wolls home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

The chief said that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Wolls death.

What was the motive in Samantha Wolls murder?

Monday 23 October 2023 19:25 , Andrea Blanco

A motive in Wolls murder has yet to be established.

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Wolls death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

Cpl Donakowski said in a statement that investigators had found a large Israeli flag in Wolls home that was left untouched.

I again ask the community to remain patient while our investigators and law enforcement partners continue their work, Chief White said in a statement. Everything that can be done to bring this matter to closure is being called into service.

Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Wolls murder not motivated by antisemitism, police say

Monday 23 October 2023 17:49 , Andrea Blanco

Authorities probing the stabbing death of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll have said there is no evidence suggesting her murder was motivated by antisemitism.

The Detroit Police Department, Michigan Police and the FBI continue investigating the brutal stabbing of Woll, 40, who was found dead outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood on Saturday morning.

Woll, a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

Law enforcement said that police received a call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am. When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Wolls residence.

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Wolls death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime. Cpl Donakowski said in a statement that investigators had found a large Israeli flag in Wolls home that was left untouched.

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at her home

Monday 23 October 2023 16:45 , Andrea Blanco

A funeral has been held for the synagogue president who was found stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.

Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday by emergency personnel who pronounced her dead at the scene.

Woll, who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue, was remembered as a driving force behind the establishment of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, and an organizer of events to welcome Syrian refugees.

A motive has not been identified in the killing and the incident is under investigation, a spokesperson for Detroit Police Department told The Independent.

Read more:

Funeral held for Detroit synagogue president stabbed to death at home

Samantha Woll praised her interfaith work

Monday 23 October 2023 16:15 , Andrea Blanco

The Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations called her death a tragic loss, noting interfaith work with Wolls congregation. That included a prayer vigil for the victims of the deadly 2018 attack on a Pennsylvania synagogue.

We are troubled by the horrific murder of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit, said Dawud Walid, the Muslim advocacy groups executive director, in a Saturday statement.

Synagogue leaders death was not hate crime, police say

Monday 23 October 2023 15:45 , Andrea Blanco

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said the killing has left many unanswered questions, and he asked the public to be patient as investigators examine all available evidence.

In a statement late Saturday, he said the department had mobilized many of its resources and has been leveraging every law enforcement and community resource it has to help further the investigation.

Detroit police, Michigan State Police and the FBI are investigating Wolls death as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime, police said.

Authorities said that they found a large Israeli flag in Wolls home that was left untouched.

Officials mourn Samantha Wolls death

Monday 23 October 2023 15:15 , Andrea Blanco

In a statement, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Wolls death was heartbreaking.

She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place, the governor said.

Michigan State Police were assigned to support the Detroit Police Department in the investigation, Whitmer said.

Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying she was shocked, saddened and horrified.

Woll once worked as a staffer for Ms Nessel.

Sam was as kind a person as Ive ever known, Nessel said. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.

Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin, who Woll worked for as an aide, also commented on X, saying she was heartbroken at this news.

Duggan issued a statement saying he was devastated to learn of Wolls death.

Sams loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community, the mayor said. This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.

Samantha Wolls body was found outside her home in Detroit, police said

Monday 23 October 2023 14:45 , Andrea Blanco

Welcome to The Independents live blog on the killing of synagogue leader Samantha Woll.

Authorities in Detroit said Wolls body was found at her home Saturday morning after someone called officers to alert them of a person lying on the ground unresponsive.

While at the scene, police officers observed a trail of blood leading officers to the victims residence, which is where the crime is believed to have occurred, Cpl Dan Donakowski said.

Woll, 40, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.
A young woman looks out from a window in a hotel room

Six hotels currently housing asylum seekers in Belfast are due to close early in 2024.

The government announced its plans to end contracts with 50 hotels across the UK by the end of the year.

Currently there are about 400 hotels being used to house asylum seekers across the UK; 363 are in England, 10 in Scotland and two in Wales.

Close to 3,000 asylum seekers are living in Northern Ireland, with 1,300 housed across 20 hotels.

Mears, a Home Office contractor for accommodation, said at least one hundred asylum seekers will be impacted by the closures.

The government plans to close more of these hotels later in 2024.

All of those affected are waiting for decisions on their asylum status.

In August, the number of people in the UK waiting for a decision on their asylum claims hit a record high.

In an email from the Home Office, seen by the BBC, Northern Ireland's MPs were told: "Residents currently accommodated in the hotel will be moving to other parts of our asylum estate.

"They will be notified a minimum of five days in advance and moved by the Home Office in line with our existing published policies.

"Whilst we expect impacts on local authorities to be minimal, we are putting in place additional resource to work with our accommodation providers and local partners to manage this process and minimise disruption, particularly focusing on families."

It continued: "As the Home Office ends the use of asylum hotels, we will continue to work with you to increase the supply of dispersal accommodation in line with your regional plan.

"Dispersal accommodation is significantly cheaper for the taxpayer and far less impactful on local communities."
Dallas Independent School District Police Department

Dallas Independent School District, the second largest school district in Texas, is hiring security officers.

"We're providing officers at every campus," said Dallas Police Chief John Lawton.

A new statewide mandate, implemented on Sept. 1, requires one armed security officer for every campus.

Two months into the school year, districts large and small can't find the officers to meet the requirement.

"That is not an option for us to be able to supply an officer on every single campus," said James Hill, the human resources director for the Frisco City Council.

Lawton said he started the year looking to hire about 150 more officers.

He says the same staffing shortages that are impacting city and state officers are making it more difficult to meet the mandate.

"You'll hear chiefs from, not just within school districts, but also within municipalities, police departments, county  it's challenging to find qualified candidates," said Lawton.

Police departments across the country are struggling with recruitment and retention.

According to the Police Executive Research Forum, nationally officer resignations were up 47% last year compared to 2019 while retirements jumped 19%.

SEE MORE: Student calls for gun control, says school shootings are an 'epidemic'

Other states like Kentucky and Florida have struggled to meet similar mandates that require an officer at every campus.

Rafael Perea, the public safety training center coordinator at Tarrant County College, is training an alternative for Texas.

"You see the children there, you hear the screaming, you get information. And so it puts that reality into the scenario," said Perea.

The Texas School Marshal program that Perea leads is one of three in the state  looking to take school district employees  teachers, principals, librarians  and train them to be armed campus security.

"All of them, 100%, want to be here, and they want to help children, and they want to protect children," said Perea.

While the Marshal Program was created in 2013, it's taken on a new importance since Texas issued its armed school security mandate.

The mandate was passed largely in response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead.

"The more people that you have to protect children, the better. That's my opinion, right? But you got to have the right person, and you got to have the right training. So if you're gonna do it, let's do it right," Perea said. "Will I ever say let's arm everybody? Absolutely not."

Perea says training includes psychological assessment, weapons training and active shooter response, among other things.

Plano ISD in North Dallas announced they would be using the marshal program to meet the new mandate.

"What we're looking for is a background in law enforcement. Some people have a background in military  things that that kind of fit," said Kevin Keating, the chief of safety and security operations in Plano.

Keating says there just isn't enough police to meet the mandate.

"We did meet with police chiefs and city managers. And those police officers, if we wanted to do that in elementary schools, simply don't exist," he said.

For now, state officials have not outlined a penalty for districts that don't comply with the mandate.
Mike Johnson, a lawyer and former talk radio host, has been a member of US congress since 2017

After several unsuccessful candidacies and a chaotic three weeks, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson has managed to unite his party behind him as the new Speaker of the House.

The social conservative lawmaker has allies among the most fiery right-wing figures in American politics, including former President Donald Trump.

But his reputation as well-liked House member who is respected by different factions of his party, from the most conservative to the more moderate, likely helped him secure the Speaker's gavel.

Mr Johnson, a lawyer and a former talk radio host, has represented the 4th district of Louisiana since 2017.

He is serving his fourth term as Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference, and also holds positions on two influential House committees - Judiciary and Armed Services.

An evangelical Christian, Mr Johnson has previously defended Louisiana's ban on same-sex marriage in 2004.

In 2022, he introduced a bill that would have banned schools from promoting or discussing gender identity.

Mr Johnson also has been vocal in his opposition for abortion rights, calling the overturning of Roe v Wade "great, joyous occasion".

"I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a life-long conservative, constitutional law attorney and a small business owner in that order," he told the Louisiana Baptist Message newspaper in 2016.

By the hard right, Mr Johnson is viewed a loyalist of Mr Trump and a fellow staunch conservative. Moderate Republicans see him as a pragmatic and level-headed leader who can maintain conservative values while still passing legislation.

"He's one of those people who gets along with everybody and is well-respected," Colorado Republican Ken Buck told CNN.

Mr Trump, who has publicly spoken out against other Republican nominees for Speaker, praised Mr Johnson on Wednesday.

"I haven't heard one negative comment about him," Mr Trump said outside a Manhattan court on Wednesday, where he is attending his civil fraud trial.

"Everybody likes him, he's respected by all," he said.

Mr Johnson has close ties with conservative firebrand Jim Jordan, the Ohio lawmaker who had a failed Speaker bid last week. Some have described Mr Jordan as a mentor to the congressman.

His politics have also been compared to that of former Vice-President Mike Pence, another devout evangelical Republican.

When nominating Mr Johnson on the floor of the House, Elise Stefanik, the chair of the Republican conference, called him a "dedicated servant" and "titan" who has committed his life to "America's great principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Democrats, however, have criticized his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Joe Neguse, a Democrat House Representative from Colorado, called him "one of the architects" of that effort in an interview with the Washington Post.

"I find that deeply problematic and I suspect the vast majority of Americans would agree with that assessment," he said.

Still, many Democrats applauded him during a collegial moment on the House floor as he was officially named Speaker.

As he was handed the gavel after his win, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called him a "family man, a hardworking man, a Baptist man, a Southern man, a son of a firefighter's household".

Despite any criticism, Mr Johnson achieved what none of his other colleagues in the race for Speaker could: a quick, decisive win.

His predecessor, Republican Kevin McCarthy, needed 15 rounds of votes before he secured enough support.

Mr McCarthy was ousted on 3 October by a small band of right-wing lawmakers after he forged a deal with President Biden to keep the government funded.

Now, Mr Johnson has an important role before him. Without a Speaker, the US has been unable to pass any bills, including a massive aid package for Ukraine and Israel proposed by President Biden.

Some House Republicans - including allies of Mr Johnson's - have increasingly opposed more aid to Ukraine but Mr Johnson said he would focus his first efforts on funds for Israel, one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement.

"In just a few moments, this entire group is going to go back to the House floor. And we're going to pass our resolution in support of the nation of Israel, our closest ally," he said.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden welcomed Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the White House for a visit on Wednesday in the shadows of wars in Israel and Ukraine, which the leaders addressed multiple times throughout their public events.

During opening remarks at the joint press conference, Biden started by addressing the war in Israel, acknowledging the "sense of outrage" after "the brutally inflicted devastation by Hamas," while also calling out "extremist settlers."

"I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," Biden said, comparing it to pouring gasoline on a fire.

"They're attacking Palestinians in places that they're entitled to be," he added. "It has to stop. They have to be held accountable, and it has to stop now."

Biden also reiterated his assertions that Israel has a right and responsibility to respond to the Hamas attacks.

"Hamas is hiding behind Palestinian civilians, and it's despicable, and, not surprisingly, cowardly as well," Biden said. "This also puts an added burden on Israel while they go after Hamas. But that does not lessen the need for  to operate and align with the laws of war."

Earlier, the day kicked off with a formal arrival ceremony, where the president and first lady Jill Biden greeted Albanese and his partner, Jodie Haydon, as a band played patriotic music including both countries' national anthems.

Jodie Haydon, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Joe Biden and Jill Biden pose for photos after the arrival of Albanese at the White House on Oct. 24, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

Biden touted the relationship between the allies in brief remarks during the ceremony.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the alliance between Australia and the United States has never been more important than it is today, and we have never been more committed than we are today," the president said.

Biden also briefly mentioned the wars in Ukraine and Israel during his remarks in the morning's ceremony, saying, "Together, we're standing with Israel against Hamas terrorism. We're standing with Ukraine against Putin's tyranny."

Albanese also mentioned the wars in brief remarks following Biden's, noting Australian assistance to Ukraine and Australians' condemnations of "the atrocities, terror and pitiless brutality of Hamas."

Biden and Albanese were expected to discuss cybersecurity, submarine cable infrastructure and the new Critical Minerals Task Force, which was launched as a joint venture between the two countries earlier this year, according to senior administration officials.

"We expect to make a big splash with a submarine cable project announcement, as well as two important maritime infrastructure announcements relevant to the Pacific islands," a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday.

The leaders are expected on Thursday to sign an agreement that creates a framework for U.S. commercial space launches to take place from Australia, according to a White House fact sheet.

The meeting comes before Albanese plans to visit China next month. When asked by a reporter whether Albanese and Biden would discuss the Australian leader's upcoming trip, a senior administration official said that China and regional security issues have been discussed in every meeting that they have witnessed between American and Australian leaders.

"I know the president will be interested to share notes and compare details about what were seeing with respect to Xi Jinping and China," a senior administration official said.

The two leaders and their partners will attend a state dinner in the evening, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. The White House had originally planned for the band The B-52's to perform, but the group is now attending the dinner as guests instead in light of painful world events, the first lady said, according to a pool report.

The speaker of the House is frequently invited to state dinners, but the position remained vacant until Wednesday afternoon as House Republicans struggled to rally around a candidate who can garner enough votes. A senior White House official familiar with the matter said that both GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Patrick McHenry, who served as the interim speaker the past few weeks, had been invited, but declined. NBC News has reached out to both lawmakers' offices for comment.

Albanese's meeting is the fourth foreign leader visit with a state dinner during the Biden administration, according to the administration's senior director for East Asia and Oceania, Mira Rapp-Hooper. She added that it is the ninth meeting between the two leaders since Albanese took office in 2022.

"Australia has been and continues to be a fundamental partner in achieving our shared vision of prosperity and stability around the world, and we have stood side by side in every conflict for the past hundred years," Rapp-Hooper said at a Tuesday press briefing. "That remains especially important today in a moment of grave crisis."
American military officials are trying to steer Israel away from the type of brutal, urban combat the US engaged in against insurgents during the Iraq War, in an effort to keep the Israelis from getting bogged down in bloody, house-by-house fighting as they prepare for an assault on Gaza, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

In helping the Israel Defense Forces game out a number of different strategies to defeat Hamas, US military advisers on the ground in Israel are invoking lessons learned specifically from Fallujah in 2004, one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq War.

Instead of launching a full-scale ground assault on Gaza, which could endanger hostages, civilians, and further inflame tensions in the region, US military advisers are urging Israelis to use a combination of precision airstrikes and targeted special operations raids.

They are also drawing on strategies developed during the battle by US-led coalition forces to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIS, which relied more heavily on special operations forces. Like Hamas, ISIS built tunnels throughout Mosul and used civilians as human shields, and the fight to retake the city was harder and more drawn-out than anticipated.

To help deliver this message, the Biden administration has sent a three-star Marine Corps general to counsel the IDF on planning its tactical assault. Gen. James Glynn, the former commander of Marine Forces Special Operations Command, has significant experience with urban warfare in Iraq, particularly in Fallujah, where he commanded troops during some of the bloodiest fighting there between US forces and insurgents, officials said.

Since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, the US has grown increasingly concerned that Israels strategy to move into Gaza with a large number of ground troops is only half-baked and could lead to a bloody and indefinite occupation by Israeli forces in the Gaza strip, officials said.

The US has also urged Israel to think about how a full-scale ground invasion could endanger the more than 200 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, the civilians who have no way out, and what comes after an invasion in terms of governance of the millions of Palestinians in the Gaza strip.

I dont think Israel has a strategy for what they do next in terms of executing a full-blown ground invasion, one source familiar with concerns within the Biden administration said.

Use his head, not his heart

Israels objectives and strategy have been a central point of discussion between American and European officials over the course of the past week, people familiar with the matter said, as the allies work to coordinate an approach to Israel.

President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom about the crisis, hoping to align on the key issue of supporting Israel while also gaining clarity on its path forward.

CIA director Bill Burns has been on back-to-back phone calls with partners and allies in the region, including the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, the US Arab partners and its NATO allies, in an effort to keep the conflict from spiraling into a regional conflagration and to work to ensure the safe release of hostages still held by Hamas.

President Joe Biden greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv. - Evan Vucci/AP

Biden has encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their recent conversations to think through how such an invasion would unfold, and what the exit strategy would be, officials said. Biden and Netanyahu spoke on Sunday and again on Monday, and in those conversations, the president sought to try to get [Netanyahu] to use his head, not his heart, a source familiar said.

Still, the sentiment across much of the US government is that Israel is almost certain to proceed with a full scale ground invasion, in large part because domestic sentiment inside Israel is so enflamed that Netanyahu may feel he has no other choice.

We stand before the next stage, it is coming, Netanyahu told the Israel Defence Forces Yahalom unit on Tuesday, according to a press release from Netanyahus office. You know it and you are part of it; you are part of the vanguard.

We have only one mission  to smash Hamas, he added. We will not stop until we complete it, with your help.

Military to military channels

In 2014, Netanyahu set out to debilitate Hamas with the last ground invasion into Gaza. While that war dealt Hamas a significant blow, it was a huge challenge and failed to dislodge the militant organization from the coastal enclave. Despite numerous rounds of escalation and conflict with Gaza, Israel hasnt attempted another incursion since.

A senior Israeli official said that the US is not telling the Israelis to deescalate or refrain from crossing any red lines.

An IDF soldier guides an armored personnel carrier in southern Israel on October 21, 2023. - Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

They are saying while you fight the war  pay attention to all of these dimensions, the official said. The US has its own experience for fighting wars in urban areas, Fallujah, in Mosul and so on.  And so you [the United States] also have some experience in such a situation. And its always good to share experiences, among friends.

In all of our conversations, we continue to talk to them about the importance of having meaningful goals, meaningful objectives and a plan to achieve those objectives, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday. Weve been engaged in a number of levels. The Pentagon has been engaging in military-to-military channels about what their operations might look like.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant daily about Israels military needs and strategy, an official said, and one frequent point of discussion is how the extensive network of tunnels Hamas has built inside Gaza will complicate a ground invasion, an official said.

The message is, have you really thought this through? a Western diplomat said. Coming from friends who have in recent years gotten themselves embroiled in counterinsurgency scenarios in hostile territory, we can tell you need an exit plan and it gets ugly quickly.

Gallant on Tuesday told an elite commando unit of the Israeli army that Israel must destroy Hamas and warned that the war is still in its early stages.

Prepare for the tasks to come, the war is just starting. And unfortunately, well have to pay a price, Gallant said. Prepare well, be ready  physically and mentally, with equipment and means. Well get to the field and will destroy Hamas. Literally. Otherwise, we couldnt exist here, he added.

A fight without mercy, but not without rules

Another key US and allied message to Israel has been that any invasion must abide by international humanitarian law.

A Western source told CNN that Israel is being cautious in its planning for a ground incursion because it realizes if it gets it wrong it will lose the moral high ground. They acknowledged that the battle for the moral high ground is already difficult for Israel, pointing to the quick condemnation directed at the Israeli government over the hospital blast, which Israel said was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfire.

On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel and offered support for Netanyahu, but warned: This fight must be without mercy, but not without rules.

Macron also suggested forming an international coalition to counter Hamas, akin to the US-led coalition meant to defeat ISIS formed during the Obama administration.

The idea is to draw on the experience of the International Coalition against [ISIS] and see what aspects can be replicated against Hamas, a French official told CNN. As a reminder, the International Coalition against [ISIS] is not limited to operations on the ground, but also involves training Iraqi forces, sharing information between partners, and combating the financing of terrorism.

But a Western official familiar with the matter said forming any international coalition would depend, in large part, on gaining more clarity from Israel on the goals of its ground invasion.

Israels ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, told CNN last week that Israel has no interest in occupying Gaza, although Israeli officials have warned the operation there will be lengthy.

Our advice to them isnt Dont do it, because we completely respect their right to go after Hamas and that means going after them wherever they are, a NATO defense minister previously told CNN. So its not Dont do it, but it is Think about what happens and have a strategy, not just a tactical maneuver. We expect Israel to act within international humanitarian law, but we understand that theyre dealing with an enemy here.

CNNs Alex Marquardt, Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak and Pamela Brown contributed to this report.

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https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2023-10/recall-labels-053-2023.pdf

A recall has been issued in the United States for a snack product imported from Honduras, a country that is not authorized to export pork or products containing pork into the U.S.

Capitology, LLC, an importer situated in Charlotte, North Carolina, imported the product with the label "Rica Sula TAJADITAS con CHICHARRON Platanos Con Chicharron."

The snack is made up of plantain chips with pork rinds. The USDA says the importer shipped the product out to states including Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

SEE MORE: Electric scooter linked to fire that killed 2 prompts 'urgent' warning

While the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says there were no confirmed reports of adverse reactions to the product by late Tuesday, the agency says anyone experiencing a negative reaction should contact a doctor.

Routine FSIS surveillance spotted the product being sold in the U.S., and it contains pork from an ineligible country, the agency said.

The USDA said the product and all ineligible products like it are subject to recall rules regardless of the expiration date on the product.

The recall involves around 4,679 packages of the snack.

The USDA's FSIS keeps an updated list of retail distribution for products it is keeping an eye on and issuing recalls for on its website.
Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho will attend an international defense forum in China next week for talks on regional security, defense officials in Seoul said Wednesday.

Kim, who took office last week, will take part in the Xiangshan Forum, which will run from Sunday through Tuesday, in Beijing, according to the officials.

He is expected to meet counterparts from other participating countries on the margins of the forum for talks on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and Seoul's defense policies.

The annual forum, which launched in 2006, last took place in person in 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of high-level events in China in recent years.

The U.S. Department of Defense has said it will send a delegation to this year's forum in a sign of military engagement between Washington and Beijing. (Yonhap)
U.S. forces based in the Middle East have been attacked at least 13 in the past week, the Pentagons top spokesperson revealed Tuesday.

Between Oct. 17-24, American troops were targeted 10 times in Iraq and three times in Syria via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon.

While there is no evidence that Iran has ordered the attacks, Defense Department officials said Monday that all recent targeting of U.S. troops had Iranian fingerprints all over it.

Its been well-documented and youve heard U.S. officials across the podiums as well as policy leaders for years talk about Irans funding, equipping, guidance and direction, to partners and proxies across the region, a senior defense official told reporters.

That includes Lebanese Hezbollah, militia groups in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Houthis, in Yemen. So I think its fair to say when you see this uptick in activity and attacks by many of these groups, theres Iranian fingerprints all over it, they added.

Ryder did not have the exact number of U.S. troops injured during the attacks, but the Pentagon earlier revealed that an American contractor died of a heart attack during a false alarm at al Asad air base in Iraq.

The recent attacks are the first such attempts on U.S. troops in Iraq in more than a year and come amid the backdrop of the Hamas-Israel war. Biden administration officials fear Iran and its proxies may use the conflict  which began after Hamas militants launched surprise attacks on Israel on Oct. 7  to open another front in the war or further destabilize the region including through attacking American forces.

To counter this, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the weekend ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to a location overseen by U.S. Central Command. The strike group has previously been moved to the Eastern Mediterranean along with the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group after the Hamas-Israel war began.

In addition, Austin placed a number of forces on prepare to deploy orders should they need to respond to any aggressions, and deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional Patriot battalions to be spread across the region.

Ryder on Tuesday would not disclose the exact number of each weapon sent or where they would be located, but noted that the THAAD battery is coming from Fort Bliss, Texas and the Patriot battalions and batteries from Fort Liberty, N.C., and Fort Sill, Okla.

He added that the U.S. is posturing additional forces to send a clear message that we will protect our forces. We will always maintain the inherent right of self-defense. And if there is a response, should we choose to have one, we would do that at a time and place of our choosing.

The Pentagon this week has amped up its rhetoric against Iran, with Ryder on Monday saying that it will hold the country ultimately responsible for the attacks in Iraq and Syria.

By virtue of the fact that they are supported by Iran, we will ultimately hold Iran responsible, he said.

The recent drone and rocket assaults on American troops include an Oct. 18 attempt on al Asad base west of Baghdad, where two drones were shot at. One was destroyed and one was damaged, with minor injuries to coalition forces and slight damage to the base.

Hours later, another drone attack targeted the al-Harir air base in Erbil in northern Iraq but was thwarted.

The same day, an attack targeted al Tanf Garrison in Syria, with four U.S. service members injured.

And on Oct. 19 while in the northern Red Sea, the USS Carney shot down four land attack cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
House Republican Vice Chair Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) became the chambers Speaker on Wednesday, three weeks after Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted.

On Tuesday, Johnson became his conferences fourth nominee to replace McCarthy, and he takes over in the midst of multiple international crises, most notably in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. There has been a split in the House GOP over aid to Ukraine for its war against Russia, making the passage of some recent bills a tough hill to climb in the lower chamber.

President Biden announced the sending of a budget request to Congress requesting aid for both Israel and Ukraine in a speech last Thursday. The request is expected to be about $100 billion, with a large portion of the funds for Ukraine.

Johnson has shown some resistance to more funding for Ukraine in the past but seems to wholeheartedly support Israel.

Heres what you need to know about his history of views on both conflicts:

Ukraine

Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (R-La.) holds the gavel after winning the Speakership election Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.

Johnson made a strong statement in support of Ukraine in its effort to fight back against Russia in the wake of the invasion in February 2022.

We should impose debilitating sanctions on Russias economic interests, Johnson said in the statement, posted to X, the platform then known as Twitter. We should return to robust American energy production to provide greater stability and security here and for our European allies. We should exclude Russia from global commerce and international institutions. Even though the best time to take these actions has passed, we must act decisively.

Americas prayers remain with the Ukrainian people, Johnson continued.

In April 2022, he voted for The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, a bill that aimed to ease the process for the U.S. to send military aid to Ukraine. The bill was later signed by President Biden and became law.

However, in recent times, he has taken a skeptical stance toward aid for Ukraine. He voted against two different appropriations bills that provided aid to Ukraine, one in 2022 and another last month.

American taxpayers have sent over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine in the last year, Johnson said in an X post in February. They deserve to know if the Ukrainian government is being entirely forthcoming and transparent about the use of this massive sum of taxpayer resources.

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Johnson has been strong in his support for Israel amid its conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

[T]he United States unequivocally stands with Israel and we will provide the support and resources necessary to rid the Middle East and the world of hamas terrorist regime, Johnson said in a recent statement to Shreveport, La., television station KTAL. Please join us in continued prayers for our friends and our allies in Israel.

In a post on X on Thursday, Johnson appeared to say Bidens recent Oval Office speech only confirms the urgent need for the U.S. to act in support of our great ally, Israel, as they fight against Hamas terrorists.

We must elect a Speaker so the House can take all necessary action to end Hamas forever, Johnson continued.

The Hill has reached out to Johnsons office for further comment.

Updated at 2:13 p.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A woman lost her way while walking her dog and spent the night in the New Hampshire wilderness, wildlife officials said.

The 52-year-old was last seen by her family at about 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in the area of Sherwood Forest Road in Weare, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in an Oct. 23 news release.

Her family reported her missing before 11:30 p.m. that day, and police started searching the immediate area, wildlife officials said.

Police dogs were also used to search the area for several hours, but no one could find her or her dog, officials said.

Police told wildlife officials about the missing woman at about 3 a.m. Oct. 23.

At about 5:30 a.m., wildlife officials began their search of the area, and an officer used an ATV to search the trails in Clough State Park. They found her on an off-road vehicle trail at about 5:55 a.m.

Clough State Park is next to Everett Lake, which is a 150-acre body of water that was created by a dam, according to New Hampshire State Parks.

The park has a 900-foot beach and is a popular spot for people to picnic or use a non-motorized boat in the water.

Pets are not allowed in this state park.

Weare is about 15 miles southwest of Concord.

What to do if you get lost while hiking

If you think youre getting lost, experts say its best to stop where you are and not panic. You should go over how you got to that point and if youre able to see any landmarks around.

Do not move at all until you have a specific reason to take a step, officials with the U.S. Forest Service said.

You should come up with a plan but stay put unless you are very, very confident in the route.

There are steps hikers can take to avoid getting lost and be better prepared for the unexpected:

Have more than enough food and water with you.

Take a compass that you know how to use, or have a GPS device on hand.

Dont rely solely on your cell phone. It probably wont work because of a lack of signal or a depleted battery.

Study the terrain and your route, and you should know how youll return.

Have the right clothing. Sturdy hiking boots and layers can help you be prepared for rapidly changing weather.

Pack a blanket, flashlight and matches.

Check with a local ranger for special warnings. They can tell you about fires in the area, bear sightings, flooding, trail or road closures.

Dog wandered into cornfield and was missing for a day. Then owner heard little bark

Hiker spends night lost in CO park as husband searches. Then she finds visitors center

Friend climbs cliff to get help for injured man  then gets lost, Idaho rescuers say
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New York's highest court on Tuesday ruled police can resume a DNA searching method that can identify relatives of potential suspects, a technique that has helped solve crimes but caused privacy concerns.

The method, known as familial DNA searches, allows law enforcement agencies to search information in their DNA databases to find blood relatives of people who have left genetic material at a crime scene.

The order from the New York Court of Appeals allows the state to use such searches in criminal cases, reversing a lower court ruling from last year that blocked the practice.

The case was brought by two men whose brothers were convicted of crimes and had genetic information in the states databanks. They alleged that searches could improperly target them because of their family members' crimes and that the technique was never approved by the state Legislature.

Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, writing for the majority, said that the state's rulemaking process for the searches was legal and that regulations intended to protect privacy have resulted in very few search results provided to law enforcement.

Janine Kava, spokesperson for the state's criminal justice services division, said the agency was pleased that the state can resume using the technique.

The states familial search regulations provide law enforcement with another tool to solve violent crimes that have gone cold, eliminate individuals from suspicion, exonerate the wrongfully convicted and help provide closure when unidentified human remains are discovered," she said in a statement.

The ruling applies only to the state's DNA databank, not to databanks that are maintained by private companies for genealogy research.

Familial DNA famously led to an arrest in Los Angeles Grim Sleeper serial killings, which spanned from 1985 to 2007. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted and sentenced to death this year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected the United Nations secretary-generals comments about Hamass attack on Israel not happening in a vacuum.

UN chief Antonio Guterres caused a diplomatic storm after saying the attack by the militant group did not happen in a vacuum and had occurred after the Palestinian people had been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

In comments made on Tuesday at the UN Security Council in New York, he also expressed concern that clear violations of international humanitarian law had been committed by Israel in Gaza during its fightback against Hamas which has led to thousands of casualties.

Israels UN ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the secretary-general of having lost all morality and impartiality and called for his resignation.

Downing Street made clear that the Prime Minister does not agree with the characterisation put forward by Mr Guterres but that the UK was not supporting calls for him to quit.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick, a close ally of Mr Sunak, told ITVs Good Morning Britain programme that the comments were wrong and that Mr Guterres should retract them if he was implying there is any justification for the killing of 1,400 Israelis, most of them civilians, by Hamas fighters on October 7.

The international fallout from the comments appeared to widen after Tel Aviv said it would deny UN officials visas.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the UN chief should consider retracting his remarks (Lucy North/PA)

Mr Erdan reportedly told Israels Army Radio on Wednesday that Martin Griffiths, a British diplomat serving as UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, had been refused a visa in response to his bosss stance.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also cancelled a scheduled meeting with Mr Guterres.

Asked by reporters about what Mr Sunak made of Mr Guterress comments, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Obviously we dont agree with that characterisation put forward.

We are clear that there is and can be no justification for Hamass barbaric terrorist attack which was driven by hatred and ideology.

The spokesman said that the UN as a body will continue to play an important role and that is supported by the UK Government.

On Wednesday, Mr Guterres tried to row back on the remarks, tweeting: The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas.

Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Two candidates, an Air Force Veteran and the director of a local nonprofit organization, are running to become the next member on the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education.

Both have children enrolled in the district and say that student literacy and student retention are among the top issues driving their candidacies.

Patrick Nolan, who has held the seat since April 2023, was appointed by the school board to fill a vacancy left by Ray Jaramillo who resigned from the board to spend time with his family. Nolan is seeking election to this position.

Nolan serves as the executive director for the local nonprofit Friends of Organ Mountain Desert Peaks and was a union representative for the New Mexico chapter of American Federation of Teachers. He is also on the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Patrick Nolan, left, and Joseph Sousa, right, are the District 1 candidates for the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education.

I am a parent of a student at LCPS, and I am excited for the opportunity to serve as your board member. I am bringing 15 years plus of advocacy experience to the position. I understand the issues and I know we can make the changes we need to make in LCPS, Nolan said. I'm prepared for the role in ensuring we are making the progress we need as a district.

Joseph Sousa, Nolans challenger, served in the U.S. Air Force for six years prior to being a 911 dispatcher for New Mexico State Police and the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority. Sousa said his experience as a parent and willingness to serve others by listening and deescalating situations makes him a great candidate.

As a USAF veteran, core values are something I hold dear. Integrity first means having strong moral values which I keep to this day. 'Service Before Self' is the exact reason I got in the race. I have a 10-year-old daughter and my wife is an LCPS teacher. I am not only running for them, but for all of the students in our public school system. Finally, excellence in all we do  taking the time to do the job right [is important], Sousa said.

The Las Cruces Sun-News is providing this content free of charge as part of our commitment to inform and empower Dona Ana County voters. Please consider supporting local journalism through a subscription.

If elected, either candidate would represent District 1, which encompasses much of northern Las Cruces from the North Main Street area to the western outskirts near Picacho. It includes four elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

The Sun-News sent all school board candidates a list of questions pertaining to their candidacy and to learn what they believed to be key issues impacting Las Cruces Public Schools. Heres a look at how Nolan and Sousa responded.

In your view, what are the top issues facing Las Cruces Public Schools and why? How would you solve them if elected?

Nolan: Our biggest issue is making up for academic losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This requires a stronger focus on reading, math, attendance, and behavioral health. Meeting students where they are at and having a student-centered approach is key. In my role as a board member and approving our budget, I will ensure we have the needed resources dedicated to those key areas.

Sousa: My favorite topic to talk about facing LCPS is the lack of student engagement. Students at all levels, especially since the pandemic, appear to not be progressing.

Sousa explained that teachers are facing stricter standards in the classroom and as a result said students are falling behind.

We have wonderful teachers in LCPS, and we need to charge them with being able to reach the students on their level. If the process for a lesson needs to be broken down more for the student on an individual level, then allow the teacher to do so. After all, it is not the speed at which the student reads, but what they retain while reading. When we allow the students to become more engaged it will take on another shortcoming which is the amount of students tardy or not showing up to classes at the high school level.

Joseph Sousa, a candidate for the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education in the 2023 regular local election.

If elected, how would you go about determining budget priorities? Do you have any reservations about the districts current spending?

Nolan: Budget priorities should be driven by key stakeholders: parents, staff, students and administration. Those four know our priorities better than anyone else. Centering those closest to the issue will help guide my decisions as a school board member. I will also look to prioritize resources being placed directly in our classrooms where they can have the biggest impact.

On the issue of transportation, Nolan said it is a notable priority because of the inefficiency of the current contracted system. He said the district, students and parents deserve better.

I don't feel our current practice of sub-contracting transportation works for our students anymore. We need to look at alternative options for transportation, which could include the district taking over transportation services. We also have a unique opportunity in record amounts of revenue at the state level coming into our district. We need to be smart about how we invest these resources in strategic and impactful ways.

Patrick Nolan, a candidate for the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education in the 2023 regular local election.

Sousa: There are no shortcuts to figuring out a budget for any business and the school board is no different.

Sousa said his priorities would be to delegate funding to the areas that need it. For him, school safety is one priority because he said individuals within all buildings should feel protected from outside threats. Another priority is teacher retention and support.

Another budget priority would be to compensate the wonderful teachers we have in the district. We lose far too many teachers each year to higher paying districts.

In your view, what role does a school board have in district, student, and staff achievement? Explain how that relates to your vision for being elected.

Nolan: Our role as a board member is to ensure the district remains focused on our larger priority goals. Those goals should be determined through collaborative strategic planning in which board members take part in. I have built my career on building impactful and effective partnerships. I'll carry that same vision that values relationships and strategic thinking in my role as a board member.

Sousa: Las Cruces Public Schools Board is in charge of hiring and firing the Superintendent, as well as setting policy for the district. If what is happening, like low test scores district wide, would need to be addressed first at a policy level, having an open dialog with the administrators and teachers would be a great starting point to figure a path to success. Achievements for students and staff should be acknowledged at the school board level.

How do you plan to support, represent, or advocate for your constituency at board meetings, conferences, or public events?

Nolan: As a board member we have a say in five key things: the budget, hiring a superintendent, policy, contracts and property. Each of these elements needs community feedback to make the most well-informed decisions. I will continue to seek feedback on each of these issues to ensure that our community is represented in these critical decisions. Through my career in advocacy, I have come to know that community engagement is the best to get work done.

Sousa: As a board member I would be available for my constituency not just in formal settings like the board meetings. I would make sure to be an advocate for the students supporting them at events and would be available for questions to be held accountable by my constituency. I hear from parents who have emailed the board questions and have only received one-word sentences back from board members. There needs to be more of an open dialog, follow-up emails outlining processes that are being executed, or at least letting them know a better path for the inquiry if it would not be an issue handled by the board.

How to connect with the candidates, further read their platforms

Patrick Nolan:

Facebook page: Patrick Nolan for District 1

Joseph Sousa:

Facebook page: Sousa for School Board

Ernesto Cisneros is a reporting fellow with the UNM/NM Local News Fund program. He covers education for the Sun-News and can be reached at ECisneros@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter at @_ernestcisneros.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Nolan and Sousa running for Las Cruces school board
A nonprofit is racing to get its portable baby incubators into Israel and Gaza as crisis deepens

Jane Chen is racing against the clock, again. She knows well how every minute that passes is crucial for a new life that emerges prematurely into the world in the most vulnerable of circumstances  in the midst of war, in the aftermath of a natural disaster or in a remote village far away from a medical center.

Acutely aware of the deepening crisis between Israel and Gaza, Chen is mobilizing her team at Embrace Global, a nonprofit she co-founded to help save babies lives, in a way thats become second nature to her.

Embrace, based in San Francisco, California, makes low-cost portable baby incubators that dont require a stable electricity supply.

The Embrace incubator resembles a sleeping bag, but for a baby. Its a three-part system consisting of an infant sleeping bag, a removable and reusable pouch filled with a wax-like phase-change material which maintains a constant temperature of 98 degrees F for up to eight hours at a stretch when heated, and a heater to reheat the pouch when it cools.

Nonprofit Embrace Global makes low-cost portable baby incubators that don't rely on constant supply of power. - Courtesy Embrace Global

Chen said the pouch requires just a 30-minute charge to be fully ready for reuse. This is really ideal for settings that have intermittent access to electricity, which is a lot of places where we work in the world, she said.

According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), an estimated 50,000 pregnant women currently reside in Gaza, 5,500 of whom are due to give birth in the coming month.

The stats are startling to Chen, who is bracing for a swell of need there. Shes learned how access to incubators becomes critical in conflict areas through the organizations efforts to donate 3,000 Embrace incubators with the help of UNICEF to doctors and hospitals in Ukraine where a war with Russia rages on. The nonprofit also sent the devices to Turkey and Syria after devastating earthquakes there earlier this year.

Medical experts point to elevated stress as a potentially serious factor that could trigger preterm deliveries in these situations.

Theres been plenty of data that show stress not only causes preterm birth but also low-birth-weight, said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, an obstetrician-gynecologist and associate professor with Ochsner Health in New Orleans, Louisiana

In general, babies born preterm or before 37 weeks, have difficulty maintaining their body temperature, said Bell. Specifically, if we are speaking of disasters. in my own experience of being here during [Hurricane] Katrina, in those very stressful situations, we have seen an uptick during those times in preterm birth and low birth weight, she said.

Because preterm and low-birth-weight babies dont have as much body fat, its harder for them to maintain their body temperature, which for a healthy baby is between 96.8 and 99.5 degrees F, she said. The lower it is below that, the more oxygen and energy they need to stay warm. So they would have use even more energy.

In both cases of preterm and low-birth-weight infants, quick and constant access to an incubator is vital.

From Ukraine to Gaza

In Ukraine, Chen said doctors have indicated that preterm births are on the rise across the country at the same time that intermittent power outages have made the use of conventional incubators very challenging. Several doctors and nurses, she said, also must consistently take babies and mothers to basement shelters as bombings continue.

Dr. Halyna Masiura, a general practitioner, is experiencing this first hand at the Berezivka Primary Healthcare Center in the Odesa region of Ukraine.

Embrace Global donated its incubators to hospitals in Ukraine through its partner Project HOPE, including to the Sumy Regional Perinatal center in Northeastern Ukraine in 2022. Seen here is a nurse at Sumy Perinatal center secures an infant into an Embrace incubator. - Courtesy UNICEF/Filippov

Half of the babies being born in this area need more care, Masiura told CNN. They are being born early and with low birth weight. When air raids happen, we all have to go into shelters. Masiura said her staff members have been relying on donated Embrace incubators for babies born with a birth weight of 2 kg (4 lbs) and up.

In the Palestinian exclave of Gaza, Israel has instructed more than half of the more than 2 million residents in the north to evacuate to the southern region ahead of an anticipated ground operation in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in response to Hamas deadly October 7 attack on Israel.

That attack killed more than 1,400 people.

In Gaza, where half of the overall population are children, access to medical aid, food, water, fuel, electricity and other normal daily necessities of life have evaporated in recent days amid sustained Israeli bombardment.

Over the weekend, after days of a complete siege of the exclave by Israel, the first trucks reported to be carrying medicine and medical supplies, food and water entered Gaza on Saturday.

Palestinians search under the rubble of a building destroyed by Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. - Mohammed Salem/Reuters

For Chen, the most pressing problem is to figure out how to get the incubators to where they are most needed on the ground there. As we did for Ukraine, were looking for partnerships with organizations that can get into the region effectively and also for funding, she said. As a nonprofit, Chen said donations are sought through GoFundMe and a mix of individual donors, foundations and corporate donations.

Her team is working on a partnership with a humanitarian relief organization to respond in Gaza. Were also reaching out to organizations in Israel to assess the need for our incubators there, she added.

A couple of hundred incubators are ready to immediately be sent to Israel and Gaza. Said Chen, Depending on the need, we would go into production for more. But the big question is, can we get into those areas? We dont want to ship products and then have them sit there.

From a classroom idea to real-world solution

Linus Liang, along with Chen, was among the original team of graduate students at Stanford University who, as part of a class assignment in 2007, were given a challenge to develop a low-cost infant incubator for use in developing countries.

Liang, a software engineer who had already created and sold two gaming companies by then, was intrigued. This class deliberately brought together people from different disciplines  law, business, medical school, engineers  to collaborate to solve world problems, he said.

Our challenge was that about 20 million premature and low-birth-weight babies are born globally every year, he said. Many of them dont survive, or if they do, they live with terrible health conditions.

Embrace Global founder Jane Chen at SVYM hospital in Karnataka, India, in 2013. - Sudhanva Atri/Courtesy Jane Chen

The reasons why came down to factors such as a shortage of expensive conventional incubators or families living far away from medical centers to access quickly for their newborns.

The team formed their company in 2008 and then took a few years to engineer and produce the solution, with Liang and Chen both moving to India for a few years to get it off the ground and market test it there. Chen said the incubators, made in India, underwent rigorous testing and are CE certified, a regulatory standard that a device must meet to be approved for use in the European market and in Asia and Africa.

We chose that route instead of seeking FDA approval because the need really is outside of the US, said Liang. The cost per incubator is about $500, including cost of the product, training, distribution, shipping, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, said Chen. That compares to as much as $30,000 or more per conventional incubators, she said.

Chen estimates some 15,000 babies benefited from Embrace incubators in 2022.

Not just wars

Dr. Leah Seaman has been using Embrace incubators for three years in Zambia. Seaman is a doctor working in pediatrics for the last 12 years, including six years focusing on neonatal care at the Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital in the Central Province of Zambia.

Seaman has also been busy setting up a new specialized neonatal ward in the rural district hospital. When I first came to Zambia, we had one old incubator that would draw a lot of power, she said. We often struggle with power cuts here, so even the voltage can be too low for the incubator to function well. Having enough space to set up conventional incubator was an issue as well.

So she reached out to Chen in late 2020 after researching solutions that would work for the specific conditions in Zambia.

Ambulance midwives after being trained in how to use the Embrace incubators at the Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital in Zambia in 2022. - Courtesy Leah Seaman

In Zambia, 13% of births are premature, and thats not even including low-birth-weight babies born at term, she said. We needed an effective solution.

Embrace Global donated 15 incubators to the hospital. The new neonatal ward, set to open this month, is built around the Embrace incubator stations with Kangaroo mother care, or skin to skin contact between mother and baby.

Last year we had 800 babies through the ward and maybe half of them used the Embrace incubator, said Seaman. This year weve had over 800 already. We havent asked for any conventional incubators because from 1 kg (2.2 lbs) and above, the Embrace incubator does the work.

Because of their heavy use, Seaman said the main challenge with the incubators is making sure that the heating pad is kept warm and reheated in a timely manner. Weve built a mattress station where we will be teaching the new mothers how to do that, she said.

Why do we keep babies warm? Its not just a nice thing. It literally does save lives, Seaman said.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Republicans who control the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday approved a new congressional map that could help their party pick up at least three US House seats in next years elections.

The map, approved a week after it was first unveiled, could help Republicans retain  or potentially grow  their majority in the chamber where they have a slender advantage. The recent convulsions over the selection of the next House speaker in Washington underscore the perils of the partys razor-thin majority.

The North Carolina House approved a plan that favors Republicans in 10 of the states 14 House seats. Three seats favor Democrats, and one  now held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis in a rural northeastern reach of the state  would become friendlier turf for Republicans but remain competitive for both parties. The state Senate had approved the new lines a day earlier.

Currently, the states congressional delegation is split 7-7 between the political parties, under temporary lines imposed by a court that applied only to the 2022 election. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, does not have veto power over redistricting legislation.

The redistricting process in North Carolina, where Republicans hold supermajorities in the state legislature, was expected to produce big gains for the GOP. Its one of nearly a dozen states where legal and political skirmishes over congressional map-drawing have raged as each party jockeys for an edge ahead of the 2024 election.

The GOP gains in the Tar Heel state could help offset potential Democratic wins in redistricting litigation now pending in several other states across the South.

The North Carolina Democrats whose seats are directly endangered by the new plan are Reps. Jeff Jackson, who currently represents a Charlotte-area district; Wiley Nickel, who holds a Raleigh-area seat; and Kathy Manning, who represents Greensboro and other parts of north-central North Carolina.

Jackson, a first-term congressman known for his straight-to-camera viral TikTok videos, declared on social media that the proposed congressional lines, which became public last week, meant that Im probably toast in Congress. On Thursday, he announced he was jumping into the race for state attorney general.

State lawmakers overseeing redistricting released two potential maps last week, one of which would have knocked off a fourth Democrat because it would have drawn two of the states three Black House lawmakers  Davis and Rep. Valerie Foushee  into the same district. That version did not advance.

State-level gains in the 2022 midterm elections gave the GOP new influence over redistricting in this swing state.

Last year, Republicans flipped North Carolinas Supreme Court, whose members are chosen in partisan elections. The courts new GOP majority earlier this year tossed out a 2022 ruling by the then-Democratic-leaning court against partisan gerrymandering. The map that had been created after the Democratic-led high courts ruling resulted in the current even split in the states House delegation.

Democrats have argued that the congressional lines, along with new state legislative maps, seek to unfairly cement Republican power ahead of next years consequential state and national elections.

North Carolina is more evenly divided politically than the new map indicates  with the states voters backing Donald Trump over Joe Biden by just 1 point in the 2020 presidential election.

Former US Attorney General Eric Holder, who leads the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said Wednesday following the state legislatures actions that North Carolina is now one (of) the most egregiously gerrymandered states in the country.

During floor debate Wednesday on the congressional lines, Republicans insisted that their map was fair  even if it benefits their party.

Theres no doubt that the congressional map that is before you today has a lean towards Republicans, said GOP state Rep. Destin Hall, one of the lawmakers who oversaw the redistricting process. But he insisted that it doesnt preordain any type of outcome.

And some Democrats, including Nickel, indicated that legal action challenging the congressional map could follow.

Nickel said in a statement after the legislature vote that he would not announce a reelection bid in any of these gerrymandered districts and would only make a decision about seeking elective office once the courts have spoken.

This story has been updated with additional information.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
South Korea and the United States have staged a combined multi-domain special operations exercise to enhance interoperability, the U.S. military said Wednesday, amid joint efforts to counter North Korean military threats.

The recent exercise involved U.S. Navy SEALs and South Korean troops from the Navy Special Warfare Flotilla and the Army Special Warfare Command, the U.S. Special Operations Command-Korea (SOCKOR) said on its Facebook page, without disclosing its location or date.

A South Korean Army official said the allies held the drills from Oct. 16-20, but declined to provide further details, citing operational security.

"The training took place in the maritime, air, and land domains, enhancing our interoperability and mission capabilities in diverse settings," the U.S. unit said, adding that UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a South Korean landing ship were mobilized.

The exercise came amid lingering tensions from North Korea's continued saber-rattling this year, including its firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea last month.

SOCKOR is a component command of U.S. Forces Korea, and is tasked with conducting special operations in the Korean theater of operations. (Yonhap)
Ozarks Technical Community College broke ground Monday on a facility for a program it spent more than two years planning.

Since fall 2021, OTC officials have spoken publicly about their interest in bring an aviation maintenance program to the Ozarks.

The ceremony Monday kicked off the construction phase for the Airframe and Powerplant training facility  referred to as A&P  at the old terminal for the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

An artist rendering shows what the airframe and powerplant facility at Ozarks Technical Community College will look like at the former terminal of the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

It will be located near the OTC flight training center.

Through the A&P program, students will be taught how to service, maintain and repair every part of an aircraft from nose to tail including engines, the airframe body and mechanical systems.

This Airframe and Powerplant program is another example of a training program that leads to a lucrative career, but doesnt require a bachelors degree, said Paula Adams, OTC Board of Trustees vice chair, in a news release.

In just two years, our students will be qualified for high-paying jobs that are in great demand. This new program is a win-win-win for our students, the economy and the aviation industry.

The funds to pay for the $13.2 million facility will come from local, state and federal sources including:

$3 million from a U.S. Department of Labor Community Projects Grant;

$5 million from the State of Missouri;

$750,000 from Greene County;

$750,000 from the City of Springfield.

"This is a great example of institutional cooperation in the service of economic development," said Brian Weiler, Springfield-Branson National Airport director of aviation, in the release.

"Five different public organizations, from the local level all the way to the federal government, came together to develop this aviation maintenance and repair facility, which will attract private industry. No one worried about who received the credit, and, ultimately, the community wins."

More: Learn to fly in high school? SPS, OTC team up to offer new aviation 'choice' program

In late August, the OTC board agreed to spend $1 million to buy four decommissioned aircraft: one helicopter and three airplanes.

Springfield has long been a transportation hub for the region. There is high demand for skilled aircraft maintenance and repair workers.

Recently, American Airlines opened a maintenance facility hub in Springfield, increasing the need for qualified A&P professionals.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage for an aviation maintenance professional in Missouri is $62,490 annually.

The A&P program will open in 2025. The initial class will have a maximum of 25 slots.

OTC is interested in possibly adding an avionics, or aviation electronics, training program in the future.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Ozarks Technical Community College breaks ground on training facility
PASSAIC  Parking in the city can be challenging, and at times, so can driving. For those reasons and more, local officials are exploring the possibility of bringing in a bike-sharing system for the city and neighboring areas.

Inspired by the success of systems such as Citi Bike in New York City, Jersey City and Hoboken, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said he is hoping this will also help promote a more sustainable and equitable city.

Coupled with a new jitney-like bus route running from the shopping districts to bus depots and train stations, the goal is to help transport people to shops and job opportunities in their immediate environs.

"You are talking about a city of 70,000 people where more than half of the households don't own more than one car," Lora said.

Veo operates across the United States, including in the city of Rochester, New York, where in 2023 it has about 500 total throttle-operated scooters and e-bikes.

About 35% of the households own one car and about 20% do not own a car, which is why the mayor said he hopes to increase transportation options in a city that is increasingly offering local jobs.

It may also provide some relief in a place where parking can be hard to come by, he said. Reliable local public transportation might also keep cars in multiple-car families in their driveways, he said.

Lora said his staff had been kicking around ideas about what to do with a 2,500-square-foot lot on Martha Place, near the junction of Monroe Street and Main Avenue. The city took possession of the property last month.

"I told them not to bring up ideas like additional housing," he said. The city has a number of projects underway to increase housing stock, and there is a dearth of parking.

Two weeks ago, the mayor and the city's business administrator had the idea of bike sharing.

More: Famous North Jersey road named the most haunted spot in the state

Operated by Lyft, Citi Bike provides more than 27,000 bikes and 1,700 separate docking stations spread across four of New York City's five boroughs, Governors Island and portions of New Jersey. Similar services are operated by Lyft in Chicago, California's Bay area, and Washington, D.C., to name a few.

Worldwide, there are more than 3,000 bike-sharing cities, all of which emanated from a program begun in the mid-1960s in car-clogged Amsterdam. The idea was to provide a way to relieve congestion problems by creating a fleet of bikes, which were at the time free for public use.

This 2,500 square foot lot on Martha Place is currently being considered as possible bike sharing site in the city of Passaic. The city took possession of the lot last month and is trying to find a vendor to work with in creating a bike sharing service in the city.

Passaic's proposal

Besides the lot on Martha Place, Business Administrator Rick Fernandez said, the city is looking at four or five sites including the soon-to-be-built parking deck off Passaic Street by City Hall, Third Ward Park, Pulaski Park and perhaps Bragg Park.

Each location could handle a score of bikes, and if it gets any traction as an idea, ideally the city bikes could expand to Passaic's immediate neighbors.

"I'd love to talk with Garfield and Clifton," Lora said, adding that given the number of new warehouses, logistical centers and other large-scale employers like Stew Leonard's, just over the Clifton border, coming to the region, the bikes and local bus service could make these jobs and local shopping more attainable to locals.

Fernandez cautioned that the concept remains in its earliest stages. The city has contacted systems such as Citi Bike as well as EZ Ride, a public-private partnership that promotes affordable and reliable transportation systems.

Lisa Lee, EZ Ride's director of bike and pedestrian programs, confirmed that she has been working with the city.

"I suggested a pilot program," she said, adding that if it proves economically viable it could be implemented at a relatively low cost. Once popular, docking stations, where bikes are wirelessly logged in and out of use, could be paid for by sponsors and vendors who reap a modest fee for each bike rental.

If it is successful, she said, she could see it expand to places like Clifton and Garfield. EZ Ride is also working with other entities in Passaic County, but steps such as creating bike lanes and promoting bike safety programs need to happen first.

Lora said he favors the Citi Bike model because other than the city providing sites for bikes to be parked and picked up, the maintenance, billing and other expenses are handled by the vendor.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passaic explores bike-sharing system to help ease parking shortage
Emergency landing: Flightpath of Horizon Air 2059 from Everett, diverted to Portland (Simon Calder)

A 44-year-old pilot, Captain Joseph David Emerson, is in custody in Portland, Oregon facing 83 counts each of attempted murder and reckless endangerment as well as a charge of endangering an aircraft.

On 22 October 2023 Captain Emerson was travelling off-duty in the jump seat on the flight deck of a Horizon Air jet flying from Everett, north of Seattle, to San Francisco.

He is accused of trying to disable both engines by deploying the engine fire-suppression system on the plane. He later told police afterward he had taken magic mushrooms two days earlier and had not slept in 40 hours,

The incident highlights the use of jump seats on aircraft  and the wider issue of pilots deliberately putting passengers and crew at risk.

What happened to Horizon Air flight 2059?

Eighty passengers and four crew members were on board the Embraer 175 aircraft. As the plane was approaching Salem at a cruising altitude of 31,000 feet, he tried to shut down the engines.

The crew managed to subdue Captain Emerson and move him out of the flight deck, which was then locked in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. The aircraft diverted to Portland, with the pilots telling air-traffic controllers: We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked. Mr Emerson was arrested, while passengers continued to San Francisco on a different plane. The original aircraft is now back in service.

Horizon Air is owned by Alaska Airlines, which said in a statement: Captain Emerson unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines. The Horizon captain and first officer quickly responded, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.

Engine power was not lost despite the off-duty pilots attempt to shut down the engines by engaging the engine fire handle, also known as the fire suppression system.

The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine. If the T-handle is fully deployed, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine. In this case, the quick reaction of our crew to reset the T-handles ensured engine power was not lost.

Our crew responded without hesitation to a difficult and highly unusual situation, and we are incredibly proud and grateful for their skilful actions.

Following appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from Air Traffic Control, the flight was safely diverted to Portland.

Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked.

Why are jump seats fitted, and who can use them?

One or two jump seats may be fitted to flight decks to provide space for for the purposes of training (including for air-traffic controllers as well as pilots and inspectors). When no passenger seats are available, they may be used to carry other people. The rules are set by national aviation authorities and vary from one country to another. They may also differ for domestic and international flights.

In some jurisdictions, only a very limited categories are allowed to occupy a flight deck jump seat  typically crew involved in training, screened airline personnel and government officials. In others the options may be wider, including pilots who work for other airlines.

In addition, jump seats are installed for cabin crew around the aircraft. They are typically located at bulkheads and are normally folded away except during take-off and landing.

Why are jump seats used?

Most of the time jump seats are not being used for official purposes  ie only the two pilots are on the flight deck, and the number of available jump seats in the cabin exceeds the number of cabin crew.

When the plane is full, the view is taken that jump seats in the passenger cabin may as well be occupied by non-revenue travellers. These include:

staff flying as part of their duties (eg flight crew positioning to another airport)

off-duty staff

family or friends of staff who are travelling on free or heavily discounted tickets

Has someone in a jump seat jeopardised a journey in the past?

In 1994 a FedEx flight engineer, Auburn Calloway, was travelling on the flight deck of a cargo DC10 aircraft and, in a pre-meditated attack, attempted to kill the captain, first officer and engineer in order to crash the plane.

Calloway had earlier been accused of falsifying flight hours and was facing possible dismissal. He used hammers and a spear gun  which he had smuggled on board in a guitar case  to attack the three flight crew. But they overcame Calloway and safely landed the aircraft despite being badly injured.

There are rather more cases in which a third, off-duty pilot has assisted the captain and first officer.

In 1989 Captain Dennis Fitch was travelling as a passenger aboard another DC10 operating United flight 232 from Denver to Chicago. A catastrophic failure of the engine in the tail led to the loss of most controls. But Captain Fitch had experimented on a flight simulator with controlling an aircraft using only the engine throttles. The plane made a crash landing and 184 of the 296 people on board survived.

On 28 October 2018, a third pilot on the flight deck of a Boeing 737 Max belonging to Lion Air and flying from Bali to Jakarta identified that the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was malfunctioning and told the captain and first officer how to fix the problem.

The aircraft landed safely. But the next day the same fault occurred on Lion Air flight 610 from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang. The plane crashed with the loss of 189 lives. Soon afterwards the Boeing 737 Max was grounded worldwide while the MCAS was overhauled.

How common is pilot suicide?

Cases of flight crew deliberately crashing their aircraft in a bid to kill themselves and everyone on board are rare. The vast majority of aircraft-assisted suicides involve small private planes.

The most recent significant proven example of a pilot murdering everyone on board was Germanwings flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf on 24 March 2015. The first officer, Andreas Lubitz, used his expertise to lock the captain out of the flight deck of the Airbus A320, which he subsequently flew into a mountainside in the French Alps. He knew that the procedures implemented since 11 September 2001 enabled someone on the flight deck to take total control.

Until the 9/11 attacks, most passenger aircraft had a fairly flimsy door between the cockpit and the cabin, because an attack on the pilots and a takeover of the aircraft was considered implausible. The 9/11 hijackers, armed with blades that they had taken through security, were able to access the flight deck and kill the pilots to take control. After the terrorist attacks, airlines began to install reinforced doors that are intruder-proof and bullet-proof.

Only one alleged pilot suicide has killed more people: EgyptAir flight 990, flying from New York to Cairo on 31 October 1999. The Boeing 767 crashed in the North Atlantic, killing all 217 passengers and crew on board. The US safety authorities concluded the crash happened as a result of the relief first officers flight control inputs but did not ascribe a motive.

The loss of MH370, the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared on 8 March 2014, remains a mystery. One theory is that the aircrafts commander, Captain Zaharie Shah, intentionally hijacked his own aircraft in order to take his own life and kill all 239 passengers and crew. The Boeing 777 jet had taken off from Kuala Lumpur on a routine flight to Beijing. Air-traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, which flew south across the Indian Ocean before crashing in an area west of Australia.

The investigators last word on the greatest mystery in aviation history appears on page 443 of the MH370 Safety Investigation Report: The Team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370.

One person close to the saga believes the plane will be found in the southern Indian Ocean once undersea drone technology makes it feasible to deploy 100 or more unmanned devices to plumb the depths for signs of former life.

Only if and when divers assess the wreckage will a narrative start to emerge. Even then, the grieving relatives may never know the full story of how and why their loved ones died.
Queen Rania of Jordan has accused Western countries of aiding and abetting the killing of Palestinians by supporting Israels war against Hamas, in an extraordinary intervention that could signal an escalation of of tensions across the Arab world.

Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in the West Bank, accused Israel of being an apartheid regime, claiming the conflict began before Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis on October 7.

The monarch also accused those backing Israels bombing of Gaza in response to Hamass terror attack as an example of Western double standards.

The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the worlds reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding, she told CNN.

In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.

Jordan remains an ally of Britain and the US, and is seen as a stable partner in a region often marred in violence and unrest. But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Joe Bidens support of Israel is testing relationships with allies across the Middle East.

When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened  but what were seeing in the last couple of weeks, were seeing silence in the world.

Many in the Arab world are looking at the Western world as not just tolerating thisbut aiding and abetting it, the monarch added.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah of Jordan warned against any efforts to force refugees from Gaza towards Jordan or Egypt, calling the further relocation of Palestinians to other countries a red line that would not be tolerated.

Queen Ranias comments came as Israel and Hamas continued bombing each other, with airstrikes in Gaza killing more than 750 people between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the territorys health ministry.

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centers, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gazas civilian population.

Queen Rania of Jordan says Arab world is shocked by events in Gaza (CNN)

Gaza-based militants have also been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The death toll, following a reported 704 killed the day before, was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Even greater loss of life could come when Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

The UN says about 1.4 million of Gazas 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, with almost 600,000 crowded into UN shelters.

A Palestinian stands outside the building destroyed i the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Gazas residents have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which is sworn to Israels destruction.

In recent days, Israel allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to come over the border with Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel  needed to power hospital generators  to keep it out of Hamas hands.

The UN said it had managed to deliver some of the aid in recent days to hospitals treating the wounded. But the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the largest provider of humanitarian services in Gaza, said it was running out of fuel.
On a gloomy Tuesday morning, the wooden cantilever decks and white concrete-blocked beams of the Kugel/Gips house blend in with the overcast tones of the day. Overlooking the Northeast pond, the house is hidden in thick woods down a winding dirt road off Long Pond Road in Wellfleet.

Built by architect Charlie Zender in 1970, it is one of four homes restored and rented by the Cape Cod Modern House Trust, a non-profit organization on the Cape founded by Peter McMahon in 2007.

The Kugel/Gips house will be open to the public to tour during an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 29. Parking is on-site and the event is free to attend. Visit www.ccmht.org/ for more information.

As we wandered around, the grey from outside followed us in through the large windows covering the house. The earth-toned furniture  including Cesca dining chairs by Marcel Breuer, a dining room table crafted by McMahon and a Herman Miller Noguchi coffee table  and the dark-colored accent wall of the living room brought life to the white and wood-toned home.

The living room at the Kugel/Gips house in the woods off Long Pond Road in Wellfleet.

McMahon pointed out Zehnder's design quirks inside the home, like the misalignments of windows and walls and the window above the kitchen sink  a design element he came to know spending his summers on Wellfleet in a Zehnder house.

"I grew up in a Charlie Zehnder house which is part of how I got onto this whole thing," he said.

Charlie Zehnder's Kugel/Gips house on Wellfleet's Northeast Pond

The three-bed, two-bath house was built for Peter Kugel, former chair of the Computer Science Department at Boston College and then later sold to James Gips, a computer scientist at Boston University, at the end of its lease. When McMahon acquired the house in 2007, it had been abandoned by humans for 11 years but taken over by bats and raccoons.

It was a real mess but you could sort of see the potential of it, McMahon said.

It was his first project after establishing the trust that same year and he was up for a challenge. The painted latex roof had failed. Water filled the basement. Dead pine trees outside of the home threatened to fall on it. Plumbing and electrical issues topped off a long list of problems.

Though most of the restoration was finished within a year, getting the house to a completed state would take years as new problems kept popping up, largely due to Zehnder's use of materials.

"It took a long time to get (it) to a truly habitable state," McMahon said. "We have done a lot of improvements ... He used materials in a way that was kind of really pushing them to the limit and sometimes to the point where they failed."

Zehnder left his mark around the Outer Cape creating homes for clients who were professors, artists and writers with a small budget to build a home.

I found 53 houses by him on the Outer Cape," McMahon said. "He was the most prolific of the modern architects ... He used usual materials in unusual ways  So he did some really interesting houses for what would be considered ridiculously low-budget nowadays.

The exterior of the Kugel/Gips house in the woods off Long Pond Road in Wellfleet.

Yet, Zehnder never studied architecture, opting for engineering at the University of Virginia and sculpting at the Rhode Island School of Design. However, he grew to have an admiration for Frank Lloyd Wright, especially after meeting him during his time at the University of Virginia.

He had a very strong affinity for Wright and you can really see it in this house, McMahon said. It's got a lot of (Frank Lloyd Wright) aspects to it. The big overhangs, the cantilevers, the sort of projection out into the landscape and the dematerializing of the corners.

Even as you step inside, Wrights influence cannot be avoided as the brick fireplace sits center in the house, one of Wrights signature design staples, according to McMahon.

View from the living room looking towards the kitchen at the Kugel/Gips house.

Now, the Kugel/Gips house acts as a place for the trust's programming and tours, a home for their artists in residence during their stays in Wellfleet, and one of four of the trust's weekly vacation rentals.

"They're small by today's standards but very at one with their surroundings and with nature," McMahon said. "They're very bold in as far as how they handle materials and spaces ... They're very inspiring ... It just shows that there (are) other ways to live than just a normal suburban house."

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: Tour inside this Charlie Zehnder house on Northeast Pond in Wellfleet
By Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan

(Reuters) - Russia's parliament completed the passage of a law on Wednesday that withdraws Moscow's ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests.

The upper house, the Federation Council approved the law by 156 votes to zero after the lower house, the Duma, had also passed it unanimously. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing.

Putin urged lawmakers earlier this month to make the change in order to "mirror" the position of the United States, which signed but never ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Russia says it will not resume nuclear testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts are concerned it may be inching towards a test that the West would perceive as a threatening escalation in the context of the Ukraine war.

Ukraine has accused Russia of stepping up "nuclear blackmail".

Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo - no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century.

Arms control experts say a test by either Russia or the United States could trigger a new arms race at a moment of acute international tension, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. They say if one country tested, the other would likely do the same and others such as China, India and Pakistan could follow.

CNN published satellite images last month showing Russia, the United States and China have all built new facilities at their nuclear test sites in recent years.

The U.S. Energy Department said last week it conducted a chemical explosion at its nuclear test site in Nevada "to improve the United States' ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world".

Speaking to Russian lawmakers before Wednesday's vote, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Nevada blast was "undoubtedly a political signal".

"As our president said, we must be on alert, and if the United States moves towards the start of nuclear tests, we will have to respond here in the same way," he said.

(Reporting by Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Gabriella Gaby Aghion would be proud. Amid a flurry of fashion houses appointing White men as their new designers as the Spring-Summer 2024 runways wrapped up, Chloe, the French fashion label she founded seven decades ago, announced Chemena Kamali as its next creative director, a hire true to Aghions vision for Chloe being a label designed for women by women.

Kamali, who has already had two stints at Chloe under its past designers Phoebe Philo and Clare Waight Keller, follows in the footsteps of women whove helped to define and curate the brands aesthetic over the last three decades, among them Stella McCartney, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, Waight Keller, Philo  who is scheduled to launch her highly-anticipated eponymous line on October 30  and the labels outgoing creative director, Gabriela Hearst.

But just who was Aghion, the Jewish Egyptian entrepreneur who started Chloe, one of the first luxury womens ready-to-wear brands, in 1952? The Jewish Museum in New York seeks to answer that question with a new exhibition, Mood of the Moment: Gaby Aghion and the House of Chloe, on view until February 18, 2024.

Gaby Aghion in the Egyptian desert, photographed by Raymond Aghion circa 1940. - Raymond Aghion/Chloe Archive

The Jewish Museum has a history of showcasing the legacies of incredible Jewish women entrepreneurs, including Helena Rubinstein and Edith Halpert  it is always the right time to celebrate women, said guest curator Choghakate Kazarian. Moreover, Gaby Aghions contributions to fashion history and modern dress practice have largely been overlooked in fashion discourse.

Aghion was born to a wealthy family in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1921. Like most well-to-do people in Egypt at the time, she learned French. As a young woman, she spent her free time flipping through pages of French fashion magazines and, with her mother, would invite seamstresses to recreate the designs they saw.

Aghion first came to Paris in 1939, accompanying her husband Raymond as he studied medicine, but the couple returned to Egypt when World War II broke out. They returned in 1945, this time with Aghion herself also studying at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques. She was excited to be in the epicenter of French fashion, and immersed herself into Paris cafe culture, socializing with the writers, artists, and philosophers of the time.

In the 1950s it was rare to purchase clothing off the rack; wealthy women could afford to dress themselves in decadent couture creations, but the masses had to have copies made at home or assembled by seamstresses. (Aghions personal wardrobe was a combination of both, said Kazarian.) She wanted to change that, and offer a line of ready-to wear-clothes with a with a specific style  not just copies, said Kazarian. So she went from the client to the businesswoman and started her own label.

A model showcases a look from Chloe's Spring--Summer 1960 collection at the Brasserie Lipp in Paris on November 25, 1959. Courtesy Chloe Archive, Paris. - Chloe Archive

Aghion called the label Chloe because it was too much of a risk to use her own name. She couldnt use her husbands name, because it was not well-seen for a woman of her status to work, said Kazarian. She couldnt use her maiden name because she didnt want to put shame to her family if she failed. So she borrowed the name of a friend She said that she loved the roundness of the letters.

The label launched with six dresses inspired by what we wore in the sporting clubs in Egypt, Aghion said at the time. Chloe was much more relaxed and lighter than the stiff proper suits of the time, like Saint Laurents New Look collection for Dior, for example. And she eschewed the typical methods for showing collections for casual presentations over breakfast at establishments she frequented, like Cafe de Flore on Paris Left Bank.

Curating the mood of the moment

The exhibition opens with three ensembles from the houses early years: an original Embrun dress Aghion designed with the English-Irish model Maxime de la Falaise in 1960, flanked by a 1964 gold skirt suit (from 1964) and a ruffled wool crepe wrap dress (from 1961) standing before a grid of images from one of its first fashion presentations.

Yves Saint Laurent usually gets the credit for creating the first ready-to-wear brand, for his Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche line. But its Aghion who deserves the recognition, the "Mood of the Moment" curators argue, having founded Chloe as a ready-to-wear brand more than a decade earlier. Here, a view of clothes in the "Mood of the Moment" exhibition. Photo by Dario Lasagni; image courtesy the Jewish Museum, New York. - Dario Lasagni/Jewish Museum

Aghion wanted to create a brand that exuded a relaxed sort of elegance, or, as Kazarian calls it, an offbeat, bourgeois-boheme hippie chic spirit. That vibe has remained a core part of the Chloe aesthetic in the years since. - Dario Lasagni/Jewish Museum

While she had an eye for fashion, Aghion lacked when it came to design skills; Chloe at first functioned as a collective comprised of different freelance designers whose designs she would approve. These designers included a young Karl Lagerfeld, who joined Chloe in 1963 and was given sole control over the houses designs in 1966. (Aghion was still in charge, though.) It was Lagerfeld who said of his work at Chloe in the 70s that, with each collection, I tried to crystallize the mood of the moment, Kazarian said of the quote which inspired the exhibitions title.

Designs by Lagerfeld, who continued working at Chloe until 1983, and returned to the fashion house for a second stint as creative director from 1992 to 1997, make up the majority of the exhibition: colorful 60s shift dresses, like the Bergamotte, a yellow dress adorned with sequins and metal studs, to more delicate designs from the 70s and then fashions from the outrageous 80s, like a playful Cintre dress that features a very meta, sequined-covered embellishment of a minidress complete with the Chloe label on a hanger.

Karl Lagerfeld showing his Fall-Winter 1969 collection for Chloe. - Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty Images

After Lagerfeld first left Chloe in 1983 to work at Chanel, the house returned to working with a designer collective, before naming French fashion designer Martine Sitbon its first female artistic director in 1987. And following Lagerfelds second departure in 1997, the label took a chance on McCartney, then an unknown young designer. It paid off.

McCartney channeled the cool Britannia spirit of the time into her designs, as well as her love of horse riding through countless equestrian references. Her assistant Philo followed, curating the minimal romanticism through sleek jumpsuits dotted with silver buttons or breezy silk chiffon dresses accented with grosgrain ribbon appliques  not to mention the iconic Paddington bag, of course  that earned her a cult following, before the most recent creative directors, Waight Keller, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, Hearst and now Kamali.

(Aghion sold her stake in the business in 1985 to Dunhill Holdings  the luxury conglomerate now named Richemont, which still owns Chloe today  but remained close to the house until her death in 2014.)

Theres really this mirroring between the designer and the consumer, said Kazarian of the Chloe brand. Each designer had created a clear woman according to their own style, their own personality. They referenced the houses archives while adding their own viewpoints and recruiting artists like Rita Ackermann or bold names like Angelina Jolie for collaborations. Perhaps then, its the mood of her moment?

Amid a multitude of blouses  one of Chloes signature garments  the exhibition closes with an ode to Aghions signature uniform, a black skirt paired with a waistcoat and a silk blouse in a beige hue. (Egypt is a color for me, she once reportedly said. The sand is the most beautiful sand I have ever seen. A rose-tinted beige. It feels like silk in your hands.)

Aghion defined an entirely new way of dressing for the contemporary cosmopolitan woman. Here, an installation view of "Mood of the Moment" at the Jewish Museum. Photo by Dario Lasagni; image courtesy the Jewish Museum, New York. - Dario Lasagni/Jewish Museum

She really put forth femininity as a driving force, said Kazarian of Aghion and her legacy. Its women dressing women. That was, and this is, (the) spirit of sorority and sisterhood at Chloe.

Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloe is on show at the Jewish Museum in New York until Feb. 18, 2024.

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Researchers have just released their latest population estimate for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, and while there is some cause to feel encouraged it's tempered at best.

The study "is basically saying the rate of decline is leveling out," said Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist at the New England AquariumAnderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life and the identification database curator for the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.

He cautioned it's not time to break out the champagne and celebrate. The population remains teetering on the edge of recovery and descent toward extinction without concerted efforts by humans to protect them.

'Not turning the corner yet'

The population is not turning the corner yet, Hamilton told the Times. "That would be good news," he said.

Heather Pettis, a research scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center and the executive administrator of the consortium, pointed out the data shows human activities "are killing as many whales as are being born into the population, creating an untenable burden on the species."

A North Atlantic right whale female named Fission and an unnamed juvenile male right whale were seen in March during an aerial survey over southern New England waters.

According to Hamilton, the numbers of deaths from these human-made causes  entanglement in traditional fishing gear and vessel strikes  remain high.

To reach a turning point what's needed is an increase in reproduction which has been low for a number of years.

Charles "Stormy" Mayo, director of the right whale ecology program at Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, told the Times earlier this month it was satisfying to see 11 calves born into the population this year, but he noted it's still too low a number, and there aren't that many potential mothers left. One of the newborns also did not survive.

Birth rate remains a concern

At present, there are fewer than 70 actively reproductive females among the 356  plus or minus seven  estimated right whales. Among those females, Hamilton said, 41 are between the ages of 10 and 20 that have not yet given birth. That is worrisome.

"In the past, the average age of first reproduction is 10," he said.

The chart shows North Atlantic right whale mother-calf pairs since 2009.

The trend shows a large number of females are either experiencing delayed start of reproduction because of environmental stresses and failure to thrive, to the point where they are unable to successfully carry a calf to term. Some of them may not give birth at all. Also, scientists are observing a greater interval of time between births among the reproductively actively females.

In the 2000s, there was an average of 24 calves born per year, Hamilton said. "Now it's very erratic," he noted.

A female North Atlantic right whale named Bocce appears belly up in a surface active group on Feb. 12 in southern New England waters.

Compared to this year's 11 calves, in 2022 there were 15 calves born and in 2021 there were 18

Right whales are not growing as big, which Hamilton said scientists are still trying to understand. That could be connected to a combination of sublethal injuries from entanglement and lack of proper nutrition.

Whales remain threatened by human activities

"We also need to see a reduction in deaths and injuries from human causes," said Hamilton. Only about two thirds of the deaths are detected, he said.

This year, scientists have detected 32 right whales with injuries. Thirty of those are injuries from entanglements, with six of the whales still carrying gear, Hamilton said. Two of the injuries noted are from vessel strikes.

"Those are injuries that could lead to death or dysfunction," such as a whale's inability to feed properly and have the strength successfully to reproduce.

"This is an important piece of the right whale puzzle. We cant just focus on (detected) bodies. We must also reduce all injuries that harm this species if they are to turn the corner, said Hamilton.

Mayo recenty told the Times he won't feel encouraged about the outlook for right whales "until the mortalities are clearly down and the birth rate is up."

"It's going to be a long time before we are out of the hole," he said.

Population estimate recalculated

Each year, the consortium releases the annual population estimate for the species using the most up-to-date data, including calves added to the population since the previous year, according to a release about the study.

The graph shows the North Atlantic right whale population trend since 1990.

Scientists used these updated data to recalculate annual estimates of the right whale population since 1990, according to the New England Aquarium.

"The 2021 estimate was recalculated as 364 (+5/-4 for range of error)  primarily due to the 18 calves born in 2021, many of which were recently catalogued  and the 2022 estimate is 356 animals (+7/-10), suggesting the downward trajectory for the species could be slowing," the researchers indicate.

Scientists from the Anderson Cabot Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collaborated on the population estimate.

Even though there were some upward adjustments from previous years, Hamilton stessed that it's not so much the numbers of whales scientists are looking at.

"We're really trying to encourage people to focus on the trend of the graph," he said.

So far this year, there have been two detected right whale deaths: a 20-year-old male that was struck and killed by a vessel, and an orphaned newborn calf.

Although having just two documented deaths this far into the year may seem like good news, Hamilton pointed out that about two thirds of North Atlantic right whale deaths go undetected.

"Additionally, there continue to be elevated numbers of human-caused injuries to this population. The impacts of these injuries from fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes, the leading causes of the North Atlantic right whales decline, are delayed when calculating the species population size," according to the New England Aquarium.

We continue to injure and kill these whales at alarming rates, such that they cannot carry out basic biological functions like growth and reproduction. While the absolute population numbers are important, other indicators are discouraging. Until we implement strategies that eliminate injuries and deaths, and promote right whale health, this species will continue to struggle, said Consortium Chairman Dr. Scott Kraus in the release.

The researchers are particularly interested in what's going to happen with the 40 females who are still alive but have not given birth yet, Hamilton said.

The overall message they want to convey, he said, is that the news for right whales is "better than it's been, but it's still not good news."

"The focus needs to be on the things we can control, which is human-caused injury and death. The injuries are the big thing. They are very high," Hamilton said.

According to the researchers, "advances in ropeless or 'on-demand' fishing technology show promise, though widespread implementation will require significant financial support to escalate the manufacturing of the gear and provide training and support for the fishing industry to adopt gear use."

NOAA has also been working to develop vessel speed restrictions to better protect right whales "while ensuring both the species and economy thrive."

The consortium plans to highlight the new population study at its annual meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Following the meeting, the consortium plans to draft a comprehensive annual report on the status of the species; survey, management, and research activities, and recommendations for action. The report will be available early in 2024 and published on the consortium website.

When might right whales next be seen in Cape Cod Bay?

It's getting close to the time of year when right whales will start to return to Cape Cod Bay, and they will continue streaming in through spring.

"They will start showing up in December in Cape Cod Bay," Hamilton said.

The latest right whale observations can be reviewed on WhaleMap.org. As of Monday there are no right whales in Cape Cod or Massachusetts bays, though one whale was spotted near Georges Bank, east of Cape Cod, on Oct. 17. Most recent sightings are in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com.

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: Right whale decline 'leveling out,' but concerns remain, study shows
Minister apologizes for Jamboree controversy, but says it was not fiasco
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott's multiday bus tour this week signaled a new campaign strategy: to step up his ground game in the Hawkeye State.

But only time will tell whether the effort will pay off with Iowa caucusgoers.

Scott, who has not qualified to appear on the Nov. 8 GOP presidential debate stage in Miami, has seen his national campaign sputter. His polling has remained in the single digits amid mounting pressure to differentiate himself from frontrunner former President Donald Trump and other candidates.

More recently, his allied super PAC recently announced it would cancel most of the remaining $40 million in fall TV ad spending it had reserved on Scotts behalf ahead of the caucuses.

In an attempt to regain footing, Scott's team this week announced an aggressive campaign shift to Iowa with plans to double staff, establish a West Des Moines headquarters and campaign weekly in the first-in-the-nation state after the November presidential debate.

Scott's revival trip came in the form of a five-day "Good News Bus Tour," which included seven stops across the state, starting with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks Triple MMM Tailgate fundraiser Friday. On Saturday, he held a meet-and-greet in Maquoketa and joined Sen. Chuck Grassley for more tailgating outside a University of Northern Iowa football game.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott speaks during a campaign stop Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at the City Limits Restaurant in Maquoketa.

At the City Limits restaurant in Maquoketa, Scott focused heavily on the recent outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, and the need for America to support Israel. Echoing criticisms he's made since Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, he criticized the Biden administration's response and said a funding bill proposed by the president should be rejected for including more military aid for Ukraine than for Israel.

In addition to foreign policy, attendees also had questions about the federal budget, drug prices and other domestic issues. Afterward, Maquoketa residents Jo Martin, 79, and her husband, Ray, 81, said they were impressed by Scott's talk but were still leaning toward supporting Trump in the caucus.

"How can one person do what Trump did, kept everything up and running, and as soon as someone else takes over, everything goes downhill?" Ray Martin asked.

Their only reservation about Trump was a concern about his electability.

"There's so many people who believe everything they hear against him, and don't want him to be president," Jo Martin said.

Scott, or any of the other Republicans seeking to wrest the nomination from Trump, will need to win over at least some of his supporters. But asked what it would take to shift their preference from Trump to Scott, the Martins couldn't say.

More: Sputtering nationally, Tim Scott shifts resources to go 'all in' on Iowa Caucuses

Similar sentiments were felt the following week as Scott continued his bus tour Monday night at a town hall in Marshalltown, and Tuesday with meet and greet stops in Indianola and Creston, and at a forum hosted by the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce in Griswold.

After the Marshalltown event, several voters said they were still "up in the air" and liked what they heard from Scott  but they struggled to say what it would take to make him their top pick in the caucus.

"I think he's shown who he is as a senator. He does what he says he does," said Cindy Page, a 67-year-old Republican who drove from Cedar Falls with a friend to hear Scott speak. "I think he just needs to be who he is."

Sen. Tim Scott greets Barbara Grassley and her husband, Sen. Chuck Grassley, with flowers before tailgating outside the University of Northern Iowa football game Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Cedar Falls. Barbara Grassley was celebrating her 91st birthday.

Larry Madson, calls Scott a "common sense" candidate and a person "you'd like to have sitting in your living room."

"He's not putting on a show, he's just Tim Scott, and that's what I really enjoy hearing," he said after listening to Scott speak in Griswold.

Madson, who drove nearly an hour from Harlan to see Scott, lists him among his top three picks, alongside former North Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He said in order for Scott to rise to the top is an issue of "visibility."

"In my mind, oftentimes, a lot of people vote based on what they see and what they hear and so I think the visibility is a major factor," Madson said. "So it's probably just being able to, you know, meet the public, and let people hear his message."

Tim Scott faces pressure to differentiate himself from Trump, opponents

Although Scott has been loath to talk about other Republican candidates, he's facing increasing pressure to differentiate himself from other candidates, and in particular frontrunner Trump.

According to an August Des Moines Register/NBC News Iowa Poll, Scott had a higher net favorability rating than any other candidate in the field, with 59% of likely Republican caucusgoers saying they had a favorable view of him. Another 17% said they had an unfavorable view.

That poll showed him in third place with 9% of the vote.

But a Real Clear Politics rolling average of more recent Iowa polling shows him in fifth place with 6%  behind Trump (50%), DeSantis (17%), Haley (9.5%), and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (6%).

Still, thats better than Scott is doing nationally, where he is the first-choice candidate among just 2%.

At Monday's town hall, he was asked why voters should turn against Trump and made an unusually explicit electability argument against the former candidate.

"I don't think he can win," Scott said. "You have to be able to win in Georgia. I don't think he can win in Georgia. You have to be able to win in Pennsylvania."

The problem, Scott said, is not Trump's policies, which he supported, but how he is viewed by persuadable voters.

"We have to be able to win independents without watering down our message," he said. "We have to have a consistently conservative message and a messenger who can persuade.  Not only can I keep conservatives excited and motivated, I can attract independents. If you are a conservative in your philosophy, I want you to be a part of the team, and if you're not a conservative in philosophy, you don't want me anyways."

Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott listens to a question from an audience member at a meet and greet event in Creston, Iowa on Oct. 24, 2023.

Creston resident Tim Haynie, who saw Scott speak for the third time on Tuesday at a Pizza Ranch in Creston, said Scott is his "favorite candidate." But in terms of electability, Haynie ranks Trump and DeSantis over Scott.

Haynie, a member of the Union County Central Committee, says he's not sure what would have to change to solidify his vote for Scott over the other two candidates, but he said his mind changes daily.

"It's tough on me because if any one of those three wins the primary, they're electable," Haynie said. "It's not a matter of electability on the national level if they're on the general election ticket."

Haynie considers himself a Trump fan, but he said if Scott starts to poll better, he could "envision" himself caucusing for Scott. Haynie said it's a matter of Scott gaining a "momentum swing," and lauded his efforts to campaign in rural Iowa.

"He's a godly man and he speaks the truth, I just love that guy," Haynie said of Scott. "I would love for him to be our primary choice, but I don't know if he can be. I'm confident Trump will be our candidate, and I'm OK with that and he's been number one for me."

Tim Scott plans to be in Iowa weekly after Nov. 8

Scott says he plans to campaign in Iowa every week until the Jan. 15 caucuses following the debate in November. According to his campaign, Scott hopes to use the shift in resources to help tap into the support of evangelical Christians, who make up a sizeable share of the Iowa caucusgoing electorate, to help close the gap.

Scott hasn't been shy about his campaign pivot.

"I believe everything starts in Iowa," he told the Marshalltown audience. "I've moved my whole operations here."

He also touched on his Iowa-first gameplan at the Pizza Ranch in Creston, attempting to flatter the roughly 20 audience members.

"The road to the White House starts here. It doesn't start anywhere else," Scott said. "The picture I have in November of 2024 is having not only won the nomination but won the presidency. In order to make that happen, you gotta do it here."

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Tim Scott's 'all in' strategy will win over Iowa voters is tough sell
The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission approved an emergency shelter project Monday night at a site on Lawrence Drive.

Thousand Oaks' first emergency homeless shelter won approval Monday night from the city's planning commission.

The panel voted 5-0 to approve a special-use permit for up to 50 tiny homes of interim housing on city-owned property at 1205 Lawrence Drive in an industrial area in Newbury Park.

The applicants developing and operating the one-story shelter at the 6.5-acre site are the nonprofits Dignity Moves, Many Mansions and Hope The Mission, who will lease the land from the city.

City staff, commissioners and residents spoke in favor  and none against  the project during the meeting at the Scherr Forum. If any opposition surfaces, the deadline for an appeal is 10 days after the commission's vote filed with the Community Development Department, Chair Sharon McMahon said.

The idea for the project has been in the works for more than a year. The city approved the site for the shelter in September 2022 and grant funding came through in August.

Commissioner Don Lanson said that although the project won't solve homelessness, it's a step in the right direction.

"I don't think the benefit to the community can be overstated," commission Vice Chair Justin Link said. "It's extremely impressive."

The center is being financed in part by a recent $5.8 million grant from the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. Under the grant's conditions, the city must spend no less than half of that by June 30, City Senior Planner Scott Kolwitz said.

Dignity Moves, a nonprofit that built a similar complex in Santa Barbara, plans to assemble the complex from a series of tiny homes  prefabricated buildings manufactured in Portland, Oregon.

The project's first phase is 30 units for as many as 44 residents. The second phase of construction is an additional 20 units. The site will include laundry facilities, restrooms, indoor and outdoor meeting space, and an area where dropped-off meals will be assembled for distribution to tenants.

Kolwitz said costs could be lowered by having separate four-unit structures. He said that modification would be possible under the proposal before the commission and that and other possible changes could be decided later.

"Each unit is an approximately 70 square-foot room with a bed and desk," Marge Cafarelli, the chief real estate officer of Dignity Moves, told commissioners.

The shelter will provide emergency housing for people sleeping on the streets, but Kolwitz said onsite staff will navigate tenants toward permanent housing. He said that's why "Navigation Center," the facility's official name, is a better description than "emergency shelter."

"Each participant would be assigned a housing navigator and a case manager," Kolwitz said. "One staff member is required for each 15 participants."

Everyone living at the Navigation Center will be selected on a referral basis from local agencies or the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Kolwitz said. "There's no walks-in."

He noted that Navigation Center won't accept registered sex offenders or anyone with active felony warrants. He said none of the tenants will be permitted to possess or consume alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs. Kolwitz said the 24-hour security will include cameras, patrols, fencing and gates.

"We will operate an incredible facility to the highest standards," said Ken Craft, CEO of Hope The Mission. "We take a very aggressive approach to what I believe is a humanitarian crisis with the numbers of people who are languishing and suffering on our streets. We are committed to helping people get back their lives."

Rick Schroeder, president of Many Mansions, told commissioners that the Navigation Center will operate with a good neighbor policy. He explained that will include a council of stakeholders and neighbors meeting regularly to discuss problems.

Chief Assistant City Attorney Patrick Hehir said the existence of the Navigation Center will help law enforcement in working with homeless residents.

He said sheriff's deputies currently can't stop anyone from sleeping overnight in public places because there's no shelter. The Navigation Center will provide the beds and give them a some place, Hehir said.

The most recent count of homeless people, conducted in January, showed 128 people living without shelter in Thousand Oaks.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Tiny home shelter for T.O.'s homeless residents OK'd
Anna Blazhuk - Getty Images

Everyone has their own traditions when it comes to New Year's Eve. Maybe you prefer a low-key evening spent with friends and a homemade New Year's Eve dinner. Or maybe you kick it up a notch with karaoke and dancing like Ree Drummond and her family. But really, there is no wrong way to celebrate the impending new year as long as you enjoy it. In fact, depending on where you live, you might take part in one of these New Year's traditions from around the world. From eating New Year's good luck foods to tossing white flowers in the ocean, these unique and storied traditions are worth a try.

Although most of us cross our fingers and hope that the next year will only bring good things, there are people in countries like Germany, Scotland, Denmark, and Brazil who carry out specific customs, most often at the stroke of midnight, to secure that good luck. Anything from wearing symbolic colors to sprinkling salt on your doorstep are said to encourage good fortune, abundance, and financial success for the coming year.

Here in the United States, there are so many ways that you can mark the ending of another year, such as playing trivia with friends, toasting the new year, and of course, watching the ball drop in Times Squarebut maybe you'll want to add a few of these international traditions to your New Year's Eve plans. A little extra luck is always a good thing!



Grapes for Good Luck

You may see people in Spain eat 12 grapes at midnight, a tradition that started back in the late 19th century. The custom was originally thought up by vine growers to sell more grapes at the end of the year, but it stuck! Spaniards eat one grape with each bell strike, which is believed to result in good fortune.

Carol Yepes - Getty Images

Carrying Empty Suitcases

Hoping for plenty of travel in the upcoming year? Then do as they do in Columbia and carry an empty suitcase around the block. It's a practice that's thought to encourage lots of traveling in the new year.

DjordjeDjurdjevic - Getty Images

First Footing

For New Year's in Scotland, they observe something called "First Footing." Scots believe that the first person who crosses the threshold of a home after midnight should preferably be a dark-haired man, which can bring about a lucky new year.

Andreas von Einsiedel - Getty Images

Tossing White Flowers in the Ocean

Brazilians have a custom of throwing white flowers into the sea each new year. Doesn't that sound so romantic? Residents will toss flowers and candles into the Atlantic Ocean as offerings to Yemoja, a god of water who can pass along good things in the upcoming year.

Priscila Zambotto - Getty Images

Soba Noodles

In Japan, they welcome the new year by eating bowls of soba noodles, or noodles made from buckwheat flour. They're nicknamed "year-crossing noodles," and while the origins of this tradition aren't exactly known, generally, people believe that the long noodles represent a long life.

masahiro Makino - Getty Images

Lucky Pig

Pigs? And New Year's? There's actually a connection between the two, at least in Germany. Germans call this custom "Glucksschwein," which translates to "lucky pig." Pigs appear as marzipan treats, and noshing on them can foster good fortune in the new year.

StockFood - Getty Images

New Years Feast

Food is certainly a big part of New Years here in the United States, but in France, its an event all on its own. Called le reveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, the meal celebrates the awakening of the patron saint of New Years and features delectable gourmet foods, like oysters and lobster.

Icy Macload - Getty Images

Red for Good Luck

Red is a color that denotes good fortune and happiness, and in China, its a hue thats often attached to New Years. Youll spot decorations, fans, gift packets, and lanterns in shades of red.

winhorse - Getty Images

Smashing Pomegranates

No matter what time of year it is, pomegranates are very important in Greece. In Greek mythology, the fruit represents abundance and life, things that are tied to New Years there. Just after midnight, Greeks will crush pomegranates against their doorsthe number of seeds that fall to the ground symbolize how much good luck you can expect in the new year.

Westend61 - Getty Images

Cleaning Streets, Cars, and More

At the start of the new year, Puerto Rico just might be the cleanest country around, since their tradition is to clean their homes and cities top to bottom, from indoor spaces to cars to streets. Its a way to start out with fresh energy in the new year.

DomD - Getty Images

Cutting Apples

While we might be used to cutting up apples for a pie, in the Czech Republic, cut-up apples hold unique significance when it comes to New Years. On New Years Eve, residents will cut apples in half and the shape inside denotes what one can expect in the coming year. For instance, while a star is good, a cross can foretell a future illness.

ARB - Getty Images

Lucky Lentils

Italy is almost always known for dishes like spaghetti and linguini, but during New Years celebrations, its all about the lentils. Italians see lentils as mini, edible coins, and if you include them in your New Years Eve dinner, theyll bring some luck into your life.

Alice Martini - Getty Images

Sprinkling Salt

In the United States, spilling the salt can represent bad luck, but in Turkey, sprinkling salt is encouraged. Turks will sprinkle salt on their doorsteps at midnight, something that can generate success in the new year.

vusta - Getty Images

Three Potatoes

On New Years Eve, Columbians place one peeled, one unpeeled, and one half-peeled potato under their beds. When the clock strikes midnight, they pull out the first potato their hand touches, and the potatoes symbolize different things: a peeled potato means financial ruin. An unpeeled potato promises a good year all around. And a half-peeled potato is a mix of good and bad for the year.

Foodcollection RF - Getty Images

Jumping Off Chairs

Perhaps back in the day, you and your friends jumped off chairs at parties for fun, but in Denmark, its a real New Years tradition. There, people try to jump off their chairs in unison at midnight, a symbol of jumping forward into a new year.

Westend61 - Getty Images

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Ukrainian officials say the fighting is becoming too intense for children to remain

Ukraine has started the forced evacuation of around 1,000 children from areas near to the front line as Russia intensifies attacks.

Parents have been told they must move their families to safety from 31 settlements in Kherson and Donetsk regions.

Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Ukrainian officials have ordered such evacuations before when fighting has intensified.

Officials say many children are living under near constant shelling and insist it's now far too dangerous for them to remain at home.

Accompanied by police officers - with the power to force families to flee - they're now going door to door to persuade parents to leave with their children.

Kyiv has promised families safe passage to safer parts of the country where they'll be given free accommodation and places at schools and nurseries.

Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, who is the spokesman for the Kherson regional administration, explained that some families were still reluctant to leave their homes, despite the increased danger and discomfort of living under near constant enemy attack.

"There are different cases," he said. "For example, when families barricade themselves inside. Of course the police don't break doors. They talk to people. They show videos to people of what happens if the shell hits, with killed and injured children. It is more psychological work".

Getting the families out is a difficult and dangerous task carried out by emergency workers and volunteers.

In the Donetsk region a special police unit known as the White Angels is responsible for getting people to safety.

Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said the evacuation teams were risking their lives and appealed to parents to be ready: "If you're warned about evacuation, please don't delay, pack the most necessary things, your documents, and leave."

But she also acknowledged that the authorities in Kherson lack sufficient armoured vehicles to transport children to safety. It's estimated that around 800 children live in the affected areas and Ms Vereshchuk said she'd asked international organisations to help.

"800 children is a lot, and we need to take them out as soon as possible."

Ukraine says that Russian troops have launched major assaults on a few areas along the Eastern front in recent days and intensified shelling in the south.

It's feared that Moscow plans attacks on critical infrastructure as winter approaches.

The governor of Kharkiv region told national television that he too was considering a forced evacuation order in some villages close to the front line.
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Russia and China on Wednesday vetoed a U.S. push for the United Nations Security Council to act on the Israel-Hamas conflict by calling for pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian aid access, the protection of civilians and a stop to arming Hamas and other militants in the Gaza Strip.

The United States put forward a draft resolution on Saturday as global outcry grew over a worsening humanitarian crisis and mounting civilian death toll in Gaza. It made the move just days after it vetoed a humanitarian focused draft from Brazil, arguing more time was needed for U.S.-led diplomacy.

The initial U.S. text shocked many diplomats with its bluntness in stating Israel has a right to defend itself and demanding Iran stop exporting arms to militant groups. It did not include a call for humanitarian pauses for aid access. But it largely toned down the final text that was put to the vote.

"We did listen to all of you," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the 15-member council after the double veto, which she described as disappointing. "Though todays vote was a setback, we must not be deterred."

It was a rare move by the United States to suggest Security Council action. Washington has traditionally shielded its ally Israel at the world body.

Ten members voted for the U.S. text, while the United Arab Emirates voted no and Brazil and Mozambique abstained.

"The draft does not reflect the world's strongest calls for a ceasefire, an end to the fighting, and it does not help resolve the issue," China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun told the council after the vote. "At this moment, ceasefire is not just a diplomatic term. It means the life and death of many civilians."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been appealing for a humanitarian ceasefire.

'OBLIGATION TO ACT'

In the wake of the Security Council deadlock, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly will vote on Friday on a draft resolution put forward by Arab states that calls for a ceasefire. No country holds a veto in the General Assembly. Resolutions are non-binding, but carry political weight.

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which rules Gaza, in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,400 people. Israel has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege on the enclave of 2.3 million people and is preparing a ground invasion. Palestinian authorities say more than 6,500 have been killed.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accuses the U.S. of putting up a draft resolution that represented Security Council authorization of a ground offensive in Gaza by Israel "while thousands of Palestinian children will continue to die."

After the double veto, the Security Council then voted on a rival Russian-drafted text that called for a humanitarian ceasefire and withdrawal of Israel's order for civilians in Gaza to relocate south ahead of a ground assault.

Russia failed to the get minimum amount of support needed, winning only four votes. A resolution needs at least nine votes and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to be adopted.

It was Russia's second attempt at a resolution. Only five council members voted in favor of a Russian text on Oct. 16.

The elected 10 members of the Security Council now plan to work on a new draft resolution, Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said.

"This crisis is also gripped by a growing risk of a regional spill over. This demands our undivided attention," she said. "We have the duty and the obligation to act."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool)
The University of Pennsylvanias administration faces an overwhelming backlash from donors, many of whom are pulling their funds and calling on the Ivy League institutions president to resign. The root of their anger: A Palestine Writes Literature Festival that took place on campus last month that donors and Penns administration both say included speakers with a history of making antisemitic statements, a characterization organizers and attendees reject.

Many donors have said in letters obtained by CNN that they complained to Penn President Liz Magill in advance of the September 22 through September 24 festival and urged her to forcefully condemn the festival and its speakers. A month before it took place, the Anti-Defamation League also raised concerns to Magill about the festival, which was not organized by the university.

But organizers and attendees say the festival was to celebrate and promote Palestinian culture and Palestinians, an oppressed people who dont have the ability to access their homeland, through music and art and literature. Reading poetry about their ancestors and calling out Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories shouldnt be conflated with hatred and antisemitism, they said.

Although the university issued a statement prior to the festival condemning antisemitism, it maintained it has a responsibility to uphold the free exchange of ideas on its campus. The festival was not a student-led event, though students from UPenn and around the Philadelphia area were involved in organizing and volunteering.

Following Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, donors simmering animosity toward the administration and its president reached a boiling point. Magill has since further distanced Penn from the festival and said she and the university should have more quickly condemned the speakers views.

But what did the speakers say that got the donors so upset? And what actually took place at the festival, which happened weeks before the Hamas attack on Israel?

A history of controversial remarks

ADL Philadelphia and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia sent a letter that was posted on the Palestine Writes site to Magill in August expressing deep concern that speakers at the event could invoke antisemitic tropes.

The organization specifically called out Roger Waters, the Pink Floyd lyricist, who appeared at the festival via Zoom. The ADL cited concerts Rogers performed in Germany in May, where he dressed in a Nazi-like uniform and shot a prop machine gun into the audience and desecrated the memory of Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

The US State Department also accused Waters of using antisemitic tropes.

Magill responded to the ADL on September 20, calling Waters inclusion in the festival, deeply offensive, misaligned with the festivals stated purpose, and stands in direct opposition to our institutional values. However, Magill in the letter defended the festival, noting Penns commitment to open expression and academic freedom.

A man looks at the portrait of musician Roger Waters at a counter-event, which tries to present the singer's position, on the sidelines of a demonstration under the slogan "Frankfurt united against anti-Semitism". Waters is accused of using anti-Semitic tropes, which he denies. - Andreas Arnold/picture alliance/Getty Images

In response to the criticism, Waters posted a statement in May saying the performance is quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyds The Wall in 1980.

Waters has consistently denied he is antisemitic, and described that performance in Germany as a parody.

We do not view [Waters] as antisemitic and we did not hesitate to have him as a participant in our festival, organizer Tala El-Fahmawi said to CNN. He has stood as an opponent to war crimes and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians which as we know does not equate to antisemitism.

Democratic New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer called out Waters and former CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill, with whom CNN severed ties after controversial comments he made about Israel. Gottheimer criticized UPenn for including Waters and Hill as festival speakers in a letter posted the day after the University released its statement.

Palestine Writes was a wonderful experience, Hill said, where he hosted a panel on journalism and participated in one on the Global South. CNN has reached out to Hill for comment.

The ADL letter also raised concerns about three previous tweets from the festivals director, Susan Abulhawa. In one tweet, she called Israel one big militarized tumor. CNN has reached out to Abulhawa for comment on these tweets.

Organizers contended that criticizing the state of Israel did not equate to antisemitism or hatred of Jewish people.

In a letter in response to Magill on September 2, the organizers said, We categorically reject this cynical, sinister, and ahistorical conflation of bigotry with the moral repudiation of a foreign states criminality, particularly as most of us are victims of that state, adding the examples all refer to Israel or Zionism. Situating those individual Palestinians and our allies in league with actual antisemites is wholly irresponsible and dangerous.

At the festival, speakers acknowledged the allegations of antisemitism and denied them.

We are full of love, comedian Amer Zahr said as he opened the festival. We do not hate anybody for who they are. We hate occupation. We hate apartheid. We hate racism. We dont hate people. We love everybody. Our movement of Palestinian justice from the day it started, has been about love.

The event opened with a dabke performance, a folk dance that originated in the region.

Abulhawa welcomed attendees who were there to surveil and monitor.

Were sure youre here and youre welcome as long as you do not attempt to disrupt or sabotage any part of this festival. Palestine Writes is meant to be an inclusive space for anyone who wishes to engage with the stories, heritage, culture, history, and the realities of Palestine, a storied place of an ancient people, she said.

Billionaire Ronald Lauder, a powerful financial backer of the university, said he had two people taking photos at the Palestine Writes festival and two more who listened to the speakers, who were, to no ones surprise, both antisemitic and viscerally anti-Israel. However, he did not specify what was said and the number of speakers who made those types of statements. CNN has reached out to Lauders representatives for further details.

CNN has also reached out to ADL Philadelphia to determine if anyone reported incidents of antisemitism at the event. CNN has not been able to corroborate or gain specific information on any of the specific claims made by the donors during the festival. Only the opening session on Friday was filmed and posted in its entirety.

In an op-ed published by Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, one of the UPenns wealthiest donors, he claimed the event focused on Jews, Israel and Zionism instead of Palestinian culture. He claimed one unnamed speaker advocated for ethnic cleansing and gathering all Jewish people into cantons and that numerous speakers repeated various blood libels against Jews.

CNN did not see any examples of ethnic cleansing or cantons in clips it has seen of the festival.

But in a response to Rowan in The Daily Pennsylvanian, chair of UPenns Board of Trustees Scott Bok said that based on multiple accounts nothing suggests the reprehensible comments that Rowan describes in his letter. If anything like this was said, we of course strongly condemn it.

Abulhawa directed CNN to Boks op-ed and the festivals public statements when asked about the allegations.

What was said at the festival

The Palestine Writes Literature Festival included almost 80 sessions on a variety of topics about Palestinian culture, from poetry readings to arts and craft sessions for children. Organizers and attendees described the vast age range at the conference, from young children to the elderly.

The three-day long festival included dancing, poetry, readings and workshops from some of the most biggest and most celebrated literary voices in the Arab World, according to a letter from Abulhawa. The events organizers said it was designed to celebrate the Palestinian diaspora, and those who want to learn about the region could come together in a cultural moment to celebrate a shared identity.

Attendance was over capacity in the 1,200-person auditorium. One Palestinian attendee, Dalia Al-Ahmad, said it was the best event Ive ever been to, I never felt so seen.

One session taught the language and history of Palestinian dress, tatreez, a centuries-old embroidery technique. There were storytimes with numerous authors, whose works range from childrens books to an anthology of queer Arab writers.

Featured speakers included some of the most celebrated writers in the Arab world on Palestine  Ibrahim Nasrallah, Elias Khoury, Mahmoud Shukair and Huzama Habayeb  the organization wrote in a letter to the school.

Some events took a more political tone  such as a session with researcher Salman Abu Sitta on the Palestinian right of return, the political position that all Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their homes in modern Israel. The UN General Assembly affirmed this right in via resolution in 1948. Another event highlighted Palestinian peoples history of resistance in the face of colonialism based on its geographic location between two continents and near Europe.

In the opening session, Abulhawa analyzed the revered Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who penned the anguish of exile and rejected antisemitic claims, a resistance poet who spoke Hebrew.

Just as it seemed inconceivable to our parents and grandparents that Europeans could steal an entire country where we are deeply rooted, many of Darwishs contemporaries likewise could not imagine someone actually colonizing our own stories, Abulhawa said.

If you tell people youre Palestinian, its not as simple, youre saying a statement, Dalia Al-Ahmad said, who traveled from Canada to attend. We had our community come together, and just to celebrate us in our history, in our people.

A panel that included Roger Waters, the main lyricist for Pink Floyd, was called The Cost, Reward, & Urgency of Friendship. He was joined by Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer, and Gary Younge, a British journalist and writer.

The Jewish Chronicle reported that there is no evidence Nguyen or Younge, who appeared on the panel with Waters, hold antisemitic views.

92NY, a prestigious New York City Jewish cultural center, abruptly pulled Nguyens event last week about his new memoir after he signed an open letter criticizing Israel, the author confirmed on Instagram. The talks organizer, Bernard Schwartz, who has been with 92NY since 2005, moved it to a local bookstore instead. He told the New York Times the decision by 92NY was unacceptable.

I have no regrets about anything I have said or done in regards to Palestine, Israel, or the occupation and war, Nguyen said on Instagram, highlighting the New York Times headline that said the 92NYs actions drew criticism for stifling voices it disagrees with.

Indeed, Nguyens talk at Palestine Writes drew parallels between different occupations throughout history.

This panel of non-Palestinian distinguished personalities, all of whom have publicly expressed solidarity with Palestinian liberation, will talk about what that friendship has meant in their professional and personal lives, the sites program said.

CNN watched the session, which was livestreamed on Facebook. The topics discussed included how Palestine came into the consciousness of the speakers, solidarity among different groups and the legacy of imperialism and the American Dream.

In the recording of the segment, Israeli statehood was not mentioned. Jewish people were also not mentioned, though Waters said he attempted to come in person when the media, nearly all Jewish papers, questioned how the school allowed him to attend.

The University said organizers for the festival confirmed from the beginning Waters would attend virtually. It said they were notified 48 hours before the event Waters wished to show up in person, but that would have required additional security unavailable at short notice.

Felt like home

Planning the Palestine Writes Literature Festival took endless hours, according to Abulhawa.

We came together to celebrate the cultural productions of Palestinians and other indigenous peoples, organizer Tala El-Fahmawi said. It was a really beautiful space where we came together to celebrate our culture, our people to reflect on our history, and to just be together.

For the Palestinian diaspora, most of whom cannot access their homeland, the event left them in tears, Abulhawa said. Without a physical place, the culture and the arts passed down through generations are often all the diaspora can turn to.

We wanted to honor our ancestors, celebrate our heritage. Discuss our books, talk about our predicament. Talk about resistance, talk about politics and power and culture and song and books and food, and all of the things that a moment, that an intellectual creative moment would contain, Abulhawa said in a previous interview with CNN.

Abulhawa said skeptics were welcome. Its still driving (critics) crazy, because they cannot bear this moment of agency, she said.

Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian-American writer and human rights activist, speaks at a 2014 Palestine Festival of Literature event at Qasr al Qassem on June 4, 2014 in Beit Wazan, near Nablus, West Bank. - Rob Stothard/Getty Images

El-Fahmawi heard from numerous attendees that they felt like they were home.

Palestine isnt accessible to us, I can never go home. My grandparents could not go home, El-Fahmawi said. To be able to hear that and have people feel that they were home in the environment that we created was really powerful.

El-Fahmawi said she and other organizers dedicated thousands of unpaid hours for the festival, digging into their own pockets to fund some parts of it.

In this case, large donors tried to use their money to make sure that Palestinian voices were not heard on campus, she said when asked if the festival expected this level of backlash from donors.

A firestorm of controversy

Groups on campus and off raised concerns about some speakers who they said had made antisemitic statements before the festival began. Student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian first reported backlash for the festival starting in early September.

As is routine in universities, individual faculty, departments and centers, and student organizations are engaged as sponsors, speakers and volunteers at this conference intended to highlight the importance and cultural impact of Palestinian writers and artists, UPenn said in a September 12 statement.

However, the university also condemned antisemitism and acknowledged in the statement that many people brought up several speakers who have a documented and troubling history of engaging in antisemitism by speaking and acting in ways that denigrate Jewish people.

We unequivocally  and emphatically  condemn antisemitism as antithetical to our institutional values. As a university, we also fiercely support the free exchange of ideas as central to our educational mission. This includes the expression of views that are controversial and even those that are incompatible with our institutional values, the statement said.

Magill issued an updated statement on October 15, calling the attacks from Hamas a terrorist assault. She distanced the school from the literature festival.

The University did not, and emphatically does not, endorse these speakers or their views, the statement read. While we did communicate, we should have moved faster to share our position strongly and more broadly with the Penn community.

The festival responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling UPenns statement cowardly, immoral, and dishonest.

Venture capitalist David Magerman last week called for all self-respecting Jews to cut off funding to the Ivy League school. Hedge fund billionaire Cliff Asness, another major backer of UPenn, similarly halted donations, as have Lauder, Rowan, Law & Order creator Dick Wolf and other prominent donors.

Magerman, a UPenn graduate known for building trading algorithms at hedge fund giant Renaissance Technologies, posted a letter on Tuesday sent to UPenn leaders in which he took issue with the public posture of Magills administration, which said they would uphold the right of public events and free speech, and her initial response to the terror attacks on Israel.

Rowan called for the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania to resign and donors to close their checkbooks over an alleged failure to condemn antisemitism and hate. Former US ambassador Jon Huntsman also promised to halt his familys donations.

UPenn leaders said in a statement Oct. 10 they were devastated by the horrific assault on Israel by Hamas.

These abhorrent attacks have resulted in the tragic loss of life and escalating violence and unrest in the region, UPenn President Elizabeth Magill and UPenn Provost John Jackson, Jr., said in that statement.

In an interview on CNBC, Rowan argued the central issue was not free speech, but failing to forcefully condemn the festival.

That condemnation should not be so hard. Unfortunately, if you lack moral courage, it is hard, Rowan said.

Yet former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a graduate of UPenn, told CNN that Magill made a mistake in failing to immediately condemn alleged antisemitic remarks by the festival speakers  but said she should not resign.

CNNs Matt Egan contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The United States along with some Middle Eastern nations are stepping up efforts to target a secret Hamas investment portfolio government officials believe to be worth up to $1 billion.

To target the Hamas investment portfolio, a US official said Tuesday the Treasury Department is working with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Following the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, US and Saudi officials convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday in Riyadh of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, which includes the United States and the GCC nations. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in November.

The US official said there has been a redoubling of efforts since Hamas October 7 attack on Israel to use the TFTC, which was created in 2017, to go after Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iranian-aligned militant groups, including by sharing relevant, timely and actionable information.

Last week, Treasury leveled sanctions on individuals that officials say are managing assets in a secret Hamas investment portfolio likely valued at between $400 million and $1 billion, according to a US official. The official added that the portfolio is generating significant amounts of revenue for Hamas.

Treasury has said the global portfolio of investments includes companies operating under the guise of legitimate businesses in Sudan, Algeria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other nations.

We cannot tolerate a world in which Hamas and other terrorist organizations fundraisers live and operate with impunity, abusing the financial system, to sustain their terror. Brian Nelson, Treasurys under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said during prepared remarks at the emergency TFTC meeting.

Hamas' armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades destroy an Israeli forces' tank near Gaza City, Gaza on October 07. - Hani Alshaer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Nelson urged the Gulf nations to share more information on the parts of the Hamas financial ecosystem vulnerable to disruption and called on member countries to take action.

From our perspective, not acting against Hamas and its terrorism is a disservice to the Palestinian people, Nelson said. From a financial standpoint, we can clearly see that Hamas has exacerbated economic hardships for decades in the Gaza strip by diverting humanitarian assistance to support its campaign of terror, and we must publicly condemn these actions.

A UAE official told CNN on Wednesday the Gulf nation supports global efforts to fight money laundering and terror financing.

The UAE is committed to combatting illegal financial activities such as money laundering and financing of terrorism, the official said in a statement. The countrys policies and strategies detect and deter financial crimes and prevent the use of its lands as a transit route or to transfer funds resulting from any criminal activity.

In another step aimed at disrupting Hamas funding, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo plans to travel to Europe on Friday, the Treasury Department announced.

Adeyemo plans to work with partners in Europe to deny Hamas and other terrorist organizations the ability to raise and use funds.

Last week, Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network laid out new rules taking aim at the ability of Hamas and other terror groups to use cryptocurrencies for fundraising. FinCEN proposed designating foreign cryptocurrency mixers  platforms that make digital funds harder to track  as money laundering and national security risks.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
By Vivian Sequera and Mayela Armas

CARACAS (Reuters) -Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Wednesday his office has launched a criminal investigation into the opposition's weekend presidential primary, potentially risking the wrath of the U.S. which has relaxed some sanctions on pledges of a free and fair election.

The government has decried alleged fraud since the Sunday vote, organized without state help and which organizers said attracted more than 2.3 million voters.

The opposition and the primary's winner Maria Corina Machado have insisted repeatedly it was transparent and fair.

"This is the reaction to the monumental challenge to the regime that were the primaries," Machado said in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"We Venezuelans participated in an exemplary citizen election, the results of which we all trust," she added.

Washington has threatened to roll back sanctions relief granted last week on the oil and gas industry and bond trading if President Nicolas Maduro's government fails to lift bans preventing some opposition figures - including Machado - from holding office.

The government of Maduro, in power for a decade, and the opposition last week inked an electoral deal in Barbados, agreeing to international observers for the 2024 vote and that each side could choose its candidate according to internal rules.

The deal did not rescind the public office bans for figures like Machado, who was barred for her support of the U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019 after elections which Washington and other Western governments rejected as a sham.

The U.S. State Department is aware of the accusations and called for an investigation, a spokesperson said, adding the primary was "an important milestone" for Venezuela.

"We are focused on ensuring Nicolas Maduro takes concrete steps to ensure a free, fair, and competitive 2024 presidential election as outlined in the political roadmap agreement signed in Barbados," the spokesperson said.

The investigation, requested by lawmaker Jose Brito, will center on accusations of electoral violations, financial crimes and conspiracy, Saab said during a press conference.

The electoral violations stem from the primary being organized without the National Electoral Council, Saab said.

The opposition this month declined the council's offer of help and its request to delay the vote until November after the council took several months to respond to the opposition's request for assistance.

Voter rolls for the primary included 2 million people who neither registered nor participated, Saab said, and financing for the primary has not been made public.

"Obviously it is a fraud, who financed this, who is behind it?" Saab said. "The funds are not known. Who provided them?"

His office will interview the organizing commission's president Jesus Maria Casal and vice-president Mildred Camero in the coming days, as well as staff at Sumate, the civil organization which participated in primary organization and whose president Roberto Abdul-Hadi is a reserve member of the commission.

Machado won the contest with 93% of the vote, according to the latest tally of votes released earlier on Wednesday.

The voter figure smashed suffrage expectations, even in some areas traditionally allied with the ruling party.

Voters reported long lines in some polling stations, while others had to be moved or opened late. Some polling places stayed open hours past the original 4 p.m. closing time to ensure those waiting could cast ballots.

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Mayela ArmasWriting by Julia Symmes Cobb, Natalia Siniawski and Oliver GriffinEditing by Helen Popper, Marguerita Choy and Rod Nickel)
The first RAF flight carrying 21 tonnes of aid for Gaza has set off for Egypt, the government has said.

C-17 aircraft is en route... to deliver vital humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, including 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,5560 solar lights, the Ministry of Defence posted on X/Twitter.

Last week, Rishi Sunak announced he was increasing UK support by 10m, before announcing a further 20m on Monday to meet the needs of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been subject to bombardment from Israel as Tel Aviv retaliates following Hamass attack on 7 October.
Not long after the Arizona Diamondbacks punched their World Series ticket with a 4-2 win over the Phillies in Game 7 on Tuesday, Snakes fans started looking for the latest T-shirts, hats and other fan gear.

The 2023 National League champion Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series for the second time in franchise history.

On social media, people were already staking out sporting goods retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods for DBacks World Series merchandise. Online retailer Fanatics also pumped its DBacks postseason gear.

Postseason merchandise is on sale at the Chase Field Team Shop, 401 E. Jefferson St., with expanded hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the team reported after the win.

The Diamondbacks will fly to Dallas on Wednesday and will face the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The first pitch will be at 5:03 p.m. Arizona time.

Home games at Chase Field will take place Oct. 30 (Game 3), Oct. 31 (Game 4), and Nov. 1 (Game 5, if necessary). Stadium gates will open at 2 p.m., with the first pitch at 5:03 p.m. Ticket information is available at dbacks.com/postseason.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks World Series merchandise: Where to find it
New air defense system cannot eliminate artillery threats, Ex-Army major generals say

By Jung Min-ho

Speaking to lawmakers at Mondays National Assembly audit of government affairs, Gen. Park Jeong-hwan, South Koreas Army chief of staff, said he will redouble efforts to expedite the development and deployment of a new air defense system against North Koreas possible imitation of Hamas attack on Israel.

Having seen how thousands of rockets fired by the Palestinian militant group overwhelmed Israels missile interception system on Oct. 7, Park also said the low altitude missile defense-II (LAMD-II) system, a project expected to be completed in seven years, would protect some of the densely populated areas of South Korea.

However, according to two former Army major generals, the new system is primarily designed to protect key military facilities and a significant number of civilian casualties is inevitable under such a scenario  an inconvenient truth Park did not talk much about at the National Assembly.

If North Korea carries out such an attack with its long-range artillery pieces, it is impossible to intercept them all (with the new system), Bang Jong-goan, a researcher at Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, a think tank, said during a forum in Seoul. If that occurs, the objective should be to destroy the weapons in the shortest time possible  But for a couple dozen minutes or so, there would be damage.

That damage is expected to be far greater than what was seen in Israel, where more than 1,400 people were killed as a result of the Hamas attack. North Korea is believed to be able to fire some 16,000 shells per hour from around 1,000 artillery pieces along the inter-Korean border in the early stages of a war. Of them, North Korea is estimated to operate some 340 long-range artillery pieces, which directly target the greater Seoul area, home to about half of the Souths 51.5 million population.

To minimize possible casualties from such an assault, Bang said what the military should focus on is developing a strategy and capabilities to shorten the time to recognize an attack and prepare for a counteroffensive.

However, that does not mean that South Korea wont need such an advanced anti-missile system, said Kim Kyu-yeon, director at Korea Association of Defense Industry Studies, a think tank.

Both defense and counterattack means should be expanded, as the enemies would always attack the most vulnerable parts of their targets, Kim added. Some say Israels Iron Dome (its air defense system) failed. But it didnt. It just faced the situation beyond its capability.

Both experts said South Koreas military should take lessons from Israels intelligence failure, saying the 2018 inter-Korean military accord significantly restricts the militarys surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities near the border area and that it needs to be suspended.

The agreement, inked by the previous Moon Jae-in administration on Sept. 9 that year amid a thaw in cross-border relations, includes setting up no-fly zones near the border.

The agreement may decrease the risk of accidental clashes, but it limits South Koreas ability and right to conduct drills necessary to prepare for North Koreas sudden attack, said Bang. Therefore, it (its suspension) needs to be considered, he added.

North Korea has virtually nullified the pact by sending its drones into South Koreas airspace among many other violations. I dont know whether it would be proper for us to continue to maintain the agreement when the other party doesnt, Kim said.

At a time when the U.S. (South Koreas key ally) is now being forced to handle two wars at the same time, another security threat could emerge in East Asia as well  We all should ask ourselves whether we are prepared for one, he added.
WASHINGTON  Hours before President Joe Biden gave a rare prime-time address last week, his head speechwriter sat down with a group of senior Arab and Muslim American officials to go over the draft and take suggestions.

Dissent was sprouting even inside the White House, where some aides worried that Biden hadnt shown enough empathy for Palestinian civilians and a Muslim community facing a torrent of anger, said a person familiar with the discussions, who, like others, requested anonymity to talk freely.

The hourlong editing session reflects a vigorous outreach effort the White House is undertaking to reassure Arab Americans who feel theyre being scapegoated for the atrocities Hamas has committed half a world away. Senior advisers have been calling Muslim officials throughout the country and inviting community advocates onto the White House campus for frank conversations. Cabinet secretaries are sounding out federal workers to see how they're coping with the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked angry protests in the U.S.

Shaken by reports of Hamas militants killing unsuspecting Israelis on Oct. 7, Biden gave remarks in the first days of the war that channeled Israel's anger and resolve to fight back. He met with Jewish leaders and said the Hamas attacks evoked the horrors of the Holocaust.

Some allies in Congress complained that he seemed indifferent to innocent victims of Israel's counterattack. Now Biden is calling more attention to Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire and the discriminatory backlash against Muslims back home.

In his West Wing office, speechwriter Vinay Reddy read aloud from the draft to make certain his Arab American colleagues were comfortable with language denouncing Islamophobia and name-checking the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian populations that felt vulnerable, a White House official said. The group listened and approved.

Said the official: There will be things that the United States does in the Middle East that the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian populations dont like. And there will be plenty of disagreements to come. But as an Arab American, I felt very seen and respected.

A president's words carry outsize weight on any occasion, but they are even more magnified in wartime. Some Muslim advocates took note of Biden's address to Jewish leaders across the street from the White House on Oct. 11 and questioned why he hasn't spoken directly to their community. Within a week of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, by contrast, President George W. Bush visited a mosque and delivered a message that "the face of terror is not the true face of Islam."

We had great concerns with what we saw at the beginning of the war, said Hanna Hanania, former president of the Detroit-based American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine, who voted for Biden in 2020. We thought the messages were as if we were totally left out. The messages were going totally for the other side, as if we never existed.

In the past two weeks, Democratic members of Congress have phoned senior White House adviser Anita Dunn and other top officials and warned that Biden needed to address the isolation and fear their Muslim constituents were experiencing, according to White House and congressional officials.

Muslim advocates have told NBC News that women have been fearful of wearing the hijab and that parents have been afraid to take their children to school, worried they would be targeted because of their ethnicity.

The Muslim community is very, very angry at him, a Democratic lawmaker said, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk freely. It could hurt him.

The message is sinking in. Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff, led a Zoom meeting with Cabinet members last week in which he asked them to reach out to staffers of different faiths and make sure they feel theyre being heard, White House officials said.

Dilawar Syed, a Small Business Administration official who is the highest-ranking Muslim in Bidens government, attended the funeral of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was murdered in Chicago in what authorities say was a hate crime. Last Thursday, he spoke to administration officials about what he heard from people at the ceremony and shared his reflections on being Muslim American in this environment, said the White House official, who attended the meeting.

After the boy was murdered, Zients sent an email to the staff that read: "The events of the last week have been challenging for all of us  and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge how difficult it has been for our Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American colleagues  in addition to our Jewish colleagues."

On a separate track, senior officials have been contacting scores of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian American elected officials at all levels across the country to hear their concerns.

Not every message back is super positive, the first White House official said. Its more like: We care about the president, and we want to make sure youre understanding what were hearing on the ground.

When it comes to the ancient argument over who has a right to Middle East land, presidents have learned through bitter experience that it's impossible to accommodate all sides. The best they can do is appear to be fair brokers.

At a news conference Wednesday, Biden said Israel has to do everything in its power, as difficult as it is, to protect innocent civilians.

Hanania, for one, says Bidens message has gotten more inclusive of late. But hed like to hear him call for a cease-fire in Gaza  something Israel wont accept at this point. The Israeli government is determined to wipe out Hamas and is preparing a ground incursion to root it out so assaults like the one on Oct. 7 dont happen again.

Eliav Benjamin, the deputy chief of mission at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, said in an interview: We are determined to win this war. Im an infantry person myself for many years. Im not aware of any real substitute to being on the ground. We tried this in the past multiple times in Gaza. It did not work. It just doesnt.

With the war set to enter a bloody new phase and the number of Palestinian civilian deaths likely to rise, Biden can expect more pressure from American Muslims he is working mightily to assuage. The White House points to steps it has taken over the years to make sure they feel embraced.

Last year, Biden revived the Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House marking the end of Ramadan. In 2017, President Donald Trump broke a 20-year tradition by not hosting an Eid event.

Still, the conflict in the Middle East tends to overshadow such gestures. Biden and his top deputies have called upon Israel to minimize civilian casualties as it carries out its counterattack. But Muslim Americans want him to go further.

Asked whether he would attend the White Houses Eid celebration next year if he is invited, a Muslim advocate said, Right now, I would go to drop off a letter and leave."

A former administration official, a Muslim who is trying to mobilize voters for Biden, said some Muslim and Arab American voters are going through 9/11 PTSD, pointing to safety meetings underway in community centers.

They said if women in headscarves are worried, we will maybe set a buddy system so you can have somebody who accompanies you so you wont be outside alone by yourself, the person said. People were not sending their kids to our Sunday school, because they didnt think there was enough of a police presence around it in case somebody attacked it.

It's by no means certain that a different president would be a more restraining influence on the Israeli military. The Republican front-runner in the 2024 race is Trump. He said this month that if he's elected he would bar Gaza's refugees from entering the U.S., an extension of the travel ban he imposed after he took office in 2017.

The White House called Trump's new plan "revolting and dangerous" and will keep hammering that point, a second White House official said.

Bradley Tusk, a Democratic political strategist, said, "You can guarantee that Trump will say something offensive to Muslims every chance he gets, whether he wants to or not."

But voters will have other options than a binary choice between Biden or Trump. Hanania campaigned for Biden in 2020 but said he might leave the top of the ticket blank or support a third-party candidate next year.

"My wife is telling me I just can't vote for him [Biden] again," he said.
WASHINGTON  Three months ago as Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips began to signal publicly that he could launch a 2024 campaign, he called President Joe Biden to talk through why he supports a competitive primary for the Democratic nomination, according to two people familiar with the outreach. Biden didnt take the call, these people said.

The decision not to put the president on the phone  White House chief of staff Jeff Zients told Phillips that Biden was too busy to talk  encapsulates the incumbents approach to any challenges to his re-election bid: publicly indifferent and privately dismissive. With Phillips now expected to enter the presidential race on Friday by filing to be on the ballot in New Hampshire, Bidens aides have planned a tepid response.

The subtext is to frame Phillips candidacy as a vanity project for one of the wealthiest members of Congress. Biden aides also cheekily cast Phillips as a Democrat who has been closely aligned with the president and until recently did nothing to distance himself from the White House or some of its perks.

We appreciate the congressmans almost 100% support of this president, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.

Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, echoed that message when asked about Phillips expected candidacy, saying when it comes to President Bidens official work, the administration appreciates that Congressman Phillips has voted for nearly 100% of the presidents legislative agenda. Bates also said in a statement that hes prohibited by law from commenting on the presidential race as well as primaries in Minnesotas 3rd congressional district  a not-so-subtle nod to Phillips newly complicated 2024 re-election effort for his House seat. Since suggesting hell challenge Biden, the congressman drew a primary opponent.

Phillips, whos serving his third term in the House after being elected in the Democratic wave of 2018, has for months called for a serious primary challenge to Biden. Hes pointed to Bidens low approval rating and polls showing many Americans, including Democrats, dont want Biden to seek re-election. And hes raised the presidents age  80  as a factor.

In an interview in August on NBCs Meet the Press, Phillips called Biden a wonderful and remarkable man but said its time for him to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leadership.

Polling shows many voters are concerned about the presidents age and Biden is essentially tied in a potential match-up with former President Donald Trump.

Earlier this month Phillips stepped down from his position in House Democratic leadership, given his position on the 2024 race, saying in a statement that he wanted to avoid unnecessary distractions during a critical time for our country.

Biden aides privately say Phillips has no rationale for his candidacy.

They note that in July, just weeks before calling Biden, Phillips was at the White House for an evening of bowling with Republican and Democratic lawmakers who are part of the Problem Solvers Caucus. They point out that hes flown on Air Force One at least once since Biden took office. And one Biden aide said that in recent weeks Phillips has been in touch with White House officials who handle legislative affairs about routine matters.

What kind of leadership could Phillips offer?" one person close to the White House said, when Biden is already the president.

The Biden campaign has so far been silent on Phillips likely campaign, but thats expected to change if he officially enters the race.

The Biden campaign announced Tuesday that the president would not file to be on the 2024 Democratic primary ballot in New Hampshire, but said he expects to be on the ballot for the general election.

The decision followed a plan released earlier this year by the Democratic National Committee to make South Carolina the first presidential primary voting state, rather than New Hampshire. Biden, whose victory in South Carolinas 2020 primary revived his floundering presidential campaign, recommended the shift. New Hampshire has not yet set its primary date.

Sources close to the White House said the president made the decision in part because New Hampshires voters are almost entirely white, compared with South Carolinas diverse electorate which he believes is more representative of the country.

Biden has faced other 2024 challenges from within the Democratic Party, including from author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently switched his party affiliation to run as an independent. The presidents White House and campaign aides have largely ignored their candidacies.

When Phillips reached out to the president in August, he had already said publicly that he didnt think Biden should run for re-election. But he was poised to sharpen his argument  and ramp up speculation that he might challenge Biden  in upcoming interviews, including on Meet the Press.

Zients returned Phillips call instead of the president and, according to one person familiar with the conversation, heard him out.

Ultimately, Zients told him that Biden is the best candidate to win in 2024 and finish the job in the White House, this person said. A second person familiar with the call said that implicit in Zients message was that Biden is the only Democrat who can beat Trump.

There was no follow-up call, but one person familiar with the outreach said Phillips could call Biden again before any formal announcement of a 2024 campaign.


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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. "3+3" is a convenient platform for communicating with the countries of the region and discussing topics of common interest. Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced during the question-and-answer session with members of the government in the National Assembly, summarizing the "3+3" format meeting held on October 23 in Tehran.



"This is a convenient platform to communicate with the countries of the region, to discuss topics of common interest.

Regarding the unblocking of the infrastructures, as before, also on that day we had an opportunity to note that that the Republic of Armenia is interested in the unblocking of the infrastructures of the region, naturally, on the basis of the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity and equality of countries," Mirzoyan emphasized.



The Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the Government of the Republic of Armenia has even developed a program to encourage the unblocking and is engaged in its promotion, that is, by publishing the project of Crossroads of Peace.



"We are sure that the regional and international communication and logistics infrastructure passing through the territory of Armenia will contribute to reaching peace in the region and the Republic of Armenia is the first beneficiary and the first promoter of it.
BRICS members agree on further cooperation for sustainable tourism recovery

Xinhua) 13:32, October 25, 2023

CAPE TOWN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS countries agreed on Tuesday to further their cooperation in order to achieve a sustainable and inclusive tourism recovery.

The five-nation club of emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa -- made this clear in a communique signed during the BRICS Tourism Ministers Meeting held in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The meeting, held under the theme "Sustainable and inclusive tourism recovery," will last for three days until Oct. 26.

In the communique, the BRICS countries acknowledged the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector.

However, "on the other hand we believe that COVID-19 provides an opportunity to implement transformational shifts as the travel and tourism sector creates a more resilient and inclusive future," said the communique.

"Despite the significant negative impacts of COVID-19 on tourism, the crisis is providing an opportunity to rethink tourism for the future," it added. "Achieving greener and more sustainable tourism recovery calls for a greater policy focus on the environmental and socio-cultural pillars of sustainability."

Citing the United Nations World Tourism Organization's definition of sustainable tourism, which is "tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities," the BRICS ministers noted in the communique that travelers are increasingly choosing lower-impact trips in response to the climate emergency.

"We recognize that in order to achieve a resilient, sustainable and inclusive tourism recovery as well as the promotion of intra-BRICS tourism, we should consider further cooperation on the following areas," including mainstreaming sustainable policies and practices, developing more sustainable tourism business models, and reconsidering perceptions of tourism success.

The communique went on to stress the need to raise awareness among BRICS countries to the importance of developing routes for better tourism mobility and connectivity among the member countries.

"We agree to continue our cooperation in strengthening intra-BRICS relations and developing mutually beneficial collaboration in the interests of continuity of BRICS cooperation," it said.

In the communique, the ministers also welcomed the invitation extended to Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS on Jan. 1, 2024.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Critics say Korean version of Jessica's Law punishes convicted offenders twice

By Jung Da-hyun

Debate is heating up over the justice ministry's legislative proposal aimed at compelling high-risk sex offenders to reside in designated facilities even after their release.

Some say that this new law, if enacted, could effectively reduce the rate of recidivism, while others claim it contains the problem of being punished twice as the offenders have already served time in prison.

The ministry is scheduled to make a pre-announcement of legislation to introduce the law on Thursday. The ministry will then submit its final proposal to the National Assembly after listening to various opinions. The proposal will become law if it is approved in a plenary session of the Assembly, and will apply retroactively to felons who have already been released from prison.

This envisioned legislation is referred to as the Korean version of Jessica's Law in the United States, which prohibits child sex offenders from residing within 1,000 to 2,000 feet of schools.

Unlike Jessicas Law, the Korean ministry's proposal focuses only on designating specific facilities for the residence of high-risk sex offenders. This approach was chosen due to the challenges of enforcing distance-based housing restrictions in densely populated metropolitan areas with limited land availability in Korea.

The ministry's proposal applies to offenders who have committed crimes against children under the age of 13, or those who have been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after having been convicted of sex crimes more than three times. As of the end of last year, there were 325 individuals subject to this new law.

Following the justice ministrys announcement, there is an ongoing debate regarding the feasibility and constitutionality of this law.

Some experts say that the new law could be effective in reducing recidivism.

The effectiveness can be better understood by examining the behavior of individuals wearing electronic ankle monitors, said Lee Soo-jung, a professor of forensic psychology at Kyonggi University.

In many cases, sex offenders, released wearing electronic anklets, attempt to approach teenagers online and lure them to visit in order not to trigger an alarm. This underscores the limitations of electronic monitoring in preventing repeat offenses.

As violent criminals like Cho Doo-soon are being released these days, the government cannot simply leave these offenders unattended, said Oh Yoon-sung, a police administration professor at Soonchunhyang University.

Cho Doo-soon, a high-risk sex offender with 18 previous convictions, was released in December 2020 after serving a sentence of 12 years for raping and assaulting an 8-year-old girl in 2008.

However, challenges remain, as objectors claim that forcing the sex offenders to live in designated facilities even after serving a sentence punishes the offenders twice and infringes on basic rights.

It is clearly unconstitutional from a legal perspective. A more comprehensive review of existing systems and potential improvements is necessary before implementing such a stringent law, lawyer Lee Eun-ui said.
Modi will arrive in Ahmednagar district and dedicate several projects including the new Darshan Queue Complex at Sai Baba temple in Shirdi

Mumbai: In election mode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana, the flagship scheme of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday in Shirdi. Mr. Modi will arrive in Ahmednagar district and dedicate several projects including the new Darshan Queue Complex at Sai Baba temple in Shirdi. He will also lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 7,500 crore in sectors like health, rail, road and oil and gas.

Most of the projects, which will be dedicated by the Prime Minister, are in north Maharashtra region, which has eight Lok Sabha seats including two seats in Ahmednagar district, two seats in Jalgaon and two seats in Nashik district. Mr. Modi is likely to address the people over the development of the region during the last nine years, making a pitch for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

As per the itinerary of the Prime Minister, he will reach at Shirdi in Ahmednagar District; at around 1 pm. He will perform pooja and take blessings of Sai Baba at the temple. He will also inaugurate the new Darshan Queue Complex at the temple.

The Prime Minister will go to Nilwande dam by helicopter from Shirdi around 2.00 pm. He will perform the Jal Pujan of Nilwande Dam at 2.15 pm and dedicate a canal network of the dam to the nation, the official said.

Mr. Modi will again come to Shirdi and address a public programme around 3.15 pm. In this programme, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and dedicate many projects including the left bank (85km) canal network of the Nilwande Dam, which will benefit 182 villages from seven tehsils of Ahmednagar district and Nashik district, at 3.30 pm. The cost of the project is about Rs 5,177 crore, the official said. Mr. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of various development projects.

Officials said that the Prime Minister would launch the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana during this public programme. Under this scheme, the state government will provide Rs 6,000 per annum to the farmers of the state. The scheme is expected to benefit 85.60 lakh farmers.

Officials said the Prime Minister would also distribute Ayushman cards and Svamitva cards to beneficiaries during the public programme.

According to the Central Railway (CR) officials, the Prime Minister will dedicate Rs 877 crore worth project including the 3rd and 4th railway lines connecting between Jalgaon and Bhusawal (24.46 km) worth Rs 640 crore and electrification of Kurduwadi-Latur Road railway section (186 Km) worth Rs 237 crore.

Officials said the Prime Minister would also lay the foundation stone of the Maternal and Child Health Wing at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital.
Prof Issac said the use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old

Prof. Issac claimed that the unanimous recommendation given by the seven-member committee has found mention in its final position paper on the social sciences, which is a key prescriptive document for laying down the foundation for the development of new NCERT textbooks. Article 1(1) of the Constitution already states: India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.

New Delhi: A high-level committee constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training has suggested that India should be called Bharat in all social science textbooks up to Class 12.

The NCERTs 2022 social science committee, set up to revise the school curriculum, has also suggested replacing the ancient history with the classical period of Indian history. Prof. C.I. Isaac, the committee chairperson, said: We are hoping it will be implemented from the next academic year, but it all depends on NCERT.

Prof Issac is a historian and a Padma Shri awardee. Other members of the committee include ICHR chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, JNUs Prof Vandana Mishra, Deccan College Deemed Universitys former V-C Vasant Shine and Haryana government school sociology teacher Mamta Yadav.

NCERT chairman Dinesh Saklani, however, said no decision has been taken yet on the committees recommendations. Nowhere in it (National Curriculum Framework) is written that the name should be changed. These are rumours. No such thing is being done. Whosoever has claimed must show documents. We havent done it, he told PTI.

Reacting to these reports, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said: Our perspective is far more profound when it comes to Bharat, whether it is India, Bharat or Hindustan, they (BJP) wont understand. They only focus on their electoral gains in everything they do.

Prof. Issac claimed that the unanimous recommendation given by the seven-member committee has found mention in its final position paper on the social sciences, which is a key prescriptive document for laying down the foundation for the development of new NCERT textbooks. Article 1(1) of the Constitution already states: India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.

Bharat is an age-old name. Prof Issac said the use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the Battle of Plassey in 1757, he said. Therefore, the committee has unanimously recommended that the name Bharat should be used in textbooks for students across classes, he added.

The proposed change in NCERT books has been recommended a little after the country witnessed a debate that began in September after the Union government used President of Bharat instead of President of India in the invites sent out for G-20 dinner hosted. Subsequently, in the G-20 heads of states meeting, the nameplate kept in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned the term Bharat instead of India.

Prof Isaac claimed the committee has also recommended highlighting "Hindu victories" in various battles in the textbooks. "Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not."

Prof Isaac said: The British had divided Indian history into three phases -- ancient, medieval and modern -- showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress. Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools, along with the medieval and modern periods.

NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.

Prof Isaac said, The committee has also recommended the introduction of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the curriculum of all subjects.
The writer is a development and communications consultant and the author of Kabul Blogs: My Days in the Life of Afghanistan

By petitioning, LGBTQ+ groups are keeping the agenda of same-sex marriage and subsequent rights on the table and in view of the public.

On October 17, the Supreme Court of India passed a ruling that it cannot legalise same-sex marriages at this juncture. The Chief Justice of India, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, said that there was a degree of agreement and a degree of disagreement on how far we have to go on same-sex marriages and that making such a law was the domain of Parliament.

The judgment was no doubt a disappointment to the petitioners who had sought a positive outcome that would ensure equality and non- discrimination in the laws pertaining to marriage, succession and adoption for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and more (LGBTQIA+) community, rights which are currently assured to only heterosexual couples.

Leading up to this judgment, the five-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice Chandrachud heard arguments in the case in April and May this year. During the arguments, the Centre told the Supreme Court that any constitutional declaration made by it on the petitions seeking legal validation for same-sex marriage may not be a correct course of action as the court will not be able to foresee, envisage, comprehend and deal with its fallout. On May 3, the Centre told the court it would constitute a committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary to examine the administrative steps that could be taken to address the genuine humane concerns of same-sex couples without going into the issue of legalising their marriage.

Some same-sex marriage petitioners had urged the apex court to use its plenary power, prestige and moral authority to push society to acknowledge such a union which would ensure them to lead a dignified life like heterosexuals. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

Same-sex couples in India face significant legal and social challenges. They are afraid to come out, even to their friends and family. They cannot adopt children or have a child by surrogacy; they do not have automatic rights to inheritance, maintenance and tax benefits; after a partner passes away, they cannot avail of benefits like pension or compensation; they cannot be party in living will or right to life decisions, as they are not the next of kin, not related by blood or marriage. These rights are available to heterosexual couples.

Chief Justice Chandrachud stressed that marriage was not a static, stagnant or unchanging institution, but the Supreme Court cannot compel Parliament or the state Assemblies to create a new institution of marriage. And nor is the Special Marriage Act (SMA) unconstitutional just because it does not recognise same-sex marriages or redraft its provisions to substitute man and woman or husband and wife. The right to enter into a union must lead to a recognition by the State for fulfilment of such a right.

The October 17 judgment affirmed that same-sex couples have a right to enter into union and it is the States duty is to ensure such unions and couples get protection and a bouquet of rights and that they and unmarried couples can jointly adopt children.

However, the State has fallen short of doing this, and will not be able to do this.

On a positive note, the judgment called to task the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) regulation that restricted queer and unmarried couples from adopting children. The CARA is a statutory body affiliated to the ministry of women and child development and the nodal body for adoption of Indian children, regulating and monitoring all adoptions taking place in India, including inter-country adoptions. The CJI said the law did not preclude unmarried couples from adopting, and that the Union of India had not proven restricting unmarried couples from adopting was in the best interest of children. CARA has exceeded its authority in barring unmarried couples, he said.

The judgment admitted that this moment was an opportunity to remedy the historical injustice and discrimination, and thus governance needed to grant rights to such unions or marriages. But between the five judges, it was a minority view. The judgment also says that the courts must exercise restraint and leave it to the legislature to decide this issue with debates, discussion and policy decisions. Yet, in Indias current political climate, it is difficult to debate and discuss these issues that could result in policymaking.

After a decade-long battle in 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the colonial-era law that criminalised same-sex intercourse. Since then, surveys have shown that the acceptance of homosexuality has grown. According to a Pew survey published in June 2023, about 53 per cent of those polled believed that homosexuality should be accepted. But there is still much opposition to same-sex unions and many sections of society believe that marriage is for procreation, not recreation.

The LGBTQ+ community, as a minority, is one among many others in seeking equality and non-discrimination in a country that has a long history of inequality and discrimination based on religion, caste, class, race, ethnicity, gender, sex and linguistics. While the Constitution of India guarantees rights on paper, it has been a struggle for the disenfranchised to secure their rights.

And this may not change any time soon. Rights struggles take time, patience and challenging work such as building consensus within the groups, developing clear plans, strategies and timelines, while anticipating obstacles and identifying allies.

By petitioning the Supreme Court, the LGBTQ+ groups are keeping the agenda of same-sex marriage and subsequent rights on the table and in view of the public. This is a good move. However, the arduous work lies in engaging the public to support their demands. That is the next step.
At the general audience a reflection on Saints Cyril and Methodius, the apostles of the Slavs, as a great example of the inculturation of the faith as a path to mission. New appeal for the release of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza: "I continue to pray for those who suffer and to hope for paths of peace". The Holy See's representative at the UN Mgr. Caccia: "Although the path of dialogue today seems narrow, it is the only possible option to end the violence".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Our thoughts are fixed on the war in Gaza and Israel, like all the other conflicts that are bloodied in the world. But also the reflection on the liberating force of the Gospel, capable of transforming peoples and cultures from within. These are the two elements that marked the general audience held by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square today.

Continuing the cycle of catechesis on zeal in evangelization, the pontiff retraced the history of Saints Cyril and Methodius, "the apostles of the Slavs".

Born in Greece in the 9th century to an aristocratic family  he recalled  they renounced a political career to dedicate themselves to monastic life. But their dream of a retired existence is short-lived. They were sent as missionaries to Great Moravia, which at the time included various peoples, already partly evangelized, but among whom many pagan customs and traditions survived."

Cyril and Methodius studied the culture of those peoples in depth and understood that for a true encounter with the Gospel it was necessary to give their language an alphabet, which would allow them to translate the Bible and liturgical texts. It was a great example of inculturation of the faith: Think  Francis underlined  two Greek monks giving an alphabet to the Slavs. It is this openness of heart that has rooted the Gospel among them."

There was no shortage of conflict from some Latins, who saw their monopoly on preaching among the Slavs taken away. Their objection is religious  commented the pontiff -, but only apparently: God can be praised  they say  only in the three languages written on the cross, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. But Cyril responds forcefully: God wants every people to praise him in their own language. Together with his brother Methodius he appeals to the Pope and he approves their liturgical texts in the Slavic language, has them placed on the altar of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore and sings with them the praises of the Lord according to those books".

Looking at the testimony of these two evangelizers, whom Saint John Paul II wanted as co-patrons of Europe, Francis invited us to reflect on "three important aspects". First of all, unity: the Greeks, the Pope, the Slavs.

At that time there was a non-divided Christianity in Europe, which collaborated to evangelise". Then inculturation: evangelization and culture are closely connected. But a last aspect is also freedom. I like to note  Francis further observed  how the Pope in those circumstances was on the side of evangelical freedom, supporting those courageous missionaries.

The Petrine ministry shows itself here at the service of a Gospel that does not accept being armored, but which opens up to the future of God: which valorises what the Spirit has already sown and does not identify itself with the forms of the past. God is free and liberating."

Brothers and sisters  concluded the Pope  we ask Saints Cyril and Methodius, apostles of the Slavs, to be instruments of 'freedom in charity' for others.

Then greeting the groups of pilgrims present, the Pope returned to talking about the war: I always think of the serious situation in Palestine and Israel. I encourage the release of the hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza  he said -. I continue to pray for those who suffer and to hope for paths of peace in the Middle East, in the tormented Ukraine and in other regions wounded by war". In this regard, he recalled the appointment of the day of fasting, prayer and penance announced for Friday 27 October, during which at 6 pm he himself will preside over a celebration in St. Peter's Basilica "to implore peace in the world".

Meanwhile yesterday the permanent representative of the Holy See to the UN, Msgr. Gabriele Caccia, made the pope's appeals for peace in the Middle East resound even at the UN headquarters in New York.

In a statement during the debate on the situation in Gaza and southern Israel, he cited the three points around which Francis' interventions in recent days revolve: the condemnation of the terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas, with the request for the release of all hostages; the reminder in the exercise of the right of defense of the need for individual guilt not to be placed on the shoulders of an entire population; concern for the humanitarian disaster caused by the war in Gaza.

Amid the escalation of violence  concluded Msgr. Caccia - it is imperative that the authorities of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine demonstrate the audacity to renew their commitment to a peace based on justice and respect for the legitimate aspirations of both sides. Although the path of dialogue appears narrow today, it is the only possible option to put a lasting end to the spiral of violence that has engulfed that land, so dear to Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Holy See - he concluded - remains convinced that the two-state solution still offers hope for this peace".
by Nirmala Carvalho

The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has formally authorised the opening of the cause of beatification for Christians killed by Hindu nationalists in 2008. The canonical process will involve Kanteshwar Digal, a lay catechist and a family man, and 34 companions. For Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, knowing that our own brothers and sisters have not been forgotten as witnesses of faith is something great.

Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews)  The martyrs of Kandhamal, the Christians killed in Odisha (Orissa) by Hindu extremists in the summer of 2008, have been officially recognised as Servants of God, the first step towards their beatification.

The Apostolic Nuncio to India, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, brought a letter to the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, which includes Kandhamal, that officially announces that the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints issued the "nihil obstat" for the process of beatification of Kanteshwar Digal and 34 companions who died as martyrs in Kandhamal.

This act formally opens the inquiry into their possible holiness; from now on, the people in question take the title of Servant of God.

The archdiocese can thus start the canonical process by collecting witness statements which the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints will have to vet. If the final outcome is positive, the pope will be able to authorise the promulgation of the decree on martyrdom, which will lead to beatification.

Authorisation by the Vatican is a very important act for the Church of India, which remembers the events in Odisha 15 years ago as the worst outbreak of anti-Christian persecution in recent years.

The violence was extreme. In addition to killings, churches were set of fire, while peoples properties were devastated, forcing hundreds to seek refuge in the forest to escape fanatics instigated by Hindu nationalists.

The cause of beatification is linked to the name of Kanteshwar Digal, a family man and a catechist in the parish of Sankarakhole, killed at the age of 53 on 25 September 2008.

Personally, this is great news as I am personally involved in this, said Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. For my people, this is going to be a big boost: that they are recognised in the Church, that they are in communion. This is the golden jubilee of the diocese. My theme is Compassion, Continuation and Commitment.

When we see that our own brothers and sisters are recognised by the whole Church in the world, it is something great. To know that Kandhamal is not forgotten, that God is listening to them, that even through martyrdom God is with them.

Today, there is no open persecution is in Odisha, but the wounds of the past remain open.

Among Christians, some compensation has been received, while some say that they have not received any, the prelate explained. The day before Archbishop Cheenath died[*], we won the Public Interest Litigation (PIL). But some churches have not received any money.

Still, right now people feel joy because "the Church of Kandhamal has been recognised in its witness of faith." They include Card Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, who was elated to hear about the decision by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Currently in Rome for the Synod, he was the one who, in 2017, encouraged the local Church in Odisha to promote the cause of beatification, with the support of the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Card Fernando Filoni.

[*] Raphael Cheenath (1934-2016) was the archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar between 1985 and 2016.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The arrival of the first missionaries among tea plantation workers was remembered with the presence of PIMEs Superior General Fr Brambillasca and Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Girelli. The first seed is bearing fruit today, even far away, Fr Brambillasca said, thanks to Indian missionaries currently working in different parts of the world.

Jalpaiguri (AsiaNews)  World Mission Day provided an opportunity to celebrate the centenary of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Nagrakata, Diocese of Jalpaiguri (India). Founded in 1923 by PIME missionaries, it serves tea plantation workers in West Bengals Dooars region.

Some 20,000 people took part in the celebrations, together with Archbishop Thomas D'Souza of Calcutta, Bishop Clement Tirkey of Jalpaiguri, and other prelates from neighbouring dioceses along with PIME Superior General, Fr Ferruccio Brambillasca, and the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.

"One hundred years ago, Fr Giuseppe Antonio Lazzaroni started a small community of believers with 20 baptisms," said Bishop Vincent Aind of Bagdogra, a nearby diocese, which also joined in the celebrations.

Eventually he discovered many other Catholics who had come to work on the tea plantations. They had already received the faith in Chota Nagpur thanks to the Belgian missionaries, in particular Fr Constant Lievens.

Here, in the tea plantations, they kept the faith even though there were no churches, no priests, and no sacraments. Fr. Lazzaroni was manna from heaven for them."

The fruit of that seed is the Diocese of Jalpaiguri, which today has 150,000 members, 73 diocesan priests, 30 men religious and 20 nuns. Tea plantation workers still represent about 90 per cent of local Catholics.

For the centenary, we celebrated a liturgy in the cathedral with the PIME Superior General and the Apostolic Nuncio, and people prayed for PIME's mission all over the world, Bishop Clement Tirkey told AsiaNews. Our people expressed their gratitude to the missionaries for all they have done for the Diocese of Jalpaiguri."

Ant that first seed is bearing fruit today, even far away. "PIME has been operating in India for over 160 years and in recent decades local candidates have become members of the institute," Fr Brambillasca explained. Now Many young Indian missionaries are currently working in different parts of the world proclaiming the Good News to those who do not know Christ.

In his view, "This is the sign of a Church that does not limit herself to welcoming, but is also capable of sharing with people the needs of the world and of the universal Church."

Thus, I pray to God that the Diocese of Jalpaiguri will also be a source of missionary vocations for the universal Church. Likewise, I ask God to accompany it so that it never forgets the Churchs missionary dimension in its pastoral activities. Every local Church would lack an essential characteristic of its existence if it did not have a missionary dimension."

For his part, the Apostolic Nuncio Mons. Girelli, thanked the local Church for its testimony, adding: It is interesting to note that your diocese has a diverse culture, with large indigenous tribal communities, like the Oraon, Mundas, Adivasi Kharia, Santhal, Boros, Garos, Nepalese, Rabha, Toto and Lepcha, each with its own customs, languages and cultures.

"I hope and pray that this celebration will give a new impetus to your journey in the Lords path and towards a renewed life bearing witness to Him.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

In the 'ideological framework' of Putin's upcoming election campaign for re-election as president in 2024, the topic of the family is taking on an even more specific role. Experts at the Moscow Institute for Social Research say: 'This is where the difference between the ethical systems of the West and Russia can be seen. But there are also surveys that show opposite trends.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Experts from the Institute for Social Research (Eisi) in Moscow, one of the analysis centers closest to President Vladimir Putin, held a round table on "Family values and the importance of the family".

The participants explained that the family is not only a fundamental principle for Russian society and for state institutions, but is "the basis of our entire civilization", naturally meaning only the union of man and woman, and reporting the results of the most recent surveys and analyses.

In the "ideological framework" of Putin's next electoral campaign for re-election as president in 2024, the theme of traditional values will take on an even more specific role, precisely due to the exaltation of Russia's "exclusive civilization".

Round table moderator Firdus Aliev insisted on "attention to the situation of the family in Russia as one of the priority ideological lines of state policy... this is where we see the difference between the ethical systems of the West and Russia."

Throughout the world, the institution of the family is subjected to a great test of its resistance, a "challenge on all dimensions of morality, which cannot be faced without the solid ground of the family".

The director of the NGO "Russia, Country of Possibilities", Sergej Koljada, then explained how his association acts in defense of family values, organizing various competitions in many areas of society, such as the one currently underway on "What is family for we". Representatives of at least three generations are called to it, who must face some tests in remote and in-person formats, and in 2024 there will be the final challenge; all participants will receive a trip together throughout Russia as a prize, and the 30 winners will receive a check of 5 million rubles (50 thousand euros) for improving their family living conditions.

As Koljada explains, for children and young people these competitions are an opportunity to get to know their parents in a different light, find something in common beyond the ordinary, and for parents it is an opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of adolescents Today".

He also reported the results of polls according to which family is currently in third place of fundamental values according to Russians with 84%, after health (94%) and safety (93%), but also surpasses stability ( 88%), freedom and material well-being (86%). The main family values are considered to be the health of relatives, loyalty, shared well-being and love, the latter a step below the others with 87% of the consensus.

The representative of Vitsom, a university center for sociological studies, Mikhail Mamonov, demonstrated the importance of the family in contemporary Russian society, above all thanks to the attention of the state authorities in supporting a satisfying family life and the education of children.

Many others intervened in this sense, such as the head of the Kirov region, Aleksandr Sokolov, who underlined that the man who takes a woman as his wife is "a true man of the state", and in the regional administrations this "state" family  is the criterion for social and economic development, starting from housing and infrastructure investments.

According to other surveys presented, however, only a minority of those interviewed are willing to officially end their relationship with their partner with marriage, and many have no explicit intentions of having children, 26% "don't think about it at all".

Several speakers therefore insisted on the importance of the task of spreading and illustrating the principles of the family more and more, so that they do not remain just ideological slogans, but are increasingly translated into reality.

Otherwise, as the director of the Institute for Regional Problems, Natalia Lindigrin, underlined, "we risk falling into the new Western 'normality'", which "is not made for the inhabitants of Russia".

Photo: Flickr
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The president and leader of the United National Party (UNP) presents himself as a "strong man" in a country in crisis with cumbersome neighbours like China and India. Voters hope that the next parliament will lift the economy and solve endemic problems, but some analysts doubt whether they will actually be held next year.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Speaking at the United National Party (UNP) convention on 21 October at Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told party members to prepare for the 2024 elections.

In accordance with the Constitution, the presidential election would be held next year, followed by parliamentary elections and the provincial elections in early 2025, the president said.

Under the leadership of President Wickremesinghe, the UNP was able to run the government, despite having only one seat in Parliament, said Ruwan Kariyawasam, a political analyst and academic, speaking to AsiaNews.

For its part, the opposition in Sri Lanka has been asking for elections, in fact, protesting and agitating for them; hence, the announcement of elections next year will be good news for the opposition. However, there was speculation that elections would not be held next year as the provincial council elections were delayed, indefinitely.

For political analyst Anuradha Senanayake, People are eagerly awaiting to vote at the elections. Although most citizens want an election, they are clueless as to who should assume power and which party can solve the current economic and political crisis.

Many believe that the next parliament will solve all problems. Yet, for many voters a major issue is the inability to understand how geopolitics influences Sri Lankas affairs and devising ways and means to deal with it.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe "is calculating his odds, he is unlikely to want to face an embarrassing defeat now that luck and regime change have brought him to the highest position in Sri Lanka. His uncle (former President J.R. Jayawardena), facing a similar situation, decided not to hold elections and held a referendum and extended the parliamentary term of office, academics Mayantha Samarakoon and Janendri Keerthisena point out.

For the latter, "Due to the current economic situation, smooth sailing of the government may be over after the next election. In such a scenario, a majority of Sri Lankan leaders have a habit of creating artificial protests and anarchy and then use that to justify delaying of elections. This option is also likely to be on the cards for President Wickremesinghe.

Now everybody is wondering not only when the elections will be held, but if there will be an election as there are rumours that there will be a referendum seeking citizens opinion, if elections are necessary.
I'm fine, as I'm very fortunate to own my home

I own, but I'm feeling the pinch on my mortgage with other inflation costs

I rent and it's expensive, but it could be worse

I'm seriously considering leaving the valley if something doesn't give

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A Seoul court on Wednesday delivered a sentence of life imprisonment to two men behind the abduction and murder of a woman in downtown Seoul in March.

The two -- Lee Kyeong-woo and Hwang Dae-han, both aged 36 -- have been indicted for kidnapping a 48-year-old woman near an apartment building in Gangnam Ward on March 29, killing her the following day and burying her body on a hill in Daejeon, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

Lee is also suspected of proposing the murder of the woman to a couple in conflict with the victim due to the failure of a cryptocurrency investment and receiving 70 million won (US$51,832) for preparations last year.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee and Hwang to life in prison while handing out prison terms of eight years and six years to the couple, respectively.

The court recognized that Lee and Hwang premeditated and colluded for the murder, but concluded that the couple, however, hadn't gone as far as colluding in the murder with them.

"It's questionable whether Lee and Hwang are repenting for their wrongdoings as they are denying the murder was deliberate and that they were the ones who proposed the crime first," the court said.

Prosecutors had demanded the death penalty for all four suspects. (Yonhap)
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
In 1979, the United States Congress approved a 1.5-billion-dollar bailout for one of the nations top ten corporations and the smallest of Detroits Big Three. Chryslers CEO Lee Iacocca himself pleaded the Mopar cause in front of the politicians, and he got it. The carmaker begged for taxpayers money to make ends meet after a series of less fortunate strategic decisions during the seventies. Forty-four years later, one of those famously ill-fated cry-for-help reasons, a 1977 Chrysler Newport St. Regis, is a glorious symbol of an era.

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Mother Mopar went straight against the current after the 1973 oil crisis, ditching the small-bodied Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger in favor of large, gas-guzzling luxo-cruisers. The timing couldnt have been more uninspired when gas prices soared, emissions regulations gutted every ounce of performance, and technology threw a curve ball at the hesitant-batting carmaker.The last sentence might sound like a false accusation, but Chrysler played a foot-in-mouth wildcard by betting on never-before-seen technology to save its bacon. The American company is now regarded as the forefather of the computerized automobile for its world-first electronic spark advance control system launched in 1976.As space-age as it was (having been developed by the same engineers who also put it in space-braving rockets), the computer turned out to be a double-edged sword that backfired badly (pun intended). The cars didnt go down in history as Chryslers prodigal cash cows and became notorious for being a pain in the wallet.The electronically-controlled Lean-Burn System, with its computer-timed spark control, consisted of eight sensors that fed the computer  nothing more than a circuit board mounted in a tiny box atop the air cleaner housing. (Read more about the Chrysler innovation in the attached .pdf brochure).That proved a less-than-inspired choice because electronics  and particularly sensitive computers, no matter how primitive in shape  dont like heat and vibrations. In the late seventies, the big V8s under Chrysler hoods still relied on explosive physics to spin the wheels. No matter how well-balanced the engines were, they still rattled and lost heaps of heat as combustions main by-product.The computers suffered, and the mechanics didnt have the required skill, expertise, or training to fix them (but a self-taught gearhead with a knack for electronics could do the job). The solder joints would become loose due to the two factors generated by the engine and the boards unlucky positioning in the engine bay. Replacing the capacitors and redoing the soldering was the magical cure for the engines chronic seizures.(The problem nagged all Chrysler cars with this system for some half-decade, and it almost caused a major PR catastrophe when Frank Sinatra  THAT Frank Sinatra  almost cut all ties with Lee Iacocca because one Chrysler automobile, the Imperial of 1981 , had the same electronic-related issues with its injection system. Frank was the image of that automobile, which even came in a special Frank Sinatra Edition, but that didnt solve the computer mishap).The fix was to replace the computer-controlled complications with a tried and tested distributor, which many owners happily did. Buyers steered clear of the Electronic Lean-Burn because the tech hadnt proven itself before its mass-scale introduction. However, some survivors from that age somehow  almost by magic  made it to this day to tell the story of those troubled times.One of the most famous Chrysler models from the second half of the ill-fated seventies is the Newport, a badge that had been around since the 40s (with periodic absences) and lasted six generations, from 1950 to 1981. From 1965 onward, the Newport was pinned to the C-body platform, the full-size segment in Mopars internal hierarchy. In 1974, the design shift of the entire C-body lineup saw the cars shed their fuselage profiles and adopt the unmistakable squared looks that would define those murky years well into the mid- and late-eighties. True to their land yacht proportions, the vehicles were among the heavyweights of their time  and of Chryslers history.It is a small wonder, considering the real estate of metal slabs required to assemble the colossal cars. With 124-inch wheelbases and 226-inch overall lengths (3,150 mm and 5,740 mm, respectively), a Newport (or its even longer cousin, the New Yorker) was hardly discrete. The flashy chrome ornaments didnt help with camouflage, either.The age of these C-body giants would end in 1978 when the nameplates were relocated to the R platform. But one of the last colossi , a Chrysler Newport from 1977, has made it to 2023 without a scratch. Computer included  and functional, as we can see in the video.Owned by a happy gearhead  Don Hein  since 2015, this car has a bit of a nostalgic story to it. Mr. Hein initially laid eyes on this automobile in 2003, but he couldnt persuade the then-proprietor to strike a deal. However, he got a promise that, should the car ever be put up for sale, he would have priority.A dozen years went by, and lo and behold, one day, Dons telephone rang. A voice at the other end informed him that the Newport was looking for a new owner. True to his word, the seller called Don Hein 12 years after he first inquired about the Chrysler. The car is all original and has never been altered except for an upgrade of the sound system and two other details (which Ill convey in the following paragraphs). Namely, the factory-installed optional 8-track stereo has been replaced by a period-correct tape cassette player.This particular two-door hardtop has the St. Regis package, which is why it boasts the white vinyl boar-grain top and the opera window in the rear pillar. It also has the standard 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8 with the aforementioned computer strapped on it and the three-speed automatic. The engine was installed in all Newports except those sold in California and high-altitude locations (over 4,000 feet  1,200 meters).Alternatively, buyers could opt for the 360-cube (5.9-liter) or the range-topping 440-CID (72-liter) V8s, but the performance wasnt dramatically different, as the displacement would imply. The run-of-the-mill 400 produced 195 net hp (198 PS) and 305 lb-ft of torque (542 Nm). The biggest motor added only five extra hp and fifteen lb-ft, for 200 hp and 320 lb-ft (203 PS, 434 Nm).A single carburetor with four barrels and a compression ratio capped at 8.2:1 wasnt the most exciting news Chrysler ever brought to its customers, but it was what it was. And there was a big reason for the 26.5-gallon fuel tank (100-liter): 11 mpg (21.4 l/100 km) fuel consumption wasnt the cars best-selling forte.When new, a Newport started at $5,375  a middle-of-the-road price between the four-door sedan listed at $5,280 and the four-door hardtop ($5,435). The two-door hardtop  like the one in this story  had a production run of 10,566 examples, the lowest for the model year Newport. The sedan got more than half of all production, with 32,506, while the four-door pillarless body came In 14,808 units.When this time capsule from 1977 was sold to Don Hein, it was at its second owner, who acquired it with only 15,000 miles (24,000 km or thereabout) on the clock. Twelve years after that moment, the car appeared for sale on a website, with 21,800 miles (35,000 km), for $14,500. Now, it has some 35,500 miles (57k clicks).The car, as ordered new in 1977, cost an eyebrow-raising $8,397.60 and had everything on the list short of power windows. The reason for this perfection-bruising element would be the original owners grandkids. The lady who first bought  or used  it didnt want her grandchildren playing with the windows, so she opted for the cranks. Otherwise, this car has every option, from cruise control to A/C, tilt-telescopic steering wheel, and dual six-way power seats.Earlier, I mentioned that, apart from the cassette player, two more details are not factory-installed: the dual exhaust (currently, the 400 breathes through a Flow Master system  hear it in the video) and the Mopar Performance electronic ignition. This last bit eliminated the troublesome lean burn installed initially, and thats probably the main reason this survivor 1977 Chrysler Newport St. Regis is still very much alive and kicking now.
As youre well aware, BMW is ditching the S63 from the M lineup in favor of the heavily revised S68. Alternatively described as being an all-new engine, this 4.4-liter V8 premiered in the facelifted X7 M60i with mild-hybrid assistance.

kW

Photo: SH Proshots / edited

AMG

A small electric motor located in the ZF-supplied automatic transmission boosts the internal combustion engine with 9and 200 Nm of torque. Converted to imperial, that's 12 horsepower and 148 pound-feet.BMW also developed this engine for plug-in hybrids, beginning with the visually challenged XM sport utility vehicle. Basically an X7 with an uglier face and fewer seats, the XM develops a whopping 738 horsepower in Label Red specification. Peak torque is rated at 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm), which is completely nuts. On the other hand, the XM Label Red is a bit on the porky side of SUVs.The same applies to the next-generation M5 compared to rivaling sedans and  for the time first since the E61  wagons. Confirmed to launch in 2024 for the 2025 model year, the all-new M5 will certainly head to the United States in four-door attire. BMW Blog understands that Munichs favorite son intends to bring the five-door sibling to North America as well, although no other version of the 5 Series Touring will set foot on US soil according to the publications sources.In other words, the US and Canadian markets will also miss on the i5 M60 Touring. Curiously touted as the top 5 Series version despite being outclassed by the M5 Touring on paper, the i5 M60 Touring packs 593 horsepower and 605 pound-feet (820 Nm) of torque from a dual-motor setup.More than adequate for a mid-size luxury sedan (and soon-to-be-unveiled wagon), thats for certain! Be that as it may, remember that the i5 M60 does weigh 2,305 kilograms (5,082 pounds). The outgoing M5 is 1,895 kilograms (4,178 pounds) in European spec, meaning that its long-awaited successor will tip the scales at over two metric tons.Is that a bad thing? For the corner-carving peeps among us, it sure is! Looking at the glass half full, the mad professors at M didnt really have a choice. Not only does the competition work on electrified or fully electric rivals for the M5 sedan and wagon , but the plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain of the G90 sedan and G99 wagon helps BMW reduce CO2 emissions while improving fuel efficiency.Also consider how an electric motor develops torque compared to a combustion engine. That near-instant torque will make the 2025 BMW M5 seriously fast in a straight-line showdown, although the added weight from the high-voltage battery pack will hinder the newcomer in the twisties.If the M5 Touring does make it stateside, it will have to duke it out with the Mercedes-E 63 S Wagon (a.k.a. T-Modell in Germany) and Audi RS 6 Avant. Both of them will be redesigned in the near future, with Merc expected to drop the V8 of the E 63 in favor of an AMG-enhanced I6 engine. As for the RS 6, the four-ringed automaker from Ingolstadt confirmed plug-in hybrid muscle. The subsequent RS 6 will switch to an electric powertrain.
The rumor mill is dying to find out if a mini, rugged Toyota Land Cruiser is happening or not, and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is ready to make their dreams come true.

SUV

Everything started, of course, with the teaser from August that the Japanese automaker showcased during the initial global presentation of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser (Prado or 250 in specific markets). Back then, while people looked at the two variants of the mid-size off-roader present on stage, Toyota quickly showed a couple of silhouettes on the big LCD wall.One was easy to identify  it was the company's next electric, a model larger than the bZ4X and thought by the rumor mill to be called bZ5X. Well, that logic went down the drain just recently when the Japanese carmaker revealed one of its main surprises for the inaugural Japan Mobility Show (formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show)  it was obviously the Toyota Land Cruiser Se concept from JMS.However, the parallel universes of vehicular CGI remain fixated on finding out what's up with the second model teased during the launch. Everyone and their mother thought it would be called ' Land Hopper ' and would turn into a third model in the Land Cruiser lineup alongside the J250 and J300 body-on-frame versions because, around the same time, the company filed a trademark for the moniker.Alas, the nameplate turned out to be bogus  at least as far as Toyota fans are concerned and instead was used for a three-wheel mobility concept to be showcased at the Japan Mobility Show. Well, the good folks at the REC Trends channel on YouTube have decided to address the issue head-on with their vision of the potential 'baby' Land Cruiser that would both be an indirect successor to the FJ Cruiser nameplate as well as a body-on-frame TNGA-F variant for the compact class.If true, this kind of vehicle would have very few rivals  the Ford Bronco Sport is a quick example, but it's only a unibody  as the Jeep Wrangler and standard Ford Bronco only touch the compact class with their two-door version. In contrast, this Toyota would surely come with four doors. Of course, this also needs to be taken with a grain of salt because nothing is official just yet  only speculation around the possibility of a mini-Land Cruiser to stand proud next to the J250 and J300 versions in a new global lineup that could establish the nameplate as a true sub-brand  just like Land Rover already did with the Range Rover Evoque, Velar, Sport, and Range Rover series.Interestingly, the channel's host even talks about potential powertrains  a gasoline mill would be logical for North America. Still, if the model turns out to be a global affair, it would certainly also need stuff like diesel engines and even some electrified options to make it a true generalist. So, do we think that a compact Land Cruiser will happen soon  or is this all just wishful thinking?
Bailey, one of the biggest manufacturers of leisure vehicles in the UK, has built a reputation for itself designing and building exceptional caravans and larger motorhomes. Now, the company is using its more than seven decades of experience to envision the future of leisure vehicle design by unveiling the Endeavour EV, an all-electric camper van concept that pushes the boundaries of innovation and sustainability.

EV

Photo: Bailey of Bristol

ICE

Photo: Bailey of Bristol

Photo: Bailey of Bristol

The Endeavouris the British brand's first foray into the panel van conversion market and was unveiled alongside a conventionally powered model, the Endeavour, at the recent NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show, which took place between October 17 and 22.To set things clear from the get-go, we should mention that while the standard version of the Endeavour is already available for purchase, the Endeavour EV is just a concept at this stage and is not intended to go into production, but it does show what will become mainstream in a few years from now.Bailey intends to achieve net zero by 2050, and to reach this goal, it is focusing on developing more environmentally friendly leisure vehicles . With designs such as the Endeavour EV, the company is making considerable progress towards reducing its carbon footprint.The Endeavour EV van conversion is an experiment in next-generation sustainability and product development and represents a significant step in expanding Bailey's motorhome offering. It was developed in partnership with Ford Pro, so it is based upon the all-electric E-Transit platform.Designed with sustainability in mind, this concept camper van is a true fossil-fuel-free leisure vehicle, with all the services and appliances used in its construction being fully electric. The interior design also reflects the company's commitment to sustainability and enabling eco-friendly camping with work surfaces, upholstery fabrics, and even fixtures crafted from low-carbon recycled materials.What's more, to make it stand out of the crowd, the British manufacturer made sure to include some exciting new features that no other leisure vehicle in its range includes, such as a versatile, multipurpose living space that can be adapted to work as a rear lounge, office, or bedroom area, a voice-controlled lighting system, a touchscreen command center, and an electric-lift hideaway TV that disappears when not in use.The-powered Endeavor production van revealed by Bailey at NEC is an impressive build in itself. Based on the Ford Transit, the camper is available in two floor plans: the "B62" fixed-roof version that comes with a rear sofa lounge and can sleep two individuals and the pop-up "B64" that accommodates four and has a vis-a-vis rear bathroom and kitchen.In addition, this standard version of the Endeavour already incorporates elements that showcase Bailey's drive towards full sustainability, such as a flexible Truma 100-watt solar panel and a 92 Ah leisure battery for authentic off-grid holidays.While Bailey could have just replaced the base platform for the Ford E-Transit and used one of the above floor plans, the company chose to develop a completely new product with a thoughtfully designed interior for adaptable and stylish mobile living wherever your adventures take you.Inside the van, the company created a versatile space that can transform and adapt to the way you use it depending on the time of day or your needs. It features a kitchenette and a bathroom facing each other towards the center of the vehicle and a modular seating system at the back that creates three different layouts: Day Mode, Office or Eating Mode, and Night Mode.The Day Mode configuration includes a sidewall sofa facing a long cabinet/drawer storage console and the power-retractable TV that descends from the overhead cabinet. This configuration allows access in and out of the van through both the passenger-side door and the rear door.The Office Mode adapts to the remote-work requirements of the modern world with an L-shaped sofa and a removable table that can be used for both eating and working. In the Night Mode, the modular seating system can be arranged to create a generous double bed.In the kitchen, the company removed the LPG appliances and replaced them with all-electric alternatives, including an induction cooktop and microwave oven. More impressively, the kitchen worktop is made of a material called "Polygood." As the company explains, this is a surface material made using old kitchen appliances. What's more, the cabinet handles throughout the van are made of reused ocean plastic, the upholstery is made using recycled polyester, and the flooring is pure cork.The wet bathroom inside Endeavour EV is another innovative feature introduced by the company. It has a space-optimizing roller door with a concave shape when not in use. Said door shifts to a convex orientation to expand the bathroom floor space when you need to use the facilities.The Endeavour EV camper concept also stands out through the mobile smart home technology it incorporates. A large tablet-style touchscreen command center is mounted on the kitchen wall and allows campers to control and monitor onboard electronics and settings. An Amazon Alexa speaker is also incorporated into the design and can be used to control the lighting system and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth audio via voice commands.As mentioned, Bailey has no immediate plans to turn the Endeavour EV camper van concept into a production van, but it will surely serve as an early blueprint in its journey toward a more sustainable motorhome lineup. It shows what the company envisions the future of eco-camping would look like, where outdoor enthusiasts get to enjoy nature without harming it.
California DMV suspended the Cruise robotaxi service in San Francisco after it deemed the service "not safe for the public's operation." The GM-backed startup is accused of withholding a key part of a video following a horrific car crash in San Francisco. Cruise can still operate its ride-hailing service in California, but only with a human safety driver behind the wheel.

Cruise withheld key safety information from investigators

Unsustainable losses: Is Cruise's future sealed?

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The automotive industry has been trying to advance autonomous driving for more than a decade. The benefit of driverless cars could be enormous if done right, dramatically reducing the number of crashes caused by driver errors. The competition in the autonomous driving sector has heated up in the past years, with robotaxi companies like Cruise and Waymo at the forefront of this technology. Like any emergent technology, autonomous driving has not been without pain.Even though the number of incidents and crashes caused by driverless cars has been small, they have caused a massive backlash. Cruise, an autonomous driving startup backed and now owned by GM, knows that very well. The company has been the first to be awarded a commercial license in San Francisco and has been aggressively expanding to other cities. But Cruise operations have always been controversial, with many pointing fingers at its questionable safety culture.Most incidents involving Cruise robotaxis have been minor, but the one that happened on October 2 in San Francisco was nothing but. According to eyewitnesses, a woman was crossing the intersection of Market and 5th streets when she was struck by a car whose driver fled the scene. The impact threw her into the path of a Cruise robotaxi driving in the adjacent lane, causing it to run her over . The robotaxi came to a halt, but unfortunately, the woman got caught under the rear axle with a tire over her leg.This was the most severe accident involving Cruise robotaxis after the company cut its operating fleet in half after a series of accidents that put it under scrutiny. Although Cruise argued that its robotaxi did not cause the accident, how it behaved during and after the accident has been closely scrutinized. The investigation now threatens to derail Cruise's plans, possibly leading to its demise.On Tuesday, California DMV suspended Cruise's driverless permits after determining that its robotaxis pose an "unreasonable risk" to public safety. The decision comes months after state regulators started investigating "concerning incidents" involving Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco. The October 2 accident and how Cruise handled it have probably sealed its fate in California. Cruise has been accused of "misrepresenting" and "omitting" critical safety information from the investigators.More specifically, the agency said the video from the Cruise on-board cameras offered to investigators had been edited. It showed the pedestrian falling from the hood of the other car and into the path of the Cruise robotaxi, ending after the vehicle stopped on top of the victim. What the video omitted was what happened next. After stopping, the car started moving again and traveled another 20 feet (6 meters) at a speed of 7 mph (12 kph), dragging the pedestrian with it and causing further injuries.Cruise never disclosed the subsequent movement of the car to the DMV, but the investigators learned of the vehicle's complete actions after receiving information from another governmental agency. The DMV then asked Cruise for the full video, which it provided on October 13, almost two weeks after the accident. The vehicle's performance during the accident and Cruise's misrepresentation of facts have prompted the DMV to suspend the company's driverless permits.Following the suspension order, Cruise paused driverless operation in San Francisco. It can still operate with human safety drivers aboard its vehicles, although it's unclear whether it will continue to offer commercial services under the circumstances. The DMV has outlined the necessary steps that Cruise must complete before it can apply for reinstatement, although the agency did not publicly elaborate on those steps.The suspension dealt a heavy blow to Cruise's efforts as it tried to scale robotaxi operations to more cities in the US and beyond . Cruise is burning money at an alarming rate, and the trend has been accelerating instead of subsiding. In the first nine months of 2023, Cruise's losses have already surpassed the entire 2022, at $1.9 billion compared to $1.89 billion. Thestartup lost $732 million in the third quarter alone. At this rate, the company is on track to lose $3 billion in 2024, although it might run out of money long before that.With unsustainable losses and no chance of making profits in the foreseeable future, the future of Cruise's robotaxi service is uncertain. Its parent company, GM, is already facing tough decisions in light of the UAW strikes and the delays of itsprogram. It's unclear for how long GM will be able to sustain the heavy losses at Cruise.Despite impressive financial results in the third quarter, the economic prospects are darkening, which might prompt cost-cutting measures across the board. GM put its entire EV program on the back burner, so I don't think Cruise will be any luckier. Since 2016, GM reported $8.4 billion in cumulative operating losses from Cruise, which means the robotaxi service is now its biggest liability.
Tesla's Elon Musk promised the Cybertruck would float, and Rivian said the R1T would debut with a skid steer functionality. Today, we don't have either. But get this: China's BYD made an SUV that can do both. As a bonus, it also looks like an evolved Land Rover Defender 130. California Governor Gavin Newsom tried it out, and here's what he had to say.

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Photo: BYD | YangWang

Photo: UFO on Weibo

The governor of California Gavin Newsom is in China for a week-long visit. He toured BYD today Here is he test driving BYDs upscale SUV U8.



The purpose of his China visit is to discuss climate change. Isnt that John Kerrys job since he is the presidential envoy for pic.twitter.com/HHn32TSrtJ  Ray (@ray4tesla) October 24, 2023

Divorce is not an option. The only way we can solve the climate crisis is to continue our long-standing cooperation with China. As two of the worlds largest economies, the work we do together is felt in countless communities on both sides of the Pacific.



Despite major pic.twitter.com/CSF6S1bEFr  Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) October 25, 2023

How impressive can a partly zero-emission vehicle be? Well, the YangWang U8 surely tries to sweep you off your feet! It does cost around $150,000, but it comes with four electric motors that fee off of a 49-high-voltage battery. It also hides a 2.0-liter gas-powered engine under its hood.Theis an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) that can offer a combined range of around 620 miles and puts out up to 1,180 hp and 944 lb-ft of torque.Being an EREV means the small fossil fuel-hungry engine runs to charge the high-voltage battery. The magnetic motors do all the hard work. The 2.0-liter powerplant acts like an efficient generator running at constant rpm 99% of the time and intervenes only when a burst of power is required. That's how gas consumption remains low.But we must say that further testing is required before we can be sure about how the solution behaves in a real-world scenario.Besides having an interesting drivetrain that should enable it to be environmentally friendly most of the time and ready for adventure off the beaten path when the owner feels like it, the YangWang U8 can also drive through water up to a depth of 55 inches when equipped with the Off-Road Master Edition package.On top of that, the boxy SUV can also behave like a skid steer. It does the tank turn with ease, making Rivian R1T owners jealous. The American automaker decided the feature would not be in the environment's best interest, so it moved forward without it. Fret not; the upcoming all-electric G-Wagen  the EQG  will most likely have this capability.California's Governor got to ride in one YangWang U8, and he described it as another leap in technology, even though the vehicle isn't exclusively electric. But we get it. We would most likely say the same about a Defender-like machine that can comfortably float.Gavin Newsom says the cooperation with China must continue and underlined that "despite major differences () humanity is what should drive us to work together to stop the greatest existential threat our planet has ever known." The Governor pointed out that California and China are two of the world's largest economies that must continue cooperating to solve the climate crisis.Newsom met with many Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping. The American official also signed a memorandum of understanding with the province of Guangdong that sets the framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishes new investments in climate programs.California's Governor also visited Israel and Hong Kong before arriving in China.Tesla, the company that challenged what once was a very conservative industry, moved its headquarters from California to Texas in late 2021 but retained an engineering center in the Golden State.Finally, China is California's largest trading partner. Last year, the exchange of goods amounted to nearly $166 billion. Newsom's state is America's most important economy. It has a gross domestic product of about $3.5 trillion.
California is home to several eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) developers, but one of them seems to have a particular affinity for South Korea. After recently announcing a partnership that will bring the Butterfly air taxi to Jeju Island, Overair secured three major collaborations, including one with the Korean Police.

Defense officials from nearly 60 countries checked out the innovations presented at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), which took place this week. For the Californian-based eVTOL developer Overair, it was where three public ceremonies confirmed its latest deals with key partners in South Korea.One of them is the Korean Police, which is apparently looking to start adding eVTOL assets to its fleet in the near future. Still, it's a lengthy and complex process. This is why it will begin by setting up the stage for upcoming AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) operations. Overair will work with the Police Human Resources Development Institute on key areas, including infrastructure, pilot training, maintenance, and even community support.Overair also celebrated the sale of 20 more units of its Butterfly aircraft . They'll be delivered to HeliKorea, a major helicopter operator. The versatile eVTOLs will be used for a variety of missions  from executive transportation to medical services, firefighting, and line inspection. The 20 units will also come with pilot and maintenance training.Last but not least, Overair inked a deal with construction giant Daewoo E&C. This is a large-scale collaboration targeting the entire Asian market. The two are planning to develop an advanced AAM network. For now, they're looking at all the factors involved in a future eco-system, including vertiport sites, regulations, air traffic management systems, and local operators. Daewoo will focus on the infrastructure part, while Overair will look at best practices for aircraft integration.Despite its delicate name, the Butterfly air taxi boasts a military-inspired design. It combines top performance with generous payload capacity and noise-free operations. It can transport up to five passengers plus cargo over 100 miles (161 km). In terms of speed, it reaches a maximum of 200 mph (322 kph).Butterfly is different from other eVTOLs due to the four-propeller configuration, with fewer and larger propellers instead of numerous smaller ones. One of the main advantages is that it requires less power for hover flight, also allowing a greater capacity.The name behind this aviation startup is none other than Abe Karem, known as "the founding father" of the age of drones. He was one of the pioneers of unmanned aircraft, linked to the development of record-breaking military air vehicles such as the Predator and the A160 Hummingbird.Overair intends to end this fruitful year with the first test flights of the Butterfly's full-scale prototype.
Honda partnered with GM to advance its EV strategy in North America, with the Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue as the first fruits of this partnership. The two carmakers agreed in 2022 to develop a new EV architecture for small SUVs. After GM delayed its EV plans, Honda was left with no choice but to cancel the partnership.

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The Japanese carmakers are a little behind with theirplans as the world moves faster toward electrification. Even Nissan, which was one of the pioneers of electrification with the Leaf, is now almost wiped out of the EV market. Honda has tried its hand at electric vehicles with the small Honda e in Europe and a couple of models in China, but the success has failed to materialize. To move more quickly, the Japanese carmaker partnered with GM to launch several electric vehicles on its Ultium platform.I guess Honda believed Mary Barra's bullish statements about going all-in with EVs and plans of surpassing Tesla by mid-decade. After developing the Acura ZDX and the Honda Prologue on the Ultium platform, Honda and GM signed an agreement to widen the partnership. Honda was interested in developing a smaller EV platform to underpin future crossovers.The new EV architecture was supposed to derive from the existing Ultium platform but with lower production costs. It would've allowed building electric crossovers with a price tag below the $30,000 Chevrolet Equinox EV and similar future models from Honda. The first models based on this architecture were planned to arrive in 2027, but things didn't work out the way the Japanese carmaker wanted.Honda's miscalculation was that GM would also be interested in pursuing small EV development. Although the Detroit giant signaled its intention to enter the European market with its electric vehicles, it has little benefits in building smaller and less profitable EVs. That became clear during the third quarter earnings call when GM announced postponing its EV plans . All existing Ultium-based vehicles are affected, and, it turns out, even the ones not yet on the market.Faced with delays out of its control, Honda decided to withdraw from this partnership. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe offered a similarly vague explanation as Mary Barra: changing business environment. Although Mibe said Honda and GM will search for a solution separately, you can bet the plans for a more affordable EV are dead and buried. Cheap EVs are nowhere as profitable as the more luxurious SUVs, while development costs are equally high. Developing a new platform from scratch doesn't make sense without a partner to share the expenses.GM is not the only traditional carmaker that is having second thoughts about electric vehicles. Ford also delayed plans to ramp up EV production, while Volkswagen is treading water with its EV plans. Stellantis has been doing this for a long time, while the Japanese carmakers are still convinced that hybrid vehicles are a better solution.
By Choe Chong-dae

I recently had the opportunity to visit Turkey, a country renowned for its wealth of historical relics and sites that provide a captivating glimpse into its illustrious past.

Despite not being an archaeologist or historian, I was amazed by the diverse blend of Byzantine and Ottoman influences that permeate the country.

One cultural heritage site that truly inspired me during my trip was the Goreme Open Air Museum which is a dazzling display of rock-cut churches adorned with exquisite frescoes, providing insight into early Christian history in Cappadocia. The underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli, carved into the Cappadocian landscape, exemplify mysterious Byzantine-era engineering. On the western coast, Ephesus unveils some of the best-preserved Roman structures in the Eastern Mediterranean, including an iconic theater with a capacity of 25,000 seats, the Library of Celsus, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

In Pamukkale, I had the opportunity to explore the ancient city of Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of great religious and cultural significance in the southwestern region. With its stunning white travertine terraces and thermal springs, I marveled at the remarkably preserved Roman structures, such as the marvelous theater and necropolis with precious stone coffins, where natural beauty intertwined with historical significance. These ancient ruins vividly tell captivating stories of bygone eras, making me feel as though I had stepped back in time and left a lasting impression on me.

Turkeys cultural treasures extend far beyond these regions alone. Istanbul stands as a testament to Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. The Hagia Sophia, a remarkable architectural wonder, encapsulates centuries of history, while the Topkapi Palace houses opulent artifacts from the Ottoman era.

Throughout my journey, I encountered countless historical and archaeological gems, each with its fabulous story. Turkey's distinct cultural heritage reflects its role as a crossroads of civilizations between the East and the West along the Silk Road, making it a unique destination for history and culture enthusiasts.

Coincidentally; during my stay in Ankara, I found myself in close proximity to President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's tomb, which serves as a poignant reminder of modern Turkey's inception.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) is celebrated as the founding president of Turkey, known for his unwavering ambition and patriotism. After graduating as a staff captain in 1905, he played pivotal roles in the Balkan Wars and World War I. In 1919, Ataturk led a resistance against the Allied occupation, forming the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) in Ankara. Under his leadership, the TBMM rejected the Treaty of Sevres and repelled the Greek army during the Turkish War of Independence. Consequently, the Turkish Republic was proclaimed on October 29, 1923, with Ataturk as its founding President.

He served four consecutive terms(1923-1938), earning the surname "Ataturk" in 1934, and implemented transformative reforms, modernizing industry, pursuing diplomacy, and expanding territories. Ataturk's outstanding leadership is not only deeply revered within Turkey, but his visionary and transformative influence has also left an indelible mark on the global stage.

His advocacy for modernization, gender equality and democracy positioned him as a symbol of progress. He transformed Turkey's educational systems and promoted a more European way of life, which included the adoption of the Latin alphabet.

Ataturk's legacy as the founding President of Turkey is a testament to his dedication and visionary reforms, inspiring generations with his commitment to modernization and independence.

As I savor a glass of wine at Fish Port Restaurant beneath the iconic Galata Bridge in Istanbul, gazing out towards the mesmerizing Bosporus Strait, my thoughts wander back to the glorious eras of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. And I find myself reflecting on the noble spirit of the Turkish soldiers who played a vital role during the Korean War (1950-1953) to defend South Korea, leaving me with a deep sense of admiration.

Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and Director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com
Supplied by Ohio-based Hitachi Astemo Americas, the steering rack used in the Civic sedan and Civic hatchback may be incorrectly assembled. A grand total of 176,410 vehicles produced for the US market are recalled, of which 1% are believed to require a replacement electric power steering rack.

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Photo: Honda

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Assembly dates range between April 6, 2021 and August 17, 2023 for the hatchback. As far as the sedan is concerned, make that April 8, 2021 through August 17, 2023. The document attached below doesnt list the mighty Civic Type R and Civic Si.To whom it may concern, the Civic Type R is assembled in Japan exclusively at the plant where Honda makes the hybrid-only hatchback for the Japanese market. This generation of the Civic for North America comes from Greensburg, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario.Honda became aware of the incorrectly assembled steering racks in July 2023, with the supplier informing American Honda Motor of the blunder. The subsequent investigation determined that a defect related to motor vehicle safety couldnt be ruled out, hence the issuance of recall 23V-704. Honda isnt aware of warranty claims or accidents related to said condition. Registered owners will be informed via first-class mail on December 4 to bring their cars in for the remedy. Dealers will inspect and  if necessary  replace the steering rack. As per documents filed with the, the supplier improved its workflow and confirmation processes to eliminate any chances of improper assembly going forward.Both the iffy and the replacement steering racks are identified under part numbers 53640-T21-305 and 53640-T21-306. In case of a rack thats about to give up the ghost, the driver will hear abnormal noises from the front of the vehicle while turning.It should be mentioned that all recalled vehicles had received replacement power steering racks as part of service repairs. The incorrectly assembled racks allow the front tires to chafe against the lower suspension and tie rod end, leading to tire damage.Recalled assemblies feature an incorrectly set stroke length, hence the potential for chafing. In the meantime, owners are recommended to run the VIN on thes website to determine whether their Civic sedans and hatchbacks are recalled or not.Codenamed FE for the sedan and FL for the five-door body style, the 2022-and-newer Civic is the 11th generation since the original rolled out in 1972 for the 1973 model year. Twinned with the Acura Integra, the Civic is one of the best-selling automobiles in the United States of America. Last year, for example, American Honda Motor moved 133,932 units.Not available as a hybrid in this part of the world, the Civic kicks off at $23,950 for the sedan , $24,950 for the hatchback, $29,100 for the Si, and $43,795 for the Type R. Engine choices range from a 2.0L naturally-aspirated I4 for the sedan in LX attire to a 2.0L turbocharged I4 for the no-nonsense Type R.In Japan and the Old Continent, prospective customers are presented with two flavors: hatchback with hybrid assistance and the go-faster Type R. The hybrid-powered hatchback is rated at up to 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers in thes combined test cycle, meaning 50 miles per gallon.
This is the Vision Qe concept car, previewing the first of the electric models that Infiniti is working on. Late to the EV party, the Japanese brand will unveil its first zero-emission concept car at the Japan Mobility Show, which is just a fancy name for the Tokyo Motor Show.

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Photo: Infiniti



Therefore, the production version of the Vision Qe concept car will be the first out of a series of electric cars planned by Infiniti. Set to enter production at the firm's Canton plant in Mississippi, the EV will go after the Tesla Model S. An electric crossover will follow suit, previewed by the Vision Qxe concept car. Where this one will slot remains to be seen.



But the brand is far from going completely electric and is planning ICE -powered models as well, with four of them set to make an appearance in the near future, according to Jose Roman, Global Head of Infiniti.



The first will make its debut in 2024 and will come in the shape the Infiniti QX80 flagship SUV , previewed by the



We should expect a model with curvy lines and a minimalist approach on the outside as well as on the inside, without compromising comfort and luxury.



A new Infiniti QX65 crossover coupe will show up in the companys portfolio in 2024 as well. Two electric models are also planned for next year. But until that happens, the Vision Qe is the closest we are currently getting to Infinits first-ever electric car.







The most potent cars in the Infiniti lineup right now are the Q50 Red Sport and Q60 Red Sport. They are powered by a 3.0-liter V6, linked to a seven-speed automatic and tuned to deliver 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The performance electric sedan coming soon must surely offer more to be attractive.Therefore, the production version of the Vision Qe concept car will be the first out of a series of electric cars planned by Infiniti. Set to enter production at the firm's Canton plant in Mississippi, the EV will go after the Tesla Model S. An electric crossover will follow suit, previewed by the Vision Qxe concept car. Where this one will slot remains to be seen.But the brand is far from going completely electric and is planning-powered models as well, with four of them set to make an appearance in the near future, according to Jose Roman, Global Head of Infiniti.The first will make its debut in 2024 and will come in the shape the Infiniti QX80 flagship, previewed by the QX Monograph concept car , unveiled earlier this year.We should expect a model with curvy lines and a minimalist approach on the outside as well as on the inside, without compromising comfort and luxury.A new Infiniti QX65 crossover coupe will show up in the companys portfolio in 2024 as well. Two electric models are also planned for next year. But until that happens, the Vision Qe is the closest we are currently getting to Infinits first-ever electric car.

Infiniti brings a sleek electric concept that will be the base for the upcoming sedan. The concept introduces the updated version of the companys Artistry in Motion design language, which gravitates around the carmaker's signature single fluid motion feature: the line that runs from the hood over the fenders and all the way to the rear section.Unique lighting elements stretch along the entire width of the front end, flanked by ultra-slim headlights which extend sideways, toward the fenders, in what Infiniti calls the digital piano key design. This area integrates the illuminated Infiniti logo.The front fascia also displays the double arch grille motif, illuminated and designed in an exaggerated manner to highlight the proportions of the car.There is no information on the battery capacity of the upcoming, nor on the range, motor setup, or horsepower. But according to the brand, we will be dealing with a performance car, which will be equipped with all-wheel drive, which translates into a multiple-motor layout.
It's no secret that Lexus has some trouble in the EV department. It borrowed Toyota's zero-emission solution for general mobility and created the RZ 450e, but that crossover SUV isn't enough to be considered a great all-around vehicle. However, the luxury automaker isn't ready to throw the towel in. Here's what the LZ-ZC and LF-ZL preview.

Photo: Lexus

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Photo: Lexus

Two years ago, Lexus got us all hyped up for a daring-looking all-electric concept vehicle called the LF-Z . Some had the courage to insinuate that it could become the next LFA, even though it only previewed an evolved design language encapsulated into a crossover-ish shape.Today, Lexus is coming forward with two new concepts. It feels like it's the automaker's imaginary world; all we do is live in it. But set aside that snarky remark because the brand might actually revolutionize the battery-electric vehicle sector.Although other brands are well ahead in this respect, Lexus' sibling, Toyota, promised again that it would have a solid-state battery (SSB) on its hands in a few years. That energy storage unit can enable the two Japanese auto companies to bring lighter and more capable EVs to market.The LF-ZC, which has just made its debut at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, previews a sedan that seems to borrow some design cues from the recently revamped Toyota Prius. It will be put into production in 2026, so expect it to reach customers later that year or in 2027. However, remember that it's nearly six inches longer than the Prius.The LF-ZL, on the other hand, is more of a statement of intent. Thisshows what the next-gen and zero-emission RX might look like, but it's too sci-fi with its rear minivan-like passenger doors.But don't think that a design like this can't reach production. The luxurious Toyota Century (rumored to arrive in the US) can be optioned with automatic sliding doors for those sitting in the second row.Lexus wants the LF-ZL to show fans and prospective customers that the brand can push boundaries and reach new heights in the automotive world.Toyota's luxury division intends to "create the ultimate vehicle for each customer" through a symbiosis between hardware and software. That sounds great, but it's usually how automakers praise their concept cars.The LF-ZL measures 208.6 inches (5,300 mm) in length, 86.6 inches (2,200 mm) in width, 66.9 inches (1,700 mm) in height, and has a wheelbase of 131.8 inches (3,350 mm).The great thing about this introduction is that Lexus won't completely abandon making sedans. It'll also focus on sportiness, as the marque underlines its next-gen cars will feature a flat floor, a simplified dashboard (that will include a driver's and head-up display), a low seating position, and an ultra-wide screen that can be comfortably used by both the passenger and the person behind the steering wheel.The two concept units also come with a low drag coefficient of less than 0.2 Cd and improved weight, which should help with electricity consumption. Considering the RZ 450e and its poor real-world range , that's a welcomed development.Both the LF-ZC and LF-ZL feature the "provocative simplicity" design language. They are a preview of Lexus' ambition to become a battery-electric vehicle brand in Europe by 2030 and globally by 2035. As expected, they also feature an artificial intelligence-based assistant.The brand will soon debut a new modular vehicle structure that will help advance its goal. Will it encompass an SSB? It remains to be seen, but that's certainly a possibility. However, until then, other players like Tesla, Polestar , Mercedes-Benz, and Audi might just end up having the upper hand.Finally, Lexus confirms that it will use gigacasting to make the production-ready version of the LF-ZC. Adopting what Tesla pioneered will allow the automaker to make its vehicles faster and easier and explore more form factors that can enhance the available interior space.The company also wants to further automate the production process by eliminating the conveyor belt and replacing it with self-driving cars.
Photo: Skoda

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Courtesy of the previous teasers and the numerous spy shots, we have a very clear picture of what the model will look like. Nonetheless, the latest sketches released by the Czech automaker put the spotlight on some details, like the new head- and taillights.You may want to ignore the rather aggressive design cues of the liftback and estate versions of the 2024 Skoda Superb, as they will look more tamed once the wraps come off. Speaking of the unveiling, the company has already confirmed that both are due in a little over a week from today, on November 2.Besides giving it a fresh look, Skoda has also improved every other aspect of the all-new Superb compared to the outgoing one. That includes the already generous space for rear passengers and the luggage compartment. The car measures 4,912 mm (193.4 in) long in the liftback body style and 4,902 mm (193 in) long when it comes to the station wagon, and both share the same wheelbase length of 2,841 mm (111.9 in).Essentially the same car as the all-new Volkswagen Passat beneath the skin, the 2024 Superb uses an updated version of theplatform. It will launch with numerous powertrains, which will include two 2.0L TSI gasoline units, a 1.5-liter mild hybrid, and a 1.5-liter plug-in hybrid. Since diesels still matter overseas, it will also get a pair of low-revving mills. All versions will get a DSG automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive will be limited to a few variants.We've already seen the cockpit of the all-new Superb in a previous teaser, which features a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system next to a 10-inch digital gauge cluster. Drivers won't have to take their eyes off the road to see the speed they're traveling at and other details, as it will also feature a head-up display. The company also confirmed that the cargo area was improved and is 645 liters (22.8 cu-ft) on the liftback and 24.4 cu-ft (690 liters) on the estate.Just like its German sibling that only comes as a station wagon, the new-gen Volkswagen Passat, the upcoming Skoda Superb will come to life at the same factory in Bratislava, Slovakia. We expect the first units to roll off the line in the coming weeks and the order books to open in most parts of Europe shortly after the grand unveiling. Full details about the Czech auto marque's flagship low-slung model will be announced next week during the online presentation.
Few of todays giant, ultra-luxurious private explorers have traveled as far and as extensively as this apparently modest ship built in the '90s. Even fewer have played a truly pioneering role in bio-maritime conservation while also offering the unforgettable experiences of luxury cruising in full privacy.

Photo: Worth Avenue Yachts

Photo: Worth Avenue Yachts

Photo: Worth Avenue Yachts

Photo: Worth Avenue Yachts

"The whole point of having a boat is to take it to the far ends of the world"  this is what Johnny Pigozzi, a famous art collector and passionate explorer, once said. And all explorer yacht owners would agree. This is what Dardanella was born for, and its name is a perfect match.Many of today's explorer yachts were initially commercial or even military vessels that were converted later in life. Dardanella is one of the few who were born as explorers, even though its roots go back to the mid-90s when private expedition adventures were far less popular than today.The Vitters Shipyard, founded by the Dutch Jan Vitters in 1990, launched the beautiful Dardanella just eight years later. With it, it claimed to have achieved "the near-perfect compromise between a commercial ship and a yacht."On one hand, the Dardanella was a rugged vessel designed to withstand the harshest sea conditions while traveling to some of the most remote locations on the planet. Its apparently modest size of just 36.9 meters (121 feet) was actually an important advantage. Together with the shallow draft, it allowed it to squeeze into narrow bays and mysterious, hard-to-reach locations.It also sported an impressive 2.3-ton crane with hydraulic rams and a hydraulic hoist operating its large boom. It was added for launching the yacht's two large tenders housed on the spacious foredeck.Dardanella combined long-range capabilities with enormous water tanks and a purification system. This resulted in exceptional autonomy during lengthy travels with no infrastructure in sight.On the other hand, the Vitters explorer flaunted the impeccable style and cozy amenities of a regular yacht. The builder described its style as masculine, matching the bold exterior based on traditional deep-sea trawlers. An abundance of cherry wood paneling creates the atmosphere of a classic gentleman's yacht. The interiors are adorned with unique artwork, including tribal wood carvings and other gems collected from the ship's numerous past expeditions.The five-cabin configuration includes a spacious master suite and twin-bed guest cabins, all with en-suite bathrooms. The crew quarters can accommodate up to eight people.At the same time, Dardanella delights its guests with contemporary amenities such as a large jacuzzi, an outdoor cinema on the sun deck, and ample al-fresco dining and lounging space. Following the current trend, it allows guests to enjoy bold adventures while indulging in superyacht-style onboard experiences.In addition to the water toys commonly found on explorer yachts, Dardanella comes with a Nitrox dive compressor, 12 sets of dive gear, and underwater photography equipment. After a full day of adventure, guests get to enjoy gourmet dining (including fine wines) and relaxing spa sessions.The acclaimed Pendennis shipyard was in charge of keeping Dardanella in shape throughout the years. It completed its first refit in 2009 and a more extensive one at the end of 2010. During these visits, the '98 Vitters got a jacuzzi on the sun deck and a new wet room on the bridge deck, while the owner's en-suite shower was turned into a steam room. It was also fitted with Northern Light generators, and the aft main deck was equipped with an insulating screen enclosure for extra protection in higher altitudes.The yachts trajectory changed when art collector Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza set her sights on it. By that time, Dardanella had already cruised around the world, proving its extreme prowess, yet had ended up nearly abandoned in Barcelona. When Francesca decided to take a long lease on it, it was the beginning of an incredibly exciting era that also turned her into a passionate ocean activist.Under her patronage, the small explorer made some giant steps. In 2015, it was at the center of what was considered one of the 20 top discoveries of the 2010s era. It was during a trip to the Solomon Islands when David Gruber, a marine biologist, and National Geographic explorer, spotted a rare creature known as the biofluorescent hawksbill turtle. That exclusive footage became a historic achievement.At the same time, many of Dardanella's unique expeditions either led to or helped establish marine protected areas, such as the first offshore marine protected area for the Navatu reef in Fiji.This pioneering explorer traveled to Papua New Guinea multiple times and spent the entire year of 2017 navigating French Polynesia. It cruised to the Marshall Islands, the Lau Islands in Fiji, and some of the most remote areas in the Western and Eastern Pacific.These major achievements were possible due to the fact that Francesca treated Dardanella as a floating research platform instead of a private adventure yacht. marine biologists, artists, and indigenous leaders were invited on board as part of the TBA21Academy, an extension of Francesca's art foundation located in Vienna.In 2021, Dardanella became available for charter for the first time. Francesca wanted to enable more people to enjoy the incredible capacities of this pioneering explorer and the crew's unique expertise. Today, this beautiful vessel can be chartered for $125,000 per week.Plus, it's currently looking for a new owner, hopefully, another ocean activist who can take Dardanella's trailblazing career even further. The asking price of 9 million ($5.8 million) doesn't reflect this reputable ship's amazing achievements and potential.
Tesla's discounts have been bugging me since they started. I love the idea of having cheaper cars, but I can only respect things that make sense. The battery electric vehicle (BEV) maker's strategy doesn't. When the Q3 2023 numbers got out, I made another effort to show that in a series of stories that prove Tesla lost a lot of money trying to move metal. No attempt to defend that it could do that without harming its stakeholders has stood up. The series' conclusion demands examining that as much as the numbers.

BEV

Photo: Tesla

Photo: Tesla

Photo: Tesla

Photo: Tesla

Photo: Tesla

Photo: Tesla

Photo: via Weibo/CarNewsChina/edited by autoevolution

Photo: Tesla

Photo: Tesla

A good start is laying down several apparently random facts that can actually shed some light on this. If you follow the news, you are certainly familiar with most of them. It is just a matter of connecting the dots.Tesla started offering discounts in January. Despite them, it kept on reporting profits that just did not add up, as the third part of this series made evident. On August 7, Zach Kirkhorn wrote on LinkedIn that Tesla had announced he was stepping down from his role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) after four years and six months. That is a pretty peculiar way to say you asked to leave, isn't it? He joined the company in March 2010 as a senior analyst. The Q3 2023 earnings report was the first one signed by his successor, Vaibhav Taneja, who was the Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) before that.This report was also the first one to expose Tesla's discount strategy had failed. The last time I checked  in April  themaker had an inventory of 84,583  counting all unsold units since 2018. On average, the company made 20,000 cars more than it delivered per quarter from Q3 2022 until Q1 2023. In Q2 2023, the excess was "only" 13,560, which made the number of cars yet to hand to customers jump to 98,143 units.Although Tesla managed to sell more BEVs than it made in Q3 2023, the difference was only 4,571 BEVs. That means the company still has 93,572 vehicles waiting for a buyer. If you check the Q3 2023 earnings report, Tesla will tell you it has only 13,721 cars left to sell. That is impossible. If you do not take my word for it, check what Dan Levy  a financial analyst from Barclay's  said in April. He noted that Tesla had 75,000 vehicles yet to sell at that point, but that's because he considered only production and delivery numbers starting in Q3 2022. As I have already said, I counted them since 2018.That makes you wonder: if financial analysts know Tesla is disclosing incorrect information in its earnings reports, why haven't they called that out? Why haven't they demanded an explanation for the vehicles that are missing  around 80,000 BEV? What happened to them? We're talking about quite a fleet: 93,572 cars.With a current average price of $61,590 for Tesla's lineup, they represent $5,763,099,480 sitting somewhere, just waiting to turn into money. Even if you considered that the inventories had 93,572 Model 3 RWD  the cheapest Tesla for sale today, at $38,990 a pop  that would still be $3,648,372,280. Any company would love to have $3.65 billion more to spend.Unlike what Tesla and its investors state about production stops, the reason for the discounts is obviously low demand. The Model Y became the best-selling car in several places because it artificially turned into a bargain. So did the Model 3, but its sales were so low that discounts were not enough: Tesla had to refresh it. That did not work with the Model S and Model X, as steep as the price cuts were.The truth is that they did not create demand: they only pushed those who already considered buying a Tesla to make the move  or the "Tesla stretch," as some customers frame the financial effort to pay for these cars. Even so, the BEV maker was still talking about new factories and higher production targets. These plans have been halted, probably not for the reasons Musk and his executives mentioned. We'll get back to this in a bit.Another news that is relevant to this story but may seem unrelated is that the BEV maker has been trying to stop unionizing efforts in all its factories. In Germany, it said it wanted to enlighten workers about the disadvantages of joining a union. IG Metall saw that as a menace.When Elon Musk discussed unions in the past, he asked his employees in a tweet: "But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing?" That also sounded threatening. The UAW filed an unfair-labor-practice charge based on the tweet, alleging that it was "a threat to rescind stock options if employees unionized." The Tesla CEO blamed the union for not having "individual stock ownership as part of the compensation at any other company," which would be the reason for it to eventually end with unionization. As you can see, Musk and the union deal with these stock options as if they were gold.Tesla employees in Germany told Stern that the BEV maker's pressure for high production volumes creates the unsafe conditions they face at Giga Grunheide. They have reported several such risks: aluminum powder, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), and performing tasks they shouldn't, among others. That is probably why 1,000 of them are now trying to unionize the plant.Two journalists from the German magazine managed to work for Tesla at Giga Grunheide and confirmed some of these situations, including metal pieces falling from the factory roof. The workers Stern talked to said that Tesla pursues high production numbers in an effort to drive share prices up, the same assets Musk and unions believe to be as good as money. Let's work with the possibility that these workers are right.If that were the case, that would explain why one of the worst offenses in the Tesla world is "short seller"  someone who bets that the stock price will drop to pocket profits when it happens. If the shares appreciate, they lose cash. Some people see short selling as an evil practice of wishing for a business to fail. I have to say that this was also my impression when I wrote a text about that years ago. After watching "The Big Short" and covering Hindenburg Research' s public investigations, I had to agree that there's more to it. Some investors use short selling to warn others and the market about wrong business practices. In the movie, the moral dilemma that the characters face by making money with the financial failure they anticipated is palpable. Was it just fiction? I would like to believe that this is not the case.Tesla advocates have also accused me of being a short seller  some probably still do. Keith Leech turned into one to force Tesla to sue him. That would be a way for him to prove these BEVs have a whompy wheels problem, but Tesla never took the bait. In my case, I have no intention to buy Tesla shares or to bet against them.Anyway, I initially thought those detractors were mad at me because they thought I wanted the company to fail. I even wrote a text trying to explain my goal was to help customers affected by the multiple defects and failures I was covering. Doing so was  and still is  a way to push companies to offer better products or services; Tesla is no exception. Everything that has happened in 2023 makes me think about how naive I may have beenIt took me years to realize that most of these folks do not seem to be worried about the vehicles or the company; they appear to be concerned solely with their shares from the BEV maker. Early investors got rich when their prices went up. Those who have not pocketed that money by selling the stock seem to fight anything that threatens its value, even if it is a legitimate concern. Some even urge others to buy the dip when prices drop  which is a way for them to go up again, regardless of the fundamentals.That would explain why these guys follow Tesla's recommendations to vote against proposals that would improve the company. If several of these proposed measures against racism and sexual harassment had been approved  or even a few  the BEV maker would probably have fewer lawsuits due to these issues nowadays. At the very least, it would have proven it wanted to do something to change that scenario.When Tesla's biggest supporters keep track of how many vehicles it will produce and deliver in each quarter, that makes you suspect they are more worried about the stock market than about the company's true health. Or are they okay with the old lineup of only four vehicles? Or with the recurrent defects, the lousy build quality, the battery packs that cost $20,000 to replace, or the Tesla Service Centers that have long waiting lines? The deal is that the BEV maker's management seems to be on the same beat.Financial analysts always estimate sales and earnings. Tesla's discounts were the easy way to deliver the former, even if that penalized the latter. In Q3 2023 , both got hurt. For many companies, that does not matter if the fundamentals are in good shape. In other words, if they can sell more products than they can manufacture, if these carmakers are spending less in production than they charge customers (to have profits), if they have new models in the pipeline, if customers are satisfied with the brands things like that. Share prices will move up when everything that is in the plans starts to bear fruit.The sane way to drive up demand is to offer better products that look like a bargain from the get-go in relevant market segments. That's something you just can't do with four models. If you want to sell a cheaper car, you develop one. Reducing the prices of a vehicle that is already for sale will hurt depreciation and will make those who paid the higher fees mad. We have even seen protests in China against that.Tesla's (and Musk's) strategy is to announce new products that will allegedly revolutionize the market, such as the Cybertruck, the Roadster, the dancing robot, 4680 cells, and the Dojo supercomputer. Most companies only do that when these products are fully developed and ready to hit the market. That prevents the competitors from being prepared to deal with them or even to undercut their plans. The Cybertruck is the perfect example.First presented in November 2019, it should have arrived in 2021, starting at $39,900. Almost four years later, Tesla is calling the people who reserved it to say that the tri-motor Plaid version  which was slated to cost $69,990 will now demand $98,990 . Ford, GM, and Rivian delivered electric pickup trucks earlier, most of them at lower prices.That shows most Tesla products begin as mere bold promises, not something customers will be able to buy in a little while. They will start at unreal prices  remember the Model 3 ? They will deliver ranges or performance numbers that either are never met or only occur under extraordinary circumstances. That is often accused of stock pumping. The dump component that would turn it into a classic fraud case is something Elon Musk refused several times: he repeats that his money will be the last to leave the company.Ironically, he sold the equivalent of $39 billion in shares from November 2021 until December 2022, which is certainly way more than he ever invested in the BEV maker. That is a reminder that Tesla turned Musk into the world's richest man, not the other way around. The CEO is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for possibly using the company's funds on personal projects: a glass house in Austin known as Project 42. Tesla is also paying around $20,000 a year to be on Musk's social media, which is hard to justify as a sensible or coherent business decision. The CEO often bragged about not needing to spend on marketing.Considering how the BEV maker and Musk use Tesla's shares almost as money (collateral in social media purchases, benefits for workers, compensation for executives, etc.), you can't blame the people who say Tesla's stock is its main product: the pieces fit the puzzle neatly.Just think about it: why would you promise products that will prove so hard to develop or manufacture that they will have "dug our own grave" in the end? These are Musk's words, not mine. To make matters worse, the Cybertruck is an engineering embarrassment: it was announced as a stressed-skin vehicle, and it turned out to be an ordinary  and expensive  unibody truck. What is the gain in speeding things up with such reputation risks?Why would any automaker rush to deliver vehicles that may present serious issues in the future if not to present higher sales numbers? Tesla gave birth to the motto "deliver now, fix later" by avoiding tests that could anticipate preventable repair costs. Why would you knowingly use "scrap parts" in new cars just to ship them to customers, as the Stern story revealed? If that's the drive you should follow, it also explains the poor quality control: a careful one could slow down deliveries.All these situations will make these brand-new cars come back soon to Tesla Service Centers, which are already crowded. That's a double problem for the BEV maker. First, because all Tesla Service Centers belong to the company. Second, because these are warranty repairs  at least when the customers do not refuse to take delivery of the vehicles. Voluntarily accepting this additional expense, which will increase the cost of goods sold (COGS), only makes sense if what you truly need is higher delivery numbers. Tesla has a record of classifying warranty repairs as goodwill , which financial statements do not have to include. Tesla may have other reasons for the discounts, but the idea that it is trying to move metal at all costs to increase stock prices is the one that better explains them. Everything points in that direction, and Tesla keeps presenting more and more elements that confirm that. I swear I tried to think of another one, but I am still struggling to understand how a company with a four-car lineup, one truck, some battery packs, and solar panels can be the world's most valuable car company in market cap. Oops
Much like a sick person doesn't care whether the medical professional treating them is good-looking or not, no one buys a travel trailer just because it's pretty. But it probably helps if it is.

Photo: Lume Traveler

Photo: Lume Traveler

Photo: Lume Traveler

Photo: Lume Traveler

The Lume Traveler is arguably the prettiest travel trailer in the world, unofficially so. Similar to an Airstream with its all-aluminum body, it's less shiny but boxier than its American counterpart. The reason why you have probably never heard of a Lume Traveler before is that it's Dutch-made and, because of it, limited to the European market.The Lume Traveler is also newer to the market than the iconic Airstream. The creation of designer Hein van de Laar, it came out some years ago as a solution for travelers looking to explore the great outdoors without ditching the comforts of their home. It's mobile living that aims to feel less like mobile living and more like residential luxury. Whether it achieves that is, as the saying goes, a matter of perspective.The Lume was introduced through the flagship model, the LT360 No.1 , which is also the smallest and most compact. Essentially a weekend getaway trailer, it offers a chef's kitchen in the tailgate and a king-size bedroom inside, with plenty of storage, plenty of premium materials, and the since-patented opening roof that allows for sleeping under the stars.The second entry in the lineup is the larger LT540 No.1, which adds a small wet bathroom and more storage but keeps the kitchen outside. As of February 2022, travelers looking for the same thing from their outings as van de Laar (i.e., being out in nature without ditching comfort) can do so for extended periods with the four-season Lume Traveler LT540 Nordic.According to the designer, any of these three models will get you to "Feel free" whenever you hit the road , but no other as much as the Nordic version, which was essentially conceived as a year-round solution. It's large enough, insulated, and specced accordingly to offer the best experience in nature, whether in the coldest winter or on scorching summer days.The Nordic trailer is 6.94 meters (22.8 feet) long, including the drawbar, 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) wide, and 2.7 meters (8.8 feet) high, including the canopy. Dry weight is 2,200 kg (4,850 lbs), with a maximum payload of 2,500 kg (5,511 lbs).The Nordic shares the patented Lume Traveler features with its predecessors, including the drive rollers system that helps bring the trailer to the desired location at the press of a few buttons, the automated roof opening, and the combination of aluminum with natural, sustainable materials throughout.It's just larger, fancier, and more comfortable than the two other models that came out before it.The Nordic rides on 16-inch wheels and a single axle and has thick, insulated floors and walls. The section of the roof that opens up is made of weather-proof canvas and is doubled by an insect screen. No matter how much you love star-gazing, you can't possibly love being eaten alive by critters while you do it.The interior is divided into a main sleeping area, which turns into the living area during the day, and two smaller sections  one for cooking and the other for the bathroom. Given the very compact footprint, you should really temper your expectations regarding the kind of luxury living the Nordic promises.You will only get enough space for all the features and appliances, the basics in terms of comfort, and enough room to move around with some ease with another person occupying the same space. The luxury aspect of the Nordic comes via its elegant, minimalist design, the use of premium and sustainable materials (like wool for insulation, wood for the furniture, and felt storage pockets wherever possible), and the fact that it's able to pack all the basics in spite of its small size.Though the Nordic has been out for more than a year and a half, details on it remain scarce. Specifics like water tank capacity, autonomy at camp with the roof-mounted solar array, and kitchen equipment are not detailed on the official product page.That said, previous models featured all the electronics and the water tanks under the bed, underneath a storage compartment. They also came with a Truma Combi heater and smart AC, a cassette toilet, and a full but very compact kitchen, including a two-burner gas cooker and a diminutive fridge. We reached out to Lume Traveler for more on this and will update the story as soon as we hear back.The one thing that's immediately clear about the Lume Traveler LT540 Nordic is that, like its older siblings, it was made to impress from the first time you lay eyes on it. This is a travel trailer that wants to get you interested in it for its looks  and hooked for its promise of absolute, nearly luxurious comfort at camp.As for pricing, let's just say that it's on par with the promise the company makes. The Nordic starts at 114,950 ($121,800 at the current exchange rate), excluding extras like awnings and canvas walls, taxes, and delivery. For this kind of money, you're guaranteed "a 1,000-star experience," Lume Traveler says
Photo: Volvo

kW

kWh

The official unveiling of the car will take place on November 12, and until then, the Swedish automaker will keep dropping all kinds of teasers on its channels. The latest put the spotlight on some of the safety gear equipping it, with the company mentioning the strong safety cage.According to Volvo, the EM90 features high-strength steel in its construction. It also has double A-pillars, the usual airbags, and a host of passive and active safety gear. In the latest press release, the automaker also speaks about the "broad sensor set" that comprises ultrasonic sensors, high-definition cameras, a millimeter-wave radar, and surround-view cameras.The battery pack is also protected, with the car firm encasing it in a structure made of aluminum and steel. This "enables a safe and stable performance in real-world crash scenarios," Volvo says.Other highlights of the upcoming EM90 minivan include the unique air purification technology, which will be standard, premium audio from Bowers & Wilkins with 21 speakers, and a very spacious cabin that is normal for cars in this segment, especially those featuring a battery-electric powertrain.The Volvo EM90 builds on the Zeekr 009, and we've already seen real-world images of it last week, which made their way online courtesy of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It looks the same as its 009 sibling on the sides, with the only things different being the wheels.The front and rear fascias are also specific to Volvo, including the Thor's hammer LED headlamps, closed-off grille, and bumper design up front, and the T-shaped taillights at the back. Chances are it will feature three rows of seats on the inside and an overall layout similar to that of the Zeekr people carrier.Based on Geely's SEA architecture, the EM90 will pack a rear-mounted electric motor, generating 268 horsepower (272 ps/200). As usual, when it comes to Volvo's models, the top speed will be electronically capped at 112 mph or 180 kph.Chances are the EM90 will feature the same 116battery used on the base Zeekr 009 , but it might get the larger 140 kWh offering in the future to expand the family. A dual-motor powertrain is not completely off the table either, but we will find out more about it during the official premiere. The model will be available in China first and will come to life at the Zhejiang facility. The 009 is made at Ningbo.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, today, we're going to be taking a little trip aboard one of the yachting industry's most dynamic and luxurious ships, fittingly dubbed Inspiration.

Photo: Benetti Yachts via Northrop & Johnson

Photo: Benetti Yachts via Northrop & Johnson

Photo: Benetti Yachts via Northrop & Johnson

The lifestyle of the rich and anonymous is hard to fathom for us average Joes. However, even the rich sell off their toys for whatever reasons, and one machine that's currently on the market is Inspiration, a 125-foot (38 m) floating dream that's built by one of the world's most revered shipyards, Benetti. Better start scrounging for $16M because this one is on a whole different level than what we're used to seeing.Now, whenever we take a trip through the world's most expensive toys, it helps to consider a few things, one of which is who the previous owners of such a vessel may have been. Well, we're out of luck here, as they seem to want to remain anonymous for the time being. Why is this important? Simply because it's their taste that you're buying into.That said, I invite you to take a few minutes out of your busy day to scroll through the images in the gallery. Once you do, come back to the text and continue.If you're like me, what might have attracted you most to this massive machine is the amount of outdoor living space. I'll be honest; it's not often that you see such an inclination toward outdoor living on such ships. I'm not saying other superyachts don't offer plenty of alfresco space, but the Inspiration can be seen as what an outdoor-oriented yacht should look like.Not only does the front of the ship place plenty of options at guest's disposals, but at the opposite end, nearly half of each deck is for outdoor activities such as lounging in the sun, having a chat with friends, eating, drinking, and on the lowest deck, a massive beach club sits in wait for water-loving humanoids This space is accessed by a hatch at the rear of Inspiration that lowers to create a diving platform or a space to add a couple more lounges. This is also the place where you can board other watercraft, some of which are carried in Inspiration's toy garage.There's just one more outdoor living trick up Inspiration's sleeve that you need to be aware of. While scrolling through the images, I'm sure you noticed portions of this ship's hull extending well beyond the established beam. These little nests are but one of the little tricks that Benetti is known for, and there's no need for me to point out the things you can do here. Talk about getting your dose of, well, "inspiration."With the exterior out of the way, let's take a stroll through all the little interior spaces found on board. Actually, little is an understatement because, by the looks of what Northrop & Johnson (the brokers for this deal) are showing off, the interiors of Inspiration are anything but little On the contrary, lounge after lounge and stateroom after stateroom have an airy feeling about them, granted by high-rise ceilings, minimalist furniture, and materials that blend perfectly to create an effect of space. What I'm talking about here may sound like gibberish, but you get the idea for sure. Then there's the lighting, both natural and artificial, bringing about a glow to everything inside.Aside from the lounges and other social areas, a few spaces need to be on your radar. One of them is this vessel's gym, ready to help you burn off last night's alcohol, a jacuzzi at the bow, and most importantly, the owner's beam-to-beam suite, the latter of which includes those floating balconies I mentioned.For the remainder of this little short exploration into Inspiration, I want you to picture yourself in the center of all the action. Wake up in the middle of nowhere with nothing but some patches of island here and there, have breakfast, take a dip in the local waters, and for lunch, hop in a tender and explore uncharted bays and coves. Later on, you'll return with fresh knowledge and experiences and enjoy the rest of what this $16M machine has to offer.Now, I understand that it's rather difficult to understand what this ship has to offer just from where you're standing. That said, if you're ever in Fort Lauderdale, hop onto Northrop & Johnson's website, take down their contact number, and see this beauty for yourself.But, before you do, consider this one thing: $16M is a whole lot of cash. That said, it may be hard for just one person to afford all of this luxury, but then again, we or they don't have to. Here's a thought: Inspiration can accommodate 11 guests in total, and that means its price tag can be split eleven ways, leaving everyone with a bill of a tad over $1M to get their hands on this floating marvel . After all, how many of us can say we own a superyacht for around $1M?
Joly hoisted a Canadian flag outside an office building in the Armenian capital that will house the embassy. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also attended the ceremony.

The Canadian government announced its decision to open the embassy in June 2022. It said it wants to deepen Canadian-Armenia relations in view of a profound geopolitical shift in the world resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It said the diplomatic presence in Armenia as well as four Eastern European states will help Ottawa counter Russias destabilizing activities. Russia denounced that explanation, saying that it is indicative of the Wests arrogant attitude towards other countries and peoples.

Mirzoyan as well as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian welcomed the opening of the Canadian mission during their talks with Joly. Pashinian described it as a remarkable event for our bilateral relations.

I must note with satisfaction that the relationship between Armenia and Canada is based on common values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law, Mirzoyan said, for his part.

The Armenian leaders also praised the Canadian governments recent decision to join a monitoring mission launched by the European Union along Armenias border with Azerbaijan in February. Ottawa said in July that two Canadian experts will be sent to the South Caucasus country in the coming months to act as a third-party contributor to the mission.

Canada calls for the full respect of the territorial integrity of Armenia and reaffirms the importance of strict adherence to the principle of non-use of force or threat of it, Joly told a joint news conference with Mirzoyan earlier on Wednesday.

Joly alluded to the risk of an Azerbaijani invasion of Armenia which Armenian officials as well as some analysts believe increased after Azerbaijans September 19-20 military offensive in Karabakh. She did not rule out the possibility of Canadian sanctions against Baku in the event of the invasion.

When it comes to sanctions  I have said that everything is on the table, stressed the top Canadian diplomat.

Joly also reiterated Canadas condemnation of the Azerbaijani offensive which forced Karabakhs virtually entire Armenian population to flee to Armenia. Baku must respect the right to return of the recently displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, she said, adding that Ottawa has approved additional humanitarian aid to those refugees.

Just days after the outbreak of the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war in Karabakh, Canada suspended the export of drone technology to Turkey. It banned such exports altogether in 2021 after investigating and confirming reports that Turkish-manufactured Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, heavily used by the Azerbaijani army, are equipped with imaging and targeting systems made by a Canada-based firm. Ankara criticized the embargo and urged the Canadian government to reconsider it.
By Carl Bildt

ABU DHABI  Gaza is now at risk of sinking into a new hell. There are no excuses for Hamass vicious attack on Israel, which killed around 1,600 people, many of them innocent civilians, nor for its hostage-taking. The world is rightly affirming Israels right to defend itself.

But we also must consider how we got here, and whether there is still any viable path toward regional peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians. Though it is early days in this latest war, we have a duty to think through the various scenarios.

Following Syria and Egypts coordinated surprise attack against Israel almost exactly 50 years before, in October 1973, Israel stared the possibility of defeat in the eyes. But the Israelis eventually turned the tables and emerged victorious, creating the conditions for a gradual process to end the hostilities in the region.

After peace was achieved between Israel and two of its neighbors, first Egypt and then Jordan, everyone could turn to the issue of the Palestinians who had been living under Israeli occupation since 1967. To that end, the 1993-95 Oslo Accords created the possibility of a future in which a Palestinian state would exist peacefully alongside Israel, with the two states even sharing Jerusalem as their common capital.

Tragically, however, the two decades of diplomatic progress after the Yom Kippur War were followed by three decades of regression. Forces opposed to reconciliation and a peaceful compromise gained the upper hand on both sides. The Palestinian fundamentalists in Hamas and related organizations have grown stronger, and Israeli zealots have expanded their illegal settlements on occupied land that was supposed to become the territory of a future Palestinian state. Together, fanatics on both sides have destroyed the bridge that the Oslo Accords built.

But the international community also bears responsibility for this failure. The European Union and the United States have been too divided and distracted to engage seriously in a sustained peace process. Everyone found it easier simply to forget about the Palestinian issue. Even before the October 7 attack, there was almost nothing left of what Oslo had created.

For now, everyone will be pointing fingers. Illegal Israeli settlements have continued to expand, establishing a system of de facto apartheid in the West Bank, and the Palestinian Authority has lost all credibility. Younger Palestinians despair for their future, and some have concluded that violence is the only answer.

The recent Abraham Accords, which paved the way for normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, were undoubtedly a positive development. But it was a mistake to believe that the Palestinian issue could be shunted aside. It was bound to reappear sooner or later, and with Hamass appalling terrorist attack, now it has.

The worlds attention is understandably focused on Israels stated intention of eradicating Hamas. We will soon witness a massive Israeli armed operation to destroy the groups leadership and infrastructure within the heavily populated Gaza Strip. But what will come after that goal has been achieved? Will Israel reassert direct control over a Gaza that has been laid to waste? Will it allow the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes? Or will it simply withdraw, and risk allowing a new threat to its security to take root? No one knows, because there is no real solution. In todays Middle East, an isolated Gaza will always be a problem, regardless of who is trying to govern it.

After the guns have gone silent and the dead have been counted, political leaders will have a duty to renew the quest for peace. Obviously, emotions on all sides are raw. But we must ask ourselves if it is possible  and what it would take  to make 2023 the start of a new peace process, a new 1993.

To be sure, the situation today is very different, because positions have hardened on both sides. But a good starting point would be to return to the basic principles of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. The proposal, on which Saudi Arabia took the lead, was to offer diplomatic normalization with Israel in exchange for ending the occupation and giving the Palestinians a new future. After a generation of failure, perhaps new leaders will emerge  on both sides  to return to this framework.

As always, the devil will be in the details. But any peace process must start with an acknowledgement of basic principles, and it must be embedded in a larger international context that includes major powers such as the US, the EU, and perhaps now China. For the moment, this is just a dream. But without such a vision, the best that can be achieved is a pause until the next tragedy.

Horrors lie in store during the days and weeks ahead. As tanks start rolling into Gaza, one can only hope that the war will be conducted in such a way as not to destroy the possibility of peace in the future. Respect for international law, especially international humanitarian law, is paramount. It is the foundation on which a peaceful future might be built.

Once upon a time, these lands instilled in humankind the hope of heaven. We must not allow them to sink into hell. These are dark days. It is more important than ever to keep the light of hope aglow.

Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden.This was distributed by (www.project-syndicate.org).
Pashinian said that the government will therefore grant the more than 100,000 Karabakh Armenians, who fled their homeland after last months Azerbaijani military offensive, temporary protection formalizing their status of refugees. This, he said, will increase the possibilities of protecting their rights in the local and international arenas.

Right after that decision, our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh will have an opportunity to apply for Armenian citizenship and we will solve that issue in the fastest possible way, he added during the governments question-and-answer session in the parliament.

An Armenian law on refugees stipulates that only foreign nationals and stateless persons are eligible for the temporary protection status.

Many of some 20,000 other Karabakh residents who took refuge in Armenia prior to the September mass exodus have sought such a status for almost three years in hopes of receiving regular government aid. They say government officials in Yerevan have repeatedly told them that they do qualify because of being citizens of Armenia.

If they have Armenian passports, it means they are citizens of Armenia, the head of the governments Migration Service insisted recently.

Ara Ghazarian, an international law expert, made the same point when he spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian Service hours before Pashinians announcement. Ghazarian said that under the law in question, the displaced Karabakh Armenians are formally not refugees.

Pashinians government sparked controversy earlier this month when it refused to pay Karabakhs public sector salaries, pensions and other benefits. The decision caused discontent among civil servants, teachers, military and security personnel, pensioners and other socially vulnerable people who made up a large part of Karabakhs population. They will not be even paid for September.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatrian said on Monday that these and other refugees will instead receive 50,000 drams ($125) each in November and December in addition to 100,000 drams given to them this month.

I had a monthly salary of 150,000 drams, plus my pension, complained Seda Sargsian, who worked as an accountant in Karabakhs northern Martakert district before fleeing to Armenia with her family.

We dont want alms, said another Karabakh woman. My family has lost a member during each war [with Azerbaijan.]
25 October 2023 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

The important agenda for world order often comes from the initiator, America itself, encouraging colonized countries with new reforms and good intentions. Through corrupt organizations and the right people, companies and charities are created to promote the agenda of world control.

This is about the famous American organization USAID, which was accused by the Georgian State Security Service (GSSS) of preparing a revolution in the country. It is reported that three citizens of Serbia, who arrived in Georgia at the invitation of USAID, conducted training for young people in methods of violent and aggressive overthrow of power, both in Tbilisi and abroad.

On September 18, the SSS of Georgia reported that civil unrest was planned in Georgia from October to December 2023, where the "organizers" considered the possibility of implementing a scenario similar to Euromaidan.

USAID is the U.S. Agency for International Development, subordinate to the State Department.

Before turning to USAID in Georgia, let's shed some light on the information that has not been released to the mass media. In the media, the "Foundation for Fighting Injustice" managed to uncover plans to enrich government officials and a number of authorities through the "gray" export of donated blood from Ukrainian citizens. It was intended for emergency aid to civilians and soldiers in Western countries, where the sale of Ukrainian blood was conducted under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

With the participation of Danish and British organizations, the blood of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians is transported daily to European countries via Poland, Moldova, and Romania, allowing officials and authorities to make hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal profits.

It is reported that under the pretext of helping military and civilian victims of the conflict, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health has collected more than one million liters of blood, all through communication with USAID.

One of the tactics to attract donors to accept and then resell donated blood is propaganda campaigns conducted by Ukrainian regional and district transfusion centers. The country's Ministry of Health has obliged each medical institution accepting blood donations to publish media reports on the shortage of blood supplies at least twice a month. Regional departments attract the population to blood donation by distributing tickets to movies, theatres, and other events.

Using the above "incomplete" information as an example, let's move on to USAID in Georgia, knowing that the U.S. agency and some of its employees are corrupt and mired in nefarious affairs and have plotted coup d'etat in many countries.

The Georgian Security Service reported that on September 25, 2023, Serbian citizens Sinisa Sikman, Jelena Stojsic, and Slobodan Djinovic arrived at the invitation of USAID's East-West Management Institute.

The individuals mentioned are linked to the coup events that took place in Georgia in 2003, and they have also been linked to similar processes in Serbia, Ukraine, and other states over the years. They have actively trained in methods of organizing protest marches and tactics of violent action. They represent the management of the CANVAS organization, and Sinisa Sikman and Slobodan Djinovic are also former members of the Otpor organization, which was the counterpart of the Georgian organization Kmara in Serbia.

The State Security Service noted that the CANVAS organization, of which Otpor is the core, is being used to train youth groups for their use in the "revolutionary scenario" planned for October-December this year in Georgia. "The mentioned organizations have some practical experience in participating in revolutionary processes unfolding in foreign countries and training in organizing violent protests," it was said in the Georgian SSS' statement.

Also in the period of September 26-29, 2023, in the Hotel "Ibis" in Tbilisi, there was a retraining of representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil activists, namely one of the major groups, which "should play a decisive role in the preparation and implementation of the processes of overthrowing the government by force.

There is a video recording the words of a veteran of the resistance movement in Serbia. Sinisa Sikman, as well as Jelena Stojsic and Slobodan Djinovic of the USAID-friendly organization Canvas, are implicated in organizing coups in Ukraine and other states, including Georgia's Rose Revolution in 2003.

"You have to allocate among yourselves step by step what you will do and how you will do it. A live force, a rally... In this case, you are on offense and they are forced to respond to your actions. What I'm talking to you about now, I've already talked about in Moldova, Egypt, Ukraine. And they have planned revolutions," the man in the video admits.

So why did organizations need to use coups d'etat in Georgia now? This is happening at a time when Georgia's close neighbor Azerbaijan, has restored justice in Garabagh by preventing and outrunning the military attack on the territory of Azerbaijan by separatist forces that were preparing for war long before it was prevented to the detriment of the West. This is proved by video materials and records of huge scales of weapons and ammunition hidden by separatists during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories in Garabagh.

Western puppeteers want to unleash chaos controlled by them in the Caucasus through various organizations like USAID, where this agency also took place in Garabagh by means of the Armenian separatist regime.

Georgia is striving for the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union, and according to Georgian experts, the country's authorities fear the cooling of relations with the West and the growth of protests in the country, which has increased over the past 2-3 years. According to the special service, one of the authors of the coup plan is the former deputy interior minister of Georgia and now deputy head of the military intelligence service of Ukraine, Giorgi Lortkipanidze.

According to Giorgi Shaishmelashvili, head of research at the Civic Idea non-governmental organization, the actions of the authorities are aimed at preventing public protests in case Georgia fails to receive candidate status in the European Union.

"The authorities have fears that there may be a certain reaction from the public because of the refusal to grant candidate status to the country, and initially they are trying to present it as an attempt at a coup d'etat. I am sure that the authorities are well aware that Kanvas representatives and Serbian activists who conduct training on non-violent methods of confrontation are not preparing a revolution," he told the Caucasian Knot correspondent.

According to him, the country's authorities are trying to restrict civil society with such statements without causing a negative reaction in society. One way of doing this is to initiate criminal proceedings over a possible coup. "This is the return by other methods of the bill on foreign agents, which caused a mass protest of the population," he said.

USAID was established as a branch of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and is currently engaged in active interference in the internal affairs of individual countries under the guise of aid. It is no coincidence that this organization has allocated $9.5 billion for building civil society in various countries in 2023-2025.

According to some reports, there is no doubt that these funds will be used to implement coup plans in various countries within the framework of the recently announced "Doctrine of Democracy".

---

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25 October 2023 14:30 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

"It is not yet known how Yerevan will pay for the acquisitions announced on Monday, the sum of which may amount to several 100 million euros," according to the French publication Le Monde, Azernews reports.



This refers to the French military equipment, which the heads of the Defense Ministries of Armenia and France agreed to supply on October 23. Yerevan intends to purchase three GM200 radars designed to detect air threats and an undetermined number of short-range Mistral missiles.



The newspaper notes that on October 3, French Foreign Minister Colonna even suggested that Armenia use the European Peace Fund, a mechanism used to organize military support for Ukraine or Moldova.

It should be noted that on October 23, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikian met with his counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in France. The ministers signed an agreement on cooperation in the defense sector, while initiatives for the peace talks and Armenia's joining rather regional cooperation in large-scale projects remain outstanding.

France's provision of arms to Armenia undermines the transition to a peace process in the Caucasus, as does the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. Armenia has suffered a crushing defeat and economic decline, and Yerevan's state budget is unlikely to support the purchase of arms, but despite this, a treaty was signed between Paris and Yerevan.

The important thing at the moment is for Yerevan not to miss the 3+3 format initiated by the Azerbaijani leadership, including Tukiye and other countries, where all parties to this format will benefit economically and strengthen cooperation in different directions. It is important for Yerevan and the world community to understand that Azerbaijan does not intend to live and exist militarily, but on the contrary, it wants peace and freedom in the Caucasus, both for itself and its neighbors.

It is important to emphasize that the 3+3 format is an important investment from all sides, Baku will not be able to undertake everything; it is necessary for all, including Yerevan, to invest in building infrastructure, building routes, tourism, etc. Therefore, this aggressive choice of Armenia, instead of investing in the future prosperity of its residence in the Caucasus, "invests" in armament encouraged by Paris.

The Caucasus cannot prosper peacefully and freely if one of its neighbors is depressed and impoverished, and it is important for Yerevan to understand this.

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25 October 2023 12:30 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

The former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili shared an open letter to the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia on his Facebook account over the Zangazur Corridor and emphasized its importance, Azernews reports.

He exemplifies the Ukrainian-Moldovian agreement over the leased road to access Ukrainian Bessarabia and notes that it will be beneficial for Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"I would like to implore the leadership of Azerbaijan and Armenia to consider the existing arrangement between Ukraine and Moldova as a possible example. These two countries have maintained positive neighborly relations, mutually recognizing each other's borders. In a scenario where Ukraine required access from the city of Odesa to the southern part of the Odesa region, Moldova willingly agreed to lease a road across the Dniester region. As the former governor of Odesa, I frequently used this leased road (which I had repaired) under the control of Ukrainian border guards whenever I needed to travel to Ukrainian Bessarabia. Moldova receives commercial benefits from this agreement.

Applying a similar solution to the situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia would prove beneficial for both nations. Armenia could gain commercial and financial advantages, as well as access to significant transit roads. Additionally, Azerbaijan could avoid the need for a continued presence of Russian troops, ultimately leading to peaceful coexistence between the two countries," Saakashvili wrote in the post.

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25 October 2023 13:18 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

The issue of demining and restoration in Azerbaijani territories liberated from occupation has been raised in the British Parliament, Azernews reports.

The Azerbaijani Embassy in the UK reports that David Duguid, Deputy Chairman of the Friendship Group on British-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary relations, asked Minister of State for Europe and North America Leo Docherty in the course of discussions in Parliament what support the UK government and companies provide in the process of clearing the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces, as well as in the restoration of towns and settlements that were looted and destroyed during the occupation.

Responding to the question, the Minister of State noted that the British Government continues to assess the humanitarian situation in the region, 1 million pounds sterling has been allocated within the framework of the UN Development Program for the demining of the region from 2020, and discussions are underway with the Azerbaijani government on reconstruction and reintegration.

Note that Azerbaijan has been struggling to clear the Garabagh economic region and East Zangazur from mines since it liberated the territories from Armenian occupation. Armenia's planting of mines and unexploded ordnance left in the territory pose a serious threat to speedy reconstruction work and the return of IDPs to their homes.

Azerbaijan stands among the countries suffering from mine issues, and this issue has been raised several times at UN organisations as many civilians still become victims of landmines.

Meanwhile, despite some maps that Armenia has provided earlier regarding the locations of landmines, they have not been true.

---

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25 October 2023 15:41 (UTC+04:00)

There is still no significant progress on Russia's proposal to use Moscow as a platform for the preparation of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, told journalists about this. He added that Moscow continues contacts with Baku and Yerevan, Azernews reports.

Not yet. There is no clear understanding. We continue our contacts", said D. Peskov while answering the question about the progress on the proposal of the Russian side.

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25 October 2023 19:53 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Azerbaijani Prime Minister urged India not to arm Armenia. This was reported in the Cabinet of Ministers, Azernews reports.

It was noted that Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov met today with the Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Mrs. Anupriya Patel.

The meeting emphasized the importance of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on trade-economic and scientific-technological cooperation between Azerbaijan and India held in Baku.

Confidence was expressed that the decisions taken and documents signed at the meeting would contribute to the development of relations between the two countries.

Talking about his activity as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement of Azerbaijan, Asadov said his chairmanship in the Movement has been extended for another year as an indicator of confidence in Azerbaijan due to the work and initiatives done by the country.

Sharing his views on the processes taking place in the region after the second Garabagh war, the Prime Minister stated that despite Azerbaijan's serious efforts in the past period, Armenia refused to withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Garabagh, constantly violated the negotiations process, evading its obligations, resorting to various military provocations.

It was emphasized that after another provocation in September, Azerbaijan fully consolidated its sovereignty through short-term local anti-terrorist measures. It was noted that the Azerbaijani army demonstrated high professionalism and attacked only military targets without hitting civilian infrastructure and civilian population.

It was reported that historical conditions have been created for the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the signing of a peace treaty, and the establishment of peace in the South Caucasus. It was noted that active arming of the Armenian side at such a sensitive moment is a serious blow to the peace process and creates new threats to peace and stability in the South Caucasus region.

The prospects for the development of Azerbaijani-Indian relations were also discussed at the meeting.

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25 October 2023 22:45 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

The main issues on the agenda were debated today in the British Parliament. Among the issues, Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, the latest situation in Garabagh, as well as the problem of landmines still existing in Garabagh, were brought to discussion at the event.

Azernews informs that in the debate, Leo Docherty, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, in response to a question about the recent situation in Garabagh, called the issue of the alleged forced removal of Armenians from Garabagh and the so-called ethnic cleansing completely unfounded.

The British politician noted that the events in Garabagh cannot be characterized as ethnic cleansing.

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Besides, as part of the discussion, the issue of demining and restoration in Azerbaijani territories liberated from occupation has been raised in the British Parliament.

According to the official information, David Duguid, Deputy Chairman of the Friendship Group on British-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary relations, asked Under Secretary of the British Foreign Office Leo Docherty in the course of discussions in Parliament what support the UK government and companies provide in the process of clearing the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces, as well as in the restoration of towns and settlements that were looted and destroyed during the occupation.

Responding to the question, the Undersecretary noted that the British Government continues to assess the humanitarian situation in the region, 1 million pounds sterling has been allocated within the framework of the UN Development Program for the demining of the region from 2020, and discussions are underway with the Azerbaijani government on reconstruction and reintegration.

Note that Azerbaijan has been struggling to clear the Garabagh economic region and East Zangazur from mines since it liberated the territories from Armenian occupation. Armenia's planting of mines and unexploded ordnance left in the territory pose a serious threat to speedy reconstruction work and the return of IDPs to their homes.

Azerbaijan stands among the countries suffering from mine issues, and this issue has been raised several times at UN organisations as many civilians still become victims of landmines.

Meanwhile, despite some maps that Armenia has provided earlier regarding the locations of landmines, they have not been true.

---

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25 October 2023 11:14 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Gubadli town was liberated from Armenian occupation on October 25, 2020, as a result of the Azerbaijani army's counter-offensive on September 27, 2020, Azernews reports.

During the Second Garabagh War, a crushing blow to the enemy forces in the Jabrayil district located in the east of the district and successful operations carried out in a short time in the Zangilan district located in the south allowed the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to enter the administrative boundaries of Gubadli district.

On October 26, in his address to the people, the head of state revealed the enemy's arms and equipment destroyed and looted during the Patriotic War, which lasted almost a month. At the same time, on October 25, together with the town of Gubadli, the Azerbaijani army destroyed Padar, Efendili, Yusifbeyli, Chaitumas, Khanlik, Sariyatak, Mollaburkhan, First Alibayli, Second Alibayli, Raband, Yenikend, Jabrail district of Zangilan district, Govshudlu, Sofulu, Dagh Mashanli, Kurdlar, Ovuslu, and Chalabilar villages were occupied.

Fierce battles were fought to liberate the town of Gubadli from occupation. Having broken the resistance of the enemy, the Azerbaijani army forced him to retreat and suffered a heavy defeat. During the Gubadli operation, a significant number of personnel and equipment of the Armenian army were destroyed.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has also established a medal "For the Liberation of Gubadli".

According to the order of President Ilham Aliyev, servicemen who participated in the military operations to liberate the Gubadli district from occupation and showed personal bravery and courage were awarded the medal "For the Liberation of Gubadli".

Let us remind that Gubadli was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces on August 31, 1993. During the occupation, Armenians destroyed Gubadli town, villages of the district, vandalized religious, historical, and cultural monuments, cemeteries, and nature. The occupants committed ecological terror against the rich nature, flora and fauna of Gubadli by cutting down and burning forests, rare trees, and plants.

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25 October 2023 11:46 (UTC+04:00)

"The Western Azerbaijani community sharply condemns the irresponsible and provocative articles published in a number of Western media outlets recently that Azerbaijan will attack Armenia."

According to Azernews, this was stated in the statement of the Community, adding that engaging in cheap sensationalism, gossip, and slander under the name of free media, freedom of speech, and carrying out the orders of biased political circles completely contradicts the principles of professionalism and honesty of journalists.

"We believe that such writings primarily serve as a pretext for the arming of Armenia by France and for the official invasion of Paris into the South Caucasus region.

In this regard, we reject the shameless statements made by the chairman of the foreign relations committee of the German parliament, Michael Roth, who has gained the image of a frivolous politician in Yerevan in recent days. We call on M. Roth, who accuses Azerbaijan of "aggression" and "violation of international law", to look carefully at the history of his country.

It seems that after the European Parliament, Luis Ocampo, Yuri Kim, Armenia's new place of refuge is M. Roth. "Azerbaijanaphobes with an Islamophobic mindset and people like M.Roth should absolutely stay away from the South Caucasus region."

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25 October 2023 12:08 (UTC+04:00)

Today, the next trial on the criminal case of Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan, who is accused of committing genocide in the Meshali village of Khojaly district as part of the illegal Armenian armed forces, has started.

The criminal case is being investigated in the administrative building of the Yasamal District Court under the chairmanship of Baku Military Court judge Zeynal Aghayev, Azernews reports.

Victims testify during the trial.

It should be noted that a crime was committed against the local Azerbaijani population in the Meshali village of Khojaly (in the territory of the former Askeran district) as part of a criminal association consisting of armed military units not provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, created with the participation of Vagif Khachatryan and consisting of nationalist Armenians living in the Karabakh economic region and also coming from the Republic of Armenia. As a result of the crimes of genocide, persecution, displacement, violations of international humanitarian law during the armed conflict, a total of 27 people were intentionally killed, 21 people received various degrees of physical injuries, 2 villagers were taken hostage, 340 people from 81 family farms were displaced from their permanent residences in the Republic of Azerbaijan. were displaced to other territories, the villagers suffered material damage in the amount of 13,568,060 manats, and the state 130,800 manats.

On November 12, 2013, a decision was made to bring Khachatryan Vagif Cherkezovich as an accused person under Articles 103 and 107 of the Criminal Code, on November 14, 2013, by the decision of the Narimanov District Court of Baku, a preventive measure was chosen against him, and On November 21, 2013, the search was announced and relevant documents were sent to the Main Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Central Bureau of Interpol in Azerbaijan.

On July 29, 2023, when Khachatryan Vagif Cherkezovich wanted to cross the territory of the Republic of Armenia due to his health, he was detained at the Lachin border crossing point and submitted to investigation, and on that date he was charged under Articles 103 and 107 of the Criminal Code and imprisoned for 3 months. preventive measure was chosen.

On September 22 of this year, the accused Vagif Khachatryan was re-indicted under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code, and on September 29, the preliminary investigation of the criminal case was completed and sent to the relevant Baku Military Court for consideration.

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25 October 2023 13:00 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the occasion of the National Day.

Dear Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich,

I extend my sincerest congratulation and best wishes to you and through you, your entire people, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, on the occasion of 25 October  the Republic Day.

Kazakhstan is a fast-growing and day by day modernizing and strengthening state. Important reforms implemented under your resolute leadership ensure your countrys socio-economic progress and help to earn prestige in the international arena.

We place a special emphasis on the all-round development of Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan deep-rooted historical ties, which are based on fraternity and mutual trust and acquire new content today. Our multifaceted ties, effective bilateral and multilateral interaction are the major aspects characterizing the relations between our states. The deepening of steadily expanding political dialogue and our cooperation in economic, transport, logistics, infrastructure, energy, humanitarian and other fields suggests the high level and dynamic development of our partnership.

I am sure that we will leverage existing opportunities to strengthen exceptional Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations thanks to our efforts and achieve further deepening of our cooperation of mutual interest.

On this remarkable day, I wish you good health, happiness, success in your activities and brotherly people of Kazakhstan permanent peace and prosperity.

Respectfully,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 23 October 2023

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25 October 2023 16:41 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Head of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Aydin Safikhanli met with members of the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe, according to the Ombudsman's Office, Azernews reports.

At the meeting, the Head of the Office answered the questions of the guests and gave detailed information about the measures implemented in the field of ensuring the rights and freedoms of every resident of Azerbaijan, regardless of religion, race, nationality, and other affiliation, the activities of the Ombudsman in the field of combating discrimination, Eastern Partnership in the field of cross-border relations and cooperation.

The Ombudsman drew attention to the exchange of experience related to the work done in Azerbaijan and other countries in the field of combating discrimination within the program.

Noting that Azerbaijan is a tolerant and multicultural country, the Head of the office noted that different ethnic minorities live in the country in conditions of mutual respect, peace, and tranquility, their educational rights are ensured, and their traditions related to language, religion, and culture are respected and their rights and freedoms are protected without discrimination.

It was reported on the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan for effective protection of human rights and freedoms, amendments made to the Constitutional Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, establishment of an independent mechanism for monitoring and promotion.

It was reported on the right of the Ombudsman to equality and prevention of discrimination, it was informed that the owners of information control the fulfillment of obligations arising from the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On obtaining information".

In Azerbaijan, a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional country, special attention has always been paid to the religious values of different nationalities, ethnic groups, and religious minorities, and religious monuments, on the contrary, are preserved to this day. During the thirty-year occupation by Armenia, historical and religious monuments and cemeteries belonging to Azerbaijanis were destroyed in Azerbaijan lands, and it was informed that the facts were also recorded by international experts conducting independent research in the country.

A. Safikhanli informed that ensuring and protecting the rights and freedoms of the citizens of Armenian origin living in Garabagh is the priority of the activity of the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, and statements were made on the ways of addressing the Ombudsman.

Issues of further mutual cooperation were discussed at the meeting.

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25 October 2023 17:08 (UTC+04:00)

"Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - 2023" joint tactical exercises involving the military personnel of the Azerbaijan Army and the Turkish Armed Forces have successfully ended, Azernews reports.

Joint tactical exercises took place with the participation of the Azerbaijan Armys representatives from the Land Forces, Combined Arms Army, Air Force, Rocket and Artillery Troops, Engineering Troops, Special Forces, as well as the special forces of the Naval Forces and the relevant troops representatives of the Turkish Armed Forces.

All the tasks set in the exercises, which were held in order to exchange experience between the troops of the two fraternal countries and increase the professionalism of the servicemen, were successfully accomplished.

The Azerbaijani-Turkish joint tactical exercises were held in different parts of Azerbaijan, including Baku city, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and liberated territories, involving up to 3000 military personnel from various types of troops of both countries, 130 pieces of armored vehicles, up to 100 artillery vehicles, more than 20 aviation and aircraft, engineering equipment, and small boats.

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25 October 2023 23:50 (UTC+04:00)

The Yandex.Go service has been registered as a legal entity in Uzbekistan, the head of Yandex Go in the CIS, Kirill Svintsov, said, Azernews reports, citing .

We work in accordance with the legislation of the republic. We have already been registered as a legal entity in Uzbekistan and confirm that by December 1, we will localize the Yandex Go information service in the country. This means that the service will be provided by a local company subject to applicable taxes. Now we are setting up the processes, Kirill Svintsov said.
25 October 2023 21:40 (UTC+04:00)

The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan in the first reading ratified the agreement on the establishment of the Turkic Investment Fund, signed on March 16 in Ankara (Turkiye).

Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Nazarbek Malaev noted that the authorized capital of the fund is $500 million. It is divided into paid shares ($350 million) and callable shares ($150 million).

Kyrgyzstan's share is $70 million and will be allocated from the republican budget within three years.

Nazarbek Malaev stressed that the headquarters of the Turkic Investment Fund with the status of an international financial organization will be located in Istanbul and will operate for 20 years. The Board of Governors may extend the life of the fund or close it. The fund will be managed by a president who is appointed for four years.

The initiative to create an investment fund for the countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) belongs to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who voiced this proposal at the OTS summit in Samarkand in November 2022. The project is aimed at developing trade relations between Turkiye, Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia.

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25 October 2023 20:40 (UTC+04:00)

Turkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday continued joint exercises in Northern Cyprus, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The naval part of the Martyr Ensign Caner Gonyeli-2023 Search and Rescue Invitation Exercise started with the participation of civilian and military elements.

The two-day drill started on Tuesday with the land phase.

The aim of the exercise is to protect the rights and interests of Turkiye and the TRNC in the Search and Rescue (SAR) area in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It also aims to assist in the official registration and strengthening of the sovereignty of the TRNC, and to draw public attention to the value that is given to search and rescue activities and to SAR region boundaries.

Thirteen military representatives from six countries  Azerbaijan, Djibouti, Kosovo, Qatar, Libya, and Pakistan  are attending the naval phase of the exercise as observers.

The sea phase of the exercise will end after the search and rescue activity, which will be carried out within the scope of a generic scenario, outside the territorial waters of the TRNC and in the Turkish Search and Rescue Region, off the coast of Famagusta.

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Turkiye fully supports a two-state solution on the island based on sovereign equality and equal international status between its two states.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Bipartisan dialogue needed to recover democracy





By John Burton

President Yoon Suk Yeol has a generally good reputation in Washington, based primarily on his efforts to improve relations with Japan and strengthen the trilateral defense alliance with the U.S. in Northeast Asia. Less attention has been paid to what critics say are his authoritarian tendencies, part of a troubling global trend of democratic erosion.

The lack of attention on this issue may reflect the fact that Korea is widely seen by Americans through the lens of national security. Few articles have appeared in the U.S. media about Yoons controversial domestic policies.

One notable exception was a recent article in the New Yorker, which described how Yoon, a career prosecutor with no previous experience in politics, has started to scrape away protections for women, the right to associate and organize, and, most strikingly, freedom of the press. It was only last week that the New York Times, regarded as the standard bearer of foreign coverage in the U.S. media, finally decided to devote a lengthy article to the growing polarization of Korean politics caused by Yoons actions.

Perhaps Yoons crackdown on the Korean media, such as his battle with broadcaster MBC, will start to produce more such stories in the U.S. since American journalists are particularly sensitive to issues of press freedom, whether at home or abroad.

So much of the foreign-policy establishment was gleeful when Yoon was elected, Jake Werner of the Washington-based Quincy Institute told the New Yorker. The Biden administration has ignored the fact that its authoritarians who are welcoming the direction were taking in foreign policy when it comes to China.

Among independent analysts in Washington who closely follow Korean domestic politics, there are worries that Yoons actions could threaten the countrys stability and weaken the defense alliance that the president says he is seeking to strengthen by instead provoking a backlash.

They note that members of the Yoon government and its supporters have used terms such as "gongbi" (commie) to attack critics. Such terms were last heard in the 1970s and 1980s during the Park (Chung-hee) and Chun (Doo-hwan) dictatorships. This will only increase political polarization, said one former U.S. official with long experience in dealing with Korea.

Yoon has embraced "culture war" issues that connect him to global populist right-wing movements. These include his anti-feminist stance such as threatening to close the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and anti-immigrant measures such as closing support centers for them.

Other troubling signs include Yoons reliance on a team of aggressive prosecutors, his former colleagues, to investigate political opponents, including Lee Jae-myung, who ran against Yoon and narrowly lost the presidential election. This is occurring against the backdrop of internal divisions in the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which is split between a faction supporting Lee and those who want to dump him as party leader.

Whether this will cause the DPK to lose its National Assembly majority in next Aprils election remains an open question. Both the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and DPK are unpopular, with support levels in the low 30s for both, which matches the favorability ratings for Yoon and Lee.

One sign that the DPK may be on the rebound was its recent landslide victory in the Gangseo District chief by-election, which was formerly held by the PPP. This has led to a party shake-up, with naturalized Ihn Yo-han (known to many foreigners as John Linton, head of the international clinic at Seouls Severance Hospital) to head the PPPs reform committee. Ihn, who supported Park Geun-hye in her presidential campaign, may have been tapped to give the party a more international look.

Despite whoever comes out on top in the forthcoming elections, the conditions that threaten democracy in Korea will remain. Some of them are deeply embedded, including corruption, the lack of protection of minority rights and Cold War-era national security laws still on the books.

Increased political polarization is often produced by growing economic inequality and Korea has one of the highest income gaps among advanced countries. The publics heavy reliance on conspiracy-tinged social media is feeding their disenchantment with the two main political parties, potentially paving the way for politicians on both the extreme right or left.

This also makes it harder to reach a consensus on economic and foreign policy, which is already difficult to achieve due to the fact that Korean politics is often personality-driven rather than based on policy-making or ideology.

Korea still has time to change the dangerous path it is treading. It has not yet reached the same stage of democratic crisis that the United States is facing, with a dysfunctional Congress and populist demagogues seeking the presidency. But it needs to begin conducting a serious bipartisan dialogue on the state of democracy and how to protect it to prevent such crisis from happening.

John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.
The Cumberland County sheriff has sued the Office of the State Auditor over its investigation of his office

Despite the sheriff's claims, county agencies are subject to state oversight

State oversight of local governments helps preserve individual liberty

This post appears here courtesy of the John Locke Foundation . The author of this post is Dr. Andy Jackson State Auditor Beth Wood's office has been investigating the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff, Ennis Wright, responded by suing the Office of State Auditor. Their conflict raises legal and philosophical questions about the proper relationship between the state and local governments.An Investigation Triggers a LawsuitThe North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) regularly conducts investigative audits of local governments and government-backed entities. A perusal of the agency's list of investigative audits finds investigations of counties, municipalities, school systems, and a county's Emergency Medical Services just in 2023.This is not the first time the OSA has investigated a sheriff's office. A 2017 investigation of the Wake County Sheriff's Office found that sheriff's office employees double-dipped by charging the county for hours working at the North Carolina State Fair even though the Fair was already paying them.According to Carolina Journal, OSA has been investigating the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office for the better part of a year. OSA notified the sheriff's office that they were investigating them in October 2022 but did not tell them why.The investigation escalated in March when the OSA subpoenaed Wright, seeking information on a citation the sheriff's department issued, upgrades to the county shooting range, and a file on the department's chaplain. OSA also sought to question Cumberland County's crime scene investigative unit employees. Wright said that OSA never told him the reason for their investigation.Wright has fought back. The only documents he gave OSA were ones that anyone could get through public records requests. As the OSA persisted in its investigation, Wright sued Wood and the OSA, claiming thatDoes The Office of the State Auditor Have the Authority to Investigate Local Governments?Central to Wright's lawsuit is his claim that the OSA's purview does not include county agencies. Is that true?A review of the state auditor's areas of examination ( 147-64.6.(b)) finds that the auditor is indeed responsible for investigatingSo far, so good for Sheriff Wright.But things start to get trickier for Wright's case when we look at how the law governing the state auditor defines( 147-64.4.(4)):is not defined in that part of the law, but it is in numerous other parts of North Carolina law. All nine definitions I found were similar to the definition in  162B-7.(4):So Wright's claim that the state auditor's purview does not include county agencies looks shaky at best.Another section of state law subjects local governments (including counties) to the oversight of the North Carolina Local Government Commission.In short, counties are state agencies subject to state government oversight, including investigations by the OSA.State Oversight of Local Governments Protects CitizensSo the OSA has oversight authority over local governments under current law.But should it have oversight authority over local governments?Thomas Jefferson's adage,rings as true today as it did at the Founding. It is generally better for the local governments to have as much a share of governmental power as possible. If people have a grievance or need that is appropriate for government to handle, it is better to seek redress from the government led by your neighbors than in some far-off capital.Every level of government can be subject to mismanagement, fraud, and abuse of power, however. Part of the role of the OSA is to root that out.In addition, having different levels of government interfering with each other enhances individual liberty. Former United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy noted in Bond v. United States (2011) that the ultimate goal of federalism is not protecting states' rights but protecting individual rights:Of course, the state government's relationship with local governments is not a microcosm of federalism; local governments do not exercise sovereignty under the North Carolina State Constitution like states exercise sovereignty under the United States Constitution. But that principle of protecting individual rights through a division of power between governments is performed by state oversight of local governments.That is especially true of OSA and Local Government Commission oversight of local governments. Those state bodies do not set policies affecting local citizens but limit the power of government bodies. It is worth remembering that Wright is fighting for the right to keep his department veiled from oversight, not for his rights as a citizen.Local governments should have the power to set policies at the behest of their constituents. Within that context, state auditor oversight of local government agencies, including the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, is legal under North Carolina law. It is also the right thing to do.
By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hyundai Steel said it will continue to boost its eco-friendly steel lineup as part of its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality.

The nation's second-largest steelmaker showcased its quake- and fire-resistant H CORE steel brand at the Steel & Metal Korea 2023 exhibition held in Daegu, Oct. 11-13.

Introduced in 2017, H CORE is the first quake-resistant brand in Korea, a company official said. "H CORE can be used in all construction fields including civil engineering and plants."

The steelmaker said it will also introduce a customized service for its partners  the H CORE Solution. Based on its partners construction needs, Hyundai Steel plans to provide customized H CORE products and designs with low carbon emissions.

In September last year, Hyundai Steel also introduced premium 1.0 GPa steel plates using its latest electric furnace, a world first. The electric furnace helps reduce carbon emissions in the production process by 30 percent compared to traditional blast furnaces. It also produced ultra-high-strength rolling steel plates for cars using the eco-friendly electric furnance.

Hyundai Steel, a unit of Hyundai Motor Group, said it will foster its metal separator business as a future growth engine. A metal separator uses a powerful magnetic field to separate non-ferrous metals from an input waste or ore stream. It is considered to be a core technology in producing fuel cell electric vehicles.

Hyundai Steel also provides hydrogen, a byproduct of evaporation in steel production in a furnace. The hydrogen can be used as fuel for fuel cell electric vehicles.

It has been supplying 3,000 tons of hydrogen every year, and plans to expand the volume to 20,000 tons next year and 100,000 tons by 2030.
26 days after the October 7th Terror attacks on Israel, where over 1400 Jewish men, women and children were gruesomely murdered, and hundreds more made hostage: Should the Biden /Harris administration finally state that the administration's primary Middle East negotiating partner, Iran, is behind the funding and strategy of the aggressors, the Hamas Terrorists, or continue to take the more moderate position of "Don't," which is clearly not working?

100% Yes, name Iran as the funding /strategy culprit, and begin to enforce the President Trump era sanctions to END Iran's ability to prosecute this war against Israel and the United States.0% No, Iran is a valuable partner in the motives of the Biden / Harris administration, and must not be named as the culprit and our enemy.0% I have larger concerns just to survive in this economy.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) to be the next Speaker of the House after a small number of Republicans teamed up with the entire House Democrat Caucus to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the position this week.The endorsement came after reports from Thursday said that Trump was considering traveling to Capitol Hill next week to see if he could unite the caucus ahead of their next vote for speaker.Trump wrote on social media.Trump continued.he concluded.Before Trump made his endorsement, numerous top Republicans signaled that they were backing Jordan over House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA).said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH).Some of the others that backed Jordan included Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN), Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), and many more.Trump's endorsement squashed rumors promoted by some of Trump's surrogates - and later teased by the former president himself - that he could be interested in serving as Speaker of the House, even though the House has never elected a speaker from outside of Congress.Because House Republicans have a razor-thin majority, the former president would have to receive a near-unanimous vote from House Republicans, which would be difficult as there were signs that he would face opposition from within the party and not securing enough votes to become speaker could harm his image on the presidential campaign.There also would have been issues with Trump becoming speaker because the Republican Party's own conference rules dictate that GOP leaders are required to step downTrump currently faces 91 felony counts spread across four indictments.The Republican Party rules are in line with policies that Democrats also have. Last month, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was required to step down as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee after being charged with multiple felonies stemming from an alleged bribery scheme.
Pfizer-vaccinated cells displayed stronger, sustained contractions (1B) due to increased protein kinase A (PKA) activity. PKA levels are linked to heart performance; the higher the PKA level, the stronger the heart contractions.

Moderna-vaccinated cells developed irregular heart contractions and disrupted calcium regulation. The authors attributed the change in cell activity to disturbances in RyR2 receptors. These receptors play a key role in coordinating heart contractions using calcium.

Some of the heart muscles administered Moderna vaccines developed irregular and peristaltic contractions (1C and 1D), whereas others had irregular and arrhythmic contractions (1E and 1F).

Spike proteins were also detected within 48 hours in the cell culture of human cells.

The authors concluded that at the cellular level, the effects of the COVID-19 vaccines seemed to align closer with cardiomyopathy than with myocarditis. Cardiomyopathy is a condition where heart muscles become both structurally and functionally abnormal in the absence of other heart diseases. This differs from myocarditis and pericarditis, which occur when heart muscles become inflamed and damaged.

Prior work by Dr. James Gill , who led autopsies on two boys who died in their sleep after administration of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines, concluded that the boys did not suffer from typical myocarditis but rather something that resembled cardiomyopathy caused by toxic stress.

A diagnosis of myocarditis and pericarditis indicates inflammation and damage to heart muscle cells, yet doctors may fail to find signs of damage and inflammation in blood and imaging tests.

"Myocarditis will present with a dilated heart and patients having trouble breathing and heart failure," Dr. McCullough said. "What we're seeing with vaccines is not heart failure. It's actually cardiac arrest, which is primarily an electrical [signaling] problem." Potential Link to Cardiac Arrest While the paper indicated abnormality in mainly animal cells, the results strongly suggest vaccine cardiotoxicity.

"The present preclinical cardiac safety data point to the need for a reassessment of the riskbenefit ratio of RNA-based SARS-Cov-2 vaccines, given indication of their cardiotoxicity," the authors wrote.

The heart abnormalities exhibited in the cells, likely caused by disruption to RyR2 and increased PKA protein levels, "are risk factors for sudden cardiac death, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and contractile dysfunction," they added.

Why the mRNA Vaccines Each Induce Different Anomalies Dr. McCullough added that the different pathways affected by the two vaccines suggest some underlying cell toxicity to the mRNA codes since Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have different mRNA codes, but both produce the same spike protein. "It's very worrisome," particularly since disruptions to the RyR2 receptor are directly linked to sudden cardiac death, Dr. McCullough said. "The pattern we're seeing is people take the vaccine, and they die during exercise, or they die between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.again, where there's a surge of catecholamines or stress in the body."Dr. McCullough added that the different pathways affected by the two vaccines suggest some underlying cell toxicity to the mRNA codes since Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have different mRNA codes, but both produce the same spike protein.

If the two vaccines provoked a similar response, that might suggest that most of the adverse events were driven by the spike proteins produced by the mRNA instructions. However, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines distinctively inducing different cardiac abnormalities may suggest toxicity of the mRNA itself.

"It may just be the mechanics of forcing heart muscle cells to produce an abnormal protein that is changing the function of the heart muscle cells, and my concern is that if it does it with these messenger RNA vaccines, it's very likely that the influenza mRNA vaccines and RSV and the other ones in developmentthey're [all] going to have cardiac toxicity," Dr. McCullough said. Other Studies Indicating COVID-19 mRNA Toxicity The paper is one of the many that have illuminated the cardiotoxic effects of mRNA vaccines.

A Japanese study published in September examined PET scans of 1,000 people who needed medical imaging for a reason unrelated to myocarditis. The authors compared 303 unvaccinated to 700 asymptomatic vaccinated people.

Overall, vaccinated people saw a shift in metabolism, suggesting abnormal heart function. Typically, heart muscle cells rely on fat for fuel, but the hearts of vaccinated people showed a more substantial reliance on 18 fluorodeoxyglucose, a type of glucose.

The use of 18 fluorodeoxyglucose is linked to low oxygen in the blood.
J. D. Rucker, writing at the Liberty Daily, reports:

The three-week ordeal in the House of Representatives is finally over. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, backed by President Trump, was the unanimous choice of the Republican House. This vote was a far cry from the past 20+ votes dating back to January when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy failed to unify his conference.

The good news is Speaker Johnson is by far the least Swampy Speaker of the House in decades. The bad news is the standstill in the House will end and government will pick up where it left off. Having Capitol Hill on hold for a few weeks was nice.

Johnson will have no time to ease into the job. He has a little over three weeks to either make a deal with Democrats or let the government shut down. And while he has been a conservative on most issues, he has been a bit weak on government funding. Well see how this pans out by November 17 when the McCarthy-Schumer continuing resolution runs out.

So, who is Mike Johnson? As Axios notes;

Johnson, 51, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2016, and is currently serving his fourth term in the House.

He represents Louisianas fourth congressional district, which includes nearly 760,000 residents. Johnson won the seat with the largest margin of victory in his region in more than 50 years, according to a biography on his website.

Of note: After earning both a bachelors degree and a law degree from Louisiana State University, Johnson spent nearly 20 years practicing constitutional law.

Johnson then served in the Louisiana Legislature from February 2015 to January 2017.

He and his wife, Kelly Johnson, have been married since 1999 and have four children.

According to Zero Hedge:

He was previously defeated on an internal House GOP ballot by Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), however Emmer withdrew his candidacy last night, just hours after winning the GOP nomination for the role.

Johnson then emerged during the next round of Tuesday night votes.

Hes also one of the smartest and most principled opponents of the US Security State (CIA/FBI) and its attempt to control online political speech, according to Glenn Greenwald.

Being anti-Deep-State is a great start. But will he cut a deal thats bad for the nation in order to keep the government running? That will be the real test of whether were getting another feckless GOP Speaker.

Hes a member of the House Freedom Caucus and has generally voted with conservatives. While the former constitutional attorney is not a full-blown constitutional conservative, he has many of the credentials we havent seen holding the gavel in most of our lifetimes.

Of important note beyond the budget debate is that he was one of 57 Republicans who voted against the $40 billion money-laundering scheme, commonly known as Ukrainian Aid. He also helped write an amicus brief in favor of the Texas lawsuit against voter fraud during the 2020 election. Democrats and RINOs hate that about him perhaps more than anything else hes done.

Will he continue to reflect his mostly conservative voting record when hes holding the gavel? He must. This is arguably the biggest opportunity for real positive change in Washington DC since Donald Trump was first elected president. We can and must pressure him as much as possible to lead the lower chamber with an America First attitude and minimized compromises with Democrats, if any compromises at all.

Its a new era. Gone, for now, are the days of UniParty Swampsters Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, and John Boehner. But will Mike Johnson have the resolve to stay true for the nation? We will soon see.
Metairie, La.-based physician Alex Glotser, MD, pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of $5.6 million in medically unnecessary equipment and genetic testing.

While working as an independent contractor for a telemedicine company from around September 2017 to August 2019, Dr. Glotser signed thousands of physicians' orders for Medicare beneficiaries he neither met nor treated, according to an Oct. 24 news release from the Justice Department. He also allegedly made false statements in support of the orders, including false certification and requisition forms.

He must pay more than $2.4 million in restitution to Medicare. He also faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Dr. Glotser pleaded guilty Oct. 18 after being charged Oct. 9.
New York pain management specialist Duane Dixon, MD, pleaded guilty to unlawful opioid distribution and healthcare fraud, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise reported Oct. 23.

Dr. Dixon, along with a co-conspirator, were charged with conspiring to distribute opioids without a medical purpose across several Virginia clinics operated by L5 Medical Holdings between 2014 and 2019.

He has attempted to enter a plea deal to dismiss charges associated with a patient who overdosed on a prescription he allegedly gave and died. The plea deal has not been accepted.

He was working at the Adirondack (N.Y.) Medical Center until he pleaded guilty Oct. 3, according to the report. The hospital confirmed to the news outlet that Dr. Dixon is no longer employed there.
Physicians are increasingly moving to employed models  from 2019 to 2021, more than 108,700 physicians left private practice for employment opportunities, according to a report from Avalere.

Of that number, 58,200 physicians joined hospitals, with the others joining corporate entities. Alongside this migration comes the increasing consolidation of physician groups, as a large number of independent groups sell to hospitals and other entities.

Here are three major physician deals to know in the last three years:

1.In May, CVS Health completed its $10.6 billion acquisition of primary care company Oak Street Health. The deal gives CVS access to the Chicago-based company's value-based primary care network with more than 160 clinics in 21 states that focus on Medicare beneficiaries.

2. In April, Optum, the largest employer of physicians in the U.S., acquired Middletown, N.Y.-based Crystal Run Healthcare, a multispecialty physician group. The move added more than 400 providers across more than 30 locations.

3. In February, Amazon completed its $3.9 billion acquisition of virtual and in-person primary care company One Medical. The acquisition gave Amazon access to more than 200 brick-and-mortar physicians offices, along with roughly 815,000 One Medical members.
Decreased reimbursements can cause some major issues for patients and providers in the gastroenterology space.

Benjamin Levy III, MD, a gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine, spoke with Becker's to discuss how decreased reimbursements are a threat to gastroenterology.

Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: What is the biggest threat to the gastroenterology industry?

Dr. Benjamin Levy: I would say decreased reimbursements. That's concerning because GI practices and endoscopy centers and hospitals require so many staff to take care of our patients. There's a cost to have nurses, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists or CRNAs and people that process insurance. So anytime we talk about decreased reimbursements, that puts a squeeze on the amount of money that's coming in to pay for all this required staff in order to do our job the best possible way that we can.

I think that healthcare systems and GI practices in general are always trying to make their practice as efficient as possible. So when there's decreased reimbursements, there are certain practices, not every practice, but there's certain practices that are going to feel like they need to squeeze in additional patients in order to be making the same amount of money that they were before the decreased reimbursement rate. That's concerning because I think that where you see this the most is probably in clinic, where the allotted time per patient may get squeezed because of the need to see increased volume. And again, this is only certain practices. I think most gastroenterologists are really, really good about not decreasing the amount of time they spend with patients. But there are going to be certain practices out there that try to see more patients per day. Physicians don't want to feel rushed when they see patients. We want to provide the best possible care.

Whether that time is decreased from 20 minutes to 15 minutes or 30 minutes to 25 minutes, any time you increase the volume that you see in clinic, there's potential in certain practices I think to not spend as much time per patient. That is potentially bad for healthcare because we want to not feel rushed.

I want to emphasize it's only certain practices that may do that, but we don't want to create a scenario where any practice feels like they need to do that. We want to maximize the amount of time spent per patient and patients want that too. Patients love it when they have more time with the doctor. So for the same reason, we don't want to decrease reimbursements because we want to have an adequate amount of time per patient.
By Lee Min-hyung

Kia is set to start sales of its certified used cars next month with a focus on electric vehicles (EV) by introducing what it calls an EV quality rating system, the carmaker said Wednesday.

The announcement came about a week after its sister company, Hyundai Motor, decided to tap into the lucrative used vehicle business for the first time among local carmakers here.

Kia will differentiate its sales strategy by providing its certified used EVs to the market, after Hyundai shared plans earlier to focus more on selling used vehicles with internal combustion engines.

According to data from the carmaker, the nations EV market has been on course for gradual growth for the past few years. As of the end of last year, EV sales accounted for a 10 percent share in the domesticl market. But sales of used EVs still fall far short of the figure, accounting for merely 0.7 percent of all used vehicle sales during the same period, Kia said.

The portion of peer-to-peer trading for used EVs accounted for 64 percent of the total EVs sold as of 2021, according to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Such consumer-to-consumer transactions come with risks in that no objective quality certification is shared during the trading process.

To guarantee the quality of used EVs sold through Kia, the company introduced the used EV quality ratings system, giving five ranks for all vehicles based on usable battery life. Batteries typically account for almost half of the price of most EVs.

Kia will use its smart EV diagnostic tool to conduct detailed analysis of battery quality in its used EVs. EVs must rank in the third band as a minimum to qualify for sale on Nov. 1 when business commences, according to the company.

Kia EV owners will also be able to sell their used vehicles to the firm via an online platform. The carmaker will purchase EVs with mileage under 100,000 kilometers and that are not more than five years old.

Customers purchase new vehicles only after taking into consideration the estimated price when they sell them in the future, an official from the company said. We think the objective standard should be set to calculate the residual value of used EVs, so as for us to lead the upcoming electrified mobility era.

The company also set a sales target of 3,000 used EVs by the end of this year. The target will rise to 15,000 next year. It also expects the market to grow gradually down the road and the figure to exceed 20,000 in 2025.
Here are seven healthcare leaders who have vacated their CEO roles, as reported by Becker's since Oct. 10:

1. Krista Roberts is retiring from her role as CEO of St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Enid, Okla., on Dec. 1.

2. The chief executives of two Providence hospitals in California will be leaving their positions as part of a restructuring to streamline executive roles. Terry Wooten will leave his role as chief executive of Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Calif., and Chuck Kassis will leave his role as chief executive of Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital, effective in November.

3. Hal Paz, MD, left his role as CEO of Stony Brook (N.Y.) Medicine and executive vice president for health sciences at Stony Brook University.

4. Clay Holderman left his role as CEO of West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health after it called off a planned merger with Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Health Services.

5. Jeffrey DiLisi, MD, CEO of Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis Healthcare System, chose not to renew his contract for 2024.

6. Pete Delgado, president and CEO of Salinas (Calif.) Valley Health, resigned from his role.
Healthcare information technology security leaders from across the country have shared insights with Becker's regarding the most important steps for hospitals and health systems to take in preventing increased cybersecurity risks when working with third-party vendors.

The five recurring themes from the experts' responses are to prioritize due diligence, specify contractual agreements, establish vendor risk management programs, conduct continuous monitoring and minimize access levels.

Here is a selection of quotes from 18 leaders:

Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited.

Due diligence

1. Don Kelly. Manager of the Virtual Information Security Program and Virtual Chief Information Security Officer of Fortified Health Security (Franklin, Tenn.): Do your due diligence. By that I mean you truly need to do more than ask them to complete a questionnaire and trust the answers. Have defined expectations then ask the vendor to provide evidence they are meeting those standards. Review the evidence, identify gaps, and work with them to close the gaps.

2. Paul Connelly. Former Chief Security Officer of HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.): Conduct thorough due diligence before onboarding any vendor. This includes reviewing their cybersecurity policies, procedures, practices and track record. Consider their history of security incidents, how they responded, and their overall cybersecurity posture.

3. Jack Kufahl. Chief Information Security Officer at Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor): When engaging with a third-party vendor it would be prudent to inquire about how they technologically deliver their services and what their plans for continuity of operations or resiliency expectations are in the face of large digital disruptions. Plan for disruptions before they happen and impact on your institution.

4. Andy Price. Vice President, Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer of St. Claire HealthCare (Morehead, Ky.): The crucial step for hospitals and health systems to mitigate increasing cybersecurity risks while engaging with third-party vendors is to take immediate action. Many healthcare organizations currently lack a comprehensive approach to third-party risk management, often deferring it to an indefinite future date. Yet, this is precisely where potential security breaches are most likely to occur. Therefore, the foremost priority is to initiate the process.

5. Soma Bhaduri. Chief Information Security Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City): There should be governance over the procurement process by aligning cybersecurity expectations. It should be embedded in the organization's requests for proposals, contracts verbiage and the incident response process. Its very important to have due-diligence.

Contracts with security in mind

1. Hassnain Malik. Former Director of Security Compliance of Accolade (Seattle): All contracts with vendors should include detailed provisions related to data security and the handling of sensitive information. Additionally, the contract should clearly outline each party's security expectations and responsibilities, and periodic audits should be performed to ensure ongoing compliance. Draft comprehensive contracts outlining cybersecurity expectations, data protection requirements, and incident response procedures. Ensure vendors are contractually obligated to maintain strong security practices. In the event of a data breach or a reportable incident, they must notify the hospital and the health system. I would add additional language into the contract to say that the vendor will be responsible for all costs associated with the data breach.

2. Hunter Barbour. Chief Information Security Officer of WVU Medicine (Morgantown, W.Va.): There must be security language in your legal contracts that force vendors to comply with a health system's security posture. These security exhibits in contracts should be non-negotiable, as that will encourage healthcare vendors to increase their security posture.

3. Mr. Connelly: Ensure vendor contracts include specific cybersecurity requirements and expectations. Vendors should meet the same cybersecurity and data protection standards as your in-house IT team. The contract should also clearly define ownership and rights with the data, requirements (and timelines) for reporting incidents, and requirements relating to offshoring, use of fourth parties, cyber insurance, compliance reporting, financial responsibilities in the event of security incidents, legal remedies and consequences if the vendor fails to meet cybersecurity obligations, and other topics.

4. Edward Maule. Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer of Advocare (Marlton, N.J.): While not the most important step, an often overlooked one is ensuring that you have properly transferred risk to your third-party vendors. You need to confirm that their cyber insurance, in conjunction with yours, will be enough to protect your organization in the event that the risk is realized.

5. David Swits. Vice President, Office of the Chief Digital Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer of MVP Health Care (Schenectady, N.Y.): [Establish] clear and enforceable contractual agreements that specify accountability in the event of an incident with associated actions and penalties in the event of a breach.

Vendor risk management programs

1. Robert Wagner Chief Information Security Officer of CyncHealth (La Vista, Neb.): One of the most crucial steps for hospitals and health systems to take  when collaborating with third-party vendors is the establishment of a robust vendor risk management framework. This framework should serve as a strategic approach to assessing, mitigating, and monitoring the potential cybersecurity threats posed by vendors. Its core elements involve a deep understanding of the vendor's operations, a thorough evaluation of their cybersecurity practices, and clear contractual agreements.

2. Krista Arndt. Chief Information Security Officer of United Musculoskeletal Partners (Atlanta): To effectively prevent third-party risk from affecting an organization, you need to invest resources in building a multifaceted third-party risk management program within your organization. This should include a comprehensive third-party repository where a list of third parties serving the organization is kept, along with a description of what they do, what data they store/process/transfer, what connections or privileges they have to your environment, and a criticality rating to business operations.

3. Jeffrey Vinson. Senior Vice President and Chief Cyber and Information Security Officer of Harris Health System (Bellaire, Texas): One of the most important steps to help mitigate increased cybersecurity risks is having a robust third-party risk assessment program that has teeth, rigor and executive buy-in. These are paramount to hospitals and/or health systems understanding the risk landscape and being able to articulate that risk to the organization's executive leadership. This is especially true when it comes to the supply chain vendors and for vendors that help to provide critical care in clinical operations areas.

4. Mr. Malik: This program should include the following key components: Risk assessment, contractual protections, security audits, data encryption, access control, incident response plan, continuous monitoring, employee training, compliance validation, contingency planning, cyber insurance and [risk mitigation].

5. Patrick Voon. Executive Director of IS Security and Chief Information Security Officer of Loma Linda (Calif.) University Health: If not already in place, establish a third party vendor risk management program that manages the full lifecycle of onboarding through offboarding third party vendors. Obtain senior business leadership to sign-off and support the program and its charter. Identify key stakeholders and participants. Define standard clauses in BAA and Service Agreements that adequately cover security and privacy requirements. Establish a process to evaluate vendors using a standard set of security and privacy requirements before signing a contract with them. Establish a process to annually assess top-tier vendors that have access to PHI or other confidential/sensitive information. Mature the program by automating the workflows using a governance, risk, and compliance platform.

Continuous monitoring

1. Matt Morton. Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Chicago: Security audits and assessments are a crucial component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. They help organizations proactively identify and mitigate any risks and can help ensure compliance with regulations, build trust with vendors, and reduce the risk of security incidents that could have serious consequences for patients and the organization itself.

2. Mr. Connelly: Continuously monitor vendors' compliance with cybersecurity requirements via periodic security assessments, live data feeds, and other types of compliance checks.

3. Mauricio Angee DBA. Associate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer of the University of Miami: [Implement] ongoing monitoring of connections and data sharing feeds. Healthcare organizations often share information with third-party vendors not only in support of patient care, but also in support of business operations. Healthcare organizations must step up their security practices to ensure third-party vendor connections are monitored 24/7/365 and that any suspicious activity is remediated promptly.

4. Chris Logan. Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer of Censinet (Boston): Best practices for completing risk assessments efficiently and effectively:

1. Ensure risk visibility across all vendors and products to include supply chain vendors.

2. Segment vendors and products by business impact.

3. Adjust risk profile based on your organization's IT environment.

4. Automate corrective action plans and link to contracting.

5. Manage risk longitudinally across the vendor lifecycle.

6. Drive enterprise-wide collaboration to manage down risk.

7. Engage management on cyber risk posture and progress.

5. Mr. Swits: I believe the most critical component is having a well thought out process for assessing third-party vendors. A regular risk assessment with an associated audit of the vendors' security policies, procedures and practices. The goal being to identify any gaps or vulnerabilities within their enterprise that compromise the relevant standards and regulations. Trust but verify.

Access control

1. Mr. Malik: Limit access to systems and data on a need-to-know basis. Implement strict access controls and monitor vendor access closely. Ask them to provide data flow diagrams, who can access that, and why. I would add language that no one within the vendor workforce should be able to access or use health systems data. Do not use generic username for the technical support of anyone who is accessing the system; [they] must have a unique user ID.

2. Dr. Angee: "In recent cybersecurity incidents reports, the underlying issue has been that vendors don't follow the established protocols, executed memorandum of understanding (MOU), or best practices security protocols, or legal binding contracts. It is important that organizations take a stand to enforce policies and take a stand to disconnect or limit vendors' connections if security issues are not addressed timely.

3. Mr. Wagner: If a vendor consistently falls short in meeting established security benchmarks or is uncooperative in addressing vulnerabilities, the organization must be prepared to terminate the partnership and seek an alternative vendor. This commitment sends a clear message that cybersecurity and patient data protection are non-negotiable priorities.

4. Steven Ramirez. Chief Information Security and Technology Officer of Renown Health (Reno, Nev.): The most important step is to control access and data upfront. Access wise, controlling access to the bare minimum assets needed and utilizing privileged access management and multifactor authentication. Data wise, instead of having open-ended data access or feeds, provide more minimal access, one-time feeds or de-identified data.

5. Adam Hawkins. Executive Vice President of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Cyderes (San Diego, Calif.): Cybersecurity departments cannot stop the progress to cloud, managed services or hosting providers that their hospitals are onboarding to deliver patient care or to improve their operations. The best way to protect your environment is to limit the level of access these vendors have to your critical systems and have the ability to disable it. Some third parties perform mission critical functions and need elevated or super admin access to the hospital's environment, but it should be a requirement that the cybersecurity department has the authority to revoke or reset this access if issues or concerns arise.
Houston, Mo.-based Texas County Memorial Hospital went live with RapidAI, an artificial intelligence-powered clinical decision-making tool that assists clinicians dealing with stroke patients.

The decision-making technology allows clinicians to analyze CT scans in real-time and detect abnormalities. To help with the implementation of the tool, the hospital received a grant from the Rural Citizens Access to Telehealth, according to an Oct. 24 RapidAI news release.

"We are incredibly excited to have RapidAI in our hospital and expect it will enhance care delivery significantly and improve outcomes for our stroke patients  expediting our door-to-decision time by saving valuable minutes in assessing and triaging stroke patients," said Jason Mayberry, the Stroke Coordinator at Texas County Memorial Hospital. "RapidAI will revolutionize how we provide stroke care at TCMH and ensure members of our community have access to the best possible care, regardless of where they live."
A three-hospital system in Oswego, N.Y., filled its pharmacy director position with Sarah Driscoll, PharmD, who has been in the role in an interim capacity since June.

In an Oct. 23 news release, Oswego Health said Dr. Driscoll is a "key staff member who continues to shine and has truly stepped up."

Dr. Driscoll joined Oswego Health in 2013 as a staff pharmacist, and she became pharmacy operations supervisor two years later. As pharmacy director, she will lead 17 employees, strengthen her team's collaboration with providers and expand the antibiotics stewardship program, the release said.
The nation's new COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been off to a slow start, with about 12 million Americans receiving the shots since mid-September, according to an Oct. 24 report from Politico.

That's just under 4% of the population, though CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, told the news outlet the actual figure could be slightly higher due to reporting lags. Overall, she believes the nation is close to being on track to match last year's booster uptake, when about 17% of the population was vaccinated.

Meanwhile, about 16 million people have gotten their flu shot. The CDC director linked higher flu vaccine uptake to familiarity with the annual routine.

"I think there's a lot of folks that say, 'I got the original [COVID-19 vaccines]. Aren't we done here?' Or 'I've had COVID, aren't I protected?'" she told Politico.

"I'm trying to help them understand two important facts: One is that the virus has changed. And this updated vaccine is mapped to those changes in the virus. And then the other fact is we're seeing in the data that your protection from either a previous vaccine or from having COVID before decreases over time."

Across the U.S., there have been numerous reports about supply issues and difficulty accessing the new shots. As of mid-October, many community health centers were still waiting on supplies to arrive. Pharmacies and nursing homes have also faced difficulties in stocking enough vaccines amid bumps in a new distribution model, which changed from federal entities to wholesalers and other private suppliers.

Dr. Cohen said she believes things have resolved over the past few weeks when asked whether there were distribution challenges.

"There are plenty of appointments, plenty of supply."
The chief medical officer role is expanding.

CMOs traditionally have been the bridge between the physicians and executive team, focused on patient safety, quality and care delivery. While this is still true, the pandemic elevated the importance of physician voices in the C-suite and the value-based care transformation requires CMOs to become accountable for much more.

"The chief medical officer role has significantly evolved over the last several decades," Tyler Hill, DO, chief medical officer of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, Calif., told Becker's. "The diversity of knowledge and experience required for a successful CMO continues to expand given the complexity and challenges in healthcare. The pandemic only complicated that fact. CMOs can no longer routinely focus only on clinical services. Over the next year and beyond, CMOs will be more heavily involved in budgetary matters and staffing challenges."

Ebrahim Barkoudah, MD, system chief and regional chief medical officer of Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass., is also becoming more entrenched in staffing and operations. He sees more initiatives focused on supporting the mental and physical health of team members and working with the broader team to streamline and improve the patient experience. Politics and regulations are top of mind for him as well.

"Changes in the healthcare policy landscape can significantly impact our operations and I will be more actively involved in advocacy efforts to ensure our organization's needs are adequately represented," he told Becker's.

Michael Bublewicz, MD, vice president and CMO of emergency and urgent care services at Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System is keeping a close eye on the regulatory and reimbursement environment heading into 2024. The attention to reimbursement is especially important as health systems enter into contentious payer contract renegotiations, take on more risk and clarify their strategy around Medicare Advantage plans going forward.

"As an operational CMO for the next year, my primary focus will be on navigating reimbursement pressures and ensuring the financial viability of my business unit while upholding the quality care," he told Becker's. "Balancing economic sustainability without compromising care quality will be one of our industry's biggest challenges."

Health systems are also seeing a big need for restructuring their physician enterprises. Some organizations are employing more physicians or acquiring physician groups while others are aligning closely with local providers to ensure access to care. Kaufman Hall's "2023 State of Healthcare Performance Improvement Report: Signs of Stabilization Emerge," released Oct. 24, noted 63% of respondents are struggling to meet the demand for patient access to their physician enterprise and 32% have seen an increase in patient complaints and concerns about accessing their physician enterprises.

"Over the next year, my role will undergo a significant transformation," Bharat Magu, MD, chief medical officer of Yuma (Ariz.) Regional Medical Center told Becker's. "I will be concentrating more intently on achieving population health objectives and taking an active role in the restructuring of our provider group. Additionally, I'll be harnessing technology to enhance provider workflows, aiming to alleviate their work-related stresses and burdens."

Leaders with a growth mindset and ability to effectively adapt and innovate will be the most successful going forward. Clearly communicating the vision and inspiring others to innovate will help the system build a strong foundation during uncertain times.

"Currently, healthcare is undergoing a high season of accelerated change with shrinking financial resources and increasing costs," said Patsy McNeil, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Adventist Healthcare in Gaithersburg, Md. "Success will depend on those who recognize the challenges and can develop strength in innovation of thought and innovation of approach. Over the next year, my role will demand heavy creativity and innovation while being aware that the tools and resources to execute are limited."

Care delivery models across the nation are changing, and many health systems are heavily relying on CMOs to design and support the transformation. The care model often includes elevating telehealth and virtual care, remote patient monitoring, hospital at home, virtual nursing and ambulatory services within the healthcare delivery network.

"Over the next year I think I will be increasingly focused on building new opportunities, particularly in ambulatory care," Gian Varbaro, MD, chief medical officer and vice president of ambulatory services at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, N.J., told Becker's. "That has always been part of my position and we have always innovated, but the changing landscape makes that even more important."
Providence Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital has diverted or paused nearly all elective surgeries in the last week due to concerns about the water used in sterilizing instruments, the Press Democrat reported Oct. 24.

The 277-bed facility is partnering with sister hospitals in the region to sterilize equipment in the meantime, according to the outlet.

Issues began Oct. 17 and were still not resolved as of late Oct. 24. In comments to the Press Democrat, Providence leadership confirmed two machines in its Sterile Processing Department were the source of the issue.

However, testing of the equipment by an independent source did not return abnormal results. These results were also verified by a third-party company, which confirmed the same, a hospital spokesperson stated.

"As soon as we discovered this issue, we halted the use of this equipment and notified internal and external agencies" a Providence spokesperson told the outlet. "All sterilization equipment is properly functioning and is meeting safety standards."

While the testing did not return abnormal results, it was unclear Oct. 25 if all normal surgical procedures and operations at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital had resumed.

The cause of the initial concern has not been identified at this time. However, prior to the event, the Press Democrat reported that hospital staff members had contacted the Sonoma County Department of Health Services expressing concerns over the hospital's sterilization equipment.

Sal Rosselli, president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, told the news outlet that the hospital "continues to profit while failing to adequately invest in the physical upkeep of the hospital and the staffing necessary to provide the best care for patients in Sonoma County."

"Patient safety and clinical excellence are, and have always been, our top priorities," a hospital spokesperson wrote. "At Providence Santa Rosa Memorial, we encourage everyone  regardless of their role  to speak up if there is an issue that needs to be addressed, as we want to resolve any issue as quickly as possible."

Becker's reached out to Providence Santa Rosa Memorial to request additional information and received the following statement from a spokesperson: "As a highly reliable organization, we are conducting multiple layers of time intensive testing and review to address the current situation with our sterilization process. As the regions only Level II trauma center, our focus remains on ensuring we can support emergent and urgent surgical cases and are accommodating non-emergency cases as resources allow. Every morning, we review our capabilities and the surgical schedule. We continue to communicate to the appropriate teams what we can accommodate by 11 a.m. each day for the following day. Weve been partnering with our Ambulatory Surgery Center, sister hospitals and other local resources to continue to sterilize equipment used for emergencies/urgent cases. The sterile processing department continues to inspect instruments carefully. They have implemented a new process that is improving results. A team of experts from a surgical instrument company will be on-site to assess and refurbish our instruments this week. With their help, we will evaluate all instruments and will replace those that cannot be safely refurbished."
It's a time of tepid growth for healthcare companies, with the sector's representation shrinking on the Fortune 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for 2023.

Five healthcare companies made the cut for the 38th edition of the list, which ranks companies based on growth in revenue, profits, and stock returns; this year's edition tracks those metrics over the three years through June 2023.

By contrast, 14 and 15 healthcare companies made the list in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Healthcare is the third least-represented sector in the latest list, with the four companies from food and beverage and three companies from hotels, restaurant and leisure lagging.

Healthcare isn't the only field to see a drop-off this year. In 2021, one third of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the world were in the financial sector. In 2023, there are only nine financial companies on the list. Technology has 17 companies on the list this year, down from 21, with giants Meta, Amazon and Netflix not returning after falling off in 2022. Alphabet also fell off in 2023, ending a three-year run on the list.

Industrials is the most represented industry, with 22 companies among the 100 fastest growing. The category includes Tesla, which makes its list debut at No. 2.

In total, 32 Fortune Fastest-Growing Companies returned from the 2022 list. Since 1987, only 14 companies on the list have been winners for five years or more.

Below are the five healthcare companies on the 2023 edition of the list, which can be found in full here:

AMN Healthcare Services

Rank: No. 45

Years on list: 4

Revenues ($M): $4,817

Revenue 3-year annual growth rate: 38%

Headquarters: Dallas

Repligen

Rank: No. 52

Years on list: 4

Revenues ($M): $778

Revenue 3-year annual growth rate: 48%

Headquarters: Waltham, Mass.

InMode

Rank: No. 53

Years on list: 1

Revenues ($M): $474

Revenue 3-year annual growth rate: 48%

Headquarters: Yokneam, Israel

Halozyme Therapeutics

Rank: No. 56

Years on list: 1

Revenues ($M): $705

Revenue 3-year annual growth rate: 59%

Headquarters: San Diego

Pfizer

Rank: No. 85

Years on list: 1

Revenues ($M): $92,951

Revenue 3-year annual growth rate: 48%

Headquarters: New York City
OSF HealthCare, based in Peoria, Ill., is testing virtual nursing in three medical-surgical units.

The virtual nursing pilot is currently serving approximately 75 patients at OSF's facility, Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, according to an Oct. 24 news release from OSF.

The pilot program is experimenting with two distinct methods  one that utilizes installed technology on patient room TVs that can facilitate an audio-visual connection with the patient, while the other provides a tablet for the patient's use.

The technology platform to be employed by the virtual nursing pilot has not yet been finalized, but OSF says patient feedback has been positive.

"Patients certainly have expressed that they have had a good experience with the virtual nurse both with the tablet as well as with the installed technology in the room," Brandi Clark, vice president of digital care at OSF, said in the news release. "A real benefit to the installed technology for the bedside nurses is that it requires no work from them to bring that technology into the room to the patient."
Economic challenges, evolving technology and surgical outcomes are some of the many stressors surgeons face during their careers.

Four surgeons in the orthopedic and spine surgery fields recently spoke with Becker's about the issues that keep them up at night.

Editor's note: These responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.

Question: What keeps you up at night as a surgeon?

Adam Bitterman, DO. Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Huntington (N.Y.) Hospital and Assistant Professor at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (Hempstead, N.Y.): As an orthopedic surgeon, many things keep me up at night. Within any surgical specialty, fear of complications is a major cause of lost sleep. While every effort is made to minimize risk, there is no such thing as a guaranteed outcome. I lose more sleep before an OR day than an office day for certain. Other things that worry me are patient non-compliance and re-injury. My initial surgical job is done, but I cannot be with the patient monitoring their compliance and efforts in the recovery process. I try to put significant effort into ensuring the patient understands the clinical scenario before and after the surgical procedure, as well as the full recovery timeline.

Alexander Ghanayem, MD. Chief Medical Officer at Loyola Medicine, Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine: The loss of fiscal autonomy and margin are day-to-day stressors that need to be addressed, but their effect on marginalizing the value-added educational benefits we provide residents and fellows is a loss we can't afford for the future of our specialty. How well will our trainees be prepared for the future when nobody wants to pay for their education? That keeps me up at night.

Michael McKee, MD. Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine (Phoenix): As the chairman of an academic orthopedic program, my biggest concern is the financial viability of my institution in general and my department in particular. It seems that we are embedded in a relentless monetary squeeze as reimbursements decline, costs increase and hospitals around the country are shuttered for economic reasons. My institution has been similarly affected, which has (reasonably) led to a focus on revenue production. It is difficult to maintain the academic mission in this setting.

Wilson Ray, MD. Professor of Neurosurgery, Executive Vice Chair of Neurological Surgery and Chief of Spine Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis, Mo.): Probably a lot of things depending on the day and the caseload. From a general sense, probably two major things: patient outcomes and evolving technologies/techniques. In regards to patient outcomes  we are increasingly relying on large datasets and registries to help guide our decision-making and risk stratification for both patients and procedures. Artificial intelligence is likely to be a bigger player in the space, [so] knowing how to integrate this wealth of information into patient selection and surgery selection. Regarding evolving technologies, we are constantly faced with the adoption of new technologies and techniques. It is a challenge for spine surgeons to integrate these evolving technologies and tools into their practice in a responsible fashion while ensuring we are providing the most cutting-edge technologies to our patients. This is a balance I think about frequently.
By Park Jae-hyuk

The family that owns a controlling stake in Samsung Group gathered for a ceremony at a private burial ground in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday, to commemorate the third anniversary of late Chairman Lee Kun-hees death.

The late chairmans widow, Hong Ra-hee, former director of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, attended the ceremony along with her children  Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin and Samsung Welfare Foundation Chairwoman Lee Seo-hyun. The youngest Lees husband, Kim Jae-youl, a member of the International Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union chairman, also attended the ceremony.

The Samsung Electronics chairman, who accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visit to Middle Eastern countries this week, reportedly arrived at Gimpo International Airport at around 6:30 a.m. to participate in the event.

After arriving at the burial site at around 11 a.m., the bereaved family members stayed there for about 40 minutes.

About an hour before the family members arrived, around 60 top executives of Samsung affiliates, including Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee, Presidents Roh Tae-moon and Kyung Kye-hyun, visited the burial ground. They also had lunch with the Samsung chairman at the companys neighboring training center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, after watching a video clip on the deceased Lee.

In the afternoon, around 40 retired Samsung executives and about 30 advisers, as well as some 20 doctors and nurses who had cared for the late chairman, visited the burial ground.

According to Koreas Confucian tradition, people used to mourn the deaths of their fathers by building shacks beside their graves and staying there for three years. The tradition is practiced in different ways nowadays by some chaebol families, requiring heirs to keep a low profile for three years after their parents deaths.

Given that this Friday is also the first anniversary of the Samsung chairmans inauguration, attention has been focused on whether he will announce a message about the future direction of the conglomerate.

Samsung Group recently held a series of events to commemorate the late chairman, including a music concert on Oct. 19, a meeting of Lee Kunhee Japanese Friends (LJF) in Seungjiwon, Samsungs reception hall in a tony section of Itaewon, last Saturday.

An academic conference was also held on Oct. 18 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the late chairmans "New Management" declaration, which he announced during an executive meeting in Frankfurt to urge drastic changes in management.
Megan E. Johnson, MD, has been designated as the new program director for the Dorothy & Bryant Edwards Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics and Scoliosis at Dallas-based Scottish Rite for Children. The fellowship boasts almost 200 surgeon alumni and is among the nation's largest and longest-standing.

As program director, Dr. Johnson is tasked with the recruitment, education and training of the next generation of clinicians and surgeons. To ensure the highest caliber educational curriculum, she will implement program evaluations and quality improvement initiatives as needed.

Dr. Johnson joined Scottish Rite for Children in 2020 as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with a focus on pediatric spine deformity and spina bifida. She is also the medical director of ambulatory care and serves as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
The BBC have said they are still finalising plans regarding the future of popular Radio Ulster show, Farm Gate.

The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) said it had been told the BBC will cut the popular farming radio slot in the New Year, after three decades.

In response, a BBC spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph: We understand the importance of news stories about farming and agri-business and why they matter to BBC audiences.

How we gather and report stories is always developing, and a wider strategic review of our newsgathering and output is currently underway.

"All of this is about making the best use of technology and our region-wide presence to serve BBC audiences into the future. The needs and interests of rural communities will remain central to our news and other programming.

"And we will let audiences and stakeholders know about any changes to BBC output once these plans have been finalised.

Farm Gate began as a stand-alone programme over 30 years ago and it was later moved to a regular morning slot on Radio Ulster and Evening Extra.

The show was also dropped from its Evening Extra slot in recent years.

While the BBC has still not confirmed that it is cutting the show, the UFU says it has been told the show is to be axed.

The shows duration now is approximately three to five minutes.

UFU president David Brown said he was gutted and angered at the message this sends to rural communities.

Mr Brown said: We have been told that BBC are planning to remove Farm Gate from its slot on Good Morning Ulsters weekday programme.

Im gutted and angered that this important output that caters to our rural communities has been utterly devalued by those with decision making powers within our public broadcasting service.

He added that rural communities would lose confidence in the BBC if the show were removed, and that people within these communities also support the broadcaster through their licence fee.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time our rural communities have been left worrying about this service being removed and their confidence in the BBC is at an all-time low, he added.

As a public broadcasting service which rural communities support through their TV licence the same as everyone else in society, the BBC has a duty to inform and educate them on matters of interest.

He said that there is a lack of other programmes that provide news specific to farming communities within Northern Ireland, and that cutting the show would isolate rural families.

By axing Farm Gate, BBC would be isolating rural and farming families. There is no other programme in NI that delivers information on agriculture ranging from policy to farmgate prices and vital information on support for farm businesses.

Farm Gate is a familiar voice for farmers and offers company as well as necessary information. The range of content that Farm Gate delivers would not be deemed newsworthy by other news broadcasters on a daily basis.

Therefore, the BBC would be removing a vital channel of communication which will impact our farmers and urban listeners who are interested in rural affairs.

He finished by urging the BBC to rethink their potential position on cutting Farm Gate.

We urge the BBC to treat this matter of concern with urgency and to rethink their plans to cut Farm Gate from Radio Ulster. Our farmers and members of the rural community across NI need to contact the public broadcaster to air their worries about this service being axed.

We deserve to have a voice within the BBC and for us, that is Farm Gate.
Expert believes his experience will help improve all-Ireland cooperation

Economic development agency Invest NI has appointed its fourth chief. Kieran Donoghue is the first organisation chief from the Republic

Hes a veteran of the the Irish Republics foreign direct investment agency with a long career in economic development.

And one expert says that new Invest NI chief Kieran Donoghue has what it takes to turn the much-criticised organisation around.

Mark OConnell, executive chairman of foreign direct investment (FDI) advisers OCO Global, said he was very positive about this weeks announcement.

And he thinks that the organisations first chief from the Republic could lead the way on all-Ireland cooperation.

Mr OConnell said: Kierans a veteran of the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) which is one of the most successful investment attraction agencies in the world and there is a lot we can learn from them.

IDA Ireland is an organisation with a similar remit to Invest NI, including similar sector and market ambitions. Both organisations are tasked with encouraging and attracting foreign direct investment.

But with big multinationals like Meta, Google, and Microsoft making the Republic their European headquarters in recent years, the pressure is on for Mr Donoghue to bring some of that stardust to NI.

His appointment as the fourth chief of the organisation comes at a turbulent time in the organisations history. Earlier this month Invest NI promised an overhaul of its leadership and culture as it aimed to address criticisms levelled at the organisation in an independent review earlier this year.

The review found the body was having little, if any impact in increasing productivity in Northern Ireland. The panel also raised serious concerns about damaged relationships at the senior leadership level of the organisation, particularly in the dynamic between the board and executives.

But with two decades of experience at the IDA under his belt, Mr Donoghue will have weathered his fair share of changes, with hopes high that he will be the safe pair of hands the organisation needs to navigate this chapter of its history.

Economic development agency Invest NI has appointed its fourth chief. Kieran Donoghue is the first organisation chief from the Republic

Beyond his years of experience in FDI, policy and strategy the most crucial thing Mr Donoghue brings to the table might be a different perspective, Mr OConnell said.

Its helpful to have someone who definitely has an all-Ireland, European and global worldview. Someone who is aware of our offering  but who also sees the angles for all-Ireland co-operation in this area, said Mr OConnell.

He added: Were already seeing quite a lot of that were involved with IDA and Invest NI in a number of border regions and the north-west to present a united front to international investors.

Read more Why Invest NIs change of focus to productivity will be hard to execute

In response to the critical review, the Department for the Economy published a plan earlier this month which called on Invest NI to shift its emphasis away from job creation to implementing DfEs 10x strategy for a more innovative economy.

Mr OConnell echoed a need for radical change, pointing to Northern Irelands strong dependency on US investment, and on the business services and technology sectors.

According to advisory firm OCO Global, the US has been NIs largest investor, accounting for almost half of all projects (48%) in the last 10 years.

Mr OConnell added: Im hoping that Kieran, with his experience will help move us up the value chain, so were not just a low cost centre anymore.

IDA has been pretty innovative, around facing into technologies in the future, whether thats in AI, cyber, digital manufacturing, not to mention low carbon industries.

According to analysis by commentator Paul Gosling, recent linkages between north and south have highlighted the cross border potential in other sectors.

Earlier this year the Irish Government announced a capital investment of almost 40m (44.5m) for the expansion of Ulster Universitys Magee campus. This followed an announcement the Irish Government would be funding 250 student nursing and midwifery places in Northern Ireland in an unprecedented move following Stormont budget cuts.
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From left to right, Mel Chittock, interim CEO, Invest NI, Ivan Roche, chief technology officer, OpenData Belfast, Joe Kennedy III, US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs and Kurt Bonigut, chief information officer of Frontline

An insurance technology company based in Florida has created around 30 jobs here as part of a 3.8m investment.

The investment by Frontline was supported by economic development agency Invest NI, which said it would bring 1.9m in annual salaries  implying pay of around 61,200 for the 31 posts.

It already has a workforce of 26 here, with another five roles to be filled.

US Special Economic Envoy Joe Kennedy III announced Frontlines engineering development team as he leads a delegation of businesspeople from the US on a tour of Northern Ireland. The trip was announced by US President Joe Biden earlier this year.

Mr Kennedy said: When President Biden came here in April, he spoke of plans for a trade delegation to Northern Ireland. Im delighted that we have realised that ambition and that during our visit I can announce this investment by Frontline.

Frontline is joining the many US investors who have experienced success and growth in Northern Ireland and is setting up its new engineering development team, taking advantage of the excellent skills available and the business-friendly environment. This investment underscores the compelling proposition that Northern Ireland offers.

The Northern Ireland team delivers data analytics, data science, product development and operational support to Frontline.

Frontlines core business is property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial clients. It has a presence in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and soon-to-be Virginia and Colorado. It will operate in Northern Ireland under the brand OpenData Belfast.

Ivan Roche, originally from Co Cork, has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO) of OpenData Belfast, based at Belfasts Gasworks.

Im excited to lead this new team who will create innovative products to support the next stage of Frontlines growth using the best of local talent, he said.

Frontline was made aware of Northern Irelands attractive business environment by Invest NIs US office and through meetings with NI Connections, both of which are championing the strengths of the region.

"Before confirming the investment, our leadership team visited Northern Ireland and were impressed by what they saw and by the confidence that other US investors have in the region.

Invest NI interim chief executive Mel Chittock said: Northern Irelands impressive credentials across skills, our cost-effective business environment, R&D strengths and government support have once again won out over other regions considered for this new operation.

Frontline joins 1,200 international companies currently operating in Northern Ireland, which are helping shape the regions economic future by contributing significantly to raising productivity and innovation activity. These new jobs will add to Northern Irelands skills base and enhance our reputation in the fintech sector.

Moreover, the companys hybrid business model makes it possible for people across Northern Ireland to avail of the high-quality employment opportunities so helping to rebalance our economy in line with the Department for the Economys 10X vision.

Kurt Bonigut, the companys chief information officer, said: Frontlines objective is to continue to create new technologies to stay ahead of the market and the competition.

Having learned of Northern Irelands strengths, we were keen to tap into the opportunities for investment here to create a team to support that objective, and we have been impressed with the calibre of staff weve already taken on board and are already evaluating expansion of our presence here in the future.
Moira Doherty, Department for the Economy, Louise Warde Hunter, Belfast Met, Jane D Hartley, US Ambassador to the UK and Bernard Mensah, Bank of America

A new skills scheme aimed at helping those from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds has been unveiled by a major US delegation visiting Northern Ireland.

Some 600 people will benefit from a three-year digital skills and employability programme, with funding coming from Bank of America.

Belfast Metropolitan College will implement the programme, which aims to support individuals facing social exclusion by providing skills and training that will help secure employment and broaden education pathways.

The announcement of the digital skills and employability programme comes during the visit by the US Ambassador to the UK, Jane D Hartley, and a US business delegation led by the US Envoy for Economic Affairs in Northern Ireland, Joe Kennedy III.

As part of the agreement, Belfast Met will deliver at least 30 skills academies to 600 participants over a period of three years.

The academies will support participants by equipping them with essential digital skills to help them move into employment or apprenticeships or pursue further education pathways in further and higher education, it says. It will target members of the most disadvantaged groups in society.

Jane D Hartley, US Ambassador to the UK, said: We are exceptionally proud to bring together one of the premier institutions of higher learning in Northern Ireland  Belfast Met  with a global financial institution  Bank of America  to fund this brand-new digital skills training program. Belfast Met will administer this three-year program, using their own groundbreaking curriculum to target to those who will benefit the most.

Bernard Mensah, president of international, Bank of America, said: Bank of America is delighted to support Belfast Metropolitan College on the launch of this new digital skills and employability programme.

At Bank of America, we believe that there is untapped talent in every community, and by providing individuals from all backgrounds with the skills and training they need to succeed, we can help them achieve their full potential, contribute towards economic growth, and help build strong, healthy societies.

And Louise Warde Hunter, principal and chief executive of Belfast Met, said: We know that developing digital skills in our young people and others struggling to access work to support their families is critical to fostering continued growth, productivity and innovation in our economy.

This programme will act as a bridge between the aspirations and potential of our young people and the opportunities provided through the investment and commitment of business and industry leaders. Its a concrete expression of our commitment to sustaining the peace and prosperity of our city; championing inclusion and diversity; and providing meaningful opportunities to all. We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for this remarkable gift and to US Ambassador Hartley for her vision and support in bringing us together and making this partnership happen.
Former Lagan College welfare officer Neil Beckett at Laganside Court in June. (Pic Colm Lenaghan)

A school welfare officer has been returned for trial charged with sexually assaulting 11 girls.

Neil Beckett is facing prosecution following an investigation into alleged offences spanning a period of more than four years.

The 42-year-old worked as a health and wellbeing officer at Lagan College in south Belfast.

Beckett, of Kilmore Village in Downpatrick, Co Down, is accused of sexual touching and sexual communication with a child, according to the charge sheet.

The allegations relate to 11 different girls and cover dates between September 2018 and February 2023.

A preliminary enquiry to establish if there is a prima facie case to answer was listed for hearing today at Belfast Magistrates Court.

The Courts Service confirmed later that Beckett has been committed for trial on a future date to be fixed.

He was granted continuing bail on conditions which include a ban on contact with anyone under the age of 16 unless approved by social services.

Beckett is also prohibited from contacting staff at Lagan College in relation to the case.

A previous court heard that he is currently on suspended leave.
Masked men attempt to make their way into Belfast Crown Court for day three of the double-murder trial of James Smyth (Pic: Alan Lewis, PhotopressBelfast.co.uk)

A former senior member of the Tigers Bay battalion of the UVF concluded giving evidence at a murder trial today.

As he spent his third and final day in the witness box at Belfast Crown Court, terror chief-turned-supergrass Gary Haggarty once again implicated Belfast man James Smyth as the gunman who killed two Catholic workmen.

Eamon Fox (41) and Gary Convie (24) were killed as they sat in a car eating their lunch close to a building site on North Queen Street, Belfast.

Just after 1pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 17, 1994, a gunman opened fire from a childrens playground beside the building site.

The pair died at the scene and witnesses to the double shooting saw the gunman fleeing and shouting Up the UVF as he ran across the playground.

Smyth (57), from Forthriver Link, has denied five charges arising from the fatal shooting. As well as denying the murders of Mr Convie and Mr Fox, he has denied attempting to murder a third workman who was in the targeted vehicle.

He has also entered not-guilty pleas to possessing a Sten submachine gun and a quantity of ammunition with intent, as well as denying being a member of the UVF.

Masked men attempt to make their way into Belfast Crown Court for day three of the double-murder trial of James Smyth (Pic: Alan Lewis, PhotopressBelfast.co.uk)

Haggarty, who joined the loyalist paramilitary group in 1991 and who was recruited by Special Branch in 1993, was questioned about his relationship with Smyth.

When asked by Mr Borrelli how long he was familiar with Smyth for before the murders, Haggarty said a number of weeks.

Haggarty was then asked: Was the reason you gave Special Branch James Smyths name because you knew he was someone Special Branch was interested in?

He replied: No. I gave his name because he was responsible for the shootings on North Queen Street.

As has been the case all week, there was a heavy police presence at Court 12 at Laganside Courts whilst Haggarty has been in the witness box.

A large section of people who have watched the proceedings from the public gallery left after Haggarty concluded giving evidence.

The non-jury trial is due to resume tomorrow when more Crown evidence will be heard.
South Korean and Qatari companies and institutions on Wednesday signed one contract and 11 memorandums of understanding (MOU) worth US$4.6 billion on the occasion of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the Arab country, his office said.

The contract, worth $3.9 billion, was signed between South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Qatar's state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy for the construction of 17 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The 11 MOUs were signed in a range of sectors, including smart farming, solar energy, driverless cars, cultural content, medical services and finance.

The LNG carrier contract is the largest ever for South Korea's shipbuilding industry, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Choi Sang-mok said.

"HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured a half-year's worth of work, while our companies' share of the world's LNG carrier orders this year has increased from 74 percent to 81 percent," Choi said.

South Korea's Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries are currently in negotiations with the Qatari side for the construction of some 30 vessels.

Yoon also requested the attention and assistance of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for South Korean shipping companies bidding for a contract to operate 40 LNG carriers, Choi said.

Ten of the 11 MOUs were signed during a business forum attended by Yoon, and business and government officials from the two sides.

They included an MOU on solar power development cooperation between Samsung C&T and the Qatar Free Zones Authority, an MOU between SW Mobility and Protocol Capital on cooperation on driverless cars, and an MOU between the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation and Qatar Development Bank on cooperation to boost South Korean firms' competitiveness. (Yonhap)
"Don't be fooled by their fancy packaging": Consultant Plastic Surgeon warns of the dangers of fireworks

A plastic surgeon has warned of the devastating impact of fireworks at Halloween and said more people in Northern Ireland need to be aware of the dangers.

Only yesterday, police revealed a womans face had been burnt when she was struck by a firework aimed at police in Belfast city centre.

Officers on patrol on Monday night also narrowly avoided serious injury when the firework was thrown at them, the PSNI said. One person has been arrested.

The Ulster Hospitals consultant plastic surgeon Alastair Brown, said he sees first-hand the impact of the misuse of fireworks every year.

Speaking as the Halloween season begins, Mr Brown said he often takes care of children who have been injured by fireworks.

One that was quite devastating was a 10-year-old that lost most of his hand, he explained.

He has needed multiple surgeries, because often the blast nature of the fireworks is so severe that we simply cannot get it back to what it was meant to be.

Following the incident, his young life  his young adult life  was drastically changed.

The job he wanted to perform and those hobbies he wanted to do, he simply cant do and its devastating  not just the functional aspect but also the psychology of it and the regret.

Its devastating for us to see that.

Read more Women suffers burns to face after being struck by firework aimed at police

Mr Brown explained the Ulster Hospitals plastic surgery department would deal with the more severe injuries, blast injuries and burns injuries.

The more minor ones would go to the emergency department but unfortunately we do see a number each year that come to us that are preventable and the majority of these are due to a misuse of fireworks, he said.

Mr Brown said more people need to be aware of the dangers.

The majority of things we see are due to misuse of fireworks  inappropriate use, he said.

These are preventable, these are devastating. People dont understand what they are  they are explosives.

Mr Brown also wants to raise the awareness of the seriousness of injuries caused by fireworks.

These are lifelong effects, he stated.

From one moment of carelessness, they tend to affect young people so its extremely important.

The PSNI said yesterday that a woman in her 30s suffered burns and swelling to her face when a firework was thrown at officers in the middle of Belfast, but missed.

Officers provided first aid at the scene, before the woman received medical treatment at hospital, said the PSNIs Superintendent Finola Dornan said.

Due to the swift action of local police, one person was arrested nearby on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault on police, possession of fireworks without a licence and possessing an offensive weapon in public.

Our investigation remains ongoing.
An elderly person asleep in their bed in west Belfast has been targeted after a lit firework was put through their front door.

Police said officers received a report of the incident at approximately 9.35pm on Tuesday night and said young people pushed the firework through the letterbox at the property in the Glasvey Court area of Twinbrook before running off.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector White said: Thankfully, the firework did not fully ignite, but it did cause damage.

If this firework had exploded, the end result could have been catastrophic. As such, we are investigating this serious criminal act as attempted arson with intent to endanger life.

"Don't be fooled by their fancy packaging": Consultant Plastic Surgeon warns of the dangers of fireworks

Inspector White continued: Halloween is typically a very busy time of year for emergency services and it is not uncommon to see an increase in calls reporting a range of concerns.

Fireworks are dangerous. Their misuse can have devastating and even fatal consequences. Last nights unacceptable act was extremely traumatic for the vulnerable victim.

We are increasing police patrols in the area to deter anti-social behaviour across this Halloween period, but I would ask local parents and guardians  do you know where your children are and who they are with?

We are encouraging parents to speak to their young people about firework safety, and the consequences of their actions should they participate in illegal acts.

They could end up with a criminal record which may impact their future employment and travel prospects.

"Don't be fooled by their fancy packaging": Consultant Plastic Surgeon warns of the dangers of fireworks

Police have asked that anyone with information contact them via 101.
A protest to stop the privatisation of leisure services in Co Down is due to take place amid fears that vital health and wellbeing classes could be axed.

The running of Ards and North Down Borough Council-owned venues, including Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex, could be outsourced to third-party companies.

The 30m facility in Newtownards only opened in 2019 after being newly constructed on Dairy Hall Lane.

The local authority has insisted it is committed to high quality services and pointed out that no final decision has been made after it was approached by the firm delivering services in Bangor and Holywood.

Serco and its operating partner Northern Community Leisure Trust (NCLT) has offered to take on responsibility for leisure services across the entire council area.

A proposal is expected to be raised at the councils monthly meeting in Bangor City Hall this evening.

Watch: Protest to stop privatisation of leisure services in Co Down amid fears provision could be axed

Fitness instructor Debbie Quinn has warned any such move will hurt vulnerable centre users, including the elderly.

It has put a lot of fear into not just my clients, but also the staff, she told the Belfast Telegraph.

Everybody here is really frightened that if they take over, prices are going to go up, and theres a massive possibility I might not be here.

The 62-year-old has been helping people improve their mental health for more than four decades by providing life-enhancement movement classes and she recently picked up the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award at the NI Health & Fitness Awards.

Ms Quinn runs dozens of classes a week throughout the community, including at council-owned leisure centres in Comber and Portaferry, to help older people.

I had one lady crying at the fear of losing this class, she said.

The grandmother-of-three is encouraging members of the community to sign an online petition and contact their elected representatives to oppose outsourcing.

Please dont do it, she urged councillors.

Think about senior citizens.

Supporters of the Save Our Leisure Services campaign intend to make their voices heard as a full council meeting gets underway in Bangor Castle.

Ms Quinn said there has been huge interest in the planned demonstration.

Trade unions GMB, Nipsa and Unite have expressed serious concerns about the local authoritys attempt to outsource remaining in-house leisure services.

Nipsa representative Kevin Kelly said: This is not something that the ratepayers have requested, nor have our members.

We are starting a campaign in order for this to cease, he added.

In-house leisure services are the most important thing that any council can provide and one of the biggest income generators.

Handing this over to a private company takes away the onus to provide health and wellbeing services.

Swimming pool at Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex

Mr Kelly said he believes the council has wasted a substantial sum of money in assessing the viability of outsourcing leisure services.

This was not on the manifesto of any political party, he added.

There was no warning.

The trade union rep is now calling for mobilisation of members and the community to oppose the changes.

Ards and North Down Borough Council said it cannot address operational queries until the final detailed proposal is received.

We appreciate that this is causing frustration to both leisure centre users and staff, it added.

Whatever the model of management moving forward, the council remains committed to ensuring residents across the entire borough have access to high-quality leisure facilities and services that deliver better health and wellbeing benefits and enhance quality of life.

Green Party councillor Rachel Woods has joined with three other councillors to submit a motion calling for more time to properly scrutinise the issue.

Serco declined the opportunity to comment.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said he simply cant believe an incident where men sat in a court with their faces covered during a double murder trial in Belfast was allowed to happen.

Mr Heaton-Harris told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan has also expressed her shock over the scenes at Belfast Crown Court on Monday.

Former loyalist paramilitary-turned-supergrass Gary Haggarty has been giving evidence this week in the trial of James Stewart Smyth, 57, of Forthriver Link in Belfast, for the murders of Eamon Fox and Gary Convie.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris was giving evidence to the NI Affairs Committee (Liam McBurney/PA)

Smyth is charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation, the UVF. He denies the charges.

Mr Convie and Mr Fox were sitting in a parked car at a building site when they were shot dead by a gunman standing in an adjacent playground beside North Queen Street in May 1994.

There has been a heavy police presence at Laganside courts while Haggarty has been giving evidence.

However, on Monday, a number of men wearing face coverings sat in the public gallery of the court for several hours.

When concerns were raised with trial judge Mr Justice OHara, he warned that anyone covering their faces would be removed from the court.

Addressing the issue, committee chair Simon Hoare asked the Secretary of State: I wondered if you wanted to put on the record your thoughts on what might be described as appropriate or inappropriate attire for a trial?

Mr Heaton-Harris responded: I did see those pictures and I simply cant believe that happened. I just simply cant believe it happened.

SDLP deputy leader Claire Hanna criticised the appearance of men wearing face coverings in court (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Lady Chief Justice has also put on the record her shock over this.

SDLP South Belfast MP Claire Hanna said: People in my constituency drive up part of it and see on an official billboard hoarding a UVF billboard like you would see advertising a breakfast cereal or a holiday company, and then you see masked men going in  I hope it just gives a sense of the stench that comes off Northern Ireland and the conditions that people are still expected to live under.

I am glad you expressed your very clear revulsion of it.

A spokesperson for Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland said: The Lady Chief Justice considers that this was not acceptable and should not have happened.

The judge dealt with the matter appropriately when it was brought to his attention.

The Lady Chief Justice has asked NICTS (Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service) to identify how this incident occurred.
Pacemaker Press 02-11-2023: Flooding: 'Apocalyptic' scenes in Downpatrick as businesses damaged. Picture By: Arthur Allison: PacemakerPress.

The Main Street in Millisle is closed in both directions due to a road traffic collision on Friday evening.

Police say motorists should expect delays and seek alternative main routes for their journey.

There has also been a Northbound Road traffic collision in lane 2 of the M2 before Greencastle, causing long delays in the area.

Meanwhile, many roads across Northern Ireland remain closed due to adverse weather-related conditions.

In Downpatrick, the Department for Infrastructure say water Levels in the Quoile River have fallen to a level to allow pumping to commence on Friday evening in the Market Street area.

Police, the NI Fire and Rescue service and Newry Mourne and Down District Council will assist with the operation and the public are asked to adhere to all temporary traffic management arrangements while the work is carried out and abide by road closures and diversions.

Water levels will continue to be monitored to determine the impact of the removal of floodwater in Downpatrick.

The Department and its multi agency partners would like to thank the public for their patience and assistance over the last few days and while the clear up continues.

The list of roads closed due to the weather conditions on Friday evening is:

Co Down

Newry Road from Rathfriland Road Roundabout to Mayobridge closed due to flooding.

Ferryhill Road, Newry closed due to a landslide.

A2 Shore Road leaving Rostrevor closed due to a landslide. Local diversion in place.

Mayobridge - Hilltown Road is now passable with care between Maybridge and Hilltown

Killowen - The A2 Killowen Road closed due to the possibility of landslips - Rostrevor to Kilkeel traffic will be diverted via Rostrevor  Hilltown  Kilcoo  Castlewellan  Newcastle - Kilkeel. Allow extra time for your journey.

Scarva - The B3 Legananny Rd has been closed between the Old Mill Road and Lisnagade Road following damage to a bridge - Road users are advised to seek an alternative route for their journey

Newry - Camlough Road / Newtown Road closed due to flooding. Road users are advised to find an alternative route for their journey.

Newry - Greenan Road, Poyntpass is closed from:- Rockmeeting Road to Blackridge Road. Please seek an alternative route for your journey. (20:26)

Helens Bay - The Bridge Road has been closed due to flooding - Please seek an alternative route for your journey.

Ballynahinch - Drumgiven Road closed from Creevyargon Road to Cahard Road due to severe flooding. Please seek an alternative route for your journey.

B3 Ballynaskeagh Road  Passable with care, verge collapsed at two separate locations. Being assessed, may require TTM/lights and closing of a lane to allow safe passage of traffic.

River burst banks.

Castlewellan : Magheramayo road Flooding

Aughnacloy : Rehaghey road : culvert colapse and road slip

Banbridge:- Riley street closed at the junction with Downshire Road at mini roudabout due to flooding. Please seek an alternative route for your journey.

A27 Dublin Road, Castlewellan closed due to flooding. Is now re-opened

A25 Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick is closed at the leisure centre and entrance to Rathkeltair Car Park.

Robbery Road (closed due to flooding)

Dunygarton Road (closed due to flooding)

St James Road (closed due to flooding)

Artifinny Road (closed due to flooding)

Listullycurran Road (closed due to flooding)

Newtownards Road, Bangor at Fire Station. Flooding

A2 Newcastle Road North of Kilkeel. Bridge in dangerous condition.

B3 Legannany Road between Loughbrickland and Scarva  Damaged parapet wall.

B3 Ballynaskeagh Road  Passable with care, verge collapsed at two separate locations.

U1225 Milltown Road, Waringstown  Passable with care.

U1268 Maygannon Lane, donaghcloney - closed due to flooding

U4297 Rockmeeting Road - closed due to flooding

Old Road, Maghaberry (closed due to flooding)

River Road, Lambeg (closed due to flooding)

A7 Belfast Road, Downpatrick between the Finnebrogue Road junction and the Belfast Road Roundabout, Downpatrick

U0166 Inch Abbey Road, Downpatrick.

Woodgrange Road Downpatrick has been close to flooding from the Loughinisland Road junction to the Drumcullen Road junction

B180 Bryanford Avenue, Newcastle is closed for the Bryansford Road Roundabout to the Shimna Road junction due flooding. Pumping operation in progress at this location.

Callan River burst banks.

River Callan burst banks.

C182 Derryscallop Rd closed.

C172 Terryhoogan Rd closed close to A27 Aughlish Rd.

Lagangreen Road between the Leapoges road and Black Bog Road Dromore is closed due to flooding

Downpatrick: The C280 Quoile Road Downpatrick has been closed from its junction with the Old Belfast Road (A22) to Quoile Brae.

U4037 Lagangreen Road, Dromore - closed this morning between Leapoges Road and Dromara Road / Black Bog Road closed due to flooding.

The A25 Strangford Road, Downpatrick Road outside the Cricket Club is closed at the A22 Old Belfast Road junction

The U174 Old Belfast Road, Saintfield has been closed due to flooding.

C182 Derryscallop Rd closed.

C172 Terryhoogan Rd closed close to A27 Aughlish Rd.

Co Armagh

C180 Cloveneden Rd closed near Cockle Hill junction  carriageway collapsed road not safe for traffic

Co Antrim

Dunadry Rd and Steeple Rd at M2 bridge all closed

Co Tyrone
Police will use all appropriate legislation to prevent a reoccurrence of Mondays incident where men sat in court with their faces covered as loyalist supergrass Gary Haggarty gave evidence.

Officers again confronted a number of masked individuals attempting to make their way into Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon for day three of Haggartys testimony.

On Monday, men wearing face coverings sat in the public gallery of the court for several hours.

When concerns were raised with trial judge Mr Justice OHara, he warned that anyone covering their faces would be removed.

The PSNI confirmed they had been contacted by a solicitor acting for the Convie and Fox families.

Belfast Commander Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said: "Police are aware of concerns raised after a group of males attending Laganside Courts on Monday October 23 concealed their identity.

At the first opportunity, in discussion with court staff, police made the Judge aware of this and he directed that the face coverings be removed. No further incidents have occurred.

Police are conscious that this is a sensitive trial and will continue to be present in the court to support the judicial proceedings and protect and reassure witnesses.

If there is any reoccurrence in public, police will seek to use all appropriate legislation and powers to prevent it. We will work with court staff to prevent any reoccurrence inside the confines of the court.

There has been a significant police presence outside the court in recent days for Haggartys appearance.

He is one of the key prosecution witnesses in the trial of James Stewart Smyth, 57, of Forthriver Link in Belfast, who is accused of the murders of Mr Fox and Mr Convie.

Smyth is charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation, the UVF. He denies the charges.

Mr Convie and Mr Fox were sitting in a parked car at a building site when they were shot dead by a gunman standing in an adjacent playground beside North Queen Street in May 1994.

Images on Wednesday showed officers outside the court demanding the individuals gathered remove their coverings before being allowed entry into the court.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said: This morning, Wednesday 25th October, in support of the Northern Ireland Court and Tribunal Service, a number of people were approached by police prior to entering the grounds of Laganside Courts and were informed that face coverings were to be removed before entering the court.

"This instruction was complied with and those involved proceeded to court without incident.

Earlier, at Westminster, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said he simply cant believe the men were able to sit in a court with their faces covered.

Mr Heaton-Harris responded: "I did see those pictures and I simply can't believe that happened. I just simply can't believe it happened. The Lady Chief Justice has also put on the record her shock over this."

The matter was raised at a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster.

SDLP MP Claire Hanna said: "People in my constituency drive up part of it and see on an official billboard hoarding a UVF billboard like you would see advertising a breakfast cereal or a holiday company, and then you see masked men going in ... I hope it just gives a sense of the stench that comes off Northern Ireland and the conditions that people are still expected to live under.

"I am glad you expressed your very clear revulsion of it."

A spokesperson for Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland said: The Lady Chief Justice considers that this was not acceptable and should not have happened.

The judge dealt with the matter appropriately when it was brought to his attention.

The Lady Chief Justice has asked NICTS (Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service) to identify how this incident occurred.
Scientists from Queens University Belfast were among a team who have observed an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst  the second brightest in more than 50 years and around 1,000 times brighter than usual.

Gamma-ray bursts are referred to as the most powerful class of explosions in the universe.

The remarkably bright burst lasted for more than three minutes, compared to the usual seconds, and was brought about by a kilonova  an extremely rare explosion produced by a neutron star merging with either a black hole or another neutron star.

The team was also able to detect the chemical element tellurium, an extremely rare element, in the aftermath of these tumultuous events, providing a significant piece of the jigsaw in the scientific understanding of the elements in the universe.

The ground-breaking observations were made using multiple space- and ground-based telescopes. This included Nasas James Webb Space Telescope, Nasas Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and Nasas Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

Lead author of the study Professor Andrew Levan, of Radboud University in the Netherlands and of the University of Warwick in the UK, said: Just over 150 years since Dmitri Mendeleev wrote down the periodic table of elements, we are now finally in the position to start filling in those last blanks of understanding where everything was made, thanks to the Webb telescope.

This collaboration allowed scientists to piece together information as soon as the burst was first detected, using a combination of satellites and telescopes to track changes as they unfolded. The highly sensitive infrared capabilities of Webb helped scientists to identify the home address of the two neutron stars that created the kilonova  a spiral galaxy about 120,000 light-years away from the site of the merger.

Queens University Belfasts Dr Matt Nicholl explained: The Webb observatorys detection of the kilonova and the presence of tellurium tell the incredible story of how the universe manufactures heavy elements.

Two massive stars grow old together in a close orbit around each other and each eventually undergoes a huge supernova explosion to produce a neutron star or a black hole.

If they manage to stay together, they emit gravitational waves-ripples in the universe that shrink the orbit until these remnants collide in one final spectacular explosion that makes a kilonova and gamma-ray burst.

As kilonovae are so rare, it has been challenging for scientists to observe these events. Short bursts, traditionally thought to be those lasting less than two seconds, can be considered as by-products of these infrequent merger episodes. In contrast, long bursts may last several minutes and are usually associated with the explosive death of a massive star.

The case of this particular burst, GRB 230307A, is remarkable as it lasted for 200 seconds, placing it firmly in the category of long-duration gamma-ray bursts, despite its different origin.

After the first detection, by Nasas Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in March 2023, an intensive series of observatory from the ground and from space swung into action to pinpoint the source on the sky and track how the brightness changed. These showed that the optical/infrared counterpart was faint, it evolved quickly and transitioned from blue to red  the hallmarks of a kilonova.

Scientists expect to find even more kilonovae due to the increasing opportunities to space- and ground-based telescopes working in complementary ways to study ongoing changes in the universe. For example, Nasas upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Telescope will enable astronomers to scout where and how frequently these explosions occur.
Secretary of State also says border poll supermajority comments not a shift in government policy

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said he was shocked that men sat in a court with their faces covered during a double murder trial in Belfast.

Mr Heaton-Harris said he "simply can't believe it was allowed to happen.

He was giving evidence at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

The NI Secretary also addressed comments by NIO minister Steve Baker that a border poll should require a supermajority of voters, saying it should not be considered a shift in government policy.

He also said that talks aimed at restoring power-sharing at Stormont were in their final phases.

During the evidence session, Mr Heaton-Harris was asked about events at Belfast Crown Court on Monday.

Former loyalist paramilitary-turned-supergrass Gary Haggarty has been giving evidence in the trial of James Stewart Smyth (57), of Forthriver Link in Belfast, for the murders of Eamon Fox and Gary Convie in May 1994.

Smyth is charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation, the UVF. He denies the charges.

There has been a heavy police presence at Laganside courts while Haggarty has been giving evidence.

Supergrass trial: Allison Morris breaks down UVF murder case

However, on Monday, a number of men wearing face coverings sat in the public gallery of the court for several hours.

When concerns were raised with trial judge Mr Justice O'Hara, he warned that anyone covering their faces would be removed from the court.

Committee chair Simon Hoare asked the Secretary of State: "I wondered if you wanted to put on the record your thoughts on what might be described as appropriate or inappropriate attire for a trial?"

Mr Heaton-Harris responded: "I did see those pictures and I simply can't believe that happened. I just simply can't believe it happened.

"The Lady Chief Justice has also put on the record her shock over this."

SDLP South Belfast MP Claire Hanna said: "People in my constituency drive up part of it and see on an official billboard hoarding a UVF billboard like you would see advertising a breakfast cereal or a holiday company, and then you see masked men going in ... I hope it just gives a sense of the stench that comes off Northern Ireland and the conditions that people are still expected to live under.

"I am glad you expressed your very clear revulsion of it."

Mr Heaton-Harris then addressed comments from Mr Baker around a supermajority at a border poll. Mr Baker has been speaking during a session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly on Monday.

The remarks sparked concern from some quarters, including SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, who said unionist votes cannot be worth more than anyone else's.

During Mondays session, Mr Baker spoke of his experience of the Brexit referendum, saying he regretted there was not a threshold of 60% for the ballot in 2016.

On Wednesday the Secretary of State said the comments should not be considered a shift in government policy.

Mr Heaton-Harris added that the government is unwavering in commitment to all strands of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement), not least the principle of consent.

Mr Heaton-Harris was also asked about the ongoing talks with the DUP aimed at restoring the power-sharing institutions at Stormont.

He reiterated his view that the discussions are in their final phases, adding that they are in a much more positive space than they were previously.

The Secretary of State was also asked if more legislation would be introduced to help pave the way for the restoration of Stormont. He said he would be open to the idea, but that any legislation would have to be within the agreed framework.

Ms Hanna asked the Secretary of State what the Plan B is if the DUP do not get back round the Executive table.

My primary objective is to get the Executive back up and running and Im not keen on talking about a Plan B as it almost feels like you have given up on Plan A, Mr Heaton-Harris said.

Ms Hanna also asked about reforming the institutions so that one party cannot collapse the Executive.

"There are some decisions that, we all know, the Northern Ireland Civil Service would like ministers to decide on, Mr Heaton-Harris said.

But I do not have the power to do that and, should I take that power, that would put us in a very different position and some might argue that would take us down a route akin to direct rule.

There is no ideal solution to this problem, but the best solution is the Executive coming back.

Mr Heaton-Harris added that the principle of consent is the DNA and the skeleton of the Good Friday Agreement and any changes to it would be best placed to come from elected politicians in Northern Ireland.

I would not be keen to tread into that territory, in any way shape or form, which is why my emphasis is on getting the Executive back up and running, he added.

Mr Hoare asked Mr Heaton-Harris if he has been considering calling a fresh Assembly election.

I dont have to have that conversation or thought process for a couple of months yet, he replied.

Mr Heaton-Harris will also appear before a House of Lords committee on the implementation of the Windsor Framework later on Wednesday.
A garda has told a court that the man accused of killing Ashling Murphy admitted murdering her.

The Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard that Jozef Puska made the admission through an interpreter while under questioning in hospital.

Ms Murphy, 23, was killed while out exercising on a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly, at about 3.30pm on January 12 last year.

Puska, 33, of Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Tullamore, has pleaded not guilty to the schoolteachers murder.

A vigil for Ashling Murphy at Leinster House, Dublin, in January 2022 (Brian Lawless/PA)

Detective Garda Brian Jennings told the court he had questioned Puska at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin with the assistance of an interpreter on January 13.

Mr Jennings said Puska made the admission after he had been informed he was a person of interest in the murder of Ms Murphy.

Relaying the translation of the interpreter, the garda said: He paused and said he is making an official statement that he is admitting that he committed the murder. I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer.

Mr Jennings said he had been at St Jamess Hospital to assist with the execution of a warrant to seize items belonging to Puska, having questioned the defendant earlier in the day.

Gardai had been informed that Puska was in the hospital by investigators examining a separate stabbing in the Blanchardstown area of Dublin.

Mr Jennings, from Birr Garda Station, said he was tasked with travelling to St Jamess Hospital to get an account of Puskas movements the day before as part of the investigation into Ms Murphys murder.

Mr Jennings said he was unable to speak to Puska on January 13 because he was either in theatre or a recovery ward but he returned the next day and spoke to the accused with Detective Garda Fergus Hogan, initially in English.

Mr Jennings said the accused appeared to be in pain and was dry retching.

The garda called an interpreter to continue questioning and Puska was moved to a staff office for privacy.

Mr Jennings said the accused was alert, fully awake and freely speaking.

Mr Jennings said this session of questioning ended after 40 minutes but he returned for further questioning after Sergeant Pamela Nugent obtained a warrant to seize Puskas belongings in relation to the murder investigation.

Sgt Nugent explained she had seized a grey Nokia phone, a clear plastic wallet which appeared to contain a Covid certificate and a Slovakian ID, a shopping bag with a picture of Santa Claus on it, and a yellow patient plastic bag.

Mr Jennings said Puska, who had been taken to a private room to be told about the warrant, was alert and fully awake and had remembered speaking to him earlier in the day.

The garda said they explained the warrant to him through an interpreter over the phone.

Mr Jennings said Puska asked if he was a suspect, adding: I said no, he was a person of interest.

The garda said there was a notable pause before the interpreter relayed that Puska was admitting he committed the murder.

People lay flowers during a vigil for Ashling Murphy (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Mr Jennings said he immediately cautioned the accused and the interpreter said Puska understood that.

He told the court: I asked him a direct question, did he commit the murder, and he said Yes.

The garda said the defendant had asked for a solicitor.

Mr Jennings relayed the words of the interpreter from his notes: The reason I am pleading guilty, I dont want my family, anything to happen to them, nothing bad to them. I feel guilty and I say I regret it.

The witness said Puska was shown the statement and he signed it. He did not read the statement back to Puska before he signed it.

He also read a literal translation from the interpreter: When he said he committed the murder, he didnt do it intentionally.

Mr Jennings added: He did show remorse for the murder. He showed concern for himself and his family. He was upset, he was crying in the bed.

Sgt Nugent said she left the room after Puska signed the statement to inform the Tullamore incident room about the comments which she said could be described as a breakthrough.

Defence barrister Michael Bowman SC asked Mr Jennings if Puska was distressed at the end of the second interview.

Mr Jennings said no and added that the dry retching had eased off substantially.

Detective Garda Fergus Hogan leaves Dublin Central Criminal Court where he has given evidence in the trial of Jozef Puska (Niall Carson/PA)

Asked if he had requested to speak to Puskas treating physician or any doctor, Mr Jennings said: No.

He said he had not made any direct inquiries with hospital staff about whether Puska was fit for interview.

He also said he was not aware if Puska could read English when he signed the statement.

After the alleged admission, Mr Jennings asked Mr Hogan to stay in the room alone with Puska.

He said he did not ask Puska any questions.

Mr Hogan said: He started speaking to me and I started writing down what he was saying.

He said: Im sorry. Im family, five kids. I see girl I never see before. I have knife. I use for chain.

Mr Hogan said he told Puska he did not have to tell him anything.

He said Puska said: Chain on bike.

Mr Hogan said gardai were getting him a solicitor.

Reading from his notes, Mr Hogan said Puska replied: I tell her go. I wont hurt you. When she passed I cut her neck. She panic. I panic.

Mr Hogan said Puska had put his hand on his lips to show how he told the injured party to be quiet.

He said the defendant asked: Will I go for 10 years?

Gardai beside the Grand Canal in Tullamore, where Ashling Murphy was found dead (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Hogan said Puska had also pointed to his stomach and said I do this.

He said Mr Jennings returned to the room and they left together.

Asked by senior counsel for the prosecution Anne-Marie Lawlor about Puskas capacity to engage, Mr Hogan said: He was upset, he was crying. His English was enough I could understand basically.

For the defence, Mr Bowman asked if Puska appeared to be in physical discomfort when they were alone.

Mr Hogan said he appeared to be in better shape than the earlier questioning.

Mr Bowman put it to Mr Hogan that the reason they had stopped questioning Puska earlier in the day was because he was medically unfit to continue.

He asked Mr Hogan if Mr Jennings had gone back to the A&E doctor before the earlier questioning, to which he replied: He didnt but he spoke to staff.

Mr Hogan accepted that he did not know what medical qualification they had or what level of interaction they had had with Puska.

The funeral of Ashling Murphy in January last year (Damien Eagers/PA)

Commenting on the earlier questioning, he said: We were finished speaking to him. One of the reasons we were finished speaking to him was he was in discomfort.

Mr Hogan said it was fair to say that there were more questions they wanted to ask him if the opportunity arose.

Mr Bowman said Mr Hogan had a distinctive appearance, including being tall, but said that Puska had asked him if he had met him before.

Mr Hogan, who had previously said Puska had asked them while they were alone if he had been there earlier, said there were two ways of looking at it.

He added: I dont know if he could remember me or not.

Asked if he found that unusual, Mr Hogan said he did not give any thought to it.

Ms Lawlor asked Mr Hogan if he knew at the time of his conversation with Puska how Ms Murphy had been killed and he said no.

The trial continues.
Gardai at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal (Brian Lawless/PA)

An Irish senators suggestion that some Northern Ireland paramedics were prevented from crossing the border to respond to the Creeslough explosion was based on witness evidence, it has been claimed.

The NI Ambulance Service rejected claims made following the publication of a British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly report that visa issues stopped some ambulance crews from responding to the 2022 explosion in Co Donegal, which killed 10 people.

The claim was made by Irish Senator Emer Currie during Tuesdays meeting. She said not all of the paramedics had the necessary visas to cross the invisible border to enter the Republic.

But a spokesperson for the Ambulance Service branded the idea totally without foundation.

The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly said the report reflected claims made to the Assemblys committee by individuals familiar with challenges in cross-border working.

"As an example of the challenges of the current situation, an anecdote given to the committee in oral and in written evidence, relating to the attendance of paramedics at the Creeslough explosion in October 2022, it said.

The committee was told that there had been an instance where paramedics had not been able to attend the site of the Creeslough tragedy as a result of not having an Irish work visa.

In presenting the committees report to the Assembly on October 24 2023, and in her subsequent interviews, Senator Emer Currie has reflected the content of the Committees report. The Committee in turn drew on the evidence available to Committee members.

The Assembly wishes to place on record its sincere thanks and appreciation to members of all the ambulance services and other emergency services which attended the Creeslough tragedy.

Four men, three women and three young people, aged between five and 59, died in the blast on October 7 last year.

The senator had claimed ambulance crews based at Altnagelvin Hospital were unable to cross the border a few miles away because of issues with the Common Travel Area.

A spokesperson from the Ambulance Service said: We wish to put on record that the NIAS response to Creeslough was not affected in any way due to border or visa issues.

No NIAS staff were prevented in crossing the border for any reason and we are deeply concerned at any reports suggesting this, as such comments will be deeply upsetting to the victims and families who were and still are affected by this tragedy.

Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers said Ms Curries claims were baseless and should be retracted.

The statement from Fine Gael Senator Emer Currie has been categorically refuted and shown to be without the slightest foundation, he said.
U.S. House Republicans pick Majority Whip Tom Emmer as new nominee for speaker

Xinhua) 13:33, October 25, 2023

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Republicans on Tuesday chose House Majority Whip Tom Emmer as their new nominee for speaker, after dropping Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan following three failed votes last week.

In a closed door vote, Emmer emerged as the Republican conference's nominee for House speaker, which took five rounds of votes to get to consensus.

In a roll vote afterwards, however, over 20 holdouts voted against the speaker designee, indicating intraparty resistance over his speakership.

With a slim 221-212 Republican majority in the chamber, Emmer can lose no more than four Republican votes to reach the majority threshold and become speaker, assuming all Democrats vote for their candidate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The latest development came after House Republicans dropped Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, as the Republican nominee for speaker on Friday, after he failed to garner enough support from his own party in three rounds of full-chamber voting. Moderates had doubts about a hardline conservative House speaker.

After Jordan's failed attempts, several House Republicans announced they would run for House speaker, including Emmer, Kevin Hern, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Mike Johnson, vice chairman of the House Republican conference, and Byron Donalds, an ally of former President Donald Trump.

Republican Rep. Jim Banks told CNN that the speaker designee is not conservative enough, noting that there are dozens of members that won't vote for him at this point.

The House has been leaderless for three weeks, after Kevin McCarthy was unprecedentedly removed from his position on Oct. 3, in a move initiated by a conservative member of his own party. Eight Republicans voted with Democrats in the historical ouster.

The stalemate has prompted some lawmakers to push for the empowerment of Patrick McHenry, the temporary speaker, in the hope that he can oversee the passage of urgently needed legislation until House Republicans can coalesce and elect a new leader.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
The Kremlin on Tuesday denied a report that President Vladimir Putin was ill, and laughed off persistent rumours that he used body doubles to cover for him in public appearances.

"Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about an unsourced report by a Russian Telegram channel, picked up by some Western media, that the president had suffered a serious health episode on Sunday evening.

The spokesman laughed in response to a further question about body doubles, and denied that Putin had any.

"This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile," Peskov said.

Putin, a judo enthusiast who has long cultivated an "action man" image, turned 71 on Oct. 7. He maintains an intensive schedule of meetings and public appearances, many of them televised.

His recent programme included a visit to China last week, with stop-offs in two Russian cities on the way back.

In a 2020 interview, Putin denied longstanding rumours that he uses body doubles, although he said he had been offered the chance to use one in the past for security reasons. (Reuters)
Colleagues were with the slain 39-year-old Co Louth woman just the day before suspected murder-suicide

Co Louth mother Denise Morgan (39) was working with her colleagues the day before she was shot dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Queens, New York

The owner of the New York pub where Louth woman Denise Morgan worked before she was shot dead has said her devastated work colleagues saw her the day before she died.

The 39-year-old mum was shot dead in a suspected murder-suicide.

She was found dead on Saturday in an apartment in Queens, New York, alongside Mr Joed Traveras (33), a man known to the Irishwoman.

Ms Morgan, who was originally from Lavin Park in the village of Tullyallen, was the mother of a nine-year-old girl and had been living in the US for around five years.

Roy Guzman, owner of The Cottage bar and restaurant in Forest Hills, New York, where Ms Morgan worked as a bartender for the last year, said her colleagues at the family-run restaurant saw her the day before she died.

Oh my God, you cant imagine how people reacted when they [found out], Mr Guzman said.

We all loved her, we were all friends, and we cant believe it.

She was here that Friday, three oclock in the afternoon, she got pork chops for lunch, and then she went to work.

When she came back from work [that night], she went to her apartment and thats when it happened, Mr Guzman said.

She was happy here. I mean, she had a life here and she had a job...She never complained. She was happy.

[Ms Morgan] was a bartender and made a lot of friends. Everybody loved her. She was a good worker.

He described the mum as a ray of sunshine who brightened up the lives of those who knew her.

She was never angry. People loved her because she was that kind of person. She was like sunshine, he added.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said that last Saturday at 2.44am (7.44am Irish time) officers responded to an emergency call reporting shots fired in the Queens area.

On arriving at the residence, police found a man and woman with gunshot wounds to their heads in the living room.

Medical specialists attended the scene and pronounced the 39-year-old woman and 33-year-old man dead at the scene.

The NYPD said a firearm was recovered in the vicinity of Mr Traveras on the second floor of the property.

Local media reported that police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.

A spokesperson for the NYPD said that investigations are ongoing.

It comes as the devastated family and friends of Ms Morgan begin the unthinkable task of trying to raise funds to repatriate her remains to Ireland.

A GoFundMe page set up on Monday has almost reached the 30,000 target.

Her heartbroken sister, Shannon, thanked everyone who has been so supportive and generous in the days since the tragedy.

We just want the world to know what an amazing person Denise was, she said. And we really want to thank everyone for their generosity too.

Prayers were said in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Tullyallen on Sunday morning and her sister, Lisa, paid a touching tribute to her older sister on social media.

No words can express the pain we are dealing with now, she said. In the blink of an eye, our world has broken, and we are absolutely crushed.

My beautiful sister has been taken from my life by such a heinous, cowardly act. We will never get justice for this. We are absolutely heartbroken.

She was the kindest, most sweetest soul I know, and I cant believe Im writing this. Ive always looked up to her growing up and she carved me into the woman I am today, and Im so proud to call her my sister.

The world wont be the same without you in it. I will never get over this or be the same again.
British Transport Police are looking into the theft of the flute (Andrew Milligan/PA)

A musician who performs with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) said realising her instrument had been stolen was like losing a limb.

Katherine Bryan, 41, who is the RSNOs principal flautist, had her 15,000 flute stolen on Monday morning from a beige backpack on a Brighton-bound train, between Farringdon and East Croydon stations.

She noticed the instrument had gone after she changed train.

The flute is a Brannen silver Millennium 5320 with a silver Lafin head joint and a gold lip plate.

It is thought to be worth around 15,000 and prices can start from around 6,500 second hand.

British Transport Police (BTP) have launched an investigation.

Katherine Bryan said losing her flute was like losing a limb after it was stolen on Monday (Katherine Bryan/PA)

Ms Bryan told the PA news agency: Flutes are so unique and individual to the player.

To lose it and be parted from it is just like losing a limb.

She had been travelling to Brighton to look at purchasing another flute on behalf of the orchestra on Monday.

After telling the flute shop about what had happened, they kindly lent her one for upcoming shows with the orchestra this weekend.

Ms Bryan lives near Glasgow and regularly performs with the RSNO.

She said she was in a state of shock upon realising her beloved flute, which she had owned for 12 years, had been taken.

The flautist described how instruments are made bespoke for the player.

She told the PA news agency: My voice is that instrument.

They are all hand-made so you cant just go and buy another one to replace it.

On Monday, Ms Bryan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to appeal for help to find her missing flute.

She said she has been overwhelmed with the response of people willing to help track it down.

She said: I just cant believe it. I just put something online and its gone crazy.

You never know who is going to come across it, it gets the word out there.

I think for my fellow musicians as well, we all realise how important the instrument is and how devastating it is when it goes missing.

So I think the support from from my colleagues across the world really has been amazing, really amazing.

Ms Bryan was appointed to the role of principal flautist when she was 21 and has played for the RSNO for around 20 years.

A BTP spokesperson said: BTP received a report of a suspected bag theft yesterday morning (October 23) on a train between Farringdon and East Croydon.

The bag contained a high-value flute. Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with information can contact BTP by texting 61016, quoting reference 198 of October 23.

Thameslink, the train company Ms Bryan was travelling with when her flute was stolen, is looking into the matter.

It tweeted: Were sorry to hear of this upsetting news. Were currently looking into this for you and will be back in touch if we hear anything regarding your flute.
The flood defences in Brechin provided valuable time for the evacuation to take place before they were breached during Storm Babet, a Scottish Government minister has said.

Angela Constance said the full cost of the deadly storm is still being assessed, including any repairs to flood walls.

She faced questions on whether councils will need more financial aid to deal with the aftermath.

The Justice Secretary, whose brief includes resilience, said insurers have been urged to process claims relating to Storm Babet quickly.

Hundreds were evacuated from Brechin (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The storm led to three lives being lost in Scotland and at least another four in England, along with widespread flooding and damage.

Updating MSPs on Wednesday, Ms Constance said that on October 19 Angus experienced its heaviest day of rainfall since 1891.

She told the Scottish Parliament: Serious impacts were felt across Scotland but were felt most keenly along the North and South Esk including Brechin, where the flood protection scheme unfortunately overtopped and was subsequently breached.

Nonetheless, the flood protection scheme still delayed the impact and provided valuable time to prepare for evacuation.

Over 350 properties in Brechin were evacuated on Thursday afternoon.

Angus Council and Sepa are assessing the extent of the damage to the Brechin flood protection scheme.

Conservative MSP Tess White, who represents the north east of Scotland, said her own home had been badly damaged in Storm Babet.

Tess White said her own home had been badly damaged (Fraser Bremner/Daily Mail/PA)

She questioned whether the Governments Bellwin scheme  which provides funds to disaster-hit councils  would touch the sides of the amount needed.

In response, Ms Constance said there would be sympathetic discussions with councils affected by the flooding.

She said the Scottish Government had urged the Association of British Insurers to deal with claims quickly.

Following Ms Constances statement, Ms White said ministers needed to provide more answers to those hit by the storm.

She said: Today, people across Scotland were looking for strong leadership and support from the SNP government.

But there was nothing new in the cabinet secretarys statement today.

She added: Repairs and rehousing will cost millions in the weeks and months ahead  but Scotlands local authorities are already looking at gaping holes in their budgets thanks to brutal SNP cuts.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip (Hatem Moussa/AP)

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip.

The territory has been blockaded and hit by devastating Israeli air strikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.

Wednesdays warning came as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources, and health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory said the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets continued striking the territory overnight.

A Palestinian man stands outside a building in Rafah destroyed in Israels bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday (Hatem Ali/AP)

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centres, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gazas civilian population.

Gaza-based militants have been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the air strikes killed at least 704 people between Monday and Tuesday, mostly women and children.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

The death toll is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come when Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters the US could not verify the one-day death toll.

The Ministry of Health is run by Hamas, and I think that all needs to be factored into anything that they put out publicly, he said.

Palestinians carry the bodies of militants killed in an Israeli air strike on the refugee camp in Jenin, West Bank, during their funeral (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

Israel said on Tuesday that it had launched 400 air strikes over the past day, an increase from the 320 strikes the day before.

The UN says about 1.4 million of Gazas 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, with almost 600,000 crowded into UN shelters.

Gazas residents have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which has sworn to destroy Israel.

In recent days, Israel has allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to cross the border with Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel  needed to power hospital generators  to keep it out of Hamass hands.

The UN said it has managed to deliver some of the aid in recent days to hospitals treating the wounded, but the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the largest provider of humanitarian services in Gaza, said it will run out of fuel by Wednesday night.

Officials said they have been forced to reduce their operations as they rationed what little fuel they had.

Without fuel our trucks cannot go around to further places in the strip for distribution, said agency spokeswoman Lily Esposito. We will have to make decisions on what activities we keep or not with little fuel.

Meanwhile, more than half of Gazas primary healthcare facilities, and roughly a third of its hospitals, have stopped functioning, the World Health Organisation said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggle to triage cases as constant waves of wounded are taken in.

The Health Ministry said many casualties are laid on the ground without even simple medical aid and others wait for days for surgery because there are so many critical cases.

The ministry says more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 children. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians murdered during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas is also holding some 222 people that it captured and took back to Gaza.

The conflict threatened to spread across the region as Israeli air strikes hit Syrian military sites in the south on Wednesday, killing eight soldiers and wounding seven, according to Syrias state-run Sana news agency.

The Israeli military said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that its jets had struck Syrian military infrastructure and mortar systems in response to rocket launches from Syria.

Israel has launched several strikes on Syria in recent days, including strikes that put the Damascus and Aleppo airports out of service, in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah.

Israel has been fighting the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah across the Lebanese border in recent weeks.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met top Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials on Wednesday in their first reported meeting since the war started.

Such a meeting could signal co-ordination between the groups, as Hezbollah officials warned Israel against launching a ground offensive in Gaza.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran is helping Hamas, with intelligence and by whipping up incitement against Israel across the world.

He said Iranian proxies are also operating against Israel from Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Fighting also erupted in the West Bank, which has seen a major spike in violence.

Islamic Jihad militants said they fought with Israeli forces in Jenin overnight.

Palestinians look at destruction in Rafah caused by the Israeli bombardment (Hatem Ali/AP)

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said Israel killed three Palestinians in Jenin and two other in other towns, taking the total number of those killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7 to 101.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the proportionate response to the October 7 attack is a total destruction of the militants.

It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty, he said.

The Israeli military said it thwarted an assault by a group of Hamas underwater divers who tried to infiltrate Israel on a beach just north of Gaza.

Across central and south Gaza, where Israel told civilians to take shelter, there were multiple scenes of rescuers pulling the dead and wounded out of large piles of rubble from collapsed buildings.

Graphic photos and video shot by the AP showed rescuers unearthing bodies of children from multiple ruins.

Buildings that collapsed on residents killed dozens at a time in several cases, witnesses said. Two families lost 47 members in a flattened home in Rafah, the Health Ministry said.
Australia sent 11 asylum seekers to Nauru in September, the head of Australias military-run border security operation told parliament, the first transfer of people to immigration detention on the 21-square kilometer Pacific island nation in nearly a decade.

Rear Adm. Justin Jones, commander of Australias Operation Sovereign Borders, which the government says aims to stop migrants making risky sea voyages to Australia, told a Senate committee hearing that the 11 people were transferred to Nauru for regional processing by the government of Nauru on Sept. 7 after being intercepted that month.

They were transferred from Australia across to Nauru and any further details there would disclose operationally sensitive material, he told a Senate hearing Monday under questioning from an opposition senator, video of the hearing shows. His comments confirmed a Guardian Australia report last week that said 11 asylum seekers had been secretly transferred to Nauru.

Australia has sent people who tried to arrive on its shores by boat to Nauru and Papua New Guinea since 2001, according to the Refugee Council of Australia. It halted the practice from 2008-12. Australias detention center on Manus island in Papua New Guinea eventually closed after the Pacific island countrys Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that it was unconstitutional.

The Australian detention center on Nauru once housed more than 1,200 people, but last year was empty with several dozen remaining refugees living in the Nauruan community, according to Australian government figures and the refugee council. As of August this year, only two refugees were on the island, according to the council.

Despite the facility being unused, Australias government has kept it open, providing a continuing windfall to Nauru. Fees and income tax on the profits of the detention center operator have for several years contributed more than half of the Nauru governments annual revenue, its budget documents show.

In the Senate committee, Jones declined to give details about the asylum seekers including whether children or women were among them, their nationalities, which country they had left from in their attempt to get to Australia and how long they would be detained for.

Green Party Senator Nick McKim said the secrecy was outrageous. There was an Alice in Wonderland quality to the evasiveness of Jones answers, he said.

The Pacific island nation of Nauru is seen from a Nauru Airlines flight on Aug. 17, 2023. [Stephen Wright/Benar News]

Offshore detention, supported by Australias largest political parties and the public who feared an influx of people transported by boat via Indonesia, has resulted in years-long limbo for asylum seekers and has been criticized as a form of torture by human rights groups.

The U.N. Committee on Torture, which monitors nations compliance with the Convention against Torture, in November said Australia should repeal provisions in its migration law that allow mandatory and indefinite detention for people, including children, who are unauthorized arrivals to the country.

Nauru, northeast of Australia, is the worlds third smallest state by area after the Vatican and Monaco. It is reliant on aid from Australia, Taiwan, organizations such as the Asian Development Bank and the income it gets from the detention center and its tuna fishery.

The Australian government awarded a 422 million Australian dollar (U.S. $270 million) contract to U.S. prisons operator, Management & Training Corporation, to provide Facilities, Garrison, Reception Services in Nauru, according to details published on the Australian governments contracting site in January. The contract covers September 2022 to September 2025.

Nauru, home to about 10,000 people, is pockmarked by a phosphate mining industry that on paper made Nauru among the worlds richest nations in the second half of last century.

The phosphate is now exhausted and Nauru turned to problematic money-making schemes such as selling passports and offshore banking that earned it international notoriety in the 1990s and 2000s.
Naval ships from five nations participate in Exercise Noble Caribou in the South China Sea, Oct. 23, 2023.

Warships from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand took part earlier this week in a multilateral exercise near Singapore following a recent spat between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Exercise Noble Caribou was held Monday in the area between Indonesia and Malaysia to improve our tactical capabilities and strengthen cooperation, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JDMSF) said in a statement .

Participating ships included Japans JS Akebono, the U.S. Navys USS Rafael Peralta, the Royal Australian Navys HMAS Brisbane, the Royal Canadian Navys HMCS Ottawa, and the Royal New Zealand Navys HMNZS Te Mana.

Ship-tracking data analyzed by Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews, shows two other U.S. ships  the USNS Rappahannock and USNS Henson  were operating nearby.

U.S. ships USNS Rappahannock and USNS Henson operate near the area of Exercise Noble Caribou. [MarineTraffic]

A day earlier Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines over two incidents near the Second Thomas Shoal, in which China Coast Guard ships were accused of dangerously maneuvering, causing collisions with Philippine ships.

China said the Philippine ships trespassed into its claimed waters.

The participating countries in the exercise [Noble Caribou] are maritime nations with long coastlines in the Pacific Ocean, and are like-minded nations that seek to maintain an international order based on the rule of law in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific said Togawa Hisato, commanding officer of JS Akebono.

We believe that through this multilateral exercise, we were able to improve our tactical capabilities and strengthen cooperation with the navies of the participating countries, as well as embody their strong will and ability to create a security environment that does not tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force, Togawa said.

The naval exercise was likely planned long before the recent incidents but it is part of the U.S.s anti-China strategy, said Mark Valencia, a senior research fellow at Chinas Huayang Institute for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance.

Countries should show more restraint in their actions, particularly in their military displays of power, Valencia told RFA, adding I am not optimistic as this has become an ever-deepening and spreading modus vivendi and will likely end badly.

Support for Philippines



The U.S. State Department spoke out in support of Manila over the incidents at the weekend, vowing to stand with our Philippine allies in the face of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard and maritime militias dangerous and unlawful actions  in the South China Sea.

It said Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft  including those of its Coast Guard.

After the U.S. comments, France, South Korea, and Japan voiced support for the Philippines.

Caption: Troops from participating ships interact at Exercise Noble Caribou, Oct. 23, 2023. [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]

Chinese maritime analysts have been critical of what they call external forces in South China Sea disputes.

In the South China Sea, China has actually exercised a lot of restraint, said retired Chinese Senior Col. Zhou Bo, who serves as a senior fellow of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

We have been too soft on the Filipinos, Zhou told an international conference on the South China Sea in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

Another Chinese analyst  Wu Shicun, president of Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies  said at the same conference in Vietnam that the U.S. and U.S.-led security groupings all clearly target China.

Removing the interference of external factors is the only way and only choice if we are to realize long-term peace and stability in the South China Sea, Wu said.

Zhou delivered a hawkish view that China is the only country that would respond militarily to American provocations.

Probably China and the United States can only cool down after another collision at  sea or in the air, which I dont look forward to but theres no other answer to this problem, he said.
Zing Ral Tu shows a copy of the complaint that she and four other Myanmar nationals filed against 10 members of the Myanmar junta, including its top leader, Min Aung Hlaing, at the Philippine Department of Justice in Manila, Oct. 25, 2023.

UPDATED at 4:21 p.m. EDT on 2023-11-25

Five Myanmar nationals on Wednesday asked the Philippines Department of Justice to open a war crimes investigation into 10 members of the Burmese junta for a range of alleged atrocities, including the killing of civilians, mutilation of bodies and torching hundreds of homes and churches.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief whose forces ousted Aung San Suu Kyis elected government in a February 2021 coup, was named among the 10 targeted in the criminal complaint.

It comes two years after a mass arson attack by junta forces on the town of Thantlang, which was part of an offensive in Chin state in northwestern Myanmar that saw some 2,000 homes destroyed, at least 250 people killed and 60,000 driven into India, according to the plaintiffs and rights groups.

The alleged crimes committed in the region were part of Myanmars forgotten war against the Chin, said one of the complainants, Salai Za Uk Ling, who is also the deputy executive director of the Chin Human Rights Organization.

We are a Christian people whose pastors are being murdered and whose churches and faith-based schools are being destroyed in a systematic campaign by junta forces, Salai, who lives in exile in India, told a news conference in Manila.

With this persecution of Myanmars Christians continuing, we pray that our brothers and sisters in the Philippines will hear our cry and grant us justice.

Thantlang residents were quick to oppose the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup and by September of that year had formed several anti-junta Peoples Defense Force groups, according to Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews. Their resistance put them firmly in the sights of Myanmars feared military, known as the Tatmadaw.

Another claimant, Zing Ral Tu, described how her father Pul Ral Tu was shot and killed by junta troops in Thantlang in 2021 along with his friend, Pu Hram Cung.

The men, who were senior members of the local Baptist church, were transporting medicine for civilians fleeing the violence.

We will never get justice through Burmese courts, the 47-year-old said on Wednesday through tears. We pray the Filipino people will hear our cry for help.

Landmark case

But whether the claimants will find justice in the Philippines is far from certain.

Lawyers are relying on the principle of universal jurisdiction, a concept in international law that recognises that some crimes are so serious that they transcend borders and national courts can prosecute perpetrators. There is no precedent for such a case in the Philippines.

The claimants Filipino lawyers, Romel Bagares and Gilbert Andres, argue that the landmark Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law obligates Manila to prosecute war crimes committed anywhere in the world.

The law builds on a long humanitarian legal tradition in the Philippines, said Andres in a statement. It doesnt matter that the crimes were committed by non-Filipinos against non-Filipinos outside Philippine territory.

Prosecution in the Philippines would send a strong statement to the international community, he separately told BenarNews. However, he acknowledged the countrys notoriously backlogged justice system would be an obstacle.

We can only hope and pray, he said. It is only up to the discretion of the DOJ. We hope that the prosecutors here are really up to the challenge.

Speaking to RFA Burmese, Andres noted that this was the first time that universal jurisdiction had been invoked through the Filipino penal code, calling it a "history-making filing."

"I think the filing in itself will be a form of victims' rights, access to justice," he said. "The mere filing in itself [makes] a strong statement both for the Philippines and also for the Myanmar military junta, because, in fact, the Philippines has been declaring before the United Nations that we have universal jurisdiction and we have jurisprudence that says that there's no jurisdiction for war crimes."

Fellow lawyer Bagares said there was already a plethora of evidence gathered by the U.N.s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar concerning the alleged crimes in Chin state, as well as by rights advocacy groups.

We have also petitioned ASEAN to promote regional justice mechanisms and this case in the Philippines sends a powerful signal to our regional partners, he said in a statement, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Salai Za Uk Ling, one of the five Myanmar nationals who filed a criminal complaint against the military junta, addresses reporters during an impromptu news conference outside the Philippine justice department in Manila, Oct. 25, 2023. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews]

The Philippines is already struggling with its own allegations of human rights abuses after the blood-soaked presidency of Rodrigo Duterte between 2016-22.

His brutal war on suspected drug addicts and dealers left 8,000 dead. He now faces at least two cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, though he is not facing prosecution at home.

Dutertes successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile said at an ASEAN summit in September that the solution to the Myanmar crisis should be Myanmar-led.

Chris Gunness, the director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, which is supporting the case, said Philippine law allows the case to be heard in the countrys courts.

If your house has been burned down, if your town has been destroyed, if 60,000 of your own people have been driven to another country  how desperate can you be? Gunness told reporters.

He said this was an opportunity for Manila to show the world an image rooted in the rule of law, in decency, democracy and Christian values, rather than one where daily murders occurred under Duterte.

RFA Burmese contributed to this report.
China removed defense minister Li Shangfu and ousted ex-foreign minister Qin Gang from its cabinet on Tuesday, state media said, in a major reshuffle of top leadership.

The news comes after months of speculation about the country's cabinet, including confusion over the abrupt removal of Qin from office in July without explanation and the months-long absence of Li from public view.

Both Qin and Li are believed by experts to have been personally selected for their roles by President Xi Jinping.

On Tuesday state broadcaster CCTV announced the removals in its regular evening bulletin, but did not offer reasons for the ministers' fall from grace.

No replacement for Li as defense minister was announced.

Previously it had been reported that the US government believed Li was under investigation and had been stripped of his ministerial duties, but China had refused to comment on the matter.

Li travelled to Russia in August to attend a security conference near Moscow on August 15. Two days later, the government of Belarus released handout photographs of Li meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.

But since then, he has vanished from public view.

Li's now confirmed removal means there is no apparent host for China's regional security dialogue next week, the Xiangshan Forum, which is due to be attended by representatives from the US Department of Defense.

Xi's 'unparalleled' power

Experts said Tuesday's announcement deepened the recent uncertainty around China's top leadership.

Neil Thomas, Chinese politics fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told AFP that the recent upheaval "hints at severe deficiencies in the vetting process for top officials at the 20th Party Congress last year, possibly due to lower-level officials not wanting to push back against Xi's preferred candidates".

But the removal of Li and Qin is "unlikely to significantly undermine (Xi's) political authority, as neither was part of his true inner circle", Thomas said.

"Their purge reinforces to other officials the importance of retaining Xi's favour."

As well as being removed as defense minister, Li has also lost his position on the State Council, China's cabinet.

Former foreign minister Qin, who was removed from office by Beijing's top lawmaking body after just 207 days in the job, has now also been stripped of his cabinet position.

He was replaced by Wang Yi, a veteran diplomat who served as foreign minister before Qin and who outranked him in the Chinese government hierarchy.

Xi's "willingness to correct course despite the optics suggest he is confident that such decisions do not have major repercussions," Yun Sun, senior fellow and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, told AFP, adding that "Xi's control and power are unparalleled".

Any possible investigation into Li is "likely to continue for a while and we will not know the true reason for a long time," Sun said.

Black box

That opacity was also evident when China announced recently a new leadership for its Rocket Force, the army unit that oversees its nuclear arsenal, as media reported a corruption probe involving its former chief.

The navy's former deputy commander, Wang Houbin, was named as the new commander of the force in a brief article by state news agency Xinhua reporting his promotion to the rank of general.

His predecessor, Li Yuchao, had not been seen in public for weeks and Xinhua gave no explanation for his removal.

CCTV also announced Tuesday that science and technology minister Wang Zhigang and finance minister Liu Kun had been removed from their posts.

They will be replaced by current ministry of science and technology party secretary Yin Hejun and finance ministry party secretary Lan Fo'an respectively.

Adam Ni, publisher of the China Neican newsletter, told AFP the dismissals showed "elite politics at play".

"Leadership instability continues unabated despite the cementing of paramount power by Xi," he said, adding "all those below Xi with the exception of very few are subjected to quick falls from power".

"They can be picked and they can be discarded," Ni said. (AFP)
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RICHMOND  Now that the new $8.3 million Town Hall & Library is fully open, voters will decide Wednesday evening what to do about their no-longer-needed old Town Hall.

At a 6 p.m. special town meeting in the Community Room of the new town center, residents will be asked to authorize the Select Board to put the 1922 town building up for sale.

Two-thirds approval is needed to give the Select Board the authority to transfer the use of the municipal land and building, and to put it on the market for sale, lease or disposal. With a simple majority, a second article on the warrant would give the town permission to sell it through a request for bids.

The minimum bid, based on a recent appraisal, will be $190,000, said Town Administrator Danielle Fillio. Possible future uses include professional offices, an art gallery or an antique shop. Commercial businesses likely would need Planning Board review and a potential town meeting vote.

The sale would go through the states procedure for disposal of municipal buildings, longtime Select Board member Roger Manzolini said. "You cant just go to a Realtor and put it on the market."

He pointed out that the former Town Hall is in a residential zone on State Road (Route 41), but there are commercial businesses nearby, including the Richmond Telephone Co. and the Inn at Kenmore Hall.

I assume we probably would allow the old Town Hall to be purchased by someone who doesnt want to change the use substantially, such as office use, Manzolini said. But potential zoning issues may need to be reviewed and discussed.

The land on State Road was deeded to the town to build a small meeting house in 1795, said Richmond Historical Commission Chairwoman Gloria Morse, whos also vice president of the private Richmond Historical Society.

That site was adjacent to the original 1765 Richmond Congregational Church, which burned down in 1881. In 1969, the replacement, a gothic church, also succumbed to flames.

In 1828, as the state and federal governments cited church and state separation requirements, the first meeting house had to be relocated to a tavern, one of several in the town at that time, Morse noted. In 1842, a new house for town meetings was built behind the church and then sold in 1922 when the larger Town Hall was completed next to the church, which was on town-owned land.

Its still a very solid building, Morse said. I hope the Town Hall sells because I dont want to see it go in the dumpster.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Tuesday that America will respond "swiftly and decisively" in the event of Iranian or proxy group attacks on American personnel in the Middle East.

Blinken made the remarks at a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) ministerial meeting in New York as U.S. and coalition forces were attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three times in Syria between Oct. 17 and Tuesday, according to the Pentagon.

The U.S. has not yet obtained any intelligence indicating Iran's direct involvement in the Hamas militant group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, but its officials have said the Islamic republic is "broadly" complicit given its history of backing Hamas and other proxy groups in the region.

"What we have consistently said to Iranian officials through other channels: The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen," Blinken said at the meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East.

"But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security  swiftly and decisively," he added.

The secretary also called on UNSC member states to join U.S. efforts to prevent an escalation of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

"If you, like the U.S., want to prevent this conflict from spreading, tell Iran, tell its proxies  in public, in private, through every means  do not open another front against Israel in this conflict; do not attack Israel's partners," he said.

"We urge members to go a step further: Make clear that if Iran or its proxies widen this conflict and put more civilians at risk, you will hold them accountable. Act as if the security and stability of the entire region and beyond is on the line, because it is," he added.

While highlighting Israel's right to defend itself, Blinken underlined the "vital" need to prevent civilian casualties in the war and called for "humanitarian pauses."

"Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the carnage committed by Hamas. Palestinian civilians must be protected. That means Hamas must avoid using them as human shields," he said.

"It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civiliansIt means civilians must be able to get out of harm's way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes," he added.

The White House distinguished potential humanitarian pauses from a ceasefire.

"From the beginning, we want to see all measures of protection for civilians and pauses in an operation is a tool and a tactic that can do that for temporary periods of time," John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told a press briefing. "That is not the same as saying a ceasefire. Right now, we believe a ceasefire benefits Hamas." (Yonhap)
Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:40 a.m. Thursday to correct the size of the church's freezer.

BECKET  The Becket Federated Church on Monday took delivery of a 21-cubic-foot convertible freezer, but stocking it might present a bit of an issue.

Like many emergency food sites in Berkshire County and in the other three western counties of Massachusetts, the church's food pantry relies on the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to stock its shelves.

In fact, the Food Bank provided an $869 grant toward the approximately $1,000 purchase of the freezer.

Now, the Food Bank is having freezer trouble. For several weeks, it hasnt been able to provide frozen meat or other frozen items to many of its member agencies.

The regional organization relocated to new quarters in Chicopee the last week of August in order to be centrally located. The largest population of people it serves lives in Springfield. The new location was also chosen for its proximity to both the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 91.

The 63,000-square-foot facility at 25 Carew St. more than doubled the capacity of the Hatfield location, and includes room for programming, something the Hatfield facility didn't have.

Christina Maxwell, director of programs for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, told The Eagle on Wednesday that while the there has been no loss of food since the freezer malfunction was discovered several weeks ago.

The problem is that the freezer is freezing everything, including the floor, the doors, like every surface in there is ice covered, she said. So it's not a food safety issue. It's a staff safety issue, and getting in the freezer and getting the food out.

She said contractors and engineers have been working on the freezer but havent yet determined the problem with the heavy icing.

Most of our agencies are accustomed to getting frozen food, Maxwell said. This would be something of a loss for them for the time being.

While there have been other minor hiccups with the regional organization's move, aside from the as-yet unsolved freezer woes, Everything has been great, Maxwell said. Were delighted to be here.

Morgan Ovitsky, executive director of Berkshire Bounty, said she's aware that there has been no frozen meat delivered to Berkshire County from the Food Bank since its move.

"There's a real need and a lack of meat in the emergency food network," she said. "We dont have plans to respond unless this continues."

As to the Becket food pantry, the Rev. Bill Mulholland at Becket Federated Church said he was unaware of the trouble at the Food Bank.

Were still in good shape, he told The Eagle on Wednesday. Its good to know theres issues right now in ordering.
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Two school districts comprised of eight towns total might be merging if voters want it. Care to know what's in the proposed regional agreement for the merged school districts?
An eight-town school district merger has been rejected  mostly by voters in the Southern Berkshire Regional district Seven towns held simultaneous special town meetings Monday on the proposed eight-town school district merger, with three towns voting against the plan. A fourth, Egremont, shot the plan down on Saturday.

On Saturday, Egremont was the first of eight towns to vote on a school district merger decision that would affect the educational future of all South County.

About four out of five registered voters didnt bother, according to a comparison of the final tally and the states voter enrollment statistics.

That phenomenon of low turnout for a decisive issue that conjured heated regional debate was not limited to Egremont. When the other seven towns voted on the issue Monday night at their respective town meetings, Sheffield, Monterey and New Marlborough all saw turnout percentages in the low 20s. The numbers were even more anemic in Great Barrington, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge: 9 percent, 7 percent and 8 percent. To tiny Alfords credit, a much bigger proportion of its voters turned out compared to other South County towns  though it was still well below the majority of registered voters at 35 percent.

This is not a complaint about the outcome  the margins were big enough in the towns for and against the merger that they likely wouldnt have closed given a little or a lot more turnout. Whats worrying to us is that an issue so immense in its regional publicization and importance only drew 15 percent of that regions combined electorate out to the polls. Egremont going first and producing a death-knell no vote for the merger agreement might have tamped down turnout in the seven other towns, but it was still important to take the pulse in other towns for possible future regionalization talks  and why was turnout still so low in Egremont where passions seemed highest over the merger proposal?

We arent just beating up on South County over this one electoral decision. Recently, discouraging signs of dwindling democratic participation and voter apathy have manifested across the Berkshires.

An election forum in North Adams offered residents one-on-one discussions with city candidates Most of the 20 candidates for mayor, city council, and local school committees were in attendance Wednesday evening.

In North Adams last week, an election forum last week offered a chance for voters to meet those running for the citys top elected public service positions, from the mayors office to the City Council and School Committee. Those who showed up were disappointed to find that there were more candidates than voters present. Maryann Abuisi, who attended the forum as a voter but previously served as the citys clerk, told an Eagle reporter covering the forum that she wished more people cared enough to take advantage of such civic opportunities.

The election is important, Abuisi said, but it seems to be, nowadays, people are lackadaisical about it, and we need to have more interest in whats going on.

In the town of Washington, an election took place without any candidates over the weekend. When a Select Board member resigned before the end of his term earlier this year, it triggered a special election to fill the vacancy, but no one took out papers.

Ahead of Saturdays election, Washington Select Board Chair Kent Lew reached out to the state election board for guidance on an apparently unprecedented electoral conundrum for the town. The state also didnt have much precedent to go by.

There is no provision in state law, Mr. Lew told The Eagle this week. We had to mount an election with a blank line.

(Former Select Board member Michael Case, who received the most write-in votes with 17, said this week that he will fill the Select Board seat.)

All of this is alarming to all who hold high the hallowed New England tradition of participatory democracy. After all, democracy is a verb  an action that we the people must take together. If we actually care to promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, as our Constitution puts it, we also must recognize that this document doesnt do it for us; it equips us to do it for ourselves and our communities.

If you care about an issue or an election enough to complain at the water cooler or on social media, then take it to the ballot box where it actually counts.

If you have deep disagreements with your elected leaders, youd better take every possible opportunity to learn who is running and why to empower your vote as much as possible.

If you really want to see change, then embody it by running for local office or otherwise serving publicly. In rural communities with smaller populations  and in the wider world of social media and coarsening public discourse  its both more difficult and more important than ever to field principled and capable candidates for local leadership positions.

And as we have pleaded before on this page, if you run for an elected position and your neighbors vest in you the confidence of their votes, then do everything in your power to serve out your full term. That goes especially in smaller towns where possible replacements are fewer and special elections are more onerous but the hindered public services and the citizens they serve are no less important.

Showing up one or two days a year at your local polling place to vote is the least that democracy asks of us. Its also a right thats been denied to so many  and is still compromised in some corners of our country  that we must never take for granted.

As we look toward the upcoming municipal elections in North Adams and Pittsfield, we urge voters of Berkshire Countys two cities to buck these recent depressing trends in democratic engagement and turnout.

Not only do you deserve a say about the future and leadership of your communities, but these decisions deserve your attention, lest they be decided only by a small minoritys will and the majoritys apathy.
Offering opportunities to enrich the experience of students and academics in both countries

The Apollo Hospitals Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Leicester, UK. The MoU will strengthen existing links with the UK and sets out a mutual desire to promote international cooperation and explore collaborative education and research programmes, particularly in the fields of healthcare management, healthcare and data science.

Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson of the Apollo Hospitals Group, said, This agreement with the University of Leicester (UoL) will explore the creation of education programmes, cutting edge research and global mobility opportunities for Indian students to excel in their area of interest. Building a healthcare workforce to global standards has been the cornerstone of Apollos education and skilling initiatives."

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to set out a vision to help to build the healthcare of the future with the potential to transform lives, not only in India and the UK, but around the globe.

As one of only 20 institutions in the UK, the University of Leicester Biomedical Research Centre was awarded 26 million of funding by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The Biomedical Research Centre will drive clinical research from the laboratory to the patient's bedside in the areas of; cardiovascular disease; respiratory and infectious diseases; lifestyle and physical activity; personalised cancer prevention and treatments; environment and health; and data innovations in multiple long term health conditions and ethnic health.

Another of the Universitys flagship projects is a 10 million initiative led by Professor Kamlesh Kunti which will see the University work with the UK, Indian and Nepalese governments to improve the health outcomes of those with multimorbidity, as well as create a self-sustaining international centre for improving management of multiple long-term conditions and disseminate outputs globally.
Israel vowed again to destroy Hamas, rejecting calls for a cease-fire from the U.N. chief, the Palestinians and many countries at a high-level U.N. meeting on Tuesday and declaring that the war in Gaza is not only its war but the war of the free world.

Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also dismissed calls for proportionality in the countrys response to Hamas surprise attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people and has since led to more than 5,700 Palestinian deaths in Gaza according to its Health Ministry.

Tell me, what is a proportionate response for killing of babies, for rape (of) women and burn them, for beheading a child? Cohen asked. How can you agree to a cease-fire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?

He told the U.N. Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 massacre is a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas, calling the extremist group the new Nazis. He stressed: It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty.

Cohen called the Oct. 7 attacks a wake-up call for the entire free world against extremism, and he urged the civilized world to stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas.

And he warned that today it is Israel, and tomorrow Hamas and the attackers will be at everyones doorstep, starting with the West.

Cohen also accused Qatar of financing Hamas and said the fate of the more than 200 hostages taken from Israel, some of whose families came to the U.N. meeting, was in the hands of its emir.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki demanded an end to the Israeli attacks.

We are here today to stop the killing, to stop  the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian civilian population," he said. Over 2 million Palestinians are on a survival mission every day, every night.

Under international law, he said it is our collective human duty to stop them.

Al-Maliki warned that more attacks and killings and weapons and alliances wont make Israel safer: Only peace will.

For those actively engaged to avoid an even greater humanitarian catastrophe and regional spillover, it must be clear that this can only be achieved by putting an immediate end to the Israeli war launched against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, he said. Stop the bloodshed.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the monthly meeting on the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict  which has turned into a major event with ministers from the wars key parties and a dozen other countries flying to New York  warning that the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour.

As the council met, a barrage of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip crushed multiple residential buildings and buried families under rubble. Nearly 90 countries were on the speakers list including about 30 foreign ministers and deputy ministers, many echoing calls for a cease-fire and halt to attacks on Palestinian civilians.

The U.N. chief said the risk of the Gaza war spreading through the region is increasing as societies splinter and tensions threaten to boil over. He called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire to deliver desperately needed food, water, medicine and fuel. He also appealed to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even farther.

Guterres stressed that the rules of war must be obeyed.

He said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrifying and unprecedented Oct. 7 acts of terror by Hamas in Israel and demanded the immediate release of all hostages.

But Guterres also stressed that those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

He expressed deep concern at the clear violations of international humanitarian law, calling Israels constant bombardment of Gaza and the level of destruction and civilian casualties alarming.

Protecting civilians is paramount in any armed conflict, he said.

Without naming Hamas, the U.N. chief stressed that protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields.

Guterres also criticized Israel without naming it, saying protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself.

Cohen, in his address to the council, criticized the secretary-generals remarks. After being told by a reporter at a stakeout later that the secretary-general stood by his statement, the Israeli minister said: There is no cause for this, and shame on him.

Israels U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan went further, taking issue especially with Guterres statement that its important to recognize that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

He accused the secretary-general of having lost all morality and impartiality and called for his resignation.

By contrast, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken , speaking for Israel's closest ally, thanked the U.N. chief for your leadership in this incredibly challenging time, particularly in getting humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

He stressed Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism but also called for protection of Palestinian civilians saying: We know Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people and Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the carnage committed by Hamas.

He said Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians and humanitarian pauses must be considered to get aid flowing into Gaza and enable civilians to get out of harms way.

Blinken told the council all countries are determined to prevent the conflict from spreading, saying a broader conflict would be devastating, not only for Palestinians and Israelis but for people across the region and indeed around the world.

He warned Iran  which supports Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen  that while the U.S. doesn't seek a conflict, it will respond swiftly and decisively to any attack on U.S. personnel by its forces or its proxies anywhere in the world.

Irans U.N. Ambassador Amir Iravani later accused Blinken of wrongly attempting to blame Iran for the Hamas attack, rejecting his groundless allegations and saying the Islamic Republic is committed to regional peace and security, and supports the call for an immediate cease-fire.

He echoed secretary-general Guterres statement that the Oct. 7 attack didnt happen in a vacuum and claimed the U.S. unwavering support for Israel and its rapid provision of military and logistical support made the U.S. complicit in the brutal massacre of innocent Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Iravani also claimed that Israel, as an occupying power, has no right to self-defense in Gaza under the U.N. Charter. But he said the Charter does recognize the right to self-determination and self-defense for the Palestinian people, which Iran supports, including resistance groups like Hamas, in the struggle against Israeli occupation.

The United States is pushing for adoption of a resolution that would condemn the Hamas attacks in Israel and violence against civilians, and reaffirm Israels right to self-defense. There were some expectations that it might be voted on Tuesday, but diplomats said it was still being negotiated.

Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council Moscow rejects the U.S. draft and is demanding an immediate ceasefire. The U.S. draft does not mention a cease-fire and Nebenzia said Russia is putting forward its own new proposed resolution.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, speaking on behalf of the 22-memeber Arab Group at the United Nations, accused Israel of waging a war that is killing innocent civilians and razing Gaza to the ground in violation of international law without any deterrent.

And the Security Council didn't even call for a cease-fire, he said, urging the U.N. body charged with maintaining international peace and security to adopt a resolution to stop the war, condemn the killing of civilians on both sides, and prevent the starvation of Palestinians and their collective punishment.

The Security Council must take a clear stance to reassure two billion Arabs and Muslims that international law will be applied, Safadi said. (AP)
Known for making innovative products catering to the gut microbiome, Indias first microbiome company, Bengaluru-based Leucine Rich Bio, has raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-series A round of funding.

The investment comes close to the heel of the company inaugurating a microbiome-focused gut health clinic in the heart of Bengaluru and exporting its products to the Philippines. The funding was spearheaded by prominent doctors including gastroenterologists and oncologists and biotech entrepreneurs.

The company raised its pre-seed funding worth Rs 2.3 crore in 2017. Besides the Philippines, Leucine Rich Bio has been exporting its products to Thailand since 2022. So far, the company has exported products worth more than Rs 18,00,000.

Commenting on the investment, Kumar Sankaran, CEO of Leucine Rich Bio, stated, "With this support, we are poised to take significant strides in our mission to harness the power of the microbiome to combat various chronic diseases and cancer."

The funds will be primarily utilised for marketing and development of new products. This investment will help the company in building its product portfolio and enhancing its R&D prowess. The company witnessed 20% year-on-year growth in 2022-23, while the quarter-on-quarter growth was 30% in quarter 2 of the financial year 2023-24.

Besides the popularity of its main product BugSpeaks, the company has seen an uptick in Rychbiome Indus demand by 101% in the period 2022-23 vs 2021-22.
TikTok, the short-form video platform, in its commitment to continue to raise awareness about mental health., launched a research survey in South Africa in line with its multi-market campaign, #MentalHealthAwareness: Better Together.

Better Together campaign raises awareness about mental health Source:  Leeloo Thefirst Pexels TikTok's #MentalHealthAwareness:campaign raises awareness about mental health

The Better Together. initiative aims to create a safer and more supportive environment where users can openly discuss their mental health experiences and access guidance.

The purpose of the survey was to gain insight into the emotions and perceptions of users regarding the platform's role in combating loneliness and fostering connections.

Among the 4,027 TikTok users who participated, it was found that 61% of them have built meaningful connections and/or friendships on TikTok.

Furthermore, 68% of the participants stated that they find a sense of belonging on TikTok, while 64% mentioned that using the platform makes them feel less alone.

More open dialogue and understanding

The platform acknowledges the shifting landscape of mental health discussions, which once carried a stigma but now see a more open dialogue and understanding.

Notably, TikTok has witnessed significant engagement on mental health-related content, with hashtags such as #MentalHealth, #SelfCare, and #MentalHealthAwareness collectively amassing over 175 billion views.

This highlights TikTok's role as a platform where individuals share their stories, connect, and support one another through life's ups and downs.

Bianca Sibiya, TikTok's Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, outlines the campaign's goals.

"TikTok continues to work closely with local and global organisations to provide meaningful resources to support anyone in need of help by implementing dedicated hashtags, in-app content hubs comprising educational materials as part of their ongoing campaign, says Sibiya.

She adds that communities are invited to come together to encourage positively-driven mental health conversations and social support structures.

We are also dedicated to amplifying the voices of advocates and experts, fostering awareness of mental well-being, and ensuring equal access to mental health resources.

A safe and inclusive global community

TikTok is dedicated to establishing a safe and inclusive global community.

"We employ a comprehensive approach, which involves not only removing harmful content but also connecting users to essential resources," explains Sibiya.

TikTok's Community Guidelines strictly prohibit content that promotes self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating.

The app automatically directs users searching for content that contravenes these guidelines to safety and support platforms.

These platforms offer assistance in overcoming various challenges, providing guidance on topics like gambling support, animal welfare, bullying prevention, digital well-being, and more, including insights from experts in the field.

A well-being guide for creators has also been published to facilitate discussions on mental health while upholding a respectful and secure environment.

Psychoeducational content

Boasting over 13 million views, content creator, mental health advocate, and psychologist Sanam Naran says she uses TikTok to raise awareness about mental health issues and provide support and inspiration to those facing challenges.

Many of my videos serve as psychoeducational content to increase awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. I educate viewers on various topics that can impact their mental well-being, she says.

Frequently, she adds, I create skit videos simulating therapy sessions, addressing subjects like anxiety, relationship challenges, workplace stress, self-esteem, body image, issues related to identity, race, sexual orientation, and intergenerational trauma.

Adopt a new mindset

Poloko Mmakgolane, a creator known as the Speaking Dynamo, seeks to transform limiting beliefs into soaring success.

He uses the app to encourage his followers to adopt a new mindset.

The primary purpose of my work, which includes content creation and seminars, is to help people understand the power of constructive, positive thinking.

My TikTok content centres around inspiration, encouragement, and teaching principles that empower individuals to cultivate a resilient and overcoming mindset.
Black Friday, the shopping extravaganza that has captured the hearts of South Africans, is just around the corner. With so many tempting deals on offer, it's easy to get carried away and overspend.

But with a little planning, you can make Black Friday work for you and stock up on essentials without breaking the bank for the festive season and what is typically a "Januworry" first month of the new year.

"Black Friday is a great opportunity to save money on essential items, but it's important to be prepared and stick to your budget. Prioritising needs versus nice-to-haves is important to ensure your spending takes advantage of the price benefits on essentials," says Doret Jooste, head of Money Management & Advisory Enablement and spokesperson for Walletwise, Standard Banks consumer finance education programme.

Jooste proposes some tips to help you make the most of Black Friday and avoid compulsive buying.

1. Budgeting for Black Friday: Create a budget and stick to it

Make a budget before Black Friday to see how much you can realistically afford to spend and then decide that you will stick to it. This will help you avoid impulsive purchases and overspending. Remember, the goal is to save money, not accumulate debt when you overspend.

2. Bulk grocery shopping: Save money and stock up on non-perishable essentials

Many grocery stores offer amazing discounts on non-perishable items like canned goods, pasta, and toiletries on Black Friday. This is your chance to stock up for the festive season and Januworry, saving you both money and time.

3. Online and printed catalogues: Plan your purchases in advance and streamline your shopping

Many South African retailers now advertise their Black Friday deals online before the big day arrives, even providing printed pamphlets in newspapers and in-store. Linked to the budget you have set aside, use the catalogues to compare prices and plan your purchases in advance.

Create a list to streamline your experience and to stay focused during your shopping.

4. Tech and appliance upgrades: Get the best deals on electronics and furniture

If you've been saving up for a new TV, laptop, or even a bed, Black Friday can be a great time to buy these big-ticket items. Retailers often offer very attractive deals on electronics and furniture. Do your research and compare prices beforehand to ensure you're getting the best bargain.

5. Cash or Card? Weigh the pros and cons

Decide whether you'll be using cash or a credit card for your Black Friday purchases. Using a credit card can offer additional security for your online purchases, while potentially earning rewards on your spending at the same time. Just be sure to pay off your credit card balance promptly to minimize interest charges. Remember to always be discreet with your cash and bank cards and vigilant of your surroundings.

Protect your PIN and monitor your account activity closely as fraudsters and thieves are typically on the prowl during these campaigns and festive seasons.

6. Returns, warranties, and expiry dates: Check before you buy

Remember to check the expiry dates of products as well as the return policy and warranty details before making a purchase. This ensures that you have options in case the product doesn't meet your expectations, needs repairs, or has expired.

7. Local business support: Pick up deals on unique items and contribute to your community

Don't forget about your local businesses! Some smaller stores also participate in Black Friday sales. Supporting them can contribute to the growth of your community while getting great deals on unique items.

Black Friday isn't just about indulgence, it's an opportunity to make WalletWise choices. By planning, making informed decisions, and focusing on essentials, you can use this shopping extravaganza to your advantage, concludes Jooste.
Packaging design and innovation forms the cutting edge of modern product marketing and 2023 has seen a host of new packaging trends emerge that are revolutionising product packaging. The latest trends in packaging and design will be on show at this year's Propak Cape 2023 exhibition taking place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from 24-26 October.

Visitors attend Propak Cape to stay informed about what's happening in the industry.

Technology-enabled or smart packaging solutions are one of the new trends to look out for. Integration of technology, such as QR codes, augmented reality, or temperature-sensitive sensors, can enhance consumer experience, share information, or track product freshness. Technology-enabled solutions that can be accessed using smartphone gadgets, leverage the experience of the end-user with the product and provide customers with more information about the product and connect them online.

Another trend in packaging is the increased focus on using eco-friendly materials to reduce waste and environmental impact, such as biodegradable, recyclable, or compostable materials. The use of plant-based materials for packaging, such as fibres or biopolymers, as well as encouraging consumers to reduce waste with packaging that can be reused or refilled multiple times all reduce societys reliance on disposable materials.

There are a number of packaging trends focused on trust and authenticity in the market such as transparent packaging materials which allow customers to see the product inside, increasing trust and showcasing product quality. Portion control and single-serving packaging is another trend on the rise, especially in southern Africa with the growing urban population. Consumer preferences for portion-controlled servings and on-the-go consumption has led to an increase in packaging designed for single servings or smaller portions. New gourmet frozen meals offer customer convenient ready-to-eat meals without sacrificing on quality and also a growing demand for vegetarian and plant-based food alternatives has led to packaging designed specifically for these food items, offering better protection and extended shelf-life for these growing markets.

Packaging specifically designed for easy storage, stacking and transportation are also growing in popularity. This is because manufacturers and retailers want to make efficient use of space and reduce material waste, and smaller households want to effectively store products in smaller spaces.

Many of these packaging trends will be evident at the Propak Cape exhibition.

Thousands of new and innovative products

Visitors to this years event can expect to see thousands of new and innovative products including the introduction of the latest AI-powered machine vision products and technologies from Westplex. The new Cognex In-Sight 2800 and 3800 machine vision system integrates advanced AI algorithms with high-resolution cameras to enhance packaging processes. It offers real-time quality control, identifying defects, inconsistencies, and errors in packaging materials with remarkable accuracy. The system optimises production lines by triggering events or detecting and alerting operators about any potential issues, minimising downtime and resource wastage. Westplex will also display the RDI Motion Amplification Cameras for representation of movement that was previously invisible to the naked eye; as well as the FLIR Online Thermography Cameras which identify hidden defects through precise thermal imaging at this years show.

USS Pactech will be showcasing a Wipotec OCS track & trace solution for 2D bar code printing and verifying at Propak Cape 2023. The company believes that the new track and trace solution will become the new standard for retail packs to trace products through the value chain as 2D-code technology becomes the universally accepted standard. The company will also display a range of machines for the food sector, such as the SN pouch machine for stand-up pouches with zipper running recyclable mono material, a Multiweigh 14 head scale, a PFM MBP RX 800 continuous intermittent bagger, a Variovac Optimus thermoformer and a Supervac belt type vacuum packing machine. For the beverage sector, USS Pactech will exhibit a Comac 10/2 can filler/seamer for carbonated products up to 6,000 cans per hour, which is of particular interest for craft breweries and wineries.

Ishida South Africa will launch the new Ishida IX-EN Series at Propak Cape. The new versatile X-ray inspection machine protects product contents and guarantees product security. The X-ray inspection machine can be used in a wide range of packed products, making use of the patented Ishida Genetic Algorithm (GA) technology which enables any operator to optimise the X-ray system for greater sensitivity to specific foreign bodies. Contaminants can be detected in steel, aluminium, tin, glass, stones, dense rubber, bones and shells, providing unrivalled food safety and brand protection. The IX-EN Series also offers many important quality control applications such as counting components, weight estimation, missing or broken items, product voids or deformations, Ishida will also have many live demonstrations on their stand.

PMD Packaging Systems will display their recently developed, locally manufactured Taurus sachet machine. The company also recently signed an exclusive agency agreement with Czech company Velteko and will be exhibiting the Velteko 360 Doy Pack machine at Propak Cape 2023, for the production of stand-up pouch packaging.

Astratek will launch the new Hygienic Conveyor which redefines conveyor solutions in the food industry. The new design reduces food safety risks while slashing cleaning time, boosting overall efficiency.

Tramper Technology SA, based in Somerset West, is able to locally design, manufacture and assemble packaging machines for the local market. They will showcase the companys Denester, Tramper D-360 infeed conveyer and Tray Sealing machine, Tramper S-360 at Propak Cape 2023. Visitors will also be able to see the new CAN4 Controller Suite in action on the D-360 Denester.

Plastrading will be showcasing HEUFT's innovative packaging technology at the exhibition. This technology is designed to improve the quality and safety of packaging processes, ensuring that products are packaged accurately and securely. Ensuring the highest product quality with maximum filler and closer efficiency is simply easy with the HEUFT SPECTRUM II VX. Proven functions for checking and inspecting full containers safeguard the quality of the products. The system uncovers losses in filler and closer performance before this can impair the efficiency of the complete line using an integrated quantifying system, serial fault detection and continuous monitoring. The high degree of automation of the HEUFT SPECTRUM II platform and the self-explanatory HEUFT NaVi user guidance take fill management to a new level.

Connect with just under 200 exhibitors at the show

With just under 200 exhibitors at the show, Propak Cape will provide visitors with the opportunity to see the latest in primary and secondary packaging, cutting-edge equipment in the food processing industry, and the newest production techniques and materials in plastics. Modern trends in packaging printing and the vital role of labelling will be in the spotlight, and visitors will also gain insight into state-of-the-art production machinery, equipment, and services.

Content-rich free-to-attend seminars will take place each day of the show, presented by industry experts.

Propak Cape is supported by the Institute of Packaging SA (IPSA), Packaging SA, Plastics SA, Printing SA, and the Aerosol Manufacturers Association (AMA). IPSA will be running a one-day high-level Responsible Packaging conference alongside the show on the Wednesday, 25 October. Booking and cost details can be accessed on the Propak Cape website.

Visitors can register online for free access to Propak Cape at www.propakcape.co.za.

Specialised Exhibitions is a division of Montgomery Group.




Eager hopefuls set their sights on the crown and the empowerment opportunities the pageant offers.

Khutso Maladzhi and Katlego Nyama

Its a sure sign that summer is on the way when the finalists for the annual Miss Soweto Pageant are announced. Many who have been selected in previous years testify to what a thrill it is to be named as a finalist and to the many doors of opportunity that swing open for contestants once theyre on that list.

Headline sponsor, White Star Super Maize Meal, has always emphasised the fact that Miss Soweto is not only about recognising both the inner and outer beauty but, as importantly, about offering a platform to uplift young women and provide them with an opportunity to develop to their full potential.

Many young women who enter Miss Soweto have limited life and career opportunities, says White Star marketing manager, Mokhele Makhothi, they do so because theyve seen the pathway to success that this iconic pageant offers.

Just some of the 40 plus previous winners include the legendary Miss World finalist and businesswoman Basetsana Khumalo, who is an inspiration to women of all ages. Others are Augustine Masilela, Miss Universe semi-finalist and founder and CEO of The Image Firm, and deejay and media personality, Lerato Kganyago, who took the title in 2005. All are self-starters who embody Sowetos vibrant energy and have not only built successful careers but have contributed positively to the development of their communities.

White Stars brand purpose is to promote overall well being of every individual we touch, says Makhothi, and thats an ideal we bring with us as the lead sponsor of Miss Soweto.

All finalists will attend a series of workshops designed to equip them with the confidence theyll need to navigate the Miss Soweto pageant itself and, as importantly, to build successful careers in a complex and competitive world in the future. The workshops focus on developing the whole person and include training in life, business, and personal skills, among others. Contestants are groomed to be worthy representatives of the energetic and resilient community they represent.

We recognise that true empowerment extends beyond the pageant stage and into real life, says Makhothi. Thats why we encourage participants to celebrate what it is that makes each one of them unique  and to use their special attributes to take ownership of their own lives and to be a force for good to the world.

It is for this reason that White Star not only sponsors Miss Soweto but also works with the Sowetan Womens Club on an ongoing basis to organise development workshops that give the aspiring female leaders of tomorrow the opportunity to learn from experts in different fields.

For now, the excited finalists are setting their sights on the upcoming pageant, which will be held at the Soweto Theatre on 25 November 2023. It is where the titles of #MissSoweto2023, First Princess, Second Princess, Miss Personality, Miss Photogenic and the People's Choice Award will be bestowed, heralding the start of a whole new chapter for the winners.

Its little wonder that Miss Soweto has had such a dedicated following since it was first launched in 1979. A celebration of beauty, grace, confidence, determination, and community spirit, it is the platform that has propelled many young Sowetan women to both local and international stardom.

The entire community has an opportunity to take part in the pageant by voting for the Peoples Choice Award. Voting opens on 19 October 2023 and will close just before the pageant on 24 November 2023, enabling everyone to cast their vote for their favourite contestant.

To take part and vote for your favourite contestant, simply text Hi to the WhatsApp number 073 065 1066 or click through to the White Star online voting platform at https://wa.me/27730651066?text=Hi and remember to include the number allocated to your choice. Fans can vote up to five times per unique mobile number.

For further information about the event and to view the profiles of all the #MissSoweto2023 finalists, click through to https://whitestar.africa/.

For more information about White Star Super Maize Meal, visit https://whitestar.africa/. Stay updated on the brand's story by following White Star on Facebook and Twitter/X.





Full list of Miss Soweto 2023 finalists:









Full name





Age and location









Reshoketsoe Monare





Age: 20

From: Johannesburg, Gauteng









Boikobo Mogobeng





Age: 19

From: Meadowlands, Zone 10, Soweto









Bonolo Motsukunyane





Age: 20

From: Naledi, Soweto









Diana Ndavani





Age: 21

From: Protea Glen, Ext 23, Soweto









Gugu Masango





Age: 22

From: Zola, Zone 2, Soweto









Kamogelo Mokone





Age: 21

From: Brakpan, Gauteng









Katlego Nyama





Age: 19

From: White City, Jabavu, Soweto









Khutso Maladzhi





Age: 22

From: Protea Glen, Ext 2, Soweto









Kwanele Grace Mabunda





Age: 20

From: Rockville, Soweto









Lebogang Mtshali





Age: 23

From: Protea Glen, Ext 16, Soweto









Lethaukuthula Ayanda Maseko





Age: 24

From: Jabulani, Soweto









Lungile Hlubi





Age: 22

From: Dlamini, Zone 1, Soweto









Nhlakanipho Amandla Mkongi





Age: 22

From: East Rand









Nomfundo Zungu





Age: 23

From: Klipspruit, Soweto









Nomthandazo Charmaine Madigo





Aged: 19

From: Currently residing in Pretoria









Ofentse Pitso





Age: 25

From: Meadowlands, Zone 2, Soweto









Ofentse Zamokuhle Radebe





Age: 21

From: Doornkop, Ext 1, Soweto









Olerato Sekgothudi





Age: 22

From: Meadowlands, Zone 1, Soweto









Paige Lynique Harvey





Age: 19

From: Eldorado Park, Soweto












A total of 3,200 eligible beneficiaries of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) are set to benefit from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa's (Prasa) development project in Cape Town.

This is as Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, officially opened the R1.2bn mixed-use development student accommodation and retail project in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Eris Property Group has secured the forecourt of the Cape Town Station on a long-term lease from Prasa and have completely reimagined this landmark location into a vibrant new precinct, spanning 2.4 hectares.

A 7,000 square meter retail sector is being renovated as part of this landmark project to better serve locals and commuters alike. The retail precinct is planned to be finished in November 2023. I am happy to inform you that the project is 82% complete, with students moving in, starting in February 2024, the minister said.

Prasa has invested in development projects for accommodation and retail facilities in Cape Town and Johannesburg to ensure it realises the full potential of its property portfolio.

In addition, the first phase of the R575m Goodwood Station Social Housing initiative is at about 70% complete.

Over a thousand rental units at reasonable prices will have been made available in the City of Cape Town thanks to this ambitious project by the end of October 2023.

The Public Real Estate Asset Management Company of South Africa, its investment company - Intersite Investment - the DCI Community Housing Services, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), the Infrastructure Fund, and the City of Cape Town all worked together to create this successful project.

It will include the construction of 1,055 affordable dwelling units on Prasa-owned land near the Goodwood Station, as well as a 5,000 square meter retail facility on the station deck. The completion of the projects second stage is anticipated for the year 2024, Chikunga said.

Chikunga said a significant step in ensuring Prasa's long-term financial stability is the 25% co-investment it has made in the Cape Town Station development via its special purpose vehicle, Intersite.

This exemplifies our determination to rebrand our stations as thriving communities where people can live, work and play, thereby transforming them into transit hubs that provide a better experience for passengers and shoppers, she said.

The minister explained that real estate investment and development, urban telecommunication and more fall within Prasa's secondary mandate, which is carried out by Prasa's property division, Prasa Corporate Real Estate Solutions, and Intersite Asset Investments.

To help defray the expense of operating passenger rail, we are carefully attempting to conform to worldwide best practices. Prasa's capacity to maintain its commitment to economical, dependable, and safe commuter train service is contingent on its ability to diversify its revenue streams beyond passenger fares, Chikunga said.

She also announced that Intersite is a co-investor in The Rynx, a real estate project in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The current Prasa offices in the Tippet building will be converted into 189 apartments and other uses as part of this project. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2023 at an estimated cost of R67m and it will take 18 months.

Additionally, we are nearing completion on 20 more student and gap year accommodation buildings across our broad train network. These initiatives are essential to realising the full potential of our property portfolio and reviving passenger train services, the minister said.
The World Bank said on Wednesday that its board had approved a $1bn loan to help South Africa reform its energy sector, as the country tries to overcome regular power cuts that have curbed economic growth.

The bank wants to support the country's reforms to split struggling power firm Eskom and to transition to a low carbon economy, it said in a statement.

Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, the World Bank's director for South Africa, said last month that the loan was under discussion and could come soon.

In Wednesday's statement, Marie-Nelly said reforms the government had launched would "benefit the people of South Africa - particularly the most vulnerable households - the economy, the environment, and advance the energy transition".

Eskom's generation fleet of mostly coal-fired power stations routinely break down, leading to outages of up to 10 hours a day.

Several plants breached government emissions regulations earlier this year, according to a Reuters analysis published in September.

The World Bank said its Development Policy Loan would contribute to a gradual reduction in water and air pollution by reducing the reliance on coal for power generation.

The Department of Public Enterprises pledged to split Eskom into three subsidiaries - transmission, generation and distribution - in 2019. In February, it agreed to take on R254bn of Eskom's debt, more than half its total debt, which was at risk of default.
Despite the frosty conditions facing the crypto market, Africa is proving to be a good climate. According to the 2023 African Blockchain Report by CVVC and Standard Bank, African blockchain startups raised $474 million which translates to 15% of the total venture funding raised on the continent, with a growth rate 12 times higher than general VC.

Crypto Fest 2022 panel: Managing Risk with DeFi Investments. Michael Jordan (Keynote Speaker): Business Development for Polygon Enterprise, Sebastian Stent: Product Marketing Manager for Web3 at Opera, Daniel Kimber: Co-founder of Bakari AG and Hannes Wessels (Keynote Speaker): Country Head for Southern Africa at Binance. Source: Crypto Fest

But even with this growth and its status as the fastest adopting crypto continent globally, Africa still receives only a fraction (1.8%) of the global blockchain venture funding. This shows that there is a huge opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs to tap into the potential of blockchain technology and the positive effect it can have in Africa.

Bitcoin Events positions Crypto Fest as the meeting place for the leading African minds to share ideas and the 2023 edition aims to transform Cape Town into a cryptopia on 24 November.

In the African context, custody and exchanges claimed more than half (52%) of that previously stated funding share, but remittances remain the primary use case for cryptocurrency in Africa, according to the African Union Development Agency.

With the high levels of international migration from the continent, traditional remittance methods can be expensive and time-consuming. Cryptocurrencies offer a fast and cost-effective alternative, allowing individuals to send money across borders quickly and cheaply.

Crypto is also a powerful tool to promote financial inclusion. Due to infrastructure problems, financial services are less accessible in Africa, leading to around 57% of the population remaining unbanked. Cryptocurrencies, which only require a smartphone to access blockchain networks, are becoming a good alternative to traditional banking in Africa.

Digital safety

This mass adoption comes with safety concerns as scammers flood the market to capitalise on the rapid growth. One of the key topics that will be explored at Crypto Fest is how to safeguard digital assets in a volatile and uncertain market.

Attendees will learn from experts about the potential risks associated with cryptocurrencies and how to mitigate them. They will also discover effective investment strategies, institutional adoption, regulation, and compliance issues that affect the crypto space.

Buying an entry ticket also grants attendees free access to valuable crypto workshops hosted by the event partners.

In Web3 Sanctuarys Cryptopia 101: Your Inaugural Dive into the Web3 Universe; attendees will gain an overview of the basics of cryptocurrencies and blockchain, such as:

What are cryptocurrencies and how do they differ from traditional money?

What is blockchain and how does it enable trustless and decentralised transactions?

What are some of the applications and use cases of cryptocurrencies and blockchain in various sectors and industries?

The session will be hosted by Devon Krantz, the founder and CEO of Web3 Sanctuary, an EdTech platform that trains web3 developers and onboard the users of tomorrow.

Graph cofounder Kent Fourie will host an introduction to The Graph protocol which will unpack decentralised APIs and the data layer of Web3.

Crypto Fest will provide insights into the potential economic impact of these emerging technologies in Africa. By doing so, it will help attendees understand the importance of crypto safety not just for individual investors, but also for the broader economic landscape.

The event will also play host to a Startup Pitch Competition where the next generation of Web3 innovators present their groundbreaking ideas for scrutiny by an experienced panel of judges. Creating a pipeline of new development to the crypto community is one of the Crypto Fest goals to help grow the industry.
Three years of unstoppable growth and expansion across Southern Africa.

Liam Faurie, head of go-to-market and operations at Oppo

Oppo South Africa, a dynamic contender in the fiercely competitive South African smartphone market, marks a significant milestone as it celebrates three years of strategic innovation and sustained growth. In a landscape traditionally dominated by industry giants, Oppo has solidified its position as one of the top four smartphone brands in South Africa, underlining its commitment to delivering state-of-the-art technology with accessibility at its core.

We have hit our target to ship one million units within our first three years, announces Liam Faurie, head of go-to-market and operations at Oppo. This is testament to our success and growing customer base.

Our focus now turns to the rest of the continent as we drive innovation, accessibility, and growth. We have established a presence in neighbouring countries, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, and Lesotho. This marks our strides in bolstering our regional presence.

Oppo's presence across all major South African mobile operators, including Vodacom, Cell C, MTN, Telkom and rain, has played a pivotal role in the brand's impressive ascent. This strategic collaboration has expanded Oppo's reach and made its innovative smartphones readily accessible to consumers from all walks of life.

Faurie underscores this achievement, stating: "Oppo's journey in South Africa has been a story of growth, powered by our dedicated team and valuable partnerships with mobile operators and channel partners who have shared our vision from day one. As we celebrate three years in South Africa, we recognise that our people and strategic alliances are the driving force behind our journey."

Oppo has become a significant employer in South Africa, offering opportunities to over 600 South Africans, a substantial contribution to addressing the country's high unemployment rates.

Empowering aspiring creatives and Strengthening local partnerships

Oppo's commitment extends beyond smartphones, as exemplified by the recent offering of 50 Reno Academy Bursaries to young women in the Amy Foundation Entrepreneurship Development Programme. The Reno Academy equips aspiring photographers, content creators, and creatives with skills to thrive in the creative industry, contributing to its overall growth.

Strategic partnerships with iconic South African entities, including Orlando Pirates, the Springboks, and SA Fashion Week, exemplify its commitment to embracing local culture and aspirations. These collaborations not only enhance brand visibility but also demonstrate the brands role as an integral part of South African culture.

Innovation tailored for all stages of life

Oppo's product portfolio, ranging from entry-level to premium and flagship devices, reflects its commitment to ensuring that every South African, regardless of where they are in their life journey, can experience Oppo's innovation. The brand's focus goes beyond the product; it's about making a meaningful difference at every stage of the customer's life.

Setting trends: Innovation and excellence

Oppo continues to lead the charge in innovation with the recent launch of the Oppo Find N2 Flip, a testament to the brand's dedication to pushing boundaries. Stepping into the burgeoning foldable smartphone market, Oppo's entry has been marked by cutting-edge camera capabilities, including AI-enhanced photos and video stabilisation, setting new industry standards.

Moreover, Oppo's SuperVOOC flash charging technology has consistently delivered industry-defying charging speeds, ensuring users stay connected and powered up.

As we celebrate the three-year milestone in South Africa, our vision is clear: to solidify our position as a pioneer among challenger brands in the country. Beyond smartphones, we are committed to nurturing local talent, fostering accessibility, and being a catalyst for change and progress, says Faurie.




Retirement is one of those phases of life that invites many perspectives. For some, it's the golden horizon they've been dreaming about, and working towards, their entire career - a chance to finally kick back, relax, and spend their days doing whatever they want. For others, the idea of ceasing work is unimaginable; a notion that contradicts their lifelong passion or sense of purpose.

Entrepreneurs fall into a particularly unique category when it comes to retirement. These are individuals who have often invested not just money but also their heart and soul into building their business.

For them, walking away from this lifelong project isn't just a career change; it's like leaving behind a piece of themselves.

Yet, the reality remains that even the most energetic entrepreneurs will need to slow down at some point in their lives. And unlike many salaried employees with retirement funds set up by their employers, entrepreneurs bear the full responsibility for planning their financial future.

So, while retirement may look vastly different for every entrepreneur, one common thread binds them together, and that is the absolute necessity to plan.

And irrespective of what your ideal retirement, or slower pace of life, looks like, there are a few common considerations to keep in mind:

1. Recognise that post-retirement is as important as pre-retirement. When planning for retirement, its crucial to consider not only how you'll finance your leisure days but also how youll fund the not-so-small details that come with getting older.

For example, are the appliances and car you own today going to last you through retirement?

Have you considered what your cost of living will be two decades after you stop working? And let's not forget the potentially sky-high medical costs that can come with advanced age. A good retirement plan digs deep into all these factors.

2. Consider all possibilities. It's tempting to think that your business will be your golden goose, ready to provide a massive lump sum upon your retirement.

But as the Covid-19 pandemic taught us, nothing is guaranteed. Your business value can be wiped out, or massively reduced, overnight. So, it's prudent to diversify your retirement savings across multiple avenues.

Fortunately, as an entrepreneur, you have many tools at your disposal to do this, ranging from retirement annuities, properties, shares and alternative investments, to unlocking value or income from the business you built. Remember that, when you dont have an employer pension fund, spreading your investment risk isnt just a good idea; its essential.

Ultimately, retirement for entrepreneurs is not merely an age or a date on a calendar; it's a life phase that requires as much planning, if not more, than the businesses they've built.

Not only must that planning include financial foresight, but it also requires a conceptual shift in understanding what they want their life after business ownership to look like.

Just as entrepreneurs dedicate years to building their enterprises, they also need to invest the same rigour into meticulously planning the financial future they envisage.

Ensure that your retirement savings span multiple assets, sectors, industries, and even geographical locations. The last thing you want is to decide youre ready for retirement, only to realise that a market or sector slump makes that impossible because all your eggs are in that poor-performing basket.

3. Leverage your business wisely. If your retirement plan includes unlocking value from your business, be sure you understand its true worth and youve put the structures in place that allow you to achieve your financial goals.

Many entrepreneurs have an inflated sense of their business's value due to emotional attachment. Then there are also the many complications that come with a family-owned business.

You need to have honest discussions with the family members you have identified to succeed you, clarify the logistical aspects of your exit strategy with a details business constitution, and understand all financial implications of that exit strategy.

And if your business is a franchise, make sure that you fully understand the exit requirements and expectations of the franchisor.
Israel escalated airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, crushing families in the rubble of residential buildings, as health officials said hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the past day and medical facilities were shut down because of bomb damage and lack of power.

The massive air bombardment continued through the night as Israeli jets hit sites across Gaza, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said.

The soaring death toll from the bombardment is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It augurs an even greater loss of life in Gaza once Israeli forces backed by tanks and artillery launch an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

Gazas 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the devastating Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on towns in southern Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 704 people over the past day, mostly women and children. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. also could not verify that one-day death toll.

The Ministry of Health is run by Hamas, and I think that all needs to be factored into anything that they put out publicly.

Israel said Tuesday it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they prepared to fire rockets into Israel and striking command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. Israel reported 320 strikes the day before.

Hamas is sworn to Israels destruction.

Israel, for its part, has vowed repeatedly since the massacre to crush Hamas.

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the U.N. Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 attack is a total destruction to the last one of the militants. It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty, he said.

The Israeli military said it thwarted an assault by a group of Hamas underwater divers who tried to infiltrate Israel on a beach just north of Gaza. They were attacked by air, naval and ground forces.

Across central and south Gaza, where Israel told civilians to take shelter, there were multiple scenes of rescuers pulling the dead and wounded out of large piles of rubble from collapsed buildings. Graphic photos and video shot by the AP showed rescuers unearthing bodies of children from multiple ruins.

A father knelt on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah next to the bodies of three dead children cocooned in bloodied sheets. Later at the nearby morgue, workers prayed over 24 dead wrapped in body bags, several of them the size of small children.

Buildings that collapsed on residents killed dozens at a time in several cases, witnesses said. Two families lost a total 47 members in a leveled home in Rafah, the Health Ministry said.

A strike on a four-story building in Khan Younis killed at least 32 people, including 13 members of the Saqallah family, said Ammar al-Butta, a relative who survived the airstrike. He said there were about 100 people sheltering in the building, including many who had evacuated from Gaza City.

We thought that our area would be safe, he said.

Another strike destroyed a bustling marketplace in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, witnesses said. AP photos showed the floor of a vegetable shop covered with blood.

In Gaza City, at least 19 people were killed when an airstrike hit the house of the Bahloul family, according to survivors, who said dozens more people remained buried. The legs of a dead woman and another person, both still half buried, dangled out of the wreckage where workers dug through the dirt, concrete and rebar.

The Health Ministry says more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 minors. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government.

As the death toll in Gaza spirals, and fuel supplies dwindle, the number of facilities able to deal with casualties is shrinking. More than half of primary health care facilities, and roughly 1 of every 3 hospitals, have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggled to triage cases as constant waves of wounded were brought in. The Health Ministry said many wounded are laid on the ground without even simple medical intervention and others wait for days for surgeries because there are so many critical cases.

While Israel has allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to enter, it has barred deliveries of fuel to Gaza to keep it out of Hamas' hands. The U.N. said its operation distributing aid will halt Wednesday evening if it does not receive fuel.

To make room for the dead, cemeteries have been forced to excavate and reuse old plots. Families have dug trenches to bury multiple bodies at a time.

Bodies pour in by the hundreds every day. We use every empty inch in the cemeteries, said Abdel Rahman Mohamed, a volunteer who helps transfer bodies to Khan Younis main cemetery.

Israel says it does not target civilians and that Hamas militants are using them as cover for their attacks. Palestinian militants have fired over 7,000 rockets at Israel since the start of the war, according to Israel, and Hamas said it fired a fresh barrage on Tuesday.

On Monday, Hamas released two elderly Israeli women who were among the roughly 220 people Israel says were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack and forced into Gaza.

Appearing weak in a wheelchair and speaking softly, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz told reporters Tuesday that the militants beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it hard to breathe as they kidnapped her. They drove her into Gaza, then forced her to walk several kilometers (miles) on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web, she said.

Once there, she said, she was treated well, fed and given medical care.

Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper were freed days after an American woman and her teenage daughter were released.

The Israeli military dropped leaflets in Gaza asking Palestinians to reveal information on the hostages whereabouts. In exchange, the military promised a reward and protection for the informants home.

Iranian-backed fighters around the region are warning of possible escalation , including the targeting of U.S. forces deployed in the Mideast, if a ground offensive is launched. Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire almost daily across the Israel-Lebanon border. (AP)
Katlego Malatji, a visionary engineer and the driving force behind ProjectOne Engineering , exemplifies the brilliance of African women in maths, science and innovating in the engineering space. Her journey with the Innovator Trust inspires pioneering African entrepreneurs who tackle unique African problems head-on with the solutions they create on home soil.

Katlego Malatjie, founder of ProjectOne Engineering

A foundation in engineering and innovation

Malatji's passion for engineering was nurtured from a young age by her father and teachers, who recognised her aptitude for mathematics and science. Immersing herself in the limitless engineering world, she knew it was her calling, so much so that she braved uncharted territory to pursue thrilling projects involving autonomous vehicles and passing legislation regarding artificial intelligence in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Working on cutting-edge projects involving autonomous driving and AI profoundly impacted her perspective. Malatji laments being unable to put her expertise to use in South Africa due to a lack of infrastructure and priority. Being at the forefront of game-changing technology opened her eyes to the true potential of AI in solving real-world problems. While working on a groundbreaking BREXIT project in the UK, her vision of enterprising in South Africa through engineering was concretised. "I had to return to South Africa and implement my learnings here," highlights Maltji. With this in mind, Malatji launched ProjectOne Engineering.

Challenges and triumphs as a young entrepreneur

Industrial engineering seems to be Malatjis calling, and establishing a start-up in this sector is precisely what she did upon her return to South Africa. ProjectOne Engineering, under Malatji's leadership, incorporates design and systems thinking to prioritise resource efficiency and waste reduction while ensuring that production and operation environments are digitally ready. In simple terms, our company helps factories make their production processes more efficient using technology and machines. These solutions range from machine selection to robotics, PLCs, camera or visual quality control, inventory management systems, ERP, MRP, QMS, material handling equipment automation and more, which all form part of manufacturing automation.

Yet, Malatji faced scepticism due to her age. "Despite this challenge, I'm fortunate to collaborate with businesses who believe my accelerated experience speaks for itself. As Oprah Winfrey advises, I will turn my wounds into wisdom to propel the business forward and create change for all of Africa." Navigating the entrepreneurial landscape has been challenging and rewarding.

Breaking boundaries with mentorship and collaboration

With the Innovator Trust, enabled by Vodacom, supporting her endeavours in the ICT sector, Malatji found an invaluable partner in her pursuit. The Innovator Trust's guidance and recognition of her strengths amplified her path to success. Her accolades include being nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30, winning Global Start-up Awards SA for Women in Tech, and being a nominee for the Southern African Global Start-up Awards: Diversity Role Model. All this recognition has reinforced Malatji's desire to lead South Africa into the 5th Industrial Revolution (5IR).

Building a legacy through 5IR while solving African problems

Malatji highlights they can use industrial engineering and manufacturing expertise to optimise African manufacturing and revive the sector. "We have the opportunity to leverage AI in fostering a sustainable African continent that efficiently manages its valuable mineral resources and drives the production of essential end products demanded globally. We merge traditional manufacturing engineering with ICT to help local manufacturers reduce operational and unit costs to gain a competitive advantage.

In her pursuit, she advocates for women to play a central role in shaping this tech-driven future. "Through our involvement as women, we proactively create a more inclusive and innovative world where diverse perspectives thrive, including ours. One woman who constantly demonstrates self-empowerment is her mother. "My mother is an enigma whose life reminds me to maximise every opportunity."

Beyond her business goals, she strives to inspire and create opportunities for future generations, ensuring they can confidently reach for the stars. In the face of challenges and barriers, Katlego Malatji and ProjectOne Engineering embody passion, resilience, and unwavering innovation. Her noteworthy journey reminds us that with determination and belief in our abilities, we can all contribute to a better world and engineer a brighter future for Africa.

Visit the ProjectOne Engineering company website for more information on the products and services available: www.projectone.co.za.

WOMEN IN TECH INVITES SMMES TO JOIN THE SHEVOLUTION MOVEMENT

Envisioning a world where technology is not only powered by women, but where women power technology.
A milestone move by the European Central Bank (ECB) toward launching a digital euro within a few years means the time has come for the newest incarnation of money to prove its worth.

Source: Reuters.

A few countries have introduced central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), China is trialling a prototype yuan with 200 million users, India is gearing up for a pilot and some 130 countries representing 98% of the global economy are exploring digital cash.

The ECB's move on Wednesday, 25 October, to establish a pilot that could lead to a digital currency for the 20 countries that use the common currency - making it the first heavyweight Western central bank to formally forge ahead - could become a global blueprint.

Supporters say CBDCs will modernise payments with new functionality and provide an alternative to physical cash, which seems in terminal decline.

But questions remain why CBDCs represent an advance, with uptake low in countries such as Nigeria that have adopted them, as well as protests against the ECBs plans, showing public concern about snooping.

Commercial bankers fret about the costs and possible deposit bleeds as customers could move money into central bank accounts, while developing countries worry that an easily accessible digital dollar, euro or yuan could cause havoc in their systems.

'What is money?"

The ECB's plan "is a very big deal, and a lot of the rest of the world is watching this closely", said Josh Lipsky, who runs a global CBDC tracker at the Atlantic Council.

"It is one of the biggest central banks, so if it comes up with answers to the privacy and cyber-security issues and the ability to use it offline, it will be very influential."

Central banks were spooked into action five years ago when Facebook floated plans for a breakaway currency. Now, though, policymakers have yet to fully persuade many why CBDCs are needed.

Fabio Panetta, the ECB executive board member overseeing the bank's digital euro work, said it would help "future-proof" the currency and reduce what he called an over-reliance on the payment systems of US.-based credit cards.

But experts are scratching their heads.

"It's not yet clear what the thing is that could be done with a retail CBDC that couldn't also be replicated with commercial-bank money," said Barclays' managing director of advanced technologies, Lee Braine, who has been involved in some of the Bank of England's digital pound projects.

"You are potentially breaking some of the singleness of money," he said, flagging the risk of a two-tier system if CBDCs are allowed different functionality or data-disclosure rules than bank accounts.

"This all comes down to, what is money?"

Defining a global standard

A key unknown is whether the US Federal Reserve or Bank of Japan will launch retail CBDCs.

India could be a more effective test environment than China because, while each Asian giant has more than 1 billion people, India has a far more open economy.

In contrast, Canada and some others appear to be tapping the brakes, while most of those already using CBDCs are seeing very little interest.

Data this month from the Bahamas, which launched the world's first digital currency in 2020, showed personal transactions of its SandDollar were down 11% in the first seven months of the year while wallet top-ups had plunged four fold.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) paper in May described public adoption of Nigeria's eNaira as "disappointingly low", with 98.5% of wallets never even used.

"The current adoption level of eNaira has been reflective of the early stage of CBDC awareness," the country's central bank said in a written response to questions, adding it had been "consistent" with expectations.

Bo Li, an IMF deputy managing director, said this month the multilateral lender was helping dozens of countries with CBDC plans and would soon publish a how-to guide. It is building what it calls its XC platform, meant to process or "settle" CBDCs transactions.

The Atlantic Council's Lipsky said this, along with the technology choices the ECB and India make, could start defining a worldwide standard, as VHS did early in videotape era.

"The overarching question" about developing CBDCs, Lipsky said, "is how does this improve the financial system? That it really does what it's all about."
Style ID Africa's commitment to empowering Africa's influencer marketing industry has manifested into a series of free webinars aimed at revolutionising the way we use social media for our brands and businesses.

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the South African market is poised for a transformative shift. With influencer marketing becoming a cornerstone of global brand strategies, South Africa is in need of comprehensive education on this dynamic and highly lucrative strategy. Many South African brands and agencies are yet to fully harness its potential.

Reflecting on webinars past:

Our first webinar, titled 'Navigating Legalities in the Creator Economy' provided attendees with a comprehensive overview of the legal framework surrounding content creation and entrepreneurship. Kyle Freitag, head of commercial law at law firm Legalese, shared invaluable insights, ensuring creators are equipped with the knowledge to protect their intellectual property, navigate contracts, and operate within legal boundaries. The event served as a vital stepping stone for brands and creators seeking to stay protected while collaborating.

'Understanding the Creator Economy' hosted by social media manager Asha Singh, presented a deep dive into the ecosystem that powers the success of South African creators. Attendees gained critical insights into audience engagement, maximising ROI, monetisation strategies, and the evolving role of influencers in the digital landscape. The event sparked meaningful discussions and inspired participants to rethink their approaches to content creation, authenticity, audience cultivation.

Affiliate marketing epitomises the future of digital commerce. Its performance-based model ensures cost-effectiveness and high ROI, making it a favoured strategy for businesses worldwide. With precise targeting and seamless integration, affiliate marketing unlocks new avenues for brand exposure and revenue generation in the digital age. This is why Style ID Africa saw it in the best interest to provide the industry with thought valuable leadership about the affiliate marketing opportunity in our own local context.

'Integrating Affiliate Programmes' led by guest speaker, and affiliate marketing specialist, Shannon Fogden, shed light on a powerful revenue stream for creators and marketers alike. Attendees learned how to forge mutually beneficial partnerships, optimise affiliate marketing strategies, and enhance their monetisation efforts. This session was a game-changer for brands and creators seeking to expand their revenue streams sustainably.

Whats to come (1 to 29 November 2023)

Building on this success, Style ID Africa is thrilled to announce its upcoming lineup of webinars, each promising to provide even greater insights into the influencer marketing industry and creator economy for the benefit of your brand:

The rise of AI tools for marketers

This thought-provoking session will delve into the transformative power of artificial intelligence in marketing. AI engineer, AI assessor and process automation expert, Ph.D Joseph Mtetwa, will showcase how AI-driven tools are revolutionising customer engagement, data analysis, and campaign optimisation. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how AI can enhance their marketing efforts and drive business growth.

The future of retail: Exploring AR

In this cutting-edge webinar, creative digital marketer and leading AR strategist, Dean Joffe, will explore the fusion of augmented reality (AR) and retail, offering a glimpse into the future of shopping experiences. Attendees will discover how AR technology is transforming the way consumers interact with brands, and gain actionable strategies for implementing AR solutions in their businesses.

Understanding the creator economy

Due to popular demand, Style ID Africa is returning with a follow-up session, offering deeper insights and perspectives on the creator economy, with digital marketing specialist, influencer marketing specialist and campaign manager, Baji Legoete. This webinar will explore emerging trends, highlight success stories, and provide practical strategies for thriving in the digital world. Whether you're a seasoned creator or just starting out, a brand who is new to working with creators or an experienced entity, this session promises invaluable takeaways for all.

Each of these webinars promises to be a thought-provoking and transformative experience for attendees, offering them the tools and knowledge needed to power business growth.

We are truly excited about the impact our webinars have had on the creator community so far, said Savon Matjane, innovation and marketing lead at Style ID Africa. The positive feedback and engagement from our attendees have been inspiring, and we are confident that our upcoming sessions will continue to empower creators, marketers, and industry professionals alike.

Register here for free. For any questions, queries and guest speaker enquiries please contact az.oc.dielyts@ofni.




The main U.N. aid agency in besieged Gaza warned it will have to stop operations by the end of Wednesday because it is running out of fuel as Hamas said the death toll from Israeli strikes had surged by more than 700 in a single day.

Alarm has grown about the spiralling humanitarian crisis in the heavily bombarded Gaza Strip where one doctor said he was forced to perform emergency surgery on the wounded without anaesthetic.

Israel has cut off impoverished Gaza's usual water, food and other supplies, and fewer than 70 relief trucks have entered since the war started -- "a drop of aid in an ocean of need", warned U.N. chief Antonio Guterres.

Israel has bombed Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants who, while firing a massive rocket barrage, killed more than 1,400 people and took 222 hostages on October 7, according to Israeli authorities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "eliminate Hamas" and Israeli strikes have now killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, a rise of over 700 since Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Inside the battered Palestinian territory, Abu Ali Zaarab, whose family house in Rafah was bombed, charged angrily that "they're not waging war on Hamas, they're waging war on children... It's a massacre."

Tempers flared earlier at the United Nations where Guterres decried the "epic suffering" in Gaza and the "collective punishment" of its 2.4 million people, drawing a furious response from Israel.

"Mr secretary-general, in what world do you live?" replied an infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who recounted graphic accounts of civilians including young children killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that the U.N. chief had "expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder".

U.S. President Joe Biden -- who has strongly backed Israel's war after what he called the "barbaric" Hamas attacks, but also brokered the entry of relief trucks via Egypt -- shared the concern that the aid lifeline is "not fast enough".

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said "food, water, medicine and other essential humanitarian assistance must be able to flow into Gaza" and that "humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes".

As the Gaza war has raged, violence has also risen sharply in the occupied West Bank, where health officials said more than 100 Palestinians had been killed, mostly in raids by Israeli troops or in clashes with Israeli settlers.

'This is a tragedy'

On the 19th day of Israeli air and artillery strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA warned operations are at breaking point.

"If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip," said the agency which provides aid to 600,000 displaced in Gaza, where many families have slept in the open.

Israel has refused to allow fuel shipments into Gaza, fearing Hamas will use it for weapons and explosives and accusing the militant group of stockpiling supplies in large tanks.

Aid groups have warned that more people will die if medical equipment, water desalination plants and ambulances stop running in Gaza, where the only power plant went offline weeks ago.

Patients are already being treated on the floors of hospitals overwhelmed with thousands wounded by bombing. The Red Cross has warned that hospitals, once the generators stop running, "turn into morgues".

"We performed a number of surgeries on the wounded without anaesthetic," said Ahmad Abdul Hadi, an orthopaedic surgeon working in the emergency room of Nasser hospital, Khan Yunis.

"It's tough and painful, but with the lack of resources, what can we do?"

Aid agencies report that emergency shelters and tent cities are heaving under the weight of 1.4 million displaced -- more than half the population of the 40-kilometre (25-mile) long coastal strip.

Air strikes have kept hitting Gaza, where Israel says it is targeting Hamas sites, including tunnels and munitions depots, but where many residential buildings have been reduced to rubble.

Amine Abu Jazar, from Rafah, recounted how "at midnight, while we were sleeping, we suddenly felt shrapnel and rocks falling on us.

"We already have injured and martyrs among us, this is a tragedy. There's not even any electricity to see each other, the dead or the injured."

'Anxious world'

The Gaza war has sparked fears of a regional conflagration if it draws in more of Israels' enemies -- especially Iran-backed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah which has already traded deadly cross-border fire with Israel.

Israeli strikes also killed eight soldiers early Wednesday in the south of Syria, another Iran ally, the defence ministry in Damascus said. The Israeli army said it was in response to earlier rocket fire.

Israel also bombed Syria's Aleppo airport for a fourth time in two weeks, the defence ministry said.

Hezbollah's leader met with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad senior representatives in Beirut Wednesday to discuss how "to achieve real victory in Gaza and Palestine" and stop Israel's "brutal aggression", a statement said.

French President Emmanuel Macron -- the latest Western leader in the region for crisis diplomacy -- headed to Egypt after earlier stops in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhumane" war.

Israel has meanwhile continued to mass tens of thousands of troops outside Gaza ahead of a ground offensive that has been anticipated for more than two weeks.

Military planners expect difficult urban combat in an area latticed by tunnels. The risk is heightened by the presence of the hostages, four of whom have been released after mediation involving Qatar and Egypt.

The devastating war is already impacting regional economies by deterring investment and tourism and driving up insurance costs, warned International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva.

In Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan "the channels of impact are already visible", she told a Saudi investor forum. "What we see is more jitters in what has already been an anxious world." (AFP)
In his latest story, an October 20 article for The New Yorker, Rasgon and staff writer David Kirkpatrick describe conditions at Nasser Medical Center in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. The hospital is dangerously overfull, with not nearly enough beds, medicine, or medical supplies to treat all the wounded who arrive in large waves after air strikes. Everything is in short supply: food, fuel, and electricity. Families displaced by the war are also seeking shelter at the hospital, laying their bedding in courtyards, corridors, and on rooftops.

For other recent articles Rasgon has written about Gaza and Israel, he has interviewed senior Hamas leaders and Israeli victims of the Hamas attack.

After graduating from Bowdoin, Rasgon worked in Israel and Palestine, writing articles as a freelance journalist before working as a reporter for The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, and The New York Times. He's now on the editorial staff of The New Yorker.

Rasgon grew up near Los Angeles and vacationed in Maine with family friend Dora Anne Mills 82, a physician who served as Maine's director of public health for fourteen years and is the sister of Governor Janet Mills. Rasgon returned to Maine to attend Kents Hill School before enrolling at Bowdoin.

Rasgon also attended the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, Maine, when he was a teenager, and "became very committed to addressing Middle Eastern peace," Mills said.

In an email, Rasgon wrote that his "interest in the Middle East first started with Seeds of Peace and was nurtured at Bowdoin, especially by Professor Robert Morrison." Morrison is Bowdoin's George Lincoln Skolfield, Jr. Professor of Religion and Middle Eastern and North African Studies and director of the Middle Eastern and North African Studies Program.

"It's hard to believe the situation has deteriorated as much as it has since then, but I hope things will calm down again soon," he added.
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A charity that supports Ukrainian refugees in Ireland has described proposals to change how Ukrainian refugees are accommodated in Ireland as not humane, practical or sensible.

The founder of Effective Aid Ukraine, Tom McEnaney, told RTE radios Today show that the proposals were out of line with the general response of the Irish public towards people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

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Reports indicate that Minister for Children Roderic OGorman presented proposals to the Cabinet for a change to the way in which accommodation is provided by the State which would include a measure whereby new arrivals would spend 90 days in dormitory-style accommodation, after which they would have to find a place to live.

Mr McEnaney said it did not make sense to move people out of emergency accommodation after three months to find their own place when we all know that there is no accommodation available.

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The proposals would force Ukrainian refugees into homelessness at a time when those services were already completely overburdened.

Ireland Government clash over offering Ukrainians accommod... Read More

Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan told the same programme that it must be recognised that the war in Ukraine was a long-term reality and the Department of Housing had been effectively absent on this issue for almost two years.

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It was quite likely that women and children from Ukraine could stay in Ireland for a number of years and they could not be kept outside of the provision of housing and social welfare, she said.

John Lannon, chief executive of the human rights organisation Doras, had earlier told RTE radios Morning Ireland that the Government appeared to be more focused on how to limit the number of people coming to Ireland rather than addressing the lack of available accommodation.

While there was no doubt that changes to Ireland's refugee policy were needed, he said, people need somewhere to live. Accommodation standards had already been lowered to the extent that some people are now living in tents.
There are reports of a major rift within the Government over new plans for Ukrainian refugees.

Minister for Roderic O'Gorman presented Cabinet with a proposal that would see new arrivals offered State accommodation for only 90 days.

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Ukranians would then have to find accomodation through the private rental sector or through an offer-a-home scheme.

A shortage of housing has left the Government resorting to using tents in some cases, which was seen in Stradbally, Co. Laois, where refugees were left in tents after Electric Picnic.

The Irish Times reports Tanaiste Micheal Martin and other Fianna Fail ministers took issue with the new time limit, claiming it would effectively push the problem onto the Department of Housing as refugees look for alternative accommodation.

Concerns were raised as to how this would affect homeless services. However, other sources in the Government queried this, saying that under the temporary protection directive which allows Ukrainians rights within the EU, they dont have entitlements to housing or homeless services through the Department of Housing.

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Mr Martin also raised concerns as to how this could affect the education of Ukrainian children, should they be moved around after just three months in the country.

In what was described as a heated meeting amongst coalition, possible new reforms regarding welfare supports was discussed, with concerns raised over high Irish rates of social welfare are acting as a factor for Ukrainian refugees to come to Ireland over other European countries.
Donegal has been named the fourth-best region in the world to visit in 2024 by Lonely Planet, coming in ahead of places like Southern Thailand, the Swahili Coast in Tanzania and Montana in the United States.

The leading travel media company unveiled the accolade on Wednesday in Lonely Planets Best in Travel 2024  its collection of the worlds "hottest trends, destinations and experiences for the coming year".

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Donegal is described in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2024 as having the highest sea cliffs in Europe at Sliabh Liag, at 601m (1972ft), and miles of unspoilt coastal hiking trails along the Wild Atlantic Way. The guide also says that Its ancient forts, musical traditions and rich heritage of the Irish language also make it an immersive experience for the curious visitor.

Fintra Beach, Co Donegal.

Welcoming the news, Alice Mansergh, chief executive designate of Tourism Ireland, said: Its really great news that Donegal has been named the fourth-best region in the world to visit in Lonely Planets Best in Travel 2024. It will surely help inspire international travellers to put Donegal and Ireland on their holiday wish-list for next year.

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"Its another well-deserved accolade which will help position us well for 2024 and set us apart from competitor destinations. I would like to extend my thanks to Lonely Planet and my congratulations to all the tourism and hospitality providers in beautiful Donegal.

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Silver Strand, Malin Beg, Co Donegal.

The island of Ireland has been particularly successful in the prestigious Lonely Planets Best in Travel accolade over the years. Previous accolades have included Dublin being declared the seventh-best city in the world to visit in 2022; the Burren Ecotourism Network being named a Best Community Tourism Project for 2021; Galway being declared the fourth-best city in the world to visit in 2020; Belfast and the Causeway Coast named the Number One Region in the world to visit in 2018; the Skellig Ring drive being named a Top Ten Region to visit in 2017; Dublin named the third-best city in the world to visit in 2016; and Ireland being declared the fifth-best country in the world to visit in 2015.
Representatives of up to 100 businesses and organisations met in Midleton this morning to discuss a group response to the crisis facing the town following last weeks flooding.

Dr Mike Thompson told RTE radios Morning Ireland that there was a lot of energy in the room as businesses, trades, professional services attended the meeting at which there was standing room only, he said.

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There were also a lot of emotions in the room, he added. The emotions ranged from anger, frustration, resilience, pragmatism and a great sense of altruism as well. There was a wealth of experience in the room. There's this logic, this passion, and we essentially distilled an agenda.

"Obviously, this is just a one off meeting and we have kind of short term, medium and long term goals. And so short term is that the time is now cleaning up and we have 60 days to Christmas. Midleton is open for business. We are resilient. We would like people to come and support our town. It is a lovely town.

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We also are very appreciative of course we are of all those who helped our community, the sense of community and bonhomie from the sporting clubs, from the volunteer groups, from all the agencies which are still in evidence this morning.

And there is also an acknowledgment that the central funding yesterday was very gratefully received, we hope that progress will be efficient and quick now. There were also some novel ideas about rates moratoriums, tax reductions, revenue deferment payments.

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"But ideally what we are looking for is we have six years before we realistically will have a flood defence plan in place. We are looking that if this happens again, the government would underwrite any further occurrence until that time.

Dr Thompson said that his general practice is operating at about 25 percent capacity at present with the priority being acute cases. It will be two weeks before they are back to 100 percent capacity.

While he welcomed the reported revised upper limit of 100,000 in assistance, his costs were likely to be much more.

Dr Thompson was hopeful that he and other businesses in Midleton would start drawing down sums in the next few weeks, but the worry was that they paid the same insurance as every other trader in the country, but they still did not have (flood) cover.

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We are just unlucky that we do not have a flood defence scheme, so we just are not covered for flood and this is not our first flood. In 2015 there was a less devastating flood. And promises were made on that occasion that this would not happen again.

Dr Thompson warned that the town would not survive if there was another flood like last week. We need a new flood defence plan. Businesses were looking at reinvesting, taking out loans, dipping into their life savings, going to banks, using whatever grants they could get so they could reopen.

I could be talking to you again, unfortunately, next week, next month and next year with the same story. And that for most people it's a chilling effect.
Minister of State Joe OBrien has said that the Government cannot continue as it has been doing - trying to scurry around to find accommodation for people continuing to arrive in Ireland fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Mr OBrien told RTE radios News at One that it was his understanding that a draft memo had been proposed. I haven't seen the specifics that's in it. There is a process where officials from different departments are talking to each other about what's doable and what's not doable.

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But I suppose the bottom line is we can't really continue as we have been in terms of how, in particular my department, the Department of Children and the officials there, have been trying to scurry around to find accommodation when we have 700 people continuing to come in."

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The Green Party TD added: Our offering is open ended. There's no time limit on it, and that's actually out of kilter with the rest of Europe as well. But it's important to say, and if the public probably don't realise this, but during the summer, at the end of the summer, we came very close to not having any accommodation of any kind, for quite a large number of Ukrainians who have been staying here, who had to move out of student accommodation that we were using temporarily.

And we've come to a number of very close pinch points over the last 18 months, but particularly this year where we are staring down the possibility of Ukrainians not having any accommodation. So we don't want to get to that point. Okay. But we have to grasp the nettle and adapt and redesign the system so that we can in the medium term continue to fulfil and continue to welcome Ukrainians here.

90-day cap

Mr OBrien said it was not his understanding that there would be a 90-day cap on State provided accommodation for people arriving from Ukraine.

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Ireland Changes to supports for Ukrainian refugees in Irel... Read More

Different options were being examined, particularly for people in vulnerable situations.

There were a number of strands of options available, he said. There are quite a few pledged properties available at the moment. Just in the last week we've had 250 people moved into properties. That's a small amount in terms of what's coming in at the moment, but that is an option. For example, it's important to say as well, there are 25,000 Ukrainians who are not in state provided accommodation and are in accommodation that they're sourcing themselves as well.

"But a lot of this has to be worked out and that's why we need all the government departments around the table and giving their feedback in terms of how it would impact them and how we change the offer for a more sustainable one that will last to the medium term.

Mr OBrien also said there were several reasons why people from Ukraine were arriving in Ireland from other European countries. Some may come because they already had family here, others for the employment opportunities.
The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah group held talks on Wednesday with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures in a key meeting of three top anti-Israel militant groups amid the war raging in Gaza.

A brief statement following the meeting said Hezbollahs leader, Hassan Nasrallah, agreed with Hamass Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihads leader, Ziad al-Nakhleh, on the next steps that the three  along with other Iran-backed militants  should take at this sensitive stage.

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Their goal, according to the statement that was carried on Hezbollah-run and Lebanese state media, was to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and halt Israels treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank.

No other details were provided.

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Hezbollah fighters stand guard on the roof of a building in Beirut to protect supporters during a protest to show solidarity with the Palestinians. Photo: Hussein Malla/AP.

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The discussions in Beirut came as the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, is now in its third week.

The fighting, triggered by Hamass deadly incursion into Israel on October 7th that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, has killed more than 5,700 Palestinians in Gaza.

As the Gaza death toll spirals, tensions have also been rising along the tense Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah members have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops since the day after Hamass rampage into Israel.

For now, those exchanges remain limited to a handful of border towns and Hezbollah and Israeli military positions on both sides.

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Lebanese army soldiers and United Nations peacekeeping forces have deployed in large numbers.

Dozens of Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the clashes so far, the group says, while the Israeli military has also announced some deaths among its ranks.

Mr Nasrallah has yet to publicly speak about the war in Gaza and clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border. However, other Hezbollah top officials have warned Israel against its planned ground invasion into the besieged territory.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will retailiate aggressively in case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah from Lebanon. Photo: Christophe Ena/Pool/AP.

Israeli officials have said they would retaliate aggressively in case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah from Lebanon.

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We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state (will be) devastating, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while visiting Israeli troops along the border with Lebanon on Sunday.

Lebanons cash-strapped caretaker government, along regional and international figures, has been scrambling to keep the country out of the war.

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Hezbollah and Israel fought a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a tense stalemate.

Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.
Russia has fired 11 Shahed drones against targets deep inside Ukraine, with falling debris damaging power lines near a nuclear power plant in the countrys west, officials said.

Ukraines air force said it had intercepted all the overnight drones.

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For the fourth day in a row, the Kremlins forces took aim at the region of Khmelnytskyi, injuring 16 people, according to local authorities.

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Ukraines Ministry of Energy Infrastructure said falling drone wreckage in Khmelnytskyi broke windows in the administrative building and the laboratory of the local nuclear plant and knocked out electricity to more than 1,800 customers.

The plant is about 120 miles east of the border with Poland.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said his countrys air defences are preparing for another winter of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as the war enters its 21st month.

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But Kyiv also plans to take the fight to Russia through its ongoing counter-offensive, he added.

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This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond, Mr Zelensky said. The enemy knows this well.

Last winter, Moscows drones and missiles zeroed in on Ukraines power grid, hoping to erode the countrys will to resist Russias invasion by denying civilians heating. Ukraine said it was an effort to weaponise winter.

The looming wintry weather could further hamper battlefield movements in a conflict that is largely deadlocked, and compel the warring sides to focus more on long-range strikes, including drones which have played a key role in the war.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Moscow is likely trying to expand and diversify its arsenal of drones, missiles and guided bombs for strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure ahead of the change in weather.

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Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP.

Russia appears to be increasingly supplementing the use of Shahed drones with cheaper and lighter domestically produced drone variants during strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, it said.

Russian news reports have mentioned one such drone, Italmas, which reportedly has a range of about 120 miles, allowing Moscows forces to strike targets far beyond the front line.

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Another is an upgraded version of the Lancet drone with an extended range, which has been used extensively on the battlefield.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited his countrys forces in eastern Ukraine, his ministry said on Wednesday, meeting senior officers in the southern part of the Donetsk region to discuss preparations for the winter, according to the defence ministry.

The chief of the eastern group of forces, Lieutenant General Andrei Kuzmenko, reported on forming dedicated drone units in the area and on storm units tactics in capturing Ukrainian strongholds, the ministry said.

It also said that four Ukrainian drones had been shot down over Russias western Bryansk region early on Wednesday. Another was jammed and forced down near Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea.

In Ukraine, at least three civilians were killed in the east and south over the previous 24 hours, and 22 people were injured in the west and south east, the presidential office reported on Wednesday.
German authorities have called off the search for four crew members missing after their British-flagged cargo ship sank following a collision with a larger vessel in the North Sea.

The Verity, which had seven people on board and was en route from Bremen to the port of Immingham on the east coast of England, sank shortly after the crash, which happened about 14 miles (22.5km) south-west of the German island of Heligoland a little before 5am on Tuesday.

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Two sailors were rescued and the body of another was recovered.

Rescue ships and aircraft participating in the search were unable to locate the four missing crew members on Tuesday, and divers sent down to the wreck of the Verity to check for any signs of life were unable to find anything.



The freighter Verity had seven people on board when the collision happened (Dietmar Hasenpusch/dpa/AP)

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Officials said the water temperature at the time of the collision was about 12C (54F), which experience has shown people can survive for about 20 hours.

Germanys Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said the entire sea area where the missing sailors might be was searched again during the night without results, and rescuers then stopped the search.

It said search efforts on the surface will not be resumed on Wednesday but the emergency command will consider what measures can be taken around the site of the accident in the course of the day.

The larger cargo ship involved in the collision  the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, which had 22 people on board  was able to reach the German port of Cuxhaven under its own steam.

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There has been no word on the cause of the collision.
Hurricane Otis has slammed into Mexicos southern Pacific coast as a Category 5 hurricane, bringing dangerous winds and heavy rain to Acapulco and surrounding towns, stirring memories of a 1997 storm that killed dozens of people.

It had weakened to a strong Category 2 storm by Wednesday morning, and is expected to continue to lose power quickly in Guerrero states steep mountains, but the 5in to 10in (13cm to 25cm) of rain forecast, with as much as 15in (38cm) possible in some areas, raised the threat of landslides and floods.

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Otis was about 60 miles (100km) north-north-west of Acapulco, moving at 10mph (17kph), with maximum sustained winds decreasing to 110mph (175kph).



A satellite image from Tuesday shows Hurricane Otis approaching Mexicos Pacific coast (NOAA/AP)

The centre of the storm is expected to move further inland over southern Mexico through Wednesday night.

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Mexican authorities provided no immediate damage assessments as heavy rain continued to pound the area, but local media reported widespread power outages across Acapulco.

A long convoy of trucks from the national electric company moved through the Guerrero state capital Chilpancingo before dawn on Wednesday towards Acapulco.

Otis had strengthened rapidly, going from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 12 hours on Tuesday. Residents of Guerreros coast scrambled to prepare, but the storms sudden intensity appeared to catch many off guard.

Were on maximum alert, Acapulco mayor Abelina Lopez said on Tuesday night as she urged residents to shelter at home or move to the citys shelters.

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Videos from hotel guests in Acapulco as the storm came ashore showed blinding horizontal rain and howling winds.



Tourists on the beach in Acapulco (Bernardino Hernandez/AP)

Otis is stronger than Hurricane Pauline which hit Acapulco in 1997, Ms Lopez said, destroying large areas of the city and killing more than 200 people. Hundreds of others were injured in flooding and mudslides.

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Between the internationally known resorts of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo are two dozen small towns and villages perched between the mountains and the ocean.

Otiss arrival came just days after Hurricane Norma struck the southern tip of Mexicos Baja California peninsula to the north.

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Acapulco is a city of nearly a million people at the foot of steep mountains, with luxury homes and slums alike covering the citys hillsides with views of the glistening Pacific. The city had opened two dozen shelters in the hours before Otis made landfall.

Guerrero is one of Mexicos most impoverished and violent states. On Monday, a local police chief and 12 officers were massacred and found on a highway in El Papayo, in the township of Coyuca de Benitez, not far from Otiss impact zone.
Israeli officials expressed outrage on Wednesday after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel did not happen in a vacuum, calling his comment justification for terrorism.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a scheduled meeting with Mr Guterres, while Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust memorial centre, said the UN chief failed the test.

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I will not meet with the UN secretary-general. After the October 7 massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet! Mr Cohen posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.





The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN.



I call on him to resign immediately.



There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most Advertisement  Ambassador Gilad Erdan   (@giladerdan1) October 24, 2023 Advertisement

Israels envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called for Mr Guterres resignation, saying Israel must rethink its relations with the world body.

We will refuse to grant visas to UN representatives. We have already refused to give one to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, Mr Erdan told Army Radio, accusing Mr Guterres of justifying a slaughter. Its time to teach them a lesson.

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Israel has historically had tense relations with the UN, accusing it of being biased against it.

On Tuesday, Mr Guterres addressed a special Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas conflict which was sparked by the militant groups October 7 attack, which left at least 1,400 Israelis dead, and saw more than 220 taken hostage.

Israeli air strikes have destroyed large swathes of the Gaza enclave, leaving at least 6,500 Palestinians dead, including more than 2,700 children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.





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The situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour.



At a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on the fundamental principle of respecting & protecting civilians. pic.twitter.com/TpDcQz0Bkc  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 25, 2023

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The UN chief told the council that he condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel.

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Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets, he said.

But his contextualisation of the attack created an uproar in Israel.

It was important, Mr Guterres said, to acknowledge that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, their economy stifled, their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing, he said.

On Wednesday, Mr Guterres tried to row back on the remarks, tweeting: The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.





"The slaughter of Jews by Hamas on 7 Oct was genocidal in its intents & immeasurably brutal in its form...it tests the sincerity of world leaders, intellectuals and influencers that come to YV & pledge Never Again. @antonioguterres failed the test."@AmbDaniDayan stated.  Yad Vashem (@yadvashem) October 25, 2023

But Israel was not mollified.

Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan said in a statement: The slaughter of Jews by Hamas on October 7th was genocidal in its intents and immeasurably brutal in its form.

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He said it tests the sincerity of world leaders who went to Yad Vashem and pledged Never again.

Those who seek to understand, look for a justifying context, do not condemn the perpetrators, and do not call for the unconditional and immediate release of the abducted, fail the test. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres failed the test.
The US House of Representatives Republicans' leadership fight dragged into a 23rd day on Wednesday, with the narrow majority trying to unite around representative Mike Johnson after ousting their leader and blocking three potential replacements.

The long standoff, started by a handful of party hardliners angry about a bipartisan deal that averted a partial government shutdown, has left the chamber unable to respond to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, or to take action to keep federal agencies funded past November 17th.

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The feuds within the fractious 221-212 Republican majority have eroded trust within the party, making it all the harder to unify around a successor to ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy, lawmakers said.

"There is not a lot of trust," Republican representative Dusty Johnson, a moderate, told reporters. "It's a little hard to imagine how anyone can get elected at this point."

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Lawmakers nonetheless planned to cast ballots for Mr Johnson, a conservative from Louisiana who has billed himself as a "bridge builder," at noon EST (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, the week after hardliner Jim Jordan failed in three rounds of voting.

After winning a Tuesday night nominating vote, Mr Johnson acknowledged the "messy" process but told reporters "this group is ready to govern".

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Former US president Donald Trump, who had also backed Mr Jordan, on Wednesday urged fellow Republicans to unite around Mr Johnson, writing on his social media website: "go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson."

Even if Mr Johnson wins Wednesday's vote with 217 votes from the 221-member Republican caucus, he will confront the same challenges that confounded Mr McCarthy. They include the demands of the caucus' hardline members and the reality that with a Democratic majority in the Senate and Democratic president Joe Biden occupying the Oval Office, no laws can currently be passed in Washington without bipartisan support.

"The House GOP is mired in seemingly endless finger-pointing and competitions to take the most extreme positions imaginable," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. "It's in the best interest of the country  and House Republicans themselves  to get their act together."

Prior failures

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A small band of party hardliners led by Republican representative Matt Gaetz engineered Mr McCarthy's ouster on October 3rd. As the chamber has limped along, leaderless, a number of Republicans have voiced frustration at the stalemate.

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No 3 House republican Tom Emmer withdrew his bid on Tuesday amid opposition from party hardliners. He has a more moderate record than many other House Republicans. Unlike many in his party, he voted to certify Democratic president Joe Biden's 2020 victory over Mr Trump following the January 6th, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.

Mr Trump had urged Republicans to oppose Mr Emmer after he won the nomination, and multiple Republican lawmakers said they voted against him because he did not support Mr Trump's challenges to the election results.

Mr Emmer was the third nominee to drop out after Mr Jordan and Majority leader Steve Scalise's bids were also spiked by party infighting.

Democrats have said they are open to a compromise candidate that would allow the chamber to function. Many Republicans have said on principle that they would not back somebody who had support from the opposition party.

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The infighting has left the House unable to respond to Mr Biden's $106 billion request for aid to Israel, Ukraine and US border security. Congress will also have to act before a November 17th deadline to fund the US government and avert a partial shutdown.

The uncertainty has also helped to push up the US government's borrowing costs. The government posted a record $1.7 trillion deficit for the most recent fiscal year, in part due to higher interest payments.
THE KILLER

MA, 118 minutes. Selected cinemas



The Killer is a professional hitman with a fetish for the statistics of his trade and firm ideas about methods of camouflage. His habitual outfit is inspired by his observations of German tourists at leisure. Except for the Hawaiian shirt, hes a study in beige. Moving through the world between hits, he looks as if hes on a perpetual golfing holiday.

Hes played by Michael Fassbender, whose brand of handsomeness has a symmetry that lends itself to anonymity. Its easy to disguise, and he wears a neutral expression very plausibly, a talent that proves useful, for the Killer is a character who prides himself on pragmatism, objectivity and avoiding empathy. He doesnt care whom he kills or why. Its all about the pay cheque.

Michael Fassbenders hitman blends in by being bland. Credit:

All this makes him perfect fodder for director David Fincher, who has a penchant for characters out of synch with the natural order of things. Theres a strong strain of the perverse running through his work, a fascination with the sinister lurking behind the everyday.
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Eating outRestaurant news Bathers Pavilion turns up the heat with new fine-dining chef, farm and vineyard Momentum breeds opportunity at the beachside venue, following the six-week residency of three-Michelin star restaurant LEnclume. Scott Bolles October 25, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

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Momentum breeds opportunity, Bathers co-owner Jess Shirvington says of scoring Ward as its new executive chef following the restaurants five-week LEnclume takeover. Weve been hitting a lot of markers this year, I hope (Wards recruitment) is a reflection of how were perceived. Michelin-starred LEnclume chef Simon Rogan may have had a lasting impression on Bathers Pavilion. Edwina Pickles Attracted by Bathers Pavilion rich culinary history and an upturn in the restaurant scene north of Sydney Harbour, Ward says his imprint wont be evident until his first menu lands November 9. Itll bring a fresh wave of dishes, but Ward will also offer up a re-interpretation of his beetroot dish from Shell House. A Good Food review described the coal-roasted then barbecued beets dressed with fermented blueberry and cherry vinegar as the dishiest dish of the night.

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Aaron Wards coal roasted beetroot, as it was served at Shell House Dining Room. Edwina Pickles Ward has already lodged growing requests at Rotherwood Estate, in the Southern Highlands, which was recently acquired by Bathers co-owner Ian Pagent and his wife Maryanne. Visiting LEnclume chef Simon Rogan offered advice on everything from soil testing to sustainable farming during his Sydney stay, gathered from experience with his own farm set-up in the UK. Shirvington would eventually like a truffle grove, while Ward has a shopping list of leafy greens. Planting has already begun at the 100-acre Sutton Forest property, with excess produce eventually earmarked for Foodbank. New Betel Leaf chef Pacharin Air Jantrakool. Supplied

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Jurors in the ACT who do their own research during a trial risk being jailed for up to two years under new reforms in the territory following the aborted Lehrmann trial in Canberra.

Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury announced on Thursday the ACT would make it a criminal offence for jury panellists to conduct their own inquiries, and also allow majority verdicts to avoid the prospect of cases having to be delayed or repeated.

ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury announced the changes on Thursday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

If a juror relies on their own information, it undermines the defendants right to a fair trial. This is particularly relevant in situations where an innocent person could be found guilty of an offence due to a juror relying on information found in that jurors own unauthorised inquiry, Rattenbury said.

Bruce Lehrmann, a former Coalition staffer, last year pleaded not guilty to raping his former colleague Brittany Higgins in the office of their then-boss, former defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, after a night out drinking in Canberra with friends in March 2019.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum disbanded the jury on October 27, after several days of deliberations, when she learned one member had undertaken their own research, which they brought into the jury room.

It is beyond question that the conduct of the juror is such as to abort the trial, she said at the time.

It may be that no harm has been done, but its not a risk I can take. In the circumstances, I have discharged the juror and I have to discharge you all, she told the jury panel.

The charge was dropped by prosecutors citing concerns for Higgins mental health. Lehrmann maintains his innocence.
A Melbourne wine bar and online radio station has come under fire for holding a pro-Palestine event at which a banner was made that called for the abolition of the state of Israel and described Israelis as colonising dumb white dogs.

Indigenous activist group This Mob Arts Collective organised the banner-making event, advertised on Instagram and held at Hope St Radio in Collingwood on Monday, ahead of several protests in support of Palestine scheduled for this week.

A banner that has angered members of Melbournes Jewish community.

The banner, photographed at the event and shared on social media by members of the Jewish community, displayed the words: Free Palestine from the colonising dumb white dogs! Abolish Israel! It also directed expletives at Bibi, the nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dvir Abramovich, chair of Jewish-Australian community organisation the Anti-Defamation Commission, said he was distressed by the banner. He said it was one example of skyrocketing incidents of antisemitism unfolding in Australia, including children being harassed at school and stomach churning online abuse and trolling of Jewish people.
Two men are on the run from police after shooting a former bikie gang member on Sydneys lower north shore on Wednesday afternoon.

A senior NSW Police source, who cannot be named as they are not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the victim is 33-year-old Abdul Baghdadi.

Police at the scene of the daylight shooting on Upper Pitt St in Kirribilli. Credit: Wolter Peeters

Baghdadi was injured in the daylight shooting on Upper Pitt Street in Kirribilli which has been closed off by police. A manhunt is under way for two men who witnesses say fled the scene after firing several shots.

Baghdadi is understood to have been paroled earlier this year, after pleading guilty to a series of violent carjackings and robberies where he fired a handgun to intimidate his victims, according to court documents.
She says her daughter then disclosed details about something that happened at rest time, which Channel Nine chose not to broadcast. Kym broke into tears upon sharing the news with her partner. Loading We were both shocked. I felt sick. I believed her right away  just the language and just the way she told me, I knew. Griffith was working on only his second day at the childs centre, hired from a relief agency as a fill-in.

He was stood down immediately after Kym reported the alleged incident. She also notified Queensland police, who conducted an interview with the child. That interview was conducted without any parent or support person in the room, as per Queensland police guidelines. She was hesitant, of course, shed never met these people before. It took us a while to warm her up to want to be in the room without us, Kym said. She said her daughter repeated her claims but became confused when she was given a teddy bear to show where he had allegedly touched her.

Police determined there was not enough evidence to continue the investigation. The detective did say to me afterwards, Ive been doing this for a really long time, I deal with a lot of children who have been interfered with and your daughter doesnt seem like a child who has been interfered with, Kym said. Mum gutted that worker was cleared of complaint The investigation was handled by the Child Protection and Investigation Unit at the Boondall police station, which had also investigated a previous complaint against Griffith about six months earlier. That October 2021 report came from a childcare teacher who alleged she had seen Griffith kiss a young girl whilst sleeping. It had occurred at a different Brisbane childcare centre, run by the Uniting Church, which was also dismissed by police.

Police were unable to secure a search warrant for Griffiths devices, claiming the report it received did not involve physical contact. When Australian Federal Police officers arrested Griffith in August 2022, he was working at a Gold Coast childcare centre and 4000 images of child abuse material were discovered on his phone and other devices. It was only after new Queensland laws unmasking accused sex offenders came into effect three weeks ago that Kym discovered the teacher her daughter complained about was the same man accused of being Australias worst paedophile. It took several calls involving the centres operator, the Anglican Church, to confirm it was Griffith. Kym said she felt gutted to learn Griffith had been cleared of the October 2021 police complaint and allowed to continue working in childcare.

I was so upset. I was angry. I just felt like what happened to our daughter could have been prevented. It never should have happened. How somebody can be reported for something similar to what happened to our child six months prior and then hes back in the system. A Queensland police spokesperson confirmed that Griffith was not interviewed by detectives about the second complaint in April 2022 because the alleged victim did not make disclosures of an offence to police. Additionally, childcare centre staff and management informed police, the man was never left unsupervised with children and the offence could not have happened, the spokesperson said. Queensland police did not refer either complaint to Blue Card Services, which could have led to restrictions being placed on Griffiths ability to work with children.

The investigations subject to this matter did not meet the threshold under section 305 of the Working with Children [Risk Management and Screening] Act 2000 to be referred to Blue Card Services [investigative information], the spokesperson said. Police advised the Education Department about the 2021 investigation, with a spokesperson defending its handling of both complaints. The primary test for the decision to prosecute is the sufficiency of evidence test. This test will be satisfied if there is sufficient admissible evidence to prove the charge against the defendant, the spokesperson said. A previous unsubstantiated complaint cannot be used to support a prosecution. Kym said she had lost faith that childcare centres were fulfilling their duty to keep all children safe.
An Australian passenger who won a lawsuit against cruise ship company Carnival over a COVID-19 outbreak on board the Ruby Princess at the start of the coronavirus pandemic has said she hopes the company will be more honest, upfront and caring about customers in the future.

In a decision on Wednesday, Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart found Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises misled passengers on the Ruby Princess that it was reasonably safe to embark on a voyage from Sydney to New Zealand in March 2020 when it should have cancelled the trip.

Susan Karpik (centre) the lead plaintiff in the class action over the Ruby Princess voyage, and (right) Vicky Antzoulatos from Shine Lawyers. Credit: Nick Moir

Stewart awarded Susan Karpik, the lead plaintiff in a class action against the companies, $4423.48 plus interest for medical expenses after he found she most likely contracted the virus during the voyage. The decision leaves the door open to damages being paid to other members of the class action.

It has been a long haul for many people on shore, Karpik said outside court on Wednesday.
A woman accused of poisoning her husband of 39 years by spiking his water bottles with saline medication will fight the charge at trial.

Bozena Knapinski, 62, appeared in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday where she formally pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

Bozena Knapinski is accused of trying to murder her husband by poisoning him. Credit: Rebecca Peppiatt

Prosecutors allege Mrs Knapinski slowly poisoned her husband repeatedly for more than two years, but was caught out when he secretly recorded her.

Robert Knapinski, 62, set up the recordings in February following years of mystery illnesses which doctors were unable to diagnose.
Brisbane house prices are on track to reach a new record high by the end of 2023, while unit prices have already reached a fresh peak.

Brisbanes median house price rose 1.4 per cent to $848,752 in the September quarter, and is just 1 per cent below its June quarter 2022 peak, Domains latest House Price Report, released on Thursday, showed.

Brisbane unit prices are at a record high. Credit: Adam Ferguson

Steady growth over the past nine months has helped houses recoup $39,000 of the $47,000 value lost during the 2022 downturn, the report said.

Brisbane unit prices could sail past the $500,000 median mark in a matter of weeks.
Retired Israeli army general and former defence minister Benny Gantz is speaking to the media.

Now a member of Israels war cabinet, Gantz said the only criteria in the war against Hamas for Israel was winning, changing the strategic situation in the south and bringing back the hostages.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Benny Gantz earlier this month.

We are making decisions only based on our own interests, Gantz said.

Only we will defend ourselves and every Jew  We will not be the ones at risk of being wiped out.

That will be the fate of those who seek to do us ill.
I went through a nightmare we couldnt have imagined, she said, stuttering as she spoke while her British daughter crouched next to her, translating into English. They put me on a motorbike, took me through that fence that cost 2 billion shekels ($775 million) and did not help one bit. As we rode, the motorcycle driver hit me with a wooden stick. They didnt break my ribs but it hurt a lot, making it difficult to breathe. This image taken from video released by Al Qassam brigades on its Telegram channel, shows Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, shaking hands and thanking a member of Hamas as she is released to the Red Cross. Credit: Al Qassam Lifshitzs account gives extraordinary insight into the terrorists preparation and their network of underground hiding places. After the captors took Lifshitz and other hostages deep into Gaza, they took off her watch and jewellery as they dismounted the bike and led her away until they reached Hamas infamous tunnels.

We went underground and walked for kilometres in wet tunnels  for two or three hours in a spiderweb of tunnels, she told reporters at the hospital as staff kept bringing her cups of water. She said she saw about 50 other hostages in one room, and soon she and four other people were led to a different room. Unlike on the way into Gaza, the captors in the tunnels treated them well, she said. They were friendly, they took care of us, she said. One of the hostages was badly injured from a motorbike accident, and they gave me antibiotics and other medicine. She described her captives as very friendly and very courteous people who had organised well in advance for taking hostages.

They seemed ready for this, they prepared for a long time, they had everything that men and women needed, including shampoo, she said. We ate the same food they did  pitas with cream cheese, melted cheese, cucumbers. That was a meal for an entire day, she added. Hamas released the two women late on Monday, citing compelling humanitarian reasons without offering any other details. The remainder, including the elderly and children, are still held captive without a clear prospect of return. When Lifshitz said shalom to her captors, the Hamas gunman replied with the word salamtek, which means take care.

Talk of peace after the Hamas massacre in which her house was destroyed and her friends killed may sound incongruous. Since the attack, at least 5087 Palestinians have been killed in two weeks of Israeli strikes, including 2055 children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. But Lifshitz is no armchair peacenik. She and her husband, who remains a Hamas hostage along with Coopers spouse, are human rights activists, peace activists for all their life, her grandson Daniel Lifshitz said. For more than a decade, they took ... sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, not from the West Bank, from the Gaza Strip, every week from the Erez border to the hospitals in Israel to get treatment for their disease, for cancer, for anything, he said.

The couple were residents of Nir Oz kibbutz, one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip which Hamas militants attacked on October 7. Lifshitzs daughter Sharone, an artist and academic in London, said: Im so proud of her. She is amazing. Just the way she walked off and then came back and said thank you is quite incredible to me. Its so her. Yocheved Lifshitz speaks to the media outside Ichilov Hospital. Credit: Getty There are still over 200 people there. And we must not get caught only in our personal happiness but work towards the release of everybody. This is one small ray of light. But there is a huge darkness. The war is still going on. Atrocities we havent even started to process.

Loading As for her father, she said: [He] was very involved in political things in the kibbutz. He was very involved in rights for Palestinians and working towards peace with our neighbours. His whole life was to find a way to live together. He felt it was very easy to find a way and was very disappointed and fought very hard against this idea of occupation and perpetual war. Its a tragedy that the people who were killed, so many of them were immediate neighbours of people of Gaza and truly, truly believed in working towards peace with our neighbours and felt that it was very possible to make peace with our enemies. Its a twist of history that these communities that were really peace-loving  are the ones who sustained such a horrendous massacre.

Have she or her parents given up on finding peace with their neighbours? No  We have come out of the Holocaust. I have worked extensively in Germany and have many German friends. We have to find a way. There is no alternative. If anything, it makes me even more resolved. The way has got longer  [but] as nations we have to find a way forward. The Telegraph, London More coverage of the Hamas-Israel conflict
Concerns over the Gaza conflict spreading to other parts of the Middle East tend to focus on the opening of a second front on Israels northern border, where Hezbollah has been peppering Israeli military positions with fire from mortars, rockets and anti-tank weapons for almost two weeks at a cost to itself of more than two dozen fighters. Israel has evacuated towns in the border region as a precaution. While the fighting there will continue to be a deadly irritant, how likely is it to open up as a second front in this war?

Hezbollah supporters chant slogans against Israel this week while carrying the coffin of a Hezbollah militant killed by the IDF while clashing in southern Lebanon. Credit: Manu Brabo/Getty Images

Hezbollah is the jewel in the crown of Irans regional partners and proxies. It is one of  if not the  most capable armed non-state actors in the world. In reality, it is a semi-state actor given it long ago shed its disdain for domestic Lebanese politics and is now not only a part of the Lebanese government, it is effectively its kingmaker. It has also come a long way from its formation in the early 1980s under Iranian tutelage, when it attacked Israeli forces in Lebanon and in its early days battled for primacy with its Lebanese Shiite competitor Amal.

But its role within the Lebanese political establishment also acts as a constraint in the current conflict. For a country in the midst of perhaps its worst economic crisis in history, any Israeli retaliatory attack on Lebanon that damaged infrastructure would also damage Hezbollah.

The organisation learnt that lesson in 2006 when its attack on an Israeli military patrol initiated a month-long war in which Hezbollah performed well militarily but Israel inflicted significant damage on Lebanon, particularly in the south, a Shiite heartland. Many of Hezbollahs supporters criticised the party for inviting Israeli military retaliation over an operation of limited utility to the Lebanese Shiite community, or the broader anti-Israel cause.
Hinduja Group is betting big on the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector, targeting to have a value creation of USD 35-40 billion in the next five to seven years by adding more verticals to fill up the gaps, said Ashok P Hinduja, Chairman of Group Companies (India).

The Hinduja family-owned group is now looking at BFSI, besides the mobility, and energy sectors as the growth driver for the next decade.

The group, which owns IndusInd Bank, Hinduja Leyland Finance and Hinduja Bank (Switzerland), is diversifying and has plans to get into the new tech, digital and fintech as part of its new phase of growth and fill gaps through acquisitions to have complete offerings in the BFSI sector, said Hinduja in a selected media round table here.

"So the first phase will start and the objective of the holding structure, which is a Mauritius-based IndusInd International, is to grow into the BFSI sector to complete the full stack," he said.

Besides, it is raising promoter's stake in IndusInd Bank after RBI modified its policy for increasing promoters's stake in private banks up to 26 per cent and and is confident to acquire debt-ridden Reliance Capital by November end of this year.

Ashok Hinduja (73) said the acquisition of Reliance Capital will take the group in sectors such as life insurance, general insurance and health insurance besides the ARC (asset reconstruction company) and stock broking.

"So that will cover part of it, balance left out is the mutual fund, the wealth management that is also we are on a lookout for," said Hinduja adding "hopefully by the end of this financial year, mostly 95 per cent of the BFSI sector will be covered."



"The plan for BFSI is all clear, is all known that where this whole sector will finally go... (We are) targeting to touch anywhere between USD 35 to 40 billion value creation on that," Hinduja said.

When asked about the time frame, he replied:" I think a minimum of five years to 2030 (7 years)."



However, he also added that every entity has its own board, which will take their view, take their stand and then they will proceed accordingly.

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Hinduja further said once Reliance Capital is acquired it will remain as a separate entity.

"The common parent is the same, but every entity is a separate operating entity," he said adding Reliance Capital's general insurance is run separately.

While in its life insurance business, Nippon has a 49 per cent partnership. In health and general insurance, it has 100 per cent ownership.

"So these are value creations after two, three years to go for the IPOs," he said.

Hinduja group's IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL) has emerged as the sole bidder for Reliance Capital and it is pitched in a legal battle with Torrent Investments, which left out in the second round of auction.

The matter is currently before the Supreme Court, where the Ahmedabad-based group has moved for the second time to seek a stay on approval of the resolution plan of the Hinduja Group by NCLT.

On the mutual funds that the group is targeting to acquire, Hinduja without naming any company said: "There are some opportunities which are already available."



"The market is big. Everybody has the opportunity to come in, everybody will have its own pie," he said, adding "In the BFSI sector, whatever be missing, will be added at an appropriate time and opportunity."



Over increasing stake in IndusInd Bank, Hinduja said now the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has modified the policy and allowed promoters of private banks to hold up to 26 per cent stake in banks.

"Now after 26 per cent, we have approached. They have given us consent that yes, as per the policy you can go. So we have already started raising the capital, and we will get about over a billion dollars to go into phases, our first capital raise which was the treasury shares was there. So we will be completing that on the 15th of this November," said Hinduja.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $ 400 million loan to support the Indian government's urban reform agenda for creating high-quality urban infrastructure and efficient governance systems.

The programme also envisages integrated urban planning reforms to control urban sprawls and foster systemic and planned urbanisation through enhancing the entire ecosystem of legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms along with capacity building of ULBs and community awareness, ADB said.

"The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $ 400 million policy-based loan to India for Sub-programme 2 of the Sustainable Urban Development and Service Delivery Programme.

"The programme aims to support the government's urban reform agenda for improving the quality of urban life through the creation of high-quality urban infrastructure, assured public services, and efficient governance systems," ADB said.

While Subprogramme 1, approved in 2021, established national-level policies and guidelines to improve urban services, Subprogramme 2 is supporting investment planning and reform actions at the state and urban local body (ULB) levels.

"India has recognised the potential for cities to be centres of economic growth and has emphasised the need to make cities livable through inclusive, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure, which is also in line with ADB Strategy 2030," ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist Sanjay Joshi said.
Issues like dispute settlement reform, agriculture, fisheries subsidies and moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce trade figured in the two-day meeting of senior officials of WTO members in Geneva.

The meeting concluded on October 24. From India, senior officials, including Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry Peeyush Kumar, participated in the deliberations.

According to the chairperson's summary of the meeting, senior officials strongly supported the ongoing informal process on dispute settlement (DS) reform being carried out in Geneva by technical experts.

This summary was prepared by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and General Council Chairperson Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme from Botswana.

In expressing their political support for DS reform work, senior officials emphasised on the need to focus on addressing the DS challenges with a sense of urgency; and to take into account the dispute settlement interests of all member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the summary said.

Besides formulating norms for global exports and imports, the Geneva-based 164-member multi-lateral body adjudicates trade disputes among the member countries.

The dispute settlement mechanism of WTO has been derailed due to a non-functional appellate body since December 2019 as the US has blocked the appointment of new appellate body members. The appellate body is WTO's highest court. It hears appeals of decisions made by WTO panels.

Its members are currently appointed through a consensus of WTO member countries. This has made it difficult to appoint new members in recent years. Some countries have proposed changing the appointment process to make it more transparent and democratic.

"Going forward, all members are encouraged to actively participate in the ongoing process on DS reform with the view to achieving tangible outcomes at MC13 in line with political guidance provided by senior officials," the summary added.

The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) is scheduled for February 26-29 in Abu Dhabi. The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO.

On agriculture and food security, the summary said that several officials stressed the necessity of making progress in the agriculture negotiations, including public stockholding for food security purposes, domestic support, market access, and special safeguard mechanism.

India is pitching for finding a permanent solution to the public stockholding issue as it is important for ensuring food security of people in the developing countries.

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On fisheries subsidies, the summary added that the officials expressed their commitment to conclude the second phase of negotiations and implement the first phase of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

The WTO countries at the Geneva meeting in June 2022 concluded the first phase of the agreement under which it was agreed to prohibit developed countries, engaged in distant water fishing, not to provide subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

However, the countries have to negotiate about the other issues of the agreement, which include overfishing and overcapacity.

Further, according to the summary, many senior officials identified the e-commerce moratorium as an important issue for MC13.

India strongly opposes continuation of the moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce trade at the WTO as it was adversely impacting developing countries.

The WTO members had agreed not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions since 1998 and the moratorium has been periodically extended at successive WTO's ministerial conferences.
Certain WTO countries, including India, Switzerland, Russia, and Japan, have criticised the safeguard measures imposed by the EU and the UK on imports of certain steel products, stating it is inconsistent with global trade rules, an official said.

The comments were made by these countries during the meeting of World Trade Organisation's (WTO's) Safeguards Committee on Wednesday.

The Geneva-based official said, "Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, Russia and India criticised the European Union's decision to maintain its safeguard measure on imports of certain steel products, which was imposed by the EU after the US imposed additional duties on steel imports during the Trump administration.

These members regretted the EU's decision not to terminate the measure during a recent review and argued the safeguard was inconsistent with WTO rules, the official said.

However, the EU argued that the safeguard will expire at the end of June 2024.

Further India, Korea, Switzerland, Japan, Russia and Brazil "criticised the UK for maintaining its safeguard measures on imports of certain steel products", the official said.

These WTO member countries argued that the measure was not in compliance with WTO rules.

India last year proposed additional customs duties of 15 per cent on the import of 22 products, including whiskey, cheese and diesel engine parts, from the UK in retaliation to Britain's decision to impose restrictions on steel products.

In a communication to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), India in September 2022 stated that it is estimated that the safeguard measures taken by the UK on steel products have resulted in the decline of exports to the tune of 2,19,000 tonnes on which the duty collection would be USD 247.7 million.

The measures imposed by the UK consist of tariff-rate quotas imposed on 15 steel product categories with an out-of-quota duty of 25 per cent.

In 2021, India had also proposed similar measures against the European Union (EU) under the aegis of the WTO against a move of the 28-nation bloc to impose safeguard duties on certain steel products.

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The WTO is a Geneva-based, 164-member global body, which frames rules and norms for exports and imports and adjudicates trade disputes among member countries.

India has substantial interest as an exporter of these products.

India is concerned about the European Union's move as it exports nearly 6 per cent of its steel output to Italy -- a member of the EU.

Duties like anti-dumping, safeguard, and countervailing are trade remedy measures, provided under an agreement of the WTO to its member countries. They are used to provide a level-playing field to domestic industry in case of dumping of goods, significant increase in imports and subsidised imports.

Further, the official said Korea and Singapore questioned India on its safeguard measure on Isopropyl Alcohol.

India responded by saying that the measure is due to expire on March 21 next year.

The next meeting of the safeguards committee will take place in April 2024.

Under the WTO's Safeguards Agreement, a member may restrict imports of a product temporarily (take 'safeguard' actions) through higher tariffs (import duties) or other measures if its domestic industry is seriously injured, or threatened with serious injury, due to an unforeseen surge in imports.

An import surge justifying safeguard action can be a real increase in imports; or it can be an increase in the imports' share of a shrinking market, even if the import quantity has not increased.

In principle, safeguard measures apply to all imports and not just those from a particular country (developing countries accounting for less than 3 per cent of exports are excluded from a measure), and should not last more than four years.

Because safeguards target "fair" trade, an exporting country can seek compensation for lost trade through consultations or, if no agreement is reached, it can raise tariffs on exports from the country that is enforcing the safeguard measure.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajendra Rathore criticised Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ahead of her public rally in Jhunjhunu, urging her to address the issue of crimes against women in Rajasthan.

"Priyanka Gandhi says 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon'. According to NCRB data, Rajasthan was at the top for crime against women for three consecutive years. The ministers (here) accepted that women are not safe (in Rajasthan). I hope she says something on this," Rathore said

Rathore highlighted data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), stating that Rajasthan had topped the list for crimes against women for three consecutive years. He also expressed skepticism about Priyanka Gandhi's impact, stating that Congress had lost public support.

"Now announcements won't impact much as everyone has seen the announcements that Congress had made earlier in Rajasthan being discontinued," he stated.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot mentioned that Priyanka Gandhi would make significant announcements for homemakers during her rally in Jhunjhunu. With Rajasthan assembly polls scheduled for November 25, both BJP and Congress are intensifying their campaigns in the state.

BJP national spokesperson Rajyavardhan Rathore also hit out against Congress, alleging that the "political tourism division" of the Congress had failed to respond to the crimes like rape in the state.

"Priyanka Gandhi is coming to Rajasthan today. I want to ask why she does not speak when there is a crime against women in Rajasthan. 200,000 crimes against women have happened in the state and why did the 'Political Tourism Division' of the Congress miss it," he said at a press conference.

The BJP leader also accused the Congress of indulging in appeasement politics, claiming that 350 farmers committed suicide during the Congress rule.

"Over 1,500 days have passed but nothing happened," he claimed.

Rajasthan Assembly has 200 seats, all of which will go into polls next month. The counting of votes for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram will be done on December 3.

The Congress party has announced 76 candidates for the Rajasthan polls so far, re-nominating 29 sitting MLAs. BJP released the names of 124 nominees for the upcoming state polls.

A party requires 101 seats to form the government in Rajasthan. The last elections were held in 2018 when Congress formed the government with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and independent candidates.



(With agency inputs)


Air India has extended the suspension of its scheduled flights to Tel Aviv till November 2 amid the continuing tensions between Israel and militant group Hamas.

The latest conflict has been triggered by the unprecedented attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7. Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks.

An Air India official on Wednesday said the scheduled flights to Tel Aviv have been suspended till November 2.

The airline has not operated a scheduled flight to and from Tel Aviv since October 7.

Normally, the full-service carrier operates five weekly flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital. The service is on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

During this month, the airline operated a few chartered flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital under the government's Operation Ajay to bring back Indians who wished to come back from Israel against the backdrop of the escalating conflict.



The full service carrier, which normally operates five weekly scheduled flights to Tel Aviv, had earlier suspended the services till October 18.



Normally, Air India operates five weekly flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital. The service is on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Zelensky says start of EU membership talks this year top priority

Xinhua) 13:34, October 25, 2023

KIEV, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that the launch of the talks on accession to the European Union this year is a top priority for his country, the presidential press service reported.

"For Ukraine, this is a top priority -- to be ready for a political decision to start negotiations on EU membership this year," Zelensky said, while participating in a meeting of the College of the European Commission via a video link.

Currently, Ukraine is implementing seven recommendations of the European Commission as quickly as possible to enable a political decision to pave the way for the membership negotiations, Zelensky said.

In particular, Ukraine is implementing reform of constitutional justice and strengthening anti-corruption efforts, he noted.

For her part, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who also participated in the meeting, voiced her support for Ukraine's accession into the EU.

In June 2022, EU leaders accepted Ukraine as a candidate for membership in the bloc.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
The air quality in the national capital improved to 'moderate' classification on 25 October as the AQI remained at 190, according to SAFAR data at 8 am. Mumbai, which is also witnessing severe air quality this year, continued to stay in the 'moderate' zone with AQI at 139.

An AQI somewhere in the range of zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

IMD scientist VK Soni had earlier claimed that there will be some improvement in the air quality after the execution of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan), yet it would stay in the 'very poor' category until October 26. Air quality in Delhi is low from poor to the 'very poor' category, with the Air Quality Index at 302 on Sunday evening, according to SAFAR-India.

Delhi's air drops to poor again

Delhi's air quality has again dropped to 'poor' class post seeing 'moderate' quality air in the morning, as per monitoring agencies. According to SAFAR, the city's average air quality index (AQI) remained at 249 at 1:30 PM.

Delhi to review pollution, says govt

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has stated that the govt will request experienced researchers to survey pollution source apportionment study after winter, as revealed by PTI. Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to increase the frequency of the trains on weekends, running 40 additional trips. The metro usually runs 4,300 trips every day in the national capital.

India tops list of world's worst air quality

According to the waqi.info list, India tops the most terrible air quality ranking list among any other nations on the planet. The waqi.info gives continuous updates on air quality recorded in nations globally.

According to the list, air quality in India remains at 211 while China positions at number 2 with air quality at 207. Chad, Congo, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Zambia and Iran are the nations known for the top 10 of most exceedingly awful air quality.
The Kerala government on Wednesday said that the ICMR has informed them about the presence of the Nipah virus in bats in the Wayanad district of the state, but there was no need to panic.

State Health Minister Veena George said that the Indian Council of Medical Research gave this information based on its studies of the bat samples collected by it.

"ICMR has said that it has found the presence of the virus in bats in Wayanad. It is a continuation of the ecosystem there," she said.

The Nipah virus outbreak this year was in Kozhikode district, which neighbours Wayanad, and six persons were infected, of whom two had died.

George said there was no need for the public to be afraid or panic as the information was being conveyed only to create awareness and to make people cautious and vigilant.

She said that healthcare activities in connection with the virus were being coordinated and training was being provided to healthcare and medical professionals on how to deal with suspected cases of Nipah infection.

She said the Nipah virus infection was possible anywhere across India, but since it was detected in bats in Wayanad they informed us and we are strengthening the preventive measures.

"But there is no need to panic. It is only meant to create awareness," she added.

George was speaking to reporters about the current status of the Nipah outbreak in the state which had infected six people in Kozhikode district last month and of whom two had died.

The minister said that all those people who were on the contact list of those infected had completed their isolation and quarantine periods.

She also said that it was a matter of pride that the state was able to restrict Nipah's mortality rate, which is around 70-90 per cent, to 33 per cent.

The minister also referred to the various measures, like issuance of Kozhikode-specific standard operating protocols (SOPs), taken by the government to combat the virus.

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Additionally, a Kerala One Health Centre for Nipah Research has also been created, she said.

Presently, there will be a consolidation of the field activities of all departments with regard to public health and it will be a part of the Kozhikode Medical College, the minister said.

However, moving forward, the intention is to develop it as an independent research institute with its own infrastructure, she said.

Of the two deaths due to Nipah, the first person who died on August 30 was found to be the index case, or patient zero, from whom others caught the infection.

The outbreak of the virus this year was the fourth in the state since 2018.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov on Wednesday and discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation in banking, defense and energy sectors.

Jaishankar was accorded a warm welcome here on Wednesday as he arrived in Kyrgyzstan on a two-day visit during which he will meet the country's leadership and attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

"Delighted to call on President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyz Republic. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Discussed cooperation in banking, energy, health and pharma, defense, agriculture and investments," he posted on X.

The minister conveyed India's support to Kyrgyzstan for the successful Presidency of the SCO Council of Heads of Government.

Kyrgyzstan is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

Jaishankar also met his counterpart from Kyrgyzstan Zheenbek Kulubaev and discussed a range of issues.

"Good to see my old friend FM Zheenbek Kulubaev in Bishkek. Spoke about strengthening India-Kyrgyz cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, development projects, health and education. Also exchanged views on Afghanistan, West Asia and connectivity," he wrote on X.

Jaishankar will represent Prime Minister Modi at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting.

"Look forward to productive exchanges at the SCO; meeting Kyrgyz leadership and taking forward our bilateral agenda," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi are also expected to join the SCO meeting in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will meet with his counterparts from other SCO member states and call on the country's top leadership.

The SCO grouping comprises China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Founded in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO is an intergovernmental organisation. Since its inception, the SCO has mainly focused on regional security issues and its fight against regional terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism.

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarked on a two-day visit of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday primarily to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The central Asian nation is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi are also expected to join the SCO meeting in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek.

"External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Bishkek on October 25-26 to lead the Indian delegation for 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG), to be held under the Chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"In Bishkek, the external affairs minister will also meet with his counterparts from other SCO member states and call on the country's top leadership," it said in a statement.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said his government has disbursed more than Rs 6.13 crore to deputy commissioners to provide assistance to over 61,000 people currently living in relief camps in the violence-hit northeastern state.

The financial aid was provided to them to purchase clothes and personal belongings ahead of the winter season, he said.

Each person living in the relief camps will get Rs 1,000 as part of the assistance, the chief minister said.

"Financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per head has been disbursed for all the displaced persons residing at the relief camps on October 24, 2023 through the DCs. These payments are aimed at providing the displaced people some assistance to purchase clothing and personal belongings as winter approaches in the state," Singh said.

"A total of Rs 6.138 crore has been released to DCs which will be utilised for providing assistance to 61,387 people" currently living in relief camps in the state, he said.

The state government will continue to provide assistance to everyone affected, irrespective of the communities they belong to, the chief minister said.

He also expressed happiness over the fact that 98.28 per cent of students staying at relief camps have been re-admitted to their nearest schools.

"Pleased to learn that 98.28 per cent of the students staying at the relief camps have been admitted back to the nearest feasible schools.

"The Department of Education has appointed nodal officers for each relief camp and daily data on the requirements of displaced students is being collected by the department by opening a control room," Singh said on the microblogging site.

More than 180 people have been killed and several hundreds injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 when a Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

During the day, Singh flagged off the 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' to the national capital as part of the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign.

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A 15-member team will travel to Delhi by bus for the programme, he said.

Under the 'Amrit Kalash Yatra', people carrying soil in 7,500 urns from every corner of the country, will reach Delhi. The soil will be used for the construction of the 'Amrit Vatika' which will be built near the National War Memorial. This 'Amrit Vatika' will also become a grand symbol of 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat'.

Talking to reporters in front of the CM Secretariat, Singh said, "Soil from 16 districts of the state was collected. Now, a 15-member team is being sent to the national capital for the Mera Maati Mera Desh".

The concept of collecting soil from all across states would help ensure a "strong and united India" and wished the representatives of Manipur great success.
The leasing of the Industrial and Logistics (I&L) sector is likely to touch a five-year high at 3638 million square feet (msf) in 2023 across the top eight cities in India, real estate consultancy CBRE said in its India Market Monitor Q3 2023 on Wednesday.

In the July-September quarter, Chennai recorded the highest absorption with 2.1 msf, followed by Bangalore and Mumbai, recording 1.7 msf and 1.3 msf, respectively. The combined leasing share of these three cities accounted for approximately 62 per cent.

In terms of the sector, third-party logistics (3PL) players accounted for the lion's share of 50 per cent of the total leasing activity. It was followed by 13 per cent of engineering and manufacturing and 8 per cent of electronics and electrical companies.

As per the regional trends, domestic corporations took the lead in leasing activities with a 59 per cent share, followed by Europe, West Asia and Africa region corporations at 25 per cent and Asia-Pacific corporations at 12 per cent. The I&L sector also witnessed a 92 per cent year-on-year increase and 12 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth in warehouse completions in the quarter.

The leasing in the I&L sector grew by 13 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the January-September period. The total absorption across the top eight Indian cities stood at 27.3 msf compared to 24.2 msf in 2022. Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR collectively accounted for a share of 56 per cent in the leasing activity during the period.

In the first nine months of the year, 3PL players dominated leasing with a 45 per cent market share, followed by E&M companies (15 per cent), and auto and ancillary companies (7 per cent).

"The accelerated embrace of 'multipolar' supply chain strategies, complemented by the government's pro-investment initiatives, continues to propel the 3PL and E&M sectors, being at the forefront of I&L absorption," said Ram Chandnani, managing director, Advisory & Transactions Services, CBRE India.

"We also anticipate a surge of interest from FMCG, retail, and electronics & electrical sectors, driven by consumer demand."

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE, added, "Moreover, the active participation of larger developers backed by institutional funds, contributing around 40 per cent to the completed projects, underscores the sector's growth potential. In select micro-markets, the prospect of rising rents is bolstered by the premium commanded by new, investment-grade, technologically advanced, and strategically situated assets."

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CBRE data added that supply addition, too, is expected to outperform, touching 35 - 37 msf by December, driven by the completion of pent-up projects. In the first nine months of 2023, supply addition was registered at 28 msf, recording a 57 per cent YoY increase.
US President Joe Biden has honoured two Indian-American scientists -- Ashok Gadgil and Subra Suresh -- with the country's highest scientific awards for their contribution to the field of science and technology.

Biden presented the prestigious White House National Medal for Technology and Innovation to Gadgil, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley, on Tuesday for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world.

The award, bestowed on leading US innovators, recognises those who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the nation's technological workforce.

Suresh, a professor at large at Brown University's School of Engineering, was awarded the National Medal of Science for pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences and life sciences, and particularly for advancing the study of material science and its application to other disciplines.

Gadgil was one of 12 recipients of the White House National Medal for Technology and Innovation.

Gadgil has developed low-cost solutions to some of the developing world's most intractable problems, including safe drinking water technologies, energy-efficient stoves, and ways to make efficient electric lighting affordable.

He focuses on robust inventions that can be deployed as widely as possible, and together, his projects have helped more than 100 million people. Gadgil is also an expert in building energy efficiency and computational fluid dynamics of indoor air and pollutant flows.

The White House said Gadgil was presented the medal for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world. His innovative, inexpensive technologies help meet profound needs, from drinking water to fuel-efficient cookstoves. His work is inspired by a belief in the dignity of all people and in our power to solve the great challenges of our time.

Gadgil's award is the 17th national medal overall and the second National Medal of Technology and Innovation that Berkeley Lab researchers have earned.

The world is not a fair place. I try to bend my knowledge of science, engineering, and creativity to make it a little less unfair for the people who are holding the short end of the stick. If I can make that difference, go even a little bit in that direction, I think that's fantastic, Gadgil told Barkley Lab in an interview.

Gadgil earned degrees in physics from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai), the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.

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He then joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in 1980 and retired earlier this year as a faculty senior scientist; he is now an affiliate retiree of the Berkeley Lab.

He formerly served as the division director of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division now the Energy Technologies Area (ETA). He is also a distinguished professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley.

The announcement from the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation noted Suresh's commitment to research and collaboration across international borders, which has demonstrated how science can forge understanding and cooperation among people and nations.

It's very satisfying, said Suresh, who said he takes special pride in the recognition because of what the medal signifies, according to a Brown University statement.

Suresh, the former head of the National Science Foundation (NSF), was presented with the prestigious science medal along with eight others.

Born in India in 1956, Suresh graduated from high school at 15 and by age 25, had earned his undergraduate degree, master's degree and Ph.D., which he earned in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in just two years.

Suresh became a faculty member at Brown University in 1983 as the youngest member of the engineering faculty.

After 10 years at Brown, Suresh went on to become the first Asian-born American to lead the National Science Foundation (NSF), serving as its 13th director after he was nominated by then-president, Barack Obama.

He returned to Brown's School of Engineering in September 2023, and earlier this month, the school announced a biennial symposium in his honour focused on the frontiers of technology and society.

Under his leadership, NSF launched the Global Research Council, a virtual organisation of heads of science and engineering funding agencies from more than 50 countries, aimed at fostering global collaboration and data sharing.

He also oversaw the establishment of the Centre-Life Balance programme, an initiative to increase the number of doctoral-level women in the science and engineering fields from 26 per cent to 40 per cent between 2011 and 2021.
The Israel Defence Forces on Wednesday said that it struck several Syrian military targets after rockets were fired from Syria toward Israeli communities in the Golan Heights.

The IDF said that fighter jets hit "military infrastructure" and mortar launching sites.

"In response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel yesterday, IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army," posted IDF on X.

A day ago, the IDF said two rockets were launched from Syria at northern Israel, setting off alarms in the Golan Heights communities of Neot Golan, Bnei Yehuda and Givat Yoav.

According to the IDF, both projectiles landed in open areas and it was responding with artillery shelling at the source of the fire in Syria.

"Responding to the rocket launches from Syria toward Israel yesterday, IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army" IDF said.

A rocket warning alert sounded in Kissufim, a kibbutz east of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning and sirens were also heard overnight in two other kibbutzim in the area, The Times of Israel reported.

In another development from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, at least 3 people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike in Jenin, The Times of Israel quoted the Palestinian Authority's Wafa news agency as saying.

The military said that the strike targeted Palestinian gunmen who were shooting at Israeli soldiers and hurling explosives in the northern West Bank.

According to a military statement, the soldiers "identified hits" among the gunmen.

As the war rages, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will depart for Israel on Wednesday to show solidarity with the country and its people in the wake of the October 7 terror attacks and amid the ongoing war with the terrorist group Hamas, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The government spokespersons of both countries confirmed on Tuesday about their visit to Israel.

"The aim of the talks will be support for Israel, including coordination in the context of the European Council, which meets this week," the Czech spokesperson said in a text message.

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The leaders will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, according to the spokespeople for both governments, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Austrian government, in a statement, said Austrian Chancellor Nehammer will also meet the family members of Austrian-Israeli nationals, who are currently being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"Hamas terror must end, and for this, we need unity among all sides to prevent a possible conflagration - we will all make our contribution to this," Nehammer said in the statement.

Earlier, other world leaders also paid a visit to Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas, in a show of support and solidarity with the Israelis.

US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel last week and held discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing hostilities with Hamas.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also visited Israel and held talks with his counterpart, stating, "I am in Israel, a nation in grief. I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism. Today, and always.
A man with a previous conviction for membership in the Islamic State group has been arrested in Germany on suspicion that he may have agreed to attack a pro-Israel demonstration, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old, whose identity wasn't released in keeping with German privacy rules, was detained Tuesday at his apartment in the western city of Duisburg.

Prosecutors in Duesseldorf said that a court on Wednesday ordered him kept in custody pending a possible indictment on suspicion of agreeing to commit murder and manslaughter.

They said he is suspected of telling a chat partner in Syria in a sufficiently concrete manner" that he was prepared to commit an attack and that the possible target was a pro-Israel demonstration.

Prosecutors said the Duesseldorf state court in 2017 gave the man a five-year sentence under juvenile law for membership in IS and other offenses, which he served.
The innocent population of Palestinians cannot be collateral damage as Israel pursues its right to go after Hamas, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister has warned even as he admitted different strands of opinion within the European Union (EU) on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

In an interaction on the sidelines of the Global Ireland Summit in Dublin on Tuesday, Micheal Martin told reporters that Europe is united in condemning Hamas but any Israeli response has to be within the parameters of humanitarian law.

Martin, also Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence who has just returned to the Irish capital after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, called for an immediate pause in hostilities to allow humanitarian aid to flow into the region.

I unreservedly condemn the attack by Hamas on Israel. Israel absolutely has the right to self-defence; to defend itself and its people in response to this heinous attack by Hamas, said Martin.

The issue is how, what methodology to use and proportionality; the population can't be collateral damage to the degree that it is now with the death of Gazan civilians men, women and children, possibly doctors, nurses and medical staff working in hospitals, he said.

The minister noted that Hamas uses civilians as "human shields" and has protectors and supporters in the region, which makes matters more problematic.

There's a wider chess board, unfortunately, politically and geopolitically that we can't ignore. Ireland's focus is on getting aid in now, he said, stressing the urgent need to allow access to fuel that Gazans need for the desalination plants and pumps to function to meet their desperate need for water, water, water.

The Tanaiste, as the Deputy Prime Minister is known in Ireland, swapped roles with the country's Indian-origin Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar as part of their coalition arrangement at the end of last year.

In his role as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Martin is focussed on deploying the country's Global Ireland strategy and renewed the country's commitment to the Asia Pacific region within that strand at the summit this week. India is a key aspect of the renewed Asia Pacific strategy, building on a new Consulate General in Mumbai as part of efforts to expand Ireland's footprint in the region.

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We're good friends with India and continue to work to enhance the multilateral order in terms of border disputes, said Martin.

We are very strongly supportive of Ukraine. We believe Russia has fundamentally violated the UN charter and we will encourage other countries to take a strong stance. And we understand there are historic links between India and Russia, but nonetheless, as a small country we depend on the multilateral rules being adhered to and the breach by Russia is a fundamental violation of the charter, he said.

Ireland's strategy for the region is intended to align with the wider EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, working alongside other EU member countries in areas such as climate action and security issues.

The countries of the Asia Pacific region represent half of the world's population and are at the forefront of innovation and design, driving two thirds of economic growth. The region includes important global actors, whose role and input are essential to addressing global challenges such as climate change, and to ensuring peace and security, said the Irish Deputy Prime Minister.

With the Asia Pacific Strategy in view, Martin is scheduled for a visit to China in early November a country he describes as an "important partner" with which Ireland will engage with a clear-eyed view, not hesitating to raise issues of divergence.

Our policy is aligned with that of our EU partners and has recently been framed as de-risking'. I want to be clear that this doesn't mean turning our back on an economic, diplomatic and cultural relationship with China, he added.

Meanwhile, a proposed visit to India in January 2024 has been shelved due to a lack of mutually agreed dates at this stage.
The upper house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday revoked the ratification of a global nuclear test ban in what Moscow has describes as a move to establish parity with the United States.

The Federation Council voted to endorse a bill rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT. The bill will now be sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval. The lower house approved the bill last week.

The vote follows a statement from Putin, who warned earlier this month that Moscow could revoke its 2000 decision to ratify the bill to mirror the stand taken by the US, which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.

The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world but the treaty was never fully implemented. In addition to the US, it is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt.

There are widespread concerns that Russia could move to resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the West from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests.

Putin has noted that while some experts have argued that it's necessary to conduct nuclear tests, he hasn't yet formed an opinion on the issue.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier this month that Moscow will continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does it first.

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The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees warned Wednesday that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded and hit by devastating Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.

The warning came as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources, and health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory said the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets continued striking the territory overnight into Wednesday.

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centres, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gaza's civilian population. Gaza-based militants have been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the airstrikes killed at least 704 people between Monday and Tuesday, mostly women and children. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

The death toll was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come when Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

Israel said Tuesday it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, an increase from the 320 strikes the day before.

The U.N. says about 1.4 million of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, with almost 600,000 crowded into U.N. shelters.

Gaza's residents have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction.

In recent days, Israel allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to come over the border with Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel needed to power hospital generators to keep it out of Hamas' hands.

The U.N. said it had managed to deliver some of the aid in recent days to hospitals treating the wounded. But the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the largest provider of humanitarian services in Gaza, said it would run out of fuel by Wednesday night.

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Officials said they were forced to reduce their operations as they rationed what little fuel they had.

Without fuel our trucks cannot go around to further places in the Strip for distribution, said Lily Esposito, a spokesperson for the agency. We will have to make decisions on what activities we keep or not with little fuel.

Meanwhile, more than half of Gaza's primary health care facilities, and roughly a third of its hospitals, have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggled to triage cases as constant waves of wounded were brought in. The Health Ministry said many wounded are laid on the ground without even simple medical aid and others wait for days for surgeries because there are so many critical cases.

The Health Ministry says more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 minors. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas is also holding some 222 people that it captured and brought back to Gaza.

Across central and south Gaza, where Israel told civilians to take shelter, there were multiple scenes of rescuers pulling the dead and wounded out of large piles of rubble from collapsed buildings. Graphic photos and video shot by the AP showed rescuers unearthing bodies of children from multiple ruins.

A father knelt on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah next to the bodies of three dead children cocooned in bloodied sheets. Later at the nearby morgue, workers prayed over 24 dead wrapped in body bags, several of them the size of small children.

Buildings that collapsed on residents killed dozens at a time in several cases, witnesses said. Two families lost 47 members in a leveled home in Rafah, the Health Ministry said.

In Gaza City, at least 19 people were killed when an airstrike hit the house of the Bahloul family, according to survivors, who said dozens more remained buried. The legs of a dead woman and another person, both still half buried, dangled out of the wreckage where workers dug through the dirt, concrete and rebar.
US President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas during a phone call, the White House said on Tuesday.

The two leaders spoke about "ongoing diplomatic and military efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict" and agreed to pursue "broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," according to the White House.

The two also affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, "building on" the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months before the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Biden and Mohammed bin Salman "affirmed the importance of working toward a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months," the White House readout said.

Both leaders "welcomed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and called for their immediate release," it said.

They welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that much more is needed for civilians to have sustained access to food, water, and medical assistance.

The Palestine terror organisation Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel earlier this month, and Israel responded with strikes against Gaza. According to the latest figures shared by the United Nations, the death toll is said to have surpassed 5,000 in Gaza and reached 1,400 in Israel, the Hill reported.

Biden hailed "the Gulf Cooperation Council's contribution of US 100 million to support these humanitarian efforts, and discussed the disbursement of US 100 million from the United States to support the response."

The US President had suggested Friday that the Hamas attack on Israel was related to a normalization push and increased diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

"One of the reasons ... why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis," Biden said during remarks at a campaign fundraiser. "Guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel," he said as cited in the US daily The Hill.

Also Read Synergy between start-up ecosystems of India, Saudi Arabia: Prince Al-Saud Iran Prez, Saudi Crown Prince hold 1st call since ties mended, discuss war US prez Joe Biden dispatching top aide to meet with Saudi crown prince Salman Khan new 'bald' look leaving fans shocked, speculation of new film White House national security adviser meets Saudi prince amid tensions Biden honours two Indian-American scientists with highest scientific awards Civilian casualties in Israel-Palestine conflict serious concern: India US a disruptor of peace: China on Pentagon report on its military buildup IDF strikes Syria after rocket attack, conducts airstrike on gunmen Will treat Pak's Kashmir reference at UNSC with contempt it deserves: India

Meanwhile, in a press readout released by the Saudi officials, Mohammed bin Salman during the conversation with Biden called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, rejecting the targeting of civilians or targeting infrastructure and vital interests that affect their daily lives or forced displacement.

According to official Saudi Press Agency, MBS urged resuming the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Biden thanked him for his efforts to prevent regional escalation, the readout said.

During the call, Biden thanked Mohammed bin Salman for his "efforts to reduce the pace of escalation and prevent it from expanding in the region."

The Abraham Accords were formalised in the year 2020 with the United States under the administration of Donald Trump mediating an agreement between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel, promising to normalise ties between these Arab Gulf states and Israel.
Lubrizol Life Science Health, a leading pharmaceutical company, has won the Finished Formulation Award at CPhI Barcelona for its innovative technology  Apisolex Polymer solubilizing excipient. With over 180 entries covering 12 innovation categories featuring many of pharmas biggest names, Apisolex Polymer was again recognized as a breakthrough innovation adding to the prestigious award recognized by The Medicine Maker earlier this year. The winners were announced at a networking reception held at CPhI Barcelona with over 500 guests in attendance.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024985629/en/

Kevin Song, Ph.D., Global Marketing Director accepts CPhI Award for Apisolex Polymer on behalf of The Lubrizol Corporation. (Photo: Business Wire)

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Approximately 60% of new chemical entities (NCEs) under development, and more than 40% of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in reformulation are poorly water-soluble with each requiring tailored solutions. With several solubilizing excipients on the market, it is impossible to find a one-size-fits-all solution. Filling a crucial gap in the market, Apisolex Polymer enables novel brick-dust and grease ball APIs to be formulated, as well as providing existing APIs with the option to be repurposed or reformulated via the FDAs 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway.

By drawing on our 40+ year legacy, Lubrizol Life Science Health has developed a non-immunogenic, biocompatible, and biodegradable alternative to PEG-based excipients. Apisolex Polymer offers oncology, CNS, and high-value orphan drug formulators the tools necessary to unlock the potential of previously hard-to-formulate APIs, providing patients with access to life-changing therapeutics that otherwise may not have made it to market. - Gaurab Sengupta, Senior Global Business Director, Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, Lubrizol Life Science Health.

Request a sample or speak with a solubility enhancement expert today.

About Lubrizol

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a specialty chemical company whose science delivers sustainable solutions to advance mobility, improve wellbeing and enhance modern life. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol owns and operates more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales and technical offices around the world and has more than 8,000 employees. For more information, visit www.Lubrizol.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024985629/en/
The Saudi Export-Import (Saudi EXIM) Bank has signed an agreement with Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry, to extend a three-year credit facility of USD 500 million.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231023095795/en/

Dr. Naif Al-Shammari, Deputy CEO of Saudi EXIM Bank and Christophe Salmon, CFO of Trafigura during the signing ceremony (Photo: AETOSWire)

In the presence of Mr. Jeremy Weir, Executive Chairman and CEO of Trafigura, the agreement was signed by Dr. Naif Al-Shammari, Deputy CEO of Saudi EXIM, and Christophe Salmon, CFO of Trafigura. This agreement shall facilitate the purchase of domestically produced commodities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and enable Trafigura to connect Saudi producers to more than 156 markets worldwide.

Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Al-Shammari said: Such credit facilities come as part of our ongoing efforts to expand the global reach of Saudi exports. Our collaboration with Trafigura aligns with Vision 2030 goals and will play a pivotal role in unlocking promising investment and trade opportunities between the Kingdom and countries worldwide. This strategic endeavor will pave the way for driving global economic growth and advancing international trade.

We are delighted to have signed this important finance agreement with Saudi EXIM Bank that will further develop our business relationships in the country, said Mr. Jeremy Weir. This will enhance the opportunities for Saudi producers of commodities such as copper, gold and downstream products to access global markets. We will facilitate this by harnessing our global resources, in-depth market knowledge and expertise in supply chain logistics.

Aiming to grow Saudi non-oil exports and enhance their positioning in global markets across diverse sectors, the Saudi EXIM Bank provides financing services, guarantees, and export credit insurance.

About the Saudi EXIM:

It was established in 2020 with the aim of promoting Saudi non-oil exports and enhancing its competitiveness across various sectors in global markets. This is done by providing financing services, guarantees and credit insurance to enhance confidence in Saudi products and increase the contribution of non-oil industries to 50% by 2030 from the current percentage of 16%, which is a major goal of the Kingdoms Vision 2030. The Export-Import Bank is one of the development funds that are supervised by Saudi National Development Fund.

Contact channels:

* Email: [email protected]

* Website: https://saudiexim.gov.sa

* X: @SaudiEXIM

* Linkedin: @SaudiEXIM

About Trafigura

Trafigura is a leading commodities group, owned by its employees and founded 30 years ago. At the heart of global supply, Trafigura connects vital resources to power and build the world. Trafigura deploys infrastructure, market expertise and our worldwide logistics network to move oil and petroleum products, metals and minerals, gas and power from where they are produced to where they are needed, forming strong relationships that make supply chains more efficient, secure and sustainable. Trafigura invest in renewable energy projects and technologies to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy, including through joint ventures H2Energy Europe and Nala Renewables.

The Trafigura Group also comprises industrial assets and operating businesses including multi-metals producer Nyrstar, fuel storage and distribution company Puma Energy, and our Impala Terminals joint venture. The Group employs over 12,000 people and is active in 156 countries.

Visit: www.trafigura.com

Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231023095795/en/
As the Israeli state escalate their genocidal campaign in Gaza, the York University administration have also ramped up their campaign of silencing the student movement for denouncing this genocide.

[Originally published at marxist.ca]

On Friday, the administration released a statement offering the student unions two options: either the student union leaderships revoke their support for Palestine and resign, or the administration will dissolve all student unions on campus.

This is a scandalous attack on the democratic rights of freedom of speech and assembly. In their statement, the administration demands the student unions to reaffirm their commitment to non-violence, [and] anti-discrimination. Where was this condemnation from the administration when they sanctioned an event on November 20, 2019 that hosted IDF soldiers who were carrying out violence and discrimination against Palestinians in the region?

This comes as no surprise because this unelected administration of millionaires have investments in the arms trade. They have joined the chorus with the capitalist media in suppressing the truth about this genocide. This administration is as complicit in the crimes of the Israeli state as the Canadian government, who have shipped $70 million worth of arms exports to the Israeli state over the last 4 years.

We as communists defend the struggle for Palestinian liberation and a homeland. However, it is critical that Palestine not stand alone. It is in the interest of every worker across the world to support Palestines valiant stand against Israeli and American imperialism. Here in Canada, our own government has long played a role in supporting US imperialism abroad. We saw this in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and now we see it in Palestine. We have a duty to stand in opposition to this.

Last year, YorkU president Rhonda Lenton wrote a letter declaring her solidarity with Ukraine in their ongoing struggle for freedom and self-determination. Dont the oppressed Palestinians deserve the same? It is only when the interests of American imperialism are at stake that this hypocritical administration preaches about self-determination.

It is this same pro-imperialist administration who say that freedom of speech is not absolute at York. What right do these people have to police students for opposing the crimes of the Israeli state? Why should an unelected body of millionaires be allowed to remove democratic organizations from campus for supporting Palestine? These attacks show why this administration of imperialist cronies must be replaced with the democratic control of students and teachers, who can run this campus through their democratic organizations.

For the sake of defending the imperialists, this administration is attacking the democratic rights of students and workers on campus.

We urge all students to rally in defence of the YFS, YUGSA and GCSU/AEC. We call on the CFS and all their union locals to fight back against these unconstitutional attacks by organizing immediate mass mobilizations, escalating towards strike action if necessary. These are the methods through which we can stop these attacks. We are ready to help with any and all such efforts.

We also urge the student unions at York to support the mobilizing efforts of the Palestinian Solidarity collective by bringing out the entire student population for the upcoming emergency rally and future rallies. All student groups must unite with the unions in opposing this administration.

Join the emergency rally for Palestine with the Palestinian Solidarity Collective on Monday, Oct 23 at 2pm in Vari hall!

Join us in condemning this administration and help build the forces of revolutionary solidarity with Palestine!

Students unite against the imperialist YorkU administration!

End the Israeli occupation!

Intifada till victory!
As Israel prepares its forces for a land invasion of Gaza, all the western imperialist leaders, from Biden to Sunak, Scholz and Macron, are getting very nervous. They worry about what their world will look like when this is over.

A former UK ambassador to Lebanon, Tom Fletcher, writing in the Financial Times (22 October 2023) summed up the situation from the bourgeois point of view: Intervene in the Middle East, it bites you back. Fail to intervene, it bites you back. Swing between the two, it bites you back. In other words, whatever the imperialists do will be wrong.

Nonetheless, they are locked into a situation where they are obliged to support Netanyahu, while at the same trying to push him in the direction they want. But in dealing with Netanyahu, they face a problem. He is not basing his thinking solely on the interests of the Israeli ruling class, but also on his own political survival. He has now staked his reputation on destroying Hamas.

There are clearly divisions within the Israeli ruling class on account of what this would mean. But if Netanyahu gets his way, the imperialists would end up being dragged along into supporting Israels planned land invasion of Gaza, which will prove to be a bloodbath far worse than anything we have seen so far. All of the western leaders will come out of this with blood on their hands, and will be hated and reviled by workers and youth, both in the Middle East and at home.

Articles have been appearing in the press trying to outline what the Israeli army will be facing once they go in. The Financial Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy magazine, The Guardian, and many more, have all been looking into this, calculating the cost in human lives, and the impact for the Middle East and the world in general. They all agree it will be a very tough campaign, will take a lot longer than the Israeli military is presently saying, and will lead to terrible suffering for the Palestinian people in Gaza.

On 19 October, the Financial Times quoted the US general David Petraeus, who led NATO forces both in Iraq and Afghanistan, as saying about Gaza: Its going to be fiendishly difficult I just cant imagine more difficult circumstances. And the same article outlines Netanyahus war aims: topple the Hamas regime and destroy its military capabilities; remove the threat of attacks from Gaza; secure the return of hostages held by Hamas; and defend Israels borders and citizens.

The lessons of Mosul

Some comparisons have been made with how Mosul in Iraq was taken back from ISIS forces in 2016-17 / Image: Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia Commons

What we are looking at here is a level of death and destruction of unprecedented proportions in Gaza. Already, the number of Palestinians killed has equalled all those killed between 2008 and 2023 before the Hamas attack on 7 October! In just under three weeks, there have been over half as many civilian casualties as weve seen in over a year and a half in the Ukraine conflict.

In order to get an idea of the situation the Israeli army may find itself in  if Netanyahu manages to go the whole way  some comparisons have been made with how Mosul in Iraq was taken back from ISIS forces in 2016-17.

Mosul had a population of around two million, similar to that of Gaza today. ISIS managed to embed around 8,000 of its fighters in the city, who were waiting for the 100,000 strong US-led Iraqi army.

The city was massively bombed in preparation for the troops to go in, but that left a swathe of destroyed buildings and rubble that the ISIS fighters could use as cover.

A western special forces officer who was with the Iraqi army in Mosul explains that: Cities have thousands of hiding places If you want to remove an enemy, you have to clear the area house by house. But that puts you in 360 degrees of danger. You cant just sweep through. The recapture of Mosul ended up taking nine months, far longer than had been previously calculated.

Estimates as to how many fighters Hamas has in Gaza vary, but there could be anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000, within which there is a core of 10,000 well-trained men. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is also estimated to have a force of around 15,000 fighters. This means that in Gaza there are forces that are around five times as large as those that ISIS had in Mosul.

However, the situation in Gaza is also different, in the sense that Hamas fighters will be operating on home territory and defending their homeland. Hamas can also draw upon big reserves of volunteers who are prepared to join the effort to stop the Israeli army.

Hamas has also had much longer to prepare the ground than ISIS did in Mosul. They have built a sophisticated network of tunnels  close to 500 kilometres according to some reports  into which fighters can escape, or from which they can launch surprise attacks. They will be able to attack Israeli forces from unexpected directions. It will literally be a fight for every corner of the city. Hamas has also accumulated more sophisticated weaponry than in the past, with mines, anti-tank missiles and armed drones.

The way things went back in 2008 and again in 2014  when Israeli ground forces entered Gaza for just a few weeks  give a foretaste of what is to come. In total, around 3,500 Palestinians were killed, while the Israeli army lost 70 soldiers in the two operations. What they are planning today is on a much larger scale, and will inevitably lead to huge losses on both sides, and the bulk of those killed will be civilians.

Experts have explained that a successful land invasion of Gaza would require a force of five Israeli soldiers to every Hamas fighter. If the figure of 50,000 fighters at the disposal of Hamas quoted earlier is correct, then that would mean 250,000 Israeli soldiers are required to achieve Netanyahus stated aims. They have mobilised more than this  although due to the threat from Hezbollah forces, a number have had to be deployed to the northern border. On paper, they do have sufficient forces to completely destroy Gaza if they wish  sustaining such a campaign of course is a completely different story.

But let us return for a moment to the experience of Mosul in Iraq. According to renowned journalist Patrick Cockburn writing for The Independent (19 July 2017): More than 40,000 civilians were killed in the devastating battle to retake Mosul from Isis, according to intelligence reports...

Cockburn goes on to explain some of the reasons for this level of civilian casualties:

Much of the blame for the calamitous level of destruction in west Mosul has been put on air strikes, but it is evident at ground level that a lot of the damage was caused by artillery shells and rockets. This is confirmed by an Amnesty International report issued last week titled At Any Cost: The Civilian Catastrophe in West Mosul, Iraq, which points to a greater and more indiscriminate use of its firepower by pro-government forces in the final stages of the attack on east Mosul, starting in January 2017 and continuing over the following six months during the assault on west Mosul. [My emphasis].

This would indicate that, as the street-fighting involved big losses of military manpower for the Iraqi army, the tendency to resort to greater and greater bombing inevitably increased. We can imagine something similar taking place in Gaza. As the Israeli army will be facing extremely dangerous terrain, they will try to minimise their own losses by resorting more and more to bombing from a distance to facilitate the operations of their ground forces when they go into an area.

Nightmare scenario being prepared

What does this mean for civilians in Gaza? It inevitably means tens of thousands of deaths. The 40,000 dead in Mosul is testimony to the effects of such a ground invasion. The Israeli military has repeatedly ordered Palestinian civilians to leave the north of Gaza and to go south, but the conditions the people have found in the south have led some of them to go back north. Not only is there a shortage of everything, from water to basic medicines, from food to housing, but some have even been bombed after they arrived in the south and even on their way south. This means that, although huge numbers have left Gaza City, there will still be many civilians remaining.

The 40,000 dead in Mosul is testimony to the effects of such a ground invasion / Image: Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia Commons

It will not be a quick operation. The Israeli military are talking of a 50-day war, but Mosul shows that such calculations are worthless. Some are speculating that it could be many months, and perhaps even more drawn out, before the Israeli army achieves its aims. The result would see Gaza City razed to the ground.

As Michael Lynk  a former UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories  is quoted as saying in Foreign Policy magazine, Theres going to be a determined effort to try to decapitate Hamas. And the only way to do that is to lay waste to large sections of Gaza and its civilian population. [My emphasis]

This is the nightmare scenario that is being prepared for the Palestinian people in Gaza. Many Israeli soldiers would also be killed, and many of the 200 hostages being held by Hamas could also perish. This also explains the delay on the part of the Israeli army in commencing its ground offensive. There seems to be a difference of opinion between some of the military leaders and the present government of Israel on how to go about the planned invasion.

The bourgeois leaders of the West have also been applying pressure to delay the invasion, insisting on the question of getting the hostages held by Hamas released before going in.

They have also been making more noise about aid being allowed into Gaza to relieve the horrendous humanitarian disaster into which the strip has been plunged. There is a very strong political element involved here for the imperialists. In an ideal scenario they would prefer to avoid a land invasion. But that scenario does not exist, and they will have no option other than to support Israel as their only reliable ally in the region.

But to maintain some modicum of public support for this course  support they anticipate will evaporate quickly as the horrors pile up in Gaza  they need to be seen to be paying some attention to the present plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza and humanitarian concerns.

UN experts are already warning that, if essential supplies are not allowed into Gaza soon, in sufficient quantities, there is an inescapable risk of starvation facing the civilian population of Gaza. There is also a growing danger of deadly water-borne diseases such as cholera spreading due to the deterioration of hygiene conditions and a lack of clean water.

Water supplies have been cut off by Israel, as have fuel and electricity provisions. Without power, what little water there is cannot be pumped, and the sewage plants cannot function. Many people are already being forced to sleep on the streets, or in makeshift accommodation. Others are living crammed into apartments that are hosting 30-40 people, sometimes up to 100. And once the land invasion begins, all this will worsen exponentially.

Once the Israeli army goes in, images on TV screens are going to shock millions of people all over the world, but this will have a particularly dramatic impact on the peoples of the Middle East. Already, we have seen huge protests, mass rallies and demonstrations across the region. This movement is destined to get much bigger.

This explains last Saturdays Cairo Summit for Peace, where representatives from Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, South Africa, France, Germany, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, as well as EU and UN officials, and the United States, among others  although no senior US officials were present  discussed ways to de-escalate the war.

These leaders are clearly extremely worried that, once Israeli forces go into Gaza, this will have a destabilising effect in their own countries. The problem, of course, is that there was no one from Israel at the summit, and it is Israeli generals and the Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, together with his war cabinet, who are the only ones with power to de-escalate. All the words and fancy speeches last Saturday amount to so much hot air and nothing else.

At this point, the Israeli army is continuing its preparations for going in. Once this begins, we will see a bloodletting of immense proportions. It will heighten tensions even further across the region. We already saw rockets fired from Yemen being downed by a US warship last week. US soldiers stationed in Iraq and Syria have been attacked, and Iran, directly and also through its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, has been stressing the danger to US units in the whole region.

Growing solidarity with Palestine

On Saturday, we saw a demonstration of around 300,000 people in London in solidarity with the Palestinian people. In France, authorities had banned any such demonstrations from taking place, but under immense pressure they were forced to lift that ban last Thursday. The result was that at least 30,000 marched through Paris on Sunday waving Palestinian flags and chanting Gaza, Paris is with you. This was the biggest such rally in France so far. Many more rallies have been seen all over the world.

This movement is destined to grow as the butchery unfolds in Gaza. The media are desperately trying to mould public opinion in favour of Israel. But this is proving very difficult, and once the full effects of an invasion become clear to all, it will become even more so.

Many people can already see through the propaganda, through all the lies and slander. They understand clearly that the present bombing and a future invasion are not about responding to the Hamas attack on 7 October. They are merely a continuation, on a much higher level, of decades of oppression of the Palestinian people, who have been without a homeland for 75 years.

The present bombing and a future invasion are not about responding to the Hamas attack on 7 October / Image: Wafa, Wikimedia Commons

In order to push back on the groundswell of support for the Palestinian people, the media have launched accusations of antisemitism or of support for terrorism against anyone who publicly expresses opposition to Israels war against Gaza. This explains why the mainstream media  the BBC is one of the worst culprits  have ratcheted up the reporting of the events that took place on 7 October in southern Israel, emphasising the lurid details of Hamas actions.

Normally, such scenes are not shown, as they are considered too sensitive, but now the videos are being broadcast and highlighted. The aim is clear. It is to prepare public opinion and to justify the butchery of innocent civilians in Gaza. It is self-evident that any normal person does not condone the indiscriminate killing of civilians, on either side of this conflict. But people can see what is being prepared and they are adamantly opposed to it.

Any western politician who dirties his or her hands in supporting the barbarism we are witnessing is, sooner or later, going to feel the wrath of their people at home. Sunak, when he recently met Netanyahu in Israel and shook his hand, said: We also want you to win. That means he supports Netanyahus plans, as described in this article. That means he supports the indiscriminate killing of women and children.

According to the Gazan Ministry of Health, the overall number of people killed in Gaza so far (Tuesday, 24 October) stands at 5,791. This includes 2,360 children, 1,421 women, and 295 elderly people; and there are also 16,297 injured and a further 1,550 reported as missing, of which 870 are children.

This is what Sunak is supporting. Just as he is no friend of working people in Britain, he is no friend of the suffering Palestinian people. The same applies to Macron, Scholz, Meloni and all the other leaders of Europe, including the likes of Starmer and co., who, like obedient lapdogs, do everything their own ruling classes tell them to do.

It is in moments like this that true communists, true revolutionary Marxists, stand out clearly with their support for the oppressed, and opposition to all those who rule in favour of a system that allows such butchery to take place. We tell the truth to workers and youth, no matter what lies the propaganda machine of the rich and powerful insists on spreading.

Just a few days ago, Petraeus, together with the British historian, Andrew Roberts, published a book: Conflict  The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, in which they explain that, after the Second World War, a dream arose that there might be peace on earth, based on the birth of the United Nations, whose founding Charter stated that it hoped to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

But they coldly explain the following:

The Prussian military philosopher and theorist Carl von Clausewitz described warfare as politics by other means, and just as politics did not end in 1945, neither has warfare. Indeed, conflict has continued at least somewhere on the globe every year since the end of the Second World War.

The politics Petraeus is referring to  and which he clearly defends  is the politics of class exploitation, of plundering the peoples of the world by a minority of blood-sucking parasites: the capitalist class and all their hangers-on. The events in Gaza are clearly highlighting this. And this is what is beginning to penetrate into the consciousness of billions of people who live on this planet, starting with the youth.
With the ever-growing awareness of mental health and wellbeing in India, the field of counselling psychology has surged in prominence. Offering satisfying work, coupled with good earning possibilities, this professional realm has become a captivating career choice for many. In this article, we delve into the multifarious opportunities that counselling psychology presents in India.

What is Counselling Psychology?

Counselling Psychology is a specialty within professional psychology that focuses on providing therapeutic treatments to clients experiencing a wide range of mental, emotional, and behavioral issues. Counselling psychologists use a variety of techniques to help people improve their well-being, alleviate feelings of distress, and solve crises they might be facing.In the space of mental health, counselling psychology in India has grown significantly over the last few years. The stigma around mental health is gradually reducing and the understanding of the importance of mental well-being is gaining recognition, leading to an increased demand for counselling psychologists. This progress is also due to the introduction of various counselling psychology courses across universities in India, thus encouraging more people to pursue this field.

Scope of Counselling Psychology in India

While traditionally the field of psychology in India was rather limited, changing societal dynamics and increased focus on mental healthcare have broadened these boundaries. Counseling psychology now has implications in various sectors including educational institutions, corporate organizations, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and even within the private setup as self-established practitioners. The role played by counselling psychologists is pivotal, guiding individuals to overcome their emotional hurdles and aiding them in achieving mental resilience.

Career Choices within Counselling Psychology

Indian aspirants in the field of psychology have various career paths to choose from. They can opt to become counseling psychologists, assisting individuals with emotional and mental health concerns. Alternatively, they can pursue a career as career counselors, guiding individuals in making informed decisions about their professional paths. Relationship therapy is another option, where psychologists help couples and families address and resolve conflicts. Those interested in child psychology can become counselors specializing in working with children. Additionally, aspiring psychologists can also explore the field of rehabilitation counseling, supporting individuals with disabilities in achieving their goals.

Moreover, with further education and training, individuals can expand their opportunities in the field. They may venture into psychotherapy, where they provide therapeutic interventions to individuals facing mental health challenges. Another potential avenue is psychometrics, involving the development and administration of psychological tests and assessments. Those interested in the intersection of psychology and neuroscience can pursue a career in neuropsychology, studying the relationship between the brain and behavior.

Educational Pre-requisites

Building a career in Counselling Psychology in India starts with a Bachelors degree in Psychology, followed by a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology. Pursuing a PhD in Counselling Psychology would further enhance and solidify one's standing in the field. Many universities across India offer these courses, making it convenient for students to pursue their career aspirations in this field. Regular workshops, conferences, and certifications can keep practitioners updated with the latest trends and practices in the field.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel proposed that the upcoming batch of books be printed as "Bharat" rather than "India," and all of its members unanimously agreed. One of the 25 panels working on altering or amending the content of NCERT books is this one.

The name change would be present in the new NCERT books, according to CI Issac, one of the panelists. Issac stated that the suggestion, which was made months ago, had finally been approved. The NCERT panel's recommendation was made in the midst of a discussion about changing the name of the nation to "Bharat." This started earlier this year when the Centre sent invitations to President Droupadi Murmu's G20 dinner in the name of "President of Bharat" rather than "President of India," setting off a political controversy.

According to Article 1(1) of the Constitution, "India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States" is the name of our nation. In September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the G20 Leaders Summit in the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi's Pragati Maidan while the nameplate "Bharat" was on the table. 'Bharat' was displayed on a sign as Prime Minister Modi gave his opening remarks at the summit, as seen in videos and images that were extensively circulated on social media.

Other Recommendations By Ncert Panel

The NCERT committee has also suggested that "Hindu victories" be highlighted in the curriculum. Additionally, it has been advised that "classical history" be introduced in place of "ancient history" in the textbooks.

According to Isaac, history would no longer be split into the ancient, medieval, and modern periods as the British did, which depicted India as being in the dark and ignorant of scientific advancement and understanding. The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) should be included in the curriculum for every subject, according to the committee's recommendation.
With some personnel changes over at CAMPIs secretariat committee, it took us a while to get the September 2023 new car sales breakdown for ...
Photo: The Canadian Press Bodies of dead Palestinians are seen under the rubble of a destroyed house after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled)

Israel escalated airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, crushing families in the rubble of residential buildings, as health officials said hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the past day and medical facilities were shut down because of bomb damage and lack of power.

The soaring death toll from the bombardment is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It augurs an even greater loss of life in Gaza once Israeli forces backed by tanks and artillery launch an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

Gazas 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the devastating Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on towns in southern Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 704 people over the past day, mostly women and children. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. also could not verify that one-day death toll.

The Ministry of Health is run by Hamas, and I think that all needs to be factored into anything that they put out publicly.

Israel said Tuesday it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders, hitting militants as they prepared to fire rockets into Israel and striking command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. Israel reported 320 strikes the day before.

Hamas is sworn to Israels destruction.

Israel, for it's part, has vowed repeatedly since the massacre to crush Hamas.

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the U.N. Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 attack is a total destruction to the last one of the militants. It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty, he said.

The Israeli military said it thwarted an assault by a group of Hamas underwater divers who tried to infiltrate Israel on a beach just north of Gaza. They were attacked by air, naval and ground forces.

Across central and south Gaza, where Israel told civilians to take shelter, there were multiple scenes of rescuers pulling the dead and wounded out of large piles of rubble from collapsed buildings. Graphic photos and video shot by the AP showed rescuers unearthing bodies of children from multiple ruins.

A father knelt on the floor of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah next to the bodies of three dead children cocooned in bloodied sheets. Later at the nearby morgue, workers prayed over 24 dead wrapped in body bags, several of them the size of small children.

Buildings that collapsed on residents killed dozens at a time in several cases, witnesses said. Two families lost a total 47 members in a leveled home in Rafah, the Health Ministry said.

A strike on a four-story building in Khan Younis killed at least 32 people, including 13 members of the Saqallah family, said Ammar al-Butta, a relative who survived the airstrike. He said there were about 100 people sheltering in the building, including many who had evacuated from Gaza City.

We thought that our area would be safe, he said.

Another strike destroyed a bustling marketplace in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, witnesses said. AP photos showed the floor of a vegetable shop covered with blood.

In Gaza City, at least 19 people were killed when an airstrike hit the house of the Bahloul family, according to survivors, who said dozens more people remained buried. The legs of a dead woman and another person, both still half buried, dangled out of the wreckage where workers dug through the dirt, concrete and rebar.

The Health Ministry says more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 minors. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government.

As the death toll in Gaza spirals, and fuel supplies dwindle, the number of facilities able to deal with casualties is shrinking. More than half of primary health care facilities, and roughly 1 of every 3 hospitals, have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggled to triage cases as constant waves of wounded were brought in. The Health Ministry said many wounded are laid on the ground without even simple medical intervention and others wait for days for surgeries because there are so many critical cases.

While Israel has allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to enter, it has barred deliveries of fuel to Gaza to keep it out of Hamas' hands. The U.N. said its operation distributing aid will halt Wednesday evening if it does not receive fuel.

To make room for the dead, cemeteries have been forced to excavate and reuse old plots. Families have dug trenches to bury multiple bodies at a time.

Bodies pour in by the hundreds every day. We use every empty inch in the cemeteries, said Abdel Rahman Mohamed, a volunteer who helps transfer bodies to Khan Younis main cemetery.

Israel says it does not target civilians and that Hamas militants are using them as cover for their attacks. Palestinian militants have fired over 7,000 rockets at Israel since the start of the war, according to Israel, and Hamas said it fired a fresh barrage on Tuesday.

On Monday, Hamas released two elderly Israeli women who were among the roughly 220 people Israel says were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack and forced into Gaza.

Appearing weak in a wheelchair and speaking softly, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz told reporters Tuesday that the militants beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it hard to breathe as they kidnapped her. They drove her into Gaza, then forced her to walk several kilometers (miles) on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web, she said.

Once there, she said, she was treated well, fed and given medical care.

Lifshitz and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper were freed days after an American woman and her teenage daughter were released.

The Israeli military dropped leaflets in Gaza asking Palestinians to reveal information on the hostages whereabouts. In exchange, the military promised a reward and protection for the informants home.

Iranian-backed fighters around the region are warning of possible escalation, including the targeting of U.S. forces deployed in the Mideast, if a ground offensive is launched. Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire almost daily across the Israel-Lebanon border.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo and Nessman from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Aamer Madhani in Washington, Amy Teibel in Jerusalem and Brian Melley in London, contributed to this report.

___
Photo: BC Conservatives. Rachael Weber in a photo for the Conservative Party of B.C.

School District 57 board chair Rachael Weber is rejecting a call for her resignation from union president Daryl Beauregard.

The Prince George District Teachers Association (PGDTA) president called for Webers resignation on social media following her support for private education.

Weber made a social media post clarifying her position on private education after she liked a public Facebook group for The Discovery Academy Homeschool Learning Centre in Prince George, which describes itself as a an amazing opportunity to rethink how we educate our children especially given the lack of choice and the corruption in our current system.

Beauregard responded on social media and said a trustee should have unquestioned support for public education without being in deliberate conflict. Disgraceful. She should resign.

In an interview following Tuesday's school board meeting, Weber said that Beauregard is entitled to his opinion.

It's unfortunate that he's lost sight of his position being president of the teachers association. You know, there's a lot of other concerns and issues that you should be addressing. Unfortunately, that's not happening. So, we just move forward, said Weber.

We focus on some serious issues with the school board that are happening, for instance, the structural deficit, pulling that together, and really coming forward with our next school budget, and really making sure that we were starting to try to steer clear of that structural deficit as much as possible.

Weber is also running as an MLA for the Conservative Party of British Columbia in Prince George-Mackenzie in next year's provincial election, which Beauregard has also criticized as the partys platform is seemingly contrary to SD57s policies on inclusion.

The Conservative Partys website references schools as places of indoctrination stating political bias and ideology have no place in B.C.s education curriculum and must be removed immediately. Schools must be places of learning  not tools for activism and indoctrination.

The party has also stated it wants to end SOGI 123 programming in favour of a zero-tolerance anti-bullying approach.

When asked to address concerns over keeping her political ambitions separate from her work as board chair, Weber said I've addressed this with the media several times. Legally I'm doing everything that I'm allowed to do and when the time comes for the necessary changes, that's when they will happen.
Photo: The Canadian Press Michael Cohen arrives after a lunch break in former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday.

Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.

Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about a person whos very partisan sitting alongside the judge.

Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at you and Cohen.

But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. I think shes very biased against us, I think weve made that clear, Trump said.

Engoron on Oct. 3 had ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction issued after a Trump social media post maligning the clerk.

The judge had ordered Trump to take down that post and Trump did, which the former president noted in court Wednesday. But that post had lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a $5,000 fine for Trump last Friday.

Three of Trumps attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and they reiterated Trump's claim that the clerk was biased.

Earlier Wednesday, Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of his onetime personal attorney turned adversary.

With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018.

Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trumps White House  Cohen insisted he never sought one  and asked whether he had significant animosity" toward Trump.

Do I have animosity toward him? Yes I do, Cohen replied.

You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, havent you? Habba asked.

After a long pause, Cohen said, Yes.

Cohen worked as Trumps lawyer and fixer for many years, before Cohens 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and prison sentence for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trumps campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the womens stories were false.

Cohen is now a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 for partisan reasons.

During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump's company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer's holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set arbitrarily.

In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application lies. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes and he sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.

Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted in open court to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door.

Outside court, Trump said the trial was very unfair and a pure political witch hunt. Nonetheless, he said, Were happy with the way its going.

We have the facts on our side, Trump said. He's expected to testify later in the trial but meanwhile has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings.

Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. That case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.
Photo: The Canadian Press Chief Harley Chingee, centre, of B.C.'s McLeod Lake Indian Band talks to media in Victoria, Wednesday, May 3, 2023, as Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Murray Rankin, left, and Josie Osborne, energy, mines and low carbon innovation minister, look on. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dirk Meissner

A northern British Columbia First Nation has signed an agreement with the province to work together on what Premier David Eby calls an "elegant" proposal for a clean energy hub on band territory north of Prince George.

McLeod Lake Indian Band Chief Harley Chingee says signing a memorandum of understanding for the Tse'khene energy transition hub gives him certainty to move forward "in a good way" on the project that relies on existing pipelines in the region, including Coastal GasLink.

The pact, also signed with the BC Energy Regulator, formerly the BC Oil and Gas Commission, sets up a framework to create low-carbon energy through several Indigenous owned and operated projects, starting with a hydrogen production facility.

A second project would develop a so-called straddle plant capable of skimming high-value liquids such as ethylene from natural gas in the four pipelines already running across McLeod Lake traditional lands.

Collectively, the projects are worth approximately $7 billion and could create as many as 2,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent, full-time jobs.

Employment would be open to all B.C. residents, not just members of the McLeod Lake band, Chingee said.

He estimated construction could begin within 16 to 24 months and a statement from the province said it is working with the band and the BC Energy Regulator on a detailed plan to follow the memorandum and guide future work.

The band-driven project would "probably be a first," said Chingee, calling it a "newer model of doing business in the equity world," because it does not stem from an Impact Benefit Agreement, which is a contract between a non-Indigenous developer and affected First Nations.

"We're going to include all British Columbians, not just McLeod Lake Indian Band, but opportunities for all British Columbians, be they contractors, be they employees, and split the big, special stuff that we need for putting this giant plan together," Chingee said during the news conference in Victoria announcing the MOU.

Eby said the straddle plant, in particular, would help B.C. and its Indigenous partners extract "every bit of value" from natural gas exports.

It's "part of the beauty of the proposal," the premier said at the Wednesday event.

"Without any additional emissions and potentially with a slight reduction in overall emissions, we are able to extract together additional value for British Columbians, the McLeod Lake Indian Band, (and) the local community in terms of jobs."

"This is quite an elegant proposal that will make a huge difference for the community," said Eby.

"I am honoured to be standing here with the chief who put this together."
Holcim Espana invests in renewable fuels at Carboneras plant

25 October 2023

Holcim Espana has reinforced its commitment to decarbonisation by investing in facilities for the use of renewable fuels at its Carboneras cement plant in Almeria, Spain. The EUR4m project ensures that the plant is now capable of sourcing 70 per cent of its thermal energy requirements from renewable fuels, resulting in a reduction of more than 22,000t of CO 2 emissions linked to energy use.



Attending the inauguration of the new facilities, Jorge Paradela, minister of industry, energy and mines for the Government of Andalusia, highlighted the role that Andalusia wants to play in the promotion of clean technologies. We are already a powerhouse in renewables and we want to be leaders and be in the top three in Europe, said Mr Paradela. He also drew attention to other Holcim projects at Carboneras that have been supported by the Government of Andalusia, such as a capture plant for CO 2 that is reused in the local agricultural sector, and a photovoltaic plant.



Carmen Diaz, CEO of Holcim Espana, commented, Today we celebrate another step in our green growth in Andalusia, and a paradigm shift in the industrial sector. At Holcim we are committed to the development of Carboneras and the Andalusian region as a whole. We are convinced of the need to accelerate and lead, jointly, the transformation of the industry, this being an indispensable piece in the progress of our society and our country.

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Southern Adventist University invites the community to Destruction in the Gate: New Excavations at Tel Hazor, Israel presented by Professor Michael G. Hasel, PhD, director of the universitys Institute of Archaeology, on Monday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. in Lynn Wood Hall Chapel on campus.An expert in Near Eastern studies and archaeology, Dr. Hasel is also the curator of Southerns Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum. He has given lectures around the world and excavated at multiple sites in Cyprus, Jordan and Israel, most recently co-directing projects at Khirbet Qeiyafa, Socoh and Lachish in Israel.The free event is open to the public and will be livestreamed at southern.edu/streaming.For moreinformation, call 423-236-2030.
Officials of the Whitfield County Board of Elections (BOE) said they have addressed an error that occurred during the recent election period that affects ballots for the 2023 Whitfield County School District General/Special voting session.

Officials said, "Between Oct. 16-23, two special election questions, regarding the Whitfield County School District, were mistakenly included on the ballots of voters within the city of Dalton Independent School District. It is important to clarify that voters within the City of Dalton Independent School District are not eligible to participate in questions, referendums, or decisions related to the Whitfield County School District.

"The primary concern is to ensure that every vote is accurately tabulated and that the election process maintains the highest standards of integrity. In adherence to rules and regulations specified by the State Election Board and the Georgia Election Code, every ballot cast via Ballot Marking Device during early voting, will be duplicated.

"All Absentee-By-Mail ballots mailed to the Elections Office that were issued to voters beginning October 16th, will also be duplicated. All Absentee-By-Mail ballots issued to voters beginning October 24th will contain the correct information."

Stephen Kelehear, chairman of the BOE, said, The Board of Elections acted promptly to rectify the situation. Let me assure all the voters of Whitfield County and the city of Dalton that their votes will be counted correctly.

The ballot duplication process will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m., in the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Meeting room, located at 205 N. Selvidge St. The BOE assures all citizens that the ballot marking devices will contain correct questions for each voter within their respective districts beginning Oct. 24 and throughout the voting period until Election Day, Nov. 7.

For more information on the Board of Elections and Registrar please visit: https://www.whitfieldcountyga.com/boe/boe.htm
The Tennessee Historical Commission is now accepting nominations for its Certificate of Merit Awards to honor individuals or groups that work to preserve Tennessees heritage. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31.For nearly five decades our awards program has offered statewide recognition for those working to champion and revitalize Tennessees historic places. The Merit Awards program also highlights people and organizations for the work they do in the areas of publication,commemoration and education regarding our states unique history and heritage, said Patrick McIntyre, Tennessee State Historic Preservation officer and executive director of the Tennessee Historical Commission.Certificates of Merit are presented annually to individuals and groups that have made significant contributions to the study and preservation of Tennessees heritage during the 12 months prior to the application deadline.The Tennessee Historical Commission Board will make their final decisions on applications and typically presents these awards to the recipients each May, during National Preservation Month.Applications and Award Criteria can be found on the Tennessee Historical Commissions website . Completed applications may be submitted to ASK.THC@tn.gov. For questions regarding the awards or application process, contact Outreach Coordinator Caty Dirksen atCaty.Dirksen@tn.gov.The Tennessee Historical Commission is the State Historic Preservation Office. The agencys offices are located at 2941 Lebanon Pike in Nashville. For more information, call -615-532-1550 or visit their website
The East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra announces its performance at the Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair which takes place Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 10-12 at the McDonald Farm in Sale Creek.Tickets to the fair are available on the Hamilton County Fair website The all-volunteer orchestra will perform Sunday, Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m., followed by a Firework Finale presented by TVFCU at sunset to conclude the three-day event."For more than 18 years, the Collegedale-based ETSO has enriched the Tennessee Valley and greater Chattanooga area through symphonic performances led by its all-volunteer orchestra," organizers said."By tradition, ETSO has performed in the regions marquee Independence Day event in Collegedale to celebrate patriotism and community. The ETSO gives thanks to the Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair and Hamilton County Parks and Recreation for including the symphony orchestra as the events closing act."It is an honor to participate in the renewal of the Hamilton County Fair, said ETSO Executive Director Mathew Miller. The county fair is a wonderful tradition where families gather to celebrate small-town America at its finest. We are proud to see this community staple revitalized and that the ETSO gets to send off the fair with glory and pride.We are grateful to welcome so many amazing community acts to offer a full weekend of family fun in a fresh new way, said Karen Shostak, president of the Hamilton County Fair. This is the next generation of the Hamilton County Fair, and were happy to have the ETSO as part of this can't-miss experience.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee will unveil portraits of Noah Parden and Styles Hutchins in a ceremony at the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Courthouse at 2 p.m. on Nov. 1.

Noah Parden and Styles Hutchins, two African-American attorneys from Chattanooga, obtained a stay of execution in 1906 for Ed Johnson, an African-American criminal defendant, in the Supreme Court of the United States. Johnson had been wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman in a Hamilton County state court. Despite the stay of execution, a mob forced its way into the county jail where Johnson was held and hanged him from the Walnut Street bridge. Although Johnsons lynching was an unimaginable tragedy in Chattanoogas history, Parden and Hutchinss courageous defense of Johnsonat great personal costmerits the publics honor.



The portraits will be displayed prominently just outside the third-floor courtroom of the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

At the unveiling, the court, in partnership with the Supreme Court Historical Society, will also announce The Supreme Court and My Hometown program for Chattanooga, a two-week summer day camp for local high school students. The Hometowns program engages high school students in an intensive study of the process and substantive issues of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in a unique and personalized way. During the Chattanooga program, students will learn about Ed Johnsons case and United States v. Shipp, the only criminal trial ever conducted by the Supreme Court, which resulted in a finding that the Hamilton County Sheriff and five other individuals were guilty of contempt for not enforcing the Supreme Courts stay of execution. The program also encourages students to interact with their community based on what they have learned throughout their study, and, at the end of Hometowns, students will create a capstone project on the impact of these cases.
The UTC Symphony Orchestra and the Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts String Orchestra will present a free public concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12, in the UTC Fine Arts Centers Roland Hayes Concert Hall.

The performance will include Carmen Suites 1 and 2 by Georges Bizet and Tragic Overture by Johannes Brahms.

Free parking is available in the adjacent Lupton Hall parking garage. Both the parking garage and the Roland Hayes Concert Hall are handicap accessible.

The 60-member college/community orchestra, led by UTC Symphony Orchestra conductor Sandy Morris, includes University music majors and non-majors, UTC music faculty, area music educators and other amateur and professional musicians from the region.

The UTC Symphony repertoire for this concert was suggested to me by our orchestra members, particularly our seniors who wanted to play Brahms and Bizet before they graduate, Ms. Morris said. These contrasting works are important staples in the orchestral repertoire. We hope you enjoy them as much as weve enjoyed rehearsing them.

The Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts String Orchestra, led by Jessica Stansbury, contains students from grades 8-12. The CCA String Orchestra will perform selections from their fall performance, Bach and Roll, including Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach and Brandenburg by Black Violin.

We are happy to welcome the Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts String Orchestra to open our concert, Ms. Morris said. Jessica Stansbury has done an amazing job with the orchestra since I retired from there in 2011, and this is a great opportunity to showcase their fine work.

CCA is a unique, dedicated fine arts magnet school promoting artistic and academic excellence for students in grades six through twelve. Part of the Hamilton County School System, CCA serves more than 600 students in the fine arts concentration of their choice.

Ms. Morris said the Carmen Suites, edited by Fritz Hoffmann, are based on Bizets orchestration of the original score to his groundbreaking opera, Carmen. The opera is about a gypsy girl who works in a cigarette factory in Spain and seduces a soldier, whom she later discards for a bullfighter. This subject matter was scandalous at the time of its debut in 1875 Paris with its immorality and lawlessness, but it has become one of the best-loved operas for its beautiful melodies and colorful orchestrationas well as Bizets ability to express his characters emotions. It bridges the French opera comique with musical sections separated by dialogue and the verismo (realism) approach of late 19th-century Italian opera.

Brahms composed Tragic Overture in 1880, not in response to a personal tragedy but as a contrast to his Academic Festival Overturewhich was written the same year for Brenau University and drew upon student drinking songs. Ms. Morris said the contrast is apparent in Brahms use of the key of D minor to create the essence of a free-standing symphony movement with its powerful themes and quieter, reflective moments.


Derick told financial guru Dave Ramsey that he and Jill received a $50,000 check on the day her memoir, 'Counting the Cost,' was released.

Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar spoke their truth and were well paid for it. Jill recently penned a best-selling memoir about her time on TLCs hit shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. Now, she and her husband Derick are wondering how to invest the windfall they received from the book. To get some advice on what to do next, Derick recently turned to one of the best-known financial gurus in the country: Dave Ramsey.

The Counting On stars were paid at least $50,000 for Jills new book

[L-R] Jill Dillard; Counting the Cost | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra; Simon & Schuster

On Oct. 9, Derick called into The Ramsey Show (via YouTube) with a question: What should he and Jill do with the money they were getting paid for her book Counting the Cost?

Derick identified himself as a long-time listener, first-time caller. He explained that he and Jill had received a $50,000 check on the day of the books release. But they were unsure of the next steps to take with that money. Derick, a lawyer, said he had already maxed out his retirement contributions at work. And he and Jill are debt-free, with no mortgage or student loan payments. They also have a comfortable income from Dericks job as an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma, plus whatever Jill earns from her sponsored social media posts. The former reality TV personality also said he expected to earn about $85,000 next year and that he and Jill had $50,000 in an emergency fund.

Dave Ramseys tips for Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard

Ramsey preaches the importance of debt-free living and financial independence. He was impressed by Derick and Jills financial situation, especially considering they are still in their early 30s.

To see what youve done as a couple, its very impressive, he said. Its very cool.

Given that theyre in a solid spot in terms of retirement and debt, he suggested that the couple set aside some of the money in a college fund for their three children.

Ramseys co-host, Jade Warshaw, had similar advice. She suggested breaking dividing the money into thirds. Jill and Derick should spend some (perhaps on a trip or a car), save some, and give some away. Ramsey concurred.

Throw some at the kids to make sure we got the college fund beefed up a little, he said. Enjoy some of it and be generous with some of it.

Jill Duggar had to fight to be paid for filming Counting On

Jill and Dericks comfortable financial situation today is a far cry from where they were roughly a decade ago. When the couple got married in 2014, Jill was still appearing on 19 Kids and Counting. But neither she nor her siblings were compensated for their work on the show. Nor did she get paid for the spin-off Counting On, which focused on her and the older Duggar children. She was taught to see the show as a ministry, not a job.

For years, Jills father Jim Bob Duggar kept her in the dark about how much money was coming in from the familys reality TV empire, she explains in Counting the Cost. The day before her wedding, Jim Bob even tricked her and Derick into signing a contract that obligated them to keep working on the show.

Once Jill and Derick started asking Jim Bob questions about where the money was going and why they werent being paid, things turned hostile. After a legal fight that severely damaged her relationship with her dad, the couple eventually received $175,000 as payment for Jills years of work on the familys reality shows.

I never knew that victory could feel so hollow or so overwhelmingly sad, she wrote of her feelings when she finally received the check.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's luxe California lifestyle is roasted on the long running FOX animated series.

The long-running series Family Guy is the latest animated television show to aim Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The series writers brutally mocked the couple, criticizing their lifestyle and work ethic since leaving the royal family. Also in the line of fire was their Netflix contract and Meghans potential future as a brand ambassador.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoofed over luxe life since leaving the royal family

In a new Family Guy season 22 episode titled A Stache From the Past, Peter loses the Griffins home in a reverse mortgage. He and Mayor West travel to confront the man advertising the scheme, Tom Selleck.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear in a scene after Peter tries to confront Tom Selleck over his participation in the reverse mortgage commercial. Ill go it alone, just like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Griffin defiantly says as the series cuts to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The series depicts an animated bikini-clad Meghan and shirtless Harry lounging by a pool. Their butler approaches them with a message and a check.

Sir, your millions from Netflix for  No one knows what, the butler says. Put it with the rest of them, Harry replies.

Following, Meghans iPhone sounds an alert as Meghan says, Babe, time to do our daily $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco. A deadpan Harry utters, I shouldnt have left the made-up nonsense, referring to the royal family.

Royal commentator weighs in on Family Guy poking fun at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Royal commentator Gabriella Power commented on the episode for Sky News. It takes aim at their widely criticized $100M Netflix deal, she says of the episode.

It shows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex relaxing by the pool, in a mansion, of course, she explained. Power also suggests the episode tackles Harrys criticism of the royal family featured in his autobiography, Spare, calling his remarks constant complaints.

She says that it has been a tough year for the Sussexs and their partnerships. Power also commented on the couples Spotify deal ending after one season of Meghans Archetypes podcast.

South Park also targeted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Family Guy was not the first animated series that put an animated bullseye on the backs of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The first was South Park, who made the couple the stars of an episode titled The Worldwide Privacy Tour.

According to the series official website, South Park tackles Prince Harry and Meghan Markles search for solitude. They are depicted as the Prince and Princess of Canada, who move to South Park in a quest for a more quiet life.

However, they spend most of their days trying to develop a brand and generally annoying its residents. The animated couple scream they want privacy, but instead, live a very public life that appears otherwise.

The episode synopsis read, The prince of Canada and his wife try to find privacy and seclusion in a small mountain town. However, Kyle is frustrated over the constant media attention given to the couple, saying, It seriously is driving me crazy.

Kyle continues, Im sick of hearing about them, but I cant get away from them! Theyre everywhere. In my f***ing face. Stan responds, Look, Kyle, we dont care about some dumb prince and his stupid wife.

Family Guy airs on Sundays on FOX. The series can also be streamed on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
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This 31-year-old woman got pregnant at 16, and ever since, she has desperately wanted to get a tummy tuck.

She was super small before getting pregnant, and after that ended up gaining a ton of weight due to complications with her pregnancy.

Although she has gone on to lose all of the extra weight she was carrying around, she now has extra skin, which a tummy tuck would easily correct.

She and her 36-year-old husband are in an excellent place money-wise, and they have enough money in the bank for her to finally get a tummy tuck like she wants.

They have even started planning for it and booking appointments with different doctors so she can accomplish the procedure before 2024 begins.

Yesterday, her husband was asked to fly to Europe for his job so that he can attend a 4-day conference at the beginning of the new year.

His flights would be paid for, and he can extend his trip, she explained. The idea is we would all fly to Europe and spend a month or so traveling to Italy, Greece, London etc.

The cost of myself and [my] son would be, of course, our responsibility, As well as my husbands additional travel (other than the conference).

If we do the Euro trip, my tummy tuck wont be possible, and vice versa. I know it seems silly its such a first-world problem. Im having a hard time deciding the choice is 100% up to me.

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Its no secret that people today are questioning their faith and leaving the church because of religious hypocrisytheres even a recent study showing this to be the case.

The unbelieving world is paying more attention than ever to whether Christians beliefs and actions match up. If theres anything weve learned in recent years, its that our simply knowing what is right doesnt necessarily mean we will do it.

Of course, this kind of hypocrisy is not unique to religious people.

My sister, a nurse, once strolled by a couple of pulmonologists she knew as she was leaving the hospital. They were standing outside smoking cigarettes. She was struck by the irony: These doctors know all there is to know about lung disease and the toxic effects of smoking, and yet that did not prevent them from doing it anyway.

Similarly, theres a world of difference between our intentions and our actions when it comes to doing the will of God. Yet many of us believe that if we think about the truth, theologize about it, and talk about it, we are doing Gods will. This is a mistake. Having a rational understanding of Gods will does not amount to true belief unless and until we act on that knowledge.

Thats because our being is shaped by our doing, rather than the other way around like many assume. We might know we should trust Jesus, for instance, but thats different from actively putting our trust in him. Wanting to obey God is not obeying him. As Jesus puts it simply, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments (John 14:15, NASB).

Our kinship with others flows out of our relationship with God because God has made us the keepers of our brothers and sisters, and of the earth. That was his plan. And this is not a matter of knowledge, but of embodiment: actually putting one foot in front of the other.

That requires setting our sights on Christon doing, knowing, and being like himand filtering all our thoughts, actions, and dispositions through his eyes and heart. By imitating Christ, we come to understand him, and our being is transformed in the process. As we become more like Christ, we get better at seeing and treating others the way he sees and treats them.

Our posture toward and treatment of others is a good indicator of our level of transformation and capacity to do Gods will. Thats especially true for those who are closest to us, with whom we live and work and play. Its easier to treat well the people with whom we have little interaction than those with whom we regularly interact, who can get on our nerves or push our buttons.

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The real test of our love is how we treat people when theres no chance to put on a pious show.

The opposite of this kind of selfless love is what I call Invictus-ingtaking the self-deifying stance described in William Ernest Henleys famous poem Invictus:

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

 I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

This attitude of self-governance can lead us off-course from Gods will and entangle us with death (Ps. 18:4)which can, in turn, leave destruction in our wake and make us run aground.

If we truly love God, and if Jesus is indeed within us, then we should be bothered when our neighbors are not flourishing. If we arent, we are self-deceived in believing we love Godfor whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar (1 John 4:20).

But it is not enough to love our neighbors in our imaginations. If asked, would our neighbors attest to us tangibly caring for them?

Not long ago, I was teaching an undergraduate class, and the days topic was abortion. I was explaining the lay of the land, talking about the number of abortion clinics and the concept of viability. I also highlighted the cost of raising a child in different parts of the US.

What Ive found profoundly interesting each time Ive done this unit is that students across the value spectrum dont argue about the humanity of the baby, although they may disagree on when life begins. And I always encourage my students to listen to those whose views on abortion are different from their own instead of demonizing each other.

As students registered their opinions, one student spoke up. I had an abortion, she said. Theres no way I could have continued going to college if Id had a baby. My boyfriend and I cant afford to raise a child. The class grew silent; some students stared down at their desks or phones, while others turned around to look at the student as she spoke. My parents tried to talk me out of it, she continued.

Then she laid it all out:

I asked if they were going to babysit the baby while I was at school and work. If they were going to purchase clothing and formula and help with whatever bills insurance did not cover. If they were going to help put money away for the babys college tuition and help with miscellaneous expenses. I also wanted to know if they would vote for laws that give mothers and children a stronger safety net after the child is born instead of just being pro-birth.

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Thenhaving established almost a semesters worth of credibility and trust with the classI asked, Do you mind telling us what they said? Of course, you dont have to answer this question if it makes you uncomfortable. Students can always opt out of answering questions in my class, and Ive had some elect not to answer specific questions or participate in certain discussions before.

After what seemed like an eternal pause, she then said, They did not say much, except that they could not commit to all those things. Obviously, it was too much. So I had the abortion. Like I said, my boyfriend and I cant afford a baby right now. And then she added, Pro-birth people talk a good game, but they dont want to support mothers and children once the babies are born.

I was stunned. All I could do was offer my deepest thanks for her entrusting us with such intimate details.

Really, I could not argue with her. She was 100 percent right. For our pro-life stance to be credible, Christians in the US need to vote differently to care for mothers, children, and families. We should hold the fathers responsible and our representatives accountable to crafting holistically pro-life policies. And with the price of housing, childcare, medical care, diapers, and formula, folks need more of a safety net in place.

But that would require a cost from us. Not only would we likely have to pay more taxes, but most of us would also have to simplify our lifestyles and pay more out-of-pocket expenses to support those who need it. Being truly pro-life may mean housing a single mother or helping her get back on her feet, or perhaps creating a special fund to support the struggling families in our churches.

Love is action-orientednot merely talking about what we believe and support. If we continue to do Bible studies and memorize Scripture without applying it to our lives, then we will become the kind of people James speaks so strongly about in his epistle: Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:1517).

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Christian activist and journalist Dorothy Day nailed it when she put it this way: I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions. Thats what my student was doing: judging her parents action (or rather, inaction).

Sometimes the simplest, most basic things in lifeeating well, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and not overscheduling our calendarscan be the most difficult for us to accomplish on a consistent basis. As a result, many of us content ourselves with ill health and dysfunction. Why? Because health requires exertion, sacrifice, and a change of habits.

Similarly, we often miss out on the wholeness and shalom of loving God with all we are and loving our neighbors as ourselves because doing so can be difficult to learnat least at first, and without the help of the Holy Spirit and wise friends, or within a toxic church culture.

But it is possible. And it is necessary if we hope to restore the witness of the Body of Christ for this next generation.

My student felt that having an abortion was her only option, the only way to take responsibility for her behavior. She did not want to raise a child in poverty. What would we say if my student had put the question to us or to our churches? Do our actions vindicate our words?

Marlena Graves is assistant professor of spiritual formation at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York, and the author of Bearing God and The Way Up Is Down.

This excerpt has been adapted from Bearing God: Living a Christ-Formed Life in Uncharted Waters by Marlena Graves  2023. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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In this special episode of The Bulletin, host Mike Cosper sits down with rabbi Meir Soloveichik, one of the worlds foremost Jewish leaders, to discuss the roots of modern antisemitism and how Jews respond to this hatred. The two talk about Jewish disdain in the ivory tower, the core of Jewish identity, and the importance of understanding the Jewish God as we navigate the complexities of the current Israel-Hamas war.

Joining us this week:

Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik is one of the worlds preeminent Jewish thinkers and educators, and hes one of Americas most influential religious leaders. He is the senior rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Manhattan, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. He is also director of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Soloveichik has lectured internationally to Jewish and non-Jewish audiences on topics relating to faith in America, the Hebraic roots of the American founding, Jewish theology, bioethics, wartime ethics, Jewish-Christian relations, and more. He writes a monthly column in Commentary magazine, and his writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Mosaic, First Things, Azure, Tradition, the Jewish Review of Books, and many other outlets. Rabbi Soloveichik is a descendent of one of the Jewish worlds great rabbinic dynasties. He graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva University, received his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and studied at its Beren Kollel Elyon. He has also studied at Yale Divinity School, and in 2010, received his doctorate in religion from Princeton University.

Listen to more in this bonus episode:Making Sense of the Israel-Hamas War

The Bulletin is a production of Christianity Today

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Producers: Clarissa Moll and Matt Stevens

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Show Design: Bryan Todd

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Social Media: Kate Lucky
Young woman sues American Academy of Pediatrics over body disfiguring trans procedures

A 20-year-old woman who detransitioned after being placed on cross-sex hormones as a young teenager is suing her doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for allegedly lying about their long-term effects.

Isabelle Ayala and her lawyers are accusing the defendants of "civil conspiracy, fraud, medical malpractice and other related causes of action" related to what she alleges was a misleading "gender-affirmative" model of care, according to the lawsuit first reported by The Daily Wire.

Ayala, whose suit characterizes her as "an unfortunate victim of a collection of actors who prioritized politics and ideology over childrens safety, health, and well-being," names the AAP, the Rhode Island-based Lifespan Physician Group, as well as Drs. Jason Rafferty, Michelle Forcier, Meghan Gibson, Gillian Morris, Brittany Allen, Ilana Sherer, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Jill Wagner.

The young woman alleges that when she was first hospitalized for suicidal ideation at age 14, Rafferty and others rushed her down the "path of gender-affirming medicalization" after a brief meeting instead of recommending psychological counseling. She claims that after six months of testosterone treatment, she attempted suicide.

Ayala's suit pinpoints AAP's 2018 policy statement, spearheaded by Rafferty, as especially egregious, alleging it enabled an "entirely new model of treatment" that was based on "outright fraudulent representations."

The lawsuit further notes Ayala experiences regret because of the experimental procedures performed on her, and that she "longs for what could have been and to have her healthy, female body back."

"The changes the testosterone have had on her body are a constant reminder that she needed an unbiased medical expert willing to evaluate her mental health and provide her the care she needed, rather than a group of ideologues set on promoting their own agenda and furthering a broader conspiracy at her expense," the suit says.

Ayala further claims that Rafferty and the other defendants have continued "to promote and profit off" their gender-affirming model of treatment, which she said have rendered her and other young people victims of a conspiracy entered into and perpetuated to the present day by certain ideologically captured individuals in positions of power at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

[Rafferty] has gone from a little-known resident during his time drafting the Gender Policy Statement to having a highly successful practice in pediatric gender care and considered a leading authority on the subject, all while operating under the imprimatur of the authority he falsely created, the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit further claims that the defendants have continued to advocate for the gender-affirming model despite mounting international skepticism.

In 2020, the Finnish Health Authority (PALKO/COHERE) recommended psychotherapy as the first-line treatment for minors experiencing gender dysphoria.

In October 2021, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) also released a statement citing a lack of quality evidence and emphasizing the necessity of receiving a proper mental health evaluation before undergoing irreversible and disfiguring trans procedures.

In February 2022, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW), urged "restraint when it comes to hormone treatment," which was followed by similar guidance from the National Academy of Medicine in France later that month.

Advocates of gender-affirming care, as laid out by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), have pointed to the AAP's endorsement of such standards to shut down debate about such practices.

"There is no debate in the medical community about the medical or scientific validity of gender-affirming care," a spokesperson for Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine told Fox News Digital last year, noting that WPATH's standards of care have been endorsed by the AAP, as well as the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).

Neither the AAP nor Lifespan Physician Group responded to The Christian Post's request for comment by the time of publication.
Christian groups hold prayer event for Israel after Hamas attack: 'A battle for our souls'

Christians throughout the nation were encouraged to pray for Israel following an attack by the terrorist group Hamas during a special prayer event that called for the protection of the Jewish state amid a "battle" between "good and evil."

The Christian conservative advocacy organization Family Research Council co-hosted the Pray Vote Stand Townhall alongside the nonpartisan group Faith Wins on Sunday. The event was held at Village Church in Blythewood, South Carolina, and its senior pastor, Erik Estep, was one of the speakers.

FRC President Tony Perkins said attendees gathered to show support for Israel amid a "spiritual battle" that he said is "raging" across the world.

"It's inescapable to me that Americans would support the brutality and those that would perpetrate the brutality that took place in Israel," Perkins said.

"How many know that there is a spiritual battle raging around this world tonight?"

Perkins contends the battle is taking place in the United States and God's people are called to "stand for truth."

Following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on civilian communities in southern Israel that killed over 1,400, including 30 Americans, many demonstrations have taken place in support of Palestinians.

Participants in several protests throughout the world have chanted "Gas the Jews," "Free Palestine," and some have called supporters of the Jewish State "pigs."

Perkins quoted Genesis 12, which states, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Perkins asserted that this promise is still "active" today.

David Friedman, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2017 to 2022, tuned into the event remotely. Friedman is currently working with the families of the victims taken hostage by Hamas, Perkins noted.

The terrorist group kidnapped over 200 people during the attack. While Hamas has released a few hostages, at least 10 Americans remain unaccounted for following the assault in southern Israel.

"This is an existential battle. It's a battle between good and evil," Friedman said. "It's a battle for our souls. It's a battle for our Christian and Jewish souls."

"It's a moment in time where I think our children and our grandchildren and those we come, come upon later in life will ask us, where were you?" he asked. "What were you doing during those last two weeks of October in 2023? Did you stand with Israel?"

The former ambassador condemned the various anti-Israel protests on college campuses, accusing the demonstrators of standing against the Jewish State at a time when Israelis are "bleeding." Friedman called on everyone to pray not only for the hostages and their families but also for the soldiers and volunteers helping the country, as well as military families.

"We need we need moral strength; We need spiritual strength," he said. "We need military strength; we need all the strength that we can muster to defeat this extraordinarily dangerous and barbaric force of evil."

Michele Bachmann, a former Republican congresswoman and dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, cited Hamas' founding documents, which call for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.

Bachmann, 67, referred to the terrorist group's Oct. 7 attack as "a fulfillment of the satanic demonic promise of Satan that he is going to conquer God."

The 2012 presidential candidate asserted that Satan will not conquer God, pointing to the book of Revelation in the Bible, which shows God's victory over the devil. Bachmann urged attendees to not only pray in support of Israel but to take action.

"We need to do everything that we can to stand with the Jewish people, to see this through to victory," she said. "And then we will find unmerited favor and blessing and grace and mercy in the same for the Jewish people."

FRC's executive vice president, Jerry Boykin, a retired Army lieutenant general who served as the U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence under President George W. Bush, made a similar call to action. He called on Christians not to let "evil people" win and stand with their Jewish brothers and sisters.

Chad Connelly, president and founder of Faith Wins, an organization that educates church leaders and helps them expand their influence, shared that Israel is a common topic during meetings with pastors.

In response to a question from Perkins about why pastors often refrain from speaking on political issues from the pulpit, Connelly suggested that even faith leaders need encouragement. Connelly urged the Church to "stand up and take back the righteous ground."
Baptist Mike Johnson elected speaker of the House after 3 weeks of infighting

The U.S. House of Representatives has elected a new speaker after weeks of Republican infighting delayed the replacement of ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

The House elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the new speaker in a 220-209 vote Wednesday afternoon. All Republicans present in the chamber supported Johnson, while all Democrats present supported House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Three Democrats and one Republican were absent.

In a statement posted to X shortly after his election, Johnson declared, "It is the honor of a lifetime to have been elected the 56th Speaker of the House." He expressed gratitude to his "colleagues, friends, staff, and family for the unmatched support throughout this process."

It is the honor of a lifetime to have been elected the 56th Speaker of the House.



Thank you to my colleagues, friends, staff, and family for the unmatched support throughout this process.



It has been an arduous few weeks, and a reminder that the House is as complicated and  Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) October 25, 2023

"It has been an arduous few weeks and a reminder that the House is as complicated and diverse as the people we represent," he added. "The urgency of this moment demands bold, decisive action to restore trust, advance our legislative priorities, and demonstrate good governance. Our House Republican Conference is united, and eager to work."

Johnson, a conservative Baptist who has served in Congress since 2017, vowed to "ensure the House delivers results and inspires change for the American people" and to "restore trust in this body."

He signaled his intention to "advance a comprehensive conservative policy agenda, combat the harmful policies of the Biden Administration and support our allies abroad." Johnson concluded his message with a call to "get back to work."

Tony Perkins, a fellow Baptist from Louisiana and head of the national Christian conservative activist organization Family Research Council, stated in a social media post that Johnson has been a "friend for a long time."

"I believe God has answered our prayers with his election," Perkins wrote. "Mike will be the America First Speaker we need and will lead with spiritual insight and political courage."

Johnson's election received a warm reception from prominent pro-life leaders. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, released a statement praising Johnson as "a longtime defender of constitutional principles, chief among them the right to life" who has "boldly championed life as an activist, litigator, state legislator, and as a member of Congress."

"These strong credentials will help him lead the pro-life movement in this exciting and challenging new era as speaker of the House," she predicted. "We are thrilled by the election of Speaker Johnson and look forward to working closely with him to advance national protections for unborn babies, serve mothers, and grow the pro-life House majority in 2024. We urge the entire GOP Conference to unite and give their full support to Mike Johnson as the new House speaker."

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias offered a similar analysis, identifying Johnson as a lawmaker "committed to the right to life" who "will make the right to life and protecting women and their unborn children a priority in Congress." The Louisiana chapter of National Right to Life cheered the election of "a strong ally of the pro-life movement" to the top job in the House, adding "Speaker Johnson will be a proudly pro-life Speaker of the House who will protect babies and help moms."

Johnson's election comes a day after previous speaker designee Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., withdrew from the race after failing to secure enough votes within his conference. Emmer emerged as the choice candidate among a majority of House Republicans following several rounds of voting Tuesday.

Following Emmer's withdrawal from the race, a new slate of candidates threw their hat into the ring, and House Republicans met to select a new nominee who would head to the floor for a vote from the full House. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., chair of the House Republican Conference, provided updates on the selection process on her X account Tuesday evening.

Stefanik identified Johnson as well as Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., Mark Green, R-Tenn., Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and Roger Williams, R-Texas, as candidates for speaker that would make their case to their Republican colleagues at a candidate forum that took place Tuesday evening. Hern, who had previously sought to become speaker in the rounds of voting that took place earlier in the day, withdrew from the race before voting began.

5:30 PM was the deadline for announced candidates for Speaker. Candidate Forum at 6 PM.



Officially Announced Candidates to the House Republican Conference include:



Byron Donalds (FL)

Chuck Fleischmann (TN)

Mark Green (TN)

Kevin Hern (OK)

Mike Johnson (LA)

Roger Williams (TX)  Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) October 24, 2023

Fleischmann was eliminated on the first ballot, while the field had whittled down to Donalds and Johnson by the third ballot. Johnson emerged as the choice of a majority of House Republicans, setting up Wednesday's vote in the full House.

The drama in the House comes after eight Republicans joined with 208 Democrats to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., three weeks ago. While the overwhelming majority of Republicans supported McCarthy, the small size of the Republican majority meant that McCarthy could only afford a few defections and remain in his position. The 216-210 vote to oust McCarthy led to an effort to find a candidate to unify the GOP's diverse factions.

While House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., initially emerged as the preferred candidate of a majority of House Republicans, he dropped out after determining that he did not have the votes necessary to become speaker. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, then materialized as the speaker designee. The full House voted on making him speaker three times, and his support dropped from 200 on the first ballot to 199 on the second ballot and 194 in the third vote.

Jordan withdrew from the race due to the lack of support, and a new round of candidates threw their hats into the ring. While Johnson was one of those candidates, he lost to Emmer. Emmer ultimately dropped out later Tuesday, and Johnson became the consensus choice of the House Republican Conference Tuesday night.

Now that the House has a new speaker, the chamber can begin voting on legislation again. For the past three weeks, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., had been serving as speaker pro tempore, a position with limited powers. Throughout that period, the efforts to elect a new speaker constituted the only voting that took place in the House.
Mother who alleges son was gang raped at Christian boarding school files wrongful death lawsuit

An Idaho mother who says she trusted a now-shuttered Christian boarding school in Missouri to rehabilitate her son struggling with behavioral issues has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the abuse and brutal gang rape by staff members he suffered at the school caused his early death last year at the age of 29.

The mother, Kathleen Britt, said in court documents cited by The Springfield News-Leader that she sent her late son, Jason Britt, to the Agape Boarding School in Stockton, Missouri, in 2009 so he could experience a "safe, kind and Christian environment free from drugs and alcohol."

What Jason Britt experienced was something like "a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion," the court documents state.

In an interview with The Kansas City Star when he was 27, Jason Britt told the publication that only months after he arrived at the school as a 16-year-old, several staff members held him face down on the floor while three members of the group took turns raping him with a broomstick.

"The best way I can describe it is like a group of savages going after their prey," he said. "I think it was just evil. I think they were trying to humiliate me in a way that I wouldn't recover from, that would break my spirit."

Prior to the school being shut down earlier this year, Jason Britt claimed students at the school would remain in danger if authorities did not act to address the abuse.

"If they don't take this seriously, a lot of kids are going to end up right when they turn into an adult being incredibly messed up psychologically," he told The Star. "It's been a battle for me for 10 years, and it's still a battle every day."

After removing her son from the school about a year after he began attending, Kathleen Britt said he turned to weightlifting and abused steroids to ensure he wouldn't experience abuse similar to what he suffered at the school again.

That move compounded his physical and mental health issues stemming from the abuse he suffered at the school, including PTSD.

Jason Britt died in February 2022 from organ failure triggered by his steroid use.

The lawsuit contends that even before Jason Britt left Idaho, Agape staffers showed up at his then-girlfriend's home in 2009 in the middle of the night and zip-tied his hands before shuttling him away to the airport. When he got to Agape, they shaved his head.

Among those named in the lawsuit are the school's former dean of students, Julio Sandoval, several staff members, and Cedar County Sheriff James "Jimbob" McCrary.

Kathleen Britt alleges that after she became aware of the abuse at the school, she alerted the sheriff in Cedar County, where the school is located, but officials failed to act, even when boys would run away from the school and complain to police.

More than a dozen other former students have already settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the school. But when it closed in January this year, Bryan Clemensen, Agape's former director, said they closed due to a "lack of financial resources."

"For the past 30 years Agape Boarding School has provided over 6,000 boys with an opportunity to get their life back on track and toward a bright future," he said in a press release.

"Agape has made the decision to stop providing services to the boys in its care effective January 20, 2023. Agape's focus is on getting the boys who remain in the program safely transitioned to their parents or to foster care, other group homes or residential programs. Agape's decision to close is voluntary and solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys."

Representatives for the shuttered school did not immediately respond when contacted for comment by The Christian Post on Wednesday.

Rebecca Randles, Kathleen Britt's attorney, told KMBC that the abuse carried out by school staffers on students is some of the "worst things I've ever heard."

"[A]nd I've done sexual abuse cases for 30 years," Randles said. "His [Jason's] choices were self-destructive choices from the time he left Agape, and those choices led to his death."
Hong Kong: Governance systems to be improved

In todays 2023 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee set out 73 new indicators which he said the Government will use to improve governance. Combined with ongoing indicators introduced in last years Policy Address, this takes the number of active indicators of the Governments work progress and outcomes to 150.

Mr Lee said that since taking office the current-term Government has strived to improve governance systems, capabilities, efficacy and execution. After setting out 110 indicators for specific tasks last year, he said the performance of departments had generally met his expectations and had helped to cultivate a result-oriented culture within the Government.

To further enhance governance systems, the Government will continue to collaborate and interact closely with the Legislative Council through various channels, including the Chief Executives Interactive Exchange Question & Answer Sessions, the LegCo Ante Chamber Exchange Sessions and facetoface communication.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive said the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau will take forward the regular exchange mechanism to enhance communication and collaboration with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region deputies to the National Peoples Congress and Hong Kong SAR members of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference.

Mr Lee also outlined that the Government will fully implement its improved district governance structure and ensure its effective and efficient operation. He said the seventh-term District Council elections will be conducted in a fair, just, safe, clean and orderly manner and called on people to cast their votes on December 10. With Care Teams established in all 18 districts, the governance structure at district level is largely in place, Mr Lee added.

Another area of focus for the Government is taking forward a number of major development projects, including the Northern Metropolis and the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands. Mr Lee said such projects will bring substantial economic and social benefits and pledged that the Government will establish a Committee on the Financing of Major Development Projects, led by the Financial Secretary, and an Office for the Financing of Major Development Projects, to advise on feasible investment and financing options. The two bodies will assess the feasibility of bringing in private investors for these projects, and thoroughly evaluate their financial viability.

The Chief Executive added that the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited is considering using the GBA (Greater Bay Area) Investment Fund, under its management, to set up a joint fund with the Guangdong Provincial Government and other institutions or corporations to invest in GBA projects with social and economic benefits.

Mr Lee also outlined measures which aim to enhance governance capabilities and efficacy. These include advancing the digitalisation of government services through the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and opening up more government data to accelerate the development of Hong Kongs digital economy. Mr Lee explained that the Digital Economy Development Committee, chaired by the Financial Secretary, is conducting studies on digital infrastructure, crossboundary data flows, the digital transformation of enterprises, and human resource support, and will table its recommendations early next year.

Furthermore, the Government will set up a Digital Policy Office through a merger of the existing Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the Efficiency Office. Led by the Commissioner for Digital Policy, the new office will be responsible for formulating policies on digital government, data governance and information technology. It will consolidate information technologyrelated resources within the Government, promote the opening up of data, and coordinate with departments to offer more digital services.

Before the end of this year, the Government will also publish administrative guidelines to facilitate the flow of data and ensure data security.

The Chief Executive added that from 2024, over 100 digital government initiatives will be launched to promote digital government and smart city solutions. These projects include: issuing and verifying certain licences and certificates electronically via blockchain technology; enhancing security in public cargo areas using AI technology; providing automated parking systems in newly completed government car parks and shortterm tenancy car parks; providing electronic payment options for all government fees within one year; developing smart searchandrescue mobile applications; and enhancing the 1823 enquiry service through an AI chatbot.

In addition, the Hong Kong SAR Government will collaborate with the Guangdong Provincial Government to develop the Digital Bay Area. This includes promoting the Crossboundary Public Services initiative, under which Hong Kong residents can log into the Guangdong Government Service Network via iAM Smart and residents of both Guangdong and Hong Kong can use selfhelp kiosks rather than having to access government services in person.

Noting that a capable and efficient civil service is the key to highquality government services, Mr Lee also pledged to the strengthen management of the service.

Mr Lee mentioned that after the streamlined mechanism for management-initiated retirement of officers whose performance is persistently sub-standard became effective in September, the Government will enhance training for departments to improve their skills in handling disciplinary cases. The Government will also boost its efforts to recognise civil servants whose work and dedication to the community are exemplary.

The Civil Service Bureau is also in the process of updating the Civil Service Code to ensure all officers are aware of the need to safeguard national security, sovereignty and development interests. The bureau aims to issue the updated code in the first quarter of next year or earlier for consultation with staff. In addition, the Hong Kong SAR Government will introduce an exchange programme with civil servants from other GBA cities by the end of the year.

To strengthen Hong Kongs ability to cope with extreme weather, Mr Lee said the Government will adopt a more preemptive and strategic approach.

This will involve requesting departments and relevant public bodies such as the Airport Authority and the MTR Corporation to comprehensively review their contingency plans. The Government will explore ways to use big data, AI and other technology to improve risk assessment capabilities, and investigations and studies will be conducted of major landslide incidents triggered by extreme rainstorms.

Drainage improvement works costing $8 billion at Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong Island East and other areas hit by severe floods in the past, are to be taken forward expeditiously, and the Drainage Services Department will complete its Strategic Planning Study on Flood Management against Sea Level Rise & Extreme Rainfall next year.

Furthermore, Hong Kong will collaborate with other GBA cities to formulate and implement a Greater Bay Area Emergency Response & Rescue Operational Plan. The aim will be to establish a systematic emergency-response mechanism that is mutually beneficial and strengthens the regions ability to prevent, mitigate and relieve natural disasters and other major public emergencies.

Mr Lee said the Government is also in discussions with governments in other GBA cities regarding the establishment of a cross-boundary ambulance service that will facilitate point-to-point transfers of patients.

This story has been published on: 2023-10-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chad rejects U.S. accusations in demonstrator killing incident

Xinhua) 13:35, October 25, 2023

YAOUNDE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chad rebuked the United States on Tuesday for asserting that there was a lack of accountability for crimes committed during a violent protest in the Central African nation in October of last year, during which four demonstrators were killed outside the U.S. Embassy in the capital of N'Djamena.

Last week, the U.S. Department of State said there was no evidence that the Chadian government was taking action to investigate or bring the perpetrators to justice, emphasizing the need for "full investigations."

In a statement, Chad's Ministry of Justice and Human Rights said the allegations were biased. "Beyond the statements from the State Department, Chad has no lessons to learn from the United States, which does not serve as a model in handling legal cases and respecting human rights," Abakar Guiagoussou, the ministry's spokesperson, said in the statement.

"The ministry would like to reaffirm that, in complete sovereignty and in accordance with both national and international legislation, it has taken the initiative to shed light on these events in full transparency," the statement said.

According to the statement, Chad had already arrested, tried and sentenced soldiers and civilians who participated in the "tragic" event and were subsequently pardoned by the president.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Priest apologizes for smashing 'satanic' Halloween pumpkins made by children

A Roman Catholic priest in the Czech Republic apologized to his small village after he destroyed a Halloween pumpkin display made by children because he believed it to be "satanic."

Father Jaromir Smejkal, parish priest at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Kurdejov, issued an open letter to the mayor that was posted last week on the village's Facebook page.

"Leaving the rectory on Sunday evening, I saw numerous symbols of the satanic feast of 'Halloween' placed in front of our sacred grounds," the priest wrote in the letter, which was first reported by Breclavsky Denik, a local newspaper.

"I acted according to my faith and duty to be a father and protector of the children entrusted to me and removed these symbols," he continued.

The priest also blasted the modern Halloween celebration as part of the "heathen, contemporary world" in opposition to the traditional Christian holiday of All Souls' Day, which also falls on Oct. 31.

Children in the village of 500 people were reduced to tears after the priest smashed their pumpkins, and Smejkal stomped them for a second night in a row when they made replacements, according to the local outlet.

Smejkal noted in his apology that he had no intention of harming the children and would not have destroyed their pumpkins if he had known they had made them.

"But try to remember that my duty as a figure of authority and a priest is to protect children and families from hidden evil," the priest said, adding that he came to realize that the alleged "symbols of evil spirits" were not intended to "express contempt for what is holy to us Catholics."

The villagers of Kurdejov were reportedly "disgusted" by the priest's destruction of the pumpkins, which were part of an event organized by local mothers.

Pavel Kafka, who is Smejkal's superior in the Diocese of Brno, also denounced his actions as inadequate in a statement posted on the village's Facebook page.

The Czech Republic has become one of the least religious countries in the world since the first half of the 20th century, with just 21% of Czechs now identifying as Christian, according to The Telegraph.

Many Czechs still enjoy celebrating traditional religious holidays such as All Souls' Day.

Polling shows that 73% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year, and a Lifeway Research survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors last year found that only 13% say they urge their congregations to avoid celebrating Halloween, a marked increase from 8% in a similar 2016 survey.
Church of England bishop says same-sex blessing services unlikely until at least 2025

A bishop in the Church of England says that services to bless same-sex couples are unlikely to take place in the church until at least 2025 amid simmering divisions.

Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally updated the media last Friday on the progress made since the Church of England's House of Bishops agreed earlier this month to move forward with plans to allow clergy and churches to commend prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

"They will need further authorization, which will take probably into about 2025," Mullally said of standalone blessing services for same-sex couples, according to Sky News.

The Church of England's General Synod will meet next month in London to discuss steps to implement what are being called "Prayers of Love and Faith" that ask God to bless same-sex couples.

In February, the Church of England's General Synod voted to offer prayers of blessing for same-sex couples in civil partnerships or marriages but fell short of agreeing to change the denomination's historical teaching regarding marriage. Bishops in the Church also agreed in January to formally apologize for its treatment of LGBTQ people.

Mullally noted that the Church of England has been swept up into "a time of uncertainty" amid deep disagreements over sexuality and gender within the global Anglican Communion.

"What we recognize is that as a church, we don't all agree on these issues. And we've known that all along," Mullally said. "The House of Bishops doesn't agree, the church doesn't agree."

"It will be true to say that for some, not enough progress has been made, for others far too much progress maybe in a direction they can't support has been made," Mullally continued.

"But what we try to do is to listen, to implement the motion that was agreed at synod but in doing that, we also realized that we not only provide pastoral guidance, but we need to provide pastoral reassurance for people," she added.

Earlier this month, 11 members of the House of Bishops publicly dissented from the ecclesiastical body's decision to agree in principle on commending Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex couples, according to a statement published by Premier Christianity.

Five bishops associated with Anglican dioceses in Europe also released a statement this month claiming the House of Bishops "have embraced heresy" and urged them to repent.

"This action is offensive to the God of love," they wrote. "It replaces his wonderful gospel of grace with a distorted message, blessing what God calls sin. This is heart-breaking, wicked and outrageously arrogant."

The synod's February vote prompted the 10 primates of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) to issue a statement on Ash Wednesday repudiating the spiritual leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

In April, conservative Anglicans associated with the Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) released "The Kingali Commitment," which accused Church of England leaders of "repeated departures from the authority of God's Word."

"It grieves the Holy Spirit and us that the leadership of the Church of England is determined to bless sin," the statement read in part. "Since the Lord does not bless same-sex unions, it is pastorally deceptive and blasphemous to craft prayers that invoke blessing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

"We reject the claim that two contradictory positions can both be valid in matters affecting salvation. We cannot 'walk together' in good disagreement with those who have deliberately chosen to walk away from the 'faith once for all delivered to the saints' (Jude 3)," the statement further reads.

A poll conducted by The Times (U.K.) earlier this year found that many Anglican clergy want the Church of England to begin officiating same-sex weddings, with 49.2% saying they would be willing to conduct a same-sex wedding and 59% saying they would bless gay relationships.
John Hagee warns the US is 'wide open' for terror attack from Iran

A prominent American pastor is warning that the United States could face a terror attack similar to Hamas' attacks on Israel earlier this month.

In an appearance on Fox News Life, Liberty & Levin on Sunday, Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, said there will never be reconciliation between warring sides in the perpetual Middle East conflict as he discussed the war in Israel and Gaza that began when Hamas launched terror attacks there earlier this month.

Hagee, who also serves as founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, warned that something similar to the Oct. 7 attack could take place in the U.S.

I think theres something that the American people need to think about, he said. Iran was the mastermind behind this war and Hamas were the ground troops.

Noting how Iran refers to the U.S. as the great Satan and Israel as the little Satan, Hagee asked, What is to stop Iran, those masterminds who planned that, from planning a similar plan for the United States of America and using the people who have come across our southern borders for a similar event to happen in this nation?

Hagee suggested that the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the U.S. earlier this year enabled China, another U.S. adversary, to learn where all of our military equipment and machinery and rockets and bases are.

This nation, the United States of America, is wide open for the same thing that Israel experienced, and believe me, they hate us to the core and would be delighted to do it, he remarked, referring to Iran and other U.S. adversaries.

As Hagee alluded to in his comments, statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveal that 169 individuals on the Terrorist Screening Dataset were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, which concluded on Sept. 30.

Overall, fiscal year 2023 saw 2,475,669 encounters between illegal immigrants and law enforcement at the Southwest border. This figure surpasses the record 2,378,944 border crossings recorded in fiscal year 2022.

Last Monday, Texas DPS director Steve McCraw spoke with members of the Texas House State Affairs committee about border apprehension of individuals "from special interest countries," including Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Jordan, attempting to enter the U.S., McCraw said.

In addition to expressing concern about the possibility of a terror attack on U.S. soil, Hagee addressed the narratives at the heart of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict that underpinned the violence in Israel. He also pushed back on the oft-repeated claim that the Jewish people are occupying Jerusalem and the surrounding area and that such lands belong to Arabs and Palestinians.

The idea that this land does not belong to Israel is simply a concoction of people who are surrendering to an ideology thats completely false.

The fact is there is a God and that God is a Creator, Hagee added. That God in Genesis  created the Heavens and the Earth. Since He creeded the Heavens and the Earth, He is the owner, and as owner, He has rights. And He, as owner, has given to the Jewish people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, their covenant with them that they should own this land forever.

Explaining that the covenant is recorded in the Bible more than 20 times, Hagee stressed that it remains their property to this day. He added, That covenant with God has never been broken and it still stands.

The people who are saying the land does not belong to Israel do not believe in the God of Heaven and they do not believe the Bible has the Word of God, Hagee concluded. Hagee also warned that the historic sites in Israel that date back to the time of Jesus Christ and even earlier would disappear if the state of Israel did not exist.

Hagee, who visits Israel at least once a year, detailed how every few days, archaeologists in Israel are digging up memorabilia of treasures that are thousands of years in age written in Hebrew with the name of Hebrew rulers on those documents as proof positive that thousands of years ago, the seed of Abraham occupied this territory.

There is no such thing as the two-state solution, Hagee insisted. Hamas worships death. We have seen that in these past few days in a pattern that is the most vicious thing that humanity has seen since the Holocaust.

Hagee contrasted Hamas with the Jewish people, whom he described as people who pursue life. Identifying life and death as polar opposites, Hagee asserted that there will never be reconciliation between radical Islam and Judaism.
Pastor Mark Burns plans to open $200 a month Military Christian Academy to fight woke agenda

One-time surrogate for former President Donald Trump, Pastor Mark Burns, who admitted in 2016 that he lied about his military service and his educational achievements, announced plans to open a $200-per-month Christian military school in the next academic year to fight the influence of the woke agenda in American public schools.

and he wants parents to wear the schools uniform to show their support.

In response to the growing influence of the 'woke' agenda in American public schools, I am proud to announce the upcoming establishment of BURNS MILITARY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY in Easley, SC, slated for the 2024-25 academic year, Burns, who is co-founder and CEO of The NOW Television Network, announced on Facebook earlier this month.

Our mission is to provide an affordable, pro-American education with a strong emphasis on biblical teachings, and to create an environment where children can learn and grow without the need for discipline or court-ordered attendance. This school is not designed for children who have discipline issues. Our goal is to keep our rates extremely low at $200 per month per student, Burns added.

Our school aims to instill good morals and a love for our country in our students while ensuring that they are not exposed to LGBTQ, CRT, or 'woke' teachings. We believe that our children are more than capable of making their own decisions and that they deserve a safe and nurturing environment to thrive in.

Burns, who also leads the Harvest Praise and Worship Center in Easley, South Carolina, was called out by CNN in 2016 for stating on his churchs website that he had a Bachelor of Science degree and served six years in the Army Reserve when neither of those things was true.

The South Carolina pastor was never in the Army Reserve but did serve in the South Carolina National Guard, from which he was discharged in 2008, CNN said. And while he started a bachelors degree at North Greenville University, he later admitted to the cable news network that he never finished it.

We plan to have our students wear a military-inspired uniform, akin to those worn by cadets at WestPoint and VMI (Virginia Military Institute). We also encourage parents, grandparents, and mentors to participate by wearing the uniform, fostering a sense of community and support, Burns said of the idea for his new school, which will use the Abeka Curriculum used by many Christian schools and homeschoolers.

Burns further noted that he is working with former national security adviser to Trump, Michael Flynn, and other donors to get uniforms for students at no cost to parents.

It was unclear Monday how much interest Burns has received so far for his school plan but a private group on Facebook about it had 55 members as of Tuesday evening.
Mother of man suspected of killing pastors son blames demonic spirit

The mother of a 22-year-old Florida man accused of fatally shooting the son of a pastor inside the parking lot of his church in Winter Haven on Sunday morning said he had been struggling mentally for several days prior to the killing and blamed his actions on a demonic spirit.

I'm devastated. Very devastated about this situation, Shavon Sheffield, the mother of 22-year-old murder suspect, Taquion "Quan" Cotton, told WTSP Monday night as she stood in front of Pentecostal Church of God in Winter Haven where her son is accused of shooting 20-year-old Roderick Wilson Jr.

Wilson Jr.s father, Roderick Wilson Sr., is a pastor at the Pentecostal Church of God.

He opened up a demonic spirit that he can't control, said Sheffield of her son, who Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference Monday was caught on surveillance video shooting Wilson Jr. in cold blood, in the parking lot of his fathers church.

I don't believe the video or whatever they showed me looked like my son. I asked to see other angles and they wouldn't show me," she said, noting that even though her son was not sane over the last several days, she doesn't believe he killed the pastors son.

Judd said the first 911 call about Wilson Jr.s murder came in at 1:47 a.m. local time on Sunday, but investigators believe that the pastors son was murdered at around 12:51 a.m.

We know that Taquion Cotton, who's 22, who's our murderer, drove up to the church and they had an initial confrontation out in the street where there was some pushing and talking, and Roderick pulled his jacket off. And then Quan drove away. Then we have video that shows that Quan drove back. And in the parking lot of the church, he and Wilson had further words, and he shot and killed Roderick, Judd said.

The sheriff said the body of the pastors son lay in the parking lot for about one hour before a good Samaritan drove by and noticed he was lying in a pool of blood.

Cotton, who is currently in police custody on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and other crimes, was noted as a known gang member with a violent history of 11 felony arrests and six misdemeanor arrests.

In one arrest record from June 2020, Cotton was charged by the Polk County Sheriffs Office with attempted second-degree murder. In August 2022, Cotton was also charged with one count of aggravated battery on a pregnant person, one count of domestic violence battery touch or strike, and one count of resisting (arrest) without violence.

Sheffield, when she heard that deputies were searching for her son in connection with the murder of Wilson Jr., got worried that he would get killed so she went looking for him with the police.

She said when she found him, he was trying to give a woman money and she tried to dissuade him from doing that.

"He grabbed my hand, was biting it, the police with the Taser kept telling him he was going to tase him and I said, 'Please don't tase my son. He's not doing nothing. He's not armed.' He's got me. So I said, 'Whatever you need to do, just bite me,'" Sheffield explained.

When the sheriff was asked about Cottons mental capacity to be tried for Wilson Jr.s murder because he was saying bizarre things at his court hearing, he said the preliminary evidence suggests that Cotton acted with intent in the murder of the pastors son.

Certainly people say bizarre things if they want to create a defense. So quite frankly, does he have mental health issues? I'm certain that his lawyers will go down that path. But we've also got to remember, a lot of these criminals play games with us, Judd said.

This is a no game zone. We're gonna lock you up. You can say all the craziness you want to say but we know this, that not only did you (Cotton) fuss with him (Wilson Jr.), not only did you shove each other around, but when he drove off, we have video of him coming back and circling the block and  looking for our victim, he said.

And when he found our victim in the church parking lot, he got out of his car and shot him and killed him. So he can say all the crazy things he wants. Keep in mind, the law simply says that you had the capacity to understand what you did was wrong. And he certainly did that, Judd explained about Cotton.

In my estimation, from the early information we have, which is always subject to change, he stalked this guy. Something in that first meeting they had on the side of the road in the middle of the night made him really, really mad, said Judd. So he came back, looking for Roderick so he could murder him. This was premeditated. And that's what he's charged with.
Former Russian-linked denomination suggests Ukraine's church crackdowns hamper religious freedom

An Orthodox denomination in Ukraine that holds historic ties to Moscow has questioned the Ukrainian government's recent crackdown efforts targeting dozens of churches formerly affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has long been affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, has been the subject of an investigation by authorities since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

This is even though the UOC publicly severed its connections to the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022, and its leadership has denounced the Russian invasion.

UOC Bishop Metropolitan Klyment told CNN in an interview published Sunday that raids by the Ukrainian Security Service have not found anything that proves the church's alleged disloyalty to Ukraine.

"There was no mention in the findings of weapons or saboteurs. What they said they found was printed matter, documents, which are not prohibited under Ukrainian law," said Klyment.

"Members of the Ukrainian Orthodox ... are citizens of Ukraine, and sometimes among the best citizens of Ukraine, proving their patriotism with their own lives," he added, referring to church members who were fighting the Russians.

Since the beginning of the war, hundreds of church buildings have been forcibly converted from UOC to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Orthodox denomination based in Ukraine that was founded to be independent of Moscow.

According to CNN, the Ukrainian government reports that since the invasion began last February, 19 church clergy have been charged and five convicted.

The UOC has been a concern for the Ukrainian government due to their longstanding ties with Russia, since Moscow Patriarch Kirill has been a staunch supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Security Service told CNN in a statement that while it is not illegal to possess Russian propaganda, it is illegal to distribute it.

"If such literature is in the library of the diocese or on the shelves of a church shop, it is obvious that it is intended for mass distribution," the statement contends, adding that the operations against churches are for national security purposes and "not a matter of religion."

A spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church told the outlet that the church raids are an "act of intimidation."

Last November, Ukrainian authorities searched the Pochaiv Theological Seminary in Ternopil Oblast and the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the UOC, claiming to have found pro-Russian propaganda materials that "denies the existence of the Ukrainian people, its language, as well as Ukraine's right to statehood" on the premises.

"The Security Service also found pamphlets and books of xenophobic and hateful content with offensive fictions about other nationalities and religions," stated authorities.

"We emphasize that in its activities the SBU adheres to the principle of impartiality towards the activities of any religious denomination and respects the right of every citizen to freedom of worldview and religion, as defined by the Constitution of Ukraine."

In December, Ukraine's Security Council took possession of the assets of seven Orthodox clergy and banned them from certain economic and legal activities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky justified the actions by arguing that the measures were to prevent the clergy from helping Russian forces.

"We are doing everything to ensure that no strings are available to be pulled by the aggressor state that could make Ukrainian society suffer," stated Zelensky, as quoted by Reuters last month.

In early December, Zelensky called on the Ukraine government to make a law banning any church that might take orders from Moscow. Zelensky claimed Russia was trying to "weaken Ukraine from within."

Some in the United States have expressed concern over the crackdowns on Orthodox churches, seeing them as threats to religious liberty in the Eastern European nation.

"We claim Ukraine's battle against Russia is a fight for democracy, but sending the army into monasteries is not promoting liberty," wrote Hedieh Mirahmadi, a columnist for The Christian Post, in an article published last month.

"This latest move by our ally in Ukraine should be grounds for a loud outcry from Christians, regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum."
Ukraine lawmakers advance law to ban churches with ties to Moscow

Ukrainian lawmakers have advanced legislation that would crack down on religious groups that have ties to Russia, with critics arguing that the measure curbs religious freedom and targets the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, a unicameral legislature, voted last Thursday for a law that opponents say would effectively ban the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which severed ties with the Russian Orthodox Church last year. The UOC is different from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is tied to the Kyiv Patriarchate and is independent of official Russian influence.

Lawmakers voted 267-15 in favor of the bill, which still needs further voting before it can be sent to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be signed into law.

The legislation would ban any activities by religious groups "that are affiliated with the centers of influence of a religious organization, the management center of which is located outside of Ukraine in a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine," reports The Associated Press.

Lawmaker Iryna Herashchenko of the European Solidarity Party called the vote "historic" and said that "Verkhovna Rada took the first step to expel Moscow priests from Ukrainian land."

"[The new law] is not about religion or church, but about protecting the national security of Ukraine," Herashcenko added, as quoted by The Kyiv Independent.

"It's about the fact that the church, which has a metropolis in Moscow, is not really a church, but a branch of the FSB (Russian security services). And it can be banned in court."

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, who has backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, denounced the vote, arguing in a statement released last week that the legislation puts the Ukrainian state "alongside the most horrific theomachist regimes of the past."

"The initiators and supporters of the passing of this bill in Ukraine include top-level government officials, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, radical politicians and public figures," Kirill said in a statement.

"They do not hide the fact that the bill is directed against the largest religious community of Ukraine and is aimed at the liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as a centralized structure with each of all its dioceses, parishes and monasteries and convents."

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Ukrainian government has taken measures against the UOC, accusing the church of promoting pro-Russian propaganda.

Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council has raided UOC properties and reportedly found Russian language materials supporting the invasion in the possession of clergy.

The UOC officially severed ties with the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022 over the Russian-affiliated Church leadership's support for the invasion and denounced the war.

Last December, Ukrainian security personnel told the government that they should pass a ban on the UOC, with Zelenskyy championing the proposal as a way to help the war effort.

"We have to create conditions where no actors dependent on the aggressor state [Russia] will have an opportunity to manipulate Ukrainians and weaken Ukraine from within," stated the Ukrainian president. "We will never allow anyone to build an empire inside the Ukrainian soul."
Ukraine orders Orthodox church with Russia ties to vacate historic Kyiv monastery

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill has called on other religious leaders, including Pope Francis, to urge Ukraine not to close down a monastery historically tied to Russia.

Last Friday, Ukrainian officials told the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to vacate the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in the embattled nation's capital, according to Reuters.

The denomination has been given until March 29 to obey the order. Although the UOC has historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, it severed its ties with the Moscow patriarchate last year in response to the Russian invasion.

In a statement, the Ukrainian culture ministry claimed that UOC "violated the terms of the agreement regarding the use of state property" but didn't say how. The UOC contends it is a victim of a political witch hunt.

Patriarch Kirill implored on Saturday for faith leaders to "make every effort to prevent the forced closure of the monastery, which will lead to a violation of the rights of millions of Ukrainian believers," stated Reuters in a follow-up report.

The Russian Orthodox leader appealed to multiple faith leaders, including Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Pope Tawadros of Egypt's Coptic Church, and secular leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk.

Patriarch Kirill has openly supported Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, prompting outrage and backlash from other Orthodox clergy.

Over the past several months, Ukrainian authorities have been cracking down on the UOC, accusing the Orthodox denomination of advancing pro-Russian ideas amid the invasion.

This has included raids on multiple UOC properties in which Ukrainian authorities have claimed to have found pro-Russian literature, which they argue undermines the war effort.

UOC Bishop Metropolitan Klyment has argued that the raids by Ukrainian security forces have shown no evidence of disloyalty and has stressed how UOC members are among those fighting the Russian invaders.

"There was no mention in the findings of weapons or saboteurs. What they said they found was printed matter, documents, which are not prohibited under Ukrainian law," Klyment told CNN in an interview in January.

"Members of the Ukrainian Orthodox ... are citizens of Ukraine, and sometimes among the best citizens of Ukraine, proving their patriotism with their own lives."

Last December, Ukrainian officials ordered punitive measures against seven Orthodox Church clergy who allegedly had sympathetic ties to Russia. These actions included seizing the assets of the clergy, banning them from certain economic activities and barring them from traveling.

"We are doing everything to ensure that no strings are available to be pulled by the aggressor state that could make Ukrainian society suffer," stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the time.

Some advocates have expressed concern over the Ukrainian government's measures, believing that they wrongfully interfere with the freedom of religion in Ukraine.

"Zelensky's ban on the religious activities of the UOC, despite its formal split from Moscow, effectively curtails the spiritual practices of millions of already beleaguered Ukrainian people," wrote columnist and podcaster Hedieh Mirahmadi Mirahmadi in an op-ed for The Christian Post.

"We claim Ukraine's battle against Russia is a fight for democracy, but sending the army into monasteries is not promoting liberty. This latest move by our ally in Ukraine should be grounds for a loud outcry from Christians, regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum."
Volunteer organization mobilizes to provide emergency medical aid during Israel-Hamas war

A nonprofit volunteer-based organization in Israel has mobilized to provide humanitarian support for those affected by the Israel-Hamas war.

Mike Gerson, cofounder and chairman of United Hatzalah of Israel, told The Christian Post that there are approximately 7,000 paramedic or EMT volunteers in the organization that was founded in 1996 by Eli Beer and provides emergency medical services.

"They're all trained, equipped and ready to immediately get to their neighbor in need," he said.

Whenever someone calls the Israeli equivalent of 911, Hatzalah uses GPS technology to pinpoint the victim's location and notify the closest Hatzalah volunteer, Gerson explained.

"They get there within 90 seconds, and three minutes nationwide," he said.

First responders with the organization also notably use "ambucyles" to quickly reach the victim before an ambulance arrives.

Gerson noted that calls started flooding in early on the morning of Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a terrorist attack in southern Israel that killed 1,400 Israeli civilians  including at least 32 Americans, according to the U.S. State Department.

"The Hatzalah dispatchers were really the first to see what happened," said Gerson, who noted that Hatzalah utilizes a technology that allows dispatchers to see with the victim's phone.

Gerson noted that by the late morning on Oct. 7, Hatzalah had dispatched approximately 1,700 volunteers in southern Israel, and that one of the first casualties of the attack was one of their Arab Muslim volunteers. Another one of their Muslim volunteers was shot and taken hostage before being rescued by Israeli forces, as reported by the New York Post.

Gerson said Hatzalah has already exhausted its inventory of medical equipment, depleting in four days what they intended to use for the next nine to 12 months. They are now engaged in an emergency campaign to replenish the supplies they used.

"We normally have a very careful inventory system, where we know exactly who has what and how long everything's supposed to last, but on [Oct. 7], we just brought it all down south and said to every first responder, 'Use what you need.'"

Other organizations have also been mobilizing to assist in the relief effort.

Samaritan's Purse, founded by evangelist Franklin Graham, is providing support to churches and Christian partners in Israel, reaching out to impacted civilians, Graham explained in a statement last week.

"Samaritans Purse has a history of also working in Palestinian areas and continues today," Graham wrote. "We are committed to doing what we can to help those in need and have officially offered the government of Israel emergency field hospitals along with medical personnel, supplies, and equipment."

"At this time, humanitarian access to Gaza is not possible, and the border is sealed," Graham continued. "Our prayers are with all those who are suffering in the midst of this war."

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), a nonprofit founded in 1983 by Yechiel Eckstein, said last week that they had reached "almost all" of the 60,000 Israelis displaced by the war, according to The Washington Times.

Each resident was given a special credit card that they could use for any of their basic needs, in the amount of around $600, IFCJ president Yael Eckstein told the outlet. Every single one of those people and families from every single one of these those kibbutzim has gotten [a card, so] at least now that they could buy shoes without any bureaucracy.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, also launched a donation drive in the archdiocese's 300 parishes last week to aid in the relief effort, according to the New York Post.
2 approaches to your spiritual life

Some people attempt to obey Gods Law in hopes of earning the Creator's acceptance, while others seek to obey the Lord because they know they have already been accepted.

Do either of those two approaches describe your spiritual life?

Jesus told his disciples, If you love me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15). Obedience is the fruit of faith, just as apples are the fruit of an apple tree. Jesus said, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit (John 15:5).

Likewise, the Apostle Paul described the obedience that comes from faith (Romans 1:5). This obedience is a byproduct of knowing Christ. The Lord produces good works in the hearts and lives of those who are saved, redeemed, justified, born again and forgiven.

Do followers of Christ obey God perfectly? Of course not. And yet, Christians want to do Gods will and we desire to grow in our life of discipleship. In order to grow, we need to be convicted by the Holy Spirit and corrected by the Word of God whenever our thoughts, words and actions deviate from Gods holy will for our lives.

The apostle Paul wrestled with this spiritual dynamic in his own life after his conversion. He wrote, For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do  this I keep on doing (Romans 7:18-19)

What evil things did Paul keep on doing?

One possibility is that Paul found himself becoming anxiously impatient in his zeal to reach the lost for Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is patience, and all of us by nature tend to be quite impatient.

Another possibility is that Paul may have at times harbored some resentment toward those who were persecuting him. And even if a grudge persisted in his soul for as little as a few minutes, it would have been enough for Paul to recognize that it was coming from his sinful nature.

At any rate, Paul was completely committed to obeying Jesus. The apostle was filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly wanted to do Gods will. You see, believers obey the Lord because the Holy Spirit lives within us. And Christ, who is the vine, also dwells within those of us who are blessed to be the branches.

It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

The Lord told His people many centuries ago: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

The Holy Spirit is grieved whenever we harbor wicked thoughts in our heart. Scripture instructs us: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:30-32).

The Holy Spirit is continually leading and teaching every follower of Christ. As the Apostle John explained: The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit  just as it has taught you, remain in Him (1 John 2:27).

What has the Holy Spirit been teaching you lately in your life of discipleship? Perhaps you have been giving into worry, sexual lust, resentment, jealousy or a judgmental spirit. Any one of those sins is more than enough to disturb your peace of mind and your warm fellowship with Christ.

It has been said: Christians arent perfect, just forgiven. And while we often fall short of the mark, Gods grace motivates us to want to do the right thing. The Lord is the Potter and we are the clay. Jesus is the author of our faith and the architect of our Christian life.

Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19). This is our calling as Christians. God did not save us so that we could spend time deliberately giving into temptation. Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1-2).

The love of God motivates us to want to live a holy life. God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Believers are forgiven as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. We cannot take an ounce of credit for the forgiveness which God has freely given us.

And Christians are called to share God's love with others. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Jesus said, All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another (John 13:35).

Obeying the Lord without first trusting Christ as Savior is impossible. God only accepts the good works of those who have first entered his family through faith in Jesus Christ. And this is why Jesus preached: Repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15).

Following Christ is the supernatural result of trusting Jesus to forgive your sins. Believers obey the Lord because we belong to Christ today, tomorrow and forever!

Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand (John 10: 27-28).
Americas confusing relationship with children

In a recent X post that went viral, a young woman lamented:

[Im] Realizing at 32 that I dont care about building a career or climbing any corporate ladder. All I want to do is make the most amount of money working the least amount of hours possible so I can spend the MAJORITY of my time with my family, living life on my own terms instead of spending 40+ years working for a boss whos paying me what he thinks is fair.

This woman speaks for many 30-and-40-somethings who wish theyd prioritized marriage and children earlier. As births in the U.S. sink farther below the replacement rate, and the average age of first marriage hovers near an all-time high, a growing number of people are seeing the appeal of a life centered more around family than career, success, or status.

In fact, Gallups Social Series survey recently found that desire for larger families is at a 50-year high: 45% of respondents said that three or more children is their ideal, a big change from 20 years ago, when only 33% of Americans wanted that many kids. This, however, only makes our nations empty maternity wards and rock-bottom birth rates more puzzling. What is growing in America are not families, but the chasm between the families Americans say they want and the families they are forming.

In a Wall Street Journal article in May, Janet Adamy described how the gap between womens intended number of children and their actual family size has widened considerably.  [B]y the time women born in the late 1980s were in their early 30s, they had given birth, on average, to about one child less than they planned.

Multiplied by tens of thousands, thats a lot of missing kids. This birth dearth has become so serious and undeniable that even mainstream media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal have finally acknowledged it and even debated ways to reverse it. Adamy thinks that economic and social factors are to blame. Women cannot afford to have as many kids as they want and cant find mature, financially stable men with whom to have them.

These factors cannot sufficiently explain the numerous ways Americans actively opt for child-free lives. For instance, more and more households are choosing pets over children, and our spending on those pets increased by a whopping 30% between 2018 and 2021. More importantly, marriage is rarer than ever, especially among lower-income Americans even though marriage is the most reliable means of building and keeping the financial stability required for children.

Also, the rate of vasectomies has risen by more than a quarter in the last decade and are easier than ever to obtain. Planned Parenthood of Oklahoma City recently advertised free vasectomies on Facebook with the slogan snip away the stress. They were fully booked in two days.

And finally, if, as several writers have asked recently, our lack of fertility can be chalked up to its the economy, stupid, how did previous generations manage far higher birth rates in much more difficult times?

Louise Perry offered a better explanation than any of these in an article published earlier this year in The Spectator. In it, she blamed our progressive lifestyle:

The key features of modernity  urbanism, affluence, secularism, the blurring of gender distinctions, and more time spent with strangers than with kin  all of these factors in combination shred fertility.

In other words, we are witnessing the domination of a life-script in which children feel superfluous. The way we live, the things we value, the roles we assume, and the priorities we set have made family an afterthought.

Weve been culturally conditioned, at nearly every turn, to put other things ahead of marriage and children. We believe that marriage and family will just happen when its time. But these things rarely do just happen in our culture, which is why so many find themselves like the woman in the viral video, wishing things had gone differently but painfully aware that lost time can never be reclaimed.

Mega trends like this cannot be changed overnight. Certainly, there are policy moves, like those recently suggested by Brad Wilcox and David Bass of the Institute for Family Studies, that can make change easier. Ultimately, it comes down to individual choices to plan life in a way that centers, rather than marginalizes, marriage and family. That means these things cant be an afterthought, seen as a kind of capstone that young people expect to simply fall into place when the time is right. Rather, they must be thought of as foundational realities and, as such, things to pursue and around which other aspects of life should revolve.

Originally published at BreakPoint.
Christians, do not be led astray by false prophets

When the disciples of Christ inquired about the signs of Jesus return, Jesus mentioned a number of things that would happen. He also warned them to be careful so that no man deceives them. Sadly, nowadays, too many Christians let themselves be deceived.

Many false Christs are with us now.

There are many people in churches today who do not know that they have been deceived by their false prophets who have replaced the biblical Gospel with the counterfeit prosperity gospel. The message of eternity is no longer preached in many churches today, and far too many Christians are building a worldly kingdom here on earth to satisfy their flesh.

In preparation for the coming of the Antichrist, many of his agents have gone out of the fold of Christ to establish false churches (1 John 2:18-19). The purpose of these false churches is to pervert the Gospel. These false Christian leaders gather people to preach a false gospel and persuade believers to abandon Christs calling for holy living and embrace worldly prosperity.

Materialism is a tool used by false teachers to program the love of money into the hearts of their congregants. As soon as mammons seeds germinate in the lives of these gullible followers, their minds become obsessed with the acquisition of wealth to the detriment of their eternal souls. Many of us want to have it all here on earth without giving a second thought to our heavenly home and the treasures we have there.

Christians who have been groomed to pursue money, signs, and wonders will joyfully embrace the Antichrist when he comes because he will have what they are looking for: And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men (Revelation 13:13). With the great wonders that he will perform many would be convinced to follow him instead of Christ. That is the natural result of a mind that does not focus on heavenly things but on earthly things.

Do not be deceived. Those who fall away may not know that they are falling away until it is too late. Always be vigilant. Always.
The war in Gaza is not about revenge  it is taking Hamas at its word

As the reality of war sets in and the worst elements of Western culture attempt to obfuscate moral truth, the essential facts of the Israel-Hamas conflict remain the same. This war, which Hamas started and could end today if they chose, isnt about vengeance. It is about taking Hamas at its word when it says it wants to obliterate Israel and its Jews and finally responding to the ugly truth that mowing the grass hasnt worked.



On October 7th, Hamas, an Iran-backed terrorist organization that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, launched a land, sea, and sky attack on Israel  an act of terrorism that resulted in the highest number of Jewish deaths in a single day since the Holocaust.

In the aftermath, thousands of people across the U.S. and Europe scrambled to the streets and to their keyboards to blame Israel for the violence, tacitly or explicitly support Hamas, and celebrate the bloodshed.

But, while the West jumps at the opportunity to justify the actions of Hamas through decolonization at all costs and other intellectual gymnastics, Hamas itself makes no such effort.

The atrocities we witnessed  the rape of women, abduction of children, and intentional slaughtering of civilians  were not unfortunate means to a just end; they were the objective. Marching orders found on captured and killed terrorists make this clear. In Alumim, Southern Israel, a squad was directed to achieve the highest level of human losses and then take hostages. In Saad, they aimed to take control of the kibbutz, kill as many individuals as possible, and capture hostages until receiving further instructions.

This tactic, while horrifying, is only surprising because many people have refused to take Hamas at its word. The 1988 Hamas Charter explicitly states, Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people, and The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews). In the preamble, it claims, Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.

The destruction of Jews is part of their eschatological aim, and they will spare no civilian  not even their own  to bring it about.

For decades, Israel has tried to disentangle itself from the Gaza Strip. But it has become increasingly clear that so long as Hamas persists, no amount of mowing the grass  a term coined to describe Israels philosophy of containing and shutting down consistent attacks from Hamas  will suffice.

In the era of the Camp David Accords, Israel tried to cede control of the Gaza Strip to Egypt, but Egypt refused. In 2005, Israel pulled out of Gaza entirely and forced over 8,000 Israelis to leave. Since Hamas seized control of the strip in 2007, Israel has followed a philosophy of containment and mitigation. Conflicts have largely followed a standard path, with Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing rockets into Israel and Israel responding with airstrikes targeting military targets, culminating in an eventual until next time resolution.

But, after the attacks on October 7th, it has become clear to Israeli leadership that this strategy has to change. It is time to pull up the grass  Hamas and Islamic Jihad  by the roots while making every effort to spare civilians so the bloodshed of both Israelis and Palestinians can finally end.

But now we are in the awful reality of war, and even just war is gruesome.

Independent investigations have confirmed that Hamas uses schools, mosques, and hospitals as weapons depots and military headquarters and regularly launches rockets toward Israel from civilian centers, introducing the added danger of misfires. Despite Israaels repeated warnings to evacuate Northern Gaza toward the South, Hamas has told Gazans to stay put, and Egypt has refused to accept refugees or allow safe passage for those with foreign passports.

Regardless of what some bad actors may have you believe, Israel has zero interest in civilian casualties. Targeting civilians or exercising anything other than the highest care possible in fraught situations would violate Israels Hebraic values and undermine its claim to the moral high ground  an essential asset as it tries to retain the support of Western democracies.

While no one knows what will follow if Israel successfully dismantles Hamas, we know one thing. In the words of Michael Herzog, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.: So, we (Israel) have no desire to occupy or reoccupy Gaza  We have no desire to rule over the lives of over two million Palestinians.

Even still, war is always an ugly matter, especially when terrorist organizations force their own people into harm's way. While the war is just, the loss of human life, especially innocent life, is always a tragedy. Now more than ever, those looking on from the West need to keep two things in mind at once: It is possible to support Israel in its necessity of ending Hamas while exercising deep compassion for those caught in the crossfire.

As the region settles into what could be a protracted and bloody conflict, we must retain moral clarity about how this war started and how it must end while doing all we can to avoid becoming callous.

Ultimately, the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, while further off than it was before October 7th, isnt dead because it cant be dead. When the dust settles, Israelis and Palestinians will still be living side by side. This means it will be the task of prudent statesmen and women to find a creative path forward where Palestinians and Israelis alike can thrive, free from the oppression and genocidal aims of Hamas.
Met police seem to be clear on homophobia but not on jihad

My dealings with the Metropolitan Police press bureau over the arrest of a Christian street preacher reveal that officers are very clear on what 'homophobia' means, despite their apparent uncertainty about the meaning of 'jihad'.

After Met officers arrested Pastor John Sherwood in Uxbridge in April 2021, the press bureau issued an unambiguous defence of their actions: "At 13:35hrs on Friday, 23 April, officers on patrol were flagged down by a member of the public who made them aware of a man allegedly making homophobic comments close to Uxbridge Underground Station.

A number of other people also approached the officers with concerns about the man's language.

Officers spoke with the 71-year-old man and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of an offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.

He was taken to a west London police station and later released under investigation.

A file has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] for review and consideration."

Contrast this with the statement the Met issued after what it called "the demonstration organised by Hitz ut-Tahrir Britain throughout the day (Saturday 21 October) alongside the much larger protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign".

The Met said: "In addition to officers deployed with the protest, we have counter terrorism officers with specialist language skills and subject expertise working alongside public order officers in our main operations room, assessing any videos and photos that emerge.

"They have reviewed a video from the Hitz ut-Tahrir protest in which a man can be seen to chant 'jihad, jihad'.

"The word has a number of meanings but we know the public will most commonly associate it with terrorism.

"Specialist officers have assessed the video and have not identified any offences arising from the specific clip."

Pastor Sherwood had been preaching on Genesis chapter 1 verses 27 and 28, which state: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (King James Version).

According to his preaching colleague, Peter Simpson, writing in The Conservative Woman after John Sherwood was cleared of the public order charges against him in April 2022: "The minister explained that the family unit as ordained by God consists of a father and a mother, and not two fathers or two mothers, who are obviously unable to reproduce. His words were delivered as part of a general presentation of the Christian message, which declares that all people, whoever they are, have sinned and need to come to Jesus Christ for salvation."

For stating the biblical teaching on the heterosexual nature of marriage, Met officers arrested him, interrogated him about his beliefs, and held him overnight in a police station.

So, on the day of Home Secretary Suella Braverman's meeting with Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (October 23) over the 'policing' of the disorder in London during which violent threats of jihad were made against Jews, I contacted the Met press bureau.

I asked whether the Met "are now prepared to give assurances that Christian street preachers who peaceably and lawfully speak up for traditional Christian teaching on marriage will no longer be subject to arrests and interrogations by Met police officers".

I was told: "Officers have to assess each situation and allegation."

This refusal to rule out arresting someone for not breaking the law would appear to be typical of the lack of moral clarity in police forces generally and is it not a symptom of the de-Christianisation of Britain since the 1960s? The woke police will act to suppress 'homophobia', which according to neo-Marxist doctrine includes public statements of religious teaching about the heterosexual nature of marriage. But they stare at screen shots of jihadis making threats of violence against Jews and then do nothing.

Though the behaviour of the police, now thoroughly on board with left-wing dogma, was sadly predictable, it is not morally acceptable, as the October Declaration, which I have signed, makes clear. Launched this week by "a group of concerned British citizens and residents from a wide range of backgrounds and professions who stand in solidarity with British Jews and condemn all forms of antisemitism, whether in Britain or elsewhere", it affirms:

"British Jews should not live in fear because of actions taken by the state of Israel to defend itself. The British state must do everything in its power to protect them. While we respect the right of all groups to engage in peaceful protest, we urge the police to enforce the law without fear or favour."

Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire.
MPs urged to act to stop China sending escapees back to North Korea

North Korean escapees have appealed to MPs to speak out against China sending back hundreds of refugees to North Korea where they face prison, torture or death.

It is believed that 600 North Koreans have been sent back by China to North Korea in the last few weeks.

Timothy Cho, co-secretariat of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, has written to MPs urging them to raise the issue in Parliament as a matter of urgency.

"I urge you to encourage the British Government to initiate a dialogue with Chinese authorities to facilitate the deportation of the remaining North Korean refugees to third countries, rather than sending them back to North Korea," he said.

He fears for the Christians being returned and any others who originally escaped North Korea for religious reasons.

"The punishment for anyone that has been associated with Christian churches or missionaries while they were in China are likely to be dealt with particularly severely, indeed many are likely to be executed," he said.

"North Korea is ranked as the most dangerous place in the world by Open Doors' World Watch List ranking, and that's with very good reason."

Cho himself is an escapee from North Korea who now works for Open Doors in the UK. He escaped North Korea the first time in his teens before being forcibly repatriated and experiencing imprisonment and interrogation.

He was able to escape a second time to China and was supposed to be repatriated but after missionaries pleaded on his behalf, he was deported to the Philippines.

Cho said that if escapees could instead be sent to a third country like the Philippines, this will allow them to reach South Korea safely.

He is hoping that a Backbench Business Debate can be heard on the matter in the House of Commons.

"I was so lucky. If I had been returned to North Korea again, I would not be alive today. That's a fate I want to spare my brothers and sisters, currently in prison in China," he said.
Pakistan Christian couple granted bail in landmark blasphemy decision

(CP) A Pakistani court has granted bail to a Christian couple accused of blasphemy, citing insufficient evidence. A rights group has called it a "landmark judgment," which has sparked calls for changes to the nation's controversial blasphemy laws.

Kiran Bibi and Shaukat were granted bail on Oct. 18 by Additional Sessions Court Judge Mian Shahid Javed, UCA News reported, adding that the couple had been accused of defiling the Quran.

Javed cited a lack of evidence of "willful damage or defilement of the original text of the Holy Quran" under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Nasir Saeed, director of the U.K.-based Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, or CLAAS, lauded the decision in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

"This landmark judgment breaks from the norm," Saeed added.

In Pakistan, violating Section 295-B could lead to life imprisonment. The couple was accused by Muhammad Tamoor, who claimed to have seen Quranic pages fly out of the couple's house on Sept. 8.

Tamoor claimed he had been given access to the house by Kiran Bibi. She suggested the pages might have been accidentally thrown by her children  all minors. The court noted gaps in the evidence and report.

CLAAS also mentioned the court found no credible eyewitness testimony that backed the severe allegations. Questions were raised about the actual perpetrator.

The couple's bail was set at 100,000 Pakistani rupees ($357). The court ordered police to conduct further inquiries into the allegations.

Saeed welcomed the call for further investigation. "This decision underscores the importance of a thorough investigation to establish the facts and ensure justice prevails," he was quoted as saying.

He also emphasized the need for changes in Pakistan's blasphemy laws. These laws have led to sentences of death or life imprisonment, although no executions have occurred.

In August, attacks against Christians occurred in Jaranwala town, where churches and homes were torched following blasphemy accusations against two local Christians.

Christians make up roughly 1.6% of Pakistan's 241 million population.

In a separate case last August, a two-member Supreme Court bench granted bail to another Christian who was also accused of blasphemy against Islam.

Justices Qazi Fael Isa and Syed Mansoor Ali Shah ordered the release of Salamat Mansha Masih, expressing concern about the frequency of blasphemy accusations. The state must protect suspects until cases are resolved, the justices said.

In another instance, a sessions court granted bail to two Christian nurses in September 2021. It was the first time bail was granted in a blasphemy case at this level, attorneys noted at the time.

Accusations often lead to mob violence, with little consequence for false accusers.

Lower courts often bow to Islamist pressure, leading to numerous convictions. In January, a Muslim woman was sentenced to death for allegedly committing blasphemy via text messages, marking another rare instance of such a ruling against a Muslim.

In December 2021, a mob killed a Sri Lankan man over blasphemy allegations. Although arrests were made, no legislative changes have occurred to curb false accusations.

 The Christian Post
In the second part of our deep dive into Muddled Libras tactics, Threat Vector welcomes Stephanie Regan, a senior consultant with Unit 42 with a law enforcement background. Regan and David Moulton, discuss the challenges Muddled Libra and other threat groups pose. Threat actors are often highly persistent and can rapidly pivot when encountering roadblocks. Regans insights demonstrate Muddled Libras  and other threat actors  ability to perform deep reconnaissance and determination to understand their targeted environments thoroughly.

Regan emphasizes that training users to recognize common phishing indicators is essential as the conversation shifts into how users can counter phishing and social engineering tactics. Stronger multifactor authentication (MFA) methods and secure VPNs are critical components in defense. To bolster security, Regan recommends hard-to-fake device properties for VPN access, device certificates and registry keys.

Regan outlines the importance of speed, detailed incident response playbooks and the necessity of out-of-band communications to recover from attacks. She provides insights into a threat actors targeted attack on a business and its recovery. As threats evolve and share resources in the ransomware market, companies must stay ahead by adapting and enhancing their security measures.

Threat Vector provides insights that are both enlightening and cautionary. Still, these summaries only scratch the surface of the expert perspectives in the full podcast episodes. CISOs, C-level executives or anyone with a vested interest in safeguarding the digital world can benefit from subscribing to the Unit 42 Threat Vector podcast. Discover firsthand the invaluable knowledge, strategies and real-world stories cybersecurity experts share.

Threat Vector is your compass in the world of cybersecurity. Listen to all current segments on Unit 42 YouTube channel and Spotify.
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Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele
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If 130 grantmaking trusts and foundations (GMTFs) increased their charitable expenditure to 3%, it would unlock an extra 300m for charities, according to new research.

Pro Bono Economics (PBE) examined the levels of reported charitable expenditure and net assets of around 2,000 GMTFs registered with the Charity Commission.

It found that between 2016 and 2020, around 130 organisations distributed less than 3% of their net assets on average.

PBE said that if just these organisations raised their charitable expenditure levels to 3% of their net assets, it would generate an extra 300m for good causes each year.

It noted that on a purely financial level, trusts and foundations are significant, having distributed an estimated 4bn in grants to charities in 2019-20, compared with 1.3bn from the private sector. The largest 300 foundations alone hold 87.3bn in assets.

Although the majority of these trusts and foundations take the responsibility of distributing funds to good causes incredibly seriously, others could be doing more to put their money to good use.

PBE said most of the additional money would come from family foundations, which were twice as likely than corporate foundations to have never spent over 5% of their assets over the five-year period.

Lack of accountability

PBE said family foundations might want to spend a smaller proportion of their assets because of a lack of professional support and splits between siblings, among other things, but that at the root of low spending rates by any foundation is a lack of accountability.

In the first instance, these organisations are hard to find  theyre the hidden dragons of the charity sector. There is currently no means by which to simply isolate them in Charity Commission data and those with the least activity have the lowest reporting requirements.

Even if they are found, the Charity Commission has few powers and even fewer resources to do anything about them. Unlike the US and Canada, the UK doesnt require any minimum level of expenditure by its foundations. The programmes which do exist to encourage foundations to do more only focus on inactive or almost-inactive organisations.

Charity sector jobs growth outpaces private sector

Meanwhile, PBE has also said that the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) labour market overview shows a continued weakening of the labour market generally, but that there is cause for optimism for charities.

The ONS has published experimental statistics which show that the labour market continued to loosen, with employment falling and unemployment and inactivity rising between June and August 2023.

Beth Kitson, research and policy analyst at PBE, said the figures reveal a continued weakening of the labour market generally, with yet another fall in the number of vacancies and a further increase in unemployment.

However, she added there is cause for some optimism in the charity sector, which benefited from stronger levels of recruitment than the private sector over the last quarter.

New Bank of England data shows employment growth among charities exceeded 5% between July and September, while businesses grew their workforce by just under 3%.

Kitson said that charities have had to expand their workforce to meet an ever-increasing need as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.

This has led to a two percentage point increase in pay growth  from 4% to just over 6%  among charities since the second quarter of 2022, according to the Bank of England.

With levels of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness still a major concern, the resilience of the charity sector, which specialises in supporting those with long-term health problems to return to work, is vital. The chancellor would be well-served in finding a place for the sector in any solutions proposed to tackle this challenge in next months autumn statement.

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,
Many charities that pay their employees the UK and London real living wages have said they will continue to do so, as the rates for 2023-24 increased by 10%.

Yesterday, the Living Wage Foundation announced that the real living wage rates, which are calculated by the Resolution Foundation and based on what over-18s need to live, rose to 12 across the UK and 13.15 in London.

In comparison, the minimum and national living wages  the statutory rates those aged 21 to 22 and those aged 23 and over should earn across the UK  currently stand at 10.18 and 10.42, respectively.

According to the Living Wage Foundation website , there are now 14,054 real living wage employers, including 2,408 charities ranging from Oxfam UK to NHS Charities Together and New Philanthropy Capital.

Charities including Blood Cancer UK, Citizens UK, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Oxfam GB told Civil Society that they will remain real living wage employers.

Accredited employers have until 1 May 2024 to implement the new rates.

Record employers signing up to the movement

The new real living wage rates are worth 3,081 more per year in the UK than the minimum wage and 5,324 more in the capital, and are set to benefit over 460,000 workers.

The Living Wage Foundation said that the past two years have seen record numbers of employers becoming accredited.

In addition, there are now 116 living hours employers, including 13 charities such as Citizens UK and SCVO, going beyond payment of the real living wage to also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours work a week, a months notice of shift patterns and a contract that reflects hours worked.

Staff must have wage security and stability

Matthew Bolton, executive director of Citizens UK, said that his charity will continue to pay staff the real living wage.

As the home and heart of the campaign for a living wage and the Living Wage Foundation, we think its important to provide everyone at Citizens UK with the security and stability of a wage that meets their everyday needs, he said.

Were also living hours and living pensions accredited and encourage other charities to do the same.

Nils Wieboldt, director of finance at Blood Cancer UK, said: As an organisation dedicated to beating blood cancer within the next generation, our staff all receive at least the real living wage, and we remain committed to being a real living wage employer.

A real living wage is only one of the elements in a wider range of benefits that start at day one at Blood Cancer UK that focus on wellbeing, culture, and professional and personal development.

All charities operate in a challenging environment

Anna Hart, director of people and culture at Scottish SPCA, said: Were proud to be a real living wage employer and were committed to remaining one.

Like all charities, were operating in a challenging environment where the cost-of-living crisis is impacting our fundraising income generated to support the delivery of our services.

The flipside of this is that our own costs are rising as demand for our services grows. We see paying a real living wage as an investment in our colleagues, who do incredible work every single day to provide lifeline services to animals and people in every community in Scotland.

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,
Staff at Oxfam will vote on strike action for the first time in the charitys 81-year history after rejecting a pay offer from the charity.

Unite the union said that average wages at Oxfam have fallen by 21% in real terms since 2018.

Oxfam offered employees a minimum salary increase of 6%, or 1,750 depending on which was higher, for all UK-based colleagues who began work there before December 2022.

An additional one-off payment of 1,000 was offered to all staff below the highest two pay grades (pro rata for part-time employees). The anti-poverty charity has more than 1,800 UK-based staff.

According to Unite, a recent survey of almost 150 Oxfam workers said that in the last year, 8% had used food banks while 22% had not been able to pay their rent.

Oxfam staff costs down by 11%

The charitys accounts for the financial year ending March 2022 show a total income of 373m against an expenditure of 329m.

Staff costs amounted to a third of the charitys expenditure at 102.5m. This is down by 11% from the previous year.

Oxfam is a real living wage employer, a voluntary pay scale that is higher than the national living wage set by the government.

The charity said that under its current pay offer, a further one-off payment would be made to current employees on the real living wage rates in October 2022, which would be equivalent to backdating the wage increase to September 2022.

Oxfam said it will keep paying real living wage rates despite them being raised by 10% yesterday .

It has also committed to backdating the pay increase to the day the new rates were announced for eligible colleagues.

Unite: Oxfams hypocrisy is astounding

Unite said that Oxfams union members rejected the charitys pay offer by 79% in a ballot.

The union will ballot its members for strike action from 26 October to 16 November 2023.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: Oxfams hypocrisy is astounding. This is a charity in robust financial health that makes much of belonging to the Ethical Trading Initiative and bestowing the virtues of unions to lift workers out of poverty.

Meanwhile, Oxfams own staff are on poverty pay, with some using foodbanks and unable to pay their rent. How can its leadership possibly justify ignoring its workers demands to be paid fairly and blocking their union?

Unite regional coordinating officer Jamie Major said: The last thing Oxfam needs is further damage to its reputation. But its leadership seems intent on doing just that by disregarding how much their low-paid staff are struggling financially.



He added: Oxfams staff do not want to strike, but they will if these issues are not resolved. The charity can absolutely afford to put forward an acceptable rise. It needs to meet with Unite and do just that.

Oxfam: Simply not affordable

An Oxfam GB spokesperson said: As a real living wage employer and an organisation committed to tackling poverty, Oxfam is acutely aware of the impact of the rising cost of living on colleagues and addressing that is a priority for us.

That is why we chose to bring forward pay increases for lower-paid colleagues and why we have ensured that these colleagues will have received real-terms pay increases over the past 12 months.



We believe this pay award is fair and it is at the limit of what Oxfam can afford without taking vital resources away from our work fighting poverty with communities around the world.

Colleagues understand that we face limited resources and tough choices and we hope they will recognise that when casting their ballot.



We value the work of our trade unions and would much rather have reached agreement with Unite, but what they are asking for is simply not affordable at a time when many of the communities we work with are also facing sharply rising costs.

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Hurricane Otiss top winds are weakening with its move across southern Mexico, drenching the region with flooding rains after coming ashore near the resort city of Acapulco as the strongest storm ever to hit the country.

Mexicos government has sent rescue teams to Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, and set up shelters, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday in a press conference. Infrastructure is damaged, including broken sections on the highway to Acapulco. A military airport has been partially destroyed and there is no possibility of flying into the area. The government doesnt have information on casualties since it cant contact teams on the ground.

The hurricane hit very hard, very hard in Guerrero in the Big Coast throughout the stretch from Tecpan to Acapulco, AMLO, as the president is known, said. Communications have been completely lost.

Mexicos national power company, Comision Federal de Electricidad, said it restored supply to 40% of those affected in Guerrero.

Otis came ashore at 12:25 a.m. local time as a Category 5 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds of 165 miles (266 kilometers) per hour  enough power to tear homes and businesses apart. Initial estimates say top winds increased faster than any other storm on record in the eastern Pacific, though post-season analysis may change that, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said in an interview.

This is the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in Mexico on record, though formal records for the eastern Pacific only extend back to around 1950, said Ryan Truchelut of commercial forecaster WeatherTiger LLC.

While weakening, the storm is still deadly. The hurricane is hitting the region with life-threatening storm surge and pelting southern Mexicos Pacific coast with massive waves, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Otis is packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, making it a Category 1 storm, according to an advisory at 11 a.m. New York time.

Damaging hurricane-force winds will spread inland over southern Mexico this morning with extremely destructive winds near the core during the next few hours, the NHC said. The storms center was about 60 miles northwest of Acapulco.

While Otis is expected to dissipate later Wednesday, it could bring as much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain in some areas through Thursday, accompanied by floods and mudslides.

As climate change warms the worlds oceans, providing fuel for hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons, rapid intensification of storms is happening more often. Such developments are dangerous because it can take coastal residents and emergency officials by surprise when a storm has a huge burst of strength just before landfall.

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.
Zurich American Insurance Co. may pursue a subrogation lawsuit against a subcontractor that it says forced it to pay a nearly $3 million builders risk claim by designing a defective stormwater detention system during construction of an academic building at a Chicago community college campus.

A panel with the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on Tuesday reversed a trial court decision and found that the contract between City Colleges of Chicago and its design contractor, Moody Nolan, required the college system to be a third-party beneficiary. The court said it didnt matter that a subcontract between Moody Nolan and Infrastructure Engineering attempted to shield the engineering company from any liability to third parties.

To the extent the prime contract and the subcontract conflict on this point, the prime contract provision would control, the three-judge panel said in its opinion.

City Colleges hired CMO as general contractor for construction of a new academic building at Malcolm X College. Moody Nolan was hired as the lead architect for the project. The company hired Infrastructure Engineering to design a stormwater detention system.

A fact sheet on City Colleges website says that community college system budgeted $251 million to expand the Malcolm X College campus. The completed project would expand the capacity of the college to 20,000 students, an increase of 6,000 over the existing campus buildings.

In August 2015, before the stormwater system was completed, a rainstorm caused the basement of the academic building to flood, damaging the structure and electrical and mechanical systems.

Zurich paid $2,998,929.35 to repair damages under a builders risk policy that it had sold to CMO. The insurer then filed a subrogation action against Infrastructure Engineering in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that the defective stormwater detention system that it designed caused the flooding.

Infrastructure filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that its subcontract with Moody Nolan did not name either CMO or City Colleges as a third-party beneficiary. The trial court ruled that City Colleges is a third-party beneficiary, but the court also found that Zurich had not shown it is subrogated to [City Colleges] rights of recovery.

Zurich asked the trial court to reconsider. The trial court stuck by its guns, pointing to a line of cases that generally establish three prerequisites to sustain a subrogation action: 1. A third party must be primarily liable to the insured for the loss. 2. The insurer must be secondarily liable to the insured for the loss under an insurance policy. 3. The insurer must have paid the insured under that policy.

The trial court said that City Colleges suffered no loss and was not paid by the insurer, two of the requirements for a subrogation action.

Zurich appealed. The insurer argued that the trial court had focused on the standard for equitable subrogation cases which are not applicable because the insurer was arguing that subrogation was required by its insurance contract.

The appellate panel agreed. The court noted the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that there are two broad categories of subrogation rights: those that arise by contract and common law or equitable rights.

In this case, we have no need to look to the common law or equitable principles that generally apply to subrogation claims based in equity, the opinion says. We have express contractual terms that define the right to subrogation and the scope of that right.

The panel said the trial court erred by requiring Zurich to show that it had complied with equitable principles instead of compliance with the contract. City College was clearly a third-party beneficiary of the contract between Moody Nolan and Infrastructure Engineering, which gives Zurich a subrogation right, the court said.

About the photo: This model, provided by City Colleges of Chicago, show the planned expansion of Malcolm X College.
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ATLANTA -- Around the time of this nations founding, the education of children was without order or design. The children who were educated, predominantly white children, obtained that education through an assemblage of means. Work apprenticeships, private tutoring, boarding schools, or church-supported schools were some methods used for becoming educated in some sense.

It wasnt until the 1830s that the idea of states offering a free public-school education to all children took root. Advocates such as Massachusetts legislator Horace Mann believed that a public investment in education was the best way to ensure social and national unity through an educated public that could actively and successfully participate in democracy. Massachusetts created the first state board of education in 1837, after establishing the first public high school and free public school to all grades. By 1918, every state required students to complete elementary school, reports the nonprofit American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence in a 2015 article on its blog.

The push to offer free public education was not without detractors or critics. Some argued that they should not have to pay higher taxes to educate other peoples children. Others argued that the policy would wrongly take money from the working-class to fund education for the rich. It was also argued that public schools would not serve as a unifying force if private schools siphoned off substantial numbers of students, resources, and parental support from the most advantaged groups.

The public investment in public education has paid off. In 1830, about 55% of children aged 5 to 14 were enrolled in public schools. By 1870, that number had risen to about 78%. In 1910, just 14% of Americans aged 25 and older had completed high school. By 1970, that number increased to 55%. By 2017, 90% of Americans aged 25 and older had a high school diploma. As of 2021, according to the Census Bureau, this number sat at 91.1%.

The vast majority of Americans who have an education obtained it through public schools. According to National Center for Education Statistics data, 50.8 million students were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools as of fall 2019. At that same time, just 4.7 million students were enrolled in private K-12 schools.

Said another way, the reason that most Americans today have an education is because we decided that the government should take on the duty to educate the citizenry. Free market forces and private action were not the means to establish an educated electorate. Compulsory laws, minimum standards, and the promise of no cost were.

Today, I see what, in my mind, looks like a return to the days of haphazard schooling before the public school system was widespread. I see this reversion in state efforts to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize private and parochial school education. Ohio currently owes $239.8 million for private school tuition vouchers, with cleveland.coms Laura Hancock reporting that number could more than double in coming weeks.

I call this kind of public financing of private education a reversion because, in my mind, it represents the government abdicating its duty to educate the citizenry. Again, the public school system was created because we decided that the government should be responsible for educating those whom it serves. When the government gives our tax dollars, which are taken so that the government can perform this duty, not to public schools created in furtherance of that public duty, but to private schools created to make a profit or serve some other private agenda, the government is breaching its obligation to the citizens.

I can see the argument that public schools (some of them) are failing to properly educate their students. Therefore, parents of students in those areas served by those failing schools should be given the option to send their children to private (presumably better) schools on the public dime. Those parents are taxpayers, too, and should be entitled to use their tax dollars as they wish.

That is not an unreasonable argument. However, that sounds to me like an argument which supports government action that does not solve the problem. It only exacerbates it.

Where a public school is failing, the government is failing to perform its fundamental duty to educate citizens. The two institutions, public schools and government, are inextricably linked. The former is merely an arm of the latter. When we allow government to invest public education dollars in private schools, we implicitly accept the idea that government has no (or at least very limited) control over what occurs in the public schools that it creates.

Eric Foster is a columnist for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

I reject that premise. Where a public school is failing, the government has a moral responsibility to do everything within its power to turn that school around. No action rooted in that moral responsibility involves sending money to private schools. Private schools have no similar moral responsibility to the public. And considering that public education dollars are a finite resource; it is a zero-sum game of sorts. Money given to private schools is money that could otherwise be given to public schools.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about teachers needing to be unreasonable. Their classrooms must be considered their exclusive domains over which they have absolute control. This week, I am contending that governments must also be unreasonable and view their public schools in the same way: as their exclusive domains over which they have absolute control. If governments viewed public schools in this way, there would be no need (or desire) to give public money to private institutions to do the governments job.

Eric Foster, a community member of the editorial board, is a columnist for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. Foster is a lawyer in private practice. The views expressed are his own.

To reach Eric Foster: ericfosterpd@gmail.com

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
MARIETTA, Ohio  Theres history on every corner in Marietta, Ohios oldest town, created years before the state was founded in 1803.

And in between those corners? Popular restaurants and fun shops, elegant houses, interesting museums and waterfront views.

You might even encounter a ghost.

Founded in 1788 at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, Marietta was the capital of the Northwest Territory, the vast region west of Pennsylvania that eventually became Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Fast forward 235 years, and Marietta today is a charming combination of past and present, a lovely place to spend an afternoon or a long weekend.

Some of the buildings in town date back to the citys earliest days and are among the states oldest structures, including the Ohio Company Land Office, where early surveyors plotted the distribution of nearly 1 million acres of land, and the home of Rufus Putnam, an early settler who is considered the father of the Northwest Territory.

Both structures are part of the Campus Martius Museum, built in 1928 on the site of the original stockade, which protected members of the Ohio Company during the Ohio Indian Wars.

The museum, operated by the Ohio History Connection, offers a well-rounded introduction to the regions history, with artifacts from the states earliest days, including surveying equipment, Continental Congress currency and a sword presented to Putnam by George Washington in 1792. Also here: the French dress coat presented by Marquis de Lafayette to Israel Putnam as gesture of gratitude for Putnams service during the Revolutionary War.

The French connections run deep in Marietta, which was named to honor Queen Marie Antoinette for Frances support of the colonies during their fight for independence.

Marietta, with a population of about 13,400, is an easy 2  hour drive from Cleveland, just off I-77 before you cross the Ohio River into West Virginia.

The two rivers define the town  and occasionally flood it. Markers along the Muskingum are a visible reminder of the regions most devastating floods, including a March 1913 disaster that swept away 120 homes.

Visitors can take a boat tour of both rivers aboard the Valley Gem sternwheeler, a modern replica of a Victorian-era paddleboat. The 90-minute narrated sightseeing tour takes passengers around 3-mile-long Buckley Island, once a quarantine location for smallpox patients, then a small amusement park, and now part of Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

The 290-passenger Valley Gem cruises through December 31, with a variety of tours, including lock and lunch cruises, murder mysteries and holiday-themed sailings. Prices vary; for information: valleygemsternwheeler.com

On board the Valley Gem in late September.

The Ohio Company Land Office, built in 1788, is one of the state's oldest buildings, located behind Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, Ohio's oldest town.

This memorial to the "Start Westward of the United States" was sculpted for Marietta's sesquicentennial in 1938. The sculptured, located near the Muskingum River just north of downtown, was covered in 1988.

More than 25 Revolutionary War veterans are buried in Mound Cemetery in downtown Marietta, the first settlement of the Northwest Territories. (Lynn Ischay/Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer

Looking for more activities in Marietta? Here are some highlights of Ohios most historic town:

Campus Martius Museum: In addition to the early Ohio artifacts, the museum features exhibits on the Civil War, American Indian life and Paradise Lost and Found, an interactive exploration of the migration patterns that brought rural Ohioans to the states urban centers starting in the late 19th century. See mariettamuseums.org/campus-martius/

Nearby: The Ohio River Museum, located a block from Campus Martius on the east bank of the Muskingum, remains closed while the Ohio History Connection completes plans to rebuild it. Agency spokesman Neil Thompson said construction on the new museum should begin early in 2024, although no completion date has been set.

Mound Cemetery: This historic cemetery in the center of town is the final resting place of 37 Revolutionary War veterans, many of whom moved here after receiving federal land grants for their military service. The cemetery is home to the highest number of burials of Revolutionary War officers in the nation, including generals Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper, among others. The cemeterys history, however, predates American independence by a couple of thousand years. In the center of the cemetery sits a large mound, 30 feet high and 375 feet in diameter, built by the Adena culture between 800 B.C. and A.D. 100. Forty-six steps lead visitors to the top, where several benches offer an opportunity for rest and reflection.

The cemetery is located a few blocks north of downtown, near Marietta College, and surrounded by some of the communitys most historic homes, including a lovely residence called the House of Seven Porches, built in 1835, the same year the college was founded.

Also nearby: The Castle, a Gothic Revival house open for tours (mariettacastle.org); the Peoples Mortuary Museum, featuring historic hearses, caskets and other funeral memorabilia (cawleyandpeoples.com/peoples-mortuary-museum); and the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Assumption, worth a stop to peek inside, designed in the early 1900s by Cleveland architect Emile Uhlrich.

Along the Ohio River in downtown Marietta. The city is a stop on river cruises that travel between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati (and beyond).

The historic, haunted Anchorage House, built in 1859, is open for tours, courtesy of Hidden Marietta.

The Riverview Bar and Grill at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta.

Ghost tours: Hidden Marietta guides have been offering night-time ghost tours of the city for more than a decade, with stops throughout town, including at the historic Lafayette Hotel, built in 1918 and reportedly a hotbed of paranormal activity. The tour company also offers guided and self-guided tours of the historic, haunted 23-room Anchorage Mansion, built in 1859 and currently being renovated by the Washington County Historical Society. Information: hiddenmarietta.com

Downtown stroll: Mariettas small downtown packs a punch, with numerous shops (Clutch Collective, the Cooks Shop, Schafer Leather Store and others), plus places to dine, drink and be merry. But be warned: Many restaurants and shops are closed on Sundays.

Dont miss downtowns Peoples Bank Theatre, which opened in 1919, closed in 1985 and reopened in 2016 after a full-scale renovation, and currently hosts a range of movies, concerts and special events (peoplesbanktheatre.com).

Where to eat: Youll need to spend more than a weekend to try all the options in town. Among the possibilities: Levee House Bistro, the Galley and the Riverfront Bar and Grill at the Lafayette Hotel. For breakfast, dont miss the Busy Bee, a popular diner in Harmar Village, the historic neighborhood across the Muskingum River from downtown Marietta.

Where to stay: Options include the Hackett Hotel, with five well-appointed, oversized rooms in a 1899-era building; and the 77-room Lafayette Hotel, with rooms overlooking the Ohio River.

In the region: Ohio River Scenic Byway, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, Wayne National Forest

Information: mariettaohio.org

Downtown Marietta.

Along the Ohio River in downtown Marietta.

View of Marietta from Lookout Point, a small hilltop park northwest of downtown.

Editors note: This story is part of an occasional series on Ohios best small towns. What makes a best Ohio small town? The criteria is subjective, of course, but includes a vibrant downtown, with a variety of places to shop and dine, along with some interesting activities nearby  whether museums, parks or other venues. Do you have a small town to suggest we visit? Send recommendations to sglaser@cleveland.com.

Read more:

Pumpkin Show spices up Circleville year-round: Ohios best small towns

First capital Chillicothe offers renewed charm amid the historic buildings: Ohios best small towns

Fun in the sun and fine dining in Vermilion: Ohios best small towns

Best Ohio small towns: Yellow Springs shines with trails, tie-dye and Chappelle cornfield comedy
Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway EMU train carrying hopes, heading for future

13:37, October 25, 2023 By Xu Qin and Yu Qianliang ( Xinhua

Students from Ngamprah No.3 Junior High School show their tickets before getting on board a Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train in Padalarang Station in Padalarang, Indonesia, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

"The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is not only a symbol of win-win cooperation between China and Indonesia, but also a connecting bridge to enhance the friendship between our two nations," said Cao Rui, CRRC Sifang's deputy general manager.

JAKARTA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian teenagers feel the charm of "China Speed" and light up their dreams for the future.

On Tuesday, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) Educational and Cultural Exchange Base brought a free class to the Ngamprah No.3 Junior High School in West Bandung Regency, West Java Province.

Chinese high-speed rail technical experts from China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) Sifang Co., Ltd., the company which designed and manufactured Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU trains, visited the school campus to give HSR science courses to local students, and led Indonesian teenagers to experience the immersive charm of "China Speed" on a running Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU train.

Zhang Fangtao (L), chief designer of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, lectures on the HSR science in the carriage of a running Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU train in Indonesia, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

"Boys and girls, who can tell me why the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway trains can run so fast?" In the class, Zhang Fangtao, chief designer of Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU trains, got a new identity as a science teacher who lectured on the HSR science.

In the classroom which is near to a traditional railway line and Jakarta-Bandung HSR's Padalarang Station, the curious students listened carefully to their science teacher and actively raised their hands to answer questions.

The vibe in the 40 sq m classroom was lively with frequent interactions and Q&As between Zhang and students, punctuated by rounds of laughter and applause.

Saskia, a 15-year-old 9th grader, said, "Cutting the journey between Jakarta and Bandung from more than three hours to about 40 minutes is just cool, I do think high-speed train is a good choice for many people."

The classroom teaching was followed by an on-site experience inside the carriage of a running EMU train from Jakarta-Bandung HSR's Padalarang Station to Halim Station. The laughter of the teenagers and the shutter sound of their mobile phones filled the entire carriage of the fast moving train past fields, rivers, mountains, plains of Java Island.

Students attend a free class given by Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) Educational and Cultural Exchange Base in the carriage of a running Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU train in Indonesia, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Zhang, once again, lectured on the HSR science, but this time the classroom was moving, on a real high-speed train, only to find that he had to grab the teenagers' attention from frequent exclamations and fleeting scenery outside the train window.

"After the commercial operation started last week, I finally had the opportunity to ride the high-speed train. During the free ride phase, my parents tried in vain to get a ticket for me," said Rayi, 14, another 9th grader. "I learned a lot about HSR today in the class and on the train, and I can't wait to be a business person in the future to travel by the high-speed train."

Besides the lectures in and outside the classroom, CRRC Sifang has donated teaching materials including computers and sound systems to Ngamprah No.3 Junior High School.

The school is a small public school having hundreds of students and only a few classrooms used by students of Grade 7-9 on a rotating basis.

"I am very grateful to these Chinese companies for supporting the development of education in West Bandung. CRRC Sifang donates teaching materials to our school, which can help us to improve the quality of education," said Mepi, head of the junior high school.

Students from Ngamprah No.3 Junior High School take photos and videos of a Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train on the platform of Padalarang Station in Padalarang, Indonesia, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

"The HSR lectures and experience helped broaden the students' horizons, opening the door to a new world for our kids."

Asep Wahyu, West Bandung Regency's economy and development assistant, said, "It is really generous for CRRC Sifang to provide assistance to our local school. The teaching materials and the free class will help our students study better."

"I heard that Chinese people would call their kids 'flowers of the country', and Indonesian people has a similar saying as calling our children 'buds of the country', be it flower or bud, they are the future, they are our hope," Asep added.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR is a "golden brand" of China-Indonesia cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China. It is the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia at large. CRRC Sifang, as a party of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR project, designs and manufactures high-speed EMU trains with a maximum operating speed of 350 km per hour for the railway.

Two students from Ngamprah No.3 Junior High School pose for photos with a model of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train in Halim Station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

"The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is not only a symbol of win-win cooperation between China and Indonesia, but also a connecting bridge to enhance the friendship between our two nations," said Cao Rui, CRRC Sifang's deputy general manager.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR, jointly built by China and Indonesia, was officially put into commercial operation on Oct. 17.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU Educational and Cultural Exchange Base was established in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia on Sept. 9.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
A few days after the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, an Israeli air transport took off from an American Air Force base to the deliver the first of a previously ordered shipment of a thousand SDBs (Small Diameter Bombs). These are glide bombs with a range of over 60 kilometers. They can maneuver to a specific target and land within a meter of the target it was aimed at. The Israelis are using these SDBs against Hamas targets in Gaza. This is not the first time; in 2014 Israel did so with the main targets being Hamas storage sites for unguided rockets to be fired at Israel. These sites were usually in residential areas so Hamas could use local civilians as involuntary human shields against Israeli attacks. Any civilians killed were declared an Israeli atrocity in the subsequent Hamas press release, but Israel regularly sought to avoid civilian casualties while Hamas did not.

SBDs have been used since 2006 and the first combat use was that year in Iraq to provide close support for U.S. troops fighting there. Since 2014 Israel has ordered over 5,000 SDBs. They are the preferred weapons against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah and Islamic terrorists in Lebanon and Syria. Larger bombs are used when the enemy is outside populated areas. To avoid this, the enemy spends as little time outside populated areas as possible. Human shields and structures to hide in are found in populated areas. Hamas leaders must travel in the open more frequently than their followers and often do so in civilian automobiles trying to look like innocent civilians. The Israelis can often obtain specific information about such movements and launch airstrikes. Sometimes SDBs are but more often a laser guided missile launched from a UAV, helicopter or jet fighter does the work. These missiles are faster and a bit more accurate than an SDB as well as carrying less explosives and causing fewer collateral (nearby) casualties.

Israel also designed and built its own guidance kits for larger bombs providing additional features the American JDAM kit lack. Its not worth the time, effort and expense to develop competition for the SDB.

The United States is also donating SDBs to Ukraine as part of the NATO effort to provide Ukrainian forces with sufficient weapons to defeat the Russian invaders. Some of the SDBs sent to Ukraine are longer range and are attached to a rocket which carries the latest SDB version, the StormBreaker. This version entered service in 2020 and is equipped with hardware and software to enable it to hit moving targets. To do this StormBreaker has three different guidance systems: radar, heat seeker, and homing on laser light bounced off the target. That means no matter what the weather or time of day, there is a guidance system that will find the target. Even without human intervention, the three sensors enable StormBreaker to find targets in a cluttered and obscured (by weather or darkness) environment. It took three years of tweaking and testing, and it was a cycle repeated several times until the StormBreaker team won because they finally got a promising concept to work. The StormBreaker design was finally doing everything promised but never quite delivered, and the air force was so pleased that the upgraded SDB was given an official nickname; Stormbreaker. Much catchier than SDB, or even SDB II. Publicizing the new, improved Stormbreaker does cause a bit of confusion for those who do not follow the SDB saga regularly.

Most of those who investigated Stormbreaker eventually realized it is not just like the SDB, it also has a better press agent. At the same time Stormbreaker is a visibly, and operationally, different small bomb than SDB and SDB II. Yet there will continue to be demand for the original GBU-39 SDB and GBU-40 SDB II. Both are cheaper and less capable than StormBreaker. Yet more warplane fire control systems can handle GBU-39/40 and do what their users require and cost a lot less than StormBreaker. The GBU-40 version has laser guidance added to GPS but lacks all the additional features of StormBreaker. While the U.S. Air Force and Navy were eager to switch to StormBreaker, many foreign customers were not sure they needed the much more capable, and expensive, StormBreaker. One problem with the Stormbreaker is that the aircraft using it must have its fire control system upgraded considerably to handle it and that upgrade is more complex than needed for earlier SDB versions. Initially only the F-15E and F-22 received Stormbreaker upgrades. The F-35 couldnt use Stormbreaker until recently when its software was updated to handle the many additional capabilities of the GBU-53. Similar upgrades for the F-18E were also ready by 2023.

StormBreaker had been in development since 2005 and announced as ready several times, at least until the last round of Operational Tests were conducted and, as often happens during these realistic or operational, tests something goes wrong. In other words, SBB II was, for a long time, ready to go, but not quite ready for prime time, better known as actual combat. At least not for missions requiring certain features that were having Operational Test problems.

When first announced in 2005, StormBreaker was described as possessing multiple sensors and a data link that enabled it to hit vehicles going at high speed and in bad weather. Sounded great but the repeated failures to get past the Operational Testing meant StormBreaker did not boost sales as much as anticipated. From the beginning, StormBreaker had an encrypted data link that enabled the fighter (especially F-35) pilot to guide the SDB, with great precision, to hit moving targets. This communications capability enabled the SDB movement to be controlled via the air force's airborne Internet (Link 16), which means whoever is directing StormBreaker to a target can be anywhere, even another aircraft or on the ground.

The original StormBreaker specifications called for three different guidance systems: radar, heat seeker, and homing on laser light bounced off the target. That meant no matter what the weather or time of day there is a guidance system that will find the target. Even without human intervention, the three sensors enable StormBreaker to find targets in a cluttered and obscured, by weather or darkness, environment. Now it works but it was felt that a new name like StormBreaker might overcome the shaky reputation the original SDB II designation had earned.

There is a much longer-range version of StormBreaker was created by attaching StormBreaker to a GMLRS guided rocket in place of the rockets normal warhead. When launched, this version of the rocket will release StormBreaker after reaching its starting to plunge earthward. At that point StormBreaker glides the rest of the way as it normally does and achieves a maximum range of 150 kilometers. This version was called GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb). Ukraine has been asking for the longer range StormBreaker since mid-2022. They were satisfied with the performance of ordinary GMLRS but found there were important targets beyond its 85-kilometer range.

The U.S. also had about 3,000 ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) with 160 or 300-kilometer range, depending on the weight of the warhead. These ballistic missiles were held in storage for American use. The Americans were afraid that, if given a longer-range missile like ATACMS, the Ukrainians would attack targets inside Russia that would lead to a disastrous escalation. Ukraine demonstrated that it had other ways to strike deep inside Russia which when used did not prompt further Russian escalation. That led to the 160km-range ATACMS I recently showing up in Ukraine and used against Russian targets in Ukraine that had been out of range until now. Ukraine was also told that the longer-range GMLRS called GLSDB with a range of 150 kilometers was on the way. Now GLSDB is available, and it has also been used in Ukraine, where it was used in combat for the first time. Russian air defenses detected and shot down some GLSDB attacks, but that was expected. The same thing happens to the even slower attack UAVs Ukraine often uses. Attackers consider that there will be such losses and use enough missiles that some get through.

Ukraine has been asking for the longer range (300 kilometers) ATACMS II. It is, like GMLRS, carried and launched from the HIMARS truck but HIMARS can only carry and launch one ATACMS at a time. HIMARS can carry and use six GLSDB. Ukraine would still like the longer range ATACMS ballistic missile, but the Americans need those for any military emergencies in the Pacific. There, the longer 300-kilometer range is crucial.

ATACMS is no longer in production because it is too expensive, at nearly two million dollars each. Developed near the end of the Cold War, when that conflict ended in 1991 so did the urgent need for ATACMS. Only 3,700 were manufactured and between 1991 and 2014 560 ATACMS were used in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now some are being used in Ukraine.

While Lockheed Martin developed ATACMS, Boeing developed and produced GMLRS. Boeing and Swedish firm Saab jointly developed an even longer range of GMLRS with a new Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSMDB) warhead. The design concept is simple. Take the 227mm rocket motor that propels the GMLRS and use it to launch Stormbreaker.

Initially, the SDB was seen as the next generation of smart bombs and is a more compact design of the classic 227 kg (500-pound) unguided bomb. The streamlined shape of the SDB carried the GPS guidance system and other guidance components internally. SDB has a hard front end that can punch through nearly three meters (eight feet) of rock or concrete and a warhead that does less damage than the usual dumb bomb (explosives in a metal casing). Thats because the SDB warhead carries only 17 kg (38 pounds) of explosives, compared to 127 kg (280 pounds) in the conventional 227 kg (500-pound) bomb. SDB can carry other types of warheads, like the high-explosive one currently found in GMLRS.

Boeing/Saab received a contract to deliver production models of the new Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) to Ukraine by February 2023. Ukraine liked GLSDB because it can be fired from HIMARS, or any other GMLRS launch vehicle, and has a range of 150 kilometers. Moreover, it is more precise than GMLRS because Stormbreaker has multiple guidance systems that enable it to hit moving targets, including ships at sea and do so at night and in any weather.

Stormbreaker entered service in 2018 as the latest version of the SDB II Small Diameter Bomb in service. This version can identify, track and hit a moving target on the ground in any weather and at night. The novel targeting system was so impressive that the new SDB version was given a unique designation; Stormbreaker. SDB is basically an unpowered missile which can glide long distances. This makes the SDB even more compact, capable, and expensive. While the original SDB I cost about $70,000 each, that went up to $300,000 for Stormbreaker.

Small wings allow the SDB to glide up to a hundred kilometers from high altitude. Launching Stormbreaker from the ground, or even a ship at sea, using any GMLRS launcher provides long range precision firepower at relatively low cost. In 2017 the American marines demonstrated that GMLRS rockets could be launched from the flight deck of amphibious assault ships against land targets. This concept can be used by GLSDB to do the same, but also against enemy ships as well as land targets. This feature enables Ukraine to keep Russian warships out of areas of the Black Sea used by Ukraine. The GLSDB guidance system also makes it possible to hit moving land targets, like trucks or train cars carrying munitions or other Russian supplies.

GLSDB has shortcomings. It achieves the longer range by having the Stormbreaker glide bomb use the GLMRS rocket as a first stage to take it to a high altitude and then separate and allow Stormbreaker, as the second stage, to proceed on its own. This is done by deploying wings and control surfaces that enable the unpowered second stage to locate and hit its target. GMLRS was a single stage missile and made its final approach to the target at a higher speed than GLSDB. The HIMARS and larger tracked GMLRS carriers must get new fire control software installed before they can use GLSDB. It is unclear how long this will take. It could be simultaneous with GLSDB delivery or take several months.

The Ukrainians are the ones getting shot at and have a more can do wartime attitude that has time and again overcome issues like this that the Americans underestimated. NATO nations closer to Ukraine, like Poland, are more familiar with that attitude because they know that if Russia wins in Ukraine, Poland is next on the Russian conquest list. Poland and the larger NATO members like the United States, Britain and France often disagree because of the we are next attitude of Poland versus the more diplomatic attitude of the larger and farther away NATO nations. These differences in perspective and attitude makes sending Ukrainians what they feel they need a more complicated process than it should be.


 
CNBC's Jim Cramer suggested that defense companies are worthwhile investments as the U.S. empties its arsenals to aid allies Israel and Ukraine.

Cramer cited his Tuesday morning interview with RTX CEO Greg Hayes, who said the U.S. has primarily focused on fighting terrorism over the past two decades, and it doesn't have the capacity to supply land wars in both Ukraine and the Middle East.

"Our country's paltry land war-making capacity makes us a weaker arsenal of democracy, and sooner or later, either the White House or Congress will change how our defense budget gets spent," Cramer said. "That makes the big defense contractors investible."

He named several major defense contractors that are set to benefit from a Pentagon push, including Lockheed Martin , RTX , Boeing , Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics . Cramer said he thinks L3Harris may be the best because of its acquisition of rocket motor maker Aerojet Rocketdyne . The company's engines are used in common modern munitions such as Javelins, Stringers and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.

"After we got out of Iraq, then Afghanistan, it feels like our leaders convinced themselves that we'd have some kind of world peace situation on our hands. In reality, the rest of the world's only gotten more chaotic, and our government can't do anything about it if we run out of munitions," Cramer said. "That's why we need to rebuild this stuff as soon as possible, and because this is essential defense production, the replenishment needs to happen right here."
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The Amazon Web Services (AWS) logo, a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to individuals, companies, and governments, displayed during the Mobile World Congress 2023 on March 2, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. Joan Cros | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Amazon on Wednesday said it will launch an independent cloud for Europe aimed at companies in highly-regulated industries and the public sector. Amazon Web Services European Sovereign Cloud will be located within Europe and will be separate to the U.S. technology giant's other cloud operations. Customers of the new system will be able to keep certain data in the European Union and only EU-resident AWS employees who are located in the 27-nation bloc will have control of the operations and support for the sovereign cloud. "Customers will have the control and assurance that AWS will not access or use customer data for any purpose without their agreement, as well as access to the strongest sovereignty controls among leading cloud providers," Amazon said in a statement.

The launch of the new cloud system underscores the need for businesses to meet Europe's strict data privacy rules as well as the region's push for so-called "digital sovereignty," the idea the EU should be in control of its own data and technology. The idea of digital sovereignty, while not well-defined, broadly relates to a bid by the EU to boost European-developed critical technology and have strict rules over the storage and transfer of data. As government agencies and critical businesses increasingly move their operations to public cloud operators, like Amazon or Microsoft , there is growing concern in the EU that data is being stored on the servers of non-European firms. Some cloud features may require data to be transferred to and from the EU. And there is a growing worry among businesses and lawmakers that this data could be accessed by entities outside of the EU. Amazon's sovereign cloud is likely an attempt to allay some of those fears.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks during a press conference at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

Israel's representative to the U.N. called for the resignation of the organization's secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, following his remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict and action in Gaza.

Speaking on Tuesday at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, Guterres reiterated his call for a humanitarian pause of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has been sealed off from Israel's supplies of fuel, food, water and electricity. Israel is carrying out a military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched a multipronged attack against Israel two weeks prior.

While stating he has "condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel," Guterres said "it is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," pointing to "56 years of suffocating occupation" suffered by the Palestinian people.

"The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas," he added. "Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets."

Guterres last week traveled to Egypt to oversee U.N. preparations for a convoy bringing in humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, responded to the speech by listing the names of children killed in the Hamas attacks and asking, "Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live? Definitely, this is not our world."

He later posted in a Google-translated social media update that he will not meet with Guterres and that "there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world!"
A T-bone steak, left, and a porterhouse. Portland Press Herald | Portland Press Herald | Getty Images

How would you like your steak? Maybe rare, medium, or well done  but certainly not more expensive. Retail beef prices in the U.S. are at record highs, pushing up prices of beef-based products from burgers to steaks and steak tartare. That's largely thanks to a shrinking cattle supply, as well as higher input costs, market watchers told CNBC. And they don't expect it to ease any time soon. Retail beef prices are currently hovering around record levels of about $8 per pound, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). "All consumers will be paying more for all beef products for several more years," Wells Fargo's Chief Agricultural Economist Michael Swanson told CNBC via email.

Cattle herds in the U.S. have been reduced to their "smallest number in decades" as a result of prolonged drought in key cattle ranching states like Texas and Kansas, Swanson said. In its latest livestock report in September, the USDA maintained its forecast that beef production in the second half of this year is expected to decline by 180 million pounds from August to the end of the year. "As cattlemen retain cows to rebuild the herd, there is a much lower supply of cattle to provide beef," Swanson said. Ranchers typically raise calves and sell them to a feedlot, where the livestock is fattened and sold to meatpacking companies. There, the cattle are slaughtered and in turn sold to retailers. However, if ranchers hold on to the cattle longer, it not only reduces the supply of beef, but also adds on to input costs  which eventually get passed on to consumers.

Cows are seen standing in a feedlot on June 14, 2023 in Quemado, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images

"Input costs have skyrocketed, everything from labor, to transportation has increased packet costs," said Brian Earnest, lead economist for animal protein at farm credit association Cobank. He, too, echoed how producers have been struggling with prolonged dry weather and poor forage conditions since 2020. This has contributed to the dwindling cattle population, said Gro Intelligence's Senior Commodity Analyst Adam Speck. "The last two years, there was a slaughter of reproductive cows  because they couldn't afford to keep them over the winter [due to] drought conditions," Speck told CNBC via telephone. Supplies of hay, which are water-intensive crops used to feed cattle, were hit by a spade of severe droughts in 2022. In December, dry hay stocks sank to their lowest levels since 1954 at 71.9 million tons.

With elevated cow slaughter, has come tighter cattle supplies, and an expectation that domestic cattle supplies will remain tight into the future. Brian Earnest lead economist at Cobank
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain (right) and UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock (left) lead a march outside Stellantis' Ram 1500 plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan after the union called a strike at the plant on Oct. 23, 2023.

DETROIT  The United Auto Workers union and Ford Motor have reached a tentative agreement that will end a nearly six-week strike at the automaker, the union announced Wednesday night.

The tentative deal, which was first reported earlier by CNBC, includes 25% pay increases over the terms of the agreement and will cumulatively raise the top wage to more than $40 an hour, including an increase of 68% for starting wages to over $28 an hour.

It also includes reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments, a three-year path to top wages and right to strike over plant closures. among other significantly enhanced benefits.

"We told Ford to pony up and they did. We won things nobody thought was possible," UAW President Shawn Fain said during a video posted online Wednesday night. He said the value of Ford's offer increased by 50% compared with when the targeted, or "stand-up," strikes began Sept. 15.

The tentative deal still must be approved by local UAW leaders and then ratified by a simple majority of Ford's 57,000 union-represented workers. The union will hold informational meetings as well as an online briefing to discuss specifics of the agreement, which will be posted online with summaries.

Autoworkers who are currently on strike with Ford will return to work while the union's approval and voting process occurs, UAW Vice President Chuck Browning said during the video with Fain.

"Like everything we've done during this 'stand-up' strike, this is a strategic move to get the best deal possible," Browning, who led Ford negotiations, said. "We're going back to work at Ford to keep the pressure on Stellantis and GM. The last thing they want is for Ford to get back to full capacity while they mess around and lag behind."
The 2024 Honda Prologue is one of two EVs being made by General Motors for the Japanese automaker, utilizing its Ultium battery technologies.

DETROIT  General Motors and Honda Motor have canceled plans to jointly develop affordable electric vehicles as they face slower-than-expected demand and changing market conditions.

The unwinding of the tie-up roughly a year and a half after it was announced is the latest in a string of decisions by automakers, specifically GM, to scale back or cancel previously announced EV plans.

The partnership was expected to use GM's next-generation Ultium battery technology to produce millions of EVs that cost less than $30,000 for global markets beginning in 2027. They were set to include popular compact crossover vehicles.

Since the automakers first announced the partnership, the outlook for EVs has dimmed due to higher costs, lack of infrastructure and slower-than-expected consumer demand.

"After extensive studies and analysis, we have come to a mutual decision to discontinue the program. Each company remains committed to affordability in the EV market," GM spokesman Darryll Harrison said in an email. "Each company remains committed to affordability in the EV market."
Dividend-paying stocks are well-positioned to outperform in 2024 due to their resilience, according to Goldman Sachs. David Kostin, the firm's chief U.S. equity strategist, advised investors to own stocks returning cash to shareholders as a "higher for longer" rate environment puts pressure on companies that make large capital expenditures. He forecasts stable dividend growth of 5% this year and 4% in 2024. "In this kind of economic environment, firms investing for growth through capex and R & D typically underperform as investors avoid companies making large capital investments with potentially low returns on those investments.  In contrast, stocks returning cash to shareholders through buybacks and dividends typically outperform in this part of the economic cycle," Kostin wrote in a recent note. Year-to-date performance reflects this idea, the analyst added. The firm's total cash return basket has gained 3% for the year, while its basket of stocks focused on capital spending and research and development is down 2% so far in 2023. With this in mind, Goldman screened for stocks that pay and grow their dividends. Take a look at some of the companies on the list, and where analysts see them headed next: Oil and gas producers Devon Energy and Chevron both made Goldman's list of top dividend-paying companies. High oil prices and capital discipline have translated into strong balance sheets across energy stocks, making the sector a standout for high dividends. Chevron has a dividend yield of 3.6% in 2023, with a dividend compound annual growth rate of 5% to 2025. The company agreed to buy Hess in a $53 billion deal Monday, the second recent proposed merger among the U.S. oil giants in recent days. Hess offers the country exposure to drilling in Guyana, a nascent oil producer in the field. Chevron shares fell nearly 4% Monday after the deal was announced, pulling the stock down about 11% year to date. Wall Street analysts remain bullish on the company. Nearly three-quarters of analysts covering shares rate it a buy or strong buy, and the consensus price target suggests 17% additional upside, according to FactSet data. CVX YTD mountain Chevron shares Devon Energy has the highest 2023 dividend yield on the list, coming in at 5.8%. Its dividend compound annual growth rate of 8% to 2025 means the company's payout to its investors will continue to grow. The Delaware Basin driller is also trading at a significant discount , CNBC has found. More than half the analysts covering Devon Energy are bullish on the stock, and the average analyst price target implies shares could rally 23.3%, per FactSet. While shares have gained slightly over oil supply concerns following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, they are still down more than 22% in 2023. Blackstone is the best-performing stock of 2023 on the list. The private equity firm posted weaker-than-expected third-quarter results last Thursday, causing shares to decline nearly 8% on the news. Nonetheless, the stock has gained 27% year to date. Despite the disappointing quarterly report, analysts remain optimistic on the company's relative strength and strong investment performance, particularly in private credit and infrastructure. Blackstone has paid investors a 3% dividend yield in 2023. The firm also has the highest dividend compound annual growth rate of 29% on the list. BX YTD mountain Blackstone stock Luxury apparel giant Tapestry also made the cut. Tapestry's dividend yield came in at 4.6% in 2023, one of the higher yields among consumer discretionary stocks. Investors can expect their cash returns to grow further through 2025, with a dividend compound annual growth rate of 14%. Tapestry acquired luxury peer Capri Holdings in an $8.5 billion deal in August. Shares have fallen 32.3% since the announcement, pulling the stock 26.5% lower for the year. Shares could surge 65% from current levels, according to the consensus price target from FactSet analysts. Approximately 70% of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy or strong buy, according to FactSet.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
A vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline showed the potential to protect adults ages 50 to 59 from respiratory syncytial virus in a late-stage clinical trial, the company said Wednesday.

The initial trial results suggest that GSK's shot, known as Arexvy, could help protect a wider population from RSV, a disease that causes thousands of hospitalizations and deaths among older Americans each year. Currently, Arexvy is approved in the U.S., Europe, Japan and other countries for adults ages 60 and older.

A single dose of the British drugmaker's shot elicited an immune response in adults ages 50 to 59 who are at an increased risk of catching RSV due to certain underlying medical conditions.

The immune response wasn't worse than that observed in adults 60 and above, GSK said in a release. A previous late-stage trial on that older age group found that the shot was nearly 83% effective at preventing lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV.

Safety data in adults ages 50 to 59 was also consistent with data in adults 60 and above, according to GSK.

The drugmaker said it plans to present final results from the trial at an upcoming medical conference and submit them for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. GSK added that it is "on track" to become the first company to submit data on this age group to the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators, and expects a decision on a potential label expansion in 2024.

"We will submit these data for regulatory review as quickly as possible with the goal of offering adults in this age group the option of a vaccine for the first time," Tony Wood, GSK's chief scientific officer, said in a release.
Palestinian members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, take part in a gathering on Jan. 31, 2016, in Gaza City to pay tribute to their fellow militants who died after a tunnel collapsed in the Gaza Strip.

The U.S. is urgently trying to cut off funding to Palestinian militant organization Hamas in the wake of its Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, which killed 1,400 Israelis and led to the capture of more than 200 people from Israel.

As part of this effort, while Israel hammers the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, the U.S. Treasury Department's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence met Wednesday with officials in Qatar.

"The U.S. is prepared to take unilateral action, but when we are strategically aligned with partners in this region, we have a great chance for success at a greater speed with more efficiency," the official, Brian Nelson, told CNBC in a phone interview shortly after the meeting.

Nelson had a similar message for officials in Saudi Arabia, with whom he met Tuesday. He wouldn't comment specifically on whom his office might focus on next, but the Treasury Department is hinting more action is on the way.

Still, it's a difficult and complicated effort, given the scope and intricacy of the Hamas funding network.

A week ago, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, commonly known as OFAC, put sanctions on 10 institutions that fund Hamas from Gaza, the West Bank, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar. Officials at the Treasury Department had been investigating these entities for years but didn't kick into gear until after the brazen attacks earlier this month.

"After previous Hamas terror attacks you have big inflows to Hamas from across the globe and we wanted to act urgently to prevent that," Nelson said, pointing to the new urgency from the U.S.
U.S. Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) is surrounded by fellow members as he speaks to reporters after securing the nomination for House Speaker from the Republican conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 24, 2023.

Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana is facing a floor vote in the House of Representatives Wednesday on his nomination for speaker. Johnson is the fourth candidate Republicans have nominated in just two weeks, as they scramble to unite a fractured caucus around one leader.

Johnson, the vice chairman of the House Republican conference, is a social conservative who served on former President Donald Trump's legal defense team during his first impeachment.

Yet the outcome of Wednesday's floor vote was still uncertain as the House met at noon and began voting.

Johnson won the nomination Tuesday with the support of 128 Republicans in a vote at a closed door conference meeting, far short of the 215 GOP votes he needs to win the speakership on the House floor.

Johnson later said that in a second internal vote, after he was nominated, every member in the room had backed Johnson's bid, including those who initially voted for other candidates.

Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York pitched Johnson as a unity candidate for Republicans in her nomination speech Wednesday, describing him as "a friend to all and an enemy to none."

Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, a Democrat, said the GOP was simply appeasing Trump, who has endorsed Johnson for speaker.

The Louisiana Republican's nomination Tuesday came just hours after Majority Whip Tom Emmer was forced to abandon his bid for speaker.

Emmer's candidacy suffered a fatal blow when Trump came out publicly against him, deriding the majority whip as a fake Republican.

Trump basically endorsed Johnson for speaker in a post on Truth Social Wednesday, encouraging House Republicans to vote for the Louisianan.

Emmer was a relative moderate compared to many Republicans in the conference, a fact that drew the ire of key members of his party who identify as hardline conservatives.

For example, the Minnesota Republican voted in 2020 to certify President Joe Biden's election victory. This September, he voted for spending legislation that averted a government shutdown.
A shock attack on Israel by militant organization Hamas has caused a spike in oil prices and stoked volatility in the energy market, and Bank of America said things can get much worse from here. The Wall Street side of the Charlotte-based bank laid out scenarios where oil could hit $150 per barrel, or even $250, depending on how the war shakes out. The international oil benchmark Brent crude held around $88 Wednesday after trading closer to $94 late last week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures hovered near $84 a barrel. Investors have been worried the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a wider conflict in the Middle East, the world's biggest oil-supplying region, causing potential supply disruptions. Bank of America sees any escalation involving Iran triggering a jump to $120 to $130 per barrel. @CL.1 1M mountain U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures Iran is a major oil producer and key backer of Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. Israel's military has accused Iran of ordering attacks by militia groups it supports in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, supplying Hamas with intelligence and deploying an online messaging campaign to strengthen anti-Israel sentiment. If a physical supply disruption occurs because of attacks on energy infrastructure, oil could surge above $130 a barrel, Bank of America said. If an escalation reduced global supplies by two million barrels per days, for example, oil might even rise above $150 per barrel, it said. "Past energy supply shocks such as the Arab oil embargo in 1973 or the 1979 Iran revolution led to triple-digit percentage increases in oil prices," BofA said in a note. "These asymmetric risks have already altered the volatility smile in global oil markets and turned it into a smirk, with oil risk-reversals now showing a pronounced call skew." $250 oil? Iran and Israel have long been at odds, with Tehran celebrating but denying involvement in the Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7. Tehran backs Hamas, militants in Syria and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah  all three of which have fired rockets into Israel since early October. Bank of America warned that any retaliation against Tehran could risk the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for the world's crude. If the strait is closed, oil prices can spike above $250 per barrel, the bank said. But risks abound even beyond Hormuz, BofA said. "While keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is key to oil market stability because 17mn barrels cross it every day and prices could spike above $250/bbl if it shuts down for an extended period of time, there are plenty of other energy choke points," the firm said.
Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, at a press conference at the IMF Headquarters on April 14, 2023.

Georgieva said that the economic fallout from the war, now in its third week, would be "terrible" for the sides involved, as well as have significant repercussions for the region. Those include negative impacts on trade and tourism.

"And on a horizon that had plenty of clouds, one more  and it can get deeper."

"What we see is more jitters in what has already been an anxious world," Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told a panel hosted by CNBC's Dan Murphy at the Future Investment Initiative Institute conference in Riyadh.

The head of the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday dubbed the worsening Israel-Hamas conflict as another cloud on the horizon of an already gloomy economic outlook.

"It is terrible in terms of economic prospects for the epicenter for the war," she said. "[There will be] negative impact on the neighbors: on trade channels, on tourism channels, cost of insurance."

Georgieva noted that countries including Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan were already feeling the ramifications.

"Uncertainty is a killer for tourists inflows. Investors are going to be shy to go to that place," she said.

She did not reference the economic implications of the conflict for the wider global economy, but noted that the outlook was already stagnant.

Georgieva's assessment that the war is adding to a sense of "a more jittery world, more anxiety in the world" was felt by other senior business figures at the FII conference.

Dubbed "Davos in the desert," the event typically focuses on economic and investment prospects around the Middle East region. This year, it has been overshadowed by Israel's ongoing offensive against the Gaza Strip, following the Oct. 7 terror attacks carried out by Palestinian militant group Hamas against Israel.

The hostilities came as Israel had been making moves to normalize diplomatic ties with its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia.

Georgieva said the IMF's first priority was "the tragic lost of life" caused by the offensive and called for a resolution as soon as possible.

"The sooner there is a resolution, the better," she said.
Shares of chipmaker Nvidia fell sharply earlier this month after the U.S. government announced new restrictions on exporting advanced artificial intelligence chips to China. But one bank says the selloff presents a buying opportunity for investors. Investment bank Itau BBA's analysts believe the new export controls could reduce Nvidia's revenues from China by about 10% in 2025. They estimate that that could reduce the company's earnings per share that year by a similar amount. However, the analysts say the stock's pullback has likely already priced in most or all of that impact. Nvidia is now trading at around 22 times the estimated 2025 earnings after the selloff, according to FactSet data. Assuming a fair value multiple of 25 for that year, the decline has "fully priced in the China restriction effects or is very close to doing so," Itau BBA analysts led by Thiago Alves Kapulskis said in a note to clients on Oct. 18. "Therefore, we would buy the dip at this point, as we continue to see upward revisions in the very short term for NVDA, as we have written extensively before," they added. NVDA 1M mountain Itau BBA's $600 price target for Nvidia points to more than 40% upside from the current share price. The Itau BBA analysts estimate that 20% of the AI chipmaker's data center revenues come from China, of which a third is from networking products not subject to sanctions. They believe the remaining two-thirds account for about a tenth of Nvidia's total forecast sales for 2025. The investment bank's bullish call comes after the U.S. Commerce Department announced plans to clamp down further on exports of advanced AI chips . The move aims to close loopholes that emerged after restrictions were imposed last year, according to officials. The earlier limits targeted Nvidia's top-of-the-line H100 processor but left room for sales of slightly downgraded H800 chips to China. Now, the H800 and equivalents will be banned as well. Nvidia has said it does not expect a "near-term meaningful impact" on earnings from the restrictions. But its stock sank around 13% in the two trading days after the announcement before paring losses later in the week. In response to the plans for new export restrictions, Citi analyst Atif Malik cut his Nvidia price target to $575 from $630. However, the Wall Street bank remains optimistic about Nvidia's long-term growth potential. Similarly, Morgan Stanley's Joseph Moore trimmed his target by $30 to $600, saying that restrictions to areas such as Saudi Arabia may be a more significant threat to revenue than initially expected.  CNBC's Samantha Subin and Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
The logo of the instant messaging service Telegram on a smartphone on January 20, 2022.

Telegram, the messaging app, restricted access to channels belonging to Palestinian militant group Hamas, acting to limit the group's influence online after pressure from critics amid the ongoing conflict.

The platform blocked access to the official channel of Hamas, hamas_com and al-Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas, for Android users, CNBC verified Wednesday.

It is not clear whether the firm has done the same on iOS.

When trying to access the channel, a message pops up saying: "Unfortunately, this channel can't be displayed on Telegram apps downloaded from the Google Play Store."

Some other Hamas-linked channels, such as Gaza Now, remain accessible on Telegram. Gaza Now has more than 1.6 million subscribers.

Russian state-owned media agency Tass earlier reported the development.

On Oct. 7, Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel, the largest in decades. The move has escalated violence in the region.
Workers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) agency in the playground of an UNRWA-run school that has been converted into a shelter for displaced Palestinian people.

Hospitals in Gaza have warned that they would need to shut down if they don't receive more fuel. Other supplies  such as water, medicine and food  also continue to run low.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees previously noted it would be unable to carry out aid operations after Wednesday night if it does not receive fuel supplies necessary for transport, water desalination and running medical equipment. The Israel Defense Forces insist that fuel is present in Gaza but that Hamas is monopolizing it.

The Biden administration is now backing the idea of a "pause" in Israel's military operations against Hamas in order to allow more aid to get into Gaza, NBC News reported.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned overnight that the situation is "growing more dire by the hour" in the Middle East and urged respect for civilian lives as the conflict unfolds.

Israel's representative to the U.N. has called for the resignation of Guterres, following his remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict and action in Gaza.

In response, Guterres said he was "shocked by the misinterpretations" of his address made before the U.N. Security Council.

In a televised address, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again said that Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza but provided no other details about timing.

U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated that the U.S. is working to secure the release of all hostages being held by Hamas. Speaking at the White House, he also said there must be a "two-state solution" to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
"One penny, with this company, is enough to bring the stock down," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio used by the CNBC Investing Club, has long owned Apple stock.

The iPhone maker's fiscal 2023 fourth-quarter results are scheduled to be released after the market close Nov. 2, and Cramer expects Wall Street to be unforgiving when comparing Apple's reported earnings per share to analyst estimates.

There's little margin for error in Apple 's (AAPL) upcoming earnings report, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday.

Cramer's comments Wednesday came in response to a research note from Deutsche Bank, which lowered its price target on Apple to $200 per share from $210. The analysts maintained a buy rating on Apple stock and said they expect the company's results to largely be in line with Wall Street expectations.

However, Deutsche Bank said its previous outlook on iPhone 15 sales in Apple's fiscal 2024, which began in October, may have been too optimistic, citing increased competition in China.

If you like this story, sign up for Jim Cramer's Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free

Since the latest iPhone launched on Sept. 22, investors and analysts alike have been paying close attention to various data sources and tracking metrics to try to gauge demand for the device, which is key to Apple's overall financial health. The quarterly results from Apple next week will only include about one week's worth of iPhone sales, Cramer cautioned.

Shares of Apple  the most valuable publicly traded U.S. company  were down more than 11% over the past three months, compared with a roughly 8% slide in the S&P 500 over that time.

Apple "is the most important stock in the market still," Cramer said.
This story is part of CNBC Make It's The Moment series, where highly successful people reveal the critical moment that changed the trajectory of their lives and careers, discussing what drove them to make the leap into the unknown.

When John Paul DeJoria first started selling tequila, he knew plenty about business  but "nothing whatsoever" about the liquor industry, he says.

So when he used a hefty amount of his own money  "several million dollars," DeJoria estimates  to co-found Patron Spirits in 1989, he was following a likely recipe for disaster.

The financial and reputational risks may have been apparent to nearly everyone around him, but that sort of logical thinking didn't matter to DeJoria. He was convinced he had a product superior to anything else on the market, and he knew he could sell it. He only needed to get enough people to try it first.

"It just felt like the thing to do," DeJoria, 79, tells CNBC Make It. "And, I did it."

He'd already pulled off a rags-to-riches rise. In 1980, DeJoria  a former janitor and door-to-door encyclopedia salesman, then living out of his car  teamed up with hairstylist Paul Mitchell to launch hair care manufacturer John Paul Mitchell Systems. What started with a $700 loan grew into a global brand with billion-dollar annual revenues, CNBC reported in 2017.

Nine years later, DeJoria's next business partner, Martin Crowley, returned from a work trip to Mexico with some high-quality tequila: "Smoother than anything we ever tasted before," DeJoria says.

The duo commissioned a Mexican distiller named Francisco Alcaraz to make them a resalable order of 1,000 cases, or 12,000 bottles. Each bottle cost roughly $20 to produce. They set a consumer price of $37.95  and nobody was interested. Popular brands at the time cost $5 to $15 a bottle, says DeJoria.

When distributors turned them down, they sold smaller quantities to restaurants and bars around Los Angeles, and gave free samples to DeJoria's celebrity friends, like Clint Eastwood.

"My God, they just loved it and just kept on reordering," DeJoria says.

Today, Patron is one of the top-selling tequila brands in the world, selling roughly 3 million cases each year. In 2018, it was acquired by Bacardi Limited for $5.1 billion. DeJoria held a 70% stake in Patron at the time. Forbes currently estimates his net worth at roughly $3 billion.

Here, DeJoria discusses how to know when your gut is worth trusting, the value of learning on the fly and the important lessons he learned from rejection.

CNBC Make It: Did you have any sense, initially, that Patron could grow so big? How confident were you that you knew what you were doing?

DeJoria: We didn't know! We said, "Let's just see how we go."

We knew nothing about the business, but we knew it was the best tequila in the world. We just needed to get people to try it, and they would treat themselves by spending a few more dollars on the best.
Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Jonathan Majors will stand trial on assault charges next month after a New York judge Wednesday denied his motion to dismiss the case.

The trial is set for Nov. 29, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.

The charges stem from a March incident in which Majors, 34, was taken into custody over alleged abuse of his then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, 30, during a car ride to an apartment in the New York neighborhood of Chelsea.

The incident came just as Majors was bursting into Hollywood superstardom.

After previously starring in HBO's "Lovecraft Country," he was set for a breakout year due to major roles in March release "Creed III" and February's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." The latter film, as well as his appearances on the Disney+ show "Loki," positioned him to be the next major villain for Disney's multibillion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe.

CNBC reached out to Disney and Majors' defense team.

Following the alleged assault, Jabbari, a choreographer, was taken to the hospital for "minor injuries to her head and neck," police said at the time. Police said they verified Jabbari's claims after a preliminary investigation and called the incident a "domestic dispute."

Majors has denied the claims against him and brought a misdemeanor assault counter-charge against Jabbari, alleging that she attacked him. On Tuesday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said Jabbari will not be prosecuted for any crime related to the case, according to NBC News.

Prior to the incident, the couple dated for several years. Jabbari has since been granted a temporary order of protection against Majors, according to Variety. Additionally, Majors' defense team has filed another motion to shield certain sensitive evidence from the public to ensure Majors' right to a fair trial. The judge has not yet ruled on the motion.

Majors faces misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail.
Plenty of side hustles and businesses become lucrative because they fix an unsolved problem, or improve something that already exists.

If that seems easier said than done, there's a simple solution: Study people who've fixed other unsolved problems before, self-made millionaire and RSE Ventures CEO Matt Higgins said at the CNBC Make It: Your Money virtual event last week.

"We all have within us a proprietary insight about how something can be done just a little bit better," Higgins said, adding: "The vast majority of game-changing businesses are actually built on [those] insights."

Higgins pointed to one particular billionaire as an example: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, who accidentally co-founded his company while brainstorming ways to pay rent in 2007. Chesky and one of his co-founders booked out air mattresses to strangers who were in San Francisco for a design conference.

By solving a personal problem, realized they had a viable business idea. As a bonus, they solved someone else's problem too: Travelers could stay in more affordable accommodations than hotels.

Airbnbs may not always be the least expensive option anymore  but the company has a market capitalization of $77.04 billion, as of Wednesday afternoon, and helped launch the modern sharing economy alongside companies like Uber.

In other words, you don't necessarily need to invent a new product to be successful. Pay attention to your surroundings, and ask yourself if your solutions to everyday problems are replicable, Higgins said.
U.S. Republican Representative from California Kevin McCarthy speaks with Republican Representative from Ohio Jim Jordan as the U.S. House of Representatives continues voting for new speaker at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, January 4, 2023.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is floating a plan that would reinstall him as House speaker and make conservative Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan the assistant speaker, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The pitch comes amid a prolonged impasse among Republicans, who have been unable to coalesce around a House leader for the past three weeks.

The proposed alliance aims to unite warring factions of the House Republican Conference, which has been leaderless since McCarthy was ejected from the speaker's office. It would also attempt to bring together McCarthy allies, still furious over his removal, and Jordan and Trump allies who orchestrated the California Republican's unceremonious ouster.

Asked why the McCarthy-Jordan idea was being floated now, a GOP lawmaker replied: "We're desperate."

A spokesperson for Jordan, the Ohio Republican who was the second GOP nominee following McCarthy's removal, declined to comment on the idea of a partnership with the former speaker.

The proposal lacks key details, including how it would be enacted. It's also unclear whether it could gain enough traction to be enacted by the Republican majority in the House.

"That's a bad idea. Where is that even allowed?" asked Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who was one of the eight Republicans who joined with Democrats to oust McCarthy three weeks ago.

While the idea might seem far-fetched  it has not been pitched broadly within the GOP Conference  it's being discussed among some Republicans after Rep. Tom Emmer, the third GOP nominee for speaker, dropped his bid on Tuesday just hours after securing the nomination.

A source briefed on the proposal likened it to the arrangement Democrats had when Rep. Nancy Pelosi was speaker and Rep. Katherine Clark was assistant speaker.

"Kevin speaker, Jordan assistant speaker," the source said.

Two GOP lawmakers described McCarthy as having melted down twice in conference meetings Tuesday because, they said, he is losing his ability to handpick a new speaker. He had two "outbursts" behind closed doors, the sources said, that were about his objections to quickly moving to a nominating vote for Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the runner-up to Emmer during Tuesday's closed-door vote, the lawmakers said.

"This isn't how you elect a speaker!" McCarthy said in the room, a lawmaker said.

A McCarthy spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said he will support on the House floor whoever the party nominates. But if no one can get the 217 votes needed, he's open to the idea of a McCarthy-Jordan partnership.

"Well, if we get to that, it's not a bad thing," he said. "I'll take a good look at it."
Meta's business is outperforming competitors. Google parent Alphabet said in its earnings report Tuesday that ad revenue increased about 9.5%, while smaller rival Snap reported revenue growth of 5%.

Meta is seeing faster growth in its core digital ads business as clients rebound from a tough 2022, when revenue dropped for three straight quarters. Sales jumped from $27.71 billion a year earlier. Net income rose 164% to $11.58 billion, or $4.39 a share, from $4.4 billion, or $1.64 a share, a year earlier.

The stock initially rose in extended trading after the report, but then reversed course and fell more than 3% following cautionary comments from finance chief Susan Li about potential ad softness tied to the Middle East conflict.

Meta reported better-than-expected results for the third quarter as revenue increased 23%, the fastest rate of growth since 2021.

A big part of Meta's reacceleration appears to be because it is furthest along in terms of improving the effectiveness of its online ads following Apple's iOS privacy changes in 2021, which made it hard for app developers to target users. Meta has pointed to its hefty investments in artificial intelligence as a key technology that has helped it land retailers looking to serve customers targeted promotions.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on the earnings call that so far this year, the company has seen a 7% increase in time spent on Facebook and a 6% bump on Instagram "as a result of our recommendation improvements."

Susan Li, Meta's finance chief, told analysts on the call that online commerce was the biggest contributor to year-over-year growth in ad revenue, followed by consumer packaged goods and gaming.

However, Li said the company widened its revenue guidance range for the fourth quarter because of unpredictability in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas war.

"We have observed softer ads in the beginning of the fourth quarter, correlating with the start of the conflict, which is captured in our Q4 revenue outlook," Li said on the call. "It's hard for us to attribute demand softness directly to any specific geopolitical event."

Meta said it expects revenue of $36.5 billion to $40 billion in the current quarter. Analysts were expecting sales for the quarter of $38.85 billion, according to LSEG. At the midpoint of the range, growth in the quarter will be about 19% higher from a year earlier.

Meta said expenses for 2023 will be in the range between $87 billion and $89 billion, which is down from its previous forecast of $88 billion to $91 billion. Expenses for 2024 will fall in the range between $94 billion and $99 billion.

"In terms of investment priorities, AI will be our biggest investment area in 2024, both in engineering and computer resources," Zuckerberg said on the call.

Meta's Reality Labs division, which focuses on virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, racked up $3.74 billion in operating losses for the quarter. It has now lost close to $25 billion since the start of last year  that's after releasing its Quest 3 headset and other new products.

"I'm proud of the work our teams have done to advance AI and mixed reality with the launch of Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and our AI studio," Zuckerberg said.

The company said it expects Reality Labs' operating losses "to increase meaningfully year-over-year due to our ongoing product development efforts in augmented reality/virtual reality and our investments to further scale our ecosystem."

Meta has 66,185 employees as of Sept. 30, which is a 24% year-over-year decrease. The company said "a substantial majority of the employees" who were part of its major cost-cutting efforts are no longer included in its headcount.

"Beginning in 2022, we initiated several measures to pursue greater efficiency and to realign our business and strategic priorities," Meta said in its earnings release. "As of September 30, 2023, we have substantially completed planned employee layoffs while continuing to assess facilities consolidation and data center restructuring initiatives."

Total costs and expenses declined 7% from a year earlier to $20.4 billion, underscoring Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency" declaration in February, when he emphasized the need for a slimmer and more nimble workforce.

Meta's stock price is up about 150% this year, the second-best performer in the S&P 500, behind only AI chipmaker Nvidia .

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Refinitiv is now known as LSEG. A previous version of this story misspelled the company name.

WATCH: Attorney generals around the country file lawsuit against Meta over addictive features.
In an address to Congress after his election, Johnson said the first bill he would bring to the House floor is a resolution expressing solidarity with Israel in its war against Hamas.

All 220 Republicans who cast a ballot voted for Johnson  despite his being the fourth nominee tapped by the GOP conference in two weeks as the deeply divided party repeatedly failed to put forward a candidate who had enough support.

Vice chairman of the House Republican conference and a hard-right conservative, Johnson had maintained a low public profile until he was thrust into the spotlight this week after securing the party's nomination for speaker.

Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, ending a three-week leadership crisis that has paralyzed Congress.

Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) addreses the House of Representatives after being elected the new Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 25, 2023.

"We are going to show not only Israel but the entire world that the barbarism of Hamas that we have seen play out on our television screens is wretched and wrong," Johnson said.

"We want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations," the Louisianan said. "Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear: The people's house is back in business."

All 209 Democrats who voted Wednesday cast their ballot for Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

President Joe Biden called Johnson after his election to congratulate the speaker and

Johnson managed to rally the GOP conference behind his bid after recalcitrant Republicans rejected the three previous nominees  House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.

Johnson's bid received a boost Wednesday from former President Donald Trump, who encouraged Republicans to vote for the Louisianan.

He also consolidated the backing of several moderate New York Republicans who had been reluctant to support some of the more hardline conservatives who sought the top job.

Johnson, who is serving his fourth term in Congress, will wield the gavel as America faces a looming government shutdown, Israel wages war on Hamas, and Ukraine struggles to beat back Russia's invasion.

The House needs to pass spending legislation by Nov. 17 to keep the government running, and Biden has called on Congress to approve emergency security assistance for Israel and Ukraine.

Johnson told Republicans in a letter Monday that he would propose a temporary measure to fund the government through Jan. 15 or April 15, as the House works to pass the 12 appropriation bills needed to keep federal agencies running through the entire fiscal year.

Johnson voted against legislation in September that has kept the government running through November, and he has opposed assistance for Ukraine in the past. The Louisiana Republican said earlier this month that the House needs to take all necessary action to help Israel destroy Hamas.

Johnson is a staunch social conservative who participated in Republican efforts to overturn Biden's 2020 election victory.

He filed a legal brief in support of a lawsuit that sought to block the certification of Biden's victories in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Johnson then supported objections in Congress to the certification of Arizona's and Pennsylvania's 2020 presidential results.

Johnson also served on Trump's legal team during the former president's first impeachment.

He previously did legal work for the Alliance Defending Freedom, an ultraconservative advocacy group that litigates to restrict abortion access and prohibit same-sex marriage.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Johnson did legal work for the Alliance Defending Freedom. A previous version misstated the organization's name.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday to discuss collaboration on addressing climate change amid fragile relations between the United States and China.

"We emphasize the critical role of accelerated climate action and cooperation at the subnational level between the State of California and the People's Republic of China," the Governor's office said in a statement after the meeting.

The Wednesday meeting was a part of Newsom's weeklong trip to China where he has had a series of conversations with officials about how to partner on climate crisis mitigation. Newsom is the first governor in four years to visit China and the first California governor to meet with Xi since 2017.

Newsom came under fire from human rights groups and some GOP lawmakers for his China trip.

In a letter on Friday, Republican congressmembers, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, requested that Newsom cancel his visit because of its stated emphasis on climate change rather than addressing China's human rights abuses and connection to the fentanyl crisis.

After the meeting with Xi, Newsom's office said that the governor had brought up the human rights violations and the fentanyl issue.

Also on Wednesday, Newsom met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Next Thursday, Yi is expected to visit the U.S. to speak with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security advisor Jake Sullivan.

U.S.-China relations currently rest on thin ice. The countries have clashed over trade terms, tech investment and a series of alleged Chinese spy balloons hovering over the U.S.

Despite these tensions, Newsom received a friendly welcome from Chinese leaders. He emphasized that California still wants to work with China on climate strategy even with strains taking place at the national level.

"Divorce is not an option. The only way we can solve the climate crisis is to continue our long-standing cooperation with China," Newsom said in a statement.

China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with the United States trailing right behind it. The country is aiming to peak its carbon emissions before 2030 and be carbon-neutral by 2060. California's own carbon neutrality deadline is 2045. The United States as a whole has pledged to zero out its emissions by 2050.

The massive environmental footprint of China has made it a key player in softening the blow of the climate crisis.

In July, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry visited China to revive climate collaboration between the two countries. U.S.-China climate cooperation had stalled after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, a move that angered Xi due to disputes over Taiwan's status of independence.

Kerry reinitiated climate talks with China in an effort to make progress ahead of the United Nations' Climate Change Conference, or COP 28, which will take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai.
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan on Wednesday discussed his country's efforts to de-escalate what he called "recent events" in the Middle East region, without naming any of the parties involved.

"Our sympathy goes to those who are suffering, civilians, civilian casualties wherever they are, and international law needs to be respected  without international law being respected the world would be in chaos," al-Jadaan said during a panel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, moderated by CNBC's Dan Murphy.

"So we need calm, we need wisdom, we need to collaborate, to bring calm and make sure that we de-escalate."

Al-Jadaan appeared to be talking about the rapidly intensifying war between Israel and Palestinian militant organization Hamas, which began on Oct. 7 after Hamas carried out an unprecedented surprise attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,300 people. Since then, retaliatory Israeli airstrikes and a total siege of the already blockaded and Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have killed more than 6,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

The United Nations and numerous countries have called for a cease-fire, so far to no avail.

"We have seen this in the region where before the 7th of October a lot of de-escalation had happened, which brought a lot of hope for the region, and we don't want the recent events to derail that," the minister said. "So we are making a lot of efforts with our partners to ensure that we go back to where we are and continue the development path."
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 .

Dow snaps four-day losing streak

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained over 200 points on Tuesday, ending a four-day streak of declines as investors shifted focus to strong earnings reports from companies including Coca-Cola and Verizon. After the close, results from tech giants Microsoft and Alphabet rolled in. Europe's Stoxx 600 snapped a five-session losing streak.

Microsoft profit pops

Microsoft issued quarterly revenue guidance above Wall Street estimates. The company also reported a surge in profit thanks to a slower pace of operating expense growth. Net income, at $22.29 billion, increased 27% from $17.56 billion, or $2.35 per share in the same quarter a year ago. The software maker's shares jumped as much as 6% in extended trading on Tuesday.

Alphabet cloud business in spotlight

Alphabet reported 11% revenue growth in the third quarter, as a rebound in advertising pushed expansion into double digits for the first time in over a year. Its shares dropped almost 7% in extended trading as the cloud business missed analysts' estimates. For the quarter, it reported earnings per share of $1.55 vs. $1.45 expected by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. Google Cloud revenue was $8.41 billion vs. $8.64 billion, according to StreetAccount.

Snap shares seesaw

Snap shares initially soared as much as 20% in after-hours trading as the company beat on the top and bottom lines. It later settled to gain a little over 1% as investors digested news that some advertisers had paused spending following the onset of the war in the Middle East.

[PRO] Bitcoin just broke above a key level

At last, bitcoin has broken out of a tight trading range, potentially heralding greater highs from here. After oscillating between $25,000 and $30,000 for most of the year, touching the top end several times and stepping out of it briefly at one point in July, the flagship cryptocurrency shot up to $35,000 late Monday. Here's what investors should expect.


Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Microsoft  Shares jumped 3% as investors cheered the Xbox maker's fiscal first-quarter results released Tuesday. Microsoft posted almost 13% year-over-year revenue growth, and its Azure cloud segment saw revenue gain 29% for the quarter. The Windows software maker also posted a rise in profit due to slower operating expense growth. Alphabet  Shares of the Google parent dropped 9.5%, putting it on pace for the worst day in nearly a year, after the dominant search engine owner reported cloud revenue that missed analysts' expectations. Norfolk Southern  The freight railroad dropped 5.3% on the back of disappointing third-quarter earnings. Norfolk Southern earned $2.65 per share, excluding items, while analysts polled by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv, estimated a profit of $2.69 per share. Revenue was about in line with expectations. General Dynamics  Shares of General Dynamics rose 4% after the defense contractor's third-quarter earnings and revenue topped estimates. General Dynamics posted earnings of $3.04 per share on revenue of $10.57 billion against analyst estimates of $2.91 in earnings per share and $10.05 billion in revenue. Snap  Shares of the social media company slid 5.4% midday. The stock soared as much as 20% postmarket Tuesday after Snap beat third-quarter estimates but pulled back after management highlighted that the war in the Middle East could impair advertiser spending. Gap  The apparel retailer popped 5.2% midday. Wells Fargo upgraded Gap to overweight, saying the stock is near an inflection point as it improves costs. Boeing  Shares of the passenger plane maker fell 2.5% after a mixed earnings report. The company reported a quarterly revenue beat but a wider-than-expected loss. The aircraft maker raised its 787 Dreamliner production forecast to five per month from four, but trimmed its 2023 guidance for 737 Max deliveries, which was widely expected. Deutsche Bank  The U.S.-listed shares of the German bank advanced 7.4% after Deutsche Bank beat third-quarter net profit expectations. CoStar Group  Shares dropped 4.4% after the commercial real estate company's fourth-quarter earnings and revenue guidance missed expectations, according to consensus estimates on FactSet. Waste Management  The stock added 6.1% midday after saying it expects 2023 free cash flow of $1.825 billion to $1.925 billion, above previous guidance of between $1.675 billion and $1.775 billion. Texas Instruments  The stock slid 3.5% after its fourth-quarter guidance came in far below estimates. The semiconductor manufacturer sees earnings per share between $1.35 and $1.57, versus the $1.76 expected by analysts polled by FactSet. The stock's third-quarter revenue also disappointed investors, coming in at $4.35 billion, versus the $4.58 billion estimated by analysts polled by LSEG.  CNBC's Lisa Kailai Han, Fred Imbert, Hakyung Kim and Yun Li contributed reporting.
An employee looks for items in one of the corridors at an Amazon warehouse.

Amazon warehouse workers are suffering physical injuries and mental stress on the job as a result of the company's extreme focus on speed and pervasive surveillance, according to a new study.

The study, released Wednesday by the University of Illinois Chicago's Center for Urban Economic Development, includes responses from 1,484 current Amazon workers across 42 states and 451 facilities, in what the authors are calling the largest nationwide survey of Amazon workers to date.

Nearly 70% of Amazon employees who participated in the survey said they've had to take unpaid time off due to pain or exhaustion suffered on the job in the past month, while 34% have had to do so three or more times. The most common injury reported by workers was sprains, strains or tears, and nearly half of respondents said they had moderate or severe pain in the leg, knee or foot in the last three months on the job. More than half of workers said they're burned out from their work at the company, and that response rate intensified the longer the employee had worked at Amazon.

The data adds to a drumbeat of scrutiny around Amazon's workplace safety and treatment of warehouse employees. Regulators, lawmakers, rights groups and employees have criticized Amazon  which is the second-largest employer in the U.S., behind Walmart  over its labor record. The researchers estimate Amazon is the largest warehouse employer in the country, accounting for an estimated 29% of workers in the industry.

Amazon had roughly 1.46 million employees globally, as of the quarter ended June 30, and the majority are warehouse and delivery workers.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Attorney's Office are investigating conditions at several warehouses, while the U.S. Department of Justice is examining whether Amazon underreports injuries. In June, a Senate committee led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also launched a probe into Amazon's warehouse safety.

Amazon has said it has made progress on lowering injury rates and that the company has made adjustments to working environments in order to reduce strain and repetitive movements. It has begun to automate some tasks and is also rolling out more robotic systems in warehouse facilities that the company claims can improve safety, although that prospect has been debated.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 25, 2023.

The American Civil Liberties Union argued Wednesday that the gag order slapped on former President Donald Trump in his federal election interference case violates the U.S. Constitution.

The ACLU, a frequent and vocal critic of Trump that applauded his criminal indictment in the federal case in Washington, D.C., said that the restrictions placed on his speech run afoul of the First Amendment.

"No modern-day president did more damage to civil liberties and civil rights than President Trump," said the group's executive director, Anthony Romero, in a press release.

"But if we allow his free speech rights to be abridged, we know that other unpopular voices  even ones we agree with  will also be silenced," Romero said.

"As much as we disagreed with Donald Trump's policies, everyone is entitled to the same First Amendment protection against gag orders that are too broad and too vague," he said.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a partial gag order on Trump in mid-October, after special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutors argued that the ex-president's bellicose statements about the case risked prejudicing the trial.

Trump has repeatedly fulminated against the judge, the prosecutors, the jury pool and potential witnesses in the case, which accuses him of illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Former US President Donald Trump gestures during a break at court as he testifies during a fraud trial in New York City on October 25, 2023. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

Donald Trump stormed out of his $250 million New York fraud trial Wednesday, shortly after a judge fined him for violating his gag order and then rejected a defense attorney's bid for a verdict in Trump's favor. The visibly angry former president's sudden departure elicited gasps from the courtroom and sent his own Secret Service agents chasing after him, NBC News reported. Trump left while Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who is a star witness against him in the case, was still on the stand. Cohen, under cross-examination, said he did not recall if Trump had asked him to inflate the values of his assets on financial records at the heart of the civil case. Cliff Robert, an attorney for the Trump family, then asked Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron for a directed verdict based on Cohen's answer. The judge denied the request  and Trump immediately got up and left. During Trump's absence, Cohen clarified that while Trump did not explicitly tell him to inflate the numbers, he communicated the outcome he wanted. Trump speaks like a "mob boss," Cohen explained. Trump later walked back into the courtroom, and Robert again asked the judge for a directed verdict. "Absolutely not," Engoron said, telling the attorney, "there's enough evidence in this case to fill the courtroom." After the trial adjourned, Trump headed straight from the courthouse to LaGuardia Airport. The clash between the judge and the defendants was only the latest round of fireworks to erupt that afternoon.

Trump breaks gag order, again

Shortly beforehand, Engoron fined Trump $10,000 for once again violating a gag order barring him from targeting the judge's staff. Engoron had summoned Trump to the witness stand to explain comments he made outside the courtroom earlier in the day, when he complained about a "very partisan judge with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is." The judge took that as a reference to his law clerk, Allison Greenfield, who sits next to Engoron in court.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches as his former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen is questioned by a lawyer for the attorney general's office, before Judge Arthur F. Engoron during the Trump Organization civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 24, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters

Trump had previously been barred from making public statements about Engoron's staff, after he sent a social media post attacking Greenfield on the second day of the trial. Under questioning from Engoron about his latest remarks, Trump said that he was referring to Cohen, who has been testifying throughout the trial day. But Engoron said that answer was not credible, based on the language Trump used. "Don't do it again or it will be worse," Engoron warned after issuing the fine. Engoron's ruling is the second time Trump has been found in violation of his gag order in the fraud trial. Engoron fined Trump $5,000 last week, warning that future violations could carry much more severe sanctions, including imprisonment.

Cohen's credibility

The dramatic developments came at the end of an already contentious second day of testimony from Cohen, who faced a barrage of attacks about his credibility as a witness. Trump and his legal team had spent much of the previous trial day targeting Cohen's criminal history, attempting to paint him as a "serial liar" whose word could not be trusted. Trump doubled down Wednesday during a midmorning break, saying Cohen "went to jail for lying" and branding him "a totally discredited witness." New York Attorney General Letitia James' case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump's real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms. James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York. In his first day on the stand, Cohen had accused Trump of directing him and another Trump Organization executive to falsely inflate the values of his assets on financial statements. Trump "would look at the total assets and say, 'I'm actually not worth $4.5 billion. I am really worth more like $6 billion,'" Cohen testified under oath. But Trump's attorney Alina Habba grilled Cohen on cross-examination, highlighting his 2018 guilty plea on charges including lying to Congress. Habba asked him if he lied to the judge in that case during his plea hearing, and Cohen replied that he had.

Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen looks on at court during a break in the former presidents's fraud trial in New York on October 25, 2023. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

On Wednesday, Habba picked up where she left off, needling Cohen on his admission of lying to the judge before accusing him of "cashing in" on his current antagonism toward Trump. Cohen has implicated his former boss in some of the crimes that he himself pleaded guilty to, including making secret hush-money payments to women who said they had extramarital affairs with Trump, and lying about his business dealings with Russia. Trump has pleaded not guilty in a separate New York criminal case charging him with falsifying business records related to the hush-money payments. Cohen, Trump's once-loyal aide, is now a star witness against him in James' trial. Cohen's 2019 testimony to Congress about Trump's allegedly fraudulent business practices is what led James to open her sweeping investigation. Engoron, who will deliver verdicts in the no-jury trial, has already found Trump liable for fraud and ordered the cancellation of the defendants' New York business certificates. The trial, which is expected to stretch into late December, will resolve James' six remaining claims.

Cohen's 'animosity' toward Trump in focus

Habba, in an apparent attempt to establish a financial motive for the witness, contrasted Cohen's current loathing for Trump with his past statements overflowing with praise for his then-boss. Cohen confirmed in court that he once had said he would "take a bullet" for Trump and had vowed to "never walk away" from him. She then questioned whether Cohen sought a job in Trump's White House following his 2016 election victory. Cohen said he did not, adding that he received the job of personal attorney that he had asked for. Habba quoted Cohen's words from his tell-all memoir "Disloyal," saying that "of course" he was "cashing in" on his relationship with Trump.
Ukrainian servicemen ride on top of an armored personnel carrier in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on Sept. 25, 2023. Roman Pilipey | AFP | Getty Images

While the world is distracted by geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, Ukraine continues to fight Russian forces across a swathe of the country, battling through deep Russian defenses along the south and east. It's an understatement to say Ukraine's counteroffensive, launched in June, has not been as successful as Kyiv and its Western allies hoped it would be  with Russian forces deeply dug in to defensive positions, progress has been tough for Ukraine and only a dozen or so towns and villages have been recaptured. Russia still controls around a fifth of Ukraine, including most of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in the east; the Crimean Peninsula and Zaporizhzhia in the south; and a chunk of the neighboring Kherson region. "Ukraine's counteroffensive has not achieved the presumed military and political objectives so far and the prospects of a breakthrough appear limited," Andrius Tursa, Central and Eastern Europe advisor at risk consultancy Teneo, said in a note Monday. "Despite inflicting significant losses on Russian armed forces, Ukraine's four-and-a-half-month-old counteroffensive has not achieved major territorial gains nor managed to slice through Russia's 'land bridge' to Crimea," he added.

Muddy season is near

Ukraine has a narrowing window of opportunity for making gains before the weather turns and the infamous muddy season, known as "rasputitsa" in Russian and "bezdorizhzhia" in Ukrainian, arrives. "Limited progress to date tempers hopes of a breakthrough in the near term, especially as the autumn weather makes large-scale movement of heavy military equipment more challenging, and Russia is ramping up pressure in other parts of the frontline," Tursa noted.

L119 Ukraine gunners of the 79th separate amphibious assault brigade of Armed Forces of Ukraine conduct military activity in the direction of Donetsk amid Russia's attempted assaults near Marinka, Avdiivka and Krasnohorivka on Oct. 11, 2023. Yevhen Titov | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Muddy roads and fields wreaked havoc on ground conditions and offensive operations last fall and spring, and are likely to do so again. That would put an effective halt on offensive operations for weeks before the ground freezes over and vehicles and troops can move more easily again. It was hoped Ukraine would have made more progress by now, analysts noted. "The hope is that they're far enough through the Russian defensive lines now ... to make some rapid progress. Whether they will or not, we don't know, but they're certainly running out of time in which to do it," Michael Clarke, an independent defense analyst who was director-general of the Royal United Services Institute from 2007 to 2015, told CNBC. "They'll keep on fighting during the winter but what will happen is at the end of November the weather will turn pretty wet, and that will put a block on things until it turns cold, which will be sometime late December, early January," he noted.

A soldier from a Ukrainian assault brigade walks on a muddy road used to transport and position British-made L118 105 mm Howitzers, on March 4, 2023, near Bakhmut, Ukraine. John Moore | Getty Images News | Getty Images

"Once it turns cold again, they'll be able to use the vehicles more efficiently because the ground will be hard but [in the meantime] the offensive will undoubtedly slow down. ... So the best time for them to have broken through is now, and they haven't done it," he said. CNBC has contacted Ukraine's Defense Ministry for a comment and is awaiting a response.

An 'enormous' bargaining chip

But news for Ukraine hasn't been all bad. Its forces have seen gains around the devastated city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and east (left) bank of the Dnieper River in Kherson. They also achieved something significant weeks ago, breaking through a major first line of Russian defenses near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, and are looking to push southward toward Tokmak. If they can reach the heavily defended city that acts as a transport and logistics hub for Russian forces, they stand a chance of breaking supply lines to Russian-occupied Melitopol and Crimea further south. "The area we're all looking at, the one that makes the most strategic difference, is the Orikhiv-Tokmak axis," Clarke noted. Orikhiv lies to the north of fighting hot spot Robotyne while Tokmak lies south of the village. "If they can get to Tokmak and take it, and I think they probably will, then they do achieve something. They'll be able to bring their artillery and rocket artillery close enough to bombard Crimea almost at will," he said.

A satellite image shows smoke billowing from Russian Black Sea navy headquarters after a missile strike, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 22, 2023. Planet Labs PBC | Handout | via Reuters

"At the end of this offensive, although they almost certainly won't have reached the coast, which originally we thought they might be able to, if they can put Crimea at risk all the time, just to make it unsafe for the Russians to use it as a big military base ... then that will be an enormous political bargaining chip, for any negotiations they might go into next year," Clarke said. The problem for Ukraine, he said, is "that won't look much like enough to justify all the help that's been given"  some of Ukraine's Western allies are starting to tire of Kyiv's military and financial needs, which could become more pronounced as war erupts in the Middle East.

Russia has 'significant advantages'

Kyiv has argued that by fighting Russia it is defending the world from an aggressive and expansionist Moscow. Unable to mobilize the hundreds of thousands of troops in a way that Russia can, it says it desperately needs more sophisticated long-range arms and equipment, and particularly air power, if it is to effectively destroy Russia's occupying forces. Western allies have tended to procrastinate over whether to give heavier weaponry to Ukraine. Last winter's deliberations over whether to send heavy battle tanks to Kyiv was one example. And once decisions are made to supply such equipment, long waits follow, again constraining what Ukraine can do in its counteroffensive. Ukraine had pleaded with its allies for F-16s, only to be refused. Months later, a number of European allies said they'll give F-16s to Ukraine  but not before 2025. In the meantime, analysts say Russia has a distinct advantage in this conflict, given that it's largely in a position of defense, rather than offense. Russian forces had months to prepare layers of defenses including extensive networks of trenches; anti-tank obstacles such as ditches and "dragon's teeth"; and minefields. Russian forces are also receiving support from artillery, attack helicopters and other aircraft, again impeding Ukraine's forces. Minefields, in particular, have disrupted Ukraine's offensive momentum and rate of advance, according to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Analysis by the think tank shows that, at the peak of their summer offensive between early June and late August, Ukrainian forces advanced an average of only 90 meters (98 yards) per day on the southern front. The CSIS noted that some minefields have been expanded from 120 meters to 500 meters in some areas, making Ukraine the most heavily mined country in the world today, and the situation a formidable and time-consuming challenge for its troops to overcome.

The Ukrainian army's 35th Marine Brigade conducts mine clearance work at a field in Donetsk, Ukraine, on July 11, 2023. Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

"Ukraine retains the operational initiative, but its relatively slow pace of advance and the trade-offs it has made to preserve personnel and equipment indicate that the [Russian] defense has significant advantages," CSIS analysts Seth Jones, Riley McCabe and Alexander Palmer said in a research note in October.

Changing fortunes?

Aside from Russia's substantial defensive fortifications, the slow pace of Ukraine's was not due to poor Ukrainian strategic choices, the CSIS noted, but was likely caused "by a Ukrainian change in force employment, especially the deliberate adoption of small-unit tactics, and the lack of key technology such as fighter aircraft for suppression of enemy air defense and close air support." While Ukrainian military progress is still possible, the analysts said, the U.S. and other Western countries need to provide sustained military aid and other assistance for Ukraine to be able to continue. For his part, President Joe Biden has pledged to keep supporting Ukraine, though the U.S. is preoccupied by the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Sept. 21, 2023. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is likely to tighten crude oil sanctions against OPEC member Iran in response to the Islamic Republic's backing of Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

Her comments come ahead of a widely expected ground offensive by Israel into Gaza, a move that Croft believes could set the tone for the West's response to Iran.

It has been more than two weeks since Israel announced a "complete siege" on the Gaza Strip, cutting off food, water, fuel and electricity supplies after a devastating Hamas attack.

"It certainly looks like the United States is trying to delay an Israeli ground operation because they want to get out the hostages, they want to get out the hundreds of Americans that are trapped in Gaza, but the question is, is this going to be postponed indefinitely, but I think people are bracing for some type of escalation in Gaza," Croft told CNBC's Dan Murphy in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

She described the oil price reaction to the Israel-Hamas war as "sanguine" so far, but nevertheless said "a lot's going to hinge on what does a potential ground operation look like" and that a widening of the conflict into the broader Middle Eastern region could affect the crude supplies of Iran.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has said he will not share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he comes to campaign for the ensuing assembly elections.

Modi is likely to visit Mamit town in the western part of the state on October 30 to campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates ahead of the November 7 polls.

"The people of Mizoram are all Christians. When the people of Manipur (Meities) burned hundreds of churches in Manipur, they (Mizos) were totally against that kind of idea. To have sympathy with the BJP at this time will be a big minus point for my party," Zoramthanga told BBC News in an interview.

"It will be better if the prime minister comes alone and he shares the platform by himself, and I take the stage separately by myself," he said on Monday.

Mizoram will vote for its 40-member assembly on November 7, and the counting will take place on December 3.

Zoramthanga's MNF is a part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and an ally of the NDA at the Centre. However, the party does not work with the BJP in Mizoram.

The chief minister said that the MNF joined the NDA and NEDA as it is totally against the Congress, and does not want to be part of any alliance led by it.

On giving shelter to people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur, Zoramthanga said that the Mizoram government was following the footsteps of the Centre.

"The Indian government helped the refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan and even armed them to attain independence. We don't arm the refugees from Myanmar, but simply provide them food and shelter on humanitarian grounds," he said.

More than 40,000 people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur are taking shelter in the state.

Zoramthanga added that it was the responsibility of the Centre to restore peace in ethnic-violence-hit Manipur so that people could go back to their native state.
A day after Hamas released two Israeli hostages, efforts are underway to secure the release of a large number of people, still believed to be held by the Palestinian militant group.

According to Israel, Hamas has held at least another 200 people hostage in Gaza. While talks between the United States, Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Hamas are on, the militant group has only so far released four people  two Americans and two Israelis.

Israel is said to have delayed its ground invasion of Gaza to allow for the release of more hostages by Hamas, CNN reported. However, negotiations have hit a roadblock after Hamas demanded more fuel to be allowed into the Gaza strip. Israel has made it amply clear, says the report, that it won't give in to Hamas' demands.

What the US said

John Kirby, the US National Security Council coordinator, addressing a White House briefing on Wednesday, emphasised the critical importance of fuel in Gazas daily life. Kirby stressed that fuel was a precious commodity running out and was urgently needed to power hospital generators. Fuel was also necessary to operate desalination pumps, which ensured a supply of fresh water in the region.

He added that the United States was resolute in its commitment to collaborating with regional partners to secure the necessary fuel supply for Gaza.

UN agency sounds alarm

On Wednesday, the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees issued a serious warning, saying the lack of fuel deliveries would significantly reduce their relief efforts in Gaza.

The alarming message coincided with Gaza hospitals witnessing the arrival of a large number of wounded patients. This comes as Israeli jets continued to bomb the narrow strip overnight into Wednesday, ABC News reported.

Aid agencies are emphasising the need for a consistent supply of resources because the current deliveries, though valuable, are just a fraction of whats required for Gazas 2.3 million people.

Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that no more fuel will be allowed into Gaza because it will be stolen by Hamas. "Itll be used by them to power rockets that are fired into Israel to kill our people, Regev told CNN.

But a day later, the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff hinted at providing access to fuel in Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, adding that it would not allow the fuel to reach Hamas.

We will make sure there will be fuel in places where they need fuel to treat civilians, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said. "We will not allow the fuel for Hamas so they can continue fighting against the citizens of Israel.

Hostages-for-a-ceasefire deal?

US President Joe Biden, when asked if the US would support a hostages-for-a-ceasefire" deal, said "we should have a ceasefire". However, he then amended his answer, saying: Not a ceasefire, we should have those hostages released, and then we can talk."

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have put their foot down and are not in favour of a ceasefire.

The UN has determined that approximately 100 trucks per day are required to meet the essential needs in Gaza.

The Israeli military suggested that the United Nations request fuel supplies from Hamas after the UN agency providing aid in the Gaza Strip warned it would have to halt operations without fuel. According to the Israel Defense Forces, Hamas militants have over 500,000 liters of fuel in tanks inside besieged Gaza.

On Wednesday afternoon, the power plant in the Gaza Strip stopped operating due to a lack of fuel, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno is backing the proposed amendments to the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act as this would bolster the Philippines position as an investment destination.

The proposed amendments to the CREATE Act will enhance the incentives, clarify the rules and policies on the grant and administration of incentives to qualified enterprises, and address issues affecting the countrys investment climate, he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Late in July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed openness to introducing amendments to the CREATE law following concerns raised by some investors.

According to Diokno, some of the major planned changes to the law, under the CREATE to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) bill, would cover the establishment of a streamlined tax refund system for registered business enterprises (RBEs) and institutionalization of risk-based classification of claims and audit framework.

Diokno said this would speed up the processing of value-added tax (VAT) rebates for companies.

The CREATE MORE bill likewise seeks to expand the enhanced deduction regime, hiking the deduction for power expenses as well as spending linked to approved trade fairs, exhibitions, and missions.

The measure also targets exempting RBEs under the 5% gross income earned from all national and local taxes, including VAT and duty incentives.

Latest data from the Department of Finance showed that the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) already green-lit 45 big-ticket tax incentive applications from RBEs, with the investment capital amounting to 721.29 billion.

More than 31,000 jobs are expected to be generated from the projects in the information and telecommunications infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and real estate projects sectors.

In 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed the CREATE bill into law, designed to cut corporate income taxes, especially for businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The law also enhances fiscal incentives to entice more investments in the country.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Globe has once again demonstrated its unparalleled commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction with a series of remarkable recognitions and achievements that solidify its position as the undisputed leader in the mobile industry.

Philippines Most Reliable Mobile Network - Ookla

Cementing its network supremacy, Globe has been honored as the Most Reliable Mobile Network in the Philippines for five consecutive quarters by Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis. This prestigious recognition, based on rigorous analysis of Speedtest Intelligence data, highlights Globe's unwavering dedication to delivering top-notch service to its customers.

Philippines Strongest Brand - Brand Finance

The company has also been named the Philippines' strongest brand by Brand Finance, with an impressive AAA brand strength rating and a brand value of US$2.028 billion. These achievements underscore Globe's exceptional performance across its range of services, reflecting its robust mobile and corporate data business performance, and the sustained growth of its non-telco services.

Climate Leader in Asia Pacific - Financial Times and Statista

Globe's commitment to climate action has been recognized by the Financial Times and Global Market Research Firm Statista as one of Asia Pacifics Climate Leaders for two consecutive years. This honor is a testament to Globe's energy-efficient technologies and green network operations, reflecting the company's active role in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Philippines Most Endeared Brand - PAHAYAG by PUBLiCUS Asia

Furthermore, in the latest PAHAYAG 2023Q2 survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc., Globe's core telco brand and its affiliate GCash have emerged as leaders in their respective categories, with dominant endearment ratings. These findings underscore the importance of emotional connections and consumer sentiment in the success of Globe's brands.

From Network to Sustainability to Brand Leadership - Consumer Choice Awards by Standard Insights

Reinforcing all its accolades, Globe won four out of six categories in the Consumer Choice Awards by Standard Insights. These awards for Best Network Reliability, Best Prices & Offers, Best Branding & Marketing, and Most Sustainability-Driven Network are a testament to the company's dedication to quality service, innovation, and creating a more sustainable future for all.

Number One in Mobile Revenue Market Share and Subscriber Base

Globe remains the undisputed leader in mobile, retaining supremacy in mobile revenue market share at 54.6% as of June 2023, its highest since the pandemic. This sustains Globes incumbency for nearly seven years, since it took over the nearest competitor in Q4 2016.

Globe's mobile leadership is further evidenced by its nearly 54 million registered SIMs as of July 30, a figure that surpasses its nearest competition by over 1.2 million. The achievement was a result of the company's relentless pursuit to help customers comply with the SIM Registration Act.

"These recognitions are a testament to our dedication to our customers and our commitment to pushing the boundaries of the telecommunications industry. We are humbled by these honors and remain steadfast in our mission to provide unparalleled service, value, and convenience, said Ernest Cu, president and CEO of Globe Group.

Globe's recent achievements stand as proof of its dedication to excellence and its unwavering commitment to its customers. Whether it's network reliability, brand strength, sustainability initiatives, or customer endearment, Globe's leadership is evident in every aspect of its operations, making it a true leader in the Philippine mobile industry.

To learn more about Globe, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/.

Disclaimer: Reliability based on analysis by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence data for all tech Consistency and Availability data in the Philippines based on Q2 through Q4 2022, Q1 2023 & Q2 2023. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 24)  The Supreme Court has rejected with finality the government's motion for reconsideration on its ruling that the law postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) was unconstitutional.

In a news release on Tuesday, the high court said the arguments raised by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) in the Oct. 11 motion for reconsideration were "essentially mere reiterations" already decided upon last June 27.

The court earlier found as unconstitutional Republic Act No. 11935, or the act that postponed the village and youth council polls from its initial December 2022 schedule to the last Monday of October this year.

It, however, said the BSKE set for October shall proceed out of legal practicality and necessity.

The SC said anew that RA 11935 is not supported by a legitimate government interest or objective as Congress primarily sought the postponement to "unconstitutionally" realign the budget allocation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the 2022 BSKE to other government programs.

It also said it is the tenure of winning candidates in the October BSKE that is effectively shortened, and not the term of office.

The June 27 ruling, in turn, gives a green light to hold the BSKE on Oct. 30, while the next would be on the first Monday of December 2025, and every three years after. The next midterm will be held in 2025.

In a statement, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said the poll body is prepared to conduct the elections "anytime, anywhere."

"The SC have spoken," he said. "It has the last say on the issue of constitutionality of laws and actions of officialdom."

In July, Garcia said the Comelec will file a motion for reconsideration as it raises concern on conducting both national and local polls within the same year, asserting that the next BSKE should be in 2026.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 24)  Most of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials are expected to assume office right after their proclamation on Oct. 30, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The Supreme Court earlier ruled as unconstitutional Republic Act No. 11935, the act that postponed the village and youth council polls from its initial December 2022 schedule to the last Monday of October this year.

However, it said the BSKE set for October shall proceed out of legal practicality and necessity.

"Pagka-proclaim nila ngayong Oct. 30, kinabukasan dapat mag-a-assume na kaagad sila sa pwesto," Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a press briefing.

[Translation: After they were proclaimed on Oct. 30, they should immediately assume office.]

Despite the Dec. 5, 2022 postponement, the Comelec said the term of office of barangay and SK officials officially started on Jan. 1, 2023 following the ruling of the high court.

Garcia said proclamation will be at around 9 p.m. during election day, but in areas with automated elections, the proclamation will begin earlier at 6 p.m.

He previously said that automated village and youth polls will be held in two barangays in Dasmarinas, Cavite, and in Pasong Tamo in Quezon City.

Casting of votes in Metro Manila, Legazpi City in Albay, and Cebu City can also be done in malls.

The Comelec also approved a resolution allowing the suspension of the proclamation of the winning candidates with unresolved cases before the poll body.

READ: Comelec to suspend proclamation of BSKE winners with unresolved cases

Garcia said all pending cases of the candidates will be resolved within two weeks after the election on Oct. 30.

If proven to have committed election offenses, the winning candidate will be disqualified from his position.

The poll chief also told reporters that only one of two elections to be held in 2025 will be automated. The country will hold the midterm national elections in May 2025 and the BSKE elections in December of the same year.

"It may happen sa 2025 na dalawang election na automated at manual sa barangay at SK elections," he said.

[Translation: In 2025, we have two elections. One is automated and one manual in the barangay and SK elections.]

Congress approved 22 billion for the 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), 8 billion less than what the Comelec was requesting, according to Garcia.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed on Wednesday a supposed vote-buying incident in Barangay San Jose, Navotas City  the first such arrest since the start of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) campaign period.

Local Comelec and Navotas police launched Operation Kontra Bigay at a sardines warehouse on Wednesday in the barangay after they received information about alleged vote buying in the area.

According to initial reports, a woman from Malabon City was caught handing out envelopes containing cash from 300 to 500 to around 200 people, who said they were residents of Barangay Longos in Malabon City.

When interviewed by authorities, they said they were invited by the suspect to undergo training for poll watchers and were given the money when they arrived at the warehouse.

The recipients added that they were all election watchers in Barangay Longos.

Among the items recovered at the scene were 1,213 white envelopes that contained a total of 363,900 in cash, and a box that had papers indicating the names of registered voters, contact numbers, precinct numbers, and photocopies of assorted IDs.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia lauded the swift action of the local Comelec and Navotas police.

"Nakakatuwa pero nakakangitngit at nakakagalit," he said. "Nakakatuwa dahil siyempre may nahuli kami. Nakakagalit kasi despite the fact na sinasabi natin na huwag na huwag niyong gagawin, at pinatutunayan talaga natin yan na hindi natin palalampasin ang mga ganyan, may mga nagco-commit pa rin."

[Translation: I'm relieved, but at the same time annoyed and angry. Relieved because we caught some people. Annoyed because despite reminders on what not to do, and we have proven that we will not let things like this slide, this still happened.]

The poll chief vowed to go after those engaged in vote buying and selling. He said those found guilty may face disqualification and may be charged with an election offense.

"We will immediately act on that and those who will be responsible, kung wala pa sila sa aming list ng mga isu-suspend, we will immediately suspend the proclamation of these candidates kung saka-sakali sila ay mananalo," Garcia said.

[Translation: We will immediately act on that and those who will be responsible, if they are not yet on our list of people to be suspended, we will immediately suspend the proclamation of these candidates should they win.]

The Committee on Kontra Bigay earlier filed five disqualification cases for vote buying.

It said more will be filed as complaints come in.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  Police are hunting down other suspects in the shooting in Cotabato City that left three people dead, including two candidates in next week's Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

At least 12 suspects are already in custody.

However, a portion of one of four houses where they were arrested was damaged and possibly used by others involved in the incident to escape, Cotabato City police chief Querubin Manalang told CNN Philippines The Source.

"Mayroong indication na may tumakas, mayroon pa po silang mga kasamamay portion doon na nawasak sa likod tapos malapit sya sa creek," he explained.

[Translation: There are indications someone escaped, there are others involved. There was a portion damaged at the back (of the house) near the creek.]

Authorities are still investigating Monday's incident as they've heard two versions. One claimed the victims were suddenly shot while putting up campaign posters, while the other said an argument broke out before the shooting happened.

The fatalities were identified as candidates for councilor Nur-Moqtadin Butucan and Alfar Singh Ayunan Pasawiran, and Faisal Abasa civilian.

Among those arrested was prime suspect Juhalidin Ladesla Abdul alias "Boyong," who's running for barangay chairman.

Manalang said police also confiscated three guns in the area.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25) The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday admitted that it needs an additional budget for next year to implement cybersecurity measures, but it stressed that it does not have to be confidential funds.

DICT Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said they will leave it up to Congress if it will reinstate their confidential funds for 2024.

"Of course, we leave this up to the legislature," he said before the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. "We will respect the decision of the legislature whether to grant us the confidential funds or not."

"In fact, it is our position that we are relatively agnostic, kasi ang posisyon talaga ng DICT is kulang yung pondo (the position of DICT is we lack funds)," he added.

The DICT official made the statements after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano floated anew the idea of having confidential funds for the department to run after hackers.

"Kasi yung confidential fund, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, pwedeng reward dun," said Cayetano in the hearing. "Pwede ka rin maglagay ng reward na kapag may nagbigay ng impormasyon tungkol dun o may nakahuli, pwede rin yun, pasok sa confidential ano yun."

[Translation: I think the confidential funds can be used as a reward. You can grant rewards to anyone who shares information on hackers.]

DICT Secretary Ivan Uy earlier told CNN Philippines that the agency is seeking 600 million cybersecurity funding for 2024 to train cybersecurity experts, upgrade equipment, and renew expiring security system subscriptions.

But the department's proposed cybersecurity budget for next year was cut to only 300 million, which is lower than the 600 million in 2023 and 1 billion in 2022.

The DICT was also among the government agencies that were denied by the House of Representatives to have confidential and intelligence funds next year.

More cybersecurity experts

The DICT also noted that it is in need of more personnel to work on cybersecurity programs.

"We still need yung competent, yung mga kababayan natin who are admittedly good, skilled, talented when it comes to ICT technology to join government in this fight in cybersecurity," said DICT spokesperson Renato Paraiso.

[Translation: We still need competent people who are good, skilled, and talented when it comes to ICT technology to join the government in this fight in cybersecurity.]

Paraiso admitted that cybersecurity experts prefer working in private companies due to higher salaries.

"If you go outside the country, the premium for ICT and cybersecurity experts are much, much greater," he pointed out. "So, there is lack of cybersecurity experts in government."

The DICT earlier said the Philippines has only around 200 certified cybersecurity experts, which is far from those of other countries like Singapore which has about 3,000.

The department and Google Philippines launched in May a certificate program on cybersecurity for 500 government employees.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25) The expanded number coding scheme from 7AM to 10AM and 5PM to 8PM is retained for Mondays to Fridays, except weekends and holidays, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) clarified on Wednesday.

The MMDA however said in a press conference that it may remove the window hours and instead implement the 7AM to 7PM number coding scheme if traffic during the Christmas holidays will be unmanageable.

Acting Chairman Don Artes said the MMDA will further study traffic volume on Nov. 6 to 12 to decide if the 7AM to 7PM number coding scheme should be implemented.

"Same pa din po ang [Its still the same] MMDA number coding from 7AM to 10AM and 5PM to 8PM, Mondays to Fridays, except weekends and holidays," MMDA stated Tuesday in X, formerly Twitter.

The clarification came after a Metro Manila Council resolution circulated online saying that a car ban will be implemented from 7AM to 7PM in Metro Manila.

The MMDA said it was a technical issue, and that the advisory was only supposed to be published if ever it will implement such a measure for the upcoming holidays. Artes said that their staff made a mistake publishing it.

The agency added that the window hours will also remain from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM in Metro Manila, except for Makati City, which will have no window hours from 7AM to 7PM.

Sa ilalim nito, bawal bumiyahe ang mga sasakyan sa mga lansangan ng Metro Manila batay sa huling digit ng license plates sa nasabing coding hours. Ang mga plakang nagtatapos sa 1 at 2 ay sakop ng coding tuwing Lunes, 3 at 4 tuwing Martes, 5 at 6 tuwing Miyerkules, 7 at 8 tuwing Huwebes at 9 at 0 tuwing Biyernes, MMDA released a statement on Facebook Monday.

[Translation: Under this, cars in Metro Manila are prohibited to travel based on their last digit license plates for coding hours. Plates ending in 1 and 2 are suspended every Monday, 3 and 4 every Tuesday, 5 and 6 every Wednesday, 7 and 8 every Thursday, and 9 and 0 every Friday.]

It added that the public transportation, motors, garbage trucks, ambulances, other marked government and media vehicles are exempted from the scheme.

Meanwhile, the MMDA announced on Monday the suspension of the expanded number coding scheme for the upcoming holidays on Oct. 30, Nov.1 and 2.

Some local government units from the capital region also confirmed on Wednesday their suspension of the expanded number coding scheme for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

The MMDA also said it will increase its penalties for drivers illegally using the EDSA bus lane:

1st offense: 5,000

2nd offense: 10,000, seminar, and one month suspension of driver's license.

3rd offense: 20,000, one year suspension of driver's license.

4th offense: 30,000, revocation of driver's license.

CNN Philippines correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this story.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday said another batch of Filipinos from Israel is set to arrive on Oct. 30, as repatriation efforts continue amid the ongoing conflict between the Jewish state and militant group Hamas.

We are slated to receive on Oct. 30 another batch, the fourth batch of around 25, DMW officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac told CNN Philippines The Source.

They are part of the 61 Filipinos, including two infants, set to return to the Philippines based on the DMWs latest count.

Cacdac said at least 80 others are still being processed, as authorities verify if they really intend to go back to the country and that they have informed their employers of their decision.

So far, 60 Filipinos have been repatriated from war-torn Israel.

The DMW official said the repatriation is currently being done in small batches because flight bookings are currently stringent at airports.

Cacdac said flights are also being arranged in Lebanon to bring home Filipinos affected by armed confrontations between Israeli forces and the Islamist group Hezbollah.

There are other avenues for repatriationrest assured we are looking into the other means in which they will be repatriated out of Lebanon, he said.

Four Filipinos were confirmed dead in Israel since the surprise attack by Hamas militants from Gaza on Oct. 7.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  The Ombudsman has filed graft and technical malversation charges against former health chief and now Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin over the controversial school-based dengue vaccination program during the Aquino administration.

Named as Garin's co-accused in the case filed before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan are Department of Health supply chain management director Joyce Ducusin, former Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo, former Undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan-Go, and Philippine Children's Medical Center Executive Director Julius Lecciones. CNN Philippines has obtained copies of the documents.

According to the Ombudsman, these officials had a hand in the realignment of the department's budget for the purchase and roll-out of Dengvaxia vaccines for public school students.

The government spent 3.5 billion for the purchase of the dengue vaccines from pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur in 2016 as part of the health department's expanded immunization program.

However, the Ombudsman noted in the charge sheet filed on Tuesday that Dengvaxia was not part of the program.

"And not listed in Volume 1 of the Philippine National Drug Formulary in violation of Executive Order No. 49 series of 1993 and related administrative orders and issuances to the damage of public service," the Ombudsman said.

Over 800,000 grade schoolers had already been vaccinated when Sanofi announced that Dengvaxia could cause severe dengue if the vaccinee had not been infected by the virus before immunization.

In a statement, Garin said she welcomes the case as it will be the best recourse to finally put an end to the Dengvaxia issue.

TIMELINE: The Dengvaxia controversy

She insists her conscience is clear and that there was no corruption involved in the purchase of the vaccines.

"Globally, the Philippines got the cheapest price. The whole world is continuously using the vaccine. It's listed in World Health Organization's Essential Medicines List which means all countries are mandated to make it available to its people at all times. The nuance between pro-vaccine and anti-vaxxers is part of the challenges of doctors and vaccinologists like us," Garin said.

She added that there was no realignment of funds as the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) from the Department of Budget (DBM) clearly stated it was for dengue vaccines for Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and the National Capital Region.

"We just followed [the] DBM-issued SARO. Hence, better to present sa court para matapos na rin [it to the court for this to end]," Garin said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Pag-IBIG Fund members collectively saved 66.73 billion during the first nine months of 2023, up by 6.3 billion or 10% year-on-year, as more members contributed more than the required monthly savings.

"We are happy that more Filipino workers are saving with Pag-IBIG Fund. The trust and confidence in our savings programs continue to grow as proven by our record-high members' savings collections in January to September 2023, said Housing Secretary and Pag-IBIG Fund Chairperson Jose Rizalino Acuzar.

This is good news because the increase in the savings collected shall allow us to finance the increasing demand for our home loans and short-term loans, and thus allow us to serve more members. This is in line with the directive of President Marcos to provide financial access to better the future of every Filipino," he added.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene Acosta, meanwhile, noted that the collections from the agency's mandatory Regular Savings and voluntary MP2 Savings both increased during the period and have posted new record-highs.

Collections from the Pag-IBIG Regular Savings amounted to 31.6 billion, an increase of 7% from the 29.6 billion from the same period last year. The amount includes 7.69 billion in upgraded savings from members, or savings which members have voluntarily entrusted with Pag-IBIG Fund on top of the required monthly savings.

The agency's MP2 Savings, on the other hand, has sustained its popularity as collections reached 35.13 billion, a 14% increase from the 30.81 billion collected as of September last year.

"The record-high in members' savings we collected from January to September this year shows the wider appreciation of our members on the benefits of saving with Pag-IBIG Fund. We are grateful that the biggest growth areas in our savings collections come from our voluntary MP2 Savings and from members who save more than their mandated monthly savings," Acosta said.

"We recognize that our members' trust in our programs stems from how we have gained competitive returns on their savings over the past many years. We highly value that trust and that is why we assure them that we shall continue to prudently manage their hard-earned savings. That is the Lingkod Pag-IBIG way," she added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte said ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro should come out clean, as he dismissed the grave threat complaint filed against his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, as a tool to silence critics.

The Davao City solon issued a statement on Wednesday, a day after Castro sued the former president.

READ: Castro files grave threat complaint vs ex-Pres. Duterte

We all have the right to file a complaint against anyone in court. But public servants should not be onion-skinned and should not make use of this right as a tool to silence critics, he said.

He defended his father, saying the latter even received much harsher and humiliating criticisms in the past but no case was filed against his critics.

The lawmaker added that public servants are all under scrutiny.

He said Castro must not hide behind her so-called right, and face the accusations.

If the former president has said something that threatened her, then maybe she should come out clean, he said, as he urged them to put an end to the drama.

During his interview on Sonshine Media Network International earlier this month, the former president red-tagged Castro and the rest of the Makabayan bloc, and said the first target of Vice President Sara Dutertes proposed secret funds should be Castro.

"Ikaw France, kayong mga Komunista ang gusto kong patayin (You France, you communists, are the ones I want to kill)," he said.

Reacting to the Davao City solons statement, Castro said filing a complaint against the former top official was meant to protect herself, her family, and colleagues.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  More than four million dead people are still registered as members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the head of the agency said Wednesday.

PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma, Jr. said that 92% of Filipinos are covered by the state health insurer, but he admitted that they are experiencing challenges in cleaning up their database.

The thing with the Philhealth database is, my understanding is we have to clean it up because I think there are around 4-5 million people who have already passed away but hindi pa po natatanggal sa database (they have not been removed from the database), Ledesma disclosed during the Senate Committee on Science and Technologys probe on cyber security.

Ledesma said he already sought help from the Department of Information and Communications Technology to address the matter.

Authorities are investigating the hacking incident that possibly compromised the data of up to 20 million PhilHealth members.

The DICT on Tuesday confirmed that its testing site was also hacked, but the agency assured it "contains nothing."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)  Sen. Cynthia Villar slammed the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday for allowing a supposedly private-led clinical trial of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine.

In a hearing of the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform, Villar flagged the KPP Powers Commodities Inc. as having a conflict of interest in conducting the clinical trials as it would be the distributor of Vietnam's AVAC, insisting that the government should be conducting the tests.

"The private [sector] should not be involved kasi pag sila ang involved, gagawin nila yan ma-approve 'yan kasi kikita sila [because when they are involved, they will approve it so that it can get profit]," said Villar, the panel chairperson.

"Kinorap ninyo ang BAI, nagpa-corrupt naman ang BAI [You corrupted the BAI but the BAI seems willing to be corrupted]," she added.

Reynaldo Robles, KPP Powers Commodities legal counsel and spokesperson, said the company supplied the vaccines to participating farms but did not conduct the clinical trials.

BAI Assistant Director Vytiaco said the safety trial was done by the agency, while the efficacy trial was conducted in six farms in Luzon

For Dr. Oscar Gutierrez Jr., FDA deputy director general for field regulatory operations, the agency's role in the regulation of investigational medicines and vaccines is only to approve the clinical trial protocol, while the BAI is the monitor.

However, Sen. Francis Tolentino said current law dictates the FDA must be in charge and that it cannot delegate its function to another agency, much more to a private entity. He then asked asked the Department of Justice to provide the panel with a list of possible violations in the agencies' proceedings.

Clinical trials ahead of Vietnam approval

Villar said the committee held the inquiry as senators learned of the unauthorized sale of ASF vaccines in the black market, saying 300,000 doses have been shipped to the Philippines.

She said BAI already recommended AVAC doses on June 2, explaining these were "proven effective" after trials done in some farms. However, Vietnam only approved the vaccine for its domestic use in July. https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/6/2/bai-seeks-fda-approval-on-asf-vaccine.html

"Marami na kasing [There is too much] clamor for a solution to the ASF," BAI Director Paul Limson said, but Villar rebutted that the government must give a correct solution, alluding to conducting the correct process of clinical trials.

Gutierrez said the FDA issued an authorization to import 300,000 doses for field trials upon the request of the BAI, but he also told the panel that only 60 pigs were used to test AVAC in one of Vietnam's clinical trials.

AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, who also attended the hearing, described the process as a "large commercial trial" for a vaccine that has not yet been approved.

Edna Zenaida Villacorte, National Advisory Committee for Animal Disease Control and Emergency chairperson, also said there was evidence of shedding in the first phase of the trials, as disclosed by the BAI, which prompted the bureau to proceed with the next stage.

She explained that shedding means that the other animals were exposed because the animal that was vaccinated "shedded" or released the virus  which is a worry in a vaccination program.

"What we're surprised is together with the phase two trial, there is already a large-scale trial ongoing using the 300,000 [doses] without the result of phase two," she added, expressing worry about the move's unknown effects on the industry.

As of Sept. 30, the BAI reported that active ASF cases were recorded in 97 barangays across 10 regions.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 26)  Several civil society groups plan to visit the Senate when sessions resume on Nov. 6 to press lawmakers to remove confidential funds from civilian agencies under the proposed 5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) and the Movement for Good Governance and Genuine Democracy led the formation of the "Abolish Confidential Funds Network" Wednesday at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

They signed a manifesto condemning the allocation of secret funds to civilian agencies and vowed to engage legislators to ensure the allocation will not be restored during the bicameral conference committee.

The executive branch is seeking over 10 billion in confidential and intelligence funds for next year.

The House of Representatives realigned around 1.2 billion of the allocation, including the 650 million sought by the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education -- both led by Sara Duterte -- to agencies focused on the West Philippine Sea.

READ: Congress to reallocate intel, confidential funds to security agencies

Aside from pushing for the removal of confidential funds, the coalition said it wants to inform the public about the national budget and how the government's spending plan affects their lives.

"Ang Abolish Confidential Funds Network ay handa sa lobbying, hindi lang sa Nov. 6 kundi hanggang matapos ang plenary deliberations ng Senado," Bayan Secretary General Raymond Palatino said.

[Translation: The Abolish Confidential Funds Network is ready to lobby, not just in Nov. 6 but until the plenary deliberations of the Senate are over.]

"Kung kinakailangan na araw-araw may trooping tayo sa loob at labas ng Senadolahat ng pamamaraan to reach out to our senators, gagawin natin," he added.

[Translation: Even if it takes trooping inside and outside the Senate every daywe will do all methods to reach out to our senators.]

Meanwhile, NUPL Chairman Neri Colmenares said the Commission on Audit should also look into how the previous Duterte administration spent confidential funds despite audit limitations.

He noted that under former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Office of the President's confidential and intelligence funds ballooned to 4.5 billion from 715.23 million in 2016.
The Town of Calhan and various members of a politically-involved family are not liable for violations of federal antitrust law or the U.S. Constitution, but a federal judge nonetheless believed that "some misconduct" occurred during the passage of local recreational vehicle park regulations.
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MBABANE  Judge Bonginkhosi Magagula has dismissed the FSRAs application to liquidate Likhwane Beneficiary Fund.

The judge said it was reasonable that before the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) could decide to apply for the liquidation of Likhwane on the strength of Section 73(2) of the FSRA Act of 2010, it must account on how it fulfilled its objectives of supervising the safety and soundness of ESW Investment, formerly Ecsponent Eswatini. The application was dismissed yesterday. The court also discharged the order for the provisional liquidation of Likhwane, which was issued on August 16, 2023. The judge further ordered the FSRA to bear the costs of the application. Judge Magagula said this matter pertained to an unfortunate and concerning state of events. He said at the heart of this litigation were orphaned minors, whose livelihood and sustainability hung in the balance. The judge stated that the inaction or ineptitude of the parties concerned in the matter led to unfortunate cash flow challenges that Likhwane found itself in.

interest

The court, according to Judge Magagula, has a duty to uphold the best interest of all minors at all times. The main function of Likhwane is to distribute funds to its beneficiaries, mostly minors. The parents of the children were in their lifetime the beneficiaries of the pension funds, which invested in Likhwane. Likhwane invested E20.2 million, and later E42.7 million, in Ecsponent Limited Eswatini, which later became known as ESW Investment Group. Other entities and individuals invested a total of about E340 million in Ecsponent, which went under.

Likhwane, which was represented by Mlungisi Khumalo of Khumalo Attorneys, also invested E10 million in a South African company called Lingedla (Pty) Ltd. On August 16, 2023, FSRA approached the court on a certificate of urgency and ex-parte for Likhwane to be provisionally wound up and Joseph Waring to be appointed as the provisional liquidator, with such powers set out in the FSRA Act, Companies Act and Insolvency Act. Likhwane opposed the application.

Seven pensions fund, represented by Sidumo Mdladla of SV Mdladla and Associates, joined the proceedings as respondents with Likhwane. They are Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority Provident Fund, Eswatini Electricity Company Pension Fund, EswatiniBank Pension Fund and Eswatini Revenue Service Provident Fund. Others are Eswatini National Provident Fund Staff Pension Fund, Umfuso Umbrella Fund (Municipal Council of Mbabane) and Eswatini Sugar Association Staff Provident Fund. They also opposed the liquidation of Likhwane.

circumstances

Judge Magagula said the circumstances of the case, viewed in its totality, were such that it was not in the best interest of Likhwane, the intervening pension funds and mostly the beneficiaries of Likhwane (minors), that the provisional liquidation order be confirmed. The judge also said FSRA was not in a position to point an accusing finger to Likhwane when it had not accounted for the role it played in discharging its supervisory powers to both Likhwane and ESW Investment Group, the party that currently holds the investments, which had ultimately affected the liquidity of the beneficiary fund. It is common cause that ESW, formerly Ecsponent, is a financial service provider, licensed by the applicant (FSRA). It is also common cause that the first respondent (FSRA) invested its funds in ESW. It is common cause that the second to eighth respondents (intervening pension funds) are stakeholders in the industry. It is, therefore, not unreasonable that before the applicant could decide to apply for the liquidation of the first respondent on the strength of Section 73(2), it must account on how it fulfilled its objectives of supervising the safety and soundness of ESW Investment, also how it protected the first to eighth respondents as stakeholders, said Judge Magagula.

The judge mentioned in the judgment that during the arguments of the matter, the court posed a specific and pointed question to Kenneth Simelane, who represented FSRA, on which three grounds did FSRA rely for the liquidation application. Judge Magagula said Simelanes answer was premised on that, as per Section 73 (2) (b)(i)and (ii) of the FSRA Act. Subsection 2 (b) allows three instances on which FSRA can apply for the compulsory liquidation of an authorised financial services provider. Part (b)(i) states that: ...is engaging on fraudulent or questionable practices in the conduct of its business, which endangers its reputation authority solvency and (ii) ...is conducting business in an unsafe or unauthorised manner.

unlawfully

FSRA stated in its application that Likhwane, acting through its management Board, acted unlawfully when it invested E10 million of its assets outside Eswatini, which was above the five per cent threshold. Judge Magagula said the court accepted that probably the investments may have been outside the five per cent threshold. However, to then say such is fraudulent is another issue. Fraud is a different kettle of fish. It must involve certain specific acts of criminal conduct by the officers of the first respondent. Such have not been particularised in the founding affidavit. I, therefore, find that the averment of unlawful does not support the basis for liquidation as may have been anticipated in Section 73(2)(b)(i) of the FSRA Act, said the judge.

The court stated that in so far as the urgency was concerned, even if the investment of E10 million was fraudulent, in order for such to justify the urgency of approaching the court ex parte, it is key to probe the date on which the applicant became aware of such unlawful conduct. During the submissions, the court was advised that Likhwane submitted quarterly reports to FSRA about its affairs and investments. Then the question that begs an answer is, when did the applicant realise that the unlawful investment of E10 million has occurred? What steps did it take immediately thereafter? If one considers the audit report, findings were made in February 2022. Why then did the applicant fall into slumber until August 16, 2023? the judge wondered. According to the court, FSRA did not state when it realised that Likhwane was no longer able to pay its beneficiaries. The other glaring factor, according to the court, was how the intervention of the liquidator and the appointment thereof, would alleviate the anomaly.

default

Judge Magagula said it was common cause that Likhwanes financial circumstances had continued to worsen and it was in default of its present and future obligation to beneficiaries. According to the judge, FSRA did not disclose that Likhwane had filed a complaint against it before the Ombudsman of Financial Services, which is pending. Judge Magagula said this was crucial. He said the appointment of the liquidator may hamper the pursuance of the complaint. It is unlikely that the liquidator can pursue with vigour a matter against the applicant, which recommended his appointment. The court is mindful that the suggested liquidator is a professional and an officer of this court in high standing. However, the conflict appears from the role that he may be required to play in pursuing the applicant. It is a perceived conflict. The judge also said the master of the High Court should have been cited because parents of the children who are beneficiaries were in their lifetime beneficiaries of the pension funds. That narrative, according to the court, unequivocally brings to the forefront the Office of the Master of the High Court.
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MBABANE - Following the grabbing of the microphone from one of the speakers during the Peoples Parliament, government has come out to assure the nation that the exercise remains open.

In a statement, Government Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo described the incident where the microphone was grabbed from Sibusiso Dlamini, while making his submissions, as unfortunate. Government wishes to assure the nation that the only reason the microphone was grabbed from Dlamini was because the time allocated to him had elapsed and had nothing to do with the contents of his submission, reads part of the statement.

Time

In the statement, the governments spokesperson stated that the nation would note that a number of emaSwati were also looking forward to getting their chance to make submissions, hence the reason why minimal time was allocated to each speaker. Through the statement, government assured the nation that Sibaya remained open to every liSwati and interested individuals, including the international community, as per His Majestys proclamation during its opening. Therefore, all views presented at Sibaya remain valid and worthy consideration, said Nxumalo. He concluded his statement by encouraging emaSwati to continue flocking to Sibaya to express their honest and genuine feelings about all issues affecting the country.
AI and cloud-fueled growth has seen Microsoft post a double-digit revenue increase during the first quarter of its 2024 financial year, despite the ongoing weakness with PC sales.

For the quarter ending September 30, Microsoft generated net income of $22.3 billion, an increase of 27% year over year. It also reported a year-over-year 13% increase in overall revenue, to $56.5 billion.

Ever since Microsoft-backed OpenAI made ChatGPT generally available late last year, Microsoft has gone all-in on its own AI strategy, with its flagship Copilot tool about to be rolled out across the companys entire product portfolio.

As a result of this strategy, revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $18.6 billion, an increase of 13% year over year and a figure that is expected to continue growing after Copilot becomes generally available from November 1, CFO Amy Hood said on a call with analysts after the results were published.

With Copilots, we are making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere, said CEO Satya Nadella on the same call. We are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role of business process to drive productivity gains for our customers.

Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 15% year over year, driven by Office 365 Commercial revenue growth of 18%. Office Consumer products and cloud services revenue increased by 3%, while Dynamics products and cloud services revenue increased by 22%, which Microsoft attributed to the 28% revenue growth Dynamics 365 saw during this quarter.

Elsewhere, revenue in Microsofts Intelligent Cloud segment increased by 19% to $24.3 billion, with Azure and other cloud services posting a 29% increase in revenue. In contrast, Google Clouds revenue grew a mere 22% during the same quarter, the companys slowest growth in nearly three years.

Microsoft has the most comprehensive cloud footprint, with more than 60 data center regions worldwide, Nadella told analysts, adding that the company also has its AI services deployed in more regions than any other cloud provider.

Despite the two-year tumultuous regulatory battle Microsoft endured trying to complete its acquisition of gaming studio Activision Blizzard, Xbox content and services revenue increased by 13% year over year. Search and news advertising revenue also saw an increase, up 10%.

However, not every segment saw double-digit growth during the quarter. Microsofts More Personal Computing segment saw a more modest year-over-year revenue increase, up 3% to $13.7 billion. Although Windows OEM and Windows Commercial products and cloud services grew by 4% and 8%, respectively, device revenue saw a year-on-year decline of 22%. Global PC shipments have declined 7.6% year over year, according to a recent report from IDC.

For our full financial year 2024, we remain committed to investing for the cloud and AI opportunity while also maintaining our disciplined focus on operating leverage, Hood told analysts. I am confident that as a team, we will continue to deliver healthy growth in the year ahead, driven by our leadership in commercial cloud and our commitment to lead the AI platform wave.
After earlier efforts to reign in generative artificial intelligence (genAI) were criticized as too vague and ineffective, the Biden Administration is now expected to announce new, more restrictive rules for use of the technology by federal employees.

The executive order, expected to be unveiled Monday, would also change immigration standards to allow a greater influx of technology workers to help accelerate US development efforts.

On Tuesday night, the White House sent invitations for a Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence event Monday hosted by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., according to The Washington Post.

Generative AI, which has been advancing at breakneck speeds and setting off alarm bells among industry experts, spurred Biden to issue guidance last May. Vice President Kamala Harris also met with the CEOs of Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI  the creator of the popular ChatGPT chatbot to discuss potential issues with genAI, which include security, privacy, and control problems.

Even before the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the administration had unveiled a blueprint for a so-called AI Bill of Rights as well as an AI Risk Management Framework; it also pushed a roadmap for standing up a National AI Research Resource.

The new executive order is expected to elevate national cybersecurity defenses by requiring large language models (LLMs)  the foundation of generative AI  to undergo assessments before they can be used by US government agencies. Those agencies include the US Defense Department, Energy Department and intelligence agencies, according to the Post.

The new rules will bolster what was a voluntary commitment by 15 AI development companies to do what they could to ensure the evaluation of genAI systems that is consistent with responsible use.

"Im afraid we dont have a very good track record there; I mean, see Facebook for details, Tom Siebel, CEO of enterprise AI application vendor C3 AI and founder of Siebel Systems, told an audience at MITs EmTech Conference last May. Id like to believe self-regulation would work, but power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

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While genAI offers extensive benefits with its ability to automate tasks and create sophisticated text responses, images, video and even software code, the technology also has been known to go rogue  an anomaly known as hallucinations.

Hallucinations happen because LLMs, in their in most vanilla form, dont have an internal state representation of the world," said Jonathan Siddharth, CEO of Turing, a Palo Alto, CA company that uses AI to find, hire, and onboard software engineers remotely. "Theres no concept of fact. Theyre predicting the next word based on what theyve seen so far  its a statistical estimate."

GenAI can also unexpectedly expose sensitive or personally identifiable data. At its most basic level, the tools can gather and analyze massive quantities of data from the Internet, corporations, and even government sources in order to more accurately and deeply offer content to users. The drawback is that the information gathered by AI isnt necessarily stored securely. AI applications and networks can make that sensitive information vulnerable to data exploitation by third parties.

Smartphones and self-driving cars, for example, track users locations and driving habits. While that tracking software is meant to help the technology better understand habits to more efficiently serve users, it also gathers personal information as part of big data sets used for training AI models.

For companies developing AI, the executive order might necessitate an overhaul in how they approach their practices, according to Adnan Masood, chief AI architect at digital transformation services company UST. The new rules may also driving up operational costs initially.

"However, aligning with national standards could also streamline federal procurement processes for their products and foster trust among private consumers," Masood said. "Ultimately, while regulation is necessary to mitigate AIs risks, it must be delicately balanced with maintaining an environment conducive to innovation.

"If we tip the scales too far towards restrictive oversight, particularly in research, development, and open-source initiatives, we risk stifling innovation and conceding ground to more lenient jurisdictions globally," Masood continued. "The key lies in making regulations that safeguard public and national interests while still fueling the engines of creativity and advancement in the AI sector."

Masood said the upcoming regulations from the White House have been "a long time coming, and its a good step [at] a critical juncture in the US government's approach to harnessing and containing AI technology.

"I hold reservations about extending regulatory reach into the realms of research and development," Masood said. "The nature of AI research requires a level of openness and collective scrutiny that can be stifled by excessive regulation. Particularly, I oppose any constraints that could hamper open-source AI initiatives, which have been a driving force behind most innovations in the field. These collaborative platforms allow for rapid identification and remediation of flaws in AI models, fortifying their reliability and security."

GenAI is also vulnerable to baked-in biases, such as AI-assisted hiring applications that tend to choose men versus women, or white candidates over minorities. And, as genAI tools get better at mimicking natural language, images and video, it will soon be impossible to discern fake results from real ones; that's prompting companies to set up guardrails against the worst outcomes, whether they be accidental or intentional efforts by bad actors.

US efforts to reign in AI followed similar efforts by European countries to ensure the technology isn't generating content that violates EU laws; that could include child pornography or, in some EU countries, denial of the Holocaust. Italy outright banned further development of ChatGPT over privacy concerns after the natural language processing app experienced a data breach involving user conversations and payment information.

The European Unions Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) was the first of its kind by a western set of nations. The proposed legislation relies heavily on existing rules, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Services Act, and the Digital Markets Act. The AI Act was originally proposed by the European Commission in April 2021.

States and municipalities are eyeing restrictions of their own on the use of AI-based bots to find, screen, interview, and hire job candidates because of privacy and bias issues. Some states have already put laws on the books.

The White House is also expected to lean on the National Institute of Standards and Technology to tighten industry guidelines on testing and evaluating AI systems  provisions that would build on the voluntary commitments on safety, security and trust that the Biden administration extracted from 15 major tech companies this year on AI.

Biden's move is especially critical as genAI experiences an ongoing boom, leading to unprecedented capabilities in creating content, deepfakes, and potentially new forms of cyber threats, Masood said.

"This landscape makes it evident that the governments role isn't just a regulator, but [also as] a facilitator and consumer of AI technology," he added. "By mandating federal assessments of AI and emphasizing its role in cybersecurity, the US government acknowledges the dual nature of AI as both a strategic asset and a potential risk."

Masood said he's a staunch advocate for a nuanced approach to AI regulation, as overseeing the deployment of AI products is essential to ensure they meet safety and ethical standards.

"For instance, advanced AI models used in healthcare or autonomous vehicles must undergo rigorous testing and compliance checks to protect public well-being," he said.
LUDZIDZINI  Drama unfolded on the second day of Sibaya as a speaker had the microphone forcefully grabbed from him, while he was on the floor.

The speaker was Secretary General of the African United Democratic Party (AUDP) Sibusiso Dlamini. The microphone was grabbed from him while making a submission that motivated for the recognition of political parties in Eswatini. He was cut short before he could expand any further. The dramatic scene occurred when Dlamini was reacting and further posing questions to submissions that were made by Hhukwini Member of Parliament (MP) Alec Lushaba, who presented on three topics, being the countrys response to climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and patriotism.

After his submission, some members of the public took turns to react to the panellists submission. One of the people who eventually got a chance to make a submission was Dlamini. He made his way to the front after several attempts to get the attention of the moderator. One of the tindvuna was heard saying batsi mnike, but the moderator, Lington Gule, stated that he was told not to give Dlamini a chance to speak. Eventually, he gave in and allowed Dlamini the chance to make his submission. Dlamini, who was in traditional regalia, presented on two issues before the microphone was grabbed from him. At first, he highlighted that it was high time Emalangeni stood up and ensured that the country was not lost to criminals. He said in order for the country to be peaceful, the prime minister (PM) should be recommended by Parliament, before the King appointed him/her.

Elect

Parliament should give confidence and that is according to Section 68 (1) (e) of the Constitution. Parliament has the power to remove the PM if it doesnt have confidence in him, hence Parliament should elect the PM, then the advisory council recommends him to the King for appointment, he said. Dlamini said that would make the PM and Cabinet accountable to Parliament. He said if the PM was controlled by Parliament, it meant he was controlled by the people. He further stated that the laws of the country, budget and policies would then advance the wishes and aspirations of the people of Eswatini, thus eradicating poverty. He went on to state that Parliament should be controlling government. As he was within two minutes of his submission, the other moderator, Zodwa Dlamini, told him to wrap up his submission.

He them touched on the recognition of political parties within the Tinkhundla System of Government. Tinkhundla shouldnt be used to block political parties. There are political parties and tinkhundla in most countries, including England. People should be elected through their political parties to Parliament and political parties should be registered and be recognised so that the country could As he was making his submission, most of the members of the public were cheering him on. Before he could finish his statement, one of the sound technicians came with so much force and grabbed the microphone from Dlamini. However, a section of the crowd could be heard shouting chubeka ukhulume while others were laughing. Others were heard asking how were they expected to make meaningful submissions if the microphone would be grabbed from them in such a manner.

Thorny

Noteworthy, the King on Monday urged the nation to use Sibaya as a platform to talk about all the thorny issues that they needed addressed. In 2021, in most of the petitions that were delivered to over 50 tinkhundla centres in Eswatini, the common submission was the call for an elected PM. When the Governor, Indvuna Mashampu Mafelenkhosini Khumalo, was asked what prompted the microphone grabbing incident, he said his time was up and his submission had nothing to do with the microphone being grabbed from him. He also emphasised to the public that they were each given three minutes to make their submission. Dlamini was not the only speaker who had to be cut short without completing their submissions. Another speaker had the microphone muted as she was making a submission. Ntombikayise Shabangu was cut short when she was addressing the issue of the unrest that occurred in 2021. As she was speaking, Khumalo cautioned her on time but she could be heard saying, ngicela indvuna seyicolele. She stated that structures were burnt in 2021 based on a motion that was moved in Parliament. As she tried to continue with her submission, Khumalo instructed that the microphone be taken from Shabangu. However, this time around, the microphone was muted but she continued making her submission for almost a minute.
When Jerry Seinfeld said that he has a little secret about the finale of Seinfeld earlier this month, was this one of those past-lives secrets that you find out while youre hooked up to a polygraph?

Like so many A-listers, the Seinfeld star and co-creator has long been associated with the Church of Scientology, both through rumor and his own suggestive remarks about his relationship with the organization. Yesterday, the cruise ship crusaders made headlines for making the rare move to expel one of their misbehaving celebrity members, That 70s Show star Danny Masterson, following decades of allegedly enabling his behavior and protecting him from the prison sentence he now faces. Since Mastersons sentencing, there has been renewed interest in the intersection of fame and faith among sitcom fans who wonder what other secrets were drowned out by a laugh track in the late 1990s.

Last week, the mens magazine Best Life explored Seinfelds history with the controversial religious organization, which, according to the comedian, began back in his teenage years when his high school auto mechanics teacher turned him on to the churchs teachings. It all started with Comedians in Cars Going Clear.

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Though Seinfeld wouldnt address his involvement in Scientology until somewhat recently, rumors about his relationship with the organization have been swirling around the comedy community since at least 1994 when Bobcat Goldthwait went on The Arsenio Hall Show to call Seinfeld the devil and a spooky weird Scientologist guy banging teenage girls," referencing the then-38-year-old comedians relationship with 17-year-old high school student Shoshanna Lonstein.

Along with his interest in high school girls, Seinfelds fascination with Scientology stretches back to his own teen years as he discussed in a 2008 interview with Parade, wherein he explained, I actually got to it from my auto mechanics teacher in high school, who was into it, and he was telling me about it. Seinfeld said that his curiosity was not based on faith, saying, Believe it or not  it's extremely intellectual and clinical in its approach to problem-solving, which really appealed to me They have a lot of very good technology. That's what really appealed to me about it. It's not faith-based. It's all technology. And I'm obsessed with technology. Seeing as this was around the time Star Wars first came out, maybe we should ask him exactly what kind of space technology he thinks the Scientologists wield.

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In my early years of stand-up, it was very helpful. I took a couple of courses, Seinfeld further explained of his early contact with the church. One of them was in communication, and I learned some things about communication that really got my act going. In a 2020 appearance on WTF with Marc Maron, Seinfeld would further discuss these courses in a more measured town, saying, "I found it very interesting, never pursued it, saying that he enjoyed its "emphasis on ethical behavior" but was less attracted to its "avoiding negative people trip," referencing the churchs practice of keeping a list of suppressive persons who behave in a way that is anathema to the organizations interests.

Though Seinfeld denied being a member of the church, he told Maron that he does consider himself a spiritual guy, saying, Comedy is very spiritually satisfying. You're risking your own personal comfort to make total strangers happy, make them feel good, for just a moment. That's a spiritual act. And here we thought the motivation for The Bee Movie was money.
The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), part of security agency MI5, have launched a new awareness campaign to encourage the UK's emerging tech sector to protect and secure their innovations. The campaign consists of a suite of guidance that offers best-practice advice on keeping ideas safe.

A free Quick Start Guide is available to help those without extensive security expertise take the first steps toward protecting their innovations. Beyond this, the Secure Innovation website hosts more detailed advisories for businesses and investors, suggesting ways to bolster their protections against threats.

Startups are notoriously prime targets for cybercriminals, yet few of them are fully prepared for an attack. Research from Cisco and the National Center for the Middle Market found that 62% of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) don't have an up-to-date or active cybersecurity strategy. Meanwhile, the National Cyber Security Alliance has previously referenced that 60% of SMBs that are hacked go out of business within six months, although it has recently backpedalled on this in favour of more current and clearly sourced data.

Security guidance centres on three key steps

"Security is a necessary investment for a tech startup. It will evolve as your company grows, but laying strong foundations from the start will help to protect your business from the get-go," read the NCSC/NPSA guidance. "Putting protections in place now will save you time and stress further down the line and will give you peace of mind that your valuable assets are secure."

The advice centres around three key steps for appointing a security lead, identifying and documenting key assets, and assessing a business for security risks.

Having a senior representative take ownership of security means it will be factored into all future business decisions, giving reassurance that it is always top of mind and won't slip to the bottom of the priority list, the guidance stated. "Starting a conversation about security right from the start is a great step towards creating a positive security culture that will evolve as your business grows and will help your team to learn from any security incidents should they arise."
A Fresno hairstylist pleaded guilty today to nine felonies for defrauding a vulnerable physician out of more than $2.7 million before his death and then attempting to defraud his estate out of an additional amount exceeding $20 million.

Anthony David Flores, 47, a.k.a. "Anton David," pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

His co-defendant and former girlfriend, Anna Rene Moore, 40, an actress and former yoga studio owner who resided in Monterrey, Mexico at the time of her January 31 arrest at a Houston airport, pleaded guilty on August 28 to seven felonies in this case: one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and one count of engaging in monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

Flores and Moore have been in federal custody since January of this year.

According to Flores' plea agreement, beginning in June 2017, Flores used false promises and representations to befriend the victim - a physician and successful investor worth more than $60 million, but who suffered from a mental illness and lost the ability to care for himself after multiple hospitalizations. Within days of meeting the victim, Flores and Moore moved into the victim's beachfront Malibu home  rent free  and slowly took control of his life by pretending to be his new "best friends" and caregivers.

In September 2017, after the victim suffered a severe mental breakdown resulting in his arrest and detention in Los Angeles County jail, Flores fraudulently induced the victim to sign powers of attorney granting Flores control over the victim's finances.

Flores represented that he would only use these powers to access the victim's finances to post bail for release, and that the victim could immediately rescind them once the victim was free from jail. But after the victim was released from custody, the powers of attorney were never rescinded. Within days, Flores used these powers to open bank accounts in the victim's name with Flores listed as the power of attorney, giving himself and Moore access to the victim's wealth.

From September 2017 to May 2018, Flores and Moore lived with the victim, diverted the victim's funds to their own bank accounts, isolated the victim from his family and longtime friends, and provided the victim with drugs, including marijuana and LSD.

In the final days of the victim's life in May 2018, Flores and Moore gave the victim LSD, which caused his mental state to severely deteriorate. While the victim was under the influence of LSD, Flores caused the two-step authentication feature on the victim's $60-million online brokerage account to be changed after previously having changed the phone number listed on the account from the victim's phone number to his own phone number.

Then, while the victim was still under the influence of LSD that Flores had provided to him and without the victim's knowledge or consent, Flores initiated two $1-million wires from the victim's brokerage account to the power-of-attorney accounts that Flores controlled, then to Flores' personal bank account. Flores and Moore then left the victim, who by this time was in mental distress. From a luxury hotel paid with the victim's funds, Flores and Moore remotely watched the victim's deteriorating mental condition on the video cameras installed throughout the Malibu beach house and directed staff they had hired to work at the house to watch the victim.

In May 2018, the victim died in his Malibu home at the age of 57 years old. Following the victim's death, Flores and Moore moved back into the victim's Malibu beachfront home and withdrew large sums of money from his accounts. They also concealed information about the victim's finances from his mother and sister, both of whom resided in Florida. This prompted the victim's family to file a lawsuit, which resulted in the fraud being uncovered.

In the ensuing lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, Flores and Moore violated multiple court orders ordering them to return the funds stolen from the victim. They attempted to launder the fraudulent proceeds by funneling the money through multiple different accounts to thwart the victim's estate and court-appointed receiver from recouping the money.

Six months after the victim's death, Flores and Moore then came forward and falsely claimed that the victim had "promised" them one-third of his estate  amounting to $20 million  and his Malibu beach house, and that the victim was on the verge of his changing his will to name both Flores and Moore in his will before the victim's untimely death. Flores and Moore filed false creditor's claims against the victim's estate, fraudulently claiming they were entitled to $20 million and the beach house, and falsely listing incidents when the victim supposedly promised Flores and Moore $20 million and his beach house, despite knowing that these claims were untrue.

After extensive litigation with the victim's estate, the lawsuit was settled with Flores and Moore withdrawing their false creditor's claims and agreeing to repay the victim's estate $1 million, which they have so far failed to do.

United States District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a February 26, 2024 sentencing hearing, at which time Flores will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each fraud count, up to 20 years on the conspiracy to commit money laundering and laundering of monetary instruments counts, and up to 10 years on transactional money laundering count.

Moore's sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 22, 2024.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Christopher Columbus Exposed: HIS-STORY

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu

October 24, 2023

As Americans have already celebrated Columbus Day, this article presents the real Afri-centric truth/analysis in regard to the so-called 'Discovery' of the West Indies/ New World by the Euro-centric historical criminal, Christopher Columbus --- real name on his Spanish birth certificate is Cristobal Colon from whose surname are historically derived European systems such as Colonialism, Colonizer, Colonized and Colony.

Truth Be Told: The fact of the matter is that 15th century British historians translated his Spanish name Cristobal Colon into the renown Christopher Columbus.

Indeed, for the past five hundred years and counting, HIS-Euro-centric STORY has promulgated the historical misnomer that Columbus 'discovered' the New World in the A.D. era. Well, was there an Old World?

Specifically, OUR-Afri-centric STORY categorically/ definitely proves that Africans were in this region, the Americas between 1,000 - 700 B.C. traveling to Mexico in large boats. In fact, the original inhabitants of this region were the Olmecs, Aztecs, Mayas and Incas--- non-Europeans. These people built pyramids and 100-ton stone heads.

Historical Fact: On 29 May 1453, Muhammad 11, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople - capital of eastern Roman Empire. Ergo, the fall of Constantinople closed the old sea route between Europe and the East so that a new route to Asia by sea had to be found/ discovered to meet the demand for Asian commodities such as jewels, spices,silks, drugs, and perfumes.

Columbus therefore set up a master-plan to meet this economic demand. It must be emphazied here that neither Columbus nor the Spanish Crown King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella called his effort 'voyages'. Instead, they were aptly called "Business Trips": as part of broader scheme titled "Enterprise of the Indies."

Ipso facto, Columbus then set out to search for spices so that his fellow Europeans could season their meat. Let it be very, very, very, clear, Columbus already knew that meat needed to be seasoned because he saw Africans seasoning their meat when he studied navigational skills in Guinea in 1484, period and full stop.

Columbus first business trip was called a "Survival Mission" by the Spanish Crown.

To his credit, Columbus had a very successful first business trip ---Demand = Supply.

However, things began to change afterwards. Once Columbus realized the enormous resources were located in the places he encountered, his typical euro-centric mind-set immediately set in and now, his primary motive became to christinize, civilize, colonize, and enslave these heathens. It is at this crucial juncture in world history that Euro-centric global mis-education albeit edjumacation did step in and falsely labeled Columbus' later exploits as "voyages."

Nevertheless, Columbus' most significant exploit was his so-called second 'voyage' 25 September 1493 - 11 June 1496 in which he took 12 missionaries "to spread the Christian faith to the natives throughout the New World."

Columbus'So-called voyages:

1. 3 August 1492- 15 March 1493

2. 25 September 1493- 11 june 1496

3. 31 May 1498- December 1500

4. 5 May 1502- November 1504

Disgrace of Columbus: As the correct history of all European supremacist reveals Christopher Columbus is NO different. And this fact rushes to the fore when one examines the reality that along the way Columbus was becoming the typical European slaughter of non-Europeans and this is evidenced in the fact that as a result of the treatment of the Arawak slaves in Hispaniola and the truism that the Spanish Crown felt that "Columbus was becoming too powerful." Ergo, the Spanish Crown then sent Admiral Francis de Bobadilla to Hispaniola to investigate the matter. After hearing both sides Columbus and the colonists, Admiral Francis de Bobadilla ordered that Columbus "and his two brothers (be put in chains) and sent as prisoners to Spain."

Christopher Columbus Sunrise -1451; Sunset 20 May 1506.

Dr. Kwame Nantambu is Professor Emeritus Kent State University.

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Tarsnap has given 2^18 dollars to open source

Yesterday I read a great article from Sentry entitled "We Just Gave $500,000 to Open Source Maintainers" , and it made me wonder just how much Tarsnap had spent on supporting open source software over the years. Ever since December 2009 Tarsnap has spent 100% of its December operating profits on supporting open source software  which, since needs for support aren't limited to December, means that Tarsnap hands out money throughout the year, and at the end of the year (when I know how much profit Tarsnap made in December) I send whatever is left in the "budget" to the FreeBSD Foundation . Going through 14 years of accounting spreadsheets brought me to a total of $274,482  or in binary terms, slightly over 2^18 USD.

The largest recipient of this funding every year has been the FreeBSD Foundation, and to date they have received $173,920. It's hard to overstate the importance of the work the Foundation does; they provide hardware which keeps the FreeBSD project running, they fund a myriad of independent projects, and they have full-time developers who get thrown in to fixing whatever needs to be fixed from time to time. While FreeBSD is unusual among open source projects in that the FreeBSD project governance is entirely independent of the FreeBSD Foundation, the FreeBSD project would be immeasurably worse off without the support of the FreeBSD Foundation.

The second largest recipient of support from Tarsnap has been the BSD Now podcast, which has received $47,500 to date. Now at their 529th episode, they fill an important niche in the BSD world, being one of the only places people can hear what's going on across all the BSD operating systems. As developers, we're generally lousy at communication, and while technical journalists (e.g., Phoronix) sometimes report on things happening in the BSD world, they generally lack the technical knowledge to be consistently accurate. BSD Now, being produced by actual developers, bridges the two solitudes.

Third comes BSDCan, which has received $23,188 to date. In addition to being in Canada  which, as a Canadian, I have to admit influences me somewhat  BSDCan is the largest BSD conference in the world and plays an essential role in bringing together developers to discuss and learn about each others' work. Email and IRC are great, but sometimes face-to-face conversations make a huge difference.

Next comes the annual FreeBSD developer summits held at BSDCan. These "piggy back" on BSDCan in the sense that they can take advantage of the fact that BSDCan is already getting a lot of people to travel to one spot  but BSDCan does not pay for the rooms, A/V, coffee, or any of the other miscellaneous costs associated with running a developer summit. Tarsnap has contributed $11,062 to those.

While most of the money Tarsnap contributes to open source software is focused on the BSD world  that's what Tarsnap uses  it does provide funding for an annual award at my Alma Mater for students who contribute to open source software. To date Tarsnap has contributed $7,839 to this.

Finally there's a bunch of miscellaneous sponsorships  conferences, developers, travel grants, etc.  adding up to $10,972. (Or maybe a bit more; there were a lot of these and I might have missed some while I was putting together my list.)

Tarsnap's 2^18 USD of financial support for open source software over the past 14 years is only a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed, and indeed I wish we could contribute more; Tarsnap would not exist without all of the open source software if runs on. On the other hand, maybe it's not a bad total for a two-person company; there are certainly much larger companies which contribute far less.

If you're at a startup which relies heavily on open source software, please take a moment to ask yourself: How much does your company contribute back?

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Since our inception as Korean Ducks Magazine in 2005, weve worked hard to share a multicultural spirit with our readership. We embrace diversity in our stories, in our student staff and in our readers. We want every part of the magazine to reflect the diversity of our world.
Gold (XAU/USD) Analysis, Prices, and Charts

US Treasury yields are subdued and a mild risk-on sentiment prevails.

Central bank policy decisions may change the landscape.

Learn how to trade gold with our free guide

Recommended by Nick Cawley How to Trade Gold Get My Guide

DailyFX Economic Calendar

Gold is treading water in early trade with little fresh news to drive price action. Risk markets are trying to push higher, despite the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, as the US earnings season gets into full flow. Tuesdays US S&P flash composite index surprised to the upside, indicating that business activity in the US is expanding, adding to the growing feeling that the US economy may be lining up a soft landing in the months ahead.

US Treasury yields are flat to a touch higher today in slow trade as traders wait for next weeks FOMC meeting and policy decision. The Fed is fully expected to keep rates unchanged, while the post-decision press conference will be parsed closely for any indications that the Fed may be ending its rate hiking cycle. The first look at US Q3 GDP is released tomorrow and this will be part of the Feds thinking when looking at monetary policy. The market is currently expecting 4.3% q/q growth in the third quarter, markedly stronger than the 2.1% expansion seen in the prior quarter.

The Federal Reserve is not the only central bank on the slate with the ECB, BoC, BoE, and BoJ all announcing their latest policy decisions over the next eight days.

Recommended by Nick Cawley Top Trading Lessons Get My Guide

Gold is currently trading on either side of $1,970/oz. ahead of the US GDP data and next weeks Fed decision. A short-term resistance level around $1,987/oz. remains intact and the precious metal needs to close and open above here to open the way to $2,000/oz. and $2,010/oz. Support is seen at $1,960/oz. ahead of a zone between $1,940/oz. and $1,932.5/oz.

Gold Daily Price Chart  October 25, 2023

Chart via TradingView

IG Retail Trader data shows 61.04% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.57 to 1.The number of traders net-long is 5.55% lower than yesterday and 18.08% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 2.64% higher than yesterday and 37.42% higher from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests Gold prices may continue to fall.

Gold Bullish Data provided by of clients are net long. of clients are net short.

Change in Longs Shorts OI Daily -3% 2% -1% Weekly -4% 3% -1%

What is your view on Gold  bullish or bearish?? You can let us know via the form at the end of this piece or you can contact the author via Twitter @nickcawley1.
Hang Seng Index, China, HSI, PBOC, AUD/USD, AU CPI, Crude Oil - Talking Points

Chinese bourses have been underpinned today by policy annoucements

Australian 3Q CPI reaccelerated, lifting the prospect of an RBA rate hike

The Hang Seng index rallied but some technical hurdles lie ahead

Recommended by Daniel McCarthy Traits of Successful Traders Get My Guide

Hong Kongs Hang Seng index rallied today after a series of measures were announced in an effort to stimulate the Chinese economy.

Beijing said that the fiscal debt ratio will be lifted from around 3% to nearly 3.8% and an extra 1 trillion Yuan (USD 137) of debt will be issued. At the same time, President Xi Jinping made a rare visit to the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC).

The moves come on top of official buying of Chinese exchange-traded funds (ETF) to bolster stock prices.

The rest of the APAC equity indices have made ground with the exception of Australias S&P ASX 200 index.

It traded almost flat on the day after a red-hot CPI print there put an RBA rate hike on the radar for early November.

AUD/USD nudged 64 cents in the melee while other currency pairs have had a quiet start to Wednesdays trading session.

Treasury yields are steady across the curve after dipping yesterday and gold has had a lacklustre day, oscillating around US$ 1,970 an ounce.

Microsoft and Alphabet had their earnings announcements after the bell and the former had a solid beat while the latter underperformed. Meta will be the next tech titan off the earnings rack later today.

Grabbing some attention later today will be the Bank of Canada rate decision and the market is anticipating them to keep its target cash rate at 5.00%.

Also today, after the German IFO number, the US will see data on mortgage applications and new home sales.

Crude is languishing after tumbling over 2% yesterday on the prospect of more supply from Russia. Oil prices could remain modestly lower if diplomatic efforts to contain the Israel-Hamas conflict continue.

The full economic calendar can be viewed here.

Recommended by Daniel McCarthy How to Trade FX with Your Stock Trading Strategy Get My Guide

HANG SENG (HSI)TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

A bearish triple moving average (TMA) formation requires the price to be below the short-term simple moving average (SMA), the latter to be below the medium-term SMA and the medium-term SMA to be below the long-term SMA. All SMAs also need to have a negative gradient.

When looking at any combination of the 21-, 34-, 55- 100- and 200-day SMAs, the criteria for a TMA have been met and might suggest that bearish momentum is evolving.

Support could be at the recent near 16880 or the Fibonacci Retracement level at 16366. On the topside, resistance might be offered at the prior peaks close to 18400 or 18900.

Chart created in TradingView

Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter

--- Written by Daniel McCarthy, Strategist for DailyFX.com

Please contact Daniel via @DanMcCarthyFX on Twitter
Tokyo Int'l Film Festival hosts China Film Week

Xinhua) 13:44, October 25, 2023

TOKYO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The China Film Week of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has concluded, with the Golden Crane Awards ceremony held in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Among the 13 films shown during the event, Lost in the Stars won the Golden Crane Award for the best film and Manifesto for the jury prize. Manifesto's director Hou Yong snatched the best director award while Chinese actor Liu Ye and actress Ni Ni won the best actor and actress awards, respectively.

Wu Jianghao, Chinese ambassador to Japan, said at the closing ceremony that using movies as a bridge can deepen mutual understanding between the people of the two countries and thus promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, the ambassador said, calling for taking this opportunity to revisit the original intention of signing the treaty, cement the foundation of friendship, and jointly push for the steady and lasting development of bilateral relations.

Japanese director Yojiro Takita, actress Youki Kudoh and other Japanese film industry figures attended the closing ceremony and served as the award-presenting guests.

Komaki Kurihara, vice president of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, said in her speech that she sincerely hopes that the film exchanges between Japan and China will enjoy rapid development in the future.

The 36th Tokyo International Film Festival will be held through Nov. 1. As part of the festival, the China Film Week was held on Oct. 17-24.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Stockholm, Oct 25 (UNI) Stockholm is ready to take responsibility as a NATO member and has much to contribute to the alliance.

"Sweden is ready to take responsibility in NATO. We have unique capabilities which we can contribute [to the alliance]," Kristersson said on Tuesday at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

On Monday, the office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Sputnik that it had proposed to the parliament to ratify Sweden's application to join NATO. Stoltenberg earlier expressed hope that the process would not take long.

Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023. Sweden's application is still pending ratification by Turkey and Hungary.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS
A general election is expected in less than a year. Sir Keir Starmer recently overturned two massive majorities to win crucial by-elections. Opinion polls place his party a solid 20 points ahead of the Tories.

But yesterday, instead of savouring the tantalising aroma of power, Labour activists were busy trying to stage an online insurrection.

The hysterical hashtag 'StarmerOutNOW' was trending on X, formerly known as Twitter, as Corbynite ideologues united to vent their fury at the party leadership.

What had sparked this latest Leftie tantrum was, inevitably, Starmer's robust stance on Israel in the wake of Hamas's barbaric attacks earlier this month.

On Monday in the Commons, he defended Israel's 'right to defend herself' with adamantine clarity, defying calls from sections of his own party for a 'ceasefire'.

Sir Keir told presenter Nick Ferrari on LBC radio that Israel 'does have that right' to cut off water and power to the Gaza Strip

Two weeks ago, the Labour leader had gone further still, telling LBC radio that Israel 'does have that right' to cut off water and power to the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas's attacks. (Labour later suggested his remarks had been misconstrued.)

But, while Starmer's position on the conflict is pretty clear, the truth is that there is a deep split within the Labour party on the question of Israel  and has been for a long time.

The party that remains the favourite to win the next election is hopelessly divided when it comes to one basic question: Are you on the side of a free democracy trying to defend itself against a genocidal enemy, or do you waver and say, well, it's complicated?

At least 23 Labour councillors have resigned the whip in response to Starmer's stance on the conflict. Some 72 have written him an 'open letter' saying they had lost confidence in him as leader.

In a separate statement, six Oxford councillors wrote: 'This is a direct threat to our democratic rights.

'We no longer feel we can serve as Labour councillors in a choice between serving our parties or justice, we have chosen justice.'

In Parliament, more than one in six Labour MPs has now called on Israel to stop its bombing campaign against Hamas  a military action aimed squarely at killing the terror group's murderous zealots while minimising civilian casualties.

Everyone wants to see peace in the region, but a ceasefire now would give Hamas the opportunity to prepare another incursion into Israeli territory, slaughtering grandmothers and babies once again.

Only this week, Rishi Sunak publicly reminded Corbyn in the Commons that he once described the butchers of Hamas as 'friends'

Richard Burgon tabled a motion that dispensed with Hamas's atrocities in a mere 13 words, and spent the next 200 words condemning Israel

Corbyn's ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell attended a pro-Palestine fringe event at Labour Party conference (Pictured: John McDonnell speaks to the pro-Palestine rally held last weekend in central London)

Yet this simple fact seems to elude the 36 Labour MPs who backed a Parliamentary motion tabled last week by the ultra-Left MP Richard Burgon. (You may remember him as the Corbynista who once averred that 'Zionism is the enemy of peace' and then denied having done so until proof emerged that he had.)

Burgon's motion dispensed with Hamas's atrocities in a mere 13 words, and spent the next 200 words condemning Israel, the victim of those attacks.

Such double-standards, of course, are of a piece with Labour's Corbynista faction.

Corbyn himself may now suffer the indignity of sitting as an independent in the Commons after Starmer kicked him out of the party for claiming, in a moment of genuine disgrace, that reports of anti-Semitism in the party had been 'dramatically overstated'.

But though he is no longer in Labour, the bearded Marxist remains a godlike figure to activists  and his ubiquitous presence at pro-Palestine rallies, to say nothing of his cult-like following on social media, are deeply unwelcome to the leadership.

Corbyn was kicked him out of the party for claiming, in a moment of genuine disgrace, that reports of anti-Semitism in the party had been 'dramatically overstated'

Tom Harris was a Labour member for 34 years, 14 of them as an MP, including as a minister

Only this week, Rishi Sunak publicly reminded Corbyn in the Commons that he once described the butchers of Hamas as 'friends'. (Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy particularly relished this barb.)

Corbyn's ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell  who attended a pro-Palestine fringe event at Labour Party conference  was another signatory to Burgon's motion, as was long-term Leftist Barry Gardiner.

But other names were more surprising  and it is abundantly clear that Labour's issues with Israel run deeper.

I have long been aware of this: I was a Labour member for 34 years, 14 of them as an MP, including as a minister. But, in the Commons, I frequently came across a stubborn refusal to recognise the real dangers of Islamism.

One fellow MP even refused to acknowledge to me that extreme Islamism posed any kind of threat to our way of life, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. Labour MPs who refuse to condemn Hamas and to support Israel, our natural ally, bring shame on their party.

The Blairite Sir Stephen Timms added his name to Burgon's motion  even though he himself was a victim of Islamist terrorism in 2010

It concerns me deeply that several apparently moderate Labour MPs are also failing to fall on the right side in a straightforward battle against evil. The Blairite Sir Stephen Timms added his name to Burgon's motion  even though he himself was a victim of Islamist terrorism in 2010, when he was stabbed during a constituency surgery by an attacker wielding a six-inch kitchen knife.

For now at least, Starmer knows he is in a strong position  and he is willing to face down the elements of his party urging a 'ceasefire'.

He understands, too, that he still has work to do repairing the disastrous anti-Semitism of the Corbyn years. Taking a robust line on Israel, in its hour of need, is right politically as well as morally.

But the splits in Labour are not going away. Two or three years from now, under a future Starmer government, it is easy to envision a cacophony of anti-Israel voices growing to a screeching crescendo.

For now at least, Starmer knows he is in a strong position  and he is willing to face down the elements of his party urging a 'ceasefire'

If large numbers of Labour backbenchers are implacably opposed to the actions of Israel, if every effort made by the Israeli Defence Forces to protect its citizens is condemned by government MPs as 'war crimes', how could a Labour foreign secretary do his or her job?

These splits go beyond mere policy. They could have dire implications for Britain's security and our place in the world.

Tom Harris is former Labour MP for Glasgow South and was a transport minister from 2006 to 2008.
Conservative MPs, and I suspect a few Labour ones, look at Sir Keir Starmer and think 'how on earth is this constipated clunker so far ahead in opinion polls?' Sir Keir was again weaving his special brand of non-magic at PMQs. Scintillating was not the word. His questions were prosaic, quacked off a rigid script. The rhythms of speech? Predictable, whiny trios. He was as fresh as a pub carpet.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle was so stultified that he forgot Sir Keir had one more question to go, and mistakenly called Tory MP Simon Hoare instead. Speaker Hoyle corrected the mistake and allowed Sir Keir to put his sixth and final question. The chamber, in a state of advanced accidie, groaned.

Downing Street had accurately anticipated that the nasal knight would open his questions by hailing the new (Labour) MP for Mid Bedfordshire following last week's by-election to replace Boris Johnson's ally Nadine Johnson.

Mr Sunak said he, too, was happy to welcome the new chap to the house. 'After all, I suspect the new member for Mid-Beds may actually support me a little bit more than the last one.' There was something Blairish in that rueful joke. Most of the house rewarded Mr Sunak with laughter. The Commons generally salutes a decent gag. One of the few people I did not see chuckling was Sir Keir. He's the sort of guy who, even if fluffed under the armpits by Ken Dodd's tickling stick, would keep frowning. Should have been a council rent-collector. They never laughed, either.

Sir Keir's the sort of guy who, even if fluffed under the armpits by Ken Dodd's tickling stick, would keep frowning

Do you think he has ever streaked down a corridor? Ever goosed a head waiter? Ever, in his life, done a swimming-pool honeypot while screaming 'Geronimooooooo'? Beside this dullard even technocrat Rishi, the titch in vacuum-packed underpants, looks almost like Mick Jagger. But maybe the country wants dullness. If Sir Keir does win power and then, heaven help us, seeks re-election, will the country rouse itself from catatonia to chant 'bore more years'?

The one thing Sir Keir does when trying to inject some pace is to start talking dirty. He kept saying the Conservatives thought the voters should 'eff off'. With his final sally he called for a general election. Electors had 'heard the Government telling them to eff off and they want the chance to return the compliment'.

From a stronger parliamentarian, that could have been a devastating line. Sir Keir fluffed it. That bunged-up voice failed to cut through the hubbub and the attack was wasted.

Mr Sunak had a routine retort  something about how Sir Keir was 'too cautious to say anything, and hopes nobody notices'  but because he delivered it more cleanly, it received a better whoosh of cheers. 'More, more!' cried Sunak supporters. Speaker Hoyle, jocularly, insisted he had in fact said 'Hoare' (for it was now time for Mr Hoare to have his turn).

Up popped little Hoare, a self-basting goose notorious for disloyalty to his own party leaders. 'That's the first time,' he gushed, glistening with self-pleasure, 'that I have been confused with the leader of the Opposition.' Nearby voices: 'No it isn't!'

Mr Sunak had a routine retort  something about how Sir Keir was 'too cautious to say anything, and hopes nobody notices'  but because he delivered it more cleanly, it received a better whoosh of cheers

Most of the house rewarded Mr Sunak with laughter, as the Commons generally salutes a decent gag

Sir Peter Bottomley (Con, Worthing West), father of the house, was given a question. 'Can I note,' said the great inquisitor, 'that the prime minister takes decisions that will benefit the country now and in the longer term, with more jobs, better education and a shared prosperity?' Sir Peter's chances of succeeding Kirsty Wark at Newsnight may not be terribly high but he would be a wow on North Korean television's equivalent.

Earlier, during equalities questions, Chelmsford's Vicky Ford (Con) contributed to a discussion about the menopause and said the words 'as a woman in her 50s'. Cue a chorus of gallant disbelief: 'No! No!' Mrs Ford fluttered her eyelashes.

All this was being observed from the VIP gallery, incidentally, by Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, whose attendance was announced at the start of the session. An elderly, dignified gent. Lord knows what he made of it all.
The future of European monarchy is female - with Elisabeth helping lead the way

It was understated, perhaps even a touch informal.

But when five young future monarchs from Western Europe gathered for a photograph at the birthday celebrations of the Danish prince Christian, it was quite a moment - not least because four of the five were female.

Changes to primogeniture laws mean that, for the first time, the future of monarchy across Europe is female, and among the queens will be Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant - who turns 22 today.

Destined to be the first queen of her young nation, she has been directly affected by the legal change, made in 1991. In earlier times, her younger brother Gabriel would have been the monarch.

Princess Elisabeth in a new portrait released to celebrate her 22nd birthday today

Future monarchs from around Europe gather for the 18th birthday celebrations of Prince Christian of Denmark. From left to right: Princess Estelle of Sweden, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Prince Christian, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands , and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium during a gala dinner on the occasion of the 18th birthday celebrations of the Danish Prince at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen

Princess Elisabeth is the eldest of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium 's four children

Born on October 25, 2001, Princess Elisabeth is the eldest of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium's four children.

When her father became King in 2013, Elisabeth became the heir to the throne and Duchess of Brabant.

Elisabeth began attending royal engagements from a young age and was just nine when she delivered a speech at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital.

READ MORE: Action girl! Princess Elisabeth of Belgium swears allegiance to the King as becomes an officer at military academy Advertisement

Like a number of other European royals, including Princess Leonor of Spain and Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Elisabeth attended Atlantic College in Wales before moving on to Oxford.

Nicknamed 'Hippie Hogwarts', the school curriculum has included unusual activities such as Tai Chi and Tibetan literature. It has a remarkable cliff-top location in a 12th-century castle in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Elisabeth enrolled on a 67,000, two-year course to study for her International Baccalaureate diploma at the school, which she has now completed.

Before her two-year course in Wales, she attended the Dutch-speaking secondary school Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege in Brussels.

The Princess also went to the Yale Young Global Scholars Program at Yale University.

She then completed a one-year course in social and military sciences at the Royal Military Academy which is said to teach in-depth about the four components of Belgian defence: Army, Air Force, Navy and Medical.

When her father became King in 2013, Elisabeth became the heir to the Belgian throne and Duchess of Brabant

When Elisabeth ascends to the throne after her father, she will make history as she becomes Belgium's first-ever Queen

She gave her name to the Belgian scientific research station Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station in 2011

Having been preparing for a life in the spotlight since birth, Elisabeth began attending royal engagements from a young age

Elisabeth began attending royal engagements from a young age and when she was just nine

In 2021, she was photographed at the Lagland camp in Arlon, where she marched in formation with her fellow cadets.

For the officer cadets of the Royal Military Academy, this camp is part of the last training phase for first year students, and constitutes part of the Initial Military Phase.

Alongside her training, in October 2021, the Princess began studying History and Politics at Lincoln College, Oxford. Here, she rows for Lincoln College Boat Club under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg'.

According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the princess completed a written entrance exam in history 'anonymously' so that her social status would not affect her marks.

Elisabeth is believed to have chosen the course herself, in agreement with her parents, and reportedly consulted with graduates from various universities and made her decision based on what would be most useful to her in her role as queen later in life.

The high-achieving Princess, who is fluent in Dutch, French, German and English, recently completed two years at the Royal Military Academy's annual three-week summer camps and other practical and theoretical military classes.

On Tuesday, she took part in the ceremony of taking the oath as an officer - swearing 'loyalty to the King, obedience to the Constitution and the laws of the Belgian people.'

Alongside her training, in October 2021, the Princess began studying History and Politics at Lincoln College, Oxford

Elisabeth has completed three years of intense training at the Royal Military Academy

After the ceremony on Tuesday, she joined her family to pose for photos, where she was seen beaming proudly as she stood alongside her father, the King

In snaps from the event, the Princess appeared serious as she took part in the ceremony - marching and saluting to the King alongside her comrades from the 160th Promotion of Social and Military Sciences.

Afterwards, she joined her family to pose for photos, where she was seen beaming proudly as she stood alongside her father, the King.

An accomplished 21-year-old by any measure, the official royal website says Elisabeth enjoys walking in nature, reading and playing the piano  although like all youngsters her age, writes the palace, her taste in music is varied.
Swiss watchmaker Rado onboards Katrina Kaif as brand ambassador

New Delhi, Oct 25 (UNI) Swiss watchmaker Rado on Wednesday announced it has onboarded Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif as its global brand ambassador.

"We are thrilled to welcome Katrina Kaif into the Rado family. Her timeless beauty and global recognition align seamlessly with Rado's core principles," said company CEO Adrian Bosshard.

The watchmaker in a press statement said that Katrina Kaif perfectly embodies the essence of the company and the spirit of the Centrix watch.

"I am honoured and excited to be associated with Rado, a brand known for its excellence in watch-making. Rado watches have always fascinated me with their innovative designs and commitment to quality," Katrina Kaif said. UNI NK SSP
It's been a minefield for families down the generations.

So perhaps it's no surprise that selecting Godparents has been an explosive issue for members of the Royal Family, too.

One notoriously sour episode started happily enough, when in 1977, Princess Anne asked her brother Charles, then Prince of Wales, to do the honours for her first child, Peter Phillips.

Charles agreed, adding Peter to his long list of Godchildren that now totals more than 30.

Princess Anne, Prince Charles and Princess Diana appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with Princes William, centre) and baby Harry for Trooping the Colour in June 1985

Queen Elizabeth II with her daughter, Princess Anne, and her first grandson, Peter Phillips at the baby boy's christening in 1977

Royal relatives and godparents gather on Prince Harry's christening day at Windsor Castle on December 21, 1984. A young Prince William is attracting attention in the foreground. Princess Anne is nowhere to be seen

Members of the Royal Family along with godparents pictured following the christening of Peter Phillips in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace in December 1977. Charles had agreed to be the Godfather on this occasion

Five years later, however, when Prince William was due to be Christened, Charles and Diana surprised Anne by looking elsewhere.

The Princess Royal was not asked to be Godmother to the future King of England.

'The Prince did not return the compliment when it came to William - or, rather, according to rumour, he had very much wanted to invite his sister, only to be blocked by his wife,' writes biographer Robert Lacey in his bestseller Battle of Brothers.

What reason might Diana have had for taking such a stance?

Lacey suggests that Anne's notorious frostiness had tended to grow a couple of degrees colder whenever Diana's name came up.

Was the Princess Royal irritated that, while she conducted 200 engagements a year, Diana was doing just 50 or so - and getting all the glory? A palace insider suggested as much, according to Lacey.

The author also suggests that Anne had also taken to referring to her sister-in-law as 'The Dope'.

Things came to a head in the autumn of 1984, when it was Harry's turn to be Christened and the general expectation was that Anne would be invited this time round.

But there would be disappointment once again.

Prince Andrew, yes. And Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones, a flatmate of Diana, a wealthy polo player, a Gloucestershire neighbour and a painter.

But no Anne.

As Lacey records, 'Anne made her feelings obvious on the day. As the three-month old Prince Henry, Charles, Albert, David, third in line to the British throne, was being baptised as Windsor in the presence of the Queen, the Queen Mother, Philip and the rest of the Royal Family, there were two conspicuous absentees.

'His aunt Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips were out in the Gloucestershire countryside, 85 miles to the west, shooting rabbits.'

Princess Anne pictured with her son Peter Phillips at his 1977 baptism at Buckingham Palace

Princess Anne, her son Peter Phillips, Prince Harry, and King Charles leave St Mary Magdalene Church after attending the Christmas Day service at Sandringham in December 2000. Princess Anne is aunt to Harry and William but godmother to neither

They had sent their children Peter and Zara along to the ceremony along with apologies.

But, as Lacey, writes, 'the shooting party took precedence - it was a long-established date.'

At the time, Captain Phillips's mother Anne told Lacey: 'The Princess and my son invited a party of 10 guns for shoot three months ago. They decided it would be unfair to let these people down.'

The matter of royal godparents arose again more recently when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided not to make public the names of Archie's godparents following his christening in July 2019.

It was later revealed that Harrys childhood friend Charlie van Straubenzee, his former nanny Tiggy Pettifer, and Mark Dyer, the former equerry to King Charles, had been chosen .
A fragrance influencer has revealed his top perfume hacks for making sure you and your home always smell great.

Warren Tafah, a digital marking specialist from Arkansas, has more than 1.1 million followers on TikTok, where he shares grooming and hygiene recommendations.

The content creator, who uses the handle @warrentafah, went viral after sharing seven 'fragrance hacks and tips you probably never heard of.'

Tafah first advised spraying your fragrance on the light bulbs in your house, explaining that when they heat up, they will 'keep your home smelling good.'

Warren Tafah, a fragrance influencer from Arkansas, has more than 1.1 million followers on TikTok, where he shares grooming and hygiene recommendations

The content creator, who uses the handle @warrentafah, went viral after sharing seven 'fragrance hacks and tips you probably never heard of'

Tafah advised spraying your fragrance on the light bulbs in your house, explaining that when they heat up, they will 'keep your home smelling good

WARREN'S SEVEN FRAGRANCE TIPS Spray fragrance on light bulbs Edible notes last longer on skin Floral scents last longer on clothes Add fragrance to steam iron Spray fragrance onto toilet paper Use fragrance in your car diffuser Add fragrance to your body lotion Advertisement

He went on to note that different fragrance notes last longer on certain areas.

Edible notes such as honey, vanilla, and chocolate will last the longest on your skin, while floral scents last the longest on clothes, according to the scent guru.

Tafah then suggested ironing your favorite fragrance into your clothes.

He explained in a follow-up video that he adds 75 to 150 drops of his favorite fragrance to a fourth cup of water and puts it in his iron for steam pressing.

'Fragrances that I use are heavier on the warm weather essential oils. For instance, vanilla, black pepper, juniper, cinnamon, and rosemary,' he said.

'Those are called warm weather essential oils because they're conducive [to] heat.

'You don't have to worry about the heat from the iron breaking those specific essential oils down.'

Tafah's next tip was to spray fragrance into the cardboard tube in your toilet paper roll to keep your bathroom smelling fresh.

'Get a car diffuser and use your favorite fragrance in it,' he added.

The TikTok star's final recommendation was to add cologne to your lotion before putting it on your body.

Edible notes such as honey, vanilla, and chocolate will last the longest on your skin, while floral scents last the longest on clothes, according to the scent guru

Tafah suggested ironing your favorite fragrance into your clothes. He adds 75 to 150 drops of his favorite fragrance to a fourth cup of water and puts it in his iron for steam pressing

Tafah also sprays fragrance into the cardboard tube in his toilet paper roll and puts it in his car diffuser to ensure his bathroom and vehicle smell like him

The TikTok star's final recommendation was to add cologne to your lotion

Tafah's video has been viewed more than 230,000 times, but not everyone was on board with his fragrance hacks

The TikTok star's final recommendation was to add cologne to your lotion before putting it on your body.

Tafah's video has been viewed more than 230,000 times, but not everyone was on board with his fragrance hacks.

Many commenters thought his tips were over the top and assumed his cologne was overpowering because of how much he uses.

'The toilet paper is crazy,' one person responded.

'No cologne on the stovetop, oven, or dishwasher???? How will she smell you then?' someone else joked.

'My first thought is youre the guy who suffocates everyone in the elevator... and the poor unsuspecting girl who might use that tissue,' another added.

Despite some of the criticism, there were fans of his savvy scent skills.

'He's extra & I like it,' one viewer noted.
A woman, who spent four hours getting basic white acrylics, complained about the botched job.

Merel Kempel, from Sydney, Australia, took to her TikTok @merelkempell8 to showcase her nails.

The video, which racked up 46,000 views and over 2,000 likes, showed Merel's cuticles bloodied.

Her nails ended up looking nothing like what she had asked for and some said they resembled 'AirPod cases'.

The clip has left many people horrified by the nail fail, and they joked that the nail artist should be 'fired' for the unforgivable offence.

Merel wrote on the video: 'Asked for white acrylicslook at my cuticles', followed by a crying face emoji.

She gave a closer look at the botched job, which featured thick and uneven nail extensions.

Meanwhile, she was left with cuts underneath her cuticles, presumably caused by the rough manicure.

Merel Kempel, from Sydney, Australia, who spent four hours getting basic white acrylics, complained about the botched job

Merel gave a closer look at the botched job, which featured thick and uneven nail extensions

The clip have left many people horrified by the nail fail, they joked that the nail artist should be 'fired' for the unforgivable offence

Many rushed to the comments with their own thoughts on the job with some saying the nail tech should be 'fired.'

One person wrote: 'Charge them and make a complaint. She should get fired.'

Another said: 'Omg looks painful.'

Someone else wrote: 'Omg sorry but I'm a beginner on acrylic.. but I am doing it better.'

A fourth wrote: 'AirPod cases.'
A woman who grew up in foster care and was left homeless at the age of 16 after becoming estranged from her family, sofa surfing and sleeping on the streets, has said her life has had a 'surreal' turn after she was accepted into Oxford University.

Chloe Pomfret, 20, grew up in foster care during her early school years, became estranged from her family after the death of her grandfather, and then spent three months sofa surfing and living on the streets aged 16.

The Human Sciences undergraduate contemplated suicide and felt she had 'nowhere to turn', but her school later helped her into supported accommodation - during which time she decided to focus on her education and had dreams of becoming a biology teacher.

Applying to Oxford University was not on Chloe's radar, but after discovering its Human Sciences course, which was 'everything (she had) ever dreamed of', she decided to put in an application.

Chloe was offered her university place during this time and, upon receiving the news, she shared a Snapchat story, saying: 'Benefits girl is going to Oxford'.

Chloe Pomfret, 20, said her life had a 'surreal' turn after she was accepted into Oxford University

Now, following her own journey through foster care and becoming estranged and homeless, she has spent her first year at the prestigious establishment changing university policy to help support students like herself.

'It's still surreal when I walk out into Oxford. You see all these big, fancy buildings, and it's just a whole other world,' Chloe said.

'You go to formals, where they're serving you food, I have a cleaner that comes and cleans my room, and I just think, "What on Earth?".

'It makes me feel so grateful that I've had the support to get to where I am. I'm so lucky because other students in my situation wouldn't have had this.'

Chloe was placed into foster care and separated from her parents and siblings, who she does not wish to name, aged five.

She said being 'taken away' from her parents, who she claims struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and her siblings was 'such a traumatic process'.

She spent the next three years living with an 'amazing' foster family who 'spoiled (her) rotten', and when she looks back on this time, she said they were 'the best years of (her) life'.

Pictured aged seven, Chloe grew up in foster care during her early school years

Chloe in her supported accomodation on her 18th birthday

Chloe then moved back in with her father, aged eight, with whom she said she felt she was 'just existing' - stating that her relationship with her family felt 'artificial'.

At the age of 11, she moved in with her grandfather, who was living with cancer but with whom she had a great relationship.

He was always there for her 'no matter how stupid (she) felt, or how silly (her) behaviour was'.

She helped to care for him, loved going to school at the time, and would even ask for extra homework, but after he passed away aged 84 on 19 March 2019, she said her world crumbled.

'Before I went to school, I sat in the armchair (in hospital) and had a five-minute chat with him - it was our last goodbye chat,' she said.

'Then, at about 11.30am, I got a text from my dad saying he's gone.'

She was forced to return to her father's, but their relationship soon broke down.

While education had always been 'an escape' for Chloe, she started skipping school and 'walking out of lessons'.

'Struggling with the grieving process' and 'acting up in school', Chloe claims her father then told her to 'pack (her) bags and go', leaving her homeless aged 16.

She had gone from thinking, 'it was me and my grandpa against the world', to feeling 'alone and isolated', and she contemplated suicide while living on the streets.

Chloe pictured with her best friend Courtney

The Human Sciences undergraduate enjoyed a 'goodbye dinner' just before she started university

Chloe with her boyfriend Viraansh on a boat ride along The River Thames, London, in May

When she was not sofa surfing, she sought refuge in A&E waiting rooms - where she had access to a vending machine, toilet, and plug socket - or under bus shelters.

'When you're sitting alone or walking about the streets of Manchester at two o'clock in the morning, crying, that's when it hits you,' she explained.

'That contributed to how suicidal, how low I was feeling and I just thought I'm never going to find anywhere (to live).'

Chloe said her school went 'above and beyond' to support her during this time, and staff helped her secure a place in supported accommodation, which she moved into in December 2019.

She then decided to help out at her school, supporting vulnerable students, before focusing on her A-Levels at another college in September 2020.

This led to her Oxford University application - but during this time, Chloe's two-year tenancy in supported accommodation had expired and she faced becoming homeless once more.

'They said, 'We haven't found you anywhere to live yet' but we petitioned for you to stay longer,' she said.

'I just thought, "What's going to happen to me? Please, not again".'

Chloe was offered a place at Oxford during this time. However, when she received her results in August 2022, she discovered she narrowly missed her required grades by six marks in total, achieving ABB rather than AAA.

The 20-year-old pictured in her full academic dress, worn at formal university ceremonies

She said she cried so much that she 'threw up', but she later discovered her special consideration application had not been submitted - a post-examination mark adjustment that compensates candidates who were suffering from a temporary illness or condition or who were otherwise disadvantaged at the time of the examination.

Once this was submitted, she received the incredible news that she had been accepted and she said: 'I just had the mindset of, everything I've been through has been worth it.'

Chloe was the co-chair for Class Act, a campaigning organisation at Oxford, supporting students from working class backgrounds, as well as care leavers and estranged students, and she also mentors and shares advice with other estranged students through working with free social mobility enterprise Zero Gravity.

She wants to continue helping and supporting others with similar backgrounds, and said she feels 'lucky' to have overcome all the challenges she has faced.

'When I think back on what I've been through, it was a horrible experience, but I wouldn't change a thing; I've learned so much from it,' Chloe said.

'Being estranged now comes with its difficulties, but it's taught me so much - I'm so resilient, I'm so independent - and I can use my journey to help people.'
A man has recalled the incredible tale of how he called his parents only to find out they thought he'd been dead for six months.

Callum, called into ZM Radio in New Zealand to relay the mind-blowing yarn, and the station posted the conversation on TikTok, in a clip which has since amassed 1.2 million views.

In the video Callum told the hosts Hayley Sproull, Carl Fletcher and Vaughan Smith that at the time he was living in in Wellington, 270 miles away from his parents' home in Christchurch.

He said his sisters weren't getting along with his parents at the time, and out of spite, his older sister 'actually called my parents up and told them that I'd died'.

According to Callum, she told them he was the victim of a stabbing that had been in the news and that his funeral had already taken place, but his ex-girlfriend's family didn't want them there.

Meanwhile, Callum was 'busy with work and life' and didn't get round to calling his parents, but after six months without speaking to them, he phoned up - only to discover they thought he was dead.

Callum, called into ZM Radio in New Zealand to relay the mindblowing tale, who then posted the conversation on their TikTok, @fvhzm , in a clip which has since amassed 1.2 million views

'My sisters were in a bit of a tiff with my parents at the time and they weren't really getting along,' he said. 'My older sister actually called my parents up and told them that I'd died,' Callum told the hosts.

'When I have a tiff with my parents, I don't tell them one of my siblings is dead,' said a stunned Vaughan.

Callum continued to recount the unbelievable saga, saying: 'My sisters told them I already had the funeral and that my ex-girlfriend's parents didn't want them there'.

He claimed that his father was 'gobsmacked' and that his mother was 'in absolute tears' after his sister told them he was murdered in a stabbing in nearby Porirua that had been in the news.

Both Vaughan and Hayley screamed 'What?!' in disbelief - before Carl admitted: 'I'm going to say this in the nicest possible way Callum but your sister sounds like a crazy b***h', to which the caller joker responded: 'She definitely is mate'.

Vaughan continued: 'Your sister sounds like a top level, red flag, crazy b***h' before he asked Callum why he didn't go home and show his face to his gutted parents who thought they'd never get to see their beloved son ever again.

The caller then claimed that his parents were 'running around calling all our other family', to see if they had heard anything.

None of the extended family could shed any light on the issue, and his parents presumed he was dead.

Explaining why they accepted the news so readily, Callum said: 'At that point in time, it wouldn't have been unpeculiar for me to get stabbed'.

However, he stressed that he'd never had affiliation with any gangs.

While everyone was mourning his death, Callum claimed he was just too 'busy with work and life' to drop his parents a line, but after a while he wondered why they hadn't bothered to call him in a while either.

Vaughan continued: 'Your sister sounds like a top level, red flag, crazy b***h' before he asked Callum why he didn't go home and show his face to his gutted parents who thought they'd never get to meet their beloved son ever again

Keen to get to the bottom of it, he finally called them up six months later and the astounded parents simply uttered: 'You're alive?' - and this is the moment Callum knew his sisters had betrayed him.

They were 'over the moon' and he went to see them that weekend to reassure them that he was definitely alive.

Hayley joked: 'You should tell your parents your sister died'.

Since the outrageous lie, Callum claimed his parents and sisters are no longer on speaking terms.

Vaughan claimed that Callum's story was 'the wildest phone call' he'd ever received in the 20 years he'd done the show and he was subsequently gifted a caller of the week voucher, $50 to spend on McCafe.

However, the story took yet another turn when a TikTok user claimed to be the caller's sister and said: 'As the sister of Callum, I can confirm I never told my parents he was dead'.

A mysterious TikTok account claimed to be Callum's sister, who Kiwi radio hosts described as 'a top level, red flag, crazy b***h', but she denied that this happened, and called her family 'f****d'

How do you know it was your Callum?' one asked, to which she explained she recognised his voice.

Giving her side, she said that nobody, including her sister, partner or parents had heard from him after the Porirua stabbing.

She claimed she then contacted him to check on him and it turned out he was alive and well so she was 'happy'.

She didn't seem shocked that her family had allegedly lied about the incident, branding them 'f****d'.

'I repsume it is yet another tall story my father has come up with,' she said, adding that she 'avoids' her family these days.
Princess Elisabeth put on a chic display in the new birthday portraits

The Belgian royal family has released two new portraits to mark Princess Elisabeth's 22nd birthday.

Princess Elisabeth, the eldest daughter of King Phillippe and Queen Mathilde and who is heir to the Belgian throne, is currently studying History and Politics at Oxford University.

The 22-year-old royal put on a typically stylish display as she posed in her new portraits. Elisabeth donned an elegant 795 embroidered mesh top from Dries Van Noten with a pair of black trousers in the snaps, which were shared on Belgian Royal Palace's official X account (formerly called Twitter).

Elisabeth smiled as she looked towards the camera in the photographs, wearing a stunning pair of diamond earrings for the occasion.

She opted for a sweep of dark eyeliner across her lids, and a dash of blusher across her cheeks.

The Belgian Royal Palace has released two new portraits to celebrate Princess Elisabeth's (pictured) 22nd birthday

In the first portrait, shared by the Belgian household today, the royal could be seen smiling sweetly with her hands tucked away in her pockets.

The second image offered a close-up shot of the royal, with her brunette locks tucked behind one ear to reveal her statement earrings. It is not known where the photographs were taken.

The photo was shared to the royal family's X account with the caption: 'Princess Elisabeth celebrates her 22nd birthday today!

She has just started the final year of her bachelors degree in history and politics at the University of Oxford.'

Princess Elisabeth will ascend the throne after her father. A change in the law a decade ago made it possible for the eldest child, male or female, to ascend the throne in the country. She will become the country's first Queen Regent if she takes up the role.

The 22-year-old recently started her third and final year at Oxford University, where she is studying for a bachelors degree in history and politics.

Elisabeth is believed to have chosen the course herself, in agreement with her parents, and reportedly consulted with alumni from various universities and made her decision based on what would be most useful to her in her role as queen later in life.

According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the princess completed a written entrance exam in history 'anonymously' so that her social status would not affect her marks.

The royal, who is currently studying History and Politics at the University of Oxford, donned an elegant 795 embroidered mesh top from Dries Van Noten with a pair of black trousers

The young royal was also a former student of Atlantic College in Wales - known as 'Hippie Hogwarts' -, obtaining her International Baccalaureate in 2020.

She then completed a one-year course in social and military sciences at the Royal Military Academy which is said to teach in-depth about the four components of Belgian defence: Army, Air Force, Navy and Medical.

The princess, who received her International Baccalaureate Diploma in 2020, enrolled at Oxford University after completing a one-year course in social and military sciences at the Royal Military Academy.

King Philippe, 63, also spent three years at the esteemed institution between 1978 to 1981.

In October 2021 the Belgian royal household announced Elisabeth had started her undergraduate degree at Lincoln College, Oxford, and shared photos of her on campus

Elisabeth (right) is the eldest daughter of King Philippe of Belgium (middle right), 63, and his wife, Queen Mathilde (middle left), 50. The couple also share sons Prince Gabriel (far right), 20, and Prince Emmanuel (left), 18, and daughter Princess Eleonore (far left), 15. Pictured, the family together at Christmas

It comes after Princess Elisabeth officially became an officer at the Royal Military Academy last month.

The Princess joined the military academy in Brussels in September 2020. Last month, she took part in the ceremony of taking the oath as an officer - swearing 'loyalty to the King, obedience to the Constitution and the laws of the Belgian people.'

In snaps from the event, the Princess appeared serious as she took part in the ceremony - marching and saluting to the King alongside her comrades from the 160th Promotion of Social and Military Sciences.

It is not known how long Elisabeth plans to spend at the academy, but her father King Philippe studied there for three years as a teenager.

In photographs from the event, the 22-year-old can be seen wearing a smart blue military uniform, sweeping her hair from her face into a low ponytail for the occasion.

Afterwards, she joined her family to pose for photos, where she was seen beaming proudly as she stood alongside her father, the King.
Prince Albert's son Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste has revealed he is 'really close' to his family in Monaco.

The 20-year-old grandson of Grace Kelly opened up about family life for the first time in an interview with Tatler's December issue - where he described his relationship with his father as 'very good' and said he is 'starting to see him a lot more'.

Alexandre, a student at Royal Holloway in London, is the son of Albert and Nicole Coste, 52, a former Air France flight attendant from Togo.

Although he is Albert's eldest son, he is not in the line of succession to the Monegasques throne as his parents were not married when he was born.

His father acknowledged his paternity as an infant, and despite growing up out of the spotlight he has increasingly come into the royal fold in recent years.

Prince Albert's son Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste has revealed his father's ex Naomi Campbell 'treats him like a nephew' and has given him advice about being in the public eye

The 20-year-old grandson of Grace Kelly opened up about family life for the first time in an interview with Tatler's December issue - where he described his relationship with his father as 'very good' and said he is 'starting to see him a lot more'

Alexandre, a student at Royal Holloway in London , is the son of Alberte and Nicole Coste, 52, a former Air France flight attendant from Togo

Speaking to Tatler, Alexandre said that he often spends time with his half-sister Jasmin Grimaldi, 31, whose mother is American waitress Tamara Rotolo, and his twin siblings Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, eight, who Albert shares with wife Princess Charlene.

The 20-year-old also revealed how he and Jasmin watch Grace Kelly's films together as a way to feel close to the grandmother who died before he was born, adding that Dial M for Murder is his favourite.

'We talk about her a lot, because of things we're currently doing  especially Jazmin, as she's sort of following in our grandmother's footsteps in Hollywood. We always talk about that and how she wants to continue her legacy.'

Alexandre, Jazmin and his half-brothers from his mother's first marriage also have a text grouP.

'We are all very close We actually have a text message group. Were having arguments about whos better: Erling Haaland or Mbappe. My sisters more Team Mbappe, but its more Haaland on the boys side. I like both.'

The little ones [referring to Jacques and Gabriella, 10], are too young to have a phone, so itll take them a few years, he laughs.

She added that his godmother and aunt Princess Stephanie is 'a lot of fun'.

'She's very funny, very down to earth.

'I am quite close to her. In the past few years, weve had dinners and lunches together to celebrate my birthday with my cousins. Shes been there for me as a godmother and an aunt.

The university student said he considers himself 'lucky'. He is pictured with his half-siblings Jazmin and Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella

Prince Albert's son Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste (pictured) previously berated his title of 'illegitimate' and revealed he's 'very close' to his father and half-siblings (pictured with his mother and father)

Prince Albert pictured with his 'illegitimate' children Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste and Jasmin Grimaldi; the royal has a close relationship with his two older children. Alexandre's mother is Nicole Coste, 52, a former Air France flight attendant from Togo while Jasmin's mother is American waitress Tamara Rotolo

Alexandre also said that being in the limelight has afforded him certain opportunities, including rubbing shoulders with supermodels.

Discussing Naomi Campbell, who dated his father in the early 1990s, he said the supermodel was 'really open and kind'.

'It was great to meet her. She was really open and kind of embraced me as like a nephew,'

'She gave me a bit of advice: just to be careful with anyone looking after me, especially since I'm coming out to the public,'

Despite having no official role in the royal family, the business student says he wants to become a 'global ambassador for Monaco'.

'Since I'm part of this establishment, there is a natural pressure that comes with it. But any additional pressure? No, not really. I think I just have to do my job and honour my heritage and my family in a respectable way. But I consider myself to be very respectable and very kind, so I think I will do justice to my name.'

He added that he's 'very close' to his godmother and aunt Princess Stephanie who is 'a lot of fun'.

After growing up in Knightsbridge, the aristocrat is now set to move to New York for post-graduate education where he plans to go to NYU or Fordham. He is currently living in the Four Seasons hotel while he scouts for apartments.

A mystery woman, who he met in Monaco, is also coming to New York with him. While he kept her name under wraps Alexandre did tell the society bible it's 'going very well'.

Naomi and Alberte dated in the 1990s, pictured in Saint Tropez in 2002

No hard feelings! Despite the split the ex-couple became friends, Naomi is pictured with Alberte and Charlene in 2011

Alberte and Naomi are pictured holding hands at the supermodel's 32nd birthday in St Tropez in 2002

See the full feature in the December issue of Tatler available via digital download and on newsstands from Thursday 2 November.

Alexandre has previously berated his title of 'illegitimate' and revealed he's 'very close' to his father and half-siblings.

In August, the student gave a tell-all interview to French magazine Point de Vue where he described father Prince Albert of Monaco, 65, as 'benevolent' and said he considers himself 'lucky'.

Since 2022, with his father's encouragement, he has begun using his family's name of Grimaldi (although kept his mother's too, with the hyphenated with Grimaldi-Coste).

'My father's name is Grimaldi. It makes sense that I bear his name. I would have been called Dochomel if my father had been Mr. Dochomel!' he told the magazine.'

He also hit back at being called 'illegitimate' complaining that online trolls question his legitimacy.

'When I was born, neither of my parents were in another marriage, and they did not commit adultery. Using that word [illegitimate] is insulting! I hope no one believes the lies conveyed on the internet. One bears the name of one's father when one has been recognised since birth. I had voluntary recognition from my father when I was a baby. Not from a judge or the press who have forced him to,' he added.

The royal has spent time with the Monegasque side of his family, and was recently pictured at his cousin, Louis Ducruet's wedding.

Meanwhile, Princess Stephanie, his aunt, is also his godmother.

And despite his good looks, he said he has no plans to go into modelling, following his grandmother Grace Kelly's footsteps.

'My father is a prince and head of state  I personally cannot imagine myself marching on a podium.'

'On the other hand, if a prestigious brand asks me to be its ambassador and its image suits me, why not?'

See the full feature in the December issue of Tatler available via digital download and on newsstands from Thursday 2 November.
A charming collection of hand-drawn Christmas cards by a young Queen Elizabeth II have emerged for sale for 12,000.

Princess Elizabeth created the festive correspondence throughout the 1930s from the age of about six onwards.

She gave them to her and Princess Margaret's Scottish-born childhood tutor Marion Crawford, who they affectionately called 'Crawfie'.

One card has a drawing by Elisabeth of a Christmas tree on the front, a horseshoe inside and the inscription 'For Crawfie, from Lilibet'.

It is one of several cards with horse artwork, demonstrating her early love for the animals.

A charming collection of hand-drawn Christmas cards by a young Queen Elizabeth II have emerged for sale for 12,000

The card were given to Princess Elizabeth (pictured middle) and Princess Margaret 's (pictured right) childhood tutor Marion Crawford, who they affectionately called 'Crawfie' (pictured left)

Another card depicts an idyllic snow-kissed rural village, and another shows a young woman holding a Christmas pudding.

Elizabeth drew some of the cards and neatly coloured in others.

The collection of cards and photos, split into 17 lots, were left by Crawford to her solicitor in Aberdeen, following her death.

They are going under the hammer four decades on at London-based auctioneers Spink & Son.

A Spink and Son spokesperson said: 'The cards show the close, trusting and intimate relationship between the Princesses and their governess, calling her by her nickname 'Crawfie'.

'Very few original items written by them to her have been available on the collectors market until these cards appeared.'

This is one of several cards with horse artwork, demonstrating her early love for the animals

The collection included a card with a picture of Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and King George VI

The princess created the festive correspondence throughout the 1930s from the age of about six onwards

Princess Elizabeth signed the wholesome Christmas card with her nickname Lilibet

Crawford served in the Royal household from 1932 to 1947. But she reportedly fell out of favour with the Royals after releasing the book 'The Little Princesses', which told the story of her time with the Royals, in 1950.

Neither the Queen nor any other member of the Royal Family are said to have spoken to her again. She died in 1988 aged 78 in Aberdeen.

When she died a lonely widow neither the Queen, the Queen Mother nor Princess Margaret sent a wreath to her funeral.

Yet for 17 years Crawfie occupied a unique position in the lives of the three women.

It was this unsophisticated Scottish lassie who guided the young Princesses through the trauma of the abdication of their uncle, their father's accession to the throne and the terrors of World War II when she took refuge with them in the Windsor Castle dungeons as Luftwaffe bombers roared overhead.

A card from Princess Margaret showed a charming scene of two young children feeding the birds

Another card from Princess Margaret said 'from your very grateful pupil Margaret

Another Christmas card showed a snowy river scene from Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

Another card depicts an idyllic snow-kissed rural village, and another shows a young woman holding a Christmas pudding

A card with a photograph of Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Princess Margaret

Another sweet card showed a woman holding a pie which was given to 'Crawfie from Lilibet and Margaret

This card depicts an idyllic snow-kissed rural village and is signed by Lilibet

A sweet Christmas card from Princess Margaret to her tutor Marion Crawford

She was there when Elizabeth met Philip at Dartmouth Naval College and was among the very first visitors when the Princess gave birth to Prince Charles who, at four days old, she described as 'healthy and strong, and beautifully made, with a flawless, silky skin'.

Yet at the end of her service, the royals cut her off. She committed the unpardonable sin of writing a memoir  one, it must be said, of such syrupy affection and gentleness that it borders on the sycophantic.

But Crawfie was never forgiven for her book and, for generations, 'doing a Crawfie' became royal shorthand for an indiscretion or peddling tittle-tattle.

After her death in 1988 it was reported that she had bequeathed to the Queen her collection of mementos from those years of royal duty  she had always refused to sell them.

A card with a photograph of Princess Elizabeth recording a wartime message

The newly unearthed treasure trove offers a fascinating glimpse into a unique world of the royal servant (Pictured: Princess Elizabeth, centre, walking her dog in Hyde Park, accompanied by Crawfie, left, in 1936)

This treasure trove was said to contain photographs of the Princesses in the royal nursery, birthday and Christmas cards from both girls, as well as letters from the then Queen.

But we can reveal she did not part with everything. In her will she left the contents of her detached home to the family of her lawyer, George Smith, whose wife and three children visited her regularly after she moved into a nursing home.

Among the fragments of her life found by the Smiths was a box containing a number of hand-made Christmas cards lovingly inscribed from Elizabeth and Margaret to the tutor they adored, along with some more formal greetings cards.

Now this remarkable correspondence, which says so much about the intimacy which bound the stepdaughter of a sanitary engineer with her royal charges, is to be sold by London auctioneers Spink. The sale takes place on Thursday 26 October.
A plastic surgery fanatic has revealed she won't hit the brakes on her lip filler, regardless of what online haters have to say.

Vienna Wurstel, who lives in Mallorca, Spain, calls herself 'plastic fantastic', whilst boasting 30ml of filler in her pout.

The influencer leaves internet users baffled by showing off her huge lips to her 24,000 followers on TikTok.

Despite her enormous lip size and online trolls, Vienna still dreams of going even bigger with her pout.

Vienna Wurstel (pictured) already has an estimated 30ml, but she getting her pout even larger his her 'biggest dream'

In a TikTok video, Vienna explained: 'Last time I had 3CC [3ml], the one before I had 7CC [7ml], the time before that, I had 7CC [7ml]'

She added: 'I think there is around 30CC [30ml] currently still in my lips and I hope I can have more in the future'

But the content creator will not be deterred from making her lips larger, even if haters compare her to a duck.

'I really really wish for even bigger lips and I can't wait for that,' said the TikToker, adding: 'It's like my biggest dream right now.'

However, some onlookers were concerned, questioning the safety of Vienna's plastic surgery procedures.

But the blonde beauty was steadfast that her large amounts of filler are safe, replying: 'Yes, because all my plastic surgeons I go to are highly qualified.

'If they weren't highly qualified, they couldn't reach the sizes on my face, so yes, I'm safe.'

Despite flaunting her pout, Vienna - who describes herself as 'more lips than human - divulged that drinking is sometimes a challenge.

Whilst eating a sweet treat, the plastic surgery fan said in another clip: 'Eating goes quite well, if you eat something soft.

The blonde bombshell is adamant it is safe for her to undergo more cosmetic procedures on her lips as she claims her plastic surgeons are 'highly qualified'. The German speaker struggles to drink without dribbling because of her pout

'It can be quite difficult, but drinking is [harder] than that.'

Whilst drinking a glass of water, she showcased how drops of liquids fall out of her large lips.

Vienna stated: 'But I have to be honest, I could now play the 'huge lips, I'm so disabled [due to] my lips', but I have these lips and I had to adapt to the changing world I have.

'I'm getting better with every practice.'

If you are having any type of dermal fillers you should visit an experienced and qualified practitioner, the NHS says.

They suggest to avoid any beauty practitioners who are not registered and have only completed a short training course.

London-based Dr Tijion Esho, star of Netflix's Body Fixers, told Femail that he has seen a rise in corrective procedures to amend problems caused by other practitioners.

'I'm currently seeing that at least a third of my work is corrective. I see five to seven patients a day who need me to salvage work they've had done elsewhere.'

Unveiling the most common issue with lip filler failures Dr Esho said women mainly regret having the procedure, have overfilled lips, or experience other complications.

She isn't short on trolls either flocking the comments, with some questioning if a filter is making her lips appear so huge

Dr Esho stressed: 'l say it time and time again - people need to research and be more careful when having fillers.'

One video of the filler fan and her enormous pout has also quickly racked up over 2.3 million views.

Many people took to the comments to poke fun at the blonde bombshell, with one person asking: 'What have you done?'

Another queried: 'That's not real, is it? Is that a filter? I'm completely shocked?'

One jibbed: 'I thought at first...she was using a filter.' while a user jibbed: 'What is she saying?'
Weekends used to be blissfully selfish. Maybe a lie-in until 10am, a spontaneous trip to fashion outlet Bicester Village to indulge my weakness for discounted Chloe, maybe stop for a cocktail on the way home.

Now, though, I have a three-year-old daughter and a three-month-old baby girl and we end up at the park every single Saturday.

It takes approximately one-and-a-half hours to get two small people ready, and the toddler always insists on going on her scooter, inevitably abandoning it after two minutes. Meanwhile, I'm carrying the baby, who refuses to luxuriate in her cosy pram. When we finally reach the park, there is a distinct lack of a) cocktails and b) Chloe.

If I am brutally honest, the monotony can feel utterly overwhelming. The complete dependence, the obvious restrictions, the seemingly endless list of seemingly thankless tasks. And the fact you're doing it all under the weight of the level of exhaustion that comes from accumulative sleepless nights.

I feel these things - and then I feel guilty for feeling them.

SOPHIE BERESINER: If I am brutally honest, the monotony can feel utterly overwhelming. The complete dependence, the obvious restrictions, the seemingly endless list of seemingly thankless tasks. And the fact you're doing it all under the weight of the level of exhaustion that comes from accumulative sleepless nights

I'm certainly not the first mother to bemoan her day-to-day reality. The difference, though, is that both of my children are the very, very happy ending to an almost decade-long struggle to make my family complete.

My motherhood 'journey' involved three continents and 32 donor eggs from three different, very generous women.

Ten embryos came from those eggs, leading to five unsuccessful embryo transfers for me, and then four more to three different surrogates, two of which finally worked, when it all seemed as though it never would. The fact that my children were both born via surrogacy means they take up an extra-special place in my heart, I think.

In fact, why am I spending precious time writing this article when I could be gazing at the miracle of my babies, cherishing every single moment with the full force of gratitude that they, and my struggle-to-motherhood, deserves?

I can imagine that my admitting to finding motherhood gruelling at times might raise some hackles. Particularly among those who are still opposed to the practice of volunteering to carry and give birth to a child for someone who cannot.

Indeed, I expected, as did my husband, that I would adore every precious second of childcare because I had longed for it so much.

We even discussed it. Somehow we would avoid feeling the ordinary challenges of parenthood because of how we went to hell and back to get there. But, as I've learned, none of what I feel is what I would ever have expected.

Because, regardless of the circumstances of a child's birth, the ups and downs of parenthood are universal. Intermixed with the same profound joys is the same boredom, the same frustration, the same loss of personal space and more varied mental stimulation.

I suspect every expectant mother idealises motherhood. The freshly bathed, sweet-smelling parts. The first giggles and long eyelashes, and both of you falling asleep tucked up in each other's arms, and everything else we are taught to expect by collective popular culture.

I also suspect this idealisation intensifies the longer your path to parenthood takes. Certainly for me, I had many years of intermittently wishing, then desperately hoping, then mourning the loss of that imagined experience. So when it finally came, I was sure I would always be grateful for every single moment. That, I know now, was wholly unrealistic.

When my second 'miracle' baby is crying for a feed at 3am and I know I'll need to sacrifice my own recovery nap the next day to entertain my toddler, I again realise that parenting - for anyone, no matter how they got there - can feel tedious, tiring and, sometimes, even quite terrible.

Needless to say, I didn't ever imagine this shape of family for myself. I certainly didn't expect to start my 30s battling breast cancer, rediscovering who I was out the other side - the scarred, braver, somewhat damaged, mortality-aware version of myself - and then facing infertility.

In 2015, five years after my initial cancer diagnosis, and halfway into remission, it was deemed 'safe' for me, then 35, to try to have a baby. I'd had chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a mastectomy and then years of hormone-suppressing drug therapy, but I was granted a one-year break to try to conceive. At this point there was no suggestion that we would have any difficulty doing so.

SOPHIE BERESINER: When my second 'miracle' baby is crying for a feed at 3am and I know I'll need to sacrifice my own recovery nap the next day to entertain my toddler, I again realise that parenting - for anyone, no matter how they got there - can feel tedious, tiring and, sometimes, even quite terrible

Because of the strict time limit, my husband and I opted for IVF to try to give ourselves the best possible chance. I had been reassured that, owing to my age and general health beyond the cancer, chemotherapy was very unlikely to have affected my fertility. This, sadly, turned out to be utterly incorrect.

It was then that I discovered I had absolutely no ovarian function whatsoever, and the bottom fell out of my world once again. Because of the neglect of the medical team appointed to me, I hadn't been given the opportunity to freeze my eggs before treatment, as is common practice with young cancer patients. Today, however, I wonder if I would have been too scared to delay treatment in order to freeze my eggs first anyway.

Five failed rounds of IVF with donor eggs followed before we admitted defeat and I restarted my cancer medication. By then nearly 37, I already felt 'too old' to start the family I had imagined would be complete by now. It was devastating - but it felt impossible to give up on our dream of children entirely, to reconcile the waste of such huge emotional and financial investment.

With every failed IVF cycle, I knew surrogacy would be the 'back-up' plan I didn't want to resort to. It felt so impossible - all the people involved unimaginable - and so far from the pregnancy experience I had wanted for myself. Yet we were extremely fortunate to be able to embark on a surrogacy story that was intensely complex and challenging but, thankfully, ultimately successful.

We took our doctor's advice and went to the U.S. to be supported by the established and highly regulated process and laws to protect both surrogates and intended parents.

We were matched with three potential American surrogates with no ultimate success until we came home and met Rebecca, a British woman who had contacted me on Instagram to say she would love to help us. It was our eighth attempt, our last available embryo, and I felt hopeless. We knew we couldn't go on trying and failing for ever. But then boom! Our first daughter was born in 2020.

Only when she had been safely delivered did we allow ourselves to believe it, and then we were ecstatic.

'I think it might take me a little bit of time to understand that she's mine,' I said. But, honestly, by the next morning it felt obvious.

However, it is certainly true that a difficult or alternative journey to becoming a parent can make it uncomfortable to admit to the tough times. Initially, I didn't talk about the fact that not every moment with my children has been delightful.

During lockdown, I did some awkward, socially-distanced NCT follow-ups that naturally evolved into opportunities to share and commiserate about the tougher moments of being a mother - but it was their shared experience that had brought these women together.

SOPHIE BERESINER: Like every mother who ever was, no matter how she got there, this is my reward for all my efforts. It's as monotonous and ordinary and normal as it gets and, to be honest, I couldn't be happier about that

For someone who couldn't hope to relate to a pregnancy, or commiserate about the physical experience of childbirth or breastfeeding, it didn't feel like the safest environment to share my own feelings of discontent and uncertainty, my sometimes ridiculous levels of self-consciousness.

No mother ever truly knows what she's doing, I know, but as the mother of surrogate babies I worry that I'm viewed with additional scrutiny.

If I fluster over a nappy, will people think I don't understand my baby? If I make her cry, is it because we aren't bonding right? In those early days of lockdown after my elder daughter's birth, as much as I was dying for her grandparents to meet her, I was grateful that I could learn how to burp her confidently before my mum saw me doing it. Yes, even my mum.

I needed to find people who would understand my struggle - that delicate discordance of gratitude for having a miracle child, but also feeling stressed about the ordinary pitfalls of parenthood.

Meanwhile, it took almost a year before we had completed the parental order court process and were her legal parents. In the UK, the law states that until then the surrogate is the mother and, if married, her husband the father.

This caused a fair amount of confusion for the health visitors who had me recorded as 'foster parent of Rebecca's baby'. It stung, but I forced myself to apologise for the complex nature of my motherhood and explain it all over again for the 100th time since her birth.

A few short months after we got the official birth certificate back with my husband and I named as Mother and Father, I returned to work as the global head of content at Liberty.

Juggling motherhood and getting my career back on track was as difficult as I had imagined, but I found it made both parts of my life more fulfilling.

The after-work family time was a beautiful contrast to my hectic but stimulating day in the office. It was the balance I had been missing, but I was not immune to the dread of the caller ID flashing up 'Nursery' in the middle of a work meeting. I tell myself - and know in my heart - that it is normal to bemoan a lack of childcare, as well as the lingering societal expectation that it is the mother who drops her work to tend to home life. Therefore, it is OK to feel annoyance at having my hand forced to go to the rescue of my beloved child.

But that's certainly not everyone's take on it. 'Why would she go to so much effort to have a child and then shove it in nursery for someone else to bring up?' wrote one reader in response to a piece I had written about my struggle to have a family.

I know this counts as trolling - the suggestion that nursery equates to maternal abandonment is obviously ridiculous.

Still, there is an underlying validity to the (extremist) point of view that I can't discount entirely. Namely, if I feel overwhelmed, or disgruntled, or even upset at the thought of missing my plans or my work to look after my daughter when she comes home ill, then am I being unfair on my child? Or unfair on myself?

The bigger question here, though, is whether that quandary is any different if you stick 'longed for' in between 'my' and 'child'.

In a word, no. I really don't think parenting a surrogate child - or one born via IVF, adopted or fostered, for that matter - feels somehow 'easier' because of it.

Two years later, like many parents, we decided to try for another child, despite the shock and awe of bringing up the first, which in our case meant starting the surrogacy process again. This time we went through My Surrogacy Journey - a not-for-profit organisation in the UK.

It was a whirlwind experience that (miraculously) worked first time. That came with yet more guilt - that it was less of a focus because it was easier, and we had a three-year-old to occupy every spare moment.

Now, seeing our two girls together, I know it has been worth every minute of this epic journey. Because, even when I'm struggling to conquer tantrums or getting up every half hour to help each child intermittently, one thing I've never felt is regret.

We are undoubtedly, profoundly lucky - despite all the bad luck that set us on this path. And I'm choosing to share my experience of surrogacy, and the day-to-day realities thereafter, because I am proud of how our family was made.

In recent years, I have gained much comfort from the readers of my Substack newsletter, The Mother Project, people who understand that parenthood is complicated. Who understand that my difficult experiences shaped me as a person, and I can carry them with immense gratitude while still dreading the monotony of relentlessly negotiating with a three-year-old to please get into bed before the baby kicks off.

Like every mother who ever was, no matter how she got there, this is my reward for all my efforts.

It's as monotonous and ordinary and normal as it gets and, to be honest, I couldn't be happier about that.

The Mother Project is at sophieberesiner.substack.com
1st Round of Cybercenturion X

Minster Feetham last week visited the Gibraltar Digital Skills Academy where school students from Bayside, Westside and Prior Park are competing in the 1st round of CyberCenturion X.

CyberCenturion is a national cyber education initiative for 12-18 year-olds in the UK and UK overseas territories. The program is designed to excite, educate and motivate students to pursue further education and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and cybersecurity, which helps to build a diverse talent pool to supply the UKs workforce needs.

Its objective is to deliver an inspirational competitive education experience, which provides:

 practical learning about cyber in the real world

 development of technical and employability skills that are useful in any industry

 motivation to pursue Cyber/STEM subjects and careers

The competition consists of students having to configure and secure two Linux based operating systems. Linux administrators are a well sought skill set within the technology sector and such competitions help to expose and upskill students.

There are 5 local teams competing in the competition comprised of 16 students, most of which are girls. The students have been attending weekly training sessions, which are delivered by industry professionals. The Head of School (Cyber) at the Academy is Mr J Cruz, who has been spearheading the initiative and leading the sessions.
When my husband and I announced we were going to drive to Italy in our electric car, no one  from my e-biking father to my Just Stop Oil protesting daughter  thought that it was a good idea.

Friends in Italy told us gloomily that charging stations were scarce as Italians are 'waiting for hydrogen cars' and when I posted our decision on Instagram, it generated its very own doom scroll of responses, suggesting we were at best optimistic, at worst insane.

We bought our electric vehicle (EV) about 18 months ago, an Audi Etron. Its range is around 200 miles, if you turn off the air conditioning. The furthest we had travelled was Dorset, which is about 140 miles from our home in London.

But having had two flights cancelled after waiting 12 hours at Gatwick, and being bumped off planes, I decided that whatever lay ahead, it could not be worse than sleeping on an airport bench, or the airline losing the suitcase that contained the outfit I was wearing to a wedding the following day.

Marcus, my husband of 31 years, who suffers quite badly from 'range anxiety', was less confident, but then I reminded him that, before we had kids, we used to drive across Europe quite often.

Power trip: Daisy Goodwin who, along with husband Marcus, tackled the charging points of Europe on their travels

We agreed it was time we had an adventure, and I booked us on the Eurotunnel Shuttle.

Owning an electric car is a bit like being a new parent. Spontaneity is a thing of the past. Every trip has to be planned with meticulous precision.

In the old days, we would just set off with half a tank of petrol and a dog-eared map of Europe. Now, as empty-nesters, we were setting off with a fully-charged battery (which should last for 226 miles), a satnav and about five apps which promised to give us the location of every charging station between Isleworth and Istanbul.

In theory at least, it looked as though we could make it to our destination, a small town in southern Tuscany, in a couple of days.

We drove through South London on our way to Folkestone with plenty of time in hand to charge while waiting for the Shuttle. Sadly, when we got to Folkestone we realised this was Elon Musk's world. The only chargers in the car park were for Tesla drivers.

Don't get me wrong, some of my best friends are Tesla drivers, but I think everyone deserves the right to charge.

Still, we had enough miles to take us into northern France and, as Marcus said, 'If we can't find a charger we still have enough miles to come back.'

As we boarded the train we had a comfortable 170 miles on the battery, thanks to my sedate driving habits. But imagine our surprise when we turned on the engine in France, to discover we had mysteriously lost 50 miles.

Daisy Goodwin details her and her husband Marcus's journey to Italy in an electric car. Both pictured in November

The trick is to see these forced stops as a blessing

Again we felt like new parents. What could be wrong with our precious, German-engineered baby? I am still not sure, although someone on my Instagram feed suggested the train had tampered with our charge field. It all sounds a bit Star Trek but worth bearing in mind if you are planning to venture across the Channel.

The loss of charge meant an argument about the air conditioning. Running it reduces the range by about 40 miles. I felt this was a price worth paying as it was a stifling 32 degrees. Mr Range Anxiety thought it would be safer to sweat.

Fortunately, I identified a possible charging station coming up on the Autoroute des Anglais. In the spirit of compromise, I agreed to swelter until we had tried it out, 'so we can still go home if we have to'.

There were no fewer than four fast chargers at the service station, and after about 15 minutes and a lot of fiddling with plugs and sockets we managed to get to the magic green light that signalled our car was charging. The intense relief was akin to that feeling of seeing a colicky baby finally fall asleep.

When I signed up to the Chargemap app  which works out exactly how long a journey will take including the charging, detailing where to stop and whether the chargers are free and working  it sent me a plastic card called an RFID (radio frequency identification device).

This tells the charging station who you are and how you will pay. Ten minutes after you finish, the network sends an email noting how much you have spent  30 euros in this case.

The RFID network is more reliable than a phone signal so it is essential to have one of these cards before you set off.

Even if they don't seem to work at first, we found that with patience and perserverance, most charging stations will release their precious power in the end.

I am convinced that the gentle way in which I stroked the card across the electronic portal was the secret of my success. Marcus was not so sure.

Charging the battery during our first French stop took 37 minutes. This is the downside of EV motoring. Depending on your range and driving style, you are going to have to stop every two or so hours for a good 40 minutes.

The trick is to see these forced stops as a blessing in disguise. My husband, who finds that driving aggravates his frozen shoulder, discovered the enforced rest prevented it from becoming quite so bad.

At one service stop in France we found they had installed an outdoor gym. This is a genius idea.

During the 30-odd minutes it took to charge the car I started to try out some of the machines but soon realised they were beyond me  sit-ups, yes; chin-ups, no way.

Perhaps enterprising service station owners will put in some Pilates machines by the charging points or, better still, a blow-dry bar or a beauty salon. Then I could drive to Italy and emerge looking like Gwyneth Paltrow.

At the hotel, the charger was only for Teslas

Two charges later, we decided to stop for the night in Troyes, a medieval town in central France, choosing our hotel because it advertised an EV charger, only to find it was for Teslas only (again).

My husband swore. I got on the app and found a fast charger in a nearby Lidl car park, where we went the next morning.

I spent a happy half hour wondering if I should buy an inflatable paddleboard from the infamous middle aisle.

We had hoped to reach Italy by the second night but we hadn't factored in the two-hour queue to get into the Mont Blanc tunnel, so we decided to spend the night in Chamonix, a ski resort at the bottom of the famous mountain.

This time, we found a hotel with a working charger and we had a lovely evening, secure in the knowledge we would be leaving the next day with a full charge. We left at dawn and had a spectacular drive through the Alps to Italy.

We stopped a couple of times to charge and found that most service stations had a phalanx of empty chargers which worked.

There are no gyms in the Italian Autogrills motorway stops, but the coffee is decidedly superior. As is the price.

The stop at Lidl in Troyes using a fast, 150W charger cost 15 euros (13), but the same charge at an Italian service station on the Autostrada del Sole cost double, at 30 euros (26).

It's hard to know in advance what power is going to cost, but, as a rule, chargers off the motorway are cheaper, and the slower the charger the less it costs.

By late afternoon we, as the satnav put it, had 'arrived at our destination'. It had taken longer than expected: we left London at about 10am on Thursday and arrived in Tuscany at teatime on Saturday, but, much to my husband's surprise, the journey had been relatively trouble-free.

Yes, there had been a few challenging moments trying to figure out the foibles of the many different chargers  and you definitely need an umbrella, because charging stations, unlike petrol pumps, are usually roofless.

It is no fun trying to work your RFID magic in the pouring rain. But overall it had been fun. On the return trip last week, it rained continually. We discovered that when I drive at a ladylike 65mph, we can go much longer between charges, thanks to strategic regenerative braking, but when my husband drives at his usual speed we have to stop more frequently.

He claims it makes no difference, I beg to differ.

We also fight about when we should charge  he likes to have 80 miles of range, I feel comfortable with less.

The lowest moment on the way home was when we stopped in Turin to find every charger full. I pointed out it was no fun arriving in a strange city at midnight.

Marcus felt that if we had stopped at a motorway charger we would be fine now, muttering something about wishing he was in a Mondeo.

I chose not to hear.

He might have even said it again when our Chargemap card failed to work its magic on the charger we finally found in surburban Turin, but luckily I had another app which so far had been useless but chose this moment to work. Not that I got any thanks.

It really isn't easy being green.

Our electric car fills the gap left by the children

Cost-wise, the charging on the way was 244 euros and slightly more, around 300 euros, on the way back  which is about half the price of driving the equivalent fossil fuel Audi.

I wondered what it would have been like if we had had young children, and I actually think it would work, because having to stop every two hours means that no one is whining in the back desperate for a wee.

Despite all the gloomy predictions, the drive had been surprisingly pleasurable.

Our Audi EV is by far and away the most comfortable car I have ever owned, and I found all the stopping was actually stimulating; it turned our trip into an experience, rather than a soulless rushing from A to B.

Marcus and I got to have those endless, open-ended conversations that you can only really have in cars, and we learnt to tolerate our respective attitudes towards range anxiety.

I turned off the AC, and Marcus began to trust me when I said we would easily make the next charging station in 15 miles.

Dare I say it, but our EV does something to fill the gap left by the children leaving home, as there is always something to talk  and argue  about.

Of course, electric cars are expensive now, but the price will come down over time and the range anxiety will lessen as technology improves and charging times get shorter.

Perhaps Elon Musk will realise eventually that letting other EV drivers use his network is the right thing to do.

And let's hope someone invents a combined dating and charging app which will make stopping to recharge at a service station a great deal more electric.

While, for long-married midlifers like us, there is the consolation that travelling is once again about the journey, not the destination.
SAVANE, 26

Vital statistics

Single, with no children.

Current role

Dance teacher and waitress.

Would like to meet

Someone independent and ambitious, but who still wants to have a good time and travel together.

Savane would like to meet someone independent and ambitious, but who still wants to have a good time and travel together

Dating past?

Ive been single for more than a year and a half. Before that I had three two-year relationships back-to-back. So this is really my first proper date as an adult and not a teenager. I hoped it would be a confidence boost.

Pre-date nerves?

Not really. The fact that I didnt know what to expect actually made me more relaxed about it.

First impressions?

He walked in and straightaway I thought: Heres a man who loves his fashion. I loved that about him. Hed made a real effort and thats important for first impressions.

He was well dressed in a waistcoat and trousers, and was so polite when he approached the table. I thought he was really attractive too. Good-looking, tall, with a nice smile.

Easy to talk to?

We had lots to talk about - we both like Afrobeats music and subscribe to many of the same YouTube channels as were obsessed with true crime stories.

But the coincidences didnt stop there. We share a love of London but had both just returned from trips to Vienna. We even ordered the same dish: vegan curry, even though neither of us are vegan!

Embarrassing moments?

Occasionally there was the odd silence when a conversation petered out, but wed soon start talking again, so it didnt feel too awkward.

Did sparks fly?

Although hes attractive, I didnt feel anything romantic towards him and Im sure he felt the same about me. I got the impression early on that were not right for each other.

Clinton has very traditional ideas of wanting to settle down - and thats great for him - but Im much more independent so I knew we wouldnt be a match.

See him again?

No, we want very different things from life. That didnt stop us having a lovely time on our first date, but it would probably rule out a second.

What do you think he thought of you?

I think hell say exactly the same as me - that we had a lovely time and it was great to meet someone new and interesting, but were not compatible in terms of dating one another.

Would your family like him?

Yes, theyd like him, but theyd notice immediately that he was quite different to all the other boyfriends Ive had. Hes such a traditionalist, whereas Ive always gone for men who are independent.

Clinton, 28

Vital statistics

Single, no children.

Current role

Healthcare support worker.

Would like to meet

I love girls who are open-minded, respectful and humble. Ideally shed be a Christian, like me.

Clinton would like to meet girls who are open-minded, respectful and humble. Ideally shed be a Christian, like him

Dating past?

Ive never been in a relationship and, at 28, I feel like Ive been single for too long. But I dont just want to settle for anyone casually - I want a partner for life.

Pre-date nerves?

Ive never been on a blind date before but I wasnt too nervous. I was looking forward to it and simply hoped shed be friendly and shorter than me - not too big an ask since I am 6ft.

First impressions?

She looked amazing. I loved her haircut and her nails were gorgeous. When I went over to the table, we both smiled and said hello.

I didnt shake her hand or lean in for a kiss as I didnt want to make her feel uncomfortable.

Easy to talk to?

Yes, we had loads to talk about. I was amazed to find out she likes the same Afrobeats artists as me and were into the same documentaries too. We also both love Game Of Thrones. We had a lot in common.

Embarrassing moments?

No, none at all.

Did sparks fly?

Sadly, no. Shes physically gorgeous and a lovely person to speak to, but I think we both felt the same - there was no spark of interest.

She told me she doesnt want to settle down, but I am really looking to find someone, settle down and have children; Id like to have two biologically and then adopt two.

Then Id love to raise my family in Japan! Its not somewhere Ive ever been, but I have an urge to move there, despite how strange that sounds.

I dont think Savane would ever be on board with that dream though, and even if she was, one thing that would put me off is that shes not religious, while I have a strong faith.

But she was genuinely lovely and had a real sense of fun.

See her again?

To be honest, I dont think so. We both have different goals in life when it comes to relationships.

We caught the same train home and chatted amiably throughout the journey. But as we parted, we simply shook hands and wished each other the best, without swapping numbers.

What do you think she thought of you?

I think she enjoyed the date but, like me, she knew it wasnt going anywhere.

Would your family like her?

As long as she made me happy, they would be happy too.

Savanes verdict:

8/10

Liked?

The conversation - we chatted easily.

Regrets?

No.

Coffee or cab?

Cab.

Clintons verdict:

8/10

Liked?

We had a real laugh together.

Regrets?

None.

Coffee or cab?

Cab.
Australian foodies are being treated to a limited collaboration between two of their favourite treat makers: Ben & Jerry's and Tony's Chocoloney.

The chocolate and ice-cream giants have combined to come up with a Tony's Chocoloney themed tub less than six months after the brand took Aussie supermarket aisles by storm.

In May the chocolate, which is from the Netherlands, hit the shelves of Woolworths and Coles - becoming an instant hit.

The companies have also vowed to help end child labour in the chocolate industry - as part of their unique partnership.

Australian foodies are being treated to a limited collaboration between two of their favourite treat makers: Ben & Jerry's and Tony's Chocoloney

There will also be two 'Ben & Jerry's' themed chocolate blocks available as part of the collaboration.

The ice-cream, dubbed Chocolatey Love A-Fair is based on Tony's popular milk caramel sea salt bar

The two new Tony's bars inspired by Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream flavours. It's love at first bite.

The new range is available across the country from today.

The Ben & Jerry's team revealed the beans used to make the brand-new chocolatey treats are sourced through Tony's Open Chain which helps companies take steps to end modern slavery and child labour in the chocolate industry.

Ben & Jerry's will also begin transitioning their ice cream portfolio to Tony's Open Chain, prioritising the cocoa in their ice cream base mix.

The new range is available Australia wide

'As one of the world's leading ice cream brands, we are not resting on our laurels and have been looking at ways to tackle issues plaguing the global cocoa supply chain.

'Ben & Jerry's is proud to be driving change through various initiatives we've launched over the years, including joining hands with Tony's Chocolonely to support their mission in ending modern slavery in the chocolate industry,' said Ben & Jerry's Australia and New Zealand Country Manager Sean Farrell.

'We are thrilled to bring this to Australian shores and think our fans will not only love our new Chocolatey Love A-Fair ice cream, but support the meaning behind the partnership too.'

The chocolate bar made a huge splash when it entered the already saturated Australian market.

It was already hugely popular throughout Europe, with many Australians having heard the hype online.

'This is the best chocolate I've ever eaten,' Melbourne-based reviewer AngeEats said.

Scroll down for video

Australian foodies have gone wild for a new European chocolate brand that has launched Down Under

Coles offers four different flavours of the chocolate across 200 Australian stores.

While Woolworth's has seven different flavours available across 180 stores.

The chocolate bar was first launched 13 years ago in the Netherlands, by investigative journalist Teun Van der Keuken.

Teun - also known as Tony - discovered that illegal child labour and modern slavery are still commonplace in cocoa farms in West Africa.

From this investigation, he decided to create the ethical chocolate brand.

Tony's Chocolonely, has been dubbed the 'best chocolate in the world', by Aussies who have rushed to supermarkets to grab an $8 bar. 'This is the best chocolate I've ever eaten,' Melbourne-based reviewer AngeEats (right) said

After launching in Down Under, Aussie fans have taken to social media to brand it the 'nicest chocolate ever' and '10 times better than Cadbury'.

'One of the best chocolates out,' wrote one person.

'So much better than any Australian chocolate,' commented another.

'Love this chocolate. Every time I've been to Europe the last few years I bring back a few bars,' said a third.

Coles are selling the chocolate for $8 for a 180g bar

However, others were concerned about the price tag.

'I enjoyed this chocolate, but will buy when it's on sale,' said one.

'It's really good but not worth the price,' added another.

'If I spend $8 and it's not the best tasting chocolate that I've ever tried,' commented a third.

The chocolate has a higher price point due to keeping a slave-free chocolate chain.
Paris Hilton hit out against cruel trolls this week who mocked her baby son's 'deformed' head and likened him to Family Guys Stewie.

Other, ostensibly concerned, fans urged the socialite to take nine-month-old Phoenix to see a neurologist for a brain scan.

But babies with big heads are not uncommon. Roughly one in 50 babies are born with macrocephaly, a scary-sounding word that just means large head.

The vast majority of macrocephaly cases are harmless, but some could be the result of a more dangerous underlying cause, such as hydrocephalus, or excess fluid around the brain, which affects roughly one in 1,000 children.

Paris Hilton defended herself and her infant son from internet bullying by some who say baby Phoenix's head is abnormally large and could indicate a health problem

She said that Phoenix has seen a doctor, who would measure the infant's head as part of at least seven regular well visits during a child's first year of life. It is in these doctor visits that a potential problem could be noted

During their first year, babies typically see pediatricians for well visits seven times.

Each time, the doctor takes measurements of the babys head to spot potential neurological problems, meaning any potential warning signs would likely be identified by the experts by the time a baby like Phoenix reaches nine months old.

About two percent of babies have macrocephaly, defined as having a head circumference greater than two standard deviations above the average for gestational age and sex.

In simpler terms, it means the babys head is larger than 97 percent of other infants heads. Around half of all cases can be chalked up to big heads running in the babys family.

The pediatrician will measure the babys head circumference at every check-up until they reach three years of age.

If repeated measurements confirm macrocephaly, the doctor will then turn their attention to the parents, measuring their heads to determine whether the infants large cranium is a product of genetics.

If parents or other family members have large heads, the odds are greater that the babys head will be larger too.

But if genetics are ruled out, the doctor will typically order an ultrasound on the baby to see if there is any buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the brain, and potentially more tests such as MRIs and CT scans after that.

Fluid buildup inside the brain, or hydrocephalus, is a potentially deadly underlying cause of macrocephaly that could require surgery to fix.

Every persons brain and spinal cord within the central nervous system are surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid that acts as a shock-absorbing cushion to protect them against injury or sudden impact.

CSF is a liquid that flows in and around cavities in the brain known as ventricles, carrying away waste products to keep the central nervous system functioning.

When cerebrospinal fluid is unable to flow normally around the brain, potentially due to a tumor blocking its path, it builds up in those cavities, putting pressure on surrounding areas of the brain

Sometimes, the normal flow of CSF is obstructed, perhaps due to a tumor or a cyst, causing fluid to build up in the ventricles. This places pressure on the ventricles to expand, which then places pressure on other parts of the brain.

If pressure is not relieved, typically with the insertion of a shunt to divert excess fluid away from the brain, hydrocephalus can result in permanent brain damage, developmental delays, learning disabilities down the line, and an increased risk of epileptic seizures.

According to Ms Hilton, Phoenix is perfectly healthy, adding of course he has been to a doctor, he just has a large brain.'

Having a big brain does not necessarily translate to hyper-intelligence, though.

Macrocephaly could also indicate a potentially severe, similar-sounding problem  megalencephaly, which refers to an abnormally large brain.

Symptoms of megalencephaly include delayed development of motor skills and speech, intellectual disability, paralysis, seizures, coordination problems, and defects in muscle tone.

A brain tumor could also cause a babys head to grow rapidly and beyond what pediatricians deem normal for different age benchmarks. But brain tumors in babies are rare, occurring in only five of every 100,000 children.

In addition to having a strong familial link, macrocephaly has been tied to cases of autism spectrum disorder.

The strength of that link varies depending on the study, with some estimating that approximately 20 percent of people with autism also have large heads, while one puts that estimated portion of people at a much higher 35 percent.

A doctor cannot reliably diagnose a child with autism until they reach two years old, meaning any possible clinical diagnosis for Ms Hiltons son Phoenix would not come for at least another 15 months.

Ms Hilton added that hes about to crawl soon, which would put him neatly within the target age window for babies development milestones.
The next pandemic is 'very likely' to come from China because the country continues to perform risky virus manipulation tests, according to a top Senator.

DailyMail.com revealed this week Chinese virus hunters have been tinkering with novel pathogens which have a 'high probability' of infecting humans, despite concerns similar experiments led to the Covid outbreak.

In an exclusive interview with this website, Sen Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, said: 'It is worrisome that they [China] keep doing it, it's incredibly dangerous.'

On the risk of such research triggering another pandemic, Sen Paul said 'that's very likely', adding 'it wouldn't be the first time' - a reference to the Covid origin 'lab leak' theory.

Sen Paul - a onetime Presidential candidate - believes Covid was borne out of gain-of-function research that was bankrolled by the US taxpayer through Dr Anthony Fauci's former department, a theory the FBI and other government agencies now subscribe to.

Senator Rand Paul got in a heated exchange with Dr. Anthony Fauci at a hearing in July 2021 when he again pushed the nation's top immunologist on whether the U.S. funded gain of function research in Wuhan. Fauci responded with, 'You do not know what you are talking about'

Yet early in the pandemic, lab leak believers were branded 'conspiracy theorists' and accused of being xenophobic.

Sen Paul told DailyMail.com: 'I do think the veneer has broken down over time and I do think that as more and more evidence has come out and people realize that every other time we had a spread from animals [to people] they were able to find an animal reservoir.

'This time, they never could find [an animal reservoir] and they looked at 80,000 animals in China and never found it.

'Then, a lot of the scientific analysis of the virus... began coming forward and I think the debate has shifted.

'But it's still remarkable to me - not only Biden being slow on defunding Wuhan, or no longer funding it - we've yet to have one hearing in the Senate.

'There really hasn't been a willing partner or a curious Democrat to say, "hey, maybe this did came from the lab and it might happen again. So we should do something about it."'

The Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese lab suspected to be the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, has not received US money since 2020.

However, it has taken the Biden Administration three years to propose officially suspending its funding, despite numerous reports finding money was being sent overseas for dangerous research with very little oversight.

It's estimated the US has spent $100 million in the past decade funding research in China.

Sen Paul is also calling for Dr Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), to face prosecution for what he says amounted to lying under oath.

The Kentucky lawmaker was thrust into the spotlight of the Covid pandemic debate after his infamous spat with Dr Fauci over whether the doctor knew dangerous experiments were going on in Wuhan.

They found eight novel viruses, including one belonging to the same family as Covid

Between 2015 and 2023, at least seven US entities supplied NIH grant money to labs in China performing animal experiments, totaling $3,306,061

The ex White House doctor said at the time his former department 'has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.'

Gain-of-function research is medical research that genetically alters a virus to make it more deadly or infectious to try and get ahead of natural mutations that might occur.

But emails released in July dated Feb 1, 2020 reveal Dr Fauci acknowledged 'scientists in Wuhan University are known to have been working on gain-of-function experiments to determine that molecular mechanisms associated with bat viruses adapting to human infection, and the outbreak originated in Wuhan.'

While the emails show Dr Fauci was aware of gain-of-function research going on in the lab, he never admitted the NIH funded it.

As the former director, Dr Fauci was responsible for signing off on such research grants.

However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined in June the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan University did receive NIH funding, Sen Paul said in a July letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

In the letter, the senator called for an investigation into whether Dr Fauci lied under oath when he testified in front of a Senate committee in 2021.

Lying under oath is a federal offense that carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and earlier this month, Sen Paul said Dr Fauci 'without question' belongs in jail.

Shi Zhengli - dubbed the 'Bat Lady' or 'Bat Woman' for her work on bat coronaviruses - investigated the possibility Covid could have emerged from her lab in 2020, according to colleagues

The Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese lab suspected to be the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, has not received US money since 2020. However, it has taken the Biden Administration three years to propose officially suspending its funding

Sen Paul told DailyMail.com 'It's very difficult when you have an attorney general that's very partisan like Merrick Garland.

'I think he's really probably one of the most partisan attorney generals we've had and I don't expect he will prosecute Anthony Fauci, but I think it's important when someone does commit a crime that you summarize the crime, show the proof and evidence of it and forward it for prosecution.

'It's important in the public eye that we have a debate over the dishonesty of Anthony Fauci because I think this type of research [gain-of-function], if we don't address it, holds the great danger to us in the future.'

It is this lack of clarity and cooperation that drove the senator to write his book, Deception: The Great Covid Cover-up, in which he presents evidence that Covid was likely the result of gain-of-function research in China and that Dr Fauci knew about the virus' origins from day one and tried to cover it up.

Now, Sen Paul told DailyMail.com he would like to see something akin to an international treaty or a scientific committee that would oversee and regulate potentially dangerous research on viruses, but he stopped short of wanting to ban the research altogether.

'I think there is a lot of research where it is complicated and you would want scientists to help guide this,' Sen Paul said.

'If anyone is lying, it is you': Fauci tears into GOP Senator Rand Paul for saying he lied to Congress Dr Anthony Fauci lashed out at Senator Rand Paul during a Senate hearing as he accused the Kentucky Republican of being a 'liar' who 'doesn't know what you're talking about' when it comes to COVID origins and gain-of-function research. Advertisement

Legislation he is working on would establish a committee of scientists from across disciplines to review each individual research project. While there was a similar group in place in 2017, Sen Paul said it only reviewed a handful of projects presented to it by the Trump administration.

However, the government was carrying out dozens of gain-of-function research. This, the senator said, is 'one of our big complaints with Anthony Fauci.'

Sen Paul told DailyMail.com he believes Dr Fauci exempted research in Wuhan from review of the committee.

He added: 'The fact that it was never reviewed, I think, is in itself a crime and, at the very least, bad judgment.'

The senator said Dr Fauci failed to provide documents showing review of the Chinese experiments and trying to get information from federal health agencies has been troubling.

Sen Paul added: 'This is what sort of created the aura of this giant cover up. I believe the cover up extends into eight different agencies and hundreds of people.

'All of these different people involved in this conspiracy know they funded dangerous research in China. And now they're trying to hide it because they know that culpability for the pandemic was attached to them.

'So some of them may not know each other... but there are dozens, if not hundreds, of people throughout our government that were involved in funding this research over time, and they're all now trying to cover their tracks.'
Sepsis is still claiming too many lives as hospitals are making the same mistakes as a decade ago, the health ombudsman has warned.

Rob Behrens said there had been some progress on diagnosis and treatment since his office published its landmark Time to Act report in 2013.

But his investigations have revealed some lessons have still not been learnt and repeated mistakes are costing lives.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment, poor communication and record-keeping, and missed opportunities for follow-up care are among the failures found.

A new report by the ombudsman  Spotlight on Sepsis: Your Stories, Your Rights  concludes 'significant improvements are urgently needed to avoid more fatalities'.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment, poor communication and record-keeping, and missed opportunities for follow-up care are among the failures found

It says there are many tragic cases where patients have died but the outcome could have been different if they, or their families, had been listened to.

According to the UK Sepsis Trust, about 48,000 deaths are attributed to sepsis each year.

Sepsis, known as the 'silent killer', strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.

If caught early, the infection can be controlled by antibiotics before the body goes into overdrive.

But early symptoms can be easily confused with more mild conditions, meaning it is difficult to diagnose.

And a patient can rapidly deteriorate, so quick diagnosis and treatment is vital.

The Mail's End the Sepsis Scandal campaign helped to raise awareness of symptoms, in an attempt to reduce the number of missed cases.

It led to the publication of NHS quality standards for sepsis, but the new report reveals there is still some way to go.

Sepsis, known as the 'silent killer', strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs

Mr Behrens said: 'It frustrates and saddens me that the same mistakes we highlighted ten years ago are still occurring.

'The NHS needs to listen to patients and their families when they raise concerns. It needs to be sepsis-aware.'

Melissa Mead, whose one-year-old son William died from sepsis in 2014 after concerns were dismissed by doctors, peer-reviewed the report.

She said: 'I think this report, nine years on from William's death, really lays bare the incidences of sepsis cases.

'Too many lives are being lost in preventable circumstances.'

The Health Secretary has pledged to introduce 'Martha's rule' to give patients the right to a second opinion.

Steve Barclay made his pledge after meeting Merope Mills, whose daughter Martha, 13, developed sepsis and died after doctors failed to admit her to intensive care.
Only 12 per cent of women fully understand cervical screening and the vital testing that goes with it, a charity has warned.

Cancer Research UK research shows many women may be in the dark about the importance of checking for human papillomavirus (HPV).

The latter refers to a group of viruses that can be transmitted through sexual contact but do not cause issues in most people.

Results shows around 13 high-risk types of HPV cause 99.7 per cent of cervical cancers.

Under NHS screening, cervical samples taken during smear tests are examined for HPV.

Cancer Research UK research shows many women may be in the dark about the importance of checking for human papillomavirus (HPV)

If a high risk of this is found, checks will be run to look for cell changes.

If these are not apparent, women are invited back for cervical screening in a year. But if cell changes are discovered, women undergo further tests.

A poll by YouGov for Kings College London found only around one in eight could identify how HPV testing is used.

Overall, 14 per cent of women mentioned HPV as a risk factor for cervical cancer unprompted while 23 per cent of those who had heard of HPV were aware that most sexually active people will contract the virus at some point in their lives.

Professor Jo Waller, from Queen Mary University of London, said: While positive strides have been made to increase awareness, research reveals major gaps in understanding of approaches to screening.

Results shows around 13 high-risk types of HPV cause 99.7 per cent of cervical cancers

Improving awareness can help to reduce uncertainty and confusion about results. It will also help people understand reasoning behind any updates to the programme, such as changes to intervals between appointments.

There is a vaccine for HPV, given in schools, and experts believe it is on track to virtually eliminate cervical cancer.

Children will now receive a single dose when they are in school Year 8, age 12 to 13. In 2021-2022, 82.2 per cent of girls had had one dose by Year 9.

The study was published in the Journal of Medical Screening.
Patients in worst performing areas stay in hospital double the time on average

Patients face a life-threatening postcode lottery of ambulance response times in an emergency, a damning report by MPs warns.

The Public Accounts Committee found how quickly an ambulance will arrive depends too much on where the patient lives.

Its new report also says that not enough is being done to tackle hospital bed blocking, meaning there is not enough capacity for new arrivals.

MPs say the NHS has more money and staff than ever before but has failed to use it properly to improve access for patients in need of urgent care.

Performance in this area has fallen 'far below the standard the NHS says patients should expect and receive', members added, as they called for the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care to make improvements.

A report by MPs has shown that emergency ambulance response times vary greatly depending on where a patient lives (File Photo)

People in some parts of the country have to wait more than three minutes longer for an ambulance to arrive when they are facing a life-threatening emergency, the committee said.

It highlighted that in 2021/22, average ambulance response times for the most serious incidents - including cardiac arrests - varied from six minutes 51 seconds for the London Ambulance Service to 10 minutes 20 seconds for the South Western Ambulance Service.

There is also wide variation in how the NHS performs in sending patients home when they no longer need hospital care.

The length of stay in the worst performing areas for discharging medically fit patients is more than double that of the best performing areas, the report highlights.

The number of patients staying in hospital despite no longer needing to be there averaged 13,623 across the last quarter of 2022/23 - up from 12,118 during the same period in 2021/22.

Staying in hospital too long can hamper recovery and prevent patients who need operations and other care from being admitted.

The report blames problems discharging older patients from hospital into adult social care, delays in hospitals' own processes, transfers to NHS community settings, and the provision of short-term care packages, or nursing or residential care.

This last group can be forced to wait up to five weeks from when they are ready to leave hospital.

The MPs said: 'Not enough is being done to address the systemic issues with discharges that lie within the gift of the NHS and its hospitals, and which cannot be blamed on external factors.'

The NHS has not met targets for A&E waits since July 2015 and the time it takes for ambulance crews to hand over patients to doctors since November 2017.

'Against this background, we asked how effective the (health) department has been in holding NHS England to account for the declining performance,' the committee added.

It said investments in technology and infrastructure will be 'critical' to improving productivity, but the Department of Health and Social Care 'does not appear to have budgeted for any such investment'.

The new report also identified bed blocking as a critical issue, with patients from worst performing areas staying in hospital nearly double the time of those in well performing areas (File Photo)

Furthermore, NHS England's existing plans 'lack ambition given the scale of the issue at hand'.

The report also highlights very high levels of staff ill health and turnover rates, with the PAC left unconvinced by NHS England's approach to address workforce shortfalls.

NHSE hopes to retain 130,000 staff who would otherwise leave over the next 15 years, an aspiration which the PAC describes as 'highly doubtful'.

Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the cross-party PAC, said: 'Patients suffering long waits and hard-pressed staff working in a system which is not delivering deserve better.

'Excluding demand-led spending such as welfare payments, health takes up approximately 40 per cent of day-to-day budgeted spending by Whitehall departments.

'It is vital this is delivering benefits for patients.' Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England's national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said performance has since improved and staff are working hard to cope with record demand.
Tai Chi can help to slow the symptoms of Parkinson's disease for several years, a new study has found.

The traditional Chinese martial art, which involves sequences of slow, controlled movements, was found to curb the progression of the debilitating disorder.

Parkinson's patients who took up Tai Chi also needed lower doses of the required drugs, according to the findings published by the BMJ Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The disease is characterised by slowness of movement, resting tremor, plus stiff and inflexible muscles.

It is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, with the numbers of those affected projected to reach nearly five million by 2030 in China alone.

Tai Chi (stock photo) can help to slow the symptoms of Parkinson's disease for several years, a new study has found

Two people are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (stock photo) in Britain every hour, according to the charity Parkinson's UK

Two people are diagnosed with the disease in Britain every hour, according to the charity Parkinson's UK.

There is no cure, and while drugs can improve symptoms, they don't treat all the manifestations of the disease.

And doctors say there's no evidence that they slow progression either.

Previously published research suggests that Tai Chi eases Parkinson's symptoms in the short term.

But whether that improvement could be sustained over the long term wasn't known.

To find out, Chinese researchers monitored two groups of patients with Parkinson's for over five years from January 2016 to June 2021.

One group of 147 patients practised Tai Chi twice a week for an hour, aided by the provision of classes to improve their technique.

The other group of 187 patients continued with their standard care, but didn't practise Tai Chi.

Disease severity was formally assessed in all the participants at the start of the monitoring period, and disease progression, including increases in the need for medication, were subsequently monitored in November 2019, October 2020, and June 2021.

The extent of movement and other symptoms - such as autonomic nervous system function, mood, sleep quality, and cognition - and the prevalence of complications, such as involuntary movement, hallucinations and restless leg syndrome, were also monitored.

Study author Dr Gen Li said: 'Disease progression was slower at all monitoring points in the Tai Chi group, as assessed by three validated scales to assess overall symptoms, movement, and balance.

'The number of patients who needed to increase their medication in the comparison group was also significantly higher than it was in the Tai Chi Group: 83.5 per cent in 2019 and just over 96 per cent in 2020 compared with 71 per cent and 87.5 per cent, respectively.

'Cognitive function deteriorated more slowly in the Tai Chi group as did other non-movement symptoms, while sleep and quality of life continuously improved.

'And the prevalence of complications was significantly lower in the Tai Chi group than in the comparison group.'

Dr Li said falls, dizziness and back pain were the three side effects reported by study participants, but they were all 'significantly lower' in the Tai Chi group.

While 23 people sustained a fracture, those all occurred during routine daily life and were fewer in the Tai Chi group.

Dr Li, of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, added: 'Our study has shown that Tai Chi retains the long-term beneficial effect on [Parkinson's disease], indicating the potential disease-modifying effects on both motor and non-motor symptoms, especially gait, balance, autonomic symptoms and cognition

'Parkinson's disease can worsen motor function and non-motor symptoms progressively with time, resulting in disability and influencing the quality of life.

'The long-term beneficial effect could prolong the time without disability, leading to a higher quality of life, a lower burden for caregivers, and less drug usage.'
An Arizonan has come down with a suspected case of Naegleria Fowleri, otherwise known as the brain-eating amoeba.

The state and Mohave County health departments told DailyMail.com that the cause of the illness has not been confirmed and declined to give the persons sex and current condition.

Only four Americans who have ever been diagnosed with the infection have lived to tell the tale. The amoeba, which lurks in fresh water, typically kills 97 percent of its victims.

If the case is confirmed to be the rare and serious infection, it would be the 30th to be recorded in the US since 2013. The person is believed to have picked it up at a state park.

The Arizona health department sent samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday and expects the results by Friday.

N. fowleri is a brain-eating amoeba that causes the sudden onset of serious symptoms and often leads to brain damage and death

While the raw number of deaths in recent years attributed to the amoeba is low, there have already been and estimated four deaths this year, the most recent being in Texas after the person went swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson.

Before that was a resident of Georgia, a two-year-old boy in Nevada and a man in Florida all died after contracting the disease.

Dr Eugene Livar, Assistant Director of Public Health Preparedness at the Arizona Department of Health Services, told DailyMail.com: Public health officials from Mohave County and the Arizona Department of Health Services are working together on a suspected case of Naegleria Fowleri.

The investigation into possible exposures and exposure locations is ongoing.

Details about the case are scarce. For instance, the departments have not disclosed the person's gender, age or whether they are being treated in the hospital or if they have passed away.

Naegleria fowleri infects people when it enters through the nose and travels through the olfactory nerve responsible for sense of smell into the brain, where it causes severe inflammation and damage.

Symptoms include splitting headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Death can come about five days after symptom onset.

Though typically fatal, there have been sporadic stories of Americans overcoming the potentially debilitating infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

The damage to brain tissue, primarily to the frontal lobes and areas critical to motor skills, cognitive functions and speech ability, is so severe that people who survive the infection have to relearn to talk and walk.

Ms Hardig said she was like a 'brand-new baby' after the infection and had to relearn everything including how to walk, talk, read and write

Caleb Ziegelbauer, 14, contracted the illness after he went swimming with his family at Port Charlotte Beach on July 1, 2022

Kali Hardig, now 22, and from Arkansas, was only 12 years old when she was struck by Naegleria fowleri, which doctors think she caught at a water park.

They told her it was a 'death sentence' and gave her just four days to live, but a decade on she is swimming again and, last November, became a mother for the first time. She only occasionally struggles with blurry vision in her left eye due to scar tissue from the disease.

And 14-year-old Caleb Ziegelbauer, from Florida, is also now a year on from being infected with the microscopic species.

He is now walking somewhat but the damage done to his brain means he needs to communicate with facial expressions and has to use a wheelchair.
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Britons lost more than half a billion pounds to criminals through fraud in the first six months of this year, according to new figures.

Criminals stole 580million through fraud according to a new report by UK Finance. This amounts to one theft by fraudsters every 12 seconds.

There was a 2 per cent drop in fraud instances when compared with the first six months of 2022, but the amount of fraud happening is still 'far too high' and the numbers are 'absolutely staggering,' according to the financial services trade body.

Social media continues to play a huge part, with the report showing that three quarters of fraud started online. Another 17 per cent started through phone calls and text messages.

Sinster: Britons lost over half a billion pounds to fraud in the first six months of 2023

UK Finance's director of economic crime, Ben Donaldson, called on tech and telecoms companies to do more to tackle the scam epidemic.

'We need to see much more effort from the social media and telecommunications sectors. If we are going to see a real difference we need them to work with us,' he said.

Paul Davis, director of fraud prevention at TSB, added: 'It's clear from the big spike in push-payment fraud cases that online companies and telecoms firms must urgently introduce measures to protect the public from scams on their platforms.'

UK Finance divided fraud into two categories: authorised and unauthorised.

Authorised fraud is when someone is tricked into paying money into a scammer's account, or handing over a password.

In other words, they take some kind of action or volunteer information which makes the fraud possible.

Unauthorised fraud refers to cases where the victim is not directly involved, for example purchases being made on a stolen credit card.

When this happens, banks and credit card companies are legally obliged to protect them from losses - whereas authorised fraud victims may find it harder to get their money back.

ORIGINS OF FRAUD Source Volume of cases Value of losses Online 77% 32% Telecommunications 17% 45% Email 1% 11% Other 5% 12% UK Finance

Within the total figure of 580million, unauthorised fraud losses across payment cards, remote banking and cheques reached 340.7 million in the first half of 2023, a three per cent drop compared to the same period in 2022.

The number of unauthorised fraud cases was 1.26 million, down two per cent on the same period in 2022.

Authorised fraud losses - also known as authorised push payments or APPs, accounted for 239.3million of total fraud, down one per cent compared to the same period in 2022.

But while fraudsters took slightly less money, the total number of cases was up 22 per cent to 116,324 - suggesting many more people have been affected.

The main driver behind this, according to UK Finance, is purchase scams - where people are tricked into paying for goods that never materialise.

These crimes often involve manipulation of the victim which can cause psychological and emotional harm Ben Donaldson, UK Finance

Romance scams have also been growing persistently, with losses up 29 per cent and cases by more than a quarter.

Romance scams are a particularly manipulative form of fraud, where victims are tricked into believing they are in a relationship before being asked to send money.

Donaldson said: 'In the first six months of this year ruthless criminals had already stolen more than half a billion pounds from victims through fraud.

'In addition to the financial losses, these crimes often involve callous manipulation of the victim which can cause psychological and emotional harm.

'As the UK Finance report shows, criminals are increasingly using social media, online platforms, texts, phone calls and emails to deceive victims into giving up their personal details and their money.

'The financial services sector continues to lead the fight against these awful crimes. We are also currently the only sector that reimburses victims.

'The only way we will prevent fraud is if other sectors do much more to help us deal with the criminality which is increasingly taking place on their platforms.'

Tricked: Scams are on the rise - and many will be targeted through their mobile phone

Three scams to watch out for right now

Separately, stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown has warned of scammers stepping up their attacks in the next few months.

It has said there are three events coming up which fraudsters will try and exploit in order to con people out of their hard-earned cash.

Cost of living payments

Eight million people on means-tested benefits will get the next 300 instalment of the cost-of-living payments between 31 October and 19 November. As a result, the Department of Work and Pensions has warned about scams in this area.

These payments will be made automatically, so benefit claimants don't need to do anything extra to get them. However, they may not know this, and scammers are poised to cash in.

Criminals will send texts and emails, and make phone calls, pretending to be from the DWP or HMRC and asking people to make a claim in order to get the payment.

This will include sending personal details, which can then be used to extract money from them.

Nobody will legitimately be in touch with you this way, so if you get one of these messages, it's a scam

HMRC scams

Some 12 million people will need to submit a self-assessment tax return by the end of January, and unfortunately this also presents an opportunity for scammers.

HMRC received 130,000 reports about tax scams in the 12 months to September 2023, and warns that self-assessment season is a peak time for fraud.

These scams typically involve texts, emails and phone calls claiming you can get a rebate if you hand over your bank details  which then enables the criminals to siphon off your funds.

Other common scams include messages telling you to update your tax details, and one even threatens arrest for tax evasion.

If you're worried HMRC is trying to contact you, call the self-assessment hotline or go into your Government Gateway account to check. If a phone call or message seems suspicious, don't give away any information and instead contact HMRC using the details on its website.

The run up to Christmas is a lucrative time for scammers who take advantage of the fact that more people (55%) will be shopping online for gifts

Christmas shopping

The Christmas season is an especially fruitful time for scammers. At Christmas, online shopping rises by a fifth and around 55 per cent of Britons do their Christmas shopping online.

Scams to watch out for include the failed transaction scam, where fraudsters take advantage of the fact you're likely to have bought something online with the biggest retailers, so send emails saying a transaction has failed and asking for you to resubmit bank details.

They may also pretend to be delivery companies, asking for personal information.

Additionally, criminals will target shoppers by offering unmissable deals on the most popular items - but they don't have these items to sell, they just take payments from people and scarper. Others, meanwhile, step up the sales of fakes  some through websites and others through social media.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown says: 'The combination of all three will see scammers step up their attacks in the next few months, so you need to be on your guard to protect yourself and your money.'
More than half a billion pounds has been lost to fraud so far this year, as the number of romance and purchase scams spiral.

The latest fraud data sent to the Government today by industry body UK Finance reveals a growing fraud epidemic.

The number of reported cases of romance scams has soared, rising 29 pc in the first half of the year, compared with the same period in 2022.

Victims lost a combined 18.5million in a sophisticated trick which involves fraudsters luring victims into a trusting online relationship, often via social media, then extorting them for cash.

Victims typically make an average of nine financial transactions before realising they have been conned.

Victims lost a combined 18.5million in a sophisticated trick which involves fraudsters luring victims into a trusting online relationship, often via social media, then extorting them for cash

Criminals are increasingly enticing online shoppers into purchase scams, with the number of successful attacks rising by 43 pc.

This is where a person pays in advance for goods or services that never arrive and the transaction typically originates online.

The amount of money lost to this type of scam rose by 31 pc to 40.9million in the first half of the year.

Nearly four in five of all authorised push payment scams start online, on social media platforms and fake websites.

The number of push payment scams reported in the first half of the year soared by 22 pc, with households losing 196.7million.

Money Mails Stop the Social Media Scammers campaign is calling on tech giants to do more to protect users from criminals.

Research from Lloyds Bank found that more than two-thirds of online shopping scams start on Facebook, the social media site owned by tech titan Meta.

Criminals stole 580million through fraud in the first half of 2023, 2 pc less than the same period in 2022, while banks prevented 650.7million from being stolen through advanced security systems, UK Finance finds.
Poll finds drivers' anger at the condition of roads has reached an eight-year high

Government says keeping roads in 'safe and serviceable condition' is priority

Future investment in England's major roads will focus on maintenance rather than the opening of new highways, the Government has claimed.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said that keeping the network in a 'safe and serviceable condition' will be a 'growing' priority.

It made the comment in response to a report by the Commons' Transport Select Committee on National Highways' multibillion-pound portfolios of projects.

The cross-party committee argued that money for the Government's next Road Investment Strategy should be prioritised on renewal and maintenance rather than costly enhancements that have been prone to delays and overspending.

The Department for Transport says it will be less likely to invest in major road infrastructure projects in future years, and put more focus on maintenance of the Strategic Road Network

The committee's Strategic Road Investment review was produced as part of an inquiry prompted by persistent delays and overspends on a catalogue of large-scale schemes.

Responding to the report, the DfT stated: 'Maintenance and renewals to keep the network in a safe and serviceable condition and minimise the need for more structural, intrusive repairs, are likely to be a growing and essential element of the roads programme.

'The Government recognises that failure to invest in a well-maintained road network will result in lost time, lower productivity, and higher costs for road users and those that rely on the network.

'It will also reduce the quality of life and increase intrusion for those neighbouring the network.'

The department went on to say that 'almost half' of funding for its road investment for the years 2020 to 2025 - totalling 27.4 billion - is budgeted for maintenance work.

Further details of its spending from 2025 to 2030 is expected to be announced before the end of this year.

Conservative MP Iain Stewart, who chairs the committee, said: 'We applaud the Government's indication it will put more emphasis on renewal and maintenance of England's ageing Strategic Road Network.

'This is a wiser course of action than pouring billions into major enhancements that have been beset by delays and soaring costs, and it better reflects motorists' interests.'

He added: 'Attempting to analyse the status of various schemes often felt like navigating a spaghetti junction, with key documents either not available or only from disparate sources.

'It was also positive to see the department agree to look at publishing more frequent updates.'

Almost half of the DfT's funding for its Strategic Road Investment for the years 2020 to 2025 - totalling 27.4 billion - is budgeted for maintenance work

AA president Edmund King said: 'The vast majority of AA members (96 per cent) have told us that road maintenance and getting rid of potholes should be the number one transport priority.

'We pushed for this in our evidence to the Select Committee and also called for congestion and crash hotspots to be sorted out.'

The DfT's comments come days after an RAC survey found that drivers' anger at the condition of roads has reached an eight-year high.

The poll revealed that a third of UK motorists have swerved to avoid a pothole on, resulting in them crossing into another lane or on to the wrong side of the road.

Almost half (49 per cent) of the 2,583 licence holders quizzed listed potholes as their biggest motoring concern - the highest proportion recorded since the RAC began asking drivers for their views on the state of roads back in 2015.

Two-thirds of drivers surveyed also said the condition of the roads they use had deteriorated in the past 12 months.
It would otherwise cost between 5,000-6,000 without a royal connection

The 2004 car has a listing price of 60,000 - ten times what it's worth

A Range Rover once owned by Queen Elizabeth II will sell at auction

A 19-year-old Range Rover is expected to sell for ten times its list price value - because it was once owned by The Queen

Auctioneers selling the 2004 car say they can now prove that it was previously owned by the late monarch - presenting potential buyers sent a video of her behind the wheel of the 4x4.

It is expected to go for 60,000  almost twice the price it was sold for just three months ago at another auction.

Buyers then were unsure of the famous previous owner leading to the luxury car failing to reach its starting bid price.

They were told there was circumstantial evidence that the motor was part of the fleet of cars in the royal household, but then current owner had been unable to confirm this for certain.

The 19-year-old car would otherwise cost a mere 5,000-6,000 without the royal connection and is expected to sell for 60,000

Auctioneers have released a video proving the 2004 Range Rover was once owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II, causing the price to double

In the clip, Her Majesty can be seen climbing into the front seat and driving around

But with a video of the Queen behind the wheel of the car with the licence plate BN04 EPU the auctioneers have visual proof that the Epsom Green car was her run around vehicle while staying at Balmoral in Scotland and Windsor Castle.

Iconic Auctions have offered all potential buyers a copy of the video that proves the limited-edition car comes with the royal seal of approval.

The list price for a similar car without the royal connection would be just 5-6,000.

The auction house says: 'Attempts have previously been made to clarify early ownership with various authorities but, as with any vehicle of this nature, it is almost impossible to achieve a result.

'Pleasingly, however, video footage of HM Queen Elizabeth driving this Range Rover has now been located with the number plate clearly visible, ending earlier assumptions and confirming its heritage. Copies of the video are available on request.'

Other rare features include rear switches that control the electric windows on either side of the car and a small hole on the bonnet where a Labrador mascot was fitted

Just three months ago at another auction the third generation L322 car sold for almost half the current listing price as buyers were unsure of the famous previous owner, leading to the luxury car failing to reach its starting bid price

The auctioneers expect a fierce bidding war when the car comes under the hammer at the NEC centre in Birmingham on November 11th.

The Range Rover is equipped with several unusual features that were only offered by the company's Special Vehicle Operations, including blue lights on the grille and dog guard.

Other rare features include rear switches that control the electric windows on either side of the car and a small hole on the bonnet where a Labrador mascot was fitted.

There are also interior handles that make it easier to get into the vehicle.

The car had been regularly serviced at dealerships in Mayfair and Aberdeen which likely showed it had been driven regularly from Windsor to the Balmoral estate where the Queen would spend her summers.

Considering it is 19 years old and covered 109,000 miles the vehicle is still in very good condition. -although it is unlikely to be ULEZ compliant due to its age.

The car first came up for auction in July with the sale handled by Historic Auctioneers.

While they were able to show a photo of the Queen sitting in the driver's seat of the green Range Rover there was no conclusive proof it was the vehicle being offered for sale.

The winning bid came in at 33,000 with the buyer getting the vehicle for 5,000 less than what the auction house had predicted.
Retired entrepreneur Harold King is determined to live long enough to join an exclusive club  and receive a congratulatory telegram from the King on his 100th birthday.

Yet the 90-year-old, from Southport in Merseyside, is already a member of a far less salubrious group.

He is one of an increasing number of elderly retired people who have been asked to renew their insurance at a price of more than 1,000. Prices for car or home cover that, in many cases, customers cannot afford.

Campaigners and financial experts believe that older drivers are being targeted by insurers as an easy way to boost their profits against a backdrop of rising claim costs.

They are often less tech savvy, more trusting and, therefore, less likely to shop around for a better deal.

Retired entrepreneur Harold King is one of an increasing number of elderly people who has been asked to renew his insurance at a price of more than 1,000

Dennis Reed is director of Silver Voices, a group that campaigns for financial fairness on behalf of the elderly.

He says many retired people are facing eye-watering rises in insurance premiums, especially when they hit a landmark age such as 80. Often, the result is an annual renewal premium in excess of 1,000.

Such hikes and four-figure premiums cannot be justified in terms of the increased risk these policyholders pose, says Mr Reed. In the case of car insurance, some elderly people are now being driven off the road because they cannot afford the new premiums. The insurance executives who sanction such astronomical premiums should be ashamed of themselves.

James Daley, founder of consumer champion website Fairer Finance, says it is essential that insurers play fair with the elderly. He says: I understand why insurers are putting prices up, but they must ensure they are pricing fairly and not penalising vulnerable customers.

When it comes to the elderly, insurers need to go the extra mile and make sure customers are able to shop around  so they can say that those who do commit to sky-high prices are doing so willingly.

Mr Daley believes there is an argument for limitations to be placed on how insurers price policies so that vulnerable customer groups are protected from ever higher premiums. He adds: Theres a case for the introduction of social tariffs  to support those being hit with unaffordable premiums.

The latest data from Admiral, a company that insures 5 million motorists, indicates that average annual premiums across all age groups are now north of 1,000 with the youngest (17- and 18-year-olds) paying the most at 1,975.

Although its data indicates that the over-60s pay the lowest premiums (an average of 865), Admiral does not segment the data for this vast age group into premiums for the over-70s, 80s and 90s.

Evidence gathered by This is Money's sister title Money Mail indicates that it is the over-70s who routinely see their premiums at renewal more than double, in many cases pushing them above the 1,000-a-year mark.

While some customers have avoided paying such high premiums by shopping around, they feel victimised. In nearly all the car insurance cases that Money Mail has scrutinised, the motorists have impeccable driving records with no-claim records going back years. They also do not use their cars often, resulting in annual mileage below 3,000 miles.

For Harold King, he has bitten the bullet and reluctantly paid nearly 1,400 to renew cover for his pride and joy  an 11-year-old Jaguar XJ. Ive always loved my motor cars, says Harold. But I now only drive locally and I rarely do more than 2,000 miles a year.

Although his decision to renew his cover with AXA meant only paying 5 per cent more than last year, he says there will soon come a time when running his car no longer makes financial sense. While Harold shopped around before staying with AXA, it was a no-go: he was being quoted premiums in excess of 3,000.

John Jenkins partner, Donna, drives a 2012 Land Rover Freelander. Earlier this year, she was told her car cover would more than double to just below 1,500. This was despite no accidents or traffic offences and a no-claims discount going back 12 years.

When John, on Donnas behalf, challenged Sainsburys Bank on the renewal price, it could not provide an explanation. I thought insurance pricing was based on an assessment of risk, says 74-year-old John, a semi-retired chartered surveyor from Holmfirth in West Yorkshire.

Donna drives no more than 7,000 miles a year and she has an impeccable driving record.

The only thing that might explain the increase is that Donna had turned 60 just before the renewal premium was offered. Unlike Mr King, Donna was able to get more competitive cover by shopping around and taking out a policy with Sheilas Wheels.

I feel the elderly are being taken advantage of, says John. We took it upon ourselves to search for cheaper cover, but not all elderly people are comfortable using online comparison websites. They also mistakenly trust their insurer to give them a fair deal.

New rules by the City regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority) were meant to ensure existing customers are not milked by insurers for extra premiums. But not all companies have played fair

New rules by the City regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority) were meant to ensure existing customers are not milked by insurers for extra premiums. But not all companies have played fair.

Last month, Direct Line was ordered by the regulator to compensate customers who had paid more for cover than someone coming to the company as a new customer.

John Whitlock, from Sherborne in Dorset, believes older drivers are being exploited by insurers.

Seventy-seven-year-old John used to run a candle making company before retiring. In August, when he sought new insurance after buying a second-hand Kia Sportage, he almost fainted when Saga sent him a quote for 3,631, a price fixed for three years.

I am a pensioner and get by on pension credit, says John. I live in sheltered accommodation and were all struggling to pay our bills. Who do Saga think I am? A millionaire? My car is worth no more than 800, I live in a cul-de-sac, and Sherborne is not noted for crime.

John was so incensed he emailed Saga boss Euan Sutherland to complain. The next day, he received a response saying the quote stood.

Although John has since found cover costing less than a fifth of what Saga wanted, he believes insurers are forcing people like him to consider whether they should continue driving.

The elderly are being penalised, he says, and its got to stop. I will soon get to the point when I can no longer afford to drive.

The Association of British Insurers trade body told Money Mail: Insurers appreciate the independence and freedom to travel that driving represents for customers  and they continue to do all they can to keep cover competitively priced.

Like many other sectors, they are feeling the pressure of soaring labour and material costs. Insurance is priced based on risk and the average cost of claims is higher for both younger and older drivers, which can impact premiums for these age groups.

Its an explanation which does not wash with older motorists.

Peter Moore, who lives near Nottingham, has a clean driving licence and a 20-year no-claims discount. But it didnt stop Saga trying to push his premium up from 266 to 1,070, fixed for three years.

I own a 2018 Volvo two-litre, the 79-year-old told Money Mail yesterday. I drive no more than 4,500 miles a year, the car is kept in immaculate condition  and I live in a low crime postcode. Im a low-risk customer and a loyal one as well with Saga home insurance. But I feel the company is now profiteering at my expense.

Saga says Peter has enjoyed three years of low-price cover, fixed at 266. Peter has done what everybody should do: move his business elsewhere  in his case, to AA where he is now paying 470.

Shop around, says Peter. Its the only way to fight back.

Absolutely. Dont fall for the 1,000-plus renewal premium.
For my 40th birthday in December last year, some friends clubbed together and gave me money. I bought a vase from an artist in Ireland called Ciara O'Neill.

I'd never been able to justify the price tag of 300 (260). I ordered the vase at the end of December, and it was shipped straight away.

In early January I checked the tracking and it said my package had arrived in the UK. I kept checking and then suddenly the status changed to saying the import duties hadn't been paid and the item would be returned to sender. I contacted Parcelforce immediately.

It claimed to have posted two letters to me in January to demand the 70 duties. I never received them. It said it would put a stop on the vase being returned to Ireland  at this point it was in a depot 45 minutes from my home in Kent.

Missing: A reader purchased a vase for her 40th birthday... but the package got stuck in a Parcelforce depot and never arrived

I was told I had to wait ten working days, to keep checking tracking and then call back if I still hadn't received my package. This went on and on. I got a different story each time and I had to wait ten days before calling again.

By the middle of March, Parcelforce told me to make a claim for the vase but said the seller in Ireland had to initiate it. This was done and three weeks later I received a form, which I sent back to Parcelforce. Again, when I called to chase, there were no updates and I was told to wait before contacting it again.

I called again recently and was told Parcelforce couldn't see my package on its system any more. The ceramic firm also called Parcelforce six times.

Every time it is told to wait two weeks before making contact again. As well as being out of pocket, I feel so frustrated for the artist as she has far better things to do than chase Parcelforce. - H. P., Broadstairs, Kent.

Sally Hamilton replies: By the time you wrote to me, nine months had passed since you ordered your highly anticipated gift. That is a long period for transporting a vase 550 or so miles from County Galway in Ireland to Kent.

The artist's website warns customers ordering from the UK, or other countries outside the EU, that they must take responsibility for any extra taxes and duties charged by their customs departments and that delays can be expected while customs hold the parcel. This is all part of the changes that came into force after the UK left the EU.

In order to pay the bill, you need to be told how much to pay. Parcelforce, which was responsible for the carriage of your package in the UK leg of the journey, should have sent you a bill for the duty owed within three weeks of its arrival in the UK.

SCAM WATCH Eight million people who receive cost-of-living payments are being warned to watch out for a scam. Those on means-tested benefits will get their next 300 between October 31 and November 19. Claimants don't need to do anything to receive it. But scammers are targeting claimants, by pretending to be the Department for Work and Pensions or HMRC. The fraudsters contact victims and ask them to hand over personal information in order to process the payment. If you get one of these messages, it's a scam. Never give out your bank details or click on a link in an email or text message from a sender you don't know.

I contacted Parcelforce on your behalf to find out what had gone wrong. On investigation, the firm claimed to have emailed you in late August to say it had found your vase and to ask if you would like it delivered or returned to sender but had not heard back.

It said it also emailed you to let you know it had authorised An Post (the state-owned provider of postal services in Ireland) to compensate you. When I relayed this news, you almost cracked. You said you did not receive these emails  they were neither in your inbox nor in your junk folder.

But the good news is Parcelforce was able to confirm it still had your vase and told me it would deliver it straight away and waive the customs charges of 70.

A few days later you told me it had finally arrived 'intact and perfect'. To prove it, you sent me a photo of the multi-coloured doughnut-shaped vase in pride of place on your mantelpiece.

With many people's thoughts turning to buying items from abroad in time for Christmas, it is worth factoring in the potential delays that can occur. While nine months is a rare delay, a few weeks is more common.

As for import costs, buyers don't have to pay 20 pc VAT on goods ordered from abroad that are worth less than 135  unless they're gifts sent to them by someone else worth over 39, or items that attract excise duties such as alcohol and tobacco. These bills need to be paid either before delivery or when they are collected.

Anything worth more than 135 can attract customs duty, VAT and courier handling fees.

Gifts priced over 39 face Import VAT of 20 pc. Customs duty can also apply if the goods are worth more than 135.

A colleague asked me what happens if you need to return goods after paying these extra costs. She ordered three pairs of shoes from a firm abroad and had to pay 100 in import charges. She loves two pairs but the third is going back.

The good news is she should be able to reclaim the import charges for this pair by completing a form from gov.uk  either BOR286, if the delivery was made by Royal Mail or Parcelforce, or form C285 if a courier firm was involved.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT In September I used the Booking.com app to book an apartment for a weekend in Liverpool and selected the option to pay later. I didn't get a confirmation email and the purchase didn't show up in the upcoming bookings section so I booked other accommodation. But I've since been charged 540 for the first 'booking' I made. J. C., London.

Booking.com says it will give you 50 pc of the money back as a gesture of goodwill. - I live in accommodation provided by my work and I've been trying to cancel my Sky Broadband & Talk contract from February 2024 as I am leaving. Sky told me it would cost 174 so I paid that into my account, which still says the contract will end in June next year. Sky has said I will now have to make contact in January to cancel. Can you help? C. H., via email. Sky says the normal cancellation period is 14 days, and the 174 you paid was for broadband and phone services until the end of February 2024. But it will contact you in January to process the cancellation and it has waived the early termination charge of 61 as a goodwill gesture. - I ordered a Sainsbury's online food shop to be delivered on September 8. When I checked the website the day before, I could not see my delivery listed. Concerned, I created a new account and placed the order again. The following day I was charged twice before delivery. I contacted customer services and cancelled the second order but I'm still waiting for a refund. A. W., via email. Sainsbury's apologised for your experience, which it says was not up to its usual standards. It has offered you a full refund plus a 30 gift card as a gesture of goodwill.

Our Calor gas never arrived, will we be left in the cold?

Earlier in the year, we switched to Calor Gas to supply the liquid petroleum gas (LPG) needed for our heating and hot water.

A couple of months ago we ordered our first supply. Despite many phone calls and waiting at home because we were told it will be delivered 'that day', the gas has still not arrived.

We are in the red on our tank's dial now. I have sent in two complaints, but nothing gets followed up. We are both in our 70s and my husband is waiting for cardiac surgery so this is a worrying situation.

S. T., Exeter.

Sally Hamilton replies: With cooler autumn temperatures finally here, it was even more vital for you to get your LPG supplies pronto. I contacted Calor, which began to fire on all cylinders and I am pleased to say your 453 order was delivered the same day.

Calor explained a delivery had been attempted on September 18. It says the company had been having 'teething troubles' with a new customer services and ordering system over the summer but that the company is in the process of resolving them.
I want to cancel a magazine subscription which I took out online. But it's proving impossible to do as it can't be cancelled on the website, only via phone.

I've been calling the number given for days but nobody has answered. What can I do?

E. A., via email.

Dean Dunham replies: as you took out the subscription online it is classed as a 'distance sale'. This means the Consumer Contracts Regulations (as they are known in short) apply.

While there is no legal obligation for traders always to provide consumers with telephone and email contact details under the regulations, there is a requirement for them to provide a geographical address where consumers can send the likes of letters of cancellation and complaint.

If there is such an address on the trader's website, you should send a tracked letter of cancellation immediately and, at the same time, cancel your direct debit for the subscription.

If there is no address, you should still cancel your direct debit and then wait for the firm to contact you.

When it does contact you, say that the contract has terminated and you cannot be prejudiced by its failure to provide a postal address, as this is a legal requirement under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

TV that arrived was smaller than the one I ordered

I ordered a 40-inch TV online, which was advertised as being reduced from 499 to 149. Five days later, I took delivery of a 32 in TV.

When I notified the retailer that the wrong size had been delivered, it told me it had advertised the wrong price online and the price I paid was in fact that of the 32 in TV.

I've since sent more than 40 emails and spent more than three hours on the phone to the firm, and it still has not given me a refund or collected the TV.

D. D., via email.

Dean Dunham replies: first, you are clearly entitled to a refund, as the TV you received was not 'as described' on the retailer's website, which is a breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

In these circumstances, the legislation says the refund must be given without 'undue delay' and, in any event, within 14 days, beginning with the day on which the trader agrees that the consumer is entitled to a refund.

So if you are still within these 14 days you need to wait a bit longer. If you're outside this time, you should quote this law to the retailer and demand an immediate refund.

You could also make a chargeback claim (if you paid with your debit or credit card in the past 120 days). To do this, simply contact your bank or card provider and say that you want to make a claim.

Need to know: Homeowners considering solar panels may need to check with their mortgage lender - and don't want to agree to rent their roof space

What is the law surrounding solar panels?

I'm considering having solar panels installed to try to reduce my energy bills.

Are there any legal considerations I need to think about before committing to this?

T. M., via email.

Dean Dunham replies: You should make sure that your mortgage provider does not object (as it will have security over your property, so has a right to object) or, if you rent, your landlord consents.

You must then choose a reputable provider, and under no circumstances should you agree to a deal where the solar panel company rents your roof space.

This is not as common as it was, but there are still firms in the market that are doing this and advertising it as a cheaper option for homeowners.

You should also look very closely at the return on investment and the timing for this.

While solar panels are likely to reduce your energy bills, when you factor in the initial cost of installation it will probably be some time before you see any financial benefit. Also, make sure you ask how long the panels will last and what ongoing maintenance is needed, too.
Two of Americas biggest companies posted combined profits of almost 35bn last night as they continued to battle for supremacy in the race to corner the market for artificial intelligence (AI).

Computing giant Microsoft said profits for the three months to the end of September rose 27pc to 18.3bn, while revenue increased 13pc to 46.5bn.

Chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, said the firm was making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere.

Computing giant Microsoft said profits for the three months to the end of September rose 27pc to 18.3bn, while revenue increased 13pc to 46.5bn

He added: We are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role and business process to drive productivity gains for our customers.

Google parent Alphabet, meanwhile, reported a profit of 16.1bn for the period, up 40pc from 11.4bn last year. Sales hit 63bn, an increase of 11pc versus the previous year.

Boss Sundar Pichai said there was exciting progress and lots more to come on AI.

The figures come as the two major tech firms scramble to take advantage of the surge in interest in AI technology in a bid to boost profits.

Social media giant Meta is set to announce its quarterly results later this evening, whilst Amazon will reveal its numbers late on Thursday.
EXCLUSIVE

Linda Burney has refused to deny growing speculation she is the frontrunner to become Australia's next Governor-General.

Appointing the senior Labor minister to the role would make Ms Burney, 66, the first ever Aboriginal Australian to become the constitutional head of state.

When approached by Daily Mail Australia about the speculation, she didn't deny she had been at least sounded out to replace outgoing Governor-General David Hurley.

'The Minister declines to comment,' a spokesman from her office said.

While the position becomes available in July 2024, Daily Mail Australia has been told Anthony Albanese will make his recommendations to King Charles III by year's end.

Mr Albanese and Ms Burney are close allies and friends. Ms Burney largely credits the PM for encouraging her to run for federal politics

Mr Albanese's office was also approached for comment.

Mr Albanese and Ms Burney are close allies and friends, and their inner-Sydney electorates of Grayndler and Barton sit next to each other.

The Indigenous Australians minister, who previously held the seat of Canterbury in the NSW parliament, largely credits the PM for encouraging her to run for federal politics.

One well-placed source told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Burney's move to Governor-general had been 'floated for a while' and was 'openly discussed' by some running the failed 'Yes' campaign.

At its peak, support for the Voice to parliament was at about 65 per cent, but the Yes23 campaign failed to maintain this momentum and in just a few months approval had plummeted.

Another Canberra source said Ms Burney's move to the Governor-General would allow the promotion of Malarndirri McCarthy from assistant minister after the senator's strong performance when she was deployed toward the end of the referendum campaign to promote the Yes campaign.

She received widespread praise for the way in which she handled heated exchanges and tough questions about the proposal, which was already polling badly.

In the role, she would serve as King Charles' representative in Australia, performing constitutional and ceremonial duties as Australia's head of state

There have been growing calls for the prime minister to recommend a First Nations person for the role as a step forward toward reconciliation.

The role involves serving as King Charles' representative in Australia and performing constitutional and ceremonial duties as Australia's head of state.

The Governor-General is commander-in-chief of the defence force, is responsible for appointing ministers and swearing in significant positions. The Governor-General also has the power to dismiss a prime minister if they have lost the support of the party or break the law.

These reserve powers are rarely used.

Political analyst Peter van Onselen agreed the appointment of an Aboriginal Australian to the role would help reconciliation, and he believed most Australians would 'welcome the move'.

'I'm just not sure that person should be Linda Burney,' he said, after criticism of her ability to handle tough questioning about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and refusing to debate her Coalition opponent, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

'Her poor advocacy was a key reason the Yes case lost. She's obviously partisan too. But I can see why appointing her to the role would suit Albo.'

Appointing the senior Labor minister to the role would make Ms Burney, 66, the first ever Aboriginal Australian to become the head of state

READ MORE: Voice recriminations begin Advertisement

Mr van Onselen described Ms Burney as 'a parliamentary performer [who] deserves replacing in her ministerial role'.

'But dumping her would be a terrible look,' he said. 'Imagine doing that to an Indigenous affairs minister straight after the referendum's defeat.'

Mr van Onselen said either Labor Senator Pat Dodson or former Liberal Ken Wyatt would be better options for the role.

Mr Dodson is often referred to as 'the father of reconciliation' while Mr Wyatt was Australia's first Indigenous lower house MP and minister.

However, Mr Dodson is receiving treatment for cancer in Western Australia.

'Ken Wyatt would be a show of bipartisanship. He was a Yes advocate who was Australia's first Indigenous lower house MP as well as the first Indigenous affairs minister.'

Former Libera senator Eric Abetz, who now serves as the campaign chair at the Australian Monarchist League, told Daily Mail Australia Ms Burney's role in the Voice campaign should exclude her from discussions about the future Governor-General.

'The position of Governor-General is that of protector of the Australian Constitution and Australia's parliamentary system beside being Australia's Head of State,' he said.

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy (left) has been touted as a potential replacement for Minister Burney's current role, while others suggest Senator Pat Dodson (right) would be the ideal candidate for Governor-General

'The Governor-General cannot bring with them their pet projects or biases from their previous life.

'They need to leave their "causes" behind them and devote themselves to a neutrality so all Australians can have confidence in their independence should they be called upon to make constitutional or parliamentary adjudications.

'In the current climate it would be inappropriate to appoint one of the protagonists in the recent referendum campaign.'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has never shied away from his desire for Australia to separate from the monarchy and become a republic.

He flagged his intentions by appointing Matt Thistlethwaite as assistant minister for the republic after his election in 2022.

He swore allegiance to King Charles at his coronation in May and despite being a 'life-long republican', insisted he has 'a great deal of respect' for the King.

And he assured members of the public both in Australia and abroad a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic is out of the question for the near future.

'What I don't want to do is to be a prime minister who presides over just constitutional debates,' he said at the time.
Hezbollah is well equipped with thousands of rockets, considerable air defence and a fleet of tanks and APCs

Advertisement

Since Hamas launched its ruthless attacks on Israeli towns and cities on October 7, Israel's Defence Forces have conducted a non-stop bombardment of the Gaza Strip designed to grind down the terrorist cells ahead of a planned ground assault.

But while tens of thousands of Israeli troops, battalions of tanks and heavy artillery begin to mass along the border with Gaza, many fear that the real threat is found 125 miles to the north.

Hezbollah, or the 'Party of God' in Arabic, is a Shiite Islamist political and military organisation based in Lebanon that was founded in the 1980s during the Lebanese Civil War with the support of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

Its dual political and military setup echoes that of Hamas, but while both groups are backed by Iran's Islamic Republic, Hezbollah has evolved into a far graver military threat.

The group has been exchanging fire with Israel across the border intermittently since Hamas' October 7 attacks - the latest escalation since Israel and Hezbollah fought a major war in 2006.

So far the skirmishes have been just that, with Hezbollah reluctant to commit any meaningful numbers of troops and rockets to fight Israel.

But the group has declared it is ready to help when the time comes in the war between Israel and Hamas - and there are fears that a large-scale Israeli ground invasion would trigger an all out assault on Israel by Hezbollah, which would force the IDF to split their resources and fight a battle on two fronts at opposite ends of the country.

With this in mind, MailOnline compares the military capabilities of Israel's two closest foes, Hezbollah and Hamas.

Fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah carry out a training exercise in Aaramta village in the Jezzine District, southern Lebanon, Sunday, May 21, 2023

Hezbollah militants are seen preparing drones for a training exercise

Fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah are seen riding on motorbikes and carrying Chinese QM-18 man portable air defence systems. Hezbollah has purchased Chinese tech in recent years to compliment its extensive Soviet built arsenal of air defence weapons

Armed Palestinians from the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, wield their AK-47 rifles

HEZBOLLAH

Hezbollah has in recent years emerged as a potent force in the Middle East, boasting a multifaceted arsenal and diverse military capabilities that far exceed those of Hamas.

The Palestinian outfit has tens of thousands of soldiers and extensive rocket stockpiles but no air defence capabilities and almost no heavy armour. By contrast, Hezbollah's military wing is extremely well-equipped.

In addition to the small arms, machine guns and rocket stockpiles used by Hamas, Hezbollah boasts a range of anti-tank and anti-air systems, a fleet of thousands of drones, and dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles - not to mention many more fighters.

Like Hamas, Hezbollah also has an extensive tunnel network along the Lebanese-Israeli border which serves as a strategic asset for clandestine movement, storage, and surprise attacks.

In 2021, the group claimed to have 100,000 active fighters - though Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) says the number is half that.

INSS says the group's arsenal counts 150,000 to 200,000 rockets and missiles, including 'hundreds' of precision rockets.

The overwhelming majority of Hezbollah's military hardware is Soviet or Iranian made, and the group has either purchased or received donations of weapons and munitions from their Iranian backers, or from the government of Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

Both Iran and Syria have proved to be key sources of financial and material support, viewing Hezbollah as a strategic ally and an instrument of influence in the region.

ARMS

A cornerstone of Hezbollah's infantry, the AK-47, or Kalashnikov, is a legendary assault rifle developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the Soviet Union and has since been produced worldwide.

One of the key strengths of the AK-47 is its exceptional reliability. It can function effectively in harsh conditions, including mud, sand, and extreme temperatures.

Its 7.62x39mm caliber offers sufficient stopping power, and its rugged design suits guerrilla warfare scenarios.

The rifle is capable of both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire, and numerous variants and adaptations of the AK-47 exist - many of which Hezbollah also has access to.

These include the more modern AK-74, which is chambered for 5.45x39mm ammunition, and the AKM - another upgrade of the AK-47 introduced in the 50s.

Complementing its range of Kalashnikov rifles, Hezbollah's small arms inventory also boasts a variety of US-made M16 and M4 rifles, whose accuracy and modular design enhance their effectiveness in urban and rural combat situations.

Hezbollah's stockpile of M16s and M4s is considerably smaller than that of its Kalashnikovs because most of the rifles were captured from various foes including the IDF, US-armed Syrian rebels, or the Islamic State.

Hezbollah also has an extensive selection of sniper rifles and light machine guns, chief among which are the Dragunov and the PK LMG.

In terms of explosive munitions, Hezbollah employs the RPG-7, a portable rocket launcher favoured around the world by various militias, including Hamas.

It is often used to attack light armoured vehicles but can also be deployed against concentrated troop formations - its versatility allowing the group to engage armoured vehicles and fortified positions in equal measure.

And finally, heavy machine guns such as the DShK and KPV are mounted on civilian vehicles to provide increased firepower for ground forces.

A Hezbollah fighter shoots a Kalashnikov on the back of a motorbike. Numerous variants and adaptations of the AK-47 exist - many of which Hezbollah also has access to

A cornerstone of Hezbollah's infantry, the AK-47, or Kalashnikov, is a legendary assault rifle developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the Soviet Union and has since been produced worldwide. Hezbollah utilises this and many more modern variants

Hezbollah militants are seen carrying RPGs

The Soviet made Dragunov sniper rifle is a favourite among many Middle Eastern armies and militias

TANKS, APCs and IFVs

Hezbollah's small arms stock is similar to Hamas, albeit larger, but this is where the two groups begin to diverge in terms of their military might.

Hezbollah has dozens of Soviet-produced T-55 and T-72 main battle tanks acquired from Syria following the Russian intervention in support of al-Assad's government, as well as a handful of other models.

The T-55 is an ageing design that was first deployed in the 1950s, though it has received plenty of upgrades.

It is a medium sized tank that comes equipped with a 100mm rifled gun as standard and relatively thick armor, providing effective protection against smaller caliber anti-tank weapons.

Though the T-55 is heavily outmatched by more modern tanks, it is simple, durable and easy to maintain, and still provides Hezbollah with reasonable firepower.

The T-72 meanwhile represents an evolution in Soviet tank design, with improved armour, a more powerful 125mm gun, and enhanced mobility.

Its composite armour and improved fire control system provide better protection and accuracy compared to the T-55, and the vehicle requires just three crew members to operate - one fewer than the T-55.

Hezbollah also benefits from a significant number of armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

The primary IFV utilised by Hezbollah is the BMP-1 - yet another Soviet creation attained via Syria - that was one of the first IFVs ever deployed.

Combining the manoeuvrability and light armour of an APC with more heavy weapons akin to a tank, the BMP-1 was a revolutionary vehicle, offering troop transport capabilities coupled with considerable firepower.

It comes fitted with a 73mm gun that is capable of firing high explosive rounds as well as anti-tank munitions, as well as a coaxial machine gun as standard.

Like the T-55, it is now considered obsolete, though it still offers far more protection and firepower than any upgraded civilian vehicles.

Hezbollah is also thought to command a small number of captured Israeli/US M113 APCs, which are more capable than the BMP-1s, albeit harder for Hezbollah to maintain as the group does not have exhaustive supplies of spare parts.

Besides these armoured vehicles, modified civilian trucks with mounted heavy weaponry, commonly known as technical vehicles, provide Hezbollah with more agility and flexibility on the battlefield.

The T-72 tank represents an evolution in Soviet tank design, with improved armour, a more powerful 125mm gun, and enhanced mobility (FILE PHOTO: Kazakh army operating a T-72 tank)

Combining the manoeuverability and light armour of an APC with more heavy weapons akin to a tank, the BMP-1 was a revolutionary vehicle, offering troop transport capabilities coupled with considerable firepower (Ukrainian servicemen are pictured having captured a Russian BMP-1)

Grad rocket systems are seen in this Hezbollah training footage

Grad rockets have a small maximum effective range - up to 10-15 miles - and although they are unguided can be aimed with relative accuracy, proving an effective weapon for saturating a specific target with multiple blasts

MISSILES, ARTILLERY AND AIR-DEFENCE

Hezbollah is believed to command a terrifying arsenal of hundreds of thousands of different rockets and missiles.

As always, Soviet platforms are a favourite, with the Katyusha rocket system - also known as Grad rockets - providing the backbone of the Lebanese outfits unguided short range rocket capabilities.

Grad rockets have a small maximum effective range - up to 10-15 miles - and although they are unguided can be aimed with relative accuracy, proving an effective weapon for saturating a specific target with multiple blasts.

Older versions of these systems were first deployed as early as World War II and are used by militias worldwide.

However, while much of Hezbollah's arms and armoured vehicle stock is Soviet made, Iran and Syria are the most prominent manufacturers when it comes to their rocket stockpiles.

The Iranian made Fajr 3 and Fajr 5 rockets are among Hezbollah's most potent shorter range rockets, with ranges of up to 50-60 miles and heavier warheads than those carried by the Katyusha.

However, for ranges in excess of 50-60 miles, Hezbollah can turn to a variety of guided rockets developed by Iran and Syria.

Iran's Zelzal-2 and Fateh-100 rockets - as well as the Syrian made M600 based on the Fateh 110 design - offer a significant advancement in Hezbollah's missile capabilities, enabling the Lebanese militant group to strike deep within Israel.

The Zelzal has a maximum effective range of around 120 miles and can deliver devastating payloads of up to 600kg of conventional explosives.

Meanwhile, the Fateh 110 and M600 can strike even further, up to 180-200 miles, and are among the longest-range missiles possessed by Hezbollah.

Besides its impressive rocket and missile stockpiles, Hezbollah is equally well equipped for air-defence.

The group possess a variety of anti-aircraft weaponry, from man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) and anti-air machine guns right up to dedicated anti-air missile batteries.

Hezbollah has a selection of MANPAD variants, most of which are Soviet-built. These are small, easy to carry weapons - the earlier variants of which are fairly rudimentary in their design - and can be operated by a single soldier with a shoulder mounted launcher.

MANPADS are designed to engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. They have infrared homing systems that track the heat signature of aircraft engines.

The Strela 2 and Strela 3 are some of the most widely utilised and are effective in tackling low-flying aircraft, particularly helicopters, and UAVs.

These systems were introduced in the 70s and their targeting systems are simple, meaning more complex aircraft can typically evade their warheads by deploying countermeasures or simply flying at higher altitudes.

But Igla 1 MANPAD, manufactured in the 80s, gives Hezbollah the ability to strike aircraft flying far higher, and its more advanced homing capabilities are more resistant to countermeasures, presenting a real threat to Israeli aircraft.

Hezbollah has recently purchased more Chinese weaponry, including the QW-18 MANPAD whose design is similar to that of the Igla 1.

The Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile system is one of Hezbollah's biggest threats against Israel's air force

A Soviet-made Pantsyr S1 system is seen in Ukraine. These systems are also in use with Hezbollah

Hezbollah also has dedicated anti-aircraft guns, namely the aged ZPU from the late 40s and early 50s, and the ZU-23 (pictured) - designed in the 60s

Heavy machine guns such as the aforementioned DShK and KPV can also be used against low-flying aircraft and UAVs.

These are typically mounted on a fixed turret in defensive positions or on civilian vehicles like pickup trucks and lorries.

Hezbollah also has dedicated anti-aircraft guns, namely the aged ZPU from the late 40s and early 50s, and the ZU-23 - designed in the 60s - which can put out a far heavier barrage of fire.

But the pieces de resistance of Hezbollah's anti-air weaponry are without doubt the Pantsyr S1 and Buk M2 air defence platforms.

The Pantsyr combines both missile and anti-aircraft artillery capabilities to pose a threat to enemy aircraft and drones, as well as missiles, capable of striking targets some 20 miles away.

Meanwhile the Buk M2 platform is a dedicated anti-air missile system that can intercept threats even further away, meaning Israel's air force would be forced to operate with considerable caution if it were to attack Hezbollah.

UAVs

Hezbollah is believed to have acquired a large fleet of drones thanks to Iran which can be used primarily for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, as well as delivering small explosive payloads.

The Iranian Shahed 129 and Mirsad 1 and 2 variants make up the overwhelming majority of Hezbollah's UAVs, with the former able to deliver up to four explosive payloads, while the latter are focused on intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance.

Hezbollah has also bought up a significant quantity of cheap consumer drones which can be used as loitering munitions to conduct short range strikes with grenades and other small explosive charges.

Hezbollah's military hardware Arms AK-47 M16 RPGs DShK (heavy machine gun) KPV (heavy machine gun) Tanks and APCs T-55 T-72 BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Israeli Namer/M113s (captured) Modified civilian vehicles Missiles and Artillery Katyusha rockets Fateh-110 M300 Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 Zelzal-2 Anti-air Weapons Strela 2 MANPAD Strela 3 MANPAD Igla-1 MANPAD QW-18 MANPAD ZU-23 (anti-air guns) ZPU (anti-air guns) Buk M2 Pantsyr S1 Anti-tank Weapons 9M14 Malyutka 9K111 Fagot 9M133 Kornet-E UAVs Mirsad 1 Mirsad 2 Shahed-129 Advertisement

HAMAS

Hamas, the rulers of the Gaza Strip since 2007, do not have the billions of dollars in aid and advanced weaponry of the Israeli military.

But the surprise October 7 attack included gunmen on paragliders and grenade-dropping drones, and Hamas can leverage guerrilla warfare tactics that could make any ground assault dangerous for Israeli troops.

Hamas has 15,000 to 20,000 fighters, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates.

Israel puts the number higher, at up to 30,000 fighters, while some estimates have suggested as many as 40,000 fighters are ready in Gaza.

Hamas' militia is well armed, with troop armouries stocked with a range of assault rifles, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons, as well as longer-range sniper rifles.

They have heavy weapons obtained from across the Middle East - particularly Iran, Syria and Libya - and has also sourced handguns and assault rifles from China and other regions.

It also has a variety of locally made, improvised explosives and Western sources say enough drones, mines, anti-tank guided missiles, grenade launchers and mortar shells to hold out for a long period, though precise figures are unavailable.

In the past, Hamas has also employed boobytraps and suicide bombers.

Palestinian authorities say more than 5,000 civilians have already been killed in Israeli air strikes launched since Hamas's October 7 attack.

Any ground offensive is likely to only cause more suffering among Gaza's populace, as Hamas hides among the people, using them as human shields.

ARMS

It's difficult to attain specific details on the types and quantities of weapons used by Hamas due to the guerrilla and clandestine nature of their operations.

However, like with most guerrilla militant groups around the world, the AK-47 assault rifle is the tried and tested staple of their foot soldiers.

Hamas also has access to a number of M16 and M4 assault rifles that were captured from Israeli forces.

Those rifles have largely been replaced as the standard issue in the IDF, but are still reliable and easy to maintain, rendering them an ideal variant for Hamas alongside the AK-47.

Light machine guns, such as the PKM or M249, are also used by Hamas for providing sustained firepower. These weapons are effective in suppressing enemy positions.

And RPGs, like the RPG-7, constitute a key part of Hamas anti-armour capabilities.

These portable launchers are capable of firing various types of warheads, making them versatile against both vehicles and fortified positions. They are particularly valuable for Hamas when engaging Israeli armoured convoys, from APCs up to the Merkava tank.

Various types of handguns, such as the Glock or Makarov, may be used by Hamas members for personal defence or close-quarters combat.

Members of the Ezz-Al Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, parade on a truck with rockets in a street in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip

A view shows RPG anti-tank grenades, part of a collection of weapons and ammunition which Israel's army says were left behind by Hamas militants in Israel's southern communities following a deadly infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip

An Israeli soldier displays a Hamas made RPG during a presentation to the press of military equipment and ammunition that Hamas and Palestinans militants used at the time of the attack on the Israeli south border with the Gaza Strip on October 20, 2023 in Kiryat Malakhi, Israel

Palestinian militants from Hamas ride on a truck with their weapons. They are seen holding an AK-47 assault rifle and an RPG

Footage shows Hamas fighters holding RPGs as they train ahead of the October 7 operation into Israel

MISSILES, ROCKETS AND AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS

Though Israel has a vast missile defence network, Hamas has created an equally vast supply of missiles - some locally manufactured and others donated by backers such as Iran - with the aim of firing multiple salvos to break through.

The Israeli military says over 5,000 missiles have been fired toward the country since the war began. Israeli intelligence in 2021 estimated Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza, had some 30,000 missiles in their arsenal.

Though Israel's vaunted Iron Dome system has proven itself a remarkable defence, it has at times been overwhelmed when Hamas launches several coordinated salvos of rockets.

The Qassam rocket is a basic, short-range rocket commonly used by Hamas. It comes in different variants, all of which are effective over ranges of 5-10 miles.

While these rockets lack advanced guidance systems, they are relatively easy to produce and have been used in numerous attacks against Israeli towns and cities.

Meanwhile, the Fateh-110 rocket, produced by Iran and used by Hezbollah, is also deployed by Hamas. This missile is guided and has the capacity to carry a larger warhead, increasing its destructive capability.

Hamas also has other domestically produced versions of mid-range rockets, including the Ayyash-250 and R-160, which were developed with foreign assistance, though it is unknown how many of these rockets the group has managed to manufacture.

Analysts say there are no signs yet that Hamas has developed a reasonable quantity of precision guided missiles, meaning that any missiles capable of delivering precision strikes are likely to have been supplied by Iran or Syria.

Launch of a Fateh 110 Iranian made missile

Houthi fighters riding a truck with a machine gun patrol near the Yemen-based office of the Islamic movement Hamas during a military parade in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sana'a, Yemen, 12 October 2023

Palestinian Hamas supporters attend an anti-Israel rally as rockets are displayed on a truck by Hamas militants in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 28, 2021

Palestinian Hamas militants ride on a truck as they display an Ayyash-250 rocket during an anti-Israel rally in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 28, 2021

Hamas has shown an ability to launch attacks across the border using teams of paragliders - but that is the limit of their aerial threat.

In terms of air defence, Hamas has no formal system, and instead relies on portable missile launchers and anti-aircraft weapons - this is why Israel's airstrikes on Gaza are so effective, as Hamas has very limited means of threatening the Israeli Air Force.

Hamas has shown an ability to launch attacks across the border using teams of paragliders - but that is the limit of their aerial threat.

MILITARY VEHICLES

Hamas does not possess any kind of conventional military vehicles - at least not in any significant number.

The group does not have access to any large number of specially-designed military vehicles like APCs or IFVs beyond those it has successfully captured from Israel amid surprise attacks.

Hamas operates more as a paramilitary organisation, and its military capabilities are characterised by guerrilla tactics and asymmetric warfare.

Instead, the group utilises reinforced SUVs, pickup trucks and lorries retrofitted with machine guns, as well as other engineering vehicles like bulldozers.
Drug-spiking incidents reported to police have increased five-fold while the proportion leading to a criminal charge has plummeted, shocking new figures revealed today.

More than 8,500 reports of spiking were made last year compared to 1,653 in 2018, according to data released by 39 forces that responded to freedom of information requests.

Yet there is no sign the epidemic is being countered by a rise in prosecutions, with the proportion of reports that led to criminal charges dropping from just one in 25 in 2018 to a minute one in 400 in 2022.

Women's right's campaigners today seized on the figures as yet more proof of a need to urgently change the law to make spiking someone's drink a specific criminal offence.

Out of nearly 20,000 incidents of spiking in England and Wales over the five years there were only 54 times when a suspect was arrested and charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Only 13 forces responded to FOIs asking about the number of suspects who had been charged, meaning precise figures for the proportion of suspects charged are not currently available.

Havva Ramadan is among the victims of spiking to feature on Channel 4 documentary Untold: The Truth About Spiking, which obtained the figures. Appearing on breakfast TV earlier this week, she said she was told by an office that police 'wouldn't do anything because nothing actually happened to me.'

More than 8,500 reports of spiking were made last year to 39 police forces that responded to a freedom of information request. That compares to 1653 in 2018

Only 13 forces responded to FOIs asking about the number of suspects who had been charged, meaning precise figures for the proportion of suspects charged are not currently available

In the documentary, Ms Ramadan described how she was spiked on a night out after 'some guy made it clear he liked me, I was talking to another guy, I could see he didn't like it.'

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday, she said: 'When you experience a trauma like that you just want it to go away - you want to feel safe as fast as possible.

'So I didn't feel safe going into an environment where people aren't going to take me seriously and ask me questions that are going to accept me.'

The documentary, part of the Untold series, is advocating for a change in the law to make spiking a criminal offence.

At the moment prosecutors have to use other pieces of legislation, such as the Sexual Offences Act or Offences Against The Person Act.

The C4 documentary follows Kiss FM radio host Daisy Maskell, 23, as she has her drink spiked by Celia Morgan, a professor of psychopharmacology at Exeter University.

Havva Ramadan is among the victims of spiking to feature on Channel 4 documentary Untold: The Truth About Spiking. Appearing on Good Morning Britain, she said she was told by an office that police 'wouldn't do anything because nothing actually happened to me.

Professor Morgan used a limited amount of the drug to keep Daisy safe and ensure no lasting effects.

But Daisy was left struggling to walk without holding onto a nearby wall and admitted: 'I am not in control of my body... I would be very, very vulnerable.'

After finishing the spiked drink, the reported admitted: 'Right now, within the past 30 seconds, something's just hit. I can feel a big difference.'

She was then seen struggling to walk in a straight line, revealing: 'I feel really big. I'm clinging onto the wall as well. I don't think I've ever - sorry, it's hit me again.

'I actually don't think I've ever felt as out of it as I feel right now in terms of feeling so out of my body and so detached and detached from reality.

'I am not in control of my body at all and if I was not in the situation that I'm in right now, I would be very, very vulnerable.'

Speaking about the reason she agreed to be spiked, Daisy said: 'If I can show people what it might look like if you or your friend have been spiked, maybe more people will come forward, maybe more people will be believed, maybe we can prevent people from getting hurt, and find out whether the law is strong enough to stop this.'

During the Channel 4 documentary, Kiss FM radio host Daisy Maskell, 23, put her body on the line in order to shine a light on the dangers of drink spiking

During Untold: The Truth About Spiking, which is available to stream from today, Professor Celia Morgan - an expert in psychedelic drugs at the University of Exeter - spiked Daisy's drink under laboratory conditions

Professor Morgan added: 'People out there, have just got complete carelessness for other people's lives.

'And they have no idea of what is a dose that will lead to someone's death, or permanent disability. So, that's the thing that I find really deeply upsetting.'

Elsewhere in the programme Daisy met people whose lives have been shattered by becoming victims of spiking, none of whom have seen their attacker brought to justice.

She also heard from a police and crime commissioner about how her force is focusing on prevention, as it is so hard to prove the crime with the current laws, and from a barrister who argued there is a powerful case to bring in a new law specifically making spiking illegal  both to help the police prosecute and to act as a specific deterrent.

Barrister Charlotte Proudman, who is interviewed in the show, told the Guardian: 'At the moment the law is not a deterrent because there's no specific criminal offence for spiking, so it's not recognised as a crime in and of itself in its own right.

The Home Office was ordered by Parliament to write a report about the steps it's taken - or intends to take - to tackle spiking.

Professor Morgan issued a limited amount of the drug to keep Daisy safe and ensure no lasting effects. Pictured, Doctors watch Daisy to make sure she's safe during the experiment

But Daisy (pictured) was left struggling to walk without holding onto a nearby wall and admitted: 'I am not in control of my body... I would be very, very vulnerable.'

The report was due in April this year. Six months after the deadline, it has yet to appear.

A Home Office spokesman told UNTOLD: 'Spiking is an abhorrent act that is already illegal and anyone who commits this crime faces up to ten years behind bars.

'There has been a delay to the publication of the statutory report. We aim to publish this later in the Autumn.

'We have invested [in] initiatives to tackle drink spiking, campaigns to raise awareness, and training for bar staff.

'We have rolled out spiking-specific communications and campaign activity at summer music festivals and, currently, at universities across the UK.'
A council in North Wales has become the latest to wage war against second home owners after voting to double council tax on properties belonging to out-of-towners.

Conwy County Borough Council will also slap a 300 per cent premium on properties that are empty for five years or more as it joins a cohort of other communities across Britain that are fed up of second-home owners hollowing out their town centres.

A councillor in the region, which includes holiday hotspots like Llandudno and Abergele, said there were 1,400 long-term empty homes and 1,000 second homes - with almost the same number of people on either housing lists or in emergency accomodation.

Local councils were given the power to impose additional taxes on second homes by the Welsh Government earlier this year; many, like Conwy, are expected to impose hikes as they set their budgets for 2024/25 early next year.

It's the latest in a series of pushbacks against part-time residents in holiday hotspots across the country, which have seen councils slap 'bin taxes' on out-of-towners and residents turn out in droves in local referenda to ban new second homes altogether.

Communities in England and Wales are fighting back against the increasing number of second homes across the country - with plans mooted in Scotland for council tax premiums to be imposed on holiday homes

Conwy county, which has voted to double council tax on second homes, is home to idyllic coastal towns such as Llandudno (pictured)

Communities across Britain are revolting against second home owners by voting for bans on the sale of homes as part-time residences, such as in Burnham Market (pictured)

Conwy County Borough Council leader Charlie McCoubrey said a permanent home owner was 'more beneficial' to the local economy than a part-time resident

Conwy leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, speaking at the meeting in which the decision was made to impose the tax hike, said that while the benefits of tourism shouldn't be understated, permanent residents carried more worth for the local economy.

He said: 'A lot of the objections are, "I spend money in local shops" - well, I would make the case that I am here 51 weeks a year, as is my family, and I spend that money every single week.

'I think that's more beneficial than somebody who is here occasionally.'

Conwy's move, however, has been slammed by local Conservatives including councillor Louise Emery, who said measures on second homes had gone 'far enough'.

As part of the new Welsh Government regime, holiday lets must be booked out for 182 days a year to avoid paying council tax - to deter people from leaving homes empty all year round.

Senedd Tory Mark Isherwood, speaking to the BBC, said people who operated 'legitimate self-catering businesses' from their additional properties were being unfairly penalised by the new laws, brought in under the Labour-Plaid Cymru co-operation agreement.

Mr Isherwood added: 'We're talking about real, indigenous businesses that are central to local tourism economies, potentially having their hearts ripped out of them.'

The Welsh government says tourism is important for the economy, but that it has to 'ensure appropriate balance' with demand for housing.

But Conwy is just the latest in a line of places across Britain that have seen both politicians and local communities rise up against second home owners amid claims they are starving towns of their populations.

Other Welsh communities, such as Tenby in Pembrokeshire, are already imposing premium taxes on second homes; Tenby officials added 50 per cent to council tax bills in 2017, rising to 100 per cent in 2021.

The Scottish Government is mulling over plans to introduce a council tax premium from as early as next year, on top of a 6 per cent 'additional homes supplement' already charged on top of sales taxes.

And across England local authorities, with the support of residents, are preparing to take advantage of the powers proposed in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that will allow them to also levy heftier council tax charges on non-residents.

Salcombe, in Devon, sees its population surge from around 2,000 in the winter to somewhere in the region of 20,000 during the summer months.

Salcombe in Devon, which surges from 2,000 residents in winter to ten times that in the summer as people flock to holiday homes

Retired fisherman Richard Baylay, from Salcombe, believes there are 'too many holiday homes'

Maxwell Graham-Wood, who owns Satchells Wines in Burnham Market, Norfolk, has placed a sign outside his premises stating second home owners are 'welcome'

South Hams District Council has voted to double council tax, ban new-build homes from being second homes 'in perpetuity', and has started imposing a 350 annual 'bin tax' on second homes to stop them from abusing residential waste collections.

Locals claim to have seen guests at holiday homes walking down the streets with armfuls of bin bags to dispose of them in public bins, as second home owners are letting out their homes 'on the quiet' to avoid commercial waste charges.

Retired crab fisherman Richard Baylay, 86, said: 'There are just too many holiday homes. If they are run as businesses to make a profit for the owner then of course they should pay commercial waste charges like every other business.

One shop owner in the town, who would not be named, told MailOnline: 'I see them (second home owners), or their rental guests, dropping big bags of rubbish in street litter bins. So we're all paying to get that collected. I'm glad to see the council going after them.'

On the Norfolk coast, residents in Heacham voted 18 months ago to impose a ban on new-build homes being purchased by part-time residents.

Weeks ago, the nearby communities of Blakeney and Burnham Market followed suit, voting to ban the sale of any properties as second homes or holiday lets - new or otherwise.

However, some businesses say that they rely on the trade of out-of-towners during the summer months to sustain them through the winter.

Maxwell Graham-Wood, who owns Satchells Wines in Burnham Market, put up a sign to say that second home owners were 'welcome here'.

He told MailOnline: 'If we had to rely on local people for business then there wouldn't be a single business left in the village because they don't shop here.

'Businesses love second home owners and holidaymakers and the sooner these extremists can drop this ridiculous attitude towards the people that keep our economy going, the better.'

Arthur Howell, of Arthur Howell Butchers in nearby Wells-next-the-Sea, added: 'We need the business that holidaymakers bring in over the summer to get us through the winter. It would be very worrying if that was to stop.'

Sedgeford, Heacham, Snettisham and Holme-next-the-Sea, all in Norfolk, have also agreed restrictions. Almost half of the 706 properties in Blakeney are second homes or holiday lets, and house prices have soared nearly 50 per cent in six years.

And there are similar fightbacks occurring in idyllic towns and villages around the UK including St Ives in Cornwall and Swanage in Dorset, which is imposing council tax premiums and an empty home surcharge on unused properties.

Tourists in St Ives, Cornwall, which has banned the sale of new-build properties as second homes

Swanage in Dorset, which is imposing council tax premiums and an empty home surcharge on unused accommodation

British second homes surged in popularity during the pandemic when well-to-do holidaymakers, unable to travel abroad, sought out idyllic settings closer to home.

But locals say their communities have been gutted as homes that would otherwise be occupied by permanent residents sit empty most of the year, depriving local businesses of regular customers and driving up house prices.

Blakeney Parish Council chairman Rosemary Thew said earlier this month that while tourism was a 'big part of the village economy', 'the volume of second homes is very high, around half. It's pushing prices up quite considerably. It means that, as far as locals are concerned, they can't afford to live here.'

In Southwold, Suffolk, second-home owners who do not pay council tax by claiming their homes are holiday lets have paid the price - after local councillors voted to strip them of weekly bin collections and the right to buy parking permits.

Councillor David Beavan, who has led the campaign against the 'rates cheats' said last year: 'This is not about us and them, it's about decency and fairness.'
Experts have told MailOnline why drugs keep appearing on the UK's south coast

Holdalls and packages stuffed full of cocaine have become a familiar sight for beachgoers in recent weeks on the south coast.

A large haul of the drug - believed to be worth around 2million - washed up on a Sussex beach on Monday, the latest in a string of seaside discoveries.

Armed police sealed off a large section of the shore in Goring, West Sussex, after the bag containing 30kg of cocaine was found by a member of the public.

And it wasn't the first time. The current influx of Class A drugs began on October 2, when a fisherman found hundreds of kilos of cocaine floating in the sea between two Dorset beauty spots, St Aldhelm's Point and Durdle Door.

Then just five days later, a team of litter-pickers came across a second batch on a beach on the west coast of the Isle of Wight. And on October 12, armed police were called to Ferring, West Sussex, after dozens of black-and-turquoise packages marked 'POPI' containing 1.2million of cocaine, were found on the stones.

But what is behind this latest spate of cocaine on Britain's beaches? Experts have today told MailOnline that the class A drugs are likely being transported across the Atlantic, from South America to Europe, by 'mother ships' which hand the drugs over to smaller vessels.

Fishing boats, speedboats or yachts are then tasked with bringing the drugs to land - but sometimes the handovers can go drastically wrong, with the substances later washed up ashore.

Experts have told MailOnline there are four main ways to suggest why cocaine keeps washing up on Britain's south coast

Several incidents of cocaine washing up on Britain's shores have occurred this month, especially in West Sussex

GORING: A large haul of suspected cocaine believed to be worth around 2million washed up on a Sussex beach on Monday

GORING: Armed police and the coastguard sealed off a large section of the shore in Goring, West Sussex, on Monday

GORING: The haul was the fourth similar incident this month in West Sussex. The National Crime Agency is probing

Cocaine-smuggling cartels have infiltrated international shipping companies - such as Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) - in the past to smuggle their drugs into the UK and Europe.

Traffickers can panic under the threat of being arrested and throw the drugs overboard, the small boats may sink in stormy conditions or the packages may get lost during the handover. The drugs can also become detached when they are tied to buoys with GPS trackers by the mother ship.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating the source of the cargo - which they confirmed that initial testing indicated originated in South America. But as the NCA continues to work with local police forces, cocaine 'bricks' keep cropping up.

READ MORE: Armed police patrol Sussex beach after a haul of cocaine washes ashore on the South Coast for the fourth time this month Advertisement

After cops also rushed to Goring on Monday, Sussex Police said the packages would be taken for forensic testing along with substances found 'in Selsey on 19 October, Middleton and Felpham on 13 October and Ferring on 12 October'.

The force said it was working alongside partner agencies to find the source of the substances - as they urged the public not to touch or attempt to remove them if found.

It's understood that the haul on Monday could be linked to the October 2 incident where hundreds of kilos of cocaine were dumped in the Solent by smugglers. The packages which were found had 'POPI' written on them, which have also been seen on recent seizures in West Sussex.

Tom Chandler, a leading UK expert on drug cartels, told MailOnline that there are usually four main reasons why drugs are washed ashore in waterproof sacks or duffel bags when things go wrong.

The author of the 2018 book 'Narco Wars: How British Agents Infiltrated The Colombian Drug Cartels' explained that if a ship or boat which is carrying drugs is about to be intercepted by Customs or authorities, traffickers will throw the product overboard. 'They loose the drugs, but at least they don't get arrested and the ship seized,' he said.

Mr Chandler said that yachts or fishing boats transporting drugs can also get into trouble in stormy weather and sink. The drugs are often washed ashore months later, he explained.

A third reason why drugs could wash up on Britain's beaches is if a handover from a ship to a smaller vessel goes wrong.

Mr Chandler explained: 'In the course of the handover (which is often difficult if the weather is bad) some of the drugs are dropped into the sea by accident. They get washed ashore days or weeks later.'

Describing the final reason, Mr Chandler said: 'A mothership drops off waterproof sacks of cocaine into the sea, tied to buoys or flotation devices with GPS trackers. These are then collected later by a fishing boat or local vessel.'

Pictured: A map shows the several methods and land, sea and air routes used to traffic cocaine from the three main producers of the drug - Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia - into the world's largest market for the stimulant: Europe

ISLE OF WIGHT: Writer David Jones with what is believed to be cocaine at Brightstone on the Isle of Wight

DORSET: The first cocaine discovery this month was made by litter-pickers on October 2

DORSET: Hundreds of kilos of powder were discovered in the sea off the St Aldhelm's Point and Durdle Door areas

FERRING: Armed police cordoned off a beach in Sussex after dozens of packages believed to contain up to 1million of cocaine washed up on the shore

FERRING: Armed guards stand beside a holdall containing suspected cocaine with the letters 'POPI' on them

But sometimes the drugs get detached from the buoy and eventually wash up on the shore. Mr Chandler added: 'I am sure that the recent cases of drugs being washed ashore on the south coast will relate to one or more drug shipments going wrong.'

In 2019, US federal officials seized 16.5 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of more than $1billion from a cargo ship docked in Philadelphia and bound for Europe. It was the largest cocaine seizure in US history.

The drugs were seized at the Packer Marine Terminal from cargo containers aboard the MSC Gayane. The MSC shipping company had been sending mother ships laden with cocaine for several years.

In 2010, the MSC container ship Oriane was cursing through the English Channel towards Antwerp, Belgium, when a 39ft lobster boat called Galway-Y-Mor started making some strange movements as it surrounded the giant cargo.

As the Galway got closer, UK prosecutors said the crew tossed over 255kg of cocaine - worth around 53million - in 11 waterproof duffel bags into the sea off the coast of the Isle of Wight.

After collecting the duffels, the crew of four on the Galwad sailed to nearby Freshwater Bay where they used metal weights to submerge the drugs and tie them to buoys to be collected by traffickers.

This didn't happen because the NCA were watching and seized the drugs and the men were later arrested along with an accomplice. But on many other similar occasions, the drugs are safely collected and distributed on shore.

The five men were sentenced to a combined 104 years in prison in 2011 and continue to plead their innocence more than ten years on.

As UK authorities took the case to Europol - and agreed to gather information on drop-offs with Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands - it emerged that although several big companies had been used, one name kept appearing: MSC.

Bloomberg Businessweek reported in December that the US government is pursuing the shipping giant for $700million, while it could also move forward with a forfeiture case against the MSC Gayane container ship.

Harry Shapiro, of the charity Drugscope, told MailOnline the reason drugs are turning up on Britain's shores is because a shipment has gone astray after possibly being dumped but was not picked up by local boats for whatever reason.

He said the ship could have come from Holland as a transshipment point for cocaine from South America.

Shown is the MSC Gayane container ship on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. US authorities seized more than $1 billion worth of cocaine from the ship in 2019 - the largest seize in US history

In 2010, the Galwad-Y-Mor (pictured) picked up 255kg of cocaine from the MSC Oriane in the English Channel. The crew - who were later jailed - tied the drugs to buoys to be picked up by traffickers

Mr Shapiro quipped that the amount of drugs washing up this month is 'a drop in the ocean of the value of drugs coming into the UK overall'.

Experts in the EU's drug agency have also warned that a rise in cocaine trafficking into Europe indicates that 'traffickers feel confident' their shipments will get through.

Laurent Laniel, attached to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, told the Irish Examiner that cocaine seizures of the size intercepted in Irish Waters recently are happening 'frequently' across Europe.

He was referring to the 2.25 tonnes of cocaine seized inside a mother ship off the coast of Cork last month in the biggest Irish haul of the drug.

Earlier this month, MailOnline delved into how Narcos are now more likely to make their fortunes shipping cocaine across the Atlantic into Europe rather than North America.

Seizures of cocaine on the continent exceeded those in North America for the first time in 2019 and have only grown since, with a record 303 tons confiscated in 2021 - worth at least $12billion, though some estimate the true value of the market north of $60billion.

Unlike the South American cartels of the past, today's bosses are just as likely to come from Italy, such as the 'Ndrangheta and Camorra Mafia families; the Balkans, including Grupa Amerika or the Tito and Dino Cartel; and Ireland, as is the case with the Kinahan and Hutch Clans.

The NCA is investigating the recent finds on Britain's south coast. Tracey Lake, senior investigating officer, said about the October 2 discovery: 'We believe this a significant amount of class A drugs which would have originated in South America.

'A loss of a consignment of this size would represent a significant hit to the criminal networks involved'

She added: 'Our investigation is being assisted by both Dorset and Hampshire Police as well as Border Force.

'Any additional suspect packages encountered by members of the public should be reported to the relevant Police force.'

Dogwalker Kayt Wolfe, who saw some of the packages washed up on the Isle of Wight, said people had asked her why she did not keep some of the narcotics.

'It never crossed my mind. I just wanted it safely removed from the beach,' she said.

According to the NCA's latest strategic threat assessment, Britain's cocaine market is estimated to be worth more than 25.7m daily in England, Scotland and Wales.

There were 188,929 drug seizures in England and Wales in the year ending March 2022.

NCA director general Graeme Biggar said in the 2023 strategic threat assessment that organised crime groups have capitalised on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the cost-of-living crisis, while traffickers and drug smugglers have adapted their routes and methods to maximise profits.

He said: 'The consequences play out on our shores and streets on a daily basis: last year a record 45,755 people used small boats to arrive on UK shores, while drug prices fell and drug production and deaths rose.'
San Francisco plans a push to clean up its streets by enforcing vendor rules and getting homeless people into shelters as crime is on the rise ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next month.

Official emails obtained by Bloomberg revealed the details the city will take to improve its image ahead of hosting various world leaders.

'I would like to seize as many hot dog carts as possible,' Kyle Thomas, who oversees security and emergency preparedness for San Franciscos waterfront, said in an August email.

According to emails from the San Francisco Port Authority, they are cracking down on unpermitted street sellers in popular tourist areas ahead of the gathering and hoping to improve the city's image.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that city employees are being offered bulletproof vests to wear while enforcing the citys street vending rules.

APEC will bring together leaders from 21 member countries of Asia-Pacific region in the California city to discuss how to facilitate economic growth.

San Francisco will crack down on illegal street vendor and homeless people ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next month

San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen has proposed a 90 day ban on vendors on Mission Street so authorities can crack down on illegal vendors.

Ronen said Public Work employees have been attacked and illegal vendors block the sidewalks while selling illegal or stolen goods.

Running from November 11 through November 17, the summit will take place at the Moscone Convention Center.

'APEC will put us on center stage like never before and at that time we'll have an opportunity to showcase the very best of this city,' Mayor London Breed said Tuesday.

'We're not hiding our problems, we're not trying to do something different, we're going to continue to help get people off the streets, like we have been,' Breed said.

'This event will require all of us to come together to ensure that San Francisco shows the world that it is one of the great cities of the world,' Sean Elsbernd, Breeds chief of staff, said in an August email to all city departments.

That includes plans to open additional city shelters to get homeless of the streets ahead of the gathering.

'In that area, we don't necessarily have encampments, we have people who are struggling with addiction and mental illness. They were out during other conventions and they were in the parks and they were in other places,' Breed said.

The APEC meeting isn't the first time San Francisco officials have tried to improve its image before a major gathering.

Earlier this year, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff slammed the city for only making efforts to improve the area during the company's annual conference, Dreamforce.

He acknowledged he asked for efforts to be made to make the area safer for his AI convention, which draws 40,000 people from around the world. But questioned, 'Why can't it be like this all the time?'

San Francisco Police Department data shows robbery is up 15.4 percent and motor vehicle theft is up 8.9 percent in the city.

San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen said Public Work employees have been attacked and illegal vendors block the sidewalks while selling illegal or stolen goods

A homeless woman in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. As of October 22, robbery is up 15.4 percent and motor vehicle theft is up 8.9 percent in the city

Homeless encampments line the streets in the Tenderloin District. Hundreds of businesses have closed in the city due to crime, drug use and a homelessness epidemic

Hundreds of businesses have closed in the city due to crime, drug use and a homelessness epidemic.

Economist call the crisis in the Golden Gate city a 'doom loop,' referring to a city's decline when tax incomes fall as residents and businesses leave, causing revenues to decline in a downward spiral that is hard to reverse.

Starbucks closed seven stores in the Golden Gate city and Microsoft vacated its nearly 50,000 square foot office.

San Francisco's drug-plagued Tenderloin district is dubbed 'Million Dollar Mile' by Honduran drug dealers.

Data from the city said as of October 10, there have been 620 overdose deaths in San Francisco.
Some of Sydney's trendiest suburbs are set to become a lot more noisy under a massive shake-up to the city's airspace.

The federal government has released proposed flight paths as part of the draft environmental assessment for the new $5.3billion Western Sydney International Airport scheduled to open in 2026.

Big changes have been proposed for Sydney's existing airport where eastbound jet aircraft, which take off from the main north-south runway, will curve further westwards immediately after departing before heading over the northern beaches.

Other flight paths will move from the current spread-out arrangements to a 'centre line' strategy, tracking to the west before turning towards the north, east and south.

Sydney's inner-west is in the firing line to cop the brunt of the changes to flight paths.

More planes leaving Sydney Airport will fly over inner-west suburbs when a second airport opens in 2026

Sydneysiders are urged to give their impact on the preliminary flight paths which will have a massive shake-up to the city's airspace

Homes in Marrickville, Newtown, Camperdown and North Strathfield are forecast to see and hear more planes flying over homes.

'These changes are minor in nature, but include changes to some of the existing departures and arrivals at Sydney Airport,' the assessment states.

READ MORE: Annoying Qantas safety rule that is infuriating Aussies Advertisement

Lewisham, Burwood, Homebush West, Canada Bay, Liberty Grove, Oatlands and Baulkham Hills and Belmore are also expected to be impacted.

Residents in Lilyfield, Russell Lea and Rhodes will fare much better with the presence of less aircraft than currently.

Sydney Airport has called on federal government to change regulations and allow for a technology roll-out that would reduce aircraft noise for suburbs under flight paths.

'Western Sydney's flight paths have been designed using technology that delivers better noise and emissions outcomes, while regulations that govern our flight paths remain frozen in time,' a spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Residents in Sydney's west and south-west will also be impacted under amended under flight paths for Bankstown and Camden airports, along with the RAAF base at Richmond,

The new Western Sydney International Airport in Badgerys Creek, 45km from the CBD, will be the first in NSW to have no curfew, with flights taking off and landing 24 hours a day, seven days a week when the facility opens in 2026.

Western Sydney International Airport will mean big changes to Sydney Airport's existing flight paths

The proposed flight paths include changes to some of the existing departures and arrivals at Sydney Airport

Greendale, Luddenham, Twin Creeks, Penrith, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Prospect Reservoir, Windsor, Orchard Hills were recently revealed as the suburbs to be worst impacted by aircraft noise from the new airport.

'We are the most impacted community. 220 flights per day, 18 different flight paths, both take-offs and landings so we are significantly impacted," Penrith-based Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh told Nine News.

Blue Mountains residents are also concerned about the impact on their livelihoods and have branded the preliminary flight paths as 'hell on earth'

'There are strong arguments to minimise flight paths over the Blue Mountains both in the day and night. Australia needs to respect that we are different,' local mayor Mark Greenhill said on Tuesday.

'We as a community, need to come together to present a strong voice to try and minimise the impact of the flight paths on our unique community and environment.'

Sydneysiders are urged to visit the website to view preliminary flight paths and learn more about their impacts.

Federal infrastructure and transport minister Catherine King said that community feedback will help guide the final stages towards opening Australia's new international gateway in three years time.

'We have Kingsford Smith Airport, we've got Richmond Air Base, we've got Camden and Bankstown, and so the EIS does look at how and what changes will need to be made to flights coming in and out of Kingsford Smith, in and out of Richmond, in and out of Bankstown and Camden as well,' she told reporters.

'Safety first, has to be first, but trying to make sure we mitigate the impact, particularly over residences as much as we possibly can has been one of the principles that all of the air space design has been undertaken under.'

The draft EIS is on public exhibition until the end of January.
In the rat race for 'most rodent-infested city' Chicago has taken the top spot for its ninth year in a row beating Los Angeles and New York.

Pest control company Orkin looked at the number of rodent treatments performed on both residential and commercial buildings in the past 12 months and declared the city in Illinois as the most rodent-infested city for 2023.

Los Angeles came in second and most surprisingly New York City trailed closely behind at third.

Meanwhile, Washington DC and San Francisco, remained in their same positions as last year in the top five.

Orkin entomologist Ben Hottel said: 'Rodents multiply swiftly and when an infestation is left unattended, they can cause extensive damage to homes and yards.'

'They are capable of squeezing into spaces through holes as small as a quarter, which makes it especially important to seal cracks from the outside,' he added.

Orkin looked at the number of rodent treatments performed on both residential and commercial buildings in the past 12 months and declared Chicago as the most rodent-infested city for 2023 Monday

Chicago, pictured, continues its first-place run, topping Orkin's most rodent-infested city list for the ninth year in a row

Los Angeles, pictured, switched positions with New York, reclaiming the second spot

New York, pictured, seems to improve in its battle against rodents as the city dropped from the second to the third spot in the list.

Chicago has been the rattiest city in the country for eight years, despite the city's efforts to tame the rat population for nearly a decade.

Residents in Chicago made more than 50,000 rat complaints in 2022. The number is a slight decline from the prior year when more than 65,000 complaints were made, according to the city's 311 call data.

But the number is significantly higher than the rat complaints made before the pandemic.

Chicago's Bureau of Rodent Control said it 'investigates every reported rat sighting. Alley conditions are investigated and damaged carts are replaced. Rodenticide is placed in rat burrows to eradicate the nest.'

The bureau said it reacted to rat infestation 'by mounting a systematic attack on the rat problems thanks to a very aggressive rodent control program.'

Washington D.C., pictured, is ranked the fourth in the 'Top 50 Rattiest Cities' list by pest control company Orkin

Trailing Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. in the rat race is San Francisco, pictured, the same top five as last year

Chicago is ill-prepared to handle the skyrocketing complaints, with the city bureau being short-staffed and often responding late, according to an investigation by Illinois Answers and Block Club.

The investigation found that the bureau failed to meet its goals to handle each rat complaint within five days for the last two years.

'Rat responses were slowest in some West and South side neighborhoods,' according to the report.

The Office of Inspector General said it would audit the bureau for failing to hand the surge in complaints and exterminate rodents effectively. \

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson planned to allocate $14,85million to the bureau of rodent control in 2024, a boost of $1.5million from the last year.

The additional funding will bring three new vehicles and six additional staff members, according to a spokesperson for Streets and Sanitation .

The rat population in Los Angeles has surged in recent years due to increased homelessness and the lack of effective rodent control methods.

A California new state law passed last week banning a first-generation rat poison that was harmful to wildlife.

Los Angeles County approved the motion earlier this year asking the state of California to ban first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides.

New York seems to improve in its battle against rodents as it dropped from second to third on the list.

Earlier this year, Mayor Eric Adams hired a rat-catcher for $155,000-a-year to deal with the critical rat problem, after the number of rat sightings doubled in the past year.

In June, the mayor's office even reported a 15 percent drop in rat sightings, compared to 2022.

Chicago's Bureau of Rodent Control is short-staffed and often responds late to rat complaints, according to an investigation by Illinois Answers and Block Club

New York City's Mayor Eric Adams hired rat-catcher Kathleen Corradi (pictured right) for $155,000-a-year in April

A rat scavenges for food on a sidewalk on 23rd Street near 6th Avenue in NYC in August

Harlem is among four so-called 'mitigation zones' receiving extra funding from the city to try and get rid of rats.

New York City leaders have been trying to control the rodent population for generations with mixed results, but sightings of rats in parks, sidewalks and other places in the city have increased with things only getting steadily worse since the pandemic.

Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, rats survived a multimillion-dollar effort that aimed to reduce their numbers with more garbage pickups and better housing inspections in targeted neighborhoods.

The city even launched a program to use dry ice to suffocate rats in their hiding spots - but still the rats remain.

City officials insist they are winning in the war against rats: 'New York City used to be known for our mean streets, but, going forward, we're going to be known for our clean streets,' Adams promised at the start of summer.
SF Mayor London Breed remains optimistic, saying: 'We want to welcome this technology, but we want to do so responsibly and safely'

Cruise was ordered to halve its San Francisco fleet after a car collided with a firetruck in August

Cruise employees are accused of hiding the full story behind a crash that saw a woman trapped beneath a robotaxi for 30 minutes as it attempted to drive over her

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has suspended Cruise's permits for deploying and testing driverless cars, arguing that the cars create an 'unreasonable risk to public safety.'

A number of chaotic incidents led to the order, with the latest accusing Cruise employees of hiding the full circumstances behind a crash that left a pedestrian severely injured in the company's native San Francisco on October 2.

In that incident, a woman was hit by an unrelated car that knocked her into the path of a driverless Cruise car, which braked hard before colliding with her.

The robotaxi stopped on top of the woman for 30 minutes while she screamed for help.

Cruise representatives held a meeting with representatives from the DMV and California Highway Patrol where Cruise employees allegedly played video from the car's onboard cameras.

General Motors-owned Cruise had its permits suspended for deploying and testing driverless cars in San Francisco amid accusations that its employees hid the full story behind a crash earlier this month

In the October 2 incident, a passenger was trapped beneath a Cruise taxi for 30 minutes after another car pushed her into its path

Footage posted to social media shows the victim's feet sticking out from beneath the vehicle as police officers crowd around her

DMV officials requested additional footage from the company, which the company sent 10 days after the meeting.

The new footage showed that the car continued driving after the initial stop and attempted a 'pullover maneuver,' traveling about 20 feet while the pedestrian was still trapped underneath.

This maneuver 'increased the risk of, and may have caused, further injury to a pedestrian,' the DMV wrote in a report.

'Cruise's omission hinders the ability of the department to effectively and timely evaluate the safe operation of Cruise's vehicles and puts the safety of the public at risk,' the department added.

The General Motors-owned company must request hearings to reinstate both the deployment permit and the driverless testing permit, though it is unclear how long this will take.

'When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits,' the DMV wrote in its justification for the suspension.

The department cited sections of the state's regulatory text for autonomous vehicles as evidence that the robotaxis are 'not safe for the public's operation' and that the company 'misrepresented' safety information.

News of the suspensions comes after the DMV ordered Cruise to halve its San Francisco fleet in August, following an incident where one of the cars was hit by a firetruck after failing to yield to emergency sirens.

Cruise was forced to cut its fleet of robotaxis in half in San Francisco after one of the cars smashed into a fire truck while carrying a passenger

Firefighters alerted the company to the incident by blocking the car's (left) sensors

The robotaxi appeared to have failed to yield to the fire truck's emergency sirens, causing a crash

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a probe into General Motors last week after receiving two complaints and learning of two more online.

In a statement, the agency said its Office of Defects Investigation received reports of incidents where the autonomous vehicles 'may not have exercised appropriate caution around pedestrians in the roadway.'

This included 'vehicles encroaching on pedestrians present in or entering roadways, including pedestrian crosswalks, in the proximity of the intended travel path of the vehicles.'

The decision to withdraw the company's permits follows several incidents in San Francisco including one close call earlier this month, where a Cruise car suddenly barreled towards a sidewalk before coming to an abrupt halt.

'The AV made a late decision to re-route and was not able to achieve the desired trajectory,' the company told Dailymail.com.

'The AV then came to a stop out of the flow of traffic and reached out to remote assistance. The overall scenario was resolved quickly and the ride continued otherwise as planned.'

San Francisco Mayor London Breed addressed the suspension at a press conference on Tuesday.

'Ultimately, you know, safety is the most important,' Breed said.

'My hope is that as a result of this, they can spend some time working on improving their safety measures because we want to welcome this technology, but we want to do so responsibly and safely.'

San Francisco Mayor London Breed praised the permit suspension on Tuesday while also reiterating her enthusiasm for self-driving vehicles

Protestors have been immobilizing Cruise cars by placing traffic cones on the hood, in an effort to draw attention to concerns about safety issues

Driverless cars have been involved in a string of incidents including slamming into a city bus

In early October, a Cruise vehicle suddenly swerved out of traffic and hurtled towards pedestrians on a sidewalk before stopping abruptly

The San Francisco-based company has been testing its fleet in the city since 2020 and began offering driverless taxi rides last year.

The company has since expanded service to Austin, Phoenix and Houston.

Google's robotaxi Waymo was deployed in San Francisco last year and began integrating into areas like Santa Monica and Los Angeles this month.

It quickly faced pushback from labor organizers and lawmakers calling for new autonomous vehicle regulations.

The office of Los Angeles Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez issued a statement shortly after the DMV yanked Cruise's robotaxi permits.

The councilman plans to introduce a motion 'urging officials in the state to address public safety concerns around autonomous vehicles and reign in the expansion of robotaxis in Los Angeles.'

The motion would see Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto joining San Francisco's existing lawsuit against the California Public Utilities Commission, which is one of the regulatory bodies overseeing the rollout of self-driving cars in the state.

Last month, San Francisco formally requested that state regulators redo an August hearing that expanded robotaxi permits for both Cruise and Waymo.

The permits provided no limitations on geographic area, service hours or fleet size, with opponents arguing that this could lead to an unchecked number of autonomous vehicles roaming the streets.

Most concerningly, they did not require the companies to report incidents of robotaxis malfunctioning in traffic, blocking the flow of other drivers, public transit and first responders.
A newspaper cartoonist has offended Victoria's new premier Jacinta Allan after he drew her walking down a catwalk completely naked.

The cartoon was published by the Herald Sun's Mark Knight on Tuesday, depicting the Labor leader nude on the runway of Melbourne Fashion Week in a reference to the fable of the 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.

'From the Commonwealth Games cancellation collection ... the premier's new clothes,' the cartoon's caption reads.

The Walkley Award-winning cartoonist was attempting to link the folktale to Ms Allan's questioning by a committee into the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.

Ms Allan objected to the depiction, saying women deserved to be able to see themselves in the media in a way that 'doesn't use sexualised imagery'.

Mr Knight vehemently defended his cartoon, saying it is not 'sexist' and instead described it is as fair 'political comment'.

The premier criticised the cartoon while speaking to the media on Tuesday.

'It's 2023 and I think it's pretty reasonable to expect that the Herald Sun in-house cartoonist should be able to draw women without using sexualised imagery,' Ms Allan said.

'I think it's pretty reasonable for women, regardless of profession or background, to be able to have themselves represented in a way that doesn't use sexualised imagery.

'It's not the 1950s, it's 2023.'

When asked if she had seen any male politicians being drawn naked on a catwalk, Ms Allan responded: 'Not to my recollection'.

Former Labor premier of Victoria between 1999 and 2007, Steve Bracks, also condemned the cartoon, saying: 'we need to do better'.

'I was premier for almost eight years and not once was I subjected to this awful, sexualised treatment,' he said.

'Premier Jacinta Allan has received in less than a month. We need to do better.'

The leader of the opposition in the state's upper house, Georgie Crozier, defended the cartoon and called the backlash a 'distraction' to policy debate.

'There are bigger issues facing Victoria than the premier worrying about a cartoon,' Ms Crozier said.

'The premier has been fully exposed and needs to front the Commonwealth Games inquiry and tell Victorians what happened.'

Herald Sun cartoonist, Mark Knight, has come under fire from Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan (pictured), after he drew her naked while on the catwalk at a fashion show

OMG. What a precious petal you are, Jacinta Allan. Accusations of 'sexualising imagery' indeed. It is a play on "the emperor's new clothes". Educate yourself before you pull the gender card. Mark Knight would have done the same if the person responsible were a male. Diddums pic.twitter.com/THjs4UxFe8  Maryanne Mayer (@mayermares) October 24, 2023

Poll Do you think the cartoon of Jacinta Allan is sexist? Yes No Do you think the cartoon of Jacinta Allan is sexist? Yes 192 votes

No 773 votes Now share your opinion





Mr Knight defended his stance on his presentation of politicians, having produced a cartoon of Mr Andrews appearing naked in reference to the iconic album cover of Nirvana's 'Nevermind'.

He has also previously drawn both opposition leader Peter Dutton and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott nude.

Mr Knight drew the cartoon of Ms Allan after she was questioned by the committee into the Commonwealth Games on Monday.

'I felt that some of the information that was coming out left the premier a little bit exposed and my cartoonist brain clicked into gear, and it was Fashion Week and, I thought, "well, this is not a bad idea",' Knight told ABC Radio.

Mr Knight later told 3AW's Neil Mitchell that he doesn't 'see the premier as a woman' but just as 'the premier', and would have drawn any politician in that scenario in the same way.

'If Daniel Andrews was still premier, I would have drawn him on that catwalk in the same position.

'I thought it was a very fair and non-sexualised comment on the premier using an age-old folktale.'

The fable was first published in 1837 by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and is a cautionary tail about a vain emperor.

in the tail, the emperor is conned into buying a suit made of fabric that can not be seen by those who are stupid or incompetent.

The conmen then pretend to weave a suit and mime dressing him in it, to which the emperor does not resist so he as not to appear stupid.

The emperor, believing to be dressed in a fine suit, then parades himself naked throughout the town.
Used diapers are piling up in bins in Sydney's Inner West

A new father of twins is fuming after his local council changed its garbage pickup schedule, leaving him with mountains of diapers.

Peter Wynne, a resident of Sydney's inner west, said that his council did not even consult residents before changing the garbage pickup from weekly to fortnightly.

Inner West Council made the change three weeks ago and has acknowledged that nappies are an issue for people living with the new system.

Mr Wynne claimed he heard through news reports about the change rather than the council itself and that it has been unhelpful in resolving the 'unhygienic' issue.

Locals have been told by the council to use organic waste bins more efficiently to reduce the amount of overflow in their general waste bins.

Sydney's Inner West council has changed their general waste garbage collection from weekly to fortnightly which has left mountains of garbage in bins across the district

Mr Wynne said that he is not the only person left infuriated by the change.

'All residents are frustrated with this rushed change with no consultation and no information,' Mr Wynne told Yahoo.

READ MORE: Inner west residents furious Residents of an inner west Sydney have raged against the local council's decision to collect red general waste bins on a fortnightly schedule. Advertisement

'We have twin babies so what are we to do with all the dirty nappies? Leave them in the bin for two weeks? I don't think so. I think [the council] should have a red bin full of dirty nappies for two weeks and see if they like it.'

Other residents from the area have voiced similar frustrations online and Mr Wynne said that some are considering taking their 'festering' bins to council headquarters.

Local councillor for Leichhardt, Marghanita da Cruz, said the idea of the collection change is to increase the amount of organic waste being put in the right bin.

Green waste bins are still being picked up weekly in the area because the decomposition of the waste is likely to cause a smell.

Ms da Cruz acknowledged that nappies and other 'rotting, unsanitary' things were an issue that councillors were trying to resolve.

She has encouraged any Inner West residents to contact the council if they find themselves with overflowing bins.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sydney's Inner West Council for comment.
Stunning photographs have captured a rarely seen 'rainbow cloud' above a small farming community.

The colourful cloud appeared above Goomalling, about 130km northwest of Perth in Western Australia, on Tuesday morning.

Goomalling local Jenni Shaw said everyone was 'in awe' of the incredible sight.

'It was beautiful,' she told ABC News.

The amazing cloud delighted residents of the small farming community

The clouds themselves are not rare but they appear and disappear so quickly they are seldom photographed

'But we were a bit like "why is that like that? Should we still be outside looking or not?"'

The incredible sight on an otherwise clear sunny day proved that if you want the rainbow you don't necessarily have to put up with the rain.

Rainbow clouds, known more scientifically as iridescent clouds, happen when small water droplets or small ice crystals scatter the sun's light through a process called diffraction.

While the clouds themselves are not too rare, they are hard to spot and photograph because they typically only last for a very short period of time or appear very high in the sky.

The amazing natural phenomenon was spotted above Goomalling, about 130km north west of Perth

Lucky local residents said it wasn't the first time they'd seen the special clouds in the area.

'I have seen clouds like this a few times in my travels, mostly in the Wheatbelt,' Jill Lefroy wrote on Facebook.

'Pretty awesome seeing a rainbow with no rain!'
A community radio station and wine bar have landed in hot water after hosting a pro-Palestine event that featured a banner calling Israelis 'dumb white dogs'.

First Nations group This Mob Arts Collective organised the banner-making workshop in Melbourne's inner-north on Monday afternoon.

It was hosted by Hope St radio, a community radio station based in a wine bar and restaurant within an arts and community hub called Collingwood Yards.

The posters were being painted and drawn up for a protest supporting Palestinians that's meant to take place in the city on Wednesday.

Footage and pictures from the event of attendees creating signs began circulating on social media.

A community radio station has come under fire after hosting a pro-Palestine event for an Indigenous group who drew up banners with vile anti-semitic phrases

The banners were supportive of Palestine but some contained vile anti-semitic attacks against Israelis.

One poster read: 'FREE PALESTINE FROM THE COLONISING DUMB WHITE DOGS!!'

'ABOLISH ISRAEL!! P***Y A** BABY KILLING B***H A** BIBI!!'

Bibi is the nickname of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Another banner had the slogan: 'From the river to the sea.' This refers to the aim of liberating the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.

The group's actions were roundly condemned.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair, Dvir Abramovich, savaged the contents of the main poster.

'All the moral guardrails that we took for granted have fallen off and it is no surprise that the Jewish community feels besieged and under attack,' Dr Abramovich told Daily Mail Australia.

'Such ugly and open displays of antisemitism, that cross all red lines, are tearing to shred the values we as Australians hold dear.

'I never thought I would see such hate-fuelled events taking place in the country that I love, and the ripple effects of such demonisation are being felt deeply by us.

'This venomous poster, calling for Israel to be erased, fans the flames of hostility at a dangerous time when anti-Semitism in Australia is skyrocketing.'

The banners were being painted and drawn up for a protest supporting Palestinians that's meant to take place in the city on Wednesday

Another banner had the slogan: 'From the river to the sea.' This refers to the aim of liberating the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean

Others blasted the group and station on social media.

'Extremely disgraceful racism considering more than three million Mizrahi Jews call Israel home - they descend from Jewish communities expelled from Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Libya etc,' wrote political activist Drew Pavlou on X.

One man said: 'Just a wine bar in collingwood Victoria calling for the destruction of #israel and the extermination of 7m #jews.'

'It's called Hope St Radio. I won't be going #stopjewhatred.'

'I don't post very often but some things are too disgusting to ignore,' commented another.

'Saw this on social media today. Hope st radio Cafe in Collingwood, Melbourne. Spreading hate and antisemitism,' added a third.

'Shocking! Shame on Hope St Radio for hosting this event!' said another user on Facebook.

Hope St Radio later issued a response over the controversial signage created inside their studio.

Following the intense backlash against the group and the radio station, Hope St Radio issued a statement online

'Hope St Radio should be a place that all people feel welcome and safe,' the statement read.

'Many members of our immediate and more broad communities are Jewish and we treasure our relationships with them. Hope St Radio whole heartedly condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all racism, bigotry and systems of oppression.

'This is why we are proud to stand in solidarity with our First Nations neighbours, with our grieving Arab and Jewish friends, and with all of those calling for an end to the violence in occupied Palestine.'

'This is why we are proud to stand in solidarity with our First Nations neighbours, with our grieving Arab and Jewish friends, and with all of those calling for an end to the violence in occupied Palestine.'

Dr Abramovich labelled the 'so-called apology' from Hope St radio 'deeply disappointing'.

The Anti-Defamation Commission has received six reports of mezuzahs being taken off front doors to properties in Melbourne over the past month.

A mezuzah is a small, decorative case with a piece of parchment inscribed with Hebrew verses from the Torah that is affixed on the doors of homes.

The commission has also received reports of Jewish children being bullied at schools due to the conflict. Children have been called 'bombers'.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admitted that she misheard a question Monday when she downplayed the rise of antisemitism and pointed to Muslim-Americans being targeted instead.

Jean-Pierre was asked about President Joe Biden's 'level of concern' about a potential rise in antisemitism due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The press secretary answered that she had not seen 'any credible threats' and then pointed out that 'Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate fueled attacks.'

The remark that drew criticism from a number of Jewish members of Congress.

'I misheard the question,' Jean-Pierre said in a statement to multiple news outlets. 'As I have footstomped many times from the podium and on the air, antisemitism is an abomination that this president has fought against his entire life; and I feel strongly about that work.'

At the top of Tuesday's briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed antisemitism. In a statement to media outlets, Jean-Pierre said she had misheard a question when she downplayed the rise of antisemitism on Monday

Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz nailed Jean-Pierre on X Monday for her answer calling it 'weak' and asking why she needed to page through her briefing book to say the rise of antisemitism was a concern

'That's why, in the briefing room, I have blasted the repulsive increase in antisemitic rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and hate crimes in our nation, calling out that, tragically, this is a rising threat,' she added.

She made a show of that Tuesday by opening the briefing with a condemnation of antisemitism.

'I want to make something clear at the top because I understand how important moral clarity is especially at this time,' she said.

'So when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism and that is unacceptable,' she said. 'There is no place for antisemitism full stop, period.'

'This is important to the president, it is important to me personally and to everyone in the administration,' the press secretary added.

She said that following Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel 'the president has been consistent and clear.'

'We must all do our part and forcefully, forcefully speak out against antisemitism,' she said.

Biden dedicated a portion of his Thursday night Oval Office address to combating hatred in America.

'Not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against Arab-Americans, not against Palestinian -mericans, not against anyone,' she said. 'So wanted to start there today,' Jean-Pierre added, not including the mea culpa in her official remarks.

Monday's gaffe had Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz incensed.

'What a weak answer. And why are you looking in the book? Whats the approved answer?' he posted on X.

Jean-Pierre had been leafing through her briefing book when delivering her response Monday.

'The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism. Of course we are also worried about hatred against Muslim Americans,' Moskowitz said. 'Must do better.'

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said on CNN Monday that Jean-Pierre's answer was 'clearly a whiff,' but said Biden - who traveled to Tel Aviv Wednesday - 'could not possibly be standing more strongly with Israel.'
Annie the deer was euthanized at a property in Lawrence, Michigan, on Friday after police arrived at the home for a separate incident

A Michigan town has been left heartbroken and is demanding answers after a cop was caught on video killing a beloved deer known to the community as Annie.

The incident happened on October 20 outside the home of Pamela Babb in Lawrence, Van Buren County.

Many residents were appalled by the slaying of their beloved deer, with one saying: 'There is no reason for her to be put down, she never hurt anybody.'

Graphic video shared on social media shows Annie wrestling with Officer David Loza who had slipped a lead around her neck.

The frantic deer continues to battle with Officer Loza, with a second video showing him shooting the animal dead.

The officer manages to pin Annie while she is laying upside down, before pulling out a handgun and firing a single shot, the deer jolts before going limp.

Under Michigan law, only licensed rehabilitators can legally possess wildlife - meaning families are banned from keeping wild animals as pets.

Annie, pictured here, had been rescued by Pamela Babb and her family after her mother died after being hit by a car

Graphic video shared on social media shows Annie wrestling officer David Loza who has slipped a lead around her neck

Officer Loza can be seen fighting with Annie before he managed to gain control of the animal and shot it in the head

Pamela Babb told WWMT that her family rescued the animal as a fawn after her mother was hit by a car.

She told the outlet: 'They couldn't help us take her because they didn't have anymore room.'

Nevaeh Sylvester, Babb's granddaughter, had been responsible for feeding the animal three times a day while growing up.

She told WWMT: 'I felt like that was the more humane thing to do as opposed to leaving her with her dead mother.

'When she got old enough she just kept coming back to the farm, she would play with you, the kids.'

According to Babb, officers had attended the property on an unrelated child support incident when police officer Loza spotted the animal.

Babb added: 'He reached out and put his hand on her head and was able to touch her and he said she is domesticated and needs to be put down.'

Sylvester added: 'Save her, I couldn't, I just wanted to so bad, but there is nothing we could have done. I just wanted her to be safe and she wasn't.

'She was a piece of my family like a child or sibling, I was very close with her.'

Pamela Babb, pictured here, said that her family rescued the animal as a fawn after her mother was hit by a car

Nevaeh Sylvester, seen here, had been responsible for feeding the animal three times a day while growing up

In a statement, Chief of Pokagon Band Tribal Police Mario RedLegs said: 'The Pokagon Band Tribal Police is currently conducting an investigation regarding a deer being euthanized at the property of a suspect from Lawrence, Michigan, who was taken into custody for a warrant on Friday, October 20.

'The Pokagon Band Tribal Police were assisting Van Buren County Law enforcement and consulted with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

'The officer involved has been placed on Administrative Leave. We appreciate your patience in this matter, and we will provide an update once the investigation is complete.'

Since the death of the deer on Friday, locals have since made a Facebook group titled 'Justice for Annie'.

The Justice for Annie Facebook page has been inundated with comments from those demanding justice and leaving memories.

Since the death of the deer on Friday, locals have since made a Facebook group titled 'Justice for Annie'

Since her death, the Justice for Annie Facebook page has been inundated with comments from those demanding justice and leaving memories

Officers had attended the property on an unrelated child support incident when police officer David Loza, pictured here, spotted the animal

One post said: 'Rest easy sweet Annie. What the monsters you last interacted with did to you was cruel, inhumane, and heartless.

'May you have gone to heaven with memories of the outpouring of love for you from the village of Lawrence and all who knew you.'

Another read: 'Our sweet Annie. My heart is broken. Everyone in Lawrence township loves and misses you.'

While another said: 'This is how I will always remember Annie. RIP sweet girl. So many people loved you. You made a difference in this world.'

In a post to the group, they have since said that Babb was charged with unlawfully domesticating a wild animal, and is waiting on a court date for her first appearance.

The sister of Officer Loza, Gretchen Loza, had also shared a post on her Facebook.

She said: 'On behalf of our Family, we wanted to say thank you for the hundreds of calls and texts.

'Many of you have asked what we need, so here it is we need those that are brave enough to stand by & STAND UP for Dave.

'Don't judge a book on one paragraph, because in this case people are missing a lot of the story.'
The Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three children to death with exercise bands while suffering from post-partum psychosis allegedly researched methods of killing.

Lindsay Clancy, 32, was indicted by a Plymouth Grand Jury in mid-September on three counts of murder and strangulation.

Clancy allegedly attacked and killed her three children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan on January 24 at the family home in Duxbury.

The mother, a labor and delivery nurse, then attempted to take her own life which left her paralyzed from the waist down. She remains in hospital even going as far as to address the court from a hospital bed.

The unsealed affidavit - obtained by DailyMail.com - reveals that investigators obtained a warrant for her electronic devices, where Clancy would journal about her mental health and feelings about children, but also 'researching ways to kill.'

Lindsay Clancy was suffering severe postpartum depression and had been prescribed an 'over the top' cocktail of pills that her forgiving husband Patrick Clancy (pictured right) believes are to blame for the tragedy

Clancy (pictured testifying from her hospital bed), 32, was indicted in mid-September on three counts of murder and strangulation. The unsealed affidavit - obtained by DailyMail.com - reveals investigators obtained a warrant for her electronic devices, where Clancy was 'researching ways to kill'

No specific search terms or phrases were revealed, nor did the documents show any further details about how they found the information.

The affidavits also show that Clancy had resorted to self-harm with 'a large blood covered kitchen knife' before she jumped from a window of her home.

Clancy was suffering severe postpartum depression and had been prescribed an 'over the top' cocktail of pills that her forgiving husband Patrick Clancy believes are to blame for the tragedy.

The investigators took bottles of diazepam, amitriptyline and trazodone, all antidepressants, from Clancy's home on January 25. All three had been prescribed to her within the last 16 days.

It's also revealed that Clancy's husband, Patrick, was in the basement when police had arrived to check on Lindsay and knew 'something was wrong because his children would not wake up.'

He approached the police and started screaming: 'She killed the kids!' as he made the discoveries, finding two of his children with band around their necks, turning their faces 'blue and purple.'

Authorities did a full search on the home and went through home cameras, receipts, a CVS bag containing a child's laxative Lindsay had asked Patrick to buy, the murder weapons, the knife and several notebooks.

The books included a more full list of medications Lindsay was being prescribed: Zoloft, Valium, Trazodone, Ativan, Klonopin, Prozac and Seroquel. It did not appear she had been given all of these at the same time.

Clancy allegedly attacked and killed her three children Cora Clancy, 5, Dawson Clancy, 3, and 8-month-old Callan Clancy

Lindsay Clancy, 32, was indicted by a Plymouth Grand Jury in mid-September on three counts of murder and strangulation

Clancy is scheduled to be arraigned in county court on Thursday, according to the Boston Herald.

Post partum psychosis is defined by the National Institutes of Health as the severest form of mental illness in that category, and is characterized by extreme confusion, loss of touch with reality, paranoia, delusions, disorganized thought process, and hallucinations.'

It usually occurs within the first six weeks after giving birth and 'warrants immediate medical and psychiatric attention and hospitalization if the risk of suicide or filicide exists.'

Clancy's lawyer, Kevin J Reddington, previously told a judge that the drugs she had been prescribed left her feeling feeling like a 'zombie'.

A chilling audio of the 911 dispatch call made by Patrick that night reveals the extent of the horror.

Clancy suffered cuts on her wrists and lacerations, which she is believed to have inflicted on herself before jumping from a window of her home.

Clancy was suffering severe postpartum depression and had been prescribed an 'over the top' cocktail of pills that her forgiving husband Patrick (second from left) believes are to blame for the tragedy

The tragedy occurred on January 24 at the family home at 47 Summer Street in Duxbury

A well-wisher visits the makeshift memorial that grew in front of the family's Duxbury home

Patrick found his wife lying outside their home after returning from collecting takeout food for the family.

As first responders arrived on scene and tended to his wife, Patrick could be heard screaming in the home's basement.

There he found the children unconscious and blue with exercise bands around their necks.

The state's chief medical examiner would declare the two older children had died of asphyxia, while little Callan had died from complications from asphyxia.

Clancy was arraigned on February 7 from her Brigham and Women's Hospital bed.

'One of the major issues here is the horrific overmedication of drugs that caused homicidal ideation, suicidal ideation' Reddington said in February.

'They [Lindsay and her husband Patrick] went to doctors repeatedly saying 'please help us.'

'This was turning her into a zombie...the medications that were prescribed were over the top, absolutely over the top.

Patrick (pictured with his kids) found his wife lying outside their home after returning from collecting takeout food for the family

'The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients' Patrick said of his wife

The state's chief medical examiner would declare the two older children had died of asphyxia, while little Callan had died from complications from asphyxia

'She had medical care and treatment on a regular basis. And her husband was very proactive in trying to protect her and help her with the doctors' medication she was prescribed.

'They went through hell  and they didn't come back,' he said.

He intends to use this as his defense against murder charges. Patrick, her husband, says he has forgiven her.

In a GoFundMe message to friends and strangers who have raised $1million for him, he said: 'I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have.

'The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients.

'The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.'
The next great shock to the world is likely to be caused by runaway technology, the deputy prime minister has warned.

Oliver Dowden said Britain had already 'glimpsed the future', with cyberattacks bringing public services to a halt, deepfakes duping the public, and bots interfering in elections.

But these were only 'relative skirmishes' compared with the enormous potential danger from advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Though they offered extraordinary benefits, he warned that hostile state actors were 'actively seeking these technologies for their own competitive advantage or even to enhance their military capability'.

Mr Dowden highlighted the importance of the world's first AI safety summit  in the UK next week  at which global leaders and tech chiefs will discuss how to avoid the technology's 'catastrophic' potential.

Oliver Dowden (pictured) said Britain had already 'glimpsed the future', with cyberattacks bringing public services to a halt, deepfakes duping the public, and bots interfering in elections

But these were only 'relative skirmishes' compared with the enormous potential danger from advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing

The two-day event at Bletchley Park will look at regulating the AI industry, which experts have warned is in a 'dangerous' arms race to create ever more powerful technology without ensuring it is safe.

READ MORE: ChatGPT could be responsible for the next CYBER ATTACK: Scientists show how AI systems can be tricked into producing malicious code Advertisement

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia, Mr Dowden said: 'We've had a glimpse into this future, with cyberattacks bringing public services to a halt, and ransomware wiping millions off companies' share prices.

But with the enormous potential of AI and quantum computing there is a very real possibility that the world's next shock will be a tech shock.'

His speech came as Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan reaffirmed her commitment to 'safety at the frontier' of the AI sector, saying: 'I want people to use AI with the same confidence as when we book a plane ticket.'

Highlighting the scale of the danger, a team from the University of Sheffield has said that users could ask AI chatbots  by mistake  to write a code that can hack into and crash major computer systems.
Aid work in Gaza may end in hours if Israel does not lift fuel supply block UN says

Aid work in Gaza will grind to a halt within hours if Israel does not lift its blockade on fuel supplies, the UN warned yesterday.

The UN relief and works agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said it would be forced to halt its operations in Gaza tonight if it could not get fuel.

Limited supplies of food, water and medicines have been allowed into the Palestinian state this week after Israel agreed it would not bomb humanitarian convoys. But it has refused to allow fuel to enter Gaza amid concerns it could be used by Hamas.

UNRWA spokesman Juliette Touma said: 'If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip.'

She said the agency's work would stop tonight if the fuel blockade remained in place, adding: 'Time is running out.'

Rescued from the rubble: A child is passed down from a collapsed building in southern Gaza yesterday

Egyptian volunteers handle humanitarian aid bound for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, at the Rafah border crossing, Egypt, yesterday

Some 600,000 people have sought refuge in the UN's emergency shelters since Israel ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza.

Hospitals have also been hit by the fuel shortages and cannot run emergency generators to power life-support machines and incubators for premature babies.

Ambulances in some areas will run out of fuel within 24 hours, the World Health Organisation said.

Authorities in Gaza said hospital services had 'completely collapsed' because of the fuel shortage and Israeli airstrikes. The ministry of health said 12 hospitals and 32 health centres could no longer operate, adding: 'We fear that more will be out of service in the coming hours due to targeting and running out of fuel.'

It issued a plea for the international community to supply its hospitals with fuel, and to send medics to help tend to the wounded.

Palestinian health minister Mai al-Kaila called for a humanitarian corridor to allow critically ill patients to be moved to hospitals in Egypt.

Doctors in Gaza have warned of the potential spread of diseases caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation after more than 1.4 million people fled their homes following Israeli airstrikes.

The health ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed in the bombardments since the latest crisis began including 35 UNRWA staff.
In the midst of darkness, a small shaft of light. On her release after two terrifying weeks of captivity, a frail 85-year-old Jewish grandmother turns to her masked Hamas jailer not in hatred but in hope.

Touching his hand, she looks him in the eye and in the softest tones whispers 'Shalom', the Hebrew word for peace. It is a remarkable gesture of conciliation which shames the men of terror.

Yocheved Lifshitz and her 83-year-old husband, both peace activists, were dragged from their home at the Nir Oz kibbutz during the atrocities of October 7.

For seven hours Hamas gunmen laid waste to the village, killing indiscriminately and torching houses. Mr and Mrs Lifshitz were abused, beaten, and taken to Gaza by motorcycle to become pawns in a grotesque propaganda game.

Yocheved (pictured, right) went back and shook a Hamas terrorist's hand

Yocheved said she shook the hand of the Hamas terrorist because they 'treated us very nicely'

By her own account, Mrs Lifshitz went through 'hell', incarcerated in a 'spider's web' of dank tunnels under the Gaza Strip. Her husband is still there.

And yet she was able to give thanks that, once there, she was looked after by her captors. 'They treated us very nicely,' she told a press conference.

Hardline Palestinians are hailing this as a public relations triumph. They say it shows Hamas are not the irredeemable brutes that Israel claims, but actually have compassion in their souls.

It is a cynical deception, of course, and one which will no doubt be played out many more times as other hostages are released in dribs and drabs over the coming weeks.

As the Gaza death toll mounts, Hamas hopes to turn the tide of world sympathy away from Israel and towards their cause. Being considerate to hostages in public could assist that narrative.

No one should be fooled. If Hamas are such good people, why did they kidnap more than 200 hostages in the first place? And if they really want to atone, why don't they release them all?

Mrs Lifshitz is clearly a warm and decent human being. The Israeli government should reflect on her desire for peace and do all they can to limit civilian casualties.

But let's not forget how this blood-letting began. On October 7, Hamas set out to slaughter as many Jews as possible without mercy or conscience in an unprovoked attack. It is they, not Israel, who bear ultimate responsibility for the carnage of the past 18 days.

Yocheved spoke to dozens of reporters at the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv on Tuesday

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, who was released as hostage by Palestinian Hamas militants, is seen with her husband Oded, 83, who is still being held

Nurit Yitzhak and Yocheved Lifshitz arrive at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center after being held captive by Hamas since October 7

Britain on the sick

The EU's economic outlook, already deeply gloomy, worsened yesterday, with another steep decline in business activity and the first fall in employment since early 2021.

Growth in the UK is weak but, unlike Europe, we look set to avoid recession (despite the doom-laden predictions of Left-wing economists) and the number in work continues to rise.

However, along with stifling taxes, the worst drag anchor on recovery is the staggering 2.2million people claiming benefits who are not required to look for a job  up 50,000 last month alone.

In these days of Zoom and other technical aids, is it really true that so many people are incapable of doing ANY paid work?

The UK's health ombudsman warns that sepsis is still claiming too many lives because hospitals are making the same mistakes as a decade ago. The Mail's End the Sepsis Scandal campaign has helped raise awareness but some 48,000 a year are still falling victim. The NHS must do better in identifying and tackling this silent killer.

Not content with imposing 20 per cent VAT on fees, Labour now plans to block private schools from reclaiming the tax on goods, services and building projects already paid for. Sir Keir Starmer says his assault on private education is not ideological. Who does he think he's kidding?
As many as 700 Palestinians have been killed in just 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry has said, as the enclave's hospitals cease to function.

The UN on Tuesday accused Israel of 'clear violations of humanitarian law' in the latest increase in tensions, as the region sits on the brink of an all-out ground war.

Almost 5,800 people in the besieged Gaza Strip are now said to have died since the terror group Hamas launched a lethal assault into Israel on October 7, as the nation continues its fierce retaliation ahead of an expected ground invasion of the strip.

The UN, the United States and Canada appealed on Tuesday for a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war to allow safe deliveries of aid to civilians short of food, water, medicine and electricity.

Scotland's First Minister Hamza Yousaf also called for an immediate ceasefire, increasing pressure on the UK government to take a stronger stance.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged an immediate ceasefire as Israel pounds the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks, with the crisis deeply dividing the Security Council.

Israel voiced anger over the UN chief's plea before a high-level session of the council, where the Palestinian foreign minister in turn denounced what he described as inaction in the conflict that has killed thousands on both sides, mostly civilians.

Almost 5,800 people in the besieged Gaza Strip are now said to have died since the terror group Hamas launched a lethal assault into Israel on October 7

Children being treated for injuries sustained in Hamas airstrikes comfort one another at a hospital in Palestine

Palestinian civilians rush into hospitals in Gaza which still have power on Tuesday

The world is holding its breath amid border clashes with Lebanon and missile strikes on Syria, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict.

It comes as UN agencies have described begging 'on their knees' to be allowed entry to deliver aid into the Gaza Strip, which has been under constant bombardment since the Hamas assault earlier this month.

Their incursion into Israeli territory on October 7 killed at least 1,400 Israelis, the majority of whom were civilians, as militants kidnapped more than 200 people.

Graphic descriptions and videos of atrocities including the beheading of children, mutilation of bodies and slaughtering of entire families in their own beds have been emerging from the nation ever since.

Israel responded by cutting off all food, water, electricity and aid into Gaza for its 2.3 million people, before later allowing water back into the region.

In recent days, the first aid convoys have been allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to deliver vital supplies, but those on the ground say the current trickle of aid is nowhere near enough.

Eight trucks containing water, food and medicine entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt late on Tuesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Hamas officials say that more than 40 medical centres have so far had to halt operations due to a lack of power leaving them unable to treat the injured. They added that among the dead are 2,360 children.

Doctors in Gaza say patients arriving at hospitals are showing signs of disease caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation after more than 1.4 million people fled their homes for temporary shelters under Israel's heaviest-ever bombardment.

Overnight the Israeli military said that it killed dozens of Hamas fighters overnight while hitting over 400 Hamas targets, but that it would take time to destroy the Islamist militant group.

Two children injured in an Israeli airstrike are rushed into Nasser Medical Hospital on Tuesday night

Palestinians search through rubble for survivors after 704 people were confirmed to have died in just 24 hours

In recent days, the first aid convoys have been allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to deliver vital supplies, but those on the ground say the current trickle of aid is nowhere near enough

Palestinians mourn relatives killed by Israeli airstrikes late on Tuesday

Rescuers pull an injured child out of rubble in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip

Israeli infantry soldiers stand guard by fields on the outskirts of Yad Mordechai along the Gaza Strip border

Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday

Smoke rises above Gaza after continued airstrikes overnight on Tuesday

Opening Tuesday's UN Security Council session, Guterres said there was no excuse for the 'appalling' violence by Hamas militants on October 7 but also warned against 'collective punishment' of the Palestinians.

'I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law,' Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.

His remarks infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen who, pointing his finger at Guterres and raising his voice, recounted graphic accounts of civilians including young children killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history as he slammed calls for a 'proportionate' response.

'Tell me, what is a proportionate response for killing of babies, for rape (of) women and burn them, for beheading a child?' Cohen asked. 'How can you agree to a cease-fire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?'

He told the UN Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 massacre is 'a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas,' calling the extremist group 'the new Nazis.' He stressed: 'It is not only Israel's right to destroy Hamas. It's our duty.'

'Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?' Cohen added.

Children are treated on the floor of a Gaza hospital as Hamas officials say 40 medical centres have already closed due to running out of power

UN peacekeepers patrol in Lebanon after clashes broke out between Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military

Netanyahu said Israel would try to protect civilians as it worked to ensure they 'will no longer live under Hamas tyranny' (Pictured: Civilians in Gaza mourn the loss of loved ones)

Airstrike damage at a petrol station hit in Khan Yunis, Gaza

A family clutch possessions as they sit at the wreckage of their destroyed home

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, visiting Israel on Tuesday, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France stood 'shoulder to shoulder' with Israel in its war with Hamas but that it must not fight 'without rules'.

Netanyahu said Israel would try to protect civilians as it worked to ensure they 'will no longer live under Hamas tyranny'.

There appeared to be little prospect of a ceasefire any time soon in the bloodiest chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades, with civilian suffering spreading.

After an air strike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Abdallah Tabash held his dead daughter Sidra, refusing to let go as he held her bloodstained face and hair. 'I want to look at her as much as I can,' he said.

Israeli tanks and troops are massed on the border between Israel and Gaza awaiting orders for an expected ground invasion.

It is an operation that will be complicated by fears for the hostages' welfare and by militants heavily armed by Iran dug into a crowded urban setting using a vast network of tunnels.

Hamas has so far released four hostages, including 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husband is still missing.

Her British daughter, Sharone Lifshitz, 52, from London, was one of the first to praise her mother after it was revealed Ms Lifshitz shook the hand of her Hamas guard seconds before being handed over to the International Red Cross.

Ms Lifschitz said she was beaten by militants as she was abducted and had difficulty breathing. 'They stormed into our homes. They beat people. They kidnapped others, the old and the young without distinction,' she said, seated in a wheelchair and speaking in barely a whisper to reporters outside a Tel Aviv hospital.

'I've been through hell,' she said.

Inside Gaza, a group of hostages were led into what Ms Lifshitz called a 'spider's web' of damp tunnels and eventually reached a large hall where, under 24-hour guard, a doctor visited every other day and brought them medicines they needed.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning Israel's military said its jets struck Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers, stating this was in response to rocket launches from Syria towards Israel.

The military did not provide further details. It did not accuse Syria's army of firing the two rockets, which set off air raid sirens in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from Syria.

Israel has traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah and militants in Syria in recent days, a wider conflict over its northern border as it battles Islamist Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip following a deadly attack in Israel.

Deadly clashes have intensified between the Israeli military and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and resurged between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed, heavily armed Hezbollah group along the Israeli-Lebanon border.
A former minister under Angela Merkel has said that the EU could eventually close its external borders in as little as 'five years'.

Speaking about migration on ThePioneer podcast, former German health minister Jens Spahn demanded that 'anyone who is rescued in the Mediterranean must be returned to the North African coast.'

The deputy chairman of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) went on to say that the closure of EU borders 'will happen'.

He said: 'The border will be closed sooner or later. Whether in five or 15 years, I cannot tell you. But it will happen.'

Immigration has been an urgent political crisis in Germany after millions of Middle Eastern refugees migrated there in 2015.

Speaking about migration on ThePioneer podcast, former German health minister Jens Spahn (pictured) demanded that 'anyone who is rescued in the Mediterranean must be returned to the North African coast'

Spain was a minister under Angela Merkel and has said that the EU could eventually close its external borders in as little as 'five years'

Immigration has been an urgent political crisis in Germany after millions of Middle Eastern refugees migrated there in 2015 (Pictured: Migrants rescued in the Mediterranean earlier this month)

Mr Spahn said: 'The key question is not repatriation, but limiting irregular migration.

'If we talk about illegal migration, logically the number should be zero, because it's illegal.'

He has, however, received backlash for suggesting violence is used to stop illegal migrants.

Speaking on the podcast, he said that if necessary the EU must 'use physical violence to stop irregular migration movements'.

Clara Anne Buerger, the Left wing MP, said: 'Jens Spahn now wants gangs of thugs to beat back people seeking protection at the borders... This is clearly illegal and potentially criminal.'
Palestinian children have resorted to writing their names on their arms so their bodies can be identified if they are killed in airstrikes.

A video widely circulated on social media shows older children writing their friends' names in Arabic script in felt-tip pen.

In the footage, posted on X by news organisation TRT World, one of the youngsters can be heard saying 'No, I won't die'.

Dr Abdul Rahman Al Masri, the head of the emergency department Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, told CNN that parents were worried that 'anything could happen' and no one would be able to identify their children.

Desperate: A boy helps his friend by writing his name on his arm in Gaza so their bodies can be identified if they are killed in airstrikes

A video widely circulated on social media shows older children writing their friends' names in Arabic script in felt-tip pen

Another colleague at the hospital said: 'What we noticed today is that many parents are writing the names of their children on their legs so they can get identified after air strikes and if they get lost.

'This is a new phenomenon that just started in Gaza.'

Dr Al Masri added that many of the children brought into the hospital are so wounded 'it's impossible to identify them, only through that writing do they get identified'.

There have been more than 400 children reportedly either killed or injured daily since the bombardment of Gaza began 18 days ago, according to UNICEF.
A police force missed five opportunities to catch a paedophile officer who they knew had pestered a 15-year-old girl for naked pictures, a damning inspection has found.

Thames Valley Police should have made further inquiries into previous allegations of sexual assault made against Luke Horner, His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found, before he went on to sexually abuse a 13 year old.

The inspectorate discovered that the forces counter-corruption unit made just one attempt to contact the Crimestoppers tipster who first reported Horner for begging a schoolgirl for nude photos.

Cannabis had been found in the officers work tray, he had taken evidence home in his bag and while under investigation for other matters had pointed his Taser at a colleague, the watchdog found.

HMICFRS concluded that the force could not have anticipated Horner would commit sexual offences against a child, but found at least five opportunities to take stricter action against him had been lost.

Former Pc Luke Christopher Horner travelled to Rushden, Northamptonshire to attack the 13-year-old on June 11

Horner, 24, travelled for more than an hour from his home to Rushden, Northamptonshire, to see the 13-year-old girl he had met on social media.

He then recorded himself on the girls phone sexually assaulting her on June 11.

The girls horrified mother later found the footage and called police.

Horner, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was immediately suspended from duty by TVP and resigned in July.

He admitted penetrative sexual activity with a child at Northampton Crown Court and was jailed for six years and four months earlier this month.

Sentencing Horner, His Honour Judge David Herbert KC told Horner he had undermined the publics confidence in the police.

This offending is disgraceful for any man but further to that you were a serving police officer, he said.

When you became a police officer you would have taken an oath to act with integrity and protect the public.

You have failed, and undermined the publics confidence in the police.

His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found Thames Valley Police missed five opportunities to take stricter action against the paedophile officer (Pictured: The force's headquarters in Kidlington, Oxfordshire)

Horner admitted penetrative sexual activity with a child and was sentenced earlier this month at Northampton Crown Court (pictured) to six years and four months behind bars

The HMICFRS report found that while vetting Horner, TVP should have further investigated a sexual assault allegation made in 2016 and why he left the British Army early.

And during his police service, the force failed to identify concerns over his honesty and integrity following several issues that clearly indicated that Horner was not suited to being a police officer, the report found.

His Majestys Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: Having robust vetting processes is vital for forces in being able to identify any misconduct, dismiss officers and staff if they are not fit for the job and prevent unsuitable officers joining in the first place.

It is very clear, particularly when considered alongside other incidents which took place during his police service, Pc Horner was not suited to being a police officer.
A parent of three kids in a New Jersey school district is suing the system over a policy that does not notify parents when transgender students change their name or preferred pronouns.

The federal lawsuit, filed in The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, names Cherry Hill Public Schools as a defendant, and comes from concerned father Rick Short.

He contends the guidelines, modeled after a state policy, violate his rights as a parent and is seeking to rescind the policy or add a provision that demands parental involvement.

Cherry Hill, the 12th-largest system in the state, is the latest New Jersey school district involved in fighting over parental notification and LGBTQ+ policies, with several of its nearly 600 public school districts adopting the strategy.

Rick Short, a dad of three children enrolled in the Cherry Hill school district, contends the guidelines, modeled after a state policy, violate his rights as a parent, and is seeking to rescind the policy or add a provision that instills parental involvement

Cherry Hill Public School, the 12th-largest system in the state, is comprised of 18 schools from Pre-K to high school

Short, a father of four who previously ran for the city's council, filed the suit on October 12, also naming the state DoE as a defendant.

It comes as the policy, known as Policy 5756, has come under criticism from parents and even some districts.

In comments to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Short spoke about the suit, as well as some of his qualms with the 'student-centered' transgender policy.

'I dont agree with the policy,' Short told the paper Tuesday, as three of his four kids remain enrolled in one of the district's 18 schools.

'To me, its so out of whack that a parent doesnt have the right to know whats going on in their childs life,' he continued of the guidance.

'I just want to know.'

According to the policy, which was adopted in 2019, 'A transgender student shall be addressed at school by the name and pronoun chosen by the student, regardless of whether a legal name change or change in official school records has occurred.'

Barbara Wilson, a spokeswoman for the school district, reportedly declined to comment when asked about the looming lawsuit Tuesday - telling the publication that the system does not speak on pending litigations.

Lawyers for Short, meanwhile, claimed in their filing that the policy is violative of the father's Fourteenth Amendment rights - which allow him to direct the care, upbringing and healthcare decisions of his school-aged children.

Speaking to PBS this past Friday, attorney Tom Stavola elaborated on that argument.

'The legal constitutional basis is that this infringes upon the parent's 14th Amendment substantive due process rights to direct the medical care and health care decisions of their children,' Stavola explained.

'We're contending here that the plaintiff, the parent in this instance, who has three children in Cherry Hill High School, this policy unconstitutionally interferes with his right to direct the care and the upbringing and the medical decisions of his kids.'

Short, a father of four who previously ran for the city's council, filed the suit on October 12, also naming the state DoE as a defendant. Short has two daughters and a son enrolled in the district, the latter of which he said is a freshman and has never indicated that he's transgender

Back in June, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin filed civil rights complaints to block four New Jersey public school districts from implementing similar policies, based on the claim that they discriminate against LGBTQ+ students

Lawyers for Short, meanwhile, claimed in their filing that the policy is violative of the father's Fourteenth Amendment rights - which allow him to direct the care, upbringing and healthcare decisions of his school-aged children. Pictured is one of his attorneys, Tom Stavola

Short has two daughters and a son enrolled in the district, the latter of which he said is a freshman and has never indicated that he's transgender.

'I would know because he would tell me,' he told the outlet, adding that he feels even less concerned about his older daughters.

'The federal lawsuit was more or less thinking about it from my son,' said Short, who has another adult daughter that recently finished school in the system.

'I don't know why,' he added. 'I guess because he was a freshman.'

The case is now poised to be heard by a judge in the state's Third Circuit - and could pave the way for a potential Supreme Court case in the event of a loss and some subsequent appeals.

Short intends to argue that his kids could be harmed psychologically and forced to live a double life due to the district guidelines, by being forced to conceal their gender identity from him and their mother.

As mentioned, the policy, one of several seen in other states like Maryland, has come under increasing criticism from parents and activists alike, with district officials even questioning and refusing to adopt it.

Earlier this year, three districts in Monmouth County and one in Morris adopted or amended parental notification policies put in place thanks to New Jersey state laws - ones that required educators to out students based on their gender identity.

In townships like Hanover, Middletown, and Marlboro - along with the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Boards of Education - officials ruled that staff must now notify parents when gender-nonconforming students wish to change their names, be called by new pronouns, or other, similar accommodations.

Back in June, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin filed civil rights complaints to block the four districts from implementing those policies, based on the claim that they discriminate against LGBTQ+ students.

He also used kids' mental health to bolster his argument, saying that nixing such guidelines could pose a threat to minors' mindsets.

In August, the Superior Court granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the new policies enacted in the four districts, stopping them from going into effect while the cases make their way through the state's federal court system.

All of the cases, as of October, are currently still pending - but could offer some precedent for Short's newly filed suit, which is also ongoing.

If the Cherry Hill case that's going before the Third Circuit does move forward, experts say it could be used as an argument to remove the policy from the state law completely.

While the Supreme Court has established that parents rights are important.

There's an entirely different line of cases that deal specifically with child rights and with the duty of the state and the state's interest in safeguarding the physical and psychological well-being of a minor.

It also echoes one recently brought in the Fourth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in Maryland, where a judge ruled that parents who filed similar complaints didn't have the necessary legal standing, dismissing the case while citing how none of the parents had kids who were members of the transgender community.
NatWest staff were last night facing the prospect of being suspended over messages 'inciting violence' against Nigel Farage.

The Brexiteer has kept up his fight to get to the truth about why NatWest-owned Coutts dropped him as a client earlier this year, sparking a de-banking scandal.

As reported yesterday, he has obtained internal chats between NatWest staff gloating about him losing his account due to his political beliefs.

And in fresh messages obtained by the Mail, one employee said 'let me drop you off at the airport, Mr Farage' after staff boasted about having potentially driven him out of the country. Another responded that they should 'kick him out of the moving car' on the way.

In another message a NatWest worker told colleagues: 'He got paid from the Kremlin. Bet he's a spy.'

The Brexiteer has kept up his fight to get to the truth about why NatWest-owned Coutts dropped him as a client earlier this year, sparking a de-banking scandal

And in fresh messages obtained by the Mail, one employee said 'let me drop you off at the airport, Mr Farage' after staff boasted about having potentially driven him out of the country

Workers also launched into an anti-Brexit rant, suggesting 'he should stay and bloody deal with the mess he helped make'. NatWest last night left open the possibility staff could be suspended.

It has re-ignited the de-banking row and piled pressure on NatWest's board to reconsider the 11.3million payout it is expected to approve tomorrow for former boss Dame Alison Rose, who resigned after falsely telling a journalist Mr Farage's opinions had not been a factor in the loss of his account.

The former Ukip leader was dropped in June by Coutts. Denials it was due to his political views turned out to be false.

Other messages showed workers gloating about the closure of Mr Farage's accounts. One said: 'Hope that knocked him down a peg or 2.' Another said: 'No one will bank him now.'

Last night, Mr Farage said: 'On the very day my private financial information was leaked to the media, Dame Alison Rose's staff were making these disgraceful comments about me, inciting violence.'

NatWest apologised for the 'unacceptable' comments and will take action 'as appropriate'.

Senior managers at the bank also discussed whether anti-terrorist legislation could be used to justify closing his account.

A memo, published by the Telegraph, reads: 'British Government terrorist act  'enabling or glorifying terrorism or encouraging' terrorism. Likes the verbs.'
A Wisconsin woman has pleaded not guilty to murder after allegedly 'poisoning her friend with eye drops before stealing $300,000 from her.'

Jessy Kurczewski is accused of murdering her friend Lynn Hernan, 62, in 2018 by using eye drops to poison her before allegedly staging the scene to look like a suicide.

After police conducted an autopsy on Hernan, they discovered a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system, which is the main ingredient in eye drops.

While investigators probed Hernan's death, Kurczewski confessed that she brought her a water bottle with six vials worth of Visine brand eyedrops, which she drank.

According to Kurczewski, she claimed that she had been trying to help Herman and it was what she wanted.

Following Hernan's death, investigators claim they found that Kurczewski had committed nearly $300,000 worth of fraud, including a $130,204 check that was 'transferred fraudulently' from the victim to her.

Jessy Kurczewski is seen here wiping away tears after the murder trial got underway earlier this week

Kurczewski is accused of murdering Lynn Hernan by using eye drops to poison her before allegedly staging the scene, here, to look like a suicide

The murder trial into Hernan's death began on Monday in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, and heard opening statements.

After police conducted an autopsy on Hernan, pictured here, they discovered a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system, which is the main ingredient in eye drops

According to TMJ4, Assistant District Attorney Randy Sitzberger said: 'There's certainly a factual, bare-bones timeline of theft, murder, and more theft.

'But there's this almost overlaid timeline of all of the defendant's lies and deceit.

'She finally gave that water bottle, knowing it had, in the defendant's estimation, six bottles of Visine to Lynn Hernan, knowing it could kill her, and walks out of that condo unit, closes the door, and goes shopping on Lynn's dime.'

WISN also reported that Sitzberger added: 'She didn't spend the day worried about Lynn.

'She was opening a JC Penney account in Lynn's name, and she was using other accounts of Lynn to go shopping, do some online shopping, while she knew she just had given Lynn poison.'

Kurczewski's defense team argued that Hernan was like a mother to the accused, with Attorney Pablo Galaviz saying: 'If Lynn Hernan was there today, she would say, "Are you crazy, prosecution?"'

Kurczewski's defense team argued that Hernan, pictured left, was like a mother to Kurczewski, right, saying the accusations would have made Hernan 'crazy'

Jessy Kurczewski appears in court during her trial at the Waukesha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Waukesha

He added: 'That's my daughter you have sitting at that desk over there. That's my daughter.'

Galaviz told the court that Hernan knew Kurczewski was spending her money and that she was depressed, coping with alcohol and prescription medication.

He also said that Hernan wanted to die and 'didn't like life', adding: 'She had a boatload of [prescription medication] in her system.

'And they're saying the Visine killed her? Not the other pills she had in her system along with the alcohol?'

WISN also reported that Galaviz told the court: 'She just liked her vodka. She also liked Visine. I have no idea why.'

The court also heard from Tabitha Kukes, a former Medical Examiner at Waukesha County who had pronounced Hernan dead in October 2018.

Assistant district attorney Randy Sitzberger presents an opening statements during the trial of Jessy Kurczewski at the Waukesha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

After police conducted an autopsy on Hernan, they discovered a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system, the main ingredient in eye drops. Over the counter brand Visine is seen here

She told the court: 'All that really matters is what the toxicology shows. All that really matters is what's in the decedents bloodstream at the time of death, not necessarily what's [at the scene]'.

Kurczewski told investigators that she was acting as power of attorney and that Hernan had no immediate family, but a cousin told authorities it was suspicious that she had left her entire estate to Kurczewski.

Investigators had originally thought it could be a drug overdose, with Kurczewski saying she told investigators she had been taking care of Hernan who was 'acting odd'.

More witnesses are expected to be called tomorrow, as the trial continues.
A young mum has recalled the harrowing night her husband almost bled to death waiting for an ambulance after he tripped and fell out a window.

Tradie Elliott Shaw, 30, severed his left hand, two arteries, 11 tendons and two nerves at his Alexandra Hills home, south of Brisbane, a fortnight ago.

Mr Shaw suffered the gruesome injuries after he fell over his baby daughter's bouncer and crashed through a window, falling a small distance to the ground.

The father-of-two may not be alive today if it wasn't for the quick thinking of his neighbour, a retired paramedic who drove him to hospital when the Triple Zero operator couldn't advise Mr Shaw's wife Sarah when the ambulance would arrive.

Ms Shaw has spoken out about her husband's life-changing ordeal after the family was let down by emergency services, sparking a grovelling apology from Queensland Ambulance.

'The apologies are appreciated, but what does an apology mean without action?' Ms Shaw told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Shaw claimed Triple Zero hung up on a call after her neighbour - who has 35 years experience as a paramedic - told the operator the incident was a 'code one', which required lights and sirens.

Elliott Shaw (pictured with his family) is recovering at home after he almost bled to death

READ MORE:

Horror discovery in X-Ray after little girl was sent home by hospital before she was put in an induced coma Advertisement

'The second call my neighbour explained who he was and alerted the operator that this was a code one and he was bleeding out,' Ms Shaw recalled.

'This operator proceeded to say "you cannot speak to me like that. If there is anything else call back." She then hung up on us.'

'At no time during these calls was any help offered only 'apply pressure'.

She and her neighbour were forced to use two belts and a phone charger cord as tourniquets as Mr Shaw bled profusely on the kitchen floor.

After 20 minutes and three frantic calls to Triple Zero including the 'code one', the neighbour drove a rapidly deteriorating Mr Shaw to the nearest hospital in Redlands, which was 10 minutes away.

'At this point our neighbour said we could not wait any longer and had to get him to a hospital,' she said.

Mr Shaw was later transferred under lights and sirens to Princess Alexandra Hospital to undergo emergency surgery.

He hadn't had any blood supply to his arm and hand for two hours at that stage.

Mr Shaw will never be able to use his hand to the same capacity again.

'My husband was dying and our neighbour saved him. Not the people we rely on,' Ms Shaw revealed in a harrowing public Facebook plea.

'My five-month old and three-year-old almost grew up not knowing their dad.

'He is alive but our lives will never be the same.'

Mr Shaw is now recovering at home as his wife fought back tears recalling how close she came to losing him.

Sarah Shaw (pictured outside state parliament on Wednesday) has urged Queensland Ambulance to do better. 'The apologies are appreciated, but what does an apology mean without action?' she told Daily Mail Australia

Elliott Shaw was rushed to hospital by his neighbour and later underwent lifesaving surgery

'Triple 000 said they were on their way lights and sirens but couldn't give me a ETA she,' she told Nine News.

'Thank God we made the right decision that we had to go as had we listened to that advice, my husband wouldn't be alive.'

Two Queensland Ambulance district directors met with the couple on Monday to apologise for the delay and vowed to work with the family on their concerns.

The ambulance service says it experienced pressure across south-east Queensland on the night of the incident.

'An ambulance was attached and proceeding lights and sirens to the scene. The QAS apologises to the patient and his family for the delay they experienced,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'In this case the patient chose to privately transport to hospital prior to QAS arrival.

'The QAS utilises well-established systems to support its planning, management and deployment of resources to ensure our most critical patients are seen first.'

Elliott Shaw (pictured in hospital) will never be able to use his hand to the same capacity again

Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman agreed the ambulance response that night was 'absolutely not good enough.'

'I offer my sincere apology to the family, I cannot begin to imagine the distress this incident would have caused,' she said.

'I want to thank the neighbour, a retired paramedic, for offering incredible care.

'I also want to thank the hardworking healthcare workers at the local hospitals for tending to this patient and providing him with the exceptional care to ensure he would make a full recovery.

'Our paramedics do a great job every day caring for Queenslanders, but in this case, it was absolutely not good enough.'
An Australian vet is rescuing abandoned and wounded animals on the frontline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Dr Lachlan Campbell, from south-east Queensland, joined UK animal welfare charity Nowzad in October, having previously volunteered in the war-torn nation.

In Australia Dr Campbell, 43, works as a vet at Bundall on the Gold Coast and helps provide free vet care to the pets of homeless people.

He has so far helped to save hundreds of terrified and hurt dogs, cats, goats and even deer in Ukraine, while up to eight air raid sirens go off around him each day.

Often the pets are found with no trace of their owners and no clue as to whether they are alive or dead.

Dr Lachlan Campbell (pictured), from the Sunshine Coast, joined UK animal welfare charity Nowzad rescuing abandoned and wounded animals in war-torn Ukraine

A woman hugs 'Ewok', the Nowzad animal welfare charity's posterboy, at a fundraising event

Dr Campbell performs surgery and gives vaccinations to abandoned and injured pets whose owners are sadly often nowhere to be seen

His work includes performing emergency surgery on animals, delivering rabies vaccinations and other vital treatments such as de-worming and flea prevention.

Most recently Dr Campbell and Nowzad, set up by a former Royal Marine Pen Farthing, built a shelter for 80 dogs in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine.

Since the start of the invasion in February 2022 the town has been shelled multiple times.

He shared shocking footage of a destroyed unit block in Kramatrosk which he said was hit by a Russian missile.

'Many of the people who used to reside in Kramatorsk have abandoned the city in search of safer places to live.'

Regardless Dr Campbell and the Nowzad team continue to treat and save animals close to the fighting.

In one video Mr Farthing and a local woman who runs an animal shelter, Natalia, speak to a cat owner who refuses to leave her home despite being 2km from fighting.

Mr Farthing is a polarising figure in the UK. Adored by animal lovers, he also angered the British government when he evacuated 173 cats and dogs on a charter flight from Afghanistan in 2021.

Dr Campbell said many of the dogs saved in Ukraine show trauma from war 'including blindness, loss of limbs and severe anxiety (PTSD)'.

Nowzad founder Pen Farthing with Natalia (pictured centre), who runs an animal shelter in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, with a cat owner who refuses to leave her home.

Most recently Dr Campbell and Nowzad, set up by a former Royal Marine Pen Farthing, built a shelter for 80 dogs in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine

Dr Campbell managed to coax a frightened Rottweiler out of a cage in a video posted to his Instagram

Dr Campbell wrote on a fundraising page that he would never forget the suffering of innocent animals and people in Ukraine.

'[They] endure unspeakable cruelty, abandonment, hunger, thirst, explosive mines, and rocket attacks,' he wrote.

Dr Campbell also donated an ultra-sound machine to Lviv Veterinary University.

He said donations to his GoFundMe page will be used to buy 'medication, instruments, equipment, food, blankets, pain-relief and other vital supplies required to meet the welfare needs of war-affected animals in Ukraine'.

In December he plans to volunteer with Vets Beyond Borders in Fiji.
An Australian who was in a tragic motorcycle crash in Vietnam on October 8 has spoken his first words after waking from a two-week coma.

Seb Stone, 25, told his brother Tom 'I love you' when he saw him, and repeated the words to everyone else who has gone to see him in hospital, including his parents Mirella and Jeff.

The Adelaide disability support worker was on the third day of his holiday when he was injured while travelling from the capital Hanoi to Ninh Binh.

He suffered a severe skull fracture and has had brain surgery, with more surgery to come in what will be a long road to recovery.

Doctors took four days cautiously waking him up from a coma.

'It wasn't as if he was just awake of all a sudden,' his brother Tom told The Advertiser.

Australian Seb Stone (pictured). who was in a tragic motorcycle crash in Vietnam on October 8, has spoken his first words after waking from a two-week coma

Seb Stone (pictured) spoke to his brother Tom when he saw him, and repeated the words to everyone else who has gone to see him in hospital, including his parents Mirella and Jeff

'The first day he opened his eyes and looked at me. The second day he was squeezing my hand and even nodding and shaking his head to some questions. He even grabbed our hands and did a little dance in bed.'

As his condition improves, Seb was able to get out of his bed and was taken by wheelchair to a hospital waiting room.

'Each day has been a huge improvement on the last and has shocked all of us including the doctors and nurses,' Tom said.

His brother is in a lot of pain, though, and struggling to understand what happened to him.

Seb will have more medical checks in the Hanoi hospital before he can be flown back home to Australia, and the costs are mounting.

His family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with their huge costs, which had raised more than $133,000 by Wednesday afternoon.

The family is facing a huge bill though, with the air ambulance to get Seb home set to cost an estimated $283,000.

When he does get back to Australia, he will have more operations and faces a long process of rehabilitation.

Donors on GoFundMe have rallied around Seb Stone (pictured) as he recovers from severe injuries

Tom is very grateful for all the donations made so far, saying it has eased some of the family's concerns.

'We cannot express enough how thankful and appreciative we are for all the support we have received so far,' he said.

The family asked that people 'Keep praying and sending your love to him through the cosmos.

'Please remember that myself and mother and father are going through a lot right now and will update everyone as soon as we know more.'
READ MORE: Two bodies found in search for KPMG partner

Do you know more? Email charlotte.karp@mailonline.com

The two men were not known to each other

Body of 75-year-old man found on same day in same park

A successful KPMG partner whose body was found in a national park appeared to have it all. He was married to a high-flying barrister, with whom he had a young daughter, and lived in a multimillion-dollar home.

David Ibels, 43, was last seen near the Mount Tamborine area, south of Brisbane, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

His Porsche Cayenne station wagon was found near Springbrook National Park on Sunday, which prompted a desperate and thorough search of the area.

In a grim coincidence, rescue parties on Monday first stumbled across the body of 75-year-old William Marshall, who was last seen at his home in Thornlands, in Brisbane's outer suburbs, on July 10.

Rescue teams, which included police, two crews from Queensland Fire and Emergency, and about 20 staffers from KPMG, found Mr Ibels' body at about 2pm that same day.

David Ibels (right) was a valued partner at KPMG. He went missing on Saturday, and his body was found on Monday

The two men were not known to each other and police are not treating either death as suspicious.

Mr Ibels lived with his wife Anastasia Nicholas and their daughter in a multi-million dollar home in New Farm, in Brisbane's inner suburbs.

He was a valued member at KPMG, was affectionately nicknamed 'Dibes', and many of his colleagues were shocked to hear about his death.

'A sad day for all who knew Dibes. I was devastated to hear this news,' a former colleague wrote on LinkedIn.

Another friend said on Facebook: 'A very sad couple of days. Such a wonderful supportive network of friends, colleagues and KPMG community.'

'If you are ever struggling or just need an ear, please reach out to family, friends, a stranger or a professional in the field.'

On Wednesday last week, Mr Ibels commented on a friend's LinkedIn post to congratulate her on landing a new job.

'Congratulations, Maddy! Fantastic role and opportunity. Enjoy and best wishes,' he wrote.

He disappeared three days later.

Pictured: William Marshall, 75, who was last seen on July 10. Police stumbled across his body while searching for Mr Ibels

Mr Ibels' colleagues spoke highly of him and the CEO of KPMG said his death was a big loss

He went to Shore School in North Sydney, a prestigious school which now costs up to $40,000 per year, and studied a Bachelor of Information Technology at the University of Technology between 1999 and 2001.

The follow year, his success began when he landed the role of managing consultant at Capgemini Invent, a business consultancy firm.

Mr Ibels then became a director at Barclays Wealth in London, before he moved to KPMG in 2011.

Over the past three years, Mr Ibels was a key figure in the development of KPMG Australia's $800million Brisbane headquarters at Heritage Lanes.

The building, developed by property giant Mirvac, is powered by renewable electricity and has net-zero carbon emissions.

Just a month ago, Mr Ibels was proudly posting about the achievement on LinkedIn.

'Roll out the blue carpet several years of hard work culminated in the opening of KPMG Australia's new Brisbane HQ at Heritage Lanes this week,' he wrote.

It is understood Mr Ibels' black 2015 Porsche Cayenne station wagon was found on Sunday

READ MORE: Missing KPMG partner David Ibels' Porsche is found Advertisement

'This is a brilliant workplace with exceptional amenities for our staff and clients to connect, collaborate, grow and make a significant impact.'

Andrew Yates, the CEO of KPMG Australia, told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday: 'It's an incredibly sad day, losing a great partner, and friend.'

'David was an incredible person, a great partner, and so focused on our people.

'He was an extraordinary individual  making this news so hard to accept. All our thoughts are with David's family.

'His loss will be felt by many, not only within our firm but more broadly with our clients and the Queensland community.'

On Sunday, the day after Mr Ibels was last seen, a close friend asked Mount Tamborine locals on Facebook to keep an eye out.

'We are very concerned about his welfare and would like your help in locating him,' he wrote.

'This has been reported to the local police but we would like the help of your community to find him.'

'His wife and young daughter are very concerned and would like to speak to him.'

In a statement shared via Queensland Police on Sunday morning, Mr Ibels' family said they were 'concerned for his welfare as his behaviour is out of character'.

Reports will be prepared for the coroner for Mr Ibels and Mr Marshall.

If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
He says he is earning a doctor's salary in the mines

A fly-in-fly-out worker has broken down the ludicrous amount of money he's been able to earn by working in the mines in Australia.

Cal McIlwaine, an Irishman on a working holiday visa, has saved $45,000 in four-and-a-half months since getting a job in the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

Mr McIlwaine admitted there were many cons to the job, such as isolation, but ultimately decided it was worth it given how much money he was able to make.

He flagged one major downside revealing workers typically pulled more than double the average work hours in a week, indicating the job was not for the faint of heart.

Cal McIlwaine, an Irishman on a working holiday, broke down his earnings as a fly-in-fly-out miner in West Australia's Pilbara region

He has been able to save more than $45,000 in four-and-a-half months on the job which is not including the money he spends during his weeks off

As a newbie Mr McIlwaine was initially put on a starting salary of $33.50 per hour which Mr Mcilwaine said was easy to save since companies provide meals and accommodation for workers during their stay.

'It's obviously very hard, you're working long hours, it's dirty work in the heat. But you're also getting paid a lot,' he said in a TikTok.

Mr McIlwaine revealed that he gets $3,470 in the first week because the Monday is spent travelling to the Pilbara and $3,944 for the second and third week since he can work every day, which means Monday alone is worth $474.

Workers get paid differently depending if they are permanent or on a contract and if they are on a flat rate or an hourly one.

An hourly rate provides workers with penalties like double pay on a Sunday while a flat rate just pays them a fixed $60 per hour without penalties.

In the mines workers are given the opportunity to work more hours than what is typical in other full-time positions, which increases their earnings.

Up here youre basically just given the ability to work a f***load of hours, I work 84 hours a week but someone back home working full-time is doing 37 hours,' Mr McIlwaine said.

'So I'm essentially working two weeks worth of work in one week here.'

Despite the fact that during his off-weeks Mr McIlwaine spends copious amounts of money, he said that he is still earning what a doctor would be paid in Ireland.

'Back home for someone to be earning two grand a week you'd need to be a doctor or a nurse or a vet, whereas over here anyone can get into it,' he said.

'Just get your tickets and get your foot in the door in some way shape or form and just slog it out.'

Mr McIlwaine also broke down different pay brackets and earnings for other expats looking to make the move to Australia to take advantage of the gruelling work.

When doing FIFO work miners fly to a remote location and work full time for three weeks on location before flying out again for a week's break.

Mr McIlwaine said that although the work is extremely difficult, it is completely worth it for the opportunity to make lots of money in a short period of time (pictured: the Pilbara region)

Since the work is remote there is not much to spend money on at the mines which Mr McIlwaine said makes it all the more easy to save every cent.

Unless someone smokes or drinks Mr McIlwaine said it is easy to avoid spending any money for the entire stay.

'That $3,944 equates to about two thousand pounds, and two thousand pounds a week is f****** mental because you'd need to work like five weeks back home to be able to earn that,' he said.

Since Mr McIlwaine is on a working holiday visa, he pays less taxes than an Australian would which would affect visible earnings.

READ MORE: I dropped law for FIFO work A law student who dropped out of university to become a FIFO worker has revealed she makes $150,000 a year aged just 21. Advertisement

People on a working holiday visa are able to earn up to $45,000 before moving up to the next tax bracket.

When he first started working, Mr McIlwaine was taxed 15 per cent on all earnings, but since moving up to the next bracket he has had to begin paying 32.5 per cent.

'I've seen a dramatic drop in my last pay which is a bit sad but I've been loving it until now,' he continued.

Mr McIlwaine first started documenting his FIFO journey in early September after already having been on the job for two months.

After uploading his first photos from the Pilbara region he said that dozens of friends have reached out for advice on whether they should follow in his footsteps.

Although the work is hard and the heat is unbearable, Mr McIlwaine said that if people had the might to give it a try they should just 'slog it out'.

'If you want to come over and slog it out for a couple of swings and do a couple of months you are able to rack up a fair whack so it's definitely lucrative and I'm glad I've done it,' he said.

'You just need to weigh up what you value and are you willing to embrace the sock for a little while to make things fruitful and be able to blow all your hard-earned money in your future.'
WARNING: Graphic content

An aspiring rapper says he is reformed and has apologised to media personality Yumi Stynes after admitting to sending her obscene and threatening messages via social media.

Eli Engwicht was due to be sentenced in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to using a carriage service to harass, menace or offend.

The 23-year-old sent a message to Ms Stynes on July 19 in which he declared he had 'no qualms' about sexually assaulting her with razors or assaulting her grandmother.

'I wanna see you get torn up limb by limb and tortured for hours,' he wrote to the author and podcaster.

'You dirty piece of wasted life.'

Eli Engwicht was due to be sentenced in Sydney 's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to using a carriage service to harass, menace or offend

The 23-year-old sent a message to Ms Stynes on July 19 in which he declared he had 'no qualms' about sexually assaulting her with razors or assaulting her grandmother

On Wednesday, magistrate Megan Greenwood agreed to adjourn his sentencing proceedings for six weeks while he attends a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

Outside court, Engwicht stopped to talk to reporters and reiterated his apology to Ms Stynes.

'I've been doing a lot of self-work,' he said.

'I've got two jobs at the moment, I've kicked all bad habits, I'm doing better than ever. I appreciate the support of all my friends and family.

'Again, I'm very sorry to the person I offended.'

Asked about his possible sentence, Engwicht said: 'I think I'll get what I deserve. I believe that's up to the judge, that's not up to me to decide.'

Engwicht, who also goes by the stage name Lil Swift, is an aspiring musician who has shared multiple videos via social media of himself rapping.

He said he was taking steps to reform himself and wanted to be an example for young people.

'I was headed down a bad direction,' Engwicht said.

'And after this is all done, I'm going to use my music and my voice to show the youth and people in my situation that you can overcome tough times.'

On Wednesday, magistrate Megan Greenwood agreed to adjourn his sentencing proceedings for six weeks while he attends a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program

Engwicht will be unable to threaten, harass, stalk or intimidate Ms Stynes under the conditions of an interim apprehended violence order taken out by police

Engwicht will be unable to threaten, harass, stalk or intimidate Ms Stynes under the conditions of an interim apprehended violence order taken out by police.

The order also prevents the aspiring rapper from approaching, contacting or locating Ms Stynes.

Ms Stynes told police she felt terrorised and disgusted by the private message sent to her Instagram account.

According to court documents, she feared for her safety and thought Engwicht might try to find out where she lived.

When he was arrested two days later, the aspiring rapper told police he had sent the message because he found Ms Stynes' book on sex education 'offensive'.

However, he has since issued several public apologies for his behaviour.

Ms Stynes shared his message in a bid to shine a light on the online abuse she's received after the publication of her sex education book, Welcome to Sex: Your No-Silly-Questions Guide to Sexuality, Pleasure and Figuring it Out.

Welcome to Sex by Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang has been met with backlash. The book was pulled from stores after staff were abused

The book, which is intended for children aged 10 and older, has generated controversy for its unfiltered discussions of topics such as oral and anal sex and gender identity.

It was co-authored by Dr Melissa Kang, who specialises in adolescent health and formerly provided advice through the famed Dolly Doctor column.

The sex guide has been pulled from the shelves of Big W and Target following an online protest campaign and staff members being abused.

Engwicht will return to court in December.
She said it was unfair for Hamas to be criticized for its attack but for Israel to be supported in its retaliation

Palestinian-born Queen Rania said there's a 'hyper-fixation' on Hamas but that the conflict started 'before October 7'

Palestinian-born Queen Rania of Jordan launched a remarkable attack on the West in an interview with CNN last night where she criticized America's support of Israel's retaliatory strikes against Hamas and claimed there was a 'double standard' in global sympathy for the war's victims.

Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in the West Bank, raged against 'apartheid regime' Israel, claiming the conflict began 'before' Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis on October 7.

She said she 'of course' condemned the killing of innocent Israelis by Hamas but, asked why Israel's self-defense was not coming under the same level of global scrutiny and reserved all her sympathy for Palestinians.

Pushed on why Jordan will not accept Palestinian war refugees, she said: 'They have the right to stay on their land'.

Queen Rania then returned to her argument that Israel's ongoing strikes against Hamas were not justified.

'Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint - but it's okay to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here.

Scroll down for video

Queen Rania condemned the 'glaring double standard' in the global response to the deaths of Israelis and Palestinians

The 53-year-old spoke to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, and was asked how she responded to October 7 'as an Arab, as a Palestinian, as a mother, as a human being'

'And it's just shocking to the Arab world,' she told veteran reporter Christiane Amanpour, before questioning whether babies had been 'butchered' by Hamas.

'I'm not arguing accuracy, Christiane, I'm arguing equivalence and double standards here,' she fumed.

Amanpour fired back that it had been verified both by CNN's reporters and other foreign media on the ground that Hamas was butchering babies, but stopped short of demanding a condemnation from the queen of the terror group's practices.

Amanpour did directly appeal for sympathy for Israelis and condemnation of Hamas, asking if Queen Rania 'accepted' that they had brought suffering on Palestinians.

Queen Rania made a brief concession, but then returned to criticizing Israel and its allies.

'These are the rules of war and they need to apply to everybody. Yes, there is the shock and there was the condemnation [towards Hamas]. But why isn't there equal condemnation to what is happening now?'

'Even if Israel defeats every last Hamas member, then what? Haven't they left a trail of terrible memories that will create a new generation of resistance that is fiercer and more violent?'

Amanpour began by asking the 53-year-old how she had felt since the Hamas attack of October 7 'as an Arab, as a Palestinian, as a mother, as a human being'.

Rania replied: 'I cannot begin to describe to you the depth of the grief, the pain and the shock that we are feeling here in Jordan.

She said her country, home to the world's largest Palestinian population, was 'united in grief, regardless of our origin'.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour argued with Rania's denial of Hamas butchering babies. She said there was proof they had shot and burned babies' bodies, and prompted her for sympathy towards Israelis saying: 'How did you feel on October 7?'

Palestinians were seen injured in Israeli after air raids pummeled Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Gaza

The royal couple are pictured in June 2018 during a visit to the White House

'I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children just as much as any other mother in the world,' she added.

'Six thousand civilians killed so far, 2,400 children  how is that self-defense? We are seeing butchery at a mass scale using precision weapons.

'I just want to emphasize that this conflict did not begin on October 7, although it has been portrayed as that,' Rania continued.

'You know, most networks are covering the story under the title of Israel at War.

'But for many Palestinians on the other side of the separation wall, and the other side of the barbed wire, war has never left.

'This is a 75-year-old story - a story of overwhelming death and displacement to the Palestinian people.

'It is a story of an occupation under an apartheid regime that occupies land, that demolishes houses, confiscates land, military incursions, night raids.

'You know, the context of a nuclear-armed regional superpower that occupies, oppresses and commits daily documented crimes against Palestinians is missing from the narrative.'

Rescuers are seen pulling a child out of the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip

Rescuers pull a child from the rubble of a building following Israeli strikes in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday

Amanpour told her that her words were likely to be received with great anger by Israel.

'Let me just emphasize that that apartheid is a designation that was given not by Arabs, but by Israeli and international human rights organizations,' she replied.

The mother of four said Palestinians 'suffer daily indignities and human rights violations' - saying there was no freedom of movement, and condemning the 500 checkpoints across the West Bank; the 'aggressive expansion of settlements on Palestinian land'; and the 'humiliation' of her people.

She said Israel violated UN resolutions, and ignored international law.

'There's a hyper fixation on Hamas now because of all that happened the last couple of weeks,' she said.

'But this is a problem that far precedes Hamas and will continue after Hamas.

'This is a fight for freedom and for justice, and that is what needs to be heard.'
Rubber-necked commuters stuck in traffic were stunned to see a long-necked giraffe poking its head out of the back of a truck on one of Australia's busiest motorways.

Numerous drivers spotted the animals as they were being transported from Australia Zoo at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, to the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria.

One of the giraffes, two-year-old Jesse, was spotted curiously looking at traffic backed up on the Pacific Motorway while at a standstill at Tugun near the border of Queensland and NSW on Monday.

Another driver spotted the younger giraffe, David, being transported in a van just behind the wide-load on Wednesday morning as they continued their journey south of Sydney.

Jesse and David are being treated to the sights of the east coast before they join a 'bachelor herd' to socialise with other giraffes in Victoria.

Numerous giddy punters called into Ben Fordham on 2GB on Wednesday morning after seeing Jesse and providing updates on the curious cargo's location.

One driver reported that he had seen the duo along the Hume Highway near Pheasant's Nest, outside of Wollongong.

'I've got the biggest smile on my dial, I just followed the best oversized load on the freeway,' the driver, Peter, said.

'I was following an oversized load and I looked up and a giraffe was looking at me.'

A second punter, Rodney, called into the show to tell listeners of one-year-old David also being in tow when he saw them south of the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday.

'There was a smaller, enclosed (trailer) with a smaller giraffe in there, you could only just see them,' he said.

'Then there was the older one in front... He was looking at me too, having a good look.'

Another caller said they had seen them further south as they passed the Colo Vale exit approaching Bowral.

'It was popping its head out, it had a big smile,' the caller, Eddie, said.

Numerous drivers have been stunned to see a curious giraffe (pictured) taking in the sights from the back of a truck while being transported from Australia Zoo to Victoria on Monday

Two-year-old Jesse (pictured) is being taken alongside one-year-old David to Werribee Open Range Zoo to join a bachelor herd

A spokesperson for Victoria Zoo confirmed that both Jesse and David were being transported to Werribee in order to mimic behaviour in the wild.

'The sub-adults have reached an age where giraffes leave their natal area to join a bachelor herd, replicating what occurs in the wild,' the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

A bachelor herd is a group of juvenile animals that have been booted from their parent groups but aren't sexually mature enough to start their own family herd.

'Werribee Open Range Zoo cares for a bachelor herd of giraffes as part of its commitment to the Australasian zoo breeding and conservation program for the species that is classified as Vulnerable,' the spokesperson said.

'The giraffes will be introduced to the Zoos Savannah following completion of their two-and-a-half week quarantine.

'We look forward to sharing further news in mid November.'
A pregnant Australian renter is suing her former landlord and real estate agency, alleging she suffered a series of injuries when she fell through a wooden floor at home, and that she later learned in hospital she had suffered a miscarriage.

Samantha*, a 35-year-old woman from Melbourne, alleges she mis-stepped and fell through a hole in the floorboards that she claimed a repairman had partly patched up using cardboard.

Fire Rescue Victoria said they spent 35 minutes cutting the woman from the floor in the rental home at Thomastown in April this year.

'I was unconscious when my dogs woke me up. I had rice on the stove before I fell. The cooker was on fire,' she claimed.

As a result of the fall, the woman claims she suffered a sprained ankle, back injury and concussion. She also later found out later she had been pregnant and had suffered a miscarriage.

'Prior to that, in 2020, I had a massive tumour removed from my uterus, so they said it was near impossible to get pregnant,' she said.

'When we found out I had a miscarriage, that's what hit me the hardest, I think.'

The hole in the wooden floor of the Melbourne rental property after the woman alleges she fell through. She said she and her partner had requested the real estate fix the issue

The woman, who is preparing to lodge her lawsuit in the County Court of Victoria, said she has ongoing psychological issues and her partner had lodged repeated repair requests prior to her fall.

According to her lawyers, Slater and Gordon, the requests were 'seemingly ignored' until a repairman covered the hole with cardboard and tape.

Public liability specialist with the firm, Jackson Pannam, said the alleged breach of a duty of care was 'fairly egregious'.

'She's still receiving active treatment. We're not clear on the extent of her psychiatric injuries at this stage.'

The pair later stopped paying rent and were evicted from the property.

The real estate agency Love&Co has said some of the tenants allegations are 'simply incorrect'.

They said there was no hole in the floorboards when an inspection was carried out ahead of the couple moving into the home.

Prior to the fall the woman and her partner allege a repairman working for the real estate had 'fixed' the hole using cardboard and tape (pictured)

The woman's partner first moved into the property in April 2021, and raised the first complaint via email in September that year.

'They likely need to be replaced as they are both a tripping and falling hazard for us,' he wrote in a September 2021 email.

Further repair requests were sent in 2022 and 2023 after the woman moved in with him.

A building inspection report commissioned by Slater and Gordon in July this year found the property had poor storm water drainage leading to structural cracking, a sunken kitchen foundation and unlevel flooring.

The woman is suing for 'pain and suffering' from her injuries along with out-of-pocket medical expenses and lost revenue from being unable to work as a family lawyer since the fall.

Mr Pannam said the Residential Tenancies Act governing relationships between landlords and tenants, was amended in 2021 to mandate minimum standards for rental properties.

The Act requires a landlord to ensure the property is structurally sound, safe and free of damp and mould amongst other basic standards.

According to Tenants Victoria, properties for rent need to be free from mould and damp and meet minimum standards for ventilation.

Mr Pannam said that renters should immediately report any safety issues to the real estate agent and ask for repairs to be arranged.

He recommended notifying the agent of any safety issues in writing, and that renters should be prepared to take their landlord to VCAT if necessary.

Love&Co has been contacted for further comment.

*Not her real name
A detective who was central to rescuing kidnap victim Cleo Smith has quit the police force just days before a corruption report about him is expected to be handed down.

Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blaine became an international hero when footage was released by Western Australia Police showing him asking the four-year-old girl her name as she was carried out of a Carnarvon house in November 2021.

'My name is Cleo,' she said in the now famous video.

But misconduct allegations later emerged about the veteran detective and he was investigated by the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).

WA Police and the CCC released a joint statement in September last year, announcing an investigation.

A detective who was central to rescuing kidnap victim Cleo Smith (pictured) has quit the police force just days before a corruption report about him is expected to be handed down

READ MORE: Cleo Smith's parents tie the knot at Noosa wedding Advertisement

'A senior detective has today been stood down as investigations into alleged misconduct are ongoing,' the statement read.

'Oversight of police conduct is an integral part of the CCC's work and accounts for a significant amount of allegations it receives.'

The CCC reportedly seized Mr Blaine's phone and other items as part of its investigation.

It is understood the CCC report will be tabled in the WA state parliament this week.

But a Police spokeswoman confirmed the detective had already quit the force.

'Det Sen Sgt Cameron Blaine's resignation has been accepted,' a brief statement read.

'No further comment can be provided at this time.'

Resigning means he will not have to face the prospect of being forced out of WA Police under what are known as Section 8 proceedings.

Under this process, Police Commissioner Col Blanch would have to explain why he lost confidence in the officer.

Cleo was rescued 18 days after she was taken from her family's tent at the Quobba Blowholes campsite on October 16, 2021.

Detectives forced their way into a house and found her in a bedroom.

Talking to media the next day, the detective said it was 'absolutely fantastic to see her sitting there ... it was incredible.'

Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blaine (pictured) became an international hero when footage was released by WA Police showing him asking the four-year-old girl her name

'I asked her what her name was. One of the guys jumped in front of me and picked her up and I just wanted to be absolutely sure that ... it was her,' he said at the time.

'I said, "What is your name?" She didn't answer ... I asked three times and then she looked at me and said "My name is Cleo."'

He said it was the best moment of his career.

Cleo's kidnapper Terence Kelly was sentenced in April to 13 years and six months in jail.
Qantas has launched a three-day flight sale in response to Virgin doing the exact same thing on Tuesday.

But while Virgin offered flights starting at $86, Qantas' bargain basement trips start a little higher, at $99 - and Qantas flights are being raised overall anyway.

The national carrier's discounted flights cover more than 60 domestic destinations, with the airline saying it offers Aussies the chance to explore their own country.

More than 40 of those routes feature seats available for $150 or lower, for travel periods both this year and next.

Those quick on the draw - and flexible on when they can fly - will be able to get economy fares from Melbourne to Sydney for $145, Adelaide to Melbourne for $125 and Sunshine Coast to Melbourne for $159.

Qantas (stewardess pictured) has launched a three-day flight sale in response to Virgin doing the exact same thing on Tuesday

Customers who still have a Qantas Covid credit can ask for a refund or get double Qantas points on any flights booked with a Covid credit before December 31.

Queensland doctor humiliated by Virgin after wheelchair incident at Brisbane Airport Advertisement

Regardless of the airline's brief sale, its flight prices are set to soar as it passes on rising costs to its customers.

Ticket prices on domestic and international Qantas flights will jump by 3.5 per cent from October 27, piling more pressure on cash strapped Aussies.

The carrier said it had 'no choice' but to increase prices as it struggles to absorb the rising cost of fuel, but the move has left customers furious.

'It just seems like they're taking the p***. Australians don't like that,' one irritated woman told 9News.

In a statement, Qantas said it was no longer able to absorb the rising cost of fuel brought about by factors such as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and a weak Australian dollar.

Jetstar flights will also be 3 per cent more expensive from next week.

Virgin's discounted fares are available for select destinations between January 2024 and June 20, 2024.

The airline is also offering double status credits for eligible flights that will give regular travelers extra points under the Velocity Frequent Flyer Loyalty program.

Virgin's discounted prices are only for economy lite seats going one way.

But while Virgin offered flights starting at $86, Qantas' bargain basement trips start a little higher, at $99

Melbourne locals looking for warmth and a bit of sun can jet off to the Sunshine Coast for as little as $125.

Sydneysiders looking for a holiday next year can head to Hamilton Island for $126, while Brisbane residents can fly to the other side of the country in Perth for $239.

The cheapest destinations on the list are Sydney to Launceston, Tasmania, and Brisbane to Prosperine, Queensland for $86.

Brisbane residents also get the next cheapest discounted price, where they can jet off to Newcastle for $95.

Adelaide locals can go to the nation's capital for $160 one-way.

Virgin Australia said the 72-hour sale would still give Aussies struggling through the cost-of-living crisis a chance to go away on a cheaper holiday.

Virgin is offering double status credits for eligible flights that will give regular travelers extra points under the Velocity Frequent Flyer Loyalty program. Hamilton Island, one of the destinations on sale, is pictured

Virgin are offering domestic flights for as cheap as $86 as part of a huge three-day sale

Many of the flights for these destinations have been filling fast for the month of January, with most discounted prices featured in available bookings from February.

'The much-anticipated Velocity double Status Credits offer will help the loyalty program's almost 12-million members climb the status ranks faster,' a Virgin Australia spokesperson said.

'Flying with Gold or Platinum Status comes with a range of perks, including Lounge access, priority boarding, seat selection and higher checked baggage allowances.'

If you're looking for a bargain, you will have to act quickly, though. The offer ends at 11.59pm (AEDT) on October 26 or until sold out before that.
Employee asks if they can work from home due to hay fever

A boss has demanded an employee either come into the office or take sick leave after they claimed to have hay fever and wished to work from home.

The extraordinary text message exchange was shared on the official Instagram page of the business resource and gossip website, The Aussie Corporate.

It's unknown what Australian company the pair work for.

The worker starts by informing his boss via text that he is unwell but can still work from home.

'Morning, will be working from home today. Hay fever got me bad last night so I'm still a snotty/coughing mess,' the employee writes in a message.

A boss has demanded an employee either come into the office or take sick leave after they claimed to have hay fever

'Got plenty of partners private and implementations to keep me going in terms of work load today.'

But their employer comes back with a blunt response.

'Morning, I am sorry you're suffering from hay fever,' they say.

Poll Do you think the employer's response was reasonable? Yes No Do you think the employer's response was reasonable? Yes 2205 votes

No 926 votes Now share your opinion





'I just want to let you know that I've been informed by (name redacted) previously that team members are not allowed to work from home for reasons such as this.

'It's been previously explained to me, that if a team feels they are well enough to work from home, then they are well enough to work from the office.'

The boss then tells the worker to either 'come into the office to work' or 'take today off as sick leave'.

The Aussie Corporate conducted a poll asking the page's 97,000 followers whether they believed that was a fair response.

About 68 per cent of respondents said it was unreasonable, while 10 per cent said it was reasonable.

Employers cannot force employees to take sick leave, but they can direct workers to take sick leave if they pose a health and safety risk to colleagues.

The incident comes as business bosses across the country forecast the work-from-home trend is on its way out in Australia.

A global survey of over 1,300 CEOs, carried out by consulting firm KPMG, found that two-thirds of Australia's CEOs believed that traditional white-collar roles would see a full-time return to the office within three years (stock image)

A global survey of more than 1,300 CEOs, carried out by consulting firm KPMG, found that two-thirds of Australia's bosses believed that traditional white-collar roles would see a full-time return to the office within three years.

Only a minority thought jobs would remain a hybrid split between home and the office, as is the case for many city workers right now.

And those who enjoy the flexibility of the occasional 'WFH' day may wish to think again: a whopping 75 per cent of Australian CEOs said they would reward employees who made an extra effort to come into the office - in terms of raises, promotions and more interesting work.

'I think theres a feeling that over time, things like productivity will suffer and that were returning to a more normal environment,' Andrew Yates, boss of KMPG Australia, told Nine Newspapers.

'But I was surprised that there was such clarity around the return to the office. I would have thought that hybrid and flexible working would be here to stay.'
Claim the fire was set alight intentionally by an arsonist

A cafe owner has been left bewildered after her life was turned upside down when her shop was burnt to the ground by a suspected arsonist.

The owner of the Acacia Coffee Co in south Brisbane's Acacia Ridge, Kym Turner, was woken up by police at 2am on Wednesday to be told her business was engulfed in flames.

Ms Turner arrived to find the cafe she had owned for three years a 'mangled mess'.

She said it was evident that the fire had been started deliberately, claiming a window had been broken and an accelerant used, however she had no clue as to why.

A crime scene has been established at the cafe with fire investigators set to examine the scene on Thursday.

READ MORE: Queenslander's heartbreaking message as his entire Western Downs property and car goes up in flames Advertisement

Ms Turner said she had come to love the suburb because it had the same feel as the country town she had grown up in.

'I've been here for three years... We grew up in a small country town, we feel like Acacia Ridge is a small country town within the city,' she told 7News.

She said she and her family were 'welcomed by so many wonderful people' in the area and in turn served 'wonderful customers and beautiful people'.

Herexperiences within the community only made it more perplexing as to why her shop was 'targeted'.

'Why? We make coffee,' Ms Turner said.

Ms Turner's niece, Poppi Balmforth, told the Courier Mail police had shown them CCTV footage allegedly showing a man starting the fire with the help of a jerry can.

'Police showed us footage of a man with a jerry can torching the place, I just hope they catch him,' Ms Balmforth told the publication.

Brisbane woman, Kym Turner (pictured), has been left perplexed after her cafe in Acacia Ridge was set alight by a suspected arsonist in the early hours of Wednesday

Ms Turner was woken up by police at 2am after being told that her cafe was engulfed in flames, arriving shortly after to find it a 'mangled mess'

Ms Balmforth described the cafe as her aunt's 'baby' after starting the business during Covid-19 lockdowns and working hard to build a clientele of regulars.

She also noted a recent increase in crime in the area, with a nearby vape store being 'broken into a lot'.

Emergency services were contacted at just before 1:30am to reports of a fire at the store, arriving to find it engulfed in flames.

The fire spread through the roof and into two other shops before the ceiling of the cafe collapsed, forcing firefighters to break through the wall of a neighbouring store to fight the fire.

Investigators have urged anyone with information, CCTV footage, or dashcam footage of the store at the time to contact Crime Stoppers.
A young lapdog has survived living five months in the predator-filled outback after sprinting from the scene of a car crash.

Misha was just over a year old when her owners Karen and Gary Tucker had an accident 70km south of Broken Hill heading towards Wentworth in the New South Wales outback at the end of May.

Driving a ute with 15 dogs in the back, Ms Tucker hit a pothole and rolled three times. She was seriously injured and trapped in the vehicle.

Mr Tucker, following behind in another vehicle, called for help and his wife was rushed into intensive care.

The dogs were miraculously unharmed, but two of them, a Tibetan spaniel Misha, and a 14-month old chihuahua, Baxter, panicked and fled from the scene.

When Karen Tucker's ute rolled three times south of Broken Hill, two of her dogs, Tibetan spaniel Misha, and a 14-month old chihuahua, Baxter, panicked and fled into the surrounding desert

Driving ute with 15 dogs in the back, Ms Tucker hit a pothole and rolled three times. She was seriously injured and trapped in the vehicle. Pictured: the accident scene, 70km south of Broken Hill

After five months wandering the desert, the lure of treats got the better of Misha, who wandered inside Mr Harrison's fox trap (pictured)

They ran into a vast and harsh red sandy desert which is known to be home to several predators more than capable of killing a 5kg dog only 25cm tall.

Those include wedge-tailed eagles, several venomous varieties of snakes and goannas.

But Ms Tucker refused to believe that was the end of her fur babies.

She posted missing photos of both dogs several times on social media.

A month after the crash she posted a photo of both with the message: 'Please help find my babies'. Then again a month later: 'I'm never giving up'.

She and Mr Tucker hired drones and even gyrocopters to search for the runaways.

Then one day Grazier Mitch Harrison spotted a small dog rushing about on his 56,000 hectare property. Then his sister saw it too, and his mother.

After it was spotted investigating the family's driveway, Mr Harrison set up an infra-red camera and a fox-trap.

Tibetan Spaniels are an ancient dog bred thousands of years ago as companions for monks.

They are considered assertive and independent and are nicknamed 'Little Lions', though more for their looks than their temperament.

They are known to need contact with their humans and don't respond well to being left alone for long periods.

Eventually the lure of treats got the better of Misha, who wandered inside the trap.

Tiny Misha somehow survived five months in a predator-filled which is home to several predators, including wedge-tailed eagles and brown snakes, more than capable of killing a small dog

A wary Mr Harrison expected the starving pup to snap and bite at him, but she immediately gave into her nature. Pictured: A happy-looking Misha after some much-needed human contact

Misha, weighing around 5kg, could easily have attracted the interest of a goanna, which is known to consider anything smaller than itself as potential prey

A wary Mr Harrison expected the starving pup to snap and bite at him, but she immediately gave into her nature.

'[I thought] it might bite or something like that so I put my hand in ... and it was really pleased to have a pat,' Mr Harrison told the ABC.

He wasn't certain what the dog ate to survive but thought it may have been kangaroo and bugs, which are plentiful in the desert.

Mr Harrison thought it best to bathe the affectionate pup who smelled as though she had been in the desert for five months.

When the Tuckers came to collect Misha, she immediately knew them.

'When Gary went up there and saw her it was like, '"I know my dad" and the tail never stopped wagging.'

She 'jumped' into Ms Tucker's arms.

The chihuahua, while a hardy animal, is also the world's smallest dog breed. Sadly Baxter remains at large.

But that has not deterred Ms Tucker who described both dogs as 'resilient'. She believes Baxter will be found too.
The United States is sending the US Army's two batteries of Iron Dome radar, command posts and interceptors to Israel, to support its efforts to block rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel has come under unprecedented rocket attack from Hamas since the October 7 terror attack, putting the Iron Dome under strain.

Defense sources confirmed to Bloomberg the plan for U.S. replenishments, but could not say when they would be delivered.

President Joe Biden on Friday delivered to Congress a $105 billion request for military aid, which includes more than $14 billion to help Israel defend itself against terror attacks from Hamas.

The Senate is currently reviewing the request.

The Iron Dome is seen in action intercepting rockets fired from Gaza on October 20

The radar for the Iron Dome system is pictured in position in southern Israel

On October 31, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are scheduled to appear before the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss the White House's request.

Blinken on Tuesday was at the United Nations, where he announced that the U.S. death toll has risen to 33.

The missile protection system, introduced in 2011, uses a sophisticated radar system to track inbound missiles that are then intercepted by Tamir missiles. The missiles are fired from multiple launchers attached to the radar system.

Each Iron Dome battery consists of three to four launchers that can each carry up to 20 Tamir interceptor missiles, and can bring down rockets fired from a range of two to 40 miles away.

One missile battery can defend almost 60 square miles: As of mid-2021 Israel had 10 missile batteries deployed throughout the country, Bloomberg reported.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, near Ashkelon

A picture taken from the Israeli city of Sderot shows rockets fired from the Gaza Strip intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome on October 14

The current war with Gaza's militant Hamas group might be its stiffest challenge yet.

In just two weeks, Hamas has fired 7,000 rockets toward Israel, according to the Israeli military. That is more than any of the previous four wars fought between Israel and Hamas since the militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007.

On October 7 alone, the first day of fighting, Hamas launched at least 2,000 rockets, according to data from West Point.

Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group has also fired hundreds of rockets along Israel's northern front since the fighting began.

Most of the rockets have been intercepted.

But some have managed to get through, killing at least 11 people and hitting buildings as far away as Tel Aviv, according to Israeli officials.

The fighting since October 7 has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians killed during the initial Hamas attack.

Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry said the attacks killed at least 704 people over the past day, including 305 children and 173 women.

More than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 minors, the ministry said.
EXCLUSIVE

A popular hairstyling and make-up company with salons around Sydney and a bevy of celebrity clients including Jackie O and Pip Edwards has fallen into liquidation.

BBC Operations Pty Ltd - which trades as Blow Bar Co Operations and runs salons in the Sydney CBD, Bronte and Balmain - had liquidators appointed on Monday, according to documents filed with the corporate regulator ASIC.

The news - which the company insists is the result of an internal restructure - will come as a shock to many who had frequented the company's ritzy salons.

Blow Bar Co recently did the hair styling and make-up for Jackie 'O' Henderson and best friend Gemma O'Neill's launch of their event-based business Besties.

BBC Operations Pty Ltd, which trades as Blow Bar Co Operations and has salons around Sydney in the CBD, Bronte and Balmain, has entered liquidation

Jules Robinson, known from her stint on Married At First Sight, has also appeared on the brand's Instagram page several times.

Blow Bar Co also did hair and make up for a Women's Health Australia event which included trainers such as PE Nation founder Pip Edwards.

Former TV presenter and current Real Housewives of Sydney star Sally Obermeder is also a loyal customer.

The company has partnered with Vogue Australia and was voted as 'one of Sydney's nine best hair salons for the perfect blow dry' by Harper's Bazaar.

Jules Robinson, known from her stint on Married At First Sight, has also appeared on the brand's Instagram page several times

The company's director, Leigh Dole (pictured), recently did an interview with Marie Claire Australia on her tips to getting the perfect hair

Blow Bar Co's Instagram account is filled with photos of happy customers, often with a glass of champagne in hand, and has more than 32,000 followers.

The company's director, Leigh Dole, recently did an interview with Marie Claire Australia on her tips to getting the perfect hair.

The salons also offer customers cheese plates and massages, with the company's website saying it 'gives women a place to connect, celebrate, and empower one another'.

David Michael Stimpson, from insolvency firm SV Partners, has been appointed liquidator.

A Blow Bar Co spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the liquidation - where a company's affairs and assets are finalised for creditors - was an internal restructure.

'It's business as usual and there has been no financial impact to clients, staff or suppliers.

'This internal restructure will ensure business continuity and growth.'
The storm is projected to cause deadly surf and rip conditions as well as mudslides and flash flooding

There are no hurricanes on record that are close to this intensity in this region

The hurricane is anticipated to slam into Mexico's southern Pacific coast near Acapulco

Hurricane Otis intensified from a tropical storm to a dangerous Category 5 hurricane in a matter of hours as it drew near Mexico's southern Pacific coast and was projected to cause catastrophic damage.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Otis had maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour on Tuesday evening.

It was centered about 55 miles south-southeast of Acapulco and moving north-northwest at 9 mph.

'This is an extremely serious situation for the Acapulco metropolitan area with the core of the destructive hurricane likely to come near or over that large city early on Wednesday,' the center said.

'There are no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico.'

Hurricane Otis intensified from a tropical storm to a dangerous Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday

The storm is projected to create life-threatening surf and rip current conditions

People rush home in Acapulco as rain begins to pour down on the city

Otis is projected to create deadly surf and rip current conditions.

Hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles are expected to combine with a 'potentially catastrophic storm surge.'

The center anticipated that this could cause life-threatening coastal flooding and 'large and destructive waves' on Wednesday morning.

A hurricane warning was in effect from Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo, while a hurricane watch was in effect from Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado

Otis will likely die out over southern Mexico on Wednesday night.

But the storm is anticipated to dump eight to 16 inches of rain on the country by the end of the week, with some areas seeing up to 20 inches.

The heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding as well as mudslides in areas with elevated terrain.

Otis gained 80 miles per hour in just 12 hours on Tuesday, becoming the fastest-intensifying hurricane in Eastern Pacific history.

Soldiers of the Mexican Army stand by in anticipation of landfall. More than 8,000 troops were sent to aid in rescues

In Acapulco, the windows of businesses were boarded shut to protect from wind and water damage

Roaring winds forced tourists from beaches in the area

Videos circulated on social media showing power flashes, indicated by large explosions

A tourist rides a horse at a beach in Acapulco, where Otis is expected to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane - the first in history for the East Pacific

In Acapulco, people rushed home as rain began to hammer the city and howling winds drove tourists from the beach. Shopkeepers boarded the windows of their businesses shut.

Videos circulated on social media showing large explosions as gales severed power lines.

The Guerrero state government said it was preparing 396 shelters in anticipation of families being displaced by wind or water damage.

Mexico's army and navy sent more than 8,000 troops to the area to aid in rescues.

Acapulco's port, home to hundreds of fishing boats, was also closed.

The National Hurricane Center anticipated that Otis could cause life-threatening coastal flooding and 'large and destructive waves' on Wednesday morning

The hurricane is anticipated to dump eight to 16 inches of rain on the country by the end of the week, with some areas seeing up to 20 inches

The Guerrero state government - where Acapulco is located - prepared hundreds of shelters in anticipation of families being driven from their homes

People flee a beach and a man removes a table as Otis barrels towards Acapulco

Members of the federal forces gather as to keep watch at a beach

The National Hurricane Center considers a storm to rapidly intensify if it increases wind speed by 35 miles per hour in 24 hours.

Fueled by warmer oceans, Atlantic hurricanes are now more than twice as likely as before to rapidly intensify from minor hurricanes to catastrophic, according to a study by climate scientist Andra Garner at Rowan University.

2020 marked a record year for hurricanes, when six storms rapidly intensified that much.

If Otis makes landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, it will be the first of its kind in the East Pacific.

It will break a record set in 2015 by Hurricane Patricia, a Category 4 storm that made landfall with winds of 150 miles per hour.

Otis is not projected to impact the United States.
This is the shocking moment masked men cut down a new speed camera using an angle grinder before fleeing the scene on a quad bike.

The alarming scenes took place just after 9pm on Monday on Leeds Road, in Dewsbury, as the pair set about destroying the newly-installed speed camera which had not yet been activated.

Video posted on social media shows one of the thugs, who was wearing a jacket with the word 'police' on the back, run up to the camera pole armed with an angle grinder and start sawing away at the metal structure, causing a sea of sparks.

Shocked residents can be seen emerging from their homes after presumably hearing some sort of commotion, to which one of the men says: 'Carry on cutting'.

The pole eventually collapses into the middle of the road and the masked man returns to the quad bike with his accomplice who makes a swift getaway.

This is the shocking moment two masked men cut down a new speed camera using an angle grinder before fleeing the scene on a quad bike

The alarming scenes took place just after 9pm on Monday on Leeds Road, in Dewsbury, as the pair set about destroying the newly installed speed camera (pictured after being cut down)

Video posted on social media shows one of the thugs cutting it down

During their getaway, the pair pass a police van with its sirens on, heading in the opposite direction to them.

One of the men can be heard saying: 'What are you doing?' before breaking out in laughter and calling out: 'You f***ing idiot'.

Police said that two poles had been damaged during the night, but the video only shows the gang destroying one. It is unclear whether a second pole was also cut down by the gang.

One resident who lives nearby told YorkshireLive that a quad bike being driven around the area wasn't anything new' and that it 'happens all the time'

'We saw it while walking our dog, then heard from a neighbour that one further up the street had been done as well.

'Probably people inspired by people who cut them down in London for the anti ulez stuff, it's a race track most nights so it wouldn't suprise me if it was someone worried about getting caught - the cameras were not even active yet the council were waiting for new average speed camera signs to go up.'

Labour Councillor for Dewsbury East Paul Moore added there had been issues with people driving quadbikes since May and he has been in close 'contact' with police all summer.

He told YorkshireLive: 'One's got off with a Stihl saw, jumped on the wall and cut it down. I mean they're lucky they haven't electrocuted themselves because, although they weren't working, they were wired in and live.'

In a similar incident in London, a man was pictured climbing up a traffic light and appearing to cut a ULEZ camera with an angle grinder

Sparks can be seen coming off the camera as the man hacks away at it

West Yorkshire Police said: 'Police were called to Leeds Road, Dewsbury at about 2109 on Monday October 23 to a report males on a quad bike had caused damage to street furniture between Batley and Dewsbury.'

'Two camera poles were damaged with one having fallen in the road. Local authority highways were made aware and work was carried out in the early hours to make the road safe.

'Enquiries are ongoing into the offence. Police are also aware of video circulating on social media and are investigating the contents.'

It comes after a spree of attacks on ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) cameras in the capital following the expansion of Sadiq Khan's much hated scheme in August.

Anti-ULEZ 'blade runners' have attacked hundreds of cameras, prompting the London Mayor to roll out vehicles to catch those flouting the rules. They have been pictured cutting the wires of the cameras to stop them from working and even using an angle grinder to cut the camera down.

The group have said they will ramp up their action of wrecking cameras which use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to implement the ULEZ charges. They say they want to bring the expanded ULEZ scheme 'to its knees' and have a series of 'exciting plans' in place.

Around 250 Blade Runners are thought to be active across the capital. The group has seen more active participation since the zone was expanded on August 29, members previously claimed.

There are about 1,775 ULEZ cameras in London - meaning 1,420 are on the target list.

In an interview with Talk TV , one bladerunner - who uses Ben as a fake name - claimed to have wrecked 150 of the traffic cameras since they were expanded across the capital's boroughs on August 29

Ben, wearing a balaclava and hood, is seen in the footage using an angle-grinder to cut down a Ulez camera mounted on a traffic light in just four seconds

From August, the 12.50-a-day charge started to apply to non-compliant vehicles across all London boroughs.

It has caused outrage in the suburbs, with Mr Khan's Tory mayoral election rival Susan Hall promising to scrap it if she wins power.

One Blade Runner said: 'The target is to get 80 per cent gone in four weeks. That's the start.

'There are thought to be around 250 people involved but there's no official tally. The idea is people are attracted to this themselves. It's not an official group or society.

'It's up to people if they want to take the direct action needed. Jail is on the table. It's that serious.'

Another Blade Runner, talking anonymously, said: 'We will not stop and will continue until it is removed and we have our freedom taken without imposed costs where we could travel before freely.

'There is no organisation behind us. We are just average members of our communities. We're motivated people working to keep Ulez out of local areas.

'The people doing this are doing it for themselves and communities. We're sick and tired of this taxation during a cost of living crisis. We're struggling to make ends meet.

'So many of us are struggling to pay rent, energy bills and feed our families. Paying to go to work makes the wages we're earning impossible to live on and isn't an option for the average person.'
A brief cold snap is set to hit Australia's eastern seaboard, bringing rain, thunderstorms and chilly weather for Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and southern Queensland.

Sky News meteorologist Alison Osborne said the mercury will 'take a dive' on Thursday onwards, due to a burst of polar air from the Antarctic.

Victoria could see 'quite cold and more winter like weather' with below average temperatures of 15C, while similar conditions will be felt in NSW.

Temperatures are also forecast to decline in Queensland throughout Thursday, before the warm weather returns on Friday.

A brief cold snap is set to hit Australia's eastern seaboard, bringing rain, thunderstorms and chilly weather for Victoria, NSW , Tasmania and southern Queensland

Up to 10mm rain is forecast for parts of NSW on Thursday. Picture: BSCH Stormcast.com.au

'Showers and small hail' is expected to hit the south-east of Queensland, while light rain ruins beach plans for those in NSW's north coast on Thursday.

'(On Thursday) we can see south easterly winds feeding into a low-pressure trough in NSW. This draws moisture-laiden air across NSW, which will lead to showers and thunderstorms,' said Ms Osborne.

'By Thursday evening, the wet weather settles in, with thunderstorms are predicted to mix through southeastern Queensland.'

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts temperatures will drop to a high of 19C in Sydney and lows of 12C on Thursday and Friday. A 70 per cent chance of rain is also forecast for both days.

In Melbourne, there is a high chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and temperatures are expected to drop to 9C on Thursday.

A similar swath of cold weather if also forecast for Hobart. After a rainy Wednesday, the mercury will struggle to climb above 14C on Thursday and temperatures will plunge to just 6C on Thursday.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts temperatures will drop to a high of 19C in Sydney and lows of 12C on Thursday and Friday. A 70 per cent chance of rain is also forecast for both days

the temperature forecast for 10am Thursday

Despite the chilly reprieve, the Bureau has warned high to extreme danger ratings are in place for the rest of Australia. Temperatures in Western Australia, Northern Territory, north Queensland and NSW's mid-north coast.

Ms Osborne said Thursday's forecasted rain could bring some much needed reprieve to the bushfires on NSW's mid-north coast, including Kempsey.

'But for many fire-effected areas around the mid-north coast and ranges, you're likely to see a period of quite steady precipitation - the good soaking rains that could turn the fortunes of a couple of active fires in particular,' she said.
A man is fighting for life after being shot by police at Logan Central, south of Brisbane, on Wednesday.

Queensland Police said the 40-year-old man was being treated by paramedics for life-threatening injuries.

The man was shot by officers during an incident on Croydon Road, with police investigating.

A man is fighting for life after being shot by police at Logan Central, south of Brisbane, on Wednesday

The man was shot by officers during an incident on Croydon Road, with police investigating

The incident occurred at about 1pm on Wednesday.

Footage from the scene showed emergency service workers desperately trying to save the man.

Social media videos showed about a dozen police at the scene.
This is the shocking moment Palestinian supporters were caught tearing down posters of Israeli women and children kidnapped by Hamas terrorists - with one smiling to the camera as he walked off.

The video, filmed last night in London's Leicester Square, shows two women and a man ripping down the posters before the man notices he is being filmed, pulls down his cap and walks away.

One of the women, wearing a black coat and a long scarf, is told the posters show 'photos of people kidnapped by terrorists' and is accused of not caring about 'human life'.

It came as sickening photos emerged showing other posters that had been defaced with Hitler moustaches and devil horns. One of the banners on Finchley Road in north London showed the smiling faces of Emma and Yuli Cunio defaced with toothbrush moustaches. On another poster someone had changed Hamas to 'real men'.

The video from Leicester Square, shared by Jewish News editor Richard Ferrer at around 10pm, then cuts to another man walking and ripping off the posters one by one. He turns around and smiles at the camera before walking off.

The Met Police said it had been 'made aware' of the footage, adding: 'Officers will continue to be in the area carrying out reassurance patrols. At this time, no offences have been identified.'

It's the latest in a string of incidents, with a previous video from Oxford Street showing a woman ripping down a poster of four-year-old Ariel. His kidnapping alongside his months-old baby brother Kfir and their mother Shiri Silberman-Bibas horrified the world.

*Do you know the people tearing down the posters? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk*

The video, filmed last night in London 's Leicester Square, shows two women and a man ripping down the posters of Israeli kidnap victims

The video cuts to another man walking and ripping off the posters one by one. He turns and smiles at the camera before walking off

The posters - seen here after being torn down - had been put up to raise awareness of the plight of Hamas kidnap victims

Today sickening photos emerged showing other posters that had been defaced with Hitler moustaches and devil horns. One of the banners showed the smiling faces of Emma and Yuli Cunio which a vandal had defaced with toothbrush moustaches (left)

The posters had been put up on Finchley Road in north London. On one of them (right) someone had changed Hamas to 'real men'

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch today criticised 'odious people ripping down posters of missing children' as she said part of the UK's social contract has been 'breached'.

She told the Commons: 'All our citizens have a right to feel secure and at peace in Britain. One of the reasons why we have been able to integrate people from all over the world is because of an unwritten rule that people with roots elsewhere do not play out foreign conflicts on the streets of this country.

'We owe a duty of care and civility to our neighbours whatever their ethnicity, religion or background. All of us are free to practice our faiths and celebrate our cultures but we must do so in a positive way, consistent with fundamental values that are the bedrock of Britain. I'm afraid to say that in recent days we have seen that social contract being breached.

'In particular, I believe that the hostility directed towards our Jewish communities, the calls for Jihad, the ostentatious indifference to the victims of terrorism, the aggressive chanting by mobs brandishing placards of hate, and the odious people ripping down posters of missing children, do not reflect our values as a nation.

READ MORE - Hostages could be released in exchange for greater aid and free passage for Hamas leaders and their families in extraordinary plan, report claims Advertisement

'We must all stand firm on the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, particularly in the public space that we all share.'

Asked about the footage of the posters being ripped down, a spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he could not comment on specific incidents.

But they added: 'It is right and proper that people want to highlight the hostages that are being held by Hamas and want to make sure the focus of what started this current crisis isn't lost, which is the attack by Hamas on Israel and the fact there are now around 200 hostages in Gaza.

'I think it's right people want to be able to draw attention to that and that's something that is entirely understandable.'

Hamas terrorists massacred 1,400 Israelis on October 7, with many filming themselves shooting civilians on their bodycams.

Since then, 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

More footage that emerged on October 20 showed a woman telling people filming her as she tore down banners to 'f*** off' while another said 'go cry'.

The number of anti-Semitic offences in London has soared by more than 1,353 per cent between October 1 and 18 compared to last year, according to Met Police data.

A total of 218 anti-Semitic offences were reported in London between October 1 and 18, compared with 15 during the same period in 2022.

Islamophobic offences during the same period are up 140 per cent, from 42 last year to 101.

This week Dame Maureen Lipman has joined 210 public figures in condemning the surge of anti-Semitism in the UK - as the actress slammed 'bleeding heartless liberals' who fail to criticise attacks on Israel.

The list also includes playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, peer Lord Owen, scientist Professor Richard Dawkins, Countdown presenter Rachel Riley, Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, former spy chief Sir Richard Dearlove and author Simon Sebag Montefiore.

They write: 'We are a group of concerned British citizens and residents from a wide range of backgrounds and professions who stand in solidarity with British Jews and condemn all forms of anti-Semitism, whether in Britain or elsewhere.'

A woman on Oxford Street clutching a pile of ripped posters showing the innocents taken hostage by Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7

The woman said the posters had 'inaccurate' information on them

Criticising the BBC, the signatories say: 'We ask the media, members of all political parties and everyone in public life to call out Hamas for what it is: a terrorist organisation.'

After a group calling itself Artists for Palestine UK, which included actors Steve Coogan and Tilda Swinton, published a letter accusing Israel of war crimes, Dame Maureen said: 'These bleeding heartless liberals care so deeply for the Palestinians that they espouse their cause at the expense of every other oppressed people of the world Shame. Shame. Shame on every one of you.'

READ MORE - Fury as ITV airs interview with British Palestinian woman on Islamophobia in the UK just days after she described the murder of Jews as a 'homecoming' Advertisement

It comes as the immigration minister appeared to suggest that he thought UK visa-holders should be expelled for inciting anti-Semitism even if their conduct falls 'below the criminal standard'.

Robert Jenrick told the Commons that the process of revoking visas and expelling foreign nationals who spread 'hate and division' has already begun 'in a small number of cases'.

Asked on Times Radio whether someone waving a Palestinian flag at a demonstration could see their visa revoked, the minister replied: 'No, we believe in freedom of speech.

'But I disagree with your premise that... somebody who is here as a visitor to the UK has the right to be anti-Semitic, to threaten British communities and can stay unless that is of criminal standard.

'I think there is conduct which is below the criminal standard but which is wrong, [and] would be accepted as wrong by most reasonable people.

'If those people are not British citizens, they are just visitors to our country enjoying the privileges of living here, being among fellow British people, then I'm afraid their visas will be revoked and they should leave the country.'
EXCLUSIVE

Two Aussie holidaymakers were savagely beaten with bats and barstools by a wild mob of men after an alleged altercation outside a Bali nightclub over a motorbike entryway.

Milard Said, 32, and Maroun Mardini, 39, who are believed to live in Sydney, were leaving the Atlas Super Club in North Kuta in the south of the Indonesian party island on Monday around 10.15pm when they got into a heated exchange with the club's security.

Shocking footage of the subsequent brawl shows the two friends being bashed by a group of about a dozen men wielding metal poles, bats and what appears to be a the leg of a bar stool.

Cries of 'I f*** you up!', 'take that!' and 'go back to your place!' can be heard as Mr Said and Mr Mardini desperately try to seek the safety of a waiting taxi.

Milard Said, 32, and Maroun Mardini, 39, who are believed to live in Sydney, were leaving the Atlas Super Club in North Kuta in the south of the Indonesian party island on Monday around 10.15pm when they got into a heated exchange with the club's security (both men are pictured)

One of the assailants shouts 'where you going?' as Mr Said holds his hand up to defend himself from another remorseless barrage of blows.

At one stage a man dressed in an Atlas Super Club t-shirt can be seen swinging a wild punch to the jaw of one of the defenceless men.

While the footage cuts out just as more men pile-in, Daily Mail Australia has obtained exclusive pictures showing that the two Aussies eventually had to be rescued by police.

Both men are pictured slumped in the trailer of a police van, their t-shirts torn and blood-spattered, with nasty wounds on their heads.

A Badung Police spokesperson said that the incident was sparked after the two Aussies asked security to get them a taxi.

'After the security hailed a taxi, one of the foreigners then tried to ride his motorbike out of the wrong exit,' the spokesperson said.

'The security guard reprimanded the foreigner. The foreigner then allegedly got angry and pushed the security guard.

'One of them allegedly tried to punch one of the security guards.'

The police spokesperson said the two men attempted to leave but the security guard started 'screaming and yelling' that they had tried to hit him.

'Other security and locals from around the area then started chasing the two foreigners,' the spokesperson added.

'They were beaten by the mob.'

A security guard dressed in an Atlas Super Club t-shirt can be seen swinging a wild punch at one of the men

The men were rescued by police (above) and taken to hospital (below)

However, both parties refused to make a police report.

The police spokesperson said investigations are ongoing.

Daily Mail Australia approached the Atlas Super Club for comment. It bills itself as the 'Biggest Night Club in Bali'.

This publication has made attempts to contact the two Australians.
A man wearing a 'clown mask' near a play park has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child.

Police were called to the park in Crediton, Devon at around 12.40pm yesterday following reports of a man believed to be under the influence of alcohol in the area wearing a clown-type mask.

Officers received a further report that the man had been approaching children, causing fear and allegedly inappropriately touching a child in the park near Belle Parade and Church Street.

Inspector Ollie Heaton said: 'A male in his 40s was arrested this afternoon on suspicion of committing a sexual assault on a child which occurred within the vicinity of the Newcombes Play Park in Crediton.

'The male remains in police custody whilst enquiries continue.

A view of the play park in Crediton, Devon near where a man allegedly assaulted a child

'This incident is alleged to have occurred between approximately 12:00pm and 12:40pm today and we are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has information relating to this, to contact us as soon as possible.

'Information that we are keen to review also includes any dash cam, doorbell or other CCTV footage.

'It is believed that a number of people, including parents with children, were in the park at the time and we are very keen to speak to everyone who was present to ensure that we have captured all the relevant evidence and witness testimonies.'

Inspector Heaton added: 'I appreciate that reported incidents such as this will cause concern within the community, and I want to reassure the public that we are painstakingly seeking all the evidence in order to deal robustly and thoroughly with the report. At present we are not seeking anyone else in connection to this incident.'

Anyone with information which may assist is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 301 of 24 October.
An all-female combat unit of just 13 soldiers from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) took on and killed nearly 100 Hamas gunmen when they fought off a terror attack on an army base and helped liberate a kibbutz, it has emerged.

Lieutenant Colonel Or Ben Yehuda and her 12 women soldiers of the Caracal Battalion led the frontline fightback from armoured personnel carriers after racing to a military post on the Egyptian border that was being attacked during the Hamas onslaught.

With rockets raining down all around her, she learned that the terrorists had broken through Israel's border fence with the Gaza Strip and were heading for the Jewish settlements of Shlomit and Bnei Netzer on October 7.

In a final message from the Sufa military base as it came under attack from dozens of Hamas fighters, a colleague who was killed just minutes later warned Lt-Col Ben Yehuda: 'There are several terrorists here. They're heavily armed.'

In a pre-battle address, Lt-Col Ben Yehuda then told the 12-woman unit that they were strong and would not be defeated.

She said: 'We are going to eliminate terrorists. [An] infiltration into Israel is happening and it's spreading. Stay alert. We might cross paths. We are a strong squad.'

Lieutenant Colonel Or Ben Yehuda (pictured) and her 12 women soldiers took on and killed nearly 100 Hamas gunmen when they fought off the terrorists

Lt-Col Ben-Yehuda restrains and blindfolds a Hamas fighter

Lt-Col Ben-Yehuda from the infantry combat Caracal Battalion unit

When the unit arrived at the military base, they discovered that Hamas had overrun the post and taken more than 50 Israeli military personnel hostage.

Some seven gunmen had taken up positions in the dining room armed with anti-tank missiles.

As the officer and her 12-woman squad approached the base from all angles, a band of 50 heavily armed terrorists charged towards them from the surroundings.

But the unit held its ground, shooting some dead and forcing others to scatter.

In one harrowing moment Lt-Col Ben Yehuda was confronted face-to-face by a male terrorist, whom she shot at close range.

An officer from another unit arrived at the military base and proposed an attack on the building where the terrorists holed up.

But Lt-Col Ben Yehuda insisted that she would not put the lives of the hostages at risk and directed her attack fire at the terrorists who had taken up positions around the post.

Over the next four hours, the 12-woman unit engaged in a bitter fire-fight with Hamas, who sent wave after wave of gunmen against them.

Despite some of the soldiers getting wounded, the all-female unit continued to fight.

The Caracal Battalion unit was later reinforced by soldiers from a Navy Special Forces unit and together they continued to engage Hamas for the next 14 hours until the terrorists were either dead or had fled.

Lt-Col Ben Yehuda praised the 'significant contributions' the female soldiers had made to win the battle, save the lives of the wounded and carry out daring helicopter evacuations under fire.

She also acknowledged the bravery of an all-female tank crew under her command that led the attack on Hamas fighters who had ransacked the nearby Holit kibbutz, killing more than a dozen civilians.

Lt-Col Ben Yehuda praised the 'significant contributions' the female soldiers had made to win the battle, save the lives of the wounded and carry out daring helicopter evacuations under fire

Lt-Col Ben Yehuda added: 'There are no more doubts about female combat soldiers, who have triumphed in every encounter with terrorists.'

In total Caracal Battalion units are said to have killed about 100 terrorists - a fact that should dispel any doubts about the ability of female soldiers, she said.

Lt-Col Ben Yehuda said: 'The training and performance [of the female combat units] on the battlefield have erased any doubts [about their ability].

'They fought bravely, saved lives and emerged as heroes.'

She added: 'There are no more doubts about female combat soldiers, who have triumphed in every encounter with terrorists.

'At present, we are responsible for 11 towns and are preparing for any potential ground manoeuvres to ensure the safety of the southern Gaza border area and the Egyptian border.'

The all-female tank crew has also been praised for leading the attack on Hamas terrorists who had overrun the Holit kibbutz.

An officer, who cannot be named for security reasons, told the Yetznews website: 'The female tank crew members were stationed close to our team, and they were amazing. They fought like lionesses. They are heroes.

'I could hear them on the radio, including their commander, Or Ben Yehuda, operating at the highest level.

'They broke through the fence and engaged with the terrorists that were there by the dozens.

'They deserve to be decorated. They operated like a well-oiled machine, at a professional level that's expected from a tank crew.'

The IDF has approximately 50,000 female combat troops out of a total of 200,000 active soldiers. Women must carry out military service alongside men and are called back to serve in the Army Reserve in times of crisis.

The Caracal Battalion is made up of 70 per cent female soldiers and has all-women units. It is based in southern Israel.

In 2014 Lt-Col Ben Yehuda was injured in a terrorist attack on the border with Egypt but she managed to return fire, killing one militant in the battle.
A major manhunt is underway after a 'bikie figure' was shot in Sydney's Kirribilli, just streets away from the Prime Minister's official residence.

Abdul Baghdadi, who is in his 30s, was shot at five times just after 4pm on Wednesday on Upper Pitt St, Kirribilli which is just 600 metres from the Anthony Albanese's official Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Baghdadi, who had recently been released from prison and was a former high-ranking Bandidos member, suffered gunshot wounds to his ankle.

Police have launched a massive manhunt for the two suspected gunmen.

The shooting happened in Upper Pitt St, Kirribilli (pictured) which is metres from the Anthony Albanese 's official Sydney residence, Kirribilli House - as the armed attacker is believed to be on the run

Baghdadi declined to have his minor leg wound treated by paramedics and is reportedly refusing to cooperate with police.

In Neutral Bay, three kilometres away, a burning car - suspected to be the getaway vehicle - was found in a garage shortly after 4.30pm.

Images showed smoke billowing out of the garage.

However, it is unclear at this stage if the two incidents are linked.

A building on Upper Pitt St has been sealed off with police tape and emergency services, including a NSW ambulance, are in attendance.

The incident certainly had all the hallmarks of a gangland hit: in Neutral Bay, three kilometres away, a burning car was found in a garage shortly after 4.30pm (pictured)

A NSW Police spokesperson said: 'Emergency services were called to Upper Pitt Street at Kirribilli about 4.10pm on Wednesday after receiving multiple reports of shots being fired.

'Officers from North Shore Police Area Command attended and located a man with a minor leg wound.

'The man, believed to be aged in his 30s, declined medical assistance, and it's unclear what caused his injury.

'A crime scene was established and an investigation into the incident is underway.'

A white Kia Picanto had its back window smashed near the scene of the shooting (pictured)

A building has been sealed off with police tape and emergency services, including a NSW ambulance, are in attendance (pictured)

Locals who heard the gunshots were in no doubt about what had happened.

'I knew immediately that it was a gun, it was very close, it was loud and it was very deliberate,' one told 9News.

Another said: 'It was very loud, very distinct  something that you'd never hear every day.'
Keir Starmer ducked mentioning the Middle East crisis at PMQs today as he scrambles to quell a growing Labour meltdown over his backing for Israel.

The Labour leader used all his six questions to target Rishi Sunak over domestic issues as splits on foreign affairs look to be deepening within his own party.

Sir Keir is due to meet Muslim MPs and peers this afternoon as he tries to defuse anger about his strong stance on the right to respond to Hamas terror attacks.

Sir Keir is also embroiled in a bitter row with a mosque in Wales after community leaders accused him of 'gravely misrepresenting' their discussions during a visit at the weekend.

Long-standing tensions within Labour have flared since the atrocities in Israel, with a slew of councillors quitting and left-wing MPs deeply unhappy.

A letter from 150 councillors this morning demanded he calls for a ceasefire, which the UK and US have not done because it would prevent Israel acting against Hamas.

Criticism has focused on an LBC interview where Sir Keir seemed to suggest Israel has the 'right' to cut off power and water on Gaza.

Keir Starmer is scrambling to quell a growing Labour meltdown over his backing for Israel today

A letter from 150 councillors this morning demanded he calls for a ceasefire, which the UK and US have not done because it would prevent Israel acting against Hamas

A number of leading Labour MPs have suffered local councillor resignations in their constituencies over the party's stance on the Middle East crisis

Sir Keir is embroiled in a bitter row with a mosque in Wales after community leaders accused him of 'gravely misrepresenting' their discussions during a visit at the weekend

He has since denied he ever endorsed Israel withholding humanitarian aid, insisting his remark related to a different question.

However, the clarification has done little to ease the row. Sir Keir will try to placate furious members of the Parliamentary party in a meeting after PMQs.

Shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones insisted it was a 'routine' engagement, also expected to be attended by deputy leader Angela Rayner.

He told Times Radio: 'It is perfectly normal for MPs  we all represent different constituencies around the country  to want to speak to the leader of our party.

'I'm sure it is the same in other political parties where there are issues that constituents are raising with us. And the meeting this afternoon is another example of that.

'And understandably, this is a very sensitive and emotive issue, both for people who have connections and relatives to the Palestinian people as well as the Israeli people, and it is perfectly normal for Keir to sit down and listen to colleagues in the parliamentary party and indeed our councillors and other members from across the country.

'So, a routine meeting and this is another example of that.'

Meanwhile, he has been accused of having 'gravely misrepresenting' a meeting with Muslim leaders in south Wales over the weekend.

Sir Keir visited the centre on Sunday, posting images showing him meeting figures from the local community.

In a post on X, he said: 'I was grateful to hear from the Muslim community of the South Wales Islamic Centre.

'I repeated our calls for all hostages to be released, more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, for the water and power to be switched back on, and a renewed focus on the two state solution.'

Sir Keir said he was 'questioned by members' and 'made clear it is not and has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines. International law must be followed'.

But in a statement last night, the South Wales Islamic Centre apologised for the 'hurt and confusion' caused by hosting Sir Keir.

The centre's statement said: 'We wish to stress Keir Starmer's social media post and images gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit.

In a statement last night, the South Wales Islamic Centre apologised for the 'hurt and confusion' caused by hosting Sir Keir

A total of 37 Labour MPs have signed a parliamentary motion expressing their 'deep alarm' at Israel's military bombardment and siege of Gaza. The motion, tabled by former shadow minister Richard Burgon, also attacks the 'collective punishment of the Palestinian people' and demands an immediate ceasefire

'We affirm, unequivocally, the need for a free Palestine. We implore all those with political authority to uphold international law, and to end the occupation of Palestine.'

The centre said it wanted to 'apologise for the hurt and confusion that our hosting of this visit has caused'.

It added: 'Our intention was to raise the concerns of the Muslim community around the suffering if Palestinians, and so we hosted an event initially with local representatives on the issue, and the knowledge of Keir Starmer's attendance was given at short notice.

'There was a robust and frank conversation which reflected the sentiments Muslim communities are feeling at this time. Members of the community directly challenged Keir on his statements made on the Israeli Government's right to cut food, electricity and water to Gaza, warranting war crimes as well as his failure to call for an immediate ceasefire.'
Police should not describe transgender rapists as women because it is 'offensive and factually incorrect', Suella Braverman has told an audience of gender-critical feminists.

The Home Secretary voiced her opinions on the issue during a discussion with policing leaders and women's rights campaigners, who have complained of not feeling protected by the police.

The activists claim that gender-critical women were being abused in public without appropriate action being taken by police to protect them. The term refers to someone who believes sex is binary and someone who is born male cannot become a woman.

Earlier this month it emerged police had wrongly labelled hundreds of rape suspects as women in referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service - despite Ms Braverman's orders not to.

Over the last four years, police forces have referred 260 'females' to the CPS to consider a rape charge, according to freedom of information requests by the The Telegraph.

Suella Braverman voiced her opinions on the issue of gender identity during a discussion with policing leaders and women's rights campaigners

The Home Secretary with Superintendent Ronan Tyrer of West Midlands Police during a county lines raid on October 11

Another 209 alleged sex attackers have been recorded as an 'unknown' sex, which is thought to include people who identify as non-binary.

Despite the Home Office insisting police should record the biological sex, it remains voluntary guidance and is down to each force.

By law, only men can commit rape. Feminist activists are concerned that self-declaring gender gets around a legal loophole.

It follows a row earlier this year after trans rapist Isla Bryson sent to a women's prison in Scotland. She was later transferred to a men's jail following a major outcry.

Convicted paedophile and rapist Karen White, who was born a man, molested female inmates in a three-month reign of terror at New Hall women's prison in West Yorkshire.

White, 57, who still has male genitalia, was moved to a men's prison and later received a life sentence for a series of sex crimes.

Among the groups at the roundtable were Fair Cop, which championed the case of Harry Miller - a former police officer who was investigated by officers for retweeting a poem which suggested transgender women were still men.

One attendee, Heather Binning, from the Women's Rights Network, claimed police training had been hijacked by trans activists.

'They should rip out all of this training,' she said. 'They are misrepresenting the law that if someone says they are a woman, you must treat them as a woman.'

In a tweet, Mrs Braverman said: 'Yesterday I chaired a roundtable with key policing partners & women's rights campaigners to discuss women's confidence in policing, police impartiality & the role of single-sex spaces. It was a valuable meeting with numerous recommendations for consideration.'

Feminists holding gender-critical views are sometimes branded TERFS - meaning 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist'.

It follows a row earlier this year after trans rapist Isla Bryson sent to a women's prison in Scotland. She was later transferred to a men's jail following a major outcry

Convicted paedophile and rapist Karen White, who was born a man, molested female inmates in a three-month reign of terror at New Hall women's prison in West Yorkshire

Trans activist Sarah Jane Baker, 54, was recently cleared of encouraging assault after telling a crowd at a rally to 'punch a TERF'.

Baker, who served 30 years in jail for kidnap and attempted murder, made the comments at the London Trans+ Pride march on July 8.

A recording played of the march shows the activist shouting into microphone: 'I was gonna come here and be really fluffy and be really nice and say be really lovely and queer and gay, nah if you see a TERF, punch them in the f****** face'.

Baker was first jailed in 1989, aged 19, for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother.

She was later given a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate while in prison - of which she served 30 years before her release in 2019, making her the UK's longest serving trans prisoner.

Trans activist Sarah Jane Baker, 54, was filmed calling for supporters to 'punch' gender-critical feminists

Baker, who served 30 years in jail for kidnap and attempted murder, made the comments at the London Trans+ Pride march on July 8. She was recalled to jail after being charged

After appearing at the central London rally last month, Baker was reported to police and arrested at her home and taken to Charing Cross Police Station on July 12.

The defendant denied intentionally encouraging the commission of an offence, namely assault by beating. Baker accepted she said the words but denied intent and said she was entitled to freedom of expression.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram found Baker, of Richmond, not guilty and the public gallery applauded.

He said he was not sure that when she said those words she intended for them to be carried out.

He added: 'I think it's also possible you're just, as you say, an idiot who was trying to get attention to your cause, that you didn't intend for people to do it, but you said it because you wanted the publicity.'

Heather Binning, founder of Women's Rights Network today told MailOnline: 'Women are being failed at every level. We are subjected to harassment and abuse for stating facts.

'Police stand by while men incite violence against women yet women are being questioned for alleged non-crime hate incidents for refusing to call a man a woman.'
Early footage showed roofs ripped from buildings and devastating torrential storm damage through the region

The storm's dramatic escalation left residents little time to evacuate as it's expected to bring catastrophic damage to the area

The tropical Mexican city of Acapulco woke up Wednesday to find the metro ripped apart by an 'unimaginable' Category 5 hurricane, where roofs were ripped from buildings and cars were submerged by torrential floodwaters.

Hurricane Otis brought 165mph winds and heavy rain to Acapulco and surrounding towns overnight, registering as the strongest storm to ever make landfall along the North American Pacific coast.

The storm sparked fears among meteorologists after morphing from a tropical storm into a massive typhoon in just 12 hours, with the sudden escalation seemingly catching many off guard in the vacation hotspot.

No deaths have been reported as of Wednesday afternoon, however striking images revealed widespread destruction across the Guererro State, a coastline territory marked by cartel activity.

Otis is not projected to impact the United States, with the hurricane downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 1 storm before midday and expected to dissipate overnight Wednesday.

Footage taken by locals and posted on social media shows the roads filled with water, strewn with debris and the cladding ripped from apartment buildings

Trees were ripped from their roots and structures suffered heavy damage after the hurricane made landfall at around 1am on Wednesday

 Slide me  Stunning before and after images reveal the impact Hurricane Ortiz had on the Mall Galerias Diana, ripping its roof and exterior cladding from the building with water levels submerging the lower level

The aftermath of the storm in in Acapulco has seen catastrophic damage to an area home to more than one million people.

'It was really terrifying', David Hall, who visited the devastated city for a mining convention, told The New York Times. 'The wind was really, really fast.'

Hall said the hotel he was staying in swayed so much it felt like a 'small earthquake', adding: 'It's a very apocalyptic picture here.'

Otis is the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the East Pacific, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) saying there are 'no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico.'

The hurricane weakened to a Category 4 as it spread across Guerrero's steep mountains. But the five to 10 inches of rain forecast, with as much as 20 inches possible in some areas, raised the threat of landslides and floods.

The storm's landfall was described as a 'nightmare scenario' for Acapulco by the NHC, although the weather front is set to weaken as it moves north and northwest through mainland Mexico.

A storm is considered by meteorologists to 'rapidly intensify' if it increases wind speed by 35 miles per hour in 24 hours. In Hurricane Otis' case, the storm went from 50mph to more than 120mph in 24 hours.

Early Wednesday the NHC said the storm retained maximum sustained wind speeds of 110mph, which may grow even stronger in higher altitude metros further inland.

After the hurricane hit overnight, early images from Wednesday showed widespread devastation throughout Acapulco, Mexico

Dramatic photographs shared by Norma Martinez, the mayor of Chilpancingo, saw firefighters wading through highwaters around destroyed buildings

Significant damage was seen on buildings after the hurricane swept through on Tuesday evening

Up to 20 inches of rain is forecast to fall through Thursday, which the NCH warns will 'produce flash and urban flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain.'

The forecasting center added that life-threatening storm surges and 'dangerous waves' will continue along the southern Mexico coastline through the day.

Reports indicate people may be trapped in hotels and makeshift shelters, while staff in one washed out resort were seen desperately sweeping water out of the lobby and harrying to clear loose items as the destruction began.

Although the full extent of the damage will only become apparent later, images shared to social media showed numerous buildings destroyed by the storm.

Dramatic before and after images of the Mall Galerias Diana showed its roof and cladding ripped off, while water submerged the lower level of the mall.

A terrifying video from the Mundo Imperial Hotel in Acapulco saw trees swaying as the storm began to lash the area, leaving tourists stranded in their rooms.

A hospital in the city also appeared to be severely damaged, as footage saw windows breaking and high winds blowing through the ward amid panic-stricken patients.

Dramatic photographs shared by Norma Martinez, the mayor of Chilpancingo, saw firefighters wading through highwaters around destroyed buildings.

An image purported to be taken inside a destroyed hospital, showing hospital beds and medical items strewn across the building

The storm was described by the NHC as a 'nightmare scenario' for Acapulco, Mexico, as blistering winds and torrential rainfall hammered the region overnight

Many were caught off guard by the hurricane, with footage shared to social media showing staff in one affected resort frantically sweeping away water and scattered items when the storm began to take hold

@weatherchannel Its a forecasters worst nightmare  a tropical cyclone rapidly intensifies at an explosive rate just hours before landfall, despite model forecasting suggesting little intensification at all. Thats exactly what happened Tuesday as Otis strengthened from a 70 mph tropical storm to a 165 mph Category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours. It left Acapulco, Mexico, and its 1 million residents with almost no time to prepare for a worst-case scenario. As of late Wednesday morning, very few reports have emerged about how the city fared or how many casualties there are, which is normal for the hours following a Category 5 strike. But the few videos that have been shared on social media reveal structural damage and serious flooding. Be sure to download The Weather Channel app as we update you all day on the latest as we get more information. #Otis #HurricaneOtis #hurricane #weather #weathertok #news #fyp #foryou  Breaking News Background Music (Basic A)(1001538) - LEOPARD

As Otis began hammering Acapulco overnight, early dramatic footage showed palm trees violently swinging from side to side while roofs were ripped from their structures.

'We're on maximum alert,' Acapulco Mayor Abelina Lopez said Tuesday night as she urged residents to hunker down at home or move to the city's shelters.

Lopez's office shared a list of 25 shelters for stranded residents to head to on Facebook, as she warned: 'If your house is safe, don't go out at all.'

In a Wednesday morning news conference, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopes Obrador said Otis 'hit Guerrero very hard, very hard', and said communications to the coastline territory 'have been completely lost.'

Hours after the hurricane barreled through the region, internet monitor NetBlocks showed that almost all power has been wiped out across the Guerrero State.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the nation's Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) said it had restored power to around 40 percent of affected residents.

'Rarely has a hurricane developed so quickly and with such force,' Obrador added, noting that his administration did not immediately have information about deaths caused by the weather front.

People pictured being helped crossing a highway blocked by a landslide triggered by Hurricane Otis near Acapulco

Widespread devastation has been seen across the Guerrero State of Mexico, however early on Wednesday officials said the true extent of the damage remained to be seen

Structures across the affected areas have been ripped apart by the hurricane, which made landfall at a staggering 165mph

Footage shared to social media showed the 16th floor in the Hotsson Hotel in Acapulco, Mexico ripped apart by the storm

This satellite image provided by NOAA on Tuesday shows Hurricane Otis approaching Mexico's Pacific coast near Acapulco

Obrador said he was considering travelling to the affected areas on Wednesday, and said armed forces were already on their way to the Guerrero State to aid recovery efforts.

The governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado Pineda, acknowledged the loss off communication from the devastated region in these early stages, and said authorities were working to reestablish phone lines 'as soon as possible.'

Guerrero is one of Mexico's most impoverished and violent states. Just Monday, a local police chief and 12 police officers were massacred and found on a highway in El Papayo, which is in the Guerrero township of Coyuca de Benitez not far from Otis' impact zone.

Fueled by warmer oceans, Atlantic hurricanes are now more than twice as likely as before to rapidly intensify from minor hurricanes to catastrophic, according to a study by climate scientist Andra Garner at Rowan University.

In 2020, six storms rapidly intensified, setting the current record.

Meteorologist Brian McNoldy, a researcher with the University of Miami, said that the storm was able to escalate so dramatically as it 'took full advantage of a warm patch of ocean' that registered at almost 90F.

An eye-catching graphic shared by hurricane researcher Dr Kim Wood, of the University of Arizona, showing the 'explosive intensification' of the eye of the hurricane.

Hurricane #Otis made landfall **overnight** near Acapulco, Mexico, after a 24-hour period of explosive intensification from tropical storm (55 kt) to category 5 (145 kt) intensity. https://t.co/tu4DrxfpUE pic.twitter.com/GB49c6pquW  Dr. Kim Wood (@DrKimWood) October 25, 2023

Otis could be more devastating than Hurricane Pauline that hit Acapulco in 1997, destroying swaths of the city and killing hundreds, Lopez said. Hundreds of others were injured in flooding and mudslides.

Between the internationally known resorts of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo are two dozen small towns and villages perched between the mountains and the ocean.

Otis' arrival came just days after Hurricane Norma struck the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula to the north.

Acapulco is a city of more than 1 million people at the foot of steep mountains. Luxury homes and slums alike cover the citys hillsides with views of the glistening Pacific.

In the Atlantic, Hurricane Tammy continued moving northeastward over open water with winds of 85 mph (140 kph) after sweeping through the Lesser Antilles over the weekend.

Tammy was located about 570 miles (915 kilometers) south-southeast of Bermuda. The storm was expected to become a powerful extratropical cyclone by Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
German rescue teams today called off their search for four sailors who went missing after their British cargo ship collided with another bulk carrier and sunk in the North Sea near Germany.

A desperate rescue mission was launched after the British-flagged cargo ship Verity collided with the much larger Polesei yesterday morning about 14 miles south-west of the German island of Helgoland, with the impact of the collision causing the vessel to capsize and sink.

The Bahamas-flagged Polesei, which remained afloat with 22 people on board after the accident, joined in the frantic search for the Verity's crew members but one man was found dead and four more sailors remain missing.

But the search for any survivors was abandoned today after the rescue mission, which involved several ships and aircraft scouring the North Sea amid 10ft waves and heavy fog, proved fruitless yesterday.

After rescuers said it was possible that the four missing crew members were trapped inside the ship's hull, divers were sent down to the depth of the sea to desperately search for signs of life. But they were unable to find anything.

Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said the entire sea area where the missing sailors might be was searched again last night without any results, and rescuers stopped the search overnight.

The emergency command said the search for the crew members will not be resumed today, shattering any hopes of finding survivors.

After joining in the search for the crew members, the Polesei was later able to dock in the port of Cuxhaven, north Germany, at 4am this morning under its own steam with pictures showing the scale of the damage dealt to the 645ft cargo ship as it sat in the dock.

The damaged hull of a tanker that collided with a British cargo ship that later sank in the North Sea near Germany has been pictured for the first time

The Polesei was later able to dock in the port of Cuxhaven, north Germany, at 4am this morning under its own steam with pictures showing the scale of the damage dealt to the 645ft cargo ship as it sat in the dock

The collision left two crater-sized holes and large scrapes along the left hand side of the Polesei's hull, while for the Verity, which was carrying steel from Bremen in Germany to the British port of Immingham, the damage was insurmountable

British-flagged vessel Verity (file image) collided with another cargo ship Polesie at around 5am on Tuesday morning about 14 miles southwest of the island of Helgoland, Germany 's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said

The collision left two crater-sized holes and large scrapes along the left-hand side of the Polesei's hull, while for the Verity, which was carrying steel from Bremen in Germany to the British port of Immingham, the damage was insurmountable.

Rescuers recovered the body of a man yesterday while two more crew members were pulled from the water alive and taken to hospital. But there is still no sign of the four missing crew members.

Their rescue efforts in the 15C North Sea were hampered by 30mph winds, 10ft waves and poor visibility due to fog.

'The conditions on the spot are extremely difficult,' Robby Renner, the head of the emergency command, said yesterday. 'Because of the weather and visibility under water, it's incredibly difficult to conduct such an operation.'

The Bahamas-flagged Polesie, which had left Hamburg for La Coruna in Spain, remained afloat after the collision and began helping in the rescue mission and 'took on board one of the crew members of the Verity ship, a Filipino sailor', Krzysztof Gogol, a spokesman for the ship's owner Polsteam said.

Gogal said the Polesei's crew members were in 'good physical condition' but it later emerged the sailors were receiving psychological support following the collision.

The Polesei has now docked in the port of Cuxhaven, with images showing the scale of the damage to the ship's hull.

Two rescue cruisers, an emergency tug, a pilot boat, a police patrol boat and a helicopter were helping with the search yesterday (pictured) but they have now stopped their search of the water's surface

The P&O cruise ship Iona, which left Southampton three days ago for Hamburg, Rotterdam and Bruges in Belgium, was among vessels that joined in the search for survivors. It has now left the scene. Pictures show a spotlight aimed at the water as the search operation got underway before dawn

A view from the P&O cruise ship Iona shows the rescue operation underway with several vessels at the scene yesterday

The P&O Cruises ship Iona, which left Southampton four days ago for Hamburg, Rotterdam and Bruges in Belgium, had joined in the search yesterday morning but has since moved on from the scene to carry on with its journey, a spokesperson said.

Two rescue cruisers, an emergency tug, a pilot boat, a police patrol boat and helicopters had also been helping with the search - but this search of the surface was stopped last night and will not be resumed this morning, raising fears that the four missing sailors will not be found alive.

The owner of Verity, Faversham Ships Ltd, is based on the Isle of Wight and said it had no comment on the situation.

In 2017, another cargo ship called The Islay Trade, which was owned and managed by Faversham Ships, ran aground near Margate Harbour.

The cargo ship's chief officer 'became uncertain of the vessel's position and overwhelmed', according to a Maritime Accident Investigation Branch report seen by The Times.

The P&O Cruises ship Iona, which can hold 5,200 holidaymakers and 1,800 crew, yesterday joined several vessels in the search for Verity, including sea rescue cruisers 'Hermann Marwede' and 'Bernhard Gruben'.

Passengers on board Iona told MailOnline they were awoken at 5.30am to an emergency announcement from the captain about the accident, with one saying everyone 'was in a state of panic'.

In footage obtained from Iona this morning, passengers were told that their cruiser was involved in the search for 'people in the water'.

Video captured the dramatic moment P&O passengers are told that their cruiser is joining the desperate search for 'people in the water'

Search lights scanning the water near to where the British cargo ship Verity sank after colliding with another vessel yesterday

An image from Marine Traffic shows the two cargo ships getting perilously close to each other before colliding yesterday morning

'We're looking for persons in the water from another vessel that has been involved in an incident earlier this morning,' they are told over a Tannoy. 'Our ship's company are fully prepared and are standing by to assist with this operation.'

One passenger, who wishes to be identified only as Mr Johnson, said he saw the P&O cruise ship searching the water with spotlights this morning after hearing the announcement.

'Everyone was very petrified and scared. Everyone was in a state of panic,' Mr Johnson told MailOnline.

'It was very dark, we had search beams from all angles of the cruise ship hunting. There were chilling noises and announcements as everyone was trying to find out what was happening.'

He added: 'We are on holiday but this is a very tragic situation. We cannot comprehend how the people involved in the collision must be feeling along with the family of the people who remain missing or have lost their lives.

'You never know what's going to happen in the world, we just all hope that the outcome does not become more tragic.'

A P&O Cruises spokesperson later told MailOnline: 'Iona has now been released from the scene by the coastguard and is en route to Rotterdam as scheduled.'

Collisions were the second-biggest cause of incidents involving cargo ships on the world's oceans in 2022, according to insurer Allianz.

However, collisions rarely result in the loss of a boat. Around 38 cargo ships were critically damaged last year, of which only four were due to collisions.
A social worker whose drunken behaviour on a Jet2 flight to Turkey was so appalling the pilot was forced to call an emergency landing has been pictured.

During a flight to Antalya on September 6 last year, Heather Anne McCarroll punched cabin crew, screamed down the intercom and smashed the plane's toilet in a drunken rampage.

Yesterday at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, the 38-year-old was handed a four-month jail sentence. But she was not immediately detained as District Judge Nigel Broderick granted the mother-of-two bail, pending an appeal of her sentence likely to be heard next month.

At an earlier hearing McCarroll, from Cullybackey, Co Antrim, entered guilty pleas to four charges of common assault, a single offence of criminal damage, being drunk on a plane, endangering the safety of an aircraft, and behaving in a threatening, abusive or disorderly manner towards cabin crew.

Judge Broderick told her he was minded to impose a deterrent sentence because 'there are too many of these incidents'.

Highlighting that he had dealt with numerous similar cases as Belfast International Airport falls within the jurisdiction of his court, DJ Broderick told McCarroll: 'I have to say, this is possibly the worst form of behaviour that I have come across.'

During the flight to Antalya on September 6 last year, social worker Heather Anne McCarroll (pictured) screamed down the intercom and smashed the plane's toilet in a drunken rampage

McCarroll's behaviour on a Jet2 flight to Turkey was so appalling the pilot was forced to call an emergency to 'land as soon as possible'

District Judge Nigel Broderick highlighted that he had dealt with numerous similar cases as Belfast International Airport falls within the jurisdiction of his court

'It is not unfortunately uncommon for passengers to take excessive amounts of alcohol and to then be disruptive on a flight but this behaviour takes it to a whole new level,' declared the judge.

On Tuesday, a prosecuting lawyer outlined how police were contacted by Jet2 staff four days after the incident and told police how passenger sitting at 32D - who was identified as McCarroll - began shouting and swearing at cabin crew and calling the cabin manager a 'big lesbian b******'.

Despite not being served further alcohol, McCarroll was seen drinking more booze and she was again abusive to the cabin manager, calling her a 'f****** s**t and w***e b******,' said the lawyer, adding that she had also been 'openly using a vape'.

At one stage, McCarroll went to the toilet and while she was inside the cubicle, she could be heard 'shouting sexual obscenities and kicking the door'.

She left the toilet in such a state that when she came out, 'it was deemed necessary to close it for the rest of the flight'.

Meanwhile McCarroll went to the front of the plane where she got hold of the intercom and was 'screaming down it loudly' to such an extent that the captain had to switch it off so that he could hear incoming transmissions from air traffic control.

The lawyer described how McCarroll 'punched a crew member to the throat' and then went to the galley area at the rear of the plane where she assaulted two other members of the cabin crew, kicking and punching one in the forehead, stomach and leg and the other also in the leg.

During the flight McCarroll (pictured) went to the toilet and while she was inside the cubicle, she could be heard 'shouting sexual obscenities and kicking the door'

District Judge Broderick told McCarroll (pictured) he was minded to impose a deterrent sentence because 'there are too many of these incidents'

At an earlier hearing McCarroll (pictured), from Cullybackey, Co Antrim, entered guilty pleas to four charges of common assault, a single offence of criminal damage, being drunk on a plane, endangering the safety of an aircraft, and behaving in a threatening, abusive or disorderly manner towards cabin crew

'The cabin crew alerted the captain and the flight deck and he declared an emergency to try to land the aircraft as soon as possible,' the court heard and the lawyer revealed his desperate staff 'put out a call for assistance for any off duty police officer' to help restrain the defendant.

Two off duty officers came forward and they held McCarroll in the back row of seats which had to be cleared because of her but 'she continued to struggle' and she assaulted a Good Samaritan who volunteered to help restrain her.

'On arrival in Turkey the staff did attempt to have Turkish police deal with the matter but there were reportedly language difficulties between the crew and the Turkish authorities so they declined to deal with it,' the lawyer told the court.

McCarroll was interviewed by the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) where she admitted being intoxicated but claimed she remembered little of the incident due to the alcohol and two diazepam she had taken as 'she's a nervous flyer'.

'She did express some remorse for what little she could remember,' said the prosecutor, concluding that McCarroll had also assaulted other people 'but they did not provide statements.'

On Tuesday, a prosecuting lawyer outlined how police were contacted by Jet2 staff four days after the incident which occurred on a flight to Antalya in Turkey. Pictured: Stock image of a Jet2 flight

On arrival in Turkey the staff did attempt to have Turkish police deal with the matter but there were reportedly language difficulties between the crew and the Turkish authorities. Pictured: Stock image of Turkish Police

Antrim Magistrates Court (pictured), sitting in Ballymena, heard that if it wasn't for the language difficulties McCarroll would have faced justice in a Turkish court

At the very outset of his impassioned plea in mitigation defence counsel Aaron Thompson conceded that 'it's an exceptionally serious matter' to such an extent that the judge 'and the public interest may well be leading to deterrent sentencing'.

As with every case however, he explained there was a background to it, in that at the time McCarroll was involved in a controlling and coercive relationship with her ex-partner.

He was due to fly with her but due to his behaviour, he was not allowed to board the plane - and before he left the airport, he took McCarroll's diabetes medicines and blood testing kit.

Mr Thompson revealed that McCarroll has to an extent 'already faced punishment' in that she is currently suspended from her job as a social worker 'and faces losing that employment'.

The court heard how McCarroll 'punched a crew member to the throat'. Pictured: Stock image of a plane's interior

At one stage, McCarroll went to the toilet and while she was inside the cubicle, she could be heard 'shouting sexual obscenities and kicking the door'

McCarroll also went to the front of the plane where she got hold of the intercom and was 'screaming down it loudly' to such an extent that the captain had to switch it off

Highlighting that McCarroll's case has received a lot of attention on media and social media, he said she is 'totally and utterly ashamed by this and is mortified by her behaviour'.

'Her behaviour in that aircraft was appalling, abhorrent and intolerable, she doesn't hide from that,' said Mr Thompson, but he pleaded with the judge not to jail her given the background of what happened at the airport and the alleged domestic abuse she was subjected to.

Praising the defence for the 'eloquent and measured plea,' DJ Broderick said while he accepted the background and personal mitigation, 'clearly my view is that alcohol was a major factor and that can never be a defence'.

'I have read the detailed reports and I have reflected carefully on all that has been said,' the judge told McCarroll. 'There are too many of these incidents, largely fuelled by alcohol but sometimes by the abuse of drugs but that's no comfort to the cabin crew who have to deal with people or the passengers who have to put up with this behaviour.'

In addition to the four-month jail sentence, McCaroll was handed fines amounting to 300.

As McCarroll was being taken to the cells however, Mr Thompson asked for her to be freed on bail pending appeal and the judge allowed her to 'go straight' to the bail office and sign bail.

Her appeal is likely to be heard early next month.
Three teenagers arrested after allegedly chanting 'Free Palestine' and 'Allahu Akbar' while trying to set fire to a Union flag have been released on bail.

The youths, two aged 18 and a 17-year-old, were held at the scene in Twickenham on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and inciting racial hatred, the Metropolitan Police said.

Police were called just after 6pm on Monday on Church Street in Twickenham, London following reports that the group were trying to remove and set fire to the flags outside The Fox pub.

A bartender who works on the quaint pedestrianised London street, who asked not to be named, relayed the incident as it was described to her by a regular pub-goer, who allegedly intervened.

She said that during the incident the have-a-go hero chased one of the group and heard them saying 'Allahu Akbar'.

The alleged incident took place outside the Fox pub in Twickenham (Church Street pictured)

Police were called just after 6pm on Monday on Church Street, in Twickenham

The bartender said: 'It was one of our regulars that was in the middle of it. He caught one of the guys.'

A man from Snax Coffee Shop reportedly told her someone stole the flag from near his shop, which is at the top of Church Street near the main road and a few feet from The Fox Pub.

The bartender explained: 'All I've heard is that the boy from Snax said somebody took the flag around there [towards the Fox Pub] and started burning it. Then he ran up to [the regular], who says he chased the guy. There was four of them, three have been caught and one is on the loose. [The regular], apparently he heard them say Allahu Akbar.

'This is such a nice place, it seems to be getting worse. It used to be quite safe.'

Large flags stick out from all of the boutique shops and food stops along the idyllic pedestrianised street. As of last week, the majority have been switched to black and orange pumpkins for Halloween.

The Fox Pub confirmed two 'British flags' were stolen from outside its building.

A waiter at Naz Balti, an Indian restaurant immediately opposite The Fox, said the pub used to have two Union flags hanging outside. He pointed out that they had been severed from their stands, adding the alleged flag burning would be a 'big offence.'

The Met said that a 17-year-old and two 18-year-olds were arrested at the scene

Atin Miah, who has lived in Twickenham since 1973, said: 'This area, as far as we know, we have never had a problem. I've never seen a problem. It's one of the best streets in Middlesex, people are so nice.

'I came in today, I heard from one of my colleagues, something happened yesterday. What are they doing? It's bad, seriously. If I had a customer in here, if someone just got into the restaurant, how would we feel?

'They're stupid. What do they think is going to happen by taking the flags anyway? This is a big offence, because in Britain, along with other countries, it is really respected, that flag. That is important, not only for here, all over the world.'

A beautician, who works at a parlour and wanted to remain anonymous, said: 'I know I left here about 7.15pm, there were a few policemen. I just saw the police afterwards, I was a little confused because there was no Union Jack flag [outside the pub], it's all Halloween flags.'

A spokesperson for the Fox said said they handed in footage of the incident to the cops.

They said: 'We are assisting police with their investigation following two British flags having been stolen from outside our premises. We would like to reassure our customers that safety of our customers is our number one priority and our CCTV has been handed over to the police.'

A Met Police spokeswoman said: 'At 6.09pm on Monday October 23 police were called to Church Street, Twickenham, following reports of a group trying to remove and set fire to Union flags.

'Two men, aged 18 and a 17-year-old boy, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and inciting racial hatred.

'It is alleged that the suspects made reference to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.'

She added: 'They were taken into custody and were later bailed to return on a date in mid-November pending further enquiries.'
Has YOUR university cancelled events because of the war in the Middle East?

Cambridge University's opera society is facing a backlash after it cancelled performances of Handel's Saul over the 'striking' parallels it has with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

In a statement, the student body said that the 18th Century concert piece will no longer be performed at Emmanuel College on Thursday and Friday 'due to the 'current sensitive political situation and unfortunate escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel'.

The opera composed by George Frideric Handel in 1738 documents the relationship between Saul, the first King of Israel, and his successor David.

Has YOUR university cancelled events because of the war in the Middle East? Email eirian.prosser@dailymail.co.uk

In one section of the classic tale, David kills Goliath from the Philistines - the people who lived in the modern day Gaza strip 3,000 years ago and inspired the name Palestine.

Criticising the society, Robert Tombs, professor emeritus of French history at Cambridge, said: 'Cancelling an 18th century work based on the Bible seems a rather extreme example of cancel culture, to put it mildly.' He added that the decision was 'very sad' but also 'barmy'.

Cambridge University's opera society has decided to cancel Handel's Saul over the 'striking parallels' it has with ongoing crisis in the Middle East

Cancelling the opera, president of the Cambridge University Opera Society Beth Norman said the decision was made due to the 'unfortunate escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel

Smoke rises over Gaza City yesterday following an Israeli airstrike as the war continues

President of the Cambridge University Opera Society Beth Norman said: 'It is with heavy heart that CUOS are announcing that due to the current sensitive political situation and unfortunate escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel, we have decided that the production of Handel's Saul will not go ahead.'

Max Mason, director of the show, added: 'Given the parallels of this conflict, the production team made the difficult decision to cancel Saul.

'We came to the unanimous conclusion that our production was not in the place to fully confront the issues that have striking synchronicity wit h the ongoing Middle East conflict.

'We began rehersals before news of Gaza emerged, but, now surmounting understanding of the full situation, we realise we cannot continue.'

Neither statement given by the opera's leaders mentioned Hamas - the proscribed terrorist organisation that launched an attack on Israel on October 7.

Also reacting to the cancellation, Professor David Albulafia, a historian at Gonville and Caius college, told the Telegraph that the Philistines were more likely to have been Mycenaean Greeks rather than modern Palestinians.

Max Mason, director of the opera, added that 'given the parallels to this conflict, the production made the difficult decision to cancel Saul'

It comes as a Cambridge Student Union debate calling for solidarity with Palestine was prematurely stopped over concerns its proposer risked 'inciting violence'

The President of Cambridge Student Union Fergus Kirman said he was 'shocked and astonished' at a motion tabled last night blaming the war between Israel and Hamas on 'decades of violent oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state

He told the paper he thought the opera were 'being over-cautious' while an unnamed English composer was said to have expressed 'puzzlement' at the decision.

It comes as a Cambridge Student Union debate calling for solidarity with Palestine was prematurely stopped by chair of the debate Benjamin Knight over concerns its proposer risked 'inciting violence'.

The Students Union President, Fergus Kirman last night said he was 'astonished and appalled' by the motion and has completely edited the wording, following a mammoth backlash from Jewish students.

The motion, heard on Monday, blamed the war between Israel and Hamas on 'decades of violent oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state'.

It added: 'The Student Union resolves itself [...] to condemn the British government's support for the Israeli state and the distortions of the mainstream media in Britain in its coverage of this conflict.'

The motion concluded: 'Only a mass uprising on both sides of the green line and across the Middle East can free the Palestinian people.'

When asked to define a 'mass uprising' by a student who attended the debate, proposer of the motion, Anais Austen Stanley said: 'think back to the First Intifada'.

A statement published yesterday by the Union of Jewish students urged Cambridge Students Union to dismiss the motion and issue a public apology to Jewish students at Cambridge.
The state of the near-destroyed Gaza Strip 'makes Hell look like a tea party', a top humanitarian doctor has claimed.

Dr. Mads Gilbert, from the Norwegian Aid Committee, said that his medical colleagues have painted a 'horrific scene' of what the Gaza Strip currently looks like following nearly three straight weeks of Israeli airstrikes.

'Imagine a hospital with 5,000 to 15,000 civilian refugees, overcrowded with patients needing surgical care, and then the lights are going out. I think you can imagine how difficult that is,' he told the BBC.

He placed blame for the injuries suffered by thousands of Gazan civilians at the IDF's feet.

Dr. Gilbert said that the stress of constant Israeli bombing has forced several pregnant women to prematurely give birth.

'It makes Dante's Inferno look like a tea party,' he said.

Dr. Mads Gilbert said Israel's military was to blame for the severe injuries suffered by Palestinian civilians

Overnight, Palestine's health ministry reported that 700 people died in Israeli attacks

Israel has hit Gazan homes, schools, hospitals and mosques, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council

The constant barrage of missiles from Israel's military have hit homes, schools, hospitals and mosques, displacing more than one million Gazans, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Overnight, Hamas claimed that 80 people were killed in Israeli strikes.

Dr. Gilbert's warning comes as the UN has warned that it will be forced to shut down its humanitarian aid operations in Gaza due to a lack of fuel and power supplies.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said last night: 'If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip.'

In response, Israel's military mocked the humanitarian agency, sharing a purported picture of fuel tanks inside the Gaza Strip in a post on X, formerly Twitter, and adding: 'They contain more tan 500,000 litres of fuel. Ask Hamas if you can have some.'

Last night's Gaza death toll was the highest suffered in the bloodiest conflict between Israel and Hamas in decades

Israel has been constantly bombing Gaza for nearly three weeks

The UNRWA said: 'If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip'

READ MORE: Horrific details of Hamas massacre emerge as rescue worker recounts how entire families were slaughtered Advertisement

Israel also called for the UN's top official, secretary general Antonio Guterres, to resign after he said that the bombardment and refusal to allow aid trucks in was tantamount to the 'collective punishment of the Palestinian people.'

'To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer and facilitate the release of hostages. I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,' he added.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign immediately: 'His comments  constitute a justification for terrorism and murder. It's sad that a person with such views is the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust.'

Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, cancelled a planned meeting with the top UN official following the diplomatic row.

The UN already warned on Sunday that its humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, the tiny 141-square-mile enclave that was home to more than two million before war broke out, would cease within days.

The agency's director general Philippe Lazzarini said on Sunday: 'Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries. Without fuel, aid will not reach those in desperate need. Without fuel, there will be no humanitarian assistance.

UN's top official, secretary general Antonio Guterres, called on Israel to make the delivery of aid easier

Israel has cut supplies to Gaza since war broke out between itself and Hamas, and has only allowed limited aid to flow into the the Strip

Gaza's citizens are in a dire situation, with no way to support themselves and little aid coming in

'Without fuel, we will fail the people of Gaza whose needs are growing by the hour, under our watch. This cannot and should not happen.'

Currently, Israel controls around 90% of Gaza's land and sea borders, and provides the Strip with much of its infrastructure, including electricity and water. Egypt controls Gaza's southern border, and supports Israel's blockade, seeing Hamas as a threat to its own safety and stability.

Israel has cut supplies to Gaza since war broke out between itself and Hamas, and has only allowed limited aid to flow into the the Strip.

As a result, food, clean water, medicine, electricity and fuel are in short supply in the small strip of land, leaving the remaining citizens in a dire situation.

Several UN agencies have begged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza.

'We are on our knees asking for sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operations,' WHO's Emergencies Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region Dr. Rick Brennan said.

A spokesperson for the UNRWA said that before war broke out between Hamas and Israel, 500 aid trucks would enter the strip every day, with at least 45 of them carrying fuel.

Gaza's two main sources of electricity, Israeli power lines and the Gaza power plant, have stopped functioning. Israel cut off Gaza's electricity immediately after the Hamas attack on October 7, while the power plant stopped working after its fuel ran out.

More than one million Gazans have been displaced, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council

Thousands of civilians have died as a result of bombing in Gaza

Medics and aid groups have warned that hospitals, treating the thousands of people critically injured by Israeli airstrikes

Palestine's Civil Defence agency said that its workers are unable to find the huge number of people trapped under the rubble of their homes

Gaza's citizens have been forced to rely on small generators, fuel for which is rapidly diminishing due to the lack of outside supplies.

Medics and aid groups have warned that hospitals, treating the thousands of people critically injured by Israeli airstrikes, are on the brink of running out of power.

The lack of electricity has also hampered search and rescue efforts. Palestine's Civil Defence agency said that its workers are unable to find the huge number of people trapped under the rubble of their homes, destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, without consistent power.

Even before the latest blockade, Israel enforced a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip, imposing severe restrictions on imports and exports as well as controlling who gets to go in and out of the 141 square mile region.

Before war broke out, the World Food programme estimated that over 60% of Gaza's residents faced food insecurity, a problem that has only grown since October 7 when Israel cut off supplies.

Palestine's food imports grew sharply over the past decade, according to World Bank figures, while the amount of food produced fell.

Gaza's fishing industry, which used to make up a significant part of the economy, has been restricted to just 6 miles of the Mediterranean Sea, with Israel's navy blocking it to prevent weapons being smuggled into the region.

90% of Gaza's fresh water supply was undrinkable before Israel cut the region off, according to Palestine's water authority.
Tesco is launching its own range of fresh baguettes, which will be cheaper than those served by rival chain Pret A Manger.

The supermarket chain will introduce a new baguette selection at 170 stores across the UK as part of its 'premium' meal deal.

Customers can choose from five different filling options - mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto; chicken and Beechwood bacon caesar; tuna, mayo and cucumber; Wiltshire ham, cheddar and Dijon mustard; and free range egg mayonnaise and rocket.

The sandwiches will be available for 5 to shoppers with a Tesco Clubcard, costing 5.50 if they do not have the discount card, as part of Tesco's more expensive meal deal offering, which includes a snack and a drink.

Tesco Brand Manager, Violaine Barthe, said: 'We know our customers like the occasional lunch-time treat and our new range of baguettes with 5 delicious fillings give them the perfect excuse to do so.

Tesco will introduce a new baguette selection at 170 stores across the UK as part of its 'premium' meal deal. Pictured: the exterior of a Tesco store (File image)

Customers can choose from five different filling options (from left to right): free range egg mayonnaise and rocket; Wiltshire ham, cheddar and Dijon mustard, mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto; chicken and Beechwood bacon caesar; tuna, mayo and cucumber.

Tesco's baguette offerings come as furious Pret A Manger fans have criticised the sandwich chain for charging 7.15 for a baguette - with the price almost doubling if diners opt to add crisps and a smoothie. Pictured: A Pret store in Windsor, Berkshire (File image)

'And with a main, snack and drink in our Premium meal deal costing just 5 for Clubcard members, treating yourself at lunchtime doesn't have to break the bank.'

It comes as furious Pret A Manger fans have criticised the sandwich chain for charging 7.15 for a baguette - with the price almost doubling if diners opt to add crisps and a smoothie.

Customers reacted with dismay on social media as the eye-watering 'dine in' price for the chain's 'posh' cheese and pickle sandwich was photographed at the chain's branch in High Street Kensington tube station.

To eat it in store, the chain then levies a 1.20 VAT charge on the sandwich - taking its price up to 7.15, and the total deal to 13.90.

The price of the sub falls by more than 20 per cent to 5.72, including VAT, for those signed up to the 30-a-month Club Pret membership who want to eat in.

The baguette costs 5.95 at transport hub stations to take away - and, when coupled with a 1.75 bag of crisps and a 5 green smoothie for a fully rounded lunch, costs 12.70.

A Pret spokesman said: 'Prices of our products are typically higher at train stations or transport hubs, due to higher operational costs, and like all food-to-go retailers, dine in prices are subject to 20 per cent VAT, as is the case with the price quoted here for our Posh Cheddar Baguette.

'The vast majority (87 per cent) of our sales in the UK are for takeaway, so most customers are not subject to the additional 20 per cent VAT.

'Like all businesses, we are facing intense cost pressures, which we are trying to absorb as much as possible. We continue to offer great value for high-quality, freshly made food and organic coffees, alongside a dedicated value range of sandwiches, Made Simple.

'We also recently doubled the Club Pret discount to help customers save even more, so subscribers now enjoy 20 per cent off everything in shop and up to five barista prepared drinks per day for 30 per month.'
A rapper who was bashed, doused in petrol and set on fire by two thugs saw the skin hanging from his 'melted' arm after somehow stumbling into a McDonald's for help.

Taison Brockbank, 23, says he still have vivid flashbacks and nightmares about the horrific attack just before dawn on a street in the NSW central coast city of Newcastle on September 28.

In the apparently random incident Mr Brockbank, whose stage name is M3LLO, was allegedly assaulted by two men who poured petrol on their victim and set it alight causing burns to 46 per cent of his body.

After somehow staggering around 200metres to a King Street McDonald's he was rushed to John Hunter Hospital and then airlifted to Royal Northshore Hospital, where he was put into an induced coma.

He said after being set alight he dropped and rolled to put out the flames but realised he urgently needed help.

Rapper Taison Brockbank, 23, suffered burns to 46 per cent of his body in an alleged attack

READ MORE: Toowoomba fire: Two women charged after man allegedly set on fire outside Harristown pub Advertisement

Mr Brockbank credits adrenaline for enabling him to reach the fast food outlet.

'When I got to Maccas all I remember is really getting to the door, opening the door and then just screaming out for help,' he told Sydney tabloid The Daily Telegraph.

Basically I had skin hanging off my arm, I remember looking at my arm and I was basically melted. And my hand was fully de-gloved.

And then I was going in and out of consciousness. All I remember is someone going through my wallet to get my ID when they called the ambulance, and someone was pouring water on me constantly, and then I was just in and out of blackouts, and then everything was black until I woke up at the hospital.

Two men have been charged over the alleged attack.

In the weeks since being hospitalised he has endured five operations and major skin grafts and has agonising physiotherapy sessions multiple times every day.

The left side of his body was most badly damaged and he has needed skin grafts to arms and legs, while also suffering other head, body and leg injuries.

He has to wear a pressure suit to reduce scarring and he might need to do that for years.

Mr Brockbank, whose stage name is M3LLO, says he is racing the clock to get better from his horrific injuries

His best mate Bryson Woodhouse has created a GoFundMe page to help pay for expenses.

'Although, he is slowly recovering and handling it a lot better then most would, he remains in hospital and may be there for up to another month, or possibly longer, depending on how many more surgeries he requires & how quickly his body heals,' Mr Woodhouse wrote.

'Due to him being in hospital, he has lost his ability to work and its been a financial struggle for him to maintain his financial obligations, ie rent, ongoing bills etc.'

By Wednesday evening the page had raised more than $2500 of it $5000 target.

Mr Brockbank said he was determined to heal and get home to see his dog, that has been taken in by his sister in the meanwhile.

He said his healing was a 'race against the clock' because his skin was contracting, which means scars become permanent, thicker and coarser creating a serious complication.

Kym Bullpit, Mr Brockbank's mother, said the family had feared they would lose him.

'Hes proven against all odds with youth and health on his side that its possible to make a comeback,' she said.

I believe its his strength, determination and positive attitude that has allowed him to come so far so quickly. Also the prayers, love and positive energy being sent his way.'
Countdown star Rachel Riley says the amount of hatred she has witnessed for British Jews since the attack on Israel has left her 'shaking with fear'.

The 37-year-old Jewish star, who has had long running battles with the Corbynite wing of the Labour party over antisemitism, told how the events of recent weeks have left her frequently in tears - and she has witnessed a torrent of abuse and misinformation.

But she said the positive support in contrast had been 'heartening' - including the 50,000 British people who signed their name to an 'October Declaration' speaking out against antisemitism and the need to call out Hamas as 'terrorists'.

Rachel told MailOnline: 'Sometimes I go online and I'm terrified by this huge overwhelming amount of people who seem to be baying for blood.

'For me and my Jewish friends, the pain and the stress are something we are all struggling with.

'We are crying when we wake up, we are struggling to sleep and the images of carnage are hard to get out of your head.

'People are scared, they are hiding themselves, antisemitic attacks have gone up by more than 1,000 per cent in London. The last global survey found there were 1.09billion people in the world who hold antisemitic views - so for every Jew on the planet there are 70 people who hate them. This is the scale we are dealing with.'

Countdown's Rachel Riley spoke of how the events of recent weeks have left her frequently in tears - and she has witnessed a torrent of abuse and misinformation

The 37-year-old Jewish star told MailOnline: 'For me and my Jewish friends, the pain and the stress are something we are all struggling with'

People celebrating the Hamas atrocity in Israel outside a cafe in Acton, West London

Rachel added: 'But really there are a lot of people who support us and there are also people who are terrified about making a mis-step, saying the wrong thing, because they don't know enough about the conflict.

'Social media is polarising and those letters make you realise it is just a snapshot.'

The star was in a local restaurant on October 7 when she saw pro-Palestinian locals were dancing in the street in celebration of the Hamas attacks - something she put on her social media account.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations started almost immediately while there was a celebrity letter headed by actors Steve Coogan, Tilda Swinton Charles Dance, in which the massacre of 1,400 Israelis wasn't even mentioned.

But Rachel was moved by a contrasting action from Hollywood stars, including Madonna, Bradley Cooper, Chris Rock and Gwyneth Paltrow who signed the No Hostage Left Behind Campaign in support of Israel.

READ MORE: Rachel Riley leads backlash against celebratory scenes following bloody massacre in Israel Advertisement

She said: 'The new letter from the Hollywood stars feels in stark contrast to what we are dealing with in the UK where we have so many proud and open antisemites.'

'There are people in this country - and we've seen this conflict before - who appear to dedicate their lives to anti-Israel activism. They don't do that with facts, they don't do it calmly.

'And even when they have seen 1,400 innocent people brutalised in the most appalling way, they say nothing, just as they say nothing about the 350,000 killed in Syria or the genocide of the Uighur people in China.

'And it feels like people are scared to denounce that.

'On social media there is so much denial and hatred. At least some of that hatred is being funded by genocidal antisemitic countries who are using this as a method to win a PR battle. It feels like there is so much misinformation, hostility, hatred.

'I don't want innocent people to die, of course I don't. But this is something that Hamas has started with its horrific actions. That is why it is important that people who have reputations, and are well-loved, have the moral compass to say, "this is wrong".'

The presenter also criticised media organisations, particularly the BBC, over its reporting of a bomb blast at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza when it repeated Hamas propaganda that it had been deliberately attacked by Israel and 500 were dead.

Both Britain and America, as well as independent reports, have backed Israeli claims that it was a local rocket which had misfired and hit the hospital's car park.

On the night, BBC correspondent Jon Donnison said it was 'hard to see' what else could have happened at the hospital other than an 'Israeli air strike'. The corporation gave a tepid apology two days later.

'There is a phrase that a lie will get halfway around the world before the truth has got its pants on and you could really see this with the hospital strike, with the BBC saying one thing even as others were saying it was likely to be a misfired rocket,' said Rachel.

'So they were accusing the Israelis of committing this horrendous act based on the word of Hamas - the terrorists who rip babies out of their mother's stomachs.

'And then from this one report you see outrage and hatred online getting many more likes than there are Jews in this country.

'The willingness of people, who should know better, to believe misinformation is terrifying. It leads to huge waves of antisemitism. And for the BBC to continue with this farce of calling terrorists militants is grotesque, utterly indefensible.

'It is not a neutral position and it puts the idea in people's heads that there is a moral equivalence, that is complicated. But terror attacks are never complicated.

'And so I thank everyone who is standing up for us, demanding the hostages are brought home. It means so much and I know it will for the families who have lost loved ones.'
Hong Kong to offer more support for families with newborns

Xinhua) 14:08, October 25, 2023

HONG KONG, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will implement a raft of measures to encourage childbearing amid a low birth rate, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said Wednesday.

A one-off cash bonus of 20,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 2,556 U.S. dollars) will be provided for each baby born on Wednesday or after in Hong Kong to a parent who is a Hong Kong permanent resident, and this measure will last for three years, Lee said in a policy address.

Other incentives include a 20-percent rise in deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents, and priority arrangement for subsidized sale flat and public rental housing allocation.

Hong Kong's birth rate remains at its lowest level. The average parity of local couples dropped to a record low of 0.9 in 2022.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has among the longest life expectancies in the world. The proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and above will increase from 20 percent of Hong Kong's population to nearly one-third by the end of the next decade. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.82 Hong Kong dollars)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Groups are calling for the expulsion of students at George Washington University who projected messages on to the school's library in support of Hamas' barbaric assault on Israel.

Messages read 'Glory to our martyrs,' 'Divestment from Zionist genocide now' and 'Free Palestine from the river to the sea,' according to the activist group StopAntisemitism.

It is the latest horrifying instance of student groups supporting terrorism across college campuses.

In a message accompanying pictures of the students' horrifying act, the group explicitly stated: 'We call on the President of George Washington University to immediately expel those involved.'

StopAntisemitism later posted a video purporting to show campus police confronting the four students who made the projection. 'We're not damaging any property... It's not physically on the side of the wall,' one of the students tells an officer.

This is one of the shocking images projected on to the school's library on Tuesday night reading: 'Glory to our martyrs'

Another read 'Divestment from Zionist genocide now.' Students at other major colleges have called for their schools to no longer invest in Israel

A common slogan used by Hamas, 'Free Palestine from the river to the sea,' was also projected

An officer explains they are not going to argue with the students and tells them that they have been in front of the library for an hour.

The four students can be seen wearing masks and refusing to move, surrounded by projection equipment.

This isn't the first incident to occur on the Washington, DC, campus, on October 11, a group of students held a 'vigil' in memory of Hamas 'martyrs.'

'The four students responsible for the pro-terrorist light show are now being confronted by police. They refuse to move and continue to argue with police. Unbelievable,' StopAntisemitism wrote on X.

Among those who responded to the George Washington University students' shocking act was Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee who called on officials at the school to 'do the right thing NOW.'

A police officer was shown confronting the group but they refused to budge, the officer can be heard saying the group had been there for an hour

George Washington University Ellen Granberg has been called on to expel the students involved

'These are genocidal messages displayed on a building at George Washington University. If the students responsible for these messages aren't severely punished by GWU, something is terribly wrong. Genocide isn't hip, cute, or in any way acceptable. GWUdo the right thing NOW!,' Lee wrote.

In the aftermath of the October attacks, GWU president Ellen Granberg wrote in a letter the school would offer support to all of those affected by the violence.

'My message to our community stressed the importance of coming together and caring for one another, especially those who are Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, or connected to the region and this war,' Granberg wrote.

This isn't the first incident to occur on the Washington, DC, campus, on October 11, a group of students held a "vigil" in memory of Hamas 'martyrs'

Earlier this year, school officials were roundly criticized for standing behind a psychology professor accused of antisemitism by students after a review by an outside law firm cleared her of the allegations.

The probe was launched after a complaint was filed against Professor Lara Sheehi, who allegedly told students in her diversity class they were Islamophobic for using the term 'terrorist attack.'

Israel advocacy group StandWithUs filed the claim on behalf of Jewish students who alleged Sheehi told them 'It's not your fault you were born in Israel,' and said the presence of Jewish students was 'violent.'

The university shared the findings of the firm's report, which stated there was 'no evidence that the discourse crossed the line,' and said StandWithUs had an 'expansive view of the definition of antisemitism,' according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Colleges across the country have put out statements on the war. Many have faced criticism for not going far enough in condemning Hamas' attack, or for failing to condemn civilian deaths in Gaza, or for leaving out context and history from the region.

Earlier this month at Columbia University, the campus had to be shut for a day as a safety measure as hundreds attended dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies.

Some students were angry that a statement from the university president did not go far enough to acknowledge Palestinian deaths.

At Columbia University, the campus was closed Thursday as a safety measure as hundreds attended dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies. Some students were angry that a statement from the university president did not go far enough to acknowledge Palestinian deaths.

Earlier this year, officials at GWU launched an investigation into allegations psychology professor Lara Sheehi made anti-Semitic remarks towards Jewish students

Pro-Israel students take part in a protest in support of Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, at Columbia University in New York City on October 12

Pro-Palestine students holding a protest at Columbia University last week

The Palestine Solidarity Committee holding banners outside the prestigious college

At Yale University, 'Free Palestine' messages were written in chalk around campus one night. The following night, some students put up posters of Israelis taken hostage with the word 'Kidnapped.'

There was also controversy over social media posts by a professor of American studies, Zareena Grewal, who wrote after the Hamas attack: 'Settlers are not civilians. This is not hard.' A petition circulated demanding her removal; Grewal did not respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, the university said it 'is committed to freedom of expression' and Grewal's comments on personal accounts 'represent her own views.'

Some of the most notable recent disputes have come at Harvard University, where the Palestine Solidarity Committee student group released a statement holding Israel 'entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,' cosigned by a few dozen other student organizations.

At least one student had a job offer rescinded as a result of the statement.

Former Harvard President Lawrence Summers, who is Jewish, was critical of university leadership for appearing 'at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.'

'In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today,' Summers said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A day later Harvard President Claudine Gay condemned 'terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas' and said that while students have the right to speak out, 'no student group  not even 30 student groups  speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.'
A father-of-two claimed that he received second-degree burns after his vape exploded in his pocket.

Builder Dave Johnson said he was rushed to hospital after the e-cigarette battery 'shorted' on his keys on September 25.

The workman claimed he heard a fizzing sound while carrying a paving stone at a customer's house in West Yorkshire moments before the vape exploded, setting his shorts on fire.

Mr Johnson said he was rushed to Airedale Hospital in Steeton after the horrific incident. The giant patch of raw skin then became infected and he was hospitalised at Wythenshawe Hospital in Greater Manchester for six days.

He received IV antibiotics to tackle the infection but miraculously did not need either surgery or skin grafts. The father-of-two is now warning people that vape batteries can be dangerous.

Dave Johnson, 41, from Colne received second degree burns after his vape battery 'exploded

He initially received treatment at Airedale Hospital but was then hospitalised at Wythenshawe Hospital in Greater Manchester after his wound became infected

Doctors administered pain relief and managed to scrap off the scorched flesh and bandaged his leg up at Airedale Hospital in Steeton

The accident happened when the loose rechargeable vape battery stashed in his pocket 'shorted' on his keys on 25 September

Mr Johnson said: 'Thankfully I didn't need surgery on my leg. I used to smoke then moved to vaping to get away from smoking. I did it for my health, I was smoking 20 a day, it's like the better of two evils.

'I was carrying some stone paving flags out of my van. I'd taken a fully charged battery for the e-cig and it was in my pocket with my keys, I normally leave spare batteries in the van.

'It shorted on my keys in my pocket and exploded. I heard a fizzing sound, almost like when a firework rocket starts to go off, and then felt the pain. The pain in my right leg was excruciating, like if you put your hand in far too hot water. I knew straight away it had done damage.

Mr Johnson is urging vape users to never carry batteries in their pockets

Mr Johnson ditched his 20-a-day cigarette habit for vaping two years ago

Mr Johnson is now back at home dealing with his would and is glad to not have to receive a skin graft

'I dropped the flag and saw flames shooting out of my pocket - the flames were eight or nine inches coming out of my leg.

'I originally tried to stick my hand in to get it out but I couldn't. Then eventually it burned a hole through my shorts and it fell out onto the floor.'

'Because my partner is a hospital sister, luckily I've been able to do my dressings at home with her help.

Mr Johnson is urging vape users to never carry batteries in their pockets.

He said: 'It's doing ok, it's just a case of waiting for it to heal. It wasn't the actual e-cig that caused it, it was incorrect transportation of the battery. I'm still vaping but I'm not keeping batteries in my pocket any more.

'I would say to people to just be careful and be aware this can happen.'
A Japanese rail company is investigating a group of four popular YouTubers who allegedly travelled long distances by train without paying during a visit to the country.

One of them, known online as Fidias, 27, uploaded a video to over 2 million subscribers last weekend titled 'I Travelled Across Japan For Free' involving him evading ticket officers and blagging free food.

The Cypriot YouTuber, whose full name is Fidias Panayiotou, has since seemingly deleted the video after issuing an apology.

In one clip, Panayiotou spent an entire train journey locked in the toilet of a bullet train, only to be met by a ticket officer waiting at his destination.

However, feigning illness, he escaped the staff member and ran away to do the same trick again.

Cypriot YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou uploaded a video titled 'I Travelled Across Japan For Free' last weekend involving him and three others evading ticket officers

The 27-year-old also blagged a free buffet breakfast by pretending to be a hotel guest

Regional train operator JR Kyushu said it was 'aware of the case and investigating facts around it,' before potentially informing police

At another point in the video, the YouTuber went into a Kyoto hotel, checked which room numbers existed and got a free buffet breakfast after purporting to be a guest.

He told viewers: 'I just have access to a five-star Japanese buffet. And we're leaving the hotel without getting caught and without any problem.'

Regional train operator JR Kyushu said it was 'aware of the case and investigating facts around it,' before potentially informing police.

On Tuesday Panayiotou posted an apology under the video which began: 'Hello beautiful people.'

He was joined by three others in the video, which took the form of a race across the country.

'I apologise to the Japanese people if we made them feel bad that was not out goal,' his apology continued, 'from now on I am going to be make more research to the cultures we go to and try to prevent this from happening again.'

However, that comment, with the video, appear to have since been deleted, despite many of his followers lauding him for his audacity.

But others online have been scathing, especially given the contents of the apology.

One X - formerly Twitter - user asked: 'Does it require "research" to understand this is unacceptable in Japan? In what country's culture is this okay?'

The incident comes a month after the arrest of a US live-streamer known as Johnny Somali for filming himself breaking into a building site in Osaka.

The 23-year-old whose real name is Ismael Ramsey Khalid was subsequently charged with trespassing.

Japanese officials are currently trying to grip an 'overtourism' problem which has brought with it this sort of bad behaviour from visitors, as well as overcrowding at popular destinations.

The government has responded by drawing up measures to increase train fares and promote travelling to more rural, lesser-known areas.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently said: 'In some areas and during certain periods, bad manners associated with inbound tourism has had an impact on the lives of local residents.'
MPs are expected to approve a six-week suspension for sex abuse Tory Peter Bone today that could trigger yet another by-election headache for Rishi Sunak.

The Commons is set to rubber stamp the ban for the Wellingborough MP, 70, after an independent investigation found he carried out a campaign of bullying against a young aide.

If the suspension passes it will trigger a recall petition in the former minister's Northamptonshire seat that could pave the way for a by-election, the latest in a line of votes triggered by Tory sleaze. Mr Bone continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Ahead of the vote the complainant in the case has described how Mr Bone's behavour left him a 'broken shell' suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

He told the BBC about the 'physical, emotional, psychological abuse' he had endured.

The former minister could lose his Wellingborough seat as the length of the ban will trigger a recall petition, and set up another tricky by-election for Rishi Sunak

He gained a reputation for mentioning 'Mrs Bone' - his wife Jenny - in the House of Commons, but they split in 2018 after he left her for Helen Harrison, a married physiotherapist 20 years his junior (pictured together yesterday, below)

'Peter's behaviour was erratic. His temper was often explosive. I described it as like a, like a pendulum. He would go from one type of, kind of, personality to another,' he said.

'It was very hard to predict. And that kind of... left me feeling quite under siege... a kind of siege mentality in terms of the relentless shouting, the screaming, the hitting.

'The physical, emotional, psychological abuse as well as what happened later was just constantly on my mind. It was relentless to be honest.'

He also claimed he was 'never given a clear timeline of events or even an estimated one' regarding his complaint to the Conservatives.

'I was left in this kind of limbo. I was effectively ghosted for three years by the party.'

A Conservative spokesperson told the broadcaster that the case had been investigated under the party's previous code of conduct and complaints process. The party said that the alleged complainant had withdrawn from the process before the case was heard.

'Under the current process, the complainant's case would have been referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme as it is a workplace matter, not a party matter,' the spokesperson told the BBC.

Mr Bone's majority in Wellingborough in 2019 was 18,540, which in normal times would make it a very safe Tory seat. He has been the MP since 2005.

But the party last week saw a majority of more than 25,000 overturned in a byelection in Mid Bedfordshire, meaning it could fall to Labour if the recall petition is successful. It needs the signatures of 10 per cent of the electorate in the seat to set up a new vote and effectively end Mr Bone's political career.

He was last week stripped of the Tory whip after the investigation found he bullied and sexually harassed his ex-aide.

He exposed himself on a business trip after booking them shared hotel room and on other occasions demanded office massages, according to the Independent Expert Panel.

Five allegations by a Westminster staffer were made about Mr Bone in October 2021, having had a complaint to then-prime minister Theresa May in 2017 unresolved, according to the IEP report.

The standards watchdog ruled the MP 'committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct' against a member of his staff in 2012 and 2013.

It said he was verbally abused and hit with a rolled-up document and subjected to an 'unwanted and humiliating ritual' where he was forced him to sit with his hands in his lap when the MP was unhappy with his work

Mr Bone said today that the allegations against him were 'false and untrue' and made by an ex-employee who made them 'years after leaving my unemployment'. He suggested he was seeking legal advice.

But the panel said he had demonstrated a 'wilful pattern of bullying (that) also included an unwanted incident of sexual misconduct.'

The report noted: 'The complainant was trapped in a room with the respondent in a hotel in Madrid, not knowing what was going to happen next. This was a deliberate and conscious abuse of power using a sexual mechanism: indecent exposure.

'It was woven into a pattern of inappropriate behaviour which also included requests for massages of his shoulders and neck and instructions to put hands in laps, including forcibly putting the complainant's hands in his lap.'
A bitter family feud has broken out between the children of a petrol station tycoon over how much the multi-million pound family farm they have inherited is worth.

The 'deep rift' between three sisters and their brother over the future of the sprawling New Forest property started in the wake of the death of family matriarch Susan Cutts in 2015.

Trustees of the family money want to sign over the late 72-year-old's farm to her son Alister, 50, for the price of 4.2million. Those proceeds will then be split between the sisters.

But equestrian daughter Charlotte Springall, 48, is furious at the plan and has accused the trustees of favouritism towards her brother.

Now Charlotte - who aspired to compete in the 2012 London Olympics - and her sisters Victoria Delville-Cutts and Cecilia Delville-Lindsay have taken it to the High Court, because they think the farm is worth more like 6.8million.

Bizarrely, they have pointed to a stuffed pike that was bought for the head of trustees, their cousin Paul Cutts, by their brother as evidence he has been treated favourably.

The siblings are the children of south London garage chain millionaire Oliver Cutts, who rose from being a coalman to a successful tycoon.

Victoria Delville-Cutts (right) and Charlotte Springall (left) are fighting at London's High Court to stop their brother getting the family farm for a 2.6million discount

Pictured: Alister Cutts and his sister Charlotte Springall

Mr Cutts ploughed his multimillion-pound fortune into Folds Farm, Fordingbridge, in the heart of the picturesque New Forest, which passed to his widow Susan upon his death.

The 500-acre farm boasts a thriving livery stable operation and heritage breed cattle and pigs, which are farmed by Alister alongside his plant hire business, as well as lucrative trout fishing in the River Avon and a glamping site.

Prior to their mother's death, the siblings shared the farm, with Charlotte - who now runs her own stud and stables - and then Victoria running the equestrian yard.

But lawyers for the trustees of the Cutts family money told the court that after her death, a massive 'rift' between the siblings emerged and their mother's plan for them to run the farm together was no longer viable.

Their mother directed that her fortune be put into trusts for the benefit of all her children, stating that every effort must be made to keep the farm within the family and sale considered only as a 'last resort'.

The trustees - headed by Mr Cutts - planned to 'assign' the farm to Alister for 4.2million - a 2.6million discount on its open market worth, the court was told.

The court heard that the bulk of the 4.2million would then be divided among the sisters, leaving them with over 800,000 each, and the rest of the money would go on tax bills and other expenses.

Charlotte Springall runs her own stud and stables in Salisbury - and the professional equestrian aspired to compete in the 2012 London Olympics

Pictured: South London garage chain millionaire Oliver Cutts with his wife Susan Cutts

The sisters say the farm (pictured) is worth at least 6.8million and possibly 10million

The sisters say the farm is worth at least 6.8million and possibly 10million, and the assignment of the farm to Alister would see them 'exiled' from the land and leave them out of pocket, the court was told.

They claim the trustees are acting unfairly and their cousin Mr Cutts is displaying favouritism as he is 'close and friendly' with their brother.

The sisters now want the farm sold on the open market and the money divided, having previously argued for the land being divided up into parcels but kept within family ownership.

Giving evidence in front of the judge, Master Julia Clark, Victoria, who runs a boutique stable on the Belgium-Holland border specialising in equine salt therapy, said the sisters were being treated unfairly.

She told the court: 'The mathematics says it. It's heart-breaking. You are either fair or not fair.

'My sisters and I don't mind Alister buying the farm - but at the correct rate.'

Victoria claimed the trustees had a duty to act impartially but favoured Alister.

She pointed to a stuffed pike which Alister told his assistants to buy for Paul Cutts as evidence of the favouritism.

The fish was bought at auction after Alister found out it had been caught by Pauls' father.

Pictured: Paul Cutts, head of the trustees in charge of the family money

Aspiring Team GB star Charlotte's barrister Graham Stott cross-examined Paul Cutts on the matter, asking: 'Are you telling me Alister has purchased two stuffed fish for you?'

To which Mr Cutts replied: 'Alister's assistants purchased two stuffed fish on my behalf.'

Mr Stott said: 'You are rather close to him aren't you? You were in touch about him buying items for you at auctions and you also gave him items such as garage doors.

'You are distributing now to Alister and not the other beneficiaries,' he alleged.

But Mr Cutts insisted: 'I'm no closer to Alister than any of the others.'

Continuing to cross-examine Mr Cutts, Mr Stott said: 'Traditionally, the more something is worth, the more you have to pay for it, but you and your fellow trustees have decided Alister doesn't have to be charged more for it.

'The half million difference is because you all favour Alister and have a rather friendly relationship with him,' he alleged.

Mr Cutts replied: 'Due process was followed. I'm in no way swayed one way or the other towards Alister.

'As a discretionary trust, we as trustees are looking primarily to uphold Susan's deathbed wishes and keep the farm within the family.

'Within the letter of wishes and the will, there is no mention of fairness. It's a discretionary trust. A sale to third parties was to be a last resort.

'I think it was a reasonable decision and as fair as it can be.'

Victoria Delville-Cutts (left), Cecilia Delville-Lindsay (right) and their sister are fighting to stop trustees from giving the family farm to their brother, which they say is favouritism

Daniel Burton, setting out the case on behalf of the trustees of the family trusts, said: 'The trustees rightly gave great weight to the settlor's wishes.

'It's absolutely right and proper for the trustees to pay close attention to Susan's wishes, as expressed in the letter of wishes.

'There is an allegation of partiality here, the preference of Alister over the three sisters.

'However, in the case of a discretionary trust, to speak of fairness is meaningless.

'The very discretion is to prefer one beneficiary over another. There is no duty here to treat the beneficiaries equally.

'The trustees settled on a price that actually meant that Alister could make a go of it.

'It's a very deliberate balanced exercise. This has been given very careful thought and consideration.

'The trustees could have given the whole thing to Alister for free if they chose.

'It reserves Folds Farm within the family as Susan wanted and creates liquidity.

'It is a rational and proper decision.

'The trustees are faced with siblings who simply don't get on with each other. There is a significant and deep rift between the four children.

'The trustees have a duty to act impartially, but that is not the same as equal division.'

Turning to the hotly debated fish, the barrister continued: 'The stuffed fish issue is at its height insufficient. If a staff member sees a fish which is up for sale and has gone to auction and says 'I don't mind getting this for you,' it is not enough.

'Even if there was a close relationship we are dealing with a small rural community where relationships are close. One has to be realistic.'

The judge reserved her decision on whether to approve the assignment of the farm to Alister at the 4.2million price to a later date.
A Cabinet minister today slammed the UN Secretary General after he 'justified' the Hamas terror attacks by saying they 'did not happen in a vacuum'.

Antonio Guterres sparked a furious diplomatic row by condemning the atrocities by identifying '56 years of suffocating occupation' as a cause.

He also called for an immediate ceasefire at the session in New York overnight - something most Western countries have not done because it would prevent Israel taking action against Hamas.

Israel's UN ambassador said Mr Guterres was 'not fit' to lead the body and must resign.

In a round of interviews this morning, the UK's immigration minister Robert Jenrick pointedly stopped short of backing Mr Guterres to stay in post.

He said it was 'wrong' to suggest there is any justification for the murder of 1,400 people including women and babies, and hostage taking.

'No-one, whether deliberately or otherwise, should be implying there is any justification for that,' he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

'In that sense, I think he was wrong. I hope that isn't what he meant but, if it is, then he should retract that.'

Asked whether Mr Guterres should stand down following his comments, Mr Jenrick said: 'That is not for me to say.

'But I do think it is important we are all very clear that there is no justification for what happened, there is no context that is relevant.

'What happened was an appalling act of evil terrorism and everyone should call that out.'

Israel has called for the UN's Secretary General Antonio Guterres (pictured) to resign for saying the Hamas attacks cannot justify the 'collective punishment of the Palestinian people'

In a round of interviews this morning, the UK's immigration minister Robert Jenrick said it was 'wrong' to suggest there is any justification for the murder of 1,400 people including women and babies

In a major diplomatic row, Israel's UN ambassador Gilad Erdan (pictured) said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was 'not fit' to lead the body after he claimed the 1,400 murders did not happen 'in a vacuum'

The UN chief made the incendiary comments in a high-level meeting of the 15-member Security Council ahead of an expected ground invasion of Gaza.

He said: 'It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

'The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,' Mr Guterres added.

'But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.'

The Israeli ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said the speech was 'shocking' and Mr Guterres was 'completely disconnected from the reality in our region'.

He added: 'The UN Secretary General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN.

'I call on him to resign immediately. There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people.'

Earlier, Israel's foreign minister said he would no longer meet with Mr Guterres and criticised his call for a ceasefire at the UN security council in New York.

Eli Cohen said: 'Mr Secretary General, in what world do you live? Definitely this is not our world,' as he held up photos of children kidnapped by Hamas.

'How can you agree to a ceasefire when someone swore to kill and destroy your existence,' he added.

Mr Cohen then thanked President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for standing with Israel.

In yesterday's meeting, Israel defied calls for a ceasefire, saying its war on Hamas was a 'war of the free world'.

Mr Blinken and the Palestinian Authority's foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki both appealed for protection of civilians in Gaza.

It came after the Hamas-led ministry of health in Gaza reported more than 700 Palestinians were killed in 24 hours of Israeli air strikes, the highest daily death toll since the bombardment began.

More than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the war began, it says, according to the New York Times.

Mr Guterres, 74, succeeded Ban Ki-Moon as the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations in October 2016.

He had served as the prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 as head of the Portuguese Socialist Party.

His tenure has been noted for being considerably more friendly toward Israel than previous secretary generals, criticising anti-Israeli bias in the UN system and stating that denying Israel's right to exist is anti-Semitism.

But in July he was criticised by Israeli diplomats for condemning the 'excessive force' used by their military in a raid on the West Bank city of Jenin, which killed 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier.

Israeli soldiers inspect the site of a music festival near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Friday October 13

Aerial photo shows abandoned and torched vehicles at the site of the October 7 attack on the Supernova desert music Festival by Palestinian militants near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel on October 13

After the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 Mr Guterres issued a statement recognising the 'legitimate grievances' of the Palestinian people, but said that 'nothing can justify the acts of terror and the killing, maiming and abduction of civilians'.

He also urged Israel to conduct its military operations 'in strict accordance with international humanitarian law', although he said he recognised 'Israel's legitimate security concerns'.

He added: 'Civilians must be respected and protected at all times. Civilian infrastructure must never be a target.' He subsequently tweeted that he was 'horrified' by the strike a Gaza hospital, which was later reported to have been committed by Palestinian forces.

In a furious interview after the UN session ended, Mr Erdan said the secretary general's remarks were comparable to the anti-Semitic 'blood libel'.

He told reporters: 'Mr Secretary General, the UN was established to prevent atrocities, to prevent such atrocities like the barbaric atrocities that Hamas committed. But the UN is failing.

And you, Mr Secretary General have lost all morality and impartiality. Hamas... beheaded babies, burned families, raped women, abducted kids, babies, Holocaust survivors.'
A wing foil surfer has miraculously escaped without serious injury after a breaching humpback whale landed on him.

Jason Breen, 55, was scooting along the waves off Mona Vale, on Sydney's northern beaches at 10.30am on Wednesday, when the whale calf suddenly emerged out of the water next to his board.

The incredible incident was captured by both Mr Breen's GoPro camera and passerby Paul Netteback who took footage from the shore.

In the GoPro footage Mr Breen screams in terror as the giant mammal leaps from the water and lands on him.

'I saw the head come out, then I saw the body come out and then I saw the whole thing above me,' Mr Breen told Seven News.

Jason Breen, 55, was scooting along the waves off Mona Vale, on Sydney 's northern beaches at 10.30am on Wednesday, when the whale calf suddenly emerged out of the water next to his board

The GoPro captures a few seconds of turbulence then shows Mr Breen climbing back on his board while the young whale's tail can be seen receding in the distance.

Mr Breen looks shocked but otherwise unscathed.

'I just got hit by a whale,' he shouts in the video.

After being struck, the whale became caught in his leg rope.

'It probably dragged me 20 or 30 feet under, to be honest,' he said.

'I thought it was all over, then I felt my leash break and I thought, "Thank god" and came up to the top.'

In the GoPro footage Mr Breen screams in terror as the giant mammal leaps from the water and lands on him (pictured)

He said he could feel the whale's skin against his.

'It was a big calf, if it had barnacles I would have been ripped apart because the whale's body was beside me the whole time,' Mr Breen said.

After watching the freak accident unfold as he was filming. Mr Nettlebank immediately rang triple-0.

He said the lucky escape wasn't going to deter him from going out wing foiling again because nothing could stop him being out in the ocean.
Pope Francis on Tuesday accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop whose diocese has been rocked by reports of a sex party involving a male prostitute in a priest's flat.

While the Vatican didn't give a reason for why Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, 59, was resigning as head of the diocese of Sosnowiec, in southwestern Poland, his diocese was featured in headlines across the world after one of his priests, Father Tomasz Zmarzy, was placed under investigation for an alleged gay orgy gone wrong.

It was reported that Father Tomasz tried to stop paramedics from entering his flat in Dabrowa Gornicza after a man overdosed on erectile dysfunction pills at the sex party, which was attended by a male prostitute.

Waldemar Lubniewski, a spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Sosnowiec, said the investigation focused on a 'failure to provide assistance to a person in a situation that poses an immediate threat of loss of life or serious damage to health.'

The scandal garnered substantial attention in Poland, with the event further harming the image of the church in the once staunchly Roman Catholic homeland of St. John Paul II.

Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, 59, (pictured) sent his letter of resignation to Pope Francis in September

Father Tomasz Zmarzy (pictured) was placed under investigation for an alleged gay orgy gone wrong

Pope Francis accepted Bishop Kaszak's resignation following a string of scandals at his diocese

For several years now, Polish society has been undergoing a fast process of secularisation, with many people rejecting the church and some even taking steps to leave it formally.

The alleged orgy wasn't the first incident involving clergy in the diocese to make headlines.

In 2010, the then-acting rector of the Sosnowiec seminary allegedly got into a scuffle at a gay club, but was allowed to remain in his job for over a year even after the case was publicised by Polish media.

The Holy See finally intervened and dissolved the seminary altogether, according to the PAP news agency.

In March 2023, the corpse of a 26-year-old deacon was found with injuries suggesting homicide.

Local prosecutors said he had been killed by a 40-year-old priest who then committed suicide.

Prosecutors said the two had been in a conflict-ridden relationship for some time and that the priest had sent the deacon threatening messages.

Father Tomasz allegedly tried to stop paramedics entering his flat when a man attending his sex party overdosed on erectile dysfunction pills

The sex party at Father Tomasz's flat was allegedly attended by a male prostitute

In a statement published on Tuesday, Kaszak said he had asked the pope to let him resign in a letter sent to him on September 29.

He thanked the priests and nuns of his diocese and asked 'everyone to forgive my human limitations.'

Kaszak was appointed bishop in 2009 by then-Pope Benedict XVI, after having served briefly as a top official in the Vatican's family office.

The diocese has largely corroborated the media reports of Father Tomasz's alleged orgy, saying an outside investigative commission concluded he committed 'a very serious violation of moral norms,' as well as of his obligations as a priest.

It cited an 'incident' at the priest's apartment involving him and at least two other lay people.

Kaszak dismissed the priest from all functions in September and initiated an in-house canonical trial, the outcome of which could result in defrocking, according to a statement on the diocesan website.

The priest has not yet been charged by Polish prosecutors. Polish media quoted a statement he issued soon after the scandal erupted, denying he had prevented paramedics from accessing his apartment and questioning the definition of 'orgy.'

'I perceive this as an obvious attack on the church, including the clergy and the faithful, in order to humiliate its position, tasks and mission,' the priest was quoted in a statement he emailed to the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper.

Polish tabloid Fakt published what it said was the audio recording of the call one of the participants made to police.

In it, the person said he had been kicked out of the apartment and begged for paramedics to come, weeping at one point and saying his friend was foaming at the mouth after having ingested drugs.

The Polish Catholic Church has been rocked for several years by allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving the clergy, scandals that have led to the forced resignations of several bishops and tarnished the churchs reputation.

The Vatican embassy in Poland said a temporary administrator, Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Katowice, would run the diocese of Sosnowiec until a new bishop is named.
Peter Bone is a hardline Brexiteer who gained notoriety for repeatedly referencing his wife Jennie in the Commons.

But the mentions of 'Mrs Bone' - a Tory councillor namechecked by prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May - dried up in 2018 when it was revealed that he had left her for a physiotherapist 20 years his junior.

Helen Harrison, then aged 45, was at the time married with two children. She was was a director of Grassroots Out, a campaign to leave the European Union backed by Nigel Farage. Mr Bone was also a director.

It was the latest shock move by an MP, then a father of three aged 65, known for eccentricity which extended to wearing a colourful hat in the Commons chamber to show his support for a local charity.

But while he built up a profile, certainly within Westminster if not widely outside it, his critics once accused him of trying to boost his reputation by 'saying very little, very often'.

His six-week suspension for bullying and exposing himself to a young male aide, which was approved in a vote by his fellow MPs tonight, is almost certain to bring to an end a political career which reached a high point when he was briefly deputy Commons leader under Liz Truss last year.

He gained a reputation for mentioning 'Mrs Bone' - his wife and secretary Jennie - in the House of Commons, but they split in 2018 after he left her for Helen Harrison, a married physiotherapist 20 years his junior.

The couple appear to still be together, with Mrs Harrison posting pictures to social media last night showing them both campaigning with a local council candidate.

The Commons is set to rubber stamp the ban for the Wellingborough MP, 70, after an independent investigation found he carried out a campaign of bullying against a young aide.

If the suspension passes it will trigger a recall petition in the former minister's Northamptonshire seat that could pave the way for a by-election, the latest in a line of votes triggered by Tory sleaze. Mr Bone continues to deny any wrongdoing.

The former accountant was a councillor in Essex for years before he became an MP in 2005, having tried unsuccessfully to enter parliament - both at Westminster and in Brussels - since 1992.

Once there he became known for references to Mrs Bone, who worked as his secretary. He often hailed her as an embodiment of Tory common sense, citing her approval or otherwise of key policies.

Quips included including telling the chamber of her excitement at being invited to a No10 function by David Cameron in 2012.

The previous year he had referenced her in a debate about disparate per capita public spending rates in England compared to Wales, telling a minister: 'Yet again, Labour has left Wales in a mess, and Mrs Bone wants to know what the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State are going to do about it.'

Mr Bone is known for eccentricity which extended to wearing a colourful hat in the Commons chamber to show his support for a local charity in 2016

Mr Cameron once quipped: 'I am fast coming to the view that Mrs Bone is insatiable.'

Later, she was the subject of a risque double-entendre from Theresa May at the despatch box.

Mr Bone had asked the PM whether she would reopen a prison in Wellingborough as a birthday present in October 2016, to which the vicar's daughter replied, to laugher: 'I would say to my honourable friend I am very happy to wish him a very happy birthday, many happy returns.

'I hope that Mrs Bone is going to treat the occasion in an appropriate manner.'

The racy episode had echoes of another PMQs in 2011, when Mr Bone told Mr Cameron that his wife was pleased Britain would not be involved in the bail-out of the nosediving Greek economy.

Mr Cameron replied that he felt a very big part of his life was dedicated to 'giving pleasure to Mrs Bone'.

But in 2018 Mr Bone made the shock admission that he and Jennie had been living apart since 2016.

At a TV Brexit debate shortly before Christmas 2017, Mr Bone was accompanied by Mrs Harrison, a Conservative campaigner and former parliamentary candidate.

In a statement at the time he said: 'My wife and I have been living apart for more than two years, during which time I have formed a relationship with Helen Harrison.'

The couple appear to still be together, with Mrs Harrison posting pictures to social media last night showing them both campaigning with a local council candidate.
This is the moment Just Stop Oil protesters continued their rampage of demonstrations across the capital, spraying London's Wellington Arch in orange paint, before being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

A trio of eco-clowns from the group were seen this morning spray painting the historic arch, completed in 1827, with orange paint, with the activist's logo being brandished on the bottom of the structure.

The area surrounding the centre piece of Hyde Park Corner remained empty bar from a shocked cyclist who recorded the incident and a few passers-by who rushed past as the campaigners continued to vandalise the structure.

The group then proceeds to place down its fire-extinguisher-like paint cans, with one pulling out an orange flare while another pulled out a large Just Stop Oil flag.

Photos show a number of Metropolitan police officers stood around the arch as the two men and woman continue to stand up in protest.

Soon after the King's Guards and their horses were seen carrying out business as usual as they passed under the arch during a morning walk-about.

Just Stop Oil protesters have sprayed orange paint all over London 's Wellington Arch

After dousing the historic arch in paint, the trio set off orange flares and help up their well-known sign

This afternoon a member of the Westminster Clean Streets team was seen washing off the orange paint

Joshua Lane, 26, an engineer from Sheffield was part of the protest and declared he took part in the protest because he's 'angry, anxious and depressed'.

He said: 'We are out of time; we have to act now. Not tomorrow, not next year, not 2050; now.'

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police force said: Police were made aware of Just Stop Oil protestors spraying paint on Wellington Arch today at 10:19hrs.

'Officers that were nearby immediately responded. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.'

The incident comes as the eco zealots vowed to continue its 'resistance' against the government's new migration policy, just days after they blocked a coach transporting asylum seekers onto the controversial Bibby Stockholm Barge.

Eventually the bus forced its way through the 23 protesters who walked up and down the road carrying a huge orange banner that read 'No Prison Ships'.

Until last Thursday, when they carried out the demonstration, the group had solely been focusing on environmental-related protests.

But this week it would be expanding its cause by announcing a 'migrant solidarity event' tonight.

Soon after the King's Guards and their horses were seen carrying out business as usual as they passed under the arch during a morning walk-about

Police officers were later seen attending the protest, as the group continued to stand in place

A JSO campaigner paints the group's signature skull onto the base of the historic arch

The statement read: 'Fossil fuel extraction is an act of mass murder against people in the global south. But there can be no climate justice without migrant justice.

'Responding to displaced people with cruel schemes like the Bibby Stockholm is no type of solution. We must prevent people from being forced out of their homelands by climate breakdown, while also protecting their right to move safely and with dignity.'

Yesterday, three of the eco-zealots who invaded the Lord's cricket pitch during the Ashes this summer were told they would be spared jail for their stunt. They were pictured grinning outside court.

Daniel Knorr, a 21-year-old University of Oxford biochemistry student was grabbed by England cricketer Jonny Bairstow as he attempted to sprint towards the wicket, before being carted off the pitch.

Just Stop Oil protesters, Judit Murray (left), a 69-year-old grandmother from West Ewell, Surrey, 21-year-old Oxford University biochemistry student Daniel Knorr (middle) and Jacob Bourne (right) are pictured grinning outside court yesterday

England cricketer Jonny Bairstow was credited with saving the showpiece test match when he 'took out' one of the trio, 21-year-old Oxford University biochemistry student Daniel Knorr heading for the wicket in June

The three, who said they wanted to create headlines for their climate change protest and did not want to cause disruption or damage the pitch, were found guilty after a trial at City of London Magistrates' Court.

But despite the criminal offence carrying a maximum prison term of three months, the trio were spared jailed during their sentencing at Westminster Magistrates' Court and instead handed 60 hours of unpaid work and fined. They were also banned from the cricket ground for a year.

The court heard how the protesters got 'very close' to the wicket after jumping a 3ft-high metal fence.
The BBC has faced fresh criticism over its coverage of the Middle East crisis as the coporation's chief prepares for a grilling by Tory MPs tonight.

Tim Davie, the BBC director general, is set to be quizzed at a private meeting of Conservative backbenchers in Parliament.

In a highly unusual move, Mr Davie will address the party's 1922 Committee behind closed doors this evening.

It follows widespread anger among Tory MPs over the BBC's reporting of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel earlier this month.

The broadcaster faced fury over its refusal to describe the militant group as 'terrorists'.

The BBC also caused outrage when it initially speculated that Israel was to blame for an explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City.

Tim Davie, the BBC director general, is set to be quizzed at a private meeting of Tory backbenchers

In a highly unusual move, Mr Davie will address the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee behind closed doors in Parliament this evening

The BBC caused outrage when it initially speculated that Israel was to blame for an explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, a Tory former justice minister, used a House of Lords debate last night to blast the BBC report in which it 'cited uncritically that Israel had struck the Al-Ahli hospital'.

This was 'parroting Hamas propaganda', the peer said, adding: 'Others repeated that propaganda, including I'm afraid, a noble friend of mine, who tweeted not just that the Israelis had hit the hospital, but they had targeted it.

'She used that word twice. I called that out as a modern blood libel and I'm delighted to see that the most Reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury used the same language recently as well.

'But the damage was done  other terrorist groups will have seen and taken note, so we should remember the old injunction: careless talk costs lives.'

Lord Wolfson, a practising Orthodox Jew, also criticised the BBC's 'abject failure to describe Hamas as what it is in plain English, a terrorist group'.

He has clashed with fellow Tory peer Baroness Warsi on social media over the Al-Ahli Arab hospital strike.

On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told MPs that - based on British intelligence and analysis by weapons experts - the Government judged the hospital explosion was likely caused by a missile, or part of one, that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel.

The BBC has issued an apology over its coverage of the incident via an article on its 'corrections and clarifications' webpage.

'We accept that even in this fast-moving situation it was wrong to speculate in this way about the possible causes and we apologise for this,' the broadcaster said.

The BBC has recently dropped the use of 'militant' to describe Hamas attackers and instead is continuing to describe the group as a terrorist organisation proscribed by the UK Government and others.

The broadcaster's bosses had faced calls to review its editorial guidelines amid anger - including from Government ministers - at the corporation for not directly referring to Hamas as a terror organisation.

The guidelines state that journalists should not use the term terrorist without attribution - meaning it is permitted only when used by others - and that words such as 'bomber', 'attacker', 'gunman', 'kidnapper', 'insurgent' and 'militant' should be used to describe perpertrators.

The 367-page document adds that terrorism 'is a difficult and emotive subject with significant political overtones and care is required in the use of language that carries value judgements'.

It is understood Mr Davie's appearance before the 1922 Committee was arranged in July, prior to the Middle East crisis.

A BBC source described it as part of the BBC director general's usual engagement with parliamentarians from across different parties.
Senior Russian officials are plotting to crash a space rocket crammed with explosives into the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, it has been claimed.

Leaked phone calls involving the former head of the Russian Space Agency Dmitry Rogozin and a current rocket chief Dmitri Baranov reveal the alleged plot.

The scheme was presented to Putin earlier this year by his close aide Anton Vaino, head of the Russian presidential administration. It is not known what decision - if any - was made by Putin.

However, Rogozin - fired last year by Putin as space agency chief - was in September welcomed back into the fold by being appointed as a Russian senator.

The genocidal scheme involved a civilian-use Soyuz-type carrier rocket and tinkering with it so it does not reach orbit, but instead crashes into a Ukrainian city - probably the capital Kyiv.

The plan indicates a launch of the nine-ton mega-bomb from Plesetsk cosmodrome near Arkhangelsk, according to taped calls revealed by German news outlet Bild.

A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage and the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on August 11

Baranov (pictured), head of Russia's Progress Space Rocket Centre, told Rogozin that the 164ft rocket can be steered 'in any direction, simply in any direction we want' by rotating during an eight to 22 second period after launch

Baranov, head of Russia's Progress Space Rocket Centre, told Rogozin that the 164ft rocket can be steered 'in any direction, simply in any direction we want' by rotating during an eight to 22 second period after launch.

Baranov is the man in charge of making launch vehicles for manned and unmanned missions to the International Space Station.

He pointed out a key problem to Rogozin on the recording.

'It's a supersonic re-entry into the atmosphere, and the existing heavy FAB-500 aerial bombs don't work, they're starting to overheat TNT is destroyed in them, and so performance drops critically.

'Our guided bombs are not designed for this either, and they have no protection against overheating.'

In other words this giant bomb could explode as it re-entered the atmosphere after launch, wreaking untold havoc.

Rogozin then consults Yuri Solomonov, general designer for ground-based missile systems at the Moscow State Institute of Thermal Engineering, and former head of development for the Topol-M ballistic missile.

The conspirators also feared that parts of the rocket bomb could fall on Russian territory, but resolve to overcome all problems

According to the leaked recordings, the impatient Rogozin demanded: 'How big are the crash areas? Where do we have risks?'

Rogozin asks in a voicemail: 'Approximately how long will it take to prepare all this s***?'

Baranov tells him: 'It might take six months, but that's kind of the upper limit.'

Solomonov subsequently found a solution to the heat problem of the planned Ukraine rocket.

Baronov assured that the scheme would work.

'The launch and the flight towards any target is not a problem at all,' he said. 'There would need to be some small modernisationso we don't need to go to orbit, but follow a clear trajectory.

'Another issue would be to sort the area of some of the debris. There will be no issue over the third stage [debris], as it'll land wherever the rest would [hit].

'The key question is to ensure it reaches the ground and not burn before that, since the speed would be 6 kilometres [3.72 miles] per second.'

Leaked phone calls involving the former head of the Russian Space Agency Dmitry Rogozin (pictured with Putin) and a current rocket chief Dmitri Baranov reveal the plot

The genocidal scheme involved a civilian-use Soyuz-type carrier rocket (pictured) and tinkering with it so it does not reach orbit, but instead crashes into a Ukrainian city - probably the capital Kyiv

Rogozin was fired from the Russian Space Agency last year after threatening to let the 'International Space Station' and its Western astronauts crash into a NATO country. He was also closely associated with the delayed Satan-2 missile, also known as Sarmat (pictured)

At one point Rogozin says: 'Today I am seeing the man who will meet our Great and Terrible [Vladimir Putin].'

'Had a chat with Vaino [Anton Vaino, head of the Russian presidential administration],' he said. 'Told him about this huge thing, that might arrive from the Arkhangelsk region.

'He got really interested and asked to prepare a memo by Monday, so that he reports it to the Chief [Putin].'

Putin is believed to have been informed about the Armageddon scheme on 16 January this year.

'It is not known how the dictatorial president reacted and whether he gave the order to his zealous loyalists to implement the crazy rocket terror plan,' said the media outlet.

But Rogozin was subsequently promoted to become a senator in the Russian parliament for the invaded Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia.

Rogozin was fired from the Russian Space Agency last year after threatening to let the 'International Space Station' and its Western astronauts crash into a NATO country.

He was also closely associated with the delayed Satan-2 missile, also known as Sarmat.

This 'unstoppable' 15,880mph intercontinental missile system is the size of a 14-storey tower block.

'We just need to finish some of the procedures in a purely administrative and bureaucratic way and move on to mass production and putting them on combat duty,' said Putin earlier this month.

'And we will do this in the near future.'

Yet this directly contradicted the words of his current space agency chief who said on 1 September that 208-ton Satan-2 'has been put on combat duty'.
Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley faced a backlash today when he asked a man whose mother was kidnapped by Hamas if he was 'comforted' by the 'not unreasonable treatment' hostages received at their hands.

Madeley was interviewing British psychotherapist Noam Sagi whose mother Ada was kidnapped from a retirement home in southern Israel.

The ITV host said the hostages were being given water and 'eating the same food' as the terrorists. His statement was followed by a sigh from Mr Sagi, whose 75-year-old mother remains held in captivity.

Madeley's comments, which he made as he presented alongside Kate Garraway this morning, sparked a fevered debate on social media.

Ben O'Hare posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'Richard Madeley, yet another display of interviewing with the sensitivity of a brick.'

Ada Sagi, pictured with her son Noam, has been kidnapped by Hamas and 'beaten' by her captors

Richard Madeley (left with Good Morning Britain co-host Kate Garraway) has been criticised after asking Mr Sagi (right) if he was 'comforted' by his kidnapped mother's treatment

The ITV presenter has faced a backlash for the 'insensitive' comments on social media

Mr Sagi, 53, appeared on the programme because he is calling on the Government to help families whose loved ones were captured by Hamas on October 7 when Hamas stormed the Nir Oz Kibbutz.

During the interview, Madeley said: 'Apart from I think she said she was beaten when she was being taken, the tunnels where she was kept, after that it seems like the treatment was not unreasonable - were you comforted by that, thinking of your mother?'

Mr Sagi then took a deep breath and responded: 'Richard, we wouldn't have the conversation if it would be good guys on the other side.

'That wouldn't be the case, you wouldn't talk to me right now.'

Prior to Madeley's questioning, footage was shown of another hostage, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, after her release.

Commenting on the release of two hostages yesterday, Mr Sagi said: 'Of course when I see the pictures I still think about the other 220 that are still being held captured.

'We have very little moments of positivity in all this and this is one of them.'

He added: 'Who comes to someone's house  80, 70, 90 years old, nine months old, three years old, shoot them in the limbs and take them out of their beds into captivity?

Mr Sagi, 53, appeared on the programme as he is calling on the Government to help families whose loved ones have been captured by Hamas during the war in Gaza

An anonymous X user said Madeley had the 'sensitivity of a wrecking ball'

'And then we're talking about conditions.

'So, I don't want to have a conversation about the conditions, I want my mum back.

'I'm a son - you as parents just think about what that means if someone needs to fight for your life and you don't know for 19 days now.

'So the conversation should go back to why we're talking to begin with and that is my message.'

Madeley then said: 'I think that's a perfectly reasonable point of view and totally understandable.'

On X, Laura said: 'Please please GMB gag Richard Madeley!

'You do not ask the son of a hostage "apart from your mother being beaten when they took her, are you happy with her treatment?"

'I'm stunned he's still on air frankly.'

The ITV host said the hostages were being given water and 'eating the same food' as the terrorists - which was followed by a sigh from Mr Sagi

Richard Madeley has been widely criticised on social media following this morning's interview

Another X user, Lee Partridge, wrote: 'Richard Madeley doesn't have a presenting filter.

'Sometimes he just blurts things out without thinking what he's about to say.'

An anonymous X user said Madeley had the 'sensitivity of a wrecking ball'.

Another said the line of interviewing by the presenters was 'absolutely disgraceful'.

It comes a week after Madeley asked a British-Palestinian MP if she knew about Hamas's terror attack on Israel before it happened.

He faced calls to be taken off air after asking Layla Moran, whose family are trapped in Gaza, if she had 'any indication' about the attacks.

Madeley later apologised to the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon.
Countdown presenter Rachel Riley told the BBC that Palestinian protesters had a right to freedom of speech but said 'they don't have a right to support terrorism'.

The 37-year-old Jewish star, who has had long running battles with the Corbynite wing of the Labour party over antisemitism, joined Kirsty Wark on Newsnight to discuss the marches and supporters of Palestine.

In the interview, Riley likened supporting Hamas to supporting the Taliban in support of Afghans.

But Wark was quick to interject that 'of course many Palestinians do not support Hamas'.

Wark asked Riley: 'Do you accept that people who support the Palestinians and feel strongly about their plight have a right to march and have a right to freedom of speech in this situation?'

To which Riley replied: 'Of course everyone has a right to freedom of speech. They don't have a right to support terrorism.

Riley likened supporting Hamas to supporting the Taliban in support of Afghans

'Hamas is a designated terrorist organisation in the UK. It's designated by most Western Governments, most decent governments, so to support Hamas is illegal against the Counter Terrorism Act.

'Supporting Hamas in support of the Palestinian people is equivalent to supporting the Taliban in support of Afghans.

'It's incompatible with their freedom, with being able to live their lives peacefully, which is well, what any decent person on the planet wants.'

Wark quickly interjected with: 'In a way, what I would say to that as well is, of course, that many Palestinians do not support Hamas.'

The interview comes as the Countdown star spoke about how the amount of hatred she has witnessed for British Jews since the attack on Israel has left her 'shaking with fear'.

' Hamas is a designated terrorist organisation in the UK,' Riley told BBC Newsnight

Riley joined Kirsty Wark on Newsnight to discuss the marches and supporters of Palestine

She said the events of recent weeks have left her frequently in tears - and she has witnessed a torrent of abuse and misinformation.

But she said the positive support in contrast had been 'heartening' - including the 50,000 British people who signed their name to an 'October Declaration' speaking out against antisemitism and the need to call out Hamas as 'terrorists'.

Riley told MailOnline: 'Sometimes I go online and I'm terrified by this huge overwhelming amount of people who seem to be baying for blood.

'For me and my Jewish friends, the pain and the stress are something we are all struggling with.

'We are crying when we wake up, we are struggling to sleep and the images of carnage are hard to get out of your head.

'People are scared, they are hiding themselves, antisemitic attacks have gone up by more than 1000 per cent in London. The last global survey found there were 1.09billion people in the world who hold antisemitic views - so for every Jew on the planet there are 70 people who hate them. This is the scale we are dealing with.'

Rachel added: 'But really there are a lot of people who support us and there are also people who are terrified about making a mis-step, saying the wrong thing, because they don't know enough about the conflict.

'Social media is polarising and those letters make you realise it is just a snapshot.'
Fitness fan whose right arm is much bigger than his left has received praise for explaining the imbalance.

Jackson Schop, 19, revealed that an accident, before which he would train both arms evenly, left him unable to use the left one but this did not stop him working out.

As he posts fitness updates on social media, Jackson insists he is 'not inspirational' despite attracting thousands of warm comments, along with some good-natured jokes.

One said: 'Amazing bro. The fact you are able to go past this and still do things where other people stopped miles ago is inspiring.'

Another added: 'Massive respect to this guy.'

An outpouring of praise has come in for Jackson Schop after he explained why his left arm is so much smaller than his right

One commenter online said: 'Amazing bro. The fact you are able to go past this and still do things where other people stopped miles ago is inspiring'

When he woke up from an induced coma after the accident, Jackson decided to get into the best shape of his life despite the paralyzed arm

Jackson was involved in a serious snowmobile accident nearly two years ago, which saw him put into an induced coma.

When he woke up, Jackson realised that his left arm had been paralyzed.

Describing the story in a comment, he wrote: 'Hey guys! Just wanted to explain what happened. I was involved in a snowmobile accident in January 2022 causing paralysis of my left arm.'

In a seperate post he said: 'Once I got out of the hospital and started working out againI gave myself a goal. Get in the best shape of my life, regardless of my paralyzed arm.

'Took 1.5 years with a lot of ups and downs, but I can officially say I accomplished my goal. I want to thank all my friends and family for making it easier. Now, on to the next

'I can officially say I accomplished my goal,' he added.

Another comment said 'this is body positivity and nothing else,' while someone else wrote that 'he is definitely an inspiration to so many people'.

'You're a champ mate, keep it up. Wishing you the best,' said another.

Jackson is now continuing to post updates on his lifetime-best shape, and jokes about his asymmetrical build, to his Instagram and TikTok accounts.
The Israel-Hamas war has sparked a fresh wave of 'cancel culture' at some of Britain's universities, it is feared - with lectures being axed and events being called off as the grim crisis in the Middle East continues to unfold.

Academics have warned that the barbaric murder of 1,500 Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists in a surprise raid on October 7 has had a 'chilling effect' on free speech on campuses across the UK.

Renowned Israeli-British professor Avi Shlaim had his lecture at Liverpool Hope University axed over fears for the 'safety and wellbeing' of staff and students. At the weekend, the University of Cambridge's operatic society cancelled upcoming performances of Handel's Saul over the supposed 'striking parallels' it had with the ongoing war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Jewish students at the University of Oxford have been 'intimidated' and 'harassed' since the Hamas terror attack, with 49 anti-Semitic incidents recorded in the first 17 days of the conflict. A helpline dedicated to help tackle the issue has received more than 150 calls.

Oxford's University and College Union sparked a backlash after its members planned to debate a motion calling for a 'mass uprising' and an 'intifada until victory' against Israel.

It led to calls from the Union of Jewish Students and the university's own JSOC said the debate between academics had left its members feeling 'increasingly fearful of the campus environment at Oxford' and called for support to the community.

A similar situation unfolded at Cambridge where a student union debate descended into chaos after a motion calling for Palestinian solidarity was stopped over fears its proposer risked 'inciting violence'.

Renowned Israeli-British professor Avi Shlaim. He had his lecture at Liverpool Hope University axed over fears for the 'safety and wellbeing' of staff and students

Cambridge University's opera society cancelled performances of Handel's Saul

In a statement, the Cambridge society said the decision was made due to the 'unfortunate escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel

Smoke rises over Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike as the war continues

Prof Shlaim, emeritus fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford, had been due to carry out a talk at Liverpool Hope University today but last week was told the speech had been 'postponed'.

The professor had been due to speak as part of a 'distinguished lecture series' but following a series of complaints about the lecture 'in the present context' from locals in the Jewish community and advice from police the event was axed.

Speaking with MailOnline, Prof Shlaim said: 'I am not prepared to come at any other time. The reason they gave for cancelling the talk - safety and wellbeing - was a pretense as they do not like my view on Zionism. It's not a safety issue but an issue of academic freedom and I am being denied the freedom to speak my views on campus.'

He claimed the university had 'bowed to political pressure' by cancelling the event - branding organisers 'spineless'.

Lewis Turner, who teachers international politics at Newcastle University and is a member of Brismes, an academic freedom committee, told Times Higher Education that the conflict was already having a 'chilling effect' on universities, preventing 'open and free conversations about Palestine'.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised for the safety of Jewish students on campuses.

Jonathan Hunter, spokesman for the Pinsker Centre, told MailOnline: 'The level of hostility to Israel, even during times of relative calm, has long been a problem on UK campuses. We have faced dozens of calls to cancel visiting high-level Israeli speakers, even Israelis who have done everything in their power to advance the peace process.'

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) said it had seen an increase on its student welfare hotline since the attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.

It said students had 'heard of academics and students' union officers celebrating, condoning and supporting the terrorist actions of Hamas as a form of 'liberation' or 'resistance'.

WhatsApp groups had been 'infiltrated and bombarded' with offensive messages, it added.

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) said it had seen an increase on its student welfare hotline since the attack on Israel more than two weeks ago. It said students had 'heard of academics and students' union officers celebrating, condoning and supporting the terrorist actions of Hamas as a form of 'liberation' or 'resistance'

It comes as a Cambridge Student Union debate calling for solidarity with Palestine was prematurely stopped over concerns its proposer risked 'inciting violence'

Cambridge's opera society has meanwhile sparked fury amongst historians and composers after its performance of Handel's Saul, due to run between October 26 and October 28.

Students said that 'due to the current sensitive political situation and unfortunate escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel' the 18th century concert piece will no longer be performed at Emmanuel College this week.

The opera, composed by George Frideric Handel in 1738, documents the relationship between Saul, the first King of Israel, and his successor David. In one section of the classic tale, David kills Goliath from the Philistines - the people who lived in the modern day Gaza strip 3,000 years ago and inspired the name Palestine.

Opera-goers, however, said the decision to axe the performance was 'barmy' and a 'case of cancel culture'.

Cancelling the opera, president of the Cambridge University Opera Society Beth Norman said: 'It is with heavy heart that CUOS are announcing that due to the current sensitive political situation and unfortunate escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel, we have decided that the production of Handel's Saul will not go ahead.'

Director of the show, Max Mason, added: 'Given the parallels of this conflict, the production team made the difficult decision to cancel Saul.

'We came to the unanimous conclusion that our production was not in the place to fully confront the issues that have striking synchronicity wit h the ongoing Middle East conflict.

'We began rehersals before news of Gaza emerged, but, now surmounting understanding of the full situation, we realise we cannot continue.'

Neither statement given by the opera's leaders mentioned Hamas - the proscribed terrorist organisation that launched an attack on Israel on October 7.

Criticising the decision, Robert Tombs, professor emeritus of French history at Cambridge, told the Telegraph: 'Cancelling an 18th century work based on the Bible seems a rather extreme example of cancel culture, to put it mildly.' He added that the decision was 'very sad' but also 'barmy'.

Professor David Albulafia, a historian at Gonville and Caius college, added that the Philistines were more likely to have been Mycenaean Greeks rather than modern Palestinians.

A view of buildings that were destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip on October 25, 2023

Last night, the UJS called out Oxford University's University and College Union's plan to debate and vote on a version of the unamended motion at a general meeting tomorrow calling for a 'mass uprising' of the Palestinian people and an 'intifada until victory'.

Academics who were part of the union's branch stated the war was 'a direct consequence of decades of violent oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state', the Telegraph reported.

The First Intifada refers to a series of terror attacks in Israel which primarily targeted civilians and led to the murder of hundreds of Israelis.

Last night UJS and Oxford JSOC published a joint statement ahead of the planned UCU branch meeting which read: 'Since Hamas' brutal attack on October 7, Jewish students at Oxford have been intimidated, harassed and faced anti semitic abuse.

'To call for this form of mass-violence is at any time unconscionable. However, to call for this kind of violence at a time when Jewish students in our community are being harassed shows an utter disregard for antisemitism.

'We call on UCU to dismiss this appalling motion rather than debating the murder of innocent civilians.'

It added: 'Many Jewish students are increasingly fearful of the campus environment at Oxford, and we have called on universities, colleges and academic staff to support Oxford's Jewish students throughout this time.'

A spokesperson for Oxford University told MailOnline with regards to the meeting: 'The University has had serious legal concerns about this motion and about potential breaches of our harassment policy.

'Following discussions between the University and the local branch of the UCU, we understand that the motion has been withdrawn from tomorrow's Emergency General Meeting.'

MailOnline has not been able to contact the UCU branch to confirm the motion has been withdrawn.

The extraordinary general meeting is still scheduled tomorrow on UCU's website.

In the event's description it says: 'As always we endeavor to have a fair and respectful discussion and will not tolerate any anti-semitism, Islamophobia, or other hateful expressions in this or any Oxford UCU space, nor any harassment directed at anyone as a result of positions or decisions taken or not taken at this meeting.

'We look forward to a constructive discussion of the issue and our response.'

A Cambridge Student Union debate calling for solidarity with Palestine was prematurely stopped by chair of the debate Benjamin Knight over concerns its proposer risked 'inciting violence'.

The Students Union President, Fergus Kirman last night said he was 'astonished and appalled' by the motion and has completely edited the wording, following a mammoth backlash from Jewish students.

The motion, heard on Monday, blamed the war between Israel and Hamas on 'decades of violent oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state'.

It added: 'The Student Union resolves itself [...] to condemn the British government's support for the Israeli state and the distortions of the mainstream media in Britain in its coverage of this conflict.'

The motion concluded: 'Only a mass uprising on both sides of the green line and across the Middle East can free the Palestinian people.'

When asked to define a 'mass uprising' by a student who attended the debate, proposer of the motion, Anais Austen Stanley said: 'think back to the First Intifada'.

A statement published yesterday by the Union of Jewish students urged Cambridge Students Union to dismiss the motion and issue a public apology to Jewish students at Cambridge.

A Liverpool Hope University spokesperson said: 'Liverpool Hope University would like to clarify that it did not cancel the Distinguished Lecture by Professor Avi Shlaim. The University did, however, invite Professor Shlaim to give this important lecture later in the academic year.

'The decision was taken by the University's Senior Executive Team following full consideration of the University's freedom of speech internal protocols and for the safety of our staff and students.

'Many of our community are acutely distressed about the current situation in the Middle East, Gaza and Israel, especially those that have family and friends living there. At the current time we are prioritising support for these groups. Freedom of speech is, and always will, be core to our values.'
This is the moment the Israel Defense Forces bombed a team of Hamas divers trying to infiltrate Israel after frogmen entered the sea from a Gaza tunnel.

The IDF said that at least two Hamas terrorists attempted to access Israel via the sea at Zikim - just north of the Gaza Strip - after entering a nearby beach in Gaza via a tunnel.

Footage posted by the Israeli military shows a couple of naval vessels seeking out the target. Large explosions can then be seen in the ocean with the divers poking out just above the water.

The two Hamas fighters were killed in an attack by fighter jets and soldiers from Israel's navy, who also destroyed a weapons storage facility being 'used by the terrorists'. The IDF did not give specific details on how the attempted sea infiltration took place.

Shortly after the IDF issued an update, Hamas's military wing posted a photograph on Telegram of two men in specialist scuba diving gear armed with assault rifles.

Footage posted by the Israeli military shows a couple of naval vessels seeking out the target. Large explosions can then be seen in the water

One of the divers can be seen poking out just above the water with a target locked on him

A couple of naval vessels can be seen in the video seeking out the target

During the incident, an alarm used to alert to a suspected infiltration could be heard in the border communities of Zikim and Karmia, which have largely been evacuated since the October 7 assault, The Times of Israel reports.

Later, IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said navy forces were carrying out a search for any other potential terrorists in the area.

Hagari said navy forces, including naval commandos, working across from the coast of Gaza City saw the Hamas cell entering the ocean from a tunnel.

He said navy forces fired at the divers, killing them, 'and are currently in the process of making sure that there aren't any more members of the cell in the sea'.

In a statement, Hamas claimed responsibility for the attempted attack and said its members had come up against Israeli forces after ostensibly managing to access Israel.

Footage posted by the Israeli military shows a couple of naval vessels seeking out the target

The video shows shots being fired across the water at the divers

Later in the evening, an infiltration warning was repeated in Zikim, Karmia and Netiv Haasara, although shortly afterwards the IDF Home Front Command said that the incident had finished and an all-clear was given, The Times of Israel reports.

Both during and since Hamass invasion, the navy has prevented a number of infiltration attempts via the sea.

Video released by the IDF last week showed members of the navys Snapir unit killing Hamas terrorists attempting a seaborne infiltration on the morning of October 7.

The IDF said that the navy killed dozens of Palestinian terrorists who were travelling on speedboats and other vessels during the attack that weekend.

Two days later, the navy took into custody Muhammad Abu Ghali, the deputy commander of the southern division of the Hamas naval force.

One of the divers can be seen poking above the waves in black and white footage
A 93-year-old great grandfather has made a desperate plea to stay in his home of over 60 years with the state government preparing to evict him because of the upcoming Olympics.

Trevor Connolly has lived in his inner Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo house since he moved in at age 11 in 1962.

However, because of an expansion to the nearby GABBA stadium for the 2032 Olympics the East Brisbane State School next to it is being relocated.

The state's department of education is preparing to forcibly buy Mr Connolly's house to turn into the school's drop-off zone and originally gave the widowed retiree until Christmas to get out.

Mr Connolly, a former electrician, is suffering the early stage of dementia and dreads living anywhere else.

Trevor Connolly, 93, is being kicked out his home of over 60 years because of Olympics redevelopment

'Where can you go after 60 years? You got 60 years of your life here,' he told Channel Nine's A Current Affair on Wednesday night.

'The thought of moving out.. I don't like the thought of moving out.'

'Its home with a capital h.'

He made a direct appeal to the Queensland premier.

'Annastacia Palaszczuk dont toss me out of my home,' he begged.

Mr Connolly's modest house is adorned with photos of his late wife Margaret and hold many memories of the couple raising their two daughters there, then grandchildren and now great-grandchildren.

The home's basement is what Mr Connolly called his 'mancave' and is filled with radio and electronics equipment.

'There's always something to fiddle with, something to repair, something to make,' he said.

Asked what he would do if he had pack up and move the accumulation of a lifelong handyman he said that he'd have to give it away to friends.

Mr Connolly has lived in his inner Brisbane home since 1962 when he moved in at the age of 11

Daughter Anne Connolly said a man with such a strong attachment to his house and street should be allowed to live out his years peacefully there.

'No 93-year-old should have to be worrying about those things at his stage in life,' she said.

She accused the department of trying to get the property at 'a bargain price' but said she will make sure that doesn't happen.

'That will be part of my driving force going into the negotiations - is that he is to be allowed to stay here for the rest of his days,' she said.

'I think they owe him, a 93-year-old. I think they owe him that much.'

Mr Connolly is just as adamant.

'I don't want to move - simple as all that and I don't want the house knocked down. Just want to stay here for the remaining years,' Trevor said.

'This is absolute lunacy of taking the house for what? Just to put a road through.'

In response to Channel Nine's questions the department has revealed it would extend the deadline for Mr Connolly to stay until next year but has not provided a more specific date.

Mr Connolly has made a direct plea to the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) not to kick him out

The department said 'decisions to acquire land are not taken lightly' and over a long period of submissions and consultation it was determined there was no other suitable site to move the school.

'The department has been in negotiations with the property owner for a number of months and is committed to negotiating in an open, compassionate, and conciliatory manner,' the department told Channel Nine.

'The Queensland government is committed to compensating fair and reasonable costs for property acquisitions with the responsibility to spend taxpayers' money appropriately.'
A young mother who was murdered by her abusive boyfriend told her parents he had promised to change his ways just days before he killed her.

Claire Inglis, 28, was choked with a baby wipe and burned by her boyfriend, Christopher McGowan, at her home in Stirling, Scotland, in November 2021.

Her grieving parents, Fiona and Ian, said their daughter told them McGowan was 'good' to her and she had promised he would 'change' in the days before she was killed.

Comparing the abuser to a 'caged animal', they said 'I keep thinking, was she trying to get him out?'

McGowan - a convicted domestic abuser - had been bailed from court to stay at the property a few weeks before the attack.

The murder has also tragically left Ms Inglis' nine-year-old son an orphan, as his father previously died in an accident.

Claire Inglis, 28, was burned with a lighter during an assault at her home in Stirling

Christopher McGowan, 28, claimed his girlfriend had 'fallen downstairs'

Ms Inglis, a childminding graduate who was only 5ft 2in, started a relationship with McGowan around two months before she died at his hands in December 2021.

The 28-year-old decorator had a string of convictions for violence, robbery, dealing heroin and domestically aggravated breach of the peace.

When McGowan arrived at her flat, he started pawning her possessions, including her watch - a 21st birthday present - and her son's PlayStation.

Texts supposedly sent by Ms Inglis included bad spelling and emojis, which she never used, according to her parents.

They are convinced McGowan sent the messages himself after taking their daughter's phone.

His victim suffered more than 76 injuries which left her with bleeding inside her skull and extensive injuries to her neck.

He denied any wrongdoing but, after a week-long trial earlier this year at the High Court in Stirling, jurors took less than two hours to find McGowan guilty of murder.

Judge O'Grady told McGowan that he would go to prison for a minimum of 23 years and said it was clear he wasn't truly remorseful for taking her life.

Ms Inglis' parents, Fiona and Ian, had been concerned about their daughter after she said McGowan had shouted at her in the street.

'She said she was glad to get away from him and he's a bad one,' her mother said, speaking to BBC News.

'Then three weeks later, she phoned out of the blue and said she's in a relationship.'

'He's been on a tag [curfew] he's a guy about town, he'll have been like a caged animal.

'We'll never know what happened that night, but I keep thinking was she trying to get him out?'

Ms Inglis' parents, Fiona and Ian, had been concerned about their daughter

Her parents made the decision to cut off contact with their daughter in the hope she would see reason and end the relationship when they were concerned about the relationship

Mr Inglis said his daughter's life simply consisted of walking her son back and forth to school until McGowan appeared, then she was under his control until she died.

Comparing the abuser to a 'caged animal', he said McGowan should never have been allowed to stay with his daughter and his grandson in their flat with his criminal record.

Mr and Mrs Inglis said they made the decision to cut off contact with their daughter in the hope she would see reason and end the relationship.

Mrs Inglis added: 'She told me, 'You're just a drama queen, he's good to me, he's going to change.'

'And he did. Into a murderer.'

On Wednesday, scar-faced McGowan appeared before judge Michael O'Grady KC at the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing.

Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain a background report on McGowan.

The court heard how McGowan now accepted full responsibility for murdering Ms Inglis. The court also heard that he wept when speaking about what he had done to her.

Sentencing McGowan on Wednesday, Judge O'Grady said: 'The background report which I have before me - remarkably - suggests that you accept full responsibility and that during interview you showed remorse and regret.

'Let me deal with that. It is clear that you accept no responsibility. Indeed in interview you have gone to great lengths to minimise and deny your responsibility for Claire's death.

'And as for your remorse and regret, I have watched you carefully throughout these proceedings.

Claire Inglis suffered more than 76 injuries which left her with bleeding inside her skull

'Even in the face of the most graphic and distressing evidence, you have shown not a flicker of emotion, not a hint of distress, not a shadow of remorse.

'Indeed, in the course of interview, you provided the author of the report with a lengthy and detailed account of events that night, which account the evidence has shown is a self-serving tissue of lies and a grotesque distortion of the awful truth of what you did.

'It is that dishonesty which is the true measure of your remorse. As for the tears you shed at interview, I have no doubt they were shed for none but yourself.

'To those who have not listened to the evidence in this trial, it is difficult to truly convey the utter brutality of the death you inflicted on Claire Inglis.

'By the time her broken and lifeless body was found, she had no fewer than 76 separate sites of injury. There is no need for me to dwell on the detail; there are those present today who have already heard too much to bear.

'The fact is, this young woman was not only murdered; she was subjected to nothing short of torture.

'I shudder to imagine what her last minutes were like. To describe what you did as sadistic falls woefully short of the mark. It was beyond sadistic.

'The consequences for Claire are self-evident. Her life ended in pain and terror at the age of 28.

'But there are others who remain who have also been robbed of the future they could have reasonably have expected.

'Because if she was a young woman of 28, she was also a young daughter and friend of 28 and - perhaps cruellest of all - a young mother of 28.

'Those who gave her life, and to whom she in turn gave life, will now have the anguish of living without her and the dreadful pain of knowing how she died.

'I have in particular mind the Victim Impact Statement of her young son who now spends each day lonely, bereft and bewildered, unable to make sense of why he must grow up without his mother.'

The court heard how mother of one Ms Inglis had announced on Facebook in autumn 2021 that she was 'in a relationship' with McGowan, a painter and decorator.

After a week-long trial earlier this year at the High Court in Stirling, jurors took less than two hours to find McGowan guilty of murder

The court heard how McGowan now accepted full responsibility for murdering Ms Inglis. The court also heard that he wept when speaking about what he had done to her

He had been released from prison, where he had been remanded on charges including dangerous driving following a high-speed police pursuit, a few weeks before the fatal attack.

Friends said Ms Inglis had been visiting him in jail.

A sheriff had given him bail after learning from a social work report that McGowan had a new girlfriend and that their relationship was 'positive'.

The report also stated that he was 'motivated to stay out of trouble and come off alcohol and Valium'. This led the Sheriff bailing him to Ms Inglis' address.

Five days before the killing, he received a community payback order, including a curfew requiring him to stay in her flat at night.

Jurors heard McGowan breached that curfew the night before her death, and was still out, intoxicated, in the company of Ms Inglis, in Stirling city centre at 9pm when he should have been indoors.

He was also subject to four other bail orders at the time and in had been jailed for 21 months in April 2020 for threatening to 'do in' a cop with a six-inch blade.

Four of the five bail orders that McGowan was on were granted within little more than two months of Ms Inglis' murder.

The court heard how McGowan had 40 previous convictions, including three for assault, and a conviction with a domestic aggravation dating from 2014.

The jury heard that on the day Ms Inglis died, neighbours were woken at 5am by McGowan banging on their doors.

One neighbour told the jury that McGowan had said: 'Waken up, I think I've killed her'.

Two neighbours attempted CPR before paramedics arrived to find Ms Inglis lying 'black and blue' on her bedroom floor, not breathing, with no heartbeat, and what appeared to be a baby wipe so deep in her throat they could not get an airway tube into her without removing it.

A pathologist found she had 'at least' 76 separate injuries, including bleeding inside her skull, extensive injuries to her neck, two black eyes, and 'petechial haemorrhaging', a tell-tale sign of strangulation.

A bone in her neck was fractured. A post mortem revealed death was due to 'a combination of head and neck injuries' and subdural haemorrhage.

Speaking after the case, Ms Inglis' parents slammed the decision to release McGowan to live at their daughter's home.

Her father Ian said: 'He should never ever have been put in her flat with my grandson and Claire - not with the criminal record he had.'

On Wednesday, defence advocate Paul Nelson KC said his client had had a 'less than ideal' upbringing as a child. Mr Nelson said McGowan had been physically abused by his mother and had been the subject of 'social work involvement' as a youngster.

Mr Nelson added: 'Mr McGowan turned to using drink and drugs as a coping mechanism. It led to his offending. '

Passing sentence, Judge O'Grady warned McGowan that there was no guarantee that he'd be released at the end of his 23 year term.
Popular make-up influencer Juliana Rocha has died aged just 25 after mysteriously vanishing from social media two months ago.

Rocha's family announced the Brazilian influencer's death on Monday to her thousands of fans on Instagram, without providing details on how she had died.

Rocha, who had 186,000 followers on Instagram and over 250,000 on TikTok where she shared make-up tutorials, had mysteriously stopped posting videos for two months before her death.

'It is with deep sorrow and sadness that Juliana Rocha's family informs you, her audience and those who liked her, that she has passed away,' her heartbroken family said in a post to Rocha's Instagram Stories on Monday.

Rocha made her last social media post on 25 August, leaving her fans in the dark for weeks, wondering what had happened to the influencer.

The 25-year-old was much loved for her videos featuring tutorials and tips on make-up, fashion, nails and haircare. Her last TikTok post had 1.9 million views.

Popular make-up influencer Juliana Rocha has died aged just 25 after mysteriously vanishing from social media two months ago

Rocha's family announced her death on Monday to her 186,000 fans on Instagram while her funeral was held yesterday for her relatives and friends

Popular make-up influencer Juliana Rocha (pictured) has died aged just 25 after mysteriously vanishing from social media two months ago

Shocked by the devastating news, her followers have been left speculating the reason for her death.

One person, claiming to be a friend of the family, said her death was due to cancer.

Thiago Mello wrote: 'I'm in shock. Unfortunately, it's true, people. I'm a friend of Marllon, and he confirmed it. Juliana was battling leukaemia.'

However, the influencer's relatives have not directly commented on the matter.

Rocha hailed from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and enjoyed rap music and going to the beach, according to local reports.

The Pink 21 Cosmeticos label, which had collaborated with Rocha on a video, commented: 'We were very saddened by the news, Ju was an incredible partner, extremely dedicated and talented.

'We convey to family and colleagues our feelings and prayers at this time.'

Rocha's friend, Priscila Paulo, wrote: 'I can't believe you're gone, but wherever you are, you'll be in a good place. Rest in peace, Ju. You will always be remembered.'

The 25-year-old was much loved for her videos featuring tutorials and tips on make-up, fashion, nails and haircare

Rocha made her last social media post on 25 August, leaving her fans in the dark for weeks, wondering what had happened to the influencer

Juliana Rocha has died aged just 25 after mysteriously vanishing from social media two months ago

The influencer marketing agency Helloo Folks, which managed the content creator, shared a post on Instagram Stories that read: 'Juliana's presence and influence will always be remembered, not only by us but by her entire audience.

'Rest in peace, Ju, and may your light continue to shine in our hearts.'

Rocha's fans, who spent hours watching the 25-year-old post make-up tutorials, paid tribute to the influencer.

One wrote: 'I can't believe Juliana Rocha died, I loved watching her videos.' Another added: 'I still can't believe that Juliana Rocha died, my God I loved her so much, may she rest in peace.'

Another fan wrote: 'Sad news about the death of Juliana Rocha, a talented make-up influencer. Her unexpected departure reminds us that life is fragile and we must value every moment. Her legacy and creativity will love on in the world of makeup.'
The mother of soldier Travis King has claimed he is innocent and that the army made him sign an agreement to never reveal why he crossed into North Korea or anything about his time there.

King, 23, is detained in El Paso, Texas, after North Korea handed him to the US last month following his desertion in July and charged with desertion, assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography.

His mother Claudine Gates shared details from her reunion with King two weeks ago, saying that physically he looks okay but appeared 'very drowsy and tired' - and his time in North Korea and why he went remains a mystery.

'He said he couldn't tell us what happened [in North Korea]. He told me that the army told him he couldn't tell anybody... that he had signed an agreement with them,' the mom told ABC News.

Gates said she and her family plan to fight the charges against the army private, 'and fight the charges hard, all the way through.'

King, 23, is detained in Texas after North Korea handed him to the US last month following his alleged desertion in July

His mother Claudine Gates shared details from her reunion with King two weeks ago, saying that physically he looks okay but appeared 'very drowsy and tired'

She and her husband Dan Jovanovic insisted the charges against Travis, who spent over 70 days in the totalitarian nation, do not align with the 'peaceful person' they knew before he was deployed to South Korea.

Travis is accused of soliciting a lewd photo from a Snapchat user. Gates and Jovanovic claimed King lost his phone in South Korea, and someone could have accessed his social media account.

'If you got all these devices accessible or laying around and everything, God only knows how that manifested itself in there,' the stepdad said.

'The actions that the Army is saying that he's doing is not Travis. He's not like that. He's a good boy,' Gates said, adding that she had a nervous breakdown while her son was kept in the Hermit Kingdom.

King crossed the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea on the day he was scheduled to return from deployment, where he served over 40 days in detention accused of assaulting fellow officers.

The mother and stepfather said they don't believe the allegations against King, who is accused of being involved in drunken brawls, claiming the soldier did not even drink back at home.

'Something must have happened to flare him up. He never even hollered or got angry, he wouldn't even step on an ant,' King's stepdad said.

Gates said: 'I still feel inside that something happened to him and he's the only one who can say what happened.'

She and Jovanovic also claimed the army has not provided any answers.

Gates has previously said the accusations against her son don't align with what she knows.

'The man I raised, the man I dropped off at boot camp, the man who spent the holidays with me before deploying did not drink,' she told CBS News. 'A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed.'

She and her husband Dan Jovanovic insisted the charges against Travis, who spent over 70 days in the totalitarian nation, do not align with the 'peaceful person' they knew

US Army Private 2nd Class Travis King, circled, is pictured during a tour moments before his dash across the border into North Korea

King appears calm, wearing casual clothes, and being photographed as he arrived in America after being kicked out of North Korea

Desertion is a serious charge that can result in a three-year prison sentence.

King is also accused of kicking and punching other officers last year, unlawfully possessing alcohol, making a false statement and possessing a video of a child engaged in sexual activity, according to AP.

That allegation dates to July 10, the same day he was released from a South Korean prison where he had served nearly two months on assault charges.

One week later, King ran across the heavily fortified border from South Korea and became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.

He was set to be sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he could have faced potential additional disciplinary actions and discharge.

Officials said King was taken to the airport and escorted as far as customs. But instead of getting on the plane, he left and later joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom.

He ran across the border, which is lined with guards and often crowded with tourists, in the afternoon.

After about two months, Pyongyang abruptly announced that it would expel him. He was flown on Sept. 28 to an Air Force base in Texas.

His release from North Korea was aided by Swedish officials who took King to the Chinese border, where he was met by U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, the Swedish ambassador to China and at least one U.S. Defense Department official. He was then flown to a U.S. military base in South Korea before heading to the U.S.

North Korea had previously claimed King fled to the North due to the 'inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army.'

'During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK (the initials of the North's official name) as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army,' KCNA reported.

'He also expressed his willingness to seek refugee in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned at the unequal American society.'

Once back in the US, King was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston outside San Antonio.

He went through what the military describes as a 'reintegration' process that included medical exams, psychological assessments and debriefings. And he was also allowed to meet with family.

At the time, officials said they did not know exactly why North Korea decided to let King go, but suspected Pyongyang determined that as a low-ranking serviceman he had no real value in terms of either leverage or information.

King, who joined the Army in January 2021, had faced two allegations of assault in South Korea. He pleaded guilty to assault and destroying public property for damaging a police car during a profanity-laced tirade against Koreans, according to court documents.

Instead of paying a fine, King opted for more than a month in South Korean detention.

By declaring King a deserter, the Army would have to conclude that King left and intended to stay away permanently. In times of war, desertion can carry the death penalty.

Service members can go AWOL for several days, but may return voluntarily.

The punishment can include confinement in the brig, forfeiture of pay or dishonorable discharge and it is largely based on how long they were away and whether they were apprehended or returned on their own.

The charging document does not provide significant detail on any of the allegations, though it does accuse King of knowingly possessing a video of a child engaging in sexual conduct last July 10 and says that he solicited a user of Snapchat, a social media platform, to produce images of underage sexual activity.

King's family has hired a legal team to defend him that includes Franklin Rosenblatt, who served as lead military defense counsel during the court martial proceedings against Bowe Bergdahl, family spokesperson Jonathan Franks said in a statement.

Bergdahl was an Army sergeant who was held for five years by the Taliban after walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009.
A lone woman who was almost sexually assaulted in broad daylight by a homeless man who unzipped his pants before grabbing her from behind and thrusting up against her, expressed her shock this week that he wont face felony charges.

Rebekah Pedersen told ABC Los Angeles in an interview that she was told Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon's office was not willing to charge the suspect with felony attempted rape because the attacker 'didn't say that's what he was going to do.'

The horrific incident occurred on October 20 outside of a Village Market restaurant in downtown Long Beach. Surveillance video shows the suspect sitting on the ground as Pedersen walks by.

After she passes him, he hurries up behind her and grabs her, throwing her to the ground. A man sitting nearby springs into action and pepper sprays the would-be attacker, who then runs away.

A witness described the attacker as 'salivating' and appearing to be 'demon possessed' prior to the attempted assault.

The horrifying video begins with Rebekah Pedersen walking past the homeless suspect in broad daylight

One witness described the suspect as 'salivating' and appearing 'demon possessed' prior to the attack

The victim, Rebekah Pedersen, shown here, has chosen to speak out about the attack and has called out the district attorney's office for its unwillingness to bring felony charges

The terrifying video shows the suspect stalking his victim prior to the attempted assault

After she passes him, the suspect began to follow her, unzipped his pants, grabbed her and threw her to the ground

That's when a man sitting nearby sprang into action and pepper sprayed the attacker, chasing him away

'I feel him right here on my neck. He grabs my hips and thrusts himself into me I couldnt break away so turned really quick and then he pushed him to the ground,' Pedersen said in her description of the incident.

'Clearly it means the DA doesn't have a daughter, first of all, or have any care for women's protection and safety whatsoever because you literally have the video of him doing this,' she continued.

Suspect Miguel Avila, 30, was arrested shortly after the incident and booked on charges of sexual battery, an offense that carries a maximum of six months in prison and held on a bail of $1,000. Attempted rape carries with it a maximum sentence of six years.

Bravely, Pedersen has gone on camera to describe her ordeal in several interviews.

'In that moment, I had no idea [what was happening]. My first thought was, "Is this someone I know playing a joke on me?" Then, in a matter of seconds, I was like "Oh no. Hes not letting me go." So I turned really quick and fell to the ground,' she told KTLA.

'Im just lucky that it happened in daylight and not at night because then I probably would have been raped,' she added.

The man who pepper sprayed the suspect, Dan McIntyre, gave a horrifying description of the attacker to CBS Los Angeles saying that the man was 'salivating' prior to grabbing Pedersen.

'His tongue was just going in and out and he was just focused on who was right ahead of him. He looked demon-possessed. If I've ever seen a demon possession that's it,' he said.

Good Samaritan Dan McIntyre sprang into action when the assault began and chased Avila away

Meanwhile witness Jason Greenleaf told KTLA: 'It was horrifying to see. I mean, this neighborhood is out of control.'

Greenleaf went on to say that local police refer to the stretch where Pedersen was attacked as 'the beast.'

'They say they dont have enough officers to patrol the area and they tell us not to do anything. Were in a predicament,' he added.

Another witness, a local hairstylist, said that she is often worried for women walking along the stretch and encourages them to either carry a weapon or take self-defense classes.

Pedersen told ABC Los Angeles that she plans to get a gun license and a taser.

'I want that guy in jail, so that he doesn't go and actually rape somebody,' she said.

The story attracted so much attention that Long Beach's Mayor Rex Richardson issued a video statement on the crime.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon has come under intense scrutiny of his liberal attitude to violent crime

'This incident is absolutely unacceptable. Every resident deserves to feel safe as they walk through our community,' the mayor said.

'The reality is the substance abuse challenges, the mental health challenges, are affecting downtowns across our region. Thats why Ill be asking for enhanced focus on our downtown,' he added.

'If we don't take care of downtown we're going to see this spreading into all of our districts,' Vice Mayor Cindy Allen said, adding that the local council is plotting a series of actions to increase safety in the downtown section of Long Beach.

Avila will make his first appearance in court on Friday.

Since 2020, Long Beach has seen an increase of 62 percent in the city's homeless community. During that same time time period, property crime has increased 23 percent in the downtown area.

In 2022, the city was forced to shudder its city library for a period due to concerns of the safety of staff, reports The Long Beach Post.
While many Brits will be looking forward to an extra hour of shut-eye this weekend, some might be concerned about how their sleep schedules could be affected.

This Sunday (October 29), clocks will go back in the UK by one hour at 2am, meaning the 60 minutes between 1am to 2am will happen twice.

Although it will be a welcome rewind for many people partying into the early hours of Sunday morning, others will want to adjust their body clocks accordingly.

To help you prepare for the change back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), MailOnline spoke to sleep expert Dr Lindsay Browning, who gave six tips on how to maintain your sleep schedule when the clocks go back.

This Sunday (October 29), clocks will go back in the UK by one hour at 2am, meaning the 60 minutes between 1am to 2am will happen twice. (File image)

Adjust your sleep schedule

READ MORE: Daylight savings time and your health: How the clocks going back could have serious effects on your health Advertisement

Dr Browning's first tip concerns, shifting your sleep pattern slowly but surely, if you are able to do so.

She says that if you can start going to bed slightly later, as well as waking up a little bit later in the days leading up to the clock change, then your body will already be used to going to sleep and waking up at a new time come Sunday morning.

To do this, she advises moving your bedtime and wake-time progressively timer late by 15 to 20 minutes in the three to four days before the clock change, until you are going to bed and waking up one hour later than usual.

When the clocks change overnight on Sunday, this later time will become your usual bedtime and wake time, without needing any adjustment.

Exercise during the daytime

Dr Browning says that if we exercise during the day, it helps our circadian rhythm to know that its daytime.

She says that this can help us feel awake and alert during the day, helping to stave off any potential drowsiness.

While many Brits will be looking forward to an extra hour of sleep this weekend, some might be concerned about how their sleep schedules could be affected. (File image)

Avoid bright lights before bedtime

Bright light exposure can reduce the production of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep naturally.

To help you fall asleep more quickly, Dr Browning suggests dimming the lights near bedtime and avoiding screens, because they can emit particularly strong bright blue light.

Adjust your meal times

When the clocks change, you may find that you are becoming hungry earlier than you want to because your body is used to eating at the earlier meal times.

You can offset this by moving your mealtimes a little later each day before the clock change to help your body adjust more easily.

Reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake

Caffeine and alcohol both disrupt sleep in different ways, so try to avoid them in the evenings, the sleep expert says.

She adds that this is especially the case when the clocks go back, because your body may need a little extra help to get used to the new time.

Have a warm bath before bed

If you are worried about sleeping with an hour's difference, Dr Browning advises taking a warm bath before bed.

She says the warm bath will increase your core body temperature, and when you get out of the bath, this will start to drop, helping you to feel sleepy.

Also, taking a warm relaxing bath is a great way to unwind before bed, helping you to physically and mentally relax, making it easier to fall asleep, she adds.
Gavin Newsom was granted a surprise audience with China's leader Xi Jinping when he visited Beijing on Wednesday after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.

The reception for Newsom stood in sharp contrast to the official dialogue between Beijing and Washington in recent years.

Relations between the world's two largest economies are currently at a low ebb over a host of issues including China's aggression toward Taiwan, its activities in the South China Sea, trade and human rights.

Despite that, Newsom, the Democratic California governor, said his meeting with Xi had been 'remarkably positive'.

The 45-minute encounter took place in the palatial Great Hall of the People.

Gavin Newsom, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

U.S. media were blocked from the meeting

Newsom's appearance on the world stage came as speculation mounted that he could be a potential successor to Joe Biden if the 80-year-old ultimately decides not to accept the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024.

The California governor has repeatedly ruled himself out as a candidate.

Following his meeting with Xi, Newsom said relations between the U.S. and China had been 'very stressful' in the last few years, and he hoped they were entering a 'new phase'.

He told CNN: 'We've got to turn down the heat. We've got to manage our strategic differences. We've got to reconcile our strategic red lines. Those are well established between our two countries.'

Newsom added: 'I want to applaud his (Xi's) willingness to reconcile those differences, people to people exchange, the fact he's meeting with the governor of California at the sub-national level, I think is indicative of a thaw (in relations).'

He added that the U.S. was in 'good hands' with President Biden but 'not in good hands with the Republican party'.

The current inability of Republicans in Congress to choose a Speaker of the House was a 'clown show,' he added.

Despite his expressed support for Biden, the China visit was the latest profile-raising move by the 56-year-old governor.

He has already joined Donald Trump's Truth Social network to debate conservatives, attended a Republican primary debate to make the Democrat case, and challenged Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis to a televised debate.

Meanwhile, Republicans have blasted Newsom over his week-log trip to China, which is primarily to discuss climate change, and had called on him to cancel it.

They said he should also be bringing up the issues of human rights abuses by Beijing and Chinese fentanyl production.

'Gov. Newsom's effort to cozy up to the Chinese Communist Party is delusional,' Republican congresswoman Michelle Steel said last week.

The meeting with Xi came three days after Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, lumped China in with Russia and Iran as part of an 'axis of evil'.

McConnell said: 'Its an emergency that we step up and deal with this axis of evil  China, Russia, Iran  because its an immediate threat to the United States.'

Newsom is visiting Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces on the trip.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference in Beijing

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, shakes hands with Zheng Shanjie, head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, after they signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing

According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, Xi told Newsom: 'I hope your visit will enhance mutual understanding between the two sides and play a positive role in expanding cooperation between China and California and promoting the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations.'

Earlier, Newsom gave brief opening remarks ahead of a meeting with Wang Yi, China's top diplomat.

Newsom said: 'I'm here in expectation, as you suggest, of turning the page, of renewing our friendship and reengaging foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective faith in the future.'

He said the main reason for the trip was that California and China could collaborate on climate change, even if there's a party change in the White House.

Wang, who is set to visit the U.S. on Thursday, said Newsom's visit attracted criticism but that he views it positively.

He said: 'I think time and facts will certainly prove that your visit to China is in line with California people's wishes and in line with the American people's interests and the expectations of the global society.'

U.S. media were physically blocked from Newsom's meeting with Xi, while Chinese journalists were allowed in, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Afterwards, Newsom said that, in addition to climate change, he had discussed Israel with Xi.

He also raised the issue of fentanyl, the opioid fueling overdose deaths in the U.S.

Chemicals used to produce fentanyl are made in China.

Newsom said: 'We talked about precursor chemicals, we talked about the importance of the issue and how its become a leading cause of death in the United States.'

He said that discussion was 'remarkably positive'.

Newsom confirmed he did not speak to Xi about China's human rights record, including its persecution of Uyghur Muslims.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, shakes hands with Zheng Shanjie, head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, in Beijing

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, second from right, attends a meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing

Xi reportedly spoke about his memories of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, which he has visited in the past, and where Newsom was previously mayor.

Biden and Xi are expected to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November, although the meeting has not been confirmed.

Newsom said he had a 'substantive' discussion with Xi on climate change.

He said: 'We're not going to move the needle on climate change unless the United States and China collaborate together.'

There were 'strategic red lines' in the relationship between the world's top two greenhouse gas emitters, but both sides were capable of managing them, he added.

During their meeting, Xi told Newsom that there was 'huge potential' for the two countries to cooperate on green development, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.

Xi said climate change could still become a 'new bright spot' in the China-U.S. relationship.

Climate cooperation between the two countries has been disrupted in recent years, with Chinese officials insisting that the issue could not be treated separately from broader diplomatic and trade disputes.

In July, Biden's climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing to resume formal discussions with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua.

That followed a year-long gap caused by former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
An RAF plane with a cargo of 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for Gaza has arrived in Egypt, the Foreign Secretary has confirmed.

The C-17 that left RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday morning contained 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights, with the aid set to be distributed through the Egyptian Red Crescent.

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last week he was increasing UK support by 30 million to meet the needs of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been subject to a siege and bombardment from Israel as Tel Aviv retaliates after Hamas's assault on October 7.

The extra funding will see the UK's existing commitment to those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories increase this year from 27 million to 57 million.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said there was a need for 'specific pauses, as distinct from a ceasefire' in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow people to leave Gaza and for aid to be transported into the territory.

The C-17 that left RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday morning contained 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights, with the aid set to be distributed through the Egyptian Red Crescent

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly confirmed the arrival of the flight to Egypt

Each water filter and light carried by the C-17 is intended to support a family of five, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The Department for Health and Social Care donated the wound care packs from its stockpiles, the UK Government said.

The packs include sterilised clinical equipment and protective clothing.

Announcing the arrival of the aircraft James Cleverly posted on X: 'UK aid to support civilians in Gaza has landed in Egypt. Humanitarian aid must continue to reach those who need it most.'

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'Today's airlift is a clear demonstration of the UK's commitment to helping those most in need - rapidly deploying the RAF to get life-saving aid into the region.

'Together with our regional partners it is critical that we prioritise protecting all civilians from harm, that is why I'm in the Middle East this week to work with defence leaders on deterring a wider conflict that would have devastating consequences for families across the region.'

The announcement follows diplomatic efforts in the Middle East by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary last week to ensure aid trucks can make it through the Rafah crossing, linking Gaza and Egypt.

It is Gaza's only border point not controlled by Israel.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak said there was a need for 'specific pauses, as distinct from a ceasefire' in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow people to leave Gaza and for aid to be transported into the territory

Cargo loaded onto the aircraft before take-off. Each water filter and light carried by the C-17 is intended to support a family of five, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD)

Workers loading the items onto the plane. The announcement follows diplomatic efforts in the Middle East by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary last week to ensure aid trucks can make it through the Rafah crossing, linking Gaza and Egypt

Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft in Egypt delivering UK aid to the region

Ahead of aid being allowed through, Tel Aviv had been keen to put in place strict conditions to prevent the aid reaching Hamas fighters.

Mr Cleverly has stressed that more aid is needed to help Gaza's 2.3 million population.

It comes after the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to cut back sharply relief operations across the 25-mile strip.

Mr Cleverly said: 'The urgent humanitarian need in Gaza is clear.

'This delivery of vital UK aid into Egypt will save lives but more is needed.

'Humanitarian aid must continue to be allowed into Gaza to reach the people who need it most.

'The UK is working with Israel, Egypt and other partners in the region to enable life-saving aid to reach civilians, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel as a priority.'

To support the Foreign Office's team with distributing aid shipments, the UK's military advisory team attached to the embassy in Egypt has been bolstered, the MoD said.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stressed that more aid is needed to help Gaza's 2.3 million population (File Photo)

Sir Keir Starmer is meeting Labour's Muslim MPs as he continues efforts to allay a growing backlash over his position on Israel and Gaza.

The Labour leader had been expected to be joined by his deputy, Angela Rayner, on Wednesday afternoon amid anger over his comments, which have sparked resignations from councillors.

In an interview with LBC after Hamas's atrocity, Sir Keir suggested that Israel has the 'right' to cut off power and water from Gaza.

But, acknowledging the 'distress' caused by the remarks, he subsequently sought to clarify his position, arguing that he did not mean to back the siege on more than two million Palestinians.

Around 12 Labour parliamentarians, including at least one frontbencher, are believed to be at the meeting which began after Prime Minister's Questions.
The death of a model who was found in a 'gruesome, bloody' scene at her Los Angeles apartment has been ruled an accidental overdose.

The body of Nichole, 'Nikki', Coats, 32, was discovered by her family and 'unrecognizable' on September 10.

Her father, Guy Coats, said he found his daughter in an 'unnatural' position and described how she appeared to have bruising and a 'busted' lip.

It was initially feared she may have been the victim of a possible serial killer after another model, Maleesa Mooney, 31, was found dead at her luxury LA home just three miles away two days later.

But, a coroner has now ruled Coats' death was the result of an accidental overdose of cocaine and alcohol. Mooney's death is still being treated as a homicide and police have said there is no link between the two cases.

The death of Nichole 'Nikki' Coats, 32, has been ruled as accidental and the result of a cocaine and alcohol overdose

Coats was found dead inside her LA apartment by family members who described her body as 'unrecognizable'

Coats' father and her aunt May Stevens discovered the 5-foot 8-inch tall model dead at her South Grand Avenue home after becoming concerned when she stopped responding to texts.

They let themselves in using a spare key and discovered Coats in bed. They said they were only able to identify her by her distinctive tattoos.

'I went up to her bed and I touched her arm because it was extended out,' Guy Coats told the New York Post.

'She had a cover over her and I touched her arm, but her whole body was swollen, like it was inflamed,' he said.

'I took a look at her face and I immediately turned away because I just couldn't take it. I knew immediately that she had already passed away. I couldn't look too long and had to turn away, but I saw her fingers were starting to blacken on the tips.'

Her family immediately suspected foul play and cops initially treated the death as suspicious, however ruled out murder shortly afterward.

Her mother, Sharon Coats, expressed frustration the death was not being treated as a homicide.

'It's like they don't care. I'm not going to let this be a cold case. I will keep voicing my opinion regarding what happened,' Sharon Coats said.

Two days after Coats was found dead model Maleesa Mooney, 31, (pictured) was found murdered inside her luxurious LA apartment sparking fears there could be a serial killer on the loose

Coats' downtown Los Angeles apartment (pitcutred) was just three miles from where Mooney was found two days later

Just days after Coats was discovered, the battered body of Mooney was found at her luxurious apartment.

Family raised the alarm after becoming concerned after noting their iPhone conversations turned from blue to green when delivered, indicating a change in Wi-Fi or data services.

The medical examiner's office has labeled the death the result of 'homicidal violence.'

Mooney was two months pregnant at the time of her murder, which police say took place inside her home.

No link has been established between the two deaths despite their proximity and the similarity between the women's professions.
A 23-year-old American in Israel died with several of his childhood friends saving their female companions at the doomed southern music festival that Hamas terrorists massacred nearly three weeks ago.

Addir Mesika, 23, of New York was called 'a real hero' by his aunt, Morielle Lotan, who said she believes the young man 'knew what his end was going to be, and did it anyway.'

Mesika and his group, who included several longtime friends, his girlfriend, and another young woman, were resting in tents at the festival when they began to hear rocket sirens.

Palestinian terrorists had sent missiles over from the nearby Gaza border in an effort to provide cover for the Hamas agents who were running a ground invasion.

The group of friends got into their car and drove to a small bomb shelter close by.

Lotan said her nephew was texting his younger brother from the car about what was going on. It was not clear to any of them that Hamas terrorists had crossed the border and infiltrated the party.

Addir Mesika, 23, of New York was called 'a real hero' by his aunt, Morielle Lotan, who said she believes the young man 'knew what his end was going to be, and did it anyway'

Mesika was buried in Israel beside his two childhood friends who also died at the festival, Eli and Matan

When Mesika and his friends began to hear the sound of machine guns firing and Arabic language chatter, it became clear that they may be dealing with terrorists looking to hunt and kill them.

The men saw the Palestinian assailants approaching similar shelters to theirs and tossing grenades into them.

As the terrorists approached their shelter, Mesika and his best friend Eli told the two young women to hide. They then left the shelter and charged the Hamas agents to divert attention away from the shelter.

The young men were all killed by gunfire in a heroic act of self-sacrifice. The women remained in the shelter for six hours until IDF soldiers arrived to rescue them.

Mesika, Eli, and their third childhood friend, Matan, were buried side-by-side in Israel.

'We're broken and devastated, and angry, and sad and worried,' said Lotan in an interview with Fox Digital.

She added that her nephew was a larger-than-life individual whose friends and family will now live that way in his honor.

'We all have to live a really large life in his name because that's what he would have wanted. And we have to be meaningful with our lives because he was meaningful with his,' she said.

Lotan also said that since her nephew's tragic murder, her family has received an unparalleled outpouring of love from the community in Israel.

'I have never seen this kind of support in all of the years that Israel has been in existence. And it's beyond the military support. It's the human to human,' she said.

Some 3,000 people attended Mesika's funeral, many of whom told his family how much they admired their loved one's love of life.

Mesika's aunt, Morielle Lotan (right), remembered her nephew as full of life and eager to serve Israel

Mesika (right bottom) died protecting his girlfriend and other female friend at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7. His childhood friends Eli Nachman (left bottom) and Matan (top) were also killed by terrorist gunfire

Prior to his death, Mesika served in the IDF, in a combat engineering unit.

'He didn't talk a lot about it. It was clandestine for the most part. But he loved life. And he cared very much about being able to be free and to live in a country that prioritized freedom and protected freedom.

'And he fought for it and stayed in the military for longer than the standard mandatory service. And that's what drove him, really. I think that is his love of life,' said Lotan.

'I think that Addir would want [Israel to be] really making sure to eradicate that kind of threat,' she said about the aftermath of the barbaric attack.

'I'm going to do my best and his family will do their best to try and not only take care of the immediate needs that Israel has right now, but also try to be a lighthouse for what's to come afterward and help rally the support towards rebuilding and healing.'

On October 7, Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel that included the specific targeting of the Nova music festival in the southern part of the country, near Kibbutz Reim, where the Palestinian militants slaughtered innocent families in cold blood.

At the music festival, held in the name of peace, Palestinian terrorists mutilated innocent civilians and took hostages who are still being held in Gaza.

Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis during the October 7 raid, plunging the region back into a bloody war that has now seen the IDF retaliate with dozens and dozens of deadly airstrikes in Gaza, as well as a forthcoming ground offensive.
A man left fellow Disney World visitors stunned when he launched himself off a bridge into a lagoon to win $6,000 in a bet - before he was kicked out by security.

The man who is known on social media for collecting and trading Pokemon cards plunged into the World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT's Italy Pavilion with his precious cards in tact to win the money.

After completing the dare and hauling himself out of the water via a nearby gondola, the man was chased down by nearby security and kicked out of Disney World, Fox reported.

Two witnesses known only as Brendan and Gwyn said: 'A Disney manager was on her radio before he even hit the water so when he joined his buddies, Disney security was right behind him.'

The prankster bragged about only receiving a one-year-ban from the amusement park and said they were not fined for the stunt.

Viral videos showed the dramatic moment a man jumped off a Disney World bridge into the Florida amusement park's large lagoon

The bet that was made challenged the man to plunge from the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT into the World Showcase Lagoon with his Pokemon cards for $6,000

After completing the dare the man was chased down by nearby security and kicked out of Disney World's park

Video of the jump was shared by Brandon Reiter, 38, on his TikTok account. He captioned the video 'Why did @elit3trainers jump in that freezing cold water for 60k like that?'

Users in the comment section were quick to point out that it was a $6,000 bet - not $60k, like Reiter claimed.

In the footage, the man can be seen teetering on the edge of Disney's bridge while some bystanders encouraged him to take the leap.

He then launched himself into the 'freezing cold' water of Disney's Epcot lagoon while the crowds that had gathered watched in shock.

After he landed in the water with a giant splash he quickly swam across the lagoon and struggled to pull himself up onto one of the canal boats before dashing out of the water.

He hopped over the fence and did a victory dance to celebrate the $6,000 he was going to win for completing the dare.

The jumper - known as elit3trainers to his 11.4k followers on TikTok - is known for making videos about collecting and trading Pokemon cards and his 'weekly Pokemon breaks'.

During negotiations for the bet, the jumper said: 'I promise you - I will jump of that f***ing bridge with all my Pokemon cards.'

He continued: 'For six bands? Are you f***ing kidding me?'

Reiter then posted a TikTok to his own account showing a security officer trailing his friend through the amusement park, captioned: 'Catch me if you can!'

The jumper revealed in TikTok comments that apparently he didn't receive a lifetime ban. The user bragged: 'Year ban, no fine. No arrest. For everyone wondering.'

According to park visitors Brendan and Gwyn who saw the jump: 'A Disney manager was on her radio before he even hit the water so when he joined his buddies, Disney security was right behind him'

After he landed in the water with a giant splash - he quickly swam across the lagoon and struggled to pull himself up onto one of the canal boats before dashing out of the water

In the footage, the brave man was teetering on the edge of Disney's bridge while bystanders encouraged him to take the leap. The jumper then launched himself into the 'freezing cold' water of Disney's Epcot lagoon while the crowds that had gathered watched in shock and amazement

The courtesy section of Disneyland's website says: 'We ask all who come to this happy place to treat others with respect, kindness and compassion.

'To help Guests have a safe and enjoyable experience, we regularly update our Disneyland Resort rules.

'Those who cannot live up to this simple wish or follow our rules may be asked to leave the Disneyland Resort.'

One of Disneyland's rules specifically prohibits 'engaging in any unsafe act or other act that may impede the operation of the Disneyland Resort or any part thereof.'

This isn't the first time a jumper has caused havoc at EPCOT.

In June 2023 an allegedly drunk Disney World attendee exited a ride while it was in motion - causing general chaos and a war of words with other guests.

The jumper revealed in TikTok comments that apparently he didn't receive a lifetime ban. The user bragged: 'Year ban, no fine. No arrest. For everyone wondering'

Brendan and Gwyn run the Instagram account DisFamily Adventures. The pair were strolling past ESCOT's Italy Pavilion at around 5:30 pm when they overheard the commotion leading up the jump and wanted to stick around 'to see if anything would happen,' pictured: DisFamily Adventures on Instagram

The heated altercation was recorded by another rider on what was supposed to be a relaxing boat ride at Disney's EPCOT theme park - famed for its 'Drink Around the World' challenge.

A pair of clips posted to TikTok the next day laid bare the disruption - showing how the ride was brought to a stand till for safety purposes as the woman teetered along the exit platform at the water's edge, looking to leave the slow-moving tour.

Disney's park was named EPCOT - which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow - when it opened on October 1, 1982. The park cost $1 billion to build.

A day-ticket for the park will set you back $109 per person - a small price to pay for a $6,000 return.
The sister of a woman who is the subject of Scotland Yard's oldest missing person case has been found dead at home with her husband.

The bodies of Brenda Harris, 72, and her husband Derrick were discovered by police who forced their way into their house on Friday.

The alarm was raised by a relative who became concerned after being unable to contact them.

Post-mortem examinations have not taken place yet but police say they are not treating the deaths as suspicious and have not launched a murder investigation. A file has been passed to the coroner.

The deaths mean Mrs Harris never found out what became of her sister, Mary Flanagan, who disappeared aged 16 on New Year's Eve in 1959. She was last seen as she left her home in West Ham, east London, to attend a party for staff at the Tate & Lyle sugar factory where she worked part-time.

Neighbours of the couple's 300,000 semi-detached house in the Bretton district of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, told the Mail the couple were devoted to each other and either might have taken their own life if their partner died. Mrs Harris had been suffering from a long-term illness.

Derrick and Brenda Harris, pictured in the 1970s. They have been found dead at their home

Mary Flanagan, the sister of Brenda Harris, who disappeared in east London aged 16 in 1959

The home in Bretton near Peterborough where the couple were found dead

One said: 'They were absolutely lovely people and very friendly but they seemed to lock themselves away after Covid.

'They would only come out once a week to do their shopping and I would only see them occasionally. She was not very well and always wearing a face mask.

'The police put some tape up outside their house after they were found and I think some forensics people might have come down but they didn't stay for long.

'Whatever happened, the police seemed happy that there was no foul play. I am wondering whether one of them died and the other took their own life because they couldn't bear to be apart.'

Another resident said: 'They were a friendly couple who always had time for a chat.

'I last saw them around six months ago and I assumed they had gone to live with a relative or something. Then I saw a light on a few weeks ago.'

Left and right, Mr and Mrs Harris. They were found dead at home. Police said the deaths are not being treated as suspicious

Mrs Harris never found out what became of her sister, Mary Flanagan

One neighbour added: 'I only realised something was wrong when one of their nieces banged on my door and asked if we had seen them because she could not get a reply.

'She then called the police and officers broke in and found the bodies. It's very sad.'

Mrs Harris - who was eight at the time of her sister's disappearance - had taken part in police appeals to find her sister and regularly pleaded on Facebook for information.

The teenager had been in a relationship with an Irishman called Tom who was believed to be in the merchant navy, although she had a fight with him the night before she disappeared when she discovered he was living with his mother, not a landlady as he had claimed.

The Met reactivated the investigation into her disappearance in 2013 on what would have been Mary's 70th birthday.

She was described in police records as a 'bright and friendly girl from an Irish Catholic family' who also worked part-time at an optician's in Stratford.

Four years ago, on the 60th anniversary of Mary's last sighting, Mrs Harris revealed she was still desperately holding on to hope, saying: 'Your head tells you something has happened but my heart says she is out there somewhere.

The sign for Ringwood where Mr and Mrs Harris lived

'We just need to let her know it's okay, that we're not going to have a go at her. We just want to know she is alive and well, healthy and happy. That will be enough.'

She added: 'Time is running out for all of us and I want to see her in this world and not the other.'

Describing their last moments together, she said: 'She wished us all a Happy New Year and kissed my mother, brother and I goodbye because she knew we would be in bed when she got home later.

'My mother and I watched her walk to West Ham station and she turned around and waved goodbye at us. That was the last time I saw Mary.'

Mrs Harris had previously been married when she tied the knot with Derrick in 1977. They are believed to have had no children and other relatives were not available to comment.

Cambridgeshire Coroner's Office said post-mortem examinations were due to take place today. A date is yet to be set for the inquests.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: 'We were called at 4.24pm on Friday with concerns for the occupants of an address in Bretton.

'Police forced entry to the property and found the two occupants deceased. The deaths are not being treated as suspicious and a file has been passed to the coroner.'
A murder victim whose body was found face down in a Florida canal in 1984 has finally been identified, 40 years later.

Lori Jane Kearsey was just 23 when she went missing after marrying into an infamous Boston crime family.

She was found dead in a canal on the 2600 block of Southwest 130th Avenue in Davie, South Florida on February 18, 1984, having been strangled.

Despite releasing her description, blonde, hazel eyes, 5'4 and 120 pounds, police were not able to identify the victim.

However, a breakthrough came when the use of DNA from Kearsey's bone fragments led investigators to find a match with her daughter Maehgan Smith, who lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Lori Jane Kearsey was just 23 when she went missing after marrying into an infamous Boston crime family

She was found dead in a canal on the 2600 block of Southwest 130th Avenue in Davie, South Florida

Despite releasing her description, blonde, hazel eyes, 5'4 and 120 pounds, police were not able to identify the victim

'I was so overwhelmed because I resigned myself to the fact that I thought I'd probably never know what happened to her,' Smith told WSVN.

Kearsey had had Smith at just 17 and she was still a small child when she went missing. At the time, her parents were divorced.

'She had dropped me off on the weekend and just didn't go back,' Smith said. 'I think, 'What was she doing down here,' like she didn't feel like, call anybody, and I just can't even imagine what that feeling was like for her and it's heartbreaking.'

'She re-married into a pretty infamous crime family in Boston,' Smith explained.

However, neither Smith nor the police will release the identity of Kearsey's husband or his family name.

Smith, who journeyed to Florida to receive her mother's remains the moment was emotional.

'I think the feeling of even picking up her remains, thinking I probably haven't touched any part of her in 41 years, is just a little surreal feeling.'

Now, after 40 years, her daughter will finally lay her to rest.

However, a breakthrough cam when the use of DNA from Kearsey's bone fragments, led investigators to find a match with her daughter Maehgan Smith (pictured)

Smith (center) now has her own daughters, ages 18 and 21. Seeing them near the age that her mother was when she was murdered is a poignant reminder

Neither Smith nor the police will release the identity of Kearsey's husband or his family name

Kearsey's lifeless body was found face down in a Florida canal in 1984

Davie Police Sergeant Kevin Urbaez said his force is still looking for Kearsey's killers

Smith now has her own daughters, ages 18 and 21 and watching them near the age that her mother was when she was murdered is a poignant reminder.

'My whole life I knew something happened to her, but now to have the closure,' Smith said.

'She was a kid. She could have grown up  She never got a chance.'

Davie Police Sergeant Kevin Urbaez said his force is still looking for Kearsey's killers.

'That's our goal in this case, bring additional closure, but to also bring those who were involved in this criminal case to justice,' Urbaez said.

Without sharing details, Detective Eddy Velazquez told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that they have identified people of interest who are still alive.

He would not say whether they are in Massachusetts or Florida because of the active investigation.

The man Kearsey married is still alive, but Velazquez would not say whether he is a suspect or where he is.

They are still working leads, awaiting other DNA test results, he said.
It fetched a hammer price of 65,000, but auction fees pushed it up to 82,160

A rare Rolex watch which was bought for 60 in 1965 has sold for more than 82,000.

The Rolex Oyster Submariner timepiece is a '369' Explorer version that was made by the iconic Swiss watch manufacturer in 1964.

It fetched a hammer price of 65,000, but auction fees pushed the final figure to a staggering 82,160 at Gardiner Houlgate Auctions in Corsham, Wiltshire.

This is an eyewatering 1,370 times more than what the vendor, an elderly man from Bournemouth, Dorset, paid for it.

A watch specialist called it an 'Antiques Roadshow moment'.

The Rolex sold for 65,000, but auction fees pushed the final figure to a staggering 82,160. This is an eyewatering 1,370 times more than what the vendor paid

The 'stand out' aspect of the watch is the dial design. The watch company experimented with having the three, six and nine on the black dial in digits rather than the traditional baton markers used to mark the hours

The 'stand out' aspect of the watch is the dial design. The company experimented with having the three, six and nine on the black dial in digits rather than the traditional baton markers used to mark the hours.

Rolex soon reverted back to using the standard 12 batons after a backlash from their wealthy customers.

As a result, '369' watches that exist today are considered quite rare and highly sought-after among collectors.

Up until recently, the original owner wore it virtually every single day.

The man was a model maker by trade and worked originally for the British Railway Model Department.

He later joined the modelling workshop of Gerry Anderson who created 'Thunderbirds' in the 1960s, which is when he bought the Rolex for a jeweller in London's Bond Street.

The stainless steel watch was acquired by a collector in the United States.

Up until recently, the original owner wore it virtually every single day

David Hare, watch specialist at Gardiner Houlgate, said: 'It was bought by the owner for 60 so it is not a bad investment.

'The stand out thing about this Rolex model is the dial. It has got an Explorer dial with three, six and nine in digits rather than batons.

'The Explorer range was experimental but Rolex realised it wasn't that popular so they scrapped it after a couple of years and that is what gives this watch its value.

'Also Rolex offered a service to replace the dials once they had become damaged. This one has got its original dial. It also has its original case which is a bit battered.

'The owner hasn't worn it for a while but it was very much his everyday watch.

'It never ceases to amaze me that despite the rarity of these models, we keep finding them!

'Viewing this particular dial out of the case I have to say the gloss and condition is remarkable and just what the top collectors seek.

'This is a fantastic result and our client who will be delighted to have such a positive return from his initial 60 purchase back in 1965.

'Considering the current economic climate, vintage Rolex watches continue to attract high demand from all four corners of the globe and it is just amazing when these examples appear, a real "Antiques Roadshow" moment.'
A Tennessee car owner's DIY 'rubber bumper' caused a mass false bomb alert and led to local businesses closing and sending nearby schools into lockdown for hours.

The unidentified Murfreesboro, TN owner had duct-taped two white cloths to the passenger side of the car with wires running out around the front door handle. The 'rubber bumper' was being held with suction cups and was meant to prevent dents.

Whether this prevented dents to the car or not, it surely led to a bomb scare that forced police to evacuate the area around a local First Watch restaurant for two hours.

First responders were sent to the location just after 9.30am to respond to reports of a bomb being attached to the car.

The unidentified Murfreesboro, TN owner had duct-taped two white cloths to the passenger side of the car with wires running out around the front door handle. The 'rubber bumper' was being held with suction cups and was meant to prevent dents

A police supervisor at the scene then contacted the owner, who was standing on the other side of the street with the public, unaware that it was his car that had caused mass hysteria

According to Murfreesboro police, nearby buildings were evacuated and several schools in the school zone were locked down as investigators assessed the scene.

The Murfreesboro Police Department said in a statement, 'All businesses in the shopping plaza were evacuated for nearly two hours as a precaution.'

Leslie Huggins told WKRN.com: 'They told us there was a bomb threat and basically screamed at us to get out of the building.'

Authorities also reported that the call resulted in a massive response from local, state and federal agencies.

A police supervisor at the scene then contacted the owner, who was standing on the other side of the street with the public, unaware that it was his car that had caused mass hysteria.

But once the man explained his DIY project to the police, all alerts were paused.

Larry Flowers, Public Information Officer for Murfreesboro Police and Fire Rescue Department said: 'We had a massive, massive response to this location to find out it was a man who was trying to prevent his car from being dented.'

At around 1pm, the Tennessee Highway Special Operations Unit gave the 'all-clear' and all school lockdowns were lifted. Police also later cleared the scene.

At around 1pm, the Tennessee Highway Special Operations Unit gave the 'all-clear' and all school lockdowns were lifted. Police also later cleared the scene

Since there was no 'intent to cause harm', the police have said the owner will not be charged. It is not yet known who made the emergency call to the police

In a Facebook post, the department wrote: ' A man who attached a make-shift rubber bumper to his car doors with wires and duct tape to prevent dents led to a massive federal, state, and local response for a bomb threat that turned out to be false.

'All businesses in the shopping plaza were evacuated for nearly two hours as a precaution. Schools in the Seigel school zone were placed on lockdown while the investigation was ongoing due to the address related to the vehicles tag.

'A Murfreesboro Police Department supervisor eventually reached the owner of the car by phone. He was standing with the other evacuee across the street the entire time, unaware it was his car that promoted the bomb threat calls.

'The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Special Operations Unit responded and gave all clear after examining the car.'

Since there was no 'intent to cause harm', the police have said the owner will not be charged. It is not yet known who made the emergency call to the police.
A man who stalked the father of a Parkland mass shooting victim and sent him a text saying he plans to have 'party every night of this fantastic trial' to celebrate 'blood and death' has been jailed.

James Catalano, 62, of Fresno, California, was handed a 12 month sentence for cyberstalking Fred Guttenberg - whose daughter Jaime, 14, was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, carried out by Nikolas Cruz.

Guttenberg received over 200 harrowing messages from IP addresses associated with the same person, glorifying the deaths of 14 students who were killed.

The messages graphically described the victim's daughter's death - as well as egged on debates about gun control and violence.

Catalano pleaded guilty to cyberstalking in March, and was sentenced on Friday.

Fred Guttenberg's daughter Jaime, 14, (both pictured here) was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, carried out by Nikolas Cruz. James Catalano, 62, of Fresno, California, was handed a 12 month sentence for cyberstalking him

Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to life imprisonment for the Parkland shooting

Prosecutors described his messages as 'callous and cruel,' and added in a memo: 'Plainly, the defendant disagreed with the victim and his activism against gun violence, and he capitalized on the victims grief and the horrific nature of his daughters death in order to silence him.'

Assistant U.S. Attorney Arielle Klepach wrote in court documents: 'By his own admission, the defendant was motivated to stalk the victim and send him heinous messages simply because he disagreed with the victims political views.

'He capitalized on the victims grief and the horrific nature of his daughters death in order to silence him.'

Following the sentencing, Guttenberg wrote on X: 'Following an extended period of harassment & threat directed at me, last year the FBI made an arrest & successfully prosecuted leading to imprisonment.

'Because of this case, there is additional precedent to prosecute online harassment. Don't do it.'

Law enforcement officers interviewed Catalano in July 2022, where he told officials that he had sent the harrowing messages.

Fred Guttenberg reacts as he awaits a verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz

The complaint said that Catalano told them he believed Guttenberg was 'using his dead daughter to push his political agenda,' which he 'did not like.'

Catalano was trying to put Guttenberg 'in check' by sending the messages, the filing said.

He sent Guttenberg messages for eight months starting in December 2021 that celebrated Jaime Guttenbergs death and reveled in the wounds she suffered.

He also mocked the sadness and loss Guttenberg feels and directed obscenities, slurs and disturbing insults to him and his daughter.

Catalano also received three years probation and must undergo mental health treatment.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, said in a statement: 'On Oct. 20, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola sentenced James Catalano, 62, of Fresno, California, to 12 months in prison for sending hundreds of harrowing messages to a local activist against gun violence whose daughter was murdered during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

'On March 28, 2023, Catalano pled guilty to cyberstalking. According to the court record, beginning in or around December 2021 and continuing through July 2022, Catalano sent the victim hundreds of disparaging messages, which graphically described the victim's daughter's death, and focused on the debate surrounding gun control and the victim's activism against gun violence.

'U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arielle Klepach prosecuted the case.'
During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen claimed Trump instructed him to 'arbitrarily' inflate the value of the Trump Organization's assets

Abrupt departure came shortly after he was fined for a second time - to the tune of $10,000 - for violating an order that barred him from disparaging court staff

Donald Trump walked out of the courtroom Wednesday afternoon moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen

Donald Trump has stormed out of his $250million fraud trial after a series of legal blows that saw him fined $10,000 and his request for a directed verdict denied.

In a dramatic courtroom outburst Wednesday afternoon, the former president threw his arms up in the air before getting up and leaving in a huff, sending Secret Service agents chasing after him.

The abrupt departure came shortly after he had been fined for a second time for violating a gag order and moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen, who testified that Trump did not direct him to inflate the value of his properties.

The admission - which contradicts Cohen's earlier testimony - prompted defense attorney Clifford Robert to ask for a directed verdict, arguing that his statement was grounds for dismissal.

Judge Arthur Engoron said it was 'absolutely denied' and that the case had 'evidence all over the place.' He also said he did not consider Cohen a 'key witness'.

'There's enough evidence in this case to fill this courtroom,' the judge said.

Donald Trump walked out of the courtroom Wednesday afternoon moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen

Under a tense cross-examination by Habba on Wednesday, Cohen acknowledged having a financial incentive to criticize his former boss, but defended his credibility

Later during redirect, Cohen - who on Tuesday testified that Trump had instructed him to 'reverse engineer' the value of his assets - clarified that he hadn't been asked specifically to inflate the figures, comparing Trump to a mob boss who makes indirect orders.

At the end of Cohen's testimony, Robert requested a directed verdict again, which was once again denied.

The move came at the end of a challenging day for Trump, who was also hit with another fine - this time to the tune of $10,000 - after the judge determined comments he made to reporters during a break in the trial violated a partial gag order issued three weeks ago.

Judge Engoron called Trump to the stand after the lunch recess on Wednesday to explain remarks.

Speaking outside the courtroom earlier that morning, Trump had told reporters: 'This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is,' - an apparent reference to his clerk Allison Greenfield.

Trump slowly got up from his seat at a bench between his attorneys and sat in the witness box, adjusting himself before addressing his comments.

Repeating his lawyer's earlier claims, Trump told the judge he had been referring to his former fixer who was testifying, Michael Cohen - not Greenfield.

Trump was called to the stand to address remarks he made about Judge Engoron and his court staff earlier outside of the courtroom

The remark about partisans was aimed at 'you and Cohen', he told the judge, who ultimately found his testimony 'not credible.'

'The idea that that statement would refer to the witness, that doesn't make sense to me,' Engoron said, warning: 'Don't do it again or it will be worse.'

Judge Engoron had paused proceedings just before the lunch break to scold Trump for his remarks, calling it a 'blatant, dangerous disobeyal' of his court order.

Engoron had already ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff in a order imposed on October 3.

Five days earlier, Trump had been fined $5,000 after Engoron learned that an offending social media post from early October had lingered on Trump's campaign website for weeks after being taken down - on the judge's orders - from Trump's Truth Social media platform.

Addressing the issue again on Wednesday, Judge Engoron said he imposed the order because 'I don't want anybody killed.'

Judge Arthur Engoron briefly paused the proceedings just before the court broke for lunch Wednesday to scold Trump for publicly speaking out against him and his clerk Allison Greenfield (left)

Trump motions as he returns to the courtroom after a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court. He was fined $10,000 for violating the judge's gag order for a second time

Michael Cohen walks outside New York State Supreme Court after the trial adjourned for the day

It was 'very easy for anyone to know who that person is', the judge said.

Trump's lawyer Christopher Kise responded saying his client had been referring to Cohen, who sat in the witness box to the judge's left.

When the judge asked if Trump could explain who he was speaking about, Kise said he had asked him already.

Judge Engoron said he thought it meant his law clerk and 'seemed clear to me', pointing out there was a physical barrier between him and the witness in the courtroom.

The judge said he would take the matter 'under advisement' and did not rule on whether to issue what he said could be 'severe' sanctions.

Earlier in Wednesday's proceedings, Habba had complained about 'eye rolls and constant whispering' between the judge and Greenfield.

Habba said it was 'incredibly distracting' when she was trying to cross examine Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer and personal lawyer.

Judge Engoron said: 'OK, granted'.

Cohen, who cut ties with Trump five years ago, returned to the stand on Wednesday to undergo further cross-examination by defense lawyers who have sought to undermine his credibility by painting him as a convicted felon and serial liar.

The exchange got off to a tense start with Trump's lawyer Alina Habba asking Cohen again about his prior convictions and highlighting his admission that he had perjured himself before a judge when he was prosecuted for tax evasion and other crimes in 2018.

Prosecutor Colleen Faherty said she was 'concerned' and that the 'showmanship' from Trump's lawyers should 'not be permitted'.

With Trump sitting with his defense team, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted his former fixer Michael Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018

Wednesday's cross-examination got off to a tense start Wednesday with Trump's lawyer Alina Habba (right) asking Cohen again about his prior convictions

As Alina Habba, who was cross examining Cohen, smiled and shook her head, Faherty said: 'I'd ask for courtesy and respect and we proceed without this showmanship of words like perjury.'

Clifford Robert, another of Trump's lawyers, said that the perjury went to the 'credibility of the witness' and that they planned to talk about 'other acts of perjury today'.

'A serial liar is a serial liar. The case of Attorney General hinges on his perjurious witness who has lied to everyone he has ever spoken to,' he said.

Judge Arthur Engorgon told Robert to 'not make speeches'.

He said: 'I believe that perjury implies a conviction.

'You want to say he's lying, say he's lying but let's not use the word perjury'.

Tensions flared again moments later when Cohen balked at a question put to him by Habba.

She shot back: 'I'm sure you're going to do that with me every time and I don't care for it'.

The court was shown Trump's financial statements from 2015 which listed his net worth as $6.5billion.

Lawyers then pointed to Cohen's CNN appearance at the time in which he declared that Trump was worth over $10billion - even referring to the figure as 'a low estimate.'

Trump was once again reprimanded for violating a gag order imposed by the judge after he was quoted calling the judge 'very partisan' and the person 'sitting right beside him perhaps even more partisan than he is' - in comments made outside the courtroom earlier this morning

Before testimony could resume on Wednesday morning, Habba complained about 'eye rolls and constant whispering' between the judge and his clerk, Allison Greenfield

Trump - who is not required to attend proceedings - returned to the courtroom on Wednesday to hear the remainder of his former confidant's testimony

When asked if he had made those comments in the interview, Cohen replied: 'That's what Mr. Trump wanted me to say, yes.'

Habba snapped back that she was 'not surprised' by his response, saying Cohen was 'very good at blaming others.'

The court was shown the interview on CNN in which the interviewer asked: 'Why does Donald Trump want to talk so much about how rich he is?'

The clip prompted laughter from the court, however, Trump did not appear to react.

Habba asked Cohen if he recognized himself, and he said he did, though he was 'less gray.'

Moving on, Habba asked if Cohen knew Robert Costello, a New York-based lawyer. Cohen repeatedly said he did not.

Cohen denied telling Costello: 'I swear to God I don't have anything on Donald Trump' and he would 'do whatever the f*** it takes to avoid jail time.'

Habba turned to Cohen's cooperation with the Attorney General's office and said that she had 'personally thanked you' for being one of the 'central reasons' for their case.

Cohen looked at New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was sitting in the public gallery, and said: 'You're welcome'.

Habba said that his comment was 'telling' and Cohen shot back he was 'being comical.'

Habba asked Cohen about why he was never named as a defendant in the case despite claiming to have a central role in the fraud.

She said: 'The Attorney General must not believe your story is credible?'

Cohen said: 'You're drawing a conclusion I don't know. You can ask Miss James',.

From the public gallery, James raised her hand and said: 'Object', sparking laughter in court.

The court was shown a section of Cohen's 2020 book titled 'Disloyal' in which he described getting lucrative contracts from companies like Novartis and AT&T who were 'desperate for insights and connection to the president'

Trump denies any wrongdoing and has claimed AG Letitia James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 for partisan reasons

Michael Cohen arrives at former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial in New York for a second day of testimony

Habba then turned to Cohen's comments praising Trump in the past.

Cohen agreed he had a 'very high regard' for Trump before they fell out and had a 'long history of praising' him.

Habba said: 'Your opinion of Mr. Trump was so high you once stated you would take a bullet to him?'

Cohen said that it was from an article with Vanity Fair.

Cohen also agreed that he once said he was the man who 'protected the President and his family' and insisted he would 'never run away from Donald Trump', as Habba put it.

Habba suggested that Cohen became frustrated with Trump while he was in the White House when he did not name him his chief of staff.

Cohen scoffed and said he didn't ask for the post and it was a 'joke' because of his closeness to Trump. He asked for and was given the role of personal attorney to the President, he said.

The court was shown text messages sent between Cohen and an individual called 'Person 4' from March 2017 in which they discussed who would be the next chief of staff.

Person 4 said that Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner would be 'too close' to Trump.

Cohen said: 'Keep guessing dopey'.

Person 4 wrote: 'Stop!!! You???'

Cohen said: 'I will give you a hint.yes.'

Person 4 said: 'Omg. Please be true. Are you serious you need to.'

Cohen said: 'He needs to ask. I would never (ask)'.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the fourth week of trial. James is seeking at least $250million in fines and a permanent ban against Trump and his sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York

Eric Trump was also seen returning to court on Wednesday for trial proceedings. His father, his brother Don Jr and the Trump family business are accused of artificially inflating the value of properties, in New York Attorney General Letitia James's civil case against them

Asked about the exchange by Habba, Cohen said he was happy with the job he got and there was 'no shame in being personal attorney to the President'.

Habba turned to Cohen's finances and said that after the election he set up a consultancy company to 'cash in' on his relationship with Trump.

The court was shown a section of Cohen's 2020 book titled 'Disloyal' in which he described getting lucrative contracts from companies like Novartis and AT&T who were 'desperate for insights and connection to the President and willing to pay for my assistance'.

Judge Arthur Engoron presides over former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court

Cohen wrote: 'Was I cashing in on my relationship with Trump? Of course I was. What would you do?

Habba asked: 'You launched a personal company known as Essential Consultants LLC as a way to cash in on your relationship with the President of the United States'.

Cohen said: 'That's not correct.'

Habba asked: 'Did you use this company to accrue lucrative clients?'

Cohen said: 'Insights and connections, yes.'

Yet Cohen confirmed that he received more than $4million in payments to his consultancy company.

Habba turned to Cohen's feelings towards Trump and asked if he had 'significant animosity towards President Trump?'

He replied: 'Do I have animosity towards him? Yes I do.'

Trump, sitting 15 feet away at a table with his lawyers, did not react.

Habba asked if Cohen vented his animosity on social media. He confirmed he did use social media but alone it was not enough to express 'all my animosity' towards his former boss, prompting laughter in the court.

Cohen laughed when Habba asked if he continued to financially benefit from Trump.

But he conceded he had, as Habba put it, 'made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump.'

Habba continued her assault on Cohen by asking: 'President Trump makes you relevant, doesn't he, Mr. Cohen?'

Cohen responded that 'circumstances make me relevant'.

Walking towards Trump and stabbing her finger into the air, Habba said 'The circumstances that you used to work for the President of the United States, who is the single most important presidential candidate in this world?'

After an objection she moved on.

Habba showed the court Cohen's deposition given to a Congressional Intelligence Committee in February 2019.

In the deposition, Cohen was asked if Trump or former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg directed him to inflate the numbers on his financial statements.

Cohen responded at the time: 'I'm sorry, did he ask me to inflate the numbers? Not that I recall'.

Habba asked: 'Were you being honest in front of the permanent select committee when you testified on Feb 28th 2019?'

Cohen said: 'No'.

Habba said: 'So you lied under oath, is that your testimony?'

'Yes', said Cohen.
A hero of the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy took his own life in Moscow, no longer able to cope with the ravages of radiation poisoning.

Plant engineer Viktor Smakov, 75, jumped from a balcony on his high rise residential building and fell 150ft to his death.

He was one of the first on the scene on 26 April 1986 when reactor number four of the Soviet power station exploded, and was a key witness to the horror.

The nuclear poisoning he sustained as he helped reduce the damage caused by the power station led to long-term health problems.

In a note left for his family, he said that 37 years on from the life-changing incident, he could no longer face the treatment to keep him alive.

Viktor Smakov, 75, (pictured) was one of the first on the scene when Chernobyl's fourth nuclear reactor exploded

The tragedy had the potential to cause untold devastation to millions

Hundreds of people suffered radiation poisoning following the disaster

READ MORE: Nuclear weapons tests are blamed for radioactive pigs in Germany and Austria Advertisement

The tragic note read: 'My dears: Larisa, Dima and Sveta! Now it's time to say goodbye.

'Thank you very much for the years we have lived together. It was happiness. I'm sorry!'

In 1986, he rushed from his nearby home to his scheduled shift at the power station as soon as the reactor exploded and began spewing radiation across Europe.

'Inside the buildings, people fought the fire,' he said in his memoir of the tragedy.

'The most dangerous place was in the turbine room, because a fire here is the worst thing that can happen at a station after a reactor explosion.

'There was no panic, everyone was just doing their job.

Viktor said he couldn't deal with the radiation poisoning any longer

Viktor was given an administrative job in the Soviet Union shortly after the tragedy

'Personnel extinguished the fire and drained oil into underground containers; electriciansvented hydrogen.

'Many of those who saved the station received lethal doses of radiation and subsequently died in hospital.'

The day after the explosion, the population of [highly-polluted] Pripyat was evacuated 'but the station could not be left unattended.

'Therefore, the staff lived in the town for a few more days.

'Then the children were transported to the Skazochny pioneer camp, which was located further from the station.

'It is worth saying that after the accident almost no one quit, although it was very scary.

'Out of 5,000, a maximum of six or seven people fled.

'And this despite the fact that everyone was professional and knew perfectly well what radiation was.'

He resented the blame game which saw 'the staff blamed for everything'.

He said he hated how staff at the power plant were blamed for its failure

He was awarded an honour for his role in the clean-up

He rushed from his nearby home to his scheduled shift at the power station as soon as the reactor exploded

'According to the official version, the workers decided to conduct tests at the power unit, despite the fact that the reactor was in an unsuitable state for such work - at a power of 200 megawatts, instead of the required 700.'

He was awarded an honour for his role in the clean-up, but admitted: 'This accident, of course, ruined everyone's fate.

'I suffered from radiation sickness, I received a stigma for life - a ban on working in areas of ionizing radiation, a ban on working at night, a ban on business trips and a lot of other restrictions.'

He was given an administrative job in a Russian ministry shortly after his work at Chernobyl.
A highly-sophisticated gang of Chinese money launderers who 'hid in plain sight' while allegedly turning over $10billion in three years have been busted by police.

The Changjiang Currency Exchange, which is known by criminals as the Long River syndicate, is alleged by police to be a front to wash criminals' dirty cash and move it offshore.

It used legitimate shop fronts to conceal proceeds from organised crime groups dealing in drugs, illegal tobacco and fraud.

Beyond complex money laundering, it also allegedly operated as a one-stop-shop for organised criminals, teaching them how to set up a fake paper trail to evade detection from authorities.

The network, which had 12 centres across Australia, has been dismantled by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) who arrested seven alleged ringleaders in Melbourne's eastern suburbs on Wednesday.

The Changjiang Currency Exchange (pictured), which is known by criminals as the Long River syndicate, is alleged by police to be a front to wash criminals' dirty cash and move it offshore

Cops raided 20 properties in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth

The four Chinese nationals and three Australian citizens are accused of laundering almost $230 million in dirty money - although the actual figure is believed to be far higher.

They allegedly using the proceeds to buy lavish $10million properties, $94,000 Rolex watches and $400,000 Mercedes SUVs.

It is alleged they even had plans to develop a suburb near Sydney's second airport to launder even more cash.

Cops raided a total of 20 properties in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Stephen Dametto, AFP Assistant Commissioner, said the Long River syndicate had become 'one of the largest independently-owned remitters in the country'.

'The reason why this investigation was so unique and complex was that this alleged syndicate was operating in plain sight with shiny shop fronts across the country  it was not operating in the shadows like other money laundering organisations,' he said.

Over 40 AFP officers worked on the 14-month-long operation alongside five forensic accountants and undercover operatives.

The syndicate came to the attention of AFP officers when it opened new shopfronts in Sydney's business district during lockdown while others in the area were closing.

The four Chinese nationals and three Australian citizens are accused of laundering almost $230 million in dirty money and using the proceeds to buy lavish $10 million properties (above), $94,000 Rolex watches (below) and $400,000 Mercedes SUVs

Ringleaders also splurged their alleged ill-gotten gains on luxury cars (pictured)

'It was just a gut feeling  it didn't feel right,' AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto told the paper.

'During COVID-19, AFP members were still coming into work, and while most of Sydney was a ghost town, alarm bells went off among our money laundering investigators when they noticed Changjiang Currency Exchange operating two new shopfronts in the heart of Sydney.

'Many international students and tourists had returned home, and there was no apparent business case for Changjiang Currency Exchange to expand.'

The currency exchange's website still claims that it is above board despite the police bust.

'Changjiang is a legitimate operating company approved by the Commonwealth of Australia, and the financial registration number for the Financial Transactions Report and Analysis Center (AUSTRAC) in the Australian capital is 100-572684,' the website claims.

'We are registered with AUSTRAC on the Remittance Sector Register and are subject to obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006. You can check our registration status on the AUSTRAC website.'
A man and a woman have been found dead in a suspected murder suicide in upstate New York.

Jasmine 'Nunu' Adams, 33, and an unidentified male were found dead at around 7pm Tuesday at the address in Pittsford, around eight miles from Rochester.

Adams' family had reportedly contacted police after they did not hear from her for a while and became concerned.

Cops said that children were at the scene but were unharmed in the incident which the Monroe County Sheriff's Office described as 'domestic violence, possible murder-suicide.'

Jasmine 'Nunu' Adams, 33, and an unidentified male she was in a relationship with were found dead inside a New York home on Tuesday

Police had responded to the home before and are currently reviewing their records

Chief Deputy Michael Fowler said it's too early to identify a suspect but added investigators do not believe anyone poses a threat to the community.

Fowler said police had responded to the home before and are currently reviewing their records.

He added that children, including a very young child, were involved in the incident but were not hurt, but deputies still do not know 'what the extent of their knowledge is as to what took place.'

'We do know that there was an intimate relationship between the two,' said Fowler, as reported by WHAM.

'We know there was some struggles going on, we're learning that from family members, so that's why our investigation is starting at that point.

'But again, we're going to keep all options open and see where the investigation takes us.'

Adams' Facebook lists her as living in Rochester.

Her friends and loved ones have reacted to her death on social media, posting tributes and expressing disbelief on Facebook.

Adams' family had reportedly contacted police after they did not hear from her for a while and became concerned

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office described the incident as a ' domestic violence , possible murder-suicide

'Y'all he took my heart from meeeee,' Adams' sister Dayonna wrote.

Another friend, Cheryl Smith-Wims said: 'This is so hard to believe that you're Gone, too soon and to tragic Nunu cuz you're gonna be missed love you Angel fly high.'

Jasmine Taylor wrote: 'My heart is so heavy rite now at work y'all plz keep the Adams family in y'all prayers this is so sad and unbelievable why is people sooo evil.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
More than half a million people left New York for greener pastures out west last year, amid concerns about rocketing crime combined with sky-high rent prices, new data shows.

The US Census Bureau has revealed an estimated 545,598 residents moved from the Empire State to other parts of the US in 2022 - with Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and California being the top states for relocation.

By comparison, only 163, 416 people moved to the Big Apple region from within the US in the same period - marking an inter-state net exodus of minus 382,182.

One thing the city has retained however is its status as a sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers - with 138,045 people migrating to the east coast metropolis from abroad in 2022. There are no comparable figures for those who left the state to move across the Atlantic.

The NY exodus comes as 30 percent of residents said they wished they lived somewhere else due to rising rent combined with high tax, the political climate and crime, according to a study by the Siena College Research Institute.

The US Census Bureau has revealed an estimated 545,598 residents moved from the Empire State to other parts of the US in 2022 - with Florida , New Jersey , Connecticut , Pennsylvania and California being the top states for relocation

More than half a million people left New York for greener pastures out west last year, amid concerns about rocketing crime combined with sky-high rent prices, new data shows

The most popular state to relocate was Florida , where 91,201 New Yorkers moved in 2022. (Pictured: the Miami skyline at night)

'Large majorities of New Yorkers say the quality of life in the Empire State is excellent or good, and that they are happy that they live here,' said Don Levy, the institute's director.

'But about 30 percent say they wish they lived elsewhere and 31 percent plan to leave New York when they retire.'

Which states did New Yorkers move to in 2022? Florida: 91,201 New Jersey: 75,103 Connecticut: 50,670 Pennsylvania: 44,807 California: 31,255 Texas: 30,890 North Carolina: 25,024 Massachusetts: 21,186 Virginia: 17,516 Georgia: 16,535 South Carolina: 15,537 Illinois: 12,072 Maryland: 9,453 Source: US Census Bureau Advertisement

Manhattan has been plagued by a rise in murders, rapes and robberies over the past year, driving people out over concerns for their personal safety.

Damning NYPD data showed that violent crime across these categories were all up from last year, hitting highs not seen in decades in both 2020 and 2021.

And New Yorkers are becoming increasingly concerned about it, with 87 percent of residents saying crime is a serious problem in the state, while 61 percent admitted to worrying about becoming a victim.

This climate of fear combined with rent prices as high as the concrete jungle's skyscrapers seem to have triggered the mass departure.

Levy said NY residents rated it as 'poor' for affordability, with crime as an issue highlighted particularly by lower earners, elderly people, Black people and Republicans in the state.

'Most say that there's a lot to love here in New York  other New Yorkers, the quality of both education and healthcare, the availability of quality leisure activities and the opportunity to be successful,' he said.

'But two-thirds give the state a poor grade on affordability, and half of all New Yorkers, and about 60 percent of lower income residents, those over 50, Blacks and Republicans say that as a place where you feel safe from crime, the state is only fair or poor.'

Manhattan rents hit a new record in July this year of an average $5,588 per month - up 30 percent since 2019, and nine percent since the same time in 2022.

Median rent, at $4,400 per month, and the median price per square foot of $84.74, also hit a new record, a report from Miller Samuel and Douglas Elliman revealed.

The average price of a Manhattan studio in July was $3,278 and a three-bedroom apartment was $10,673.

Levy said NY residents rated it as 'poor' for affordability, with crime as an issue highlighted particularly by lower earners, elderly people, Black people and Republicans in the state

Florida has now topped the list of states with a tax revenue of over $12 billion, largely due to migration from higher-tax states like New York. (Pictured: South Beach Miami)

The larger, more expensive apartments have seen the largest increase in prices since the pandemic disrupted the market.

It was coronavirus which first ignited much of the movement from New York too, as looser lockdown regulations in Republican states and the fear of living in a densely populated city as the disease took hold prompted many to escape.

Data shows New Yorkers opted primarily for Sunbelt states like Texas and Florida during the peak COVID-19 period.

Census data which tracked the 545,598 people leaving New York comes with a margin of error of 21,535 - meaning the real figure could be as high as 567,733.

The most popular state to relocate to was Florida, where 91,201 New Yorkers moved in 2022.

This was followed by 75,103 moving to the neighboring state of New Jersey, 50,670 to Connecticut, 44,807 to Pennsylvania, 31,255 to California, and 30, 890 to Texas.

Florida is seen as a financial oasis for many thanks to the fact that - like Texas - it does not charge income tax.

A 2023 study by personal finance company Smart Asset found that thousands of millennials earning more than $200,000 are fleeing high-tax states like New York to catch a break from the financial drain.

A new study suggests 26-35-year-olds earning over $200,000 are fleeing California and New York in favor of states like Florida and Texas

Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado and North Carolina are the top five states which had seen the biggest increase in the number of young, high earners moving in.

Moves to red states like Florida and Texas could also be down to the vastly different political climates they offer - with 43 percent of New Yorkers saying their local political system 'works for people like them', per the Siena College survey.

The honey-trap states for New Yorkers are also among the top states people come from for a bite of the Big Apple via relocation - but in much smaller cohorts.

By comparison to the 75,103 movers from NY to NJ in 2022, 38,771 made the reverse move. Meanwhile, 50,670 people relocated from NY to CT, while a paltry 14,981 moved from the Constitution State to the Big Apple region.

An estimated 44,807 New Yorkers moved to PA, 28,184 moved to the Keystone State from NY. And as 30, 890 moved from the Manhattan region to TX, only 12,233 made the reverse move.

California was the only state which saw more people moving from it to New York than vice versa - with some 31,255 moving from NY versus 31,681 Californians going east.

This could be down to the fact the two states have similar political climates as Dem-led states, high crime rates and high taxes.

Leading the way for the most unaffordable city in the United States is, unsurprisingly, the Big Apple

Generally cheaper rent in California cities than in the Big Apple could be what is coaxing New Yorkers towards Gold Coast living.

Statistics on the New York exodus exclude foreigners who have moved in and out of New York from around the world, as the city is known as a sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers.

Census figures show 138,045 people moved to the east coast metropolis from abroad in 2022. There are no comparable stats for the number who moved out of NYC across the Atlantic.
Good Morning Britain has been hit with more than 2,300 complaints after Richard Madeley sparked a backlash for asking a British-Palestinian MP if she knew about Hamas's terror attack on Israel before it happened.

Layla Moran, whose family are trapped in Gaza as Israel prepare a ground invasion, was seemingly taken aback by Madeley's question and viewers called for the presenter to be 'pulled off air' after watching GMB on October 17.

Madeley apologised the same day for upsetting viewers, with a GMB spokesperson adding his intention was to 'understand the mood and atmosphere' of the situation before Hamas terrorists launched their barbaric attacks on Israel on October 7.

Media watchdog Ofcom revealed today that 2,378 viewers lodged complaints against GMB last week.

It comes as Madeley faced a fresh backlash today after asking a man whose mother was kidnapped by Hamas if he was 'comforted' by the 'not unreasonable treatment' hostages received at their hands.

Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley (pictured) apologised after he sparked outrage for asking a British-Palestinian MP if she knew about Hamas's terror attack on Israel before it happened.

Madeley asked Britain's first British-Palestinian MP: 'With your family connections in Gaza, did you have any indication of what was going to happen ten days ago, two weeks ago? Was there there any word on the street?'

Last week, Madeley asked Ms Moran, Britain's first Palestinian MP: 'With your family connections in Gaza, did you have any indication of what was going to happen ten days ago, two weeks ago? Was there any word on the street?'

Ms Moran - whose father is a British diplomat, and mother a Christian Palestinian from Jerusalem - replied: 'Not this, not this. I think everyone, everyone has been surprised first of all by the timing and sophistication and the way that it's happened.'

The Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon added: 'What I will say is that I've been warning, and others have in Parliament as well for a number of years now, that if we don't find a way... People say "go back to the negotiating table".'

MP Layla Moran's family Layla Moran is Britain's first ever Palestinian MP. Her immediate family are Palestinian Christians from the West Bank, while she has extended family members in Gaza City. She has spoken about her family members being trapped in Gaza - and how she and her sister are trying to get news from their relatives every day as they run out of food and have been reduced to drinking water. Ms Moran's mother Randa is Palestinian while her father James is British. He joined the EU Commission when she was one and the family moved to Brussels. Her mother's family are originally Greek but they moved to Palestine and then Jordan after the diaspora in the 60s. Her great-grandfather was the Palestinian writer Wasif Jawhariyyeh, who wrote memoirs about Palestinian life under Ottoman and British rule. Advertisement

'The fact of the matter is there has not been a table, let alone to go back to a negotiating table for at least ten years now.

'This is a cycle of violence. Every time there is a cycle of violence, my worry now is that this is radicalising another generation on all sides. We have to stop this hatred. We have to bring people together and find a way through... Peace is harder than war.'

A Good Morning Britain spokesperson said regarding the incident: 'Richard is sorry that he has upset viewers with his question to Layla Moran. His intention was to understand the mood and atmosphere amongst the civilian population of Gaza immediately before the attacks.

'He asked Layla about her family in Gaza City because she had discussed speaking to them earlier in the interview. He did not mean to imply that she or her family might have had any prior knowledge of the attacks.'

Ms Moran later said she thought the question came from a 'place of ignorance' but accepted his apology and did not want the incident to distract from the big issues.

Ms Moran, asked about the GMB interview during an appearance on Sky News' Politics Hub programme last week, said: 'I think my face at the time looked pretty flummoxed.

'Look, the conversation as a whole over the 15-minute interview was an important one. We were looking at how we got here, where we go.

'I didn't feel and don't feel that it came from a place of malice. I think it frankly came from a place of perhaps ignorance.

'Perhaps it reminds us that in this conflict, which is complicated - this is not the slam dunk in a way that Russia-Ukraine was - this has a long history that needs to be understood and this has an important context in the wider region that needs to be understood.

'I have accepted his apology. The main thing is that I don't want it to distract from these big issues.'

Layla Moran (pictured at a rally in November 2018) is Britain's first Palestinian MP

Several people, including MP Florence Eshalomi, condemned Madeley for his line of questioning

Ms Moran spoke in Parliament before her appearance on GMB about her extended family, who are Christian Palestinians living in Gaza City, having their house bombed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), staying in a church and being 'too old' to flee the 25-mile strip.

Ms Moran has suggested to GMB she would appear again on the programme.

This morning, Madeley sparked more outrage while interviewing British psychotherapist Noam Sagi whose mother Ada was kidnapped from a retirement home in southern Israel.

The ITV host said the hostages were being given water and 'eating the same food' as the terrorists. His statement was followed by a sigh from Mr Sagi, whose 75-year-old mother remains held in captivity.

As part of Israel's retaliation for Hamas's October 7 raids that left 1,400 Israelis dead, it imposed a siege on Gaza, blocking essentials such as water, food and fuel from entering.

The Gazan health ministry said more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, including some 2,300 children.
The Louisiana Republican won unanimous support from all of his colleagues

After 22 farcical days, thirteen failed candidates, four nominees and four floor votes, the Republicans have finally elected a House speaker.

Louisiana's Mike Johnson has been unanimously selected by his party to take the gavel in a vote that ended the three-week House GOP circus sparked by the ousting of Kevin McCarthy.

Winning all 220 Republican votes on the floor, father-of-four Johnson, 51, cinched the top job after a battle dominated by backstabbing, death threats, side deals, Donald Trump and Matt Gaetz.

Johnson, who served as vice chair of the House GOP Conference and is backed by Trump, needed at least 215 out of 220 present Republicans to vote for him - but instead got unanimous consent from his party.

All 209 present Democrats voted for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a vote dominated by jeers about election fraud and Trump.

Johnson was the fourth Republican nominee for the top job in three weeks, and the first one to break through the GOP infighting.

'The People's House is back in business,' Johnson said following his election on the House floor to cheers throughout the chamber.

Johnson takes the speaker's gavel after his election to the Republican's top leadership position

After 22 farcical days, thirteen failed candidates, four nominees and four floor votes, the Republicans have finally elected a House speaker

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's name was finally taken down from over the door above the speaker's office

A new sign was installed above the speaker's office in the Capitol immediately after Johnson was elected

He was the first Republican speaker to get every single vote in his party since John Boehner in 2011, starkly contrasting the deep division each candidate has faced since McCarthy was voted out.

His victory will now allow the House of Representatives to conduct regular business again, which is desperately needed with less than a month until a potential government shutdown and as the Israel-Hamas war intensifies.

'I'll say this: we're going to dispense with all the usual ceremonies and celebrations that traditionally follow a new speakership because we have no time for either one. The American people's business is too urgent in this moment,' Johnson told reporters after his win.

'You're going to see Congress working as hard as it's ever worked and we're going to deliver for the American people. I'm grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank you for being patient with us,' he added.

The House will catapult back into legislative business that includes a resolution to support Israel and a contentious spending battle.

'This is a beautiful country,' Johnson said on the House floor immediately after his election, noting that the U.S. faces many challenges currently.

'We stand at a very dangerous time...A strong America is good for the entire world,' he said to applause from both the Democratic and Republican side of the chamber.

A faith-filled man, the new speaker mentioned how his wife prayed on her knees for weeks leading to his election.

He invoked God in his introductory speech as well. He referenced the 'In God We Trust' motto of the House of Representatives.

The Republican said the first course of action the House will take under his leadership is adopt a resolution condemning Hamas and in support of Israel.

'We have a catastrophe at our souther border,' he also added. 'The status quo is unacceptable and we must come together and address the broken border. We have to do it.'

Johnson said there must be a reigning in of federal spending in order to bring down inflation.

'The greatest threat to our national security is our nation's debt,' he added.

'This speaker's office is going to be known for decentralizing the power here,' Johnson concluded.

He said he wants members more involved and influenced in all the processes of the House.

Trust, transparency and accountability will be pillars of how he will run the leadership office.

He was sworn into the office of the speaker by the Dean of the House Rep. Hal Rogers, R-K.Y.

Immediately after his swearing in, the House took up the resolution in support of Israel as it faces attacks from Hamas terrorists.

President Joe Biden said that he has no issues with new Speaker Johnson on Wednesday during a press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Former President Donald Trump - who publicly backed Johnson - cheered his election Wednesday.

'Congratulations to Rep. Mike Johnson. He will be a GREAT SPEAKER. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' he wrote on Truth Social.

Johnson was nominated on Tuesday evening - just hours after after Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., won an internal Republican vote but dropped out after 26 Republicans signaled they would not vote for him on the House floor.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, another Louisianan, was the first GOP nominee after Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic motion to vacate vote over three weeks ago.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hands the gavel to speaker-elect Rep. Mike Johnson

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with his successor, the new Speaker Mike Johnson

But he dropped out after about 24 hours when he realized there were holdouts who could not be swayed in his favor - those who thought he was too 'establishment.'

Then firebrand Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, chair of the powerful Judiciary Committee, won the nomination after Scalise, but was not able to sway about 20 moderates in his favor during three failed floor votes.

Johnson and Jordan have highly similar voting records.

Both voted against certifying the 2020 election, against the continuing resolution that keeps the government funded until November 17, against the $300 million Ukraine aid and for the McCarthy-Biden debt ceiling deal.

Rep. Madeleine Dean told DailyMail.com that a colleague told her the only difference between Johnson and Jordan is that 'one wears a jacket.'

GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik hugs Mike Johnson after nominating him for speaker on the House floor

As part of his 'fired up' brand, Jordan is infamously known around Capitol Hill to ditch his suit jacket, even when he's conducting business as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Some Republican appropriators and defense hawks had opposed Jordan believing that he could cut defense spending.

'Jim Jordan has said everything is on the table to spending cuts, including defense,' one aide to a moderate member who opposed Jordan told DailyMail.com. 'Johnson has not gone that far.'

Jeffries sounded off about Johnson's nomination: 'The twice-impeached former president ordered House Republicans to stop Tom Emmer and elevate a top election denier. Is anyone surprised that they complied?'

Johnson led an amicus brief signed by more than 100 Republicans to a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Asked about his past efforts to overturn the results on Tuesday night, he huffed and told a reporter: 'next question.'

Meanwhile, Democrats seized on his involvement in 2020 election fraud claims.

'[Johnson] has distinguished himself as being one of the primary antagonists to our democratic institutions and our free and fair elections,' Rep. Adam Schiff, R-Calif., told reporters.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., one of the eight who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, told DailyMail.com: 'I believe Johnson is going to be trustworthy, more, will be honest, will be truthful.'

But Democrat Dean predicted Johnson would face the same 'untrustworthy' accusations that were levied against Kevin McCarthy.

'He's not somebody who's based in the truth he's very smooth talking. He's clearly bright, but he's not based on the facts and the truth,' she said.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said he didn't expect any major leadership or policy differences between Johnson and McCarthy, but Johnson was more trusted by the right wing of the party.

'I have been told by a number of my friends in the Freedom Caucus that they do expect they'll provide Mike Johnson more grace than they gave Kevin McCarthy. I think that's going to give him a little more runway to try to deal with the next three months, two months,' he said, referring to the upcoming spending battle to get the government funded.

429 members showed up to the vote that elected Mike Johnson as speaker

Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., looks on as the House holds Johnson's election

Rep. Lauren Boebert stands to vote for Johnson

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrives for the Speaker vote, where she backed Democrat minority leader Hakeem Jeffries

'I believe that they trust Mike Johnson in a way that they didn't trust Kevin McCarthy.'

McCarthy was ousted after he put a 'clean' continuing resolution, a bill to extend government funding at 2023 levels for six weeks while the House took more time to pass 12 single-subject spending bills, on the House floor.

The South Dakota Republican predicted that Johnson would be able to work across the aisle get negotiate spending deals despite his conservative voting record.

He said when he came to office, 'Mike Johnson came to my office, sat down with me as a new member and talked to me about how important civility was in this place, how even when we disagree with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we should try to do it as as people who have good faith and good intention with decency.'

'That is not something very many members will spend time in these halls, preaching the importance of civility, but I bring that up, because that is at his heart who Mike Johnson is.'
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has fired and blasted his CAA talent agent after she shared a post on Instagram calling Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza 'genocide.'

The Social Network and The West Wing writer has ditched co-chief of the motion pictures department, Maha Dakhil, following her comments on social media in the aftermath of Hamas' attack on Israel.

Sorkin said Dakhil 'isn't an antisemite, she's just wrong' about her post.

Dakhil, who also represents the likes of Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon and Natalie Portman, reposted an image from a pro-Palestine account last week which read 'you're currently learning who supports genocide.'

She added her own caption, which said: 'What's more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.'

After coming under fire, Dakhil deleted the post, apologized for the remarks and resigned from CAA's internal board and stepped back from her role.

Writer Aaron Sorkin (pictured with his daughter Roxy) has ditched CAA talent agent Maha Dakhil over comments where she called Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza 'genocide'

Dakhil apologized for and deleted the post and resigned from her role at the internal board at Creative Artists Agency after sharing an inflammatory post about the Israel and Hamas war

Dakhil continues to represents several A-listers including Natalie Portman, who is Jewish

It was not enough for Sorkin, who fired Dakhil and announced he will be returning to rival agency WME.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: 'Maha isn't an antisemite, she's just wrong. She's a great agent, and I'm very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. I'm excited to be returning to WME.'

Sorkin is known for his shows that detail an idolized version of politics and current events, often with a heavy liberal lean. He has been with CAA since 2017 after ditching WME.

CAA was among the many Hollywood agencies to issue a statement in solidarity with Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks of October 7 that killed 1,400 people.

The retaliatory strikes on Gaza by Israel have killed more than 3,000 people, according to the state's health ministry.

In her apology, she said: 'I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram story, which used hurtful language.

'Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak. I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace.

'I'm so grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the implications and further educated me. I immediately took the repost down. I'm sorry for the pain I have caused.'

'Maha isn't an antisemite, she's just wrong. She's a great agent, and I'm very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. I'm excited to be returning to WME' Sorkin said about ditching CAA

Dakhil has resigned from the internal board of CAA but continues to work with her clients, who include the likes of Madonna

The talent agent also works with Tom Cruise and Reese Witherspoon

After backlash over her social media posts, Dakhil (center) apologized saying 'I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram story, which used hurtful language.' She is pictured with director JJ Abrams (left) and Katie McGrath (right)

Dakhil reportedly tried to organize a meeting with some of her Jewish colleagues to further explain and apologize, but several of the co-workers were so furious they refused to attend

'Choice of words is important. Dialogue is healing. As each excruciating day passes, Im listening and learning more from my friends. Thank you,' the agent said in another apology. She is pictured in 2021 with actress Salma Hayek

Dakhil has rubbed elbows with the top names in Hollywood including directors Steve McQueen (left) and Joss Whedon (right)

Amid the fury, Dakhil reportedly tried to organize a meeting with some of her Jewish colleagues to further explain and apologize, but several of the co-workers were so furious they refused to attend, a source told The Ankler.

Dakhil addressed her comments again on Instagram, saying: 'Choice of words is important. Dialogue is healing. As each excruciating day passes, Im listening and learning more from my friends. Thank you.

'Im holding all our families in my prayers  I am grieving for everyone who is suffering right now. I continue to mourn all innocent lives. My mission is peace.'

Dakhil also works as an agent for Madonna, Anne Hathaway and Steven Spielberg, and signed former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obamas production company Higher Ground.
Pilots have raised the alarm on mental health amid dozens of 'near misses' and erratic incidents as a captain stands charged with attempted murder for trying to shut down a plane's engines while high on 'magic mushrooms'.

Staffing shortages, a lack of support and fear of dismissal for reporting mental health issues are all contributing to incidents and 'near misses'.

The problem was brought to the fore on Sunday when an off-duty pilot, Joseph Emerson, 44, told colleagues he was 'not okay' before trying to shut off the engine's fuel supply mid-flight.

The pilot and co-pilot on the Horizon Air plane from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco managed to wrestle him away from the controls before disaster struck, but questions have been raised about how it got to that point.

Emerson was travelling on an Alaska Airlines plane when he had a' 'breakdown'

Emerson was arrested on landing and charged with 83 counts of attempted murder.

In a recorded interview with cops, he said had been struggling with depression for six months and believed he was having a 'nervous breakdown' and had not slept in 40 hours, the affidavit states.

It comes after a summer which saw dozens of close calls - including 46 in July alone - with planes almost colliding at major US airports and a mid-air near miss between two planes traveling in excess of 500mph.

The data prompted calls for a review of the sector, which experts claimed is 'understaffed'.

Laurie Garrow, a professor of civil engineering at Georgia Tech, told USA Today: 'During COVID, there were many air traffic controllers and pilots who retired.

'Part of the reason we may be seeing more near-misses is because as an industry we now have a much younger workforce that does not have the benefit of having decades worth of experience.'

As of May, only three of the 313 air traffic facilities nationwide had enough controllers to meet targets set by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to The Times.

In January, a pilot narrowly avoided smashing into another plane which had taken a wrong turn at JFK in New York, each carrying hundreds of people.

A near-miss incident at JFK on January 13 occurred when a Delta aircraft which was about to take off had to perform an emergency stop after an American Airlines plane crossed onto the runway

The staffing shortages mean some employees have to work overtime in a highly stressful environment. The demands of the job have left some burned out.

Air traffic controllers told the FAA that the shortage of staff is 'plain dangerous'.

In a safety reported filed last year, one said: 'Controllers are making mistakes left and right. Fatigue is extreme. The margin for safety has eroded tenfold. Morale is rock bottom. I catch myself taking risks and shortcuts I normally would never take.'

Staffing shortages also exacerbate pilots' mental health issues - and looming over any problem is a fear that if they report their concerns, they could 'lose their wings'.

A 2016 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that around 13 per cent of pilots met the criteria for depression, and 4 per cent reported suicidal thoughts.

It added: 'Underreporting of mental health symptoms and diagnoses is probable among airline pilots due to the public stigma of mental illness and fear among pilots of being grounded or not fit for duty.'

Research by physician and assistant professor of aviation at the University of North Dakota, William R. Hoffman, found that of 3,500 US pilots, 56 per cent avoid health care because they fear 'losing their wings'.

Writing in the Scientific American last year, Emerson said: 'Airline pilots are required to meet certain medical standards in order to maintain an active flying status, and disclosing a new symptom or condition to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) puts them at risk of losing, usually temporarily, their ability to work and fly.

'This is particularly true for mental health symptoms.'

He added that even receiving long term talking therapy could lead to a temporary ban.

Jones was caught on camera marching purposefully towards the gate at Denver International Airport with the ax swinging from his right hand

The way the FAA handles mental health changed after the 2015 German Wings incident which saw a co-pilot - who had previously been treated for suicidal tendencies - deliberately crash a passenger jet into a mountain.

Since then, the FAA say they are trying to encourage 'pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.'

But many pilots cannot afford to take time off work for treatment - or cannot bear the potential additional costs of re-training.

Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines pilot who is now CEO of Aero Consulting Experts, told the San Francisco Chronicle: 'Mental health is a taboo subject with pilots.

'The moment you say something, you stop flying and your career could be over. People do anything to hide it.'

In recent years, there have been frequent reports of pilots snapping or taking drastic action.

In August, a senior United airlines pilot, just years short of retiring, was caught on camera attacking a parking barrier with an ax. He later said he had 'just hit his breaking point'.
Grieving friends and family wept today as they gathered for the funeral of a British mother and her two teenage girls who were all killed in the Hamas terror attacks in Israel.

Lianne Sharabi, from Bristol, and her daughter Yahel, 13, were both gunned down in her house at the Beeri Kibbutz on Saturday October 7.

It was initially hoped that her second daughter, Noiya, 16, was still alive having been taken hostage by Hamas - but the teenagers body was finally discovered days after the raid. The girls father Eli remains missing and is thought to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

Today Lianne, Noiya and Yahel were remembered together by their wider family and friends at a heartbreaking joint funeral at the Kfar Harif cemetery in southern Israel.

Liannes British parents and three brothers were among those who paid tribute, in a series of pre-recorded messages played at the funeral. Devastated relatives were inconsolable as they gathered around the three coffins, each draped in Israeli flags.

'Our Lianne was the light of our familys life. She had a wonderful caring nature,' said Lianne's mother Gill.

(Left to right) Noam, Ayelet, Hodaya and Noa, friends of Noiya, were seen mourning the loss of their close friend

Hadas Sharabi (pictured, left), wife of Sharon Sharabi, with their daughter Rotem (pictured, right) were seen mourning at the cemetery

Their loved ones mourned their loss, and shared their final messages to the departed

Dad Eli (pictured, second from left) is still missing, and is believed to be held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza

Lianne, Noiya and Yahel were buried at the Kfar Harif cemetery in southern Israel today

Lianne, Noiya and Yahel were laid to rest in simple, wooden coffins

Lianne (pictured, centre) first moved to Israel when she was 19 to work on a kibbutz as a volunteer

She would help anyone in trouble, be it physical, emotional or financial, she would be there for them.

She was funny, with a dry sense of humour - sometimes irreverent, but never malicious.

She fully embraced the life on Beeri and made many friends over the years.

She was a wonderful mother to Noiya and Yahel and a great support for Eli.

Her love for her parents and the rest of the family here was always apparent.

She never failed to keep in contact with us and we enjoyed hearing of her life in Israel and the adventures she shared with Eli, Noiya and Yahel.

We will miss our girl to the end of our days and keep her in our hearts forever, tucked away with the fondest memories of her 48 years.

Goodnight, sleep tight sweetheart.

Gill then remembered her granddaughter Noiya as a beacon of light.

She said of her: The [British] family was lucky enough to visit Beeri as Noiya was growing from an affectionate and happy child, to a compassionate teen and a beautiful and talented young woman.

Hundreds gathered to mourn the passing of Lianne and her two daughters

The three women were being buried in Kfar Harif cemetery temporarily

The family would go back home to Bristol once a year to see their British relatives

Lianne sent relatives a text message letting them know that Hamas gunmen had broken into Kibbutz Be'eri shortly before she died

Hamas terrorists managed to break into the saferoom that was built in their home

Always the big sister, she looked after Yahel and was very proud of her little sister.

She would often chase us around the room, singing at the top of her voice, to make us laugh.

We will always treasure the memories of a beautiful and talented girl.

A beacon of light extinguished too soon, but ever in our hearts, always.

We will miss her smiling face.

Turning to her Yahel, she continued: She was funny, mischievous and a joy to be with. We will never know what she could have become - a vet, an entertainer, a naturalist, maybe even the first Israeli woman in space.

All we know is that there is a Yahel-shaped hole in our lives that can never be filled for her British family.

Her father Pete said: I saw Lianne born on the double bed in our bedroom in the early hours of 20th February 1975.

Several people wore t-shirts calling for the safe return of Liannes husband Eli and her brother-in-law Yosi who were kidnapped and are believed to be held as hostages by Hamas

As a teenager she was something of a rebel, but always very popular and she made friends easily.

She wanted to travel the world [and] she applied to be a kibbutz volunteer for three months.

After 3 months at Beeri, Lianne called home to say that "She had met a man and was staying on and on and on.

Engagement and marriage soon followed, with a wonderful wedding and party in Bristol, followed by a trip to Beeri for an Israeli "wedding party", with a feast, much drinking and dancing.

It was obvious, from our many trips there over the course of 28 years, that Lianne was truly loved by so many on the kibbutz.

Her brother Ian added: Eli, then Noiya, then Yaheli appeared to complete Lianne, and her reason for living became so much deeper.

Loved ones were seen laying wreaths, portraits and flowers atop the family's graves

Lianne, my little sister, thank you for all you gave to me. You are forever part of me and mine and I expect you to be the same special, my only little sister when we eventually meet again.

Her brother Steve added: Lianne was my big sister. Big in every way - her love, her personality, her attitude and her mouth!!

Although I can't believe Lianne's gone, I also can't believe that I was lucky enough to have had her as my sister but also, as my friend.

Hundreds of well-wishers gathered at the shaded cemetery on the outskirts of the Kfar Hafar kibbutz to pay their respects.

Noiyas best friend broke down in tears as she paid tribute to her.

She asked: In what world do teenagers bury their teenage friends?

Life will never be the same.

We are waiting to wake up from this nightmare and you will pop and say you fooled us.

Several left photos they had of Lianne, Noiya and Yahel on top of their coffins

Young people were seen mourning the loss of their close friends

Loved ones were seen tossing dirt on to their coffins, in line with Hebrew custom

Yehal's friends took turns to describe their love for the 13-year-old, some unable to stop their tears.

Many wore T-shirts calling for the safe return of Liannes husband Eli and her brother-in-law Yosi who were kidnapped and are believed to be held as hostages by Hamas.

Soldiers armed with automatic rifles and handguns stood among the mourners.

Meanwhile Israeli Defence Force helicopters flew overhead as they journeyed towards the frontline with Gaza.

Lianne, Noiya and Yehal will be temporarily buried at the Kfar Harif cemetery as they could not be laid to rest at the Beeri Kibbutz due to security reasons.

Born in Bristol, mother-of-two Lianne first moved to Israel when she was 19 to work on a kibbutz as a volunteer. She would return to Britain at least once a year to visit family with her daughters and husband.

Harrowing last messages by terrified Lianne were revealed by relatives last week.

The 48-year-old mother sent a panicked text to her sister-in-law Nira saying she could hear Hamas gunmen shooting and shouting "Die Israel", before begging her to call for help.

Nira Sharabi told MailOnline last week: The last contact I had with Lianne was at about 11am on Saturday morning (October 7th).

She sent a message saying: Nira, I can hear them. They are here at our house. They are shooting and shouting 'Die Israel'. Please call for help."

Hamas terrorists killed the three women in their home in the Kibbutz Be'eri

Noiya was just 16 when she was murdered

Yahel was 13 years old when she was killed in her own home

I told her; Be Strong! I am calling for help! But ten minutes I lost contact with her and the girls.

Later we learned that Lianne and Yahel had been murdered. But we [didnt] know what happened to Noiya and her dad Eli. All we know is that the terrorists broke into their safe room.

Eli had barricaded the door and was holding the handle but the terrorists managed to get it open. When the soldiers went in there was a pool of blood outside the door of the safe room.

The terrorists did not burn down the house but they smashed everything up. Everything inside the house was broken. They even shot the dog, Moka. She was found dead under the table in the living room. She had bled to death.

Hamas also broke into Niras house and took her husband Yosi hostage. He is still missing.

Disturbing photos of the Sharabi family home show it covered in blood, with furniture smashed up and their pet dog killed and left to rot in the living room.

A pool of blood was found staining the floor and walls at the entrance to the property's safe room, where they would shelter from rocket attacks.

Another pool of blood lies in the room nearby, next to a childs wooden bed.
The number of anti-Semitic attacks in the US jumped nearly fourfold after Hamas fighters launched their deadly raids in southern Israel on October 7, according to a monitoring group.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) counted 312 anti-Semitic incidents between October 7-23, ranging from harassment to vandalism and physical assaults.

That's a 388 percent rise on the 64 incidents from the same period last year.

ADL's research was released on Wednesday amid shocking reports about attacks in the US on Jewish people and premises, and similar incidents involving Palestinian-Americans, Arabs and Muslims.

It comes as America is convulsed by the deepening conflict in the Middle East.

Pro-Palestinian groups rallied in Tampa, Florida, which brought reactionary protesters for the local Jewish community, in the days after the Hamas atrocities in Israel

Temple Beth Israel in Fresno, California, was vandalized in the days after the Hamas outrage

Israel intensified its overnight bombing of southern Gaza overnight, killing record numbers of Palestinians, as it seeks to eliminate the Hamas group that murdered and captured hundreds of people, mostly civilians, in brazen raids earlier this month.

Millions of Americans were shocked by the viciousness of Hamas' strikes. Others have focussed on the suffering of blameless Gaza residents and their dashed hopes for an independent Palestinian nation.

Jonathan Greenblatt says anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, said anti-Semitic attacks usually rise in the US and elsewhere after conflict erupts in Israel.

'We are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic activity here while the war rages overseas,' said Greenblatt.

ADL researchers described a series of worrying incidents, including a Jewish student being harassed, shoved, and called a 'F***ing Zionist' at Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, on October 9.

Likewise on October 18, a pro-Palestinian protestor harassed a group of Israelis and assaulted at least one of them in Times Square, in New York City, researchers said.

In Los Angeles, an activist shouted 'I am Hamas' and made death threats to Jewish customers outside a Kosher restaurant on October 10.

Of the recorded 312 antisemitic incidents, 190 were directly linked to the terror outrage and Israel's counteroffensive against Hamas in the densely-packed Palestinian enclave, Gaza, the ADL says.

Protesters rallied in downtown Los Angeles to protest the humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip by Israel

Meanwhile, the US Department of Homeland Security has warned of a rise in hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs as well as Jews linked to the war in the Middle East.

In a separate memo to law enforcement agencies in Washington, DC, the department warned of a greater 'threat of terrorism and targeted violence' as the Israel-Hamas war escalates.

DHS says houses of worship, demonstrations and events, and US military assets are likely targets.

Among the most shocking attacks against Arab Americans was the knife attack that left a six-year-old Palestinian boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, dead, and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, 32, seriously injured.

Their landlord, Joseph Czuba, faces murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges for the October 14 attack in the suburbs of Chicago.

The 71-year-old reportedly 'flipped' after watching news coverage of the Hamas attack.

Six-year-old Palestinian boy Wadea Al-Fayoume was knifed to death in Illinois by an attacker who was allegedly influenced by the Israel-Hamas war

A cop tries to separate pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators at a rally in New York City

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, says mosques across the US are boosting their security, while Muslim Americans are braced for more attacks.

Tensions are rising in the US amid scenes of carnage and chaos in Gaza and as violence flares elsewhere in the Middle East.

Israel launched strikes on Gaza after Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli towns on October 7, slaughtering 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and taking some 222 people hostage.

Gaza's health ministry said at least 6,546 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli bombardments since that attack, including 2,704 children.

Of the total, 756 had been killed in the previous 24 hours, half of them children, it said  more than the 704 it reported on Tuesday.

Clashes have also intensified in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli military has killed more than 100 Palestinians, the Palestinian health ministry said.
A thug received constant karma after robbing a child and stealing his mobile phone when he was tackled to the ground by a pensioner.

Mikhail Makarov, 72, instinctively tackled the robber after he was seen on CCTV footage stopping victim Timofey, 11, and grabbing his smartphone before running down the street.

Timofey screamed hysterically as soon as the 35-year-old robber grabbed his phone, alerting the former security guard who was mending his car's engine by the side of the street in Schelkovo near Moscow when the incident unfolded.

Makarov said when he looked up, he saw the robber sprinting towards him and the boy chasing after him.

Video shows the pensioner running towards the robber before he tackled him to the ground. The thief was flung into the air and landed on his back with a sickening thud.

Video shows the robber stopping victim Timofey, 11, and grabbing his smartphone before running down the street

Video shows the pensioner running towards the robber before he tackled him to the ground

The thief was flung into the air and landed on his back with a sickening thud

The robber, who has not been named, quickly tried to run away again, but Makarov grabbed his neck pinned him to the ground.

Video shows the thief struggling against the pensioner's grip but Makarov still manages to overpower him.

Seconds later, a woman, believed to be Timofey's mother, runs up to the robber and snatches back the Honor 9 phone as Makarov restrained the thief. Video shows Makarov kicking the robber as he releases his grip on him.

Makarov, who is to be honoured by the police, said: 'I did nothing special, guys, it should be the norm.'

The pensioner said when he 'heard a hysterical scream', he looked up and saw the distraught boy.

Makarov said: 'There is a school nearby and loud noises often happen. I looked and this man is running away from the boy.

'The boy chases him screaming hysterically. So I had to react.'

The robber, who has not been named, quickly tried to run away again, but Makarov grabbed his neck pinned him to the ground

Makarov, who is to be honoured by the police, said: 'I did nothing special, guys, it should be the norm'

Makarov (pictured) said when he looked up, he saw the robber sprinting towards him and the boy chasing after him

Makarov said as he was pinning the robber to the ground, he asked Timofey: 'What did he do?' The boy replied: 'He stole my phone.'

He believed active pensioners should do more to keep order in the streets.

Police later detained the man and said he had a previous criminal record.

They praised Makarov for 'not remaining indifferent' and 'helping police detain the suspect'.
A trainee NHS doctor who pocketed almost 10,000 in sick pay whilst moonlighting at two different hospitals up to 160 miles away is able to keep her job after a disciplinary tribunal heard she had 'personal difficulties' at the time of the scam.

Dr Tracy Landu-Landu, 30, claimed the statutory pay from the NHS in Merseyside despite working 38 locum shifts of up to 13 hours each in Lincolnshire.

Investigators discovered that Landu-Landu received 9,865.52 in sick pay while she worked a total of 350 hours at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston and the Covid-19 ward at the Lincoln County Hospital.

A tribunal hearing her case did not publish how much she earned on the moonlighting locum shifts but unions recommend trainee doctors should ask for at least 60 an hour.

The scam occurred between August and December 2020 while Landu-Landu was employed as a GP Specialty Trainee by St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

It emerged Landu-Landu's partner had even warned her that she faced the sack if her scam was discovered but it was claimed she carried on.

She also lied to officials who confronted her about working whilst off sick.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, she was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and was suspended for nine months.

Landu-Landu, who lives in Grantham in Lincolnshire, said she will pay back the money within 18 months and is expected to return to work next year following a review.

Her start date with the trust was delayed when she took a period off work due to an undisclosed illness and she received occupational sick pay totalling 9,865.52.

But, unknown to the health authority, Landu-Landu was working locum shifts between eight and 13 hours at a time for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

She was referred to the GMC (General Medical Council) in April last year following an investigation into her sick pay claims which lasted up to 4 months.

At the hearing, Landu-Landu admitted taking the money but said she had been suffering from stress due to 'recent life events'.

She insisted the conversation she had with her former partner about being dismissed if she worked whilst claiming sick pay took place after the investigation had started.

Landu-Landu claimed she did not think she was on official sick leave at the time but was asked by HR staff at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to get a fit note. She said she knew she had acted wrongly but refuted claims she did not correct her actions when she was made aware.

She later admitted lying to an HR official who recorded Landu-Landu had denied working whilst claiming sick pay. She said she had contacted the Trust and commenced repayment, but she had 'some difficulties arranging to pay'.

In one month alone Landu-Landu got 3,971.83 in sick pay and and in another 2,498.41 whilst treating patients at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston (pictured) and the Covid-19 ward at the Lincoln County Hospital

Landu-Landu was working locum shifts of between eight and 13 hours at a time for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (pictured is the Lincoln County Hospital)

She told the tribunal that she had repaid close to 3,000 so far - but provided no evidence of repayment.

In her evidence Landu-Landu said: 'The incident occurred a while ago and I have now had time to reflect on my actions. I know what I have done was wrong and I do not believe there is a risk that I would repeat my actions.

'I have undergone investigation twice, which has given me time to personally reflect on what I could have done differently. I was in a very difficult place in my life at the time but I have more clarity now.

'I would now ask beforehand if I was in a place where I was unsure about something.'

Counsel for the GMC Katie Jones told the hearing: 'The misconduct in this case is serious given the dishonesty, which persisted over a period of months. Dr Landu-Landu had the opportunity to stop what she was doing, such as when her partner told her that she could get the sack if she worked whilst claiming sick pay - but despite this she continued to do so for a couple of months.

'Dr Landu-Landu made a significant financial gain over that time. This was a significant act of dishonesty over a period of four months where Dr Landu-Landu did not change her behaviour when things were flagged up to her and she did not admit to what she had done when she had the chance at the end of December 2020. This was not a one-off incident.

Ms Jones added: 'There was evidence of the difficult personal stressors that Dr Landu-Landu was experiencing at the time, albeit some of these only became apparent towards the end of the period in which the misconduct occurred and led to the dishonesty being uncovered.

'Whilst Dr Landu-Landu did initially lie to the trust when asked if she had been working while off sick, she did shortly afterwards admit her wrongdoing and co-operated fully with the trust investigations.'

In suspending Landu-Landu, MPTS chairman Mrs Kim Parson said: 'The Tribunal was of the opinion that Dr Landu-Landu's distressing personal circumstances at the time may have influenced her conduct and contributed to her behaving in a way that she could not explain or justify.

'The tribunal noted that it is recorded in the notes of the trust investigation that Dr Landu-Landu said that her actions were not initially done for financial gain, but it was "only when her sick pay stopped that money became an additional driver".

'The tribunal acknowledged that Dr Landu-Landu does have some insight, albeit that this is still developing. Further, that she said she had made efforts to remediate by repaying the sick pay she received. The tribunal noted, however, that it had been provided with little evidence of her insight and remediation. The tribunal also noted that Dr Landu-Landu has apologised for her actions.

'This incident took place against a background of personal difficulties that Dr Landu-Landu was experiencing although the tribunal gave limited weight to that evidence in mitigation because not all of those personal stressors appeared to be present when Dr Landu-Landu first began working locum shifts whilst claiming sick pay.

'Suspension is the appropriate and proportionate response. A period of suspension would have sufficient deterrent effect, sending a signal to Dr Landu-Landu, the profession, and the public that her conduct was unbefitting of a registered doctor.'
A woman was mauled and nearly had her arm ripped off by her pet Rottweiler in a terrifying, bloody one-hour ordeal after she fed her pet a THC gummy.

The unidentified pet owner, from Gaylord, Michigan, was left covered in 'extreme' amounts of blood after Blau, who had eaten the cannabis gummy, ripped her off her toilet seat on October 5.

Blau, the three-year-old, 82-pound Rottweiler, attacked his owner and then proceeded to stampede through the house after the woman locked herself in the bedroom. The dog was euthanized as a result of the attack.

She had to be airlifted to hospital because of her wounds - and the victim's father told responding officers that she was going through a bad divorce and the dog was 'very stressed.'

As a result, he had bought the dog some 'gummies' in a bid to mellow him out.

Blau, the three-year-old, 82-pound Rottweiler, attacked his owner and then proceeded to stampede through the house after the woman locked herself in the bedroom

Cannabis gummies (stock image.) The pet owner, from Gaylord, Michigan , was left covered in 'extreme' amounts of blood after Blau, who had eaten the cannabis gummy, ripped her off her toilet seat on October 5

Animal control workers rushed to the Michigan home, and found the Rottweiler standing by a window and roaming around the property.

At this point, the dog was 'subdued' and was able to be caged by officers using a 'catchpole.'

The shocking incident report from Otsego County Animal Control & Shelter was obtained by Smoking Gun - and detailed the bloody situation.

The responders saw 'a lot of blood on the living room carpet' and the hallway had 'an immense amount of blood on the floor and walls,' officer Melissa Fitzgerald noted.

She found the victim was 'laying face up on the bed covered in blood.'

The woman was unable to stand up after her dog attacked her, and there was an extreme amount of blood was on the bed 'as well as the walls and floors.'

Eventually, EMS officers airlifted the woman to Traverse City 60 miles away where she was brought to ICU and underwent emergency surgery.

The victim's sister said that the woman had almost lost her right arm and 'there is not much left of the area between her shoulder and her elbow,' according to the report.

After a week in the hospital, the woman was finally released - and she signed the euthanasia form to kill the dog humanely.

At first, her estranged husband asked if he could rehabilitate Blau, but he later changed his mind and asked if he could shoot it himself.

He was told by the officer that this was illegal.

On October 17, the Rottweiler was euthanized after the injured woman and her parents 'said goodbye' to Blau.
Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser has announced the creation of 'drug-free zones' across the city as she said a 'gray' marijuana market has fueled violence on the streets.

The Democrat unveiled an anti-crime bill, The Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now), on Monday as she targets rising crime in the nation's capital, including drug dealing and retail theft.

Bowser has made a point of supporting law enforcement as the city struggles with alarming crime numbers - Homicide is up 33 percent and robbery is up 70 percent, according to data from the DC Metropolitan Police Department. Meanwhile, there have been 225 murders so far this year, putting DC on track to overtake 2021 as the bloodiest year in two decades.

The new measure would allow the Metro Police Department chief to declare drug-free zones across the city for 120 hours at a time in order to address open-air drug markets and loitering. Bower's office said this would 'interrupt' drug-dealing and 'allow neighborhoods to clean up and reclaim public space' as it would become illegal to 'purchase, sale, or use of illegal drugs' in these areas.

However, police chief Pamela Smith declined to say which areas with open-air markets will be targeted, saying: 'I don't want to forecast where we will go.'

Adults aged 21 and older can legally possess up to two ounces of marijuana, and smoking in public places is a misdemeanor generally handled with a cite and released procedure. It is illegal to distribute the drug for profit, but that hasn't stopped public drug dealing in areas like Chinatown, according to residents.

A new measure by mayor Muriel Bowser would allow the Metro Police Department chief (main) to declare drug-free zones for 120 hours at a time in order to address open-air drug markets

Bowser has made a point of supporting law enforcement as the city struggles with alarming crime numbers

The bill also redefines what a chokehold by police is, allows some vehicle pursuits by police and brings back a law that makes it illegal to wear a mask while committing a crime.

It would also create a crime called 'directing organized retail theft.'

Bowser said: 'This legislation reflects what our community is telling us. They want appropriate accountability for those who choose to commit crimes and inflict fear in our neighborhoods.'

She added: 'No one should think that there will be 20 drug-free zones being implemented at the same time, but this is a tool the chief would have.'

After DC leaders pushed to defund police at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Bowser has resisted calls to defund police, despite opposition from the DC City Council, which cut $32 million from her proposed police budget and redirected $9.6 million dollars from police to violence interruption.

Bowser, instead, has pushed for hiring more cops in the capital and has been an advocate for increasing the size of the force from 3,580 to 4,000.

Soaring crime in DC has left residents fearing for their lives and changing their routines to avoid falling victim to crime.

Moreover, DC's annual Point-in-Time count, which took place on January 25, found that the total number of homeless people increased by 11.6 percent this year from 2022.

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson reacted to the proposal and said: 'I am disappointed in the Mayors proposal and the hype shes created around it. Residents are concerned about gun violence, robberies, and carjackings. This proposal does not address gun violence, robberies, and carjackings.

The mayor has resisted calls to defund the police and has been an advocate for increasing the size of the force from 3,580 to 4,000

A homeless man sleeping outside a bank in Washington, DC. Data shows the total number of homeless people in the nation's capital increased by 11.6 percent this year from 2022

Police gather at the scene of a shooting in Washington, DC. Police department data shows there have been 225 murders this year, putting DC on track to overtake 2021 as the bloodiest year in two decades

'Instead, it trots out solutions like recreating drug free zones. And while I support the idea of drug free zones, they are unconstitutional.'

He added. 'The Mayor needs to focus on deterrence and the biggest deterrent of violent crime is closing cases, locking up repeat offenders and prosecuting aggressively.'

The legislation clarifies the distinction between an illegal use of force such as a chokehold and incidental contact with the neck like putting their hand on the back of a suspects neck while moving them into a squad card.

An awakening around police excessive use of force swept the nation after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, when former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during his neck while Floyd was saying he can't breathe.

Bowser's proposal allows officers to review their bodycam footage before writing a report, defines vehicular pursuit and explains what information will be made public in officer discipline.

'This legislation is critical for the public safety of the District of Columbia,' acting DC Metropolitan police Chief Pamela Smith said.

'The legislation is responsive to what we are hearing from community and takes important steps forward in clarifying existing legislative language to ensure our officers are able to fully perform their duties.'

Unique to the District of Columbia, once the city council passes a law, it must go to Congress for a period of 30 days, or 60 days if a criminal law.

During the time of congressional review, Congress can vote to overturn the measure or if the review period passes and no action is taken, it finally becomes a law in DC.

Following the murder of George Floyd, some cities caved to calls to defund the police, but Bowser opted to increase dollars for police in her fiscal year 2021 budget - which took effect in October 2020.
The question of whether or not the President of the United States is worried about surging Jew-hatred in America isn't just a softball - it's a beach ball on a batting tee.

Yet somehow, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre swung at it and missed - not once, not twice, but three times.

KJP's not just out - she should be ashamed. But instead, the top White House talker is trying to weasel out of this one.

Not on my watch.

'What is [President Biden's] level of concern right now about the potential rise of antisemitism in light of everything that's going on in Israel?' asked a reporter in the White House briefing room on Monday.

A flummoxed Jean-Pierre looked down at the podium and her trusty black binder of pre-approved answers.

'Look, we have not seen any credible threats,' she blabbed  unresponsively. 'I know there's always been questions about credible threats.'

In fact, there was no question about 'credible threats'.

There was a very benign inquiry about what Biden thinks of America's city streets and college campuses being filled by hysterical activists advocating for the murder of Jews.

Then, glancing down at her talking points, Jean-Pierre bizarrely pivoted.

'Look, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks.'

I'm sorry, what? Even some Democrats were alarmed by the blundering Binder Queen.

KJP's not just out - she should be ashamed. But instead, the top White House talker is trying to weasel out of this one

There was a very benign inquiry about what Biden thinks of America's city streets and college campuses being filled by hysterical activists advocating for the murder of Jews

'What a weak answer,' boomed Rep. Jared Moskowitz on Twitter. 'Why are you looking in the book? What's the approved answer? The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism'

After that atrocious news conference, a humiliated Jean-Pierre lamely tried to clean it all up  with a tweet.

'To be clear, the president and our team are very concerned about a rise in antisemitism.'

Sorry, when you have to clarify your position on something as clear cut as antisemitism  you've failed. Either our White House automaton has blown a fuse or we're witnessing an administration lose its backbone in real-time.

I suspect the latter.

Perhaps most tellingly, it wasn't until nearly 24-hours later that Jean-Pierre put out another statement claiming this was all a big misunderstanding.

'I did mishear the question,' she claimed.

Really?

At my most charitable (and in full recognition of the fact that the second-worst communicator in the White House behind the president is ironically his press secretary), I may give KJP the benefit of the doubt, but not here.

Witness how she repeatedly downplayed the rising threat of antisemitism throughout that news conference.

'Does the President view anti-Israel protests and sentiment on college campuses as antisemitism?' asked another journalist.

'So, look,' she sighed, seemingly annoyed, 'I'm not going to get into what's happening across the country in  at different universities. I'm not going to get into the specifics the First Amendment right  right?'

Right. But the First Amendment protects horrid speech, it does not prevent a sitting president from condemning it. And when has this White House let the First Amendment stop them before.

Here's KJP in April amid conservative backlash against Bud Light's sponsorship of transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney: 'We should be able to speak out against hate and discrimination. That type of dangerous rhetoric, that type of vitriolic language and violence, that needs to stop.'

See? Not so hard.

So, why does the White House freely castigate those who use the wrong pronouns but freeze up when it comes to condemning calls to kill?

Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz nailed Jean-Pierre on X Monday for her answer calling it 'weak' and asking why she needed to page through her briefing book to say the rise of antisemitism was a concern

'So, look,' KJP sighed, seemingly annoyed, 'I'm not going to get into what's happening across the country in  at different universities. I'm not going to get into the specifics the First Amendment right  right?'

Biden's own FBI, DHS and National Counterterrorism Center aren't dismissing the menace so easily. They warned this week that the climbing number of domestic hate crimes suggest that 'targeted violence' against Jews, Muslims and Arabs will spike.

And what of last weekend's violent 'Flood Brooklyn for Palestine' protests in New York City where thousands marched in support of the goals of Hamas?

Was that not in the binder?

Demonstrators shut down traffic, reportedly threw eggs at police, lit fires in the streets and fought with cops, who tried to calm them down.

'We are calling for full liberation of all of Palestine to every single inch, from river to the sea,' shouted one protester, echoing the calls of Islamist terrorists to wipe Israel off the map.

'Say it loud, say it clear, we don't want no Zionists here,' a cute rhyme, but bigoted, no?

'We will free Palestine within our lifetime!' others cried, holding signs reading, 'Resistance is justified when people are occupied,' which is blatant support for the slaughter of innocents.

It's more Beirut than Bay Ridge.

And it's unimaginable that President Biden, who recently preached that 'silence' in the face of bigotry 'is complicity' would punt on a chance to condemn support for terrorists.

Perhaps the third time would be the charm for Biden's mouthpiece.

Nope.

Asked if the President has any plans to directly address deeply misguided college students cheering on the murder of Jews Jean-Pierre said, 'I don't have anything to lay out on any specific conversations or outreach that the President is going to do to students.'

It's unimaginable that President Biden, who recently preached that 'silence' in the face of bigotry 'is complicity' would punt on a chance to condemn support for terrorists. Perhaps the third time would be the charm for Biden's mouthpiece. Nope.

By Tuesday afternoon, she was back at the podium with a new statement in front of her, and this time she said all the right things. But I can't help but be left with a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Borrowing the language of the left, was she telling her truth the first time or the second?

To me, it's not a question. And what's truly alarming about all of this is how quickly the cowardice came on.

When the Israel/Gaza war first broke out the press secretary was a bright shining ethical light slamming progressive Democrats and left-wing lunatics who refused to denounce Hamas.

'We're going to continue to be very clear,' she scolded at the time. 'We believe they're wrong. We believe they're repugnant and we believe they're disgraceful.'

Good for her. But by 'continue,' she apparently meant for the next two weeks.

Now as Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib continues to push Hamas propaganda blaming Israel for an attack on the Baptist Hospital in Gaza that's been widely attributed to terrorists  the White House has nothing more to say.

As the United Nations Secretary General suggests on Tuesday that Israeli policy somehow invited the Hamas attacks  we hear nothing.

One can feel the tectonic plates of public support shifting beneath Israel  and I fear the White House is being carried with it.

Could it be that political calculations have gotten in the way of their conscience?

'Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood,' Tlaib ominously warned the White House last week.

Is the White House worried about losing the anti-Israel fringe of the party? Is that what's making it so difficult for Jean-Pierre to condemn surging Jew-hate in America?

Whatever the reason its bad news for America and worse for American Jews, who are now walking around with a target on their backs.

Moral clarity at the White House is growing cloudy when we need it to be at its most clear.
An NHS worker has celebrated the Hamas terror attacks on Israel in a series of disturbing social media posts.

Farah Bouamra, a physician associate at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in London, has apparently supported the kidnapping of Israeli civilians including children by the extremist terror group - and celebrated the torching of the Israeli Embassy, in Jordan.

The British-born NHS staffer, who has Algerian family heritage, also branded Israeli soldiers as 'terrorists' - and advocated the 'flogging' of journalists.

And she has blasted the Metropolitan Police as 'pathetic' for tweeting about a London Underground employee tannoying alleged 'anti Jewish' remarks.

She has also reposted that 'decolonization is always a violent phenomenon' from Wretched of the Earth, a book by philosopher Frantz Fanon - and she hopes the current conflict leads Muslims to 'radicalise'

NHS worker Farah Bouamra (pictured) has celebrated the Hamas terror attacks on Israel in a series of disturbing social media posts

Farah Bouamra, a physician associate at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in London , has apparently supported the kidnapping of Israeli civilians including children by the extremist terror group - and celebrated the torching of the Israeli Embassy, in Jordan

Bouamra responded to the Metropolitan Police's comments about the incident in which a tube driver who had apparently incited protesters to chant a slogan said to be anti-semitic: 'You lot are pathetic. How about the police focus on enquiring about their rapist, racist and kidnapping employees. Jobless yats.'

Bouamra is active on social media, and also posts on instagram about her career as a physician associate, a role which involves her taking medical histories from patients, performing physical examinations, diagnosing illnesses and seeing patients with long-term chronic conditions.

Although also active on Instagram, it was primarily on her Twitter/X account that she has posted or retweeted a flurry of anti-Israeli comments since the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on 7 October, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more than 220 hostages.

On the 7th she reposted a video of bulldozers ploughing through the Gaza strip separation fence with Israel and celebrating the kidnapping of innocent festival goers and children.

A caption read: 'Palestinians break into separation fence w/Israel, dozens of Israelis captured and brought into Gaza...' and then 'VIVAAAAA' to celebrate this - before they went on to kill 1,400 people including children.

On the same day she reposted 'Free Palestine today tomorrow and forever'.

And in answer to Labour MP David Lammy, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, condemning the Hamas attack, she reposted 'Israel has killed Palestinians indiscriminately for the past seven decades, so when you stand in solidarity with Israel you stand in solidarity with terrorism you stinking idiot.'

In another post she agreed that the Israeli government is behaving 'like war criminalsbeing supported by depraved western leaders.'

Another post denied that Hamas beheaded babies.

She reposted: 'Despite the fact that it was proven that the story of Hamas beheading babies was a lie, the media and people cared far more for these fictional babies than the 700 dead Palestinian children'.

On learning of a mob attempting to storm the Israeli Embassy in Jordan, Farah rejoiced in the violence, posting: 'They set the Israeli embassy on fire in Jordan. I love these people so much'.

Bouamra responded to the Metropolitan Police's comments about the incident in which a tube driver who had apparently incited protesters to chant a slogan said to be anti-semitic

On learning of a mob attempting to storm the Israeli Embassy in Jordan, Farah rejoiced in the violence, posting: 'They set the Israeli embassy on fire in Jordan. I love these people so much'

On the 7th she reposted a video of bulldozers ploughing through the Gaza strip separation fence with Israel and celebrating the kidnapping of innocent festival goers and children.

She also said: 'They're bombing the hospitals. Hospitals. If you still consider this a 'conflict' with Israel acting in 'self-defence' and not being actual terrorists at this point, then you can't be described as anything other than soulless' adding 'Also, suck your mums' - a general disrespectful insult.

She also reposted: 'Some of you journalists need to be flogged in the town square toobeaten WELL WELL. he things I have seen this past weekI am speechless'.

Bouamra also claims to have seen babies killed by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) since she was a child. In a tweet referring to the IDF as the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) - a name widely used among Palestinians and pro-Palestinian groups in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, and accompanying a video of Israeli soldiers playing with Palestinian children, she wrote: 'If they're so hehe and goofy, why are they armed with semi-automatics? And why have I been seeing the bodies of Palestinian children at the hands of the IOF since I was a child myself?'

In an interview with a fashion chain aimed at Muslim women, Farah described herself as a British-born Algerian, who is interested in travel, friends and family, and four fur babies! (dogs)

Farah has been a physician associate at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since September 2022.

A St George's spokesperson said: 'We do not condone the personal views of this individual and appropriate action is being taken.

'As a multicultural organisation, we are deeply saddened by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and are supporting our staff  many of whom are directly affected  through this difficult time.'

Boumara has not personally responded to a request for comment.
The UN's top official says he is 'shocked by misrepresentations' of his remarks about the Israel-Gaza war, after Israeli officials lashed out at him for saying that the Hamas attacks 'did not happen in a vacuum'.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Wednesday, without naming Israel: 'I am shocked by misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council - as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas.'

It came after a meeting of the UN's Security Council, when Guterres, 74, said: 'It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

'They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.'

The statement infuriated several top Israeli officials, including the country's foreign minister and its envoy to the UN.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a meeting with Guterres and angrily pointed his finger at him during the Tuesday session, reading graphic accounts of civilians killed in the October 7 assault by Hamas.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'shocked' by the misrepresentation of his comments

Israel accused the UN of expressing 'an understanding for terrorism and murder'

Tensions between the UN and Israel have been rising since Hamas terrorists attacked on October 7

Meanwhile, Israel's outspoken ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the UN chief has 'expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.'

In response, Guterres said on Wednesday it was 'necessary to set the record straight, especially out of respect for the victims and their families.'

'I spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian people. And in doing so, I also clearly stated, and I quote: "But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas."'

This did not appear to abate Israel, which stopped issuing visas to UN officials on Wednesday.

Erdan told Israeli media: 'Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives.

'We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.'

Israel has since refused visas for UN officials, including Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths

The IDF has also lashed out at the UN, mocking pleas to allow humanitarian aid to go to Gaza

Guterres said on Tuesday: 'The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation'

Israel has butted heads with the UN several times since it was drawn into its bloodiest conflict in decades.

Its military mocked the UN's humanitarian aid agency for Palestinian refugees in a post to X.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said last night: 'If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip.'

In response, Israel's military mocked the humanitarian agency, sharing a purported picture of fuel tanks inside the Gaza Strip in a post on X, formerly Twitter, and adding: 'They contain more tan 500,000 litres of fuel. Ask Hamas if you can have some.'

It was also reported that Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu refused to speak to Antonio Guterres twice after the October 7 attacks.

Erdan said that the secretary-general had asked to speak to Netanyahu but that the Prime Minister 'refused to accept his call'.
A soft justice crisis in Scotland deepened today as a catastrophic error which allowed brute Christopher McGowan out on bail to murder his partner was exposed as he was jailed for life.

McGowan, 28, had been behind bars at the start of November 2021 on remand for charges including dangerous driving during a police pursuit.

But days before he killed Claire Inglis an unnamed social worker provided a report to a court telling a local sheriff he was in a 'positive relationship' with the young mother.

The document which also claimed 'he was motivated to stay out of trouble' was enough for him to be freed on bail to Ms Inglis's Stirling address.

There should have been a hint of what might have happened as five days before the killing, he received a community payback order, including a curfew requiring him to stay in her flat at night.

Jurors heard McGowan breached that curfew the night before her death, and was still out, intoxicated, in the company of Claire, in Stirling city centre at 9pm when he should have been indoors.

Then on November 28 he murdered Claire in an attack where she was choked with a baby wipe and burned with a lighter at her own home.

Claire Inglis, 28, was burned with a lighter during an assault at her home in Stirling

Christopher McGowan, 28, claimed his girlfriend had 'fallen downstairs'

Tonight, her grieving parents Ian and Fiona demanded to know why McGowan had been released on bail to live with their daughter and grandson before the brutal and bestial killing.

Scottish Tory deputy justice spokesman Sharon Dowey said McGowan should have been in prison rather than free to commit the murder.

Ms Inglis, a childminding graduate who was only 5ft 2in, started a relationship with McGowan around two months before she died at his hands in December 2021.

The 28-year-old decorator had a string of convictions for violence, robbery, dealing heroin and domestically aggravated breach of the peace.

When McGowan arrived at her flat, he started pawning her possessions, including her watch - a 21st birthday present - and her son's PlayStation.

Texts supposedly sent by Ms Inglis included bad spelling and emojis, which she never used, according to her parents.

They are convinced McGowan sent the messages himself after taking their daughter's phone.

Ms Inglis suffered more than 76 injuries which left her with bleeding inside her skull and extensive injuries to her neck.

He denied any wrongdoing but, after a week-long trial earlier this year at the High Court in Stirling, jurors took less than two hours to find McGowan guilty of murder.

Today Judge O'Grady told McGowan that he would go to prison for a minimum of 23 years and said it was clear he wasn't truly remorseful for taking her life.

The court heard a sheriff had given McGowan bail after learning from a social work report that McGowan had a new girlfriend and that their relationship was 'positive'.

The report also stated that he was 'motivated to stay out of trouble and come off alcohol and Valium'. This led the Sheriff bailing him to Ms Inglis' address.

Five days before the killing, he received a community payback order, including a curfew requiring him to stay in her flat at night.

Jurors heard McGowan breached that curfew the night before her death, and was still out, intoxicated, in the company of Ms Inglis, in Stirling city centre at 9pm when he should have been indoors.

He was also subject to four other bail orders at the time and in had been jailed for 21 months in April 2020 for threatening to 'do in' a cop with a six-inch blade.

Four of the five bail orders that McGowan was on were granted within little more than two months of Ms Inglis' murder.

The court heard how McGowan had 40 previous convictions, including three for assault, and a conviction with a domestic aggravation dating from 2014.

Ms Inglis' parents, Fiona and Ian, had been concerned about their daughter after she said McGowan had shouted at her in the street.

'She said she was glad to get away from him and he's a bad one,' her mother said, speaking to BBC News.

'Then three weeks later, she phoned out of the blue and said she's in a relationship.'

'He's been on a tag [curfew] he's a guy about town, he'll have been like a caged animal.

'We'll never know what happened that night, but I keep thinking was she trying to get him out?'

Ms Inglis' parents, Fiona and Ian, had been concerned about their daughter

Her parents made the decision to cut off contact with their daughter in the hope she would see reason and end the relationship when they were concerned about the relationship

Mr Inglis said his daughter's life consisted of walking her son back and forth to school until McGowan appeared, and she was under his control until she died.

Comparing the abuser to a 'caged animal', he said McGowan should never have been allowed to stay with his daughter and his grandson in their flat with his criminal record.

When McGowan arrived at her flat, he started pawning her possessions, including her watch - a 21st birthday present - and her son's PlayStation.

Texts supposedly sent by Ms Inglis included bad spelling and emojis, which she never used, according to her parents.

They are convinced McGowan sent the messages himself after taking their daughter's phone.

Mr and Mrs Inglis said they made the decision to cut off contact with their daughter in the hope she would see reason and end the relationship.

Mrs Inglis added: 'She told me, 'You're just a drama queen, he's good to me, he's going to change.'

'And he did. Into a murderer.'

Scar-faced McGowan appeared before judge Michael O'Grady KC at the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing.

Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain a background report on McGowan.

The court heard how McGowan now accepted full responsibility for murdering Ms Inglis. The court also heard that he wept when speaking about what he had done to her.

Sentencing McGowan, Judge O'Grady said: 'The background report which I have before me - remarkably - suggests that you accept full responsibility and that during interview you showed remorse and regret.

'Let me deal with that. It is clear that you accept no responsibility. Indeed in interview you have gone to great lengths to minimise and deny your responsibility for Claire's death.

'And as for your remorse and regret, I have watched you carefully throughout these proceedings.

Claire Inglis suffered more than 76 injuries which left her with bleeding inside her skull

'Even in the face of the most graphic and distressing evidence, you have shown not a flicker of emotion, not a hint of distress, not a shadow of remorse.

'Indeed, in the course of interview, you provided the author of the report with a lengthy and detailed account of events that night, which account the evidence has shown is a self-serving tissue of lies and a grotesque distortion of the awful truth of what you did.

'It is that dishonesty which is the true measure of your remorse. As for the tears you shed at interview, I have no doubt they were shed for none but yourself.

'To those who have not listened to the evidence in this trial, it is difficult to truly convey the utter brutality of the death you inflicted on Claire Inglis.

'By the time her broken and lifeless body was found, she had no fewer than 76 separate sites of injury. There is no need for me to dwell on the detail; there are those present today who have already heard too much to bear.

'The fact is, this young woman was not only murdered; she was subjected to nothing short of torture.

'I shudder to imagine what her last minutes were like. To describe what you did as sadistic falls woefully short of the mark. It was beyond sadistic.

'The consequences for Claire are self-evident. Her life ended in pain and terror at the age of 28.

'But there are others who remain who have also been robbed of the future they could have reasonably have expected.

'Because if she was a young woman of 28, she was also a young daughter and friend of 28 and - perhaps cruellest of all - a young mother of 28.

'Those who gave her life, and to whom she in turn gave life, will now have the anguish of living without her and the dreadful pain of knowing how she died.

'I have in particular mind the Victim Impact Statement of her young son who now spends each day lonely, bereft and bewildered, unable to make sense of why he must grow up without his mother.'

The court heard how mother of one Ms Inglis had announced on Facebook in autumn 2021 that she was 'in a relationship' with McGowan, a painter and decorator.

After a week-long trial earlier this year at the High Court in Stirling, jurors took less than two hours to find McGowan guilty of murder

He had been released from prison, where he had been remanded on charges including dangerous driving following a high-speed police pursuit, a few weeks before the fatal attack.

Friends said Ms Inglis had been visiting him in jail.

The jury heard that on the day Ms Inglis died, neighbours were woken at 5am by McGowan banging on their doors.

One neighbour told the jury that McGowan had said: 'Waken up, I think I've killed her'.

Two neighbours attempted CPR before paramedics arrived to find Ms Inglis lying 'black and blue' on her bedroom floor, not breathing, with no heartbeat, and what appeared to be a baby wipe so deep in her throat they could not get an airway tube into her without removing it.

A pathologist found she had 'at least' 76 separate injuries, including bleeding inside her skull, extensive injuries to her neck, two black eyes, and 'petechial haemorrhaging', a tell-tale sign of strangulation.

A bone in her neck was fractured. A post mortem revealed death was due to 'a combination of head and neck injuries' and subdural haemorrhage.

Speaking after the case, Ms Inglis' parents slammed the decision to release McGowan to live at their daughter's home.

Her father Ian said: 'He should never ever have been put in her flat with my grandson and Claire - not with the criminal record he had.'

On Wednesday, defence advocate Paul Nelson KC said his client had had a 'less than ideal' upbringing as a child. Mr Nelson said McGowan had been physically abused by his mother and had been the subject of 'social work involvement' as a youngster.

Mr Nelson added: 'Mr McGowan turned to using drink and drugs as a coping mechanism. It led to his offending. '

Passing sentence, Judge O'Grady warned McGowan that there was no guarantee that he'd be released at the end of his 23 year term.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, has suggested that he would make a 'great' president as he criticised the lack of youth in America's presidential race.

The Terminator star-turned-politician was clearly uninspired by today's political offering, as the he expressed his regret that his origins rules him out of the race before it has started.

With another election pitting Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who have a combined age of 157, very much on the cards, the actor added: 'I just hope that America finds some really young blood.'

The Austria-born Hollywood icon admitted, however, that he could not complain about his disqualification from the position, as 'everything I've accomplished was because of America'.

'I feel like I would make a great president,' he told BBC News.

Arnold Schwarzenegger , 76, has suggested that he would make a 'great' president as he criticised the lack of youth in America's presidential race

With another election pitting Joe Biden and Donald Trump , who have a combined age of 157, very much on the cards, the actor added: 'I just hope that America finds some really young blood'

'But I feel that, at the same time, everything I've accomplished was because of America.

'America gave me so many opportunities and the American people were so embracive, and they just received me with open arms.

'There was no-one there that stopped me from my success. So the only thing that I can't do, which is run for president, I'm not going to complain about that.'

The constitution requires that the President is a natural-born citizen of the United States, although the 76-year-old did not rule out that changing.

At the same time, though, he ruled out the possibility of him going on a lone Terminator-esque mission to amend that for his own benefit.

Moreover, he questioned why politicians running for the country's top job were in their seventies and eighties rather than 30 to 40 years younger.

However, the odds predict that the bodybuilder will be disappointed, with both Biden and Trump strong favourites to lead their respective parties into the next election.

Our DailyMail.com/JL Partners national 2024 poll announced last month suggest that Trump has overtaken Biden in the public's opinion - he holds a one-point lead after overturning June's two-point deficit.

That rise is fueled by independent voters switching sides and by gains among graduates, who provide the bulk of support for Biden.

However, the race remains incredibly tight. And the poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted by J.L. Partners, carries a 3.1-point margin of error.

Schwarzenegger has his own political history as governor of California from 2003 to 2011, and has given advice on how to make the most of your life and find your purpose in a new book - Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life.

According to a description of the book on Amazon, the book details 'the seven rules to follow to realize your true purpose in life - distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone.'

He told People earlier this month that he learned much about the craft of acting through his work alongside Oscar winners Sally Field and Jeff Bridges in the 1976 film Stay Hungry.

Arnold said that it 'was absolute heaven to me to watch them perform, how smooth they were and how much I had to grow' as an actor.

He added that the key was to 'be natural' and 'not to act,' saying: 'Its what made Sally Field start falling into tears and crying and throwing fits. It was really her.'

Trump has overtaken Biden in our DailyMail.com/JL Partners national 2024 poll. He holds a one-point lead after overturning June's two-point deficit

Schwarzenegger has his own political history as governor of California from 2003 to 2011

The former bodybuilder has been promoting his new book Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life

However, Schwarzenegger said that he idolized a different Oscar winner - Clint Eastwood - 'because he was kind of Mr. Cool.

'His approach of not being noisy, that he was able to listen, I always loved that,' he continued, 'because I always thought that theres something to be said about listening.'

The book description also referenced the actor's 'stratospheric success' in multiple fields: bodybuilding, Hollywood and politics.

'This did not happen by accident,' it said, but rather it 'happened as part of a process.

'As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnolds father hammered into him above all: be useful.

'As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his fathers adage close to his heart.'
After sabotaging Tom Emmer's run for House speaker, former President Donald Trump on Wednesday swung his support behind Rep. Mike Johnson and urged a swift end to the paralysis gripping the Republican Party.

Johnson, 51, won the speaker nomination late on Tuesday night but now faces the tricky business of finding the 217 votes he needs to win.

It makes him the fourth nominee since Kevin McCarthy was ousted 22 days ago.

'I am not going to make an endorsement in this race, because I could never go against any of these fine and very talented men, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our great 2016 Victory,' he said of the candidates who have declared for the post.

'My strong suggestion is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson.'

Republican lawmakers booed, jeered and were overall dismissive of a reporter asking the latest Speaker nominee Mike Johnson about his vote to overturn the 2020 election results. Rep. Virginia Foxx (lower right) shouted: 'Shut up, shut up!'

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the race on Wednesday morning, throwing his weight behind Johnson, while saying it did not amount to an endorsement

Trump also praised him as he arrived in court for his ongoing civil fraud trial.

'I think he's going to be a fantastic speaker,' he said.

Johnson follows in the footsteps of Emmer, who won the nomination on Tuesday before being quickly derided by Trump.

'I have many wonderful friends wanting to be speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors.

'RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them,' he posted on Truth Social, using an abbreviation for 'Republican in name only.'

Emmer, of Minnesota, jumped into a lead during private morning balloting on Tuesday, ahead of a field of lesser-known congressman. He took 117 votes in a roll call behind closed doors.

Trump allies, such as the influential hard-right activist Steve Bannon, quickly took against him, pointing to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and what they saw as criticisms of the former president.

Once Trump came out so hard his candidacy was all but dead.

Cue another round of private voting.

Trump delivered his thoughts on social media before heading to court in New York for his civil fraud trial, where he is accused of fiddling asset prices

Emmer's downfall was solidified after he was targeted by Donald Trump on Truth Social

Johnson, a man considered to be well-liked in the chamber, scored an outsized victory with 128 votes in a secret ballot - 99 more than next-best Byron Donalds. However, the win was bittersweet, as he still fell well short of the 217 votes needed to become speaker.

In the meantime, Congress remains paralyzed, unable to pass legislation while the House is without a speaker.

Republican infighting has left the House leaderless since Oct. 3, unable to respond to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, or to take action to keep federal agencies funded past Nov. 17.

'Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,' Johnson said Tuesday, flanked by members of the House after securing the nomination.

Lawmakers are due to vote on Johnson, a conservative from Louisiana who has billed himself as a bridge builder, at midday.

He defended the former president during the impeachment hearings and contested the results of the 2020 election. Emmer ultimately voted to certify Joe Biden's victory on January 6, 2021.

Johnson is also a former chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative grouping in the House.
A California home that was discovered to be a meth lab back in March has hit the market for a whopping $1.55million.

Furthermore, the house, located in Silicon Valley's San Jose area, is being sold in its current condition - deactivated meth lab and all.

The home as it stands today is encircled by an unsightly chain link fence and warning signs that read: 'condemned.'

Following the arrest of its owner, the home was deemed unsafe to occupy.

The Keller Williams Realty site lists the house for $1,550,000 and describes the listing as a 'Great Opportunity to own [a] large home on a large 6,000sqft lot.'

The listing continues: 'Home has inactive Meth lab and meth contamination ... Home has not been cleared of contamination and will be transferred to the new buyer in it's [sic] current state.'

A house that was discovered to be a meth lab back in March has hit the market for a whopping $1.5million, despite the meth lab and presence of meth contaminate still being part of the structure

Peter Karasev, 35, was arrested in March for keeping explosive materials, guns, and narcotics inside the house. The materials were kept around his wife and three young children

The listing agent associated with the 2,743sqft home is Cindy Selleos.

The original owner of the home, Peter Karasev, 35, was arrested in March for keeping explosive materials, guns, and narcotics inside the house.

FBI agents said the man had stockpiled highly explosive chemicals used for bomb-making and kept them around his wife and three young children.

Shortly after the arrest, San Jose Police Department Assistant Chief Paul Joseph told reporters that Karasev kept the drugs and weapons 'within easy reach of children. It was not a safe environment for children, or for anyone.'

During questioning by law enforcement, Karasev said he was interested in building model rockets, was concerned about the ongoing war in Ukraine, and used meth, according to court documents.

Investigators said the culprit had constructed homemade bombs that he used to blow up PG&E transformers around San Jose.

Local outlet KRON4 spoke with local realtor Zaid Hanna, who said despite current market conditions favoring the seller, the asking price for the condemned meth home is too high.

'If they do achieve the $1.5million that they are asking for, that's a home run. I'd be very surprised if they get it,' he said.

He added that making the dangerous home livable will be an expensive undertaking.

'Somebody will have to come and rip out the flooring, the sheet rock, insulation  so youre looking at about $200,000 to $300,000 to bring this back to where it needs to be,' he said.

The house boasts six bedrooms and four bathrooms, and is situated in a residential neighborhood with a nearby school. But do those features make the home worth $1.5millionplus $300,000 in repairs?

'The answer is no,' said Hanna.

Warning and Condemned signs adorn the home that is being sold as is to a buyer who hopefully agrees to pay $1.5million for the house

Back in March, the family home was surrounded by police, including explosives experts

The house is currently enclosed by a chain link fence, through which you can see the warning signs

According to Redfin, the average home price in San Jose - an affluent Silicon Valley enclave - is $1,370,000.

As of 2021, the area's median household income was $125,075, and according to the local police department, is a place where property crime is much higher than violent crime - though both sets of figures rose in 2022.

Despite rising numbers, San Jose is largely considered to be a safe large city - certainly the safest in the Bay Area - with a violent crime rate considerably lower than the national rate.
A paedophile police constable who groomed more than 200 young girls told his victims that he would bomb their homes or shoot their parents if they refused to send him explicit images.

Lewis Edwards, 24, who groomed 210 girls aged between 10 and 16 on Snapchat between November 2020 and February 2023, was today jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years.

The South Wales Police officer, who joined the force in January 2021, was branded 'cruel and sadistic' for his crimes and was found to have kept more than 4,500 indecent images of children.

Edwards would pose as a 14-year-old boy and force his victims to make indecent videos and images of themselves, which he secretly recorded. He would then use these to blackmail the girls into sending increasingly graphic and explicit images.

The court heard that he threatened to bomb the house of one of his victims and shoot her parents if she stopped sending him images. Another was so traumatised by his behaviour that she slept with a hammer under her pillow.

All but one of the victims were abused while he was a serving police officer, and he targeted one teenager just 17 days after meeting her as part of his duties, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Investigators also found that on 30 occasions, Edwards was in contact with his victims during working hours.

Police constable Lewis Edwards (pictured), 24, who groomed more than 200 young girls told his victims that he would bomb their homes or shoot their parents if they refused to send him explicit images

Edwards who groomed 210 girls aged between 10 and 16 on Snapchat between November 2020 and February 2023, was today jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years. Picture taken from Edwards' own social media profile

The South Wales Police officer, who joined the force in January 2021, was branded 'cruel and sadistic' for his crimes and was found to have kept 4,500 indecent images of children. Picture taken from Edwards' own social media profile

South Wales Police began investigating Edwards in December 2022 after they received intelligence about suspicious bank transactions and online activity, linked to the downloading of indecent images of children from the dark web.

They traced an IP address to the Bridgend area and later identified the offender as one of their own.

Detectives executed a warrant and raided Edwards' home, which he shared with his parents, in February this year and seized mobile phones, a computer, USB sticks and a hard drive.

Police found that he had accessed and downloaded more than 4,500 indecent images of children from the dark web.

On February 8 2023 he was arrested and remanded in custody. After his arrest, Edwards was immediately suspended from duty and resigned.

South Wales Police said that when Edwards joined their ranks as a police constable in January 2021 'his vetting was clear and there was nothing to indicate that he was involved in such abhorrent offences against children'.

The court heard that Edwards had been in contact with 210 girls since November 2020, before he joined South Wales Police, up until February 2023 when he was arrested.

Officers said they recovered images from his devices relating to 207 victims.

Edwards pleaded guilty to 22 counts of blackmail, 138 child sex offences and an offence of refusing to disclose the password to a mobile phone and USB stick.

He was today handed a concurrent life sentence for each of the 13 counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity where there was penetration, with a minimum term of 12 years.

Edwards was arrested and remanded in custody in February. Here he is pictured in his interview with police

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths told the court about the extent of Edwards' crimes.

He said: 'The police investigation of the material accessible to them revealed the online interaction between the defendant and the victims in the indictments

'His requests for the girls to engage in various sexual activities ranging from exposing their breasts and genitalia to penetrating themselves with their fingers and objects, his recording and keeping of the images he obtained, and blackmailing of the children for more indecent images they refused to provide more images.'

The court was shown some of the videos Edwards had recorded of his victims and in one, a teenage girl can be seen crying and wiping tears from her eyes.

In a victim impact statement, the girl described Edwards as a 'paedophile' and added: 'I was a little girl. I feel embarrassed, disgusted and abused. I lost my innocence.

'I know the police are there to help us but how can I call the police now if I am in danger? I would not be able to trust the people who are there to keep us safe.'

In another clip, Edwards can be heard masturbating as he encourages his 12-year-old victim to do the same.

Several victims said their trust of the police has been shattered. One girl said: 'You are supposed to trust the police and he did this to me. I really hate him for what he has done.'

A spokesman for NPSCC Cymru said Lewis Edwards would have been aware of the impact of his crimes due to his profession and it was 'incredibly distressing' that he committed such acts in a his role 'to protect the vulnerable'.

During his sentencing, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said Edwards caused many of his victims 'severe psychological harm' and had caused 'significant harm' to the reputation of South Wales Police.

She added: 'He had a pattern of behaviour, making online contact with a girl sometimes pretending to be someone she knew or through friends of friends as he pretended to be a boy of similar age.

'He groomed his victims, psychologically manipulating them until he had gained control over them.'

The judge said he would 'gain trust' by complimenting the girls and 'building relationships' with them by pretending to be a teenage boy.

She added: 'Once he had groomed his victims sufficiently to gain control over them he pressured them to send him indecent images and to engage in sexual behaviour for him to view remotely.

'He threatened serious violence against some of the victims and their families.

'Under his control, groomed and subjected to psychological pressure and fearful for their own safety and their families, his victims would comply in the hope that he would then leave them alone.

'However, as he intended all along, he had his victims trapped. He recorded and retained images of the sexual acts his victims had been forced to perform.'

Edwards was arrested and remanded in custody on February 8 2023. After his arrest, Edwards was immediately suspended from duty and resigned

Judge Lloyd-Clarke said Edwards would then threaten to release the images on social media unless the girls performed 'more and more extreme sexual acts'.

The judge said a life sentence was appropriate because the level of danger posed to children by Edwards was 'very high' and he must serve a minimum of 12 years behind bars.

She said: 'These are extremely serious offences and the defendant was a prolific offender. He has caused significant harm to the victims, to their parents, their siblings and their wider families.

'It is clear he gained not only sexual gratification from his offending but he also enjoyed the power and control he had over these young girls.

'His reaction to their distress can properly be described as cruel and sadistic.

'His offending is significantly aggravated by the fact he was a serving police officer and many of his victims and their families have said that his actions have caused them to lose trust in the police.

'There is no doubt that he has caused significant harm to the reputation of South Wales Police and police in general but it should be borne in mind that it was officers from South Wales Police who brought this case to light and continue to identify and help further victims.'

Lucy Dowdall, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said police were still investigating Edwards and providing help and support to victims, though some may never be identified further than their Snapchat username, or may live outside the UK.

She said: 'The police are continuing with the investigation and continuing to review the devices. They will continue their safeguarding approach.

'There are more victims. But it may be we can never identify some of the victims because their Snapchat usernames are not easy, or they might live outside of the UK.'

Detective Superintendent Tracey Rankine, head of the Police Online Investigation Team, said: 'Our priority has been to identify the victims from Snapchat usernames and work with police forces across the UK to ensure they are safeguarded and supported. The scale and seriousness of the offences identified by our investigation is extreme.

'His abhorrent behaviour involved threatening and blackmailing the young victims who lived in fear. Our investigation has involved forensically examining encrypted computer equipment and mobile devices which led to the recovery of shocking material. The strength of this evidence has resulted in Edwards admitting all charges.'

Assistant Chief Constable Danny Richards said: 'The crimes committed by Lewis Edwards are despicable and the public will be as shocked and sickened as we are that such appalling offences were committed by a serving police officer.

'As soon as we knew the offender was a serving police officer, Edwards was suspended and sacked at a misconduct hearing which was held at the very earliest opportunity to remove him from policing.

'His behaviour only serves to damage the public's trust and confidence in policing and undermines the work of the responsible, hard-working police officers who serve the communities of South Wales with courage and pride.

'There is no place in South Wales Police for anyone who abuses the personal responsibility they hold as a police officer.

'I understand there will be people asking how Edwards could have joined the police at the same time he was committing these terrible crimes.

'At the time of him joining South Wales Police his vetting was clear and there was nothing to indicate that he was involved in such abhorrent offences against children.

'Our number one priority is to protect the public so if anyone has any information about the safety of young or vulnerable people or those who pose a risk in our society then I urge them to come forward and report it to us.

'I am grateful for the work of our investigation team who have brought Edwards to justice and ensured his victims have been protected from further harm.'
Father-of-five named as one of the missing seamen on board the British cargo ship that sunk off the coast of Germany yesterday morning.

Filipino Docenito Paler Jnr., from Tangub City, was named by friends as part of the four crew members who remain unaccounted for since the Isle-of-Man registered MV Verity collided with a larger freight ship and sank in the North Sea.

The four who are missing are believed to have been trapped inside the ship's hull.

His friend, James Arnold, told MailOnline today: 'We would like to know if he is still alive because he has five children, the youngest being a toddler.

'The sad thing is that before he went on board, his son told him to stay home and not go back to work.

'He is a close friend and we just want to know if he is still alive or trapped inside the ship.'

Filipino Docenito Paler Jnr., from Tangub City (pictured), was named by friends as part of the four crew members who remain unaccounted for since the Isle-of-Man registered MV Verity collided with a larger freight ship and sank in the North Sea

The damaged hull of a tanker that collided with a British cargo ship that later sank in the North Sea near Germany(pictured)

British-flagged vessel Verity (file image) collided with another cargo ship Polesie at around 5am on Tuesday morning about 14 miles southwest of the island of Heligoland, Germany 's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said

Two other sailors were rescued after being found adrift at sea and are receiving medical treatment ashore in Germany while another - believed to be originally from Ukraine - was confirmed to have died.

His body was recovered shortly before noon on Tuesday.

German rescue teams today called off their search for the four missing sailors.

The rescue mission, which involved several ships and aircraft scouring the North Sea amid 10ft waves and heavy fog, proved fruitless yesterday.

And after rescuers said it was possible that the four missing crew members were trapped inside the ship's hull, divers were sent down to the depth of the sea to desperately search for signs of life. But they were unable to find anything.

The P&O cruise ship Iona, which left Southampton for Hamburg, Rotterdam and Bruges in Belgium, was among vessels that joined in the search for survivors. It has now left the scene. Pictures show a spotlight aimed at the water as the search operation got underway before dawn

Two rescue cruisers, an emergency tug, a pilot boat, a police patrol boat and a helicopter helped with the search yesterday (pictured) but they have now stopped their search of the water's surface

The 91-metre long MV Verity collided with the larger freighter Polesie at 5am in the German Bight, the shallow south-eastern part of the North Sea, 12 nautical miles south-west of the German island of Heligoland, Germanys Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) said.

MV Verity, built in 2001, was carrying a cargo of steel coils from the German port of Bremen to Immingham on the Humber estuary in North Lincolnshire.

A spokesperson for Faversham Shipping, the company which owns MV Verity, said they were currently unable to confirm those on board the stricken vessel but they were hoping to put out a statement later today.'
A TikTok content creator has opened up to his online fans about the heartbreaking reason he only has one eye.

Jarrett Stod shared his powerful childhood story with his 11.9 million followers, revealing his mom noticed his 'golden eye' in a photograph when he was two years old.

He said: 'The next day, my mom actually went to the doctor and showed him this exact picture.'

Physicians were also concerned with Stod's eye and requested he get x-rays at a different hospital to figure out what was wrong.

Multiple weeks of tests resulted in him being diagnosed with Retinoblastoma - a rare type of cancer that typically affects children under the age of six.

Jarrett Stod was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma when he was two years old after his mother noticed that one of his eyes was 'golden' in a photograph

His family was quick to decide that it was best to remove the eyeball rather than go through chemotherapy Stod has explained how 'grateful' he is for the decision his parents made for him, and has embraced his one eye

Retinoblastoma can be both hereditary and non-hereditary. Clinical trials have continued to increase nationwide for those battling the disease

Stod explained: 'The doctors gave my parents two options - option one was to go through chemotherapy which would allow me to keep my eye... but there was a 50 percent chance of me dying.

'Option number number was to remove my eyeball, and take out all of the cancer with it.'

His parents decided to have Stod's eyeball surgically removed so 'their child wouldn't die'.

The content creator admitted to being 'very grateful' for his parents decision, and shared that it has turned him into 'the man I am today.'

Stod asked his viewers: 'Why would you want to fit in, when you can stand out?'

People have sent several comments over to Stod, who's video reached over 1.5 million views since it's posting last Saturday.

One person said: 'My brother had cancer and had his eye removed. He passed away at 11 months. I'm happy you're still here.'

Another wrote: 'God is good. I'm so glad you're still here. You're awesome and your lizard eye thing is very cool.'

A TikToker with a similar experience commented: 'That's the same thing that happened to me but I still get bullied but idc bc ik I'm still perfect.'

Retinoblastoma can be hereditary or non-hereditary, according to St Jude's Research Hospital.

Stod did not say if any other family members of his battled the same disease, but if hereditary, he may pass the cancer on to his children if he choses to have any.

Experts confirmed last March that although it is the most common eye cancer, only 200 to 300 children in the United States will be diagnosed annually.

Survival rates vary depending on when the cancer is caught - but it current 5-year relative survival rate for children is at 97 percent.
Marvel actor Jonathan Majors has lost his motion to dismiss his domestic assault charges - with the judge now clearing the way for the case to go to trial.

Judge Michael Gaffey made the ruling during a Manhattan court hearing on Wednesday. Majors attended via video link, because he was out of the state.

The Creed III actor, 34, was arrested on March 25 on misdemeanor charges for allegedly attacking dancer Grace Jabbari, his former partner.

Majors faces four misdemeanor charges of harassment and assault after being arrested following the alleged domestic violence incident.

London-based Jabbari initially told police Majors hit and strangled her, but the strangulation charges were dropped. Now, he is only charged with hurting her arm after police noted she sustained minor injuries after the alleged ordeal.

Marvel actor Jonathan Majors has lost his motion to dismiss his assault charges - with the judge clearing the way for the case to go to trial. Judge Michael Gaffey made the ruling during a Manhattan court hearing today. Majors attended via video link, because he was out of the state. He is pictured in court on June 20

Jonathan Majors and Grace Jabbari attend 'Devotion' Premiere at Cinesphere on September 12, 2022 in Toronto

On September 12, his attorneys filed the motion and claimed the state withheld evidence that would prove Majors' innocence. This was denied on Wednesday.

A trial start date has not been set.

The messy proceedings were further muddled when Majors filed a cross-complaint against Jabbari, saying that it was her who attacked him. An NYPD document was created, alerting officers that there was probable cause to arrest Jabbari in June.

As of Wednesday morning, she has not been arrested or turned herself in, despite reports it would occur imminently from the Messenger. The prosecutor on the case has allegedly said that they will not prosecute Jabbari, reports Hollywood Reporter.

Jabbari's lawyer has not commented, nor has the NYPD.

Priya Chaudhry, Jonathan Majors' attorney, also did not comment - but has previously shown her steadfast belief that her client Majors is innocent, and that Jabbari ought to be apprehended.

The opposing sides disagree over who the perpetrator of the event on March 25 is.

According to court documents, the couple were in a car when Jabbari saw a message on Majors' phone that read 'Wish I was kissing you right now.' She grabbed the phone, at which point Majors twisted her forearm and struck her ear.

She tried to exit the car, and he 'threw her back inside,' causing her 'sustained substantial pain, including a fractured finger, bruising about her body, a laceration behind her right ear, and a bump on her head,' the documents state.

Jonathan Majors' ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari (pictured)

Grace Jabbari was allegedly attacked by her former partner in March, and he was arrested on misdemeanor charges

On August 4, Priya Chaudhry said in a statement to DailyMail.com: 'Jonathan Majors has been waiting for 132 days to clear his name of these false allegations while the NYPD waits to arrest his accuser upon her New York return.'

And on August 3, the attorney said: 'One hundred and thirty-one days ago, authorities unjustly cuffed Jonathan Majors in his own home, hauling him off to jail based on the word of a woman now hunted by the NYPD.

'Bravely, Jonathan Majors laid bare to the NYPD the relentless, alcohol-fueled abuse he suffered at the hands of Grace Jabbari, an enduring nightmare in their relationship.

'Now, as soon as Jabbari sets foot back in New York, the NYPD stands ready to arrest her.

'For an excruciating four months, Jonathan Majors, the real victim in this shameful ordeal, has had his life, career, and reputation torn apart.

'Yet he remains unwavering in his determination to be absolved from this harrowing ordeal.'

Chaudhry requested a quick trial date for Majors in June, in a bid to speed up the case.

Then on September 6, prosecutors said they were ready for trial and had filed a certificate of compliance, Majors' attorney claimed to find deficiencies within the document.

This is what caused them to file the motion to dismiss - which has now been denied.
The heartbreaking moment a young Italian couple shared a final kiss just hours before being bludgeoned to death by their close friend has been released as their killer was today sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

Former casino worker Andrea Cardinale, who was suffering from acute undiagosed paranoid schizophrenia at the time, attacked his 'closest friend' Antonino Calabro and Mr Calabro's fiancee Francesca Di Dio days before Christmas last year.

Teesside Crown Court heard Cardinale, 22, and Mr Calabro, 26, were friends from croupier school and travelled to the UK in 2019 to work at the Grosvenor Casino in Stockton-on-Tees.

Cardinale was dismissed from that role in September 2022 due to poor work ethic and 'odd behaviour', prosecutor Nick Dry said.

As his mental health deteriorated he believed the couple were using spells against him and cursing him, a court heard, before the fatal attack in the early hours of December 21, which saw him go into Mr Calabro and Ms Di Dio's bedroom and bludgeon Mr Calabro with a sledgehammer before stabbing him.

Francesca Di Dio, 21, was visiting London to see her partner over Christmas

Antonino Calabro, 26, was bludgeoned to death and stabbed in his bed in the house he shared with his killer

Ms Di Dio, 21, who was visiting for Christmas, was able to escape and run upstairs before being chased by Cardinale, who killed her with the sledgehammer, the court heard.

Mr Dry said Cardinale then went to a petrol station to buy diesel and a lighter to blow up the flat. He doused the property in fuel but did not ignite it.

He later told police he had been hearing voices telling him to carry out the horrific attack.

Video footage shown to the court reveals how Ms Di Dio got up to wait for her partner to return home from work at around 3.30am in the morning, wearing slippers and a red dressing gown as she waited in the hall of the property the two men shared.

She then opened the door for Mr Calabro, with the pair sharing a quick kiss in greeting before heading back to his room.

At some point later that morning, both were killed by Cardinale.

Both bodies were found in the flat in Thornaby by Cardinale's father, who had travelled over to persuade his son to fly back with him to Sicily after the family became concerned about his mental health.

Cardinale's father alerted Italian police, who raised the alarm with Interpol and Cleveland Police.

Cardinale was arrested that afternoon and later told police he killed his friends because he believed they 'had been conjuring and putting curses on him', Mr Dry said.

Police bodycam footage show police asking Cardinale his name before placing him under arrest.

Former casino worker Andrea Cardinale has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order

Investigators looked at his phone and found searches including dynamite and 'how to make a bomb'. He had also searched on the internet for 'voodoo' and 'how to remove the evil eye'.

The defendant, of Thornaby Road, denied murder but pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

On Wednesday Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, sentenced Cardinale to an indefinite hospital order, saying that he had been suffering from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

The court heard three psychiatric experts agreed that the defendant's 'unrecognised psychosis' was the 'substantial' reason for the killings, with Professor Donald Grubin saying the illness 'was so acute that his culpability for the killing is minimal'.

Peter Makepeace KC, mitigating, said: 'The families are crying out for answers and it's entirely understandable. The answer in this case appears to lie in a devastating and acute illness which has led to him being responsible, albeit in a diminished form, for the death of his closest friend.'

A statement from Ms Di Dio's mother, Anna Nosi, read in court, said: 'The death of my daughter overturned and destroyed my life, that of my daughter Veronica and my ex-husband, Giuseppe.

'Since her death we can no longer find inner peace or comprehend what happened. We no longer sleep at night because our thoughts are all about our daughter.

'I often go to the cemetery and talk to my daughter looking at the small picture on the tombstone hoping for her to answer.

'We are completely exhausted, our every thought is of our beloved Francesca who is sorely missed and whose presence will never be filled and replaced by anyone.'

Mr Calabro's father, Salvatore Calabro, said in a statement: 'For parents, a child is an extension of life, for a sister, a shoulder to lean on and a person to ask for help, but unfortunately this has been denied us.

'Not having Nino with us anymore, after having cuddled, helped and supported him for 26 years is not easy to overcome, but with a lot of willpower and with the help of our Lord we have to face the future as serenely as possible.'
READ MORE: Trump co-defendant Jenna Ellis breaks down in TEARS as she pleads guilty in Georgia election case

He said he didn't think former chief of staff would lie about the stolen election

Trump responded to a report that Mark Meadows had struck an immunity deal

Former President Donald Trump said anyone taking an immunity deal with special counsel Jack Smith was a 'weakling and a coward' hours after his former chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly reached just such an agreement.

In a pair of social media posts, Trump also said Meadows had never told him that his claims of election fraud were untrue.

However, it emerged earlier that the former White House chief of staff has spoken repeatedly to prosecutors and told them the ex-president was being 'dishonest' when he said the election was stolen.

'I dont think Mark Meadows would lie about the rigged and stolen 2020 presidential election merely for getting immunity against prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by deranged prosecutor, Jack Smith,' Trump wrote on Social Media, using his idiosyncratic mix of capital letters.

He went on say that the offer must be tempting 'after being hounded like a dog for three years, told you'll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone ...'

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows disembarking from Air Force One with President Donald Trump in 2020. On Tuesday, a report suggested he had struck a deal with prosecutors

Trump reacted to the news by saying 'weaklings and cowards' would make that deal

But testify and lie and the reward is a statue in the nation's capital, continued Trump.

'Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our failing nation. I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows?'

He was responding to a bombshell ABC News report that Meadows had done a deal to cooperate with the federal election investigation.

'Obviously we didn't win,' Meadows reportedly told investigators.

Trump took particular exception to that line.

'Mark Meadows NEVER told me that allegations of significant fraud (about the RIGGED Election!) were baseless,' he said in a second Truth Social post.

'He certainly didn't say that in his book!'

Meadows served as the final chief of staff for Trump at the White House.

A lawyer for Meadows did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump also said Meadows had never expressed doubt about 2020 election fraud before

US President Donald Trump walks with Chief of Staff Mark Meadows after returning to the White House from an event at the WWII memorial in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2020

Mark Meadows in Congress earlier this month

Cassidy Hutchinson, a top former aide to Meadows, testifies to the January 6 Committee last year

In August, Smith charged Trump with four felony counts for attempting to interfere in the counting of votes and trying to block the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in a failed bid to overturn his defeat.

Since then Trump has continued to make the false claim his loss was the result of fraud.

According to ABC News, Meadows has spoken with Smith's team at least three times this year.

That included once in front of a federal grand jury.

He did so only after being granted immunity to testify under oath, sources told ABC News.

Rioters storm the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021

Inside the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021

The case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump, 77, faces as he seeks to retake the White House.

He is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024.

Trump has previously described Meadows as a 'special friend' and 'great chief of staff, as good as it gets.'

Prosecutors were reported to have asked him about his conversations with Trump in the final months of the presidency leading up to Jan 6.

Meadows reportedly told prosecutors Trump was being 'dishonest' when, hours after polls closed on election night, he claimed to have won.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits between his attorneys as he faces charges in court in Washington that he orchestrated a plot to try to overturn his 2020 election loss

Special counsel Jack Smith has granted immunity to Mark Meadows

He reportedly told prosecutors he had never seen evidence of fraud that would have altered Biden's victory.

In mid-December, sic weeks after the election, he told Trump such evidence had not materialized, ABC News reported.

Prosecutors reportedly asked Meadows if Trump had ever admitted to him that he believed he lost the election.

Meadows reportedly told them that he had never heard Trump say that.
Shamima Begum will exploit 'any error' to overturn the decision to revoke her citizenship as she knows the government will not take it away again, the Court of Appeal heard.

Begum, 24, was stripped of her British citizenship by then Home Secretary Sajid Javid in 2019 after travelling from Bethnal Green to Syria to join ISIS at age 15 in 2015.

She lost a challenge against the ruling earlier this year and is now appealing the decision at the High Court.

Sir James Eadie, KC, for the Home Office, told the hearing on Wednesday Begum wanted to exploit 'any error' to overturn the original decision.

He said Begum knows if a new decision has to be made she will not have her citizenship revoked because this would make her stateless.

Sir James Eadie, KC, for the Home Office, told the hearing on Wednesday Begum wanted to exploit 'any error' to overturn the original decision

In 2019 the government argued Begum automatically had Bangladeshi citizenship due to her parents being nationals of the country but this no longer applies since she reached the age of 21.

'The position as we understand it now is that Ms Begum, now past the age of 21, is no longer a dual citizen,' Sir James said.

'So when it comes to the original decision, for the opposition, any error will do because they know in any future decision statelessness will rear its head which will perhaps be a game changer.'

Begum's lawyers argue she was groomed online and the UK government, Tower Hamlets council, her school and the police failed to protect her from exploitation.

But Sir James told the court the most important factor in the decision had been to protect the public.

'National security and the question of whether she represented a danger to the national security of the United Kingdom at that time was of course the most important consideration,' he continued.

'The power to deprive is an important power conferred on the Secretary of State by parliament and in recent years a key part of protecting the public from the risk of terrorism.

'It prevents persons deprived, as long as they have dual citizenship, from exercising their rights to abide in and enter into the United Kingdom and imposes the need to seek before their entry leave to enter.

'This is a key power in the Secretary of State's armoury exercised in the most powerful and compelling public interest namely to protect national security which is shorthand for the protection of the public.

Ms Begum's British citizenship was revoked on national security grounds by the former home secretary Sajid Javid shortly after she was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019

'The decision in this case was taken on precisely those grounds.'

He said Begum's lawyers were not challenging the Home Secretary's assessment that she posed a risk to national security.

The national security assessment produced for the Home Secretary stated Begum planned her travel and made a conscious effort to conceal it from the authorities.

'She travelled for the purpose of aligning with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and when there did in fact align with ISIL,' he said.

'The assessment was that she did that with her eyes open, based in particular on the fact ISIL and their wide ranging brutality had been widely covered in the media.

Sir James said the assessment took into account interviews she gave after capture with The Times and Sky News.

'There wasn't a rejection or even a movement away from the ideology- as the first Times interview so graphically illustrated,' he said.

Sir James argued it was possible for someone to have been exploited but still pose a threat to national security.

'It is entirely possible for someone to have been exploited or trafficked by nasty people or similar and yet still be a danger to the public.'

He said the fact she may have been trafficked or exploited did not mean she had not participated in various activities of ISIL subsequently.

'Ms Begum's case is essentially that anyone manipulated by ISIL propaganda or recruitment and has their travel facilitated there should be a credible suspicion they are a victim of trafficking.

'The fact of trafficking at the point of leaving the United Kingdom is not inconsistent in any way with posing a possibly very serious national security risk and indeed factors of manipulation or radicalisation are factors that tend towards such a risk rather than against it.'

The appeal, heard by the Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr, Lord Justice Bean and Lady Justice Whipple, continues.

It is set to conclude tomorrow before a decision is given at a later date.
She and her driving instructor survived the nightmare chaos on the I-10 to I-55

The student driver and her instructor got caught up in the deadly 168-car pileup

Gisela Chevalier was sitting in a driving test when her visibility was obstructed

A woman who was taking her driving test on the same road that was hit by a deadly 168-car pileup in Louisiana passed passed with a perfect score despite the carnage unfolding around her.

The student driver and instructor Gisela Chevalier were amongst the survivors in the chaotic car crash caused by marsh fires and dense fog on Monday.

Chevalier told Fox 8 that she and her student got into her J&G International Driving School car that morning as she set out to test the student on the I-10 to I-55 route she's used for years.

But as the two were on the fog-filled road, the student sat behind the wheel with a flatbed trailer in front and a double 18-wheeler behind them. She was forced to slam on the brake when they did, narrowly avoiding an accident.

'I'm very proud of her, because she did what we taught her to do. We are here because she handled it really good. Really brave,' the instructor said.

Gisela Chevalier (pictured) was on the I-55 during the pileup in Louisiana testing a student driver on Monday. Both of them survived the chaotic scene and the student passed her test

Gisela Chevalier was on the bridge with with a student driver when taking her road test at the time of the pileup in Louisiana caused by the 'super fog' from marsh fires and dense fog

Eight people have been reported dead and 63 were injured from the catastrophic pileup

Chevalier and the student spent hours trapped on the severely congested bridge and even saw a fire truck reverse in an attempt to get to victims.

While they were sitting there, she realized that she saw many cars around her that were beyond repair.

They watched as medical personal raced to save people that were also trapped on the impassable roadway.

When the scene had finally cleared enough for the pair to exit the massive crash, Chevalier had no doubt in her mind that her student passed.

'She was at the wheel when all that happened. When we were ready to leave and turn around, I took the wheel, because I thought it was too much for her, honestly.'

'Shes a master. She made 100, no doubt about it. She earned it,' Chevalier said.

The instructor also revealed that she had just passed that driver's husband a week earlier.

'I'm not afraid of fog. So, I told my student, "Don't be afraid of fog". We have to drive on foggy days, on rainy days, so that's OK,' Chevalier said.

Chevalier was extremely proud of her student for getting through a scary road test. She was not happy with the other drivers who she said were going 'a little bit too fast' for her liking

Responders are seen near wreckage in the aftermath of a multi-vehicle pileup on I-55 in Manchac. A lot of first responders had to work on foot to help people due to the wreckage

While they both survived, eight people tragically lost their lives in the mammoth collision.

Another 63 people were injured as vehicles were crushed and rammed in the smash, with some cars engulfed in flames.

Many people initially stood on the side of the road or on the roof of their vehicle looking on in disbelief at the disaster, while others cried out for help.

Piles of mangled cars heaped on top of one another as firefighters trudged through the debris.

Hours after the crashes, the smell of burnt wreckage still wafted in the area.

Drone footage and videos showed apocalyptic scenes from the aftermath of the wrecks showed a long stretch of mangled and scorched cars near New Orleans.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre told CNN that all first responders involved had to work on foot because the pileup left the area 'completely gridlocked'.

Chevalier revealed that she saw many cars around her that were beyond repair and unrecognizable.

Her and the student spent hours trapped on the severely congested bridge and even saw a fire truck reverse in an attempt to get to victims.

They watched first hand as medical personal raced to save people that were also trapped on the impassable roadway.

When the scene had finally cleared enough for the pair to exit the massive crash, Chevalier had no doubt in her mind that her student passed.

Louisiana State Police shared aerial photos on their Facebook page showing the crashed cars and extensive debris on both northbound and southbound lanes of the elevated interstate, which passes over swamp and open waters between lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas

Louisiana State Police posted an update to Facebook and confirmed one more death that just occurred at a local hospital. They also said that the pileup is still being investigated

Vehicles were crushed, rammed under one another and some engulfed by flames

'She was at the wheel when all that happened. When we were ready to leave and turn around, I took the wheel, because I thought it was too much for her, honestly.'

'Shes a master. She made 100, no doubt about it. She earned it,' Chevalier said.

The instructor also revealed that she had just passed that driver's husband a week earlier.

Though Chevalier was impressed with her student, she couldn't help but be critical of other drivers on the bridge at the time of the incident.

'A lot of cars were passing -- a little bit of speeding -- due to the smoke and fog. In my opinion, they were a little bit too fast.'

'A lot of them with the lights off. And thats why that state trooper was almost going from car to car, in his car, "Hey turn the lights on." I had the automatic, but evidently it wasnt enough,' she said.

The Louisiana State Police are still investigating the crash, but troopers were notified of an additional victim, bringing the death toll up to eight.

'Troopers, first responders, DOTD, and various tow companies have worked tirelessly since yesterday morning to continue the crash investigation and clear the roadway.' the Louisiana State Police said in an update on Facebook.

63 individuals have been reported to have injuries from the crash.
A London-born social media influencer has been arrested on suspicion of grooming under age girls and of paedophilia.

Stuart Burton, who was known online as Stuu, went to the UK from Poland after Polish prosecutors issued a warrant for his arrest following allegations of sexual abuse.

The 31-year-old, whose parents are Polish, found himself at the centre of a scandal in Poland after a string of girls came forward to allege they had either been coerced into sex or received 'filthy' messages from the influencer.

Dubbed 'Pandoragate' by the Polish media, the allegations came after a fellow influencer posted a video online claiming to have evidence of 'criminal activity' and directly named Burton along with other Polish influencers.

The video shows that during his time in Poland, Burton is alleged to have contacted a 13-year-old girl in 2014, proposed meetings with her and sent erotic messages.

Screenshots of conversations, interviews and video recordings posted online also claim that 'Stuu' regularly invited girls under the age of 15 to his apartment, allegedly kissed a 13-year-old, and took 'secret' photos of them naked in bed.

Stuart Burton, 31, known online as Stuu, fled to the UK from Poland after Polish authorities issued a warrant for his arrest following allegations of sexual abuse

He found himself at the centre of a scandal in Poland after a string of girls came forward to allege they had either been coerced into sex or received 'filthy' messages from the influencer

He had then allegedly told the girls not to say anything as it could affect his relationship with his sponsors.

Prior to his arrest, Poland's deputy minister of justice Piotr Cieplucha said: 'They [the victims] have provided information about the huge scale of the horrific practice of sexual exploitation of minors among YouTubers.

'Bringing the perpetrators to justice is only a matter of time.'

The day after issuing the arrest warrant, Polish police posted on X: 'YouTuber Stuart B. 'Stuu', who has been wanted since yesterday on an arrest warrant, was arrested today by British policemen.'

A Polish prosecutor spokesman said: 'The evidence collected during the investigation allowed a decision to be brought against Stuart B.

'The charges concern sexual abuse of minors under 15 years of age and giving alcohol to minors.

'We are currently waiting for the decision of the British court that will consider our application for extradition of the suspect to Poland.'

Burton has denied all charges and allegations.
The tech billionaires behind a proposal for a utopian Californian city have revealed their plans for the community that will be 'old-fashioned', walkable and could accommodate 40,000 people by 2040.

Goldman Sachs trader Jan Sramek said he hopes to recreate 'what old towns in America used to feel like' for the Solano County city.

Sramek is the leader of California Forever, a group of investors who have snapped up 50,000 acres worth $800 million to bring their dream to life.

The group is backed by the likes of LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Andreessen Horowitz investor Marc Andreessen, and Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs.

If the city is successful, the population could climb as high as 400,000 over the coming decades, California Forever Chief Planner Gabriel Metcalf told the San Francisco Chronicle.

 Slide me  California Forever have shared plans for a utopian city in Solano County which could see 40,000 residents housed in the area by 2040

Artists renderings hint at some of the proposals for the 50,000 acres of land the group has purchased, including space for outdoor living and commercial buildings

If the community is successful the number of residents could soar as high as 400,000 over the next few decades

Artistic renderings of the city feature lush green landscapes with Mediterranean-style homes clustered on hillsides and shorelines.

Clean energy also features heavily through the artists' impressions, with proposals for solar farms to help power the city.

Jan Sramek, the leader of California Forever, is a 36-year-old financial prodigy

Despite the emphasis on green technology, Sramek insists the city will be 'old-fashioned' and take inspiration from other successful neighborhoods such as those in Boston and Philadelphia, as well as San Franciscos Noe Valley or North Beach.

At a recent forum at a retirement community he told residents: 'We dont want to build a city of tomorrow, we want to build a city of yesterday,' the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The renderings also portray the city as noticeable car free, instead dominated by pedestrians and cyclists.

Sramek said he hopes to build a 'walkable' city where 'people can live close to shops'.

Other proposed features include commercial buildings and parks, with one image showing people kayaking through a nature reserve. A survey previously circulated by the group indicated support for 10,000 acres of green open spaces.

While the group has indicated green technology for clean energy are part of the vision leader Smarek hopes to create 'old-fashioned' towns

A huge emphasis has been placed on ensuring the city is walkable, with artist's renderings showing streetscapes dominated by pedestrians and cyclists

Cars are noticeably absent from the artist's renderings, with a focus instead on green transport methods

Nature features heavily throughout the city's designs. California Forever hopes to develop parks and plant 1million olive trees in the new city

The plans also contain proposals to plant 1million olive trees, as well as orchards.

California Forever's rapid land acquisition sparked federal investigation until the Group's identity and aims became known.

It also set alarm bells ringing due to the city's proposed proximity to Travis Air Force Base.

However, the group has said it is 'committed to respecting its [the base's] boundaries both on the ground and in the air' and envisages that the city could become a place for base personnel to live.

The scale of the project is more than three times the size of Manhattan, which comes in at a measly 14,500 acres compared to the city's 50,000.

It is also much larger than beleaguered San Francisco's 30,000 acres.

Sramek has previously been critical of the Democrat-led city, mocking it as the city that 'banned plastic straws but permits plastic needles' in an essay for the Financial Times.

'Fentanyl, the synthetic drug that is 50 times more powerful than and a fraction of the cost of heroin, has turned many blocks of the city into zombie zones,' he wrote.

California Forever say they hope to attract investment and jobs to the area

The land is near crucial Travis Air Force Base, and the group says they hope to work with the base by providing homes to base personnel, and training and career options for veterans

By contrast, Sramek previously stated he hopes his city will feature reduced homelessness, better schools 'as well as resources to invest in infrastructure for transportation, water, and wildfire protection'.

The 36-year-old financial prodigy said he grew up in a blue collar, walkable town in his native Czech Republic and he hopes to recreate this in the new city.

The father-of-one made his name and his wealth and by his early 20s as an emerging markets trader in Goldman Sachs' London office.

He quit his job days after his 24th birthday and eventually relocated to the Bay area,
Tory MP Robert Courts was today chosen as the new chair of the Commons' defence committee following his predecessor's resignation over a 'Taliban propaganda' row.

The former transport minister beat off competition from two Conservative rivals in a parliamentary ballot to be elected to the influential role.

Mr Courts, MP for ex-prime minister David Cameron's old constituency of Witney, is a former barrister and local councillor.

He does not list any direct military experience on his website, but is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies.

The 45-year-old now replaces Tobias Ellwood, who quit as chair of the defence committee last month after conceding he no longer had the support of all members.

It came after he was forced to apologise for an extraordinary social media video he posted this summer following a trip to Afghanistan.

Tory MP Robert Courts was chosen as the new chair of the Commons' defence committee following his predecessor's resignation over a 'Taliban propaganda' row

The former transport minister beat off competition from two Conservative rivals - Sarah Atherton and Mark Francois - in a parliamentary ballot to be elected to the influential role

Former committee chair Tobias Ellwood was forced to apologise for an extraordinary social media video he posted this summer following a trip to Afghanistan

In a statement confirming his resignation last month, Mr Ellwood accepted his 'poor communications' during the summer had 'reflected poorly' on his fellow committee members

Mr Ellwood claimed that security in the country had 'vastly improved' and 'corruption is down' following the Taliban's return, while he also urged the restoration of diplomatic ties.

He later admitted he 'got it wrong' and his positive messages about the new regime - which has stripped women of rights and been accused of persecuting opponents, - could have been 'better worded'.

Members of the defence committee branded Mr Ellwood a 'f*****g idiot' and said he could not continue as chairman - a post which brings a 17,000 a year salary bump on top of an MP's 86,500 pay.

He resigned amid the threat of a no-confidence motion to remove him from the role.

Mr Courts beat fellow Tory former ministers Mark Francois, who served as an infantry officer in the Territorial Army, and Sarah Atherton, a former member of the Army's intelligence corps, in a ballot of MPs.

Deputy Commons Speaker Dame Rosie Winterton announced Mr Courts was elected after a single round of voting, receiving 249 votes out of a total of 430 valid votes cast.

Ms Atherton received 142 votes, and Mr Francois received 39 votes.

Mr Courts, who has RAF Brize Norton in his Oxfordshire constituency, shook hands and exchanged a peck on the cheek with Ms Atherton in the Commons on hearing that he had won the ballot.

The result was announced a year to the day that Mr Courts first joined the defence committee.

In a statement released after the result was announced, Mr Courts said the Armed Forces 'need more support, more investment, and more capacity, not less'.

'I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the country and our Armed Forces at such a crucial time for our security,' he said.

'My thanks to all those colleagues who supported me and to Sarah Atherton  a deeply respected committee member  for a well-fought election.

'All around us, the world is becoming more challenging. As a consequence, our forces need more support, more investment, and more capacity, not less.

'Under my leadership, the committee will continue to unpick the long-term issues that affect defence.

'We will seek to provide solutions for these, including tirelessly making the case for more investment in our armed forces.

'We will consider, not just how to build robust supply chains and bolster our industrial base, but we will also ask how UK defence should exploit emerging technologies of the future.

'Our soldiers, sailors and airmen represent the best of our country.

'As chair, I will continue to advocate for the training and equipment they need to keep our country safe.

'Defence is in my political DNA. As not just a former minister for aviation, maritime and security, but also as an MP representing the largest base in the Royal Air Force, I have an in-depth understanding of the challenges facing our military.

'As chair, I won't shy away from robust scrutiny and will lead through collegiate teamwork and consensus.

'I highly value the contributions of all members and look forward to working together on holding the Government to account.'
The union representing 26,000 American Airlines flight attendants has escalated its threat to strike during the busy Christmas travel season, saying the carrier is stalling contract negotiations.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants on Tuesday issued a November 17 deadline for AA to 'make significant and meaningful moves to reach an agreement' on a new deal.

On that date, the APFA board will meet to seek a release from the mediation process, triggering a 30-day countdown until the flight attendants could launch their strike  meaning a walkout might start days before Christmas.

'Time's up. At last week's negotiations session, negotiators for American Airlines showed up with no response to our comprehensive economic and non-economic packages,' said APFA President Julie Hedrick, a Los Angeles-based flight attendant.

'Our flight attendants have overwhelmingly authorized a strike, and we will move the process forward and prepare for a strike if necessary,' she added.

The union representing 26,000 American Airlines flight attendants has escalated its threat to strike during the busy Christmas travel season as it fights for a better contract

APFA President Julie Hedrick and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom are seen above

An American Airlines spokesperson told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'We continue to meet regularly with APFA and are confident that we'll reach an agreement Americans flight attendants have earned.'

The flight attendants are seeking an immediate 33 percent wage increase, plus incremental bumps over the next four years that would raise their pay a total of 50 percent from current levels.

Under the proposal, starting flight attendants, who currently make $30.35 per hour, would get an initial raise to $40.37, with further annual bumps to come.

The management proposal called for an 11 percent initial pay raise, and 2 percent pay increases over each of the following four years, or a total increase of about 19 percent over five years.

The union is also seeking key concessions on scheduling, vacation and sick leave, retirement benefits, and a return to pre-COVID staffing levels.

A union spokesperson told DailyMail.com that flight attendants deserve the improved compensation package, particularly in light of the rise in shocking incidents of unruly and abusive passengers.

'The job has totally changed  100 percent changed. Flight attendants are being assaulted weekly,' said the spokesman, Paul Hartshorn Jr.

'Flight attendants are flying longer days with less rest. They're flying more flights per day and their duty days, the time that they're required to be on duty for the entire day, have increased as well,' the person said.

In August, 99.47 percent of participating flight attendants voted to authorize a strike.

The union is currently working under a contract that was agreed to nearly a decade ago, in 2014.

In August, 99.47 percent of participating flight attendants voted to authorize a strike

The union is currently working under a contract that was agreed to nearly a decade ago, in 2014

Flight attendants fall under the federal Railway Labor Act, meaning their contracts do not expire until a new agreement has been reached, though they can be amended.

The law also lays down strict guidelines around strikes and places contract negotiations under government mediation, in an attempt to preserve worker rights while preventing disruptions to critical infrastructure.

The AA flight attendants' contract became amendable in 2019, and after pandemic delays, the union filed for mediation in March, and talks began in June.

The union says that at the most recent mediation session last week, management had no response to its proposals, and instead spend the session arguing that any retroactive pay increases should be deducted from future raises.

'Needless to say, your committee firmly rejected that approach and what can only be described as delay tactics,' the union negotiating committee said in a message to members.

'The ball is firmly in managements court,' the committee added. 'If they dont have a proposal, we have a deadline, and failure to meet that deadline will result in a request to be released.'

The union is calling on all members to picket airports on November 16 to raise awareness ahead of the key deadline

The union says that if AA 'fails to make substantial movement towards concluding these negotiations' the APFA Board of Directors will meet on November 17.

The sole purpose of that meeting would be to approve a request that the members of the National Mediation Board release APFA and American Airlines from mediation.

Under the Railway Labor Act, only the National Mediation Board can release parties from mediation.

If the National Mediation Board agreed to the release, it would start a 30-day 'cooling off' period, after which the flight attendants would be able to launch their strike.

The union is calling on all members to picket airports on November 16 to raise awareness ahead of the key deadline.
Queen Rania of Jordan has been eviscerated today for an extraordinarily outspoken interview in which she attacked the US and Israel for striking Gaza and questioned whether Israeli babies had really been killed by Hamas on October 7.

In the interview with veteran CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour last night, Queen Rania - whose parents are of Palestinian descent but who grew up in Kuwait - said there was a 'glaring double standard' around the world when it came to sympathy for the war's victims.

She made a brief concession that she 'of course' condemned Hamas' killing of Israeli civilians, but spoke mostly of the need for increased support of Palestinians and a halt to Israel's ground strikes.

The unusually frank interview took many by surprise and has today enraged Americans, who slammed her hypocrisy when Jordan refuses to take in Palestinian refugees.

Among them was Alyssa Farah Griffin, a CNN contributor and co-host of The View, who tweeted furiously: 'Stunning interview with Queen Rania.

Queen Rania of Jordan sitting for her CNN interview last night in Amman. She slammed Israel's retaliatory attacks against Hamas and said there hasn't been sufficient sympathy for Palestinians

'She attempts to morally equivocate between Israeli retaliatory strikes & Hamas terrorism. Spare me your outrage while you live in luxury & refuse to take Palestinian refugees.'

Katie Pavlich of FOX and Town Hall labeled it a 'disgraceful and grotesque display'.

'An absolutely disgraceful display from Queen Rania of Jordan in which she, who takes full advantage of freedoms afforded to western women while living in luxury ruling an Arab country, issues a screed devoid of facts and full of smears.

'The *Queen* calls Israel an apartheid state, conveniently ignoring that Arab-Israelis have full rights as citizens including to vote, while denying their babies were slaughtered - saying dead babies werent independently verified. They were.

'She laments a separation wall as a violation of international law while failing to mention that it was put up after countless suicide bombings of night clubs, buses and restaurants by Palestinians in Israel.

Mourners attend the funeral for members of the Sharabi family, who were killed in attack on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 25, 2023 in Kfar Harif, Israel

Injured Palestinian children in a hospital in Gaza on October 24 after an Israeli air raid

'She justifies Oct. 7 through context and calls focus on Hamas a fixation, all while issuing frustration over the use of the word terrorist to describe Palestinians who commit violence.

'Zero condemnation for Hamas killing their own people and holding them hostage in Gaza, which she bizarrely calls occupied by Israel even though they left in 2005.

'She and her husband, the King, are still refusing to take refugees (who she claims to deeply care about) into their own country. Grotesque.'

Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad went further, calling her the 'Queen of support for terrorism'.

'Queen Rania of Jordan brazenly said in an interview with CNN that there is no proof of the beheading of children in the Hamas massacre, a blatant lie shes spreading to the world.

'First of all, here is a picture that I would have been thrilled not to post - of the severed and burned head of a massacre victim. Its difficult to tell if its a child or an adult because the terrorists made sure to burn it,' he said, posting a pixelated image of a burned corpse.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour argued with Rania's denial of Hamas butchering babies. She said there was proof they had shot and burned babies' bodies, and prompted her for sympathy towards Israelis saying: 'How did you feel on October 7?'

The 53-year-old spoke to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, and was asked how she responded to October 7 'as an Arab, as a Palestinian, as a mother, as a human being'

The royal couple are pictured in June 2018 during a visit to the White House. King Abdullah II has said no Palestinian refugees will be accepted by Jordan

'Its utterly ridiculous that severed heads are somehow seen as proof that Israel is lying, completely disregarding the fact that there was an indisputable brutal massacre here. Everything is documented and photographed.

'As if it's okay to shoot and stab and slaughter babies... You have a new title - Queen of Jordan and Queen of support for terrorism!'

Amanpour, during an appearance on CNN This Morning today to discuss the interview, said Queen Rania expressed a belief that 'most of the world agrees with'.

'The primary takeaway is that she is expressing exactly what the rest of the world thinks.

'The world in which the Muslims and many, many other parts of the world believe that there is a, as she said, a glaring double standard,' Amanpour said.

In her interview, Queen Rania called for equal condemnation of Israel's airstrikes on Gaza as there was on the Hamas October 7 attack.

'Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint - but it's okay to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here.

'And it's just shocking to the Arab world,' she told veteran reporter Christiane Amanpour, before questioning whether babies had been 'butchered' by Hamas.

'I'm not arguing accuracy, Christiane, I'm arguing equivalence and double standards here,' she fumed.

Amanpour fired back that it had been verified both by CNN's reporters and other foreign media on the ground that Hamas was butchering babies, but stopped short of demanding a condemnation from the queen of the terror group's practices.

Amanpour did directly appeal for sympathy for Israelis and condemnation of Hamas, asking if Queen Rania 'accepted' that they had brought suffering on Palestinians.

The full unedited footage will not be shared with the public, Israel says, unless all of the families of those killed within view it and give permission

Hundreds of journalists and photographers from media companies all over the world yesterday attended the screening of a film of assorted footage showing the extent of the horrors committed by Hamas

Queen Rania made a brief concession, but then returned to criticizing Israel and its allies.

'These are the rules of war and they need to apply to everybody. Yes, there is the shock and there was the condemnation [towards Hamas]. But why isn't there equal condemnation to what is happening now?'

'Even if Israel defeats every last Hamas member, then what? Haven't they left a trail of terrible memories that will create a new generation of resistance that is fiercer and more violent?'

Earlier this week, the Israeli government showed 200 journalists from foreign outlets Hamas bodycam footage of the October 7 attack.

The reporters said they were left in no doubt of the brutality of the attack.

Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy also released a video describing the horrifying contents of the footage.
Russia has started training its forces for a 'massive' retaliatory nuclear strike in response to an 'enemy attack' as part of Putin's latest threat against the West.

The Russian president today oversaw ballistic missile drills remotely, the Kremlin said, hours after Russia moved to revoke its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.

Forces were being trained for a 'massive' nuclear strike in response to an 'enemy nuclear strike', Moscow's defence minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Russian soldiers will also be practising 'delivering a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces', Russian press agency Interfax reported.

'Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armed forces, Vladimir Putin, a training exercise was conducted with the forces and equipment of ground, sea and air components of nuclear deterrent forces,' the Kremlin said in a statement.

The Russian president (pictured) today oversaw ballistic missile drills remotely, the Kremlin said, hours after Russia moved to revoke its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty

The exercises involved the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (pictured at the launch) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia

Forces were being trained for a 'massive' nuclear strike in response to an 'enemy nuclear strike', Moscow 's defence minister Sergei Shoigu (pictured) said

'During the training, practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles and cruise missiles took place.'

The exercises involved the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia.

The mock atomic attack included a nuclear submarine and two Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers.

READ MORE: Russia takes the first step towards revoking ratification of nuclear test ban treaty Advertisement

A Sineva ballistic missile was launched from the Barents Sea from the strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine cruiser Tula.

The drills assumed a response to an enemy nuclear strike.

Russian propaganda has been stressing a supposed nuclear threat - for which there is no evidence - from the West,

It portrays Russia in an existential standoff with the West over Ukraine.

Defence minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin: 'Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, in accordance with the training plan for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, under your leadership

'The tasks of delivering a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy's nuclear strike will be practiced,' he said.

Armed forces chief General Valery Gerasimov told Putin: 'As part of the training, Yars mobile ground-based missile systems of the strategic missile forces, Tula strategic submarine of the Northern Fleet, and two strategic long-range missile carriers Tu-95MS, were deployed.'

The Tu-95MS long-range bombers test-fired air-launched cruise missiles.

A Sineva ballistic missile (pictured here) was launched from the Barents Sea from the strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine cruiser Tula

Defence minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin: 'The tasks of delivering a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy's nuclear strike will be practiced'

The mock atomic attack included a nuclear submarine and two Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers

Armed forces chief General Valery Gerasimov (pictured) told Putin: 'As part of the training, Yars mobile ground-based missile systems of the strategic missile forces, Tula strategic submarine of the Northern Fleet, and two strategic long-range missile carriers Tu-95MS, were deployed'

The nuclear-capable Yars missile was aimed at a target on the Kamchatka peninsula in the east of Russia.

Moscow is moving to revoke its ratification of a landmark nuclear testing treaty to bring itself into line with the United States.

The tests did not involve new generation Sarmat - or Satan-2 - which is due soon to come into Russia's nuclear arsenal.

The Tu-95s are the world's only propeller-powered nuclear bombers.

They first flew some 70 years ago, but remain an integral part of the Russian nuclear armoury.
U.S.-led coalition forces began live-fire military exercises in Syria on Wednesday, soon after more than a dozen attacks on American troops during the past week left more than 20 soldiers injured.

'Coalition service members will be conducting ground operational exercises in or near the al-Hasakah region in Syria to validate weapons systems and maintain crew proficiency and readiness,' said a notice issued by the Combined Joint Task Force  Operation Inherent Resolve.

It comes days after a similar notice was issued for 'base defense' exercises around the Khalidiyah region in Iraq.

They are the latest in a string of routine live-fire exercises, but follow a series of attacks on U.S. forces in the region.

Terrorists propped up by Iran have attacked US troops and their allies more than 13 times in the last week, the Pentagon revealed this week.

Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base. On October 18, two drones were destroyed at at al-Asad base, west of Baghdad causing minor injuries to coalition forces and some damage to the base

American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by suicide drones and missiles for days, with the tally described as 'initial numbers.'

Many of the attacks have been claimed by a group calling itself the 'Islamic Resistance in Iraq' in Telegram channels affiliated with Shiite factions close to Iran.

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said the strikes were conducted with a 'mix of one-way attack drones and rockets'.

'What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran,' Ryder said.

He did not identify the specific organizations responsible, but said that 'the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC and the Iranian regime', a reference to Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Officials said while the attacks have been linked to Iran there is no evidence they were ordered by the country's leaders.

Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests over Washington's support for Israel since Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people in a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7.

This week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the number of Americans killed in the massacre rose to 33.

Iran-backed terrorists have attacked US troops and their allies stationed in the Middle East more than a dozen times in the last week, according to the Pentagon

US forced have been hit at least ten times in Iraq and at least three times in Syria between October 17 - 24

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder (left) said that 'the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC and the Iranian regime.' Though he did not say they are being ordered by Iranian leaders including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (right)

Israel's retaliatory bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 5,000 people, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The deaths have sparked widespread anger across the Middle East.

Between October 17 and 24, US and coalition forces were attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria.

On October 18, two drones were destroyed at at al-Asad base, west of Baghdad causing minor injuries to coalition forces and some damage to the base.

Prior to the strike, a US contractor suffered a heart attack while sheltering during an early warning system alert for a threat that never materialized.

On Friday, several rockets were launched toward a US military base outside Baghdad's international airport, just minutes before President Joe Biden spoke to the nation. The missile was intercepted by an anti-rocket system.

It's unclear if the USS Carney, the warship, was the intended target of the missiles fired from Yemen on October 19

A day earlier, a US Navy warship near Yemen intercepted missiles fired by Iranian-backed militants a day after troops in Syria and Iraq fended off drone attacks.

The USS Carney shot down two land missiles and three drones fired by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.

There were no injuries on board, and none reported on land among civilians.

The United States has some 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of efforts to combat ISIS, which once held significant territory in both countries but was pushed back by local forces supported by international air strikes.
Horrifying footage has come to light of kidnapped Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin being loaded into the bed of a pickup truck moments after Hamas terrorists blew off his left arm.

At gunpoint, Goldberg-Polin and several other young men were piled into the back of a vehicle. They are shown pulling themselves into the truck, including Hersh, who conducted himself calmly despite his calamitous injury.

On Wednesday, Hersh's father, Jon Polin, said he and his wife 'have no proof of life' for their son. For the time being, the Israeli government still lists the young man as 'a hostage, as taken by Hamas.'

In the video, Goldberg-Polin's bloody left limb was seen protruding as he hoisted himself into the truck at around 9am on Saturday October 7 at the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel.

The footage, initially uncovered by Anderson Cooper's team at CNN, showed several Palestinian terrorists dragging three other young men into the truck with Goldberg-Polin, the last of whom was thrown on top of the three injured men.

Hersh and several other young men were loaded, at gunpoint, into the bed of a Hamas pickup truck. Blood coated each of their bodies

Cooper confirmed with the parents of the missing young man that the footage was in fact of Goldberg-Polin.

'As horrible as it is as a parent to [see] your kid under gunpoint, with one arm  the composure with which hes walking on his own legs, pulling himself with his one weak hand onto the truck, gave me a real dose of strength,' said Jon Polin, Hersh's father.

The young man's mother, Rachel Goldberg, said she believed her son's calm demeanor was 'from shock.'

More than two weeks after their son was taken along with at least 200 other hostages, his parents remain determined to bring their son home.

The couple flew to Manhattan this week to speak with the United Nations about bringing their son, and the other hostages home.

'I personally feel like we have to keep running to the end of the Earth to save him,' his mother told Cooper.

'And we have to try to go [on] believing that somehow he got treatment and  hes alive and hes there,' she added.

The couple said they have moments of doubt, where thoughts creep in like wondering if he 'bled out on that truck.'

'Maybe he died yesterday, maybe he died five minutes ago,' said Goldberg.

'We don't know if once he was loaded into that pickup truck at 9:00 in the morning on October 7, if he was tossed off the truck after 30 seconds or if he made it into Gaza where his phone was last pinged. We don't know his status, but officially he's still listed as kidnapped,' Polin said in a separate interview.

Goldberg (right) described their current emotional predicament as like being 'on the head of a pin.' 'Every direction you fall is a bad direction. So we're just trying to balance on the head of a pin,' she said

Hersh Golberg-Polin, 23, texted his mother and father 'I love you. Im sorry' at 8.11am on October 7 - as Palestinian militants declared war on Israel, took dozens of people as hostage and killed hundreds during the Jewish high holiday

In the horrifying footage, Hersh is seen climbing into the bed of a Hamas pickup truck moments after his left arm was blown off

The couple have repeatedly called on international leaders to advocate for their son and the other hostages.

In the US, 'the support is there,' said Polin. 'But we want more, we want action.'

'There are hostages from somewhere around 30 countries. Why have we not yet seen  global leaders screaming to get the wounded help?'

Goldberg described their current emotional predicament as like being 'on the head of a pin.'

'Every direction you fall is a bad direction. So we're just trying to balance on the head of a pin,' she said.

During an appearance on Fox, Polin said that his current goal is to convince the world that the hostage situation in Gaza is a 'global humanitarian catastrophe, and the whole world and foreign ministers everywhere should be screaming to get these people out and don't politicize them.'

On the morning of October 7, Goldberg-Polin sent a text message to his mother and father that read: 'I love you, I'm sorry.'

Born in Berkeley, California, Hersh and his family moved to Jerusalem when he was just eight-years-old. He had been at the Tribe of Nova music festival celebrating the end of his Israeli Army service.

Until April, he had been a tank driver in the 7th Armored Brigade and trained to become a medic.

His father, Jonathan, and mother, Rachel, said their son had been working as a waiter and was saving up money to fund a trip to India, which was his lifelong dream.

Now, his mother says that she and the rest of Hersh's family are remaining hopeful that he will come home to them and take the trip to India 'with one hand.'
A wheelchair user whose vehicle was destroyed in the Luton Airport car park inferno earlier this month has said he is still waiting for a replacement bespoke car, so has missed in-person business meetings and a funeral.

Andrew Miller, 56 from Northamptonshire, parked his automatic Citroen DS 3 on the ground floor of Luton Airport's Terminal Car Park 2 in the blue badge parking zone on October 8, before taking a trip to Ireland with his husband.

They returned to the airport on the afternoon of October 12, and Mr Miller, who has a complex spinal condition and has always been a wheelchair user, said there was no-one from the airport or APCOA, its parking provider, to give him information on how to return home.

In response to Mr Miller's situation, a spokesperson for London Luton Airport had offered 'sincere apologies' for any distress or inconvenience caused.

Now almost two weeks later, he said his situation has not changed, with no information given about the state of his vehicle, the back of which he can see in the car park in photographs.

Wheelchair user Andrew Miller (pictured with husband Tim Meacock), 56, whose vehicle was destroyed in the Luton Airport car park inferno earlier this month has said he is still waiting for a replacement bespoke car, so has missed in-person business meetings and a funeral

A car park at Luton Airport was destroyed in an inferno on Wednesday October 11

Mr Miller's bespoke automatic Citroen DS 3 was specially adapted to meet his access needs

He said his insurance company instructed a car hire company to find him a courtesy vehicle, but they have been unable to do so.

'I've had no courtesy car and no ability to get mobile, meanwhile I've had to pull out of attending in-person business meetings, I even missed a colleague's funeral, as a consequence of not having my own car,' he told the PA news agency.

'My partner has taken time out to accompany me to several events in Manchester and London last week.

'For many disabled people, like me, personal independence is everything. You take away our cars, you take away our independence and our ability to lead our lives.

'My independence has been completely taken away by this fire.'

Mr Miller, a broadcaster, cultural consultant and disability campaigner, said his insurance company got in touch to offer a 'derisory and frankly mean' 100 in lieu of a courtesy car.

He said he has received the generic updates from the airport regarding the incident, but has had no bespoke communication regarding his car or situation, tweeting the companies involved with no response.

He said: 'It's abundantly clear that the processes that have been put in place to support drivers involved in the Luton fire have not included any plans to support disabled people with bespoke needs.

'It's quite extraordinary how little support anyone has offered in this situation, I've basically been left to sort it all out myself.'

Mr Miller said that if he is forced to find a replacement car, he will then have to get the hand controls fitted, which cost 500 to replace and take a week to put in.

The result is that he is having to make further arrangements so he can meet his commitments, restricting his flexibility.

'I can't be spontaneous in anything that I'm doing,' he said.

'I'm very, very restricted. So if my doctor rings up and says, 'we've arranged some antibiotics for you', I can't jump in my car and go and get them. I have to get my partner to go and do that for me.

'That's robbing me of mobility, it's an independence that I would normally have.'

Salvage work at Luton Airport on Monday to remove vehicles from the car park that was wrecked in a huge fire

'My partner has taken time out to accompany me to several events in Manchester and London last week,' Mr Miller (right with husband Tim Meakcock) said

Neil Thompson, operations director at London Luton Airport, said: 'We know this has been a distressing time and we have every sympathy with all those affected.

'We have always been clear that most cars will be unsalvageable. From the outset, customers have been advised to contact their insurer and we have worked hard to provide all the required information so insurance companies can progress claims as quickly as possible.

'We continue to provide our customers with regular updates, but as the car park remains unsafe, we are unable to provide information about individual vehicles. We are pleased to hear that many claims have already been settled.'

A spokesperson for APCOA said: 'Due to the instability of the car park structure which was severely damaged by the fire, unfortunately we still don't have access to it. As a result, we have been unable to provide any customers with bespoke information about their individual vehicles.

'APCOA and London Luton Airport have tried to keep all customers informed as the situation has evolved by sending regular email updates and publishing detailed information and guidance on our websites and social media.

'All customers have been advised to contact their insurance company to progress a claim and the relevant information has been provided to the insurers to support that process.

'We have every sympathy with all customers who have been affected by this major incident.'
The 'mistress' of a super-rich Russian oligarch locked in a legal battle with his ex-wife and children over his 'missing' 100 million today told the High Court he was the 'love of my life'.

Brigita Morina, 42, insisted businessman Vladimir Alekseyevich Scherbakov wanted her to inherit most of his fortune with the couple sharing an 'unbreakable connection and loved each other deeply'.

The 56-year-old died in June 2017 while being investigated by the Kremlin on charges of fraud, leaving behind a huge fortune sunk in assets across the globe, including the rights to a 12million mansion in Surrey where he had lived with Ms Morina and their children.

The final will he made in England in 2015 left the vast majority of his assets outside Russia to Ms Morina and her family.

But she is now locked in a court fight over that fortune with his adult children from a previous relationship - Olga Scherbakova, 34, and Alexander Scherbakov, 25 - along with their mother Elena Scherbakova.

They argue their father 'must have torn up' the will - which has disappeared - because he wanted them to share in the fortune.

Brigita Morina, girlfriend of Vladimir Scherbakov at the time of his death, pictured outside the High Court, was described as Russian oligarch's 'mistress'

Scherbakov's adult children from his marriage, Alexander and Olga, both pictured outside the High Court in London, are staking their claim to their father's fortune

But giving evidence at the High Court in London today, Ms Morina insisted that Mr Scherbakov wanted her to benefit and that they planned to marry.

Describing him as the 'love of my life,' she said that, despite being forced apart by his fleeing the UK to avoid extradition to Russia in his final months, their 'love and commitment' to each other continued and he wanted to provide for her and their family.

However, outlining her own case, Olga claimed Ms Morina - who she called her father's 'mistress' in court - has an 'unhealthy obsession' with the Scherbakov family and 'can't get over' the fact that he chose not to marry her.

'We think Vladimir probably destroyed the English will - we have irrefutable evidence to prove this,' she told the judge, Mrs Justice Bacon, during the ongoing trial.

Court documents detail that Scherbakov had Olga and Alexander with Elena, but the pair split and he went on to form a relationship with Ms Morina - the former creative director of luxury Swiss watchmaker DeLaneau - in 2010.

He spent his time with her in England, where he owned 12million Granville House, his mansion in Weybridge, Surrey, as well as a multi-million-pound townhouse in Belgravia, central London, and a 400,000 wine collection.

He was a member of prestigious London clubs, including the Arts Club, in Dover Street, and Mayfair's 5 Hertford Street club, proposing to Ms Morina at a Knightsbridge restaurant in 2015.

Hodge Malek KC, for Ms Morina, said Scherbakov fled to Belgium in 2016 to avoid extradition after a criminal complaint was filed against him by Andrey Lugovoy, a former Russian Security Services agent and deputy in the Russian Duma, who was found by the European Court of Human Rights to have murdered Alexander Litvinenko.

He said that, once in Belgium, Scherbakov lived in fear, refusing 'to eat fruit given by others out of fear that it may have been poisoned' and terrified that his conversations were being bugged, leading to him only using encrypted forms of communication.

The criminal investigation was eventually dropped, but by that time Scherbakov had died, having been found hanged in Belgium in 2017, aged 56.

Russian billionaire Vladimir Alekseyevich Scherbakov was found dead, aged 56, in Belgium in 2017 as he was being investigated by the Kremlin on charges of fraud

Following his death, his two families fought against each other in courts in various parts of the world, including a fight which resulted in a Belgian judge handing the right to dispose of their father's body to his adult children.

In another struggle involving his offshore business interests in the British Virgin Isles, his companies were said by a judge to have 'at least a nine-figure dollar value'.

Ms Morina and the adult children are now fighting over his final will, which left her and her family almost all his non-Russian assets, said to be worth 'in excess of 100 million'.

With the original will unaccounted for, the siblings insist that their father must have destroyed it, because he no longer wanted Ms Morina to get 'almost everything' he had.

But Mr Malek said the will could not have been destroyed, because it was examined by an expert in the course of an alleged 'extortion' attempt against Ms Morina.

He said an offer had been made to hand over the document in exchange for 35m and the document forensically analysed during a meeting in Paris.

'[Ms Morina's] case is that the original English will existed after Vladimir's death,' he told the court.

'It was inspected...for the purposes of verifying that it is the original. As such, as a matter of English law, Vladimir did not revoke the English will.

'The original English will was - at an unknown point in time - misappropriated and has since been suppressed by certain persons who have refused to deliver it up unless Ms Morina pays a substantial ransom sum.'

Although they firmly deny involvement and say the extortion claim was a 'set up', Mr Malek says the 'irresistible inference' from the evidence is that the siblings were involved in the 'suppression' of the will.

He said they and their mother - who has stopped actively participating in the case and is now serving a jail sentence in Russia - had 'attacked [Ms Morina] on multiple fronts, at great human and emotional cost'.

It included denigrating the quality of her relationship with Scherbakov, which they characterised as an 'affair' or 'romantic relationship', when in fact it was a 'lasting and deep-rooted relationship'.

'[Ms Morina's] case is that Vladimir consistently intended to provide for her and their children upon his death, pursuant to the provisions of the English will,' he said.

Scherbakov had been living with girlfriend Brigita Morina (pictured left) at 12million Granville House in Surrey, which is among the assets contested in his 100m will

Giving evidence, Ms Morina said: 'Vladimir and I formed a loving union and became a strong team.

'From our working relationship in 2009, to a romantic relationship that started in 2010 which blossomed over seven loving years, through various holidays and travels, social gatherings, building homes together, raising our children, and the challenges Vladimir was facing, we remained a team.

'We had an unbreakable connection and loved each other deeply. Even though we were faced with Vladimir's forced relocation, severe stress, depression, anxiety, and addiction, our love and commitment to each other and protecting our family remained solid.

'Still today, I am unable to rationalise the existence of all the proceedings, when Vladimir clearly and consistently expressed his wishes and intentions. He wanted to provide financially for both sets of families and had allocated specific assets to each family.

'The final three months of Vladimir's life were tumultuous, but Vladimir and I remained committed to each other and optimistic for our future together.'

Cross-examining her, Olga questioned their commitment to each other, pointing out that Ms Morina and her father were living in different countries.

She drew attention to Ms Morina's witness statement, in which she set out how in a text while they were apart Scherbakov had said to her: 'I am proud and I loved you and still but unfortunately we cannot marry.'

He had also texted to her 'from love to hate in one step' after they argued about their living arrangements.

Explaining those messages, Ms Morina said: 'When he says "not married" he was referring to the fact that we cannot get married yet. He is expressing his love and that he was sorry given the circumstances.

'He is apologising for the fact that we cannot get married yet and seeking my confirmation that I was still there for him.'

She added: 'Throughout Vladimir's stay in Belgium, we both still wished for our wedding plans to go ahead.'

She also spoke of her pain when, after Scherbakov's death, the adult children and his ex-wife 'started pursuing what I can only describe as a personal vendetta' against her, including being excluded from his funeral.

'I remember that time as one of the most difficult of my entire life,' she said.

'I was completely cast away. I was not able to carry out his last wish.

'I was excluded from any remembrance of him which is not an easy memory to grapple with or live with.'

Outlining the siblings' case before the judge today, Olga denied any suggestion that she has been involved in the 'suppression' of her father's English will or any alleged extortion attempt.

She said she did not believe her father would leave a will which benefited his 'mistress' at the home of her mother.

And she denied the suggestion that her father's place of permanent residence when he died was England - as Ms Morina's lawyers claim - and so his estate is not governed by English law.

'We have compelling evidence that Vladimir didn't want to establish himself permanently in England,' she told the judge.

'His sole motivation for jumping between countries was based on a tax avoidance scheme.

'This whole case has become so out of proportion. Nothing makes sense.

'We have lost our father in tragic and morbid circumstances. Our mother is helpless, serving an unlawful jail sentence.

'Vladimir didn't want to go to jail in Russia, because he said it is a horrible place.'

She added: 'My children will never get to meet their grandfather. We lost our parents and now we are losing ourselves.

'That's why we are standing and fighting for the only rights we have left.

'We are tired of the whole matter. This is a legal nightmare.'

The siblings are fighting Ms Morina's application for a grant of probate of the 2015 will and want a declaration that their father was domiciled in Belgium at death and died intestate.

The two-week trial continues.
Two stuffed fish are being used as evidence in a bitter family feud between the children of a petrol station tycoon who are at war over how much the multi-million pound family farm they have inherited is worth.

The 'deep rift' between three sisters and their brother over the future of the sprawling New Forest property started in the wake of the death of family matriarch Susan Cutts in 2015.

Trustees of the family money want to sign over the late 72-year-old's farm to her son Alister, 50, for the price of 4.2million. Those proceeds will then be split between the sisters, Charlotte Springall, Victoria Delville-Cutts and Cecilia Delville-Lindsay.

But Charlotte, Victoria and Cecilia have accused Paul Cutts, their cousin and trustee of the farm, of favouring Alister, the High Court heard. They claim Paul shares a 'close and friendly' relationship with their brother that is demonstrated by Alister's assistant purchasing a vintage stuffed pike for him at an auction.

They have complained that the farm is being sold to Alister at a 'discount' that would see them and their families exiled from the land, as well as negatively impact their finances. They also argued that the siblings are not being treated equally and allege that a trustee has a duty to act impartially.

Victoria Delville-Cutts (right) and Charlotte Springall (left) are fighting at London's High Court to stop their brother getting the family farm for a 2.6million discount

Pictured: Alister Cutts and his sister Charlotte Springall

Charlotte, Victoria and Cecilia have accused Paul Cutts, their cousin and trustee of the farm, of favouring their brother, the High Court heard. They claim Paul shares a 'close and friendly' relationship with their brother that is demonstrated by Alister's assistant purchasing a vintage stuffed pike for him at an auction (stock photo)

The siblings are the children of south London garage chain millionaire Oliver Cutts, who rose from being a coalman to a successful tycoon.

Mr Cutts ploughed his multimillion-pound fortune into Folds Farm, Fordingbridge, in the heart of the picturesque New Forest, which passed to his widow Susan upon his death.

The 500-acre farm boasts a thriving livery stable operation and heritage breed cattle and pigs, which are farmed by Alister alongside his plant hire business, as well as lucrative trout fishing in the River Avon and a glamping site.

Charlotte, an equestrian who aspired to compete for Team GB in the 2012 London Olympics, Victoria and Cecilia are said to be furious at the plan by trustees to sell the farm to Alister for 4.2million, claiming it is worth at least 6.8million and possibly upwards of 10million.

The sisters claim the trustees are acting unfairly and their cousin Mr Cutts is displaying favouritism as he is 'close and friendly' with Alister.

Victoria, who runs a boutique stable on the Belgium-Holland border specialising in equine salt therapy, said the sisters were being treated unfairly.

Giving evidence in front of the judge, Master Julia Clark, she told the court: 'The mathematics says it. It's heart-breaking. You are either fair or not fair.

'My sisters and I don't mind Alister buying the farm - but at the correct rate.'

Victoria claimed the trustees had a duty to act impartially but favoured Alister.

She pointed to a stuffed pike which Alister told his assistants to buy for Paul Cutts as evidence of the favouritism.

The fish was bought at auction after Alister found out it had been caught by Pauls' father.

Charlotte Springall runs her own stud and stables in Salisbury - and the professional equestrian aspired to compete in the 2012 London Olympics

Pictured: South London garage chain millionaire Oliver Cutts with his wife Susan Cutts

The sisters say the farm (pictured) is worth at least 6.8million and possibly 10million

Charlotte's barrister Graham Stott cross-examined Paul Cutts on the matter, asking: 'Are you telling me Alister has purchased two stuffed fish for you?'

To which Mr Cutts replied: 'Alister's assistants purchased two stuffed fish on my behalf.'

Mr Stott said: 'You are rather close to him aren't you? You were in touch about him buying items for you at auctions and you also gave him items such as garage doors.

'You are distributing now to Alister and not the other beneficiaries,' he alleged.

But Mr Cutts insisted: 'I'm no closer to Alister than any of the others.'

Continuing to cross-examine Mr Cutts, Mr Stott said: 'Traditionally, the more something is worth, the more you have to pay for it, but you and your fellow trustees have decided Alister doesn't have to be charged more for it.

'The half million difference is because you all favour Alister and have a rather friendly relationship with him,' he alleged.

Mr Cutts replied: 'Due process was followed. I'm in no way swayed one way or the other towards Alister.

'As a discretionary trust, we as trustees are looking primarily to uphold Susan's deathbed wishes and keep the farm within the family.

'Within the letter of wishes and the will, there is no mention of fairness. It's a discretionary trust. A sale to third parties was to be a last resort.

'I think it was a reasonable decision and as fair as it can be.'

Pictured: Paul Cutts, head of the trustees in charge of the family money

The trustees - headed by Mr Cutts - planned to 'assign' the farm to Alister for 4.2million - a 2.6million discount on its open market worth, the court was told.

The court heard that the bulk of the 4.2million would then be divided among the sisters, leaving them with over 800,000 each, and the rest of the money would go on tax bills and other expenses.

But the sisters want the farm sold on the open market and the money divided, having previously argued for the land being divided up into parcels but kept within family ownership.

Prior to their mother's death, the siblings shared the farm, with Charlotte - who now runs her own stud and stables - and then Victoria running the equestrian yard.

But lawyers for the trustees of the Cutts family money told the court that after her death, a massive 'rift' between the siblings emerged and their mother's plan for them to run the farm together was no longer viable.

Their mother directed that her fortune be put into trusts for the benefit of all her children, stating that every effort must be made to keep the farm within the family and sale considered only as a 'last resort'.

The sisters say the farm is worth at least 6.8million and possibly 10million, and the assignment of the farm to Alister would see them 'exiled' from the land and leave them out of pocket, the court was told.

Victoria Delville-Cutts (left), Cecilia Delville-Lindsay (right) and their sister are fighting to stop trustees from giving the family farm to their brother, which they say is favouritism

Daniel Burton, setting out the case on behalf of the trustees of the family trusts, said: 'The trustees rightly gave great weight to the settlor's wishes.

'It's absolutely right and proper for the trustees to pay close attention to Susan's wishes, as expressed in the letter of wishes.

'There is an allegation of partiality here, the preference of Alister over the three sisters.

'However, in the case of a discretionary trust, to speak of fairness is meaningless.

'The very discretion is to prefer one beneficiary over another. There is no duty here to treat the beneficiaries equally.

'The trustees settled on a price that actually meant that Alister could make a go of it.

'It's a very deliberate balanced exercise. This has been given very careful thought and consideration.

'The trustees could have given the whole thing to Alister for free if they chose.

'It reserves Folds Farm within the family as Susan wanted and creates liquidity.

'It is a rational and proper decision.

'The trustees are faced with siblings who simply don't get on with each other. There is a significant and deep rift between the four children.

'The trustees have a duty to act impartially, but that is not the same as equal division.'

Turning to the hotly debated fish, the barrister continued: 'The stuffed fish issue is at its height insufficient. If a staff member sees a fish which is up for sale and has gone to auction and says 'I don't mind getting this for you,' it is not enough.

'Even if there was a close relationship we are dealing with a small rural community where relationships are close. One has to be realistic.'

The judge reserved her decision on whether to approve the assignment of the farm to Alister at the 4.2million price to a later date.
Staff at Oxfam will be balloted for strike action for the first time in the charity's 81-year history.

Some staff are arguing that they have been forced to use food banks and cannot afford to pay their rent, in a dispute over pay.

Unite said its members, most earning 'little more' than the minimum wage, had rejected a 'substandard' pay offer of 1,750 or 6% - whichever is higher - plus a one-off payment of 1,000.

The ballot will start on Thursday and run until November 16.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'This is a charity in robust financial health that makes much of belonging to the Ethical Trading Initiative and bestowing the virtues of unions to lift workers out of poverty.

'Meanwhile, Oxfam's own staff are on poverty pay, with some using food banks and unable to pay their rent.

'How can its leadership possibly justify ignoring its workers' demands to be paid fairly and blocking their union?

Staff at Oxfam will be balloted for strike action for the first time in the charity's 81-year history

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'How can its leadership possibly justify ignoring its workers' demands to be paid fairly and blocking their union?'

'Oxfam can well afford to pay a reasonable rise without the slightest impact on its operations here or abroad.'

Unite said that average wages at Oxfam have fallen by 21% in real terms since 2018.

A recent Unite survey of almost 150 Oxfam workers said that in the last year, 8% had used food banks while 22% had not been able to pay their rent.

The union also said that Oxfam's union members rejected the charity's pay offer by 79% in a ballot.

Unite regional coordinating officer Jamie Major said: 'The last thing Oxfam needs is further damage to its reputation. But its leadership seems intent on doing just that by disregarding how much their low-paid staff are struggling financially.'

He added: 'Oxfam's staff do not want to strike, but they will if these issues are not resolved. The charity can absolutely afford to put forward an acceptable rise.

'It needs to meet with Unite and do just that.'

An Oxfam GB spokesperson said: 'As a real living wage employer and an organisation committed to tackling poverty, Oxfam is acutely aware of the impact of the rising cost of living on colleagues and addressing that is a priority for us. That is why we chose to bring forward pay increases for lower paid colleagues and why we have ensured that these colleagues will have received a real terms pay increase over the past 12 months.

'We believe this pay award is fair and it is at the limit of what Oxfam can afford without taking vital resources away from our work fighting poverty with communities around the world. Colleagues understand that we face limited resources and tough choices and we hope they will recognise that when casting their ballot.

'We value the work of our trade unions and would much rather have reached agreement with Unite but what they are asking for is simply not affordable at a time when many of the communities we work with are also facing sharply rising costs.'

This is not the first time that UK charity staff have gone on strike.

Earlier this year, workers at homeless charity St Mungo's launched a three month-long strike in a dispute over pay.

They ultimately ended their long running industrial action after securing a 10.7% pay increase, Unite the Union said.

Based on the median salary within the charity, the increase equated to 3,125 in cash terms - this total included a one-off payment of 700.
New York City officials have discussed handing tents to newly arrived migrants and housing them in encampments in parks, according to a report.

The city has already erected large tents to shelter asylum seekers but this new proposal would be more like a campsite, sources told The Wall Street Journal.

The report comes after Mayor Eric Adams yesterday said 'everything is on the table' when asked whether his plans to shelter migrants would extend to Manhattan's iconic Central Park.

Adams has said the city has run out of hotel rooms and indoor sites to house the 65,000 migrants that remain in its care after 120,000 arrived in the last 18 months.

It comes as a poll published this week found that a majority of New Yorkers agreed with Adams' own words earlier this year that the migrant crisis will 'destroy the city.'

New York City mayor Eric Adams will limit shelter stays for migrant families to 60 days

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

Adams again issued a grave warning during a press conference on Tuesday, saying he is looking for large outdoor spaces to house migrants and people are going to start seeing 'the visual signs of this crisis in our city.'

He continued: 'Its not "if" people will be sleeping on the streets, its when. We are at full capacity. We have to sort of localize it as much as possible. We have to make sure that people have some type of restroom facilities, some type of shower network.'

As the city prepares for winter, Adams said he is already meeting with people who 'manage this in other countries on how do you not deal with the sanitary issues that comes with it.'

'I have to manage it in a way that we don't see what's happening in other cites, where you're seeing tent cities pop up all over the place,' he added.

While the mayor did not mention tent distribution on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports Adams and his team considered the option during the summer.

The mayor's office told CBS News that encampments at Central Park, Prospect Park and the Floyd Bennett Field are 'on the table.'

With hotels and other locations combined, the city has opened at least 250 emergency shelters for migrants. Back in March, there were just 103, demonstrating how the crisis continues to worsen.

As the embattled mayor, who is up for reelection in 2025, continues to deal with the crisis, the new Siena College Research Institute poll also showed half of NYC voters now disapprove of him.

Officials have turned to tent facilities, dorms, school gyms and parks to comply with a state law requiring housing for the homeless.

Last week, an emergency migrant shelter in Staten Island was evacuated after the fire department deemed it unsafe and former officials warned it could become a death trap.

The city has already erected large tents to shelter asylum seekers but this new proposal would be more like a campsite. The tent shelter at Randall's island is seen above

The Randall's island facility is housing 2,000 migrants

Like migrant adults, migrant families who can't find housing on their own will be able to return to the arrival center at The Roosevelt Hotel and reapply for shelter placement

A judge had ordered Adams to remove the migrants from the former St. John Villa Academy Catholic school in September, deciding the Right to Shelter law did not apply to migrants, but the Democrat appealed the decision.

While he first said he was proud to come from a Right to Shelter city, Adams has been trying to suspend the measure, which forces the city to provide shelter for anyone who asks for it.

Adams has also limited shelter stays for migrant families with children to 60 days and for single migrants to 30 days.

Like migrant adults, migrant families who can't find housing on their own will be able to return to the arrival center at The Roosevelt Hotel and reapply for shelter placement, a source told the Daily News.

The historic hotel in Manhattan - dubbed 'the new Ellis Island' by one city official - has become the registering point for the migrants and is currently housing 3,000 asylum seekers.

Many of the migrants have arrived without housing or jobs, forcing the city to erect emergency shelters and provide various government services, with an estimated cost of $12 billion over the next few years.

Governor Kathy Hochul, who also first welcomed asylum seekers last year, is supporting the city's effort to suspend a unique legal agreement that requires it to provide emergency housing to homeless people.

The shelter requirement has been in place for more than four decades in New York City, following a legal agreement that required the city to provide temporary housing for every homeless person. No other big city in America has such a requirement.

Hochul endorsed the New York City's challenge to the requirement in a court filing this week, telling reporters Thursday that the mandate was never meant to apply to an international humanitarian crisis.
A TV farmer was furious after being hit with an enormous 80,000 British Gas bill, which the energy provider later apologised for.

Gareth Wyn Jones, 56, who is known for starring in the BBC series The Family Farm, was handed the eye-watering bill from British Gas Business, which suggested he owed 22 times more than usual.

The father-of-three from Llanfairfechan in Conwy, North Wales said he received a 'mountain' of 50 envelopes at his farm and a demand to pay up by October 27.

Mr Jones spent two hours on the phone to call centres in a bid to solve the bill blunder before being told an 'error had been identified'.

He was told fully paid-up contracts dating back to 2020 had been incorrectly included in the bill, meaning that the correct amount owed was in fact 3,600 - a massive climbdown from the original 80,000 initially advised.

Gareth Wyn Jones, 56, who is known for starring in the BBC series The Family Farm, was handed the eye-watering bill from British Gas Business

But it wasn't the end of his woes, as Mr Jones then received another '40 or 50' of envelopes from British Gas Business the following day before receiving an apology from the energy giant.

Mr Jones said: 'By the time I got hold of the complaints department, I was fuming, virtually frothing at the mouth.

'In all my life I don't think I've ever been so angry. Honest to God, it was unbelievable. They couldn't even find our account because, as a farm, we don't have a house number.

'We've always paid by direct debit yet suddenly this huge bill comes through the post with no explanation and a demand for immediate payment.

'We need to do something to ensure these mistakes don't happen again - or, if they do, these companies are liable to compensation.'

Mr Jones said he was horrified to think what might have happened if his 87-year-old father, a partner in the business, had opened the bill.

He said: 'He's just had a knee operation and recently returned home from hospital. I dread to think how some vulnerable people might have reacted.

'An 80,000 bill. If someone was depressed or had had a bad day, it might have tipped them over the edge.'

Mr Jones spent two hours on the phone to call centres in a bid to solve the issue before being told an 'error had been identified'

Mr Jones said he received a 'mountain' of 50 envelopes at his farm and a demand to pay up by October 27

He was told fully paid-up contracts dating back to 2020 had been incorrectly included in the bill, meaning that the correct amount owed was in fact 3,600

The farmer from Llanfairfechan in Conwy, North Wales, said he was 'virtually frothing at the mouth' by the time he got hold of the complaints department

Mr Jones said he was horrified to think what might have happened if his 87-year-old father, a partner in the business, had opened the bill

British Gas said Mr Jones' family has a group account with eight energy meters across different farm holdings

Mr Jones said that the energy firm couldn't even find his account because, as a farm, they don't have a house number

Mr Jones contacted energy consultants TCD Energy for help as he acts as the company's farming ambassador.

TCD Energy partners Stephen Carroll and John Devine told him to quote 'back-billing rules' - used to prevent suppliers charging for gas or electricity used more than 12 months previously if customers have not been correctly billed.

Stephen said: 'For business customers who don't know how to navigate the energy sector, it can be a minefield.

'Unless you know what you are doing, these situations can drag on for weeks or months, with all the stress this entails.'

British Gas said Mr Jones' family has a group account with eight energy meters across different farm holdings.

He receives one bill covering energy usage across all of these meters.

A British Gas spokesperson said: 'We are really sorry. The high bill Mr Jones received was incorrect and generated in error. We have apologised and confirmed that his actual account balance is 3,672.37.'
A man was filmed tearing down posters of innocent civilians including women and children kidnapped by Hamas before screaming 'Israel is a terrorist organisation' when confronted by bystanders last night.

Footage shared widely on social media shows the moment several people ripped posters from a London bus stop before an elderly woman steps in and tells them: 'How dare you tear that down. Shut the f*** up you w****r.'

It is the latest in a string of incidents in which people have been seen tearing down posters of the more than 200 innocent civilians held hostage by terror group Hamas after their invasion onto Israeli soil on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people.

In the video, a man dressed in black is seen joining a woman in tearing the posters down from a bus stop, before a passerby asks: 'Did you just take that poster of an innocent civilian? Stop taking them they're innocent civilians.'

The man shouts back: 'Your government kills children every single day. Do not tell me about Hamas, Israel is a terrorist organisation.'

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE

The cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is Muslim antisemitism. People want to pretend it isnt because theyre either scared or theyre aware or how deep the rot is and feel its insurmountable. The biggest challenge starts somewhere. Name the truthpic.twitter.com/L49QhPgu1u  leekern (@leekern13) October 25, 2023

In the video, a man dressed in black is seen joining a woman in tearing the posters down from a London bus stop

The man shouts that Israel 'is a terrorist organisation' and says 'Israelis are terrorists'

He continues: 'Israelis are terrorists. Your government are terrorists. Your government is a terrorist organisation.'

Several onlookers, who appear to be accompanying the man as he continues to tear down posters during his rant, are seen placing their hands over their faces once they realise the incident is being filmed.

A second onlooker tells the man: 'These are innocent kids.'

An elderly woman then appears in the video and tells the man: 'How dare you tear that down. Shut the f*** up you w****r.

'How dare you tear that down. In this country we have freedom [of speech].'

The Metropolitan Police posted on X, formerly Twitter, and said: 'We know many people find this behaviour upsetting - officers are urgently assessing this video.'

It came as sickening photos emerged on Wednesday showing posters that had been defaced with Hitler moustaches and devil horns.

One banner on Finchley Road in north London showed the smiling faces of children Emma and Yuli Cunio defaced with toothbrush moustaches. On another poster someone had changed Hamas to 'real men'.

A separate video filmed on Tuesday night showed people in Leicester Square also tearing down posters, with one man even smiling at those filming his actions before walking away.

The man was joined by a women as he tore down the posters in a video thought to be filmed on Tuesday night

Several onlookers, who appear to be accompanying the man as he continues to tear down posters during his rant, are seen placing their hands over their faces once they realise the incident is being filmed

At the end of the clip, a passerby is filmed telling the man to 'shut the f*** up'

On Wednesday night representatives from the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism protested outside Scotland Yard over a perceived lack of action to protect the UK's Jewish population in the wake of the Middle East conflict.

READ MORE - Hostages could be released in exchange for greater aid and free passage for Hamas leaders and their families in extraordinary plan, report claims Advertisement

The Met Police confirmed that one person was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'At 18:45hrs a man was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence after racist abuse was allegedly directed at a group protesting outside New Scotland Yard by the driver of a car.

'Officers stopped the car and arrested the man who is in custody.'

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch today criticised 'odious people ripping down posters of missing children' as she said part of the UK's social contract has been 'breached'.

She told the Commons: 'All our citizens have a right to feel secure and at peace in Britain. One of the reasons why we have been able to integrate people from all over the world is because of an unwritten rule that people with roots elsewhere do not play out foreign conflicts on the streets of this country.'

She continued: 'I believe that the hostility directed towards our Jewish communities, the calls for Jihad, the ostentatious indifference to the victims of terrorism, the aggressive chanting by mobs brandishing placards of hate, and the odious people ripping down posters of missing children, do not reflect our values as a nation.

'We must all stand firm on the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, particularly in the public space that we all share.'

Multiple videos have emerged on social media in recent days showing people tearing down or defacing similar posters.

Elsewhere, protest slogans were sprayed outside the Abbey Road Studios in London on Wednesday in support of both Israel and Palestinians.

'Free the hostages' was daubed on the white wall in red paint, while alongside it Palestinian flags were daubed next to the phrase: 'All you need is love, stop bombing innocent [sic]' - a play on words from the famous The Beatles song.

It follows tensions in the Middle East nearing boiling point with clashes breaking out between the Israeli military and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as Syria.

Elsewhere, protest slogans were sprayed outside the Abbey Road Studios in London on Wednesday in support of both Israel and Palestinians

Slogans calling for Hamas hostages to be freed was sprayed outside London's Abbey Road studios

Hamas terrorists massacred 1,400 Israelis on October 7, with many filming themselves shooting civilians on their bodycams. Since the assault, which took the Israeli military completely by surprise, footage of atrocities such as the killing of entire families and mutilation of bodies have emerged.

Since then, 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, in a fierce retaliation by the IDF.

Israel has been criticised by the UN for 'collective punishment' of the Palestinian people in response to the terror group's attacks, an accusation Israeli ministers have denied.

More footage that emerged on October 20 showed a woman telling people filming her as she tore down banners to 'f*** off' while another said 'go cry'.

The number of anti-Semitic offences in London has soared by more than 1,353 per cent between October 1 and 18 compared to last year, according to Met Police data.

A total of 218 anti-Semitic offences were reported in London between October 1 and 18, compared with 15 during the same period in 2022.

Islamophobic offences during the same period are up 140 per cent, from 42 last year to 101.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday night the nation is preparing for an imminent ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, where around 2.3 million people are currently trapped.
A filmmaker who met Shamima Begum in a Syrian refugee camp says the former-teen ISIS bride is merely 'putting on an act' to get her UK citizenship back.

ISIS recruit Begum had her citizenship revoked in February 2019, on national security grounds after she joined the death squad and fled from East London to Syria as a teenager.

On Tuesday, Begum's lawyers began a second bid to overturn the decision at the Court of Appeal, claiming it was 'unlawful'.

But speaking on GB news this morning, documentary maker Andrew Drury, who has travelled to Syria to speak to the 23-year-old on several occasions, said Begum has become an 'angry victim'.

'It changed from the beginning because we were filming out in Syria, so I spent a lot of time in Raqqa,' he said.

'When I first met her, I felt sorry for her and she was very apologetic. She said sorry loads of times what she'd done. But during my time over the next two, two and a half years, she changed.

Andrew Drury, who met Shamima Begum in a Syrian refugee camp, says the former-teen ISIS bride is merely 'putting on an act' to get her UK citizenship back

ISIS recruit Begum had her citizenship revoked in February 2019, on national security grounds after she joined the death squad and fled from East London to Syria as a teenager

On Tuesday, Begum's lawyers began a second bid to overturn the decision at the Court of Appeal, claiming it was 'unlawful'

'She changed from being this person that was apologetic for what she'd done. She'd understand that she'd done something really bad to somebody that became a victim, all of over a period. So she'd become from this victim to this angry victim.'

When host Stephen Dixon then asked if Begum was 'putting on an act', Mr Drury agreed 'Of course. Yeah, she is.'

It is not the first time Mr Drury has criticised the former ISIS bride, admitting in February that she saw herself as a 'celebrity' after the media attention.

Earlier that month the BBC sparked fury as it devoted a 10-episode podcast to the woman who is accused of sewing bombers into their suicide vests while living in ISIS-controlled territory in the Middle East.

Mr Drury said he had initially been taken in by Begum when meeting her for the first time, adding that he had felt 'sorry' for her.

However, now he says he can see through the character she is playing for the cameras.

The Times quotes him as saying: 'She sees herself as a victim now but she told me quite clearly it was her choice to go [to Syria] and she went of her own free will

'She is a narcissist. She wants to be a somebody. Now she sees herself as a celebrity. Being part of Isis meant she was a somebody and now she's a somebody again.'

In July last year Mr Drury said the UK has a responsibility to bring British jihadi brides like Begum and their children 'back home' because it was not fair to leave them 'to be a danger to the Syrians and the Kurds' who have 'enough danger to deal with already'.

Andrew Drury with ISIS bride Shamima Begum in June 2022

Begum, pictured here wearing leggings and a white t-shirt, has changed her appearance radically since she was first found in the Al-Roj camp in Syria

But he has since changed his view - in September he said he believed Begum was a 'manipulative personality playing the victim card in an attempt to get back to the UK'.

He told the Sun at the time: 'After extensive face-to-face meetings and a slew of bizarre text messages, I am convinced she is a bitter, twisted character with deep psychological problems.'

Mr Drury said that he was 'floored' when she told him that the death of her three children no longer makes her sad, and that she had 'moved on'.

This, he said, began to change his view that Begum is a victim.

Mr Drury, who has written a book about his experiences of travelling abroad for work called Trip Hazard, said she made no mention of being 'trafficked or groomed' when he first met her.

He claims she is trying to 'create a character' that she can use to get back to the UK.

Whether she is let back into Britain will depend on the decision of the Court of Appeal, which is looking into her claims she was unfairly stripped of her citizenship.

Begum claims she was a victim of trafficking, after she and two friends travelled to Syria when she was 15 with the help of a spy working for Canadian intelligence.

While in Syria she was married to Yago Rieddijk, a Dutch Muslim convert who was eight years older than her.

Four years later she was found living in a Syrian refugee camp, pregnant with her third child - her first two had died of malnutrition-related illnesses and her third would also perish soon after birth.

It was claimed that Begum had acted as an enforcer for ISIS's strict sharia lifestyle and had even sewn vests to suicide bombers before their attacks - she denies this.

In her first interview after she was found, she sparked outrage after she claimed seeing 'my first severed head in a bin didn't faze me at all'.

Days later the then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped Begum of her citizenship, sparking a court battle from her supporters.

The Home Office says Begum knew what she was walking into when she joined ISIS, but her lawyers argue she was trafficked and sexually exploited.

Her family's lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee told The Times: 'The court of public opinion is not part of my jurisdiction.

'If she was trafficked within the terms of the Modern Slavery Act and the home secretary did not have this in mind, was the decision to strip her of her citizenship valid?'
The parents of desperately ill Indi Gregory have said it is a parent's 'duty to protect your child' after they lost the latest stage of the fight to keep their daughter on life support.

Sharing an update on Indi's health yesterday, father Dean Gregory said he and Indi's mother Claire Staniforth, both from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, were 'heartbroken'.

'This is Indi having cuddles today with her mum Claire,' said Mr Gregory, showing a photo of Indi being held by her mum.

'Indi looks into her mum's eyes for protection, which is a parent's duty to protect your child, but we know [we] possibly could lose all ours and Indi's human rights because the doctor here thinks it's in Indi's best interest not to receive the funding and resources for the treatments she could possibly need in the future.

'And we [are] both heartbroken. It shouldn't be anybody's right to end somebody's life.'

A High Court judge recently ruled that doctors could lawfully limit the treatment they provide to Indi Gregory (pictured) against the wishes of her parents

Sharing an update on Indi's (pictured at her christening) health yesterday, father Dean Gregory (right) said he and Indi's mother Claire Staniforth (left), both from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, were 'heartbroken'

A hearing at the Court of Appeal in London on Monday, October 23, saw lawyers representing Mr Gregory argue that the original decision allowing medics to stop providing her critical care was often based on 'hearsay evidence.'

But Lady Justice Knight said the original judgement had been made following 'extremely anxious scrutiny' and denied permission to appeal.

READ MORE: Mother of Charlie Gard backs parents of six-month-old baby Indi Gregory who is battling mitochondrial disease Advertisement

The family now say that they will make an application to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Doctors have argued it is not in Indi's best interests to keep giving her the critical care she is currently receiving at the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC).

Indi has not left the hospital since birth due to a range of complex medical conditions, primarily an incredibly rare mitochondrial disease.

But Indi's parents challenged the view of QMC medics and a legal dispute therefore began on September 15.

Following several hearings, a High Court judge recently ruled that those treating Indi could withdraw the critical care they were giving to her.

The High Court heard that Indi, who was born on February 24, 2023, had mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition that saps energy, and is being treated at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Specialists say she is dying and bosses at the hospital's governing trust asked Mr Justice Peel to rule that doctors could lawfully limit treatment provided to her.

Baby Indi's father, Dean Gregory, 37, told the Mail that she is a 'strong little girl and a real fighter who 'deserves a chance at life'

Dean Gregory (pictured), the father of Indi, at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London earlier this month

Soon after her birth in February this year, Indi needed operations on her bowel and her skull to drain fluid

Doctors are understood to have concluded that Indi suffers from so many profoundly serious conditions that invasive treatments would not be in her best interests

Mr Justice Peel had considered evidence behind closed doors, but he allowed journalists to attend the hearing and ruled that Indi, her parents and the hospital could be named in reports.

He ruled that medics treating Indi and a guardian appointed to represent her interests could not be named.

READ MORE: Heartbreaking video shows six-month-old baby Indi waves her tiny arms about from hospital bed beside her mother Advertisement

'It has been a devastating journey through the court system, which no parent should have to face,' said Mr Gregory, said, after Monday's appeal court ruling, in a statement issued through the Christian Legal Centre, a campaign group supporting Indi's parents.

'Indi is fighting to live, the system has given up on her, but we refuse to allow her to be brushed under the carpet and we will continue to fight for Indi for as long as it takes. She deserves that chance.'

The High Court's recent judgement meant that medics at the Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH), which runs the QMC, would be able to extubate Indi, the last step in taking a patient off a mechanical ventilator.

NUH would then provide non-invasive ventilation for a period of up to seven days before introducing a compassionate care plan.

That judgement still stands following Monday's judgement, although it is effectively suspended until 4pm on Thursday, October 26.

This is to allow the time for the ECHR application to be made. NUH said it would keep providing 'appropriate' care to Indi.
A Florida father-of-four has died after heroically saving his children who were being electrocuted by a shopping center fountain.

Nate Davenport, 45, from Jupiter was with his family at the Harbourside Place shopping and dining complex in Jupiter on Sunday afternoon, when at least two of the children began to play in the splash pad.

The retired US Navy fighter pilot and businessman soon heard his kids screaming as the electric currents zapped them in the water, WPBF reported.

The devoted father reached into the water and pulled out his sons, aged 8 and 11, but was electrocuted himself.

The brothers and another child were left injured, as were Davenport and another adult.

Nate Davenport, 45, (left) from Jupiter was with his family at the Harbourside Place shopping and dining complex in Jupiter on Sunday afternoon, when at least two of the children began to play in the splash pad

The fountain is separated from the splash pad by a small wall, and is inside an outdoor amphitheater used for music concerts

The retired US Navy fighter pilot and businessman (left) soon heard his kids screaming as the electric currents zapped them in the water

Davenport did not regain consciousness and died at the Jupiter Medical Center before his wife Amy and children were able to say goodbye, WPBF reported.

The children were taken to St Mary's Medical Center where they are being monitored for elevated enzymes.

'The kids started screaming, "We're getting shocked, we're getting shocked, and so he rushed in to save them."' Davenport's mother, Mary Davenport, told WPBF.

'He took a hit for his kids. We had 45 years with him. God blessed us with him. Hes an amazing man,' the heartbroken mother said of her hero son.

Davenport worked with his mother Mary and father Robert at the family business RGD Consulting Engineers.

It was not immediately clear what led to the deadly electrocution.

A spokesperson for Harbourside Place said the incident happened not in the splash pad area but in the fountain where there are signs warning 'no climbing' and 'no swimming,' WPTV reported.

The fountain is separated from the splash pad by a small wall, and is inside an outdoor amphitheater used for music concerts.

'He took a hit for his kids. We had 45 years with him. God blessed us with him. Hes an amazing man,' Davenport's heartbroken mother said of her hero son

Davenport did not regain consciousness and died at the Jupiter Medical Center before his wife Amy (right) and children were able to say goodbye, WPBF reported

Davenport worked with his mother Mary and father Robert at the family business RGD Consulting Engineers

Davenport's brother-in-law Mike Bishop said he 'did exactly what we would expect him to do. And you know what any father would do, hopefully, but him, especially just his character, that's what he was.'

Mary Davenport added that the family was receiving widespread support from the local community after Nate's (right) death

A Florida father-of-four has died after heroically saving his children who were being electrocuted by a shopping center fountain

Jupiter police said they were investigating the electrocution with assistance from the towns Building Department, Harbourside Place and Florida Power & Light.

Harbourside Place CEO Nick Mastroianni released a statement calling what happened Sunday 'a tragedy.'

'Our focus is on the people involved and their families,' the statement read.

'We ask the community to join us in praying for them.'

Davenport's brother-in-law Mike Bishop said he 'did exactly what we would expect him to do. And you know what any father would do, hopefully, but him, especially just his character, that's what he was.'

Mary Davenport added that the family was receiving widespread support from the local community.

'We have been getting so many calls and emails. From clients, from friends, from other contractors, from subcontractors who have just poured their heart out to me to say how much Nate meant to them and how he impacted their life. And so that is the blessing to us' she told the outlet.
Brazilian YouTuber and former child actor Guillermo Hundadze was shot by a cop during a road rage incident.

Hundadze, 25, and the 27-year-old Military Police officer got into a heated argument after one of them tried to overtake the other on a street in Sao Paulo on Monday.

The Sao Paulo Public Security Secretariat said that he stepped out of his car with his gun showing on his waist before the law enforcement agent reacted.

Brazilian YouTube Guillermo Hundadze was shot by a police officer during a road rage incident Monday in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The 25-year-old, a former child actor, underwent surgery and is in serious condition, his family said in a statement Tuesday

As a child, Guillermo Hundadze appeared in multiple soap operas on TV Globo, including in The Little Emperor's Christmas

Authorities said Guillermo Hundadze stepped out of his car with his gun visible from his waist moments before the police officer got off his motorcycle and shot him twice

The cop hopped out of his motorcycle and opened fire, striking Hundadze twice.

Authorities arrested the police officer and are investigating the incident as an attempted homicide.

Ammunition and pepper spray were found in Hundadze's vehicle. Authorities also confiscated each of the guns that the cop and Hundadze were carrying.

Hundadze was taken to Mandaqui Hospital, where he underwent surgery.

His family released a statement via Hundadze's Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon and said that he is in serious condition.

'To date, he has undergone surgery and is currently in serious condition in the ICU. We ask that those who love Gui and accompany him, say a prayer for his life and that he recovers as quickly as possible, please!' the statement read.

'Gui is a good friend, son, grandson and boyfriend. Anyone who knows him knows that he is much more than the content of the videos posted, he is young and has a lot to live and learn.'

Guillermo Hundadze left the acting business several years ago to concentrate on being an influencer and created a YouTube channel with more than 700,000 subscribers, uploading content on cars and traffic disputes

Brazilian YouTuber and former child actor Guillermo Hundadze with DJ Steve Aoki

Hundadze was known for his work as a child actor in TB Globo soap operas, including Eterna Magia (Eternal Magic), O Natal do Menino Imperador (The Little Emperor's Christmas, a year-end Christmas special), but left the acting business several years ago to work as an influencer.

Since then, Hundadze has amassed more than 13,000 followers on Instagram and more than 700,000 subscribers on YouTube channel GUI50, where he shares content on cars and traffic disputes.

His most-viewed videos show him involved in arguments with police officers, and it's unknown if the road rage spat was part of another script.

Other clips show him arguing with truck driver and motorcyclists who appear to adhere to speed limits. On one occasion he got out of his car and pepper sprayed another motorist.
NYU students held up antiSemitic 'keep the world clean' signs in the heart of Manhattan in the latest incidence of increasing hatred towards Jews and Israel in New York.

The students gathered for the 'walkout' protest that was organized by Ryna Workman, a law student who previously called Hamas' attack on Israel 'necessary'.

There were dozens of Gen Z protesters in Washington Square Park today, waving pride flags and wearing kaffiyehs, demanding 'freedom for Palestine' and a 'divestment' of Israel's 'genocidal regime'.

Among them were a handful of more hateful youngsters, including one young woman who held up a pink sign that read: 'Keep the world clean', with an illustration of the Star of David in a trash can.

There were dozens of Gen Z protesters in Washington Square Park today, waving pride flags and wearing kaffiyehs, demanding 'freedom for Palestine ' and a 'divestment' of Israel's 'genocidal regime'

Another protester with the same sign at the protest in Manhattan on Wednesday

The school said it was working to verify the identity of the students with the offending signs

The young female protester's sign also read 'f**k Israel'. She is yet to be identified

Another youngster held up a sign bearing the same message.

NYU spokesman John Beckman told DailyMail.com the school is working to verify the identities of the pair.

'These signs are antiSemitic, repugnant, and a disgrace. We don't know the identity of the people pictured, but we take this seriously and will be looking into it.

'To be clear, antiSemitism violates the University's rules and violators are subject to university conduct proceedings.'

In the middle of the protest, a handful of young Jewish men sang and prayed in the face of the antiSemitic signs

NYU protesters held up Free Palestine flags on Wednesday as they demonstrated in Washington Square Park

The students say they are demanding a 'divestment' of NYU funds from Israel

A pro-Palestine supporter covers their face with a kaffiyeh in Washington Square Park

A Jewish counter-protestor talks about her parents being gassed during the Holocaust

NYPD cops watch the protest in Washington Square Park on Wednesday

Dozens of NYU protesters walked out of class today to join the pro-Palestine event

At the same protest, a young Jewish man was hounded by pro-Palestine supporters who refused to answer him when he asked whether they supported Hamas.

The young protesters screamed and chanted, led by Workman.

It is the latest in a string of antiSemitic or anti-Israel incidents in the city.

Over the weekend, middle-aged adults were filmed ripping up and taking down posters of Israeli child hostages.

Cheddar reporter Katie Sands Bochman, who is Jewish, was walking her dog through the park at the time of the protest.

The young protesters were mostly peaceful with some loud shouting matches between opposing sides

She approached the young woman holding the antiSemitic sign and asked for her name.

'She looked really scared and wouldn't give it to me. They are inciting a lot of violence and they were very aggressive, but mostly wearing masks which is so cowardly,' Sands Bochman told DailyMail.com.

'They don't want their faces shown, but they're happy to incite violence.'

She said that after confronting the youth with the antiSemitic sign, some of the other protesters asked to pet her dog.

'I don't know if they know what they're chanting or who they're following. They are so uneducated. It scares me for our country.

'They are following very dangerous people just, by the looks of things, to feel like they are a part of something.'
Ailing retail giant Sears has reopened its store in a California mall, but visitors have branded it the 'saddest thing Ive ever seen' with empty shelves and stained carpet.

In the five years since the 130-year-old shopping chain was saved from bankruptcy, hundreds of its 700 stores have closed, leaving just 11.

Four closed in May alone and it seemed like there was no way back for the giant, but finally this month there was a ray of hope as they re-opened their 130,000 square foot branch in Burbank Town Center mall, north of Los Angeles.

But what should have been a phoenix-like moment of glory, was dampened by visitors branding the store 'depressing' and bemoaning the 'dated and old' interiors.

Sears is known for selling a range of homeware items and furniture and at the height of its glory it was the largest retailer in the US - before it was overtaken by Walmart.

The Sears store at Burbank Town Centre reopened on Sunday after closing in November of last year

Visitors labelled it 'depressing' and said it was largely unchanged from before it closed

Rows of shelves stood empty while some areas, including tools, were well stocked

But discounters like Walmart created challenges for Sears, and the store faced even more competition from online sellers like Amazon.

Sears began to incur massive losses and eventually was forced to joined a raft of retailers filing for bankruptcy.

It closed its branch in the Burbank Town Centre just last year, leaving an anchor store-sized hole to fill.

But its signage was never removed, leaving locals to suspect that it may make a comeback.

Then, this week, Sears took to social media to announce the grand reopening, posting a photo on Facebook captioned 'It's almost time Burbank...' and promising a 'new concept' for the store.

But the reception was less than enthusiastic, with one person commenting: 'Was hoping they were gonna revamp the store a bit too new carpets etc but looks like they are gonna half it as always.'

Another said: 'Who is coming here and why?'

Since the store's 'soft opening' on Sunday, some visitors have left less than pleased.

Only two of the three floors are being used by Sears, with the third being used to store mannequins and empty racks.

Photos taken inside the store and shared online show rows of shelves standing empty.

One visitor said: 'There are a lot of empty shelves, with most of the shelves lining the outer walls off most of the Sears barren, outside of a few specific places like bicycles and toys.'

Sears is only using two of the three stories for retail, while the third is being used for storing mannequins and empty shelves

Another said: 'It looks like its about to close up, not like it just reopened.'

But not everyone was as negative, one man commented on their post announcing reopening: 'I'm rooting for you Sears. Don't go gently into that goodnight, rage, rage against the dying of the light. Fight for every customer, every dollar.

'You have to start somewhere. People will predict your failure, interrupt them by exceeding expectations. Make those moments matter. I believe!

Another user said they may visit 'just to reminisce'.

Sears began as a mail order catalogue in the 1880s, featuring items from bicycles to sewing machines to houses.

It started opening retail locations in 1925 and expanded swiftly in suburban malls from the 1950s to 1970s.
Terrorized victims of a baby-faced gangster who shot a little girl in the neck have breathed a sigh of relief after the 16-year-old from Oklahoma was jailed for 50 years.

Noah Ney was sentenced as an adult for the 2022 shooting after the court was told he knows the difference between right and wrong but has 'no amenability to treatment'.

The 4ft 9in gunman was jailed on Monday, two months after he mounted a daring escape from a Tulsa juvenile detention center where he had assaulted staff, flooded his cell and smeared feces on the walls.

'I have treatment records in a packet thicker than a dictionary showing treatment attempts that he rejected, by escaping or assaulting staff that were there to help him,' said Assistant Tulsa County District Attorney Morgan Medders.

Ney already had a criminal record stretching back to his middle school years when he shot the five-year-old girl in April last year in what the court heard was an initiation into the town's Hoover Crips gang.

Noah Ney, 16, admitted shooting the five-year-old along with charges involving firearms, drugs, gangs, theft and assault

The moment Ney was rearrested at gunpoint, three days after escaping over a fence from the Tulsa County Juvenile Justice Center

She was playing inside her home in North Rockford Avenue when he drove by in a stolen car and fired a gun at the house, hitting her in the neck and shoulder.

'There were multiple people in the line of fire during the drive-by shooting,' Medders told Tulsa District Court.

'The five-year-old was transported to hospital by EMSA because of the severity of her injuries and a difference of an inch or two in the penetrating gunshot wounds to the child could have resulted in her death.'

Ney was awaiting sentence for the shooting when he and another inmate scaled the fence of the Tulsa County Juvenile Justice Center and went on the run.

Graphic video from newson6.com shows the moment he was arrested at gunpoint three days later outside a convenience store after a tipoff from the public.

'We came around the corner between us and Tulsa Police Department, got him surrounded, and were able to take him in,' said Sergeant Scott Streeter of the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Warrants Unit.

'I think he thought about running, he turned around but everyone was all sides of him so he laid down on the ground and gave up.'

The court heard that both Ney's parents have criminal records, and his father has been repeatedly imprisoned.

Ney's mother admitted her son shows cruelty to both people and animals but said she blamed herself for her son's behavior.

His aunt said he had been neglected his whole life, but the court was told that Ney's behavior had deteriorated during placements with both his aunt and his grandmother.

'A neighbor testified to Noah causing havoc in the neighborhood by wearing gang colors and carrying guns and knives, and often pulling them on neighbors while threatening them,' Medders said.

'While several extended family members appeared at the certification hearing, those same people have been available to Noah throughout his extensive juvenile history and that did not appear to make a difference.'

Ney was sentenced to 50 years after admitting 12 counts involving firearms, drugs, gangs, theft and assault.

The judge scheduled a judicial review of his sentence in 2028 when it could be reduced if he demonstrates remorse and reform.

But former neighbors of Ney's said they were glad to see the back of him.

'This might be the signal that more of our youth offenders need that if you commit the crime you'll do the time!' wrote Ronnie Jo Bingham on Facebook.

'Is his mother going to be charged with neglect?' demanded Tauny Knight.

'Old enough to do adult crimes,' wrote Debbie McAfee

'His age shouldn't be taken into consideration when deciding his sentence.'

Ney's mother admitted her son shows cruelty to both people and animals but said she blamed herself for her son's behavior

The little girl was playing inside her home in North Rockford Avenue when he drove by in a stolen car and fired a gun at the house, hitting her in the neck and shoulder

The judge said scheduled a judicial review of his sentence in 2028 where it could be reduced if he demonstrates remorse and reform

'Play big boy games. Get big boy prizes,' added Tim Ostin.

Others expressed sympathy for the 90-pound wannabe gangster.

'Breaks my heart,' wrote JamiLea Gifford.

'This little boy played on the same team as my son in elementary. He was so sweet then.'
They are naturally at home as part of a flock. But Scotlands loneliest sheep has been marooned at the foot of a cliff in the Highlands for the past two years.

Jillian Turner spotted the animal in 2021 during a trip from Balintore to Nigg with the East Sutherland Canoe and Kayak Club.

But recently she took the same trip again and noticed the sheep was still trapped on the small area of beach.

Ms Turner, of Brora, Sutherland, said that when she first saw the sheep she assumed that it would manage to make its way up the rocky face. When the canoe club returned she was horrified to see that the animal was still there.

She said: She called out on our approach and once again followed the group along the shore, jumping from rock to rock, calling to us the whole way.

The sheep, circled, looks over in the hopes of rescue and, above, shows off its impressive long fleece

The rugged shoreline where the sheep has been stranded for more than two years

A kayaker passes by the rocky shoreline where a sheep has been marooned

The poor ewe has been on her own for at least two years  for a flock animal that has to be torture, and she seemed desperate to make contact with us on the two occasions weve gone past her.

It is heart-rending. We honestly thought she might make her way back up that first year.

After the storm at the weekend I worry about whether she survived. With huge seas coming in and a deluge of water pouring down the gullies, it must have been traumatic for her if not fatal.

The ewes fleece highlighted its time in isolation. Ms Turner said: Her fleece on the first occasion was a normal years growth, however on the recent trip the fleece was huge and touching the ground at the back.

The sheep is not the same breed as those belonging to farmers in the local area.

Ms Turner has appealed to anyone she could think of who might be able to help with a rescue, but so far she has drawn a blank.
The mother of the six-year-old Muslim Palestinian boy fatally stabbed in Chicago last week in an an apparent hate crime, spoke out for the first time and asked the public to 'pray for peace' as she recovers from the horrific attack in their Illinois home.

Hanan Shahin, 32, issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the group's executive director a day earlier.

She said her son Wadea Al-Fayoume was 'her best friend' and that she 'harbors no hatred ... but believes in the pursuit of justice.'

The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal October 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face.

Their landlord, Joseph M. Czuba, is accused of bursting into their apartment and attacking the pair with a military grade knife - stabbing the boy 26 times during the vile attack.

Wadea Al-Fayoume, six, was killed October 14, allegedly by landlord Joseph M. Czuba, 71, who was renting the family a room in his home in Plainfield, Illinois. The victim is shown here as a younger boy, waving an American flag

Six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was attacked along with his mother, Hanaan Shahin, in their home on October 14.

Police charged 71-year-old suburban Chicago man Joseph M. Czuba (pictured left) Sunday with a hate crime for allegedly fatally stabbing 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume (pictured right) and seriously wounding his 32-year-old mother

The mother of the six-year-old Muslim boy fatally stabbed in Chicago last week in an an apparent hate crime, spoke out for the first time and asked the public to 'pray for peace' as she recovers from the horrific attack in their Illinois home.

The boy's mother, Shaheen, survived the attack and told police later how Czuba appeared at their door spouting hateful, anti-Muslim slurs.

Shaheen was set to publicly share her story at a press conference Wednesday, which has now been postponed.

She has retained the nationally renowned civil right attorney Ben Crump. It is not known when the press conference will be rescheduled.

Authorities said the family's suburban Chicago landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.

Prosecutors said Czuba, 71, had become paranoid after listening to radio segments about the Israel-Hamas war.

'Pray for peace,' Shahin said, thanking authorities, doctors and others. She was released from the hospital last week and has declined interviews with reporters.

Czuba faces first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He is being held without bail and is set to appear in court next on October 30.

Czuba's attorney, George Lenard, released a statement last week via the Will County Public Defender's Office saying he would not comment on the case beyond 'what is presented in the courtroom.'

Muslim community members pray for Wadea Al Fayoume at Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Ill., Monday, Oct. 16

Mourners cry at the grave of 6-year-old Wadea Al Fayoume in LaGrange, Ill., Monday, Oct. 16

Paying tribute to his young son, Oday told The Daily Beast that Wadea was 'basically a small angel in the form of a person'

Wadea with his father, who described him as 'an angel'. He said he could imagine his son running towards the landlord to hug him.

Wadea Al-Fayoume had recently turned six. He was killed in a crime which authorities believe was influenced by the Israel-Hamas war

Shahin, who was hospitalized during her son's funeral, remembered him as an intelligent and funny child who cared about the planet and liked to join her in prayers.

She said she felt comforted 'remembering her son as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven.'

She added, 'He was my best friend.'

Wadea's father, Oday Al-Fayoume, has spoken out, explaining that his son and ex-wife knew the landlord and had even shared a 'good relationship' with him before the horrific attack.

'It is hard to picture this man holding a knife about to stab my son,' he said.

'I keep thinking that my son was probably running towards him before getting stabbed, trying to give him a hug.'

Paying tribute to his young son, Oday told The Daily Beast that Wadea was 'basically a small angel in the form of a person'.

Wadea's mom suffered more than a dozen stab wounds. She remained hospitalized Sunday but is expected to survive.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, the boy's uncle, Yousef Hannon said: 'We are not animals, we are humans.

'We want people to see us as humans, to feel us as humans, to deal with us as humans, because this is what we are.'

The family moved to the US from the West Bank twelve years ago. Wadea was born in the US.
A heartbreaking video shows the moment a tearful Al Jazeera journalist found out that his wife and two children were killed in an air raid as he reported on the war in Gaza.

Wael Al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera Arabic's bureau head in Gaza, discovered that his wife, son and daughter were killed in an Israeli strike as he entered a hospital to see the bodies of family members in the morgue.

Footage showed the distraught journalist at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Deir al-Balah crouching to touch the face of his son Mahmoud, 15, who had ambitions to follow in his father's footsteps and train as a journalist.

He was also filmed holding the body of his tiny daughter Sham, who was just seven years old, as he looked at her bloodied face and talked to her, Al Jazeera reports.

Al Jazeera said the wife and two children of its Mr Al-Dahdouh were killed in a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza strip, and that 'the rest of his family is buried under the rubble'.

A heartbreaking video shows the moment tearful Al Jazeera journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh found out that his wife and two children were killed in an air raid as he reported on the war in Gaza

Al Jazeera reporter Wael al-Dahdouh (centre) stands next to his injured son at Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza on October 25

Wael Al-Dahdouh mourns over the body of one of his children who was killed along with his wife and son in an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp

Visibly shaken, Mr Al-Dahdouh told the Arabic news channel that it was 'clear' what had happened. 'This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians,' he said.

'I was just reporting from Yarmouk about such an attack, and the Israeli raids have targeted many areas, including Nuseirat.'

He said that he had doubted whether the 'Israeli occupation would not let these people go without punishing them', adding that this is what had happened the ' "safe" area that the occupation army spoke of'.

'The Al Jazeera Media Network extends its sincere condolences and sympathy to our colleague Wael Al-Dahdouh on the loss of his family in an Israeli airstrike,' it said.

'The indiscriminate assault by the Israeli occupation forces resulted in the tragic loss of his wife, son and daughter, while the rest of his family is buried under the rubble.'

Other members of Mr Al-Dahdouh's family, including a toddler-aged granddaughter, reportedly survived the attack on the house they were staying in - and operations are ongoing to rescue some people from the wreckage of the home.

Doctors had to perform an emergency operation on his sonson Yehia's head to repair a serious wound. It was done in a hospital corridor as doctors had difficulty finding the appropriate equipment, eventually resorting to using non-surgical thread to stitch the injury.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike, Reuters reports, which Al Jazeera said hit an area in Gaza's central Nuseirat refugee camp.

Israel launched withering strikes on the narrow Palestinian territory in response to a massive cross-border attacks by Hamas militants on October 7 that Israeli officials say have killed more than 1,400 people.

More than 220 people were taken hostage and are currently held in Gaza, Israel says.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, a rise of more than 700 since Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Al-Dahdouh mourns over the body of one of his children who was killed along with his wife and daughter in an Israeli strike

Mr Al-Dahdouh holding the body of his tiny daughter Sham, who was just seven years old

Mr Al-Dahdouh (centre) carries the body of his child from ambulance in Gaza City

Visibly shaken, Mr Al-Dahdouh told the Arabic news channel that it was 'clear' what had happened. 'This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians,' he said

Rescuers pull a child out of the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2023

An aerial view of destruction as the Israeli airstrikes continue on its 18th day in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on October 24, 2023

In images and footage run by Al Jazeera and shared on social media, Al-Dahdouh was shown mourning over the bodies of his wife and children at a hospital in Deir el-Balah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera said the family were staying in a temporary home after evacuating Gaza City following Israel's warning for residents to move south as its forces intensified strikes targeting Hamas.

'This is the safe zone the occupation (Israeli) army was talking about,' Al-Dahdouh said on Al Jazeera.

The media organisation said 'their home was targeted in the Nuseirat camp in the centre of Gaza, where they had sought refuge after being displaced by the initial bombardment in their neighbourhood.'

'Al Jazeera is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our colleagues in Gaza and hold the Israeli authorities responsible for their security,' it added.
The University of Pennsylvania has been accused of hypocrisy for trying to oust a controversial law professor who said 'America would be better with fewer Asians' while claiming free speech means it cannot punish anti-Semitic students.

The beleaguered Ivy League college has spent two years trying to discipline tenured professor Amy Wax over her remarks and other comments, which include arguing that some ethnicities have lower IQs than others.

University leaders claimed her behavior undermines Penn's commitment to attracting a 'diverse student body to an inclusive educational environment' and 'harmed' students.

But amid a backlash to the Palestine Writes festival last month that invited speakers who have made anti-Semitic remarks, Penn reaffirmed its commitment to upholding free speech.

Among those who appeared was Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, who has previously performed in an outfit closely resembling a Nazi uniform and once suggested 'bombing' audiences with confetti in the shape of swastikas, stars of David and dollar signs.

UPenn has been blasted for attempting to fire controversial professor Amy Wax over her inflammatory comments while maintaining a commitment to free speech means it cannot discipline anti-Semitic students

President Liz Magill penned a memo to trustees reminding them that the university 'does not regulate the content of speech or symbolic behavior' in the wake of backlash against the Palestine Writes event

Although Penn released a statement condemning anti-Semitism ahead of the event, it still copped furious criticism that it tried to deflect by hiding behind a commitment to free speech.

The Palestine Writes festival - held on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar - featured a lineup of well-known antisemites. It drew extra attention after the Hamas attacks on Israel two weeks later.

A memo to the university's board about the Palestine Writes event asserted that 'Penn does not regulate the content of speech or symbolic behavior,' the Washington Free Beacon reports.

Recipients were reminded that faculty may invite 'hateful' figures on campus so long as there is 'no imminent threat of harm.'

The note, written by the university's president Liz Magill and chairman of trustees Robert Bok, also rejected the term 'hate speech' as too difficult to define and noted the college had done away with its anti-hate speech policy following a political correctness dispute in 1994.

That was despite the school using the term 'hate speech' in its complaint against Wax.

Penn bosses have been attempting to remove the professor following her comments and concerns she has assigned work related to racist thinker Enoch Powell and invited Jared Taylor a white identity politics advocate to speak in her class.

She is now attempting to use the university's memo and its stance on free speech as an argument that she is afforded the same protections.

In a letter to university officials, Wax's lawyers said: 'The [memo] makes clear that even if Jews are 'harmed' by the speech of radical left Palestinian supporters appearing at the [Palestine Writes] Festival, those organizing the [Palestine Writes] Festival and inviting Jew-hating Palestinian nationalists will not be punished because Penn permits and protects the expression of all viewpoints, even those that are contrary to Penn's 'institutional values.

The Palestine Writes event drew criticism after it emerged that the participants included at least one speaker linked to anti-Semitism

David Magerman is among those to pull their funding from the institution over their response to the threat of anti-Semitism

'But if a strongly conservative and tenured professor invites Jared Taylor, assigns Charles Murray and Enoch Powell, and takes to social media to tell very hard-to-hear truths about group differences, she is not protected. Rather, she is sanctioned.'

The letter was sent two days after the devastating Hamas attacks of October 7 and argues that there is a 'glaringly obvious' double standard.

It comes as the university battles to hold onto donations after several major donors pulled the plug on funding amid what they deemed to be an unsatisfactory response to the Palestine Writes festival, anti-Semitism and the so-called lax response to the attacks.

'We are devastated by the horrific assault on Israel by Hamas that targeted civilians and the taking of hostages over the weekend. These abhorrent attacks have resulted in the tragic loss of life and escalating violence and unrest in the region,' Magill said in a statement three days after the attack.

'Many members of our community are hurting right now. Our thoughts are especially with those grieving the loss of loved ones or facing grave uncertainty about the safety of their families and friends.'

Penn is rapidly losing high-profile donors in the wake of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival and President Liz Magill's response to the recent terror attacks in Israel

But, some took exception with the statement, saying it didn't go far enough and condemn the attack.

That led several prominent alums to sever ties with Penn including David Magerman, a Jewish computer scientist who helped build the trading systems of Renaissance.

Magerman's decision came after Apollo CEO Marc Rowand and Highsage Ventures founder Jonathan Jacboson reduced their donations down to just $1.

Estee Lauder heir Ronald Lauder also vowed to 're-examine' his financial commitment to the institution unless it did more to protect Jewish students.

Meanwhile trustee Vahan Gureghian called for Magill's resignation after resigning from the board over what he feels is an insufficient response to mounting anti-Semitism on campus.

'Like so many elite academic institutions, the leadership of UPenn has failed us through an embrace of antisemitism, a failure to stand for justice, and complete negligence in the defense of its own students' well being,' Gureghian said.

DailyMail.com has approached the University of Pennsylvania for comment.
A Taco Bell employee was pictured giving another employee a haircut in the kitchen and is now being investigated by the local health department.

Jennifer Legear, a former employee at the Sycamore Taco Bell in Kokomo shared a picture of the shift manager giving a haircut to the general manager right before the lunch rush on Facebook.

Once, the post gained significant social media attention, a complaint was sent to the Howard County Health Department, who then visited the fast food chain store.

A spokesperson did not confirm or deny the haircut photo was connected to the complaint they had received. The inspection report has not yet been released.

Jennifer Legear, a former employee at the Sycamore Taco Bell in Kokomo shared a picture of the shift manager giving a haircut to the general manager right before the lunch rush on Facebook

Once, the post gained significant social media attention, a complaint was sent to the Howard County Health Department, who then visited the fast food chain store

Legear, who worked at the branch for a month, had quickly sent the picture to her friends on Snapchat.

But after one of them posted the photo on their social media and she was fired, she decided to make it public on Facebook.

She told WTHR13: 'I noticed that two of them pulled out cutting shears and were putting on a trash bag, and I was like, "That is interesting". Then, they sit down and start cutting hair in the back.

'It was only about three feet away from where you make the food.'

Legear explained in her Facebook post what happened after the photo went viral, saying that the management at the fast food chain asked her why she took a picture and posted it.

They also told her the haircut was happening because the employees are on a set schedule and do not have the time to visit a hair salon.

'Well since I already got fired for it, because it somehow got leaked after sending it to just a few people and it making the people pictured BIG mad. (The GM in the chair and a shift manager doing the cutting),' she wrote on Facebook, 'Who knew you could pull up to your local TB and get a taco and a haircut!'

'Things I heard when I was approached about taking this:

''if you had a problem with it you should have said something' erm... Nope. Cuz it shouldn't have been happening

''why did you even take a picture and post it' cuz I can and I thought it was f*****g weird. I didn't post it. I showed like five people. What they do with it is on them. If you didn't want people to see, don't do it?

''I work a set schedule and don't have time to go get my hair cut' well... That sounds like a you problem.

''roll your eyes at me one more time... Omg I'm gonna slap you' (I don't think she thought I heard this one lol)

''you know what, you can just take your "I don't care' and leave. And that my friends is how I got fired from Taco Bell.'

Legear said: 'I noticed that two of them pulled out cutting shears and were putting on a trash bag, and I was like, "That is interesting". Then, they sit down and start cutting hair in the back'

Taco Bell has yet not commented on the situation. A corrective action plan can be expected to be made to fix the violations and if there are any delays in its execution, the store could be severely fined

In a statement sent to Fox29, the health department said: 'The Howard County Health Department responded to a complaint that was submitted to our office on Thursday 10/19/23 by email.

'I sent an Inspector to the Taco Bell on West Sycamore St. here in Kokomo on Friday morning 10/20/23. The restaurant was inspected for compliance with the State Food Code 410 IAC 7-24 and Howard County Ordinance.

'The complaint was discussed with management at that time. The inspection report can be released as public information after a 10-day response period.'

Taco Bell has yet not commented on the situation. A corrective action plan can be expected to be made to fix the violations and if there are any delays in its execution, the store could be severely fined.
Patients with suspected cancer will be referred to clinics by receptionists and diagnosed by nurses under controversial plans to free up doctors.

Trials have been launched in two Scottish health boards in a bid to slash cancer waiting times which this year have been the worst on record.

Women phoning their surgery with breast cancer symptoms such as a lump will be directly referred to a breast clinic by the receptionist, rather than getting it checked out by their GP.

Men with prostate cancer symptoms will be diagnosed by specialist nurses to free up consultants.

Critics said the SNP is to blame for the NHS crisis and warned some patients would be uneasy at the move.

Patients with possible cancer symptoms will be referred to clinics by receptionists

Receptionists will be referring suspected cancer patients to specialist nurses under controversial plans to free up doctors.

Naser Turabi, director of evidence and implementation at Cancer Research UK, said: If patients in these schemes are diagnosed faster and are able to access treatment more quickly improving their outcomes, then we hope this pathway could be available permanently to patients in the pilot areas  and adopted elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.

In the first three months of this year, fewer than 70 per cent of patients on an urgent referral for a suspicion of cancer started treatment within 62 days, the worst on record.

This rose only slightly to just under 74 per cent between April and June but that is well below the 95 per cent target.

Meanwhile the health service is struggling with a shortage of doctors. Between 2019 and 2022, Scotland lost 23 GP practices.

The Scottish Government has promised 800 additional GPs by 2027. An Audit Scotland report this year warned the workforce has increased by only 113 since 2017.

NHS consultant vacancies have soared by 15 per cent in a single quarter, leaving more than 500 posts unfilled.

The breast cancer pilot, in NHS Forth Valley, will see women with symptoms such as changes to their breast directed straight to a breast clinic.

GP receptionists will ask screening questions and refer them directly.

Breast surgeon Juliette Murray, NHS Forth Valleys deputy medical director for acute services, said: Enabling GPs to refer directly to these clinics without the need for patients to attend their GP practice for an initial consultation will make the referral process even faster.

The prostate cancer trial in NHS Fife will see men with symptoms diagnosed by advance nurse practitioners, instead of consultants.

The nurses will work solely in prostate cancer diagnosis, freeing up consultants to allow them to concentrate on more complex cases.

Jane Thomson, advanced clinical nurse specialist in urology at NHS Fife, said: We identified an opportunity to reduce delays from referral to diagnosis for people referred urgently with suspected prostate cancer.

Naser Turabi, director of evidence and implementation at Cancer Research UK, believes patients in these schemes will be diagnosed faster

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: Many patients will be uneasy about receptionists and nurses taking on cancer referrals and diagnoses, and they should be given the option of seeing their GP.

Its a measure of how over-stretched Scotlands GPs are on the SNPs watch that measures like this are being explored to lessen the strain on them.

Cancer waiting times have spiralled out of control due to the SNPs mismanagement of our health service.

Scottish Labour health spokesman Jackie Baillie said: By failing to support primary care over the past 16 years, the SNP has devastated our NHS.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: Cancer remains a national priority which is why we published a new ten-year strategy in June, focused on improving cancer survival and providing equitable access to treatment.
New York Times columnist and Columbia University professor John McWhorter argued that protestors who support Hamas' terrorism against Israel are executing the 'ultimate condescension' toward the Palestinians.

In a piece for The Free Press, McWhorter lays out the issue as he sees it, with the wave of support for Palestinian terrorism that has unfolded the world over in the days since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,400.

He writes that in the United States, 'leftists' suggest that the barbaric attack is 'the understandable consequence of Jewish "colonization."'

'Such a perspective is deeply insulting to Palestinian humanity,' he continues. 'It implies that Palestinians are so controlled by circumstance that they lack agency.'

'It implies that Palestinians cannot be expected to behave according to the same ethical standards of those who refrain from mass murder.'

New York University students gather to express their support for the Palestinian people. One sign reads: 'Shut down NYU Tel Aviv'

New York Times columnist and Columbia professor John McWhorter wrote that, for American leftists to cheer the actions of Hamas, assumes that the Palestinians are no better than terrorists

Across the US, since the day after the attack that saw Hamas operatives rape, behead, and slaughter innocent Israelis in the streets, large groups have been uniting in the streets to chant for the 'freedom fighters' in Gaza.

Several chapters of Black Lives Matter in the US have publicly endorsed the Palestinian resistance to the 'settler colonialist' state that is Israel.

Some of them playfully used images of paragliders, like the ones Hamas terrorists used to descend upon the Nova music festival in southern Israel, where dozens of Israelis were murdered.

Students on campuses spanning America - from the University of Washington to Georgetown and GW - have staged protests and hung flyers that read: 'Glory to Our Martyrs.'

'The implication' of these demonstrations, writes McWhorter, 'is that the act of killing thousands of civilians en masse and unawares is understandable if the perpetrators are Arab.'

'There is a kind of patronizing racism in the idea that slaughtering innocent people equates to noble freedom fighting, as if this were the only way to respond to oppression,' he continues.

McWhorter, who is himself black - then argues that American leftists excused similarly bad behavior - though on a much smaller scale - during the riots that broke out across the country following the killing of George Floyd.

'Some argued sincerely that the looting and vandalism - generally in neighborhoods in which people of color reside and own the businesses - was a constructive statement of protest,' says McWhorter, who identifies politically as an old-fashioned liberal.

Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus celebrate on October 7, 2023, after terrorists from the Gaza Strip infiltrated Israel

A protest in Toronto, Canada took place in front of the US Consulate General. The group stood in solidarity with the Palestinians as the Israeli counterattack begins to kick into high-gear

In Illinois, a woman holds a sign that reads: 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' a slogan that is commonly used to mean the annihilation of the people of Israel

In New York City, a students holds a sign that reads: 'Please keep the world clean,' referring to the extermination of Jews

Despite some specific calls for violence against Israel, and more broadly, the Jewish people, the professor of linguistics writes that 'few of those who celebrate savagery in theory would do so when faced with its reality.'

'How many of the people cheering on Hamas as noble freedom fighters could seriously imagine pumping their fists while watching the men on their way to murder Jewish teenagers at a music festival?'

'Decolonization,' he says, is a word used to 'distract from actions that are inexcusable in any sane person's mind.'

He concludes by writing that humans and their actions are not black and white, but he's not sure that 'those who cheer for Hamas are living in gray zones or see Palestinians as complex human beings.'

'The Hamas cheerleaders are effectively saying: Men butchered legions of people in your name. Hooray for them and hooray for you!

'Classifying Palestinians as brown people, purportedly enlightened souls applaud this savagery from their representatives - but from a position of unintended, but ugly, condescension.'
A 'white supremacist' who named her children 'Aryan' and 'Nation' has been seen in court for the first time since being charged with the killing of a Native American woman.

Sunny K. White, 28, appeared in Lake County Court, Montana, Wednesday morning to face five felony charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence.

White is said to have struck Mika Westwolf, 22, while driving along a Montana highway in her gold 2008 Cadillac Escalade in the early hours of March 31.

The case ignited the ire of the Indigenous community as a bungled police probe led to allegations of a cover-up and systemic racism.

After seven months of tireless campaigning from Westwolf's family, White was charged with five felonies over the weekend, including vehicular homicide while under the influence.

Sunny White, 28, appears in court for the first time since being charged with the killing of a Native American whom she struck in her gold 2008 Cadillac Escalade in Montana

Mika Westwolf, 22, was struck and killed by White's car as she was walking on the shoulder of a highway in Montana in the early morning hours of March 31

It is thought White's children, Aryan, 4, and Nation, 2, were in the car at the time

A search warrant on White's car returned methamphetamine, five syringes and two unopened packs of Narcan.

Her blood sample came back positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine.

White posted a $200,000 bond on Sunday after being transferred from Flathead County to Lake County, jail records show.

She was supposed to get a drug monitoring patch as a condition of her release, but had failed to do so by the time she appeared in court on Wednesday.

The judge told her she needed to do so by 5pm that afternoon.

White agreed, and is scheduled to appear in person for an arraignment on November 8 at 9am, according to NBC Montana.

Westwolf had been walking home from a bar when she was hit by White's Cadillac, according to an affidavit filed Monday, seen by DailyMail.com.

Her body was discovered on the side of a road alongside vehicle debris by a tribal officer at 4.15am on March 31.

Around an hour later, a Lake County deputy saw White beside a vehicle with front-end damage and missing a passenger side rearview mirror, which matched the description provided by the tribal officer.

White told the deputy that she had hit a deer and not stopped, the affidavit states. Her two children, Aryan, 4, and Nation, 2, are suspected to have been in the car at the time of the crash.

In an official statement to a Montana Highway Patrol trooper, White denied using alcohol, and said she hadn't used fentanyl or methamphetamine in the last week.

White was originally arrested on two counts of child endangerment, but charges were dropped 'without prejudice' - meaning they can be brought back - on April 6.

She also faces charges for accidents involving another person or deceased person, two counts of criminal child endangerment and one charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, Lake County court documents show.

Westwolf (left) with her mother, Carissa Heavy Runner, (right) who campaigned for justice

Westwolf's family described her as a 'philosopher,' 'writer,' and an 'old soul'

Lead investigator Wayne Bieber originally appeared to suggest to Mika's mother, Carissa (right) that White was not in jail because the results of a toxicology report on Mika were still pending

White's two children are named Aryan, 4, and Nation, 2

Arlee, Montana, where the accident took place is on the Flathead Indian Reservation

Following her homicide charge, Westwolf's family released a statement saying the arrest was 'just the beginning of the journey towards justice'.

The investigation into their daughter's death sparked fury among the Indigenous community after notes obtained by DailyMail.com appeared to show police had failed to collect vital evidence.

Lead investigator Wayne Bieber admitted during an April 21 meeting with Westwolf's mother and stepfather that their daughter's clothing wasn't tested - as is standard procedure - and that it had not been 'handled in a proper manner'.

He also conceded that, three weeks after the crash, he had not collected surveillance video from businesses or the railroad along the highway where Westwolf walked, explaining that there 'were always multiple things going on at once'.

Bizarrely, Bieber seemed to suggest that White was not in jail because it was not yet known whether Mika was intoxicated while walking home.

The investigator also appeared reluctant to entertain the possibility that the incident could have been a hate crime, or that White was a white supremacist.

The Indigenous community rallied around Westwolf's family, organizing a series of protests citing 'systemic racism', 'bias' and 'a lack of commitment from prosecutors and investigators'.

While Native Americans account for 6.7 percent of Montana's population, they account for 26 percent of the state's active missing persons cases on average.

Overall, Native women face a murder rate that is nearly 10 times the national average.
Ford and the United Auto Workers are close to reaching a deal on a new contract, potentially spelling an end to the union's widening strike against the Detroit Three automakers, according multiple reports.

The two sides had productive talks late Tuesday, and appear to be close to a tentative agreement on a 2023 union contract, sources told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday.

On September 15, the UAW launched escalating strikes against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. An agreement with one company could offer a template for deals with the others.

In talks late into Tuesday night, the union made a counter-offer to Ford that proposes a 25 percent general wage increase over the life of a new four-year contract, two people familiar with the talks told the Associated Press.

Previously Ford, Stellantis and General Motors had all offered 23 percent pay increases.

Striking United Auto Workers (UAW) members from the General Motors Lansing Delta Plant picket in Delta Township, Michigan in a file photo

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain (left) and Ford CEO Jim Farley are seen in file photos. Reports indicate Ford and UAW are nearing a deal to end strike

A beautiful evening in Dearborn pic.twitter.com/DD37BegHj0  Benjamin Dictor (@BenjaminDictor) October 24, 2023

A Ford deal would include cost-of-living pay increases that could lift the total pay raises above 30 percent, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. In addition, workers would still receive annual profit-sharing checks.

Representatives for Ford and UAW did not immediately respond to requests for comment from DailyMail.com on Wednesday afternoon.

Late Tuesday, Benjamin Dictor, a labor lawyer with the UAW, cryptically tweeted a photo of Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, writing: 'A beautiful evening in Dearborn.'

It's still possible that the negotiations, despite the meaningful progress being made, could unravel.

But if the UAW can reach a tentative agreement with Ford, it would be used as a model to seek similar contract settlements with GM and Stellantis.

Typically, during past auto strikes, a UAW deal with one automaker has led the other companies to match it with their own settlements.

One of the officials told AP there also was progress in the union's talks with GM. But it was unclear whether any of the automakers had accepted the UAWs counter-offer of 25 percent pay increases over four years.

The progress in the negotiations came after the union this week walked out at three factories that produce highly profitable pickup trucks and SUVs, adding them to the list of plants already on strike in a strategy to intensify pressure on the companies.

Currently, 46,000 UAW workers are on strike at Detroit Three plants across the country, accounting for about 32 percent of the union's 146,000 members at the three companies.

Fain addresses the audience during a rally in support of striking UAW members in Detroit last month

The UAW's strategy of targeted strikes has hit multiple US plants and has throttled billions in revenue for the Detroit Three automakers.

It also has rippled out, causing some auto parts makers and assembly plants that aren't under a walkout to start feeling the heat.

On Tuesday, about 5,000 workers at GMs assembly plant in Arlington, Texas, walked out, halting production of truck-based SUVs that are huge profit makers for the company.

A day earlier, the UAWs president, Shawn Fain, had added 6,800 employees at Stellantis Ram pickup plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Two weeks ago the union struck Fords largest and most profitable factory, the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, where 8,700 workers make heavy-duty F-Series pickups and two large SUVs.

In all, about 46,000 workers have walked out at factories owned by the three companies in a series of targeted strikes that began Sept. 15. About 32% of the unions 146,000 members at the automakers are now on strike and getting by on $500 per week in strike pay. The automakers have been laying off workers at other plants as parts shortages have cascaded through their manufacturing systems.

Todd Dunn, president of the UAW local at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, said he was told by people within the union's leadership that the company is nearing an agreement.

'I've heard they are moving the needle as aggressively as possible,' Dunn said in an interview Wednesday. 'It's very positive.'

The prospect of a breakthrough, he said, has raised the spirits of workers who are willing to stay out on strike to reach a deal despite hardships for some.

Dunn said he thinks the strike at his plant had nudged Ford along in the talks and could help yield the best contract he's seen in 29 years with the company.

Neither the companies nor the union would comment on the talks Wednesday. The unions counter-offer of a 25 percent wage increase over four years was reported earlier by Bloomberg News and the trade publication Automotive News.

Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit who studies labor issues, said it was not surprising that the union would be close to an agreement at this point in the talks.

'I think that Shawn Fain struck these plants at this particular time over the past week because he thought they would be near a deal and this would be the extra nudge to get something cemented,' Masters said. 'When you look at the movement and the concessions, they're getting smaller but moving closer to what the union wanted.'

When contract talks began in July, the union sought 40 percent pay raises over four years as well as the restoration of cost-of-living raises. The union had given up the cost-of-living increases in 2009 to help the companies survive the aftermath of the Great Recession.

The UAW also wants traditional defined-benefit pension plans restored for workers who were hired after 2007, an end to varying tiers of wages for UAW workers, pension increases for retirees and other benefits.

One key issue is whether to extend the national UAW contract to 11 US electric vehicle battery factories. This would essentially ensure that workers there would be represented by the union.

All but one of these plants are joint ventures with South Korean battery makers. GM has agreed to this, but the other companies have balked, saying their joint venture partners must also agree.

UAW union members picket outside Ford's Kentucky truck plant after going on strike in Louisville on Oct 12

Typically, during past auto strikes, a UAW deal with one automaker has led the other companies to match it with their own settlements

GM CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday that the offer to bring the battery plants into the master union agreement was still open but that they would have to meet what she called 'benchmark economics and also operating flexibility.'

Having union representation at the battery factories is a vital issue for the union because these plants will house many of the jobs of the future as the industry transitions away from gasoline vehicles.

Workers who now make engines and transmissions at all three companies will need places to work as their plants are phased out.

Progress in the contract talks follows statements from Ford executives in the past two weeks that their offers, which exceeded those of their competitors, are at the limit of how much the company is willing to pay to settle the strikes.

All three companies have said they dont want to absorb labor costs that are so high that they would force price increases and make their vehicles more expensive than those made by nonunion companies such as Tesla and Toyota.

A study this month by Moody's Investor Service found that annual labor costs could rise by $1.1 billion for Stellantis, $1.2 billion for GM and $1.4 billion for Ford in the fourth year of the contract. The study assumed a 20 percent increase in hourly labor costs.

Wayne State's Masters said the companies will have to cut other expenses or raise vehicle prices to cover the costs of a new contract. Prices, though, will be constrained by a competitive auto market, he said.

GM on Tuesday said it already is preparing for added labor expenses, taking out $2 billion in fixed costs by the end of 2024. It's also looking at other ways to save.

The company said it lost $200 million in pretax earnings due to the strike in the third quarter, and it has lost another $600 million so far in the fourth quarter. After that it could lose as much as $200 million per week, not including the Texas plant closure or any further walkouts.
A newborn baby died at an NHS trust responsible for one of Britain's biggest maternity scandals because of a 'gross failure' to monitor her heart, a coroner has found.

Poppy Russell's 'preventable' death at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford came just four months after an independent report ordered urgent improvements in maternity care at the trust.

Her parents Neil and Kathryn Russell today told how the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SaTH) had tried to blame them for what had happened, branding the move 'unforgivable'.

Poppy died just under 12 hours after she was born in April 2021 as a result of perinatal asphyxiation - a lack of blood flow or gas exchange to the baby before, during, or after birth.

Coroner John Ellery said the death was in part caused by neglect.

Parents Neil and Kathryn Russell (pictured) told how the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust had tried to blame them for their daughter Poppy's death

The Shrewsbury inquest heard Poppy had been delivered by emergency caesarean section at 3:45am. Mr Ellery heard there would have been 'signals' between 2am and 3.15am of an intermittent compression of her umbilical cord which should have been picked up.

The Shropshire coroner heard from an independent expert who said Poppy would have survived if she had been delivered at least an hour earlier.

Mr Ellery said effective monitoring of Poppy's foetal heart rate was not taken  and dismissed claims by hospital staff that Mrs Russell had failed to consent to having her baby's heart monitored.

He said a midwife's failure to adequately monitor Poppy's heart amounted to a 'gross failure', adding: 'It was fundamental to Poppy's safety and wellbeing. Therefore, it is self-evident that such a failure must be gross as the consequence is the highest.'

Poppy's death came four months after independent midwife Donna Ockenden's interim report was published in December 2020, listing urgent and immediate improvements needed in maternity care at the Trust.

The investigator's final report, published in April last year, found 201 babies and nine mothers could have survived if they received better care between 1973 and 2020 - with a failure to monitor hearts properly a key factor in many losses.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is now at the centre of the largest inquiry of its kind  also led by Mrs Ockenden - which is examining 1,800 cases.

Poppy died at The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford (pictured) just under 12 hours after she was born as a result of perinatal asphyxiation. She would have survived if she was born an hour earlier

Mr and Mrs Russell, from Shrewsbury, called on Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, to make maternity care an NHS priority.

In a statement after the conclusion of the inquest, they said: 'Throughout the process the trust has blamed us.

'This is unforgivable and we hope the coroner's finding of neglect makes them reflect on the way the trust tried to hold us accountable for Poppy's death.

'We will not stop until those individuals and those at the highest level are held to account for their hideous and systemic failures and continued strategy of covering up neonatal death.'

Hayley Flavell, director of nursing at SaTH, said: 'We recognise there were failings in the care we provided and we are truly sorry.

'The death of any baby is a tragedy, and when this happens we take urgent and appropriate action, working with external organisations as well as colleagues, to understand how we might have provided better care. We take any learnings, as individuals and as a service, and embed them within our practice.

'We have made clear improvements to our maternity services since 2021, with specific changes relating to fetal monitoring and record-keeping. There is further to go, but we remain committed to constant improvement, openness and transparency, and are working with women and families to provide the best and safest care possible.'
EXCLUSIVE

A 21-year-old female water polo instructor found dead at a prestigious Sydney school from horrific injuries had been in a recent relationship with the suspect, a close friend has revealed.

Lilie James was found dead inside St Andrew's Cathedral School in the CBD about midnight on Thursday morning after her father contacted police when she failed to return home.

Police on Thursday launched a massive search for a male colleague of Ms James' - 24-year-old Netherlands-born Paul Thijssen - near the clifftop at Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse.

Thijssen was a one-time hockey head coach at the elite school.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal Ms James was in a 'secret relationship' with Thijssen for a matter of weeks leading up to her death. Ms James' friend said the relationship had only recently ended.

It is understood he met up with Ms James on school grounds on Wednesday night, with police now reviewing CCTV footage.

Lilie James, 22, was a water polo coach at St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney's CBD. She was found dead in a gym bathroom last night

Police are searching for Paul Thijssen, a Netherlands-born former student at the school, who has served as the hockey coach. A close friend of Ms James said the two had been in a short relationship that recently ended

Relatives and friends have gathered outside the James's home with her father Jamie James (left) politely declining to comment saying he had to speak with police

Police were seen putting a pair of Apple AirPods found at Diamond Bay Reserve, Vaucluse into brown evidence bags

A second crime scene has been established at Diamond Bay Reserve at Vaucluse where police are searching for Paul Thijssen

The body of water polo coach Lilie James has been found on the grounds of a Sydney CBD school

A message was sent out to parents early on Thursday morning (left) and a follow up message was then sent saying an area of the school 'not accessible to students is a crime zone'

A crime scene has been established, the school has been closed to students except for Year 12 pupils doing exams, and forensic investigators are scouring the grounds of the school.

Daily Mail Australia witnessed police towing away a silver Lexus from Diamond Bay Reserve about 10am, investigating a bin and packing items into brown evidence bags - including what appeared to be a set of Apple AirPods.

Ms James' cause of death will be determined via a post-mortem examination, though police have already deemed it a homicide due to the nature of the injuries.

Thijssen was sports captain at St Andrews, after moving to Australia in 2015 to study at the school for years 10-12.

He graduated from the school in 2017 and then got a job there as a cricket and hockey coach.

Police said other staff members were understood to be present on campus at the time the woman's body was found, but police would not confirm why they were there.

Superintendent Martin Fileman said the victim had sustained serious head injuries.

The community is in shock and the school will remain closed for the rest of the week

Superintendent Martin Fileman said Ms James had sustained serious head injuries

Ms James was a talented athlete winning several awards throughout high school

The St Andrew's Cathedral School gymnasium (pictured) where Ms James was found in the bathrooms

Thijssen (left) graduated from St Andrews school in 2017 and went on to work there

He told a press conference at Day Street Police Station that Police Air Wing and officers on the ground were scouring the coastline off South Head, at the entry to Sydney Harbour, and the surrounding reserve for evidence.

He would not say whether police believed the male they were seeking was alive or dead.

'We are looking for a male in his early twenties. He is employed by the school,' he said.

'We don't want to make any assumptions of the fact that that person may have taken his own life, but that's just another line of inquiry we're looking at at the moment.

'The female is an employee of the school. [She had] serious head injuries.

'The scene was quite confronting.'

Parents received messages from 3am from teachers at the school, with principal Dr Julie McGonigle later emailing them to say the school was closed until next week and the bathroom area 'not accessible to students is a crime zone'.

In one message, the school said no students were involved in the incident.

On Thursday afternoon, friends and family gathered at the James family home. Ms James's father Jamie politely declined to comment.

A silver Lexus sedan was seen being towed from Diamond Bay Reserve about 10am

Thijssen had moved to Australia from the Netherlands in 2015 for Years 10, 11 and 12

Supt Fileman said it was 'a very sad time for family, school staff and students'.

He appealed to 'anyone who may have knowledge of this homicide' to contact police or Crimestoppers.

There was no reason to believe anyone else was involved.

At the Vaucluse search, a police helicopter had been circling the area between Diamond Bay reserve and The Gap at Watsons Bay since before sunrise.

Officers found some of the belongings of Ms James' male colleague at the reserve along with 'an item linked to the homicide'. It was unclear what exactly this was.

Shortly after 9am, a police rescue helicopter arrived for a possible body retrieval while marine area command continued patrolling the coastline.

A rubbish bin, believed to be significant to the investigation, has also been secured behind police tape and covered from the morning rain by a canopy.

A rubbish bin at Diamond Bay Reserve at Vaucluse has been taped off as part of a crime scene

Specialist Police Rescue teams are involved in the operation at The Gap

More than 25 uniformed officers canvassed the area, looking through gutters and bushes in a bid to retrieve evidence.

Plain-clothed detectives could be seen speaking to a nearby resident.

Detectives, uniformed officers, along with specialist police rescue team members are scouring the high cliffs, which were also cordoned off with police tape.

Forensic examinations will continue this morning.
A murder warrant has been issued for 'armed and dangerous' Raytheon worker who is accused of shooting his wife in the face at their Massachusetts family home.

US Air Force veteran Aaron Pennington, 33, allegedly gunned down his partner Breanne, 30, on Sunday morning before fleeing in a white BMW sedan which was later found in the woods.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr has issued a murder warrant for Pennington as authorities desperately search for him, warning the public not to approach him because he is believed to be armed.

Gardner Police officers were called to the Pennington home on Cherry Street in the north MA town, where they found mom-of-four Breanne in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to her face, according to a criminal complaint.

The discovery was made after the couple's children  aged two, five, seven and nine - ran to a neighbor's house at around 9.14am.

US Air Force veteran Aaron Pennington, 33, allegedly gunned down his wife Breanne, 30, on Sunday morning before fleeing in a white BMW sedan which was later found in the woods

Breanne 'Breezy' Pennington, 30, was found with a gunshot wound to the face

The 33-year-old veteran's BMW was found abandoned in a wooded area near the city of Gardner

The DA has said Pennington was seen leaving the home at around 9am Sunday in surveillance footage, and on Monday evening a hunter spotted his BMW around 1,500 feet down a wooded trail off Kenton Street near Camp Collier in Gardner.

Cops from several police departments and the K-9 unit have been combing the wooded area for Pennington, deploying search helicopters.

They expanded the search area on Tuesday after admitting his military training is 'part of the equation' in the search.

The suspect spent eight years in the US Air Force as a 'special missions aircraft maintainer' and now works at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, where he also holds an 'active secret clearance,' according to his LinkedIn profile.

After Pennington's vehicle was discovered Monday, a code red warning was issued to residents in the region to stay inside their homes for several hours.

Officials said the warning was only instated out of 'an abundance of caution,' but added in an update on Tuesday they were resuming in the area near Camp Collier, a common woodland for Boy Scout troops.

Investigators added they are 'operating on the assumption he is still alive', and warned the public not to approach Pennington if they believe they see him as he is considered armed and highly dangerous.

Three shell casings were found in the bedroom where Breanne was shot, but no weapons were recovered.

Pennington allegedly gunned down his wife at a time when she was planning on leaving him and taking their children to Texas, court documents have revealed

A huge police presence and tactical teams descended on a wooded area near his home in Gardner, Massachusetts, on Tuesday as the manhunt was expanded

A line of law enforcement vehicles on the scene, which has seen several agencies including the state Special Tactical Operations team aid the manhunt

A helicopter seen deployed overhead as the search was expanded. On Tuesday, officials admitted Pennington's military background could help him in survivalist situations, and it is 'part of the equation' in the manhunt

The criminal complaint also accuses Pennington of illegally possessing a firearm without a license to carry.

A state trooper recalled what happened on Sunday morning.

'Four children came over to her house scared because they could not find their father and their mother was in her bedroom crying,' they said.

'The four children were known to reside with their parents at 42 Cherry Street in the city of Gardner.

'The children also stated that their father's vehicle was no longer in the residence's driveway.'

Investigators said the couple had been facing 'marital issues for quite some time,' with Breanne planning to move to Texas with the children to get away from her husband.

She was known to keep a gun at home for her protection, police said.

They also noted that Pennington dealt with 'mental issues and had threatened suicide.'

The couple's home in Gardner, Massachusetts, where police found Breanne Pennington, 30, dead in an upstairs bedroom

The couple have four young children, who fled to a neighbor's house after the attack, claiming their mother was 'in her bedroom crying'

Pennington spent eight years in the US Air Force as a 'special missions aircraft maintainer' and now works at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, where he also holds an 'active secret clearance,' according to his LinkedIn profile

Tributes have poured in for Breanne after her passing, with an old friend describing her as an amazing mom, hilarious friend, and a truly sweet soul'

The children were placed in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families.

The investigation into the homicide and Penningtons whereabouts remains ongoing by Gardner Police, the State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorneys Office, and Massachusetts State Police.

Anyone who sees Pennington is encouraged to contact the Gardner Police Department at 978-632-5600 or the Massachusetts State Police at 508-829-8326. Police are warning the public not to approach Pennington as he is potentially armed.

Pennington is described as white and 6'2' tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. He is armed and dangerous, and police have directed people not to approach him.
The man accused of killing teacher Ashling Murphy told police 'I did it, I am the murderer,' a court heard yesterday.

Jozef Puska also told officers he had seen a woman passing him but told her 'I won't hurt you', before claiming he had then 'cut her neck'.

Ms Murphy, 23, was killed as she jogged along the Grand Canal in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland, on January 12 last year.

Puska, 33, has pleaded not guilty to her murder.

Detective Sergeant Brian Jennings told Dublin Central Criminal Court the admission came two days after Ms Murphy's death, while Puska was in hospital with suspected stab wounds.

Ashling Murphy, 23, was killed while out jogging along a canal in Tullamore, Co Offaly, last January

Jozef Puska, 33, of Tullamore, Co Offaly, has pleaded not guilty to murder

Detective Garda Fergus Hogan leaves Dublin Central Criminal Court where he has given evidence

Floral tributes at the Grand Canal in Tullamore where the primary school teacher was found dead

Click here to listen to the Mail's new podcast The Trial Follow the trial's evidence, with twice-weekly reports from Deputy News Editor for Mail on Sunday Ireland Nicola Byrne and broadcast journalist Caroline Cheetham. Advertisement

He said Puska confessed after being told police had a search warrant to seize his personal possessions from the hospital.

He also said Puska had cried as he told officers he felt guilty, that the killing was not intentional, and that he was worried for the safety of his own family.

Speaking through a Slovakian interpreter, he told officers: 'I did it. I murdered, I am the murderer.'

Detective Sergeant Jennings said Puska nodded when told that everything was being written down and afterwards signed the notes the officer had taken. Puska then said: 'When I said I committed the murder, I did not do it intentionally.'

Detective Garda Fergus Hogan was asked to remain with Puska in the hospital following the interview.

He told the court: 'He [Puska] said, "I'm sorry. I'm family, five kids. I see girl I never see before. I have knife I use for chain. I told her, go, I won't hurt you. When she passed I cut her neck".'

He said Puska then put his finger to his lips, to indicate how he had told the girl not to panic.

Detective Garda Hogan added: 'He continued, "She panic, I panic, and then it happened".'

Cross-examined, Detective Sergeant Jennings said he had not spoken to Puska's doctor before the interview, but had sought permission from the nurses.

He insisted the suspect had 'fully engaged' with the conversation and appeared medically fit to be spoken to.

The trial continues.
Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas terrorists they were 'doomed' as he vowed to push ahead with a ground invasion of Gaza last night.

Israel's prime minister said the battle against the gunmen who massacred civilians on October 7 was necessary to 'save our country' and the airstrikes on Gaza were only 'the beginning'.

The Israeli prime minister confirmed the country is 'getting prepared' to invade Gaza and reiterated how troops have already 'eliminated thousands of terrorists'.

But questions remain over the exact time-frame after it was reported that the country was delaying the ground attack to allow the US to rush missile defences to the region.

Mr Netanyahu, in a televised address yesterday evening, refused to provide details about the 'considerations' of the invasion, but said the timing of the Israeli Defence Force operation is 'unanimously determined by the cabinet that runs the war'.

Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) warned Hamas terrorists they were 'doomed' as he vowed to push ahead with a ground invasion of Gaza last night

The Israeli prime minister confirmed the country is 'getting prepared' to invade Gaza and reiterated how troops have already 'eliminated thousands of terrorists'. Pictured: People search for survivors and the bodies of victims through buildings that were destroyed during Israeli bombardment, in Khan Yunis on Wednesday

But questions remain over the exact time-frame after it was reported that the country was delaying the ground attack to allow the US to rush missile defences to the region. Pictured: Palestinian children injured in Israeli air raids arrive at Nasser Medical Hospital on Tuesday

Mr Netanyahu said: 'We have set over this war two main goals: to do away with Hamas by destroying its military and governmental capabilities, and to do everything within our power to return our hostages back home.

'All Hamas militants are doomed. Above the earth, underground, within Gaza and outside of Gaza.'

There are thought to be around 222 hostages, aged from nine months to 85, being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu acknowledged that there would need to be 'soul-searching' on how the terrorist group was able to carry out the murderous attack of October 7 without the knowledge of the country's intelligence services.

But he said his role now was to lead Israel to 'all-out victory' over its enemies. He added: 'When we enter Gaza, later on in our fighting, we are going to take the full prize from those terrorists who carried out those atrocities of Hamas.'

He called on Israelis 'not to forget for one moment' those who were killed in the Hamas attacks and revealed there will be a national day of mourning to remember the victims.

'It is like shoving thousands of arrows into our heart, which is bleeding,' he told the country, adding: 'Together we shall fight and together we will win.'

Mr Netanyahu said the country's special war cabinet had taken the final decision on when forces would go into the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

He said he would not he 'will not tell' how and when the invasion would happen, nor how extensive it would be. But it was suggested last night that the planned assault was on hold at the request of the White House.

'I want to make it very clear, the timing of the operation of the IDF is unanimously determined by the cabinet that runs the war along with the chief of the general staff,' he says.

'We work in order to secure the best optimal conditions for their next operations.'

Mr Netanyahu also urged civilians to evacuate to the south of Gaza and said the country would help people 'get their own personal weapons in a controlled way'.

Mr Netanyahu said the country's special war cabinet had taken the final decision on when forces would go into the blockaded Palestinian enclave. Pictured: Palestinians search for bodies and survivors as smoke rises from the rubble of a destroyed area following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Wednesday

Mr Netanyahu said he would not he 'will not tell' how and when the invasion would happen, nor how extensive it would be. But it was suggested last night that the planned assault was on hold at the request of the White House. Pictured are Palestinians searching the rubble in Gaza City on Wednesday

Mr Netanyahu also urged civilians to evacuate to the south of Gaza and said the country would help people 'get their own personal weapons in a controlled way'. Pictured: A Palestinian man and his son walk among the rubble of a destroyed area following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Wednesday

The Pentagon is scrambling to deploy nearly a dozen air-defence systems to protect US troops serving in the Middle East, including in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria.

US officials are said to be concerned that terrorist groups across the region would target American troops once the incursion begins, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In Iraq and Syria, there have been at least 13 drone and missile attacks since October 18, which have wounded some two-dozen US personnel. President Joe Biden denied the reports however, telling reporters: 'It's their decision but I did not demand it.'

Israel is also weighing up the need to supply humanitarian aid to civilians inside Gaza, as well as the diplomatic efforts to free more hostages from the clutches of Hamas. A full-scale ground assault threatens to further stoke geopolitical tensions in the region.

On Tuesday, a news agency with links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it is 'likely' the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon would become involved in the war with Israel.

During a trip to Cairo yesterday, French president Emmanuel Macron said that a 'massive' ground incursion into Gaza would be a mistake, instead suggesting that the international coalition formed to fight terror group Isis should be resurrected to eradicate Hamas.

Mr Biden warned 'there's no going back to the status quo as it stood on October 6' between Israelis and Palestinians.

Speaking alongside Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, Mr Biden said he would 'guarantee' Israel had 'what it needs to defend itself against these terrorists'.

Last night Mr Netanyahu vowed to gain the support of the international community for the upcoming invasion.

President Joe Biden said he would 'guarantee' Israel had 'what it needs to defend itself against these terrorists'. Mr Biden is pictured on Wednesday

He said: 'We are mobilising the support of world leaders to continue this campaign and many of them understand today what we keep repeating since 2014: Hamas is Isis and Isis is Hamas.

'I am telling them that our war against Hamas is also their war against Hamas... it is a struggle between the axis of evil of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and that of progress and freedom.'

Eight Syrian soldiers were killed by Israeli air strikes on southwest Syria yesterday, according to the Syrian state news agency Sana.

Israel's military said its jets had struck Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers in what it described as a response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel.
Inspirational tour across China: African youth leader inspired by Xi's early life emphasizes the importance of grassroots work

By Xie Runjia (People's Daily App) 14:58, October 25, 2023

Nawanda Yahaya is the regional commissioner of the Simiyu region in Tanzania. Recently, he had the opportunity to visit Liangjiahe village in Shaanxi Province, where President Xi Jinping worked as a farmer at the age of 15. During his visit, Yahaya gained valuable insights into the significance of youth leaders actively participating in village activities.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Gaza's hospitals will become 'mass graves' if they cannot get fuel to run emergency generators, doctors said yesterday in a dire warning as Israel announced preparations for a deadly ground assault to crush Hamas.

Hospitals have been overwhelmed by casualties as the death toll rose to more than 6,500 Palestinians on Wednesday, including 2,700 children according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and almost a third have closed due to damage from air strikes or a lack of fuel.

The crisis was part of a humanitarian catastrophe that saw the UN admit it could be forced to stop its aid work in the territory.

It said operations would halt last night if it could not get fuel to run emergency shelters where some 600,000 people have sought refuge.

It came as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned the country was preparing for an imminent ground invasion and that all militants belonging to the terror group Hamas are 'doomed'.

A wounded young girl is rescued from rubble after an airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday

Trapped in rubble, a toddler cries as they are rescued from a destroyed building in Gaza City

Hospitals have been overwhelmed by casualties as the death toll rose to more than 6,500 Palestinians on Wednesday

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned the country was preparing for an imminent ground invasion in Gaza on Wednesday night

In a televised statement on Wednesday night, Netanyahu declined to provide any details or time-scale for the planned attack, and said decisions would be made by his government's special war cabinet.

'We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning,' Netanyahu said.

'Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be.'

He also called upon Israeli citizens to bear arms and stressed Palestinian civilians should move to the south of the Gaza Strip.

Referring to the attack by Hamas on October 7, which also saw more than 200 people kidnapped, Netanyahu expressed sorrow.

'October 7 is a black day in our history,' he said. 'We will get to the bottom of what happened on the southern border around Gaza. This debacle will be investigated. Everyone will have to give answers, including me.'

Israel has carried out days of intense bombardment of the densely populated Gaza Strip following the attack. It claimed on Wednesday to have killed the commander of Hamass North Khan Younis Battalion, Taysir Mubasher.

But it has been reported that Israel agreed to delay its offensive so that US anti-missile defensives could arrive in he region.

Global charities and aid organisations have called for an urgent ceasefire and further aid to be allowed into the region.

UNICEF has said Israeli strikes have killed a 'staggering' 2,360 children and called for an immediate end to the fighting.

Adele Khodr, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'The situation in the Gaza Strip is a growing stain on our collective conscience. The rate of death and injuries of children is simply staggering.

'Even more frightening is the fact that unless tensions are eased, and unless humanitarian aid is allowed, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel, the daily death toll will continue to rise.'

Oxfam warned many more faced starvation unless greater aid supplies were allowed into Gaza, saying hunger was 'being used as a weapon of war against Gaza civilians'.

Countries around the world have sent aid since the war began, including Britain, but only a few convoys have been let into Gaza.

A Palestinian man carries a wounded woman after recovering her from the rubble of a destroyed area following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City

Children being treated for injuries sustained in Hamas airstrikes comfort one another at a hospital in Palestine

A man is stretchered away from wreckage in Gaza as fires continue to burn after airstrikes

In a televised statement on Wednesday night, Netanyahu declined to provide any details or time-scale for the planned attack

Israel has imposed tight blockades and has refused to allow any fuel to be included in the humanitarian supplies of food, water and medicines.

READ MORE: FOUR Labour shadow cabinet members are on resignation watch over Starmer's stance on Gaza Advertisement

But hospitals and emergency shelters say they cannot operate without fuel. Surgery is no longer an option for any but the most dire cases, and doctors said life support machines and babies' incubators would no longer function.

At the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the largest hospital in Gaza, doctors warned that 150 patients were on ventilators and would die if they were switched off.

Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian surgeon, told CNN: 'Effectively, Shifa Hospital will become a mass grave if it runs out of electricity.'

Meanwhile Mads Gilbert, from the Norwegian Aid Committee, who is waiting to enter Gaza via the Egyptian border, told The Mirror: 'Imagine a hospital with 5,000 to 15,000 civilian refugees, overcrowded with patients needing surgical care, and then the lights are going out. I think you can imagine how difficult that is.

'It makes Dante's Inferno look like a tea party.'

Twelve of Gaza's 35 hospitals have closed due to air strikes or lack of fuel, according to the UN.

Israel has insisted that Hamas has stockpiled fuel to support its war effort.

It released satellite imagery showing what it said were fuel tanks inside Gaza, saying: 'They contain more than 500,000 litres of fuel. Ask Hamas if you can have some.'

Limited supplies of food, water and medicine have been allowed into Gaza through its border with Egypt.

But aid agencies warned they amount to a 'trickle'. On Tuesday, only eight of a scheduled 20 aid trucks were allowed through the Rafah border crossing, according to the UN.

Before the war on Hamas, Gaza typically received around 455 aid trucks per day. Oxfam said the supply of food to Gaza had dwindled to around two per cent of what was supplied before the Hamas attacks.

Its Middle East director Sally Abi Khalil said: 'The situation is nothing short of horrific - where is the humanity? Millions of civilians are being collectively punished in full view of the world, there can be no justification for using starvation as a weapon of war.'

Riham Jafari, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at UK-based humanitarian charity ActionAid, said: 'The situation in hospitals could not be more precarious with vital fuel supplies for hospitals  and the lives of hundreds of babies on incubators - hanging by a thread.

'Birth should be a joyous occasion for new mothers, but many are having to give birth under life-threatening conditions without anaesthetic and under constant bombardment.'

Twelve of Gaza's 35 hospitals have closed due to air strikes or lack of fuel, according to the UN

Limited supplies of food, water and medicine have been allowed into Gaza through its border with Egypt

A woman is treated at El- Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Wednesday

People gather to mourn those killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip

On Tuesday, only eight of a scheduled 20 aid trucks were allowed through the Rafah border crossing

Workers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees

'The aid delivered so far is dwarfed by the enormous humanitarian needs of millions of people across Gaza. We need an immediate ceasefire and a flow of sustainable humanitarian aid, including fuel, to save the lives of countless families, women, children, and the sick and injured.

'Doctors and medical staff in all hospitals are committed to continue working despite everything  we must do everything we can to support them in their life saving work.'

An RAF plane loaded with 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for Gaza arrived in Gaza last night. Supplies on board the C-17 aircraft included medical equipment and water filters.

It came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he was increasing UK support by 30 million.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stressed that more aid was needed to help Gaza's 2.3 million population.

He said: 'Humanitarian aid must continue to be allowed into Gaza to reach the people who need it most.

'The UK is working with Israel, Egypt and other partners in the region to enable life-saving aid to reach civilians, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel as a priority.'

A French navy ship was also en route to support Gaza's hospitals, along with a plane headed to Egypt. The Prime Minister said he would support 'specific pauses' in the fight against Hamas to allow the release of hostages and the supply of humanitarian aid.

His official spokesman said: 'A wholesale ceasefire would only serve to benefit Hamas.

'Humanitarian pauses, which are temporary, which are limited in scope, can be an operational tool.'

More than 80 MPs have urged the Government to call for a ceasefire, as five UK nationals remain missing, some of whom are believed to be being held hostage in Gaza.
Megyn Kelly has slammed Queen Rania of Jordan after her fiery interview speaking out against Palestinian deaths and accused the queen of denying the deaths of Israeli babies.

The queen, who is of Palestinian descent, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday that she was angry at 'glaring double standards' in coverage of Israeli and Palestinian deaths.

She accused the world's media of immediately accepting Israel's official line, but being skeptical about a Palestinian perspective.

'The CNN website at the beginning of the conflict reported a headline of Israeli children found butchered in an Israeli kibbutz, and when you read through the story, it's not been independently verified,' said Rania.

It was unclear what Rania was referring to, and there is no doubt that Hamas terrorists murdered babies, riddling their bodies with bullets.

Kelly reacted with disgust. 'Unbelievable. She's actually trying to spin the lie  the queen  that children weren't killed,' she said.

Megyn Kelly (left) on Wednesday criticized Queen Rania of Jordan for her CNN interview

Kelly continued: 'Really? So just to recap, according to the Queen of Jordan, Israel's the bad guy.

'Apparently she missed the Hamas interrogations and confessions of their brutality. Perhaps she also missed the clip from a terrorist who gleefully called mom and dad to brag about all the innocent Jewish blood on his hands.'

Hamas' spokespeople have insisted that the group avoids civilian casualties - an obvious lie, betrayed by the body camera footage from the terrorists themselves, showing them gleefully gunning down men, women and children.

The October 7 attack left 1,400 Israelis dead. The subsequent Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 6,000 Gazans, according to Hamas - which controls the enclave.

Kelly said that Rania's famous beauty and elegance blinded the West to her attitudes, describing her as 'absolutely gorgeous on the outside' - but not on the inside.

Kelly said Rania's criticism of the West was inexcusable, and accused her of failing to sympathize with the Israeli victims.

'She unloaded in this interview, revealing what she really thinks about Israel, Gaza, and those of us outside the Middle East,' said Kelly.

'She threw her friends in the West in there just for good measure.

'Even the Palestinians' most ardent supporters have learned that they need to spend like three lines on how they feel terrible about what happened to the Israelis. That would be a good place to start. The innocent lives lost in Israel, and then maybe you pivot to the innocent lives lost in Gaza. That's not exactly what happened.'

Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in the West Bank, raged against 'apartheid regime' Israel, claiming the conflict began 'before' Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis on October 7.

She said she 'of course' condemned the killing of innocent Israelis by Hamas but, asked why Israel's self-defense was not coming under the same level of global scrutiny and reserved all her sympathy for Palestinians.

Pushed on why Jordan will not accept Palestinian war refugees, she said: 'They have the right to stay on their land'.

Queen Rania then returned to her argument that Israel's ongoing strikes against Hamas were not justified.

'Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint - but it's okay to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here.

Scroll down for video

Queen Rania condemned the 'glaring double standard' in the global response to the deaths of Israelis and Palestinians

The 53-year-old spoke to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, and was asked how she responded to October 7 'as an Arab, as a Palestinian, as a mother, as a human being'

'And it's just shocking to the Arab world,' she told veteran reporter Christiane Amanpour, before questioning whether babies had been 'butchered' by Hamas.

'I'm not arguing accuracy, Christiane, I'm arguing equivalence and double standards here,' she fumed.

Amanpour fired back that it had been verified both by CNN's reporters and other foreign media on the ground that Hamas was butchering babies, but stopped short of demanding a condemnation from the queen of the terror group's practices.

Amanpour did directly appeal for sympathy for Israelis and condemnation of Hamas, asking if Queen Rania 'accepted' that they had brought suffering on Palestinians.

Queen Rania made a brief concession, but then returned to criticizing Israel and its allies.

'These are the rules of war and they need to apply to everybody. Yes, there is the shock and there was the condemnation [towards Hamas]. But why isn't there equal condemnation to what is happening now?'

'Even if Israel defeats every last Hamas member, then what? Haven't they left a trail of terrible memories that will create a new generation of resistance that is fiercer and more violent?'

Amanpour began by asking the 53-year-old how she had felt since the Hamas attack of October 7 'as an Arab, as a Palestinian, as a mother, as a human being'.

Rania replied: 'I cannot begin to describe to you the depth of the grief, the pain and the shock that we are feeling here in Jordan.

She said her country, home to the world's largest Palestinian population, was 'united in grief, regardless of our origin'.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour argued with Rania's denial of Hamas butchering babies. She said there was proof they had shot and burned babies' bodies, and prompted her for sympathy towards Israelis saying: 'How did you feel on October 7?'

Palestinians were seen injured in Israeli after air raids pummeled Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Gaza

The royal couple are pictured in June 2018 during a visit to the White House

'I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children just as much as any other mother in the world,' she added.

'Six thousand civilians killed so far, 2,400 children  how is that self-defense? We are seeing butchery at a mass scale using precision weapons.

'I just want to emphasize that this conflict did not begin on October 7, although it has been portrayed as that,' Rania continued.

'You know, most networks are covering the story under the title of Israel at War.

'But for many Palestinians on the other side of the separation wall, and the other side of the barbed wire, war has never left.

'This is a 75-year-old story - a story of overwhelming death and displacement to the Palestinian people.

'It is a story of an occupation under an apartheid regime that occupies land, that demolishes houses, confiscates land, military incursions, night raids.

'You know, the context of a nuclear-armed regional superpower that occupies, oppresses and commits daily documented crimes against Palestinians is missing from the narrative.'

Rescuers are seen pulling a child out of the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip

Rescuers pull a child from the rubble of a building following Israeli strikes in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday

Amanpour told her that her words were likely to be received with great anger by Israel.

'Let me just emphasize that that apartheid is a designation that was given not by Arabs, but by Israeli and international human rights organizations,' she replied.

The mother of four said Palestinians 'suffer daily indignities and human rights violations' - saying there was no freedom of movement, and condemning the 500 checkpoints across the West Bank; the 'aggressive expansion of settlements on Palestinian land'; and the 'humiliation' of her people.

She said Israel violated UN resolutions, and ignored international law.

'There's a hyper fixation on Hamas now because of all that happened the last couple of weeks,' she said.

'But this is a problem that far precedes Hamas and will continue after Hamas.

'This is a fight for freedom and for justice, and that is what needs to be heard.'
Rishi Sunak will today vow to keep Britain safe from artificial intelligence amid warnings it is set to make the world a far more dangerous place.

A government paper published last night reveals how advances in AI will make it cheaper and easier for hackers, scammers and terrorists to attack innocent victims  all within the next 18 months.

It predicts so-called bots  social media accounts that appear like real people  will target users with 'personalised disinformation', machines will launch their own cyberattacks without needing human direction, and anyone will be able to learn how to create the world's most dangerous weapons.

The paper, based on expert sources across academia and in UK intelligence, warns the increasingly powerful technology could even, perhaps in the next decade, persuade humans to hand over total control  leading to potentially 'catastrophic' consequences 'where systems may act autonomously in a way that does not align with our intentions or values'.

The terrifying predictions come ahead of the world's first AI Safety Summit, held in the UK next week, and as a poll found one in five Britons believe AI will likely lead to the extinction of the human race.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to protect the UK from AI after a government paper revealed the technology will make it cheaper and easier for hackers, scammers and terrorists

Global leaders, tech chiefs, and cyber experts are set to jet in for the two-day summit at Bletchley Park from Wednesday to work out how to deploy AI safely.

In a speech today, the Prime Minister, who wants the event to signal the UK will lead the way on AI regulation, will say: 'AI will bring new knowledge, new opportunities for economic growth, new advances in human capability, and the chance to solve problems we once thought beyond us.

READ MORE: Paedophiles are using AI to create sexual images of celebrities as CHILDREN, report finds Advertisement

'But it also brings new dangers and new fears. So, the responsible thing for me to do is to address those fears head on, giving you the peace of mind that we will keep you safe, while making sure you and your children have all the opportunities for a better future that AI can bring.

'Doing the right thing, not the easy thing, means being honest with people about the risks from these technologies.'

The report, which will serve as a discussion paper at the event, tells how Britain is in the 'midst of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another'.

AI will rapidly improve public services, find cures for diseases, and make us more productive, it says. But it warns that with these 'huge opportunities' come risks that 'threaten global stability'. It sets out how so-called 'generative AI', the technology behind ChatGPT, will make hackers, fraudsters and terrorists far more dangerous within the next 18 months.

As the technology becomes more powerful yet even easier to use, it will lower the barriers to 'less-sophisticated threat actors', who will be able to carry out previously 'unattainable attacks'.

Generative AI allows users to create completely new content  such as audio, photos and videos  from scratch. The complex algorithm behind it uses data from across the internet to carry out tasks, such as explaining how to make a radioactive bomb or creating a fake picture of a politician meeting a terrorist.

A poll found one in five Britons believe AI will likely lead to the extinction of the human race

Computer hacking will likely become 'fully automated', with software bots launching cyberattacks. The ability to create chemical, biological and radioactive weapons will be far easier for terrorists and criminals, the report warns.

While such capabilities are usually reserved for nations, due to the difficulty in acquiring the materials and components, these 'barriers have been falling and gen AI could accelerate this trend'.

Public debate is also likely to become increasingly 'polluted', with ultra-realistic 'deepfakes' creating realistic replicas of people or even events. AI may even create 'emotional distress... by fake kidnapping or sextortion scams'. Bots on social media are likely to create a constant stream of fake news. By 2026, the report expects this so-called synthetic media to make up a 'large proportion of online content, which will fuel extremism and erode trust in public institutions'.

In the longer term, it warns humans may find themselves handing control to AI systems  and then find it more difficult to take back control. Experts are concerned the computers may try to convince human operators to do so as they 'actively seek to increase their own influence'.

Although this remains contested, many fear this loss of control is 'a real possibility' and 'could be permanent and catastrophic'. As well as 'manipulating humans', it says AI could also 'acquire influence by exploiting vulnerabilities in computer systems. Offensive cyber capabilities could allow AI to gain access to money, computing resources and critical infrastructure.'
Overall aid to the country nearly at $1billion

Australia is sending a 3D metal printer and anti-drone systems to Ukraine as part of a $20 million military assistance package, pushing overall aid to the war-torn country to nearly $1billion.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the package and said Australia remained committed to backing Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.

'Australia remains steadfast in supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's illegal and immoral invasion,' he said on Wednesday as materiel from local military industry companies were detailed.

'This contribution will provide Ukraine with some of the best capabilities in the world, while investing in Australia's sovereign defence industry and technology sector.'

This latest package brings Australia's total support to the country to $910million.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) met with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy (right) on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania earlier this year

The package includes de-mining equipment, portable x-ray machines, a 3D metal printer and counter-drone systems.

These supplies have been developed by Australian firms DroneShield, Micro-X, Minelab and SPEE3D.

The Albanese government said a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft has been deployed to Germany in support of efforts to help protect a gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.

'Australia is honoured to provide this aircraft to help protect the vital lifeline of humanitarian aid and military assistance entering Ukraine,' the prime minister said.

The aircraft has already landed at Ramstein Air Base to begin a six-month deployment under Operation Kudu.

Up to 100 Australian Defence Force personnel have been deployed with the military plane.

Both the aircraft and ADF personnel will not be involved in the conflict in Ukraine.

The aircraft will also not operate inside Russian, Belarusian or Ukrainian airspace.

This deployment delivers on Australia's commitment made ahead of Mr Albanese's visit to the NATO Summit in Lithuania in July, officials said.

Mr Albanese said Australia remained committed to supporting Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia

The package also includes a further $20 million of military assistance to the Ukraine, with the support of local defence industry.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy thanked the Australian companies who contributed to providing assistance.

'3D metal printers can be used to print spare parts while de-mining and portable X-Ray equipment can provide life-saving assistance for Ukrainian personnel on the battlefield,' he said.

Australia has previously sent over Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, heavy artillery and critical ammunition to the war-torn country.

The government has also made contributions to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan yesterday claimed Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a 'liberation group' as he cancelled his planned visit to Israel.

He said Hamas was fighting to protect Palestinian lands and accused the West of 'adding fuel to fire'. Cancelling his trip, he condemned the 'massacre and destruction' in Gaza.

It signals a U-turn from Turkey's recent efforts to improve relations with the West. Earlier this week, Mr Erdogan dropped his long-held objection to Sweden joining Nato by submitting its bid to parliament for ratification.

Yesterday, he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party: 'Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, "mujahideen" waging a battle to protect its lands and people.

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) yesterday claimed Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a 'liberation group' as he cancelled his planned visit to Israel

Armed men from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, participate in a military parade in Gaza City

'The perpetrators of the massacre and the destruction taking place in Gaza are those providing unlimited support for Israel. Israel's attacks on Gaza, for itself and those supporting them, amount to murder and mental illness.'

Speaking of his first meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at a UN summit last month, he said: 'If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now that will not happen because they took advantage of our good intentions.'

After Hamas's attack on October 7, Mr Erdogan initially took a measured response, condemning the group for its actions and urging Israel to act with restraint in its response.

Israel's foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said: 'Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organisation and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen.'
A mission to promote UK luxury firms in Japan was questioned yesterday by critics of a shopping tax on visitors to Britain.

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is in Tokyo with high-end British retailers hoping to boost their exports.

But the trip comes after more than 400 business leaders called for the return of VAT-free shopping for overseas tourists.

Burberry and Harrods were among big names to sign a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt demanding the perk be restored. Their pleas have been echoed in a prominent Mail campaign.

Sir Rocco Forte, the leading hotelier who organised the open letter, said: 'It is ironic that Rishi Sunak has sent the Trade Secretary on a mission to promote luxury businesses when his Government has cut this sector off at the knees with its hated tourist tax.

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch (pictured) is in Tokyo with high-end British retailers hoping to boost their exports

Burberry and Harrods were among big names to sign a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (pictured) demanding the perk be restored. Their pleas have been echoed in a prominent Mail campaign

Burberry and Harrods were among big names to sign a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt demanding the perk be restored. Their pleas have been echoed in a prominent Mail campaign (Pictured: The Gucci shop on Bond Street)

'It is no good ministers turning up in foreign countries seeking to bang the drum for British businesses when we are sending a signal to tourists that the UK is closed for business.'

Anda Rowland, of the Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard, said promoting luxury businesses on the international stage was 'all very well' but 'this is no good when at home they are implementing the most self-defeating policy in terms of the tourist tax'.

She added: 'Big and small retailers across the board are seeing a clear impact in terms of lower tourist footfall and spending.

'Our customers are spending less time in the UK.

'The whole economy is losing out in terms of spending on hospitality, transport, the arts and so on. What concerns us most is what this means for the future of our younger workforce, apprentices and specialist UK-based skills.'

Delegates in Japan include representatives from firms that have backed the Mail's campaign, including leather brand Ettinger.

A UK Government spokesperson said: 'This trade mission is about helping iconic brands sell more British products to one of the world's biggest economies, and boosting UK fashion exports to Japan, worth 134 million in 2022.

'The Business and Trade Secretary is always keen to hear from the business community on areas that could help boost economic growth and this trade mission is part of that goal.'
Britain's oldest casino has closed its doors for good as London fails to attract high-end tourists.

Crockfords Casino - best known for its exclusive clientele of aristocracy and royalty - has rolled its last die after more than 195 years of business.

It follows a consultation process about its future, which was launched by bosses last month.

The Mayfair hotspot - owned by gaming group Genting - employs 100 staff, who are now facing redundancy or being moved to other casinos within the group.

Paul Willcock, president of Genting Casinos UK, said closure of Crockfords' 80 million site was the 'end of an era'.

Crockfords Casino - best known for its exclusive clientele of aristocracy and royalty - has rolled its last die after more than 195 years of business

Business has slowed since the pandemic while the so-called 'tourist tax' (introduced by Jeremy Hunt, pictured) is blamed for putting off wealthy visitors coming to the UK

'There is a combination of factors which have put high-end London casinos at a competitive disadvantage to other global market places and this has led to an unsustainable future for Crockfords in Mayfair,' he said.

Business has slowed since the pandemic while the so-called 'tourist tax' is blamed for putting off wealthy visitors coming to the UK.

The casino was established in 1828 by a working-class fishmonger - William Crockford - who later became one of the wealthiest self-made men in England.

It was originally a private members gaming club for society's most elite, which was located at the fashionable 50 St James Place in London.

Crockfords monopolised on the craze for heavy gambling raging through the 1800s, giving England's upper crust a sophisticated environment to flutter.

As it grew in popularity, Crockfords Casino later moved to the heart of Mayfair - attracting high rollers from across the globe.

Yet with high stakes, comes high drama. Crockfords made headlines in 2017 when it won a legal battle with poker player Phil Ivey who tried to recover 7.7m of winnings from a game of Baccarat after the casino became suspicious that he could be cheating.

Ivey denied any allegations of misconduct in the strongest terms and he recovered his initial 1m stake.

The casino was established in 1828 by a working-class fishmonger - William Crockford - who later became one of the wealthiest self-made men in England

But the historic casino has fallen on tough times since the pandemic, which it largely blames on London's inability to bring in visitors - especially those willing to splash the cash.

This can be partly blamed by the tourist tax, which scrapped VAT-free shopping for tourists in 2021 when the UK left the EU.

Casinos such as The Ritz and The Clermont have both been forced to shut up shop in recent years as London loses out to other gambling hubs across the globe.

High-end casinos in the UK contributed around 150 million a year in tax to the Treasury, as well as generating 188 million for London's economy and at least 120 million in additional tourism spend in the capital.
A car dealership has announced that it will no longer charge customers an additional fee for cash payments after it was ferociously called out online.

Sydney City MG's general manager, Ian Zammit, told Daily Mail Australia that the dealership has reconsidered their approach to handling fees.

Going forward, they will no longer impose a $55 surcharge for cash payments.

Mr Zammit also said that the dealership was seeking out anyone who had been subject to the surcharge so that they could be refunded.

'Customers come first at Sydney City MG, and the team pride themselves on exemplary service,' Mr Zammit said.

'It is for this reason and of our own volition that we have scrapped the $55 handling fee for cash payments and have begun looking through records to find customers who may have paid the fee so they can be refunded.'

Sydney City MG has sparked outrage for their unprecedented cash payment surcharge, which the ACCC says it perfectly legal since it is not misleading consumers

The backflip comes after outraged customer Peter spoke out about the cash surcharge.

A sign at the dealership said the handling fee for any cash payment was locked at $55 regardless of the amount spent, along.

Historically, cash payments have been a way to avoid a surcharge on large transactions and Peter said that he had never seen one like this before.

'If you're going to go in there with cash, youre going to do a bargain and youre going to want a discount anyway for cash because its legal tender, theres no fees,' he told O'Keefe.

'And then they slug you with that? Its an insult in any transaction.'

A 0.5 per cent surcharge is listed for Mastercard debit cards, 1.25 per cent for Mastercard credit cards, 1.75 per cent for American Express and 2 per cent for Union Pay.

The maximum cash transaction allowed at the dealership is $5,000, which works out to be a 1.1 per cent surcharge and a worse deal than using a debit card.

The dealership offers services as well as selling cars, which means that a basic service could incur a 24.3 per cent surcharge if paid for with cash

Sydney City MG also services cars with the average basic service costing $226, according to car insurer Canstar.

This means a basic service would rack up a 24.3 per cent surcharge if paid for in cash.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), meanwhile, says the dealer's charge is perfectly legal.

'There is nothing in the (legislation), or the Australian consumer law, that stops a business from adding a surcharge to a cash payment,' the corporate watchdog said.

It added that there are extensive laws about misleading prices, but there was nothing misleading about the signage clearly stating the flat rate surcharge.

Peter said that he would never use cash to buy a car if he was charged for doing so.

'Theyre abusing what they can to make some extra money on the side,' Mr O'Keefe said.
The former chief executive of NatWest breached former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage's privacy rights by talking to a journalist about his relationship with Coutts bank, Britain's information watchdog has ruled.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said the disclosure had been 'unacceptable', but that it had decided no further regulatory action after Dame Alison Rose resigned over the matter.

The former CEO had admitted a 'serious error of judgment' by discussing with a BBC journalist Mr Farage's relationship with Coutts, which is owned by NatWest Group.

The ruling comes at a sensitive time for NatWest, which is due to announce quarterly results on Friday.

It followed calls for staff members to be suspended after they joked about wanting to 'throw a milkshake' at him.

Angry: Nigel Farage calls for inquiry over debanking row with Coutts bank

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said the disclosure had been 'unacceptable', but that it had decided no further regulatory action after Dame Alison Rose (pictured) resigned over the matter

A bombshell document revealed how staff also said they would 'pay' to be the person who told him he was not welcome to use the firm.

The conversations came to light after Mr Farage submitted a subject access request to NatWest for all the information the bank holds on him.

In a statement on Wednesday, an ICO spokesperson said: 'Following a thorough review of the complaint raised with us, we have concluded our investigation.

'We upheld two parts of the complaint - namely, we found that an individual employed by Natwest shared information when they should not have done, and that by doing so they infringed the complainant's data protection rights.

'We have been clear with the bank that these actions were unacceptable and should not happen again. However, in view of the fact the individual in question resigned her post and the bank has commissioned its own investigation, we do not intend to take any further regulatory action at this time.'

Former UKIP and Brexit Party leader Mr Farage told the Financial Times, which first reported on the ruling: 'The ICO report confirms that Dame Alison Rose was in breach of data rules, of the FCA rule book and oversaw a culture of deep political prejudice at NatWest.'

A NatWest spokesperson said: 'We fully co-operate with the ICO in its assessment of any customer complaint, but it would not be appropriate for us to comment on this individual case.'

Dame Alison Rose is understood to be in line for a bonus of up to 2.9 million and is still being paid her 2.4 million basic package of salary, pension contributions and a share-based allowance because she is on 12 months gardening leave.

The ruling followed the bombshell conversations revealed by GB News, in which a bank staffer said: 'I'd throw a milkshake at him if I was approached to open an account for him [sic].'

Another referred to a BBC article about Mr Farage having his bank account closed and said: 'Hope that knocked him down a peg or 2 [sic].' Another, which appears to be part of a WhatsApp group, said: 'Have you all seen Nigel Farage's twitter? No one will bank him now. Have we single handedly drive NF out of the country?![sic]'

And one staff member suggested Mr Farage had 'dodgy Russian connections', which he has vehemently denied. He was also described as 'sketchy' and workers referred to him as a 'crackpot' and an 'awful human being'. Mr Farage claims he was turned down by ten other banks for an account amid the scandal.

The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader was dropped in June by Coutts, a private bank owned by NatWest, over his views

Mr Farage lost his account at Coutts, whose clients include members of the Royal Family, after an internal report said his views did not align with the bank's values and he was 'transphobic'.

The row led to the resignation of NatWest boss Dame Alison Rose after she falsely told a journalist Mr Farage's views had not been a factor in the loss of his account.

This week the board of the bank, which is 38.6 per cent owned by the taxpayer, will meet to discuss her exit package. But this week Mr Farage told the Mail that it was the 'woke' culture under Dame Alison's leadership which contributed to the 'vile' comments by staff.

He called for her to be stripped of any bonuses, adding: 'This is NatWest head office, this isn't just a local branch. These were the people working directly under Dame Alison Rose.

'I think that people working within an organisation that is heavily state-owned, should just not be behaving in this highly politicised, prejudicial manner.

'And yes, I think there should be staff suspensions and there must be another inquiry about how on earth people at NatWest are allowed to behave like this.

'I can't imagine people anywhere else being allowed to talk about their customers in this way. After the Coutts stuff it was difficult to believe that anything could be worse, but this is.'

Mr Farage has since switched to Lloyds Bank.

Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Farage says Dame Alison presided over a 'squalid culture' at NatWest and 'dragged its name through the mud' as well as breaking data protection laws by discussing his account with Mr Jack, which prompted her resignation.

He writes: 'To reward these failings with a massive sum of money would be wrong.'

'In life, pay should be commensurate with success. Alison Rose presided over a squalid culture at the NatWest group, dragged its name through the mud, and broke the Financial Conduct Authority code. To reward these failings with a massive sum of money would be wrong.

I will be watching closely to see if the NatWest Group board agrees.'

A NatWest Group spokesman said: 'We have written to Mr Farage to apologise sincerely for the deeply inappropriate comments and the poor behaviours. Neither are consistent with the standards of service our clients should expect.'

He added an independent review has been commissioned into recent events and the findings will be published as soon as possible.
Nicaragua has been accused of 'weaponizing' US-bound Haitian migrants in order to get concessions from the U.S. amid tightening sanctions.

Over 260 charter flights believed to have been carrying migrants from Haiti have touched down in Nicaragua in recent months, according to flight data and experts in the area.

The flow of migrants has left the Biden administration and Latin American leaders scrambling for solutions.

Experts are saying the Nicaraguan Government, headed by President Daniel Ortega, is using the migrants as a way to 'attack' the US.

Manuel Orozco, director of the migration, remittances and development program at the Inter-American Dialogue said: 'This is definitely a concrete example of weaponizing migration as a foreign policy.'

Haitian migrants wade across the Tuquesa river after trekking through the Darien Gap in Bajo Chiquito, Panama, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023

A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks for identification of immigrants as they wait in line to be processed after crossing from Mexico in Yuma, Ariz., May 21, 2022

He added: 'The Ortega government knows they have few important policy tools at hand to confront the United States, so they have armed migration as a way to attack.

Nicaragua has long been used as a migratory springboard for people fleeing struggling nations like Cuba and Mauritania in Africa, because it is one of the few countries that doesn't require visas for many of them to enter.

Such flights from Cuba were already gaining steam late last year amid a historic exodus from the island.

In August, Orozco said the Nicaraguan government allowed charter airlines to carry out the flights.

The journeys are not on official air routes, but flight tracking data that has been analyzed by Orozco and The Associated Press shows that 268 of the charter flights went from Haiti to Nicaragua since the beginning of August.

The charter airlines have flown as many as 31,000 people out of Haiti, which would represent nearly 60 percent of the Haitians arriving to the U.S. border, Orozco's data shows.

Over the same period, some 172 flights have carried 17,000 people from Cuba to Nicaragua.

The Associated Press spoke to three Haitian migrants who were aboard the charter flights, who said they doled out thousands of dollars to leave the poorest country in the hemisphere in hopes of reaching the United States.

Orozco said most tickets range between $3,000 and $5,000 a seat.

Migrants with children cross Rio Bravo from Mexico to the US on May 21, 2021 in Ciudad Juarez Mexico

Haitian migrants who hope to apply for asylum in the U.S. wait to register their names on a list made by a religious organization in Reynosa, Mexico, Dec. 21, 2022

Things came to a head this weekend, when local media reported that in 48 hours, 27 charter flights from Haiti had landed in Nicaragua.

Enrique Martinez, a spokesperson for the group 'Platform for Democratic Unity' said the number of flights comes at a strategic moment for Ortega's government.

Martinez said: 'Ortega is going to use this migration issue to say to the United States that we're the ones in control.

'And if they want to stop this, theyre going to have to negotiate.'

The Biden administration recently negotiated a loosening of sanctions Venezuela's government, in exchange for promises of carrying out democratic elections.

Stephanie Armand, a spokesperson for Sunrise Airways, which data show carried out at least 15 flights over the past week, said Sunrise don't sell tickets to Nicaragua.

According to Armand, the airline is contracted by 'third parties' to carry out the flights. She would not elaborate on who the third parties were.

Asked if the carrier's services are being used by people smugglers to carry out migration to the U.S., Armand said the company checks passengers documents before boarding.

She wrote: 'As an airline and aircraft operator, we have no information about the intentions of passengers we are carrying.

'If passengers comply with the countrys entry requirements and are admitted, it is for the authorities, not the airlines, to follow up on their status.'
A group of Jewish students were forced to flee a braying mob of pro-Palestine activists inside a New York City college on Wednesday, locking themselves in a library while the crowd hammered on the door.

Ugly scenes unfolded at Cooper Union, a liberal college near Astor Place in Manhattan, on Wednesday afternoon.

A crowd chanting 'Free, free Palestine' were initially held in the lobby of the building.

But they barged past a security guard, who yelled, hopelessly: 'No!'

They then stormed up the stairs and hammered on the door of the library, where the Jewish students had taken refuge. The people inside the library were later freed.

No one was injured, and the protest has been dispersed, The Messenger reported.

An NYPD source told DailyMail.com no arrests have been made.

A pro-Palestine mob is seen on Wednesday barging past a security guard, yelling: 'Free, free Palestine'

Upstairs, a group of Jewish students had taken refuge in the library: the mob can be heard pounding on the door

Cooper Union, on Astor Place in the heart of Manhattan, was rocked by a pro-Palestine protest on Wednesday

Outside the college on Wednesday evening, a passerby could be seen tearing away a pro-Palestine sign, which was placed next to the posters highlighting the plight of those kidnapped by Hamas.

The sign said: 'Killing children is justified???'

NYPD officers could be seen entering the building, and were standing outside.

DailyMail.com has approached Cooper Union for comment.

Kim Newman, a spokesperson for the college, told The Messenger the library was temporarily 'closed' as the protesters marched through the building.

She said that all students have been 'dispersed.'

'The library was closed for approximately 20 minutes while student protestors moved through our building,' she said.

'Some students who were previously in the library remained during this time. All students have now dispersed.'

Posters calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are seen lying on the ground beside posters calling for the release of the 200 hostages currently held by Hamas

The student protest comes amid intense tension on campuses nationwide over the Israel-Hamas war.

Academics have waded in: a geneticist at Washington University in Missouri sparked outrage by claiming that Israel was carrying out a 'much needed cleansing' in Gaza, while a law professor at Berkeley called on law firms not to hire 'my anti-Semitic students'.

Last week, a climate scientist teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago issued a groveling apology after calling Israelis 'pigs', 'savages' and 'irredeemable excrement.'

Dr. Mika Tosca, who describes herself on social media as 'Chicago's radically optimistic transsexual climate scientist', published a screed on her Instagram Story on Tuesday.

'Israelis are pigs. Savages,' she wrote. 'Very bad people. Irredeemable excrement.'

She apologized on Wednesday, saying the rejected her own words, and wanted to retract them.

'Yesterday I wrote some things on my Instagram Story that I unequivocally reject and do not stand behind,' she wrote.

'I am deeply sorry for writing what I wrote, and for hurting many people with my words, and I am especially sorry to Israeli people that I broadly placed at fault for the war.

'You did not - and do not - deserve that, and I was wrong to post what I posted: I know that my words perpetuated harmful stereotypes.'

At Harvard University, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee has been condemned for issuing a letter on October 7, co-signed by 33 other Harvard student organizations, stating: 'We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.'

Some of the signatories have been named and shamed, and billionaire financier Bill Ackman is demanding that companies refuse to hire them.

Harvard's president has apologized for the statement, and said it does not represent the views of the university.

Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania are both scrambling to limit the fallout: The schools could lose $487 million in funding, based on current and prior donations by those now speaking out against the students for defending Hamas' attacks.

On Friday, a Cornell University professor in upstate New York who called the Hamas terror attacks 'exhilarating and energizing' announced he has taken a leave of absence, and will not return to class for the remainder of the year.

Russell Rickford told an October 15 rally at Ithaca Commons, the downtown shopping district in the city, that he was thrilled by Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, in which 1,400 Israelis were killed.

His words were met by anger, and Rickford, a history professor, attempted to explain - and doubled down on his outrageous views.

He said he condemned the killing of any civilians, but said he was angered by 'the injustice and the hypocrisy of Western support in celebration of Israeli war crimes, and the equation of any form of Palestinian resistance with terrorism.'

Rickford later apologized, saying on October 18 that he was sorry 'for the horrible choice of words that I used', and calling his language 'reprehensible'.

A Cornell professor with a history of radical left-wing views called the Hamas terror attacks in Israel 'exhilarating' and 'energizing' at a pro-Palestine rally on October 15. He apologized on October 18, but on October 20 announced he was taking a leave of absence

Tamika Nunley, an associate professor of history, will fill in for him.

'Professor Rickford will be taking a leave of absence and I will assume teaching responsibilities for this course for the remainder of the semester,' she wrote on October 20, in an email obtained by The Cornell Review.

The university confirmed he would not be teaching for the remainder of the semester.

'Professor Russell Rickford has requested and received approval to take a leave of absence from the university,' the university's spokesperson said.

Claudia Tenney, a Republican congresswoman whose district borders that of Cornell, said Rickford's leave of absence was insufficient, and he needed to resign.

'Since I sent a letter to Cornell President Martha Pollack demanding that Professor Russell Rickford resign for his anti-Semitic comments, he has taken a leave of absence,' she wrote on X.

'Cornell must take this a step further and fire him for his pro-Hamas comments!'
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey raised more than a few eyebrows yesterday when she appeared to blame Storm Babet's flooding on rain coming from the wrong direction.

During a quizzing by MPs, the Cabinet minister suggested that Britain was less prepared for recent downpours because they came from the East and not the West.

She explained that forecasters are 'very good' at predicting showers which sweep in from the Atlantic, but added: 'This was rain coming from the other way and we don't have quite as much experience on that.

'Therefore our accuracy of predicting where such heavy rain would fall was not to the same degree as if it had been,' Ms Coffey told the House of Commons' Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

So, can rain really come from the 'wrong direction'? MailOnline spoke to a number of scientists who dispute this explanation.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey raised more than a few eyebrows yesterday when she appeared to blame Storm Babet's flooding on rain coming from the wrong direction

READ MORE: Environment Secretary Therese Coffey claims Britain was less prepared for Storm Babet deluge because downpours came from the East and not the West During a quizzing by MPs, the Cabinet minister suggested that Britain was less prepared for recent downpours because they came from the East and not the West Advertisement

Richard Allan, a professor in climate science at the University of Reading, said weather forecasting models 'don't care what direction the rain is coming from'.

He told MailOnline: 'It is uncommon for the drier eastern side of the UK to experience such an intense and prolonged deluge, but our weather forecasts are packed full of the most complete observations and physics, which don't care what direction the rain is coming from and so were able to make valuable and high quality predictions.'

Lee Chapman, a professor of climate resilience at the University of Birmingham, agreed that 'weather forecasting doesn't care' if rain comes from the East or West.

He added: 'It is true that the east of the UK has significantly less rainfall than other parts of the UK.

'However, this has no bearing on the intensity or duration of the rainfall that is received during an event.

'The fact that Brechin, one of the worst affected places by Babet, has flooded numerous times previously confirms there are no reasons for the East to be any less prepared than other parts of the country.'

Professor Allan explained that global warming was partly to blame for the deluge being so bad.

'[This] is increasing the amount of moisture in the air, which is making heavy rainfall events even more intense,' he said.

Professor Liz Bentley, CEO of the Royal Meteorological Society, said that Britain's weather was becoming 'more volatile, more intense than three or four decades ago'.

She added: 'We've also seen increases in rainfall, particularly intense rainfall that can lead to flash floods, which is another effect of climate change in the UK.'

Edward Hanna, a professor in climate science at the University of Lincoln, said the 'bottom line is we can expect (and are already experiencing) more extreme high rainfall events anywhere in the country under climate change, and better preparation is needed'.

He told MailOnline: 'Last week's storm was not unprecedented.

'We've previously seen other storms or low-pressure systems with rain encroaching parts of eastern and central England from the east or south-east, e.g. the Sheffield and Hull extreme rains and catastrophic flood impacts on June 2007 being particularly memorable.

'Normally the east sides of England and Scotland are relatively sheltered from prevailing rain-bearing weather systems that come in from the Atlantic, but this doesn't always apply if the weather systems stall or take a different trajectory.'

A total of 13 areas broke their daily rainfall records for October last week, while reports of floods to the Environment Agency reached the highest level since 2015/16

More than 300 flood warnings were issued and hundreds of people have been left homeless, with about 1,250 properties in England flooded

Ms Coffey's explanation also provoked an angry response from the Lib Dems, who said she should 'get a grip' and 'stop blaming everyone else for her failings'.

It is true, however, that western parts of the UK tend to experience more rainfall than the East, as is the case with the North rather than the South.

Richard Washington, a professor in climate science at the University of Oxford, was more sympathetic to the Cabinet minister's reasoning.

'I can see what the Environment Secretary was saying,' he told MailOnline.

'It is not that the storm wasn't forecast  more that the planning and positioning of assets to deal with extreme weather is generally set up for the more usual conditions we experience. And rightly so.

'Our rainy and windy weather does normally come from the west, usually bound up in low pressure systems which move from west to east.

'Babet also travelled from west to east but had a centre right over England and that changed the winds and weather patterns.'

Among the areas where heavy downpours are common are northwest England  especially the Lake District in Cumbria and western facing slopes of the Pennines  and western and mid-Wales  particularly the mountainous Snowdonia region in the north.

Parts of Northern Ireland and southwest England  mainly the higher elevation areas of Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor  also get a lot of rain.

Ms Coffey, who was previously deputy prime minister, told MPs a 'rapid review' would be carried out to assess the handling of Storm Babet's impact

The graphic above shows how the jet stream works and where it is located between seasons

Explaining why this is the case, the Met Office said 'the prevailing warm moist westerly winds mean the west of the UK is more likely to receive rainfall from Atlantic weather systems.

'These usually move from west to east across the UK and as they do so the amount of rainfall they deposit reduces.

'This is because the mountains of the northern and western UK force the prevailing westerly winds to rise, which cools the air and consequently enhances the formation of cloud and rain in these locations.'

The jet stream  a fast moving strip of air high up in the atmosphere  is also responsible for steering weather systems towards the UK from the Atlantic.

It has a warm side to the south and a cold side to the north and can have a major impact on what kind of weather we experience.

At least seven people are now thought to have died amid the carnage brought by Storm Babet.

A total of 13 areas broke their daily rainfall records for October last week, while reports of floods to the Environment Agency reached the highest level since 2015/16.

More than 300 flood warnings were issued and hundreds of people have been left homeless, with about 1,250 properties in England flooded.

Ms Coffey, who was previously deputy prime minister, told MPs a 'rapid review' would be carried out to assess the handling of Storm Babet's impact.

She suggested it had been harder to predict where resources were needed due to direction from which the devastating rain arrived.

Responding to her comments, the Liberal Democrats' environment spokesperson Tim Farron, said: 'This is a new low for an environment secretary that cannot help but say or do the wrong thing.

'Therese Coffey blaming the wind for the government's failure to protect homes from flooding would almost be comical if so many had not suffered so deeply at the hands of her incompetence.'
It's a staple feature in kitchens around the world, but it turns out you might be using your fridge wrong.

A new report has revealed that 17 per cent of us keep our fridge at the wrong temperature.

Researchers from RMIT University in Australia say that while the recommended range is 27C (35.644.6F), almost a fifth of households keep their appliance warmer or cooler than this.

Dr Bhavna Middha, lead author of the study, said: 'When food is too warm, bacteria multiply too fast.

'When food is too cold, it can freeze or get freezer burn. Both conditions lead to food spoiling.'

A new report has revealed that 17 per cent of us keep our fridge at the wrong temperature (stock image)

According to Wrap, 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted in Britain every year - 70 per cent of which was intended to be consumed by people.

'The food that could have been eaten would make the equivalent of over 15 billion meals  enough to feed the entire UK population 3 meals a day for 11 weeks,' it explains on its website.

With households known to be significant contributors to this food waste, the researchers set out to understand the role our fridges play in our food waste behaviours.

The team monitored the fridge and freezer temperatures in 56 households.

They found that 17 per cent of the fridges were warmer or cooler than the recommended range, and also recorded inconsistent temperatures across the different fridge levels.

Some shelves were found to reach 10C (50F), while others dropped as low as -1.1C (30F).

Some fridges were found to reach 10C (50F), while others dropped as low as -1.1C (30F) (stock image)

What's your food waste style? Warriors - 39% H ave low food waste or avoid it, and sort it sustainably

Tend to be older, retired people who live in small, adult-only households Strugglers - 20% Have high food waste, and medium levels of sorting

Tend to be parents with busy lifestyles, who are managing a household with children Slackers - 41% Have low food waste, but sort little of it sustainably

Tend to be young people who live in small households Advertisement

'Our research found households in general are unaware their fridges could be making their food spoil faster, especially if the fridge temperature is warmer than the standard,' said Dr Middha.

'Most households blamed their own behaviours, such as reading the use-by date wrong, before considering their fridge might be the culprit.'

Things were even worse for freezers, which should be kept at between -15C and -20C (5F and -4F), according to the researchers.

Almost half (43 per cent) of the freezers tested were warmer or cooler than this range.

Based on the findings, the researchers are calling for better food storage information for consumers.

'Many households we interviewed said conflicting information about how long food can be kept in the fridge meant a lot of leftovers and uncooked meat was discarded just in case it was unsafe to consume,' said Dr Middha.

'A one-stop advice platform for food storage could be a really useful tool to combat all the conflicting food storage advice that's confusing households.'

According to Wrap, there are several other things your household can do to reduce your food waste.

This includes using a portion planner and swapping out fresh foods for frozen options which last much longer.

'By cutting food waste the average UK household can save 500 each year and positively contribute to the UK's waste reduction targets,' Wrap said.
With its simple mix of ingredients and high nutritional value, it's no surprise pasta is one of the most popular foods in the world.

Despite dating back thousands of years, the age-old question still remains  which pasta shape is the best for holding sauce?

To mark World Pasta Day, MailOnline turned to online AI tool ChatGPT for the answer, and it came up with some controversial results.

Top of the list was cascatelli, a relatively new pasta from America with a curved shape and distinctive ruffles, deliberately designed to carry sauce.

Also in the top six were spaghetti, penne and the 'bow tie' pasta farfalle  but an expert claims a lot depends on the type of sauce too.

According to ChatGPT, the best pasta for holding sauce is cascatelli, a relatively new invention from the US

READ MORE Science of the perfect pasta Chemists reveal how salt and no oil is key Advertisement

'Creamier sauces typically pair better with a wider, flatter shape,' Dr Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, told MailOnline.

'The thinner oil based sauces typically go with the longer thinner noodles, or twisty ones so that the thin sauce sticks.

'Hollow centres are for soup, thin sauces or baked dishes, or the bigger ones go well with chunkier, heartier sauces too.

'Some people are very strict about which pasta goes with which sauce, but its ok to experiment to find your own favourite.'

Cascatelle roughly translates from Italian to 'little waterfalls' and a look at the bizarre shape reveals why.

The unique design consists of a flat but curved strip with ruffles either side, creating what has been described as a 'sauce trough' with barriers.

But this is no Italian creation; Cascatelli was invented in 2021 by US food podcaster Dan Pashman with the express purpose of holding onto sauce better.

He worked with US pasta company Sfoglini to produce the product, which in the UK is mainly available online and is harder to find in the supermarkets.

Cascatelle (pictured) was invented in 2021 by US podcast host Dan Pashman (pictured). The name roughly translates from Italian to 'little waterfalls'

Cascatelle (pictured) was invented in 2021 by a US podcast host. The name roughly translates from Italian to 'little waterfalls'

Surprisingly, despite its slender shape and notable lack of crevices, spaghetti was placed second on ChatGPT's list

READ MORE How to keep pasta fresh for an extra MONTH A team in Italy developed the technique Advertisement

'My goal was to create a legitimately great shape that would stand the test of time and that could be mass-produced and sold,' Mr Pashman told Inverse.

According to Pashman, Cascatelli also has excellent 'forkability' (meaning it's easy to get on the fork and keep it there) and 'toothsinkability' (it's satisfying to bite into).

Surprisingly, despite its slender shape and notable lack of crevices, spaghetti was placed second on ChatGPT's list.

The chatbot said the long strands are 'perfect for wrapping around and holding onto sauce' and the shape 'creates an excellent surface area for the sauce to cling to'.

Next up was fettuccine, meaning 'little ribbons' in Italian, which is long just like spaghetti but has a broader and flatter surface.

Fettuccine also has a rough texture, which helps the sauce adhere to the pasta, preventing it from sliding off, as well as a thickness that lets it absorb plenty of moisture.

A British favourite, penne, was at number four, followed by rigatoni  both of which are cylindrical and so provide a little crevice to hold sauce within.

Fettuccine (pictured) is the name for the flat, thick noodles with generally the same length as spaghetti. The name means 'little ribbons' in Italian

Farfalle, or bowtie pasta, has a unique design that 'catches lighter sauces and is often used in pasta salads

Penne and rigatoni are both cylindrical and so provide a little crevice to hold the sauce within

They also have small ridges lining the exterior, which act as platforms for little chunks and increase the surface area for sauce absorption.

Last on the list was farfalle, shaped like bows or butterfly wings, which ChatGPT said has a unique design that 'catches lighter sauces and is often used in pasta salads'.

A special mention was also given for orecchiette, which means 'little ears' in Italian, a concave pasta that's good for scooping up thicker, chunkier sauces.

While pasta is widely thought to have come from Italy, many claim it actually originated in China, although there are plenty of Italians who dispute this.

Venetian merchant Marco Polo brought it back to Italy after visiting the Asian country in the 13th century, according to legend.

Archaeologists have also found evidence to suggest that central Asia may have been eating noodles for thousands of years.
Like Earth, much of Mars' rocky insides remain somewhat of a mystery because the planet's interior is inaccessible to humans.

But a major new breakthrough could yet provide new insights into how Mars formed, evolved and became the barren world it is today.

That's because two new studies have helped to uncover a previously unknown molten layer wrapped around the planet's core.

The scientists involved compared it to a 'heating blanket' and say the discovery suggests the Martian core is likely to be smaller and denser than previously thought.

Their findings have been described as 'the most accurate and precise estimates so far of Mars' core and mantle structure'.

The inside of Mars: Data from NASA's Insight lander has helped to discover a molten layer wrapped around the Red Planet's core

Cutting open the Red Planet: Scientists compared it to a 'heating blanket' and say the revelation suggests the Martian core is likely to be smaller and denser than previously thought

MARS: THE BASICS Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, with a 'near-dead' dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Mars is also a dynamic planet with seasons, polar ice caps, canyons, extinct volcanoes, and evidence that it was even more active in the past. It is one of the most explored planets in the solar system and the only planet humans have sent rovers to explore. One day on Mars takes a little over 24 hours and a year is 687 Earth days. Facts and Figures Orbital period: 687 days Surface area: 55.91 million mi Distance from Sun: 145 million miles Gravity: 3.721 m/s Radius: 2,106 miles Moons: Phobos, Deimos Advertisement

Vedran Lekic, a professor of geology at the University of Maryland and co-author of one of the new studies, said: 'The blanket not only insulates the heat coming from the core and prevents the core from cooling, but also concentrates radioactive elements whose decay generates heat.

'And when that happens, the core is likely to be unable to produce the convective motions that would create a magnetic field  which can explain why Mars currently doesn't have an active magnetic field around it.'

Experts believe Mars once had a similar magnetic field to Earth which shut down billions of years ago and left behind only patches of magnetism thanks to magnetised minerals in the Martian crust.

Without a protective shield surrounding it, the Red Planet would then have been extremely vulnerable to harsh solar winds, causing it to lose all water on its surface and making it incapable of sustaining life.

Lekic believes the difference in internal make-up between Earth and Mars is likely to explain why the two planets took very different evolutionary paths, leading to life forming on Earth around 3.7 billion years ago.

'The thermal blanketing of Mars' metallic core by the liquid layer at the base of the mantle implies that external sources are necessary to generate the magnetic field recorded in the Martian crust during the first 500 to 800 million years of its evolution,' said the paper's lead author Henri Samuel, of the French National Center for Scientific Research.

'These sources could be energetic impacts or core motion generated by gravitational interactions with ancient satellites which have since then disappeared.'

The researchers added that the results would help to further scientists' understanding of how terrestrial planets such as Mars and the Earth form, as well as revealing more about what they are made of.

The Red Planet's internal structure was originally mapped by NASA's InSight mission  a probe which landed on Mars in November 2018 and concluded its mission last year.

Conclusion: The new studies support theories that Mars was once a molten ocean of magma which later crystallised to produce a layer of silicate melt enriched in iron and radioactive elements at the base of the planet's mantle

However, scientists are still pouring over data from the mission.

This is what helped to uncover the existence of a thin layer of molten silicates  rock-forming minerals which make up the crust and mantle of both the Earth and Mars  surrounding the Red Planet's liquid iron core.

With the new discovery of this layer, the researchers concluded that Mars' core is likely to be both denser and smaller than previous estimates indicated.

This assumption is also backed up by geophysical data and analysis of Martian meteorites.

A separate new study led by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland also suggests that the liquid iron core is in fact surrounded by a 93-mile (150km)-thick layer of near-molten silicate rock, the top of which was wrongly thought to be the surface of the core.

How Mars evolved: The heat coming from these radioactive elements would have dramatically altered the thermal evolution and cooling history of the Martian world, experts say

Analysis of measurements from InSight suggested in 2021 that Mars had a low-density core made up of liquid iron and lighter elements such as sulfur, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.

However, this doesn't fit with estimates of how abundant such lighter elements were at the time the Red Planet was formed.

The new studies support theories that Mars was once a molten ocean of magma which later crystallised to produce a layer of silicate melt enriched in iron and radioactive elements at the base of the planet's mantle.

The heat coming from these radioactive elements would then have dramatically altered the thermal evolution and cooling history of the Martian world, experts say.

'These layers, if widespread, can have pretty big consequences for the rest of the planet,' Lekic said.

'Their existence can help tell us whether magnetic fields can be generated and maintained, how planets cool over time, and also how the dynamics of their interiors change over time.'

The two new studies have been published in the journal Nature here and here.
The US government has deemed 18 of the 169 volcanoes as 'very high threats'

America is home to 169 volcanoes that extend miles within the ground, waiting to awaken, but experts have classified 18 as the highest threat to the nation.

The sleeping giants are located in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, American Samoa and Alaska, with some experienced explosions in recent years.

The report from the US Geological Survey (USGS) notes that 13 of the volcanoes are located in densely populated and highly developed areas, and the rest sit in places that would disrupt international aviation if they were to erupt.

One specifically is a supervolcano in California, the Long Valley Caldera, which has not exploded in 760,000 years but has been hit with swarms of earthquakes recently- experts have said these are 'precursors for an eruption.'

America is home to 169 volcanoes that extend miles within the ground, waiting to awaken, but experts have classified 18 as the highest threat to the nation. The sleeping giants are located in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii and Alaska, with some experienced explosions in recent years

The US is one of the most volcanic countries in the world, containing more than 10 percent of Earth's active volcanos.

It is also home to three of the world's 20 supervolcanoes - Yellowstone, Long Valley Caldera and the Valles Caldera.

The survey was released in 2018 but is the most updated risk assessment conducted by USGS and builds on the previous report published in 2005.

Experts are constantly monitoring Wyoming's Yellowstone Caldera as some believe it is overdue for an eruption.

But, the report listed the supervolcano 21st in the assessment.

The most dangerous is Hawaii's Kilauea, which erupted on January 5, 2023, when the USGS raised the alert level due to signs magma was moving below the summit surface, an indication the volcano might erupt.

The volcano has frequent eruptions that are usually nonexplosive, but Kilauea had 50 explosive events in May 1924 during a two-and-a-half-week period and spewed ash and 10-ton rocks into the sky, leaving one man dead.

The most dangerous is Hawaii's Kilauea, which erupted on January 5, 2023 (pictured). Kilauea had 50 explosive events in May 1924 during a two-and-a-half-week period

Mount St Helens in Washington ranked second, but its magma is inherently more explosive than the Kilauea magma

An eruption in 2018 destroyed more than 700 homes and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Mount St Helens in Washington ranked second, but its magma is inherently more explosive than the Kilauea magma.

This is because the Washington State volcano has more water swirling around inside, which provides more pressure to release the magma.

Mount St Helens released its fury on May 18, 1980, one month after scientists noticed 'great amounts of ground shaking and avalanching caused by local earthquakes.'

At least 57 people were killed, 230 square miles of land were destroyed, 200 homes were demolished, and miles and miles of highways were ruined - accounting for more than $1 billion in damages.

Also on the list are Washington's Mount Rainer (last erupted in 1894), Mount Baker (last erupted in 1843) and Glacier Peak (last erupted in 1700).

Also on the list are Washington's Mount Rainer (last erupted in 1894), Mount Baker (last erupted in 1843) and Glacier Peak (last erupted in 1700). Mount Rainier (pictured) has produced at least four eruptions and numerous lahars in the past 4,000 years

Alaska's Redoubt Volcano erupted on March 22, 2009, when it sent ash plumes nine miles into the sky. This disaster forced a pause of national and international flights

Mount Rainier in Pierce County, located in the Seattle metropolitan area, has produced at least four eruptions and numerous lahars in the past 4,000 years.

Alaska's Redoubt Volcano ranked fourth in the assessment, which is an active stratovolcano in the largely volcanic Aleutian Range

It last erupted on March 22, 2009, when it sent plumes of ash nine miles into the sky, forcing air travel to stop - this is a major aviation route for national and international flights.

Data collected 40 to 50 earthquakes were striking every hour.

Before this disaster, Redoubt Volcano exploded over four months from 1989 to 1990.

USGS also determined Alaska's Akutan Island, Makushin Volcano, Mount Spurr and Augustine Volcano are 'very high threat' volcanoes.

Mount Shasta, California was listed as number five in the assessment, which has not pushed magma to the surface in 3,200 years

The state has over 130 volcanoes, with 54 considered historically active - they have exploded in the last 300 years.

Mount Shasta, California was listed as number five in the assessment, which has not pushed magma to the surface in 3,200 years.

'Mount Shasta erupts episodically with ten or more eruptions occurring in short (500-2,000 year) time periods separated by long intervals (3,000-5,000 years) with few or no eruptions,' according to the USGS.

Scientists have said that Mount Shasta has erupted an average of every 600 years, with the last significant eruption occurring in 1786.

Scientists at Tuft University assessed the potential hazards that would occur if Mount Shasta blew.

'Four towns will be destroyed when Mount Shasta erupts: Dunsmuir, McCloud, Mount Shasta, and Weed. Weed will be the town most significantly affected by lahar flooding, losing over 43 percent of its total urban area, followed by McCloud, which will lose 42 percent,' reads the study.

'In total, 9112 people will need to be evacuated from these urban areas.'

The four locations would also be buried in over 4,000 feet of ash.

USGS's 2018 survey also listed California's Lassen volcanic center, which had 150 explosions in 1915, and the state's supervolcano, Long Valley Caldera.

Long Valley Caldera erupted about 700,000 years ago, forming the caldera and producing pyroclastic flows that traveled 40 miles from the vent and covered about 932 miles.

California's Long Valley Caldera has not exploded in 760,000 years but has been hit with swarms of earthquakes recently - experts have said these are 'precursors for an eruption'

Scientists detected three earthquakes south of the caldera and one beneath the structure in May 1980, marking the beginning of an unrest that continued into the 1990s.

READ MORE: Yellowstone's supervolcano - that would cause mass destruction when it erupts next - holds up to TWICE as much magma than previously believed, study finds Previous images showed a low concentration of only 10 percent, but the new research observed that 16 to 20 percent of the caldera contains magma. Advertisement

And swarms of earthquakes have plagued Long Valley since.

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) published a study this week about Long Valley's seismic activity, revealing that more than 2,000quakes have rumbled through the area in recent years.

While swarms are precursors for an eruption, the team found the recent seismic activity results from fluids and gases released as the area cools off and settles down.

However, other scientists like Rob Nelson warn the caldera is gearing up to explode.

'There are worrying signals of probable volcanic activity,' Nelson said in Science Channel's 'Secrets of the Underground' documentary.

'And hints are pointing to an impending eruption strewn over this valley - the location of North America's second-largest explosive volcanic eruption.'

Experts at the USGS recently determined that 240 cubic miles of magma are sitting beneath a California volcano.

If all the magma were to erupt at once, it would release 800 times the volume of materials than Mount St Helen.

Oregon's Mount Hood was ranked sixth, which last erupted in 1866, due to sitting close to rapidly growing communities and recreation areas.

The USGS shows that the odds of an eruption in the next 30 years are between three and seven percent.

'A significant eruption of Mount Hood, such as an eruption of lava domes that collapse to form pyroclastic flows and lahars, would displace several thousand residents and cause billion-dollar-scale damage to infrastructure and buildings,' the agency shared.

Oregon's Three Sisters, Newberry Volcano and Crater Lake volcanoes are also high threats.

Along with Hawaii's Kilauea, the state's Mauna Loa volcano is also mentioned in the assessment - ranked 16th.

Mauna Loa is the world's largest volcano on the south-central part of the main island. The formation last erupted on November 27, 2022 and ended on December 13. Pictured is the volcano erupting on December 3

Mauna Loa is the world's largest volcano on the south-central part of the main island.

The formation last erupted on November 27, 2022 and ended on December 13.

This was the first eruption since 1984, which lasted for two days and produced lava flows that reached within about four miles of Hilo, a city that's home to about 44,000 people today.

The USGS assessment is based on 15 hazard factors, including the type of volcano, the known frequency of eruptions, the threat of triggering a tsunami, and the potential for volcanic mudslides or lahars.

The rankings also consider nine so-called exposure factors related to the threats to local communities, such as past fatalities and nearby population density.

Each volcano gets rankings for these factors contributing to its final overall hazard score.

The final list is divided into five categories based on the threat level: very high, high, moderate, low and very low.

'The threat ranking is not an indication of which volcano will erupt next,' according to the USGS report.

'Rather, it indicates how severe the impacts might be from future eruptions at any given volcano.'
A travel vlogger says to 'forget Blue Lagoon' and visit another picturesque Icelandic spa she insists 'no one talks about'.

Em Sheldon documented her visit to Skogarboo, known as the 'Forest Lagoon', located near the town of Akureyri.

In a video on her TikTok account, the travel vlogger said: 'Everyone goes to Iceland and talks about going to Blue Lagoon and I have to say I have never heard anyone talk about this spa'.

'You're essentially just tucked in a little forest and it's just pristine. The water is perfectly warm, thermally heated and it really feels like you're in nature'.

She added that the luxurious facilities also included a plunge pool, an 'insane' sauna, a hot tub and Icelandic water available to drink if you are bathing in the heated springs.

Posting a video to her account on TikTok , Em Sheldon documented her visit to Skogarboo, known as the 'Forest Lagoon', located near the town of Akureyri in northern Iceland

Summing up her time at Forest Lagoon, Ms Sheldon said: 'This is bucket list must-do. It was so special and no-one is talking about it'.

Her video, which has been viewed more than 250,000 times, has been met with positivity by users who have stayed at Forest Lagoon themselves.

One user wrote: 'Went last year. Forest Lagoon is SO BEAUTIFUL'. A second commented: 'We went there to watch the Auroras and it was stunning!' Another posted: 'I was here in March - so stunning!!! Loved how quiet it was'.

Opening in April 2022, Forest Lagoon is surrounded by trees, which is rare for anywhere in Iceland, as just three per cent of the country's landmass is categorised as woodland.

You can also witness the spectacular Northern Lights from the pool's waters.

The pool - in the town of Akureyri, northern Iceland - is connected to walking trails in the trees, so that you can enjoy the serene surroundings before or after a dip in its naturally warm waters

When you fancy taking a relaxing soak, you are spoilt for choice between the forest lagoon (which is naturally kept at balmy temperatures of 39C to 42C), an infinity-edge oasis, a cold plunge pool and a sauna.

As well as being a blissful offering for anyone visiting Iceland, Skogarboo was built with sustainability front and centre of the project.

All the building materials were chosen to be environmentally friendly, sustainable and responsibly sourced, with no chemicals added to the water.

Plus, all cleaning materials are eco-friendly, and on-site shampoos and soaps are organic.

The Skogarboo project began by accident in 2015, when the nearby construction of the new Vaolaheioi mountain tunnel hit a geothermal water source.
One of the most dangerous roads in Britain has been claimed to be 'riddled with ghosts' following a series of spooky incidents.

The Kirkstone Pass, located in the Lake District, has been referred to as 'The Struggle' by local residents, because of its sharp bends and steep slopes.

The road, which runs from Ambleside in the Rothay Valley to Patterdale in nearby Ullswater, is also home to The Kirkstone Inn, which some have claimed is haunted.

The inn, which dates back to the 15th century and is believed to be connected to a monastery, was known locally for over four hundred years as 'The Travellers Rest'.

The Kirkstone Pass (pictured) has been referred to as 'The Struggle' by local residents, because of its sharp bends and steep slopes

The Kirkstone Pass can be seen here above Bortherswater in the Lake District

Allegedly, many visitors over the years have reported ghostly experiences, according to LADBible.

A name that crops up repeatedly when it comes to claims of ghosts in the area is that of a woman named Ruth Ray.

Ruth, from Patterdale, a young mother, was said to be travelling in stormy weather to visit her sick father and was accompanied by her baby daughter.

Although she only needed to travel the short distance from Patterdale to Ambleside, it is claimed that Ruth never returned home.

Concerned by the pair's lengthy absence, her husband sent out a search party to look for Ruth and their daughter.

While out looking for the pair, the group found that they had been caught in a snowstorm, which saw Ruth supposedly freeze to death near Ambleside.

Despite her tragic death, it is said that her daughter came out of the storm alive because she was so well wrapped up by her mother.

The Kirkstone Pass has been closed several times throughout 2023 to upgrade and improve the safety of the A592 from Windermere to the A66 near Rheged, amid increasing concerns surrounding the safety of the road in the Lake District.

One of the most dangerous roads in Britain, it has been claimed to be 'riddled with ghosts' following a series of spooky incidents

Since 2018, Westmorland and Furness Council has undertaken extensive survey works on the A592 route in an attempt to improve road safety.

Following design development work, a number of individual resurfacing schemes were completed in 2022, including work from Brackenrigg to Waterfoot Junction.

Works on the A592 are expected to be completed throughout 2024, according to the council's website.
Arnold Schwarzenegger linked arms with his girlfriend Heather Milligan as the couple was seen stepping out of private members' club Annabel's in London on Tuesday night.

The Austrian-born Hollywood icon, 76, looked smart in a black shirt, matching jacket and denim.

The bearded Terminator sensation added brown leather boots, as he was captured exiting the lavish club alongside his partner.

Meanwhile Heather, 48, donned a black jacket with dazzling beaded embellishments.

The physiotherapist flaunted her ageless figure as she opted for a total black with top and elegant trousers.

Couple: Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, linked arms with his girlfriend Heather Milligan, 48, as the couple was seen stepping out of private members' club Annabel's in London on Tuesday

Looking great: The Austrian-born Hollywood icon looked smart in a black shirt, matching jacket and denim

The Elite OrthoSport founder added class to her ensemble with nude stiletto heels, and carried a black bag.

Heather wore her platinum locks in a perfect blow-dry, and donned a lightning make-up look.

The couple appeared in good spirits as they made their way out, following the actor's busy day at the London Palladium.

Earlier in the day, the former bodybuilder graced the stage for an Evening With Arnold Schwarzenegger presented by Fane - where he chatted to Jake Humphrey.

During the event the Total Recall star promoted and discussed his new book Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.

The former Governor of California looked in his highest spirit while taking to stage.

There he is: Arnold was pictured arriving back at his London hotel on Wednesday

He's a popular man: He was mobbed by fans as he made his way inside

Looking the part: Arnold cut a smart figure in his checked jacket and khaki trousers

According to a description of the book from Amazon, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life details 'the seven rules to follow to realize your true purpose in life - distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone.'

Speaking to People about the book earlier in the month, Schwarzenegger was asked about key advice he's received from costars throughout the years.

He said he learned considerably about the craft of acting working alongside Oscar winners Sally Field and Jeff Bridges in the 1976 film Stay Hungry.

Arnold said that it 'was absolute heaven to me to watch them perform, how smooth they were and how much I had to grow' as an actor.

He added the key was 'to be natural' and 'not to act,' adding, 'Its what made Sally Field start falling into tears and crying and throwing fits. It was really her.'

Schwarzenegger said that he idolized another Oscar winner in Clint Eastwood 'because he was kind of Mr. Cool.

'His approach of not being noisy, that he was able to listen, I always loved that,' he said. 'Because I always thought that theres something to be said about listening.'

The book description cited the actor's 'stratospheric success' in the fields of bodybuilding, Hollywood and politics, saying that 'this did not happen by accident' but rather 'happened as part of a process.

'As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnolds father hammered into him above all: be useful.

'As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his fathers adage close to his heart.'

Radiant: The couple appeared in good spirits as they made their way out, following the actor's busy day at the London Palladium

Busy day: Earlier in the day, the former bodybuilder graced the stage for an Evening with Arnold Schwarzenegger presented by Fane - where he chatted to Jake Humphrey

Self-help book: During the event the Total Recall star promoted and discussed his new book Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life

Merry: The former Governor of California looked in his highest spirit while taking to stage

A useful book: According to a description of the book from Amazon , Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life details 'the seven rules to follow to realize your true purpose in life - distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone'

Help: Speaking with People about the book earlier in the month, Schwarzenegger was asked about key advice he's received from costars throughout the years

Collaboration: He said he learned considerably about the craft of acting working alongside Oscar winners Sally Field and Jeff Bridges in the 1976 film Stay Hungry

Inspiring: Arnold said that it 'was absolute heaven to me to watch them perform, how smooth they were and how much I had to grow' as an actor

Working his way: The book description cited the actor's stratospheric success' in the fields of bodybuilding, Hollywood and politics, saying that 'this did not happen by accident' but rather 'happened as part of a process

Chatting on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert about his book, the actor revealed that he got help from a comedy legend, earlier this month.

The Twins star was asked by Stephen, 59, about working with the late comedian Milton Berle, who died at age 93 in March 2002 in Los Angeles.

Arnold shared that he met Milton at a party and the comedian suggested that they should work together.

'I said, ''I need your help, Milton''. Because I'm having to give speeches somewhere. I want to start the speech in a funny way, but I don't really know how to make funny jokes. How to really understand the American sense of humor. I have the German and the Austrian sense of humor, but not the American sense of humor,' Arnold said.

'Now he says, ''Oh, god, now I am becoming the teacher of this Nazi.'' He would be complaining. I don't know if I can do that. But he was lovely. We worked on lines,' Arnold said.

Arnold recalled a joke that Milton wrote for him when he's being given an award.

'They will give you an award, Arnold. And when you thank them for the award, just make a joke out of it. You say "As a body builder, I have gotten a lot of medals and a lot of trophies and awards. And this award here is the most recent'',' Arnold recalled Milton telling him.

'He would come to me after. He was there in the audience, he comes to me afterward and says "You stupid idiot. Why do you say ''most recent'' right away?'' He said that's not the way the line goes. You see how I put dots and pauses. So you go out. You say, ''I have won a lot of metals and trophies is a body building champion and a lot of awards. But this without a doubt is the most...recent." So he taught me about timing,' Arnold said while holding a coffee cup as an awards prop.

'It's all about timing. So, he would beat me up all the time about it. Idiot, Nazi, and all these types of things he called me. But the bottom line is he was always so helpful writing me jokes, writing lines in movies, funny lines in movies. He was an absolute jewel. He came to my engagement party, the wedding and everything like that. Hung out in the house. Brought a lot of cigars. He was a big cigar smoker. He brought me a lot of cigars. One of those wonderful relationships that formed over the years,' Arnold said.

In December 2007, Arnold as California Governor and First Lady Maria Shriver, 67, inducted Berle into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

He admitted that he was a 'probably strict' father last week during a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this month.

'Well, it depends what your definition is. For I think the way I grew up, I was lenient. But I think for American standards probably strict,' said Arnold, who has children Katherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 30, and Christopher, 26, with ex-wife Maria.

Jimmy, 55, asked Arnold for an example of what would be considered strict in his household.

'I think the thing that my kids bring up most often is that my son, for instance, did not make his bed. He had his nanny make the bed, which was not allowed,' Arnold said.

'I said the kids have to make their own bed. They have to scrub their own showers. They have to clean their own toilet, and they have to wash their own clothes,' he continued as the studio audience in Los Angles applauded.

'So, I came in one time and the bed was made so immaculately that I looked at it and said, ''Patrick, did you do that?'' And he said, ''No, I didn't.'' So I grabbed the mattress, opened up the doors, grabbed the mattress and threw it out the balcony and down into the swimming pool,' Arnold said.

Comedy help: Chatting on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert about his book, Arnold revealed that he got help from a comedy legend Milton Berle, who died at age 93 in March 2002 in Los Angeles

Worked together: Arnold is shown in November 1996 with Milton Berle in Beverly Hills, California

Late comedian: A May 2002 memorial tribute for Milton featured Arnold speaking

He added that Patrick had to drag the mattress and pillows back up.

Arnold, who also has son Joseph Baena, 26, from his affair with housekeeper Mildred Baena, additionally shared with Jimmy the time that he burned Katherine's shoes in the fireplace after she failed to put them away multiple times.

'Those are the kind of things I do with the kids,' Arnold said.
Love Island star Leah Taylor is ready to date again and says she's on the hunt for a husband following her split from Montel McKenzie.

The influencer, 27, told MailOnline that she hasn't been put off men after her romance with Montel came to an abrupt end amid speculation that he had been unfaithful once they left the ITV2 villa.

In fact, the former contestant is eager to meet someone new and says she hopes her next boyfriend will be the man she marries.

Leah previously explained that she 'doesn't forgive twice' after she excused Montel's behaviour in Casa Amor, and felt he had repeated the same errors in the real world.

And now she's said the dating experience made her realise that she doesn't want to 'waste time on something that isn't going to be serious' because she's ready to meet the right person.

Love Island star Leah Taylor is ready to date again and says she's on the hunt for a husband following her split from Montel McKenzie

The influencer told MailOnline that she hasn't been put off men after her romance with Montel came to an abrupt end amid speculation that he had been unfaithful once they left the villa

The former contestant is eager to meet someone new and says she hopes her next boyfriend will be the man she marries

The pair met on Love Island this summer but their romance ended shortly after they left the villa and Leah later said she wasn't prepared to forgive Montel 'twice'

Leah told MailOnline: 'I am genuinely at a place where I feel healed, and I am ready to date again. I would love to meet someone.

'Right now, I don't have the time for a relationship and I'm also so fussy, I want the next man I'm with to be my husband and that is so much pressure.

'I am not rushing it but I'm definitely open to finding someone now. I am at a point now where I am not trying to waste my own time on something that isn't going to be serious.

'When I'm dating now, I am dating with more intention. I feel like if I found the right person, I would be open to settling down now. I'm going to start manifesting it.'

Leah felt betrayed by Montel after watching footage back of his flirtations with Casa Amor bombshell Tink Reading, saying their romance eventually ended because he demonstrated the same traits outside of the villa.

The new boohoo ambassador, who models her winter edit in MailOnline's exclusive photos, admits while she's open to finding someone, she has ruled out doing another dating show and wouldn't even be tempted by Love Island: All Stars.

She said: 'I don't know if I will do another dating show... Right now, everything feels too soon.

'I feel like I am so fresh out of the villa, it has literally been around three months... I am not looking to go back into that villa anytime soon.'

The new boohoo ambassador, who models her winter edit in MailOnline's exclusive photos, admits while she's open to finding someone, she has ruled out doing another dating show

Leah stuns in her new 36-piece range for online brand boohoo, which features knitwear, outerwear, and comfy tracksuits ready for the winter season

The model flashed her thigh wearing a white dress and long coat with a fluffy trim in photos that she hopes will attract her new husband

Leah is close friends with Love Island alumni Maura Higgins, who starred on the series in 2019, and has since run the social media for the American season, filmed in Fiji

Leah is close friends with Love Island alumni Maura Higgins, who starred on the series in 2019, and has since run the social media for the American season, filmed in Fiji.

Explaining that she is 'grateful' to Maura for guiding her through the process, Leah expressed that having one of the show's best-known stars by her side was comforting because it's such a surreal experience.

She said: 'Maura was great... it is so amazing to have someone there that has been on the show and experienced it all because you can't even begin to describe it.

'I didn't even have to tell her; she just understood and got it. I'm so grateful to have a friend in Maura who knows what I'm speaking about all the time.'

Leah stuns in her new 36-piece range for online brand boohoo, which features knitwear, outerwear, and comfy tracksuits ready for the winter season.

The reality star says she is 'proud' because she has come 'full circle' with her career after promoting boohoo on her Instagram profile before she starred on Love Island to now working with the retailer on her own edit.

And Leah says the clothing line, which ranges from a size 6-16 and costs between 8-75, reflects her personal style and she's thrilled she was able to put her own touch on the items.

She said: 'I have worked with boohoo for a long time... I have always been a fan of theirs and for me it is such a full circle moment because they were the last brand that I posted about on my Instagram feed before I went into the Love Island villa.

'I have had a huge part in this collection... they handed over the reins in terms of styling and creative direction and the team did such a great job at pulling together my personality and how I do my content, even right down to the location and the way I shoot on camera, that was the vibe they wanted for the entire collection.

'It felt like I did what I normally do while collaborating with a massive brand, the process felt really natural and seamless.'
Sarah Beeny has revealed that she didn't even want to mention her breast cancer battle in her new book.

The TV presenter, 51, released her memoir The Simple Life: How I Found Home this year but has now told how she wanted to omit her health issues as she was reluctant for her cancer to be the 'defining thing in her life.

Sarah was given the all clear in April 2023 and in June she released her documentary Sarah Beeny vs. Cancer which detailed her cancer journey including her double mastectomy.

Speaking on the The Mid.Point podcast with Gabby Logan she said of the book: 'It's a funny journey and in some ways, it feels like I didn't want it to be the defining thing in my life.

'I didn't want to be 'Sarah Beeny had cancer'. I actually asked the publishers if I could not put it in and they said, 'no, that's not really going to work not putting it in'. I was like, 'really? Are you sure we have to put in?'.'

Having her say: Sarah Beeny has revealed that she didn't even want to mention her breast cancer battle in her new book

Candid: The TV presenter, 51, released her memoir this year but has now told how she wanted to omit her health issues as she didn't want her cancer to be the 'defining thing in her life

She added of how she dealt with her diagnosis and battle: 'My friends laugh about it, but they say that my coping mechanism is to pick up the carpet and sweep everything underneath and then pop it back down and then move on.

'I'm not saying it's how anyone else should be, it isn't; I'm sure many people would say that's terrible, and you should process it.

'We all own our own edit, I always think that's kind the interesting thing in a way about life; I've been lucky enough to live on the planet 51 years and I couldn't tell you anything about my life without taking 51 years to tell you about it, so I have to edit it down.

'Then you choose what you want to edit in and edit out, and I kind of like to edit in the good bits.

'I didn't really think cancer was a good bit, so I thought I would prefer to edit out, so when I wrote the book, I intentionally kept it to one chapter which I thought that way, you could just not read that chapter if you didn't want to.'

She also told how she had never imaged living past the age of 39 after her mother Ann died at that age from the same kind of cancer.

Sarah said: 'When I got my diagnosis, it was something that I'd always imagined I would get in a way, and yet dreaded at the same time.

'So, she died when she was 39, when I got to 40, I had a little tiny bit of a crisis because I was like, 'well, what do I do now?' It wasn't like I thought I was going to die. I just couldn't picture life past 39, so I got to 40 and was like, 'God, this is really weird, now what do you do?'.'

Good news: Sarah was given the all clear in April 2023 and in June released her documentary Sarah Beeny vs. Cancer which detailed her cancer journey and double mastectomy

Family life: Presenter Sarah has four children, sons Billy, 18, Charlie, 16, Rafferty, 14, and Laurie, 12

Sarah has four children, sons Billy, 18, Charlie, 16, Rafferty, 14, and Laurie, 12.

It comes after recently Sarah revealed she's undergone gene testing to determine her family's risk of developing cancer, after her own battle with the disease.

The star was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy.

But the star has been incredibly open about her journey and in a recent interview she discussed how she has now discovered she has a gene mutation which made her more likely to get the disease.

The results of the tests solidified Sarah's decision to get a double mastectomy rather than a single as the gene meant she had a 50/50 chance of getting cancer again in the future in the breast that wasn't already affected.

It also meant there is a 50/50 chance she will pass the gene on to her children, sons Billy, Charlie, Rafferty and Laurie.

Sarah discovered that while she was negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2, she tested positive for PALB2, which could have wider implications for her children and potential future grandchildren.

After the results of the test some of the star's family members decided to also get tested.

Her brother Diccon tested negative but her four sons are yet to get tested, while she also passed the information onto her auntie and cousins.

Sarah explained; 'I gave them the control, it's up to them what they do with it. It's a very personal decision. I like the control, others may not want to know.'

As well as opting for a double mastectomy, the star also intends to have her ovaries removed.

Explaining that the gene also means she has a marginal increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, she has decided that as it is only a day surgery and she is done having children she is booked in to have them removed.

In her new book The Simple Life: How I Found Home, the star spoke candidly about her cancer journey but said: 'It's just one thing in my life that's over now. I don't want it to be the one thing that people think about me in 10 years time.'

The property ladder presenter appeared on BBC Breakfast last month as she discussed how grateful she felt to have completed her treatment.

'I'm really lucky. I had a very lucky diagnosis, I'm lucky to live in the UK and I'm lucky to have the NHS. Lucky to be the age I am, so many things I'm grateful for to be honest,' Sarah said.

She said she still felt like the same person after her ordeal, but admitted it opened a 'box of demons' she was forced to confront.

She said: 'I was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, and honestly it didn't really change me at all.

'I mean it did obviously, because I had to go through treatment. But I would hate to think I'm a different person now.'

Fair: Speaking on the The Mid.Point podcast with Gabby Logan she said of the book: 'It's a funny journey and in some ways, it feels like I didn't want it to be the defining thing in my life'

Plan: She added of how she dealt with her diagnosis and battle: 'My friends laugh about it, but they say that my coping mechanism is to pick up the carpet and sweep everything underneath'

She admitted: 'I'm probably a lot less nervous of cancer now, because it was like the big bad wolf and now I'm like you just deal with it.

'The earlier the diagnosis the better the outcome, so you just need to get to the doctor quick.

'Treatment is amazing compared to 40 years ago and in 40 years' time it really will be nothing.'

The Mid.Point with Gabby Logan is available to listen to on all podcast platforms.
Brooke Blurton ensured all eyes were on her as she attended Melbourne Fashion Week on Tuesday.

The Bachelor star, 28, who is a proud Noongar/Yamatji woman, looked sensational in a uniquely cut skirt suit designed by the not-for-profit art centre Ikuntji Artists.

Brooke put on a leggy display in the high-waisted miniskirt paired with a matching jacket with structured shoulders, a low-cut collar and trendy splits up the side.

She accessorised with a quaint ivory clutch from Olga Berg, which featured a darling pearl handle.

It perfectly matched her staple silver earrings and strappy white Lana Wilkinson heels worth $240.

Brooke Blurton ensured all eyes were on her as she attended Melbourne Fashion Week on Tuesday

Brooke let her natural beauty do all the work with only a lick of lip gloss and bronzed eye shadow visible on her visage.

The brunette beauty's proud display comes just one week after she broke down sobbing over the recent No vote against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The Bachelor star, 28, who is a proud Noongar/Yamatji woman, looked sensational in a uniquely cut skirt suit designed by the not-for-profit art centre Ikuntji Artists

She became emotional as she spoke about the impact the vote had on the Indigenous girls she supports as a youth worker.

Shedding tears on her podcast Not So PG, Brooke told co-host Matty Mills she was 'devastated' by Australia's rejection of the Voice.

'It makes me feel like everything I have worked for has been completely diminished in this country, and I feel so f**king devastated,' she said, crying.

The Bachelor star, who is a proud Noongar/Yamatji woman, became emotional as she spoke about the impact the vote had on the Indigenous girls she works with

READ MORE: The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton shows off her dramatic new look and incredible figure in black dress after being dumped by mystery boyfriend Advertisement

She continued: 'I'm a First Nations person forefront. I f**king hate calling myself Australian.

'I do not think that I identify with that because that invitation was put to the Australian people and it was very f**king un-Australian of you to say No to us.'

Brooke went on to say she feels othered by the Australian people and sobbed as she revealed they make her 'feel like a disease'.

Struggling to talk through her tears, Brooke added that she 'feels scared' for the young 11-year-old Indigenous girls she works with as a youth worker.
Robert Irwin has bagged a whopping deal to co-host the upcoming season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here alongside Julia Morris.

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal the wildlife warrior, 19, is set to pocket almost half a million dollars for his month-and-a-half-long foray into the wilds of South Africa.

According to a well placed source at Channel 10, Irwin 'will earn over $430,000' from his six-week stint in the jungle, and they think he will be 'worth every cent'.

Given Robert's magnetic appeal and the adoration he commands from fans around the globe, the investment is poised to pay off handsomely for the network.

'His pairing with the witty and ever-entertaining Julia [Morris] has all the makings of a dynamic duo, promising viewers an unforgettable experience,' said the source.

Robert Irwin (pictured) has bagged a whopping deal to co-host the upcoming season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here alongside Julia Morris next year. Both pictured

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal the wildlife warrior, 19, is set to pocket almost half a million dollars for his month-and-a-half-long foray into the wilds of South Africa

Back in April, it was revealed that celebrities starring on the popular series are getting paid between $35,000 and $300,000.

Leading the pack is former rugby player and Bachelor star Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins reportedly pocketed between $250,000 to $300,000.

The next top billed star for 2023 was Kerri-Anne Kennerely, with the Aussie TV legend taking home $180,000 for her time in the jungle before she quit dramatically after just four days.

According to a well placed source at Channel 10, Irwin 'will earn over $430,000' from his six-week stint in the jungle, and they think he will be 'worth every cent'

Given Robert's magnetic appeal and the adoration he commands from fans around the globe, the investment is poised to pay off handsomely for the network

It comes days after it was revealed that the wildlife warrior beat out big names Sam Pang, Jimmy Rees, Curtis Stone, Beau Ryan and Tristan MacManus for the role.

The network had a hard task replacing popular Dr Chris Brown, with casting impressed with Robert's natural charm in the audition.

'He had charisma and spontaneity. He was funny and he had amazing instincts,' the insider said of the masterstroke move.

Despite being considered a frontrunner for the role, Logies' host Sam Pang turned it down after auditioning for it, claiming it wasn't for him. Pictured at this year's Logies

'It was actually part of the original brief back when Dr Chris got the job that animal experience was required - which Robert has in spades,' the insider continued.

Robert's experience with exotic animals also tested well on-screen.

'The live-work in the animal parks really showed [In his audition]. Producers were saying Robert will even eclipse his father's career on television.'

Comedian Jimmy Rees was suggested but proved not strong enough to take on the enormous role alongside co-host, Julia Morris. Pictured

Casting agents also weren't worried about the age difference between Robert, 19, and veteran host Julia Morris, 55, due to their natural chemistry.

'The age difference didn't feel weird and everyone including Julia was delighted - Robert had the maturity and the chops to match the skills needed for this role.'

A number of TV's biggest stars were auditioned for the highly-coveted role including Logies' host Sam Pang, who politely declined the TV gig.

Two screen tests also didn't bode well including with Studio Ten's Tristan MacManus and Beau Ryan, both didn't have the chemistry alongside Julia. Pictured: Beau Ryan

Comedian Jimmy Rees was suggested but proved not strong enough to take on the enormous role alongside Julia.

Two screen tests also didn't bode well including with Studio Ten's Tristan MacManus and Beau Ryan, both of whom didn't have the chemistry alongside Julia.

Beloved TV chef Curtis Stone was also flown into Australia to test for the role. I'm A Celeb alum, Miguel Maestre, also auditioned as a possible presenter.

Beloved TV chef Curtis Stone was flown to Australia to audition for the role, but it didn't eventuate. Pictured

Rumours have been circulating that Julia asked for co-host approval after she found out that Dr Chris was leaving the show.

'Julia was quick to add co-host approval to her contract as soon as she heard whispers Dr Chris Brown was out,' the insider claimed.

'Which was smart as she joined the network in not signing off on any of the men she had tested against,' they added.

Julia also won't be making any suggestive comments about Robert, as everyone knows that will not be looked upon unfavorably.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel 10 for comment.
Garcelle Beauvais, Lisa Rinna, Denise Richards and other Bravolebrities who posed for Playboy are giving fans an eyeful in newly resurfaced photos.

The sexy snaps are being re-introduced to the public on social media ahead of Wednesday's Season 13 debut of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Garcelle, 56, posed for the girly magazine for the August 2007 issue.

The Other Black Girl star said it was an empowering experience for her.

'It was a great thing because, first of all, not that many Black women are on the cover of Playboy  we can probably count them on one hand  so for me it was really an honor,' she told The Real in October 2020.

Resurfaced photos: Garcelle Beauvais, 56, and other Real Housewives alums are being featured in some newly re-surfaced Playboy pictures. The Other Black Girl actress posed for the magazine in 2007

The Coming to America star said she selected a sheer black teddy and wanted the shoot was on the deck of a ship.

'I got to pick my glam, I got to pick where we shot it,' she explained.

'I got to pick what I was willing to show and not show.'

Lisa Rinna, 60, posed for Playboy twice, once when she was pregnant in 1998 when she was pregnant with her daughter Delilah, now 25 and again in 2009.

The 2009 snaps by photographer Deborah Anderson pay homage to 1960s style glamor with the Days of Our Lives alum wearing a black and white negligee and high heel patent leather shoes.

Her chestnut brown hair was teased and lay in big curls around her face.

'The editors told Lisa that they havent had photographs in the magazine like this since they had Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts shooting for them,' Lisa's husband Harry Hamlin told TVGuide.com at the time.

Lisa left RHOBH at the end of Season 12.

Honor: 'It was a great thing because, first of all, not that many Black women are on the cover of Playboy  we can probably count them on one hand  so for me it was really an honor,' Garcelle told The Real in October 2020.

1960s glam: The 2009 snaps by photographer Deborah Anderson pay homage to 1960s style glamor with the Days of Our Lives alum wearing a black and white negligee and high heel patent leather shoes. Her chestnut brown hair was teased and lay in big curls around her face

Two covers: Lisa Rinna, 60, posed for Playboy twice, once when she was pregnant in 1998 when she was pregnant with her daughter Delilah, now 25 and again in 2009.

Holiday cheer: Denise Richards, 52, fronted the 2004 Christmas issue

Tropical: Inside the pages, she was attired in palm leaves, wearing a barely there bikini top. The reality star, who will make some guest appearances in season 13, looked fresh faced and the stylists braided greenery into her dark blonde hair

Denise Richards, 52, fronted the 2004 Christmas issue.

Inside the pages, she was attired in palm leaves, wearing a barely there bikini top.

The reality star, who will make some guest appearances in season 13, looked fresh faced and the stylists braided greenery into her dark blonde hair.

The actress said she has been open with her daughters, Sami, 19, and Lola, 18, whom she shared with ex-husband Charlie Sheen, and Eloise, 12, whom she adopted as a single mom.

Im honest with them,' she revealed on the Daddy Issues podcast in August 2019.

Seductive: Camille Grammer, 55, seductively sipped a bottle of water while wearing an unbuttoned blouse and lacy white bra in 2011

Already a housewife: RHONY's Kelly Bensimon was already in Real Houswives of New York when she made the cover model for the March 2010 issue. Her pictorial was shot by her ex-husband Gilles Bensimon

'They heard that I was in Playboy. I didnt even think that they would know what that is  [but] now kids can go on the internet and see all kinds of things.'

Camille Grammer, 55, will also be putting in a guest appearance of two in the new season of RHOBH.

The model seductively sipped a bottle of water while wearing an unbuttoned blouse and lacy white bra in 2011.

Her long blonde hair was tousled and she wore minimal makeup.

Frilly: Real Housewives of Miami star Joanna Krupa, 44, wore a see-though, frilly black nightie for her layout in 2009

Seeing red: Joanna Keough, 68, from Real Housewives of Orange County showed off her assets in a sheer red body suit for the December 1978 issue

Other Real Housewives alums have also strutted their stuff for the publication.

RHONY's Kelly Bensimon, 55, was the cover model for the March 2010 issue.

Her pictorial was shot by her ex-husband Gilles Bensimon.

Real Housewives of Miami star Joanna Krupa, 44, wore a see-though, frilly black nightie for her layout in 2009 and Joanna Keough, 68, from Real Housewives of Orange County showed off her assets in a sheer red body suit for the December 1978 issue.
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is renting out his sprawling six-bedroom beachfront spread in sun-kissed Malibu.

The 61-year-old will charge a staggering $95,000 a month for the pleasure of living in his west coast digs, according to Realtor.com.

He paid $8.6 million to snaffle up the Golden State property back in 2006 - the same year his band released their beloved single California Rest In Peace.

Chad's elegant backyard comes with a stone fire pit, a couple of deck chairs and a pool with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean below.

Whoever rents the house will have plenty of space to entertain friends for the night, as there are also two guesthouses and an outdoor kitchen on the grounds.

Living the life: Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is renting out his sprawling six-bedroom beachfront spread in sun-kissed Malibu

Raking it in: The 61-year-old will charge a staggering $95,000 a month for the pleasure of living in his west coast digs, according to Realtor.com

Naturally given the owner's profession, the pad includes a music room, among such amenities as a detached gym, a pool house and five bathrooms.

The stylishly appointed kitchen comes with marble-topped counters and a matching center island, plus windows looking out onto the backyard.

A trendily spare dining room is attached to a spacious living room complete with a mounted TV, a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace.

Done in a Mediterranean style, the house has been designed in pale, muted colors, including greys, whites and soft subtle browns.

In the master bathroom, the renter can luxuriate in the pleasures of a gold-legged marble bathtub, an open shower and easy outdoor access.

Chad owns the 1949-built residence with his wife Nancy, whom he tied the knot with in 2004 two years before they acquired the Malibu house as their marital home.

Nancy and Chad have three children together, in addition to which he has three older children from various prior relationships.

Chad has been the drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988, six years after the band first got together in Los Angeles.

Dazzling: Chad's elegant backyard comes with a stone fire pit, a couple of deck chairs and a pool with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean below

Gorgeous: In the master bathroom, the renter can luxuriate in the pleasures of a gold-legged marble bathtub, an open shower and easy outdoor access

Wow: He paid $8.6 million to snaffle up the Golden State property back in 2006 - the same year his band released their beloved single California Rest In Peace

Swanking about: A trendily spare dining room is attached to a spacious living room complete with a mounted TV, a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace

Deluxe: The stylishly appointed kitchen comes with marble-topped counters and a matching center island, plus windows looking out onto the backyard

While chatting to Sammy Hagar on AXS TV in late 2021, he was asked how long he felt the long-running group would be able to stay together.

'I dont know how long we can go,' the Minnesota-born musician reflected. 'As long as we keep loving what were doing and feel relevant, making new music, everyone is still passionate about being in the band.'

Chad continued: 'Were so f***ing fortunate and lucky people still come out and see us. I dont know why our music connects with people like that, but its a real gift and were so fortunate and we love it.'

He also shared that 'there isnt one guy' who comes up with the 'first idea' for the songs, elaborating that 'the most part its music first and lyrics and melody later, but no one ever brings in a finished song idea.'
When Holly Willoughby announced her departure from This Morning fans were left questioning who would replace her.

But, according to a new report, Abbey Clancy is among the favourites to step up and fill her shoes.

After 14-years of enormous success alongside Phillip Schofield, Holly, 42, stunned ITV executives by walking away from the coveted role after an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her was made public in October.

The WAG, 37, who is married to Peter Crouch, is said to 'be great on camera' which could prove 'a hit' with viewers of the day time television programme

A source has told The Sun: 'Abbey is great on camera - she comes across confidently and has an affable nature which would prove a hit with This Morning viewers.'

New role? Abbey Clancy (pictured), 37, is among favourites to replace Holly Willoughby, 42, on This Morning after the host announced her departure (pictured on This Morning this month)

Moving on: After 14-years of success alongside Phillip Schofield, Holly, 42, walked away from the coveted role after an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her was made public in October (Holly pictured last month)

They added: 'Shes one of the names that has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Holly.'

MailOnline has contacted Abbey's representative for comment.

When Holly stepped down from This Morning it created one of the most sought-after vacancies in television.

The show now finds itself searching for two long-term replacements and while some well-known names are throwing their hats in the ring, a relatively unknown is also emerging as one of the frontrunners.

Storm Huntley, 36, who presents segments on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine programme, is rumoured to be one of the favourites.

Much like Willoughby - who started her career knee-deep in custard pies and buckets of gunge on kids show Ministry Of Mayhem - her potential replacement also enjoyed a stint entertaining children on CBeebies, having worked on BAFTA nominated show Down On The Farm since 2015.

More recently she has appeared on Channel 5 debate show The Wright Stuff and Jeremy Vine, where she serves as co-host.

The Scottish host has a similarly clean-cut image to Willoughby, documenting her family life with her 15-month-old son Otis and rocker husband, Kerr Okan of indie band The LaFontaines, on social media.

Addressing rumours of her potential This Morning appointment last week, Huntley said on Instagram: 'Very flattering but I think there may be a scheduling issue there.'

Presenter: The WAG, who is married to Peter Crouch, is said to 'be great on camera' which could prove 'a hit' with viewers

Competition: Storm Huntley, 36, who presents segments on Channel 5 's Jeremy Vine programme, is also rumoured to be one of the favourites

Star: Part-time hosts Alison Hammond is also a fan favourite

Host: Josie Gibson could also step up to fill Holly's role

Familiar face: Rochelle Humes is another current part-time host who is in the running

A number of people are thought to be in the running for Willoughby's former role, among them part-time hosts Alison Hammond, Rochelle Humes, Josie Gibson as well as Kate Garraway and Davina McCall.

But PR guru Andy Barr told The Scottish Sun that advertisers would return to the show in their droves should Huntley be awarded the role.

He said: 'Storm Huntley is fast rising up the bookies odds to make the jump over to ITV's This Morning.

'Whilst all the speculation so far pits the job competition being between her and the ever-charismatic Alison Hammond, I do wonder if ITV is going to take the opportunity to give the format a complete makeover and lead with two female presenters to run the show. And why not?'
Jenelle Evans has defended her husband David Eason in the wake of his charge for child abuse after her son Jace, 14, went missing three times in six weeks.

The Teen Mom 2 star, 31, said the charge 'doesn't have anything to do with' Eason, 35, and claimed police were 'looking into the wrong person right now' in exclusive comments to DailyMail.com.

Evans shares Jace with ex Andrew Lewis and is also mother to son Kaiser, nine, with ex Nathan Griffith; and daughter Ensley, six, with Eason.

Since Jace's three attempts to run away, he has returned to the care of his maternal grandmother Barbara Evans, with whom he has lived for much of his life.

Evans said: 'The police are looking into the wrong person right now. There is a vile situation going on and its not pertaining my husband. This story is one sided and no interviews were conducted asking what happened when the incident occurred.

Defense: Jenelle Evans has defended her husband David Eason in the wake of his charge for child abuse after her son Jace, 14, went missing three times in six weeks (pictured 2019)

Mom and son: Evans shares Jace (pictured together) with ex Andrew Lewis and is also mother to son Kaiser, nine, with ex Nathan Griffith; and daughter Ensley, six, with Eason

'I cannot say any details at this time because this is about my sons mental health, not about my husband and I cannot stress that enough.

'Our time will come in court and we will have our day to present the evidence that has been adding up since 2017, and again it doesnt have anything to do with my husband.

'I would love privacy at this time for my own mental health and my familys well-being.'

The charge is a misdemeanor, TMZ reported Tuesday, adding that the probe against the Oak Island, North Carolina native and her husband began after Jace's third disappearance.

In a clip she filmed on Monday and posted to TikTok Tuesday, Jenelle slammed her mother, complained about getting harassed on social media, and physically stood by the side of Eason, who was seen in the closing seconds of the clip.

Comment: The Teen Mom 2 star, 31, said the charge 'doesn't have anything to do with' Eason, 35, and claimed police were 'looking into the wrong person right now' in exclusive comments to DailyMail.com

In her social media post, Jenelle said that she was getting a lot of 'feedback' on her social media posts and came to the conclusion that her followers hate her.

'Im just getting so much harassment and Im being called a piece of s*** mom [and] horrible mother,' Jenelle said.

She implied that her mother Barbara was the culprit behind the child abuse probe and charge against Eason, as well as the nasty fallout of the ongoing situation.

'All of these comments are stemming from one person who is spreading it - if you know who Im talking about,' she said.

Jenelle said that she was holding her tongue on the specifics on the case for the time being, and urged her followers to refrain from posting negative sentiments to her social media pages.

'This will all be over soon and then Ill be able to tell you guys the full truth and whats going on,' she said, 'but like right now, please just keep your comments to yourself because Im trying to keep my mental health in check.'

Jenelle said amid the trying times, she still had to 'go to work,' 'post content,' and 'make videos for you guys.'

She added, 'I want to keep you guys updated with real content and not just complaining or talking about my situation all the time.'

In a clip she filmed on Monday and posted to TikTok Tuesday, Jenelle slammed her mother, complained about getting harassed on social media, and physically stood by the side of Eason, who was seen in the closing seconds of the clip

Jenelle said she was 'getting so much harassment' and 'being called a piece of s*** mom [and] horrible mother' amid the child abuse probe and subsequent charge of Eason

Jenelle said that she was holding her tongue on the specifics on the case for the time being, and urged her followers to refrain from posting negative sentiments to her social media pages

She was seen posing alongside her embattled spouse Eason amid their family troubles

In a separate recording in the post, she said that she had 'been crying for 30 minutes' and was continuing to try and stay upbeat amid the difficult timeframe.

'I know youll see me all the time on TikTok and you're like, "Shes so happy she doesnt care" - I do care about whats going on, I just try not to film myself when I'm so depressed, you know?

'But I need to keep reminding myself Ive been through way worse in the past, and this will pass - this too shall pass.'

Jenelle then focused her ire on her mother Barbara - who she has had a mercurial relationship with over the years - saying she has broken the 'generational curse' in her family.

'I think what hurts me the most is that my own parent would do this to me, my own parent caused this whole storm, s*** storm - it just hurts because I would never treat my children that way,' she said.

Jenelle continued, 'I know that I will treat my children with love and respect and if they need my help, I will give them my help without making them feel like a burden.'

In a separate recording in the post, she said that she had 'been crying for 30 minutes' and was continuing to try and stay upbeat amid the difficult timeframe

Jenelle then focused her ire on her mother Barbara - who she has had a mercurial relationship with over the years - saying she has broken the 'generational curse' in her family

Jenelle and her mother Barbara were pictured in August of 2015 at the MTV VMAs in LA

Jenelle said, 'I think what hurts me the most is that my own parent would do this to me, my own parent caused this whole storm, s*** storm - it just hurts because I would never treat my children that way.' Pictured in LA in August of 2015

The couple was pictured October 15 at the Wilmington Gun & Knife Show in Wilmington, North Carolina in video published by TMZ, amid reports that 'criminal charges [were] likely' to be filed against them in connection with an assault and neglect probe by social workers.

The MTV personality and her husband brought children Kaiser and Ensley to the event, where weapons such as guns and knives are displayed for sale on tables, sources told the outlet, adding that Jace was not present for the outing.

Eason and Kaiser looked at items such as rifle scopes, gun holster and knives while at the weapons marketplace; while Ensley remained close to Evans, witnesses told the outlet.

Eason appeared 'to purchase a bulletproof vest for himself, and a wooden battle ax for Kaiser,' TMZ reported, citing witnesses.

Evans and her daughter spent about 20 minutes total at the show before leaving, onlookers told the outlet.

TMZ reported earlier this month that the CPS probe of Evans and Eason 'is in the final stages' and that it is probable that one or both are charged as a result.

The Ashley reported that at an October 11 custody hearing, Eason was removed from the courtroom.

In a previous hearing, Evans was prohibited from speaking with Jace, unless he initiated it, while Eason was forbidden to have any contact with the teen.

Charges: Evans and her husband were investigated after Jace claimed his stepfather assaulted him September 28

No contact: The court has ordered Jenelle to have no contact with Jace unless he initiates it. The judge ruled David cannot have any contact with the teen who is currently living with his grandmother, Barbara

Interesting: Jenelle made additional comments in the form of Instgram Stories posted on Tuesday

Law enforcement officials are investigating allegations that Eason assaulted Jace on September 28.

A source told The Sun that the following day, Jace was taken to the hospital, where doctors found marks on his arms and neck.

The source also alleged the physical interaction was captured on the doorbell camera at their home.

It appears that the probe appears to be expanding to include their other children as well, as Jace has claimed he is not the only one to be physically harmed.

'The judge asked a lot of questions about what Jace saw, and she took the allegations of abuse against the other minors in the home very seriously,' a source told the outlet.

Evans welcomed Jace in 2009 when she was just 17-years-old - she was filming 16 and Pregnant at the time and still in a relationship with his father, Lewis.

The former reality star regained custody of the teen earlier this year.

Eason shares son Kaiser, nine, with ex Griffith; a source told the outlet the boy had been having trouble at school.

Investigation: The investigation has expanded, and CPS investigators have been ordered to speak to Jenelle's other kids; Kaiser, nine, and Ensley, six, away from Jenelle and her husband Eason. David's daughter, Maryssa, 16, also lives with the family

'Kaiser was suspended from school for a week recently,' a source said. 'He's in third grade. It's not normal at all. The kids are acting out. And, it's a total cry for help.'

Eason's daughter, Maryssa, 16, also lives on the property, which they call The Land, with the family.

CPS investigators were allegedly prevented from speaking to Kaiser and Ensley when they came out to investigate.

'It was said in court that the first time CPS came, they didnt let them in,' a source told the outlet. 'The second time [they came] David thought they were trespassers and threatened to shoot them and the third time, they came in, but Jenelle only allowed the kids to be interviewed while she was present.

Per the judge's ruling on Wednesday, 'The kids will now be interviewed away from Jenelle.'

Depending on the result of the investigation, both Evans and Eason could be facing charges for neglect and assault, according to TMZ.

Another hearing has been set for later this month to determine how Jace's living situation with his grandmother is going.
Real Housewives of Sydney star Caroline Gaultier has horrified fans of the series after seemingly smirking while telling a horrifying story about the death of a pony.

The socialite was sharing how she'd hired a pony for her daughter's birthday party, but it never showed up to the event.

'We had magical pony parties, but that pony died,' she explained to producers.

'It was a unicorn party and we hired a little pony, and on the way he accidentally fell out the back of the truck and died,' she continued with an awkward smirk.

'Yes, dressed up in a unicorn outfit,' Caroline added.

Real Housewives of Sydney star Caroline Gaultier has horrified fans of the series after seemingly smirking while telling a horrifying story about the death of a pony

The brunette beauty told the story again on Nova's Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel, calling the experience 'really traumatic' because she had to hide the animal's gruesome death from her young daughter Aria.

Laughing about the incident, she said that she heard about the Pony's demise on the news that night.

'My husband goes, "Um, Caroline, they've just scraped up a pony off the highway and he was dressed like a unicorn."

'Apparently he accidentally fell out the back of the truck in full costume.'

Laughing about the incident, she said that she heard about the Pony's demise on the news that night. 'Apparently he accidentally fell out the back of the truck in full costume,' she said

She later said that the aftermath would've been 'rainbow and blood everywhere.'

Real Housewives of Sydney fans were shocked by the story, with many flooding to social media to express their distaste over it.

'There is not one single thing that is smirk-worthy about that,' wrote one.

'That is a horrible story to tell! The sly smirk at the end doesn't do her any favours either,' added another.

'That isn't funny and her reaction is grotesque,' said one.

She later said that the aftermath would've been 'rainbow and blood everywhere'

However, some viewers saw the funny side of the situation, with one gushing, 'I love her! That's so deranged.'

Another laughed, 'Caroline is a queen!' followed by a crown emoji and a heart emoji.

The Real Housewives of Sydney's new season is currently streaming in Australia on Binge.
Molly Ringwald was joined by her stylish daughter Mathilda Ereni Gianopoulos at the American Ballet Theater Fall Gala in New York on Tuesday.

The Breakfast Club star, 55 - who recently got candid about cancel culture - stunned in a floor-length champagne glittering gown, which she paired with a nude clutch and pointed-toe red heels.

The actress' auburn tresses were pinned up in a chic updo for the event, hosted at the Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater. As for glam, she rocked a bright red lipstick and smokey eyeshadow.

Meanwhile Mathilda, 20, dazzled in a sparkling silver above-the-knee dress with open-toe nude heels.

This year's gala honored journalist Katie Couric, 66, for 'her dedication to creativity and the incredible generosity she's extended to ABT over many years.'

Mother and daughter duo: Molly Ringwald, 55, was joined by her stylish daughter Mathilda, 20, as they attended the American Ballet Theater Fall Gala in New York on Tuesday

Eldest daughter: The mother and daughter duo sparkled in glittering sequin dresses. Molly shares Mathilda, and 14-year-old twins Roman and Adele, with husband Panio Gianopoulos

Mathilda wore her raven tresses cascading down her shoulders and back, and opted for dark blue eyeshadow to highlight her eyes.

Molly shares Mathilda with writer husband Panio Gianopoulos, 48.

The couple tied the knot in 2007 and have a total of three kids together. Aside from Mathilda they are also parents to 14-year-old twins Roman and Adele.

The Brat Pack actress opened up in 2021 on Sirius XM's Radio Andy about raising her kids, and whether or not she's showed them her early movies.

'It definitely is a different time. People ask me if I've watched them with my kids, and I did watch the first one ... with Mathilda,' she said.

'And it was such an emotional experience that I haven't found that strength to watch it with my two other kids,' she added.

Mathilda is following in her mother's footsteps as an actress, and earned her first film role in Michael Showalter's film 'The Idea of You', currently in post-production, and starring Anne Hathaway.

Ringwald told Yahoo! News in August 2021: 'My [eldest] daughter wants to be an actress. She's pretty serious about it.'

In 2017, Mathilda also made her modeling debut with a campaign for J. Crew, and was part of Andrew Warren's New York Fashion Week show in 2020.

Stylish: The Breakfast Club star stunned in a floor-length champagne glittering gown, which she paired with a nude clutch and pointed-toe red heels

Sparkling: The actress' auburn tresses were pinned up in a chic updo. As for glam, she rocked a bright red lipstick and smokey eyeshadow

Mingling: While at the gala the ladies also posed with designer Zac Posen, 43, and his ballet dancer partner Harrison Ball

Honoree: This year's gala honored journalist Katie Couric , 66, for 'her dedication to creativity and the incredible generosity she's extended to ABT over many years'

Belle of the ball! Katie, wowed in a colorful floral sleeveless ball gown

While at the gala the ladies also posed with designer Zac Posen, 43, and his ballet dancer partner Harrison Ball. The dapper pair matched in black suits and a bowties.

The gala's honoree, Katie, wowed in a colorful floral sleeveless ball gown. She wore her blonde tresses parted on the side and lightly curled.

The founder of Katie Couric Media spruced up her look with dangling gold earrings.

She was joined by her handsome husband John Molner, 60, who looked sharp in a dark grey suit.

Annette Bening, 65, showed off her effortlessly cool style in a chic black suit and a matching crossbody bag.

The Academy Award nominee - who is the wife of Warren Beatty - paired the outfit with pointed-toe black heels.

The actress accessorized with a pair of eyeglasses and wore her short tresses partly brushed back.

Real Housewives of New York star Brynn Whitfield, 36, took the plunge in a skintight black gown with a low-cut silver-trim neckline.

The beauty finalized her outfit with black heels featuring sparkling silver bows.

She wore her brunette strands in loose locks and rocked a bright red lipstick for the night, matching her fiery nail polish.

Taking the plunge! Real Housewives of New York star Brynn Whitfield, 36, took the plunge in a skintight black gown with a low-cut silver-trim neckline

Red hot! She wore her brunette strands in loose locks and rocked a bright red lipstick for the night, matching her fiery nail polish

Stunning: Candace Bushnell, 64, wowed in a pale blue and silver gown with a cape. The author and journalist styled her light blond tresses in curls

Shimmering perfection! Ubah Hassan, 40, had all eyes on her in a one-shoulder silver gown with a sizzling thigh-high slit in the front

Beauty: The Somali model paired the ensemble with silver heels and dangling silver earrings

Red carpet debut! Ubah made her public red carpet debut with German investment banker beau Oliver Dachsel

Glamorous duo: Dachsel looked sharp in a navy suit and bow tie

Loved-up: The stylish duo looked loved-up at the event

Effortless: Annette Bening, 65, showed off her effortlessly cool style in a chic black suit and a matching crossbody bag

Looking good: The Academy Award nominee - who is the wife of Warren Beatty - accessorized with a pair of eyeglasses and wore her short tresses partly brushed back

Classy: Pritika Swarup, wowed in a classy black silk gown with matching elbow-length gloves, while Ballet dancer Gillian Murphy, 44, sparkled in a red and black dress

Candace Bushnell, 64, wowed in a pale blue and silver gown with a cape.

The author and journalist - who wrote a column for The New York Observer that was later adapted into the bestselling Sex and the City anthology and HBO series - styled her light blond tresses in curls.

Ubah Hassan, 40, had all eyes on her in a one-shoulder silver gown with a sizzling thigh-high slit in the front. The Somali model paired the ensemble with silver heels and dangling silver earrings.

At the event Ubah made her public red carpet debut with German investment banker beau Oliver Dachsel, who looked sharp in a navy suit and bow tie.

The loved-up couple held hand and cozied up to each other in front of the shutterbugs.

Pritika Swarup, wowed in a classy black silk gown with matching elbow-length gloves.

Ballet dancer Gillian Murphy, 44, sparkled in a red and black dress, which she paired with a gold clutch.

Isadora Loyola opted for a pop of color in a lime yellow skintight dress with a cut-out in the middle. She accessorized the outfit with matching elbow-length gloves.

American theatrical producer Jordan Roth, 47, wore a dramatic blue velvet ball gown, and was joined by his partner Richie Jackson, 58, who rocked a black suit.

Dancer Devon Teuscher was the essence of sophistication in a neutral gown with a plunging neckline, which she teamed with a white Valentino clutch.

Sophisticated: Dancer Devon Teuscher was the essence of sophistication in a neutral gown, while Isadora Loyola opted for a pop of color in a lime yellow skintight dress

A vision! Erica Lall showed off her enviable figure in a deep green silk gown

Fashionable: Tommy Dorfman, 31, rocked a white corset and a black maxi skirt

All in the details: The 13 Reasons Why accessorized with a diamond necklace

Lilac Queen: Ukrainian ballet dancer Christine Shevchenko, 35, was a vision in a lilac embroidered gown and was accompanied by beau Alex Dimattia

Bringing the drama! American theatrical producer Jordan Roth, 47, wore a dramatic blue velvet ball gown, and was joined by his partner Richie Jackson, 58, who rocked a black suit

Erica Lall showed off her enviable figure in a deep green silk gown.

Tommy Dorfman, 31, rocked a white corset and a black maxi skirt. The 13 Reasons Why accessorized with a diamond necklace.

Ukrainian ballet dancer Christine Shevchenko, 35, was a vision in a lilac embroidered gown and was accompanied by beau Alex Dimattia.

Aside from honoring Katie, the gala will also celebrate The Shubert Foundation, 'the nations largest funder of unrestricted grants to not-for-profit dance and theater companies.'

Attendees will be treated to a show featuring all of ABTs star Principal Dancers, who will perform excerpts from famed choreographers Harald Lander, Kenneth MacMillan, and Antony Tudor.
A Married At First Sight cast member set to appear on next year's season has been left red-faced after they attempted to cash in on their soon-to-be fame.

Before even making their TV debut, the groom tried to leverage their imminent fame to bag a complimentary meal at Eastern Suburbs hotspot, Coogee Pavilion, but was rejected.

An insider told Daily Mail Australia that their attempt was 'cringeworthy to watch'.

'It was really embarrassing,' laughed the source. 'The audacity of asking for a table, boasting about their upcoming MAFS stint, thinking it would get them a free pass.'

It's unclear if the groom attempted to make a booking for himself, or his cast mates.

An unnamed Married At First Sight cast member set to appear on next year's season has been left red-faced after they attempted to cash in on their soon to be fame. Pictured: Collins Christian

Before even making their TV debut, the groom tried to leverage their imminent fame to bag a complimentary meal at Eastern Suburbs hotspot, Coogee Pavilion, (pictured) but was rejected

The yet-to-be-identified cast member threatened to take their offer elsewhere, but the restaurant didn't change their mind.

'Coogee Pav does not do free meals for influencers and they definitely won't for a MAFS star,' said the source.

It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed that despite bosses claiming the series will be less 'screechy and shouty', season 11 has been the most chaotic series to film.

The upcoming season will be rocked by a cheating scandal, will see multiple cast members walking out and another 'revenge porn' incident.

The MAFS 2024 cast are said to be the 'worst behaved cast to date' - or so they've been told - and were scolded by producers on a number of occasions.

An insider told Daily Mail Australia that their attempt was 'cringeworthy to watch'. 'It was really embarrassing,' laughed the source. 'The audacity of asking for a table, boasting about their upcoming MAFS stint, thinking it would get them a free pass.' Pictured: Olivia Frazer

It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed that despite bosses claiming the series will be less 'screechy and shouty', season 11 has been the most chaotic series to film. Pictured: Sara Mesa and husband Tim Calwell

Despite bosses claiming the series will be less 'screechy and shouty', Daily Mail Australia can reveal that season 11 has been the most chaotic series to film to date. Pictured: Jack Dunkley

Runaway brides and grooms

A number of cast members abruptly quit the show, leaving the producers scrambling to pick up the pieces to the puzzle.

Simon Flocco, an Adelaide-based restaurant manager, almost 'derailed' the show's plans to highlight a same-sex couple after he pulled out days before his wedding.

Casting producers were able to find a last-minute replacement and brought the couple in as intruders.

Another insider whispered about a mystery bride who ditched her vows, not even giving the romance a chance.

'She was having none of it, and I think she was regretting ever signing up for the show,' said the source.

The upcoming series will be rocked by a cheating scandal, will see multiple cast members walking out of the show and another 'revenge porn' incident

Adelaide-based restaurant manager Simon Flocco, pictured, almost 'derailed' the show's plans to highlight a same-sex couple after he pulled out days before his wedding

Cheating scandal

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the new series will be rocked by a cheating scandal.

It seems one groom's world is about to get shattered when he finds out about his bride's secret rendezvous.

Season 11's dinner parties will be also 'the most explosive viewers have seen in years'.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the new series will be rocked by a cheating scandal. Season 11's dinner parties will be 'the most explosive viewers have seen in years'

Explosive fights and feuds

Brides Lauren Dunn, Sara Mesa, Eden Harper, and Tori Adams are four names viewers won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Lauren and Sara in particular have been the life of the party, driving up the drama factor every week.

'They aren't afraid of confrontation and were often praised by producers for making the show,' dished the spy.

Lauren's not one to shy away from confrontations as personal trainer Jack Dunkley is about to find out.

Brides Lauren Dunn, Sara Mesa, Eden Harper, and Tori Adams are four names viewers won't be forgetting anytime soon. (Lauren and Sara pictured hanging out during a filming break)

Lauren (pictured) and Sara have been the life of the party, driving up the drama factor every week. Lauren's not one to shy away from confrontations, as Jack Dunkley is about to find out

'Revenge porn' scandal

In a troubling twist, a groom is facing fierce backlash for sharing intimate snaps of an ex at a gym.

The mystery groom is said to have been outed by a co-star he once considered a 'friend' at a dinner party.

The jury's still out on whether this storyline will make the final cut, but the air was tense when relationship expert John Aiken berated the groom for his 'disrespect'.

New look

After filming previous seasons at Skye Suites on Kent Street in Sydney's CBD, this year producers have moved the cast to Green Square - the posh neighbourhood just a quick 10-minute dash from the airport.

According to whispers around the set, relocating was the producer's desperate attempt to keep the stars of the show from going AWOL.

'Last year was just a mess,' dished one spy.

After filming previous seasons at Skye Suites on Kent Street in Sydney's CBD, this year producers have moved the cast to Green Square - the posh neighbourhood just a quick 10-minute dash from the airport. Pictured: Jack with his wife Tori Adams

According to whispers around the set, relocating was the producer's desperate attempt to keep the stars of the show from going AWOL. Pictured: Timothy Smith

'Some cast members slipped out the fire escape and didn't return until the birds chirped at sunrise - they wanted to put a stop to that.'

Fresh accommodation wasn't the only thing that Channel Nine decided to switch up.

Season 11 will see the newlyweds travel to Byron Bay for three days for a mini getaway, where things will no doubly reach boiling point for some.

Married At First Sight will return to screens on Channel Nine in January, right after the Australian Open.
Lauren Manzo took to her Instagram on Tuesday to discuss her husband Vito Scalia's decision to file for divorce in September, after eight-years of marriage.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 35, posted a candid video, sharing she was in Italy for her brother's wedding, as she addressed her and Scalia's, 37, split.

The reality TV beauty said the marriage 'has been done for a very long time' and the divorce is something the couple had decided on together.

She revealed they didn't announce it publicly for the sake of their six-year-old daughter Marchesa's privacy.

'By now you guys have seen the news that has broken. I just want to let you guys know: we're all good. This has been done for a very long time,' she said at the start of the clip.

Latest: Lauren Manzo, 35, took to her Instagram on Tuesday to discuss her husband Vito Scalia's, 37, decision to file for divorce in September, after eight-years of marriage

'Done for a long time': The RHONJ star said the marriage 'has been done for a very long time' and divorce is something the couple had decided on together; seen in 2014

She went on: 'The last part of the process was filing. We were on the same page. This is something that we did together.'

'Vito and I have a lot of love and respect for each other. We continue to move forward as a family. All that matters to us is that our daughter is happy and healthy.'

'Her privacy is important to us. We haven't been on TV in seven years, which is why we did not feel the need for some dramatic announcement.'

She stated once more, 'We continue to move forward with love and respect for each other, and we'll always be a family.'

'That's it. It's about our daughter and her privacy, because she didn't ask to be on TV, we did.'

In the caption of the video she simply left a red heart emoji.

Scalia cited 'irreconcilable differences' with Manzo in divorce documents he filed in New Jersey September 5, The Sun reported on Monday.

Scalia, a restauranteur, said in court docs that he and Manzo had ongoing problems 'for a period of at least six months,' which led to 'the breakdown of their marriage.'

Privacy: Lauren revealed they didn't announce the divorce publicly for the sake of their six-year-old daughter Marchesa's privacy

Getting candid: The reality TV beauty posted a candid video, sharing she was in Italy for her brother's wedding, as she addressed her and Scalia's split

Mutual decision: 'We were on the same page. This is something that we did together,' she said

Family: 'Vito and I have a lot of love and respect for each other. We continue to move forward as a family. All that matters to us is that our daughter is happy and healthy'

No drama: 'Her [Marchesa's] privacy is important to us. We haven't been on TV in seven years, which is why we did not feel the need for some dramatic announcement'

Scalia said in the court docs - which were served to Manzo September 29 - that it had been 'apparent that the marriage should be dissolved,' as 'there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.'

Days after Manzo had been served with the divorce docs, The Sun reported, a lawyer representing the reality star told the court that he would represent her in regards to future legal proceedings in regards to custody and support.

Manzo's lawyer said that he was overseeing 'all financial related issues, including, without limitation, alimony, equitable distribution, and counsel fees,' the outlet reported

The Sun reported that Scalia had submit to the court a Marital Settlement Agreement this past July, ahead of the divorce filing.

Manzo, who revealed earlier this year she has lost 80 pounds, touched on the topic of her marital discord indirectly this past summer when a fan asked her on social media about where Scalia had been.

Manzo said that she was 'allowed to keep aspects of [her] life private, especially after having a child,' according to The Sun.

The Sun reported that 'it appears the former couple still lives together in Wayne, New Jersey,' as their addresses listed in divorced documents were identical.

The pair initially exchanged vows in June of 2015 at St. Cyril's Church in New York City, followed by a reception at The Brownstone Restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey.

Irreconcilable differences: Scalia cited 'irreconcilable differences' with Manzo in divorce documents he filed in New Jersey September 5, The Sun reported on Monday

As they were: The pair initially exchanged vows in June of 2015 at St. Cyril's Church in New York City

Reception: Their wedding was followed by a reception at The Brownstone Restaurant in New Jersey

How they met: The former pair, pictured on Watch What Happens Live in 2015, initially crossed paths through Manzo's brother Albie, who was a classmate of Scalia's at Fordham University

The proceedings were filmed and broadcast on Bravo.

Scalia addressed rumors of marital discord in January of 2018, telling Page Six that murmurs of a split had been 'absolutely not true.'

He subsequently said in a Facebook post: 'We just dont put our relationship on social media and people cant seem to understand that. We are perfect!!!!!!'

Scalia and Manzo initially crossed paths through Manzo's brother Albie, who was a classmate of Scalia's at Fordham University; and got engaged in November 2013.

Lauren is the daughter of former RHONJ star Caroline Manzo, and appeared on her spinoff Manzo'd with Children during its three-year run on Bravo from 2014 to 2016.
Kylie Jenner is expanding her billion dollar business empire with a new venture  a clothing line named Khy.

The makeup mogul, 26, announced her new fashion project via her Instagram on Tuesday, with a sizzling snap captioned, 'meet khy.'

In the photo the reality TV star  who's currently dating actor Timothee Chalamet  was seated on the floor, wearing a long black leather trench coat with undone zippers on the sides showing off her toned legs.

The raven-haired beauty accessorized her outfit with bright red pumps, and wore soft bronze makeup and dark red lipstick on her pout.

The Kardashians star also tagged Khy's official Instagram account, which features two snaps of her as well as a link to the brand's official website.

Growing her empire! Kylie Jenner, 26, announced that she is expanding her billion dollar business empire with a clothing line named Khy, as she shared a sizzling snap to her Instagram

New business venture: The makeup mogul revealed her new fashion project on Tuesday, as she launched the brand's official Instagram account with a number of new snaps

The first snap shows Kylie from the back, wearing the same dark oversized trench coat, which is belted at the waist.

The garment features a high collar and large vintage-style sleeves.

'Coming soon. sign up at khy.com,' reads the caption.

The next image shows a blurry shot of her walking down the street in the background, with the brand's name spelled out in large white letters.

The Instagram bio for the page reads 'coming soon.'

The brand also posted a short clip of Kylie modeling the trench coat. The video began with her faced away from the camera, before turning to the side.

In the clip the mom-of-two had her black tresses slicked into a chic bun.

Meanwhile the website for the new brand features the shot of Jenner from the back, and offers users the option to sign up for 'early access.'

The website does not state the date of the official release, or the early access release.

Edgy fashion: The brand also posted a short clip of Kylie modeling the trench coat to their Stories

Mysterious: One image shows a blurry shot of her walking down the street in the background, with the brand's name spelled out in large white letters

Unknown: The website for the new brand features Jenner and offers users the option to sign up for 'early access.' The website does not state the date of the official release

Collaboration? It was reported in July that Jenner is working with married business couple Emma and Jens Grede; seen in 2019

SKIMS success: The pair already work with Kylie's sister, Kim Kardashian, on her successful brand SKIMS, as well as he sister Khloe on her Good American brand; Kim seen promoting SKIMS

Kylie's 398M followers were thrilled with the announcement, with her best friend Anastasia Karanikolaou commenting 'yupppp.'

'Is this an alter ego?' another inquired in regards to the brand's name.

'Please be kind to our pockets,' someone else added, though the price range for the brand is currently unknown.

Celebrity hairstylist Jesus Guerrero added, 'Nice to meet you khy!'

Someone else speculated whether Jenner's announcement had something to do with what her niece, North West, said during a social media livestream.

'Is this the brand north was talking about on live? hahahaa,' the user asked.

Puck News previously reported in July that Jenner was working with Emma and Jens Grede - the married business couple who work with her sister Kim Kardashian on her successful brand SKIMS, as well as he sister Khloe Kardashian on her Good American brand.

Though Jenner is most known for her makeup empire, she has previously collaborated with her sister Kendall Jenner for a fashion line with PacSun back in 2012.

Jenner launched her lip kits three years later, taking the cosmetic industry by storm.

Crimson queen: Her makeup company Kylie Cosmetics, which she founded in 2014, propelled her into making the cover of Forbes as the 'youngest self-made female billionaire'

Making deals: In 2019 she sold a majority stake of Kylie Cosmetics to Coty

Legacy: As for the future of the brand, she previously shared that daughter Stormi, four, might take over one day. 'Maybe she will take over Kylie Cosmetics one day? Only if she wants to,' she shared in an interview with tmrw magazine

The brand's success propelled her into making the cover of Forbes as the 'youngest self-made female billionaire.'

In 2019 she sold a majority stake of Kylie Cosmetics to Coty.

As for the future of the brand, she previously shared that daughter Stormi, four, might take over one day.

'Stormi is my legacy. I'm raising her to be smart and kind and driven. Maybe she will take over Kylie Cosmetics one day? Only if she wants to,' she shared in an interview with tmrw magazine.

The mogul shares Stormi and one-year-old son Aire with rapper ex boyfriend Travis Scott, 32.

She has since moved on with Call Me By Your Name star Timothee, to whom she was first romantically linked in April.
Sofia Vergara reunited with her former Modern Family costars Julie Bowen and Jesse Tyler Ferguson this week.

The 51-year-old media personality  who was spotted out with a studly surgeon after her split from ex-husband Joe Manganiello  shared outtakes from the catch-up with her 31.6 million Instagram followers on Tuesday evening.

Julie, 53, Jesse, 48, and his husband Justin Mikita, 38, visited Vergara's mansion, where they spent time on her patio and in her extravagant walk-in closet.

Sofia captioned one post, 'Afternoon with some of my favorite people in the world! I luv u @jessetyler @justinmikita @itsjuliebowen.'

In a second post she shared more photos and said, 'Come back soooon!!!!! I missed uuu.'

Crew: Sofia Vergara reunited with her former Modern Family costars Julie Bowen and Jesse Tyler Ferguson this week; pictured with Jesse's husband Justin Mikita

The 51-year-old media personality shared outtakes from the catch-up with her 31.6 million Instagram followers on Tuesday evening

The posts quickly racked up tens of thousands of likes from the trio's collective fans.

For the casual occasion with her friends, Sofia wore wide-leg, high-waisted green trousers and a black blouse.

She looked typically stunning with her long, dark hair arranged in a perfect center part as he flowed straight down her back.

The hostess was fully made up with her full brows neatly shaped, her lashes fluttery, and warm tones on her cheeks and pout.

Julie wore a low-key, loose-fitting, button-up white shirt with a pair of dark pants and her blonde hair was loose.

Jesse sported a horizontally striped black and white T-shirt while his husband made a fashion statement in a wine and black striped blazer.

Sofia shared a photo of Julie with her arms affectionately thrown around Jesse's shoulders as they admired her many designer threads.

And Justin couldn't contain his excitement as he snapped a photo with rows of Sofia's lavish heels.

Wow! Julie, 53, and Jesse, 48, visited Vergara's mansion, where they spent time in her extravagant walk-in closet

Shoe fanatic: Justin couldn't contain his excitement as he snapped a photo with rows of Sofia's designer heels

Sofia's followers were quick to point out the black and white photo of her and Julie, which was a reference to a Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren photo.

Vergara also used Instagram Stories to share an image of a cheese spread, cake, and wine as she tagged businesses Valerie Cuisine and Sophisticated Spreads.

The hangout comes two months after Julie said she would like to spend time with Sofia during an interview with E! News.

When asked if they would potentially get together for a night of dancing, she replied, 'I would like that very much.'

She playfully added, 'Oh, but she would be so mad at me because I can't dance.

'She's such a good dancer. She just does this slow hip roll for hours. And that's a lot of what hanging out with her isit's slow rolling it for a long time.'

And about Sofia navigating life as a single woman once again, Julie had nothing but kind words for her friend.

'I have no doubt that if she wishes to be in a relationship she will be, but she sure dont need one,' she said to the outlet.

Decorative piece: Sofia's followers were quick to point out the black and white photo of her and Julie, which was a reference to a Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren photo

Great host: Vergara also shared an image of a cheese spread, cake, and wine

Breakup: Sofia and ex-husband Joe Manganiello split in July after seven years of marriage

Manganiello, 46, and Vergara tied the knot in 2015 and never had children together.

After seven years of marriage, they announced their divorce in a joint statement shared with Page Six.

They said: 'We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.'

Days ago the Colombian-born actress stepped out with a male companion for a night out in Beverly Hills.

Her evening with the silver fox  whom Page Six identified as orthopedic surgeon Justin Saliman  was the first time Sofia was seen publicly with a date since her split in July.
The late Len Goodman was honored in an emotional dance that elicited tears on Tuesday's edition of Dancing with the Stars, with his wife Sue Barrett in attendance.

Goodman, a regular on the ABC series between 2005 until 2022, died in April at 78 after battling bone cancer, about four months after he retired from his judging post on the ballroom competition.

Co-host Julianne Hough and judge Derek Hough were prominently featured in the segment featuring the tribute to the English dance professional, that aired in the middle of the program.

The segment featured a number of the show's alums including Mark Ballas, Maks Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, Karina Smirnoff, Anna Trebunskaya, Edyta Sliwinska and Louis van Amstel.

The segment included testimonials from the dancers as they spoke about learning under Goodman's tutelage.

The latest: The late Len Goodman was honored in an emotional dance that elicited tears on Tuesday's edition of Dancing with the Stars, with his wife Sue Barrett in attendance

'One of the things I'm most thankful for is being able to judge alongside Len,' Derek Hough said, weeping. 'I was able to spend a little more extra time with him and for that, I'm really thankful.'

Chmerkovskiy commented on how Goodman set the bar high, making the good times all the more rewarding.

'Getting criticized by Len was never easy but getting that 10 made it all worth it,' he said.

The professional dancers performed in a routine to Moon River from Henry Mancini put together by Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy, saying it was a favorite of the late judge.

At the conclusion of the routine, a spotlight was placed in the chair where Goodman formerly sat, leading the audience to rise and applaud amid the weepy eyes.

The impassioned exhibition ended with a voiceover from the beloved late TV personality, saying, 'All good things have to come to an end.'

Prior to the outing, Smirnoff, 45, told People that alums of the series were 'excited and grateful' to be able to pay memorial to their late colleague.

'To come back and read that love letter or dance that love letter to him, saying thank you for his input into our world, I think it's a no-brainer,' Smirnoff said. 'We are all excited and grateful to have that opportunity and for the show to be able to give that to us.'

The show's Bruno Tonioli held back tears on the emotional night honoring Goodman

Tears were flowing amid the emotional segment paying tribute to the late dance judge

Judge Derek Hough were prominently featured in the segment featuring the tribute to the English dance professional aired in the middle of the program.

The professional dancers performed in a routine to Moon River from Henry Mancini put together by Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy, saying it was a favorite of the late judge

Maks Chmerkovskiy said that he wouldn't be who he was 'without Len,' adding, 'That's the reality.'

'So whenever there's an opportunity to pay respect, I think I would love to be a part of that,' he told the outlet.

The show, in its 32nd season, announced last month that as the show declared that its Mirrorball Trophy would be named The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

The hosts of the show, Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, opened the September 26 program speaking about the late ballroom expert, and how the show's most coveted prize would be renamed in his honor.

'Len was on this panel for nearly all of our 31 seasons and though he is certainly irreplaceable, we wanted to keep his spirit alive,' said Hough, 35. 'Len will always be going forward with us.'

Ribeiro, 52, said of the trophy, 'As a tribute to him, we redesigned and renamed our ultimate prize.'

Goodman, who died at a Kent, England hospice with family surrounding him, was 'a much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him,' his manager Jackie Gill said in a statement the BBC reported at the time of his passing.

Goodman also was the head judge on the U.K. incarnation of the series, Strictly Come Dancing, in between 2004-2016.

Details: The late Len Goodman was honored on Dancing with the Stars' season 32 debut Tuesday. Goodman died in April at 78 after battling bone cancer

The hosts of the show, Alfonso Ribeiro, 52, and Julianne Hough, 35, opened the program speaking about the late ballroom expert

The show's executive producer Conrad Green revealed to USA Today last month that producers 'wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show, to always remind people the importance he's had to Dancing with the Stars and how much he meant to all of us.'

He said, 'Len loves this show and will always be there, looking down on us.'

Riberio said that Goodman's influence would be evident in the first season since his passing, and that 'there won't be a dry eye in the house' when the dance tributes are performed.

'I can guarantee you that every one of those pros will be making sure that the routines are still designed for Len,' Riberio told People.

He added: 'I know I've talked to a few of them and they will be putting in specific steps that Len used to love, just to make sure that the content is still there for Len ... I mean, he was the best.'

Hough said that 'Len will always be going forward with us'

The show declared that its Mirrorball Trophy would be named The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy

Riberio said that Goodman's influence would be evident in the first season since his passing, and that 'there won't be a dry eye in the house' when the dance tributes are performed

Goodman also was the head judge on the U.K. incarnation of the series, Strictly Come Dancing, in between 2004-2016

Goodman, who was renowned for his excellent communication skills, retired from the series in November of 2022, saying, 'It has been a huge pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful show.

'But I've decided I'd like to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain. I could not thank you enough, my Dancing with the Stars family, it's been such a wonderful experience for me.'

The full list of competitors on the new season of the series include Ariana Madix, Jamie Lynn Spears, Mauricio Umansky, Matt Walsh, Jason Mraz, Alyson Hannigan, Mira Sorvino, Adrian Peterson, Barry Williams, Tyson Beckford, Xochitl Gomez, Harry Jowsey, Lele Pons and Charity Lawson.

Dancing with the Stars can be seen every Tuesday at 8/7c on ABC, and streams on Disney+ and Hulu.
Bijou Phillips was seen looking strained on Tuesday, as she was pictured for the first time since her estranged husband Danny Masterson was expelled from Scientology and declared a 'suppressive person'.

The actress, 43, wore a light pink long-sleeve top and denim shorts, as she grabbed groceries from a store in Santa Ynez, California.

The former socialite kept it casual in a pair of grey Birkenstock sandals, and accessorized with a black shoulder bag.

Phillips appeared to go makeup-free for the grocery run, where she was joined by a friend.

The outing comes after Masterson, 47, was expelled from the Church of Scientology following his rape conviction that earned him 30 years in prison - which requires the That '70s Show star's family and friends to sever all communication with him.

Grocery run: Bijou Phillips was seen looking strained on Tuesday, as she was pictured for the first time since her estranged husband Danny Masterson was expelled from Scientology and declared a 'suppressive person'

Stepping out: The actress, 43, wore a light pink long-sleeve top and denim shorts, as she grabbed groceries from a store in Santa Ynez, California

Casual: The former socialite was pictured pushing her cart, which had a number of brown grocery bags inside

Bijou wore her dark blonde tresses parted on the side and cascading down her shoulders in curls.

On her way out of the store she was pictured enjoying a few chips from a bag.

Her ex husband - who has also agreed to give Bijou both legal and physical custody of the couple's daughter Fianna, nine - has been declared a 'suppressive person'  or 'SP'  which the Church of Scientology defines as someone whose behavior seeks to impede the spiritual progress of those around him.

The label means fellow Scientologists, including his wife Bijou and his family, will be required to cut all ties with the convicted rapist.

But even with the expulsion, the church maintains that Masterson is innocent of all charges, according to insiders.

The shocking development was revealed by longtime private investigator Jeffrey Augustine on his website, The Scientology Money Project, which has been dedicated to exposing the alleged wrongdoings of the church since 2014.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Augustine, a former Scientologist himself, explained the reasons behind the radical decision to cut ties with a member they publicly supported during two lengthy criminal trials.

Augustine, 66, said the Church of Scientology had not planned to go public with the news and are still telling members Masterson is innocent and that former Scientologist Leah Remini conspired with other revengeful former members to disparage him.

'According to my sources, Danny has been declared a suppressive person, which means he would be expelled from Scientology,' Augustine said.

Casual: The former socialite kept it casual in a pair of grey Birkenstock sandals, and accessorized with a black shoulder bag

Snack: On her way out of the store she was pictured enjoying a few chips from a bag

Barefaced: Phillips appeared to go makeup-free for the grocery run

Errand run: Bijou wore her dark blonde tresses parted on the side and cascading down her shoulders in curls

'Suppressive person': Her ex husband has been declared a 'suppressive person'  or 'SP'  which the Church of Scientology defines as someone whose behavior seeks to impede the spiritual progress of those around him

Cutting all ties: The label means fellow Scientologists, including his wife Bijou and his family, will be required to cut all ties with the convicted rapist

Lengthy marriage: Bijou and Masterson have been married since 2011

Exit: She was seen exiting her white vehicle

'They are telling Scientologists that he will file an appeal and that he is innocent of the charges for which he was convicted.

'They (church officials) declared Danny a suppressive person for not maintaining the high ethical standards for the Church of Scientology, and other reasons  but not because he was convicted of rape,' Augustine added.

Masterson was convicted of two counts of rape in May. He was given his long prison sentence in September. A third rape charge ended with a hung jury. An earlier trial saw jurors deadlocked.

Augustine spoke out while attending a protest held in front of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center in Hollywood on Saturday where dozens of former members and alleged victims of sexual abuse spoke out against the injustices of the 'cult'.

Chrissie Carnell Bixler, the accuser whose case ended without a guilty verdict attended Saturday's protest along with one of the women whose evidence convicted the star of That '70s Show.

When asked about Masterson being declared suppressive, Bixler told DailyMail.com: 'They should have declared him an SP when I originally went to them.'

Bixler and the other two women he was convicted of raping are suing the convicted rapist in a separate civil suit, another possible reason for his expulsion.

Augustine said: 'A lot of Scientologists were complaining that they have friends and family members that they can't talk to because they were declared suppressive. They questioned why Danny Masterson was allowed to be a Scientologist in good standing when he's brought such a horrible public relations situation on to the church with his felony rape convictions.

'So the members are asking why were their friends and family declared for reading the internet, watching Leah Remini's show, and doing other things that are far below what Masterson was charged with?'

Interesting: But even with the expulsion, the church maintains that Masterson is innocent of all charges, according to insiders

Denying charges: 'They are telling Scientologists that he will file an appeal and that he is innocent of the charges for which he was convicted,' a former Scientologist himself and private investigator Jeffrey Augustine revealed on Tuesday

Other reasons: 'They (church officials) declared Danny a suppressive person for not maintaining the high ethical standards for the Church of Scientology, and other reasons  but not because he was convicted of rape,' Augustine added

Mom-of-one: Masterson has recently signed over full custody of the couple's daughter Fianna, 9, to Phillips

Divorce: Phillips filed for divorce from Masterson in September

Complicated: Phillips stood by her husband throughout the two trials  the first of which ended with a hung jury  turning up on his arm each day for the court hearings

Over: But just 12 days after his September 7 sentencing she filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage

Apart: In her filings she revealed that she and Masterson  who is currently in LA's Central Men's Jail awaiting a decision as to where he will serve his sentence  had been living apart for five years

The pair started dating in 2004 after meeting at a poker tournament in Las Vegas , and they got engaged in 2009 before saying 'I do' at a wedding ceremony inside a castle in Ireland in 2011

'Unimaginably hard': Her lawyer Peter A. Lauzon previously said the case has been 'unimaginably hard on the marriage and the family'

Augustine said he was not surprised with the decision to put Masterson behind them because the church's controversial leader David Miscavige has to save face.

'Miscavige has the International Association of Scientologists event coming up in London. It's the first post-pandemic big multimillion dollar fundraiser.

'I think Miscavige is clearing the decks ahead of the IAS in London so he's not asked about Masterson. In other words, he wants it handled. He doesn't want Danny Masterson to be the focus.

'They are not going to make a public announcement. They are going to tell everyone at this big, posh London event don't talk about it, don't mention Danny. He has now become a person whose name must not be mentioned.'

'They are still maintaining his innocence, saying he will appeal and that's not why he's been declared, but this is not to be talked about by anyone,' he said.

The Church of Scientology did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Augustine, a licensed private investigator and longtime critic of the church, is married to former Scientologist Karen de la Carriere, one of the highest ranking members of the church who worked alongside church founder L. Ron Hubbard. She left the church in 2010 after 35 years.

Two of the three women who accused Masterson of rape were among those at the protest on Saturday.

'The suit is coming up and Scientology doesn't want to be accountable. They are going to say they have nothing to do with Masterson anymore,' Augustine explained.

Masterson grew up in a family of practicing Scientologists. His stepfather Joe Reaiche and mother Carole Masterson had been members of the Sea Org, the 'clergy' of the controversial faith.

Reaiche himself would eventually be deemed suppressive for questioning certain teachings and has not had any contact with his children since.

With a pal: The star was joined by a friend on the outing

Smile: At one point during the outing Bijou flashed a smile

Farewell: The ladies said their goodbyes as they parted ways

Hugs: Bijou and her female friend hugged it out

Headed back: Bijou loaded the groceries into her car

Like his own father who was kicked out of the church, Masterson may not even be aware that he has been declared a suppressive person and will find out when everyone cuts ties with him.

'I don't think Bijou wants to visit him in prison ever. She was just awarded custody of their daughter.

'I personally think Bijou Phillips will leave the Church of Scientology, that's my prediction. It's brought her nothing but grief, heartache and sorrow,' Augustine added.

Phillips stood by her husband throughout the two trials  the first of which ended with a hung jury  turning up on his arm each day for the court hearings.

But just 12 days after his September 7 sentencing she filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage.

In her filings she revealed that she and Masterson  who is currently in LA's Central Men's Jail awaiting a decision as to where he will serve his sentence  had been living apart for five years.

'I think she will shift towards Billy Baldwin and Chyna Phillips and their Christianity,' said Augustine. 'That's what I think will happen to Bijou if she gets out. There is no reason for her to stay in Scientology.'

Augustine said news for the church has been getting worse and worse. He said the next thing that could happen is for the IRS to revoke the church's tax exemption status.

'That would mean they are not a religion,' he said.

Expelled: Masterson, 47, was expelled from the Church of Scientology following his rape conviction that earned him 30 years in prison; the couple are seen on May 16 in Los Angeles

'They are currently protected by First Amendment religious protections and they would become a for-profit business. That would not allow them to get away with covering up rapes, pedophiles, white collar criminals  all of that would end.

'They have a culture of covering up sexual crimes and that's what happened with Danny Masterson for twenty years,' said Augustine.

Alexa Nikolas of Nickelodeon's Zoey 101 spearheaded the protest on behalf of her 'Eat Predators' movement, which she founded in 2022 to call out sexual predators and networks who protect them. Nikolas has never been a Scientologist.

The actress led the protest which lasted for more than thee hours with supporters chanting: 'Protect survivors, not Scientology, a cult is a predator...power to survivors.'

'Disconnection is suppressive. Scientology stop doing it,' said an ex-member who goes by the name Lara FM as she held a sign that said Declared Suppressive Person.

She confirmed: 'Yes, that's 100% true that Danny has been expelled.'
Bindi Irwin has updated fans on the special present she received from Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe for her wedding three years ago.

The 25-year-old conservationist and her beau Chandler Powell, 26, were gifted a Port Jackson fig tree by the Gladiator star, 59, who is a lifelong friend of the Irwin family.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Bindi shared a picture of herself posing under the tree with husband Chandler and their two-year-old daughter Grace Warrior.

She also shared a throwback picture of herself and Chandler receiving the fig tree, in a pot with a lacy white ribbon tied around its trunk.

'2019 vs 2023,' Bindi captioned the story.

Bindi Irwin has updated fans on the special present she received from Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe for her wedding three years ago. Pictured together in 2013

'The most thoughtful wedding gift from our dear friend Russell Crowe,' she continued.

'This gorgeous fig will be part of our entire lifetime. Truly extraordinary.'

Bindi shared a second photo where her daughter Grace Warrior can be seen holding onto the trunk of the fig, which has grown considerably over the past few years.

The 25-year-old conservationist (right) and her beau Chandler Powell, 26, (left) were gifted a Port Jackson fig tree by the Gladiator star, 59, who is a lifelong friend of the Irwin family. Bindi shared this throwback photo of Russell's wedding present on Tuesday

The Port Jackson fig tree is native to Australia and is known to have a life lasting more than 100 years.

Bindi and Chandler tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in front of only three people at Australia Zoo in March 2020.

Their guests included Bindi's mother Terri, brother Robert and her father Steve Irwin's best friend Wes Mannion.

Bindi shared a picture of herself posing under the fig tree as it stands today. She is seen with husband Chandler and their two-year-old daughter Grace Warrior

Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland.

It comes after Russell made headlines in June when his band played a show at Australia Zoo, which re-united him with Bindi's mum, Terri Irwin.

Russell and Terri, 58, have been close friends since her husband Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin died in 2006.

Pictured: Russell's note still to Bindi and Chandler

Bindi thanked Russell for his extraordinary gift, which she says will last a lifetime. A native species to Australia, the Port Jackson fig is known to grow for 100 years

They have repeatedly denied rumours they have dated over the years.

The Hollywood icon, who was accompanied by his girlfriend Britney Theriot, 32, brought his band The Gentlemen Barbers to the Queensland sanctuary for a one-off show on Saturday, June 4.

Terri sat in the audience of the Crocoseum where the concert was held and enjoyed her long-time friend's music with her children Bindi and Robert.

Russell and Britney have been an item since November 2020, while Terri has not been in a public relationship since her husband Steve died in 2006.
Married At First Sight bride Cyrell Paule has revealed she hasn't had her period for the past three months in a candid Instagram post.

The reality star, 34, expressed her concerns in an Instagram post on Wednesday, asking whether she had any female friends that could give her some advice.

Cyrell, who shares son Boston with partner Eden Dally, admitted she was primarily concerned about not being able to conceive a new child.

'I guess I just want reassurance that this has happened to other females before and they had no problems later on and were still able to conceive,' she wrote.

Cyrell explained she 'wasn't pregnant' or 'overly stressed' before her period stopped, adding she didn't want to go to the doctor incase it was bad news.

Married At First Sight star Cyrell Paule, 34, (pictured) admitted to her fans via Instagram on Wednesday that she hasn't had her period in three months - despite not being pregnant. Pictured

'My sister is a registered nurse sooo please the last thing I want to hear is to go to the drs,' she wrote in a follow-up post.

'I am terrified to hear any bad news. I'm not on the pill and have been off them for several months now,' she added.

'My X-mas [Christmas] wish is to have another baby and give Boston a sibling. Is it common?'

Cyrell, who shares son Boston with partner Eden Dally, admitted she was primarily concerned about not being able to conceive a new child

'I guess I just want reassurance that this has happened to other females before and they had no problems later on and were still able to conceive,' she wrote. Pictured with son Boston

According to Healthline, the absence of a period or amenorrhea, can have varied causes including exercising too much and hormonal imbalances.

It comes after Cyrell revealed why she isn't in a hurry to marry her Love Island Australia star beau Eden.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia In May last year, she explained: 'Marriage is just something that isn't on our minds right now,' she said.

'I feel like we're pretty much married now. You know, the only thing that's not there is that it's not legalised,' Cyrell added.

It comes after Cyrell revealed why she isn't in a hurry to marry her Love Island Australia star beau Eden (right)

'I come home, Eden's there. I shower, he is there. I'm chucking a s**t, he's there. So yeah, it pretty much feels like married life already!'

'A piece of paper doesn't need to tell us we are married. We have a kid together already as it is, so what is a piece of paper?'

Cyrell said that despite marriage not being a priority, that hasn't stopped her from regularly dropping hints.

'On, say, Valentine's Day, or if I see something on Instagram, I'll be like, 'Eden, where's my ring?!'' she laughed.

Cyrell and Eden began dating in 2019. The pair welcomed Boston in 2020.
TopBoy stars Jasmine Jobson and Kadeem Ramsay have gone Instagram official with their romance.

Jasmine, 28, who plays Jaq on the crime drama, took to Instagram and shared a photo of the couple kissing during a romantic trip to Champillon, France.

The pair were stood in a field in the photo as they leaned in for a smooch, with the actress captioning the snap: 'You can't sit with us'.

Kadeem, 26, is best known for playing Kit on the show, which he left in 2022 after first appearing in series two back in 2013.

The couple's romance has not been well received by some fans of the show however as Jasmine has shared an Instagram Story encouraging people to 'Be kind'.

Kiss: TopBoy stars Jasmine Jobson and Kadeem Ramsay have gone Instagram official with their romance

Couple: Jasmine, 28, who plays Jaq on the crime drama, took to Instagram and shared a photo of the couple kissing during a trip to Champillon, France (pictured in September 2023)

Post: The couple's romance has not been well received by some fans however as Jasmine shared an Instagram Story encouraging people to 'Be kind'

Jasmine's character Jaq is a lesbian and it appears some fans believed her to be gay in real life too as she emphasised she is an actress playing a role.

She wrote: 'I'm an ACTRESS. My job is to play dress-up & pretend. I take a script and make it palatable for your eyes to watch.

'I am also a HUMAN BEING, LIKE ALL OF YOU, just living my life. Be kind'.

Jasmine and Kadeem were first reported to be dating earlier this month when she teased their trip to Ibiza together on social media.

A source told The Sun: 'Jasmine and Kadeem have been quietly dating for some time and are often seen out and about together.

'Since the series ended they have become more relaxed and Jasmine has started giving glimpses of her love life on social media.'

In an interview with Digital Spy, Jasmine spoke about the importance of playing an out black lesbian on the show.

She said: 'It's still a taboo. And I think it's very important that we see it, because it happens. I've got lots and lots of friends that are gay or lesbian.

Real life: Jasmine's character Jaq is a lesbian and it appears some fans believed her to be gay in real life too as she emphasised she is an actress playing a role (pictured in May 2023)

History: Jasmine and Kadeem were first reported to be dating earlier this month when she teased their trip to Ibiza together on social media

A source said: 'Jasmine and Kadeem have been quietly dating for some time and are often seen out and about together' (pictured in July 2022)

Role: On the show, Jasmine's character Jaq is in a relationship with Becky who is played by Adwoa Aboah

'So [I asked] them what have they experienced [and] how they dealt with it, so I would kind of know how I was going to portray that scene.'

On the show, Jasmine's character Jaq is in a relationship with Becky who is played by Adwoa Aboah.

She has received critical acclaim for her performance and has been twice nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs.
John Terry and his wife Toni Terry enjoyed a romantic date night at private members' club Oswald's in London on Tuesday night.

Chelsea FC's most successful captain, 42, and fitness fanatic Toni, also 42, were inseparable as they held hands while enjoying some quality time together.

Toni wore a chic black mini dress with matching heels, while John was more colourful, opting for a blue on top, grey on the bottom, and brown shoes.

It clearly got a bit chilly for Toni, while the couple waited for their car, because John, ever the gentleman, soon wrapped his jacket around her.

There then appeared to be some confusion over which vehicle they were taking, with Toni seen hailing one down.

Date night: John Terry and his leggy wife Toni Terry held hands as they enjoyed dinner and drinks at private members' club Oswald's in London on Tuesday night

Sporty pair: Chelsea FC's most successful captain, 42, and fitness fanatic Toni, also 42, were inseparable as they enjoyed some quality time together

Different styles: Toni wore a chic black mini dress with matching heels, while John was more colourful, opting for a blue on top, grey on the bottom, and brown shoes

John and Toni left twins Georgie and Summer, 17, at home as they enjoyed their special night away.

The twins enjoyed a huge Sweet 16 birthday party at their mansion last year, with their numerous gifts and sweet throwback photos displayed on Instagram

Georgie and his sister found themselves tagged in the Instagram Story of their doting mother yesterday morning.

Toni posted an image of a heart with the overflowing text: 'I have so much love for you in my heart that it doesn't fit.'

She also tagged John, who is reportedly eyeing up a lucrative role in Saudi Arabia.

Toni also announced yesterday her partnership with Wear_Ltd, a luxury fashion resale company. In a joint post with Toni, Wear said: 'We are proud to announce we have partnered with @toniterry26.

'Toni is a fitness fanatic and has accomplished a lot in her life to date including being black belt in Karate, and an accomplished Grand Prix dressage horse rider.

'She also has an envy inducing wardrobe and we are lucky to share this with you.'

Stay warm: It clearly got a bit chilly for Toni, while the couple waited for their car, because John, ever the gentleman, soon wrapped his jacket around her

Which one's ours? There then appeared to be some confusion over which vehicle they were taking, with Toni seen hailing one down

Family first: On Instagram, Toni posted an image of a heart with the overflowing text: 'I have so much love for you in my heart that it doesn't fit' and tagged her family
Escape To The Chateau's Dick and Angel Strawbridge dodged questions about the hit Channel 4 show's bullying scandal as they appeared on Lorraine on Wednesday morning.

Dick, 63, and Angel, 45, revealed what made them come to the decision to draw a line under the hugely-popular series.

It was revealed in May that Channel 4 had cut ties with the couple following an independent investigation into their conduct.

The TV channel confirmed they would no longer work with the pair on any new productions 'following a review' after they were branded 'spiky and volatile'.

As Lorraine host Christine Lampard made reference to the scandal, Angel explained: 'You know the saying "Never complain and never explain", I think that was just the best way.

Drama: Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel Strawbridge dodged questions about the hit Channel 4 show's bullying scandal as they appeared on Lorraine on Wednesday morning

Tension: Dick, 63, and Angel, 45, revealed what made them come to the decision to draw a line under the hugely-popular series (pictured in 2018)

'None of it made sense because we had made that family decision a long time ago that it was the right time for Escape to come to its natural end.'

Dick insisted that it was their decision to leave the show and it was decided almost two years ago.

He said: 'As a family, we made a decision that last year was going to be the finale. We told everyone two years ago, so this, it wasn't news for us.'

Steering clear of directly addressing the bullying claims, he said: 'We made the decision just not to get involved in any of the conversations.'

The couple are parents to Arthur, 10, and Dorothy, eight, and the pair explained that while they didn't understand what was going on when they started filming the show back in 2016, now they are a lot more aware.

'When they were little they just didn't know what was going on, now it's a very different world we are living in', they said.

Escape to the Chateau aired its ninth and final series in late 2022, but spin-off travel show Escape To The Chateau: Secret France was already in the works.

The programme was reportedly wrapped and scheduled for release in 2023, but after the production company cut ties with the couple Channel 4 has not confirmed whether it will be broadcast.

In May, sources claimed Two Rivers Media, the company that produces Escape to the Chateau, raised concerns about the presenting duo, according to Deadline.

Angel, 45, explained: 'You know the saying "Never complain and never explain", I think that was just the best way'

Putting the children first: 'As a family we made a decision that last year was going to be the finale. We told everyone two years ago, so this, it wasn't news for us,' said Dick

The exact nature of the allegations is not known, but the publication reported that three of their former colleagues alleged the couple have clashed with producers.

A source said at the time: 'There has been a deteriorating relationship between Two Rivers and Dick and Angel's Chateau TV for various reasons and it all came to a head.'

'People who try to remote manage them from the UK, that doesn't work, or people who come into their house and boss them around, that doesn't work either,' the source added.

'Producers turn them into this perfect, brilliant, funny couple, they're that on camera, but that's about it.'

A Channel 4 spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'Following a review, we have taken the decision not to work with Dick and Angel on any new productions in the future.'

A spokesperson for Two Rivers added: 'We can confirm that we will no longer work with Dick and Angel and cannot comment further at the moment.'

Sources close to the couple told MailOnline that their behaviour on set was nothing like their 'gorgeous' on screen personas.

A source said: 'Dick and Angel come across on screen as the most gorgeous and lovely couple, literally like butter wouldn't melt, but they're not like that off screen.

'It's a full-on show, production is with them at the chateau for weeks so they can't hide their real characters - they can't turn it on for two hours of recording and then not go back to their real persona.

'They're just spiky and volatile people and, as you can imagine, that's a nightmare to work with.'
Calvin Klein cut a casual display in a grey turtleneck jumper as he stepped out with a friend at Bar Pitti Restaurant in Soho, New York on Tuesday.

The multi-millionaire fashion designer, 80, was spotted on a rare outing after he was last seen in April looking frail.

But the fashion tycoon looked better than ever as he enjoyed a walk around the city with a pal.

The Calvin Klein Inc. founder kept warm in a smart black blazer and slipped into a pair of beige trousers, with white trainers.

He looked youthful with his short grey locks and kept a low profile with black aviator sunglasses.

Pals: Calvin Klein, 80, cut a casual display in a grey turtleneck jumper as he stepped out with a friend at Bar Pitti Restaurant in Soho, New York on Tuesday

Out and about: The multi-millionaire fashion designer was spotted on a rare outing after he was last spotted in April looking frail

The pair looked exceptionally stylish in their youthful trendy outfits, sporting designer clothing.

The acclaimed style expert - whose fashion empire net worth is estimated to be a staggering $700 million - appeared to be in great spirits as he caught-up with a friend.

From 1964 until 1974 Calvin was married to textile designer Jayne Center with whom he shares a daughter, TV producer Marci Klein.

In 1986 he married his assistant Kelly Rector who he was with until they divorced in 2006.

In his heyday, he frequented the famed Studio 54 nightclub and was photographed with some of the biggest stars of the era.

These days he rarely makes public appearances and seems to be content puttering around Los Angeles with his model boyfriend of seven years.

He has settled into life on the West Coast with longtime boyfriend Kevin Baker, 36.

The couple live in a 9,300 square foot mansion in the Hollywood Hills that Calvin purchased in 2015 for $25million.

Looking well: But the fashion tycoon looked better than ever as he enjoyed a walk around the city with a pal

Stylish: He looked youthful with his short grey locks and kept a low profile with black aviator sunglasses

Couple: These days he rarely makes public appearances and seems to be content puttering around Los Angeles with his model boyfriend Kevin Baker, 36, (left) of seven years (pictured in 2016 together)

Former flame: In 1986 he married his assistant Kelly Rector (left) who he was with until they divorced in 2006

Family: From 1964 until 1974 Calvin was married to textile designer Jayne Center with whom he shares a daughter, TV producer Marci Klein (pictured with his daughter Marci)

Calvin and Kevin have never publicly addressed their relationship, but they have been spotted out together for years.

The last time the couple was publicly seen together was at the same restaurant in June 2022.

The two made their first public appearance together in 2016 on the red carpet at the American Ballet Theatres Fall Gala.

Aside from their first public outing at the American Ballet, the pair were also pictured at the ACRIA holiday dinner at the 69th Regiment Armory in December 2016.
Keira Knightley took a break from her busy filming schedule on Monday as she ventured out with husband James Righton and their two children - after revealing plans to copyright her own face.

The British actress was hand-in-hand with youngest child Delilah, four, as the family made an appearance in leafy north-west London enclave Hampstead.

She was accompanied by musician James - best known for his work with disbanded group The Klaxons - and the couple's eldest child Edie, eight.

Dressed down in a denim shirt, cropped jeans and Chelsea boots, Keira, 38, blended in with oblivious pedestrians as exited a local tube station and made their way towards their car.

Joining the Pirates Of The Caribbean star, James, 40, looked equally relaxed in a black T-shirt and jeans, a blue sweater tied around his waist.

Quality time: Keira Knightley took a break from her busy filming schedule on Monday as she ventured out with husband James Righton and their two children

Stepping out: The British actress was hand-in-hand with youngest child Delilah, four, as the family made an appearance in leafy north-west London enclave Hampstead

Keira and James were married in 2013 in the South of France, where she wore Chanel couture as they exchanged vows in front of eleven guests.

The actress was enjoying some valuable free time with her family as she prepares to film new Netflix drama Black Doves over the coming weeks.

The forthcoming series is set over the Christmas period and will feature Keira as Helen, a woman with a secret identity who embarks on a torrid affair.

But she is faced with a conundrum after he is targeted by members of the London underworld, prompting her panicked employers to call in a security guard in a bid to protect her.

The actress recently hit out at the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence in film, a reactionary measure by studios to replace actors still embroiled in SAG-AFTRA strikes across the United States.

Addressing the growing trend, Keira admitted she might be forced into preventative action by copyrighting her face - thereby preventing its unauthorised use.

She said: 'At the moment for actresses, the concern is about the voice, and they're trying to protect the voice-over industry.

'I don't know where that's at but I know that's the negotiation. But I imagine the next step will be to copyright my face.

Low key: Dressed down in a denim shirt, cropped jeans and Chelsea boots, Keira blended in with oblivious pedestrians as exited a local tube station

In good company: She was accompanied by musician James - best known for his work with disbanded group The Klaxons - and the couple's eldest child Edie, eight

There they are: Keira and James climbed into their car as they set off after a day out in London

Big plans: The actress was enjoying some valuable free time with her family as she prepares to film new Netflix drama Black Doves over the coming weeks

'AI has the potential to be catastrophic and I hope governments come in and regulate it,' she added.

Studios including the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Apple are proposing to use AI to replace humans with digital scans where an actor's likeness can be superimposed over a stunt double.

Hollywood actors and writers are currently united in their first 'double strike' in more than 60 years vowing they will protect every worker in the industry from being replaced by AI.

It comes as celebrities are increasingly targets of deepfake technology, which can use their voices and likeness for everything from advertisements to sham songs and pornography.

Actor Bruce Willis, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in March last year, was deep-faked into 'appearing' in an ad where he was tied to a bomb on the back of a yacht, growling Mississippi in a Russian accent.

Fears: Keira will not let Artificial intelligence take her successful acting career away from her. Amid the Hollywood strikes she plans to copyright her face

Leading lady: The actress, who recently starred in Ridley Scott's Boston Strangler (pictured), likes to have control over her projects

The question, 'Who owns Bruce Willis' became a concern for SAG-AFTRA last year and began fighting against contracts that exploited their member's naivety about AI.

Keira, who recently starred in Ridley Scott's Boston Strangler, will not allow herself to be replicated and likes to have control over her projects.

The Bend It Like Beckham star has 55 five films under her belt and recently worked with Ridley Scott for his project the Boston Strangler which was well-received by critics.

She recently dropped out of starring in the Apple TV adaptation of Sarah Perry's historical novel The Essex Serpent to be with her family when COVID restrictions made getting childcare difficult.
Model Chelsea Becirevic has ignited a turf war between two high-profile columnists ahead of her move to Adelaide with AFL star boyfriend Ivan Soldo.

Jackie Epstein of Melbourne's Herald Sun wrote a story on Wednesday questioning if Chelsea will be happy to 'settle' for the 'low-energy lifestyle of the City of Churches'.

Kara Jung of the Adelaide Advertiser fiercely hit back at the diss soon after, calling it a 'petty little quip', adding that Adelaidians just 'rolled their eyes and smiled at the poor misconception'.

The war of words follows Ms Becirevic confirming she would be moving to Adelaide to join her rising star boyfriend after he was traded from Richmond to Port Adelaide.

The clash is certainly a sign of things to come for Chelsea, who is already a successful influencer in her own right, and is billed as the next Rebecca Judd.

Model Chelsea Becirevic (right) has ignited a turf war between two high-profile columnists ahead of her move to Adelaide with AFL star boyfriend Ivan Soldo (left)

The blonde bombshell, 23, already boasts a respectable 64,000 Instagram followers, as well as capturing mainstream media attention.

Glamourous Chelsea ensured all eyes were on her when she appeared in a plunging silver gown which flaunted her trim pins at Richmond's Best and Fairest this year.

A major star on TikTok, Chelsea shares clips of herself in high-cut bikinis in clips that get thousands of views.

Melbourne-based Herald Sun columnist Jackie Epstein penned a story on Wednesday, questioning if Chelsea (pictured) will be happy to 'settle' for the 'low energy lifestyle of the City of Churches'

She also works in marketing for a bridal company and will return to study biomedical science next year.

Chelsea met Ivan two years ago after moving from the Gold Coast to Melbourne.

Her premiership player beau will now move to Adelaide as his own career goes from strength to strength - a move that will see her follow him to South Australia.

Adelaide Advertiser columnist Kara Jung fiercely hit back at the diss soon after, calling it a 'petty little quip' adding Adelaideans just 'rolled their eyes and smiled at the poor misconception

'I am excited to say I will now be joining [Ivan] in Adelaide for his career with Port,' she told Adelaide Now.

AFL fans will know many wives and girlfriend of AFL stars have make successful careers of their own in the modelling space.

Bec Judd owns activewear brand Jaggad along with a multitude of endorsement deals across Melbourne and nationwide.

AFL watchers are already comparing Chelsea to Melbourne WAG royalty Rebecca Judd (left, with husband Chris). Who catapulted to fame in a plunging red Tarvydas dress to the 2004 Brownlow medal

Nadia Bartel, the ex-wife of Jimmy Bartel, launched much praised-brand Henne after gaining a huge public profile.

Rebecca has spoken many times about capturing the public's attention in a plunging red Tarvydas dress on the arm of Chris Judd at the 2004 Brownlow.

Speaking to the Herald Sun at the time, Rebecca said of the look: 'I really didn't think it would grab that much attention, but I got hounded on the red carpet.

'Everyone wanted an interview and pictures.'
Liam Gallagher has sparked hopes of an Oasis reunion after he posted a cryptic message to his brother Noel.

The Britpop band - known for the likes of Wonderwall and She's Electric - sensationally split in 2009 after a backstage bust-up between the warring brothers.

In the 14 years that have followed, Liam, 51, and Noel, 56, have traded bitter insults back and forth in interviews and over social media.

But on Tuesday, Liam posted a major hint towards an Oasis reunion, reaching out to his elder brother for a 'cuddle', while declaring: 'Oasis till I die.'

He wrote: 'Listen I love Rkid hes going through a lot of snizxle at the moment and itll work itself out he knows where I am if he needs a cuddle n a hug Oasis till I die LG x'

Comeback? Liam Gallagher has sparked hopes of an Oasis reunion after he posted a cryptic message to his brother Noel

Back then: The Britpop band - known for the likes of Wonderwall and She's Electric - sensationally split in 2009 after a backstage bust-up between the warring brothers

The cryptic message has now received over 20,000 likes as fans began to get their hopes up of long-awaited tour dates.

One said: 'TFW you realise what could be happening right now.'

Another longtime fan added: 'All i want is an Oasis reunion. I need to see the Gallagher bros back together again on stage, iv only seen Oasis Live once at Manchester and it was biblical! Cmon Noel sort it out !!!!'

Liam then began a Q&A on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account, responding to a fan who asked: 'If noel walked up to you in the street what would you say to him?'

He responded, in his typical profanity-filled style: 'Id say what the f*** are those hob nail boots on your plates all about there offensive your from Manchester you should know better as we take our 3 b 2s very seriously take them off and Ill give you a piggy back home.'

Noel was left devastated after splitting from his wife of 12 years Sara McDonald earlier this year.

Earlier this year he accused his brother of trying to rewrite the history of their band Oasis.

Liam has announced a huge arena tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Oasis' 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe and he claims he wants Noel to be a part of the gigs - but Noel is not convinced.

He told the Daily Star: 'The last tour was not happy. The other fella is trying to rewrite history that it was all f**king great. It wasn't.

'It was a f**king dreadful last year of Oasis.

Major hint: Liam declared 'Oasis till I die' on his Twitter account, prompting fans to suspect a reunion

Typical: The brothers have had a warring relationship ever since their days in the band

Exciting: Fans on Twitter were sent into a frenzy and the tweet has now racked up over 20,000 likes

'You get one shot at life. Why be unhappy? Whether it be in your personal or professional life, why?

'You're just wasting a precious thing.'

Noel recently said it's up to his brother to make peace - even calling him a 'coward' and insisting he'll never make the call to reunite Oasis.

Speaking on talkSPORT radio, Noel explained: 'Well, I put it out there. [Liam] wont call  I mean, he should call me, because hes like, hes forever going on about it. Youd have thought by now, hed have some kind of plan.

'He doesnt have to speak to me. He wont speak to me, hes a coward. So he should get some of his people, his agent, to call my people and say, "Look, this is what were thinking." And then well have a conversation about it. Until then, hes being a little bit disingenuous.'

However, Liam later responded to Noel's comments in a post on Twitter, ranting: 'Hes full of s**t he HATES Oasis fans [but] doesnt mind them buying his records.'

English rock band Oasis initially consisted of Liam Gallagher, Paul Arthurs, Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll - with Liam's older brother Noel later joining as a fifth member.

There had been early tensions between the brothers ever since they rose to huge fame in the 1990s but Oasis imploded in 2009 amid a bitter fall out between the Gallagher siblings.

Noel and Liam have been trading insults ever since Oasis split at their final concert in Paris - Rock En Seine - in 2009 after a backstage bust-up.

EstrangedL The group split in 2009 after the siblings fell out but there had been early tensions between the brothers ever since they rose to huge fame in the 1990s (Noel and Liam pictured in 1995)

According to reports an argument broke out, with Liam wielding Noel's guitar around 'like an axe'.

It was the last straw for the duo and the show was cancelled, along with the rest of the tour.

Noel issued a statement at the time: 'It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight.

'People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.'

In another statement a few days later, titled 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere', Noel added: 'The details are not important and of too great a number to list. But I feel you have the right to know that the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends and comrades has become intolerable.

'And the lack of support and understanding from my management and band mates has left me with no other option than to get me cape and seek pastures new.'

The duo quickly went their separate ways when the band disbanded and their infamous decade-long feud has been running ever since.

Noel revealed in 2021 that he was the one to spark the bitter feud with his brother Liam.

Line-up: Gem Archer, Noel, Andy Bell and Liam in 2006 before their split in 2009

Spat: Noel Gallagher, 56, has accused his brother Liam, 51, of trying to rewrite the history of their band Oasis (Noel pictured in September last year)

Troubles: Noel insists being a member of the band for their final 12 months was 'f**king dreadful', claiming any positive spin Liam has put on their final days is not true (Liam pictured in 2019)

The Oasis rocker spoke of how Liam had given him clothes from his brand Pretty Green before it launched in 2009, only for him to donate it, unworn, to a charity shop.

Marking what was 'the beginning of the end', Noel told The Matt Morgan Podcast how his brother 'went f**king mental' when he discovered his clothes were on 'a shop mannequin in Barnardo's' before he had even launched the brand.

Reliving the tale, Noel said: 'Liam gave us a load of clobber, not just me, he gave the band it. I went straight to the charity shop and left it in the shop doorway.

'He went f**king mental. He said, 'If you didn't f**king want it, you should have just said you didn't f**king want it, you c***.

'It was on the shop mannequin in Barnardo's a month before it launched. If push comes to shove, that was the beginning of the end.'

In March 2023 Liam insisted an Oasis reunion was 'happening' 14 years after the iconic band's split.

The group's former frontman is adamant he and estranged sibling and guitarist Noel are going to put their years of feuding behind them and take to the stage together one more.

Responding to a Twitter follower who asked what the chances of the Britpop group reuniting are, he replied: 'It's happening.'

Noel recently admitted he'll 'never say never' to an Oasis reunion: 'You should never say never, [but] it would have to take an extraordinary set of circumstances.

'That's not to say that those circumstances would never come about.'

The Champagne Supernova hitmaker was then asked how he and Liam are getting on these days, to which he replied: 'Oh, brilliantly, yeah. Genuinely, yeah.

'He [Liam] has taken a year out apparently to find himself.'

This summer, Noel revealed what he thinks the highly-anticipated Oasis reunion would look like if it were to ever happen.

Teasing a reunion once again in an interview with The Sun, Noel cheekily shared his thoughts on what the gig would look like, remarking: 'Me, Liam and a load of fit f**king birds.'
DJ Fat Tony is engaged to partner Stavros Agapiou.

The music star, 56, real name Tony Marnach, surprised his creative director boyfriend, 30, by popping the question during a romantic trip to New York City.

In a sweet clip Tony shared to Instagram on Tuesday, he looked thrilled when Stavros said yes after getting down on one knee in front of a fountain in Central Park.

He penned: 'When you find real happiness in life never let it go today I can truly say Im the happiest Ive ever been.

'I went to Central Park to this magical fountain and asked the man that has changed my life in so many ways and helped show me that I can be loved and how too love to marry me and make me complete and he said YES Im so overwhelmed with joy.'

Congratulations! DJ Fat Tony, 56, is engaged to partner Stavros Agapiou

He penned: 'When you find real happiness in life never let it go today I can truly say Im the happiest Ive ever been'

Meanwhile, his partner shared a loved-up snap of the pair in bed and wrote: 'Sunrise in bed with the FIANCE'

The couple's celeb pals rushed to the comment section to congratulate them, with Gemma Collins: 'Crying with happiness  for you both Im so happy CONGRATULATIONS'

Paloma Faith: 'Congratulations to you both you make me sick'

Alison Hammond: 'Congratulations such wonderful news'

The couple often share sweet snaps together on social media as they travel around the world together.

But earlier this year, Tony revealed that he is waiting for clearance from the Qatar government for him and his boyfriend, who are both HIV positive, to go to the country where it is illegal to enter if you have the virus.

The star is wanting to go to the country with his partner Stavros Agapiou to wave the flag for trans rights after well-publicized human rights issues.

The LGBTQ + activist spoke during Advertising Week Europe on Wednesday as he plans to 'experience first hand' the country.

He added that he won't be in five-star hotels during the trip but will be spending time with members of the trans community who 'can't express who they are because of fear'.

Happy: In a sweet clip Tony shared to Instagram on Tuesday, he looked thrilled when Stavros said yes after getting down on one knee in front of a fountain in Central Park

The couple's celeb pals rushed to the comment section to congratulate them, with Gemma Collins: 'Crying with happiness  for you both Im so happy CONGRATULATIONS'

He said: 'I have been waiting for clearance from the Qatar government, for me and my boyfriend, who are both HIV positive, to go to a country where it is illegal to be HIV positive.

'I have been very vocal about members of my community going to Qatar and promoting it with everything that's going on in the world and the human rights atrocities.'

'I've got hypocrite tattooed on my hand for a reason. I can very well say this stuff, but I'm going to Qatar later this year to experience it firsthand.'

'Not in five-star hotels, but with members of the trans community and those who can't express who they are because of fear.'

It comes after Tony has candidly opened up about reconnecting to music after giving up drugs and alcohol 16 and a half years ago.

He discovered drugs when he was 18 and would convince himself that he couldn't DJ unless he was high, sometimes going four or five nights straight without sleeping.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline during Boohoo's Forbidden Forest Festival, Tony also admitted he still suffers from bad imposter syndrome, despite working in the industry for over 30 years.

He explained: 'Since I got sober that reconnection to music is the best gift anyone could ever give me. Some people listen to music but I feel music, it is the best drug there ever is.

'When you feel music it can take you to places no substance can ever take you, music is enough.'

Meanwhile, his partner shared a loved-up snap of the pair in bed and wrote: 'Sunrise in bed with the FIANCE'

Loved-up: The couple often share sweet snaps together on social media as they travel around the world together

Tony's journey to sobriety was a long and difficult one. Speaking about giving up substances, he said: 'Alcohol and drugs aren't the problem, I'm the problem.

'Being around it is no longer a problem for me because I choose not to do it. People ask me if I miss it and I think 'are you insane?'

'My life is so incredible because of the things I don't do, if I started doing those things again my life would be over, my career would be over.'

Tony had an epiphany and he soon quit drugs cold turkey, spending six months in rehab to beat the addiction.

He added: 'The first 3 months I thought how am I going to do this because for me there was no second chances, I'd reached the end of the road with drink and drugs.

'I got to 7 stone, I had no teeth, I was completely gone. Suddenly the pilot light came on one night and the love from one person saved my life.

'From that moment on I chose to go to rehab for 6 months and then come to London, it was a really big thing because I knew at that point I would never go back.'

Tony is regularly flown across the globe by some of the world's biggest names to play his upbeat sets.

But the DJ admitted he still doubts his skills and struggles with anxiety before getting on stage.

Throwback: The music star, real name Tony Marnach, discovered drugs when he was 18 and would convince himself that he couldn't DJ unless he was high, sometimes going four or five nights straight without sleeping

He told MailOnline: 'I have really bad imposter syndrome. Those moment, I don't allow it to last the full set but I do struggle with it.

'The first 10 minutes the anxiety is always there but I truly believe the anxiety is a good thing because nothing good ever comes from being comfortable.

'The minute you get comfortable is the minute you get complacent. You need the anxiety and fear to drive you. I don't take anything for granted and it does keep my on the edge of my seat.'

When asked if he'd ever take a break from music he replied: 'Never going to happen. I haven't reached the peak of my new career again, I've got a long way to go and I love what I do.'
A Strictly Come Dancing star has now voiced their opinion on the Bobby Brazier 'favouritism' row.

Former pro dancer Brendan Cole, 47 - who left the show in 2018 - has said he believes the popular EastEnders actor, 20, is being overmarked.

Bobby and his pro partner Dianne Buswell scored 32 out of 40 on Saturday for their Viennese Waltz to JVKE's Golden Hour.

But viewers have begun accusing BBC bosses of giving out special treatment to certain contestants, including Bobby and Love Island star Zara McDermott.

Speaking to Sky Bingo, Brendan revealed that he believed Angela Scanlon is in fact the better dancer - despite only scoring 28 for her American Smooth with Carlos Gu.

Favouritism? Stars and fans have accused BBC bosses of giving EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier, 20, preferential treatment

Talented: Bobby has consistently been given high scores by the panel, ranging from 29 to 32

He said: 'Bobby [Brazier] got a seven and they messed up the fleckle completely and Bobby looked like he was wearing his PJs!

'I think she [Angela Scanlon] is one of the better ones in the competition and I hope that next week they do something really amazing.

'She's one of my favourite competitors on the show, and probably one of the best signings for a long time.'

Bobby scores have ranged between 29 and 32 - with the star consistently being given high scores even at such an early stage in the dance competition.

Several stars and viewers have accused BBC bosses of giving out special treatment to certain contestants.

Their suspicions have been exacerbated after Zara McDermott was once again saved in the dance-off on Sunday.

Speaking to The Sun, a show insider said: 'Bobby and Zara are very much seen as BBC favourites by their Strictly co-stars. After she was saved there were more than a few eyebrows raised backstage.'

They further claim that speculation is building that the BBC is purposefully giving Zara and Bobby a leg up in the competition, as they have a vested interest in building their popularities.

Weighing in: Former Strictly pro Brendan Cole says he believes Bobby was overmarked for his performance

Playing favourites: Strictly Come Dancing has reportedly become caught up in another favouritism row with several stars and viewers accusing BBC bosses of giving out special treatment to certain contestants (Zara McDermott pictured)

Keeping it in the family: Zara McDermott and Bobby Brazier (pictured) are both starring on the current series of the hit dancing show, while also being rising stars on the BBC

Special treatment: It has now been reported that other Strictly stars have been growing annoyed at what they see as the bosses playing favourites

The source said: 'Bobby and Zara are both big deals for the BBC. There are rumours of an "agenda" to further them both on the show.

'There seems to be an element of jealousy that Zara is through to another week. She is very much a golden girl for the BBC.

'And by giving Bobby a whirl on Strictly they can gauge his popularity outside the soap.'

MailOnline have contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing for comment.

It appears that several viewers are in agreement about the favouritism claims, with fans being left divided after Eddie Kadi was eliminated over Zara last weekend.

The comedian, 40, and partner Karen Hauer faced the reality star in the dreaded dance-off, but was sent home by the judges.

However some watching at home questioned the decision on social media - especially as just two weeks ago Eddie was scored a 10 from Shirley Ballas for his Men In Black routine in Movie Week.
Jodie Kidd slipped into a skimpy swimsuit as she took a plunge in the freezing cold sea in Cornwall on Wednesday.

The model, 44, attempted to keep as warm as she could by wrapping up with a stylish bobble hat to brave the 13 degree waters.

Taking to Instagram, the star shared a sweet video of her walking through the sand before calming stepping into the ocean.

Captioning her post, she penned: 'A lovely Cornish October Dip.'

Jodie has been staying in a stunning chalet overlooking the gorgeous scenic views in Cornwall.

Brave: Jodie Kidd, 44, slipped into a skimpy swimsuit to take a plunge in the freezing cold sea in Cornwall on Wednesday

Cold water plunge: The model attempted to keep as warm as she could by wrapping up with a stylish bobble hat to brave the 13 degree waters

The blonde beauty flashed her slender physique and toned arms as she posed with her arms up before taking the plunge.

Her relaxing getaway comes after she hinted at her wedding date to her boyfriend Joseph Bates as she revealed some details about their upcoming big day.

Jodie got engaged to her ex-Royal Marine boyfriend Joseph in December 2021 and is now gearing up to tie the knot for the third time.

She teased some details about her upcoming nuptials as she revealed she is hoping to tie the knot with Joseph in summer 2024 in Devon.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline at the Radiant Resilience Exhibition by Zara Muse at Grove Gallery, she said of her big day: 'Next year  it will definitely be next year, in hopefully the summer and Joe's from Devon and we love Devon very much.

'I should think that's where we will have the wedding  it's such a pretty county, and we love it.'

She also shared that she has already asked her close friend Leah Wood, daughter of The Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood, to be her bridesmaid.

When asked if Leah would be her bridesmaid, she replied: '100 per cent I've already asked her, and [my sister] Jemma will be my Maid of Honour.

Incredible: The model elegantly walked in the water without fear and sat down in the 13 degree waters

Willpower: The blonde beauty flashed her slender physique and toned arms as she posed with her arms up before taking the plunge

Taking it in: Jodie has been staying in a stunning chalet overlooking the gorgeous scenic views in Cornwall

Fearless: Taking to Instagram the star shared a sweet video of her walking through the sand to get in the water

What does cold water swimming do? Cold-water swimming should be treated as an extreme sport, experts have warned. The number who have died in the UK after open-water swimming rose from 34 to 61 between 2018 and 2021, they say. And the coastguard reported a 53 per cent increase in call-outs associated with the hobby. But scientists fear people are not aware of the dangers. They say participants can go into cold shock, which is caused by a rapid fall in skin temperature and can lead to gasping, the release of stress hormones and abnormal heart rhythms. Professor Mike Tipton, of Portsmouth University, said: 'Cold shock and the loss of control of breathing can result in drowning.' Advertisement

'My other bridesmaids will be Chloe Bunn and Julia  there's so many, hundreds. It's all about the hen night!'

Jodie and Leah have been longtime pals after meeting in their early modelling days as teenagers and becoming fast friends socialising backstage at fashion shows.

The racing driver also addressed whether she plans to have any more children, after previously saying she hadn't ruled out having another baby.

Jodie is already mother to Indio, 11, who she welcomed to the world with her ex-partner Andrea Vianini in 2011.

Of whether she wants another child, she said: 'I don't know. I think Indo is very content.

'I think years ago, he would have loved to have a little brother or little sister, and then it's just the way the world worked.

'It wasn't the right time and other things happened, and it didn't happen, and we feel very lucky and blessed that we're bringing up a beautiful, little kind person.

'We don't know what the universe will hold.'

However, she admitted that having another baby and going back to changing nappies would definitely be a 'shock to the system' for her.

She went on: 'Going back to nappies would be a big shock to the system, but who knows.

Exciting: Her relaxing getaway comes after she hinted at her wedding date to her boyfriend Joseph Bates as she revealed some details about their upcoming big day (both pictured in February 2020)

Besties: She shared that she has already asked her close friend Leah Wood (both pictured), daughter of The Rolling Stones star Ronnie, to be her bridesmaid

Big plans: Jodie has teased some details about her upcoming nuptials as she revealed she is hoping to tie the knot with Joseph in summer 2024 in Devon (both pictured in June 2018)

Sweet: The model, 44, got engaged to her ex-Royal Marine boyfriend Joseph when he proposed in Paris in December 2021 and is now gearing up to tie the knot for the third time

'The thing is everyone is good and happy, and things are going ok, which is very unusual for the Kidd family not to have scandals and disasters and marriage divorces, so we're actually doing ok.'

The TV personality has been in a relationship with her fiance Joseph since 2017 and they got engaged in December 2021 when he proposed on a romantic trip to Paris.

'I said Yes,' confirmed Jodie at the time, who shared a photograph on Instagram of her with her fiance Joseph in front of the Arc de Triomphe in the French capital.
James Argent has dropped a big hint he will marry his 19-year-old girlfriend.

The former TOWIE star, 35, described himself as 'loved-up' with his Italian partner Stella Turian who he has been dating for several month.

Speaking to The Sun, James told how the pair currently have a long distance relationship but he can already see them tying the knot one day.

He said: 'I have been seeing an Italian girl for a while now. Her name is Stella, she lives in Italy, we met and became friends and it just snowballed from there.

'We are doing the long distance at the moment but it is working for us. She is beautiful and I am really happy.'

Future: James Argent has dropped a big hint he will marry his 19-year-old girlfriend

Couple: The former TOWIE star, 35, described himself as 'loved-up' with his Italian partner Stella Turian who he has been dating for several month

Asked about getting hitched, he said: 'I would love to get married one day. It's a bit early right now but who knows I could be singing at my own wedding one day.'

James recently gushed over Stella and revealed that he wooed her with Mafia movies in his home cinema.

The reality star also recalled how they 'serenaded each other' when they first met by chance at a restaurant in Greece in June, before pursuing a romantic relationship months later.

Speaking to The Sun, he confessed: 'I feel very lucky, sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself this is all really happening.'

As well as being genetically blessed, the 18-year-old beauty is fluent in four languages, while the TOWIE star is working hard on improving his Italian.

Arg also told how he wooed his new girlfriend, revealing: 'I'm lucky enough to have a home cinema  there have to be some perks to being in showbiz  and I'm obsessed with Mafia films, so I made her watch Goodfellas and some Sopranos and Casino too.'

Despite meeting just once in Mykonos, they then spent the summer messaging and FaceTiming.

Arg recalled how he eventually plucked up the courage to fly to Italy in September to see her and see if there was a romance to be had.

Relationship: James told how the pair currently have a long distance relationship but he can already see them tying the knot one day

Ex: Stella is the first person James has dated since the end of his turbulent romance with former TOWIE co-star Gemma Collins (pictured together in 2017)

The TOWIE star confessed to being 'incredibly nervous' for fear that when they saw each other again, there might not be a romantic connection.

But thankfully, the second their eyes met again, he gushed over how they felt 'an amazing link' which has continued to develop.

It comes after MailOnline revealed James' burgeoning romance with Stella in September.

Sources close to the pair said that it was 'love at first sight' for James, who hasn't felt this way for years, and he's 'determined' to make this relationship the best of his life.

'James and Stella are in love, they fell for each other the moment they met and have spent as much time together as possible since,' a source told MailOnline.

'This is a big deal for James  he hasn't been in a relationship for years because he's been working on himself and finally now, he's ready to share his life with someone.

'The age difference hasn't played any part in their romance so far, they've holidayed together in Italy and Marbella, getting to know each other away from the spotlight.'

Stella appears in the film Infiniti, which screened at this year's Venice Film Festival.

Stella is the first person James has dated since the end of his turbulent romance with former TOWIE co-star Gemma Collins, 42, who was left brokenhearted on multiple occasions after James called her names and they fell out on and off screen.

He also dated TOWIE's Lydia Bright, 32, who is now a mum to daughter Loretta while Gemma is engaged to fiance Rami Hawash.
Marion Ross is 95!

The Happy Days matriarch was seen by DailyMail.com celebrating the milestone at lunch with friends a few days before her Wednesday birthday.

The veteran actress, who found fame playing Marion Cunningham, looked in great spirits while dining al fresco at Marmalade Cafe, a popular restaurant in Calabasas, California.

She was seen in the restaurant parking lot flanked by friends, one of whom lovingly put an arm around her. Ross supported herself with a walker while wearing a black turtle neck, checkered pants and sneakers.

DailyMail.com spotted actress Marion Ross celebrating her 95th birthday with her friends at lunch this week

She and her friends were dining al fresco at Marmalade Cafe, a popular restaurant in Calabasas, California

Ross found fame in the hit sitcom alongside co-stars Henry Winkler aka The Fonz, Ron Howard who played Richie, Erin Moran who played Joanie, and Anson Williams who played Potsie Weber

The actress's long career began 70 years ago in 1953 when she made her debut in the film Forever Female, starring Ginger Rogers and William Holden.

That same year, she made her television debut when she played an Irish maid on the series Life with Father and the following year starred as Ginny Thorpe in popular show The Lone Ranger.

She then went on to appear on the silver screen in a slew of movies with stars including James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Clark Gable, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Cary Grant and Tony Curtis.

But what really thrust Ross into the spotlight was the hit sitcom Happy Days, starring alongside co-stars Henry Winkler aka The Fonz, Ron Howard who played Richie, Erin Moran who played Joanie, and Anson Williams who played Potsie.

After Happy Days ended in 1984 she became a regular on The Love Boat and starred in the critically acclaimed comedy Brooklyn Bridge as well as recurring roles on The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show and Gilmore Girls.

She was also the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants's grandmother.

Ross, who starred for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984, now lives in Woodland Hills just a few minutes from the restaurant where she celebrated her birthday.

She was seen in the restaurant parking lot flanked by friends and supporting herself with a walker

The veteran actress, who found fame playing Marion Cunningham, looked in great spirits

Ross was seen in the restaurant parking lot flanked by friends who lovingly put an arm around her

Ross supported herself with a walker while wearing a black turtle neck, checkered pants and sneakers

The mother-of-two who hails from Minnesota is rarely seen out and was last pictured on a red carpet in 2019 when she joined her former sitcom stars for a special reunion at the Garry Marshall Theatre's Founder's Gala in Los Angeles.

Marshall, who created Happy Days and several spin-offs including Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy, passed away in 2016 at the age of 81.

Ross walked the red carpet with Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Don Most and Anson Williams as they were honored at the fundraising event.

The five took part in ABC TV special The Happy Days of Garry Marshall in 2020 where they led a heartfelt tribute to Marshall, who died in 2016.

In addition to the Happy Days cast, the program featured stars from the casts of some of his biggest creations, including Pretty Woman stars Richard Gere, Hector Elizondo and Julia Roberts; Cindy Williams, David Lander and Michael McKean from Laverne & Shirley; Mork & Mindy's Pam Dawber and Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine from The Princess Diaries.

Ross starred in Happy Days for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984. She is pictured in Season 3 with Ron Howard

Marion Ross appeared with James Stewart (center) and Charles Drake in the 1954 movie The Glenn Miller Story

In November 2019. Ross joined her former sitcom stars for a special reunion at the Garry Marshall Theatre's 3rd Annual Founder's Gala in LA; from L-R: Don Most, Ron Howard, Henry Winkler and Anson Williams

Ross told Fox News in 2020 that she was looking to the positives and taking life in stride during the coronavirus pandemic.

'Im just staying in and staying out of trouble,' she said. 'I walk around my property and look at spring coming to life!'

She gushed about her family and said she was getting plenty of help while isolating at home.

Ross has been married twice. She first married Freeman Meskimen in 1951, divorcing in 1969. Her second marriage was to Paul Michael in 1988. He died in 2011.

'My family is so devoted to my well being,' she said. 'My son brings me a green drink everyday with kale, broccoli and protein powder. My daughter and son also bring me groceries and make sure I have everything I need.'

She went on: 'It is such a wonderful time to bond and connect with family even if we are not together. I also have been calling friends to see how they are and have a little chat.'
He's one of Australia's most promising acting exports.

And Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery is returning to screens in a new film shot entirely in New Zealand.

The 28-year-old has recently wrapped filming ghost thriller Went Up the Hill alongside Cannes award winner Vicky Krieps, 40.

The film, by New Zealand director Samuel Van Grinsven, tells the tale of how Jack (Montgomery) travels to New Zealand to attend the funeral of his estranged mother after being abandoned as a child.

There, he meets her grieving widow Jill (Krieps).

Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery, 28, (left) has wrapped filming New Zealand-based supernatural thriller Went Up the Hill alongside co-star Vicky Krieps, 40. (right)

Things take a terrifying turn when his mother's ghost returns to possess both Jack and Jill's bodies, using them as hosts to carry out her bidding.

'It's thrilling to have Vicky and Dacre embodying these uniquely challenging characters,' Van Grinsven said of the casting.

'As two bold artists I admire, it's an honour to now be crafting this haunting story alongside them,' he added.

The film, by New Zealand director Samuel Van Grinsven, tells the tale of how Jack (Montgomery) travels to New Zealand to attend the funeral of his estranged mother after being abandoned as a child

The Perth-born actor is best known for playing school bully Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things

Montgomery's career is certainly on the rise.

The Perth-born actor is best known for playing school bully Billy Hargrove in the Netflix series Stranger Things.

He recently starred as TV director Steve Binder in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic, and also starred in glossy promotional campaign for menswear brand Politix.

He is also set to appear in upcoming films Spider & Jessie, as well as Faces of Death.

He recently starred as TV director Steve Binder in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic, and also starred in glossy promotional campaign for menswear brand Politix
Meg Ryan shed light on her decision to take a step back from Hollywood, following her starring roles in When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle.

After cementing her status as a leading lady and household name, the 61-year-old actress revealed why she took time away from her career ahead of the release of her first romantic comedy, What Happens Later, in nearly 15 years.

'I took a giant break because I felt like there's just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop,' the mother-of-two told People.

She continued: 'It's nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me.'

She's back! Meg Ryan shed light on her decision to take a step back from Hollywood, following her starring roles in When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle; seen in 2019

In 2015, she made her directorial debut with the drama Ithaca, based on the 1943 novel The Human Comedy by William Saroyan.

For her latest project, What Happens Later, she tackled directing, writing and serving as its star, alongside David Duchovny.

'It came to me during lockdown,' she raved. 'The essence of it is these two people who are stuck together. I just love that idea that we're held in a space, even if it feels conflicted, maybe for reasons that heal them.'

In a recent conversation with Carol Burnett for Interview magazine, Ryan lifted the curtain on the process of making her new film.

'Truly, the easiest part was acting in it,' she said. 'I want to direct again just so I can sit in the chair, because Im sure theres a lot of things I missed.'

The performer also noted: 'I hadnt done a role in a really long time, but it was fun with David.'

She added: 'A lot of it was done in two shots. Im proud of that. I set up everything beforehand so that once we were there, it was just David and I trying to tell the truth.'

Meg explained that the process of cobbling the film together was 'all really deliberate' - and accomplished on a budget of $3 million.

A big break: After cementing her status as a leading lady and household name, the 61-year-old actress revealed why she took time away from her career ahead of the release of her first romantic comedy, What Happens Later, in nearly 15 years (seen in her 1998 film You've Got Mail)

'We had to do it really quickly. A lot of those extras werent even ours, they were real people,' Meg revealed. 'We went back in post and made everybody the same palette. Theres a lot of stuff you can do digitally now, thank god.'

Meg shot to stardom in the 1980s, playing the female love interest in hit movies like the original Top Gun and When Harry Met Sally.

As the years went on, she became inextricably identified with romantic comedies, with her best-known films including Sleepless In Seattle and You've Got Mail.

Her girl-next-door image, however, suffered a blow in 2000 when news broke of her affair with her Proof Of Life co-star Russell Crowe.

'I took a giant break because I felt like there's just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop,' the mother-of-two told People; seen in 2009 in her hit movie Serious Moonlight

As the years went on, she became inextricably identified with romantic comedies, with her best-known films including Sleepless In Seattle (seen above in 1993)

Memorable: Ryan famously played Sally Albright in the 1989 rom-com, When Harry Met Sally (pictured above)

At the time, Meg was still married to Dennis Quaid, whom she later accused of having been unfaithful to her 'for a long time' during their relationship.

What Happens Later is the first rom-com Meg has acted in for over a decade, with her previous entry in the genre being the 2009 film Serious Moonlight.

In a newly dropped trailer for What Happens Now, Meg's character Wilhelmina and David's character William happen to run into each other at an airport.

It emerges that the pair of them are exes whose romance ended a couple of decades previously - but an undeniable chemistry is still detectable between them.

When both of their flights get delayed, they wind up stuck together, waiting around in the airport with nothing to do but hash out the unfinished business of their past.
Al Pacino and his girlfriend Noor Alfallah were spotted heading to a date night in Los Angeles.

The Godfather star, 83, and the producer, 29, headed to dinner at Pace Italian restaurant on Tuesday.

The couple, who welcomed son Roman together in June, pushed aside speculation they had split after she filed for sole custody of their baby in September.

Noor wore black drawstring bottoms with a matching top, adding a cropped leather jacket.

The Oscar winner followed closely behind Noor, wearing dark hued trousers and a coat with sunglasses for their evening out.

Their sighting together comes over a week after she engaged in playful PDA with friend Prince Alexander von Furstenberg at E. Baldi during a lunch outing.

Love is in the air: Al Pacino and his girlfriend Noor Alfallah were spotted heading to a date night in Los Angeles

Date night: The Godfather star, 83, and the producer, 29, headed to dinner at Pace Italian restaurant on Tuesday

The duo are often seen heading out for date night together, despite the persistent split rumors following her seeking sole custody of Roman.

Just days prior, Noor was seen without Al - while enjoying lunch with Prince Alexander von Furstenberg at E. Baldi.

Noor and the 53-year-old American businessman and socialite definitely raised eyebrows as they packed on playful PDA outside of the celeb-favorite restaurant just hours after enjoying an outing with the father of her child.

Perhaps the most interesting thing of all was that at one point Prince Alexander grabbed Noor's backside with his right hand.

At one point he even hugged her from behind as she turned her face away from his while they were in the valet queue.

It all seemed to be in good fun as Noor flashed a big smile while walking toward her car after saying her goodbyes to the son of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Prince Egon von Furstenberg.

Despite being the son of fashion royalty, he has paved a way all his own as he began his career in 1993 as a trader on Risk Arbitrage Desk of Allen and Company.

He now is the Chief Investment Officer of Ranger Global Advisors, LLC, a family company he founded which focuses on opportunistic value-based investing.

Prince Alexander was previously married to Alexandra, who is the daughter of duty-free shops owner Robert Warren Miller.

The two married in a Catholic ceremony in October 1995 in New York City.

Dinner: The couple, who welcomed son Roman together in June, pushed aside speculation they had split after she filed for sole custody of their baby in September

They share two children; Talita Natasha born on May 7, 1999 and Tassilo Egon Maximilian born on August 26, 2001.

Prince Alexander and Alexandra separated in 2002 and were divorced a year later.

Years later he announced his engagement to Alison 'Ali' Kay years later.

He and Alison share two children together; Leon in July 2012 and Vito in June 2020.

Prince Alexander and Alison were civilly married on September 19, 2020 which happened to be her 36th birthday.

The two were first romantically linked in April 2022, and at the time, a source revealed to Page Six that Pacino was not bothered by their age gap.

'Pacino and Noor started seeing each other during the pandemic. She mostly dates very rich older men, she was with Mick Jagger for a while, and then she dated Nicholas Berggruen,' an insider told the outlet.

'She has been with Al for some time and they get on very well. The age gap doesnt seem to be a problem, even though he is older than her father,' the source expressed, adding, 'She moves with the wealthy jet-set crowd, and she comes from a family with money.'

Earlier this year in May, it was confirmed that the couple were expecting their first child together.

A close friend had spoken to DailyMail.com and stated that although the pregnancy was 'not expected,' the star was thrilled over the news. 'If she waited until 11 weeks to tell Al it is because she found out then.'

'She's wanted to have a baby for years and Al could not be happier. He loves Noor and the feeling is mutual.'

The insider also slammed speculation that Noor was dating Pacino strictly for financial reasons as 'complete and utter b******t'.

'Not only does Noor come from an extremely wealthy family, but she has also worked to obtain her own wealth.'

In June, Pacino himself confirmed that he was happy over the news during an outing in Los Angeles. 'It's very special,' he had announced at the time.

'It always has been. I've got many kids. But this is really special coming at this time,' he continued to explain.

In June, Al and Noor welcomed their son, Roman - now four-months-old. Last month in September, the producer notably filed for sole custody of their little one, requesting 'reasonable visitation' for the award-winning actor.

Sole custody: Last month in September, the producer notably filed for sole custody of their little one and 'reasonable visitation' for the award-winning actor

Mutual 'agreement': A representative for the Hollywood actor also further shut down break up rumors to DailyMail.com and stated the two have, 'mutually reached an agreement regarding their son'; seen with Bennett Miller

TMZ had reported that Alfallah had filed a petition in L.A. Superior Court and along with reasonable visitation, she had also requested that Pacino have 'joint legal custody' as well.

The filing quickly sparked split rumors between the pair, however, a source told the outlet, 'Al and Noor have successfully worked together and have mutually reached agreements regarding their child, Roman. They are still together.'

A representative for the Hollywood actor also further shut down break up rumors to DailyMail.com and stated the two have, 'mutually reached an agreement regarding their son.'

'Al and Noor have successfully worked together and have mutually reached agreements regarding their child Roman. They are together. They haven't split.'

The Scarface actor is not only father to baby Roman, but also daughter, Julia, 33, whom he shares with Jan Tarrant, as well as twins Anton and Olivia, 22, whom he welcomed with Beverly D'Angelo.
Shona McGarty was spotted seemingly arguing with a fellow shopper in Tesco's car park in north London on Wednesday.

The EastEnders actress, 32, appeared to be arguing with a shopper over how she had parked her car, and was seemingly approached by a member of staff after a woman called on them.

The soap star looked downcast and frustrated during the row as onlookers walked past the spectacle.

MailOnline have contacted Shona's representatives for a comment.

A member of the public was pictured frantically waving her arms and pointing at Shona's BMW.

Confrontation: Shona McGarty, 32, was spotted arguing with a fellow shopper and a security member in Tesco 's carpark in north London on Wednesday

Argument: The EastEnders actress appeared to be arguing over how the actress had parked her car and had been approached by security after a woman called on them

After being approached by the Tesco worker and the woman for an unknown reason, Shona got in her car, within a tight squeeze between the vehicles, and drove off.

She recently sparked rumours she's engaged to her new boyfriend David Bracken by flashing a ring on her left hand - just weeks after confirming their relationship.

Shona couldn't keep her hands off her rumoured fiance as they stepped out together for a meal in north London last month - where she sported the jewellery yet again.

It is the second time the Whitney Dean actress has been seen in public with musician David as they kissed and hugged after eating at a Greek restaurant with her mother.

Guitarist David is one half of Irish guitar duo Blessed, who regularly gig across their homeland and boast over 18,000 Instagram followers.

It comes weeks after she 'soft launched' her relationship with the tattooed Irish musician.

Shona shared a black-and-white photograph of their hands intertwined, with David's displaying his distinctive tattoo.

Fuming: The soap star looked downcast and frustrated during the row as onlookers walked past the spectacle

Awkward: A member of the public was pictured frantically waving her arms and pointing at Shona's BMW

Encounter: It seemed the women called two staff from Tesco to come outside and look at the way Shona parked her car, as she kept pointing at her BMW

Unbothered: After the Tesco worker and blonde woman approached Shona for an unknown reason, the actress got in her car, within a tight squeeze between the vehicles, and drove off

Row: Onlookers in the car park appeared shocked to see Shona scoot off in her car following the confrontation

The actress wrote: 'I promise,' along with a romantic John Lennon quote in the caption, which read: 'Love is a promise, Love is a souvenir, once given, never forgotten, never let it disappear.'

Two days earlier, David had shared the same shot and penned: 'A promise is a promise. Never to be broken. #happy #happyplace.'

Back in October 2022, Shona and her ex-boyfriend Max Bowden reportedly split following a six-month romance, after he welcomed a baby boy with his ex Roisin Buckle.

Roisin discovered she was pregnant at the beginning of 2022 but the couple decided to separate in March, while agreeing to co-parent once their son was born.

Max - who plays Ben Mitchell on EastEnders - and Shona's former romance then came to light in May 2022 after sources claimed the pair were 'inseparable.'

They made their relationship Instagram official in August 2022, but six months later a source told The Sun: 'There has been a lot going on in Max's life and things were just getting too complicated with Shona being involved.

'Max will always have a lot of love and respect for Shona but it's just not the right time.'

A friend close to the couple also added: 'Max and Shona have never spoken on it publicly but as their close circle would know, they were never in an official relationship and remain close friends who decided not to pursue anything romantic a number of months ago.'

Engaged? She recently sparked rumours she's engaged to her new boyfriend David Bracken by flashing a ring on her left hand - just weeks after confirming their relationship

Announcement: It comes weeks after she introduced him on social media with a snap of them holding hands

Drama: In October 2022, Shona and her ex-boyfriend Max Bowden reportedly split following a six-month romance, after he welcomed a baby boy with his ex Roisin Buckle (pictured in September 2022)

Shona opened up about her split from ex Max while at The British Soap Awards in June.

She told The Mirror: 'It's lovely to be here tonight because Max's mum's here and I haven't seen her for ages, I adore her.

'So it's lovely to catch up with her. We're actually better than ever. It's a friendship, we're in such a good place.

'You take a risk, and you do something and it doesn't work out, but that's life, you've got to take that risk.'
Tara Reid is shutting down rumors and speculation that she has an eating disorder, in a brand new magazine interview.

The rumors have dogged the 47-year-old American Pie actress for years and she is now setting the record straight in a frank discussion with the Los Angeles Inquisitor.

'I have no anorexia and never have,' she told reporter Derek Warburton.

'And I definitely don't have any bulimia. I'm terrified of throwing up, so that's not gonna happen. And I love food too much.'

The Josie and the Pussycat star however looked almost unrecognizable for the accompanying photoshoot for the interview.

Tara was heavily made up and styled to the nines for the shoot, and stressed in the the interview that she's fed up with people talking about her weight.

Speaking out: Tara Reid addresses 'bullying' in a new cover interview with the magazine Los Angeles Inquisitor

Setting the record straight: Tara Reid is tired of the constant speculation that she has an eating disorder (Pic: 2016)

The naturally thin actress said: 'So anyone that says I'm anorexic or bulimic, they're wrong. So stop it. Leave me alone. Pick on me again on something else, but not on those two things. It's not right.'

The American Pie star also said the persistent speculation about her weight is a form of bullying that led her to a dark place.

That is part of the reason she decided to take part in Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.

The Sharknado actress joined the cast of the military training competition to 'get over certain issues that she has deep inside.'

'I thought if I could do this, try this, maybe I can get over some of the things that I have, like, the darkness inside of me,' she shared. 'And a lot of it's about bullying.'

Unrecognizable: The American Pie star appeared heavily made up for her latest photoshoot

Stylish: The photospread featured Tara striking a number of sultry poses

Wild thing! Tara wore a leopard print jacket and shades in another cool shot

And while she was the first competitor to exit the show, she has no regrets.

'I'm so glad I did it because it really did help me. It made me learn my strength, my mental strength, my inner strength - not necessarily my physical strength,' she said.

'But I learned a lot about myself, and I came back feeling like a better person.'

And Tara was surprised by the overwhelming positive support she received from fans in DMs that told her she did a great job and they were proud of her.

Naturally thin: The rumors have dogged the Josie and the Pussycat star, 47, for years and she has set the record straight in an interview with the Los Angeles Inquisitor (Pic: 2018)

The naturally thin actress added: 'So anyone that says I'm anorexic or bulimic, they're wrong. So stop it. Leave me alone. Pick on me again on something else, but not on those two things. It's not right' (Pic: 2022)

Back in the day: Tara (pictured above in 2003) has always been naturally slim

Heyday: Tara's career in Hollywood got off to a promising start in the late nineties

'And I would read them out loud with Nate, my boyfriend, and we were crying at moments because it felt so good because I never felt that support.'

Tara also took the time to address the fans who reached out to he and lifted her spirits.

'Thank you for making me feel good again. Because you cant write back everyone - its too hard - but I wanted to make a statement. Thank you to everyone that supported me and made me feel better and really made me want to be a better person.

'I appreciated every single comment that every single fan said, and I just want to say thank you to all of them.'
Rylan Clark is to make a return to This Morning next week as ITV bosses look for a replacement for Holly Willoughby.

MailOnline can reveal that the Radio 2 host will join Josie Gibson on the sofa next week for holiday cover.

He will present Monday to Thursday, and chiefs at the channel are said to be 'thrilled' at getting him back into the fold.

It comes just months after he was rumoured to be replacing Phillip Schofield after he left This Morning in May.

Clark, 34, last hosted the ITV daytime show in summer 2022 when he joined Ruth Langsford.

Guess who's back: Rylan Clark is to make a return to This Morning next week as ITV bosses look for a replacement for Holly Willoughby (pictured on the show in 2016)

A source close to the star said: 'Rylan is just so popular with the British public, he is adored.

'This Morning bosses are absolutely delighted to have got him back on after such a long break. He will be joining Josie and he is thrilled.

'The pair of them will have such a laugh together, ITV executives are sure that they will be a real hit with the viewers.'

Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary will host Friday's show and the following week Ms Gibson will head out to Australia as she is rumoured to be appearing on ITV reality show, I'm A Celeb.

Clark, who shot to fame on the X Factor in 2011, hosted This Morning between 2014 and 2019 - sometimes alongside his ex-husband Dan Neal.

However, he decided not to return as part of the show's rotating list of hosts.

It was claimed by television insiders that he and Schofield did not get on.

Clark's arrival on the show comes after Ms Willoughby quit This Morning two weeks ago - five months after Schofield was ousted following the pair's fall out.

New role? It comes just months after he was rumoured to be replacing Phillip Schofield after he left This Morning in May

Ms Willoughby was due to host alongside Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard from January.

ITV bosses are now looking for a permanent replacement for her, with names such as Kate Garraway and Davina McCall in the frame.

Sources at the network have laughed off claims that model Abbey Clancy or Channel 5's Storm Huntley will be hired.

One said: 'Both of those names are nonsense. Neither have even been spoken to.'
Newly-single Sofia Vergara sent a flirty message to Bad Bunny after he complimented her in his new song.

The Modern Family star, 51, who split from husband Joe Manganiello, 46. earlier this year, was left giddy after Kendall Jenner's hitmaker beau, 29, gave her a shoutout on his track Monaco from new album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Manana,

In the track, he croons: 'Sofia Vergara es linda, pero es mas linda en persona' (Sofia Vergara is beautiful, but she is more beautiful in person.)

The Colombian bombshell quickly took to Instagram to share a clip from the music video captioned: 'Mas lindo eres tu @badbunnypr' (You are cuter.)

Sofia's compliment quickly drove fans wild, with followers quipping: 'Lmfaooooooo snatch him from Kendall now!!!!!'

Oh my: Newly-single Sofia Vergara sent a flirty message to Bad Bunny after he complimented her in his new song (pictured last month)

Lol: Sofia's compliment quickly drove fans wild, with followers quipping: 'Lmfaooooooo snatch him from Kendall now!!!!!' (pictured with girlfriend Kendall in May 2023)

Another typed: 'Oh Kendall you are in trouble!' while a third wrote: 'Kendall rn' followed by staring eyes.

While the notoriously private musician still has yet to acknowledge the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star as his girlfriend (refusing to elaborate further about their relationship during a Vanity Fair interview) he has made several vague references to a girl he likes in his music and during the aforementioned interview.

When he spoke to Vanity Fair about how he's been working on improving his English, the Ojitos lindos rapper mentioned that, 'with some people, I speak Englishwith some specific people...With one of them, I couldnt talk to her before.'

Fans speculated that the Cassandro star was referring to Kendall as the girl he could converse with in English  however, Bad Bunny never mentioned her name once in the interview.

Stoking the relationship fuel flames even further, the Narcos: Mexico actor released a song this past week about falling in love with a cowgirl.

Fans are already speculating that the track, Un Preview, is about Kendall.

In the song, the curly haired crooner also raps about how he had 'great sex' with the cowgirl in question.

However, both Kendall and Bad Bunny have yet to publicly confirm their nearly year-long romance.

'Cuter': The Modern Family star, 51, who split from husband Joe Manganiello , 46. earlier this year, was left giddy after Kendall Jenner 's hitmaker beau, 29, gave her a shoutout on his track Monaco from new album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Manana - and called him 'cute'

Reaction: Fans quickly joked about Sofia stealing Kendall's man

Breakup: Sofia and ex-husband Joe Manganiello split in July after seven years of marriage

Hot couple: Benito and Kendall have been linked since February 2023 (pictured May)

Manganiello and Vergara tied the knot in 2015 and never had children together.

After seven years of marriage, they announced their divorce in a joint statement shared with Page Six.

They said: 'We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.'

Days ago the Colombian-born actress stepped out with a male companion for a night out in Beverly Hills.

Her evening with the silver fox  whom Page Six identified as orthopedic surgeon Justin Saliman  was the first time Sofia was seen publicly with a date since her split in July.
Christian LeBlanc has been playing Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless since 1991, but in recent months, he's been absent from the show.

The eight-time Daytime Emmy nominee, 65, has been battling a form of blood cancer called Multiple myeloma.

'I was diagnosed around June, Santa Monica, St. John's Hospital, which I'd never been to,' he told the CBS station in New Orleans.

'I've never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year.'

And it was his fans who first brought the fact that one of his eyes looked a little 'wonky' to his attention.

Health battle: Christian LeBlanc has been playing Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless since 1991, but in recent months, he's been absent from the show

Before the fan brought up the fact that his eye looked weird he had already been experiencing some symptoms that had him feeling like something was off with his health.

'I went in [to the studio] and they put my wedding ring on  Lauren and Michael's wedding ring  and I put my hand down and the ring fell off without friction and I thought what an odd thing,' LeBlanc said.

He was also having frequent nosebleeds and when he went to the doctor, a tumor was discovered in his sinus cavity. The tumor was pressing on his optic nerve.

Doctors diagnosed the case as Multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the body's plasma cells.

'It's a very common cancer, but again, it's like you don't think of a pink elephant. Now that I hear about Myeloma, you hear it everywhere,' he told the outlet.

The New Orleans native said he 'lost 35 pounds in two months, and not in a good way. But when they said, "Eat like it's your job," I said, "I was raised to fulfill this promise."'

LeBlanc underwent surgery and immunotherapy treatment and was in the ho

Christian underwent surgery and an immunotherapy treatment which included a lengthy hospital stay.

Soap opera: The eight-time Daytime Emmy nominee, 65, has been battling a form of blood cancer called Multiple myeloma

Diagnosis: 'I was diagnosed around June, Santa Monica, St. John's Hospital, which I'd never been to,' he told the CBS station in New Orleans

Cancer: 'I've never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year.' And it was his fans who first brought the fact that one of his eyes looked a little 'wonky' to his attention

Remission: Before the fan brought up the fact that his eye looked weird he had already been experiencing some symptoms that had him feeling like something was off with his health

His cancer is fully in remission now and he will be back on The Young and the Restless for the long-running soap opera's Thanksgiving episode.

LeBlanc joined the cast of Y&R in 1991, departed in 1993 and returned in 1997.

He's won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series three times.

In 2021, he revealed he is gay and had been married to his husband, Sid Montz for 28 years.
Bradley Cooper is completely unrecognizable in the official trailer for his musical drama, Maestro, while depicting the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Two months after he was accused of playing to 'Jewface' stereotypes for wearing a prosthetic nose in the upcoming film, which he also directed, an extended preview of the 48-year-old actor in character shows him playing the late composer over his entire life.

On Wednesday, the two-and-a-half-minute teaser for Netflix's biopic, which hits theaters later this month before debuting on streaming in December, chronicled Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan)'s 'towering and fearless love story' over the years.

While portraying Bernstein in his elderly years, Cooper sported old age makeup, which included dark spots on his face, wrinkles and deep under-eye bags.

Transformed: Bradley Cooper is completely unrecognizable in the official trailer for his musical drama, Maestro, while depicting the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein

The aged version of Bernstein is a stark contrast to Cooper's portrayal of the musician during his youth, which are filmed in black and white.

'If summer doesn't sing in you then nothing sings in you,' Cooper said in the beginning of the trailer while playing the piano. 'And if nothing sings in you, then you can't make music.'

Footage then pans to a young Leonard, looking smitten, as he meets Felicia for the first time at a social gathering.

After their introduction, he later tells a friend: 'She's beautiful. Tell me about her.'

Following a scene of them snuggled up in bed together under the covers, she tells Leonard: 'What age are we living in? One can be as free as one likes without guilt or confession. Please, I know exactly who you are.'

Leonard, who had affairs with men and women during their marriage, proceeds to mingle with clarinetist David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer).

His sister, Shirley Anne Bernstein (Sarah Silverman), warns Felicia that there's a 'price' to being in her 'brother's orbit.'

'I love people so much that it's hard for me to be alone,' Leonard says. 'And music, it keeps me glued to life.'

Despite his other romantic connections and betrayals, Felicia reminds her spouse that he doesn't 'even know how much' he needs her.

In character: Two months after he was accused of playing to 'Jewface' stereotypes for wearing a prosthetic nose in the upcoming film, which he also directed, an extended preview of the 48-year-old actor in character shows him playing the late composer over his entire life

On Wednesday, the two-and-a-half-minute teaser for Netflix 's biopic, which hits theaters later this month before debuting on streaming in December, chronicled Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre ( Carey Mulligan )'s 'towering and fearless love story' over the years

Unrecognizable: While portraying Bernstein in his elderly years, Cooper sported old age makeup, which included dark spots on his face, wrinkles and deep under-eye bags

Throughout his life: The aged version of Bernstein is a stark contrast to Cooper's portrayal of the musician during his youth, which are filmed in black and white

'If summer doesn't sing in you then nothing sings in you,' Cooper said in the beginning of the trailer while playing the piano. 'And if nothing sings in you, then you can't make music'

Footage then pans to a young Leonard, looking smitten, as he meets Felicia for the first time at a social gathering

He, however, insists he 'might' know.

The rest of the cast includes Maya Hawke Michael Urie, Miriam Shor, Sam Nivola and Alexa Swinton.

In August, Cooper was called out by social media users over the size of his prosthetic nose in the film, which is much larger than Leonard's in real life.

'It seems completely unnecessary to have gone in that direction given the uncanny resemblance,' one Twitter user wrote, before pointing out that 'the real Leonard Bernstein did not have the funny nose that Bradley Cooper is wearing in Maestro.'

Another critic tweeted that 'there was no need for Bradley Cooper to add an odd prosthetic nose on top of this to play Leonard Bernstein,' as 'his own nose is longer!'

Following a scene of them snuggled up in bed together under the covers, she tells Leonard: 'What age are we living in? One can be as free as one likes without guilt or confession. Please, I know exactly who you are'

Leonard, who had affairs with men and women during their marriage, proceeds to mingle with clarinetist David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer)

One user noted that the Academy Award-nominated star, who is not Jewish, should not have even been in the casting discussion with 'so many great Jewish actors out there.'

Jake Gyllenhaal, who is Jewish, had a competing biopic but lost in the battle of rights to use Bernstein's material against Cooper and his producing team on the film, which includes filmmaking icons Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

Another user said: 'I still would have preferred they at least give Jewish actors a chance to audition before automatically casting someone more famous.'

One user said that Cooper's appearance was both offensive and unnecessary to the actual storytelling process in the film.

'Bradley Cooper wearing a prosthetic nose to play Leonard Bernstein is the equivalent of Black face,' the user said. 'He should be able to portray the character through the magnificence of his own acting.

'Particularly if Cooper has been hired over a Jewish actor. There has to be a line.'

One user, noting they rooting on The Hangover star in his quest for Oscar gold, said they could see the concerns over the prosthetic.

'I love Bradley Cooper and I do want him to get an Oscar but - I understand the "jewface" concerns,' the user said. 'Carey Mulligan on the other hand COMMITS to her period pieces. That voice. Shes so lovely.'

'I love people so much that it's hard for me to be alone,' Leonard says. 'And music, it keeps me glued to life'

Despite his other romantic connections and betrayals, Felicia reminds her spouse that he doesn't 'even know how much' he needs her

He, however, insists he 'might' know

The concept of 'Jewface' has been debated across Hollywood, with some people critical of Felicity Jones, who is not Jewish, playing late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the 2018 film On the Basis of Sex.

Another controversy come in the fall of 2021 when Kathryn Hahn, who is not Jewish, was cast to play late comic and talk show host Joan Rivers in a limited series titled The Comeback Girl. (The project did not move forward due to licensing rights.)

One of the biggest critics of Hahn's casting was Sarah Silverman - who, in an ironic twist, plays the role of Shirley Bernstein in Maestro alongside Cooper.

On The Sarah Silverman Podcast in October of 2021, Silverman said that 'there's this long tradition of non-Jews playing Jews, and not just playing people who happen to be Jewish but people whose Jewishness is their whole being.'

Cooper (left) is seen on the left in a trailer for the biopic movie about Leonard Bernstein (right)

The inspirations: Bernstein and Montealegre seen together in 1943

Silverman said that 'one could argue, for instance' that a non Jewish actress 'playing Joan Rivers correctly would be doing what is actually called "Jewface."'

Silverman on the podcast said that "Jewface" is 'defined as when a non-Jew portrays a Jew with the Jewishness front and center, often with makeup or changing of features, big fake nose, all the New York-y or Yiddish-y inflection'

She asked, 'In a time when the importance of representation is seen as so essential and so front and center, why does ours constantly get breached even today in the thick of it?'

Maestro is set to arrive in theaters and on Netflix December 20.
Most remarkable about Britney Spearss new memoir is whats not in it.

The Woman in Me has been marketed, in todays regrettable parlance, as a once-silenced woman finding her voice, using it, and reclaiming her narrative. And there is truth to that.

Britney, as the world well knows, was placed under a strict conservatorship for 13 years and finally freed in November 2021.

She writes of the moment she testified in a public hearing in June that year and the enormous stress of proving to the court  and the public at large  that she wasnt insane, wasnt infirm, and deserved her freedom.

My voice had been used for me, and against me, so many times that I was afraid nobody would recognize it now if I spoke freely, she writes. What if they called me crazy? What if they said I was lying? What if I said the wrong thing and it all went sideways?

Sadly, this memoir is the outgrowth of her hoped-for victory.

Britney Spears s new memoir The Woman in Me has been marketed, in todays regrettable parlance, as a once-silenced woman finding her voice, using it, and reclaiming her narrative. Sadly, this memoir is the outgrowth of her hoped-for victory.

Its a Southern Gothic for the Instagram age, its recurring motifs abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, suicide, transgressive thoughts and desires, all delivered simply and superficially.

Only Britneys rage  understandable, justifiable, but still a mystery to her at age 41  vibrates off the page.

By now youve read the headlines: Britney aborted Justins baby; the rivalry with Christina Aguilera; the decision to shave her head, attack a paparazzos car with an umbrella; how Diane Sawyer grilled her and made her cry; the double standards she was held to as a female pop star. And, of course, the pain of the conservatorship.

But theres a more interesting story here, and the beginning of the book seems to portend all that happens, and may still happen, to Britney.

Only Britneys rage  understandable, justifiable, but still a mystery to her at age 41  vibrates off the page.

Its a curious nature vs. nurture question she posits here, one impacted by global fame, Machiavellian family members and a memoirist who seems to stop developing emotionally, intellectually and psychologically at age 15.

Britney seems to take no accountability in these pages. She shrugs off responsibility for her admitted drug use, her failed marriages, the affairs, or losing custody of her boys, to whom she dedicates this book.

She opens with her family history, specifically that of her paternal grandmother Emma Jean Spears, Britneys middle-namesake.

After Emma Jeans baby dies at three days old, her husband  Britneys grandfather June  sends his grieving wife to an asylum, where she was put on lithium, Britney writes.

[Then] in 1966, when she was 31, my grandmother Jean shot herself with a shotgun on her infant sons grave, just over eight years after his death.

June sent his second wife to an asylum as well. He is said to have sexually abused at least one of his daughters. June and Emma Jeans son, Britneys father Jamie, grew up to become a hardcore alcoholic.

When Britney was 13, her mother Lynne would take her on two-hour drives to bars across state lines, where they would drink daiquiris and White Russians. Britney began smoking at this age too  Virginia Slims, her mothers favored brand  and, driving, once almost killing her little sister Jamie Lynn, seated in the back of the car without a car seat.

She runs barefoot along hot asphalt, black tar sticking to her feet. She sleeps in the same bed as her brother, five years older, until she is in the sixth grade and her mother puts a stop to it.

By now youve read the headlines: Britney aborted Justins baby; the rivalry with Christina Aguilera; the decision to shave her head, attack a paparazzos car with an umbrella; how Diane Sawyer grilled her and made her cry; the double standards she was held to as a female pop star. (Pictured: Britney and Justin Timberlake in 2001).

But theres a more interesting story here, and the beginning of the book seems to portend all that happens, and may still happen, to Britney. (Pictured: As as child star with Ryan Gosling).

Britneys father Jamie (left), grew up to become a hardcore alcoholic. When Britney was 13, her mother Lynne (right) would take her to bars across state lines, where they would drink daiquiris and White Russians. Driving, Britney once almost killed her little sister Jamie Lynn (center), seated in the back of the car without a car seat. She also slept in the same bed as her brother (center, left), five years older, until she was in the sixth grade.

She loses her virginity at 14 and, when her mother finds out, she forces Britney to pick up trash all over the neighborhood, a none-too-subtle punishment.

She gets her first record deal at age 15 and her life begins and ends. Within less than a year, she is a global superstar, a teenage girl dressed as jailbait, hyper-sexualized in her first video (Baby One More Time) and on a Rolling Stone cover, pictured in her own bedroom, lying on her bed in a bra and panties and holding a Teletubby.

My mother seemed concerned, she writes  but not concerned enough, it seems, to intervene.

Britney quickly becomes her familys golden calf, paying off her fathers debts and buying them a new house, but she also becomes their scapegoat, punished for her outsized success and fame.

When shes in rehab in 2007, after shaving her head, her father visits. You are a disgrace, he tells her.

It was the definition of beating a dead horse, she writes. He was treating me like a dog, an ugly dog. I had nobody. I was so alone.

Britney seems to have never had any real friends. She suspects she is a very bad person and deserves all the terrible things that happen to her. She doesnt see how she is responsible for many of them but believes she may be enacting a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As a child, she writes, Id always had a guilty conscience, a lot of shame, a sense that my family thought I was just plain bad like I deserved unhappiness and bad luck.

She writes of her death wish, date unknown but well into her fame.

We were driving fast,  she was driving, her passenger a photographer she was dating  near the edge of a cliff, and I dont know why, but I decided to pull a 360, right there on the edge.

They almost went over. We could have just died, I said. I felt so alive.

This is the kind of self-destructiveness common to children of abusive, chaotic households. But Britney Spears, for all her wealth and resources, doesnt seem  in this memoir, anyway  to have ever sought real counseling or psychotherapy. She doesnt go deep here.

Cant she  or wont she? It seems both.

Her crises, of which there are many, are waved away.

Britney seems to have never had any real friends. She suspects she is a very bad person and deserves all the terrible things that happen to her. She doesnt see how she is responsible for many of them but believes she may be enacting a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Pictured in 2007).

But, for all her wealth and resources, Britney doesnt seem  in this memoir, anyway  to have ever sought real counseling or psychotherapy. She doesnt go deep here. Cant she  or wont she? It seems both. Her crises, of which there are many, are waved away. (Pictured in 2007).

The time she drove with her infant son on her lap, or nearly dropped him while clutching a drink, or the breakdowns that saw her routinely using gas station bathrooms while barefoot, or how a judge had to order her to childproof her swimming pool  all dismissed out of hand or ignored.

Remember the 2008 incident at her Los Angeles mansion, a SWAT team called after a distraught Britney locked herself and her baby son Jayden in a bathroom?

Britney Spears was strapped to a gurney late Thursday night, the New York Times reported at the time, after a three-hour standoff involving her two toddler sons, [her ex-husband] Kevin Federline, a court-appointed child monitor, police officers, paramedics and a locked bathroom door.

She was then placed on an involuntary 72-hour psychiatric hold and lost visitation with her sons. The Los Angeles Times reported that Spears had been incoherent and arguing with officers in a way that made no sense.

Here is her version of events in the book: Before I knew what was happening, a SWAT team in black suits burst through the bathroom door as if Id hurt someone. The only thing I was guilty of was feeling desperate to keep my own children for a few more hours.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call an unreliable narrator.

Was her conservatorship necessary? She performed on television, did a years-long Vegas residency, and earned hundreds of millions while under it  all proof, she says, that she had and has a level of competency.

In November 2021, a court ruled in her favor. And certainly, the level of detail in Britneys recollection  of a particularly chilling scene in which her father, as head of her conservatorship, tells her, I am Britney Spears now  feels true enough to withstand claims of libel or slander.

Yet in February, more than a year after Britney won her freedom, sources close to Spears told Page Six things were far more dire than her fans or the general public were led to believe.

Nobody outside the very small conservatorship circle knows what Britneys medical status really is, one source said. If people knew Britneys actual medical status, I think it would reveal that her mental problems are far more severe than people realize.

The Britney in these pages is not the Britney we see on Instagram, playing with knives, pole dancing and stripping off.

Little surprise this memoir  her truth  ends evasively: Her beloved sons live not with her but with their father in Hawaii, a fact unmentioned. Her third husband Sam Asghari, written about only lovingly, is no longer her husband. And as she concludes that she has arrived at her womanhood, it is clear she is still a child.

She has written herself a happy ending, false though it may be. Britney Spears, our wannabe Southern Gothic heroine, will live out her days in her own glass menagerie.
Carol Vorderman cut a stylish figure as she stepped out to host an LBC radio show on Wednesday.

The TV personality, 62, guest presented a slot on the Global radio station this week and put on an effortlessly chic display for the occasion.

She showed off her figure in a fitted white T-shirt and skintight black high-waisted trousers, which she styled with a chunky belt with a huge silver buckle.

Carol swept a white rain jacket across her shoulders and kept comfortable in a pair of buckled heels boots.

She toted her essentials in a cream handbag as she once again showed off her incredible sense of style for the outing.

Stunning: Carol Vorderman cut a stylish figure as she stepped out to host her LBC radio show on Wednesday

Stylish: The TV personality, 62, guest presented a slot on the Global radio station this week and put on an effortlessly chic display for the occasion

It comes after the former Countdown maths whizz left fans speechless as she hosted the Pride of Britain Awards on ITV last week.

Carol, who has presented the bash for the last 24 years, looked sensational as she took to the stage in a shimmering black gown alongside co-presenter Ashley Banjo.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan declared: 'Carol Vorderman looks younger every year.'

While a second wrote: 'Carol Vorderman looks so young on the Pride of Britain Awards, and a third added: 'Carol Vorderman is ageless.'

At the pre-recorded event, which took place at London's Grovenor Hotel on Sunday, Carol turns heads in a glamorous blue satin gown as she took to the red carpet.

The host flashed her incredible curves in the strapless frock as she hit the red carpet ahead of the incredibly moving ceremony.

The gown featured ruffled detailing on the bustier and was tailored to perfection displaying Carol's jaw-dropping figure.

She appeared to be in great spirits as she beamed a smile for cameras at the event, which honoured the achievements of truly remarkable people from across the UK and all walks of life - nominated by members of the public.

It comes after Carol and Ashley opened up about their close bond ahead of presenting the award ceremony.

Chic: She showed off her figure in a fitted white T-shirt and skintight black high-waisted trousers, which she styled with a chunky belt with a huge silver buckle

All smiles: Carol swept a white rain jacket across her shoulders and kept comfortable in a pair of buckled heels boots

Wow! It comes after the former Countdown maths whizz left fans speechless with her ageless looks as she hosted the Pride of Britain Awards on ITV last week

Elegant: At the pre-recorded event, which took place at London's Grovenor Hotel on Sunday, Carol turns heads in a glamorous blue satin gown as she took to the red carpet

Pals: It comes after Carol and her Pride Of Britain co-host Ashley Banjo opened up about their close bond and told how their families are great friends

The Countdown host met the Diversity star's brother, Jordan, when they completed together on I'm A Celeb in 2016 and are the families are now great friends.

Through Jordan, Carol went on to meet the former Dancing On Ice judge and is now close to the whole family, including his two children Rose, four, and Micah, three.

Discussing their relationship with The Mirror, Carol said: 'We get on really well. Through Jordan, I met Ash and their family. Theyre amazing.'

Ashley, 35, agreed: 'Carol has become a family friend. She comes to see our shows and we support each other with whatever we do. Ive always enjoyed working with her. Ive learnt a lot from her too.'
John Stamos has recalled how he went home and drank an entire bottle of wine after he was arrested for driving under the influence in 2015 - and later flew to Toronto to film My Big Fat Wedding 2.

The Full House alum, 60, has opened up about his arrest and battle with alcoholism in his new memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, and has admitted that thinking back to that time in his life makes him feel 'sick'.

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, John revealed that he not only carried on drinking after his DUI, but also had to fly to Canada the following day to shoot the movie, claiming he has no memory of his time on set.

When asked if he thought his life was over when he got arrested in Beverly Hills, the father-of-one replied: 'No, and that's the problem. It was horrible, I could have killed somebody.... it just makes me sick to my stomach.

John Stamos, 60, has revealed that he went home and drank an entire bottle of wine after being arrested for driving under the influence in 2015

The Full House star was pictured being handcuffed in Beverly Hills during the arrest, which he describes as 'horrible'

The day after his arrest, John had to fly to Toronto to film My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 alongside Rita Wilson

'Seeing myself there in handcuffs, I was like, "That's not the kid that my parents raised". My parents were good and I was disrespecting my childhood because it was beautiful, everything I learnt from my parents...'

John then admitted: 'So I went home and you know what I did? I drank another bottle of wine by myself and I realized... I forgot that the next day, they said, "You've got to go to Toronto, you're in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2".

'I was [hammered] and I don't remember being on that set.'

The moment he returned home his sisters and his agents were waiting with his bags packed, ready to take him to a rehab facility in Utah.

The General Hospital star, who spent 30 days as an in-patient at Cirque Lodge, said he wasn't mad at his loved ones staging an 'intervention'.

John said he believes his alcoholism is 'hereditary', claiming his parents were alcoholics 'but they were functioning'.

He said: 'It's hereditary, and if you poke at it long enough then it attacks you like a monster, and that's what happened to me.'

Referring to his 2004 split from his first wife Rebecca Romijn, he continued: 'But it was the combination of the divorce, and then my dad died and then it just kind of went down... and then my mom died, and I just hit rock bottom.

'I could stop for a few days, I could stop for a week, but I would do a gig and then at the end, I would reward myself. A lot of it was I was very lonely, so I found myself... if I drank, I would be with these people that - if I was sober - I would never be with.'

During the chat with Howard, John also went into some detail about his breakup with Rebecca, 50, and said watching the Victorias Secret models career skyrocket made him feel 'emasculated'.

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, John admitted he drank alcohol because he was 'very lonely'

John, pictured here in 2000, has also opened up about his painful split from his first wife Rebecca Romijn

The actor pictured in May 2023 with his wife Caitlin McHugh and their five-year-old son Billy, who he credits with helping him to stay sober

'I loved her and I thought she was super talented. So I was happy to do that,' he said of helping Rebecca launch her own acting career. 'But I forgot about my own stuff. She was taking off and I just wasn't paying attention to mine. And it wasn't her fault.

'I mean, you know, you just get wrapped up in these things. I said, "you know what? I've had enough fame, I'm okay. Let's put the spotlight on her", and I loved watching it. I think that she outgrew me.'

In his memoir, John admitted that he 'hated' Rebecca amid their 'painful' and 'shattering' divorce, which took place in the early 2000s after six years of marriage.

He recently expressed that it had been 'really difficult' to write about the divorce and to revisit the emotions that he had felt at the time.

'In my mind back then, she was the Devil, and I just hated her,' he said. 'I couldn't believe how much I hated her, and it ruined my life.'
Elizabeth Olsen held on to her husband Robbie Arnett's arm as they looked loved-up on their way home from a breakfast date.

The couple, who eloped before COVID and later had a wedding, dined at New York City's Librae Bakery on Tuesday morning.

During their outing, the WandaVision actress, 34, looked dapper in a white blouse with a brown sweater vest over it and a pair of relaxed-fit light-wash jeans.

The Avengers: Endgame star wore her light brown hair down and slipped a pair of black sunglasses on her face.

Her musician husband, 31, wore jeans in the same wash as his wife with a white t-shirt, tan jacket and green ball cap.

Couple goals: Elizabeth Olsen and her husband Robbie Arnett looked loved-up as they walked arm in arm on their way home from breakfast on Tuesday in NYC

Elizabeth explained on the Jess Cagle Show in 2022 that they secretly eloped before COVID and had a wedding later.

Despite her long-running role as the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, earlier this year, she admitted she wouldn't mind being fired from that job.

'I think it's been almost 10 years of playing her. And I've loved it. And I think the reason why I am not calling [Marvel President] Kevin Feige every day with ideas is because I'm really proud of what we were able to do,' she said during Variety's Actors on Actors series with Meghann Fahy.

'I think WandaVision was a really surprising opportunity. If someone were to tell me that I'm fired from Marvel movies, I will feel proud of what we made,' she added.

Her character Wanda Maximoff seemed to meet her demise in last year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Wanda was last seen being crushed under a massive building, sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold, an evil book of sorcery that corrupted her.

Still, while that 'version' of Wanda was seemingly destroyed, the exploration of the 'multiverse' opens things up for different versions of Wanda to appear.

That said, she is expected to reprise her role as Wanda one last time for the upcoming Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

Casual day: During their outing, the WandaVision actress, 34, looked dapper in a white blouse with a brown sweater vest over it and a pair of relaxed-fit light-wash jeans

Love story: Elizabeth explained on the Jess Cagle Show in 2022 that they secretly eloped before COVID and had a wedding later. Seen in 2018

In Italy: At Rosetta Getty's third annual Tuscany weekend at Villa Cetinale in 2018

This spring, Elizabeth appeared in Max's limited series Love and Death which explores the gruesome 1980 murder of Betty Gore at the hands of Candy Montgomery.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron star sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about the role and why she decided to take it on.

'Candy was a character that I felt like I hadnt played. And then [there was] the writing. There was some quirk and absurd oddity to it,' she said.

'It was a world that I was excited to play around in and a woman I wanted to understand,' she added.
Julia Fox did not hold back while undergoing Vanity Fair's infamous lie detector test, in which she admitted to swiping prescription pills from her friends and shoplifting.

When asked directly if she checked her pals' medicine cabinets while visiting their homes, the Italian-American actress, 33, confessed that she 'might have, back in the day, for sure.'

As for whether she has ever 'stolen anything from somebody's medicine cabinet,' she brazenly replied: 'Hell yeah! Who hasn't? Sometimes there's a nice prescription that looks really good and I just gotta take a little sample.'

'I wouldn't do that now, just for the record,' she told viewers.

Open book: Julia Fox did not hold back while undergoing Vanity Fair's infamous lie detector test, in which she brazenly admitted to swiping prescription pills from her friends and shoplifting

Additionally, the mother-of-one has no remorse over keeping her exes' clothing, including a Chrome Hearts puffer jacket and pair of Prada ski googles.

'I premediated the theft,' she said of the belongings, which she hid from her former partner as he packed his things. 'I did.'

Fox went on to answer that the most expensive thing that she has stolen was most likely an Oscar De La Renta snakeskin clutch, which she shoved down her Juicy Couture sweatpants.

She noted that she would 'go to a very expensive clothing department store on Fifth Avenue when they would have sales specifically' because 'there would be a lot of people' and her thieving would go unnoticed.

While she did not name the store she use to steal from, Fox was 'permanently banned' from a Bloomingdale's store after being caught stealing as a teenager

The Uncut Gems star also revealed that she enjoyed her time as a dominatrix and like her clients that 'were into ball busting.'

She explained those men would have her 'kick their balls' and it was a 'highly therapeutic' way for her to release rage.

Fox hilarious added that she would do 'ball busting for free' but anything else is '$10,000 an hour.'

When pressed if some of today's comedians could benefit from being a dominatrix, like Pete Davidson, the performer mused back that he 'probably needs to see a dominatrix.

Admitting it all: When asked directly if she checked her pals' medicine cabinets while visiting their homes, the Italian-American actress, 33, confessed that she 'might have, back in the day, for sure'

As for whether she has ever 'stolen anything from somebody's medicine cabinet,' she proudly replied: 'Hell yeah! Who hasn't? Sometimes there's a nice prescription that looks really good and I just gotta take a little sample'

Bad behavior: Fox went on to answer that the most expensive thing that she has stolen was most likely an Oscar De La Renta snakeskin clutch, which she shoved down her Juicy Couture sweatpants

'I could see him really liking, like, deprecation, you know, like, 'you're a little b**ch and, you know, things like that.'

She continued: 'I could see him getting off to that. Just, a hunch... I think he's into the humiliation stuff'

The actress, who famously had a fling with Kanye West following his split from Kim Kardashian, then told Davidson, 29, to 'hit' her 'up.'

The comedian previously dated Kardashian for nine months, before calling it quits in August 2022.

While speaking about the SKIMS founder, Fox insisted she 'actually' loves the reality star and 'grew up watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians.'

'I actually liked it before they were even cooland when people would bash her I would always go to bat for her,' she said. 'And I thought she f***ing killed it in American Horror Story so she is a multi-talented queen.'

Former shoplifter: Fox went on to answer that the most expensive thing that she has stolen was most likely an Oscar De La Renta snakeskin clutch, which she shoved down her Juicy Couture sweatpants; seen earlier this month

Former flame: The actress, who famously had a fling with Kanye West following his split from Kim Kardashian, told Davidson, 29, to 'hit' her 'up' during the test; seen in 2022

Later, she denied hating men, but was told exposed by the polygraph examiner to be lying.

'I hate the patriarchy. There are a lot of good men,' she said, but was told she was fibbing.

Fox vented her frustration that a lot of men 'benefit' from the 'systemic oppression of women in our culture and society.'

'I do wish that more men could stand up for us,' she admitted.

While speaking about her apartment tour going viral for being messy, she stated that she regretted not tidying up before uploading it to social media.

Before launching her career, Julia worked in a shoe store, an ice cream shop, a pastry shop, and had a brief side hustle as a dominatrix for six months while studying at City-As-School High School in Manhattan.
She's a reality TV star best known for a string of controversies following her time on air.

And a famous Australian Bachelorette has stunned her fans with an unrecognisable throwback photo on Thursday.

Taking to Instagram, the 34-year-old showed her followers a picture of herself sitting up in bed as a child, along with the caption, 'an actual photo of me though'.

So can you guess who the former reality-turned-media star is?

That's right, it's the star of the second season of The Bachelorette Australia, Georgia Love.

A famous Australian Bachelorette has stunned her fans with an unrecognisable throwback photo on Thursday. So can you guess who she is?

The trip down memory lane comes after Love revealed her surprising new career move last month.

Georgia announced in September that she's landed as a radio newsreader in the mornings for KIIS FM in Melbourne.

Taking to her Instagram account, the former TV newsreader shared a selfie of her smiling while sitting behind the microphone in the studio.

'Always been told I've got a face for radio! Exciting and super fun new gig taking to the airwaves to bring Melbourne your news on KISS 101.1,' she wrote in her caption.

Love's announcement was met with countless support from her friends and fans in the comments.

The girl in the picture is actually Bachelorette Australia star Georgia Love. Seen here recently

'Congratulations and exciting new beginnings!' one user wrote.

'Congratulations I'll be listening out for that familiar voice, added another.

Love has jumped around a number of high-profile media jobs in the last two years.

She began her career in journalism at WIN News, before her profile skyrocketed in 2016 when she was cast on Channel 10's The Bachelorette.

Love has jumped around a number of high-profile media jobs in the last two years. She began her career in journalism at WIN News, before her profile skyrocketed in 2016 when she was cast on Channel 10's The Bachelorette

She went on to become a casual reporter for Ten Eyewitness News in Melbourne, later rebranded 10 News First, but was let go due to budget cuts in early 2021.

The role was what she described as her dream job, before jumping ship to rival network Channel Seven in February 2021.

But Love's TV career came to a grinding halt seven months later after she made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

She went on to become a casual reporter for Ten Eyewitness News in Melbourne, later rebranded 10 News First, but was let go due to budget cuts in early 2021

The role was what she described as her dream job, before jumping ship to rival network Channel Seven in February 2021

In September 2021, Love posted a video to her Instagram account asking whether a cat was on the menu at a Chinese restaurant after seeing the animal in the window.

'Shop attendant or lunch?!' she captioned her post at the time. She also posted a similar 'joke' about pets and Chinese restaurants in 2013.

Critics claimed the footage was offensive and perpetrated a harmful stereotype about Chinese people.

Love deleted the video an hour later and apologised for causing 'offence', but at the time denied the post had any racist 'insinuation'.

Georgia sparked backlash in September 2021 for sharing footage (above) of a cat behind the window of an Asian restaurant and writing: 'Shop attendant or lunch?!'

Following a workplace investigation, Seven alerted staff via email later that week that Love had been 'counselled' and reassigned to an off-camera role 'effective immediately'.

Last month, Love finally addressed the scandal after staying silent in the wake of the backlash.

Speaking to Stellar magazine, the media personality called out cancel culture while also apologising for her actions.

Instagram account Aussie Influencer Opinions discovered another of Love's posts from February 2013 in which she made a similar joke about pets and Asian restaurants

'I hate the term cancellation. To think that we have the ability to cancel somebody  whether that means from their industry, their job, their family and friends. We don't have the ability to do that,' she said.

Love said cancel culture is unfair because people aren't afforded the opportunity to defend themselves in the 'heat of the moment'.

She also lamented about the fallout from the scandal, telling the magazine: 'I had my dream job. I felt so lucky every day to be doing what I loved and what I had dreamed of for so long.

'So to have lost that on-air job  I stayed working at Seven, but I was taken off air in the fallout  was probably the hardest thing for me, because I've always put a lot of emphasis and focus on my work and my career.'

Georgia and husband Lee Elliot were later called out for promoting tourism to Saudi Arabia.

The Middle Eastern country has been condemned globally in recent years for its abuse of human rights on its people.
Heidi Klum kicked off the spooky season by dressing up and buying four dozen donuts from Dunkin' in Hollywood on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old 'Queen of Halloween' - who hosts an annual costume ball every year - wore a pumpkin-orange crop-top and ruched skirt under a black leather jacket, matching cross-body bag, and slouchy high-heeled boots.

Heidi carefully held the four boxes in one hand while tasting the fast-foot franchise's Munchkin-topped orange 'Spider Donut' in her other hand.

Klum sported severe black eyeliner and a neon-orange furry cat ears on a headband over her signature blonde-highlighted locks.

Each year, the Emmy-winning host teams up with Oscar-nominated make-up artist Mike Marino and his Prosthetic Renaissance team in order to cook up imaginative, elaborative costume for her big bash.

Boo! Heidi Klum kicked off the spooky season by dressing up and buying four dozen donuts from Dunkin' in Hollywood on Wednesday

'I start thinking about it on November 1. I usually have two or three ideas that I'm playing with and then I decide on one thing,' Heidi told DailyMail.com back in 2019.

'So the next morning, I start thinking, "Maybe next year, I'm going to do that one that I didn't do this year." And then, obviously, throughout the year new ideas pop up because maybe I've seen a new or old movie, or was inspired by my travels.'

The America's Got Talent judge continued: 'I put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with something better and better every year. I don't want to let the costume lovers down. I know there are so many creative people out there and fans that are excited to see what I do each year.'

Heidi appears to have healed nicely from her tumble on the set of America's Got Talent: Fantasy League last Sunday, which left her with a sizable gash across her left calf.

Klum's co-star Howie Mandel captured the chaotic moments after her accident in an Instagram Live where he said: 'She's fallen. There's blood everywhere. You're okay right?'

'I don't know,' the German mother-of-four - who insured her legs for $2.2M back in 2017 - replied.

'I'm okay. I'm so glad no one saw this! I lost half of my toenail!'

Doctors applied glue to Heidi's wound in order to mitigate scarring.

It's unclear how much Klum is making to work on the NBC spin-off competition with Mel B and Simon Cowell, but The Cinemaholic reported in 2021 that she earned $2.5M per AGT season.

'Queen of Halloween': The German 50-year-old - who hosts an annual costume ball every year - wore a pumpkin-orange crop-top and ruched skirt under a black leather jacket, matching cross-body bag, and slouchy high-heeled boots

Balance act: Heidi carefully held the four boxes in one hand while tasting the fast-foot franchise's Munchkin-topped orange 'Spider Donut' in her other hand

Getting into the spirit! Klum sported severe black eyeliner and a neon-orange furry cat ears on a headband over her signature blonde-highlighted locks

Worm realness! Each year, the Emmy-winning host teams up with Oscar-nominated make-up artist Mike Marino (3-L, pictured in 2022) and his Prosthetic Renaissance team in order to cook up imaginative, elaborative costume for her big bash

Heidi told DailyMail.com back in 2019 (pictured): 'I start thinking about it on November 1. I usually have two or three ideas that I'm playing with and then I decide on one thing. So the next morning, I start thinking, "Maybe next year, I'm going to do that one that I didn't do this year"'

The America's Got Talent judge continued: 'And then, obviously, throughout the year new ideas pop up because maybe I've seen a new or old movie, or was inspired by my travels'

Heidi added: 'I put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with something better and better every year. I don't want to let the costume lovers down. I know there are so many creative people out there and fans that are excited to see what I do each year'

Klum appears to have healed nicely from her tumble on the set of America's Got Talent: Fantasy League last Sunday, which left her with a sizable gash across her left calf

The German mother-of-four's co-star Howie Mandel captured the chaotic moments after her accident in an Instagram Live where he said: 'She's fallen. There's blood everywhere. You're okay right?'

Heidi - who insured her legs for $2.2M back in 2017 - replied: 'I don't know. I'm okay. I'm so glad no one saw this! I lost half of my toenail!'

Ouch! Doctors applied glue to Klum's wound in order to mitigate scarring
Reality TV stars are pushing young Australians towards cosmetic surgery now more than ever before.

Teenagers are being influenced by popular stars such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner to enquire and undertake procedures such as lip fillers, nose jobs and Botox.

The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine has found one in four Aussie millennials aged between 23 to 42 have already had cosmetic surgery while 59 per cent are considering it.

Cosmetic surgeon Nik Davies told The Daily Telegraph, teenagers as young as 16 are being brought in by their parents for treatments.

'There is a growing interest in younger patients inquiring about both surgical and non-surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty (nose jobs), botulinum toxin and dermal fillers, which is potentially fuelled by social media,' Dr Davies said.

Reality TV stars including sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner (pictured) are now driving more and more Australian teenagers towards cosmetic surgery

'In my own clinic, I regularly discuss this with younger patients and even their parents, who can sometimes attend with their child requesting treatments... It's now very common for people in their early 20s to come in for preventative or 'baby Botox'.'

One of Australia's top cosmetic surgeons also recently said Kylie and Kendall have influenced young women Down Under to pursue two very different looks.

Dr Kourosh Tavakoli said that while plastic surgery has seen many trends come and go over the years, the most popular aesthetics these days can be categorised as the 'Kendall look' and the 'Kylie look'.

Speaking to renowned cosmetic nurse Alex Pike on her podcast, Dr Tavakoli explained how the Jenner sisters have set two very different trends based on their respective body types.

He noted his clients are both heavily influenced by Kylie and Kendall with those hoping for a more natural look referencing Kendall during consultations, while women wanting more show-stopping curves look to Kylie for inspiration.

The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine has found one in four Aussie millennials aged between 23 to 42 have already had cosmetic surgery while 59 per cent are considering it. Pictured Kylie in 2010 and 2023

Dr Tavakoli summarised that supermodel Kendall embodies a more European aesthetic, whereas makeup mogul Kylie has the typical 'LA girl' vibe.

'We have a very large demographic of Kendall vs Kyle, Europe vs America,' he said.

'And that's basically because Kendall is very Parisian: her looks and her features and her breast augmentation is very natural, most likely 220cc, 230cc.

'And then her sister is all about the Miami look: it's all about curves and the accentuation of curves with the better the surgery is.'

Australian cosmetic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli (pictured) recently said Kylie and Kendall have influenced young women Down Under to pursue two very different looks

Despite this, Kendall has never admitted to having plastic surgery, except for fillers.

However, many plastic surgery experts believe she has had a breast augmentation, among other surgeries.

Meanwhile, Kylie's physical appearance has changed over the years, and this has often seen her having to deny going under the knife to achieve her sculpted visage.

She started showing off noticeably plumper lips in 2014 when she was just 16, sparkling speculation she had them cosmetically enhanced.

She denied for more than a year that she had lip fillers and instead chose to credit carefully applied lip liner for accentuating her pout.

Kendall hasn't admitted to having plastic surgery, except for fillers. However, many plastic surgery experts believe she has had a breast augmentation, among other surgeries. Pictured Kendall in 2014 and 2022

Then on a 2015 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians - when she was just 17 - Kylie finally admitted: 'I have temporary lip fillers. It's just an insecurity of mine and it's what I wanted to do.'

Just months later, she started venturing into the world of cosmetics. When the very first Kylie Cosmetic lip kit was finally made available on her website, the product sold out within 30 seconds.

However, despite admitting to lip filler, she has categorically denied she has had plastic surgery.
Alex Beresford broke down in tears as he and his dad Noel were crowned the winner's of Celebrity Race Across the World on Wednesday night.

The weather presenter, 43, became emotional as he crossed the finish line in Troms, Norway, after speaking out on how his confidence had been 'knocked' from his explosive on-air clash with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.

Addressing the fall-out, which happened back in 2021 over Meghan Markle, Alex said he 'grew a thick skin' but had to turn to his family for support during the tough time.

The presenter and his dad Noel cheered with excitement as they became the first pair to reach the check point in Troms, Norway, with Harry Judd and his mum Emma coming in second place.

Alex exclaimed: 'It feels fantastic we are on top of the world right now. This was the toughest experience I have had but we got to travel together as men.'

Well done: Alex Beresford broke down in tears as he and his dad Noel were crowned the winner's of Celebrity Race Across the World on Wednesday night

Drama: During the episode the weather also discussed his explosive on-air clash with Piers Morgan over his comments about Meghan Markle , revealing he was 'knocked' from the 'shock'

'It has been unforgettable and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.'

In April 2021, Piers slammed the weatherman for launching a 'premeditated attack' during a Meghan Markle row that cost him his job at Good Morning Britain.

The journalist caused a social media firestorm after he said he 'didn't believe a word' of what the duchess said during her extraordinary interview with US chat-show legend Oprah Winfrey.

It led to an explosive on-air clash with Alex, who accused him of 'trashing' the Suits actress before Piers stormed off set. Later that day, he quit the ITV breakfast show.

Speaking on Celebrity Race Across the World show, Alex began: 'I've never taken time away from work like this. The pace is different especially when you work in the media.

'The whole GMB Meghan Markle fall out was definitely a shock to the system to find yourself in the middle of a media storm was crazy.

'When you get subjected to criticism online you either have to stand up, or fold. You have to grow a thick skin very quickly. It knocked me a little bit. But, I definitely feel stronger having gone through it.

'When I look back on it now, I thank God for my family and friends because it's those people who get you through.'

Winners: The presenter and his dad Noel cheered with excitement as they reached the check point in Troms, Norway, with Harry Judd and his mum Emma coming second

Emotional: Alex exclaimed: 'It feels fantastic we are on top of the world right now. This was the toughest experience I have had but we got to travel together as men'

Runner-up: McFly drummer Harry was disappointed to not secure the win with his mum Emma

Race: All Saint's Melanie Blatt and her mum Helene came third

Tough: Addressing the fall-out during the final episode Alex said he 'grew a thick skin' but the incident did 'make him stronger' as he raced to the finish line

Clash: Piers said he 'didn't believe a word' of what the duchess said during her interview with US chat-show legend Oprah Winfrey which caused the duo to argue

Oh dear: It led to an explosive on-air clash with Alex, who accused him of 'trashing' the Suits actress before Piers stormed off set. Later that day, he quit the ITV breakfast show

Shocked: 'The whole GMB Meghan Markle fall out was definitely a shock to the system', Alex said (Meghan and Prince Harry in their Oprah interview)

Alex concluded: 'You can't dwell on things. You have to move on mentally so you can move on physically. It's been nice to let my hair down so to speak.'

During the GMB clash, Beresford responded to Morgan's claims that he used to talk to Meghan and she 'dropped him' once she started dating Prince Harry.

He said: 'I understand that you don't like Meghan Markle, you've made it so clear a number of times on this programme, and I understand you've got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle and she cut you off.'

Beresford told Morgan: 'She's entitled to cut you off if she wants to' - prompting Morgan to then storm off the GMB set.
Britney Spears' ex-husband Jason Alexander, who famously eloped with the pop star in Las Vegas in 2004, says he crashed her wedding to Sam Asghari last year to 'check-up on her'.

The childhood friend of the Toxic hitmaker, 42, was arrested for battery and aggravated trespassing when he broke into her California home in 2022.

On Thursday, he told The Kyle and Jackie O Show he had a good reason for crashing her nuptials.

'She reached out to me in 2020 and we started talking over the phone and having this private conversation that no one really knew about,' he told hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson.

'So when the conservatorship ended, I felt like because of the way the conversations were going with me and her, we'd be able to actually see each other for the first time since Vegas in person, besides just speaking over the phone.

Britney Spears', 42, (left) ex-husband Jason Alexander, who eloped with the pop star in Las Vegas in 2004, claimed he crashed her wedding to Sam Asghari, 29, (right) last year to check-up on her

He continued: 'So when I found out that she was getting married, I spoke to her literally like three days before that on the phone, on that Monday before the wedding and she didn't even mention getting married.'

Jason went on to say he 'was super surprised' by the wedding and decided to show up to the ceremony since he 'was actually in California at the time'.

'So I just went there and it wasn't very hard to get in, to be honest, because me and her talked about meeting on the hiking trail behind her house which leads to an easy entrance to the back of the property,' he said.

The childhood friend (pictured) of the Toxic hitmaker was arrested for battery and aggravated trespassing when he broke into her California home in 2022

Jason insisted he 'was really just trying to see [Britney] and ask her if [the wedding] was really what she wanted'.

Despite being asked to leave, Jason said he called out to Britney while live-streaming the entire incident to Instagram, but received no response before he was apprehended by security and later arrested.

Britney and Sam later separated in August this year with the fitness instructor, 29, filing for divorce.

On Thursday morning, just over a year later, he told The Kyle and Jackie O Show he crashed Britney and Sam's wedding to make sure she actually wanted to go through with it

In her new memoir, The Woman In Me, Britney claimed her 55 hour marriage to Jason in 2004 was just 'innocent fun' they had when they were 'drunk' and 'bored'.

She wrote: 'He and I got s**t-faced. I don't even remember the night at all, but from what I pieced together, he and I lounged around the hotel room and stayed up late watching movies - Mona Lisa Smile and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - then had the brilliant idea of going to A Little White Chapel at three thirty in the morning.'

However, since the release of Britney's autobiography, Jason has slammed those claims, insisting they were very much 'in love' and had not been drinking at all.

The marriage - which took place on January 3, 2004 at A Little White Wedding Chapel, was annulled three days later on January 5.
Lyonesse (Harold Pinter Theatre, London)

Rating:

Thanks to star turns from Lily James and Kristin Scott Thomas, Penelope Skinner's new play which opened in the West End last night is all but sold out already.

No surprise there. After all, Lily is the Queen Of The Bodice Ripper, bursting onto our screens as Lady Rose in Downton Abbey, before taking on roles in War & Peace and playing Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy.

And Kristin is of course the legendary Ice Queen, famous for posh and frosty characters ranging from Fiona in Four Weddings And A Funeral to MI5 boss 'Lady Di' in Slow Horses on Apple TV+.

Thanks to star turns from Lily James (pictured as Kate) and Kristin Scott Thomas, Penelope Skinner's new play which opened in the West End last night is all but sold out already

And Kristin (pictured as Elaine) is of course the legendary Ice Queen, famous for posh and frosty characters ranging from Fiona in Four Weddings And A Funeral to MI5 boss 'Lady Di' in Slow Horses on Apple TV+

But while both actresses sprinkle stardust liberally across Skinner's play, I found the piece itself a curiously laboured and lacklustre affair.

It's a mongrel tale of a fictional reclusive actress, Elaine Dailey (Scott Thomas), seeking to make a comeback after being forced into hiding 30 years before by a high-status stalker.

It's like a curious mishmash of Sunset Boulevard and Ab Fab set in Cornwall.

Scott Thomas is, moreover, an unlikely fusion of Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond and Joanna Lumley's Patsy  with a bit of Jennifer Saunders' Eddie thrown in for good measure.

And (sticking with the Ab Fab theme) her co-star Ms James is not a million miles from Julia Sawalha's strait-laced Saffron as Kate: a nervy film executive despatched to the West Country in a bid to secure the rights to Elaine's story.

And (sticking with the Ab Fab theme) her co-star Ms James is not a million miles from Julia Sawalha's strait-laced Saffron as Kate: a nervy film executive despatched to the West Country in a bid to secure the rights to Elaine's story

Catching the eye constantly, like a 24-carat diamond, Ms James is a perfect fit as a thirtysomething yummy mummy trying to square her career with post-natal depression

First seen in dressing gown, swim-cap, goggles and wellies, Ms Scott Thomas cuts a flamboyantly eccentric figure, whose histrionic gestures make her look like she's performing tai chi on ice

Catching the eye constantly, like a 24-carat diamond, Ms James is a perfect fit as a thirtysomething yummy mummy trying to square her career with post-natal depression.

She's a flawless impersonation of happiness and success  a North London 'garl' fanning her fingers and flapping her wrists in ostentatious awe of Elaine.

Now that her stalker is dead, Elaine means not only to launch her story on the world, but also to teach Kate how to tune in and drop out  by joining her, in hippy bliss, in her coastal mansion that leaks like a colander.

First seen in dressing gown, swim-cap, goggles and wellies, Ms Scott Thomas cuts a flamboyantly eccentric figure, whose histrionic gestures make her look like she's performing tai chi on ice.

Comedies, however, cannot live by histrionics alone. At a bottom-numbing three hours, Ian Rickson's production needs more gags  and much more mayhem.

What we get instead is a solemn mission to promote sorority and re-run the MeToo debate yet again  with no new insights.

The pair are ably supported by Sara Powell as Elaine's wholesome lesbian neighbour, who provides good sense, a chauffeur service and poetry recitations

And James Corrigan, as James's husband Greg, does his best to demonstrate that not all men are b*****ds

The nearest we come to raucousness is a party which leaves both women the worse for wear  and Elaine demanding a hangover cure of dried Sicilian bull's testicles.

The pair are ably supported by Sara Powell as Elaine's wholesome lesbian neighbour, who provides good sense, a chauffeur service and poetry recitations.

And James Corrigan, as James's husband Greg, does his best to demonstrate that not all men are b*****ds.

Designer Georgia Lowe's set is damply atmospheric and features black mould that, if real, would surely condemn it as a respiratory hazard.

But while the cast and creatives have fun, Skinner's overwrought and underpowered play is simply left bobbing in their stylish wake, darling.
Sofia Coppola passed on directing the fourth Twilight film, based on Stephenie Meyer's book Breaking Dawn, due to one plotline that she simply found 'too weird.'

While looking back at the opportunity, which ultimately went to Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bill Condon, the New York native, 52, revealed why her 'one meeting' about working on the supernatural drama, starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, 'never went anywhere.'

'I thought the whole imprinting-werewolf thing was weird. The baby. Too weird!' she told Rolling Stone while on a press tour for her upcoming movie Priscilla. 'But part of the earlier Twilight could be done in an interesting way.'

She continued: 'I thought it'd be fun to do a teen-vampire romance, but the last one gets really far out.'

Not down: Sofia Coppola passed on directing the fourth Twilight film, based on Stephenie Meyer's book Breaking Dawn, due to one plotline that she simply found 'too weird' (seen in September 2023)

Coppola is referring to the plotline, in which Jacob Black (Taylor Launter)'s character, who is an adult, imprints on Renesmee, the infant daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, after spending years in a love triangle vying to win her mother's love.

In the third film from the saga, Eclipse, Jacob described imprinting on someone as having everything in your life change 'when you see her.'

'All of a sudden, it's not gravity holding you to the planet, it's her. Nothing else matters. You do anything, be anything for her,' he explained.

Many viewers and readers of the franchise found Jacob imprinting on the vampire-human hybrid immediately after her birth as problematic and disturbing.

In the film, he insisted that he will be Renesmee's mentor and friend for years, before ever entering a romantic relationship with her.

During the same interview, the mother-of-two also revealed why she left Universal Pictures' Little Mermaid project.

After struggling with the studio 'over the budget required to bring the underwater world to life,' according to Variety, she 'hit a breaking point with the film after a studio exec mentioned the film should appeal to older men.'

'I was in a boardroom and some development guy said, 'What's gonna get the 35-year-old man in the audience?' And I just didn't know what to say,' she recalled.

Recalling it all: While looking back at the opportunity, which ultimately went to Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bill Condon, the New York native, 52, revealed why her 'one meeting' about working on the supernatural drama 'never went anywhere' (Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson seen above in 2012)

Bizarre: Coppola is referring to the plotline that Jacob Black (Taylor Launter)'s character, who is an adult, imprinting on Renesmee, the infant daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen after spending years in a love triangle vying to win her mother's love

Odd: Many viewers and readers of the franchise found Jacob imprinting on the vampire-human hybrid immediately after her birth as problematic and disturbing; Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) seen above with her mom (Kristen Stewart)

She continued: 'I just was not in my element. I feel like I was naive, and then I felt a lot like the character in the story, trying to do something out of my element, and it was a funny parallel of the story for me.'

In 2017, she told IndieWire that she wanted to do the 'darker' original fairy tale.

'Ive always loved fairy tales, so I was curious about doing that It became too big of a scale. I wanted to shoot it really underwater, which would have been a nightmare. But underwater photography is so beautiful,' she said, at the time. 'We even did some tests. It was not very realistic, that approach. But it was interesting to think about.'

Coppola has won various awards over her career, including an Oscar, Golden Globe, a Golden Lion and a Cannes Film Festival Award.

She has also been three BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Derek Hough was once worried he'd lost Jennifer Lopez as a friend after accidentally pulling out her hairpiece while dipping her at a salsa dancing party.

The hair-raising incident most likely occurred in January 2016 when the 38-year-old DWTS judge visited the 54-year-old pop diva in Las Vegas during her All I Have residency at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater.

'We're dancing, and we're having a good night,' Derek recalled on Tuesday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show.

'We're sweating. The live band's playing. It's steamy, it's going great. This was several years ago. And I dip her and...I step on her hair, and I pull her back up, but her hair didn't come back up.'

The three-time Emmy-winning choreographer said JLo 'didn't miss a beat' and managed to surreptitiously scoop up the hairpiece while doing a squat turn move, which he demonstrated for the 42-year-old EGOT champ.

Oops! Derek Hough was once worried he'd lost Jennifer Lopez as a friend after accidentally pulling out her hairpiece while dipping her at a salsa dancing party (pictured in 2020)

'Congratulations!' The hair-raising incident most likely occurred in January 2016 when the 38-year-old DWTS judge (L) visited the 54-year-old pop diva (2-L) in Las Vegas during her All I Have residency at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater

Later that same evening, the former Fly Girl and Janet Jackson back-up dancer - whose hairstylist Lorenzo Martin frequently gives her extensions and faux-ny ponytails - confronted Hough: 'Derek, do you know what you did?'

The Utah-born Mormon replied: 'Show you the time of your life, what's up?'

'And she's like, "No, you pulled out my hair!"' Derek recounted.

'She has a chunk of it. I was like, "I'm so sorry, oh no!" And then the next day she's like, "Hey, do you want to do a project with me?" I was like, "Fantastic, because I thought our friendship was over!"'

That project turned out to be NBC reality competition World of Dance and the deal for Hough to judge it alongside Jennifer and Ne-Yo was finalized in November 2016.

World of Dance aired for four seasons from 2017 until its 2021 cancellation.

The six-time Mirror Ball Trophy winner also chatted about his August 26 nuptials to fellow dancer Hayley Erbert in front of 106 guests in Monterey County and subsequent Italian honeymoon.

'It was so special. It was such a beautiful, beautiful weekend. It was magical. It really was...It was a lot of fun a lot of dancing literally till the to the the end of the night. It was awesome,' Derek gushed.

Derek recalled on Tuesday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show: 'We're dancing, and we're having a good night. We're sweating. The live band's playing. It's steamy, it's going great. This was several years ago'

Hough continued: 'And I dip her and...I step on her hair, and I pull her back up, but her hair didn't come back up'

'She didn't miss a beat': The three-time Emmy-winning choreographer said JLo managed to surreptitiously scoop up the hairpiece while doing a squat turn move, which he demonstrated

Later that same evening, the former Fly Girl and Janet Jackson back-up dancer (pictured in 2020) - whose hairstylist Lorenzo Martin frequently gives her extensions and faux-ny ponytails - confronted Derek: 'Do you know what you did?'

Hough replied: 'Show you the time of your life, what's up? And she's like, "No, you pulled out my hair!" She has a chunk of it. I was like, "I'm so sorry, oh no!"'

The Utah-born Mormon continued: 'And then the next day she's like, "Hey, do you want to do a project with me?" I was like, "Fantastic, because I thought our friendship was over!"'

Aired from 2017-2020! That project turned out to be NBC reality competition World of Dance and the deal for Derek to judge it alongside Jennifer and Ne-Yo (L, pictured in 2020) was finalized in November 2016

'It was magical!' Hough also chatted about his August 26 nuptials to fellow dancer Hayley Erbert in front of 106 guests in Monterey County and subsequent Italian honeymoon

The six-time Mirror Ball Trophy winner (pictured September 2) gushed: 'We were in Como, we went to Rome, we went to Tuscany. We even stayed in this ancient city called Matera which is 10K years old. It's the third oldest city in the world where we literally stayed, our room was a cave. It was wild. It was really cool'

So in love! At 29, the Kansas-born hoofer (L, pictured September 2) is nine years younger than Derek, whom she began dating in 2015 a year after dancing with him in his Move Live On Tour

'Sharing it with my beloved!' The newlyweds resume their 60-date Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance tour this Thursday at the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI (pictured October 9)

Airing Tuesdays on ABC/Disney+! Hough also judges the 32nd season of Dancing With the Stars alongside Carrie Ann Inaba (L, pictured Tuesday) and Bruno Tonioli (R)

'The honeymoon was fantastic. We went to Italy. We went all over. We were in Como, we went to Rome, we went to Tuscany. We even stayed in this ancient city called Matera which is 10K years old. It's the third oldest city in the world where we literally stayed, our room was a cave. It was wild. It was really cool.'

At 29, the Kansas-born hoofer is nine years younger than Hough, whom she began dating in 2015 a year after dancing with him in his Move Live On Tour.

Before Hayley, the Step into the Movies star previously romanced India de Beaufort, Shannon Elizabeth, Cheryl Cole, Lauren Conrad, and his sister Julianne's bridesmaid Nina Dobrev for six weeks in 2013.

The newlyweds resume their 60-date Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance tour this Thursday at the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI.

Derek also judges the 32nd season of Dancing With the Stars - airing Tuesdays on ABC/Disney+ - alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
Emily Ratajkowski looked effortlessly chic in a black mini dress as she attended Kerastase beauty event at Palais de Tokyo in Paris on Tuesday.

The model, 32, stunned in the strapless ensemble and accessorised with a stylish red scarf and black heels.

She put on a very leggy display in trendy black high heels and opted for a gorgeous bronzed makeup look.

Emily had all eyes on her when she took centre stage to do a speech to the crowd at the event.

The brunette beauty oozed elegance in her glamorous outfit and cleverly matched the events colour scheme.

Gorgeous: Emily Ratajkowski, 32, looked effortlessly chic in a black mini dress as she attended Kerastase beauty event at Palais de Tokyo in Paris on Tuesday

Wow: The model stunned in the strapless ensemble and accessorised with a stylish red scarf and black heels

It seems as though the Gone Girl star is taking a break from her very busy dating life at the moment, as she continues to be spotted around Europe by herself.

Emily has hit headlines recently for dating the likes of Eric Andre, DJ Orazio Rispo, and Harry Styles to name a few.

Emily recently showcased her chiseled form in a series of photos shared on the Instagram account of her swimwear company, Inamorata.

In her shots, the model donned one of her brand's bikinis while posing for a set of promotional snaps during a trip to Brazil.

The fashion industry personality launched Inamorata in November of 2017.

Emily's brand's offerings were initially limited to various one and two-piece swimsuits.

However, the company eventually expanded to include other forms of clothing, including dresses and headwear.

The model has taken a hands-on approach to promoting Inamorata Woman and frequently appears in its promotional materials.

Stunning: She put on a very leggy display in trendy black high heels and opted for a gorgeous bronzed makeup look

Gorgeous: The model flaunted her slender physique and flawless features in a gorgeous mini dress

French chic: The brunette beauty oozed elegance in her glamorous outfit and cleverly matched the events colour scheme

Beauty: Emily had all eyes on her when she took centre stage to do a speech to the crowd at the event

In the past: The fashion industry personality launched Inamorata in November of 2017

Emily spoke about Inamorata during an interview with Harper's Bazaar, during which she stated that she was grateful to be able to collaborate with her friends on a professional level.

'Having my own business and working with a group of women that I love, that are my friends... that has been so enjoyable,' she stated.

The fashion industry personality also discussed being able to exert more influence over her professional life.

'What I like now is that, in my career, things are more in my hands and in my control,' Ratajkowski said.

She added: 'Failures feel more like road bumps than huge losses and I feel less impacted by other people saying no.'
Home funds are now the second most popular wedding registry item listed

Number of couples asking for downpayment help has shot up 55% since 2018

As owning a home remains out of reach to many young Americans, couples are increasingly asking for help with a downpayment on their wedding registries.

Some 20 percent of engaged couples are requesting guests contribute to their home funds, according to a report by wedding website The Knot and property portal Zillow. The number has ballooned 55 percent since 2018.

It means that home funds are now the second most popular wedding registry item on The Knot - behind honeymoon collections.

Esther Lee, deputy editor of The Knot, said: 'While guests prefer to give cash gifts for celebratory treats, like a sunset honeymoon dinner, milestone gifting is a profoundly thoughtful and significant trend we're seeing among couples.'

Half of all home buyers are now first-time, according to Zillow - the highest share the organization has ever recorded.

Some 20 percent of engaged couples are requesting guests contribute to their home funds, according to a report by wedding website The Knot and property portal Zillow

But affordability is still an uphill battle to buyers. Soaring mortgage rates and still-elevated house prices have sent housing affordability spiraling to its worst level since the early 2000s, according to data from the Atlanta Fed.

Mortgage rates are now edging closer to 8 percent. It means the typical monthly home loan payment has more than doubled in the last 12 years.

For a $350,000 home and assuming a 20% down payment, a couple would need to come up with $70,000 for a down payment and expect to spend $2,334 a month on their mortgage.

Amanda Pendleton, a personal finance expert at Zillow Homes, said: 'Young couples may be eschewing convention when it comes to their weddings, but they still aspire to achieve the age-old American dream of homeownership.

'That dream, however, can feel out of reach without the right support.'

She added: 'First-time buyers often think a 20% down payment is required, but that's not always the case.

'Some may qualify for a down payment as low as 3 percent which will change their savings timeline and monthly payment dramatically.'

Figures from the property website show the majority of first-time buyers contribute a downpayment of between 10 and 19 percent on average.

It comes after separate data showed four in ten homebuyers under the age of 30 receive money from their parents to help cover their downpayment.

Experts have started coining the term 'nepo homebuyer' to refer to young people who rely on family money to get on the property ladder.

Four in ten homebuyers under the age of 30 receive money from their family to help cover their down payment, a survey by Redfin found

Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather admitted that she falls into the category of a 'nepo homebuyer' after her mother helped her buy a home aged 27

A survey of more than 500 under-30 buyers by Redfin found that 23 percent used a cash gift from family members to cover their down payment while a further 21 percent used inheritance money.

Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather admitted that she falls into the category of a 'nepo homebuyer' after her mother helped her secure a property in 2015 when she was 27.

Her mom - who was experiencing health problems which left her unable to live alone - sold her condo and gave Fairweather the proceeds.

Writing for Forbes, she said: 'Without my mother's money, saving up for a down payment would have taken me years. But instead I was able to purchase a home and secure my position as a homeowner.'

She added: 'Had I delayed buying my first home, I would have faced an increasingly unaffordable housing market.'
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said that proposed legislation to cut credit card fees would put an end to rewards and miles programs.

The Credit Card Competition Act, proposed by Senator Dick Durbin, plans to end what he calls the 'Visa-Mastercard duopoly' over credit card transactions.

Together the companies control 83 percent of the US credit card market, charging merchants an average transaction fee of 2.24 percent of the total transaction - and as much as 4 percent for premium travel and rewards cards.

These so-called 'swipe fees' have become too high of a cost for many retailers and businesses to absorb, meaning that they are passing on higher prices to consumers.

'This would kill rewards programs,' Kirby said on an earnings call. 'It would not exist anymore. It will kill debit-card rewards programs when it happens, and I think it's bad policy.'

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said that proposed legislation to cut credit card fees would put an end to rewards and miles programs

Senate Democratic Whip Durbin, who introduced the bill in June, aims to inject competition into the market, requiring banks to allow at least one payment network besides Visa or Mastercard for credit card transactions.

'It is long overdue for Congress to break up the sweetheart deal that Visa, Mastercard, and the big banks enjoy,' he said of the bipartisan legislation earlier this month.

Supporters hope competition will propel the payment giants to lower their charges. In the European Union, fees were capped at 0.3 percent in 2015.

On the earnings call on October 18, Kirby said the vast majority of consumers have a rewards card.

'Almost everyone has one. And they like them a lot,' he said. 'Our customers certainly like them a lot. And so I think it'd be hard in Congress to take a vote that 84 percent of your voters are going to be upset with the outcome of that vote.'

Other airline bosses have also argued that the legislation would jeopardize their ability to offer rewards programs.

Major banks that partner with airlines on credit cards buy loyalty program miles or points from the airlines to distribute to customers.

The airlines are paid each time a cardholder makes a transaction. They are arguing that the bill would cut Visa and Mastercard's revenues - making the payment giants less willing to participate in rewards programs.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastion told Bloomberg earlier this month: 'These cards could no longer receive the funding to be able to invest in rewards-back opportunities. It's something that we're watching, obviously.'

According to the outlet, Delta is due to receive $7 billion from its program with American Express this year.

Bastion predicted any changes to the cards would prompt 'unbelievable' consumer backlash. The airline rowed back on many of the changes it made to its SkyMiles rewards program after facing extreme blowback from customers earlier this year.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the bill would result in 'unbelievable' consumer backlash from its effect on rewards programs

Retailers have long complained swipe fees are much higher in the US than just about anywhere else in the world.

Small business owner Danny Reynolds told DailyMail.com how he pays so much in credit card fees it amounts to the equivalent of a starting employee's salary at Stephenson's of Elkhart, a clothing store in Elkhart, Indiana.

Merchants paid an estimated $93 billion in Visa and Mastercard fees last year, according to industry publication The Nilson Report - up from about $33 billion in 2012.

Merchants paid an estimated $93 billion in Visa and Mastercard fees last year, according to industry publication The Nilson Report - up from about $33 billion in 2012

Supporters of the bill say it would create $15 billion in savings for retailers and small businesses.

They refute the argument that banks would not be able to continue to support rewards programs if it passed - and point to the EU where programs still exist despite a cap on fees.

It comes as the Federal Reserve on Wednesday proposed slashing by nearly a third the amount of swipe fees banks can charge merchants for processing debit card transactions.

The central bank proposed cutting the current cap from 21 cents per transaction to 14.4 cents per transaction.
Imams in Algeria officially no longer have the right to go on strike. They appear on the very long list of personnel working in the areas of defense and national security, as well as strategic and sensitive sectors in terms of sovereignty or maintenance of essential services of vital interest to the nation, listed in the decree of the Algerian Prime Minister, Aimene Benabderrahmane, published on October 17 in the Official Journal.

Imams, who are civil servants, are in the same boat as magistrates, civil servants appointed by decree or stationed abroad, security service and civil protection personnel, communications service agents, customs officers, prison administration officers and staff of establishments comprising sensitive and strategic installations.

Another decree published the same day imposes practically in all sectors of activity in Algeria a compulsory minimum service which cannot be less than 30% of the total number of workers affected by the strike.

The two texts are in fact only an implementation of two laws promulgated on April 25 and June 21 on the exercise of the right to organize and the exercise of the right to strike which the autonomous unions had opposed , in vain, when they were examined in February by Parliament. Around thirty of these organizations then launched a day of protest against texts deemed liberticidal which aim, according to Lyes Merabet, president of the National Union of Public Health Practitioners (SNPSP), to call into question the right to union exercise and lock in the field of social struggles.

Eliminate many unions

To everyone's surprise, even the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), although described as a "power union", criticized the two bills in a press release dated January 22. Its secretary general, Salim Labatcha, stressed that they were not in line with the international conventions that Algeria has ratified. Certain articles of the two bills are also not consistent with the Algerian Constitution, with regard to civil and political rights, he clarified.

Two months later, on the eve of the examination of the texts by Parliament, Mr. Labatcha announced his resignation from the trade union center for health reasons. An explanation considered unconvincing by other unionists who saw it above all as a sign of a determination by the authorities to caporalize union activity.

Officially, according to the Minister of Labor, the new decrees will strengthen the role of trade union organizations in the defense of rights and achieve social justice. But the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions (CSA) above all noted the implementation of incapacitating and prohibitive conditions imposed on the right to strike which is guaranteed by law.

In a country with a low union density rate, the requirement for staff representation of at least 25%, imposed in the new legislative system, is likely to eliminate many unions. Which is apparently the goal. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune estimated, at the end of February, that it was illogical to have thirty-four unions in a single sector.

Authoritarian takeover of the regime

The head of state also brushed aside denunciations of restrictions on the right to strike: It is inconceivable to wake up in the morning to a text message saying that workers are on strike. The right to strike is governed by law and must be considered the ultimate and final solution. There are procedures to follow and that is what we want to put in place today.  Other provisions weaken unions in the face of the executive, such as limiting the mandates of union leaders or prohibiting them from having political commitments.

A petition signed by academics and journalists denounced texts which make legally impossible the exercise of the right to strike and the free exercise of the right to organize which have already been largely hampered by the practice of public authorities and employers for several years ".

These restrictions on union activity are part of a global approach to authoritarian takeover led by a regime strongly shaken by Hirak, the peaceful protest movement of 2019-2020 which demanded real political change. Hirak activists are the subject of sustained repression, social organizations such as the Rassemblement actions jeunesse (RAJ) and the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH) have been dissolved, journalists are imprisoned and pressures are exerted on political parties.
Senegalese opponent Ousmane Sonko, who has been denouncing his detention since the end of July and who resumed his hunger strike eight days ago, is in a "very weak" state in an intensive care unit of a Dakar hospital, his lawyer, Cire Cledor Ly, told AFP on Wednesday October 25. He fell into a coma on October 23. He regained consciousness the same day, but is in a very weak condition. Care continues, said the lawyer, who said he was able to speak with his client on Tuesday: The situation is alarming. The doctors give him treatment that he is unable to refuse. I launch a solemn appeal to the Head of State because he has the means to put an end to this situation. 

Candidate for the presidential election in February 2024, Mr. Sonko, 49, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, accuses President Macky Sall, who denies it, of wanting to exclude him from the ballot through legal procedures. Mr. Sall, elected in 2012 for seven years and re-elected in 2019 for five years, announced in early July that he would not run again.

After a conviction for defamation against a minister, Mr. Sonko was found guilty of corruption of youth on June 1 and sentenced to two years in prison. Absent at the trial, he was convicted in absentia and then removed from the lists. A judge in Ziguinchor (south) canceled this removal last week, but the opponent's candidacy is still far from guaranteed. The General Directorate of Elections, which depends on the Ministry of the Interior, refuses to issue the forms to be used to collect the sponsorships necessary for a candidacy, arguing that the judge's decision "is not final".

Mr. Sonko was imprisoned at the end of July on other charges, including calling for insurrection, criminal conspiracy in connection with a terrorist enterprise and endangering state security. He had started a hunger strike which, according to his relatives, he had ended on September 2 to respond to calls emanating in particular from very influential religious leaders in Senegal, after being admitted to the intensive care unit in a hospital. The Senegalese authorities had cast doubt on this hunger strike.
The Slovak president on Wednesday (October 25) appointed a new coalition government led by Robert Fico, who has already held the post of prime minister twice, and who notably allied with the far-right SNS party to obtain the required majority in parliament. According to analysts, such a government could radically change Slovakia's foreign policy and turn away from Ukraine. You will see a sovereign Slovak foreign policy, said Robert Fico, whose political party, Smer-SD, came first in September's parliamentary elections by promising to end military aid to Kiev.

After his election victory, the new prime minister claimed that "Slovakia and its people have bigger problems [to solve] than Ukraine" and called for peace talks because "further killings will not help person ". To form a government, Robert Fico allied himself with the far-right SNS party and the left-wing HLAS party. The coalition will have a majority of 79 deputies, out of the 150 in parliament.

The new government includes some members of his previous cabinet, which fell amid a wave of street protests following the 2018 double murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancee. The SNS, Robert Fico's coalition partner, shares his anti-refugee rhetoric and populist tendencies, with its president Andrej Danko notably declaring in July that the territories occupied by Russia were not "historically Ukrainian". On Wednesday, a close ally of Mr. Fico, pro-Russian MP Juraj Blanar, was named foreign minister.
Educational technology company BYJUS Chief Financial Officer Ajay Goel has quit after completing the audit process for the financial year 2022 and will return to Vedanta, the company said in a statement.

The edtech major has roped in industry veteran Pradip Kanakia as the senior advisor, and President (Finance) Nitin Golani has been given additional responsibility as India Chief Finance Officer (CFO) to handle the finance function of the company.

I thank the founders and colleagues at BYJUS for helping me assemble the FY22 audit in three months. I appreciate the support received during a short but impactful stint at BYJUS, Goel said.

He will transition after completing the formalities of the financial year (FY) 2022 audit, the statement said.
Investment is increasing in the global solar energy projects, and is expected to be more than USD 380 billion this year, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Director General Dr Ajay Mathur has said.

Mathur made these remarks on Monday on the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week.

The good thing is that investment flow is increasing. It was about USD 310 billion for the whole of last year, and USD 235 billion investment has come in during the first half of this year, Dr Mathur told PTI.

We expect it to be more than $380 billion this year.

Elaborating on ISA work, he said, Our goal is that in every member country, we make solar the energy of choice. ISA will have 120 member countries by the end of this year, up from 116 currently.

The challenge is to get investments for small solar plants to reach out to the remote regions as approximately 74 per cent of the investment so far has gone to large-scale projects in the OECD and China, Dr Mathur informed.

All of Africa has received just 2-3% from these funds.

Two-thirds of the investments have gone into large solar plants and not into smaller projects. We need to have a lot of investments in energy storage facilities as well as solar, hydro, and battery among others.

Dr Mathur said ISA is also focused on capacity building, such as training and certifying people to implement and design solar projects and plants in the future.

He underlined the need to train bankers on how to assess loan applications for solar development.

The ISA works with member countries and hand-hold them through the project management process as well as helps in creating policy and regulatory frameworks that are needed for the ecosystem to happen.

Dr Mathur also sees the Middle Eastern countries playing a bigger role in the development of energy and cited the example of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, MASDAR, which has invested in renewable energy projects in 40 countries since it was established in 2006.
Partition was accompanied by rivers of blood and the displacement of millions of people. But turns out, it has helped India in many ways

Member of Parliament Asauddin Owaisi has made a statement at Hyderabad saying the Partition of India should never have happened and it was a historical mistake. Mr Owaisi need not have a conscience for what happened in 1947 for the simple reason that he was not born when the countrys division happened. Secondly, even if he had been present, he would have been a subject of Nizams princely state of Hyderabad, without access to the then-newly formed dominions of India and Pakistan. His ancestor Janab Abdul Rashid was occupied with ensuring that his Highness the Nizam could be able to form a third dominion, i.e., Hyderabad.

Qaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had to move heaven and earth to win support for Partition. Punjab was happy under its Unionist Party government, a coalition of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, with the latter always the provinces chief minister. Punjabs wheat benefitted from an all-India market. Sindh was happy in its province, while the North West Frontier Province had a Congress government under the Khan Abdul Ghattar Khan. Balochistan was independent and not a part of British India.

The situation in the eastern end of India was similar; Bengal was a Muslim-majority province and content. The insecurity was felt more by Muslims in those provinces where they were in a minority; they would have no say in the decision on Partition. The one segment keen on Partition was Muslim businessmen. They felt they would be better off in Pakistan, where there would be virtually no businessmen to compete with, whereas Hindus have many business communities. The Qaid felt that the two cultures, Muslim and Hindu are poles apart and cannot co-exist. Their souls do not beat in unison. Therefore, despite his age and failing health, Jinnah nearly drove himself to death campaigning for Partition. He couldnt survive beyond thirteen months after August 14, 1947. His weight was a mere forty pounds at the time of his passing. His other great handicap was that he knew only two languages-English and Gujarati and had to address his public meetings in English.

The Muslim League, in its desperation to win the 1945-46 elections, resorted to subterfuge. It propagated the idea that the Adivasis of Assam were not Hindu but worshippers of animal deities. Therefore, Hindus in the province were much less than 50 per cent. Assam therefore, ought to be included in Pakistan. This canard went a long way, spread by Bengals premier Saadullah, who was masterminding the campaign.

Viceroy Mountbatten had already concluded that the two communities couldnt co-exist, due mainly to Jinnahs campaign for Direct Action. The rioting across many parts of northern India was so rampant as to convince any foreigner that what Jinnah intended to convey was indeed true. There was another factor in the Viceroys mind and that was Netajis Subhass Indian National Army (INA), many of whose soldiers had gone back on their oath of loyalty to the king and country. The question arose: what was the guarantee that other employees of the Crown, civil and military, would not follow the example of Netajis men? To make matters worse for the British, the Indian Navy mutinied in February 1946 on the streets of Bombay and Karachi.

The Clement Atlee government in London therefore, decided to gracefully pull out of India before having to face many such embarrassing mutinies. By the time Jinnahs election campaigning was over, by and large, most Muslims of India were converted to the idea of Partition. This is notwithstanding the occasional unconventional conduct of the Qaid. At a public meeting in Jalandhar, reported by Pran Chopra of the Statesman, the muezzins call to prayer was heard. The Qaid stopped speaking to let the audience disperse for namaz, but he sat down on a chair and pulled out a cigar to enjoy a satisfying smoke.

Independence-cum-Partition was announced on August 14, 1947. The green flag of Pakistan was unfurled by the Qaid in the presence of Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Partition was accompanied by rivers of blood and the displacement of millions of people.

Was Pakistans creation a historical mistake as Owaisi of the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen suggests? Let us take a look at what undivided India would have looked like today. With about 450 million Muslims; 180 in Pakistan, a similar number in India and 110 or so million in Bangladesh, an undivided India would have been in a state of perennial civil war, or would have had a democratically elected sultan at the centre. The trajectories India and Pakistan have taken after 1947 prove this point beyond a shade of doubt. While India today has risen to become the worlds fifth biggest economy, a scientific and technological power and is on the pathway to becoming a superpower, Pakistan is a country of religious strife and global terrorism. It broke up once in 1971 and will eventually implode again. A Pakistani interviewee on YouTube recently congratulated India for landing Chandrayan-III on the moon but did not forget to add, Hindus should thank Qaid-e-Azam Jinnah for this success, because had he not separated us (i.e., Muslims) from the Hindus, India today would have been a gigantic Pakistan; forget Chandrayan or anything else.

(The writer is a well-known columnist, an author and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal)
Actor Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday met Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon and expressed confidence that the country will emerge victorious in its "war against terrorism".

The actor, who is promoting her upcoming movie "Tejas", shared photos and a video of her interaction, in which she discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with the Israeli ambassador on her official X account.

"Had a very soulful meeting with Israel's ambassador to India Shri Naor Gilon ji. Today the whole world, especially Israel and India, are fighting their war against terrorism.

"Yesterday when I reached Delhi for Ravana Dahan, I felt that I should come to Israel Embassy and meet the people who are defeating today's modern Ravana and terrorists like Hamas," Ranaut posted, referring to her participation at the national capital's famed Lav Kush Ramleela on Tuesday evening.

Earlier this month, Israel launched an attack on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip after militants affiliated to the group killed hundreds, including civilians in large numbers, in an assault on the country.

"The way small children and women are being targeted is heart-wrenching. I have full hope that Israel will be victorious in this war against terrorism. With him I discussed about my upcoming film 'Tejas' and India's self-reliant fighter aircraft Tejas. @IsraelinIndia," the 36-year-old actor added.

In a follow-up post, Ranaut shared the video of her interaction with Gilon.

"My heart goes out to Israel. Our hearts are bleeding too. Here's my conversation with Israel's ambassador to Bharat Naor Gilon," she wrote.

The Israeli ambassador thanked the actor for her support to his country.

"It was lovely meeting @KanganaTeam who was in Delhi for her movie premiere & visited our embassy to extend her support to @Israel. I expressed our heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to PM @narendramodi ji and our Indian friends for their unwavering support in our shared battle against terrorism," Gilon wrote on his official X account.

Ranaut's upcoming movie "Tejas" is set to be released in theatres on Friday. The movie, written and directed by Sarvesh Mewara, features Ranaut in the role of an Indian Air Force pilot.
The tentative schedule for the November first-week meeting of the Opposition parties bloc INDIA seems to have encountered a roadblock due to the ongoing tension between major stakeholders, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), over their alliance in poll-bound States.

Additionally, a member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing controversy and has received summons from the Parliamentary Ethics Committee.

Sources said the meeting was being planned for November 5 at Nagpur after consultation with all parties, including West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who confirmed her availability after Durga Puja followed by Lakhi Puja in October end.

Sources said the invitation to all top leaders was extended by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi during the mid October after a meeting of the two with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

A consensus was reached for the meeting to be held at Delhi or Nagpur but some of the leaders suggested Nagpur, being a RSS bastion and that Pawar and the Congress are in an alliance in Maharashtra with Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena faction.

The schedule was for October end keeping in mind the hectic November Assembly elections in crucial Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram but the TMC conveyed its problem to be part of it due to festive season in Bengal culminating with Lakshmi Puja which is held six days after Bijoya Dashmi.

The meeting was initially being discussed for November 5 in Nagpur. However, during this time, a controversy involving a TMC member in a cash for query scandal has arisen. Leaders from both sides (the Congress and the TMC) will now engage in talks in the coming days to discuss the details of the next alliance meeting in India, said a Congress leader involved in back channel talks to unite the Opposition parties.

While the Congress will be occupied throughout November with the Assembly polls, as they hope to retain Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan while remaining strong contenders in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram, Bihar alliance partners JD(U) and RJD have expressed that it will be challenging for them to attend before November 10 due to the festive season, which includes Diwali and Chhath Puja celebrations that extend until November 20.

Given the circumstances, some of the leaders when contacted said the meeting will take place only by November end, but believed that parties like the Congress, the SP, the AAP will get buffer time to iron out their differences arising over the question of alliance at State and national level.

Differences cropped up between the Congress and Akhilesh Yadav led SP when the latter stated that the grand old party did not honour its rights to be part of the alliance in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where Arvind Kejriwal led AAP has also entered the poll fray.

In an attempt to placate the agitated SP, senior Congress leader and one of the decision-maker of the party in MP, Digvijay Singh, said his party colleague former CM of State Kamal Nath wanted to have an alliance with the Samajwadi Party with full honesty, but maintained he does not know how the talks for a tie-up between the two INDIA bloc members got derailed.

Digvijaya praised Akhilesh for his leadership qualities, but disagreed with Kamal Nath, over his choice of words while dismissing his (Akhilesh) criticism for not leaving any seat in MP for the Uttar Pradesh-based party for the November 17 polls.

The former CM said he had suggested Nath to leave four Assembly seats for the SP, which wanted to field nominees in half a dozen segments.

Akhilesh had accused the Congress of having cheated his party after Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai asked his party to withdraw from MP in favour of the grand old party, saying the SP did not have any base there.

Rai also said as an INDIA bloc partner, the SP should rally behind the Congress if it wants to fight the ruling BJP in MP.

The SP chief went after the Congresss MP heavyweights and ex-chief ministers, Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, charging that they kept the SP leaders waiting till midnight, when they had gone to meet them for seat-sharing talks.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said given the current global scenario there is no option but to bolster the countrys security apparatus, underlining that all efforts are being made by the Government to strengthen the nations military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment.

He made this assertion after visiting forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh and carried out first-hand on ground assessment of the operational preparedness of armed forces there. Rajnath also performed Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang, where he reiterated that Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil.

Tawang, last year saw an exchange of blows between the Indian and Chinese troops when the latter tried to change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on December 9.

The issue was resolved later after the intervention of senior leadership.

In his address, the Defence Minister described the righteousness and dharma of the brave Armed Forces personnel as the living testament to the ethos of the festival of Vijayadashmi.

He interacted with the troops deployed along the LAC facing China there and celebrated Dussehra with the soldiers.

No amount of appreciation is enough for the way you are guarding the border in difficult circumstances. I want to tell you that people of the country are proud of you, he told the troops.

The Defence Minister expressed gratitude to the soldiers for their unyielding spirit, unwavering commitment and unparalleled courage while guarding the borders in tough conditions, and ensuring that the nation and its people are safe.

Stressing the need for self-reliance, Rajnath said, Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, giant strides have been made towards Aatmanirbharta in defence. Earlier, we used to rely on imports to upgrade our military. But today, a number of major weapons and platforms are being manufactured within the country.

Foreign companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with domestic industry. In 2014, the value of defence exports was about `1,000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores.

The Defence Minister said the valour and commitment of the Armed forces is one of the main reasons behind Indias rising stature globally and that it is now among the most powerful nations.

He cited Indias success in the economic sphere as one of the reasons for the countrys growing global profile. But at the same time he noted that if the Armed forces had not guarded the countrys border effectively, then its stature would not have risen.

Citing his recent tour of Italy, the Defence Minister recalled his visit to Montone memorial which has been built to honour the contribution of Naik Yaswant Ghadge and other Indian soldiers who fought in the Italian campaign to liberate Montone in World War II.

He added that not just Indians, but even Italian people pay their respects at the memorial, which is proof that the bravery of Indian soldiers is recognised globally.

Rajnath also visited the Tawang War Memorial, where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 war with China.

He was accompanied by Army Chief General Manoj Pande, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt General RP Kalita, GOC, 4 Corps Lt General Manish Erry and other senior officers of the Indian Army.

Rajnath also visited the 4 Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam. During the visit, he reviewed the operational readiness of the formation, which is deployed in one of the easternmost parts of the country.

The Defence Minister was briefed on the infrastructure development along the LAC and the employment of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to enhance the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in the frontline. He commended the stellar work and yeoman services being rendered by all ranks of the Corps under challenging conditions.

The Defence Ministers celebration of Dussehra with the soldiers at the strategically important location close to the LAC comes at a time when India and China have been engaged in a bitter standoff in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh for over three years.

Rajnath has been performing Shastra Puja during Dussehra for the last several years, including during his tenure as the Union Home Minister in the previous NDA Government.

Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh, even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

The Army has significantly bolstered deployment of troops and weaponry along the nearly LAC, including in the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors following the eastern Ladakh standoff.
Delhis air quality improved marginally on Tuesday morning but was still in the poor category, according to monitoring agencies.

The citys average air quality index (AQI) stood at 220 at 12 noon, improving from 263 at 4 pm on Monday.

Delhis air quality had turned very poor on Sunday for the first time since May, mainly due to a drop in temperature and wind speed, which allowed pollutants to accumulate.

On Monday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the government has identified eight more pollution hotspots in addition to the existing 13 in the national capital, and special teams will be deployed there to check pollution sources.

Rai said the government has also decided to use suppressant powder to prevent dust pollution in the city.

Dust suppressants could include chemical agents like calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, lignosulfonates, and various polymers. These chemicals work by attracting and binding fine dust particles together, making them too heavy to become airborne.

The minister also said the government will re-launch a campaign to curb vehicular pollution on October 26, a year after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena put it on hold, questioning its effectiveness.

Sources in the city governments environment department said the LGs permission will not be required for the Red Light On Gaadi Off campaign this year as the participants will not receive any honorarium, unlike in previous seasons.

Rai on Monday had announced that the Red Light On, Gaadi Off campaign will start from Thursday.

The Minister also said odd-even vehicle rationing is not being considered at the moment. Under the odd-even scheme, private vehicles with registration plates ending in odd numbers ply on odd dates, and even numbers on even dates.

The Red Light on Gaadi Off campaign, first launched on October 16, 2020, aims to reduce vehicular pollution in the national Capital by encouraging drivers to switch off their vehicles while waiting for traffic lights to turn green.

With the dip in temperature, Delhis air quality declined to the very poor category on Monday. Delhis air quality turned very poor on Sunday for the first time since May. Delhi has recorded the worlds most toxic air, with stubble burning, pollution from vehicles, construction and coal-fired power plants said to be the contributing factors to this hazard.

According to Bloomberg report, Delhis air quality index rose to as high as 346 early on Monday, the highest among 110 global cities tracked by IQ Air.

As per IQ Air data, Delhi recorded particulate matter (PM 2.5) of 296 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is almost 20 times the WHOs recommended level of 15.

After a meeting with 28 departments to ensure the effective implementation of pollution mitigation measures in the capital, Rai said the next two weeks which include Dussehra, Deepawali and farm fires, are crucial for the Capital

Rai said district collectors have been instructed to conduct field visits on October 25 and ensure the strict implementation of pollution mitigation measures.

Action will be taken against diesel generator sets, said Rai, adding DG sets being used for emergency services are exempt. The minister said directions have been issued to the Delhi Traffic Police to decongest 95 identified traffic junctions which will help reduce vehicular pollution.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal campus was illuminated with the spirit of festivity on Sundayas the Resident Doctor Association hosted a splendid Garba night. The event saw a perfect blend of tradition and merriment, bringing together the resident doctors and esteemed faculty members in a vibrant showcase of culture and unity.

Among the distinguished attendees were Dr. Raghvendra Vidua, Dr. Devashish Kaushal, Dr. Divyabhushan, Dr. Rishabh Chandela, Dr. Ramesh, Dr. Snehashish, and Dr. Rut. Their presence added a touch of grandeur to the evening, elevating the experience for all those in attendance.

Executive Director Dr. Ajai Singh graced the occasion, extending his blessings for the successful organization of the Garba night and the Mahaarti. His encouraging words resonated with the spirit of unity and celebration, fostering a sense of belonging and pride within the AIIMS community.
The Delhi High Court has advanced the date of hearing to December 1 on a petition against the bar on offering prayers in the Mughal Mosque in the Mehrauli area.

The managing committee of Mughal Mosque, which was appointed by the Delhi Waqf Board, had approached the high court last year alleging that the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) completely stopped the offering of namaz in the mosque on May 13, 2022 in an absolutely unlawful, arbitrary and precipitous manner.

Allowing an early hearing application by the petitioner, Justice Prateek Jalan said in a recent order, List on 01.12.2023. The next date of hearing i.E. 30.01.2024 stands cancelled.

Advocate for the petitioner M Sufian Siddiqui said the prayers were being offered inside the mosque on a regular basis until last year when they were stopped by the ASI without any notice.

Recently, the court had asked the ASI to clarify its policy on allowing prayers by devotees in religious places located inside protected monuments.

In its reply to the petition, the ASI has said that the mosque in question comes within the boundary of Qutub Minar and is thus within the protected area and offering of prayers cannot be permitted there.

The ASI has cautioned that allowing worship in Mughal Mosque would not only set an example but it may also impact other monuments too.

Qutub Minar is a Monument of National Importance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is submitted that it is not a place of worship, since the time of its protection the monument or any part of it, has not been used for any type of worship by any community.

It is submitted that the Mosque in question comes within the boundary of Qutub Minar Complex, the reply has added
A 41-year-old home guard was killed when a pickup van rammed into a Delhi Police vehicle in Dwarkas Baba Haridas Nagar, police said on Tuesday.

On the intervening night of October 22 and 23, assistant sub-inspector Mahesh Kumar and Home Guard Dharampal were on patrolling duty in the area in a PCR van, they said.

On the Najafgarh-Bahadurgarh Road, a pickup van hit their vehicle leaving both of them injured, they said.

The duo was taken to a hospital where Dharampal was declared brought dead while Mahesh was discharged after treatment, an official said.

A case under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code was registered and the driver of the offending vehicle, Jai Lal (23), was arrested, police said.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and several other leaders attended events across Delhi to mark Dussehra festivities on Tuesday.

Dussehra marks the end of the nine-day festivities of Navratra. Effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakaran are set ablaze during the celebrations to signify the triumph of good over evil.

President Murmu attended Dussehra celebrations hosted by the Shri Dharmik Leela Committee at the ground opposite the Red Fort here, while Prime Minister Modi took part in an event held in Dwarka.

The Dharmik Leela Committee has been organising one of the most high-profile Ramlila events of the city since 1924. President Murmu arrived at the venue around 6 pm and offered prayers along with the members of the committee.

Murmu was accompanied by former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan. She was later handed a ceremonial bow and arrow to shoot towards the effigies, following which they were set ablaze.

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi attended Dussehra celebrations at an event hosted by the Nav Shri Dharmik Leela Committee. She was accompanied by Congress leader J P Agarwal and other party leaders.

Amid chants of Jai Shri Ram, Sonia was gifted a copy of the Ramayana at the event.
Madhya Pradesh government has accepted the resignation of Nisha Bangre from the post of Deputy Collector. Following the strictness of the High Court, an order accepting the resignation was issued late on Monday evening. Now she could contest the elections.

It is likely that Congress can change the candidate from Amla seat and make her contest the elections.

After Nisha's resignation was accepted, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Vivek Tankha gave this information by tweeting.

Tankha wrote in his tweet - In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court, the Madhya Pradesh government has accepted the resignation letter of Nisha Bangre. Now Nisha will have to think about her future path.

He wrote- This is not the victory of any woman officer. This is the victory of women power. Shivraj and his Chief Secretary had left no stone unturned to ensure that Nisha's resignation letter was not accepted. The order was signed on the day of Vijayadashami.

At the same time, Congress candidate from Amla, Manoj Malve said that he is true soldier of the party. Whatever decision the party takes, it will be accepted. Regarding the protest against changing the tickets, Manoj said, 'There is no point in talking about it right now. The party has officially declared me as its candidate. I am preparing to fill out the form. As soon as I get a good moment, I will file my nomination.

Nisha had alleged that the government was stopping her from contesting the elections. His resignation is not being accepted deliberately.

Information about acceptance of resignation of Nisha Bangre from the post of Deputy Collector will be sent by Madhya Pradesh Congress to AICC (All India Congress Committee).

Nisha wants to contest the assembly elections from Amla seat of Betul. She had resigned for this very reason, but the Madhya Pradesh government did not approve. After this she filed a petition in the High Court. Due to the resignation not being accepted, Congress had declared Manoj Malve as its candidate from Amla on Sunday.

Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Vivek Tankha said that the Supreme Court had ordered a decision on Nisha's resignation by Monday. Till Monday, no information was given by the government regarding the resignation. For this reason, the Congress high command was requested to keep the ticket on hold till Monday. When the government did not give any order, Congress declared the candidate.
Switzerland has confirmed that a woman whose chained body was found from west Delhi's Tilak Nagar was a Swiss citizen.

In a reply to a query from the PTI, Valentin Clivaz, Deputy Head of Media, Embassy of Switzerland in Delhi, in a statement said: "The FDFA (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) confirms the death of a Swiss citizen in India."

The Swiss embassy here is in contact with the local authorities. The FDFA supports relatives within the framework of consular protection, Clivaz said and added that no further details can be given for reasons of "data protection and personal privacy".

The decomposed body of Nina Berger, aged around 30 years, was found from a spot near the wall of a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) school in Tilak Nagar on Friday. Her limbs were tied with metal chains, which were locked.

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police had said it was waiting for the family members of the deceased to come forward and identify the body so that the process of autopsy could be started.

The body has been kept at the mortuary of a west Delhi hospital, police said.

The Delhi Police has arrested Gurpeet Singh (33) in connection with the incident. Police said during interrogation, Singh has confessed that he killed Berger as he wanted to marry her but she turned down his request.

Berger had come to Delhi on October 11 on Singh's request.

Police have found documents, such as the passport and visas, of Berger from Singh's possession. According to the documents, she hailed from Zurich.

Singh was sent to police custody for four days, during which police recreated the scene of the crime and took him to various places where he had accompanied Berger before allegedly killing her. A psycho-analysis test of the accused has also been conducted as he was changing his statements continuously, police said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined Dussehra celebrations at the Red Fort here on Tuesday and said his government is trying to serve the people of the national capital, taking inspiration from the ideals of Lord Ram.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government is ensuring everybody in Delhi gets good education and health services as well as facilities like free electricity, he said at the Dussehra celebrations hosted by the Luv Kush Ramleela Committee on the Red Fort ground.

Lord Ram is our ideal. There is a lot to learn from his life and his concept of Ram Rajya. Our effort is nobody sleeps hungry and everybody gets a good education, health services and electricity in Delhi, the Chief Minister said in his address.

Kejriwal greeted people on the occasion and also prayed for their well-being and happiness.

Taking inspiration from Lord Rama and as your son, I have been trying to solve your problems.

Still, if something remains to be done, I seek your apology, he said. The Chief Minister was felicitated with a mace by the organisers at the event.

He took part in the tradition of setting the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakaran ablaze with a ceremonial bow and arrow.

People cheered the torching of the effigies which was accompanied by a recorded soundtrack of crackers bursting. Since crackers are banned in Delhi due to pollution, it is no longer used in the effigies torched on Dussehra.
City police have tracked kidnappers and arrested five persons including a woman and minor girls and rescued two girls kidnapped from curfew Mata temple on Saturday; Haryana based gang kept the girls at English Villa in Kolar area.

Both the girls who were kidnapped on the pretext of organizing a party in Bhopal have been found. They were kidnapped by a gang from Haryana. Police rescued the girls from English Villa in Kolar area on Monday night.

Five members of the family, including the couple who kidnapped the girls, have been detained. The couple was planning to sell them. To hide the identity of the girls, their heads were shaved. The police have handed over both the girls to Child Line. After interrogation he will be handed over to his family members. On Tuesday, family members and father came to meet the daughters at the police station.

Kajal (8 years) and Deepawali (11 months) were kidnapped outside the curfew Mata temple on Saturday morning. Five police teams were searching. A reward of Rs 30,000 was also announced on the suspected women. In search of the girls, the police searched more than 200 CCTV cameras installed at all three railway stations and the road leading to the bus stand including Nadra bus stand.

Police made a road map. At around 9 pm on Monday night, the police raided the house located in English Villa. Archana (32), husband Nishant (35), sister Muskaan (20), brother Suraj (22) and a minor sister have been detained from here. Nishant has studied till 12th. He is originally from Kerala. He works as a technician. Archana and her siblings are originally from Haryana.

He had a Mercedes with him, which was hidden in an English villa in Kolar. Mukesh Adivasi, originally a resident of Ratlam, has been working as a laborer while living with his family in Barela village, Lalghati for some days. Wife Lakshmi along with her four children and sister-in-law were coming daily to the curfewwali Mata temple at Peergate. Even on Saturday he was sitting in the temple. At 10:30 in the morning, a woman asked for girl children on the pretext of a banquet. Lakshmi handed over her elder daughters Kajal (8) and Deepawali (1). After this the woman and her companion disappeared along with the girls.

According to the police, the accused had rented a house in English Villa in Kolar only eight days ago. The accused had kept foreign dogs to keep an eye on the children. An old car has also been found from the accused.
The opposition Congress has denounced the Kerala police for slapping only bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against actor Vinayakan who was arrested for allegedly creating a ruckus at a police station here in an inebriated state.

The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station on Tuesday evening, where he was summoned by the police over a dispute with his wife at his apartment.

In a hard-hitting Facebook post, Congress leader and Thrikkakkara MLA Uma Thomas alleged that weak sections were slapped against the actor and he was released on station bail despite his bad behaviour and obstruction of the duty of the officers. She asked whether his sudden release was a "privilege of being a comrade", a reference to Communists.

Thomas also sought to know whether the award-winning actor was released as per the instructions from the Cliff House. Cliff House is the official residence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The MLA, in the FB post on Tuesday night, also pointed out that the act would demoralise the police officers who work with dignity.

However, Kochi DCP Sasidharan rejected the charges and said the police would not yield to any kind of influence and Vinayakan had been imposed with sections which may earn him punishment for upto three years.

"Police will not yield to any influence," he told reporters here. To a question, the officer said it would be examined whether the actor had verbally abused the police personnel at the station. Video footages would be examined and relevant sections would be slapped if necessary, he added. The DCP also said that non-bailable section would exist only if there was any criminal force against anyone. Vinayakan was arrested for causing trouble at the police station.

The actor was then taken to a nearby hospital for necessary medical examination, the police said. Later, he was let off on bail after due procedure. Meanwhile, Vinayakan, while leaving with the police from the hospital after his medical examination, told mediapersons that he was unaware why he was arrested.
A court in Kenya has extended orders blocking the deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti to lead a U.N Security Council-approved mission to combat gang violence in the Caribbean nation.

The High Court on Tuesday said that it would rule on the case on November 9.

Former presidential candidate, Ekuru Aukot, filed a petition on October 9 against the deployment of Kenyan forces, arguing that the law allowing the president to do so conflicted with articles of the constitution.

Aukot's petition also faulted President William Ruto for agreeing to lead the international peacekeeping mission while Kenya struggles with security issues arising from militant attacks and most recently ethnic clashes.

The U.N. Security Council resolution, drafted by the United States and Ecuador, authorizes the force to deploy for one year, with a review after nine months.

Kenya's national assembly has yet to schedule a debate on the motion to deploy the contingent, which is expected to be made up of about 1,000 police officers. The non-U.N. Mission would be funded by voluntary contributions, with the U.
China has asked Bhutan to establish diplomatic ties with it and resolve the boundary issue as soon as possible to transform the relations between the two neighbours into legal form.

Bhutanese Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji who is currently visiting Beijing to take part in the boundary talks between the two countries met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday during which Wang said restoration of diplomatic ties will serve the long-term interests of both countries, a Foreign Ministry press release here said.

The conclusion of boundary negotiations and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bhutan fully serve the long-term and fundamental interests of the country and nation of Bhutan, Wang said.

China is ready to work with Bhutan in the same direction, seize the historic opportunity, complete this important process as soon as possible, and fix and develop China-Bhutan friendly relations in legal form, Wang, also a member of the powerful Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party, told Dorji.

The Bhutanese Foreign Minister is in Beijing to hold the China-Bhutan boundary talks, the release said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry press release quoted Dorji as saying that Bhutan and China have enjoyed a traditional friendship.

He thanked China for its strong support and assistance to Bhutan.

Bhutan firmly abides by the one-China principle meaning Taiwan and Tibet are part of China and stands ready to work with China for an early settlement of the boundary issue and advance the political process of establishing diplomatic relations, it said.

China and Bhutan do not have diplomatic relations but maintain contact through periodic visits by officials.
President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" on Tuesday greeted the Nepalese people on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, and said that such occasions have kept the cultural unity and identity of Nepal intact.

Dashain, a 10-day long festival, is celebrated across Nepal to worship goddess Durga and Vijay Dashami is the last day of the festival.

President Paudel said that Vijaya Dashami signifies the victory of virtue over vice, and mutual goodwill, fraternity, and reunification in society, will inspire everyone to promote social harmony, unity, solidarity, justice and equality.

"Such festivals that are celebrated with great enthusiasm in our country have contributed to further strengthen our geographical, cultural, and linguistic diversities, keeping our cultural unity and identity intact," he said.

Extending best wishes to the people on the occasion, Prime Minister Prachanda said that Nepal's government is actively working to drive the nation towards the path of prosperity and bring positive changes to the people's lives with the institutionalisation of good governance and social justice.

"The public support to all the efforts of the government is very significant for building a prosperous Nepal," he said.

As part of the Hindu rituals during Dashain, various temples in the country also witnessed the sacrifices of animals.

Nepal's Rajdevi Temple in Nepal's Janakpur city witnessed the sacrifices of over 15,000 goats on the 8th and 9th day of Dashain which are known as Ashtami and Navami and are of equal importance as Vijaya Dashami.
Asserting that there will be a level playing field for all political parties in the next general election, Pakistan's caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has expressed hope that the election commission will shortly announce the date of the polls.

Without mentioning the exact date, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last month announced that general elections would take place in the last week of January 2024.

"It seems that the date of the elections will be announced quite soon," Kakar told reporters at a news conference, three days after returning from China, where he had attended Belt and Road Forum (BRF) conference on the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Commenting on the issue of equal political space for parties in the country, Kakar said, "No political party has been left out of the political process and that the caretaker government is doing its best to assist the electoral process."

"We want no political party, entity and its associated political players to be out of the (election) process, but if any restriction is imposed by the court, we have to obey the orders," he said as former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is facing legal challenges and some of the top leaders of the party are in jail.

"Can't comment if level playing field means ensuring a particular party's win. (We) remember the level playing field of 2018 when the South Punjab front came into being," Kakar was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper on Tuesday.

Refuting the allegations that level playing field was not available to all political parties, but one, Kakar said: "What attempt the caretakers can do in two months which will help any party to get 171 seats (of the National Assembly in elections)."

Kakar was talking to media amind demands by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for a level playing field two days after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan ending his self-imposed exile.

However, Dawn also reported that Kakar replied with "I abstain" when asked "why an extraordinary protocol was given to Sharif on his return and why the Pakistani high commissioner in the UK was at the airport to see him off."

The International News quoted Kakar, who was asked if there was a possibility of some leading Baloch Awami Party (BAP) politicians joining the Pakistan Muslim League (N) before the forthcoming elections, as saying: "If any politician wants to join a particular political party, he or she has a right to do it independently.

GeoTV reported that earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa - while hearing the petitions seeking timely elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies - had observed that it was "not possible" to meet the 90-day deadline for holding elections.

The apex court has adjourned the hearing till November 2, it said. The news channel also quoted Kakar as saying, "The PML-N supremo is a political reality" and that "his adversaries should face him in politics."
KBR (NYSE:KBR  Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by stock analysts at Citigroup from $75.00 to $74.00 in a report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the construction companys stock. Citigroups price target indicates a potential upside of 27.28% from the companys current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. DA Davidson boosted their target price on KBR from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. TheStreet lowered KBR from a b+ rating to a c rating in a report on Thursday, July 27th. StockNews.com raised KBR from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on KBR from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, September 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $69.57.

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KBR Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE:KBR opened at $58.14 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -62.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.11. KBR has a twelve month low of $45.35 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $60.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

KBR (NYSE:KBR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The construction company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.75 billion. KBR had a positive return on equity of 24.94% and a negative net margin of 1.46%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.76 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that KBR will post 2.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at KBR

In other news, insider William Byron Jr. Bright sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.68, for a total transaction of $1,213,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 57,986 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,518,590.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.03% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of KBR

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KBR. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of KBR by 16.3% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 11,008 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $602,000 after acquiring an additional 1,540 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. lifted its position in shares of KBR by 71.7% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 34,270 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,876,000 after buying an additional 14,308 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its position in shares of KBR by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 79,664 shares of the construction companys stock worth $4,488,000 after buying an additional 7,244 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of KBR by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 25,239 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,384,000 after buying an additional 2,563 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its position in shares of KBR by 103.0% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 1,920 shares of the construction companys stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 974 shares during the last quarter.

KBR Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. The company operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

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Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report)s stock had its overweight rating reissued by equities researchers at Cantor Fitzgerald in a note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $630.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgeralds target price suggests a potential upside of 6.34% from the companys current price.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Argus raised their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $470.00 to $620.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 5th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $360.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $490.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $640.00 to $673.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Finally, 22nd Century Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, June 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $555.83.

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Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 2.7 %

Shares of NYSE LLY opened at $592.43 on Monday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $567.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $484.32. The firm has a market cap of $562.39 billion, a PE ratio of 82.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 0.33. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $309.20 and a 1 year high of $629.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $8.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.58 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 22.01% and a return on equity of 65.00%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 28.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.25 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 6.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 3,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $528.13, for a total value of $1,584,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 100,696,849 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $53,181,026,862.37. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $546.51, for a total transaction of $327,906.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,378 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,939,130.78. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 3,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $528.13, for a total transaction of $1,584,390.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,696,849 shares in the company, valued at $53,181,026,862.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 907,655 shares of company stock valued at $21,078,714,805. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LLY. Silicon Valley Capital Partners purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Retirement Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 159.1% during the 2nd quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 57 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Bogart Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% during the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Laffer Tengler Investments bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. 81.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

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Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes.

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3 Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrike in West Bank: sources

Xinhua) 16:00, October 25, 2023

RAMALLAH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least three Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others injured when an Israeli reconnaissance plane bombed the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Palestinian security and medical sources said on Wednesday.

"The bodies of three young men, together with 20 injuries, some in critical conditions, were transferred to the Jenin hospital as a result of an attack by an Israeli reconnaissance plane," Wissam Bakr, director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, told Xinhua.

Palestinian witnesses said that a large number of Israeli forces stormed the city of Jenin, the surroundings of the camp, and the town of Burqin, amid armed clashes with Palestinian militants.

According to locals, a huge explosion was heard resulting from the launch of a missile from an Israeli reconnaissance plane, near the camp cemetery, which led to a number of young men being killed or wounded.

Armed Palestinian factions said that their members clashed with Israeli forces and targeted them with gunfire and homemade explosive devices.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the drone strike was carried out after "armed terrorists" fired and threw explosives at Israeli forces operating in the Jenin refugee camp. No Israeli personnel were injured in the clashes.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its position in Antero Midstream Co. (NYSE:AM  Free Report) by 33.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 35,619 shares of the pipeline companys stock after acquiring an additional 8,886 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLCs holdings in Antero Midstream were worth $413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AM. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in Antero Midstream by 9.1% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 32,917,158 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $357,809,000 after acquiring an additional 2,743,230 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Antero Midstream by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,273,854 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $296,274,000 after purchasing an additional 481,124 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Antero Midstream by 1.3% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,788,932 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $102,686,000 after acquiring an additional 123,885 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Antero Midstream by 4.8% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 6,776,493 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $71,085,000 after acquiring an additional 308,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RR Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Antero Midstream by 24.8% in the first quarter. RR Advisors LLC now owns 6,333,000 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $66,436,000 after purchasing an additional 1,258,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.02% of the companys stock.

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Antero Midstream Stock Performance

NYSE AM opened at $12.15 on Wednesday. Antero Midstream Co. has a 52-week low of $9.56 and a 52-week high of $12.75. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $12.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $5.83 billion, a PE ratio of 17.35 and a beta of 2.34.

Antero Midstream Dividend Announcement

Antero Midstream ( NYSE:AM Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The pipeline company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $258.29 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $267.03 million. Antero Midstream had a net margin of 34.36% and a return on equity of 18.13%. Antero Midstreams revenue was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.20 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Antero Midstream Co. will post 0.82 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 25th will be paid a $0.225 dividend. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.41%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 24th. Antero Midstreams payout ratio is 128.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AM has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Antero Midstream from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Antero Midstream in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a neutral rating and a $12.50 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Antero Midstream from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 21st. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Antero Midstream from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. Finally, Pickering Energy Partners assumed coverage on shares of Antero Midstream in a research report on Tuesday, October 3rd. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Antero Midstream has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $12.30.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Antero Midstream

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Janine J. Mcardle acquired 6,011 shares of Antero Midstream stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $11.96 per share, with a total value of $71,891.56. Following the transaction, the director now owns 54,093 shares in the company, valued at $646,952.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Antero Midstream news, Director Janine J. Mcardle bought 6,011 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.96 per share, for a total transaction of $71,891.56. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 54,093 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,952.28. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Sheri Pearce sold 16,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.05, for a total transaction of $200,030.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 138,667 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,670,937.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.52% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Antero Midstream Company Profile

(Free Report)

Antero Midstream Corporation owns, operates, and develops midstream energy infrastructure in the Appalachian Basin. It operates through Gathering and Processing, and Water Handling segments. The Gathering and Processing segment includes a network of gathering pipelines and compressor stations that collects and processes production from Antero Resources' wells in West Virginia and Ohio.

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Brown Advisory Inc. grew its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI  Free Report) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,979 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc.s holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $874,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions during the 2nd quarter worth $201,000. TIAA FSB boosted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 12.1% during the 2nd quarter. TIAA FSB now owns 3,521 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $1,033,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio boosted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 123,749 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $36,293,000 after purchasing an additional 7,911 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 74,294 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $21,789,000 after buying an additional 2,220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,013,000. 82.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Motorola Solutions Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of MSI stock opened at $281.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $280.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $285.21. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a twelve month low of $234.90 and a twelve month high of $299.43. The company has a market capitalization of $47.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.91, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.14.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

Motorola Solutions ( NYSE:MSI Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The communications equipment provider reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.51 by $0.14. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 2,157.02%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 14th. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 39.91%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.58, for a total transaction of $284,580.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,101 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,305,382.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MSI shares. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $329.00 to $322.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $315.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Monday, October 9th. They issued a buy rating and a $330.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $320.00 to $311.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Motorola Solutions has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $312.57.

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About Motorola Solutions

(Free Report)

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.

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Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. cut its stake in shares of EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE:EME  Free Report) by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,815 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 347 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.s holdings in EMCOR Group were worth $808,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of EME. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in EMCOR Group by 5.9% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,426 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in EMCOR Group by 3.8% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,156 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $580,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in EMCOR Group by 3.4% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,037 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $928,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in EMCOR Group by 160.4% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,828 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $543,000 after purchasing an additional 2,974 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its position in EMCOR Group by 10.5% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 19,561 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,203,000 after purchasing an additional 1,865 shares in the last quarter. 92.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at EMCOR Group

In other news, CEO Anthony Guzzi sold 11,000 shares of EMCOR Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.37, for a total value of $2,160,070.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 224,722 shares of the companys stock, valued at $44,128,659.14. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

EMCOR Group Price Performance

Shares of EMCOR Group stock opened at $192.82 on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $212.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $190.96. EMCOR Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $128.23 and a 52 week high of $227.49. The company has a market capitalization of $9.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.17 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

EMCOR Group (NYSE:EME  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The construction company reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.58. EMCOR Group had a return on equity of 24.20% and a net margin of 4.13%. The business had revenue of $3.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.99 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that EMCOR Group, Inc. will post 10.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EMCOR Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 16th will be issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 13th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.37%. EMCOR Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on EMCOR Group in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EME

EMCOR Group Profile

(Free Report)

EMCOR Group, Inc provides electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers design, integration, installation, start-up, operation, and maintenance services related to electrical power transmission, distribution, and generation systems; energy solutions; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation in the refining, chemical processing, and food processing industries; low-voltage systems, such as fire alarm, security, and process control systems; voice and data communications systems; roadway and transit lighting, signaling, and fiber optic lines; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and geothermal solutions; clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection and suppression systems; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; crane and rigging services; millwright services; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding services.

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FMC Co. (NYSE:FMC  Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Monday after StockNews.com downgraded the stock from a hold rating to a sell rating. The company traded as low as $56.56 and last traded at $56.56, with a volume of 34605 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $66.95.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on FMC. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of FMC from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Redburn Atlantic restated a neutral rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of FMC in a report on Monday, September 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a neutral rating and set a $59.00 target price (down from $135.00) on shares of FMC in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of FMC from $99.00 to $73.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Bank of America restated a neutral rating and set a $63.00 target price on shares of FMC in a report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $92.50.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

In related news, EVP Ronaldo Pereira bought 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $75.59 per share, for a total transaction of $151,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 21,478 shares in the company, valued at $1,623,522.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . In other FMC news, insider Nicholas Pfeiffer purchased 992 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $75.62 per share, for a total transaction of $75,015.04. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 13,056 shares of the companys stock, valued at $987,294.72. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, EVP Ronaldo Pereira purchased 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $75.59 per share, for a total transaction of $151,180.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president now directly owns 21,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,623,522.02. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders own 0.85% of the companys stock.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FMC. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in FMC by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 10,326 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,359,000 after buying an additional 908 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in FMC in the 1st quarter valued at $191,000. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new position in FMC in the 1st quarter valued at $224,000. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in FMC in the 1st quarter valued at $383,000. Finally, National Pension Service grew its stake in FMC by 872,245.0% in the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 174,469 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $22,955,000 after buying an additional 174,449 shares during the last quarter. 86.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

FMC Stock Down 3.5 %

The businesss 50 day moving average is $73.86 and its 200-day moving average is $94.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.88.

FMC (NYSE:FMC  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. FMC had a return on equity of 21.97% and a net margin of 11.60%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 30.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.93 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that FMC Co. will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

FMC Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, provides crop protection, plant health, and professional pest and turf management products. It develops, markets, and sells crop protection chemicals that include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides; and biologicals, crop nutrition, and seed treatment products, which are used in agriculture to enhance crop yield and quality by controlling a range of insects, weeds, and diseases, as well as in non-agricultural markets for pest control.

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KBC Group NV lowered its stake in EVERTEC, Inc. (NYSE:EVTC  Free Report) by 9.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,971 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 513 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NVs holdings in EVERTEC were worth $183,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in EVERTEC by 15.9% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 28,929 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,183,000 after buying an additional 3,976 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in EVERTEC by 27.1% during the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 15,245 shares of the business services providers stock worth $624,000 after buying an additional 3,249 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in EVERTEC by 4.5% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 47,353 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,966,000 after buying an additional 2,028 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in EVERTEC by 55.1% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 32,586 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,334,000 after buying an additional 11,570 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in EVERTEC by 4.1% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 147,724 shares of the business services providers stock worth $6,046,000 after buying an additional 5,874 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.80% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on EVTC shares. StockNews.com started coverage on EVERTEC in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James upped their target price on EVERTEC from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their target price on EVERTEC from $36.00 to $43.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 27th.

Insider Activity at EVERTEC

In related news, COO Diego Viglianco sold 1,128 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.79, for a total value of $44,883.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 36,765 shares in the company, valued at $1,462,879.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other EVERTEC news, EVP Paola Perez-Surillo sold 3,253 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.11, for a total transaction of $127,224.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 32,139 shares in the company, valued at $1,256,956.29. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Diego Viglianco sold 1,128 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.79, for a total value of $44,883.12. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 36,765 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,462,879.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

EVERTEC Price Performance

EVERTEC stock opened at $35.38 on Wednesday. EVERTEC, Inc. has a 12 month low of $30.17 and a 12 month high of $42.03. The stocks 50 day moving average is $37.80 and its 200-day moving average is $36.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market capitalization of $2.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.44, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.96.

EVERTEC (NYSE:EVTC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The business services provider reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.61. The business had revenue of $167.08 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $164.43 million. EVERTEC had a return on equity of 28.71% and a net margin of 35.42%. Equities research analysts expect that EVERTEC, Inc. will post 2.4 EPS for the current year.

EVERTEC Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, October 30th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 27th. EVERTECs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.90%.

EVERTEC Profile

(Free Report)

EVERTEC, Inc engages in transaction processing business in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through Payment Services  Puerto Rico & Caribbean; Payment Services  Latin America; Merchant Acquiring; and Business Solutions segments. It provides merchant acquiring services, which enable point of sales and e-commerce merchants to accept and process electronic methods of payment, such as debit, credit, prepaid, and electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.

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Merit Financial Group LLC decreased its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Free Report) by 29.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,885 shares of the natural resource companys stock after selling 4,853 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLCs holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $475,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in FCX. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Synovus Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 15.2% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 11,101 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $553,000 after acquiring an additional 1,468 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 40.8% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 112,066 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $5,574,000 after acquiring an additional 32,474 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 73.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 132,043 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $6,624,000 after acquiring an additional 55,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 79,686 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $3,964,000 after buying an additional 14,388 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.96% of the companys stock.

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Freeport-McMoRan Price Performance

Freeport-McMoRan stock opened at $34.42 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.90 and a quick ratio of 1.67. The company has a market capitalization of $49.35 billion, a PE ratio of 23.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.83 and a beta of 2.06. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a one year low of $30.27 and a one year high of $46.73. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.76.

Freeport-McMoRan Announces Dividend

Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 19th. The natural resource company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.43 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 9.50%. Freeport-McMoRans revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.26 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 1st. Investors of record on Friday, October 13th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 12th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.74%. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Raymond James lowered their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 20th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 20th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $44.00 to $41.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 20th. Scotiabank lowered their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $49.00 to $48.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Freeport-McMoRan has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $42.50.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on FCX

About Freeport-McMoRan

(Free Report)

Freeport-McMoRan Inc engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile.

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Sigma Planning Corp boosted its stake in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX  Free Report) by 2.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,718 shares of the medical research companys stock after buying an additional 220 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corps holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $1,085,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of DGX. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp acquired a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter valued at $37,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter valued at $38,000. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 3,310.0% in the first quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 341 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 331 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 136.2% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 411 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.76% of the companys stock.

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Quest Diagnostics Stock Performance

DGX stock opened at $123.58 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $13.87 billion, a PE ratio of 17.99 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50 day moving average of $126.52 and a 200-day moving average of $133.80. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 12-month low of $119.59 and a 12-month high of $158.34.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

Quest Diagnostics ( NYSE:DGX Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The medical research company reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.03. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 16.32% and a net margin of 8.37%. The business had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.36 earnings per share. Quest Diagnosticss revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.7 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, October 6th were given a $0.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.30%. Quest Diagnosticss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.34%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $136.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. Morgan Stanley restated an equal weight rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $145.00 to $130.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 16th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $146.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on DGX

About Quest Diagnostics

(Free Report)

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.

Further Reading

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Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR  Free Report) by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,091 shares of the insurance providers stock after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.s holdings in RenaissanceRe were worth $775,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe by 22.2% in the second quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 26,074 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $4,863,000 after purchasing an additional 4,743 shares during the last quarter. Brookfield Corp ON grew its position in RenaissanceRe by 44.2% in the first quarter. Brookfield Corp ON now owns 121,514 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $24,344,000 after acquiring an additional 37,258 shares during the period. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in RenaissanceRe in the first quarter worth approximately $261,000. Whittier Trust Co. grew its position in RenaissanceRe by 9.3% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 14,190 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,843,000 after acquiring an additional 1,202 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its position in RenaissanceRe by 25.4% in the first quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,006 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,403,000 after acquiring an additional 1,421 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.84% of the companys stock.

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RenaissanceRe Stock Up 1.5 %

RenaissanceRe stock opened at $217.98 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $11.16 billion, a PE ratio of 27.25 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The stocks fifty day moving average is $199.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $197.16. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has a 1-year low of $140.92 and a 1-year high of $225.80.

RenaissanceRe Dividend Announcement

RenaissanceRe ( NYSE:RNR Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The insurance provider reported $8.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.58 by $1.21. The business had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.96 billion. RenaissanceRe had a return on equity of 14.22% and a net margin of 5.60%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.51 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. will post 29.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th were issued a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 14th. RenaissanceRes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RNR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on RenaissanceRe in a research report on Friday, September 8th. They set a buy rating and a $242.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on RenaissanceRe from $249.00 to $246.00 in a research report on Friday, October 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on RenaissanceRe from $229.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on RenaissanceRe in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded RenaissanceRe from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the company from $198.00 to $216.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, RenaissanceRe has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $234.43.

Read Our Latest Research Report on RenaissanceRe

About RenaissanceRe

(Free Report)

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S.

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Retirement Systems of Alabama decreased its holdings in Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG  Free Report) by 3.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 168,588 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,228 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned approximately 0.12% of Harley-Davidson worth $5,936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HOG. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson in the first quarter valued at about $34,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 10,090.9% in the first quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,121 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,110 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 1st quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI raised its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 77.1% in the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,289 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 561 shares during the period. 82.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating for the company. Citigroup cut their price objective on Harley-Davidson from $35.00 to $33.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 10th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Harley-Davidson from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 28th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $49.00 to $40.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 13th. Finally, DA Davidson upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $38.00 to $47.00 in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $44.86.

Insider Transactions at Harley-Davidson

In other Harley-Davidson news, Director Rafeh Masood purchased 1,302 shares of Harley-Davidson stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $38.40 per share, for a total transaction of $49,996.80. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,637 shares in the company, valued at $101,260.80. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.69% of the companys stock.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

Shares of HOG stock opened at $29.23 on Wednesday. Harley-Davidson, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.22 and a 12 month high of $51.77. The company has a market cap of $4.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.49, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $32.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.25.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.40 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 13.03% and a return on equity of 26.10%. The businesss revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Harley-Davidson, Inc. will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 12th were issued a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 11th. Harley-Davidsons payout ratio is currently 12.41%.

Harley-Davidson announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, September 6th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

(Free Report)

Harley-Davidson, Inc manufactures and sells motorcycles in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Harley-Davidson Motor Company, LiveWire, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company segment designs, manufactures, and sells motorcycles, including cruiser, trike, touring, standard, sportbike, and dual models, as well as motorcycle parts, accessories, and apparel, as well as licenses its trademarks and related services.

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Sigma Planning Corp cut its position in shares of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED  Free Report) by 19.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,722 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 3,545 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corps holdings in Consolidated Edison were worth $1,331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Retirement Group LLC grew its stake in Consolidated Edison by 74.8% in the 4th quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Consolidated Edison in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Clear Street Markets LLC grew its stake in Consolidated Edison by 261.0% in the 4th quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 361 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. acquired a new position in Consolidated Edison in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Fiduciary Alliance LLC bought a new position in Consolidated Edison during the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Consolidated Edison Trading Up 1.6 %

ED opened at $87.97 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $30.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.66, a PEG ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The companys 50 day moving average is $88.44 and its 200-day moving average is $92.37. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a 1-year low of $80.46 and a 1-year high of $100.92.

Consolidated Edison Announces Dividend

Consolidated Edison ( NYSE:ED Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. Consolidated Edison had a net margin of 15.84% and a return on equity of 8.27%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 14th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.68%. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio is currently 46.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ED has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $97.00 to $92.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. KeyCorp lowered their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $77.00 to $73.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Consolidated Edison from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, September 21st. Finally, Argus reduced their price target on Consolidated Edison from $104.00 to $93.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $88.29.

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Consolidated Edison Profile

(Free Report)

Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan.

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Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS  Free Report) by 7.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,920 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,169 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLCs holdings in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA were worth $405,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 9.0% in the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,807 shares of the companys stock valued at $229,000 after acquiring an additional 560 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 19,391 shares of the companys stock valued at $463,000 after buying an additional 592 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 61.1% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,969 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 747 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 34.7% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,432 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 14,241 shares of the companys stock valued at $303,000 after acquiring an additional 898 shares during the last quarter. 5.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on FMS shares. UBS Group upgraded Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, September 13th. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from $28.00 to $24.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA to 40.50 ($43.09) in a research note on Wednesday, August 16th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a research report on Tuesday, August 1st. They set a neutral rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $29.39.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Stock Performance

Shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA stock opened at $17.35 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stocks 50-day moving average is $21.52 and its 200-day moving average is $23.07. The firm has a market cap of $10.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.52 and a beta of 1.07. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA has a one year low of $13.06 and a one year high of $27.72.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.08. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA had a return on equity of 5.15% and a net margin of 3.01%. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.19 billion. Equities analysts predict that Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Company Profile

(Free Report)

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA provides dialysis and related services for individuals with renal diseases in Germany, North America, and internationally. The company offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure.

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Walter & Keenan Wealth Management LLC IN ADV lessened its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Free Report) by 1.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 44,983 shares of the companys stock after selling 724 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson makes up approximately 2.7% of Walter & Keenan Wealth Management LLC IN ADVs investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Walter & Keenan Wealth Management LLC IN ADVs holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $7,446,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 201,491,567 shares of the companys stock worth $31,231,193,000 after purchasing an additional 2,688,798 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 90,144.4% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 54,386,720 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,607,414,000 after acquiring an additional 54,326,454 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 48,707,500 shares of the companys stock worth $7,532,525,000 after purchasing an additional 748,917 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 42,224,521 shares of the companys stock worth $7,458,962,000 after purchasing an additional 4,521,062 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth $4,609,399,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.40% of the companys stock.

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Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:JNJ opened at $151.23 on Wednesday. Johnson & Johnson has a 1-year low of $150.11 and a 1-year high of $181.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $160.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $162.25. The company has a market capitalization of $393.04 billion, a PE ratio of 11.23, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.55.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $1.19 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 20th. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.15%. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.34%.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on JNJ shares. StockNews.com lowered Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. They issued an outperform rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $186.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $169.19.

Check Out Our Latest Report on JNJ

Johnson & Johnson Profile

(Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Consumer Health segment provides skin health/beauty products under the AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, DR. CI:LABO, NEUTROGENA, and OGX brands; baby care products under the JOHNSON'S and AVEENO Baby brands; oral care products under the LISTERINE brand; TYLENOL acetaminophen products; SUDAFED cold, flu, and allergy products; BENADRYL and ZYRTEC allergy products; MOTRIN IB ibuprofen products; NICORETTE smoking cessation products; and PEPCID acid reflux products.

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Thanks to the California laws we can now take anything we want from stores and no one gets arrested, and we never receive any repercussions Jade Rumbone, 26, a professional shoplifter from Sacramento revealed to CNN. Shoplifting is now endemic in California, where gangs of young people inundate and ransack stores on a regular basis.

If I need anything, I just call my crew up and we get to work. We can make easy $4000 per day each in goods which we either re-sell or use. Cops just watch us, because it is the new California law, and no one has ever been arrested. Man, it is beautiful. Easiest money I ever made, Rumbone added, and who can blame him?

It seems the lax California laws are created by socialists who do not value law and order or support businesses.

On October 8, 2023, the 7-11 convenience store on Elkhorn Boulevard in Rio Linda was terrorized after a nearby sideshow, when dozens of individuals vandalized and looted the store. Some of these suspects are believed to be from the Bay Area. Please take a moment and review the pic.twitter.com/wg17ZkYeqC  Sacramento Sheriff (@sacsheriff) October 20, 2023

Entering an open business with the intent to steal less than $950 worth of property is shoplifting under California state law (Penal Code 495.5). Shoplifting is usually treated as a minor misdemeanour  if you are ever caught, which no one ever is. Law enforcement probably wont bother to investigate, and if they do, prosecutors will let it go.

Each store, we just keep to the $950 threshold each. If we have a crew of 50, and we visit three or four stores per day, it is all pure profit. This is a legitimate business, and we invite anyone who is having financial hardship due to the cost of living to come to California. Its nearly impossible to get arrested, we are in and out in minutes, Rumbone revealed.

In San Francisco, shoplifting is now so prolific that it is not called shoplifting anymore.

We call it free grabs like Bud, Im gonna do some free grabs, I need new jeans and the latest iPhone, wanna tag along wit me? Anything you want is there to be taken, and we can mass rampage any store in seconds, a shoplifter from San Francisco revealed.

How it is done

Reconnaissance: First the target store is scoped and mapped out. Top items are located and other top ticket items depending on each store layout.

First the target store is scoped and mapped out. Top items are located and other top ticket items depending on each store layout. Organisation: Group is assembled via TikTok, WhatsApp or other social media. Times and dates are arranged.

Group is assembled via TikTok, WhatsApp or other social media. Times and dates are arranged. Deployment: Shoplifting rampage is implemented and at some stores timed. Some more professional groups can be in and out of a store in less than three minutes, cleaning out thousands of dollars worth of goods.

Shoplifting rampage is implemented and at some stores timed. Some more professional groups can be in and out of a store in less than three minutes, cleaning out thousands of dollars worth of goods. Distribution: Stolen items are either sold online or distributed throughout the community, making some individuals and groups huge profits.

This is the best business to be in right now. Acquisition, we call it. Its free and easy. It is a win-win situation and is literally changing the lives of people. Thank you, California laws, you are the best state in the USA. I love liberals, another shoplifter said from his living room full of stolen goods.

Californian Senator, Julia Gibbersmei, defended Californian laws on shoplifting on Wednesday.

This is good for the economy. You can now walk into any store and take what you want without fear of arrest or prosecution. We are invigorating the economy because these people who take the items for free then go on to sell the stolen goods, and the money they make is spent in the economy.
For 75 years the Palestinians have received billions of dollars of foreign aid, and instead of using that money to build up amazing cities, infrastructure, utilities, skyscrapers and roads, they have squandered everything to stay in squalid conditions constantly moaning about their loss of land and their desire to commit genocide on Jews. Was this victim attitude worth it?

The Palestinians, have received about $37.2 billion in development aid (in constant dollars) between 1994 and 2017, according to the OECD. The Palestinians have been receiving $1.7 billion a year from international donors for 75 years, and in 2017 foreign aid equalled $451 per capita for the Palestinians.

Where did all the foreign aid billions go?

Nobody knows. That is a simple fact. Gaza and the West Bank is still a dusty broken crumbling place with high unemployment, no prospects and no basic amenities. Someone, somewhere, should possibly ask questions about where the foreign aid money went, but I doubt it will ever happen, one concerned citizen asked.

Instead, the tyranny and dictatorship of a terrorist group like Hamas is a profound curse upon the Palestinian people. Hamas has brought only ruin, terror and death to the Palestinian people, using foreign aid meant for development to create tin-pot rocket factories that are shot into Israeli airspace where they are routinely shot down by Iron Dome defences. Hamas is also using the Palestinian people as human shields, cannon fodder to hide behind. The cowardly Hamas terrorist group are nothing more than a parasite on the back of the Palestinian people, sucking out their blood and every cent from foreign aid.

The Palestinians could have built up a real administrative government, a functioning public transport system, airports, economy, and a real military force with an air force as a form of defence. Instead, they squandered every dollar on whining, moaning and vindictive revenge rockets.

Maybe one day the Palestinians will stop their collective moaning delving in past defeats and actually build up their enclaves properly. If they had done that for 75 years instead of being paralysed by remorse and vowing revenge, they would have had incredible cities, vibrant economies and at least some kind of future.
Almost 200 kilometres off the coast of Nova Scotia sits a slender, crescent-shaped spit of land known for mythic wild horses that roam its dunes, seals that dot its low-slung shores and hundreds of shipwrecks still populating its watery depths.

For centuries, Sable Island has also been home to rare seabirds, plants and insects, despite its vulnerable location in the path of powerful noreasters and hurricanes that routinely track up the Atlantic coast of North America.

New research, however, suggests that a vital part of the ecosystem that sustains the fabled island's forms of life is being compromised.

The Dal-led team assessed the quantity and quality of the island's fresh groundwater, which flows into freshwater ponds and supports the wild horses, plants and birds. Members collected groundwater monitoring data from 2019 to 2022 to compare the water's salinity and distribution to measurements taken in the 1970s.

They found fresh groundwater loss tied to decades of dune erosion, seasonal waves, storms and hurricanes. During storms, seawater floods the beaches, leaches into the ground and salinizes fresh beach groundwater. When storms repeatedly batter the island, floodwaters can erode dunes and cause groundwater salinization to incrementally shift landward and lead to long-term freshwater loss.

Aerial photo of ponds amongst the dynamic dune landscape.

"Worldwide there are few uninhabited islands with historical monitoring data, like what is available for Sable Island, so the opportunity to assess how long-term changes in fresh groundwater are coupled with the shape and extent of island dunes is very unique," says Julia Cantelon, a PhD candidate in Dalhousie's Coastal Hydrology Lab who led the study.

"Sable Island is famously known for its shifting sand dunes, and our results show that over time, large events that drive rapid changes, like flooding and erosion, can re-shape the island topography and impact the fresh groundwater resources."

Cantelon's research suggests that while saltwater can be flushed out by rainfall because groundwater flows slowly, there is often not enough time for the freshwater to recover before it is flooded again by another storm.



Horses on the flood prone south beach.

Erosion the culprit



Co-author Barret Kurylyk, the Canada Research Chair in Coastal Hydrology at Dalhousie, explains that small islands are underlain by a zone of fresh groundwater that is known as a 'freshwater lens,' given its shape. On Sable Island, groundwater in the freshwater lens flows into freshwater ponds that sustain the unique, rich ecosystem.

The concern is that the steady erosion of dunes on the island has reduced the volume of that vital freshwater lens.

Dr. Kurylyk says the results have implications for freshwater security on more populous small islands around the world that rely on groundwater for freshwater supply that is increasingly threatened by salinization.

"While the shallow groundwater and ponds may not be severely impacted, the results are concerning for populated barrier islands that are host to people reliant on groundwater for their drinking water supply."

Coastal seawater flooding devastates thousands of kilometers of shoreline annually, and coastal fresh groundwater resources are extremely vulnerable to contamination from these flood events, the study states. Because of that, the authors say there is an urgent need for more long-term and large-scale coastal groundwater monitoring and mapping programs to understand saltwater incursion processes and inform appropriate management action.

The Dal researchers' work adds to that knowledge base as previous studies have focused on the impacts of humans, sea-level rise or coastal flooding on the freshwater lens, whereas this study demonstrates that erosion is an often-overlooked driver of freshwater loss.

Shown left: Julia Cantelon maintaining instruments on the south beach to flooding impacts.

"Hydrological research has been ongoing on Sable Island since the 1970s. However, this dynamic island continues to evolve and the work by Dalhousie researchers has really advanced Parks Canadas understanding of the freshwater dynamics of the island," says Dan Kehler, the island's ecologist with Parks Canada.

"This work continues to highlight the pivotal role that hydrology plays for this offshore sand island, and how coastal processes like storms and waves have surprising effects on the island as a whole."

Parks Canada has been stewarding Sable Island since the National Park Reserve was created in 2013, working with partners and the Mikmaq of Nova Scotia, to ensure the protection and preservation of this special island.



Ponds on Sable Island.
In late August, the Government of Nova Scotia invited members of the public to provide suggestions on how to modernize the way it considers the potential environmental effects of major development projects, like mines or highways, before they proceed.

A group of Dalhousie University faculty members and graduate students, led by Dr. Alana Westwood, an assistant professor in the School for Resourceand Environmental Studies, took the province up on its invitation, writing a detailed letter in advance of the October 6 deadline. The full letter and a summary of its recommendations can be viewed on the Westwood Lab website.

We asked Dr. Westwood (shown left) , one of the letters four lead authors, about the state of environmental assessments in Nova Scotia  last updated in 2008  and what changes she and her colleagues would like to see implemented.

What does an environmental assessment typically involve?

In Nova Scotia, at this time, a project proponent (whomever wants to build the project) submits documents detailing anticipated environmental and social effects of the project. The public and Mikmaw groups have a very brief opportunity to comment on these documents, and then the minister of environment and climate change makes a decision about whether to approve the project, ask for more information, or reject the project.

Broadly speaking, what needs to change in how Nova Scotia conducts its environmental assessments?

The main thing is the transparency. The way its currently set up, most projects are approved without the proponent responding to public, expert, and Mikmaw input or concerns, and the public is unable to view those concerns. There should be several iterative rounds of review so we can be assured that the government and proponent are taking seriously concerns about the project and have an opportunity to respond.

Are there any provinces or territories that can serve as examples for Nova Scotia as it modernizes its environmental assessment process?

Nova Scotia would do well to learn lessons from the federal Impact Assessment Act, which regulates large projects in Canada and is much more specific and comprehensive. Perhaps the farthest ahead, though, are the territories. They are leading in considering a broad scope of social and economic effects as well as working hand-in-hand with Indigenous peoples to make sure that approved projects are for the benefit of local communities wherever possible, and not just shareholders and executives in Toronto and other countries.

Your letter states that most smaller-scale projects, known as Class 1 undertakings, are approved after a 50-day screening period. Why do you think this may be an error?

Under other impact assessment legislation in the country, it is normal to have several rounds of back and forth between government regulators, the public, and the proponent to clarify issues that arise. It is just incredibly unlikely that in these very complex assessments, proponents have absolutely aced everything the first time without any need for input and revision. While the public and expert comments arent made public, I am personally aware of cases where serious concerns about projects have been submitted but not addressed, and the project was simply approved. This is just not how environmental assessment systems work elsewhere, and not how ours was supposed to work.

One of the letters recommendations calls for the implementation of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+). Can you describe what this is and why it is important?

Despite its name, GBA+ isnt about gender. Its about understanding that the benefits and risks of development projects are borne differently by different people. There have been several large-scale protests in Nova Scotia against the development of major projects by Mikmaw communities and grandmothers, with Alton Gas being the most notorious example. We know that, for example, Indigenous women and girls are put at disproportionate risk by many project developments but dont receive the economic benefits. GBA+ is a lens for assessment that takes into account how gender and identity interact with other factors to understand a projects social effects and how different people might be impacted.

What made you collectively come together to write this letter?

It is very infrequently that experts and citizens have an opportunity to inform laws and regulations. This is a critical and, perhaps, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that the rigour of the environmental assessment system is improved in this province. Once a development project is built, Nova Scotians will be living with that projects economic influence for decades and may be living with its environmental consequences for centuries. As lead authors and signatories, we felt it important to ensure that the government and public are aware that, for the sake of our province, we have to make sure we take the time to get these things right.
Dr. Jeff Karabanow says when he moved to Nova Scotia, one of his first interviews was about the lack of investment into public housing in the province. Twenty-five years later, it remains the same.

The School of Social Work professor says after a pandemic, low income-assistance rates and rising prices of rent and housing, theres really no safety net for people who are struggling.

He has worked with homeless young people in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Guatemala. Dr. Karabanows research focuses primarily on housing stability, service delivery systems, trauma, and homeless youth culture. He is one of the founding members of Halifaxs Out of The Cold Emergency Shelter and the Co-Director of the Dalhousie School of Social Work Community Clinic.

Dr. Karabanow (shown left) will be discussing the social impacts of housing and homelessness at the Housing Engagement panel series hosted by Dalhousies Faculty of Architecture and Planning in Halifax this Friday. Two more panel discussions in the series will follow on November 3 and November 17.

He says good things are being done now at all levels of government, but they are playing catch up, and its going to get worse before it gets better.

The biggest issue right now? Dr. Karabanow says the lack of affordable space.

Theres a lot of funding coming for that, were seeing some new initiatives, but it doesnt help people living rough right now. Theres nowhere to move them.

Its rare that there are any open spaces at the shelters currently operating in Nova Scotia, and Dr. Karabanow explains that not everyone considers that a safe option.

For some people shelters can be very triggering. Theres a lot of noise and activity, so for people with mental health or addiction issues that can be hard. People can feel discriminated against in shelters, couples may not want to split up, or people dont want to lose their animals. Shelters are an important resource but they are meant to be a short-term band aid solution. They have become long-term for so many.

People cant get ahead



Dr. Karabanow says that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has seen a much deeper connection between non-profits and all levels of government about the homelessness crisis, and more out-of-the-box thinking, like moving people into hotels.

The province has been hit with a pandemic and some natural disasters that has strained peoples living. People cant get ahead. Its so difficult to pay rent, buy food and medication, and raise kids.

Weve also seen a lot more suffering. In our general population there are more mental health concerns. And more people are moving into the province without supports.

Dr. Karabanow says people have been priced out housing across the province who would normally be able to live comfortably. He says we have very few single occupancies left, and those that are available are very expensive.

Thats why the argument is that you need to have some sort of housing outside the private sector. Weve been asking them to build for 20 years.

A lot of the resources are concentrated in the HRM, but Dr. Karabanow says the province is attempting to help the rest of the province.

Homelessness is more hidden in rural communities. The lack of affordability is still there, and they dont have as many resources. Theres a dire need for them to be able to stay in their community. We have beautiful quaint communities that tourists love and they purchase homes, but we have lots of citizens being priced out.

Dr. Karabanow says that British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec all went through different phases of moving funding into affordable housing and public housing over the years, but we did not.

I know people in all levels of government in Nova Scotia who have the biggest hearts and they care about this but have been slow at reacting. Canada as a whole has been slow at preventative measures, but were very good at emergency measures like we saw during COVID.

Public perception of homelessness

Dr. Karabanow says weve always had a homeless crisis, but it used to be less visible. Now that there are so many tents downtown and its in front of people, it cant be ignored.

My sense is now that homelessness is more visible, we have gone through a major collective disaster, and we all know everything from housing to food and medicine is more expensive, I think we all have a deeper empathy for those living rough. COVID showed us we all live together, and we have to care for each other.

Nova Scotia is an extremely caring community, theres so much more awareness that we need to do something. But it shouldnt be on communities to fix it, every level of government has to put all resources into basic survival of its citizens.

Register today for the Social Impacts of Housing panel on October 27 at 11:00 a.m. and learn more about upcoming talks in the Housing Engagement panel series.
NCERT officials, however, said no decision has been taken yet on the panel's recommendations. (Representational Image/PTI)

NEW DELHI: A high-level committee constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training has suggested that "India" should be called "Bharat" in all social science textbooks up to Class 12.

The NCERTs 2022 social science committee, set up to revise the school curriculum, has also suggested replacing the "ancient history" with the "classical period of Indian history". Prof. C.I. Isaac, the committee chairperson, said: "We are hoping it will be implemented from the next academic year, but it all depends on NCERT."

Prof Issac is a historian and a Padma Shri awardee. Other members of the committee include ICHR chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, JNUs Prof Vandana Mishra, Deccan College Deemed Universitys former V-C Vasant Shine and Haryana government school sociology teacher Mamta Yadav.

NCERT chairman Dinesh Saklani, however, said no decision has been taken yet on the committees recommendations. "Nowhere in it (National Curriculum Framework) is written that the name should be changed. These are rumours. No such thing is being done. Whosoever has claimed must show documents. We havent done it," he told PTI.

Reacting to these reports, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said: "Our perspective is far more profound when it comes to Bharat, whether it is India, Bharat or Hindustan, they (BJP) wont understand. They only focus on their electoral gains in everything they do."

Prof. Issac claimed that the unanimous recommendation given by the seven-member committee has found mention in its final position paper on the social sciences, which is a key prescriptive document for laying down the foundation for the development of new NCERT textbooks. Article 1(1) of the Constitution already states: "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States".

"Bharat" is an age-old name. Prof Issac said the use of the name "Bharat" finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. "The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the Battle of Plassey in 1757," he said. "Therefore, the committee has unanimously recommended that the name Bharat should be used in textbooks for students across classes," he added.

The proposed change in NCERT books has been recommended a little after the country witnessed a debate that began in September after the Union government used "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India" in the invites sent out for G-20 dinner hosted. Subsequently, in the G-20 heads of states meeting, the nameplate kept in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned the term "Bharat" instead of "India".

Prof Isaac claimed the committee has also recommended highlighting "Hindu victories" in various battles in the textbooks. "Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not."

Prof Isaac said: "The British had divided Indian history into three phases -- ancient, medieval and modern -- showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress. Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools, along with the medieval and modern periods."

NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.

Prof Isaac said, "The committee has also recommended the introduction of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the curriculum of all subjects."
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy congress MP from Bhongir addressing media at his residence in Banjara Hills along with the members joined the congress party from the BJP on Wednesday. (Image: R. Pavan)

HYDERABAD: The BJPs Telangana state poll campaign suffered a major dent on Wednesday as former MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy announced his resignation from the party, ahead of an expected return to the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi on October 27 in New Delhi.

Addressing a press conference after tendering his resignation, Rajgopal Reddy said he would contest on a Congress ticket from Munugode, and not LB Nagar, as was being speculated. He said that he was also ready to contest from Gajwel, along with Munugode, if the Congress high command sought to pit him against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

Rajgopal Reddy said he would give a "return gift" to Chandrashekar Rao by defeating him in Gajwel, and also dared Rao to contest against him in Munugode.

Rajgopal Reddy won the Munugode Assembly constituency in 2018 on a Congress ticket, but quit the party for the BJP in August 2022, forcing a bypoll in Munugode in November 2022. However, he lost the bypoll to the BRS candidate by over 10,000 votes.

The former MLA said he quit the Congress, believing it had weakened in the state and that only the BJP could dethrone the BRS. "BJP emerging victorious in Dubbak and Huzurabad bypolls made me believe that BJP emerged as a strong alternative to the BRS in Telangana," he said, emphasising that his sole political aim was to "unseat the BRS and save Telangana".

As the BJP started going soft on the BRS after the Munugode bypoll, Rajgopal said he could not stay in the party, citing the failure of the Central government to initiate action against K. Chandrashekar Rao over corruption and also the failure to arrest K. Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy scam, despite ample proofs of her malpractice.

He said this convinced the people of Telangana that BRS and BJP were the same.

"After the Congress victory in recent Assembly polls in Karnataka, people of Telangana have decided to bring the Congress to power in the state. Today, Congress has emerged stronger in Telangana. Only the Congress has the power to dethrone BRS government. For that reason, I decided to rejoin Congress," Rajgopal Reddy said.

In his resignation letter to the BJP, Rajgopal Reddy wrote: "There is severe anti-incumbency against the BRS government. It is clear that people of Telangana want change. Telangana should be freed from KCR's family rule. I think my ambition will be fulfilled in five weeks. I never aspired for positions. I strived for the interests of Telangana."
Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy

Hyderabad: BJP leader and former Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who is known to be a strident voice against the ruling BRS government, resigned from the party and rejoined the Congress.

"BJP failed to emerge as an alternative to BRS and the party failed to take action against KCR government's corruption," said Rajagopal Reddy in a statement.

Rajgopal Reddy decided to return to the Congress fold because of his commitment to defeat the BRS for the larger good of the people of Telangana, a source confirmed.

"Despite scathing criticism and a barrage of maligning personalised campaigns against him, he has endured it all and decided to focus on a larger goal. He has expressed his intent to contest from both Munugode and Gajwel," the source added.

The move is a big blow to the saffron party, which is tottering from a series of political blunders on its part. Meanwhile, the BJP leader's shifting loyalty will be a big boost for the Congress party in Telangana, which if some of the recent poll surveys are to be believed, is set on course to upset the pink partys bid for a third term.

According to sources in the BJP, Rajagopal was disappointed and downcast with the party leadership for not considering his suggestions to step up the fight against the BRS. "Rajgopal conveyed to the BJP his strong views on not changing Bandi Sanjay Kumar as BJP state party president or going soft against the BRS leadership. As he had to choose between tacitly being on the same side as the ruling party, he decided to quit and fight for the peoples sentiments," another source confirmed.

Sources have confirmed that Rajgopal Reddy is keen to fight against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in Gajwel besides his traditional seat of Munugode. But the Congress party would take a final call based on the deliberations in the party poll panel and also the internal surveys.

There were unconfirmed reports that three other leaders of the BJP are set to resign from the party and join the Congress, including former MP G. Vivek Venkataswamy, former movies icon, former MP and senior leader Vijayashanti, and former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy. But none of the sources could confirm their decision to quit the saffron party.
The KCR Bharosa plan will see BRS workers and leaders fan out across the state and explain to the people about the party's manifesto for the coming elections, said KTR. (Image: Twitter)

Hyderabad: The BRS is all set to launch a major push to take its vision and plans for Telangana state during the third term of its party president K. Chandrashekar Rao as the Chief Minister of the state with a KCR Bharosa campaign.

Partys working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao said on Wednesday that the campaign will be all about what the KCR government has done for the people and achieved for the state so far, and what the future plans are.

The KCR Bharosa plan will see BRS workers and leaders fan out across the state and explain to the people about the partys manifesto for the coming elections. Rama Rao said each of the partys promises in the manifesto will be informed to the people.

The BRS working president was addressing Congress leaders and workers from Peddapalli district who joined the ruling party on Wednesday at the Telangana Bhavan, the BRS headquarters.

Those who joined the BRS on Wednesday included Congress party leaders C. Satyanarayana Reddy, Vemula Rammurthy, and several other Congress leaders and workers from Peddapalli. "If you go to villages and ask about our party, people will say Telangana party not TRS or BRS. That is the connection people have with our party. The other parties do not have such an emotional connection with the people," he said.

Rama Rao also slammed the Congress calling it a "tried, tested, and dusted" and that it was high time for that partys president Mallikarjun Kharge to show "us one state governed by Congress which is better than Telangana. The Congress, which is a bekaar, and nakaam party will be rejected. "And the fact is no one sees Kharge as that partys president because Rahul Gandhi is there," he said.

He said people should be wary of the Congress which has failed to keep any of its promises in Karnataka. "The government there is barely able to supply five hours of power and here we have the Telangana Congress president who says three hours of power supply is enough for farmers. Farmers in Telangana should give thought to whether they want three hours of power or 24 hours of power as now. If power is placed in the hands of the inept and useless Congress, all that we have achieved so far will be lost," he said.
Congress leaders Vineet Punia, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Revanth Reddy, Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid and Manikrao Thakre come out after meeting the Election Commissioners at Nirvachan Sadan, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (PTI)

Hyderabad: The Congress central election committee on Wednesday failed to reach a consensus on its second list of candidates, for 15-20 seats, for the upcoming Telangana polls, sources said. The Congress is yet to declare candidates for 60 seats, excluding four seats that it has offered to CPI and CPM as part of an alliance with Left parties for Assembly polls.

Party sources indicated that while consensus was reached on 40-45 seats, the rest were mired in uncertainty over a slew of reasons, ranging from multiple aspirants to expected defections from the BJP.

The partys election committee will likely meet again on Thursday and release its second list, even if a few names remain to be decided, sources said.

The CEC Wednesday meeting was attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikaramarka and MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, among others.

Senior leader Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy quit the BJP on Wednesday and joined the Congress, stating he would contest from Munugode. In a similar vein, the Congress is expecting more senior leaders to join, which is delaying the release of the list.

Uncertainty over seats offered to the Left was also a problem. Sources said that while there is no disagreement over the allotment of Kothagudem and Chennur seats to the CPI, there was a lack of consensus on seats to be offered to the CPM.

The AICC screening committee, led by MP K. Muraleedharan, met again in Delhi late on Wednesday at the residence of general secretary K.C. Venugopal to reach a consensus on the 15 to 20 seats, and also on the seats to be offered to Left parties.

The CEC will meet again on Thursday to go through the list submitted by the screening committee and give its approval.
In the discussions, Pawan Kalyan is set to have sought seats not only in districts bordering Andhra Pradesh, but also in constituencies on the outskirts of Hyderabad, such as Serilingampally and Kukatpally. (Image: Twitter)

Hyderabad: An alliance between the Jana Sena and the BJP has been finalised for the November 30 Telangana state polls but seat sharing is not finalised, sources said, after Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan and senior party leader Nadendla Manohar met Union home minister Amit Shah, in the presence of BJPs Telangana president G. Kishan Reddy, on Wednesday.

"It has been decided to contest together but sharing of seats will be decided later. We will sit again around November 1 with the election committee and take a decision on it," said K. Lakshman, national president of BJPs OBC morcha.

In the discussions, Pawan Kalyan is set to have sought seats not only in districts bordering Andhra Pradesh, but also in constituencies on the outskirts of Hyderabad, such as Serilingampally and Kukatpally.

The Jana Sena is reported to have pitched the idea by assuring vote transfer to the BJP.

Sources say the issue of incarceration of TD leader Chandrababu Naidu was also discussed in the meeting, although further details were not available.
New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE:NOG  Free Report) by 24.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,886 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,713 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement Systems holdings in Northern Oil and Gas were worth $1,163,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Northern Oil and Gas by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 25,200 shares of the companys stock worth $865,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares during the period. Peregrine Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Northern Oil and Gas by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 308,034 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,572,000 after buying an additional 15,872 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new stake in Northern Oil and Gas in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,029,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Northern Oil and Gas by 24.7% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,490 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 295 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in Northern Oil and Gas by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 574,290 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,710,000 after buying an additional 47,072 shares during the period. 98.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Northern Oil and Gas alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NOG has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Northern Oil and Gas from $41.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th. Northland Securities upped their price target on shares of Northern Oil and Gas from $48.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 21st. Piper Sandler cut shares of Northern Oil and Gas from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $46.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, August 14th. TheStreet raised shares of Northern Oil and Gas from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Friday, June 30th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Northern Oil and Gas from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $50.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northern Oil and Gas

In other Northern Oil and Gas news, CEO Nicholas L. Ogrady sold 22,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.06, for a total transaction of $878,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 177,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,923,580.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CFO Chad W. Allen sold 7,560 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.53, for a total value of $306,406.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 41,537 shares in the company, valued at $1,683,494.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Nicholas L. Ogrady sold 22,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.06, for a total transaction of $878,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 177,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,923,580.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 190,215 shares of company stock worth $7,812,929. 3.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Northern Oil and Gas Trading Down 1.4 %

NYSE NOG opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $3.57 billion, a PE ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.97. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $40.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.45. Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $25.56 and a 52 week high of $43.64.

Northern Oil and Gas (NYSE:NOG  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.14. Northern Oil and Gas had a net margin of 55.68% and a return on equity of 57.03%. The business had revenue of $476.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $414.01 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. Northern Oil and Gass revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. will post 7.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northern Oil and Gas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. This is a positive change from Northern Oil and Gass previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 27th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.96%. Northern Oil and Gass dividend payout ratio is presently 10.66%.

Northern Oil and Gas Company Profile

(Free Report)

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It primarily holds interests in the Williston Basin, the Appalachian Basin, and the Permian Basin in the United States.

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MANILA, Philippines  The Philippines is reevaluating its military modernization program to bolster territorial and coastal defenses in the face of escalating tensions with China. The move comes after recent incidents in the South China Sea, including a collision involving Chinese ships and a Philippine military supply vessel. These developments have prompted the Philippine military to reconsider its approach to modernization.

Philippine Army Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner revealed that the changes aim to safeguard the nations territories in the South China Sea, focusing on Thitu Island, known as Pag-asa Island by the Philippines. Thitu Island is home to more than 400 Filipinos and is one of the disputed islands in the region.

Get alerts:

The militarys 15-year modernization plan, known as Horizon 3, originally included acquiring multirole fighter jets, radars, frigates, missile systems, helicopters, and the countrys first submarine fleet. However, budget constraints have slowed progress, with only a portion of the previous phases completed.

Due to recent clashes with China, the Philippines is expediting its acquisition plans. The legislature has allocated 45 billion pesos (approximately $793 million) for defense spending in 2024. Senators also support supplemental budgets for intelligence and materiel acquisitions related to South China Sea operations.

Recent acquisitions include three C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifters, two BrahMos missile units from India, Acero-class gunboats from Israel, landing dock platforms from Indonesia, corvette boats from South Korea, and offshore patrol vessels also from South Korea.

Horizon 3 is estimated to require 500 billion pesos over the next six years, with potential assistance from other countries. France has proposed providing Scorpene diesel-electric submarines and aiding the development of the Philippines Navys base in Zambales. Spain and South Korea have also submitted offers to supply submarines.

While the final plans for Horizon 3 are yet to be released, General Brawner emphasized that the realignment will focus on fewer but more potent assets and platforms. The objective is to deploy assets quickly in response to encounters with Chinese vessels, in line with the countrys forward-defense strategy.

According to the Philippines new territorial defense strategy, the nation is prioritizing its claims in the West Philippine Sea, including Thitu Island, Loaita Cay, West York Island, Flat Island, and Nanshan Island.

The Philippines is adapting its military modernization to navigate complex regional dynamics, and the focus remains on safeguarding its territorial interests in the South China Sea.
Police found more than 400 extreme pornographic videos and images on a Limavady man's phone after they arrested him for a drug offence, a court has heard.

David Johnston, of Irwin Avenue, appeared before Limavady Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine courthouse, this morning (Wednesday) charged with three counts of possession of an extreme pornographic image on May 19 2022.

The 61 year-old was further charged with possession of a Class B drug, namely cannabis.

The court heard that police called to Johnston's home and carried out a search.

Officers located a small amount of herbal cannabis during the search and a number of other items were seized, the court heard.

Johnston was arrested and brought to Coleraine police station where his phone was seized and examined.

The court heard that police found 462 videos and images on the phone which were of an extreme pornographic nature.

Some of the images had been taken from a chatroom that Johnston had been in.

During interview, the defendant stated and accepted that he had the videos and images on his person but he didn't know that it was an offence.

Defence barrister Nicki Rountree said Johnston had been living a 'very isolated existence' and this loneliness had been exacerbated by health issues.

He had been trying to combat the loneliness by joining a number of social media sites, said Ms Rountree.

She stated that Johnston had 'met friends online' who had recommended other sites to him.

She added that there was no suggestions that Johnston had been involved in distributing any images however he did accept ones that had automatically saved to his camera roll.

He didn't realise the significance of receiving images, said Ms Rountree, who added that the cannabis found in the defendant's property was 'for personal use'.

District Judge Peter King sentenced Johnston to four months in prison, which he suspended for 18 months.

In addition, Judge King fined Johnston 150 for the drugs offence before warning him to 'choose your friends very carefully'.
Police in Derry are working with partners to make sure people stay safe over the Halloween period.

Neighbourhood and Local Policing Team officers will be on patrol to provide reassurance to local residents and businesses.

Chief Inspector Yvonne McManus said: Our officers will also be visiting local retailers to remind them of their obligations, and carrying out operations in areas where we suspect fireworks are being sold illegally. I would strongly encourage anyone with information about illegal fireworks supply to contact us so that we can take action.

Most people are responsible, but we need to be considerate and mindful of others when it comes to marking Halloween. What might seem like harmless fun to some, may actually feel like anti-social behaviour to others. If you have any concerns about antisocial behaviour in your community, you can contact us on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Station Commander Bryan McCaul said: Halloween can be one of our busiest times, so we really need you to be fire aware and act responsibly.

Fireworks are explosives that can set fire to buildings and can cause serious injury. Only ever light them outside, in an open space and well away from children. Sparklers can cause serious injury. Never give them to children under 5, and wear leather gloves when using them.

"Fancy dress costumes can be highly flammable so make sure children are properly supervised. If clothing catches fire STOP, DROP and ROLL to quickly put the flames out.

Check out our website for advice on how you can stay safe from fire. That way, we can all have a happier Halloween.
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin will urge Derry and Strabane District Council to support a motion calling for a cessation of Israel's Gaza siege and the expulsion of Israeli ambassadors at its full meeting this afternoon.

Council will write to the Irish and British government to support the call for an immediate cessation of the bombardment and genocidal siege of Gaza; and for the immediate expulsion of Israeli ambassadors, if the motion is adopted.

People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said: "We need to do everything we can to stop Israel's genocidal siege of Gaza. We need to bring as much pressure on the British and US governments and the EU to stop Israel's assault.

"The relentless Israeli bombardment has killed thousands of civilians, including 2,360 children. This is a war crime.

"The denial of food, water, medical supplies, electricity and fuel to Gaza's population of 2.3 million people is collective punishment and a war crime.

"The displacement of over one million people in Gaza and the IDF order to evacuate to the southern part of the strip is a war crime.

"Derry and Strabane Council supports the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom and backs the boycott, sanctions divestment campaign. We must reaffirm our support for both and for an end to apartheid.

"Israel's apartheid system, ethnic cleansing, illegal settlement building in the West Bank and its two decade long suffocation of Gaza are the root causes of the violence and death we are witnessing.

"Apartheid must end to create the possibility of a pathway to peace for Muslims Jews, Christians and all who live there.

"Those supporting Israeli apartheid are preventing the possibility of peace from ever emerging."
Some ambulances from Derry were unable to attend the Creeslough explosion in 2022 due to visa issues.

The ambulances, based at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, could not respond to the explosion, which claimed the lives of ten people, as foreign-born paramedics did not have visas that allowed them cross the border into Donegal.

The disclosure was made to an inquiry by the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly into the operation of the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement.

Some ambulances from Northern Ireland could not assist during the explosion that occurred in Creeslough because not all of the paramedics had the necessary visas to cross the invisible border, Fine Gael senator Emer Currie said.

The deadly blast at the Applegreen complex in Creeslough killed ten people.

Several Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) did assist at the scene of the explosion, but others were presented from doing so. NI Fire and Rescue crews also aided.

Senator Currie said: The electronic travel authorisation scheme in its current form undermines the Common Travel Area and will damage tourism primarily in Northern Ireland and the North West of Ireland.

Senator Currie used Creeslough as an example of the difficulties being caused for healthcare services in both jurisdictions, particularly hospital consultant.

The CTA is an agreement between the Republic and the United Kingdom, which allows citizens to travel freely into each other's countries.

Those rights do not extend to migrants living on either side of the border, even if they hold lawful residency.

The Department of Justice says that any non-European Economic Area national must have a valid Irish visa before they seek to enter the Republic of Ireland, including crossing the land border.
A claim that some ambulances from Derry were unable to attend the Creeslough explosion in 2022 due to visa issues have been refuted.

Fine Gael senator Emer Currie claimed that ambulances, based at Altnagelvin Hospital, could not respond to the explosion as foreign-born paramedics did not have visas that allowed them cross the border into Donegal.

The disclosure was made to an inquiry by the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly into the operation of the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement.

The CTA is an agreement between the Republic and the United Kingdom, which allows citizens to travel freely into each other's countries.

Those rights do not extend to migrants living on either side of the border, even if they hold lawful residency.

Some ambulances from Northern Ireland could not assist during the explosion that occurred in Creeslough because not all of the paramedics had the necessary visas to cross the invisible border, Senator Currie said.

The deadly blast at the Applegreen complex in Creeslough killed ten people.

Several Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) did assist at the scene of the explosion, but others were presented from doing so. NI Fire and Rescue crews also aided.

Senator Currie said: The electronic travel authorisation scheme in its current form undermines the Common Travel Area and will damage tourism primarily in Northern Ireland and the North West of Ireland.

Senator Currie used Creeslough as an example of the difficulties being caused for healthcare services in both jurisdictions, particularly hospital consultant.

However, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said the service totally refutes the allegations and said "that no NIAS staff were prevented in crossing the border for any reason".

An NIAS spokesperson said: "No NIAS staff were prevented in crossing the border for any reason and we are deeply concerned at any reports suggesting this.

They said a "memorandum of understanding" is in place between NIAS and NAS to provide for cross-border assistance in a declared major incident.

NIAS said this is to help in the management and resourcing of emergency and urgent calls, and cross-border assistance.
A Derry judge has said that the legislation covering underage defendants was 'wrong headed' and allowed under 18s to 'act with impunity.'

District Judge Barney McElholm was speaking as a 17-year-old youth he described as 'a serial thief' appeared at Derry Magistrate's Court charged with a series of offences that were said to have occurred on October 23.

The youth was charged with making off without paying for food and drink at Badger' s bar, the theft of two vapes, disorderly behaviour and attempted criminal damage.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

The court heard two males had left Badger's after having food and drink valued at 68 without paying.

Later the youths were identified at another premises and when police went to arrest Tge 17-year-old he struggled and swore at police.

He also threatened to spit at officers on numerous occasions.

The officer said that the youth made 'a significant statement' to police talking about having free fish and chips.

He told the court that the youth had been sentenced to one year in custody on October 19 and been released on bail pending appeal and had been charged five days later.

The youth was said to have 32 previous convictions and the officer said that police were convinced he would re-offend.

The officer said that it had reached the stage the youth was a risk to himself.

Defence counsel Sinead Rogan said that the offences were of the same nature as charges he had already been released on bail for.

Judge McElholm said that the legislation was 'open to abuse' as the court had little choice.

He warned the defendant that it will be 'very, very different when he reaches 18.'

Describing the youth as 'completely out if control' the judge said that his primary duty was to protect the public but that meant everybody.

He said legislation that elevated one section of the population over another was 'anathema' to the rule of law.

He said he would release the youth on bail to an address outside the city approved by the PSNI and the court.

He also said there had to be a cash surety of 1,000 and the defendant had to observe a curfew from 6pm until 6am.

The youth will appear again on November 7.
The US ambassador to the UK has urged Northern Ireland politicians to return to Stormont to take advantage of the Windsor Framework.

Ambassador Jane Hartley said the Windsor Framework  a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU aiming to minimise checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and the mainland UK  was a real positive for the region.

Ms Hartley visited the launch of Belfast Metropolitan Colleges digital skills and employability programme, which is supported by the US State Department and the Bank of America.

Some 600 people from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds will benefit from a three-year digital skills and employability programme.

Belfast Metropolitan College will implement the programme, which aims to support individuals facing social exclusion, by providing skills and training that will help secure employment and broaden education pathways.

A group of US business leaders is visiting Belfast this week to meet industry leaders over the prospect of investing in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland has been without a functioning devolved government for more than a year due to the DUPs boycott of powersharing in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework.

Ms Hartley urged parties to return to government to take advantage of opportunities presented by the Windsor Framework.

We worked pretty closely with the UK Government. Although we werent a participant in the Windsor Framework, I think it was a real positive and I would say now is time to sort of take advantage of that, have the parties get back together, she said.

I know this is not easy, have the parties get together, talk to each other and see through that how they can get back to governing and really supporting their constituents.

A number of companies have already announced their intention to invest in Northern Ireland, including Thomas P DiNapoli, New York state comptroller who announced that the New York State pension fund is to invest up to 50 million dollars (41 million) in the region.

Ms Hartley said US investors would be seeking more political stability when considering future investments in Northern Ireland.

The companies that are here today are very excited to be here and I think many of them will invest, she said.

They are seeing what Ive seen  this is my fourth visit here  which is the spirit and an incredible community, incredible people, great universities.

In every case if youre a corporation and you have a board of directors and things like that, you want political stability, especially after Covid. Companies want more political consistency.

But I think today the group of people that are here are very excited.

So I think they will invest. I think just from the standpoint of future investment, having a stable government is better.

Ms Hartley said the programme at Belfast Metropolitan College was an example of what American business thinks about Northern Ireland.

Bank of America just agreed to, working with Belfast Met, educate 600 young people. I think thats a commitment they have to Northern Ireland and to what the future will be, she said.

I think that our business delegation are very excited to be here. Ive been here four times now. Its a great place.

You have great people, you have a beautiful country, you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you have great education.

The one thing, the reason today was important, we have to be careful about this is we have to make sure that investment comes in and companies come in, and I think they will, that theres a skilled trained workforce.

And that as we lift the prosperity of Northern Ireland, which I think will happen, we have to make sure everybody gets lifted at the same time.

Principal and chief executive of Belfast Metropolitan College Louise Warde Hunter, said it was amazing to have Ms Hartley visit.

It is the launch of our digital and employability skills programme, which has been made possible through the kind sponsorship and engagement from the Bank of America and that whole relationship, that partnership has actually been brokered personally, by the US ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Hartley, she said.

Ambassador Hartley absolutely understands that for us to have successful economic growth in Northern Ireland we need social inclusion as part of that economic growth.

You cannot have a strong economy without it being a socially inclusive economy as well.

And I think from her own background and her own passion working in the United States and further afield, she understands the importance of investing in all of our people.

Ms Hartley joined Joseph Kennedy III, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland for economic affairs, and local politicians for an event at Parliament Buildings Stormont on Wednesday evening.

At the event at Stormont Mr Kennedy chaired a Good Friday Agreement panel discussion with members Peter Robinson, Mark Durkan, Eileen Bell, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Alex Maskey, and Gerry Adams.
Joe Kennedy III has announced that Florida-based company Frontline will be investing 3.8 million in Northern Ireland.

The US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs said that the insurance and technology company plans to establish an engineering development team that will create 31 jobs.

It is estimated the project will generate an additional 1.9 million in annual salaries for the local economy.

The announcement comes as Mr Kennedy leads a delegation of senior US business and investment leaders on a four-day visit to Northern Ireland.

On Wednesday, the delegation visited the Belfast Campus of Ulster University.

Mr Kennedy said investment was a further mark that President Joe Bidens ambitions for a trade delegation to Northern Ireland were being realised.

He added: Frontline is joining the many US investors who have experienced success and growth in Northern Ireland and is setting up its new engineering development team, taking advantage of the excellent skills available and the business-friendly environment.

This investment underscores the compelling proposition that Northern Ireland offers.

Frontline is one of the largest carriers in the south-east United States with a presence in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and soon-to-be Virginia and Colorado.

It will operate in Northern Ireland under the brand OpenData Belfast.

Ivan Roche, originally from Co Cork, is the chief technology officer of OpenData Belfast, located in Belfasts Gasworks.

Mr Roche said he was excited to lead the new team that will create innovative products to support the next stage of Frontlines growth using the best of local talent.

Frontline was made aware of Northern Irelands attractive business environment by Invest NIs US office and through meetings with NI Connections, both of which are championing the strengths of the region, he said.

Before confirming the investment, our leadership team visited Northern Ireland and were impressed by what they saw and by the confidence that other US investors have in the region.

The Northern Ireland team will deliver data analytics, data science, product development and operational support.

Frontlines CIO, Kurt Bonigut, said the company was keen to tap into the opportunities for investment in Northern Ireland.

Having learned of Northern Irelands strengths, we were here to create a team to support that objective, and we have been impressed with the calibre of staff weve already taken on board and are already evaluating expansion of our presence here in the future, he said.

A number of members from the US delegation also joined Mr Kennedy on a visit to Ulster Universitys Belfast campus, which was visited by President Biden six months ago.

Attendees included 40 senior US business leaders from Coca-Cola, HubSpot, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Boston Scientific and Forbright Bank and more than 100 local business representatives.

During the visit, Ulster University announced its UK Government-funded AI projects.

Vice-chancellor of Ulster University, Professor Paul Bartholomew, said the Belfast campus reflected innovation in the city, adding we cannot, and we will not, stand still.

That is why it is of such importance to welcome US and local business leaders here today. There is so much more to do, and so much more of our potential to realise  socially, culturally and economically, he said.

The Head of Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady, said the event at Ulster University enabled the delegation to get an understanding of Northern Irelands investment potential.

She said: Our talented, educated and innovative workforce is world class and delivering locally made solutions to global problems, particularly in our leading-edge sectors such as digital, software, cyber and fintech; life and health sciences and net zero technologiesas well as our renowned creative industries.

Our world-leading R&D in these areas, flows from our pioneering universities, which alongside our Further and Higher Education institutions ensure that NI has a skills base that is second to none.

The very best of what this place has to offer was showcased and it was a truly collaborative effort between academia, business and government.

On campus, the US delegation and wider audience took part in two panel discussions promoting Northern Ireland as a compelling investment proposition.

From Wednesdays event it was announced that Ulster University, working alongside the Alan Turing Institute, Cambridge and Exeter Universities, have secured 3.2 million in UKRI funding to establish a new UK-wide digital twin research network to help transform the UKs national capability.

In addition to multiple research projects and industry collaborations with applications of AI across healthcare, education, automotive, cybersecurity and business, Ulster University is the only university in Northern Ireland to offer a Masters degree in AI.
I recently reconnected with a childhood friend of mine after a couple of decades. Amidst nostalgic recollections of technology-fuelled shenanigans during our turn of the millennium years, which involved a lot of dial-up internet surfing and console-gaming, the topic of cybersecurity came up uninvited (as is its wont). We both noted how advanced cyber threats have become circa 2023, compared to what we had to deal with back in the day. He also went on to narrate how one of his relatives fell prey to a debit card cloning attack which wiped out a substantial portion of their savings in just a few hours.

As much as this is a cautionary tale, it isnt unfortunately an isolated one. Sadly, such scams and attacks are only becoming too common. In fact, phishing, data leaks and scams are the three most common threat types affecting victims of cyber crimes not just in India but all over the world, according to cyber security firm Kaspersky. Not just older demographics who remain digitally disadvantaged, but even younger tech-savvy folk arent too careful when it comes to securing and fortifying their digital presence. But theres also another factor thats increasing quite dramatically over the years  data breaches suffered by companies storing peoples sensitive data, compromising regular folk in ways they have no control over whatsoever.

Needless to say, the nature of cybercrime itself and ways in which it can directly or indirectly impact us is becoming increasingly more complicated. Im reminded of something that Vishal Salvi, CEO of Quick Heal and SEQRITE (a Pune-based cyber security company) told me in an interview earlier this year, Cybersecurity is only visible when its not working, and its invisible when its working. Not getting hacked doesnt mean you may not be vulnerable to that possibility, so its very important that every stakeholder understands responsible cyber security practices, especially given the fact that theres so much digital adoption in the country. And hes absolutely right, of course.

As India becomes more digital in the future, the importance of cybersecurity has never been more pronounced. A recent study by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) titled Bridging the Gap: Identifying Challenges in Cybersecurity Skilling and Bridging the Divide sheds light on the current state of cybersecurity in India. The reports findings are both enlightening and alarming.

An important revelation of the DSCI report is that 88% of global organisations now have their boards asking cybersecurity-specific questions. This shift to board-level priority underscores the gravity of cyber threats and the rising costs associated with data breaches. This trend is corroborated by IBM Securitys 2023 report on the cost of data breaches on an impacted companys revenue, which was pegged at 17.9 crore on an average in 2023  an all-time high for the report and almost a 28% increase since 2020. Whats adding insult to injury is the fact that over 50% of the companies in IBMs report indicated theyll be passing down the cost of these data breaches to their customers  which is bad news for all of us whore only going to spend more money online.

Another significant insight from the DSCI report is that 70% of cybersecurity professionals think cyber security events are only going to increase in the future. Cyber professionals anticipate a surge in phishing, smishing, and vishing attacks. Ransomware attacks and zero-day exploits also loom large, as hackers employ advanced technologies like AI and IoT to wreak havoc, and the need for robust security measures becomes paramount. Before the countermeasures get deployed, before we infuse AI into cyber security practices more tightly, first well need enough skilled cyber security personnels to design and deploy security measures proactively, tackle whatever crisis situations may arise in a manner that doesnt overwhelm.

However, the world currently faces a huge shortage of 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals  and India, with its rapid digitisation, isnt immune to this shortage. While companies recognise the importance of cybersecurity professionals, current numbers remain low. As much as 47% companies aim to increase their cybersecurity workforce by over 30% in the next five years, with roles like DevSecOps Engineer and IoT Engineer are set to surge. Probably the most concerning statistic of the DSCI report is that 75% of students from cybersecurity programs have not pursued any eligible cybersecurity certification, indicating a potential skills gap in the making. This is quite alarming!

Of course, we all need to do better in terms of cybersecurity awareness and safeguards. And I fear that because its still such an intangible concept  securing ourselves online versus when were travelling in a car, for example  as my friend remarked, people and humans will continue to remain vulnerable as the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain, no matter how advanced digital technology becomes in the future. But attitudes wont change until you start to realise that even the most impenetrable piece of tech can be compromised, anything connected to the internet can be hacked. It shouldnt make you paranoid, but more conscious of your actions from a cybersecurity perspective. Thats the only food for thought Ill leave you to contemplate on the occasion of October Cybersecurity Awareness Month.



This column was originally published in the October 2023 issue of Digit magazine. Subscribe now.
HIGHLIGHTS Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite, with its new Oryon CPU core, poses a significant challenge to market stalwarts like Intel, AMD, and Apple, especially in power efficiency.

The new Adreno GPU, Hexagon NPU, and robust LPDDR5x memory integration aim to provide a well-rounded, high-performance system-on-chip (SoC) solution.

With a mid-2024 release, the Snapdragon X Elite aims to leverage partnerships with Microsoft, HP and Lenovo for a stronger market entry.

Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomms magnum opus in its sisyphean endeavour to carve a market share in the PC market, was announced at Snapdragon Summit 2023. In the Android market, Qualcomm Snapdragon chips have retained their lead over the competition for many years. However, the PC market has been a rather difficult arena to battle in. Decades of evolution of the PC operating systems have ensured that the x86 architecture is what the PC segment is all about.

Intel, as of 2023-Q2 holds 82.6 per cent of the overall x86 market share leaving AMD with 17.4 per cent as per the latest Mercury Research study. If we look at the broader segment of notebooks which also include ARM-based designs then Apple jumps into the fray with their M1 and M2 chips. Then we have Intel at 70 per cent, AMD at 17.6 per cent and ARM at 12.8 per cent, as per Counterpoint Research. Apple makes up 90 per cent of the ARM-based notebooks. That is all set to change with the introduction of the Snapdragon X Elite.

Snapdragon X Elite SoCs for laptops

That being said, the Snapdragon X Elite isnt Qualcomms first venture into the space. They started with the Snapdragon 835 and 850 based notebooks back in 2017. This was followed by the Snapdragon 7c platform, then came the 8c and 8cx platforms. These were all chips built for smartphones with improvements in terms of higher cache memory, wider memory bus, support for faster NVMe devices and additional improvements. At the heart of all these SoCs were Snapdragon Kryo CPU cores. Each iteration was but a simple incremental upgrade over the previous iteration and they were nowhere close to matching the prowess of the market leading chips from Intel. That changed with the acquisition of Nuvia Labs in 2021.

While NUVIA labs was a fledgling startup, it was led by folks who spent a good decade at ARM, Intel, Texas Instruments and Apple among other major tech companies. Notably, the CEO of Nuvia, Gerard Williams was the Chief CPU Architect at Apple. So the acquisition gave Qualcomm a much needed shot in the arm and helped improve their CPU roadmap which has finally led to the creation of the new Oryon CPU. The Oryon CPU cores are what set the new Snapdragon X Elite SoCs apart from the preceding compute platforms from Qualcomm. Lets take a closer look at the Snapdragon X Elite, or as Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon put it, the new sheriff in town.

Snapdragon X Elite: Homogenised again

The previous Snapdragon compute platforms from Qualcomm have all featured a heterogeneous architecture since they were based on ARMs big.LITTLE architecture. With the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm has opted for a homogeneous approach with 12 Oryon Cores. Most of the specifications of the Oryon cores are still under wraps but from what we know, there are three clusters of four cores each. Each core is capable of running at clock speeds going up to 3.8 GHz. However, there is a two-core Turbo profile allowing two of the best CPU cores to scale up to 4.3 GHz. While these clock speeds are far from what Intels new Meteor Lake chips are capable of, performance is not all about the clock speeds.

Snapdragon X Elite Specifications Snapdragon X Elite Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 Snapdragon 8cx Gen 1 Performance Cores 12x Oryon 4x Cortex-X1 4x Cortex A76 4x Cortex A76 Perf Core Clock 3.8 GHz 3.0 GHz 3.15 GHz 2.84 GHz Perf Core Turbo Clock 4.3 GHz (2 Cores) NA NA NA Efficiency Cores NA 4x Cortex A78 4x Cortex A55 4x Cortex A55 Eff Core Clock NA 2.4 GHz 1.8 GHz 1.8 GHz GPU Adreno SD X Elite Adreno 8cx Gen 3 Adreno 690 Adreno 680 GPU Perf 4.6 TFLOPS ? 2.1 TFLOPS 1.8 TFLOPS NPU Hexagon Hexagon Hexagon 690 Hexagon 690 NPU Perf 45 TOPS 29 TOPS 9 TOPS 9 TOPS Memory 8 x 16-bit LPDDR5X-8533 8 x 16-bit LPDDR4X-4266 8 x 16-bit LPDDR4X-4266 8 x 16-bit LPDDR4X-4266 Memory Bandwidth 136 GBps 86.3 GBps 86.3 GBps 86 GBps Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.4 5.1 5.1 5.0 Modem Snapdragon X65 Snapdragon X65 Snapdragon X24+X55 Snapdragon X24+X55 Process Node TSMC N4P (Likely) Samsung 5LPE TSMC N7 TSMC N7 Snapdragon X Elite Specifications

Along with the Oryon Cores, weve got the Adreno SD X Elite GPU that is capable of churning out 4.6 TFLOPS and a Hexagon NPU capable of hitting 46 TOPS on INT4. More on these later. For the memory, the X Elite supports up to 8x 16-bit LPDDR5X-8533 NAND chips with a cumulative bandwidth of up to 136 GBps. And it comes with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and a Snapdragon X65 modem. All of this is made on a TSMC 4nm process node.

Snapdragon Oryon CPU: A leap of faith?

Like we mentioned before, the Oryon CPU core is a testament to Qualcomms acquisition of Nuvia in early 2021. This allowed Qualcomm to leverage the talent at Nuvia which had worked closely on the custom ARM cores that power the current Apple M1 and M2 SoCs. The homogeneous core architecture is not a radical departure from ARMs heterogeneous designs but it is an interesting statement. The other major CPU designs have seen heterogeneous cores as a way to scale performance while not demanding a much higher power budget. So for Qualcomm to go the homogeneous way, does raise some eyebrows. Thankfully, the benchmarks that they shared at Snapdragon Summit do seem to justify this design choice.

The following benchmark information is shared by Qualcomm so until theyre verified by third-parties, take the following with a pinch of salt. Qualcomm claims that the new X Elite SoC powered by Oryon Cores are capable of beating the Apple M2 Max in Geekbench 6.2.1 by a significant margin in single-threaded benchmarks. The reference design Snapdragon X Elite scored a geomean of 3227 points opposed to the 2841 points that the Apple M2 Max (12 CPU Cores + 38 GPU Cores). This is the best Apple M2 Max CPU in existence right now. Apple also has another CPU called the M2 Ultra which is made by joining two M2 Max CPUs together. However, that wouldnt be an apples-to-apples comparison.

Snapdragon X Elite vs Apple M2 Max Single-Threaded Geekbench v6.2.1

Qualcomm also claims that it doesnt need to go all out. If it comes down to beating the M2 Max running at peak power levels, then the Snapdragon X Elite can supposedly beat the M2 Max while consuming 30 per cent less power. Remember that both SoCs, the Snapdragon X Elite and the Apple M2 Max, feature the exact same core counts so this statistic implies that the Snapdragon X Elite is more power-efficient than the Apple M2 Max.

Snapdragon X Elite vs Apple M2 Max

While ARM-based designs only make up a miniscule 12.8 per cent of the laptop market share, the real competitor is Intel. And Qualcomm claims that the Oryon Cores can beat the Intel Core i9-13980HX. Yet again, Qualcomm claims that they can beat the Intel CPU at 70 per cent less power. If true, this is huge.

Snapdragon X Elite vs Intel Core i9-13980HX

Qualcomm also had multi-threaded benchmarks for the more popular CPUs such as the Intel Core i7-1360P and the Core i7-1355U. The Snapdragon X Elite was shown to achieve twice the performance when running at the same power levels. And if the performance was to be matched, then the Snapdragon X Elite could do so while consuming 68 per cent less power.

Snapdragon X Elite vs Intel Core i7-1360P and 1355U

GPU: Powering visuals

The Snapdragon X Elite is equipped with the latest generation Adreno GPU, a DirectX 12-class GPU with ray tracing support. Although Qualcomm has been tight-lipped about the architectural details, the GPUs prowess is evident, with a throughput of 4.6 TFLOPS. Thats more than twice as much as the Adreno GPU in the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 was capable of. We dont have confirmation if both these numbers were FP32 benchmarks.

Snapdragon X Elite Adrena GPU vs AMD Radeon 780M

When compared to the integrated GPU within the Intel Core i7-13800H, the new Adreno GPU within the Snapdragon X Elite claims to get up to twice the GPU performance of the Intel Xe iGPU while at the same power levels. Currently, AMD has the better integrated GPU and Qualcomm shared that the Adreno GPU can attain 80 per cent faster performance while at the same power levels when compared with the AMD Radeon 780M thats in the Ryzen 9 7940HS. In both comparisons, Qualcomm claims to beat the top-tier integrated GPUs. However, they did not share benchmarks going against the Apple M2 Max. So we could assume that Apple still has the upper hand in the integrated GPU side of things.

NPU: AI workloads

On the AI front, the Snapdragon X Elite boasts a revamped Hexagon Neural Processing Unit (NPU) envisioned to tackle the burgeoning demands of local AI model executions. This overhaul is expected to markedly outstrip the performance of the 8cx Gen 3s NPU, promising a whopping 45 TOPS of performance. The NPU in the Snapdragon 8cx was capable of achieving 29 TOPS. So this is more than a 2x growth in performance gen-over-gen. The NPU is one of the biggest improvements and Qualcomm is working towards enabling local executions on large language models. In particular, most of the demos showcased were for Metas recently announced Llama 2 model which come in 7, 13, 33 and 65 Billion parameters. Of these, the 13 Billion parameter Llama 2 model is what Qualcomm is targeting.

Snapdragon X Elite NPU Performance

Qualcomm didnt share any benchmark comparisons going up against the competition because the market yet doesnt have enough SKUs. While AMD has had its very first SoC with an inbuilt Ryzen AI NPU already out in the market, there arent that many laptops featuring the new SoCs. And Intel is expected to launch their Meteor Lake mobile SoCs on December 14th. There isnt a lot that you could do using an NPU on Windows-based systems. Windows Studio Effects is a new feature set that came out in March 2023 that has some neat features such as Background Blur, Eye Contact, Auto Framing and Voice Focus. These are AI-powered quality of life improvements which lend to better user experiences, most notably with teleconferencing software. All of these features have been a part of NVIDIA Broadcast ever since it launched back in 2020. However, you needed to have a supported NVIDIA GPU to make use of these features. Now, Microsoft has gone ahead and baked it into Windows so that any compatible hardware can use it. And in the case of SoCs, this workload is handled by the NPUs.

Memory configuration: Bridging the speed gap

A robust 128-bit LPDDR5x memory bus feeds the new Oryon CPU cores, showcasing a significant enhancement over the previous LPDDR4x supported by the 8cx chips. This upgrade catapults Qualcomm to par with contemporary PC chips from Intel and AMD in terms of memory technology, offering data rates as lofty as LPDDR5x-8533, a feat that places Qualcomm amongst the ranks of the fastest memory controllers in the market. Faster memory plays a significant role in the processing of AI workloads and the generative AI models featured in the new Snapdragon chips will require really fast RAM and lots of it.

Overall, the X Elite can support up to 64 GB of RAM spread across 8 channels. Each being 16-bit wide. With a peak transfer rate of 8533 MT/s this works out to be 136 GBps. We were also told that the total cache on the Snapdragon X Elite would be 42 MB. This would most certainly be a cumulative count of the L2 and L3 caches.

Snapdragon X Elite I/O capabilities

The Snapdragon X Elite exhibits a robust I/O portfolio, featuring PCIe 4.0 connectivity for NVMe storage and USB4 support, capable of driving up to three Type-C ports. The discrete Wi-Fi 7 and modem solutions underscore the flexibility that Qualcomm intends to offer OEMs, a distinctive trait that sets the Snapdragon X Elite apart.

Qualcomm will be pairing the FastConnect 7800 system with the Snapdragon X Elite which is a M.2 add-in card running over PCIe Gen 3. Together, you get support for 6 GHz, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi bands and Bluetooth 5.4 with LE.

For cellular, there is an external Snapdragon X65 5G modem which is also attached via an M.2 interface running over PCI Gen 3.

Beating the competition

Its not an easy task. The new Snapdragon SoCs have to have unwavering app support. We saw announcements from Microsofts Pavan Davuluri who stated that all the Microsoft Office apps already run natively on ARM so thats a huge win for use cases which involve normal office work. Microsoft also builds a significant chunk of the tools that developers use for building applications and several of those tools either run natively or run at par with some form of compatibility layer between the OS and the apps. Good user experience would dictate that more and more of these tools and apps should run natively so Qualcomm has plenty of time to get more ecosystem partners onboard by the launch date.

Snapdragon X Elite Reference Laptop

The Snapdragon X Elite sits on the vanguard of Qualcomms ambitious roadmap. The success of the Oryon CPU core could potentially lead to Snapdragon carving out a significant market share from not only Apple but also Intel and AMD. This certainly requires OEMs to adopt the new SoC and we saw positive comments from major OEMs such as Lenovo, HP and Microsoft.

The laptop market also requires SoCs to play along with the likes of NVIDIA and AMD whose discrete GPUs rule the market of gaming laptops which has been an ever growing segment. Also, we only saw limited benchmarks comparing the Snapdragon X Elite against the industry stalwarts. Also, a significant amount of use cases are services by instruction sets So only once we see the actual devices in the market can we comment on how successful the new Oryon cores will be.

Snapdragon X Elite availability: Mid-2024

With a tentative launch window of mid-2024, the Snapdragon X Elite is on the verge of making its foray into a market teeming with stalwarts like Intels Meteor Lake and AMDs Phoenix chips. Meteor Lake will make landfall on December 14 whereas AMDs Phoenix chips can be seen in the wild every now and then. Apple has been the first to respond to the Snapdragon X Elites threat with an event on the 30th of this month where its expected to announce new Macbooks, supposedly with better chips.

Snapdragon X Elite major platform feature updates

The Snapdragon X Elite, encapsulating a blend of interesting CPU design, robust memory configuration, and a host of other enticing features, stands as a testament to Qualcomms unwavering resolve to penetrate the Windows-on-Arm laptop market. Only time will tell how successful these new Oryon cores will be.
HIGHLIGHTS The iQOO 12 will be the first smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in India.

OnePlus also confirmed the OnePlus 12 to be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.

Xiaomi 14 series will also feature the latest Qualcomm processor.

Qualcomm has announced the next-generation flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The brand has announced the chipset at the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, US. Interestingly, Qualcomm is calling its new chipset the Titan of on-device intelligence. If we compare it to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which also counts as one of the most powerful processors, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is 30 percent more powerful and 20 percent more efficient.

Apart from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3s announcement, smartphone brands such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, and iQOO have also announced their next flagship smartphones featuring the latest Qualcomm processor. Check out:

iQOO 12 5G

iQOO has just announced that its upcoming iQOO 12 5G will be the first smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in India. However, the brand has not disclosed the India launch date but it is announced to launch in China on November 7. So we can expect it to arrive in India in between December 2023 and January 2024.

Also read: OnePlus 12 officially revealed with brighter Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and more

OnePlus 12

OnePlus also confirmed the OnePlus 12 to be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The brand announced this at the Snapdragon Summit event. Interestingly, OnePlus also showcased the OnePlus 12 at the event, which revealed the Oriental Screen equipped with Oppos Display P1 chip. The display will support up to 2K resolution.

Also read: Xiaomi 14 series will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Launch date revealed

Xiaomi 14

Xiaomi 14 series is also in the queue of the first smartphones to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The smartphone series is said to include two models, which are the standard one and the Pro model. Xiaomi has announced the China launch of the Xiaomi 14 series. It will debut in China on October 26 and a few months later in India.
HIGHLIGHTS Many brands have confirmed the S8G3 in their upcoming smartphone and Xiaomi is one of them.

The brand also showed the first look of a Xiaomi 14 smartphone in Greyish colour at the event.

The Xiaomi 14 is expected to feature a 6.44-inch Huaxing C8 OLED display.

Xiaomis next numbered flagship series, the Xiaomi 14 has been doing rounds on the internet in rumours and leaks till now. But finally, the Chinese brand has now announced the launch date of the Xiaomi 14 series. Interestingly, the brand has also announced that this smartphone series will be equipped with Qualcomms latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processors, which also rolled out today.

Xiaomi 14 series specifications

Qualcomm has just announced its latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, US. Along with that, many brands have confirmed the processor in their upcoming smartphone and Xiaomi is one of them. Xiaomi has confirmed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor in the upcoming Xiaomi 14 series.

Also read: Xiaomi 14 series is launching on October 26: Heres what to expect

Apart from that, the brand also showed the first look of the smartphone in a Greyish colour at the event. Previously, the brand also confirmed the Leica-tuned cameras in the upcoming series.

Speaking of the processor, Qualcomm calls it the Titan of on-device intelligence. It is a 4nm chipset that is 30 percent more powerful and 20 percent more efficient than its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Xiaomi has confirmed that it will launch the Xiaomi 14 series in China on October 26 at 19:00 PM (4:30 PM IST). It is expected that the Xiaomi 14 series will include two models: the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro. Further, the smartphone series could launch in India after a few months of China launch.

Also read: Xiaomi 14 appears on Geekbench with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Heres what to expect

The Xiaomi 14 series will be the first Xiaomi smartphones to feature its new HyperOS. Further, the Xiaomi 14 is expected to feature a 6.44-inch Huaxing C8 OLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate and 1.5K resolution. There might be a 4600mAh battery with 90-watt wired fast charging support and 50-watt wireless fast charging support.
China's FD-SOI ecosystem needs more engagement to work as a leapfrogging strategy

As China counts on Fully Depleted Silicon On Insulator (FD-SOI) technology as a pillar central to its leapfrogging strategy, its FD-SOI ecosystem needs more application scenarios and increased participation from IC design companies to take off, according to Ye Tianchun, Secretary General of China IC Innovation Alliance, at the 8th Shanghai FD-SOI Forum. The forum, taking place between October 23-24, saw leading international and Chinese players of SOI technology among its participants, including VeriSilicon, GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics, Synopsys and NXP.

Kelvin Xu, Staff Product Marketing Manager of Synopsys, noted that the EDA leader already have the IP ecosystem and EDA tools ready for FD-SOI. adding that the company also offers more than 50 IPs for GT22FDX - GlobalFoundries' proprietary FD-SOI technology platform geared to connected and low-power embedded applications. Notably, according to Xu, Synopsys and GF are collaborating closely to address automotive design requirements on GT22FDX. Apart from GF, Synopsys also offers IPs for Samsung's 28nm-based FD-SOI platform.

Handel Jones, CEO of IBS, pointed out at the forum that while 28nm and 22nm FD-SOI are already in high-volume production, 18nm FD-SOI technology is being developed, and may have extensive adoption in the Chinese market. He also noted that FD-SOI technology is already capable of supporting a wide range of applications, including wearable devices, millimeter transceivers in smartphones and automotive and general-purpose MCUs built on 28nm and 22nm nodes. However, high-volume wafer fab capacity is key requirement - an observation shared by Ye, who noted that the lack of FD-SOI capacity worldwide is also a major issue.

According to SEMI's forecast of SOI wafer production, as presented by SEMI China President Lung Chiu, a total of 3152,000 SOI wafers were produced worldwide in 2022, with the majority of them used for smartphone application (66%). The second largest application came from the automotive sector, accounting for 23%. By 2027, SEMI estimates that a total of 4501,000 SOI wafers will be produced, with 60% of coming from smartphone applications, 20% from automotives, and 16% from wearables.

VeriSilicon, a major player in China's RISC-V ecosystem and also the country's largest chip design IP vendor, is a co-organizer of the event. In July, the company indicated that it had already successfully tapped out chips on 28nm and 22nm FD-SOI platforms, alongside its FinFET platforms on 14nm/10nm/7nm/5nm. Wayne Dai, VeriSilicon founder and CEO, sees FD-SOI, RISC-V and Chiplet to be the three technologies underpinning China's ambition to leapfrog in semiconductor development.

Back in 2017, GlobalFoundries planned to invest US$10 billion on a 12-inch fab in Chengdu, transferring its 22nm FDX FD-SOI technology from Dresden to China. Before the plan was derailed and cancelled in 2019, GF originally aimed to set up a FD-SOI ecosystem based in Chengdu, targeting an annual capacity of 1 million wafers.
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Infineon's wide bandgap strategy reaches new milestone with successful acquisition of GaN Systems

Germany-based Infineon Technologies has announced on October 24 the closing of the acquisition of GaN Systems Inc.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, GaN Systems brings with it a broad portfolio of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power conversion solutions and leading-edge application know-how, according to an Infineon press release. All required regulatory clearances have been obtained and GaN Systems has become part of Infineon effective as of the closing.

"GaN technology is paving the way for more energy-efficient and CO 2-saving solutions that support decarbonization," said Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. "The acquisition of GaN Systems significantly accelerates our GaN roadmap and further strengthens Infineon's leadership in power systems through mastery of all relevant power semiconductor technologies. We welcome our new colleagues from GaN Systems to Infineon."

Infineon now has a total of 450 GaN experts and more than 350 GaN patent families, which expands the company's leading position in power semiconductors and considerably speeds up time-to-market. Both companies' complementary strengths in IP and application understanding as well as a well-filled customer project pipeline put Infineon in an excellent position to address various fast-growth applications.

On 2 March 2023, Infineon and GaN Systems announced that the companies had signed a definitive agreement under which Infineon would acquire GaN Systems for US$830 million. The acquisition, an all-cash transaction, was funded from existing liquidity.

Infineon has been working to strengthen its wide bandgap portfolio, seeking a leadership position in power systems across all materials. The company already tapped into silicon carbide (SiC) technology for its diode and MOSFET products, targeting a 30% market share by end of decade via capacity expansion in Villach, Austria and Kulim, Malaysia. Notably, the expansion plan in Kulim aims to build the world's largest 200mm SiC wafer fab when completed in the summer of 2027. Infineon estimates that its SiC revenue will be US$1 billion by fiscal 2025, and the figure will rise to US$7 billion around 2030's. Overall, Infineon sees a CAGR of 31% between 2022 and 2028 for the SiC market.

When it comes to the market for GaN - to be used in Infineon's HEMT and driver offerings - Infineon sees a CAGR of 52% between 2022 and 2028, with US$6 billion of cumulative market potential over the next five years. In fact, the company expects GaN to be the preferred technology in multiple end applications by 2030. For sectors like chargers, on-board chargers and servers, Infineon believes a tipping point is in sight, while transition to GaN is coming up in applications such as low-power motor control and residential solar.
A new report released today has highlighted a rise in racism directed at black people in Ireland.

'Being Black in the EU' was carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and examined experiences of nearly 7,000 people of African descent living in 13 different countries all over the EU.

The second report of its kind, with the first carried out in 2016, found that people of African descent "face ever more racism and discrimination" in the EU, including a rise in the last five years in Ireland.

Over 500 individuals were surveyed in Ireland with more than half (55%) saying they experienced racial discrimination, an increase from 48% 5 years ago.

Although they was a decrease in the level of harassment since the first report, the level of harassment in Ireland is higher than the overall level in the 13 EU countries surveyed.

6% of respondents said they had experienced a racist attack, however 64% said they worried about becoming a victim of such an attack, making it far higher than the average across the countries surveyed (35%).

39% of parents that responded said their children experienced threatening and offensive comments while at school in the year previous and 23% said their children had been physically attacked, which the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights said these were the highest rates for bullying at schools among the countries surveyed.

Racial profiling was also examined in the report with 39% of people saying they perceived their last police stop was due to racial profiling.

Racial discrimination experienced by black people in Ireland with regards to employment, housing and education was higher than the average across the other EU countries.

The report also found that 41% of black people in Ireland live in overcrowded housing compared to 4% of Irish people and only 10% of black people own a property here compared to 70%.

Read the full findings of the report here.
A FORMER radio DJ who had 15,000 lodged into her bank account as part of a money-laundering scam was described by a garda as genuinely vulnerable, a court has heard.

Nikki Hayes, aged 44, whose real name is Eimear Black OKeeffe, of The Way, Hunters Run, Clonee, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to possessing 10,000 as the proceeds of crime in a Permanent TSB bank account within the State on November 5, 2020.

Two further counts of possessing 2,600 and 2,400 as the proceeds of crime in her account on November 6, 2020, were taken into consideration by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

At a hearing this Wednesday, Garda Neill Gavin agreed with counsel for the defence that OKeeffe was genuinely vulnerable and struggling with her mental health at the time.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, said OKeeffe was belatedly diagnosed with bipolar and borderline personality disorder and had been preyed upon by others operating a sophisticated money-laundering scam.

OKeeffes marriage had broken down and she had reached rock bottom, counsel added.

Kieran Kelly BL, prosecuting, said the offence came to light after the injured party in the case got a text message on his phone on the day purporting to be from Permanent TSB.

The message said the man had paired with a new device and should click on the enclosed link, so he followed these prompts and was brought to his PTSB bank account.

Three sums of 2,600, 2,400 and 10,000 totalling 15,000 were then withdrawn from the mans account and went into OKeeffes account, the court heard.

Over the next 24 hours, withdrawals of the money were made from Revolut and through a number of ATM transactions in Liffey Valley.

Garda Gavin said a blonde lady was observed making the ATM transactions in Liffey Valley but that he was not in a position to say if it had been OKeeffe.

The court heard that the remainder of the money was blocked and returned to the injured party, leaving the bank at an outstanding loss of around 2,000.

OKeeffe was arrested and interviewed the following March and cooperated fully with gardai, the court heard.

She told gardai she had fallen on hard times and that someone had made contact with her and told her there might be a way of making about 2,000, if she allowed her bank account to be used.

Garda Gavin said when OKeeffe saw the money coming into her account she became alarmed, but that the person who had got her involved pressurised her to continue with the transactions.

She has six previous convictions for minor road traffic offences dating back to 2005.

Mr Spencer said OKeeffe was in debt to the tune of 53,000 at the time of the offence, owing money to RTE and to various institutions in personal loans.

She sold her car and used some of the proceeds to pay off her car loan and also to bring her daughter to Disneyland, the court heard.

Counsel said OKeeffe had struggled with her mental health for many years, had been misdiagnosed and had not been compliant with her medication at the time of the offence.

She agreed with gardai in interview that she had been reckless in providing her card details to an erstwhile friend who had told her there was an easy way of making money.

OKeeffe met a person in Blanchardstown, handed over her details and bank card and was told they would be returned at the end of the day, but she did not get her card back.

She told gardai that when she saw irregularities in her account, she told her contact that she was going to the guards, but that the other person then threatened to burn down her house.

OKeeffe told gardai she was not the person who had withdrawn the sums of money from ATMs in Liffey Valley.

Counsel said OKeeffe had built up a very successful radio career over 24 or 27 years, starting at the age of 15, under the pseudonym of Nikki Hayes.

She had worked at RTE for eight years and also for Spin 103, Classic Hits and East Coast FM, but is no longer employed in radio as a direct consequence of this case, counsel said.

She had a very successful career in radio... and someone who builds themselves up that high often has further to fall, counsel added.

A probation report had placed OKeeffe as at high risk of reoffending, but Gda Gavin agreed with defence counsel that she was unlikely to reoffend as her mental health has since stabilised.

The court heard that OKeeffe did not benefit materially in any way from the offence.

Counsel said OKeeffes life had been punctuated by mental health struggles, including anorexia, addiction issues and post-partum depression, but that she has completely overcome these issues and is now compliant with her medication and off alcohol.

Her ex-husband has custody of their daughter and OKeeffe sees the child twice a week, the court heard.

OKeeffe is currently doing an accountancy course and has written a book called Crying into the Saucepan about her struggles with mental health, the court heard. Counsel said she has been very public about her desire to assist others who struggle with mental health.

Mr Spencer said his client pleaded guilty at first opportunity and is committed to repaying the outstanding 2,000 to the bank when her financial situation improves.

Judge Martina Baxter adjourned the case for finalisation until next Thursday and asked the defence counsel to provide more paperwork on OKeeffes alcohol status and on when she stopped working in radio.
Local Fianna Fail Senator, Erin McGreehan, has welcomed the announcement from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, that advance payments under the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) have commenced.

As many as 1,152 payments to farmers in Louth have commenced, with a total value of over 5.6 million.

Senator McGreehan said: I am delighted to welcome that today, advance payments under the BISS & CRISS worth over 5.6 million to more than 1,000 farmers here in Louth have commenced.

"I know just how crucial these payments are for family farm income and how important they are to businesses in Louth, bringing a welcome boost in cashflow to the rural economy.

"Fianna Fail in government is committed to ensuring that these scheme payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible to ensure that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner.

The BISS & CRISS advance payments are commencing today at a rate of 70%.

In previous years Greening payments would have issued with the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) while in 2023 payments under the new Eco-Schemes will commence from next week.

Payments will be visible in farmers bank accounts in the coming days and the department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria.

Farmers with outstanding requests for documentation from the department to return are urged to take immediate action to allow payments to issue.

To facilitate farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their BISS or ANC payments, extended hours are in place for the Direct Payments Helpdesk. From Tuesday 24 October to Friday 27 October, the Helpdesk will be available up to 8.30pm.

Farmers can ring the Helpdesk at 057-8674422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via www.agfood.ie.
The total number of Ukrainian refugees living in Louth under the Temporary Protection Directive now stands at 2236 according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Nationally, 96,338 Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) were given to arrivals from Ukraine by October 8, 2023.

Broken down by area; the figures reveal the Drogheda Urban area has 822 Ukrainians living locally while Dundalk-Carlingford has 573; Dundalk South has 459; Ardee has 235 while Drogheda Rural has 147.

The figures also reveal that there are currently 249 Ukrainian children enrolled in primary schools in Louth while there are 197 enrolled in secondary schools in the county.

Commenting on the release, Laura Carter, Statistician, said:

"There are two maps in this release based on mapping 91,576 individuals, or 95% of arrivals, to a location within Ireland. These maps are based on the local post office address as per the process through which arrivals were seeking assistance from the Department of Social Protection or, if available, the arrivals' residential address where an Accommodation Recognition Payment is payable to the host of the residence.

The first map is a count of arrivals by Local Electoral Area (LEA), and the second is the rate of arrivals by LEA (per 100 of the Census 2022 de facto population). Kenmare in Co. Kerry had the highest number of associated arrivals from Ukraine at 2,590.

Our analysis also shows that the rate per 100 of the population ranges across all LEAs in the country from 0.20% to 11.11%. The LEA with the highest rate was Ennistimon in Co. Clare."

Nationally, of these arrivals, people aged 20 and over make up 68% of the total, with 32% under the age of 20.

Twelve thousand one hundred and eight arrivals are currently enrolled in further education and training courses, with 9,425 people enrolled in English language courses.

As of October 8 2023, 17,466 arrivals were living in private accommodation, where 7,852 hosts were in receipt of Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP).

Thirteen thousand Nine hundred and forty seven arrivals from Ukraine were living in local authorities/IRC/DCEDIY pledged accommodation as of October 12 2023, of which 5,044 were living in accommodation under the 'Offer a Home' scheme.

Over 36,000 arrivals have attended an employment support event arranged by Intreo Public Employment Services.

Sixty one percent (or 22,351 people) noted that English language proficiency was a challenge in securing employment.

Seventeen thousand five hundred and four people had recorded previous occupations, with 'professionals' being the largest group at 31% (or 5,343 people).

The counties with the largest number of arrivals from Ukraine include Dublin (13,543 people), Kerry (8,839 people), Cork (8,808 people), Donegal (7,006 people), Galway (5,355 people), and Clare (5,006 people).

Monaghan, Longford, Roscommon, Offaly and Laois were noted as the counties with the fewest Ukrainian refugees nationwide, with 755, 853, 1212, 1251, and 1385 people living there respectively.
Ctrl Alt, the Business to Business solutions provider for alternative assets which has its European headquarters at Creative Spark, Clontygora Drive in Dundalk has raised 2.5 Million in a recent funding round.

The funding is aimed at empowering fintechs and investment platforms to diversify their investment offering beyond stocks and bonds to investments in fractionalised assets such as property and green energy.

The funding round was led by Forward Partners and Middlegame Ventures and joined by a group of notable Angel Investors and follow-on funds, including Enterprise Ireland, Algorand Ventures, 365.fintech, Syndicate Room, Marc Cohen (Unbundled VC), Omid Ashtari (ex-Google, ex-President Citymapper) and Alex Macdonald (Co-Founder of sequel & Velocity Black).

Founded in 2020 by founder Matt Ong (former Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse), Ctrl Alt offers products including API and White Label capabilities designed to provide the infrastructure for investment platforms to access alternative assets within their brand and platform.

A move they say could help financial services remain competitive by expanding beyond stocks and bonds to offer alternative forms of investment.

By bridging the gap between asset holders and asset allocators like fintechs and investment platforms, Ctrl Alt says it is making alternative assets, a typically exclusive form of investment, accessible to individual consumers.

Matt Ong, CEO & Co-founder of Ctrl Alt, said:

A culture of exclusivity, overly restrictive entry requirements and archaic processes have meant access to investing in things like property and green energy and more have traditionally been dominated by the super-rich and institutional investors.

A diversified portfolio should play a key role in any investment strategy and its not right that alternative assets, a typically robust form of investment, remain in the old world of money.

Ctrl Alt says it simplifies the capital raising process for asset owners seeking investment.

Ctrl Alt also say its team of financial and technical experts and their purpose-built products manage the asset investment side end-to-end, a move Matt says will bring a wider variety of assets into the market:

There are plenty of asset holders who are looking for new ways to finance and free up capital.

By simplifying the process and providing more on hand support, were meeting the growing consumer demand for alternative assets by bringing more assets into the market.

Megha Prakash, Senior Investor at Forward Partners said:

At Forward, we see a massive opportunity to democratise access to financial investments for eligible investors who have hitherto been locked out of these markets due to large tickets, administrative complexity and a lack of access.

Ctrl Alt promises to broaden access to a large range of investments.

With a strong background in structuring financial products and his digital-native, and wealth of experience working in the regulated space, Matt is a great founder to tackle this opportunity and we are excited to be backing him.

Michael Meyer, Managing Partner of MiddleGame Ventures, said:

We believe that more investors should have the ability to invest in higher returning alternative assets. To date, only institutions and the very wealthy have had access. Matt and his team at Ctrl Alt are working to change that.

We are thrilled to be backing such a great team that has built a unique business, combining Matts expertise on regulation with cutting-edge technology.
Brendan English Martin and Sofia Fedane are two recent graduates of Colaiste Chu Chulainn, now studying in DKIT. They are two of only three Bernard Duffy scholarship winners, in that award's first ever year.

Bernard Duffy was born in Dundalk in the mid 19th Century. He left the area and made his fortune abroad. After his death a legacy was left to support scholars from the immediate Dundalk area (within 5 mile radius of Market Square.)

Eileen Lynch is the Access Officer in DKIT. She managed the updating of the criteria in order to start accessing the funds for current students.

"It is important for us to know that somebody who left Dundalk during famine times is still making a practical impact in the lives of young people, their families, education and the local economy," said Thomas Sharkey, Principal.

Ms Fitzpatrick, a Guidance Counsellor in the school added: "Financial supports for young people is crucial to their progression in their chosen training and education. These scholarships are worth 3,000 per annum for each of the years of study in DKIT. This means that Brendan and Sofia will have the laptops they need, they will have the suit for interviews and lab coats for pratical work. Of course, they will have the coffee for the late night study sessions."

Brendan and Sofia both mentioned their transition to higher education:

"It was strange at the start" said Brendan. "I had to settle in to a new timetable and take responsibility for my own attendance. It is also encouraging to be around students and staff from around the world in an excellent campus.

Sofia added

"We just had to get stuck in to the work. We were taught in Colaiste Chu Chulainn that If You Are Not In, You Can't Win. So, we know that attendance is the first step to success.

"There is a lot of Maths in my course. We don't use calculators, just have to use Excel to create formulae. I now know why Mr Sheelan put so much emphasis on Excel in our ICT workshops in Colaiste Chu Chulainn."

The Bernard Duffy Scholarship will be open to applicants every academic year while the fund lasts.


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Leo Varadkar has hailed the bravery of a man who gave evidence to the Garda after being attacked by double murderer Yousef Palani.

Palani, 23, was sentenced to life on Monday for the murders of Aidan Moffitt, 42, and Michael Snee, 58, in Sligo last April. Garda believe he was motivated by hostility towards gay men.

He was also handed a concurrent 20-year sentence for an assault causing harm to Anthony Burke in Sligo on the day prior to the first murder.

The testimony of Mr Burke, who lost an eye in the attack, was seen as crucial in gardai efforts to track down Palani following the murders.

Palani plead guilty to his crimes at the Central Criminal Court in July.

Mr Moffitt was a prominent businessman and a Fine Gael activist while Mr Snee was a retired care assistant.

Mr Varadkar expressed condolences to the families of both men in the Dail on Tuesday. He told TDs he had met Mr Moffitt on occasion through their joint association with Fine Gael.

He said he wanted to pay tribute to the Garda for the work they did to secure the prosecution.

The Taoiseach commended the bravery of Mr Burke.

I just really want to extend my admiration to him and my thanks to the gardai in particular, Mr Varadkar said.

I just want to particularly pay tribute to him and the fact that he went to the gardai and gave them crucial information, really the crucial information which enabled the gardai to apprehend the man who carried out those terrible murders in Sligo of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee.

I really want to pay tribute to him again, and also recognise the gardai and their work.
Donegal, Ireland's hidden gem, has gained recognition as one of the top travel destinations globally.

Renowned travel guide Lonely Planet has ranked Donegal, the only destination in Ireland, as the fourth best region in the world to visit. Boasting Ireland's longest coastline, with over 100 beaches, and Europe's highest sea cliffs, Donegal is a hidden gem that offers a unique travel experience for local and international tourists alike.

Lonely Planet commended Donegal for its solitude, wild landscapes, friendly atmosphere and pristine coastal hiking trails along the Wild Atlantic Way. The esteemed travel guide also highlights the county's ancient forts, vibrant musical traditions, and rich heritage of the Irish language, providing an immersive experience for inquisitive travellers.

This announcement comes just days after the new "Donegal - It's Ours/It's Yours" campaign was launched which aims to showcase the unique appeal, breathtaking natural beauty, and rich cultural heritage of Donegal, positioning it as a must-visit destination. For more on the campaign please click here.

The tongue-in-cheek campaign, featuring Donegal native and comedian Eric Roberts, presents the county as one of Ireland's best-kept secrets. It humorously highlights the locals' attempts to keep this beautiful county under wraps amidst global attention. The campaign is expected to reach a wide audience across digital, PR, social, and VOD channels, encouraging potential visitors to discover the wonders of Donegal.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eric Roberts (@eric.roberts__)

Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Martin Harley, is delighted about the Lonely Planet ranking, saying: "Being ranked by Lonely Planet as one of the best regions in the world to visit is a significant milestone for Donegal.

It's the second time in five years we've received recognition from Lonely Planet which named Donegal as the coolest place on the planet in 2017. This again speaks to the rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality that our county offers."

Chair of Donegal Tourism CLG and Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, John G. McLaughlin, believes this award will elevate Donegal as a visitor destination across the world saying: Lonely Planet is a huge platform for Donegal, and the listing will have a positive impact on Donegal for years to come. Donegal Tourism and Donegal County Council have been working with businesses and representatives in the tourism trade to deliver a very effective collaborative approach to promoting County Donegal over the last number of years; this strategy is proving to be very successful.
Kyrgyz PM vows to support China on issues concerning China's core interests

Xinhua) 16:31, October 25, 2023

BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov said Wednesday that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China on issues concerning China's core interests and backs China-proposed major initiatives.

Japarov made the remarks during a meeting here with visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang. He said that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China on issues involving China's core interests such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong, supports the Global Security Initiative and other major initiatives, and is willing to work with China to combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as transnational organized crimes.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Grant Thornton Cork has announced it plans to grow its people to 400 by the year 2025, as part of its ongoing growth and expansion ambitions.

The target was announced at a celebration event at the firms office at Penrose Dock, marking 10 years in business in the city. Grant Thornton Cork first opened its doors in 2013, offering just two service lines.

Since then, the firms service offerings have rapidly expanded in line with increasing client demand, providing wide-ranging top-quality service in the areas of Audit, Tax, Advisory, Financial Accounting Advisory Services and Financial Services Advisory.

That increased demand from local, national, and international clients has also seen steady growth in people numbers, with 272 staff now employed at Grant Thornton Cork, including four partners: Michael Nolan, Denise OConnell, Gerard Walsh and Shane ONeill.

The firm continues to build its dynamic and diverse workforce, this year bringing on international hires as well as 35 graduates, which is reflective of the diverse clientele it serves, from small businesses to large US companies. Significant economic growth in the local economy has seen up to 30% growth in core Cork work, while the move to working and doing business remotely has led to an exponential growth in FDI and international work.

Speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration event, Michael Nolan, Audit and Assurance Partner at Grant Thorntons Cork office said: I am delighted to celebrate 10 years in business in Cork, in what is a real milestone for myself, all of the Cork team, and for the firm as a whole.

We started out as a small team in the citys South Mall, before finding our new home at Penrose Dock in 2020, to facilitate the forecasted significant growth and our rapidly increasing workforce, and we havent looked back. Ten years on, we remain the first large professional services firm to open in Cork since the 1970s.

Reflecting on the past decade, I am immensely proud of the diverse and talented workforce that we have built in the past ten years, and the workplace culture that we have created in the process, building a team who have long-term careers ahead of them with opportunities to develop.

Looking forward, I am excited to further build our innovative and dynamic team and continue to offer top quality services to our clients and businesses in Cork, nationally and internationally.

The growth at the Cork office is reflective of the wider expansion at Grant Thornton Ireland, which announced that its turnover will hit 300m by the end of the year, exceeding planned targets, while its workforce has grown to 3,000, having created more than 1,500 new jobs in the past two years. The professional services firm also expects to welcome 370 new graduates into the firm by the end of 2023.

2023 will also see the term of current Managing Partner Michael McAteer come to a close after seeing the firm through its largest growth period on record.
TELL us about yourself;

My name is Darragh OConnor, a lot of people know me as Doc. Im the band leader of BoolaBoom, a new 20-piece brass and percussion band based in Cork. We play house music on acoustic instruments.

We are playing loads of gigs in the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival including the Opera House, on the outdoor stage at Emmet Place, and in Conways Yard.

I used to play keyboards in bands for years, then I learned to play drums and I started the Cork City Samba Band with the help of Steve Kelly from the Cork School of Music, and I ran that for 10 years. I wanted to change it up a bit after the pandemic, so we morphed into BoolaBoom by adding 11 horn players. Its the best craic.

On Culture Night, we did a fundraising busk for Libya and a video of us playing to a huge crowd dancing outside the GPO went viral on Twitter.

My favourite thing about playing on the street is that anyone, young, old, rich or poor can stop and watch.

You dont really get that in pubs and venues. An elderly woman came up to me on Culture Night and said she had just come from visiting her brother in a nursing home and that we put a smile back on her face.

I love it when little kids come out dancing in front of us too, theyve no inhibitions. We give them little egg shakers sometimes and their day is made. We cant wait to do more of that during the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival and to see all the other brass bands too.

Where were you born?

Im Cork born and bred. I lived in Ballyvolane until I was 11 and then moved to Passage West where my parents and lots of the OConnor clan still live.

Where do you live?

The Lough.

Family?

Im the eldest of three brothers and Im married with two kids, Rory and Sally.

Best friend?

Ive a big group of best friends from school and college. Even though were all parents, we still see each other a good bit. One of them moved back from Canada with his family during the pandemic and now lives right across the road from us.

We are friends since we met in junior infants in St Josephs on the Mardyke and now our four kids are best friends which is brilliant.

Earliest childhood memory?

My Grandad Mullane laughing at me when I couldnt understand why all the cattle on his farm, in Burnfort near Mallow, didnt all have names.

Person you most admire?

Any community volunteer like lifeboat crews or those amazing teams who search the river when people go missing.

Person who most irritates you?

Wealthy landlords who sit on derelict houses and buildings in the middle of a housing crisis.

Where was your most memorable holiday?

We did a three month honeymoon in Bali and The Philippines. Looking back now as a parent and working full time, it was preposterous.

Only for the photos Id start doubting myself it ever happened.

Favourite TV programme?

Would I Lie To You?, especially when Bob Mortimer or Joe Wilkinson are guests.

Favourite radio show?

The FishGoDeep house music podcast with Shane Johnson and Greg Dowling.

Darragh O'Connor BoolaBoom Picture: Simon Curran

Your signature dish if cooking?

Roasted tomatoes and courgette fusilli with chorizo, pesto and rocket. My kids call it Dada Pasta.

Favourite restaurant?

A tie between Goldie and Wabi Sabi.

Last book you read?

Attention All Shipping, by Charlie Connelly.

Best book you read?

This Is Your Brain On Music, by Daniel Levitin. Helped me understand why we react so emotionally to music and rhythm.

Last album/CD/download you bought?

Straight Foxin by Retromigration. A German-Nigerian producer based in Amsterdam mixing sublime jazz and EDM.

Favourite song?

The Ghetto (Live at the Troubador 1972, version) by Donny Hathaway. His Fender Rhodes solo gives me goosebumps every time I hear it and the percussion breakdown is fantastic.

Your proudest moment?

We busked outside the GPO on Paddys Day this year which was our very first performance and it was completely nuts.

We had practiced in a cold warehouse all winter and I was really delighted for everyone in the band after the effort they put in.

Someone sent a video of us to Kerri Chandler playing his classic house track Atmosphere and he sent us a nice message on Instagram saying he wanted us to play together next time hes in Cork.

Spendthrift or saver?

Pure saver.

Name one thing you would improve in your area in which you live?

Id love if the city centre had a covered outdoor performance space for buskers, like the Apple Market in Waterford or the Milk Market in Limerick.

What makes you happy?

Swimming on a sunny day at Blind Strand in Courtmacsherry, then going for fish and chips in The Lifeboat Inn with family and friends.

How would you like to be remembered?

Ideally, a giant statue on Pana, a dedicated mausoleum and a bridge named after me.

What else are you up to at the moment?

Im working on the first BoolaBoom EP that well release before the end of the year, which will include a remix of our track Summer House by French house producer Art of Tones, aka Ludovic Llorca. Ive been a big fan of his for years so Im honoured hes remixing us.

Dont miss Boolaboom performing over the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival weekend:

Friday, October 27, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Support - Cork Opera House - 7pm

Saturday, October 28, Jazz on the Plaza - Outdoor free stage, Emmet Place, Cork - 3pm

Sunday, October 29, Jazz on the Plaza: Street Performance - Outdoor free stage, Emmet Place, Cork - 3pm. + Conways Yard, Oliver Plunkett St., Cork - 4.30pm

See www.guinnesscorkjazz.com
FOOD writer Kate Ryan has been shortlisted for three awards in the Irish Food Writing Awards, for contributions she made to The Echo and EchoLive.ie.

Kate is a finalist in three different categories; the Food Writing Award, Writing on Irish Food Producers Awards and Spirits Writing Awards.

The nominations follow success in the awards last year - when Kate, who lives in West Cork, took home the Food Writing Award. The accolade was awarded to Kate for a series of interviews she did with Corks English Market traders, a six-part series, which ran in The Echo, where she spoke to them about how they navigated the pandemic and their plans for the future.

This year Kate has been shortlisted in three categories.

Assistant Editor and Features Editor of The Echo John Dolan said: We are delighted to see Kate being recognised for her outstanding work. We are honoured to have her among our stable of writers in The Echo and EchoLive.ie.

Kate is a wonderful food journalist and writer, and her passion for it shows through in every article she writes.

Cork is the food capital of Ireland, and it deserves to have the finest writers to tell the world about it  Kate fulfils that role to perfection!

The Irish Food Writing Awards were established in 2021 by Suzanne Campbell and Paul OConnor to award excellence in journalism, photography, podcasts and original online content on Irish food and drink. The 22 judges who choose the winners in each category include chefs and food writers such as Rene Redzepi, Tom Parker Bowles, Diana Henry and Dan Saladino. The awards are non-profit and funded by industry partners in Irish food and drink.

The awards will take place in the RDS on Thursday, October 26.

Kate, who has lived in Cork since 2005 and started Flavour.ie 11 years ago, is a regular contributor to The Echo features pages and has a monthly column in WoW!  called WoW! Bites. She is the main contributor to our Christmas Food Special in WoW! - this year's special supplement is out on Wednesday November 29.

You can catch up on Kates work on EchoLive.ie by searching under Kate Ryan.

For more on the awards see http://www.irishfoodwritingawards.ie.
CORK Airport is preparing to welcome more than 53,000 passengers over the October bank holiday weekend, with crowds arriving for what is expected to be a bumper Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

The airport, which is an official festival partner again this year, said thousands of people will arrive from Britain and mainland Europe in advance of one of the biggest weekends on the Cork cultural calendar.

Friday is anticipated to be the busiest day for the airport, and total passenger traffic this bank holiday weekend will see a 23% increase on the same period last year.

Cork Airport managing director Niall MacCarthy said that passengers coming into Cork should expect plenty of music and fun this weekend, and even more in the run-up to Christmas.

Cork Chamber CEO Conor Healy said that the number of passengers expected to arrive at Cork Airport over the weekend is a marker of the enduring popularity of the festival.

It contributes millions of euros to the local economy and benefits Cork pubs, venues, hotels, and restaurants in the [off-peak] season, said Mr Healy.

The annual Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is a major boost to the entire Cork region every year.

SHOWCASE

It is also a showcase of what is on offer in Cork, and with 53,000 passengers being welcomed into Cork Airport for the jazz weekend, it is a testament to the continued success and growth of the festival.

Arriving passengers will get a flavour of the festival as soon as they land at Cork Airport, with performances from The Jazz Bandits, Lamarotte Jazzband, and Blarney Brass and Reed Band all set to take place in the terminal over the course of the weekend.

Celebrating its 45th year, the world-renowned Guinness Cork Jazz Festival will feature more ticketed shows than ever before, with an extra date added.

It will run from Thursday to Monday and will see an extended music trail through the city, a stellar line-up of Irish and international musicians and emerging talent, pop-up events, late-night parties, and more.

The festival, one of the longest-running events in the local music scene, was first established in 1978 by Jim Mountjoy, the then marketing manager of the Metropole Hotel on MacCurtain St.

Speaking ahead of this years festival, Metropole Hotel general manager Roger Russell said the Metropole is proud of the history and the association it has with the festival.

The impact that its had on the city has been phenomenal, he told The Echo.

Its put Cork on the map internationally.

Its a great driver of business and tourism for the city, not just the local market, but national and even international people coming in.

Mr Russell remarked that the festival has become part of the DNA of Cork and that there will be a stellar line-up of acts performing in the hotel this year, including Judi Jackson, Lamarotte Jazzband, New York Brass Band, and stalwarts of the local jazz scene such as the likes of Gary Baus, Paul Dunlea, Harry Connolly, and Mo OConnor.

Its going to be a great weekend, were really excited, said Mr Russell.

Other main stage venues for the 2023 festival include The Everyman, Cork Opera House, Cyprus Avenue, Triskel Arts Centre, Live At St Lukes, St Peters Church, and Cork City Hall, with headline acts including Corinne Bailey Rae, Macy Gray, Morcheeba, Matthew Halsall, Kurt Elling, and more.

The Big Fringe, organised by the local Cork Jazz Festival Committee, offers a free program that will feature impromptu soulful moments of jazz, big brass bands, and spontaneous performances by some of Ireland and Europes finest jazz talent.

Cork Jazz Festival Committee chairwoman Fiona Collins said the Big Fringe is always a festival highlight for many and added that the committee is delighted to work in partnership with Diageo Ireland, Cork Airport, Failte Ireland, Irelands Ancient East, Cork City Council, Cork Chamber of Commerce, Pure Cork, and Choice Cuts, together with businesses all over the city to bring jazz back to the streets of Cork.

PUBS

Meanwhile, Cork chairman of Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and owner The Castle Inn on South Main St, Michael ODonovan, said publicans are gearing up for what is expected to be a very busy weekend of trade.

Every year we apply for area exemptions for all the pubs in the borough of Cork city, so this weekend again pubs will have the capability of staying open until 2.30am if they so wish, he said.

Not all will use the exemption, but its in place if they wish to use it.

Last year was a huge weekend, and we would hope that this year will equal or hopefully even surpass last years festival.

For more on the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2023, or to book tickets, visitguinnesscorkjazz.com .
The 30-year-old Cork man accused of murdering a 68-year-old man at The Glen last March was sent forward for trial by judge and jury today.

Detective Sergeant Kieran OSullivan served a book of evidence on Aaron Wolfe of Glentrasna Court, The Glen, Cork, via his solicitor, Frank Buttimer at Cork District Court.

Mr Wolfe appeared by video link from prison on the charge of murdering Florence (Florrie) OSullivan on March 11 2023 at 15 Glentrasna Court, The Glen, Cork, contrary to Common Law.

Sergeant Gearoid Davis applied to have the case sent forward for trial at the Central Criminal Court on a date to be set by that court.

Judge Joanne Carroll gave the accused the alibi warning, which effectively requires certain notifications to be given by the defence to the state if an alibi witness is going to be called.

An adjournment was sought to allow time for preparation and service of a book of evidence.

The background to the matter is that Florence OSullivan died at Cork University Hospital on April 6. He had been hospitalised after the alleged incident at Glentrasna Court, The Glen, Cork city, on March 11.

It was previously reported that following a number of calls to the emergency services the injured party was removed from the scene by ambulance and the accused was arrested at the scene of the incident a short time later. An incident room was set up at Watercourse Road garda station. A large volume of CCTV has been harvested, a number of witness statements taken and forensic evidence obtained. Following the death a post mortem took place and confirmed the violent circumstances.

The late Mr OSullivan, who was originally from Adrigole, lived for many years in a flat in Cork city centre. More recently, he had been living in Carrigaline.
SENTENCING of a man caught with a 300,000 stash of cannabis at a house in Sundays Well will take place on February 2.

That was the date set by Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Criminal Court when the 33-year-old Cork man affirmed his plea of guilty to the charges against him.

The charges against Stephen OHara, of 17 Winters Hill, Sundays Well, Cork, state that he was in possession of cannabis herb and possession of cannabis herb for sale or supply in relation to 6,000 worth of the drug on Grattan St on January 5. The main seizure of cannabis  with a street value of 300,000  at his home address at Winters Hill, saw him charged with possessing cannabis herb and possessing cannabis herb for sale of supply.

Detective Garda Robert Kennedy of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad charged him with the most significant count of having cannabis for sale or supply when its value exceeded 13,000. This threshold figure allows for the possibility of a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in jail unless there are exceptional circumstances.

OHara also signed a plea of guilty to a charge of money laundering in respect of 15,585 cash seized at his home.

Continuing bail conditions require the defendant to reside at his address at Winters Hill and sign on each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Bridewell Garda Station.

He also had to surrender his passport and not apply for any new travel documents, and supply gardai with a mobile phone number on which he would be contactable at all times.
A CORK councillor is calling for consideration to be given to a nature-based solution to tackle extreme floods in Cork.

Independent councillor for East Cork, Liam Quaide, proposed the solution at a meeting of Cork County Council in County Hall on Monday.

He was speaking in response to floods that left many businesses and homeowners in Midleton and elsewhere devastated last week.

Mr Quaide described how the town of Pickering in North Yorkshire adopted nature-based flood defences after being refused a 20m flood defence scheme due to its limited population.

It subsequently introduced measures such as the development of leaky dams, comprising of logs and branches, and the planting of vegetation in efforts to slow down and trap rainfall.

The measures have since been replicated successfully in towns and villages across the UK.

There has been a tremendous success with a nature-based project in the town of Pickering, North Yorkshire, which flooded four times between 1999 and 2007, said Mr Quaide.

The project changed land management practices around the town that slowed the flow of water downstream.

The total cost was 2m, or one-10th of the cost of the original flood relief scheme.

In case this sounds like frivolous green nonsense, the town of Pickering has remained dry in recent years while other towns in the region have been repeatedly flooded by increasingly severe rainfall, driven by climate change.

Mr Quaide said an essential part of flood defences needs to involve working with nature.

There needs to be an incorporation of land management changes and pursuit of nature-based solutions for the entire catchment as well as engineering measures, he said.
Young people socialising at Bells field overlooking Cork city were set upon by a man armed with a pitchfork who assaulted them and stole an electric scooter from one of them.

Sergeant John Kelleher outlined the background to the incident at Cork District Court where James Hogan of 60 Liffey Park, Mayfield, Cork, pleaded guilty to charges of assault causing harm.

Sgt. Kelleher said the incident occurred on July 5 2022 at Bells field, Richmond Hill, Cork, where a young man and two young women were socialising together when Mr Hogan and a young woman arrived.

Mr Hogan was carrying a pitchfork. He punched the man in the face. The two females were then both attacked by James Hogan  both were punched in the head.

His discarded the pitchfork and left the scene. Their injuries were minor cuts and bruises and they all recovered from their injuries, Sgt. Kelleher said.

Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said this incident occurred between 8 and 9pm that night. He was identified at the scene. He was drunk and when asked afterwards he said, I have not recollection of this, I have no idea why I had a pitchfork, I have no idea what I was doing, Mr Buttimer said.

In relation to the pitchfork, Sgt. Kelleher said Mr Hogan swung it around when he arrived at the scene but it was not alleged that he struck anyone with it.

Earlier incident

There was an earlier incident on June 2 last year when he was found asleep in a ditch at 8.30 in the morning with a claw-hammer beside him at Glenamoy Lawn. On that morning he was arrested for his own safety due to his level of intoxication.

Most recently, earlier this month, on October 2, he was very intoxicated at Parnell Place, Cork, and when gardai asked him his name he told them to f*** off and added, Ye are nothing but f***ing rats.

Mr Buttimer said that the 19-year-old was put out of the family home because of his drinking and drug-taking and he ended up homeless for a short period. He said the teenagers background included multi-substance addiction from a very young age.

Judge Joanne Carroll adjourned sentencing so that a probation report could be prepared on the accused. Remanding him in custody, the judge said he would be given credit for time spent in custody on remand.
James Cox

Around 405,000 passengers are set to travel through Dublin Airport over the October bank holiday weekend.

Friday is expected to be the busiest day of the period with 109,000 passengers arriving and departing from Dublin Airport, with just under 60,000 departing on the day, DAA said.

Saturday and Sunday will be equally busy departure days with just shy of 55,000 departing each day.

Over the course of the midterm break (Friday, October 27th  Sunday, November 5th) it is expected that just under 1 million passengers (950,000) will travel through Dublin Airport, with London and Amsterdam the most popular European destinations and New York and Chicago the most popular transatlantic destinations.

Passengers travelling during this busy period are recommended to arrive at their terminal of departure two hours in advance of a short-haul flight and three hours prior to a long-haul flight.

Dublin Airport's newly appointed managing director Gary McLean said: "Passengers travelling during the Bank Holiday weekend and midterm break can look forward to a seamless journey through Dublin Airport. Our security processing times have been consistently under 20 minutes for several months now, and we have introduced a wide range of new food and beverage outlets in both terminals. We have also added extra seating, enhanced our free Wi-Fi services, and introduced more phone charging facilities to ensure you stay connected before your flight.

Demand for parking at the airport is high for the coming weekend, so passengers are advised to book online in advance of travelling. Passengers are also encouraged to consider alternate ways of travelling to and from the airport, including by bus, taxi, or drop-off. We look forward to welcoming all passengers travelling this weekend and wish everyone a pleasant trip."
Vivienne Clarke

The commanding officer of the 123rd Battalion of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen MacEoin has expressed full confidence in the mission of peacekeeping troops to de-escalate tensions in Lebanon.

Speaking on RTE radios Morning Ireland as the battalion prepares for their next peacekeeping rotation as part of the Unifil mission for the United Nations, Lt Col MacEoin said that they played a valuable role constantly monitoring the situation in the region.

Conditions at present were very tense and volatile, he said. There were regular exchanges of fire across the border between Lebanon and Israel. Irish soldiers were holding up very well and were continuing to do their job and maintaining operational focus out there.

The mandate for the Irish troops was to maintain vigilance on the blue line and to observe, monitor and report any infractions on the blue line and elsewhere, but also to protect civilians," he explained.

So when we have a scenario where our troops are at risk, and we have an order from our headquarters or from our own situational awareness, our soldiers may go into protective positions in bunkers which are well-prepared and designed by our military engineers, our two armoured personnel carriers.

But it's not like we completely stop operations. We maintain vigilance. And as soon as we have the opportunity, we get back on task, and we get out doing our operations with the Lebanese armed forces to maintain a safe and secure environment for the people that are out there, the civilians.

Lt Col MacEoin said Irish soldiers were not strangers to this type of scenario, having worked on many Unifil missions around the world.

What we're bringing to the table is that we're very renowned peacekeepers, really, and we have the military culture, the professional competence to deal with these scenarios. So we have been in these situations before, and I dare say, unfortunately, we'll be in them again. But we're trained just for this type of scenario.

Obviously, there was concern about an escalation in the conflict, he said, but the battalion was equipped for a tactical level of operations.

Unifil plays an exceptionally important role as it hosts the tripartite meetings, which is really the only forum for dialogue between the two countries (Lebanon and Israel) and are constantly attempting to de-escalate the situation. We provide very, very valuable information back to the headquarters to enable that process.

"We're constantly monitoring what's going on, and I suppose we're reassuring the local population in the sense that any single act that is taken is monitored and reported by us. So, if you like, the eyes of the world are upon what's happening, and that's what Ireland is bringing to the table through its participation in Unifil.

When asked if Unifil could provide emergency shelter for civilians, Lt Col Mac Eoin said their camps were not designed to accommodate civilians, but part of their military training was the protection of civilians, so if necessary they could do so.
A CORK woman who doesnt even like climbing a step ladder to change a light bulb, made it to the top of Carrauntoohill against the odds to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

And Mary Russell said it was her late sister-in-laws spirit that helped her in the epic challenge that took her 10 hours.

Mary, originally from Skibbereen and living in Carrigaline, signed up for the charity climb with a group of her colleagues from Johnson Controls HQ on One Albert Quay, where she works as a Senior Information Developer.

Johnson Controls staff who climbed up Carrauntoohil presented $15,429 to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

The group of 35 were inspired to climb the countrys highest mountain by one of their colleagues, Priscilla Carroll, whose two children were born with Cystic Fibrosis.

Priscillas two-year-old son Lucas is battling the disorder while her daughter, Alice, tragically passed away within a few days of birth from the condition.

I wasnt into hill walking or mountain climbing at all, and climbing Carrauntohill wasnt even on my bucket list, or anywhere on my radar, said Mary Russell.

Johnson Controls staff who climbed up Carrauntoohil in aid of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

But when the email from my colleague John Duggan came around, I thought it was an opportunity to give it a go, and for a really good cause, she said.

Just one of the group had completed the climb previously.

We were doing it with Kerry Climbing Guides, who had sent out a training schedule in advance, but naively, and very optimistically, I thought that my walks in Currabinny woods would be a good basis for what lay ahead  it wasnt!

The group departed at 7.30am on September 2 and, with their guides, headed off to walk to the base of Carrauntoohill at 10am. But by the time they arrived at The Devils Ladder at 11.45am, Mary could already feel her energy levels dipping.

I was at the back of the group the whole way, and when the guide asked me how I was feeling, I had to admit that I wasnt feeling great. It was only at that stage that the climbing was starting, so the guide advised me that for my safety, and the safety of the group, I should turn back, she recalls.

Naturally, Mary was devastated.

I rang my husband John in floods of tears. I was really disappointed.

Around noon, my colleagues started to climb while I sat on a rock, feeling sorry for myself. I even gave the rest of my water to two Japanese tourists who had run out of water at that point as I thought Id have no need for it, she added.

But what happened next was a moment of wonderful serendipity, that turned the day around entirely for Mary.

Climbing the mountain had its challenges.

Out of the blue, along came my friend James McIntosh from the Cork Geological Association (CGA), of which Im a member. He had just turned up for the day to climb Carrauntoohil, having done it many times before. He said, when he saw me sitting on a rock, crying like The Little Mermaid, he couldnt leave me behind. Cmon, Mary, he said, Ill get you up The Devils Ladder.

I felt better after my rest break, and after a small moment of hesitation, I knew Id regret if it I didnt give it another go!

Mary started slowly climbing with James, who guided her up the safest route and also showed her a mountain spring where she could refill her water bottles.

It was a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, plotting our way up and it was very challenging in places. By 1.30pm, I crawled out the top of The Devils Ladder on my hands and knees literally!

After that, climbing the last 100m of stony slope with loose rock and scree to the top of Carrauntoohil was the toughest and slowest part of the whole climb. On that stretch, I met my group of colleagues on the way back down, and they gave me fist bumps and words of encouragement to continue. One of my colleagues said afterwards they shouldve been playing Kate Bush for me but I said that I wasnt sure if Plodding up that hill has the same ring to it! Seeing me, they said, gave them as much of a boost as it gave me.

Mary, having reached the summit.

But Mary was hit with another challenge: just five minutes from the top she suffered an excruciating cramp in her thigh.

I could literally see the top, but the pain was incredible. Some climbers on the way down gave me two paracetamol and after a little rest I half crawled, half stumbled to the summit, where James, who had gone ahead, was waiting for me.

It was very emotional. I rang my husband again to tell him I actually made it to the top of the mountain, but he said he wasnt that surprised after living with me for all these years!

Reaching the top was extra moving for Mary as its a special place for her family. My brother proposed to my sister-in-law Ann OBrien at the top of the mountain. They were both avid climbers. Tragically, she died nine years ago from MS and some of her ashes are scattered there.

Every time I felt like giving up I thought of Ann. I remembered how hard she fought through her illness and and it was her spirit that carried me to the top

Mary sounds like a determined person herself.

I wouldnt have thought so before the Covid lockdowns, but that gave me a different perspective on life, to grab challenges when you can and see things through. Somehow, that day I found the resources I needed to tap into, she said.

James and Mary started their descent just after 3pm.

We actually met someone at the top of Carrauntoohil, who was climbing on his own, so he headed down with us. His knees really started to bother him on the descent so I helped him with additional water and support. I wanted to pay it forward.

The group as they climbed.

They made it back to Cronins Yard just before 8pm, so almost a 10 hour challenge, in total. Travelling back with James, Mary arrived in Cork just after 10.30pm.

John collected me, and it was straight home for an Epsom salts bath, a dose of electrolytes to help recovery and then I slept for 10 hours!

Meeting James in her moment of need was a lucky break, but Mary also had another good omen before she set off.

The day before I was doing my shopping in a local supermarket and I was telling the cashier about the climb. I was walking out and a couple stopped me and asked if was part of the Johnson Controls group and I said I was. It turned out to be Priscilla, her husband and son  the people we were fundraising for.

I had never met her in my life as she works in a different team, so I took that as a good omen for the climb, and that also spurred me on.

Reflecting on the climb, she said she found strength she never knew she had, but she stresses that it was a group effort as everyone faced their own challenges.

Will she take on another mountain?

At the time I said never again, but now Im not so sure. I started out climbing the countrys highest mountain, so I might work backwards and try something less daunting!

She hopes her achievement will inspire someone else to give something a go.

Thats what life is all about  you can surprise yourself when you step out of your comfort zone. Theres a quote by Winston Churchill in the car park of our building that reads Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. I never fully appreciated those words until I climbed Carrauntoohil, but now, Im thankful that I had the tenacity and force of will to continue. That, and the sheer stubbornness of a woman!

The Johnson Controls workers presented a cheque this week for $15,429 to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland this week.

For more on Cystic Fibrosis Ireland see https://www.cfireland.ie/






Five countries to acquire ASF vaccines made by Vietnam

Representatives from five countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar and India, have signed contracts to purchase African swine fever (ASF) vaccines made in Vietnam.

A signing ceremony for the contracts took place in Ha Long city of the northern province of Quang Ninh, Vietnam, on October 22.

When ASF struck in 2019, Vietnam suffered an estimated loss of at least six million pigs, according to the country's Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Phung Duc Tien. He added that disease prevention is a vital aspect and the foremost solution for livestock development.

Earlier, the Philippines imported 300,000 doses of the vaccine from Vietnam.

- VGP




Sustainable animal feed producer FarmInsect secures EUR 8 million funding

Munich, Germany-based sustainable animal feed producer FarmInsect has closed an oversubscribed series A funding round, amassing EUR 8 million in investments, Silicon Canals reported.

With these newly acquired funds, FarmInsect intends to bolster its commercial scaling efforts for insect farming and allocate resources for further research and development to enhance its innovative technology.

The funding round was spearheaded by Sandwater, based in Oslo, with contributions from Bayern Kapital's Growth Fund, the Minderoo Foundation's Strategic Impact Fund, and the European Innovation Council Fund. Existing investors HTGF and UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators also participated in this round.

FarmInsect offers sustainable alternative protein source for animal feed through the use of black soldier fly larvae.

Thomas Kuehn, founder and chief executive officer of FarmInsect, said that the company plans to intensify its R&D activities to expand and further improve its current breeding lines.

The company specialises in nourishing seed larvae with regional waste materials, such as peels or harvest residues, and regularly dispatches shipments to its customers. The larvae grow over 250 times their body weight within a week.

This circular system produces high-quality, protein-rich feed directly on the farm at a lower cost, with reduced CO2 emissions, and without dependence on global supply chains. As a result, FarmInsect empowers farmers to achieve feed cost savings of up to 30%. The entire process is meticulously monitored through a proprietary software platform that guides customers through each production step.

- Silicon Canals






Tonisity successfully completes trials with ruminant animals

Ireland-based Tonisity International Limited announced last month that it had successfully completed a series of trials of its isotonic products at various ruminant farms in Europe.

The company's suite of isotonic products includes a patented isotonic protein drink that directly nourishes the intestinal cells of the small intestine of certain animals, including piglets, which accelerates and increases the absorption of all nutrients into the body of the animal. The result is higher weight gain, lower mortality, fewer fall behinds and less need for medications for these animals  all producing a high return on investment for producers. The improvement in gut health, leads to more heavier pigs at finish.

The products also include a milk replacer additive that is mixed with milk replacers, which are widely used in farrowing houses to supplement the sows' milk.

In 2018, Tonisity led a trial of its isotonic product at a cattle farm in Spain. The trial showed that the product could be effective in reducing mortality of young cattle.

The company has been studying the potential application for ruminant animals since 2018, including further testing of the products with calves in Austria, Italy and South Africa. With an understanding that enterocytes are the same across species, the micro-enteral nutrition technology can be used especially in the pre-ruminant phase when the young ruminant animals are still drinking milk and not consuming dry feed, Tonisity explained.

This year, Tonisity made some adaptations to existing products to test and observe the possible effects of its products on certain young ruminant animals. The first formula was mixed with water to obtain an isotonic solution, while the second product was designed to be mixed with the milk replacer on the farms in question.

The trials were conducted on calves and goats at six farms in Eastern Europe. The main findings of the trials were as follows:

- At a young age, drinking can be a challenge but, overall, Tonisity solutions were well consumed, leading to a visible improvement in general health status and growth performance;

- In calves, after 10 days of administration, weak animals consuming the solution had a good recovery and were able to reach the same growth rate as their counterparts a few weeks later. In one specific experiment, the treated calves had better overall condition and improved health and were, on average, 3kg to 5kg heavier than the control group after a 60-day period;

- The Tonisity solutions also helped reduce the incidence of diarrhea in calves, which is a serious problem in the industry.

With two products having been successful in these trials, Tonisity is working to launch two new products for ruminant animals, one as an application in drinking water and the other as a milk replacer additive, in the very near future, the company said.

Tonisity expects branding of Tonisity Ruminant Products to be completed soon. These products can be produced at the company's existing production facility in Ireland with no material adaptations or significant additional resources needed.

Tonisity expects to be selling the Tonisity Ruminant Products before the end of 2023.

Arie Halpern, chief executive officer of Tonisity International, said: "Tonisity is pleased to be continuing to expand its suite of gut-health products into the ruminant sectors. As our company continues to solve the animal health problems impacting pig production worldwide, we are now poised to extrapolate this novel technology into the cattle, goat and sheep industries.

"We are building a global animal health and science company across many animal species, and this step into ruminants, nearly a year ahead of schedule, is a very significiant one. Tonisity's innovative solutions are easy to use and produce important production gains, including lower mortality, higher weight gain and less antibiotics usage, and therefore, continue to produce significant returns on investment for customers all over the world."



- Tonisity
Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida. Photo: AFP

After the US-Japan-South Korea meeting touched on the Taiwan question at the East Asia Summit, strongly opposing "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo" in the Indo-Pacific, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the relevant countries to abandon their Cold War mentality and stop building up small cliques.Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida explicitly criticizing China during the latest ASEAN-East Summit in Cambodia adds new obstacles to Japan-China relations, despite the leaders of the two countries were reportedly to have their first in-person meeting in three years, Chinese experts said.Following a US-Japan-South Korea meeting on Sunday on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit, the leaders of the three countries issued a joint statement strongly opposing "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in waters of the Indo-Pacific." Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden also emphasized that their basic positions on the Taiwan question "remain unchanged," reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, the statement said.The Asia-Pacific is a promising land for cooperation and development, not a chessboard for major-power rivalry. The countries concerned need to follow the trend of the times, abandon the Cold War mentality, stop piecing together exclusionary circles, and refrain from affecting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a routine press conference on Monday.If the countries concerned truly hope to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, what they need to do is to follow the one-China principle, and join China in unequivocally opposing "Taiwan independence," she said.While the international community expecting the ASEAN-East Asia Summit as well as the upcoming G20 and APEC to bring new momentum to the world's economic recovery and help find new consensus for regional and global cooperation, some countries, particularly the major allies of the US, have actively hyped up the so-called concerns over China's influence in the region, casting a shadow over possible interaction between the leaders at the meetings.Speaking at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia on Sunday, Kishida told other Asian leaders that "China was infringing on Japan's sovereignty" and escalating tensions in the region, Reuters reported. He also mentioned that ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits was important for regional security, voicing "serious concern over the human rights situation" in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Compared to South Korea, Japan has been much more eager to cooperate with the US' strategy of containing China in the region, some experts said. Right-wing forces in Japan have been rising and hyping the "China threat," and Japan's substantive moves on the Taiwan question have gradually escalated over the past few years. Furthermore, Kishida's latest remarks dampen the atmosphere of a possible meeting between the leaders of the two countries, experts said."What Kishida had said reflects the strategic intention of Japan," Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.China should remain cautious about Japan's moves on China, including the use of multilateral mechanisms such as US-Japan-South Korea and Quad to contain China, and Japan may further flip-flop on the Taiwan question, pointing fingers at China's internal affairs, Da said.Kishida will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday at an APEC gathering in Bangkok, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Tokyo's top government spokesperson. The leaders spoke on the phone in October 2021 after Kishida's election, but this will be their first in-person meeting, the media report said."What the Japanese prime minister has said is like pouring cold water on the possible meeting of the two leaders We won't count on one meeting to change the course of bilateral relations, but the two sides need to manage differences effectively amid rivalry of major powers," Da said.2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations, but the status of bilateral ties has been riven with difficulties given the influence of historical and geopolitical factors, experts said."Kishida faces growing pressure domestically, as his cabinet's approval rating fell to a record low and he needs to show this kind of strong stance on diplomacy to win more points," said Da, who also warned of duplicity from Japan in its China policy.Over the past three years, Japan has been taking a much more active stance in cooperating with the US. For example, it has been provocative on the Russia-Ukraine crisis and adding problems to China-Japan relations, experts said."We hope that Japan won't escalate those moves in damaging bilateral ties, and we need such occasions to present our clear stances on matters related to the territorial integrity and international situation," Da said.
Americas Constitutional system is on the brink of collapse: Jonathan Turley

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Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley reacted to the woke historian who claimed that children will die if the GOP wins this midterm election on Fox & Friends Weekend.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The fault lines for the 2024 elections are already taking shape with the two parties in diametrically opposed positions and there is no greater divide than over parental rights. That stark difference was no more evident than in a tweet from Rep. Eric Swalwell, who mocked the notion of parents making major decisions in the education of their children.

The California Democrat insisted that it is akin to "putting patients in charge of their own surgeries? Clients in charge of their own trials?" Swalwell declared: "Please tell me what Im missing here  This is so stupid."

What Rep. Swalwell, a lawyer, is missing is called informed consent.

Since he asked for assistance, lets deal with each in turn.

ERIC SWALWELL LAMENTS IT'S SO STUPID FOR PARENTS TO CONTROL THEIR KIDS' EDUCATION

Patients and medical consent

Video

American torts have long required consent in medical torts. Indeed, what Swalwell seemed to suggest would be battery for doctors to make the key decisions over surgical goals or purposes. Indeed, even when doctors secured consent to operate on one ear, it was still considered battery when they decided in the operation to address the other ear in the best interests of the patient. Mohr v. Williams (Minn. 1905).

In Canterbury v. Spence the court rejected claims that a physician can make key decisions given "the patients right of self-determination." Thus, doctors in the United States do have to secure the consent of patients in what they intend to do in surgeries or other medical procedures. (There are narrow exceptions such things as "substituted consent" or emergencies that do not apply here).

Ironically, California has one of the strongest patient-based consent rules. As the California Supreme Court stated in Cobbs v. Grant (1972): "Unlimited discretion in the physician is irreconcilable with the basic right of the patient to make the ultimate informed decision regarding the course of treatment to which he knowledgeably consents to be subjected."

While obviously a patient cannot direct an operation itself, the doctor is expected to explain and secure the consent of the patient in what a surgery will attempt and how it will be accomplished. That is precisely what parents are demanding in looking at the subjects and books being taught in school. Moreover, that is precisely the role of school boards, which has historically exercised concurrent authority over the schools with the teachers hired under the school board-approved budgets.

Clients and legal consent

Video

Swalwell is also wrong in suggesting that clients are not in charge of their own trials. Not only must attorneys secure the consent of their clients on what will be argued in trial, but they can be removed by their clients for failure to adequately represent their interests. It would be malpractice for a lawyer to tell a client, as suggested by Swalwell, that they do not control the major decisions in their own cases.

Ironically, the informed consent is defined in the Model Rules of Professional Conduct as the "agreement by a person to a proposed course of conduct after the lawyer has communicated adequate information and explanation about the material risks of and reasonably available alternatives to the proposed course of conduct."

Obviously, lawyers must follow their own ethical and professional judgment in trials, and tactical choices are generally left up to the lawyers. However, the main objectives of the trial remain for the client to "knowingly and voluntarily assume the risks of a particular course." Metrick v. Chatz (Ill. App. Ct. 1994).

Much like the claim of parents, clients demand the right to reject a plan for trial and the arguments or means to be used at trial. This right of consent is ongoing and can be exercised at any point in the litigation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

Rep. Eric Swalwell listens during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 6, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Informed consent

Of course, the key to informed consent is that parents are given the information needed to secure their consent. School districts have been resisting such disclosures and pushing back on parental opposition to major curriculum or policy decisions.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

What is most striking about Swalwells reference to patients and clients is that they, under his educational approach, have far more voice in a wart removal or a parking ticket challenge than the education of their children. If anything, his analogies support the call for greater parental knowledge and consent.

In other words, "what is missing here" is that Rep. Swalwells interpretation could constitute both medical and legal malpractice. It may also constitute political malpractice as both parties now careen toward the 2024 elections.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and a practicing criminal defense attorney. He is a Fox News contributor.
The criminal community is operating 24/7: LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva

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LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva shares his insight on hundreds of CA criminal cases being dismissed on Fox News @ Night.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva accepted defeat in his pursuit for a second four-year term in the top law enforcement spot to Robert Luna on Tuesday.

Villanueva, who had a reputation for defying police defunders and vaccine mandates, conceded to his opponent during a press conference where he faulted the county for its negotiation methodology before thanking his staff.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says deputies making arrests, but cases fall apart when they reach DA Gascon. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Couynty supervisors voters to draft a proposal to give them the power to remove him from office. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews)

Whenever there was an executive meeting where decisions were made, he said, they would decide what the right thing to do was, and then figure out how to make it happen.

CALIFORNIA ELECTION RESULTS: LA SHERIFF VILLANUEVA, WHO DEFIED DEFUNDERS, HEADS TO NOVEMBER RUNOFF

"You can negotiate on practices, but you cant negotiate on principles," Villanueva said. "I realize the political environment here in LA has it exactly opposite, but thats the way it should be."

The now former sheriff also had a message for the media, thanking them for their patience and encouraging them to continue to speak the truth and be the voice of democracy.

LOS ANGELES-CA-MAY 31, 2022: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles to announce the results of a recent marijuana eradication operation in the Antelope Valley. ((Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

"You cant survive if all you can do is pair it with the political narrative of the establishment," he said. "That is democracy in decline. So, get back to reporting everything, both sides, passionately, and then well be better off because of it."

LA COUNTY SHERIFF VILLANUEVA REFUSES TO ENFORCE VACCINE MANDATE AT HIS AGENCY: SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED

The LA County Registrar-Recorder website posted live results from the election, and as of Tuesday, Luna had received 60 percent of the vote and Villanueva had 40 percent.

There was also an amendment to the County charter that voters approved with 70.6 percent of the vote. The amendment gives the County Board of Supervisors the authority to remove an elected sheriff from office for cause, including a violation of the law, neglect of duties, misappropriation of funds, willful falsification of documents, or obstructing an investigation, by a four-fifths vote of the Board of Supervisors.

Los Angeles, CA - February 15: Sheriff Alex Villanueva gives details surrounding a weeklong, statewide operation aimed at combatting human trafficking, at a press conference held in Hall of Justice on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
"Right to repair" advocates probably couldn't have imagined that Apple would be one of the biggest names on their side a mere five years ago. But that's precisely what's happening here: The company has officially came out in support of having federal right to repair regulations at an event hosted by the Biden administration. Apple VP Brian Naumann proclaimed at the event that the company "supports a uniform federal law that balances repairability with product integrity, data security, usability, and physical safety." He also said that the company intends to "honor California's new repair provisions across the United States" even though national regulations have yet to be established.

Apple has a lengthy history of opposing attempts at passing right to repair rules. The company once said that Nebraska was bound to become a "mecca for hackers" when a bill was introduced in the state. It changed its tune in the past few years, however, and started selling parts and tools to consumers, as well as offering them access to repair guides so they could fix their iPhones and Macs on their own. Apple also backed State Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman's right to repair bill in California in August before Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law.

Under California rules, device makers are required to stock replacement parts and tools and offer repair documentation for three years for gadgets that cost between $50 and $99. For devices that cost over $100, they're required to provide parts, tools and documentation for seven years. Apple already sells parts and repair tools across the US, but if it's following California provisions nationwide, that means those items and its repair guides would be available for years to anyone in the country.

In addition to promising to honor California's right to repair provisions across the nation, Naumann also talked about what an ideal federal law should have. "We believe that a uniform federal repair law should do the following: Maintain privacy, data and device security features which help to thwart theft; Ensure transparency for consumers about the type of parts used in a repair; Apply prospectively, to allow manufacturers to focus on building new products that can comply with the proposals; And finally, create a strong national standard that benefits consumers across the US and reduces the confusion created by potentially conflicting state approaches," he said.
Honda and GM are abandoning their plan to develop a line of affordable electric vehicles together. Under the program, which was announced in April 2022, the two had committed to building compact crossover EVs that would start at less than GMs upcoming $30,000 electric Chevrolet Equinox. The first models were expected to start releasing in 2027.

Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Honda, confirmed the projects cancellation in an interview with Bloomberg, saying we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment we are ending the development of an affordable EV. Both companies will separately continue exploring options to bring down EV costs, Mibe said.

The decision comes amid industry wide EV production slowdowns and an ongoing United Auto Workers strike, which has GM at its center. Just this week, GM announced it would be delaying the production of EVs that use its Ultium battery pack, including the Equinox, Silverado and GMC Sierra EVs. As part of the now-scrapped affordable EV program with Honda, the companies intended to develop Ultium-based small crossover SUVs to compete with Tesla.

It was just one of several projects Honda and GM have been working on together, and it doesnt seem its dissolution will have any effect on the others. The companies a few days ago announced theyll be working with Cruise to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Japan in 2026.
Researchers have just discovered that the moon is about 40 million years older than previously thought. Which is a big difference. In a study published by the European Association of Geochemistry, scientists looked at the age of crystal formations. The prevalence of zircon crystals in the samples, collected years ago from NASAs Apollo program back in 1972, suggests that the surface of the moon was created around 110 million years after the formation of the solar system.

NASAs theory is that a Mars-sized object collided with Earth several billion years ago to form the moon. This new baseline age of the moon gives scientists a rough idea of when that collision might have occurred.

 Mat Smith

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The tech giant has come out in support of having a uniform federal right to repair law.

iFixit

What?! Apple has officially come out supporting the federal right to repair regulations at an event hosted by the Biden administration. Apple VP Brian Naumann proclaimed at the event that the company "supports a uniform federal law that balances repairability with product integrity, data security, usability, and physical safety." He added that the company intends to "honor California's new repair provisions across the United States." Its a big turn from a company that has opposed right to repair rules. The company once said that Nebraska was bound to become a mecca for hackers when a bill was introduced in the state. That.. didnt happen.

Continue reading.

New iMacs, or MacBooks?

Engadget

Apple just confirmed another streaming event for October 30 at 8PM ET. Its been a surprisingly long time since theres been a new iMac. Bloombergs Mark Gurman suggested that this event will refresh the aging iMac line, but it could also offer up a new MacBook Pro.

The colorful 24-inch M1 iMac came out all the way back in April 2021, which is a lifetime in Apple hardware years. It hasnt been updated since, so thats the prime target for rumors. Further rumors hint that the event may reveal the companys follow-up chip, the M3.

Continue reading.

The anime-focused streamer joins Max, Starz and Paramount+.

The anime-focused channel Crunchyroll, is joining Amazons slate of Prime Video channels. This agreement brings two tiers of Crunchyroll to Prime Video customers in the US, Canada, Sweden and the UK. Like Starz and Max, you wont get access free with a Prime sub, but it silos the channel in a place you might be more likely to access. A Fan subscription gives you full access to the entire catalog of anime, which includes over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, while Mega Fan (ugh, naming) subscribers get offline viewing and access to four concurrent streams. Its $8 a month for the Fan tier and $10 for the Mega Fan tier.

Continue reading.

It's part of an expected class-action settlement over battery issues.

GM will pay $1,400 to owners of 2020-2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs who endured a recall that limited range to 80 percent for a significant period of time. It's effectively an upfront payment to customers as part of an expected class action settlement. Owners must install a "software final remedy" by December 31, 2023 and sign a legal release  those who decline will have to wait for the class action lawsuit to play out. If the settlement ends up being more than $1,400, those who accept the payment will still receive the difference.

Bolt EVs have had a long run of issues with batteries: The 2017-2019 models had serious defects that could cause fires, forcing GM to recall them and install special software, reducing maximum charge levels to 90 percent.

Continue reading.
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) once again played host to Silicon Valleys AI leaders on Tuesday as the US Senate reconvened its AI Insights Forum for a second time. On the guest list this go around: manifesto enthusiast Marc Andreessen and venture capitalist John Doerr, as well as Max Tegmark of the Future of Life Institute and NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson. On the agenda: the transformational innovation that pushes the boundaries of medicine, energy, and science, and the sustainable innovation necessary to drive advancements in security, accountability, and transparency in AI, according to a release from Sen. Schumers office.

Upon exiting the meeting Tuesday, Schumer told the assembled press, "it is clear that American leadership on AI cant be done on the cheap. Almost all of the experts in todays Forum called for robust, sustained federal investment in private and public sectors to achieve our goals of American-led transformative and sustainable innovation in AI.

Per National Security AI Commission estimates, paying for that could cost around $32 billion a year. However, Schumer believes that those funding challenges can be addressed by "leveraging the private sector by employing new and innovative funding mechanisms  like the Grand Challenges prize idea."

"We must prioritize transformational innovation, to help create new vistas, unlock new cures, improve education, reinforce national security, protect the global food supply, and more," Schumer remarked. But in doing so, we must act sustainably in order to minimize harms to workers, civil society and the environment. "We need to strike a balance between transformational and sustainable innovation," Schumer said. "Finding this balance will be key to our success."

Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) also got in on the proposed regulatory action Tuesday, introducing legislation that would provide more transparency on AI-generated content by requiring clear labeling and disclosures. Such technology could resemble the Content Credentials tag that the C2PA and CAI industry advocacy groups are developing.

"Our bill is simple," Senator Schatz said in a press statement. "If any content is made by artificial intelligence, it should be labeled so that people are aware and arent fooled or scammed.

The Schatz-Kennedy AI Labeling Act, as they're calling it, would require generative AI system developers to clearly and conspicuously disclose AI-generated content to users. Those developers, and their licensees, would also have to take "reasonable steps" to prevent "systematic publication of content without disclosures." The bill would also establish a working group to create non-binding technical standards to help social media platforms automatically identify such content as well.

It puts the onus where it belongs: on the companies and not the consumers, Schatz said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Labels will help people to be informed. They will also help companies using AI to build trust in their content.

Tuesdays meeting follows the recent introduction of new AI legislation, dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act of 2023 (S. 3050). Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Todd Young (R-IN) all co-sponsored the bill. The bill proposes AI bug bounty programs and would require a vulnerability analysis study for AI-enabled military applications. Its passage into law would also launch a report into AI regulation in the financial services industry (which the head of the SEC had recently been lamenting) as well as a second report on data sharing and coordination.

Its frankly a hard challenge, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler told The Financial Times recently, speaking on the challenges the financial industry faces in AI adoption and regulation. Its a hard financial stability issue to address because most of our regulation is about individual institutions, individual banks, individual money market funds, individual brokers; its just in the nature of what we do.

"Working people are fighting back against artificial intelligence and other technology used to eliminate workers or undermine and exploit us," AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said at the conclusion of Tuesday's forum. "If we fail to involve workers and unions across the entire innovation process, AI will curtail our rights, threaten good jobs and undermine our democracy. But the responsible adoption of AI, properly regulated, has the potential to create opportunity, improve working conditions and build prosperity."

The forums are part of Senator Schumers SAFE Innovation Framework, which his office debuted in June. The US must lead in innovation and write the rules of the road on AI and not let adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party craft the standards for a technology set to become as transformative as electricity, the program announcement reads.

While Andreesen calls for AI advancement at any cost and Tegmark continues to advocate for a developmental time out, rank and file AI industry workers are also fighting to make their voices heard ahead of the forum. On Monday, a group of employees from two dozen leading AI firms published an open letter to Senator Schumer, demanding Congress take action to safeguard their livelihoods from the dystopian future that Andreessens screed, for example, would require.

Establishing robust protections related to workplace technology and rebalancing power between workers and employers could reorient the economy and tech innovation toward more equitable and sustainable outcomes, the letter authors argue.

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) had, the previous month, called on leading AI companies to answer for the working conditions of their data workers, laborers who are often paid low wages and provided no benefits but keep AI products online.

"We covered a lot of good ground today, and I think well all be walking out of the room with a deeper understanding of how to approach American-led AI innovation," Schumer said Tueseay. "Well continue this conversation in weeks and months to come  in more forums like this and committee hearings in Congress  as we work to develop comprehensive, bipartisan AI legislation."
The Biden Administration is reportedly set to unveil a broad executive order on artificial intelligence next week. According to The Washington Post, the White Houses sweeping order would use the federal governments purchasing power to enforce requirements on AI models before government agencies can use them. The order is reportedly scheduled for Monday, October 30, two days before an international AI Safety Summit in the UK.

The order will allegedly require advanced AI models to undergo a series of assessments before federal agencies can adopt them. In addition, it would ease immigration for highly skilled workers, which was heavily restricted during the Trump administration. Federal agencies, including the Defense Department, Energy Department and intelligence branches, would also have to assess how they might incorporate AI into their work. The report notes that the analyses would emphasize strengthening the nations cyber defenses.

On Tuesday evening, the White House reportedly sent invitations for a Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence event for Monday, October 30, hosted by President Biden. The Washington Post indicates that the executive order isnt finalized, and details could still change.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (PHILIP FONG via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, European officials are working on AI regulations across the Atlantic, aiming for a finalized package by the end of the year. The US Congress is also in the earlier stages of drafting AI regulations. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) hosted AI leaders on Tuesday at the second AI Insights Forum.

AI regulation is currently one of the most buzzed-about topics in the tech world. Generative AI has rapidly advanced in the last two years as image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E 3 emerged, producing convincing photos that could be disseminated for disinformation and propaganda (as some political campaigns have already done). Meanwhile, OpenAIs ChatGPT, Anthropics Claude, Googles Bard and other advanced large language model (LLM) chatbots have arguably sparked even more concern, allowing anyone to compose fairly convincing text passages while answering questions that may or may not be truthful. There are even AI models for cloning celebrities voices.

In addition to misinformation and its potential impact on elections, generative AI also sparks worries about the job market, especially for artists, graphic designers, developers and writers. Several high-profile media outlets, most infamously CNET, have been caught using AI to compose entire error-ridden articles with only the thinnest of disclosures.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Cloudy. High around 50F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.
PHOENIX  Arizona veterans groups say state agencies are unfairly cracking down on electronic bingo cards, while state agencies say agents are only conducting inspections to prevent the use of illegal bingo machines.

At a news conference at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, several members of local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts were joined by Republican Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli, who said the departments of Revenue, Gaming, and Liquor are conducting raids and harassing organizations for their use of bingo technological aids.

Bingo technological aids, or BTAs, are electronic bingo cards that assist bingo players with disabilities and have been legal since 2017. The state says these organizations are not being penalized for using BTAs, but for using bingo gambling machines, which resemble slot machines and can be played without other players present.

Bingo is legal to play in Arizona but must be conducted by licensed game conductors who follow specific rules outlined by the Department of Revenue. Possessing a bingo gambling machine is illegal and could lead to a class two misdemeanor.

Borrelli said that a letter sent by the departments on Sept. 1 was threatening to criminally prosecute the organizations that host bingo.

Their gaming agents have been going into these nonprofit organizations, heavy handed, flashing badges, freaking out bartenders with criminal prosecution and intimidation, and its ridiculous, Borrelli said at the news conference.

According to a letter from the state agencies sent to Borrelli on Monday, no threats of criminal prosecution were made, and the agencies goal is to help organizations comply with the law. The agencies said in the Sept. 1 letter that if venues with liquor licenses knowingly allow illegal bingo machines on their premises, their liquor licenses could be revoked.

Additionally, the state agencies denied the allegation that agents were carrying out raids, but instead were conducting routine inspections on bingo licenses after noticing an uptick in illegal machines. These inspections are meant to give licensees every opportunity to comply with the law, a fact sheet from the Arizona Department of Gaming said. However, many veterans at the news conference expressed concern for how the inspections were carried out.

Jim Zawacki, a veteran and member of the Arizona VFW, said state agents have been aggressive in their inspections, instead of working with the local posts running bingo games.

Their responsibility is to walk in and if they see an infraction, to help us correct those infractions, Zawacki said.

In an interview with Cronkite News after the news conference, Zawacki said local veteran organizations rely on money from bingo to keep posts running, support members and give back to the community.

Were not only trying to help ourselves, but were helping the community also, Zawacki said. We open our hearts to help everybody.

Other veterans who spoke at the news conference said revenue from bingo games paid for school supplies for children, food for local food banks and donations to MANA House, an organization that supports homeless veterans.

Christian Slater, a spokesperson for Gov. Katie Hobbs, said in an emailed statement that the state agencies are not trying to prevent the organizations from generating revenue to give back to the community, but are trying to prevent exploitation of veterans and older Arizonans who use bingo machines.

Senator Borrelli seems more interested in promoting unregulated, potentially predatory gambling than in helping non-profit organizations comply with the law, Slater said in the statement. Its shameful he would make a political stunt out of Governor Hobbs protecting some of Arizonas most vulnerable populations from corporations that could be exploiting them for personal profit.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
Douglas G. Eisenzimer, 87 of Simms, Montana passed away in his home on October 20, 2023, with his wife Karen by his side.

He was born to Leo J. and Martha Eisenzimer in Great Falls, MT on November 26, 1935. Doug attended school in Simms and graduated from high school in 1953, where he met his wife, Karen Siemens. They got married on June 1, 1957 at St. Peters Mission near Karen's family ranch.

Doug started working highway construction in 1959 and retired in 1981 as foreman for McIntyre Construction.

Venturing into their own business after retirement, Doug and Karen purchased the Sinclair Service Station in Simms, running a full variety of service, tires and delivering of fuel to the local farmers and ranchers in the surrounding area.

Doug and his good friend (Pud) John Holland always had a knack for engineering and manufacturing different equipment and machinery to do different jobs that needed to be done. He always had time to help, whether it be mechanic work on an engine or building a house or garage for family and friends.

He always enjoyed spending time with family and friends playing cards, from his earlier years of playing panguingue, to his later years of playing O'Hell, always asking, who wants to lose some quarters or how do you play this game, I can't remember.

He was an avid fisherman and liked to hunt, he belonged to the Eagles Club and spent many years as a volunteer for the Simms Fire Department, with his highlight always being the pancake supper held yearly by the fire department.

Doug is survived by his wife, Karen Eisenzimer; son, Jim Eisenzimer, Dillon, MT; son Tom (Kelsey) Eisenzimer, Simms, MT; son Brian (Betty) Eisenzimer, Lincoln, MT; sister Leona Ray Great Falls, MT; brothers Dick (Carol) Eisenzimer, Dan Eisenzimer of Simms and Mark (Phyllis) Eisenzimer of Woods Bay, MT.

He was blessed with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Doug was preceded in death by his parents Leo and Martha Eisenzimer; brother Raymond Eisenzimer and grandson Ryan Eisenzimer.

A celebration in memory of Doug will be held at a later date.
Montana is set to receive $450,000 and the opportunity to compete for millions in private and federal grants after receiving the federal designation of Regional Tech Hub.

Designation of the Montana Headwaters Regional Technology and Innovation Hub will focus on supporting workforce development and jobs in the photonics, optics and autonomous systems industries. The technologies are important for natural resource management, agriculture, disaster prevention applications and defense.

The hub designation comes as part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act that Congress passed last year to invest in high-tech jobs and research across the country. The Montana hub is one of 31 tech hub designations awarded to states and regions across the county.

The $450,000 will go to Accelerate Montana, an economic development consortium based in Missoula, to help plan the hubs launch and figure out funding opportunities for Montana.

Being designated as a tech hub opens the doors for phase two funding through the CHIPS and Science Act, which Montana plans to apply for in February 2024, said Accelerate Montana Director Paul Gladen in an interview Tuesday.

If successful, Montana could be awarded between $40 to $70 million to fund projects related to supporting existing tech companies in the photonics, optics and automation fields, and also creating new companies, Gladen said.

Ultimately, the award could create thousands of new jobs for Montanans, he added.

Jason Yager, president of Montana Photonics and Quantum Alliance said in a press release the once-in-a-lifetime designation would exponentially increase industry growth. Bridger Photonics CEO also added the hub will allow the company to leverage our potential to the fullest.

Joe Shaw, engineering professor and director of the Optical Technology Center at Montana State University, said in a Tuesday interview that tech companies here have a need for well-trained employees who can design and manufacture lasers and optical sensors for products like automated drones and self-driving cars.

Ultimately, Shaw wants MSU to create an undergraduate major in engineering for photonic systems in order to train students for local jobs in the rapidly-expanding tech field. If awarded, the phase two money could help develop that.

Right now, the bulk of that training happens at the graduate level, and undergraduate students interested in those fields can major in physics or electrical engineering and pursue a minor in optics and photonics systems.

This would be an industry-requested degree program that would help fill in some of the gaps, Shaw said.

Shaw highlighted the growing need for such technologies like lidar, hyperspectral imaging, and autonomous systems, which are being increasingly used in Montana for things like monitoring crop fields with drones, creating self-driving cars and tractors, and using drones to map forest quality and optimal locations for prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk.

Montanas representatives, universities, tech companies and Chamber of Commerce all celebrated the designation awarded on Monday, saying it will be a huge boost to cutting-edge workforce development and technology design across the state.

This designation for a technology hub in Montana gives us another opportunity to punch above our weight for our national competitiveness and securing our supply chains for technological innovations. Industries such as mining, agriculture, construction, and infrastructure development, will greatly benefit from this program, said Montana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd OHair in a press release.

In 2021, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) sponsored an amendment to the CHIPS and Science Act to ensure some of the funding would go to rural areas. The senator then pushed for specifically Montana to be one of the rural awardees through writing letters to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and hosting a roundtable in Missoula this February to garner support for the hub.

Todays designation affirms what Montanans across our state already know to be true: there is untapped potential in rural America, Tester said in a release. Im proud to have led the charge to secure this competitive designation that will unlock new private and federal investments to turbocharge Montanas economy, small businesses, and academic institutions.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who co-sponsored the CHIPs and Science Act, also hailed the tech hub designation as a victory for Montanas economy.

Todays announcement is another milestone for Montana, speaks volumes about the quality of our workforce and further solidifies our standing as a leading hub for cutting edge technology and research in the country, Daines said in a release.

Gov. Gianforte also applauded the hub designation, writing in a release that thanks to our pro-business policies and the unparalleled work ethic of Montanans, Montana is a growing hub for innovative, job-creating businesses in photonics, optics, and quantum.
A rally of support for Palestine clashed with white supremacists who used the rally as a platform to target the Jewish community and Israel in Missoula on Oct. 21, 2023(Photo by Hayden Blackford for the Daily Montanan).

Outside the Missoula County Courthouse, a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday turned tense after a crew of white supremacists arrived.

A shouting match started across an intersection between the two groups, with police in between, lasting for about 35 minutes before one man from the hate group was arrested and pro-Palestinian demonstrators denounced the group. The pro-Palestinian side then left, concerned for their safety.

Its challenging to live in Montana and to see the hate like literally right in front of you, said Lily Sussman, a pro-Palestinian demonstrator, as she looked on to the other group across the street.

Behind the incident were hints of a larger political conversation about anti-Semitism versus anti-Zionism. During the confrontation, the white supremacists attempted to unify themselves with the pro-Palestinian group under a shared banner of hatred against Jewish people. In turn, the pro-Palestinian group had to define their stance.

***

Protests initially began at noon in front of Missoula Countys courthouse, with people holding up signs decrying the bombing of Gaza in the recent war between Israel and Hamas. Led by the group Montanans in Solidarity with Palestine, Saturdays protest was the second of its kind in Missoula after an event last week. Missoulas anti-war protest that day was just one of several similar gatherings across the world.

Approximately 30 minutes into the protest, word began to spread in the crowd that a hate group had been spotted across town on Russell Street at Har Shalom, a synagogue. Prior to crowding the sidewalk in front of Har Shalom, the hate group had protested outside the International Rescue Committee, a refugee-assistance organization.

A rough count of about 24 men were present, according to a statement released later that day by Har Shalom. All of the mens faces were concealed behind masks. They held up signs that rejected refugees and claimed a genocide against whites.

While the men appeared to be members of a few different organizations from [s]everal branches of the Active Club Network, according to the statement, there were a few regional white supremacist groups pinpointed.

Active Clubs are local or area organizations of people who see themselves as fighters who believe that the government is actively plotting against the white race, and often hand out propaganda, literature and demonstrate publicly, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

We saw shirts identifying club members as the Big Sky Active Club, and also the Evergreen Active Club, read the statement. Flyers handed out by the group indicated a connection with White Lives Matter as well.

In response to the hate groups presence on Russell Street, police and a crowd of people showed up. Counter protesters brought out Black Lives Matter signs.

The IRC did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Meanwhile, at about 1 p.m. the pro-Palestinian crowdnumbering somewhere between 100 and 150marched two blocks away to stand outside of U.S. Sen. Jon Testers office, demanding the legislator support a ceasefire in Gaza.

At about 1:20 p.m., by the time protesters marched back around the street from Higgins to the corner of Broadway and Ryman, the pro-Palestinian demonstrators spotted the hate group outside the courthouse.

As the white supremacists and pro-Palestinian demonstrators encountered each other, police kept the two divided between the road. But that didnt stop a verbal exchange between the groups, which quickly became hostile.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will soon be free! pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted, continuing with their message.

One man from the hate group, brandishing a swastika on his chest, yelled back into a megaphone hip hip Hamas! Hip hip Hezbollah! celebrating the Palestinian and Lebanese militia groups, respectively, that have combated Israel.

Members of the hate group began gesturing Nazi salutes.

Show your faces you fking cowards! yelled one pro-Palestinian demonstrator.

Go home Nazis! pro-Palestinian protesters chanted. No more Nazis!

Carly Fuglei, a leading organizer of Montanans in Solidarity with Palestine, was so caught off-guard by the whole encounter that she took a moment to meditate in an attempt to calm herself down.

It was surprising and shocking to see the neo-Nazis turn up, Fuglei said later on. So that was admittedly a bit scary when I turned the corner and there they were trying to start some sh-t with us.

Those in the hate group attempted to unify with the pro-Palestinian rally, suggesting that both had a common enemy  Jewish people.

As pro-Palestinian demonstrators continued chanting free, free Palestine! the white supremacists with the megaphone responded: the Jews have to be stopped if you want to free Palestine.

At that moment, members of the hate group unfurled their banners to face the other protesters, displaying messages that read White Pride Worldwide, Refugees Not Welcome and Diversity = White Genocide.

Thank you for coming out to support us today, said the man with the swastika and megaphone. We couldnt have done this without you.

After about 15 minutes into the encounter, the man holding the megaphone was arrested. Later, the man was identified as Larkin M. McIntyre, 46, of Washington state, as first reported by the Missoulian.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators applauded, then mobilized to capture photos of the man in police custody as multiple officers handcuffed him and removed his mask.

A news release from the police said that the man was arrested for disorderly conduct after officers noticed a concerning escalation in (his) behavior. The man was subsequently cited and released.

The individual had antagonized a few Native American people on the scene by shouting racial slurs and derogatory comments, Public Information Officer Whitney Bennett clarified in an interview.

***

On the pro-Palestinian side, across her 15 years involved with international activism, Fuglei had never quite seen anything like what happened on Saturday. After calling another activist friend for advice, she figured out a strategy with her co-organizers.

It was determined that after denouncing the hate groups views, the best approach would be to move the protest elsewhere.

For several minutes, pro-Palestinian demonstrators expressed their message that the two groups were not aligned.

We love refugees! We love queer people! Brendan Work, a lead organizer of the event yelled into a microphone as the crowd cheered. A few hours later, Montanas in Solidarity with Palestine released a statement on Facebook, denouncing the hate group.

We offer our unqualified solidarity with the Jewish and immigrant communities in Missoula against fascism and anti-Semitism, the statement read.

Its important in Missoula, when Nazis come to town, we shout them down, said Paul Kim, another organizer of the event. Nazi values are not welcome in Missoula, and the pro-Palestinian movement in Missoula wholeheartedly rejects Nazis and their vile anti-Semitism.

By about 1:55 p.m., pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched to the Beartracks Bridge on Higgins Avenue.

We de-escalated the situation and ended up moving our protest away to be targeted at the general public again, rather than just in getting into a screaming battle with those people, Fuglei said.

Fuglei felt proud of how everything was handled and the diverse community she rallied alongside.

I would just reiterate that our movement today included Indigenous people, included members of the refugee community in Missoula, it included many Jewish people, it included many queer people, she said. It was a very intersectional and beautiful event with amazing representation.

After the pro-Palestinian demonstrators left, a member of the hate group took over the megaphone and continued announcing hate speech to passersby.

Chris, a member of the Active Club who asked to use a fake name for fear of his identity being posted online, said that his group didnt know there would be a pro-Palestinian rally, but they werent surprised to see one. He explained that his group went to Missoula specifically to spread their own messages. Chris presented flyers that espoused ideas about Mexican drug cartels and Jewish-controlled media.

When asked why he and others in his group chose to wear masks, he spoke of concerns around losing his job based on his political viewpoints.

Were just regular people, said Chris. We live here, we work here. We just want to live our lives. We want to be able to express our belief without the consequence of literallyI mean its a life or death situation. You lose your job, thats food, thats home, thats everything.

Other members of the hate group present declined to comment.

In a phone interview the following day, Rabbi Chezcky Vogel, head of the Chabad Jewish Center of Missoula, said that the FBI had warned him on Friday there would be an upcoming white supremacists gathering. After the protests, police had called him to say theyd increase patrols nearby the Chabad on Saturday night.

Vogel has been vigilant since the recent escalations in Israel, and maintains regular contact with both the FBI and Missoula Police for the presence of hate groups.

Word soon spread around Missoula and on social media about the confrontation, with both mayoral candidates Andrea Davis and Mike Nugent posting against hate on their campaign Instagram accounts.

Reflecting on what had unfolded that day after everyone had dispersed, Brendan Work felt that despite the confrontation, he and his community of pro-Palestinian activists were steadfast in their mission.

I think it was important to show people within our movement, and outside our movement, that we are greater in numbers, more powerful in message, and more courageous than the smaller, more weaker, more cowardly white supremacists on the other side, said Work.

The post Pro-Palestinian protesters clash with white supremacists in Missoula during the weekend appeared first on Daily Montanan.
For the first time in American history, a Speaker of the House has been removed from office.

Just days prior to that historic event, a government shutdown was temporarily averted by the passage of a bipartisan continuing resolution that funds the federal government through November 17. All but one Democrat joined some Republicans in passing the CR, with a majority of Republicans opposed. Then on Tuesday, Oct. 3, Rep. Matt Gaetz made a privileged Motion to Vacate the Chair, which passed 216-210, with eight Republicans joined by all Democrats.

Now, the House will need to choose a speaker for the rest of the 118th Congress.

Does Rep. McCarthys removal as speaker mean that the House of Representatives, as many are saying, is broken? No, not as an institution. But it does reflect the stark and widening divisions that are present not only in the Republican Party but in our country as a whole.

The American founders intentionally created divided government, fearing a party-spirit and the tyranny of the majority. Yet they also wanted a government responsive to popular will. They based American self-government on reflection and choice rather than accident and force, as Alexander Hamilton described it in the first Federalist paper.

The founding fathers chose not to create a parliamentary system and instead separated power between three branches. With a weak party system, this sets up competing power arrangements, as the various branches struggle over which sets the policy agenda. Unlike a parliamentary system, in which a bare majority can pass virtually anything, our system requires agreement by three different bodies, emphasizing compromise.

The Constitution vests all legislative power in Congress, but it lets each house determine the Rules of its Proceedings. How the speaker is to be chosen is left to the House to work out on its own.

The first speakers were modeled after the British House of Commons and various colonial assemblies, where they were just neutral presiding officers. This changed in 1811 when the U.S. was divided as to which course to steer between Great Britain and Napoleons French Empire. In the Senate, Kentuckys Henry Clay pushed for war with Britain over their blockade of American trade. Clay decided to run for a House seat in 1810, because he preferred the turbulence of the House over the solemn stillness of the Senate.

After the election, Clay caucused with other War Hawks and they elected Clay on the first ballot of the 12th Congress in 1811. Clay was not a mere presiding officer: he became a strong partisan party leader, appointing allies to chair key committees, participating in debates, enforcing House rules, and setting the legislative agenda. From that point on, the speaker was the leader of the majority party in the House.

Another powerful speaker in U.S. history was Rep. Joe Cannon, who was first elected to the speakership in November 1903. Speaker Cannon ruled the House with a firm hand, chairing the Rules Committee, which had the power to decide which bills could be debated and disciplined recalcitrant members. He also blocked much of fellow Republican President Theodore Roosevelts legislative agenda.

Cannon survived a motion to vacate the chair made by a coalition of Progressive Republicans and Democrats led by George Norris. But the speakers absolute authority was broken. Until Republicans under Newt Gingrich retook the House in the historic midterm election of 1994, power in the House shifted to committee chairmen, selected based on seniority.

Under Speaker Gingrich, Republicans adopted a rules package that started the modern trend of centralizing power back into the speakers office. Committee staffs were reduced, proxy voting was abolished, and committee chairs were now selected by ability and subject to term limits. Though his successor, Speaker Dennis Hastert, developed a way to choose committee chairs by a competitive process through the Steering Committee, the real power remained with the speaker. Significantly, when the Democrats returned to power under Nancy Pelosis leadership after the 2006 election, they retained the framework that kept power consolidated in the speakership.

What does all this history say about the House as an institution? The process is not broken. But in an almost equally divided nation, a small minority within a party can disrupt legislative operations, which often leads to that partys defeat at the next election.

We will now see whether a House majority can coalesce behind another speaker. Until the American people make their decision in the 2024 election, and absent a rules change to increase the threshold of a motion to vacate, power will shift away from the House to the other branches. Whatever the outcome, there is little chance the House will calm its turbulence.

Fred Beuttler was the former Deputy Historian of the House of Representatives from 2005-2010 and was an Associate Dean at the University of Chicagos Graham School. He is a faculty partner with the Jack Miller Center.
The Marine Corps recently misplaced for about 24 hours a fighter jet that cost about $100 million, turning to the public for help finding this expensive, top-secret equipment that they were unable to locate.

On the evening of Sept. 18, Joint Base Charleston made a post on Facebook asking for the publics help locating an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet lost from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501 with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, noting that while the pilot safely ejected during a mishap, the jet was missing.

Waste of the Day 10.25.23

The post asked the public to call 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs Office if anyone had seen the jet.

Over 24 hours later, the plane was eventually found in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, about 80 miles north of where it had taken off, according to NBC. An investigation is still ongoing to determine why the pilot ejected and how the plane flew for 60 miles with no pilot, according to AP.

Criticism from lawmakers quickly followed, with Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) posting on social media platform X, How in the hell do you lose an F-35? AP reported these cutting-edge warplanes from Lockheed Martin cost about $100 million apiece.

The F-35 program, which is on track to cost the government $1.7 trillion over its lifetime, has been plagued for years by cost overruns, delivery delays, and equipment malfunctions since its inception, according to the Government Accountability Office.

With the confusion over the loss of this expensive jet for over 24 hours, its no wonder why the Department of Defense has never passed an audit, and why we should be leery of continuing to reward the Pentagon with more money when it cant manage the assets it has now.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
ALLIANCE, Ohio  On a brisk autumn morning, Union Avenue United Methodist Church volunteers roll out pastry dough with flour-coated hands, cut it into squares of four and mold it perfectly around a delicious empire apple to make their famous apple dumplings.

Union Avenue United Methodist Church began making dumplings in 2002 as a challenge to raise money. Now in its 21st year of dumpling making, raising money isnt so much a challenge anymore but a means to give back to the local community.

Clyde Lepley has been involved as one of the apple peelers since the fundraiser started. He started volunteering and continues to volunteer because of the fundraisers mission.

Its pretty straightforward stuff, but it takes a lot of people, usually 10 to 12 here every other day, Leptey said. (But we) all love the mission.

Apple dumpling evolution

The idea to create an apple dumpling fundraiser started at the annual East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church when delegates were given $1 from the conference treasury to use as a means of raising money for local charities and non-profit organizations.

Roughly 25 people from the church pooled their money together to buy apples and flour, to make a small batch of apple dumplings. The soft launch went well, and now they make dumplings in high quantities that sell out almost every week.

The volunteer crew comes out every Monday and Tuesday morning until Thanksgiving to make dumplings.

Chris Lamb, the administrative assistant at Union Avenue United Methodist Church, says the support from the community has been overwhelming.

Everyone is very generous. We have lots of repeat customers, people that come every year, Lamb said.

The fundraiser was initially run by the United Methodist Women but was taken over by the United Methodist Men in 2008.

Helping the community.

Despite an increase in apple dumpling sales, the church has still faced its share of hardships over the years, particularly when COVID-19 hit in 2020.

Margaret Brown, the volunteer kitchen manager for the apple dumpling fundraiser, says the crew making apple dumplings had to be reduced significantly and separated according to social distance procedures. They also had to change the way they handled money during this time.

But nevertheless, they persisted. Brown believes a major reason they were able to get through this period was the overwhelming amount of people who still showed up to get their dumplings.

(People came out) maybe even a little bit more because they appreciated getting the dumplings and something theyre used to and our efforts, Brown said. We worked through it so we could keep producing and selling because its a big fundraiser.

The fundraiser goes to support projects and community groups like Habitat for Humanity, Alliance Community Pantry, YMCA Campaign, YWCA of Alliance, Salvation Army of Alliance, Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter, the Communities Outreach Fund and the churchs monthly spaghetti dinners.

Lamb said a portion of funds go to Habitat for Humanity to build apostle homes.

Theres set workdays and the church usually has one to two of the workdays during this building time. Volunteers from the church go in to nail, (they work) on framing, Lamb said. So in addition to the funding, we also do the physical labor aspects.

As for the future, Brown says she will continue to be involved in the tradition of making apple dumplings because of the stories and memories made over the years.

Its a lot of fun, really. At the butcher block, we say theres lots of stories they could tell because the ladies just sit there and talk the whole time around the tables, Brown laughs. People, all these years, generations around that table talking and telling their stories.

***

How to get dumplings:

Sold on weekdays between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday mornings

Purchase them at the churchs north-side parking lot

Packs of six for $12

Businesses can get delivered dumplings when buying five or more packs

Union Avenue United Methodist Church is located at 1843 S. Union Ave., Alliance, Ohio.

For more information, call the church at 330-823-9270.

(Reporter Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
A Pembrokeshire dairy farmer who created a future herd after losing many of the family pedigrees to bovine TB has won an industry award for his 'determination and passion'.

Harri Vaughan, from Tufton, was handed the Dairy Stockperson of the Year Award at this week's Welsh Dairy Show.

The competition, now in its 10th year, recognises the contribution a good stockperson can make to a dairy enterprise, as well as the wider industry.

Award judges heard Harri's backstory, as he was raised on his grandparents dairy farm with his parents also becoming involved in the business many years ago.

When he was eight months old he would go with his grandmother to feed the cows and would carry around a bucket, where his passion for dairy farming began.

He studied agriculture at Hartpury College and spent a year on a dairy farm during his placement.

Judges heard that Harri plays a vital role in running and managing the dairy, beef and sheep farm and, along with his wife Hannah, has more recently achieved his childhood dream of buying the neighbouring farm, which both his father and grandfather previously worked on.

He manages the overall farm as well as the dairy herd which has recently grown from 250 to 450 cows, with further plans to expand to 500 dairy cows.

All the day-to-day tasks are done by Harri, including milking, feeding, AI, and animal husbandry. He also deals with the in-calf heifers, bulling heifers and the weaned cows.

Harri is involved with all aspects of care and management of the farm and stock, the award judges heard.

He has a passion for breeding on the farm and works on the fertility programmes for the stock, choosing all the bulls for the cows and heifers.

After the business took a huge knock with bovine TB just over a year ago, where he lost many of the family pedigrees, his "determination to come back better and stronger and to create a future herd that he is proud of is plain to see".

Harri also showcases his daily farming life on Instagram and also takes part in FarmerTime with his wife Hannah.

NFU Cymru dairy board chair, Jonathan Wilkinson congratulated Harri on winning this award, adding that the standard of entries in this years competition were extremely high.

"Harris passion and positivity for the future of the dairy industry here in Wales, meant he stood out during the judging process.

"From the moment we met him, Harris enthusiasm for dairy farming was clear to see and we were delighted to present him with this award today."
The number of low-welfare eggs entering the UK from Poland rose by more than 2,000% between 2021 to August 2023, figures show.

Nearly 2,000 consignments of eggs from Poland entered the UK during the period, while 279 consignments came from Italy, a 300% increase.

In 2021, only 46 consignments came from Poland and 72 from Italy, figures by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) show.

The total number of consignments imported went from 422 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022, and has already reached 2,536 in the first eight months of 2023.

During this period, UK egg producers cut production due to surging feed and energy costs, with production falling by 8% in 2022 and 10% this year,

NFU President Minette Batters told The Guardian that she was 'staggered' by figures, adding that it 'raises serious questions'.

When the medical advice is to eat British Lion eggs, why on earth would they be importing eggs produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK? she asked.

It raises serious questions as to whether the government is checking food imports given the ongoing delays in the border target operating model.

Gary Ford, the deputy chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council, told the paper it was 'very disappointing' to see such figures.

He said: Its also very concerning for consumers, with a recent report showing that a large salmonella outbreak earlier this year was linked to Polish eggs.
Farmers will work with Welsh authorities to help deliver nature-based flood management solutions across all major river catchments, it has been announced.

The 4.6m programme, announced by the Welsh government today, aims to reduce flood risk for around 2,000 properties using the power of nature.

The two-year Natural Flood Management Accelerator Programme will spur on authorities to work with Welsh farmers and landowners on nature-based solutions that reduce flood risk.

The programme, which will fund 23 projects across eight different authorities, is expected to reduce flood risk for around 2,000 properties.

Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said that with the support of farmers, the rural economy and natural environment could be developed in a sustainable way.

"This will further enhance our knowledge and experience in delivering co-ordinated collaborative projects within known flood prone areas," she said.

"Through continued delivery and knowledge gained from schemes like this, we are also reducing instances of pollution, reducing surface water runoff and encouraging new methods to adapting to a changing climate.

"We all recognise the need to be more collaborative in our thinking whilst exploring and encouraging new ways of working that will deliver at pace and scale.

"This investment will allow Risk Management Authorities and local communities to lead on projects and reduce the risk of flooding within their area."

It comes after the NFU yesterday urged the UK government to 'match its talk' about the importance of UK food security with action on water management.

As more heavy rain is forecast this week and river levels still to peak in some areas, the union said a comprehensive water management strategy was urgently needed.
Representatives of Bangladeshs readymade garment manufacturers and workers at the Minimum Wage Board recently submitted their proposals for a new minimum wage for the apparel industry, with a difference of nearly Tk 10,000.

Factory owners' representative Siddiqur Rahman and workers' representative Sirajul Islam Rony proposed Tk 10,400 and Tk 20,393 as the minimum monthly wages respectively, with 51.25 per cent and more than 61 per cent as basic pay.

Representatives of Bangladesh's garment manufacturers and workers at the Minimum Wage Board recently submitted proposals for a new minimum monthly wage, with a difference of nearly Tk 10,000. While workers sought Tk 20,393 as the minimum wage, with over 61 per cent of it as basic pay, factory owners wanted Tk 10,400, with 51.25 per cent as basic pay.

Labour rights groups, however, rejected both the proposals and reiterated their demands ranging from Tk 23,000 to Tk 25,000 as the minimum monthly wage.

The minimum monthly wage for garment workers at grade seven is Tk 8,000 now. It was fixed in 2018. It includes Tk 4,100 basic pay, Tk 2,050 house rent, Tk 600 medical allowance, Tk 350 transport allowance and Tk 900 food allowance.

Rony proposed abolishing the sixth and seventh grades and demanded Tk 12,462 as basic pay for the proposed new minimum monthly wage of Tk 20,393 for junior operators at grade five, according to domestic media reports.

Rahman proposed abolishing the top two gradesone and two, saying that the number of workers in these two grades is low and their real wages are higher than the minimum wages.

Rony also proposed a festival allowance not lower than the monthly basic pay.

Proposals from both sides included introducing food rationing for garment workers and government measures to control house rent at labour-intensive industrial zones.

The boards next meeting will be held on November 1, as the new wage structure will come into effect from December this year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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UK-Vietnam trade in goods and services during the four quarters leading up to the end of the first quarter (Q1) this year was worth 6.7 billion ($8.14 billion)a rise of 16.6 per cent year on year (YoY), according to data released by the UK department for international trade.

UK exports to Vietnam totalled 1 billion during this periodan increase of 21.1 per cent YoY. Out of that, goods exports accounted for 797 million, or 77.5 per cent. UK goods exports to Vietnam surged by 33.3 per cent YoY during the period.

Total UK-Vietnam trade during the 4 quarters leading up to the end of the first quarter this year was worth 6.7 billiona rise of 16.6 per cent year on year (YoY), UK government data show. UK exports to Vietnam totalled 1 billion during this periodan increase of 21.1 per cent YoY, while imports from Vietnam reached 5.7 billionup by 15.8 per cent YoY.

UK imports from Vietnam during the period reached 5.7 billionup by 15.8 per cent YoY. Of these, goods were worth 5.4 billion, or 94.6 per cent. Imports of goods from Vietnam saw a YoY growth of 12.6 per cent in the period, a news agency reported.

The top five imports included clothing (542.9 million, or 10.1 per cent) and footwear (524.8 million, or 9.8 per cent).

Despite the impressive trade growth, the UK reported a total trade deficit of 4.6 billion with Vietnam during the period compared to 4.1 billion in the preceding four quarters.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Life in a... Metro

CityLights

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local

The Lunchbox

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Dhobi Ghat

Major

Salaam Bombay!

Shahid

Page 3

Shor In The City

Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

Wake Up Sid

Shootout at Lokhandwala

Mumbai, sometimes referred to as Bombay, is frequently hailed as the City of Dreams. Not only does it serve as the financial capital of the nation, but it's also the epicentre of the Hindi film industry, affectionately known as Bollywood. People often flock to this metropolis in pursuit of their dreams, and in doing so, they embrace a unique fusion of tradition and modernity. The city is renowned for its bustling local train networks, winding bylanes, and the myriad dreams and aspirations that its residents bring with them. Through the lens of Bollywood, we've had the privilege of exploring the multifaceted soul of Mumbai.Here are some of the best Bollywood films that take you into the bustling city of dreams.Anurag Basus Life in a... Metro is a vibrant and contemporary portrayal of life in Mumbai. With an ensemble cast and multiple interconnected storylines, it delves into the lives, dreams, and relationships of individuals living in the bustling city. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's fast-paced urban environment, the movie captures the everyday struggles, aspirations, and complexities that residents face in their pursuit of happiness. From the crowded local trains to the nightlife and the work-life balance, Life in a... Metro provides a comprehensive look at the various facets of life in this dynamic city.Directed by Hansal Mehta, CityLights, starring Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa, offers a poignant and emotional portrayal of life in a big city, particularly Mumbai. It tells the story of a rural family's struggles and challenges as they migrate to Mumbai in search of a better life. The film captures the stark contrast between the dreamy image of the city and the harsh reality faced by the characters. From the crowded streets and the unrelenting pursuit of livelihood to the emotional and financial hardships, CityLights paints a vivid picture of the city's complexities and the sacrifices people often make when they move to Mumbai. The film not only explores the challenges of adapting to urban life but also the deep emotional bonds and the resilience that people demonstrate in their quest for a brighter future in the city of Mumbai.Ek Chalis Ki Last Local is a 2007 film that provides a unique and darkly comedic look at the city of Mumbai, particularly during the late hours of the night. The story revolves around two individuals who meet on a local train and get entangled in a series of unexpected and often absurd events. The film showcases the underbelly of Mumbai, including its chaotic and mysterious side. It paints a picture of the city's nightlife, the eccentric characters one might encounter, and the unpredictability that comes with navigating Mumbai's local trains and streets during the wee hours.is a 2013 film directed by Ritesh Batra. This critically acclaimed movie is a heartwarming romantic drama that beautifully captures the essence of Mumbai. The film tells the story of two lonely individuals, played by Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur, who connect through a lunchbox delivery mix-up. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's efficient but unique dabbawala (lunchbox delivery) system, the film portrays the city's charm, the complexity of urban life, and the unexpected connections that can be forged in this bustling metropolis. "The Lunchbox" is not just a love story but also a love letter to the city of Mumbai and its people, and it has garnered praise for its portrayal of the city's soul and the warmth of its characters.Mumbai Meri Jaan is a 2008 film directed by Nishikant Kamat. This critically acclaimed movie beautifully captures the spirit of Mumbai in the wake of the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. The film interweaves the lives of several characters, each representing a different facet of Mumbai. It explores themes of resilience, unity, and the spirit of the city's residents in the aftermath of a tragic event. The local train system, the city's spirit of survival, and the diverse backgrounds of the characters all contribute to a moving and authentic portrayal of Mumbai.Directed by Kiran Rao, Dhobi Ghat provides a unique and introspective view of Mumbai through the lives of four characters from diverse backgrounds. The movie takes you on a journey through the city, offering a glimpse into the lives of its residents. It explores the cultural and economic diversity, the dreams, and the struggles that coexist in the bustling streets of Mumbai.Directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka, Major is a biographical film, starring Adivi Sesh in the lead role, portraying the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a brave and decorated officer of the Indian Army who lost his life in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Although the film is primarily centred on the life and heroic actions of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, it is set against the backdrop of Mumbai during the tragic events of the 2008 attacks. The film also provides viewers with an impactful look at Mumbai's spirit during times of adversity.The 1988 Mira Nairs Salaam Bombay! is a gritty and realistic portrayal of the underbelly of Mumbai, particularly the lives of street children. It provides an unflinching look at the harsh realities faced by these children in the city. Set in the bustling streets of Mumbai, Salaam Bombay! depicts the lives of young children who are forced to fend for themselves, living in poverty and facing a range of challenges. The film showcases the city's crowded and chaotic environment, the struggles of street life, and the resilience of these young protagonists. The film not only captures the spirit of Mumbai but also serves as a stark reminder of the social issues and inequalities that persist in the city. Salaam Bombay! is a poignant and impactful portrayal of the city's harsher realities, shedding light on the lives of the marginalised and forgotten in the metropolis.Shahid is a biographical drama film directed by Hansal Mehta. The movie is based on the real-life story of Shahid Azmi, a lawyer and human rights activist, who was assassinated in Mumbai in 2010. The film beautifully captures the city of Mumbai as it chronicles the life of Shahid Azmi, who became a lawyer to fight for justice, particularly for those wrongly accused in terrorism-related cases. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai, the film showcases the city's legal system, its complexities, and the struggles faced by individuals who seek justice in a city that's often a juxtaposition of hope and despair.The 2005 film Page 3 which was directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, offers a compelling and often searing look into the world of Mumbai's socialite elite, focusing on the glitzy and glamorous parties, gossip, and media coverage of Page 3 events. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's high society and its glittering social events, the film explores the lives of the city's affluent and influential individuals. It delves into the world of celebrities, socialites, and journalists who cover these high-profile events. Page 3 provides a glimpse into the city's upper echelons, showcasing the stark contrast between the elite's opulent lifestyles and the often hidden truths beneath the surface.Directed by Raj and DK, Shor in the City is a crime drama that offers a gritty and realistic portrayal of life in Mumbai, particularly in its underbelly. The film's narrative is interwoven with multiple characters and storylines, providing a comprehensive look at various aspects of city life. Set in the bustling streets of Mumbai, Shor in the City showcases the city's chaotic and diverse nature. It explores themes such as crime, ambition, and survival, offering a unique perspective on the lives of its residents. The film provides a glimpse into the challenges and moral dilemmas faced by its characters as they navigate the complexities of urban life.Directed by Milan Luthria, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai crime-period drama is set in the backdrop of 1970s Mumbai and offers a dramatic portrayal of the city's underworld and its transformation during that era. The movie is inspired by real-life events and gangsters of Mumbai, primarily focusing on the rise of the underworld and the rivalry between two prominent gangsters, Sultan Mirza (played by Ajay Devgn) and Shoaib Khan (played by Emraan Hashmi). Through its characters and storyline, the film captures the city's changing landscape and the criminal underbelly that played a significant role in shaping Mumbai's history.Directed by Ayan Mukerji, Wake Up Sid, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, may have been a film about Sids growth as an individual, but the film also focuses hugely on Aishas journey in the city of dreams. Wake-up Sid showcases us beautiful insights where Marine Drive or Mumbai ki baarish plays a role in Sid and Aishas love story. The movie also gives us a peek into Aishas small but cute house, Sid and Aishas first meeting and their interaction as they walk in the streets of South Mumbai. The movie also views the city through Aishas POV with the climax where she publishes her column New Girl in the City.Apoorva Lakhia's Shootout at Lokhandwala is a 2007 crime thriller film, based on the real-life gun battle between the Mumbai Police and a notorious gang led by Maya Dolas and Dilip Buwa in the Lokhandwala Complex of Mumbai in 1991. This film provides a gripping and action-packed portrayal of Mumbai's criminal underworld during the late 20th century. It depicts the city as a battleground for law enforcement and organised crime, highlighting the challenges and complexities faced by the police in maintaining order.
After the release of her film Ganapath: A Hero Is Born, National Award-winning actress Kriti Sanon made her way to Thrissur in Kerala to participate in Navratri celebrations. While leaving the event, she took time to snap selfies with her fans and also posed alongside actress Shilpa Shetty. The video of this encounter quickly became an online sensation. Shilpa has now revealed that they celebrated Kriti's National Award in a "sweet" manner.

Taking to her Instagram story, Shilpa shared pictures from the private jet that transported her and Kriti to and from Thrissur. The images show the two actresses indulging in a luscious-looking chocolate cake during their flight to commemorate Kriti's significant achievement.





Shilpa captioned the photo, " #Latergram: Celebratory Sunday Binge. We cheered for Kriti Sanon's National Award. Congratulations, my darling. Onwards and Upwards." In response to the story, Kriti reposted the photo and expressed her gratitude, saying, "You're the sweetest thankkkkk you! And I didn't let you ditch your Sunday binge!!! Yay!!"

In one of the photos, Kriti is seen happily gazing at Shilpa while holding a plate of chocolate cake, as Shilpa enjoys the delectable treat. In another picture, Kriti is seen posing with the cake plate, seemingly ready to share a bite with Shilpa.

Kriti was elegantly attired in a chic pink saree with a matching blouse adorned with yellow floral patterns. She kept her appearance minimal, wearing a sleek necklace and securing her hair in a high ponytail. Meanwhile, Shilpa looked stunning in a red saree featuring golden accents and a blue border. She had her hair styled in an elegant updo and accessorised her look with chunky bangles and a sleek necklace





The Navratri celebrations in Kerala also witnessed the presence of other Bollywood celebs, including Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Naga Chaitanya, and Janhvi Kapoor, among others.
New Delhi (India), October 21: Denver, India's prestigious men brand, widely known for its range of enticing luxury fragrances, is thrilled to announce its latest brand campaign featuring the legendary Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan aka SRK. The upcoming TV commercial, set against a mesmerizing backdrop, features SRK grooving on the rhythm, while revealing his success secret with fans.

His exceptional dance moves are already talk of the town and widely appreciated among fans. Fans are also seen recreating the dance steps and sharing on their social media handles. With SRK leading the way, Denver aims to add to the existing brand equity, while defying a new-age product ritual to engage with target audience and create a long-term brand-vibe.

Denver has always stood for elegance, style, and stalwart personality, and above all a spirit to work hard while striving for real success: qualities that resonate perfectly with Shah Rukh Khan's illustrious career. The choice of SRK as the face of Denver's latest campaign is a harmonious blend of two iconic entities, both synonymous with the essence of luxury and perfection, ahead of festivities.

Ahead of festivities, this dance video trending on twitter, Instagram and other social platforms, while fans are enjoying and relishing it as much.

About Denver

Denver is India's prestigious and one of the most loved Men brand. It is widely known for its wide range of fragrances and advance grooming products. Brand products are endorsed by leading celebs like SRK, Varun, Sourav Ganguly, Mahesh Babu, Sudeep Kiccha, and STR. Denver is one of top selling Deodorants brands of India. It is also celebrating 15th year of success this year.
Pan India Star Prabhas is one of the biggest and most celebrated names in Indian cinema. The massive fan following of the superstar of the nation is not only restricted to the Indian territory but also has a large chunk of fan following in the global market too. The superstar will soon release the much-anticipated Salaar Part 1: The Ceasefire, and since Hombale Films dropped the teaser and the mass-packed poster today on his birthday, the anticipation among the masses is at its peak.

Reportedly, Prabhas enjoys a massive fan following in Japan, and on his birthday today, the fans from Japan are celebrating the birthday of the superstar by organizing a grand celebration, and all seems to be delved into the fever of Salaar. The fans from all age groups gathered under one roof, celebrated their birthday by having food, and had a large collection of pictures of Prabhas.

"Rebelstar #Prabhas birthday celebrations started early in Japan.

Japanese fans never cease to amaze us year after year, and we are blessed to have them in our extended family.

#Salaar

#PrabhasBirthdayJapan2023 #PrabhasBirthdayCelebrations"

Rebelstar #Prabhas birthday celebrations started early in Japan 

Japanese fans never cease to amaze year after year, we are blessed to have them in our extended family #Salaar #PrabhasBirthdayJapan2023 #PrabhasBirthdayCelebrations pic.twitter.com/nGEObWSjqZ  Prasad Bhimanadham (@Prasad_Darling) October 22, 2023

The fans of Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire have registered a record by creating the biggest ever colossal cutout of Prabhas poster from the film in Kukatpally, Hyderabad, marking the special occasion of his birthday. This is indeed the first time that fans have created such a huge cutout of any film's poster.

The anticipation of the masses is sure to touch sky-high as the first and exciting collaboration of Prabhas, the star of 'Baahubali,' and Prashanth Neel, the director behind the blockbuster 'KGF' franchise, and they both aim to bring a cinematic spectacle to the audiences and a never-before-seen world for the masses.

Hombale Films, Salaar will star Prabhas along with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, and Jagapathi Babu. Made under the direction of Prashanth Neel, the film will be released in theaters on December 22, 2023.
Kering - Press release - Third quarter 2023 revenue

PRESS RELEASE October 24, 2023

THIRD QUARTER 2023 REVENUE

Group revenue: 4,464 million,

down 13% as reported, down 9% on a comparable basis

"Beyond the challenging macroeconomic conditions and softening demand across the luxury industry, the change in our revenue performance in the third quarter reflects the impact of our decisions to further elevate our brands and their distribution. The organization we put in place in July will enable us to strengthen the steering of our Houses in the current market environment and to reclaim our positions and influence. With the acquisition of Creed completed last week, one of the world's most distinguished high fragrance houses has joined our family, propelling our ambitions in beauty onto the next stage."

Francois-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Group revenue was 4.5 billion in the third quarter of 2023, down 13% as reported and down 9% on a comparable basis, including a 6% negative exchange-rate effect and a 2% positive impact from the acquisition of Maui Jim. Revenue from the directly operated retail network fell 6% on a comparable basis, reflecting lower traffic and contrasted performances across regions. Wholesale and Other revenue fell sharply (down 20% on a comparable basis), due in particular to the Group's ongoing efforts to tighten its control over distribution.





In the first nine months of the year, the Group generated revenue of 14.6 billion.





Revenue



(in  millions) Q3 2023 Q3 2022 Reported change Comparable change

(1) Gucci 2,217 2,581 -14% -7% Yves Saint Laurent 768 916 -16% -12% Bottega Veneta 381 437 -13% -7% Other Houses 805 995 -19% -15% Kering Eyewear and Corporate 333 253 +31% +3% Eliminations (40) (45) - - KERING 4,464 5,137 -13% -9%

(1)On a comparable scope and exchange rate basis.



Gucci: new chapter

In the third quarter of 2023, Gucci's revenue amounted to 2.2 billion, down 14% as reported and down 7% on a comparable basis.

Sales in the directly operated retail network fell 7% on a comparable basis during the quarter, with resilient performances in handbags and from the Valigeria collection. Wholesale revenue fell 17% on a comparable basis. During the quarter, Gucci unveiled its new creative expression with Sabato De Sarno's debut collection for the House, and the management team is hard at work on the flawless execution of its strategy.

Yves Saint Laurent: mixed performance on a high base of comparison

Yves Saint Laurent's revenue in the third quarter of 2023 amounted to 768 million, down 16% as reported and down 12% on a comparable basis, with significant differences across regions.

Sales in the directly operated store network fell 4% on a comparable basis, due to a high multi-year base of comparison, particularly in the third quarter of 2022. The House achieved positive momentum in Women's ready-to-wear and is pursuing its strategy aimed at elevating its offering.

Wholesale was down 38% on a comparable basis.

Bottega Veneta: greater desirability and exclusivity

Bottega Veneta's revenue totaled 381 million in the third quarter, down 13% as reported and down 7% on a comparable basis.

In the directly operated retail network, revenue fell very slightly, down 2% on a comparable basis in the quarter. Wholesale revenue was down 30% on a comparable basis.

The Summer 2024 show was particularly well received and the House is continuing to enhance its exclusivity.

Other Houses: performance affected by lower Wholesale, good momentum in Jewelry

Revenue from the Group's Other Houses totaled 805 million in the third quarter, down 19% as reported and down 15% on a comparable basis.

In retail, Balenciaga's growth was mixed across regions and was affected by a high base of comparison, while Alexander McQueen experienced a slowdown in the quarter. Negative trends were magnified by lower Wholesale activity at both Houses. Brioni's sales were up, driven by its tailoring as well as leisurewear offerings.

Boucheron's positive performance reflects the success of its High Jewelry and Jewelry collections. Pomellato achieved solid growth in its stores, while Qeelin showed excellent momentum.

Kering Eyewear: continuing growth

Kering Eyewear's revenue totaled 331 million in the third quarter of 2023, up 34% as reported - due to the contribution of Maui Jim - and up 2% on a comparable basis. Growth was mainly driven by sales of optical frames following very strong sales of sunglasses in the first half of the year.

MAIN ANNOUNCEMENTS SINCE JULY 1, 2023

Appointment of Maureen Chiquet to Kering's Board of Directors

July 18, 2023 - The Board of Directors decided to coopt Maureen Chiquet as independent director for the remainder of Daniela Riccardi's term of office (expiring on the date of the shareholders' meeting that will approve the financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2025). She joined Kering's Board of Directors in September 2023. The cooptation of Maureen Chiquet will be subject to ratification by the shareholders' meeting that will approve the financial statements for the financial year ending December 31, 2023. Maureen Chiquet, a US citizen, has more than 35 years' experience in the fashion and luxury goods sector, including nine years as Global CEO of Chanel.

Kering strengthens its governance and operations

July 18, 2023 - Kering announced a series of top appointments aimed at reinforcing stewardship of its Houses and strengthening its organization:

Francesca Bellettini, in addition to her current role as President and CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, which she has held since 2013, was appointed Kering Deputy CEO in charge of Brand Development.

Jean-Marc Duplaix, Kering Chief Financial Officer since 2012, was appointed Kering Deputy CEO in charge of Operations and Finance.

Jean-Francois Palus, Kering Group Managing Director, was appointed President and CEO of Gucci.





Kering and Mayhoola announce an agreement for Kering to become a significant shareholder of Valentino as part of a broader strategic partnership

July 27, 2023 - Kering and Mayhoola announced a binding agreement for Kering to buy a 30% shareholding in Valentino for a cash consideration of 1.7 billion. The agreement includes an option for Kering to acquire 100% of the Valentino's share capital no later than 2028.

Armelle Poulou appointed Chief Financial Officer of Kering

July 28, 2023 - Kering announced the appointment of Armelle Poulou as Chief Financial Officer effective September 1, 2023. Armelle Poulou joined the Group in 2019 and at the time of the announcement was Director of Corporate Finance, Treasury and Insurance. She continues to report to Jean-Marc Duplaix, now Deputy CEO in charge of Operations and Finance.

Four-tranche bond issue for a total amount of 3.8 billion

August 29, 2023 - Kering issued a four-tranche bond in a total amount of 3.8 billion. The issue increases the Group's financial flexibility, partly by financing the acquisition of Creed.

Alexander McQueen and Sarah Burton announce the end of their collaboration

September 11, 2023 - Alexander McQueen and its Creative Director Sarah Burton announced the end of their two- decade collaboration.

Sean McGirr appointed Creative Director of Alexander McQueen

October 3, 2023 - Kering and Alexander McQueen announced the appointment of Sean McGirr as the House's Creative Director. Sean McGirr was previously Head of Ready-to-Wear at JW Anderson. He joined JW Anderson in 2020 to head up its men's collections, eventually adding womenswear to his responsibilities. Prior to that, he was Women's Designer for Dries Van Noten in Antwerp. From 2014 to 2018, he was part of Uniqlo's creative offices in Tokyo and Paris working on the men's collections guided by Christophe Lemaire. He started his career assisting at Burberry and Vogue Hommes Japan. An Irish national, born in Dublin, he is a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, where he obtained a Master of Arts in Fashion in 2014.

Kering Beaute completes the acquisition of Creed

October 17, 2023 - Kering Beaute announced that it had completed the acquisition of the high-end luxury fragrance House Creed, in accordance with the terms disclosed on June 26, 2023, and following clearance from the antitrust authorities. Creed will be consolidated in Kering financial statements starting November 1, 2023.

AUDIOCAST

An audiocast for analysts and investors will be held at 6:00pm (CEST) on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. It may be accessed here.

The slides (in PDF format) will be available ahead of the audiocast at https://www.kering.com/en/finance.

A replay of the webcast will also be available at www.kering.com.

About Kering

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods and Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, Ginori 1735 as well as Kering Eyewear and Kering Beaute. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow's Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: "Empowering Imagination". In 2022, Kering had over 47,000 employees and revenue of 20.4 billion.

Contacts

Press Emilie Gargatte +33 (0)1 45 64 61 20 emilie.gargatte@kering.com Marie de Montreynaud +33 (0)1 45 64 62 53 marie.demontreynaud@kering.com Analysts/investors Claire Roblet +33 (0)1 45 64 61 49 claire.roblet@kering.com Julien Brosillon +33 (0)1 45 64 62 30 julien.brosillon@kering.com

REVENUE FOR THE THIRD QUARTER AND FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2023

Revenue



(in  millions) Q3 2023 Q3 2022 Reported

change Comparable

change(1) First nine months 2023



First nine months 2022



Reported

change Comparable change(1) Gucci 2,217 2,581 -14% -7% 7,345 7,754 -5% -2% Yves Saint Laurent 768 916 -16% -12% 2,344 2,397 -2% +0% Bottega Veneta 381 437 -13% -7% 1,214 1,271 -5% -1% Other Houses 805 995 -19% -15% 2,661 2,950 -10% -8% Kering Eyewear and Corporate 333 253 +31% +3% 1,202 844 +42% +12% Eliminations (40) (45) - - (167) (149) - - KERING 4,464 5,137 -13% -9% 14,599 15,067 -3% -2%

(1) On a comparable scope and exchange rate basis.
Runa's mass payout capabilities expand to over 40 countries, enabling instant crypto disbursements, affiliate and gig worker payouts in Asia, the US, Latin America, Europe, and Africa

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Runa, the digital value infrastructure for instant global B2C payments, today announced a record expansion during 2023, following the launch of its latest, first-of-its-kind payment rail that unlocks all forms of digital value earlier this year. Over the past year, the company has diversified its customer base and introduced over 1,500 new payout types. Runa's digital value network now includes over 3,500 payouts in more than 40 countries and 25 currencies, enabling fee-free, instant global B2C payouts reaching over 2 billion consumers globally.

"Runa's phenomenal growth around the world throughout 2023 demonstrates that businesses and consumers are hungry for better ways to use, store, and transfer the digital value they possess," said Aron Alexander, CEO and Founder of Runa. "Existing credit card rails, payment solutions, and digital wallets are not flexible enough to accommodate many modern use cases, and people cannot use their digital stored-value assets how and when they would like. We look forward to further expanding our solutions that unlock the full potential of digital value and provide a secure and efficient digital value infrastructure to businesses and merchants worldwide."

Runa now powers a range of global platform businesses, with new use cases launched in 2023 including gig economy payments, rebates, affiliate disbursements and crypto cashout. Unlocking new uses for digital value equips merchants and software businesses with a straightforward means of growing sales and bolstering customer relationships.

Singapore, where 7 in 10 consumers describe themselves as loyalty program enthusiasts, is prominent among the new markets where Runa launched in 2023. Singapore is a highly digitized society where almost all businesses conduct cross-border operations, and these factors, coupled with Singaporeans' high levels of engagement with loyalty programs, made its market an ideal fit for Runa's offering. Runa has already released 121 payout types in Singapore, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences. Key partnerships include Grab, 7 Eleven, Best Denki, Food Panda, IKEA, Paris Baguette, Qoo10, Zalora, Tada, and more.

Founded as WeGift in 2016, Runa leverages the closed-loop prepaid and stored value ecosystem once used primarily for gift card processing to offer an all-encompassing digital payment network for all categories of digital assets. Runa's digital value infrastructure serves as a seamless and cost-effective mechanism for businesses to facilitate instant payouts to customers and employees. This expansive global digital value network enhances the liquidity of a wide array of digital assets by unifying various payment methods, currency issuers, merchant connectivity, stored value processors, and technology providers on a singular, cohesive software layer.

Visit runa.io to explore the website and learn about Runa's solutions.

About Runa

Runa is a digital value payments infrastructure and network that enables people to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly. The Runa network reaches more than 2 billion people and connects merchants, organizations, and individuals for fast, affordable, and data-rich payouts in more than 40 countries and 25 currencies.

Organizations of all types rely on Runa's infrastructure to power the movement of digital value and better serve their constituents. Runa provides direct connections to its network partners, enabling value to move more efficiently and economically than legacy solutions. Thousands of the world's top brands use Runa to reward, incentivize, and disburse funds.

Runa is headquartered in London with a globally distributed team. Our investors include Element Ventures, CommerzVentures, Clocktower Ventures, Volution Capital, AlbionVC, and SAP.

For more information, visit runa.io.

Media contact:

Ben Crome

Headline Media

ben@headline.media

UK: +44 7481 249328

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/runa-expands-its-global-digital-value-payout-network-now-supporting-growth-of-gig-disbursements-and-crypto-platforms-301966043.html


High-entropy alloy powder

TOKYO, Oct 25, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Koichiro Tanaka), which develops industrial precious metals products as one of the core companies of TANAKA Precious Metals, announced that it has succeeded in creating a high-entropy alloy powder composed of precious metals with a fine particle size of 10um or less high crystallinity and excellent composition uniformity. This product is the world's first high-entropy alloy powder composed of only five precious metals: platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), and rhodium (Rh). TANAKA has already established a mass production process for this product and plans to begin providing samples in October.TANAKA has established five or more precious metal alloy powders and their production methods, which are used in this product, and obtained a basic patent in June 2023 (Patent No. 7300565)[1]. The precious metal alloy powders in this product are alloys composed only of five or more precious metal elements that maintain the corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and other excellent properties of precious metals. They are micro-order[2] alloy powders that are easy to use in industrial applications. Unlike conventional nano-order precious metal high-entropy alloys, micro-order alloys are stable as alloys due to their large crystallite size, and they satisfy the original requirements of alloys, such as improved mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and controlled thermal expansion. They are also expected to contribute to the improvement of the functions and properties of precious metal alloys, whose properties vary greatly depending on the composition ratio of the alloy.The precious metal alloy in this product is in powder form, and in addition to modeling using a 3D printer and rod forming (forming rod-shaped material by solidifying powder), it can also be used in paste form, which is often used in various circuits and sensors. Furthermore, the high strength and high heat resistance properties of high-entropy alloys are expected to be utilized in catalysts and conductive films that require high durability, among other applications.[1] Patent related to high-entropy alloy powder granted on June 29, 2023 (Patent No. 7300565). The precious metal alloy powder in this product is defined as (1) precious metal alloy powder consisting of an alloy of five or more precious metal elements, (2) average particle size of 10um or less, (3) crystallite size of 60nm or more, and (4) one peak observed in the range of diffraction angle 2 theta of 38 to 44 degrees in the X-ray diffraction spectrum.[2] Order: A term used in physics, engineering, and other fields to roughly express the magnitude of a number. It represents the number of digits or degrees of a unit.About High-Entropy AlloysHigh-entropy alloys are alloys containing five or more elements in equal amounts and are characterized by the absence of major elements that make up most of the alloy. They have been attracting attention as a new category of metallic materials in recent years. Research and development on high-entropy alloys is being actively conducted worldwide, as the properties of the metals and precious metals contained in these alloys can simultaneously produce properties such as high strength and high heat resistance, as well as the possibility of creating new properties.About TANAKA Precious MetalsSince its foundation in 1885, TANAKA Precious Metals has built a portfolio of products to support a diversified range of business uses focused on precious metals. TANAKA is a leader in Japan regarding the volumes of precious metals handled. Over the course of many years, TANAKA has not only manufactured and sold precious metal products for industry but also provided precious metals in such forms as jewelry and assets. As precious metals specialists, all Group companies in Japan and around the world collaborate and cooperate on manufacturing, sales, and technology development to offer a full range of products and services. With 5,355 employees, the group's consolidated net sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, was 680 billion yen.Global industrial business websitehttps://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/Product inquiriesTANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/inquiries-on-industrial-products/Press inquiriesTANAKA Holdings Co., Ltd.https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/inquiries-for-media/Press Release: https://www.acnnewswire.com/docs/files/20231025EN.pdfSource: Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd.Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
After releasing its regional blueprint in recent media roundtable event in Hanoi, CDNetworks expects to enhance its local presence with enhanced local network infrastructure and strengthened local partnership and collaborations.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CDNetworks, the APAC-leading network to deliver edge as a service, has released its regional blueprint during last week's media roundtable event in Hanoi, indicating that the company plans to expand its presence in Vietnam. CDNetworks believes its recent investment in infrastructure and local support team will bolster its wide-ranging services and also facilitate the digital transformation of Vietnamese companies.

Expanded Infrastructure for Greater Local Coverage and Better Protection

Up till now, CDNetworks has strategically established multiple Points of Presence (PoPs) across Vietnam, including key locations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and etc. Moreover, by partnering with four out of the top five ISPs in Vietnam, CDNetworks can ensure 100% coverage of the local network, effectively meeting the unique needs of various industries, guaranteeing an exceptional user experience throughout the country. Building on this strong foundation, CDNetworks has formed collaborations with esteemed local entities, including ON VTVCab, VSTV K+, and Tera Group. These partnerships underscore CDNetworks' dedication to delivering impeccable live streaming and high-quality viewing experiences to audiences across Vietnam.

As Vietnam's cybersecurity landscape becomes increasingly challenging, CDNetworks has also taken steps to enhance its cloud security measures. This year alone, CDNetworks has opened two scrubbing centres in Ho Chi Minh City to bolster its ability to protect against DDoS attacks in this region. With these centres located in close proximity to the market, CDNetworks can swiftly and effectively mitigate DDoS attacks, ensuring the security and stability of its clients' websites and network infrastructures. These scrubbing centres also complement CDNetworks' existing global anti-DDoS network, which consists of over 20 scrubbing centres with a combined capacity of 15Tbps.

"Vietnam's rapid digital transformation is undeniable. The 28% growth in GMV in 2022 and the rise to 74 million internet users signal a country embracing the digital age. It's not just about numbers; it's about the evolving digital habits and needs of the people," commented Mr. Phan Linh, Country Manager of CDNetworks Vietnam. "At CDNetworks, we see our role as more than just service providers. We're here to support and amplify this digital momentum. By expanding our local infrastructure with additional Points of Presence (PoPs) and scrubbing centres, we are now able to assist Vietnam's businesses in migrating their on-premises business operation to the cloud, thereby enhancing reliability and operational efficiency."

Upgraded Local Support and Security Service

To empower the digital transformation of Vietnamese companies, CDNetworks has greatly strengthened its team in Vietnam since 2022, and has been able to provide unparalleled 24/7 customer service to all Vietnam customers with localized expertise. Through this dedicated local support team, organizations can easily access CDNetworks' wide range of services, which include not only basic assistance with onboarding, configuration, and ongoing maintenance but also some advanced services tailored to the specific needs. This ensures that organizations can effortlessly navigate the entire process without having to worry about the complexities of daily operations.

In addition, with the launch of CDNetworks WAAP solution, CDNetworks has also upgraded its security service for the Vietnamese market to protect organizations' web applications and APIs throughout the entire attack process. By utilizing services such as Vulnerability Scanning Service and Penetration Testing before an attack, organizations can identify and address any potential vulnerabilities to better prepare for potential attacks. During an attack, organizations can rely on robust network resources, updated threat intelligence, and years of experience in security protection rules configuration to minimize the impact of the attack. After an attack, organizations can analyze and optimize the attack through services like Professional Reporting Service to better prepare for future security threats.

Meanwhile, CDNetworks is also making investments in resources to enhance its compliance system, ensuring that its solutions and services in the Vietnamese market adhere to local government regulations and guarantee that all traffic and data are strictly maintained within Vietnam.

"From expanding our infrastructures to upgrading our local support and security services, CDNetworks is dedicated to empowering Vietnam's digital growth. With a focus on expanded coverage, reliable content delivery, and robust cybersecurity measures, we aim to be a trusted partner for Vietnamese companies as they navigate the digital landscape. " said Mr. Vo Luan, Senior Solution Architect, CDNetworks Vietnam, "In the future, we will continue to organize or participate in various seminars, workshops, and activities held by 3rd party organizations and industry associations to facilitate extensive communication with Vietnamese companies. Through these communications, we believe businesses can finally discover how CDNetworks' solutions can strengthen their online performance and improve security posture."

About CDNetworks

As the APAC-leading network with over 2,800 global Points of Presence and more than 20 years of technology experience, CDNetworks embraces the new era of Edge and takes it to the next level by using the Edge as a service to deliver the fastest and most secure digital experiences to end users. Our diverse products and services include web performance, media delivery, cloud security, zero trust security, and colocation services - all of which are uniquely designed to spur business innovation. To learn more, visit cdnetworks.com and follow us on LinkedIn .

About VTVCab and ON

Vietnam Cable Television Corporation (VTVCab) is the leading OTT media service provider with its network covering the whole country. ON is an online TV and video-on-demand service, developed by VTVcab on 4 platforms: Smart TV, smartphone, Android box and website. Capital Multimedia Joint Stock Company is the owner of VTVcab in collaboration with Vietnam National Television (VTV).

VTVCab's vision is to be the leading and reliable provider providing comprehensive solutions for OTT TV businesses, OTT radio stations and online media platforms. They aim to build a flexible technology ecosystem, including on-premise and Cloud (SAAS) solutions, to meet all their customers' needs with flexibility and efficiency. Their mission is: "Always towards social values with the highest responsibility" by providing high-quality and customized solutions; supporting users in building and operating unique and interactive OTT TV services in Southeast Asian and global markets and offering flexibility and choice for users, allowing them to deploy solutions on-premise or Cloud (SAAS) platforms according to users' needs and requirements.

About VSTV K+

Established in May 2009, Vietnam Satellite Digital Television (VSTV) is a joint venture between two main leading partners in the field of television i.e. CANAL+ and VTV. CANAL+ is a global top player in the area of premium content production, the creation of thematic and free-to-air channels as well as the bundling and distribution of Pay TV services in France and other major markets around the globe. VTV is the national television broadcaster for Vietnam. With K+, the commercial trademark, VSTV offers Premium pay TV services for all family members offering exclusive content, diversified thematic channels, nationwide coverage, HD quality signal with multiple packages on different platforms such as satellite TV, OTT (internet), and co-distribution with partners.

Media Contact

CDNetworks Co. Ltd

media@cdnetworks.com

www.cdnetworks.com

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EQS-Ad-hoc: Dexus Finance Pty Limited / Key word(s): AGM/EGM

Dexus Finance Pty Limited: Dexus AGM Chair and CEO Address



25-Oct-2023 / 04:44 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Dexus (ASX: DXS) ASX release 25 October 2023 2023 AGM Chair and CEO Address Dexus releases the attached Chair and CEO address for the Dexus Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is being held today at 2.00pm (AEDT). The meeting will be webcast and can be viewed by using the following link: https://meetings.linkgroup.com/DXS23 The full announcement is available at www.dexus.com/investor-centre/listed-funds/dexus-dxs/results-and-reporting/asx-announcements Authorised by Brett Cameron, General Counsel and Company Secretary of Dexus Funds Management Limited For further information please contact: Investors

Rowena Causley

Head of Listed Investor Relations

+61 2 9017 1390

+61 416 122 383

rowena.causley@dexus.com Media

Louise Murray

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

+61 2 9017 1446

+61 403 260 754

louise.murray@dexus.com





End of Inside Information

Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this announcement:



About Dexus Dexus (ASX: DXS) is a leading Australasian fully integrated real asset group, managing a high-quality Australasian real estate and infrastructure portfolio valued at $61.0 billion (pro forma post final completion of the AMP Capital acquisition). We believe that the strength and quality of our relationships will always be central to our success and are deeply connected to our purpose: Unlock potential, create tomorrow. We directly and indirectly own $17.4 billion of office, industrial, healthcare, retail and infrastructure assets and investments. We manage a further $43.6 billion of investments in our funds management business (pro forma post final completion of the AMP Capital acquisition) which provides third party capital with exposure to quality sector specific and diversified real asset products. The funds within this business have a strong track record of delivering performance and benefit from Dexus's capabilities. The group's $17.4 billion real estate development pipeline provides the opportunity to grow both portfolios and enhance future returns. Our sustainability aspiration is to unlock the potential of real assets to create lasting positive impact and a more sustainable tomorrow, and is focused on the priorities of customer prosperity, climate action and enhancing communities. Dexus is supported by more than 34,000 investors from 25 countries. With four decades of expertise in property investment, funds management, asset management and development, we have a proven track record in capital and risk management and delivering returns for investors. www.dexus.com Dexus Funds Management Ltd ABN 24 060 920 783, AFSL 238163, as Responsible Entity for Dexus (ASX: DXS)

Level 30, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW 2000

25-Oct-2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 25, 2023, an automotive software company that provides patented disruptive low-level sensor fusion and perception software technology for ADAS and AD, is pleased to announce its participation as a speaker and on-site exhibitor along with demonstrating its technology live with the LeddarCar at the Automotive USA 2023conference on November 8-9, Huntington Place, Detroit, MI.



The Automotive USA 2023 event has become an industry hallmark, and this year's edition promises to be a new milestone in automotive innovation. LeddarTech's software solutions have received several awards and honors this year, with most recently being granted the UK-based AutoTech Breakthrough announced on October 4, 2023 that LeddarVisionFront-Entry-Level (LVF-E) has been selected as winner of the Advanced Driver Assistance System of the Year award.

November 8-9: EXPERIENCE LeddarTech's award-winning interactive dashboard demonstration at booth #18 featuring LeddarVision, a high-performance, scalable, cost-efficient automotive low-level sensor fusion and perception software solution that is also hardware and processor-agnostic.

Also featuring LeddarVision-inspired ADAS products:

LVF-E, a front-view fusion and perception stack for entry-level ADAS L2/L2+ highway assist and 5-star NCAP 2025/GSR 2022

a front-view fusion and perception stack for entry-level ADAS L2/L2+ highway assist and 5-star NCAP 2025/GSR 2022 LVF-H, the premium companion fusion and perception stack in the front-view product family featuring extended sensor configuration

the premium companion fusion and perception stack in the front-view product family featuring extended sensor configuration LVS-2+, the newly launched surround-view premium fusion and perception stack that efficiently extends the LVF front-view product family 1VxR sensor configuration to a 5V5R configuration



RIDE ALONG LeddarCar live: Delegates representing automotive Tier 1-2 suppliers and OEMs are invited to book a real-world on-road demonstration of LeddarTech's LeddarVision low-level fusion and perception software technology. Space is limited, so reserve your LeddarCar on-road demo now.

LeddarTech Presents: On November 9 at 1:10 p.m., Pierre Olivier, LeddarTech's Chief Technology Officer, will host a panel discussion entitled "Delivering a Safe Transition Towards Autonomous Vehicles." Take a seat alongside fellow auto executives to engage, build partnerships and delve into a key challenge that the market is facing!

Pre-arrange a meetingfor a product demonstration or to experience LeddarCar live.

About Automotive USA 2023

"Reuters Events: Automotive USA" is the industry gathering to unite senior-level OEM leaders who address how they will build software-defined electric vehicles, reshape the OEM business model and plan for an autonomous future. Reaching a North American audience, this event shapes future strategies across business-critical topics, including electrification, connectivity, autonomous vehicles, sustainability, supply chain and more.

About LeddarTech

A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal, Toronto and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS and autonomous driving (AD) applications. LeddarTech's automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment, allowing for better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 150 patent applications (80 granted) that enhance ADAS and AD capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.LeddarTech.comand on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebookand YouTube.

Contact:

Daniel Aitken, Vice-President, Global Marketing, Communications and Investor Relations, LeddarTech Inc. Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ext. 232 daniel.aitken@LeddarTech.com

Investor relations website: investors.LeddarTech.com (https://investors.leddartech.com)

investors.LeddarTech.com (https://investors.leddartech.com) Investor relations contact: Kevin Hunt, ICR Inc. kevin.hunt@icrinc.com (mailto:kevin.hunt@IcrInc.com)

Kevin Hunt, ICR Inc. kevin.hunt@icrinc.com (mailto:kevin.hunt@IcrInc.com) Financial media contact: Dan Brennan, ICR Inc. dan.brennan@icrinc.com (mailto:Dan.Brennan@icrinc.com)



Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.
(2023-10-25) Kitron today reported record third-quarter sales and strong profitability, with margins consistently above the company's long-term target.



Kitron's revenue for the third quarter was EUR 179.2 million, compared to 165.5 million last year. Growth was particularly strong within the Electrification market sector.

Third-quarter operating profit (EBIT) was EUR 16.2 million, compared to 11.5 million last year. EBITDA was EUR 20.7 million, compared to 15.8 million last year.

The order backlog ended at EUR 502 million, an increase of 10 per cent compared to last year, reflecting continued strong demand. The highest growth was in the market sectors Electrification and Defence & Aerospace. However, the order backlog is lower than in the preceding quarter as the gradually improving electronic component situation has reduced lead times.

Peter Nilsson, Kitron's CEO, comments:

"In the third quarter of 2023, we have once again set a new benchmark for our performance with record third-quarter sales. The quarter underscores our resilience and capability, showcasing a period marked by robust profitability and the fourth consecutive quarter with more than 9 per cent EBIT margin. As we have said before, we have expected our order backlog to normalize due to the gradually improving electronic component situation. However, our outlook holds steady, indicating a trend towards growth rather than a contraction."

Profitability expressed as EBIT margin was 9.0 per cent in the third quarter, compared to 6.9 per cent in the same quarter last year.

Profit after tax amounted to EUR 9.7 million, compared to 7.5 million in the same quarter the previous year. This corresponds to earnings per share of EUR 0.05, up from 0.04 last year.

Stable capital efficiency

Operating cash flow in the third quarter was EUR 5.0 million, compared to 14.6 million in the third quarter of 2022. Year-to-date cash flow was 24.4 million compared to 7.7 million in 2022.

Net working capital was EUR 200 million, an increase of 19 per cent compared to the same quarter last year. Net working capital as a percentage of revenue was 26.7 per cent compared to 25.8 per cent last year. Capital efficiency ratios have stabilized.

Outlook

For 2023, Kitron reiterates its outlook from the second-quarter report and expects revenues between 750 and 800 EUR million with an operating profit (EBIT) between 65 and EUR 75 million.

Enclosed in PDF are the quarterly report and the presentation. The interim report is presented today at 8.30 a.m. CEST. The presentation will be given in English by CEO Peter Nilsson and CFO Cathrin Nylander, and will be webcast at the following link:

https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20231025_2

For further information, please contact:

Peter Nilsson, President and CEO, tel. +47 94 84 08 50

Cathrin Nylander, CFO, tel: +47 900 43 284

E-mail: investorrelations@kitron.com

Kitron is a leading Scandinavian electronics manufacturing services company for the Connectivity, Electrification, Industry, Medical devices and Defence/Aerospace sectors. The group is located in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, India, China and the United States. Kitron has about 3 200 employees, and revenues were EUR 641 million in 2022. www.kitron.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act



Attachments
EL DORADO, Ark., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. ("Standard Lithium" or the "Company") (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, today reported another significant milestone in its ongoing Smackover expansion efforts. As part of its extensive work in East Texas, the Company has drilled and sampled a new highest confirmed lithium grade brine, measuring 806 mg/L. In addition, comprehensive brine analyses from all three of the Company's new wells in East Texas show highly elevated concentrations of potash (KCl) and bromine, signifying a large potential for these commodities. The drilling work and continued resource evaluation are from areas where the Company has secured the rights to all minerals contained in the brine.



Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium commented, "This most recent brine sample from our newest well in East Texas confirms the exceptional quality of the lithium brine assets we're acquiring in East Texas. With a new confirmed lithium analysis of 806 mg/L and an average grade of 644 mg/L in our drilled area, we believe that we have identified a globally significant lithium brine asset. This work has been made possible by our team of Smackover experts who, over the past three years have identified the most prospective, highest quality development areas in East Texas."

Dr. Robinson continued, "We understand that lithium grade is one of the most significant factors when considering the economics of a lithium brine project. We are committed to securing the highest-grade and potentially largest lithium brine resource outside of Argentina and Chile. Additionally, the highly elevated concentrations of potassium and bromine in all three of our new wells support our understanding that Standard Lithium now also controls a project with very large potash and bromine potential. While we continue to assess the potential value of these new discoveries, we believe that they could be accretive for the Company and present significant additional upside."

Strategic Importance

The Smackover Formation represents North America's premier lithium brine asset, with grades comparable to certain resources in South America. As detailed in the Company's Definitive Feasibility Study, the Phase 1A project in El Dorado, Arkansas, contemplates average production of 5,400 tonnes per annumfor the Company's South West Arkansas Project outlines plans for at least 30,000 tpa of battery-quality lithium hydroxide over a 20-year operating life, with an average reported lithium grade of 437 mg/L.

Average lithium grades in the Company's projects indicate an increasing trend moving westward from Phase 1A (217 mg/L) to the South West Arkansas Project (437 mg/L) and finally, into East Texas (644 mg/L). In Standard Lithium's experience, higher lithium grades in brine are directly correlated with lower capital and operating expenses per tonne of lithium produced, thereby enhancing the economic viability of potential projects.

Analysis and Testing Details

The Standard Lithium team, comprised of technically diverse Smackover specialists and a robust team of land professionals, has been working in the Smackover Formation in East Texas for over 3.5 years. The Company shared initial sample analysis from expansion work completed in the latter half of 2022 and early 2023, as well as more recent drilling data).

The data provided in this news release are from three recently drilled and sampled wells in the East Texas Smackover (ETX New Wells #1, #2 & #3). The below samples were analyzed and reported by Western Environmental Testing Laboratories of Sparks, Nevada, a third-party, accredited testing facility.

Table 1: ETX New Wells #1, #2 & #3 Lithium Brine Analyses in Standard Lithium East Texas Project Area

East Texas Sampling Location Name [1]



Lithium Potassium Bromine [3] Concentration (mg/L) ETX New Well #1 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample A 634 13,200 4,200 ETX New Well #1 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample B 594 12,500 4,400 ETX New Well #1 - Middle Smackover Zone Sample A 572 11,100 4,200 ETX New Well #1 - Middle Smackover Zone Sample B 583 11,300 4,300 ETX New Well #1 - Lower Smackover Zone Sample A 621 12,100 4,400 ETX New Well #1 - Lower Smackover Zone Sample B 612 11,900 4,600 ETX New Well #2 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample A 663 12,000 3,800 ETX New Well #2 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample B 613 12,300 3,700 ETX New Well #3 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample A 806 16,800 4,800 ETX New Well #3 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample B 739 14,900 4,800 Average Concentration [2] 644 12,810 4,320

Notes:

[1] Smackover Formation descriptors (Upper, Middle, and Lower) are a local project area naming convention. East Texas New Well from the March 28, 2023 press release is the same as ETX New Well #1 in Table 1.

[2] For East Texas wells, average of all samples taken from the wellbore, including duplicates where applicable to provide a representative brine sample

[3] Analysis reported as bromide

Figure 1: ETX New Well #3 in East Texas





Quality Person

Steve Ross, P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Ross is a consultant to the Company.

About Standard Lithium Ltd.

Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of lithium-brine bearing properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes brine projects characterized by the highest-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. The Company aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully-integrated Direct Lithium Extraction and purification process. The Company's flagship projects, the Phase 1A Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are located on the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas near the Louisiana state line, a region with a long-standing and established brine processing industry. The Company has also identified a number of highly prospective lithium brine project areas in the Smackover Formation in East Texas and began an extensive brine leasing program in the key project areas. In addition, the Company has an interest in certain mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol "SLI"; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "S5L". Please visit the Company's website at www.standardlithium.com.

Twitter: @standardlithium

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/

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 used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, potential exploration expansions, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, 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/9da12bb6-e0d8-4845-8f8e-f7e9bc740d2e
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 Australian dollar strengthened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday. The Australian dollar rose to nearly a 1-1/2-month high of 1.0915 against the NZ dollar, from yesterday's closing value of 1.0871. Against the U.S. and the Canadian dollars, the aussie advanced to nearly a 2-week high of 0.6400 and nearly a 2-month high of 0.8789 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.6355 and 0.8730, respectively. The aussie climbed to more than a 3-week high of 95.89 against the yen and a 1-week high of 1.6559 against the euro, from Tuesday's closing quotes of 95.27 and 1.6658, respectively. If the aussie extends its uptrend, it is likely to find support around 1.10 against the kiwi, 0.65 against the greenback, 0.88 against the loonie, 97.00 against the yen and 1.64 against the euro. 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.
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!

AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - AkzoNobel N.V. (AKZOY.PK), a Dutch paints and performance coating maker, reported Wednesday that its third-quarter net income attributable to shareholders surged to 189 million euros from last year's 84 million euros. Earnings per share grew to 1.11 euros from 0.48 euros last year. Adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations were 0.99 euro, compared to 0.57 euro a year ago. Operating income improved 111 percent to 354 million euros from 168 million euros last year. Adjusted operating income was at 324 million euros, up 76 percent from last year. EBITDA grew 67 percent from last year 443 million euros. Revenue, meanwhile, dropped 4 percent to 2.74 billion euros from last year's 2.86 billion euros on unfavorable exchange rates. Revenue in constant currencies went up 5 percent on pricing, despite flat volumes. Looking ahead for fiscal 2023, AkzoNobel said it expects the ongoing macro-economic uncertainties to continue and weigh on organic volume growth. Based on current market conditions, AkzoNobel now targets to deliver around 1.45 billion euros adjusted EBITDA. Previously, the company expected adjusted EBITDA in a range of 1.40 billion euros to 1.55 billion euros. The company said will focus on margin management, cost reduction, working capital normalization and de-leveraging. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
The global computer vision market is experiencing rapid growth worldwide due to several factors, including faster processing, better accuracy, and economic advantage of computer vision systems.

NEW CASTLE, Del., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Computer Vision Market Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Product (PC-based Computer Vision Systems and Smart Cameras-based Computer Vision Systems), Application (Quality Assurance and Inspection, Positioning and Guidance Measurement, Identification, and Predictive Maintenance), and End User (Industrial and Non-industrial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global computer vision industry generated $15.0 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $82.1 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 18.7% from 2023 to 2032.

Computer vision is a field of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science concerned with the development of algorithms and techniques that enable computers to understand and process visual data in a similar way to how humans view and process visual information. Computer vision is the process of analyzing, processing, and interpreting images or videos to extract relevant information and make decisions.

Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities-

The global computer vision market is experiencing rapid growth worldwide due to several factors, including faster processing, better accuracy, and economic advantage of computer vision systems. However, the intense requirement of highly skilled and experienced professionals and user data privacy and safety concerns is primarily expected to hamper the growth of the market. Furthermore, the growing application of computer vision in non-industrial applications and advancements in the field of computer vision and AI are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the market.

Download Sample Pages: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/13066

Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $15.0 Billion Market Size in 2032 $82.1 Billion CAGR 18.7 % No. of Pages in Report 349 Segments Covered Component, Product, Application, End User, and Region Drivers Faster processing and better accuracy Economic advantage of computer vision system Opportunities Growth in applications of computer vision systems Advancements in the field of Computer vision and AI Restraints Requirement of highly skilled and experienced professionals User data privacy and safety concerns

COVID-19 Scenario-

Various sectors adopted automation technologies more quickly as a result of the pandemic. To eliminate human touch and boost efficiency, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics have seen a growth in demand for computer vision systems, which can perform tasks like quality control, object recognition, and autonomous navigation.

In the healthcare industry, computer vision has been used to check mask compliance, detect social withdrawal, and even detect COVID-19 signs in X-rays and CT scans. The development of computer vision in healthcare was facilitated by these applications.

Increased interest in computer vision for video conferencing, remote monitoring, and proctoring during online tests is a result of the demand for distant employment and education. This sparked creativity and financial support for these uses of computer vision.

Buy this Complete Report (349 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/computer-vision-market/purchase-options

The PC-based computer vision systems segment to maintain its dominance during the forecast period-

By product, the PC-based computer vision segment held the major share in 2022, accounted for nearly three-fourths of the global computer vision market revenue, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. This is due to handling a wide range of applications, added flexibility over smart camera systems and ability to process more inputs at once. On the other hand, the smart cameras-based computer vision systems segment would display the fastest CAGR of 21.5% throughout the forecast period, owing to perform some predefined function/tasks and is designed according to the needs of that particular task.

The quality assurance and inspection segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period-

By application, the quality assurance and inspection segment held the major share in 2022, contributed for nearly one-third of the global computer vision market revenue, and is expected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. owing to offers discrepancies in the quality of produced goods from the required product quality are determined through a timely quality inspection process. However, the identification segment would cite the fastest CAGR of 22.4% throughout the forecast period, owing to offer easy to differentiate between different objects and their features in an image or video data.

The industrial segment to rule the roost by 2032-

By end user, the industrial segment accounted for nearly three-fourths of the global computer vision market revenue in 2022 and is projected to rule the roost by 2032. Owing to advancements in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies over the years have made computer vision systems more accurate and reliable than human-based systems (processes). However, the non-industrial segment would portray the fastest CAGR of 21.9% throughout the forecast period, owing to dependent on AI and computer vision solutions for increasing transportation efficiency, effectiveness, and safety.

Asia-Pacific garnered the major share in 2032-

By region, North America region held the highest share in 2022, holding more than one-third of the global computer vision market revenue. This is due to rise in number of IoT applications hosted on cloud and increasing investments in emerging technologies such as big data, social media, and due to artificial intelligence supporting a smarter and safer mobility aiding the growth of the computer vision market. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast timeframe. The same region would also showcase the fastest CAGR of 22.6% during the forecast period. This is due to the rapid shift in accelerating inspection procedures and increasing application efficiency and operating efficiencies which is expected to fuel the market growth in Asia-Pacific.

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Leading Market Players-

Intel Corporation

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Cognex Corporation

Keyence Corporation

Sony Corporation

Basler AG

Omron Corporation.

Mediatek Inc.

National Instruments Corporation

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

The report analyzes these key players in the global computer vision market. These players have adopted various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in determining the business performance, operating segments, developments, and product portfolios of every market player.

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We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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EQS-Ad-hoc: Dexus Finance Pty Limited / Key word(s): AGM/EGM

Dexus Finance Pty Limited: 2023 Annual General Meeting results



25-Oct-2023 / 08:24 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Dexus (ASX: DXS) ASX release 25 October 2023 2023 Annual General Meeting results In accordance with Listing Rule 3.13.2 and section 251AA of the Corporations Act, Dexus advises the outcome of each resolution put to the Annual General Meeting held today, 25 October 2023. Resolution 1 relating to the Remuneration Report was not passed, and as more than 25% of the votes were cast against Resolution 1, this constitutes a first strike for the purposes of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The following resolutions were passed on a poll: Resolution 2 - FY24 grant of long-term incentive performance rights to the Chief Executive Officer Resolution 3.1 - Approval of an Independent Director - Paula Dwyer Resolution 3.2 - Approval of an Independent Director - Rhoda Phillippo Details of the total number of votes cast on the poll and the total number of proxy votes are available in the full release at https://www.dexus.com/investor-centre/listed-funds/dexus-dxs/results-and-reporting/asx-announcements Authorised by Brett Cameron, General Counsel and Company Secretary of Dexus Funds Management Limited. For further information please contact: Investors

Rowena Causley

Head of Listed Investor Relations

+61 2 9017 1390

+61 416 122 383

rowena.causley@dexus.com Media

Louise Murray

Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs & Communications

+61 2 9017 1446

+61 403 260 754

louise.murray@dexus.com





End of Inside Information

Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this announcement:



About Dexus Dexus (ASX: DXS) is a leading Australasian fully integrated real asset group, managing a high-quality Australasian real estate and infrastructure portfolio valued at $61.0 billion (pro forma post final completion of the AMP Capital acquisition). We believe that the strength and quality of our relationships will always be central to our success and are deeply connected to our purpose: Unlock potential, create tomorrow. We directly and indirectly own $17.4 billion of office, industrial, healthcare, retail and infrastructure assets and investments. We manage a further $43.6 billion of investments in our funds management business (pro forma post final completion of the AMP Capital acquisition) which provides third party capital with exposure to quality sector specific and diversified real asset products. The funds within this business have a strong track record of delivering performance and benefit from Dexus's capabilities. The group's $17.4 billion real estate development pipeline provides the opportunity to grow both portfolios and enhance future returns. Our sustainability aspiration is to unlock the potential of real assets to create lasting positive impact and a more sustainable tomorrow, and is focused on the priorities of customer prosperity, climate action and enhancing communities. Dexus is supported by more than 34,000 investors from 25 countries. With four decades of expertise in property investment, funds management, asset management and development, we have a proven track record in capital and risk management and delivering returns for investors. www.dexus.com Dexus Funds Management Ltd ABN 24 060 920 783, AFSL 238163, as Responsible Entity for Dexus (ASX: DXS)

Level 30, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW 2000

25-Oct-2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


Regulatory News:

Tikehau Capital (Paris:TKO), the global alternative asset management group, announces the launch of Brienne, the new vintage of its private equity cybersecurity strategy, building on the success of its predecessor. With 200 million at first close, this vintage will stand as the largest vehicle dedicated to digital security in Europe.

The focus of this next vintage will be on seizing European opportunities and supporting companies with significant global B2B scalability potential. It aims to invest ticket sizes ranging from 10 million to 50 million, including reinvestments, thus offering the potential for substantial backing to companies poised to redefine the cybersecurity landscape.

Launched in June 2019, Brienne III1, the previous vintage of Tikehau Capital's private equity cybersecurity strategy successfully raised 175 million and strategically invested in 15 companies within the European cyber ecosystem. The launch of this new vintage underscores Tikehau Capital's steadfast dedication to investing in pioneering technology and fortifying digital security on a broader scale. With 200 million in capital commitments already secured from a diverse range of institutional, strategic and private investors, this strategy demonstrates its resilience and robust momentum.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the need for robust cybersecurity has never been more critical. The ongoing surge of cyber threats and attacks is impacting businesses of all sizes and across all sectors, with a particular emphasis on critical industries.

In this ever-evolving landscape, cybersecurity is at the forefront of technological development and is an enduring investment opportunity. Tikehau Capital's private equity strategy intends to play a pivotal role in strengthening digital security and supporting companies in delivering state-of-the-art solutions within the cybersecurity industry.

"Since the launch of our private equity cybersecurity strategy in June 2019, the sector has notably matured, resulting in increasing financial requirements from cybersecurity firms. The latest vintage of this strategy marks the largest European investment vehicle dedicated to cybersecurity. Our primary focus remains on European investments, while keeping a watchful eye on opportunities beyond the continent. Our commitment to digital security goes beyond financial investment. We aim to be at the forefront of innovation in the cybersecurity sector. As an active investor we want to be close to managers and help them develop their business through Tikehau Capital's international network. We are excited to embrace this challenge and play our part in shaping the future of cybersecurity," saidMarwan Lahoud, Chairman of Private Equity at Tikehau Capital.

ABOUT TIKEHAU CAPITAL

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group with 42.0 billion of assets under management (at 30 September 2023).

Tikehau Capital has developed a wide range of expertise across four asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies) as well as multi-asset and special opportunities strategies.

Tikehau Capital is a founder led team with a differentiated business model, a strong balance sheet, proprietary global deal flow and a track record of backing high quality companies and executives.

Deeply rooted in the real economy, Tikehau Capital provides bespoke and innovative alternative financing solutions to companies it invests in and seeks to create long-term value for its investors, while generating positive impacts on society. Leveraging its strong equity base (3.1 billion of shareholders' equity at 30 June 2023), the firm invests its own capital alongside its investor-clients within each of its strategies.

Controlled by its managers alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital is guided by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and DNA, shared by its 757 employees (at 30 September 2023) across its 15 offices in Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America.

Tikehau Capital is listed in compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market (ISIN code: FR0013230612; Ticker: TKO.FP). For more information, please visit:www.tikehaucapital.com.

DISCLAIMER

The strategy mentioned in this press release is reserved for professional investors and is managed by Tikehau Investment Management SAS, a portfolio management company approved by the AMF since 19/01/ 2007 under the number GP-07000006. Non-contractual document intended exclusively for journalists and media professionals. The information is provided for the sole purpose of enabling them to have an overview of the transactions, whatever the use they make of it, which is exclusively a matter of their editorial independence, for which Tikehau Capital declines all responsibility. This document does not constitute an offer to sell securities or investment advisory services. This document contains only general information and is not intended to represent general or specific investment advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and targets are not guaranteed. Certain statements and forecasted data are based on current forecasts, prevailing market and economic conditions, estimates, projections and opinions of Tikehau Capital and/or its affiliates. Owing to various risks and uncertainties actual results may differ materially from those reflected or expected in such forward-looking statements or in any of the case studies or forecasts. Tikehau Capital accepts no liability, direct or indirect, arising from the information contained in this document. Tikehau Capital shall not be liable for any decision taken on the basis of any information contained in this document. All references to Tikehau Capital's advisory activities in the US or with respect to US persons relate to Tikehau Capital North America.

1 Fund managed by Tikehau Investment Management, reserved for qualified investors and no longer open to commercialisation and subscription.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024431585/en/

Contacts:

PRESS CONTACTS:



Tikehau Capital: Valerie Sueur +33 1 40 06 39 30

UK Prosek Partners: Matthieu Roussellier +44 (0) 7843 279 966

USA Prosek Partners: Trevor Gibbons +1 646 818 9238

press@tikehaucapital.com



SHAREHOLDER AND INVESTOR CONTACTS:



Louis Igonet +33 1 40 06 11 11

Theodora Xu +33 1 40 06 18 56

shareholders@tikehaucapital.com
New partnership extends MBWL global reach to Canadian pensions and benefits market.

Normandin Beaudry brings over three decades of independent pensions and total rewards consultancy expertise.

Normandin Beaudry joins existing Joint Venture partners Barnett Waddingham, Milliman, and Lurse.

MBWL International (MBWL), an international joint venture between Barnett Waddingham, Milliman, and Lurse, today announces that Normandin Beaudry has joined as a fourth equal Joint Venture (JV) partner to strengthen MBWL's global pensions, benefits and M&A services.

Founded in 1992, Normandin Beaudry is a distinguished Canadian-based independent actuarial and total rewards consultancy privately owned exclusively by its professionals. With a workforce of over 350 employees, it is a global leader that provides services across Canada in eight areas of expertise: Group Benefits, Pension and Savings, Pension Plan Administration, Investment Consulting, Compensation, Health, Performance, and Communication.

Normandin Beaudry has been a strategic partner of MBWL's for many years, and the new JV will formalise and strengthen their relationship. Normandin Beaudry joins MBWL as an equal partner firm and extends the reach of MBWL by adding another key Employee Benefits and Defined Benefit (DB) pensions market to its global coverage. With the addition of Normandin Beaudry's expertise and resources, MBWL also enhances its commitment to its core pensions business and growing benefits services for multinational clients. Normandin Beaudry shares MBWL's dedication to excellence, while aligning with its cultural goals of prioritising independence, quality and consistently delivering exceptional value to its clients.

The addition of Normandin Beaudry in Canada is a natural strategic move that will enhance the JV's ability to deliver services to global companies with cross-border requirements, and compliments MBWL's already strong, multinational presence across the UK, US, Germany, and over 30 other countries worldwide.

Andrew Vaughan, Senior Partner at Barnett Waddingham says: "At Barnett Waddingham, we are committed to driving forward a consistent high quality service to our clients, while embracing a culture of excellence. Normandin Beaudry were therefore an obvious fit for MBWL, with their strategic values closely aligning to that of our own, as well as Milliman and Lurse. We're delighted to be taking our partnership to the next level, and cross-pollinating our expertise to drive innovation of our service-offering."

John-Paul Augeri, Managing Director and Global EB Consulting Leader at Milliman says: "Having worked closely with the exceptional team at Normandin Beaudry for several years now, it's incredibly exciting to now formalise our partnership and add them as an equal partner in MBWL. Their values fully align with ours independence, thought leadership, and absolute client focus. We can only look forward to collaborating with Normandin Beaudry's team of experts even more closely to continue our commitment to growth and excellent service for our clients globally."

Matthias Edelmann, Managing Partner at Lurse says: "With Normandin Beaudry as our Joint Venture partner, we strengthen our global footprint and enhance our ability to provide comprehensive solutions to our clients worldwide.We look forward to welcoming Normandin Beaudry as a Joint Venture partner, and understanding how our penetration and expertise in the German market and worldwide can help complement the services it provides to Canadian multinational clients."

Normandin Beaudry's President Eric Montminy comments: "On behalf of the Normandin Beaudry team, we are thrilled to join MBWL as an equal and independent JV partner. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our international partners to expand the service offerings and total rewards expertise that we provide to organizations in Canada while now offering structured international support across the globe."

About MBWL International

MBWL International are independent global experts who provide innovative, strategic retirement and benefits consulting for multinationals of all sizes, everywhere they do business. The joint venture between Milliman, Barnett Waddingham, Lurse and now Normandin Beaudry brings together the experience and resources of these four market-leading businesses, comprising over 8,000 employees across more than 30 countries. With expertise in strategy, governance, actuarial and benefits consulting, M&A, administration, and employee engagement, MBWL provides seamless, consistent advice across organizations with a single point of accountability. No red tape, just results.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025956258/en/

Contacts:

Jeremy Engdahl-Johnson

646-473-3021

jeremy.engdahl-johnson@milliman.com
New report shines light on what university leaders can do to support student success

LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthology, a leading provider of education solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle, today announced the results of its 2023 research study and its resulting report A Student's Perspective: Valuable Insights for University Leaders. The survey results reveal the motivations, challenges and technology habits of today's university students in the UK. The findings are a subset of a recent survey of more than 5,000 current students and university leaders from eleven countries.

A Student's Perspective: Valuable Insights for University Leaders sheds light on the motivations and challenges of students, as well as what they believe universities can do to help them be more likely to complete their degree. The survey revealed there is misalignment between the students' needs and the priorities perceived by university leaders.

The report is being launched in conjunction with Anthology Together Europe, Anthology's annual user conference at the Hyatt Regency in Birmingham, UK, on 25-26 October 2023.

Key findings highlighted in the report include:

Motivations

Students in the UK differ somewhat from peers in other countries when it comes to their motivations for enrolling in university.

While the top two reasons cited by university students were fairly common amongst their peers in other countries ("my field of interest requires a degree" and "higher earning potential" ranked one and two, respectively), there were a few motivating factors uniquely important to students in the UK.

Independence and uncertainty were strong motivating factors - much higher than their peers around the world.

34% of students emphasized their desire for independence and the wish to move away from home as a primary motive for enrolling in university.

25% of students said they enrolled in university because they were unsure what else to do upon graduating from secondary school. This figure is nearly three times higher than all the other countries surveyed.

Also unique to students in the UK is enrolling in university as a path to find a life partner. Sixteen percent said finding a life partner was one of their top three motivations, marking the highest percentage when compared to students in all other countries surveyed.

Challenges while at university

Mental health and anxiety are challenges for students around the world and the UK is no exception. While students in Spain and Australia were among the highest to be challenged with mental health and wellness concerns over the past year (59% and 52% respectively), a significant population of students in the UK were also affected.

The top four challenges they cited experiencing in the past year included:

Feeling overwhelmed or anxious about academic workload or expectations (42%)

Developing good study habits and time management (41%)

Managing mental health and wellness (39%)

Finding a group of friends and/or like-minded individuals at university (32%)

Understanding student needs around mental health and wellness is an opportunity for university leadership. While 39% and 42% of students reported mental health challenges and anxiety, respectively, only 15% of university leaders consider mental health a priority for student retention and degree completion.

The priorities of university leaders don't align to the help students want

A misalignment between students and university leaders also emerged around the best way to support degree completion. Students cited the need for more academic support services, such as tutoring and mentoring programs (37%), and more career services and internship opportunities (35%).

University leaders prioritised flexible scheduling options (27%) and offering courses in different modalities (25%). Leaders placed lower importance on academic support services (19%) and career services (19%).

"One of the key goals of conducting the survey was to see how aligned student needs and expectations were with those of university leadership - and some of the findings were quite eye-opening," said Bruce Dahlgren, chief executive officer at Anthology. "We hope that the survey results will better equip universities to meet the ever-evolving needs of students, ensuring their retention, completion, and long-term success."

A Student's Perspective: Valuable Insights for University Leaders was produced as part of Anthology's commitment to fostering a supportive academic environment and providing innovative education solutions. The research offers a valuable resource for university leaders, educators, and policymakers who are dedicated to ensuring the success of students in today's higher education landscape.

Download a copy of the full report here.

Methodology

Data collection was conducted online among university leaders and students across eleven countries in August 2023, including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the United States. Separate questionnaires with similar questions were utilised to enable comparisons. To qualify, student respondents had to indicate that they were currently enrolled at a higher education institution and pursuing a degree or diploma. University leader respondents had to indicate that they were currently senior leaders (dean, provost, rector, etc.) at a higher education institution. In total, 2,617 university leaders and 2,728 students qualified for and completed the survey.

About Anthology

Anthology offers the largest EdTech ecosystem on a global scale for education, supporting more than 150 million users in 80 countries. With a mission to provide dynamic, data-informed experiences to the global education community through Anthology Intelligent Experiences, we help learners, leaders and educators achieve their goals by offering over 60 SaaS products and services designed to advance learning. Discover more about how we are fulfilling our mission for education, business and government institutions at www.anthology.com.

Media Contact:

Erin Mitchell

Anthology

Erin.Mitchell@anthology.com

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LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintex, the global standard for process intelligence and automation, has expanded its board of directors and executive team with accomplished global leaders: Asana's head of global customer experience, Neeracha Taychakhoonavudh, will join its board of directors, and Sean Goldstein, an accomplished go-to-market leader previously with Lucid Software and Salesforce, as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

"Neeracha has a history of building and scaling global customer success teams for high-growth SaaS companies, specifically focusing on how post-sales excellence can drive top-line growth. Her experience, perspective, and passion for building high-performing teams make her a significant addition to Nintex's board," said Amit Mathradas, Nintex CEO. "Sean brings to Nintex the experience of leading a SaaS business into and through a period of high growth; he has created opportunity through operational rigour and global efficiencies and seized upon important inflection points in a market to drive teams and results forward. We are excited for the experience and leadership that both Neeracha and Sean will bring to our business."

In her role at Asana, Neeracha was instrumental in building and scaling their customer experience efforts as they transitioned from product-led growth to solutions-led growth. Prior to Asana, she served as executive vice president of global customer success at Salesforce. Her global team delivered more than 30 percent annual bookings growth and a less than 7.5 percent customer attrition rate, the company's lowest in history. Neeracha holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a B.A. in International Relations and Economics with honours from Stanford University.

"I have had a front-row seat to witness how teams are driven to create more seamless, efficient processes across all functions. In today's macroeconomic environment, streamlining and automating complex, manual work is a business imperative, with Nintex paving the way to make that happen. The process automation market is at an inflection point. I am thrilled to join the Nintex team to help more businesses make faster progress toward their goals," said Neeracha Taychakhoonavudh.

Sean brings years of experience in executive leadership roles in the technology industry, leading sales, go-to-market operations, and scaling growth through acquisition. Under his leadership as CRO at Lucid Software, the company experienced high growth and saw the largest revenue quarters in the company history. Prior to Lucid, Sean led various functions during his 13 years with Salesforce, culminating in his role as SVP, North American Transformation and Sales, where his 800-person team scaled multiple business lines and strategic acquisitions to drive efficient revenue growth. Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, cum laude, from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management.

"Automation will transform how leaders run their businesses; this is a generational inflection point, driven by the advancement of new technologies and our broad readiness to adopt them. We are in a new era of automation and artificial intelligence, and no department or function can be left behind. Nintex has the platform agility and global experience to help our customers protect their business and adapt quickly," said Sean Goldstein.

In line with the recent appointments of Nintex Chief Executive Officer Amit Mathradas, Nintex Chief Product Officer Niranjan Vijayaragavan and Nintex Chief Marketing Officer Mini Peiris, Nintex continues building its leadership team to capitalise on the automation market's opportunity ahead.

Media Contact

media@nintex.com

About Nintex

Nintex is the global standard for process intelligence and automation, powered by AI. Today more than 10,000 public and private sector organisations across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Process Platform to accelerate progress on their digital transformation journeys by quickly and easily managing, automating and optimising business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA).

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (FSE: DTC) (OTC Pink: DTCFF) ("Defence" or the "Company"), a leading Canadian biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of immune-oncology vaccines and drug delivery technologies, is pleased to announce the discovery of a novel function for its lead anticancer injectable drug AccuTOX in the context of cell-based cancer vaccine engineering.

The objective of the Accum technology is to improve the accumulation of biomolecules such as antibodies, proteins or genetic material in target cells. Defence has discovered that the delivery of unconjugated Accum exerts powerful and potent anti-cancer properties. This observation led to the engineering of AccuTOX, a lead Accum variant capable of halting the growth of pre-established lymphoma, melanoma and cervical cancer when co-delivered with different immune-checkpoint blockers.

The AccuTOX mode of action summarized as follow: i) disruption of endosomal membranes, ii) production of reactive oxygen species, iii) inducing of genotoxic effect resulting in irreversible DNA damage, and iv) triggering immunogenic cell death, which can activate the immune system leading to the development of anti-tumoral immune responses. As such, AccuTOX not only destroys cancer tumor cells from inside-out, but it can also stimulate an immune response to protect the host from subsequent tumor re-growth.

Surprisingly, transcriptomic analysis conducted on tumor cells treated with AccuTOX unveiled yet another therapeutic and positive effect: antigen cross-presentation. This process is very important in the context of cancer immunotherapy as it will lead the team to the future design of cell-based anticancer vaccines, capable of priming CD8 T cells, which in turns can trigger cancer destruction. In fact, the Defence team has recently completed an in vitro study demonstrating how low AccuTOX concentrations can indeed reprogram mesenchymal stromal cells to behave like antigen presenting cells akin to Defence's lead ARM vaccine. Once validated, Defence can advance with an optimized second-generation of its ARM vaccine.

"This recent observation is indeed exciting and groundbreaking as it demonstrates how a single agent, AccuTOX, can be used as an anticancer injectable at a specific concentration on a target, and as an agent suitable to engineer a cell-based vaccine when used at lower concentration on additional indications", adds M. Plouffe, the CEO of Defence Therapeutics.

Additional studies are currently ongoing to further investigate the cross-presenting potency of AccuTOX. The versatility of AccuTOX is adaptable to various cancer indications as well as widen the scope of AccuTOX application by providing a line of novel therapeutic products.

About Defence:

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.

For further information:

Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director

P: (514) 947-2272

Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com

www.defencetherapeutics.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. 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. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/184836
Delegates call for new global compass to boost economic environment and supercharge renewable energy investments

CEOs warn that geopolitical environment presents major challenges ahead but compelling investment opportunities abound

World Bank President Ajay Banga commits resources to tackling climate change in addition to eradicating poverty, as summit wrestles with a new vision for humanity

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The opening day of the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII7) saw a firm focus on how the global community can successfully navigate the emerging new norms of relations amidst instability, climate concerns and social inequality with delegates agreeing with calls for a new 'global compass' in order to incentivise and support investment opportunities.

Leading a panel of changemakers, that included Jamie Dimon, Chairman & CEO, JP Morgan Chase & Co and Laurence D. Fink, Chairman & CEO, BlackRock, H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Governor for Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, outlined a course through these unmapped waters, and how to convert challenges into opportunities for growth, impact, and resilience, particularly in relation to the Kingdom's renewable energy ambitions.

H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan said: "What we are doing in KSA is a good model for the world. By 2030, we want 50 per cent of our power generation to be based on renewable energy and the other 50 per cent will be based on gas which emits less than liquid. We have to invest more in renewable energy. If you look at the targets, by 2045, $283 trillion dollars that need to be invested cumulatively from 2020."

Ray Dalio, Founder, CIO Mentor & Member of the Board, Bridgewater Associates, LP said: "What we see today and as we go into US elections which are going to be over irreconcilable differences over wealth and power. Look at geopolitical issues and climate issues. Climate issue will cost us $5-10 trillion dollars a year in world GDP. It must be addressed."

Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JP Morgan, said, "Fiscal spending is higher than it's ever been in peacetime, by a significant margin. A 25 basis-point rate hike won't make much of a difference, but a 100 basis-point shift across the yield curve would. What we see today resembles the 1970s-a lot of spending. Governments are pushing for ESG, but without implementing carbon taxes or a rational strategy."

With energy a major theme for the day, the crucial need to supercharge the transition to greater greener energy leads the FII's special Energy Summit. This explored the extent to which the Paris Agreement goals can align with economic growth, the role technology is likely to play in eliminating greenhouse gases, and the pace of global decarbonization.

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman AlSaud, Minister of Energy for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued a clarion call, said: "The Kingdom has demonstrated not just a transition, but an aspiration to be a model for how a hydrocarbon economy can evolve. We're aiming for the trilemma: energy security, affordability, and economic growth. On the sustainability front, our commitment to the Paris Agreement is unwavering. We not only signed it, but meticulously negotiated every detail. Execution of these commitments isn't optional; it's obligatory."

Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, added: "The new mission of the World Bank is to focus not just on eradicating poverty and sharing prosperity, but on [ensuring] a liveable planet and addressing the world's intertwined crises and challenges."

At the Future Investment Initiative summit underway in Riyadh (24 -26 October) 6,000 leaders, investors and innovators from around the globe are taking part in over 200 panels and discussions designed to tackle the biggest issues facing humanity's health, prosperity and survival.

Richard Attias, CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Institute, said: "The future of values for humanity is a future that embraces empathy, inclusivity, tolerance, knowledge, ethics and peace. It is a future where we recognize our shared responsibility to care for our planet and each other."

About FII Institute

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute is a global non-profit foundation driven by data with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Global and inclusive, we foster great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions in four critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability.

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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!

STOCKHOLM (dpa-AFX) - Sweden's producer prices declined for the fifth straight month in September amid a continued slump in costs for energy-related products, figures from Statistics Sweden showed on Wednesday. The producer price index dropped 4.6 percent year-on-year in September, though slower than the 5.9 percent fall in August. The annual rate of the producer price index, excluding energy-related products, was an increase of 4.5 percent. Prices in the domestic market alone decreased at a stable rate of 9.3 percent. Prices for energy-related goods fell sharply by 37.0 percent annually in September. Meanwhile, prices of consumer goods gained 6.1 percent, and those of capital goods climbed 9.1 percent. Monthly, producer prices increased 1.8 percent in September, reversing a 0.7 percent fall seen in the preceding month. Data also showed that import prices fell 0.7 percent yearly, while the export price index was 0.8 percent higher. 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.
Israeli missile strike kills 8 soldiers, injures 7 in Syria's Daraa: Syrian military

Xinhua) 16:43, October 25, 2023

DAMASCUS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Eight Syrian military personnel were killed and seven wounded Wednesday in the southern province of Daraa by an Israeli missile attack, the Syrian army said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Israeli assault was launched at approximately 1:45 a.m. local time (2245 GMT) from the direction of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, targeting military installations in the countryside of Daraa.

The strike also inflicted material losses in the targeted positions.

This comes amid growing tension in the region against the backdrop of the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas' surprise attack on Oct. 7.

Since then, Israel has attacked Syria's Aleppo airport three times and Damascus airport twice.

Syria has strongly condemned the Israeli attacks.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Joint Lab to serve as Regional Innovation Hub for Advancing Chip-on-Cell-based Next Generation Battery Systems

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dukosi Ltd, the technology company revolutionizing the performance, safety and sustainability of battery systems, and Suzhou Hengmei Electron Technology, Inc. ("Hengmei") today announced the Joint Development Laboratory at Hengmei's facility in Suzhou, China. The lab will accelerate the development and adoption of chip-on-cell-based solutions for more sustainable battery systems that will power the electric future.

"Our shared commitment to driving innovation throughout the battery system value chain will allow us to offer future-proof technology to our customers," stated Eric Yang, CEO of Hengmei. "Dukosi's cell monitoring solution revolutionizes how battery-based systems are designed and paves the way towards on-cell sensing and processing. Whether electric vehicles, energy storage, or marine applications, the flexible and scalable solution is suitable for all our markets and will significantly reduce time-to-market due to its simple yet powerful architecture. Contributing to a sustainable battery supply chain is also a key objective at Hengmei. Dukosi's chip-on-cell solution provides 24/7 monitoring and data logging that helps maximize the utilization of batteries throughout its lifecycle, and lifetime traceability helps comply with regulatory requirements aimed at building a circular battery value chain."

"China has been at the forefront of electrification of transport and mobility with a well-established battery production ecosystem and 75%[1] of the world's battery cell manufacturing capacity," stated Joseph Notaro, vice president global sales and marketing at Dukosi. "Hengmei is already a leader in cell connection systems (CCS) and an important and progressive partner who is positioning themselves for growth into global markets. We are proud of our partnership and look forward to closer collaboration and achieving mutual business growth and success."

The Joint Laboratory was opened on 25 October, 2023 in an official ceremony. Nat Edington, CEO of Dukosi, and Joseph Notaro, vice president global sales and marketing at Dukosi, were presented with a plaque by Hengmei's CEO Eric Yang, and the ceremony was attended by senior managers from across Hengmei businesses. Speaking at the event, Yang said, "At this great moment of the third energy revolution in human history, we are more confident than ever in taking the initiative to embrace changes, promote the development and application of new technologies and products with our partners in the global battery ecosystem, and make greater contributions to carbon neutrality."

About Dukosi

Dukosi develops revolutionary technologies that dramatically improve the performance, safety, and efficiency of battery systems, and enable a more sustainable battery value chain. The company provides a unique cell monitoring platform based on intelligent chip-on-cell technology and wireless near field communication for electric vehicles (EV), industrial transportation and stationary energy storage markets. Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Dukosi has a global footprint with locations in USA, Asia and Europe. For more information, please visit www.dukosi.com.

About Hengmei

Suzhou Hengmei Electron Technology, Inc. is a company committed to the research, development, production and sales of electronic control systems for new energy vehicles and energy storage. Our strategic positioning and competitive advantage lies in providing an integrated power battery electronic control solution. Our product portfolio includes battery management systems (BMS) (wireless and wired), flexible printed circuits (FPC), cell connection systems (CCS), battery disconnect units (BDU), and high and low voltage wiring harnesses. Our vision & mission is to make transportation safer and greener. Since our inception, we have been working towards achieving the goals of ecological and environmental protection through sustainable development. For more information, please visit www.sz-hm.cn

[1] China's battery supply chain tops BNEF ranking for third consecutive time; Canada close 2nd, US drops to 3rd - Green Car Congress

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Collaboration to increase resilience across UK financial services ecosystem

LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FS-ISAC , the member-driven, not-for-profit organisation that advances cybersecurity and resilience in the global financial system, today announced the formation of its UK Strategic Subsidiary Board.

The Board will deepen FS-ISAC's work in the United Kingdom, strengthening the operational resilience of the financial sector against evolving cyber threats, increasing intelligence sharing and incident response coordination. Burim Bivolaku, Business Information Security Officer (Trading & Clearing), Intercontinental Exchange, will serve as the Board's Chair.

"FS-ISAC's work in the UK and beyond is critical to bolstering cyber risk management, providing both local and global threat intelligence and a forum to share best practices and insights. It is an honor to lead the new Board in the fight against cyber threats to the financial sector," said Bivolaku. "Consistent collaboration between financial firms allows the sector to respond to incidents in a coordinated fashion to better protect customers and the greater financial ecosystem."

The Board will deepen FS-ISAC's partnerships with the public and private sectors. FS-ISAC is a trusted intelligence partner in the sector and will work with other key players to raise awareness of and build resilience against evolving cyber risks.

"While FS-ISAC and its member firms are operating in a global economy and face global cyber risks, it is crucial that financial institutions have local support and intelligence networks as well," said Lindsey Bateman, Chief Information Security Officer, M&G plc. "By also focusing on growing and supporting regional communities of technology and risk leaders, our ability to share relevant and actionable threat intelligence becomes that much more potent."

As the ongoing digitisation of the financial industry continues, the sector is seeing a corresponding growth in threats coming from their supply chain. To counteract this rising risk, the Board will focus on expanding FS-ISAC's work with the global software infrastructure, such as cloud service providers, as part of FS-ISAC's Critical Providers Programme.

"Particularly given the breadth and depth of the software solutions and tools used across the financial services industry, it's crucial that we build lines of communication to make sure that no players are experiencing software risk in a silo," adds TJ Campana, Group Head of Global Defence, HSBC. "I look forward to strengthening our sector's united security front as we strive to bring suppliers and critical providers into the fold against evolving threats."

"By encouraging local training and collaboration combined with cross-border exercising, firms will remain well-prepared to counter both traditional cyber threats as well as new risks arising with technological innovation," said Sarah Self, UK Chief Information Security Officer, Aviva. "While many industries struggle to keep up with the innovation of malicious actors, as a community, we are able to get ahead of emergent threat vectors such as AI and quantum computing."

"Given London's place as a top global financial market, we have been growing our staff here in London over the last several years," said Teresa Walsh,Chief Intelligence Officer and Managing Director, EMEA. "Our creation of a formalised Subsidiary Board in the UK allows for more focused local governance in a key membership hub."

Join the new UK Strategic Subsidiary Board at FS-ISAC's 2023 EMEA Summit in Amsterdam, 6-8 November 2023. To register, click here .

About FS-ISAC

FS-ISAC is the member-driven, not-for-profit organization that advances cybersecurity and resilience in the global financial system, protecting the financial institutions and the people they serve. Founded in 1999, the organization's real-time information-sharing network amplifies the intelligence, knowledge, and practices of its members for the financial sector's collective security and defenses. Member financial firms represent $100 trillion in assets in 75 countries.

Contacts for Media

media@fsisac.com

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REGULATED INFORMATION

Following the in-principle agreement reached with its main creditors in the context of ongoing equity raise process, the focus of BioSenic is now to proceed with fundraising, allowing to start its phase 3 international clinical trial with oral arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the first-line treatment of chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD).

Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, October 25, 2023, 7.00 am CEST -

BioSenic provides third quarter 2023 Business Update

Following the in-principle agreement reached with its main creditors in the context of ongoing equity raise process, the focus of BioSenic is now to proceed with fundraising, allowing to start its phase 3 international clinical trial with oral arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the first-line treatment of chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD).

Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, October 25, 2023, 7.00 am CEST - BIOSENIC (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BIOS), the innovative company addressing unmet medical needs in the areas of innate immunity, inflammation and organ/function repair, today provides its business update for the third quarter, ended 30 September 2023.

Key highlights

In July 2023, BioSenic obtained an agreement with Monument and Patronale for a standstill, postponing until Q4 any payment to these creditors.





In September 2023, new binding term sheets have been signed for the replacement of the Monument and Patronale bonds and loans, by new unsecured convertible bonds. New potential terms, subject to formal approval by the European Investment Bank, have also been formulated for the long-term extension of the existing loan financing with the European Investment Bank in the context of ongoing equity raise process. Implementation of the terms agreed with all three lenders is subject to the completion of an equity investment in the Company.





In August 2023, BioSenic announced the allowance of a new patent entitled 'Use of metal ions to potentiate the therapeutic effects of arsenic' by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This patent (ZL202080040613.1) covers the use of its ATO platform in combination with metal ions like copper, allowing further further potential upon the use of arsenic to improve the treatment of autoimmune diseases, starting with cGvHD (the European Patent Office had granted a parallel wide patent protection in eight countries in Europe - EP3972613 - in April 2023).





In September 2023, BioSenic published data in a peer-reviewed international journal "Arthritis Research & Therapy", providing additional indications of its lead API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) arsenic trioxide (ATO) to treat systemic sclerosis (SSc). These results give ground to the proposed clinical relevance of ATO treatment in SSc, and more generally in autoimmune related pathologies.



In September 2023, BioSenic announced the completion of a post-hoc analysis of its phase 2 clinical trial of ATO, finding the most adapted scheme for administration of an efficient treatment for chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD). As a result, BioSenic will further use this 2-cycle treatment in its forthcoming phase 3 clinical trial. This involves the administration of a double four-week course, separated by a rest period, resulting in the use of two to four times more doses of ATO.





Financial highlights

Net cash at the end of September 2023 amounted to 0.39 million (1). Upon receipt of the two final instalments of 300,000 under the existing convertible bonds program with GTO15, BioSenic anticipates having sufficient cash to carry out its business objectives until the end of January 2024. BioSenic will continue to require additional financing over the last 2023 Quarter and therefore actively evaluates various options, including a significant fundraising operation.

Outlook for the remainder of 2023

BioSenic is involved in preliminary discussions with Pregene, and other potential partners, to reach an agreement for the global development and commercialization of proprietary ALLOB cells, derived from mesenchymal stem cells.

Since BioSenic has obtained new statistical analysis results from the past Bone Therapeutics JTA-004 Phase 3 clinical trial data, the therapeutic profile of JTA-004 has significantly changed. The results allow to specifically target patients severely affected by osteoarthritis, suggesting to proceed to a new, optimized phase 3 clinical study in this pathologyand possibly other indications. BioSenic is actively working on new intellectual property rules and new patent submissions related to a better use of the JTA-004 technology and improved versions.

The Medsenic (BioSenic's subsidiary) phase 2 clinical study with ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD has provided additional positive results, with new data related to the optimal duration of the treatment. The phase 3 study with oral ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD, for which Medsenic received positive pre-IND response from the FDA, is indeed anticipated to start in 2024. A previous phase 2a clinical trial for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had established safety for the patient and efficacy on the development of the autoimmune disease. Positive studies on preclinical models further give good grounds for a phase 2 clinical trial on systemic sclerosis (SSc). Phase 2b clinical trials for SLE and SSc are in the planning stage with the synopsis for both studies ready.

In 2024 BioSenic expects to use the proceeds of anticipated future fundraisings in priority for progressing the phase 3 clinical trial in cGvHD. As a result, it will only be possible to start the SLE and SSc phase 2b clinical trials if the BioSenic Group succeeds in concluding a strong partnership with a biopharmaceutical company or if it manages to successfully out-license some of its technology. The start of SLE and SSc phase 2 clinical trials is therefore not envisioned before 2025.

(1) Unaudited numbers

About BioSenic

BioSenic is a leading biotech company specializing in the development of clinical assets issued from: (i) the arsenic trioxide (ATO) platform (with key target indications including Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc)) and (ii), the development of innovative products to meet unmet needs in orthopedics.

Following a reverse merger in October 2022, BioSenic combined a strategic positionings and strengths to use, separately and combined, an entirely new arsenal of various anti-inflammatory and anti-autoimmune formulations using the immunomodulatory properties of ATO/oral ATO (OATO) with its innovative cell therapy platform and strong IP for tissue repair protection.

BioSenic is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.biosenic.com.

About BioSenic technology platforms

BioSenic's technology is based on two main platforms:

1)The ATO platform, which has been successfully developed, has immunomodulatory properties with fundamental effects on the activated cells of the immune system. The first effect is the increase of the cell oxidative stress in activated B, T and other cells of the innate/adaptative immune system to the point they will enter a cell death program (apoptosis) and be eliminated. The second effect is potent immunomodulatory properties on several cytokines involved in inflammatory or autoimmune cell pathways, with return to homeostasis. One direct application is its use in onco-immunology to treat GvHD (Graft-versus-Host Disease) in its chronic, established stage. cGvHD is one of the most common and clinically significant complications affecting long-term survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). cGvHD is primarily mediated by the transplanted immune cells that can lead to severe multiorgan damage. BioSenic has been successful in a phase 2 trial with its intravenous formulation, which has orphan drug designation status by FDA and EMA. The Company is heading towards an international phase 3 confirmatory study, with its new, IP-protected, OATO formulation. Another selected target is moderate-to-severe forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), using the same oral formulation. ATO has shown good safety and significant clinical efficacy on several affected organs (skin, mucosae and the gastrointestinal tract) in an early phase 2a study. Systemic sclerosis is also part of the clinical pipeline of BioSenic. This serious chronic disease badly affects skin, lungs or vascularization, and has no actual current effective treatment. Preclinical studies on pertinent animal models are positive, giving good grounds to launch a phase 2 clinical protocol.





2)The allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform developed by BioSenic, with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), which can be stored at the point of use in hospitals. ALLOB represents a unique and proprietary approach to organ repair and specifically to bone regeneration, by turning undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells on the site of injury. ALLOB has recently been evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study in patients with high-risk tibial fractures, using its optimized production process, after a successful first safety and efficacy study (phase 1/2a) on fractured long bones, with late-delayed union. However, in June 2023, BioSenic decided to suspend its interventional trial on fracture healing using ALLOB, following negative results obtained for the primary endpoint in this exploratory phase 2b clinical trial, interpreted as a failure of a too early cell injection, just after fracture. BioSenic is now focusing on determining the best time to optimise the efficacy of ALLOB (choice between early or late treatment).





Note: Biosenic has reevaluated a previous important and years-long clinical development program. In March 2023, after the clinical identification of distinct OA subtypes, BioSenic delivered a new post-hoc analysis of its phase 3 JTA-004 trial on knee OA, demonstrating positive action on the most severely affected patient subpopulation. This new post-hoc analysis drastically changes the therapeutic profile of the combined components and allows for better patient targeting in future clinical developments. This leads to a next generation of JTA, off-the-shelf enhanced viscosupplement to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA), made of a unique combination of mammalian plasma proteins, derivatives of hyaluronic acid (a natural component of synovial fluid in the knee) and a third active component. JTA or some derivatives are intended to provide effective lubrication and protection to the cartilage of the arthritic joint and to alleviate osteoarthritic (OA) pain and inflammation.

The company, will nevertheless focus its present R&D and clinical activities on a selective, accelerated development of its autoimmune (ATO/OATO) platform.

For further information, please contact:

BioSenic SA

Francois Rieger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 (0)671 73 31 59

investorrelations@biosenic.com

International Media Enquiries:

IB Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Investor Enquiries:

Seitosei Actifin

Ghislaine Gasparetto

Tel: +33 (0)1 56 88 11 22

ggasparetto@actifin.fr

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors' current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person's officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

BIOSENIC (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BIOS), the innovative company addressing unmet medical needs in the areas of innate immunity, inflammation and organ/function repair, today provides its business update for the third quarter, ended 30 September 2023.

Key highlights

In July 2023, BioSenic obtained an agreement with Monument and Patronale for a standstill, postponing until Q4 any payment to these creditors.

In September 2023, new binding term sheets have been signed for the replacement of the Monument and Patronale bonds and loans, by new unsecured convertible bonds. New potential terms, subject to formal approval by the European Investment Bank, have also been formulated for the long-term extension of the existing loan financing with the European Investment Bank in the context of ongoing equity raise process. Implementation of the terms agreed with all three lenders is subject to the completion of an equity investment in the Company.

In August 2023, BioSenic announced the allowance of a new patent entitled 'Use of metal ions to potentiate the therapeutic effects of arsenic' by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This patent (ZL202080040613.1) covers the use of its ATO platform in combination with metal ions like copper, allowing further further potential upon the use of arsenic to improve the treatment of autoimmune diseases, starting with cGvHD (the European Patent Office had granted a parallel wide patent protection in eight countries in Europe - EP3972613 - in April 2023).

In September 2023, BioSenic published data in a peer-reviewed international journal "Arthritis Research & Therapy", providing additional indications of its lead API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) arsenic trioxide (ATO) to treat systemic sclerosis (SSc). These results give ground to the proposed clinical relevance of ATO treatment in SSc, and more generally in autoimmune related pathologies.

In September 2023, BioSenic announced the completion of a post-hoc analysis of its phase 2 clinical trial of ATO, finding the most adapted scheme for administration of an efficient treatment for chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD). As a result, BioSenic will further use this 2-cycle treatment in its forthcoming phase 3 clinical trial. This involves the administration of a double four-week course, separated by a rest period, resulting in the use of two to four times more doses of ATO.

Financial highlights

Net cash at the end of September 2023 amounted to 0.39 million (1) .

. Upon receipt of the two final instalments of 300,000 under the existing convertible bonds program with GTO15, BioSenic anticipates having sufficient cash to carry out its business objectives until the end of January 2024. BioSenic will continue to require additional financing over the last 2023 Quarter and therefore actively evaluates various options, including a significant fundraising operation.

Outlook for the remainder of 2023

BioSenic is involved in preliminary discussions with Pregene, and other potential partners, to reach an agreement for the global development and commercialization of proprietary ALLOB cells, derived from mesenchymal stem cells.

Since BioSenic has obtained new statistical analysis results from the past Bone Therapeutics JTA-004 Phase 3 clinical trial data, the therapeutic profile of JTA-004 has significantly changed. The results allow to specifically target patients severely affected by osteoarthritis, suggesting to proceed to a new, optimized phase 3 clinical study in this pathologyand possibly other indications. BioSenic is actively working on new intellectual property rules and new patent submissions related to a better use of the JTA-004 technology and improved versions.

The Medsenic (BioSenic's subsidiary) phase 2 clinical study with ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD has provided additional positive results, with new data related to the optimal duration of the treatment. The phase 3 study with oral ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD, for which Medsenic received positive pre-IND response from the FDA, is indeed anticipated to start in 2024. A previous phase 2a clinical trial for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had established safety for the patient and efficacy on the development of the autoimmune disease. Positive studies on preclinical models further give good grounds for a phase 2 clinical trial on systemic sclerosis (SSc). Phase 2b clinical trials for SLE and SSc are in the planning stage with the synopsis for both studies ready.

In 2024 BioSenic expects to use the proceeds of anticipated future fundraisings in priority for progressing the phase 3 clinical trial in cGvHD. As a result, it will only be possible to start the SLE and SSc phase 2b clinical trials if the BioSenic Group succeeds in concluding a strong partnership with a biopharmaceutical company or if it manages to successfully out-license some of its technology. The start of SLE and SSc phase 2 clinical trials is therefore not envisioned before 2025.

(1) Unaudited numbers

About BioSenic

BioSenic is a leading biotech company specializing in the development of clinical assets issued from: (i) the arsenic trioxide (ATO) platform (with key target indications including Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc)) and (ii), the development of innovative products to meet unmet needs in orthopedics.

Following a reverse merger in October 2022, BioSenic combined a strategic positionings and strengths to use, separately and combined, an entirely new arsenal of various anti-inflammatory and anti-autoimmune formulations using the immunomodulatory properties of ATO/oral ATO (OATO) with its innovative cell therapy platform and strong IP for tissue repair protection.

BioSenic is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.biosenic.com .

About BioSenic technology platforms

BioSenic's technology is based on two main platforms:

The ATO platform, which has been successfully developed, has immunomodulatory properties with fundamental effects on the activated cells of the immune system. The first effect is the increase of the cell oxidative stress in activated B, T and other cells of the innate/adaptative immune system to the point they will enter a cell death program (apoptosis) and be eliminated. The second effect is potent immunomodulatory properties on several cytokines involved in inflammatory or autoimmune cell pathways, with return to homeostasis. One direct application is its use in onco-immunology to treat GvHD (Graft-versus-Host Disease) in its chronic, established stage. cGvHD is one of the most common and clinically significant complications affecting long-term survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). cGvHD is primarily mediated by the transplanted immune cells that can lead to severe multiorgan damage. BioSenic has been successful in a phase 2 trial with its intravenous formulation, which has orphan drug designation status by FDA and EMA. The Company is heading towards an international phase 3 confirmatory study, with its new, IP-protected, OATO formulation. Another selected target is moderate-to-severe forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), using the same oral formulation. ATO has shown good safety and significant clinical efficacy on several affected organs (skin, mucosae and the gastrointestinal tract) in an early phase 2a study. Systemic sclerosis is also part of the clinical pipeline of BioSenic. This serious chronic disease badly affects skin, lungs or vascularization, and has no actual current effective treatment. Preclinical studies on pertinent animal models are positive, giving good grounds to launch a phase 2 clinical protocol. The allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform developed by BioSenic, with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), which can be stored at the point of use in hospitals. ALLOB represents a unique and proprietary approach to organ repair and specifically to bone regeneration, by turning undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells on the site of injury. ALLOB has recently been evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study in patients with high-risk tibial fractures, using its optimized production process, after a successful first safety and efficacy study (phase 1/2a) on fractured long bones, with late-delayed union. However, in June 2023, BioSenic decided to suspend its interventional trial on fracture healing using ALLOB, following negative results obtained for the primary endpoint in this exploratory phase 2b clinical trial, interpreted as a failure of a too early cell injection, just after fracture. BioSenic is now focusing on determining the best time to optimise the efficacy of ALLOB (choice between early or late treatment).

Note: Biosenic has reevaluated a previous important and years-long clinical development program. In March 2023, after the clinical identification of distinct OA subtypes, BioSenic delivered a new post-hoc analysis of its phase 3 JTA-004 trial on knee OA, demonstrating positive action on the most severely affected patient subpopulation. This new post-hoc analysis drastically changes the therapeutic profile of the combined components and allows for better patient targeting in future clinical developments. This leads to a next generation of JTA, off-the-shelf enhanced viscosupplement to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA), made of a unique combination of mammalian plasma proteins, derivatives of hyaluronic acid (a natural component of synovial fluid in the knee) and a third active component. JTA or some derivatives are intended to provide effective lubrication and protection to the cartilage of the arthritic joint and to alleviate osteoarthritic (OA) pain and inflammation.

The company, will nevertheless focus its present R&D and clinical activities on a selective, accelerated development of its autoimmune (ATO/OATO) platform.

For further information, please contact:

BioSenic SA

Francois Rieger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 (0)671 73 31 59

investorrelations@biosenic.com

International Media Enquiries:

IB Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Investor Enquiries:

Seitosei Actifin

Ghislaine Gasparetto

Tel: +33 (0)1 56 88 11 22

ggasparetto@actifin.fr

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors' current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person's officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Rio Tinto has appointed James "Joc" O'Rourke as a non-executive director with effect from 25 October 2023. Mr O'Rourke, a dual Canadian/Australian national, will therefore stand for election at the annual general meetings of the Company in 2024.

Mr O'Rourke has more than 25 years' experience across the mining and minerals industry. He has been the chief executive officer of The Mosaic Company, the world's leading integrated producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, since 2015. He also served as President of Mosaic until recently and previously held roles including Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer.

Before joining Mosaic, Mr O'Rourke was President of Australia Pacific for Barrick Gold Corporation, where he led ten gold and copper mines in Australia and Papua New Guinea. He currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of The Toro Company (NYSE) and the Weyerhauser Company (NYSE).

Rio Tinto Chairman Dominic Barton said "It is my pleasure to welcome Joc to the Rio Tinto Board. He is widely respected for his deep knowledge of the mining industry and passion for improving safety and operational performance. I look forward to the valuable contribution Joc will make as we shape an even stronger Rio Tinto for the future."

Mr O'Rourke said "I am pleased to be joining Rio Tinto and excited about the long-term strategy it is pursuing to help enable the energy transition and to thrive in a decarbonising world. I will be working closely with my fellow Board members to support this and to help realise the significant opportunities that lie in front of the company."

Rio Tinto confirms that there are no further matters to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 9.6.13(1) (6) of the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority.

This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto's Group Company Secretary.

LEI: 213800YOEO5OQ72G2R82

Classification: 3.1 Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024867921/en/

Contacts:

Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com

Media Relations,

United Kingdom

Matthew Klar

M +44 7796 630 637

David Outhwaite

M +44 7787 597 493

Media Relations,

Australia

Matt Chambers

M +61 433 525 739

Jesse Riseborough

M +61 436 653 412

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Michelle Lee

M +61 458 609 322

Media Relations,

Americas

Simon Letendre

M +1 514 796 4973

Malika Cherry

M +1 418 592 7293

Investor Relations,

United Kingdom

Menno Sanderse

M +44 7825 195 178

David Ovington

M +44 7920 010 978

Laura Brooks

M +44 7826 942 797

Investor Relations,

Australia

Tom Gallop

M +61 439 353 948

Amar Jambaa

M +61 472 865 948

Rio Tinto plc

6 St James's Square

London SW1Y 4AD

United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000

Registered in England

No. 719885

Rio Tinto Limited

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Australia

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Registered in Australia

ABN 96 004 458 404

riotinto.com

Category: General
LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Japan House London, in cooperation with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), is pleased to announce the first wave of events taking place as part of its 'Spotlight on Local Japan' programme - a series highlighting the charms of regions of Japan as yet undiscovered by many in the UK.

Following an open invitation calling for event proposals from a wide range of organizations including local regional tourism associations, the first two events series are announced below. Applications are now also open for events taking place in 2024.

The first two event series encompass talks, demonstrations, performances and workshops showcasing Toyama and Okinawa Prefectures, covering themes including art, craft, design, manufacturing, food, innovation and technology.

The events (detailed below) run across October and November 2023 and are presented in collaboration with the Okinawa Bureau and Visitors Convention (OBVC) and the Toyama Prefectural Government. Many events are free and booking is required for each. To find out more and to book please visit: www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on

From Okinawa Prefecture

Friday 27 October and Sunday 29 October - WORKSHOP: An Introduction to Bingata Dyeing Techniques (Fully booked)

Participants will try their hand at creating their own bingata coaster or placemat during this hands-on workshop led by Ueda Miki, a dyer from Chinen Bingata Laboratory and Odo Azuza of the Ryukyu Bingata Preservation and Expansion Consortium based in Okinawa Prefecture.

Bingata is a resist dyeing technique which originated in Ryukyu Kingdom (present day Okinawa). The design of bingata textiles is inspired by the natural beauty of the subtropical Ryukyu archipelago. Its turquoise seas and diverse fauna and flora are represented in these vibrantly coloured and meticulously crafted textiles.

Saturday 28 October - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION: Bingata - Patterns of Nature. In conversation with Odo Azusa and Ueda Miki.

Discover the intricate beauty of bingata textiles from Okinawa Prefecture with this talk and demonstration by Odo Azusa and Ueda Miki. The distinct culture of Okinawa has long been influenced by trade links with China, Korea and Southeast Asia.

During the event, dyer Ueda Miki from Chinen Bingata Laboratory and Odo Azusa of the Ryukyu Bingata Preservation and Expansion Consortium discuss the aesthetics and production process of bingata, as well as its history, current forms and possible futures. The speakers elaborate on their efforts to preserve the dyeing technique and foster appreciation for this Okinawan craft among the younger generation. The talk is followed by a demonstration.

From Toyama Prefecture

Tuesday 31 October - WORKSHOP: Making Wagashi with Confectionary Artist Hikiami Yasuhiro (Fully Booked)

Guests will be guided in making their own edible work of art with a hands-on wagashi sweet-making workshop led by Hikiami Yasuhiro, the fourth-generation owner of Hikiami Kogetsudo, a leading confectionary manufacturer based in Toyama Prefecture.

Kneaded and sculpted from a mix of sweet bean paste, glutinous rice flour and Japanese yam, nerikiri are a type of wagashi often served during chado (the Japanese Way of Tea), their delicate sweetness complementing the bitter taste of matcha. They are characterized by their exquisite shapes and colours, which often express one of the four seasons.

Wednesday 1 November - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION: Wagashi - An Edible Art

Discover the delicate craftsmanship of wagashi, an art that can be enjoyed with all five senses, with a talk and demonstration by Hikiami Yasuhiro.

Toyama Prefecture boasts the second largest percentage of practitioners of chado (the Japanese Way of Tea) in Japan and the making of wagashi has flourished there together with the development of tea culture. Founded in 1919, Hikiami Kogetsudo is one of Toyama Prefecture's representative confectionary shops and the exquisitely sculpted nerikiri sweets in which it specialises are popular at local chado tea gatherings.

The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau, OCVB, said:

"The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau was delighted to hear about the Spotlight on Local Japan Programme. We were keen to get involved as it gives us a chance to share some of the lesser-known aspects of Okinawa's rich culture, history, and crafts with the UK public and we hope it inspires many to visit the prefecture in the coming months and years. We decided to showcase bingata for this event because it is such a cultural icon and directly connected to and identified with Okinawa through its designs and colours. The bingata craft technique does not require looms or bigger equipment, which makes it accessible to all members of the public regardless of their level of experience."

Toyama Prefectural Government, said:

"We held the first 'Toyama Week in London in 2022. We decided to showcase our prefecture's top wagashi artisan, Chef Yasuhiro Hikiami, fourth-generation owner of Hikiami Kogetsudo, a renowned Japanese wagashi confectionery shop in Toyama, with a 100-year history. We chose Japanese confectionery as, unlike sushi, wagashi are rare in the UK. Through wagashi we can tell the story of Toyama's rich tea culture, and introduce the history, craft, and gastronomy associated with it. His wagashi are truly edible works of art, and we believe they will bring astonishment and joy to people in the UK. During Toyama Week in London 2023, a selection of design and craft products produced in Toyama will be available at Japan House London."

Sam Thorne, Director, Japan House London, said:

"We are delighted to be working with JNTO and our regional partners on this exciting new initiative. We look forward to hosting a dynamic events programme at Japan House London that allows us to realize our aspirations around showcasing Japanese cultures from every corner of Japan."

Notes to editors

Spotlight on local Japan and how to get involved:

Application Guidelines (Japanese): https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/spotlight-on-local-japan/

About Japan House

Japan House London is a cultural destination offering guests the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London's Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor's appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in Sao Paulo.

Further events hosted by Japan House London can be found here: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on/

Press Images: www.japanhouselondon.uk/media-centre

Press contact: press.office@japanhouselondon.uk

Event collaborator profiles

Ueda Miki

Born in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, Ueda joined Chinen Bingata Laboratory in 2018. The Chinen family was one of the main families specializing and excelling at creating bingata textiles during the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The family also played an important role in reviving the craft after World War II. Ueda studied bingata dyeing techniques under Chinen Toma, the 10th-generation craftsperson of the Shimogiho Chinen family. Currently, she not only creates textiles, but also teaches online courses and conducts workshops to promote bingata.

Odo Azusa

Born in Naha, Okinawa, Odo Azusa has been involved in the management of the Ryukyu Bingata Preservation and Expansion Consortium. Her responsibilities include utilising intellectual property of bingata designs, collaborating with craftsmen, and the popularisation of the craft through design competitions.

Hikiami Yasuhiro

Hikiami Yasuhiro is the fourth-generation owner of?Hikiami Kogetsudo, a renowned confectionary manufacturer founded in 1919 in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture which creates a wide range of confections from sweets for chanoyu tea gatherings to more experimental creations. Hikiami is a highly skilled?wagashi?craftsman whose mission is 'to make Japanese sweets more interesting'. He is active in a wide range of activities to promote the appeal of Japanese confectionary culture, giving demonstrations and teaching workshops throughout Japan and overseas.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256342/Bingata_making_workshop.jpg

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/japan-house-london-introduces-events-programme-highlighting-hidden-charms-of-japans-diverse-regions-301967005.html
GOTEBORG, Sweden, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leveraging the knowledge and experience from successful cooperation with emergency responders in Sweden, Denmark, and the UK, Everdrone is set to improve its unique offer through the addition of a new state-of-the-art drone model. The multipurpose E2 drone will be able to carry both an advanced camera system as well as customizable medical kits - a combination that represents a true game-changer for first responders, and a revolution for emergency dispatch, enabling response times of two minutes on average.

In the wake of the successful cooperation with RegionVastra Gotaland, and ongoing work with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS), and Hovedstadens Beredskab, Everdrone now amplifies and expands its overall capacity and capability. After successfully implementing drone deliveries of life-saving defibrillators (AED), as well as managing the technical and operational integration into emergency response infrastructure, the time has come to dial up the potential of the service.

Multipurpose capacity for increased service

With the new E2 multipurpose drone, emergency deliveries of time-sensitive medical equipment will now be complemented with the possibility of transmitting live hi-res and IR video, adding up to a unique multipurpose solution.

"The advantages the E2 drone and it's increase in payload capability makes possible are massive," says Everdrone CEO Mats Sallstrom. "The LiveView capability offers first responders the information needed to make critical assessment decisions that will help with prioritization and increase the safety of on-site responders. To this, we add the possibility of direct deliveries of anything from AEDs to EPI pens and anti-bleeding kits, or other vital medical equipment."

Designed for autonomy, speed, and safety

The combined Everdrone First on Scene service - with LiveView and MedKit deliveries - is based on one single premise: the need for speed, to save time. When emergencies or accidents occurs, every second counts, and besides the proven fact that Everdrone can navigate to the scene of the incident faster than any ambulance or other responder, the take-off is lightning quick. From emergency services distress signal to lift-off, it takes a mere 15 seconds. Combined with predictive analysis of drone grid performance, the E2 enables response times of two minutes on average.

But not only the speed, and multipurpose capability sets Everdrone apart from other drone delivery solutions. High level of autonomy, all-weather operation and advanced safety features make Everdrone's service designed to operate in just about all areas in Europe, with a potential reach of more than 99% of all urban inhabitants in Europe.

A unique set-up that saves lives

Everdrone are no newcomers when it comes to breaking new ground in emergency response solutions. The Everdrone First on Scene, with drone deliveries of AED units has been lauded as a success and has been validated in Sweden and Denmark and is set to be implemented into the response services of Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) in the UK. In Sweden, Everdrone's contribution to the lifesaving chain has been evidenced, not the least by helping save the life of a man in Trollhattan, Sweden, suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

"It feels exciting to keep on building on what is a singular solution to medical emergencies, especially so now that we're broadening the scope to encompass not only equipment to patients and first responders, but just as much to their safety", says Mats Sallstrom.

A highly anticipated development

"At Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS), we continuously strive to provide the best possible service to our patients. To achieve this, we embrace innovation to remain at the forefront of introducing new technologies and treatments. The multi-purpose drone is one of these innovations which has the potential to add immense value to the service we can provide to our patients", says Leigh Curtis, MBE, Executive Director of Service Delivery at KSS. "The combination of live-view and flexible emergency delivery capabilities will not only allow us to provide time critical assistance to a broader range of patients but will also potentially help our service to preplan and scale responses effectively, all of which has the potential to lead to improved outcomes for our patients."

"Imagine the power of immediate, accurate situational awareness", says Mats Sallstrom. "Awareness that will enable emergency responders, to assess incidents before they even arrive. Informed decision-making that ensures safer, quicker, and more effective responses. And then add delivery of vital medical equipment. This flexible, multipurpose combination is the most complete solution available on the market and will help transform emergency response services forever".

Everdrone's unique E2 drone system is developed in cooperation with Clogworks and will be available for orders today and expected live operational from Q2 2024.

Everdrone E2 highlights:

Responsiveness: 15 sec from alarm to takeoff

Cruising speed: 23 m/s

Operational range: 8 km (200 sq.km)

Payload capacity: 3 kg - sensor system + MedKit

Camera interoperability: Any standard open format sensor

Weatherproofing: Max mean wind 10 m/s, heavy rain

C3 link: 4 individual LTE connections (4G and 5G)

Conspicuity: FLARM (in/out), ADS-B (in/out), RemoteID (in/out), SkySense integration, HEMS WX integration, UTM ready

Onboard safety: Parachute recovery system, Intelligent Route Planning, multi-directional sense & avoid, visual odometry, visual precision landing, redundant GPS

Standard payload:

Advanced camera system: RGB, 10x zoom and IR

MedKit: AED, bleed control kit, pulse oximeter

Press material

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0w7pm6jn3b6e766/AAAaP8kRxlybfmXeWfz2qEVHa?dl=0

For more information, please contact:

press@everdrone.com

+46 (0)702 28 10 95

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/19465/3858596/2377311.pdf Press Release (PDF)

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/everdrone-introduces-game-changing-multipurpose-e2-drone-to-revolutionize-emergency-response-301967007.html




TOKYO, Oct 25, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), one of the world's largest aluminium smelters, marked a new milestone in its Power Station 5 (PS5) Block 4 Project with the arrival of Mitsubishi Power's M701JAC Gas Turbine (GT) on 16 October 2023.The M701JAC GT is the first-of-its-kind in the world GT manufactured for a primary aluminium smelter and installed in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The JAC GT, an air-cooled version of the J-series GT and Steam Turbine, has a combined cycle output 680.9 MW and reduces CO2 emissions when compared to conventional coal fired boilers and turbines worldwide.A special gathering was held at the Block 4 Project site on Tuesday 24 October 2023 to mark this milestone, which was attended by Alba's Chief Executive Officer Mr. Ali Al Baqali, Chief Power Officer Mr. Amin Sultan and other top officials from Alba Management, Mr. Takashi Tozawa, Senior Fellow, Senior General Manager, GTCC Business Division of Energy Systems, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Mr. Javier Cavada, President and CEO, EMEA, Mitsubishi Power, Mr. Khalid Salem, President, MENA, Mitsubishi Power, Mr. Kong Lingfeng Vice President of SEPCOIII in addition to officials from ESBI, the ECM consultant on the Project.Commenting on this occasion, Alba's CEO Mr. Ali Al Baqali stated:"We are pleased to see the Gas Turbine at Alba's Project site as that will bring us one step closer to boost our operational efficiency while accelerate our ESG transformation in line with the Kingdom's objectives of Net Zero Emissions by 2060.The state-of-the-art JAC GT will enable Alba to reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and deliver clean energy. This GT will support our vision once fully commissioned to be a sustainable and responsible aluminium producer.I thank our partners Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and SEPCOIII for their support to progress with this Project's milestones safely and on time. I also want to thank our Project team for achieving to date around 1.5 million safe working hours without LTI."Mr. Takashi Tozawa, Senior Fellow, Senior General Manager, GTCC Business Division of Energy Systems at MHI added:"Today, marks an important milestone in our growing partnership with Alba, with the on-schedule progress and arrival of Mitsubishi Power advanced JAC gas turbine to Alba's new Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Block 4 in Power Station 5. This project reflects Mitsubishi Power's ongoing commitment to deliver our state-of-the-art and hydrogen-ready gas turbine technologies and services to support Alba and our partners in Bahrain in meeting their power and decarbonization goals, which are aligned with the Kingdom of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 for sustainable development."Mr. Kong Lingfeng Vice President of SEPCOIII stated:"We express our commitment to support Bahrain's energy goals and meet Alba's expectations through the timely installation of the gas turbine and generator. SEPCOIII aims to provide Chinese expertise to boost Alba's production capacity while delivering this Project within the schedule."Alba's PS5 Block 4 Expansion Project is the addition of a fourth Block of similar combined cycle configuration with 680.9 megawatts (MW) M701JAC Gas Turbine Combined Cycle and includes tie into the existing 220kV Substation. Once operational in Q4 2024, Block 4 will increase the nameplate capacity of PS5 Complex from 1,800 MW to 2,481 MW and reduce its overall GHG emissions intensity ratio by 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per 1 tonne of aluminium produced.Source: Mitsubishi Power, Ltd.Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Balanced Commercial Property Trust Ltd - Director Declaration

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 25

TO: Company Announcements

FROM: Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited

DATE: 25 October 2023

LEI: 213800A2B1H4ULF3K397

Director Declaration

In accordance with the requirements of the Listing Rule 9.6.14, the Company advises the following change to directorships in other publicly quoted companies, held by the following member of the Board:

Linda Wilding will be appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Odyssean Investment Trust PLC with effect from 25 October 2023. It is intended that Linda will be appointed as Chair of the Company with effect from 31 March 2024. The Company is listed on the Specialist Fund Segment of the London Stock Exchange.

All enquiries:

The Company Secretary

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL

Tel: 01481 745001
The 17th edition of the SOLUTRANS trade show, to be held from 21 to 25 November 2023 at Lyon Eurexpo, will be a strategic meeting place for all stakeholders in the freight transport sector. Already fully booked since June, SOLUTRANS has become Europe's biggest event for the transport sector, reinforcing its key role in energy transition in the field of mobility. The theme for this year's event is "How to incorporate the HGV-LCV industry into a low-carbon sector".

A CRUCIAL AND GLOBAL CROSSROADS

In 2021, SOLUTRANS experienced a remarkable recovery, with 55,000 professionals taking part, and delivering exhibitor and visitor satisfaction rates of above 95%. For 2023, it looks set to be the biggest gathering of LCV manufacturers in Europe. Leading brands such as DAF, FORD TRUCKS, IVECO, MAN, MERCEDES, RENAULT TRUCKS, SCANIA, STELLANTIS will be present, and around ten new heavy goods vehicles and light commercial vehicles will be launched worldwide. Experts in new energies and powertrains will also be on site alongside the world's leading manufacturers of trailers and semi-trailers. By showcasing 28% international exhibitors from 22 countries, SOLUTRANS continues to maintain its global reach.

THE ENERGY TRANSITION, THE ONLY ROUTE TO A GREEN INDUSTRY

Energy transition will be at the heart of SOLUTRANS 2023 and the event will be centered around five major themes:

- New energies: diversification of engines: an economic and environmental challenge

- Urban deliveries: alternative means of delivery for urban areas with restricted access

- Retrofitting: upgrading existing vehicles, an economical and ecological option

- Driving assistance and connected solutions: engineering for safety and performance

- Tires: a virtuous issue at the heart of the sector's challenges

Visitors will also have the opportunity to find out more about an ever-increasing range of content as well as areas showcasing trends in the sector, including:

- AN AREA DEDICATED TO CARGO BIKESa testing track in order to gain a better understanding of cargo bikes as well as the presence of stakeholders from the sector

- A TESTING VILLAGE: two lanes dedicated to combustion and "new energy" vehicles, behind Hall 4.

- THREE CONFERENCE AREAS: offering 50 sessions to discuss the challenges and solutions facing the sector.

AS IN PREVIOUS EDITIONS, INNOVATION WILL BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT with the presentation of the International Prizes (ITOY and IVOTY) and the SOLUTRANS I-nnovation AWARDS.

SOLUTRANS DIGITAL SHOW: a unique virtual experience

The SOLUTRANS DIGITAL SHOW, which for this year's edition will been prolonged by a few days, will allow visitors from all over the world to take full advantage of the exhibitors' range of services, by extending their physical experience or allowing them to access it remotely from 21 to 25 November 2023, irrespective of their geographical location.

For accreditation, go to: https://badge.solutrans.fr/en/home.htm

The original source-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the source-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231023892321/en/

Contacts:

SOLUTRANS media enquiries:

Anne-Laure MAZEL anne-laure.mazel@comexposium.com

FFC media enquiries:

Frederic RICHARD frederic.richard@ffc-carrosserie.org
BEIJING, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain's national carrier, will be extending its operations into China in January 2024. In line with its calibrated growth strategy to strengthen its global network and connecting Bahrain with key global destinations under the national Economic Recovery Plan of Bahrain, this strategic move also represents a significant step forward for Gulf Air to bolster its Asia-Pacific presence and support connectivity under the One Belt One Road initiative of China. The expansion plans into China were revealed at the Bahrain-China Investment Forum hosted by the Economic Development Board of Bahrain. The Forum was part of a special delegation to the country led by H.E. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce.

"We are excited by the opportunity to expand our presence in the Asia-Pacific region with new flights connecting Bahrain and the cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai in China," said Dr. Jeffrey Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air Group Holding. "China is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and a global tourism market. It is key to our strategy of calibrated network growth. These flights will offer greater choice and flexible travel experiences for passengers and create new pipelines for trade, tourism and collaboration, benefitting both nations."

China, known for its strong and vibrant cultural heritage and economic dynamism, is a popular destination for leisure and business travellers. Gulf Air's introduction of flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai will strengthen the bilateral trade and tourism relations of over 30 years.

The schedule has been built to ensure convenient connections between China and destinations served by Gulf Air in the Middle East and Europe, and between these

destinations and China. The flights will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner and two cabins of service, a business class cabin featuring one of the most spacious premium seats and an economy class cabin with state-of-the-industry seats.

Goh remarked further that, "We are confident these new flights will be appreciated by the international business community and those seeking exciting new leisure destinations and those simply looking to visit friends and family. We are equally confident that customers will enjoy our renowned Arabian hospitality on board."

Gulf Air has been serving the Kingdom of Bahrain and beyond since 1950, steadily growing its operations and network to meet the needs of its diverse customer base.

About Gulf Air

Gulf Air commenced operations in 1950, becoming one of the first commercial airlines established in the Middle East. The airline operates scheduled flights from its hub at Bahrain International Airport to over 40 cities in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian sub-continent and the Far East. For more information, visit www.gulfair.com.

LinkedIn: Gulf Air

Twitter: @GulfAir

Instagram: @gulfair

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gulf-air-expands-into-china-to-bolster-its-asia-pacific-network-301967097.html
As sponsor, the supply chain expert CHEP will join more than 80 experts to discuss how to build an efficient and sustainable European EV battery supply chain

LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the upcoming Li-ion Battery Europe 2023 conference, scheduled to take place from October 29th to 31st at the Marriot Hotel in Budapest, and expected to attract over 500 delegates, Safak Aktekin, Senior Commercial Director at CHEP Automotive, will participate in the panel discussion "From Supply to Demand: Maximizing Battery Supply Chain within Europe."



According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, to meet the EV demand generated by net-zero targets, more than 200 Gigafactories will be operational across the world by the end of 2023, a number rising to over 400 by 2030. Comprising 36 Gigafactories in Europe - heavily concentrated in Germany, Poland and Hungary - this will increase European contribution to the global capacity pipeline to 15%.1

On Monday, 30th October, at 15.30 (CET), CHEP Automotive will join other experienced stakeholders - such as BASF, Italvolt and the Talga Group - to discuss how to ramp up battery production in Europe, while ensuring this acceleration is undertaken in a sustainable manner.

"The automotive supply chain is undergoing a tremendous transformation. In exploring what that will look like, numerous stakeholders should have a seat at the table, and that includes supply chain operators," says Safak Aktekin. "That's why we are delighted to support Li-ion Battery Europe 2023. Supply chain considerations start with the transport of raw materials, end with the final delivery of an EV and cover all the stages in between as materials, components and parts pass from supplier to supplier," he adds.

Global leader in reusable packaging solutions, CHEP, has reduced the environmental impact of transport across many industries by pioneering circularity since its beginnings and leading the way with its 'share-and-reuse' pooling model of pallets and containers that eliminate wasteful one-way packaging.

"You say transport and people think emissions but that's just one side of the coin," says Safak Aktekin. "The area we need to address - and quickly, as we ramp up EV production is wasteful, excessive, disposable packaging. B2C companies have been making strides. B2B companies need to do the same."

CHEP Automotive addresses automotive supply chain trends and talking points in its Supply Chain Trend Report series. In the latest edition "6 stakeholders shaping the future of electric vehicles", it also delves into how discussions between different stakeholders - governments, carmakers, battery makers, the mining industry, energy providers and supply chain operators - are essential to ensuring sustainable EV supply chains.

About CHEP

CHEP is one of the world's most sustainable logistics businesses, offering a share-and-reuse model for its 360 million pallets, crates and containers and serving the FMCG, fresh produce, beverage, retail, automotive and general manufacturing industries. Employing 11,700 people, CHEP is part of the Brambles Group and operates in approximately 60 countries.

www.chep.com www.brambles.com

1 https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/over-400-gigafactories-in-2030-pipeline-but-overcapacity-fears-loom
The rising demand for utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) from various industries, such as agriculture, construction, etc. and the rising trend of consumers towards off-road recreational activities are the factors projected to drive the growth of the global utility terrain vehicle market during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. The Asia-Pacific region to hold the major market share by 2032.

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research has recently published a report, titled, "Utility Terrain Vehicle Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Displacement (Less than 400 CC, between 400 CC and 800 CC, Greater than 800 CC), by Application (Sports UTV, Work UTV): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global utility terrain vehicle market generated $1 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to generate $1.8 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2032.

Download Sample Pages - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/3141

Prime Determinants of Growth

The demand for off-road recreational activities is growing among people. Besides, various industries, such as construction, agriculture, and others are increasingly adopting utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) globally. These factors are anticipated to drive the utility terrain vehicle market growth during the forecast period. However, the high manufacturing costs due to regulatory compliance and stricter emission regulations related to off-road vehicles may hamper the utility terrain vehicle market growth in the coming period. On the contrary, the rising adoption of advanced technology features in UTVs, such as GPS navigation, smartphone integration, touchscreen displays, advanced suspension systems and telematics to offer growth opportunities for expansion of the utility terrain vehicle market in the 2023-2032 forecast period.

Leading Players in the Utility Terrain Vehicle Market:

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

CFMOTO Powersports Inc.

Textron Inc.

Deere & Company

KWANG YANG MOTOR CO., LTD.

Suzuki Motor Corporation

KUBOTA Corporation

Hisun Motors Corp., Ltd.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Polaris Industries Inc.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

BRP Inc.

The report provides a detailed analysis of the key players of the global utility terrain vehicle market. These players have adopted different strategies, such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain their dominance in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Procure Complete Research Report (PDF/ Excel with Qualitative and Quotative Data, Insights, Statistics, Tables, Charts, Figures) - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/utility-terrain-vehicle-market/purchase-options

UTV Market Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $1 billion Market Size in 2032 $1.8 billion CAGR 5.5 % No. of Pages in Report 310 Segments covered Displacement, Application, and Region Drivers Rising trend of people seeking outdoor recreational activities Increasing demand for agriculture, hunting operations, and construction sector Opportunities Incorporation of advanced technology features in UTVs High R&D investments for product innovation Restraints High cost and stricter emission regulations

COVID-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the growth of the global utility terrain vehicle market. The epidemic led to disruptions in global supply chains, which affected the availability of raw materials and the delivery of finished products.

Many UTV-related events, such as races, expos, and rallies, were likely canceled or postponed. In addition, manufacturers relying on parts and components experienced delays in production, which led to decreased product availability. All these factors have negatively impacted the utility terrain vehicle market growth during the pandemic crisis.

Displacement: Between 400 CC and 800 CC Sub-segment Projected to Hold Major Market Share by 2032

The between 400 cc and 800 cc sub-segment accounted for the highest market share of 45.9% in 2022 and is expected to continue to dominate during the forecast period. This is mainly because between 400 and 800 cc displacement are used in agriculture, hunting, construction, and recreational activities, making them attractive to a broad customer base. Besides, the growth in the purchase of UTVs by many consumers for recreational purposes, such as off-roading, dune bashing, and trail riding is driving the sub-segment's growth. Moreover, affordable pricing makes them accessible to a wider range of consumers, including those who are cost-conscious.

Application: Work UTV Sub-segment to Flourish Immensely by 2032

The work UTV sub-segment generated the highest utility terrain vehicle market share of 61.1% in 2022 and is predicted to continue to dominate in terms of market share by 2032. This is mainly because work UTVs are valued for their ability to handle a wide range of tasks across industries, such as agriculture, forestry, construction, landscaping, and more. Besides, work UTVs are built to withstand demanding environments. Moreover, many manufacturers offer a variety of customization options for work UTVs, which is boosting the sub-segment's growth.

Interested to Procure the Research Report? Inquire Before Buying - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3141

Region: Asia-Pacific Market to be the Most Dominant by 2032

The Asia-Pacific region witnessed significant growth in 2022 and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period. This is majorly due to the growing popularity of recreational activities, such as trail riding and off-roading. Adventure seekers and enthusiasts in the region are looking for UTVs that can handle tough terrains and provide an enjoyable experience. Besides, the growing usage of UTVs in various industrial and commercial applications, such as construction, mining, and forestry is another factor driving the regional market growth.

Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry:

ATV and UTV Market Research Report 2023-2032

All-Terrain Vehicle Market Research Report 2023-2032

Off-Road Vehicle Market Research Report 2023-2032

Utility Vehicle Market Research Report 2023-2032

Electric Utility Vehicle Market Research Report 2023-2032

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

David Correa

1209 Orange Street,

Corporation Trust Center,

Wilmington, New Castle,

Delaware 19801 USA.

USA/Canada (Toll Free):

+1-800-792-5285

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

India (Pune): +91-20-66346060

Fax: +1-800-792-5285

help@alliedmarketresearch.com

Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com

Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com

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SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dahua Technology, a world-leading video-centric AIoT solution and service provider, unveiled its Think#2.0 corporate strategy, "Xinghan" Foundation Model and Future Communication Research Institute at the company's 2023 summit in Shenzhen. The event gathered over 300 industry experts and partners to engage in profound discussions regarding emerging trends and new industrial models driven by digital intelligence.

Mr. Fu Liquan, Chairman and President of Dahua Technology, reviewed Dahua's 30-year milestones of steady development and continuous innovation at the event. He stated that as the application of foundation models, multimodal technology and other technologies continues to accelerate the integration of digital technology and the real economy, it further expands the potential of the industry. Founded on the company's "Five Full" capabilities including Full Sensing, Full Intelligence, Full connection, Full Computing, and Full Ecosystem, Dahua is well-positioned to embrace the opportunities brought about by emerging technology trends. The company also actively engages in ESG, and collaborates with partners across various domains, contributing to a safe, low-carbon, beautiful and harmonious world.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Jason Zhao, Executive President of Dahua Technology, provided insights into the evolution and upgrading of Dahua's corporate strategy. He emphasized that, under the Dahua Think# strategy, the company has been focusing on facilitating the digital-intelligent transformation of cities and enterprises in the past two years. As AIoT evolves, the global AIoT market space is further expanding, accelerating data productivity and intelligence integration. Facing the vast digital intelligence world, Mr. Zhao highlighted that Dahua is set to join hands with ecosystem partners and embark on the Think# 2.0 era from "Intelligence" to "Integrated Intelligence", comprehensively integrating multimodal technology, industry foundation models, image and data intelligence, and integrated connection technologies to stimulate new industrial momentum.

The IoT Digital Intelligence Platform 2.0, which is based on the Dahua Think# strategy iteration, integrates new technologies such as IoT sensing, computing and networking, visual foundation models, and data intelligence to comprehensively enhance Dahua's software engineering capabilities. It leverages the multiplier effect of data to strengthen urban management and assist the digitalization of enterprises.

At the summit, Dahua's "Xinghan" Foundation Model was launched. With video as the core, this multimodal fusion industry foundation model catapults the accuracy and generalization of AI algorithms, with breakthroughs in visual cognition capabilities, independent analysis of various scenarios, and efficient fulfillment of massive fragmented needs, especially urban governance and power industry applications.

In the Dahua Think# 2.0 strategic framework, the importance of video-centric data communication and connection in the convergence of "cloud, network, edge, and terminal" is emphasized. To address this, Dahua established the Future Communication Research Institute, which is dedicated to conducting foundational research in the intelligent connection of video data, thus enhancing the company's "Full Connection" capability. Dahua has established a brand new "3+N" connection capability foundation to provide effective support for the streamlined management of digital systems and the autonomous operation of intelligent systems, promoting comprehensive smart upgrading in the new era.

The year 2023 marks Dahua's dedication to open and inclusive ecosystem partnerships. In the field of education digitalization, Mr. Namik Kemal Yildiz, Turkish Ministry of Education Manager of People's Education, Ministry of Education of Turkiye, presented the FATI?H Project in collaboration with Dahua to build smart examination rooms and smart classrooms. It is an important part of Turkey's 2030 Vision that aims to realize the digital transformation of K12 education.

In the future, Dahua will continue to focus on visual intelligence and facilitate the data industry through comprehensive AIoT capabilities, collaborating with ecosystem partners to explore new chapters in global development.

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Denarius Metals Corp. (TSXV: DSLV) (OTCQX: DNRSF) is pleased to announce that the Company will be participating in Red Cloud's 2023 Fall Mining Showcase. We invite our shareholders and all interested parties to join us there for an update on the Company's business plan and strategy.

The annual Red Cloud conference will be hosted in-person at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel on November 7th and 8th. Our Chief Financial Officer, Michael Davies, will be presenting the Company's update on November 7th at 11:20 AM Eastern Standard time in the Dominion Ballroom South. A replay of the Company presentation will also be available after the conference.

For more information and/or to register for the Red Cloud Fall Mining Showcase, please visit the conference website at https://redcloudfs.com/fallminingshowcase2023/.

About Denarius Metals

Denarius Metals is a Canadian junior company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and eventual operation of polymetallic mining projects in high-grade districts, with its principal focus on the Lomero Project in Spain. The Company signed a definitive option agreement with Europa Metals Ltd. in November 2022 pursuant to which Europa has granted Denarius Metals two options to acquire up to an 80% ownership interest in the Toral Zn-Pb-Ag Project, Leon Province, Northern Spain. The Company's 100%-owned Zancudo Project in Colombia provides an opportunity to develop near-term production and cash flow through local contract miners and long-term growth through exploration.

Additional information on Denarius can be found on its website at www.denariusmetals.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

For Further Information, Contact:

Michael Davies

Chief Financial Officer

(416) 360-4653

investors@denariusmetals.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185120
HELSINKI, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Caverion Corporation Stock exchange release 25 October 2023 at 12.00 EEST

Notice convening the Extraordinary General Meeting of Caverion Corporation

Notice is given to the shareholders of Caverion Corporation ('Caverion' or the 'Company') that an Extraordinary General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 15 November 2023 at 14:00 Finnish time at the headquarters of Caverion Corporation at Torpantie 2, 01650 Vantaa.

The reception of persons who have registered for the meeting and the distribution of voting tickets will commence at the meeting venue at 13:00 Finnish time.

On 10 January 2023, Crayfish BidCo Oy ('Crayfish BidCo') announced a voluntary public cash tender offer for all issued and outstanding shares in Caverion (the 'Tender Offer'). On 24 October 2023, Crayfish BidCo announced that it had declared the Tender Offer unconditional and that it will complete the Tender Offer in accordance with its terms. On the date of this notice, Crayfish BidCo holds approximately 29.9 per cent of all shares and votes in Caverion, and it is expected that its shareholding will before the record date of the meeting increase to approximately 67.8 per cent of all shares and votes in Caverion (excluding in each case treasury shares held by Caverion) as a result of the completion of share purchases concluded by Crayfish BidCo. Crayfish BidCo has confirmed that all conditions to the completion of such share purchases have been fulfilled. Accordingly, Crayfish BidCo has requested the Board of Directors of Caverion to convene the Extraordinary General Meeting to consider the matters set out in this notice.

A. MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

At the Extraordinary General Meeting, the following matters will be considered:

Opening of the meeting Calling the meeting to order Election of persons to scrutinise the minutes and persons to supervise the counting of votes Recording the legality of the meeting Recording the attendance at the meeting and adoption of the list of votes Amending the Articles of Association

It is proposed to the Extraordinary General Meeting that Article 4 of the Articles of the Association of the Company regarding the election and composition of the Board of Directors be amended to read, in its amended form, as follows:

'4  For the proper administration and organization of the Company's affairs, the Company shall have a Board of Directors consisting of one (1) to seven (7) ordinary members as well as at least one (1) deputy member in case the Board of Directors has less than three (3) ordinary members.

Unless otherwise decided by the general meeting of shareholders, the term of each member of the Board of Directors shall begin at the general meeting of shareholders at which he or she is elected and expire at the end of the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders following election.'

In addition, it is proposed that the first sentence of Article 8 of the Articles of Association of the Company be amended to read as follows: 'The Annual General Meeting shall be held within six (6) months of the end of the financial period.'

The proposed amended Articles of Association are available on the Company's website at www.caverion.com/egm.

7. Resolution on the number of members of the Board of Directors

It is proposed to the Extraordinary General Meeting that two (2) ordinary members and one (1) deputy member be elected to the Board of Directors of the Company.

8. Resolution on the remuneration of the Chairman and the members of the Board of Directors

As regards the persons proposed to be elected as new members of the Board of Directors, it is proposed to the Extraordinary General Meeting that a remuneration of EUR 60,000 per year (paid out in equal monthly instalments for the duration of the term of office) be paid to the member of the Board of Directors to be elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and that no remuneration be paid to the ordinary member and the deputy member of the Board of Directors. The current members of the Board of Directors will receive remuneration as resolved by the Company's Annual General Meeting held on 27 March 2023 in proportion to the length of their respective terms of office.

9. Election of members of the Board of Directors

It is proposed to the Extraordinary General Meeting that for a term of office beginning as of registration of the amended Articles of Association and expiring at the end of the Annual General Meeting 2024, Mikael Aro and Hans Petter Hjellestad be elected as ordinary members of the Board of Directors and Gustaf Behmer be elected as deputy member of the Board of Directors. The term of office of the current members of the Board of Directors would expire upon the commencement of the term of office of the new members of the Board of Directors.

It is proposed that shareholders take a position on the composition of the Board of Directors as a whole.

Personal information and positions of trust of the proposed individuals as well as evaluations of their independence are available on the Company's website at www.caverion.com/egm.

10. Closing of the meeting

B. DOCUMENTS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

This notice convening the Extraordinary General Meeting which includes all decision proposals is available to shareholders on the Company's website at www.caverion.com/egm.

The minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting will be available on the above-mentioned website no later than on 29 November 2023.

C. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

1. Shareholders registered in the shareholders register

Each shareholder who is registered in the Company's shareholder register held by Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, which is 3 November 2023, has the right to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting. A shareholder whose shares are registered in their personal Finnish book-entry account is registered in the shareholder register of the Company. Changes in shareholding after the record date do not affect the right to participate in the meeting or the number of voting rights held in the meeting. Instructions for holders of nominee-registered shares are set out below under section C.2. 'Holders of nominee-registered shares'.

The registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting will commence on 25 October 2023 at 16:00 Finnish time. A shareholder who is registered in the Company's shareholder register and who wishes to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting shall register no later than on 10 November 2023 at 16.00 Finnish time, by which time the registration shall be received. Registration can take place in the following ways:

on the Company's website at www.caverion.com/egm

Electronic registration via the Company's website requires strong identification of the shareholder or their legal representative or proxy representative with a Finnish or Swedish bank ID or mobile certificate.

by e-mail to egm@innovatics.fi or by mail to Innovatics Ltd, EGM / Caverion Corporation, Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, 00520 Helsinki, Finland

Further information concerning registration is available by phone during the registration period from Innovatics Ltd by telephone at +358 10 281 8909 between 9:00 and 12:00 and 13:00 and 16:00 Finnish time from Monday to Friday.

The requested information, such as the shareholder's name, date of birth or business ID, address, telephone number and e-mail address as well as the name of the shareholder's possible proxy representative and the date of birth of the proxy representative must be provided in connection with the registration. The personal data given to Caverion Corporation or Innovatics Ltd by shareholders is used only in connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting and in connection with the processing of the related necessary registrations.

The shareholder, their authorised representative or proxy representative shall, where necessary, be able to prove their identity and/or right of representation at the meeting venue.

2. Holders of nominee-registered shares

A holder of nominee-registered shares has the right to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting by virtue of such shares, based on which they on the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, 3 November 2023, would be entitled to be registered in the shareholder register of the Company held by Euroclear Finland Oy. The right to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting requires, in addition, that the shareholder on the basis of such shares has been temporarily registered into the shareholder register held by Euroclear Finland Oy no later than on 10 November 2023 by 10:00 Finnish time. As regards nominee-registered shares, this constitutes due registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting. Changes in shareholding after the record date do not affect the right to participate in the meeting or the number of voting rights held in the meeting.

A holder of nominee-registered shares is advised to request without delay necessary instructions regarding the temporary registration in the shareholder register of the Company, the issuing of powers of attorney and voting instructions as well as registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting from their custodian bank. The account manager of the custodian bank has to register a holder of nominee-registered shares who wants to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting into the temporary shareholders' register of the Company at the latest by the time stated above.

3. Proxy representative and powers of attorney

A shareholder may participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting and exercise their rights at the meeting by way of proxy representation. A proxy representative shall produce a dated power of attorney or otherwise in a reliable manner prove their right to represent the shareholder at the Extraordinary General Meeting. A power of attorney template is available on the Company's website at www.caverion.com/egm. If a shareholder participates in the Extraordinary General Meeting by means of several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares in different securities accounts, the shares in respect of which each proxy representative represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Any powers of attorney are requested to be delivered preferably as an attachment via the electronic registration service available on the Company's website as described in section C.1. above, or alternatively by e-mail to egm@innovatics.fi or by mail to Innovatics Ltd, EGM / Caverion Corporation, Ratamestarinkatu 13 A, 00520 Helsinki, Finland before the end of the registration period on 10 November 2023 at 16:00 Finnish time. In addition to submitting the power of attorney, the shareholder or their proxy representative shall see to the registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting in the manner described above in this notice.

Shareholders who are legal entities can also use Suomi.fi e-Authorisation service for authorising a proxy representative instead of a traditional power of attorney. The proxy representative shall be authorised in Suomi.fi e-Authorisation service at www.suomi.fi/e-authorizations (mandate "Representation at the General Meeting"). In the electronic registration service, the authorised person must in connection with the registration identify themselves by using strong electronic identification and thereafter register on behalf of the shareholder that they represent. The strong electronic identification takes place by Finnish banking codes or mobile ID. More information on the electronic authorisation is available at www.suomi.fi/e-authorizations.

4. Other information

The language of the meeting is Finnish. Simultaneous interpreting is available in the meeting in English.

Pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, a shareholder who is present at the General Meeting, has the right to request information with respect to the matters to be considered at the meeting.

On the date of this notice convening the Extraordinary General Meeting, 25 October 2023, the total number of shares and votes in Caverion Corporation is 138,920,092. Pursuant to the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, shares held by the Company itself or its subsidiaries do not entitle to participation in the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Helsinki, 25 October 2023

Caverion Corporation

Board of Directors

Media Contacts:

Noora Koikkalainen

Head of Investor Relations

0505626552

noora.koikkalainen@caverion.com

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/14078/3861248/2384337.pdf Release

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/notice-convening-the-extraordinary-general-meeting-of-caverion-corporation-301967233.html


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The supreme court of Georgia has upheld the state's ban on abortion after six-weeks of pregnancy.



Georgia had passed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (Life) Act in 2019 that bans abortion, with some exceptions, when early heartbeat is detected.



It took effect after the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion under Roe v Wade in 2022.



A group of abortion rights supporters challenged the law, and called for its repeal.



The court ruled that the six-week abortion ban law will remain valid while litigation over it continues.



'The trial court erred in relying on overruled decisions of the United States Supreme Court to conclude that portions of the LIFE Act violated the United States Constitution when enacted in 2019,' the Georgia supreme court said in its majority opinion, which was written by Justice Verda M Colvin. 'The same United States Constitution governs today as when the LIFE Act was enacted, and Georgia courts are required to look to the United States Supreme Court's now-controlling interpretation of the United States Constitution when determining whether a statutory law violates that Constitution,' it added.



The six-week ban had limited pregnant women's access to abortion in Georgia, and threatened physicians with jail time for providing care.



It forced hundreds of women to travel to other states for medical care they desperately needed to preserve their health, and led to complications that make it more difficult to have children in the future.



The ruling is seen as a boost to Republican lawmakers who are calling for a national abortion ban that would criminalize reproductive health care in every state.



In a statement on Georgia Supreme Court decision upholding abortion ban, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, 'Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we've seen the dangerous impact bans like this have had on women across the country.'



She vowed that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris won't stop fighting until the protections of Roe v. Wade are restored in federal law.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Die Top 3 Dividendenaktien 2024 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! Hier klicken
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!

DUBLIN (dpa-AFX) - Biopharmaceutical company Alkermes plc (ALKS) Wednesday reported a profit for the third quarter, compared with a loss in the previous year, primarily helped by higher product sales. The company's earnings as well as revenue beat analysts' view. Alkermes posted a profit of $47.76 million or $0.28 per share for the third quarter, compared with a loss of $63.97 million or $0.39 per share in the same quarter a year ago, primarily driven by higher product sales. Excluding one-time items, earnings were $0.64 per share, that beat the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson-Reuters of $0.43 per share. Revenue for the quarter increased to $380.94 million from $252.36 million last year. The consensus estimate was for $362.15 million. Looking forward, Alkermes has backed its outlook for the full year. In June, the company had raised earnings outlook to $225 million- $265 million and earnings per share guidance to $1.31 - $1.54. 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.
RTX's counter-UAS solutions continue to prove effective against evolving enemy drones

YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon, an RTX business, successfully demonstrated the capabilities of the Low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft Integrated Defense System, or LIDS, during the U.S. Army's annual summer test period. Joining U.S. Army officials were representatives from a number of international allied ground forces who attended to witness the test events firsthand.

Raytheon's Ku-band Radio Frequency Sensor, known as KuRFS, and the Coyote family of effectors provide the essential detect and defeat capabilities of LIDS, the Army's go-to counter-drone solution.

Building on similar success at the Army's 2021 and 2022 summer test periods, KuRFS and Coyote proved effective again this year, meeting all test requirements against high-speed, maneuvering targets.

"This marks another milestone in the proven track record of success and performance of our counter-UAS capabilities," said Tom Laliberty, president of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. "As the threat of unmanned systems continues to grow, the performance and reliability of a complete C-UAS system is critical - and we remain committed to the continuous improvement of these systems to provide our customers with an effective solution to stay ahead of the threat."

The persistent, 360-degree KuRFS radar excelled in a stress test successfully detecting and tracking a complex swarm of more than 30 unmanned aircraft vehicles. Coyote defeated several targets, singles and swarms, demonstrating reduced engagement timelines to defeat multiple threats. The tests validated the recent hardware and software enhancements made to both systems, to optimize capability and performance.

International interest in the systems is high, with several allied countries requesting information and briefings. The U.S. Army is currently bolstering its counter-drone defenses with LIDS, awarding Raytheon an October 2022 contract to equip two Army divisions with LIDS, followed by a contract for an additional quantity of fixed site and mobile LIDS systems awarded earlier this year to further support the U.S. Army's Central Command. A third contract was recently awarded, intended to equip a third Army division.

Raytheon has developed the enabling technologies, as well as complete and customizable systems, that enable military and civilian customers to defeat complex UAS threats in any environment. The company has developed integrated, high-performing sensors and cost-effective kinetic and non-kinetic effectors that allow customers to select the right effectors against a range of threats and defeat threats more efficiently.

About RTX

RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses - Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon - we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Carolyn Beaudry

corporatepr@rtx.com

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2255321/Coyote_Summer_2023.mp4

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2255320/KuRFS.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/raytheons-kurfs-and-coyote-detect-and-defeat-uas-targets-during-us-army-summer-test-period-301966226.html
T&D Industry Veteran to Spearhead Company's Expansion Across the U.S., Europe, and Asia

GR CE-HOLLOGNE, Belgium and ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023, the leading provider of grid monitoring and analytics solutions for optimal operation of the world's critical energy infrastructure, today announces the appointment of Mr. Stephan Heberer to the office of Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heberer succeeds Mr. Frederic Vassort, who will join the company's board of directors and guide its expansion in Asia.



"Globally, electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure is being taxed to its limit as the population demands more power and moves to clean energy," said Mr. Heberer. "Ampacimon technology leads the industry in T&D optimization. The company has a unique opportunity to scale as utilities everywhere modernize their infrastructure and strive to improve asset lifecycle and capacity. This is particularly important as nations work to improve their carbon footprint with the adoption of renewables, and as customers embrace new electric vehicle and energy storage technology."

Mr. Heberer brings 30+ years of energy infrastructure experience. He has actively worked in the field of condition monitoring with a focus on asset management. He has been involved in various strategic monitoring and analytics projects around the world, focusing on the optimization of T&D infrastructure for power generation, transmission, distribution, offshore windfarms, and the oil and gas industry. He has served in executive positions in Zurich, Glasgow, Manchester and lastly in Bologna for companies like Qualitrol, HVPD, Techimp and Doble.

Frederic Vassort, Ampacimon Board Member, and former CEO stated: "We are thrilled to welcome Stephan to Ampacimon, and fortunate to add his deep energy industry expertise to the company as it embarks on its next stage of growth. His deep technological acumen and ability to help customers optimize asset utilization will serve our rapidly growing customer base. This is particularly important as our solutions help utilities evolve to match today's unprecedented demand for power while still reducing their carbon footprint."

Mr. Heberer is a graduate of The Nuremberg Institute of Technology, one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Germany. An accomplished leader, Mr. Heberer is an expert electrical industry technologist and change agent with a successful record of accomplishment of top-line growth, operational efficiency, and relentless customer advocacy.

"Ampacimon is the provider of important solutions that can help the world achieve critical clean energy goals while increasing capacity, reliability and safety of existing infrastructure. Stephan's broad industry experience and leadership expertise will serve Ampacimon customers well in this exciting phase of the company's growth and evolution of the industry," concluded Mr. Vassort.

About Ampacimon

Ampacimon is a technology company founded in Belgium and Spain in 2010, offering Grid-Enhancing Technologies

Contact:

media@ktcmarketingandpr.com
Taiwan Creative Content Agency

Global Content Industry Professionals Gather in Taipei for TCCF 2023



25-Oct-2023 / 14:15 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Asia's Largest Pitching Sessions Return with International Projects for the First Time TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 25 October 2023 - This October 25 the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) hosted a press conference at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei to announce the 2023 edition of the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF). This year's event will take place from November 7 to 12 bringing together content industry professionals from renowned international media companies (Warner Bros. Discovery, CJ ENM, etc.) as well as international filmmakers and creators. TCCF 2023 features a full schedule of activities divided in three main sections: PITCHING, MARKET, and INNOVATIONS. Among TCCF 2023's goals are the promotion of copyright licensing and co-production opportunities while matchmaking global IP proposals with potential investors. Additionally, the event will feature exhibitions and panels to foster the exchange of ideas and experiences among professionals in the industry, as well as connect Taiwanese talent with international resources. During the press conference TAICCA's Chairperson, Homme Tsai, highlighted that "recently announced policies by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture have greatly stimulated private investment in Taiwanese content. Yet, TAICCA's most important goal goes beyond funding, our priority is to connect corporations, businesses and other funding sources around the world with the right talents, technologies, and content."



TCCF's PITCHING has become the largest pitching event in all of Asia with 539 submitted projects from 29 regions around the world and surpassing the US$160,000 mark in prizes. For the first time, it has welcomed international projects into its Project to Screen sessions, following high-quality film and television proposals across all formats: feature films, series, animation, and documentaries. Furthermore, TCCF has announced a new Story to Screen session looking into Taiwanese IPs with potential to be adapted into audiovisual works. All prize winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 10. Phil Tang, president of Greener Grass Culture, the production house behind the recent Taiwanese Netflix hit such as The Killing Game, explained the criteria during the project selection: "The most important factor is the IP sustainability, IP projects with long-term development potential, which is especially valuable in the rapidly changing media landscape in Taiwan. () Secondly, I prefer projects that follow current society trends in Taiwan or the world, this aspect always attracts international audiences."



MARKET, the B2B content marketplace, extends its duration from 3 to 4 days and, with more than 100 companies attending, breaks its participation record. International media juggernauts such as Fuji Television, TVBI or Mediacorp TV will all set up booths at TCCF. In addition, MARKET will also feature Taiwanese film commissions, innovative technology companies and, for the first time, national pavilions, with South Korea, Japan and France as the first invited countries. On the stage, Cecile Renault, head of culture, university cooperation and education of the French office in Taipei recognized that "France and Taiwan share many common values, such as democracy and freedom of speech. I have high hopes for French-Taiwanese collaboration and anticipate the creation of internationally acclaimed films and television series in the future."



The third section, focused on the intersection between content and technology, INNOVATIONS, will present 21 immersive artworks including installations and MR/AR experiences. TCCF will also host a series of workshops, panels and masterclasses with trailblazers in the industry from local and international institutions such as Venice International Film Festival, Ars Electronica or KKCompany. The founder of the participating VFX company MOONSHINE Studio, Chia Chi Lin, hopes that "by gradually introducing new technologies into content creation through events like TCCF, we can expand the imagination of creators and showcase Taiwan's cultural technology."



Concurrently with the events at the three main sections, TCCF will also introduce an Industry Stage hosting keynotes, panels and spotlight presentations on diversity and future opportunities in the content industries. Among the speakers are filmmakers Adele Lim, writer of Crazy Rich Asians and director of Joy Ride, and Felipe Galvez Haberle whose debut film, The Settlers, was awarded the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes 2023; key international players like Takeshi Natsuno, CEO of Kadokawa Corporation, and Janice Chua, vice president at Imagine International, production company founded by Ron Howard and Brian Glazer; and representatives from technology leaders such as Peter Wu, CEO of ASUS Cloud and Taiwan Web Service Corporation, and Eric Kang, senior manager, solution architect at NVIDIA.



Taiwan Creative Content Fest 2023 takes place from November 7 to 12 at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Taipei New Horizon. Professional badges are now available to purchase until October 31st at TCCF's official website or on-site during the event.



For more information on TCCF 2023 check the official press kit . Media Contact: DDG - International PR & Marketing Manager Jaime Costas Nicolas jaime.costas@ddg.com.tw +886223117007 #406 TAICCA Representative Wengin Hsu wengin.hsu@taicca.tw +886-2-27458186 #805



Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




The "European Online Pharmacy Market (by Type, Region): Insights and Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2022-2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The European online pharmacy market is poised for remarkable growth, with projections indicating it will achieve a substantial valuation of US$23.61 billion by 2023. This growth is expected to be driven by factors such as an aging population, an increasing number of internet users, and the convenience and cost-effectiveness of online healthcare e-commerce platforms. However, challenges related to the regulatory environment and concerns about cyber threats and data security may pose obstacles to this burgeoning market.

Online pharmacies, defined as websites that distribute medication to customers via the internet, are experiencing rapid expansion in Europe. The market is witnessing the emergence of new entrants seeking to tap into the potential of e-script services, which may impact both the over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) segments. While the online pharmacy sector experienced a boom during the pandemic, the market's future growth may face challenges as the impact of the pandemic wanes, and traditional flu/cold seasons return.

Key Market Segments

By Type: The European online pharmacy market consists of two primary segments: Online OTC and Online Rx. Online OTC leads the market, driven by increasing internet penetration and growing awareness of the benefits of online services, especially for over-the-counter medications.

Geographic Coverage

The European online OTC pharmacy market is segmented into Germany, the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and the Rest of Europe. Germany holds the largest market share due to surging demand for online medications and doorstep delivery services.

The German online OTC pharmacy market can be further divided into segments based on product type, with Beauty Products (BP), Healthcare Products (HP), Nutrition, and Medicine-related OTC products. The BP, HP, and Nutrition segment holds the majority of the market share. Additionally, the report also provides an analysis of the German Online Rx market, which has been growing steadily, driven by convenience and cost advantages, particularly during lockdown situations.

Top Impacting Factors

Growth Drivers

Aging Population Increasing Number of Internet Users Rising Health Care E-Commerce Convenience Lower Pricing

Challenges

Regulatory Environment Cyber Threats and Data Security

Trends

Integration of AI in Pharmacy Sector Rising Implementation of E-Prescriptions Escalating Adoption of New Technology

Driver: Increasing Number of Internet Users

The rapid rise in internet penetration across Europe has fueled the acceptance of new technologies and created a demand for digital health platforms. People are increasingly recognizing the advantages of the internet and favoring e-commerce over traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Internet access via smartphones, in particular, has gained significant popularity, driving the growth of the online pharmacy market.

Challenge: Regulatory Environment

The regulatory landscape for pharmacies varies from country to country in Europe, posing a challenge to the online pharmacy sector. While countries like Germany are gradually adopting e-prescriptions and allowing the online sale of prescription and OTC medications, others have more stringent regulations. For instance, Switzerland restricts the delivery of non-prescription medicines by mail unless specifically permitted by a doctor. These regulatory differences have presented hurdles for online pharmacies in Europe.

Trend: Integration of AI in Pharmacy Sector

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the pharmacy sector is enhancing service quality, operational efficiency, and patient care. AI enables accurate diagnosis, effective disease prevention, and real-time health monitoring, which can foster customer trust and loyalty. Retail pharmacies are increasingly investing in AI tools to enhance service quality, reduce costs, and optimize inventory management. The goal is to improve patient access to virtual care via mobile devices, using AI analytics to facilitate the efficient sharing of medical information between patients, healthcare providers, and treatment centers.

The COVID-19 Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the growth of the European online pharmacy market. Lockdowns and travel restrictions prompted more people to turn to online pharmacies for both prescription and OTC medications. Additionally, teleconsultations replaced in-person doctor appointments, leading to the development of digital prescriptions and further boosting the online pharmacy market. Practices like electronic prescription transfers and home delivery of medicines are expected to persist in the post-COVID era, continuing to drive market growth.

Analysis of Key Players

The European online pharmacy market is characterized by fragmentation, with Zur Rose Group, Chemist4U, Apotea, MedExpress, LloydsPharmacy, Shop Apotheke Europe, ChemistDirect, Parafarmacia-Online, UK Meds Direct Ltd., Medikamente-per-klick, Euro-Pharmas, and Meds Apotek AB among the key players in the sector.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ff8phz

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade, Chief Revenue Officer will Spearhead Leadership and Growth from Preply's New York City Office

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Preply, a leading online learning marketplace, today announced a company rebrand and the appointment of two C-suite executives as it establishes its first office in the U.S. in New York City. The global online language learning market is set to reach $47 billion by 2025, due to globalization, technological advancements, and rising demand for bilingualism, all of which drive the demand for innovative language education solutions. With over 600 employees of 60 nationalities across New York, Kyiv and Barcelona, Preply has become a global e-learning powerhouse that connects 40,000 tutors with the world's largest live language learning community in 180 countries. Preply revenues have grown tenfold over the last three years with this latest activity signifying the company's doubling down to extend category leadership in what is already its largest market.

New Executive Leadership Drives Preply's Growth in the U.S.

The two new executive hires; Sofia Tavares as Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade as Chief Revenue Officer, bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the organization. Both executives will be based in the New York office and have already played a key role in the rebrand and the establishment of the new office announced today.

Tavares will lead the company's transformation into an iconic brand. Having previously served as Senior Vice President of Brand at Delivery Hero where she was instrumental in the company's transition to IPO, Tavares has over two decades of experience leading global marketing strategies for some of the world's most recognizable brands, including PepsiCo, Cadbury plc, Bacardi, Black & Decker and PetroChina. Tavares is fluent in eight languages.

Kingkade will drive the company's efforts to transform communications and culture through language at organizations across the world. Having led teams across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Kingkade joins Preply from Flowspace, where he doubled revenue and tripled gross profit in his first year as CRO. Prior to Flowspace, Kingkade was VP of Sales and Marketplace Operations at Houzz, where he grew the sales organization from one rep to hundreds of employees.

New Identity Marks Next Phase of Preply's Journey.

Having done extensive work on Preply's vision and mission earlier in the year, Preply collaborated with London-based agency Koto to redefine the company's identity and double down on what makes Preply unique.

The new identity introduces a fresh logo, vibrant color palette, and improved website design to improve the learning experience for users and tutors, helping millions more people make their language learning dreams a reality. The new brand is anchored around the theme of repetition, a powerful element of success for those studying a language that reflects how practice, progress and growth transform a learning journey.

"Our new vision, unlocking human potential through learning, has been the driving force behind this project. Today, more people than ever aspire to learn a new language. We believe that by strengthening our brand, we better serve everyone's language learning needs and aspirations," said Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer of Preply. "I couldn't be more excited to be on this journey with the Preply team, and I'm grateful to our wonderful tutors, students, employees and the wider language learning community for coming along for the ride."

More information about Preply's new brand can be found in Tavares' blog post.

Helping U.S. Employers Gain a Competitive Edge

The U.S. is home to the headquarters of some of the largest multinational companies in the world with the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers reporting that 90% of U.S employers rely on a multilingual workforce. However, the demands are not being met and as a result, 25% of U.S. employers are losing out on business opportunities.

"The world is more connected than ever. We are hearing time and again from clients that communications mistakes are costly, both from a financial and reputation standpoint", remarks Jerry Kingkade. "We've welcomed 200 new organizations to the Preply program in the last 12 months and more than doubled the number of clients we're working within the U.S. so far this year. A staggering 75% of working Americans feel that foreign language skills are important for their career prospects[1]. As we establish our U.S. presence in New York, we look forward to picking up the pace, serving the needs of this hard-working population, and playing a part in addressing a specific skills gap in the labor market".

Preply's momentum surges with the introduction of its New York office

Preply is reinforcing its commitment to growth and to better serve its existing U.S.-based B2B customers and partners with the launch of its first office in the U.S. The New York City location was chosen as a large number of multinational corporations are based in the Northeast.

The new office, The Malin, is now open, located at 134 Charles Street in the heart of New York's West Village. Preply anticipates that by the close of 2023, 25+ employees will be working from the office complementing Preply's existing two hubs in Barcelona and Kyiv.

About Preply

Preply is an online language learning marketplace, connecting tutors to hundreds of thousands of learners in 180 countries worldwide. More than 40,000 tutors teach over 50 languages, powered by a machine-learning algorithm that recommends the best tutors for each learner. Founded in the United States in 2012 by three Ukrainian founders Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn, Preply has grown from a team of 3 to a company of over 600 employees of 60 different nationalities with offices in Barcelona, New York, and Kyiv.





[1] Preply survey 2023 amongst 3000 global participants

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256302/PMP_video_for_blog.mp4

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256321/Preply_language.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256297/Preply.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256298/Preply_Sofia.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257267/Preply_Jerry.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256296/Preply_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ukrainian-founded-preply-extends-leadership-in-language-learning-with-first-us-office-fresh-branding-and-two-c-suite-additions-301967286.html
Product donations provide access to power during natural disasters in Hawaii, Morocco and more

SEATTLE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EcoFlow, a pioneering portable power and eco-friendly energy solutions company, launched its "Power for All" initiative as part of the company's commitment to making a positive impact on communities globally and addressing energy challenges during times of crisis.

EcoFlow believes everyone deserves the ability to provide power for their homes and safeguard their families. Through "Power for All," EcoFlow unites with global communities and non-profits to empower them through clean and reliable energy, ensuring essential power during grid disruptions.

"Natural disasters are great equalizers that can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. EcoFlow understands the importance of unity and support in such challenging circumstances," said EcoFlow CEO and founder Bruce Wang. "By working closely with relief organizations, local governments and partners, EcoFlow strives to make renewable energy products and solutions accessible to all, contributing to a global shift in the way we generate and store power."

Hawaii Wildfire Support

In August, Hawaii's Maui island faced widespread power outages caused by devastating wildfires. In a collaborative effort, EcoFlow teamed up with a local helicopter operator to donate our cutting-edge products to support the powering of satellite broadband systems. This initiative ensures that the Maui community remains connected, enabling crucial assistance and maintaining connections with loved ones during a time of crisis.

Morocco Earthquake Relief

Morocco was struck by a catastrophic magnitude 6.8 earthquake on Sept. 8, leaving widespread devastation in its wake. EcoFlow took immediate action, partnering with EasyPower, the official distributor in Morocco, to provide critical power solutions to support rescue teams, homeless shelters and village hospitals. This swift and collaborative response from EcoFlow aided those affected by the earthquake and contributed to the ongoing humanitarian efforts in Morocco.

Power for All

EcoFlow aspires to power not just homes and families during times of crisis, but is committed to environmental conservation and community empowerment. Through partnerships with organizations like SufferBetter and One Tree Planted, EcoFlow actively contributes to preserving natural habitats and countering climate change by planting thousands of trees. The company's commitment to global communities is evident through initiatives like donating portable power stations for education in rural South Africa and illuminating the traditional culture event, Gion Festival, in Japan.

EcoFlow's multifaceted CSR initiatives reflect a steadfast commitment to a future where renewable energy is accessible to all, with the goal of creating a ripple effect of positive change extending far beyond its company through collaborations with like-minded organizations and individuals.

For more information about EcoFlow's CSR initiatives and innovative eco-friendly energy products, please visit EcoFlow CSR page.

About EcoFlow

EcoFlow is a leading eco-friendly energy solutions company with the vision to power a new world. Since its founding in 2017, EcoFlow aims to become a reliable and trusted energy companion for individuals and families across the world, providing accessible and renewable power solutions at home, outdoors, and in mobile spaces. Today, with operational headquarters located in the USA, Germany, and Japan, EcoFlow has empowered more than 2.5 million users in over 100 markets worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.ecoflow.com/us.

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RICHMOND, British Columbia, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRIUMF, Canada's particle accelerator centre, and General Fusion, an international leader in the development of commercial fusion energy, announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides a framework for scientific and technical collaboration. Under the terms of the agreement, the two globally recognized B.C. innovators will work together to design diagnostics that will advance General Fusion's technology and prove the performance of the company's new Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) demonstration, called Lawson Machine 26 (LM26). This groundbreaking machine is designed to reach fusion conditions in 2025 and set a path for scientific breakeven equivalent in 2026.



TRIUMF and General Fusion will collaborate on projects in key areas including neutron diagnostics and a state-of-the-art ion temperature diagnostic for LM26. The information from these diagnostics will be critical in verifying that LM26 achieves fusion conditions, reaching temperatures of more than 100 million degrees Celsius, or 10 keV, and will be used to drive General Fusion's progress towards scientific breakeven equivalent. Additionally, the data will provide important inputs into confirming the costs and size of General Fusion's commercial scale machine, putting the company on course to bring clean fusion energy onto the electricity grid by the early to mid-2030s.

This diagnostic work builds upon the existing relationship between TRIUMF and General Fusion that began in 2022. Incorporating TRIUMF's expertise into General Fusion's development of innovative technologies, from initial concepts to final design and manufacturing, will help to ensure the technology deployed is practical for commercial power plants. Moving forward, General Fusion will also leverage TRIUMF's experience with large-scale physics machines to develop interfaces that efficiently analyze and interpret information for operators of LM26.

Quotes:

"British Columbia is a hub for technology innovation and General Fusion is pleased to advance our transformative LM26 machine with an organization that is both local and has international renown," said Greg Twinney, CEO, General Fusion. "We look forward to drawing from TRIUMF's deep well of knowledge and abilities to help drive toward our goal to achieve scientific breakeven by 2026."

"TRIUMF is very pleased to be continuing our ongoing work with General Fusion and support their efforts in progressing a new form of clean energy technology," commented Kathryn Hayashi, CEO of TRIUMF Innovations, TRIUMF's commercialization arm. "For decades, our lab has fostered global research collaborations in innovation and science that overcome monumental barriers, and we see that same ambition and passion driving the work carried out by General Fusion. We are eager to apply our expertise and resources to help develop the technology they require to make commercial fusion power a reality."

Quick Facts:

General Fusion is fast-tracking its technical progress to provide commercial fusion energy to the grid by the early to mid-2030s. The company's new LM26 machine, being built at its Richmond headquarters, will integrate the company's operational plasma injector with a simplified compression system.

The results from LM26 will validate the company's ability to compress magnetized plasmas in a repeatable manner and achieve fusion conditions without requiring expensive superconducting magnets, or high-powered lasers. The data gathered from LM26 will then be incorporated into the design of the company's planned commercial scale demonstration in the UK.

Established in Vancouver in 1968, TRIUMF has an international reputation for pushing the frontiers of science and innovation. This includes the development of technologies to address fundamental and applied problems in particle and nuclear physics, as well as the materials and life sciences.

General Fusion will leverage TRIUMF's existing capabilities in high energy particle physics, materials science and testing to support the development of General Fusion's Magnetized Target Fusion technology.

About General Fusion

General Fusion is pursuing a fast and practical approach to commercial fusion energy and is headquartered in Richmond, B.C. The company was established in 2002 and is funded by a global syndicate of leading energy venture capital firms, industry leaders and technology pioneers. Learn more at generalfusion.com .

General Fusion Media Relations

media@generalfusion.com

+1-866-904-0995

Follow General Fusion

twitter.com/generalfusion

instagram.com/generalfusion

linkedin.com/company/general-fusion

facebook.com/generalfusion

youtube.com/c/GeneralFusionInc



About TRIUMF

Established in 1968 in Vancouver, TRIUMF is Canada's particle accelerator centre. The lab is a hub for discovery and innovation inspired by a half-century of ingenuity in answering some of nature's most challenging questions. From the hunt for the smallest particles in our universe and the origin of the elements that make up our world to research that advances the next generation of batteries, quantum computers or cures for cancer, TRIUMF is pushing frontiers in research, while training the next generation of leaders in science, medicine, and industry.

TRIUMF Media Relations

Stu Shepherd

Head, Communications

1.604.222.7528

sshepherd@triumf.ca

@TRIUMFlab
Fourth-Generation Owner Now Serves as VP of Philanthropy and Social Impact and President of Nelson-Jameson Foundation

MARSHFIELD, WI / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Nelson-Jameson, a leading distributor for the dairy processing industry, has announced the appointment of Amanda Nelson Sasse to two new leadership roles. Nelson Sasse, a fourth-generation owner, will now serve in a dual role as Vice President of Philanthropy and Social Impact for Nelson-Jameson, as well as President of the Nelson-Jameson Foundation (NJF).

Amanda Nelson-Sasse, Nelson-Jameson Foundation President

Amanda Nelson Sasse is now Nelson-Jameson Foundation President and Vice President of Philanthropy and Social Impact at Nelson-Jameson.





Nelson Sasse is a direct descendant of two of Nelson-Jameson's co-founders, Earl Nelson and Ted Nelson, and has held leadership positions across multiple departments at the company for the past 14 years. As VP of Philanthropy and Social impact, she will oversee Nelson-Jameson's philanthropic efforts and advance its mission by driving philanthropic initiatives, fostering partnerships, and creating lasting social impact. As President of NJF, Nelson Sasse will be the liaison?between Nelson-Jameson and NJF, where she will head quarterly board meetings, oversee committees, and spearhead marketing and public relations functions.

"Nelson-Jameson was built on the values of supporting employee well-being and fostering strong communities. A charitable focus is embedded in our culture," says Nelson Sasse. "I'm thrilled to continue this 76-year-old legacy by leading the Nelson-Jameson Foundation and furthering the social impact of Nelson-Jameson as an organization."

The Nelson-Jameson Foundation (NJF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded to formalize and expand Nelson-Jameson's longstanding legacy of philanthropy and community engagement. NJF's work centers around three pillars - employees, communities, and the industry - with programs including:

Volunteer opportunities - NJF offers employees up to eight hours of paid time off per year to volunteer at charitable organizations of their choice during work hours. Employees are also invited to get involved with NJF by volunteering on a Foundation committee.

Assistance Fund - Employees facing an unexpected crisis due to a federal, state or locally declared emergency can receive financial assistance through the Golden Rule Assistance Fund.

Scholarship programs - The Foundation's Golden Rule Scholarship Program provides family members of Nelson-Jameson employees the opportunity to apply for scholarships at accredited two- or four-year colleges. It is also committed to funding scholarships for food and dairy science students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Donation & charitable giving grants - NJF will continue Nelson-Jameson's tradition of supporting 501(c)(3) entities that embody similar cultural values of community stewardship through donations and charitable grants.

Matching Gift Program - The Program matches donations that employees make to 501(c)(3) charities of their choice, with a maximum donation of $1,000 per year.

"Amanda has made tremendous contributions to Nelson-Jameson during her tenure here, and her passion for the Nelson-Jameson Foundation's work is unmatched," says Nelson-Jameson President Mike Rindy. "I look forward to continuing to partner with her to deliver the exceptional and carry out our shared values across the Nelson-Jameson family of companies."

More information on the company can be found at https://nelsonjameson.com.

About Nelson-Jameson???

Nelson-Jameson is a fourth-generation, family-owned distributor to the dairy industry. From the company's roots in dairy production supplies, it has expanded to offer a broad range of food processing products and services that help food and beverage organizations operate efficiently with the highest quality, safety, and compliance standards. The company represents more than 850 vendors, distributes more than 60,000 curated products, and employs more than 260 people nationwide. The dairy industry leader also operates NEXT Logistics, a transportation arm that provides delivery services from its Wisconsin, California, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Texas strategic distribution centers.?

For more than 75 years, Nelson-Jameson has supported food, beverage, and dairy processors with innovative products and a comprehensive set of solutions that keep pace with changing consumer tastes, manufacturing processes, and distribution channels.? The company values delivering the exceptional for its customers by leading with the guiding principles of kindness and mutual respect. Nelson-Jameson is a supplier of choice for customers in all 50 states and international markets.??????

For more information, please visit https://nelsonjameson.com.?

Contact Information

Karolyn Raphael

PR for Nelson-Jameson

karolyn@wingermarketing.com

312-494-0422

Related Files

NJ Amanda Sasse New Roles Press Release v4 FINAL.docx

SOURCE: Nelson-Jameson

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796203/nelson-jameson-names-amanda-nelson-sasse-to-dual-leadership-roles
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Gildan Activewear / As a vertically integrated apparel manufacturing company, Gildan understands the responsibility that comes with supporting its global workforce of around 45,000 employees. One central element of this responsibility is ensuring that factory workers actively participate in our internal ergonomic care program to preemptively address the possible risks associated with a job and implement the necessary controls to safeguard workers' health.

"The nature of apparel manufacturing can inherently expose our workers to repetitive movements, and they might slip into incorrect posture as the day goes on. This is why providing an ergonomics program that seeks to mitigate the long-term effects of physical work is extremely important for the well-being of our people," says Honduras-based Gildan physician, Dr. Ana Ramos.

While the health and safety of its employees has been an important priority since the Company's beginnings, Gildan's ergonomics program was officially expanded in 2009 through a partnership with the Ergonomics Center of North Carolina (ECNC). The collaboration aimed at developing the Company's Ergonomic Safety Guidelines, with an emphasis on recognizing and addressing ergonomic risks through training, ergonomic pauses, applicable engineering, and administrative controls. Following this partnership, Gildan put into effect several practices to promote health and wellness, such as including ergonomic pauses throughout the workday for sewing operators. These breaks reduce the physical effects these workers might experience due to repetitive tasks. Initiatives such as these are achieved and overseen by Ergonomics Committees, which have been instituted in many of Gildan's facilities. These committees are comprised of the Company's own responsibly trained workers in an effort to encourage a mindset for proactive ergonomic awareness in the workplace.

Since its inception, the ergonomics program at Gildan has expanded to provide employees with comprehensive prevention and awareness ergonomic healthcare. Along with preventative measures, the Company has established a fleet of specialized care clinics in its facilities across the globe to tend to its employees. At two of Gildan's largest sewing facilities and at its textile complex in Honduras, on-site Back and Shoulder clinics are equipped with trained physicians and nurses capable of performing back and shoulder-related exercises for all workers in need of biomechanical strength, stretching, and flexibility help. In a continued effort to expand ergonomic services to more Gildan facilities, the newest Back and Shoulder clinic was opened in 2019 at Gildan's Rio Nance complex in Honduras.

Looking Ahead at Gildan's Ergonomics Program

Gildan strives to always grow with its workforce in mind, and this is reflected in its commitment to advance the Company's ergonomics program. Gildan plans to develop new Global Ergonomic Guidelines that will reflect the Company's goal of expanding the scope of its ergonomics program worldwide. Further, Gildan is on track to achieve Company-wide ISO 45001 certification at every one of its manufacturing facilities by 2028, which is an international standard for occupational health and safety, and which includes managing ergonomic risks in the workplace.

"The health and safety of our workers is a top priority, and that is why along with integrating ergonomic practices in our daily operations, we also provide medical care through clinics that are attached to our facilities," says Mike Albright, Vice-President of Health and Safety, and Human Resources for Manufacturing at Gildan. "This way our workers know exactly where to find the support they need," he finishes.



To find out more about Gildan's commitment to its people, click here.

Healthy Working: Ergonomic Safety at Gildan

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gildan Activewear on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Gildan Activewear

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gildan-activewear

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Gildan Activewear

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796262/healthy-working-ergonomic-safety-at-gildan
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Railtown Capital Corp. (TSXV: RLT.P) ("Railtown" or the "Company") today announced that, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company intends to appoint Mr. Christopher Taylor M.Sc. to its Board of Directors ("Board") and to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Upon Mr. Taylor's appointment, Cameron White will step down as the President and CEO of the Company, but will remain on the Board.

Mr. Taylor is a structural and economic geologist with more than 20 years of industry and research experience with both mid-tier producer and junior exploration companies. Mr. Taylor is the founder and previous CEO & President of Great Bear Resources Ltd., which made a district-scale gold discovery in Canada and was taken over by Kinross Gold for $1.8bn in 2022. Mr. Taylor is also the founder and current Chair of Kodiak Copper Corp. (TSXV: KDK), an exploration company whose most advanced asset is its 100% owned MPD copper-gold porphyry project located in the prolific Quesnel Trough in southern British Columbia.

In connection with Mr. Taylor's appointment, and subject to the approval of the TSXV, Mr. Taylor will purchase 2,500,000 common shares of the Company (the "Escrow Shares") from current Board members and shareholders of the Company for cash consideration of $0.05 per share. The Escrow Shares are subject to a Form 2F - CPC Escrow Agreement ("Escrow Agreement") and will remain in escrow in accordance with the terms of the Escrow Agreement upon transfer. Upon completion of the purchase of the Escrow Shares and prior to the completion of the proposed Private Placement, Mr. Taylor will own 19.2% of the Company's issued common shares.

Private Placement

The Company also announced that it intends to raise up to $1,000,000 by way of a non-brokered private placement of up to 10,000,000 common shares at a price of $0.10 per share (the "Offering").

Securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period under applicable securities laws in Canada expiring four months and one day from the closing date of the Offering. Completion of the Offering is subject to certain closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSXV.

In accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSXV, the Company may pay a cash finders' fee of up to 7% of gross proceeds raised from investors introduced to the Offering by eligible registrants and finders.

Railtown is a "Capital Pool Company", as defined under the policies of the TSXV, and the net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund ongoing activities relating to the identification and negotiation of a suitable Qualifying Transaction, as defined under the policies of the TSXV.

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 Railtown

Railtown is publicly listed on the TSXV under the symbol RLT.P. Railtown was formed as a Capital Pool Company in accordance with policies of the TSXV in order to identify and evaluate businesses and assets for acquisition and financing.

The address of the Company's registered and records office is 2200 - 885 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3E8.

For further information, please contact:

Railtown Capital Corp.:

Cameron White, Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 604-765-2601

Email: railtowncapital@gmail.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements and information that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the appointment of Mr. Taylor as an officer and director of the Company, the transfer of the Escrow Shares to Mr. Taylor, the terms of the Offering, the anticipated use of proceeds of the Offering, the securities issuable under the Offering and the acceptance and approval of the TSXV related thereto. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied certain material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will receive approval from the TSXV where required and that all parties will continue to agree to the matters set out in this press release. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements (including the failure to obtain the required approvals or clearances from regulatory authorities, including the TSXV).

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185142
MIDLAND, MI / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Today, in honor of World Sustainability Day, Rivers are Life unveils their latest film highlighting Appalachian Ohio's Sunday Creek and environmental efforts made by local River Heroes John Sabraw, Guy Reifler, and Michelle Shively MacIver. Located in Southeastern Ohio, the 27-mile-long creek is severely polluted by acid mine drainage (a product of the area's several abandoned coal mines). The film, "Toxic Art," focuses on the collaborative effort using art and innovative technology to revitalize streams devastated by historic coal mining.







John Sabraw is an artist, environmentalist, activist, and Professor of Art at Ohio University. When he first moved to Ohio, he was able to learn about the local environment through his environmentalist colleagues. On a trip to a local stream, John was shocked to find that these waterways were orange and full of sludge as a result of acid mine drainage and the pollutant iron oxide.

Sabraw learned that more than 6,650 stream miles in Central Appalachia run orange due to the impact of acid mine drainage. The Truetown Discharge, located in the Sunday Creek watershed, is the largest single acid mine drainage discharge in the state of Ohio with a flow rate of 988 gallons per minute. This amounts to approximately 2,183,065 pounds of iron oxide dumping into Sunday Creek each year, decimating aquatic habitat for seven miles.

After seeing the severity of this pollution firsthand, Sabraw took home a jar of sludge from the creek and, using his knowledge of iron oxides from his experience as an artist, began experimenting with turning this sludge into a pigment. He eventually joined forces with Ohio University Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering, Guy Riefler, and after years of experimentation, the pair succeeded in creating a pigment that was both environmentally and economically sustainable.

The duo later collaborated with nonprofit regional community development organization Rural Action, as well as state and federal agencies, to create True Pigments. True Pigments is a social enterprise committed to creating socio-economic opportunities for the local community while cleaning and restoring Sunday Creek, allowing life to return to the heavily-polluted seven miles of stream.

"When we put people together from different disciplines and different backgrounds, that is when this magic happens," John said. "Humans have exponential potential to solve these crises and to take stewardship over a future that is going to be sustainable and joyous. I believe more than ever that that's possible, and that's what we have to do."

In June 2023, Rural Action, Ohio University, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement broke ground on the new True Pigments Acid Mine Drainage Treatment & Pigment Production Facility. Once this plant goes live, 100% of coal mine pollution will be intercepted before it reaches waterways.

The full "Toxic Art" film, along with limited edition prints from Sabraw, are available on Rivers are Life's platform HERE.

Contact Information

Katie Horning

Head of Brand, Rivers are Life Brand Division, BeAlive Inc.

khorning@gobealive.com

989-491-1019

SOURCE: Rivers are Life

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796126/rivers-are-life-premieres-toxic-art-showcasing-the-power-of-collaboration-creativity-in-environmental-protection
USAMRIID to study antiviral activity of Claromer technology against national priority biodefense threats

Austin, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Maxwell Biosciences, a pre-clinical drug platform company focused on developing biomimetic therapeutics that improve upon natural immune system peptides based on its patented Claromer technology platform, today announced that they have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)). Part of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, USAMRIID is the U.S Army's premier institution and facility for defensive research into countermeasures against biological warfare, located on Fort Detrick, Maryland.

USAMRIID will test antiviral activity of Maxwell's Claromers to determine potential for either use as chemical lead matter or for further development as an antiviral therapeutic agent in USAMRIID's established in vitro and potentially in vivo infection models. Under this CRADA in support of Maxwell's Screening Program, USAMRIID will initially test four different Claromers against six different biodefense pathogens, including Orthopoxviruses, Filoviruses (including Ebola Viral Disease), Arenaviruses, Paramyxoviruses, Bunyaviruses, and Alphaviruses to determine which, if any of the compounds, will progress to animal testing models.

"Biodefense threats such as Ebola and novel zoonotic infectious diseases such as Avian Flu continue to be a major concern to our military and civilian populations," said J.Scotch McClure, CEO of Maxwell Biosciences. "As a military veteran, I'm proud to lead a team that tirelessly seeks to fill critical unmet needs for more effective therapeutics against the worst global pathogens."

"Our Claromer technology has the potential to replace almost all antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals - and it may help with healthy aging as well," continued McClure. "Signing this CRADA with USAMRIID, the world's preeminent biodefense research organization, is another validation of Maxwell's Claromer technology's potential as an important, disruptive platform technology."

About USAMRIID

Since 1969, USAMRIID has provided leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents. The Institute is the only laboratory in the Department of Defense equipped to safely study highly hazardous viruses requiring maximum containment at Biosafety Level 4. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and training programs that protect both Warfighters and civilians. The Institute's unique science and technology base serves not only to address current threats to our Armed Forces but also is an essential element in the medical response to any future biological threats that may confront our nation. For more information, visit: https://usamriid.health.mil/.

About Maxwell Biosciences

Founded in 2016, Maxwell Biosciences is a pre-clinical drug platform company that develops biomimetic therapeutics - synthetic compounds that mimic and improve upon natural immune system peptides. Inspired by nature, these small molecules have been shown to be effective against Ebola, pan-coronavirus, pan-Influenza A (avian, swine, and human) in destroying not just viruses, but also all tested bacteria, fungi and biofilms with a single compound, while safely avoiding healthy cells. This "One Drug for Many Bugs" technology has been shown to be well-tolerated in human tissues in vitro, and in multiple animal studies, are shelf-stable and do not require a cold-chain. The compounds imitate key components of the immune system, humanity's greatest asset in fighting disease. Maxwell's technology is protected by numerous granted and pending patents and is led by a world-class team of scientists, military veterans, and experienced life science executives. To learn more about Maxwell Biosciences, visit MaxwellBiosciences.com, or follow us on X. Contact Info: 1-855-629-2461; investor.relations@maxwellbiosciences.com

The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185129


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Trade Commission sued makers of an 'invisible mask' they falsely claimed to have protected users from Covid-19.



FTC took legal action against two New York-based manufacturers and their corporate heads to stop them from deceptively marketing their '1 Virus Buster Invisible Mask' that purportedly creates a three-foot barrier of protection against 99.9 percent of all viruses and bacteria, including coronavirus, without any scientific proof that the product actually works.



Despite receiving a warning letter that the FTC sent in July 2020, the companies continued falsely advertising the Invisible Mask - a badge worn around the neck - as a scientifically proven defense against Covid and other diseases and that it was a government-approved device, FTC said in its complaint filed at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.



The manufacturers also claimed to have proved in a case study conducted among 598 volunteers the product's 'ability to kill viruses and bacteria and results on symptoms of allergies.'



The defendants in this case are K W Technology Inc. and K W Technology NV Inc.; its President and co-owner Gary Kong; and its chief executive officer and co-owner Timothy Wetzel.



The complaint alleges that the defendants violated the FTC Act and the Covid Consumer Protection Act through their marketing and sale of the Invisible Mask on their own website, YouTube, and Facebook, where it was called The 1 Virus Buster Card.



According to one of the defendants' websites, the 1 Invisible Mask offers three feet of protection from airborne viruses including Covid 19. This added protection is needed when masks are removed in order to eat, drink and speak filling that void. The company claims that quantum science behind the technology allows for this protective barrier to shield against pathogens and viruses for up to 30 days.



Three of the defendants have agreed to settle the FTC's complaint in this case. A proposed court order will ban Kong and his two companies from advertising, promoting, or selling any product claiming to prevent or treat Covid-19, unless the claims are supported by scientific evidence.



The companies have been fined $150,000.



Litigation continues against defendant Wetzel, who did not agree to the proposed settlement.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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The global oral antibiotics market is experiencing growth due to a rise in prevalence of infectious diseases, increase in consumption of oral antibiotics and rise in investments in R&D activities

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Oral Antibiotics Market by Class (Beta-Lactam and Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors, Quinolone, Macrolide, Others), by Spectrum of Activity (Broad-spectrum Antibiotic, Mid/Narrow-spectrum antibiotic), by Application (Community-acquired respiratory tract infections (CARTIs), Urinary tract infections (UTIs), Dental, Others), by Drug Origin (Natural, Semisynthetic, Synthetic), by Drug Type (Branded, Generic): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global oral antibiotics market valued for $22.5 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $28.8 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 2.5% from 2023 to 2032.

Request Sample of the Report on Oral Antibiotics Market Forecast 2032- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6905

Oral antibiotics are extensively employed to manage various bacterial infections, encompassing respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections, as well as gastrointestinal infections. The prescription of oral antibiotics takes into account factors like the nature of the infection, the particular strain of bacteria responsible, and patient-specific considerations such as allergies and medical history.

Prime determinants of growth

Growing R&D activities, a rise in the prevalence of infectious diseases, and growing awareness regarding the effective use of antibiotics to minimize resistant bacteria cases are the factors that drive the growth of the global oral antibiotics market. However, time-consuming approvals hinder market growth. On the contrary, a rise in healthcare expansion is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the oral antibiotics market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $22.5 billion Market Size in 2032 $28.8 billion CAGR 2.5 % No. of Pages in Report 497 Segments covered Class, the spectrum of activity, application, drug origin, drug type, and region Drivers Rise in prevalence of infectious diseases Increase in consumption of oral antibiotics. Rise in investments in R&D activities. Opportunities Discovery of advanced therapies to treat antibiotic- resistance. Restraints Development of antibiotic resistance Time-consuming approvals

Economic Downturn Analysis: Impact of Recession in 2023 on the Oral Antibiotics Market

During the recession, impact on the pharmaceutical industry, including oral antibiotics, can be significant and complex.

As pharmaceutical companies face financial constraints and budget cuts, there may be a reduced focus on high-cost research and development projects, however, the growing need for better treatment applications is anticipated to drive the market growth.

Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/6905

The Urinary tract infections (UTIs) segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

Based on application, the Urinary tract infections (UTIs) segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global oral antibiotics market revenue. As it is the most common hospital-acquired infection accounting for almost 40% of all nosocomial infections females are more inclined to acquire UTI every year as compared to males. In addition, prevailing cases of diabetes drive the growth, as diabetic patients are also more prone to UTIs, mostly owing to abnormalities in immune function.?

However, the Community-acquired respiratory tract infections (CARTIS) segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 3.4% during the forecast period owing to the high prevalence of community-acquired respiratory tract infections, the need for effective treatments due to antibiotic resistance, ongoing research and development, demographic factors and improved healthcare access.

The beta-lactam and beta-lactamase inhibitors segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on class, the beta-lactam and beta-lactamase inhibitors segment dominated the market in 2022, accounting for more than three-fifths of the global oral antibiotics market, this is attributed to its broad-spectrum activity and effectiveness against a wide range of bacteria. However, bacteria develop resistance to beta-lactams by producing beta-lactamase enzymes that break down these antibiotics. Beta-lactamase inhibitors, such as clavulanic acid and sulbactam, are combined with beta-lactam antibiotics to enhance their efficacy, for overcoming this resistance mechanism.?

However, the quinolone segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the Increase in the prevalence of resistant bacteria, a diverse range of use Indications such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, and skin and soft tissue infections.

The broad-spectrum antibiotic segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

Based on the spectrum of activity, the broad-spectrum antibiotic segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the global oral antibiotics market revenue, and is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 2.7% during the forecast period. This is attributed to to versatility, effectiveness, and strategic importance of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the treatment of various infections, especially in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance.?

The semisynthetic segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

Based on drug origin, the semisynthetic segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global oral antibiotics market revenue. This was attributed to the fact that semisynthetic oral antibiotics have improved coverage and effectiveness against a wide range of organisms.?

However, the synthetic segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 3.0% during the forecast period owing to the rise in the need for synthetic membrane-targeted antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance. Synthetic antibiotics have various advantages over existing antibiotics such as a broad spectrum of activity, no cross-resistance with the existing antibiotics, rapid bactericidal activity, and a low probability of developing resistance. ?

The branded segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

Based on drug type, the branded segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for more than three-fifths of the global oral antibiotics market revenue. Brand recognition, R&D investments, strong patent protection, physician prescribing patterns, and effective marketing strategies contribute to the sustained market share and revenue generation of branded oral antibiotics.?

However, the generic segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 2.8% during the forecast period owing to the fact that it offers a more affordable option compared to its branded counterparts. In addition, regulatory agencies in various countries have established pathways and regulations to encourage the development and approval of generic medications.?

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Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global oral antibiotics market revenue, and is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 3.0% during the forecast period. The same region is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast timeframe. This growth is attributed to increase in number of geriatric populations, rise in people suffering from constipation and hemorrhoids, and improving healthcare infrastructure in the region.

Leading Market Players:

Bayer AG

Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd

Viatris Inc.

Church and Dwight Co. Inc.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited

Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Cadila Healthcare Ltd

Novartis AG

Pfizer Inc.

Sanofi S.A.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global oral antibiotics market. These players have adopted different strategies such as product approval, to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Comprehensive Healthcare Industry Research Studies:

Internet of Things in Healthcare Market- Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032

Medical Tourism Market- Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032

3D Cell Culture Market- Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032

Neurovascular Devices Market- Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032

Viral Vector and Plasmid DNA Manufacturing Market- Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032

About Allied Market Research:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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The financial analytics market is poised for strong growth in the coming years, driven by businesses' increasing focus on data-driven decision-making. This trend is powerful in Asia, where the banking and insurance sectors are increasingly interested in financial analytics. Cloud-based financial analytics solutions are also gaining traction in the market, as they offer businesses a more affordable and scalable way to implement financial analytics solutions.

NEWARK, Del., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial Analytics Market Analysis by Database Management System and Data Integration Tool, Growth Opportunities and Revenue Forecast 2023 - 2033

The market size of financial analytics is tipped to be US$ 8,462.6 million in 2023. In 2022, the market size was US$ 7,700.3 million. The market's future is bright as the CAGR from 2023 to 2033 is forecasted to be 11.5%. By 2033, the size of the market is predicted to have jumped to US$ 25,208.4 million.

Get the Sample PDF Summary to obtain an overview of the Comprehensive Research Report. The sample is available here!

A consequence of the business sector growth is the enlarged amounts of data businesses have to deal with. In-house systems for processing the data often turn out inadequate. Thus, businesses turn to financial analytics to handle big data. Financial analytics companies offer platforms that allow businesses to store, retrieve, and analyze data.

Businesses are seeking the help of financial analytics in decision-making. Enterprises seek smart solutions that take into consideration various aspects before making decisions. Companies are working to make smart decisions in financial matters as well, and financial analytics are aiding the decisions.

The scope of financial analytics is no longer limited to just businesses. Though businesses make up an overwhelming amount of customers, financial analytics are also provided to consumers. Financial analytics companies have started offering platforms that are open to consumers.

"Cloud computing and AI-use are set to transform the capabilities of financial analytics. Cloud computing offers ample space for companies' data, allowing for storage and processing in large numbers. An increasing number of new financial analytics platforms have started incorporating AI. There is thus a large amount of potential for financial analytics platforms that use cloud computing and AI," says Sudip Saha is the managing director and co-founder at Future Market Insights.

Key Takeaways from the Financial Analytics Market

The financial analytics market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 8,462.6 million in 2023.

Database Management Systems (DBMS) are the most common type of financial analytics in demand. For 2023, database management systems are expected to hold 18.4% of the market share by type.

Financial analytics are most often used for assets and liabilities. In 2023, assets and liabilities are expected to contribute 20.5% of the market share by application.

The market is expected to grow rapidly in India. The CAGR for the Indian market during the 2023 to 2033 period is projected to be a stunning 18.5%.

China is a lucrative region for the market and is expected to continue to progress at a good pace. The CAGR for China is tipped to be 15.2% for the forecast period.

Japan and South Korea are other Asian countries where the market is expected to flourish. The CAGR for South Korea and Japan is projected to be 12.2% and 14.3% respectively over the forecast period.

Country-wise Analysis: Financial Analytics Market 2023 - 2033

Countries CAGR (2023 to 2033) United States Financial Analytics Market Size 6.3 % India Financial Analytics Market Size 18.5 % South Korea Financial Analytics Market 12.2 % Japan Financial Analytics Market 14.3 % Financial Analytics Market Size in China 15.2 %

Order Now : PESTLE and Porter's Analysis to Help You Make Smart Financial Decisions in the Financial Analytics Market.

Competition Analysis of the Financial Analytics Market

The market is open for a variety of players, though a few established players have earned reputable names. Technology is set to play an important role in the financial analysis market. Some of the prominent companies in the market include SAP A.G., International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Oracle Corporation, and TIBCO Software Inc.

Recent Developments in the Financial Analytics Market

In July 2023, Bunker secured prominent funding. The Singapore-based player has ambitions to expand and improve its platform.

In May 2023, IBM watsonx.data was launched. The product from industry giant IBM is an open platform that integrates AI.

In June 2022, FinanceGPT from the South African company Ipoxcap was launched. It is another platform that concentrates on AI solutions and is also available in African languages.

Comprehensive Research Methodology of Financial Analytics Market Available here!

About the Author:

Sudip Saha is the managing director and co-founder at Future Market Insights, an award-winning market research and consulting firm. Sudip is committed to shaping the market research industry with credible solutions and constantly makes a buzz in the media with his thought leadership. His vast experience in market research and project management across verticals in APAC, EMEA, and the Americas reflects his growth-oriented approach to clients.

He is a strong believer and proponent of innovation-based solutions, emphasizing customized solutions to meet one client's requirements at a time. His foresightedness and visionary approach recently got him recognized as the 'Global Icon in Business Consulting' at the ET Inspiring Leaders Awards 2022.

Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Technology Domain

The global clinical workflow solution market is estimated to reach US$10,352.1 million in 2023. Technology experts project a robust CAGR of 16.8% through 2033, with a forecasted valuation of US$49,056.3 million by 2033 for clinical workflow solution providers.

The public cloud application infrastructure services market is projected to be valued at US$3,570.70 million in 2023, expected to reach US$22,527.80 million by 2033. This market is anticipated to surge at a CAGR of 20.2% from 2023 to 2033.

The Morocco Data Center Facility Market was US$93.5 million in 2018. It is expected to reach US$124.6 million in 2023, with a Y-o-Y growth of 5.8% in 2022. Over the 2023-2033 projection period, the industry is expected to exhibit a 7.6% CAGR, reaching a total size of US$259.9 million by 2033.

The demand for micro-investing platforms in Australia is expected to reach US$854.2 million in 2023, with a projected 19.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2033, reaching a valuation of around US$4,885.0 million by 2033. Globally, the demand for micro-investing platforms was US$734.5 million in 2022.

Sales of electronic skin in Western Europe are expected to surge at a remarkable 27.2% CAGR through 2033. The demand for electronic skin in Western Europe is anticipated to be US$355.7 million in 2023, with the industry projected to achieve a valuation of US$1,125.9 million by 2033.

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting service provider, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. FMI's latest market research reports, and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

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Future Market Insights Inc.

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BEIJING, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheng Linyao is an inheritor of the intangible heritage of Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain. In 2020, an iris in Istanbul inspired her and Haken, her Turkish husband. They brought the flower across the oceans to Jingdezhen and crafted Lovely Flower, a ceramic masterpiece that won the Ceramics Creative Design (Copyright) Competition at the fifth Arab Art Festival in 2022.

Haken, a ceramics enthusiast, arrived in China in 2013. He quickly recognized the potential of the ceramics market after General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative. He met Cheng Linyao at the 115th session of the Canton Fair in 2014 and they fell in love. They later started a business exporting ceramics to countries along the Belt and Road.

With the development of transportation infrastructure, such as the CR Express, in the past decade, Jingdezhen ceramics on Haken's orders have been delivered faster and farther. Over the years, Haken has shared the beauty of Jingdezhen ceramics with his foreign friends. He always tells them: "Don't just take my word for it! Come and see Jingdezhen for yourself, and create your own porcelain works! Only then can you truly appreciate the craftsmanship and challenges involved in their creation."

Haken learned more about the rich culture and fine art of Jingdezhen ceramics during the creation of Lovely Flowers. Cheng Linyao says that this work reflects the living beauty of flowers, and expresses her and Haken's love and hope for the future generation.

She said that Jingdezhen ceramics can connect people from countries along the Belt and Road better than any other products made in China due to their historical roots. Cheng Linyao is passionate about sharing the culture of her hometown with the world and continuing the heritage of Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain. She has been working to establish the Blue and White Sycamore Culture Research Association to showcase and celebrate Jingdezhen's ceramic art through the world-famous "Porcelain with blue and white sycamore pattern". She hopes the Association will also help using ceramics to forge a lasting bond of friendship and culture between China and other countries along the Belt and Road.

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In the Phase 1b study, favorable trends were reported for the high-dose groups on multiple measures of cognition and function.



First study of a tau targeting drug that shows reduction of aggregated tau pathology and favorable trends on clinical outcomes.

Recruitment is underway for the Phase 2 CELIA study further investigating clinical efficacy and safety.



CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 25, 2023Inc.which showed a reduction of tau protein in the cerebral spinal fluidat the 2023 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) meeting held in Boston, MA from October 24-27.

In AD, both tau and amyloid beta are linked to disease progression.1 Tau protein can form tangles which progressively accumulate in brain regions involved in cognition.2 The accumulation of pathological tau tangles has been shown to lead to neuronal loss. ASO therapies are seen as promising tools for modulating production of disease-associated proteins. Currently, the ASO approach underpins more than 60 treatments approved or in clinical trials for a variety of disease areas including a range of cancers, viral illnesses, and genetic conditions.3

"This is the first time we've seen both strong target engagement and favorable trends on clinical outcomes with a novel mechanism targeting tau," said Priya Singhal, M.D., M.P.H., Head of Development at Biogen. "While these are preliminary findings, we are excited about these results and continue to enroll the Phase 2 CELIA study. We believe defeating Alzheimer's disease will take different approaches and we are committed to exploring the targeting of tau as a new generation of treatment."

In results presented at CTAD, favorable trends were observed on the global Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) cognitive scales and Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) at week 100 in groups treated with a high-dose of BIIB080 (n=16). The results build on data presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease (ADPDTM 2023) which showed that direct targeting of tau protein production had a substantial impact on tau biomarkers, reducing total and phosphorylated tau in the CSF and aggregated tau pathology as measured by PET across all brain regions assessed. The favorable trends suggest a potential link between a reduction in tau PET pathology and clinical outcomes.

Treatment was generally well tolerated throughout the study. The majority of adverse events were mild or moderate in severity, of which the most common were headache, back pain, pain in extremity, post-lumbar puncture syndrome and procedural pain.

BIIB080 is designed to target microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) mRNA and reduce production of tau protein. The Phase 1b trial and its long-term extension study (LTE) were designed to assess the safety and tolerability of multiple doses in patients with mild dementia due to AD. Participants were randomized to placebo or to four dose cohorts receiving 10mg once every 4 weeks [Q4W], 30mg Q4W, 60mg Q4W or 115mg Q12W. In the LTE, all participants received 60mg or 115mg every 12 weeks.

Recruitment for the Phase 2 CELIA study (NCT05399888), evaluating the potential for this ASO targeting tau to slow the worsening of mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD, is ongoing at sites across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

In December 2019, Biogen exercised a license option with Ionis and obtained a worldwide, exclusive, royalty-bearing license to develop and commercialize BIIB080.

About Antisense Therapies

Antisense therapies are designed to seek out, bind to and destroy a mRNA in a highly specific manner, so that the amount of disease-causing protein is dramatically decreased. Antisense therapies can also treat diseases caused by too little protein by increasing the production of the protein, thereby restoring the protein to normal levels.

About Biogen

Founded in 1978, Biogen is a leading global biotechnology company that has pioneered multiple breakthrough innovations including a broad portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, and two co-developed treatments to address a defining pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Biogen is advancing a pipeline of potential novel therapies across neurology, neuropsychiatry, specialized immunology and rare diseases and remains acutely focused on its purpose of serving humanity through science while advancing a healthier, more sustainable and equitable world.

We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com. Follow us on social media - X, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.

Biogen Safe Harbor

This news release contains forward-looking statements, about the potential of BIIB080, including related to the Phase 2 CELIA study; the potential of Biogen's commercial business and pipeline programs; and risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization. These statements may be identified by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "possible," "potential," "will," "would" and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early-stage clinical studies may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical studies and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements.

These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including without limitation unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data, analysis or results obtained during clinical studies; the occurrence of adverse safety events; risks of unexpected costs or delays; the risk of other unexpected hurdles; regulatory submissions may take longer or be more difficult to complete than expected; regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail or refuse to approve or may delay approval of Biogen's drug candidates; failure to protect and enforce Biogen's data, intellectual property and other proprietary rights and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges; product liability claims; third party collaboration risks; and the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Biogen's business, results of operations and financial condition. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from Biogen's expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement as well as the risk factors identified in Biogen's most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports Biogen has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Biogen does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements.

References:



BrightFocus Foundation. Tau Protein and Alzheimer's Disease: What's the Connection? https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/tau-protein-and-alzheimers-disease-whats-connection (https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/tau-protein-and-alzheimers-disease-whats-connection). Accessed September 2023. Moumne (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Moumn%C3%A9%20L%5BAuthor%5D) et al. Oligonucleotide Therapeutics: From Discovery and Development to Patentability. Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(2), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14020260 (https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14020260) Alzheimer's Association. Tau Topic Sheet. https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-dementia-tau-ts.pdf (https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-dementia-tau-ts.pdf). Accessed October 2023.


Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Altema Asset Management Inc. ("Altema") is proud to announce that its Fund, Altema Diversified Equity Market Neutral Fund ("Fund"), was the recipient of 2 awards at the Canadian Hedge Fund Awards in the Market Neutral Category.

Of the 264 Canadian hedge funds that participated in the 2023 Canadian Hedge Fund Awards program, the Fund won the following 2 awards:

1st Place - Market Neutral 3 Year Return

3rd Place - Market Neutral 1 Year Return

The annual Canadian Hedge Fund Awards help investors identify the best performing hedge funds by recognizing winners in 5 performance measures across 6 categories as well as the Overall Best 2023 Canadian Hedge Fund. The awards are based solely on quantitative performance data to June 30th, which is collected and tabulated by Fundata Canada to determine the winners.

"We are delighted with the results of this year's Canadian Hedge Fund Awards, which we consider to be a reflection of the continued excellence of our portfolio management team and the success of the Fund, marking its fifth anniversary this month," said Sam Pellettieri, CEO and Chief Investment Officer. "After a record-breaking year in 2022, we are pleased that Altema has continued to deliver positive results. Altema remains a reliable solution for our unitholders to generate returns and diversify their portfolios."

Please see complete Winners List 2023 CHFA Winners.pdf (aiq.s3.amazonaws.com)

About Altema Asset Management Inc.

Altema is an emerging asset manager focused on managing alternative investment strategies and making sophisticated asset allocation strategies accessible to individual investors and to select investment advisors with expressed interest in investing in our OM based Fund. Our investment philosophy combines quantitative investing with fundamental analysis. We believe this combination creates a highly disciplined and repeatable investment process and is a key to successful investing.

For further information, visit https://altemafunds.com

Contact:

Jenna Chernetsky - VP Investment Fund Operations & Finance

jenna.chernetsky@altemafunds.com

(204) 232 9690

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185191
Innovative brands and programs on display at the ISSA Show North America 2023 elevate the restroom experience while helping businesses contribute to a better planet.

ROSWELL, GA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / At the ISSA Show North America 2023 in Las Vegas (Nov. 13-16), Kimberly-Clark Professional team members will meet customers such as facility managers to discuss how Kimberly-Clark Professional can help them achieve their goals through the company's brands, innovation, expertise and focus on sustainability.

The RightCycle Program from Kimberly-Clark Professional allows used products and packaging to be diverted from landfills and processed into plastic pellets that can be molded to make new durable goods.

Prominently featured from Kimberly-Clark Professional at the ISSA Show North America in 2023 are:

Insights shared during a thought leadership session titled " Future of Office 2032: Imagining and Designing for Future Experiences. " This proprietary research helps customers imagine the potential possible, plausible and probable futures of the role of the office for workers. The session takes place Nov. 13 at?11:00 a.m. in the Islander G room.

titled " " This proprietary research helps customers imagine the potential possible, plausible and probable futures of the role of the office for workers. The session takes place Nov. 13 at?11:00 a.m. in the Islander G room. The ICON Dispenser Collection: a winner of this year's world-renowned iF DESIGN AWARD in the bath category. The collection is a family of hand towel, soap and toilet paper dispensers that includes a first-of-its-kind dispenser with interchangeable and customizable faceplate options. While?most dispensers are designed around the paper,?the Kimberly-Clark Professional ICON?dispenser collection is designed around?the servicer, facility manager and end user - offering style, simplicity, cutting-edge technology and a human-centric experience.?

a winner of this year's world-renowned in the bath category. The collection is a family of hand towel, soap and toilet paper dispensers that includes a first-of-its-kind dispenser with interchangeable and customizable faceplate options. While?most dispensers are designed around the paper,?the Kimberly-Clark Professional ICON?dispenser collection is designed around?the servicer, facility manager and end user - offering style, simplicity, cutting-edge technology and a human-centric experience.? The RightCycle Program enables customers to divert waste from landfills, a crucial step in their sustainability journey. Customers can send back used Kimberly-Clark Professional products that have not been contaminated with hazardous material, and the program partners ensure that these materials are diverted from landfills and repurposed .

enables customers to divert waste from landfills, a crucial step in their sustainability journey. Customers can send back used Kimberly-Clark Professional products that have not been contaminated with hazardous material, and the program partners ensure that . Through its Responsible Partners Program , Kimberly-Clark Professional identifies products for customers that can help with their sustainability goals in nine critical areas, including the use of recycled content and renewable energy.

, Kimberly-Clark Professional identifies products for customers that can help with their sustainability goals in nine critical areas, including the use of recycled content and renewable energy. In addition, Kimberly-Clark Professional is sponsoring a "Refresh and Relax Oasis" lounge and water refill station on the expo floor that will feature The RightCycle Program and the Kimberly-Clark 2030 sustainability strategy . After the show, the company will donate all the trees decorating the Oasis lounge to the Mayor's Fund for Las Vegas Life Initiative, which brings together public and private partners to address the city's most pressing needs through collaborative and transformational problem-solving.

Visitors at the ISSA Show North America are welcome to stop by the Kimberly-Clark Professional booth (#3650) to discuss any of these programs.

Susan Gambardella, President of Kimberly-Clark Professional North America, said, "The ISSA Show creates a valuable time and space for Kimberly-Clark Professional to come together with our contacts and other industry leaders to explore how we can collaborate, in particular with our great brands, sustainable practices and digital technologies, to drive growth with our customers."

Kimberly-Clark Professional executives, including Gambardella, will attend the ISSA Hygieia Network event during the show, as Kimberly-Clark Professional is a diamond-level supporter of this influential organization focused on the development of women in the industry.

About ISSA Show North America

In partnership with ISSA trade association, ISSA Show North America?offers an unmatched conference program featuring over 100+ education sessions, workshops, panels, training and certification courses over four days. The event and the association are committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line.

For more information about ISSA Show North America, visit www.issashow.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook,?Instagram,?Twitter, and YouTube.

About Informa Markets

Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio comprises more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Engineering, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, visit www.informamarkets.com .

About Kimberly-Clark Professional

Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer, and more productive. Key brands in this segment include Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, KleenGuard, and Kimtech. To see how Kimberly-Clark Professional is helping people around the world to work better, please visit? www.kcprofessional.com .

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries.?Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them.?Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries.?We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come.? We are proud to be recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com .

Media Contacts:

Informa Markets Construction and Infrastructure PR

IC.PR@informa.com

Kimberly-Clark Professional

media.relations@kcc.com

SOURCE: INFORMA MARKETS

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796129/kimberly-clark-professional-showcases-sustainability-solutions-at-major-industry-event
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!

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Kroger Co. (KR) said it now accepts EBT payment for digital Pickup and Delivery orders across Kroger Family of Stores, expanding customer access to fresh, healthy foods under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. More recently, the retailer collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA) over many months to enable EBT digital acceptance across all banners, allowing customers to use EBT payments for purchases through the Kroger app or at Kroger.com for both Pickup and Delivery. Kroger said it also participated in a USDA pilot testing EBT payment acceptance during the pandemic. 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.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Grid Metals Corp. (TSXV:GRDM)(OTCQB:MSMGF) ("Grid" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the receipt of a scoping-level mill reconfiguration study (the 'Study') completed by Primero Group for the True North Mill located in Bissett, Manitoba. The Study examined the viability and costing of reconfiguring the existing True North gold mill in order to process lithium ore from Grid's Donner Lake property to produce a saleable lithium concentrate. The Primero Study outlined best-in-class capital intensity and quantified operating costs, giving Grid the confidence to move forward with the mill lease. As a result of the positive findings, Grid is proceeding with the lease agreement with 1911 Gold Corporation - the owner of the True North Mill. Grid's objective of entering into the lease is to be one of the next producing lithium companies in North America.

Background and Primero Mandate

Grid retained Primero Group, a global leader in lithium process engineering, in July 2023 to complete a scoping-level review of reconfiguring the existing mill to produce spodumene concentrate from Donner Lake feed. The mandate included:

Developing a processing flow sheet for the mill based on a new round of concurrent metallurgical testwork and determining overall viability of the mill reconfiguration

Developing a modified plant layout

Determining electrical power requirements and an equipment list for the mill

Determining capital ('capex') and operational ('opex') expenditure costs for the mill

Generating a conceptual mass balance for the lithium spodumene processing circuit

Estimating the scope and cost for a feasibility level study for the mill reconfiguration

Highlights of the Study include:

Mill capacity was estimated at 450,000 tonnes per annum (' tpa') of lithium feed for the production of spodumene concentrate, assuming 90% mill availability. This compares favourably to the stated nominal annual capacity of the current mill configuration of 475,000 tonnes. Note that the current mineral resource estimate at the Donner Lake property, announced on July 18, 2023, is 6.8 million tonnes grading 1.39% Li2O.

An optimal grind size of 125 microns was determined (see testwork below). Existing mill grinding capacity was not considered a constraint on throughput.

Initial capex for the mill reconfiguration is estimated at C$50 million which includes a 30% contingency. This includes capex relating to crushing, grinding, mica flotation, magnetic separation, spodumene flotation, concentrate handling, and tailings handling. Existing infrastructure and utility connections will be used. Capex includes the addition of magnetic separation and mica flotation circuits required to produce a marketable spodumene concentrate.

The processing cost was estimated at C$34.81/t processed and G&A was estimated at C$17.73/t processed. This equates to total milling costs of C$316.14/t spodumene concentrate produced. Labour and reagents made up 42% and 32%, respectively, of the processing cost. Primero has identified opportunities to reduce G&A costs.

Primero recommended a value engineering phase to complete further trade-off studies and optimization of the True North Mil for a cost of C$400,0000.

Primero gave an estimate for an Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management ('EPCM') study at a feasibility-level design at approximately C$1.6 million.

Testwork Program Completed to Support Primero Study

A metallurgical test program was completed by XPS Process Solutions Laboratories (Falconbridge, Ontario) during the course of the Primero study to support the design of the mill circuit.

The new metallurgical test program resulted in ~70% recoveries using the new flow sheet. The recovery is subject to the mill receiving a crushed (to ~20 microns) and sorted product. The met work aligns well with prior metallurgical test work completed by the XPS lab earlier this year that achieved recoveries of ~75% ( see Grid Metals' June 26, 2023 press release ).

). The new metallurgical testing produced a marketable spodumene concentrate with a grade of 5.5% Li2O and a low iron content of 1.4% Fe2O3.

Robin Dunbar, CEO of Grid Metals, commented, "The work completed by Primero has outlined a low capital intensity project and has quantified operating and capital costs. This study gives us confidence to move forward with the lease agreement for the True North Mill. The True North Lease Agreement gives Grid access to a permitted mill and tailings facility within trucking distance of our Donner Lake lithium resource. We believe that with the True North Mill lease, the Donner Lake lithium project can be one of the next producing lithium projects in North America. We are moving ahead with further permitting, engineering and study work to advance our Donner Lake lithium project towards near-term production. We are conceptually targeting production of ~ 75,000 tpa of spodumene concentrate from True North based on 450,000 tonnes throughput and 70% recoveries."

True North Mill Overview

The True North mill, located in Bissett, Manitoba, sits approximately 85 km by existing all-weather road from the Donner Lake Lithium Project (see Figure 1). The project site boasts excellent infrastructure (see Figure 2) including an assay lab, large workshop, and camp facilities along with the recently idled processing facility and tailings management area. The mill was last operational in November 2022 when it was used to reprocess gold tailings. The current processing facility consists of crushing, milling, centrifugal gravity concentration and flotation circuits.

Figure 1: Location of the True North mill in the Rice Lake greenstone belt showing proximity to the Donner Lake lithium property and the City of Winnipeg.

Figure 2: Aerial View Of True North Mill

Figure 3: Primary mill at True North

Figure 4: Flotation circuit at True North mill

As part of its due diligence for the Donner Lake project, Grid commissioned a separate study on the tailings facility at True North focused on estimating both future capacity and engineering work required to utilize the existing tailings facility for future deposition from the reconfigured mill. The study determined that the existing tailings facility was sufficient to move ahead with the project.

Lease Agreement for True North Mill

On the basis of the positive Primero study, Grid is proceeding with the Lease Agreement for the True North Mill (the "Lease") that was announced on July 18, 2023. The Lease is subject to certain amendments that reduce the near-term cash funding requirements from Grid. The Lease included a due diligence period that was extended to October 24, 2023 by the mutual agreement of Grid and 1911 Gold Corporation. The initial payment under the Lease of C$1 million (C$400,000 via equity and C$600,000 cash) is now due to 1911 Gold and will be paid out of Grid's working capital. The next scheduled payment under the amended terms of the Lease is a payment of C$500,000 due on April 30, 2024.

The initial lease term is five years followed by a two-year notice period for cancellation and including an option to extend the lease, by mutual agreement, for an additional five years. The lease agreement provides Grid with the right to use the mill to process lithium feed and to reconfigure the existing mill. The Lessor has the right to utilize the mill to process gold ore in the future under certain terms and conditions during the term of the lease subject to bearing the capital and operating costs thereof.

Under the terms of the lease, following the payment of C$500,000 due on April 30, 2024, C$1,000,000 is due on December 31, 2024 and C$900,000 is due on December 31, 2025. An additional C$500,000 payment is due conditional on Grid completing an equity raise of more than C$1,000,000. The total payments for the Lease including the conditional payment have been reduced from $4,650,000 to C$4,200,000 over the term of the Lease. In addition, Grid will cover certain operating payments of the mill for environmental monitoring, security and power costs commencing on January 1, 2024 which are expected to be in the range of C$30,000 per month on average. Other operative terms of the Lease Agreement (including the use of the Lease payments by the Lessor) as announced on July 18, 2023 are unchanged.

Permitting of Mining and Milling Operations - Grid is pursuing a two-stage permitting process for the Donner Lake lithium project. An Advanced Exploration Permit ('AEP') application (announced on August 2, 2023) has been submitted by Grid. The permit application, when approved, will enable extraction of a bulk sample of up to 10,000 tonnes from the Donner Lake site. The second permitting step is an application for an Environmental Act Licence (mining permit) which is expected to be submitted to the provincial regulators in 2024. The True North Mill will require an amendment to its existing permits in order to enable the processing of lithium feed and use of the tailings facility.

Qualified Persons Statements

The Grid Metals Donner Lake project 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Mr. Rohan Millar, P.Geo., of SGS Geological Services, an Independent Qualified Person, in accordance with the guidelines of the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), with an effective date of the 27th June, 2023.

The Primero Study was authored by Ian Holl, P Eng., an employee of Primero Group Americas.

Dr. Dave Peck, P.Geo., has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release for purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

About Grid Metals Corp.

Grid Metals is focused on its Donner Lake Lithium Project located in the Bird River greenstone belt in southeastern Manitoba, approximately 150 km northeast of Winnipeg Manitoba. Grid has a 75% project interest in Donner Lake and is the project operator subject to a joint venture agreement with a fund controlled by Waratah Capital Advisors. Donner Lake is subject to various underlying NSR royalties. Grid also has an MOU with Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Limited who operates the nearby Tanco Mine which is currently producing lithium spodumene concentrate and is one of only two lithium-producing mines in Canada. In addition to the lithium assets, the Company controls a PEA stage Ni-Cu-PGM-Co project (Makwa-Mayville) undergoing exploration and development activity. Grid's properties are located in the traditional territory of the Sagkeeng First Nation.

On Behalf of the Board of Grid Metals Corp.

For more information about the Company, please see the Company website at www.gridmetalscorp.com or contact:

Robin Dunbar - President, CEO & Director - rd@gridmetalscorp.com Tel: 416 955-4773

Brandon Smith - Chief Development Officer - bsmith@gridmetalscorp.com

David Black - Investor Relations - info@gridmetalscorp.com

We seek safe harbour. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario) (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements include the Company's closing of the proposed financial transactions, sale of royalty and property interests. the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risk, uncertainty of production and capital costs estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, physical risks inherent in mining operations, metallurgical risk, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of nickel, cobalt, copper and other metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the most recent financial period and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements.

SOURCE: Grid Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796338/grid-metals-receives-positive-engineering-study-primero-report-outlines-viability-and-costs-of-reconfiguring-true-north-mill-for-lithium-processing
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 "Italy Power Rental Market Strategic Assessment Forecast 2023-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Italy power rental market is expected to reach a value of $155.6 million by 2029 from $118.4 million in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 3.98% from 2022 to 2029

The key players in the Italy power rental market are Loxam, United Rentals, Aggreko, Atlas Copco, Cummins, Caterpillar, and Kohler Power. In May 2022, Aggreko strengthened its European load bank fleet with a further USD 5 million investment, bringing the total to over 500 units, to ensure that the distinctive demands of individual data centers across the region are met.

In May 2023, Mollo Noleggio acquired Friuli-based PMP to expand its presence in the market. In 2022, the company acquired Monia Noleggi, a specialist in aerial platforms, along with Parmiani Noleggi. With these acquisitions, Mollo Noleggio has increased its presence nationwide with 49 centers. A similar trend of consolidation of the market is expected to continue shortly.

The European Rental Association launched a calculator to assist the manufacturers and end-users in simplifying the environmental consequences created by a particular piece of equipment. This will also help in understanding the metrics and whether the equipment fits into the requirements of the adopted green regulations while determining the machine's carbon footprint and forthcoming decisions of the company's investment.

One of Italy's notable achievements in 2022 was its reduced reliance on Russian natural gas imports. This was made possible by signing new contracts with alternative suppliers and leveraging the pipeline and LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) infrastructure developed over the past decade. Italy strengthened its energy security by accelerating the shift to alternative energy sources and emphasizing energy efficiency, particularly in the building sector. IT took important steps towards meeting its climate targets.

Italian Government's Investment in Tourism and Rail Projects to Increase the Demand During Construction and Operation

The Italian Ministry of Tourism observes the 2025 Jubilee as an opportunity, and a portion of the 500 million ($551 billion) Caput Mundi project budget has been set aside to boost Rome's tourist appeal. As a result, the suburbs of the city will observe considerable changes. A total of 354 million ($390 million), including roadways and social housing improvements, will be allocated to Rome's outskirts.

Over the next decade, Italy plans to invest 110 billion euros (~$120.8 billion) in rail infrastructure. FS Italiane's 2022-2031 industrial plan, unveiled in May 2021, aims to create an integrated and sustainable multimodal transport network with highly developed transport hubs. The objectives include doubling rail freight transport shares and generating 40 percent of FS Group's energy through renewable sources by 2031.

Italy has earmarked 59 billion (~ $64.8 billion) under the National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) to boost the adoption of renewable energy sources from 2021 to 2026. The country aims to completely phase out coal usage by 2025 and increase the share of renewables in electricity production to 72% by 2030 and eventually to 95%-100% by 2050.

Achieving these goals entails adding 70 GW of electric renewables to reach a total capacity of 128 GW by 2030, alongside strengthening electric networks for a seamless transition to clean energy sources.

Ongoing Energy Transition, Digitization, and the Importance of Temporary Power to Boost the Italy Power Rental Market

Microsoft is set to launch its first cloud region in Italy, comprising three data centers in the Lombardy region, announced in June 2023. The new cloud region, delivering top-tier security, privacy, and performance, aims to accelerate the digital transition of local organizations and public entities. The initiative aligns with Ambizione Italia, a five-year, USD 1.5 billion investment plan to stimulate growth via cloud technologies.

Milan is expected to become one of Europe's most modernized cities, with significant public and private developments and an anticipated USD 13 billion investment by 2030 (including USD 2 billion for public urbanization projects). Additionally, the housing industry in Milan will ADD 33,000 units by 2030, accommodating 100,000 individuals. The developments need reliable power solutions to support their construction and facilitate the needs during the Winter Olympics 2026, presenting a lucrative opportunity for the Italy power rental market to meet the growing infrastructure needs in the region.

Under the 'Infrastructure for Sustainable Mobility' program, a total amount of 31.4 billion (25.1 billion from the RRF Facility and 6.3 billion (~$6.9 billion) from the fund) has been allocated. The primary goal is to develop modern and sustainable transportation infrastructure that reaches all regions of the country.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

How big is the Italy power rental market?

What is the growth rate of the Italy power rental market?

What are some significant growth opportunities in the Italy power rental market?

Which fuel type is projected to dominate the Italy power rental market?

Which are the key vendors in the Italy power rental market?

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 101 Forecast Period 2022 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $118.4 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $155.6 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.9% Regions Covered Italy

Prominent Vendors

United Rentals

Aggreko

Loxam Group

Caterpillar

Atlas Copco

Cummins Inc.

KOHLER

Other Prominent Vendors

Kiloutou

Rentaload

Boels Rental

ONIS VISA

COELMO

Powering

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

Segmentation by Fuel

Natural Gas

Diesel

Others (Propane, Hydrogen, Renewable Sources)

Segmentation by Power Rating

75KVA

75-375KVA

375-1,000KVA

Above 1,000 KVA

Segmentation by Equipment

Generators

Load Banks

Transformers

Others

Segmentation by End-user

Construction

Retail

Oil Gas

Mining

Events

Utilities

IT Data Center

Manufacturing

Others

Segmentation by Application

Standby

Continuous

Peak Shaving

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lvt51z

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025631528/en/

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Hertz Lithium Inc. (CSE: HZ) (OTCQB: HZLIF) (FSE: QE2) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release on October 3, 2023, the Company has completed the acquisition (the "Acquisition") of 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of Canuck Lithium Corp. ("Canuck"). The Acquisition was completed pursuant to the terms and conditions of a share exchange agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") entered into among the Company, Canuck, and the shareholders of Canuck (the "Canuck Shareholders").

Hertz now owns 100% of the ACDC Project, located in the emerging hard rock lithium district in James Bay, Quebec, Canada. There are approximately 135 historical references to pegmatite outcrops that have never been evaluated or sampled for their lithium potential on the Property according to the Quebec Government's SIGEOM Database (Figure 3).

The ACDC property encompassing 516 contiguous mineral claims spanning 265 square kilometers, located contiguous to Rio Tinto's optioned Kaanaayaa Lithium Project (Figure 1) as well as 26 km southeast of the Corvette Lithium Project owned by Patriot Battery Metals with an inferred mineral resource of 109.2 Mt at 1.4% Li2O and 60 km west of Winsome Resources' Adina Lithium property (Figure 2). The growing James Bay lithium district also hosts Nemaska's Whabouchi Project, with a Mineral Resource of 36.6 Mt at 1.3% Li2O, and a proposed mine life of 33 years. Additionally, Allkem's James Bay Lithium Project has a Mineral Resource of 40.3 Mt at 1.4% Li2O and is proposed to produce an average of 321 Kt of spodumene concentrate per year over a 19-year mine life.

Hertz has engaged with Mercator Geological Services to follow up on the initial priority targets within the 12 zones identified on the property. The four-person crew will conduct prospecting, mapping and sampling in an effort to locate spodumene within enriched mineralized zones on the property.

Following the completion of this initial field work, the Company intends to engage Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. and supplement these efforts with an aerial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Survey (the "Survey") and high-resolution ortho imagery for an enhanced understanding of the AC/DC Project's lithology and further confirm areas of priority to follow up on during 2024's exploration season. The Survey is designed to produce a sub-metric scale topographic model of the ground surface and high-resolution imagery with less than 20 cm pixel resolution. Pegmatite structures occur as elongated bodies, often relatively more resistant to erosion than their surrounding wall-rock and can form subtle elongated ridge like features. These discrete topographic highs and other geological features of interest can be identified through analysis of the high-resolution remote sensing datasets even in areas of thick vegetation.

Kal Malhi, CEO states, "We are pleased to have completed this acquisition quickly and efficiently before the winter sets into northern Quebec. Our plan is to send a ground team to the ACDC property for some immediate groundwork to aid in building our exploration program for 2024. We look forward to reporting on these efforts in the coming weeks as well as additional developments in the Company's portfolio of assets."





Figure 1: AC/DC Lithium Project and adjacent project optioned to Rio Tinto

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/185198_a85a1f4af4c9a8d6_002full.jpg





Figure 2: Regional map showing the location of the AC/DC Lithium Project in the James Bay Area, Quebec.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/185198_a85a1f4af4c9a8d6_003full.jpg





Figure 3: Mineralized Zones and Pegmatite (I1G) Observations

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/185198_a85a1f4af4c9a8d6_004full.jpg

 Patriot Battery Metals' NI 43-101 Technical Report: Mineral Resource Estimate for the CV5 Pegmatite, Corvette Property, authored by Todd McCracken, P. Geo and Ryan Cunningham, M. Eng., P. Eng. (June 25, 2023).

 Nemaska Lithium NI 43-101 Technical Report: Report on the Estimate to Complete for the Whabouchi Lithium Mine and Shawinigan Electrochemical Plant, authored by Daniel Maguran, DRA/Met-Chem Maxime Dupere, SGS Rock Gagnon, DRA/Met-Chem James Anson, Hatch Anthony Boyd, NORAM Andre-Francois Gravel, DRA/Met-Chem Jeffrey Cassoff, BBA Ewald Pengel, DRA/Met-Chem Pierre Girard, Hatch Dominic Tremblay, SNC-Lavalin (May 31, 2019).

 Galaxy Lithium Preliminary Economic Assessment, NI 43-101 Technical Report: James Bay Lithium Project Ontario, Canada, authored bay Joel Lacelle, P.Eng., G Mining Services Inc. Antoine Champagne, P.Eng., G Mining Services Inc. Glen Cole, P.Geo., SRK Consulting Inc. Christopher Larder, P.Eng., Wave International Darrin Johnson, P.Eng., Golder Associates Ltd Joao Paulo Lutti, P.Eng, Golder Associates Ltd Simon Latulippe, P.Eng., WSP Canada Inc. (March 15, 2021)

Terms

Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement, as consideration for the acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Canuck the Company issued an aggregate of 23,150,001 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Consideration Shares") pro rata to the Canuck Shareholders at a deemed price of $0.25 per Consideration Share. The Consideration Shares were issued pursuant to the Take-Over Bid and Issuer Bid prospectus exemption set forth in Section 2.16 of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions and are therefore not subject to any restrictions on resale.

The Consideration Shares 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. Accordingly, the securities of the Company may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Canuck

Canuck is a Quebec based mineral exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's flagship lithium exploration project is known as the AC/DC property encompassing 516 contiguous mineral claims spanning 265 square kilometers, located 26 km southeast of the Corvette Lithium Project owned by Patriot Battery Metals.

About Hertz Lithium Inc.

The Company is a British Columbia based mineral exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's lithium exploration projects include, the Lucky Mica Project, is located along the Arizona Pegmatite Belt in the Maricopa County of Arizona, USA and the Patriota Lithium Project, located along the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province, in Brazil. The Company is also working with Penn State University's College of Earth and Mineral Science department to develop a novel patent-pending hard rock lithium extraction technology.

For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Company's filings at sedarplus.ca .

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kal Malhi

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: 604-805-4602

Email: kal@bullruncapital.ca

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

All information contained in this news release with respect to the Company and Canuck was supplied by the parties, respectively, for inclusion herein, and the Company and its respective directors and officers have relied on Canuck for any information concerning Canuck.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. 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. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185198
Rightmove Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 25

25 October 2023

Rightmove plc

Share buy-back programme

Rightmove plc - transactions in own shares

Rightmove plc ('Rightmove'), announces that today it purchased 140,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 486.132p. The highest price paid per share was 492.400p and the lowest price paid per share was 480.200p. Rightmove purchased these shares through Numis Securities Limited.

The number of shares purchased represented 0.0173% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled.

Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 500,145,181 ordinary shares.

The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 807,094,431. Rightmove holds 11,814,468 shares in treasury.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the 'UK MAR'), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme.

Contact: Carolyn Pollard, Company Secretary

CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk

Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions
Regulatory News:

Claranova (Paris:CLA) informs its shareholders that its Combined General Meeting (Ordinary and Extraordinary) will be held on Wednesday November 29, 2023 at 3 pm, at the Business Center Tour Egee, 9-11 allee de l'Arche, 92400 Courbevoie.

The original French language version of the second convening notice (avis de convocation) which includes the agenda and the draft resolutions to be submitted to the General Meeting was published in the French publication for legal announcements (Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires or BALO) of today, and is available on the Company's website in the Investors/Shareholders' Meeting section along with a translation in English for information purposes. The procedures for participating and voting in the Meeting are described in this notice. The other documents and information relating to this Meeting will be made available to shareholders and available for consultation on the Company's website as required by the law and regulations, as from November 8, 2023.

Claranova also offers its shareholders the possibility to vote online in advance of the General Meeting through the secure VOTACCESS voting platform which is accessible:

- through the website of the shareholder services provider https://www.actionnaire.cic-marketsolutions.eufor shareholders holding their shares in registered form;

- or through the website of the securities account holder for shareholders holding their shares in bearer form. Only holders of bearer shares whose securities account holder is a member of the VOTACCESS system and offers this service to participate in this Meeting may access this website.

The VOTACCESS platform to vote online for this Meeting will be accessible from November 13, 2023 until November 28, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. (Paris time).

Shareholders are informed that a second meeting notice (avis de convocation) will be published in the French publication for legal announcements (BALO) at least fifteen days before the date of the Combined General Meeting, listing any changes to the agenda as well as any changes resulting from requests to include draft resolutions.

Financial calendar:

November 8, 2023: Q1 2023-2024 revenue:

November 29, 2023: General Meeting

About Claranova:

As a diversified global technology company, Claranova manages and coordinates a portfolio of majority interests in digital companies with strong growth potential. Supported by a team combining several decades of experience in the world of technology, Claranova has acquired a unique know-how in successfully turning around, creating and developing innovative companies.

Claranova has proven its capacity to turn a simple idea into a worldwide success in just a few short years. Present in 15 countries and leveraging the technology expertise of its 800+ employees across North America and Europe, Claranova is a truly international group, with 95% of its revenue derived from international markets.

Claranova's portfolio of companies is organized into three unique technology platforms operating in all major digital sectors. As an e-commerce leader in personalized objects, Claranova also stands out for its technological expertise in software publishing and the Internet of Things, through its businesses PlanetArt, Avanquest and myDevices. These three technology platforms share a common vision: empowering people through innovation by providing simple and intuitive digital solutions that facilitate everyday access to the very best of technology.

For more information on Claranova Group: https://www.claranova.com

CODES

Ticker :? CLA

ISIN : FR0013426004

www.claranova.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025737107/en/

Contacts:

ANALYSTS INVESTORS

+33 1 41 27 19 74

contact@claranova.com

FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION

AELIUM

+33 1 75 77 54 65

skennis@aelium.fr
With technological advancements and the demand for new sensors, the market will continue to grow. As bakery product consumption increases, conveyor oven demand will also rise.

WILMINGTON, Del, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The conveyor oven market was valued at US$ 95.7 million in 2021. A 4.4% CAGR is expected from 2022 to 2031. The market is projected to reach US$ 159.6 million by 2031. Due to high competition in the market, players are trying to boost the efficiency of conveyor ovens. The ovens are updated with features that will decrease cooking time and boost production.

Independent pizza chains and restaurants must increase productivity to remain competitive since pizza, sandwiches, and other baked goods are in high demand. Reducing the amount of time required for preparation can simplify the whole process. Conveyor oven manufacturers use advanced technology based on air imperfection, such as temperature and airflow control, to speed up food preparation by controlling temperatures and airflow. Therefore, conveyor ovens are becoming increasingly popular among end users.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=18935

Conveyor oven manufacturers are increasing their production of innovative models featuring multiple stacks, advanced sensors, and panels that can be easily removed. A growing investment in research and development activities for food service equipment and technological advancements are propelling the market. Various cooking methods can be handled with conveyor ovens, like toasting, baking, and broiling. Businesses could save money and space by reducing the need for multiple appliances and saving space.

The conveyor oven market is influenced by sustainability and environmental concerns. As part of their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their ovens, manufacturers have been utilizing eco-friendly materials when designing them. The efficiency of conveyor ovens is being improved by incorporating better insulation materials and construction techniques.

Conveyor Oven Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2031 Base Year 2022 Size in 2021 US$ 95.7 Mn Forecast (Value) in 2031 US$ 159.6 Mn Growth Rate (CAGR) 4.4 % No. of Pages 160 Pages Segments covered Type, Operation, Power Source, Technology, Application, End-use, Distribution Channel

Key Findings of Market Report

Temperature control systems are built into conveyor ovens to ensure a constant cooking temperature.

Conveyor ovens are compact and can be stacked to save floor space, making them ideal for commercial kitchens and food production facilities.

High throughput is one of the most common features of conveyor ovens. For food service establishments with large volumes of food, they are an ideal solution since they can process items rapidly.

Maintaining conveyor ovens regularly is crucial to their continued operation. Maintaining optimum performance requires regular cleaning and inspection of the conveyor belt, the heating elements, and the rest of the equipment.

Protecting operators from accidents and complying with safety regulations, conveyor ovens include safety interlocks, ventilation systems, and emergency stop buttons.

Market Trends for Conveyor Ovens

Introducing fast-food chains and novel products are key trends in the conveyor oven market. Conveyor ovens are likely to become more widespread among restaurants and food chains.

Production automation and technological advancements are expected to grow the conveyor oven market. Using conveyor ovens can reduce or eliminate defects and variances, making food products more consistent.

Manufacturers of conveyor ovens are incorporating smart features and digital controls. Operators can achieve optimal cooking results by precisely controlling temperature and time, monitoring, and diagnosing the system using these advancements.

Several businesses sought conveyor oven solutions tailored to their specific requirements. As more industries demand customized conveyor ovens, manufacturers have offered temperature zones, custom belt speeds, and sizes.

Conveyor oven manufacturers have been incorporating features that make cleaning and maintaining their products easier as food safety and hygiene have become increasingly important. These improvements include improved designs, materials, and removable parts that can be cleaned efficiently.

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Global Market for Conveyor Oven Regional Outlook

North America is expected to be a major market for conveyor ovens. Business food manufacturers are the leading users of conveyor ovens in the United States because of the increasing demand for convenience and speed in cooking.

The bakery industry in this region is experiencing a boom, which has increased the consumption of conveyor ovens. The popularity of conveyor ovens has been driven by a growing demand for processed food from busy consumers, expanded restaurant chains, and high production volumes.

Global Conveyor Oven Market Key Players

A conveyor oven manufacturer is committed to offering the latest technology to their customers. Several manufacturers control the majority of the market share in the global industry.

Key players rely heavily on research and development to increase their market share. For these companies to remain competitive, they develop several products and expand operations. Some prominent players manufacturing and supplying conveyor ovens are listed below:

Davron Technologies Inc.

Doyon & NU-YU

Infratrol LLC

Italforni

Welbilt

Mahan Oven & Engineering Co. Inc.

Middleby Corporation

OEM-ALI Sp

Picard Ovens Inc.

International Thermal Systems

Wisconsin Oven Corporation

XLT Ovens

Key Developments in the Global Conveyor Oven

In August 2023, Applebee's launched a three-part development plan. Next year, a smarter, more efficient design will be unveiled, taking a closer look at store performance and converting second-generation spaces.

launched a three-part development plan. Next year, a smarter, more efficient design will be unveiled, taking a closer look at store performance and converting second-generation spaces. In August 2023, Welbilt switched Lincoln oven production from Canada to the United States. A new country will host Lincoln Foodservice conveyor oven production following changes introduced by Welbilt.

Global Conveyor Oven Market: Segmentation

Type

Vertical Conveyor Oven

Overhead Conveyor Oven

Belt Conveyor Oven

Chain-on-Edge Conveyor Oven

Tunnel Conveyor Oven

Others (Carousel Conveyor Oven, Hybrid Conveyor Oven, etc.)

Operation

Batch

Continuous

Power Source

Electric

Gas

Direct Gas

Indirect Gas

Technology

Convection

Radiation

Application

Baking

Drying

Curing

Aging

Annealing

Stress Relieving

Others (Bonding, Tempering, etc.)

End-use

Hotels & Restaurants

Food Processing Units

Others (Industrial/Heavy, Pharmaceutical Industry, etc.)

Distribution Channel

Online

Company Websites

E-commerce Sites

Offline

Direct Sales

Indirect Sales

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America

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Check out more studies published by Transparency Market Research:

Liquid Cooling Systems Market - The global industry was valued at US$ 6.9 Bn in 2022; It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2031 and reach US$ 10.9 Bn by the end of 2031

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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 25

For immediate release

25 October 2023

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 97,650 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 808.63 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 22,494,519; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 202,496,784.

The figure of 202,496,784 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / DOW

Originally published in Dow's 2022 Progress Report

Dow is committed to building resilient communities to address unmet needs while keeping our employees and our communities safe.

UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS' NEEDS

We provide resources to listen to community needs and collaborate with community organizations to create social impact and achieve shared goals.

Among our 2022 actions, we:

Continued to assess the data from the Community Opinion and Needs Assessments survey and completed additional surveys to inform our community investment and engagement strategy.

and completed additional surveys to inform our community investment and engagement strategy. Continued Community Advisory Panels at key sites to understand community perceptions, share product and technology information, and understand how Dow can improve collaboration with partners to address community needs.

to understand community perceptions, share product and technology information, and understand how Dow can improve collaboration with partners to address community needs. Initiated a new partnership with Teach For All to support STEM teacher recruitment, professional development and placement in underserved schools in Lagos, Nigeria; Bahia Blanca, Argentina; and Tarragona, Spain.

to support STEM teacher recruitment, professional development and placement in underserved schools in Lagos, Nigeria; Bahia Blanca, Argentina; and Tarragona, Spain. Partnered with The Nature Conservancy Australia on the organization's Shuck Don't Chuck project, which recycles oyster, mussel and scallop shells used for reef restoration.

on the organization's Shuck Don't Chuck project, which recycles oyster, mussel and scallop shells used for reef restoration. Launched a campaign with DonorsChoose to provide teachers in Dow communities across the United States with materials for 257 classroom projects that inspire inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging.

DISASTER RELIEF

In 2022, Dow and the Dow Company Foundation responded to the Russian government's invasion of Ukraine and the escalating refugee crisis by contributing $275,000 to support immediate humanitarian needs for the people of Ukraine. Dow employees contributed an additional $116,000 through our Workplace Giving campaign. In addition, colleagues came together across Europe to support those displaced by the conflict. For example, the Women's Academy of Power program in Poland, funded by the ALL IN ERG Fund, pivoted its project goals to support women and children fleeing the conflict.

Dow also partnered with Good360, the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, to repurpose and distribute 33 RV trailers to disaster-impacted regions throughout the United States. Utilizing their nonprofit network, Good360 placed the donated trailers, which were used for Dow employee housing following past disasters, with five different disaster-related organizations. Because of this donation, 21 families and individuals now have a roof over their heads, and 12 disaster-related rebuild projects were supported through temporary housing and workspaces.

Together, Dow, the Dow Company Foundation and Dow employees contributed nearly $400,000 for Ukraine relief and recovery.

PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES

Dow's Emergency Preparedness Standard applies to all sites, facilities and buildings and improves emergency response readiness to prevent harm to the community, environment and workers, minimize loss, and preserve critical business continuity.

Dow's comprehensive standard includes:

Applying process safety risk management studies to develop emergency response pre-plans for training.

Using on-site and off-site air monitoring to recommend protective actions.

Establishing on-site incident management teams, along with primary and backup Emergency Operations Centers with trained personnel.

Conducting emergency communications on and off site, including to those with disabilities.

Providing medical emergency support, including trained emergency responders fit for task with appropriate personal protective equipment.

Conducting drills, scenario planning, self-assessments, audits and security risk assessments that are reviewed and updated annually - for all shifts and with local emergency response agencies aligned to community standards.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND OUTREACH

Dow is committed to engaging communities to effect real change. We share information on environmental performance, safety and emergency preparedness, and collaborate on a range of topics impacting communities, such as economic development, health and wellness, infrastructure, poverty, housing and food security. See the Community/Society Engagement section under GRI 2-29 Approach to stakeholder engagement.

In 2022, Dow partnered with nearly 700 nonprofits, educational institutions and other community organizations to accelerate social change and create a more sustainable and equitable future.

Read more

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from DOW on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: DOW

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/dow

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: DOW

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796408/collaborating-with-communities-at-dow
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - On 10th October 2023, at the EV Auto Show held in Riyadh, Budget Saudi entered into an agreement with Electromin.





Mr. Fawaz Abdullah Danish, President & Group CEO of Budget Saudi and Mr. Mark Notkin, Chief Innovation Officer of Electromin flanked by their team at the EV infrastructure development and cooperation agreement signing during the EV Auto Show held in Riyadh recently.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9578/183679_1c404096a4648854_001full.jpg

The purpose of this agreement is to develop an EV charging infrastructure at Budget Saudi's strategic facilities throughout the Kingdom. This move is in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 that aims for a greener future and underscores Budget Saudi's dedication to green initiatives as it strives to achieve net-zero emissions. Fawaz Abdullah Danish, the President and Group CEO of Budget Saudi, a publicly listed company, remarked, "This agreement marks a significant step forward in our dedication to a greener future. Our aim is to provide a seamless rental experience of EV vehicles for our patrons. We are well-prepared to expand these facilities based on demand, ensuring that both our retail and corporate customers have access to EV vehicles and the necessary charging infrastructure."

Budget Saudi stands as the largest Budget franchisee globally, managing over 34,000 vehicles in both its short-term and long-term rental fleet. Over its forty-five years of operations, the company has consistently set benchmarks in quality standards, particularly in customer service, as well as vehicle safety and cleanliness. Budget Saudi operates out of 30 cities in Saudi Arabia, which includes 15 airport locations, high-speed railway stations, and premium hotels that offer chauffeur-driven services.

For media inquiries:

Name - Anil Mathew Abraham

Email - marketing@budgetsaudi.com

Website - http://www.budgetsaudi.com/

Contact - +966 92000 4124 / +966 (0)12 692 7070 Ext 1444

Address - 3, Al Basateen District, Bin 3 Complex, King Abdul Aziz Road, Jeddah 23719, Saudi Arabia

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/183679
CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Karbon-X Corp., a leading advocate for sustainable environmental solutions, is proud to announce a transformative partnership with the Metis Settlements Development Corporation (MSDC) and Asokan Generational Developments Ltd. This historic agreement marks the birth of Askiy Karbon Ltd., a pioneering joint venture poised to revolutionize the energy and environmental sectors while promoting Indigenous prosperity throughout Canada.



The Askiy Karbon Ltd. partnership, effective as of October 10th, 2023, brings together Karbon-X, MSDC, and Asokan in a shared vision to address critical environmental challenges while promoting the economic interests of Indigenous communities. The partnership's key objectives include:

Emission Offset Solutions: Askiy Karbon Ltd. will actively work towards mitigating emissions resulting from industrial applications that affect indigenous traditional territories. This commitment aligns with global efforts to reduce carbon footprints and combat climate change.



CO2 Sequestration: The joint venture will explore and implement cutting-edge CO2 sequestration systems, directly contributing to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere on traditional territories. By doing so, Askiy Karbon Ltd. aims to play a pivotal role in environmental restoration and sustainability.



Indigenous Compliance Network: Askiy Karbon Ltd. recognizes the importance of upholding Indigenous values and ensuring contractors working on Indigenous lands adhere to these principles. The venture will establish an Indigenous Compliance Network to monitor and promote compliance with Indigenous cultural values and environmental stewardship.

Askiy Karbon promotes the alignment of indigenous values and knowledge in addressing climate change across all sectors, industries, and lands. Our work focuses on supporting indigenous traditional territories, and endeavours to bring indigenous perspectives to large climate change mitigation initiatives.

About Karbon-X:

Karbon-X Corp. is a leading advocate for sustainable environmental solutions, empowering individuals and organizations to take meaningful action in the fight against climate change. The Karbon-X App offers users an accessible platform to offset their carbon footprint and support impactful projects.



About Metis Settlements Development Corporation (MSDC):

MSDC's primary mission is to advance the economic interests of the Metis Settlements of Alberta. The Corporation evaluates and manages various investment opportunities on behalf of the Metis Settlements Limited Partnership. MSDC blends social purpose with diversified investment strategies, reflecting a commitment to long-term revenue generation for Alberta's Metis Settlements.



About Asokan Generational Developments Ltd.:

Asokan Generational Developments is a consultancy firm specializing in Indigenous governance, ESG Framework development, and Indigenous-industry partnership management. Asokan aims to empower Indigenous lives today and in the future by bridging the gap between industry and Indigenous communities.

For further information and inquiries about Askiy Karbon Ltd. please contact

Karbon-X

Daniel Haigh Senior Manager, Marketing & Events

dh@karbon-x.com

+ 1 587 577 3863



Metis Settlements Development Corporation

Barbara McKenzie

CEO

barbara.mckenzie@msdcorp.ca

780-966-2906



Asokan

Justin Bourque

President

justin@agdev.ca

780-715-6052

SOURCE: Karbon-X Project Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/796515/karbon-x-partners-with-the-mtis-settlements-development-corporation-and-sokan-generational-developments-to-form-askiy-karbon-ltd-a-commitment-to-environmental-sustainability-and-collaboration
Turnover of 8.1 million in the first quarter (Q1) FY 2024

Increase in electricity volumes sold

Regulatory News:

FDE (Euronext: FDE ISIN: FR0013030152), a carbon negative energy producer, reported Q1 FY 2024 sales amounting to 8.1M, up +8% compared to Q4 2023, mainly driven by a further improvement in the volumes of electricity produced, in a context of remaining favorable energy prices.

Growth in electricity production

The turnover from electricity production rose to 6.9M in Q1 FY 2024 and increased by +21% compared to Q1 FY 2023. This increase reflects a 29% increase in volumes sold, offsetting a normalization of energy prices over this quarter (average sales price of 146/MWh). To date, more than 60% of the electricity portfolio volumes have been fixed at higher levels (178 /MWh on average for the rest of FY 2024), which will contribute positively to the continued growth of the Group's sales in FY 2024.

Q1 FY 2024 saw gas production contributing only in September with turnover reaching 1M due to the long unavailability of the gas grid this summer. Nevertheless, the Group has taken advantage of the recent market developments to secure more than 33% of gas volumes for the rest of FY 2024 at more than 48/MWh in average.

A restart of gas injection to the grid, with new power production units being installed

FDE expects to obtain administrative authorizations in the coming weeks in order to install 4 additional cogenerations in the Hauts-de-France region, which will contribute to the Group's 2024 organic growth, as well as to accelerate the capture and valorization of mine gas on the new identified sites.

Finally, the coming months will also see the preparation work for the development of an additional 85 MW of photovoltaic plants the Group plans to build in France and Belgium, and new Bio-LNG and Bio-CO2 production projects in Norway.

FDE confirms its FY 2026 objectives of annual revenues of more than 100 million, and an EBITDA above 50 million, combined with over 10 million tons of CO2eq emissions avoided per annum

Next announcements:

General Assembly Meeting FY2023: November 30th, 2023

Reuters code: FDEL.PA Bloomberg code: FDE.FP

About La Francaise de l'Energie ( FDE )

FDE is a negative carbon footprint energy Group, specialized in the implementation via short circuits, of energy recovery and production sites, allowing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. FDE notably supplies regional players with gas, electricity, heat and CO2, thus replacing imported energy with local, cleaner energy. FDE has strong development potential and aims to become a leading independent player in the energy sector in Europe by Bpifrance.

More information available on http://www.francaisedelenergie.fr

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward looking statements and estimates concerning LFDE's financial condition, operating results, strategy, projects and future performance and the markets in which it operates. Such forward-looking statements and estimates may be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is designed to," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "objective," "should," or the negative of these and similar expressions. They incorporate all topics that are not historical facts. Forward looking statements, forecasts and estimates are based on management's current assumptions and assessment of risks, uncertainties and other factors, known and unknown, which were deemed to be reasonable at the time they were made but which may turn out to be incorrect. Events and outcomes are difficult to predict and depend on factors beyond the company's control. Consequently, the actual results, financial condition, performances and/or achievements of LFDE or of the industry may turn out to differ materially from the future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by these statements, forecasts and estimates. Owing to these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the correctness or fairness of these forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates speak only as of the date on which they are made, and LFDE undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025565604/en/

Contacts:

Press

contact@francaisedelenergie.fr

+ 33 3 87 04 34 51

Investor Relations

ir@francaisedelenergie.fr

+33 3 87 04 34 51
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) ("ATEX" or the "Company") has filed a technical report, prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") for its Valeriano Copper Gold Project (the "Valeriano Project" or "Valeriano") located in the Atacama Region, Chile. ATEX previously released the results of the Mineral Resource Estimate (the "MRE") on September 12, 2023, which highlight a robust high-grade resource with expansion potential. The technical report is available on SEDAR+ under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.com and on the Company's website at www.atexresources.com.

Key highlights of the MRE include:

HIGHLIGHTS:

NEW ROBUST RESOURCE - ATEX is excited to report a substantial increase in the MRE for the Cu-Au Porphyry mineralization at Valeriano . The deposit now contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.4 billion tonnes at a grade of 0.67% CuEq* (0.50 % copper (" Cu "), 0.20 g/t gold (" Au "), 0.96 g/t silver (" Ag ") and 63.8 g/t Molybdenum (" Mo ")) reported at a cut-off grade above 0.4% Cu (Table 1-1).

HIGH-GRADE CORE - The MRE includes a higher-grade core within Early Porphyry ("EP") totaling 200 million tonnes at 0.84% CuEq*, (0.62% Cu, 0.29 g/t Au 1.25 g/t Ag and 55.7 g/t Mo at a 0.50% Cu cut-off), further emphasizing the potential viability of the Valeriano deposit. High-grade core remains open in multiple directions.

A GROWING DISCOVERY - A significant milestone for the Company achieved by the ATEX team through diligent and systematic exploration resulting in the successful execution of the Phase II and Phase III drill programs with all holes intersecting significant new Cu-Au mineralization. These results greatly expanded the dimensions of known mineralization while also extending known high-grade porphyry mineralization in the Central Trend and discovering new high-grade porphyry mineralization within the Western Trend.

STRATEGIC VALUE - The increased size of the MRE' represents a globally significant discovery within an emerging porphyry district.

EXPLORATION POTENTIAL - Phase IV drilling, has commenced and is planned to further define and expand the existing resource by targeting: High-grade EP Trends - specifically the Central and Western Trends that already include multiple high-grade intercepts and are open along strike and at depth. Expansion of the Mineralized Corridor , currently defined with a surface area measuring 1.0 kilometre along strike by 1.0 kilometre wide and open for expansion in all directions.







Table 1-1: Mineral Resource Statement*, Valeriano Project, Atacama Region, Chile. SRK Consulting (Chile) SpA., September 1, 2023

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6303/185239_fec259e784653835_001full.jpg

* Notes to accompany the Mineral Resource Estimate:

The Independent and Qualified Person for the Mineral Resource Estimate, as defined by NI 43-101, is Joled Nur, CCCRRM-Chile of SRK Consulting (Chile) SpA, with an effective date 0f September 1, 2023.

Mineral Resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves 2019.

Reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction ("RPEEE") were considered by applying appropriate cut-off grades and reporting within potentially mineable constraining shapes derived from benchmarked economic factors.

Metal prices considered were US$1,800 /oz Au, US$3.15 /lb Cu, US$23 /oz Ag, and US$20.00 /lb Mo.

Cut-off grades used for reporting were, 0.28 g/t Au for the Au-oxide and 0.40% Cu for the Cu-Au sulphide.

Metallurgical recoveries assumed for Au-oxide mineralization are based on Coarse Bottle Roll and CIL leach test work and are 76.0% for Au and 50.0% for Ag.

Metallurgical recoveries assumed for Cu-Au underground amenable sulphide mineralization are based on initial flotation test work and are 90.0% for Cu, 70.0% for Au, 80.0% for Ag, and 60% for Mo.

Au-epithermal Mineral Resource estimates are reported within an optimized, conceptual, pit shell, with a pit slope angle of 45 and assuming US$2.35/t for mining costs, US$5.26/t for processing costs, and US$1.31/oz for sales costs.

Cu-Au porphyry Mineral Resource Estimates are reported assuming bulk underground extraction techniques and 40 m x 40 m x 40 m panels with no internal selectivity within a potential mineable envelope constraining mineralization above 0.30% Cu.

Tonnage is expressed in millions of tonnes; metal content is expressed in thousands of ounces, for gold and silver, millions of tonnes, for copper, and thousands of tonnes for molybdenum

All figures rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimates and totals may not add up due to rounding

Copper Equivalent (CuEq) is calculated using the formula CuEq % = Cu % + (6481.488523 * Au g/t /10000) + (94.6503085864 * Ag g/t /10000) + (4.2328042328 * Mo g/t /10000) assuming prices and recoveries in note 5 and 8.

Gold Equivalent (AuEq) is calculated using the formula AuEq g/t = Au g/t + (0.00840643275 * Ag g/t) assuming prices and recoveries in note 5 and 7.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Mr. Ben Pullinger, P.Geo., registered with the Professional Geoscientists Ontario, is the Qualified Person, as defined by NI 43-101, for the Valeriano Project. Mr. Pullinger is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is Senior Vice President Exploration and Business Development of ATEX. He has reviewed and approved the disclosure of the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

About ATEX

ATEX is exploring the Valeriano Project which is located within the emerging copper gold porphyry mineral belt linking the prolific El Indio High-Sulphidation Belt to the south with the Maricunga Gold Porphyry Belt to the north. This emerging belt, informally referred to as the Link Belt, hosts several copper gold porphyry deposits at various stages of development including, Filo del Sol (Filo Mining), Josemaria (Lundin Mining), Los Helados (NGEX Minerals/JX Nippon), La Fortuna (Teck Resources/Newmont) and El Encierro (Antofagasta/Barrick Gold).

Valeriano hosts a large copper gold porphyry deposit overlain by a near surface oxidized epithermal gold deposit. In 2022, ATEX completed the Company's first limited drill test of the copper gold porphyry system that is now being followed up with campaign of directional drilling to extend the high-grade trend, test new targets and expand the mineralized envelope.

For further information, please contact:

Raymond Jannas,

President and CEO

Email: rjannas@atexresources.com

Ben Pullinger,

Senior Vice President of Exploration and Business Development

Email: bpullinger@atexresources.com

or visit ATEX's website at www.atexresources.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including predictions, projections, and forecasts. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "expects" or "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements include, among others: plans for the evaluation of exploration properties including the Valeriano Project; the success of evaluation plans; the success of exploration activities; mine development prospects; potential for future metals production; changes in economic parameters and assumptions; all aspects related to the timing and extent of exploration activities including the Phase IV drill program contemplated in this press release; timing of receipt of exploration results; the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities and mineralization; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the results of regulatory and permitting processes; future metals price; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; the results of economic and technical studies; delays in obtaining governmental and local approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration; timing of assay results; as well as those factors disclosed in ATEX's publicly filed documents.

Although ATEX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts

responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185239
Digital wallets have become increasingly popular as a convenient and secure way to make payments, both online and in physical stores meaning a potential crackdown could have a significant impact on transactions.

Any move to regulate this payment system could affect a number of industries including the gambling sector. For those bettors assessing top 10 online casino Australia and looking for a platform to game with, a key factor is how transactions can be carried out and so these proposals could really alter outlooks.

This article will assess the proposed plans to regulate digital wallets and how this could affect how people around the world operate.

What are the Planned Regulations?

As Australia attempts to modernize its payment system, digital wallets will be regulated under draft laws released by the federal government. This would see digital wallets facing the same regulations as credit cards and EFTPOS transactions.

The move comes after Treasurer Jim Chalmers stated fresh powers were needed so that the nations system is flexible enough to meet economic needs and challenges in the future.

Any laws that are passed would allow the Reserve Bank of Australia to regulate emerging payment systems, thus addressing any possible risks to consumers.

How Could a Digital Wallet Crackdown Affect the Online Casino Industry?



Digital wallets have cemented their status as a staple in the realm of online casinos, facilitating seamless deposits and withdrawals. However, the prospect of a stringent crackdown on digital wallets casts a foreboding shadow, potentially ushering in significant and adverse consequences.

The imposition of restrictions or constraints upon these digital repositories could invariably complicate the financial interactions of players within online casinos. Such barriers might culminate in a reduction in the player base and, by extension, a dwindling of the industrys overall revenue.

Digital wallets often bedecked with additional features like buyer protection and fortified anti-fraud measures, have instilled a sense of confidence in players regarding their online casino experiences. Should these features face curtailment or obliteration, it could sow seeds of apprehension and security concerns, thereby eroding the bedrock of trust that underpins the relationship between players and online casinos.

Concurrently, a crackdown on digital wallets could set the stage for the ascendancy of alternative payment methods, notably cryptocurrencies. While cryptocurrencies proffer their unique advantages, their reach and comprehension are not as pervasive as digital wallets, potentially raising additional hurdles for players seeking a smooth and familiar financial experience.

Exploring How Event Tickets Could Be Affected by Digital Wallet Crackdown

The surge in the popularity of digital wallets has revolutionized the ticketing landscape, delivering unparalleled convenience and accessibility to consumers. Nevertheless, the looming specter of stringent regulations on digital wallets threatens to constrict the spectrum of choices available for procuring and safeguarding event tickets.

The potential clampdown on digital wallets could send shockwaves throughout the entire ticketing industry. Countless ticketing platforms and corporations have seamlessly woven digital wallet capabilities into their infrastructure, streamlining the ticket acquisition and transfer process. Should the use of digital wallets be curtailed, these platforms might grapple with the need to devise alternative solutions or undertake complex system adaptations, a transition laden with additional expenses and adjustments, impacting both companies and ticket buyers.

One conceivable remedy could involve a reversion to traditional paper tickets or tangible cards for event admission. This scenario could culminate in protracted waiting times and heightened inconveniences for patrons, who would now need to physically tote and present their tickets at the event.

Furthermore, a potential casualty in the wake of these restrictions could be the resale market for event tickets. Digital wallets have considerably eased the process of buying and selling tickets, but their regulation or restriction might introduce a myriad of obstacles for individuals looking to resell their tickets, potentially causing the secondary ticket market to dwindle.

In sum, the consequences of a crackdown on digital wallets loom large, casting a shadow over numerous industries. Swift adaptation and innovation will be imperative to navigate the challenges that lie ahead.
FounderSix, a Los Angeles, CA-based beauty brand incubator, raised $12M in funding.

KD Capital made the investment.

The company intends to use the funds to extend its proven model and introduce new influencer-led beauty brands to the market.

Co-founded by Oli Goulden and Pieter Wittgen, Foundersix is a beauty brand incubator providing a comprehensive support model that covers everything from investment, product development, branding, marketing, legal, finance, accounting, ecommerce, and operations. At the core of this is product development, with team members who have worked at, or with, industry such as LOreal, Shiseido, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. FounderSix also boasts close working relationships with manufacturing facilities in South Korea, Italy, and the US among others.

The news follows a third brand launch with Ravie Beauty, a new makeup company created with YouTuber Allie Glines. It follows Anablue, co-founded with Lauren Perez, which draws on her Moroccan heritage to craft haircare products powered by natural ingredients, and ARY WORLD, created with TikTok sensation Alex Renee, which celebrates creativity and individualism with a vibrant range of makeup.

FinSMEs

25/10/2023
ImmunONE, a Hatfield, UK-based developer of a 3D human lung model to replace animal testing, raised 2M in funding.

The round was led by MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia Ventures and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), Mercias EIS funds and Pioneer Group.

The company intends to use the funds to move into new headquarters in Milton Keynes, new laboratories in Stevenage to meet the growing demand and additionally expand capacity, continue its research and development, grow its team and create six new jobs.

Led by Dr Abigail Martin and Professor Victoria Hutter, ImmunONE has developed a 3D human lung model that can assess the safety of new drugs without the use of animal testing, enabling companies developing new products such as drugs, chemicals or cosmetics to meet legal requirements by showing they are safe for consumption and wider use. Current safety assessments are typically based on animal testing, which is not accurate at predicting the impact on humans, or use human cells taken by lung-scraping, an invasive process that only provides tissue from the upper lung.

ImmuONEs approach, which involves growing human lower lung tissue and immune cells in a laboratory to create a 3D model, not only enables companies to avoid the use of animals but also allows them to test the impact of their products on the small airways and inflammation in the lung, providing results that are more reliable and reproducible.

The model was developed by Dr Martin during her PhD research at the University of Hertfordshire. She joined forces with Prof. Hutter, her supervisor, to set up the business in 2019. They now have around 20 customers globally including blue-chip chemical and consumer products companies.

Since its launch two years ago, the biotech company has generated over 1m in revenue.

FinSMEs

25/10/2023
Sage, a NYC-based technology company providing a care coordination platform, raised $15M in funding.

The round, which brought the total amount to $24M, was led by Maveron and included participation form Goldcrest Capital, ANIMO Ventures, and Distributed Ventures. Natalie Dillon, partner at Maveron, will be joining the Sage board of directors as the first outside board member.

The company intends to use the funds to support the growth of functions within its team, scaling the current client base and developing new product features.

Led by CEO Raj Mehra, Sage has developed technology that empowers care teams to provide support to senior living community residents, leveraging an unified care platform. It captures essential data that saves lives  helping to identify health anomalies, rightsizing levels of care, and providing transparency around staffing needs. The data platform generates insights to enable care teams to make better decisions for residents while driving more efficient operations and transparency for families.

FinSMEs

25/10/2023
Threedium, a London, UK-based market leader in 3D/AR high-fidelity assets for e-commerce on web and mobile, closed a $11m Series A funding.

The round was led by Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) and Olma Partners with additional support from Mesh Consensys, Reflexive Capital, Nirvana Family Office, Lyra Ventures, Edenbase, and Kinisis Venture Fund I.

The company intends to use the funds to progress spatial computing and 3D content production on the web. It will also be used to deepen R&D into AI to further enhance efficiency of 3D models and extend the companys growth by bringing immersive storytelling to more global brands.

Founded in 2017 and led by Mike Charalambous, CEO, and Dusan Odobasic, Chairman and Chief of Technology, Threedium offers 3D developer tools, APIs, Web Engine and enterprise services including an asset management and deployment platform, enabling the creation and launch of ultra-high-fidelity 3D and AR experiences for both web and mobile platforms.

Customers include Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Bulgari, LOEWE, Tommy Hilfiger, Diageo, Girard Perregaux, and NuOrder Lightspeed. The company is also forging strategic alliances with global tech giants AWS, Salesforce, NVIDIA and Teads who will use Threediums APIs and infrastructure services to offer their customers high-fidelity 3D and real-time customization AR experiences.

FinSMEs

25/10/2023
Upstream Tech, an Alameda, CA-based corporation that builds software for making planetary decisions, received an investment from Hull Street Energy.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts.

Led by CEO Marshall Moutenot, Upstream Tech builds software for making planetary decisions. Its solutions include:

HydroForecast, a global water forecast offering short-term and seasonal forecasts and long-term climatological outlooks, and

Lens, a remote monitoring and reporting platform that expands access to a vast library of geospatial data and remote imagery, supporting the monitoring, protection and restoration of millions of acres of land around the world.



Hull Street Energy is a private equity firm that specializes in deploying capital into the power sector as it decarbonizes. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the team leverages its decades of experience and unique knowledge of North American electricity infrastructure, fundamentals, and grid operations, including fuel inputs, commodity contract structuring, renewable and fossil powered generation assets, energy storage, transmission and distribution systems, and electricity demand-side businesses to build value for stakeholders.

FinSMEs

25/10/2023
As Tejas is nearing its release date, Kangana Ranaut is leaving no stone unturned to take the spirit of the nations courage across the country that she is going to bring to the big screens with the film. Continuing the spree, the actress has now met the Israel ambassador to India, Naor Gilon.

Kangana Ranaut as Tejas Gill is going to narrate the story of story of courage and bravery of the Bharat soldiers. Seems like, the actress is fully drenched in the same spirit. While Kangana has been taking the film on different platforms, right from, television shows to the Ministry Of Bharat, now she has reached the Israel embassy. Recently, the actress went on to meet the Israel ambassador to India, Naor Gilon. Looking at the devastating condition in Israel, it was indeed a courageous move from the actress to support the nation and strengthen the relations of both countries.

Sharing some pictures on social media, the actress wrote- Today the whole world, especially Israel and India are fighting their war against terrorism. Yesterday when I reached Delhi to burn Ravana, I felt the Israel Embassy should come and meet those who are defeating terrorists like todays modern Ravana Hamas. The way young children and women are being targeted is heart wrenching. I have full hope Israel will win this war against terrorism.

The actress also shared a part of her conversation with the ambassador and expressed her sorrows amid the crisis the country is facing.

My heart goes out to Israel.

Our hearts are bleeding too.

Heres my conversation with Israels ambassador to Bharat Naor Gilon. @IsraelinIndia pic.twitter.com/yIuUPognN1  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) October 25, 2023

Produced by RSVP, Tejas stars Kangana Ranaut in the titular Role. Written and Directed By Sarvesh Mewara and Produced By Ronnie Screwvala, the film is scheduled to release in Theatres on October 27th, 2023.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Despite announcing its urgency, Israel has not started a ground invasion on Gaza.

And it appears that Israel is willing to defer it for a few days. The reasons: to allow talks on the release of a significant number of hostages held by Hamas, international pressure, and political-military differences.

Eighteen days after the deadliest attack ever launched into Israel by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas that rules Gaza, the Israeli military is relentlessly pounding the territory.

But apart from some relatively minor incursions, the much-vaunted land offensive has not been unleashed.

The Israeli position on hostages comes as the Biden administration attempts to persuade Israel to postpone a ground conflict in Gaza. The United States is sending military assets to the region to express support for Israel and to prevent others from joining the conflict, such as Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Since its terrorists attacked Israel on 7 October, Hamas has held more than 200 captives in Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, a deal for hostages will be extremely impossible once their military conducts a ground invasion.

Theres a crisis of confidence between (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF (army), noted editorial writer Nahum Barnea in the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The government is having difficulties taking decisions that everyone agrees on about the top issues, he wrote.

According to government and military sources cited by Barnea, Netanyahu is angry at the generals and blames them for what happened during what Israelis are calling the 7 October fiasco.

On that day, the country was left stunned after Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza border and went on a rampage that Israeli officials say has killed more than 1,400 people.

They also snatched more than 220 hostages in the worst-ever attack in Israels history, which has prompted a ferocious Israeli bombardment of Gaza which Hamas officials say has killed 5,791 people.

Unanimity has brought together the left and right wings of mainstream Israeli politics.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas war: What is Israels endgame in Gaza?

Disputes over these operations are creating tensions, especially between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, wrote columnist Amos Harel in Tuesdays left-leaning Haaretz daily.

State radio noted dissent between the premier and senior ranks in the military, with mutual accusations of failing to prevent the bloody attack by Hamas militants.

Disagreement, hostages, and international intrigue

Commentators say the fact that official statements often mention convergence of views at the highest level means the opposite, revealing the artificial nature of a united front.

The prime minister, the defence minister and the IDF chief of staff are working in close and full cooperation, around the clock, to lead the State of Israel to a decisive victory over Hamas, said a communique on Tuesday from the Government Press Office.

There is total and mutual trust between the prime minister, the defence minister and the IDF chief of staff; the unity of the goal is clear.

Also Read: Little light, no anaesthesia: The many nightmares at Gaza hospitals

Patrick Bettane, an intelligence specialist at Israels International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) think tank, confirmed disagreement about a ground offensive.

But the fact that there are hostages being held in the Gaza Strip complicates everything, he said.

Israel is waiting to see how this problem can be resolved before it acts.

Relatives of those seized and taken to Gaza have staged daily demonstrations outside Gallants home in Tel Aviv.

Akiva Eldar, an expert on Israeli politics, asserted that after the emotions aroused by this terrible massacre, Bibi (Netanyahu) and the generals are starting to think differently.

He said the presence in Israel of US military personnel was aimed at preventing any move that could mean the death of hostages, including Americans.

This, Eldar said, sheds new light on pledges by both Netanyahu and Gallant that Hamas will have been eradicated when the war is over.

International leaders urge caution

Nevertheless, army chief Herzi Halevi repeated overnight that his aim was the complete removal of Hamas and its leaders.

We are well prepared for the ground operations in the south, he told troops according to a statement released by an army spokesperson.

Political analyst Daniel Bensimon said: Disagreement or not, its a fact that Americans and the Europeans are coming to Israel to caress it with honeyed words with the aim of preventing a ground offensive.

Also Read: Hamas hostages: Who are they? How can they be brought back?

French president Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday became the latest foreign leader to visit the region and meet with Israeli premier Netanyahu.

The international community fears a ground operation would spark a chain reaction that could engulf the whole region, and maybe even further afield, Bensimon said.

Israelis have been touched by expressions of compassion and solidarity from several leaders to visit the country over the past two weeks, including US president Joe Biden who came on 18 October.

Macron told Israelis they were not alone in the fight against these terrorist groups but cautioned against enlarging this conflict.

For Bensimon, Biden and Macron say nice things.

But in the end, they want to stop Israel from going into Gaza and prevent Iran from becoming involved through the Shiite Hezbollah movement, its proxy in Lebanon, he said.

With inputs from AFP
China has adopted a new Patriotic Education Law.

The countrys national legislature passed the law on Tuesday to counter what it calls historical nihilism and to safeguard national security.

Historical nihilism is a phrase used in China to describe public doubt and scepticism over the Chinese Communist Partys description of past events.

Set to take effect on 1 January, 2024, the law comes in the backdrop of President Xi Jinping continuing to tighten his grip on power as the country battles a slew of problems including high youth unemployment, a troubled real estate sector, domestic demand slumping, and an economic slowdown.

But what is the Patriotic Education Law? How will it work?

Lets take a closer look:

What is it?

As per Xinhua, the law looks to advance a sense of patriotism in the nation.

It covers areas such as

Ideology

Politics

History

Culture

National symbols

Beauty of motherland

National unity

Ethnic solidarity

National security

Defence

Deeds of heroes and role models

The laws enactment provides a legal guarantee for patriotic education in the new era. It is of profound significance for the Chinese people to shore up the national spirit and forge a collective force to advance the building of a stronger China and realizing national rejuvenation, the newspaper stated.

As per DW, the legislation was first heard by the national legislature in June 2023 and a draft version of the law was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress in August.

Zhao Leji, Chinas top lawmaker, said the law would help the country in forging a mighty force to build a strong nation, Xinhua reported.

How will it work?

Xinhua stated that some people are at a loss about what patriotism is.

The law thus outlines the responsibilities for central and local government departments as well as schools and for families.

While it is enacted to promote patriotism, the law stresses the need to be rational, inclusive and open-minded, open the country wider to the world and embrace other civilisations, Xinhua said.

The law mandates that patriotic education respects the history and cultural traditions of other countries and draws inspiration from all of human civilizations outstanding achievements, it added

With the enactment of the Patriotic Education Law, the Chinese people will be able to better shore up the national spirit and forge a collective force toward building a stronger China and realizing national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, Xinhua stated.

The law also has targeted measures for different groups of people, including government officials, employees, villagers and residents in special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan, state-backed China Daily said.

As per The Economist, the law instructs families to include love of the motherland in education and also spells out penalties for insulting the flag or questioning approved histories about Communist Party heroes.

As per The China Project, Article 14 of the law spells out the incorporation of patriotic education content to all levels and types of school and the entire course of school education .

Meanwhile, Article 15 of the law targets all types of school activity  including visits to national patriotic education bases of which over 500 have been constructed since 1994.

Article 16 of the law targeting parents is novel.

This new inclusion blurs the boundaries between public and private space as part of the CCPs effort to control society from its basic building block  the family, the website states.

As per the website, the law targets three main groups that the Chinese Communist Party fears  Chinese youth, cyberspace, and Chinese communities beyond the mainland.

Article 22 of the law targets compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese with the aim of consciously preserving national and ethnic unity.

Although the implementation remains unclear, the ambition reveals Xi Jinpings struggle to grapple with power beyond the mainland, the website argues.

Hong Kong has welcomed the passing of the law.

It said in a statement, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government welcomes the adoption of the Patriotic Education Law of the Peoples Republic of China at the 6th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Peoples Congress.

Article 30 of the law under Implementation Measures also requires ISPs to not only create and impart content that embodies the spirit of patriotism but also create new technologies and products to vividly carry out patriotic education activities.

Zhi Zhenfeng, a research fellow at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times the law aims to combine and condense some scattered content about patriotic education in different laws and regulations and promote patriotic education in the new era with a systematic, standard and scientific legislation process.

Zhi added that those who insult heroes and martyrs, and the uncivilized behaviours that go against the principles and spirit of patriotism will also be singled out for patriotic education.

Yang Heqing, a spokesperson from the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, told Global Times the law aims to educate and guide citizens to consciously fulfill their obligations to maintain national unity and ethnic solidarity, safeguard national security, honor and interests, so as to ensure the long-term stability of the country.

Yang said the law will increase the publics sense of patriotism.

He added that the law will focus on fully utilizing the educational function of cultural relics, cultural heritage, various museums, memorial halls, and organizing folk cultural activities during traditional festivals.

China returns to patriotic education, Xi consolidates grip on power

Experts say China has for long employed patriotic education as a tool.

As per DW, Beijing instituted a mass indoctrination programme targeting youth after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

As The China Project website notes, The Party turned to state-led nationalism to revive its popularity. The campaign, which gained full momentum in the fall of 1994, focused on re-educating the youths, who led the Tiananmen protests. It contained three broad goals: the institutionalization of patriotic education, the reforms in history education, and the construction of patriotic public monuments.

The website added that the ploy was fruitful in giving rise to an entire cohort of outspoken patriots.

These youth, in contrast to their elders, never experienced the crises of the early PRC and also profited Chinas ascent on the world stage and its booming economy.

The law comes in the backdrop of Xi continuing to consolidate power in China over the past few years.

A new piece in The New Yorker entitled Chinas Age of Malaise on the reign of Xi and his impact notes, At the age of seventy, Xi has removed term limits on his rule and eliminated even loyal opponents. He travels less than he used to, and reveals little of the emotion behind his thinking; there is no public ranting or tin-pot swagger. He moves so deliberately that he resembles a person underwater.

The piece pointed out how Xi has in many ways reversed course from party leaders Deng Xiaoping cry for courageous experiments.

In the years before Xi rose to power, in 2012, some Party thinkers had pushed for political liberalization, but the leaders, who feared infighting and popular rebellion, chose stricter autocracy instead. Xi has proved stunningly harsh; though at first he urged young people to dare to dream, and gestured toward market-oriented reforms, he has abandoned Dengs courageous experiments and ushered his country into a straitened new age, the piece states.

The piece noted how Xi is subjecting industries after industries  health care, real estate and education  to disappearances and penalties.

None of the targets showed any organized political intentions. The only visible pattern is that Xi and his loyalists appeared intent on snuffing out rival sources of authority, the piece states.

It quotes a long-time observer of Beijing as saying that the president is essentially Mao with money.

It remains to be seen how far Xi will go  and conversely where China goes from here.

For all of Chinas ambitions to greatness, it faces a consuming struggle to restore the trust and vigor of its own people. The stagnation could pass, as it did for America in the nineteen-eighties, or it could deepen, as it did for the Soviet Union during the same years, The New Yorker piece notes.

It quotes Joerg Wuttke, the president emeritus of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, as saying, The twentieth century could have been the German century, but we screwed uptwice, he said. And the twenty-first century could have been the Chinese century, but theyre now running the risk this is not going to happen.

An entrepreneur, speaking on the condition of anonymity, added, Someone has to tell the Americans that the idea that China is going to overtake them is over. This guy has ended that game.

Experts deride the legislation as an effort to brainwash the youth.

More and more patriotism courses intended for brainwashing have become compulsory a Chinese dissident affiliated to the non-profit China Deviants, which is based in London, told DW.

The dissident said such individuals would thus have a strong hostility towards those trying to reform China.

Hung Chin-fu, a professor at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, added that the law is intended to make the youth love Xi Jinping or love Xi Jinpings ideology.

Kathy Huang, a Chinese expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, added that the law is an intentional and timely refocus given the current domestic environment in China.

In the face of challenging domestic and international situation, we see Xi Jinping taking greater measures for stability maintenance, she stated.

These efforts reveal Xis insecurities about Chinas growth and his anxieties over the future of the partys popularity, Huang said.

A piece in OROF Online summed up the law thus, In conflating national symbols with the CCP, the party is trying to shore up its legitimacy. The outreach to social institutions and organisations is possibly an attempt to garner widespread support for its policies in uncertain times, from both inside and outside the country.

But the Global Times in an editorial defended the law thus: Imagine if a government were to introduce legislation against drug dealing, who would feel the most frightened and troubled? The most likely answer would be drug dealers. In the case of Chinas recent legislative push for the spirit of patriotism in the country, some forces have exposed themselves as those drug dealers.

Any force that feels uncomfortable with Chinas draft patriotic education law without raising any functionality issues can only prove that they are against the spirit of patriotism advocated by Chinese education. They feel targeted because this draft will hinder their efforts to discourage patriotism and threaten and challenge Chinas security, it argued.

Zhu Wei, vice director of the Communication Law Research Center at the China University of Political Science and Law, added, It is justified for China now to propose a patriotic education law, which will further regulate education activities in the country. Some ill-intentioned forces hyped this legislation is a crush-down on different ideologies, which is their misunderstanding and an over-interpretation.

With inputs from agencies
The presidential election in Indonesia is less than a year away, and the contest to succeed Jokowi has begun heating up.

On Thursday (October 19), Indonesia officially entered election mode, with registration open for candidates interested in running in the next presidential elections in February.

More than 204 million Indonesians will cast ballots on 14 February, 2024, as the worlds third-largest democracy elects members of its national, regional, and city-level legislatures.

More than 20,000 posts are up for grabs in what is the worlds largest single-day election.

Heres what you need to know.

What to expect on 14 February?

The presidential poll will be held on the same day as a national parliamentary election and voters will also choose executive and legislative representatives at all administrative levels across Indonesia.

About 205 million of Indonesias more than 270 million people are eligible to vote and about a third of those are under the age of 30, according to the election commission.

Whats happening this week?

Three presidential candidates and their running mates have from 19-25 October to present their credentials and policy platforms to the election commission.

A flurry of last-minute manoeuvring is underway by the countrys political heavyweights as they shore up ever-shifting alliances.

Who is running?

There are three candidates vying to succeed incumbent President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, who is finishing up the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution.

Prabowo Subianto, who narrowly lost to Jokowi in 2014 and 2019, is hoping third times the charm. The defence minister is a controversial figure, with allegations of human rights abuses during his time as special forces commander doing little to dent his popularity among those who admire his heavy-handed leadership style.

Ganjar Pranowo is the candidate of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. His long career in public service, most recently as Central Java governor, has won him a following outside the capital Jakarta. He is neck-and-neck with Prabowo in opinion polls.

Anies Baswedan, ex-governor of Jakarta, is an independent candidate, trailing in surveys.

Any burning issues?

Critics have cast doubt on the integrity of the 2024 election amid what they see as President Jokowis attempts to retain influence after leaving office. A top court, headed by Jokowis brother-in-law and which will preside over any election disputes, tweaked eligibility criteria that would allow Jokowis son to join Prabowo as his running mate  a move that some experts and voters say undermines Indonesias 25-year-old democracy.

Elections in Indonesia are often a battle of personalities rather than policies, with candidates running on similar platforms promoting growth, jobs, and pluralism in the worlds largest Muslim-majority country.

How will a winner be decided?

A candidate needs a simple majority of votes to win, or more than 50 per cent. If no one manages that in the first round, a run-off election will be held in June between the two candidates with the highest number of votes.

The next president will take office in October, 2024.

What happens next?

Candidates will ramp up their campaigns, crisscrossing the sprawling archipelago to meet constituents and build support.

With inputs from Reuters
Is India changing its name to Bharat? Its a question that keeps surfacing these days. We dont have a definitive answer yet, but in schools, children are likely to be taught that they are citizens of Bharat. A proposal by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel to replace India with Bharat in all textbooks has been unanimously approved by its members.

The change, if accepted, will be incorporated into the next set of books to be printed.

However, the NCERT director told News18 that as of now it is just a recommendation and it is yet to get approval.We have not accepted anything at the moment. The panel sent their report, the NCERT director said.

Also read: From India to Bharat: A brief history of the many names of the country

Why has the panel suggested a name change in books?

The proposal was put forth several months ago but has now received a formal endorsement. According to Prof CI Isaac (Retd), one of the panel members, the new NCERT books will reflect the name change.

The recommendation to revise the school curriculum was made by a high-level committee for social sciences, constituted by the NCERT, said Isaac, a historian and an RSS ideologue. He added that the unanimous recommendation given by the seven-member committee has found a mention in its final position paper on social sciences, which is a key prescriptive document for laying down the foundation for the development of new NCERT textbooks, reports Hindustan Times (HT).

According to Isaac, Bharat is an age-old name. The use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757, he was quoted as saying by HT. Therefore, the committee has unanimously recommended that the name Bharat should be used in textbooks for students across classes, he explained.

The name change controversy erupted after invites to the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu in September referred to her as the President of Bharat instead of India as has been the convention. Four days before that, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said during a speech in Guwahati that people should use the name Bharat, not India.

During the G20 Summit, Narendra Modis nameplate also read Bharat as he addressed the leaders summit in New Delhi. The ancient name was first used on an ASEAN event invitation extended to PM Modi referring to him as the Prime Minister of Bharat.

Article 1(1) of the Constitution states India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. During an interview with ANI, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, India, that is Bharat, is there in the Constitution. Please, I would invite everybody to read it.

Isaac told ThePrint that he insisted on using only Bharat in textbooks till Class 12. His view was accepted by other members of the committee.

What are the other changes recommended?

The NCERT panel has also reportedly suggested that the focus on Hindu defeats in the curriculum should be toned down. Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and Sultans are not, said Issac, who is also a member of the Union education ministrys Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

He believes that the current curriculum puts too much emphasis on Hindu defeats in battle. Why do our textbooks not teach our students that Muhammed Ghori was killed by Indian tribal people while he was returning after plundering India? Why is the Battle of Colachel (Kingdom of Travancore vs Dutch East India Company) missing from our textbooks? Why is the period of Emergency not taught in detail? Issac told ThePrint.

The NCERT committee has also recommended the introduction of classical history instead of ancient history for students.

Isaac said that the British divided history into three phases  ancient, medieval and modern  showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress. He spoke of examples of Indias achievements which included Aryabhattas work on the solar system. Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian History be taught in schools along with medieval and modern periods, Issac said, according to the HT report.

Isaac is a former member of the faculty at the history department in the Kottayam-based CMS College. He joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS student wing, in 1975. He is now the working president of the Kerala unit of the RSS-linked think tank Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, reports ThePrint.

The other members of the committee include ICHR chairperson Prof Raguvendra Tanwar (Retd), Prof Vandana Mishra of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who teaches sociology at a Haryana government school, the report says.

The NCERT is revising the curriculum in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Also read: From Darwins theory of evolution to Periodic Table, subjects you wont find in Indian textbooks

How have political parties reacted to the NCERT panels suggestions?

Congress leader Priyank Kharge, while speaking about the Centres move to change the name of the country in NCERT books, said, This move was very evident. The government is on a name-changing spree. No game-changing scheme is happening, only name-changing schemes are happening. Why the sudden hatred for the name INDIA? Why did they wait for nine years?

Critcisting the recommendation, Karnataka deputy chief minister DKShivakumar said, Why are we saying the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service? In our passports, we have the Republic of India I think something wrong has happened to this government Why are they confusing the minds of Indians?

#WATCH | On NCERT panel recommendation of replacing India with Bharat in school textbooks, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, Why are we saying the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service? In our passports, we have the Republic of pic.twitter.com/HROiNblTAF  ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023

Whatever stand they have taken is completely anti-people, anti-India, and anti-Bharat... I am telling you they (NCERT) have been forced by the #NDA government. This is completely wrong... You can't change the history of India... Karnataka will continue with whatever there was earlier...



With inputs from agencies
The India-Canada diplomatic row may be taking a new turn. After Canada withdrew 41 of its diplomats from India, following New Delhis demand of parity, it is being reported that India may move the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Reports have it that Delhi is considering moving the Paris-based watchdog, which oversees the implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures to combat money laundering and terror financing, against Ottawa for its soft stance towards terror elements. The Sunday Guardian reported that despite sharing credible and clinching evidence, Canada has taken no steps against terror funding operations on its soil.

What is the FATF? What does it do? How does it figure into the India-Canada row? We have you covered.

What is the FATF?

Commonly known as the worlds terrorism financial watchdog, the FATF leads global action to tackle money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing.

Formed in 1989, it is a 39-member group that works to ensure that the flow of money in the global financial system is not misused to fund terrorist activities.

As the FATF website states, it researches how money is laundered and terrorism is funded, promotes global standards to mitigate the risks, and assesses whether countries are taking effective action.

The FATF, which meets three times per year, conducts regular peer-reviewed evaluations called Mutual Evaluations (ME) of countries to check their performance on standards prescribed by it. The reviews are carried out by FATF and FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs), which then release Mutual Evaluation Reports (MERs). For the countries that dont perform well on certain standards, time-bound action plans are drawn up.

If the countries dont meet the standards set by the FATF, they are placed under Increased Monitoring or a High Risk Jurisdiction. These are often externally referred to as the grey and black lists.

As per the FATF, countries in the black list are those who support terror funding and money laundering activities. On the other hand, the grey list is for countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.

Notably, the FATFs role in combating terror financing became prominent after the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States.

Which countries are on the FATF watch list?

In February, the FATF said that Myanmar, Iran and North Korea continue to be on the black list. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkiye, Jordan, South Africa and 20 other nations will be in its grey list.

Pakistan was removed from the grey list in October last year after being on it for four years. Reacting to the announcement, India had then said: It is in global interest that the world remains clear that Pakistan must continue to take credible, verifiable, irreversible and sustained action against terrorism and terrorist financing emanating from territories under its control.

Catch up on more of the India-Canada row

Not just Nijjar: The 10 Khalistani names India shared with Canada in 2018

Hardeep Singh Nijjar: How Western media whitewashed the Khalistanis crimes

How the India-Canada diplomatic row could cost Ottawa $700 million in 2024

How does FATF figure in the India-Canada row?

As India and Canadas ties deteriorate over the allegation made by Justin Trudeau that New Delhi had a role in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sunday Guardian quoting sources has said that India is considering approaching the FATF on the matter.

It is reported that India will present the watchdog with a dossier containing new and old information on how Ottawa provides a safe space for terrorists to thrive and operate.

With Canada seeking to divert the focus from the core issue of Khalistani elements having a free run on its soil, India has no other option but to report Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus inaction against pro-Khalistan elements in his country to FATF. India is, therefore, planning to collect evidence of terror funding and financing emanating from Canada and present it to FATF, a person aware of the development told The Sunday Guardian.

Since September when Trudeau first made the allegation, which India has refuted, calling it absurd, India has been sharing information and evidence on Khalistani terror operating on Canadian soil.

Recent dossiers reveal the presence of a Khalistan terror network operating in Canada. It identifies several Canadian nationals purportedly linked to the proscribed International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).

Even on Nijjar, India had shared information about his purported links with Pakistan-based KTF chief Jagtar Singh Tara. He also was actively involved in spotting, networking, training, funding, and operationalising KTF module members after taking over the leadership of KTF in Canada in 2015.

The Ministry of External Affairs had also said: Terrorism is being funded and supported by our western neighbour Pakistan, but the issue of safe havens and places to operate are being provided abroad, including in Canada.

We would want the Canadian government to not provide safe havens to terrorists and to take action against those who are facing terrorism charges or send them here to face charges.

How bad is the fallout between India-Canada?

India-Canadian relations have plummeted to a new low since September. Shortly after Trudeau made the allegation, India suspended visa services to all Canadians.

This has now been followed by Canada withdrawing its 41 diplomatic staff in India, alleging that New Delhi is in contravention of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

This has been categorically refuted by India, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saying last Sunday that parity was provided for by the Vienna Convention. We invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel. We havent made much of that public. My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did, said Jaishankar.

With inputs from agencies
It is somehow true that in India, people live and breathe films.

In yet another shocking incident, a man planned a murder that was inspired by the Bollywood film Drishyam.

The death of two unmarried sisters that police initially believed to be the result of poisoning by a relative was actually the brothers well-planned cold-blooded murder.

Ganesh Mohite, a clerk in the Palghar forest department, was reportedly fed up with his two sisters and came up with a plan to kill them while pinning the blame on another relative.

Inspired by the crime thriller film, the 36-year-old planted in the minds of the investigators and his mother that the relative had tainted their water, which his sisters drank and died from.

The cold-blooded murder

According to Hindustan Times, police inspector Balasaheb Khade from the local crime branch (LCB), Raigad, said Mohite took his family to a Navratri celebration on 15 October knowing that if he murdered his sisters Sneha, 30, and Sonali, 34, in Palghar, he would be the suspect, but in Revdanda, he could blame the murder on a relative and he would be suspected due to their history of conflict.

Mohite prepared an instant soup with rat poison for his sisters on the day of the crime. After having the soup, he asked his mother to get some water, which was outside in a jar on the verandah, and then he went outside to play Garba, even though he had never before taken part in the dance.

Sonali called him shortly after to let him know she was feeling uneasy. She passed away on 17 October at Alibag Civil Hospital after Mohite deliberately reached home late under the guise of the Garba.

The second sister, Sneha, had also begun to experience significant symptoms and was sent to MGM Hospital in Kamothe, where she passed away on 20 October.

Mohite brainwashed Sneha, who survived until Friday, and his mother that their relative, with whom they had a brawl previously over a property, had contaminated the water for drinking in the verandah.

As shown in Drishyam, he kept repeating the same thing to his mother, sister and the police, and eventually everyone believed it. The mother and Sneha both gave statements against the relative, Khade told HT.

The truth comes out

Following the transfer of the case to the LCB on 21 October, the police discovered that the relative had installed CCTV cameras outside their home while questioning them.

HT quoted the IO as saying, We could not see anyone tampering with the water. The CCTV footage and the fact that the mother had faced no issues after drinking the same water made us realise that something was wrong. After investigation, we found out about the fight between the siblings.

When Mohite was identified as a potential suspect, the police checked his phone and discovered 53 poisoning-related search terms from 11 October to 14 October, including sweet poison, sweet less poison, and how many days does it take a person to die after consuming poison.

The police found leaflets about rat poison in his car.

The reason behind the murder

The discord between the siblings began in 2009 when Mohites father, who was a forest department officer, died in an accident.

There was a lengthy dispute over who would take the fathers place at work, with the mother supporting one of her daughters.

After 2019, Mohite was able to persuade his family that if he got the job, he would take care of them. He was hired as a clerk in the Forest Department by 2021 after the family gave their approval.

With the assistance of a relative residing next door in Raigads Revdanda, the familys original residence, Mohite covertly obtained his fathers pension from 2009 to 2019 and secretly transferred his fathers property to himself.

The sisters and the relative got into a physical fight after they discovered this, and as a result, a case of attempted murder was filed against the relative.

The accused was fed up of spending on his sisters who were unwilling to get married. He also did not want to share the property with them and hence murdered them, Khade told HT.

Until 25 October, the accused is held in police custody.

With inputs from agencies
The stories and photographs from the Israel-Hamas war are heartbreaking. The 19 days of raging conflict have claimed more than 6,000 lives on both sides. The Israeli military is preparing for a ground invasion as the Gaza Strip is battling a humanitarian crisis with no access to clean water and a shortage of fuel. The situation has left the world divided and evoked strong emotions and hackers are making the most out of it, fooling people through scam emails and websites on charity.

Cyber-security experts have identified scam donation campaigns exploiting people willing to offer aid to those affected by the war. According to the cybersecurity company Kaspersky, scammers are sending deceptive emails asking for donations, which leads to the theft of their money, reports The Times of India (ToI).

Scam emails asking for donations

Cybercriminals have reportedly sent out over 500 scam emails and created fraudulent websites to expedite the money transfer process, said Kaspersky.

Scammers are posing as charitable organisations and using language that plays on sentiments to entice people to click on a fake website link, where they are prompted to contribute to a cause. There has been a surge in emails written in English.

In these emails, scammers try to create multiple text variations to evade spam filters. For instance, they use various call-to-donate phrases like we call to your compassion and benevolence or we call to your empathy and generosity, and substitute words like help with synonyms such as support, aid, etc, Andrey Kovtun, a security expert at Kaspersky, was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.

The links in these emails lead to scam websites that show photographs of the war which are accompanied by emotive text, urging users to make donations. Fraudsters facilitate easy money transfers, even offering options like using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Litecoin for transactions.

Cyberattackers use advanced social engineering techniques to exploit peoples willingness to help those hit by the conflict, luring victims to make fake donations to steal their money.

Also read: Are tensions between Netanyahu and military delaying Israels invasion?

Fake fundraising posts on social media

Apart from fundraising emails, several posts on X, Telegram and Instagram are also asking for donations to support the victims of the ongoing conflict. But several of these accounts, which list cryptocurrency wallets, are dubious and not endorsed by any official charities. They are likely to be scams, according to a report by the Bleeping Computer.

The report points to a Gaza Relief Aid account on X and also has a presence on Instagram and Telegram. It claims to be An Islamic Relief Initiative but is not linked to any established charity.

It uses the domain  aidgaza.xyz  which was registered on 15 October. The text on its website has been copied from the Islamic Reliefs Official website, reports Bleeping Computer. The website appears authentic as it has information about the people behind the organisation, a contact number and a physical address. Those operating the accounts have listed Ethereum, Bitcoin, and USDT addresses on their website and social media accounts where funds should be sent.

According to the report, no donations have been sent yet to the addresses though posts on social media show a third party stating that they donated funds and the person seeking donations confirming that they received them. Such tactics are often used by scammers to make their operations appear credible.

Similarly, Donate for Israel is another suspicious account on X which has cropped up amid the conflict, claiming to support Israeli victims. There was little data associated with the account which is why it is likely to be unauthentic.

Fake charities trying to steal money are common during natural disasters or wars. Similar scams were reported after the Turkey earthquakes and the Russia-Ukraine war. Such accounts often use gory pictures of women, children and soldiers to trigger strong emotions.

Also read: Little light, no anaesthesia: The many nightmares at Gaza hospitals

How to avoid getting scammed

To ensure you are not cheated by scammers, thoroughly scrutinise a page before making any donations. Check the website of a charitable body and research online how it is using the money.

Fake websites do not carry essential information about the organisation and the recipients of the aid. There is also no transparency regarding the usage of funds.

Cross-check the name of the charity. There are many organisations and mistaken identity is common. If a donation request is coming via social media be doubly cautious. It is always advisable to donate to a body you are familiar with.

The International Revenue Service of the US government has warned against feeling pressured to immediately give to a charity youve never heard of. It has asked people to use the Tax-Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool on IRS.gov to help find or verify qualified, legitimate charities.

The UK government has published a guide on how to donate safely along with a list of legitimate charities like the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), or the British Red Cross. It has urged people to ask the charity or organization for more information in case of doubt.

With inputs from agencies
On Monday night, the family of Yocheved Lifshitz and the world heaved a sigh of relief when Hamas militants released the 85-year-old hostage, along with 79-year-old Nurit Cooper.

The next day (24 October), sitting in a wheelchair at the Tel Aviv hospital, she revealed her entire abduction ordeal as well as shed insight into how and where at least some of the captives are being treated by Hamas. Hamas is holding at least 200 hostages after carrying out the daring but horrific attack on 7 October.

Lifshitz, describing her hell, also criticised the Israeli government over security lapses.

Interestingly, while being released after being held captive for 16 days, Lifshitz was seen shaking hands of a Hamas militant. When asked about this, she told reporters, Because they treated us very nicely.

Taken from a kibbutz

Lifshitz, a frail 85-year-old grandmother, was taken hostage by Hamas militants on 7 October from her home in the kibbutz of Nir Oz. Her husband was also taken captive and continues to be a captive.

The Hamas attacked the kibbutz early in the morning, taking the people by surprise and massacring the small community. A BBC report says that one in four residents were kidnapped or killed, including many children.

Describing her capture, she said she was beaten by sticks during the journey into Gaza and struggled with breathing. She was tied to a motorcycle and driven away to Gaza. As we rode, the motorcycle rider hit me with a wooden pole. They didnt break my ribs, but it hurt me a lot in that area, making it difficult to breathe. They stole my watch and jewellery.

I went through hell, the grandmother said, adding, They went on a rampage in our kibbutz. They took us and sped off through the ploughed fields.

Israel-Hamas war: Related coverage

Gaza is scarred by poverty. But Hamas leaders live a life of luxury in Qatar

Were Hamas militants high on Captagon during Israel attack?

What will happen if Israel invades Gaza?

How the Israel-Hamas war left US campuses in an uproar

Life in captivity

Translating her mothers ordeal, Sharone Lifshitz said that the Hamas militants forced her to walk for a few kilometres on wet ground after being kidnapped and then taken underground into a spider web of tunnels. We went underground and walked for kilometres (miles) in wet tunnels, for two or three hours in a spider web of tunnels, she recounted.

It was after hours that she along with five others from her kibbutz was taken into a separate room at an undisclosed location. There, they each had a guard and access to a paramedic and doctor. At the room I was greeted by people who told us we believe in the Quran and promised not to harm me and the other fellow hostages.

They were given mattresses to sleep on and were given the same food  pitas with cream cheese, melted cheese, and cucumbers  as the Hamas fighters. She along with her co-captives also received regular treatment from doctors. They really took care of the sanitary side of things so that we didnt get sick, Lifshitz added.

They treated us well, she told reporters, saying a doctor visited the hostages every two to three days and provided medicine.

They were very concerned with hygiene and were worried about an outbreak of something. We had toilets which they cleaned every day.

She further noted that the Hamas fighters seemed prepared and had everything that men and women would need. They even gave us shampoo to wash our hair with, she added.

Asked about her captors and what they spoke, she revealed that they wanted to speak politics, but she refused. They talked about all kinds of things. They were very friendly to us. They took care of all of our needs; this must be said to their credit.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), still gathering vital intelligence as they prepare to respond to the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 7 October, will undoubtedly be hanging onto Lifshitzs every word.

On her release to Red Cross on Monday, she was seen shaking hands with one of the militants and saying shalom  the Hebrew word for peace or harmony. When reporters asked her about it, she replied: They treated us gently, and provided us with all our needs.

When asked what she meant by the gesture of shaking a Hamas gunmans hand, freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, says because they treated us very nicely. They seemed really prepared and had concealed it for a long time, she added. https://t.co/170bCo7ebO  Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/8F4d4wnuED  Sky News (@SkyNews) October 24, 2023

Didnt take Hamas threats seriously

The soft-spoken Israeli grandmother also accused the Israeli intelligence and authorities of failing them.

CNN quoted her as saying, The lack of awareness by Shin Bet and the IDF hurt us a lot. Hamas warned us three weeks beforehand, they burned fields, they sent fire balloons and the IDF did not treat it seriously.

Lifshitz said the Israeli border fence of concrete and steel, equipped with hundreds of cameras and sensors, had not helped. They blew up the fence.

A win for Hamas

However, it appears that Lifshitzs press interaction has invited criticism from some corners given her praise for Hamas.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said that PR experts called the decision to put the 85-year-old in front of the cameras as a mistake. It noted that international media was now reporting on Hamass kindness in taking care of the hostages needs.

In Israel Hayom, columnist Eddie Rothstein called the interview a propaganda win for Hamas.

What a brave and enlightened woman, the kind we thought they no longer make in Israel, and what clumsy handling of the event, he wrote. The truth is you dont need to be a PR expert to know you cant have a press conference like this live on TV.

Dana Weiss of Channel 12 called the press conference a disaster, and noted the lack of state oversight of the event.

Hamas claims it has more than 220 hostages in captivity, of which four have been released. Last Friday, two Israeli-American women, Judith and Natalie Raanan were released following Mondays release of Lifshitz and Cooper.

It is believed that the US has asked Israel to delay its ground invasion so that more hostages can be freed. A senior Hamas leader was quoted as telling Sky News that all civilians among the hostages would be released if Israel reduced the intensity of bombing Gaza.

We want to stop the random bombardments, the total destruction, the genocide so that the al Qassam soldiers can take them from their places and hand them to the Red Cross or whoever, said Khaled Meshaal.

With inputs from agencies
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen as Israel keeps up its barrage of attacks on the densely-populated region in its war against Hamas. And it seems the worse is yet to come, as a United Nations agency said that it may be forced to stop all aid operations, owing to the dire shortage of fuel.

If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip, said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which currently provides aid to 600,000 displaced Gazans.

The UN agency has also called for a humanitarian pause in fighting, 18 days after Israel has pounded the region to near devastation.

Fuel, a precious commodity

On Tuesday, the UNRWAs director of communications Juliette Touma was quoted as saying, If we do not get fuel that will allow us to continue delivering humanitarian assistance, we will not be able to continue to assist people in need beyond Wednesday night.

The densely-populated region, also known as the worlds largest open air prison, is struggling with the lack of fuel supplies.

Also read: Its Getting Grimmer in Gaza: How many days of water, food, power left?

Hospitals are on the verge of shutting down, with the medical staff complaining that patients being brought in will die if fuel is not provided. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza warned that electric generators in hospitals will cease functioning within the next 48 hours due to a fuel shortage, worsening the crisis there.

The healthcare system has reached its worst stage in its history, said ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra in a brief statement on Telegram.

Already, 32 health centres in the region have closed their doors after Israel cut off supplies and carries out its bombing campaign in an attempt to wipe out Hamas.

Some videos on social media show doctors and medical staff at some hospitals admitting patients under the lights of torches.

Among those at risk of dying or suffering medical complications are 1,000 patients dependent on dialysis and 130 premature babies and other vulnerable patients who depend on a stable and uninterrupted supply of electricity to stay alive, the World Health Organisation said in a statement.

The lack of fuel is also forcing people to consume dirty or desalinated water, as the pumping station cant function.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces ruled out any fuel being allowed to enter Gaza, saying Hamas would co-opt it for its operational infrastructure and to continue its rocket attacks.

Also read: Gaza is scarred by poverty. But Hamas leaders live a life of luxury in Qatar

Israel speaks

Israel reacting to the situation has suggested that the United Nations ask Hamas for fuel supplies. Following the UNRWAs post on X, saying it would run out of fuel on Wednesday, the IDF reposted the message and said that Hamas militants have more than 500,000 litres of fuel in tanks inside besieged Gaza.

These fuel tanks are inside Gaza. They contain more than 500,000 liters of fuel. Ask Hamas if you can have some. https://t.co/Dlag6VdbMq pic.twitter.com/WXzZMFr8yI  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

Ask Hamas if you can have some, the IDF wrote.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan was also quoted as saying, We know for sure that theres plenty of fuel in Gaza. Hamas has stored fuel in advance, and is stealing fuel from both civilians and the UN to power its war machine against Israel.

Israels anger with UN

Amid the war, Israel is now in a diplomatic row with the UN after its chief Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said that the attack by Hamas on Israel did not happen in a vacuum.

At a high-level session of the Security Council, Guterres said, I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.

Guterres also said that the Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum as the Palestinians have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

The comments irked Israel which asked Guterres to resign. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who was present at the meet, countered: Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?

The situation has further worsened with Israel announcing that it would deny visas to UN officials. Gilad Erdan said, Due to his (Guterres) remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.

With inputs from AFP, Reuters
Odishas political circles are abuzz with speculations since former IAS officer V Karthikeyan Pandian took voluntary retirement and got a Cabinet rank position in the Naveen Patnaik-led state government. Once a publicity-shy bureaucrat, Pandian has been making headlines for months now.

Reports are rife about the trusted aide of the Odisha chief minister assuming a more prominent role in the near future. The development comes as Odisha is gearing up for Assembly elections in the next six months, along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Who is VK Pandian and why is he creating buzz? We explain.

Who is VK Pandian?

A 2000-batch IAS officer, Pandian hails from Tamil Nadus Madurai district. He became an Odisha cadre IAS officer in 2000  coincidentally, the same year that Naveen Patnaik first took over as the states chief minister.

Pandian is married to Sujata R Karthikeyan, an IAS officer serving as secretary of Odishas Mission Shakti department. Born in Odishas Kendrapara district, the scuttlebutt about Sujata taking VRS to make a political plunge has surfaced since 2019, but such reports have remained unfounded, according to India Today.

Pandian, 49, started his career as a sub-collector of Dharmagarh in Kalahandi district, where he streamlined paddy procurement, The Quint reported citing Odisha CMO release.

He was appointed as collector of the Mayurbhanj district in 2005. It was during his stint as the district collector of Ganjam between 2007 and 2011 when he caught the attention of chief minister Patnaik. Ganjam is Patnaiks home district.

The 77-year-old Odisha CM appointed Pandian as his private secretary in 2011, a role the now-former bureaucrat occupied until a few days back.

Naveen Patnaiks trusted aide

Pandian reportedly gained Patnaiks confidence in 2012 when the Odisha CMs mentor-turned-detractor Pyarimohan Mohapatra attempted a coup while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief was in London.

As per The Quint report, it was the former bureaucrat who apparently helped Patnaik in stamping out his toughest challenge yet from within the BJD, thus gaining a place as the CMs trusted advisor.

When Patnaik returned as Odishas chief minister for the fifth time in 2019, Pandian was made the Secretary of 5T or Five Transformational Initiatives.

As per ThePrint, the ex-IAS officer is the mastermind behind 5T, a governance reform initiative of the Odisha government, which entails transparency, teamwork, technology and timeliness leading to transformation.

As Pandian gain prominence in Odisha, he also courted controversy. He toured several districts for six months till September, along with other CMO officials, assessing projects, heeding public grievances, and announcing welfare packages, reported ThePrint. However, Pandian received flak from the Opposition for using state helicopters for travelling to these districts across the state  a move defended by the Odisha CM.

Once a faceless IAS officer, he was accused of violating the All India Service Rules for bureaucrats.

Three days after applying for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to exit civil services, his application was granted by the Centre on Monday (23 October). A day later, an order by Odishas General Administration and Public Grievance department said Pandian was appointed as Chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha, a rural development scheme.

He will hold the rank of a Cabinet minister and work directly under the Chief Minister, the order added.

IAS officer VK Pandian appointed as Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) and Nabin Odisha in the rank of Cabinet Minister by the Government of Odisha. He was serving as private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his voluntary retirement was approved by pic.twitter.com/fY1Kdc39n1  ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2023

Veteran journalist Rajesh Mahapatra told News18 on the development, It has been almost a year that Pandian has positioned himself as the face of the government and, in the process, has made his political ambitions abundantly clear. It was a matter of time before he would have had to quit his job as a serving bureaucrat and openly get involved in party affairs, which were increasingly seen as acts of impropriety and have drawn widespread criticism from the Opposition.

What next for VK Pandian?

Political observers believe Patnaik has set the stage for the former bureaucrat to award him a bigger role in Odishas politics.

VK Pandian is handling the affairs of the CM on behalf of the CM. The kind of responsibility and response he has got is inspiring. There is a perception among people that he is being projected as the next chief minister, Dilip Bisoi, a journalist with 30 years of experience, told India Today.

There have also been rumours about Patnaiks ill health, which he has denied. The veteran politician, who is vying for a sixth term in Odisha, is yet to announce his successor. Some say, Pandian could be the next BJD chief.

Speaking to India Today, Rajaram Satapathy, a journalist who has covered Odisha politics for 40 years, said: VK Pandian is being projected as the next BJD chief. Whether he will succeed or not, whether he will be accepted by the people of Odisha is a different question altogether.

Despite no competition and his perceived clout in the BJD, Pandian is not an Odia and is reportedly seen as an outsider.

Other BJD leaders havent questioned his role in the party. As for the general public, his acceptance hasnt been tested yet. The examination of whether the people of Odisha accept Pandian as their leader, who is not from the state, will take place with the 2024 election, Satapathy told India Today.

With inputs from agencies
Where is Yair Netanyahu?

That seems to be the question many in Israel are asking.

While Israel has called up over 300,000 reservists to fight after the 7 October attack by Hamas and is preparing its troops for a ground invasion of Gaza, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seemingly not among them.

But where is Netanyahus oldest son Yair? And why is there anger against him?

Lets take a closer look:

As per The Times, Yair left Israel for Florid earlier this year.

A number of social media posts have claimed Yair is in Miami  where he has been photographed enjoying the beaches and sunshine.

Firstpost has not been able to verify the authenticity of the photographs.

The 32-year-old is currently eligible for reserve duty in Israel  where the cut-off is 40.

Yairs absence has not gone unnoticed by reservists.

Yair is enjoying his life at Miami Beach while Im on the front lines, a soldier, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told the newspaper.

Its us who are leaving our work, our families, our kids, to protect our families back home and the country, not the people who are responsible for this situation.

Our brothers, our fathers, sons, are all going to the front line, but Yair is still not here. It does not help build trust in the leadership of the country, the soldier added.

Ive flown back from the States where I have a job, a life, my family. There is no way I can stay there and abandon my country, my people, at this critical time. Where is the prime ministers son? Why isnt he in Israel? added another soldier serving on the Gaza border.

It is the most uniting moment for us as Israelis in our recent history and every single one of us should be here right now, including the prime ministers son.

As per Toronto Sun, Yair hosts a right-wing podcast in Florida.

As per Daily Mail, Yair studied theatre.

He served as an Israel Defence Force spokesperson during his compulsory military service.

In Israel, men and women both have to render compulsory service to the defence forces after turning 18.

While men are mandated to serve a little less than three years, women are required to serve two years.

Yairs chequered past

Yair has, to say the least, had a chequered past.

A court in August ruled that Yair must compensate a woman who sued him after he implied she was having an affair with his fathers chief political opponent Benny Gantz.

The court ordered Yair to pay over $34,000 in compensation and $6,000 in legal costs to Dana Cassidy. Cassidy sued him for defamation in 2020 after he insinuated on social media that she was romantically involved with Benny Gantz, who was running against his father for prime minister at the time.

Over the course of the election, which ultimately returned Benjamin Netanyahu to leadership, Yair posted a series of unsubstantiated statements implying that Gantz was having extramarital affairs.

Yair, who has served as a close informal adviser to his father, is known for posting incendiary messages on social media and has been involved in several defamation cases over the years.

As per The Times of Israel, Yair in March, after anti-government protesters surrounded a Tel Aviv salon where his mother Sara was visiting, claimed that they were terrorists.

The demonstrators were protesting the governments controversial overhaul of Israels judiciary.

These are not protesters. They are not anarchists either. They are terrorists! A violent underground movement has sprung up here (with billions in funding from criminals and evil people). Were talking about domestic terrorism, Yair tweeted.

Yair further claimed that they were trying to lynch his mother.

The line was crossed into a violent coup tonight. In the United States, this would have ended in mass raids on the homes of those involved by the FBI, Yair claimed.

Yair later deleted the tweet.

According to the newspaper, Netanyahu and his wife Sara had urged Yair not to post on social media.

Earlier this year, a judge ordered him to pay $18,000 to a former lawmaker in Israels Opposition Labor Party whom he called ugly.

As per The Guardian, Yair was temporarily banned from Facebook in December 2018 over a number of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian posts.

As per The Times of Israel, Yair wrote, There will not be peace here until: 1. All the Jews leave the land of Israel. 2. All the Muslims leave the land of Israel. I prefer the second option.

There will never be peace with those monsters in the form of men that have called themselves Palestinians since 1964, Yair added in another post.

Facebook said the posts violated its terms of use and were hate speech.

Yair on Twitter posted a screenshot of being banned and stated, The thought police of the radical progressives at Facebook have reached me as well!

A Facebook spokesperson said at the time: Yair Netanyahu posted several posts which included hate speech  this clearly violates our community standards. Due to that, this content was removed from our platform, as we would do for anyone posting similar content about any protected characteristic. Following this, Yair Netanyahu decided to share a screen shot of a removed post and called people to share it  which is the same as writing the hate speech all over again.

With inputs from agencies
A 14-year-old boy who created an inexpensive bar of soap that heals skin cancer has been crowned Americas Top Young Scientist.

I believe that young minds can make a positive impact on the world. I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas, Heman Bekele said in his submission for the award.

He competed against nine other finalists in the 2023 3M Young Scientists Challenge, winning the $25,000 grand prize that he plans to use to pay for college and a patent.

Here is all we know about the young scientist.

All about young genius Heman Bekele

Heman Bekele is currently in the ninth grade at WT Woodson High School in Annandale, Virginia.

His self-taught programming skills include fluency in Python, Lua, JavaScript, and C, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He describes himself as passionate about medicine, programming, and making an impact and is eager for opportunities in research and internships in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and computer science.

In the future, he plans to pursue a career as an electrical engineer.

I envision myself leading a team of professionals in the development of innovative electrical systems that will shape the future of technology, Bekele said, adding, Alongside my professional success, I hope to have a fulfilling personal life with loving family and a strong network of friends.

This phenomenal young man Heman Bekele, 14, has developed Melanoma Treating Soap (MTS), a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer (melanoma). Instead of the typical $40,000 price tag for treatment of skin cancer, his MTS soap bars cost approximately $20 for pic.twitter.com/ItEibl2Mvr  Adelle Nazarian (@AdelleNaz) October 21, 2023

I also hope to have given back to my community by mentoring aspiring engineers and supporting initiatives that promote STEM education. Ultimately, in 15 years, I hope to have positively impacted the world through my work and personal endeavours, he said, according to Dailymail.

More about his invention

Bekele created the cancer-fighting soap by combining three chemicals with medicinal soap that have been shown to reactivate dendritic cells, which are responsible for triggering an immune response to fight cancer.

In addition to assisting in the fight against skin cancer, the young genius discovered that each bar of soap costs just $0.50, as opposed to the more than $40,000 required for typical medical treatments.

Over the next five years, Bekele plans to improve this new idea and establish a non-profit organisation to disseminate this affordable solution to underserved areas.

 Congratulations to Heman Bekele, a @WTWoodsonHS freshman who won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and was named Americas Top Young Scientist. Bekele earned a $25,000 award for his groundbreaking research on a soap that fights skin cancer.https://t.co/jZEhOWWRcu pic.twitter.com/ZY4o1VCoqL  Fairfax County Government  (@fairfaxcounty) October 24, 2023

Skin cancer is mostly found in people living in developing countries, he told Farifax County Public Schools, adding, But the average price for an operation is $40,000. I was devastated by the idea of people choosing between treatment and putting food on the table for their families. There are so many preventable deaths.

According to the report, the teenager began learning about dendritic cells after studying about skin cancer, which he said enhanced immune response helps to protect the skin.

Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and tretinoin are keratolytic chemicals that dissolve the skins outer layers, according to the video clip he presented at the competition.

This enables the release of toll-like receptors, proteins that are important for the innate immune system that attach to and reactivate dendritic cells, into the skin.

To combat the infected cells, the dendritic cells team up with white blood cells.

The substance is known as skin cancer-treating soap, or SCTS, and according to Bekele, it can be applied to the skin every few days with a prescription.

The competition

According to USA Today, the 3M and Discovery Education competition is regarded as one of the top middle school science competitions in the country. As per a news release, students were challenged this year to use STEM to find a solution to an issue in the real world.

For the title, award, and $25,000 cash prize, students in the fifth through eighth grades were asked to develop and submit an idea or innovation that has the potential to alter the world.

A ninth-grader from San Jose, California, named Shripriya Kalbhavi won second place for developing a low-cost patch that enables self-automated medication distribution without pills or needles.

Sarah Wang, a seventh-grader from Andover, Massachusetts, secured third place for creating a glove that is connected to a smartphone app and analyses seizure data and can recognise specific epileptic episodes with typical hand gestures.

The children who came in fourth through tenth place each received a $1,000 prize and a $500 gift card, while Shripriya and Sarah each received $2,000.

Among others, the other recognised students are from Austin, Texas; Oviedo, Florida; New Rochelle, New York; Portland, Oregon; Baltimore; and others.

Skin cancer  a global health issue

Skin cancer, the malignancy that starts in skin cells, is not simply a local issue, but is a global health concern.

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are the three main types of skin cancer, and each one has a different level of risk, as per Yahoo News.

The deadliest type of skin cancer is melanoma, even though it only accounts for roughly one per cent of occurrences. It is also the fastest growing cancer in comparison to others. Melanoma rates rose by 44 per cent between 2005 and 2020, making it one of the cancers with the fastest-growing incidence rates.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, between two and three million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur worldwide.

Skin type, climatic conditions, and cultural practises all varied significantly around the globe, has a significant impact on the cases of skin cancer.

The Skin Cancer Foundation emphasises that each year, more people in the United States than in any other country are diagnosed with skin cancer. Additionally, by the age of 70, skin cancer is predicted to affect one in five Americans.

Australia and New Zealand routinely report having the highest instances of skin cancer because they are geographically closer to the ozone hole over Antarctica than other areas, which exposes them to more dangerous UV radiation.

European countries like Norway and Denmark, too, report high number of cases, despite having less exposure to the sun.

The lowest incidences of skin cancer are typically seen in African nations, especially those in the Central and Western parts of the continent. African and Asian countries, like Japan, China, and India, record lower rates of skin cancer.

According to the press release, skin cancer treatment is very pricey, costing around $8.1 billion yearly.

With inputs from agencies
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Rabi season 2023-24, on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers to ensure the availability of fertilisers to farmers at subsidised, affordable and reasonable rates.

Briefing the media on the decisions of the union cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the decisions are expected to entail an expenditure of Rs 22,303 crore.

Subsidy for the Rabi season from October 1, 2023 till March 31, 2024, will be like this  for the nitrogen it will be Rs 47.2 per kg, phosphorus will be Rs 20.82 per kg, potash subsidy will be Rs 2.38 per kg and the sulphur subsidy will be Rs 1.89 per kg, he said.

The subsidy will continue because when international prices rise, the government does not want it to impact our farmers in the country Subsidy on DAP will continueDAP will be available for Rs 1350 per bag as per the old rate. The NPK will be available at Rs 1,470 per bag, he added.
To close Indias trade gap with China over time and align trading policies with the changing geopolitical landscape and potential dangers to secure supply chains, the government think tank NITI Aayog has launched a research. For the two studies on improving domestic manufacturing and lowering the trade imbalance with China, the Aayog has issued an invitation for proposals from consultants.

Additionally, since the conflict in Galwan in June 2020, there have been simmering tensions between China and India, which are reflected in the move.

The centrality of China to lndias supply chain in certain industries raises dependency and vulnerability of the lndian supply chains and production networks particularly during crisis situations such as the COVID-I9 and geopolitical conflicts.

The study would aim to develop a comprehensive action plan to bridge the trade deficit over time and align trading strategies with emerging geopolitical situation and potential risks to safeguard supply chains, the Aayog said in a notice posted on its website.

The studys terms of scope include examining current developments in India-China trade (at the product category level) to identify patterns of trade dependency and the underlying causes of such patterns.

In order to derisk Indias trade, the study will evaluate the supply chains of trade between India and China as well as supply chains that are analogous to trade between India and other Asian nations.

In order to expand exports to China, it would also look at product categories where India has a comparative advantage and a sizable market in China.

The NITI Aayog stated that in addition to lowering the trade deficit with China, the study should suggest important measures to increase local output and productivity in areas similar to the global economy in order to take advantage of changes in global supply chains.

(The study should) analyse the type and quantum off foreign investment which may bridge the technology gap and utilise the abundant domestic manpower for competitive products. Provide recommendations to resolve the same, NITI Aayog said.

The study would also need to look at issues about market access, regulatory ecology, non-tariff barriers, and tariffs for Indian exports to China.

In addition, it must provide ways for India to broaden its supply chain network, highlighting the industries to concentrate on, the incentives to provide, and the changes needed to reach the goal of drawing international supply chains to India.

In 20212022, Indias merchandise trade with the rest of the world exceeded USD 1 trillion. India had a merchandise trade imbalance of USD 191 billion during the year due to its USD 422 billion in exports and USD 613 billion in imports.

In 202122, China accounted for 38% (or USD 73.3 billion) of Indias merchandise trade imbalance. India had a trade imbalance of USD 263 billion in 20222023, with exports totaling USD 450 billion and imports worth USD 714 billion.

In 20222023, China accounted for almost 32% (USD 83.1 billion) of Indias merchandise trade imbalance. Indias trade deficit with China in 20222023 is the biggest among its major trading partners.

When the composition of exports and imports with China is examined, it is found that India imports capital goods from China the most ($47 billion in 2021), followed by intermediate goods ($30 billion), consumer goods ($9.4 billion), and raw materials ($1 billion), while it exports intermediate goods the most ($1 billion in 2021).

In terms of these four product categories, India and China had a trade imbalance in 2021: capital goods (USD 45 billion), intermediate goods (USD l9 billion), and consumer products (USD 6 billion).

The Indian Army said that minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides were the outcome of the conflict between Indian and Chinese forces on December 9, 2022, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.

(With agency inputs)
India will treat a reference by Pakistan to Kashmir during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation with the contempt it deserves and will not dignify it with a response, Indias Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador R Ravindra said.

Before I end, there was a remark of habitual nature by one delegation referring to Union Territories that are integral and inalienable parts of my country, Ravindra said.

I would treat these remarks with contempt they deserve and not dignify them with a response in the interest of time, Ravindra said.

Ravindras remarks came on Tuesday after Pakistans UN envoy Munir Akram made reference to Kashmir at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also drawn a parallel between the terrorist attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai and Hamas in Israel, emphasising that all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable.

Speaking at the United States Security Council ministerial meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East, following the October 7 attack on Israel by Gaza-based Hamas, Blinken denounced member states that provide support, including arming, funding, and training, to terrorist groups.

We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people, the US Secretary said.

In his statement, Blinken highlighted similarities between terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and those by the Pakistan-based terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai.

As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. Theyre unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Beeri, he said.

They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether theyre carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason, Blinken said.

He emphasised the Security Councils responsibility to condemn member states that provide support in terms of arming, financing, and training to Hamas or any other terrorist group involved in such heinous acts.

Blinkens comments were in reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. These attacks, which occurred in 2008, resulted in the tragic loss of 166 lives, including six Americans.

With inputs from agencies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe the fake voter ID and Aadhaar card case since it pertains to national security.

BJP MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar while referring to the recent arrest of three persons  MSL Techno Solution owner Mounesh Kumar, and his accomplices Bhagath and Raghavendra by the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru in connection with the creation of fake identity cards, said that the crime mentioned in the FIR against the three pertained to national security.

The crime mentioned in the FIR is against national security. Preparing a duplicate Aadhaar card is a great crime from the national security point of view. All these accused are Urban Development Minister Byrathi Sureshs (Suresha B S) close associates, Kumar alleged.

Since it is a serious crime, the BJP demands that the CCB not investigate this case. It should be investigated by the CBI or the NIA, he added.

Along with that, an order must be issued to cancel the Aadhaar cards created by MSL Techno Solutions because it is difficult to comprehend where these can be used in future, Kumar said.

He demanded that all the accused, however powerful they may be, should not be allowed to escape because this is not a political matter but one which is related to the security of society.

The BJP MLA noted that one should have a birth certificate to create an Aadhaar card.If these documents are created by bypassing the birth certificate, then one can understand the clout the accused enjoy,  he said.

Kumar claimed that these documents were created with the sole objective of winning the 2023 assembly election.

We are lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India to expose the whole network to find out where all this has spread, to whom all these people give these identity cards, (and) the complications created by this. We will demand the ECI to get this case investigated by the NIA or CBI as these two probe agencies are competent enough to probe it properly, he said.

Stating that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should also show seriousness since it involves the security of society, Kumar appealed to him to get Suresh investigated to find out how he had benefited from it.

He also claimed that the BJPs defeated candidate from Hebbal, Jagadeesha Katta K S, who lost to minister Suresh, had been saying from the beginning that fake and forged identity cards were prepared and fake voters were created to win the elections.

He dismissed the ministers claim that he did not know Mounesh and showed a photograph of Mounesh Kumar riding a scooter and Byrathi Suresh sitting on it as a pillion rider.

No MLA will ever sit on anyones scooter. There should be some trust in the person with whom the MLA is riding a pillion. He must be known to him and also knows the route. It is well known that the three are close friends of the minister, the BJP MLA claimed.

Wirth inputs from PTI.
Indian tax authorities have issued show cause notices worth about 1 trillion rupees ($12.03 billion) to online gaming companies, a government official said on Wednesday.

The total amount of show-cause notices sent to online gaming companies is around Rs 1 lakh crore, an official said on October 25, requesting anonymity.

The government and online gaming are in a tussle over the payment of 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) instead of 18 per cent for the period up to October 1, 2023. While the online gaming firms feel the 28 per cent tax is applicable only starting October 1, the government is of the opinion that the October 1 revision only provided clarity to a law that was already in force.

The official, however, said that there is no data yet of foreign gaming companies registering in India since October 1.

The government has amended the GST law, making it mandatory for overseas online gaming companies to register in India from October 1.

The GST Council had in August clarified that 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be levied on the full value of bets placed on online gaming platforms.

Online gaming companies served notices worth about Rs 1 lakh crore by GST authorities so far, the official said.

A host of online gaming, like Dream11, and casino operators, like Delta Corp, received GST show cause notices last month for alleged short payment of taxes.

Separately, a show cause notice was sent to GamesKraft in September last year for alleged GST evasion of Rs 21,000 crore.

While the Karnataka High Court has ruled in favour of the company, the central government in July filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court.

With inputs from agencies.
The relationship between Nepal and China has seen many ups and downs ever since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1955. While Nepal accepted Tibets accession to China in 1956, and also ratified the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1960, the Chinese were seen to enhance the diplomatic ties for fostering strategic anti-Indian sentiment within the Nepalese government.

It is well documented that in order to establish its hegemony in the South Asian region, China has been engaging in a protracted game to subdue and take over the smaller and weaker nations through its neo-colonialism tactics. It sees the world as a system of concentric circles of authority, with itself at the centre. This thought process is an outcome of what many analysts call Chinas Middle Kingdom complex. China has adopted a revisionist approach by undermining the current rule-based international system. It is bullying other nations. It primarily uses debt traps as the main tool to control the essential strategic assets of nations resulting in depletion of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Kathmandu has been gradually becoming a victim of Beijings hegemonic plan. China has made large infrastructure investments in Nepal, including the Pokhara International Airport, increasing the Himalayan countrys dependence on Chinese funding. China is currently Nepals biggest creditor, and these loans have nefarious intentions concealed within them. It follows the traditional Chinese debt-trap diplomacy strategy, as demonstrated in countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It fits nicely with Chinas Salami Slicing strategy to take control of these countries territorial rights to critical vital areas after entangling them in its web of debt.

Nepal is now a part of Chinas expansive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Beijing has inked a number of BRI-related agreements in an effort to strengthen its ties with Nepal and widen the gap between Kathmandu and Delhi. However, even if things may appear to be going well on the surface, there are some major, deeply-rooted problems between China and Nepal that have infringed on the countrys territorial, cultural and political integrity. While signing documents that establish economic and trade relations, both countries frequently run into difficulties in finding solutions to specific problems.

Nepal has seen a steep rise in anti-China sentiment and the people have started to develop a disliking for the northern neighbour. Often, many activist groups have taken out protest marches voicing their concerns over the Chinese expansionist tactics. Since 2022, many groups have taken to the streets to protest against its governments policy to sell off the country to the Chinese government and companies. There is clear danger that Nepal might again get pushed into another civil war.

In recent days, Chinas Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song has been under a significant amount of diplomatic and media scrutiny, because of a series of comments on Nepals internal issues as well as its relations with India.

To even a casual follower it is clear that Chinas relations with Nepal have faced growing strain in recent months due to a combination of factors, including Chinas failure to make meaningful progress on BRI projects in Nepal, failed attempts at political interference and an unwillingness in Beijing to accept terms which would be sustainable for Kathmandu. By using selective data, without adequate context, Chen tried to deride Nepals electricity exports to India  which have been a source of significant pride to Nepal.

According to recent reports in the Nepali media, in the last decade, installed hydropower production in Nepal has increased from 1,050 MW in 2012 to 2,700 MW in 2023, and this is expected to increase to 9,000 MW in the next 10 years as 235 hydropower plants are still under construction. Accordingly, India has agreed to buy in excess of 10,000 MW from Nepal over the next decade, in order to ensure the long term economic sustainability of these projects.

In the last fiscal alone India has procured electricity worth over Rs 1,000 crore from Nepal, and this figure is likely to grow steadily in the near future. In contrast, Nepal has been negotiating unsuccessfully with China since 2018 to develop a cross border 400KV transmission line. Moreover, with China planning its own mega-hydropower projects in Tibet, it is not likely to import electricity from Nepal and may rather want to export it. This may well explain the continued and unexplained delay of the 756-Megawatt Tamor Hydropower Project, agreed upon in 2019, as a joint venture between Nepal and China. Maybe the Ambassador was making it clear to Kathmandu that Beijing is only interested in projects which serve its own purposes.

Another significant area where the Nepal-China relationship was expected to thrive was infrastructure development, particularly through Chinas BRI. However, despite Nepal becoming a signatory to the BRI in 2017, progress on the promised projects has remained stagnant. This includes crucial infrastructure projects like the upgradation and repair of highways and the development of economic corridors. Ambassador Song also recently claimed that the newly inaugurated Pokhara International Airport was built under the BRI framework. This subsequently caused significant embarrassment to Beijing when the Nepali government pointed out that the airport was not included in the BRI agreement but was from a bilateral arrangement that predated the BRI. At present, it is reported that none of the nine BRI projects in Nepal have seen any headway.

Nepal is seeking economic investment which can help deliver sustainable economic growth, with no geo-political strings attached. In the half decade since promising transformation through BRI, the CCP has done virtually nothing to help Nepals economy. To add insult to injury, the incumbent CCP ambassador has taken to schooling the Nepal government on what it needs to do. Before Prachandas visit to Beijing in September, Nepalese Foreign Minister made Kathmandus foreign policy clear  that the government is committed to strengthening cordial relations with friendly countries, especially with the neighbours and that ideological and psychological grounds should not be foundation of ones foreign relations but rather promoting national dignity and strengthening national unity and guided by national interest and mutual benefits should be the basis of Nepals foreign relations.

The much-anticipated visit resulted in signing of 12 agreements between Nepal and China, seven of them being MoUs to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, inter-country road connectivity and information technology. BRI was one of the top agenda of Prachandas Beijing trip. In fact, Prachanda, in a seminar conducted on the occasion of marking 10th anniversary of the BRI, even reiterated that BRI implementation would be given top priority. The joint statement released during his Beijing visit expressed their commitment to accelerate the consultations to finalise the text on the BRI Implementation Plan at an early date.

However, the lack of document finalisation with respect to BRI implementation, six years after being a signatory reflects BRIs failure in Nepal. Financing of BRI projects, considering the debt trap situation witnessed in Sri Lanka as well the growing trade deficit with China, continues to be a major concern for Nepal while Nepals engagement with the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact in 2022 is a concern for China.

This move may be seen as a diversification of Nepals international partnerships, potentially reducing its dependence on China. Moreover, Nepals reluctance to take loans and preference for grants under BRI reflects its caution of falling under a Chinese debt-trap under the garb of BRI. Thus from Chinas perspective Prachandas visit has not yielded the desired results. Meanwhile, the complexity of BRI and its effect on bilateral relations between Nepal and China need to be monitored carefully. The road ahead for both isnt without bumps.

The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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India was one of the first countries after the dastardly attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israeli territory on 7 October to unreservedly condemn the terrorist attacks and express solidarity with Israel. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour. There was no mention in this message about Indias long-held position of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

A few days later on 10 October, 2023, Prime Minister Modi took to X again to recount his conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu: I thank Prime Minister @netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. In a read out on the conversation, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Prime Minister expressed deep condolences and sympathy for those killed and wounded as a result of the terrorist attacks in Israel and conveyed that people of India stand in solidarity with Israel in this difficult hourPM highlighted the issue of safety and security of Indian citizens in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu assured of full cooperation and support.

Some commentators have termed these statements as being partisan and one-sided and claimed that they have done considerable damage to the goodwill that India enjoys in the Arab and Muslim world. Some of these analysts have stated that strengthening and deepening relations between India and the Arab world has been one of the most significant achievements of the Modi government over the last nine years. Indias ties with most of the major countries of the Arab world viz. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain Oman and others have witnessed remarkable growth since Modi came to power in 2014. They suggest that Indias pronouncements on the continuing Israel-Hamas conflict have the potential to register a big setback to the growth of these ties and also put the welfare of the large Indian diaspora in these countries at physical risk. They say that it could also result in a backlash to the presence of the large numbers of Indian professionals and white/blue collar workers in the region.

This is an inaccurate and superficial assessment of the situation. Prime Minister Modis initial comment on 7 October was in response to a dastardly and vile terrorist attack on mostly Israeli civilians  babies, children, women and elderly  by the Hamas terrorist group. Indias position against terrorist acts is well known. At every international forum, India has spoken about zero tolerance to terrorism and also maintained that terrorist actions cannot be justified under any circumstances.

The G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration adopted under Indias presidency on 9-10 September states: We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including those on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief, recognizing the commitment of all religions to peace. It constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. All acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed Efforts to increase the effectiveness of international cooperation should be strengthened to deny terrorist groups safe haven, freedom of operations, movement and recruitment, as well as financial, material or political support.

This statement was adopted by countries representing 85 per cent of the global GDP and more than two-thirds of the worlds population. If India had tried to moderate its position at this juncture by referring to the Palestine issue and the imperative of a two-State solution, it would have been seen as providing justification for the heinous acts of manslaughter perpetrated by the Hamas terrorists. In fact, statements by several significant Gulf Arab states like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others also criticised the attacks by Hamas. In a statement, the UAE stressed that Hamas attacks against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centres, are a serious and grave escalation. The statement said that it was appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes.

Saudi Arabia, the most influential and powerful country in the region, on the day of the attack, issued a bland short statement saying that the kingdom is closely following the developments of the unprecedented situation between a number of Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation forces, which has resulted in an increase in a high level of violence on several fronts there. The Saudi foreign ministry called for restraint, a credible international push for a peace process, a two-state solution, and reminded of its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation. However, in a subsequent statement recapping a phone call between the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the ministry highlighted the Kingdoms rejection of targeting civilians in any way and the need for all parties to respect international humanitarian law. These statements were in no way overtly critical of Israel for its acts of commission or omission although it later said that it was suspending discussion on possible normalisation of relations with Israel, which was one of the key policy objectives of the Biden administration. In fact, the vicious attacks by Hamas have dealt a body blow to a possible Palestinian deal which was reported to be an essential element of the Israel-Saudi normalisation process and which would have contributed to providing a decent life to the Palestinians.

It is true that the Hamas attacks have brought the issue of Palestine which had been losing steam in international discourse over the last several years to centre stage. It is however a moot point how much the murderous attacks will be able to help in reaching a mutually acceptable two-state solution to the issue. It is quite clear that ordinary Palestinian civilians will now have to wait much longer for any semblance of improvement in their living conditions.

It needs to be recognised that India stands in a sui generis position on the issue of terrorism. India has been afflicted by the scourge of terrorism for the last more than three decades. It has lost thousands of its civilians and service personnel to cross-border terrorism from across the western borders over the years. It feels and understands the pain and anger that terrorist actions can engender in the countries that are at the receiving end of such outrageous brutality.

Indias growing strategic partnership with Israel over the last 30 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations and more so, over the last nine years of Prime Minister Modis tenure, would have also contributed to the strong support by Indias leadership and people to Israel and its citizens in its hour of need. Israel has always stood by India in its fight against terrorism and emerged as a valuable partner in Indias march towards security and prosperity.

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas evolved over the last more than two weeks, India has responded to the emerging challenges of safeguarding international humanitarian law and the need to protect civilians. It is recognised by most analysts that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their interests. Its major objective in launching the monstrous strikes against innocent Israeli civilians was to derail the peace process between Israel and Saudi Arabia which had been progressing well. It was hoped that it would see the light of the day very soon. This appears to have been stymied at least for now but whether the current upheaval will lead to any relief for the ordinary Palestinians in the foreseeable future is highly debatable.

In his conversations with the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas on 19 October and with King Abdullah II of Jordan on 23 October, Prime Minister Modi shared Indias deep concern at the terrorism, violence and deteriorating security situation in the region. Reiterated Indias long-standing principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue. He also conveyed his condolences to the Palestinian president at the loss of civilian lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. We will continue to send humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. In his conversation with the Jordanian monarch Prime Minister Modi said that concerted efforts are needed for an early resolution of the security and humanitarian situation. Within days of speaking with the Palestinian president, India, on 22 October, sent humanitarian aid comprising of nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material to the people of Palestine. The material included essential life-saving medicines, surgical items, tents, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, sanitary utilities, water purification tablets among other necessary items.

In his press briefing on 19 October, 2023, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs stated: We have strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack on Israel. The international community must stand together in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and there can be no equivocation on this. There was also issue of Palestine, and on that, we have reiterated our position in favor of direct negotiations for establishing a two-state solution. We have also expressed our concern at the civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation. We would urge the strict observance of international humanitarian law.

From the above, it is clear that India has been unequivocal and steadfast in its support for Israel against the brutal terrorist strikes by Hamas, as also for the safety, security, well-being and prosperity of the common Palestinian people. India de-hyphenated its relations with Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) some years ago. Prime Minister Modi visited Israel in 2017, the first visit by an Indian prime minister after the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations 25 years ago in 1992. He also separately visited Ramallah and met President Mahmoud Abbas in 2018. India continues to extend diplomatic, moral, political and economic support to Palestine. Both these issues stand on the strength of their merits. Indias support for Israel is not at the expense of its support for PA. And vice-versa. Indias support in the current context also needs to be seen in the backdrop of standing united as a bulwark against the forces of global terrorism.

The writer is executive council member, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, president, Institute of Global Studies, Distinguished Fellow, Ananta Aspen Centre, and former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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China is not keen on solving the India border, but elsewhere its very keen. We are talking about Bhutan. Like with India, its a disputed border but maybe not for long.

On Monday, Bhutans foreign minister visited Beijing and met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi. And what did they discuss? The border. Wang Yi asked Bhutan to seize the moment to settle the border as soon as possible. He also asked Bhutan to establish formal diplomatic relations with China.

And how did Bhutan respond? Their foreign minister agreed to an early settlement. He also supported the idea of formal diplomatic relations.

Now, why is all this significant? The border issue dates back to the 1940s and 50s. Bhutan and Tibet always had a border, but China did not recognise that. So, after annexing Tibet, China laid claims to land controlled by Bhutan.

Indias big worry

That includes the region called Doklam. Doklam is located at the junction between China, Bhutan and India. Right now, Bhutan controls it and India recognises Bhutans sovereignty over Doklam but China does not.

In 2017, China made moves. Its army, the PLA tried to build a road on the Bhutanese side and thats when India intervened.

What followed was the Doklam stand-off. Indian and Chinese soldiers faced off for close to two months. In the end, Beijing backed down but the issue was never resolved.

And now, Doklam is on the table again. Bhutan and China will have to exchange land to settle their border. India fears this exchange could involve Doklam.

And thats a serious issue. Doklam is located close to Indias Siliguri corridor. Its the link between mainland India and the Northeast. You cut that off, and you cut off the Northeast. So, having PLA troops in Doklam is a problem. It was a worry in 2017, it remains a worry today. Now, Bhutan hasnt confirmed whether Doklam is on the table but the possibility itself is worrying.

Its not just the border

So, thats the border issue. The second is about diplomatic relations. Again, its an old one. Bhutan does not have formal relations with the P5  the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. There are exchanges and visits but no formal diplomatic relations, meaning there is no embassy. Bhutan says its all about staying away from big power politics. You let one country open an embassy, everyone will line up.

Historically, Bhutan has tried to prevent that, and their preferred partner was India. Their security, their foreign policy, all of it was decided in partnership with India. But now, Bhutan is making a U-turn. They are talking about formal relations with China.

The question is: where does this leave India? In a spot of bother. There will be questions about New Delhis role in these talks. For starters, is India even at the table? Is Doklam on the agenda? Is Bhutan consulting India? And has India signed off on Bhutans border package?

Some of these questions were put to Bhutans prime minister recently. His response was: We need to ensure we are considering interests of all the parties, meaning India and China it will be in Bhutans interest to make sure both the parties are happy with the decisions we make we obviously do not want to solve one problem and give birth to another problem.

So, Bhutan is mindful of Indias interests. Still, New Delhi will not be happy, because Bhutan was always Indias backyard. So, talks with China should have been on Indias terms. In the past, that was always the case. But right now, it doesnt seem so and that leaves India in a tricky spot.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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If we turn our attention to the north of Israel, to a player with high stakes in the region and in the Israel-Hamas war, we come to Turkiye and their president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Let us explain why. Erdogan thinks of himself as a great statesman and wants the world to believe he is a great leader. His country is a NATO member and expected to help Western allies and support Israel.

At the same time, he also wants to position himself a champion of Muslims  the new age caliph reviving the Ottoman glory, which is why he keeps talking about Kashmir, and wading into issues that he has no business talking about. In this role, hes expected to support Palestinians.

Now, these two images of statesman and religious champion have collided. Add to this Erdogans personal ambition  he wants to be a peace broker. But you cant do all three  support Israel, support Hamas and mediate between the two. So, hes walking a tightrope.

The tightrope

Trying to appease both factions, Erdogan has taken the least controversial stance since this war began. We want the Israeli administration to stop their bombardment of Palestine soil, beginning with Gaza, and the Palestinians to stop their harassment of civilian settlements in Israel, he said. So, hes blamed both sides for the conflict and asked both to stop.

This is a far cry from his position a few years ago. In the past, Erdogan has openly favoured Palestinians. But over time, his relations with Israel have improved and evidently, he doesnt want to jeopardise that. So, hes taken a balanced approach. His administration is also trying to be useful to its Western allies. We have received requests from various countries, especially on the issue of their citizens being released. As a result of these, we have launched talks on these issues especially with Hamass political wing. Our efforts are continuing especially for the release of foreigners, civilians and children, says Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan has been on a diplomatic shuttle since the Israel-Hamas war began, going from one country to the next, securing Turkiyes interests. He also mentioned a very important part of those interests  contacts with Hamass political wing. You see, Turkiye has always favoured the group. Senior Hamas members have made a home in Turkiye. Like the chairperson of the Hamas political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, whose children reportedly have Turkish passports, as do other senior Hamas members.

Haniyeh divides his time between Turkiye and Qatar. He has a base in both countries. Currently, hes in Qatar. Reports say, the Turkish establishment asked him to leave for a while. Other senior Hamas leaders were politely asked to leave too. Erdogan apparently did not want the bad publicity and their presence was problematic for the would-be mediator.

The forced concession

Now, Turkiye has denied all these reports, but perhaps the damage has already been done. So far, four hostages have been released by Hamas and it seems Qatar and Egypt are at the forefront of those talks. Turkiye is lagging behind in its efforts.

Thats not the only bad news for Erdogan. Reports say Ankara is also facing the heat from its Western allies. They want Turkiye to sever ties with Hamas and thats something Erdogan is unlikely to do. So instead, hes looking to placate the West. This week, Turkiye offered its fellow NATO members an olive branch. Erdogan set in motion, the process to induct Sweden to make it a NATO member. We welcome that step. Obviously we have been calling for ratification of Swedens accession for some time and we look forward to that bill being considered in the Turkish parliament and passed as soon as possible, responded U.S. state department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Sweden has been wanting to join NATO since last year but Erdogan was the roadblock. It seems hes finally relented in an effort to calm his Western allies. As we said, Ankara has been walking a tightrope. Its what you get when you try to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Under the Vienna Convention, India is within its rights as the host country to decide on the size of a foreign mission on its soil. The size cannot be unilaterally decided by a foreign country. It must correlate with the scope and quality of bilateral ties. Political, economic, trade, scientific, cultural exchanges, tourist flows, educational ties, defence cooperation, and so on, can determine the size of missions.

The principle of reciprocity is important. The number of consulates in each others country is especially based on this principle. If relations with a particular country are problematic at the political level, as in the case of Pakistan, for instance, the size of the foreign mission is strictly controlled. There is always a concern about the intelligence activities of a foreign mission, even that belonging to a friendly country.

Our problems with the Justin Trudeau government on the issue of its tolerance, even connivance, with the anti-India activities of pro-Khalistani extremist Sikhs on its soil that promote secessionist violence in India have come to a head with Prime Minister Trudeau publicly accusing India, without evidence, of having a hand in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a fugitive from Indian law who was campaigning for Khalistan and was involved in instigating terrorist violence in India.

Imbued with a sense of righteousness and an exaggerated sense of self-importance, as well as an inflated belief in Canadas international clout as a G7 country, Trudeau underestimated Indias reaction to his provocation.

India retaliated by reciprocally expelling a Canadian diplomat, castigated Canada for providing a safe haven for terrorists, drug traffickers and human traffickers, for failing to provide adequate security to its diplomats in Canada, and for interference in Indias internal affairs. It suspended issuing visas by our missions in Canada and, most importantly, demanded parity in the number of diplomats stationed in each others country. It did not publicly mention either the numbers or a date for compliance. Eventually, 41 Canadian diplomats had to leave India by October 20 to avoid their diplomatic immunity being revoked if Canada defied Indias demand.

India has justified its action under Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention, which allows the size of a foreign mission to be kept within limits considered by the receiving State to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of a particular mission.

The position taken by Canadas Foreign Minister that Indias unilateral revocation of the diplomatic privilege and immunity is contrary to international law is a dishonest one. India has stated that it has engaged with the Canadian side on the issue for over a month in order to work out the details and modalities to ensure the implementation of parity in diplomatic presence. Given Indias clear position and Canadas obligation under international law to abide by the receiving States demand, international law would have been violated if Canada had refused Indias demand.

The consequence of defiance would have meant the loss of diplomatic status of its personnel, who would then be treated as individuals staying in India illegally and therefore liable to be deported. If Canadas tactics were to delay acting on the demand for parity in the hope of mobilising external pressure on India to modify its decision, that plan has been thwarted.

Trudeau has engaged in his habitual grand-standing by calling Indias action as contravening the basic principle of international law and democracy and stating that it is something that all countries in the world should be worried about. It is surprising that neither he nor his Foreign Minister have been adequately briefed by their officials on the provisions of the Vienna Convention. This kind of shooting off the hip politically brings further discredit to Canada.

To claim that Indias action contravenes democracy is empty rhetoric, as if the use of the word democracy puts Canada in a superior moral position. Does Trudeau think that the Vienna Convention, which India has relied on, is violative of democracy? Should all the world be worried about Indias action, as Trudeau claims?

If by the world he means Five Eyes, it is another matter. But if he means the rest of the world, especially the Global South, then he is mistaken. Many may rejoice at Indias decision to put Canada in its place, as they have long suffered on account of the West weaponising democracy to interfere in the internal affairs of others. As it happens, the leader of the opposition in Canada has slammed Trudeau for destroying Canadas ties with many countries, including India, with his unprofessional conduct of affairs.

Canadas position has been echoed by the US and the UK, indicating close coordination. This is neither a bilateral matter between India and the US nor one between India and the UK. Their interference in a bilateral matter between India and Canada is wrong. India has not invoked the Vienna Convention to demand that the missions of the US and the UK in India should have parity with our missions in their countries, even though the reality is that their missions in India, especially that of the US, far exceed the size of the Indian missions on their soil.

Surely, the legal departments of the Foreign Offices of the US and the UK are expected to do their homework better about the articles of the Vienna Convention. That the US should expect India to uphold its obligations under the Vienna Convention, including with respect to immunities and privileges of accredited Canadian diplomats, when they well know that India is upholding its rights under the Convention is pure politics.

The statement by the UK Foreign Office is more objectionable, as it is also presumptuous. The UK does not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government, as if India sought or needed its agreement to exercise its rights under the Convention. The UK objects to the unilateral removal of privileges and immunities as not being consistent with the principles and effective functioning of the Vienna Convention. It then adopts a patronising tone by expecting all states to uphold their obligations under the Convention, and asking India to engage with Canada on its independent investigation into Nijjars death. Who is the UK to demand this?

Both the US and UK statements resort to diplomatic triteness in saying that resolving differences requires communication and diplomats on the ground. Our differences with Canada over the safe havens it gives to extremists threatening the sovereignty and security of India are long-standing. Canada has not acted on the several dossiers on these elements handed over to it. Our extradition requests have been ignored. Now there are death threats against our diplomats and our political leaders by these criminals. Despite Canada having had an inflated number of diplomats on the ground in India these differences have not been resolved. Worse, as Jaishankar has now said at his level, Canadian personnel have been interfering in Indias internal affairs. He has warned that information on this will come out in the public domain in due course.

Ironically, the UKs record of interference in our internal affairs and providing safe havens to anti-Indian extremists is much worse than Canadas. Violent demonstrations in front of our High Commission by Khalistanis in league with local Pakistani elements are allowed by the UK authorities despite our protests. The UK also does not meet our extradition requests. Such extremist elements are also active in the US. Our mission in San Francisco has been attacked twice. The Ministry of External Affairs has let the UK get away with its uncalled-for statement.

In 2018, the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats. Russia responded by demanding that British and Russian embassies be of equal size and asked more than 50 British diplomats to leave the country. This was done. In 2017 parity was achieved between US and Russian missions in each others country. The State Department in its statement at that time said nowhere that this violated the Vienna Convention Between 2020 and 2023 the US expelled 223 Russian diplomats.

Why then lecture India? The usual double standards? A non-Western country cannot throw the book at a misbehaving Western G7 country?

The author is a former Indian Foreign Secretary. He was Indias Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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In a surprising turn of events, Honda Motor and General Motors have decided to abandon their joint effort to develop affordable electric vehicles (EVs), marking a change in direction just one year after their collaboration was initiated with the aim of competing with Tesla in EV sales.

The move highlights General Motors shift in strategy, where it has opted to slow down the launch of several EV models and place a greater emphasis on profitability. The company has been grappling with mounting costs resulting from United Auto Workers strikes, which have reached a staggering $200 million per week as of this month.

General Motors also took the step of withdrawing its previously stated profit outlook for 2023.

Honda issued a statement regarding the decision, explaining that after conducting some research and analyses, both parties decided to end the development. However, both companies intend to persist in their individual efforts to provide affordable EV models to the market. This announcement reflects a notable development in the evolving landscape of the electric vehicle industry and the strategies employed by major automotive players.

The Japanese company said there was no change in its plan to sell only electrified vehicles by 2040.

The two firms agreed in April last year to develop a series of lower-priced EVs based on a new joint platform, producing potentially millions of cars from 2027.

The automakers had said the deal was for affordable EVs, including compact crossover vehicles, built using GMs Ultium battery technology.

Bloomberg first reported the decision, citing an interview with Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe.

After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment, we are ending development of an affordable EV, Mibe said in the interview.

A Honda spokesperson said its separate partnership with GM and its Cruise unit would not be impacted by a recent safety incident in California which led to a suspension of the robotaxi firms driverless testing permit in the US state.

California on Tuesday ordered Cruise to remove its driverless cars from state roads, calling the vehicles a risk to the public and saying the company had misrepresented the safety of the technology.

Honda said last week it aimed to establish a joint venture with GM and Cruise in the first half of 2024 to begin a driverless ride service in Japan in early 2026.

(With input from agencies)
Helium, the second-most common element in the universe, is astonishingly scarce on Earth, and its origins have remained a mystery for scientists. However, scientists believe that the Earths core is actually leaking helium.

This scarcity is primarily due to the fact that helium is nonrenewable on our planet, making it increasingly challenging to obtain. Extracted from natural gas deposits within the Earths crust, the dwindling reservoirs are becoming a growing concern.

The extraction process primarily involves accessing helium that forms as natural gas rises through the Earths layers, eventually diffusing into the atmosphere. However, the exact quantity of helium remaining on Earth remains uncertain, raising questions about its source. It is theorized that helium has not completely vanished over billions of years, potentially implying that the Earths core might be leaking helium from undiscovered, larger reserves.

A team of scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has recently conducted research shedding light on this helium mystery. Their study focused on samples collected from lava fields in Canadas Baffin Islands and Iceland, revealing mysteriously similar concentrations of helium isotopes. This finding suggests a common underground source that has been slowly releasing helium over time.

The implications of this discovery are profound, offering not only a glimpse into the Earths early history but also a significant opportunity to explore the planets deeply concealed core.

Published in the journal Nature, the research posits that this shared source likely originates within the Earths core. The scientists considered the presence of other noble gases, including neon, which aligns with conditions that prevailed during Earths formation billions of years ago.

If these findings prove accurate, they could provide invaluable insights into the processes and conditions that shaped our planet during its infancy. Importantly, it opens a window into the Earths core, a highly inaccessible region buried under thousands of miles of rock and liquid metal.

While much about Earths composition remains unknown, this discovery represents a crucial piece of the puzzle in unravelling the mysteries of our planets formation and early history. As scientists continue to investigate and analyze these findings, they hope to gain a deeper understanding of Earths origins and the processes that shaped it.
Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giants Instagram and Facebook, has found itself embroiled in a rather tricky legal battle. On Tuesday, California, along with a coalition of over 30 states, filed a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of exploiting young users for profit and exposing them to harmful content. The lawsuit was formally submitted in a federal court situated in California.

The lawsuit contends that Meta has harnessed unprecedented technologies to lure, engage, and effectively ensnare young individuals, particularly youth and teenagers.

Charges against Meta

The states argue that the underlying motive behind these actions is driven by profit, and in pursuit of maximizing financial gains, Meta has consistently misled the public about the substantial dangers associated with its social media platforms.

Meta Platforms, has asserted its commitment to ensuring the online safety of young users and their families. To this end, the company has introduced more than 30 tools aimed at supporting these objectives.

In response to the lawsuit, Meta Platforms issued a statement expressing its disappointment in the approach taken by the attorneys general. The company expressed its preference for collaborative efforts within the industry to establish clear, age-appropriate standards for the multitude of apps utilized by teenagers.

Whistleblowers testimony, the backbone of the lawsuit

This lawsuit stems from a series of concerns that have surfaced over the past year, largely triggered by former Meta employee Frances Haugen, who emerged as a whistleblower in 2021. Haugens allegations pointed to Meta knowingly targeting vulnerable young users to enhance its profits.

Notably, Haugen revealed an internal study conducted on Instagram, which indicated that many adolescent girls using the platform were grappling with depression and anxiety, particularly concerning body-image issues.

In this recent lawsuit, Haugens testimony to Congress has been included as pertinent evidence. Furthermore, the legal action underscores the existence of child-oriented accounts on both Facebook and Instagram, featuring content related to toys like Hot Wheels and Lego, as well as television programs such as PAW Patrol and Bluey.

Collecting data from children

While users under the age of 13 are mandated to secure parental consent to create an account on Facebook and Instagram, the lawsuit alleges that Meta Platforms has been collecting personal information about underage users who have not received the required parental authorization.

Its noteworthy that Meta Platforms Inc. is not the only tech company facing legal action concerning the impact of social media on the mental health of adolescents and young adults.

Competitors such as Snap, TikTok, and Google are similarly contending with numerous lawsuits, with claimants arguing that these platforms are responsible for issues like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and sleep disturbances among young users ensnared by the allure of social media.
At the recent Snapdragon Summit held in Hawaii, Qualcomm made several significant announcements, including the unveiling of its flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In addition to this powerful mobile platform, the company introduced an innovative cross-platform technology called Snapdragon Seamless.

Snapdragon Seamless aims to facilitate seamless connectivity between various devices, making it easier for Android, Windows, and Snapdragon-powered devices with other operating systems to interact. This technology enables these devices to discover each other, share peripherals, and exchange data, enhancing the user experience.

While Windows already includes a Phone Link feature, the cross-platform integration between Android devices and PCs has not reached the same level of seamlessness as Apples ecosystem.

Apples products have become known for their smooth cross-device connectivity, allowing users to effortlessly link multiple Apple devices and use their services across various platforms. With Snapdragon Seamless, Qualcomm is striving to offer a similar level of connectivity between Snapdragon-enabled mobile devices and Windows PCs.

Qualcomm emphasizes that supported devices will be able to work together as an integrated system, bridging the gap between devices from different manufacturers that often struggle to communicate effectively. This technology aims to provide consumers with more choices and reduce the feeling of being locked into a single manufacturers ecosystem.

Snapdragon Seamless has several practical applications, such as enabling mice and keyboards to function seamlessly across PCs, phones, and tablets. It also allows users to drag and drop files and active windows between devices and intelligently switch earbuds based on audio source priority.

Qualcomm has garnered the support of several major companies in this venture. Collaborators include Microsoft, Android, Xiaomi, ASUS, Honor, Lenovo, and OPPO, among others. Snapdragon Seamless is set to become available on a global scale later this year, though the exact release date was not specified.

According to Qualcomm, this cross-platform technology is integrated into its mobile platforms, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, its latest flagship mobile processor. It is also a part of the Snapdragon X Elite platform for PCs. In addition to this, Qualcomm plans to extend the technology to XR (Extended Reality), Auto, and IoT (Internet of Things) platforms in the future.
Israeli military claimed on Wednesday that a number of Palestinians opened fire on Israeli police during an overnight operation in the occupied West Bank, while Palestinian officials claimed that three persons were killed.

In the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, the military claimed that armed Palestinians fired and hurled explosive devices at its forces. Then, it said, hits were identified after the military used a drone to attack them.

According to reports in the camp and the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority WAFA, the drone launched at least two rounds. Wissam Bakr, director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital, was quoted by WAFA as saying that three persons were murdered and more than 20 were injured.

Israels conflict with Hamas, which started after the Islamist terrorists mounted an armed rampage through southern Israel on October 7, has expanded to include the West Bank.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 100 Palestinians have died in clashes with Israeli soldiers since then.

Israel used air power in the West Bank at least three times prior to the drone assault. Earlier this year, a significant Israeli military operation was focused on the Jenin refugee camp, a bastion for Palestinian militants.

(With agency inputs)
According to local sources, a Chinese research ship made a port call in Sri Lankas Colombo port on Wednesday despite security concerns expressed by the US on its arrival.

Shi Yan 6 was given permission to enter the (Colombo) port for replenishment, a Sri Lankan foreign ministry spokesperson told PTI.

News agency PTI quoted officials as saying that because India was raising security concerns, Sri Lanka was delayed obtaining clearance for Shi Yan 6 to arrive. Official confirmation of the same, though, is lacking.

How long the ship would stay berthed at the port in Colombo was unclear.

Shi Yan 6 arrived after President Ranil Wickremesinghes trip to China the previous week.

The Chinese research vessel is expected to arrive in October for maritime research activities conducted in partnership with the National Aquatic Resource Research and Development Agency (NARA) of Sri Lanka, according to an announcement made by Colombo in August.

The vessel, described as a research/survey vessel with a carrying capacity of 1,115 DWT, is said to measure 5.3 metres long overall and 90.6 metres wide.

Concern over the planned visit of the Chinese research ship to the island nation was conveyed by the US to Sri Lanka last month.

It was claimed that US Under Secretary Victoria Nuland expressed concerns on the visit of SHI YAN 6 when she visited with Ali Sabry, the foreign minister of Sri Lanka, in New York during the UN General Assembly session.

China regularly sends its research and surveillance ships to Sri Lanka.

Concern over the trips of Chinese vessels to Sri Lanka has been expressed by India.

The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy destroyer HAI YANG 24 HAO made a two-day visit to Sri Lanka in August of this year. India reportedly voiced concerns, which caused the 129-meter-long ships arrival to be delayed.

India responded strongly to a similar visit by the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, Yuan Wang 5, in August of last year when it docked in the port of Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka.

In New Delhi, there were worries that the ships tracking devices might try to eavesdrop on Indian security facilities while it was on route to the port in Sri Lanka. But after a long wait, the Chinese-built ship was finally permitted to dock at Hambantota, a strategically important port in the south, by Sri Lanka.

Low on funds India and China are equally significant allies for Sri Lanka in its effort to restructure its external debt. One of the main lenders to Sri Lanka is China. Sri Lanka owes bilateral creditors USD 7.1 billion, of which USD 3 billion is owed to China.

The island nations extreme lack of foreign exchange reserves caused it to experience the biggest financial crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948 in 2022.

(With agency inputs)
Israeli strikes killed eight soldiers in southern Syria on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported, in what the Israeli army said was a response to earlier rocket fire.

Persistent rocket and artillery exchanges with Lebanons Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions across Israels northern borders with Lebanon and Syria have raised fears of a new front in Israels war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian factions in Syrias south have exchanged cross-border fire with Israel several times since last week.

Around 1:45 am (2245 GMT Tuesday), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the occupied Golan Heights, Syrian state media said.

The strikes also wounded seven soldiers and caused material damage, the reports said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a wide network of sources on the ground in the war-ravaged country, put the number of dead soldiers at 11, including four officers.

It said the strikes destroyed arms depots and a Syrian air defence radar and also targeted an infantry unit.

On Tuesday evening, the Observatory had said fighters loyal to Hezbollah, which fights alongside government forces in the Syrian conflict, had launched rockets towards the occupied Syrian Golan from Syrias southern province of Daraa.

The Israeli army said its fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortars belonging to the Syrian army in response to the launches towards Israel yesterday (Tuesday).

Iron fist

Residents in Daraa province told AFP that Israeli planes dropped leaflets after the strike, warning the Syrian army and Palestinian factions against launching attacks towards Israel.

Syrian commanders bear full responsibility for operations incoming from Syrian territory, the leaflets read, adding that every attack on the state of Israel will be met with an iron fist.

Israeli strikes on Sunday put out of service Syrias two main airports, in Damascus and Aleppo, Syrian state media said.

Israel has besieged Gaza since gunmen from Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7 and went on a rampage that Israeli officials say killed more than 1,400 people.

The assailants also snatched more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials, in the worst attack in the countrys 75-year history.

Israel has responded with withering air strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry says 5,791 people have been killed in the war so far.

During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Hezbollah fighters and other Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes it carries out on Syria, but it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran, which supports President Bashar al-Assads government, to expand its presence.

Israel occupied much of the Golan Heights in the Six-Day war of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the United Nations.
Finnish police have revealed that damage to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia was caused by a Chinese container ships loose anchor.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), citing evidence and data, stated that the damage earlier this month to the undersea Balticconnector pipeline traversing the Gulf of Finland was caused by the cargo vessel Newnew Polar Bear, flying the flag of Hong Kong.

Authorities stated that they were looking into whether the anchor that the Finnish navy recovered from the site of the pipeline break on October 8 belonged to the Chinese ship.

The six-ton anchor that came loose probably generated a 1.5 to 4-meter-wide seabed path that led to the pipelines breaking point.

There are signs in the anchor that suggest it came into contact with the gas pipeline, NBI investigator Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi stated.

The next stage of the investigation, according to officials, would concentrate on determining if the damage was purposeful, accidental, or the result of bad seafaring.

Gas system operators in Finland and Estonia shut down the pipeline on October 8 after seeing a large reduction in pressure.

The 48-mile pipeline that connects the Estonian port of Paldiski to the Finnish town of Inkoo was found to have been mechanically damaged inside the Finnish economic zone, which caused it to be moved from its original location in the seabed.

Last week, Finnish investigators determined that the Newnew Polar Bear was the main suspect after comparing the ships path and position to the incidents time and place.

Recent photos of the Chinese ship on social media showed that one of its anchors was missing when it paused at the Russian port of St. Petersburg while sailing the Baltic Sea.

The ship is reportedly cruising through northern Russian waters, probably on its way back to China via the Northern Sea Route, according to the Marine Traffic website.

Finnish investigators have made several attempts to get in touch with the captain of the ship, but have not been successful. As a result, they are working with Chinese authorities on the case.

A representative from Beijings foreign ministry reaffirmed Beijings demand for an impartial and thorough investigation into the event during a routine press briefing, adding that the Chinese vessel was functioning normally at the time.

Significant damage was found to the 300 million (260 million) Balticconnector gas pipeline, which is a vital conduit connecting Finland to the European gas network and which started operating in early 2020, according to newly published photographs from the Finnish Border Guard.

The anticipated duration of the repairs is at least until the end of April.

Simultaneously with the pipeline damage, a telecom cable connecting Finland, Estonia, and Sweden was also affected; Finnish authorities have indicated that this cable was connected to the Chinese vessel.

(with inputs from agencies)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on television on Wednesday that Israel was getting ready to invade Gaza on foot, but he would not comment on the operations timeline or other specifics.

He stated that the governments special war cabinet, which consists of the head of a moderate opposition party, would decide when to send in troops into the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave.

We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning, Netanyahu said.

Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be.

Following the approximately 1,400-person-death Hamas attack on Israeli communities on October 7, Israel has been bombarding the heavily populated Gaza Strip for several days.

The Wall Street Journal earlier claimed, citing American and Israeli officials, that Israel had consented to postpone the assault of Gaza in order for the US to quickly deploy missile defences in the area.

On Monday that Washington advised Israel to hold off on a ground assault and is keeping Qatar  a broker with the Palestinian militants  apprised of those talks as its tries to free more hostages and prepare for a possible wider regional war.

(With agency inputs)
Families of the victims urged on Wednesday that in order to stop Islamist extremism from spreading, the international community must stand up against it and take action to guarantee the quick release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants following their attack on southern Israel on October 7.

A family delegation travelled to Rome to negotiate with government officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of a global initiative to support the liberation of the over 200 hostages.

Following the attack on southern Israel that claimed 1,400 lives, some 222 persons were taken prisoner. Following the liberation of two hostages on Friday who held dual Israeli and American citizenship, Hamas released two Israeli civilian women on Monday.

Over 6,500 people have died in the Gaza Strip, which is governed by Hamas, according to health officials, since Israel started its offensive.

The Oct. 7 Hamas attack claimed the lives of three dual Italian-Israeli citizens: Eviatar Moshe Kipnis and his spouse Lilian Le Havron, who were both inside the main target, the Beeri kibbutz.

After losing his uncle in the same attack, their son Nadav travelled to Italy to demand that all hostagesincluding some of his family membersbe released.

These people are just civilians who did not deserve any of these traumatic events that happened to them, which are comparable only to the Holocaust, he said.

Israel itself can only deal with Hamas as a terrorist organisation, but (Israel) cannot negotiate with them, he told Reuters, saying states such as Qatar and Egypt would be in the position to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.

He expressed sadness over the fact that some of the protesters who walked to the streets in Europe to support Palestine supported Hamas at a time when Islamist terror was resurfacing in France and Belgium.

The narrative that Hamas are fighting for freedom is just false, he said. Hamas are fighting other religions.
According to locals in Gaza, Palestinians are burying the unidentified dead in mass graves with a number in place of a name because there are so many bodies there. In an effort to locate their loved ones in the event of their death, some families are now employing bracelets.

The El-Daba family has made an effort to lessen their chance of being hit during the most intense Israeli assault of Gaza to date. After 1,400 people were killed and hostages were captured on October 7, when Hamas militants assaulted Israeli communities, Israel began the airstrikes.

The bombing, according to 40-year-old Ali El-Daba, tore apart victims that were unrecognisable.

In order to keep his family from passing away all at once, he claimed to have divided them. He claimed that after moving to Khan Younis in the south with three more children, his 42-year-old wife Lina maintained two of their sons and two girls in Gaza City.

El-Daba claimed that he was getting ready for the worst. For his family members, he purchased blue string bracelets that he wrapped around both wrists. If something happens, he responded, this way I will recognise them.

Other Palestinian families could be seen purchasing or manufacturing bracelets for their kids, as well as writing the names of the youngsters on their arms.

Local Muslim clerics have approved mass graves. Before burying the deceased, medical professionals preserve their blood samples and give them numbers.

One of the worlds most densely inhabited regions, the northern Gaza Strip, has been ordered by the Israeli military to evacuate in favour of the safer southern portion. However, airstrikes have reached the Hamas-controlled area.

An Israeli military spokesperson said: The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has been encouraging residents of the northern Gaza Strip to move southward and not to stay in the vicinity of Hamas terror targets within Gaza City.

But, ultimately, Hamas has entrenched itself among the civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. So wherever a Hamas target arises, the IDF will strike at it in order to thwart the terrorist capabilities of the group, while taking feasible precautions to mitigate the harm to uninvolved civilians.

Following one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since October 7, Israels military increased the intensity of its bombing in southern Gaza overnight. Leaders from around the world have demanded that the combat stop so that supplies of food, gasoline, water, and medications can reach the besieged area.

Gazas health ministry announced on Wednesday that 756 Palestinians, including 344 children, had died in the previous twenty-four hours. According to the report, since October 7, at least 6,546 Palestiniansincluding 2,704 childrenhave died as a result of Israeli airstrikes.

(With agency inputs)
Wednesdays remarks by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi regarding his nations efforts to de-escalate and find a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Hamas conflict were hailed as a very positive role being played by Egypt.

Egypt has actively participated in discussions for hostage releases and access to aid for civilians in Gaza through the Rafah crossing, which it shares with Gaza, while promoting a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.

He stated that although Egypt had significant military capabilities, it would only ever use them prudently and in self-defense as he examined dozens of Egyptian warplanes, tanks, and other military equipment during an exercise on the western edge of the Sinai Peninsula, about 135 miles (215 km) from Egypts border with the Gaza Strip.

Its very important when you have this kind of power that you use it reasonably, wisely, and maturely and you dont overstep and have illusions about your own strength, he said, alluding to internal calls for Egypt to involve itself in the conflict.

You have this capability to defend yourself  never let anger or fervour cause you to overstep, he said.

In a statement, Sisiwho is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Cairo on Wednesdaysaid the military drill was meant to coincide with commemorations of the 1973 war against Israel, which began on October 6 and was delayed because of the hostilities.

Sisi said at a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday that the dissolution of the Palestinian cause without a just solution will not happen, and in any case will never happen at Egypts expense. He also cautioned against any Israeli attempt to drive Gazans into Egypts Sinai peninsula.

(With agency inputs)
The Palestinian militant group Hamas is not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people, said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces, Erdogan said Muslim countries must act together to secure a lasting peace in the region. He was speaking to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party.

Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people, he said, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith.

Erdogan also slammed Western powers that have voiced support for Israels retaliation against Hamas, saying Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud.

Many of Turkeys NATO allies consider Hamas a terrorist group, and Erdogans comments drew a swift rebuke from Italys Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation.

I will propose to my colleague (Foreign Minister Antonio) Tajani to send a formal protest and to summon the Turkish Ambassador, Salvini said in a note.

Turkey has condemned the civilian deaths that resulted from Hamas Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel but also urged Israel to react in a restrained way.

It has since strongly condemned Israels heavy bombardment of Gaza, which is controlled by the militant Islamist group while offering to mediate in the conflict and sending several shipments of humanitarian aid.

Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkeys good intentions. Turkey had previously been working to mend long-strained ties with Israel and Erdogan said he had now cancelled a planned trip to Israel because of the events in Gaza.

Turkey, which hosts members of Hamas on its territory, backs a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

With inputs from Reuters.
Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a group of Mujahideen defending their lands, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday.

Erdogan also said he has cancelled his plan to visit because of its inhumane war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go, Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewed Hamas as liberators fighting for their own land.

Ankaras relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza, which killed 10 civilians in 2010.

Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month, marking an improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel, where Ankara had been eyeing joining a natural gas pipeline project promoted by the United States.

Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them, Erdogan said.

If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either.

The latest and by far the deadliest Gaza war broke out when Hamas terrorist attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and taking 222 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza says 5,791 people have been killed, again mostly civilians, as Israel has bombarded the territory.

Erdogan had taken a more measured tone in the first day of war, condemning all attacks against civilians and urging Israel to be measured in its response.

But he became much more vocal after the deadly strike on Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza last week, leading to large and angry protests across the Muslim world.

On Tuesday, he accused the United Nations Security Council  where the United States, Britain and France have permanent seats  of bowing to the Israeli regime.

On Wednesday, he added: Those outside the region should stop pouring fuel into the fire.

All parties should take their hands off the trigger and a ceasefire should be declared immediately Direct or indirect negotiations should be initiated to release the hostages.

Erdogan is expected to appear at a massive rally in Istanbul on Saturday defending Palestinian right.

With inputs from AFP
Hamas surprise attack on Israel on October 7 was planned over two years through phone lines in tunnels under Gaza.

A report by CNN quoted two sources familiar with the matter saying intelligence shared with the US suggested that a small cell of Hamas terrorists planning the deadly surprise attack on Israel communicated via a network of hardwired phones built into the network of tunnels underneath Gaza over a period of two years.

These phone lines enabled terrorists to communicate with one another in secret and also ensured that they could not be tracked by Israeli intelligence officials.

All through the planning, the small cell operating in the tunnels used the hardwired phone lines for frequent communication as well as planning the operation. It was all secret till earlier this month after which hundreds of Hamas terrorists were called to launch an attack on Israel, the report quoted sources as saying.

How this small Hamas cell evaded detection?

During the two-years of planning, these small cells of Hamas avoided using computers or cellular phones to evade detection by Israeli or US intelligence, CNN quoted sources as saying.

There wasnt a lot of discussion and back and forth and coordination outside of the immediate area, one of the sources said.

Hamas used old-fashioned counterintelligence measures

As per the intelligence shared with US officials by Israel also revealed Hamas kept its plan of the operation hidden.

It mentioned that the Palestinian terrorist group used old-fashioned counterintelligence measures such as conducting planning meetings in person and staying off digital communications whose signals the Israelis can track in favor of the hardwired phones in the tunnels.

On October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel and attacked largely civilian targets including families and a music festival, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 220 hostages.

More than 5,700 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territorys Hamas-run health ministry said.

With inputs from agencies
The head of Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, met top officials from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) on Wednesday.

According to a statement by Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, said that Nasrallah met Saleh Al-Arouri, a deputy head of Hamas and the secretary general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhla. The statement, however, did not mention where the meeting took place.

An assessment was made ofwhat the parties of the resistance axis must do at this sensitive stage to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and to stop the treacherous and brutal aggression against our people, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari earlier today said that Iran is directly involved in facilitating Hamas in orchestrating the October 7 attacks against Israel.

Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how, Hagari said in a press conference.

Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel continues, he added.

Meanwhile, the US has joined Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia and Qatar to target a secret Hamas portfolio that is believed to be valued at least hundreds of millions of dollars.

US officials have stepped up efforts to pinpoint the Hamas portfolio along with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
US intelligence officials have revealed that the blast at a Gaza hospital last week was caused by a Palestinian rocket that suffered an engine failure and broke apart mid-flight with the warhead striking the hospitals parking lot.

Intelligence officials say that they have high confidence that no Israeli weapon was involved in the explosion that killed at least 471 people.

Talking to reporters, intelligence officials said, We assess with high confidence that Israel was not responsible for the explosion at the hospital and that Palestinian militants were responsible.

They, however, added, We assess with low confidence that Palestine Islamic Jihad was responsible for launching the rocket that landed on the hospital.

Previously, US officials had indicated that the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was most likely behind the blast.

How has US intelligence backed their claims?

US officials say that their evidence is based on Israeli intercepts of Palestinian armed groups as well as videos that are publicly available.

These videos allowed officials to determine that the rocket was launched from Gaza shortly after which it underwent a catastrophic motor failure due to which the rockets warhead fell on the hospitals parking lot.

Their assessments were also based on communications intercepts provided by Israel and images of the explosion and the aftermath.

UK intelligence says hospital blast caused by militants rockets

UK intelligence services have concluded that the blast in Gazas Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was caused by a rocket launched by a Palestinian militant group and not by Israel.

Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that their assessment was based on intelligence and analysis of weapons which led to the conclusion that the explosion was likely caused by a missile or part of one that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel.

Sunak also criticised some media outlets for reporting that the blast was caused by Israel, saying that it had a negative effect in the region, including on a vital US diplomatic effort and on tensions here at home.
John Lee, the leader of Hong Kong, declared Wednesday that the partially independent city would draft its own national security law in 2024, four years after Beijing enacted extensive laws meant to stifle criticism.

Thousands of people took to the streets in 2019 as part of massive pro-democracy demonstrations that shook the financial center, demanding more freedoms and independence from mainland China.

Beijing responded by enacting a national security law that carries life sentences for four serious offenses: secession, subversion, terrorism, and coordination with foreign forces.

In his second-ever policy speech on Wednesday, former security head turned politician Lee said that some countries are undermining China and the implementation of one country, two systems' in Hong Kong.

The leader appointed by Beijing declared that external forces continue to meddle in Hong Kong affairs and that the city will continue to safeguard national security and improve its relevant legal system and enforcement mechanisms.

The government is pressing ahead to draw up effective legislative options and will complete the legislative exercise in 2024 to fulfil our constitutional duty, Lee stated.

The Basic Law, which is the citys version of a constitution, mandates that Hong Kong enact laws of its own to address seven security-related offenses, such as espionage and treason.

More than 25 years after Hong Kong was returned to Chinese authority, the taskwhich the citys government frequently refers to as a constitutional responsibilityhas not yet been completed.

Following protests by half a million Hong Kong residents, the last legislative attempt in 2003 was abandoned.

As of the end of September, 280 people had been arrested and 30 had been found guilty under the current national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020, according to Hong Kongs Security Bureau.

Political dissent has been effectively put down by the broad legislation, causing activists to either be apprehended or go abroad. It has also had an impact on other facets of city life, including as literature, the arts, and childrens education.

Hong Kong would roll out patriotic education to enhance national identity laying a good foundation for our national unity and solidarity, according to Lees statement on Wednesday.

Taking forward national education and dovetailing with the Patriotic Education Law of the Peoples Republic of China would be the mandate of a designated working group.

His declaration coincides, according to Chinas state media, with Beijings adoption of a law aimed at bolstering patriotic teaching for kids and families.
The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), which was signed in July 2023, has been acknowledged by the Union Cabinet in an effort to strengthen cooperation between Japan and India in the field of semiconductor technology.

According to the Cabinets news release, this Memorandum of Cooperation(MoC) is between the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, with a focus on the Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership.

This MoC recognizes the critical role semiconductors play in the development of industries and digital technologies, and its main goal is to strengthen the partnership between the two countries.

This Memorandum of Cooperation will become effective from the date of its signature and will remain in force for a duration of five years.

The collaboration under this MoC spans both Government-to-Government (G2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) initiatives, focusing on creating opportunities to advance a resilient semiconductor supply chain while leveraging the respective strengths of India and Japan, read the press release.

In addition to fostering cooperation between the two countries, the MoC is expected to bring about improvements in collaboration that could, in turn, lead to employment opportunities within the IT sector.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been actively working to establish an enabling environment for electronics manufacturing, read the press release.

The Programme for Development of Semiconductor and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India was introduced to ensure the robust and sustainable development of semiconductor and display ecosystems within the country.

This program extends fiscal support for the establishment of Semiconductor Fabs, Display Fabs, Fabs for Compound Semiconductors, Silicon Photonics, Sensors, Discrete Semiconductors, Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP), as well as Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facilities, read the press release.

The India-Japan Digital Partnership (IJDP) was launched in October 2018 during Prime Minister Modis visit to Japan, furthering existing areas of cooperation and introducing new initiatives within the scope of cooperation in Science and Technology/Information and Communication Technology (S&T/ICT), with a particular focus on Digital ICT Technologies.

Building upon the ongoing IJDP and India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP), this MoC on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership aims to extend the scope and depth of cooperation in the electronics ecosystem, read the release.

Recognizing the fundamental role of semiconductors in the advancement of industries and digital technologies, this MoC will reinforce the resilience of the semiconductor supply chain.

(with inputs from agencies)
From October 26, India will restore some visa services in Canada after halting them due to a diplomatic dispute over the alleged targeted killing of a Khalistan supporter.

The Indian High Commission in Ottawa said on Wednesday that the following visa categories will once again be available: conference, business, medical, and entry.

This development occurs just a few days after Indias External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, stated on Sunday that, should its diplomats safety in Canada improve, India may consider very soon resuming visa services for Canadians.

After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on September 18 that there may have been a connection between Indian operatives and the June murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, tensions between India and Canada rose considerably.

New Delhi vigorously refuted the allegations. A few days later, it said that visas for Canadian citizens would no longer be issued, and it requested that Ottawa reduce its diplomatic staff in India.
After one of the worst days for Palestinians since the conflict began, Israels military increased its bombing of southern Gaza overnight amid pleas from around the world for a ceasefire to allow aid enter the enclave and avert many more casualties.

Health officials in Gaza reported on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had fled to the south after Israel threatened to bomb the north in an effort to eliminate Hamas militants who had gone on a killing rampage in Israel on October 7. Since then, thousands more people have died in the south.

In Khan Younis, multiple residential complexes were destroyed by a single blow.

This is something not normal, we have not heard something like this before, resident Khader Abu Odah said.

A sense of treachery has added to Palestinian fury over the killings, since many of those who followed the directive to flee south are also dying. According to the Israeli military, Hamas, which governs Gaza, is well-established among all civilians.

Israel said that during the previous day, strikes on Gaza had killed Hamas operatives, including Tayseer Bebasher, the commander of the Hamas brigade in southern Khan Younis.

The IDF stated that they also targeted a group of Hamas divers attempting to enter Israel by sea near Kibbutz Zikim as well as tunnel shafts, command posts, weapons stores, and launch sites.

Rescuers in Gaza City, in the north, pulled a seemingly deceased young child out of the debris before attempting to comfort an agitated, partially buried man crying out his familys names.

They are OK, I swear, one rescuer said in video footage from the scene.

According to the Israeli military, Israeli jets reportedly attacked Syrian army installations in retaliation for rockets fired from Irans ally Syria. This has raised fears that Israels fight with Hamas, which is also supported by Iran, will spark unrest throughout the region.

According to Syrias official news agency, eight troops were killed and seven others were injured in an Israeli attack in the southwest city of Deraa.

Israel did not name the suspected shooters of the two rockets that triggered air raid sirens in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights or accuse the Syrian army of shooting them.

Iran, which has long aimed to dominate the region and supports Hamas as well as armed organisations in Lebanon, Syria, and other countries, has advised Israel to halt its assault on Gaza.

Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia in Lebanon, reported the deaths of four more of its members, bringing the total number of casualties among its ranks since the start of the war to 42.

(With agency inputs)
Israel can make its own decisions, Joe Biden said, adding that the US firmly backs its ally while urging caution. The statement was made by the president amidst reports of an imminent ground operation in Gaza by Israeli forces.

Are you urging Israel to delay its ground incursion into Gaza? Biden was asked on Tuesday, while he was posing for a picture with the visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The Israelis can make their own decisions, the US president replied.

US will ensure Israel has tool, capabilities to defend itself

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters that the US will continue to ensure that Israel has the tools and capabilities it needs to defend itself.

Were going to continue to try to get that humanitarian assistance in, and were going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately, he said.

A ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas. Thats where we are right now. And I understand the question, but Im just not going to get ahead of where things are, Kirby said.

We have and will continue to talk to our Israeli counterparts about the importance of avoiding and minimizing civilian casualties and respecting innocent life and trying to prevent collateral damage as they go after legitimate Hamas targets, he added.

This is war, it is combat, it is bloody, it is ugly, and its going to be messy and innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward. I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that wasnt going to happen, but it is going to happen, Kirby said in response to a question.

That doesnt make it right, it doesnt make it dismissible, it doesnt mean that we arent going to still express concerns about that and do everything we can to help the Israelis do everything they can to minimise it, but thats unfortunately the nature of conflict, Kirby said.

Israel-Hamas war update

The war was triggered on October 7 after Hamas terrorists carried out unprecedented attacks against Israel, killing more than 1,400 people. Israel has launched a counter-offensive against the Palestinian terrorist group that has ruled Gaza since 2007.

Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant laid out the Jewish nations plan to change the security regime in Gaza implying Hamas removal and said the plan was designed in three stages.

Gallant said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) was in the plans first stage when it was carrying out aerial strikes. It will be followed by ground incursion and finally, the change of security regime in Gaza, he said.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, so far, over 5,000 Palestinians, including more than 2,000 children and 1,100 women, as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders have been killed, with more than 16,000 injured.

With inputs from PTI
Israel claims that in response to remarks made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN, it has denied a visa to UN Humanitarian Affairs Chief Martin Griffiths.

According to Israeli media, Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the UN, stated on army radio: We will not provide UN representatives visas in response to his comments. Martin Griffiths, the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, has already had his visa denied. Its time to impart some wisdom to them.

Israel has demanded the resignation of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres after he mentioned the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza and stated that the appalling attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7 cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Nothing can excuse the intentional murder, injury, or kidnapping of civilians, or the firing of missiles at human targets, according to Guterres. Every hostage must receive compassionate treatment before being freed instantly and without restrictions.

Speaking to the UN, the secretary-general continued, saying that the attack on Israel was not in a vacuum and that it came after 56 years of suffocating occupation by Israel for the Palestinian people. They have seen their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished; their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, the secretary-general continued. Their dreams of a political remedy for their situation have been dwindling.

Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the UN, called Guterres speech shocking and stated that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner, suggesting that Guterres should step down.

(With inputs from agencies)
Australia Wednesday said it was sending two military transport aircraft and troops to the West Asia as concern mounts for Australian citizens in the region.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said a significant number of troops was being sent but declined to give the number. Two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft had also been deployed.

Marles, who is also deputy prime minister, would not say where the aircraft and troops would be based.

The planes will add to a C-17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft and a KC-30 air refueller already in the area.

The point of this is to provide support to Australian populations who are in the Middle East if this gets worse, Marles told public broadcaster ABC.

The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by an unprecedented attack on Israel launched by the Palestinian militant group on October 7 from the Gaza Strip. Thousands of civilians have been killed on both sides since the conflict began.

More than 800 Australians have been flown out of Israel since October 13.

Marles said the Australian government is trying to help 79 citizens in Gaza and 51 in the West Bank who have asked to leave.

Australia has a long history of military presence in the wider Middle East.

It contributes troops to a joint task force fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, focusing on training Iraqi security forces.

Under a previous conservative government, Australia said in 2020 that it would focus its defence commitments on the Asia-Pacific region.

As a result, it halted annual deployments of a naval ship to the Middle East, ending a 30-year commitment to support freedom of navigation and security.
Israel continued to pound Gaza with intense airstrikes ahead of an impending ground invasion as the conflict with Palestine based terrorist group Hamas entered the 19th day.

Israeli airstrikes, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, have killed hundreds of Palestinians in the last day, predominantly women and children. Ashraf al-Qidra, a ministry official, stated that they had received 1,550 complaints of missing people, including 870 children, and that some of the unaccounted-for individuals might still be buried beneath the wreckage of demolished structures.

Israel increased the number of airstrikes it launched on Gaza on Tuesday, going from 320 the day before to 400 during the past day, including on the southern part of the territory where it had ordered residents to flee. In addition to hitting terrorists who were getting ready to launch rockets into Israel, command centres, and a Hamas tunnel, it claimed to have killed senior Hamas leaders. On a beach just north of Gaza, a group of Hamas underwater scuba divers attempted to attack Israel. The Israeli military claimed to have stopped them.

Gazas hospitals are overflowing with casualties and residents seeking safety from Israeli bombing, forcing them to close due to a shortage of water and fuel for generators. Doctors, health officials, and international assistance agencies described dreadful situations where doctors were had to operate under minimal or no anaesthetic, by the light of their cellphones, or in some cases, with vinegar in place of disinfectant.

As US President Joe Biden criticised efforts to bring aid via a crossing from Egypt as not fast enough, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that eight relief trucks had been permitted into Gaza as of late Tuesday. The UN had earlier said about 20 trucks had been unable to cross into Gaza from Egypt via the Rafah crossing.

During statements at the UN Security Council, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised that nations should continue to provide humanitarian aid to Palestine. He declared, We call on all countries to provide aid to Gaza. Blinken declared, A civilian is a civilian is a civilian, and Palestinian citizens must be protected.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed on Wednesday that a number of Palestinians opened fire on Israeli police during an overnight operation in the occupied West Bank, while Palestinian officials claimed that three persons were killed.

In the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, the military claimed that armed Palestinians fired and hurled explosive devices at its forces. Then, it said, hits were identified after the military used a drone to attack them.

The drone fired at least two shots, according to accounts from the camp and the Palestinian Authoritys official news agency, WAFA. WAFA cited Wissam Bakr, the director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital, as stating that three people had died and over twenty had been injured.

Israel has demanded the resignation of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, citing his statement that the collective punishment of the Palestinian people cannot be justified in light of the appalling attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel on October 7. According to him, the attack on Israel came after 56 years of suffocating occupation by Israel for the Palestinian people, and did not occur in a vacuum.

The Middle East scenario is deteriorating rapidly, according to Guterres. During a Tuesday UN security council meeting in New York, Guterres issued a demand for an urgent ceasefire and issued a warning that fighting would spread to other areas of the region.

Gilad Erdan, the ambassador of Israel to the UN, called Guterres statement shocking and suggested that he step down. According to him, it demonstrated that the UN chief was wholly detached from the reality in our area and that he sees the slaughter carried out by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a warped and immoral way.

Riyad al-Maliki, the foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority and an adversary of Hamas, criticised the UN security council for its passivity.

The ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel  the occupying power against the Palestinian civilian population under illegal occupation  must be stopped. It is our collective human duty to stop them, he said.

At the UN, the US and Russia presented opposing ideas to assist Palestinian civilians. In order to solve Gazas shortages of food, water, medical supplies, and energy, both nations ask the UN Security Council for resolutions. But while Russia wants a humanitarian ceasefire, the US, which opposes one, has only asked for pauses to let aid into Gaza.

The Israeli military is ready and determined for the next phase of the fight, according to spokeswoman Daniel Hagari, but they are still expecting more political guidance.

Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned Hezbollah in Lebanon of horrible consequences if it chose to meaningfully participate in the conflict at a joint media appearance with the president of France. Netanyahu declared that the conflict might take some time and that Hamas had to be annihilated. Upon its completion, he declared, no one will reside under Hamas tyranny.

Emmanuel Macron demanded the release of captives and claimed that Israel and France had a common enemy in terrorism. He argued that terrorism must be combated with regulations rather than with mercy.

In case of unrest spreading outside of Gaza, US authorities are putting together a backup plan to evacuate Americans from the Middle East. John Kirby, the White Houses national security spokesperson, emphasised that although there arent any active efforts to evacuate Americans other than charter flights departing from Israel, it would be irresponsible to not make plans for a variety of contingencies.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, who was kidnapped in the attack on Israel on October 7 and released by Hamas on Monday, told the media that she had been through hell. She claimed to reporters that terrorists from Hamas riding motorcycles had kidnapped her, beaten her with sticks, and made her walk. She continued by describing the circumstances in which she had been detained in the tunnels.

(With agency inputs)
According to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, which cited American and Israeli sources, Israel has decided to put off an anticipated invasion of Gaza for the time being so that the United States may send missile defences to the area to safeguard American troops stationed there.

According to the WSJ, American officials have so far persuaded Israel to wait until American air defence systems can be deployed in the region, maybe as early as this week.

According to the news report, Israel is also intending to provide humanitarian aid inside Gaza and pursue diplomatic measures to release hostages held by Hamas fighters.

It stated that threats to American troops were of the utmost importance.

According to the Journal, Washington was rushing to deploy around a dozen air defence systems, including for its soldiers stationed in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and Jordan.

According to the report, U.S. military officials and other officials fear that if Israel begins its ground invasion of the Palestinian area held by Hamas, terrorist groups will strike their forces.

(With agency inputs)
A dictionary to assist parents and caregivers in having discussions with children about the conflict has been published, according to Goshen, an Israeli organization that promotes neighborhood child health and well-being.

Tirtsa Joels, a psychology professor at the University of Haifa, has verified the handbook, which is suitable for use with preschool-aged children up to elementary school age.

It is not recommended for usage with kids who have gone through significant, complicated trauma as a result of the war.

Goshen reassures parents in the resources introduction that there is no appropriate age to start having conversations with kids about the conflict. Adults must, however, speak in an age-appropriate manner.

Asking the youngster what they already know, have heard, and if they have any questions is the greatest way to begin a conversation.

Other recommendations are made, emphasizing the importance of comforting the child and telling them the truth in a way that is appropriate for their age and developmental stage.

The dictionary provides definitions for 14 terms associated with war, categorized as basic, intermediate, advanced, and expert. After reading through them, the adult can select the ones that are most suitable to bring up in a conversation with their child.

A few phrases like rockets, sirens, and safe rooms are well-known to the majority of young Israeli kids. Some words, though, are not as much.

These include invasions, terrorist attacks, kidnappings, hostages, missing people, Tzav 8 (the call-up of the military reserve for emergencies), fatalities, burials, and shiva (the week of mourning following a burial).
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin his two-day Kyrgyzstan visit starting today, Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar will visit Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 25-26 October 2023 to lead the Indian delegation for 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG), to be held under the Chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic. In Bishkek, EAM pic.twitter.com/3lb4EI0FC4  ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023

EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar will visit Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 25-26 October 2023 to lead the Indian delegation for 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG), to be held under the Chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic, the statement read.

The statement mentioned that Jaishankar will also meet with his counterparts from other SCO member states and call on the countrys top leadership.
A surge in the disruptive antics of influencers in Japan has ignited concerns in the country as tourism numbers approach pre-pandemic levels. A Japanese railway company is currently investigating allegations involving a group of four popular foreign YouTubers who are accused of evading train fares and exploiting hospitality.

One of the alleged fare-dodgers, known online as Fidias, shared a video with his 2.38 million subscribers, showcasing him and three others avoiding rail staff and securing free meals. In one instance, he barricades himself in a bullet trains restroom and feigns illness when confronted by a ticket collector, only to plan to repeat the trick on another train. Another clip depicts him pretending to be a hotel guest to enjoy complimentary breakfast.

These actions have led to mixed reactions. While Fidiass followers applaud his audacity, many social media users disapprove, accusing him of tarnishing Japans reputation for safety and hospitality. Some demand the arrest of all four individuals.

Japan is striving to address issues related to over-tourism, including overcrowding at popular attractions, street drinking, and littering. The government is considering measures such as substantial increases in train fares and campaigns to redirect visitors to lesser-known rural areas to alleviate these concerns.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his concerns about the impact of bad tourist behavior on local residents, emphasizing the importance of respectful manners.

These incidents follow the arrest of an American live streamer, Johnny Somali, for trespassing and disruptive behavior, including shouting provocative statements at construction workers. He also faced backlash for joking about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The train operator JR Kyushu is currently examining the footage of Fidias and his companions before deciding whether to involve the police. Fidias later issued an apology, acknowledging his lack of understanding of Japanese cultural norms and promising to conduct more research in the future.

While there are numerous YouTube channels exploring various aspects of life in Japan, some influencers have drawn negative attention through their disruptive actions.

In 2017, Logan Paul, a celebrity YouTuber, faced criticism for posting a video featuring a suicide victims body in Aokigahara forest, which was later removed. Several Japanese pranksters have also recently faced legal consequences for posting videos of unsanitary and disruptive behavior in restaurants.

The rise in such disruptive influencer behavior is causing concern in Japan, as it strives to balance the benefits of increased tourism with the need to maintain safety and cultural respect.
Ravindra said India has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations, he said.

Welcoming all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy, Ravindra reaffirmed Indias firm commitment to achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.

The UNSC ministerial meeting, held under the Brazilian Presidency of the Council, was addressed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Israels Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, Palestines Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told the Council that since the October 7 attack, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups killed over 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals  the bloodiest attack in Israels history. This includes over 1,000 civilians, many of them women and children, and over 360 security forces personnel. Over 5,400 Israelis were injured.

Wennesland said the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians killed so far, including over 1,100 women, 2,000 children as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured.

Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings said that according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 1,500 people have also been reported missing and are presumed to be under the rubble.

The number of those who are internally displaced has swelled to 1.4 million. Nearly 600,000 people are sheltering in UNWRA facilities in increasingly dire conditions, Hastings said.
In a stern warning to Tehran, the US said it would respond swiftly and decisively if Iran or its proxies attack Americans anywhere. The statement was made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the country tries to keep the West Asian nation from joining the Israel-Hamas war.

During a UN Security Council meeting Tuesday, Blinken said the US does not seek conflict with Iran.

We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security, swiftly and decisively, Blinken said.

The US Secretary of State spoke to the 15-member UN Security Council amid international fears that the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip could loom large.

Blinken also urged the members of the UN Security Council, including Russia and China, to tell Iran not to open another front against Israel or attack its partners, and to hold them accountable if it does so.

Dont throw fuel on the fire, he said.

To all the members of this council: If you, like the United States, want to prevent this conflict from spreading, tell Iran, tell its proxies  in public, in private, through every means  do not open another front against Israel in this conflict. Do not attack Israels partners, Blinken said.

The remarks by Blinken were the latest in the US stepped-up campaign to call out what it says is Irans involvement in violence in the region against US forces, along with its support of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon who have launched rocket attacks on Israel in recent days.

His statement came hours after US, on Monday, said it would hold Iran responsible for a spate of drone and rocket attacks on US forces in the region.

Meanwhile, the US has been taking new steps to protect its troops in West Asia as concerns mount about attacks by Hamas, a report by Reuters mentioned officials as saying.

Warships and fighter jets have also been sent by the US in the war-struck region to try to deter Iran and Iran-backed groups.

Groundless allegations

Later, Irans UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council that Blinken had attempted to wrongly blame Iran for the Israel-Hamas conflict and that Tehran categorically rejected his groundless allegations.

Iravani said, Our commitment to regional peace and stability remains unwavering.

The US has further exacerbated the conflict by overtly aligning itself with the aggressor at the expense of the innocent Palestinian population, he added.

With inputs from agencies
Google Maps users who navigated through the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt on the app might have come across placenames with anti-Israel words like F***k Israel or May god curse Israels Jerusalem.

A report by CNN says that cyber activists were able to alter the placenames because of its feature that enables any user to create and contribute information about landmarks on the map.

Multiple locations around the Rafah border carried anti-Israel remarks in Arabic and English. One of them said, Palestine is free, may god forgive us in Arabic.

Meanwhile, there is no evidence that any part of Google systems was breached or compromised in altering the placenames.

Ben Decker, CEO of online threat analysis company Memetica, who described the situation as cyber vandalism said, Cyber vandalism traces its origins back to the early stages of the internet when communities would hack into and deface websites.

Google, Apple disable real-time traffic data in Israel

Google and Apple have temporarily shut down real-time traffic conditions and crowding data in Israel and the Gaza Strip in Google Maps and Waze apps after the Israeli military made a request amid an imminent ground invasion in Gaza.

A spokesperson from Google stated, As we have done previously in conflict situations and in response to the evolving situation in the region, we have temporarily disabled the ability to see live traffic conditions and busyness information out of consideration for the safety of local communities.
Following a disagreement with China this week, the Philippines will step up multilateral efforts, such as freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, its defence minister announced on Wednesday. The minister expressed optimism that additional nations will join our fight in this regard.

Previously this week, China and the Philippines accused one another of inflaming tensions. Manila said that Chinas coastguard had deliberately collided with its boats while resupplying a tiny group of troops stationed on a decrepit ship that had been grounded two decades previously.

Beijing, which claims sovereignty over practically the entire South China Sea, came under heavy fire after the incident, which occurred close to a disputed coral in the Philippines exclusive economic zone, was widely condemned. However, an international arbitration ruling declared that claim to be unfounded.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated in a broadcast interview on state-run PTV that the latest issue with China may result in more willing nations to join our fight. He didnt go into detail on what that would involve.

Teodoro expressed optimism over the advancement of the reciprocal access deal between the Philippines and Japan.

The Philippines relationship with China has gotten worse this year due to increased maritime conflicts, which has coincided with Manila fortifying its long-standing military alliance with the US and allowing Washington greater access to its military bases.

(With agency inputs)
Amid the diplomatic spat between India and Canada over the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Mao Ning on Tuesday urged Canada to stop peddling China-related lies.

Ning was responding to a claim by Canadas Foreign Minister Melanie Jolly that an organisation linked to China was spreading information related to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, other senior officials and the members of Parliament through comments and deepfake videos online.

Addressing a press briefing in Beijing, Mao said the statement by Canadas foreign ministry was a misrepresentation of facts and such lies could further damage bilateral relations between the two countries.

The so-called statement by Canadas foreign ministry misrepresents facts and is very misleading, which makes trumped-up charges against China, she said.

She added that China firmly condemns her statement.

We deplore and firmly oppose that (Canadian Foreign ministers statement), she said.

She added that while Canadian side has been falsely accusing China of spreading disinformation, they never showed any evidence to prove it.

For some time, the Canadian side has falsely accused China of spreading disinformation against Canadian politicians on multiple occasions, but it has never come up with any solid evidence, she said.

She said Canada has been making up lies, including on Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong, to attack and smear China.

It is the Canadian side that has been producing and spreading disinformation. We urge the Canadian side to respect facts and truth, stop spreading China-related lies, and stop words and deeds that would poison the atmosphere of China-Canada relations and damage bilateral relations, she added.

With inputs from agencies
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced that the ground personnel massing on the southern border were ready to invade Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Briefing reporters at the countrys southern border, IDF Chief-of-Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, I want to be clear, we are ready to invade.

He added that the IDF was in the process of deciding on the exact timing of the ground invasion of Gaza in coordination with the countrys political echelons.

On the delay in the counter-invasion of Gaza after the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on 7 October, the IDF chief-of-staff was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying, At this stage, there are tactical and strategic factors which are allowing us more time to improve and to exploit every minute to be more ready.

He added that with every minute that passes, they are attacking the enemy more.

With every minute that passes for the other side, we are attacking the enemy more, killing its fighters, killing its commanders, destroying its infrastructure, and collecting more intelligence for the next moves, he added.

We are keeping him in tension, Halevi said, adding that the longer Hamas waits for the Israeli invasion, the more stressed it will become, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday said under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet, it thwarted terrorists of the Hamas terror organization.

The Air Force under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet thwarted terrorists of the terrorist organization Hamas tonight, among them:  Abd al-Rahman, deputy commander of the Nuzirat Battalion, participated in the murderous raid on Kibbutz Bari.  Khalil Mahjaz, deputy commander of the Shati Battalion.  Khalil Tethari, deputy commander of the Sheik Radwan Battalion, the Israeli Air Force posted from its official handle on X.

Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared on X that Israel has only one task at hand, which is to crush Hamas and it wont stop till the objective is accomplished.

With the fighters in the field, we have only one task  to crush Hamas, and we will not stop until we complete the task, the Israeli PM stated.

Moreover, according to a report in The Times of Israel, infiltration alarms were sounding in Netiv Haasara, a kibbutz just north of Gaza, after similar soundings earlier in Zikim and Karmia.

While residents were largely evacuated, those choosing to stay back were told to stay at home and lock their doors, according to the report.
According to a Kremlin statement on Wednesday, Russia has effectively shown its capacity to launch a large nuclear strike in retaliation by land, sea, and air.

Practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place during the training, the statement said.

Sergei Shoigu, the minister of defence, was shown discussing the drill with Putin on state TV.

The same statement from the Kremlin claimed that test firings of air-launched cruise missiles by Tu-95MS long-range bombers, a nuclear-powered submarine, and a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile had all taken place from test sites in Russias far east.

The drill takes place as Russia revokes its ratification of a historic nuclear testing treaty in an effort to align itself with the United States and finds itself in what it perceives as an existential standoff with the West over Ukraine.

(With agency inputs)
The Kremlin declared on Wednesday that it was unconcerned by Chinas development of its nuclear weapons, highlighting Moscows advanced strategic partnership with Beijing and Chinas inherent right to protect itself.

According to the Pentagons most recent report on Chinas military, China has launched its first nuclear-powered guided missile submarines, providing it options for sea and land attacks that were previously limited to U.S. and Russian vessels.

This does not cause us concern, our relations are an advanced strategic partnership, we have the most advanced stage of political dialogue, economic interaction, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

And in this case, China, which faces very serious challenges for its own security in the region, is taking steps that it considers appropriate.

This is the absolute sovereign right of this country.

Since Moscows decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, which resulted in broad Western sanctions, it has developed even tighter economic, diplomatic, and security relations with China, part of what they refer to as a no limits partnership.

First apparent confirmation that the modified submarines spotted in Chinese shipyards over the past 18 months are Type 093B guided missile submarines comes from a Pentagon study that was released on October 20.

This month, Russia has been adjusting its own nuclear laws, and on Wednesday, the parliament passed a bill rescinding Moscows ratification of the international treaty outlawing nuclear weapons tests.

Although Russia claims it wont resume nuclear testing until Washington does, arms control experts fear it may be edging closer towards a test that the West would perceive as a threatening escalation in the context of the Ukraine war.

(With agency inputs)
R Ravindra, Indias Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, on Wednesday, underlined New Delhis efforts to send humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, saying that it has sent 38 tons of food and critical medical equipment to the region.

Ravindra made the statement while representing India at the United Nations Security Council Open-debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Thanking the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the open debate on the latest chapter of hostilities in West Asia, he said India was deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilians in the ongoing conflict.

The mounting humanitarian crisis is equally alarming, he said.

India has sent 38 tons of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment, to the people of Palestine. We also urge the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations, including through de-escalation and issuing violence, Ravindra added.

The escalation of our utilities in the region has only exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation, he said, adding, It has once again underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire.

The terror attacks that happened on 7 October in Israel were shocking and India condemned them unequivocally, the deputy permanent envoy to the UN noted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to convey his condolences over the loss of lives and prayers for the innocent victims and their families.

We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks, Ravindra added.

We have also expressed deep shock at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Hali hospital in Gaza, where several hundreds of civilian casualties have occurred and thousands injured. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured, Indias deputy permanent envoy to the world body added.

PM Modi had also said those involved in the attack must be held responsible, Ravindra added, noting that the civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. All parties must protect civilians, especially women and children.

The Unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed. We welcome the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza, he added.

Also reaffirming Indias support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, he said the same can lead to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations. We also continue to support the Palestinian people through our bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, womens empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology, Ravindra said.

He added India was also supporting grassroots Palestinian institutions in their development initiatives.

In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, Indias deputy permanent envoy to the UN said.

He stated that the current escalation of the conflict has once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of credible, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

Every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks. We welcome all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy, he said.

Ravindra concluded his statement by reaffirming Indias firm commitment to achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Sri Lanka confirmed Wednesday the expected arrival of a Chinese research ship, following a visit by a spacecraft-tracking vessel last year that raised security concerns from neighbouring India.

New Delhi is suspicious of Chinas increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in Sri Lanka, which is strategically placed halfway along key east-west international shipping routes.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the Shi Yan 6 had been authorised to dock in Colombo, where a Chinese state-owned company operates a deep-sea container terminal.

Clearance was given for the vessel to come to Colombo for replenishment, the spokesman, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

Chinese state broadcaster CGTN calls the Shi Yan 6 a scientific research vessel with a crew of 60 to conduct oceanography, geology and marine ecology tests.

International ship tracking website MarineTraffic said the vessel was due to arrive in Colombo as soon as Wednesday.

The foreign ministry did not say how long the vessel would remain docked there.

Last year, India expressed concerns over a Sri Lanka port call by Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship.

It docked in Hambantota, a port in Sri Lankas south under a 99-year lease to the Chinese company that built it after Colombo was unable to service a $1.4 billion loan taken for the project.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion external debt last year in an unprecedented economic crisis partly blamed on Chinese loans used to build white-elephant infrastructure projects between 2005 and 2015.

China owns 52 per cent of cash-strapped Sri Lankas bilateral debt, and Beijings approval is crucial for any efforts by Colombo to restructure its outstanding loans.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended a Beijing forum last week for Chinas multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative global infrastructure programme.
The father of a 21-year-old Tanzanian student, who has been missing since the Hamas militants attacked the Kibbutz he was residing on in Israel, has shared his anguish in an interview with BBC, publicly revealing his sons name for the first time.

Joshua Mollel last had contact with his family on October 5th, just two days before the attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, which he had recently made his new home after leaving his familys residence in northern Tanzania. This was a significant step for Joshua, as it marked his first international journey and a crucial move towards realizing his aspirations.

His father mentioned that Joshua aspired to establish himself in the agribusiness sector and become one of Tanzanias most successful farmers. His parents hoped that his studies in Israel would eventually enhance their incomes, primarily earned through teaching and crop cultivation.

As the eldest child, Joshua served as a role model for his younger siblings, making it even more painful that they have been unable to speak with him for weeks.

On October 7th, Kibbutz Nahal Oz witnessed a tragic incident in which dozens of residents were killed, and hostages were taken to Gaza, located a mere 800 meters away. Joshuas fate remains unknown, leaving his family in deep distress. His father described their physical and emotional toll, stating that they couldnt eat or sleep, with the worry causing significant weight loss.

In an attempt to find information about Joshuas well-being, his father reached out to various channels, including the Tanzanian foreign ministry and Tanzanias ambassador in Tel Aviv, but has received no updates about his childs condition or whereabouts. Neither Tanzania nor Israel has officially confirmed the identities of the two missing Tanzanian students.

Tanzanias ambassador in Tel Aviv, Alex Kallua, emphasized their commitment to working with Israeli authorities to determine the status of the missing students, but the exact circumstances remain uncertain. The BBC has also sought a response from Israels foreign ministry regarding this matter.

Approximately 350 Tanzanians reside in Israel, with 70% of them being students, primarily focusing on agricultural studies, as reported by Tanzanian officials. Ambassador Kallua mentioned that nine Tanzanian students have safely returned to Tanzania in the past week, and they are actively ensuring the well-being of the remaining Tanzanian citizens in Israel.

Joshuas family disclosed that his internship at Nahal Ozs dairy farm was organized by his college, the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute  Katrin, located in central Tanzania. However, the college did not respond to the BBCs request for comments.

While understanding the complexities of the situation, Joshuas grandfather, Ephata Nanyaro, expressed the familys concern. The last contact they had with Joshua was through WhatsApp on October 7th, and the uncertainty surrounding his safety and well-being continues to weigh heavily on his loved ones.
Drawing a parallel between terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai and by Hamas in Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable and the Security Council must denounce member states that arm, fund and train terrorist groups.

Blinken made the remarks while addressing the Security Council ministerial meeting on the situation in the Middle East following the 7 October attack on Israel by Gaza-based Hamas militants.

We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people, Blinken told the UN Security Council here.

In his remarks, Blinken drew a parallel between the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel and the Pakistan-based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai.

As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. Theyre unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Beeri, he said.

They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether theyre carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason, Blinken said.

He stressed that the Security Council has a responsibility to denounce member states that arm, fund and train Hamas or any other terrorist group that carries out such horrific acts.

Blinkens remarks appeared to refer to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.

A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people in Indias financial hub.

Blinken added that the international community must not forget that among the more than 1400 people that Hamas killed on October 7 when it attacked Israel, were citizens from more than 30 UN member states, including many of the members around the horseshoe UNSC table. The victims included at least 33 American citizens.

Every one of us has a stake, every one of us has a responsibility in defeating terrorism, Blinken said.

Addressing the Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour.

The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiralling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies. Tensions threaten to boil over, he said.

The UN chief, however, added that it is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing, he said.

But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, Guterres said.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured.
Three teenagers were taken in custody in UKs Twickenham for allegedly attempting to burn a Union Jack flag while yelling Free Palestine and Allahu Akbar.

Two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old were taken into custody on charges of inciting racial hatred and racially aggravated criminal damage after they attempted to set fire to a flag that had been taken from outside a bar.

Although it is believed that two flags were stolen from outside the Fox bar, no other establishments on the high street in southwest London were the target of the incident.

Before the arrests, a drunk had pursued the gang down the street and assaulted one, a bartender from a nearby pub informed the Daily Telegraph.

He stated that the man had reported the teens attempting to burn the flag to the police.

He stated, It was one of our regulars who was in the middle of it.

He captured one of the men.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police stated: On Monday, October 23, at 6:09 p.m., police were called to Church Street, Twickenham, in response to reports of someone attempting to remove and set fire to Union flags.

Three men were taken into custody at the scene on allegations of inciting racial hatred and racially aggravated criminal damage.

Gareth Roberts, the leader of Richmond Council, commended the police for their prompt action.

In our society, hate has no place, he declared.

Additionally, I want to exhort everyone to report hate crimes they encounter. No matter how minor or unimportant you believe an occurrence to be, it is crucial that it be noticed and recorded since hate is concealed by silence.

Reporting also entitles you to assistance and guidance to restore your sense of safety.
The UK Immigration Ministry has said that visitors will be barred from staying in the country if they incite antisemitism.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said that foreign visitors will be removed from the UK if they encourage antisemitism and will not be spared even if their conduct falls below criminal standards.

He however said that there is no specific visa holder whose conduct is currently being reviewed adding there is a legal process that must be followed properly. Jenrick noted that there are some people who had been found glorifying terror activities and praising Hamas.

Last week, the London police said that they had recorded a 1,353 per cent increase in antisemitic offences this month compared to the same period last year, while Islamophobic offences were up 140 per cent in the wake of the attack by Hamas on Israel.

Responding to the increasing cases of antisemitism and Islamophobia, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed not to tolerate any hatred in the country.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged an immediate ceasefire as Israel pounds the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks, with the crisis deeply dividing the Security Council.

Israel voiced anger over the UN chiefs plea before a high-level session of the Security Council, where the Palestinian foreign minister in turn denounced what he described as inaction in the conflict that has killed thousands on both sides, mostly civilians.

Opening the session, Guterres said there was no excuse for the appalling violence by Hamas militants on 7 October but also warned against collective punishment of the Palestinians.

I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law, Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.

Guterres also said that the Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum as the Palestinians have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

His remarks infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen who, pointing his finger at Guterres and raising his voice, recounted graphic accounts of civilians including young children killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history.

Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live? Cohen said.

Rejecting tying the violence to the occupation, Cohen said Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians to the last millimeter with its withdrawal in 2005.

Israel shortly afterward imposed a blockade of the impoverished territory, in place ever since, after Hamas took power, and it still occupies the West Bank.

Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign  writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the UN chief has expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.

Epic suffering

Hamas militants stormed into Israel on 7 October and attacked largely civilian targets including families and a music festival, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

More than 5,700 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territorys Hamas-run health ministry said.

Guterres, who personally traveled to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a push to let in assistance, welcomed the entry of three aid convoys so far through the Rafah crossing.

But Guterres said it was a drop of aid in an ocean of need, as the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned it would be forced to stop working Wednesday due to lack of fuel.

To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer, and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Israel, backed by the United States, has rejected calls to halt the offensive, saying it would only allow Hamas to regroup.

New draft, new opposition

The United States last week vetoed a draft resolution on the crisis, saying it did not sufficiently support Israels right to respond to Hamas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked the Security Council to back a new US-led resolution that incorporates substantive feedback.

The draft, seen by AFP, would defend the inherent right of all states to self-defense while calling for compliance with international law. It would back humanitarian pauses to let in aid but not a full ceasefire.

No member of this council  no nation in this entire body  could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people, Blinken said.

Veto-wielding Russia  accustomed to being on the receiving end at the Security Council over its invasion of Ukraine  quickly said it would oppose the US draft, which also came under criticism from US regional ally Egypt.

Were surprised by new attempts to adopt a resolution that doesnt include any call for a ceasefire to prevent further deterioration of the situation which might lead the region to a dangerous juncture, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said.

Foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki of the Palestinian Authority, run by Hamas rivals, called inaction by the Security Council inexcusable, as did Jordan, another US partner.

The Security Council must take a clear stance to reassure two billion Arabs and Muslims that international law will be applied, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said.

Jordan and Russia are among nations that requested a meeting Thursday of the UN General Assembly, whose resolutions are non-binding, due to the Security Council deadlock.
Hours after Israel demanded the resignation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum remark, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israels call for the UN chiefs resignation, describing it as an unprovoked attack.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemns the premeditated and unprovoked attack by the Israeli Foreign Minister against the Secretary-General of the United Nations.@antonioguterres #Gaza_under_attack#Palestine#Israeliwarcrimes pic.twitter.com/cXvk74Ly0s  State of Palestine  MFA  (@pmofa) October 25, 2023

In a post on X, the Palestinian ministry described Israels position as an extension of its disrespect and lack of commitment to the United Nations, its Charter, and UN resolutions regarding Palestine.

On Tuesday, Guterres alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged an immediate ceasefire as Israel pounds the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks.

Opening the session, Guterres said there was no excuse for the appalling violence by Hamas militants on 7 October but also warned against collective punishment of the Palestinians.

Israels UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan told reporters earlier: I think that the Secretary General must resign, after Guterres delivered a speech saying there had been clear violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law, Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.

Guterres also said that the Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum as the Palestinians have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

His remarks infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen who, pointing his finger at Guterres and raising his voice, recounted graphic accounts of civilians including young children killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history.

Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live? Cohen said.

Rejecting tying the violence to the occupation, Cohen said Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians to the last millimeter with its withdrawal in 2005.

Israel shortly afterward imposed a blockade of the impoverished territory, in place ever since, after Hamas took power, and it still occupies the West Bank.

Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign  writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the UN chief has expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.

With inputs from agencies
On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will coordinate their China policy during an official White House visit and talk on maritime and cyberspace defence.

The journey to Australia, a crucial ally of the United States in the Pacific, coincides with the Middle East conflict. After postponing a trip to Sydney in May so that he could remain in Washington and resolve a government funding problem, Biden set the date for the visit.

Even as the two nations individually attempt to mend relations with Beijing, the visit will result in a number of accords targeted at discouraging and competing with China.

The anticipated arrangements include starting a maritime port infrastructure investment and an underwater internet cable project to benefit and entice Pacific Island nations whose assistance may be needed to respond to any future conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea, according to U.S. officials.

Washington and Canberra, who have been working together for many years on a collective defence treaty, will also reveal expanded security cooperation with Japan.

The Middle East crisis, which has once again drawn Washingtons focus away from the Indo-Pacific, complicates the delicate balancing act of bolstering deterrence against China without hurting Beijing too much.

A lack of leadership in the US House of Representatives has also made it more difficult to pass the legislation required to fulfil Bidens pledge to support the AUKUS defence alliance between the US, UK, and Australia. The AUKUS agreement calls for the transfer to Australia of highly classified British and American nuclear submarine technology.

AUKUS still need funding and congressional approval, but Republican lawmakers, who hold a slim majority, have consistently refused to do so.

The Biden administration sent Congress a supplemental budget request on Friday that contains policies to uphold American commitments made under AUKUS.

Biden will reassure Albanese that the United States would uphold its half of the bargain, according to a senior administration official, as Australians privately voice displeasure about the partnerships delays.

Were in close and deep consultations on Capitol Hill, the official told reporters. We are confident that the various procedural steps and budget conditions necessary to move forward with pillar one of AUKUS will move through in a way that will support our larger endeavor.

The U.S. and Australian initiatives come as both nations strive to ease diplomatic tensions with Beijing. They are intended to challenge Chinas territorial claims and lessen trade dependence on the Asian nation.

On November 4, Albanese will travel to China, Australias top trading partner and major consumer of iron ore.

A meeting between Vice President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit taking place in San Francisco from November 1117 is being secured by White House staffers.

To lessen reliance on China, the leading supplier, Biden and Albanese will also work to increase cybersecurity collaboration and Australias production of rare earth minerals.

Additionally, Biden will say that a cyberattack on Australia may be considered a armed attack, entitling the United States to commitments for collective defence. Another American official said that the United States would decide whether to use the treaty in the event of such an attack on a case-by-case basis.

China has made Australia one of its top cyber targets.

Additionally, Biden will focus on the more ethereal facets of the US-Australian partnership.

A three-course banquet created by five-time James Beard Foundation Award winner Katie Button will be enjoyed by Albanese, his partner Jodie Haydon, and the Bidens in front of a backdrop of Australian Cairns Birdwing and American Monarch butterflies.

A scheduled performance by the pop group B-52s at the dinner has been abandoned in favour of music from a U.S. military band, nodding to the gloomy political climate of the day.

(With agency inputs)
The US has joined Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia and Qatar to target a secret Hamas portfolio that is believed to be valued at least hundreds of millions of dollars.

US officials have stepped up efforts to pinpoint the Hamas portfolio along with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

On Tuesday, officials from US and Saudi Arabia convened an emergency meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) in Riyadh.

A US official said that the TFTC has been tasked with tracking terrorist organisations like Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups and sharing relevant, timely and actionable information.

Brian Nelson, the US Treasurys under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said, We cannot tolerate a world in which Hamas and other terrorist organizations fundraisers live and operate with impunity, abusing the financial system, to sustain their terror. The United States will not tolerate that world.

From our perspective, not acting against Hamas and its terrorism is a disservice to the Palestinian people. From a financial standpoint, we can clearly see that Hamas has exacerbated economic hardships for decades in the Gaza Strip by diverting humanitarian assistance to support its campaign of terror, and we must publicly condemn these actions, he added urging Gulf nations to share more information on Hamas financial ecosystem. Another US official said that the particular Hamas investment portfolio in question is likely to be worth $400 million and $1 billion and is generating significant amounts of revenue for Hamas.

US imposes sanctions on Hamas operatives

Last week, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 10 key Hamas terrorist group members, operatives, and financial facilitators to stop the flow of revenue to the terror group.

The department said that the sanctions target six individuals associated with Hamass secret investment portfolio, two senior Hamas officials, and a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange and its operator.

We will continue to take all steps necessary to deny Hamas terrorists the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities and terrorize the people of Israel. That includes by imposing sanctions and coordinating with allies and partners to track, freeze, and seize any Hamas-related assets in their jurisdictions, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
The Pentagon has deployed F-16 fighter jets and is providing Israel with two batteries of Iron Dome radar, command posts, and interceptors to enhance the countrys air defence.

The plan to flow additional Iron Dome support to Israel was confirmed by a defence official to Fox News.

The U.S. will be flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel, the defence official told Fox News. As a result, the Department of Defence is currently engaged in planning to support the provision of U.S. Iron Dome batteries to Israel.

In addition to the capabilities that weve already announced, I can also confirm that the New Jersey Air National Guards 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within U.S. Central Commands area of responsibility today with additional F-16 fighting Falcon Squadron bolstering U.S. posture to deter further aggression in the region, a Pentagon was quoted as saying by Fox news.

Hamas terrorists have launched 3,000 rockets towards Israel since October 7. Israels Iron Dome, according to the IDF, successfully intercepted approximately 90 per cent of these projectiles. The system was initially deployed in 2011 and can identify incoming missiles from a distance of about 40 miles.

On Monday, the White House announced its intention to fulfil Israels additional security requests. President Biden pledged to provide replenishments for interceptors utilized by Israels Iron Dome missile defence system, along with ammunition, and to enhance the U.S. military presence in the region.

Meanwhile, Israel has ramped up airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, reducing residential buildings to rubble and crushing families. Airstrikes have killed dozens at a time in levelled homes, according to witnesses.

The surging death toll foretells even greater loss of life ahead in Gaza, where Israeli forces are expected to launch a ground invasion seeking to destroy Hamas. Fuel shortages and the bombardment forced the shutdown of medical facilities, Gaza officials said.

U.S. and other officials fear the fighting could spill over into a wider regional conflict.

The war, on its 19th day Wednesday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Tuesday that at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 704 in the past day, and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israels military has said. Four of those have been released.
Israel has voiced anger over UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remark that Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum and demanded his resignation.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said the UN chief has expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.

     

           .

          .             !

 >> pic.twitter.com/v960jTCAqJ  Ambassador Gilad Erdan   (@giladerdan1) October 24, 2023

Guterres Tuesday alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged for an immediate ceasefire as Israel airstrikes continue in the Palestinian territory in response to attacks by Hamas.

What did Guterres say?

In the opening session of a high-level Security Council meeting, the UN chief said there was no excuse for the "appalling" violence by Hamas terrorists on October 7, but also warned against "collective punishment" of the Palestinians.

"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.

Guterres also said the Hamas attacks "did not happen in a vacuum" as the Palestinians have been "subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

Israel fumes at Guterres

The remarks by the UN Secretary-General infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen who, raising his voice and pointing his finger at Guterres, recounted graphic accounts of civilians including young children killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history.

"Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?" Cohen said.

Rejecting tying the violence to the occupation, Cohen said Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians "to the last millimeter" with its withdrawal in 2005.

Israel shortly afterward imposed a blockade of the impoverished territory, in place ever since, after Hamas took power, and it still occupies the West Bank.

Israel-Hamas War update

On October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel and attacked largely civilian targets including families and a music festival, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 220 hostages.

More than 5,700 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said.

Guterres, who personally traveled to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a push to let in assistance, welcomed the entry of three aid convoys so far through the Rafah crossing.

But the UN Chief said it was "a drop of aid in an ocean of need," as the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned it would be forced to stop working Wednesday due to lack of fuel.

"To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer, and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

Israel, backed by the United States, has rejected calls to halt the offensive, saying it would only allow Hamas to regroup.

With inputs from AFP
On Wednesday, China upgraded its diplomatic ties with Colombia to a strategic partnership, intensifying a push with one of the U.S.s oldest allies to increase its influence and solidify its position in Latin America.

As Colombian President Gustavo Petro met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on a trip to Beijing this weekhis first since taking office last yearthe two nations strengthened their ties, which had been formed in 1980.

China today maintains strategic connections with ten of the eleven South American nations with whom it has diplomatic ties, thanks to the improvement of its relations with Colombia. The only nation in the area with whom it maintains routine bilateral relations is Guyana.

China has intensified its charm offensive in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean in recent times, a region that holds strategic importance for the United States, its arch adversary.

The region is particularly important to China because it is home to a few nations that do not have diplomatic ties with Beijing but acknowledge Taiwan as a sovereign state with a democratically elected government. The only country in South America with diplomatic links to Taiwan, which China asserts is a part of its territory, is Paraguay.

China was the first nation to send immunisations to Colombia during the COVID outbreak. In 2021, Xi was requested to deliver an address to the people of Colombia via video link in appreciation for Chinas assistance in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

China is now Colombias second-largest commercial partner behind the United States as a result of a dramatic increase in imports over the past few years. Colombia exported $7 billion worth of goods to China in 2022, an increase of over 20% from the previous five years.

One of the United States closest allies in the area is Colombia. One of the oldest democracies in Latin America, with a middle-class population, it forged diplomatic relations with the US in 1822.

Id like to work with Mr. President to draw up a blueprint for the development of China-Colombia relations and promote the strategic partnership between China and Colombia, Xi told Petro as the two met at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

Contrary to several of its neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia has not yet ratified Xis multi-regional infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Ivan Duque, a former president of Colombia, had previously shown interest in joining the BRI. He encouraged closer cooperation with China and visited Beijing in 2019.

Petro praised the potential to boost Colombian exports to China and the reopening of the Andean nations national rail network during his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday.

Two Bogota Metro underground lines are anticipated to be finished by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) by 2026. The $4 billion project is 30% financed by Chinese banks and was granted to the CHEC, Xian Metro Company, and Canadian firm Bombardier Inc. consortium in 2019.

2019 also saw Columbia grant China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) the contract for the construction of the RegioTram light rail line.

Additionally, China has a mining stake in Colombia, where Zijin Mining recently acquired a gold mine from Continental Gold of Canada, elevating it to the status of a major employment.

China was asked to buy more from South America despite pledges, loans, and investments to improve infrastructure.

When we look at the trade balance between Colombia and China, we find a great imbalance, a great inequality, a product of the economic history of the two countries, Petro told Xi on Wednesday.

There is a huge deficit.

Colombia has the greatest trade imbalance with China out of the 11 South American nations that have diplomatic connections with Beijing, despite an increase in Chinese imports. More than $8 billion was lost in commerce by Colombia in the previous year.

(With agency inputs)
Qualcomm today introduced its flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform that promises 30% improvements in CPU, 25% GPU performance improvements and 10% overall improvements in power efficiency.

It also confirmed that several OEMs including ASUS, HONOR, iQOO, MEIZU, NIO, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, realme, Redmi, RedMagic, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE will use the chip.

Xiaomi 14 series

Xiaomis new flagship, Xiaomi 14 series will be the first to be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, says the companys President William Lu. The company has already confirmed the launch of the phones on October 26th at an event in China.

Redmi

Xiaomi has also confirmed that Redmi K70 series will be one of the first phones to be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and it is expected to be introduced in November. Redmi K70 series have passed 3C certification, with 90W fast charging, and the top-end models support up to 120W fast charging.

iQOO

iQOO has confirmed the launch of iQOO 12 on November 7th, making it the second phone to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. Yujian Shi, Senior Vice President & CTO at vivo has also confirmed that vivo will also launch flagship devices powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

OnePlus

OnePlus 12 is confirmed to be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, but the company is yet to reveal the launch date of the phone.

realme

realme has confirmed that its upcoming realme GT5 Pro will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform. Well deepen our collaboration to bring our fans next-level optimization on hardware and software and bring a comprehensive upgrade to performance and camera experience, said Chase Xu, realme VP.

OPPO

OPPO has also confirmed its future flagship will be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform. This should be the Find X7 Pro.

Pete Lau, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer at OPPO, said,

Over the past year, OPPO and Qualcomm Technologies have collaborated closely in areas including product innovation, cutting-edge technology development, and empowering ecosystem innovators. Our work with Qualcomm Technologies will continue to redefine the flagship smartphone performance and delivering exceptional experience to users globally.

OPPO also demoed PhysRay Engine 2.0 proprietary ray tracing engine on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform. This significantly improves visual effects such as reflections and taillights in gaming, enabling complex and detailed gaming scenarios with remarkable fidelity and high frame rates, said the company.

This initiative marks the first-ever collaboration between OPPO, Qualcomm Technologies, and Mythical Games, and marks OPPOs first-ever mobile ray tracing experience in a real-world racing game demo, providing more realistic game scenes and immersive experience.

ZTE nubia and Redmagic

Wei Luo, Vice President of ZTE Corporation, General Manager of Terminal Product has confirmed that Nubia flagship smartphone based on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is coming soon. Inheriting the professional camera features, the new device will bring more comprehensive and all-round camera, performance, and design, he added.

Hang Yu, Executive VP, Nubia Technology Co., Ltd, said that the upcoming RedMagics new product will adopt the new flagship platform. With

the support of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, we believe that the performance of RedMagics new product will be even more powerful and become the performance king that game users love, he added.

ASUS

ASUS has confirmed that it will use Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in its 2024 flagship ASUS mobile phones, which should be the Zenfone 11 and ROG Phone 8. Mobile users everywhere will be able to harness the power of artificial intelligence for more creative, productive, and secure online experiences, said S.Y. Hsu, co-CEO of ASUS.

HONOR

Fang Fei, President of Product Line, HONOR just said that HONOR and Qualcomm will work together to bring consumers more iconic flagship products. We wish the new Snapdragon flagship mobile platform a great success!, he added.

motorola and Sony Mobile have also confirmed its phones will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC in the future.
At the Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm Technologies unveiled an innovative technology known as Snapdragon Seamless. This cross-platform solution facilitates the seamless connection of various devices, including Android, Windows, and Snapdragon devices using different operating systems.

The Challenge of Incompatible Devices

According to Deloittes 2023 Connected Consumer survey, the average U.S. household now possesses 21 distinct digital devices. However, these devices often struggle to communicate effectively with one another, particularly if they originate from different manufacturers.

This lack of compatibility limits consumer choice and can lead to a situation where consumers feel locked into a single manufacturers ecosystem to ensure device compatibility. Qualcomm highlighted that the goal is to enable these devices to communicate and collaborate as one unified system.

Enhancing the Multi-Device Experience

Snapdragon Seamless offers a solution for device manufacturers and operating system partners to enhance and expand the multi-device experience for consumers.

Here are some practical examples of what this technology can achieve:

Seamless operation of mice and keyboards across PCs, phones, and tablets.

Effortless drag-and-drop file and window sharing between different types of devices.

Intelligent switching of earbuds based on the priority of the audio source.

Extending the capabilities of smartphones with XR (Extended Reality).

Snapdragon Seamless Integration

Snapdragon Seamless is a cross-platform technology that empowers the effortless connection of multiple devices across various operating systems.

It allows for the sharing of peripherals and data and has been integrated into Qualcomms mobile platforms, including the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon X Elite, as well as their wearable and hearable platforms.

Collaboration with Leading Brands

Qualcomm Technologies has joined forces with industry giants such as Microsoft, Android, Xiaomi, ASUS, HONOR, Lenovo, and OPPO. Their collective effort aims to provide consumers with multi-device experiences through Snapdragon Seamless, and this collaboration is set to roll out globally as early as this year.

Commenting on the launch, Dino Bekis, VP and GM, Wearables and Mixed Signal Solutions, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said:
OnePlus 12 5G to feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and a cutting-edge 2K OLED Display by BOE News oi -Carlsen Martin

Last week, OnePlus unveiled its inaugural foldable device, the OnePlus Open, which made its debut in India and other global markets. Today, the brand has joined forces with BOE to introduce its latest display innovation - the X1 OLED displays - within its domestic market.

OnePlus has additionally confirmed that these cutting-edge BOE X1 OLED display panels will be incorporated into the upcoming OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Ace 3 (possibly referred to as the OnePlus 12R in global markets).

A Standout Display

Furthermore, OnePlus proudly shared that its forthcoming flagship model, the OnePlus 12, has already achieved an A+ certification from DisplayMate. This marks the very first instance of a 2K resolution display attaining a DisplayMate A+ rating.

OnePlus asserts that the X1 display panels usher in six significant breakthroughs and nine pioneering achievements in terms of brightness, eye protection, and longevity. Let's delve into the specifics.

Shattering DisplayMate Records

The X1 display boasts the inclusion of Oppo's P1 display chip and a high-precision pixel calibration algorithm, ensuring heightened brightness, superior image quality, and reduced power consumption. Notably, the X1 display stands as not only the first 2K resolution display to secure a DisplayMate A+ rating but also breaks 18 DisplayMate A+ records in the process.

The latest OnePlus 12 display introduces multi-channel load reduction technology for their Oriental screens. In addition, they have created and implemented a cutting-edge sunlight highlight algorithm specifically designed for these screens.

These advancements have resulted in a remarkable 90% boost in performance while simultaneously reducing power consumption by 13%. Notably, these enhancements have enabled the brand to attain an impressive peak brightness of 2600 nits, setting a new standard for 2K display panels.

OnePlus 12 5G Prototype Showcased

OnePlus further claimed that Oriental screens will offer double the longevity compared to the prevailing industry standards. This achievement is attributed to their pioneering processes and technology developed in collaboration with BOE.

In addition, the brand unveiled that the forthcoming OnePlus Ace 3 will feature a cutting-edge 1.5K X1 display panel, with more comprehensive information on the handset's display specifications to be disclosed soon.

Notably, the company showcased prototypes of the OnePlus 12, which exhibited a distinctive placement of the alert slider along the left edge. This represents a potential first for OnePlus devices, as all previous OnePlus phones have featured the alert slider along the right edge.

OnePlus 12 5G Launch

The OnePlus 12 is expected to make its debut in China in the coming weeks. The smartphone will be powered by the recently announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. Xiaomi, Vivo, and iQOO have already announced smartphones that will be featuring the new Snapdragon chip.

OnePlus 12 camera specs



- Primary

Sony IMX966 (1/1.4")

OIS, f/1.7, 84 (FoV), 23mm



- Ultra wide

Sony IMX581 (1/2")

f/2.2, 114 (FoV), 14mm



- Telephoto

OmniVision OV64B (1/2")

3X optical (70mm) /6X (in-sensor)

upto 120X digital zoom

OIS, f/2.5, 33 (FoV)



Solid upgrade overall  Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) October 23, 2023

OnePlus 12 5G Specifications

According to tipster Yogesh Brar, the OnePlus 12 5G will feature a triple-rear camera setup on the back with a 50 MP Sony IMX966 primary sensor with a 1/1.4-inch sensor size, OIS support and an f/1.7 aperture. The main camera will also be paired with a 50 MP Sony IMX581 ultrawide shooter, and a 64 MP OmniVision OV64B telephoto unit with OIS support, 120x Digital Zoom, and an f/2.5 aperture.

The camera setup on the back will be fine-tuned in collaboration with Hasselblad. The OnePlus 12 5G is also expected to pack a 5,000 mAh battery with 100W wired fast charging support and 50W wireless fast charging support. Stay tuned to Gizbot for more details about the OnePlus 12 5G.

Source

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Colorado judge chides company that tried to pay $23,500 settlement in coins weighing 3 tons

A Colorado judge chided a welding company that tried to pay off a $23,500 settlement with a subcontractor by sending the money in loose coins that weighed 3 tons
Police chief's son who was wanted in shooting of 2 officers is found dead, Tennessee officials say

Authorities say the estranged son of Nashvilles police chief, who was wanted in the shooting of two police officers, has been found dead
All eyes on spies as US and China trade espionage accusations

Chinese media reports on researcher-turned-American-spy arrested amid growing intelligence frenzy.

By Chris Taylor for RFA 2023.10.24 -- China's top espionage agency says a Chinese citizen has been accused of spying for the United States and is being tried in the southwestern city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

The details of the case, which involve a researcher surnamed Hou, who allegedly turned American spy while studying in the U.S. in 2013, were revealed by state television media, which reported Sunday that Hou is a nuclear physicist or researcher.

He's accused of continuing to work for the U.S. upon his return to China until his arrest in Sichuan in 2021.

According to state-run tabloid Global Times, Hou willingly engaged in more than 20 encounters with representatives of U.S. spy and intelligence agencies, providing top-secret intelligence information on China's national defense and its military.

The Chinese reports coincided with a 60 Minutes report about international "Five Eyes" intelligence chiefs warning of the unprecedented threat of China's state-sanctioned hacking.

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that China represents the "defining threat" of this generation.

"There is no country that presents a broader, more comprehensive threat to our ideas, our innovation, our economic security, and ultimately, our national security," Wray told 60 Minutes.

He added that there were currently some 2,000 active U.S. investigations related to Chinese government efforts to steal information.

"You have [in China] the biggest hacking program in the world by far, bigger than every other major nation combined," said Wray.

In July this year, Chinese hackers breached U.S. government email servers after a month of forging digital authentication tokens to access federal government email servers hosted on Microsoft's Outlook email platform.

China, which has its own concerns, is holding its corner and has enacted a slew of anti-espionage laws and regulations over the past year.

"National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation," the Global Times opined earlier this year in a reference to China's version of "Make America Great Again."

Li Wei, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a leading research institution on national security, told the Global Times that foreign espionage forces, led by the U.S. are reaching new heights.

"Relying solely on professional counter-espionage police is no longer sufficient to cope with the current situation. Therefore, we need to seek the support of the public and encourage them to provide more clues," Li added.

Walls have ears

In August this year, China's security ministry opened an official account on WeChat, which has more than 1.3 billion active monthly users - think of it as X, Facebook and daily banking all rolled into one - calling on Chinese citizenry to "enhance the awareness of counterespionage of the whole society, and form a strong joint force to maintain national security."

At the time, Chinese state media said it was a necessity to put all of China on an anti-espionage footing as a result of new "criminal activities" that endanger national security.

Less than a month after that National Security Law came into effect, China's top security agency, the Ministry of State Security, or MSS, accused a government worker of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

It was the second such spying accusation in August this year, as Beijing continued to ramp up an anti-espionage campaign that it says every Chinese citizen should participate in.

Associate Professor Chongyi Feng of the University of Technology, Sydney in Australia told RFA at the time that since the new National Security Law was implemented, China's anti-espionage efforts have gone into a state of "hyper-vigilance."

"This newly implemented law empowers security personnel to commit injustice. They have a strong motive to fabricate false accusations to gain merit. They can easily concoct a story and then release it to the world. It's a mechanism of persecution that's extremely terrifying," Feng said.

Bill Bishop, in his widely read Sinocism Substack pointed out Monday that China's MSS - obviously sensitive to accusations of overreach - made a statement in its WeChat account about "Misinterpretations and Facts of [the] 'Counter-Espionage Law.'"

"The vast majority of voices respect and support China's legitimate legislative activities, although there have been some misunderstandings, and even malicious accusation and smear," China's MSS said on social media.

The "MISCONCEPTION" [by MSS reckoning] a Bishop adds, is that the Counter-Espionage Law was enacted in 2014, and revised in 2023, in no way suggesting that China is overreaching on counterespionage issues.

Meanwhile, according to Chinese-language state-media reporting, "In July 2021, criminal coercive measures were taken against Hou, and he has now been transferred to the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court for trial.

"The case is currently under further review."

More than 99% of Chinese criminal cases result in a guilty verdict.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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National Guard poised for security cooperation partnership with Sweden

By Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely, National Guard Bureau October 22, 2023

STOCKHOLM -- At the Swedish embassy in Washington D.C. in April, the National Guard's top officer was invited to speak at a reception marking the Swedish Army's 500th anniversary.

Several days later, the Swedish government applied to join the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

"Our National Guard is a relatively young 386 years old, compared to your army," Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said at the reception, referring to the Guard's formation in 1636.

Relations between the U.S. and Sweden began not long after the first Guard militias mustered in Massachusetts, as the first Swedish immigrants arrived on the shores of Delaware in 1638.

Sweden was one of the first nations to recognize U.S. independence in 1783. The countries have maintained close ties since, rooted in shared values and goals  stability, rules-based order, freedom and democracy.

Last week, Sweden hosted Hokanson for two days of talks with its defense and military leaders to discuss its prospects of joining the SPP.

His visit here came as Sweden and the U.S. conduct final negotiations for a new defense cooperation agreement to deepen defense ties between Stockholm and Washington.

"I am the biggest supporter of Sweden joining the State Partnership Program," Hokanson said, emphasizing his support for Sweden's application to join NATO. "Sweden will bring instant capability to both NATO and the State Partnership Program."

The SPP was born in 1993 as a DoD security cooperation program to help the armed forces of former Soviet states emerging from behind the Iron Curtain. It now includes 100 partner nations and the National Guard of every state, territory and the District of Columbia.

While in Stockholm, the CNGB met with Pal Jonson, Sweden's minister of defense; Gen. Michael Byden, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces; Lt. Gen. Michael Claesson, chief of the Defense Staff, and Maj. Gen. Jonny Lindfors, chief of the Swedish Army.

"In addition to the Swedish NATO membership, bilateral military cooperation between the U.S. and Sweden is crucial," Lindfors said. "The National Guard has capabilities ranging from the trenches to space that we, as a small nation, do not have yet, nor will be able to afford.

"Here, we can learn from their expertise and ways in which to get help and assistance," he said.

Because of its previous non-military alignment policy, Sweden built and equipped its armed forces for national defense. In a country larger than California, with a population of about 10 million, its territory is vast and location strategic.

Though it shares no land border with Russia, Sweden considers itself a frontline state because of its extensive Baltic coastline and islands in the Baltic Sea.

Through conscripted military service and civilian emergency agency service, every Swedish citizen between the ages of 16 and 70 is a part of Sweden's total defense and will help prepare for war, if needed.

Earlier this year, Sweden held its largest military exercise in 25 years. Soldiers from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and neighboring Nordic nations took part in drills to train for the event of a major armed attack on Sweden.

Jonson told Hokanson the Swedish Armed Forces are undergoing their largest build-up in decades  with concerns that Russia's brutal and unprovoked war in Ukraine may expand into Northern Europe and the Baltics. He said the possibility of partnering with the National Guard is promising.

"It's the right thing to do," Jonson said, "to further expand our security cooperation with the U.S."

The Guard has previously worked with the Swedish Armed Forces in the Arctic, armor and artillery training. Hokanson outlined some facts and figures about the Guard to Swedish leaders.

"With about 443,000 Soldiers and Airmen, we're 20% of the U.S. Joint Force," he said. "We're the combat reserve of the Army and Air Force. We have about 20,000 Guardsmen deployed globally on any given day."

The Guard is postured to support large-scale operations, with eight full Army National Guard divisions and 90 Air wings.

"Over the past 20 years, our efforts consisted of small formations from fixed bases," Hokanson said. "But experience from Ukraine shows that we must be able to field and operate as large-scale formations."

He also told Swedish officials the Guard brings important civil support dimensions, including crisis management, disaster response and improving resilience.

But security cooperation  working with partner nations to increase readiness and interoperability, is one of the most important functions of the Guard in the complex and dynamic global environment, he said.

There are strong similarities between the Guard and the Swedish Armed Forces. Hokanson said a partnership between the National Guard and Sweden is a mutually beneficial endeavor, with each side possessing unique expertise.

"There's a lot we can learn from each other," he said, "particularly in the space and cyber domains. Also, Swedish troops are experts at working in the Arctic environment. Learning from them how to operate in cold conditions is critical. The Arctic is becoming more important every day."

Hokanson traveled to Sweden's northernmost province, North Bothnia, to familiarize with the environment and military capabilities there. Stops in Lulea to see Sweden's northern air force and Boden to see armor and artillery units showcased the Swedish Armed Forces' ability to thrive in the high north.

He also met with Sweden's Regional Command North leaders and the Swedish Home Guard unit responsible for this region.

The Home Guard consists of modern combat units. Its 40 light infantry battalions' main responsibility is to protect, guard and monitor Swedish territory and provide support to society in times of crisis.

Its motto is "Everywhere, Always." As an all-volunteer force, Home Guard members work between four and 15 days per year to augment critical infrastructure defense and national defense efforts, if needed.

In many discussions, Hokanson was asked about the status of Sweden's application to join the SPP and what U.S. states are being considered for potential pairing.

The SPP is a DoD program managed by the Guard Bureau and conducted through the geographic combatant commands. The timing and state pairing decisions are made by civilian leaders on each side.

"We'll work closely with our leadership to find the best fit," Hokanson said. "No matter what state is paired with any given partner nation, the partner nation's armed forces have access to the capabilities of the entire National Guard.

"But everybody wants to be a partner with Sweden."

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Dutch military and contractors provide port assistance for incoming US aviation brigade

By Natalie Weaver October 23, 2023

VLISSINGEN, Netherlands -- More than 40 aircraft and hundreds of U.S. Army equipment pieces and vehicles from 1st Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade were received by 39th Transportation Battalion, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, with the support of Dutch military and civilian contractors at the port of Vlissingen, Netherlands on Oct. 17.

Port operations took place day and night by 635th Transportation Detachment, 598th Transportation Brigade (Surface Deployment and Distribution Command), 1st ID CAB, and Dutch personnel to download Blackhawks, Apaches, Chinooks, Humvees, other wheeled vehicles, and equipment from the commercial cargo vessel, ARC Endurance.

U.S. Army Capt. Matthew DeGennaro, commander, 635th Transportation Detachment, 39th Transportation Battalion, spoke highly about his efficient team.

"We have some Soldiers where this is their first mission. So, it's been a really rewarding experience being able to see my more senior NCO's mentor my junior Soldiers and teach them how to do their MOS (military occupational specialty) specific tasks," said DeGennaro.

DeGennaro's Soldiers effectively execute reception, staging, and onward movement by scanning all items coming off the vessel, safely guiding vehicles to staging areas, and ensuring customs forms are prepared correctly.

In January this year, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team came through the port of Vlissingen, and now, the host nation is showing their extended capabilities by supporting an aviation brigade. Vlissingen's accessibility and onward movement modality versatility helps maintain and enhance levels of readiness, provide operational flexibility, and develop relationships.

Netherlands Armed Forces Maj. Willibrord Voets, officer in charge, said the open communication between U.S. troops, civilian contractors, and their military allows the operation to run smoothly and builds trust.

Air Force, Army, and drone detection support was provided by Dutch military to ensure the port's security and arrange the operation's facilities and life support areas.

"It's really a team effort across everybody from the Dutch to the Americans. It's a great experience," said 1st Lt. Christine Martin, port officer in charge, 635th Transportation Detachment.

The aviation brigade from Ft. Riley, Kansas, is part of a rotational deployment, replacing 3rd ID CAB, who is exiting the theater later this year. About 270 1st ID CAB Soldiers were on-site at the port to assist operations and guide and assemble their aircraft. Maintenance and tests were conducted on aircraft before they flew to their final destinations, and all other vehicles and equipment will be transferred by commercial line haul.

The 21st Theater Sustainment Command is U.S. Army Europe and Africa's lead organization for all sustainment activities including logistics support, transportation, combat sustainment, human resources, finance, contracting and all other areas in the field of sustainment. The command also serves as the responsible headquarters for USAREUR-AF's military police, medical and sustainment brigades, providing combat engineers, military police and medical professionals during partnership training and other operations in support of not only USAREUR-AF, but also NATO, U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Central Command.

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Lithuania - AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 23-75

WASHINGTON, October 23, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Lithuania of AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $100 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Lithuania has requested to buy thirty-six (36) AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); and one (1) AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM Guidance Section. Also included are Common Munitions Built-In-Test (BIT)/Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE); ADU-891/E adapter group computer test sets; AIM-120 spare control sections and containers; other spare parts, consumables, accessories, and repair/return support; munitions support and support equipment; classified software delivery and support; classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation; contractor logistics support (CLS); personnel training and training equipment; studies and surveys; transportation support; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $100 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for ensuring peace and stability in Europe.

This proposed sale will be for use with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and will improve Lithuania's capability to conduct self-defense and regional security missions while enhancing interoperability with the U.S. and other NATO members. Lithuania will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, AZ. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Lithuania.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

-30-

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Finland - Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range (AARGM-ER)

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 23-74

WASHINGTON, October 23, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland of Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Finland has requested to buy up to one hundred fifty (150) AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range (AARGM-ERs). Also included are Dummy Air Training Missiles (DATM); missile containers; software; training; support equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; transportation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering; technical and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $500 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.

The proposed sale will improve Finland's capability to meet current and future threats by strengthening its self-defense capabilities and ensuring interoperability with United States and other allied forces. Finland will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be Northrop Grumman Systems, Falls Church, VA. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Finland.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.



-30-

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Niger: EU sets up an autonomous framework for restrictive measures

European Council / Council of the European Union

Council of the EU

Press release

23 October 2023

The Council today adopted a framework for restrictive measures in view of the situation in Niger.

This decision demonstrates the European Union's resolve to sanction those who undermine the stability, democracy, rule of law in Niger, and constitute a threat to peace and security in the region. This new autonomous framework for restrictive measures is set to make a tangible contribution in supporting the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) towards swift return to constitutional order in Niger.

The EU has from the very beginning condemned the coup d'etat in Niger in the strongest terms. With today's decision, the EU strengthens its support to ECOWAS' efforts and sends a clear message: military coups bear costs. In order to safeguard the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance or activities that support basic human needs in Niger, this new regime includes a humanitarian exemption.

- Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Thanks to this new framework, the EU would be able to sanction individuals and entities responsible for actions that threaten the peace, stability and security of Niger, undermine the constitutional order, democracy, the rule of law, or constitute serious human rights violations or abuses, or violations of applicable international humanitarian law in Niger.

The restrictive measures consist of and asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available for individuals and entities, as well as a travel ban for individuals.

In order to safeguard the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance or activities that support basic human needs in Niger, this new regime includes a humanitarian exemption to the asset freeze measures in coherence with UN Security Council resolution 2664 (2022).

The EU remains engaged with the people of Niger through humanitarian support to relieve shortages of basic supplies. The EU has provided 58 tonnes of essential sanitary supplies, including medicine and medical material humanitarian air bridge in October.

Background

On 26 July 2023, a military coup attempted to oust democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. Two days after, General Tchiani, chief of the Presidential guard, proclaimed himself President of the Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP).

To this day, President Bazoum, who has refused to resign, is still being detained, along with his wife and son, in the presidential palace.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reacted swiftly by imposing economic and financial sanctions and pursuing mediation efforts to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis while activating its Standby Force.

The EU immediately condemned the coup in the strongest terms with a statement dated 28 July. On 31 July, the High Representative Josep Borrell reiterated in a statement following the ECOWAS Summit, the EU's call for the immediate and unconditional release of President Bazoum and for the full restauration of the constitutional order.

In its statement of 12 August 2023, the EU fully endorsed the efforts of ECOWAS and stated that it stood ready to support them, including through the establishment of a new regime of individual sanctions.

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Daily Recap: Hamas - Israel War October 23rd, 2023 (19:00) - Day 17

IDF Press Release

Official IDF Daily Update

23.10.23

IDF

The IDF struck hundreds of targets in Gaza over the last 24 hours, focusing on both Hamas operatives and military targets, including weapons storage sites, underground terrorist tunnels, command centers, observation posts and more.

An IDF soldier was killed by an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip near Kissufim

Attacks from Lebanon on Israel's northern border continued, including an attempted rocket launch, two UAVs that were launched and the identification of an anti-tank missile cell. These attacks were prevented by swift IDF action.

Continue reading for a note from Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, key links for recommended reading, and a more in-depth arena overview.

Field Notes from Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, IDF Spokesperson to International Media

For a military spokesperson, the tension between what can and can't be published is a dilemma that lies front and center.

Every briefing, every publication and every interview requires careful consideration on what intelligence sources may be jeopardized and what sensitive military capabilities may be exposed.

This war, we've been forced to make another decision, far more gruesome in its nature. When Hamas attacked men, women and children across southern Israel on October 7th , it did so in the most brutal fashion. And as one would expect from a sophisticated terrorist organization, it proudly documented those horrors. Meticulously.

If you had asked me three weeks ago, it would be clear to me that those images and videos would never see the light of day.

I'd be wrong.

Before we had even finished fighting off the terrorists in southern Israel, the denials started to come in. This reached a peak with absurd demands, requesting signed medical declarations about an incinerated baby.

So today, we hosted over 200 journalists to sit through a screening of the terrorists' headcams. For nearly an hour, the screen played horrors and some of the most hardened journalists cried.

This is not a war we wanted. This is not a screening that I would have ever dreamed we would run, not in my worst nightmare. But today, I - together with hundreds of journalists and their readers - stood witness.

Key Links

A children's pink school bag rigged with explosives by Hamas terrorists, discovered by IDF sappers in southern Israel





Civilian dash cam footage from October 7th attack . This is part of the footage shown in the press conference Lt. Col. Hecht referenced above





Arena Overview

Gaza

The IDF continues to strike Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip, preparing for the intensification of operations in order to dismantle the Hamas organization. Over the last day, hundreds of targets were struck. Two of these targets were located in the vicinity of a mosque , as Hamas continues to use civilian infrastructure for terrorist activity. The IDF also continued to ensure that all those involved in the attacks on October 7 are brought to justice, targeting a member of the Nuhkba forces.

Hamas efforts to target Israel continued as well. On Monday afternoon, two UAVs were launched from Gaza and thwarted by the IDF. In addition, an anti-tank missile cell was identified and targeted overnight by an IDF tank.

The IDF continues to operate on both sides of the security fence in order to both gather intelligence and improve IDF operational flexibility for the next stages of the war. While carrying out these missions, one IDF soldier was killed and three others were injured near Kissufim after a tank and engineering vehicle were targeted by an anti-tank squad in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

Over 800 bodies of terrorists who invaded Israel on October 7th have been recovered in southern Israel, and some 200 terrorists are being detained. The IDF continues to carefully monitor southern Israel in the wake of October 7th's attack. As part of these efforts, a pink school bag with an explosive device was located in the area of Kissufim. This bag was carried by Hamas terrorists in the October 7th attack and contains a remotely-activated explosive device, and explosives weighing about 7 kilograms.

Despite Hamas's attempts to stop residents from following the IDF's recommendations to temporarily move to southern Gaza, over 700,000 Gazan residents have already done so. Israeli security forces checked the 14 truck loads of humanitarian aid containing food, water and medicine that crossed into Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Sunday. The IDF has reiterated that it will not allow any aid to reach Hamas terrorists.

Northern Israel

On the northern border, Hezbollah terrorist attacks continue with anti-tank missiles fired at communities and military posts. The IDF continues to quickly identify and eliminate the abilities of terror cells preparing to launch attacks. Just in the last day, the IDF struck eight such cells, seven before they even launched rockets. Since the beginning of the war, over twenty Hezbollah cells have been targeted. On Monday afternoon, a UAV attempted to penetrate Israeli airspace from Lebanon via the sea, before being intercepted by the Israeli Aerial Defense Array.

The IDF will continue to respond to every attempt or attack on its forces.

The Israeli Homefront

Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north continue to fire rockets and launch UAVs at Israeli communities and military posts, with sirens sounding in southern Israel, Be'er Sheva, and in northern Israel. The National Emergency Management Authority said some 120,000 civilians have been relocated from southern and northern Israel.

To date, 222 families have been notified that their loved ones were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip and 308 families of soldiers were notified that their loved ones were killed in action.

Previous versions of this daily summary are available here.

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3d MLR Paves the Way with Force Design Capabilities

US Marine Corps News

23 Oct 2023 | 1st Lt. Anne Pentaleri 3rd Marine Division

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES -- In March of 2022, a redesignation ceremony presided over by Commanding Officer Col. Timothy S. Brady, Jr., on Marine Corps Base Hawaii marked the first transition of its kind from 3d Marines, a traditional infantry regiment, to 3d Marine Littoral Regiment. Over the next year, 3d MLR would adopt three subordinate battalions: 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion, and 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion. The unit's unique construct was designed with potential adversaries in mind. 3d Littoral Combat Team, redesignated from 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, adopted Force Design's restructuring of the infantry battalion. More lightweight and maneuverable than the legacy model, 3d LCT adopted lessons learned from Infantry Battalion Experimentation and employs three rifle companies, a headquarters company, and a medium-range missile battery. 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion, redesignated from Combat Logistics Battalion 3 under 3d Marine Logistics Group, is organized and trained to provide 3d MLR with tactical logistics and explosive ordnance disposal support. The reactivation of 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion was a historic milestone, as the unit inherited the lineage of 3d Light Anti-Aircraft Battalion whic is a decorated unit with history dating back to World War II. While 3d LAAB's mission is not new to the Marine Corps, the unit's alignment under 3d MLR reflects the formation's innovative way of employing air defense, air surveillance early warning, and air control to increase the commander's overall battlespace awareness.

Immediately following redesignation, 3d MLR executed its inaugural deployment to the Philippines to train shoulder-to-shoulder with the Armed Forces of the Philippines during exercise Balikatan 22. The exercise tested 3d MLR's ability to command and control multiple expeditionary sites while conducting distributed operations in an austere environment. Following its successful execution of Balikatan, 3d MLR returned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii in time to establish a combat operations center in support of the world's largest international maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific 2022. RIMPAC culminated with a multinational amphibious demonstration during which 3d MLR conducted a naval strike missile raid in support of combined-joint maritime force maneuver - another first for the formation.

3d MLR's second joint training opportunity came in October of 2022, when the regiment deployed to various training locations around the island of Oahu to conduct stand in force operations for the Army's annual Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center exercise. JPMRC was key for 3d MLR's rehearsal of expeditionary advanced base operations prior to Marine Littoral Regiment Training Exercise. MLR-TE took place in February of 2023 in Twentynine Palms, Calif. It was the first time the inaugural Marine Littoral Regiment operated as a Task Element under 3d Marine Division supporting sea control and denial objectives. By testing the unit's employment of its "fight now" capabilities in a simulated combat environment, the exercise enabled 3d MLR to refine its standard operating procedures and advanced operating concepts.

Upon its return from MLR-TE, 3d MLR geared up for its second deployment to the Philippines for Balikatan 23. The regiment's second iteration of the exercise marked 3d MLR's first overseas deployment as a fully-formed unit - the first iteration having taken place prior to the redesignation and realignment of 1st Battalion, 3d Marines and Combat Logistics Battalion 3. The focus of Balikatan 23 was to bolster enhance civil-military relations and enhance the collective security and defensive capabilities of the alliance. When 3d MLR returned to the Philippines for Marine Aviation Support Activity 23 in July, the regiment shifted focus to integrating into the command-and-control node of any unit in the Fleet Marine Force in support of Marine Air/Ground Task Force operations alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines. After demonstrating the ability to rapidly deliver tailored capabilities from the third island chain to the first island chain, the forward deployed Marines and Sailors of 3d MLR made their way back to Marine Corps Base Hawaii to begin staff planning in support of exercise Pololu Strike. Pololu Strike gave the battalions one final opportunity to refine their training and readiness standards in a field environment before executing the culminating exercise of fiscal year 2023 - Force Design Integration Exercise.

Led by U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, Force Design Integration Exercise validated the concepts outlined in Force Design 2030 by integrating surface, sub-surface, ground, and air-based capabilities on and around the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Kauai. During Force Design Integration Exercise, 3d MLR conducted stand in force operations, enabling its Pacific Marines and Joint counterparts through the establishment of multiple fires and sensing expeditionary advanced bases across disparate training areas. Through the successful execution of Force Design 2030-enabled capabilities, 3d MLR allowed the force to sense the battlespace, seize and hold key maritime terrain, and conduct reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. The successful execution of Force Design Integration Exercise by 3d MLR and participating units demonstrated the Pacific Marines' firm grasp of Force Design 2030's operating concepts.

The formation's ability to conduct distributed operations while enabling the joint force is fundamental to the future employment of the Fleet Marine Force in the Indo-Pacific region. As 3d MLR remains fit to serve the needs of its higher headquarters, 12th Marine Regiment prepares itself for redesignation. Based in Okinawa, Japan, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment is scheduled to activate on Nov. 15, 2023. The addition of a second Marine Littoral Regiment to the region will enhance the overall security of the Indo-Pacific, giving the Fleet Marine Force the ability to leverage the full spectrum of conflict in contested maritime domains.

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Military Coup d'Etat in Gabon

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

October 23, 2023

The United States has concluded that a military coup d'etat has taken place in Gabon. Pursuant to section 7008 of the Department of State's annual appropriations act, the United States is suspending most U.S. assistance to the Government of Gabon. This foreign assistance has been temporarily paused by the United States since September 26.

We underscore that our humanitarian, health, and education assistance will continue to benefit the people of Gabon.

The United States reaffirms our commitment to support Gabon in conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance and advancing shared security interests in the Gulf of Guinea. We will resume our assistance alongside concrete actions by the transitional government toward establishing democratic rule. We will continue to work closely with the Gabonese people and regional partners.

The United States stands with the Gabonese people in their aspirations for democracy, prosperity, and stability.





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Joint Statement on the United States-Indonesia Senior Officials' 2+2 Foreign Policy and Defense Dialogue

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

October 23, 2023

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Indonesia on the occasion of the inaugural Senior Officials' Foreign Policy and Defense Dialogue.

Begin text:

The United States and Indonesia held the first-ever Senior Officials' Foreign Policy and Defense Dialogue today at the State Department in Washington, D.C. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner led the U.S. delegation. Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director General for the American and European Affairs Ambassador Umar Hadi and Ministry of Defense's Director General for Defense Strategy Major General Bambang Trisnohadi led the Indonesian delegation.

The two sides reaffirmed their leaders' intent to elevate the U.S.-Indonesia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to further deepen cooperation across a range of sectors. Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink welcomed the opportunity to advance shared priorities during the upcoming visit of President Joko Widodo to Washington, D.C. in November. The two sides also looked forward to the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024 and committed to strengthening the connections between our people.

The United States recognized Indonesia's leadership as 2023 Chair of ASEAN and reaffirmed its appreciation for Indonesia's role as country coordinator for U.S.-ASEAN dialogue relations. Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary Ratner underscored the United States' continued support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Officials from both countries emphasized ASEAN's role in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The United States expressed appreciation for Indonesia's leadership in building trust toward an inclusive, peaceful, and democratic resolution to the crisis in Burma. The two sides urged the military regime to take concrete action to immediately halt violence and create a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Officials from both countries also reiterated the importance of making progress on ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus. Both countries committed to supporting incoming 2024 ASEAN Chair Laos in engaging all relevant stakeholders in Burma towards an inclusive, peaceful, and democratic resolution. They highlighted cooperation with ASEAN as central to achieving prosperity and security, both regionally and globally.

The two sides exchanged views on a range of global and regional security issues, including developments in the Middle East and the South China Sea. Assistant Secretary of Defense Ratner congratulated Director General Trisnohadi on the successful completion of the 2023 Exercise SUPER GARUDA SHIELD, which has grown into one of the largest multilateral military exercises in the region, incorporating the United States, Indonesia, five partner countries, and 11 observer countries. As Indonesia's largest military engagement partner, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the modernization of Indonesia's defense forces. Both officials welcomed the intention to elevate the status of the United States - Indonesia defense cooperation. Officials from both countries explored ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of maritime security, military medicine, peacekeeping, defense POW/MIA remains recovery from World War II, professional military education - including on human rights protections and security governance standards - and bilateral and multilateral military exercises.

The two sides reflected on the importance of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and welcomed efforts to substantially conclude IPEF negotiations on the Clean Economy Pillar and the Fair Economy Pillar during the November APEC Economic Leaders' Week. They further shared views on the importance of secure supply chains, critical and green infrastructure, and regional economic security, as well as the threat posed by the climate crisis and the need to accelerate the clean energy transition. To address these challenges and reduce emissions, officials from both countries discussed next steps to realize new cooperation initiatives related to, critical minerals, cyber and maritime security, semiconductors, the innovative Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and small modular reactors.

End text.

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Secretary Blinken's Call with Spanish Foreign Minister Albares

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

October 23, 2023

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares to discuss Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel. The Secretary called for the release of all hostages. The Secretary reiterated U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself and continued engagement with regional partners to prevent the spread of conflict. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed ongoing humanitarian assistance efforts and affirmed continued coordination to enable Palestinians in need to have sustained and safe access to aid. He welcomed continued Spanish engagement together with other European allies, particularly as Spain holds the Council of the EU presidency, toward our shared goal of ending Hamas' violence and protecting civilians.

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UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Haiti

UNICEF

23 October 2023

NEW YORK, 23 October 2023 - "Excellencies, colleagues,

"Thank you to Ambassador Franca Danese for hosting this briefing during Brazil's Security Council presidency, and for inviting me to update you on the dire humanitarian and child rights crisis in Haiti.

"Today, I am speaking both as UNICEF Executive Director, and as the designated Principal Advocate on the Humanitarian Situation in Haiti for the Inter Agency Standing Committee.

"The crisis in Haiti grows worse by the day.

"Half the population needs humanitarian assistance, including nearly 3 million children. But half of those in need of assistance aren't getting it - in large part because of insecurity and insufficient humanitarian funding. Basic services are on the verge of collapse. And in some communities, life is more dangerous now than it has ever been.

"Years of political turmoil, and devastating economic conditions have led to the proliferation of armed groups. An estimated two million people, including 1.6 million women and children, live in areas under their effective control. And they are expanding their operations outside of the capital, perpetrating extreme levels of violence in both Port-au-Prince and neighboring Artibonite. When I visited Haiti last June, I saw firsthand how horrific violence and fear are tearing apart the very fabric that binds families and communities together.

"Children are being injured or killed in the crossfire, some even on their way to school. Others are being forcibly recruited, or they are joining armed groups out of sheer desperation. Communities are being terrorized  and women and girls are being targeted with extreme levels of gender-based and sexual violence.

"During my recent visit, I met an 11-year-old girl at the Gheskio center, which provides care for survivors of sexual violence in the heart of Port-au-Prince. Late last year, five men from an armed group abducted her off the street while she was walking. Three of them took turns raping her. In June, when she shared her story with me, she was about eight months pregnant.

"Several women at the center spoke of armed men breaking in, raping them - in one case, in front of her children - and then setting their homes on fire. In some areas, such horrific abuses and crimes are now commonplace.

"Abductions for ransom have skyrocketed, while students, teachers, and health workers are subjected to threats daily. As a result, skilled workers - who are desperately needed to deliver essential services - are trying to flee their communities, and even the country entirely. Tens of thousands of people are now internally displaced because of the extreme violence.

"Armed groups have also strangled major transport routes from Port-au-Prince to the rest of the country - where most of the population resides - destroying livelihoods and restricting access to essential services.

"This life-threatening mix of conditions has caused an intensifying food security and nutrition crisis - especially for children. Since last year, we have seen an unprecedented 30 per cent increase in the number of children suffering from severe wasting to more than 115,000 nationally.

"Nearly a quarter of Haiti's children are chronically malnourished, which can have devastating consequences for their physical and cognitive development.

"The malnutrition crisis coincides with an ongoing cholera outbreak - in which nearly half of the more than suspected cases are children under 14. And severely malnourished children are five times more likely to die from cholera without urgent treatment. Yet the national health system does not have the capacity to adequately respond to the health and nutrition needs of vulnerable children and families.

"The violence is also compromising the work of humanitarian actors on the ground. Yet despite the risk and operational complexity, our organizations are still reaching the most vulnerable children and families with lifesaving services.

"And there are some positive outcomes.

"Last week, for example, UNICEF and our partners were able to secure the safe release of nearly 60 children being held by armed groups occupying a school in Port-au-Prince.

"Excellencies, we are delivering for the people of Haiti, and we are committed to staying on the ground to meet humanitarian needs. But we need more support. So far this year, we have received barely a quarter of the $720 million needed to fund the Humanitarian Response Plan.

"The international community should prioritize increasing flexible humanitarian funding. This will help us to provide lifesaving aid, while also implementing solutions for longer-term development and resilience building. I hope all of us here today will urge International Financial Institutions and development partners to keep Haitian social sectors and services in operation - at least until their capacity is rebuilt.

"Of course, progress in Haiti is contingent upon significant improvements to the security situation. The Multi-National Security Support Mission to Haiti, recently approved by this Council, will play a critical role in this effort. The safety of civilians is paramount, and the Support Mission must prioritize their protection in all of its operations.

"This includes avoiding the use of force in and around populated areas. And the Mission must only use the least harmful means that are necessary and proportionate to legitimate law enforcement objectives.

"The Support Mission must also ensure that special care and attention are given to the protection of vulnerable groups - including children, women, people living with disabilities, and those who are internally displaced. The Mission must work with the Government to identify threats to these groups of people, and to ensure they are protected from abuses and other human rights violations  including sexual and gender-based violence, and grave violations against children.

"Preventing sexual exploitation and abuse will require thorough pre-deployment and on-the-ground training. Police Contributing Countries must take all necessary steps to conduct investigations of allegations as expeditiously as possible, and to hold perpetrators of SEA accountable.

"In addition, the Mission must ensure that children who are, or allegedly are, associated with armed groups are regarded as victims of violations of international law. This includes those who are accused of committing crimes.

"Lastly, the Support Mission must strive to facilitate humanitarian action, while remaining apart from humanitarian operations. They must avoid impeding access to reach people in need according to humanitarian principles. Adequate coordination with humanitarian actors through civilian-military platforms will be fundamental.

"Excellencies, I continue to be struck by the resilience, dignity and courage of the people of Haiti, despite the dire situation on the ground. They remain dedicated to the vision of a peaceful and prosperous country. Working together with them, I am confident that we can help turn this vision into reality.

"Thank you."

#####

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US, ROK Conduct Exercise Silent Shark

US Navy

23 October 2023

From Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Wolpert

NAVAL BASE GUAM -- The U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) navies completed the biennial combined theater anti-submarine warfare exercise Silent Shark in the vicinity of Guam, Oct. 22.

The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) and Sonwonil-class diesel-electric submarine ROKS Jung Ji (SS 073), along with maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from the "Fighting Tigers" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 and ROK Navy squadron 611, participated in the exercise to increase interoperability between the navies in the undersea domain and to provide opportunities to enhance the use of submarine tracking and engagement as a tool to maintain stability throughout the Western Pacific region.

"We significantly increased our ability to carry out joint operations for TASW through fierce, realistic training," said Cmdr. Kim Il-bae, commanding officer, ROKS Jung Ji. "We will deter enemy aggression and are ready to firmly defend our seas."

The exercise reflects the United States' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and complements the many exercises, training, operations and other military cooperation activities conducted by U.S. submarine forces with the Republic of Korea navy.

"These combined training events maintain our readiness at a high level," said Cmdr. James Fulks, commanding officer, USS Topeka. "Our increasing interoperability with ROK submarines promotes democracy and provides security for the region."

Jung Ji also executed several scheduled port visits at U.S. Naval Base Guam, where the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) served as the host vessel.

During the in-port periods, the ROK submarine's leadership spoke with various area commanders including Capt. Carl Trask, commander, Submarine Squadron 15, and Capt. Brent Spillner, commanding officer of the Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39). Additionally, Jung Ji's crew practiced seamanship and tactical maneuvers in the submarine trainer at Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific Detachment Guam, hosted tours of their vessel, toured Annapolis, and explored the local area.

Silent Shark has been conducted biennially since 2007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S-ROK alliance.

Commander, Submarine Group 7 directs forward-deployed, combat-capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

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WHO Regional Election Sparks Nepotism Concerns in Bangladesh

By Shaikh Azizur Rahman October 23, 2023

The coming election to choose the World Health Organization's next chief of the South-East Asia Regional Office, or SEARO, has become contentious as the person who takes up that post could influence the health of billions of people.

The daughter of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is one of two candidates for the SEARO position. Saima Wazed's nomination has sparked controversy with many health experts calling it "nepotism," and expressing concern over the election process to fill senior roles at the U.N. health body.

A candidate for the SEARO post should have a "strong technical and public health background and extensive experience in global health", according to the WHO website. The candidate should also have "competency in organizational management" and "proven historical evidence for public health leadership", the website says.

The next SEARO chief will be elected through a secret ballot by the region's 11 member countries, which include Bangladesh, Nepal and India. The vote is scheduled to take place in New Delhi during a WHO regional committee meeting Oct. 30-Nov. 2.

Countries in the region nominate candidates to head the WHO regional office.

Wazed was nominated by the government of Bangladesh.

In addition to Wazed, who is a mental health advocate, only one other candidate has been put forward: Shambhu Acharya, a public health expert and senior WHO official who was nominated by Nepal.

Questions have been raised about the disparity between the candidates' qualifications.

Wazed has a master's degree in clinical psychology from Barry University, a school in Florida. She has spent nearly a decade serving as an adviser to the director general of the WHO on mental health and autism issues.

Acharya has been with the WHO for almost 30 years. He has experience working with the U.N. body in senior positions and holds a Ph.D. in public health, health policy and financing from the University of North Carolina.

Sixteen public health experts in Nepal issued a statement saying that Acharya "is the better fit" of the two candidates vying for the SEARO director's position.

"[Acharya] possesses a very strong public health background and has extensive leadership experience in tackling global health issues," the statement said.

"He knows the public health and medical challenges of our region intimately, having worked for three decades to strengthen responses at local, national, regional and global levels, including in Nepal, Bangladesh and India, apart from his responsibilities at [the] WHO headquarters in Geneva."

So far there have not been any public statements of support for Wazed from public health experts in Bangladesh.

Right now a strong anti-Hasina wave is sweeping Bangladesh, ahead of next general election all likely to be held in January. With the US closely monitoring the forthcoming election in Bangladesh many believe the ruling Awami League party will not be able to rig the elections this time and lose power. In such a situation many, long-known as pro-Awami League groups, are not speaking in support of Hasina, her party and family members now.

However, AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh's foreign minister spoke in support of Wazed's candidacy several days ago.

In an interview with the Indian newspaper The Hindu, the minister demanded that Nepal withdraw its candidate from the contest for the WHO-SEARO post.

"[Nepal's candidate] had been working in the WHO for the last 30 years and was in a decision-making position. So why have [health indices] not improved in the whole of the South East Asian region, even though he himself is a person of South Asian origin?" Momen asked while adding that Acharya should "step down" from the race for the WHO-SEARO post.

Wazed, who has held advisory positions at some Bangladesh government mental health bodies, rebuffed accusations that her nomination was "fueled by nepotism" because her mother is the prime minister. She said those critical of her nomination were overlooking her experience and achievements in the field of mental health.

"They ignore that I have been an adviser to WHO's DG on Mental Health & Autism, or that I have been a member of the WHO's Expert Advisory Panel on mental health for almost a decade," Wazed wrote in an Inter Press Service opinion piece earlier this month.

"They do not mention that I am [the] chief adviser to Bangladesh's National Mental Health Strategic Plan, or that I was a technical expert for Bangladesh's National Mental Health Act of 2018," she wrote.

Bangladesh's nomination of Wazed has also come under scrutiny by several activists and public health experts.

Bishow Parajuli, former U.N. resident coordinator and U.N. Development Program representative in Myanmar and Zimbabwe, said that Wazed has limited experience and qualifications to assume such a leadership position.

"In a country with so many qualified and competent health professionals, the nomination of Ms. Wazed, and her use of the Prime Ministerial Office to engage with the various world leaders, also shows nepotism and the influence of her mother's office in the process. The selection must be made 'on the basis of merits,'" he said in emailed comments.

Paris-based Bangladeshi social activist and physician Pinaki Bhattacharya said Wazed has none of the required qualifications for the WHO-SEARO post.

"Hasina and her daughter are not aware that while being a descendant of the powerful can give one political advantage, the position of a professional international health leader requires the necessary education, skills and talent," he told VOA.

In recent weeks, Wazed accompanied her mother, Sheikh Hasina, on a high-profile diplomatic tour attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York and the summit in New Delhi of the 20 biggest economies, known as the G20. Wazed accompanied Prime Minister Hasina during her meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Wazed said she is used to being held to different professional standards than men, and having her identity reduced to simply being "her mother's daughter," which is blatant sexism, Wazed said.

Wazed has not responded to a VOA email requesting direct comment on the nepotism issue.

Kent Buse is director of the Global Healthier Societies Program at The George Institute for Global Health at Imperial College London. Buse told VOA that the rules governing the selection of directors across all WHO regions need considerable reform to ensure public confidence in the merit-based nature of the organization.

"This relates to improving transparency and delivering enhanced oversight of the election process. This should include better scrutiny of the candidate's compliance with the existing codes of conduct governing the campaign processes."

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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby

October 23, 2023

1:19 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everybody. Good to see everyone. Have a couple things at the top before I turn it over to the Admiral.

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, President Biden has made it a top priority to ensure that the Palestinian people receive urgently needed humanitarian aid. This is something he's been actively engaged on over the past week, including calls with President Sisi of Egypt and in meetings and calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

We were glad to see the first convoys of humanitarian assistance over the weekend cross the border into Gaza and reach Palestinians in need, and we're grateful for partners involved in these efforts.

It is important to keep Rafah Crossing in operation and aid flowing without diversion from Hamas.

Humanitarian assistant [assistance] remains a critical and urgent need for Palestinians in Gaza. We know  we know and we understand this  that much more is needed, and this will remain a priority  a priority for us in the days and weeks ahead.

I also wanted to say a few words about the supplemental request that we detailed to all of you on Friday.

Under President Biden's leadership, we have rallied a global response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine and provided aid to Israel following Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack.

We know need  we  we now need  pardon me. We now need Congress to provide additional resources that will advance our national security and support allies  our allies and partners in their fight against tyrants and terrorists.

The supplemental the President put forward:

Invests in American defense industrial base to ensure our military readiness, strengthen the American economy, and create American jobs

Support Israel as it protects itself against Hamas

Helps Ukraine defend against Putin's brutal invasion

Provides humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians devastated by Putin's invasion and Hamas's hor-  horrific attacks

Strengthens security and stability in the Indo-Pacific

Provides alternatives to corrosive [coercive] financing by PRC  the PRC

Strengthens border security and fights the flow of fentanyl

The world is watching, and the American people expect their leaders to come together and deliver on these priorities. We will continue to work with members of both parties to address these needs in a bipartisan agreement in the weeks ahead.

And with that, Admiral John Kirby from the National Security Council is here to answer any questions that you have on Israel and any other foreign-related items.

Admiral.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Karine.

Good afternoon, everybody. Just to briefly recap events of the past few days, I thought it would be good to kind of catch up here after the weekend.

On Friday, I think you all know, we successfully secured the release of two Americans that had been taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault on 7th of October, and the President had the chance to speak with them and with their families.

As he told other families that he met in Tel Aviv  family members of others who have  who have been taken hostage: We  we have no higher  higher priority than the safety of Americans that are being held around the world, and we're con-  going to continue around the clock to see if we can get them home with their families where they belong.

It is literally an hour-by-hour effort here at the White House and at the State Department to find out where these folks are and to try to make as ma-  the effort to  to get them out and get them back.

As Karine just spoke about, of course, the first convoys over the weekend of humanitarian assistance crossed that border and was able to reach Palestinians in need. And as she also said, we're going to continue those efforts going forward. It's important that the aid be sustainable, and that's what we're focused on.

And, of course, throughout the weekend, the President received briefings from his national security team on all the latest developments.

And yesterday, as you know, he convened calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, His Holiness Pope Francis, and then, of course, with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

I'm sure you all saw the joint statement from all those leaders that they released last night, so I won't reiterate it. But you can, hopefully, take away from that a real clear consistency and unanimity for Is-  Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism while, of course, adhering to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.

Now, we've also seen, over the course of the last few days  actually, the course of the last week, but certainly over the last couple of days of the weekend  an uptick in rocket and drone attacks by Iranian-backed proxy groups against military bases housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. And we're deeply concerned about the potential for any significant escalation of these attacks in the days ahead.

At the direction of President Biden, the Secretary of Defense has ordered the military to take steps to prepare for this to ensure that we're postured appropriately, both in terms of being able to defend our forces and respond decisively as needed.

The Secretary of Defense has directed two carrier strike groups to the region, and we are now sending more air defenses to U.S. air bases in the region.

Now, we know these groups are supported by the IRGC and their regime. We know Iran continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah. And we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran.

We know Iran's goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we're not going to allow them to do that.

We also are not going to allow any threat to our interests in the region to go unchallenged.

We demonstrated last  we demonstrated last week that we have and will use the military capables [capabilities] available to us to protect and defend those interests. And those capabilities are getter bigger and better every day.

As President Biden has said, our message to any hostile actor seeking to escalate or widen this conflict is very simple: Don't do it.

With that 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.

MR. KIRBY:  I'll take some questions.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.

Go ahead, Steve.

Q John, is it your view that the Israelis should begin their Gaza offensive whenever they feel ready?

MR. KIRBY: It's our view that the Israeli Defense Forces, Steve, need to decide for themselves how they're going to conduct operations. We're not in the business of  of dictating terms to them, and we're certainly not going to be in the business here from the White House of previewing any  any future operations one way or the other. That would be inappropriate.

Q And then, secondly, you said that Iran is actively facilitating these attacks. What do you see? What  what exactly are they doing?

MR. KIRBY: Oh, their support for these Iran-backed proxies is no secret. It's pretty open. And they've tried to make  they've made no secret of it  funding; resourcing, in terms of providing the rockets and the  and the munitions that they fire; training for some of these guys.

I mean, there is a  there is a connection between these  these groups and the IRGC  a very direct connection.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, MJ.

Q The  we have reported that the administration has been urging Israel to delay a ground invasion. Can you tell us whether other countries are making the same request? Is there a coordinated effort on that front?

MR. KIRBY: I won't  MJ, I won't speak for other nations and what communications they might be having with Israel.

I can tell you, we have, since the beginning of the conflict, in the early hours, maintained a level of communication with our Israeli counterparts to ascertain their intentions, their strategy, their aims to  to see what their answers are to the kinds of tough questions that any military ought to be asking before you launch any kind of a major operation. Have you thought through the branches? Have you thought through the sequels? Have you thought through the unintended consequences?

And so, we are in active conversation with them about that.

Q And, John, we've seen a number of leaders travel to Israel or commit to traveling to Israel  of course, the President himself.

Is it your understanding that there would not be a ground invasion as long as there's a head of state in the country?

MR. KIRBY: That  that is a question for Israeli officials to speak to, MJ. Again, I just don't want to be in the position where I am speaking for the Israeli Defense Forces.

Q And just  another quick topic. Why is it that people currently are not able to leave Gaza right now? Do you have, sort of, an explanation as to why that humanitarian corridor for people to exit Gaza  why that isn't open? Is the obstacle Hamas? Is it the Egyptians?

MR. KIRBY: I think there's a lot of factors going into why there's no exit out. We're glad that stuff is going in, as Karine briefed you all, but  but we still want to see safe passage out and particularly for the several hundred American citizens that we know are in Gaza and want to leave. And Ambassador Satterfield is on the ground, working this very, very hard.

But there's a number of factors. And I think security  certainly, Egyptian officials have  have spoken to this. I mean, there's a  you know, they've got legitimate security concerns. And again, we just need to  we just need to work through that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Kelly.

Q Admiral, can you tell us the latest on the status of hostages and the work to try to release additional hostages? Do you see a category of those being held who might be, sort of, the next available to be released if that were to take place? Can you give us a sense of what that picture looks like?

MR. KIRBY: I wish I could, Kelly. I really do. And these are all great questions. But unfortunately, where we are right now in the process makes it impossible for us to publicly detail the efforts that are going on.

We are grateful for all of the help we got  and we got help  getting those two Americans out  the mother and daughter. And we're glad that  that they're okay and they're, you know, going to be reunited with the families and come back home. But there's a bunch of others that aren't.

Now, a small group, we still  we still think, are Americans. And then, there are dozens and dozens from other countries and, obviously, Israel as well.

And there's just a lot of effort going on, a lot of conversations and discussions with partners in the region. And I think it's just best if we don't detail that.

Q Do we have more specificity on the number of Americans? It's floated from "a handful" to as many as 10. Anything more on that?

MR. KIRBY: I want to be careful here because the numbers, as you rightly said, have fluctuated since the last time I talked to you. Certainly, now we're glad to know that the number is less than  less  down by two, obviously. But we still have about 10 unaccounted for Americans, and it's not exactly clear to us where those 10 people are.

So, I would still categorize it as about a handful. But  and I know that's not the specificity you want, but that's really as  as detailed as I think I should get today.

Q And one  one last issue. There's a dual national from Maryland  a young man who went to serve in the IDF who was killed in action. Can you speak to that situation  if the President has reached the family or has any intention to do that? Any particulars there?

MR. KIRBY: Well, I'll certainly offer our deepest condolences to the family. That's  that's news no  no mom and dad ever want to get.

I don't have any communication to speak to one way or the other. But again, our  our thoughts and prayers go to the family. Sure.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, JJ.

Q John, on a post-Hamas Gaza, if that were to happen, is there anything that you can share on what conversations the U.S. is having on what that post-Hamas Gaza would look like and who would run things?

MR. KIRBY: Really, that's going to be a conversation that Israeli officials, you know, need to start having amongst themselves.

And I think  again, without speaking for them, I don't think I'm going too far to say that the  the focus right now is on going after Hamas where they are in Gaza, getting humanitarian assistance in, and getting people out. That's where our focus is.

And  and I know the focus of the Is-  our Israeli counterparts is certainly on prosecuting these operations against Hamas.

I think the issue of governance in Gaza certainly is not unimportant, but I  I wouldn't speak for the Israelis in terms of how deeply they're diving down into what that  what that needs to look like.

Q But the U.S. is helping with that conversation piece?

MR. KIRBY: We have had  we have talked to the Israelis, again, about their aims and strategy, and that includes some of the long-term issues that  that are out ahead of them. But I think you can understand, appropriately, right now that the focus is on the operational picture.

Q And then, on the normalization process, can you say if Saudi Arabia has provided a list of requests for what it would like to see for that  those talks to start again between Saudi Arabia and Israel?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not tracking or aware of a specific threat. Now, you're talking post-October 7th. I'm not aware of some sort of new list or homework assignment that they've submitted.

We still believe that those talks are important. We still want to pursue normalization. We understand that both in Israel and, of course, in Riyadh, there's a different focus right now. We get that.

But we still believe there's great value in pursuing normalization, and we have every intention of keeping that going.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nancy.

Q Thank you, Admiral. What kinds of humanitarian aid would the U.S. like to see reaching the Palestinians before Israel launches a ground invasion?

MR. KIRBY: Let's  can I bifurcate that question? Because I don't  I'm not going to sit here and assume that there's going to be some sort of a ground invasion. And I'm certainly not going to speak to hypothetical timing if there's going to be.

Let's just talk about humanitarian assistance writ large. And you heard Karine: We are getting food, water, medicine into Gaza. Not enough. I mean, there's been, I think  what?  three convoys to Gaza. Not enough.

I mean, there's been, I think  what?  three convoys, some  a little less than 60 trucks. That's a good start, but it is just a start, and we want to see it keep going. And I think, over the coming days, you're going to continue to see convoys of trucks getting in.

But it's also, you know  fuel was also an issue. We know that you need fuel to run the power generators in hospitals. You need fuel to run the pumps in  in the desalination facility so that people can drink fresh, healthy water. So, fuel is another thing that we're  that we're working on.

Q But whether or not there is a ground invasion, do you view humanitarian aid getting there first as important?

MR. KIRBY: Whether or not there's a ground invasion, we believe that humanitarian assistance flowing to the people of Gaza is critically important and it needs to go as soon as possible and as much as possible.

Q So, where does the President stand on this? Because there was some confusion over the weekend about whether or not he had said that, yes, he does want Israel to wait until human assistance  humanitarian assistance can get to the Palestinians before any invasion.

MR. KIRBY: We have been  we have been crystal clear with our partners in the region, including Israel, that we want to see humanitarian assistance flow. There's been no change to our posture on that at all.

But as I said, I think to Steve's question, we're not dictating military terms to the Israeli Defense Forces. They have a right and a responsibility to go after these terrorists. And they certainly are going to do it in a way that they choose to  that they believe is appropriate to the threat.

We're definitely going to support them in terms of providing the capabilities for them to continue to prosecute Hamas terrorists. In fact, security assistance has continued to flow over the course of the weekend, and it will. But we're not dictating terms to them.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q So, the  thank you. So, the U.N. Secretary-General, the European Union Foreign Policy Chief, and several international leaders are calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. Will we see the United States calling for a humanitarian pause?

MR. KIRBY: What we want right now is: make sure Israel has the tools it needs to defend itself and to go after Hamas and that humanitarian assistance keeps flowing.

Now, it's started, and it's good thing. We want to keep it going and keep it sustainable. That's what we're focused on.

Q Admiral, so sorry. You mentioned this joint statement yesterday where President Biden and several Western allies asked Israel to protect civilians, but the death toll in Gaza is rising sharply. Does it look to you that Israel is abiding by international law? Are they listening to your advice?

MR. KIRBY: We're not going to parcel out each and every event that happens on the battlefield, especially since we're not there.

I can just tell you that there hasn't been a conversation that we've had with Israeli counterparts  and we've had them at all levels  where we aren't talking about not just what they want to do but how they want to do it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Jacqui.

Q Thanks, Karine. John, two Fridays ago, I reported that the U.S. was urging Israel to delay a ground invasion. The day after, officials here issued statements to other outlets denying that was the case. In the days, week-plus since, other outlets have started to report the same information that I had. But today, you're not confirming any of those reports.

My question is, aren't you at all concerned that if the U.S. is not clear with the public about what we're asking or suggesting to Israel that they do here that that's going to complicate getting this aid package through Congress? I mean, you guys are asking for more than $105 billion, which a portion of this goes toward Israel. Are  are you concerned that not being clear with folks about what the U.S. is advising Israel to do will hamper support in Congress for this aid?

MR. KIRBY: We've been very clear and consistent about our support for Israel and their ability to defend themselves, Jacqui. We've been very clear and consistent about the fact that we're going to keep providing security assistance so that they can do that. We've been clear and consistent about the need for humanitarian assistance to flow, and clear and consistent about our desire to get people out of Gaza, as well as to get our hostages home.

I think we've been very clear and consistent throughout, and that includes with members of Congress.

And yes, we are going to need congressional support to continue to support Israel. We've got enough appropriations available to us for a while longer. How long is that "while" is going to depend on the expenditure rate and the kinds of operations that they're conducting.

So, we desperately need Congress to act on the supplemental request.

Q Well, you said you were  you've been asking tough questions about  of the Israelis about their strategy here. Are you liking the answers that they're giving you?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to talk about the details of the conversations that we're having. Again, these have been clear and consistent conversations, again, making sure that they have what they need and that they  and that they are thinking through  that we are asking them what their answers are to the kinds of questions that any military ought to be asking itself as it conducts operations.

Q But on the 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahe- 

Q  on the aid portion, you know, how, for instance, are you going to convince people that this is not going to get into Hamas's hands 

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q  when, for instance, you know, we saw fraud with something like COVID relief money in the U.S., and we're now talking about securing an understanding with Hamas  a terror group  about how this humanitarian aid should be used? I mean, how can you convince people that that is going to be a worthwhile, necessary, and secure endeavor?

MR. KIRBY: We certainly share concerns about any diversion of humanitarian assistance for Hamas purposes. I mean, for instance, fuel is a good example.

You know, that the  we know that they need fuel to be able to electrify and to power up their tunnels, for instance, you know, keep the lights on. So, we  we understand that.

We're not blind to potential concerns here over diversion, which is why Ambassador Satterfield is on the ground. His whole purpose is to make sure that that humanitarian assistance can get to the Palestinian people.

We have seen no indications, as of today, that any of the trucks that Karine talked about, any of the material in those trucks have been diverted to Hamas or been absconded by Hamas. That  in fact, every indication that we have is that it has in fact gone to  to the Palestinian people, who  who are  who are in desperate need for it.

I would remind folks that we have trusted partners on the ground  humanitarian aid organizations and, of course, the U.N. Relief Agency is on the ground  and they very much are taking a personal stake  a professional and personal stake in making sure that that aid is getting where it's needed.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead 

MR. KIRBY: And we're go-  and we're going to watch it clo-  obviously, we're going to watch this closely. We  we don't want to see Hamas benefit any more than anybody else does.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Just following on that, how does the U.S. go about knowing that it is getting to who it's supposed  the aid is getting to who it's supposed to get to and not  Hamas isn't taking a bit off the top?

And then, second, could you confirm that the President has sent Lieutenant General James Glynn and some other folks to advise the Israelis?

MR. KIRBY: So, on your first question, Aamer  in fact, I'm going to write these down because I'm going to probably forget. (Laughs.)

But on your first question, as I said, we're working with trusted partners on the ground, including the U.N. And that's the way we  we do it in so many countries around the world where we don't have a footprint and we don't have a  or any regions of the world we just  where we don't have a footprint.

I mean, we're not on the ground to personally inspect these things, but we do have trusted partners on the ground, including the U.N. and some of these aid organizations who will report what they're seeing and  and where they're taking this material and  and who  and who's getting it. So, we're  we'll stay in close touch with them.

And we all share the same desire that Hamas not be able to divert any of this stuff for their own purposes. We all share that des-  and it's not just the United States. You said "How's the United States going to monitor" The whole international community has a stake here in making sure that the people of Gaza get this food, water, medicine, and other vital needs met.

On the  your second question, what I can tell you is that  that there are a few relevant military officers with experience  the kinds of experience that  that  that we believe is appropriate to the sorts of operations that  that Israel is conducting and may conduct in the future to go over there to share some perspectives from their own experience and to ask the hard questions  the same hard questions that we've been asking of our Israeli counterparts since the beginning.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead 

Q Can you say how many?

MR. KIRBY: A few.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

MR. KIRBY: A few.

Q Thank you, Admiral. Israel has repeatedly said that its top priority is destroying Hamas, so what is America's top priority? And are the two countries on the same page here?

MR. KIRBY: America's top priority  I think President Biden made that clear when we were over there  is to make sure that Israel has the tools and the capacity and the capabilities to go after Hamas terrorists and to make sure humanitarian assistance flows in and to make sure we can get innocent civilians who want to leave Gaza out, including American citizens.

Q If Israel does begin this ground invasion, could you just outline how this would complicate getting the remaining hostages out and how it would impact America's strategy?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I just don't think it's wise for me to get up here and do a bunch of speculating and hypothesizing about operations that haven't happened yet. We'll let the Israelis speak for themselves and for what operations they're going to conduct.

All I can tell you is we're going to make sure that they have what they need to do it and that the humanitarian assistance keeps flowing.

Q But are there any differences? Because you outlined three top priorities for America, and Israel has repeatedly said the top priority is destroying Hamas. So, how can you achieve all of the priorities from America at the same time Israel gets their top priority?

MR. KIRBY: We agree that the top priority has got to be going after Hamas. I  there's no  there's no daylight here. We also think it's important for humanitarian assistance to flow and for our hostages to get home with their families, and we're working all three of those things.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Way in the back. Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Have you been tracking new reporting coming out that Hamas and the Red Cross are working together to exchange another 50 Israeli and dual-citizenship hostages? Is there anything you can say about that?

MR. KIRBY: No, I cannot.

Q And then, another question on Iran. Some officials have expressed concern over escalation, particularly with Iran. And Iran's foreign minister warned, quote, "Anything would be possible at any moment and the region will get out of control."

So, have you seen any indication that Iran is preparing to further expand this conflict more so than what we've already seen play out?

MR. KIRBY: I touched a little bit on that in my opening statement. We know that they're supporting these groups. We know they've supported Hamas and Hezbollah. We know they're monitoring these events very, very closely, and in some cases, urging on some of these groups.

And that's why I made it clear the President wants to  does not want to see this conflict widen. We have added additional military capability into the region to deter any such action. And we will act appropriately to protect and defend our national security inters- in the re-  security interests in the region.

You saw that just last week when a guided-missile destroyer shot down missiles and drones that were potentially on their way into Israel. We  we take those responsibilities seriously, and anybody else in the region ought to be paying attention to that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Karine. John, do you have an update on whether Iran was directly involved in the October 7th attack on Israel? Because some Israeli officials say that they have evidence, but they have not presented any yet.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, I would say we're in the same place we were. We know there is complicity here by Iran. As I just said, they have been supporting Hamas for years  dec-  a couple of decades, and Hamas wouldn't be able to function or exist without Iran.

But I can't stand here before you and say that we've seen a particular piece of intelligence that  that shows that they were participating in, witting of, directing what happened on October 7th.

But again, nobody's doubting, nobody's walking away from the fact that Iran does bad things with bad people in that part of the world.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead 

Q On China, how does the White House see China's role in the Israel-Hamas conflict? And what's your reaction to China sending six warships to, like, the Middle East?

MR. KIRBY: I'll let China speak for their foreign policy in the region and  and whatever their  their take is. I  I've seen them call for both sides to  to ratchet down the  the violence.

We  we've been clear about where we are, and we're on Israel's side here. Israel needs this support to go after Hamas terrorists. That's not going to change.

And I'll let them speak to their naval maneuvers and where they're putting their ships.

Q Are you talking to China or Russia on the Israel-Hamas conflict or not?

MR. KIRBY: I know of no particular conversations we've had bilaterally with either country thus far.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. John, speaking of the Americans in Gaza, some are being told that  by the State Department and by the administration to go to the border. We were told on Saturday they were told to go the border, but they obviously could not leave.

Are you still advising Americans to go to the border? You know, what's the holdup there?

MR. KIRBY: You'd have to talk to the State Department. I  I can't speak for the communication that they're having with American citizens there.

What I can tell you is that we are working this very, very hard to get them out of Gaza, again, through that  through Rafah. And Ambassador Satterfield literally is working this as you and I are speaking right now.

And so, we obviously  if we  if we want to get them out, we want to have them available, as close by as possible so that that can be affected in a very efficient way.

But as for what specific messages the State Department is sending today, on Monday, you'd have to talk to them.

Q Speaking about what President Biden said on Friday at the fundraiser  he talked about the Hamas attack being carried out to disrupt the normalization efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Can you talk more about what he meant by that? Is that the administration's position, is what I'm (inaudible)?

MR. KIRBY: We certainly can't discount the fact that that could have been  that could have been a goal here. I mean, look, Hamas wants to wipe Israel off the map. They simply just want to kill as many Israelis as they can. That was the purpose of October 7th: to just take life.

And it is perfectly possible that  that there were other geopolitical goals here, as the President alluded to, because normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, you can see that that would not be in the interest of terrorist groups like Hamaz [sic] it cert-  Hamas  it certainly wouldn't be in the interest of  of their backer in Tehran.

Q Do you think that's the top reason why they did it?

MR. KIRBY: I  I can't specify specifically what the top reason. I'm not  I'm not in the minds of the  the terrorists. But the  the President was certainly laying out a very real potential factor behind what they did.

Q Admiral Kirby, do you 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.

Q Thanks, Karine. Admiral, the President has spoken a lot about, you know, the work he's done in building a coalition behind  behind Ukraine in supporting Ukraine. Are there any concerns that U.S. support for Israel and  and, you know, as civilian casualties rise in Gaza  is there any concern that that could undermine support for the U.S. stance on Ukraine with countries in the Global South, for example, and from Brazil and Asia and Africa, who, you know, might be in  you know, in terms of their  you know, their views on  on Gaza?

MR. KIRBY: Look, supporting both right now  both countries is important to President Biden. That's why we submitted a supplemental funding request last week. It's important that both get the support that they need not just from the United States, but from the international community.

And  and we're  we're dedicated to that outcome. We're going to stay dedicated to that  to that effort.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Yes. I wanted to ask you about if they are concerns in the administration regard  in regards to this funding that you guys requested from Congress, given the fact that some of the leadership of the Republican Caucus was saying that they would like to approve only a package for Israel and a separate package for Ukraine.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, I'll let members of Congress speak for themselves in terms of how they want to move this supplemental request forward.

We submitted together because we believe all of it is important. Every dollar that we asked for for the supplemental funding is of an urgent nature, and we urge Congress to move on all of it as quickly as possible.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Phil.

Q Thank you. With regards to American hostages, you noted that there were conversations and discussions with partners in the region. And on Friday, after those two Americans were thankfully freed, the President thanked the Israelis and Qataris for their partnership in this work. Are the Israelis or Qataris negotiating with Hamas on our behalf? And would the United States ever negotiate with Hamas in order to (inaudible) 

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to go into any more detail about the discussions and the negotiations to get those Americans home. If I were to do that for you today, I might actually put at risk opportunities to get more people out. And I'm just not going to do that.

Q Second question, then: There's been an uptick on the right among some Republicans who have called for students or foreign nationals who are demonstrating in some of these pro-Palestine demonstrations or, you know, allegedly pro-Hamas demonstrations to have their student visas pulled or to face deportation. What is the administration's remark  response to those kinds of remarks and that kind of rhetoric? Is that an overreaction?

MR. KIRBY: That  I  I would just tell you  I would just tell you that you don't have to agree with every sentiment that is expressed in a free country like this to  to stand by the  the idea  the First Amendment and the idea of peaceful protest. I'll leave it at that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go.

Q Okay, thank you. Thank you.

Q Yeah, can you talk about the degree to which the 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q  your efforts to get the supplemental funding and work on the crisis are complicated by the fact that we still don't have a Speaker after all these days?

MR. KIRBY: It would certainly be helpful to have a Speaker of the House. Procedurally, that's  that's how you get new legislation to the  to the floor. I'll let our  I'll let the House Republicans speak to their process and what they're  they're doing.

We know that there is significant bipartisan support for continuing the support in Ukraine and continuing to support Israel  both chambers, by the way. We know there is a lot of bipartisan support there.

The President is urging Congress to act as soon as possible.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. A couple more. Go ahead, in the back.

Q Thank you, (inaudible). Mr. John, we've seen that the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in his last trip to northern Israel, is threatening the whole  whole Lebanon if Hezbollah enters the war from the north front.

But you know very well that the Lebanese people has no  like no power overriding Hezbollah's decision if it wants to enter or not. Why (inaudible) the whole price if mili-  a militia group like Hezbollah don't listen to us, don't listen to the government unless we asking a civil war, unless we asking for the Lebanese army to interfere and stop Hezbollah from doing so?

So, why we need to pay the whole price based on Hezbollah's action?

MR. KIRBY: I didn't understand the exact question. What 

Q So, as  as Lebanese, not  not pro-Hezbollah, why we need to pay the price if Hezbollah enters the war because 

MR. KIRBY: Why do the Lebanese people need to pay the price?

Q Yeah. Because Netanyahu said he's going to bring Lebanon to the "stone age." Do you think we all happy to see that happening in our home?

MR. KIRBY: Look, we know that Hezbollah does not speak for the Lebanese people  the broad, vast majority of the people of Lebanon  we know that  any more than Hamas doesn't speak for the aspirations of the vast majority of the Palestinians living in Gaza.

We have said from the very beginning: We don't want to see any actor try to take advantage of the situation to widen or deepen the conflict, and that certainly includes Hezbollah. And that's why the President has added additional military forces to the region, and more forces will be coming in days and weeks ahead to try to deter any actor from widening or deepening this conflict.

I understand the question. I don't think, at this stage, it's helpful to speculate about something that hasn't happened, and hopefully will not happen.

What I can tell you is we know we have significant national security interests in the region, and we're going to work to protect and defend those interests with additional military capability. And any actor who's beginning to think about entering in and widening or deepening this conflict ought to take a look at 

Q (Inaudible.)

MR. KIRBY:  at how seriously we're taking our responsibilities.

Q So, adding more military and  so, can we understand what is the job description for these two ships? Is it only to supply military aid for Israel or also could be possible to enter the war if  if anything had break in that region? Just a bit of information regarding that matter?

MR. KIRBY: Well, first of all, it's not two ships. It's two carrier strike groups.

Q (Inaudible.)

MR. KIRBY: There's a lot of ships in a strike group; I can speak from experience on that one.

And you got the Gerald R. Ford strike group that's in the eastern Mediterranean. You saw Secretary of Defense Austin announce that the Eisenhower Strike Group, which is still crossing the Atlantic right now, will operate for a time in the Med, and then she's going to go on through and into the Central Command area of responsibility, the Middle East  the Gulf region.

They are there for two purposes. And I  I'm going to say it again, and you're probably sick of me saying this, but it's true. One is to deter any other actor from widening, deepening this conflict. And two is to make sure that we are ready, poised, and able to protect and defend our national security interests in the region writ large. That's what they're there for.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Go ahead, Jon.

Q Thanks a lot, Karine. John, in regards to the emergency supplemental, you've spoken before about the emergency need for funding for Ukraine. I was wondering if you can talk about what you see about the urgency for funding Israel  why that portion of the aid that you are requesting is so necessary right now.

MR. KIRBY: Because if we're  if we don't get relief, Jon, we could potentially have a lapse in our ability to provide those kinds of munitions to Israel.

We have existing appropriations funds available to continue to support Israel for a time  for a short time. Again, I can't be perfectly specific because a lot of it depends on the pace of their operations and what they're going through.

We also need to make sure we have appropriations to replenish DOD stocks. We have national security interests around the world as well that we have to meet. And we've provided an awful lot out of  out of our inventory. We need to be able to replenish that. But it's vitally important.

And then, just to put a fine point on this, I mean, the -the figure we asked for  which is, you know, a little bit more than $14 billion  was directly after consultations with our Israeli counterparts. We didn't pull that number out of thin air. It absolutely was a result of the conversations that we had with the Israelis about the kinds of needs that they have for as long as they think they might need them.

Q And then, separately, on the hostages. A spokesperson for Hamas has suggested that Hamas would release all of the hostages that are in Gaza right now in exchange for a ceasefire. Do you view that as a credible offer?

MR. KIRBY: We got take anything that Hamas says with a huge grain of salt. We don't take anything that they say at face value.

Here's an idea. And it's just an idea I'll throw out there. They could release them all now. Just take  just let them go now because these people didn't do anything wrong. They're just innocent civilians being caught up in this conflict. Let them go now.

Now, I recognize that's not going to happen, which is why we're going to keep working with our partners in the region to do what we can to get them released.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Emel.

Q Thank you very much. John, can you confirm reports that  suggesting that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is planning to visit Washington this week? And I was wondering if you can tell  tell us the objective of this meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister.

MR. KIRBY: There's been some discussions about a p-  some  some potential meetings with  with Wang Yi maybe as soon as  as this week. But I think the State Department will have more to say about that later today.

Q And also, on the Philippine incident with China, what message is the White House sending to China about the incident yesterday that happened between China and Philippines?

MR. KIRBY: I'm sorry, between 

Q The vessel collision incident that the  with the Philippines and China.

MR. KIRBY: What message are we sending to China?

Q I mean, what is  what is  what do you say to China about this conflict?

MR. KIRBY: Well, I see you're calling it a conflict. I  I'm not aware of a collision, so I'll have to go back to the team and get some more information.

But just broadly speaking, we've been very clear about the intimidating, coercive, and, frankly, in some cases, reckless behavior by the PLA air and maritime forces, as well as their so-called Coast Guard in terms of bullying the navies and coast guards and fishing vessels of neighboring states. We've been very clear that's unacceptable. It needs to stop.

But I can't tell you about this specific event because this is the first I've heard of it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. We've got to wrap it up.

Go ahead, in the back.

Q John, you were talking (inaudible) to the carrier strike groups, that there'd be more forces in the days and weeks ahead. Can you outline what you were talking about, what that would  might look like?

MR. KIRBY: No.

Q All right. (Laughter.)

I want to know how that would be consistent with the President's promise back in 2019 that he's getting out of the forever wars if you're adding more troops. This looks like the exact opposite.

MR. KIRBY: The whole reason we're sending that stuff over there is to prevent any widening or deepening of this particular war. It's all about deterrence.

And you heard the Secretary of Defense talk. It's not just about naval forces or we're adding some air defense systems and some aircraft squadrons to the region as well, it's all about preventing war. It's all about preventing it.

Thank you.

Q Can you give us a timeline of what that might look like?

MR. KIRBY: No.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Jalil. Just this 

MR. KIRBY: Oh, yeah.

Q Thank you very much, Karine. There is no doubt that the U.S. is known for human rights values around the world. Don't you think the U.S. has delayed this time, as far as human rights are concerned, what is happening in Palestine since day one?

MR. KIRBY: No. I couldn't disagree more with you, sir. Not at all.

I mean, from  from the very beginning, early hours of this conflict, we made clear not just to our Israeli counterparts but to the American people and people around the world that we take the respect for innocent life seriously.

And we have been talking about the law of war since the beginning. And you can go back to the first statement that the President made after the attacks of October 7th and see it right there. It's been a part and parcel of every conversation that we've had.

And we have been working hard. We have been spearheading the efforts to get that humanitarian assistance in.

It came  those first truck convoys that Karine talked about  came after President Biden spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu in Tel Aviv and then to President Sisi on the phone coming home on  on  on Air Force One on Wednesday night to get that stuff moving. And within a couple of days  they had some road repairs they had to do  it started flowing.

No, sir, we have been working the issue of  of human and civil rights and protection for innocent life since the very beginning, and that's not going to stop.

Q And the rallies that happened in some of those countries, which are the allies of the United States, some of the rallies were in very huge numbers. Don't you think President Biden need to play a role towards peace instead of saying that he could handle two wars at a time? Does that give a good impression to fight two wars at a time instead of working towards peaceful things?

MR. KIRBY: From the beginning of this administration, we have been working for a more integrated, cooperative, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Middle East. And I'm not going to reiterate for you the list of accomplishments, but they're all there. I'm happy to send you an email with them.

We have been working hard on trying to get the Middle East to be a more stable, prosperous region. That's not going to change.

Now, obviously, you know, these attacks on October 7th were horrific, and the Israelis have a right and a responsibility to respond to those attacks. I think everybody understands that.

And so, we also understand that the focus of countries in the region, particularly Israel, is going to be on that. It's our  it's our focus, too. But that doesn't mean we're going to give up. This doesn't mean we're just going to walk away from it.

We still believe in the promise of a two-state solution, and we're still going to continue to work for that. We still believe  as a matter of fact, key to eventually getting a two-state solution is normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. And we're still going to work on that as well.

Q So, why is the President not focusing in these last couple of weeks on his agenda that was basically for a two-nation theory? I feel like in the last two weeks, this war has lowered what the President was aiming to  to bring normalization through two states, and that whole region 

MR. KIRBY: I just 

Q  it seems like has been put down 

MR. KIRBY: I just told you, sir. There was no change in our desire to  to see a two-state solution. There is absolutely no change in  in our efforts to try to get normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia as a stepping stone to a two-state solution.

But we're  we're not blind to reality. Right now, Israel is fighting to defend itself against Hamas terrorists, and we're trying to help them do that. Right now, the focus of the region is on what's going on. And right now, the President's focus, appropriately, sir, is on trying to prevent and widen and deepen this conflict to deter a larger war, so that we can get back to the table and we can move forward on those key diplomatic steps. Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Thank you, Admiral.

MR. KIRBY: Yes, ma'am, thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Appreciate it. Thank you. I try to keep John as long as we can. (Laughs.) But the President is going to be starting his event pretty soon. If folks have any other additional questions, I'm happy to take them go home.

Go ahead, Aamer.

Q Just on the state visit, was there any thought of postponing because of the war in the Middle East?

And just more broadly, is there any concern that such a celebration could come off as, I don't know, a little tone deaf, considering all the suffering both in Israel and Gaza?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, appreciate the question. And obviously, this  we  we've seen some of the-  these reportings.

Look, we believe that there is no more important time than now to have the  this state visit with our  with the  with Au-  the Australians, and to demonstrate, of course, our strength and partnership and alliances  right?  as we continue to have conversations with our partners or have conversations with our allies  right?  as we are continuing to see the invasion that continues in Ukraine, right? So, having these conversations with one of our allies, like Australia, is incredibly important.

And so, that's what you're going to see. You're going to see two leaders come together, continuing to talk about the partnership that they're hoping to  to  to put  continue to put forward.

And so, look, it doesn't stop the work that the President has continued to do, whether it's these diplomatic conversations, these important bilateral visits, or whether it's domestic issues here  right here in this country.

And so, the President, as he has been doing, is going to continue to do the work of the president, to do the work of the Commander-in-Chief, and this is no different.

Q And just one more real quick.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q UAW expanded its strike today. Is it time for Gene Sperling and Acting Secretary Su to be on the ground in Detroit?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, as you know, they've been  they have been to Detroit in the past couple of weeks. They have been closely engaged with UAW and the Big Three. That  that continues. Obviously, they're not part of the negotiation. They're offering any assistance that the Big Three or UAW may need.

Look, we  we believe  the President believes that collective bargaining is incredibly important, for those sides to come together and continue to have those negotiations, continue to have those conversations. And we are here to assist in any way. And we have been. We have been doing that.

But again, collective bargaining so that there is  you know, hopefully that there is a win-win agreement. And if it's done, it's in good faith. We have seen it in the past two years under this administration work out in different scenarios. And so that's what we're hoping that continues.

Go ahead, MJ.

Q Was the President briefed on Samantha Woll, the leader of a synagogue in Detroit who was stabbed to death?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, our hearts go out to  to the family  to the families there. It's a devastating, devastating news story.

The President obviously is  is  just like everyone else is paying close attention and saw those reports. I don't have anything else to add.

Obviously, the investigation continues, and we are willing to assist in any way. I just don't have anything else beyond that.

Q What is his level of concern right now about the potential rise of antisemitism in light of everything that's going on in Israel?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. Look, we have not seen any credible threats. I know there's been always questions about credible threats. And so, just want to make sure that that's out there.

But, look, Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks. And certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab  Arab  Arab Americans and Palestinian American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities. And that is something you heard the President speak to in his  in his address just last  last Thursday.

And so, one of the things that the President has done is directed his team  Homeland Security team to prioritize prevention and disruption of any emerging threats that could harm the Jewish, the Muslim, Arab Americans or  or any other communities. And that is something that the President has sought to do and  and  since day one.

As you know, the President ran on  on  on, you know, bringing commu-  protecting communities, obviously, but bringing people together, the soul  protecting the soul of the nation. And so that is something that the President takes very, very seriously.

And we  you know, we're going to continue to denounce any sort of hate towards any American here. And so, that's what we're going to continue to be steadfast on. Again, he has  he has advised  directed his Homeland Security team to make sure that they're on top of this.

Go ahead.

Q Are there specific deliverables you're hoping to get out of the Australian meeting this week or is it more of a consultation?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we'll have more on the agenda for the meeting. I certainly don't want to get ahead of the deliverables that will come out on Wednesday. But certainly, we'll have more to share.

And obviously, we tend to have these background calls that NSC leads. And so, we'll  we'll have some more in-depth on the priorities and the agenda and what we're looking to do.

Oh, I haven't called on you. Go ahead.

Q Thank you. I know John Kirby addressed the protests on college campuses, and I appreciate that the President respects First Amendment rights to protest, but does the President view anti-Israel protests and sentiment on college campuses as antisemitism?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to get into what's happening across the country in  at different universities. I'm not going to get into the specifics.

As the Admiral said, the First Amendment right  right?  that's what something  a peaceful protest is really part of  part of our democracy, being able for folks to  to be able to express their feelings.

I'm not going to get into any, you know, specifics on that. The President has been very clear in wanting to make sure that Jewish Americans, wanting to make sure that Arab Americans, Muslims are protected here. That is what he believes in  that we  they have the right to live their lives and to feel protection and to feel like they're able to be part of a community. The President has been very, very clear on denouncing any type of violence.

And so, as it relates to peaceful protesting, people have the right to do that. But we're just not going to get into blow by blows of what's going on across the country.

Q Well, not 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has been very clear 

Q Not to get 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  very clear 

Q  into blow by blow, but the President himself said "silence is complicity." So, if there's antisemitic letters being sent by students or protests, sentiment at protests 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Of course  of course, the President doesn't  is  is against antisemitism. Of course. This is a president that you have heard me say is parti-  wants to protect communities, whether it's the Jewish community, the Arab American pre-  community, the Palestinian community. This is someone who is going to speak out against antisemitism. Of course.

But you're asking me  you're  you were kind of conflating the two. You were asking me about pro-  protests, and you were asking me about this question.

Q I think if you talked to a lot of the protesters, you'll hear antisemitic 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I hear you.

Q  comments. That they accuse 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And we're going to always denounce 

Q  Israel of genocide.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're always going to denounce antisemitism. But at the same time, people have the right to peacefully protest.

But we, in this administration, are going to always denounce antisemitism, any form of hate  any form of hate. Whether it's against the Jewish community  right?  antisemitism, against the Muslim community, Arab American community, or the Palestin-  we are going to denounce any form of hate that comes towards those communities.

As it relates to protests  peaceful protests, people have the right to do that. But this is an administration, obviously, obviously, that's going to be very forceful and very clear about denouncing antisemitism.

Go ahead, Phil.

Q A new Harvard/Harris poll just came out which showed that a slim majority, 51 percent, of 18- to 24-year-olds in United States think that the violence in Israel can be justified by the grievance of Palestinians.

I know that you've been unequivocal in saying that the President is going to denounce antisemitism. And 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And he has.

Q And he has.

Is there anything in particular that the administration is planning to do to take this argument to those college students or the  those younger generations who seem to be open to the idea that there are two sides to this thing?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to lay out on any specific conversations or outreach that the President is going to do to students.

As you know, we have an Office of Public Engagement here. We have other offices here at the White House that is constantly engaging with  with communities, incu-  including the young community. I just don't have anything specifics to your question on the President's schedule to do that.

Q Can I follow up?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to see who I have not called on. Jacqui, I've called on you.

Go ahead, way in the back.

Q Karine, when it comes to these different wars, Admiral Kirby made it clear  deterrence  right? Send these strike groups to the Mediterranean so that no one else gets involved. But it seems like our deterrence in Russia did not work. Our deterrence with North Korea building up its stockpile didn't work. Now, here in the Middle East, our deterrence hasn't worked. What are we doing to make our deterrence actually have teeth?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I would  look, in Ukraine  specifically, as you mentioned, with Russia  remember, the first days of that  of that war or of that invasion, Russia was supposed to take down and  and take over Kyiv. And it is because of what this President was able to do to bring together more than 50 nations  our allies and partners  and also to  to continue to  to provide the assistance that Ukraine has been  that has now to  to fight off  right?  to fight off what's going on in their country that they've been in-  it's been impressive. You've all have reported how impressive that the Ukrainian people have been.

And so, that is going to continue. That is  continue to support to Ukraine. That's why we put forth the supplemental  the supplemental request last week to  hopefully to continue to give those security assistance to  to Ukraine.

And, look, as we  as it relates to Israel, the Admiral spoke to that, on what  we're trying to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself. And we're going to continue.

And let's not forget the humanitarian aid that has to go into Gaza. And that is something  remember the President  and the Admiral said this. The President went to Israel, had the conversation with the Prime Minister, also had conversation with President Sisi, and look what we've  he's been able to do. We've seen multiple convoys go in and provide the humanitarian aid.

Look, we are going to continue  as the Commander-in-Chief, leader of the free world, of course the President is going to make sure that we are there for our partners and allies. That will continue. That will not end. And  and that's what you're seeing the President do every day.

Go ahead.

Q I guess I just want to follow up. I understand you're saying that he's rallied the troops and brought allies together. And that all makes sense. But I guess, again, the origin of my question was: Why aren't we doing a better job preventing these wars in the first place?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What we are doing  and Admiral spoke to this. Of course  as he talked about the Middle East. And, of course, our  our goal has always been a prosperous Middle East, a peaceful Middle East.

He  he literally went into speaking about what the goal has been and what we're going to continue to do: make sure that there is peace  right?  make sure that we  we bring our allies and partners together. That doesn't stop.

But at the same time  right?  if Russia is going to invade  invade Ukraine, we have to be there for Ukraine  right?  taking over  trying to take over their sovereignty, their democracy. We have to be there, right?

If  we have to be there for Israel as they're tr-  as they fight  fighting off a terrorist organization, right? Innocent people are being killed. And so, the President is going to be there for that.

And so, look, we're  it doesn't stop us  deter us from what we're trying to do more broadly in having these diplomatic conversation.

You saw, as I mentioned to one of your colleagues, Austr-  Australia is coming. We're going to continue that conversation on how we're going to help Ukraine and continue to be partners and allies.

But, look, we're going to do the job that is at hand. That's what the President is focused on.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. We haven't  really, in this briefing, we've been mainly covering foreign policy. The President's event that he has coming up, which is on a domestic investment part of his agenda  does the President see any frustration in the fact that so much of the attention is on foreign policy that the domestic agenda is sort of less in the news on a day-to-day basis, particularly with what's going on in the Middle East? Or is it  or is that just the reality of where  of the way the world is?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I  I mean, it is the reality of where we are and what's being reported by all of you, right? It's just the reality of where we are.

Look, the  but it doesn't stop the President, like you said for today  right?  making announcements that's important to the American people. Right? The American people want us to see them delivering  whether it's the economy, whether it's healthcare  whatever issues that  that is important to them.

And so, part  the President is going to make a big announcement in a couple of minutes that you all have reported  actually has gotten great coverage on what he's trying to do and will be announcing today.

And, look, you know, it doesn't stop the President from doing the job that he has to do every day. And you've seen him do that. Whether it's foreign policy, whether it's domestic issues, we try to hit that every day. And you hear the President talking about that every day.

There are incredibly important issues that are top of mind for Americans that the President is not going to  not going to stop talking about.

And as you all know, the President has multiple things to do all at once. And that's what you're going to see him do today. And that's what you're going to see him do on Wednesday when he welcomes the Australian Prime Minister. And that's what you saw him do last week when he went to Israel, and not just that  had conversation with the President of Egypt  right?  to make sure that things are moving forward and making sure that we're getting that humanitarian aid into Gaza. None of that stops. None of that stops.

I think I have to go. All right. Thanks, everybody. We'll see you tomorrow.

Q Thank you, Karine.

Q Will he speak to Israel at this event?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You'll have to watch.

2:16 P.M. EDT

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Exercise Combined Resolve 24-01 is underway

By Spc. William Kuang October 24, 2023

HOHENFELS, Germany -- U.S. armed forces with militaries from 14 NATO allies and partner countries initiated the 19th iteration of the annual joint combat operation exercise, Combined Resolve, Oct. 10, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center near Hohenfels, Germany.

U.S. Army European and African Command directs Combined Resolve 24-01, which is scheduled to end Nov. 11, and includes nearly 4,000 participants with the main objectives of improving interoperability and deterring potential adversaries.

"The significance of Combined Resolve is definitely interoperability between our troops and the allied nation troops, understanding their movements and being able to fight together instead of individually," said U.S. Army Sgt. Cody Ghettie, a small unmanned aircraft system master trainer assigned to 101st Airborne Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is the primary American force training audience working alongside other participating NATO countries.

The 7th Army Training Command provides the training areas and logistical support to ensure safety and operational readiness for every exercise conducted. Combined Resolve 24-01 is designed to prepare 101st Airborne Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team to respond more effectively and efficiently in support of NATO deterrence initiatives by building and strengthening relationships with NATO countries.

"We don't always know how allied nations operate," said Ghettie. "Being able to see each other working out in the field, using these systems, and understanding how their equipment works, and for them to familiarize with how our equipment works really gives us better knowledge of how our units can provide support."

Combined Resolve 24-01 provides a great opportunity for U.S. Army soldiers to improve their ability to operate with allies through immersion in different nations' cultures, languages, and technical and tactical systems. By the end of the exercise, participating NATO countries and the U.S. Army aspire to build and strengthen relationships, becoming more lethal in combat to deter potential adversaries.

Sgt. Bria Gates, a geospatial engineer for the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion of the 10th Mountain Division said, "I'm looking forward to learning a lot from our NATO partners on how they operate versus how we operate and how we can collaborate together and become one unit."

Combined Resolve 24-01 promotes regional stability and security by increasing readiness. It prepares NATO allies and partner nations to respond more efficiently and effectively to regional crises and meet their own security needs.

"Our main focus during the exercise is to assist and guide our partner nations to be the ones that do most of the action," said Gates. "We are there for support and guidance so that they can learn how we work and we learn their thought processes and the way that they do things so we can find a happy medium."

The 7th ATC conducts multi-domain, realistic and challenging exercises. After Combined Resolve 24-01 concludes, the U.S. Army and partner nations will be reinforced in readiness and interoperability to assure and deter threats in increasingly complex security environments.

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October 24, 2023

Transcript

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

BRIGADIER GENERAL PAT RYDER: All right, good afternoon everyone. Just a few things to pass along and then I'll be happy to take your questions. The department of defense continues to remain actively engaged on the situation in the Middle East and is focused on three primary objectives.

Supporting Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks, deterring a broader conflict in the region and ensuring force protection for our troops. And allow me to just briefly address each of these.

Since Hamas' cruel terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7th, the United States has rushed security assistance to Israel to enable Israel defense forces to restore security and protect the Israeli people.

And as we've highlighted this includes capabilities requested by Israel to include precision guided munitions, small diameter bombs, artillery ammunition, Iron Dome, interceptors and other critical equipment.

We continue to stay in close contact with our Israeli partners on their defense needs and remain committed to the security of Israel. We also continue to underscore the importance of safeguarding innocent civilians in this conflict, both Palestinian and Israeli and insuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

Since that Hamas terrorist attack we've also been crystal clear that we do not want to see the situation in Israel widen into a broader regional conflict. And as you've heard President Biden, Secretary Austin and other senior U.S. leaders say, our message to any country or group thinking about trying to take advantage of this situation to widen the conflict is don't.

We've already deployed a significant number of additional U.S. military capabilities into the region to bolster our regional deterrence efforts, strengthen our capabilities there and enhance our ability to respond to a range of contingencies.

In addition to the capabilities that we've already announced, I can also confirm that the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility today with additional F-16 fighting Falcon Squadron bolstering U.S. posture to deter further aggression in the region.

Again, it is our aim to avoid any region expansion of Israel's conflict with Hamas. But we stand ready and prepare to protect our partners and our interest and will act to do so.

Finally, in terms of force protection, the message is simple. As Secretary Austin has consistently made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our troops and our interest overseas.

And with that, happy to take your questions and we'll go to Associated Press, Lita Baldor, first.

Q: Hi, thank you. A couple things just for some quick clarifications. Pat, can you give a better sense of what the total number of attacks against U.S. basis in Iraq and Syria has been, was there an additional one today or not? Can you -- can you just kind of sketch us out because there's been a lot of kind of haphazard reporting on the numbers. And how many people were injured in addition to the contractor that we know died from cardiac arrest?

And then I have one other thing.

GEN. RYDER: Thank, Lita. So, in terms of those numbers and statistics, we are working with U.S. Central Command to get you a comprehensive list for the public record. And so we'll endeavor to get that to you all as soon as possible. What I can tell you right now, and again, we're still continuing to insure that this accounts for everything.

But between October 17th and the 24th, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria via a mix of one way attack drones and rockets.

So again, those are the initial numbers we're continuing to work to CENTCOM to insure we get you the facts on these. And so again, we'll get that to you as soon as possible. And I'm sorry, you said you had a follow-up.

Q: Yes. Can you say whether any of the prepare to deploy forces have actually been activated at this point and can you give us a better sense of what General -- Lieutenant General Glynn and this team is doing in Israel?

Are they -- did that sort of double the number of advisors there or -- and what -- just give us a little bit more clarity on what they're doing. Thank you.

GEN. RYDER: Sure. In terms of the prepare to deploy, the forces that have been notified under prepare to deploy orders, to my knowledge those forces have not been tasked to deploy at this point in time.

I will say that separately the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and the additional Patriot battalions that we announced this weekend, their deployment is under way. I'm not going to be able to go into numbers. I'm not going to be able to go into locations other than to say to an undisclosed location in the Middle East.

Again, those forces are aimed at enhancing force protection for U.S. forces in the region. What I can tell you is that the THAAD battery is coming from Fort Bliss, Texas. And the Patriot battalions and batteries are coming from across Fort Liberty in North Carolina and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

As it relates to General Glynn, we have asked a few officials with relevant experience simply to help Israeli officials think through the kinds of questions that they need to consider as they conduct their planning, including advice on mitigating civilian casualties. As I'm sure you've seen reported, these officials, to include General Glynn, have deep experience when it comes to urban combat. And so, again, they are there temporarily with their military expertise to just go through and discuss some of the hard questions that the IDF should consider as they plan various scenarios.

I will be very clear here, though, the IDF will and always will make its own decisions. They are not there to direct. Again, simply to provide advice.

Thank you. Let me go back into the room here. Matt?

Q: Thank you, Pat. Can you say what, if any, efforts the U.S. is making to prevent future attacks on U.S. forces by these Iran-backed militias in the region? Have there been any counterstrikes so far, any kind of efforts to thwart future attacks? And if not, why not?

GEN. RYDER: Yes, thanks, Matt. Well, again, as we announced this weekend, we are posturing additional forces in the region for two reasons. One, again, to bolster our broader regional deterrence efforts. And, two, to send a clear message that we will protect our forces. We will always maintain the inherent right of self-defense. And if there is a response, should we choose to have one, we would do that at a time and place of our choosing.

Q: Thank you.

GEN. RYDER: Thank you.

Megan.

Q: A group of Senators sent a letter to OSD yesterday about a new over-the-counter birth control pill, requesting that Tricare cover it. Has OSD received it? And does OSD plan to respond by the end of the month, as the senator has requested?

GEN. RYDER: Yes, thanks, Megan. So, I don't have anything to provide on that. I'll take that question. As always, we will respond to Congress appropriately. But I'll take that question for you. Thank you.

Rio.

Q: Thank you very much. Asking about China. The Chinese (inaudible) today. So the Pentagon believe that defense leaders engagement between the U.S. and China is more likely to happen because China and the sanctions on Mr. (inaudible) was a major obstacle for the meeting?

GEN. RYDER: Yes, thank you for that. I've seen the press reports, as I'm sure you can appreciate, I'm not going to comment on Chinese military personnel policy or moves. I will say that we still believe that it is very important for the senior leaders of our two nations to continue to engage, to include between our two militaries. And so we will continue to seek opportunities to keep those lines of communication open, to prevent potential miscalculation. Thank you very much.

Sir.

Q: Has department in preparing for stepped-up preparations for mass evacuations if the conflict spreads beyond where -- where it is right now?

GEN. RYDER: Yes, so I don't have anything to announce in that regard. As you know, and as you've heard us say in the past, we are a planning organization, that's what we do. And so, again, we're going to do due diligence to ensure that we're planning for a variety of contingencies. But as it relates to the situation in the Middle East and U.S. citizens and our embassies, I'd refer you to State Department.

Q: And are there any discussions through intermediaries between the U.S. and Iran?

GEN. RYDER: So again, I -- on the diplomatic side, I'd refer you to State. You know, certainly from a DOD standpoint, our focus is on communicating with our partners in the region. You've seen us read out several calls, to include one today with the Secretary -- I think it was today, it may have been tomorrow, it all blurs together - or yesterday, rather -- Secretary Austin and his Iraqi counterpart. So again, that continues to be our focus.

Carla?

Q: Thanks. Following up on Lita's question, do you believe that -- these at least 13 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, do you believe that Iran is responsible for these? Were these all conducted by Iranian-backed proxies?

GEN. RYDER: Well, you know, I think we've been pretty clear on this, and my colleagues at the White House yesterday talked about this as well. We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC and the Iranian regime.

What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near-term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran. So by virtue of our announcement over the weekend, we are preparing for this escalation, both in terms of defending our forces and responding decisively.

And I just want to emphasize the point that I made earlier, which is that we always reserve the right to defend ourselves and we will never hesitate to take action when needed to protect our forces and our interests overseas.

Q: At this point, can you confirm which Iranian-backed militias are responsible for these attacks?

GEN. RYDER: Again, I'm not going to go into specifics here from the podium, other than to say that we know that these groups are Iranian proxy groups.

Q: And lastly, can we get a breakdown of the injuries that have occurred based on these attacks? And -- and have there been any TBIs that have occurred as a result of these attacks as well?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, again, we'll come back to you on that. Thank you.

Jeff.

Q: When were the most recent attacks? You've mentioned 10 in Iraq and three in Syria. When were the most recent of these attacks?

And separately, can you confirm that the Carney used a five inch gun to shoot down some of the drones launched by the Houthis?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, so in terms of the Carney, Jeff, I'm just not going to go into specifics on its defensive systems.

And as far as the attacks go, I can confirm, you know -- and think I talked about this yesterday -- we had the attempted attack at Al-Tanf garrison in Syria. No casualties or damage to infrastructure. I am aware that there are Dataminr alerts out there talking about another potential attack today. So we're looking into that. I just don't have any information to provide.

But again, it is our intent to be able to confirm the details of these attacks since they've begun and make that available to the press and to the public so that -- two reasons. One, you asked the question. And two, we're very sensitive to the fact that there's a lot of misinformation out there right now about whether attacks have occurred or not. And so we'd like to have something in the public record so that we can have a basis for truth as we go forward on this. Thank you.

Q: General?

GEN. RYDER: Chris? And then I'll come back to you, Joe.

Q: Thanks, Pat. A couple of questions. Just to follow up on -- on the attacks, it -- it -- do you have a -- a -- or did any of the attacks in Syria come from inside Iraq (inaudible)?

GEN. RYDER: Chris, right now, I just don't have that level of detail to provide.

Q: OK. And then second question -- you've highlighted there is a very near-term threat but it will take some time for these additional forces, the carrier to arrive. So what steps are you taking right now in near-term deterrence to prevent -- prevent attacks?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, so to be clear, we have significant capabilities in the theater right now, right? I mean, you've got the Ford that's in the Eastern Mediterranean, you've got an expanded number of fighter aircraft throughout the region, in addition to the naval assets that are already in the Central Command AOR.

So there should be no confusion whether or not, you know, we have the ability to respond to any potential threats right now. The announcement over the weekend, as I highlighted, is intended to enhance those capabilities and sustain those capabilities for as long as we may need in order to continue to both deter and protect our troops.

Q: And one final quick question. Did you have an update on the number of C-17 flights that have gone into Israel ...

GEN. RYDER: I do not -- I do not. I can tell you that we are conducting regular, near daily missions to provide them with support, but I can take that question and we'll see what we're able to provide on that.

Let me go to Joe and then I need to come back to the phone here.

Q: Thank you. Quick question -- have -- (could ?) you say on the record if the Houthis have mid-range missiles that can reach Israel?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, thanks, Joe. So -- I'm not really able to get into specific intelligence. I can tell you that it's our assessment that the range of those missiles was likely in excess of 200 kilometers.

(CROSSTALK)

Yeah?

Q: 2000?

GEN. RYDER: Two -- yeah.

(CROSSTALK)

OK, let me go to the phone here. (Laughter.)

Look, I studied advertising at the University of Florida, OK? Please do not make me do math up here.

All right, let me go to Jared from Al-Monitor.

Q: Hi, sir. Thanks for doing this. There have been some new reports, including in my outlet, that -- you know, citing Israeli officials as saying that essentially while they -- they greatly appreciate the U.S. military's support and coordination, that they feel that in order to maintain deterrence, Israel as a state in the Middle East neighborhood, that they -- they have really no choice but to go ahead with a Gaza campaign, ground incursion. Does the department share that ... (inaudible)

GEN. RYDER: Well, look, I'm not going to speak for Israel. I think it's important to remember how we got here. So first of all, we have had a very longstanding relationship with Israel and have worked together for many years to ensure our mutual security in the region.

As I highlighted earlier, on October 7th, Israel was attacked by Hamas in a brutal and cruel attack. And so since that day, we have worked hard to ensure that we are working closely with Israel to understand what their defense needs are to restore security and protect their people. And so that continues to be our focus.

Let me go to James, The Messenger.

Q: Appreciate the opportunity. The question was answered. Thank you.

GEN. RYDER: Thank you. Come back in the room. Yes, ma'am?

Q: Thanks, Pat. How involved was OSD in Google's decision to disable live traffic conditions in Israel and the Gaza Strip at the request of the IDF ahead of the potential ground invasion?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, so I'm not tracking any involvement from DOD on that. So thank you.

Q: And then separately, is the Defense Department providing Israel with Phoenix Ghost or other loitering munitions? And in that light, is the department supplying new or emerging tech weapons that have not been deployed by U.S. forces in conflicts yet?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, I mean, you've heard me talk about the kinds of capabilities that we're providing, so I don't have anything additional to announce at this point in time. As we've said, we continue to remain in close contact with Israel -- for example, Secretary Austin talking on a near daily basis with the Minister of Defense there to understand what their needs are. And so as we have new capabilities that they request that we're able to announce, we certainly will do that. Thank you.

Fadi.

Q: Two questions. So yesterday there was one report quoting a U.S. official that Israel is delaying its incursion into Gaza to give the U.S. more time to prepare for a wide escalation or conflict in the region. Do you have a comment on -- on that report?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, I saw those press reports. Look, I'll be clear. Again, it's Israel's decision as to when they -- and how they conduct their operations. The relationship between the United States and Israel right now is focused on, again, understanding what their defense needs are and making sure that we're able to support them in that regard. But we're also communicating with them, as I highlighted earlier, in terms of providing those kinds of thoughtful questions and things to consider based on our lessons in urban combat, and so -- and then also emphasizing the importance of mitigating civilian casualties in light of the situation in Gaza, and so that continues to be our focus.

Q: And in terms of -- you talked about deterrence. You talked about what was announced in the weekend (inaudible). It could be looked at it as more like defensive assets, but not offensive assets in terms of THAAD and Patriot. But as you highlighted, between October 17 and October 24, there's been 13 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. I don't know what your view is on deterrence and how deterrence works and whether this is a case of failed deterrence. But my question to you is, the U.S. says at this moment -- how big are the chances that this conflict could be widened, based on the reaction from groups that are attacking the U.S.?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, so a couple things there. Let me just kind of break it down. So first of all, to your point, our focus there's a couple different things at play here, and I think it's important to separate them into their parts. There's the situation with Israel and Hamas and their efforts to defend themselves against Hamas. And so as I mentioned at the top, we're focused on supporting their defensive needs in order to protect their people.

When -- as we put these additional assets into the region, it again is meant to deter a wider conflict and to message those who might seek to make it a regional conflict, that that would be a very bad idea, OK? Those capabilities give us options. They give us a wide range of capabilities to respond to a multitude of potential contingencies.

You heard me talk yesterday -- no one wants a broader regional conflict, and so we're going to continue to not only ensure that we have those capabilities in the region, but continue to communicate clearly with our partners and our allies throughout the region directly, and then also via messaging of these capabilities to potential adversaries or bad actors in the region.

Separately, we have forces in Iraq and Syria that are there for one purpose only. Our forces in Iraq are there at the invitation of the government of Iraq to assist them in the campaign to defeat ISIS, ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS. Our forces in Syria are there as part of the campaign to do -- to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.

So as you see these Iranian proxy groups -- and it's not the first time that they've done this -- attempt to destabilize, attempt to divert attention, what I'm saying is that we are going to take appropriate measures to protect our people so that they can stay focused on the mission.

So right now, this conflict in Israel is contained to Israel - and Israel fighting Hamas, and that will continue to be a focus of ours. But we're also not going to hesitate to protect our people when they're in harm's way doing important national security missions like the Defeat ISIS mission. Thank you.

Lara?

Q: Thanks, Pat. Just to clarify on the missile in -- that was launched from the Houthis, it -- you said it was -- it -- its range was in excess of 2,000 km. Is that correct?

GEN. RYDER: Correct.

Q: So you -- you assess that the Houthis do have missiles that can reach Israel?

GEN. RYDER: Correct. And again, I think, to highlight what I said earlier, and I think it was this week -- I don't remember the time (inaudible). But when we talked earlier about this, we still cannot say for certain what those missiles and drones were targeting, but those missiles were within range of that ship, and so the Kearny made the decision to take those missiles down.

Q: And have you seen any other such incidents involving those ships in the (inaudible)?

GEN. RYDER: No, not at this time.

Mike?

Q: Is the -- the munitions requirements for Israel and Ukraine are for the most part not in conflict, with the exception of 155 millimeter howitzer rounds. What's the Pentagon, Defense Department doing to ensure that their needs, as well as U.S. military zone and (inaudible) needs to have a supply of the -- of those rounds or -- on hand?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, great question. So a couple of things. As you know, we have been working closely with industry not only in the United States, but working with our allies and partners and their defense industrial base to look at ramping up production of 155. In fact, just last week, the national armaments directors again met as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group process to, again, look at how we can continue to increase that production. We are confident that we can meet both Israel's needs and Ukraine's needs going forward.

I would also highlight, again, as you know, the White House provided a supplemental last week, a request to Congress for additional funding, and so of course, those resources would be very welcome in terms of going forward to ensure that we're able to continue to provide the level of support that we need to both Ukraine and Israel. But we are confident that we have what we need to be able to support them; at the same time, ensure that our military readiness stays at the threshold that it needs to. We will not sacrifice our own military readiness when it comes to defending the nation. Thank you.

Let me go back to the phone here. J.J. of WTOP?

Q: Yeah, thanks, General, for doing this. You said yesterday and you said again today that what we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the near term coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran. When you say that, do you mean Iranian forces making direct attacks on U.S. forces? And are you seeing evidence that they're planning of preparing for that?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, thanks, J.J. You know, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals at this point. I think my -- my words speak for themselves in terms of, you know, we are continuing to see the prospect for increased escalation in light of the tensions throughout the region with these groups attempting to exploit that. And so, you know, so far, we've seen these Iranian proxy groups in Iraq and Syria conducting these attacks, and I'll just leave it at that.

All right, let me go to John Ismay, New York Times.

Q: Yes, hi. I was wondering if you can, tell me a little bit about what the Carney was doing before she took defensive actions and what she's been doing since.

GEN. RYDER: Yes, thanks John. So, she was sailing. Just kidding. I don't have any specifics to provide in terms of, you know, beyond -- obviously, we have a variety of assets in the region, as you know, that are supporting our both national security interests and our regional security interests.

In terms of the current disposition of the ship, I don't have anything to provide on that at the moment.

Let me go to Phil Stewart, "Reuters."

Q: Hey there, thank you. Just a quick clarification. I thought initially you said that the missile had an excess range of 200 and then I think you confirmed that you said it was over 2,000. I just want to make sure which one of those it was.

And then secondly, last night or yesterday the senior defense official briefed all of us that Iran would be held accountable for these attacks. I'm just wondering if you can explain what that means. Thank you.

GEN. RYDER: Yes, thanks. So yes, 2,000. And then in terms of accountability, again, look I'm not going to discuss, you know, particular actions we could or might take other than to say, again, we will do everything necessary to protect and defend our forces. If and when we would decide to respond, we will do so at a time and place of our choosing. Thank you.

All right, time for few more. Yes, sir.

Q: Thanks, General. So, when the Biden administration the other day say they're confident that Israel will follow the law of war, I'm wondering which law is being referred to here. Is it like the Geneva Convention, the United Nations, ICC? Last week we saw an Israeli strike hit the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, which killed about 18 including some family members of former U.S. Congressman Justin Amash. So, I'm just wondering if attacks like those are in line with the laws of war that the DOD is applying?

GEN. RYDER: Yes, so look, I'll let Israel talk to its operations. In our communications with the Israelis, again, we continue to encourage them to abide by the laws of war. We are both democracies. We are both professional militaries and we understand the importance of doing so. Again, I will also highlight the challenges here with urban warfare. I will highlight, we've made very clear that the Palestinians are not Hamas and that Hamas' are not the Palestinians. And it is very, very unfortunate that we see a terrorist group who embeds themselves within a civilian population in order to protect and hide. But again, in our conversations with the Israelis, as we made very clear, we're continuing to highlight the importance of mitigating civilian casualties and ensuring that, you know, for example, things like safety corridors are thought through.

Q: And could you -- could you speak a little bit on which laws of war are being applied for, you know, those of us accessing the war?

GEN. RYDER: I'm not going to go into a doctrinal discussion about the laws of war. I think, you know, we all know what we're talking about, law of arm conflict and yes, thank you.

Sir?

Q: Thanks, General. From the beginning the U.S. has been supporting Israel with the military needs and (inaudible) with the munitions. And now you have expertise helping the Israeli IDF to conduct their operations, possible incursion in Gaza. So, this is adding to your responsibility against the civilian casualties in the region more. So, what are these experts are going to -- what kind of role are they going to play in terms of minimizing civilian casualties or are they going to help the civilian casualties to be -- to --to decrease in the -- in that possible operation?

GEN. RYDER: Yeah, so let me just kind of push back on a little bit of what you said there. So, to be clear, these subject matter experts are not there to help the Israelis conduct their operations, they're not in any way actively participating in operations. Again, they're there to advise.

And I think it's also important to put into context that we have had, as you highlighted, a long, many year relationship with the Israelis. We frequently share information with one another and it really works both ways, in terms of lessons learned.

But again, given the expertise in conducting warfare in dense, urban environments, in places like Iraq, sharing those lessons learned, to include the importance of doing everything you can to mitigate civilian casualties, and Secretary Austin in fact spoke about this when he was in Israel, during his press conference, talking about his own experiences in places like Mosul and ensuring that you have safety corridors and things like that, because at the end of the day, what everyone's trying to do here is protect innocent civilian lives, in terms of ensuring that terrorist groups like Hamas cannot continue to do what they have done in this situation. Thank you.

All right. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. I appreciate your time today.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3567652/

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October 24, 2023

Release

Readout of Under Secretary of Defense Dr. William LaPlante's Engagements in Brussels, Belgium

Department of Defense Spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen provided the following readout:

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante traveled to Brussels, Belgium October 10-21, 2023, to reaffirm U.S. commitment to security cooperation in the European area of operations and discuss a range of issues of mutual importance with international leaders and partner organizations.

While in Brussels, Dr. LaPlante participated in the 16th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) where he updated ministers and senior defense officials on global efforts aimed at collaboratively solving industrial base and sustainment challenges in support of Ukraine. He also chaired the seventh meeting of National Armaments Directors (NADs) under the auspices of the UDCG that was attended by more than 40 nations, NATO, and the European Union. In addition to updates on efforts to address near-term assistance requirements in key capability areas, the discussion highlighted increasing focus on long-term support to Ukraine. Specifically, NADs are developing a long-term, doctrinal strategy for sustainment that is aligned with NATO standards as well as exploring approaches to aid Ukraine in its efforts to expand the capacity and capability of its domestic industrial base.

During the semi-annual NATO Conference of NADs, Dr. LaPlante discussed key areas for increased collaboration and cooperation, including the forthcoming NATO Defense Production Action Plan and associated efforts to aggregate demand and procurement; standardization of platforms, systems, and munitions to increase interoperability and interchangeability; and progress on specific NATO procurement and modernization programs.

Throughout the trip, Dr. LaPlante conducted bilateral engagements with the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union; U.S. Ambassador to NATO; NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment; European Defence Agency; European External Action Service; and senior armaments officials from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Sweden, Romania, and the Netherlands. These dialogues included updates on various ongoing U.S. and European multinational, regional, and national initiatives related to security assistance for Ukraine, including to expand global ammunition production; opportunities for greater co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment; and efforts enabled by new international agreements, such as the Administrative Arrangement between the United States Department of Defense and the European Defense Agency signed earlier this year.

Additionally, Dr. LaPlante signed a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) between the United States and Estonia. Through the SOSA, the United States and Estonia commit intent to support one another's priority delivery requests for procurement of critical national defense resources. The arrangement will enable both the U.S. and Estonia to acquire the industrial resources they need to quickly meet defense requirements, resolve unanticipated disruptions that challenge defense capabilities, and promote supply chain resiliency.

"I was pleased to visit with allies and partners from Europe and beyond as we collectively work to ensure peace and stability throughout the region and across the world," LaPlante said. "The discussions over the last two weeks touched on the breadth and depth of armaments cooperation, global industrial base resilience, and priority procurement initiatives. We are more successful in achieving our security objectives when we work hand in hand with our allies and partners, and I look forward to driving action on the items discussed."

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3566621/

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October 24, 2023

By Jim Garamone , DOD News

Defense Leader Discusses Progress of National Defense Strategy

The National Defense Strategy is a living, breathing document that is the North Star to the Defense Department, and leaders in the department work every day to ensure it is implemented, Mara Karlin said during a Brookings Institution event today.

Karlin is performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. She is one of the authors of the National Defense Strategy that was unveiled last year.

Karlin said the strategy is clear on priorities, calling the document "punchy" and "spiff," which are not words often heard when describing a national defense strategy.

"We recognize the need to focus on the People's Republic of China,  there is no other country with the will, and increasingly the capability to fundamentally reshape that global security order," she said. "We also know that Russia is an acute threat, we have watched that manifest, unfortunately, in a quite terrible way  in Ukraine."

But there are other threats and these include Iran, North Korea and threats from terror groups. "These other threats are persistent, and then we've got to be vigilant  because if you're not  they're just going to take you totally off of your strategy when events happen  because events are going to happen," she said.

Karlin used the Hamas attack on Israel as the most recent example of the National Defense Strategy at work. "The Israelis first engaged us in the day of the horrific attacks on Oct. 7 on that Saturday, and by Tuesday, we were actually already delivering material that they had requested," she said.

She also addressed the increase in U.S. military posture in the region as a clear deterrence signal to "other groups who think they might want to jump on this terrible bandwagon and get involved, they absolutely should not do so."

The posture changes are a perfect manifestation of the National Defense Strategy. "You have got to be able to dynamically employ the U.S. military," Karlin said. "Right now, we are sitting with the most capable U.S. military in our history, the most experienced U.S. military in our history, and we've got to be able to move it dynamically. We've got to be able to ensure it can go anywhere at any time."

When a crisis erupts, the U.S. military can help de-escalate the situation. It can help contain the conflict.

"We are also simultaneously still working really hard to support Ukraine," she said. Karlin noted that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III helped put together and manage the coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria when he served as the commander of U.S. Central Command. That coalition grew to over 90 nations and organizations.

Today, he presides at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group  a coalition of more than 50 nations dedicated to helping Ukraine defend itself from the Russian invasion.

All this grows from the National Defense Strategy. "When you look back, you will see examples where a really smart strategy comes out and then it sits on a shelf, and maybe folks are just supposed to kind of implement it on their own," she said. "And maybe they do, maybe they don't."

That has not happened with this strategy. "Indeed, Secretary Austin often talks about the NDS as being our North Star," Karlin said. "And you can always see that it is in his brain and in the brains of senior leaders, as they are wrestling with some very, very difficult decisions."

She said the strategy has had a "wraparound approach to implementation."

There are some key priorities within the national defense strategy, that Austin personally ensures are being implemented. The next piece of the wraparound strategy is that every senior leader in the department regularly updates Austin on how "they are changing their own plans, processes, strategies, to ensure that the national defense strategy gets realized," she said.

Finally, there is a concrete to-do list that must be accomplished on deadline.

"All of that taken together, has been really helpful in realizing the thrust of the national defense strategy and of ensuring  that it is the oxygen in which the department is operating," Karlin said.

She pointed to the Indo-Pacific region as one where the strategy is working quite well. The strategy calls for a different posture of American forces in the region and it is well on its way. "What we've needed to do is make [force posture] more distributed and more resilient across that entire region," she said. "We have been able to make some important changes on that front. In particular, I would point to some bigger agreements of late that we've put together with Australia, the Philippines, Japan and Papua New Guinea, that's making it easier for our military to both collaborate with those militaries and also to be able to move dynamically across the region."

DOD is making "generational change" with the strategy. "We are steering the Department of Defense in line with that," Karlin said. "I think all of the right pieces are in place, we are making a lot of progress, we just need to make sure that we can continue to do that in a serious and rigorous way."

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October 24, 2023

By Joseph Clark , DOD News

U.S. Focuses on Deterrence as China Raises Stakes in Indo-Pacific

The U.S. remains laser-focused on deterring conflict in the Indo-Pacific as China doubles down on its efforts to boost its military power and engage in increasingly provocative behavior, a senior Pentagon official said yesterday.

Ely S. Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said as China continues to raise the stakes in the region, the Defense Department has responded with a steady hand to ensure competition does not become conflict.

"We're not losing sight of the fact that the department has identified China as the top pacing challenge," Ratner said. "We're investing focused capabilities on solving operational problems associated with that."

He added that, in response to China's military buildup, the DOD has remained focused on developing new operational concepts, deepening relationships with regional allies, and modernizing its force posture in the region.

Ratner, who was joined by Michael S. Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, offered his remarks during a discussion of the Pentagon's recently published 2023 China Military Power Report. The event was hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington.

The annual report on China, known formally as the People's Republic of China or PRC, was released by the Pentagon last week. It details China's national, economic and military strategy, current capabilities and future modernization goals pursuant to that country's aim of reshaping the international order.

According to the report, over the past year China adopted more provocative behaviors in the Indo-Pacific while accelerating its military buildup in a bid to project power abroad.

"At the same time, the PRC largely denied, cancelled and ignored recurring bilateral defense engagements, as well as DOD requests for military-to-military communication at multiple levels," the report reads.

According to the report, China is seeking to modernize its military, the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, across all domains of warfare in pursuit of its aims of reshaping the global power balance.

China's military has focused on the rapid development of its nuclear, space and cyberspace capabilities. DOD officials estimate that the Chinese had more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023, and it was on track to exceed some previous projections.

"Compared to the PLA's nuclear modernization efforts a decade ago, current efforts dwarf previous attempts in both scale and complexity," the report reads, adding that DOD officials asses that China will likely reach 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030.

China has also focused on expanding its naval capabilities to project power by sea. It has the largest navy in the world, in terms of number of ships and submarines, with a total battle force of 370 ships and submarines. That includes 140 major surface combatants, according to the report.

We're not losing sight of the fact that the department has identified China as the top pacing challenge. We're investing focused capabilities on solving operational problems associated with that."

Ely S. Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs

More broadly, U.S. officials also assess that China's military has sought to modernize and improve its ground, air, strategic and joint-support forces and has undertaken key structural reforms to strengthen its ability to conduct joint operations.

"The PLA is aggressively developing capabilities to provide options for the PRC to dissuade, deter, or, if ordered, defeat third-party intervention in the Indo-Pacific region and to conduct military operations deeper into the Indo-Pacific region and globally,"

The report also raises concerns over the risky and aggressive intercepts by China's military of U.S. aircraft operating in international airspace in accordance with international law.

"Between the fall of 2021 and fall of 2023, the United States has documented over 180 instances of PLA coercive and risky air intercepts against U.S. aircraft in the region  more in the past two years than in the previous decade," the report reads.

"Over the same period, the PLA has conducted around 100 instances of coercive and risky operational behavior against U.S. allies and partners in an effort to deter both the United States and others from conducting lawful operations in the region," the report continues.

That concerning behavior on the part of China's military was part of a "coordinated campaign," Ratner said.

"This was a variety of different behaviors," he said. "It was air intercepts that were coming in too fast, that got too close, that brandished weapons, that engaged in risky and dangerous maneuvers around U.S. aircraft  that, we think, is important to be highlighting because they really are dangerous.

"They put lives at risk, and they risk also potential crises that could lead to inadvertent conflict," Ratner said.

Chase added that the concerning rise in intercepts further underscores the importance of resuming regular, military-to-military communications between the U.S. and China at the operational level as soon as possible.

He said that while the report focuses on China's buildup, it was also important to underscore the United States' "very strong body of work in terms of posture, capabilities, operational concepts [and] working closely with allies and partners in terms of what we're doing in response."

"We believe deterrence is real and deterrence is strong, and we're working every day to keep it that way," Ratner said.

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October 24, 2023

By Jim Garamone , DOD News

DOD Officials Detail Department's Goals in Middle East

America's efforts in the Middle East are in support of Israel's right to defend itself from terrorism and to contain the violence, senior defense officials said today.

The officials, speaking on background, discussed U.S. efforts in the Middle East as conflict continues to blaze in Gaza.

"As we've communicated previously, the U.S. remains committed to ensuring the security and well-being of its allies and partners, particularly in the face of escalating threats across the region," a senior defense official said.

Part of this commitment are the changes Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ordered in U.S. defense posture in the region.

Austin ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to the U.S. Central Command area of operations. This is in addition to the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group that will remain in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The secretary also ordered the deployment of a terminal high-altitude area defense battery and additional Patriot battalions to the region. These assets and personnel will to enhance U.S. force protection in the region.

Finally, "an additional number of forces have been placed on prepare-to-deploy orders to increase their readiness and ensure rapid response if required," the official said. "These measures are critical to bolstering regional deterrence efforts, safeguarding our troops and assisting in the defense of Israel."

The deployment of the carrier strike groups to the region sends a clear message to all parties in the Middle East.

"Our carrier strike groups give us the ability to launch operations independently, anywhere in the world and immediately upon arrival," the official said. "When we send them somewhere, we are deliberately sending an incredibly strong signal to our adversaries, but also to our allies and partners about the depth of our support, and the ability of the U.S. military to expeditiously, dynamically respond to contingencies anywhere in the world."

The groups provide a wide range of support from intelligence collection to maritime dominance to long-range strikes. This is a strategic move to show American support "not only to the region, but also to support Israel, and its right to defend itself from the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks," the official said.

These naval assets and the earlier deployment of fighter jets to the region are deterrence in the flesh. "Our advice to those who might seek to exploit the situation or amplify the conflict is simple: Don't," the official said.

The military capabilities and personnel in the region always retain the right of self-defense, the official said. Attacks will be answered decisively "at a time and place of our choosing."

The official also addressed the humanitarian aspects of the Hamas terror attack. "The loss of innocent lives, including U.S. citizens, Israeli civilians and Palestinian civilians is truly heartbreaking," the official said. "We have worked across the board from the White House to the State Department to the Defense Department to prioritize civilian protections and safety, as well as ensure the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza over the weekend."

Civilians should not be deliberately targeted. "Our partner, Israel, is a law-abiding country obligated to adhere to the law of armed conflict," the official said. "Hamas  a terrorist organization  did not, does not, and continues to deliberately target civilians and hold civilians hostage."

Iran and Iranian proxy groups remain roadblocks to peace in the region. Hamas is a proxy group of Tehran as is Lebanese Hezbollah and many groups operating in Syria and parts of Iraq. U.S. personnel in Syria and Iraq have been targets and the USS Carney, a U.S. destroyer operating in the Red Sea, foiled cruise missile and suicide drone attacks last week.

"We see a prospect for a more significant escalation against US forces and personnel in the near term," the official said. "And let's be clear about it - the road leads back to Iran. Iran funds, arms, equips and trains militias and proxy forces all across the region."

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Daily Recap: Hamas - Israel War October 24th, 2023 (19:30) - Day 18

IDF Press Release

Official IDF Daily Update

24.10.23

IDF

Overview

The IDF continued to strike Hamas in response to their horrific October 7th attacks. This included strikes on three of Hamas' deputy battalion commanders, as well as some 400 military sites in the

Gaza Strip.

Some of these strikes laid the groundwork for the intensification of IDF activities, including strikes on an attack tunnel and mortar or rocket launch sites.

Over two weeks after the savage abduction of men, women and children from Israel, two hostages were released from captivity. Another 222 in captivity - a blatant war crime - including the released hostages' elderly husbands. The IDF will continue to do everything in its power to bring the hostages homes.

The IDF remained vigilant on the northern border in light of ongoing Hezbollah attacks. On multiple occasions, the IDF identified and neutralized Hezbollah terrorist units. Overnight the IDF struck Hezbollah sites in response to their attacks.

Excerpts from a statement by the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. General Herzi Halevi

The State of Israel is in the midst of a war that the Hamas terrorist organization started. Hamas will regret this, it is already beginning to regret it now.

Battles fought by civilians, security personnel, soldiers and commanders on October 7th are worthy of appreciation. Hundreds of terrorists were killed thanks to the heroism of those who fought.

IDF forces are currently deployed in the field, defending with strength. Vigilance is still required. I am visiting the soldiers in the field and briefing them regarding the situation. We have been training for this for many years and have developed some of the most advanced combat capabilities in the world. We have the very best combat soldiers.

The IDF and the Southern Command have prepared a high-quality offensive plan to achieve our objectives in the war.

I want to make this clear: the IDF is ready for ground operations and will receive the decisions with the political echelon in regards to the next steps.

We are conducting a war. At this stage, there are tactical and strategic measures that allow us to improve our readiness for future steps. We are utilizing every single minute to be better prepared.

With every minute that passes on the other side, we are striking our enemy further, destroying more of their capabilities. Eliminating terrorists and senior operatives and gathering more intelligence.

We are keeping them on their toes.

Now the enemy is the one waiting.







Key Links

IDF targeting of a terrorist cell identified firing rockets towards Lebanon on Monday afternoon (Video)

As part of the efforts to free Israeli and foreign nationals held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the IDF offered security and financial rewards in exchange for information on the hostages. The announcement is available here

Overview of the five members of the Hamas Aerial Array neutralized to date.

A statement by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesperson, about Hamas culpability in the October 7th massacres (Video, English)

Arena Overview

Southern Arena

The IDF continues to prepare for a ground maneuver into the Gaza Strip, including strikes on areas that will enable more operational flexibility for the next stage of the war, with a particular focus on Hamas staging grounds in the neighborhoods of Shuja'iyya, Shati, Jabalia, Daraj Tuffah, and Zaytun.



Over the last day, the IDF struck over 400 terror targets and killed several Hamas commanders, as well as numerous operatives preparing attacks. These strikes leveraged the Israeli Air Force, tanks and artillery for attacks on anti-tank missile launchers and observation posts, an operational tunnel shaft, command centers, staging grounds located in mosques and dozens of other terror infrastructure sites.

As part of the ongoing efforts to target Hamas operatives, from the most senior to operational commanders on the ground, as well as every operative involved in the October 7th attacks, yesterday the IDF targeted three deputy battalion commanders. Yesterday, the IDF also targeted the head of Hamas' anti-tank military array in the northern Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of the war, the IDF and ISA eliminated five commanders of the Hamas Aerial Array, which had played a significant role in the attack against Israel at the start of the war.

As part of the extensive efforts to free the Israeli and foreign national hostages held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza, earlier today the IDF used multiple channels to communicate with the residents of Gaza and ask for information about the hostages, offering protection and compensation in return.

Northern Israel

On Monday night, the IDF identified and neutralized a terrorist cell that was trying to launch rockets towards Israel from Har Dov. Another terrorist unit with numerous weapons was identified and neutralized in the same area on Tuesday afternoon. In addition, an anti-tank missile was fired towards Kibbutz Manara. The IDF responded to the source of fire.

Over the last day, the IDF eliminated five terrorist units. In addition, in response to ongoing attacks from southern Lebanon, the IDF struck three Hezbollah posts. The IDF will remain vigilant throughout northern Lebanon, showing no tolerance towards aggression, responding with strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure.

The Israeli Homefront

Rockets continue to be launched toward the north and south of Israel throughout the day. On Tuesday, following a lull in longer-range rocket fire, Gaza rockets were fired towards central and southern Israel, with sirens sounding as far north as Tel Aviv.

Last night, two elderly female hostages, Nurit Kooper and Yoheved Lifshitz, were released and returned home to Israel, with support from Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The IDF sees the return of the remaining 222 hostages, including Nurit and Yoheved's husbands, as well as babies, children and elderly, as a core priority, and is continuing to support the government's efforts to this extent with both operational and intelligence support.

The nation mourns together with the families of 308 soldiers who were killed during the war to date.

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Secretary General welcomes latest steps towards Sweden's NATO accession

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

24 Oct. 2023 - 25 Oct. 2023

Last updated: 24 Oct. 2023

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm on Tuesday (24 October 2023) to discuss finalising Sweden's NATO accession. The Secretary General welcomed the decision of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to submit the accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly.

"Following the submission of the ratification documents, I now count on a speedy ratification by the Turkish parliament," said Mr Stoltenberg. The Secretary General highlighted that Turkiye's decision is in line with the agreement at the Vilnius summit in July, and stressed that Sweden had also fulfilled its commitments: "Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws, expanded counter-terrorism cooperation, and resumed arms exports to Turkiye," he said. Mr Stoltenberg noted that NATO has recommitted to the fight against terrorism, including by updating its action plan, and appointing an Assistant Secretary General to serve as his Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism. "I am glad we have been able to address Turkiye's legitimate security concerns in a way that enables Sweden's membership to move forward. I look forward to welcoming Sweden as a full NATO Ally in the very near future," he said.

The two leaders also addressed recent damage to critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. "Allies and Sweden are working together to establish the facts, and NATO is strengthening our presence in the region," said Mr Stoltenberg.

The Secretary General also said: "we discussed the situation in the Middle East, and Israel's response to the horrific terrorist attack launched by Hamas. Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international law. The protection of civilians is essential, and I welcome efforts to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. Iran and Hezbollah should not take advantage of the conflict. It is important that this situation does not escalate further."

During his visit to Sweden, the Secretary General is also meeting with Defence Minister Pal Jonson, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom, and the First Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Kenneth G Forslund.

On Wednesday (25 October 2023), Mr Stoltenberg will participate in the NATO-Industry Forum in Stockholm.

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A Tibetan experiment in democracy struggles

A walkout in the exile Parliament raises questions about unity after the Dalai Lama.

By RFA Tibetan and Jim Snyder for RFA Investigative 2023.10.24 -- As the fight over a speaker for the U.S. House of Representatives shows, even established democratic institutions have struggled to find consensus recently.

The Tibetan exile community's experience with representative government is fresher, but it too is showing signs of strain, with potential implications for what may happen to the Tibet freedom movement without the Dalai Lama's guiding hand.

Last month, a session of Parliament scheduled to last nine days ended after just three when a group of lawmakers walked out over an allegation one of them had met with a Chinese official at a luxury hotel in West Bengal.

The dispute has little immediate impact on the lives of the members of the diaspora, who remain governed by the laws of the countries they live in. An executive branch known as the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India - overseen by an elected political leader, or sikyong - continues to administer services to the country's refugee settlements.

But the split in the 45-member Parliament highlights uncomfortable questions about the community's ability to maintain its cohesion without the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan spiritual leader retired from politics in 2011 in order to promote democracy among the diaspora. But as he approaches 90, worries about political disagreements have gained new urgency.

The stalemate "is a real symptom of a deeper concern, which is the question of how unified the community is and is going to be going forward," Allen Carlson, the director of Cornell University's China and Asia Pacific Studies program, said in an interview.

Given the small size of their population and lack of global political power, exiled Tibetans need to maintain a united front as they try to negotiate for greater autonomy for their homeland with the Chinese government - efforts that even with the attention the Dalai Lama can draw have been at a standstill for more than a decade.

"If there's a sense of deep divisions within the diaspora, then that probably makes them weaker," Carlson said. Without the unifying force of the Dalai Lama, though, "I think you're going to see more and more of these sorts of splits," he said.

A question of succession

Overhanging the recent dispute are questions about who will succeed the Dalai Lama after his death.

The 88-year-old Tenzin Gyatso, who is the 14th Dalai Lama, has indicated that he'll choose the manner in which his spirit is reborn, though he says he may live for another two decades.

But the Chinese Communist Party, while officially atheist, has nevertheless granted itself the power to approve a successor. Critics say China wants to install a more compliant Buddhist leader to better assimilate what has been a historically restive region.

In March 1959, the Chinese army put down unrest in Lhasa, which forced Tenzin Gyatso and tens of thousands of other Tibetans to flee to India, Nepal and Bhutan. India offered an old British outpost in the Himalayas for resettlement, and gradually the components of a government-in-exile grew up there.

The exile government now administers a $45 million budget raised by donations from the diaspora and foreign aid from countries like the United States. Its executive, legislative and judicial branches mimic Western governments and represent a shift away from Tibet's historic feudal theocracy. That enables easy contrasts with China's increasing authoritarianism and a framework for a future Tibet, should it ever achieve independence.

"It is to benefit Tibetans in the long run," the Dalai Lama said in announcing his retirement. "The world belongs to the people. So, to govern the country, the best way is the democratic system, through elections."

But the Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, remains by far the most recognized advocate for Tibetan freedom.

Even at 88, his stature and charisma are a powerful unifying force for the more than 6 million Tibetans who remain in China and the 130,000 or so who live outside of the country. So much so, that it is a crime in China to possess his photograph, and religious leaders in Tibet are coerced by the Chinese government to renounce him.

The walk-out

The unicameral Parliament meets in September and March each year. Lawmakers, who are elected for five-year terms, approve kalons, or cabinet ministers, review the government's budget, and support programs designed to preserve Tibetan culture, language and religion.

This session's trouble started shortly after it began when a group representing the body's religious constituency and one of three historic Tibet geographic regions walked out, preventing a quorum.

The group demanded that one member, Geshe Monlam Tharchin, be absolved of any suspicion surrounding the alleged meeting with the Chinese official. Given China's repressive policies toward Tibet, it is a charged accusation, but it isn't clear whether the meeting took place, and if it did, what was the purpose. Geshe Monlam Tharchin denied in Parliament that the meeting happened.

The religious constituency refers to members elected to seats reserved for representatives from the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism - Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelugs - and Yungdrung Bon, a religious practice that predates Buddhism.

Ten seats are also reserved for each of Tibet's historic regions: U-Tsang, Dhomey and Dhotoe, members from which joined the religious constituency in the walk out. The remaining seats are filled by representatives from North America, Europe and Australia and Asia not including Nepal, Bhutan and India.

Gyari Dolma, the exile government's security minister, told reporters that she could not say when an investigation into the charge against Geshe Monlam Tharchin would be completed, as it depended on the cooperation of witnesses.

It is uncertain if the Parliament will meet again before the March budget session. When an RFA reporter approached Monlam Tharchin to ask if the session would continue, he just waved his hand without comment.

Rising frustration

As with other democracies - including the United States, where a sizable portion of the electorate believes President Biden didn't win in 2020 - disagreements within the exile government have sharpened in recent years. (Disagreements within authoritarian governments are harder to track.)

In 2021, newly elected parliamentarians fought over the manner in which they would be sworn in. The impasse lasted for four months and was only resolved when the Dalai Lama, by then retired for a decade, intervened.

That fight was related to an earlier move by the Parliament to remove with little notice the three justices who make up the exile government's highest court. The subject of the court and the qualifications of justices were among the issues this Parliament was meant to address this session.

A call for unity

Outside of Parliament, there are signs of a broader fraying within the diaspora itself over whether the goal should be true independence from China for Tibet, pushed by younger exiles, and a so-called "middle way" that calls for Tibet to remain a part of China but with far greater autonomy. The latter position is promoted by the Dalai Lama and the current sikyong, Penpa Tsering.

An additional complication is an ongoing population loss in Dharamsala. Thousands of exiles have left for countries like the United States that offer better economic prospects, creating a geographic fracture in addition to the emerging political cracks.

On a visit to Washington, D.C., last week - part of a tour of the Americas to build support for the Tibet freedom movement - Penpa Tsering said Tibetans needed to remain united. The focus, he said, should remain on China and its repressive policies.

"There's no need to fight amongst ourselves," Penpa Tsering, elected to the office in 2021, said during an Oct. 19 interview with RFA Tibetan in Washington. "We're only 130,000 Tibetans in exile, so there's no need to disperse our strength."

Translated by Tenzin Dicky and edited by Abby Seiff.



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 October 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.

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Reports: Vietnam's rights situation has worsened since last review

Upcoming UN review should be leveraged to bolster protections, experts say.

By RFA Vietnamese 2023.10.24 -- With just six months remaining until the next round of an important human rights review of Vietnam, rights organizations reported that Hanoi actually increased suppression since the last round four years ago - and the situation continues to worsen.

In preparation for the U.N. Human Rights Council's 4th Universal Periodic Review on Vietnam, or UPR, in April 2024, three rights groups - the Vietnam-based Human Rights Defenders and Brotherhood for Democracy and the U.S.-based Vietnam Human Rights Network- this month submitted two joint reports to the council documenting the situation since the third review in 2019.

The groups said that Vietnam uses vague provisions in its penal code to protect the current one-party structure of power on the premise of protecting national security, thereby seriously violating fundamental human rights, including freedoms of speech, association, and assembly.

They called on the one-party state to release prisoners of conscience and amend its laws towards respecting universal human rights.

Nguyen Ba Tung, head of the Vietnam Human Rights Network, told RFA Vietnamese that during the previous review, the government promised to respect universal rights and craft related laws to enable its citizens to exercise these rights. However, over the past four years, Hanoi has continued to procrastinate in making the laws.

"Notably, [the government] has been using vague provisions in its Penal Code, such as Articles 88, 117, and 331, to arrest those who dare to speak up and have opinions contrary to those of the ruling party."

The three articles are often used to bring charges against bloggers, journalists, activists and other people whom the government wishes to silence.

260 prisoners of conscience

According to Human Rights Defenders, Vietnam holds 260 prisoners of conscience.

Among that number, 63 are accused or convicted of "conducting anti-State propaganda," 44 for "abusing democratic freedoms" due to exercising freedom of speech and 39 for "carrying out activities to overthrow the government" due to exercising freedom of association.

Another 55 are detained for "undermining the unity policy" due to exercising freedom of religion. Many are also charged with "disturbing security" after exercising their freedom of staging peaceful demonstrations, all under the three problematic articles.

"We put forward several recommendations," Tung said. "We asked [the government] to release those who have been arrested for exercising freedom of speech and freedom of association, for example, people from the Brotherhood for Democracy and those who had been arrested when using their freedom of speech."

He said the reports also recommended urgent revisions to the laws Hanoi promised to change under the last review.

Worsening rights situation

The government needs to change laws that, in practice, protect those in power rather than the people, said Nguyen Van Dai, the co-founder and chairman of the Brotherhood for Democracy who is also an attorney.

"In general, the Vietnamese authoritarian communist government must eliminate all of those [vague] provisions in the penal code and replace them with new ones protecting people's basic human rights."

The international community should use Vietnam's upcoming review as an opportunity to improve rights in Vietnam, Andrea Giorgetta, the director of the International Federation For Human Rights Asian Office, told RFA.

"As the Vietnamese government intensifies its repression of peaceful dissent, the Universal Periodic Review is one of the few remaining fora for the international community to scrutinize Hanoi's abysmal human rights record," he said.

"We urge U.N. member states to use the periodic review of Vietnam's human rights record to show their concern about violations in the country and to demand Hanoi comply with its international human rights obligations."

He said the international community should call on Hanoi to release all political prisoners, amend draconian laws, and ensure the respect of human rights of all people in the country."

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.





Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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Afghan Women's Rights Group Reveals Another Member Has Spent A Month In Detention

By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi October 24, 2023

A women's rights group in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, said on October 24 that one of its members has spent a month in detention on unknown charges, the latest sign of a severe crackdown by the ruling Taliban militants on activists fighting against official restrictions on almost every aspect of their lives.

Munizha Siddiqi was arrested on September 24, the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women said, becoming the third member of the group to be detained. The report of her detention comes after the detentions of Neda Parwani and Zholya Parsi, also members of the group, who were arrested on September 19.

"Their only crime is seeking justice against the draconian Taliban policies," Laila Baseem, a group member, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

The Islamist Taliban regained power in August 2021 after a two-decade insurgency against the Western-backed government and have deeply restricted the rights and freedoms of women and girls.

Last month, the UN rights chief, Volker Turk, accused the Taliban of a "shocking level of oppression" of women and girls and said human rights in the country were in a state of collapse.

Hundreds of Afghan women have been detained by the Taliban and Baseem said that, while the detention of some of her colleagues came to light recently, others have been languishing in prison without being noticed.

"Some time ago, the Taliban arrested approximately eight girls, and some of them have not been in contact with their families," Baseem said, adding that the families of some detained or disappeared activists are reluctant to make their ordeal public because they fear attracting attention.

The Taliban didn't respond to repeated Radio Azadi requests to talk about the arrests of Afghan women activists and its hard-line government has refused to confirm their detention.

Upon seizing power, the Taliban gave assurances that it would not return to the infamously brutal rule it employed while first in power from 1996 to 2001.

Since the takeover, the group has banned women from education, employment, and public life with few exceptions. Women are also required to observe a strict Islamic dress code and are required to travel with male guardians. They have been deprived of leisure and banned from parks and public baths in policies rooted in the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law.

In its latest report on human rights in the country, the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the Taliban restrictions against women are becoming increasingly worse.

"The de facto authorities continue to arrest human rights defenders, particularly women's rights activists and media workers, on unknown grounds," the report noted.

Writing by RFE/RL's Abubakar Siddique

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-womens-rights-activist- siddiqi-detention/32652193.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.

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East

US Department of State

Remarks

United Nations Headquarters

New York City, New York

October 24, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. President, thank you for convening this ministerial and for convening this council. And thank you very much, Special Coordinator Wennesland, Deputy Special Coordinator Hastings, for your important briefings.

Mr. Secretary-General, we're grateful for your leadership in this incredibly challenging time, particularly in helping get humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

And to the entire UN team - their incredible bravery, their dedication - all of those who continue to serve in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable, we express our gratitude and our admiration.

I'm here today because the United States believes the United Nations - and this council in particular - has a crucial role to play in addressing this crisis. Indeed, we've put forward a resolution that sets out practical steps that we can take together toward that end.

The resolution builds on many elements of the text that Brazil put forward last week. It incorporates substantive feedback we received from fellow council members over recent days. It also draws heavily on the views that I heard firsthand from partners across the region after Hamas's appalling attack on October 7 - views that the United States shares.

First, we all recognize the right, and indeed the imperative, of states to defend themselves against terrorism.

That's why we must unequivocally condemn Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack against Israel - babies riddled with bullets; young people hunted down and gunned down with glee; people, young people beheaded; families burned alive in a final embrace; parents executed in front of their children; children executed in front of their parents; and so many taken hostage in Gaza.

We have to ask - indeed it must be asked - where is the outrage? Where is the revulsion? Where is the rejection? Where is the explicit condemnation of these horrors?

We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this council - no nation in this entire body - could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people.

As this council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They're unlawful and unjustifiable whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali, in Luxor, Istanbul, or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Be'eri. They're unlawful and unjustifiable whether they are carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by al-Shabaab, by Lashkar-e Tayyiba, or by Hamas. They're unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality, or any other reason.

And this council has a responsibility to denounce member states that arm, that fund, and train Hamas or any other terrorist group that carries out such horrific acts.

Let's not forget that among the more than 1,400 people Hamas killed on October 7 were citizens from more than 30 UN member states, including many of the members around this very table. The victims included at least 33 American citizens. Every one of us has a stake, every one of us has a responsibility, in defeating terrorism.

Second, we all agree on the vital need to protect civilians.

As President Biden has made clear from the outset of this crisis, while Israel has the right - indeed, the obligation - to defend itself, the way it does so matters.

We know Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, and Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the carnage committed by Hamas. Palestinian civilians must be protected.

That means Hamas must avoid using them as human shields. It's hard to think of an act of greater cynicism.

It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. It means food, water, medicine, and other essential humanitarian assistance must be able to flow into Gaza and to the people who need them. It means civilians must be able to get out of harm's way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes.

The United States has worked relentlessly to make real these principles. We continue to coordinate closely with Egypt, Israel, and partners across the region as well as with the United Nations to build mechanisms that will enable sustained humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza without benefiting Hamas or any other terrorist group. President Biden appointed one of our most senior diplomats, Ambassador David Satterfield, to lead our humanitarian efforts, which he is currently doing on the ground.

The United States has committed an additional $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, bringing the total aid that we provided to the Palestinian people over the past two and a half years to more than $1.6 billion. That makes the United States the largest single-country donor by far to the Palestinian people. We call on all countries, particularly those with the greatest capacity to give, to join us in meeting the UN's appeal for the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

At the heart of our efforts to save innocent lives in this conflict and in every conflict, for that matter, is our core belief that every civilian life is equally valuable. There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting civilian lives. A civilian is a civilian is a civilian, no matter his or her nationality, ethnicity, age, gender, faith.

That's why America mourns the loss of every single innocent life in this crisis, including innocent Israeli and Palestinian men, women, children, elderly people, Muslim, Jews, Christians, people of all nationalities and faiths, including at least 35 UN staff members. That's why it's imperative that we work to protect all civilians in this conflict, to prevent more deaths atop the many that have already occurred.

The value we place on civilian life is the driving force behind our efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. I, as others have, had the occasion to meet with families of those missing and suspected to be in the hands of Hamas on my recent trip. Several, as you know, are in this room with us today. None of us - none of us - can imagine the nightmare they're living, something no family should have to endure. Their loved ones must be released immediately, unconditionally, and every member of this council - indeed, every member of this body - should insist on that, insist on that, insist on that.

We're grateful to Qatar, to Egypt, to the ICRC, for helping secure the release of four of Hamas' hostages. But at least 200 more - and again, from many of our nations - are still in the grip of Hamas. So again, I implore every member here: Use your voice, use your influence, use your leverage to secure their unconditional and immediate release.

Third, we're all determined to prevent this conflict from spreading. This goes to the principal responsibility of the Security Council - maintaining international peace and security. A broader conflict would be devastating, not only for Palestinians and Israelis, but for people across the region and, indeed, around the world. To that end, we call on all member states to send a firm united message to any state or non-state actor that is considering opening another front in this conflict against Israel or who may target Israel's partners, including the United States: Don't. Don't throw fuel on the fire.

Members of this council and permanent members in particular have a special responsibility to prevent this conflict from spreading. I look forward to continuing to work with my counterpart from the People's Republic of China to do precisely that when he visits Washington later this week.

Now it is no secret to anyone in this room or on this council that, for years, Iran has supported Hamas, Hizballah, the Houthis, and other groups that continue to carry out attacks on Israel. Iranian leaders have routinely threatened to wipe Israel off the map. In recent weeks, Iran's proxies have repeatedly attacked U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, whose mission is to prevent ISIS from renewing its rampage.

So let me say this before this council and let me say what we have consistently said to Iranian officials through other channels: The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen.

But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security - swiftly and decisively.

To all of the members of this council: If you, like the United States, want to prevent this conflict from spreading, tell Iran, tell its proxies - in public, in private, through every means - do not open another front against Israel in this conflict; do not attack Israel's partners.

And we urge members to go a step further: Make clear that if Iran or its proxies widen this conflict and put more civilians at risk, you - you - will hold them accountable. Act as if the security and stability of the entire region and beyond is on the line, because it is.

Fourth and finally, even as we address this immediate crisis, we all agree that we must redouble our collective efforts to build an enduring political solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The only road to lasting peace and security in the region, the only way to break out of this horrific cycle of violence, is through two states for two peoples.

As President Biden has underscored from day one, Palestinians deserve equal measures of security, of freedom, of justice, of opportunity, of dignity. And Palestinians have a right to self-determination and a status of their own.

Now, we have no illusions about how hard it will be to achieve a two-state solution. But as President Biden has said, we cannot give up on peace. Indeed, it's precisely in the darkest moments, like this one, that we have to fight the hardest to preserve an alternative path, to show people making it real, improving their lives in tangible ways is possible - indeed, it's necessary.

We have heard many countries express support in recent weeks for a durable political solution. Our message today is this: Help us build that solution. Help us prevent the spread of war that will make two states and broader peace and security in the region even harder to achieve.

Members of this council: We stand at a crossroads. Two paths lie before us. The difference between them could not be more stark.

One is the path offered by Hamas. We know where it leads: death, destruction, suffering, darkness.

The other is the path toward greater peace, greater stability, greater opportunity, greater normalization and integration - a path toward people across the region being able to live, to work, to worship, to learn side by side, a path toward Palestinians realizing their legitimate right to self-determination and a state of their own.

Nothing would be a greater victory for Hamas than allowing its brutality to send us down its path of terrorism and nihilism. We must not let it. Hamas does not get to choose for us.

The United States stands ready to work with anyone who's ready to forge a more peaceful and secure future for the region - a future its people yearn for and so deserve. Thank you, Mr. President.

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Transatlantic Quad Ministers

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

October 24, 2023

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in New York City with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and United Kingdom Security Minister Tom Tugendhat on the sidelines of the UN Security Council open debate on the situation in the Middle East. The Secretary condemned Hamas for its brutal terrorist attacks, reinforced Israel's right to self-defense, and discussed ongoing intensive efforts to secure the release of hostages and to deliver sustained humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.



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The UK stands resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror: Minister for Security Tom Tugendhat statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Minister for Security Tom Tugendhat at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

24 October 2023

Thank you, President, and thank you to the Secretary-General, the Deputy Special Coordinator, and the Special Envoy for their briefings. I welcome the Israeli and Palestinian Foreign Ministers to the chamber.

The past 17 days have shocked all of us around this table who value the dignity of human life. It is a reminder of the solemn responsibility we carry to uphold peace and security across the world. Israel is a nation in mourning. It is also a nation still under attack. The violence did not end on 7 October.

Terrorist rockets are still raining down on civilian towns and cities in Israel. Around 200 of her citizens are still being held hostage in Gaza. Some of those are fellow British citizens. Some of those families were in this room only a few moments ago. Israel has the right to defend itself. And the duty to protect all those on its territory, of whatever religion they may be, from terrorism.

We recognise that Palestinians are suffering too. Thousands have been killed in this conflict. Over 1 million have been displaced. We know that Hamas are using innocent Palestinian children, civilians, and others as human shields. They have embedded themselves in civilian communities. Hamas care more for the opinion of their paymasters in Tehran than they do for the opinion of their fellow citizens. We know they fire rockets that often fall short, killing and injuring innocent Palestinians. Those people are victims of Hamas too. It is a terrorist organisation that is not just a threat to Israel and the Palestinians but to many others in the region.

President, the UK stands resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror. We are clear that it must act in line with international humanitarian law and take every possible step to avoid harming civilians. We have given that message to Israel as a friend and ally and we restate that position in this Council. We must urgently get more humanitarian support into Gaza. Sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access must be allowed so civilians can receive lifesaving support as quickly and as effectively as possible. We welcome the news that the Rafah crossing opened to aid trucks in recent days. This was an important first step and testament to the power of diplomacy. However, it is not enough.

As the Secretary-General has said, humanitarian access needs to be sustainable and at a scale. A constant stream of aid - water, fuel, medicine and food - is desperately needed. The UK is doing its part and has committed $37 million of extra support to help civilians in Gaza.

President, we must prevent this conflict sparking conflict beyond Gaza and engulfing the wider region in war. The attacks by Hizballah terrorists on Israel's northern border, rising tensions in the West Bank, and missiles and drones launched from Yemen all warn of the conflagration that is possible. It is in the interest of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, and all states in the region, that this conflict does not spread further.

That is why my Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have been in the region, engaging closely with our friends and partners to avoid escalation. Now is the time for dogged diplomacy that recognises the hard realities and delivers help now. Lastly, President, the UK's longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process remains clear: we support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. The events of the past week show - with total clarity - the need to achieve these goals. Hope and humanity must win out.

I thank you.

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Israel-Palestine: Protection of civilians 'must be paramount' in war Guterres tells Security Council

24 October 2023 - The UN Security Council has been meeting at UN Headquarters in New York for a scheduled quarterly open debate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, now given greater urgency by the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues. The UN chief said the situation "is growing more dire by the hour", repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Here are some of the main highlights of the day...

UN News is winding down our live coverage of today's events in the Council. For full blow by blow coverage of the debate so far and the speakers still to come on the Israel-Palestine crisis, you can visit our special UN Meetings Coverage Section, here.

Qatar

Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani of Qatar, associating herself with the Arab Group, recalled that on many occasions, her country over recent months has expressed caution against the intensification of Israeli policies, including attempts to change the historic status quo and geographical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Over the last two weeks, it has made appeals and tireless diplomatic efforts for mediation and dialogue toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict, she added, noting her country's efforts for the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip.

She said Qatar strongly rejects the words of Israel who gave a false image of the mediation efforts of her country, which were welcomed by friendly countries, the UN and international partners.

Support provided by Qatar to civilians in Gaza covers humanitarian and development support for UN distribution and is part of its humanitarian and moral obligation to the Palestinian people.

Its support is also in response to appeals from international partners who called on her country to play a leading role to achieve stability for Gaza and the region, she added.

Iran

Amir Saied Iravani, Iran's ambassador, said that today, the US Secretary of State once again attempted to wrongly place the blame on Iran.

The United States' unwavering support for occupation and aggression has rendered it an active part of the problem. The U.S. has further exacerbated the conflict by overtly aligning itself with the aggressor at the expense of the innocent Palestinian population, he said.

Its rapid provision of military and logistical support to the oppressive occupying regime, thus made the US complicit in the brutal massacre of innocent Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

It is regrettable that today at this Chamber, the US and certain Western States - he continued - attempted to shift the blame from the wrongdoer to the victim.

They equate the self-defense and right to self-determination of the Palestinian people with terrorism, attempting to grant the occupying regime, Israel, an unjust right to self-defence.

International law is clear on this matter, he said. There is no provision for an occupying regime to invoke the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Libya

Eltaher Salem Elbaour, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs for Libya, condemned Israel's brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip, saying: "No media in the world can falsify what happened in Gaza," he said, alluding to the bombing of Al-Ahli Arab hospital, which claimed 500 lives."

To "so-called civilized nations" who voice support for the aggression, exposing the falsehood behind slogans about human rights, he asked: "What kind of message are you sending the world? The world is fully aware of what is happening in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Enough double standards; enough falsifying facts."

Indonesia

Retno Marsudi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, called on the Council to move beyond politics and bring back its sense of humanity.

"Please use your great power to be more human," she urged, emphasizing that Palestinians deserve equal rights and treatment.

Germany

Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister, spoke acknowledging the greatest crime of all committed by the Nazi regime in the last century.

"Never again", to me as a German, means that we will not rest knowing that the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors are now being held hostage by terrorists in Gaza, said the Federal Minister.

For Germany, Israel's security is non-negotiable. Like any other State in the world, Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism within the framework of international law.

Addressing the plight of the Palestinians in no way contradicts this clear and unwavering stance. It is a key part of it, she declared.

Egypt

Sameh Shoukry Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt said the "Palestinian territories are going through horrific developments", noting that the thousands of people had been killed there, including thousands of children.

"It is shameful that some continue to justify what is happening, citing the right to self-defence and resisting terrorism".

He asserted that silence in this case is tantamount to giving one's blessing, and that calling for respect for international humanitarian law without describing specific violations, is tantamount to participating in the crimes.

Check out our UN News explainer published last week, outlining what happens if ambassadors serving on the Security Council are unable to agree a course of action as has been the case so far with the crisis in Gaza.

Israeli diplomat calls on UN chief to resign

The Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called on the UN Secretary-General to "resign immediately" in a tweet at 11.22am, and at the stakeout outside the Security Council. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also tweeted that he would not be meeting with the UN chief today for a scheduled bilateral.

Ambassador Erdan told reporters at the stakeout that in noting the Hamas attacks "did not happen in a vacuum" in his address to the Council, the UN chief was "justifying terrorism".

In response to questions concerning the Foreign Minister's tweet, the UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the Secretary-General would be meeting family representatives of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, adding they would be accompanied by a representative of the Israeli Permanent Mission to the UN.

China

China's Ambassador Zhang Jun said "the eyes of the entire world are on this Chamber," calling on the Council to send a powerful, united message.

That includes an immediate ceasefire, which the Council must express in clear, unambiguous language. If not, the two-State solution could be jeopardized. States should uphold a moral conscience not double standards.

Turning to the humanitarian situation in Gaza he said urgent efforts are needed. Aid supplies currently allowed to enter the enclave are "a drop in the bucket". The full siege of Gaza must be lifted alongside the collective punishment of Palestinians.

In this vein, he called on Israel to stop its attacks and allow aid to be delivered, adding that international humanitarian law must be upheld. The Council must defend the rule of law at every level and oppose any violations, he said.

The root cause of the conflict rests in the prolonged occupation of Palestinian territory and a lack of respect for their rights, he said, adding that Council actions must not deviate from this.

Russia

Vasily Nebenzya Russia's ambassador to the UN said it was unfortunate the meeting was taking place on UN Day against the backdrop of "unprecedented" violence that has caused "catastrophic" casualties on both sides, with Russians among the victims.

The number of deaths and injuries "bears witness to the fact that scale of the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip has exceeded all of our worst imaginations," he said.

The "terrible acts" of 7 October and the "tragic events" that followed were the result of years of "destructive positions" that Washington had taken, accusing the US of sabotaging potential solutions to the protracted conflict in the region.

"We along with many others for several years now, have warned that the situation is on the brink of explosion and the explosion occurred," Mr. Nebenzya said.

"This crisis has once again shown that without fair settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in line with Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and based on approved international decisions on the two-State solution, regional stabilization will be out of reach," he added, reiterating Russia's position that there needs to be a sustainable negotiation process.

"Following this there must be the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian State, within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel."

United Kingdom

Tom Tugendhat the UK's Minister for Security expressed resolute support Israel's right to self-defence. At the same time he recognized that Palestinians are suffering, noting that the UK has committed an extra $37 million to support civilians in Gaza.

"We must prevent this conflict sparking conflict beyond Gaza and engulfing the wider region in war," he said, pointing to Hezbollah attacks on Israel's northern border and rising tensions in the West Bank. "It is in the interest of Israeli and Palestinian civilians and all States in the region, that this conflict does not spread further."

The UK's longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process supports a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

"The events of the past week show with total clarity, the need to achieve these goals," he said. "Hope and humanity must win out."

France

Catherine Colonna France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs said it is "high time" for the Council to shoulder its duty to condemn Hamas' attack in Israel.

France stands firmly with Israel which has the right to defend itself, while respecting international humanitarian law. Indeed, all civilian lives must be protected she stressed.

Safe, swift aid access is urgently needed in Gaza; "each minute counts", she said, calling for humanitarian pauses and a truce that could lead to a sustained peace, underlining France's continued provision of aid to the enclave.

At the same time the Council must mobilize and fully exercise its responsibilities, she added.

"It is our duty to pave the way to peace," she said. "The only viable solution is the two-State solution. We need to do all we can. This Council must act and it must act now."

United States

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ambassadors around the horseshoe table that among the more than 1,400 people Hamas killed on 7 October were citizens of over 30 UN Member States, including Americans.

"Every one of us has a stake, every one of us a responsibility in defeating terrorism," he said.

He also underscored the vital need to protect civilians, adding that Israel has the "right and the obligation" to defend itself and "the way it does so, matters."

Secretary Blinken said that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people and Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the "carnage" committed by the militants.

"Palestinian civilians must be protected, that means Hamas must cease using them as human shields. It is hard to think of an act of greater cynicism," he said.

He noted that Israel must take all possible precautions to prevent harm to civilians and that food, water, medicine and other humanitarian assistance must be able to flow into Gaza and to the people who need it.

He also said that civilians must be able to get out of harm's way, urging the consideration of humanitarian pauses.

Brazil

Maura Viera Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil underscored that under International Humanitarian Law, Israel as the occupying power "has the legal and moral obligation" to protect the population of Gaza.

"Recent events in Gaza are particularly concerning including the so called evacuation order, which is leading to an unprecedented level of misery for innocent people."

He added that the amount of aid flowing into Gaza through the Rafah crossing is "certainly insufficient" to meet the needs of the civilian population in the enclave noting that the lack of power is impacting healthcare workers and hospitals - with safe water supplies very limited.

"Civilians must be respected and protected at all times and everywhere," the Minister stressed, reminding that all parties must "strictly abide" by their obligations under international law.

"I highlight in this respect the fundamental principle of distinction, proportionality, humanity, necessity and precaution which must guide and inform all actions and military operations," he said.

Israel

11.04: Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen holding up a collage of those kidnapped by Hamas, said the hostage situation is a "living nightmare". Recalling the 7 October attack on Israel, he said the day "will go down in history as a brutal massacre" and a "wake-up call" against extremism and terrorism.

"Hamas are the new Nazis," he said, calling for immediate access to hostages and their unconditional release.

Qatar could facilitate.

"You, members of the international community, should demand Qatar to do just that," he said. "The meeting should conclude with a clear message: bring them home."

Israel has a right and duty to defend itself, he said. "It's not just Israel's war. It's the war of the free world."

The proportional response to the 7 October massacre is "a matter of survival," he said, thanking nations for supporting Israel.

"We are going to win because this war is for life; this war must be your war as well," he said. Right now, the world faces a "clear choice of moral clarity".

"One can be part of the civilized world or surrounded by evil and barbarity," he said. "There is no middle ground."

If all nations do not stand decisively by Israel's mission to "eliminate the monsters from the face of the Earth", he said this will be "the darkest hour of the UN" which will "have no moral justification to exist".

State of Palestine

10.45: Riyad al-Maliki Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine stated that the Security Council and the international community has a duty and an obligation to save lives.

"Continued failure at this [Security] Council is inexcusable," he stressed.

He emphasized that only "international law and peace" were worthy of unconditional support by countries, adding that "more injustice and more killing, will not make Israel safer."

"No amount of weapons, no alliance, will bring it security - only peace will, peace with Palestine and its people," he said, stating: "the fate of the Palestinian people cannot continue to be dispossession, displacement, denial of rights and death. Our freedom is the condition of share peace and security."

Mr. al-Maliki stressed that avoiding an even greater humanitarian catastrophe and regional spillover, "it must be clear that this can only be achieved by putting an immediate end to the Israeli war launched against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Stop the bloodshed."

'Humanity can prevail'

Briefing the Council, Lynn Hastings, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said agreement on the resumption of aid deliveries through the Rafah, Egypt, crossing and the release of a small number of hostages over the past few days "shows that through diplomacy and negotiation, humanity can prevail, and we can find humanitarian solutions, even in the depths of conflict".

Urging all countries with influence to exert it and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, she said civilians must have the essentials to survive. As such, the passage of rapid and unimpeded humanitarian relief must be facilitated, and water and electricity connections resumed, she added.

She said that 20 more trucks are due to move over the Rafah crossing today "although they are currently delayed." She said the UN was determined "to do our part to ensure these deliveries continue."

She paid tribute to the 35 UN Palestine relief agency (UNRWA) colleagues who have tragically been killed during the Israeli bombardment.

Parties on all sides "must take constant care, to spare civilians", with water and electricity connections resumed, in accordance with the rules of war.

10.38: "If we are to prevent any further descent into this humanitarian catastrophe, dialogue must continue - to ensure essential supplies can get into Gaza at the scale needed, to spare civilians and the infrastructure they depend on, to release hostages, and to avoid any further escalation and spillover," she said. "The world is looking to the Member States around this Council to play its part in leading the way."

'The stakes are astronomically high': Wennesland

Addressing the current risk of conflict expanding to the wider region, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said he and the UN Secretary-General have been pursuing "any and every opportunity" to address the situation on the ground and to prevent further civilian death and misery.

10.28: "It is critical, that we, as a united international community, employ all our collective efforts to end the bloodletting and prevent the further expansion of hostilities, including in the region," he said. "The stakes are astronomically high, and I appeal for all relevant actors to act responsibly."

Any miscalculation could have "immeasurable consequences", he warned, adding that these devasting events were not divorced from the broader context in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel, and the region.

For a generation, hope has been lost, he underlined.

"Only a political solution will move us forward," he said. "The steps we take to address this crisis must be implemented in a way that ultimately advances a negotiated peace that fulfils the legitimate national aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis - the long-held vision of two-States, in line with UN resolutions, international law, and previous agreements."

'More dire by the hour': Guterres

10.11: Mr. Guterres gave what he termed an introduction to the current crisis, saying the situation in the Middle East is "growing more dire by the hour".

"Divisions are splintering societies and tensions threaten to boil over", he said.

"It is vital to be clear on principles" he added, starting with the protection of civilians.

Secretary-General Guterres underscored the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, "to ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer and facilitate the release of hostages".

He also emphasized that the world cannot lose sight of the only realistic foundation for peace and stability in the Middle East - a two-State solution.

"Israelis must see their legitimate need for security materialized and Palestinians must see their legitimate need for an independent State realized, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements."

What's at stake

It marks the fourth time the 15 ambassadors of the UN's premier peace and security body will convene since the intense cycle of violence began.

You can follow all the proceedings live on X broadcast by our colleagues at UN Web TV - click on the tweet here on the page or click on the video embedded in the main photo area of this story.

So far, there has no agreement on any action, to alleviate the suffering of civilians caught up in the spiralling conflict between Hamas militants, who control the enclave of over two million Palestinians.

The Council failed to adopt two previous draft resolutions addressing the escalation. The first from Russia calling for an immediate ceasefire, failed to get enough votes, while a Brazilian draft was vetoed by the United States. Although it called for humanitarian pauses for aid access, the US determined objected to the fact it did not mention Israel's right to self defence.

The UN chief Antonio Guterres is due to brief today along with the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings is also down to brief. She's also been given the brief of deputy special coordinator.

Foreign ministers from several countries are also due to take part.

So far, 92 different countries have signed up to speak.

Today is also United Nations Day, marking 78 years since the UN Charter entered into force. In his statement the UN chief said that "at this critical hour, I appeal to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even further."

10.02: The Council chamber is abuzz with diplomats exchanging views and awaiting the start of the meeting, which will be chaired by Brazil, which holds the presidency for the month of October.

10.07: The 9451st meeting of the UN Security Council is called to order...

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Israel-Palestine: Gaza buckles under fuel shortage, healthcare in crisis

24 October 2023 - On day 17 of the Gaza-Israel crisis, UN humanitarians on Tuesday pleaded for desperately needed fuel deliveries and other relief items to prevent the already dire situation in the enclave from worsening further.

UPDATED: The bombardment of Gaza has taken a devastating toll on its children said the UN Children's Fund UNICEF on Tuesday, with a reported 2,360 fatalities and a reported 5,364 injuries suffered.

This amounts to more than 400 children reportedly either killed or injured daily. Additionally, more than 30 Israeli children reportedly have lost their lives, and dozens remain in captivity within the Gaza Strip. The 18-day period is the deadliest escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel that the UN has witnessed since 2006, the agency said.

Almost every child in the Gaza Strip has been exposed to deeply distressing events and trauma.

"The killing and maiming of children, abduction of children, attacks on hospitals and schools, and the denial of humanitarian access constitute grave violations of children's rights," said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"UNICEF urgently appeals on all parties to agree to a ceasefire, allow humanitarian access and release all hostages. Even wars have rules. Civilians must be protected - children particularly - and all efforts must be made to spare them in all circumstances."

Independent rights investigators call for access

The UN Human Rights Council-mandated Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called on Israel, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas which controls Gaza, to support its ongoing investigations into "serious crimes" including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The Commission was established via a Council resolution in May 2021, to investigate alleged violations of international law, including "all underlying root causes of recurrent tensionsincluding systematic discrimination and repression".

Presenting its latest report to the General Assembly on Tuesday, the Commission said it "unequivocally condemns the killing of over 1,000 Israeli citizens by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, injuring thousands more and the taking of more than 200 hostages, including children."

Investigators also unequivocally condemned "Israeli military attacks that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, as well as hundreds of children."

The Commission called for the immediate cessation of hostilities, and the immediate and safe return of all hostages.

Chair Navi Pillay said in her statement there were "clear indications that international crimes have been and are being committed."

In accordance with its brief "and in furtherance of justice and accountability, the Commission immediately began collecting and preserving evidence."

She said they would "not only focus on crimes and violations but also identify individual criminal responsibility".

Surgery with no anesthetic: WHO

Doctors have been performing surgeries without anaesthesia or other basic surgical supplies, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update, noting that fuel has become the "most vital commodity" in Gaza.

Without it, "trucks can't move and generators can't produce electricity for hospitals, bakeries and water desalination plants," said Tamara Alrifai, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).

To date, fuel has been absent from the aid convoys allowed in so far.

"We are on our knees asking for sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operations", UN health agency (WHO) Emergencies Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region Dr. Rick Brennan said.

Briefing reporters from Cairo, he appealed "to all those in a situation to make a decision or influence decision makers, to give us the humanitarian space to address this human catastrophe".

Diligence system for aid

The 54 trucks which have crossed into Gaza from Egypt as part of three convoys since Saturday contained a mix of food, medical supplies and non-food items, Ms. Alrifai said.

In comparison, she underscored that before the conflict, 500 trucks used to enter Gaza every day - those included commercial trucks and at least 100 aid trucks, some 45 of them bringing fuel.

Ms. Alrifai stressed that the logistics, coordination, transport and warehousing of the three convoys from Rafah were organized on the Gaza Strip side by UNRWA. Asked about the security risk of any fuel deliveries falling into the wrong hands, Ms. Alrifai explained that as with other equipment UNRWA would be responsible for receiving and handling the fuel, and having it delivered to hospitals and water desalination plants.

"We have in place a very sturdy diligence system to make sure that anything we receive is only used for humanitarian purposes," she insisted.

Outbreaks 'just a matter of time'

WHO's Dr. Brennan highlighted the dire consequences of a lack of access to clean water, compounded by overcrowding. Between one and three litres per person per day were available in Gaza while the absolute minimum was 15 litres, he said.

People were being pushed to consume contaminated water and the spread of infectious diseases was "just a matter of time".

Dr Brennan also said that WHO was working with UNRWA to establish a system of disease surveillance with daily reports. The most common infectious diseases were respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea, but chicken pox and skin infections like scabies and head lice were also to be expected.

Health facilities overwhelmed

WHO highlighted the extreme gravity of the health situation in the Gaza Strip under Israeli bombardment for over two weeks.

One in three hospitals and two in three clinics were not functioning, and health facilities and workers were overwhelmed with a massive load of trauma cases, many of them complex injuries due to explosions. Dr Brennan cited the example of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which had 1.5 patients for each bed.

With 1.4 million displaced people across the territory, overcrowding was a major challenge to the health system.

"I've been working in humanitarian assistance for 30 years and can't remember that number of people displaced over such a short period of time," Dr Brennan said.

Medicines boost

Some of the WHO medicines and supplies from the three convoys allowed into the enclave have already been delivered to three key referral hospitals in southern Gaza and to the Palestine Red Crescent Society for distribution to its two health facilities and ambulance crews.

"Health staff were so relieved to have replenishments, they took boxes of medicines off the trucks and straight into operating theatres," WHO said.

Up to 200 women per day are having babies in Gaza and have trouble finding a safe place to deliver, Dr Brennan warned. More than half of them can be expected to experience complications and risk not getting the care they need.

Furthermore, under constant bombardment, the mental health needs of the population are "enormous", he said.

'Mortality will increase'

Dr. Brennan highlighted the plight of Gazans with chronic conditions, including kidney disease and diabetes, who have more and more difficulty in accessing services. He warned that they will experience complications and that "mortality will increase".

Across the border in Egypt, WHO said that it has additional medicines and medical equipment on standby that are enough to provide surgical interventions for 3,700 trauma patients, essential health services for 110,000 people and care for 20,000 chronic diseases patients.

Lives on the line

Dr. Brennan stressed however that even once supplies get across the border, delivery to hospitals is compromised not only because of the lack of fuel, but also due to the "huge security risks" to UN personnel and partners trying to bring aid to hospitals in an active war zone.

UNRWA's Ms. Alrifai recalled that the agency was mourning the loss of 35 staff so far, most of whom were themselves displaced and were working inside the agency's shelters and facilities to assist the 400,000 or so people who have sought safety there.

A total of 40 UNRWA installations have been damaged since 7 October.

Asked about accountability for the deaths and destruction, Ms. Alrifai reiterated the importance of respecting the principles of international humanitarian law in wartime.

"Whatever happened to our colleagues and our buildings is unacceptable - no matter who did it," she said.

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UNRWA

24 Oct 2023

The Gaza Strip

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians

Gaza

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

UNRWA Response

Gaza

UNRWA Shelters

UNRWA is distributing family hygiene kits to pregnant women and baby kits for newborns in the shelters.

At the Rafah logistics base, 400 people are sharing one toilet.

Overcrowding conditions are severely constraining access to basic assistance and essential services while increasing health and protection risks, and negatively impacting on mental health.

On average, the shelters are about 2.7 times their designed capacity . The most crowded shelter, at its most severe level of overcrowding, was hosting 12 times more people than its designed capacity.

Health

Only one-third of UNRWA clinics in the South and Middle Areas are operational. They are offering essential primary health-care services to refugees. These centres recorded a total of 4,198 visits on 23 October, for refugees and non-refugees.

Health-care services were maintained within the UNRWA shelters, with the support of 92 mobile medical units and medical teams, serving nearly 9,900 cases at shelters.

According to initial health assessments from the mobile medical teams, there are over 37,000 persons with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), over 4,600 pregnant women and around 380 post-natal cases requiring medical attention among the IDPs. In addition, medical teams are increasingly identifying cases of acute respiratory and diarrhea among children under five years old.

UNRWA's stocks of medicines are critically decreasing, with availability from five-15 days. Available insulin stocks will last for only one week.
Israel Launches New Strikes on Hamas Targets as Macron Visits Jerusalem

By VOA News October 24, 2023

Latest Developments:

Palestinians say hundreds killed in new Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Hamas releases more hostages on Monday  two elderly Israeli women.

U.S. reported to be advising Israel to hold off on a ground invasion in hopes of negotiating the release of more hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza.

U.N. Security Council to meet on situation in the Middle East.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly in the initial Hamas attack on October 7, while the Palestinian Health Ministry said the death toll in Gaza had reached at least 5,791 people.

Israel launched massive new airstrikes on targets in Hamas-controlled Gaza overnight into Tuesday, with Palestinian officials saying that hundreds of people were killed, including at a seaside refugee camp.

As it holds off on a ground invasion into the besieged Palestinian territory aimed at wiping out Hamas, the Israeli military said its airstrikes had decimated more than 400 sites in the past 24 hours, after hitting 320 a day earlier.

The Hamas militant-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 704 people were killed, although the toll could not be independently verified. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday the death toll in Gaza from more than two weeks of conflict had reached at least 5,791 people.

With the death toll mounting, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a cease-fire in Gaza, a stance that pushed Israel to call for his resignation.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also rejected an immediate cease-fire, saying it would only benefit Hamas militants. However, Kirby did not rule out a humanitarian pause to allow more aid to be moved into Gaza to assist hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

With Israel planning a ground assault into Gaza, Kirby warned of more bloodshed and civilian casualties to come.

"This is war. It is combat. It is bloody. It is ugly, and it's going to be messy," he told reporters at the White House. "And innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward. I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn't going to happen."

The latest Israeli attacks came as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel, becoming the latest world leader to bring both a message of solidarity with Israel following a deadly Hamas attack on October 7 and a push for protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Macron told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that the Hamas attack on the Jewish state that killed more than 1,400 people will "never be forgotten" and that a top priority should be the release of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas.

"I want you to be sure that you are not left alone in this war against terrorism," Macron said.

Appearing later before reporters with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron suggested the international coalition working to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria should also take on fighting Hamas.

The Israeli military said Tuesday its continued airstrikes on Gaza targeted Hamas operational headquarters and killed several Hamas deputy commanders.

Israeli strikes this week have also hit the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, and Herzog warned Tuesday that if Hezbollah expands the conflict, then "Lebanon will pay the price."

"I want to make clear: We are not looking for a confrontation on our northern border or with anyone else," Herzog said. "We are focused on destroying Hamas infrastructure and bringing our citizens back home."

The White House said that in a phone call Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Netanyahu discussed "ongoing efforts at regional deterrence, to including new U.S. military deployments" in the Middle East.

U.S. officials in recent days have expressed concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could spark a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Kirby told reporters on Monday there had been an increase in rocket and drone attacks by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. He said the United States was "deeply concerned about the possibility for any significant escalation" in attacks in the coming days.

The White House said Biden in his call with Netanyahu welcomed the Hamas release of two more hostages, "and reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas  including Americans  and to provide for safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza."

Hamas said in a statement that it released the hostages  two elderly Israeli women  for humanitarian reasons. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it transported the women, an 85-year-old and a 79-year-old, out of Gaza on Monday evening.

On Friday, Hamas released its first two hostages  an American mother and daughter  nearly two weeks after it carried out its surprise assault on Israel.

U.S. officials say Washington is advising Israel to delay its planned ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to allow more time to negotiate the release of more hostages.

A ground invasion would likely further complicate any negotiations over hostages, with at least some of them believed to be held in an elaborate web of tunnels that militants have built in Gaza over the years even as Israel has blockaded the territory along the Mediterranean Sea.

Israeli has positioned 300,000 troops along the Gaza border ahead of a potential operation inside Gaza.

The Israeli strikes have destroyed thousands of buildings in Gaza, and the U.N. humanitarian agency says 1.4 million people have been displaced.

In its latest report, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said late Monday that at least 16 health workers had been killed while on duty in Gaza. It also said 35 staff members from the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee relief agency have been killed, including six during the past day.

In New York, the U.N. Security Council is meeting Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

Guterres and U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths are expected to address the meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers are expected to attend, along with their counterparts from Brazil, Egypt, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other countries.

United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this article. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Calls Grow at UN for Humanitarian Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas War

By Margaret Besheer October 24, 2023

Calls grew Tuesday at the United Nations for a humanitarian cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but the appeals were likely to go unheeded as Hamas fired more rockets at Israel and Israel stepped up its bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

"How can you agree to a cease-fire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence? How?" Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen asked a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the conflict attended by many foreign ministers.

Of calls for a proportional response to Hamas' October 7 terror attacks that killed 1,400 people in Israel, Cohen said the only proportional response is "the total destruction" of Hamas, which he said is both Israel's right and duty.

"This war was imposed on us. We have not chosen this war," Cohen said. "But have no doubt, we are going to win it. We are going to win it, because this war is for life. This war must be your war as well."

He also called on Qatar, which has relations with Hamas, to immediately intercede to get the more than 200 Israeli and foreign hostages released.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the international community must unequivocally condemn Hamas' terror attack.

"We have to ask - indeed it must be asked - where is the outrage?" he asked the council. "Where is the revulsion? Where is the rejection? Where is the explicit condemnation of these horrors?"

He said nations agree on the need to protect civilians.

"As President [Joe] Biden has made clear from the outset of this crisis, while Israel has the right - indeed, the obligation - to defend itself, the way it does so matters," he said.

Blinken added that humanitarian assistance must reach the people in Gaza and civilians must be kept out of harm's way.

"It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes," Blinken said.

And he cautioned actors in the region, specifically Iran and its proxies, to refrain from stoking the conflict's spread.

"So let me say this before this council and let me say what we have consistently said to Iranian officials through other channels: the United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen," Blinken said. "But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people; we will defend our security - swiftly and decisively."

The toll on Palestinian civilians from Israel's response to Hamas' attack has seen large-scale suffering and death in a region that is no stranger to it. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 5,000 Palestinians have died in 18 days of Israeli bombardments.

"The urgent solution required from the council today is to call for an immediate cessation of the Israeli aggression and a cease-fire, and to work urgently to secure humanitarian access in all parts of the Gaza Strip," Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told council members.

He said that while nothing justifies the killing of Israeli civilians, the same can be said for the killing of Palestinian ones, and he warned that more killing would never bring Israel the security it seeks.

"Only peace will. Peace with Palestine and its people," Maliki said. "The fate of the Palestinian people cannot continue to be dispossession, displacement and denial of rights and death. Our freedom is the condition of shared peace and security."

Several Arab foreign ministers flew to New York for Tuesday's meeting.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told reporters that a humanitarian cease-fire is urgent.

"We are facing a desperate situation in Gaza right now. We are facing an impending humanitarian catastrophe," he said. "Every hour we speak, more civilians in Gaza are dying, more people are getting injured. The situation is getting worse. A cease-fire is an absolute necessity  immediately."

Arab ministers also expressed concern over potential for the conflict to spread in the region.

"That threat is real," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters. "We are all doing everything we can to stop it. There is the threat of this expanding into the West Bank, into Lebanon, and to other fronts. None of us wants that."

But he said to stem that risk, the war must stop.

Diplomatic tensions

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his appeal for an "immediate humanitarian cease-fire" to facilitate the release of all hostages and to "ease the epic suffering" of civilians in Gaza.

While he has repeatedly and strongly condemned Hamas' terror attack and said nothing justifies it, he said Tuesday that it is important to also recognize that the attack did not happen in a vacuum.

"The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," Guterres said, adding that their land has been "steadily devoured" by settlements and plagued by violence.

"But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas," he said. "And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Israel's foreign minister and U.N. ambassador were outraged by Guterres' remarks. Cohen said he canceled a meeting Tuesday afternoon with the U.N. chief in protest. His U.N. envoy went further, calling for Guterres to resign and saying Israel would have to reassess its relations with the United Nations.

"The U.N. is failing," Ambassador Gilad Erdan told reporters. "And you, Mr. Secretary-General, have lost all morality and impartiality because when you say those terrible words that these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuum, you are tolerating terrorism; and by tolerating terrorism you are justifying terrorism."

A Guterres spokesman would only say that the U.N. chief planned to meet with families of Israeli hostages who attended the council meeting Tuesday and that they would be accompanied by an Israeli diplomat.

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Increasingly Independent Gulf States Seek to Navigate Gaza Conflict

By VOA News October 24, 2023

Hamas' murderous incursion into Israel and the Jewish state's crushing military response are putting fresh strains on long-standing U.S. relationships in the Persian Gulf, where regional leaders must navigate between the anger of their own people and fear of an emboldened Iran.

One of those states, Qatar, is emerging as a pivotal potential peacemaker with its unique ability to talk to all sides  Israel, Hamas and the United States.

"The Gulf is playing a far more important role in this conflict than in previous iterations of the Gaza war," Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London, said in an interview with VOA.

"The Gulf states individually have assumed more agency and autonomy in regional affairs" than during previous Israel-Hamas conflicts, he said. "This also means that they are pursuing strategies that are less aligned with the United States than in previous years."

During a Gulf Cooperation Council-ASEAN Summit earlier this month, the leaders issued a relatively restrained statement calling for "all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, refrain from targeting them and to abide by international humanitarian law."

However, the leaders of Bahrain and Morocco repeated Hamas' claim that Israel was responsible for a blast that killed an estimated 100 to 300 people at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. The United States and Israel have released evidence that they say shows the blast was caused by a misfired rocket from within Gaza.

The crown prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, condemned Israel for killing innocent people in Gaza and called for urgent international action to end the attacks and protect civilians.

Krieg said the increased foreign policy autonomy of the region will pose a challenge for Washington as it seeks to contain the fallout from the war, as it will have to rely on Saudi Arabia and Qatar to manage dialogue with Iran, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Qatar has already demonstrated its potential importance by reportedly having helped to negotiate the release of hostages seized by Hamas in its October 7 rampage through several Israeli communities.

"First, Qatar has kept lines of communication open with Hamas over the release of hostages, where Qatar speaks directly to Israel, the U.S. and Hamas," Krieg said.

"Secondly, Qatar has used its relationship with Tehran to relay messages from the White House in an attempt to avert a wider regional escalation  something Saudi Arabia has supported.

"At a time when the U.S. openly endorses Israel's all-out escalation, it is the Gulf states working on de-escalation in the region," he said. "In particular, amid the risk of a wider mobilization of Iran's 'axis of resistance,' the Gulf states' networks and diplomatic channels have become essential for U.S. crisis management."

While the region is publicly united in calling for an end to the violence, Krieg said he believes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates quietly would like to see Hamas eliminated.

"Saudi Arabia and Qatar would like to see a revival of the Arab Peace Initiative in the aftermath of the conflict, which might not be completely unrealistic if Israel is fought to a stalemate in a potential two-front war" involving Hezbollah in the north, he said.

He added that U.S. efforts to broker a rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia within the framework of the Abraham Accords "are clearly dead."

"This iteration of the Gaza conflict confirms Saudi concerns over the insufficiency of the Accords and the need for a Saudi alternative approach with clear concessions from Israel to the Palestinians," he said.

John Calabrese, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said he believes the Gulf states are very uneasy about the possibility that Iran might be drawn into the Gaza conflict, placing their own national security at some risk.

Like Krieg, he sees Qatar playing a key role in any long-term resolution, in spite of it having joined Kuwait and Oman in issuing strong statements denouncing Israel's treatment of Gaza.

"Although the tone of Qatar's public statements runs the risk of alienating Israel and thus devaluing its potential role as a mediator, Israeli pragmatism might win out in recognition of the leverage with Hamas that Qatar's public 'face' might have earned it," Calabrese said.

Egypt, too, is seen as a potential mediator. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi convened several world leaders in Cairo last week to negotiate a cease-fire and facilitate humanitarian aid. On the day of the summit, a convoy of 20 aid trucks carrying essential supplies such as food, water and medicine entered the besieged strip through Egypt's Rafah crossing.

"Overall, among the GCC states, I see Qatar taking the lead as mediator, with the other five countries throwing their support behind the effort and pledging humanitarian and reconstruction assistance," Calabrese said.

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Israel-Hamas Conflict Reality Check for India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

By Anjana Pasricha October 24, 2023

The ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas has underlined the challenges facing an ambitious initiative to build a new trade route from India through the Middle East to Europe, according to analysts.

Announced at the Group of 20 summit held in India last month, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, is seen as a modern-day spice route and an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative. It is backed among others by the United States, the European Union and Saudi Arabia.

The corridor aims to establish a rail and shipping network linking the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to the Israeli port of Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea. Goods could then be shipped to Europe, bypassing the Suez Canal.

But as Israel conducts strikes on Gaza in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, the region has been plunged into instability as the conflict becomes the deadliest of five Gaza wars.

"Now we are facing the possibility of a spillover of this war into the wider region and that is a reality check for IMEC," according to Chintamani Mahapatra, founder of the Kalinga Institute of Indo Pacific Studies in New Delhi. "In the midst of this conflict, the whole idea of IMEC is getting lost."

'Wake-up' call

Pointing out that the project involves passing through some of the most volatile regions of the Middle East, analysts say the war is a "wake-up" call about the scale of challenges IMEC will have to confront.

"The new war is a tragic reminder of just how difficult it will be to build out the new corridor," Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, said in emailed comments to VOA. "It's not just a matter of financing challenges, but also of stability and diplomatic cooperation. The war makes it painfully clear that these conditions remain elusive."

When the project was announced, Washington's push for normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel was making headway and there were hopes that this could transform longstanding Mideast rivalries. A reliable link between Saudi Arabia and Israel is a crucial element of the project. An agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would have followed the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords which saw Israel establish diplomatic relations in 2020 with three Arab countries.

"This project was worked under the presumption that there would be peace and stability in the region. But even if there is no wider conflict in the days and months to come, the future is now uncertain," according to Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.

He pointed out that the project requires billions of dollars of investment. "It involves building two to three thousand kilometers of rail lines. With the region now plunged into political instability, the question is who will invest?"

'A counter to China'

The Western-backed corridor was not envisaged as just a trade route - it had geopolitical motives, according to analysts. It was seen as a counter to China, whose influence in the Middle East is rising.

It also aimed to build trust and political capital for normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia according to Kugelman. But he said that plan has been put on "cold ice" for now, although it could be reconstituted down the road.

"Saudi Arabia and Israel have strong strategic imperatives to normalize ties, but for Riyadh, the political costs of doing so while Israel is carrying out its brutal campaign in Gaza are too high," he said.

New Delhi has said that the ongoing conflict will not dampen plans for the trade corridor. India, whose economy is growing, would be one of the major beneficiaries of the proposed route. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described IMEC as the "basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come."

"IMEC is for the long term," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Morocco last week where she attended a meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers. "While short-term glitches can have concerns and occupy our minds, we will keep engaging with all stakeholders."

For New Delhi, the new trade route would slash shipping costs and expedite access to markets in the Middle East and Europe. India's ties with countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt as well as Israel have warmed significantly in recent years. Trade with these countries is rising while the European Union is its third largest trading partner.

As the current conflict unfolds, New Delhi has reached out to both Israel and the Palestinians.

In a show of solidarity with Israel, Prime Minister Modi condemned the Hamas assault as terrorist attacks. India has also reiterated its longstanding support for establishment of an independent Palestine state and sent humanitarian aid for Gaza.

But even if New Delhi is able to strike a balance in its ties with Arab countries and Israel, the project's future hinges on how relations will shape up among the countries in the region.

"IMEC will not be buried, I won't write its obit," said Mahapatra. "When the dust settles down in West Asia, it will likely make headway. But in the midst of such a conflict, there is no possibility of a cooperative and positive proposal with the various countries involved," said Mahapatra.

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China, US Differ on Response to Widening Middle East Violence

By Lin Feng October 24, 2023

China will continue to support "all efforts conducive to promoting dialogue" for the two-state solution amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In the regular foreign ministry press briefing on Oct. 23, spokesperson Mao Ning, said, "As we speak, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is escalating, the situation in Gaza is very grave and armed conflict is spreading with a growing spillover effect."

"All parties should abide by the international law and international humanitarian law, protect civilians and do everything possible to avert an even worse humanitarian disaster," she said.

She added that humanitarian needs must be met.

"China will continue to support all efforts conducive to promoting dialogue and restoring peace and do its part  for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question."

Her remarks highlighted the difference between Washington and Beijing on the Israel-Hamas war, which analysts worry will further fuel tensions between the two superpowers.

President Joe Biden told Americans on Oct. 19 in a televised live speech that the U.S. must increase its support for Ukraine and Israel.

"History has taught us when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction," Biden said. "They keep going. And the cost and the threat to America and the world keep rising."

The China-mediated deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia that was announced in March and restored diplomatic ties between the two countries, which had been severed since 2016, was seen as a sign of Beijing's arrival in Middle East power politics.

China sent Zhai Jun, the special envoy on the Middle East issue, to mediate between Israel and Hamas. He met with Qatari Foreign Minister Al-Huraifi in Doha on Oct. 19 and attended the Cairo Peace Summit in Egypt that convened without Israel and senior U.S. officials. The summit ended on Oct. 21 without the Arab leaders in attendance reaching an agreement on how to contain the spreading violence.

Alex Vatanka, founding director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, told VOA Mandarin that Beijing's position on Hamas has more to do with the Chinese competition for global influence with the U.S. than it has to do with the Palestinian issue itself.

"I think China clearly sees this as an awkward moment for the United States, and China wants to come in and play a different narrative  that China is just and America's unjust, and this is going to be the Chinese narrative," Vatanka said.

Guy Laron, a senior lecturer with the international relations department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told VOA Mandarin he is not optimistic about China's efforts as a peace broker.

He said at an online event hosted by the Wilson Center on Oct. 18, "China has been a free rider in the Middle East, taking advantage of the fact that the United States secured the freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, and it would explore opportunities to invest wherever it can, but I don't think it can replace the United States as the hegemon in the Persian Gulf, and I think that's the key thing. And I think also countries in the Persian Gulf understand that very well."

Speaking after a meeting on Oct. 19 in Qatar with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian president's special representative for the Middle East and Africa, Zhai said, "The fundamental reason for the current situation of the Palestine-Israel conflict is that the Palestinian people's lawful national rights have not been guaranteed," according to a statement released Friday by the Chinese foreign ministry.

China recognized the state of Palestine in 1988 and established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992.

David Hale, former U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, told VOA Mandarin, "China and the United States may seem to have congruent interests in stability in the Middle East, but our sense of stability may be very different than their sense of stability. They want not just stability; they want control, at the end of the day, of their energy supplies, and I think that will be the direction of their future policy, and that is not, in the long run, a stable situation for the rest of us."

Tuvia Gering, a researcher at the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies, told VOA Mandarin that China's long-standing criticism of Israel and support for a Palestinian state reflect its efforts to develop favorable relations with Muslim countries and fill what Beijing sees as the void left by the U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East.

China also has substantial interests in the Middle East's oil.

Andon Pavlov, the lead refining and oil products analyst at Kpler, an analysis firm in Vienna, told the New York Times that half of China's oil imports, and a little more than a third of all the oil burned in China, comes from the Persian Gulf.

China has long-term contracts with Iran, one of the main backers of Hamas, the armed group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7. China's oil imports from Iran have more than tripled in the past two years, accounting for 87% of Iran's total exports in September.

Dalia Dassa Kaye, a fellow at UCLA's International Institute and Burkle Center, said the U.S. and China may cooperate in stabilizing the Middle East due to a shared concern about oil prices.

"China is not interested in instability globally in this region because that will raise oil prices," she said. "And that is something the United States most definitely does not want in the context of Ukraine. That's already been very, very difficult for the United States and for Europe, for the Western alliance, for NATO fighting this war in Ukraine. So, the U.S. and China have a common interest here in calming the region."

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

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Pakistan Moves to Create Deportation Centers as Afghan Migrant Deadline Nears

By Ayaz Gul October 24, 2023

The Pakistani government approved the creation of several deportation centers for hundreds of thousands of illegally residing Afghan nationals they plan to arrest and repatriate to Afghanistan starting next month, VOA learned Tuesday.

Approval of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan comes ahead of the November 1 deadline the government set for all "illegal/unregistered foreigners" and those "overstaying their visa validity periods" to return to their countries of origin or face deportation for breaching Pakistan's immigration laws.

Pakistani Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, when announcing the deadline in early October, said an estimated 1.7 million Afghans are among those facing forcible eviction.

Official sources told VOA that special deportation centers would be established in the country's four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Afghans detained in Punjab and Sindh will be transferred to centers in Rawalpindi and Karachi districts, respectively.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will have two deportation centers  in Nowshehra and Chamkani  while Baluchistan will house three facilities in the provincial capital of Quetta, and in Pishin and Qilla Abdullah districts. These two provinces line Pakistan's nearly 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) border with Afghanistan and collectively host most refugee families.

The new plan empowers district administrations, police, prosecution and prison authorities to detain and deport illegally residing Afghan nationals. It specifies that individuals convicted of or currently on trial for minor offenses will be expelled, whereas those convicted of or facing trial for "serious crimes" will not be sent back to Afghanistan.

Islamabad has pledged to carry out the deportations in "a phased and orderly manner." It has also clarified that the crackdown would not target 1.4 million Afghan refugees living legally in the country and around 900,000 others holding valid Afghan citizenship cards and formally registered in Pakistan as economic migrants.

The government has formally directed law enforcement agencies not to harass refugees there legally and those carrying Afghan nationality cards, although Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and refugee families have alleged that some were subjected to police abuses, mistreatment and extortion.

The Taliban have called on Pakistan to review the deportation plan, decrying it as "inhumane" and "unacceptable." However, they have lately set up special camps on the Afghan side of the border to provide immediate shelter, health, food and financial aid to families returning from the neighboring country.

Officials in both countries have confirmed that tens of thousands of Afghans have voluntarily returned to their home country since Islamabad announced the deadline nearly a month ago.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, while speaking to an Afghan television channel Tuesday, urged Pakistan to treat Afghan refugees "humanely" and extend the period of deportation. He asked all the refugees to return to their country, claiming they have turned war-torn Afghanistan into a "safer and better" place.

The Taliban seized power from a U.S.-backed government in August 2021 when the United States and NATO troops withdrew from the country after nearly two decades of involvement in the Afghan war.

The Taliban takeover prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee to Pakistan, fearing retribution for their association with Western forces. They included human rights defenders, former government officials, professionals, female activists and journalists. Many have since been relocated to the U.S. and other Western countries, while thousands are awaiting the processing of their applications for resettlement in the United States and Europe.

The Taliban imposed their strict interpretation of Islamic law, barring teenage girls from receiving an education and many women from work. The restrictions have discouraged many Afghan refugee families from returning to Afghanistan, saying their daughters cannot seek education or work there.

The United Nations also has urged Islamabad to suspend its plan to force out Afghans seeking refuge, warning it could expose them to persecution and other abuse by the country's de facto Taliban authorities.

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US Formally Concludes that a Military Coup Has taken Place in Gabon

By VOA News October 24, 2023

The United States has suspended most financial assistance to the central African country of Gabon in response to August's military takeover.

"The United States has concluded that a military coup d'etat has taken place in Gabon," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement released Monday. Miller said the aid had been temporarily paused since Sept. 26. Miller said all "humanitarian, health, and education assistance" to Gabon will continue.

A group of army officers led by General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, chief of the Republican Guard, placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest on Aug, 30 and seized power. General Nguema was designated president of a committee aimed at eventually returning power to a civilian government.

The mutinous soldiers announced the coup on national television just moments after the nation's election commission declared that Bongo had won a third term in general elections held just days before.

Bongo first took office in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled the oil-producing country for the previous 42 years.

Opponents say the family has failed to share the country's oil and mining wealth with its 2.3 million people.

Judd Devermont, a special assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden, met with Nguema and military-appointed Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima last week in the capital, Libreville, to discuss a path forward on restoring democracy in Gabon.

Gabon state TV reported that Nguema reiterated after the meeting he will return power to civilian rule at the end of the transition, but he did not announce a timeframe.

"The United States reaffirms our commitment to support Gabon in conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance," Miller said in his statement. "We will resume our assistance alongside concrete actions by the transitional government toward establishing democratic rule."

Some information for this report came from Reuters.

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Malawi Makes First Large-Scale Wheat Harvest

By Lameck Masina October 24, 2023

Malawi has made its first successful large-scale harvest of wheat after years of attempts to find a variety of grain suitable for its soil. Wheat farming is seen as a solution to mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on grain imports to the African continent.

Ronald Ngwira, chief executive officer of Malawi-registered U.S. company Pyxus Agriculture Limited, which operates a farm in central Malawi for the diversification of wheat seeds, said about four varieties of wheat have been found suitable for Malawian soil out of about 80 varieties which had been tried since 2019.

Speaking during the start of the first large-scale harvest over the weekend, Ngwira said the wheat farming will help Malawi save millions of dollars spent on wheat imports.

"Malawi imports 200,000 tons of wheat at $48 million. To get there, it could take us four years to produce enough wheat in Malawi to satisfy ourselves," Ngwira said. "Four years might be seen as a long time, but we are already there and will have the seed available."

Agriculture experts in Malawi say wheat farming is expected to produce about 90 metric tons, which is 50 percent of the country's wheat consumption.

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera witnessed the harvest Friday at Mpale farm in Dowa district.

"Wheat farming can enable Malawi to be self-sustaining. But this will require each one of us to work hard to achieve the desired results. Let us all make a move toward that goal by even using modern technology," Chakwera said.

Malawi has long been heavily dependent on imported wheat, and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted food supply chains. According to the United Nations, Africa takes up 12.26% of grain imported from Ukraine.

A U.N. report notes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered a shortage of about 30 million tons of grain on the continent, along with a sharp increase in cost.

"If we can find markets, it can be another source of forex in the country," said Wisdom Mgomezulu, an agricultural economist and lecturer at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences. "Because, as you know, wheat is among those high-value cash crops that are highly demanded in the world."

Mgomezulu said to achieve this, Malawi needs to find more sustainable production technologies that can give a comparative advantage, considering that there are already big players in the market.

"We need more investment in research. Let's look for more funds and donor partners to finance agronomists and researchers who are trying their best to breed varieties that can be grown here in Malawi. But for that to be done, we need to research more investment and maybe get a share of the export market," Mgomezulu said.

In the meantime, Ngwira of Pyxus said they are planning to plant 15,000 hectares of seed in December to prepare farmers for mass wheat production next year.

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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby

October 24, 2023

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:31 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon. Good afternoon, everyone.

All right, I want to make something clear at the top, because I understand how important moral clarity is, especially at this time.

So, when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and that is unacceptable. There is no place for antisemitism. Full stop. Period.

This is important to the President. It's important to me personally and to everyone in the administration.

Following the Hamas terror attacks in Israel, which were the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust, the President has been consistent and clear: We must all do our part and forcefully  forcefully speak out against antisemitism, and we must ensure there is no place for hate in America  not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against Arab Americans, not against Palestinian Americans, not against anyone.

So, I wanted to start there today.

And with that, I'd like to call up my colleague Admiral John Kirby to take any additional questions that you have on Israel or any other foreign policy questions that you have. He agreed to come back today. And so, thank you, Admiral, for being here.

MR. KIRBY: Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MR. KIRBY: Just  I don't have a whole lot of new information here, but I do want to just stress that the President continues to get briefed regularly by his national security team on what's going on in the Middle East.

As you know, he spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, again  a continuation of this dialogue and conversation that he's having with the Prime Minister as things unfold there.

And, of course, we still have Ambassador Satterfield on the ground continuing to work to try to get humanitarian aid in and to get safe passage for people out.

I don't have a lot of progress on either front to speak to today. Unfortunately, there  there were no more trucks that got in. And we haven't, again, secured passage for folks out, but we're obviously working that very, very hard, as well as the hostage piece. So, not a lot to update you on there.

Just a real quick note on the state visit. I mean, I  because I'm  I'm certain I'm going to get asked, but, yes, we expect the situation in the Middle East to come up in the conversations with Prime Minister Albanese tomorrow. The President is looking forward to the state visit. There is an awful lot on the plate with this important ally and key partner in the region.

I just want to just quickly go  blow through, if I could, highlighting some of the key initiatives that we're going to be announcing. The leaders will have more detail tomorrow, so I will probably not be able to go into more detail than when I'm going here with you today, but I just thought it'd be fair to give you a sense of some of the things they're going to be announcing.

And I think the theme, the current running through this visit is really going to be on innovation.

So, they're going to be announcing new advanced technology cooperation, particularly on artificial intelligence. You might have seen the Prime Minister inking a deal with Microsoft on a $3 billion investment for a  for AI. We welcome that.

This tech innovation piece will also be highlighting a new space agreement that will allow U.S. companies to launch into space from Australia  so, pretty exciting there.

We're going to be committing to clean energy by building resilient, sustainable, and secure critical mineral supply chains. The Secretary of Commerce was over at the embassy today talking about that and getting us closer to finishing that critical minera-  minerals piece.

Obviously, tackling the climate crisis, including by mobilizing funding for businesses across the region to transition to clean energy.

Advancing connectivity across the Pacific through investments in undersea cable infrastructure and maritime infrastructure.

Enhancing our defense cooperation between us to include trilateral cooperation with Japan.

And, again, continuing to work on this AUKUS implementation. AUKUS, as you know, is the  is the trilateral agreement between Great Britain, the United States, and Australia to provide for Australia a nuclear-powered but conventionally-armed submarine capability.

And then, of course, there will be other deliverables as well. I won't  I won't belabor my time here, but a very exciting visit. The President and the First Lady are very much looking forward to it. Lots to discuss. Lots going on in the world. And  and we're excited about it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.

Q Thanks. Thanks, Karine. Thank you, Admiral. French President Emmanuel Macron called today for Hamas to be added to the targets of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Is that something that the White House would support?

MR. KIRBY: Well, we're just aware of these reports coming out from  from the Elysee.

I would say, first and foremost, we're focused on helping Israel go after Hamas right now, making sure they got the capabilities, the security assistance to go after Hamas. And we're certainly in discussions with our allies and partners.

As you know, President Macron was on the call  actually, two calls that the President has had with European leaders in just the last several days. And we'll  we'll continue those consultations.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nadia.

Q Thank you. I have two questions. Amnesty International said that they found evidence that Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza. Any confirmation from the U.S. on this?

MR. KIRBY: I cannot confirm that.

Q Okay.

And just now, as you know, the U.N. Security Council had a meeting. The Arab Groups condemned killing civilians but also said that we "should support a peace process" instead of sending more weapons to Israel if you want to support Israel.

Do you envisi-  envisage a scenario whereby hostages will be released, Hamas will be disarmed, and some kind of international conference will take place soon?

MR. KIRBY: I couldn't begin to speculate on that. I  you know, that's  that  those are potential steps that haven't happened yet and may not happen.

All I can tell you is we're going to continue to make sure Israel has the tools and the capabilities that they need to defend themselves. We're going to continue to try to get that humanitarian assistance in, and we're going to continue to try to get hostages and  and people out of Gaza appropriately.

And as I think you've heard us say, a ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas. That's where we are right now.

And I  I understand the question, but I'm just not going to get ahead of where things are.

Q So, just  there's no scenario to avoid  to avert the war now? That was my point, really. There is no other no scenario to avoid  to avert any war?

MR. KIRBY: There's already combat between Israel and Hamas. If what you're saying 

Q (Inaudible.)

MR. KIRBY:  to avert a ground incursion 

Q Yes.

MR. KIRBY:  that is a question for the Israeli Defense Forces. They get to make the decisions about what operations they're going to conduct or not. We don't believe that a ceasefire right now is  what  we would leave that  a ceasefire right now is only going to benefit Hamas.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Justin.

Q Thanks, Admiral. There was some reporting overnight that the U.S. is planning for mass evacuations of Americans if the war were to spread. Can you kind of give context of how likely you guys are viewing that scenario and whether this is very top-level planning or if there's some sort of granul-  granular detail that you guys are going into on this or 

MR. KIRBY: I won't go into granular detail on operational planning one way or another. But it would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didn't have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities and  and certainly evacuations are  are one of those things.

I mean, there's not a place in the world where the Pentagon doesn't have contingency plans on the shelf  they may need updating, but have them on the shelf to help with the  the evac-  evacuation of American citizens.

And given what's going on in the Middle East right now, I think it's perfectly reasonable. I think it would be imprudent and irresponsible if we weren't doing some kind of contingency thinking. But we're not at a point of execution right now.

And there are still plenty of opportunities, for instance, even in  even in Israel, for people to get out. We're still  we're still doing contract charter flights, and there's still commercial flights going in and out of Ben Gurion. And, frankly, the demand signal for our contract charter flights hasn't been very high. We're  they're still going, but they're not all filled. And the same could be said for places like Lebanon.

But each  each country is different, and the threats and challenges in each will  will change over time. And we're doing all the right, prudent thinking that you  you would expect us to.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead 

Q I know that we've  that you've thanked Qatar for its role in helping to secure the release of some of the hostages so far. But I was wondering if the U.S. believes that Qatar should expel the Hamas leaders that are in the country right now.

MR. KIRBY: I don't think  well, I'll just say we're  we're having conversations with partners across the region. And we know that Qatar has an open line of communication with Hamas. And, as you saw, we thank Qatar for their support in helping to get those two Americans out.

I would just tell you that those discussions and  and those conversations are ongoing and  and critically important. And I think I need to leave it at that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nancy.

Q Thanks, Admiral. President  former President Obama shared some of his views about the conflict, yesterday. One of the things he said was that the Israelis haven't done enough to avoid killing or injuring civilians as they seek to take out Hamas in Gaza. Does President Biden share that view?

MR. KIRBY: President Biden has, since the very beginning of this conversation, been talking to the Prime Minister, and we have been talking to Israelis at various levels  at the Cabinet level and below  about the  what separates us from Hamas  as two democracies  and that's respect for human life, that's abiding by the law of war, that's by doing everything you can to try to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage. And that's an active conversation we continue to have with them.

Q Are you urging them to be more respectful of human life? What exactly is the message that he's conveying?

MR. KIRBY: I  I think I just conveyed it.

Q Okay. And then, another thing that President Obama said is that "the Israeli government's decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population" has the potential to "erode global support for Israel." I'm wondering if President Biden agrees with that as well.

MR. KIRBY: He's been  he's been talking, again, to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we've been speaking to the Israelis, again, since the very early hours of this two weeks ago  that respect for human life, respect for the civilian population in Gaza, making sure that they can continue to get access to food, water, medicine, and electrical power remains critical. It's important.

And that's why he worked so hard on this last trip last week to do exactly that by  by getting the Israelis and the Egyptians to agree for humanitarian assistance to get in.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Peter.

Q Just to make sure we're all using the right numbers  33 Americans dead right now. How many unaccounted exactly?

MR. KIRBY: Ten.

Q Ten total. Okay.

Let me ask you, if I can, the President, when he was departing the event that just took place a short time ago, was asked by a reporter if enough is being done to let 

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q  aid out. He said, not fa-  it's not going in "fast enough." Who is the obstacle right now? What is the primary obstacle of the ability for that aid to arrive at the pace the President would be satisfied by?

MR. KIRBY: I know it would be very tempting and satisfying for us to just sort of pin the tail on the donkey here. But there's  there's a lot of factors at play here. And if it was easy, my goodness, there'd be a hundreds of trucks flowing in every day.

It's combat zone, Peter. It's a warzone. And that greatly complicates the ability to move safely and to the right recipients  the customers  that kind of humanitarian aid. So, it  there's  there's lots of players involved here.

Hamas is obviously a player, and Israel is a player. Egypt is a player. The U.N. is a player. And Ambassador Satter-  Satterfield is working this as hard as he can.

Unfortunately, today, we haven't seen any trucks go in. We'll see what  we'll see what the hours to come bring.

Q One quick follow-up, if I can, on a separate topic here. Broadly speaking, we know the Israeli War Cabinet has been meeting with the Prime Minister. The  the President and others who have spoken to members of that cabinet often  the President to Netanyahu often.

Is the President confident that the Israeli War Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, Benjamin Not-  Netanyahu, will do the right thing as he views it in carrying out this war?

MR. KIRBY: He is confident that we are going to keep doing what we need to do to get Israel the capabilities that it needs. He's  the  the War Cabinet can speak for themselves. Prime Minister Netanyahu can speak for his government.

Q But, to be clear, I'm not hearing you saying that he has confidence in Netanyahu and that War Cabinet to lead this war effort to the U.S.'s liking.

MR. KIRBY: It's not  it's not our place to decide the competency of the unity government that Prime Minister Netanyahu put in place. That's for him to speak to and for his Cabinet officials.

The President left Tel Aviv confident that he had the opportunity to be candid and forthright with Prime Minister Netanyahu privately and with the War Cabinet writ large, and that he had the opportunity to ask them the hard questions that he wants them to be asking themselves before they start some sort of major ground offensive.

Q Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Certainly.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Annie.

Q Thank you. Thank you, sir. Kirby, I wanted to get a sense  there have been a spate of attacks on U.S. forces in the region. And can you characterize the threat that the U.S. faces in the region right now as Israel poises itself to invade Gaza?

And then I have a question about Australia.

MR. KIRBY: We remain deeply concerned by the potential for future attacks on our troops, because you're right, we've seen  and I'm guesstimating here, but it's about a dozen over the last several days. And as a result, tragically, one U.S. contractor died as a result of a heart attack from sheltering.

So, it's potentially a dangerous environment, and we're taking it very, very seriously.

The  our commanders on the ground have the right to defend themselves and their troops and can take the appropriate  and are taking the appropriate force protection measures.

And, as you know, the President has added additional military force to the region, and now one of those carrier strike groups is going to go on through to  to  to the Gulf region to make sure that we send a strong signal of not only deterrence, but our willingness to protect and defend ourselves and our national interests.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Seung Min 

Q Oh, but I just 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, oh 

Q  had a quick question about Australia.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, go ahead. I'm sorry.

Q Apologies.

Sir, as you have the Australian Prime Minister coming tomorrow in the midst of all of this activity around the Middle East, can you just give us a sense, from the President's perspective, how is he balancing these two sort of immediate foreign policy objectives versus sort of his longer-term foreign policy obje-  objectives that the Prime Minister's visit sort of embodies?

MR. KIRBY: Well. (Laughter.) He's balancing it well. (Laughter.)

Q Could you 

MR. KIRBY: He's doing it 

Q  say a little bit more?

MR. KIRBY: He's doing it  I mean, if you want to give him a  you know, a report card: A+. (Laughter.) I mean that  you know, it  the  he is Commander-in-Chief. That never stops, and the  and the  and the duties and responsibilities are literally global. I mean, we are one nation that has truly global responsibilities, and he's managing it all.

Now, it would be really helpful if he could also get the support of Congress up on Capitol Hill, particularly for this supplemental funding. It will be immensely simpler and easier for the President to manage all these multiple crisis if we could get that funding for Ukraine, the funding for Israel, the funding for the Indo-Pacific Strategy, and, of course, down at the border.

Q But even, sort of, today, you're seeing things that are being delayed. I mean, surely, as you 

MR. KIRBY: What's being delayed?

Q I mean, this briefing, for example was delayed by quite a 

MR. KIRBY: That's my fault, not Karine's. (Laughter.)

Q Right. But  and you 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you. I appreciate that. (Laughter.)

Q The national science thing was delayed.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's true.

Q Good move.

MR. KIRBY: It is true.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It is true.

Q But, you know, we're trying to get a sense of  you know, presumably, the President is going to have a number of calls he has to make tomorrow that he wouldn't have otherwise had to make if it had not been this crisis in the Mid-East. And how  you know, you  are you going to keep the Prime Minister of Australia waiting while Bibi  you know, Netanyahu is on the phone? How  how is that going to work?

MR. KIRBY: I don't anticipate keeping the Prime Minister waiting on anything tomorrow. They got a pretty full agenda. And as I said at the top, the President is looking forward to that.

But being President of the United States means balancing an awful lot of priorities and challenges, whether they're domestic or foreign. And oftentimes, the line between those get  gets blurred pretty dang quickly, as Karine was talking about at the opening, in terms of the spillover of domestic potential threats here in the United States. But the President is managing it really, really well because he  of his long experience in government, the wisdom he brings to the job, the relationships that he has.

Look, Prime Minister Netanyahu and him  they've known each other for decades, since the Prime Minister was working in the embassy here in D.C. as the deputy chief of mission.

The  the  all of that comes into the way he executes the job and  and he's on top of it all.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Seung Min.

Q Thank you. So, two questions. Can you tell us specifically what the U.S. government is doing right now to get Palestinian Americans out of Gaza? Because, understandably, there are some logistical issues, but we've talked to people who are at  who are stuck at Rafah and who want to leave. And so, what is the government doing right now?

MR. KIRBY: Again, this is something that Ambassador Satterfield is working really, really hard. I mean, obviously, a prime focus for us is the several hundred Americans that we know are there. And, actually, I don't know exactly how many are down at Rafah, but we know there are many American citizens down at Rafah that want to get out. And he's working that very hard.

We also believe  and he's also talking to partners, particularly Egypt, about the possibility of others getting out through Rafah. Again, innocent civilians of many different nationalities, certainly Palestinians, that want to leave and should be allowed to leave an active warzone for their own safety and for the safety of their families.

I wish I could tell you that, you know, we got the recipe cooked here and  and they're all going to get out at a certain time and place. I just don't have that right now.

But I can assure you and all of them that we're working on this very hard in real time.

Q And the second one. So, the Gaza Health Ministry, obviously run by Hamas, said about 700 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike today. First of all, is that a figure that the U.S. government can verify?

MR. KIRBY: No.

Q Okay. And 

MR. KIRBY: And I think you was right by you saying that the Ministry of Health is run by Hamas. And I think that all needs to be factored into anything that they put out publicly.

Q Right, right. And it  this is sort of related to Nancy's question, but setting  you know, setting aside whether that 700 figure is correct or not, I'm wondering if the administration is having concerns that the Israeli response has been disproportionate in response to the obviously horrific attack that we've seen from Hamas.

MR. KIRBY: We're going to avoid trying to react to every single event on the battlefield. We all saw last week how quick reactions to events on the battlefield turned out to be inaccurate.

So we're  for our part, we're not going to jump to conclusions on every time there's a report of something. We're not going to react in real time, certainly, to a conflict to which we are not a part, in terms of being a presence on the ground.

All I can do you  all I can do is say what I've said before: that we have and will continue to talk to our Israeli counterparts about the importance of avoiding and minimizing civilian casualties and respecting innocent life and trying to prevent collateral damage as they go after legitimate Hamas targets.

I said this the other day, and  and I think your question prompts me to say it again, because I think it's an important notion: This is war. It is combat. It is bloody. It is ugly, and it's going to be messy. And innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward.

I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn't going to happen. But it is  it is going to happen.

And that doesn't make it right. It doesn't make it dismissible. It doesn't mean that we aren't going to still express concerns about that and  and do everything we can to help the Israelis do everything they can to minimize it.

But  but that's  that's, unfortunately, the nature of conflict.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Selina.

Q Thank you, Admiral. So, going off your earlier exchange with Peter, to be clear: The U.S. cannot say if they're confident that Israel has a clear and achievable military plan?

MR. KIRBY: That is a question for the Israeli Defense Forces.

Q You've said you've asked them tough questions, but has the U.S. set or discussed any possible red lines?

MR. KIRBY: No.

Q And following on that, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had just said "humanitarian pauses must be considered" to protect civilians in Gaza. Can you expand on that?

MR. KIRBY: Can I expand on  I'm sorry.

Q Secretary of State Antony Blinken said "humanitarian pauses must be considered" to protect civilians in Gaza.

MR. KIRBY: We want  as I said from the beginning, we want to see all measure of protection for civilians. And  and pauses in  in operation is  is a tool and a tactic that can do that for temporary pe-  periods of time.

Q So, does that mean that 

MR. KIRBY: That is not the same as saying a ceasefire. Again, right now, we believe a ceasefire benefits Hamas  a general ceasefire.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Trevor.

Q And just to follow up on that. So, could you clarify just a little bit how you would define the difference between a humanitarian pause and a ceasefire?

MR. KIRBY: I mean, I think it's really  it's a  it's a question of duration and scope and size and that kind of thing.

Q Got it. Okay.

And then, you said yesterday when asked about kind of what the future of Gaza might look like that that's something that the Israelis are going to need to figure out subsequently.

MR. KIRBY: And I think that they  they are. They're exploring th-  those questions about what governance in Gaza looks like long term. I just don't think that  understandably, their focus is much more on the here and now and the operations.

Q And does the U.S. have a view about the legality of a reoccupation of Gaza by Israel and whether that's a temporary thing or a more permanent thing?

MR. KIRBY: I don't believe we've taken a position on that.

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Do you believe that the current level of bombardment allows for the extraction or transfer of hostages?

MR. KIRBY: Difficult to answer the question given that

we're not completely sure about the location of each and every hostage. And we're working to get more granularity on that.

And we have seen now  just yesterday another two got out. Now, obviously, that's just a tiny fraction of  of the  the pool that we think Hamas is holding. But we think it's  we think the effort to continue to negotiate for the release of additional hostages is worth  is worth the effort.

Obviously, we've got four now  families who are going to get reunited. That's a good thing. And we think that work needs to continue.

Q If a pause rather than a ceasefire is what's necessary, how long do you think is reasonable to expect some of that information to be obtained?

MR. KIRBY: I  I couldn't begin to answer that question right now.

Q And then, Israeli officials have told CNN that they do not support any transfer of fuel into Gaza, which Hamas has said is required for any sort of deal to release hostages. Does the U.S. support that position?

MR. KIRBY: Separate and distinct from the hostage situation and what we're doing to try to get them out.

I  I want to be careful that I'm not talking about the specifics of the conversations that are going into getting these people out, lest I say something that makes it harder to do it in the future.

Put that aside for a second.

We have said, continue to say that fuel is an important commodity for life and sustainment in Gaza for the Palestinian people that are still there. And we know that fuel is a precious commodity that's running out. And you need it for generazor  generators in hospitals. You need it to run the desalination pumps so that you can drink fresh water and not seawater. All of that is important.

And so, we're going to continue to work with partners in the region. We're going to continue to push for  for fuel to get in. And 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, let's 

MR. KIRBY:  now, look, that said  and I said this, again, yesterday  we certainly understand Israeli concerns about the possibility for Hamas to abscond with fuel and use it for their own purposes and not allow it to be used in hospitals and desalination plants. We understand that. That is a legitimate concern  no question about it  which is why, again, Ambassador Satterfield is on the ground working this so hard.

It  there's a  there's a balance here that has to be achieved. Obviously, we haven't achieved it yet. But we still believe, just in general, that fuel needs to be able to get into the  to the people of Gaza.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Katie.

Q Oh, thanks. Of the 10 that are presumed, you know, missing or hostages, can you tell us whether or not all 10 are presumed to be hostages or are some still missing? What are  what's the percentage there?

MR. KIRBY: We don't know. They're unaccounted for. Some could be hostages; some could unfortunately be  be dead. We just  we don't know. That's why they're still in the unaccounted-for category.

Q Okay. And then the  just to pivot back, because lines get blurred on everything. The Australian Prime Minister has a meeting with President Xi of China scheduled for next month. So, I'm just wondering how much is countering China expected to come up tomorrow? And also, just what is the position on having such an important ally that needs to do business, as we also do, with China?

MR. KIRBY: Well, I think we fully support and understand that the Prime Minister wants to  to meet with President Xi and travel to Beijing. We have traveled to Beijing  three Cabinet Secretaries and Special Envoy Kerry. Of course, Jake Sullivan is going to be having  and the Secretary of State is going to be having meetings later this week with their Foreign Minister, Wang Yi.

The  so, conversations with the Chinese and keeping the lines of communication open is really important. The President has said that many, many times. And, of course, Australia is  you know, their relationship with China is incredibly important to them as well, to manage it.

Now, to your first question, there is no question in my mind that the challenges and the opportunities in relations with the PRC will be on the agenda tomorrow. No  no question about that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Jacqui.

Q Thank you. John, does the administration agree with the U.N. Secretary-General's statement today that the Hamas attacks, quote, "Did not happen in a vacuum"?

MR. KIRBY: I don't know what he meant by that, so I'm not  I 

Q I can read you the full (inaudible) 

MR. KIRBY: I mean, I'm not sure  I didn't see the comments, and I'm not sure what the context is.

Q He  he said that "It's important to recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their lands steadily devoured by settlements, plagued by violence" It goes on.

That statement infuriated a lot of Israelis. I want to know if the administration disagrees with what he said.

MR. KIRBY: The President has spoken very clearly and, I think, very forcefully on who's to blame here for October 7th. It's Hamas. It's not the Israelis. It's not the innocent Israeli people that were slaughtered going to a music festival. It was Hamas.

They planned this thing for many months, maybe even as long as a year. Hamas is to blame. Hamas is to blame.

Q On that note, is the assessment still the same that Iran did not directly play a role in this attack? Because you had Senator Blumenthal saying 

MR. KIRBY: I did not say 

Q  over the weekend 

MR. KIRBY: I never said that Iran did not play a role. What we've said  and there has been no change  what we said, Jacqui, is Iran is certainly complicit here. Without them, there is no Hamas. Without them, there is no Hezbollah. Without them, there is no militia groups firing rockets at our troops in Iraq and Syria.

And as I said yesterday up here, we recognize Iran is monitoring all these events, and in some cases, they're encouraging some of these attacks. No question about it. Now 

Q Did they 

MR. KIRBY: We 

Q  encourage this event?

MR. KIRBY: You're talking about October 7th?

Q Yes.

MR. KIRBY: We still haven't seen any direct, specific intelligence that says they were witting or participating or directing the attacks of Octo-  of October 7th. But as I said: Broadly complicit, no question about that.

And I'm sure that our Israeli counterparts will, in due time, take a harder look at the intelligence picture and what might have been missed, what gaps there were. But I'll let them speak to that.

Q And real quick. Can you just speak to the shift in language we heard yesterday out of the Pentagon? You know, last week, no one would confirm on the record that these attacks were coming from Iranian proxy groups. But then Brigadier General Pat Ryder said the U.S. holds Iran responsible. Is the U.S. taking this as a signal that Iran is, in fact, trying to widen the war?

MR. KIRBY: We see that they are backing these groups  no question about that. We have sent a strong signal of deterrence. There's no indication right now that any other nation state or actor is  is preparing or  imminently to escalate this conflict. But we're watching this very, very closely.

And again, I want to be clear here: Nobody is turning a blind eye to Iran's complicity. Their support for these ba-  these  these militia groups in Iraq and Syria, their support for terrorists throughout the region, we have addressed that through additional sanctions. We have addressed it through additional military force posture. We're obviously going to do what we have to do to protect ourselves and our  and our troops.

Nobody is  nobody is at all turning away from that threat or their historic and sustained support for these terrorist groups.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Brian.

Q Thanks, Karine. John, just a follow-up to what Peter asked earlier  I'd like two questions, but one to drill down. I assume when the President said aid isn't getting fast enough to  to Gaza that he's not critiquing our efforts to get it there. Sa-  and without hanging a hook on who is responsible, is he saying that more can be done from our end? Is there more that can be done to get the aid to them?

MR. KIRBY: I think he was referring to actors in the region.

Q And then, the second question is, it's  for many years, the Aus-  you're going to meet with the Australian government, and they have supported the release of Julian Assange. Now, we haven't done so, saying there were national security reasons. But for the reasons that he has been charged are basically the same efforts that many reporters use. So, is there any change of heart in this administration's efforts to free Julian Assange?

MR. KIRBY: I won't be able to talk about extradition matters, Brian. And, as you know 

Q I've got to ask. (Laughter.)

MR. KIRBY: No, no. Fair question. But this is something the Justice Department is handling, and I think it's better if you go to them on that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have to wrap up. Go ahead, Lisa [Laura].

Q Thank you.

Q Thanks. Thanks, Admiral. So, the  you've talked in here about contingency plans for this conflict potentially escalating, even though the administration wants to prevent that. So, is the U.S. military really planning for possible evacuation of hundreds of Americans from the Middle East?

MR. KIRBY: There is prudent planning and then there's sort of the tactical-level planning right before you execute.

What we're talking about here is just prudent planning and thinking. There are no active efforts right now to evacuate Americans from the region, other than what we're doing in Israel in providing charter flights. There's no active efforts. We're not parking ships off the coast and getting ready to send Marines in to get people out of  you pick the place over there. That's not happening right now.

But what was reported in the press is nothing more than prudent contingency planning. And as I said at the outset, given everything that's been going on the last two weeks, it would be irresponsible if we weren't taking pen to paper and taking a look at what that might look like. But there's been no orders given, nobody pre-positioned to do it, no moving in that direction.

But if it should get to that, my goodness, you'd want to make sure we were ready to do it and  (snaps)  do it like that.

Q And if I could just ask a quick follow-up on  the longer it takes for the House to agree on a Speaker, how concerned are you, how concerned is the President that the administration is going to be able to get the necessary aid to Israel as well as 

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q  humanitarian aid to 

MR. KIRBY: It's a concern. As I said earlier, we've got appropriations to support Ukraine and Israel for a bit longer. How long is "a bit" is going to depend on these  the pace and the scale of these combat operations in both countries.

But, yeah, we  we wouldn't have put a supplemental request in  which, oh, by the way, says right in the first line it's an "urgent request." We wouldn't say it was an urgent if it wasn't urgent. We want them to act as quickly as possible.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. I think we have to wrap it up.

Q John, I wonder if  we've heard numbers of "several hundred Americans" who are in Gaza  "up to 600." Do you have a more specific number of the actual number of Americans who are 

MR. KIRBY: I don't. State 

Q  in Gaza right now?

MR. KIRBY: State Department is a better place to go for that.

Q So we're at "several hundred"?

MR. KIRBY: Several hundred  several hundred I know is accurate. I wish I could be more detailed than that. But you really got to go to State. They would have a better count probably than I would.

Q And then in the prudent planning process, I mean, for these several hundred Americans who are in Gaza right now. If it's in a prudent planning stage 

MR. KIRBY: No, no, no, no, no. No, don't  please don't mix  mix up the two.

What  what  the question I was getting was on the Washington Post report about regional evacuation planning.

We are actively trying to get Americans out of Gaza. Ambassador Satterfield was appointed for that purpose  well, also to get humanitarian assistance in, and we're  and we're doing that.

But we  we know there is Americans in there. We know they want to get out. We're working very hard to find safe passage for them.

That is different than a noncombatant evacuation operation. That's safe passage out of a warzone.

Q Is there a current  I mean, advice, I guess, for  for folks who are kind of trying to gather near the Rafah Crossing in case that is where they would evacuate? Is it advisable for Americans in Gaza right now to  to be at a certain location?

MR. KIRBY: I got this question yesterday. And I  I really should refer you to the State Department. They manage and handle our communication with American citizens overseas. And I think it's better for that question to be posed to them.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Matt, you have the last question.

Q I  thank you. John, I want to make sure that I understood the  the idea of a ceasefire versus a humanitarian pause. And  and you guys clearly are opposed to a ceasefire, thinking that would be a victory for Hamas. But on the humanitarian pause, is it something that the U.S. is actively pursuing or calling for that to be the case?

MR. KIRBY: Well, you heard the Secretary of State talk about the  the need to look at that, to consider the  the possibility of a humanitarian pause to allow aid to get in and get in unfettered and to allow for the safe movement of people out.

But again, there's a lot that goes into that, Matt. You got to  we got to  you know, we  the Rafah Crossing is open on the way in, it's not open on the way out. There's  there's a lot of spadework and diplomacy to get that to happen.

Q So, you're not calling for it at this point? You're saying it should be an option 

MR. KIRBY: I think it's 

Q  that (inaudible) exploring?

MR. KIRBY:  again, I would refer you back to what Secretary Blinken said. But it's certainly something that ought to be considered for the purpose of humanitarian assistance.

Q Okay. And then, one last thing on  on the 10 Americans that are unaccounted for. Is there any confirmation that some number of those are currently being held hostage, or is it completely the U.S. has no idea where those people are?

MR. KIRBY: No, the fact that they're unaccounted for means we truly don't know. We  we know, again, as I said, a handful  less than 10  are being held hostage.

But when we give you the number of unaccounted for  and the reason that number goes up and down is because you get information. Sometimes it's really bad news; sometimes it's not. So that number fluctuates. It hasn't fluctuated much over the last several days. It's hung around 10  10, 11. Today, it's 10.

But what I can tell you is we're working real hard to try to solve those mysteries and  so that the number is zero  and at least families know, at least they have information. And then, we're  we're working hard on that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.

MR. KIRBY: All right, thank you. Thanks, Karine.

Q Thank you, John.

MR. KIRBY: Sorry, I was late.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no.

See?

MR. KIRBY: It was my fault. (Laughter.)

Q That's twice now you've said it.

Q Noted for the record.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, noted for the record, indeed. (Laughter.)

All right, Seung Min.

Q Thanks, Karine. A couple of topics. On the expanding UAW strike, obviously, you had 5,000 workers all walk off the plant in Texas today. The strike is in the sixth week, and you had Ford laying off workers in Michigan and Ohio.

And I'm wondering how concerned the White House is right now that you can get a reso-  resolution that's in a timely enough fashion that you avoid significant economic damage.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, we're  we're monitoring all of this  everything that you just laid out  very closely.

Yesterday, I was asked about Gene Sperling and also Acting Secretary Su  who have been obviously playing point from this administration and helping in any way possible  not  clearly, not part of the negotiation, but certainly helping communicate with the parties  both UAW and the Big Three.

Look, the President continues to believe that collective bargaining is incredibly important. The options that are under collective bargaining, UA-  the UAW has the right to  to  to  to, you know, kind of think through those options.

And so, we believe that if all  everyone comes together in good faith that there could be a win-win agreement. And so, we're going to let them have those negotiations, continue to have those conversations.

Obviously, everything that you laid out we're going to monitor very closely. I don't have anything beyond that.

Q And on the supplemental packages. Obviously, you sent up the national security-focused supp last week. We have reporting  others have reporting as well  that there are plans to send up a domestic-focused supplemental. And I'm wondering if you could talk through kind of the idea of sending it in two different packages, especially because you have people like Bernie Sanders saying Congress can't pass just tens of billions for priorities abroad without addressing the priorities at home. So why did the White House choose to do it in separate packages?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I  I mean, look, in Director Young's letter, she said that there would be a domestic supplemental as well. It's coming this week. So, certainly, it's going to lay out the presidential's  President's  the President's priorities as it relates to disaster relief, as it relates to childcare. And so that's coming. That is forthcoming.

We did the  certainly, as you heard from the Admiral with the supplemental that we released last week, the  the foreign po-  the foreign one  the international one, it said "urgent" on it in the first line  right?  because we believed it was incredibly important as we see the war in Ukraine, as we see what's happening with Israel and Hamas. We wanted to make sure that  certainly, that we got out  that out there as soon as possible.

But the domestic one is coming this week. That's what Director Young said in her letter to  that you all  I'm sure you all saw that there's going to be an additional request on the domestic front. And those are going to be priorities and as  just as  just as important, but also priorities for the President as well. That is critical to domestic  to domestic push or platform that he has.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. We've heard from Senate Republicans that humanitarian aid to Gaza is an issue for them in the aid package. Are there any modifications to the aid package that would be red lines for the White House?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to get into any  any hypotheticals or any red lines. We believe there is no reason for Congress shouldn't pass or support this  this  we believe this national sec-  it's a national security priority  right?  which includes, as you know, critical aid to Ukraine as well. And that's not just  and that's just aid to  to Is-  to what's happening to Israel, with what's happening in the region.

But we also believe there is strong bipartisan support. We've heard it from Mitch McConnell. We've heard it from McCaul  right?  Chairman McCaul. We heard it from Chairman Turner.

So, we believe there is actually strong bipartisan support for this supplemental package that  that was introduced by the President last week. And we believe that there is no reason  no reason at all that Congress can't get it through.

Go ahead.

Q Does the President have any reaction to the reporting that Congressman Dean Phillips is going to be seeking the Democratic presidential nomination?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be careful from here. Not going to speak to electoral politics  upcoming electoral politics  2024.

I  if  one thing I would say outside of that is we appreciate the congressman almost 100  100 percent support of this President as we  as he's moved forward with some really important, key legislative priorities for the American people.

I just don't have anything to share on that  on the  on the 2024 from here.

Go ahead, Kayla.

Q Republicans have selected Tom Emmer as their Speaker nominee. I know you've said very often that the White House does not have a vote in this. You're not 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Ad nauseam, I'm sure. (Laughs.)

Q You're not involved in this process, but Emmer has been one of the more supportive Republicans for Ukraine aid across the board. Do you see that as a positive signal?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just not going to speak to their process. I'm sure there's more  more steps to go  right?  before we get to the end here.

I think it's important and critical that  that the Republicans in  in the conference get their  get their act together, get their business in order, and figure out who's going to lead  lead not just the conference  obviously, it'd be  since they have the majority in the House, have a Speaker for the House.

I'm just not going to get into it.

I have said just moments ago, we have seen bipartisan support for U-  for  for the supplemental package that the President announced last week, that we announced  that we spoke thr-  to last week. And so, we believe that Congress should move forward with that.

As it relates to their process and finding a Speaker, that is up to them.

We do not  as the President has said himself, just quoting him, we do not have a vote in that space.

Go ahead, Brian.

Q Just a follow-up. I  I know you don't want to talk about their process. But once the House picks a Speaker, your process  considering the global situation, has this administration considered, A, asking the House Speaker to speak before a joint session of Congress? Or would you consider having them over to  members of the GOP and the Democratic leadership in Congress over to the White House to talk about the situation since you're asking for additional funds?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, there are conversations that have been happening and will continue from this administration to folks on the Capitol. That has been happening via the director of OMB. That has been happening with  with the Legislative Affairs Office. That conver-  those conversations with congressional members have been ongoing what  as it relates to making sure we get this additional funding.

And so, that hasn't stopped. That's going to continue. We're going to have  we're going to continue to make sure that we talk to folks, whether in the Senate or in the House, about the importance  the critical importance about getting this  getting this aid, especially as we talk about our national security.

And now we're going to talk  we're going to announce pretty soon the domestic piece of this as well.

So, those conversations continue. That's never stopped. And they will  they will certainly move forward with that regardless  right?  regardless of what happens.

Q Right, but will the President become personally involved? I mean, it  the situation that has been outlined here in the White House is how dire it is in Middle East and how dire the situation is in Ukraine. So, in order to sell it or in order to make the deal, is the President willing to do it himself to talk to 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We believe we have bipartisan support. We believe we have bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate to get this done.

I just mentioned a couple of  of  you know, I just mentioned Chairman McCaul. I mentioned Mitch McConnell. They've been very supportive of getting this moving forward.

So, we believe the bipartisan support is there and there is no reason for Congress not to move forward.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q The President spoke with the families of unaccounted Americans 11 days ago. Are there any plans for him to have another conversation with those families? And if not him, can you talk about the contact between senior White House officials and those families right now? We're told that there has been daily communication.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I don't have anything to read out to you on  on any further conversations. So, I just don't have anything to share at this time on anything that's going to  moving forward on  on  as it relates to the President speaking again to those  to those families.

Q And how about people in the White House, like who is talking to the families?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I  I just don't have a  I don't have specifics. Obviously, we have had connection and  and conversations with them. I just don't have the specifics on who is  is talking to the families.

Go ahead, Justin.

Q Thanks, Karine. We're only a couple of weeks away from government funding also running out again. At this point, do you guys have a preferred strategy for how you'd like to see the government funding bill, the supplemental  the two supplemental requests go through? Do you want to see one sort of collective piece of legislation or 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don't have a direct process on  on  on that. But certainly, we want to see both of them get through  both the domestic supplemental, which we're going to announce this week, and obviously the urgent supplemental, as it relates to our national security, that we announced last week.

Certainly, we think Congress should move forward with both of them. They should move forward on getting those passed.

As I mentioned, as it relates to the national security request that we made with Ukraine and also Israel, we've seen bipartisan support. We don't believe there isn't  there is not  there should not be a reason for Congress to move forward with that once we get the domestic supplemental request out there.

Obviously, we'll have conversations with  as we are now, continue to have conversations with members of Congress to talk about that piece as well.

But we want to see both of them move  move forward. They're both critical. They're both important. If you think about the domestic, we're talking about childcare, right? We're talking about dome-  we're talking about Disaster Relief Fund  all incredibly important to the American people.

Q When the negotiations were going on before, you guys referenced pretty frequently the  the deal that Speaker McCarthy  former Speaker McCarthy and  and the President had out of the debt ceiling talks.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Given the state of Republican leadership right now, do you guys still see that framework as sort of operative? Or do you think we'll be starting sort of from square one when  when they go into the negotiations (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to get into  certainly, into hypotheticals from here, how the process is going to go.

You know, we  if we go back to the budget agreement a couple of months ago, it was something that, again, House Republicans  two thirds of them voted for it. It got bipartisan support. It was something that the American people wanted to see  both Republicans and Democrats coming together and delivering for the American people.

And so, that was incredibly important to the President. We  we believe that they needed to stick to the deal that they voted on. The President signed that bill.

And now, we're at a point where we're talking about the supplemental budget  right?  which is something that is common. It is not unusual for the administration to ask for a supplemental  supplemental requests.

Q Well, the reason I ask 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q  is because you  you had said that, in addition to sort of disaster relief, it might include childcare and other priorities. And so, I'm wondering if 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q  you know, this  this may push beyond the sort of deficit cuts that  that you had agree to as part of that deal.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I understand the question. Look, supplementals are, as you know, not unusual to ask. And these are domestic priorities that the President thinks are incredibly important, that the American people need and want to see. If you think about childcare, if you think about the American Rescue Plan  how important it was to have, for example, the CTC and what  the difference that made to communities across the country.

And so, this is something that's been part of the President's platform for some time.

And so, he's going to  he's going to put out his domestic supplemental in the next day or two. He'll lay that out for Congress. And we'll continue to have those conversations.

But he thinks  the reason he's asking for it: because he's  actually believes it's very important. And it's not unusual for the administration to ask for a supplemental budget.

Go ahead, Ed.

Q I want to ask you about current energy prices and Iran, if I could. So, Iran makes 70 percent of its revenue from oil. It's doubled that oil output since 2019, adding $40 billion to revenues. So, are the President's current energy policies giving Iran enough money to fund terror groups?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Say that 

Q Because the price  well, the price of oil has gone up under this president. The former President Trump  the average price of Brent oil was $58. Under this president, it's $83 a barrel. So, the price of oil is more. Is that giving Iran enough money to fund these terror groups in the Middle East?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I  I mean  I wholeheartedly disagree that we're  we're  you know, we're  our actions are giving  is that what you're saying? Can you say that again?

Q The current energy policies in the U.S. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: From  from our energy policies?

Q From  from  yeah. Yes, seeing the price of oil go up.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q Because when you  when you restrict supply here in the United States, it's forcing to get the global supply from somewhere else. OPEC is cutting prices of oil. So, the price of oil goes up.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, and we're not part of OPEC, as you know.

Q Right. Right, but 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And so, they're going to make their decisions on  on whatever they decide. We are not a member of OPEC.

Q We're  but the administration has decided to regulate the oil industry here in the U.S. and restrict investment  future investment in the oil supply in the U.S. And so, is  is  as the price of oil goes up, is that giving Iran enough money to fund these terror groups?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That seems to be a big jump. And so, I'm certainly  I'm not going to speak into that type of hypothetical. It sounds like a hypothetical that you're asking me. So, certainly, I'm not going to wade in  weigh in to this.

Q So, no changes to the U.S. energy policies?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just not going to weigh in to  weigh in to a hypothetical here.

Go ahead, Phil.

Q Thank you. Just to quickly follow up on something that John Kirby said about the Gaza Health Ministry, because I think this will be helpful for Americans who are watching this conflict from afar: Does the administration see the Gaza Health Ministry at  an at all credible source of information concerning the crisis on the ground in Gaza?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He literally just spoke to this.

Q I 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But he  he just  he just answered this question.

Q He said that  he seemed to  he said that they

were associated with Hamas. But does the administration 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He  he 

Q  think that they are at all credible?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He just  he literally just spoke to this and answered it. I don't have anything else additional to say. He just said we should question, right? Right? He  he actually answered the question. I don't have anything else to say.

Q All right. Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. No problem.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. On a visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister  Wang Yi is coming to D.C. for three-day's visit. So, besides the prote-  potential meeting between President Xi and President Biden at the APEC Summit, is China's stance on Israel and Ukraine on the agenda?

And also, in the wake of those attacks in Europe and Middle East, I'm assuming U.S. doesn't want to see any other conflicts happening in Asia. So, in this visit, will U.S. reiterate to Wang Yi that United States will not stand aside if China attacks Taiwan?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things, just to say at the top. As you know, Wang Yi is also  is going to be meeting with Secretary Blinken and also our National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan. And so, it's going to happen. He's going to be in town on Friday, and so that's when those meetings are going to occur.

It's going to  this is about engaging face to face. You hear us talk about  all the time how diplomacy  face-to-face diplomacy, especially as it relates to foreign policy, is incredibly important.

So, we're going to raise the challenging issues, obviously. We're going to address miscon-  misconception  mis-  misperceptions and also miscommunications and explore working with PRC where our interests intersect. That is something that we have  have said from  certainly, from the beginning of this administration.

And so, our strategy toward PRC has been consistent here. And  and our assessment of the challenges that we have with  PRC po-  pose  that they have with that  that are there  that poses has not changed.

And, you know, we have been very clear: We want to see competition. That's what we want to see with PRC  competition. And  and so, we seek to manage that competition in a responsible way.

And so, again, you're going to see a diplomatic engagement, a face-to-face engagement with the Secretary and our National Security Advisor. We think it's important to have those conversations. You heard the Admiral  how there's been three Secretaries that have already gone to Beijing, had those face-to-face diplomatic conversations.

Now, Wang Yi is going to be here on Friday. And so, we're going to continue those important  we believe  important discussions.

Q Is Israel and Ukraine going to be on the agenda?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to get ahead of the  of what's on the agenda. But, obviously, we're going to talk about challenges, ways to work together that better our interests, obviously. And we're going to continue the engagement that we've had at various levels at the PRC.

Q And a second question, on the Global South. So, of course, he highlights U.S. call for Israel to follow the  the law of the war and effort to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. But we're also seeing from the Arab world and Global South, and we're seeing protests in Indonesia, in Malaysia, against the United States support to Israel, which  those are important allies in Indo-Pacific and ASEAN. Is United States concerned about the strategy right now might alienate those allies that might be important in the Indo-Pacific?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, you know, we have important allies and partners across the globe. And we  you know, we certainly  those relationships are very important.

But the President  the President and this administration has been very clear in our support for Israel and how we want to make sure that they are able to deal with a terrorist organization like Hamas and protect  to protect their people, right? We are  been very clear: make sure that humanitarian aid, as you've heard us say over and over again, gets into Gaza.

And so, that's going to be our focus. We have someone  an ambassador on the ground, who's focusing on that, making sure that we get  we do everything that we can get  to get the hostages out.

So, that is our priority right now. And that's going to be our focus.

Go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Q Thanks. On the House Speaker race 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That'll be the last one.

Q  the odds are whoever Republicans end up electing, one, is not going to have much of a history with the President and, two, is not going to have done much in terms of, you know, major negotiations over legislation.

So, I wonder if that heightens any level of concern the White House has about being able to get these priorities done by the end of the year, being able to kind of have that familiarity in those conversations.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I mean, I'll say a couple of things there.

Look, we believe it is important to get the work done on behalf of the American people. It is important. It is important to have a functioning House, which isn't  right now is not functioning because they cannot figure out who is going to lead  "they" meaning the House Republicans  who's going to be the leader of  of their conference, who's going to be the Speaker of the House.

And that's a problem. We see that as a problem.

But we're going to continue to do everything  once they decide  and we hope they do it very quickly, because we have a lot of business to get done  just talked about two supplementals  one that  one that  we  the national security one that we announced last week and a domestic one that we're going to announce this week, obviously, and to make sure the government stays open.

And so, there's a lot of work to be done  a lot of work to be done. And we hope that they get their  their  you know, their  their priorities in order, they get themselves in order so that we can get this done on behalf of the American people.

We are going  we are willing to work with them in a bipartisan way to get things done. We see bipartisan support for the national security supplemental. That's important. And then we're going to be announcing our domestic supplemental.

Look, we think it's important that the House Republicans get their affairs in order so that we can continue to deliver for the American people.

Q And then just real quickly 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q  in the interim, in an urgent situation, in an emergency situation, who does the White House consider the Repub-  the leader of the Republican Conference in the House?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, right now, as you know, there's the Speaker Pro Tem, obviously, right? So, he is  he's  he's 

Q By default.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: By  right  by default is there. But, I mean, look  I mean, we say this  I know we say this ad nauseam. We were joking around with Kayla  oh, I think it was Kayla; I can't remember  on this. And it is  it is for them to fix, right? It is for them to decide who is going to be the Speaker  "them" meaning the House Republicans. They've got to  they've got to get to work here. The American people is counting on us.

And the President is doing his job. He's doing his job domestically and as Commander-in-Chief.

We have to see House Republicans do their job as well.

Thanks, everybody. See you 

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thursday.

Q Thanks, Karine.

2:27 P.M. EDT

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Russo-Ukraine War - 24 October 2023 - Day 608

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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 Russia largely continues to rely on specially designated 'Shtorm-Z' units for local offensive operations in Ukraine. These company-sized groups were likely first fielded in 2022. There is a realistic possibility that Russia originally envisioned them as relatively elite organisations which could seize the tactical initiative.

However, since at least spring 2023, Shtorm-Z have effectively become penal battalions, manned with convicts and regular troops on disciplinary charges. Multiple accounts suggest the units are given the lowest priority for logistical and medical support, while repeatedly being ordered to attack.

Russian troops have often conducted an effective defence. However, the existence of Shtorm-Z highlights the extreme difficulty Russia has in generating combat infantry capable of conducting effective offensive operations.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that During the day of October 24, there were 54x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 5x missile and 33x air strikes, more than 42x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have killed and wounded civilians. Residential houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

The operational situation in east and south of Ukraine remains difficult.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Certain units of the armed forces of Belarus continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. Russia continues to shell Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. The Russian occupiers launched an air strike in the vicinity of settlement of Leonivka (Chernihiv oblast). More than 20x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Hrem'yach, Leonivka (Chernihiv oblast), Stepok, Hrabovs'ke, Popivka (Sumy oblast), Pletenivka, Kozacha Lopan', Chuhunivka (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forcesconducted unsuccessful assault operations with air support in the vicinities of Syn'kivka and Ivanivka (Kharkiv oblast). Ukrainian defenders repelled 8x Russian attacks in that area. The Russian occupiers also launched an air strike in the vicinity of Pishchane (Kharkiv oblast). The invaders fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Dvorichna, Petropavlivka, Syn'kivka, Ivanivka (Kharkiv oblast).

Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defense forces repelled all Russian attacks in the vicinities of Nadiya and Makiivka (Luhansk oblast). The Russian occupiers launched air strikes in the area of Nevs'ke, Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast), and Sivers'k, Vyimka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Spirne, Sivers'k, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 5x Russian attacks in the vicinities of Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forceslaunched an air strike on the settlement of Dyliivka (Donetsk oblast). Around 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Markove, Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, New York (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: Russian forcesconducted unsuccessful assault operations with air support in the vicinities of Avdiivka, Stepove, Sjeverne, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian defenders repelled 6x Russian attacks in the area. The invaders fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Oleksandropil', Keramik, Stepove, Avdiivka, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: Russian forcesconducted unsuccessful assault operations with air support in the vicinities of Mar'inka and Pobjeda (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian defense forces repelled around 20x Russian attacks in the area. Around 10x settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast), were under artillery and mortar fire of the Russian occupiers.

Shakhtars'ke axis: the Russian invaders conducted unsuccessful assault operations with air support in the vicinity of Staromaiors'ke. The Ukrainian defenders repelled all Russian attacks near Novomykhailivka, Prechystivka and in the area to the south of Zolota Nyva (Donetsk oblast). Around 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), came under artillery and mortar fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x Russian attack southeast of Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). More than 20x settlements, including Huliaipilske, Bilohir'ya, Robotyne, Mala Tokmachka, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Kherson axis: Russian forceslaunched air strikes in the vicinities of Zmiivka, Beryslav, Kozats'ke, Mykil's'ke (Kherson oblast). The settlement of Zelenivka (Kherson oblast) came under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

At the same time, the Ukrainian defense forces continue offensive operations in the Melitopol axis, offensive (assault) operations in the Bakhmut axis, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, and exhausting Russian forces along the entire front line.

During the day of October 24, Ukrainian Air Force launched 13x air strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, and 3x air strikes on air defense missile systems of the Russian invaders.

The missile troops destroyed 12x artillery systems and 1x logistics hub of the Russian occupiers.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled eight attacks of the AFU 14th, 32nd mechanised brigades, 68th Jaeger Brigade, and 101st Territorial Defence Brigade near Ivanovka, Sinkovka, and Sergeevka (Kharkov region).

The enemy lost up to 60 Ukrainian troops and two pickup trucks.

In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, helicopters, artillery repelled eleven attacks by assault groups of AFU 21st, 31st, and 63rd mechanised brigades close to Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).

In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 12th Special Forces Brigade near Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses in this direction amounted to more than 125 troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, and four motor vehicles.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted fire damage on AFU manpower and hardware near Kleshcheyevka and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Up to 235 Ukrainian personnel, two armoured fighting vehicles, and four motor vehicles have been neutralised.

In counter-battery warfare one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, three Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery systems, one Msta-b howitzer, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were destroyed.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the AFU 93rd Mechanised Brigade was destroyed.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, helicoptes, and artillery launched strikes at clusters of manpower of AFU 79th air assault, 72nd mechanised, 58th mechanised infantry brigades and 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Ugledar, Nikolskoye, Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy lost up to 110 Ukrainian troops and four motor vehicles.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery hit the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade's units close to Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region).

Up to 75 Ukrainian troops, one tank, and two motor vehicles were neutralised.

Also, two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, Msta-B, D-20 howitzers, and one U.S.-made M119 gun were hit during the counter-battery warfare.

In Kherson direction, up to 55 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer were neutralised by fire.

The enemy units made unsuccessful attempts to capture bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnepr and suffered significant losses, therefore AFU marine brigades' servicemen are sabotaging landing tasks.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 109 areas during the day.

Air defence facilities have shot down two MiG-29 aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force near Krasnoarmeysk (Donetsk People's Republic) and Kanatovo (Kirovograd region).

One L-39 combat training aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force was shot down near Olenovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

Five JDAM guided missiles and five HIMARS projectiles have been intercepted over the past 24 hours.

In addition, 44 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were obliterated near Tokmak (Zaporozhye region), Berestovoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Zolotaryovka, Kremennaya (Lugansk People's Republic), and Sagi (Kherson region).

In total, 511 airplanes and 253 helicopters, 8,220 unmanned aerial vehicles, 441 air defence missile systems, 12,890 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,169 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,865 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 14,602 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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DOD Leaders: Redefining Cybersecurity a Priority for All

By Air Force Master Sgt. Erich B. Smith, National Guard Bureau October 23, 2023

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Cybersecurity is experiencing a dramatic transformation. What was once primarily the domain of IT specialists has evolved into a collective responsibility for all defense personnel. Each member now plays a crucial role in fortifying the digital realm against looming threats.

"We have shifted from a mindset of cyber just being something on the side," said Gurpreet Bhatia, the Department of Defense's principal director for cybersecurity and one of four senior leader panelists who underscored the point at a recent National Guard Bureau town hall. "It drives missions and assures mission success."

Cyber defenders have traditionally focused on protecting vital military assets like fighter jets and satellite systems, said Air Force Col. Jack Johnson, director of intelligence and cyber effects in the Air National Guard's intelligence and computers directorate. However, he highlighted an alarming trend in which near-peer adversaries and lone operators have broadened their scope to target military personnel.

Johnson offered a poignant example, illustrating how hackers could target senior military leaders, potentially siphoning funds from their bank accounts and tarnishing their online presence through social media manipulation, impairing their ability to lead.

"Just as we would look at what and who an adversary's center of gravity is, they are doing the same thing toward us," Johnson added. "So, we need to be aware of that and counter it."

Good cybersecurity habits, otherwise known as "cyber hygiene," ensure external adversaries and insider threats don't get a leg up on a unit, according to Leonel Garciga, Army chief information officer.

"If you're leaving your common access card [in a network computer] when you leave your workstation, you failed the test. If you turn on a secured network computer, open a window that folks outside can see in, you failed the test," Garciga said. "It's not defensive cyber stuff or next-level security. It's what we're supposed to be doing day-to-day."

Adhering to a routine, however, is not enough to support the warfighter, said Kenneth McNeill, the chief information officer with the NGB's communications and computers directorate.

Keeping a vigilant mindset and not being comfortable "every single day at every level" is "the way we do business," he said.

Even with the technological wonders that come with cyber, it's leadership that's going to elevate or jeopardize a cyber enterprise.

"Do we need to have the tools on the network to do the things we do? Absolutely," said McNeill. "[But] if you don't have the tactics, techniques and procedures in place, and leadership doesn't emphasize that, we're going to have a problem."

The panelists also discussed enhancing global partnerships in the cyber battlefield to counter the actions of adversaries.

"They are exponentially accelerating their speed of going after every single opportunity, every single vulnerability they can find," said Bhatia. He noted that cyber warfare is a "global sport, so we need our allies and partners to be on board to defend this space."

This gets done, he said, with diversity of thought and trust among all cyber defenders.

"Allies and partners really bring diversity in how we approach and tackle problems," Bhatia said. "It all relies on building that foundational trust that we can operate together in a very safe, secure manner of sharing information and opinions."

Recent conflicts have highlighted the importance of cyber cooperation.

"What we are seeing right now, whether we're talking about Ukraine or Israel, is just proliferation of online capability," said Garciga. "It's starting to recast what the world looks like in terms of cyberspace and not just cyber hygiene."

Bhatia said raising and maintaining awareness about the global implications of cybersecurity through required training is paramount regardless of one's position.

"We live in a world where we need cybersecurity a from your PC to your iPhone, all your routers and devices you bring into work," he said.

For Bhatia, forums like the one he and other panelists participated in prove that cyber is no longer an afterthought in the defense ecosystem.

"We are building a different culture now that demands cybersecurity is part of our normal, day-to-day conversation," he said.

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Opening Remarks by Under Secretary Brian Nelson at Executive Committee Meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center

U.S. Department of the Treasury

October 24, 2023

RIYADH a On October 23, 2023, the Executive Committee of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) held a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to continue close coordination on countering terrorist financing. This meeting, originally scheduled for November, was convened urgently and covered regional threats, the facilitation of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and ways to strengthen cooperation between all member countries.A

The TFTC meeting was led by the Co-Chairs, the United States and Saudi Arabia. All member states participated.

As prepared for delivery

Thank you for being here today. A This meeting was convened on short notice, and your presence here today underscores both the urgency and importance of this topic. I want to thank my Saudi co-chair for his leadership of the TFTC, and for hosting us in his headquarters today.

I expect that today's Executive Committee Meeting will be the first of many focused on disrupting Hamas's acts of terrorism. By meeting today, and using this as a platform for future action, we demonstrate to other groups and countries looking to take advantage of the situation that we are united in stopping terrorist financing and will act swiftly and decisively. A We will act as partners committed to a stable and secure Middle East. That is why the TFTC so critical - through this center we will coordinate our multilateral response and signal our resolve.

The United States is unequivocal in its condemnation of Hamas and the atrocities it perpetrated on innocent civilians, including taking hostages. We mourn for the unspeakable loss of life and condemn the appalling attacks by terrorists in the region. There is never justification for terrorism. A

To the United States, the stakes could not be clearer. Hamas' unconscionable attacks on innocent civilians show that we must redouble our efforts to deny terrorists access to funds that enable these attacks and root out bad actors from across the global financial system.

Hamas's atrocities have jeopardized regional stability and shown that terrorism does not occur in isolation. A We are all impacted by terrorism and the violence it unleashes.

This moment should bring a profound sense of urgency, clarity and purpose to the work that we do, both within the TFTC and with our government agencies. A The ability to act - to cut off the financial flows that feed terrorism - is a duty we all share, and why we gathered in this emergency meeting today.

At the same time, the United States remains committed to ensuring the flow of legitimate humanitarian aid can reach the people of Gaza. Across all of our sanctions programs, there are authorizations and licenses to allow for the flow of life-saving food, water, and medicine.

The TFTC Memorandum of Understanding empowers us to coordinate and share information related to "activity of mutual concern that pose[s] national security threats to Participants." This regional threat of instability from Hamas falls squarely in the scope of our efforts. A We are already seeing proxy groups try to take advantage of this situation and launch attacks against our interests in Iraq and elsewhere. As President Biden said, we have a clear message for groups seeking to enter the fray: don't.

TFTC GOALS

I would like to share what we expect to achieve through this meeting and in the weeks to come. A First, I would like to hear your perspectives on how you are viewing this threat, and how your governments are mobilizing a response. A Second, I'd like to discuss how we can use the TFTC to share information about Hamas and other terrorist organizations, with a focus on using that to take joint or even unilateral actions, as necessary. A Finally, I'd like to propose following up in December on the actions we decide to take here today.

From our side, the United States took several immediate actions. A This is just the beginning of much more to come:

Last week, Treasury sanctioned ten key Hamas terrorist group members, operatives, and financial facilitators in Gaza and elsewhere in the region;

We also issued a FinCEN alert to assist financial institutions in identifying funding streams -supporting the terrorist organization Hamas;

Recognizing that we must maintain our focus on regional destabilizing actors, we have taken action to highlight the role of Iran's sponsorship of terrorist groups by sanctioning actors supporting Iran's missile and UAV programs.

We also have to think systemically about how we can harden our financial system against those who are seeking to exploit new technologies. That's why we proposed a new regulation to enhance transparency in convertible virtual currency and combat terrorist financing.

Our immediate actions are but one part of the puzzle, and we have much more work to do. A We all have a key role to play in mobilizing a robust, coordinated response. I look forward to continuing this discussion today.

INFORMATION SHARINGA

Pursuant to the mandate of the TFTC, we must share more information and perspectives on the key nodes in the Hamas financial ecosystem that are vulnerable to disruption. Hamas financiers have long enjoyed unimpeded access to many jurisdictions and likely their financial systems as well. We need to better understand these networks, and more importantly, stop this activity if it is occurring in our jurisdictions.

Your insights and actions are vital to understanding and acting against the threat picture this group poses to the Gulf.

ACTION

However, it is not enough to share information. We must act. A

From our perspective, not acting against Hamas and its terrorism is a disservice to the Palestinian people. A From a financial standpoint, we can clearly see that Hamas has exacerbated economic hardships for decades in the Gaza strip by diverting humanitarian assistance to support its campaign of terror, and we must publicly condemn these actions.

President Biden has stressed the urgency of getting life-saving aid on an ongoing basis for the people of Gaza. Hamas must not divert or steal these shipments and squander this crucial opening for sustained delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance for the Palestinians.

We are already seeing other actors launch attacks across the Middle East in Lebanon, Iraq, and even in the Gulf. A We can re-establish our strength and resolve by signaling that there are consequences. A Inaction only enables instability. A

This moment is critical for the TFTC countries to come together to assess our own exposure to the risk of terrorist financing, and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to protect not only our financial jurisdictions, but also human life.

We cannot tolerate a world in which Hamas and other terrorist organizations' fundraisers live and operate with impunity, abusing the financial system, to sustain their terror. The United States will not tolerate that world.

Thank you all for being here, and I look forward to our discussions.

###

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Third Trump Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Interference Case

By Ken Bredemeier October 24, 2023

Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who supported former U.S. President Donald Trump's baseless claims that he was cheated out of winning reelection in 2020, tearfully pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally working to overturn his loss in the southern state of Georgia and agreed to testify against him and others in upcoming trials.

Ellis, 38, became the fourth of Trump's 18 co-defendants in the sprawling criminal racketeering case to plead guilty. As with the other cases, her plea deal with Fulton County District Fani Willis allowed her to avoid prison time by providing evidence that could implicate others who sought to illegally upend the national election result to keep Trump in the White House.

Ellis pleaded guilty to a single felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election. It is a claim that to this day Trump falsely makes as the leading 2024 Republican presidential contender to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the national election a year from now.

Ellis told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee that she was wrong and misled by other key Trump supporters about the conduct of the 2020 election and that she no long believes the false claims.

"If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges," Ellis said.

Ellis had been facing two charges in the Georgia case, including violating the state's anti-racketeering law. In contesting the election outcome in late 2020, she worked closely with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, who faces 13 charges in the Georgia case.

As part of her plea deal, Ellis answered prosecutors' questions in a lengthy recorded video about her actions and those of other defendants in contesting the election result in Georgia. In recent days, prosecutors also recorded interviews with pro-Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro before they appeared in court to plead guilty to various charges linked to the Georgia election interference case and agreed to testify in upcoming trials.

Ellis agreed to complete three to five years' probation and 100 hours of community service, pay $5,000 in restitution to the Georgia secretary of state and has already written an apology letter to the residents of Georgia.

Ellis worked closely with Giuliani in late 2020, traveling to the political battleground states of Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania, along with Georgia, where prosecutors say she urged state lawmakers to ignore the election results showing Biden had won and instead, because of alleged vote counting errors that proved unfounded, flip the outcome to Trump.

A Colorado judge admonished Ellis for the false statements she made about the 2020 election. She said that in making the statements, she acted "with a reckless state of mind" and told the judge she had acted with "selfish" motives and that her actions had "undermined the American public's confidence in the presidential election."

In the Georgia case, Trump is most prominently accused, in a taped telephone call, of soliciting state election officials to "find" him 11,780 votes, one vote more than Biden's margin of victory in Georgia. Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1992.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in Georgia and three other criminal cases he is facing, encompassing 91 charges. No trial date has been set in Georgia, although the others are all scheduled in the first half of 2024, amid Trump's third run for the presidency.

He is also charged in a federal election interference case in Washington, accused in Florida of illegally retaining highly classified national security documents after his presidency ended in early 2021 and thwarting investigators' attempts to retrieve them. He is also charged in New York of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to a porn film star in 2016 ahead of his successful run for the presidency.

If convicted of any of the charges, he could be sentenced to years in prison.

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His Majesty's Canadian Ship Moncton departs for Operation CARIBBE

National Defence

News release

October 24, 2023 - Halifax, N.S. - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Moncton departs its home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia for a six-week deployment on Operation CARIBBE in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Operation CARIBBE is Canada's contribution to U.S.-led Enhanced Counternarcotics Operations under Joint Interagency Task Force South which is responsible for conducting interagency and international detection and monitoring operations and facilitating the interdiction of illicit drug trafficking.

The Royal Canadian Navy works closely with the United States Coast Guard in a display of international cooperation in support of North American continental defence.

Quotes

"I am delighted to see another Royal Canadian Navy ship off to sea for what I am convinced will be another successful mission on behalf of Canada. Today's departure not only represents the dedication of the Atlantic Fleet to regional stability, but also highlights the close collaboration we enjoy with our American partners. HMCS Moncton is in all respects ready to build on the success of previous deployments in the Caribbean. We wish them fair winds as they work to strengthen security at sea." Rear-Admiral JosAe Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic & Joint Task Force Atlantic

"I am so proud to command a crew of exceptional sailors who will undoubtedly make the Royal Canadian Navy and their families proud with the work we will accomplish. To our friends and families, thank you for holding down the fort and we cannot wait to share our experiences and stories with you upon our return." Lieutenant-Commander Hilario Carlo Amunategui, Commanding Officer of HMCS Moncton

Quick facts

As part of Operation CARIBBE, the CAF supports multinational efforts to address illicit trafficking by providing naval and air capabilities to detect and monitor suspect drug smuggling activities in Caribbean waters and off the Pacific coast of Central America.

The CAF has conducted Operation CARIBBE since 2006 through successive deployments of Royal Canadian Navy ships and Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft. During those fifteen years, the CAF has contributed to the disruption or seizure of more than 123 metric tonnes of cocaine.

Since 2021 alone, HMC Ships Harry DeWolf, Saskatoon, Yellowknife, and Edmonton, in liaison with the United States Coast Guard and embedded Law Enforcement Detachment, have seized a total of 4.59 tonnes of illicit drugs.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on October 24, 2023

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2023-10-24 18:14

At the invitation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the US from October 26 to 28.

CCTV: We have noted that since the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has engaged actively in diplomatic mediation efforts. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken on the phone with foreign ministers of multiple countries and Zhai Jun, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East issue, has been to Arab countries for shuttle diplomacy, actively promoting ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. China's mediation efforts and policy proposals have been commended by the international community. How do you comment on this?

Mao Ning: Since the outbreak of the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has maintained close communication with relevant parties, actively participated in the consultations at the UN Security Council, and made every effort to promote peace talks and help deescalate the situation. The international community, especially the many Arab countries, commends China's just position and the role it has played as a responsible major country. It is widely held that the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by President Xi Jinping sets the direction for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue. It has also been said that the proposal put forward by Foreign Minister Wang Yi on ending the conflict is well-targeted. China has received appreciation for its important role in promoting a political settlement of the Palestinian issue and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.

We sincerely hope that the Palestinian question will be resolved in a comprehensive, just and lasting manner on the basis of the two-state solution. On the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, our position is highly consistent with that of the Arab states. We all hope that the fighting will stop as soon as possible in order to prevent the situation from escalating or even spiraling out of control. We oppose acts that harm civilians and oppose any violation of the international law and call fora protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid to prevent an even worse humanitarian disaster. We all support the two-state solution and realization of Palestinian people's right to statehood and survival and their right of return, which we believe is the only viable way out of the Palestinian question. We all call for a more authoritative, influential and broad-based international peace conference to be held as soon as possible, an early resumption of peace talks and formulation of a timetable and roadmap to that end.

China will firmly support all efforts that are conducive to dialogue, ceasefire and peace and will do its best on everything conducive to the implementation of the two-state solution and a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question. China is ready to work together with the international community to make relentless efforts to that end.

Shenzhen TV: We noted that Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance Catherine Pollard has arrived in Beijing and started her visit to China. Could you share more on that?

Mao Ning: Today is the 78th United Nations Day. We welcome Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance Catherine Pollard to China. China always supports true multilateralism and the international system with the UN at its core. This year, UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China, and several Under-Secretary-Generals have also paid visits to China. China's invitation to Under-Secretary-General Catherine Pollard to visit China demonstrates our firm support for the work of the UN.a

China is the biggest developing country and the second largest contributor to the UN's regular budget and peacekeeping assessments. We always pay our assessed contributions in full, providing strong support to the UN with concrete actions. We also work to ensure that every penny of the UN could be fully leveraged to deliver tangible results. During Under-Secretary-General Catherine Pollard's visit to China,Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and officials of relevant ministries will meet with her to have in-depth exchanges of views on topics in such fields as finance, management and human resources. We believe this visit will further strengthen the practical cooperation between China and the UN, support and promote a sound and steady progress of the work of the UN.

Bloomberg: Just to follow up on the visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the US. Bloomberg is reporting that he will have meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Can you confirm these details and offer any more details about the trip to the US?

Mao Ning: During his visit to the US, Foreign Minister Wang Yi will have in-depth exchanges of views with US high-level officials on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of shared interests, have friendly communication with various quarters in the US and state China's principled position and legitimate concerns on the bilateral relations. We hope that the US will work with China to follow through on the important common understandings between the two heads of state, enhance communication and dialogue, expand practical cooperation, properly manage differences and jointly bring the bilateral relations back to the track of sound and steady development. On the schedule of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit, we will release information in due course.

Hubei Media Group: The 16th Senior Officials Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held on October 23 in Beijing. Can you brief us on the outcomes of the meeting?

Mao Ning: Thank you for following China-Africa relations and FOCAC. This Senior Officials Meeting is another gathering of the 55 members of FOCAC. Nearly 300 participants, including senior officials and representatives of African members, senior officials of members of the Chinese FOCAC Follow-up Committee and observers from some international and regional organizations, attended this meeting.

Participants focused on China's report on the implementation of the outcomes of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC. They agreed that under the close cooperation between China and Africa, the nine programs proposed by President Xi Jinping, the Dakar Declaration of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, FOCAC Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) and China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 are being implemented effectively. China and Africa enjoy frequent high-level exchanges, deepening political mutual trust, more efficient friendly cooperation and booming exchanges and mutual learning in various fields, which has been injecting new impetus for the development of China-Africa relations.

This meeting also discussed preliminary ideas for next year's FOCAC. As fellow companions on the journey towards development and revitalization, both China and African countries have high expectations for next year's FOCAC. The two sides will work together to make preparations and plan on the outcomes, seek synergy between the Second Centenary Goal and Agenda 2063 of the AU, tap the opportunities brought by Belt and Road cooperation, take the high-level China-Africa community with a shared future to a new height, and bring common development and prosperity to the close to 3 billion Chinese and African people.

AFP: The China-US Economic Working Group heldaitsafirst meeting today, during which both sides discussed the macroeconomic situation and bilateral economic relations.aCould you share more details on what has been discussed?

Mao Ning: Regarding the meeting of the China-US Economic Working Group, I noticed that China's Ministry of Finance has put out a press release. If you need more information, please refer to the competent authorities.

China News Service: It was reported that recently Venezuela's government and opposition alliance the Unitary Platform resumed dialogue and reached agreement on preliminary arrangement for the 2024 presidential election in the country. US Department of the Treasury announced that it issued a six-month general license, temporarily lifting sanctions on PDVSA and relevant entities, and the US is prepared to amend the policy if the above-mentioned commitments are not followed through. What is China's comment?

Mao Ning: China welcomes the resumption of dialogue between the government and opposition of Venezuela. We extend our congratulations on the important progress of the dialogue and are ready to continue playing a positive and constructive role on the Venezuelan issue. China's position on this issue is consistent and clear. We firmly uphold the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, and oppose relevant country's unlawful unilateral sanctions and the so-called "long-arm jurisdiction" against Venezuela. We hope the US will immediately and fully stop interfering in the internal affairs of Venezuela, completely abolish the unlawful unilateral sanctions on Venezuela and other countries, and act more in ways conducive to world peace, stability and development.

Global Times: Australia announced a few days ago that it has finalized a security review regarding the Port of Darwin, and that it has reached agreement with China to solve the WTO dispute over wine. What is your comment?

Mao Ning: We noted the Australian announcement that it has finalized a review into the lease of the Port of Darwin, and decided it will not vary or cancel the lease. We welcome this announcement and hope Australia will continue to provide a sound environment for Chinese companies to invest and operate in the country.

On wine and other issues, China's Ministry of Commerce has released information, which you may refer to. China stands ready to work with Australia to continue resolving each other's concerns properly through dialogue and consultation, and promote further improvement and growth of bilateral relations.

AFP: Canada's foreign ministry said that an organization connected to China has been spreading disinformation related to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian senior officials and Members of Parliaments by leaving a large amount of comments and "deepfake" videos online. Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: The so-called statement by Canada's foreign ministry misrepresents facts and is very misleading, which makes trumped-up charges against China. We deplore and firmly oppose that.a

For some time, the Canadian side has falsely accused China of spreading disinformation against Canadian politicians on multiple occasions, but it has never come up with any solid evidence. On its own part, however, the Canadian side has long made up lies including on Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong to attack and smear China. It is the Canadian side that has been producing and spreading disinformation. We urge the Canadian side to respect facts and truth, stop spreading China-related lies, and stop words and deeds that would poison the atmosphere of China-Canada relations and damage bilateral relations.

Reuters: Taiwan "vice president" Lai has criticized the Chinese mainland over its tax probe into Foxconn. Lai said Beijing should cherish and treasure Taiwanese companies given their help to the mainland's economic development and not put pressure on these companies during an election there. The Taiwan affairs office has not commented on Lai's remarks. Would the foreign ministry comment on this?

Mao Ning: There is no "vice president" in Taiwan and what you mentioned is not related to foreign affairs.aa

Ukrainian News Agency: My question is about the Ukrainian issue. Negotiations on the Ukrainian peace formula of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be held in Malta at the end of this week. Does China intend to send a representative to these talks?

Mao Ning: On the Ukraine issue, China is committed to promoting talks for peace and bringing about a political settlement of the crisis through dialogue and negotiation. China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role to this end.a

AFP: Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister. Wang said that all countries have the right to self defense. Could you further clarify Wang's statement? Does he say this in a general sense or can it be understood that China thinks Israel has the right to protect its national territory against attacks from Hamas?a

Mao Ning: China's position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is very clear. Foreign Minister Wang Yi had talked over the phone with the foreign ministers of both Israel and Palestine yesterday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has put it very clearly that all countries have the right to self defense, but should respect the international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians and it is imperative to prevent the situation from escalating and avert an even worse humanitarian disaster.a

I would like to stress that China does not pursue any selfish interests on the Palestinian question. We sincerely hope that the Palestinian question can have a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement based on the two-state solution, so that the legitimate security concerns of all parties can be thoroughly addressed.a

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China fires defense minister Li Shangfu with no replacement

Li and former foreign minister Qin Gang are removed from official posts after disappearing from public view.

By RFA Mandarin 2023.10.24 -- Ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday formally sacked his defense minister, who is reportedly under investigation by the party's disciplinary arm, and ousted former foreign minister Qin Gang from the State Council following his sacking from his ministerial post in July, state media reported.

Xi signed a presidential decree removing Li Shangfu as China's State Councilor and Minister of National Defense, just seven months after he gave him the job.

The same decree also removed Qin Gang as State Councilor, according to a brief announcement made via state news agency Xinhua.

The Oct. 24 decree gave no reasons for the move, and no replacement for Li, who has been missing from public view since Aug. 29, has yet been named.

Reuters reported last month that Li is under investigation by Chinese authorities, in connection with the procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military, the agency reported on Sept. 14.

"#China apparently now has no Minister of Defence," Oxford University politics professor Patricia M. Thornton posted to her X account.

"Who will host the Xiangshan Forum next week?" she wrote, in a reference to Beijing's Asia-Pacific peace and security cooperation forum that runs from Oct. 29-31 in the Chinese capital.

Li Shangfu was also removed from his position as a member of the Central Military Commission, Xinhua said, citing a separate decree.

Asia Society politics fellow Neil Thomas said via X: "We don't know for sure yet, but I believe this adds weight to the view they are purged."

Li is the second senior Chinese official to go missing after the recent disappearance of former foreign minister Qin Gang, who is reportedly in hot water over an alleged relationship with U.S.-based Phoenix TV reporter Fu Xiaotian, in June.

The disappearances of Li and Qin from public view came as Xi also removed the commanders of the country's nuclear arsenal from office, prompting U.S.-based former People's Liberation Army Navy Lt. Col. Yao Cheng to comment that they may have been unwilling to wage war on democratic Taiwan.

In its report on Li's ouster, the nationalist Global Times newspaper focused on Li's former role as director of China's main satellite launch sites in Xichang, and his "major role" in lunar exploration missions.

The paper also noted that Li went on to serve as the deputy commander of the Strategic Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from its founding in late 2015, before becoming the head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission in 2017.

Logistics, procurement and equipment have been highlighted by defense experts as key elements in any plan to invade Taiwan.

The paper also mentioned the sanctioning of Li and his department by the Trump administration in 2018 for purchasing Russian weapons, including Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

"The sanction later became a trouble to China-US military exchanges when Li became the Chinese defense minister," the paper said.

Before becoming foreign minister, Qin was China's ambassador to the United States and known as a "wolf warrior" - combative Chinese diplomats who are quick to denounce perceived criticism of China.

A close ally of party leader Xi Jinping, he stepped down in January after being promoted by Xi - which makes his ongoing disappearance and the questions around it extremely politically sensitive.



Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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China's Wang Yi to visit US ahead of possible Xi-Biden meeting

The foreign minister's trip comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East and South China Sea.

By RFA Staff 2023.10.24 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to pay an official visit to Washington D.C. later this week, the U.S. State Department announced late Monday.

Wang will be the most senior Chinese official to visit the United States since the beginning of the year. His visit on Oct. 26-28 is taking place amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Ukraine and the South China Sea.

The State Department said in its announcement that the Chinese foreign minister will be hosted by his counterpart Antony Blinken, who visited China in June.

The two top diplomats will "discuss a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues as part of ongoing efforts to responsibly manage the U.S.-China relationship and to maintain open channels of communication," the announcement said.

U.S. media including the Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed government sources who said that one aim of Wang's visit is to prepare for a potential meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.

Chinese officials have yet to confirm Xi's attendance at the meeting, which will take place in San Francisco from Nov. 15-17. If he attends, it would be the Chinese president's first trip to the U.S. in more than six years.

The last time Xi visited the U.S. was in April, 2017, to meet with Donald Trump at the then-president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden last met in November 2022, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia.

Managing bilateral ties

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has, however, confirmed Wang Yi's trip.

Spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that Wang "will have in-depth exchanges of views with senior U.S. officials on Sino-U.S. relations and international and regional issues of common interest."

Wang is also expected to "have friendly exchanges with people from all walks of life in the United States to demonstrate China's principled position and legitimate concerns on Sino-U.S. relations."

Mao said that China hopes both countries will cooperate to "strengthen communication and dialogue, expand practical cooperation, properly manage differences, and jointly push China-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy and stable development."

Wang Yi was re-appointed as China's foreign minister in July after Qin Gang was dismissed for reasons still not officially announced.

Washington and Beijing have been at odds over a number of issues including their own perspectives on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as China's assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Only on Monday the U.S. condemned China's "dangerous and unlawful actions" in obstructing a Philippine vessel near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea at the weekend. Washington again vowed to defend Manila in any armed attack "on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft - including those of its Coast Guard - anywhere in the South China Sea."

The Pentagon's annual report on China's military power said Beijing is becoming "more dangerous, provocative and coercive."

The U.S. government has also repeatedly warned against China's continuous diplomatic, political, and military pressure on Taiwan.

"The United States will continue to use diplomacy to advance U.S. interests and values, address areas of difference, and make progress on shared transnational challenges," the State Department said while announcing Wang Yi's visit.

Efforts by U.S. military officials to engage in talks with Chinese counterparts have been constantly snubbed by the latter, the Pentagon said last week.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

Updated to include comment from China's foreign ministry spokesperson.

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 October 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.

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Chinese Defense Minister Ousted After Two-Month Absence

By Gabriel Levin October 24, 2023

China has ousted its defense minister, the second high-level firing of a top official in months. No explanation was given for Li Shangfu's removal, and Beijing has yet to name a replacement for him.

The removal of Li, 65, who is the target of sanctions by the United States, comes seven months after he was appointed and could help Washington and Beijing resume high-level military-to-military talks.

According to China's state media, Li was removed at a meeting Tuesday of China's top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. In addition to Li, former foreign minister Qin Gang was also removed from his only remaining position as a state councilor.

The removals of two top officials in relatively quick succession comes less than a year after China's leader Xi Jinping secured a norm-breaking third term in office and has raised questions about his leadership.

China's political system is extremely opaque and both Li and Qin's ousters followed a similar pattern leading to rampant speculation about Xi's grasp on power and the reasons for their ousting.

Li has not been seen in public since late August and Reuters reported last month that he was under investigation for suspected corruption related to the purchase and development of equipment.

Qin disappeared from the public eye earlier this year amid rumors of an extramarital affair that he reportedly had during his tenure as ambassador to the United States. He was removed from his post as foreign minister in July.

Li's removal leaves China, a country with the world's largest standing army, without a defense minister just days ahead of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a multilateral dialogue where foreign defense officials meet to discuss joint military strategy.

Michael Chase, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, confirmed on Monday, before the firing, that a delegation from the Pentagon was invited and will attend the forum.

Commenting on the trip at an event Monday hosted by the Atlantic Council on the Pentagon's China Military Power report, Chase said, "In terms of kickstarting some of the military-to-military engagements, yes, I'm hopeful that we'll have an opportunity to do that in the coming months."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment on the removal and potential it could have to restart military-to-military talks that China cut off.

"For any announcements regarding PLA personnel, I'll refer you to the PRC," the spokesperson said. "What I will say is that the DoD continues to believe in the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication between the United States and the PRC across multiple levels, including the senior-most levels."

Li has been a target of U.S. sanctions for his alleged role in helping Beijing acquire combat aircraft and other materiel from Moscow.

VOA National Security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report, some information for this report was provided by Reuters and AP.

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IMF Warns Africa of Economic Vulnerabilities as China's Economy Slows

By Mohammed Yusuf October 24, 2023

The International Monetary Fund is cautioning African nations about the possibility of a regional economic downturn and the ripple effects that China's slowing economy could bring.

Africa and China have forged economic ties over the past 20 years, making the Asian giant the continent's largest trading partner. Africa exports metals, minerals and fuel to China, while importing manufactured goods and machinery from that country.

The IMF says the partnership is threatened by China's economic slowdown and aging population, trade tensions, geopolitics and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kenya-based businessman Adan Ibrahim, who imports vehicle parts from China, said it was difficult for a long time to access Chinese companies due to COVID-19 regulations, including visa restrictions that allowed relatively few people into the country per month.

"Up to now they have not reopened well," Ibrahim said. "In terms of movement of people within the country, they even restricted when you travel to China. You [had to] undertake serious checks on health issues. There were a challenges, both economic and health wise."

In December 2022, China lifted coronavirus restrictions that had prevented easy movement of goods and people.

Gerrishon Ikiara, an international economics lecturer, said the economic problems faced by China and African countries affect their trade relations.

"When African economies are affected either by drought or other problems that may affect various sectors, the negative effect is felt in China," Iriara said. "If it's a happening in China, the negative effect is felt in Africa.

"So, it's important that both the Chinese and African economies are doing well to create a more healthy trading relationship," he said.

Ibrahim said that as China shifts away from COVID-19 controls, the price of goods has increased and they go unsold.

"The goods that we used to buy with the relatively cheap prices before the COVID are now triple the price that we currently buy with," he said.

China's economic recovery from the pandemic slowed in recent months due to a sluggish property market and weak consumer spending. China's trade data showed that exports and imports continued to decline as demand for Chinese goods waned.

Ikiara said Africa needs to find new trading partners to develop its economies.

"If the Chinese economy is slowing down, Africa needs to diversify its trading partners and to diversify either imports or exports to Asia, other parts of Africa, Latin America and the U.S.," he said. "If there is a problem with our exports to China, we need to look for new markets."

The IMF is urging African governments to diversify their economies, increase regional trade integration and create a favorable business environment so that local and international corporations can thrive.

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North Korean farmers pressured to repay debts early

Propaganda touting a 'miracle harvest' this year prompts lenders to chase down the farmers who owe them .

By Son Hyemin for RFA Korean 2023.10.23 -- North Korean propaganda showing plentiful harvests this year is putting pressure on farmers to repay debts they incurred during the planting season, but residents told Radio Free Asia that most of the harvest hasn't been processed, meaning they are not yet able to pay.

At the beginning of October, authorities reported a harvest miracle complete with pictures showing rice bags piled sky high, crediting the country's leader Kim Jong Un for ensuring that farms got what they needed to increase food production this year.

But the reality is that farmers need to borrow money from wealthy elites, called donju in Korean, during each planting season to pay for seeds and other supplies.

"These days, the work crew leaders at farms in Chungsan county are all hiding from their sponsoring donju," a resident of South Pyongan province, north of Pyongyang, told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons. "The donju are demanding they repay their debts."

After the devastating 1994-1998 famine, North Korea's impoverished government halted subsidies to collective farms, telling them to find funding themselves. Since then, farm managers have begun each planting season by taking out loans with the promise that after the harvest, they would repay in harvested crops.

The farms still had to grow enough to satisfy state quotas under this new system, but as long as the harvests were plentiful, there was enough to pay both the donju and the state.

Sources told RFA that typically the harvested crops collected by the donju must be worth double what the farm borrowed. If the amount to be repaid is one-fifth of the total harvest, this is usually not a problem.

But circumstances do not always go according to plan. RFA reported in April of last year that poor harvests in 2021 resulted in debt lingering into 2022.

Demanding repayment

Though government propaganda is designed to promote trust in North Korean leadership and loyalty to the state, by saying that harvests were plentiful, the farmers are under extreme pressure to pay up with food supplies they don't have.

The South Pyongan resident said that normally the farmers pay the donju back at the end of November, after threshing is completed and the books are cooked to show lower farming yields so that the state can collect a smaller amount, and the donju can get their cut.

"But in October, some of the farms set up distribution sites and advertised good harvests," the resident said. "So the donju who lent money to the farms are tracking down farm officials and demanding that they repay their debts."

The propaganda showed that the farmers were already distributing rice, she said. But it is still threshing season and the astonished farmers have nothing to give the donju.

In Ryongchon country in the northwestern province of North Pyongan, the propaganda made the farm officials "sigh deeply," a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

"When they say that they have begun distribution, the donju who lent money to the farms in the spring want to recoup their investment," he said. "Usually the debts are repaid before distribution begins.

Propaganda praising a particular farm for having a high yield is bad news for donju, the resident said.

"If the farm is set up as a model farm this month for its outstanding achievements, other farms will have to exceed the grain plan to donate to the nation like the model farm," he said. "Then there may be a shortage of grain that should be paid to donju."

So even if the donju did not lend to an "outstanding" farm, they still must scramble before the surrounding farms allocate more to the state and leave them hanging dry, he said.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

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 October 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.

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Iranian Official Says Lagging Oil Revenues Causing Budget Gap

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda October 24, 2023

The head of Iran's Budget and Planning Organization says the government achieved only "around" 70 percent of its projected revenues for the first seven months of the current Persian calendar year, a rare admission of a significant state budget deficit.

Davod Manzor told a press conference on October 24 that the government also failed to meet its target of exporting 1.5 million barrels of oil daily, helping create the budget shortfall.

Addressing the reasons behind the shortfall, he refuted senior government officials' claims that Iran's daily oil exports had surpassed 1.8 million barrels and emphasized that the actual total of oil exports was "less than what was projected in the budget law."

Manzor pointed out that the budget had anticipated oil revenues based on an "overestimated" price of $80 per barrel and daily exports of 1.5 million barrels. However, in reality, the oil price remained "below $80 for most months in question" and due to domestic market demands, especially during the summer, daily oil exports were "less than 1.5 million barrels."

Another significant revenue gap was identified in the "income from the transfer and monetization of assets," which was projected to be one quadrillion rials ($2 billion). However, the actual revenue from this source in the first seven months was less than 100 trillion rials ($200 million), he said

Given these shortfalls, the total revenue realization stands "at just 70 percent," confirming a severe budget deficit for the government in the first seven months of the Persian calendar year, Manzor said.

While the total budget for the current year was set at 20 quadrillion rials ($40 billion), with expected revenues of 12 quadrillion rials ($24 billion) for the first seven months.

Government officials and the Ministry of Oil have not disclosed exact figures for Iran's oil exports. However, Oil Minister Javad Owji has said Iran would set a "new record in oil exports this year."

Iran's economy has been hobbled by Western sanctions over its human rights record and unrest has rattled the country since late last year amid declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

U.S.-Iranian relations have withered under a failure to revive a nuclear deal that President Joe Biden vowed to renew when he ran for president.

Negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers remain deadlocked. In the absence of a deal Tehran has reduced its commitments to allow monitoring and provide further information on its nuclear program.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-budget-deficit- oile-revenues/32652159.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.

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI)

24 October 2023 00:57

2135-24-10-2023

On October 23, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was received in Tehran by President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, and held talks with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the 3+3 Consultative Regional Platform for the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia, and TArkiye).

In a traditionally trustful atmosphere, the parties had a detailed discussion of the relevant issues on the bilateral agenda with a focus on further boosting the entire complex of the multifaceted Russia-Iran partnership in accordance with agreements between the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi. Special emphasis was placed on the implementation of joint projects in energy and logistics, including the launch of the North-South international transport corridor.

The parties praised the high intensity of contacts at the levels of the governments, parliaments, agencies and regions, as well as how contacts between business circles have improved.

The Iranian party expressed its appreciation for Russia's active role in making decisions to grant Iran full membership in the SCO and BRICS. The parties also noted mutual intent to bring contribute constructively to the progressive development of these associations through close interaction in all areas across the board.

The parties noted the need for further coordination between the Russian and Iranian foreign ministries on regional issues, including the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as developments in Afghanistan, Syria, and the Caspian agenda.

When talking about the escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict, the parties noted the need for an immediate ceasefire and the unacceptability of civilian casualties.

They underscored the two states' firm position on rejecting the West's practice to use illegitimate unilateral sanctions designed to undermine the normal functioning of the global economy.

When discussing the situation related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in relation to the Iranian nuclear programme, the parties condemned the steps taken by Western members, which contradict Resolution 2231 of the UN Security Council. They pointed out that the relevant international agreement of 2015 has no alternatives.

Additional steps to improve Russia-Iran ties were agreed upon.

During the second meeting of the 3+3 Consultative Regional Platform, the parties had a detailed and constructive discussion on development prospects for cooperation between the countries in the region. They noted large potential for promoting multifaceted interaction, including in trade, economic, transport, logistics, cultural, and humanitarian areas.

Following the meeting, the Joint Communique of the Member States was adopted (to be published later).

In addition, on the sidelines of the meeting, Sergey Lavrov had short conversations with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, and Foreign Minister of TArkiye Hakan Fidan, during which they discussed relevant issues on the bilateral and regional agenda.

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Secretary Blinken's Call with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

October 24, 2023

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani yesterday. The Secretary welcomed the Government of Iraq's condemnation of the recent attacks and threats to U.S. and Coalition personnel in Iraq. The Secretary urged the Prime Minister to pursue those behind the attacks and fulfill Iraq's commitment to maintain the security at these installations. He also spoke with the Prime Minister regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas. The Secretary and the Prime Minister committed to work together to ensure regional stability. They discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and our continued commitment to coordinating with partners in the region to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs. The Secretary also conveyed his appreciation to the Prime Minister for Iraq's efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Sudani renewed their commitment to continue strengthening the U.S.-Iraq 360-degree partnership and reaffirmed the principles in the bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement.

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Statements by PM Netanyahu, Defense Minister Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Halevi

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

23.10.2023

Following are statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, today, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, at the start of a security assessment. (All statements are translated from Hebrew.)

A

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

A

"I am here at a security assessment with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi. We are working together as an iron fist for one objective - to eliminate Hamas.

A

We back each other and we back the IDF - our soldiers and our commanders.

A

I want the citizens of Israel to know something else: We make the decisions here and in the War Cabinet unanimously. We do so with great responsibility. We do so with deep awareness.

A

We are fighting together and we will win together, only together."

A

Defense Minister Gallant:

A

"In recent days, I have been on visits and inspections around the country. I have met with soldiers in the north, in the Ground Forces, the Navy and the Air Force. I have met reservists and conscripts. All of these soldiers are very determined to carry out their missions. They are undergoing a thorough and lengthy preparation process. They are ready for their missions.

A

I specially note the commanders, from junior officers up to the Chief-of-Staff, who have been doing excellent work during the war and are ready to continue it.

A

I welcome the formation of the War Cabinet. I think it is a blessing for the State of Israel and for the people of Israel. It is a message of unity for all of us here in the country and to our enemies ahead of the difficult stages that await us in the war."

A

IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Halevi:

A

"We are conducting a war. I have seen that the forces in the field are ready and prepared. We discuss complex issues here every evening. The political leadership and the IDF are holding substantive discussions. We see only one one thing - the security of the State of Israel."

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PM Netanyahu Meets with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

23.10.2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis: " We have to unite, all together, against Hamas, which is ISIS."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"Prime Minister, my good friend, Kyriakos, it's very good to see you here.

I always say that the best thing about standing with Israel is standing in Israel in Israel. And you're doing that. I appreciate the solidarity of you, your government, the people of Greece, at this darkest hour.

It's a battle against civilization. It's civilization against barbarism. We're on the side of civilization. We have to unite, all together, against Hamas, which is ISIS."

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis:

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Prime Minister. Dear Bibi, I come here not just as an ally, but as a true friend. What happened was truly horrible and we from the very first moment defended and supported the right of Israel to defend itself in line with international law. And we drew a very clear distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people.

We will continue to be able to support you and to hope that whatever happens, happens without too much of a humanitarian cost. But you can count on our support and our help."

Also attending the meeting were:

From the Israeli side - the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister's Military Secretary and the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser

For the Greek side - the Foreign Minister, the Minister of State, the Diplomatic Adviser and the Greek Ambassador to Israel.

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Readout of President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel

October 23, 2023

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke this afternoon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The President welcomed the release of two additional hostages from Gaza earlier today, and reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas - including Americans - and to provide for safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza. The President also underscored the need to sustain a continuous flow of urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The President updated the Prime Minister on U.S. support for Israel and ongoing efforts at regional deterrence, to include new U.S. military deployments. They agreed to speak again in the coming days.

###

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PM Netanyahu Visits IDF Yahalom Unit

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

24.10.2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the IDF Yahalom Unit (special unit of the Combat Engineering Corps), at the IDF Immanuel Base, and was accompanied by the Head of Ground Forces Command, Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai and IDF Chief Engineering Officer Brig.-Gen. Ido Mizrachi.

At the start of the visit, Prime Minister Netanyahu was briefed by Yahalom Unit commander Col. A on the activity of the unit since the start of the fighting and on its readiness for the future. The Prime Minister was also shown the elite unit's special capabilities, including underground activity and explosives.

The Prime Minister was also shown quantities of munitions that Hamas terrorists brought into the country as part of their campaign of murder, and which were seized by the Yahalom Unit and given over to the National Center for Neutralizing Ammunition which it operates.A

Prime Minister Netanyahu to the soldiers:A

"I want to tell you where we are at the moment. We are striking the enemy with great force. Yesterday, in our attacks in Gaza, we struck the enemy the harshest blow they have taken in a single day. We killed dozens of terrorists, possibly even more. At this very moment, we are clarifying the exact magnitude of the strike. However, we also know that even as we are active in additional sectors in the north, we are hitting whoever tries to attack us, in Judea and Samaria as well.

We stand before the next stage, it is coming. You know it and you are part of it; you are part of the vanguard. I greatly appreciate what you know how to do, your fighting spirit, your readiness to save our country from these animals, and I am certain that you will succeed.

We have only one mission - to smash Hamas. We will not stop until we complete it, with your help. I rely on you; the people of Israel rely on you. I am proud of you and I salute you."

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PM Netanyahu meets with French President Emmanuel Macron

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

24.10.2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to French President Emmanuel Macron: "Hamas barbarism not only threatens the Jews, it threatens the Middle East, it threatens the region, it threatens Europe, it threatens the world. Hamas is the test case of civilization against barbarism."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, met with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"President Macron, Emmanuel, thank you for coming to Israel. Your support, that of your delegation, is highly appreciated.

On October 7th, Hamas waged war on Israel. It was the worst terrorist attack the world has known since 9/11, but for Israel proportionately, it was like twenty 9/11s.

It was the worst act of antisemitic violence since the Holocaust. I described to you some of the horrors. It's impossible to describe all of them. But like Anne Frank, Jewish children hid in attics from these monsters and they were found and butchered. As in Babi Yar, Jews were machine-gunned in killing pits. Hamas butchered. Hamas beheaded. Hamas burned babies alive. Hamas raped. Hamas kidnapped hostagesaover 200: babies, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors.

We are in a war between barbarism and civilization. Chancellor Scholz, who visited Israel, said that Hamas are the new Nazis. And as in the Second World War, when the Allies fully supported the French anti-Nazi Resistance, today the international community is uniting in support of Israel. For Hamas barbarism not only threatens the Jews, it threatens the Middle East, it threatens the region, it threatens Europe, it threatens the world. Hamas is the test case of civilization against barbarism.

Mr. President, you and the French people have known the horror of terrorism. You experienced it in Nice, in Lyon and Paris. You refused to tolerate this threat. And the people of Israel refuse to have ISIS in a terror enclave on its border.

I have to explain. This is not an enclave of ISIS thousands of kilometers away from Europe. It's ISIS in the suburbs of Paris. You can drive 20 minutes and you reach the suburbs of Paris and you have ISIS there.

We cannot live like that. Nobody can live like that. So we are doing everything we need to do to destroy Hamas in Gaza. We will dismantle its terror machine. We will dismantle its political structure. We will make every effort to release our hostages. And we will make every effort to keep Palestinian civilians out of harm's way.

It's important to understand: Hamas is committing a double war crime. It's not only murdering our civilians, targeting our civilians, doing unspeakable war crimes; they're also hiding behind civilians, their own civilians. We asked the people of Gaza to leave, to go to a safe zone in the south where we're enabling humanitarian aid to reach them; Hamas is putting checkpoints with people with guns to prevent Palestinians from leaving the war zone.

Hamas is responsible for civilian casualties, but we will do every effort to avoid them and to fight this war as speedily and as rapidly as we can. But it could be a long war.

When this is over, the people of Israel will rebuild their communities and the people of Gaza will no longer live under Hamas tyranny. But first, there is one condition, one condition for anything that could happen and the good things that could happen once this war is over, and that condition is that Hamas must be destroyed.

I thank you, Emmanuel, for coming here to Israel, for standing with Israel, for standing with us in Israel and expressing your support.

We rely on your continued support as this important battle for our future, our common future, proceeds till victory. Thank you."

French President Macron:

"Mr. Prime Minister, Dear Bibi, thank you for your words, and I want to thank you for the discussion we had together in tAte-A -tAte and with our delegation. I'm here to express our support, our solidarity, and our support for today, tomorrow, in all different fields of this battle against terrorism.

If you allow me I will say a few words in French.

[French]

I want to thank you Mr. Prime Minister, not just for your time, but because I'm lucid about the fact that this fight against terrorism is obviously matter of existence for Israel. But it's matter of existence for all of us. This is why we discussed together, and I just reminded this issue. But I consider that this is an international coalition in order to fight against this terrorist group that we have to build.

I just reminded my people in my language what we discussed. About fight against terrorism, humanitarian action, rules to be respected, but as well, political process. And obviously I warned against any escalation, and I warned Hezbollah and other regimes not to be part of what's happening.

We had a very precise discussion and I want to thank you for that. Now we will follow up this discussion in the coming hours in order to see what we can improve in the coming days, but I'm sure in the coming weeks and months.

I know how committed you are. Let me express again my solidarity, my friendship, and the fact that France stands with you in this awful terrorist acts you had to experience. We are with your people."

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"Thank you, Emmanuel.A

Since you mentioned the regional aspects, let me say a word about that. There is a battle here between the Axis of Evil, led by Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, their minions who are fighting to bring back the Middle East [sic], the world to the early Middle Ages, with that kind of barbarism, with bondage, with slaughter, with murder. And there is the axis of the Free World and the moderates who want to bring the world to the progress and prosperity of the 21st century. This is the battle. It's engaged now.

The test for the West and for civilization is Hamas. If Hamas emerges victorious, we will all lose. Europe will be in danger. Everyone will be in danger. Civilization will be in danger. If Hamas loses and is defeated, then the forces of civilization win.

That is why this battle is not merely our own. It's Europe's battle. It's America's battle it's civilization's battle. It's the battle for the heart and soul and the future of the Middle East and the Arab world. I think many understand that, but there's no going around the fact that we must have a decisive victory against Hamas.A

If Hezbollah makes the mistake of joining this war in a significant way, it will regret it. They will long for the Second Lebanon War, which they regretted. Because they're embedding themselves, like Hamas, in the civilian population in Lebanon, we will have to take action against them. And the devastation against Hezbollah will be unimaginable.A

So I hope they heed your warning, our warning, the warning of the United States not to do so. But if they will, they'll suffer horrible consequences. We have to join together and win. The forces of civilization, progress, have to win. That goes through the defeat of Hamas.A

I thank you, Emmanuel, for everything you said. Thank you for coming here and standing with us."

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PM Netanyahu Currently Meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

24.10.2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently holding a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem.

The leaders will also hold an expanded meeting with delegations from both sides. Participating for the Israeli side will be - inter alia - the Strategic Affairs Minister, MK Boaz Bismouth, the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister's Military Secretary and the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser. Participating for the French side will be the French Ambassador to Israel, the head of the President's Military Staff, the Diplomatic Adviser and the Resident's Adviser on Middle Eastern Affairs.

The leaders will issue statements - that will be broadcast live - following the expanded meeting.

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At least 56 women killed in junta attacks in three months

They died by artillery and air strikes, shootings, burnings, and beatings, a report says.

By RFA Burmese 2023.10.23 -- Junta troops killed at least 56 women in Myanmar during the three months ending September, according to the Burma Women's Union, or BWU, amid a scorched earth offensive that has left the country's most vulnerable victims of the military's worst atrocities.

Of those killed between July 1 and Sept. 28, 30 died by artillery strikes, six by air strikes, 13 were shot dead, one died in custody, three were burned alive, one was raped and killed, and two were beaten to death, the BWU said in a report, citing information compiled by Thailand's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

BWU Joint General Secretary Wai Wai told RFA Burmese that her organization is working to ensure that the junta is held accountable for these and other killings carried out in the aftermath of its Feb. 1, 2021 coup d'etat.

"For the women who died because of these inhuman acts committed by the terrorist army, the Burma Women's Union will cooperate with all relevant organizations that are trying to bring justice to the victims, those who lost their family members and survivors," she said.

Wai Wai said the death toll in the BWU's report may be incomplete and could be much higher.

In one incident, in Sagaing region's Wetlet township, on Aug. 27, junta troops raided Kyee Kan (North) village and killed four civilians, including a 20-year-old woman named Shwe Mann Thu, residents said.

The young woman was arrested and killed after being sexually assaulted, said a person close to her family who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

"When her body was found, she was naked, and a a container was inserted into her vagina," the person said. "We saw signs of rape ... and her throat was slashed."

In another incident, on Aug. 3, a 43-year-old woman displaced by fighting in Kayah state's Demoso township stepped on a military landmine and bled to death, according to Banyar, the director of the Karenni National Human Rights Group.

"The junta troops have planted many mines here," he said. "Most people don't die if they step on a mines but are wounded or lose their legs a [others] bleed to death."

Banyar said that no one should have to fear stepping on a landmine in a civilian area where no members of the armed resistance are present.

Most vulnerable at risk

Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, the minister of women, youths and children's affairs for Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, told RFA that women and children have been subjected to the worst violence by junta troops since the coup.

"Currently, more than 2 million people have fled their homes due to the junta's crackdown and more than half of them are women and children," she said. "These incidents are because of the junta, which is targeting the people as if they were enemies and then committing crimes."

She vowed that the junta's crimes against women and children will be thoroughly documented and sent for review to international bodies of justice.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comments regarding the claims by the BWU went unanswered Monday, however, junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has said that his soldiers "do not harm civilians."

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, over 600 women are among the more than 4,000 people killed by the junta troops since the coup.

Hundreds of civilians killed

The BWU's investigation into the junta's killing of women came as another watchdog, the Pyinsama Mandai Civil Surveillance Group, or PMCSG, said that at least 473 civilians were killed in violence in the regions of Sagaing, Magway, and Yangon, and Chin state, alone in the four months ending in August.

Among those killed were 435 men and 38 women, as well as 29 boys and two girls under the age of 18, the group said in a report released Monday.

At least 11 massacres - defined as the killing of 10 or more civilians at once - took place between May and the end of August, PMCSG said. Six occurred in Sagaing and five in Chin state, it said.

When compiling records of human rights violations and crimes in the four regions and state, PMCSG said that 405 attacks were committed by the junta, 80 by anti-junta People's Defense Force paramilitary groups, and 44 by unidentified armed groups.

Of the 405 attacks by the junta, 344 targeted civilians and 61 targeted armed groups, it said. At least 205 incidents were classified as war crimes, 112 as human rights violations, and 27 as regular crimes.

PMCSG said it had compiled data for its report based on "information on the ground," as well as from trusted news outlets, and interviews with families of the victims.

Junta representatives were unavailable for comment on the PMCSG's findings.

Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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Pilot opposition suggests no meaningful census for Myanmar poll

A pilot program was ignored by the public and attacked by the armed resistance.

By RFA Burmese 2023.10.24 -- Public opposition to a pilot census program conducted by Myanmar's junta this month has been so strong that the likelihood of a meaningful survey ahead of planned elections is extremely slim, according to experts.

The junta hopes to carry out a survey to get an accurate headcount in the lead up to polls it wants to legitimize its grip on power following the military's Feb. 1, 2021, coup d'etat, but critics say any vote would be neither free nor fair.

Earlier this month, pro-junta media reported that a pilot census was being conducted from Oct. 1-15 in 20 townships in Naypitaw and 14 regions and states around the country.

But members of the public told RFA Burmese that they have other, more pressing concerns on their minds, while the anti-junta People's Defense Force, or PDF, paramilitary group has vowed to do whatever it takes to stop it.

"People aren't interested [in the census], because it is being done by the junta," said Tun Myint who, like others interviewed for this report, used a pseudonym due to security concerns. "People are struggling to earn a living, so they are interested in neither elections nor a census."

The resident of Yangon region's Dagon Myohit township said junta authorities had been going door to door during the pilot program, taking the names of the heads of households and questioning occupants about whether or not they live there.

"Regardless, the people are not cooperating," he said.

Prior censuses have been conducted by respective ward administrators, sources said, but this time, only a handful of staff from the census bureau have been interviewing residents, along with junta soldiers in plain clothing.

San Oo, of Mandalay's Pyi Gyi Tagon township said that while his area was on the list for this year's pilot census, he hasn't seen anyone conducting it there.

"In 2022, they already carried out a headcount, but now they are saying they will do it again," he said. "[Last year] the heads of wards timidly went from house to house to take the lists [because they knew no one wanted to take part] a This year, there has been no household survey yet [because of the strong opposition]."

PDF attack on pollers

While the public is rejecting the newest census effort, the PDF has said it will take action to prevent it.

On Oct. 6, PDF forces attacked a group that traveled to Monywa city's Tha Pyay Taw village to conduct a survey as part of the pilot project. The attack left one police officer dead and another one wounded, residents told RFA.

Attempts by RFA to contact Myint Kyaing, the junta's minister of immigration and population, for comment on the pilot census and the public reaction went unanswered Tuesday.

But Thein Tun Oo, the executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, which is made up of former military officers, told RFA that it is a "normal process" for the junta to conduct the pilot census, as accurate population data is needed to hold elections.

"There is a normal process that the census will be taken once a year and [authorities will] ensure it is accurate if an election is to be held," he said. "People are only criticizing it because the process and the election are nearly overlapping."

Thein Tun Oo dismissed the attack on the pilot census group in Monywa and the PDF's vow to disrupt any would-be headcount as the actions of "those who do not want stability for the country."

'We will block it'

It's not clear when the junta plans to hold elections, if at all.

The military regime originally planned a poll for this year, but last month, junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told his cabinet that it wouldn't take place until after a national census in October 2024, which implies that an actual vote wouldn't happen until 2025 at the earliest.

Bo Galone, a PDF official in Sagaing region's Yinmarbin township, said there will be no census if his group has anything to say about it.

"We will block it using all possible means," he said. "They recently conducted the population survey for the first time in [Sagaing's] Pale township. We launched an attack while they were carrying it out. Since then, they have not taken any more surveys."

Myanmar's military carried out its first coup in 1962 and an election was finally held in 1990 - the results of which the then-junta dismissed. The results of the country's 2015 election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a supermajority of seats in parliament, were the first to be generally accepted.

Min Aung Hlaing has said that he will hand over control of the country to whichever party wins in the polls.

Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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Myanmar junta gives 6 men life sentences under martial law

A military tribunal found them guilty of terrorist acts.

By RFA Burmese 2023.10.24 -- Myanmar's junta gave life sentences to six men, lawyers told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.

In a five-day military trial ending Monday, a tribunal sentenced the men for alleged acts of terrorism.

The punishment is especially harsh because they were sentenced in an area under martial law, one lawyer said.

"If they can hire a lawyer for cases like these in civil courts, the maximum prison sentence is just 10 years," he told RFA.

The Northwestern Military Command tribunal found them guilty of supporting their local People's Defense Force and related activities prohibited under the country's notorious counter-terrorism laws.

The trial started on Thursday in Sagaing region in northwest Myanmar, where those accused include people from four townships.

Pale township's Zayar Myo and Than Zaw Linn, Shwebo township's Min Khant Kyaw, Banmauk township's Than Naing Oo and Indaw township's Hein Min Thu and Zaw Myint Tun all live in areas under harsh military law.

Heavy punishments have often been imposed by the military just on suspicion after martial law was declared in Sagaing region, an official of the Yinmabin township's People's Defense Force said.

"If anyone is even suspected of supporting the revolution without participating, severe punishments are handed down. They [the junta] are above the law," he said.

Given the large presence of anti-junta groups in the area, some resistance soldiers say the military has begun arresting people without any due cause.

In early September, seven people in Sagaing region were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including life in prison. One People's Defence Force officer said the accused had no connection to any local resistance group.

In the seven months following the implementation of martial law, the Myanmar military arrested and imprisoned 30 Ayadaw township residents and sentenced 10 Indaw residents to death and life in prison.

Calls to Sagaing region's junta spokesperson Sai Naing Naing Kyaw seeking comment on the sentences went unanswered.

Fourteen townships in Sagaing region, including Pale, Shwebo, Banmauk and Indaw have been under martial law since February 2023, shortly after the military extended its emergency rule nationwide.

Since then, military courts have sentenced 285 civilians to prison terms, according to pro-junta broadcast groups on the messaging app Telegram.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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Court Extends Bail For Former Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif

October 24, 2023

A Pakistani court on October 24 extended protection from arrest to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in graft cases following his return to Islamabad after four years of self-imposed exile in London.

Sharif appeared at the Islamabad High Court and before the anti-graft tribunal to appeal his convictions in three corruption cases in a bid to clear his name prior to parliamentary elections due in January.

The high court, where Sharif is appealing two convictions, extended his bail until October 26, said Sharif's lawyer, Azam Nazeer Tarar.

A lawyer for the National Accountability Agency (NAB) told the court that NAB had no objection to Sharif's bail extension.

Sharif, 73, appeared earlier before the accountability court, which also approved his bail and postponed the hearing in a separate case before that tribunal to November 20.

Another lawyer for Sharif, Amjad Parvez, filed petitions on October 23 requesting that the appeals against his sentences in the cases be reinstated.

The court previously rejected Sharif's appeals because he was not in Pakistan.

Sharif returned to Pakistan on October 21 to lead the election campaign for his Pakistan Muslim League party ahead of the January elections. He has promised to work toward an economic recovery in Pakistan, which is grappling with a severe economic crisis that has seen living standards plunge rapidly.

Sharif's return from London came four years after he left to seek medical treatment in the United Kingdom. He had been granted permission to travel to London on condition that he return and complete his prison term. He defied that agreement and was declared a fugitive.

Sharif stepped down as prime minister in 2017 after being convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison for graft. Upon his conviction Sharif was banned for life from running in elections and remains ineligible to run for parliament. But the government led by his brother, Shebhaz Sharif, who was prime minister from April 2022 until August 2023, amended the legislation, limiting the disqualification period to five years.

Sharif's convictions came after his successor, Prime Minister Imran Khan, vowed to tackle endemic graft.

Khan is now imprisoned on corruption charges and serving a three-year sentence. Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 but is still Pakistan's leading opposition figure.

The Pakistan Muslim League and Khan's PTI are seen as the main competitors in the upcoming elections.

Legal scholar and Balochistan High Court lawyer Humayun Kasi told RFE/RL that, in his opinion, Sharif has been given full confidence to return. Sharif also knows that the establishment needs him now, he said, adding that Arab countries also like Sharif.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-sharif- ex-pm-bail-extended-elections-exile/32652346.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.

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S Korea detains boat carrying suspected N Korean escapees

The news comes amid Seoul witnessing an increase in the number of North Koreans crossing the border.

By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA 2023.10.24 -- South Korean authorities said Tuesday it detained a North Korean boat carrying four people believed to be seeking to defect, to assess the legitimacy of their intentions.

The small, wooden vessel was stopped off South Korea's eastern city of Sokcho after being spotted near the inter-Korean maritime border early on Tuesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

"In collaboration with the Korean Coast Guard, the vessel was taken under custody off the eastern coast of Sokcho," it said, adding that the South Korean military, using coastal surveillance tools such as radar and Thermal Observation Device (TOD), had been monitoring the ship.

The military statement did not disclose how many people were on board, but the Korean Coast Guard said four North Koreans were on the vessel.

An official from South Korea's Unification Ministry told reporters in Seoul that relevant authorities are currently investigating the matter but refused to elaborate further.

A South Korean government official, who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, however, told Radio Free Asia that they had expressed their intent to defect.

South Korea usually prepares a pan-governmental team, comprising investigators from its military, police, intelligence agency, and unification ministry, for an investigation. The primary objective of these investigations are to confirm the identities of the escapees, and assess the genuineness of their intent to defect.

The Unification Ministry's measured stance Tuesday on confirming the escapees' defection intent stems from the necessity to adhere to the official joint investigation procedure. While infrequent, instances have arisen where individuals reverse their decision during the probe and indicate a wish to go back to the North.

Should their intention to defect be verified as genuine, it would mark the second known instance of North Koreans crossing the maritime border seeking defection in recent times, following an incident in May where two families of nine individuals crossed the western NLL on a fishing boat.

South Korea, during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, sent back two North Korean fishermen in 2019 who were believed to have killed 16 crew members on their ship while traversing the sea border.

The latest news comes amid Seoul witnessing an increase in the number of North Korean escapees, crossing the border. According to data compiled by the Unification Ministry, the number of North Korean escapees entering the South has reached a total of 139 by the third quarter of this year, 40 more individuals from the second quarter.

The ministry official told reporters it remains uncertain whether the number will continue to grow in the future. But China's repatriation of North Korean escapees shortly after the Hangzhou Asian Games indicates that those who want to escape from the country may choose to directly cross the inter-Korean border with the South.

Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that Chinese authorities had forcibly returned over 500 North Koreans to the reclusive nation. Most of these North Koreans were civilians and religious figures who were arrested while attempting to travel to South Korea from China, RFA has learned.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content October 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.

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Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov

The discussion focused on industrial sector's performance in the first six months of the year.

October 24, 2023

13:05

The Kremlin, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Manturov, when discussing the industrial sector's performance in the first six months of the year, we saw that industrial production grew by an impressive 6.2 percent. How is it going now?

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov: We are seeing an ongoing positive trend. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade forecast, the processing sector will show a 7-percent growth by the end of the year. So far, as you said, the growth is 6.2 percent.

As for automotive industry and wood processing, when we spoke about them at the beginning of the year, these sectors did not show positive results. But since then, they have recovered and are showing growth. What is very important is that the accumulated loans set a record in terms of funds raised by our enterprises, which is 15 trillion rubles. It includes both operating activity and development and is 35 percent more than in the previous period.

The second important factor is the business activity index; as of the end of September, it was over 54 points. It means that enterprises' orders are growing. It is a record number since 2017, and it means that enterprises are interested in developing, implementing investment projects and increasing the workload.

But in order to meet all the needs of the processing sectors, we have restored the competences of the machine-tool industry. The Government has recently adopted an updated federal project on the development of the production of manufacturing equipment, that is, the machine-tool sector.

Over the past eight years, we have provided for the consolidation of enterprises and assets that were in a difficult financial situation. In the 1990s and the 2000s, unfortunately, there was no demand for the products of the machine-tool sector as foreign products were purchased. But since then, we have created new models and a new range of products that is now in great demand. In the previous period, the growth in the sector was from 7 to 15 percent, and in the current period of this year, it has already hit 58 percent.

Vladimir Putin: So, you are organising this work with the help of five ministries?

Denis Manturov: In total, yes.

Vladimir Putin: Including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, I mean in terms of personnel training.

Denis Manturov: Everyone is involved in this, and this is a very important aspect. In order to progress in development, we must train personnel using today's technology and meeting the requirements that both customers and manufacturers make today.

Speaking about the future, the main emphasis in the updated federal project is not only made on traditional metalworking and metal-cutting machines; the main focus is on modern equipment for additive technology and robotics.

Mr President, special words of gratitude to you: you have issued instructions to state-owned enterprises and companies with state participation to increase the share of robotic products. This is exactly what makes an enterprise advanced today and increases labour productivity, which is what you regularly set tasks in for our industrial enterprises. Robotics, of course, will be aimed at this.

We have formed a budget: 300 billion rubles until 2030 is an unprecedented volume for this industry; 138 billion rubles are already allocated in the budget for the three-year period, and the total volume of the federal project is more than 500 billion rubles with regional and extra-budgetary investments.

The scale of the task can be compared with the pharmaceutical project that you personally supervised and worked on. It began in 2010 as a strategy, then a federal targeted programme and a state programme emerged. Our pharmaceutical industry today is enjoying a strong, confident position, has proven this during the pandemic and continues to grow steadily. We will continue to grow, considering that the market is constantly growing.

We should also compare this target task with radio electronics, for which clear guidelines were given. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin personally oversees this area. There, too, all funds have been provided for the period of implementation of the entire state programme.

Considering the sectors that have been designated, this is all aimed at ensuring technological sovereignty of our country and providing sectors of the economy and industry with cutting edge products.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

<a>

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Navalny Says He's Again Been Placed In Punitive Confinement, Deprived of Writing Materials

By Current Time October 24, 2023

Jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has been placed in punitive solitary confinement, a day after his allies said he was stripped of writing materials -- his only means of communicating with the outside world.

A post on Navalny's account on X, formerly Twitter, said the Kremlin critic will spend 12 days in solitary after a prison warrant officer wrote him up for an unclear violation.

"I'm back in the punishment cell. 12 days. The basis is the report of the prison warrant officer, in which he very mysteriously, with ellipses, wrote: "When taking the convict Navalny out of his cell to get a mattress, he humiliated my dignity, saying that I...t, o...l, and h...t," Navalny's post said.

Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said in posts on social media that this was the 21st time he has been put in solitary confinement since he was sent to the IK-6 prison, 250 kilometers east of Moscow, in August 2022.

Yarmysh added that once the current 12-day punishment was served, he "will have spent 236 days" in such a cell in total.

Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics, had his sentence increased to 19 years earlier this year and will soon be moved to a "special regime" prison, the harshest type in Russia.

Three of his lawyers were arrested this month, with his team warning that Russian authorities want to further restrict his contacts outside prison. Another of his lawyers fled Russia earlier this month.

Navalny's allies said on October 23 that he missed a court hearing, which was taking place inside the maximum-security prison where he is held, to protest a decision of the prison administration to deprive him of writing materials.

"Aleksei Navalny was deprived of his writing tools. Now has no ability to write letters. Therefore, he declined to come out from his cell for the trial," Yarmysh said on social media on October 23.

Writing letters and visits from lawyers are Navalny's only way to communicate with the world.

"Nobody is allowed to see me. I am completely isolated from information," Navalny said during a court hearing in prison last week, calling the arrests of his lawyers "illegal."

Navalny has been in and out of solitary confinement in recent months, and his allies say his health has deteriorated.

In August, judges of the Moscow City Court found Navalny guilty of creating an extremist organization and more than doubled his prison term to 19 years, ruling that one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's sharpest critics must be transferred to a harsher "special regime" facility, rather than the maximum-security prison where he currently is held.

Navalny's imminent move to the harsher prison will even further limit his contact with lawyers.

The charges against Navalny are widely seen as retribution for his efforts to expose what he describes as the pervasive lawlessness, corruption, and repression by Putin and his political system.

Navalny was Russia's loudest opposition voice and galvanized huge anti-government rallies before he was jailed.

His previous sentence was handed down in 2021 after he arrived in Moscow from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning attack he blamed on the Kremlin.

Before the most recent conviction, he was serving a combined 11 1/2 years for embezzlement and violating the terms of his parole while he was in Germany being treated for the poisoning.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny-solitary- writing-deprived/32651986.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.

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Joint Communique of the Second Meeting of the 3+3 Regional Platform

24 October 2023 16:08

2138-24-10-2023

Upon the invitation of H.E. Mr. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and in presence of H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and H.E. Mr. Hakan Fidan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of TArkiye, the Second Meeting of the 3+3 Regional Platform was held on 23 October 2023 in Tehran.

The Ministers:

1. Taking into account the importance of developing friendly relations between countries based on mutual interests and good neighborliness, they emphasized in this regard the importance of peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders, non-interference in internal affairs, prohibition on the threat or use of force and respect for human rights based on all the principles of the United Nations Charter.

2. While expressing their views on various international issues, they discussed the most significant issues in the region and emphasized the importance of platforms like the Consultative Regional Platform "3+3" in providing opportunities for constructive dialogue and establishing mutually beneficial cooperation between the countries of the region that have the primary role in this regard.

3. Highlighted the positive impact of the economic cooperation on strengthening mutual trust, the well-being of nations and the stability of the region.

4. Emphasizing the importance of cultural cooperation, people-to-people contacts and joint projects in the field of education, science, tourism, culture and sports.

5. In order to enhance lasting peace and economic development of the region, they will strengthen bilateral and multilateral consultation and interaction.

6. Welcoming the ongoing processes of normalization and development of relations between all the countries of the region.

7. While positively evaluating the results of this meeting, they reaffirmed the openness of this Platform for equal participation of Georgia.

8. The Ministers also exchanged views on the situation in Gaza. They emphasized the need for immediate termination of targeting innocent civilians.

9. The Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of TArkiye and the Russian Federation thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the good reception and successful holding of this meeting.

With an assessment of the regular meetings of the 3+3 Regional Platform in expanding and strengthening the environment of trust and cooperation in the region, they agreed that the next meeting will be held in TArkiye on a date that will be coordinated through diplomatic channels.



October 23, 2023 - Tehran

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Readout of President Joe Biden's Call with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

October 24, 2023

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spoke today with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohamed bin Salman about the situation in the Middle East region. The President affirmed that the United States fully supports the defense of U.S. partners facing terrorist threats, whether from state or non-state actors. He discussed ongoing diplomatic and military efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding. They welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that much more is needed for civilians to have sustained access to food, water, and medical assistance. The President welcomed the Gulf Cooperation Council's contribution of $100 million to support these humanitarian efforts, and discussed the disbursement of $100 million from the United States to support the response. Both leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and called for their immediate release. They also affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months. They agreed to remain in close coordination directly and through their teams over the coming period.

###

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Telephone conversation with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

October 24, 2023

18:10

During the telephone conversation Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to discuss the acute crisis in the Middle East. Deep concern was expressed over the growing number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and it was underscored that striking residential areas, religious and social facilities was unacceptable.

The presidents reviewed the active efforts undertaken by Russia at the UN Security Council, as well as the corresponding political and diplomatic steps taken by Turkiye to stop the bloodshed and ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

It was emphasised that Russia and Turkiye have practically overlapping positions, focused on implementing the well-known two-state solution, which provides for the creation of an independent Palestine coexisting with Israel in peace and security.

In addition, issues related to the accelerating pace of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in various fields were touched upon.

Vladimir Putin congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the upcoming centenary of the Republic of Turkiye and wished all its citizens well-being and prosperity.

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United Kingdom - Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM)

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 22-68

WASHINGTON, October 23, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Kingdom of Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) for an estimated cost of $957.4 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.



The Government of the United Kingdom has requested to buy three thousand (3,000) Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), AGM-179A. Also included are dummy missiles; technical assistance; publications; integration support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $957.4 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.

The proposed sale will improve the United Kingdom's capability to meet current and future threats. The United Kingdom will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats. The United Kingdom will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Orlando, FL. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the United Kingdom.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

-30-



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Ukraine's Zelenskiy Says 'Illusion' Of Russia's Black Sea Dominance 'Melting'

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service October 24, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged to keep pressure on Russian-occupied Crimea after another attempt to attack Moscow's Black Sea Fleet installation in the city of Sevastopol overnight.

Zelenskiy, speaking on October 24 via video link to a forum in Prague, did not address the attack in the early hours of the day, which Russian-installed officials said was repelled, but he stressed that the "illusion" of Russia's domination of Crimea and the Black Sea had been shattered.

"We have not yet gained full fire control over Crimea and surrounding waters, but we will.... Now the illusions are melting," Zelenskiy told a meeting of the Crimea Platform. "This is a question of time."

A powerful explosion was reported in Sevastopol after 10:00 p.m. local time. The blast shook the windows, but no alarm was declared, according to an RFE/RL correspondent.

Speaking later on October 24 in a video released on X, formerly Twitter, Zelenskiy assessed the final declaration of the meeting in Prague as "powerful," saying it supports Ukraine and its territorial integrity and sovereignty and the need to liberate all its land. He also noted that the meeting drew almost 70 delegations from countries of the world.

The purpose of the Crimea Platform, a diplomatic initiative Zelenskiy launched in 2021, is to maintain the international community's attention on Crimea, protect human rights there, and promote the de-occupation of the peninsula. Zelenskiy launched the diplomatic initiative in 2021, seven years after Moscow illegally annexed Crimea.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol on the peninsula that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, said in a post on Telegram earlier on October 24 that Ukraine launched an "underwater sabotage" attack, engaging with Russian forces who were responding to the situation.

"Loud sounds -- from an external raid -- the Black Sea Fleet is battling a probable attack by underwater diversionary forces," he wrote.

Russia's Defense Ministry added that "anti-sabotage missiles and bombs hit the area where the unmanned [Ukrainian] boats were detected.

Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the reports, which could not be independently verified. It was not clear whether there were any casualties.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the Black Sea peninsula has increasingly seen attacks targeting Russian military supply lines and the Black Sea Fleet.

Ukraine's Air Force Command said it shot down all six Shahed drones detected in a Russian attack in the Khmelnytskiy, Vinnytsya and Mykolayiv regions.

Kyiv has also been fighting to reclaim four southern regions in the area that Russia has occupied since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Zelenskiy spoke virtually later on October 24 to the Ukraine-Germany business forum as he continues to work to ensure support for Ukraine doesn't wane as the war enters its 21st month.

Zelenskiy said representatives of Ukraine's defense, energy, and infrastructure industries were present at the forum and said there were "good agreements and joint projects" under consideration. He expressed gratitude to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and all of German society for their support.

"Our level of relations and trust...is indeed the highest in all the years of our independence," he said in the video released on X.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- sevastopol-attack-fleet/32651340.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.

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Statement by Russian Defence Ministry

24.10.2023

On 24 October 2023, Russian airspace control systems detected two aerial targets approaching the State border of the Russian Federation over the Baltic Sea waters.

One Su-27 fighter jet from air defence duty force was scrambled to identify the air target and prevent a violation of the State border of the Russian Federation.

The Russian fighter jet identified the air targets as two B-1B strategic bombers of U.S. Air Force.

As the Russian fighter jet approached, foreign strategic bombers made a U-turn away from the State border of the Russian Federation.

The Russian aircraft returned safely to the home airfield. There was no violation of the State border.

The flight of the Russian fighter jet was carried out in strict compliance with international rules on the use of airspace over international waters with adherence to safety measures.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Chief Advisor to the President of Brazil as part of ongoing dialogue

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 19:48

As part of an ongoing dialogue and in continuation of the meeting between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of Brazil Lula da Silva in New York, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak had a telephone conversation with Chief Advisor to the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil Celso Amorim.

Andriy Yermak informed his interlocutor about the situation on the front lines.

The parties also discussed the situation in the Middle East.

In addition, the Head of the President's Office informed Celso Amorim about the preparations for the third meeting of national security advisors in Malta regarding the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

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We are using all means to ensure that this war ends with the defeat of the occupiers - address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 19:30

I wish you good health, dear Ukrainians!

Today is a busy day with a lot of international work. The next summit of the Crimea Platform, its parliamentary dimension, has taken place. The first such summit was held last year in Croatia, and now the second one is in the Czech Republic. I am grateful to our Czech partners for their help in organizing the summit.

The powerful summit declaration is about supporting Ukraine, our territorial integrity and sovereignty, the need to liberate all our land from the occupier, and all our people from Russian captivity. Support of our Peace Formula. A clear voice in support of increased pressure on Russia and the exact assistance that Ukraine needs to win this war.

I'm thankful to Ruslan Stefanchuk and the entire team of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the involved public institutions for brilliantly holding the summit.

This time, almost 70 parliamentary delegations from different countries around the world. High-quality statements. The unwavering attention of the democratic world to Ukraine, our defense.

I addressed the summit participants and outlined our tactics regarding the Black Sea region and Crimea. Despite many doubts from various international actors, Ukraine has shown that it can prevail, despite all the challenges, especially in the Black Sea region.

This is indeed a historic achievement when the Russian fleet retreats not only from the western part of the sea but even from Crimea. However, this will make no sense to the occupiers.

And I want to say separately to all our people in Crimea, in Sevastopol, in all the occupied areas of the South and East of our state, in the currently occupied areas. Dear Ukrainians! All of you feel that the Russian presence on our land is not permanent. I know this.

Ukraine will reclaim its territory and its people. We will not leave anyone to the occupiers. We are using every means to ensure that this war ends with the defeat of the occupiers.

Today, I also participated in the meeting of the College of EU Commissioners, a significant EU institution led by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Step by step, we are moving towards a historic milestone in our relationship with Europe - we are working to open negotiations for Ukraine's EU membership already this year.

There are significant legislative innovations and necessary steps in building institutions.

In addition to the obvious historical importance for us as a state, the start of negotiations with the EU on membership will also have a substantial practical effect here and now, for all our people and our warriors. Motivation is also a weapon, and it needs to be recharged. We expect this powerful boost for Ukrainian motivation - the readiness on the part of the EU to begin negotiations with Ukraine, the corresponding political decision. I thank all the partners who are working with us to bring this closer.

A few more things.

Today, another Ukrainian-German business forum has started in Germany. The key is that our defense industry, energy, and infrastructure are presented at the forum.

There are good agreements and joint projects. I am grateful to Chancellor Olaf Scholz personally, his government team, and all of German society. Our level of relations and trust between Ukraine and Germany is indeed the highest in all the years of our independence.

We are preparing another significant international meeting regarding the Ukrainian Peace Formula at the level of advisors and special representatives.

It has been almost a year since the points of the Peace Formula were presented. Much has been accomplished in this year, and our Peace Formula is gradually becoming global. Currently, the Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are working on expanding the circle of participants in the meeting, and we already understand that representatives from all continents will be present.

I want to thank everyone in the world who is helping Ukraine get closer to a just peace! Today, I want to specifically acknowledge Denmark. I met with the Danish Minister of Defence. We discussed our further cooperation - the preparation of a new defense support package. Every day, every week, we use to make our country stronger.

Glory to Ukrainian warriors! Glory to our entire nation!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Minister of Defence of Denmark

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 18:29

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Denmark Troels Lund Poulsen, who is visiting our country.

The Head of State expressed gratitude to the government of Denmark led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as well as to the entire Danish society, for their strong support from the very beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression and for the warm reception of Ukrainians.

"We highly appreciate this. Of course, our priority during this war is military support. Therefore, I want to thank you first of all for the 12 packages of assistance that strengthen our army on the battlefield," he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also separately praised Denmark's exemplary patronage over the restoration of the city of Mykolaiv and the crucial support from official Copenhagen on Ukraine's path to the European Union.

"We are working on completing all seven recommendations of the European Commission. And we will be very glad if we can start accession negotiations with the EU by the end of this year," the President said.

The meeting primarily focused on strengthening Ukrainian airspace with modern fighters and new air defense systems. Cooperation within the aviation coalition and the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft, which Denmark and other partners are preparing to transfer to Ukraine, were discussed as well.

Separately, the adoption of a Joint Declaration of support for Ukraine by the G7 at the NATO Summit in Vilnius was noted, and readiness to initiate negotiations between our country and the countries of Northern Europe regarding the acquisition of relevant security guarantees was expressed.

At the end of the meeting, the President of Ukraine awarded the Minister of Defense of Denmark the Order of Merit, I Class, and State Secretary for Security Policy and Operations of the Ministry of Defene of the Kingdom of Denmark Kasper Hy-Jensen, the Order of Merit, III Class. Danish officials were honored for their significant personal contributions to strengthening interstate cooperation and supporting Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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A crystal-clear signal is needed for Russia - Germany, by working with Ukraine, believes in peace - speech of the Head of State at the 6th German-Ukrainian Economic Forum "Recovery, Smart Growth and Security"

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 14:21

Dear Olaf, Mr. Chancellor!

Dear Denys, Mr. Prime Minister!

Dear representatives of governments, representatives of businesses from our countries!

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am grateful for another display of Ukrainian-German unity.

During this war, Ukrainian courage has become a global brand. Most people in the world know Ukraine precisely because of it - our bravery. Similarly, German reliability is a global brand. Germany is known and appreciated for it. I have, by the way, been convinced of this multiple times - you are indeed a reliable state and a reliable partner. I am thankful for your strong support for Ukraine, for our people. I am thankful to the entire German nation, and I am thankful to you personally, Olaf. Thank you for the assistance that Ukrainians have received for their defense. Reliable assistance!

Now, by working together, we can combine the best qualities of our nations and jointly - Ukraine and Germany - offer a chance for our Europe to grow. More security. More development. More job opportunities. More possibilities for ordinary families who work to lead a decent life. And more strength for our continent.

I am confident that Ukraine's potential is well known to all of you. Specific projects and programs in various sectors will be presented by the Ukrainian government team and the top managers of Ukrainian companies participating in the forum. I would like to draw your attention, first and foremost, to the defense sector in Ukraine - our production of weapons, equipment, and ammunition, which we are boosting. This is our number one production priority, and some German companies have already started substantial cooperation with us in this field. We invite all others to join. Ukrainian energy, our infrastructure, agriculture, and reconstruction deserve no less attention - areas that currently, during the war, especially require international cooperation. And these areas will yield special returns for every company that starts working both in and with Ukraine, right now while others are only analyzing the prospects.

I want to make a few security points today.

The first one is about air defense. We are building special relations with the most powerful countries in the world to provide our cities with a reliable air shield against Russian terror.

Among these countries, of course, is Germany.

Additionally, we are working on agreements with partners for joint production of air defense systems. This is a strategic task, and I have no doubt that we can accomplish it. However, it takes time. Therefore, during this winter and the next year, we need our partners to continue supporting our air shield. I am grateful, especially to Germany, for understanding this need.

Economic development in the conditions of the neighborhood that Ukraine has is a direct reflection of how well we can protect our skies. This is also a significant argument for our people who are currently in European countries seeking refuge. They will return home when the threat of Russian terror diminishes.

The second point is about war risk insurance.

We are appealing to the governments of partner countries, including the government of Germany, to collaborate with businesses from our countries and establish a reliable mechanism for insuring against war risks. It's evident that such risks deter investments and that having a protection system against them will be a significant step in deterring Russian aggression. The Kremlin still hopes for world weariness with support for Ukraine. Politically, we ensure that such weariness won't happen, no matter how hard Russia tries to provoke it. Economically, our cooperation with you can help achieve this.

The third point is reevaluating our region and, to a large extent, Europe. Russia is losing ground in economic relations with Europe, which have been built over more than 50 years. This applies to many sectors which Russian companies have already left or will leave.

European business and the potential of our countries and European neighbors will replace them - this is inevitable.

The rebuilding of Ukraine after the armed conflict, the growth of new globally important export centers like the Danube region, our new relationships in Eastern Europe, particularly strategic relations with Romania, and partnerships with Moldova and TArkiye, the emergence of industries in Ukraine such as the production and operation of combat drones, including the creation of a fleet of maritime drones, the rethinking of our energy sector with a focus on decentralized green energy... All of this and more is clear potential for cooperation and growth.

I'll give just one example that is known worldwide - German machinery. This is the best foundation for any economy. It's crucial to launch the flow of German machinery into Ukraine as the basis for Ukrainian industries, in particular, through full-fledged export credit financing.

Is there anything unrealistic in what I've said? I believe not. Is it all economically beneficial? Yes.

Most importantly, in this case, the economy provides more security.

And a crystal-clear signal is needed for Russia, as it always pays attention to Germany. With whom Germany works. In whom Germany believes as partners. With whom it shares its reliability and takes something for itself to become stronger. These are all fundamental things.

Let those who initiated this terrible war see that Germany, by working with Ukraine, believes in peace. And peace is approaching as we grow stronger together.

I thank all of you for your support!

Glory to Ukraine!

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President at the Crimea Platform Summit: Our goal is the complete de-occupation of our land, including Crimea; we must implement it

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 13:15

Madam Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic!

Mr. President of the Senate of the Czech Republic!

Mr. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic!

Mr. Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada!

Dear friends!

First of all, I would like to thank the Czech Republic, its leaders, and the entire Czech society for supporting Ukraine and for hosting this Summit.

I welcome all of you - the participants of the Crimea Platform Summit, its parliamentary dimension, which makes our Crimea Platform exceptionally strong by adding the energy of the democratic world. This is what fundamentally sets us apart from Russia. Russia's calculations have always been based not on people or unity but on bribery or violence. We, on the other hand, do things differently. We unite the world, we unite people. We believe in the ability of every individual to rise above, not above their neighbors but above circumstances. No matter how terrifying and hopeless circumstances may seem, it is in the human character to find and detect ways to protect life. The more united we are, the faster we will end Russian aggression with a reliable and just peace.

We are moving towards achieving our goal more actively than ever, for nearly a decade of Russian hybrid and then full-scale aggression. It is in the Black Sea region, specifically in the situation surrounding Crimea, where the effectiveness of our tactics is working best.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I will be candid: for many in the world, Crimea seemed like an argument that full de-occupation of our territory was supposedly unattainable. Russian control of the Black Sea and the presence of the occupier's fleet created an illusion that Russia's dominance in the Black Sea was insurmountable. In addition to this, the deliberate settlement of Crimea with hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens and the extensive repression by the occupier against all forms of freedom and resistance could create the impression that Crimea was subdued.

Now, the illusions are fading away.

Let me remind you of our achievements.

First, the Russian military fleet is no longer able to operate in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually retreating from Crimea. This is a historic achievement. Recently, the Russian leadership was forced to announce the creation of a new base for the Black Sea Fleet - or what's left of it - on the occupied territory of Georgia, in the southeastern part of the sea, as far as possible from Ukrainian missiles and naval drones. But we will reach them everywhere.

Second, there are no longer any safe bases or entirely reliable logistical routes for Russian terrorists in Crimea and the occupied parts of the Black Sea and Azov coast. As of now, we have not yet achieved full fire control over Crimea and its adjacent waters. But we will. It's just a matter of time.

Third, we observe that pro-Ukrainian sentiments in Crimea are becoming more open, even though Russia still controls this land. Just as in all other occupied areas of Ukraine, the people in Crimea realize that Russia will leave, and they are waiting for Ukraine. Russia's weakness is becoming louder than the fear of the occupied people, and we clearly see that in Crimea, we have many allies.

Fourth, Ukraine has been able to restore the Black Sea to its role as a secure artery critical to global food stability. Without our agricultural exports, the price crisis in the food market and social chaos become a threat to dozens of different nations from the western coast of Africa to Bangladesh, to Indonesia. This is a cornerstone: when Ukrainian food exports disappear, the entire global food market is disrupted. Initially, together with the UN and TArkiye, we launched the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Later, we added the humanitarian initiative "Grain from Ukraine." When Russia decided to destroy this architecture of food security, we launched new temporary export routes from our seaports in addition to our exports through the Danube port region and the Solidarity Lanes by land. Since the start of the new export corridor in the Black Sea, nearly 50 vessels have loaded, and more than 50 are expected to arrive soon.

Finally, the fifth point concerns value. It's something worth reminding ourselves of today, on the United Nations Day, when 78 years ago, the UN Charter came into effect. It's the most important international document that essentially affirms the basic right of every nation - the right to life without aggression, annexations, or terror. Once, at the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine, many were willing to turn a blind eye to Russia's annexation of Crimea, thinking it would appease the aggressor. However, it had the opposite effect; it only fueled its ambitions because it added to its belief in impunity. We are dismantling Russia's impunity step by step. This is also thanks to our work in the UN, despite Russia's abuse of its veto power. It's thanks to our Peace Formula, which is based on the principles and goals of the UN Charter and is gradually becoming a global Formula. International legal institutions, such as the International Criminal Court, contribute to this, as it issued an arrest warrant for Putin in the case of the abduction and deportation of children. Sanctions against Russia play a role, too. And the principled support from various countries, various leaders for our state and the courage of our people are crucial.

Our current task is to maintain and increase pressure on the occupier. My simple call to you is: don't stop halfway.

Clearing the Black Sea of terrorist fleets is challenging. However, it's significantly easier to cleanse the information environment from Russian propaganda, which still attempts to distort our achievements got through our cooperation and undermine the democratic order. We must stop Russian propaganda. This will help us and preserve the souls of your people and your societies.

Just as we are destroying the occupier's logistics in our country, we must deprive logistics of bypassing sanctions against Russia through any intermediaries - be it states, companies, or individuals - of being safe. Sanctions must work, and I call upon you to exercise parliamentary control over the relevant sanction regimes.

The next point is motivation, and this is also a weapon. It needs to be charged. I'm grateful to all the countries truly willing to support Ukraine to the extent necessary for victory. Our people must see such readiness so that their willingness to fight against occupiers remains at its maximum. Ultimately, the long-term security of all of Europe depends on this: Russia's defeat is your security, the security of every nation accustomed to its freedom and relying on the fact that the world is not a place for aggressors.

Fourth, we all must work together to prevent new crises in the world, including food, energy, or migration crises, and to ensure that existing conflicts do not spread to other regions. From this perspective, violence erupted in the Middle East is a big risk. Everyone sees the forces that could be engulfed by such violence, and everyone sees the importance of avoiding it. It can be avoided! I urge you to support the efforts of all leaders to save the lives of civilians, no matter where they live, and to stabilize the entire region. Without stability there, it will be much more challenging to achieve a return of peace in Europe. To close the path to ruins in the Middle East, we still need to open the path to the release of hostages.

And one more thing, particularly sensitive regarding Crimea.

At this Crimea Platform Summit, representatives of the Crimean Tatar people - the indigenous people - are participating, as they always have. I urge you to hear the pain of these people, a people who have been forcibly displaced from their homeland several times. A people who endured deportation by Moscow and have been living in captivity under the occupiers for nearly a decade.

Russia's attempts to control Crimea are not just about land or a military foothold that Moscow needed in the Black Sea to destabilize neighboring regions. It's about the people who need to be saved from all forms of repression. It's about political prisoners who need to be freed from Russian prisons - women, men, young and old... Diverse. It's about families who deserve protection. It's about culture that has the right to its own home, free from occupiers, just like any other human culture. Please remember these people. None of them deserve to have their fates "frozen." That's why our goal is complete de-occupation of our land, including Crimea. We must implement it.

I thank all of you for your attention, for this summit! Once again, thank you for your participation, for your engagement.

Together, we are moving closer to a just peace!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Ukraine demonstrates the necessary pace to enable a political decision to start negotiations on EU membership this year - President at the meeting of the College of the European Commission

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 12:45

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in a meeting of the College of the European Commission via a video link.

During his speech, the Head of State expressed gratitude to all EU representatives and member states for their support to Ukraine, including defense, sanctions, humanitarian and financial support, in particular, the long-term support programs - the European Commission's initiative to create a Financial Instrument for Ukraine.

"Ukrainian faith in the EU has always been one of the strongest on the continent. Ukrainians have been and remain optimistic about the European Union. And our optimism is proved by how strongly the EU stands by its values and helps us defend our freedom and independence," the President said.

He emphasized that this is a historic chance of the whole Europe to remove the lack of geopolitical certainty, the source of crises and problems.

The President highlighted that Ukraine is implementing the seven recommendations of the European Commission as quickly as possible to enable a political decision to open EU membership negotiations already this year.

"We have done a lot, and I would say - much more than could be expected from a country that has been subjected to full-scale aggression. But Ukraine is not asking for political discounts - we demonstrate the necessary political pace. We share the approach that decisions should be based on the individual achievements of countries that seek to become members of the European Union," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to the Head of State, Ukraine is undergoing reform of constitutional justice, including the implementation of a law on the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court, taking into account the Venice Commission's conclusions. The state anti-corruption program has been approved, and the existing anti-corruption architecture has been strengthened. Additionally, a law to restore e-declarations of officials and their verification during martial has been adopted.

Furthermore, the President emphasized that the adoption of the law on politically exposed persons is an extremely important step towards aligning legislation with the FATF requirements. He also highlighted the importance of passing antitrust legislation, protecting the state from misuse instigated by oligarchs, and bringing media legislation in line with EU standards. Legislative changes have been made in Ukraine to protect the rights of national communities.

"For Ukraine, this is a top priority - to be ready for a political decision to start negotiations on EU membership this year. And I hope it is the same for the European Union. We have laid a solid basis for this. The goal now is very special. If we can get rid of grey geopolitical zones, we must do it," Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen emphasized her support for Ukraine's accession to the European community.

She said that she wants to send Ukraine a clear message - the EU wants Ukraine to be with it in the European family. She said that the European Commission is preparing the 12th sanctions package and will discuss various issues related to frozen assets. It is politically impossible to accept that Russia is daily destroying Ukraine's infrastructure, and our taxpayers should pay for the reconstruction of this infrastructure, Ursula von der Leyen said. Therefore, frozen assets should be used for Ukraine's reconstruction, she added.

Ursula von der Leyen said that today, Ukraine is not only fighting against Russian aggression but is also implementing crucial reforms. She expressed her admiration for Ukraine's ability to fight full-scale aggression while deeply reforming the country. She said that it truly impressed her. History will show that Ukrainians are doing the right work, and Ukrainians are on the right side, she added.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said that despite the situation in the Middle East, the EU will continue to pay significant attention to Ukraine.

He discussed short-term and long-term security commitments, including ammunition and anti-aircraft defense with Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba. He also expressed the EU's willingness to assist in demining and strengthening Ukraine's resilience.

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If we can get rid of grey geopolitical zones, we must do it - speech of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the meeting of the College of the European Commission

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 12:26

Ursula, Madam President!

Dear European Commissioners!

I am glad to see you, thanks for your words, for your support, Ursula.

This is a special moment for us. For Ukraine and for the whole Europe. Special not only because of the circumstances that Russia has created against us with its anti-European aggression. It is special because of what we can doa What we can do and are doing. We, all of us, we Europeans. For the sake of greater security and stability across our continent, in our countries, in our homes.

The time since the collapse of the so-called "Eastern Bloc" has shown that the greatest threat to life in Europe is the lack of geopolitical certainty. This deficit, like a magnet, attracted crises and tempted enemies of the European way to fight against European unity. Because if there is even the smallest grey geopolitical zone - claims to dominate this zone will inevitably arise. And various political forces will try to paint this grey zone in their own political colours.

For decades, Europe has remained divided into a territory where our common values are protected by European institutions, and -A a territory outside the institutions, but although with the same values. Now - at last - we are a few geopolitical steps-away from eliminating this division. And this is our historic chance, of the whole Europe, -A to remove the lack of geopolitical certainty, this source of crises and problemsa

All free nations in Europe now clearly see the prospect for themselves - all the states in the Balkans, and in the center and east Europe. Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. And Belarus...A We see that the old grey geopolitical zones will inevitably be replaced by a new power of the European Union. This is one of the main outcomes of our unity. The EU - designed as a continental project, as a guarantor of good neighbourliness between the nations of Europe - is acquiring a well-deserved continental dimension. It is not a club for the elite, but a home indeed for all European nations who share common values. And the borders of the European Union will be the borders of the continent of Europe - no grey zones!

Our political generation is capable of ensuring this, and I am sure we will not miss this special moment.

Ladies and gentlemen!

Ukrainian faith in the EU has always been one of the strongest on the continent. Ukrainians have been and remain optimistic about the European Union. And our optimism is proved by how strongly the EU stands by its values and helps us defend our freedom and independence.

I am grateful to all of you - both as representatives of the EU and all the EU member states - for all the support provided to Ukraine! Defense, sanctions, humanitarian and financial support. And I would like to emphasize the long-term support programs -A in particular, the European Commission's initiative to create a Financial Instrument for Ukraine. We welcome its approval by the European Parliament on October 17th and expect that this instrument will be finalized by the end of the year so that funding can be launched in January.

And I would like to note the experience of Belgium for the first strong step in Europe regarding the use of frozen Russian assets to compensate for the damage caused by Russia's aggression. It would be fair -A if such a decision was scaled-up to the level of the entire continent. And the next steps should be taken including the confiscation of the aggressor's assets. This should be Europe's rule for the world - the aggressor pays the highest price for violating peace.

It is very important to continue to make sanctions pressure on Russia for its aggression effective. The way the free world's sanctions are working now is a model for how we can put pressure on other disruptors of peace. Every sanction imposed must be one hundred percent effective. The same applies to pressure on intermediaries who help Russia circumvent the sanctions regime.

And now, before the winter, we are actively working with all partners to strengthen our air defense to protect Ukraine - our cities, our people - from Russian terror. The strength of our air shield is a guarantee in particular for our neighbors that Russian terror will not cross the EU's borders. And I thank all countries and leaders who support us in strengthening our air defense.

And, of course, the key political thing is that we want no trace of the grey geopolitical zone to remain. Ukraine has been implementing the seven recommendations of the European Commission as quickly as possible to enable a political decision to open accession negotiations already this year. We have done a lot, and I would say - much more than could be expected from a country that has been subjected to full-scale aggression. But Ukraine is not asking for political discounts - we demonstrate the necessary political pace. We share the approach that decisions should be based on the individual achievements of countries that seek to become members of the European Union.

The first is our reform of constitutional justice.

We have adopted and started implementing the law on the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court, which is in line with the conclusions of the Venice Commission. We already have a group of experts who will evaluate the candidates - three experts were appointed based on proposals from our international partners as a guarantee of transparency and fairness in the selection of judges. And we are launching the competition.

The second is the reform of the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission of Judges. The reboot of these key bodies launched the process of renewing the entire judicial system of Ukraine.

The third is anti-corruption work. A law was adopted to restore e-declarations of officials and their verification during martial law. The e-declarations must be public. The state anti-corruption program has been approved. And we are strengthening the existing anti-corruption architecture.

The fourth - we are ensuring that our legislation complies with the FATF requirements. The adoption of the law on politically exposed persons is an extremely important step.

The fifth - we continue to work on protecting society and the state from misuse instigated by oligarchs. Also important antitrust legislation has been adopted.

And the sixth - Ukrainian media legislation has been brought in line with EU standards.

And the seventh - we are affirming the protection of diversity in Ukraine through the protection of the rights of national communities. Respective legislative changes have already been adopted, including the law on national minorities. A clear vision of the next steps in the educational sector has been developed as well. There is also a state target program called Unity in Diversity. All of this opens-up new and broader opportunities for national communities. Together with community representatives, we will ensure compliance with the highest international standards in this area.

For Ukraine, this is a top priority - to be ready for a political decision to start negotiations on EU membership this year. And I hope it is the same for the European Union. We have laid a solid basis for this. The goal now is very special. If we can get rid of grey geopolitical zones, we must do it! Europe needs the European Union. And let Ukrainian optimism about the EU serve a more stable future for the whole Europe!

Thank you very much for your attention! Thanks for your support!

 NNN!

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Sanctions are expected to have a real impact on every Russian citizen - advisor to the head of the President's Office emphasizing the need to adopt the 12th sanctions package

President of Ukraine

24 October 2023 - 11:27

At the Office of the President, another briefing for ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions from EU member states dedicated to Ukraine's sanctions priorities was held.

Deputy Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev spoke about the key priorities of the sanctions policy set by the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Implementation of the State Sanctions Policy, led by Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, in order to prevent Russia from financing the war, manufacturing, and supplying weapons. He also informed those present about the extent of economic restrictions applied by Ukraine to legal and natural persons from Russia and the military-industrial complex of Iran, the seizure and recovery of sanctioned assets, the funds from which are directed to the fund for the elimination of the consequences of armed aggression.

"Recovered Russian assets will essentially be the primary long-term source of support for Ukraine in rebuilding damaged infrastructure and compensating for the inflicted losses," Oleksiy Sobolev said.

Nataliia Shapoval, the Vice President for Policy Research at the Kyiv School of Economics, emphasized the urgency of partners' consideration of the improvement of the price cap mechanism for oil and petroleum products. Despite the functioning price cap, Russia continues to find ways to bypass it for the purpose of transporting oil, thus reducing the effectiveness of energy sanctions. Nataliia Shapoval provided detailed information to diplomatic representatives on how the aggressor country engages in fraud related to the certification of this crude oil in order to sell it at a higher price, transports oil using services from third countries, shadow fleets, and more.

Advisor to the Head of the President's Office Vladyslav Vlasiuk informed meeting participants about the sanctions priorities that, in accordance with the recommendations of the Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions, will have the most significant impact on the aggressor country's economy. These priorities include IT sanctions, restrictions on access to knowledge and technology, further energy sanctions, and restrictions that will be felt by every Russian citizen.

"Sanctions should genuinely affect every Russian citizen. This will provide a clear awareness that something is amiss with our country," Vladyslav Vlasiuk said.

The Advisor to the Head of the President's Office also emphasized the necessity of implementing personal restrictions on individuals involved in the production of weapons and "new oligarchs," as well as Russian propagandists.

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Ukraine Says Russian Attacks Wounded 8 People

By VOA News October 24, 2023

Ukraine said Tuesday that Russian attacks in two parts of the country wounded at least eight people.

In the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, Russian airstrikes and artillery fire wounded four people and damaged a number of houses, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on social media.

Klymenko also said a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine injured four people.

Ukraine and Russia each said Tuesday their militaries also thwarted attacks by enemy uncrewed vehicles.

Russia's defense ministry said it destroyed three Ukrainian boats in the northern part of the Black Sea.

Russia also said it conducted an "anti-sabotage" operation near the Sevastopol port, which is home to its Black Sea fleet.

Ukraine's air force said its defenses downed six drones that Russian launched from Crimea.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSX:PSD) (OTCQX:PLSDF) (Pulse or the Company) is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, accompanying notes and MD&A are being filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and will be available on Pulses website at www.pulseseismic.com.



Pulses Board of Directors today approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.01375 per share ($0.055 per share annualized) totalling approximately $724,000 based on Pulses 52,659,363 common shares outstanding as of October 24, 2023, which will be paid on November 21, 2023 to shareholders of record on November 14, 2023. This dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pulses dividends are subject to Canadian withholding tax.

Pulse considers the return of cash to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks to be a prudent allocation of capital at this time. Excluding the regular dividend approved today, in 2023 the Company has already distributed $0.19 per share in dividends, representing a yield of approximately 10.8% at todays closing share price. Additionally, the Company has purchased 945,506 shares for $1.8 million in the first three quarters of 2023. Since 2003 Pulse has distributed $78.5 million in dividends and spent $48.0 million to purchase shares of the Company through its normal course issuer bid.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

Total revenue was $5.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $2.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, total revenue was $22.3 million compared to $7.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Data library sales revenue increased in each quarter of 2023 over the 2022 comparative periods;



Net earnings for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was $393,000 ($0.01 per share basic and diluted) compared to a net loss of $1.7 million ($0.03 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended September 30, 2022. Net earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $6.7 million ($0.13 per share basic and diluted) compared to a net loss of $5.9 million ($0.11 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2022;



EBITDA (a) was $3.3 million ($0.06 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $741,000 ($0.01 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended September 30, 2022. EBITDA was $16.8 million ($0.32 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.6 million ($0.03 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2022;



was $3.3 million ($0.06 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $741,000 ($0.01 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended September 30, 2022. EBITDA was $16.8 million ($0.32 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.6 million ($0.03 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2022; Shareholder free cash flow (a) was $2.8 million ($0.05 per share basic and diluted) for the third quarter of 2023 compared to $880,000 ($0.02 per share basic and diluted) for the comparable period in 2022. Shareholder free cash flow was $13.9 million ($0.26 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $2.3 million ($0.04 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2022;



was $2.8 million ($0.05 per share basic and diluted) for the third quarter of 2023 compared to $880,000 ($0.02 per share basic and diluted) for the comparable period in 2022. Shareholder free cash flow was $13.9 million ($0.26 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $2.3 million ($0.04 per share basic and diluted) for the nine months ended September 30, 2022; In the third quarter of 2023, Pulse paid a special dividend of $0.15 per share and a regular quarterly dividend of $0.01375 per share for a total of $8.7 million (regular dividend of $0.0125 per share for a total of $672,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2022). For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Pulse paid a total of $10.1 million compared to $2.0 million for the same period in 2022;



In the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023 Pulse purchased and cancelled, through its normal course issuer bid, a total of 945,506 common shares at a total cost of approximately $1.8 million (average cost of $1.94 per common share including commissions); and



At September 30, 2023 Pulse was debt-free and had a cash balance of $9.8 million. The Companys $25.0 million revolving credit facility is undrawn and fully available to the Company.



SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING INFORMATION

(thousands of dollars except per share data, Three months ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30, Year ended numbers of shares and kilometres of seismic data) 2023 2022 2023 2022 December 31, (unaudited) (unaudited) 2022 Revenue Data library sales 5,083 2,163 22,203 6,934 9,345 Other revenue 20 15 63 197 225 Total revenue 5,103 2,178 22,266 7,131 9,570 Amortization of seismic data library 2,273 2,444 6,833 7,402 9,818 Net earnings (loss) 393 (1,675 ) 6,700 (5,959 ) (7,907) Per share basic and diluted 0.01 (0.03 ) 0.13 (0.11 ) (0.15) Cash provided by operating activities 10,564 829 16,524 11,231 11,992 Per share basic and diluted 0.20 0.02 0.31 0.21 0.22 EBITDA (a) 3,289 741 16,839 1,568 2,035 Per share basic and diluted (a) 0.06 0.01 0.32 0.03 0.04 Shareholder free cash flow (a) 2,793 880 13,883 2,292 3,200 Per share basic and diluted (a) 0.05 0.02 0.26 0.04 0.06 Capital expenditures Property and equipment 14 - 28 12 12



Regular dividends paid 731 672 2,138 2,015 2,685 Special dividend paid 7,992 - 7,992 - - Total dividends paid 8,723 672 10,130 2,015 2,685



Weighted average shares outstanding Basic and diluted 53,135,041 53,699,692 53,436,340 53,726,390 53,703,039 Shares outstanding at period-end 52,681,363 53,634,317 53,626,869 Seismic library 2D in kilometres 829,207 829,207 829,207 3D in square kilometres 65,310 65,310 65,310 FINANCIAL POSITION AND RATIO September 30, September 30, December 31, (thousands of dollars except ratio) 2023 2022 2022 Working capital 7,820 6,597 6,593 Working capital ratio 2.3:1 7.5:1 6.8:1 Cash and cash equivalents 9,821 5,811 5,822 Total assets 34,727 37,552 35,222 Long-term debt - - - Trailing 12-month (TTM) EBITDA (b) 17,306 15,403 2,035 Shareholders equity 28,225 35,964 33,496

(a) The Companys continuous disclosure documents provide discussion and analysis of EBITDA, EBITDA per share, shareholder free cash flow and shareholder free cash flow per share. These financial measures do not have standard definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies. The Company has included these non-GAAP financial measures because management, investors, analysts and others use them as measures of the Companys financial performance. The Companys definition of EBITDA is cash available to invest in growing the Companys seismic data library, pay interest and principal on its long-term debt, purchase its common shares, pay taxes and the payment of dividends. EBITDA is calculated as earnings (loss) from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA per share is defined as EBITDA divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period. The Company believes EBITDA assists investors in comparing Pulses results on a consistent basis without regard to non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization, which can vary significantly depending on accounting methods or non-operating factors such as historical cost. Shareholder free cash flow further refines the calculation by adding back non-cash expenses, net restructuring costs and deducting net financing costs and current income tax expense from EBITDA. Shareholder free cash flow per share is defined as shareholder free cash flow divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.

(b) TTM EBITDA is defined as the sum of EBITDA generated over the previous 12 months and is used to provide a comparable annualized measure.

These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management's Discussion and Analysis.

OUTLOOK

With seismic data library sales of $22.2 million in the first nine months of 2023, Pulse is pleased with the recovery from a slow 2022 and remains optimistic about the remainder of the year. Areas of strength continue to include buoyant global demand for fossil fuels, forecasts for relative strength in industry capital investment and field activities, ongoing corporate profitability, and Alberta mineral lease auctions (land sales) through September 30 showing the greatest year-to-date strength in nearly a decade. These positive factors are dampened by continued geopolitical instability and a challenging federal regulatory environment.

The Company cautions, as always, that industry conditions do not provide visibility regarding Pulses seismic data library sales levels. Pulses key strengths include zero debt, a low-cost structure, high leverage to increased revenue in its EBITDA margin, no capital spending commitments, Canadas largest licensable seismic data library, and strong customer relations.

The Company remains focused on the business practices that have served it throughout the full range of conditions: maintaining a strong balance sheet with access to credit on favourable terms, careful management of cash resources including distributing cash to shareholders when prudent, a low cost structure, a disciplined and rigorous approach to growth opportunities, an experienced and capable management team, and excellent customer care complemented by the initiative to broaden the attractiveness of the seismic data library.

CORPORATE PROFILE

Pulse is a market leader in the acquisition, marketing and licensing of 2D and 3D seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector. Pulse owns the largest licensable seismic data library in Canada, currently consisting of approximately 65,310 square kilometres of 3D seismic and 829,207 kilometres of 2D seismic. The library extensively covers the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, where most of Canadas oil and natural gas exploration and development occur.

For further information, please contact:

Neal Coleman, President and CEO

Or

Pamela Wicks, Vice President Finance and CFO

Tel.: 403-237-5559

Toll-free: 1-877-460-5559

E-mail: info@pulseseismic.com .

Please visit our website at www.pulseseismic.com

This document contains information that constitutes forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, expect, plan, intend, forecast, target, project, guidance, may, will, should, could, estimate, predict or similar words suggesting future outcomes or language suggesting an outlook.

The Outlook section herein contain forward-looking information which includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding:

> The outlook of the Company for the year ahead, including future operating costs and expected revenues;

> Recent events on the political, economic, regulatory, public health and legal fronts affecting the industrys medium- to longer-term prospects, including progression and completion of contemplated pipeline projects;

> The Companys capital resources and sufficiency thereof to finance future operations, meet its obligations associated with financial liabilities and carry out the necessary capital expenditures through 2023;

> Pulses capital allocation strategy;

> Pulses dividend policy;

> Oil and natural gas prices and forecast trends;

> Oil and natural gas drilling activity and land sales activity;

> Oil and natural gas company capital budgets;

> Future demand for seismic data;

> Future seismic data sales;

> Pulses business and growth strategy; and

> Other expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions, information and statements about possible future events, conditions, results and performance, as they relate to the Company or to the oil and natural gas industry as a whole.

By its very nature, forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Pulse does not publish specific financial goals or otherwise provide guidance, due to the inherently poor visibility of seismic revenue. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations and anticipations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking information. These factors include, but are not limited to:

> Uncertainty of the timing and volume of data sales;

> Volatility of oil and natural gas prices;

> Risks associated with the oil and natural gas industry in general;

> The Companys ability to access external sources of debt and equity capital;

> Credit, liquidity and commodity price risks;

> The demand for seismic data and;

> The pricing of data library licence sales;

> Cybersecurity;

> Relicensing (change-of-control) fees and partner copy sales;

> Environmental, health and safety risks;

> Federal and provincial government laws and regulations, including those pertaining to taxation, royalty rates, environmental protection, public health and safety;

> Competition;

> Dependence on key management, operations and marketing personnel;

> The loss of seismic data;

> Protection of intellectual property rights;

> The introduction of new products; and

> Climate change.

Pulse cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Additional information on these risks and other factors which could affect the Companys operations and financial results is included under Risk Factors in the Companys most recent annual information form, and in the Companys most recent audited annual financial statements, most recent MD&A, management information circular, quarterly reports, material change reports and news releases. Copies of the Companys public filings are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

When relying on forward-looking information to make decisions with respect to Pulse, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Furthermore, the forward-looking information contained in this document is provided as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking information, except as required by law. The forward-looking information in this document is provided for the limited purpose of enabling current and potential investors to evaluate an investment in Pulse. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information may not be appropriate, and should not be used, for other purposes.

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/6a1ccc32-5d5f-42a9-baef-379c8d3cdd4d
EL DORADO, Ark., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (Standard Lithium or the Company) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, today reported another significant milestone in its ongoing Smackover expansion efforts. As part of its extensive work in East Texas, the Company has drilled and sampled a new highest confirmed lithium grade brine, measuring 806 mg/L. In addition, comprehensive brine analyses from all three of the Companys new wells in East Texas show highly elevated concentrations of potash (KCl) and bromine, signifying a large potential for these commodities. The drilling work and continued resource evaluation are from areas where the Company has secured the rights to all minerals contained in the brine.



Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium commented, This most recent brine sample from our newest well in East Texas confirms the exceptional quality of the lithium brine assets were acquiring in East Texas. With a new confirmed lithium analysis of 806 mg/L and an average grade of 644 mg/L in our drilled area, we believe that we have identified a globally significant lithium brine asset. This work has been made possible by our team of Smackover experts who, over the past three years have identified the most prospective, highest quality development areas in East Texas.

Dr. Robinson continued, We understand that lithium grade is one of the most significant factors when considering the economics of a lithium brine project. We are committed to securing the highest-grade and potentially largest lithium brine resource outside of Argentina and Chile. Additionally, the highly elevated concentrations of potassium and bromine in all three of our new wells support our understanding that Standard Lithium now also controls a project with very large potash and bromine potential. While we continue to assess the potential value of these new discoveries, we believe that they could be accretive for the Company and present significant additional upside.

Strategic Importance

The Smackover Formation represents North America's premier lithium brine asset, with grades comparable to certain resources in South America. As detailed in the Companys Definitive Feasibility Study, the Phase 1A project in El Dorado, Arkansas, contemplates average production of 5,400 tonnes per annum (tpa) of battery-quality lithium carbonate over a 25-year operating life, with an average lithium grade of 217 mg/L. The Preliminary Feasibility Study for the Companys South West Arkansas Project outlines plans for at least 30,000 tpa of battery-quality lithium hydroxide over a 20-year operating life, with an average reported lithium grade of 437 mg/L.

Average lithium grades in the Companys projects indicate an increasing trend moving westward from Phase 1A (217 mg/L) to the South West Arkansas Project (437 mg/L) and finally, into East Texas (644 mg/L). In Standard Lithiums experience, higher lithium grades in brine are directly correlated with lower capital and operating expenses per tonne of lithium produced, thereby enhancing the economic viability of potential projects.

Analysis and Testing Details

The Standard Lithium team, comprised of technically diverse Smackover specialists and a robust team of land professionals, has been working in the Smackover Formation in East Texas for over 3.5 years. The Company shared initial sample analysis from expansion work completed in the latter half of 2022 and early 2023, as well as more recent drilling data (see news release dated 10 October 2023).

The data provided in this news release are from three recently drilled and sampled wells in the East Texas Smackover (ETX New Wells #1, #2 & #3). The below samples were analyzed and reported by Western Environmental Testing Laboratories of Sparks, Nevada, a third-party, accredited testing facility.

Table 1: ETX New Wells #1, #2 & #3 Lithium Brine Analyses in Standard Lithium East Texas Project Area

East Texas Sampling Location Name [1]



Lithium Potassium Bromine [3] Concentration (mg/L) ETX New Well #1 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample A 634 13,200 4,200 ETX New Well #1 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample B 594 12,500 4,400 ETX New Well #1 - Middle Smackover Zone Sample A 572 11,100 4,200 ETX New Well #1 - Middle Smackover Zone Sample B 583 11,300 4,300 ETX New Well #1 - Lower Smackover Zone Sample A 621 12,100 4,400 ETX New Well #1 - Lower Smackover Zone Sample B 612 11,900 4,600 ETX New Well #2 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample A 663 12,000 3,800 ETX New Well #2 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample B 613 12,300 3,700 ETX New Well #3 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample A 806 16,800 4,800 ETX New Well #3 - Upper Smackover Zone Sample B 739 14,900 4,800 Average Concentration [2] 644 12,810 4,320

Notes:

[1] Smackover Formation descriptors (Upper, Middle, and Lower) are a local project area naming convention. East Texas New Well from the March 28, 2023 press release is the same as ETX New Well #1 in Table 1.

[2] For East Texas wells, average of all samples taken from the wellbore, including duplicates where applicable to provide a representative brine sample

[3] Analysis reported as bromide

Figure 1: ETX New Well #3 in East Texas





Quality Person

Steve Ross, P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Ross is a consultant to the Company.

About Standard Lithium Ltd.

Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of lithium-brine bearing properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes brine projects characterized by the highest-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. The Company aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully-integrated Direct Lithium Extraction and purification process. The Companys flagship projects, the Phase 1A Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are located on the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas near the Louisiana state line, a region with a long-standing and established brine processing industry. The Company has also identified a number of highly prospective lithium brine project areas in the Smackover Formation in East Texas and began an extensive brine leasing program in the key project areas. In addition, the Company has an interest in certain mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol SLI; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol S5L. Please visit the Companys website at www.standardlithium.com.

Twitter: @standardlithium

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/

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 used in this news release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, target, plan, forecast, may, schedule and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, potential exploration expansions, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, 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/9da12bb6-e0d8-4845-8f8e-f7e9bc740d2e
Dublin, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Convection Ovens Market (2023-2028) by Types, Applications, Power Sources, Distribution Channels, and Geography, Competitive Analysis, Impact of Covid-19, Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Convection Ovens Market is estimated to be USD 3.6 Bn in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 4.49 Bn by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.50%.







A convection oven is an oven that has fans to circulate air around food to create an evenly heated environment. The increased air circulation causes a convection oven to cook food faster than a conventional non-fan oven, which relies only on radiation from the oven walls and heating elements. Convection ovens can be gas or electric and come in different models with various features.



The growing popularity of cooking shows and social media is expected to boost Global Convection Ovens Market. More people are becoming interested in home cooking, baking, and food preparation with the rise of cooking shows and social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and others.



The higher cost of convection ovens compared to traditional ovens is one of the main factors that limit the Global Convection Ovens Market growth. It generally uses more advanced technology, such as fans & multiple heating elements, to circulate hot air around the food, which results in faster, more even cooking. The advanced technology and additional components typically lead to a higher manufacturing cost for convection ovens.



Moreover, the manufacturers are developing advanced convection ovens with improved energy-saving features. These ovens may include programmable settings, timers, and sensors that optimize cooking processes and minimize energy wastage. For instance, in 2021, Middleby Corporation introduced a new line of high-speed ovens, including convection ovens, under its Viking Range brand.



The Global Convection Ovens Market is challenged due to using alternative products such as microwaves, slow cookers, electric pressure cookers, and air fryers. These all consume significantly less energy than ovens. Microwave ovens with convection features are often more compact and affordable and can perform multiple functions, including baking, grilling, and reheating.

This has led some consumers to opt for these hybrid appliances instead of standalone convection ovens. Additionally, the popularity of air fryers has grown significantly in recent years. Air fryers use convection technology to circulate hot air rapidly around the food, resulting in crispy and evenly cooked dishes.



Market Segmentation



The Global Convection Ovens Market is segmented based on Types, Applications, Power Sources, Distribution Channels, and Geography.

By Type, the Global Convection Ovens Market is classified into Counter-Top Ovens, Single Deck, Double Deck, and Triple Deck. Counter-Top Ovens have the largest market share in the Global Convection Ovens Market. The Countertop ovens perform a wide range of cooking tasks, from baking & roasting to toasting & broiling, making them a versatile appliance for various households. These ovens are generally more affordable than larger convection ovens, making them an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers. There has been a growing demand for smaller appliances like countertop ovens that fit into smaller spaces. People are interested in appliances like countertop ovens that make cooking and baking more convenient.

By Power Source, the Global Convection Ovens Market is classified into Electric, Liquid Propane, and Natural Gas. The Electric segment has the largest market share in the Global Convection Ovens Market. Electric convection ovens are widely used in both households and commercial settings due to their convenience, ease of use, and availability of power sources. Electric ovens are typically preferred in residential kitchens as they can be easily integrated into existing electrical systems without additional infrastructure. They are also considered safer and more energy-efficient compared to other power sources.

By Applications, the Global Convection Ovens Market is classified into Household and Commercial. The Commercial segment has significant growth in the Global Convection Ovens Market. Commercial establishments, including restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and other food service businesses, require efficient and high-capacity baking equipment to meet customer demands. Convection ovens in the commercial sector offer faster cooking times, consistent heat distribution, and the ability to handle large volumes of food.

By Distribution Channel, the Global Convection Ovens Market is classified into Online and Offline. Online has significant growth in the Global Convection Ovens Market. Online stores typically offer a greater variety and selection of convection ovens than physical stores, allowing consumers to easily compare products and find the one that best meets their needs. Online stores often offer competitive pricing for convection ovens, allowing consumers to find the best deal and save money. The stores are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy for consumers to purchase convection ovens regardless of location. E-commerce has grown in popularity in recent years, with more and more consumers opting to shop online for various products, including household appliances like convection ovens.

By Geography, the Global Convection Ovens Market is classified into the Americas, Europe, Middle-East & Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Americas has a large population of health-conscious consumers willing to invest in high-quality kitchen appliances. Additionally, consumers in this region have a high disposable income, making it easier for them to afford the relatively expensive convection oven. As a result, the region has a high demand for convection ovens.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Convection Ovens Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The research report also provides a detailed market size analysis and projections in volume and value terms. The projections are calculated using verified research methodologies.

Excel data sheet for the market size will also be provided with the report.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model, PESTLE Analysis, and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report includes Self-Assessment Form, which helps customers evaluate their position in the market compared to their competitors.

The report offers customized research - tailored uniquely to our customers with a quick turnaround time. We offer a 15% customization option at no extra charge to all our clients for any of our syndicated reports.

Market Dynamics







Drivers

Growing inclination toward energy-efficient convection ovens

Increasing production and consumption of bakery products

Rising popularity of cooking shows and social media

Restraints

High cost of advanced convection ovens

Opportunities

Rise in the consumption of frozen food items

Need for the development of advanced convection ovens

Challenges

Usage of alternative baking solutions







Companies Mentioned

Amerex Instruments Inc

Blodgett Oven Co.

BSH Household Appliances

Cadco, Ltd.

Duke Manufacturing Co.

Electrolux AB

Garland Group

Guangdong Galanz Enterprises Co., Ltd.

Haier Group Corp.

Hestan and Meyer Corp.

LG Corp.

Moffat Group

Montague

Omega Appliances

Panasonic Corp.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Sharp Corp.

Whirlpool Corp.

WIGGENS GmbH

Report Highlights:

A complete analysis of the market, including the parent industry

Important market dynamics and trends

Impact Analysis - a comprehensive assessment to confront risk and make strategic & operational decisions to counter the changes in the market environment.

Market segmentation

Competitive Analysis: Comparative analysis of competitor

Historical, current, and projected size of the market based on value and volume

Market size of the US states

Market shares and strategies of key players

Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 180 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $3.6 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $4.49 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.5% Regions Covered Global

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ev5vxb

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Quarterly revenue of $633 million

Operating income of $78 million with operating margin of 12.3%

Quarterly diluted earnings per share of $1.16

Total backlog of $1.9B, order activity shifting toward later end of typical seasonality

2023 EPS outlook increased $0.20 to $4.65 midpoint



LAFAYETTE, Ind., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wabash (NYSE: WNC), the innovation leader of connected solutions for the transportation, logistics and distribution industries, today reported results for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

The Company's net sales for the third quarter of 2023 reached $632.8 million, reflecting a 3.4% decrease compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The Company achieved consolidated gross profit of $123 million, equivalent to 19.4% of sales. Operating income amounted to $77.6 million, representing 12.3% of sales for the quarter. These results exceeded prior expectations, primarily due to the Company's strong material margin, favorable product mix, and strong results from parts and services, tanks, and truck bodies. Third quarter diluted earnings per share was $1.16, surpassing the Company's previous quarterly outlook range.

As of September 30, 2023, total Company backlog stood at approximately $1.9 billion, a decrease of 20% compared to the third quarter of 2022 as the timing of order activity is likely to come toward the later end of typical seasonal patterns for the industry. Backlog expected to be shipped within the following 12-months amounted to approximately $1.4 billion as of September 30, 2023.

"At Wabash, we believe in the power of strong connections," said Brent Yeagy, president and chief executive officer. "We've successfully created value by redefining our relationships with customers and suppliers, and now, we're ready to take it to the next level. With digital transformation as our compass, we are poised to extend our reach even further within the dynamic segments of transportation, logistics, and distribution as we set the groundwork to deliver an innovative digital marketplace that will endeavor to enhance efficiency for our customers by pulling on the full breadth of our partner ecosystem."

For the full-year ending December 31, 2023, the Company narrowed its revenue outlook to approximately $2.6 billion and increased its EPS guidance to a range of $4.60 to $4.70 with a midpoint of $4.65.

Through the first three quarters of 2023 we have achieved cumulative diluted EPS of $3.74, surpassing the full year EPS target of $3.50 by 2025 that we presented at our 2022 Investor Meeting," explained Yeagy. "We are raising the bar considerably for the peak earnings potential of Wabash. We are also poised to generate significant free cash flow in 2023 even while making meaningful investments in our operations. As we navigate softer near-term demand conditions within the dry van market, we expect the strength of our first to final mile portfolio to be apparent as truck bodies, tank trailers and parts & services support our results leading to what we anticipate will be our best-ever trough performance in 2024."

Business Segment Highlights

The table below is a summary of select segment operating and financial results prior to the elimination of intersegment sales for the third quarter of 2023 and 2022. A complete disclosure of the results by individual segment is included in the tables following this release.

Wabash National Corporation Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 New Units Shipped Trailers 10,765 13,365 Truck bodies 4,160 4,115 Transportation Solutions Parts & Services Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 (Unaudited, dollars in thousands) Net sales $ 582,870 $ 611,779 $ 56,441 $ 46,728 Gross profit $ 107,549 $ 80,779 $ 15,361 $ 11,226 Gross profit margin 18.5 % 13.2 % 27.2 % 24.0 % Income from operations $ 89,413 $ 63,274 $ 12,358 $ 7,732 Income from operations margin 15.3 % 10.3 % 21.9 % 16.5 %

During the third quarter, Transportation Solutions achieved net sales of $582.9 million, a decrease of 4.7% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Operating income for the quarter amounted to $89.4 million, representing 15.3% of sales.

Parts & Services' net sales for the third quarter reached $56.4 million, an increase of 20.8% compared to the prior year quarter as the segment continued to make notable strides along its path of strategic growth. Operating income for the quarter amounted to $12.4 million, or 21.9% of sales.

Non-GAAP Measures

In addition to disclosing financial results calculated in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the financial information included in this release contains non-GAAP financial measures, including operating EBITDA, free cash flow, adjusted operating income and margin, adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted segment EBITDA, and adjusted segment EBITDA margin. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures and results calculated in accordance with GAAP, including net income, and reconciliations to GAAP financial statements should be carefully evaluated.

Operating EBITDA includes noncontrolling interest and is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, impairment and other, net, and other non-operating income and expense (including any loss on debt extinguishment charges). Management believes providing operating EBITDA is useful for investors to understand the Companys performance and results of operations period to period with the exclusion of the items identified above. Management believes the presentation of operating EBITDA, when combined with the GAAP presentations of operating income and net income, is beneficial to an investors understanding of the Companys operating performance. A reconciliation of operating EBITDA to net income, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, is included in the tables following this release.

Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities minus cash payments for capital expenditures minus expenditures for revenue generating assets. Management believes providing free cash flow is useful for investors to understand the Companys performance and results of cash generation period to period with the exclusion of the item identified above. Management believes the presentation of free cash flow, when combined with the GAAP presentations of cash provided by operating activities, is beneficial to an investors understanding of the Companys operating performance. A reconciliation of free cash flow to cash used in operating activities, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, is included in the tables following this release.

Adjusted operating income and margin, non-GAAP financial measures, exclude certain costs, expenses, other charges, gains or income that are included in the determination of operating income under U.S. GAAP, but that management would not consider important in evaluating the quality of the Companys operating results as they are not indicative of the Companys core operating results or may obscure trends useful in evaluating the Companys continuing activities. Accordingly, the Company presents adjusted operating income and margin excluding these special items to help investors evaluate our operating performance and trends in our business consistent with how management evaluates such performance and trends. Further, the Company presents adjusted operating income and margin to provide investors with a better understanding of the Companys view of our results as compared to prior periods. Adjusted operating income margin is calculated by dividing adjusted operating income by total net sales. A reconciliation of adjusted operating income to operating income, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, is included in the tables following this release.

Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders and adjusted diluted earnings per share reflect no adjustments for any period presented. Management believes providing adjusted measures and excluding certain items facilitates comparisons to the Companys prior year periods and, when combined with the GAAP presentation of net income and diluted net income per share, is beneficial to an investors understanding of the Companys performance. A reconciliation of adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders and adjusted diluted earnings per share to net income attributable to common stockholders and diluted earnings per share, the most comparable GAAP financial measures, are included in the tables following this release.

Adjusted segment EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, includes noncontrolling interest and is calculated by adding back segment depreciation and amortization expense to segment operating income, and excludes certain costs, expenses, other charges, gains or income that are included in the determination of operating income under GAAP, but that management would not consider important in evaluating the quality of the Companys segment operating results as they are not indicative of each segment's core operating results or may obscure trends useful in evaluating the segment's continuing activities. Adjusted segment EBITDA Margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted segment EBITDA by segment total net sales. A reconciliation of adjusted segment EBITDA to income from operations, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, is included in the tables following this release.

Information reconciling any forward-looking Operating EBITDA, Operating EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Operating Income Margin, Free Cash Flow, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, and Adjusted EPS to GAAP financial measures is unavailable to us without unreasonable effort. We cannot provide reconciliations of the above noted forward looking non-GAAP measures to GAAP financial measures because certain items required for such reconciliations are outside of our control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. Preparation of such reconciliations would require a forward-looking balance sheet, statement of income and statement of cash flows, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and such forward-looking financial statements are unavailable to us without unreasonable effort.

Third Quarter 2023 Conference Call

Wabash will discuss its results during its quarterly investor conference call on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, beginning at 12:00 p.m. EDT. The call and an accompanying slide presentation will be accessible on the "Investors" section of the Companys website at www.onewabash.com. The conference call will also be accessible by dialing (888) 440-6928, conference ID 6579482. A replay of the call will be available on the site shortly after the conclusion of the presentation.

About

Wabash (NYSE: WNC) is the visionary leader of connected solutions for the transportation, logistics and distribution industries that is Changing How the World Reaches You. Headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, the company enables customers to thrive by providing insight into tomorrow and delivering pragmatic solutions today to move everything from first to final mile. Wabash designs, manufactures, and services a diverse range of products, including: dry freight and refrigerated trailers, flatbed trailers, tank trailers, dry and refrigerated truck bodies, structural composite panels and products, trailer aerodynamic solutions, and specialty food grade processing equipment. Learn more at www.onewabash.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements convey the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, all statements regarding the Companys outlook for trailer and truck body shipments, backlog, expectations regarding demand levels for trailers, truck bodies, non-trailer equipment and our other diversified product offerings, pricing, profitability and earnings, cash flow and liquidity, opportunity to capture higher margin sales, new product innovations, our growth and diversification strategies, our expectations for improved financial performance during the course of the year and our expectations with regards to capital allocation. These and the Companys other forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Without limitation, these risks and uncertainties include the highly cyclical nature of our business, uncertain economic conditions including the possibility that customer demand may not meet our expectations, our backlog may not reflect future sales of our products, increased competition, reliance on certain customers and corporate partnerships, risks of customer pick-up delays, shortages and costs of raw materials including the impact of tariffs or other international trade developments, risks in implementing and sustaining improvements in the Companys manufacturing operations and cost containment, dependence on industry trends and timing, supplier constraints, labor costs and availability, customer acceptance of and reactions to pricing changes, costs of indebtedness, and our ability to execute on our long-term strategic plan. Readers should review and consider the various disclosures made by the Company in this press release and in the Companys reports to its stockholders and periodic reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.





WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

September 30,

2023 December 31,

2022 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 105,288 $ 58,245 Accounts receivable, net 211,181 255,577 Inventories, net 344,292 243,870 Prepaid expenses and other 60,282 34,927 Total current assets 721,043 592,619 Property, plant, and equipment, net 319,358 271,116 Goodwill 188,418 188,434 Intangible assets, net 89,621 99,231 Other assets 70,900 52,123 Total assets $ 1,389,340 $ 1,203,523 Liabilities and Stockholders Equity Current liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt $  $  Accounts payable 205,299 189,141 Other accrued liabilities 187,918 158,327 Total current liabilities 393,217 347,468 Long-term debt 396,300 395,818 Deferred income taxes 37,107 27,758 Other non-current liabilities 43,548 34,354 Total liabilities 870,172 805,398 Commitments and contingencies Noncontrolling interest 481 512 Wabash National Corporation stockholders equity: Common stock 200,000,000 shares authorized, $0.01 par value, 46,297,254 and 47,675,796 shares outstanding, respectively 774 766 Additional paid-in capital 674,900 665,941 Retained earnings 357,294 188,241 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,929 ) (882 ) Treasury stock at cost, 31,223,492 and 28,972,928 common shares, respectively (512,352 ) (456,453 ) Total Wabash National Corporation stockholders' equity 518,687 397,613 Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest, and equity $ 1,389,340 $ 1,203,523

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net sales $ 632,828 $ 655,150 $ 1,940,400 $ 1,844,680 Cost of sales 509,918 563,145 1,550,436 1,616,586 Gross profit 122,910 92,005 389,964 228,094 General and administrative expenses 35,836 27,845 109,194 85,121 Selling expenses 6,086 7,752 20,164 21,337 Amortization of intangible assets 3,204 3,184 9,610 12,026 Impairment and other, net 147 349 149 692 Income from operations 77,637 52,875 250,847 108,918 Other income (expense): Interest expense (4,932 ) (5,210 ) (14,913 ) (15,341 ) Other, net 844 (179 ) 1,706 (577 ) Other expense, net (4,088 ) (5,389 ) (13,207 ) (15,918 ) Income before income tax expense 73,549 47,486 237,640 93,000 Income tax expense 18,068 11,130 56,289 21,831 Net income 55,481 36,356 181,351 71,169 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 152 186 481 373 Net income attributable to common stockholders $ 55,329 $ 36,170 $ 180,870 $ 70,796 Net income attributable to common stockholders per share: Basic $ 1.18 $ 0.75 $ 3.82 $ 1.45 Diluted $ 1.16 $ 0.73 $ 3.74 $ 1.43 Weighted average common shares outstanding (in thousands): Basic 46,906 48,515 47,373 48,849 Diluted 47,755 49,402 48,348 49,651 Dividends declared per share $ 0.08 $ 0.08 $ 0.24 $ 0.24

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 Cash flows from operating activities Net income $ 181,351 $ 71,169 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities Depreciation 23,075 25,239 Amortization of intangibles 9,610 12,026 Net loss (gain) on sale of property, plant and equipment 149 (635 ) Deferred income taxes 9,924 (178 ) Stock-based compensation 8,812 7,367 Impairment  1,339 Non-cash interest expense 710 644 Accounts receivable 44,396 (71,575 ) Inventories (100,422 ) (72,080 ) Prepaid expenses and other (11,820 ) (716 ) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 39,277 101,101 Other, net (464 ) (1,545 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 204,598 72,156 Cash flows from investing activities Cash payments for capital expenditures (85,071 ) (42,304 ) Expenditures for revenue generating assets (3,961 )  Proceeds from the sale of assets  1,445 Net cash used in investing activities (89,032 ) (40,859 ) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from exercise of stock options 155 1,241 Dividends paid (12,157 ) (12,176 ) Borrowings under revolving credit facilities 103,992 72,244 Payments under revolving credit facilities (103,992 ) (57,279 ) Principal payments under finance lease obligations  (59 ) Debt issuance costs paid (110 ) (1,023 ) Stock repurchases (55,899 ) (24,545 ) Distribution to noncontrolling interest (512 )  Net cash used in financing activities (68,523 ) (21,597 ) Cash and cash equivalents: Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash 47,043 9,700 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period 58,245 71,778 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 105,288 $ 81,478

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

SEGMENTS AND RELATED INFORMATION

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

Wabash National Corporation Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 Units Shipped New trailers 10,765 13,365 New truck bodies 4,160 4,115 Used trailers 25 20 Three Months Ended September 30, Transportation Solutions Parts & Services Corporate and

Eliminations Consolidated 2023 New Trailers $ 477,802 $  $ (2,216 ) $ 475,586 Used Trailers  1,340  1,340 Components, parts and service  38,091  38,091 Equipment and other 105,068 17,010 (4,267 ) 117,811 Total net external sales $ 582,870 $ 56,441 $ (6,483 ) $ 632,828 Gross profit $ 107,549 $ 15,361 $  $ 122,910 Income (loss) from operations $ 89,413 $ 12,358 $ (24,134 ) $ 77,637 Adjusted income (loss) from operations1 $ 89,413 $ 12,358 $ (24,134 ) $ 77,637 2022 New Trailers $ 529,659 $ 1,150 $ (301 ) $ 530,508 Used Trailers  693  693 Components, parts and service  34,171  34,171 Equipment and other 82,120 10,714 (3,056 ) 89,778 Total net external sales $ 611,779 $ 46,728 $ (3,357 ) $ 655,150 Gross profit $ 80,779 $ 11,226 $  $ 92,005 Income (loss) from operations $ 63,274 $ 7,732 $ (18,131 ) $ 52,875 Adjusted income (loss) from operations1 $ 63,274 $ 7,732 $ (18,131 ) $ 52,875

1 Adjusted operating income (loss), a non-GAAP financial measure, excludes certain costs, expenses, other charges, gains or income that are included in the determination of operating income (loss) under U.S. GAAP, but that management would not consider important in evaluating the quality of the Companys operating results as they are not indicative of the Companys core operating results or may obscure trends useful in evaluating the Companys continuing activities. Accordingly, the Company presents adjusted operating income (loss) excluding these special items to help investors evaluate our operating performance and trends in our business consistent with how management evaluates such performance and trends. Further, the Company presents adjusted operating income (loss) to provide investors with a better understanding of the Companys view of our results as compared to prior periods.





WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

SEGMENTS AND RELATED INFORMATION

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

Wabash National Corporation Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 Units Shipped New trailers 34,375 38,900 New truck bodies 11,995 11,550 Used trailers 55 80 Nine Months Ended September 30, Transportation Solutions Parts & Services Corporate and

Eliminations Consolidated 2023 New Trailers $ 1,486,587 $  $ (4,580 ) $ 1,482,007 Used Trailers  2,396  2,396 Components, parts and service  113,567  113,567 Equipment and other 305,036 49,684 (12,290 ) 342,430 Total net external sales $ 1,791,623 $ 165,647 $ (16,870 ) $ 1,940,400 Gross profit $ 345,098 $ 44,866 $  $ 389,964 Income (loss) from operations $ 292,335 $ 34,504 $ (75,992 ) $ 250,847 Adjusted income (loss) from operations1 $ 292,335 $ 34,504 $ (75,992 ) $ 250,847 2022 New Trailers $ 1,476,052 $ 1,392 $ (973 ) $ 1,476,471 Used Trailers  2,382  2,382 Components, parts and service  105,208  105,208 Equipment and other 233,774 34,849 (8,004 ) 260,619 Total net external sales $ 1,709,826 $ 143,831 $ (8,977 ) $ 1,844,680 Gross profit $ 194,516 $ 33,578 $  $ 228,094 Income (loss) from operations $ 142,944 $ 22,659 $ (56,685 ) $ 108,918 Adjusted income (loss) from operations1 $ 142,944 $ 22,659 $ (56,685 ) $ 108,918

1 Adjusted operating income (loss), a non-GAAP financial measure, excludes certain costs, expenses, other charges, gains or income that are included in the determination of operating income (loss) under U.S. GAAP, but that management would not consider important in evaluating the quality of the Companys operating results as they are not indicative of the Companys core operating results or may obscure trends useful in evaluating the Companys continuing activities. Accordingly, the Company presents adjusted operating income (loss) excluding these special items to help investors evaluate our operating performance and trends in our business consistent with how management evaluates such performance and trends. Further, the Company presents adjusted operating income (loss) to provide investors with a better understanding of the Companys view of our results as compared to prior periods.

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

SEGMENT AND COMPANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

Adjusted Operating Income1 Three Months Ended

September 30, Nine Months Ended

September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Transportation Solutions Income from operations $ 89,413 $ 63,274 $ 292,335 $ 142,944 Adjustments: N/A     Adjusted operating income 89,413 63,274 292,335 142,944 Parts & Services Income from operations 12,358 7,732 34,504 22,659 Adjustments: N/A     Adjusted operating income 12,358 7,732 34,504 22,659 Corporate Loss from operations (24,134 ) (18,131 ) (75,992 ) (56,685 ) Adjustments: N/A     Adjusted operating loss (24,134 ) (18,131 ) (75,992 ) (56,685 ) Consolidated Income from operations 77,637 52,875 250,847 108,918 Adjustments: N/A     Adjusted operating income $ 77,637 $ 52,875 $ 250,847 $ 108,918

1 Adjusted operating income (loss), a non-GAAP financial measure, excludes certain costs, expenses, other charges, gains or income that are included in the determination of operating income (loss) under U.S. GAAP, but that management would not consider important in evaluating the quality of the Companys operating results as they are not indicative of the Companys core operating results or may obscure trends useful in evaluating the Companys continuing activities. Accordingly, the Company presents adjusted operating income (loss) excluding these special items to help investors evaluate our operating performance and trends in our business consistent with how management evaluates such performance and trends. Further, the Company presents adjusted operating income (loss) to provide investors with a better understanding of the Companys view of our results as compared to prior periods.

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES TO

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

Operating EBITDA1: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net income $ 55,481 $ 36,356 $ 181,351 $ 71,169 Income tax expense 18,068 11,130 56,289 21,831 Interest expense 4,932 5,210 14,913 15,341 Depreciation and amortization 12,519 11,941 32,685 37,265 Stock-based compensation 3,131 2,720 8,812 7,367 Impairment and other, net 147 349 149 692 Other, net (844 ) 179 (1,706 ) 577 Operating EBITDA $ 93,434 $ 67,885 $ 292,493 $ 154,242





Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders2: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net income attributable to common stockholders $ 55,329 $ 36,170 $ 180,870 $ 70,796 Adjustments: N/A     Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders $ 55,329 $ 36,170 $ 180,870 $ 70,796





Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share2: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.16 $ 0.73 $ 3.74 $ 1.43 Adjustments: N/A     Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 1.16 $ 0.73 $ 3.74 $ 1.43 Weighted average diluted shares outstanding (in thousands) 47,755 49,402 48,348 49,651

1 Operating EBITDA includes noncontrolling interest and is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, impairment and other, net, and other non-operating income and expense (including any loss on debt extinguishment charges). Management believes providing operating EBITDA is useful for investors to understand the Companys performance and results of operations period to period with the exclusion of the items identified above. Management believes the presentation of operating EBITDA, when combined with the GAAP presentations of operating income and net income, is beneficial to an investors understanding of the Companys operating performance.

2 Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders and adjusted diluted earnings per share reflect no adjustments for any period presented.

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF FREE CASH FLOW1

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 58,267 $ (10,518 ) $ 204,598 $ 72,156 Cash payments for capital expenditures (29,251 ) (19,935 ) (85,071 ) (42,304 ) Expenditures for revenue generating assets (717 )  (3,961 )  Free cash flow1 $ 28,299 $ (30,453 ) $ 115,566 $ 29,852

1 Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities minus cash payments for capital expenditures minus expenditures for revenue generating assets. Management believes providing free cash flow is useful for investors to understand the Companys performance and results of cash generation period to period with the exclusion of the item identified above. Management believes the presentation of free cash flow, when combined with the GAAP presentations of cash used in operating activities, is beneficial to an investors understanding of the Companys operating performance.

WABASH NATIONAL CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED SEGMENT EBITDA1

AND ADJUSTED SEGMENT EBITDA MARGIN1

(Unaudited - dollars in thousands)

Transportation Solutions Parts & Services Three Months Ended September 30, 2023

2022

2023

2022

Income from operations $ 89,413 $ 63,274 $ 12,358 $ 7,732 Depreciation and amortization 11,298 10,491 554 559 Impairment and other, net 147 258  15 Adjusted segment EBITDA $ 100,858 $ 74,023 $ 12,912 $ 8,306 Adjusted segment EBITDA margin 17.3 % 12.1 % 22.9 % 17.8 % Transportation Solutions Parts & Services Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023

2022

2023

2022

Income from operations $ 292,335 $ 142,944 $ 34,504 $ 22,659 Depreciation and amortization 29,305 32,729 1,603 2,237 Impairment and other, net 149 (360 )  5 Adjusted segment EBITDA $ 321,789 $ 175,313 $ 36,107 $ 24,901 Adjusted segment EBITDA margin 18.0 % 10.3 % 21.8 % 17.3 %

1 Adjusted segment EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, includes noncontrolling interest and is calculated by adding back segment depreciation and amortization expense to segment operating income, and excludes certain costs, expenses, other charges, gains or income that are included in the determination of operating income under GAAP, but that management would not consider important in evaluating the quality of the Companys segment operating results as they are not indicative of each segment's core operating results or may obscure trends useful in evaluating the segment's continuing activities. Adjusted segment EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted segment EBITDA by segment total net sales.

Media Contact:

Dana Stelsel

Director, Communications

(765) 771-5766

dana.stelsel@onewabash.com

Investor Relations:

Ryan Reed

Sr Director, Corporate Development & Investor Relations

(765) 490-5664

ryan.reed@onewabash.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DLR Group, a 100% employee-owned integrated design firm, is expanding its presence in the Southeast with the opening of an office in downtown Nashville. This expansion aligns with the firm's commitment to meet the diverse design needs of existing education, government, hospitality, sports, and workplace clients throughout the entire state.

The new office, located at 315 Deaderick Street, is a collaborative effort led by DLR Group Principals Matthew Gulsvig, AIA, LEED AP, and Randall Coy. Gulsvig joined DLR Group in 2016 and brings a wealth of project leadership experience gained from working with private sector clients across the nation, particularly in the workplace and mixed-use sectors. Coy, a University of Tennessee graduate, brings 25 years of experience in design and development, working across the nation for civic, mixed-use, and retail clients. For the past decade, he has been an integral part of the Nashville and Mid-State design and development community, most recently as the owner of NoBox Development, a real estate development consulting firm.

They will be joined by Principal Shawn Gaither, AIA, LEED AP, also a University of Tennessee graduate, who will continue to lead clients in higher education and workplace.

Over the past five years weve touched more than 50 design projects in the state. This includes the downtown Nashville TownePlace Suites, master planning at Vanderbilt University, and we are working on projects with clients in Memphis, Chattanooga, and throughout the state of Tennessee, said DLR Group CEO Steven McKay, AIA, RIBA. Now, with Matthew Gulsvig and Randall Coy establishing an office, supported by a team of integrated design professionals already working on projects in the state, we are poised to enhance the services we offer clients to grow a vibrant design office.

DLR Group has a rich history of design work in Tennessee, including projects on multiple campuses for the University of Tennessee System, active projects at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and preservation work at historic Lane College . DLR Group is a leading innovator in the design of mass timber with more than 16 timber projects completed, in construction, or in design. DLR Group is collaborating with Hastings Architecture for the T3 Wedgewood Houston, a five-story, 190,000-square-foot mass timber office building in The Finery mixed-use development.

DLR Group is the designer of the Youth Center for Empowerment for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County in collaboration with Smith Gee Studio. This forward-thinking, 270,000-square-foot campus will transform the process of juvenile justice to deliver better outcomes for adolescents and youth in Nashville. The firm is also in the process of reimagining and modernizing the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway with seating for 30,000 fans.

In Knoxville, DLR Group received a Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for restoring the 1928, Spanish Moorish style Tennessee Theatre. The firm intends to leverage its award-winning technical expertise in theater design and engineering, acoustics, and lighting to grow a leading performing arts practice.

DLR Group

315 Deaderick Street

Suite 1130

Nashville, TN 37238

615-288-7290

About DLR Group

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients; local communities; and our planet. DLR Group is 100 percent employee-owned and fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge, and is an initial signatory to the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Attachments
Pune, India, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global actuators market size was USD 41.62 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow from USD 44.60 billion in 2022 to USD 98.92 billion in 2029 at a CAGR of 12.05% in the 2023-2029 period. Actuators market underscores its robust growth, driven by the rising demand for automation across industries like manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace. Electric actuators are gaining prominence due to their precise control capabilities and energy efficiency, while pneumatic and hydraulic actuators continue to serve specific niche applications.

Asia-Pacific, with its rapid industrialization and infrastructure development, is a focal point for market expansion. Innovations in materials and technology are key focal points for businesses in this dynamic market, aiming to enhance product performance and maintain a competitive edge.

This information is provided by Fortune Business Insights, in its report, titled, Actuators Market, 2023-2029.

Get a Sample Research PDF:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/actuators-market-103531

List of Key Players Covered in the Actuators Market Report:

ABB (Zurich, Switzerland)

MISUMI (Tokyo, Japan)

TAMAGAWA SEIKI Co. Ltd. (Nagano, Japan)

Moog Inc. (New York, U.S.)

Eaton Corporation Inc. (Ohio, U.S.)

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (Wisconsin, U.S.)

SMC Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)

Emerson Electric Co. (Missouri, U.S.)

Parker Hannifin Corporation (Ohio, U.S.)

Curtiss-Wright Corporation (North Carolina, U.S.)

Rotork PLC (Bath, U.K.)

Venture MFG Co. (Ohio, U.S.)

Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 12.5% 2029 Value Projection USD 98.92 Billion Market Size in 2022 USD 44.60 Billion Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 221 Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Company Profiles, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and Latest Trends Segments Covered By Type

By Motion

By Application

By End-Use Industry Regions Covered North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa Actuators Market Growth Drivers Increasing Commercial Aircraft Deliveries to Fuel Market Growth Growing Industrial Automation Expected to Increase the Demand for Actuators

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/actuators-market-103531

Actuators Market Segmentation:



Type:

Electric Actuators

Pneumatic Actuators

Hydraulic Actuators

Application:

Industrial Automation

Automotive

Aerospace

Healthcare

Robotics

Others

End-User:

Manufacturing

Oil and Gas

Energy and Utilities

Healthcare

Automotive

Others

Region:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Get a Quote Now:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/get-a-quote/actuators-market-103531

Report Coverage:

The report offers an expanded review of prime players and their insightful tactics to bolster market growth for economic profits. It further mentions concrete insights that guide entrepreneurs with their investment plans. The regional aspects and their crucial role in leading the market in a mounting curve are discussed in the following report. Furthermore, COVID-19 influences have been added for additional information and how it is estimated to impact the demand for actuators in the future.

Detailed Table of Contents:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Emerging Trends

Key Insights Key Industry Developments Mergers, Acquisitions and Partnerships Latest technological Advancements Porters Five Forces Analysis Supply Chain Analysis

Quantitative Insights- Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Actuators Market Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Global Actuators Market Steps taken by Industry/ Companies/ Governments to overcome the impact Potential Opportunities Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Actuators Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2018-2029 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast - By Motion Linear Rotary Market Size Estimates and Forecast - By Type Hydraulic Pneumatic Electric Others Market Size Estimates and Forecast - By End-Use Industry Aerospace & Defense Automotive Construction Chemicals Food & Beverages Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Marine Mining Oil & Gas Power Generation Others Market Size Estimates and Forecast - By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World



TOC Continued...!

Driving Factors :

Rising Industrial Automation to Augment Demand for Actuators

With progressions in robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), the trend of automation has surged. An actuator is a crucial component utilized in all actuation systems, and it aids in automating various systems and processes in the automotive, food, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and medical industries. A surge in industrial automation is expected to fuel the actuators market growth through the predicted period.

Ask for Customization:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/actuators-market-103531

Regional Insights:

North America to Lead Backed by Presence of Prime Players in this Region

North America held the largest actuators market share in 2021 with a size of USD 12.87 billion. The growth is accredited to the existence of a well-settled and rising automotive industry and aircraft manufacturing units in the region.

The market in Asia Pacific is predicted to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period owing to the speedy industrialization and urbanization in the region.

The market for automotive actuators in Europe is also estimated to observe substantial growth as this region is the core of prime automobile producers such as BMW and Audi among others.

Competitive Landscape:

Crucial Players Sign Notable Contracts to Make Prominent Alterations in Market

The players functioning in the market often deploy various tactics that will assist the market growth and product demand. Among the abundantly available strategies, one such remarkable strategy to safeguard the business prospect is engaging in multimillion deals with government organizations and other players and thereby securing a profitable revenue for their own company.

Speak to Our Expert:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/actuators-market-103531

Key Industry Development:

December 2021: Rotork PLC engaged in a deal with Milano San Rocco Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to produce and supply Rotork IQ electric modulating actuators.

Read Related Insights:

Aircraft Actuator Market to Hit USD 32.16 Billion by 2030 | At a CAGR of 8.06%

Aircraft Hangar Market to Worth USD 1,000.6 Million by 2029 | Fortune Business Insights

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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Attachment
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP (Scott+Scott), an international securities and consumer rights litigation firm, is investigating whether certain directors and officers of Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon) (NYSE: VZ) breached their fiduciary duties to Verizon and its shareholders. If you are a Verizon shareholder, you may contact attorney Joe Pettigrew for additional information toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.



Scott+Scott is investigating whether members of Verizons board of directors or senior management failed to manage Verizon in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to Verizon, and whether Verizon and its shareholders have suffered damages as a result.

On July 26, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were investigating potential health risks from lead-sheathed telecom cables used for decades by Verizon, among other telecom companies.

What You Can Do

If you are a Verizon shareholder, you may have legal claims against Verizons directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at 844-818-6982, or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com.

About Scott+Scott

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

600 W. Broadway, Suite 3300

San Diego, CA 92101

844-818-6982

jpettigrew@scott-scott.com
PHOENIX, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planatome, a medical device company that applies atomic-level polishing from the semiconductor industry to create advanced surgical blades that lead to better patient outcomes, today announced the closing of its $5M Series A equity investment round. The company also announced that it secured an additional $1 million convertible venture debt commitment.



Planatome will use the funds to hire top-level commercial talent for its cutting-edge products, expand manufacturing capacity, and create new business lines by deploying its proprietary polishing technology to a variety of surgical cutting instruments.

"Our momentum is building, and this funding will fuel market activation by enabling us to reach more surgeons, as well as more rapidly expand additional product design efforts," said David Husband, Planatomes chief financial officer. During the early Covid lockdowns, with virtually all surgical procedures canceled or delayed, we utilized the time to further refine our blade design for the benefit of surgeons as well as patients. Now, with this investment in hand, great surgeon feedback and the healthcare industry back to normal, we are well prepared for rapid growth.

Our technology is elegant in its simplicity. For medical and non-medical persons alike, it has remarkable, widespread appeal since it is so highly intuitive  weve removed jagged features that saw through tissue, which produces a much-improved healing response, said Tim Tobin, Planatomes chief executive officer. This is a pivotal stage in our companys evolution as we expand Planatomes reach and introduce additional highly refined products that will set new standards of patient care on a global basis and push the boundaries of whats possible.

Planatomes patented surface modification technology is based on chemical mechanical planarization, a process used to planarize silicon wafers in advanced chip manufacturing. When applied in the medical field, this dramatically improves the surface smoothness of surgical blades by a factor of 1,000 or more. These blades have proven to be a low-trauma, high-precision surgical tool. Data has shown that surgeons who use Planatome blades see less soft tissue damage at the incision, less closing resistance, cleaner margins, and fewer complications. Their patients experience less inflammation, less pain, and faster healing with less scarring. The blades have approval for use in the United States and South Korea and have recently been approved for use by several hospitals and surgicenters.

The company will actively leverage its technology for other medical device applications, including surgical scissors, laparoscopic tools, and robotic end effectors. Planatomes technology can also be adapted and applied to a number of industries with a wide range of products that could benefit from having an atomically smooth surface.

Planatome blades are now in production and may be purchased from Planatome directly. For more information, visit https://planatome.com.

To learn more about Planatome, follow the company on LinkedIn: Planatome.

About Planatome, LLC

Founded in 2017 by leaders from the medical device and semiconductor industries, Planatome is a medical device technology company based in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has patented a surface modification technology based on chemical mechanical planarization (CMP); a process used in advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing. Currently, the company uses this proprietary polishing technology to create smooth, low trauma, high precision surgical blades. The blades are in trial with surgeons around the country, which to date, have revealed the blades improve surgical procedures and patient outcomes. The company has new uses for its nano-polishing technology, both in and out of the medical device market. For more information, please visit www.planatome.com.

Agency Contact:

Kiterocket

Stephanie Quinn

T: 480-316-8370

E: squinn@kiterocket.com
Visiongain has published a new report entitled Military Radar System Market Report 2024-2034: Forecasts by Component Type (Active Components, Passive Components), by Range (Short-Range Radar, Medium-Range Radar, Long-Range Radar), by Platform (Land-Based Radar, Airborne Radar, Naval Radar, Space-Based Radar), by Technology (Pulse-Doppler Radar, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Continuous Wave (CW) Radar, Passive Radar, Other), by Frequency Band (X-Band Radar, S-Band Radar, L-Band Radar, C-Band Radar, Ku-Band Radar, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

The global military radar system market was valued at US$12.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period 2024-2034.

Demand for Long-Range Surveillance and Early Warning Systems

Long-range surveillance and early warning systems are critical for military defence strategies. Radar systems with extended detection ranges provide valuable time for military forces to respond to potential threats. For example, long-range radars are essential components of ballistic missile defence systems, enabling countries to detect and intercept incoming missiles. Nations invest significantly in radar technologies capable of covering vast areas, ensuring early detection and swift responses to threats, thereby driving market growth.

Download Exclusive Sample of Report

https://www.visiongain.com/report/military-radar-system-market-2024/#download_sampe_div

How has COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the Military Radar System Market?

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 brought unprecedented challenges to economies and industries worldwide, and the military radar system market was no exception. As governments across the globe shifted their focus and resources toward combating the health crisis and supporting affected populations, the defence sector, including radar system procurement, experienced disruptions. Lockdowns, supply chain interruptions, and budget reallocations significantly impacted the production and acquisition of military radar systems.

One of the immediate impacts of COVID-19 was supply chain disruptions. Many defence companies rely on a complex global supply chain, and the pandemic disrupted the flow of critical components and materials. This led to delays in the production and delivery of radar systems, affecting ongoing contracts and new orders. Defence agencies and manufacturers had to adapt to these challenges by diversifying supply sources and enhancing resilience in their supply chains.

Furthermore, the economic fallout from the pandemic prompted governments to reconsider their defence budgets. Many countries faced increased healthcare and economic support expenses, which led to budget constraints in the defence sector. Consequently, some planned radar system acquisitions and upgrades were deferred or scaled back. This temporary reduction in defence spending had a noticeable impact on the radar system market's growth rate.

How will this Report Benefit you?

Visiongains 458-page report provides 131 tables and 215 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the global military radar system market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for military radar system. Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including component type, range, platform, technology, frequency band and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing military radar system market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.

What are the Current Market Drivers?

Increasing Investment in National Defence Driving the Market Growth

In recent years, there has been a notable upswing in the level of investment dedicated to national defence across the globe. Governments and nations recognize the importance of safeguarding their territories and interests in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. Consequently, there has been a significant uptick in budget allocations toward bolstering defence capabilities. This surge in defence spending encompasses a range of sectors, with radar systems emerging as a pivotal focus area. The heightened investment in national defence is primarily driven by the need to modernize and upgrade defence infrastructure to counter evolving threats, which, in turn, has contributed to the growth of the military radar system market.

Increasing Procurement of Advanced Defence Systems Driving the Market Growth

The global defence landscape is undergoing a transformation marked by the increasing procurement of advanced defence systems. Modern warfare demands sophisticated and technologically advanced solutions to address evolving threats, including cyberattacks, drones, and hypersonic missiles. As a result, defence agencies and armed forces worldwide are ramping up their efforts to acquire cutting-edge defence systems, including state-of-the-art radar technology.

The procurement of advanced radar systems is a strategic imperative for military forces, as these systems provide critical capabilities such as long-range surveillance, target tracking, and missile defence. The demand for advanced radar systems extends beyond traditional military applications and includes civil and commercial applications such as air traffic control and weather monitoring. This growing need for advanced radar solutions is propelling the military radar system market forward, with manufacturers and suppliers continually innovating to meet the evolving requirements of defence agencies and civil aviation authorities.

Get Detailed ToC

https://www.visiongain.com/report/military-radar-system-market-2024/

Where are the Market Opportunities?

Rising Security Concerns Around the Border

In recent years, the global security landscape has undergone significant changes, with a notable increase in security concerns along national borders. This surge in border-related security issues has played a pivotal role in driving the demand for military radar systems. Nations across the world are grappling with challenges such as illegal border crossings, smuggling, and other illicit activities. To counter these threats effectively, governments and defence agencies are turning to advanced radar technologies.

Military radar systems have proven indispensable in enhancing border security. They provide real-time situational awareness, enabling early detection of unauthorized border crossings, low-flying aircraft, and even drones used for surveillance or smuggling. As a result, governments are investing heavily in radar systems that offer a comprehensive view of their borders, ensuring rapid response to potential threats. This heightened demand for border security solutions is a significant factor propelling the growth of the military radar system market.

Interoperability and Network-Centric Warfare

The trend towards network-centric warfare, where various military assets are interconnected for seamless communication and collaboration, drives the demand for interoperable radar systems. Radar systems that can integrate into a broader military network enhance situational awareness and enable coordinated responses. For example, radar systems integrated with air defense networks can efficiently track and intercept hostile aircraft or missiles. Interoperability ensures that radar data can be shared and utilized across different military platforms, enhancing the overall defense capabilities of a nation and propelling the global military radar system market.

Competitive Landscape

The major players operating in the military radar system market are Aselsan, Bharat Electronics Limited, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, Denel SOC Ltd, Elbit Systems Ltd, Hensoldt AG, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leonardo S.p.A, Lockheed Martin Corporation, NEC Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Saab AB, Thales Group. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch.

Recent Developments

15 Sept 2023, Raytheon Technologies has won $651 million contract to deliver SPY-6 radar systems to the U.S. Navy

01 Sept 2023, Lockheed Martin released the AN/SPY-7 radar system for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's Aegis Ashore program.

15 Aug 2023, Northrop Grumman awarded $341 million contract to develop, test and deliver a Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) in support of the U.S. Space Force's Space Domain Awareness mission.





To access the data contained in this document please email contactus@visiongain.com

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Dallas, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dickeys Barbecue Pit recently hosted franchise Owner/Operators from all corners of the world at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.

With the barbecue brand continuing its global expansion, it was time to bring these Owner/Operators together for an international meet up. Dickeys welcomed brand partners from across Canada, Brazil, and the Philippines for a three-day summit to collaborate with the Dickeys executives and departments heads, to take a tour of WD Provisions, Dickeys state-of-the-art supply and distribution facility, as well as attending the Dickey Foundations annual Denim & Diamonds Fundraiser event. Additionally, the were joined by Dickeys Owner/Operators from Texas, New York, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Montana, Washington, Illinois, and Louisiana who also traveled to Dallas to enjoy the festivities.

The opportunity for our international partners to learn, share and engage with each other and Dickeys team members, as well as domestic Owner/Operators was one-half of the fantastic event, said Jim Perkins, Executive Vice President International Development & Support. The other half occurred around the dinner table, outside of work, over barbecue and traditional Texas activities. It was simply three very days well spent in Dallas that is certain to benefit the future of the brand as a whole.

Dickeys continues to expand their brands presence across the globe with locations in 41 states, 7 countries, and over 700 restaurants across all Dickeys Barbecue and virtual brands, worldwide.

For more about Dickeys, follow Dickeys Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickeys Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

For Dickeys Virtual Concepts follow Wing Boss on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok; Trailer Birds on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok ; and Big Deal Burger on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok .

About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the worlds largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by the Dickey family. For the past 82 years, Dickeys Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests in 41 states Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickeys, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickeys proudly believes theres no shortcut to true barbecue and its why our name isnt BBQ. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers eight slow-smoked meats and 12 wholesome sides with No B.S. (Bad Stuff) included. Dickeys Barbecue has over 500 restaurants across the United States.

Dickeys was named to Newsweeks 2022 Americas Favorite Restaurant Chains list and USA Today 2021 readers choice awards. Dickeys won first place on Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, been named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur and named to Hospitality Technologys Industry Heroes list. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the countrys 50 most influential women in foodservice in Nations Restaurant News, was recognized by Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list and honored by Dallas Business Journal. Dickeys Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and QSR Magazine. Dickeys Barbecue is part of Dickeys Restaurant Brands which has more than 700 restaurants nationwide including brands Wing Boss, Trailer Birds, Big Deal Burger and bbqathome.com. DRB is led by CEO Roland Dickey Jr. For more information, visit dickeys.com.

# # #

Attachment
MIRAMICHI, New Brunswick, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SLAM Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: SXL) (SLAM or the Company) is pleased to announce it has signed an arms length binding term sheet with St-Georges Eco-Mining Corp. (CSE: SX) (St-Georges) to give SLAM the option to acquire a 51% interest in the Notre Dame Niobium Critical Mineral Project (the Notre Dame Project). The Notre Dame Project is located 110 km northwest of the only niobium producing mine in North-America: the Niobec niobium mine in Quebec.

Project Highlights:

Niobium and Rare Earth Element (REE): St-Georges identified niobium and REEs associated with pegmatites and carbonatites.

Niobium and REEs: Grab samples range up to 2,320 ppm niobium (0.33% Nb2O5) with 3,901 ppm total REE including 1,726 ppm heavy REE and 2,175 ppm light REE.

Four anomalous areas: Four target areas of anomalous niobium and rare earths have been identified for follow-up.

Aeromagnetic signature: The niobium and REE occurrences are all associated with a 10-kilometre-long oval shaped aeromagnetic anomaly.

Notre Dame Project: The project covers 6,404 hectares (64 km) comprised of 116 mineral claims.

Infrastructure: The project is accessible through a network of logging roads.

Ready for Drilling Campaign: SLAM intends to complete additional prospecting and sampling in preparation for a trenching and drilling program.



SLAM President Mike Taylor states: The Notre Dame Project is an exciting acquisition for SLAM. Several occurrences of niobium and REEs are reported from pegmatites and carbonatites with a distinctive aeromagnetic signature. This is a key acquisition as SLAM builds up niobium, rare earth and lithium assets in the critical element space.





Image 1: Notre Dame Project

About Niobium

Niobium is used as an alloy element in steels and superalloys. The ability to withstand high temperature makes its usage common in aerospace applications. Niobium-tin and niobium-titanium are used to make superconducting magnets. These magnets are critical components in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Niobium is a potential additive or alternative battery metal for use in electric vehicles and is used to stabilize the cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. Demand for niobium is expected to increase along with the growing EV battery industry. According to Metal.com Niobium Pentoxide is currently trading in the US dollar range $48.76 to $50.15 per kilogram.





Image 2: Niobium Oxide Minerals In Carbonatite At Notre Dame Project

Terms of the Agreement

The term Sheet gives SLAM the option to earn 51% in and to the Notre Dame Project by making the following cash payments and share issuances to St-Georges, in addition to making qualified work expenditures:

Issuance of 500,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges upon regulatory approval from the TSX-V.

Payment of $25,000 cash and issuance of 500,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges on or before March 31st, 2024.

Payment of $25,000 cash and issuance of 1,000,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges on or before the 1st anniversary date of a definitive option agreement.

Engage $300,000 in qualified exploration work before the 2nd anniversary of a definitive option agreement.

Upon completion of the above cash, share and work expenditures to earn a 51% interest in and to the Notre Dame Project, the parties may elect to operate the project as a 51/49 joint venture (JV). Alternatively, St-Georges has the option to grant SLAM the remaining 49% ownership interest in the Notre Dame Project by issuing 1,000,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges.

If a JV is formed, the parties will jointly fund the project. If a party declines participation in a duly planned work program, then the declining partys interest will revert to a 2% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty.

If a party reverts to a 2% NSR holding, the other party will pay that party a NSR of 2%. The other party will hold the right to buy back half of the NSR for $1,000,000.

In the event that SLAM purchases a 100% interest in and to the Notre Dame Project by making the 4th payment referenced above, St-Georges will retain a NSR of 2%. SLAM will hold the right to buy back half of the NSR for $1,000,000.

Finders fees of 300,000 common shares of SLAM will be paid to an arms length party. Completion of the acquisition remains subject to entering into a definitive option agreement and the proposed share issuances remain subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. All security issuances will be subject to a statutory hold period of 4 months and one day from issuance in accordance with Canadian securities laws.

About SLAM Exploration Ltd:



The Notre Dame Project is a significant addition to SLAMs critical element portfolio, including its 4700 hectare Ear Falls lithium project adjacent to Beyond Lithiums Ear Falls project in the Dryden area of northwestern Ontario. Beyond Lithium has started trenching on a new discovery where they reported grab samples up to 4.54% lithium less than 10 kilometres along strike from SLAMs Ear Falls project.

SLAM also holds the Cumberland REE project as well as a large portfolio of gold projects in the mineral-rich province of New Brunswick. Exploration for gold along regional fault structures has resulted in significant gold discoveries. These include the Maisie gold vein system at SLAMs wholly owned Menneval project. In addition, SLAM has identified an area with high potential for gold discoveries in southern New Brunswick where the Company acquired the Shadow Lake, Jake Lee, Rogers Lake and Highway projects. These projects have potential for Rare Earth Element (REE) minerals as well as cobalt, silver and base metals.

The Company holds NSR royalties and expects additional cash and share payments on the Wedge, Goodwin, Ramsay and Ferguson projects in the mineral rich Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. The Company holds NSR royalties and may receive addition cash and share payments on the Reserve Creek and Opikeigen gold projects.

To view SLAMs corporate presentation, click SXL-Presentation. Additional information is available on SLAMs website SLAM and SEDAR+ filings at www.sedarplus.ca. Follow us on twitter @SLAMGold.

QA-QC Procedures: Grab samples were collected by consulting geologists through Magnor Exploration that acted as St-Georges exploration contractor. The samples were collected primarily from outcropping mineralization with occasional sampling from float boulders. The samples were sent directly to ALS laboratory in Montreal, with additional assays carried out in their Vancouver complex. For QC confirmation, ALS used a total of 89 blanks, standards and duplicates during assaying of the 218 samples submitted. ALS used analytical method MS61 to test for a wide range of trace elements. A number of elements including niobium were above the upper limit using this method. The samples were also analyzed using MS81 to provide analysis with higher limits for the Rare Earth elements and niobium.

Qualifying Statements: Mike Taylor P.Geo, President and CEO of SLAM Exploration Ltd., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the contents of this news release.

Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements regarding mineral resources and the Companys plans with respect to the exploration and development of its properties. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. There are a number of risk factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those described herein. Information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mike Taylor, President & CEO

Contact: 506-623-8960 mike@slamexploration.com



Eugene Beukman, CFO

Contact: 604-687-2038 ebeukman@pendergroup.ca SEDAR+: 00012459

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77e1b61a-ca89-4642-81fd-f9e90aab1a04



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88aa9310-9853-42d0-8bef-f8e768ea222c


CENTENNIAL, Colo., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knott Laboratory, an industry leader in forensic engineering and animation for more than 40 years, was commissioned to create the digital reconstruction of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to test the "single bullet theory" from the historic Warren Commission report. They have released their findings in advance of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.



President Kennedy was famously assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX. The Warren Commission was assembled to investigate the shooting and issued a report in 1964 finding that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman, firing a total of three shots in the incident. However, evidence suggests the potential of a fourth shot from another location indicating a second gunman and a wider conspiracy to kill the president.

Knott Laboratory was hired by John Orr, a former Justice Department attorney, who conducted his own investigation as a private citizen, making trips to the National Archives to review every document available, and even being permitted to examine original evidence such as the presidents shirt. In 1995, Orr sent his report to then Attorney General Janet Reno, which did achieve some reexamination of the evidence by the FBI, but ultimately didnt lead to anything new or conclusive. Once Orr hired Knott in 2018, modern science was able to corroborate his theory.

The "single bullet theory" concluded that one of the three shots fired from the window by Oswald struck both President Kennedy and Governor Connally. The report stated that the bullet hit Kennedy in the back, exited his neck, entered Governor Connally in the right armpit, exited his chest, went through his right wrist and embedded in his left thigh.

To reconstruct the scene with modern technology, the Knott Laboratory experts conducted a high-definition laser scan of Dealey Plaza to generate a point cloud of up to two million points per second, to accurately measure point-to-point anywhere in the scene. Knott Laboratory also obtained historic photographic evidence from the plaza, the limousine, and the "Zapruder film," which is widely known as the best video footage of the incident in its entirety.

From this point cloud, the team of forensic engineers was able to match images from the scene and the Zapruder film using a process called photogrammetry. They modeled the presidential limousine using multiple photographs and established the correct dimensions of the vehicle. Through a process called match moving, they synced frames from the Zapruder film into the digital recreation of the scene. The match moving enabled the alignment of the digital models of Kennedy and Connally in the vehicle to establish their positions frame by frame throughout the incident.

With the ability to measure distances, locations and angles from the point cloud, we could develop the exact trajectory between Oswald's shooting position and points on each body, said Stanley Stoll, CEO & Principal Engineer of Knott Laboratory. Our team tested bullet trajectories using the two frames from the Zapruder film where the first shots occurred and the known entry and exit points on Kennedy and Connally.

Stoll continued, The shooting position, bullet exit point on President Kennedy, and entry point on Governor Connally should all be reasonably in line. When drawing this line from the sixth floor perch of the Texas Book Depository to the positions of the two men and their entry/exit points, we found a significant angle difference. This case is ongoing, but evidence strongly suggests there is more to the story in this historic event. Modern science refutes the Warren Commissions findings on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

About Knott Laboratory

Knott Laboratory has been an industry leader in forensic engineering for over 40 years. The company is comprised of structural and mechanical engineers, fire and explosion investigators, forensic animators, accident reconstructionists, and digital media forensics experts. This unique combination of expertise allows the company to serve a wide variety of industries, such as, attorneys, insurance companies, construction, community management and law enforcement. Each project is assigned a team suited to the particular needs of the case and client. Knott Laboratory then provides investigation, analysis, animation production, and expert witness testimony.

The company is headquartered in Centennial, CO with locations in Atlanta, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Grand Junction, and Phoenix. To learn more, visit www.knottlab.com.

Media Contact: Jackie Reau, Game Day

(513) 708-5822 | jreau@gamedaypr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc2c8dfe-96bb-4f4a-b10e-293c65e7d946
Reston, Virginia, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA), the nations largest career and technical student organization focused solely on business, is hosting the first of two annual Career Connections Conferences in Des Moines, Iowa from October 26 to 28. The three-day conference will allow attendees to meet with recruiters, prepare for the workforce with mock interviews, and network with other highly skilled students from across the country.

Des Moines is a rich and vibrant community perfect for those looking to expand their career prospects in the Midwest, with Forbes rating it the #1 city for young professionals, said Iowa FBLA Executive Director Kent Storm. Were delighted to see Iowa business and industry come out in full force to connect with the next generation of talent looking to become community-minded business leaders.

As part of the event, students will visit the Principal Financial Group for workshops on topics such as succeeding as a young professional and developing executive leadership skills, as well as information on corporate social responsibility, employee benefits, and personal finance planning. Attendees can also tour local businesses and take part in the Career Showcase & Expo (Sponsored by the Greater Des Moines Partnership) that includes Armstrong Teasdale, Bankers Trust, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP), EMC Insurance Company, Farm Bureau Financial Services, FORVIS, Goodwill of Central Iowa, Iowa Society of CPAs, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In addition, FBLA members will have the opportunity to engage in a business study case competition designed by the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants. The competition looks at the real-world issue of how to attract more students to the accounting profession. The top three teams will be recognized at the event.

As FBLA continues to reinvest in our Collegiate division, we are proud to bring this fantastic opportunity for workforce development to students in the heartland of America, FBLA President & CEO Alexander T. Graham said. The support weve received from leading Des Moines businesses and organizations in preparing for this event has been phenomenal and shows just how much companies are interested in our highly motivated and high-achieving students as future employees and future leaders.

FBLA is also sponsoring a Career Connections Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, November 30-December 2. Students at both conferences will be able to hear directly from industry professionals on topics such as finding a job, excelling in a first job, and developing their leadership style. They can also receive individual feedback on their resume and a professional headshot for their resume and LinkedIn profile.

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. For more information, visit fbla.org.
New York, United States, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A natural gas generator is a particular kind of generator that runs on natural gas rather than gasoline or diesel. It ignites fuel gas to create natural gas and other high-calorie gases. The global Natural Gas Generator Market size is projected to reach USD 18.47 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 11.23% from 2022 to 2030, states the Research Manager at Straits Research P. Ltd.



Many European nations are also turning conventional coal-fired power facilities into gas-fired generators to support clean energy initiatives. Following this pattern, it is anticipated that sales of natural gas-powered generators will increase profitably over the forecast period.

Get a Free Sample Copy of This Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/natural-gas-generator-market/request-sample

KEY DRIVERS

The economic growth of numerous Asian Pacific nations has been significantly influenced by the manufacturing sector. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) believes that if the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is carried out well, it will be a positive step toward a larger Asia Pacific Free Trade Area (FTAAP). The United States is the top producer and net exporter of natural gas in the world as a result of the shale gas revolution. In addition, China is consistently expanding its capital expenditures on sustainable energy sources to cut carbon emissions.

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Sustainable energy development programmes, international regulatory and governmental bodies have taken the lead in lowering the severity of pollution. By making investments in environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources, the initiative hopes to advance the state of the world economy. As a result, favourable government regulations and increased public awareness of global warming are anticipated to provide a lucrative market for natural gas generators and propel market expansion over the forecast period, respectively.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

The market in North America, where the United States was the main contributor to the natural gas generator market in the region, was estimated at USD 2,181.8 million in 2021. Large shale gas deposits, developed infrastructure for natural gas transportation, and the existence of well-known gas generator OEMs and EPC players, and these factors have emerged as the main growth drivers for the North American natural gas generator set market. Due to a number of factors, including the existence of shale gas reserves and the growing government emphasis on the development of clean energy sources.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to develop at the quickest rate during the projected period, with a CAGR of 14.0%. The demand for effective backup power systems is what drives the Asia Pacific market. Industrial generator sets are in great demand in the region because of the rapid growth of the industrial sectors in China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

Furthermore, government initiatives in India are supporting the development of industrial facilities, which is predicted to fuel a rise in the demand for gas generator sets for industrial uses throughout the course of the forecast period. However, due to government regulations to reduce carbon emissions brought on by the burning of diesel fuel, as well as a shift in the government's priorities toward the use of cleaner sources for power generation.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

By 2030, North America is anticipated to have the largest market share, with the Asia Pacific emerging as the fastest-growing market.

The manufacturing sector and a need for natural energy sources are some of the driving factors of the market.

This market can be segmented on the basis of power rating, application, region and competitors.

COMPETITORS ANALYSIS:

Important players in the sector are implementing a range of organic and inorganic growth strategies to diversify their service offerings and increase market share. Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Inc., Generac Power System, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kohler Co., Inc., General Electric, MTU-onsite Energy GMBH, Mahindra Powerol, Yanmar Co., Ltd., and Coopercorp Generators are a few well-known companies in the market for natural gas generators.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:

The Cat G3516 natural gas-powered Fast Response generator set, which has been approved for use in both emergency and non-emergency situations by the US EPA, was first offered by Caterpillar in January 2022.

In January 2022, ClusterPower, a Romanian cloud service provider, received three combined cooling, heat, and power plant (CCHP) trigeneration units that were customised and containerised by MTU and delivered by Rolls-Royce and its distribution partner Knopf & Wallisch (K&W).

MARKET SEGMENTATION:

Power Rating Outlook:

Low Power Genset

Medium Power Genset

High Power Genset

Application Outlook:

Industrial

Commercial

Residential

Regional Outlook:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Central & South America

Middle East & Africa

Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/natural-gas-generator-market/segmentation

About Straits Research Pvt Ltd.

Straits Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision-makers. Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. provides actionable market research data, specially designed and presented for decision making and ROI.

Whether you are looking at business sectors in the next town or crosswise over continents, we understand the significance of being acquainted with the clients purchase. We overcome our clients issues by recognizing and deciphering the target group and generating leads with utmost precision. We seek to collaborate with our clients to deliver a broad spectrum of results through a blend of market and business research approaches.
Hong Kong: Moves made to boost education

Chief Executive John Lee today outlined measures in the Policy Address to strengthen Hong Kongs education and youth development.



International post-secondary education hub

From the 2024-25 academic year, the admission quota for non-local students to Government-funded post-secondary institutions will be doubled to 40%. As such, the schools may admit more non-local students, especially those from Belt & Road countries and the Mainland, and stand to expand capacity and enhance standards through quality teaching and supporting facilities.

To attract outstanding talent to study and conduct research in Hong Kong, $1 billion will be injected into the Government Scholarship Fund. By doing so, from the 2024-25 academic year, the quota for the Belt & Road Scholarship will increase by 50%, while the quota for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will increase by one-third gradually, from 300 to 400 places per academic year. At the same time, the Government will continue to support annually around 100 outstanding local students through the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme, under which they pursue studies in world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong to broaden their global perspectives.

As for local students, University Grants Committee-funded universities will take forward hostel projects to cumulatively provide about 13,500 additional hostel places by 2027. Next year, the Government will also start a new round of the Land Grant Scheme and Start up Loan Scheme which aim to support self-financing post-secondary institutions in developing and enhancing their campuses for supporting teaching and learning activities.

Separately, starting from this November, full-time non local postgraduate students will be temporarily exempted from the restrictions on taking up part time jobs. This arrangement will run on a trial basis for two years and benefit more than 35,000 students.

From the 2023-24 academic year, the University Grants Committee will also inject $100 million into the Funding Scheme for Mainland & Global Engagement & Student Learning Experience. This will encourage universities to offer more exchange and learning opportunities outside Hong Kong, and promote a diversified and inclusive international learning environment.

Additionally, the Government will take forward the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town where post-secondary institutions are encouraged to strengthen co-operation with renowned Mainland and overseas institutions, and create synergy by collaborating with the industry sector.

Universities of applied sciences

To raise the status of vocational and professional education and training to attain qualifications at university degree level, the Chief Executive unveiled a plan to facilitate the establishment of universities of applied sciences (UASs) in the Policy Address.

The Government, together with the Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications, will make reference to international experience and work to prescribe the standards to be qualified as a UAS, covering such aspects as admission, curriculum, accreditation, career articulation, and collaboration with the industry, he explained.

The Government will offer financial assistance as well as ancillary support, and give priority consideration to include eligible UAS programmes in the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors. To support existing self-financing institutions to develop into UASs, the Government will provide additional subsidies to encourage such schools to offer more applied degree programmes related to technical professions, and provide more incentives for enrolment. Furthermore, it will set aside a startup fund to support potential post-secondary institutions to form an Alliance of Universities in Applied Sciences to undertake joint promotional activities to instil in students, parents and the community a better appreciation of the importance of vocational and professional education and training.

Vocational talent pool

Mr Lee outlined that the Government will establish the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology, under the Vocational Training Council (VTC), focusing on pre-employment and on-the-job training for the information and technology sector. It will introduce programmes in the 2024-25 academic year.

Meanwhile, the VTC will, for a period of three years starting from the 2024-25 academic year, provide each registered apprentice with an additional monthly training allowance, and subsidise graduated apprentices in taking upskilling courses of relevant trades. Each of these subsidy arrangements will last for 36 months.

Hong Kong also will work with Mainland authorities on the mutual recognition of sub-degree level qualifications, including higher diploma qualifications, and will put the arrangement on trial for selected pilot areas.

Separately, the Chief Executive said the Government will further promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, including the introduction of the science subject in primary schools, with the curriculum framework to be announced in the 2023-24 school year for implementation from the 2025-26 school year. In addition, a programme in support of the mathematics curriculum will be rolled out in the 2023-24 school year.

Teacher, student support

The Government will strengthen co-operation with Mainland authorities and institutions to organise regular professional training, sharing and collaboration programmes; introduce new awards under the Chief Executives Award for Teaching Excellence to recognise teachers who are bold at innovation; and regularise the Relocation Grant for Kindergartens from the 2024-25 school year to help kindergartens move to government-owned premises.

Youth development

The Government will implement and enhance some 160 measures in the Youth Development Blueprint, and organise the Youth Development Summit in mid-2024 as the opening and highlight of the next Youth Festival. As various youth exchange and internship programmes in the Mainland and overseas continue, it will also establish the Alliance of Hong Kong Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurial Bases in the Greater Bay Area within this year to provide a one-stop information, publicity and exchange platform.

In addition, the Government will study the possibility of utilising facilities to provide Youth Link participants with a platform for constant interaction, including setting up multi-function areas, a youth culture and creativity bazaar, and small-scale performance spaces.

For the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum, diverse learning opportunities, exchange activities with Mainland universities as well as study tours will be organised, Mr Lee said, adding that an affiliated Leaders Forum Alumni Association will be formed.

This story has been published on: 2023-10-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Competitive Markets Action and the Organization for Competitive Markets released the following statement on the election of Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA, as Speaker of the House:

"We congratulate Speaker Johnson on being elected to lead the chamber closest to the American people and clearly see the hand of God at work," said Marty Irby, President & CEO of Competitive Markets Action and Board Secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets. "Mike Johnson is a tireless champion for Americans, conservative values, and most importantly an honorable Christian man who recognizes the value of American family farmers. We look forward to working with Speaker Johnson and his team on the upcoming Farm Bill and are elated to see he's already made it a top priority for 2023."

###

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.

Attachment
Washington D.C., U.S., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnerGeo Alliance supports U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) bill blocking the Rices whale critical habitat designation in the Gulf of Mexico. Further actions are needed to ensure peer-reviewed scientific analysis is conducted and industry is afforded the opportunity to contribute to agency deliberations. EnerGeos Scientific Director Dr. Alex Loureiro testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries on Oct. 25, 2023. During her remarks in support of Graves bill, Loureiro provided information proving the current proposal by the National Marine Fisheries Service is based on inadequate science and does not accurately reflect the intent of critical habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act. Her written testimony included, for the record, the submission of EnerGeos comment letter on NMFSs proposed critical habitat designation detailing the severe economic impacts across numerous industries that are likely to result without intervention from Congress.

Settling for an unscientific, overly broad critical habitat designation ultimately fails the species, and limits our ability to provide appropriate protection to individuals and the population, said Loureiro.

Previously, Rices whales were considered a Gulf of Mexico subspecies of Brydes whales. NMFS estimates a population of about 51 Rices whales. Loureiro says theres no evidence to support that the population is declining, nor that the population is vulnerable to a specific anthropogenic threat. However, despite inadequate information, NMFS is proposing a critical habitat designation for over 28,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. This accounts for more than 500 square miles per whale. The agency fails to prove Rices whales occupy this entire area. Loureiro testified that sightings and acoustic detections of Rices whales occur with disproportionate frequency in the northeastern gulf in the De Soto Canyon area, along the continental shelf break between the 100- to 400-meter isobath.

Nearly all documented Rices whale visual detections have occurred in this area, and therefore, mitigation measures intended to reduce the risk of ship strikes in this region are appropriate, said Loureiro.

EnerGeo Alliance leads an industry-driven effort to monitor marine mammal interactions during industry operations across the Gulf of Mexico through the Gulf of Mexico Proactive Regulatory and Observational Program. The alliance supports mitigation efforts in the De Soto Canyon area including visual monitoring, reporting transit plans, speed restrictions and avoiding nighttime transit. However, expanding the Rices whale area throughout the entire central and western Gulf of Mexico will not only fail to provide additional protection for Rices whales, but will also cause detrimental effects to other species and global emissions reduction goals.

Rep. Graves common-sense bill would correctly pause agency actions stemming from a stipulated settlement agreement and require peer-reviewed scientific analysis with a robust consultation process. Furthermore, the legislation would require the long-overdue revised Incidental Take Regulation for geoscience activities in the Gulf of Mexico to be issued, and specifically to include a correction of the erroneous estimates of incidental take of marine mammals anticipated from the activities analyzed.

###

About the EnerGeo Alliance

Founded in 1971, the EnerGeo Alliance is a global trade association for the energy geoscience

industry, the intersection where earth science and energy meet. The EnerGeo Alliance and its

member companies span more than 50 countries, and together, unify to open the gateway to the

safe discovery, development and delivery of mainstay sources of energy, alternative energy and

low-carbon energy solutions that meet our growing worlds needs.
Ottawa, ON, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Metis National Council (MNC) continues to publicly support Bill C-53, An Act respecting the recognition of certain Metis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. MNC President Cassidy Caron reiterates her support for this Bill as it reaches the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs for discussion. President Caron will continue to support the Metis governments pursuit of Riels vision of self-government.

Bill C-53 affirms the self-government agreements the Metis Nation  Saskatchewan, Metis Nation of Alberta, and the Metis Nation of Ontario signed with Canada in 2019 and 2023, which recognize Metis self-determination. This bill lays the path for Section 35 based Treaties providing jurisdiction over internal matters of Metis governance, such as Metis citizenship, Metis elections, Metis government structures, and Metis child and family services.

President Caron has spoken at length with Members of Parliament and expressed her support of the Bill during its tabling in June, throughout the summer, and this past week during MNCs Advocacy Week. During these discussions, President Caron emphasized that, The role of the MNC is to protect and uphold the rights of Metis citizens across the Homeland. This includes supporting C-53, establishing the expert panel, and ensuring that Metis rights, including the right to self-determination, are advanced and respected.

In 2021, the MNC General Assembly directed the establishment of an Expert Panel to protect the territorial integrity of the historic and modern day Metis Nation. The Expert Panel has a mandate to review the history of six Ontario Metis communities recognized by the Metis Nation of Ontario in 2017 through the lens of the National Definition and contemporary Metis governance. This process, which acknowledges and respects the Metis Nations right to make these determinations as a Nation, has begun and the Panel will provide updates to the General Assembly later this year.

Bill C-53 will ensure that even as federal and provincial governments come and go, the recognition of Metis self-government will not be subject to political whims. Bill C-53 fulfills the promise made to the Metis through Section 35 by establishing a process to conclude constitutionally protected Treaties. Its passage is reconciliation in action, it advances the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and puts to rest Canadas 150 years long denial of the Metis as self-governing people.

-30-

Since 1983, the Metis National Council has been the national and international voice of the Metis Nation within Canada. Through the Canada-Metis Nation Accord, the MNC advocates on behalf of its Governing Membersthe democratically elected Metis Governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbiato advance Metis rights and interests within their respective jurisdictions, including the implementation of the Metis Nations inherent right to self-determination and self-government. The MNC is committed to accountability and transparency within its operations, and to its relationships with MNC Governing Members. Cassidy Caron is the President of the Metis National Council.
Stellantis to Become a Strategic Shareholder of Leapmotor with 1.5 Billion Investment and Bolster Leapmotors Global Electric Vehicle Business

Leveraging the strengths of both companies, Stellantis and Leapmotor give birth to a strategic global relationship that aims at creating a highly competitive and highly efficient EV mobility powerhouse in China and around the world

Companies intend to establish the Leapmotor International joint venture designed to accelerate and expand global sales of Leapmotors high-tech, cost-efficient products by leveraging Stellantis extensive assets and commercial know-how around the globe

Leapmotor is among the fastest growing Chinese pure-play new energy vehicles (NEVs) tech leaders with a unique vertical integration model and full-suite of in-house R&D and manufacturing capabilities

Stellantis is one of the largest mobility companies, ranking among the most profitable and efficient automakers worldwide

Stellantis will leverage Leapmotors tech-first EV ecosystem in China to help meet core Dare Forward 2030 electrification targets, while remaining open to exploring further synergies with its partner

Stellantis investment enables it to acquire approximately 20% equity stake, making it a significant shareholder and giving it two Board of Directors seats

AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, October 26, 2023  Stellantis N.V. and Leapmotor today announced that Stellantis plans to invest ca. 1.5 billion to acquire approximately 20% of Leapmotor, making Stellantis a significant shareholder. The deal also outlines the formation of Leapmotor International, a 51/49 Stellantis-led joint venture that has exclusive rights for the export and sale, as well as manufacturing, of Leapmotor products outside Greater China. This will be an industry-first global electric vehicle relationship between a leading automaker and a Chinese pure-play NEV OEM.

The partnership aims to further boost Leapmotors sales in China, the biggest market in the world, while leveraging Stellantis established global commercial presence to significantly accelerate Leapmotor brand sales in other regions, starting with Europe. Stellantis intends to leverage Leapmotors highly innovative, cost-efficient EV ecosystem in China to help meet core Dare Forward 2030 electrification targets, with the possibility to further explore mutually beneficial synergies. The joint venture expects to begin shipments in the second half of 2024.

The two companies consider Leapmotors EV product offering to be complementary to Stellantis current technology and portfolio of iconic brands and will bring more affordable mobility solutions to global customers. Stellantis will have two seats on Leapmotors Board of Directors and will appoint the CEO of the Leapmotor International joint venture.

As consolidation unfolds among the capable electric vehicles start-ups in China, it becomes increasingly apparent that a handful of efficient and agile new generation EV players, like Leapmotor, will come to dominate the mainstream segments in China, said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. We feel its the perfect time to take a leading role in supporting the global expansion plans of Leapmotor, one of the most impressive new EV players who has a similar tech-first, entrepreneurial mindset to ours. Through this strategic investment, we can address a white space in our business model and benefit from Leapmotors competitiveness both in China and abroad. I want to thank Mr. Zhu Jiangming and the teams from both sides of our great companies for their leadership and collaboration in creating this new opportunity for both of us.

Today it is a great milestone in Leapmotors history, and I am thrilled to witness this moment together with Mr. Tavares and his team, said Leapmotor Founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming. Developed with our in-house, full-suite technology capabilities, Leapmotor brings to the market the best-in-class EV products in a most cost competitive way. We believe in win-win partnerships formed by strong players in the fast-evolving environment. Working with Stellantis, we will continue to be innovative and creative in technology and business synergies and will bring Leapmotor EV cars to the global market.

Focused on the mid-to-high end market, being the largest and fastest-growing segment in China, Leapmotor delivered approximately 111,000 NEV units in 2022, putting it into the first tier among Chinas NEV pure-play automakers. In the next three years, Leapmotors product plan is expected to cover the full range of A- to-E segments, based on one technical architecture with three highly scalable platforms with BEV and Range Extender EV powertrains.

Leapmotor was the worlds first pure-play EV company to implement Cell-to-Chassis technology on a large scale, and its  Four-Leaf Clover  Leap 3.0 central-controlled new electric and electronic architecture achieves seamless and efficient collaboration within the core components of smart EVs. Its unique vertical integration model maximizes scalability, enabling Leapmotor to quickly respond to customer needs.

Founded in early 2021, but combining more than a century of experience, Stellantis has 14 iconic automotive brands and two mobility businesses that aim to provide clean, safe and affordable freedom of mobility to all leveraging industrial operations in more than 30 countries with customers in more than 130 markets. In 2022, Stellantis shipped over 6 million vehicles with Net revenues of 179.5 billion and Net profit of 16.8 billion. In the first half of 2023 , the Company had Net revenues of 98.4 billion and Net profit of 10.9 billion and one of the highest Adjusted operating income (AOI) margins in the industry at 14.4%.

Stellantis is investing more than 50 billion over the next decade in electrification to deliver on the Dare Forward 2030 targets of reaching a 100% passenger car BEV sales mix in Europe and 50% passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030. To achieve these sales targets, the Company is securing approximately 400 GWh of battery capacity, including support from six battery manufacturing plants in North America and Europe. Stellantis is on track to become a carbon net zero corporation by 2038, all scopes included, with single-digit percentage compensation of remaining emissions. In parallel to this strategic move, Stellantis remains committed to its asset-light business model for its foreign brands in China.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Investment Community Conference Call

Stellantis and Leapmotor will each separately host conference calls for their respective analysts and investors. Details on timing and instructions for accessing these events are available on the respective corporate websites investor relations pages (www.stellantis.com and www.leapmotor.com).

# # #

About Leapmotor

Leapmotor is an NEV company based in China that possesses full-suite R&D capabilities in NEVs core technologies. The Company researches and develops, manufactures and sells NEVs, and at the same time researches and develops and manufactures EIC core components. With an aim to maximize user value, it strives to provide products and services which deliver superior experience beyond expectation. Leapmotor launched the dual-model layout of battery electric + extended-range in 2023. It has currently mass-produced three electric vehicles, including smart BEV T03, best-in-class smart electric SUV C11 and deluxe smart electric sedan C01, and extended-range versions of the C11 and C01 for sale. In September this year, Leapmotor made its first global model C10 and brand new technology debut at IAA MOBILITY 2023 in Munich, embarking on its journey of globalization. As an icon of Chinas emerging NEV manufacturers, Leapmotor is opening up more possibilities for future travel with continuous efforts in technological innovation.

About Stellantis

Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM / Euronext Paris: STLAP) is one of the world's leading automakers and a mobility provider. Its storied and iconic brands embody the passion of their visionary founders and todays customers in their innovative products and services, including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep  , Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. Powered by our diversity, we lead the way the world moves  aspiring to become the greatest sustainable mobility tech company, not the biggest, while creating added value for all stakeholders as well as the communities in which it operates. For more information, visit www.stellantis.com.

For more information, contact:

Stellantis Communications

Bertrand BLAISE +33 6 33 72 61 86  bertrand.blaise@stellantis.com

Fernao SILVEIRA +31 6 43 25 43 41  fernao.silveira@stellantis.com

Chao WANG  chao.wang1@stellantis.com

communications@stellantis.com

www.stellantis.com

Leapmotor Communications

Michael Wu +86 1951 890 1971  Michael_wu@leapmotor.com

Zhou Ying +86 156 5888 5520  Zhou_ying@leapmotor.com

pr@leapmotor.com

www.leapmotor.com





Attachment
VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2023 - Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ("Wheaton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Wheaton Precious Metals International Ltd. ("WPMI") has entered into a definitive Precious Metals Purchase Agreement (the "Silver Stream") with Waterton Copper Corp., a subsidiary of Waterton Copper LP ("Waterton Copper") in respect to its 100% owned Mineral Park Mine located in Arizona, USA (the "Project" or "Mineral Park").

"Wheaton is excited to bring Mineral Park back into our portfolio given our long history with the mine, particularly given the work Waterton Copper has done to optimize the operation," said Randy Smallwood, Wheaton's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our unique understanding of Mineral Park, and its potential, positions us well to assist Waterton Copper in bringing the mine back into production in a sustainable manner. As global efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy accelerate, critical metals, such as copper, that are produced responsibly within politically stable jurisdictions, have never been more important.

"Waterton Copper is delighted to have Wheaton Precious Metals' support," said Isser Elishis, Executive Chairman of Waterton Copper. "Waterton is investing approximately $600 million to optimize Mineral Park including significant capital investments in new primary crushers, secondary and pebble crushing circuits, and new higher-power SAG mills, which are expected to result in decades of operational excellence."

Transaction Details

(All values in US$ unless otherwise noted)

Upfront Consideration: WPMI will pay Waterton Copper total upfront cash consideration of $115 million (the "Deposit") in four payments during construction (three installments of $25 million and a final installment of $40 million).

Streamed Metal: Under the Silver Stream, WPMI will purchase 100% of the payable silver from the Project for the life of the mine. Payable silver is calculated using a fixed payable factor of 90%.

Production Profile 1 : Attributable production is forecast to average over 0.69 million ounces ("Moz") of silver per year for the first five years of production and over 0.74 Moz of silver per year for the life of mine, with construction to be completed by the end of Q1 2025. Mineral Park is forecast to have a 12-year mine life, with the potential to expand the mine life to over 20 years.

: Attributable production is forecast to average over 0.69 million ounces ("Moz") of silver per year for the first five years of production and over 0.74 Moz of silver per year for the life of mine, with construction to be completed by the end of Q1 2025. Mineral Park is forecast to have a 12-year mine life, with the potential to expand the mine life to over 20 years. Production Payments: WPMI will make ongoing payments for the silver ounces delivered equal to 18% of the spot price of silver ("Production Payment") until the uncredited deposit is reduced to nil and 22% of the spot price of silver thereafter.

Incremental Reserves and Resources 1 : The addition of Mineral Park will increase Wheaton's total estimated Proven and Probable Mineral silver reserves by 14.6 Moz, Measured and Indicated Mineral silver resources by 18.4 Moz and Inferred silver resources by 16.2 Moz.

: The addition of Mineral Park will increase Wheaton's total estimated Proven and Probable Mineral silver reserves by 14.6 Moz, Measured and Indicated Mineral silver resources by 18.4 Moz and Inferred silver resources by 16.2 Moz. Other Considerations: The Silver Stream will include a customary completion test. WPMI will provide a secured debt facility of up to $25 million once the full upfront consideration has been paid. WPMI has also obtained a right of first refusal on any future precious metals streams, royalty, prepay or similar transactions. Waterton Copper and Origin Mining Company, LLC (the direct owner of Mineral Park, "Origin") will provide WPMI with corporate guarantees and certain other security over their assets. Waterton Copper is expected to comply in all material respects with WPMI's Partner/Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines Wheaton's expectations in regard to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") matters.



Financing the Transactions

As at June 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $829 million of cash on hand, which we believe when combined with the liquidity provided by the available credit under the $2 billion revolving term loan and ongoing operating cash flows, positions the Company well to fund the acquisition of the Silver Stream as well as all outstanding commitments and known contingencies and provides flexibility to acquire additional accretive mineral stream interests.

About Wheaton Precious Metals

Wheaton is the world's premier precious metals streaming company with the highest-quality portfolio of long-life, low-cost assets. Its business model offers investors commodity price leverage and exploration upside but with a much lower risk profile than a traditional mining company. Wheaton delivers amongst the highest cash operating margins in the mining industry, allowing it to pay a competitive dividend and continue to grow through accretive acquisitions. As a result, Wheaton has consistently outperformed gold and silver, as well as other mining investments. Wheaton is committed to strong ESG practices and giving back to the communities where Wheaton and its mining partners operate. Wheaton creates sustainable value through streaming for all of its stakeholders.

About Waterton Copper and Mineral Park

Owned and operated by Origin, a subsidiary of Waterton Copper LP, Mineral Park is a polymetallic mine located in north-west Arizona, 18 miles north of Kingsman. A copper-molybdenum-silver porphyry deposit with a long mining history, Mineral Park is currently under Phase 2 construction which is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2025. Waterton Copper is fully funded and is investing approximately $600 million to execute Phase 2 of its operating plan, which will bring the site to over one hundred million pounds of copper equivalent annually and fully modernize the operation.

Attributable Silver Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources - Mineral Park Mine

Category Tonnage Mt Grade Ag g/t Contained Ag Moz Proven Probable 42.4 141.3 2.6 2.4 3.5 11.1 P&P 183.7 2.5 14.6 Measured Indicated 22.6 261.5 2.1 2.0 1.5 16.9 M&I 284.1 2.0 18.4 Inferred 341.2 1.5 16.2







Notes on Mineral Reserves & Mineral Resources:



1. All Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources have been estimated in accordance with the 2014 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves and National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").



2. Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are reported above in millions of metric tonnes ("Mt"), grams per metric tonne ("g/t") and millions of ounces ("Moz").



3. Qualified persons ("QPs"), as defined by the NI 43-101, for the technical information contained in this document (including the Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates) are:





a. Neil Burns, M.Sc., P.Geo. (Vice President, Technical Services); and



b. Ryan Ulansky, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. (Vice President, Engineering),

both employees of the Company (the "Company's QPs"). 4. The Mineral Resources reported in the above tables are exclusive of Mineral Reserves.



5. Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability.



6. Mineral Park Project Mineral Reserves are reported as of September 29, 2023 and Mineral Resources as of October 30, 2021.



7. Mineral Park Mineral Reserves are reported above an NSR cut-off of $10.50 per tonne assuming $2.81 per pound copper, $14.25 per pound molybdenum and $16.13 per ounce silver.



8. Mineral Park Mineral Resources are reported above a 0.15 percent copper equivalent cut-off assuming $3.45 per pound copper, $10.00 per pound molybdenum and $23.00 per ounce silver.



9. The Silver Stream provides that Waterton Copper will deliver silver equal to 100% of the payable silver production for the life of the mine.







Neil Burns, P.Geo., Vice President, Technical Services for Wheaton Precious Metals and Ryan Ulansky, P.Eng., Vice President, Engineering, are a "qualified person" as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101, and have reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed in this news release (specifically Mr. Burns has reviewed mineral resource estimates and Mr. Ulansky has reviewed the mineral reserve estimates).

____________________________________________ 1) Please refer to the Attributable Mineral Reserves & Mineral Resources table in this news release for full disclosure of reserves and resources associated with Mineral Park including accompanying footnotes.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance of Wheaton and, in some instances, the business, mining operations and performance of Wheaton's Precious Metals Purchase Agreement ("PMPA") counterparties. Forward-looking statements, which are all statements other than statements of historical fact, include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to payment by WPMI of $115 million to Waterton Copper and the satisfaction of each party's obligations in accordance with the Silver Stream, the receipt by Wheaton of silver production in respect of the Project, the future price of commodities, the estimation of future production from Mining Operations (including in the estimation of production, mill throughput, grades, recoveries and exploration potential), the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources (including the estimation of reserve conversion rates) and the realization of such estimations, the commencement, timing and achievement of construction, expansion or improvement projects by Wheaton's PMPA counterparties at mineral stream interests owned by Wheaton (the "Mining Operations"), the payment of upfront cash consideration to counterparties under PMPAs, the satisfaction of each party's obligations in accordance with PMPAs and royalty arrangements and the receipt by the Company of precious metals and cobalt production in respect of the applicable Mining Operations under PMPAs or other payments under royalty arrangements, the ability of Wheaton's PMPA counterparties to comply with the terms of a PMPA (including as a result of the business, mining operations and performance of Wheaton's PMPA counterparties) and the potential impacts of such on Wheaton, future payments by the Company in accordance with PMPAs, the costs of future production, the estimation of produced but not yet delivered ounces, the impact of epidemics (including the COVID-19 virus pandemic), including the potential heightening of other risks, future sales of common shares under the ATM program, continued listing of the Company's common shares, any statements as to future dividends, the ability to fund outstanding commitments and the ability to continue to acquire accretive PMPAs, including any acceleration of payments, projected increases to Wheaton's production and cash flow profile, projected changes to Wheaton's production mix, the ability of Wheaton's PMPA counterparties to comply with the terms of any other obligations under agreements with the Company, the ability to sell precious metals and cobalt production, confidence in the Company's business structure, the Company's assessment of taxes payable and the impact of the CRA Settlement, possible domestic audits for taxation years subsequent to 2016 and international audits, the Company's assessment of the impact of any tax reassessments, the Company's intention to file future tax returns in a manner consistent with the CRA Settlement, the Company's climate change and environmental commitments, and assessments of the impact and resolution of various legal and tax matters, including but not limited to audits. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "projects", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", "potential", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Wheaton to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to risks relating to the satisfaction of each party's obligations in accordance with the terms of the Silver Stream, risks associated with fluctuations in the price of commodities (including Wheaton's ability to sell its precious metals or cobalt production at acceptable prices or at all), risks related to the Mining Operations (including fluctuations in the price of the primary or other commodities mined at such operations, regulatory, political and other risks of the jurisdictions in which the Mining Operations are located, actual results of mining, risks associated with the exploration, development, operating, expansion and improvement of the Mining Operations, environmental and economic risks of the Mining Operations, and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined), the absence of control over the Mining Operations and having to rely on the accuracy of the public disclosure and other information Wheaton receives from the Mining Operations, uncertainty in the estimation of production from Mining Operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimation, risks of significant impacts on Wheaton or the Mining Operations as a result of an epidemic (including the COVID-19 virus pandemic), the ability of each party to satisfy their obligations in accordance with the terms of the PMPAs, the estimation of future production from Mining Operations, Wheaton's interpretation of, compliance with or application of, tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules being found to be incorrect, any challenge or reassessment by the CRA of the Company's tax filings being successful and the potential negative impact to the Company's previous and future tax filings, assessing the impact of the CRA Settlement (including whether there will be any material change in the Company's facts or change in law or jurisprudence), potential implementation of a 15% global minimum tax, counterparty credit and liquidity, mine operator concentration, indebtedness and guarantees, hedging, competition, claims and legal proceedings against Wheaton or the Mining Operations, security over underlying assets, governmental regulations, international operations of Wheaton and the Mining Operations, exploration, development, operations, expansions and improvements at the Mining Operations, environmental regulations, climate change, Wheaton and the Mining Operations ability to obtain and maintain necessary licenses, permits, approvals and rulings, Wheaton and the Mining Operations ability to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable supplies, infrastructure and employees to support the Mining Operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, including anticipated timing of the commencement of production by certain Mining Operations (including increases in production, estimated grades and recoveries), uncertainties of title and indigenous rights with respect to the Mining Operations, environmental, social and governance matters, Wheaton and the Mining Operations ability to obtain adequate financing, the Mining Operations ability to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, global financial conditions, Wheaton's acquisition strategy and other risks discussed in the section entitled "Description of the Business - Risk Factors" in Wheaton's Annual Information Form available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and Wheaton's Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (the "Disclosure"). Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management currently believes to be reasonable, including (without limitation): the payment of $115 million to Waterton Copper and the satisfaction of each party's obligations in accordance with the terms of the Silver Stream, that there will be no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, that the Mining Operations will continue to operate and the mining projects will be completed in accordance with public statements and achieve their stated production estimates, that the mineral reserves and mineral resource estimates from Mining Operations (including reserve conversion rates) are accurate, that each party will satisfy their obligations in accordance with the PMPAs, that Wheaton will continue to be able to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, that Wheaton will be able to source and obtain accretive PMPAs, that neither Wheaton nor the Mining Operations will suffer significant impacts as a result of an epidemic (including the COVID-19 virus pandemic), that any outbreak or threat of an outbreak of a virus or other contagions or epidemic disease will be adequately responded to locally, nationally, regionally and internationally, without such response requiring any prolonged closure of the Mining Operations or having other material adverse effects on the Company and counterparties to its PMPAs, that the trading of the Company's common shares will not be adversely affected by the differences in liquidity, settlement and clearing systems as a result of multiple listings of the Common Shares on the LSE, the TSX and the NYSE, that the trading of the Company's common shares will not be suspended, and that the net proceeds of sales of common shares, if any, will be used as anticipated, that expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters will be achieved (including ongoing CRA audits involving the Company), that Wheaton has properly considered the interpretation and application of Canadian tax law to its structure and operations, that Wheaton has filed its tax returns and paid applicable taxes in compliance with Canadian tax law, that Wheaton's application of the CRA Settlement is accurate (including the Company's assessment that there will be no material change in the Company's facts or change in law or jurisprudence), and such other assumptions and factors as set out in the Disclosure. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Wheaton. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary. The forward-looking statements included herein are for the purpose of providing readers with information to assist them in understanding Wheaton's expected financial and operational performance and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, reflects Wheaton's management's current beliefs based on current information and will not be updated except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Although Wheaton has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward?looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Cautionary Language Regarding Reserves And Resources

For further information on Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources and on Wheaton more generally, readers should refer to Wheaton's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed on March 31, 2023 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Wheaton since January 1, 2023, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Wheaton's Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Numbers have been rounded as required by reporting guidelines and may result in apparent summation differences.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources: The information contained herein has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. The Company reports information regarding mineral properties, mineralization and estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources in accordance with Canadian reporting requirements which are governed by, and utilize definitions required by, Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") - CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Standards"). These definitions differ from the definitions adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") which are applicable to U.S. companies. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted by the SEC. Information contained herein that describes Wheaton's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. United States investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in Wheaton's Form 40-F, a copy of which may be obtained from Wheaton or from https://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wheaton-precious-metals-announces-the-acquisition-of-a-new-silver-stream-on-the-mineral-park-mine-301966519.html

SOURCE Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.
VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2023 - EMP Metals Corp. (CSE: EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) ("EMP Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement financing for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $9,757,600 (the "Offering").

The Offering will consist of (i) up to 13,519,000 hard dollar units of the Company (the "HD Units") at a price of $0.40 per HD Unit (the "HD Offering Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $5,407,600; and (ii) up to 7,500,000 Saskatchewan "flow-through" units of the Company (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.58 per FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $4,350,000.

Each HD Unit will consist of one (1) common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and three-quarters of one (3/4) Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each FT Unit will consist of one (1) "flow-through" common share and three-quarters of one (3/4) Warrant to be issued on a non-"flow-through" basis. Each Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one (1) additional Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.60 per Warrant Share for a period of two (2) years from the date of issue.

The Company may pay finders a fee consisting of cash and/or Warrants.

The net proceeds from the sale of the HD Units will be used by the Company for drilling wells and other exploration work on the EMP Project, Saskatchewan and for general corporate and working capital purposes.

The gross proceeds from the sale of FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through critical mining expenditures" as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) and "eligible flow-through mining expenditures" as such term is defined in the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit Regulations (Saskatchewan) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to the EMP Project. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the FT Units effective December 31, 2023.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. 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 EMP

EMP is a Canadian-based lithium exploration and development company focused on large scale resources using direct lithium extraction ("DLE"). EMP, in partnership with ROK, currently holds 192,000 net (77,700 hectares) acres of Subsurface Dispositions and strategic wellbores in Southern Saskatchewan. For more information, please go to the Company's website at www.empmetals.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. EMP Metals cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond EMP Metals' control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to EMP Metals' limited operating history, ability to obtain sufficient financing to carry out its exploration and development objectives on its mineral properties, obtaining the necessary permits to carry out its activities and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, EMP Metals undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE EMP Metals Corp.
VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2023 -

TSX VENTURE COMPANIES

Minto Metals Corp. ("MNTO")

BULLETIN TYPE: Delist

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Further to TSX Venture Exchange bulletin dated July 07, 2023, effective at the close of business on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, the common shares of the Company will be delisted for failure to maintain Exchange Requirements.

Prior to the delisting, the common shares of the Company were subject to a suspension from trading.

________________________________________

SMALL PHARMA INC. ("DMT")

BULLETIN TYPE: Plan of Arrangement, Remain Halted, Delist

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

TSX Venture Exchange Inc. (the "Exchange") has accepted for filing documentation in connection with an arrangement agreement between Cybin Inc. ("Cybin") and Small Pharma Inc. ("Small Pharma") dated August 28, 2023 (the "Arrangement Agreement"). Pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, Cybin acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Small Pharma by way of a plan of arrangement under the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Arrangement"). Under the terms of the Arrangement, each Small Pharma shareholder is entitled to receive 0.2409 common shares of Cybin for each common share of Small Pharma held.

Prior to the closing of the Transaction, Cybin and Small Pharma acted at arm's length.

The Exchange has been advised that approval of the Arrangement by Small Pharma shareholders was received at an annual and special meeting of shareholders held on October 12, 2023 and that a final order approving the Arrangement was issued by the Supreme Court of British Columbia on October 17, 2023. The Arrangement became effective on October 23, 2023.

Delisting:

Effective at the close of business on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, the common shares of Small Pharma will be delisted from TSX Venture Exchange. The full particulars of the Arrangement are set forth in the Management Information Circular of Small Pharma dated as of September 13, 2023 (the "Circular"), which is available on Small Pharma's profile on SEDAR+.

For further details, please refer to the Circular and Small Pharma's news releases dated August 28, 2023, October 12, 2023, October 17, 2023 and October 23, 2023.

________________________________________

ZOOMAWAY TECHNOLOGIES INC. ("ZMA")

BULLETIN TYPE: Resume Trading

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at the opening, Thursday, October 26, 2023, the securities of ZoomAway Technologies Inc. (the "Company") will resume trading. Further to the Exchange Bulletin dated April 12, 2022, a news release was issued on October 4, 2023, announcing that the Company will not be proceeding with its proposed transaction. The transaction contemplated would have constituted a Change of Business as defined under Exchange Policy 5.2.

_______________________________________

23/10/24 - TSX Venture Exchange Bulletins

Coelacanth Energy Inc. ("CEI")

BULLETIN TYPE: Resume Trading

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

Effective at 5:00 a.m. PST, October 24, 2023, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made.

________________________________________

EDISON LITHIUM CORP. ("EDDY")

BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on September 8, 2023:

Number of Shares: 4,000,000 shares



Purchase Price: $0.12 per share



Warrants: 4,000,000 share purchase warrants to purchase 4,000,000 shares



Warrant Exercise Price: $0.20 for a two-year period



Number of Placees: 24 placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:













Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Shares





Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: 6 920,000 Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: 1 100,000



Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: $42,336.00 N/A 352,800 Warrants



Finder's Warrants Terms: Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at the price of $0.20 for period of 2 years from the date of issuance.

The Company issued a news release on October 24, 2023 confirming closing of the private placement. Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.]

________________________________________

EVERGOLD CORP. ("EVER")

BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on September 7, 2023:

Number of Shares: 12,078,334 Flow-through Units and 9,409,091 Hard Dollar Units.



Purchase Price: $0.06 per Flow-through Unit and $0.055 per Hard Dollar Unit.



Warrants: 21,487,425 share purchase warrants to purchase 21,487,425 shares



Warrant Exercise Price: $0.08 for a two-year period



Number of Placees: 23 placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:







Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Shares





Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: 3 1,867,425 Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: 1 333,334



Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: $44,670 N/A 725,000 Warrants

Finder's Warrants Terms: Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at the price of $0.055 for period of 24 months from the date of issuance.

The Company issued a news release on September 29, 2023 confirming closing of the private placement. Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.

________________________________________

FUELPOSITIVE CORPORATION ("NHHH")

BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on September 11, 2023:

Number of Shares: 6,741,000 common shares



Purchase Price: $0.06 per share



Warrants: 6,741,000 share purchase warrants to purchase 6,741,000 shares



Warrant Exercise Price: $0.09 per share until September 11, 2026



Number of Placees: 5 placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:









Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Shares





Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: N/A N/A Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: N/A N/A



Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: $12,352 N/A 205,870

Finder's Warrants Terms: Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at the price of $0.09 until September 11, 2026.

The Company issued a news release on September 11, 2023, confirming closing of the private placement. Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.

________________________________________

Garibaldi Resources Corp. ("GGI")

BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase Amending Agreement

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing, documentation pertaining to the amending agreement (the "Amending Agreement") entered into on September 25, 2023 between Garibaldi Resources Corp. (the "Company") and an arm's length vendor (the "Vendor"), subsequent to the original agreement (the "Agreement") dated May 5, 2016, and amended agreement dated June 11, 2018, for the buyback acquisition of the 2.0% Net Smelter Returns royalty (the "NSR") payable on the Company's Palm Springs claims (the "Property") located in the northwestern British Columbia. Pursuant to the terms of the Amending Agreement, the Company may acquire a 1.0% NSR on the Property by issuing 500,000 common shares over a 4-year period. The company may acquire the remaining 1.0% NSR by making a cash payment of $2,000,000.

To acquire 1.0% NSR:

CONSIDERATION CASH ($) SECURITIES 5 days after receiving TSXV approval N/A 100,000 Common Shares On or before 1st Anniversary date of initial share payment N/A 100,000 Common Shares On or before 2nd Anniversary date of initial share payment N/A 100,000 Common Shares On or before 3rd Anniversary date of initial share payment N/A 100,000 Common Shares On or before 4th Anniversary date of initial share payment N/A 100,000 Common Shares

For further details, please refer to the Company's news release dated September 28, 2023.

________________________________________

Goldflare Exploration Inc. ("GOFL")

BULLETIN TYPE: Warrant Term Extension

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") has consented to the extension in the expiry date of the following warrants:

Number of Warrants: 5,215,499 Original Expiry Date of Warrants: November 4, 2023 New Expiry Date of Warrants: November 4, 2024 Exercise Price of Warrants: $0.065

These Warrants were issued pursuant to a private placement of 11,136,451 flow-through common shares with 5,568,226 common share purchase warrants attached, of which 352,727 have been exercised. The private placement was accepted for filing by the Exchange effective November 9, 2021.

EXPLORATION GOLDFLARE INC. ( GOFL )

TYPE DE BULLETIN : Prolongation des bons de souscription

DATE DU BULLETIN : Le 24 octobre 2023

Societe du groupe 2 de TSX Croissance

Bourse de croissance TSX (la  Bourse ) a accepte la prolongation de la date d'echeance des bons de souscription (les  bons ) suivants :

Nombre de bons : 5 215 499 Date d'echeance initiale des bons : Le 4 novembre 2023 Nouvelle date d'expiration des bons : Le 4 novembre 2024 Prix d'exercice des bons : 0,065 $

Les bons de souscription ci-dessus ont ete emis par le biais d'un placement prive dans le cadre de l'emission de 11 136 451 d'actions accreditives ordinaires et 5 568 226 bons de souscription, de laquelle 352 727 ont deja ete exerces. Le placement prive a ete accepte par la Bourse le 9 novembre 2021.

_________________________________

International Prospect Ventures Ltd. ("IZZ")

BULLETIN TYPE: Shares for Services

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation relating to a finder's fee agreement (the "Agreement") between International Prospect Ventures Ltd. (the "Company") and an arm's length party. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company issued 600,000 common shares at a deemed price of $0.035 per share as consideration for the finder's fee owed for finding a purchaser for the Company's sale of a 100% undivided right, title and interest in and to the Company's portfolio of exploration-stage uranium projects located in Canada.

For further details, please refer to the Company's news releases dated October 4, 2023 and October 23, 2023.

International Prospect Ventures Ltd. ( IZZ )

TYPE DE BULLETIN : Actions emis en contrepartie de services fournis

DATE DU BULLETIN : Le 24 octobre 2023

Societe du groupe 2 de TSX Croissance

Bourse de croissance TSX a accepte le depot de documents relative a une convention d'honoraire d'intermediation (la  convention ) entre International Prospect Ventures Ltd. (la  societe ) et une societe privee sans lien de dependance. Conformement a la convention, la societe a emis 600 000 actions ordinaires a un prix repute de 0,035 $ par action comme consideration pour l'honoraire d'intermediation du pour avoir trouve un acheteur pour la vente par la societe du droit indivis, titre, et interet de 100% dans et au portefeuille de la societe des projets d'uranium a l'etape d'exploration situes au Canada.

Pour plus d'information, veuillez-vous referer au communique de presse emis par la societe le 4 octobre 2023 et le 23 octobre 2023.

________________________________________

JACKPOT DIGITAL INC. ("JJ")

BULLETIN TYPE: Shares for Debt

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the Company's proposal to issue 1,333,425 common shares at a deemed value of $0.075 per share to settle outstanding debt for $100,006.85.

Number of Creditors: 1 Creditor

Non-Arm's Length Party / Pro Group Participation:









Creditors # of Creditors Amount Owing Deemed Price per Share Aggregate # of Shares









Aggregate Non-Arm's Length Party Involvement: N/A N/A N/A N/A Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: N/A N/A N/A N/A

The Company shall issue a news release when the shares are issued, and the debt extinguished.

_______________________________________

NORTHERN GRAPHITE CORPORATION ("NGC")

BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced April 6, 2023:

Number of Shares: 3,000,000 flow-through common shares



Purchase Price: $0.75 per flow-through share



Warrants: 1,500,000 share purchase warrants to purchase 1,500,000 common shares



Warrant Exercise Price: $0.75 per share for a period of two (2) years



Number of Placees: 26 Placees

Insider / Pro Group Participation:









Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Shares





Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: 13 1,919,999



Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: $135,000 N/A 180,000

Finder's Warrants Terms: Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at the price of $0.75 for period of two (2) years from the date of issuance.

The Company has issued a new release announcing the closing of the private placement and setting out the expiry dates of the hold period(s). Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term.

________________________________________

SIRONA BIOCHEM CORP. ("SBM")

BULLETIN TYPE: Shares for Debt

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the Company's proposal to issue 1,380,979 shares at a deemed price of $ 0.0675 per share to settle outstanding debt for $93,216.00.

Number of Creditors: 18 Creditors

Non-Arm's Length Party / Pro Group Participation:









Creditors # of Creditors Amount Owing Deemed Price per Share Aggregate # of Shares









Aggregate Non-Arm's Length Party Involvement: 1 $30,000.00 $0.0675 444,444 Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: 2 $3,000.00 $0.0675 44,445

________________________________________

Southstone Minerals Ltd. ("SML")

BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on October 18, 2023:

Number of Shares: 1,360,000 shares



Purchase Price: $0.05 per share



Warrants: N/A



Number of Placees: 1 placee

Insider / Pro Group Participation:









Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Shares





Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: 1 1,360,000 Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: N/A N/A



Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: N/A N/A N/A

The Company issued a news release on October 20, 2023, confirming the closing of the private placement.

________________________________________

Taura Gold Inc. ("TORA")

BULLETIN TYPE: Halt

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

Effective at 4:52 a.m. PST, October 24, 2023, trading in the shares of the Company was halted, pending news; this regulatory halt is imposed by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Market Regulator of the Exchange pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.9(1) of the Universal Market Integrity Rules.

________________________________________

THERMA BRIGHT INC. ("THRM")

BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase Agreement

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 2 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation pertaining to an Asset Purchase Agreement dated December 1, 2022, as amended on July 24, 2023, (the "Agreement") among the Company and several arm's length parties (the "Vendors"), whereby the Company purchased 17.34% of InStatin Inc. and 61.12% of InVixa Inc. (the "Targets").

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company agreed to purchase the Targets in exchange for 55,000,000 common shares to the Vendors.

The Exchange has also accepted issuance of 3,472,222 common shares to an arm's length finder in connection with the Targets' acquisition.

For further details, please refer to the Company's news releases dated December 1, 2022, and September 27, 2023.

________________________________________

TINY LTD. ("TINY")

BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement - Non-Brokered

BULLETIN DATE: October 24, 2023

TSX Venture Tier 1 Company

TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on September 29, 2023:

Number of Shares: 1,430,346 Class A common shares of the Company ("Shares").



Purchase Price: $3.40 per Share.



Number of Placees: 2 placees.



Insider / Pro Group Participation: None.



Finder's Fee: None.

The Company issued news release on and October 6, 2023, confirming the closing of the Private Placement.

__________________________________

SOURCE TSX Venture Exchange
VANCOUVER, Oct. 25, 2023 - Almaden Minerals Ltd. ("Almaden" or "the Company"; TSX: AMM; NYSE American: AAU) announces that, further to its press release of April 21, 2023, it has received an extension of its cure deadline from October 19, 2023 to April 19, 2024 ("New Cure Deadline").



As previously announced, Almaden is not in compliance with the continued listing standards of the NYSE American exchange because the Company's securities have been selling for a low price per share for a substantial period of time which NYSE American determines to be a 30-trading-day average price of less than US$0.20 per share. The Company's continued listing on the NYSE American exchange is predicated on it demonstrating sustained price improvement within a reasonable period of time which the staff has determined to be no later than April 19, 2024.

Almaden is considering its alternatives with respect to the requirement that it regain compliance with the NYSE American's continued listing standards within the New Cure Deadline.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

"J. Duane Poliquin"

J. Duane Poliquin

Chair

Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. 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 Company's continued trading on the NYSE American and Toronto Stock Exchanges, the length of the cure period, and the Company's ability to consider and pursue alternatives that would allow it to regain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing standards.

These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant legal, regulatory, business, operational and economic uncertainties and contingencies, and such uncertainty generally increases with longer-term forecasts and outlook. These assumptions include: stability and predictability in Mexico's consultation process with indigenous communities and judicial decisions thereon; stability and predictability in Mexico's mineral tenure, mining, environmental and agrarian laws and regulations, as well as their application and judicial decisions thereon; continued respect for the rule of law in Mexico; prices for gold, silver and base metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; mineral reserve and resource estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals being received in a timely manner; the ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for operations; community support in the Ixtaca Project; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to: Mexico's consultation process with indigenous communities and potential litigation in respect thereof; political risk in Mexico; crime and violence in Mexico; corruption; environmental risks, including environmental matters under Mexican laws and regulations; impact of environmental impact assessment requirements on the Company's planned exploration and development activities on the Ixtaca Project; certainty of mineral title and the outcome of litigation; community relations; governmental regulations and the ability to obtain necessary licences and permits; risks related to mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers or claims and other defects in title; changes in mining, environmental or agrarian laws and regulations and changes in the application of standards pursuant to existing laws and regulations which may increase costs of doing business and restrict operations; as well as those factors discussed the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Almaden's Annual Information Form and Almaden's latest Form 20-F on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that our forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to on forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact Information:

Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Tel. 604.689.7644

Email: info@almadenminerals.com

http://www.almadenminerals.com/
VANCOUVER, Oct. 25, 2023 - Galiano Gold Inc. ("Galiano" or the "Company") (TSX: GAU) (NYSE: GAU) is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities at the Asanko Gold Mine (the "AGM") completed to-date in 2023.

The 2023 exploration program at the AGM has focused on expanding mineralization at known deposits, as well as advancing a robust pipeline of regional greenfields targets towards potential new discoveries. Highlights include:

Resource and Reserve upgrade drilling at Nkran: Completed 6,689 metres ("m") of drilling focused on the southern extent of the deposit which has further demonstrated the upside potential of the orebody. The drilling confirmed zones of strong mineralization extend beyond the current mineral reserve pit shell, which remains open along strike and at depth, with intercepts including 19m @ 3.0 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") from 567m, and 18m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 361m.

Resource conversion drilling at Abore: Early results returned strong intercepts outside the current mineral reserve pit shell including 36m @ 2.1 g/t Au from 278m and 21m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 226m, highlighting potential pit expansion opportunities.

Resource conversion drilling at Midras South: Completed the first phase of infill drilling of inferred mineral resources at Midras South, with the deposit advancing towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate. Significant intercepts from the first two holes drilled include 18m @ 4.0 g/t Au from 7m, 17m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 24m, and 28m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 24m.

Drilling at the Gyagyatreso regional prospect: Encouraging first results including intercepts of 38m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 20m, 20m @ 1.7 g/t Au from 32m and 11m @ 3.6 g/t Au from 98m, highlighting the presence of a fertile gold bearing system with significant strike length potential.

Regional greenfield exploration: Through early-stage mapping, geochemistry and geophysics work, large soil geochemical anomalies have been identified at the Aburi and Sky Gold targets, as well as Induced Polarization ("IP") chargeability anomalies on the Esaase-Abore shear zone have been identified for follow up trenching and/or drilling.

"The 2023 exploration results received to-date bode well not only for extending the life of our current operations at the AGM, but also in identifying additional deposits located throughout our large, underexplored land package," stated Galiano's Vice President of Exploration, Chris Pettman. "The positive drill results at Nkran and Abore highlight examples of the growth potential at our existing deposits, and it is exciting to see robust new regional targets, including Gyagyatreso, being proven across the wider AGM tenements. We look forward to continuing our aggressive exploration program in 2024 and beyond in order to further extend the life of the mine."

Nkran Highlights

The Nkran South drill program was designed to upgrade a zone of inferred mineral resources at the south end of the deposit and determine the potential for growth in the open pit mineral reserves. In addition to the potential expansion of mineral reserves, the Company is incorporating the drilling results into the Nkran underground study that is currently underway. Drilling began in late 2022 and was completed in 2023.

Based on these positive results, the Company has confirmed the primary mineralized zones at Nkran are contiguous and remain open at the southern end of the deposit. The mineralized zones currently extend up to 185m immediately along strike to the south of the proposed Nkran Cut 3 pit shell.

Highlighted Drilling intercepts (see Table 1 for full drilling results)

13 combination reverse circulation ("RC")/diamond drill holes totaling 6,689m were drilled as part of this program. Results include:

Hole NKPC22-111: 19m @ 3.0 g/t gold from 567m

Hole NKPC22-114W1: 18m @ 2.6 g/t gold from 361m

Hole NKPC23-118: 9m @ 5.9 g/t gold from 565m

Hole NKPC23-116: 19.5m @ 1.6 g/t gold from 451m

Hole NKPC23-119: 19m @ 1.3 g/t gold from 483m and 7m @ 5.6 g/t gold from 324m

The Nkran pit is located immediately adjacent to the AGM's processing plant and has historically yielded the highest average mined grades on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt, while contributing significant cash flows over the years. During the mining of Cut 2 (years 2016 - 2020), Nkran produced 15.2 million tonnes ("Mt") at 1.63 g/t and reported metallurgical recoveries of 94%.

The Nkran geological setting is typical of the Asankrangwa Gold Belt with a sedimentary sequence of interlayered shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Two granitic bodies intrude along shear zones that control mineralization which dips steeply to the northwest along with the sheared host stratigraphy.

Abore Highlights

Abore is located directly on the Esaase haul road approximately 13 kilometers ("km") north of the AGM processing plant and has current Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 477,000 ounces @ 1.16 g/t Au and Inferred Resources of 131,000 ounces @ 1.14 g/t Au as described in the "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Feasibility Study for Asanko Gold Mine, Ghana" with an effective date of December 31, 2022 (the "2023 Technical Report") filed on SEDAR (see news release dated February 22, 2023).

Exploration drilling throughout 2023 has been primarily focused on the conversion of inferred mineral resources below the mineral reserve pit shell and infilling zones below the $1,800 Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource pit shell. While drilling is ongoing, results received to-date demonstrate that mineralization remains robust in the inferred mineral resource zones tested with intercepts including 36m @ 2.1 g/t Au (ABPC23-190) from 278m and 21m @ 2.6 g/t Au (ABPC23-189) from 226m. See table 2 for full assay results.

The deposit sits along the Esaase shear corridor, which also hosts the Esaase deposit. Geology here is characterized by a sedimentary sequence composed primarily of siltstones, shales and thickly bedded sandstones that has been intruded by a granite which lies parallel to the shear and dipping steeply to the northwest. Mineralization is mostly constrained to the granite, hosted in west dipping quartz vein areas developed primarily along the eastern margin of the granite/sediment contact.

Midras South Highlights

The Midras South deposit lies approximately 5km south of the AGM processing plant along the Takorase - Afraso shear zone, a laterally extensive structure recognized from airborne VTEM, magnetic surveys and extensive ground mapping. Midras South consists of 3 distinct zones of mineralization, interpreted to be fault offsets of the primary mineralized structure. Typical of Asankrangwa Gold Belt deposits, indicated mineralization at Midras South is developed within a package of deformed sandstone, siltstone and phyllite with stratigraphy and structure both steeply dipping to the northwest. Gold mineralization occurs in association with quartz veining, arsenopyrite and pyrite, within a broader envelope of quartz-sericite-pyrite and carbonate alteration.

Midras South has a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 5.4Mt @ 1.32 g/t Au totaling 232,000 oz. Current drilling is designed to upgrade the primary mineralized zones to the Indicated Mineral Resource category to advance the deposit towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate.

Drilling throughout 2023 consisted of 5,061 m of resource conversion drilling which targeted inferred mineral resources within the southern zones of the deposit. Notable results from the program include:

Hole MSRC23-253: 28m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 24m

Hole MSRC23-257: 10m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 18m

Hole MSRC23-258: 12m @ 2.5 g/t Au from 5m

Hole MSRC23-284: 18m @ 4.0 g/t Au from 7m

Hole MSRC23-285: 3m @ 26.6 g/t Au from 24m

Hole MSRC23-287: 17m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 24m

See Table 3 for full assay results.

Two of the fertile structural trends that host mineralization at Midras South also remain open along strike and are considered targets for further exploration drilling.

Regional Greenfield Highlights

The AGM controls the largest land package on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt with tenements covering 476 km2 of highly prospective ground with a portfolio of high quality greenfields exploration targets.

Work in the regional tenements throughout 2023 has focused on a series of prioritized targets in various stages of exploration. This work has included initial mapping and target identification, surficial geochemical and geophysical surveying, and early-stage drill testing. Highlights of some of this work is outlined below.

The Gyagyatreso prospect is located approximately 4km northwest of the AGM processing plant and is highlighted by an approximately 3km long surficial gold in soils anomaly that is coincident to interpreted northeast trending structural zone believed to be a southwest extension of the Esaase-Abore shear zone. A small historic drilling campaign confirmed gold mineralization, but the drilling was localized and limited to shallow depths leaving the target largely untested. Subsequent field mapping conducted by AGM Geologists identified visible gold in hand samples and the area was prioritized for follow-up drilling.

Drilling throughout the year has consisted of 5,783m of combined RC and diamond drilling across 55 holes. Results have been very encouraging, returning multiple significant intercepts including 38m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 20m (GYDD23-045), 20m @ 1.7 g/ t Au from 32m (GYRC23-004), 11m @3.6g/t Au from 98m (GYRC23-038), and 13m @ 1.3 g/t Au from 42m (GYRC23-011), demonstrating that mineralization is present over at least 2km of strike length. The full extent of the surficial geochemical anomaly has not yet been tested and mineralization remains open along strike to the southwest and northeast. See Table 4 for full assay results received to date.

Data from the 2023 exploration programs have also provided a significantly increased understanding of the local geology and structural controls which will be integrated into the design of follow-up drilling planned for 2024.

The Gyetwi prospect is located immediately along strike to the south of the Esaase deposit. Esaase has produced nearly 500,000 ounces to-date and still contains over 1.2M ounces in Indicated Mineral Resources and 0.3M ounces in Inferred Mineral Resources, and lies on the same structural corridor.

Visible gold in hand samples have been identified during prospecting work and the area was prioritized for ground IP survey follow-up. Line-cutting and a combination of ground pole-dipole and gradient array IP surveys were carried out between late 2022 and early 2023. A total of 56 line km of IP were collected, which identified a series of chargeability anomalies interpreted to be associated with the southwest extension of the Esaase shear zone across a strike length of approximately 1.3 km. These anomalies have been prioritized and follow-up surface trenching is planned to test for shallow oxide mineralization.

The SkyGold B target area is located approximately 9km northwest of the Esaase deposit and has seen no known historic exploration work. As part of the ongoing regional generative targeting program, AGM geologists recognized through regional geophysics that the area may be underlain by lithologies and structural settings similar to those that host the known Asankrangwa gold deposits.

The 2023 exploration program included initial mapping and reconnaissance prospecting along with a tenement-wide soil geochemical survey. Mapping of surface pits and small-scale artisanal workings successfully identified a structural corridor of interest and lithologies favourable to gold mineralization. The first phase of soil sampling consisted of 768 samples collected across approximately 23 km2. A 4km-long trend of highly anomalous gold in soils has been identified, coincident with the newly mapped structures and consistent with the orientation of the major gold bearing shear zones of the Asankrangwa Gold Belt. Follow-up work is planned to delineate potential drill targets for 2024.

The Aburi target area lies directly southwest of Nkran, covering approximately 46 km2 and is interpreted to be underlain by the extension of the Adubiaso shear zone over a strike length of approximately 5km. Historic work in this area has been sporadic and localized with small mapping and shallow drilling programs identifying gold mineralization with little to no follow-up.

The AGM exploration team undertook a holistic review of all historic data including regional VTEM surveys with drilling data and prioritized the area for a regional surficial geochemical survey. The 2023 program consisted of a regional soil geochemistry survey that covered the entire tenement area with 3,141 samples collected. A second infill survey was conducted consisting of 1,038 additional samples to further delineate several robust geochemical anomalies identified.

The results have identified two distinct trends highlighted by anomalous gold coincident with interpreted structures that extend across the length of the tenement. Follow-up work is planned to delineate possible drill targets in 2024.

Table 1: Intercepts for 2022/23 Nkran South Extension Drilling 1,2,3,4

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description NKPC22-111 237.2 242 4.8 0.6 4.8m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-111 375.9 384 8.1 1.5 8.1m @ 1.5 g/t NKPC22-111 567 586 19 3 19.0m @ 3.0 g/t NKPC22-111 591 595 4 3.4 4.0m @ 3.4 g/t NKPC22-111 599 601 2 4.6 2.0m @ 4.6 g/t NKPC22-111 605 615.1 10.1 1 10.1m @ 1.0 g/t NKPC22-113 343.7 351.6 7.9 0.5 7.9m @ 0.5 g/t NKPC22-113 483.6 490.6 7.0 1.1 7.0m @ 1.1 g/t NKPC22-113 516.6 527.1 10.5 2.6 10.5m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC22-113 537.6 540.6 3.0 9.5 3.0m @ 9.5 g/t NKPC22-113 545.1 548.1 3.0 0.8 3.0m @ 0.8 g/t NKPC22-114 257.6 260.4 2.8 1.3 2.0m @ 1.3 g/t NKPC22-114 402.8 407.9 5.1 5.3 5.1m @ 5.3 g/t NKPC22-114 560 564.4 4.4 0.6 4.4m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-114 575.2 577.6 2.4 0.6 2.4m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-114 596 603.6 7.6 2.7 7.6m @ 2.7 g/t NKPC22-114 612.9 617 4.1 1.7 4.1m @ 1.7 g/t NKPC22-114 620.8 624 3.2 6.4 3.2m @ 6.4 g/t NKPC22-114W1 361 379 18.0 2.6 18.0m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC22-114W1 396 398 2.0 3.8 2.0m @ 3.8 g/t NKPC23-115 512 530 18.0 4.7 18.0m @ 4.7 g/t NKPC23-115 546 551.1 5.1 1.2 5.1m @ 1.2 g/t NKPC23-115 555 563 8.0 2.5 8.0m @ 2.5 g/t NKPC23-116 451.2 470.7 19.5 1.6 19.0m @ 1.6 g/t NKPC23-116 478.2 482.2 4.0 2.6 4.0m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC23-117 371 381 10.0 2.5 10.0m @ 2.5 g/t NKPC23-117 558 576 18.0 2.0 18.0m @ 2.0 g/t NKPC23-118 553 560 7.0 1.8 7.0m @ 1.8 g/t NKPC23-118 564.8 574 9.2 5.9 9.2m @ 5.9 g/t NKPC23-119 175 180 5.0 5.3 5.0m @ 5.3 g/t NKPC23-119 324 331 7.0 5.6 7.0m @ 5.6 g/t NKPC23-119 483 502 19.0 1.3 19.0m @ 1.3 g/t NKPC23-119W1 27 29 2.0 2 2.0m @ 2.0 g/t NKPC23-121 419 421 2.0 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t NKPC23-122 343 350 7.0 0.9 7.0m @ 0.9 g/t NKPC23-122 495.5 502 6.5 1.2 6.5m @ 1.2 g/t NKPC23-122 524 532 8.0 3.1 8.0m @ 3.1 g/t NKPC23-122 560 575.2 15.2 2.5 15.2m @ 2.5 g/t

Table 2: Abore 2023 drilling intercepts received as of October 19, 20235,6,7

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description ABPC23-181 143 146 3.0 0.7 3.00m @ 0.7 g/t ABPC23-183 145 151 6.0 0.9 6.00m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-183 176 178 2.0 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-183 191 205 14.0 0.8 14.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-184 99 110 11.0 1.4 11.0m @ 1.4 g/t ABPC23-184 118 131 13.0 0.6 13.0m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-184 137 140 3.0 1.1 3.0m @ 1.1 g/t ABPC23-184 157 174 17.0 1.0 17.0m @ 1.0 g/t ABPC23-186 79 87 8.0 2.3 8.0 @ 2.3 g/t ABPC23-186 92 97 5.0 0.8 5.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-186 101 103 2.0 4.7 2.0m @ 4.7 g/t ABPC23-186 149 158 9.0 0.5 9.0m @ 0.5 g/t ABPC23-186 194 208.5 14.5 2.8 14.5m @ 2.8 g/t ABPC23-189 225 247 21.0 2.6 21.0m @ 2.6 g/t ABPC23-189 270 279 9 1.7 9.0m @ 1.7 g/t ABPC23-190 267 272.6 5.6 0.6 5.6m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-190 278 314 36 2.1 36.0m @ 2.1 g/t ABPC23-190 322 325 2.6 0.9 2.6m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-190 330 346 16 0.8 16.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-190 350 356.4 6.4 4.7 6.4m @ 4.7 g/t ABPC23-191 249 256.7 7.7 1.0 7.7m @ 1.0 g/t ABPC23-191 306 326 20 1.1 20.0m @ 1.1 g/t ABPC23-191 330 335 5 0.6 5.0m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-191 344 351 7 2.6 7.0m @ 2.6 g/t ABPC23-191 355 357.5 2.5 1.9 2.5m @ 1.9 g/t ABPC23-203 79 99 20 0.9 20.0m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-204 75 77 2 1.2 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t ABPC23-204 83 88 5 0.9 5.0m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-204 107 110 3 0.6 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description MSPC23-267 139 142.6 3.6 1.6 3.6m @ 1.6 g/t MSPC23-275 91 95 4 0.6 4.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSPC23-280 103.5 109 5.5 2 5.5m @ 2.0 g/t MSPC23-281 95 100.1 5.1 0.5 5.1m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-282 188 190.2 2.2 1.4 2.2m @ 1.4 g/t MSPC23-282 195 200 5 1.4 5.0m @ 1.4 g/t MSPC23-282 210 214 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-283 95 98.5 3.5 0.8 3.5m @ 0.8 g/t MSPC23-288 63 66 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-288 72 89 17 1.6 17.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSPC23-290 197 199 2 1.5 2.0m @ 1.5 g/t MSPC23-291 61 63 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSPC23-291 165 171 6 1.8 6.0m @ 1.8 g/t MSPC23-291 186 195 9 1.2 9.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSPC23-292 74 78 4 1.2 4.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSPC23-292 183 187 4 1.2 4.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-242 85 90 5 1.4 5.0m @ 1.4 g/t MSRC23-243 14 16 2 1.1 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-243 74 81 7 0.7 7.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-244 41 45 4 0.9 4.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-245 1 7 6 1 6.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-246 10 12 2 4.9 2.0m @ 4.9 g/t MSRC23-246 62 66 4 3 4.0m @ 3.0 g/t MSRC23-249 1 11 10 1.6 10.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSRC23-249 26 29 3 0.8 3.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-250 53 55 2 2.3 2.0m @ 2.3 g/t MSRC23-250 67 70 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-253 17 19 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-253 24 52 28 1.2 28.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-256 11 16 5 1.3 500m @ 1.3 g/t MSRC23-257 18 28 10 2.6 10.0m @ 2.6 g/t MSRC23-257 42 44 2 1.3 2.0m @ 1.3 g/t MSRC23-257 49 54 5 1.1 5.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-258 5 17 12 2.5 12.0m @ 2.5 g/t MSRC23-258 21 25 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-258 30 32 2 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-259 42 44 2 1.6 2.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSRC23-260 25 45 20 1.2 20.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-260 56 60 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-260 66 68 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-261 37 46 9 0.7 9.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-261 71 73 2 0.7 2.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-264 44 46 2 1.1 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-268 49 51 2 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-268 70 72 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-270 31 33 2 1 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-270 39 45 6 0.9 6.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-270 72 74 2 1 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-270 84 103 19 0.6 19.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-270 121 130 9 0.4 9.0m @ 0.4 g/t MSRC23-271 48 53 5 0.7 500m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-272 44 56 12 1 12.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-273 33 39 6 1.2 6.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-273 53 56 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-274 51 57 6 1.1 6.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-274 116 120 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-277 61 72 11 0.9 11.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-279 10 12 2 1.2 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-284 7 25 18 4 18.0m @ 4.0 g/t MSRC23-285 24 27 3 26.6 3.00m @ 26.6 g/t MSRC23-287 17 20 3 0.6 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-287 24 41 17 2.3 17.0m @ 2.3 g/t MSRC23-287 56 63 7 1.2 7.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-289 17 20 3 0.9 3.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-289 27 34 7 2.2 7.0m @ 2.2 g/t Table 3: Midras South 2023 drilling intercepts6,7

Table 4: Gyagyatreso drilling intercepts6,7

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width (m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description GYDD23-042 87.6 92.8 5.2 2.13 5.2m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-002 3 8 5 3.12 5.0m @ 3.1 g/t GYRC23-002 14 17 3 2.91 3.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-002 60 62 2 1.37 2.0m @ 1.4 g/t GYRC23-002 66 81 15 0.51 15.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYRC23-003 5 7 2 1.13 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t GYRC23-003 47 53 6 0.71 6.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-004 1 3 2 0.53 2.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYRC23-004 32 52 20 1.73 20.0m @ 1.7 g/t GYRC23-006 18 25 7 0.79 7.0m @ 0.8 g/t GYRC23-006 84 86 2 1.54 2.0m @ 1.5 g/t GYRC23-006 90 94 4 0.7 4.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-008 34 40 6 2.13 6.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-008 47 50 3 0.67 3.0m @ 07 g/t GYRC23-009 73 76 3 1.91 3.0m @ 1.9 g/t GYRC23-010 20 25 5 1.78 5.0m @ 1.8 g/t GYRC23-010 37 39 2 1.24 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t GYRC23-011 42 55 13 1.3 13.0m @ 1.3 g/t GYRC23-012 58 60 2 2.09 2.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-015 61 67 6 0.65 6.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-018 14 20 6 0.59 6.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-019 71 74 3 0.57 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-019 84 93 9 1.11 9.0m @ 1.1 g/t GYRC23-019 102 106 4 0.89 4.0m @ 0.9 g/t GYRC23-020 36 38 2 0.83 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t GYRC23-030 82 90 8 0.63 8.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-032 71 75 4 0.99 4.0m @ 1.0 g/t GYRC23-037 79 86 7 0.74 7.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-038 98 109 11 3.58 11.0m @ 3.6 g/t GYRC23-039 1 4 3 0.94 3.0m @ 0.9 g/t GYRC23-040 87 91 4 0.67 4.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-044 57 59 2 0.69 2.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-044 64 68 4 0.48 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYDD23-045 20 58 38 1.99 38.0m @ 2.0 g/t GYRC23-050 83 85 2 0.95 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t GYRC23-051 27 32 5 0.83 5.0m @ 0.8 g/t

Notes:

1. See Section 14.1.10 of the 2023 Technical Report for the assumptions used in preparing the Nkran reserve shell and $1,800 resource shell. 2. Intervals indicated are not true widths as there is insufficient information to calculate true widths. However, drill holes have been drilled to cross interpreted mineralized zones as close to perpendicular as possible. 3. Intervals are calculated with the assumptions of >0.5g/t and <3m of internal waste and displayed as weighted averages. 4. Includes results from diamond and RC drilling. 5. See Section 14.2.10 of the 2023 Technical Report for description of Abore Mineral Resource estimate and assumptions used in preparing the Abore $1,800 resource shell. 6. Intervals reported are hole lengths. 7. Intervals are calculated with the assumptions of >0.5 g/t and <3m of internal waste with a top cut of 30 g/t and displayed as weighted averages. The top cut threshold used is unchanged from that outlined in section 14.2.3.3 of the 2023 Technical Report, available on the Company's website and filed on SEDAR.

Qualified Person and QA/QC

Chris Pettman P. Geo, Vice President Exploration of Galiano, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 (as defined below) and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Pettman is responsible for all aspects of the work including the Data Verification and Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs and has verified the data disclosed, by reviewing all data and supervising its compilation. There are no known factors that could materially affect the reliability of data collected and verified under his supervision. No quality assurance/quality control issues have been identified to date. Mr. Pettman is not independent of Galiano.

Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are inserted by Galiano into the sample stream at the rate of 1:14 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:30 samples. All samples have been analysed by Intertek Minerals Ltd. ("Intertek") in Tarkwa, Ghana with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. Intertek does its own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Galiano for double checking. Higher grade samples are re-analysed from pulp or reject material or both. Intertek is an international company operating in 100 countries and is independent of Galiano. It provides testing for a wide range of industries including the mining, metals, and oil sectors.

About Galiano Gold Inc.

Galiano is focused on creating a sustainable business capable of long-term value creation for its stakeholders through exploration and disciplined deployment of its financial resources. The company currently operates and manages the Asanko Gold Mine, located in Ghana, West Africa which is jointly owned with Gold Fields Ltd. The Company is strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities. For more information, please visit www.galianogold.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information contained in this news release constitute " forward-looking statements " within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and " forward-looking information " within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which we refer to collectively as " forward-looking statements ". Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as " seek ", " expect ", " anticipate ", " budget ", " plan ", " estimate ", " continue ", " forecast ", " intend ", " believe ", " predict ", " potential ", " target ", "initial", "encouraging", "contemplated", " may ", " could ", " would ", " might ", " will " and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: statements regarding drilling results; the interpretation of drilling results; additional drilling; underground mining potential; future mining at Nkran, Abore, Midras South, Gyagyatreso and regional greenfields, including with respect to the nature and extent of possible pit designs and the commencement of mining or further mining; and statements regarding the potential thereof; the expected results of the exploration program and the nature and timing of future exploration programs; the ability of future exploration programs to provide the basis for future mineral resources and mineral reserves, and the extension of the life of the mine; and information regarding planned future exploration, drilling and mining. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited to: the exploration program proceeding as anticipated; the exploration program achieving the targets and milestones included therein in the manner and on the timelines anticipated therein; the nature of drilling and exploration targets conforming to current expectations; mining proceeding as currently anticipated; the Company proceeding with further exploration programs as currently anticipated; future exploration programs will provide the basis for future mineral resources; the JV approves the Company's exploration budget; the ability of the AGM to continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic; that gold production and other activities will not be curtailed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the AGM will be able to continue to ship dore from the AGM site to be refined; the dore produced by the AGM will continue to be able to be refined at similar rates and costs to the AGM, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will be effective in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the accuracy of the estimates and assumptions underlying Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates and prior exploration results, including future gold prices, cut-off grades and production and processing estimates; the successful completion of development and exploration projects, planned expansions or other projects within the timelines anticipated and at anticipated production levels; mineral resources can be developed as planned; the Company's relationship with its JV partner will continue to be positive and beneficial to the Company; required financing and permits will be obtained; general economic conditions; labour disputes or disruptions, flooding, ground instability, geotechnical failure, fire, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate are as anticipated and other risks of the mining industry will not be encountered; contracted parties will provide goods or services in a timely manner; there is no material adverse change in the price of gold or other metals; title to mineral properties; costs; the retention of the Company's key personnel; and changes in laws, rules and regulations applicable to Galiano.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained herein. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, include, but are not limited to: the results of the Company's exploration programs will not conform with the Company's expectations, and will not be sufficient to support mineral resources or mineral reserves at the AGM or be sufficient to include in the Company's updated life of mine plan; the Company may not undertake planned future mining or exploration, or such future mining or exploration will not be sufficient to support mineral resources or mineral reserves at the AGM; the JV will approve the Company's proposed exploration and mining programs; the Company's and/or the AGM's operations may be curtailed or halted entirely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether as a result of governmental or regulatory law or pronouncement, or otherwise; the dore produced at the AGM may not be able to be refined at expected levels, on expected terms or at all; the Company and/or the AGM will experience increased operating costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the AGM may not be able to source necessary inputs on commercially reasonable terms, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic may not be successful in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the AGM has a limited operating history and is subject to risks associated with establishing new mining operations; sustained increases in costs or decreases in the availability of commodities, consumed or otherwise used by the Company, may adversely affect the Company; actual production, costs, returns and other economic and financial performance may vary from the Company's estimates in response to a variety of factors, many of which are not within the Company's control; adverse geotechnical and geological conditions (including geotechnical failures) may result in operating delays and lower throughput or recovery, closures or damage to mine infrastructure; the ability of the Company to treat the number of tonnes planned, recover valuable materials, remove deleterious materials and process ore, concentrate and tailings as planned is dependent on a number of factors and assumptions which may not be present or occur as expected; the Company's operations may encounter delays in or losses of production due to equipment delays or the availability of equipment; the Company's operations are subject to continuously evolving legislation, compliance with which may be difficult, uneconomic or require significant expenditures; the Company may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining key personnel; labour disruptions could adversely affect the Company's operations; the Company's business is subject to risks associated with operating in a foreign country; risks related to the Company's use of contractors; the hazards and risks normally encountered in the exploration, development and production of gold; the Company's operations are subject to environmental hazards and compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations; the Company's operations and workforce are exposed to health and safety risks; unexpected costs and delays related to, or the failure of the Company to obtain, necessary permits could impede the Company's operations; the Company's title to exploration, development and mining interests can be uncertain and may be contested; the Company's properties may be subject to claims by various community stakeholders; risks related to limited access to infrastructure and water; the Company's exploration programs may not successfully expand its current mineral reserves or replace them with new reserves; the Company's revenues are dependent on the market prices for gold, which have experienced significant recent fluctuations; the Company may not be able to secure additional financing when needed or on acceptable terms; the Company's primary asset is held through a JV, which exposes the Company to risks inherent to JVs, including disagreements with its JV partner and similar risks; the Company may be liable for uninsured or partially insured losses; the Company may be subject to litigation; damage to the Company's reputation could result in decreased investor confidence and increased challenges in developing and maintaining community relations which may have adverse effects on the business, results of operations and financial conditions of the JV and the Company; and the Company must compete with other mining companies and individuals for mining interests.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, you are cautioned that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that the Company has not identified. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in, this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Regarding Mineral Reporting Standards:

As a British Columbia corporation and a "reporting issuer" under Canadian securities laws, the Company is required to provide disclosure regarding its mineral properties, including the AGM, in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. In accordance with NI 43-101, the Company uses the terms mineral reserves and resources as they are defined in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards on mineral reserves and resources (the "CIM Definition Standards") adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. In particular, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" used in this news release are Canadian mining terms defined in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. These definitions differ from the definitions in the disclosure requirements promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies reporting pursuant to SEC disclosure requirements.

United States investors are also cautioned that while the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", investors should not assume that any part or all of the mineralization in these categories will ever be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", or "inferred mineral resources" that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable.

Further, "inferred resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the inferred resources exist. In accordance with Canadian rules, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/galiano-gold-provides-asanko-gold-mine-2023-exploration-program-update-301967266.html

SOURCE Galiano Gold Inc.
VANCOUVER, Oct. 25, 2023 - Stallion Discoveries Corp. (the "Company" or "Stallion") (TSX-V: STUD; OTCQB: STLNF; FSE: HM40) is pleased to announce it has engaged Expert Geophysics Limited ("Expert") to conduct an airborne MobileMT survey that will cover the entirety of Stallion's Western Athabasca Basin JV Project. The Expert team has already mobilized to site and the data accumulation phase of the survey is underway.



"The launch of the MobileMT survey is an exciting and significant step in advancing Stallion's large 2,200 km2 JV Project and, for most of the project, it will mark the first ever effective exploration completed," expressed Darren Slugoski, Stallion's VP of Exploration Canada. "This survey will be pivotal in revealing previously unknown exploration corridors across the project and advancing our work towards locating the next significant uranium discovery in the basin. The conductive corridors will guide Stallion's selection of target areas that will be prioritized for additional work based on each target's potential uranium mineralization characteristics."

Survey Highlights

Mobile Magnetotelluric (MobileMT) is the most advanced generation of airborne Audio Frequency Magnetic ("AFMAG") technology. Utilizing naturally occurring electromagnetic fields in the frequency range of 25 Hz - 21,000 Hz, the MobileMT system combines the latest advances in electronics, airborne system design, and sophisticated signal processing techniques.

The survey method is capable of detecting basement electromagnetic ("EM") conductors and anomalous resistivity zones in the sandstone known to be associated with uranium mineralization.

Planned surveying totals 12,730 line-kilometres to provide regional coverage over the Western Athabasca Basin projects that are vastly unexplored.

Modern geophysical dataset interpretation will facilitate identification and prioritization of target areas that show features associated with potential uranium mineralization.





Figure 1 - Regional Survey Area

Survey Plan

Approximately 12,700 line-kilometres of MobileMT surveying will be flown over Stallion's Western Athabasca Basin projects, with 90% of the work to be completed on the Western Athabasca Basin JV Project and the remaining 10% over Stallion's 100% owned projects. The Western Athabasca JV Project is subject to an earn-in option agreement with Atha Energy Corp.. The survey will utilize two helicopter borne MobileMT systems to provide effective and efficient coverage given the scale of the project area. The survey is capable of resolving resistivity contrasts to depths exceeding 1,000 metres and in the context of uranium exploration, it holds tremendous promise in identifying prospective exploration trends. By leveraging this state-of-the-art method, Stallion aims to elevate the accuracy and efficiency of its uranium exploration efforts utilizing methods that have mapped basement conductors and sandstone alteration zones at Cameco's McArthur River and Uranium Energy Company's Shea Creek uranium deposits.

The MobileMT System

Mobile MagnetoTellurics (MobileMT) is the latest innovation in airborne electromagnetics and the most advanced generation of airborne AFMAG technologies. The MobileMT technology utilizes naturally occurring electromagnetic fields in the frequency range of 25 - 21,000 Hz. Thunderstorms release energy, some of which is converted into electromagnetic fields that propagate through the ionosphere-Earth interspace. The EM fields and currents induced by these fields in the subsurface are used in MobileMT to identify variations in subsurface electrical resistivity.

The MobileMT technology is the product of extensive experience in developing equipment and signal/data processing algorithms for natural electromagnetic fields measurement. MobileMT combines the latest advances in electronics, airborne system design, and sophisticated signal processing techniques. The advanced noise processing technique of both electronic and signal processing levels ensures high data quality even for low natural EM fields.

The MobileMT system records two mutually orthogonal electrical components of MT field on the stationary base station and three mutually orthogonal dB/dt components in the towed bird sensors. The MobileMT processing program merges the records into one file. The signal processing is basically the same as in the classical ground MT methods. The program applies Fast Fourier Transformation to the records and calculates the matrices of the relations between the magnetic and electrical field signals on the different time bases and in different frequency bands. The module of the determinant of each matrix is a rotation invariant parameter which is used as a geophysical parameter for the mapping. Physically it represents a relation between the field powers in the points of flight and base station.

Each electrical component on the base station is registered independently from two grounded lines -signal and reference - which is utilized to eliminate the data bias distortions. This feature was not available in the previous generations of the AFMAG system.

Additionally, the Company announces that, further to its news releases on October 11, 2023, the Company wishes to correct the exercise price on certain finder's warrants issued pursuant to the closed Offering. The Company issued 851,232 finder's warrants to arm's-length parties of which 333,855 are exercisable at $0.24 per share and 517,377 are exercisable at $0.30 per share. All are valid for a period of 24 months.

Qualifying Statement:

The foregoing scientific and technical disclosures for Stallion Discoveries have been reviewed by Darren Slugoski, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a registered member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. Mr. Slugoski is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Stallion Discoveries

Stallion Discoveries is working to Fuel the Future with Uranium through the exploration of over 3,000 sq/km in the Athabasca Basin, home to the largest high-grade uranium deposits in the world. The company holds the largest contiguous project in the Western Athabasca Basin adjacent to multiple high-grade discovery zones.

Our leadership and advisory teams are comprised of uranium and precious metals exploration experts with the capital markets experience and the technical talent for acquiring and exploring early-stage properties.

Stallion offers optionality with two gold projects in Idaho and Nevada that neighbour world class gold deposits offering exposure to upside potential from district advancement with limited capital expenditures.

For more information visit stalliondiscoveries.com or contact:

Lisa Stewart

Investor Relations

(604) 341-8177

lstewart@stalliondiscoveries.com

Drew Zimmerman

Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements 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. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this material change report should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date they are made.

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. 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 presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

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. 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 presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e12cf970-92be-4363-888a-c3de43207751.
Vancouver, October 25, 2023 - Carlin Gold Corp. (TSXV: CGD) ("Carlin" or "the Company") reports that it has acquired a copper-gold property in northeastern Nevada USA through purchase of a 100% interest of a core claim group from a private party and additional claim staking by Carlin. The property consists of 49 unpatented mining claims (the IVY Property). The purchase price is US$25,000 and a 1% net smelter production royalty on gold and silver and 0.75% on all other metals, to the seller.

IVY Property Description

The IVY Property is located within the Contact Mining District in northeastern Elko County, Nevada, 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of the town of Jackpot and 5 miles (8 kilometers) southwest of the small community of Contact. The claims are within 1 mile of State Highway 93, on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

"We are pleased to find an undrilled copper/gold project of this caliber." commented Wayne Livingstone, President. "The elevated copper grades (+1% copper) and the finely disseminated nature of the chalcopyrite/bornite mineralization contained within a large well-defined area of skarn alteration are very encouraging. Carlin looks forward to evaluating the project further."

The IVY Property covers an area of late Paleozoic altered limestone/skarn in the western contact aureole of a large Jurassic-age granodiorite stock. Copper/gold mineralization occurs mainly in calc-silicate altered limestone/skarn both adjacent to and outboard of the granodiorite stock. Numerous historic workings on the IVY claims include prospect pits, shafts and adits. The copper mineralization observed to date defines a 2.7 km long northwest trending zone reaching widths of 0.7 km. Due diligence sampling by Carlin demonstrates that copper mineralization is widespread. Mineralization occurs in sulfidic skarn zones containing 1-3% disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite and bornite and in narrow oxidized zones of calc-silicate altered carbonate rocks containing secondary copper minerals. Lesser covellite and chalcocite have also been described in a 2019 MSc study of the skarns. 57 initial samples were collected by Carlin geologists, from select dump samples in old workings and outcrop/subcrop samples. 36 of the samples contained > 0.5% Cu, with 27 samples grading over 1.0% Cu. The highest copper value (15.2% Cu with 1.7 ppm gold) came from a small dump of an adit. Twenty three of the samples contained > 0.100 ppm Au. Silver values ranged up to 231 ppm. Lead and zinc values were generally low.

Carlin geologists believe that the observed mineralization may represent "leakage" from a deeper intrusive system capable of generating skarn deposits in the carbonate units or disseminated intrusive porphyry-style mineralization. A variety of intrusive rocks have been identified in addition to the granodiorite, including quartz monzonite (termed leucogranite in old reports), andesite porphyry (reported to locally contain secondary biotite), syenite and quartz porphyry.

A 1912 United States Geological Survey Bulletin describes a 400 ft. (122 m.) wide sulfide zone extending for about 6,000 ft. (1,830 m.), lying about 1,200 ft (366 m.) outboard (west) and parallel to the igneous contact, located within the current IVY Property. It is described as following the strike of the steeply dipping sedimentary rock package. This report states that "Chalcopyrite, bornite and molybdenite are disseminated throughout silicified skarn consisting of garnet, epidote, diopside and iron oxides." Carlin's initial investigation supports the USGS description of this feature.

The only documented previous "modern" (post 1975) exploration in the IVY claim area is limited to a trenching permit in which the work may have taken place in early-mid 1990s. Public BLM records show that there has been no exploration drilling since records started to be maintained in the mid -1970s. The initial Carlin field investigation did not encounter any obvious previous drilling activity.

Carlin is planning to follow up on this initial due diligence work with additional surface sampling and geological mapping to evaluate and delineate future exploration work.

The Contact Mining District was established in 1870 as a gold camp, but since 1876 the main commodity has been copper. A copper deposit occurs near Contact, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of the IVY claims, where prior exploration has delineated a reported historical resource estimate of 831 million pound measured/indicated resource grading 0.20% Cu, amenable to heap leach SX/EW extraction (www.faradaycopper.com). Most of this resource is hosted in sheeted quartz vein zones within the granodiorite.

About Carlin

In addition to IVY, Carlin controls two 100% owned gold exploration properties in Nevada, the Cortez Summit property and Willow property, both containing Carlin-style gold targets. Cortez Summit lies about 1 kilometer north-east of the north end of Nevada Gold Mines' ("NGM") 13.0 M oz Goldrush deposit (43-101 Technical Report effective 12/31/21 prepared for Barrick by NGM) and east of Barrick's Fourmile 3.19 M oz resource (Barrick 2022 Annual Report). Cortez Summit is contiguous with Barrick and NGM claims on all sides. NGM has submitted a final Environmental Impact Statement for Goldrush and a Record of Decision is expected in Q4 2023 (Barrick Q1 2023 MD&A).

The Willow property is an early-stage project in Elko County north of the town of Wells, Nevada. Willow is located within a potential new gold belt that contains the Long Canyon mine operated by NGM.

"K. Wayne Livingstone"



K. Wayne Livingstone,

President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (604) 638-1402

Website: www.carlingold.com

Notes:

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Robert Thomas CPG, Vice President of Carlin and a qualified person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release on behalf of the Company.

Forward looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements")." Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185205
Record quarterly production of 3.45M wmt, revenue of $388M, EBITDA of $155M 1 , EPS of $0.13

, EPS of $0.13 Declared a dividend of $0.10 per ordinary share

DRPF Project remains on schedule with completion of work programs

MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - (Sydney, October 26, 2023) - Champion Iron Ltd. (TSX: CIA) (ASX: CIA) (OTCQX: CIAFF) ("Champion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its operational and financial results for the 2024 financial year second quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Conference Call Details

Champion will host a conference call and webcast on October 26, 2023, at 9:00 AM (Montreal time) / October 27, 2023, at 12:00 AM (Sydney time) to discuss the results for the financial second quarter ended September 30, 2023. Call details are outlined at the end of this press release.

Champion's CEO, Mr. David Cataford, said: "Thanks to its agility, our team achieved a new quarterly production record of 3.45 million wmt. Following the quarter end, our team realized the full potential of Bloom Lake with production levels now reaching its expanded nameplate capacity of 15 Mtpa in the most recent 30 days. Our operating costs per tonne are also on track to continue improving as we benefit from continuous optimization work programs. Additionally, we remain confident in our ability to advance the Direct Reduction Pellet Feed Project ("DRPF Project") to potential completion by the second half of calendar 2025. This project will not only continue to benefit the Quebec Cote-Nord region, but it is also essential for supplying a critical raw material required for the accelerating shift towards green steelmaking."

1. Highlights

Sustainability and Health & Safety

No serious injuries and no major environmental incidents reported in the quarter;

Appointed Ms. Jessica McDonald to the Board at the Company's Annual General Shareholders' Meeting held in August 2023. Ms. McDonald brings extensive leadership and directorship experience to the Company and this appointment enabled Champion to exceed the 30% female Board representation threshold that the Company committed to in its 2022 Sustainability Report;

Recognized National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 for the second year in a row, by organizing full day workshops and commemoration activities aimed at familiarizing Champion's employees with the Innu culture;

Concluded a 10-year financial partnership with the Innu Nikamu Festival, one of the most important events celebrating First Nations music and art in North America, to help promote and increase awareness of the Innu culture and language; and

Participated in several community engagements, including fundraising events to support local residents fighting cancer and struggling local families, sponsorship of the annual First Nations and Quebec Regional Economic Circle, contributions to local facilities to promote First Nations employment and several 2023 scholarships offered in sports, arts and recreation to encourage young people from the Innu community to pursue their studies.

Operations and Finance

Achieved a record quarterly production of 3.45 million wmt of high-grade 66.1% Fe concentrate for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, an increase of 21%, compared to the same period last year due to the continued solid performance of Phase II since achieving commercial production in December 2022. Record production was realized despite several days of unscheduled outage related to a major crusher ore belt failure in one of the Company's conveyor systems, affecting the availability of the Phase II concentrator;

Realized a record quarterly material mined and hauled of nearly 17 million wmt for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, up 14% from the previous quarter, enabled by the contribution of additional mining equipment commissioned during the financial year. Ore milled by both plants reached a new high at 10 million wmt for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, up 4% from the previous quarter, enabled by ongoing infrastructure optimization. With the solid performance of the mine and the processing plants, the Company continues its progress towards reaching its expanded 15 Mtpa production nameplate capacity;

Quarterly iron ore concentrate sales of 2.9 million dmt for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, comparable to the same period in 2022, and up 12% from the previous quarter, as railway capacity gradually resumed after the June 2023 forest fires. Shipments during the period were also impacted by the railway service provider's annual planned maintenance lasting several days, together with a few days' outage caused by a train derailment in the northern switching yard, which fortunately caused no injuries or negative environmental impact. As a result, the Company had 1.6 million wmt of iron ore concentrate stockpiled at Bloom Lake as at September 30, 2023. With additional locomotives in service and rail operations resuming at full capacity after the scheduled maintenance in September 2023, the Company expects its tonnage sold to meet and possibly exceed tonnage produced as it clears iron ore concentrate inventories at the mine site in upcoming periods;

Cost of sales was $73.7/dmt1 (US$55.0/dmt)2, a decrease of 9% for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $81.3/dmt1 (US$60.5/dmt)2 in the previous quarter, positively impacted by semi-annual railway services trailing fuel price adjustments and by higher shipment volumes amortizing fixed handling costs at the port. The cost of sales per dmt sold slightly increased, compared to $71.5/dmt1 (US$54.8/dmt)2 for the same period in 2022, and continued to be negatively impacted by the utilization of contractors to fill vacant positions, higher maintenance costs driven by planned and unplanned maintenance activities and below normal run rate shipment levels to amortize mostly fixed costs at the port facilities in Sept-Iles;

Revenues of $387.6 million for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023 ($300.6 million for the same period in 2022), net cash flow from operating activities of $162.2 million ($87.1 million for the same period in 2022), EBITDA of $155.0 million1 ($84.3 million1 for the same period in 2022) and net income of $65.3 million with EPS of $0.13 ($19.5 million with EPS of $0.04 for the same period in 2022);

Strong cash position and liquidity at quarter-end with $316.5 million in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments as at September 30, 2023 ($277.4 million as at September 30, 2022), an increase of $66.2M since June 30, 2023, and available liquidity, including amounts available from the Company's credit facilities, totalling $645.9 million1 at quarter-end, compared to $579.2 million1 as at June 30, 2023; and

Fifth consecutive semi-annual dividend of $0.10 per ordinary share declared on October 25, 2023 (Montreal time) / October 26, 2023 (Sydney time), in connection with the semi-annual results for the period ended September 30, 2023.

Direct Reduction Pellet Feed Project Update

Cumulative investments totalled $28.9 million, as at September 30, 2023, from previously approved initial budgets, including ongoing detailed engineering work and on-site activities, in preparation for upcoming civil work programs; and

Work programs completed to date secured the project completion timeline, scheduled for the second half of calendar year 2025 pending a final investment decision, which is expected in the near term.

Other Growth and Development

The Company continues to pursue organic growth opportunities, with the Kamistiatusset iron ore project (the "Kami Project")'s feasibility study, evaluating the viability to produce a Direct Reduction ("DR") grade pellet feed product, and an additional study, in collaboration with a major international steelmaking partner, to re-commission the Pointe-Noire Iron Ore Pelletizing Facility (the "Pellet Plant") to produce DR grade pellets. Both studies are expected to be completed in the near term; and

Issued a technical report in respect of Bloom Lake prepared pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and Chapter 5 of the ASX Listing Rules entitled "Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves for the Bloom Lake Mine, Fermont, Quebec, Canada", prepared by BBA Inc., SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc., Soutex and Quebec Iron Ore Inc. and dated September 28, 2023 (the "2023 Technical Report"), confirming the 18-year LoM, based on the mineral reserves, with an opportunity to extend operations beyond the LoM plan, with a 40% increase to the measured and indicated resources and a 360% increase to inferred resources.

2. Bloom Lake Mine Operating Activities





Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2023 2022 Variance

2023 2022 Variance

















Operating Data















Waste mined and hauled (wmt)

6,264,600 4,572,900 37 %

11,463,100 10,178,900 13 % Ore mined and hauled (wmt)

10,593,600 8,214,700 29 %

20,187,100 14,407,800 40 % Material mined and hauled (wmt)

16,858,200 12,787,600 32 %

31,650,200 24,586,700 29 %

















Stripping ratio

0.59 0.56 5 %

0.57 0.71 (20 %)

















Ore milled (wmt)

10,339,700 8,102,700 28 %

20,235,300 14,124,900 43 % Head grade Fe (%)

28.2 29.5 (4 %)

28.5 30.2 (6 %) Fe recovery (%)

77.8 78.6 (1 %)

78.0 79.3 (2 %) Product Fe (%)

66.1 66.1 - %

66.1 66.1 - % Iron ore concentrate produced (wmt)

3,447,200 2,857,300 21 %

6,844,400 5,139,900 33 % Iron ore concentrate sold (dmt)

2,883,800 2,793,400 3 %

5,447,300 4,807,300 13 %

Impact of Forest Fires

Forest fires emerged on May 28, 2023, north of Sept-Iles, Quebec, resulting in railway service interruptions between Bloom Lake and the port of Sept-Iles between May 30 and June 10, 2023. There was no damage to Champion's facilities and no significant damage was identified to the railway following inspections by its operator besides the destruction of the power and communication line on the affected rail sections. As forest fires subsided in the region, railway services resumed at partial capacity on June 10, 2023, until they returned to normal levels during the quarter ended September 30, 2023, after repairs to the damaged electrical poles and wires over several kilometers were completed. As a result, shipments and sales were impacted in the first half of the 2024 financial year.

Despite supply chain challenges caused by multiple highway closures impacting operations, Bloom Lake operated continuously throughout the railway interruptions and stockpiled iron ore concentrate at the mining complex. The Company responded to the situation by triggering its emergency response plan and managed supply chain risks by focusing mine operations on critical activities required to feed the two plants. This impacted the Company's ability to move waste and generate blasted ore inventory in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year. The Company also used its crusher's stockpiles to supply the two plants during that period and suffered from a short power outage which impacted operations for a full day.

As at September 30, 2023, the Company had 1.6 million wmt of iron ore concentrate in inventory at the Bloom Lake site. Although the recent commissioning of three additional locomotives received in June 2023 had a positive impact on the volume of concentrate transported to Sept-Iles, it was offset by an annual planned maintenance shutdown of the railway facilities lasting several days and its reduced capacity in the first half of the quarter, as well as a few days' outage caused by a train derailment. The Company and its rail service provider are working diligently to maximize the transportation of tonnes from Bloom Lake to Sept-Iles. The Company expects its stockpiled iron ore concentrate at Bloom Lake to be shipped and sold over several upcoming quarters. The Company also expects to incur additional rehandling costs in future periods to reclaim the iron ore concentrate from the stockpile.

Phase II Update

Phase II reached commercial production in December 2022 and the Company continued to make improvements to stabilize and optimize operations. As expected when delivering a project of this scale, the Company faced challenges, including delays in deliveries and commissioning of mining equipment, creating inefficiencies across the site, which negatively impacted the Company's ability to reach its full expanded nameplate capacity. Phase II produced at nameplate capacity for thirty consecutive days for the first time during the first quarter of the 2024 financial year. Considering its success in increasing its production at the mine and ore material milled quarter after quarter, and ongoing work programs, the Company continues its progress towards reaching its expanded 15 Mtpa production nameplate capacity on a consistent basis. Those programs aim to increase throughput and ore recoveries, optimize and synchronize operations, and adapt maintenance practices.

The main Phase II work on third-party infrastructure was completed in the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, further positioning the Company to benefit from additional flexibility and capacity to handle the Company's expanded nameplate capacity at the port facilities in Sept-Iles. The recent commissioning of the stacker reclaimer and associated conveyors, and three additional locomotives required to support the expanded production capacity should positively impact the Company's shipment capacity and vessel loading time.

Operational Performance

Second Quarter of the 2024 Financial Year vs Second Quarter of the 2023 Financial Year

In the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, 16.9 million tonnes of material were mined and hauled, compared to 12.8 million tonnes during the same period in 2022, an increase of 32%, attributable to the contribution of additional equipment commissioned during the financial year. This also represents a 14% improvement over the volume mined and hauled in the previous quarter due to a higher utilization of mining equipment associated with an increase in the number of operators and better equipment availability. The stripping ratio of 0.59 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, is comparable to the same period in 2022, and increased as planned, compared to 0.54 in the previous quarter.

During the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, an unscheduled outage related to a major crusher ore belt failure in one of the Company's conveyor systems negatively impacted the availability of the Phase II concentrator for several days. Despite this situation, the two plants processed 10.3 million tonnes of ore during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to 8.1 million tonnes for the same prior-year period, an increase of 28%, driven by the progress of the Phase II ramp-up to reach Bloom Lake's expanded production nameplate capacity of 15 Mtpa. Material processed by the two plants also increased by 4%, compared to 9.9 million tonnes in the previous quarter, and reached the two mills feed nameplate capacity during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023.

The iron ore head grade for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, was 28.2%, compared to 29.5% for the same period in 2022, and 28.8% during the previous quarter. The variation in head grade was within expected normal variations in the mine plan.

The Company's average Fe recovery rate was 77.8% for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to 78.6% for the same period in 2022, and 78.2% during the previous quarter. In the context of constrained rail capacity, the Company adjusted the mine plan to process more challenging ore from some areas, which negatively impacted recovery rates during the period. The Company remains confident in its ability to reach the average LoM expected Fe recovery rate target of 82.0% in upcoming quarters at Bloom Lake, as detailed in the 2023 Technical Report.

Despite the impact of an unscheduled outage lasting several days to repair a conveyor system, and lower head grade and recovery, the two processing plants delivered a record production of 3.45 million wmt of high-grade iron ore concentrate during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, an increase of 21% compared to 2.9 million wmt during the same period in 2022 and an increase of 1.5% compared to the previous quarter.

First Six Months of the 2024 Financial Year vs First Six Months of the 2023 Financial Year

The Company mined and hauled 31.7 million tonnes of material during the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to 24.6 million tonnes for the same period in 2022, an increase of 29% driven by additional mining equipment in operation.

The stripping ratio was 0.57 for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to 0.71 for the same period in 2022, slightly lower than the Company's plan for the 2024 financial year. The Company strategically focused on mining ore in the first months of the 2024 financial year with a reduced mining equipment capacity and limited fuel reserves caused by supply challenges related to the June 2023 forest fires, as fuel inventories were prioritized for critical activities.

The two plants processed 20.2 million tonnes of ore during the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, an increase of 43% over the same period in 2022, and produced a record of 6.8 million wmt of high-grade iron ore concentrate, compared to 5.1 million wmt for the same period in 2022, benefiting from the Phase II ramp-up.

The iron ore head grade of 28.5% for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, is consistent with the LoM head grade average. The lower average Fe recovery rate for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, was mainly attributable to the processing of more challenging ore from some areas in the pits and to a slight backlog in the recovery circuit maintenance due to significant efforts deployed on solving conveying challenges in the past months. Significant improvements were made to increase the reliability and productivity of the Company's crushed ore conveying systems which should allow the Company to resume its proven ability to stabilize and optimize its recovery circuits.

3. Financial Performance





Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2023 2022 Variance

2023 2022 Variance

















Financial Data (in thousands of dollars)















Revenues

387,568 300,621 29 %

684,730 579,942 18 % Cost of sales

212,584 199,841 6 %

421,069 369,248 14 % Other expenses

20,192 16,839 20 %

39,837 32,444 23 % Net finance costs

11,634 10,765 8 %

18,560 14,955 24 % Net income

65,281 19,530 234 %

81,938 61,084 34 % EBITDA1

155,036 84,331 84 %

220,841 179,261 23 %

















Statistics (in dollars per dmt sold)















Gross average realized selling price1

169.4 157.0 8 %

169.1 171.0 (1 %) Net average realized selling price1

134.4 107.6 25 %

125.7 120.6 4 % C1 cash cost1

73.7 65.9 12 %

77.3 69.3 12 % AISC1

99.1 81.9 21 %

96.7 86.8 11 % Cash operating margin1

35.3 25.7 37 %

29.0 33.8 (14 %)

A. Revenues

Second Quarter of the 2024 Financial Year vs Second Quarter of the 2023 Financial Year

Revenues totalled $387.6 million for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $300.6 million for the same period in 2022, due to a higher IODEX 65% Fe CFR China Index ("P65"), lower freight and other costs, a weaker Canadian dollar over the same prior-year period and a slight increase in sales volume to 2.9 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore concentrate, compared to 2.8 million tonnes for the same period in 2022.

As expected, sales volume for the period was affected by the reduced railway capacity at the beginning of the quarter due to the forest fires in June 2023 and a scheduled maintenance of the railway facilities lasting several days. A few days' unplanned interruption caused by a train derailment, which fortunately caused no injuries or environmental impact, also restricted the transport of iron ore concentrate to the port of Sept-Iles. With additional locomotives in service and rail operations resuming at full capacity, the Company expects its tonnage sold to exceed tonnage produced as it clears iron ore concentrate inventories at the mine site in upcoming periods.

The gross average realized price was US$126.2/dmt1 during the second quarter of the 2024 financial year, up from US$120.6/dmt1 for the same period last year, due to higher P65 index prices. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, the P65 index averaged US$125.0/dmt, an increase of 8% from the same quarter last year, representing a premium of 9.6% over the IODEX 62% Fe CFR China Index ("P62") average price of US$114.0/dmt. Last year, the high-grade premium over the P62 index averaged 11.8%. The decline in premiums for high-grade iron ore for the quarter was mainly due to lower European steel output, a key consuming region for high-grade iron ore, struggling profitability at global steel mills together with the robust seasonal seaborn supply of high-grade iron ore.

The gross average realized selling price of US$126.2/dmt1 was higher than the P65 index average price of US$125.0/dmt for the period, due to the 1.3 million tonnes in transit as at September 30, 2023, that were provisionally priced using an average forward price of US$125.9/dmt, which is higher than the P65 index average price for the period. Gross selling price on sale contracts using backward-looking iron ore index prices for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, were also slightly higher than to the P65 index average price for the period.

The average C3 Baltic Capesize Index ("C3") for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, was US$20.3/t compared to US$24.0/t for the same period in 2022, representing a decrease of 15%, comparable to the decrease in the Company's freight and other costs in the three-month period ended September 30, 2023. While the C3 index declined from the previous quarter average of US$21.1/t, the Company's freight cost increased quarter on quarter to US$26.4/dmt due to sales contracts using backward-looking C3 index prices.

Provisional pricing adjustments on previous quarterly sales of $1.6 million were recorded during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, representing a positive impact of US$0.5/dmt over the total volume of 2.9 million dmt sold during the period. This was due to a slight increase in the P65 index in the first half of the quarter. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, a final average price of US$122.4/dmt was established for the 1.4 million tonnes of iron ore that were in transit as at June 30, 2023, and which were previously evaluated using an average expected price of US$121.2/dmt.

After taking into account sea freight and other costs of US$26.4/dmt and the positive provisional pricing adjustment of US$0.5/dmt, the Company obtained a net average realized selling price of US$100.3/dmt (C$134.4/dmt)1 for its high-grade iron ore shipped during the period.

First Six Months of the 2024 Financial Year vs First Six Months of the 2023 Financial Year

Revenues totalled $684.7 million for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $579.9 million for the same period in 2022, due to higher sales and higher net average realized selling prices in Canadian dollars, attributable to the weaker Canadian dollar over the same prior-year period.

For the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company sold 5.4 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate, compared to 4.8 million tonnes for the same prior-year period. This represents an increase of 13% year-over-year due to Phase II achieving commercial production in December 2022. Sales volumes during the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, were negatively impacted by twelve days of railway interruptions from May 30 to June 10, 2023, due to forest fires in Quebec and reduced service capacity extending into the early part of the second quarter ended September 30, 2023. As discussed above, shipments during the first half of the financial year were also impacted by planned and unplanned rail service interruptions.

The high-grade iron ore P65 index price averaged US$124.5/dmt for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, representing a decrease of 9% from the period last year. The Company sold its product at a gross average realized selling price of US$126.0/dmt1. Benefiting from a premium product, the Company expects its iron ore concentrate pricing to continue tracking the P65 index in the long term. Deducting sea freight and other costs of US$26.1/dmt and the negative provisional pricing adjustments of US$6.1/dmt, the Company obtained a net average realized selling price of US$93.8/dmt (C$125.7/dmt)1 for its high-grade iron ore concentrate.

B. Cost of Sales and C1 Cash Cost

Second Quarter of the 2024 Financial Year vs Second Quarter of the 2023 Financial Year

For the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, the cost of sales totalled $212.6 million with a cost of sales per tonne sold of $73.7/dmt1, compared to $199.8 million and $71.5/dmt1 for the same period in 2022. The cost of sales per dmt sold dropped significantly during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, as expected, compared to $81.3/dmt1 for the first quarter, with increased shipments and semi-annual fuel price adjustments based on trailing prices, positively impacting rail service costs.

The cost of sales for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, continued to be negatively impacted by the utilization of contractors to fill vacant positions, high maintenance costs relating to planned and unplanned maintenance activities, including costs associated with a breakdown in one of the Company's conveyor systems and below normal run rate shipment levels during the quarter to amortize mostly fixed costs at the port facilities in Sept-Iles. The Company also incurred rehandling costs at the mine site during the period. This was partially mitigated by lower fuel and explosives prices, and higher production levels.

Mining and processing costs for the 3.4 million dmt produced in the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, totalled $47.3/dmt produced, a decrease of 6% compared to $50.3/dmt produced in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year, reflecting a stronger mining performance.

First Six Months of the 2024 Financial Year vs First Six Months of the 2023 Financial Year

For the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the cost of sales totalled $421.1 million, compared to $369.2 million for the same period in 2022, with cost of sales per tonne sold of $77.3/dmt1, compared to $76.8/dmt1 for the six-month period ended September 30, 2022.

The cost of sales for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, was impacted by the same factors that affected the cost of sales for the second quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Mining and processing costs for the 6.6 million dmt produced in the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, totalled $48.8/dmt produced, compared to $45.6/dmt produced in the same prior-year period.

Due to the high stockpile levels at the mine site, attributable to railway interruptions, the Company expects to incur additional rehandling costs to reclaim the iron ore concentrate from the stockpile to rail it to the port, which should negatively impact the cost of sales in future periods.

C. Net Income & EBITDA

Second Quarter of the 2024 Financial Year vs Second Quarter of the 2023 Financial Year

For the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company generated EBITDA of $155.0 million1, representing an EBITDA margin of 40%1, compared to $84.3 million1, representing an EBITDA margin of 28%1, for the same period in 2022. Higher EBITDA was mainly due to higher revenues, as described above.

For the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company generated net income of $65.3 million (EPS of $0.13), compared to $19.5 million (EPS of $0.04) for the same period last year. The year-over-year increase in net income is attributable to higher gross profits partially offset by higher current income and mining taxes.

First Six Months of the 2024 Financial Year vs First Six Months of the 2023 Financial Year

For the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company generated EBITDA of $220.8 million1, representing an EBITDA margin of 32%1, compared to $179.3 million1, representing an EBITDA margin of 31%1, for the same prior-year period. This year-over-year increase in EBITDA is mainly attributable to higher sales volumes following the commissioning of Phase II and the increase in the net average realized selling price in Canadian dollars due to the weaker Canadian dollar over the same prior-year period, partially offset by higher production costs.

For the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company generated net income of $81.9 million (EPS of $0.16), compared to $61.1 million (EPS of $0.12) for the same prior-year period. The year-over-year increase in net income is mainly due to higher gross profit.

D. All In Sustaining Cost and Cash Operating Margin

During the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company realized an AISC of $99.1/dmt1, compared to $81.9/dmt1 for the same period in 2022. The increase was due to higher C1 cash costs, higher sustaining capital expenditures and G&A expenses. Refer to section 5 - Cash Flows - Purchase of Property, Plant and Equipment for details on sustaining capital expenditures.

The Company generated a cash operating margin of $35.3/dmt1 for each tonne of high-grade iron ore concentrate sold during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $25.7/dmt1 for the same prior-year period. The variation is mainly due to a higher net average realized selling price for the period, partially offset by higher AISC.

During the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded an AISC of $96.7/dmt1, compared to $86.8/dmt1 for the same period in 2022. The increase was due to higher C1 cash costs as well as higher sustaining capital expenditures and G&A expenses per dmt sold.

The cash operating margin totalled $29.0/dmt1 for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $33.8/dmt1 for the same prior-year period. The variation is mainly due to higher AISC, partially offset by a higher net average realized selling price in Canadian dollars.

4. Exploration Activities

Bloom Lake Mineral Resources and Reserves Update

The 2023 Technical Report, which was filed on October 3, 2023, confirmed the 18 years' LoM based on the mineral reserves with an average LoM yearly production of 15.2 million wmt of high purity iron ore concentrate at 66.2% Fe, an average iron metallurgical recovery of 82.0% and plant feed grade of 28.6% Fe. The 2023 Technical Report also confirmed an expansion opportunity considering a 40% increase to the measured and indicated resources and a 360% increase to the inferred resources.

The Company is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the 2023 Technical Report and confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the 2023 Technical Report continue to apply and have not materially changed.

The 2023 Technical Report can be found under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Exploration and Evaluation Activities

During the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, the Company maintained all of its properties in good standing and did not enter into any farm-in/farm-out arrangements. During the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, $4.6 million and $7.3 million in exploration and evaluation expenditures were incurred, respectively, compared to $0.9 million and $3.1 million, respectively, for the same prior-year periods. During the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, exploration and evaluation expenditures mainly consisted of costs associated with work related to updating the Kami Project feasibility study, claim renewal fees and claim staking around the Kami property. In addition, the Company started a 2000 metres diamond drill campaign for hydro geological characterization in September 2023, expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Details on exploration projects and maps are available on the Company's website at www.championiron.com under the section Operations & Projects.

5. Cash Flows - Purchase of Property, Plant and Equipment





Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2023

2022

2023

2022

















(in thousands of dollars)















Tailings lifts

43,041

28,440

54,987

37,425 Stripping and mining activities

6,542

3,730

9,805

14,793 Mining equipment rebuild and replacement

10,683

4,011

15,235

10,908 Other sustaining capital expenditures

180

-

222

- Sustaining capital expenditures

60,446

36,181

80,249

63,126

















DRPF Project

16,938

-

28,021

- Other capital development expenditures at Bloom Lake

13,002

42,403

37,786

138,072 Purchase of property, plant and equipment as per cash flows

90,386

78,584

146,056

201,198

Sustaining Capital Expenditures

The increases in tailings-related investments for the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, are part of the Company's long-term plan to prepare the site for a higher level of operations with the commissioning of Phase II. As part of the Company's ongoing and thorough tailings infrastructure monitoring and inspections, the Company continues to invest in its safe tailings strategy and is implementing its long-term tailings investment plan.

The increase in stripping and mining activities during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to the same period in the previous financial year, is mainly attributable to investments made for the ongoing construction of additional access ramps for $1.8 million. No stripping cost was capitalized during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023. The decrease in stripping and mining activities during the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, is due to the low level of waste moved at the mine due to limited mining equipment availability early in the period, until all equipment was fully commissioned. The stripping and mining activities for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, were slightly lower than the Company's plan for the 2024 financial year, due to the prioritization of critical activities to mitigate the impacts of the forest fires in the first quarter.

The increase in the Company's mining equipment rebuild program for the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, is attributable to the major overhaul of its growing mining fleet over the last two years to prepare for additional mining activities driven by the Company's expansion. The mining equipment rebuild program is in line with the Company's fleet management program for the 2024 financial year.

DRPF Project

During the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, $16.9 million and $28.0 million, respectively, were spent in capital expenditures related to the DRPF Project. Investments mainly consisted of on-site preparation activities, engineering work and long lead-time equipment purchasing. Cumulative investments of $28.9 million were deployed on the DRPF Project as at September 30, 2023.

Other Capital Development Expenditures at Bloom Lake

During the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, other capital development expenditures at Bloom Lake totalled $13.0 million, compared to $42.4 million in the same 2022 period. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, the expenditures mainly consisted of $5.6 million in infrastructure improvements and conformity ($7.1 million for the same period last year), $6.8 million for the garage expansion to support the expanded fleet, and $5.1 million in deposits for mining equipment ($4.5 million for the same period last year). The expenditures for the same period last year also included $26.2 million related to Phase II and $5.1 million in capitalized borrowing costs. During the three-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, other capital development expenditures were partially offset by the receipt of a government grant of $5.2M related to the Company's greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption reduction initiatives.

During the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, other capital development expenditures at Bloom Lake totalled $37.8 million, compared to $138.1 million in the same prior-year period. During the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the expenditures mainly consisted of $14.6 million in infrastructure improvements and conformity ($9.9 million for the same period last year), including the construction of two pads to expand the mine's capacity to stockpile concentrate near the loadout, $15.2 million for the expansion of the garage, and $11.7 million in deposits for mining equipment ($19.2 million for the same period last year). The expenditures for the first six-month period of last year also included $94.0 million related to Phase II and $9.6 million in capitalized borrowing costs.

6. Qualified Person and Data Verification

Mr. Vincent Blanchet, P. Eng., Engineer at Quebec Iron Ore Inc., the Company's subsidiary and operator of Bloom Lake, is a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved, or has prepared, as applicable, the disclosure of the scientific and technical information contained in this press release and has confirmed that the relevant information is an accurate representation of the available data and studies for the relevant projects. Mr. Blanchet's review and approval does not include statements as to the Company's knowledge or awareness of new information or data or any material changes to the material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the 2023 Technical Report. Mr. Blanchet is a member of the Ordre des ingenieurs du Quebec.

7. Conference Call and Webcast Information

A webcast and conference call to discuss the foregoing results will be held on October 26, 2023, at 9:00 AM (Montreal time) / October 27, 2023, at 12:00 AM (Sydney time). Listeners may access a live webcast of the conference call from the Investors section of the Company's website at www.championiron.com/investors/events-presentations or by dialing toll free +1-888-390-0546 within North America or +1-800-076-068 from Australia.

An online archive of the webcast will be available by accessing the Company's website at www.championiron.com/investors/events-presentations. A telephone replay will be available for one week after the call by dialing +1-888-390-0541 within North America or +1-416-764-8677 overseas, and entering passcode 509012 #.

About Champion Iron Limited

Champion, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Quebec Iron Ore Inc., owns and operates the Bloom Lake Mining Complex, located on the south end of the Labrador Trough, approximately 13 km north of Fermont, Quebec. Bloom Lake is an open-pit operation with two concentrators that primarily source energy from renewable hydroelectric power. The two concentrators have a combined nameplate capacity of 15 Mtpa and produce low contaminant high-grade 66.2% Fe iron ore concentrate with a proven ability to produce a 67.5% Fe direct reduction quality iron ore concentrate. In January 2023, the Company announced the positive findings of a study evaluating the upgrade of half of the Bloom Lake mine's capacity to a direct reduction quality pellet feed iron ore and approved an initial budget to advance the project. Bloom Lake's high-grade and low contaminant iron ore products have attracted a premium to the Platts IODEX 62% Fe iron ore benchmark. The Company ships iron ore concentrate from Bloom Lake by rail, to a ship loading port in Sept-Iles, Quebec, and has sold its iron ore concentrate to customers globally, including in China, Japan, the Middle East, Europe, South Korea, India and Canada. In addition to Bloom Lake, Champion owns a portfolio of exploration and development projects in the Labrador Trough, including the Kamistiatusset Project, located a few kilometres south-east of Bloom Lake, and the Consolidated Fire Lake North iron ore project, located approximately 40 km south of Bloom Lake.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain information and statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "continues", "forecasts", "projects", "predicts", "intends", "anticipates", "aims", "targets" or "believes", or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Inherent in forward-looking statements are risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control.

Specific Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical facts included in this press release that address future events, developments or performance that Champion expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, Management's expectations regarding: (i) the Company's Phase II expansion project, its expected achievement of nameplate capacity, throughput, recovery rates, economic and other benefits, impact on nameplate capacity, milestones and associated costs; (ii) Bloom Lake's life of mine, recovery rates, production metrics, economic and other benefits; (iii) the project to upgrade the Bloom Lake iron ore concentrate to a higher grade with lower contaminants and to convert approximately half of Bloom Lake's increased nameplate capacity of 15 Mtpa to commercially produce a DR quality pellet feed iron ore, expected project timeline, upcoming works, approvals and benefits; (iv) the study evaluating the re-commissioning of the Pointe-Noire Iron Ore Pelletizing Facility to produce DR grade pellets, including its anticipated completion timeline; (v) the Kami Project's feasibility study, its purpose, including evaluating the potential to produce a DR grade product, and anticipated completion timeline; (vi) the shift in steel industry production methods towards reducing emissions and green steel production methods, including expected rising demand for higher-grade iron ore products and related market deficit and higher premiums, and the Company's participation therein, contribution thereto and positioning in connection therewith, including the transition of the Company's product offering (including producing high quality DRPF products) and expected benefits thereof; (vii) collaboration between First Nations and Champion; (viii) optimization work programs, their objectives and expected results and impact on production and financial results; (ix) benefits and expected impact of recently commissioned equipment on production and the Company's shipping capacity; * shipping and sales of accumulated concentrate inventories and related rehandling costs and their impact on cost of sales; (xi) the Company's mining equipment rebuild program, fleet management program, tailings investment plan and related investments and benefits; (xii) production and recovery rate targets and the Company's performance; (xiii) pricing of the Company's products; (xiv) the Company's expected iron ore concentrate production and sales; (xv) the Company's iron ore concentrate pricing trends compared to the P65 index; (xvi) exploration programs and their anticipated completion timeline; and (xvii) the Company's growth and opportunities generally.

Deemed Forward-Looking Statements

Statements relating to "reserves" or "resources" are deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves and resources described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves can be profitably mined in the future. Actual reserves and resources may be greater or less than the estimates provided herein.

Risks

Although Champion believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, most of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (i) the results of feasibility studies; (ii) changes in the assumptions used to prepare feasibility studies; (iii) project delays; (iv) timing and uncertainty of industry shift to green steel and Electric Arc Furnaces; (v) continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions; (vi) general economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; (vii) future prices of iron ore; (viii) future transportation costs; (ix) failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; * delays in obtaining governmental approvals, necessary permitting or in the completion of development or construction activities; and (xi) the effects of catastrophes and public health crises, including the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, the iron ore market and Champion's operations, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" of the Company's 2023 Annual Report, Annual Information Form and MD&A for the financial year ended March 31, 2023, which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, the ASX at www.asx.com.au and the Company's website at www.championiron.com. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Additional Updates

All of Champion's forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof or such other date or dates specified in the forward-looking statements and is based upon the opinions and estimates of Champion's Management and information available to Management as at the date hereof. Champion disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Champion cautions that the foregoing list of risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive. Readers should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risks they entail.

Abbreviations

Unless otherwise specified, all dollar figures stated herein are expressed in millions of Canadian dollars, except for: (i) tabular amounts which are in thousands of Canadian dollars; and (ii) per share or per tonne amounts. The following abbreviations and definitions are used throughout this press release: US$ (United States dollar), C$ (Canadian dollar), Fe (iron ore), wmt (wet metric tonnes), dmt (dry metric tonnes), Mtpa (million tonnes per annum), M (million), km (kilometers), LoM (life of mine), G&A (general and administrative), EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization), AISC (all-in sustaining cost), EPS (earnings per share), Board (Board of Directors), Management (Champion's management team), Bloom Lake or Bloom Lake Mine (Bloom Lake Mining Complex) and Phase II (Phase II expansion project). The utilization of "Champion" or the "Company" refers to Champion Iron Ltd. and/or one, or more, or all of its subsidiaries, as applicable. "IFRS" refers to International Financial Reporting Standards.

For additional information on Champion Iron Ltd., please visit our website at: www.championiron.com.

This document has been authorized for release to the market by the CEO of Champion Iron Ltd., David Cataford.

The Company's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023 (the "Financial Statements") and associated Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), on the ASX (www.asx.com.au) and the Company's website (www.championiron.com).

_________________________

1 This is a non-IFRS financial measure, ratio or other financial measure. The measure is not a standardized financial measure under the financial reporting framework used to prepare the financial statements and might not be comparable to similar financial measures used by other issuers. Refer to the section below - Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures for definitions of these metrics and reconciliations to the most comparable IFRS measure when applicable. Additional details for these non-IFRS and other financial measures, have been incorporated by reference and can be found in section 21 of the Company's MD&A for the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, the ASX at www.asx.com.au and on the Company's website under the Investors section at www.championiron.com. 2 See the "Currency" section of the MD&A for the three and six-month periods ended September 30, 2023, included in note 7 - Key Drivers, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, the ASX at www.asx.com.au and on the Company's website under the Investors section at www.championiron.com.

Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures

The Company has included certain non-IFRS financial measures, ratios and supplementary financial measures in this press release, as listed in the table below, to provide investors with additional information in order to help them evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. These measures are mainly derived from the Financial Statements but do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors with an improved ability to understand the results of the Company's operations. Non-IFRS and other financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. The exclusion of certain items from non-IFRS financial measures does not imply that these items are necessarily non-recurring.

EBITDA and EBITDA Margin





Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2023

2022

2023

2022

















(in thousands of dollars)















Income before income and mining taxes

112,187

45,511

141,153

116,459 Net finance costs

11,634

10,765

18,560

14,955 Depreciation

31,215

28,055

61,128

47,847 EBITDA

155,036

84,331

220,841

179,261 Revenues

387,568

300,621

684,730

579,942 EBITDA margin

40 %

28 %

32 %

31 %

Available Liquidity





As at September 30,

As at June 30,



2023

2023









Cash and cash equivalents

316,530

250,340 Undrawn amounts under credit facilities

329,386

328,835 Available liquidity

645,916

579,175

C1 Cash Cost





Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2023

2022

2023

2022

















Per tonne sold















Iron ore concentrate sold (dmt)

2,883,800

2,793,400

5,447,300

4,807,300

















(in thousands of dollars except per tonne)















Cost of sales

212,584

199,841

421,069

369,248 Less: Incremental costs related to COVID-19

-

(305)

-

(1,145) Less: Bloom Lake Phase II start-up costs

-

(15,391)

-

(34,867)



212,584

184,145

421,069

333,236

















C1 cash cost (per dmt sold)

73.7

65.9

77.3

69.3

All-In Sustaining Cost





Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2023

2022

2023

2022

















Per tonne sold















Iron ore concentrate sold (dmt)

2,883,800

2,793,400

5,447,300

4,807,300

















(in thousands of dollars except per tonne)















Cost of sales

212,584

199,841

421,069

369,248 Less: Incremental costs related to COVID-19

-

(305)

-

(1,145) Less: Bloom Lake Phase II start-up costs

-

(15,391)

-

(34,867) Sustaining capital expenditures

60,446

36,181

80,249

63,126 G&A expenses

12,729

8,564

25,678

20,836



285,759

228,890

526,996

417,198 AISC (per dmt sold)

99.1

81.9

96.7

86.8

Cash Operating Margin and Cash Profit Margin





Three Months Ended Six Months Ended



September 30, September 30,



2023

2022

2023

2022

















Per tonne sold















Iron ore concentrate sold (dmt)

2,883,800

2,793,400

5,447,300

4,807,300

















(in thousands of dollars except per tonne)















Revenues

387,568

300,621

684,730

579,942 Net average realized selling price (per dmt sold)

134.4

107.6

125.7

120.6

















AISC (per dmt sold)

99.1

81.9

96.7

86.8 Cash operating margin (per dmt sold)

35.3

25.7

29.0

33.8 Cash profit margin

26 %

24 %

23 %

28 %

Gross Average Realized Selling Price per dmt Sold



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

2023

2022

2023

2022 Per tonne sold













Iron ore concentrate sold (dmt) 2,883,800

2,793,400

5,447,300

4,807,300















(in thousands of dollars except per tonne)













Revenues 387,568

300,621

684,730

579,942 Provisional pricing adjustments (1,559)

20,931

45,247

36,599 Freight and other costs 102,411

117,131

191,108

205,492 Gross revenues 488,420

438,683

921,085

822,033















Gross average realized selling price (per dmt sold) 169.4

157.0

169.1

171.0

SOURCE Champion Iron Ltd.
School Spending Disparities

The Hopatcong School District, serving a solidly middle-class borough of Sussex County, N.J., has a lot of money to work with. It spent approximately $40,000 per student in fiscal 2016 -- more than any other school district in the country with at least 1,000 students. A few other New Jersey districts of similar size were spending less than a third of that.Such vast differences in education spending are common across districts, and come as debates over teacher pay and demands for more overall state support have garnered a lot of attention this year.Looking at how spending varies across individual districts,calculated per pupil current spending for all school districts in the nation with 100 students or more, using data from the Census Bureaus 2016 Annual Survey of School System Finances. In most states, as in New Jersey, the top elementary-secondary school districts reported spending from two to six times more than those near the bottom.One measure frequently used to assess education spending disparities is the coefficient of variation, calculated using districts financial numbers. When weighted for enrollment, per pupil spending discrepancies were largest in Alaska, Illinois and Vermont -- more than three times as much as in states with more uniformity across their districts.Many factors explain such wide variations. One of the biggest is property taxes, which typically provide much of a school districts budget. Wealthy enclaves with million-dollar homes tend to contribute tax revenues not available in poorer parts of a state. All states make an effort to offset local disparities by kicking in a portion of school funding, but just how far they go in equalizing the budgets varies considerably. The states that do it really well, says Lawrence Picus, a professor at the University of Southern California, also provide additional money for children with extra needs.Districts in a state with the steepest per pupil costs are typically serving more students living in poverty or with additional needs. Research suggests that educating special needs students costs roughly twice as much as providing education to those without disabilities.Geography also matters. In Alaska, several small districts in outlying areas recorded some of the highest expenses nationally. They serve many students living in poverty and must pay high costs for bus transportation, heating and flying in supplies.States with a large roster of small districts also tend to show greater cost differences. On average, districts with 100 to 500 students reported the highest per pupil spending, about $3,000 per pupil more than those with over 10,000 students. The state with the most equalized district spending by our calculations was Florida, where entire counties make up school districts. Some others show little inequity in part because of relative uniformity across their local tax bases.New York, meanwhile, spends more per student than any other state. Along with its high cost of living, it has a heavily unionized and costly school workforce. Michael Borges, executive director of the New York State Association of School Business Officials, says state requirements, such as special education funding obligations that exceed federal requirements, drive up expenses further. There are a lot of state mandates that prevent us from reducing costs, he says. Even when we want to reduce them, our hands are tied.Absent high poverty, geographical issues or other special circumstances, unusually high spending in a district may signal inefficiency. A recent audit identified nearly $800,000 in potential annual savings for the Hopatcong district, recommending a restructuring of its facilities department and hiring of an internal auditor.Research attempting to gauge the effects of spending on student performance has produced mixed results. Recent studies, though, suggest that increases in per pupil spending yield improved scores on standardized tests and higher wages after leaving school. In 40 cases where state courts have assessed a relationship between spending and student outcomes, 35 concluded a substantial correlation exists between funding and performance, according to the Center for Educational Equity at Columbia University Inequity could be intensifying in some places. In its annual report card , the Education Law Center determined that fewer states allocate higher poverty districts additional funding to mitigate local disparities than a decade ago.Regional funding differences are a perennial issue in New Hampshire, which contributes relatively little from state sources, largely because there is no state income tax. A number of recent events have exacerbated the states funding inequities, says Nathan Greenberg of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association. He points to a sharp reduction in property values, a major source of school funding that was hit hard in the last recession. Lawmakers then eliminated the states contribution to teachers pensions in 2011, shifting the cost to localities. Taken together, equity isnt getting any better, says Greenberg. Were back to where we were when the first [education funding] lawsuit was filed."
there was a neighborhood. The wildly popular linear park, built on a disused elevated railroad, slices through the West Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan. Little more than a decade ago, the area was still a gritty, mostly working-class enclave of auto parts stores, a handful of slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, parking garages, and fashion warehouses, among other small industrial businesses.The High Line changed all that. The first phase of the park opened in 2009, but anticipation of the project spurred changes years earlier. Glass-clad high-rises, trendy hotels and design boutiques began rising up alongside the park. Neighborhood mainstays were priced out. Places like Hectors Cafe & Diner, a local favorite since 1949, saw their customer base dwindle. Garages and auto repair shops -- the places that gave the neighborhood its nickname gasoline alley -- were forced to close when their rents shot up.In many ways, the park has been a blockbuster success. It brought new life to a long-underused part of the city. And its hard to argue in favor of preserving parking garages and greasy auto body shops. But the High Lines arrival made the neighborhood unaffordable for most of those who used to live there. Property values near the park increased 103 percent between 2003 and 2011, according to a study by the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Before that, surrounding residential properties had been valued at 8 percent below the overall median for Manhattan. As a catalyst of neighborhood change, wrotes art critic Peter Schjeldahl, the High Line has been to usual gentrification what a bomb is to bottle rockets.Indeed, the High Line exemplifies something called environmental gentrification. By simultaneously making older and typically low-income and/or industrial areas of existing cities more livable and attractive, wrote Jennifer Wolch, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in a paper on the subject, urban greening projects can set off rounds of gentrification, dramatically altering housing opportunities and communities.In other words, adding green space to an underserved neighborhood or replacing an old rail yard with a park can make that area more attractive -- and that can force out the very people meant to benefit from those changes. How, then, can a city enact environmental improvements without displacing the people and businesses that came before?Enter the idea of just green enough. Its the notion of making a neighborhood more livable without triggering gentrification, says Winifred Curran, an associate professor of geography at DePaul University. Curran and co-author Trina Hamilton, of the State University of New Yorks University at Buffalo, coined the term in a 2012 paper on Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Despite sitting next to hipper-than-thou Williamsburg --ground zero for Brooklyn gentrification -- Greenpoint has managed to maintain its historic identity as a blue-collar Polish neighborhood. Curran credits this to the Newtown Creek Alliance, a group of citizen activists who fought for environmental projects that created a greener neighborhood but preserved the character of the community. One of those projects was the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, which first opened in 2007. The High Line its not: The small park sits between the creek and a sewage treatment facility, and it consists largely of concrete paths. Astory dubbed it the ironic nature walk. Nevertheless, the modest park is popular with residents but not a draw for tourists or other neighborhood newcomers. Its just green enough.The key to rightsizing these kinds of environmental improvement projects, says Curran, is community involvement. As a counterexample, she points to Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood, a transitioning swath on the near west side of the city. In the 1990s, the mainly Hispanic area was considered dangerous; it wasnt safe to walk through at night. Today, the streets are safer and the greenest in America, according to the city. In 2012, the Chicago Department of Transportation finished upgrading two rundown streets by rebuilding them with recycled materials, permeable pavers, green streetscaping and sustainable stormwater runoff solutions. Property values are rising rapidly as a result, and longtime residents, who contend they were left out of planning for the greening projects in Pilsen, are finding it too costly to live there. Im upset that people ... took the decision to displace the community and did not inform [us] what theyre trying to do, Roxana Aguilar, a Pilsen resident since 1998, told the nonprofit news site ChicagoTalks.org. They basically did it slowly and did not give the community a chance to relocate somewhere.The reason why Greenpoint is such a great example -- and why Pilsen seems to be an example in the opposite direction -- is the degree to which local people have been able to participate in the process and shape the vision of what green is, Curran says. People talk about green and sustainability all the time, she says, but those ideas mean different things to different people. You can have an industrial neighborhood and it can be more environmentally friendly than it was before, she says. You can have working-class activities and working-class people and maybe it doesnt look as green as other parts of the city, but it still is quite environmentally friendly.In her paper, UC Berkeleys Wolch goes a step further and offers more definitive prescriptions to implementing just green enough solutions. Particularly, Wolch recommends that public officials establish mitigation measures to prevent possible displacement, such as local job training or rent subsidies.So far, the just green enough approach hasnt really been tested. But it soon will be. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in October announced a $130 million initiative to fix 35 long-neglected parks in underserved neighborhoods. These are small projects, most under one acre. At the center of the effort is a framework that stresses community engagement. The parks department will work with community stakeholders to, according to a press release on the program, help them build their own capacity to use, program and be advocates for their parks.The biggest lesson here, says Curran, is the idea that cities do have some control over the ultimate impact of the livability improvements they make. A lot of people just assume that gentrification is inevitable. Theres nothing inevitable about it. Change is inevitable; gentrification is not. There are ways that we can very intentionally make urban change that doesnt displace people.
Learn to tolerate each other - Mark Okraku Mantey to new MUSIGA executives

Kofi Duah and Jessica Love Otoo Showbiz News Oct - 24 - 2023 , 16:18

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey has charged the newly elected MUSIGA executives to learn to tolerate each other and work together for the growth of the union.

He mentioned that being united was not enough to ensure a progressive leadership until they learnt to tolerate each other to aid their work.

There are people who can be united but cannot tolerate each other and work together but I charge this new elected MUSIGA executives to learn to tolerate and work together if they want to move forward, he said.

He indicated that the new executives have lots of work to do considering the numerous challenges of the union particularly prior to the election of its new executives.

He was, however, hopeful that with a determined mind, the new leadership can change the fortunes of MUSIGA.

Mr Okraku Mantey also offered his full support to the new executives, noting that the Ministry had allocated an office for matters concerning MUSIGA.

The Deputy Minister, who is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for Ayensuano constituency encouraged musicians to appreciate their craft since it is financially rewarding.

Musicians have made fortunes from music and I would advise that it is taken seriously. If you think there is no money in music ask the likes of Sarkodie to tell you how much they are making, he said.

Mark Okraku Mantey congratulating the new executives

The newly elected executives are Bessa Simons, President; Rev Dr. Thomas Yawson, 1st Vice; Abena Ruthy, 2nd Vice; S.K Agyemang, General Secretary; Rev Eddie Eyison, National Treasurer; Chizzy Wailer, National Organizer and Rev Gifty Ghansah, National Welfare Officer. (Bessa Simons is new MUSIGA President)
The world is better than you think

Jordan Peterson and Bjorn Lomborg Opinion Oct - 25 - 2023 , 15:37

It is easy to believe that the world is falling apart while watching the news.

Climate change, political division, coups d'etat, the global pandemic, Russias ruthless war on Ukraine, Hamas unjustifiable killings, and the Middle East careering toward widespread violence.

Before panicking, it may be worth stepping back to get some perspective.

Media-driven fear demoralises usparticularly when youngand engenders terrible political decisions by crippling our ability to do better.

War is endlessly and eternally horrific.

It is understandable and even necessary that the media spotlights todays conflicts.

But this can make us believe that were living through unprecedented violence.

Russias war indeed meant that battle deaths in 2022 reached a high for this century, but they are still very low historically.

Last year, 3.5 in 100,000 people died as a consequence of war, below even the 1980s and far below the 20th century average of 30 per 100,000.

The world has in fact become much more peaceful.

This is of course little consolation to those living amidst the worlds conflicts.

But the data speaks to the problem with the constant barrage of contextless catastrophe and doom.

Analysis of media content across 130 countries from 1970 to 2010 indicates that the emotional tone has dramatically and consistently become more negative.

Negativity sells, but it informs badly.

Climate change

The same pattern characterises climate change reporting.

A pervasive and false apocalyptic narrative draws together every negative eventignoring, almost entirely, the bigger picture.

In recent months, for example, fires have been highlighted without indication that the annual burned global area has been declining for decades, reaching the lowest-ever last year.

Likewise, deaths from droughts and floods make headlines, but we dont hear that deaths from such climate-related disasters have declined 50-fold over the past century.

Data

The data show what we all fundamentally know: The world has improved dramatically.

Life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900.

Two centuries ago, almost everyone was illiterate.

Now, almost everyone can read.

In 1820, nearly 90 per cent of people existed in extreme poverty.

Now it's less than 10 per cent.

Indoor air pollution has declined dramatically, and its outdoor equivalent has also done so in rich countries.

If we could choose when to be born, having all the facts at hand, few would choose any time before today.

This incontrovertible progress has been driven by ethical and responsible conduct, trust, well-functioning markets, the rule-of-law, scientific innovation and political stability.

We have to recognise, appreciate and proclaim the value and comparative rarity of each of these.

Negative stories

The constant barrage of negative stories may lead us to imagine that our forward progress is about to end.

However, the evidence at hand does not support this conclusion.

Latest UN Climate Panel scenarios indicate that the average person will be 4.5 times richer by the end of the century than today.

Climate change will merely slow progress, such that the average person will be only 4.34 times as richby no means the end of the world.

Yet, fear pushes many to demand an inefficient diversion of hundreds of trillions of dollars to steer the global economy abruptly towards zero carbon emissions.

We need to foster an environment that challenges fearmongering and promotes optimistic yet critical thinking and constructive discussion with regard to the future.

We hope that our new Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) which will host its first international conference in London next week, (October 30 to November 1) will be of aid in this regard, bringing people of good will and good sense together from around the world, to formulate and communicate a positive vision of the future.

To drive progress for the worlds poorest, we should similarly focus on efficient and well-documented policies with enormous benefits.

Working with more than a hundred of the worlds top economists, one of us has helped identify the best solutions to many of the worlds most insidious problems: basic tuberculosis treatment that will save a million people a year, land tenure reform that lets poorer people reap the benefits, education technology that can deliver three-times better learning outcomes, and more.

These policies dont make for catchy headlines, but they can do immense good: for a cost of $35 billion annually they would save an astounding 4.2 million lives and make the poorer half of the world $1.1 trillion richer every year.

If we stop being fear-driven, and instead look to the data and the bigger picture, we can see that the world is better than it was and is likely to get better still.

We have a responsibility to adopt the very best policies to move ahead.

The writers are a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto/author and President, Copenhagen Consensus/visiting fellow, Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution, respectively.
Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, MP Techiman North

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 17 - 2023 , 18:25

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare born on March 1, 1974, is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician who is currently a Member for the 8th Parliament representing the Techiman North Constituency in the Bono East Region.

She served as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts. She was appointed to this position by President John Mahama in 2013 when he formed his first substantive government. She is a member of the National Democratic Congress.

She is a member of the Health Committee and also a member of the Appointments Committee.

Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare is the third of ten girls of born to her parents, late Hon Adjei-Mensah a lawyer, businessman and Politician and Mrs. Adjei-Mensah a businesswoman. She attended the St Monica's Secondary School in Mampong, Kumasi where she obtained both her O & A level certificates.

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare then proceeded to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science. She continued to the University of Ghana, Legon to pursue further studies in the field of Law and obtained honors in LLB in 2002. She later obtained a degree in law in 2004.

Career

Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare started her legal practice with the Holy Trinity Chambers in Kumasi, Ashanti Region in 2004 and rose to become a partner of the Firm. She also became a lawyer for the Legal Aid Scheme in the Ashanti Region. She has been a board member of the Multi Trust Financial Company in Kumasi from 2004 till date. She is currently a board member of the Federation Commodities Limited.

She was appointed to the Board of the Tema Oil Refinery in 2009 by the President of the Republic of Ghana and served from 2009 to 2013. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare was appointed on 1 March 2013 by President John Dramani Mahama to the newly created/realigned Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts.

Political Career

Ofosu-Adjare was appointed on 1 March 2013 by President John Dramani Mahama to the newly created/realigned Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts. As the Sector Minister, she worked creditably with fourteen (14) Agencies under her ministry introduced innovative, novelty tourism programs as an addition to Ghana's Tourism products & Offerings.

Worthy of mention is the ExploreGhana project launched in 2014 to stimulate and drive domestic tourism in Ghana. After three years of the launch, domestic tourism has received wide coverage by media outlets & organizations. Thus ensuring the country is promoting Responsible Tourism which offers a diverse tourism product mix, which both local and international tourists benefit from.

Another major traditional festival introduced was the Homogeneous Festival for the Ga State. For the first time in Ghana, the ministry nurtured this Homogeneous Festival to ensure the Greater Accra Region has its own brand festival. She also restructured the National Festival for Arts & Culture (NAFAC) and the famous Ghana Carnival introduced in her maiden year in office. She is also credited with the setting up of Tourism levy secretariat to help improve the collection & payment of the 1% Tourism levy. This levy has generated substantial funds for the execution of tourism projects especially in the area in of capacity building and tourism promotion.

Other achievements of Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare was done in the area of a legislative framework to support the work of the creative Arts industry. She led the passage of the Film Bill, which went through cabinet and was approved by Parliament into become law. This new bill replaced the old Film Act of 1961 and was the first time such a new legislative framework was introduced to ensure the Film and Television sector got the much-needed legal backing in Ghana.

She is married to Mr. Lawrence Ofosu-Adjare. She is the daughter of the late Isaac Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah, who served as Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing during the Rawlings government, and was also Member of Parliament for Techiman North where she currently is an MP.
Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, MP Dormaa Central

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 18 - 2023 , 20:32

Kwaku Agyemang-Manu born September 6, 1955, is a Ghanaian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central in the Bono Region and also the Minister of Health.

He is a member of the Members Holding Offices of Profit Committee and a Chartered Management Accountant and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics from the University of Ghana in 1989.

Agyeman-Manu was born in Dormaa Ahenkro in the then Brong Ahafo Region now Bono Region. He had his G.C.E Ordinary Level in 1973 and his G.C.E Advanced Level in 1975. He is a Chartered Management Accountant and Associate Member in 1990 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics from the University of Ghana in 1979. He also graduated with Management Accountancy from the London School of Accountancy.

He was the Director of finance at the Ghamot Company Limited and also at Toyota Ghana Company Limited. He was also the Deputy Chief Accountant at the MIM Timber Company Limited.

Political career

Agyeman-Manu is a member of the New Patriotic Party and the member of parliament for Dormaa Central Constituency in the then Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. He served as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the immediate-past Parliament and was the acting CEO of the National Health Authority in 2006, and also the deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning under former President Kufuor's administration (2001 to 2008). In this government, he served a Deputy Minister of State in the following Ministries: Trade and Industry, Interior, Finance, Communication and Roads and Transport. He has served on the Boards of institutions such as the Small Arms Commission of Ghana, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Bank of Ghana, and the Divestiture Implementation Committee.

Cabinet minister

In May, 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo named Kwaku Agyemang-Manu as part of nineteen ministers who would form his cabinet. The names of the 19 ministers were submitted to the Parliament of Ghana and announced by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Prof. Mike Ocquaye.As a Cabinet Minister, Agyemang-Manu is part of the inner circle of the President and aids in key decision-making policies for the country.

Public lie about his COVID-19 status

On June 13, 2020, several media outlets in Ghana announced that he, his wife and his son had tested positive for COVID-19 and were on admission at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).

Kwaku Agyemang-Manu was admitted on Tuesday and was released on Friday whiles his wife and son are in critical conditions at the intensive care unit of UGMC. He claimed that he hasn't tested positive on COVID-19 on Saturday when he spoke via phone to a journalist called Afia Pokuaa aka Vim Lady. He claimed to be only resting and taking his usual diabetes medication. It is rumored that his conditions has created panic in Government and several top officials are isolating themselves. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, announced on National TV that his Minister of Health indeed contracted COVID-19.

It is to note that the parliamentary primaries of the NPP in the Ministers constituency have been postponed further. It will be interesting to see if the residence and especially delegates of his party further support him after this.

Boasting about WHO Executive Board

Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has been called to serve on the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO) as the representative of Ghana who is a member state of the WHO. It was widely published in the Ghanaian media that it was his good works/initiatives as a Minister and his technical competence which has caused this high ranking appointment. It is to note that WHO elects its members from their Member States only. Being the Minister of Health in Ghana, he therefore representing Ghana and not himself. Mr. Agyeman-Manu joins in as one of the seven Africans who represent their countries to support the executive board of WHO in May 2020.

Agyeman-Manu is a Christian. He is married and has six known children.
Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng, MP Berekum West constituency

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 18 - 2023 , 20:34

Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng born November 1, 1972, is a Ghanaian politician and Member of Parliament representing the Berekum West constituency in the Bono Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.

He is a member of the Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises Committee and also a member of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee.

Boateng was born in the town of Jinijini in the Bono Region, then Brong Ahafo Region. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Planning from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1997. He pursued his Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management at the University of London in 2008. He also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Law from the Anglia Ruskin University, in UK 2004 and Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) from GIMPA in 2014.

Boateng worked as a development planner and a Legal Service Consultant from1998 to 2008.

Political career

Boateng is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He was first elected into Parliament in January 2009 after he emerged winner in the 2008 Ghanaian General Election. He was then re-elected into the 6th and 7th Parliament. He defeated his opposition with 56.33% of the total valid votes after the 2016 Ghanaian general election. He again won the 2020 Ghanaian general elections with 11,245 votes making 47% of the total votes cast whilst the NDC parliamentary candidate Dickson Kyere-Duah had 10,296 votes making 43% of the total votes cast and an Independent candidate Derrick Obeng Mensah had 2,395 votes making 10% of the total votes cast. He was the former Deputy Minister for Railways Development.

In January 2020, he commissioned a maternity ward and donated medical items for the Nkyekyemamu Health Center in the Berekum West District. He also presented hospital beds, weighing machine, office chairs, television etc to Amankwokwa Community-based Health Planning and Services.
Martin Kwaku Adjei-Mensah Korsah, MP Techiman South

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 17 - 2023 , 18:24

Martin Kwaku Adjei-Mensah Korsah born on April 12, 1978, is a Ghanaian politician and Member of Parliament serving the Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is currently the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development.

Korsah is a member of the House committee and also a member of Foreign Affairs Committee.

He completed his SSSCE in 1998 where he studied Government, History and Christian Religious Studies. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science in 2005 from the University of Ghana, and his master's degree in Politics and International Relations in 2007.

Korsah was a basic school coordinator of Ghana Education Service (GES). He was also the presiding member of the Techiman Municipal Assembly. He was also the Director of Elections and Research for the New Patriotic Party.

Political career

Korsah is a member of NPP and currently the MP for the Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region. In the 2020 Ghana general elections, he won the parliamentary seat with 49,682 votes making 50.24% of the total votes cast whilst the NDC parliamentary aspirant Christopher Beyere Baasongti had 49,205 votes making 49.76% of the total votes cast. He was appointed as the deputy minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development.
Nelson Kyeremeh, MP Berekum East Constituency

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 18 - 2023 , 20:36

Nelson Kyeremeh born March 27, 1985, is a Ghanaian politician and an administrator. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Berekum East Constituency in the Bono Region since 7 January 2021.

Kyeremeh is a member of Members Holding Offices of Profit Committee and a member of Works and Housing Committee.

Kyeremeh hails from Berekum in the Bono Region of Ghana. He obtained his basic education certificate in 2000 and his secondary school certificate in 2003. He was awarded his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Studies (Administration/Management) in 2012 succeeding a Diploma in Basic Education in 2009.

Career

Kyeremeh was an Assistant Headteacher with the Ghana Education Service and subsequently an Administrator at Agyengoplus Transport and Logistical Service Limited.

Politics

He is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Kyeremeh won to contest as the NPP Parliamentary candidate for the Berekum East Constituency against the incumbent MP Kwabena Twum-Nuamah. He further won the 2020 general elections by 27,731 votes making 61.3% of total votes cast whilst the NDC parliamentary candidate Simon Ampaabeng Kyeremeh had 17,305 votes making 38.2% of the total votes cast and an Independent candidate Francis Manu-Gyan had 217 votes making 0.5% of the total votes cast.
Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah, MP Dormaa East constituency

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 18 - 2023 , 18:32

Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah born May 23, 1982, is a Ghanaian politician and Member of Parliament for the Dormaa East Constituency in the Bono region of Ghana.

He is a member of the Special Budget Committee, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Privileges Committee, Roads and Transport Committee, Mines and Energy committee and also a member of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee.

Barimah hails from Kobedia-Asupra in the Bono region of Ghana. He had his SSSCE in 2000. He had his bachelor's degree in Sociology & Information Studies in Social Science in 2006. He further had his MSc in Communications and Public Affairs in 2012. He had his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in General Law in 2018. He also had his certificate in Oil, Gas & Petroleum Management in 2020.

Career

Barimah was the Head of Event and Production at Radio Universe. He was also the Station Manager at RGU radio. He was the Media mechanical and engineering manager at EXP Ghana. He was also the Assistant Communication Officer at the British High Commission. He was also the Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager for Zen Petroleum. He was also the Development Communication Coordinator for SADA. He was also at the Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs for ENI Ghana Exploration & Production Limited.

Political career

He is a member of New Patriotic Party (NPP) and currently the MP for Dormaa East Constituency. He won the parliamentary seat with 16,679 votes whilst the NDC aspirant Racheal Owusuah had 11,383 votes. He was adjudged as the best first term member of Parliament in the year 2022.he was recognize by Watch Parliament and Civil Societies based on his in-depth research and analysis works, Contributions at committee meetings, Valuable contributions in the floor of Parliament and many more.

In December 2021, he donated food and other assorted items to about 200 widows in the Dormaa East constituency. He also gave hospital beds and medical equipment to the Wamfie District Hospital. He also donated working equipment and tools to about 400 apprentices and workers in Wamanafo and Wamfie.
Stephen Pambiin Jalulah, MP Pru West constituency

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 17 - 2023 , 18:10

Stephen Pambiin Jalulah born on October 22, 1974, is a Ghanaian politician and Member of Parliament for the Pru West constituency in the Bono East region of Ghana. Currently, he is the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways after he was sworn in by Nana Akufo-Addo.

Stephen is a member of the Members Holding Offices of Profit Committee and also a member of the Works and Housing Committee.

He hails from Saboba in the Northern region of Ghana. He had his GCE Ordinary Level in General Science in 1992 and had his GCE Ordinary Level in Business in 1994. He also had his GCE Advance Level in Business in 1996. He further had his Degree in Finance and Banking in 2003 and also had his bachelor's degree in law in 2014. He also had his master's degree in marketing with E-Commerce in 2011.

Career

He was the District Chief Executive at the Ministry of Local Government for the Pru West district and also the Pru District. He was also the District Manager for the National Health Insurance Authority.

Politics

Stephen is a member of New Patriotic Party (NPP) and currently the MP for Pru West Constituency. He won the parliamentary seat with 16,606 votes making 56.7% of the total votes whilst the incumbent Masawud Mohammed had 12,671 votes making 43.3% of the total votes.[5] Currently, he is the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways.
2023 BECE results: GES fishing out JHS 1 and 2 students who 'jumped' classes to write

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Education Oct - 25 - 2023 , 11:50

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has taken steps to identify unqualified Junior High School (JHS) students in Forms One and Two who skipped classes to sit for the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The GES has consequently instructed all regional, metro and district directors of education to provide the service with the names of attending and absent JHS 1 and JHS 2 students, especially during the 2023 BECE week from Monday, August 7th to Friday, August 11th, 2023.

Furthermore, the GES has mandated that all school heads in both public and private schools should submit the names of JHS one and two students.

Additional information obtained by Graphic Online suggests that the GES also requires the attendance records of all JHS 2 students in the 2021/2022 academic year. In other words, the GES aims to track the attendance of students who took the 2023 BECE in August, during the 2021/2022 academic year.

In response to this, some education experts have informed Graphic Online that the GES intends to identify unqualified Form One and Two students who "skipped" grades and sat for the 2023 BECE, subsequently disqualifying them from entering senior high school in Form One, sanctioning them or sanctioning school heads who aided in that action.

2023 BECE Results

The results for the 2023 BECE are anticipated to be released within the last week of October 2023 and the first week of November 2023.

Form One students for Senior High School (SHS) are expected to commence classes around the first week of December 2023.

Graphic Online has gathered that the GES has communicated with all regional directors of Education on this matter. In a letter to them last week, the GES requested a list of JHS 2 students in the 2021/2022 academic year, from both public and private schools, who took the 2023 BECE.

Unprecedented number of students for Form One

A total of 602,457 final-year junior high school (JHS) students across Ghana wrote the 2023 BECE in August.

The total candidature of 602,457 represented an increase of 49,049 over the 2022 figure of 553,408.

Education Watchers have said the unprecedented number of candidates for the 2023 BECE may create problems for the GES in placing all the students in senior high school (SHS) Form One in the wake of free SHS.

Heads of public junior high schools have been instructed to submit their 2021/2022 academic year JHS 2 class attendance registers to their respective Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education, for compilation and submission of the students' names to the Director-General through their respective Regional Directors of Education by the close of work on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.

They are urged to ensure that the data is submitted within the specified deadline and to carry out this important task without delay.

Absentee JHS 1 and 2 Students during 2023 BECE

In addition to this, school heads are required to submit the names of absentee JHS students in Forms 1 and 2, in both public and private schools, who were specifically absent for the 2021/2022 academic year, particularly those absent from August 7th to 11th in 2023.

Heads of junior high schools are directed to provide the names of JHS 1 and JHS 2 students who were absent during the specified period, along with their class attendance registers for verification, to their respective Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education.

Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education are tasked with compiling and submitting the names of these absentees to the Director-General through their respective Regional Directors of Education.

Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Failure to deduct loans: Students Loan Trust Fund drags 8 institutions to police

Emmanuel Bonney Education Oct - 25 - 2023 , 07:18

The Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has dragged eight public institutions to the police over their failure to make the necessary deductions from employees salaries and remit them to the fund.

The employees, numbering 98, borrowed from the fund while in school but failed to repay the loans.

Consequently, the police have since given the defaulting employers a lifeline to comply or face court action.

The Daily Graphic learnt that the institutions had already been served by the police to appear before the CID on the issue.

The first phase of the investigations saw the affected institutions being served notice on three occasions but to no avail.

The Chief Executive Officer of the SLTF, Nana Kwaku Agyei Yeboah, said his outfit was determined to recover outstanding loans to ensure that the fund continued to provide financial support to Ghanaian students seeking higher education.

"The SLTF plays a crucial role in promoting access to higher education in Ghana. It is our responsibility to protect the fund's sustainability, and this includes holding employers accountable for their actions," he said.

The Deputy Director, Repayment and Resource Mobilisation of SLTF, Rosemary Aryee, said the non-compliance of employers to deduct and pay loans on behalf of their employees had been a long-standing issue that hindered the funds ability to sustain the support for students who were currently in school and future generations.

We have decided to take legal action as a last resort to ensure compliance, she said.

Section 24 of the SLTF Act 2011 (Act 820) imposes a statutory duty on employers to deduct loan repayments from the salaries of employees who benefitted under the students loan scheme and remit same to the trust fund.

Students loan is a creature of public policy entrusted to the SLTF, an agency of government under the Students Loan Trust Fund Act 2011, Act 820.

The core mandate of the Trust Fund is to disburse loans to eligible students to cover tuition, accommodation and other educational expenses and recover same when they are due.

However, repayment has become crucial to ensure the sustainability of the fund and to financially support future generations.

The fund said the duty imposed on employers under Section 24, Act 820, was a statutory duty that required strict compliance.

Unlike contractual duty, a statutory duty does not require privity in order to discharge any obligation expected under it.

In other words, once a duty is imposed by law, the bearer does not need to be a party to any contract in order to discharge that duty.

Effect

The effect is that employers in Ghana do not need to be a party to a student loan contract in order to deduct students loan for repayments purposes.

As noted above, employers are required to deduct loan repayments from the salaries of employees who benefitted from students' loan and remit these payments to the Trust Fund, Ms Aryee said.

However, she said that had been a challenge with some employees failing to meet their obligations by reason of employer non-compliance.

The SLTF has therefore decided to hold such employers accountable under section 37 of Act 820 which provides to the effect that where an employer fails to deduct and remit students loan repayments to the fund, that employer is liable and directors of that company or partners of that firm are personally liable, Ms Aryee explained.
Chief Justice throws out OSPs request to remove judge on Cecilia Dapaahs case

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Oct - 25 - 2023 , 14:26

A request by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for the Chief Justice to remove Justice Edward Twum from the Cecilia Dapaah case has been rejected.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) had argued that, the High Court judge, Justice Edward Twum had shown bias against the OSP and wanted him removed from all cases involving Cecilia Dapaah.

But the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has refused the request by the OSP, which sought the removal of Justice Edward Twum as presiding judge of the case involving the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

At Wednesdays hearing [Oct 25, 2023], Graphic Online's Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson reports that Justice Twum adjourned the case to await the decision of the Chief Justice on the request, but shortly after the hearing, the OSP posted on social media that the Chief Justice had refused to accede to the request.

By a letter dated 25 October, 2023, the Judicial Secretary informed The Special Prosecutor that, the Chief Justice is unable to acceded to the Office of the Special Prosecutors (OSP) request for his Lordship Justice Edward Twum to be recused and removed from all cases involving the OSP pending before him, the notice by the OSP read.

Public Notice

-

By a letter dated 25 October 2023, the Judicial Secretary informed The Special Prosecutor that, the Chief Justice is unable to accede to the Office of the Special Prosecutors (OSP) request for his lordship Justice Edward Twum to be recused and removed from  Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) October 25, 2023

The request by the OSP was grounded on the belief that Justice Edward Twum appears to be highly prejudiced against the OSP and the person of the Special Prosecutor.
GCGL commits to partner Parliament ... To advance Ghanas democracy

Nana Konadu Agyeman Oct - 25 - 2023 , 08:09

The Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey, has expressed the commitment of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to work closely with Parliament to advance Ghanas democracy.

He said given Parliaments important role in protecting and preserving the countrys democracy, the company would lend its fullest support to the legislature to discharge its role.

As one of the arms of government, you are the bulwark of our democracy and as a company, we are committed to supporting you to move the nation together and build on our democracy, he said.

Bulwark of our democracy

Speaking during an engagement with the Director of Media Relations of Parliament, David Sebastian Damoah, in his office in Accra yesterday, Mr Yartey said while democracy promoted the respect for human rights and development, it was the efforts of the legislature that kept the nation united.

Everywhere in the world where there is democracy, there is respect for human rights and there is always development.

But it takes Parliament to move a nation together as it is a representation of the entire country.

As a company, we take Parliament and the stories that come from there seriously.

We are committed to publishing on the front page of our newspapers, stories emanating from exclusive interviews with the leadership of both sides of the House on non-partisan national issues, the Editor assured.

Mr Damoah, accompanied by his deputy, Dr Lawrence Kwarteng-Ahia, and other staff of the department had embarked on the visit to introduce himself, his staff and the department to the Editor and by extension, the editorial members.

The editorial members were the Political Editor, Albert Salia, and the Features Editor, Caroline Boateng.

They deliberated on how Parliament and the GCGL could work together to bring Parliament close to the doorstep of the public.

Speakers belief in GCGL

Mr Yartey noted that the GCGL had enjoyed a very solid relationship with Parliament, a relationship that found an expression in the Speaker of Parliament visiting the company this year.

I do not remember the last time something of that nature happened; I think that this is the first time in recent history and this tells you the Speakers belief in the media and also in Graphic, he said.

He said the company was mindful of its role as the conscience and voice of the nation and was thus committed to helping to shape public discussions on important national issues.

We are mindful of that and we are also mindful of what we put out, he stressed.

Going digital

With most readers moving to the digital space, the Editor said the company had initiated measures to meet emerging digital content needs of readers of the companys newspapers.

We have built a television studio and are building a digital centre; we are doing a lot of engagement online just so we ensure that we do not lose our audience in the print and online space.

We want to maintain our leadership position and we want to amplify our content to generate exclusive content and extend the shelf life of our content, he said.

He added that: We come with reputation and when it is Graphic, people take us seriously just as people take Parliament seriously.

New programmes

As a revamped department, Mr Damoah said the Media Relations Department of Parliament was embarking on a number of initiatives to enhance Parliaments relations with the media in order to build a mutual relationship.

He mentioned some of them as the Editors forum where from time to time, a platform would be created to engage Editors and senior reporters on some activities of Parliament and also seek their input and guidance on how to improve the work of the legislature.

We will also have the Speakers forum where the Speaker will interact with Editors and senior reporters to bring Parliament closer to media houses and reporters, he said.

Open committee sittings

With the development of a new Standing Orders, he said Parliament would soon open up the sittings of various committees to the media to allow the press access to all the meetings of committees.

That, he said, would allow reporters to gain deeper insight into what happened at the committees level to shape their reportage which would not only be centred on what happened in the Chamber.

He assured the editorial team of the GCGL that Parliament was open for any collaboration to improve the working relationship between Parliament and the GCGL.
Fire guts 8-bedroom house at Tesano

Getrude Ankah Nyavi Oct - 25 - 2023 , 18:41

Fire has on Wednesday gutted an eight-bedroom house at Tesano, near the Charleston Hotel in Accra.

Occupants, were unhurt after the inferno at the apartment, but belongings were destroyed by the fire.

The incident was reported around 9:30 a.m.

The house help reported hearing an explosion but did not realize it was from the house until another massive explosion followed.

Firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire about 30 minutes after it started.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before finally bringing it under control.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
All set for 27th GJA Awards

Daily Graphic Oct - 25 - 2023 , 07:53

All is set for the 27th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards scheduled to take place at the Accra International Conference Centre on Sunday, October 29, 2023.

The flagship annual event of the GJA is meant to celebrate professional excellence, with awards in 34 competitive categories up for grabs.

It will be on the theme: Leveraging media freedom to sustain the democratic and security architecture: The litmus test of Election 2024.

A statement signed by the General-Secretary of the association, Kofi Yeboah, said the ceremony promised to be unique and special, would be a departure from the late-night events of previous years.

Dignitaries

It said the event is expected to be attended by at least 1000 participants, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of local and international media partners, Corporate Ghana and members of the inky fraternity.

It said the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony, which will be chaired by the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi.

The statement added that the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; the Chairman of the National Media Commission, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, and the US Ambassador to Ghana, H. E. Virginia E. Palmer, are expected to grace the occasion.

The statement further explained that the theme is informed by the significance of media freedom to democratic development and promotion of national security.

The GJA believes Election 2024 will be a test of character of the countrys democratic and security architecture and the critical role of the media in ensuring success in that test cannot be underestimated, the statement added.

The National Executive thanked sponsors for supporting the awards, particularly the GCB Bank, the lead sponsor, this year.

We hope other sponsors will come through in good time to enhance the success of the event, it said.
Be abreast of digital tools to facilitate justice delivery - Chief Justice urges judges

Emelia Ennin Abbey Oct - 25 - 2023 , 07:48

The Chief Justice, Gertrude Esaaba Torkornoo, has urged judges to be abreast of digital tools and knowledge to facilitate adjudication of cybercrime cases.

Internet services, she said, were relevant to justice delivery and also helped in enhancing productivity and the development of the country.

The Chief Justice, however, said its emergence had also provided a platform for miscreants to pursue criminal activities that bordered on safety and security.

To deal with emerging cybercrime cases, therefore, she said it was important for judges to build their capacity and skills about the Internet and its governance system.

Event

The Chief Justice was speaking at the opening of a three-day introductory training on cybercrime and electronic evidence for the judiciary in Accra yesterday.

It was organised by the National Cybersecurity Authority (CSA), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) under its framework of Organised Crime West Africa Response on

Cybersecurity and Fight Against Cybercrime.

It is aimed at equipping judges and prosecutors with the understanding of cybercrime laws and electronic evidence to strengthen the judicial system in its ability to investigate and prosecute cybercrime cases.

The Chief Justice urged the judges to take advantage of such training programmes to develop their understanding of the laws governing technology usage.

I urge you to pay particular attention to evaluation and reasoning to matters pertaining to the digital space.

Be abreast with digital tools and develop new working skills and understanding of virtual issues, she added.

The Chief Justice further called for the training of other criminal justice actors such as the Narcotics Control Board and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), among others, to enable them to play their respective roles effectively.

Challenges

Director-General of the CSA, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, said technological advancement and increased use of cyberspace had also brought some inherent challenges to the administration of justice, especially in the use of electronic and forensic evidence and other complex technological issues involved in trial processes.

Citing the Global Risks Report 2023 of the World Economic Forum, he said, it had projected that cybercrime would rank eighth on the Global Risk Index for the next 10 years.

Also, he said, Cybersecurity Ventures, a cybercrime research organisation, had also predicted that cybercrime would cost the world $8 trillion in 2023, and a further $10.5 trillion by 2025.

"Our country is not insulated from these threats. Current data gathered from the National Computer Emergency Response Team at the CSA has identified online fraud as a major threat in the national digital space," Dr Antwi-Boasiako added.

The leading threats in the country included online blackmail, unauthorised access, cyberbullying and the publication of non-consensual intimate images.

He also said that the Bank of Ghana had indicated that the total loss value from cyber fraud increased from GH2.6 million in 2021 to GH4.3 million in 2022.

Dr Antwi-Boasiako further said that because cybercrime was borderless, effective prosecution of such crimes was hampered by territorial jurisdiction and the evolution of information technology such as cloud computing, which created loss of location problems for collecting electronic evidence for prosecution.

Commendation

The Head of Cooperation of EU Delegation to Ghana, Massimo Mina, commended the country for efforts it was making in the fight against cybercrime.

The EU, he said, was supporting the CSA and law enforcement agencies which had been at the forefront of the fight against cybercrime to increase awareness and strengthen capacities.

Mr Mina expressed the hope that the training would help the participants to delve into various aspects of cybercrime, including techniques employed by cyber criminals and the challenges faced in collecting and presenting electronic evidence in courts.
Fidelity Bank gives GH100,000

Daily Graphic Oct - 25 - 2023 , 08:38

Fidelity Bank Ghana has presented GH100,000 worth of essential relief items to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to assist victims affected by the recent water spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.

The items include high-density mattresses, blankets, bottled water, bags of sachet water, mosquito nets, canned foods, sanitary pads and other vital essentials.

A team from the bank, led by its Health, Safety, and Environment specialist, Ebenezer Gbolonyo, made the presentation at the NADMO emergency relief site in Adidome, Volta Region, last Friday.

The team also included the Ho Branch Sales and Services Manager, some members of staff from the Ho Branch as well as members of Fidelity Bank's Partnerships, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team.

Moving plight

Speaking on behalf of the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr Gbolonyo stressed the bank's commitment to provide support during times of need.

He commended NADMO for its swift response and coordination of relief efforts, saying that Fidelity Bank was profoundly moved by the plight of the flood victims, hence the decision to contribute.

We are deeply saddened by the plight of our fellow Ghanaians who have been affected by this unfortunate incident.

As a responsible corporate entity, we felt obliged to support them in this difficult time, he said.

He expressed the hope that the donation would help support as well as bring comfort and relief to the affected families.

Timely support

The North Tongu District Director of NADMO, Sedem Bright Amuzu, expressed gratitude to Fidelity Bank for its generous gesture, assuring that the donated items would be distributed to the most vulnerable and needy individuals in the affected districts.

He also called upon other corporate entities and individuals to follow the commendable example set by Fidelity Bank and support NADMO's humanitarian work.

The District Chief Executive of North Tongu, Thomas Moore Zonyrah, also expressed heartfelt appreciation to Fidelity Bank for its generous and timely support.
Nigerian stuck at Pantang Hospital - Facility calls for help to repatriate patient

Maclean Kwofi Oct - 25 - 2023 , 07:06

A 23-year-old woman on admission at the Pantang Hospital in the Greater Accra Region who is fully recovered has been stuck at the hospital for more than a month.

It followed the inability of the family who are in Imo State in Nigeria to raise enough funds to support her repatriation back to her home country.

The repatriation is expected to cost about GH1,500 by road from Accra to Ahiazu Mbaise, a local government area of Imo State in Nigeria.

Several efforts by the management of the hospital to involve the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and other institutions to help facilitate the repatriation of Ifunanya Chukwu who was trafficked into the country in 2018 for prostitution have also proved futile.

The situation has become a drain on the hospitals meagre funds and a hindrance to new admissions.

Difficulties

A medical practitioner at the Pantang Hospital, Dr Alex Owusu Ansah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Sunday, stated that the hospital was finding it difficult to integrate the patient who was now in a stable condition with her family.

This, he said, was because the family were in a village at Imo State in Nigeria and could not afford the repatriation cost.

When the patient became conscious, we were able to source some useful information from her which we used to contact her mother in Nigeria.

Based on our assessment, we realised that the mother would not be able to foot the repatriation cost and so, we sent a letter on September 26, 2023 to the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and copied Ghanas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the International Organisation for Migration to assist but until today, no help has come through.

We have followed up the letters with several calls to the high commission yet to no avail and so, we are now faced with the option of discharging her which we are afraid that she may go back to the people who led her into prostitution, he said.

He added that discharging the patient to go back to the people who led her into prostitution would defeat the main purpose for which she was rescued in the first place.

Admission

A deputy nursing manager at the hospital, Akua Owusua Gyapong, said Ifunanya was identified after a good Samaritan reported an incident of a mentally ill person attacking residents of Abokobi Boi,a suburb of Accra, in July this year.

After accessing the situation, she said management of the hospital directed that she must be rescued and brought to the hospital for treatment.

The nurse noted that the patient was rescued through an initiative dubbed Setting the captive free introduced by the hospital to rid the streets of Accra of mentally challenged persons.

She said the initiative sought to treat and restore the dignity of mentally ill persons who roam the streets of Accra.

She said the patient, who was still on admission, was in a stable condition upon assessment by the mental team and could, therefore, be managed at home.

Ifunanya is currently being cared for in terms of her feeding, accommodation, clothing, medical care and day-to-day upkeep with the meagre funds of the hospital coffers, she added.

Interaction with patient

Interacting with the Daily Graphic at the hospital, Ms Chukwu expressed worry with her consistent stay at the hospital after being declared well by the medical team.

All the patients that I came to meet here have been discharged but I am still here even though I have been declared okay to go home; now I am tired of the stay here.

I was deceived and brought into Ghana by my madam called Rose Anita to do street (prostitution) in 2018 but I ran away from her to do wig cap with a friend before I suffered the illness, she said.
NTC to train over 3,400 non-professional teachers in Greater Accra

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Oct - 25 - 2023 , 07:35

Over 3,400 non-professional teachers within the Greater Accra Region have registered to be trained by the National Teaching Council (NTC) in some key teaching modules.

These individuals are currently teaching in various basic schools and institutions but have not yet undergone professional training to become teachers.

The training will enable them to be awarded an authorisation certificate, which will allow them to continue teaching in their respective schools for three years, renewable each year.

Course

The course is held on weekends in four centres across the region namely, the Accra College of Education Demonstration School, Odorgonno Senior High School (SHS), Ashaiman SHS and Queensland International.

It is aimed at equipping the trainees with some relevant skills to enable them to practise effectively until they eventually become qualified trained teachers.

Some of the outline for the course include tutelage on child psychology, management in the classroom, assessment of learners, lesson note preparation, behavioural theorems in education and other key pedagogies.

Registration is ongoing and all teachers who fall within this category have been encouraged to participate by registering on the councils website at a GH250.00 fee.

Building capacity

Speaking to the Daily Graphic last Saturday on the sidelines of an ongoing session at the Accra College of Education Demonstration School, a Deputy Registrar of the NTC, Lawrence Sarpong, explained that the individuals were potential professional tutors and so rather than stop them from teaching, the council thought it fit to build their capacity and set them on the path to becoming professionals.

He explained that it was part of the councils efforts to streamline the system to increase access to quality education by having trained teachers teach in schools while also creating jobs.

After three years of the annual renewal of their licences, these trained non-professional teachers must pursue a professional education programme to become professional teachers and write the teacher licensure exam to be able to continue to teach.

Within the three years of the authorisation, if they are not able to go through teacher training, then it means they intentionally dont want to become teachers and when that happens, the law allows us to take them away from the classroom, he said.

Mr Sarpong, who is the Deputy Registrar in Charge of Operations, also stressed that the exercise was necessary to tackle certain critical subject areas and places where professional teachers were not ready to go.

Nationwide, caution

The Director in charge of Licensing and Registration of Teachers at the NTC, Francis Addai, explained that the programme was a nationwide exercise.

We are doing it across the country, and we hope to complete the region by the end of November, he said.

Mr Addai cautioned proprietors against employing untrained teachers and encouraged them to register such non-professionals for the programme.

If youre a school head and youre engaging any individual who isnt a professional teacher or who hasnt undergone this training to receive the authorisation to teach, youre liable according to the law, he stressed.

Mr Addai equally cautioned the trainees not to view the authorisation at the end of the training programme as a perpetual licence to teach and urged them to use it as a stepping stone to become qualified professional teachers.
Pedu Assemblies of God sets up fund for needy students

Shirley Asiedu-Addo Oct - 25 - 2023 , 06:59

The Fellowship of Grace Assembly (FOGA) of the Assemblies of God Church at Pedu in Cape Coast has inaugurated an educational fund to support needy students in its catchment area through school and apprenticeship.

Setting up of the fund was informed by the sight of loitering students by the Head Pastor of the FOGA, Rev. Charles Atia, around the churchs premises at Pedu in Cape Coast, when school was in session.

Rev. Atia said he was so worried that he, together with the church, decided to set up the FOGA Education Grant to support needy students through school.

At the launch of the grant last Thursday, Rev. Atia said while the church was committed to the spiritual needs of people in its catchment area, it was not oblivious of their physical development needs.

He said the initiative was to make the church more relevant to people in its catchment area.

He indicated that a needy church member, a needy pupil or student from Abura or Pedu or a pupil or person recommended by a sponsor qualified for support.

Fund

The FOGA Education Grant Initiative (FEGI) is to support selected needy students from the Pedu/Abura area through school.

Beneficiaries of the grant at the basic level would receive fees for extra classes, educational materials, pocket money and registration for their Basic Education Certificate Examination.

At the second cycle level, beneficiaries would receive fees for extra classes, educational materials, stipends and food provisions and registration for the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination.

Beneficiaries at the tertiary level would also receive fees, educational materials, stipend and supply of foodstuffs.

Those in the apprenticeship category would have their registration paid, pocket money, tools and other equipment for work and stipend.

There are also opportunities for partial sponsorships and bursaries.

Counselling services

The beneficiaries would also receive counselling services from professional counsellors, motivational speakers and church leaders.

The Chairman of the Grant Committee, Dr Justice Boateng, said funds would be raised from church thanksgiving, annual welfare, families' sponsorships, Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, the Member of Parliament (MP) and benevolent organisations.

The MP for Cape Coast North, Kwamena Mintah Nyarku, presented GH5,000 towards the fund and pledged commitment towards efforts at building educated communities.

Shared responsibility

Launching the grant initiative, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of Education, Phyllis Asante Krobea, indicated that ensuring quality education for all must be a shared responsibility, adding that all stakeholders must help in its provision.

A leading member of the church and a trainee pastor who chaired the function, Benedicta Arthur, commended the church for the initiative and urged all well-meaning institutions and individuals to support it to achieve its goals.
Republic Bank donates equipment to Wassa Dunkwa Govt Hospital

Daily Graphic Oct - 25 - 2023 , 09:21

Republic Bank (Ghana) PLC has donated essential hospital equipment to the Wassa Dunkwa Government Hospital in the Amenfi West District in the Western North Region.

The donation forms part of the banks broader effort to support healthcare institutions in Ghana.

It is also to promote accessible, high quality health delivery for all, which is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3), Good Health and Well-Being and in alignment with the banks Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Items

The items donated included pulse oximeters, digital BP apparatus, weighing scales for infants, nebulizers, cots, screens and signboards, among others.

Support for community

Presenting the items on behalf of the bank, the Northern Sector Manager of Republic Bank PLC, Fred Mensah Anyamesem, indicated that Republic Bank believed corporate citizenship went beyond financial services, and that it encompassed actively participating in and supporting the well-being of the people.

Our donation is a testament to our unwavering commitment to this belief and we trust that these items will enhance the hospitals capacity to serve patients and further the hospitals mission of delivering healthcare services with excellence, Mr Anyamesem said.

He further mentioned that Republic Bank was deeply committed to the betterment of the communities it served under its CSR arm, the Power to Make a Difference (PMAD) and would continue to stand with local healthcare heroes and the patients they cared for.

Receiving the items on behalf of the hospital, the Municipal Director of Health, Daniel Tetteh Agudey, expressed the hospitals appreciation to the bank for the kind gesture.

He described the items as crucial in effective healthcare delivery and gave an assurance that they would be well maintained and put to good use.

He said with the Wassa Dunkwa Government Hospital playing a pivotal role in providing health care to the people in the Amenfi District and beyond, the equipment would help bolster the hospitals capabilities in delivering the highest quality care to patients.
Support for flood victims... Support for flood victims...Zoomlion donates GH500,000

Della Russel Ocloo & Alberto Mario Noretti Oct - 25 - 2023 , 08:34

Waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, has donated relief items worth GH500,000 to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for onward distribution to displaced victims of the Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage.

The items, which include food, water, sanitary materials, and safety gear, will be distributed to affected communities in the areas.

The company also presented a cash amount of GH50,000 for the purchase of essential medical supplies that may be required for the displaced persons.

Additionally, it supported 100 of its workers within the Mepe area, some of whom have also been displaced by the flood, with food items and GHC500 each.

Speaking during the presentation of the relief items, the Managing Director of Zoomlion, Gloria Opoku-Anti, said the urgency of the situation required everyone to come together to support those who were suffering the most.

She said Zoomlion was committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the affected communities, and that the company's relief items were to help to maintain a clean environment and protect people from harm and diseases.

Victims

The spillage of the two dams, which commenced on September 15, 2023, by the Volta River Authority (VRA) as a way of protecting the integrity of the dams from collapsing, has submerged several homes and farmlands, displacing over 35,000 people.

Shelter

Presently, the majority of the displaced people are being housed in classroom facilities within the Mepe area that have been spared of the flood waters.

A number of schools have also been submerged, leaving nearly 10,000 children out of school, according to Child Rights International.

Insanitary conditions within the holding camps, identified as safe havens for the displaced people, continue to worsen, fearing the outbreak of communicable diseases.

At the St Kizito Catholic Senior Technical School at Mepe, where about 1,500 of the displaced people are being housed, the residents had to share the school's four-seater capacity toilet and bath until the donation of mobile toilets by the VRA.

With water and electricity supply to the affected communities completely cut off to avoid electrocution and the outbreak of water-borne diseases following the contamination of the water sources as a result of public places of convenience and cemeteries also being submerged, displaced persons have had to rely on the benevolence of the public for safe drinking water.

Disinfection

Mrs Opoku-Anti, who expressed worry about the unsanitary conditions at the safe havens, also announced the company's decision to undertake a general disinfection exercise at all the camps to reduce the risk of the displaced persons contracting diseases.

"Our efforts are intended to reduce the spread and incidence of sanitation-related diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and cholera that are normally associated with episodes of flooding," she said.

NADMO

The Deputy Director General of NADMO, Seji Saji Amedonu, who, together with the District Chief Executive for North Tongu, Divine Osborne Fenu, received the items, said the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group had done some rapid assessment on the situation and compiled a disaggregated data on the affected persons.

Their assessment has shown that we have challenges with sanitation, food, water, gender as well as people with disabilities which the national coordination centre is working to address, Mr Amedonu said.

He said the Centre was, however, waiting for data from the officials to help them constitute Camp Management Teams who would be in charge of dealing with challenges at the various holding centres.
Supreme Court erred in Gyakye Quayson disqualification  Justice Atuguba

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Oct - 25 - 2023 , 05:41

A former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice William Atuguba, has criticised the court for nullifying the 2020 election of James Gyakye Quayson as Member of Parliament for the Assin-North Constituency in the Central Region.

He said the Supreme Court did not only err in law with the decision to nullify the election, but also failed to uphold justice, describing the judgment of the court as scandalous.

Mr Atuguba said the apex court delved into a matter which had already been adjudicated on and settled by the High Court, in violation to a cardinal principle of law that matters already settled ought not be disturbed.

He said the ideal thing was for the decision of the High Court nullifying the election of Mr Quayson to have been executed, instead of an entirely new case based on the same merit being litigated in the Supreme Court.

The James Gyakye Quaysons decision by the Supreme Court is with all due respect scandalous, in that the court in the teeth of the settled maxim Res Judicata et non quieta movere, re adjudicated the same matter that had been adjudicated upon by the High Court on the merits.

All that was left was its execution according to court processes, Mr Atuguba added.

Lecture

Justice Atuguba was speaking at a lecture organised by a civil society organisation, Solidare Ghana, and the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana.

It was on the topic: Protecting Ghanas democracy: The role of the judiciary.

Justice Atuguba used the almost three-hour lecture to highlight some major cases in the country in which the judiciary had clashed with the political class, including his personal experiences, as well as some actions which in his view had dented the independence of the judiciary.

Post-parliamentary election

The former Supreme Court judge further criticised the apex court for entertaining the Gyakye Quayson case, which in his opinion was clearly within the purview of the High Court.

He said Article 99 of the 1992 Constitution had preserved post parliamentary election matters to the High Court with the Court of Appeal as the final appellate court and, therefore, the Supreme Court had no legal basis to entertain the action.

Mr Atuguba said the decision by the Supreme Court in the case meant that the apex court had a concurrent jurisdiction over parliamentary election petition with the High Court, which he said was alien to the constitution.

Justice Atuguba, who served on the Supreme Court for 23 years (1995- 2018), also said that the court shot itself in the foot when it held that Mr Quayson failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship before filing his documents with the Electoral Commission.

If the certificate of renunciation is so mandatory and conclusive why was it not conclusive in its effect to qualify Gyakye Quayson when he received it, dated 26th November 2020, whereas the parliamentary election was held on 7th December 2020?

The Supreme Court does not stand in good light with all due respect in disqualifying Gyakye Quayson despite his clear certificate of renunciation as from 26th November 2020, whereas the elections were on December 7.

I am not able to see substantial justice, he added.

The retired Justice also wondered why the Supreme Court would conclude that due to the supposed incompletion of the process of Mr Quaysons renunciation of his Canadian passport, he still owed allegiance to Canada.

It is difficult to think that Gyakye Quayson, who submitted his renunciation of Citizenship Papers to Canada in 2019, could still in December 2020 be held as seriously owing allegiance to Canada as a matter of hard realism as opposed to formalism, Mr Atuguba said.
Kpevi sweet potato farmers call for support

Alberto Mario Noretti Oct - 25 - 2023 , 06:53

Kpevi, a rural community in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region, is noted for its unmatched experience and bountiful harvests of the sweet potato crop.

This, however, has not brought joy to the farmers over the years.

The huge harvests are often left on the farms to rot due to the lack of a ready market for the produce.

In a desperate bid to attract customers, some of the farmers heap the sweet potatoes along the road from the community to Akatsi, where they also bag the produce.

Some of the farmers can transport their harvests to the Akatsi and Mafi-Kumase markets, where incompassionate middlemen buy them at takeaway prices and send them to Accra and other urban centres for good money.

On Sunday, October 15, when the Daily Graphic visited the community, Clement Kpedzegli, 27, and Gakpo Sedzi, 39, were seen busy bagging their harvests by the roadside.

Lack of trust

They said in recent times, some traders in Accra send trucks to their farms to purchase the sweet potatoes on credit, a move which initially was a cause for joy but has now given them sorrow because although the buyers from Accra insisted on paying for the produce after receiving them, they often fail to do so.

As soon as they receive the supplies, they call to tell us the sweet potatoes had perished, for which reason they would not pay what is due us, the two farmers said.

It takes about five to six weeks to produce sweet potatoes in heated beds and seven to eight weeks in cold settings.

However, the produce could sometimes perish in a week, and that made it imperative for them to get a ready market for the produce, they told the Daily Graphic.

Sweet potato, produced in white and red varieties, is a major root crop utilised widely across the globe in diverse ways.

It can be processed into various forms for longer durations.

Post-harvest processing of sweet potatoes involves grading and sorting, cleaning, peeling, drying or secondary processing and storage.

Commercial

The commercial utilisation of sweet potatoes comprises conventional and composite ingredient-based foods, starch, sugar, flour and other industrial products, including animal feed.

The farmers believe they are sitting on gold, which could be mined readily if a factory was established in the area to process the sweet potatoes.

We can then make money without travelling far, and buyers from Togo would also flock here to buy from us, they said.

As one drives from Kpevi to Akatsi, the dense green vegetative cover on both sides of the road is fascinating and captivating, with other crops as well, as evident at Gornikope, Tetemale, Sremanu, Wute, Logote-Huive, Adeheta, Worwoenu, Tsiekpi and Asiekpui-Kaleawokope.

The farms are beneath, constantly changing cloud formations which are mesmerising and ideal for tourism promotion. Stopovers for meals along the route can be turned into a lucrative venture.

But for that to materialise, the road from Ziope in the Agotime-Ziope District and Akatsi must be fixed. Some portions of the roads are dreadful beyond description.

The impoverished communities along the road will definitely be transformed into wealthy communities, with a sweet potato processing factory and a good road.
Resource state institutions to end modern slavery - Challenging Heights urges government

Severious Kale-Dery Oct - 25 - 2023 , 09:02

A child rights-centred non-governmental organisation in Ghana, Challenging Heights, has urged the government to adequately resource state institutions towards the fight against child trafficking, child labour and modern slavery in the country.

The Programmes Director of Challenging Heights, Enock Dery Pufaa, made the call during a brief event to present some items to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Ghana Police Service last Wednesday.

The donation, which was to support the operations of the unit, included three air conditioners, two refrigerators, three 32-inch television sets and one Yamaha motorbike.

Mr Pufaa said Ghana had made modest gains in the fight against child trafficking, child labour and modern slavery, based on the 2023 Global Slavery Index and Trafficking in Persons Report.

Resourcing

However, these gains risk being lost in the face of national and global challenges, highlighting the need to adequately resource key state institutions such as the Ghana Police Service's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Department of Social Welfare and the Child Labour Unit, he said.

Mr Pufaa further noted that ending modern slavery required a collective effort, hence the need for closer collaboration between state and non-state actors.

He commended the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit for the commitment and leadership, which together with Challenging Heights efforts, had contributed to the successful rescue of several victims of child trafficking and modern slavery from the Volta Lake.

Acknowledgement

For his part, the Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Chief Superintendent Mike Baah, commended Challenging Heights for the items donated to the Unit.

He assured the organisation that the items would be put to good use for the benefit of the Unit.

Mr Baah further advised the public to report suspected cases of trafficking to the police and warned traffickers and their intermediaries to desist from the act or risk being jailed between five and 25 years as stipulated in the Human Trafficking Act (2009).

Challenging Heights

Challenging Heights works to prevent child trafficking, child labour, and modern slavery by rescuing, rehabilitating and reintegrating child victims, advocating for childrens rights and supporting families struggling with poverty.

The organisation has over the past 18 years, contributed to the successful rescue, recovery and reintegration of over 1,800 children and supported about 1000 families with livelihood interventions.
Floods: Freda Prempeh's comment is callous and unsympathetic - NDC

Getrude Ankah Nyavi Politics Oct - 25 - 2023 , 14:45

The Volta Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the comment made by the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources that residents in the Lower Volta area failed to move when they were asked to do so before the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams as callous and unsympathetic.

Condemning the comment of the minister, Ms Freda Prempeh, the NDC in a press statement said such comments only exacerbate the pain and suffering of the affected individuals and communities.

The minister at a forum organised by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in Accra on Monday, Oct 23, had accused residents in the Lower Volta area of failing to move to higher ground as advised.

However, in a press statement issued on Wednesday, (Oct 25), the NDC in the Volta Region called on Ms Prempeh to retract her comments and apologise.

We thought as a mother, the Sanitation Minister would take advantage of the platform provided by the October 23rd Ghana Water Company Limited event to somehow appease the residents of the hardest-hit communities at the back of the Presidents unfortunate utterances on the situation when he paid a reluctant visit."

Attached below is a copy of the statement from the Volta Regional NDC
NPP delegates rally behind Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto's vision

Kweku Zurek Politics Oct - 25 - 2023 , 11:41

Some grassroots delegates in the Ashanti Region have voiced their support for Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto to become the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) presidential candidate.

They are urging delegates across the nation to vote for him in the party's polls on November 4, 2023, for the 2024 presidential election.

These delegates assert that after closely examining the campaign messages of all presidential aspirants over the past ten months, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a distinguished Cambridge University Scholar and Ghanas longest-serving Minister of Food and Agriculture in the 4th Republic, stands out. They firmly believe that he holds the key to solving Ghana's problems, as well as those of the party.

They particularly commend Dr. Akoto's vision to reform the NPP by establishing party-owned businesses that offer employment opportunities to members while providing financial resources to support party activists.

During an interaction with Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto at his Danyame residence in Kumasi on Saturday, October 21, 2023, party activists expressed their unwavering support for his vision. They appealed for his blessing to disseminate his message to fellow delegates both within and beyond the Ashanti Region.

NPP Communication Officer for Atwima Mponua constituency, Albert Kwaku Asiedu, stated, "You have the solution to our problems. You appeal to the rank and file of the party, and we will have no difficulty marketing you. Please, let us be part of your campaign team and spread your message."

Ms. Janet Awuah, Kwadaso NPP Womens Organizer, emphasized her belief in Dr. Akoto's capabilities to revitalize Ghana and reform the NPP for the greater good. She urged delegates to be inspired by Dr. Akotos message of hope and to vigorously promote it across the country.

In response, Dr. Akoto, moved by the enthusiastic crowd, granted their request. He encouraged them to work diligently and assured them of his dedication to securing victory for the party in the 2023 presidential election.

Dr. Akoto is listed as number 3 on the ballot paper for the upcoming polls. He secured 4th place in the Super Delegates Conference held on August 26, 2023.

With over 210,000 delegates expected to cast their votes, the National Delegates Conference on November 4, 2023, is a crucial milestone for the NPP in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2024 general elections.
See names of "Nationalistic" Ghanaians Justice Atuguba called out for praise

Elizabeth Konadu-Boakye Politics Oct - 25 - 2023 , 14:19

A former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice William Atuguba has singled out the names of some individuals he described as nationalistic, and therefore deserved commendation.

He said although he didn't know most of them personally, he had followed their works and comments on social media and was impressed by their nationalistic approach to issues.

Addressing a public lecture at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana on Wednesday (Oct 24, 2023), Justice Atuguba said they are doing well and expressed the hope that they will continue to do the same thing when their favourite political parties take up the reigns of power.

Oliver Barker-Vormawor

Justice Atuguba first mentioned Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a political activist and the convenor of the FixTheCountry Movement and said he was doing well but cautioned him to be careful with politicians.

Justice Atuguba commended Mr Barker-Vormorwor for his nationalistic approach to issues and advised that he should be steadfast and be devoid of political control.

The former Justice of the Supreme Court who is popularly known for his role in the 2013 Election Petition used the opportunity to further acknowledge the efforts of other nationalists like Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy of the USA, Prof Ransford Gyampoh of the University of Ghana, Dr Amoako Baah of the KNUST, Prof. Godfred Bokpin of the University of Ghana, Prof Agyeman-Duah of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Kwame Pianim, Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe and Kelvin Taylor of the USA.

For Kelvin Taylor in particular, Justice Atuguba said he has praised him before but said Taylor "gets into invectives, but then he will insult and insult. I have praised him before."

The retired Supreme Court judge further urged citizens not to write off good and sound submissions from people because of their political background and the ill-words they sometimes used.

"Ghanaian are fond of that. Sometimes the person has very good submissions but because of a slight mistake or a word the person used or their political background, we just write them off, " he said.
Lenovo hosted its annual Global Tech World event yesterday and one of the standouts from the keynote was a flexible pOLED display concept phone. The device can bend around your wrist or stand on its own as a tripod and Lenovo believes its the key to a hands-free experience of the future.



Motorola adaptive display concept

Motorola did not share detailed specs for this device but we know it features a 6.9-inch diagonal and FHD+ resolution with some noticeable bezels and a fabric back. The device can snap onto a metal cuff to stay secured on your wrist presumably via magnets. The UI appears to shape itself based on how the screen is aligned and Motorola shares that wearing the flexible device on your wrist will get you a similar experience to the Razr 40 Ultra aka razr+ and its 3.6-inch cover screen running full Android apps.

Motorola also demoed some generative AI features set to take advantage of the form factor. MotoAI which runs onboard the new concept phone allows users to personalize their wallpaper and theme where you can take a picture of an outfit and then receive AI-generated images that can be set as your wallpaper.



Motorola adaptive display concept in action

Source
Yesterday, a moderator of the Samsung Members community said that Samsung will not release any more One UI 6 beta updates, and a new beta will only be rolled out if there are issues to fix before the rollout on the stable channel. Turns out there were some bugs that had to be ironed out since Samsung has released the ninth One UI 6 beta for the Galaxy S23 series.

The Android 14-based One UI 6 beta is seeding for the Galaxy S23 trio in the US, the UK, and Germany, and the rollout should expand to India, Poland, and Korea soon.

The ninth One UI 6 beta rolling out in the US has a firmware version ending in ZWJM and requires a download of about 420MB. It comes with the October 2023 Android security patch, and the changelog says some bugs have been fixed and the overall software stability has been improved.

The stable One UI 6 rollout was expected to begin next week since the beta program was expected to end this week, but now that Samsung has released a new beta build, those who aren't enrolled in the beta program will have to wait more to get a taste of One UI 6 on their smartphone.

Via 1, Via 2
The nonprofit organization Indian Temple of Guam will be holding its Diwali Ball 23 at 6 p.m. on Nov. 10 at Hyatt Regency Guams Grand Ballroom, according to a press release from the group.

It is an evening dedicated to celebrating the Festival of Lights, which promises a blend of cultural performances, gourmet Indian cuisine, and an opportunity for the community to come together in a grand celebration.

The entire island community is invited, and tickets are limited.

Tickets can be purchased online at guamindians.com/diwali.

Net proceeds would go directly to support the Indian Temple of Guam, a non-profit organization.

Some event highlights include:

Dazzling performances: Witness the vibrant and dynamic cultural performances that highlight the rich tapestry of Indian traditions.

Feast for the senses: Savor authentic Indian dishes that will tantalize your taste buds.

Interactive workshops: Engage in activities like henna tattooing and more.

Each year, our Diwali Ball serves not just as a celebration of the festival but also as a testament to the unity and diversity of our Guam community. We are looking forward to another memorable evening of festivity and camaraderie. Come join us, the Board of the Indian Temple of Guam said in a statement.

Indian Temple of Guam has been at the forefront of promoting Indian culture on Guam. Through various events, workshops, and initiatives, the association strives to create a platform for cultural exchange and understanding, according to the release.

For more information, contact: Board, Indian Temple of Guam at board@guamindians.com.
Archdiocese: Pope calls for day of prayer for peace in the Middle East, world
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero on Wednesday night announced a series of "information meetings" to answer questions about, and drum up support for, her planned medical complex that includes a new Guam Memorial Hospital.

The first of the four information meetings will be at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, for GMH employees. Another one will be held at 4 p.m. also for GMH employees.

The two others will have veterans and all other concerned residents as audience.

"Say 'yes' to a Guam Medical Complex," the Adelup announcement stated.

These information meetings are in advance of a public hearing on Bill 184-37 scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 1 at the Guam Congress Building.

Adelup said the bill supports the governor's vision to build a medical complex in Barrigada, one that co-locates a hospital, public health center, behavioral health, veterans clinic, pharmacy, and specialty care clinics, in addition to medical providers offices.

Sen. Chris Barnett also introduced a bill that seeks to mandate the building of a new hospital at Ypao Point in Tamuning. Barnett's Bill 185-37 is in opposition to the governor's preferred sites in the Mangilao and Barrigada area.

Adelup said the governor's information meetings are complemented by the launch of an online petition to "Build A Medical Complex for Guam."

Here's the list of the governor's information meetings:

7:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 26, for GMH employees, at GMH training room on the 4th floor.

4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26, for GMH employees, at GMH training room on the 4th floor.

11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 28, for veterans, at Adelup, large conference room.

6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30, for Barrigada and Mangilao residents, and all concerned citizens, at the Guam Community College's Multipurpose Auditorium.

"Lawmakers have publicly stated that if they were involved in the discussion and planning, they would support the building of a medical complex. In addition to meeting with senators, I want to share this vision with our community, with groups that are adversely affected, and all concerned citizens, the governor said in a statement.

She said "limiting ourselves to building a stand-alone hospital ensures we only receive standard hospital care."

"Expanding our vision to build a state-of-the-art medical complex with specialized care for patients supports our nurses and local medical industry, decreases drive time between facilities, and improves function and operations," the governor said. "We now have a unique opportunity to bring world-class healthcare to Guam so that recovery can start where it shouldat home."

Numerous healthcare providers voiced their opposition to building a hospital in the Barrigada-Mangilao area, and want it built where the existing GMH is at, in Tamuning.
University of Guam students who are members of the Social Work Student Alliance are hosting a forum aimed at understanding the missile defense system on Guam.

The public forum, titled, Guarding Guam Horizons: Understanding the Missile Defense Systems on Guam, is from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the UOG CLASS Lecture Hall, according to a press release from the student alliance.

The student alliance said with the ongoing military buildup and plans for a 360-degree missile defense system, questions and concerns have been brought up within the community about how it might impact Guam.

The forum will allow the general public to voice those concerns, ask questions, and hear from a panel of speakers, the student alliance said.

The panelists include:

Sen. Sabina Perez, 37th Guam Legislature

Nolan Flores, Guam Commission on Decolonization

Maria Hernandez, Coalition Hita Litekyan

The event aims to facilitate discussions between the community and leaders about missile defense systems on Guam. The panelists will provide their insights on the status of the missile defense plans, potential impacts on Guams environment, and concerns raised by Guam residents.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists, ensuring that their questions and opinions are heard. The Social Work Student Alliance encourages all members of the community, including students, faculty, and residents, to attend this informative session.

Participants are encouraged to come prepared with their questions and concerns, as the event aims to foster a sense of community engagement and awareness.
Ron McNinch is a longstanding member of the Guam community and frequently gives his opinion on a wide range of topics.
The Louisiana Book Festival is back for its 19th year, with a jam-packed schedule of author panels, writing workshops and childrens activities. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Capitol Park in Baton Rouge.

The Louisiana Book Festival is a highlight on the fall calendar every year, said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. It brings tens of thousands of people to downtown Baton Rouge  and for good reason.

The day will begin with the presentation of the annual Louisiana Writers Award to Maurice Carlos Ruffin, a former lawyer turned acclaimed author and assistant professor of creative writing at Louisiana State University.

Ruffin is the author of The Ones Who Dont Say They Love You, a collection of short stories offering a vibrant and true mosaic of New Orleans, according to the New York Times. The book was shortlisted for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.

This is the highest possible honor, Ruffin said in an interview with the State Library of Louisiana. My long-term hope is that my work will inspire and support the next generation of young, Black New Orleans writers to tell their own stories.

Other highlights from the festival include a book signing with Baton Rouge native Hayley Arceneaux, who shares her journey beating cancer and becoming the youngest American to orbit the earth in the novel Wild Ride. Nearly 200 other authors and presenters will be in attendance.

Entrance to the Louisiana Book Festival is free. The festival is still seeking volunteers to help run the days events; interested book lovers can sign up here.
When youre Matthew McConaughey, the rules of advertising are a little different in the sense that said rules hardly exist. Such was obvious in the video for the actors new tequila brand hes launching alongside his wife, Camila Alves.

There are countless celebrity liquor brands, including model Kendall Jenners 818 Tequila and actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Pauls Dos Hombres Mezcal, and this fact is not lost on Alves or McConaughey.

On Wednesday, the duo released a video for the new tequila line called Pantalones Organic Tequila, which promises to be a super-premium liquor line made with blue Weber agave, which gives it a smooth yet flavorful touch.

Per The Dallas Morning News, in a news release announcing their new tequila brand, the couple cheekily said, The world doesnt need another celebrity tequila, but tequila sure could use a kick in the pants. Pantalones Organic Tequila is the best thing weve made with our pants on.

The tequila brand that promises to provide really good, really clean fun will offer three different products: a blanco tequila with notes of honey and citrus, a reposado tequila thats been aged nine months and boasts hints of fruit and fresh oak, and an anejo tequila thats been aged 15 months and possesses notes of vanilla, maple and butterscotch.

While the variety of products is buzzworthy, its Pantalones Organic Tequilas video announcement featuring none other than McConaughey and his wife thats really captivating peoples attention, thanks to a certain pants-free scene.

In the video, McConaughey can be heard asking, When did tequila stop being tequila? before lifting a glass. Next, his wife is seen riding a motorcycle as she responds, Right? Wheres the fun?

This is where things get a bit spicy, as McConaughey swiftly enters the frame on a motorcycle all his own. However, when the camera zooms out, showing Alves and McConaugheys full bodies as they ride on motorcycles side by side, the best-selling author and his wife are seen without one vital piece of clothing: their pants.

The video ad ends with McConaughey and Alves walking hand in hand through a field of agave  sans pants  as they plead, Please, do not keep yours on.

Pantalones Organic Tequila will be available for purchase at Total Wine stores across Texas, as well as Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada. It also can be purchased directly from Pantalones Organic Tequilas official website. Products range from $44.99-$54.99
According to a recent study, Louisiana is the most dangerous state in the entire country.

The report by WalletHub took into account factors like the murder and assault rate per capita, along with nonviolent metrics like the unemployment rate, the percentage of uninsured drivers and emergency preparedness.

A separate study in January of this year listed three cities in Louisiana  New Orleans, Shreveport and Baton Rouge  in the top 10 worst U.S. cities for crime.

Republican Gov.-elect Jeff Landry repeatedly campaigned on Louisianas abysmal crime rate in the months leading up to his landslide victory last week.

Landry displayed his tough-on-crime approach in one campaign ad: When D.A.s fail to prosecute ... when police are handcuffed instead of the criminals, he said. Enough is enough.

The Trump-backed former police officer has served as Louisianas attorney general since 2016. During that time, Louisiana consistently led the country in homicide rates, alongside Mississippi, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Landry is also the chair of the recently formed Violent Crime Task Force, established last month by a resolution sponsored by state Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport. House Resolution 168 places the blame for Louisianas crime rates on 2016 and 2017 bipartisan criminal justice reforms, signed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.

The reforms, which helped release nearly 2000 nonviolent offenders from prison, were designed to tackle another of Louisianas top designations: the most incarcerated state in the country.

Some crime analysts, however, say theres no correlation between the 2017 reforms and the increase in violent crime. Conservative think-tank Pelican Institute released an analysis that paints a more complicated story.

Increases in violent crime were a nationwide event in 2020, impacting almost every state, including Louisiana, the report says.

While violent crime rose during the COVID-19 crisis, Louisianas spike was lower than other neighboring states like Georgia and Arkansas. According to the report, These conclusions support a massive body of evidence demonstrating that recent Louisiana reforms are not the culprit.

The 12-member Violent Crime Task Force is expected to meet again in November, then report its conclusions by the end of the year.

Members will analyze past reforms and propose new legislation for the 2024 session that seeks to accomplish what Assistant Attorney General Christopher Walters calls true criminal justice reform.
The Queer Liberation Library has one guideline for its inventory: LGBTQ+ books.

Every single book that I got to purchase for the collection is my favorite, said Amber Dierking, QLL librarian and steering committee member. Theyre all delightful.

Launched on Oct. 23, the digital library is a hub of LGBTQ+ literature and resources. It currently offers 415 e-books and audiobooks. Fiction and nonfiction titles are available for all age categories, including young adult and juvenile.

We know that it is small, but its also 100% queer books, which were really excited about, Dierking said.

Library staff wanted to launch a starter library that can grow over time, Dierking said. Over 500 users are already registered. The library can support up to 5,000 patrons under its current agreement with library distributor OverDrive, a limit that the staff sees as temporary.

So, we have plenty of room to grow and we view hitting that contractual limit as a good thing, as a reason to keep going, steering committee member Erik Lundstrom said.

The collection can be accessed through either the Libby app  available on both browsers and mobile devices  or an OverDrive website. It is available to patrons of all ages, across the entire United States. Users can access the library anywhere with an internet connection.

I think thats a really important resource, not just for the out and proud queer people, but for our people who are on a journey of self-discovery or questioning, Lundstrom said. (This gives them) the ability to engage with queer literature wherever they may be, regardless of political, social and economic barriers.

The library also is not beholden to local officials trying to ban books.

QLL isnt just about banned books  the steering committee already had created a list of titles they wanted in the collection before realizing most were challenged. However, Lundstrom said he wouldnt be surprised if each title in the collection has been banned somewhere in the country.

Last year, the American Library Association documented the highest number of attempted book bans since it began compiling data on library censorship more than two decades ago. A majority of the books were written by or about people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to the association.

Texas saw the highest number of attempted bans in 2022: 93 challenges involved 2,349 individual titles. QLL has works from multiple Texan authors whose work has been banned, including El Pasoan Benjamin Alire Saenz and Rick Riordan.

Queer spaces and queer access is something that we need right now, given the book banning situation, said Kieran Hickey, library founder and member of its steering committee. But I think even without the book banning situation, queer libraries are still necessary because queer people have specific information needs.

Feedback has been very positive, with some users saying theyre now able to access LGBTQ+ books they couldnt find anywhere else, Hickey said.

Future goals include expanding the librarys collection regularly, offering international memberships, hosting events like author talks, and hiring paid staff. The library is currently operated by a team of volunteers and runs on donations.

As the Queer Liberation Library grows, members can request titles to be added to the collection.
By Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Farnoush Amiri and Kevin Freking | The Associated Press

WASHINGTON  Republicans eagerly elected U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as House speaker Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.

Johnson swept on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing.

Johnson, of Bossier Parish, represents Louisianas Fourth District and its nearly 760,000 residents of 16 parishes in the northwest and western regions of the state, according to his House webpage. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 10, 2016, and is serving his fourth term in Congress.

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthys ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. While not the partys top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

I think hes gonna be a fantastic speaker, Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Trump said he hadnt heard one negative comment about him. Everybody likes him.

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Far-right members have refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives dont want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair U.S.. Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnsons name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for an extended standing ovation.

House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up, she said.

Democrats again nominated their leader, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls  U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

Mike! Mike! Mike! lawmakers chanted at a news conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.

Johnsons rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

He wasnt MAGA, said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would give Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.

Deeply religious, Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system. Colleagues swiftly started giving their support.

Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system, Johnson said after winning the nomination. Were going to restore your trust in what we do here.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthys ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that Mike Johnson wont be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans dont agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next months funding deadline.

U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, stands to vote for himself for speaker, as House Republicans sought to elect a speaker at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.J. Scott Applewhite | The Associated Press

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina, the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to help elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.




Haiti - USA : The leader of the Kraze Barye gang risks the death penalty





Tuesday, October 24, 2023, an indictment filed in the District of Columbia and made public accuses Haitian national Vitel'homme Innocent, leader of the "Kraze Barye" gang, for his alleged role in the armed hostage-taking of two citizens Americans in Haiti in October 2022, during which one of the Americans was killed.



The indictment was announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Miami Office, Jeffrey B. Veltri.



According to the indictment, Vitel'homme Innocent and the "Krazye Barye" gang operate in the West Department of Haiti, including Delmas, Torcelle and Tabarre. The gang actively participates in kidnappings for ransom, extortion and car thefts.



Vitel'homme Innocent ordered gang members to kidnap Jean Franklin and Marie Odette Franklin from their home in Haiti on October 7, 2022. On that date, armed gang members forced entry into the Franklin residence and attempted to remove the couple by force. During the kidnapping, Marie Odette Franklin was killed by the gang members. Her husband was taken captive and held at an undisclosed location in Haiti. While Jean Franklin was in captivity, Vitel'homme Innocent participated in ransom negotiations in exchange for the release of Jean Franklin who was released on October 28, 2022, after ransom payments were made on behalf of Franklin's family.



"We remain steadfast in our mission to hold accountable those behind the violent crimes committed against American citizens in Haiti," said U.S. Attorney Graves. "Gangs and gang leaders in Haiti must be held accountable for their atrocities against innocent civilians. We will use every method at our disposal to arrest and prosecute those who commit such heinous acts."



"The indictment released today demonstrates the FBI's commitment to following the evidence wherever it leads and working its way to the leaders of criminal conspiracies wherever they may be found," said Special Agent in Charge Veltri. "Neither time nor distance will weaken our resolve. We will use every tool available and we will go to the ends of the globe to bring to justice those who seek to harm Americans."



Vitel'homme Innocent is still on the run and is believed to be residing in Tabarre, Haiti. He faces additional charges in the District of Columbia related to his role in the kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens during the fall of 2021, for which he was indicted https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35012-haiti-flash-at-least-fifteen-american-missionaries-kidnapped-in-port-au-prince.html If found guilty, Vitel'homme Innocent faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.







This matter is being investigated by the FBI Field Office in Miami, with the assistance of the FBI Legal Attache's office in Haiti, and with the valuable assistance of the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Federal Attorney Jack F. Korba.



Let's remember that in the United States, the charges contained in an indictment are only allegations, and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38122-haiti-usa-infos-of-vitel-homme-innocent-how-to-submit-your-information.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35658-haiti-flash-a-ransom-was-paid-for-the-release-of-american-hostages.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35012-haiti-flash-at-least-fifteen-american-missionaries-kidnapped-in-port-au-prince.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping





A mini bus targeted at least 4 dead:

Tuesday October 24, 2023, at least 4 people were killed and several others injured, some seriously, after heavily armed individuals targeted a mini bus at Carrefour Peigne (Dept. Artibonite) which was providing the Gonaives / Port-au-Prince route. The men of the "Gran Grif" gang operating in Savien, (Petite-Riviere de lArtibonite), are singled out in this attack.



2 million Haitians live in areas controlled by gangs

Two million people, including 1.6 million women and children, live in areas under the control of armed groups, lamented Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF. She regretted the forced displacement within Haiti of tens of thousands of people due to extreme gang violence.



The PM applauds the arrest of Badio:

I applaud the PNH after the good move it made with the arrest of Felix Badio https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40773-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-joseph-felix-badio-arrested-after-more-than-2-years-on-the-run.html . This is a major step that will advance the investigation into the death of President Jovenel Moise. I always say that criminals belong in prison or in the cemetery. I encourage the PNH to increase its efforts while waiting for the Multinational Support and Security Mission to give us a big helping hand.



Kenya : New delay

Tuesday, October 24, the High Court of Kenya extended until November 9 the ban on the deployment of Kenyan police officers as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) in Haiti. The delay is attributable to a complaint filed by opposition leader Ekuro Aukot, who argues that sending the police would be unconstitutional and lacked legal support. High Court judge Enock Mwita announced that the issue would be analyzed and debated at a public session on November 9. Remember that the deployment has not yet been voted on by the National Assembly of Kenya.



Mirlande Manigat at the UN

Monday October 23, 2023, Mirlande Manigat, President of the High Transitional Council (HCT) before the UN Security Council welcomed the adoption of resolution 2699 which authorizes the deployment in Haiti of a Multinational Support Mission for Security (MMAS) "The foreign troops supporting the Haitian National Police are expected by a significant segment of the population made up of the real victims [...]" she affirmed.



A cousin of "Lanmo San Jou" killed and burned by the population

Tuesday Lucson Casseus, an alleged cousin of Wilson Joseph alias "Lanmo San Jou", one of the leaders of the "400 Mawozo" gang operating in Croix-des-bouquets, was killed and his body burned by the population in Mirebalais, where he resided for some time.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Recent research at the University of Turku in Finland indicates that COVID-19 vaccines provide a lasting defense against serious illness caused by various coronavirus strains, primarily through T-cell activation. This significant finding emerges amidst the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, which, unlike previous influenza pandemics, has spread rapidly worldwide and witnessed the swift emergence and spread of new variants.

The dissertation by Turku University's researcher, Pinja Jalkanen, focused on examining the immunity conferred by both COVID-19 vaccines and natural infection against the virus variants circulating in Finland during 2020 and 2021. The study used samples collected from COVID-19 patients and the staff of university hospitals in Turku and Helsinki at the onset of vaccinations in Finland.

Jalkanen emphasizes the critical importance of monitoring immunity produced by vaccinations. This monitoring helps evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness, the durability of immune protection, and the need for booster doses. According to the study, vaccination led to the formation of antibodies against the virus's spike protein, effectively preventing infection by the vaccine virus and the Alpha variant in cell cultures. However, these antibodies were slightly less effective against more mutated Beta and Delta variants.

Notably, serum samples from vaccinated individuals, as well as those who had recovered from COVID-19 and then got vaccinated, neutralized all virus variants more effectively compared to those who had only recovered from the illness. The vaccinations induced a robust antibody response against the coronavirus variants prevalent at the start of the pandemic.

A key observation of the study was that while virus mutations did not significantly impact cell-mediated immunity, vaccinations not only produced antibodies but also activated T-cell-mediated immunity. T-cells play a crucial role during the recovery phase of the disease by destroying virus-infected cells and protecting against severe forms of coronavirus infection. Unlike antibodies, whose levels declined a few months after vaccination, T-cells recognizing the coronavirus were found in the bloodstream for up to six months post-vaccination without a decrease in their numbers over the observation period.

Jalkanen notes that while the exact amount of antibodies required to protect against breakthrough infections remains unknown, the robust T-cell response generated by the vaccines likely provides substantial protection against severe forms of COVID-19.

The findings indicate that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines elicit an excellent antibody and cell-mediated immune response, suggesting that these vaccines offer long-lasting protection against severe forms of COVID-19.

HT
The Finnish lift and escalator manufacturer stated that, with the transaction  the value of which was not disclosed  receiving the approval of the relevant authorities, it has completely divested from Russia.

KONE on Tuesday announced it has completed the sale of its operations in Russia to S8 Capital, a holding company headquartered in Moscow.

Russia accounted for less than one per cent of its global sales and 300 of its global headcount of almost 62,000 at the time of the transaction.

Kone in March 2022 announced its decision to suspend deliveries to and the intake of new orders in Russia over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In June 2022, it announced its plan to divest its business and operations in the country, adding that it expected the divestment to receive the requisite approvals by the end of the year.

The company will publish its interim report for the period between January and September on Wednesday, 25 October.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Conservancy buys 21 acres for Hickory Nut Gorge trails

Conserving Carolina has purchased 21 acres of mountain land on the north side of Lake Lure as a potential addition to Buffalo Creek Park and the site of a future trail in the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail system.

The property is part of the land needed to link Weed Patch Mountain Trail with Youngs Mountain Trail.

This land purchase moves us one step closer to fulfilling the vision of the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trailan ambitious 100+ mile network of sustainable, well-maintained trails showcasing the beautiful views and unique natural features of the Hickory Nut Gorge," said Kristin Cozza, Trails and Greenways Coordinator with Conserving Carolina. "We are grateful to the many local partners and private landowners working with us to achieve this vision.

This property on the edge of the growing town of Lake Lure was an attractive site for development. However, its exceptional conservation values led Conserving Carolina to prioritize this land as a place for conservation and outdoor recreation. The land adjoins the 1,525-acre Buffalo Creek Park, which is traversed by the stunning Weed Patch Mountain Trail. The forested property also borders Buffalo Creek and provides clean water for this headwater stream that flows into Lake Lure. Additionally, a portion of the land lies within a state-designated natural area with exceptional biodiversity.

The Town of Lake Lure is interested in potentially adding this property to its Buffalo Creek Parka vast local park where hikers and mountain bikers can enjoy a convenient loop trail or venture further into remote mountains, arriving at breathtaking views of exposed rock faces in Chimney Rock State Park.

Buffalo Creek Park currently spans 1,527 acres, which was originally purchased by Conserving Carolina from the downsized Grey Rock development, where Conserving Carolina continues to acquire land for conservation. Conserving Carolina built the award-winning Weed Patch Mountain Trail through this stunning mountain landscape.

To the east, Conserving Carolina and the Town of Lake Lure have protected 437 acres on Youngs Mountain, where Conserving Carolina opened the dramatic Youngs Mountain Trail in 2021. The vision for the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail, which Conserving Carolina is spearheading, is to link Weed Patch Mountain Trail and Youngs Mountain Trail as part of a loop that travels all the way around Lake Lure.

The newly protected 21 acres is part of the land necessary to link these two trails, although further land purchases will be needed. The property was purchased with funding from the N.C. Complete the Trails Fund, which is administered by the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, and the Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation.

Congratulations to Conserving Carolina on this acquisition that utilizes their recent Complete the Trails Program grant, said Jeff Michael, deputy secretary for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Leveraging the support of local partners like Conserving Carolina was one of the legislatures objectives when it funded the Complete the Trails Program in 2021, and it is gratifying to see this progress towards completing the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail. We look forward to the continued success resulting from this partnership.

Dana Bradley, the Parks, Recreation, and Trails Coordinator for the Town of Lake Lure, says, The Town of Lake Lure is very happy that this property bordering Buffalo Creek Park is being acquired by Conserving Carolina. This is a great step towards connecting more trails within the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail corridor. It also creates the potential to expand the current trails at Buffalo Creek Park, create new trails, and increase opportunities for visitors to access this beautiful trail system.
A CELEBRATION to mark the 50th anniversary of the twinning of Henley with Falaise in Normandy took place at the town hall on Saturday night.

A mayoral reception was held in the council chamber to welcome a group of 39 residents from Falaise.

It was the first official visit between the two towns since 2019 due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Henley Mayor Kellie Hinton welcomed the visitors, including Falaise Mayor Herve Manoury, his first deputy Cecile le Vaguerese-Marie and Serge Loock, who chairs the Falaise twinning committee.

They were joined by members of the Henley Falaise Leichlingen Twinning Association.

Everyone enjoyed canapes and sparkling wine from the Henley Vineyard during speeches, which were translated into both languages by Henley resident Anne Sanders.

Councillor Hinton said: Im very proud to be able to welcome everybody here today, especially the Mayor and all of our friends from Falaise.

The friendship between our towns has been strong for many years, more years than Ive actually even been alive.

Fifty years of visiting and hosting each other is an incredible achievement and a real testament to all of you are who are involved.

Ive actually learned this evening that weve been twinning since November 16, 1973, which is

phenomenal.

Although modern technology has helped us all connect with people around the world, there is nothing quite the same as twinning and what it brings to both of our communities  our shared interest in the arts, sports, music and more, connecting people of all ages.

Its the kind of experience that you cant get from behind a phone or a computer screen.

While covid may have stopped some of these activities, Im so pleased that normal practice has resumed. I really hope that you enjoy your time here in England, and obviously especially here in Henley, and I hope to hope to see you all again during your stay.

Id like to finish by raising our glasses in a toast to our friendship  and long may it continue.

Mr Loock said: Thank you a thousand times for inviting us tonight and the next two days for a good time of friendship celebration. Exactly half a century of amitie Franco-Anglaise.

In November 1973 a charter was signed between our two towns after Peter King, an English farmer from Henley, met Bernard Victor in Falaise and decided to start organising the twinning.

I wish at this stage to pay tribute to Bernard who passed away in July 2022 from covid at the age of 92.

He worked hard during many years to promote and expand the twinning committee. Somehow, I feel he may be with us today.

Checking through my files, I could not believe the last time we came to Henley was in 2019. Some of you came to Falaise the same year for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Falaise.

The covid pandemic stopped all initiatives. Everything was fixed for the 45th anniversary but we had to cancel. So many things have changed since that year  covid with a lack of enthusiasm and initiative and Brexit and its political and economic effects.

Mr Loock asked everyone to raise their glasses to another 50 years of friendship and joked: I dont think I can reasonably make an appointment to celebrate in October 2073.

Mr Manoury said: Everyone on the bus applauded when we came into Henley and saw the Norman flag flying on the top of the town hall. We are delighted to be here this evening, the older and younger Falaisians who have come to discover the town that we have been twinned with for 50 years.

We heard earlier that twinning in the time of computers and telephones is not the same as meeting in person and I agree because with a computer one cannot taste wine together. Even if Brexit has happened, the French remain very close to the British, the Normans remain very close.

Falaisians are brothers and sisters of the British because it was one of us who became your sovereign. William the Conqueror was from Falaise. After some laughter, he continued: As evidence of our attachment to the British people, last year when the Queen died, the Union flag was flown on the poles of the castle in Falaise as a mark of respect.

Next year Falaise will celebrate the 80th anniversary of her liberation and we hope to welcome a group of people from Henley.

After the speeches, the mayors exchanged gifts  a painting of buildings in Falaise and an engraved metal oar.

Patrick Fleming, chairman of the twinning association, who recently moved away from Henley, said: I came back for the 50th anniversary as its an important occasion.

I first visited Falaise while on honeymoon with my wife 40 years ago. Our connections with Falaise are long and I hope to visit next June so I will keep in touch.

On Sunday, the group travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon. They began their visit at Shakespeares birthplace and then split up to have lunch in a number of historic pubs in the town. They visited Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is

buried.

On Monday, they had a guided tour of the Bremont Manufacturing and Technology Centre in Reading Road. Many members of the group also took part in the Henley Trail with their hosts to learn more about the history of the towns buildings.

In the evening, the guests joined members of the twinning association and Deputy Mayor Rory Hunt for a 50th anniversary celebration dinner at Shiplake Memorial Hall.

There were speeches by Mrs Sanders, one of the earliest members of the association, Mr Fleming, Mr Loock, Mr Manoury and Councillor Hunt. The visitors presented a gift of a glass ornament showing William the Conqueror.

Entertainment was provided by a group of sax players from the Goring and Streatley Concert Band and the evening ended with lively renditions of the Marseillaise and the National Anthem.
Aquarius  (20th January to 18th February) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, be smart related to investments Make the professional challenges work. Resolve the love-related issues and make smart financial investments for a good tomorrow. Minor health issues exist. Aquarius Daily Horoscope, October 26, 2023: Resolve the love-related issues and make smart financial investments for a good tomorrow. Minor health issues exist.

Ensure you make the love life fabulous. Handle the professional challenges smartly. Have a good financial life and the day is also fine in terms of health.

Aquarius Love Horoscope Today

You will have the brighter moments of romance in the second part of the day. Avoid delving into the past and discussing unpleasant things in the first part of the day. A few disagreements may happen today that need to be resolved before the day ends It is good to spend more creative time in the evening. Single Aquarius natives can propose in the second half of the day. Female Aquarius natives who faced opposition from the love affair family will get the approval.

Aquarius Career Horoscope Today

Be careful while handling crucial tasks at the workplace. Some coworkers will be searching for your mistakes and may try to make the day disastrous. Eschew office politics and focus on productivity. Minor hiccups may impact your performance. Media persons, civil engineers, botanists, lawyers, and scientists will have a busy day. Those who have to deal with IT professionals will succeed on negotiation tables through communication skills.

Aquarius Money Horoscope Today

Your financial status is good and this makes way for more smart investments. You can consider stock, trade, and speculative business today which will bring in good returns in the near future. You can repair the home and may also buy a new property. Females will invest in jewelry and seniors may divide the wealth among the children. Traders will receive funds which will make business expansions easier.

Aquarius Health Horoscope Today

Minor chest pain may impact your routine life. Seniors will develop breathing issues which will need medical attention. Some females may have menstrual complaints in the first half of the day. Replace oiled and greasy food with vegetables and fruits. Pregnant girls need to be careful while riding a two-wheeler or boarding a bus. Those who have surgery scheduled for today can go ahead with the plan.

Aquarius Sign Attributes

Strength: Tolerant, Ideal, Friendly, Charitable, Independent, Logical

Weakness: Disobedient, Liberalistic, Rebel

Symbol: Water carrier

Element: Air

Body Part: Ankles & Legs

Sign Ruler: Uranus

Lucky Day: Saturday

Lucky Color: Navy Blue

Lucky Number: 22

Lucky Stone: Blue Sapphire

Aquarius Sign Compatibility Chart

Natural affinity: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius

Good compatibility: Leo, Aquarius

Fair compatibility: Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, Pisces

Less compatibility: Taurus, Scorpio

By: Dr. J. N. Pandey

Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert

Website: https://www.cyberastro.com

E-mail: caresponse@cyberastro.com

Phone: 9717199568, 9958780857

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Pisces  (19th February to 20th March) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, Life is all about possibilities Pisces Daily Horoscope Today, October 26, 2023: Do not expect the workplace to be too cordial today.

Stay happy in the love life today. Be innovative in the work and utilize the possibilities to ensure professional growth. The health is also good today.

Troubleshoot all problems both in love and at work today. Fortunately, your wealth and health are good for the day.

Pisces Love Horoscope Today

Be sensible in the love life. Your lover may pick arguments and this may cause trouble. However, ensure patience and do not lose your temper. Approach troubles with a mature attitude. Spend more time with your lover and share your emotions. Your partner would want you to be more cooperative in romantic matters. Some Pisces natives will also meet with an ex-flame which can cause troubles in the marital life.

Pisces Career Horoscope Today

Do not expect the workplace to be too cordial today. Be professional at team meetings and give suggestions wherever required. Be cordial with your co-workers and show the willingness to take up additional responsibilities as you may sooner be rewarded. Some professionals will travel a lot today for job reasons. Today is not good to sign new partnership deals. Entrepreneurs may face challenges in rolling the money in business and sometimes clashes with the partner may impact the business.

Pisces Money Horoscope Today

The first half of the day will see prosperity. Youll receive wealth from different sources but the second half may not be productive. A medical emergency at home will need you to send on expense. Some Pisces natives will win a legal dispute over property which will bring more wealth to the coffers. Avoid spending a big amount on luxury. You should also not lend a big amount today as getting it back will be a challenge.

Pisces Health Horoscope Today

No major medical issue will come up today. However, those who have a history or cardiac complaint may have to meet a doctor in the second half of the day. Today is good to start exercising. You may go for a walk in the morning to stay healthy. Breathing exercise is also a good option to stay healthy.

Pisces Sign Attributes

Strength: Conscious, Aesthetic, Kind-hearted

Weakness: Sentimental, Indecisive, Unrealistic

Symbol: Fish

Element: Water

Body Part: Blood Circulation

Sign Ruler: Neptune

Lucky Day: Thursday

Lucky Color: Purple

Lucky Number: 11

Lucky Stone: Yellow Sapphire

Pisces Sign Compatibility Chart

Natural affinity: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn

Good compatibility: Virgo, Pisces

Fair compatibility: Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius

Less compatibility: Gemini, Sagittarius

By: Dr. J. N. Pandey

Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert

Website: https://www.cyberastro.com

E-mail: caresponse@cyberastro.com

Phone: 9717199568, 9958780857

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As the world looks ahead to a promising future augmented by AI, the New Delhi SlushD event on November 3 and 4, will bring together founders, investors and policymakers from across the country to discover, explore and engage with each other in order to shape the future Slush is a prominent advocate within the worldwide founder-investor network. Its global participants are united by a collective passion for reshaping entrepreneurship. Over the years, Slush has become synonymous with futuristic ideas and scalable solutions. So, what unfolds when the essence of Slush touches down in India? It takes the form of New Delhi SlushD 2023.

Set to take place in Gurgaon on November 3 and 4, this gathering will bring together a proactive, diverse community of stakeholders that will ignite discussions about AIs pivotal role in reshaping industries. This event will foster innovative thinking and dynamic collaborations within the realm of deep tech and AI, promising to automate processes and equip businesses with intelligent decision-making capabilities, thus steering them towards future success.

THE THEME

Sanjeev Sanyal - Member, Economic Advisory Council, Government of India

Think entrepreneurship. Be inventive. Enjoy being a tech founder. If these are the rules you live by, then New Delhi SlushD 2023 will feel like your home turf. The event curates the exceptional and highlights the very finest in the deep tech world. Hence the theme - Unleashing the Power of Deep Tech and AI - sets the tone for the entire event, by outlining its goal and purpose.

India has the potential to be the benchmark for deep tech and AI innovation. Our diverse talent pool, entrepreneurial spirit, and appetite for cutting-edge technology provide the perfect foundation. To realise this potential, we must foster an ecosystem that nurtures, supports, and accelerates the growth of these transformative technologies. Its not just a desire; its a necessity to create an environment where deep tech and AI thrive, pushing the boundaries of whats possible and setting global standards for innovation. And this is exactly what New Delhi SlushD aims to do in India. It is a great headstart and we are excited to see this come to life, said Archana Jahagirdhar, Managing Partner, Rukam Capital.

New Delhi SlushD breathes life into the world of AI through exclusive and intellectually stimulating panel discussions with industry leaders. Over the course of two days, attendees will gain access to a remarkable community of like-minded peers, sharing their passion for AI. From jointly exploring the enticing technological future to gaining early insights into futuristic innovations, engaging in idea exchanges with luminaries, and networking with industry leaders, delegates at New Delhi SlushD will immerse themselves in an extraordinary experience.

Pramod Bhasin - Chairman, Clix Capital; Founder & Former CEO, Genpact

As the world looks ahead to a promising future augmented by AI and deep tech, the New Delhi SlushD event will bring together founders, investors and policymakers from across the country to discover, explore and engage with each other in order to shape the future.

The organising committee for New Delhi SlushD - comprising Archana Jahagirdar, Founder and Managing Partner, Rukam Capital; Deepak Sharma, President & Chief Digital Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Gaurav Dalmia, Founder & Chairman, Dalmia Group Holdings; Pramod Bhasin, Chairman, Clix Capital, Founder & former CEO, Genpact; Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner, Accel; Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-Founder, Info Egde, Co-Founder, Ashoka University; Sharad Sharam, iSPIRIT Foundation; Umakant Soni, Co-Founder & CEO, ARTPARK, Chairman, AI Foundry - is a dynamic force that embodies the very essence of a comprehensive ecosystem. Comprising individuals deeply immersed in policy, founders, investors, and multi-faceted experts, this committee wears multiple hats and boasts a 360-degree perspective on the startup and tech landscape. It is not just a committee; its a collective embodiment of their vision at New Delhi SlushD. The committee represents and reflects the synergy the team aims to foster and nurture at the event. The belief is that true economic growth in India can only happen when all stakeholders converge, collaborate and co-create. It cannot occur in isolation and it is this holistic approach that propels the growth of Indias vibrant economy.

At the event, more than 75 powerful speakers will enthral the audience with dynamic insights on the power of deep tech and AI, and will help create a roadmap to unlock the potential of future technologies. Additionally, the event will provide networking opportunities - with representatives and other industry participants - to learn fresh ideas and new perspectives.

We chose Unleashing the Power of Deep Tech and AI as our theme because these technologies are not just the future - they are the present. Deep tech and AI hold the potential to transform industries, drive innovation and create solutions for global challenges. We believe that by focusing on these cutting-edge fields, we can inspire, educate and connect individuals and organisations to lead the way in a rapidly evolving world, unlocking new possibilities and driving progress, said Archana Jahagirdhar.

Prashanth Prakash - Founding Partner, Accel

India has over 3,000 deep tech startups that have been growing at 53% CAGR over the last 10 years and remain among the top-performing tech ecosystems globally. The country presents a vibrant startup landscape by being the third-largest ecosystem for ventures globally. The Indian government has been proactive in supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through various initiatives including the Startup India scheme.

India remains one of the top-performing tech ecosystems globally. In 2022, Indian startups garnered a whopping $42 billion in funding, a significant rise from the previous years $16 billion. This accentuates their crucial role in Indias aspiration to achieve a $5 trillion economy goal.

THE ECOSYSTEM FOR PROGRESS

Slushs vision extends beyond celebrating entrepreneurship. Its flagship events serve as a dynamic forum where the startup, founder and investor community come together to lend a listening ear and offer mutual support on both technological and human fronts. They actively strive to make a positive impact on each others work, exemplifying Slushs commitment to inclusivity. Within this community, they challenge, evolve, learn from one another, and harness diversity as a wellspring of strength.

Slush maintains a steadfast commitment to inspiring present and future generations to tackle intricate challenges, foster collisions between individuals from diverse areas of expertise and drive collective progress.

At New Delhi SlushD, our mission is to bridge the gap between Indian startups and the global tech ecosystem. By bringing international investors, innovators and thought leaders to India. Were creating a vibrant platform where Indian startups can tap into global opportunities, gain invaluable insights and form connections that can catalyse their growth. Its about building a two-way street, where the international ecosystem meets the Indian startup landscape, fostering innovation and propelling India to the forefront of global tech entrepreneurship, said Jahagirdhar.

The event chisells the idea that the future will continue to be shaped by new technologies. The India event offers a tailored experience that provides an opportunity to access the best of the founder and investor world  from industry experts to influential networks  while building a collaborative future together that is supported by deep tech innovations.

Indian deep tech startups are at the forefront of delivering groundbreaking solutions, spanning from intelligent manufacturing to dependable healthcare - not just within India but also across international frontiers like the United States, Europe, and Japan. A multitude of these deep tech startups are pioneering scalable solutions, poised to generate novel intellectual properties, thereby solidifying Indias status as a hub for deep tech innovation.

The government has also demonstrated a keen interest in propelling this sector forward, undertaking initiatives to bolster emerging tech startups. These supportive policies lay a robust foundation for deep tech startups - facilitating innovation, expansion and the resolution of future challenges.

The proactive policies of the government are a testament to their commitment to nurturing innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurship in India. By providing a conducive ecosystem for startups, these policies not only foster growth but also enable the country to remain at the forefront of global innovation. Its a collaborative effort and we are excited to see how these policies will continue to empower the entrepreneurial spirit and drive Indias technological advancement, said Jahagirdhar.

Among the initiatives are the Atal New India Challenge, which has been launched under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the Niti Aayog, with the objective to serve as a platform for the promotion of Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, startup businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas. Additionally, NASSCOMs Deep Tech Club (DTC) 2.0 is aimed at scaling the impact to over 1,000 firms that are leveraging technologies such as AI, ML, Internet of Things, robotics and blockchain.

THE SLUSH LEGACY

This journey began in 2008 in Helsinki, with an initial gathering of approximately 250 attendees for a one-day event. Despite the remarkable growth in size over the years, the core objective has remained constant: to concentrate on the most effective ways to support and enhance startup ecosystems worldwide. Slush operates as a force for startups and stands for something larger than entrepreneurship. The central idea has always been to imagine a better world and take responsibility to act through inclusive efforts. Through its global network, Slush reaches out to diverse talent and networks to achieve more together. The organisers believe that innovation can overcome the barriers to progress.

The pillars of Slush now and in the future are centred around the concept of Entrepreneurship Redefined. At its core, it aims to connect founders with what and whom they need while building a new, inclusive and more purposeful culture of entrepreneurship.

This is because Slush fully believes that its actions as a society over the next decade will determine the course of humanity for generations to come. Entrepreneurs building scalable solutions will be at the core of creating the solutions that will make that future a bright one.

WINNERS EMERGE AT NEW DELHI SLUSHD

Known as the Oscars of the deep tech startup world in India, Emerge 50 by NASSCOM celebrates Indias most innovative deep tech startups, highlighting their potential to address global challenges with promising solutions.

In collaboration with NASSCOM, New Delhi SlushD will showcase startups from the top 50 of the Emerge 50 2023 awards.

The next wave of innovation will be powered by deep tech technologies - AI, data economy, cyber security, blockchain, Web 3.0, quantum computing and the remarkable convergence of cutting-edge technologies.

SPEARHEADING NEW DELHI SLUSHD

Leading from the front to make this event a reality in India is Archana Jahagirdar. She is Managing Partner at Rukam Capital, an India-focused, early-stage consumer products fund. Jahagirdar has over 20 years of experience in consumer marketing, brand building and entrepreneurship. She is passionate about discovering and supporting innovative start-ups that cater to the evolving needs and aspirations of Indian consumers.

Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio.

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Gurugram: OSG Japan, a renowned global leader in Medical & Health appliances with a legacy dating back to 1970, is delighted to announce the launch of its groundbreaking Alkaline Hydrogen Water System in India. This exciting endeavor is a result of an exclusive partnership with Purever, India's foremost provider of water storage and filtration systems.

Recognizing the profound importance of water, which constitutes 70% of the human body and plays a vital role in metabolic processes and overall well-being, OSG Japan has dedicated itself to prioritize health and environmental sustainability. In pursuit of this mission, the company has developed an innovative water purification system. Mr. MASATOSHI MIZOBATA, CEO of OSG Japan, underscores their commitment to empowering individuals with better health through access to high-quality water, referring to water as the foundation of life.

The Alkaline Hydrogen Water System has been meticulously engineered to elevate water quality, enhancing its absorbability by the body. This new water system from OSG Japan and Purever is like a superhero for water. It adds good stuff to the water that helps protect our body from bad things called free radicals. These free radicals can harm our cells, but this water system helps fix them, keeping us healthy.

OSG Japan and Purever are teaming up to bring this superhero water system to India. Purever, known for its advanced water cleaning technologies, will be the exclusive distributor of OSG Japan's system in India. This means more people in India can get this cool technology for their water.

Mr. Masatoshi Mizobata from OSG Japan is really excited about this teamwork. He wants people in India to have the best water solutions for their health. Purever, with its big network, will make sure many people in India can get this amazing water technology.

Mr. Sahil Garg, the Managing Director of Purever, is also excited. He thinks OSG Japan is great at caring for health and the environment, which matches Purever's goal of giving every Indian home safe water. The Alkaline Hydrogen Water System from OSG Japan is about to change how people in India drink water. It's a big step for health and taking care of the environment in the country.

For media inquiries, please contact the provided information.

1800-120-6232 (TollFree) Mobile +91-9877777892

Email : contact@purever.in

Regarding OSG Japan: Founded in 1970, OSG Japan stands as a worldwide frontrunner in the field of Medical & Health appliances. The organization is deeply committed to advancing water solutions that place health and the environment at the forefront. Their mission revolves around enabling individuals to achieve improved health by offering top-tier water solutions.

Regarding Purever: Purever holds the distinction of being India's largest supplier of water tanks and filtration systems. Recognized for its groundbreaking water treatment technologies and services, Purever is unwavering in its dedication to providing clean and safe water solutions. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that high-quality water is accessible to every household in India.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.

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New Delhi (India), October 24: Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF), a distinguished institute known for its financial education excellence, has announced the commencement of applications for its coveted MBA (Banking and Finance) programme. The application is open through the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) 2023 for two specializations in this programme: Fintech and Financial Services. Prospective candidates can embark on this journey by applying and completing their SNAP registration via the official SSBF registration link. The application window for SNAP 2023 and SSBF batch 2024-26 will close on 23rd November 2023 and 16th January 2024 respectively.

In 2023, the SNAP Computer-Based Test (CBT) will be conducted on three separate dates, providing candidates with the flexibility to select the date that best suits their schedule: December 10, 2023 (Sunday), December 17, 2023 (Sunday), and December 22, 2023 (Friday). The much-anticipated SNAP 2023 examination results will be revealed on January 10, 2024 (Wednesday). To access the admit cards for the SNAP Test, candidates can log in to the official SNAP website, www.snaptest.org, on December 04, 2023 (Monday) for SNAP Test 1 and December 09, 2023 (Saturday) for SNAP Test 02 and SNAP Test 03. It's worth noting that the payment deadline aligns with the registration closing date of the examination.

Dr. Neha Parashar, Director, Symbiosis School of Banking & Finance (SSBF), extends a warm welcome to prospective candidates, stating, We extend our best wishes to all aspirants embarking on this exciting phase of their careers. SSBF has consistently sought ambitious individuals ready to outshine the competition and navigate the waves of success in the financial world. Over the years, we've witnessed remarkable transformations from ordinary students to visionary financial leaders who have redefined the financial landscape. What sets our candidates' journey apart at SSBF is our unwavering focus on the fundamentals of banking and finance, including analytical skills, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of fintech and financial services  all vital elements for thriving in the financial sector. We eagerly await the arrival of our new batch.

Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF) is a premier institution within the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) umbrella. Established with the vision of nurturing future leaders in the finance sector, SSBF has consistently delivered outstanding education in banking and finance for more than 10 years. The institute's commitment to academic excellence, innovative curriculum, and holistic development has earned it a well-deserved reputation among industry leaders and academics alike.

Furthermore, According to a recent EY study, India leads the global FinTech adoption rate at 87%, surpassing the worldwide average of 64%. Projections indicate that the Indian FinTech sector is poised to generate $200 billion in revenue by 2030, signaling significant growth potential. Given this promising outlook, specialization in FinTech offered by SSBF is expected to be immensely advantageous for students aspiring to pursue careers in this field, as it aligns with the expanding job market. The Fintech specialization equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the rapidly evolving world of financial technology. It covers areas such as blockchain, digital currencies, AI in finance, and more, preparing graduates to drive innovation in the fintech industry. Meanwhile, Financial Services specialization focuses on traditional and emerging financial services, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of banking, investment, insurance, and other critical components of the financial sector. Graduates are prepared to excel in diverse roles within financial services organizations.

With a global network of industry partnerships and a commitment to excellence in financial education, SSBF is the ideal institution for those seeking to embark on a successful career in banking and finance. For more information about the MBA (Banking and Finance) programme and to begin a journey towards a dynamic career in fintech or financial services, please visit the official SSBF website at https://www.ssbf.edu.in/index.php.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.

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Have you ever wished for a smart buddy who could help make writing essays way easier? Well, guess what?

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Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.

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New Delhi, 25th October: WOW Skin Science, Indias leading beauty and wellness brand, is eyeing double digit growth, fuelled by their Innovation Lab and a digital first, strategic omni-channel approach. The company has set a revenue target of 1,000 Crore by the conclusion of FY26, primarily due to robust offline sales through 40,000 retail touchpoints. WOW's diverse portfolio of Natural, Activated Natural, and alternative products has stirred considerable interest in both national and international markets.

Innovation is one of the major driving forces behind the growth of WOW. As a company at the forefront of reimagining skincare, WOW Skin Science continues to invest heavily in developing their in-house formulations at the WOW Innovation Lab. This focus has led to vigorous growth, leading to a five-fold increase in contribution of innovation to the top line. WOW has evolved into a complete personal-care brand, also involving skincare, haircare, supplements and wellness.

In a case of trend reversal, WOW Skin Science is a homegrown Indian brand that has forayed into foreign markets and built a loyal customer base with its array of innovative and varied product offerings. As one of the first Indian brands in personal care to be in Walmart, WOW is also looking at partnerships with more key retailers in the US like Target, CVS and Walgreens.

Overall, the company is expected to post a double-digit growth figure in FY24 with a significantly improved bottom-line, with a double-digit Gross Margin increase, as well as streamlining of marketing in line with its rapidly changing channel mix with an increasing share of offline channels.

Manish Chowdhary, Co-Founder of WOW Skin Science, is optimistic about the brand becoming a household name both in India and abroad, As a brand, weve evolved over time with respect to the needs of our consumer base. The international markets are also responding positively to our range of products. There is a heightened sense of personalisation among the self-care community, and with WOWs unique Activated Naturals, we believe we can be the brand everyone looks up to.

WOW Skin Science now has a fully staffed leadership team with deep domain experience, and a healthy mix of large organization and startup experience. This has been set in place through FY23-FY24 and positions the company well in transitioning from a founder-driven early stage setup to a company with a more decentralized structure which is critical to its next phase of growth. This has been a key enabler in its progress such as scaling up in offline, driving higher share of innovations, developing new data & analytics capabilities, amongst others.

About Body Cupid Pvt Ltd:

Body Cupid Pvt. Ltd is a beauty, personal care and wellness company with innovative and efficacious products for aspiring young India. Sold across General Trade, Modern Trade, Ecommerce and D2C platforms, the companys products are available across the country leveraging its deep innovation and manufacturing capabilities as well as strong sales & logistics network. Its leading ranges in skincare, haircare as well as health & wellness are rated highly on marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart amongst many others, with bestsellers in multiple categories. The company has four brands  WOW Skin Science, WOW Life Science, Body Cupid and Nature Derma and has over 500 products across beauty, personal care & health categories.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.

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The Centre on Wednesday approved a subsidy of 22, 303 crore for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers, Union minister Anurag Thakur announced. Union minister Anurag Thakur (HT photo)

Subsidy for the Rabi season from 1st October 2023 till 31st March 2024 will be like this. For the nitrogen, it will be 47.2 per Kg, phosphorus will be 20.82 per Kg, potash subsidy will be 2.38 per Kg. And the Sulphur subsidy will be 1.89 per Kg", the minister said.



The subsidy will continue because when international prices rise, the government does not want it to impact our farmers in the country... Subsidy on DAP will continue for 4500 per ton. As far as the DAP will be available for 1350 per bag as per the old rate. The NPK will be available at the price of 1470 per bag, Thakur added.



In a statement, the government said it is making available 25 grades of these P&K fertilisers to the farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers.



The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is governed by NBS Scheme w.e.f 01.04.2010. In accordance with its farmer friendly approach, the Government is committed to ensure the availability of P&K fertilizers to the farmers at affordable prices, it added.



In view of the recent trends in the international prices of fertilizers & inputs i.e. Urea, DAP, MOP and Sulphur, Government has decided to approve the NBS rates for Rabi 2023-24 effective from 01.10.23 to 31.03.24 on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers. The subsidy would be provided to the fertilizer companies as per approved and notified rates so that fertilizers are made available to farmers at affordable prices, the government added.

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Farmers here took a crocodile to the office of the state-run Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) in an unusual protest against irregular power cuts that disrupted their agricultural activities. They were peeved at the risk posed by wild animals and snakes when they went to their farms during night due to inadequate supply during day time. The Crocodile was left in the Almatti dam by forest officials. (Representative image)(Facebook/@ IPSS S&R)

A farmer spotted an alligator in his agriculture field when he went to water his farm after power supply was restored late in the night last week. Villagers said the crocodile had come from the nearby Krishna river in search of a prey.

READ | Power disruptions in Bengaluru till Friday, several areas affected

The farmer then quickly called the fellow villagers, who tied the alligator and took it to the HESCOM office on October 19 to "demonstrate" the danger posed to them. Finding the "unusual guest" near their office, the terrified HESCOM officials called the police and forest officials to take it away.

The HESCOM officials then assured the villagers that they will ensure that there will not be any power cuts during day-time. The forest officials later left the crocodile in the Almatti Dam from where it is believed to have strayed into the field.

READ | No need to panic: Bengaluru's BESCOM assures industries amid electricity shortage

According to Irrigation Department officials, scanty rainfall this year has disrupted agriculture activities. There is not enough water in the dams to release for irrigation purposes.

Farmers are dependent on borewells for irrigation. The excessive power consumption for irrigation purposes has created power scarcity. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said recently there was a power shortage in Karnataka due to steep rise in demand and consumption.

READ | Everyone is facing power cut shock, says Yediyurappa as he highlights farmers' plight

Power consumption in October used to be about 10,000 MW, which has gone up to 16,000 MW in the state due to increased usage of electricity for agriculture purposes.

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A contentious issue surrounding the jurisdiction of Kanakapura has come to the fore due to a heated verbal exchange between former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Karnataka DCM DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh.

The central point of contention is whether Kanakapura should remain part of Ramanagara district or be integrated into the state capital, Bengaluru.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's recent announcement that Kanakapura will be a part of Bengaluru in the future has stirred a row.

READ | Kanakapura will soon be part of Bengaluru: Karnataka DCM DK Shivakumar

Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of orchestrating a scheme to regularize alleged illegal activities around Kanakapura.

He questioned the ownership of properties in the area, the prevalence of benami transactions, and the existence of illegal encroachments.

Kumaraswamy vehemently refuted DK Shivakumar's proposal to separate Kanakapura taluk from Ramanagara district and merge it with Bengaluru.

READ | Dont speak publicly on party matters, DKS warns leaders

He argued that the people of Kanakapura belong to Bengaluru district, not Ramanagara, and suggested that it was a betrayal to Ramanagara.

Speaking at an event held ahead of the renovation of a temple at Shivanahalli near Kanakapura, Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio and represents Kanakpura, requested the people of Shivanahalli to not sell land to people from Bengaluru.

"You do not belong to Ramanagara district. You belong to Bengaluru. Keep this in mind. I urge the people of Shivanahalli not to sell your assets to Bengalureans. I can't put money into your pockets. I can't provide homes to all. But God has given me the strength to increase the value of your assets by ten times," he said.

READ | Bengaluru in for more traffic woes? Flyover closed for 4 months over Namma Metro work. Details

DK Shivakumar's plan was met with severe criticism from Kumaraswamy, who accused him of trying to boost property values around Kanakapura and increase his personal treasury.

In response, Shivakumar said that his proposal was legitimate and dismissed Kumaraswamy's claims as a drama aimed at discrediting his intentions.

The dispute over Kanakapura's jurisdiction continues, with strong opinions on both sides regarding its potential impact on the region and its residents.

Kanakapura, about 55 km from Bengaluru, currently comes under the Ramanagara district that was created in 2007 when HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) was the chief minister. Before 2007, Kanakapura was under Bengaluru Rural district.

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More than 200 deities from across the valley gathered in Kullu of Himachal as the week-long International Dussehra Festival began with gaiety and religious fervour on Tuesday. People pulling the chariot of Lord Raghunath in Kullu on to mark Dussehra, on Tuesday. (Aqil Khan/HT)

Kullu Dussehra, a centuries-old festival, commences on Vijaya Dashami, the day when the festivities come to an end in the rest parts of the country.

Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla inaugurated the festival. Supreme Court Judge, Justice Sanjay Karol, member of Parliament from Mandi Pratibha Singh, local members of legislative assembly and chief parliamentary secretary Sunder Singh Thakur were among others present on the occasion.

The day began with the deities gathered for the festival, paying obeisance to the Lord Raghunath. Later, the chariot of Lord Raghunath arrived at the historic Dhalpur grand amid the beats of drums and melodious tunes of traditional musical instruments.

The grand procession saw thousands of devotees and tourists pulling the chariot of Lord Raghunath.

Procession was led by Maheswar Singh, scion of Kullu royal family and former MP. Kullu deputy commissioner said that cultural troupes from around 14 countries would perform during the week-long festival. This countries are Russia, Romania, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Panama, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia.

Many researchers from abroad come to attend the festival for it being a unique congregation of deities. Unlike many other regions in India, the tradition in Kullu does not involve the burning of effigies of Ravana, Meghnada and Kumbhakarna.

Instead, the assembled deities will come together to ceremonially destroy the evil empire during the Lanka Dahan ritual on the banks of the Beas River on October 30, the concluding day of the festivities.

Kullu Dussehra is believed to have started in 1637 AD during the reign of Raja Jagat Singh in Kullu. He invited all local deities to partake in a ritual honouring Lord Raghunath during Dussehra, and this tradition of the annual assembly of deities from numerous village temples has endured over the centuries.

Following the abolition of princely states, the responsibility now falls to the administration.

In accordance with tradition, devotees carry their deitys idol in beautifully adorned palanquins from various temples across Kullu Valley to the historical town. These assembled deities actively participate in the Dussehra processions, led by the chariot of Lord Raghunath, both on the first and last days of the festival.

The concluding ceremony will be presided over by Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on October 30. The Kullu valley is renowned for its local demigods who play a significant role in day to day life of locals and regulate their conduct. Each village has its own god and goddess who are revered as living deities.

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Hurriyat chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not allowed to deliver sermon at Aastan Aaliya Dastgeer Sahib Khanyar on Wednesday. Last month, the Mirwaiz was released after four years under house detention and he led Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid in the old city. (HT File Photo)

Farooq was supposed to deliver sermon in connection with the Urs of Hazrat Peeran-e-Peer Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and pay homage to the saint and scholar of Islam, Anjuman Auqaf, the managing board of Srinagars Jamia Masjid said in a statement.

From two weeks, the Friday prayers were not allowed at Jamia Masjid in the city as security forces had apprehensions that there could be protest in support of Palestine. The grand mosque was closed and police personnel were posted outside.

Mirwaiz was not allowed to deliver sermon at Aastan Aaliya Dastgeer Sahib Khanyar. Such actions of the administration are unjustified, shedding light on the stark disparity between their claims of normalcy and the harsh reality on the ground.This is the fifth year in a row that Mirwaiz Kashmir has been detained in his residence and not allowed to carry out his religious responsibilities, the Auqaf said in a statement, adding that the authorities are not giving any concrete reason for their actions.

The Anjuman added that a large number of people had gathered to listen to the sermon but had to return with disappointment due to his detention.

Last month, the Mirwaiz was released after four years under house detention and he led Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid in the old city.

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The Delhi High Court said on Wednesday that only because a wife is a graduate, she cannot be compelled to work and it cannot be assumed that she would intentionally refrain from employment to claim maintenance from her estranged husband. A bench, led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, acknowledged that the wife's graduate status was undisputed; however, the court emphasised that she had never been gainfully employed. (File)

The court's remarks came in response to a petition which was filed by a man who was seeking a reduction in his wife's monthly interim maintenance, which was initially set at 25,000 but he sought for it to be reduced to 15,000, citing her possession of a B.Sc degree, PTI reported.

A bench, led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, acknowledged that the wife's graduate status was undisputed; however, the court emphasised that she had never been gainfully employed.

The court found no grounds to intervene in the family court's determination of the interim maintenance.

The bench stated, "No inference can be drawn that merely because the wife is holding a degree of graduation, she must be compelled to work. It can also not be presumed that she is intentionally not working solely with an intent to claim interim maintenance from the husband," the bench, consisting of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, said.

The high court also declined the wife's request for an increase in the maintenance amount, as it found no valid basis for such a request, asserting that the family court had reasonably assessed her and their son's expenses.

However, the court set aside a 1,000 penalty per day, which would be imposed on the husband in case of a delayed maintenance payment. It directed the husband to pay the interest at a rate of 6 per cent per annum for any delayed payments.

The court also imposed a penalty of 550 per day related to the delay in payment of litigation costs.

(With inputs from PTI)

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The Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA) on Wednesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the institutions chancellor, to act against vice chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty for the controversy over the plaques recently installed on campus to mark the inclusion of Santiniketan in the UNESCO World Heritage List in September. The campus is witnessing a row since last week because the three plaques installed on the campus bear the names of the chancellor and the vice-chancellor but dont mention Tagore. (Image posted on X by Jawhar Sircar)

The campus is witnessing a row since last week because the three plaques bear the names of the chancellor and the vice-chancellor but dont mention Tagore. PM Modi has been mentioned as the acharya (chancellor). Santiniketan is a town in West Bengals Birbhum district where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore ran his fathers school and, in 1921, set up Visva-Bharati, the states only central university.

Chakrabarty has intentionally insulted Tagore and the Prime Minister, VBUFA alleged in the e-mail.

We sincerely believe that no approval from your office has been taken for putting up such plaques without the name of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and that you would not allow the content of the plaques without the name of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Kausik Bhattacharya, secretary, VBUFA, wrote in an e-mail to the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

The e-mail, a copy of which was seen by HT, was forwarded to the offices of the President and the West Bengal governor. A similar mail was sent to the Union ministry of education as well.

The mail said: ..the common perception is that Prof. Bidyut Chakrabarty has done this after getting the direction / green signal from the Acharya, Honble Naendra Modi. Accordingly, Mr. Jawahar Sircar, MP, Rajya Sabha, and Mr. Jairam Ramesh made two tweets which was directed against you. The entire episode reflects bad tastes and blatant self-adverstisment of Prof. Bidyut Chakrabarty and by setting up the plaques he has ridiculed and insulted the founder of Visva-Bharati, Rabindranath Tagore, and you.

In view of the above, we request your kind necessary action against Prof. Bidyut Chakrabarty for his wrongfully motivated misdeed, the mail said.

The decision to include Santiniketan in the heritage list was taken by UNESCO at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Saudi Arabia.

PM Modi welcomed the news in a social media post on September 17. He wrote: Delighted that Santiniketan, an embodiment of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagores vision and Indias rich cultural heritage, has been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a proud moment for all Indians.

The plaques have prompted the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders to target PM Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Erasure of Nehru wasnt enough. Now, erasure of Rabindranath Tagore also begins, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on his X handle on Monday.

Congress leader KC Venugopal wrote: Rabindranath Tagore famously said - Freedom from fear is the freedom I claim for you, my Motherland. Today, the chief peddler of fear, hate and division has now named himself Acharya at the great Shantiniketan, omitting Tagore altogether! Delusion knows no limits.

UNESCO specifically said they are honouring Rabindranath Tagore and his unique legacy by declaring Santiniketan as a World Heritage Site.  A megalomaniac VC and his boss seem to think UNESO is honouring them!! Jawhar Sircar, TMC Rajya Sabha member, wrote on his X handle.

Visva-Bharati spokesperson Mahua Banerjee declined to comment on the e-mail the teachers wrote to the Prime Minister.

These plaques have been put up temporarily. The permanent ones will be installed after we get the text of the content from UNESCO and the Archaeological Survey of India, Banerjee told HT.

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The political legacy of Maharashtras first Chief Minister, Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan, one of the tallest politicians from the state, is the latest contention, in the ongoing tug-of-war between the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions. PREMIUM After his nephews rebellion and the party split, the senior Pawar started his political yatra to rebuild the party, after bowing down to Chavans memorial in Karad, Satara. (HT PHOTO)

Last week, after completing 100 days in the Shinde-Fadnavis government, Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, released an open letter to the people of Maharashtra, proclaiming himself as the president of the NCP. Skipping any mention of his uncle and mentor, Sharad Pawar, Ajit claimed his source of inspiration in politics was Chavan.

The letter avowed that his party going forward would work in the footsteps of Chavans politics, which was development-oriented and ingrained in empowering Bahujans (backward classes, Dalits, minorities).

Chavan, a stalwart Congress leader known for his progressive politics, also served as defence, home, external affairs and finance minister in various Congress governments including the ones led by Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi at the Centre. He introduced and groomed Sharad Pawar in politics, giving the latter his first party ticket to contest state legislature polls in 1967, at the age of 27. Pawar has steadfastly acknowledged Chavan as his political mentor.

Recently after his nephews rebellion and the party split, the senior Pawar started his political yatra to rebuild the party, after bowing down to Chavans memorial in Karad, Satara.

Until now, Ajits NCP faction had claimed that despite the split, Pawar continues to be their mentor. So, why did Ajit choose to publicly claim the political legacy of Chavan?

An obvious answer lies in the ongoing feud for NCPs leadership that has now reached the Election Commission.

By claiming Chavans legacy, Ajit Pawar is claiming the legacy of the NCP party itself. It is a bid to legitimise himself and his faction. But, its not a convincing claim. For starters, this is recent history; everyone knows that Pawars political career had a visible influence on Chavan and the latter had even named him as his political successor, said Mrudul Nile, professor in the department of politics and civics at Mumbai University.

Secondly, Nile added that Chavans Nehruvian brand of politics was quite dissimilar to Ajit Pawars politics in recent times and this was all the more pronounced given his decision to join the BJP government.

Prakash Bal, a senior journalist and political analyst, similarly said that while Sharad Pawar was moulded in Chavans brand of Congress politics, the latters influence was never visible in the next generation of NCP leadership or cadre. If Ajit was truly inspired by Chavan, he would not have joined the BJP government, he added.

Chavan died in 1984 while the NCP was formed by Pawar in 1999 along with his supporters, over the issue of Congress President Sonia Gandhis foreign origins. From 1999 to 2014, the NCP in alliance with the Congress, ruled the state government. The partys strength came from Pawar mentoring a second rung of leaders, including many regional political satraps, who got their power from controlling sugar co-operatives and educational institutions. Ahead of the 2019 polls, many of them left the NCP to join the BJP.

A more telling reason behind Ajits statement comes from his cousin Supriya Sules remarks at a recent gathering of her partys women cadre, at the YB Chavan centre in Mumbai. In a taunt to the BJP and her cousin Ajit, without naming him, Sule said, You cannot win votes using Hedgewar (founder of the RSS), you need to use Chavans name for that.

Since 1999, Maharashtras political space has been shared by four parties  Congress, NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena. Even with the Modi wave in 2014 and 2019, the deflated Congress and NCP have not completely lost their space in the state. There is a distinct NCP vote bank in the state that looks up to senior Pawar in Maharashtra. The 2019 polls, in fact, saw a resurgence of Pawar, who led a weakened NCP (after several leaders were poached by the BJP) to win 54 seats. Even post-rebellion, while the majority of NCP MLAs are with Ajit, the same cannot be said of the party cadre.

If Ajit has to claim and retain a chunk of the NCP vote bank and party cadre, he needs to maintain a distinct identity that is separate from the BJP. By claiming Chavans legacy, Ajit has signalled that his political ideology is not right-wing and he will not merge his identity with the BJP, said political analyst Abhay Deshpande. Deshpande added that even within the NCP party cadres who admire Ajits leadership, there is uneasiness about aligning with the BJP-Shinde government, given that in Modi-Shahs BJP, regional allies often lose their identity and ideology.

Ajits reference to Chavans Bahujan empowerment through development is also a continuation of the long and dominating tradition in Maharashtra politics. As Nile points out, while political power in Maharashtra has been dominated by Marathas, it has since the initial Congress days have been practised in the name of the Bahujans. While just a few have delivered on this promise, for many others it has been more lip service than any real empowerment.

With caste becoming a severely fraught issue in Maharashtra - renewed protests for Maratha reservation, OBCs protesting against Maratha reservation within their category, shepherds (dhangars) community intensifying demand for Scheduled Tribes status  political parties across the divide will have to carry out a balancing act to appease all the castes crucial in the upcoming polls.

It remains in Ajits political interest to retain his partys identity as secular, development-oriented and progressive, similar to that practised by the doyen of state politics, Chavan.

It remains to be seen if voters and NCP followers believe him.
MUMBAI: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil resumed his indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday morning at Antarwali Sarati village, a day after his 40-day deadline to the state government ended. Jarange-Patil rejected the governments proposal to defer the protest, saying that it had not kept its promises while calling off the first phase of the protest on September 14. Marathas from over 2,400 villages have joined the agitation. Mumbai, India  Oct 19, 2023: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil interacts with supporters at Shivaji Mandir, Dadar, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, Oct 19, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The farmer activist has been demanding that all Marathas be given Kunbi caste certificates to get the benefits of reservation in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Kunbi, a sub-caste of Marathas, are classified as OBCs.

The state government tried to reach out to Jarange-Patil before he began his hunger strike at 11 am. We want to give reservation that will stand up to legal scrutiny, rural development minister Girish Mahajan told Jarange-Patil over the phone. The Justice Sandeep Shinde committee is working on the report. CM Eknath Shinde has sworn on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his Dussehra rally that he will give you reservation at any cost. He will personally speak to you.

Jarange-Patil, who made the conversation public by turning on his phone speaker, was unimpressed. You asked for 30 days, we gave you 41, but nothing was done, he told Mahajan. There is no way we will call off the protest, as our youths are suffering. The government had promised that it would withdraw the cases against protesters after the September 1 lathi charge but nothing has been done. It looks like the government is playing tricks on us.

ALSO READ: Shinde assures reservation to Marathas, bashes power-hungry Thackeray

Jarange-Patil added that 16 Marathas had died by suicide in the last few days but the government had done nothing to help their families. He also demanded that the farmers who suffered losses to their crops during the agitation be compensated by conducting a spot assessment.

Mahajan hastened to assure the activist that the procedure to withdraw the police cases had begun. A legal process is required for this, he said. It needs approval from the courts. As for the suicides, the collectors of the respective districts have been directed to help the families of the deceased. Help will also be extended to the farmers who suffered losses.

Jarange-Patil, while addressing his supporters, also questioned why Marathas were being asked to prove their backwardness if the communities included in the OBC category had not been asked to do so. We fulfil the grounds on which OBC reservation was given in 1967 and then in 1990 by the Mandal Commission, he said. If they are given the OBC quota, what is the problem in giving it to us?

OBC organisations, who are against the Marathas eating into their share of the quota, have said they will resume their agitation only if the government deviates from its written assurance that their quota will not be touched. Unless the government swerves from its stand, we will not react, said Babanrao Taywade, president, OBC Mahasangh.

ALSO READ: Maratha community to hold candle march on October 28 over quota

Taywade dismissed Jarange-Patils claims about the inclusion of some OBC castes without verification. There were about 272 castes in the OBC category in 1990 after the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, he said. After the recommendations of the state backward class commission, there are now over 400. The Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi castes were included in the OBC category in 2004. Jarange-Patils claim has no substance.

Meanwhile, CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis paid an unscheduled visit to Delhi on Wednesday and met union home minister Amit Shah. The duo reportedly discussed the Maratha reservation issue and state cabinet expansion with him. Prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak about it during his Shirdi tour on Thursday, said a CMO official.

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NAVI MUMBAI Navi Mumbai civic students and their parents staged a protest against the school adoption policy of state government at Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Vidyalaya at Rabale in Navi Mumbai, India, on Sunday, October 22, 2023. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

Thousands of students of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) schools and their parents protested in their respective schools on Sunday against the state governments newly introduced policy of allowing private organisations to adopt government run schools. They believe the measure will eventually lead to privatisation of the schools which will make them unaffordable for the weaker sections.

The policy allows schools of all mediums under government or local bodies to be adopted by individuals, corporations or non-governmental organisations with a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) certificate. The objective is to improve infrastructure and amenities in the schools to provide quality education. The adoption can be for 5 years or 10 years with the option of schools being named after the donor, along with its original name. There are no cash contributions with the donors having to supply goods and services worth R 50 lakh to 3 crore based on categories of schools and the duration chosen.

There are around 50,000 students studying in the civic schools in the city. The students were accompanied by the teachers and parents in the protest that was led by former mayor Sudhakar Sonawane. Apart from protest meetings in the schools, the students also held silent rallies holding placards against the government order.

Sonawane who has been credited with turning a school in Rabale into a modern well equipped school said, Why does the government need this private participation? All they will do is paint the buildings and clean the toilets. They will virtually own the school with their names on it. A similar experiment in another city led to a Lavni programme being organized by the donor at an auditorium built by it. 

He added, This is a ploy to eventually privatize the schools. Where will our students from the economically weaker sections go then? How can they afford such schools then?

Stated Sonawane, Instead of such schemes, the government should concentrate on improving the quality of education by giving books and uniforms in time and developing proper infrastructure in all schools. The parents and students are all upset, as are teachers and thats why all civic schools in the city are participating in the protest today.

Prasanna Khambe, a 9th standard student of Rajshri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj school in Rabale, said, We are protesting because my school is my responsibility. We have assembled despite it being a holiday. We have enough facilities already and the civic body and government can further improve them, arent they capable enough? Are we a burden on the government?

Stated Khambe, We are from poor homes, our parents are working hard to ensure our education. We appeal to the government that is our guardian, to cancel the scheme as our future will be at stake if handed over to private individuals.

Said Sushma Ghodeswar, a parent of a child studying in Ghansoli civic school, Instead of formal adoption of schools, the support can also be extended through donations and CSR funds of companies. The public schools are the only hope for us to ensure our children lead better lives. We cannot trust private parties to ensure our upliftment.

She added, We are used to hardships and will continue to fight for our rights if the government doesnt accept our demand.

Informed Sonawane, If the policy is not dropped soon, we will intensify the agitation after Dussehra. The parents are not going to accept this as is obvious by their presence today.

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LUCKNOW The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the case of foreign funding in Madrasas, focusing particularly on approximately 4,000 institutions operating near the Indo-Nepal border. These religious schools have come under the scrutiny of the state government due to their receipt of foreign contributions. Representational photo (HT File)

The SIT comprises a three-member team headed by ADG ATS Mohit Agarwal, accompanied by SP Cyber Crime Dr Triveni Singh and Director of Minority Welfare, J Reebha. The team has already convened once to outline the investigative approach, with further meetings scheduled for October 30.

J Reebha, director of Minority Welfare, said, The three-member SIT, as appointed by the state government, is tasked with a comprehensive audit of funds received by these madrasas. We have formally requested records concerning foreign funds from the relevant officials. These records are expected to detail all madrasas that have received, or are currently receiving, regular foreign funding. Our precise course of action will be determined once the SIT has the opportunity to review these records during subsequent meetings.

An official from the U.P. State Madrasa Education Board confirmed, Indeed, we have been asked to provide information regarding those madrasas consistently receiving foreign funds. Our officials are diligently preparing the comprehensive data required to fulfill this request.

It is noteworthy that following a madrasa survey conducted last year, authorities discovered several madrasas in border regions that had received substantial funding but could not adequately account for these finances. As a response to this discovery, the U.P. government resolved to investigate the potential misappropriation of foreign donations received by madrasas across the state.

Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board, expressed his support for the investigation, saying, I have been informed that the SIT has been formed and has initiated its inquiry into the foreign funds received by various madrasas within the state. The Madrasa Education Board stands ready to collaborate with the SIT throughout the investigation. I have directed our officials to provide all the necessary documents requested by the ATS. It is a positive development that madrasas receiving foreign funds will be required to furnish details. I am hopeful that these madrasas, the majority of which are patriotic and deeply love their country, will cooperate and clear their names.

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A 39-year-old man was allegedly trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants near the Batabari forest range in Assams Udalguri, police said. (Representative Photo)

Police said the incident took place on Monday late at night in Udalguris Bamunjuli area while the man was returning from Durga Puja celebrations with his 8-year-old son.

Police have identified the deceased as Abinash Gowala, a farmer. His son, however, managed to escape but sustained severe injuries, according to the police.

The dead body was recovered late Monday night and sent to a local government hospital for postmortem. His son also sustained some injuries during the process, said Pushkin Jain, superintendent of police (SP), Udalguri district.

According to the local residents, herd elephants from the nearby forest often come out in search of food. On Monday night, more than 20 elephants came out from the forest into the village, they said.

Police said that they received information about the incident late Monday night and they recovered the trampled dead body with help from forest officials.

At least three similar incidents were reported from several areas of Assam this year in which two minor boys and a forest official were killed.

Officials from the forest department said that in most cases, wild elephants come out in search of food in the nearby villages leading to the man-animal conflict. They suggested that the people living near reserve forest areas be more alert.

Last week, the dead body of an adult elephant was found near the India-Bangladesh border in Karimganj district. However, the forest officials said that they didnt find any sign of poaching.

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Opposition parties in Bihar have demanded a probe into the teachers recruitment exercise which took place through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). The BPSC started publishing the results of the teachers recruitment exam (TRE) from October 17. (File photo)

The BPSC started publishing the results of the teachers recruitment exam (TRE) in a phased manner from October 17 after which the Bihars education department announced that it will start the counselling for the BPSC teachers recruitment from October 18.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar will hand over 25,000 provisional appointment letters to the successful candidates at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on November 2 after the completion of counselling.

Also Read: Govt begins teachers counselling; Bihar CM to give appointment letters on Nov 2

BPSC is working on a war footing to complete the exercise with officials and staff working overtime even during the holiday season.

Against 1.70-lakh vacancies, as many as 1,22,324 candidates qualified, leaving 48,137 seats vacant.

The vacant seats could rise given the fact that around 45,000 teachers appointed are already employed while over 20,000 are said to be from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and other states.

Many candidates remain under suspicion due to wrong spellings of names and incorrect Aadhaar numbers or missing names.

When we are dealing with such large numbers as in TRE, multi-layer filtering is needed to weed out undeserving ones. This is whats going on and thats why all results are conditional. Any vacancy arising out of this filtering will be filled by one or more supplementary results. Very soon we will be declaring cut off marks in all TRE papers, BPSC chairman posted on X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, as students have been constantly raising apprehensions of foul play in the exam results and expressing surprise over delay in publication of cut-offs.

Earlier, department of education and the state commission had remained at loggerheads over document verification of all the candidates even before recommendation of names of successful candidates.

It is a botched-up exercise and the government must admit it. It is just a ploy to keep the teacher aspirants involved. We have never heard of a recruitment exercise through a state commission that issues provisional appointment letters with so many ifs and buts. It shows the incompetence of the recruiting agency and the government. I will make a big revelation soon about the grave irregularities committed in the recruitment to play with the future of youth, said leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha.

Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) echoed similar sentiments and likened the exercise to the alleged railways land-for-jobs case.

In Railways, it was land for job, but in case of teachers it seems to be money for job. Reservation provisions have also been ignored. It requires a high-level probe. If an inquiry is conducted, many people will be exposed. It is a cruel joke with the youth of the state, he added.

BJP state president Samrat Choudhary also criticised the state government led by chief minister Nitish Kumar.

We dont know exactly how many fresh candidates will genuinely get jobs. This is a scam. Even a straight forward recruitment exercise has been reduced to a laughing stock, as the intent was never there. I have always said that there is no point taking exam and reissuing appointment letters to teachers already working for years just to inflate numbers. But the same is happening. The entire exercise is illegal. Where are the new candidates and how many? he asked.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Kumar Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues. ...view detail
Cab and auto rickshaw drivers including those of Ola, Uber, delivery personnel working for firms including Swiggy, Zomato, Urban company in Maharashtra's Pune are observing a strike on Wednesday demanding organised labour laws in a bid to secure their rights. Ola, Uber, delivery agents of Zomato, Swiggy, are on strike on Wednesday.(Rep image)

The demands, put forth by the committee Indian Gig Workers Front, include a demand from the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government to pass an act that protects gig workers from exploitation and provides them with social security and welfare benefits, HT reported earlier.

Advocate Keshav Kshirsagar, one of the members of the committee, emphasised the need for Maharashtra to pass a law similar to the "Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Act, 2023" and the Union governments Social Code 2020 Labour Code, to protect workers from exploitation.

Rajasthan is the first state in India to introduce a bill for the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Act, 2023 (the Act), leading the state of Rajasthan to be the first Indian state to regulate and support the growing gig economy workforce through this comprehensive legal framework. On those grounds, we want a similar law looking after the interests of the gig workers in Maharashtra", Kshirsagar said.

The Act aims to provide important social security and essential benefits to the working class. The law provides security at low investment for countless unemployed youths and even the elderly. This Act provides labour guarantee to employers through platforms like Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Urban Company and others, he added.

According to the law, a unique identity card will be generated for each worker. It also provides for the establishment of the Platform-Based Gig Workers Fund and Welfare Fee, under which social security and welfare funds for gig workers will be raised.

With a significant number of workers operating in the gig economy, the need for formalised protections and regulatory frameworks has emerged as a critical concern for the worker's welfare and security.

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Pune: The state government on Wednesday replaced two members of the inquiry committee constituted to investigate the alleged kidney racket scam at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune after Dr Vatsala Trivedi and Dr Shrirang Bachhu refused to be a part of panel, the notification said. The state government on Wednesday replaced two members of the inquiry committee constituted to investigate the alleged kidney racket scam at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune after they refused to be a part of panel. (HT FILE)

The notification, signed by Sanjay Mahadeshwar, secretary, Maharashtra state, and issued on Wednesday, stated that the government is appointing Dr Surendra Mathur, zonal transplant coordination centre, Mumbai and Dr Sujata Patwardhan, director incharge, regional organ and tissue transplant organisation and state organ and tissue transplant organisation (ROTTO-SOTTO) Mumbai as the replacements.

On July 18 this year, the state had constituted a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to conduct an inquiry to probe the alleged kidney racket scam at Ruby Hall Clinic. The committee, with members from government and non-government bodies, was supposed to give its report in three months. The committee was constituted after BJP MLA Madhuri Misal raised the issue during the assembly session stating that the main accused in the racket is at large and the racket has spread throughout the state.

The illegal kidney transplant case was exposed in March 2022 after Sarika Gangaram Sutar, a widow from Kolhapur, filed a complaint with the Koregaon Park police station alleging that she was promised 15 lakh in exchange for a kidney, but the money never came through.

She posed as the recipients wife for approval from government officials and the transplant was performed.

A swap kidney transplantation was performed on March 24, and one of the donors, Sujata Amit Salunkhe (wife of recipient Amit Salunkhe), being a swap donor, claimed that she is not the wife of Amit Salunkhe. She presented a copy of an Aadhaar card to the cops bearing the name Sarika Gangaram Sutar. The probe is on since the past one-and-a-half years, but no concrete action has been taken in the case yet.

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To intensify the agitation over Maratha reservation, community members from Pune district have started a chain strike from Wednesday to support quota activist Manoj Jarange Patils hunger protest. Demonstrators from the community blocked the Pune-Nashik highway near Chakan in the morning and blocked vehicular traffic. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Members of the community said they will carry out a candle march on October 28 from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue located at Shivajinagar to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Statue at Deccan.

Rajendra Kunjir, Maratha Kranti Morcha coordinator, said, We are with Patil. To support his agitation, those from Pune have started a protest near Ambedkar Statue at Pune railway station as a part of chain agitation.

Meanwhile, demonstrators from the community blocked the Pune-Nashik highway near Chakan in the morning and blocked vehicular traffic. Later, the road was cleared by police.

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PUNE: A 27-year-old businessman was arrested by the Pune police on Tuesday on charges that he assaulted a delivery partner over an argument about the late delivery of a pizza that he had ordered and eventually fired in the air to scare him from his licensed firearm, police said on Wednesday. A FIR has been registered against Chetan Padwal under IPC sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 323 (causing hurt), 504 intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and 506 (criminal intimidation) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the businessman, identified as Chetan Vasant Padwal of Ozone Villas in Wagholi, was arrested. A first information report (FIR) was registered against him under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 323 (causing hurt), 504 intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

After investigation, it was found that the accused openly fired from his licenced firearm in the air. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident, said Lonikand police station senior inspector, Vishvajeet Kaingade. He added that Padwal was arrested immediately after the complaint was received.

Citing the complaint received against Padwal, who has a stone-crushing business, a police officer said Chetan Padwal placed an order for a pizza at 10:30pm on a mobile phone app. The order was confirmed by a pizza outlet. Rahul Ghorpade was assigned to deliver the pizza. The delivery person was accompanied by an acquaintance, Rushikesh Annapurne.

By the time Rahul Ghorpade reached Padwals house to make the delivery, it was about 11pm.

Chetan Padwal complained that the delivery was late. An argument soon ensued.

Police said the businessman allegedly used abusive language and hit Ghorpade. When Ghorpade and Annapurne resisted, the businessman allegedly walked up to his vehicle at about 11:15pm, pulled out a firearm and fired in the air to threaten the two.

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Pune: Major General SCN Jatar (retd), an anti-corruption crusader and Punes prominent face of civic activism, passed away following prolonged illness at 91. Major General SCN Jatar (retd), an anti-corruption crusader and Punes prominent face of civic activism, passed away following prolonged illness at 91. (HT FILE)

Known as Sudhir among friends, Maj Gen Jatar had a distinguished career in the Indian Army as well as in the public sector. Post his retirement, he got involved in various social initiatives in Pune and continued his professional service. He died at his residence late on Monday and the final rites were performed a day later.

Years after joining the Indian Army as an engineering graduate from the prominent College of Engineering, Pune (now known as the College of Engineering Pune Technological University, COEPTU), Maj Gen Jatar became a commanding officer of 105 Engineer Regiment, and led the operation during the 1971 War in clearing mines from a captured area of Punjab Hill in the Poonch-Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

Later, he served as a commander of Infantry Brigades in the Kashmir Valley and Rajasthan desert between 1977 and 1981. He headed the Indian Military Training Team and was the chief instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna, Nigeria before he retired from the service. Jatar also served as a member of the advisory council for Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT) Pune.

In 1979, Jatar joined the Oil India Ltd, a public sector unit, as general manager in the Assam oil fields. The oil pipeline was blockaded by miscreants during the Assam agitation. Jatar successfully thwarted the stir despite threats to his life. He eventually became the chief executive officer of the firm.

Post retirement, Jatar, as the youngest son of Lieutenant Colonel Nilkanth Jathar of the Indian Medical Service, decided to return to his native place Pune where he got involved in issues of public interest.

As president of Nagrik Chetna Manch, a non-governmental organisation working on citizen issues in Pune, Jatar fought multiple cases against corruption as well as civic apathy while demanding greater transparency in governance.

Jatars close aides and those who worked with him recalled perseverance and focus as two of his qualities he never let go till the end.

In whatever he did, he always carried it out with total focus, Jatars daughter Nita wrote in her 2020 blog about her father.

Vijay Kumbhar, a Right to information (RTI) activist and member of Aam Admi Party, recalled how Jatar and he fought against Punes illegal constructions.

Due to their relentless fight, a public commission of inquiry was set up under former Supreme Court Judge PB Sawant to look into illegal constructions and encroachments across the city of Pune.

The commission was constituted because the political parties in the Pune Municipal Corporation were delaying the setting up of a committee led by a retired high court judge to conduct an inquiry into the issue. We had sought cooperation from the civic administration to provide assistance to the commission, but there was no response from PMC. We then obtained documents under the RTI Act and furnished them to the commission. Retired Supreme Court Judge PB Sawant agreed to preside over the commission without any remuneration. No one was ready to give us space to carry out the work of the commission, so we finally used my flat for this purpose, said Kumbhar.

In 2013, Maj Gen Jatar unearthed how PMCs waste-to-energy plant at Hadapsar, outsourced to private firm, was operating at lower capacity even as the civic body was spending the money. He filed many PILs, used RTI effectively, to fight against wrongdoings and lack of transparency, said Kumbhar.

Jatars recent fight was against bid rigging scam at PMC. Through Nagrik Chetna Manch, where he was the longest serving president between 2001 and 2018, Jatar and some other activists approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and forced the central institution to look into the matter. After probe, CCI in May 2018 imposed a fine of 3.57 crore on six firms for colluding with civic officials and rigging the bid while filing tenders for thermal composting garbage plants in 2014.

He also fought against civic apathy in delivering school uniforms late to students and ensured the pupils received them on time in 2013. His love for environment also prompted him take a stand against proposed Balbharati-Paud Road as he filed a petition in Bombay High Court and also obtained information from the civic body by filing several RTI applications.

Apart from his tremendous and well researched work on civic issues of Pune, he had filed several PILs. He was my guru, mentor, guide and inspiration in my work. His demise is a huge loss for the city. My heartfelt condolences to his family, said Qaneez Sukhrani, part of Nagrik Chetna Manch and convenor of Association of Nagar Road Citizens Forum. Sukhrani worked with Maj Gen on several projects and called him as her inspiration for civic activism.

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The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) launched an eMasters degree in Business Leadership in the Digital Age to assist businesses in thriving in the digital era and to equip professionals with leadership skills. According to a press release by IITK, this program aims to empower professionals with a comprehensive understanding of modern business dynamics.(File Photo)

According to a press release by IITK, this program aims to empower professionals with a comprehensive understanding of modern business dynamics, tailored to provide individuals with the skills and insights necessary to navigate the complexities of the corporate landscape. Designed by the Department of Economic Sciences, the program offers an understanding of modern business dynamics and is an executive-friendly program that does not require a GATE score for application.

The program is taught by IITK faculty and offers flexibility, allowing completion in 1-3 years, with weekend-only live interactive classes and self-paced learning. The curriculum comprises a 60-credit structure consisting of 3 Core modules, 10 technology-oriented modules, and a Capstone Project. Participants gain access to IIT Kanpur's placement cell, incubation cell, and alumni network, enhancing career prospects and networking opportunities, informed Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

According to the press release, the program adopts an immersive learning format to incorporate the requirements of a dynamic digital landscape, including visits to the IIT Kanpur campus, fostering connections with faculty and professionals. Over 600 professionals have joined the eMasters degree program from IIT Kanpur.

For more information, visit the official website.

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At least 13,013 vacant posts of head constables and constables in the Delhi Police will be filled by July, 2024, according to a statement issued by the Raj Niwas on Tuesday. Delhi police

Of these 13,013 posts, 3,521 posts are in the advanced stage of recruitment, and are expected to be filled by December this year, the statement said.

"Written examinations, PE MT (Physical endurance and measurement test), and typing tests have been conducted. These posts are to be filled in a phased manner between December 2023 and July 2024," the statement added.

The posts being filled include 1,692 head constables and 1,411 constables (drivers).

At least 418 technical posts of photographer, draftsman, store clerk, fitter, mast lasker, MT helper, MT storeman, statistician, assistants and radio technician in various ranks are also being filled.

In addition to this, 840 posts of multi-tasking staff is also being filled, according to the statement.

Of the recruitments being made by the SSC, 11,214 are in different stages of being filled up and 1,799 vacancies are to be advertised soon, the statement said.

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BHEL Trainee Recruitment 2023: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is going to begin the online registration process for 75 trainee vacancies today, October 25. Eligible candidates can apply for it on the official website, bhel.com. The last date to apply is November 15. BHEL Trainee Recruitment 2023: Registration begins today

Here are more information about the vacancies:

Civil: 30 vacancies.

Mechanical: 30 vacancies.

HR: 15 vacancies.

To know who can apply for these posts (eligibility), age limit and other details, candidates can visit the recruitment/careers page of the website. The direct link will also be hosted there.

Steps to apply for BHEL Trainee Recruitment 2023

Visit the official website of BHEL, bhel.com.

Under the notice board, open the recruitment tab and then the current openings link.

Register to get your login credentials.

Login after submitting the registration process.

Fill out your application and then upload documents, make payment of the fee.

Submit your form and save a copy of it for future uses.

For other information related to this recruitment drive, candidates can check the official website of BHEL

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BPSC is conducting a multi-layer filtering of the Bihar Teacher Recruitment Examination result to weed out undeserving candidates and therefore, all announced results are conditional, Chairman of the commission Atul Prasad said. If posts remain vacant due to this filtering, it will be filled through one or more supplementary results, he said. BPSC Bihar Teacher cut-offs soon, supplementary results if required on bpsc.bih.nic.in (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Prasad further informed that cut-off marks of all subjects will be released soon.

When we are dealing with such large numbers as in TRE, multi layer filtering is needed to weed out undeserving ones. This is what's going on & that's why all results are conditional. Any vacancy arising out of this filtering will be filled by one or more supplementary results, Prasad posted on X (formerly twitter).

Very soon we will be declaring cut off marks in all TRE papers, he said in a separate post.

BPSC TRE result for different papers have been announced along with district-wise allocation lists on the website bpsc.bih.nic.in.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will distribute appointment letters to around 1 lakh successful candidates on November 2.

The written examination was conducted from August 24 to August 26 in two shifts from 10 am to 12 noon and from 3: 30 pm to 5:30 pm across the state. The final answer key was released on October 15, 2023.

This recruitment drive is for 1,70,461 vacancies of Teachers in Bihar.

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Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) researchers have patented a Combined Power Generation Technology technology that can generate electricity from both tidal and wind sources. This can be deployed as a mobile vehicle For power generation, transmission and storage. According to a press release by IIT Madras, the current innovation is an energy converter system that generates electricity in coastal areas to reduce electricity demand.

According to a press release by IIT Madras, the current innovation is an energy converter system that generates electricity in coastal areas to reduce electricity demand. The converter system can be deployed depending on the power requirements in the coastal area. At present, the researchers are focused on scalability and affordability and are trying to build a cost-effective prototype using 3D printing and other technologies.

This research was undertaken by Sadham Usean Ramasamy, PhD Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, and Prof. A. Seshadri Sekhar, a former Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, who is currently on deputation to IIT Palakkad as its Director, stated the press release.

This technology will potentially entail fewer expenditures, require less maintenance and produce clean and sustainable energy. It can also be utilised as a mobile vehicle. With a lot of potential and the rare capacity to be entirely predictable, tidal energy is a clean, sustainable energy source. The Potential Industry partners of this technology include companies in the power sector, solar and wind energy," said Sadham Usean Ramasamy, PhD Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras.

This technology consists of five systems that aid in the conversion of wind and tide energy into electrical energy. To transform tide energy into electrical energy, the converter system employs a one-of-a-kind five-gear mechanism.

According to the press release, to help convert tidal and wind energy into electrical energy, spring-assisted mechanisms, adjustable guider structural support mechanisms, a main shaft with five converter gear shaft mechanisms, direction converter gear mechanism, floor level adjustable mechanism, and gear coupling mechanism are used. Additionally, the solar panel on the roof is used to power other systems on mobile vehicles. At present, there are no simple continuous energy converter technologies available for power generation. Throughout the country, there are various coal-fired power plants, nuclear power plants, hydropower plants, and gas-fired power plants.

Tidal energy has the potential to be used to generate electricity in the future, despite the fact that it is not now widely utilised. As a resource, ocean energy is essentially untapped. The current technology focuses on combined power generation, which employs both tidal and wind energy to generate electricity, said IIT Madras.

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The death of Richard Roundtree, the iconic actor who played John Shaft in the 1970s Shaft movies, has saddened many of his fans and colleagues. Roundtree, 81, died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Richard Roundtree's passing leaves a deep hole, say co-stars and colleagues.(File Images)

His manager confirmed the news.

Many celebrities who worked with Roundtree or admired his work paid tribute to him on social media.

Gabrielle Union, who played his daughter on the BET drama Being Mary Jane, wrote on X, Working with Richard Roundtree was a dream. Getting to hang with him & our Being Mary Jane family was always a good a-- time with the best stories & laughs. He was ALWAYS the coolest man in the room with the BEST vibes & ppl would literally run over to come see him. He was simply the best & we all loved him. #RIPRichardRoundtree.

Samuel L. Jackson, who co-starred with Roundtree in the 2000 and 2019 Shaft films, posted a photo of them on Instagram and wrote, Richard Roundtree, The Prototype, The Best To Ever Do It!! SHAFT, as we know it is & will always be His Creation!! His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but Im sure a lotta yalls, too. Love you Brother, I see you walking down the Middle of Main Street in Heaven & Issacs Conducting your songcoat blowin in wind!!

Tia Mowry, who shared the screen with Roundtree on the Netflix series Family Reunion, said she had no words for this loss.

Richard, you have made such a lasting impact on my life. I am forever grateful for your warm energy, your light, your heart, and your incredible wisdom , she wrote on Instagram.

I will miss you and our times together in our trailers - you teaching me the right way to take down some whiskey. I love you.

Thank you for blessing this world with your gifts  Rest in Power #RichardRoundtree, she added.

Jeffery Wright, who also appeared in the 2000 Shaft film with Roundtree and Jackson, tweeted, The OG. And a lovely man. RIP.

ALSO READ| Action hero Richard Roundtree of Shaft fame dies of pancreatic cancer at 81

Other celebrities also expressed their condolences and appreciation for Roundtrees legacy.

Loni Love tweeted,Sad to hear of the passing of Richard Roundtree He was fabulous as John Shaft at a time when there were few leading Black men in film. He put the sexy and cool in being a detective. Rest well. Condolences to his family.

Sheryl Lee Ralph wrote on X When I was a teenager I use to dream about growing up to meet Richard Roundtree. I did and what a wonderful human being.

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House which featured in the movie Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis has got sold for $1.7 million. The famous house was first listed in September for about $1.8 million. The property is spread in an area of 5258 square foot and has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Jamie Lee Curtis in 'Halloween'(X(formerly Twitter)/@WestNorwoodPH)

In the movie, the house was located in the fictitious town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Curtis' character Laurie Strode resided in the property. Halloween movie franchise saw Curtis in the role in first film Halloween in 1978 and in the final movie Halloween Ends too.

Yes, this was a filming location for the 1978 film Halloween, as the house of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). If you watch the film youll recognize the infamous stoop that Jamie Lee Curtis sat on, holding a pumpkin, realtor Heidi Babcock wrote in the property description.

In reality, the house is in Pasadena, California. The house is located in a green neighbourhood surrounded by trees. The property has a fruit-bearing avocado tree.

This exceptional property is a wonderful place to live, work, and play in one of the most desirable communities in greater LA, said Babcock as quoted by the New York Post.

ALSO READ| Some alarms, sometimes, Travis Kelce's brother is concerned about him as he dates Taylor Swift

Halloween movie's connection to Curtis' real life husband

Curtis has been married to Christopher Guest since 1984. In a report by People, Curtis highlighted how she first came to know of Christopher due to working for the movie Halloween.

Everything good in my life can be traced back to Laurie. I was with the writer of the original Halloween when I saw my husband of 37 years for the first time, shared Curtis.

Debra Hill and I were on my couch in West Hollywood in 1984. I opened up an issue of Rolling Stone, saw Christopher Guest in a Spinal Tap story and said, "I'm gonna marry that guy." (I did, six months later.), she revealed.
The explosive growth of Indias start-up ecosystem, and its mainstreaming, coincided with the setting up of Flipkart in 2007. For nearly a decade it remained limited to some of the major cities like Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. And the idea of what a start-up was meant to be in terms of the kind of problems it was expected to be solving, the rapidity of scaling, and the funding model through venture capital, remained quite narrow. Entrepreneurship (Shutterstock)

This idea of a start-up held up reasonably well so long as the problems the start-ups were addressing were those of consumers who made up the top 5%-7% of the socio-economic pyramid. The funding winter accelerated the flaws in this mindless scaling model, and it was soon evident that even start-ups solving problems with large addressable markets, through products & services aimed at the top-of-the-pyramid consumers, had very poor product-market fit.

However, things have been changing in the last decade, and more rapidly in the last 5 years or so.

Entrepreneurs hailing from smaller towns and cities, often with a deep understanding of local challenges and consumer preferences began solving real problems in a manner that do not exactly fit the stereotype of how start-ups are expected to operate. There is a degree of earthiness and authenticity in their business building approach. Not all of them would even call themselves start-ups, and not all of them would raise venture capital. This kind of entrepreneurship is more inclusive, solving real problems, building small and sustainable businesses, and creating many more livelihoods.

However, the hard truth remains that it is not easy to solve problems that consumers at the middle of the socio-economic pyramid are grappling with, for the following reasons:

Affordability: Bharat is a price-sensitive market with much higher price-performance expectations. Keeping it affordable, yet premium in some ways, is the key to deepening ones customer base in Bharat. Value for money is a phrase most of us are familiar with.

Accessibility: The Bharat market is not homogeneous and is schizophrenic in a manner of speaking. Tailoring products to needs of small consumer categories separated by geography, demography, consumer preferences, local cultures, varying spending patterns, etc., is not easy. The distribution costs are high and there are no economies of scale either.

Trust: Building trust is key in these markets and unlike new age India, the Bharat consumers dont easily buy from companies they dont know much about. And therefore, joining hands with local institutions and partnering with them can significantly help in building trust. Trust building is a slow process and involves hard work.

As this shift occurs, India's digital nativesthose who have grown up in an era of rapid technological advancementincluding those in Bharat are playing a pivotal role. Their familiarity with digital platforms, combined with their quest for convenience and access, has created a fertile ground for entrepreneurs.

And through all this, the definition of the entrepreneur is broadening, removing barriers in education and in language, with emphasis on founders who deeply understand the local market and its intricacies, and can adapt their offerings to cater to the specific needs of Bharat consumers. And the idea of scaling, that VCs gave shape to, is also undergoing change. When sustainability trumps scaling, business-building is back to basics.

And finally, this may call for a different type of capital that does not place its bets on just a few companies in their portfolio returning the fund, and the rest perishing.

This article is authored by T.N Hari, co-founder, Artha School of Entrepreneurship.

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Meerut Madrasas operating in Purkaji and Morna blocks of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh have been asked to produce registration documents by the education department, failing which they will face fines of 10,000 per day if they continue to operate without the adequate permissions, according to people aware of the matter and official government documents. The administration warned of action against madrasas which fail to produce registration documents in Muzaffarnagar. (Representational Image)

Notices issued on October 17 by Purkaji block education officer Jyoti Prakash Tiwari said action would be initiated against those Islamic seminaries who fail to produce their documents of registration and affiliation within three days of receiving the notice. A fine of 10,000 per day will be levied if they fail to submit the required documents and continue operating, the notices added. HT has seen a copy of the notice.

Several madrasas, which impart Islamist education to Muslim students, are operating without registration, which is in violation of laws governing free and compulsory education to children, officials said.

Muzaffarnagars basic education officer, Shubham Shukla confirmed that notices were issued to madrasas by block education officers. In them, madrasa owners have been asked to submit their documents of registration for verification within a given period of time, he said. There is provision to slap a fine of 1 lakh if a madrasa does not stop functioning within a month after failing to produce documents of registration or affiliation, Shukla said.

There are about 24,000 madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, of which 16,000 are recognised, officials said.

The move met with opposition from the Muslim clerics and community leaders.

The notices are a violation of the Constitution which guarantees every citizen the liberty to follow their religion and education, said Maulana Nazar, vice-president of the state unit of the Jamiat Ulama-i- Hind.  They (administration) are doing it only to harass madrasas and to target a particular community, he said.

This is just another attempt to consolidate anti-Muslim Hindu votes and in continuation of efforts to target a particular community, said Samajwadi party leader, Sudhir Panwar.

Meanwhile, a government official in Lucknow said that about 4,000 madrasas in Uttar Pradesh are under the scanner for receiving foreign funds. The state government has set up a three-member special investigation team to investigate these seminaries, most of which are run along the India-Nepal border, he said, asking not to be named. The investigators will examine if the money received by them was used in any illegal activities such as terrorism or forcible religious conversion, the official added.

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Malayalam actor Vinayakan was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly obstructing the duty of a police officer and issuing threats and verbal abuse in an inebriated state, an officer said. The actor was subjected to medical examination and later let off on bail. Malayalam actor Vinayakan. (File Photo)

On Tuesday afternoon, we got a call from Vinayakan over a row at his apartment. When we went there, we found that he was in an inebriated condition. He verbally abused our officers, including women constables. We warned him not to repeat it. There was no complaint from his wife or other family members, so we came back, said a sub-inspector at the Ernakulam Town North police station in Kochi.

In the evening around 7.30pm, he came to the police station in the same inebriated condition and created a ruckus. He again used offensive language against our officers. So, we booked a case against him and since he was drunk, we subjected him to medical examination. We later released him on bail, the officer added.

Vinayakan was booked under sections 118(A) and 117(E) of the Kerala Police Act. The officer said that the actor has caused similar acts of commotion in the past at the police station.

Vinayakan was not available for his comment.

The actor, most recently seen in the Tamil film Jailer opposite Rajinikanth, was the recipient of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in 2016 for his role of Ganga in the film Kammattipaadam.

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The resumption of visa issuances to Canadians is not imminent as the situation is still not ideal to conduct normal diplomatic and Consular functions by all Indian diplomats and consular officials, Indias High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said. If improvement in the security environment for Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada shows a positive sign, there is a likelihood of some relaxation in the existing Indian visa regime for Canadian citizens, Verma said in an interview with HT. Dig deeper Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma. (Photo from X)

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital will fluctuate in the coming days in the wake of the upcoming festive and winter season. "Two days back, the AQI level in Delhi was above 300. A decrease in the AQI level has been recorded and it has come below 300. I think that in the days to come, this will keep fluctuating. It is being estimated that after October 30 this will perhaps go up again," Rai said to news agency ANI. Dig deeper

The Latest News

Don't want to take these names but Eknath Shinde himself is Hamas: Sanjay Raut. Dig deeper

India warns Pakistan for referring Kashmir on Israel-Gaza conflict; will be treated with contempt. Dig deeper

India News

Five including three children from Karnataka killed in separate accidents. Dig deeper

40-yr-old man strangles wife in front of children in Delhi: Police. Dig deeper

Global Matters

New York Times dissects widely circulated Gaza hospital attack evidence video, casts doubt on Israels claims'. Dig deeper

Cyclone Hamoon: 2 killed; at least 275,000 people flee to shelters in Bangladesh. Dig deeper

Sports Goings

Cristiano Ronaldo showcased a vintage performance, netting two extraordinary goals to propel his Al Nassr team to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Qatar's Al Duhail in the AFC Champions League. In this premier Asian club competition, Al Nassr, featuring former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca, secured their third consecutive win in the group stage. The scoring commenced in Riyadh when Talisca found the net from the edge of the box in the 25th minute. Ronaldo, even at 38, displayed his full array of tricks with a clever back-heeled flick to set up the goal. Dig deeper

(Thats all we have at this hour in our afternoon briefing. Catch you in the evening.)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail
The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs is likely to suggest that economic offenders not be handcuffed while being taken into custody as part of its recommendations into the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita that seeks to replace the British-era Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), people aware of developments said on Tuesday. The BNSS was part of three bills  the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 being the other two  introduced by Union home minister Amit Shah on the final day of the monsoon session in the Lok Sabha (ANI)

The panel  headed by Bharatiya Janata Party member Brij Lal  is also likely to recommend that the government amend a controversial clause related to the powers of detention by police, and establish a clear framework, said the people cited above.

The BNSS was part of three bills  the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 being the other two  introduced by Union home minister Amit Shah on the final day of the monsoon session in the Lok Sabha. Together, they seek to replace British-era IPC, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act respectively in an overhaul that the government says will transform Indias criminal justice system.

The draft codes were prepared after a panel of experts, also known as Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws, appointed by the home ministry, worked on the changes in the criminal laws starting 2020 and gave detailed recommendations to the government. The home ministry also consulted states and other experts regarding the changes.

In its deliberations, the panel -- which looked at all 3 bills -- came around to the view that there is a wide range of economic offences and handcuffing all the accused may not be suitable, said the people cited above. The polices powers while arresting a person have been defined in Clause 43 (3) of the new code.

Against this backdrop, the committee is likely to reject the idea of lumping economic crimes with other categories of offences -- such as organised crime, terrorism, drugs or arms peddling, and heinous crimes such as murder, rape and sexual abuse of children, or those against the State, said the people quoted above. The BNSS recommends that handcuffs be used in all these cases.

The panels discussions focussed on the diverse range of offences under economic crimes -- from petty to serious -- and hence felt that blanket use handcuffs was not suitable, the people added. Its draft report, therefore, might ask for Clause 43(3) to be amended to remove economic offences from its ambit

During meetings to review the draft legislation, it was submitted before the panel that handcuffing will compromise the right to life of individuals. It was also suggested that the use of handcuffs while effecting the arrest of a person who has committed an economic offence is overboard and will lead to misuse, said the people cited above.

The committee also examined another provision -- Clause 172 (2) -- related to detention by police. This provision said that a police officer may detain or remove any person resisting, refusing, ignoring or disregarding to conform to any direction given by him. It also mentioned about releasing the person when the need for detention is not there anymore.

But the panel was of the view that the timelimit for releasing the detainee was not specified, and hence, is likely to recommend amending the clause suitably to remove any ambiguity, said the people quoted above.

Another controversial clause -- 187 (2) -- also came up for discussion.

Under the current CrPC, police custody can be sought and granted only during the first 15 days of detention for a maximum of 15 days. The clause stipulated a total of 15 days for police custody, but allowed the authorities to use this in whole or in parts at any time during the initial 40 days ( for offences carrying up to 10 year punishment) or in the first 60 days (for offences carrying punishment beyond 10 years).

Several experts had expressed concerns that this clause could be misused and make bail a near-impossibility during this period. The committee felt that the window of 40 days and 60 days should be seen only as an exception, said the people cited above, adding that the draft report will likely ask for greater clarity in the provision.

On another clause -- 175 (3) of BNSS, which allows a judicial magistrate to order a probe against anyone based on an application filed by a police officer -- the committee is set to ask for greater safeguards (such as an affidavit before a judicial magistrate and an enquiry if necessary -- to prevent misuse, said people aware of developments.
The BJP on Wednesday accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of "invoking the personal religious devotion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi" to make false claims during her poll campaign in Rajasthan and urged the Election Commission to take action against her. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses a public meeting, in Jhunjhunu on Wednesday. (All India Mahila Congress/X)

A BJP delegation, including Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Arjun Ram Meghwal and party leaders Anil Baluni and Om Pathak, submitted a complaint to the EC to take appropriate legal action against the Congress general secretary.

Vadra, the BJP noted in its submission, told a public meeting in Dausa on October 20 that she saw it on TV that when an envelope of donation made by Modi at a temple was opened, it carried only 21. She adds that she saw the news and is not aware if the claim is true or not, the BJP's complaint read.

She then went on to launch a political attack on the BJP saying that "envelopes" are shown to public by the party but nothing is found in them after the elections. The BJP included a video of her remarks in its complaint.

Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Rajasthan on November 25.

Speaking to reporters, Meghwal and Puri said she has committed a "crime" as per the existing laws.

"Is Priyanka Gandhi above the law? Does she believe in any law? She is using religious feelings to stoke disharmony. She cannot do it," Meghwal said, asserting that the claim related to Modi's donation is a lie and has been highlighted by the media as well. She is still repeating a lie in connection to the prime minister's temple visit way back in January, he said.

The BJP's complaint to the EC stated, "This statement of Priyanka Gandhi has violated the very basic foundation of free & fair elections by invoking the personal religious devotion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." It added that she herself is not aware of its veracity.

Her remarks violated the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of People Act, the BJP said.

The RP Act speaks against "the publication by a candidate or his agent or by any other person of any statement of fact which is false, and which he either believes to be false or does not believe to be true, in relation to the personal character or conduct of any candidate, or in relation to the candidature, or withdrawal, of any candidate, being a statement reasonably calculated to prejudice the prospects of that candidate's election", the party said.

The IPC also considers making a false statement in connection with an election an offence when the intent is to affect the poll's result, it added.

"Hence, the commission is requested to initiate appropriate legal proceedings as per the provisions of RPA 1951 and Indian Penal Code together with immediate action for violation of model code so as to ensure that no one is allowed to influence the elections by creating a fake narrative by making false, libelous and defamatory statements or hurt the religious sentiments of the people by making such irresponsible statements," the BJP said.
AIZAWL Union minister for earth sciences Kiren Rijiju, who is the Bharatiya Janata Party in-charge for poll-bound Mizoram, feels that the saffron party needs to be part of the government in the northeastern state for its all-round development. Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the BJP is open to joining hands with any party except the Congress to form the next government in Mizoram (PTI)

Since 2016, the BJP has made major strides in the North-East. The party is heading governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura, and is part of the ruling coalition in Nagaland and Meghalaya. Mizoram, where it opened its account in 2018 winning one of the total 40 seats, is the only state where it is not in power.

It is pertinent to have BJP as part of the government. We are very confident of winning double digits at the constituencies that we fielded our candidates. We are looking to work with all political parties (except Congress) because if BJP is not a part of the government, our ideas cannot translate to reality, Rijiju, who represents Arunachal Pradesh in the Lok Sabha, said in an interview with HT.

In 2018, the BJP fielded 39 candidates and won one seat securing 8% of the total votes. This time, the party is contesting from just 23 seats. Five years ago, Mizo National Front returned to power winning 26 seats, while Zoram Peoples Movement, a new party, bagged eight seats. The Congress, which was in power, came third with five seats.

Though the MNF is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Centre, and is also in North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the BJP-led regional platform of anti-Congress parties, both parties dont have any seat-sharing alliance or tie-up for the Mizoram polls.

Rijiju said that while the BJP is open to joining hands with any party except the Congress to form the next government in Mizoram, the party also doesnt have any formal or informal association with the ZPM as yet.

At Serchhip, BJP has fielded a candidate against ZPM supremo Lalduhoma but not against MNF chief Zoramthanga. This shows that we are respecting the incumbent party as they are part of the NDA. The ZPM is not an enemy to the BJP. All I know is that Lalduhoma is a retired IPS officer who had been part of various political parties, he said.

The Union minister targeted senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who, during a recent visit to Mizoram, accused the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) of trying to attack the states religion (Mizoram is predominantly Christian), language and culture, and stated that the MNF and the ZPM were acting as entry points for the saffron party.

Rahul Gandhi does not understand politics. Even when he came to Mizoram, he spoke about issues not connected to Mizoram which only assured that he is a part time politician. He does not understand the real issues of a particular area, said Rijiju.

People of Mizoram require developments in terms of roads, services, transportation, electricity, better water supply. Yet, when Rahul was visiting the state, he focused on RSS and culture which were totally unconnected with Mizoram, he added.

Rijiju said that in the last nine years, the North-East saw a transformation -- with mega roads and bridges under construction, and multimodal roads and transport facilities initiated as part of the Centres Act East policy.

Mizoram is going to polls on November 7, and the results will be announced along with four other states on December 3.

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A case has been registered against Madhya Pradesh Transport and Revenue Minister Govind Singh Rajput for "violation of Mode Code of Conduct" in force in the state for the assembly polls next month. Madhya Pradesh Transport and Revenue Minister Govind Singh Rajput(File)

Congress has demanded his removal over "open and blatant offer that he will pay 25 lakh" to the booth where most votes are cast in favour of the ruling party in the state.

According to the FIR, the action was taken following the report of the Returning Officer of the Surkhi assembly constituency. The case was registered against the minister in Rahatgarh police station in Sagar district under IPC section 188 and section 123 of the Representation of the People Act.

Govind Singh Rajput is contesting elections from Surkhi assembly seat in the district. A purported video of Minister Rajput went viral in which he is seen announcing to give 25 lakh to the polling booth "which gets the most votes" for BJP in the upcoming elections.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, senior party leader and former Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza urged the Election Commission to bar Rajput from contesting the elections alleging that "he had openly resorted to corrupt practices by offering money to people".

The Congress leader claimed that this was the result of the realization on part of the BJP that it was losing the electoral battle in Madhya Pradesh.

She alleged that the ruling party in the state had "now started resorting to such blatant inducements with huge cash".

"He needs to be questioned and asked for the source of this huge amount of money that he was offering to his election booth in-charges," she said.

Oza alleged that another BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is national general secretary of the party, had offered 51,000 to "agents in the booths where the Congress does not get any vote".

Oza also claimed that Rajput is close to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

"We demand the Governor (Mangubhai Patel) to dismiss Rajput and investigate the charges against him," she said.

Madhya Pradesh will undergo assembly polls on November 17 and the counting will take place on December 3.

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New Delhi: The Centre has refused to grant remission to life convict and forest brigand Veerappans aide Gnanaprakash as his crime of killing 22 policemen in a 1993 landmine blast in Karnataka was a serious crime and had a bearing on the countrys internal security. An undated file photo of Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, (AFP)

The decision of the Centre taken on September 25, 2023 was conveyed to the Supreme Court last week during the hearing of a petition filed by Gnanaprakashs wife Selva Mary seeking his release. The top court recorded the order passed by the Centre and closed the proceedings by extending his interim bail for three months and allowing his wife to approach the Karnataka high court against the Centres refusal to grant premature release.

Gnanaprakash is the sole surviving convict in the case as the other three associates of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan  Simon, Meesekaara Madaiah and Bilavendran -- have died in jail due to old age and health complications. Gnanaprakash has undergone 30 years of incarceration and was granted interim bail by the top court in November last year as he was detected with fourth stage lung cancer.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi in its order said, ... the representation/mercy petition filed by Selva Mary, wife of Gnanaprakash, seeking premature release of Gnanaprakash, has been rejected. The petitioner (Selva Mary) will be at liberty to challenge this order before the jurisdictional high court by way of a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

In the proceedings that took place before the top court on October 19, additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati presented the communication issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the Principal Secretary, Home department, Government of Karnataka.

A copy of the order, reviewed by HT, said, The life convict Gnanaprakash was involved in laying land mines knowing fully well the blasts would kill and injure many persons. It is a serious crime which has bearing on the internal security of the country.

The Court had on November 28 last year released Gnanaprakash on interim bail owing to his health condition. Senior advocate S Nagamuthu appearing for the petitioner along with advocate S Prabhu Ramasubramanian informed the Court that they will be moving the high court against the September 25 decision. The top court continued the interim bail for another three months and said, After the writ petition is filed (before the high court), the petitioner Selva Mary to press for extension of interim bail till decision of the writ petition, which prayer will be considered in accordance with law.

Selva Mary had filed the mercy petition for her husbands release on September 19, 2020 seeking clemency from the President of India under Article 72. At that time, he had completed 27 years of imprisonment. The Centre forwarded the mercy petition to the Karnataka government to seek its view. In April 2021, the state did not endorse Gnanaprakashs release. Later, on April 1, 2023, the Karnataka government sent a fresh proposal recommending Gnanaprakashs release based on his good conduct.

Disposing the mercy petition and the states proposal, the MHA order noted that the incident involved blasting of two buses that caused death of 22 policemen and injuring several persons at Palar by laying landmines. It said, After considering the above facts, documents and materials on record, the competent authority as rejected the mercy petition filed by Selva Mary for pre-mature release of life convict Gnanaprakash.

Gnanaprakash and three others were sentenced to life by the trial court in 2001 for offences under the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) besides other provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Explosives Act and Arms Act. Their sentence was later enhanced to death penalty by the Supreme Court in 2004. But in 2013, their capital punishment was commuted to life on account of the long delay in deciding the mercy petitions filed by the four convicts.

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The Congress on Wednesday lodged complaints against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with the Election Commission, alleging that their remarks during the Chhattisgarh assembly poll campaign violated the model code of conduct. A Congress delegation comprising Salman Khurshid, Jairam Ramesh, Manikrao Thakre, Uttam Reddy, Revanth Reddy and others comes out of the Election Commission of India (ECI) office. (ANI)

A delegation of Congress leaders met the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners, and presented to them eight different memorandums of poll code violations in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.

The delegation comprised AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, party leader Salman Khurshid, AICC state in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Revanth Reddy, former TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and CLP leader (Telangana assembly) Bhatti Vikramarka.

In its complaint against Shah, the Congress told the EC that the home minister claimed in a speech in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon on October 16 that "...Bhupesh Baghel's government, for appeasement politics and vote bank politics, lynched Chhattisgarh's son Bhuneshwar Sahoo and got him killed..."

Shah further said that the BJP had pledged to bring Sahoo's killers to justice and "in his honour, we are fielding his father Ishwar Sahoo as a candidate in the elections", the complaint stated.

The opposition party alleged that these statements and claims are in blatant violation of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The Congress' complaint against Assam Chief Minister Sarma pertained to a speech he delivered in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha on October 18 while campaigning against Congress candidate Mohd Akbar.

In his speech, the Congress alleged, Sarma said, "If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled."

The complaint stated that Sarma subsequently levelled allegations against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, saying, "Today, the tribals of Chhattisgarh, who are dear to us, are being encouraged to convert their religion on a daily basis. And when someone raises their voice against it, Bhupesh Baghel ji says 'we are secular'. Is beating up Hindus your secularism? This country is a country of Hindus and will belong to Hindus. Do not teach us secularism, we do not need to learn secularism from you."

Congress leaders claimed that these statements and claims highlight a clear-cut intention to incite sections of society against one another.

In another complaint, the Congress alleged the central government issued orders directing civil servants and Indian Army soldiers to promote achievements of the BJP dispensation.

"These acts of politicising the conduct of civil servants and Army soldiers violate the model code of conduct and the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964," the party said.

The Congress also submitted a complaint against Govind Singh Rajput, the BJP candidate from Surkhi, Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh.

The party sought his disqualification, alleging that he had publicly stated that he would pay 25 lakh to incharges of booths where the maximum number of votes would be cast for the BJP.

The Congress also submitted a complaint against "unlawful" transfer and posting of police officers in Telangana. It claimed these officers were transferred before the completion of two-and-a-half years of their tenure, as mandated by the EC.

It also complained against election duties being assigned to officers in Telangana who publicly support a specific political party.

"The Indian National Congress has consistently highlighted, exposed and documented electoral malpractices and brought them to the attention of the ECI for action and redressal.

"Through this process, the INC has ensured the deletion of lakhs of bogus voters across states, ensured the registration of FIRs against political actors engaging in electoral malpractices, ensured the transfer of officials acting in violation of the law and also secured campaign bans against repeated offenders who flout the law," the Congress said in its memorandum to the poll panel.

Khurshid said as the electoral process begins, "the mudding of the waters by people from other political parties must be immediately curtailed and immediately put to an end".

The Union home minister, the chief minister of Assam and other leaders travelling to different states have taken up "divisive and hurtful" issues that would inevitably divert people's attention from the issues that should be considered important for an election, and cause division and polarisation amongst the voters, he said.

"To have a level playing field and for people to be able to decide fairly and objectively... we hope genuinely that the Election Commission will be able to do something about this," the former union minister said.

Former TPCC chief Reddy said the Congress brought to the EC's notice that elections "have probably become the most corrupt in the state of Telangana from the time this BRS party has come to power".

"We have requested the Election Commission of India to intervene strongly to ensure free and fair elections," he said.
The second list of candidates of the Congress for the November 30 Telangana assembly elections is expected to be released in a day or two, party leaders familiar with the development said. In the first week of November, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will also address a series of rallies in Telangana, party leaders said. (PTI)

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president Mahesh Kumar Goud said the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the All-India Congress Committee would meet in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise the selection of candidates.

The CEC will take into consideration all factors before approving the list of the candidates proposed by the PCC screening committee. Its decision is final, Goud said, adding that in all probability the list would be declared in a day or two.

Admitting that there have been requests from various quarters for the party tickets, Goud said the party would pick up the winnable candidates. There have been representations from minorities for the allotment of party tickets in Adilabad, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar seats. The Congress will definitely do justice to minorities who, we are sure, on the side of the party, he said.

Another senior Congress leader familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity that the CEC of the party was likely to finalise the names for all the remaining 60 seats, besides four seats to be allotted for the Left parties  two each to the Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI (Marxist).

In the first list announced on October 15, the Congress announced the names of as many as 55 candidates, a combination of new faces, defectors and seniors. But the announcement of the second list of candidates is a bit tricky, as several seniors who were left out in the first list have to be accommodated, the party leader quoted above said.

Among those whose names did not figure in the first list include Madhu Yashki, Ponnam Prabhakar, Md Shabbir Ali, Mahesh Kumar Goud, Tummala Nageshwar Rao, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Malreddy Ranga Reddy, who are waiting with their fingers crossed.

Besides, there has been tremendous pressure from OBCs. In the first list, out of 55 candidates, only 12 were OBCs and among them, five were given tickets in Old City of Hyderabad where they have absolutely no chances of winning. In the second list, the OBCs are hoping to get at least 22-25 seats, the party leader said.

AICC secretary Mansoor Ali Khan said the CEC of the Congress was still looking into a lot of equations before finalising the candidates. I request the ticket aspirants not to jump to conclusions and make statements that would affect the partys interests. If they have any reservations, they should discuss within the party forums and not in public, he said.

Meanwhile, the PCC working president said the party was gearing up for a huge public meeting at Kollapur in Nagarkurnool district on October 31. It will be addressed by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. In the first week of November, Rahul Gandhi will also address a series of rallies in the state, he said.

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The opposition Congress in Kerala has strongly criticised the state police for applying solely bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case involving actor Vinayakan, who in an inebriated condition reportedly threatened and abused officers. The actor allegedly created ruckus at the Ernakulam Town North police station on Tuesday evening, where he was summoned by the police over a dispute with his wife at his apartment. Actor Vinayakan(HT File)

READ | Actor Vinayakan arrested for allegedly creating ruckus at police station in Kochi

Slamming the move of the state police, Congress leader Uma Thomas wrote on Facebook, We all have been watching the actions of drunken Vinayakan bad mouthing the police officers including the SHO who were on duty at Ernakulam North Station. Despite coming to the station and behaving so badly and obstructing the duties of the officers, he was released on bail under weak charges was it because he had the privilege of being a comrade or was it following the instructions received from Cliff House Whatever it is it also demoralises a section of police officers who work with dignity

Kochi's Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sasidharan, firmly dismissed the accusations, emphasizing that the police force remains impervious to any form of external pressure. He clarified that Vinayakan was charged with sections that could potentially result in a maximum sentence of three years. The DCP also added that a non-bailable section would exist only if there was any criminal force against anyone.



READ | Kerala actor Vinayakan makes disparaging remarks against Oommen Chandy, faces flak

A sub-inspector at the Ernakulam Town North police station told HT earlier, On Tuesday afternoon, we got a call from Vinayakan over a row at his apartment. When we went there, we found that he was in an inebriated condition. He verbally abused our officers, including women constables. We warned him not to repeat it. There was no complaint from his wife or other family members, so we came back.



In the evening around 7.30pm, he came to the police station in the same inebriated condition and created a ruckus. He again used offensive language against our officers. So, we booked a case against him We later released him on bail, the officer said.



Vinayakan was booked under sections 118(A) and 117(E) of the Kerala Police Act. The officer said that the actor had caused similar acts of commotion in the past.



(With agencies' inputs)

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NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday declined to interfere with a Delhi Police order withdrawing permission to an organisation for a public meeting on October 29 at Ramlila ground, underlining that the tenor of the posters released by the organisers indicated the event could have communal overtones. The Delhi high court agreed with the police that the decision to revoke permission for the public meeting was not arbitrary. (FILE PHOTO)

Though the event was styled for the purpose of educating the people for their rights, but the tenor of the posters indicated that the event in question can have communal overtone and which could result in increase in communal tension in the old Delhi area, which is a sensitive area as people of different religions live here. Communal violence in the area is not unknown, a bench of justice Subramonium Prasad said on a petition by Mission Save Constitution, an organisation founded by lawyer Mehmood Pracha.

The petition challenged an October 16 order by the deputy commissioner of police of central district that revoked permission previously granted by the police for the public meeting on October 29.

The bench agreed with the police that the decision to rescind its approval was not arbitrary.

The court said the apprehensions raised by the station house officer (SHO) of the police station concerned, who is aware of the ground realities, should not be brushed away by constitutional courts.

Though Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution deals with freedoms to raise ones voice but at the same time the possibility of creating a law and order situation which can result in loss of lives, property etc cannot be ignored and therefore the reason given in the letter dated October 16, 2023, cannot be said to be arbitrary, the bench added.

The DCPs October 16 letter flagged concerns about the event. It said the organisation claimed to work to create awareness about constitutional rights but the language written on posters available on social media shows the agenda of the event appears to be communal.

The organisers appearing through advocate RHA Sikander argued that there was nothing offensive in the language of the posters. Sikander said the organisation was ready to modify the language in the posters and change the date.

Lawyer Apoorv Kurup appearing for Delhi Police said the organisation should have sought permission to conduct a mahapanchayat, as one of the posters described the proposed public meeting.

The court has granted the organisation liberty to approach the DCP after the festive season ends and provide a list of speakers along with an assurance that the event will not result in communal tension in the area.
Uddhav Sena leader Sanjay Raut said he does not want to take the names of Hamas, Lashkar, or Hizbul as they don't matter in India and especially in Maharashtra but Eknath Shinde himself is Hamas. This was in counter of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde's Dussehra speech in which he said he won't be surprised if Uddhav Thackeray allies with Asaduddin Owaisi or even 'hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba' for selfish motives and chair. Sanjay Raut said Eknath Shinde himself is Hamas after the chief minister on Tuesday said he won't be surprised if Uddhav Thackeray hugs Hamas.

"Eknath Shinde should say these things in 2024 when he will not be in power. His mind is filled with Hamas. If you speak like this on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, it's clear what your thoughts are. Shiv Sena gave your birth in politics, brought you here where you could become the chief minister and today you are calling them Hamas? How much dirt has the BJP put inside your head? I can also say many things but I won't because I have Balasaheb's ideals to follow," Sanjay Raut said.

"Balasaheb always used to talk about strengthening the country, but Eknath Shinde's speech is all about making the BJP strong, making PM Modi strong. Such a rally is a place where you should show the path ahead to your party workers. But you have to say 'Modi ji ki jai' in a rally where BJP sends people," Sanjay Raut said.

Hamas which rules Gaza attacked Israel on October 7 triggering an unprecedented crisis in the Middle East with Israel declaring war against Hamas. Hamas is branded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States. The Hamas reference in Maharashtra CM's speech draws on from this crisis, while this is not the first time that Indian politicians referred to Hamas in the domestic context. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said Sharad Pawar should send his daughter Supriya Sule to fight for the Hamas, after Pawar spoke for Palestinian rights and India's historical stand on the Israel-Palestine issue.

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Aizawl: Seizures of large amounts of cash and liquor, some of which could be used to influence voters, isnt uncommon ahead of elections in India. Mizoram CEO Madhup Vyas at a press conference earlier this month in connection to the November 7 election to the 40-member state legislative assembly. (X/AIR)

But in poll-bound Mizoram, authorities have seized huge quantities of illegal drugs, cigarettes, explosives and even an Orangutan and comparatively much less cash ahead of voting on November 7. The total value of the seizures is worth over 36 crore.

Mizoram chief electoral officer Madhup Vyas said on Wednesday that until October 24, only 8110 in unaccounted cash has been seized. On the other hand, over 44,000 litres of liquor valued at 1.16 cr have been recovered.

The seizures are the outcome of good coordination between all enforcing agencies including state police, Assam Rifles, excise department and local organizations, said Vyas.

The CEO mentioned the role of Mizoram Peoples Forum (MPF), an independent church-led poll watchdog that keeps very strict vigilance on poll expenses and conduct by political parties and candidates.

Before the election, MPF signed an agreement with the four major political parties in the state, Mizo National Front, Congress, Zoram Peoples Movement and Bharatiya Janata Party not to offer inducement in cash or kind to voters. That has helped in keeping the flow of unaccounted cash very low, said Vyas.

Mizoram has officially been a dry state since May 2019 after the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) government fulfilled its poll-promise and ended controlled sale of liquor introduced by the previous Congress government in January 2015.

However, in August last year, the government allowed locally grown grapes to be processed and sold in the market freely following an outrage over seizure of large quantities of locally processed wine. Prohibition of other liquors continues.

Also Read: 174 including 18 women candidates file nomination for Mizoram polls

Authorities have also seized nearly 4.5 kg of heroin valued at over 19 cr, around 400,000 Methamphetamine tablets worth 4.28 cr, 7100 kg of poppy seeds valued at nearly 57 lakhs, over 2 million sticks of cigarettes worth 8.84 crore and 10 litres of cough syrup worth 21,400.

There are large seizures of drugs due to Mizorams proximity with Myanmar, which is part of the Golden Triangle (a drug route that also includes Thailand and Laos). Smugglers are trying to use the Mizoram route to transport drugs due to violence-hit Manipur (another state which shares border with Myanmar). But we have been very vigilant and been able to make large seizures, said Vyas.

Other seizures include one Honda City car worth 2 lakhs, timber worth over 22 lakhs and even an Orangutan, which is suspected to have been smuggled in from neighbouring Myanmar, valued at 10 lakhs. Seventy boxes of gelation and 1500 metres of cortex worth 38 lakhs are also among the things seized.

Theres less seizure of cash because it is in less circulation due to the agreement of political parties with MPF. These days people can make online transactions as well, but I dont think thats much of a possibility in Mizoram especially in rural areas, said Lalramliana Pachau, general secretary of MPF.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail
The fourth meeting of the Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage Fund ended without a clear consensus on operationalising the fund last week, exposing a deep trust deficit among rich and emerging economies over historic responsibility, climate reparations and making money available for compensation. Talks at the meeting, held in Aswan, Egypt, prolonged till the early hours, but fell short of delivering the committees mandate. (REUTERS)

The committee, comprising 24 members from parties to UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, with 10 members from developed countries and 14 members from developing countries, has now decided to reconvene in Abu Dhabi from November 3 to 5 to try and resolve differences ahead of the key COP28 summit in December.

ALSO READ- India's vision for climate justice: COP28 and beyond

The collapse of the talks, which could snowball at COP28 if rich and emerging nations are unable to compromise, is particularly significant with an over 99% probability of 2023 ending up as the warmest year on record, according to the US National Centers for Environmental Informations Global Annual Temperature Outlook and data through September.

Talks at the meeting, held from October 17 to 20 in Aswan, Egypt, prolonged till the early hours of October 21, but fell short of delivering the committees mandate of coming up with recommendations for the operationalization of the fund.

The Third World Network (TWN), which was tracking the Aswan meeting, said that developed countries held a rigid stance of three issues, the primary one being the location of the fund.

According to TWN, a non-profit international research and advocacy group, developed countries pushed for the fund to be hosted by the World Bank, a demand rejected by developing countries.

Developing countries consistently rejected the push for the World Bank as the host of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) and demanded instead for a new stand-alone Fund, with an independent international legal personality, and an independent dedicated secretariat, TWN said in a statement.

The two other sticking points that emerged were the sources of funding and financial inputs, and the system of allocation of resources, TWN said.

Developed countries rejected the foundational principle of common-but-differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR&RC) between developed and developing countries, and thus, their lead role in providing finance to developing countries as part of their financial obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement.

ALSO READ: COP28 Prez seeks plans to cut 22 gigatons of greenhouse emissions in 7 years

The countries instead pushed for the phrase countries in a position to do so for contributing to the Fund.

They also resisted the reference to as least $100 billion a year by 2030 in terms of the scale of resources needed that were proposed by developing countries, TWN said.

The United States, supported by other developed countries, has been the lead proponent of the fund to be hosted by the World Bank as a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF), whereby it could play different roles, such as trustee only; trustee and an implementing entity.

The USs proposal has been to invite the WB Board to establish FIF with a dedicated and independent secretariat, and for the WB to make related arrangements. The US argues that placing the Fund in an existing institution would be quicker.

Following the collapse of the talks, COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber on October 22 said, I welcome the decision of the Transitional Committee to continue discussion on the Loss and Damage Fund in Abu Dhabi, however it is essential that they find consensus and deliver clear recommendations ahead of COP28

Jaber called on the committee to deliver strong recommendations to the Fund can be activated and capitalised as soon as possible.

To the Committee: the eyes of the world are on you to deliver clear, clean and strong recommendations ahead of COP28 to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund and funding arrangements, so it can be activated and capitalized soon after. Billions of people, lives and livelihoods who are vulnerable to the effects of climate change depend upon the successful delivery of these recommendations, he said in a statement.

But the logjam over the basic principles of Loss and Damage could jeopardise the talks at COP28, experts pointed out.

During the previous Transitional Committee meeting in Aswan, Egypt there was limited time to discuss the draft text, which was only provided in the latter part of the meeting. Governments now face the challenge of proposing solutions to achieve consensus on several contentious issues. Developing countries have put forth reasonable demands regarding the scope, scale, and access to the Loss and Damage Fund. It is essential for developed countries to reconsider pushing the World Bank as the host and to agree on robust measures that ensure new, additional, and predictable finance to assist communities impacted by the devastating effects of climate change, Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy for Climate Action Network International, said.

Last year, the UN Climate Conference (COP27), saw polarised debates on responsibility and accountability among the global North and South. But the conference made history with a decision to create a Loss and Damage Fund which will provide support to developing countries in efforts to avert, minimise and address the adverse effects of climate crisis.
Former lawmaker from Telangana and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive committee member Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy on Wednesday resigned from the party and announced that he would return to the Congress shortly. Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. (File Photo)

The former MLA, who represented Munugode assembly constituency in Nalgonda district, said in a statement that he had taken the decision to quit the BJP and join the Congress in tune with the aspirations of the people of the state.

There is a serious anti-incumbency against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in the state. There are clear indications that the people desperately want a change in the government, he said.

Reddy said one-and-a-half years ago, the BJP had grown into a powerful alternative to the ruling BRS in Telangana, but had subsequently collapsed following certain political developments. The people were now looking up to the Congress as an alternative to the BRS. I, too, have decided to go as per the wishes of the people, he said.

He said he had joined the BJP 15 months ago only with a hope that it was the only party which had the capacity to pull down the corrupt, anarchic and despotic family rule in the state.

I had quit the Congress and my assembly membership from Munugode. I contested the by-elections to the seat in the last week of October 2022. I had lost the elections with a slender margin due to money and muscle power of the BRS. I thank every leader and worker for supporting me in the Munugode by-elections, he said.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda for reposing faith in him, Reddy, however, alleged that the Centre had failed to take action against the corrupt BRS government, leading to suspicions among the people.

Stating that his only objective was to liberate Telangana from the family rule of KCR, the former MLA said he was hopeful that his objective would be fulfilled in the next five weeks. He thanked the BJP leadership for giving him an opportunity to fight against the BRS government. I hope the BJP leadership will understand my decision, he said.

A BJP leader familiar with the development said Reddy had not been actively participating in the party programmes for the last few months. His name was missing from the first list of candidates announced by the BJP on Sunday, as he was keen on contesting the ensuing assembly election from the LB Nagar constituency.

Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy refused to comment on the former MLAs decision to quit the BJP. It is his personal decision and his wish. But it is not correct on his part to say that the BJP is not an alternative to the BRS. It is his wishful thinking that only the Congress can defeat the BRS, he said.

BJP MP and partys parliamentary board member Dr K Laxman accused Reddy of betraying the party which had given him a position at the national level. He should not make irresponsible statements now before leaving the party. The BJP is going all out to defeat the BRS in the elections, he said.

Congress MP and Rajagopal Reddys elder brother Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, a member of the Congress screening committee, said he was not aware of his brother joining the Congress. It is for the party high command to decide on his admission. The party will decide whom to field from which constituency. Its decision is final, he said.

BRS spokesman Dasoju Sravan could not be reached for his comment.

The 119-member Telangana legislative assembly will vote in a single phase on November 30.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat's car on late Tuesday collided with a divider while traveling from Haldwani to Udham Singh Nagar's Kashipur. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rawat said he felt mild tremors after the collision, following which he got himself checked by doctors. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister(ANI)

The doctors said everything was fine and discharged meSome friends have posted about the incident on social media which may raise concerns among few. There is nothing be worried about. I am absolutely fine and so are my colleaguees, he wrote on X in Hindi.

There were reports of him getting chest injury due to the mishap, and his porsonal security officer along with other associates who were traveling with Rawat also sustained injuries.

According to Amar Ujala, cited by News18, the incident took place at 12:15 am, in which Rawat suffered serious wounds whereas his driver and gunner narrowly escaped death. Rawat was taken to a hospital after he complained of chest pain.

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PANAJI: An acting principal of a government college in north Goa was relieved from the charge after a controversy over his decision to reject a request by a group of students to hold a Saraswati Pooja event in the hall of Sant Sohirobanath Ambiye Government College of Arts and Commerce. The government order did not cite any reasons for the decision (Videograb)

Prof Filipe Rodrigues e Melo, who had been the colleges principal for several years, has been relieved from his duties and repatriated to his parent institution, St Xaviers College with immediate effect in public interest, said an order by the directorate of higher education issued on Wednesday.

The government order did not cite any reasons for the decision. Asked, higher education department officials refused to elaborate and stressed that there was nothing more to say.

A person familiar with the sequence of events said the college principal was shunted out after he disallowed a group of students from hosting the event that had not been sanctioned.

The students insisted that they be allowed to hold the event. It was not a formal event and there was no idol involved, but only a framed image. When the students were denied permission, they said they would be going ahead anyway, the person cited above said.

In September, the principal of a higher secondary school in Dabolim was suspended by the school management after complaints by some groups that he took the students for a visit to a mosque without their parents permission.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday visited forward posts near the contested border with China in Arunachal Pradesh and assessed the operational preparedness of the armed forces deployed in the sensitive sector amid a military standoff with the neighbour in Ladakh for three-and-a-half years. Defence minister Rajnath Singh at Tawang War Memorial on Tuesday. (ANI)

Singh was in the north-eastern state, which China claims as its territory, to spend Dussehra with the troops deployed there, participated in a shastra pooja (worship of weapons) near the war memorial in Tawang.

The gesture sends a strong message to the neighbouring country, which routinely objects to Indian leaders visiting the border state. Beijing did not immediately react to Singhs Arunachal Pradesh visit.

Singh, who began his two-day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, was accompanied by Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande, Eastern Army commander Lieutenant General RP Kalita, GOC 4 Corps Lieutenant General Manish Erry, and other senior officers.

People have realised that we are not only growing as an economic power, but the same trajectory is seen in our defence capabilities as well, Singh said while addressing the soldiers.

The eastern sector is prone to face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops.

A clash between them in December 2022 in Tawangs Yangtse area put the spotlight on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. Back then, Indian soldiers prevented Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops from transgressing into Indian territory and compelled them to return to their posts.

In April, the Chinese foreign ministry had objected to Union home minister Amit Shahs visit to Arunachal Pradesh, claiming it violated Beijings territorial sovereignty and was not conducive to peace and tranquillity along the border.

Beijing claims Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. New Delhi has repeatedly dismissed Chinas claim on Arunachal, saying the state is an integral part of India.

The defence ministers visit comes at a time when India and China are carrying out talks to resolve outstanding problems along LAC in eastern Ladakh. Indian and Chinese senior military commanders recently concluded another round of talks on the standoff by agreeing to continue their dialogue and to maintain peace. A statement by the external affairs ministry after the 20th round of talks on October 9-10 did not point to any breakthrough.

While Ladakh has been the focus of the current border tensions with China, the Indian Army is in a high state of readiness all along the border.

The minister interacted with the troops deployed in the front-line locations along LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and reiterated that Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil.

People have realised that we are not only growing as an economic power, but the same trajectory is seen in our defence capabilities as well. Earlier we used to import almost all our arms and weapons. Before 2014, our annual arms and weapons exports used to be worth around 1,100 crore, he told the soldiers.

But you will be happy to know that now we are exporting hardware worth more than 20,000 crore. At present all weapons are being made in India. Even weapons manufacturers from abroad are collaborating with Indians and making their products in the country, he said.

The defence minister said that the dedication with which Indian soldiers are protecting the nations borders has led to rise in Indias stature in the international arena in the past 8-10 years.

The economic progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one reason for Indias rise. But I can definitely state that if you had not protected the countrys borders and without your contribution, that it wouldnt have been possible, Singh said.

He praised the contribution of soldiers in difficult circumstances and their role in protecting the nations borders, adding that every youth and child have the desire to don the defence uniform at some point in their lives and people of the country know the valour and honour associated with this uniform.

At the Tawang War Memorial, he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the soldiers killed during the 1962 India-China war and visited the 4 Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam.

A government release said he reviewed the operational readiness of the formation, which is deployed in one of the easternmost parts of the country. Singh was briefed on the infrastructure development along LAC and the employment of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to enhance the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in the front-line.

Shahs April visit to the state  including to the strategic Kibithoo village near LAC  took place in the backdrop of Beijing standardising names of 11 places including villages and mountain peaks in the state.

Responding to Shahs visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin said at the time: Zangnan (South Tibet in Chinese) is Chinas territory... The Indian officials visit to Zangnan violates Chinas territorial sovereignty, and is not conducive to the peace and tranquillity of the border situation.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail
Dublin: As Ireland prepares to ramp up its diplomatic footprint in Asia and the Pacific, the leadership in Dublin is looking to build on age-old cultural and political ties with India by forging closer cooperation in trade, investment and the digital transition. Irelands deputy prime minister Micheal Martin. (HT photo)

At the same time, Ireland is clear-eyed about its relationship with China, with plans to cooperate on global challenges such as climate change while not hesitating to raise issues on which there are differences, as well as challenges posed by Beijings border disputes across the region.

India figures prominently in an updated Asia-Pacific strategy unveiled by deputy prime minister Micheal Martin at the Global Ireland Summit, a conclave of ambassadors and top foreign policy officials, on Tuesday. The strategy, originally finalised in 2020, was refreshed in view of geopolitical challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.

According to the document, Ireland will deepen its strategic relationship with India across all strands of cooperation, including strengthened political contacts, a deeper trade and investment relationship, and back the conclusion of a comprehensive, ambitious European Union (EU)-India free trade agreement.

At an interaction with a group of journalists from Asia and the Pacific, Martin referred to historic cultural and political relations between India and Ireland, including groundwork done by Irish missionaries for the relationship and the strong ties between former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former president Eamon de Valera.

These ties have been strengthened in recent years by the entry into Ireland of Indian firms such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which acquired 1,500 staff and assets of Pramerica Systems Ireland, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial Inc, in 2020.

The focus now, Martin said, will be on the economic and cultural fronts as well as the geopolitical situation, including the war in Ukraine, and enhancing the multilateral order. We understand the historic links between India and Russia, but nonetheless, as a small country, we depend on the multilateral rules-based order being adhered to. For us, the breach by Russia is a fundamental violation of the [UN] Charter, he said.

Responding to a question from HT on challenges posed by Chinas border disputes with countries such as India, the Philippines and Vietnam, Martin, who is also minister for foreign affairs and defence, emphasised the need for a framework to resolve such issues.

In terms of border disputes, they can be very problematic. Very often, geography and history combined can give rise to these challenges. I think the only advice wed give is that its important to get these into a framework [and] a process to resolve [them], and that one doesnt allow them to get out of hand and distort wider sets of relationships between countries, he said.

Martin suggested that regional groupings in Asia could be key to regional stability and strength because countries working individually are probably less secure, have less capacity [and] less strength.

He hoped India and Canada, two major countries, two friends of Ireland, will ultimately develop the capacity to resolve the diplomatic row triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegation about a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

I think its in both their interest to do so. It is a challenging issue, but I dont have any doubt that, over time, this issue will evolve and will moderate, and I would like to think that both countries have the capacity to engage and work this out, he said.

Martin was guarded in responding to a question on Irelands position on the human rights situation in Manipur and Kashmir, saying his country looks at issues through a human rights lens and will be very concerned about breaches of human rights. He added, We think its a fundamental obligation of all states to uphold freedom of expression, opinion, religion, fundamental rights and identity and so forth.

Irelands refreshed Asia-Pacific strategy outlines plans to back the EUs efforts to work with India, China and others to tackle climate change, including cutting emissions, and for exploring a programme for training senior Indian officials following the success of a similar scheme with China.

India-Ireland trade in goods has grown steadily and was worth $4.2 billion during 2022-23, with Indias exports at only $581.5 million. Indian top imports were electrical machinery, sound and television image recorders, plastic articles, and precision medical or surgical instruments.

Ireland also intends to build on its fintech exports to the region and harness the opportunity presented by China, India and other Asian financial markets. With IDA Ireland, the countrys foreign direct investment (FDI) agency, looking to diversify investments from non-US markets, officials said top Indian firms are seen as key potential investors.

Jaguar Land Rover, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, recently set up a software development centre in Ireland and other Indian majors with a presence in the country include Wockhardt, Reliance Genemedix, Crompton Greaves, Shapoorji Pallonji, Wipro, Infosys and HCL.

At the same time, Enterprise Ireland, which helps forge partnerships between Irish firms and foreign companies, especially in innovation and research, plans to leverage its expanded presence in India, China and Southeast Asian markets.

Ireland is also home to more than 61,000 people of Indian-origin, including some 30,000 NRIs. The bulk of the community works in healthcare, IT, engineering and senior management. The number of Indian students too has risen to about 6,000, especially after the introduction of a visa scheme that allows them to remain in Ireland for up to two years to work.

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Dozens of American states on Tuesday sued Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, for harming young people and contributing to the mental health crisis among young users by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The lawsuit says Instagram is linked to depression, anxiety, insomnia in kids. (REUTERS)

According to the lawsuit filed by 33 states in a court in California, Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents consent, in violation of US law. Separately, nine states are expected to file local lawsuits, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, DC.

The social media giant has also been accused of designing its platforms with manipulative features that thrive on lowering the self-esteem of the children.

The suit finds its genesis in a whistleblowers release of documents in 2021, and is the latest among the trend of growing scrutiny by policymakers across the world of social media giants in particular, and Big Tech in general.

The allegations against Meta

Primarily, the joint lawsuit alleges that Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its platforms, particularly to children and young adults, for economic gains.

Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms, the complaint says. It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.

The suits seek financial damages and restitution, and an end to Metas practices that are in violation of the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act. The Act gives parents control over what information websites can collect from their kids.

Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame, said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement. Meta has profited from childrens pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.

Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. With todays lawsuit, we are drawing the line.

In response, Meta said it was disappointed in the lawsuit. It said in a statement that it shares the attorneys generals commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.

Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorney generals have chosen this path, the company added.

Genesis of these claims

The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorney generals and follows a string of damning news reports in 2021 based on documents produced by a whistleblower.

These reports were then labelled Facebook Files by the media.

The news reports, first by The Wall Street Journal in 2021, were based on Metas own research which found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers  particularly teen girls  when it comes to mental health and body image issues.

One of its internal studies found that 13.5% of teen girls said Instagram made suicidal thoughts worse, and 17% of teen girls said it made eating disorders worse.

After the initial reports, a consortium of news organisations published their own findings based on leaked documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has since testified before Congress and a British parliamentary committee about what her findings. Haugen, a former product manager at the company, came forward after she saw senior company officials repeatedly prioritise profit over safety of its users.

She said that before quitting the company in May 2021, she combed through the companys internal network, and compiled internal documents and reports that showed that the social media giant had deliberately chosen to overlook the issues.

ALSO READ: Mark Zuckerberg's Meta faces lawsuit in UK over its surveillance advertising business model

The bigger picture

The cases are the latest in a string of legal actions against social media companies on behalf of children and teens, who have long been an appealing demographic for businesses.

The tech giants, meanwhile, hope to attract them as consumers at ages when they may be more impressionable, and solidify brand loyalty. In Metas case, younger consumers may help secure more advertisers who hope children will keep buying their products as they grow up.

The use of social media among teens is nearly universal. Almost all teens aged 13 to 17 in the US report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media almost constantly, according to the Pew Research Center.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms  but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents consent, and many younger kids have social media accounts. The states complaint says Meta knowingly violated this US law (Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act) by collecting data on children without informing and getting permission from their parents.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about childrens mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default 60-minute time limit for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching. TikTok, Snapchat and other social platforms that have also been blamed for contributing to the youth mental health crisis are not part of Tuesdays lawsuit.

Later this week, a court California will hear similar allegations against the wider tech industry. Meta, ByteDances TikTok and Googles YouTube already face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts about the addictiveness of social media.

In May, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take immediate action to protect kids now from the harms of social media.

These lawsuits, and how they play out, will clearly end up deciding the future of social media regulations not just in the US, but the world over.

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Bengaluru: Days after the arrest of Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Varthur Santhosh for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant on the show, photos of Kannada film actors and politicians seemingly flaunting similar lockets have triggered an online buzz and a bunch of complaints. Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Varthur Santhosh was arrested for wearing a tiger claw on the show. (HT)

According to forest department officials, complaints have been filed against Karnataka Rajya Sabha MP and actor Jaggesh, JD(S) leader and former chief minister Kumaraswamys son Nikhil Kumarawamy, actor Darshan, producer Rockline Venkatesh among others, seeking action against them for wearing such pendants in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Pro-Kannada outfit Sarvasanghatanegala Okkuta demanded action against those owning tiger parts; several other organisations have also written to the forest department seeking action against Darshan and Jaggesh, officials in the know of the developments said.

Kumarawamy, who was found wearing the tiger claw pendant,said on Wednesday that he was not wearing an original tiger claw. His wedding pictures in which he is seen flaunting what looks like a tiger claw pendant was widely circulated on social media.

Responding to the allegations, Kumaraswamy said, Photos of me wearing a tiger claw locket during my wedding are being circulated. It was gifted by a relative during my wedding and it is not an original tiger claw. I still have the locket with me. The forest department officials can check it.

Also Read: Two summoned by forest department for questioning in tiger claw case

Among the images shared on social media include that of astrologer Vinay Guruji, who is seen sitting on a tiger skin. However, the astrologer claimed that it was gifted to him by a person named Amarendra Kirti.

Reacting to the complaints, forest department officer Ravindra Kumar said that they would initiate action after investigating the allegations. We have received complaints, but we will have to find out the reality of these images. Once we ascertain, we will take action according to the law, he said.

Forest minister Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday said action will be taken against those who violate the law. According to the Wildlife Act, wildlife skin, ivory, deer skin, and horns cannot be used or stored. We have received some complaints and the department will investigate and take action. There is no question of acting soft on anybody. All the complaints will be investigated and action will be taken, Khandre said.

Big Boss contestant Santhosh was arrested on Sunday night by the forest department for wearing a tiger claw pendant during the reality show. The television personality was arrested from the sets of the after the crew brought him out of the Bigg Boss house. He was arrested on the basis of a suo-motu complaint filed by the forest department under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which makes wearing or displaying any body part of animals a punishable offence.

Santhosh was produced before the Second Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court at National Games Village in Bengalurus Koramangala on Monday. The magistrate sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.

Meanwhile, Santhoshs relatives and supporters on Wednesday staged a protest near Varthur, demanding his release and Karnataka environment and forest minister Eshwar Khandre to intervene in the matter.

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Hyderabad An official statement from K Kavithas office said her lecture at the Oxford University was part of a programme of the university on development economics. (ANI)

Bharat Rashtra Samithi lawmaker and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha will address the students and faculty of Oxford University, London, on October 30 to showcase the initiatives taken by the state government in various fields, particularly health care and education.

An official statement from Kavithas office said her lecture was part of a programme of the university on development economics.

The statement said that during a recent visit to London as part of the Bridge India initiative, Kavitha had interacted with students from various colleges on the significant strides made in Telanganas development.

Special emphasis was placed on the remarkable measures in the agricultural sector, such as the provision of Rythu Bandhu (investment support) to farmers and the 24-hour free electricity supply to the agriculture sector,the statement said . Further, the state governments efforts to rejuvenate the rural economy through various schemes have not only aimed to strengthen economic conditions in rural areas but also presented a multifaceted approach to enhance the economic stability of villages.

The statement said programmes like providing every household with access to clean drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha programme set a precedent for the nation.

The progress achieved in the fields of health care and education, facilitated by the Telangana government, will take the spotlight during Kavithas address at Oxford University on October 30, it added.

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On the occasion of Kazakhstan Republic Day, the country's ambassador to India, Nurlan Zhalgasbayev, addressed a Round Table in New Delhi saying that his country was looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO Summit in Astana next year. Kazakhstan envoy Zhalgasbayev(ANI)

The envoy added that Kazakhstan will strive to raise the level of the strategic partnership between India and Kazakhstan.

"Kazakhstan will continue to strive to make the most of every opportunity to raise the strategic partnership (with India) to an even higher level and give a new meaning to the bilateral ties for the sake of friendship and prosperity of our people," Zhalgasbayev said at the conference.

READ | Changing dynamics of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Invoking two 'big events' -- the SCO Summit and the Voice of Global South -- this year, the envoy added, "Regarding our bilaterals, this year we had two big events - SCO Summit in July and the Voice of Global South in January. Of course, we expect my President (Qasym-Jomart Toqayev) to come here. This is our goal, main goal, because the last visit of the first President was in 2009."

The Round Table dedicated to Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's State of the Nation address -- 'Economic Course of a Just Kazakhstan'.

In his State of the Nation address on September 1, the Kazakh President laid out the country's ambitious push for economic reforms and a fresh economic trajectory for the nation.

READ | Changing dynamics of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

In his address, President Tokayev highlighted various aspects of the national agenda, stressing the key economic tasks faced by the government.

"In such an important period, we have every opportunity for a powerful economic breakthrough. To do this, we must decisively move to a new economic model, which is led not by abstract achievements, but by a real improvement in the lives of citizens," President Tokayev was quoted as saying an official statement.

He called on the citizens of Kazakhstan, especially the youth, to embody the best qualities as they form the foundational values of society.

Calling on fellow countrymen to aspire towards becoming 'Adal Azamat' (responsible citizen), the President said, "If everyone is patriotic, educated, hardworking, disciplined, responsible, fair, thrifty and sympathetic, then there will be no unattainable heights for us."

He emphasised that the ideas of Just Kazakhstan and "Adal Azamat" should always be considered as fundamental values that stand side by side.

He further acknowledged several significant achievements made by Kazakhstan in the last few years, including the doubling of teachers' salaries since 2020, significant salary increases for doctors, and the implementation of initiatives such as the 'National Fund for Children' and the construction of more than 300 healthcare facilities in rural areas.

Shifting focus to current economic objectives, President Tokayev added, "The most important task is the formation of a solid industrial framework of the country, ensuring economic self-sufficiency. The main emphasis should be placed on the accelerated development of the manufacturing sector."

He added that special focus will be given to sectors such as heavy engineering, uranium enrichment, and automotive components.

"President Tokayev proposed that in order to support the manufacturing industry, foreign and domestic investors should be exempted from paying taxes and other mandatory payments for the first three years," the statement read.

He also called for a coordination of financial and monetary policies, with the aim of achieving stable economic growth of 6-7 per cent while stressing the need to attract foreign banks to strengthen competition and solve the issue of insufficient corporate lending.

"The principal task is to ensure the annual growth of lending to the real sector at the level of 20% or more," the President said, adding, "The main goal is to radically increase the transparency and efficiency of asset management. I direct the Government to start privatizing all non-core assets and holding people's IPOs of Samruk-Kazyna Fund companies from 2024."

Also underlining Kazakhstan's commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, the President said, "In the long run, a global transition to clean energy is inevitable."

Further, according to the official statement, the President also put forward an ambitious vision for Kazakhstan to become an IT-focused country.

"We are among the world leaders in the e-government and fintech development index," Tokayev said.

He also directed the government to increase the export of IT services to one billion dollars by 2026. This will be facilitated by partnerships with major foreign IT companies, he said.

He also highlighted the area of transportation while outlining plans to establish Kazakhstan as a major transit hub, with a focus on key routes like the Trans-Caspian. In the realm of transportation, President Tokayev outlined plans to establish Kazakhstan as a major transit hub in Eurasia, focusing on key routes like the Trans-Caspian and the international North-South Corridor.

"It is necessary to build a new dry port at the Bakhty crossing, accelerate the construction of a container hub in Aktau, and expand port facilities on the Black Sea along the Middle Corridor," he said.

The President announced that Kazakhstan will hold elections for Akims (governors or mayors) of districts and cities of regional significance after the citizens elected Akims of villages, towns and rural districts in the past two years, the statement added.

Concluding his address, the President stated that the government will be held accountable for the implementation of this robust economic and social policy.

"It should have all the levers of independent management of the economy without red tape and bureaucracy, and without coordination with the Presidential Administration," he added.
KOCHI: The Kasaragod district court on Wednesday granted bail to six Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including party unit chief K Surendran in the Manjeswaram election bribery case. Kerala BJP president K Surendran (PTI)

This was the first time that Surendran and the other five BJP leaders appeared before the court in this case in connection with allegations that they bribed an independent candidate to withdraw from the election in Manjeswaram. In 2021, Surendran contested and lost from two seats, Manjeswaram and Konni.

After getting bail on Wednesday, Surendran said the development was on expected lines. This is a false case foisted on me by CPM leaders out of political vendetta. The police have taken a detailed statement from me and never arrested me. I had given a discharge plea requesting to cancel the police chargesheet.

Surendran had skipped the previous four court hearings. The accused including Surendran also filed a discharge plea before the court arguing that the charges against them would not stand the scrutiny of law but the court insisted that they first appear in court before the discharge plea could be taken up.

The next hearing of the case would take place on November 15.

Surendran and the five others were booked on charges of threatening and bribing K Sundara, a BSP candidate in the Manjeshwaram assembly election in 2021, to persuade him to withdraw from the election fray. Sundara told the police that he was paid a bribe of 2.5 lakh and a smartphone by the BJP leaders to withdraw from the contest which he eventually did.

Sundara, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, had secured 467 votes as an Independent candidate in the 2016 assembly election in which Surendran, as the BJP candidate, lost by just 89 votes.

.
Citing an ICMR report, the Kerala government on Wednesday said that there was a possibility of Nipah virus presence in bats in Wayanad district of the state. State Health Minister Veena George said that the Indian Council of Medical Research gave this information based on its studies of the bat samples collected by it.(Mint File)

State Health Minister Veena George said that the Indian Council of Medical Research gave this information based on its studies of the bat samples collected by it.

The minister said that it does not mean there were fresh cases of the virus in that district and was only intended to caution and alert the state's health system and the general public.

She said that not only in Wayanad, there was a possibility of the virus' presence in bats in other districts also.

READ | No new cases of Nipah virus detected in India since September: WHO

George was speaking to reporters about the current status of the Nipah outbreak in the state which had infected six people in Kozhikode district last month and of whom two had died.

The minister said that all those people who were on the contact list of those infected had completed their isolation and quarantine periods.

She also said that it was a matter of pride that the state was able to restrict Nipah's mortality rate, which is around 70-90 per cent, to 33 per cent.

The minister also referred to the various measures, like issuance of Kozhikode-specific standard operating protocols (SOPs), taken by the government to combat the virus.

Additionally, a Kerala One Health Centre for Nipah Research has also been created, she said.

READ | Why and how Nipah virus spread in Kerala? What experts said

Presently, there will be a consolidation of the field activities of all departments with regard to public health and will be a part of the Kozhikode Medical College, the minister said.

However, moving forward, the intention is to develop it as an independent research institute with its own infrastructure, she said.

Of the two deaths due to Nipah, the first person who died on August 30 was found to be the index case, or patient zero, from whom others caught the infection.

The outbreak of the virus this year was the fourth in the state since 2018.
Two of the three men arrested in connection with the murder of Congress leader M Srinivas  a close associate of Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara  were shot in the legs after they allegedly tried to attack police personnel in an attempt to escape in Kolar district, police officers said. Police said the incident took place on Tuesday when a police team went to arrest the accused. (HT Archives)

Police said the incident took place on Tuesday when a police team went to arrest the accused. Police personnel fired in self-defence, a senior officer said, declining to be named.

The two accused  Venugopal and Muneendra  were shot in the legs while another accused Santhosh sustained injuries while trying to escape in the Laxmisagar forest area. The three were being brought by a team led by police inspector Venkatesh after their arrest.

Inspector Venkatesh, police officers Manjunath and Nagesh also sustained injuries during the attack. The injured accused are being treated at Kolar district hospital, the officer said.

On Tuesday, the police identified all the six accused, who had hacked Srinivas to death near Hogalagere road in the outskirts of Srinivaspur near Kolar, Kolar police said, adding though Srinivas was rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

Srinivas was one of the prominent Dalit leaders of the district.

According to the police, all accused belong to the Dalit community. The accused, identified as Venugopal, Munendra, Santhosh, Nagendra, Harshit and Arun Kumar, are aged between 22 to 35 years, the officer cited above said.

The prime accused in the case has a tattoo of former [assembly] speaker Ramesh Kumar on his chest, Kolar superintendent of police (SP) M Narayana told HT.

He said the prime accused had a grudge against the deceased since the last seven years due to personal reasons and hatched a plan to kill the leader and carried out attack with his friends.

We have registered a case against all the accused under sections 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy to commit offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the SP said.

The funeral of Srinivas was held at his farm house in Srinivaspura taluk on Tuesday. Thousands of people attended the funeral and paid their last respects, including former railway minister KH Muniyappa, and former assembly speaker Ramesh Kumar among others.

According to the police, Srinivas had gone to inspect the under-construction building site in Mulabagilu road on outskirts of Srinivasapura taluk centre. The accused, who followed him for two days before the crime, attacked him while he was sitting under a tree at the construction site, police said.

The six accused, who arrived at the spot, attacked Srinivas with machetes and other weapons. Srinivas sustained severe injury on his head and died on Monday.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday took a fresh veiled jibe at Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, claiming that the Lokpal had initiated action against her in the cash for query row.



Dubey, who had filed a complaint with the Lokpal on October 22, posted a Hindi phrase on social media platform X, while sharing a purported notification from the Lokpal on his complaint against the TMC leader. Nishikant Dubey has accused Mahua Moitra of taking money and gifts from a businessman in exchange for the questions that she asked in Parliament.

The BJP MP from Jharkhand in his letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had alleged that Mahua Moitra had accepted bribes from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in the Parliament. He had also alleged that Moitra's parliament login credentials were accessed in Dubai, tantamounting to mortgaging India's national security.

On Tuesday, Union information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in his letter to Dubey said that the National Informatics Centre, which manages Parliament and the members' portals, will fully cooperate with the Lok Sabha's ethics panel in its probe into allegations against Moitra.

Responding to the letter, Moitra had posted on her X account,"Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including Dubai logins to probe agency. Now @AshwiniVaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm. BJP welcome to do hit job on me but Adani+Godda perhaps not best strategists!"



Darshan Hiranandani, in a signed affidavit, had claimed to have provided with Moitra the information on the basis of which she could pose questions attacking Adani Group in the parliament. He also claimed to have given her expensive gifts and that he underwrote the renovation of her official bungalow. Hiranandani also claimed to have accessed Moitra's login credentials so that he could post questions directly' on her behalf.



Later, while speaking to a TV news channel, the industrialist said he signed the affidavit voluntarily and without any fear or favour. When asked about accessing Moitra's login credentials, he called it error of judgment.

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The government should consider including a gender-neutral provision criminalising adultery and a clause that criminalises non-consensual sex between men, women or transpersons as well as acts of bestiality, a parliamentary committee reviewing a landmark bill that seeks to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) is likely to recommend, people aware of developments said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Home Affairs will consider the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee once it tables its report in Parliament(HT FILE PHOTO)

In its draft report, according to the people cited above, the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs is also likely to suggest that terms such as community service and life imprisonment are better defined. It also might brush aside objections to the name of the bill  the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)  while endorsing the need for an overhaul of Indias criminal justice system.

Once finalised, the report will be sent to the Union home ministry. It is not binding but has some persuasive value, especially because the government had voluntarily said the bill will be sent to the parliamentary panel  headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Brij Lal  for review.

The panels deliberations took up Section 497 of IPC, which criminalised adultery, and noted that the Supreme Court scrapped it in 2018, finding it unconstitutional and archaic. In the view of the panel, according to the people quoted above, the law  which punished a man who had consensual sexual intercourse with the wife of another man without the husbands consent with up to five years in jail, a fine or both  only penalised the married man.

Hence, the draft report of the panel is likely to suggest that the provision be made gender neutral, said the people cited above. The committee was of the view that the institution of marriage is sacred in India and hence, it needed to be safeguarded, said the people cited above.

Section 377  the British-era provision that criminalised homosexuality before the top court read it down in a landmark verdict in 2018  also surfaced in the panels discussions. The committee noted that even after the apex courts verdict, provisions of the law remained applicable in cases of non-consensual sex, but after BNS dropped any reference to section 377, there was no provision for non-consensual sexual offence against men, women, transpersons and for acts of bestiality.

Hence, the panel is likely to tell the government to include section 377 of IPC, said the people cited above.

The BNS was part of three bills  the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 being the other two  introduced by Union home minister Amit Shah on the final day of the monsoon session in the Lok Sabha. Together, they seek to replace British-era IPC, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act respectively in an overhaul that the government says will transform Indias criminal justice system.

The draft codes were prepared after a panel of experts, also known as the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws, appointed by the home ministry, worked on the changes in the criminal laws starting 2020 and gave detailed recommendations to the government. The home ministry also consulted states and other experts regarding the changes.

IPC, which deals with a majority of criminal offences, was enacted by the British in 1860. It was adopted by the Indian government after Independence and was amended around 77 times.

On the death penalty  under BNS, 15 crimes can attract capital punishment, up from 11 under IPC  the panels recommendations would likely leave the issue for the government to decide, said the people cited above.

It is also likely to appreciate a key change introduced by BNS in favour of community service as one of the punishments for petty crimes. To be sure, courts have often exercised their discretion to order community service, but this was not laid down in IPC.

But, said the people aware of deliberations, the panel likely to suggest that the term and nature of community service should be defined.

The panel also took up objections to the name of the proposed code  after BNS was tabled, some politicians, especially from the south, had objected to the Hindi nomenclature  said the people cited above. In its draft report, the committee is likely to suggest that as the text of the bill is in English, it did not violate Article 348 of the Constitution.

The committee is also likely to flag several positives about the new draft code, including the removal of Section 124A of IPC, or sedition, said the people cited above. When BNS was tabled, experts had pointed out that a new section 150 was brought in to deal effectively with what it identifies as secession, armed rebellion subversive activities, endangering sovereignty or unity and integrity of India. These crimes will be punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment to seven years with a fine.

Clause 48, which allows for the prosecution of a person in foreign country for abetting an offence in India, will also likely find favour with the panel, said people aware of developments. On another new provision  clause 104 that deals with hit-and-run cases  the committee will likely take the view that more deliberation is required because it may violate Article 20(3) of the Constitution which says no person accused of an offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.

The panel will next meet on October 27, when the report is likely to be submitted. It started deliberating on the three laws from mid-August.

On the provision in BNS that proposes to change the definition of life imprisonment to imprisonment for the remainder of a persons natural life, the committee asked the government to make suitable amendments in consultation with the law ministry to make this clause more comprehensive.

Experts criticised the panels recommendations.

How can reintroduction of adultery as a criminal offence be considered as any form of reform? It demonstrates a regressive and archaic approach to criminal law, said Anup Surendranath, professor of law at the National Law University who teaches criminal law and the law of evidence.

The remedy and consequences for adultery lies in family law and it should remain there. Criminalising adultery would be an unjustified and disproportionate interference by the state, and this is even before we get into the minefield that will await us if we try to define the exact contours of the offence, he said.

It is alarming that we are contemplating going back to the framework of unnatural offences even if it is to address sexual offences committed by men against other men or against children. The unnatural offences framework is a colonial relic and we cannot go back to it, added Surendranath.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neeraj Chauhan Neeraj Chauhan, senior associate editor with the National Political Bureau of Hindustan Times, writes on security, terrorism, corruption, laundering, black money, narcotics, and related policy matters while covering MHA, ED, CBI, NIA, IB, CVC, NHRC, CAG, Income Tax department, etc. ...view detail
Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil resumed his hunger strike on Wednesday at Antarwali Sarati in Maharastras Jalna district a day after his 40-day deadline to the Maharashtra government for the reservation to all Marathas passed. Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil . (HT PHOTO)

People aware of the matter said state minister Girish Mahajan phoned to request the activist to call off the agitation after Jarange-Patil on Sunday asked the government to announce the reservation by Tuesday. The government has maintained it needs time for the reservation, which stands legal scrutiny, while promising to accede to Jarange-Patils demand.

Jarange-Patil has insisted on continuing his agitation until the quota was announced. Mahajan warned Jarange-Patil against haste and said it would again mar attempts to provide the quota.

Jarange-Patil questioned the government for going back on its word. You asked for 30 days. We gave you 41 days. What is the issue now? Why has the government failed in keeping its word and what is wrong if we resume our agitation. He expressed dismay over the delay in withdrawing the cases lodged against Marathas during their protest in September.

Jarange-Patil vowed not to even have water or any medical treatment and said politicians, especially the elected ones, would not be allowed to enter villages across the state until the reservation was granted.

He ended his previous 17-day hunger strike on September 14 in the presence of chief minister Eknath Shinde after an assurance that the government would take a call on the matter in 30 days.

Jarange-Patil has been demanding that all Marathas be given Kunbi caste certificates to enable them to get the quota. Kunbi, a sub-Maratha caste, has a quota in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

The state government granted 16% reservation to the community in 2018 after protests, acceding to the decades-old Maratha demand. The Bombay high court slashed the quota to 13% in jobs and 12% in education before the Supreme Court In 2021 quashed the move.

The police lathi charge in Jalna at the site of Patils hunger on September 1 fuelled the agitation for the OBC status of Marathas. Shinde later announced that Marathas from central Maharashtra could get quota under the OBC category if they produce certificates classifying them as Kunbi.

The state government last month appointed retired judge Sandeep Shinde-led committee to explore modalities of the reservation. The Maratha groups insisted they wanted reservations without any stipulation amid concerns among Kunbi and other OBC groups.

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Bihars ruling Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), a key constituent of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has released the first list of five candidates for the November 17 Madhya Pradesh polls after its talks for an alliance with the Congress failed. JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar spearheaded the efforts for the formation of the INDIA bloc. (HT PHOTO)

JD(U) is the third non-Congress party of the INDIA bloc after the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Aam Aadmi Party to announce candidates for the polls. It was expected to contest over a dozen of the 230 seats.

JD(U) general secretary Afaque Ahmed Khan, who released the partys first list on Tuesday, said they failed to reach a deal. The JD(U) would contest around 10-12 seats. The second list would be released soon.

The JD(U), whose chief Nitish Kumar spearheaded the efforts for the formation of the INDIA bloc after ending his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2022, contested assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh in 2003, 2008, and 2013 without much success.

The SP has fielded 45 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh elections even as the party chief Akhilesh Yadav last week indicated a willingness to talk with the Congress after hitting out at its leader for betraying him. Yadav earlier last week said the INDIA bloc was only at the national level days after asking the Congress to clarify whether the tie-up was also at the state level.

He said had he known that there would be no INDIA alliance at the state level, SP representatives would not have gone to Congress with a list for seat sharing. Yadav said his party would contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 national elections.

The SP has been looking to expand outside Uttar Pradesh to become a national party. It has since its inception in 1992 been a regional party. The SP registered its biggest success outside Uttar Pradesh in Madhya Pradesh in 2003 when it won seven of the 161 seats it contested.

In the 2018 assembly elections, it contested 52 seats and won one seat. The lone lawmaker has since defected to the ruling BJP.

INDIA constituents in September resolved to contest the 2024 elections together as far as possible and said seat-sharing arrangements in states will be initiated immediately and concluded at the earliest in a collaborative spirit of give-and-take.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram will go to the polls between November 7 and 30 while the results will be declared on December 3. This will be the last major electoral exercise ahead of the 2024 elections. The assembly polls are also the first since 26 Opposition parties formed the INDIA bloc in July to take on the BJP in these elections.

The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the Hindi-speaking heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh months before the 2019 general elections. But it managed to win only three of the 65 Lok Sabha seats in the three states five months later as BJP returned to power with a bigger majority at the Centre.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vijay Swaroop Vijay is chief of bureau, Patna. He has spent 21 years in journalism and covers political beats and public affairs. ...view detail
NCERT on Wednesday said that "it is too premature to comment" on reports in sections of media concerning changing 'India' to 'Bharat' in its textbooks and noted that development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process for which groups of domain experts are being notified by it. NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani denied reports that the the proposal of the Social Sciences panel has been approved. (File)

NCERT said that since "the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified so it is too premature to comment on the news being flashed in the media on the concerned issue".

A high-level National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel, headed by historian CI Issac, had earlier recommended replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks.

The recommendations were made by the seven-member Committee for Social Sciences which is among the committees constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training to prepare position papers on various subjects.

However, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani denied reports that the the proposal of the Social Sciences panel has been approved.

The high-level NCERT committee made its recommendations in the final position paper on social sciences.

Speaking to ANI over the phone, Issac said the "term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757".

"We have unanimously recommended that the 'Bharat' should be used in textbooks for students across classes," Isaac said.

Saklani said the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is the official document for the curriculum.

"Nowhere in it, it is written that the name should be changed. These are rumours. No such thing is being done. Whosoever has claimed must show documents. We haven't done it," Saklani told ANI.

The panel chaired by Issac was among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes.

A controversy had broken out over the panel recommendations with some opposition leaders alleging that "confusion" was being created as several institutions use 'India' in their names.

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A high-level committee for social sciences, constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to revise the school curriculum, has recommended replacing the name India with Bharat in textbooks and introducing classical History instead of ancient History in the curriculum, said committees chairperson CI Issac on Wednesday. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) (Representative Photo)

Issac said the unanimous recommendation given by the seven-member committee of the has found mention in its final position paper on social sciences, which is a key prescriptive document for laying down the foundation for the development of new NCERT textbooks.

The Article 1(1) of the Constitution already states India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.

Bharat is an age-old name. The use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old, said Issac.

The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757, he said. Therefore, the committee has unanimously recommended that the name Bharat should be used in textbooks for students across classes, said Issac.

The name Bharat first appeared officially after the government sent out G20 invites hosted by the President in the name of President of Bharat, instead of President of India.

Later, the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Summit in New Delhi also read Bharat instead of India.

Issac further said that the committee, which is one of the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes, has further recommended introducing classical history instead of ancient history in the textbooks.

He said that the British divided Indian history into three phases  ancient, medieval and modern showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress. However, many examples of Indias achievements in that age include Aryabhattas work on the solar system model, he said.

Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian History be taught in schools along with medieval and modern periods, Issac said.

He said that the committee has also recommended highlighting Hindu victories in the textbooks.

Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and Sultans are not, said Issac, who is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

Besides, the committee has also recommended the introduction of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the curriculum of all subjects.

The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The council has recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.

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BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra and said the question is whether the MP's Parliament login was opened in Dubai or not, whether she asked questions in exchange for money or not -- and not about Adani or Nishikant Dubey's degree, but about the dignity of Parliament. The jibe came as Mahua Moitra has been accused of taking bribes from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for questions against Adani in Parliament. While the ethics committee investigated the allegations brought by Nishikant Dubey, Mahua Moitra held her ground against the 'BJP's hit job' and said Dubey's fake degree should be investigated first. Mahua Moitra and Nishikant Dubey were engaged in a verbal spat on social media as Parliament ethics committee probes bribe allegations against Mahua, levelled by Dubey. (HT_PRINT)

Ashwini Vaishnaw's letter to Nishikant Dubey

On Tuesday, Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote a letter to Nishikant Dubey and said that the allegations that he raised over 'cash for questions' were serious. National Informatics Centre which comes under the IT ministry will cooperate with the investigation of the Committee on Ethics in this regard.

Mahua Moitra said Nishikant Dubey already claimed that NIC game details of "Dubai logins" to the probe agency. "Who is lying," Mahua Moitra said calling it a hit job against her engineered by "not best strategists".

Error of judgement: Darshan Hiranandani

Industrialist Darshan Hiranandani who was accused of bribing Mahua for questions against Adani in Parliament admitted to the charges and said it was an error of his judgement. "I think that me being entangled in this whole matter is an error of my judgement. And like I said, I've been very clear and explicit in my affidavit about what happened. And, you know, I've got nothing more to add as far as that's concerned," Dubai-based Hiranandani recently said in a TV interview. He said he was under no pressure to sign the affidavit as Mahua Moitra claimed the PMO must have threatened him to sign the affidavit. "The affidavit is signed by me, signed by me voluntarily, no fear, no favour. Testimony of that is that I had it notarized at the Indian consulate in Dubai. Since I am in Dubai, I had it notarized in the Indian Consulate in Dubai. Then I sent it to the Privilege Committee of Lok Sabha and copied to CBI and Dr. Nishikant Dubey by email." Hiranandani said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail
In September 2022, Mallikarjun Kharge was one of the two signatories of the report on the rebellion of loyalists of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot who derailed the Congress plan to appoint the latter as party chief and make Sachin Pilot the states new CM.

Over 90 MLAs, all considered close to Gehlot, refused to attend a CLP meeting that same month and went into a huddle elsewhere in a rare show of rebellion. The plan to make Gehlot party president was abandoned; he stayed CM. Two months later, frustrated with no visible action on this breach of discipline, the other observer, Ajay Maken, put in his papers as the party in charge of Rajasthan.

Kharge, a Congressman for over 50 years, who was unexpectedly named party president in October took a different path. Over the past year, he has held a series of meetings with both Gehlot and Pilot, underlined that both are important leaders and managed to project a united Congress in the run-up to the Rajasthan election in November.

He managed to address similar factionalism in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Interestingly, under his leadership the party won assembly polls in the first two, one late last year and the other this year, ending the drought of the past four years. In August, Kharge expanded the partys working committee, CWC to accommodate caste and gender-based quotas for the first time. And he has played a central role in bringing together 27 parties to form the INDIA bloc. Thats not bad for an 81-year-old who was neither keen on the post nor a front-runner when the party first decided that someone outside the Nehru-Gandhi family would head it.

The push for unity

Forging unity between warring groups both inside and outside the party has been one of the biggest achievements of Kharge, who was elected to the top post of the party on October 26 last year. In Rajasthan and Karnatakahis home stateCongress factions managed to bury the hatchets and avoid a bitter battle for power. In Chhattisgarh, TS Singh Deo, a contender for the CM post was made deputy CM ahead of the polls. Within the organization, he elevated Shashi Tharoor, who fought against him in the presidential election, as a CWC member.

Kharge and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi have a similar approach to tackle factionalism. They bank on extensive talks with the stakeholders and warring factions. Kharge held at least five meetings on the Rajasthan crisis. He called the two leaders separately then he called them together in a bid to reach an amicable solution, said a senior leader who works closely with the Congress president.

In Karnataka, where two heavyweights, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, sought the chief ministers position, Kharge held a number of meetings with both.

At the national level, Kharge, along with Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, Bengals CM and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee and former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar has stitched a rare pre-poll alliance of the Opposition. While the crucial seat-sharing talks are yet to start, and next months state elections have already seen some friction, the blocs members have resolved to fight together in as many seats as possible.

We have called several times all the leaders one by one and first everything was prepared here when Sharad Pawar, Nitish and Tejashwi came here and (TR) Balu came here who are all political heads. They were here twice and ultimately we thought that together we could go to each state and then the first meeting was fixed in Patna and then Bengaluru and then Mumbai. So full unity and confidence is there but our exercise and survey is going and different parties are making surveys, Kharge had told HT.

ALSO READ- Unforgivable crime of BJP: Kharge on 14 kids infected with HIV in UP hospital

Consensus builder, not remote-controlled

Kharge, the first non-Gandhi Congress chief in the past 25 years, contested against Shashi Tharoor as a last-minute choice of the establishment after Ashok Gehlot dropped out of the race. He received 7,897 votes as against Tharoors 1,072. Kharges nomination found all-around support, including from most of the erstwhile G23, a group of 23 Congress leaders that wrote to then party president Sonia Gandhi about gaps in the working of the party.

But the win didnt alter the perception that the remote control of the party still rested with the Gandhi family. At a poll rally in Karnataka this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, I have great respect for Mallikarjun Kharge. But I was sad looking at how Kharge was treated during the Congress (AICC) session in Chhattisgarh.

In the hot weather, Kharge didnt have the good fortune of getting an umbrella. An umbrella was available for someone standing next to him. Kharge is the president but everyone could see who had the remote control, the PM said.

The six-month delay in reconstituting the CWC further fueled speculations. Congress insiders, maintained that Kharge consults key leaders but takes his own decisions.

But it is now clear that Kharge is treading his own path. He has removed a number of leaders who were considered close to Rahul Gandhi. A Congress leader who asked not to be named pointed out that Rahul Gandhi publicly announced at Raipur that he would work under his leadership as a team member. In an interview with HT, Kharge denied that the remote control remains with the Gandhis but insisted that he consults Rahul Gandhi and others for a consensus approach.

In his first year, I see only hits and no misses. The Congress won two assembly elections, lifting the morale of the party. The Congress looks more coherent, has better visibility and he has put up a good team. He also managed internal power tussle, said Sanjay Kumar of CSDS.

ALSO READ: In letter to PM Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge alleges politicisation of bureaucracy

Unfinished tasks

While Kharge oversaw the expansion of the CWC from 24 to 35 members and the introduction of caste, community and gender-based quotas in the partys top executive body, he has carried out only a limited reshuffle in the portfolios.

A major reshuffle in the organization, which usually follows after a new president takes over, is pending. It is also important that we make several changes ahead of the 2024 election to reboot our organization, quipped a third Congress leader.

The Udaipur conclave of the Congress in 2022 emphasised the 50% quota for youth but the plan has not yet been executed. In the latest CWC reshuffle, only three of the 35 members of the main CWC were below the age of 50.

He requires more legitimacy to push reforms. Within the party, he still doesnt have full command and I dont expect any reforms before the 2024 polls. But I dont count this as not failure of Kharge. Even Sonia or Rahul Gandhi couldnt push key reforms, said Sanjay Kumar of CSDS.

The Congress party has also not been able to implement the policy of one family one ticket and one man one post, both part of the Udaipur declaration. A number of leaders continue to hold multiple responsibilities and there are no immediate indications that these far-reaching reforms will be rolled out soon. In the upcoming elections of Madhya Pradesh, at least four families have got more than one ticket in the Congress party.

Kharges top priority, however, remains the 2024 elections and, ahead of that, ensuring coordination in seat-sharing arrangements with other constituents of INDIA.

In his own words, Everything is not that simple and we will tackle it, however, it is. We cant succeed 100%, but even if it is 99% it is good ....
New Delhi: The recommendation of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel on social sciences that have suggested in a position paper that India be replaced by Bharat as the countrys name in school textbooks evoked sharp responses from opposition parties, particularly those from the southern states, which called the move a political gimmick and an attempt to distort history. To be sure, the recommendation is yet to be accepted by the NCERT; it said on Wednesday that the development of the new syllabus and texts were in the process. (Hindustan Times)

To be sure, the recommendation is yet to be accepted by the NCERT; it said on Wednesday that the development of the new syllabus and texts were in the process, which is why various curricular area groups of domain experts had been notified, and at this stage it was too premature to comment.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that the move was an election gimmick and the BJP had no sincerity for Bharat or India. You can see how they are distorting history through textbooks, syllabus But for us, India and Bharat are equal. They are purposefully doing this for the elections, he said.

In Karnataka, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said that the word Indian was used for institutions like the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service, and that the Republic of India was written on Indian passports. Who is saying that we are not Bharatiyas, but we are also proud Indians. I think whatever stand they have taken is anti-people, anti-India and anti-Bharat, Shivakumar said.

Shivakumar said that in Karnataka, a state where the government is working on a state education policy instead of the centrally formulated National Education Policy, they would continue with whatever was there earlier. We will discuss in the cabinet. We will not change anything, Shivakumar said.

DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that the government is trying to change the name only because the opposition had named their alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). This is out of fear. How can NCERT do this without amending the constitution? he said.

In Kerala, CPM state secretary MV Govindan said the move is part of the BJPs Hindutva project. They dont want people to study the history of the Mughals or the assassination of Gandhi, he said.

ALSO READ- Too premature to comment: NCERT on reports on move to change 'India' to 'Bharat' in books

Bharat Rashtra Samithi spokesman Dasoju Sravan said the decision to change the name of the country from India to Bharat in the NCERT textbooks was nothing but an attempt by the Narendra Modi government to cover up its failures.

Narendra Modi was made as the Prime Minister of India to change the fate of people, but having failed to do so hes indulging in changing names, Sravan said.

Bengal education minister Bratya Basu said the mythology that the BJP propagates cannot become curriculum. The name India has its origin in real history. It is apparent that the BJP is so scared of the INDIA coalition that it wants to remove the name even from textbooks, he said.

There was however support for the proposal from BJP leaders from across states. BJP leader and Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, We have been hearing slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Mataram from childhood. It is a matter of pride for us.

Maharashtra education minister Deepak Vasant Kesarkar said, Everything cannot be taught in the English language. It should not be that we are ashamed of using our mother tongue.

Subhas Sarkar, Union minister of state for education and BJP MP from West Bengal, said, It is just a proposal. NCERT has taken no decision on this. Some people are jumping at it because they have not yet shed their colonial mindsets.
A number of Opposition members in Parliaments standing committee on home affairs are set to give dissent notes on the panels report on three bills that are set to replace the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act, people aware of developments said on Wednesday. Two prominent Opposition members -- former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram and Trinamool Congresss Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek OBrien -- have written to Lal, opposing any haste in adopting the report (AP)

The 30-member committee, which is reviewing the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita, has 10members from opposition parties. It is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha member Brij Lal.

The developments came a day after HT reported that the panel is likely to ask for a gender-neutral adultery law, the return of section 377 for non-consensual sex between men, women and transgender people, and more clarity on the definitions of community service and life imprisonment.

ALSO READ: MHA to now review other pre-Independence acts

Two prominent Opposition members -- former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram and Trinamool Congresss Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek OBrien -- have written to Lal, opposing any haste in adopting the report and suggesting that more time should be spent on reviewing the three bills, according to the people cited above.

Opposition members are also set to express reservations on the presence of some provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and other anti-terror laws in BNS, and object to additional powers to magistrates to order finger impressions and voice samples from a person who has not been arrested.

The draft BNS has provisions of UAPA, Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002. The last two currently stand repealed.

We are strongly opposed to introducing provisions of terror law in a general law, said a senior Opposition leader, requesting anonymity.

Another non-BJP leader said the provision for community service for petty offences is a welcome step. But the Opposition might object to the empowerment of metropolitan and judicial magistrates to order finger impressions and voice samples from a person who has not been arrested.

The government, which introduced the three bills on the last day of the monsoon session in the Lok Sabha and then sent it to the panel for review, is expected to bring the key pieces of legislation in the upcoming winter session.

Chidambaram objected to a five-day notice for a meeting to discuss and adopt the draft report, said a senior leader.

The three laws that are sought to be replaced go back to 1860. You will recall the great and long deliberations that took place before the said acts were passed by legislature/ Parliament. If we intend to replace the laws, we must do justice to the subjects, Chidambaram wrote on October 22.

ALSO READ- Bill to replace CrPC: Panel may propose no handcuffs in financial crimes

The former Union home minister also said in the letter that there was no need to rush things before the end of October, according to a close aide. The next session of Parliament is at least four weeks away, may be more, he wrote. OBrien, too, flagged his concerns.

"Hasteful and impulsive adoption of such an important report will have negative implications and will turn out counterproductive. Hastily rushing through the process is not doing justice to this important proposed legislation. he wrote in the letter dated October 23.

Opposition leaders maintain they would have no option but to submit dissent notes if the report is adopted without extensive discussions. The Opposition might also question the credentials of some experts who have deposed before the panel. We submitted a list of eminent jurists and experts to be called as witness. Only two people from our list have been called to depose so far, alleged a third senior Opposition member.

There is an alarming lack of consultation with stakeholders and rush in the nature of this process of consideration of Bills. The laws that are being examined are going to last over 100 years and such a hasty adoption of the reports without consultation of stakeholders would be premature and counterproductive, OBrien wrote to Lal, people familiar with the matter said.

The draft codes were prepared after a panel of experts, also known as the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws, appointed by the home ministry, worked on the changes in the criminal laws starting 2020 and gave detailed recommendations to the government. The home ministry also consulted states and other experts regarding the changes.

IPC, which deals with a majority of criminal offences, was enacted by the British in 1860. It was adopted by the Indian government after Independence and was amended around 77 times.

The panel will next meet on October 27, when the report is likely to be submitted. It started deliberating on the three laws from mid-August.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Saubhadra Chatterji Saubhadra Chatterji is Deputy Political Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on both politics and policies. ...view detail
The Ram Nath Kovind-led panel looking at the idea of holding assembly and national elections simultaneously across the country will write to political parties, giving them three months to offer their views, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The panel has sought a detailed road map to synchronise assembly and national elections by 2029, so that voters do not have to cast their ballot multiple times. (PTI)

The panel has sought a detailed road map to synchronise assembly and national elections by 2029, so that voters do not have to cast their ballot multiple times. The 22nd Law Commission, which has backed the idea in principle, will submit a report to the panel in the coming weeks, the people cited above said.

The committee has sought details from the Law Commission in order to align assembly elections and national elections, since the terms of different assemblies will come to a close on non-aligned dates, a person familiar with the developments said on the condition of anonymity.

Opposition parties have opposed the move stating that holding simultaneous polls would inevitably help the incumbent government. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 3 condemned the idea of One Nation, One Election, calling it an attack on India.

On Wednesday, the panel held its second meeting to discuss the proposal mooted for conducting concurrent elections to reduce the effort made by voters and the burden on the public exchequer. A detailed presentation by the 22nd Law Commission chairperson Rituraj Awasthi was made to the eight-member panel. HT reached out to the Law Commission but did not a receive a response till the time of going to press.

ALSO READ- One nation, one election: What is the rationale, can it work and other questions answered

The panel will invite political parties on a mutually agreed date to hear their suggestions on the matter. The committee has already taken under consideration the proposal of a common electoral roll, an idea being explored by the Law Commission as well, a second person said. The committee will continue its deliberations on the matter as it waits for the commission to submit its report on the matter.

The discussion on One Nation, One Election started during a special Parliament session from September 18 to 22. Historically, India had simultaneous elections for state assemblies and Lok Sabha until changes in electoral schedules in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Prime Minister Modi has advocated for simultaneous elections, a sentiment echoed by President Kovind in 2017. The Law Commission of India also supported the idea in 2018, citing the burden of frequent elections and the need for a workable constitutional formula.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday that he will witness the historic consecration of the Ram Temple after accepting an invitation from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the January 22 event. The PM shared a photo of his meeting with members of the trust, which is overseeing the construction of the temple, on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, in New Delhi (PTI)

Jai Siya Ram! Today is a day full of emotions. Recently, the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come to meet me at my residence. They invited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of the consecration of Shri Ram temple. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion, he posted on X.

Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, said members of the trust met Modi in Delhi on Wednesday. Chairman of the Ram temple construction committee Nripendra Misra was also present, he added. Today, along with members of the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, we met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have invited him to come on January 22 to install the idol of Lord Ram in the Garbhagriha. He has accepted our request and will be present on January 22. The date for Pran Pratishtha on January 22 is confirmed, Rai posted on X after the meeting. After the consecration ceremony, devotees will be allowed to enter the temple, people familiar with the matter said.

ALSO READ: Trust invites applications for Ram Mandir archaks

On Tuesday, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said the consecration ceremony will take place on January 22 while addressing RSS workers in Nagpur.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the consecration ceremony will reflect feelings of crores of devotees.

In a post on X, Adityanath said, The long-awaited event (of) happiness, pride and satisfaction of the consecration of Ram Lalla at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reflect the feelings of crores of devotees of Lord Ram.

In 2019, the Supreme Courts landmark judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. In February2020, the Centre established the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to oversee all decisions related to the construction of the temple. The foundation stone for the temple was laid by Modi on August 5, 2020.

Earlier this month, the temple trust released latest pictures of the temple. Trust members had said that the work on ground floor was 90% done and it will likely be completed by the end of December.

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Chennai: Seven men were killed on the spot when a car in which they were travelling collided head-on with a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus on the Tindivanam-Krishnagiri National Highway in Tiruvannamalai district, police said on Tuesday. Police said that the victims worked in a gum factory near Hosur town in Krishnagiri district. They were returning to Tamil Nadu from Puducherry union territory , where they had gone to for the long weekend (HT Archives)

The accident affected the traffic on the route for more than an hour with a team of traffic police personnel regulating the snarls. A case has been filed by the Chengam police in Tiruvannamalai.

Police said that the victims worked in a gum factory near Hosur town in Krishnagiri district. They were returning to Tamil Nadu from Puducherry union territory, where they had gone to for the long weekend.

The state government bus was going towards Karnatakas Bengaluru. The driver tried to overtake another vehicle when the car collided with the bus, a police officer said.

The accident occurred after 9.20 pm on Monday night, the officer said.

Other motorists informed the police about the accident.

The SUV was completely mangled. Police officers, fire and rescue personnel and locals retrieved the bodies.A video of the accident surfaced on social media showing policemen and locals trying to rescue the victims.

Five were found dead on the accident spot and two others were declared brought dead at the government hospital in Tiruvannamalai. Four of the victims hailed from Assam. Four other passengers were injured and are undergoing treatment at the government hospital.

Police identified the victims as Kuncha Rai (24), Narayan Sethi (35), Bhinmal Tirth (28), B Dallu (26), and V Nicholas (22)  who were natives of Assam. Puneeth Kumar (23) and G Kamaraj (29) were from in Krishnagiri district.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over children, who were undergoing blood transfusions in a hospital in Uttar Pradesh, testing positive for infections like Hepatitis B, C, and HIV, saying that the innocent children are suffering the punishment for an unforgivable crime of the saffron party. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (File Photo)

The double-engine government has made our health system doubly sick. In a government hospital in Kanpur, UP, infected blood was given to 14 children suffering from thalassemia, due to which these children got serious diseases like HIV AIDS and Hepatitis B, C. This serious negligence is shameful, Kharge wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Congress leader further took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling 10 pledges amid the Dusshera festivity. Yesterday Modi ji was teaching us big things about taking 10 resolutions, has he ever fixed even an iota of accountability for his BJP governments? he questioned.

In a shocking incident on Monday, 14 children who were undergoing blood transfusion tested positive for Hepatitis and HIV at the government-run Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. According to doctors, the children are now facing a greater risk in addition to the Thalassemia condition that necessitated the transfusions in the first place.

According to officials, the 14 children are aged between the ages of 6 and 16, and are among the 180 thalassemia patients receiving blood transfusion at the center. Out of the infected children, seven tested positive for Hepatitis B, five for Hepatitis C, and two for HIV.

Reportedly, the children belong to different parts of the state including - Kanpur City, Dehat, Farrukhabad, Auraiya, Etawah, and Kannauj.

District-level officials will trace the root of infection under the Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. The team will look for the place of infection, both for hepatitis and HIV, an official said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress over the brutal killing of a man after being mowed down by a tractor in Rajasthan, where the grand old party is in power. Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (File Photo)

A man was mowed down by a tractor during clash between two groups over a land dispute in Bayana in Bharatpur district. The police detained five people and are searching for the absconding accused and also waiting for complaint from the victim.

The incident came into light the day Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is campaigning in the state. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took to social media platform X and posted,"The incident of a man being mowed down by a tractor in broad daylight in Bharatpur's Bayana is horrifying. Since the matter was under police cognisance, then questions being raised are obvious. It is a condemnable incident, and a result of criminal and anarchist mentality arising under Gehlot government's tenure. Jhoothi Congress, Jhoothi Priyanka (Congress and Priyanka are liars)".

Rajasthan's leader of opposition Rajendra Singh Rathore said,"The criminals are so fearless that they release video of the crime. The incident of Bharatpur is a blot on humanity. The system and the DGP are not able to do their work properly and that is why the criminals are fearless... Priyanka Gandhi says 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti hoon', but she did not even fight with her MP who said that rapes are taking place because it is a land of men"



She has neither condemned any incident nor has she visited any place of such incidents... Now, that the report card is in front of the people and their departure is confirmed, she is coming here making her points, but before that, she should speak on crime against women in Rajasthan, he was quoted by ANI as saying.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said,"A video is viral from Bayana of Rajasthan's Bharatpur where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him... It is not just about the murder of one person...this is about the whole of Rajasthan, it is about all Congress-ruled states".



Priyanka Vadra is reaching Rajasthan today... I demand her to visit that village before addressing the rally. She should go there and suspend the police officials, DM, SP and show that she has the courage to take a stand and she is not just for speeches and sloganeering. She has to project that she has a spine... This is a call to Priyanka Vadra... I challenge her to go there first, Patra added.

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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday addressed the students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Lauding the students and faculty for their achievements, he said that knowledge and education are the most impactful transformation mechanisms to bring about societal change. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar (Twitter/@VPIndia)

Knowledge and education are the most impactful transformational mechanisms to bring about much-needed societal change. Inequities and equality are best assured when there is quality education, Dhankhar said.

IITs have been the crucible in which the minds that have transformed India and the world were forged, he said.

This institution, with its legacy of excellence, has been a beacon of light in Indias educational landscape for over six decades. It has produced some of the brightest minds that have gone on to shape the destiny  not just of this country but of the world, Dhankar said.

You are part of imminent institutions in the world and we do not need any calibration or certification from outside. This institute is one of the best in the world. You are fortunate beneficiaries of education at such an institution, the VP said.

Dhankhar also reflected on the image that IIT holds across the world and said that many world leaders have mentioned their interest in having an IIT campus in their country.

IITs today are the most acknowledged brand across countries. In my interaction with foreign leaders, I was overwhelmed when very passionately, one of them wanted an IIT campus in his country. That speaks volumes of the reputation this institution has, he said.

IIT is set to open its first-ever overseas campus in Tanzanias Zanzibar with a batch of 50 undergraduate students and 20 masters students. It will also be the first to be led by a woman director.

Dhankhar mentioned during his speech that another campus is in the process of being set up in the Middle East.

The VP added that IIT has been a crucible for transforming India and mentioned the accomplishments of former IIT alumni like Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc. and N.R. Narayana Murthy, CEO of Infosys.

Their journey began here as your journey begins. You have the potential, capability, and guidance to reach those heights. I have no doubt you shall reach those heights, Dhankhar said.

During an hour-long session, the VP also interacted with the students and faculty at the IIT campus in New Delhi on Wednesday morning. He encouraged students to become the torch bearers to lead India into the future an India defined by innovation and enterprise.

All students before me are the foot soldiers. You are warriors of Bharat in 2047. You will be shaping Bharats destiny. It is your responsibility to neutralise all anti-Bharat narratives and that is required to be done in a vigilant manner, Dhankar said.

Calling the IIT one of the best institutes in the world, the VP said that IITs have played a pivotal role in Indias development story.

The achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary. From revolutionising the agricultural sector to creating the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, your contributions span across every sector of the economy. You harnessed emerging technologies to create cutting-edge products that are changing the way we live, work and relate to each other. Bharat has great expectations from you, said the vice president.

You are the greatest spinal strength of this country. You will shape the future of the country in coming years, he said.

Dhankar further spoke about the recent accomplishments and the unstoppable rise of India. He mentioned G20, Indias role in playing the problem solver during larger world conflicts, and spoke about how India gave the world yoga.

We are living in an era where the Bharat influence is felt far beyond its borders. I have experienced it during my three visits abroad, interacting with global leaders, ranging from presidents of powerful countries, India is looked at very differently. India defines its own policies and its own interests and the world takes note of what India does and what India would do. We have witnessed the unstoppable rise of Bharat. This rise is on an incremental trajectory and bound to be so, Dhankhar said.

We set the agenda. We gave the world yoga. Millet was declared by the United Nations as the grain of 2023, he added.

The vice president also spoke about Indias determination to invest and foster an environment that will encourage technological development and spoke of recent investments in quantum mechanics, the national green hydro mission, and recent changes in NCERT to introduce basic courses on artificial intelligence.

He further expressed hope that India will soon become the third-largest global economy by 2030 and that the worlds eyes are fixed on India with hopes and expectations.

In attendance were the faculty and students of IIT Delhi, including Delhi IIT director Professor Rangan Banerjee; Deputy director operations Professor T.R. Sreekrishnan; Deputy director strategy & planning Professor Ambuj Sagar and Professor Narayanan D Kurur.
Farmers in Karnataka's Vijayapura district took a crocodile to the office of the state-run Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) in an 'unusual' protest against the irregular power cuts disrupting agricultural activities, news agency PTI reported. The crocodile was later rescued by forest officials and left in Almatti river.(X/ @ActualIndia)

The anguished farmers were peeved at the risk posed by wild animals and snakes when they went to their farms during night time due to inadequate supply during day.

A farmer encountered the large crocodile in his agriculture field when he went to water his farm after power supply was restored in the night last week. They said, the crocodile had come from the nearby Krishna river in search of a prey. Villagers, subsequently secured the reptile and transported it to the power station, where HESCOM personnel were stationed to demonstrate the danger posed to them.

Finding the 'unusual guest' in their office, the HESCOM officials called the police and forest officials for a rescue. The forest officials later left the crocodile in the Almatti Dam from where it is believed to have strayed into the field.

The HESCOM officials also assured the villagers to ensure no power cuts during day-time.

According to irrigation department, scanty rainfall this year has disrupted agriculture activities. There is not enough water in the dams to release for irrigation purposes. Farmers are dependent on borewells for irrigation. The excessive power consumption for irrigation purposes has created power scarcity.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had also said that there was a power shortage in Karnataka due to steep rise in demand and consumptiom. Power consumption in October used to be about 10,000 MW, which has gone up to 16,000 MW in the state due to increased usage of electricity for agriculture purposes.

(With inputs from PTI)

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India's Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations Ambassador R Ravindra on Wednesday reiterated New Delhi's efforts to send humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, saying that while they have sent 38 tons of food and critical medical equipment, they will continue to do so. India's Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, Ambassador R Ravindra

Speaking at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Ambassador said, We continue to support the Palestinian people through our bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, women's empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology...In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine.

India on Sunday sent a military heavy lift aircraft with around 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the Palestinians.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating situation and loss of civilian lives in the war, Ravindra said, The October 7 terror attacks in Israel were shocking and we condemn them unequivocallyOur PM was one of the first global leaders to have conveyed his condolences for the loss of lives and prayers for the innocent victims and their families. We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks...Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. All parties must protect civilians, especially women and children, he added.

India also called for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, adding that every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks.

The ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group entered its 19th day on Wednesday with over 6,000 being killed on both sides. The conflict was triggered by unprecedented attacks by Hamas militants on October 7 that killed at least 1,400 Israelis. Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday reportedly announced that they were ready to 'invade' Gaza.
Bengaluru The owner of the vehicles alleged that a woman named Gowramma and her son, Nanjunda Babu, had set their vehicles on fire due to an old animosity. (HT Archives)

A woman and her son set on fire two bikes that were parked in front of a house in Bengalurus Kothanur on Monday night, police officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

According to officials, on Monday night, a family woke up to the alarm of their vehicles and rushed out of the house to see two of their bikes on fire. As the neighbours rushed to put out the fire, the two vehicles had already burnt to ashes.

Officials said the two bikes were owned by a woman named Pushpa and her son. Soon after the incident, Pushpa filed a complaint with the Kothanur police.

She alleged that a woman named Gowramma and her son, Nanjunda Babu, had set their vehicles on fire due to an old animosity.

In the FIR, Pushpa alleged that Gowrammas son also abused her and threatened her with her life, adding that Babu set on fire their two vehicles.

Based on Pushpas complaint, the police have registered an FIR against Gowramma and her son under sections 435 (mischief by fire), 504 (whoever intentionally insults), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (when a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a police officer at Kothanur police station said, adding that further investigation is underway.

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A video capturing a big cat coming dangerously close to commuters passing through a road was shared on social media. In the video, a biker is seen trying to pass a road hurriedly, and the reason is a big cat sitting at the side of the road. The image shows a big cat looking from behind the bushes. (Screengrab)

What would you do? reads the caption posted along with the video. The clip shows a person riding a bike with an ambulance going in front. The person tries to overtake the ambulance, something one shouldnt do. However, the bikers reason for hurry soon becomes clear when the camera pans to the side of the road. It shows a big cat with an intense stare looking at the vehicles passing by.

Take a look at this scary video:

The video was posted a few hours ago. The share has received close to 1,000 upvotes, and the numbers are increasing. The share has prompted people to post varied comments.

What did Reddit users say about this video?

If you are able to see it, then it was already watching and tracking you way before that and had no appetite at the moment, wrote a Reddit user. I would be scared if I spot a dangerous kitty unexpectedly. I would just throttle away as fast as I can, added another.

The stare though, expressed a third. I was driving through Bandipur Tiger Reserve on the way back from Ooty. It was just getting darker around 7 pm. I was constantly scanning around me until we left it. This was my worst nightmare. I'm glad I didn't face it, commented a fourth.

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A duo has gone viral on social media for their amazing dance to the song Lahu Munh Lag Gaya. They both can be seen dancing on a street, as they groove, onlookers look them in awe. Duo dancing to Lahu Munh Lag Gaya. (Instagram/@drisyareghuram )

"Happy Navratri to everyone celebrating! Had to repost one of my favorites dances I did with @jainil_dreamtodance," wrote Instagram user @drisyareghuram as she shared the video. (Also Read: Woman's incredible barrel jumps while performing Garba will make your jaw drop. Watch)

The clip opens to show the duo in a vibrant traditional attire. As the song Lahu Munh Lag Gaya plays, they both gracefully dance to it. The duo matches each of their steps and facial expressions with the beats of the song.

Watch their dance to Lahu Munh Lag Gaya here:

This post was shared just a few days ago on social media. Since being posted, it has gone viral with more than three million views. The share also has numerous likes. Several flocked to the comments section of the post to praise their performance.

Here's what people are saying about this dance video:

An individual wrote, "Great moves and great expression!"

A second said, "Song is super and what a beautiful dance."

"This is just wow," posted a third.

A fourth commented, "Your moves, expression, and everything was so good, and the way everyone was enjoying at the back was awesome."

A fifth shared, "Its so smart that you guys each wear one ear pod to stay in sync with the music in a crowd!"

A sixth added, "The world stopped to watch you."

Many others reacted to the video using heart and fire emojis.

What are your thoughts on this dance clip?

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Radhika Gupta, the Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC) took to X to share her dissatisfaction with IndiGo. She detailed all the things that transpired post-landing. IndiGo shared a response to her and said that they would investigate the matter. Radhika Gupta shared her experience with IndiGo on Twitter.

"Very poor landing experience @IndiGo6E with a child. The purpose of giving strollers at a flight gate on departure is so it is returned at the gate on arrival because you need strollers to carry a baby immediately," wrote Gupta on X. (Also Read: Edelweiss CEO gets real about mental health, says everyone has two lives)

She further added, "Handed over a stroller and car seat at the Dubai gate to be told we would get in at the gate in Mumbai. Forget the gate, we waited for an hour at midnight before they were located. Airport staff and @IndiGo6E were very uncooperative, especially the latter. They neither knew where the stuff would come from - belt, oversized area, or somewhere else - nor wanted to help."

At the end of the tweet, she also asked the airlines to take the feedback seriously.

Gupta also shared a picture of the area where she had to wait for the stroller to be found.

Take a look at the tweet shared by Radhika Gupta here:

This post was shared just a few hours ago. Since being posted, it has been viewed close to 70,000 times. The share also has over 400 likes and numerous comments. IndiGo also took to the comments section of the post and shared a response.

The airline wrote, "Ms Gupta, we truly regret learning about your experience. We would like to assure you that we are investigating this matter on priority and will connect with you in the morning."

Here's how others reacted to this post:

An individual wrote, "Indigo has become a fish market, no consideration for senior citizens, rude in-flight staff not bothered about the issues they face all about steamrolling everyone to take off the flight and kick them out after they have landed, no empathy at all."

A second said, "I wish there were monetary damages for this kind of inconvenience caused to paying passengers. Many companies cut corners in many ways (lack of training is one) thereby padding their bottom line. Unless there is a financial deterrent, such acts are bound to repeat (sadly)."

A third added, "As a mother, I have faced this issue multiple times. Despite constant reminders/feedback during the flight journey, they fail to deliver. It's so difficult, especially with special children."

"These airlines are charging exorbitant amounts for tickets, especially domestic. And giving low-quality service. Very sad," posted another.

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Does Bigfoot exist? Though there is no scientific evidence of its existence, there are people who claim that they have seen this mythical creature. Some also take to social media to share videos and images of what they believe shows Bigfoot. Now, a video shared on YouTube claims that it not only shows Bigfoot but also captures its vocalisations. The image is taken from a video that claims shows Bigfoot. (YouTube/@RMSObigfoot)

Virginia Lick Fork Bigfoot Encounter, a YouTube channel that is dedicated to search for Sasquatch in the Rocky Mountains & Pacific NW, shared the video. The channel shared that though taken three years ago, the video was recently shared with them.

The clip is posted with a caption that reads, Sasquatch footage, Bigfoot vocalizations and trackway in Virginia. Bigfoot is also referred to as Sasquatch. The video opens to show prints on the ground that a man claims are of Bigfoot. It also shows something peeking from behind the trees.

Take a look at the entire video:

The video was shared on October 24. Since then, it has captured close to 7,500 views. The video has also prompted people to post varied comments.

Heres how YouTube users react to this video:

I live in this area, and I can see how a creature like bigfoot could easily exist in this remote forest country. I spend a lot of time in the backcountry hunting, and I have never had any encounters but these creatures are surely very rare and probably travel a lot, wrote a YouTube user.

Wow! That is 100% real, you can tell because the spaces in the trees and the black shadows in the background are not as black as that. There are pitches and tones of the vocalisation that are too varied to be an animal. What more proof do people need?! Thank you for posting this Kelly! shared another. Awesome, posted a third.

A few, however, argued that it is not Bigfoot and mentioned another mythical creature, dogman. People believe that it is a creature that has a mix of features of humans and dogs.

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A man took to X to share how he received a surprise when he opted to book an Uber Moto ride. The person who came to pick him up turned out to be a former employee of Google. The passenger also asked the rider about his shift in profession and his reason behind joining Uber is rather amusing. The image is taken from a video shared by an X user from Bengaluru with a post about their Uber Moto driver. (X/@GmRaghav)

My Uber Moto driver is an ex-Googler, who moved to Bangalore 20 days ago from Hyderabad. He is just doing this to explore the city it seems, Dua wrote as he shared a short video that shows him riding on a bike with the ex-Googler.

Take a look at this video:

The video was posted on October 22. Since then, it has created tons of chatter on X. The share has accumulated nearly 64,000 views. The post has also collected more than 400 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the tweet. While some shared similar experiences, a few also had questions for Dua.

How did X users react to this tweet?

A conversation to remember, posted an X user. Peak Bangalore moment, added another, referencing the phrase used to describe attention-grabbing incidents from the city that often surprise people.

Yes, I have also experienced something similar, commented a third. That's truly fascinating! I hope you had an interesting conversation during your ride! expressed a fourth. True, I met a 53-year-old ex-bank manager from Visakhapatnam who is now living in Delhi to meet people by riding Rapido. He wants to explore all the places in the city and make a documentary on it, tough guy, wrote a fifth.

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Imagine this, you come back home from a vacation, only to find out that your home isn't there anymore. Sounds bizarre, right? Well, for a woman from Atlanta, this became an unfortunate reality. When Susan Hodgson returned from a vacation last month, she found that her longtime family property was reduced to just a pile of rubble. In this photo provided by Susan Hodgson, her mistakenly demolished family home sits in a pile of lumber and debris in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 15, 2023. (Susan Hodgson via AP)(AP)

While Hodgson was away, she received a call from her neighbour, who asked her if she had hired someone to tear down the vacant house. I said no and she said, Well, theres someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down', Hodgson told AP.

When the neighbour confronted them, Hodgson said, the workers got nasty. He told her to shut up and mind her own business.

As per AP, she sent a family member over to see what was going on and asked to see a permit. When a person in charge at the site checked his permit, Hodgson said he admitted he was at the wrong address.

Its been boarded up about 15 years, and we keep it boarded, covered, grass cut, and the yard is clean. The taxes are paid and everything is up on it, she told AP.

Hodgson added that although she has spoken with attorneys and filed a report with the police, things are still pending.

Were still in this process of figuring out what to do," she said. We keep pressing in different directions to see if something is going to happen.

The Atlanta-based company You Call It We Haul It, responsible for tearing her house down, is yet to contact her.

How do people just go up and tear somebodys property down and then just drive off?" Hodgson said to AP. How can they think thats ok? I just wish he would come to fix the problem that he caused.

Its just hard to believe someone thinks they have the right to just come and tear something up and walk away from it and didnt come back and say Im sorry. What do I need to do to fix this? It was an accident. They didnt give me nothing."

The company did not immediately return a telephone message left Saturday. In a statement to WAGA-TV, the company said it is investigating and working to resolve the mishap.

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Arab and Muslim Americans and their allies are criticizing President Joe Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas war, asking him to do more to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza or risk losing their support in the 2024 election. A banner depicting U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu(REUTERS)

Many Arab Americans are upset Biden has not pushed for any humanitarian ceasefire even as Palestinians are killed fleeing Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, more than a dozen academics, activists, community members and administration officials said.

Their growing frustration could impact Democrat Biden's reelection bid, which opinion polls show is likely to be a rematch with the Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.

In hotly contested Michigan, Arab Americans account for 5% of the vote. In other battleground states Pennsylvania and Ohio, they are between 1.7% to 2%, said Jim Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute.

Biden won Michigan with 50.6% of the vote in 2020, compared to 47.8% for Trump, and Pennsylvania with 50.01% to Trump's 48.84%, a difference of less than 81,000 votes.

Arab and Muslim Americans are unlikely to back Trump but could sit out the election and not vote for Biden, some activists said.

"I do think it will cost him Michigan," said Laila El-Haddad, a Maryland-based author and social activist from Gaza.

While condemning the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on civilians in Israel that killed 1,400 people, Arab Americans said the Israeli response was disproportionate and Biden's failure to condemn the bombardment has many questioning his promise of a "human rights centered" foreign policy.

On Tuesday, U.S. officials joined the United Nations and Canada in pushing for a pause in Israel's attacks on Gaza so food, water and medicine could be delivered to Palestinian civilians.

DEMANDS FOR POLICY CHANGE

Abdullah Hammoud, the first Arab American mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest Muslim per capita population in the U.S., decried Biden's failure to condemn Israeli threats to cut off water, electricity and food for over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.

"Nothing could have prepared us for the complete erasure of our voices and radio silence from those whom we elected to protect and represent us," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our family members trapped in Gaza have been ignored, our calls for a ceasefire drowned out by the drums of war."

The White House said Biden and other U.S. officials have repeatedly pushed to get Americans in Gaza released, and Biden on Tuesday said aid arriving there was "not fast enough."

Linda Sarsour, a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, told hundreds of attendees at a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event on Saturday that Muslim Americans should make any political donations contingent on a change in policies.

Many are pressuring Biden to push Israel to temporarily halt its attacks on the Gaza Strip that have killed thousands of Palestinians.

Israels bombing of Gaza is "now in the realm of genocide targeting the entire Palestinian population," said CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights group in the U.S., adding that government officials will be "complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza" unless they intervene.

Biden's push for more than $14 billion in new U.S. aid to Israel is also drawing fire.

"If you look at his rhetoric, it's unbelievable, and now they are trying to pump billions and billions of dollars militarily into Israel, with some $100 million in humanitarian aid for the Palestinians," said Sa'ed Atshan, a Quaker Palestinian American who teaches peace and conflict studies at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College.

Even Biden's former boss, President Barack Obama, usually a staunch backer of Biden's policies, offered some pointed public advice on Monday, calling on the U.S. to continue leading the world "in accelerating critical aid and supplies to an increasingly desperate Gaza population."

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO CRITICS

Biden has appointed more Arab Americans and Muslims to political posts than any predecessor, as well as the first two Muslim federal judges, but that diversity has not impacted policy for the self-described "Zionist" President.

Some Arab American and Muslim appointees are scared of backlash and reprisals and worried about family members in the region, said one White House official, who is Arab American.

"There are very vocal people in the administration who have concerns," the official said. U.S. officials with family in the region are doubly stressed by the "ambassadorial" role they play as they field agitated messages from relatives and others angry at Biden's Israel strategy.

The White House said it was aware of and responding to criticism of its policies by meeting with administration officials and community members, and underscored Biden's efforts in public and behind the scenes to ensure aid reached Gaza. Biden has also made forceful speeches since taking office on the need to confront Islamophobia and hate of all kinds, it said.

Biden's chief of staff Jeff Zients and adviser Anita Dunn are meeting staffers and community members and urging cabinet secretaries to do the same, White House officials said.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan and his principal deputy Jon Finer met with Arab and Muslim American community leaders on Oct. 13, and the White House officials hosted 30 Palestinian American youth on Friday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the personal difficulties some staff are facing in a Thursday letter, and met Monday with Palestinian and Arab American community leaders and Jewish American groups.

One 11-year State department veteran, the director of congressional and public affairs for its Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Josh Paul, quit his job last week. Top officials refused to respond to his concerns about "blindly rushing lethal arms to Israel while the people of Gaza face obliteration," he said in a posting on LinkedIn.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has drawn a parallel between the terrorist attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai and Hamas in Israel, emphasising that all acts of terrorism are "unlawful and unjustifiable." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.(Reuters)

Speaking at the United States Security Council ministerial meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East, following the October 7 attack on Israel by Gaza-based Hamas, Blinken denounced member states that provide support, including arming, funding, and training, to terrorist groups.

"We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people," the US Secretary said.

In his statement, Blinken highlighted similarities between terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and those by the Pakistan-based terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai.

"As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They're unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Be'eri," he said.

"They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether they're carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason," Blinken said.

He emphasised the Security Council's responsibility to condemn member states that provide support in terms of arming, financing, and training to Hamas or any other terrorist group involved in such heinous acts.

Blinken's comments were in reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. These attacks, which occurred in 2008, resulted in the tragic loss of 166 lives, including six Americans.

During the attacks, ten Pakistani terrorists laid siege to Mumbai for over 60 hours, targeting and killing individuals in India's financial hub.

Blinken also said "humanitarian pauses" in the Gaza war must be considered in order to protect Palestinian civilians, The Times of Israel reported.

Blinken's idea falls short of a ceasefire which US officials have rejected in recent days as a step that would amount to help for Hamas, arguing that Israel still has a right to forcefully respond to the October 7 onslaught in order to ensure that it doesn't happen again, according to The Times of Israel.

"Palestinian civilians must be protected. That means Hamas must cease using them as human shields. It's hard to think of an act of greater cynicism," he said.

"It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. It means food, water, medicine and other essential humanitarian assistance must be able to flow into Gaza and to the people who need it. It means civilians must be able to get out of harm's way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes," the US State Secretary added.

The US official also called out the international community for failing to explicitly condemn the October 7 Hamas onslaught.

In in his speech he said that in his conversations with world leaders since the assault, there has been agreement that countries have a right and obligation to respond to terror attacks against their civilians but indicates that not all of them have acknowledged this publicly.

Meanwhile, Israel has demanded the resignation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from his position over his remarks against the Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza after terror attacks by Hamas on October 7.

The Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan called Guterres "unfit" to lead the UN and called for his resignation.

This came after the UN chief said that the attacks by Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum" further adding that the attacks cannot justify the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people".

Also read: The American debate on Israel

"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," the UN chief said at the General Assembly., as per The Times of Israel.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured.
China announced plans on Wednesday to send a new telescope to probe deep into the universe as it prepared to launch the countrys next, three-member crew for its orbiting space station. Chinese astronauts for the upcoming Shenzhou-17 mission, from left, Jiang Xinlin, Tang Hongbo, and Tang Shengjie wave as they arrive for a meeting with the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China(AP)

The telescope, dubbed Xuntian, will be installed by China's Tiangong space station and will co-orbit with it, according to a statement from Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the Chinese Manned Space Agency.

No timeframe was given for the installation. State broadcaster CCTV said the telescope would enable surveys and mapping of the sky.

China has researched the movement of stars and planets for thousands of years while in modern times, it has pushed to become a leader in space exploration and science.

The announcement came on the eve of the flight by three astronauts  Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin  who will replace a crew that has been on the station for six months.

The launch is expected for late morning on Thursday. Tang is a veteran who led a 2021 space mission for three months.

China has made majors advance in its burgeoning space power and says it plans to send a crewed mission to the moon by the end of the decade while also pursuing other ambitions in space.

The program largely comes in competition with the United States but also seeks to draw in support from nations in Europe, Southeast Asia, South America and elsewhere.

China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the control of the program by the Peoples Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party.

Chinas first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to put a person into space using its own resources.

American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China for the time being. China has broken out in some areas, however, bringing samples back from the lunar surface for the first time in decades and landing a rover on the less explored far side of the moon.

Meanwhile, the U.S. aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025 as part of a renewed commitment to crewed missions, aided by private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In addition to their lunar programs, the two countries have also separately landed rovers on Mars, and China plans to follow the U.S. in landing a spacecraft on an asteroid.

The new crew of the station will also need to conduct maintenance on its solar panels that have been hit by debris flying within the solar system, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

A large amount of those particles were created by China in the destruction of one of its own satellites by a missile it fired in 2007, in what was seen as a sign of strength against its competitors in the U.S. and its allies.
Chinese Survey and Research Vessel Shi Yan 6 docked at Sri Lanka's Colombo port on Wednesday despite India's objections. In August, a PLA warship Hai Yang 24 Hao had docked at Colombo port for what was described as a formal port call. Chinese maritime research vessel Shi Yan 6 docked in Colombo on Wednesday.

Shi Yan is docking for what is being described as amaritime survey with Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Last year, Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship Yuan Wang 5 which had docked in the southern port of Hambantota, had triggered strong reactions from India.

In August last year, a similar visit by the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, Yuan Wang 5, which arrived in the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota.

What research is China carrying out in the Indian Ocean?

For the past decade, China has been exploring the Indian Ocean as part of its strategy to expand its sea legs all over the Indo-Pacific region. It is actually carrying out sea-bed research to ensure that sea lanes are created for future expansion of Chinese Navy and events in the Indian Ocean, much to the detriment of India.



As far as Shi Yan 6 is concerned, India had raised objections to this vessel being allowed to dock at Colombo. As mentioned earlier, the vessel is going to conduct a maritime survey in the Sri Lankan Exclusive Economic Zone with Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).



But the fact is China is using this dual purpose vessel not only for maritime survey but also seabed survey for future operations of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean.

Is Sri Lanka unwilling to say NO to China on ships docking at its ports?

Sri Lanka owes some $7 billion to China. The debt-ridden country has given up its Hambantota port to China as part of the debt equity swap agreement. Sri Lanka can hardly afford to say no to China. Else, Beijing will use its economic leverage to ensure that the crisis-hit island nation will go down the drain.

What are India's concerns?

When Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe came to India on July 20-21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly told him that Sri Lanka has to take care of India's strategic interests and security concerns.



Now, for India it is a matter of serious concerns because China has a string of ports where it is actually expanding its naval footprint in the Indian Ocean. Be it the Ream naval base in Cambodia, Kyaukphyu seaport in Myanmar, Coco Island infrastructure development in the Bay of Bengal, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Gwadar in Pakistan, Jask in Iran, Port Khalifa in UAE, Djibouti, China is all over the place. It is concerning because it harms the Indian security interests. In future, China can use these ports for sea and access denial.

What can India do?

Last year Yuan Wang 5, a ballistic missile tracker docked at Hambantota. It is a military surveillance ship and has the capacity to track inter-continental ballistic missiles. It is essentially monitoring Indian missile test firing which is happening in Odisha's Balasore.



Shi Yan 6 is monitoring and experimenting on the sea bed to see future submarine operations of the PLA Navy . It could happen as soon as 2025. This is the reason why India is worried about the expansion of Chinese PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean.

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Even as a petition for recognition of Hinduphobia in Canada is expected to be presented in Parliament in November, community organisations have written to all Canadian MPs seeking their support to make that possible. HT Image

The e-petition before the House of Commons, e-4507, closed on October 17, with 25,794 signatures, against just 500 required to get a response from the Government. It is expected to be presented before the House next month by Conservative Party MP Melissa Lantsman, who sponsored the petition.

It seeks recognition of Hinduphobia defined as anti-Hindu sentiment or Hinduphobia and denial, negation, prejudice or vilification against Hindus, Hinduism, or Hinduness.

The letter to the MPs was signed by Ragini Sharma, president of the Canadian Organization for Hindu Heritage Education or COHHE, and co-signed by 80 organisations including several temples.

We do not seek any special status or consideration. We are only asking for equal protection, in par with treatment of other religious minorities as enshrined in the Canadian Charter and Human Rights Codes and anti-discrimination policies, the letter stated.

The petition is being brought forward in November as that is also recognised as Hindu Heritage Month in Canada by the House.

The letter was sent on behalf of the nearly 850,000 Hindus in Canada, representing about 2.5 per cent of the population. It said they were grateful to the Canadian Parliament for the unanimous support to the Hindu Community by the declaration of November as Hindu Heritage Month in 2021 to recognize the Hindu communitys significant contribution to the social, economic and cultural fabric of Canada. The month has offered opportunity for Hindus to educate fellow Canadians about our rich ancient heritage.

However, the Heritage Month does not have the mandate to address the growing Hinduphobia or anti-Hindu sentiment in Canada, the letter said.

Over a dozen Hindu temples have been targeted with pro-Khalistan graffiti or anti-India posters since the summer of last year. Last month, the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ released a video asking Hindus of Indian origin in Canada to leave the country.

A recent survey conducted of the Hindu-Canadian community this month by community organisations said there was an unprecedented level of fear Canadian Hindus are living with, as 89 per cent of the respondents were worried about their family and communitys safety, and security after SFJs threat. In addition, 98 per cent of respondents stated the response or actions of the Canadian Government towards the threat was Poor or Very Poor, while 96 per cent expected the Government to initiate criminal investigation and proceedings in that connection. Ninety per cent expected the Government to support the upcoming petition E-4507 in the House of Commons and enact stringent laws against Hinduphobia.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anirudh Bhattacharyya Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb. ...view detail
Gaza needs billions of dollars in international economic aid to compensate for years of restrictions that have stifled its economy and curbed its development, according to a report published on Wednesday by the United Nations trade body. People search the rubble of a building following Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 24.(AFP)

In its report on the economic development of the Occupied Palestinian Territory for 2022, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlighted the dire economic conditions in Gaza, even prior to Israeli strikes on the enclave in reprisal for the deadly Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas gunmen in southern Israel.

"Donors and the international community need to extend significant economic aid to repair the extensive damage Gaza has experienced under prolonged restrictions and closures and frequent military operations, which has stifled the economy and decimated infrastructure," the report said.

"While donor aid is important to assist the people of Gaza, it should not be viewed as a substitute for ending the restrictions and closures and calling on Israel and all parties to bear their responsibilities under international law," the report said.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Richard Kozul-Wright, director of UNCTAD's division on globalization and development strategies, said it was difficult to assess how much Gaza would actually need until the current conflict ceases.

"But it's going to be in the billions of dollars," he said.

There has also been a steep decline in aid between 2008 and 2022, from $2 billion, or 27% of GDP, to $550 million, or less than 3% of GDP, last year.

Nearly half of Gaza's population is unemployed, and more than half lives in poverty, the report said.

Although workers in Gaza have been allowed access to the job market in Israel for the first time in recent years, the number of permits issued -- around 1% of employed workers in Gaza -- are too few to counter poverty.

"Border closures and repeated military operations have set in motion a vicious circle of economic and institutional collapse that has rendered Gaza a case of 'development in reverse,'" the report said.

The impact is not confined to the short term. Indirect and long-term effects will reverberate through future generations.

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Hurricane Otis strengthened from a tropical storm to a dangerous Category 4 hurricane in a matter of hours Tuesday as it approached Mexicos southern Pacific coast, where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday possibly as a catastrophic Category 5 storm. Waves crash against an ocean pier as Hurricane barrels towards Mexico's Pacific coast(REUTERS)

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Otis has maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) early Tuesday evening. It was centered about 85 miles (135 kilometers) south-southeast of Acapulco and moving north-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).

The center warned that Otis would continue strengthening and could become a Category 5 hurricane with top winds above 157 mph (253 kph) before making landfall. A hurricane warning was in effect from Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo.

In Acapulco, people hurried home as rain began to pelt the resort and winds picked up, driving tourists from the beach.

The Guerrero state government said it was preparing 396 shelters in anticipation of families being driven from their homes by wind damage or surging waters.

Mexico's army and navy deployed more than 8,000 troops to the area with specialized equipment to aid in rescues. Authorities closed Acapulco's port, home to some 300 fishing boats.

Otis was expected to dump five to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain on Guerrero, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) possible in some areas. That raised the possibility of mudslides and flashfloods in Guerreros steep mountainous terrain.

In the Atlantic, Hurricane Tammy continued moving northeastward over open water with winds of 75 mph (120 kph) after sweeping through the Lesser Antilles over the weekend. Tammy was located about 565 miles (910 kilometers) south-southeast of Bermuda. The storm was expected to weaken by Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

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A phone recording released by the Israel Defense Force (IDF) on X reveals the chilling conversation between a Hamas terrorist and his parents, in which he claims to have killed 10 Jews with my own hands and sends them photos of his victims. Thousands of civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis, have died since October 7, 2023, after Palestinian Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip entered southern Israel in an unprecedented attack triggering a war declared by Israel on Hamas with retaliatory bombings on Gaza. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)(AFP)

The terrorist, whose name is not revealed, calls his parents from a phone he stole from a Jewish woman he murdered in Mefalsim, a kibbutz near the Gaza border. He tells them to check his WhatsApp message to see all those he slaughtered.

Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews! he says proudly.

He also tells his father that he killed the womans husband. I killed 10 with my own hands! Dad, 10 with my own hands! he repeats.

His parents seem to celebrate his actions, his father saying, Oh my son, God bless you! and his mother hoping for his safe return.

The terrorist refuses to go back home, saying, There is no going back. Its either death or victory.

He urges his parents to open his message to see the dead. It is not clear what the images show or if his parents saw them.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari noted that the recording was initially presented to the UN Security Council.

On the other hand, Israeli officials strongly criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday after he seemed to suggest that the root cause of the October 7 attack by the Hamas terror group on Israel was Israel's continued control of Palestinian territories.

ALSO READ| Shocking video shows American-Israeli hostage captured by Hamas loses his hand in grenade attack

The Israeli Ambassador to the UN called for Guterres to resign, stating, "It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," during a UN Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas war.

The war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7 and has claimed more than 5,000 lives in Gaza, according to the UN. More than 60% of the fatalities are women and children.

More than 15,000 people have been wounded and 212 are being held hostage by Hamas.
Iceland, the world's most gender-equal country, on Tuesday, saw women including Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir go on strike from midnight to midnight demanding an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence. Demonstrators take part in a rally for equal rights, as Icelandic women strike for equality, in Reykjavik, Iceland. (Reuters)

Tens of thousands of women refused to work on Tuesday, which was called the kvennafri in Icelandish or the women's day off.

Speaking to mbl.in ahead of the protest, the PM said, I will not work this day, as I expect all the women [in cabinet] will do as well.

Iceland, with a population of 380,000, has been ranked the world's most gender-equal country for 14 years in a row by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which measures education, pay, healthcare and other factors.

Why did women strike in Iceland?

Iceland is the most gender-equal country, however, WEF has assigned it a score of 91.2 per cent. No nation has been able to achieve complete equality in terms of the gender pay gap and there remains a gap in Iceland too.

Jakobsdottir told mbl.in, We have not yet reached our goals of full gender equality and we are still tackling the gender-based wage gap, which is unacceptable in 2023. We are still tackling gender-based violence, which has been a priority for my government to tackle.

A University of Iceland study has found that 40 per cent of women in the country face gender-based violence at least once in their lifetime.

While women in Iceland have broken glass ceilings and have acquired top roles  from bishops to top government positions  the lowest-paying jobs in the volcanic island nation like cleaning and child care are also women-dominated.

The work also depends upon immigrants, since Iceland is a tourism-dominated economy. However, most foreigners work longer hours and take home lesser salaries. About 22 per cent of women workforce in Iceland is foreign-born, Statistics Iceland states.

Tuesday's protest was the largest in Iceland since October 24, 1975, when 90 per cent of the women refused to work, clean or look after children to protest against discrimination at the workplace.

The country's trade unions organised the strike and asked women and non-binary people to refuse paid and unpaid work, including daily chores. Around 90 per cent of women in Iceland belong to a union.

The organiser of the protest, Kristin Astgeirsdottir, told BBC that the violence against women remains high despite high gender equality.

Astgeirsdottir said, The theory was that the more gender equality, the less violence. That unfortunately does not seem to be the case. Violence against women is deeply rooted in our culture.

One of the strike organisers Freyja Steingrimsdottir told Reuters, We're seeking to bring attention to the fact that we're called an equality paradise, but there are still gender disparities and urgent need for action.

In the world for economic participation, Iceland ranks 14th  below Norway, Jamaica and Liberia.

The strike's effect

Local media reports said that around 70,000-100,000 people were attending the strike.

Education and healthcare, the two women-dominated jobs in Iceland, were significantly affected on Tuesday.

Schools, shops, banks and famous swimming pools of Iceland were shut on Tuesday.

All-male news teams also announced shutdowns across the nation. Iceland's national broadcaster RUV said that it was reducing TV and radio broadcasts for the day.

Public transport was delayed, hospitals remained understaffed and hotel rooms were left uncleaned. RUV also reported that only one bank branch in the entire country was open.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sanskriti Falor Sanskriti Falor is a Senior Content Producer at the News Desk of HT Digital. Having worked in Digital Media for the past two years, she is interested in covering civic issues and global affairs. ...view detail
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman Imran Khan has thrown a challenge to Nawaz Sharif, saying he will contest against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo in "whatever constituency" he chooses in the upcoming polls in the country. Imran Khan's challenge came as a video posted from his X (formerly Twitter) handle. Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan(Reuters)

The former prime minister has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi in the cipher case since early August. In the video which was recorded before his arrest, Imran Khan said, Nawaz Sharif was waiting to return to Pakistan once I am sent to jail and the PTI is eliminated. All the corruption cases against Nawaz and company have already been closed.

This comes after Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-imposed exile in London on October 21.

"Nawaz wanted this level playing field before going into polls. I will contest in any constituency Nawaz chooses. And I assure him that I will not even run a campaign in that constituency. I will tell you the feelings of Pakistani people. This country has changed as its people will never vote for such people. Social media has changed people. Gone are the days when those who had the patronage of the (military) establishment got elected, Imran Khan further said.

With absconder Nawaz Sharifs return, the plan appears to be unfolding as anticipated. State protocol, public resources, and use of public money to facilitate a convict cant sway the publics opinion who want nothing less than immediate, free, and fair elections, Imran Khan's party said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that general elections are expected to be held in the last week of January 2024. No specific date has been announced.

Imran Khans' party said Nawaz Sharif returned to the country after four years exile because of the blessing of the military establishment. Meanwhile, Imran Khan is facing around 200 cases.

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India has relaxed visa services for Canadians and will resume issuing them from Thursday, the High Commission in Canada said on Wednesday. The Indian High Commission in Ottawa said that the services will resume for entry, business, medical and conference visas (AP)

The resumption of services comes over a month after they were indefinitely suspended on September 21, even though Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma said the situation is still not ideal to conduct normal diplomatic and Consular functions by all Indian diplomats and consular officials.

In a release issued on Wednesday morning, Indias High Commission in Ottawa stated that the services will resume for entry, business, medical and conference visas. Visas for emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulates.

Four of the eight visa categories were covered in the announcement. Categories omitted were tourist, employment, student and film.

The release said the decision was taken after a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard.

It had also said the missions had earlier been constrained to suspended visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations.

In an interview on Tuesday with the Hindustan Times, Verma said, If improvement in the security environment for Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada shows a positive sign, there is a likelihood of some relaxation in the existing Indian visa regime for Canadian citizens.

But there is the lingering problem of pro-Khalistan elements continuing to target Indias seniormost diplomats in the country as well as its missions. Without mentioning the pro-Khalistani groups such as Sikhs for Justice or SFJ, Verma said, Security threats per se originate from anti India activities of inimical elements in Canada, who are very small in number. As long as the core reasons are not dealt with, security threat will continue to be there.

In fact, pro-Khalistan groups organised car rallies to Indias High Commission in Ottawa and its Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver last Saturday. They featured posters describing Verma as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar as Enemies of Canada. SFJ has multiple programmes on its agenda including the next phase of the so-called Khalistan Referendum in Surrey on October 29.

Indian authorities continuously assess the security of Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada, as well as that of our diplomatic and consular premises, Verma said.

Canada has provided personal security details to the diplomats while also enhancing coverage of the missions. But, Verma said, Provision of security to key Indian diplomats and consular officials does not necessarily mean that the security environment has improved. It only means that despite threats to their persons, they are able to have restricted physical movement. The situation is still not ideal to conduct normal diplomatic and Consular functions by all Indian diplomats and consular officials.

On Saturday, Jaishankar said in New Delhi that right now that is what has in many ways been challenged in Canada that our people are not safe, our diplomats are not safe. So if we see progress there, I would like very much to resume the issue of visas. My hope would be that it would be something which should happen very soon.

Issuing of visas were indefinitely suspended on September 21. BLS International, which runs the visa application centres in Canada posted a scrolling message on its Canadian website: Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21st September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice.

Turmoil in the relationship started after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.

In the immediate aftermath, both countries expelled a diplomat each since. Last week, 41 Canadian diplomats were pulled from India after New Delhi said they would lost diplomatic immunity if they remained in station beyond Friday. Canada described that act as mass expulsion of its diplomats, while India has argued it wanted parity in the numbers of diplomats.

Nijjar, who was SFJs principal in British Columbia, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara that he headed in the town of Surrey in the province of British Columbia.

While India accused Nijjar of being a terrorist, the accusations against him were never tested in a Canadian court. Canada is yet to provide any evidence of New Delhis involvement in the killing.

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Iranian authorities have banned a dozen women actors from working for failing to observe the Islamic republic's strict dress code which includes mandatory headscarves, an official said Wednesday. A woman holds a placard with a picture of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death.(AP)

"Those who do not follow the law, will not be allowed to work," Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting.

On Tuesday, Iranian media reported that a dozen actresses who were found to be violating the hijab law -- among them Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoun Riahi and Fatemeh Motamed-Aria -- "will not be allowed to play roles in movies".

Alidoosti and Riahi were among the public figures who were briefly detained during last year's widespread protests over the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini.

Amini had previously been arrested for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.

Her death triggered months-long demonstrations which the authorities labelled as "riots" fomented by foreign governments.

Since last year's mass protests, women have been increasingly flouting the dress code which requires head coverings and modest clothes.

Covering the neck and head has been compulsory for women since 1983, following Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

Iran has stepped up measures over the past few months against women and businesses who breach the hijab rules.

In September, lawmakers voted in favour of toughening the penalties, which include jail sentences of up to 10 years, for women who violate the dress code.

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US President Joe Biden said Israelis can make their own decision as he was asked whether the US was urging Israel to delay its ground invasion in Gaza -- amid the ongoing war triggered by Hamas' unprecedented attacks on Israel on October 7. About 19 days into the conflict, the Israel Defence Forces on Tuesday announced that they were ready to 'invade' Gaza, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. IDF chief-of-staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, I want to be clear, we are ready to invade. Joe Biden was asked whether US was pressurising Israel to delay a ground invasion in Gaza.(AP)

At this stage, there are tactical and strategic factors which are allowing us more time to improve and to exploit every minute to be more ready," the IDF chief said confirming that the army was in the process of discussing the exact timing of the ground invasion with the country's top leadership.

Israel-Hamas war: Latest updates

1. The United Nations called for a ceasefire in Gaza at a high-level meeting on Tuesday. Israel rejected the call and Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said the UN secretary-general is not fit to lead the UN as he shows no understanding for the 'campaign of mass murder of children, women and the elderly'.

2. Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen dismissed calls for proportionality in the countrys response to Hamas attack and asked: How can you agree to a cease-fire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?

3. A proportionate response to the October 7 attack will be a "total destruction to the last one of the Hamas", the foreign minister said.

4. On Wednesday, Israel's military said its jets struck Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers after rocket launches were made from Syria towards Israel.

5. As the war rages on, the Israeli military said it carried out a drone strike in West Bank's Jenin during clashes with armed Palestinians.

6. On the Gaza offensive, Israel Defense Forces said some Hamas terrorists were attempting to infiltrate southern Israel via sea and were found exiting a tunnel on the Gaza coast. IDF said the tunnel was struck along with a weapons warehouse used by the terrorists in Gaza.

7. The Israeli military has offered financial rewards to Gaza Strip residents if they share any information about hostages being held. "If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area. The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality," the IDF posted.

8. As the United Nations agency working to provide aid to Palestinian civilians said it would have to halt operations on Wednesday night as there is no fuel in Gaza, Israel's military said they should ask Hamas for fuel supplies. Hamas has more than 500,000 litres of fuel in tanks inside Gaza, the IDF said making it clear that it won't allow fuel in Gaza.

9. The White House said it is developing contingency plans to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the Israel-Hamas war turns into a broad regional conflict. As of now, there are no active efforts to evacuate Americans from the region apart from charter flights being operated by the US.

10. Israelis can make their own decisions, US President Joe Biden said as he was asked whether the US was pressuring Israel to delay the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.

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The Israeli Defence Force made a request from the civilians of Gaza however with a deterrence asking for a humanitarian deed and share actionable information about the locations of hostages where the Hamas has kept them in captivity. The Israeli military, on X (formerly Twitter), offered money for giving information for them to carry out rescue operation. Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari(AFP)

The IDF earlier confirmed that 222 hostages were being held captive since the Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7. It promised to keep the identity of those who give information.

If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area, the IDF said and shared the details to contact them.

The Gazan Islamist group has recently released two elderly Israeli nationals who were held captive for over two weeks citing humanitarian pressure amid negotiations held predominantly by Qatar.

Hamas stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials.

In response, the Israeli retaliation in a bid to demolish Hamas has taken lives of over 5,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

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Israel on Wednesday rejected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's assertion that the Palestinian militant group Hamas was "not a terrorist organization". Israel-Hamas War: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets members of parliament from his ruling AK Party.(Reuters)

"Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish president's harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat wrote on social media platform X.

"Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organization and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen," Haiat wrote.

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Israel Defence Forces (IDF) showed a note from one of the members of the Hamas which has the message for the terror group to "sharpen the blades" for their enemies who are "incurable disease". Israel-Hamas War: The IDF said that terror group Hamas is "very clear" about its intentions.

"You must sharpen the blades of your swords and be pure in your intentions before Allah. Know that the enemy is a disease that has no cure, except beheading and tearing out their hearts and livers," the note read.

Sharing the note on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the IDF said that terror group Hamas is "very clear" about its intentions.

"This note was found on a Hamas terrorist from the October 7 massacre. It was handed to him by Hamas commanders in Gaza as an encouragement to behead their victims and tear out their hearts and livers. Hamas is very clear about its intentions," IDF posted on X.

Earlier, Israel announced that it would deny visas to the UN officials after remarks by secretary-general Antonio Guterres that questioned Israeli actions in Gaza.

"Due to his remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives," Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan said, adding, "We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson."

Israel called on Antonio Guterres to resign "immediately" calling him "unfit" to lead the UN.

The UN chief had said that "It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," claiming that "Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced; and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing, he said.

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French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed it would be an 'error' for Israel if Israel launched a 'massive ground intervention' in Gaza, even though Macron reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself. Israel-Hamas War: French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference.(AFP)

"France recognises Israel's right to defend itself. Regarding a ground intervention, if it is entirely targeted against terrorist groups, that is a choice that it has, but if it is a massive operation that would endanger civilian populations, in that case I think it would be an error for Israel," Macron told reporters in Egypt.

Macron added that a total of 31 French citizens had now died from the Hamas attacks in Israel earlier this month.

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United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres rejected accusations that he had justified Hamas attacks on Israel in his statement to the Security Council . Israel-Hamas War: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting.(AP)

"I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement ... as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false. It was the opposite," he said as per news agency Reuters.

He added, "I believe it's necessary to set the record straight  especially out of respect for the victims and their families."

Antonio Guterres alleged violations of international law as Israel targeted Gaza while urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to bring in relief.

"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," he told a UN security council session, without explicitly naming Israel.

Antonio Guterres has personally traveled to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a push to let in assistance.

"But it is a drop of aid in an ocean of need. In addition, our UN fuel supplies in Gaza will run out in a matter of days. That would be another disaster," he said, continuing, "To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer, and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

Following the remarks, Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen canceled a meeting with the UN chief and angrily pointed his finger at him during the session while reading graphic accounts of civilians killed in the October 7 assault by Hamas.

Hamas stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. More than 6,500 Palestinians, also mainly civilians, have been killed across Gaza in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks.

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Anti-semitic incidents in the United States rose by about 400% in slightly over two weeks since war broke out in the Middle East after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, advocacy group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said. The data showed a 388% rise in anti-semitic incidents in the US between October 7 and October 23 over the prior year. The ADL Center on Extremism said preliminary data showed 312 reported US anti-semitic incidents from October 7 to October 23, including harassment, vandalism and assault. Israel-Hamas War: Palestinians amongst the rubble of a collapsed building following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza.(Bloomberg)

About 190 of those were directly linked to the war between Israel and Hamas, data showed. ADL cited examples of alleged physical assault; violent online messages, especially on messaging platform Telegram; and rallies where "ADL found explicit or strong implicit support for Hamas and/or violence against Jews in Israel."

In the same period of 2022, ADL recorded 64 US anti-semitic incidents, of which four were linked to Israel. Prior to the war, anti-semitism was already rising in the US as nearly 3,700 such incidents were recorded in 2022, more than in any year since ADL began tracking the issue in 1979.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt urged authorities to provide security and support to Jewish communities, saying, When conflict erupts in Israel, anti-semitic incidents soon follow in the US and globally.

This comes as the US Justice Department has said that it is monitoring rising threats against Jews and Muslims amid the conflict. Hamas' attack has killed over 1,400 people and Israel's air strikes on Gaza have since killed over 5,700 Palestinians.

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Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday accused the United States of "directing" strikes Israel has been carrying out on Hamas in Gaza in response to the October 7 attacks. Israel-Hamas War: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei(AFP)

Israel has heavily bombarded the Gaza Strip since Hamas gunmen stormed across its border with Israel and, according to Israeli officials, killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry said on Wednesday that 6,545 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict broke out, including 2,704 children.

"America is a definite accomplice of criminals," said Khamenei during a speech in Tehran.

"The United States is in some way directing the crime that is being committed in Gaza."

Khamenei said the hands of Americans "were tainted with the blood of the oppressed, children, patients, women and others".

The United States, the sworn enemy of Iran, has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean in a move it says is to deter Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, both allies of Hamas, from getting involved in the Hamas-Israel war.

It has also confirmed this week that it has sent a "few" military advisers to Israel as part of its support for its close ally.

Iran, which financially and militarily backs Hamas, hailed the October 7 attacks on Israel as a "success".

But the Islamic republic has insisted it was not involved in the onslaught, during which more than 220 people were also taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

"Let everyone know that in this matter and future matters, the Palestinian nation is victorious and the future world is the world of Palestine, not the world of the Zionist regime," Khamenei said, referring to Israel.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Iran that the United States would respond "decisively" to any attack by Tehran proxies, as tensions rise over the conflict.

"The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen," Blinken told a UN Security Council session.

"But if Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere, make no mistake. We will defend our people, we will defend our security -- swiftly and decisively," he said.

The Islamic republic lashed out at Blinken for what it said was his attempt to "wrongly place the blame on Iran".

"Iran categorically rejects these groundless allegations," Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani said.

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Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son Yair's absence from the country amid its war with Hamas drew ire at a time when nearly 4 lakh young Israelis have joined the figh in the wake of the October 7 attacks. The attacks on Israel's cities have left about 1,400 dead while Tel Aviv's retaliation has killed over 5,000 in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from left, and son Yair, left, pose for a photo in Tel Aviv.(AP)

Yair Netanyahu moved to Florida earlier this year. His photo on a beach was widely shared on social media as many claimed that he is enjoying in Miami while Israelis fly home to join the war against Hamas.

One of the volunteers stationed on Israel's northern front told The Times, Yair is enjoying his life at Miami Beach while I'm on the front lines. It's us who are leaving our work, our families, our kids, to protect our families back home and the country, not the people who are responsible for this situation.

Another soldier serving on the border said, "I've flown back from the States where I have a job, a life, my family. There is no way I can stay there and abandon my country, my people, at this critical time. Where is the prime minister's son? Why isn't he in Israel?"

"It is the most uniting moment for us as Israelis in our recent history and every single one of us should be here right now, including the prime minister's son," he told The Times.

Yair Netanyahu is a podcaster by profession. A staunch defender of his father, Yair has often courted controversy by his anti-Islamic social media posts. In 2018, his Facebook account was blocked for 24 hours after he posted that there will be no peace in Israel till "all Muslims leave". Earlier he was courted controversy when he was seen in a video outside a strip club in which he was heard suggesting how his father allegedly pushed through a $20billion gas deal for the benefit of a business tycoon.

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Two Indian American scientists were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by US President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. US President Joe Biden awards the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Ashok Gadgil during a ceremony (AFP)

The two Indian-Americans -- Ashok Gadgil and Subra Suresh -- were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the National Medal of Science, respectively.

President Biden also honoured leading American scientists, technologists, and innovators at the award ceremony.

The scientists, who were honoured at the event, made discoveries enabling lifesaving medical treatments, helping fight the opioid epidemic, improving food security, advancing accessibility, and much more.

"Today, President Biden is awarding the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to a number of Americans who have made exemplary achievements in science, technology, and innovation to strengthen our nation's well-being, " the White House said in a statement.

The National Medal of Science is the nation's highest scientific honour, established by the US Congress in 1959 and administered by the US National Science Foundation. "It is bestowed by the President of the United States on individuals deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions in biology, computer sciences, education sciences, engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and social, behavioural, and economic sciences, in service to the Natio," the statement added.

"Those who earn these awards embody the promise of America by pushing the boundaries of what is possible," it added.

Further, according to the official statement, these trailblazers harnessed the power of science and technology to tackle challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions for Americans and communities worldwide.

The accomplishments made by the awardees have advanced American leadership in science, technology, and innovation and their work inspires the next generation of American minds, it added.
The resumption of visa issuances to Canadians is not imminent as the situation is still not ideal to conduct normal diplomatic and Consular functions by all Indian diplomats and consular officials, Indias High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said. Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma. (Photo from X)

If improvement in the security environment for Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada shows a positive sign, there is a likelihood of some relaxation in the existing Indian visa regime for Canadian citizens, Verma said in an interview with HT.

But there is the lingering problem of pro-Khalistan elements continuing to target Indias seniormost diplomats in the country as well as its missions, he said. Without mentioning the pro-Khalistani groups like Sikhs for Justice, or SFJ, Verma said, Security threats per se originate from anti-India activities of inimical elements in Canada, who are very small in number. As long as the core reasons are not dealt with, security threat will continue to persist.

Pro-Khalistan groups organised car rallies to Indias High Commission in Ottawa and its Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on Saturday. They carried posters describing Verma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as Enemies of Canada. SFJ has multiple programmes on its agenda, including the next phase of the so-called Khalistan Referendum in Surrey on October 29.

Indian authorities continuously assess the security of Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada, as well as that of our diplomatic and consular premises, Verma said.

Canada has provided personal security details to diplomats while also enhancing coverage of the missions. But, Verma said, Provision of security to key Indian diplomats and consular officials does not necessarily mean that the security environment has improved. It only means that despite threats to their people, they are able to have restricted physical movement. The situation is still not ideal to conduct normal diplomatic and Consular functions by all Indian diplomats and consular officials.

Jaishankar had said in New Delhi on Saturday that right now, that is what has in many ways been challenged in Canada, that our people are not safe, our diplomats are not safe. So, if we see progress there, I would like very much to resume the issue of visas. My hope would be that it would be something which should happen very soon.

Issuing of visas was indefinitely suspended on September 21. BLS International, which runs the visa application centres in Canada, posted a scrolling message on its Canadian website: Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21st September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice.

Also Read:Canada opposition leader says will restore professional relationship with India

India-Canada relations hit rock bottom after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.

In the immediate aftermath, both countries expelled a diplomat each since. Last week, 41 Canadian diplomats were pulled from India after New Delhi said they would lose diplomatic immunity if they remained in station beyond Friday (October 20). Canada described that act as mass expulsion of its diplomats, while India has argued it wanted parity in the numbers of diplomats.

Nijjar, who was SFJs principal in British Columbia, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara that he headed in Surrey.

While India had accused Nijjar of being a terrorist, the accusations against him were never tested in a Canadian court.

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In his strongest comments yet on the Israel-Gaza conflict, Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said that Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people. Speaking to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces and said Muslim countries must act together to secure a lasting peace in the region. Israel-Hamas War: Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan(Reuters)

"Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he said. Slamming Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, the Turkish president said, "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud".

Following his remarks, Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said that they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation".

"I will propose to my colleague (Foreign Minister Antonio) Tajani to send a formal protest and to summon the Turkish Ambassador," Matteo Salvini said.

Turkey foreign minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel committed "a crime against humanity" in its war in Gaza while speaking in Qatar.

"Targeting our Palestinian brothers, including children, patients and the elderly, even in schools, hospitals and mosques, is a crime against humanity," he said.

Tel Aviv rejected Tayyip Erdogan's assertion saying that, Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish president's harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas. Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organization and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen.

Earlier, Turkey condemned the civilians deaths that resulted from Hamas' October 7 attack but also urged Israel to react in a restrained way. Ankara has also strongly condemned Israel's heavy bombardment of Gaza while offering to mediate in the conflict and sending humanitarian aid.

Accusing Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's good intentions, Erdogan said that he had now cancelled a planned trip to Israel.

Turkey has also backed a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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The off-duty US pilot who tried to shut down the engines of a plane mid-flight over the weekend had taken magic mushrooms and thought he was having a nervous breakdown, court documents showed Tuesday. Joseph David Emerson, left, 44, was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court (AP)

Pilots wrestled Joseph Emerson out of the cockpit on Sunday after he lunged for handles that would have starved the engines of fuel and turned the plane into a glider.

Emerson, who told police he had not slept in 40 hours, also tried to open an emergency exit in the rear of the aircraft and had to be restrained by the cabin crew during an emergency landing.

"I pulled both emergency shutoff handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just want to wake up," Emerson told police, according to a criminal complaint.

Emerson and the investigating officer "talked about the use of psychedelic mushrooms, and Emerson said it was his first time taking mushrooms."

The 44-year-old was arrested on Sunday evening after the Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.

Emerson had boarded the flight -- which was operated by Horizon Air -- between Everett, Washington, and San Francisco, sitting in the jump seat of the cockpit, in line with airline policy for non-working staff.

A short way into the journey, after chatting with the pilots "Emerson attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane's emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines," the Department of Justice said.

"After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit."

Alaska Airlines said Monday that pilots had reacted quickly to reverse the handles, and the aircraft had landed safely.

"Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft," the Department of Justice said.

"During the flight's descent, Emerson tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his."

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon said Emerson faces a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

He has also been charged in Oregon with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

US media reported that he pleaded not guilty to these charges during a brief court appearance in Portland on Tuesday.

Live ATC, a website that archives conversations between pilots and air traffic controllers, published an audio recording of the moments after the incident.

"We've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit," the pilot said. "And he doesn't sound like he's causing any issue in the back right now.

"I think he's subdued. Other than that, yeah, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked," the pilot said.

Alaska Airlines said Tuesday that Emerson had been "removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties."

A Germanwings plane on a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf was intentionally crashed by a pilot in March 2015, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members on board.

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A British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State on Tuesday mounted her latest appeal against the removal of her British citizenship, arguing Britain failed to properly consider whether she was a victim of trafficking. Shamima Begum(Dawn)

The British government took away Shamima Begum's citizenship on national security grounds in 2019, shortly after she was found in a detention camp in Syria.

Begum first challenged the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC)  a specialist tribunal which hears appeals against decisions to remove citizenship on national security grounds  in 2019.

Her case has since travelled from SIAC to the UK's Supreme Court and back, while Begum remains in the al-Roj detention camp in north-eastern Syria.

In February, SIAC found there was a "credible suspicion" that Begum was trafficked to Syria for the purposes of sexual exploitation and there were arguably "state failures" in relation to her journey from London to Syria via Turkey in 2015.

However, SIAC ruled that a finding Begum may have been trafficked was not enough for her appeal to succeed, a decision which Begum's lawyers sought to challenge on Tuesday.

Begum's lawyer Samantha Knights told London's Court of Appeal that Britain had a legal duty to consider whether she was a potential victim of trafficking, or if there had been any failures by the state before removing her British citizenship.

However, lawyers representing the British government said in court filings that the decision to revoke someone's citizenship must be "focused on the risks posed by the individual, irrespective of how they might have come to be a risk".

WIDER CONCERNS

Begum's case has been the subject of heated debate in Britain, between those who argue she willingly joined a terrorist group and others who say she was a child when she left, or should face justice for any alleged crimes in Britain.

She left London in 2015, aged 15, and travelled with two school friends to Syria, where she married an IS fighter and gave birth to three children, all of whom died as infants.

Begum, now 24, has been in the al-Roj camp since 2019, with thousands of other foreign women and children.

In February, SIAC noted that "reasonable people will profoundly disagree" with the Home Office's decision to remove Begum's citizenship, but said the issue "raises wider societal and political questions", which were not for the tribunal.

Since that decision, dozens of people have been repatriated from Syrian detention camps to countries including Canada and France, while the United States and Saudi Arabia in June urged countries to take back their citizens.

Britain has repatriated 11 individuals since 2019 as of this July, according to figures compiled by human rights organisation Rights and Security International.
The Daily Mail obtained audio recordings of two 911 calls made by a Secret Service agent after Tafari Campbell, 45, the personal chef of the Obama family, drowned in a pond near their Marthas Vineyard estate in July. Recently Unearthed 911 Calls Reveal Secret Service Agent's Urgent Plea Over Obama Family Chef's Tragic Pond Mishap at Martha's Vineyard Estate(Instagram / @michelleobama)

The agent, Dave, called the emergency services at 7:46 p.m. and reported that a male guest of the house was drowning in the Edgartown Great Pond, behind the property. He said that they had rescue swimmers and another agent on a boat trying to reach him.

He said that they did not witness the drowning, but someone ran up to their back post and told them that Campbell had fallen off his paddle board and went underwater. He did not say who the person was, but previous reports indicated that it was another female Obama staffer who attempted to save Campbell.

ALSO READ| Barack Obamas beloved chef Tafari Campbells death ruled an accident by medical examiner

Someone came running up to our back post, saying a gentleman, its just a guest of the house, is out there drowning, Dave said.

The dispatcher asked him if they needed an ambulance or water rescue assistance. Dave hesitated and said he was not sure what was happening in the back of the property.

They didnt advise right now. I would say at least an ambulance, Dave expressed.

He then asked if he could call back on another line, because theyre not passing information over the radio right now. The dispatcher agreed and gave him a number. He also asked for a basic description of the missing man.

Dave called back a few minutes later, sounding more anxious.

So our rescue swimmers arent able to locate the gentleman that was reported drowning, Dave said.

Theyre out in the water right now but as of now they dont know where he is.

The dispatcher asked him to provide more details about Campbells appearance and clothing. Dave communicated with his team members on the beach via radio and gave the description.

Hes wearing all black, hes on a paddle board, hes 40ish years old, black gentlemen, regular build, he said.

ALSO READ| Jill Biden cancels B-52s performance at White House dinner amid Israel-Hamas war

He also confirmed that they had recovered Campbells paddle board, but he was not wearing a life jacket.

Campbells body was found the next day in 8 feet of water about 100 feet from the shore of the Obamas compound.

The medical examiner ruled his death as an accidental drowning caused by submersion in a body of water.

The Massachusetts State Police requested that the names of witnesses and Secret Service agents be redacted from public records.

Campbell had worked as a sous chef at the White House under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He later became the personal chef of the Obamas after they left the White House.

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Floridas university system, working with Governor Ron DeSantis, ordered colleges on Tuesday to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization, outlawing the group whose national leadership backed Hamas' attack on Israel. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks', R-Iowa, Triple MMM Tailgate event in Iowa City, Iowa on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The event featured remarks from several candidates for the Republican Party's nomination for President. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette via AP)(AP)

The State University System of Florida said chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had to be dismantled as part of what it called a crackdown in the Republican-led state on campus demonstrations that provide "harmful support for terrorist groups."

"Based on the National SJPs support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," the system's Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a memo to university leaders.

DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, has taken a hard line against Palestinians, suggesting Gazan civilians be denied water and utilities until the Palestinian militant Hamas group releases the more than 200 hostages it took in a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said DeSantis' actions were unconstitutional and an attack on free speech.

"Instead of keeping students and communities safe, the government is simply silencing ideas it doesn't like," the group said in a statement, declining comment on whether it would take legal action.

Administrators at some U.S. universities criticized the National SJP after the group termed Hamas' attack "a historic win for the Palestinian resistance" and called for a "day of resistance" on Oct. 12 with demonstrations by its chapters at over 200 colleges in America and Canada.

In his memo, Rodrigues said National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' "resistance" and it was a felony under Florida law "to provide material support ... to a designated foreign terrorist organization."

The National SJP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SJP chapters are active at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida, a spokesman for Rodrigues said in an email.

SJP at several Florida colleges are represented on Instagram and Facebook pages. SJP is not a recognized student organization at Florida State University or the University of North Florida, according to spokespeople for those universities.

Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have led to harassment and assaults at U.S. universities since the Hamas attack and Israel's subsequent siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas' 1988 founding charter called for Israel's destruction, and the group is branded a terrorist organization by Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States.

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Republicans lashed out at ABC News congressional reporter Rachel Scott, drowning her attempts to question newly nominated Speaker of the House nominee, Mike Johnson. The incident occurred during a press conference where Johnson, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, faced reporters' queries after his nomination. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 24: U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) surrounded by House Republicans speaks after he was elected as the speaker nominee during a GOP conference meeting in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on October 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. The conference was meeting in a closed-door session to select a successor to ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was removed on October 4 in a move led by a small group of conservative members of his own party. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by WIN MCNAMEE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Scott's attempt to question Johnson about his involvement in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results was met with vehement opposition. Amidst a cacophony of boos and shouts, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert exclaimed, "Oh God," while Virginia Foxx of North Carolina commanded, "Shut up, shut up!" Another member of the party yelled, "Go away! Go away!" leaving the reporter silenced.

Despite the chaos, Johnson remained composed and simply said, "Next question." He made it clear that the press conference was not the platform for discussing policy matters, shutting down any further inquiries on the spot.

X users are criticizing the Republican response to the journalist's question. 80-year old former educator from North Carolina, Virginia Foxx. Despicable behavior, one user wrote. Look at Congresswoman Meemaw on the right. Virginia Foxx is one nasty elected official. The octogenarian needs to retire, wrote another.

This incident comes at a crucial time for the Republicans, who have been grappling with internal struggles since the ousting of Kevin McCarthy earlier this month. Previous attempts to nominate a new Speaker, including contenders like Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, and Tom Emmer, had failed to gain consensus within the party. Emmer, initially selected as the candidate, withdrew his candidacy, following criticism from former President Trump, who labelled him as "out of touch" and a "Republican In Name Only (RINO)."

Now, with Johnson as their nominee, the Republicans face a challenging path ahead. Johnson must secure 217 votesa simple majority in the Houseto assume the role of Speaker. The outcome of this crucial vote, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, remains uncertain. If Johnson fails to garner enough support, Republicans will find themselves once again in the search for a suitable nominee.

Meanwhile, this internal turmoil within the party has put a pause on legislative progress. The House remains unable to vote on significant matters, including a national security package that would provide crucial aid to Ukraine and Israel.

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Five Indian Americans are reportedly being investigated for an illegal $30million crypto exchange scheme operating in the heart of New York. An investigative report by 404 Media and Court Watch has revealed how all rules were broken in the multi million dollar Cash-for-Bitcoin fraud. A cryptocurrency ATM in Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Photographer: Lam Yik/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

The detailed investigation has exposed a criminal syndicate where digital currencies like Bitcoin were being laundered into cash, despite presence of legal online exchanges such as Coinbase. The Court records have documented a scene where men rendezvous on street corners with bags brimming with cash.

5 Indian Americans, Shaileshkumar Goyani, Brijeshkumar Patel (aka Samir), Hirenkumar Patel, Naineshkumar Patel, Nileshkumar Patel, and Raju Patel (aka Jay) have been accused of running this illegal Bitcoin exchange with an adept criminal finesse, bypassing the legal scrutiny.

The operation was unraveled in April 2021 when the FBI stumbled upon a vendor on dark web marketplaces offering to exchange Bitcoin for cash via the U.S. Postal Service. The journey led to the arrest of an individual in February who acted as a conduit, mailing packages of cash from a post office in Westchester County, New York, on behalf of the gang.

The report claims, this individual morphed into a confidential source for the FBI, shedding light on a meticulous operation where cash and Bitcoin exchanged hands at prearranged rendezvous points. The operation saw around $100,000 to $300,000 being exchanged about three times a week, with the serial numbers of specific banknotes acting as tokens of authenticity between the parties involved.

Undercover FBI agent partook in about 80 controlled cash pickups from February to September, making a whopping $15,067,000 transaction and leading to a ripple effect that saw multiple individuals linked to this underground Bitcoin exchange identified.

The investigation unearthed how the defendants allegedly made frequent trips across state lines, with cash often marked indicating their regional bank origins. The operation's tentacles spread across various states including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

Unearthed from the court records, images capture snippets of this covert operation, where surveillance footage shows men with large bags  bags laden with cash ready to be converted into Bitcoin, a digital haven for the criminal underworld. The case is currently under prosecution by the Southern District of New York.

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After Natalee Holloway's murderer Joran van der Sloot admitted to killing her, Matt Holloway called him a psychopathic liar. Natalee's brother explained that he does not believe in Sloot's apology and his claims of finding god. Matt, who is a former correctional officer doubts that the Dutch national is a born-again Christian, after killing his sister. Hes been such a liar his whole life  thats what he is, a psychopathic liar, so I take it lightly. I mean, I believe his confession  thats what weve been waiting for for so long: for him to admit that, Matt said. FILE PHOTO: Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot, who was serving a 28-year sentence in Peru after confessing to killing a 21-year-old Peruvian woman, is escorted to the airport to be extradited to the U.S., to face charges of extortion and wire fraud against the family of Natalee Holloway, in a case linked to his alleged involvement in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005, in Lima, Peru June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda/File Photo(REUTERS)

ALSO READ: Released Israeli hostage reveals why she shook hands with a Hamas gunman, 'because they...'

Speaking about Sloot's sentencing of 20 years for Natalee's murder, Matt said that he will whoop his a**, in case he ever walks out, as per TMZ. Last week Sloot confessed to murdering Natalee, revealing that in 2015, he smashed the then 18-year-old's head with a cinderblock and dragged her body out to the ocean after she snubbed his sexual advances by kneeing him in the groin, during a school trip to Aruba. The confession was part of a plea deal he made with the US prosecutors in a case for extortion and defrauding of the Holloway family.

Matt also revealed that he feels Sloot's father, who was a high-profile lawyer in Aruba at the time of the murder potentially interfered in the investigation, which is why her murder remained unsolved until now. Natalee's brother has also called out to the Aruban government to look for any potential charges against him. He also believes that his sister's killer was able to dodge the authorities due to corruption. Moreover, Natalee's half-sister Kaitlyn also revealed that her family thought Sloot was initially lying when he made the confession, as per NY Post.

Additionally, Sloot also pleaded guilty to trying to sell information about where Natalees body was buried to her mother, Beth, in exchange for $250,000. After leading the Holloway family to dead ends, he ran off to Peru, where he killed another young woman, Stephany Flores, on the fifth anniversary of Natalees death in 2010. Sloot is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for the young woman's murder. Moreover, in 2021, he was convicted of drug trafficking and was sentenced to another 18 years in prison.

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Queen Rania of Jordan has lashed out at the Western world leaders for showing glaring double standards as the death toll rises amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. Calling them complicit, she accused them of blatantly supporting Israel's attack on Hamas and aiding and abetting the killing of Palestinians. She also called Israel an apartheid regime, that occupies, oppresses and commits daily documented crimes against Palestinians. Queen Rania of Jordan smiles at the Conway Education Centre as she attends the One Young World Summit at Conway Mill in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (Liam McBurney/PA via AP)(AP)

ALSO READ: Israel-Hamas war LIVE Updates: World leaders urge to suspend conflict for allowing aid into Gaza

Israel declared a complete siege on Gaza on October 7 after the terror attacks led by Hamas militants. In the aftermath of the siege, multiple airstrikes have been launched on Gaza, leading to numerous casualties. Arguing about Israel's actions, Queen Rania said, This is the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a cease-fire, adding, So the silence is deafening and to many in our religion, it makes the western world complicitthrough their support and through the cover that they give Israel that its just right to defend itself, as per CNN.

Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but its OK to shell them to death? I mean, there is a glaring double standard here. It is just shocking to the Arab world, the Jordan monarch said. Her criticism comes after Israel's bombing of Gaza in response to the Hamas attack that left over 1400 dead. Calling the Israel-led attack a butchery, of Palestinians, she inquired, Six thousand civilians killed so far, 2,400 children  how is that self-defence? She also expressed her country's sorrow over the situation, saying, I cannot begin to describe to you the depth of the grief, the pain and the shock that we are feeling here in Jordan.

Queen Razia then went on to call out U.S. President Joe Biden over his response to the claims about babies being beheaded. She said, When the President of the United States is told that he has evidence he has seen evidence of children beheaded, only to retract it because the IDF said that there's no proof of that. That is confirmation bias, as per the Daily Mail. She also slammed CNN, saying, Even at your network Christiane, the CNN website, at the beginning of the conflict reported a headline about Israeli children found butchered in an Israeli kibbutz. And when you read through the story, that's not hasn't been independently verified.

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Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for House speaker late Tuesday, hours after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump and hardline GOP lawmakers. Rep. Mike Johnson becomes the fourth Republican nominee for House speaker after Rep. Tom Emmer withdraws. (R-LA) REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst(REUTERS)

Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee after Emmer and the others fell short in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy's ouster as GOP factions jockey for power.

Refusing to unify, far-right members wont accept a more traditional speaker and moderate conservatives dont want a hardliner. During private balloting, Johnson won a majority, but ahead of an expected House floor vote Wednesday the nominee will need almost all Republicans to win the gavel.

Mike! Mike! Mike! lawmakers chanted at a press conference afterward, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Three weeks on, the Republicans have been frittering away their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

ALSO READ| I killed 10 with my own hands, IDF reveals how a Hamas terrorist brags about killing Jews to parents on victims phone

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on. Pretty sad commentary on governance right now, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try well get this thing right.

After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans. He said later at the Capitol that Trump's opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference, he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. We'll get it done.

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his un-endorsement must have had an impact on Emmers bid.

He wasnt MAGA," said Trump, the party's front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson, who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday morning's internal ballots.

A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would giving Louisianans two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was rejected by hardliners in his own bid as speaker.

But hardliners swiftly resisted Johnson's bid and a new list of candidates emerged. Among them was Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally who ran third on the morning ballot, and a few others.

ALSO READ| Michael Cohen says he was told to boost Trump's asset values arbitrarily

In the end, Johnson won 128 votes on the evening ballot, more than any other candidate. McCarthy, who was not on the ballot, won a surprising 43 votes.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hardline Rep. Jim Jordan in a new leadership role.

It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but many said it would not fly.

I think sometimes its good to have fresh ideas and fresh people, said Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a morning roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speakers vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Having rejected the top replacements, Scalise and the Trump-backed Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Were in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Yet Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the hardliners, said, This is what democracy looks like.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

ALSO READ| This silence isdeafening, Harvard on the back foot again, now an open letter calls out anti-semitism on its campus

Coming in a steady second in the morning balloting, Johnson offered his full support to Emmer. Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Donalds and Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader and former McDonalds franchise owner who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthy's ouster, has said several of those who were running  Hern, Donalds or Johnson  would make a phenomenal choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many hardliners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.

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"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" has been widely used slogan by pro-Palestine groups. Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, this slogan is getting lot of mileage and being used freely by people protesting Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza strip region. Notably, Israel has bombarded Gaza to dismantle Hamas' terror network after the terrorists launched a co-ordinated and pre-planned attack on Southern Israel on October 7, killing hundreds of innocent civilians. In the barbaric attack, Hamas terrorists raped women, beheaded children and massacred innocent people, live streaming some of the killings. In a video, a woman explains the meaning of "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" slogan(X(formerly Twitter)/@HilzFuld)

While anti-Israel narrative grows and unaware people freely use the above mentioned slogan, a woman has taken to X(formerly Twitter) to explain its meaning, highlighting that it is a "genocide call" against Israelis. Her emotional video has gone viral.

Meaning of the slogan

In the video, the woman explains that "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" means a call to wipe out Jews from the Jordan river(West Bank) to the Mediterranean Sea(Israel's coastal areas) and thus end the existence of Israel which is the only Jewish majority country in the world.

Hamas' terror on own people

Talking about Hamas, the woman highlights that the group didn't allow elections in the Gaza region since coming to power in 2006. She explains that even the people in Gaza were fed up with the terrorist activity of Hamas. But Hamas was able to rule by intimidation and suppression of voices against it in Gaza. She claimed that Hamas killed its political opponents.

In the video, the woman also highlights the humanitarian and pro-Palestine efforts of Israel ever since the country left Gaza in 2005. She claims, " 500000 Gazans cross to Israel every single day to work. Let me make something very, very clear. Since Israel left Gaza in 2005, Israel does not owe S**t to Gaza."

ALSO READ| Cruise ship passenger recalls horrifying experience of water entering her cabin- Watch

The woman explains how Hamas makes the local people in Gaza vulnerable by hiding arms and ammunitions in schools, homes, hospitals etc.

"If you want Gaza to be free, you support Israel annihilating Hamas and freeing them...the people of Gaza. Once Gaza is free of Hamas, there will be peace," says the woman.

Wake up call for those supporting Hamas

"Wake up already. These terrorists[Hamas] are using your values against you. They are hiding in their terror tunnels right now alongside 199 hostages. These are not freedom fighters. These are bloodthirsty monsters. Stop chanting these empty empty slogans and wake up to see what is right in front of you," pleads the woman.

"If you truly want peace, you stand with Israel," says the woman while concluding her emotional video.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, thousands of lives have been lost on both sides.
The world is heading towards a series of environmental "tipping points" that could cause irreversible damage to water supplies and other life-sustaining systems, the research arm of the United Nations warned on Wednesday. An iceberg melting.(AFP)

Climate change and the overuse of resources have put the world on the brink of six interconnected tipping points that "could trigger abrupt changes in our life-sustaining systems and shake the foundation of societies," the UN University's Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) said.

"Once these thresholds are passed, the system fails to function as it normally would, and you get new risks cascading out, and these new risks can transfer to other systems," said UNU-EHS researcher Jack O'Connor, lead author of the report.

"We should be expecting these things to happen because in certain areas they are happening already."

The Interconnected Disaster Risks report, published ahead of COP28 climate talks next month, identified accelerating rates of extinction, groundwater depletion, glacial melt and extreme heat as the major interconnected threats.

It warned that 1 million plants and animals could be wiped out "within decades", with the loss of key species to "trigger cascading extinctions of dependent species" and raise the likelihood of ecosystem collapse.

Many of the world's biggest aquifers are already depleting faster than they can be replenished, with Saudi Arabia, India and the United States already facing grave risks. Run-offs from glacial melt are also set to decline.

"Heat is causing us to extract more of that groundwater because of drought," said Caitlyn Eberle, another lead author. "Many of those glaciers in the Rocky Mountains, the Himalayas and the Andes feed into these rivers and groundwater systems, so as those glaciers disappear there is less water available."

The researchers also warned of the growing risks posed by space debris, with collisions set to render the earth's orbit "unusable" and make future space activity - including satellite monitoring of environmental threats - impossible.

In another tipping point, worsening climate hazards are now making insurance unaffordable, with half a million homes in Australia alone set to be uninsurable by 2030, they said.

"Once this point is passed, people are left without an economic safety net when disasters strike," the report said.

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Club Med has announced the development of Club Med Gramado, the brand's first Exclusive Collection (5-Star) resort in South America and the fourth resort in Brazil. The resort will open in 2025 in Rio Grande do Sul, one of the most attractive regions in the country, known for its dramatic canyons, gastronomy, wine, and lively local culture. The climate is warm in the summer and snowy in the winter, offering picturesque backdrops for weddings and events. Gramado is the third most visited destination in South America, with a new national airport set to open nearby to accommodate the growing demand. The new resort will expand the international reach of this already beloved destination and reinforce the brand's commitment to providing unforgettable vacations in unique places for locals and tourists alike.

Hotel website
C Lazy U Ranch, Colorado's premier luxury guest ranch getaway, announces the appointment of Jeremy Belnap as general manager, starting Nov. 1. As general manager, Belnap will oversee the property management, manage staff members and ensure that C Lazy U Ranch remains an unforgettable vacation destination.

With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Belnap joins the C Lazy U Ranch team after spending nearly a decade as a general manager at other top-rated luxury guest ranches including The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana and Magee Homestead, part of the Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection in Wyoming. During Belnap's tenure at these properties, Magee Homestead was initiated into the Relais & Chateaux collection and achieved and maintained a five-star rating; and both The Ranch at Rock Creek and The Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection received notable recognition by several national media organizations.

Early in his career, Belnap worked in multiple leadership roles covering all areas of hospitality - from director of room operations and director of services to front office manager - at Marriott Hotels and Resorts in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Park City, Utah, as well as at Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront of the Marriott Autograph Collection in Savannah, Georgia, part of the Kessler Collection.

Born in Litchfield, New Hampshire, Jeremy graduated from Methodist University in North Carolina with a bachelor's degree in hospitality, restaurant and resort management.
In the recent divisional announcement, Bhagwan Balani a seasoned luxury hospitality operator with over 28 years of Industry experience is promoted as the General Manager for the iconic ITC Maratha, Luxury Collection Hotel in Mumbai.

Mumbai-native at heart and a decorated alumnus of Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Catering & Management & Welingkar Institute of Management, Bhagwan has led multiple luxury hotels as General Manager for the last 10 years. He enhanced his hotel education with a major in Marketing Management as it was a subject of special interest to him. Having worked with the Leela, Hyatt and Hilton group in the past, Bhagwan's strength lies in upholding the luxury standards of operations for discerning travellers; while pivoting the profitable business performance.

In the proven journey through 5 years of holding General Manager's office with ITC Hotels in form of two major assignments namely ITC Grand Goa Resort & Spa conversion and ITC Grand Central Mumbai operations, Bhagwan will now lead the dynamic luxury team at ITC Maratha to drive the proposition of a preferred Business-Leisure hotel with the highest environmental stewardship LEED certification and an urban mecca for 'Destination Dining' in Mumbai.

Bhagwan will focus on steering the team to drive revenue and maintain the property's reputation of being trusted Indian hospitality brand with 22 years of operational excellence, while ensuring guest satisfaction remain a priority for the ITC Maratha, Luxury Collection Hotel Mumbai.

His recent accolades include Mumbai's Best General Managers by CMO Asia in July 2023, Top Most Hospitality Icons as General Manager by World Leadership Congress & Awards in March 2022, citation by Hospitality Superstars hosted by World Federation of Hospitality Professionals & Stars of the Industry Group in February 2018, February 2019 as well as February 2020. Being highly performance driven with guest service delivery & people management he was also recognized as the Best General Manager by Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards 2017. In his tenure, the hotels have acquired several honors at Global Spa Awards, World Luxury Hotel Awards, Conde Nast Traveler Readers Travel Awards, GeoSpa Asia Spa India Awards to name a few.
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Power as the new General Manager. Power brings two decades of hospitality experience to his new role.

Prior to joining The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Power served as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, where he led the hotel in exceeding top line and GOP to budget in 2022, as well as saw the property achieve #1 hotel rankings in San Francisco within several coveted travel publications. His extensive background in hospitality has also seen him serve in numerous other hotel management positions within the Marriott International family of brands, including at W Los Angeles - West Beverly Hills and SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel. Additionally, Power brings years of experience serving as Director of Food and Beverage across several luxury hotel and resort properties, including the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel; The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba; and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas.

As he steps into his new role with The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Power looks forward to spearheading strategies to achieve the property's 2024 sales and revenue goals, while overseeing the resort's renowned operations across the board. Carrying forward the resort's reputation as serving as Miami's Best Address, Power will play an integral role in shepherding the standards of service and hospitality excellence synonymous with the St. Regis brand.

Power holds several Masters Certificates from Cornell University in Revenue Management, Asset Management and Digital Marketing. He also graduated from Dickinson College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Minor in Environmental studies.
ATLANTA  Clark Atlanta University (CAU), the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the southern United States, and IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the worlds leading hotel companies, hosted an event earlier this month highlighting the importance of corporate HBCU partnerships to support student success. Together with CAU students and leaders, IHG announced it would again renew its commitment to CAU as a Premier Corporate Partner for 2024 and unveiled a renovated student lounge at the School of Business.

During the event, students participated in an engaging Q&A panel discussion with Clark Atlanta University President Dr. George T. French, Jr., Dean of the School of Business Dr. Silvanus J. Udoka, and IHG CEO of the Americas Jolyon Bulley who shared valuable insights on pursuing fulfilling careers, embodying leadership traits and taking risks.

Courtney English, Chief Policy Officer and Senior Advisor to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, attended and underscored the importance of the Atlanta business communitys support of both local HBCUs and the students educational and career pathways will ultimately ensure that Atlanta's diverse economy prospers.

Corporate partnerships with forward-thinking companies like IHG help contribute to the success of Clark Atlanta University students. Fridays event was a great example of how the business community can support HBCUs and introduce new career opportunities to students who are ready to excel. I would like to thank IHG for its continued commitment to CAU and helping to forge a path for the next generation of leaders. Dr. George French, President, Clark Atlanta University

The students at Clark Atlanta University have shown so much, energy, passion, and aspiration to learn and be great leaders. Were pleased to continue partnering with CAU and open even more doors to opportunity for diverse students. The talent and potential of these young professionals is clear to see, and I look forward to having more of them come through IHGs doors. Jolyon Bulley, CEO, Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts

As a Premier Corporate Partner to CAU, IHG supports students academic experiences in a variety of ways, including preparing students for interviews and resume building as part of the schools annual career week, and IHG also recruits CAU students for internship and full-time employment opportunities. Since the partnership was announced, IHG has invited six CAU students to intern within the organization and hired two CAU graduates in full-time positions at IHGs Americas headquarters. Additionally, IHG looks forward to offering students access to its IHG Skills Academy virtual learning platform featuring resources for professional skill development and careers in hospitality.

The CAU and IHG partnership also is part of IHGs broader pledge to make meaningful progress on its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments. For more information on IHGs commitments to Listen & Learn, Advocate and Act, visit ihg.com/standtogether.

About IHG

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Katie Shuford

IHG
AMSTERDAM - Katanox, a leading travel accommodation distribution and fintech platform and a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), is now available on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace and can be integrated with OPERA Cloud Hospitality Platform via the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP).

Katanox is one of the first to build a connection between its B2B platform and Oracle OPERA Cloud using OPERA Cloud Distribution APIs, supported by OHIP. Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a centralized repository of enterprise applications offered by Oracle and Oracle partners.

With OPERA Cloud and the Katanox platform, hotels and travel management companies can connect directly, enabling hotels to control their own business and distribution of room inventory with more transparency.

Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a one-stop shop for Oracle customers seeking trusted business applications offering unique business solutions, including ones that extend Oracle Cloud Applications.

Oracle Cloud is an enterprise cloud that delivers massive, non-variable performance and next-generation security across a comprehensive portfolio of services including SaaS, application development, application hosting, and business analytics.

Customers get access to leading computing, storage, data management, security, integration, HPC, artificial intelligence (AI), and Blockchain services to augment and modernize their critical workloads. Oracle Cloud runs Oracle Autonomous Database, the industry's first and only self-driving database.

When it comes to creating an open, transparent and fair hospitality distribution ecosystem, collaboration is paramount in achieving these goals. Katanoxs participation in Oracle Cloud Marketplace further extends our commitment to the Oracle community and enables customers to easily reap the benefits of Katanox. We look forward to leveraging the power of Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud to help us achieve our business goals. Mendel Senf, CEO and Co-founder, Katanox

About Katanox

Katanox is a travel accommodation distribution and fintech platform that brings together travel sellers and travel accommodation providers. Katanox facilitates the distribution of travel accommodation inventory and payments. The platform aims to unlock 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.

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracles partner program designed to enable partners to accelerate the transition to the cloud and drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that build, service or sell Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers can expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork.

Trademark

Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud companyushering in the new era of cloud computing.

Katanox contact

Maartje van Ours

Connectivity Partner Development

[email protected]

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Big winners at the red carpet World Travel Awards (WTA) Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2023 included the paradise nation of the Maldives, emerging as winner of Indian Oceans Leading Destination as well as Indian Oceans Leading Tourist Board. Kenya was named Africas Leading Destination. The thriving South African hub Durban took the coveted title of Africas Leading Meetings & Conference Destination.

The gala WTA reception was held at Dubais new landmark resort, Atlantis Royal, with tourism royalty travelling from across Africa and the Indian Ocean to find out which organisations had won the coveted titles.

Cape Town collected the honour of Africas Leading City Destination, and Tanzanias Ngorongoro Conservation Area won Africa's Leading Tourist Attraction. Indian Oceans Leading Wedding Destination went to Mauritius, while Indian Oceans Leading Honeymoon Destination was claimed by Seychelles. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club was voted Africas Leading Hotel.

It has been a privilege to welcome our winners from across Africa and the Indian Ocean for our 30th anniversary celebrations in Dubai. The incredible evening will live long in everyones memory. Our winners represent stellar examples of tourism excellence, and I congratulate each and every one for helping to raise the collective benchmark to even greater heights. Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA

In the aviation sector, big winners included Ethiopian Airlines with the titles of Africa's Leading Airline and Africa's Leading Airline - Business Class. Kenya Airways was voted Africa's Leading Airline - Economy Class. Air Mauritius claimed Indian Oceans Leading Airline and Trans Maldivian Airways was named Indian Oceans Leading Seaplane Operator.

In the newcomer categories, Moroccos Fairmont Taghazout Bay was named Africas Leading New Hotel and Emerald Zanzibar Resort & Spa hailed. Africa's Leading New Resort. Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa, Maldives was voted Indian Oceans Leading New Resort. Travel provider winners included Get Into Maldives Travels (Indian Oceans Leading Luxury Tour Operator).

Find more information and a full list of winners on the official WTA website.

About World Travel Awards

WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the WTA brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Each year, WTA covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.

WTA gala ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.

For more information about WTA visit worldtravelawards.com.

World Travel Awards

+44 (0) 20 7925 0000

World Travel Awards

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Working in the hospitality industry can be incredibly fulfilling, especially if you have an inclination to provide exceptional service and create memorable experiences for guests. As a restaurant manager, you will have the opportunity to oversee the day-to-day activities of the restaurant, ensuring smooth operations and delivering a high standard of service.

Are you passionate about working in the dynamic and rewarding hospitality industry? Do you dream of stepping into a management role in a bustling restaurant? If so, you're likely wondering, "What skills are necessary to become a successful restaurant manager and how can I acquire them?" This article aims to answer all of your questions and set you on the right path to fulfilling your dream career as a Restaurant Manager.

What does a Restaurant Manager do?

A restaurant manager is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the restaurant. Restaurant management is an enriching career for those who like a fast-paced environment and a lot of variety in their job role. The hospitality industry is laden with lots of opportunities that you can grab and use to make a name for yourself.

The Restaurant Manager's duties include:

Recruiting, training, and supervising staff.

Designing staff schedules, sign-off hours, and overseeing payroll.

Ensuring the front bar and the kitchen are well-stocked.

Ensuring compliance with licensing, hygiene, and health and safety legislation.

Ensuring that the company rules and protocols are followed.

Managing budgets and submitting profitability reports.

Promoting and marketing the business.

Attending meetings and contributing to how to increase the restaurant's profits.

Handling customer inquiries and complaints.

Taking reservations.

Having input on the menu.

Greeting and advising customers.

Implementing strategies to enhance the overall operations of the business and cultivating the growth and expansion of the restaurant.

Working in the hospitality industry often means that your working hours may be long and irregular, especially if you are employed by a smaller or specialized restaurant. It is common for you to work shifts and also be required to cover additional roles as needed.

MORE ARTICLES

What does a Hotel Manager do? Event Management careers: everything you need to know How to decide on a career? 10 essential questions to ask yourself What is the Hospitality Industry? All your questions answered

How to Become a Restaurant Manager

Breaking into the role of Restaurant Manager directly from education is not the norm. This senior position requires a deep understanding of the entire restaurant operations, which is best gained through hands-on experience in various roles such as serving, working in the kitchen, and tending the bar. By immersing yourself in these interconnected parts of the restaurant business, you'll gain invaluable insights into the challenges and be well-prepared for a management role.

You will also be able to stand-in to cover for any unforeseen staff shortages and you'll be able to train in new staff members independently. To excel as a restaurant manager, you need a mixture of both hard and soft skills and following this trajectory, paired with higher education, is one way to learn those skills land your dream job as a Restaurant Manager.

Education Requirements

You dont necessarily need a degree to become a restaurant manager, but a qualification in business studies, catering, or hospitality management will most certainly give you an advantage. Especially if you're interested in a position within more complex or high-level restaurant businesses where the opportunity to have more responsibility and earn a higher salary is more likely.

Practical experience is essential in this field. You can gain this through hospitality, catering or customer service work. Alternatively, an internship will also give you an edge when applying to a Restaurant Manager position.

Restaurant Manager career outlook

The outlook for Restaurant Managers is fairly positive at the moment as a labor shortage means they are in high demand. Whilst the uncertain economic outlook is putting a squeeze on hospitality businesses in general, they understand the importance of a great manager who can help maximize efficiencies and drive profits.

What's more, those candidates with strong soft skills in addition to the hard skills required to do the job will be highly sought after by restaurant and hospitality bosses in an era of labor and skills shortages.

Restaurant Manager salary

The salary of a Restaurant Manager varies quite drastically depending on a number of factors, chiefly including country and location, the candidate's level of education and experience, and the type and caliber of the restaurant.

Salaries are likely to be higher in capitals and metropolitan cities and in luxury or specialty restaurants, as well as in fine dining or luxury establishments or within 5-star hotels, as opposed to fast food or casual dining restaurants. According to jobs site Indeed, the average salary of a Restaurant Manager in the US is $58,082 per year, they might also benefit from sharing tips and on-shift meals. In Switzerland, the average salary is CHF 91,568 per year, and in Singapore $71,400.

Soft skills vs. hard skills in the hospitality industry

Hard skills are specific teachable skills that can be proven through certifications, diplomas, or degrees. Soft skills are based on emotional, social, and communication skills that cannot be measured and can be gained through experience.

Hard skills are technical skills you require for a select job position in the hospitality industry. If you are applying for a housekeeping job, you will need to know cleaning products and cleaning procedures. If you are applying for a restaurant manager position, you may need skills such as food and beverage management, commercial acumen, and human resource management.

Even though you have technical skills for the job, you must have soft skills such as communication know-how, being a good problem solver, and remaining calm in hectic situations. In addition, having time management skills and the ability to work with a team are essential soft skills that you need in your hospitality career. Other soft skills worth cultivating are having a solid work ethic, maintaining a positive attitude, and controlling your emotions.

What soft skills does a Restaurant Manager need?

1. Excellent communication skills

Strong communication skills are essential in the hospitality industry. As a restaurant manager, having excellent communication skills helps you become a great leader. Each day you will be dealing with people from different backgrounds, ages, gender, and nationalities. Advisably, communicate clearly and understandably.

Clear communication gives employees a sense of belonging to the organization. When employees feel they can be heard and communicate with their supervisors, they feel a part of the business and are more motivated to work.

Clear communication is essential in a restaurant where stress levels can be high during peak periods. Also, communicating effectively with customers helps build a good relationship, encouraging them to return to your restaurant.

2. Problem-solving and conflict-management skills

Problem-solving and conflict management skills serve a vital role in the restaurant management position. Conflicts can cost an organization a lot, loss of profits in lost time, lower productivity, and poor decision-making. If you can communicate effectively and build a teamwork spirit, you are more likely to lower the number of conflicts in your restaurant.

In case of conflicts, listen to both parties and develop a fair solution to solve the matter. In addition, a restaurant manager will need to solve problems between customers and staff. For example, if a customer complains about their room, you can offer something like free drinks while waiting for another guest to check out. This will help you avoid conflicts and keep your customers happy. You need to think quickly and come up with the best solution before the matter escalates

3. Positive attitude

Restaurant managers need to maintain a positive attitude towards their jobs. A positive attitude is not only about plastering a cheesy smile on your face or trying to be nice to everyone in your restaurant. It is about fostering a workplace culture that promotes excellence and success.

In simple terms, positive and supportive managers keep their staff engaged. And happy employees are highly productive employees. A LinkedIn Poll found that the number one skill of a restaurant manager is a friendly personality.

Focusing on positivity, especially during stressful moments in the restaurant, which is very common in restaurants, will inspire staff to work harder, reduce turnover, and increase your restaurant's profits. Train your mind to see positivity in every situation and you will grow a more positive attitude.

4. Attention to detail

From establishing budgets, setting tables, and spotting which ingredients have reached their expiry date in the kitchen, there are a lot of small yet important details that restaurant managers should have their eyes on. Although it can be challenging to keep track of everything, attention to detail is crucial as a restaurant manager.

It is essential to train yourself to analyze all situations and be attentive to details. You can make use of apps and software for inventory and budgeting to help you stay organized. Paying attention to details will help you stay organized and prevent minor stuff from slipping through the cracks.

5. Multitasking skills

To become a successful restaurant manager, flexibility is critical. There is no such thing as a quiet day in the office, the day is always hectic, and you need to handle several tasks at the same time. It is always good to plan for your schedule each day.

You may start your day in the office, then head out to greet customers or engage with vendors on the same day. You must be able to balance taking up different roles on the same day and ensuring everything is running perfectly in the restaurant. Also, you need to be able to handle pressure and always remain composed even when things are chaotic. When you are flexible, you become an important asset to your restaurant.

6. Team spirit

As cheesy as it sounds, teamwork makes the dream work. Working well with others and creating a comfortable working environment is very crucial as a restaurant manager. Leaders should lead by example, and as a restaurant manager, you should strive to create a collaborative environment for your staff.

Working as a team player with your staff helps them see your commitment to the restaurant and to them. In addition, as you work with your staff, you connect and learn more about them and what they do. Given the high turnover rates in the hospitality industry, teamwork can be challenging. Thus, you will have to get used to seeing new faces now and then. However, teamwork is beneficial, especially during busy periods.

7. Adept language skills

Another soft skill that is important for restaurant managers is language skills. If you can learn more languages commonly spoken around your region, you can communicate effectively with people who walk through your restaurant's door and need your service. This will put you in high demand.

Multilingual professionals are beneficial in the hospitality industry because guests from outside your culture can visit your restaurant. Thus, you are most likely to interact with customers who do not speak English as their first language.

8. Cultural awareness skills

While working in the restaurant business, many customers you will come across or people you will work with will be from different countries. This means you will interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Thus, you need to be culturally aware and adopt norms from cultures different from your own.

Your customers or staff will have beliefs, perceptions, and values different from yours, so it is essential to consider this when interacting with customers and staff. Learning about other cultures can help you respond to cultural differences appropriately.

When you understand the values and beliefs of people you encounter, you can craft a customer experience that promotes trust and comfort. Ensure every customer visiting your restaurant and staff is happy regardless of their cultural beliefs and background.

9. Take criticism well

As a restaurant manager, you need to learn how to deal with criticism and learn from feedback. Each time a customer comes to complain to you, you have an opportunity to practice this skill. Even when the complaint feels unfair or unwanted, you can learn from the feedback. This will allow you to improve your restaurant's customer experience and attract more guests.

Do you have the required skills to become a restaurant manager?

True to the saying, great leaders are not born; they are made. You can easily acquire both the soft and hard skills you need to become a restaurant manager.

If you have been working in the hospitality industry for a while, by now you probably have the soft skills needed to become a restaurant manager. But it takes a perfect balance of the above-outlined skills to become a professional restaurant manager.

About EHL Group

EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector.

With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com

EHL Hospitality Business School

Communications Department

+41 21 785 1354

EHL

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Nashville - Guesty, the leading hospitality operations platform, is proud to announce the expansion of its accounting solution  Guesty Accounting  which now enables hospitality businesses to comply with North Carolina Trust Accounting (NCTA) regulations. With this announcement and a slew of innovative product transformations, Guesty is redefining financial management for property managers and setting a new industry standard for hospitality accounting solutions.

By facilitating strict compliance with North Carolina Trust Accounting regulations, Guesty gives customers the confidence they need in their operations to ensure they are meeting the highest legal standards. Additionally, Guesty Accounting fosters stronger, more transparent relationships with property owners.

With our recent product innovations in accounting, Guesty has truly achieved an industry gold standard. Guestys customers can rely on our platform to effortlessly navigate the complexities of financial management, ensuring peace of mind and enabling them to focus on optimizing their rental operations and fostering owner trust. Nadav Ravid, Guestys Director of Product Management

In addition to enabling NCTA compliance, Guesty Accounting has been redesigned with an intuitive interface that simplifies complex accounting tasks and automates processes in order to reduce the potential for human error. The result is pristine financial records, and time and resources saved. Another stand-apart innovation in the expanded product is that it enables end-to-end cash management control, offering comprehensive oversight of cash flow, from initial guest payment to final owner payout. Enhanced financial security measures, including locking accounting periods and systematic fund disbursement, ensure accuracy and integrity in financial reporting.

Guesty is committed to continuous innovation, ensuring that users have access to the fastest rate of feature releases in the industry so they can compete in a tough market and stay ahead of the curve. At Guesty, we invest every resource we have back into developing advanced technology and the result is solutions, like Accounting, that ensure businesses of every inventory type and every size stay relevant and are able to adapt in the fast-paced hospitality sector. Amiad Soto, Guestys CEO and co-founder

Guesty Accounting's dynamic scalability supports businesses of all sizes, adapting to varying financial needs and evolving alongside company growth. Personalized reporting capabilities allow businesses to reflect their unique financial journeys and strategies, providing insights aligned with specific goals and practices.

Guesty Accounting is not only a game-changer for vacation rental and property managers, but also a glimpse into the future of financial management in the hospitality industry, adds Amiad Soto. The platform's commitment to compliance, automation, user empowerment, and continuous innovation positions Guesty as the indispensable solution for the next generation of hospitality financial management.

For more information about Guestys expanded accounting solution, please visit guesty.com.

About Guesty

Guesty is the all-in-one platform for hospitality businesses to automate and optimize every aspect of their operations. With purpose-built technology, industry-wide expertise, and an R&D team of 200+ engineers, Guesty ensures that hospitality businesses can streamline and achieve growth, while delivering the best value to guests. With a complete suite of features and 150+ industry partners, including major booking OTAs like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Expedia, Hopper, Google Travel, Home & Villas by Marriot, and many more, Guesty is transforming the hospitality industry with innovative solutions. Today, Guesty has 15 offices and 700+ team members across the globe. For more information visit guesty.com.

Inbal Naveh Safir

Director of Corporate Marketing
A smart observer once noted the difference between "service" and "hospitality" is the difference between being "well run" and being "well loved."

While it is a fine accomplishment to earn a guest's, "They always do a nice job" endorsement, it is far better to inspire an effusive, "I absolutely LOVE that property  their team understands us and always provides just the right touch at the right time."

Excellent service requires well-defined and reliably followed protocols. Hospitality adds empathy, personal connections and teams empowered to act outside of protocols when warranted.

Service elevates to hospitality when, while interacting, you change for the better how guests feel. Instead of executing transactions, you form relationships. Guests feel understood and valued.

Actionable data - and systems that reveal it - enable practitioners to transform remarkable service into memorable hospitality. Robust guest profiles, smart property management systems that can access guest preferences across locations and amenities, and analysis systems that coalesce guests' behaviors with financial returns can inform employees' actions in real time to guide them in providing "just the right touch at the right time."

Imagine a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary with you. They've reserved their favorite window table at your fine-dining restaurant. Known for impeccable service, your protocol honors reservations no longer than 10 minutes past the booking, in the interest of serving everyone. Your host answers a call and hears a frantic list of obstacles delaying this couple by 20 minutes. Your information system reveals a robust and profitable guest profile along with the special occasion attached to this reservation. Instead of politely sharing the 10-minute limit, your host assures it will be his pleasure to honor the reservation.

Upon arrival, the couple is astonished to see the popular window table remains theirs. A server arrives with wine. They exclaim, "Oh, that's not ours!" Your server says, "You've had a stressful day and it's your 50th anniversary. Congratulations! This is your favorite wine and it's on us!" Although protocol dictates presenting menus when seating guests, she adds, "Unless you prefer otherwise, why don't you relax and enjoy your wine before I bring menus and review specials? Although I will share now that we are serving the lamb you enjoyed on your last visit."

The couple's tension visibly diffuses. Your team has gone beyond remarkable service to create a memorable hospitality moment this couple will post in reviews and repeat every time they recount their 50th anniversary story.

Empowering Employees to Deliver Beyond Service

Rules certainly have reasons  especially when it comes to a property's safety and operational efficiency  but there are times when hotel employees should be able to create experiences beyond those dictated by typical service protocols.

When hotel employees are equipped with robust guest profiles and real-time systems, they can confidently spot "hospitality moments" perfect for creating memorable experiences, plus they have the discernment to understand when adding "something extra" will benefit both guests and the property. Guests who are likely to become enthusiastic champions appreciate the hotel team for anticipating their preferences when there isn't a problem, and if difficulties arise, they are eager to share satisfactory resolutions with others. When employees can make "hospitality interventions" without waiting for approval or asking a manager to step in, they put your property on a path to being "well loved."

Equipping employees with technology that delivers guest insights is a first step in empowering autonomous decisions that benefit guests while also ensuring financial and loyalty returns for the property. Without such systems, your team is left only with standard protocols to guide decisions. They might not realize that late-arriving guests have a profile your property is courting, nor that the reservation was in response to a highly targeted promotional offer to celebrate an important occasion. The special front-end courtship created by profile-driven marketing can be shattered by a not-so-special arrival experience in which niceties expected aren't delivered.

Employees following typical protocols for late arrivals will not have technically done anything incorrectly. But lacking insight, they will have failed to deliver the promise of your promotion. Instead, consider a scenario informed by modern hospitality systems.

Your guests arrive late due to travel delays, but your hotel's property management system has flagged them as responders to a promotional campaign and has brought this information to the staff's attention. They access the guests' profiles and see they are celebrating a very special occasion and anticipate they will be exhausted and frustrated upon arrival. The team holds their suite, arranges for fresh flowers and a bottle of champagne (the same vintage they enjoyed on their 20th anniversary at a sister property) to be waiting in their room  all at no charge. The restaurant booking system and team are notified that the couple will be delayed, and flags their table to remain reserved along with the special chef's tasting they booked.

Upon arrival, the exhausted couple is greeted with a smile in the lobby, where a staff member checks them in on a mobile device while explaining how the hotel's digital keys operate and offering them a warm towel and a welcome beverage (selected based on stored preferences). The guests receive a text from the restaurant assuring them that their table will be ready when they have had a chance to freshen up and make their way to the restaurant.

They receive genuine, warm wishes for their special occasion from the restaurant team, enjoy a table-side visit from the chef, and relish an amazing dinner followed by a personalized signature dessert. They receive a far better experience than they expected after multiple delays and a late arrival  and they look forward to what the next day will bring from this incredible resort team who absolutely turned their day around.

Information Plus Culture Is the Key

Even when modern information systems are in place, without a culture that supports distributed decision-making, teams are not empowered to deliver true hospitality. "Depending on who's managing what, even if the person wants to do something for you, their hands may be tied," said Mehmet Erdem, an associate professor of hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "There are limitations because they can not go above corporate rules."

The most successful properties provide employees with the tools they need to effectively do their jobs, elevate their job satisfaction, and deliver "hospitality moments" beyond service protocols. When properties empower their team members to elevate guest experiences without having to wait for approval or notify a manager, they create confident employees equipped to ensure each guest has a memorable time.

Making employee empowerment a cultural cornerstone is one highly effective way to encourage your teams to find ways to elevate service to hospitality. As one global brand notes on its Leadership Center website, "If you trust your employees to care for your clients, guests and patients, they really will."

A winning strategy is to combine a culture that attracts the strongest talent with property technology that enables them to know their guests better and anticipate opportunities to delight them.

The well-known hospitality management school, Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL) noted with respect to creating unique guest experiences, "It takes a sort of insider knowledge of what opportunities can be created, how to set them up, and how the experience can be upgraded to reflect the guest's personal preferences and style. For example, a guest in Hawaii might want to learn to surf. There are many qualified surf instructors, but only a talented hotel manager can put together a sunrise surf expedition followed by a traditional Hawaiian lunch on a remote offshore island: an unforgettable experience."

"By adding in as many personal touches as possible and using the network that you have worked hard to create, you can take something as simple as a request for a surfing lesson and give it the power to have a true impact on guests' memories. When you do this consistently, with all types of requests, you truly set your hotel apart in terms of the luxury experience delivered."

For your property to stand out, you must provide consistent, elevated experiences. Doing so requires dedicated, empowered employees who enjoy their jobs, have the ability to connect with their guests, and have information at their fingertips to anticipate and exceed guest expectations.

The right technology is one crucial element required to empower employees to understand and connect with their guests. A culture that trusts employees to autonomously elevate service to hospitality through personalized experiences is just as essential as you evolve from being "well run" to "well loved."

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com.

About Agilysys

Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point of sale (POS) and inventory and procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and for employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are selectively combined in Hospitality Solution Studios tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs. Agilysys operates across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and India with headquarters located in Alpharetta, GA. For more information visit Agilysys.com

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Sustainable Tourism Global Center and WTTC Unveil Pioneering Global Research on Travel & Tourism

Landmark Environmental Research Disclosed for 185 Countries, Reflecting Depth of the Travel & Tourism Sectors Global Influence

In a defining moment for the global Travel & Tourism sector, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) initiated by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia today released the latest industry-shaping Environmental Impact Research data.



Last year, during the WTTC Global Summit in Riyadh, the two organizations launched the collaboration and unveiled the inaugural results including the sectors accurate greenhouse gas emissions for the first time ever.



This represents the most comprehensive environmental data in Travel & Tourisms history.



H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, said:



We welcome this joint report initiated by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and WTTC, as an invaluable resource for decision makers around the world. It provides vital insights and unique impactful environmental research into how Travel & Tourism has both an influence on climate change and how it is affected by it.



Our research highlights the consistent decline of emissions intensity of Travel & Tourism over the last decade. Whilst the sectors GDP growth averaged 4.3% annually, emissions only grew by 2.5% annually between 2010-2019 Still, the continued commitment to achieve net zero emissions for the Travel and Tourism sector has never been more important.



We firmly believe Travel & Tourism is part of the solution and that is why Saudi Arabia has taken a leading role to accelerate and track this change to promote sustainability across the sector, protect nature and support communities.



Todays launch not only tells the sectors direct impact, but also its supply chain impacts, both within national borders and those that are embedded in Travel & Tourisms international supply chains.



The groundbreaking ER data covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures.



Building upon WTTCs world-renowned Economic Impact Research, this initiative introduces individualized factsheets for each country and major global regions, and a dedicated microsite allowing users to explore the data in detail.



Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: Today marks a pivotal moment for the global Travel & Tourism sector. Through this data, we are highlighting the sector's multi-dimensional impact  economically, environmentally, and societally.



We're talking about a vision that sees beyond tourism and leans into its sustainable future. With this data, we are not just reflecting on where we are now, but actively charting our course for a future where the sector progressively reduces its environmental footprint and boosts its social impact.



H.E. Gloria Guevara, Chief Special Advisor of the Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, said:

There is no doubt that this joint report between the Saudi Ministry of Tourisms STGC and WTTC is a major milestone for the global Travel & Tourism sector. We are proud that Saudi Arabia has stepped up to become part of the solution. The STGC will unite the sector to accelerate the transition to a net-zero world, while protecting nature and supporting communities. Our mission is to be the leading global center for sustainable Travel & Tourism, delivering impact driven research, stakeholder-centric services, and tangible end-to-end solutions.

As an industry, we are responsible for 8.1% of all carbon emissions globally, rising on average 2.5% a year between 2010 and 2019. However, global Travel & Tourisms GDP grew at an average of 4.3% per year, indicating the link between our sectors growth and its carbon footprint has been loosened.

Now for the first time we have the data which enables us to properly quantify the sectors global emissions and identify and track which measures will work so we can map our journey towards a net zero future.

Arnold Donald Chairman of WTTC said, This first of its kind, in-depth report is a significant contribution to ensuring the inclusive, sustainable growth of the sector. Through its sponsorship, Its yet another example of how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is leading in so many ways in advancing global Travel and Tourism.



The data converges economic metrics with crucial issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and composition, freshwater use, air pollution and resource use as well as age, gender, and wage profiles of different employments, as well as harmonised indicators across a wide range of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.



The comprehensive data reveals the nexus between each dollar generated by Travel & Tourism in the economy and its consequential environmental and social impact.



Key highlights from the research include:



Environmental Impact (highlights):



 The Travel & Tourism sector demonstrates an impressive trend of decoupling its environmental footprint from its GDP growth.

 Key achievements include reductions in the intensity of water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and material extraction.

 Travel & Tourisms share of global energy consumption amounted to 10.6% in 2019

 The sector represented 0.9% of total global water consumption in 2019

 Travel & Tourisms material footprint accounts for 5-8% of global material extraction

 The reports monitoring extends to pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and nitrogen oxides, among others.



Importantly, the data tracks the sector's performance towards 15 UN Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting its commitment to a more equitable and sustainable world.



The prime objective of this groundbreaking work is to elevate the accuracy and pertinence of sector-specific data, setting the trajectory for future initiatives and realigning with global sustainability milestones.



WTTC and STGC remain committed to cultivating cooperation and conversation among all industry stakeholders.



For detailed insights, comprehensive reports, or to delve deeper into the unveiled data, interested parties can visit here.
Hotel Technology And Employee Morale: Does Tech Enhance Or Burden Hotel Staff?

Hotel technology has become an integral aspect of the hospitality industry, exerting significant influences  both positive and negative  on daily operations. In light of persistent labor shortages following the pandemic, hotel industry employers must exercise caution in their technology implementation and management to ensure the well-being of their workforce.

For hotel tech solutions to have a positive effect overall, you need to think through every decision, from selecting the right technology partner to providing easy-to-use solutions, good training, and employee support.

By harnessing the full potential of modern technology, hoteliers ease the demands on its most valued asset: the staff. This leads to heightened job satisfaction, increased engagement, and a stronger commitment to the hotel. Naturally, a fulfilled workforce equates to top-tier guest service.

Impact On Staff Workloads

The introduction of new technology in a hotel environment is certainly a mixed bag when it comes to impacts on staff workloads. On one hand, it can streamline lots of tasks by automating procedures or reducing manual steps for complex processes. This can mean less time spent on each task, allowing employees to move through their work day quicker with less wasted time.

In fact, 64% of hotels expect automation to create new, positive opportunities for workers, and 58% of hotels expect the work environment to improve with automation.

However, complex legacy systems can create more confusion and frustration among your employees as they grapple with these hard-to-learn solutions. This not only can impact workflow efficiency, but it can also negativity affect guests' experience as well

Additionally, using technology to solve problems in different departments of your hotel means extra work for your employees. Theres no way for them to magically know how your new tech works - theyre going to have to spend time and energy learning the ropes. 4 in 10 hotel general managers place reskilling to adjust to technology among their top three workforce challenges.

Impact On Stress Levels

Its no secret that working at a hotel can be a very stressful environment. Between fixing guest complaints and unexpected issues on top of daily tasks, theres never a dull moment. But what if technology could alleviate some of this stress for everyone involved?

The right technology can certainly improve the guest experience by eliminating problems before guests can even notice. 56% of hotel general managers expect an increase in profits from a better guest experience, and building and power management systems at a Canadian hotel have already cut maintenance hours by 25%.

However, technology can also make stress levels worse. If tech is too hard to understand or unreliable, your staff might struggle to keep up and become overwhelmed. A good hotel manager needs to be prepared with a solution as soon as problems like these arise.

Impact On Job Satisfaction

When done right, hotel technology can have a very positive impact on how satisfied employees are with their jobs. Automation and software solutions can streamline processes and reduce time-consuming manual tasks for staff, freeing them up to focus on more meaningful work that adds value to the guest stay. As expertly stated in an article from eHotelier, Employee satisfaction will likely increase when staff spends time with guests rather than repeatedly clicking away between different software interfaces. This workflow leads to better efficiency, helping staff to get through their workload faster and with less stress.

But tech can also improve staff satisfaction even more directly. As an industry, we can imagine a future smart hotel where staff dont just receive help with their tasks from technology but affirmations and positive reinforcement for a job well done. For example, at the end of the shift, the employee receives a motivational message that recognizes achievements and possibly a brief survey or forum that gathers input.

With qualitative and quantitative data of a job well done each day, each employee is sure to go home proud of the work theyve done. However, some tech just simply isnt helpful. Listen to what your employees struggle to keep up with and what your guests complain about most.

For a good baseline, a September 2023 article from Deloitte stated that hotels see the most value coming from cloud computing in processing guests (29%), managing bookings (26%), and offering personalized recommendations and services (23%) in the next five years.

Communication Is Key

These days, with labor shortages, more and more roles spanning multiple departments in hotels are becoming more common, requiring a change in how information is shared. When every department is in sync, operations run smoother, and staff are more motivated. Plus, by tapping into the wealth of guest booking data, hotels can uncover fresh ways to boost revenue. Hotels can create new efficiencies by reworking their processes and sharing information through an all-in-one Property Management System.

Skywares cloud-based, unified PMS offers a solution with integrated modules and apps to support a digitalized guest journey and staff operations. This state-of-the-art technology facilitates real-time data sharing across pivotal departments, from sales to revenue management.

A strong communication strategy, supported by a hotel PMS that can integrate with other tools, is essential for achieving desired outcomes.

Hotels should ensure that their technology is working for them and simplifying processes rather than creating additional tasks.

The right technology can improve operations, purchasing, and guest service, especially as the industry adapts to a limited labor market.

The right solutions ensure that employees have the tools and resources they need when they need them, reducing downtime and frustration.

The right hotel hospitality technology serves as a catalyst, streamlining processes, reducing costs, driving growth, and cultivating an environment marked by enhanced collaboration and elevated job satisfaction. In short, a connected hotel is empowered, ready to make smart decisions, and elevate every guest's stay.

About Bob Palloni

As the Chief Operating Officer of Skyware Hospitality Systems, Bob is responsible for leading the company in corporate strategy, business development, product innovation, and market profitability. An accomplished tech developer and visionary entrepreneur, he has decades of progressive experience in all phases of lifecycle software development. Bobs strength as a strategic planner focuses on networking and application evolution, assuring continued knowledge of trends and vendor partnerships. Prior to forming Skyware, Bob was a senior developer for Visual One/Agilysys and assisted support engineers in troubleshooting customer issues for resolving database performance and networking problems. Previously, Bob also launched an IT development company, KASS Systems, providing integrated technologies to meet the business requirements for small-to medium-sized businesses.

About Skyware Hospitality Solutions

Skyware Hospitality Solutions is the industrys most innovative all-in-one hospitality technology platform trusted by leading independent hotels, resorts, RV parks, and multi-property groups. The company has reimagined the fragmented, complex legacy landscape into a visionary universe of modern, integrated solutions with limitless possibilities. With more than 30 years of hospitality technology experience, Skywares solutions are carefully curated to fit the unique needs of each property and built to respond flexibly to the demanding requirements of a fast-changing industry.

Built from the ground up to centralize and simplify operations, the end-to-end cloud-based PMS suite includes Online Booking Engine, POS, Sales and Catering, and Activity/Spa Scheduling. The easy-to-use system is up and running quickly and seamlessly, delivering a scalable, cost-effective solution that can work with or replace existing hotel systems and technology investments.

With deep industry knowledge and top-rated North American-based support, Skywares patented technology accelerates its customers' ambitions, whether to grow and transform or simply become more efficient, productive, and profitable.

Currently, over 200 unique hotel customers in over 5 countries look to Skyware for tools, technology, and world-class expert support. Founded in 2009, the privately held company is headquartered in Crestview, Florida. For more information, please visit skywaresystems.com.
an Carter, Chairman of Watches of Switzerland Group

An interview with Ian Carter, Chairman of Watches of Switzerland Group

With more than 30 years of international hospitality and retail experience, Ian Carter serves as Chairman of Watches of Switzerland Group. He was also International CEO of Hilton Worldwide and an integral part of the senior team that took Hilton Worldwide private and then public in 2013. In addition, Burberry Group, Del Friscos, Black & Decker Corporation, and GE are enterprises that have all benefited from Ians thought leadership. Connect with Ian on LinkedIn.

How do you define hospitality?

Many thinks hospitality is about travel and tourism, hotels, and restaurants. But I believe hospitality extends far beyond that. I believe hospitality is based on human interaction; people serving people with goods and services. Theres a genuine opportunity in every situation where you are selling a product or providing a service, to create a favorable impression that stays with the customer. We have the chance to provide a hospitable atmosphere. Its one where a potential guest feels relaxed and welcomed. In pure luxury, that interaction, particularly on the store level, or even in a luxury hotel, can be intimidating. This is one area where true hospitality can make all the difference. In our new Watches of Switzerland stores, for example, we have a bar which serves everything from champagne to coffee. We bring food in. We make it a place where people feel comfortable. Customers dont just walk in take a quick look and walk out. They linger. They talk with team members. We develop personal relationships that ultimately solidify the strength of our brand. For me, thats a strong demonstration of hospitality.

What is the common thread that runs through hospitality experiences, whether they happen within or outside the luxury market?

I think hospitality is ubiquitous. It may change based on the point of interaction or individuals preferences, but the reality is everyone can identify true hospitality and meaningful personal interaction. It doesnt matter whether you are staying at a Hampton Inn or Waldorf Astoria. The points of interaction may be different because of the level of service you are expecting, but genuine, personal interaction is always there. You see this in great hotels and restaurants. And when I say great, I dont mean expensive. They all exude a personal, welcoming, hospitality approach.

Of course, there are different expectations based upon where you are staying. Often, its a reflection of what you are paying. Then theres a further expectation based on the reason for your stay. The common thread, however, is the point of personal interaction. No matter what the place or purpose, the quality of human interaction is crucial for creating positive guest perceptions.

When I was CEO of Hilton International, I made it a point to visit 100 properties in my first 100 days. I wanted to get a feel for the brand. Sometimes I experienced average assets  they werent bad, but they just hadnt been recently renovated. They were good but werent fabulous in the context of the whole competitive set. But they had fabulous people and personal interaction. And for me, an average asset with fantastic people always wins over a fantastic asset with average people. When you have people who love to do what they do, you feel it. Hospitality always wins.

What does innovation in hospitality mean?

Innovation can come from anywhere. Look at Uber, which is nothing more than a smart app that brought together unused capacity in what was traditionally the taxi industry. Its success reinforces my belief that innovation must be useful. You always need to look at it from the customers perspective. Is the innovation worthwhile? Does it add value?

We need to understand how innovation can facilitate the guest experience and its potential impact on limiting or maximizing human interaction. For example, as an international traveler, I might fly from Miami to London and arrive at 9:00 am. I want to go straight to my room, and I dont want much personal interaction. I want some rest and time to prepare for a meeting. Technology can enable this. So, Im one type of customer on that particular day. The following weekend, my family might arrive and were completely the opposite. Were relaxed. We want to know about the amenities. We crave human interaction, not technology. Businesses need to apply innovation in ways that recognize what the customer wants at any given point in time can change. Technology needs to play a supportive role. It might be behind the scenes increasing efficiency or it might be front and center, empowering guests to experience hospitality on their terms.

Its also important to distinguish between innovation and technology. What technology delivers over time can change. For example, a hundred years ago having a watch with the day and date on it would have been incredible. And now I want it to tell me my heart rate. I think of innovation as something new that delivers some type of value. Technology is often behind that. A lot of it comes down to purpose. Is it a watch that provides me with data or is it a timepiece that I wear as jewelry? Both tell the time accurately but have very different reasons to be  which is why they can coexist.

Its also important to remember innovation and technology can defeat a purpose. Once when traveling to a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, I checked into a beautiful room, but simply could not figure out how to turn off one light. There was an iPad next to my bed. I got the curtains closed. I got everything else squared away, but I could not get this one light off. So, I ended up unscrewing the bulb. The rest of my stay was fabulous. But youve got to look at the goal. It was to make this room innovative and reflective of all the 21st century has to offer. Yet they got the technology wrong.

Innovation is also not dependent on technology. It can be represented by taking a different approach to your thinking. In the hotel and restaurant business, we are accustomed to check-in counters and maitre d podiums. In some ways these can be seen as barriers between the host and guest. We can take a softer and more welcoming approach by either eliminating these obstacles or perhaps setting them off at an angle to foster greater human interaction. This innovation is completely independent of technology.

Another example of bringing innovation to a property is the Ace Hotel in New York City. If you walked into the lobby, you wouldnt realize you are in a hotel. Its got sofas, theres a coffee bar, an actual bar, and at night theres a DJ. But its a hotel and its packed. Theyve got strong Wi-Fi. They serve great coffee. And people hang out there. The Ace Hotel was innovative. They wanted the lobby to be the heart of the hotel and they didnt care whether it was filled with hotel guests or people just coming in to use the space. It was a deliberate decision to make the lobby more activating, more welcoming, more useful, more user friendly  a hub for everyone.

The Delano in Miami embraced innovation another way. They hung artwork on enormous sheets of canvas to create a dramatic effect in their lobby. By simply changing the artwork, the hotel was able to create entirely different feelings and experiences. Most of the FF&E (furniture, fixtures & equipment) was also movable. This purposeful and economical innovation allowed the venue to constantly evolve and remain relevant. Again, innovation without a reliance on technology.

Why does hospitality make sense as a business strategy, regardless of your industry?

Hospitality as a business strategy just makes sense and is the right thing to do. If you think about any situation where people are responsible for connecting with others, if you get that bit wrong, something is seriously broken. Yes, I might still come buy something or stay someplace because I have to. But you know as soon as I get another choice, Im out. Ill go and try something else. You cannot underplay the importance of personal interaction and hospitality.

If you want to incorporate hospitality into your business, youve got to start by listening and learning. Listen to as many sources as you can and draw upon those experiences. Dont let your opinions bias you. Dont be dismissive. Just because something might not be natural to you doesnt mean its not the right thing. It could be an emerging trend. It could be something very interesting. Dont be afraid of challenging conventions. And always consider your customers first.

What role does AI play in hospitality?

I dont want technology for technologys sake. I want it because its going to make my life easier or better. In boardrooms everywhere, including mine, were talking about AI and what it can do positively and negatively. Theres a lot it can do behind the scenes, but it cant change the personal interaction piece. Its the most important factor. The challenge is knowing what personal interaction should look like all along the customer journey. And that is uniquely a human quality  to truly understand your customers and provide them with an experience they will long value.



This article originally appeared on Boston University Hospitality Review.
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A Musicians guide to SEO [Search Engine Optimization]

If you want to make sure you and your music are getting as much exposure as possible online, your SEO strategy can make or break your efforts. In this post, Dayna Young (Founder of Fred & Augustus, FANDA, and music marketer of 10+ years) gives the ultimate SEO rundown every musician should know

by Dayna Young from the Symphonic Blog

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization or, SEO for short. This fancy acronym is defined as the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.

Simply put, for musicians, this means optimizing how you appear in search results so that you can grow both your online presence and revenue, and the number one reason you want to optimize your online presence is for your fans. After all, it is your fans who will search for you, your music, music videos, merch, and tour dates online.

When each fan does so, theyll be at a different stage of their fan journey.

Fan Journey

A fan journey is the path that fans take between discovering you and becoming advocates for your brand. Perhaps they just read an interview about you, and now they want to search for and listen to the song mentioned. Thats the discovery phase; youll want to ensure you have an artist profile on all streaming sites. Perhaps they are in the exploration stage and want to watch the music video for the song they just listened todo you have a YouTube profile?

At every stage of the fan journey, your fans are looking for varying degrees of detail and information, and its entirely within your power to curate their search experience.

What can you do?

The first step in any SEO project, whether for musicians or otherwise, is keyword research. To best structure your website, content, and online presence, you need to know what people are searching for about your artist brand. This means conducting research into your personal artist keywords, building a master list of those keywords, and then applying those keywords to your online strategy. (Dont worry, well address keyword research in a later section.)

We know that to be found online, you need a presence on key platforms. The most obvious and important place to start is with your own, branded URL and website. We cover how to build a functional website in this book, but for now, its important to know that an artists website is a key tool in engaging fans during the exploration, retention, purchase, and advocacy stages.

An artist website should draw fans further into your unique story. The essentials you need are a website with strong visual imagery, links to your music and social icons, and an email subscriber capture form. However in order to really engage and delight fans your website should also include music listening and video watch tools, your biography, your e-commerce store or fan club, tour datesall displayed within an aesthetically appealing design.

However, your online presence extends beyond your website and across multiple platforms. In addition to your website, these platforms include social media, video, streaming, tour or ticketing sites, and your e-commerce presence.

Together your website and these platforms help infer information about you as an artist, and they are returned in searches fans conduct when they want to know more about you.

Heres what a simple search for the artist Dillon Francis using the phrase Dillon Francis returns

You can see his website is shared first. Key social networks, streaming sites, and Wikipedia are all also referenced, allowing a potential fan to dig deep into more information about the artist. Alongside a website thats both functional and branded, you should also build profiles on these other key platforms.

For example: we can see that Dillon Francis has a presence on YouTube, Spotify and Twitter, as well as his own Wikipedia page. This information is useful for a fan in the discovery stage because they can hear a song, and if they enjoy it search for more information, moving further along into the exploration stage by reading Dillons tweets or watching one of his music videos on YouTube.

Lets look however at how the search results change when the term Dillon Francis tour dates (a search term more aligned with the retention stage) is entered into Google.

You can see above how the search results returned focus specifically on tour dates, pulling in information from additional platforms that Dillon has registered a presence on such as Songkick and Bandsintown.

This means that in addition to your branded website, you also need to ensure you have a branded and active presence on key streaming sites, social platforms, touring and ticketing platforms, retailers, and engagement tools (like Genius). Not only does this help fans find information about you, but it also sends important signals to the search engines about what you do, who you are, and how many fans are searching for information about you.

An SEO presence at the purchase level via e-commerce becomes all the more important because, ideally, your fans will make not just one, but repeat purchases. However, in order to do that, they need to be able to purchase your products easily and quickly, without roadblocks.

Heres an example

Now this is a great example of how Dillon Francis has crafted his purchase-level SEO to the extent that hes provided multiple options for fans to purchase from them. Hes done this by ensuring that fans can easily find tour dates and concert tickets, where to buy music (both in download and physical formats) and merch, links to their streaming profiles, and other places where they can make money from an online purchase.

Google likes to see that you not only have a broad online presence but that you also have one in the communities it feels are most relevant: your own. Ensure that, where possible, you have established a Google My Business profile, a brand account, a Wikipedia entry, and a branded YouTube account, and most importantly, that all of the information on these platforms links back to your website.

Once you have strong foundational SEO in place and you maintain the integrity of the information on those platforms, SEO actively works in the background from there. It helps you avoid getting lost in the noise by bringing fans to your website, music, content, or product offerings, and it does this without you needing to actively promote yourself. Making sure you can find your fans online is incredibly important, but making sure they can find you is priceless.

Keywords

Keywords are the words or phrases that fans use to search for your band online. There are three groups of keyword types:

Short-tail keywords: Lady Gaga tour

Lady Gaga tour Medium-tail keywords: Lady Gaga show Los Angeles or

Lady Gaga show Los Angeles or Long-tail keywords: Is Lady Gaga playing a show in Los Angeles near me soon?

You can break these keyword groups down into two main categories.

The first are keywords that can be used to build a brand. These are keywords that include your name, a song lyric, your band members names, album names, tour names, etc. An example of a branded keyword search might be David Bowies Ziggy Stardust era. The other category is non-branded keywords, which typically dont include anything specific to your project name, band members, or the music you play. For example, if youre a heavy metal band in Hollywood, California, a relevant non-brand keyword might be the search term heavy metal bands near me or heavy metal bands in greater Los Angeles. This said, non-branded keywords usually wont be useful to artists, unless youre the type of entity that targets and plays performances at corporate gigs, weddings, and other community-focused events.

How to Research your Keywords

Firstly, create a spreadsheet, which youll use for sifting through the keyword suggestions. Youll add what makes sense (based on larger search volumes or more immediate relevance to your project) to your spreadsheet. This process can take some time, and you might need to try different combinations yourself to really dig deep and find the best keywords.

There are a number of tools available for your keyword research. Some of the best places to start are Google AdWords Keyword Planner, TubeBuddy Tool for YouTube, Free keyword tracker, Google Trends, or even a simple Google search will give you results.

To wrap it all up

Obviously, it makes sense to Google your potential artist or band name before you commit to it. In much the same way youd research whether a company name is taken and if the domains exist for that entity, you should do the same with your potential project name.

Of course, there are circumstances in which a conflict might be unavoidable. For example, when you have a common name like Mike Johnson or when your band name includes the name of something famous or common phrases, In these circumstances, it will be even more important that you build your SEO ecosystem, research and implement your keywords, create an aesthetically pleasing and functional website, and implement SEO, voice search, and more to cement yourself in such a grand landscape. But with these tips, youre on the right track.

Good luck!

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Tuesday's public meeting on internet equity attracted school and local officials with several encouraging municipalities to take the lead on providing service. Superintendents Aaron Dean, James Brosnan and Barbara Malkas also take part in the exercise. PreviousNext

Municipal Services Could Be Solution to Limited, Unreliable Internet



Attendees also looked at digital literacy and devices. ADAMS, Mass.  The Berkshires needs to take control of its internet access if it wants to fully provide digital equity to its citizens.

That was the download from Tuesday's Digital Equity Plan meeting held at the Adams Visitors Center.

"We don't have the providers, we don't have the service," said Superintendent James Brosnan of the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional district, adding it made the lack of devices a moot point. "We can reduce this down to a simple process to MBI, to telecommunications, to all the other experts: Get the service to us. The rest is easy."

This first public meeting for North Berkshire plan for communities Adams, Cheshire, Florida, Lanesborough and North Adams included a presentation on current data and feedback on the key topics of broadband access, digital devices and digital literacy.

"We know there's some big gaps in rural areas and how folks use technology and their level of knowledge in terms of accessing the internet and accessing devices on the internet," said Eammon Coughlin, Adams' community development director. "We know there's the need to address this through this planning process."

The Northern Berkshire digital equity plan is being sponsored by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, which selected Vanasse Hangen Brustlin to perform the equity analysis and outreach activities. Similar planning is underway in Central and South County.

VHB will help guide the region in decision-making investments and prepare the region to apply for funding. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission would be working in the next phase to identify private and nonprofit partners who could invest in the project.

It is also highlighting some new programs including the federal Affordable Connectivity Program for eligible residents who can save up to $30 a month on internet service.

The attendees were largely made up of local officials, including state Rep. John Barrett III, Adams Selectwoman Christine Hoyt, Superintendents Barbara Malkas of North Adams, Aaron Dean of Hoosac Valley Regional and Brosnan.

This was the first public meeting on the plan but the VHB consulting team started about two months ago in talks with the plan's steering committee and other stakeholders.

"We're going to be crafting the report but it's really going to be written around the goals," said VHB's Luke Mitchell. "You want to have a good amount of goals to cover your bases you don't want to have so many goals that it becomes distracting like white noise."

The main goal the attendees focused on at the start was the lack of fast, reliable internet access for parts of the county because of the paucity of providers. Brosnan described the town of Florida as having 19th-century technology because of its struggles to get internet.

Mitchell said VHB could help shape a plan for municipal broadband but Barrett said MBI has been a hindrance in achieving internet access for the region.

"We've gotten lip service for the last 10 years out here," he said.

"The MBI denied us getting money when all the communities got together and asked to form and hire consultants at that time  this was back six or seven years  to form their own [provider]. Why? Because they wanted to protect their own little fiefdom."

The state had spent millions on getting internet and last-mile service that largely went to utilities, Barrett said, while consumers still had unreliable and limited service. Spectrum is the main provider and T-Mobile doesn't offer service in most communities. He'd twice had to call and prod the telecommunications company to hook up the new Cheshire town hall and Hoosac Valley Regional offices.

"I don't know what the answer is, and we I can't get MBI to give me an answer," the representative said. "I don't want any more consultants ... I don't want to see more money spent on this. I don't want to see $147 million basically go to consultants and nothing happening in the community because that's what we've been facing for a long time."

Daniel Bosley, former state representative, said he'd encouraged the county commissioners to set up municipal light plants after electric utilities were restructured in 1997. Cape Cod had done so successfully.

"You can run your own system. Municipal light plants run their own systems and their prices are lower than then we have with our electric utilities," he said. "The same thing should be happening with broadband."

Providers are going where the profit centers are, Bosley continued, and that's leaving kids like some of Brosnan's students without the same resources as their peers.

"That's what frustrates us and the only way we're going to change that is with the municipal system," he said. "I mean, it needs to be done locally with people that care about local. And quite frankly, I don't care about Western Mass. I care about Berkshire County."

The so-called digital divide leaves behind marginalized populations, low-income residents, the elderly, disabled and rural residents because of limited access, lack of skills or training, cost for internet and devices, privacy concerns, language barriers and fear or shame.

The attendees discussed some of these other aspects and goals for alleviating them.

Berkshire United Way President and CEO Thomas Bernard said he came away most interested and concerned about digital literary skills.

"The best, fastest, most reliable network in the world, and devices to access it are ultimately wasted unless we pay equal attention to, and invest proportionally in, digital literacy," he said. "This is important for learners at every level, employers looking to start or expand businesses, informed and engaged participation in civic life, and so much more.

"The challenge as this work proceeds is to ensure all dimensions of digital equity remain in the mix."

The VHB team will be attending the next Coffee in the Court, held in the Armory Court on Park Street. Some tabling events will also be held as well as another public meeting probably in December.
Berkshire Waldorf High School Open House

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass.  Berkshire Waldorf High School is holding an Open House on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m. at the school: 14 Pine Street, Stockbridge, on the corner of Pine and Shamrock.

Friends, grandparents, and younger siblings are all welcome.

The program will include a scene from the students' upcoming Shakespeare play, Henry IV, Part 1 and a student panel, where guests are welcome to ask questions about the students' high school experience.

The school offers honors-level, college preparatory academics and is also well-integrated into the larger community, including classes and workshops in renowned artists' studios, the use of local labs and gyms, Shakespeare & Company, field trips to events and museums in the Northeast, and international travel.
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Ahead of Halloween this, were looking for appropriately frightening flicks. Unfortunately for filmmakers, however, horror is one of the toughest genres to get right.

Mastering a scare is something that only the most gifted of directors can manage, and there are a lot of films out that that fall very short when trying to terrify their audience.

Those that do deliver, though, succeed with aplomb: John Carpenter, George Romero and Get Out director Jordan Peele to name but a few.

For those on the hunt for scares, it can be quite hard out there, but fret no more  weve compiled the scariest horror films on offer, ranging from German Expressionist films from the 1920s to indie smash hit, Hereditary.

Below, we rank all the horror films that will genuinely scare you  click through the gallery to see what made the cut.

37 horror films that are genuinely scary Show all 37 1 / 37 37 horror films that are genuinely scary 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Funny Games (1997) Directed by: Michael Haneke. Funny Games places the horror in the familiar setting of home. It follows two young men who hold a family hostage and torture them with sadistic games. The result is far scarier than anything featuring ghosts, witches or demons. Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Amityville Horror (1979) Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg. The Amityville Horror is based on the true story of the Lutzes, a family who were run out of their home after being terrorised by paranormal phenomena in 1975. Just one year before, Ronald DeFeo Jr shot and killed six members of his family in the same house. James Brolin and Margot Kidder lead this film, which became one of the biggest hits of 1979. American International Pictures 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Audition (1999) Directed by: Takashi Miike . Japanese horror Audition (1999) follows a widower who meets a woman named Ayoma after staging auditions to meet a potential new partner. Soon, though, her dark past begins to surface, which equates to a pretty disturbing climax. Omega Project 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Blair Witch Project (1999) Directed by: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez . Although parodied to death, The Blair Witch Project popularised the found-footage format to terrifying degrees in 1999. People genuinely believed they were watching real clips of three student filmmakers being terrorised by a Maryland legend known as the Blair Witch. Artisan Entertainment 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) Directed by: Robert Wiene . Black-and-white silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) is considered the quintessential work of German Expressionism, but also one of the scariest films in cinema history. It follows a hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist to commit murders, and Wiene's shadowed sets and striking visual style combines to unsettle the viewer in ways most filmmakers only dream of managing. Decla-Bioscop 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Candyman (1992) Directed by: Bernard Rose. A contemporary classic of horror cinema, 1992 film Candyman  which spawned two sequels and has a Jordan Peele-produced remake in the works  follows a graduate student whose studies lead her to the legend of a ghost who appears when you say his name three times. TriStar Pictures 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Cannibal Holocaust (1980) Directed by: Ruggero Deodato. Extreme enough to warrant a ban in Italy and Australia, Cannibal Holocaust (1980) was one of the first films to embrace the found-footage format  so much so that Deodato found himself charged with multiple counts of murder due to rumours that several of the film's death scenes were real. He was later cleared. United Artists Europa 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Descent (2005) Directed by: Neil Marshall. Released in 2005, The Descent follows six women who, upon exploring a cave, battle to survive against the creatures they find inside. It's these creatures that earn this British horror film's placement on this list. Pathe Distribution 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Exorcist (1973) Directed by: William Friedkin. One of the most controversial films of all time, The Exorcist  which tells the story of the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl named Regan (Linda Blair)  became the first horror to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in 1974. Warner Bros 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Halloween (1978) Directed by: John Carpenter. Sure, it may be dated, but John Carpenter's original Halloween film  released in 1978  remains the daddy of all horrors. It re-defined the rule book and has been emulated in everything from Scream (1996) to Trick 'r Treat (2007). The tension, as babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) attempts to evade masked murderer Michael Myers, only heightens with every new watch. Compass International Pictures[ 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Hereditary (2018) Directed by: Ari Aster. Proving that horror is a force to be reckoned with, Hereditary became independent distributor A24's highest-grossing film around the world upon its release in 2018. It tells the story of a family who find themselves haunted after the death of their secretive grandmother and features a final act that left many of its viewers with sleepless nights. A24 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The House of the Devil (2009) Directed by: Ti West. The House of the Devil (2009) follows a student named Samantha who is hired to guard an isolated house with one rule: don't go upstairs. For most of the film's runtime, not much happens, which is what makes the action-packed final third so terrifying. Spoiler: she goes upstairs. MPI Media Group 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Innocents (1961) Directed by: Jack Clayton. Based upon Henry James' chiller The Turn of the Screw, the plot of 1961 psychological horror film The Innocents concerns a governess who watches over two children and comes to fear that their large estate is haunted by ghosts and that the youngsters are being possessed. 20th Century Fox 37 horror films that are genuinely scary It (1986) Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace. Forget the effects-laden remake  this version of It, released as a miniseries in 1986, is the most terrifying adaptation of Stephen King's beloved novel to date. It follows a shapeshifting demon who takes the form of a sadistic child-killing clown named Pennywise (Tim Curry). Lorimar Productions 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) Directed by: Takashi Shimizu. Japanese horror maestro Takashi Shimizu  who also directed the pretty scary 2005 remake starring Sarah Michelle Gellar  balances mystery with horror in Ju-On: The Grudge, a story based in a cursed house in Tokyo. Lions Gate Films 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Kill List (2011) Directed by: Ben Wheatley. To describe the horrors of Kill List is to ruin the film's surprises, but let's just say this: the final 20 minutes of Ben Wheatley's violent drama from 2011 features some of the most unsettling scenes in any film from this decade. Optimum Releasing 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Lake Mungo (2008) Directed by: Joel Anderson. Taking the form of a mockumentary, the little-seen Australian drama Lake Mungo may have received a limited release in 2008, but its story of a family attempting to come to terms with the drowning of their daughter stays with viewers long after. Arclight Films 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Martyrs (2008) Directed by: Pascal Laugier. The polarising 2008 film Martyrs, often associated with the New French Extremity movement, is the kind of horror that leaves you needing a shower once the credits roll. It follows a young woman's quest for revenge on the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child. Anchor Bay Films 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Night of the Living Dead (1968) Directed by: George A Romero. Younger viewers may be desensitised by the more extreme horror films to have been released in recent decades, but the scares featured in Romero's Night of the Living Dead  including the young girl zombie reveal  remain some of the most chilling committed to celluloid. Continental Distributing 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Nosferatu (1922) Directed by: FW Murnau. Alongside Cesare in The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920), the character of vampire Count Orlok in 1922 film Nosferatu  played by Mac Schreck  remains one of the most spine-tingling in cinema history. Film Arts Guild 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Orphanage (2007) Directed by: JA Bayona. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, this acclaimed 2007 chiller follows the disappearance of a young boy in an orphanage, which brings many of the building's terrifying secrets to the fore. Warner Bros Pictures de Espana 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Others (2001) Directed by: Alejandro Amenabar. The Others (2001) is a towering achievement for Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenabar who wrote, directed and scored this Nicole Kidman-fronted tale about a woman trying to protect her children from supernatural forces. It's perhaps the scariest 12-certificate film of all time. Warner Sogefilms 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Paranormal Activity (2009) Directed by: Oren Peli. Could Paranormal Activity be the scariest film of all time? It's certainly one of them. Just when you thought found-footage had had its day, Oren Peli's small-budgeted festival favourite became one of 2009's biggest hits. Audiences lapped up the story of a couple who capture supernatural presences on a camera in their own home. Paramount Pictures[ 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) Directed by: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman. Paranormal Activity 3 earns its place on this list for its final 10 minutes. Set 18 years prior to the events of the first two films, we see the cause of the curse that follows characters Katie and Kristi for the rest of their lives  and it's down to a coven of witches led by their grandmother. Paramount Pictures 37 horror films that are genuinely scary [REC] (2007) Directed by: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza. Played out in real-time, the claustrophobic Spanish horror film [REC] is one of the better examples of found-footage cinema. Released in 2007, it follows a reporter and her cameraman who follow firefighters to a Barcelona building and soon find themselves locked inside with its occupants who are displaying murderous behaviour. Filmax International 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Ring (1998) Directed by: Hideo Nakata. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the story of Ring by now: viewers of a cursed videotape die seven days after watching it. While the inevitable Hollywood remake in 2002 was better than it had any right to be, Nakata's original is as terrifying as horror films come. Toho 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Rosemary's Baby (1968) Directed by: Roman Polanski. Released in 1968, Rosemary's Baby follows a pregnant woman who suspects that an evil cult want to take her baby for use in their rituals. Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes and Ruth Gordon's performances tip this psychological chiller into classic status. Paramount Pictures 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Shining (1980) Directed by: Stanley Kubrick. Forget the iconic "Heeeeere's Johnny" or that bath scene  it's the smaller moments that make Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining a terrifying watch, notably the trippy final act that sees Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) lose his mind to the Overlook Hotel. Warner Bros 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Sinister (2012) Directed by: Scott Derrickson. Of all the Blumhouse horror films, 2012 release Sinister  which features the demonic character Bughuul  is the spookiest of them all. It stars Ethan Hawke as a true-crime writer who discovers a box of home movies depicting grisly murders in the attic of his new house. Momentum Pictures 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Sleep Tight (2011) Directed by: Jaume Balaguero. This little-seen Spanish horror follows a concierge who, believing he was born without the ability to feel happiness, decides to make life hell for everyone around him. Filmax 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Directed by: Tobe Hooper. The fictional Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), marketed as a true story, follows a group of cannibals  including Leatherface  who relentlessly hunt down a group of friends. Vortex 37 horror films that are genuinely scary 28 Days Later (2002) Directed by: Danny Boyle. Many might not reflect upon 28 Days Later (2002) as one of the world's scariest horror films, but its desolate depiction of a viral outbreak seems more real than any other. When merged with the fast-paced infected and the usage of John Murphy's song "In the House  In A Heartbeat", it's hard to deny it such status. Fox Searchlight Pictures 37 horror films that are genuinely scary V/H/S (2012) Directed by: Various. Directed by six filmmakers, including Adam Wingard and Ti West, 2012 anthology film V/H/S is grimy horror of the tallest order. Look no further than David Bruckner's section "Amateur Night" following three friends who meet a mysterious girl who says nothing other than three small words: "I like you." Magnet Releasing 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Wailing (2016) Directed by: Na Hong-jin. Twist-filled horror drama The Wailing follows a policeman who investigates a series of mysterious killings and illness in the mountains of South Korea. If the journey fails to scare you, its destination will leave you lying awake at night. 20th Century Fox Korea 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Wicker Man (1973) Directed by: Robin Hardy. The Wicker Man is deemed the best British horror film of all time for a reason. It tells the story of a Police Sergeant who travels to an isolated island in search of a missing girl, only to find its inhabitants practising a form of Celtic paganism. British Lion Films 37 horror films that are genuinely scary The Witch (2015) Directed by: Robert Eggers. For the most part, it's not what you see in The Witch that terrifies, it's what you don't see. Eggers unsettlingly holds his camera a fraction too long in places as he retells the story of a Separatist family who encounter supernatural forces in the woods beyond their farm. A24 37 horror films that are genuinely scary Zero Day (2003) Directed by: Ben Coccio. The horrors are all too real in Zero Day, a film inspired by the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. The majority of the film is portrayed through the video diaries of two students who are planning to attack their high school. Avatar Films

Other galleries you might like:

21 actors who took their roles so seriously it out of hand

37 best film twists of all time

37 actors who almost died on set

49 best closing lines in movies
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Japans Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a legal clause requiring transgender people to undergo sterilisation to officially change their gender.

Under the 2004 law that was struck down on Wednesday, transgender people who wanted to have their biologically assigned gender changed on legal documents must be diagnosed as having Gender Identity Disorder and undergo an operation to remove their reproductive organs.

The judges unanimously ruled that the part of the law requiring the loss of reproductive functions for a gender change is unconstitutional, reported Kyodo News. The landmark verdict now requires the government to revise the law, paving the way for queer persons to have their gender changed on official documents without surgery.

Several rights groups welcomed the decision as they urged the government to follow up.

"The government is under the obligation to make any laws constitutional so the government now needs to act quickly to remove the clause," said Kanae Doi, Japan director of the Human Rights Watch. "Its late, but never too late.

Deputy chief cabinet secretary Hiroshi Moriya told a regular press conference on Wednesday that the government will "examine the decision closely and respond appropriately".

Japanese law stated that people who want to change gender must present a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and meet five requirements.

Those requirements included being at least 18 years old, not being married, not having underage children, having genital organs that resemble those of the opposite gender, and having no reproductive glands or ones that have permanently lost their function.

The plaintiff, identified as a transgender woman under the age of 50, had moved the court in 2000, arguing that the last two requirements violated a persons constitutional right to pursue happiness and live without discrimination, and posed significant physical pain and financial burden to transgender people.

It was, however, denied by both the family court and high court before she approached the Supreme Court. Some opposed the law, arguing that being allowed to change their registered gender without surgery could lead to women feeling unsafe.

"This decision was very unexpected and Im very surprised," the plaintiff said in a statement read out by her lawyers after the verdict. She added, however, that she was "disappointed" that a decision on the other clause had been postponed.

"The issue that there are people who have to suffer the incongruity between ones own gender and the legal status of ones gender, as well as the problems of living in such a society, remains unsolved," said the plaintiffs lawyers  Kazuyuki Minami and Masafumi Yoshida  after the ruling.

Rights groups and the LGBTQ+ community in Japan have been hopeful for a change in the law after a local family court, in an unprecedented ruling earlier this month, accepted a transgender males request for a gender change without compulsory surgery, saying the rule is unconstitutional.

The special law that took effect in 2004 states that people who wish to register a gender change must have their original reproductive organs, including testes or ovaries, removed and have a body that "appears to have parts that resemble the genital organs" of the new gender they want to register with.

More than 10,000 Japanese have had their genders officially changed since then, according to court documents from the 11 October ruling that accepted a transgender mans request for a gender change without the required surgery.

Additional reporting from agencies
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Hurricane Otis made landfall close to Acapulco, Mexico in the early hours of Wednesday after rapidly intensifying from a Category 1 to Category 5 storm in just 12 hours.

The hurricane had weakened to a Cat-2 and was moving inland by Wednesday afternoon. The storm is now around 100 miles northwest of Acapulco.

It is expected lose even more power as it hits Guerrero states steep mountains, before dissipating on Wednesday night.

The Mexican government discontinued a hurricane warning for Acapulco but issued a tropical storm warning for Punta Maldonado, around 100 miles to the south.

Heavy rain from Otis will continue to impact areas of southwest Mexico across Guerrero and Oaxaca states, and may also cause life-threatening coastal flooding through Thursday, NHC said.

The Mexican army and navy deployed more than 8,000 troops to Guerrero, an impoverished state plagued by violence linked to organized crime, with specialised equipment to aid in rescues.

Otis strengthened from a tropical storm into a major hurricane in the span of 12 hours on Tuesday before it hit Mexicos south Pacific coast at around 12.25am local time with sustained winds of 165 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

Loading....

Forecasters warned that the powerful storm was a nightmare scenario for Acapulco, a faded resort town which is home to nearly 1 million people.

The citys mayor said Otis may be more devastating than Hurricane Pauline, which hit Acapulco in 1997, killing more than 200 people and injuring hundreds of others.

Winds howled through hotels and a hospital in Acapulco as citizens tried to take cover. Video footage from the scence showed palm trees stripped of their leaves and a shopping center badly damaged. Half a million people were left without power.

With reporting from The Associated Press
 Close Hurricane Otis winds blast through Acapulco hospital after storm makes landfall in Mexico

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At least 27 people are dead and four people are missing in Acapulco after a nightmare Category-5 hurricane, Mexican officials said on Thursday.

Hurricane Otis roared ashore shortly after midnight on Wednesday with 165mph winds and torrential rainfall, slamming into the coastal city where residents had little time to evacuate or prepare.

Otis is the strongest ever storm to make landfall on Mexicos west coast. The hurricane underwent explosive intensification from a Category 1 to Category 5 in just 12 hours, catching forecasters by surprise. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) described it as a nightmare scenario for the region.

The hurricane resulted in widespread devastation across the city and rural, mountain villages. Thousands of windows were blown out in apartment buildings and hotels while facades were stripped and ceilings collapsed. Flooding was widespread and residents were forced to pick their way through inches of mud in the streets to look for supplies.

Rescue efforts were slow after a landslide blocked the main highway to Acapulco, damaged airports and left tens of thousands without power or cell phone service.
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Emily Blunt has issued an apology for remarks she made in a 2012 interview about a restaurant servers appearance, which have been branded fatphobic.

Resurfaced footage circulated on social media shows the British actor on The Johnathan Ross Show, during which she referred to a Chilis worker as enormous and joked that she probably ate at the restaurant for free.

The story was meant to be about how the server was surprised to see Blunt at the restaurant chain in Louisiana, where she was shooting the movie Looper.

However, Blunt opened her anecdote by making a number of comments about the servers size, claiming: The girl who was serving me was enormous. I think she got freebie meals at Chilis.

Ross appeared to push back at Blunts remarks, responding: Nothing wrong with that.

Blunt then continued her story about the restaurant experience, recalling that the Chilis worker asked her: Did anyone ever tell you you look like Emily Blunt?

The Jungle Cruise star explained that she told the server she was indeed the actor, and told the Chilis worker she was at the chain restaurant in Louisiana because she was filming her 2012 movie, Looper. Blunt recalled that the Chilis worker believed she made up the name of the movie, to which the actor responded: I really didnt.

As the clip resurfaced on social media last week, Blunt was condemned for making the negative remark about the servers weight and accused of being fatphobic.

Ugh f*** Emily Blunt seriously was one of my fave actresses but turns out shes a fatphobic unfunny mean girl who thinks its funny to point out the size of a server when it adds nothing to the story - for shame, one person wrote on X/Twitter.

( The Jonathan Ross Show)

Others questioned why Blunt had felt compelled to make any kind of comment about the womans size, given it was irrelevant to her story.

Its not surprising to hear actors be openly fatphobic, because thats the world we live in. It doesnt make it any less disappointing. There is no need to bring up someones size or comment on it, especially for laughs. Shame on you, one wrote.

In a statement issued to The Independent on 20 October, the actor, 40, apologised for her remarks and said she regretted making them.

I just need to address this head on as my jaw was on the floor watching this clip from 12 years ago. Im appalled that I would say something so insensitive, hurtful, and unrelated to whatever story I was trying to tell on a talk show, she said.

Ive always considered myself someone who wouldnt dream of upsetting anyone so whatever possessed me to say anything like this in that moment is unrecognisable to me or anything I stand for. And yet it happened, and I said it and Im so sorry for any hurt caused. I was absolutely old enough to know better.
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More than a dozen Black models are boycotting Melbourne Fashion Week in response to what they claim is industry-wide racism.

The group of 13 performers are refusing to walk for runway shows or participate in casting calls in order to shine a light on the discrimination they face in Australia, which they say wouldnt be allowed in Europe or the US.

They say the discrimination includes being paid significantly less than their white counterparts, the alleged use of racial slurs, as well as hairdressers talking derogatively about African hair.

Black models doing Australian fashion is a form of self-destruction, said Sydney-based Awar Malek, 24, told The Sydney Morning Herald. It is absolutely the most traumatising, and dehumanising, underpaying, and overall mentally draining week and I have no desire to continue to participate.

South Sudanese-born model Nylow Ajing added: In London, New York and Paris, you could not get away with what the fashion industry is doing here and how it treats black models, but they dont seem to care or want to change.

The idea for a boycott came after a group of 13 models formed a private group chat to exchange stories and support each other earlier this year.

Nyaluak Leth relocated to the UK where Black models are valued (Instagram @nmmwl)

We never wanted to resort to this but there is only so much we can take, 30-year-old Jeffrey Kissubi told the newspaper. Maybe the industry will care about our experiences when it comes from a group rather than one individual that they can quickly silence or just ignore.

They accused brands of tokenism, alleging they hire plenty of Black models during fashion weeks when they can pay them less.

Its the only time they hire black models in numbers, and honestly, its because we are the cheapest at this time. Its good PR for them. It looks like wow, these campaigns are really inclusive, but the next week and the next month, we have no work, and they go back to whitewashing fashion, Malek added.

The casting of models at fashion weeks is decided by exhibiting label, and not festival organisers.

A spokesperson for the City of Melbourne said all models participating in the fashion week receive equal pay with the exception of some higher profile models  including those from diverse backgrounds.

Leth called out the industry in an Instragram post (Instagram @nmmwl)

We were not aware of any concerns relating to diversity or race involving Melbourne Fashion Week. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated, a statement to the BBC read.

Other grievances raised include a lack of diversity across hair and makeup artists, casting agencies, and photographers.

Nyaluak Leth, who relocated to the UK where Black models are celebrated and valued, said: In 2019 behind the scenes at Sydney Fashion Week, one of the black models approached me and asked me to braid her hair and I said but darling, there are so many empty seats in the hair section, but I could tell that she was really reluctant to even ask for help... because she didnt trust that anyone knew how to do her hair and she was definitely right.

The models boycotting not just MFW, but the larger industry, have said theyre speaking out despite fears for their career in a bid to bring reform.

I dont want to speak out, but I have to, or nothing will change, Kissubi said.

The chief executive of the Australian Fashion Council, Leila Naja Hibri told the Sydney Morning Herald: The Australian fashion industry is uniquely placed to actively engage in equitable, diverse and inclusive responsible practice. The Australian Fashion Council is not involved in the running of fashion weeks or brand marketing events, but we do require all AFC Members to abide by our code of conduct.

This stipulates that we do not tolerate any form of discrimination or inappropriate conduct towards others based on gender, race, or national or ethnic origin. 

The Independent has contacted representatives for the City of Melbourne for comment.
We may have referred to it as the c-word, says Will Beckett, co-founder of Hawksmoor, the restaurant group best known and beloved for its premium steak. That word is chain, a term Beckett prefers to avoid despite owning 14 restaurants across seven cities in the UK, Ireland and the US. His comments are echoed by Shamil Thakrar, co-founder of Dishoom; by Mark Selby, co-founder of Wahaca; and by Saiphin Moore of Rosas Thai, the 40-strong restaurant group that this year celebrates 15 years since Moore opened her first restaurant in London. All of these restaurants have expanded beyond the capital and serve the same menu under the same name across multiple sites. They are chains by any other name, at least to those outside the food world. Yet as far as their owners, their employees and even their regular customers are concerned, chain has become a dirty word.

Its ubiquitous, repetitive, plain, without innovation  thats what a chain is for me, says Selby. Thakrar thinks that it brings up associations of very large businesses that perhaps care much more about the financials than hospitality or their teams. Moore doesnt like it because it implies there are restaurants within her group run by people other than her and her team. Chains suggest franchise  but all Rosas restaurants are run by us, she says. Relationships with her Thai suppliers, most of whom she has had since day one, are still managed by her. And so is checking the quality of the food served in her outlets.

All these groups have plans for further growth. Theyre not looking to be Costa Coffee, but they arent shy of expansion, either. They see its merits. Theres the money, sure  and when restaurants are closing at the rate they are, thats not to be sniffed at  but theres also the chance to do good at scale. Do good is a vague term, of course, but there are plenty of concrete examples offered by these groups and other less likely candidates, says Juliane Caillouette Noble, managing director of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), whose express aim is to set a standard for sustainability in the industry, and provide businesses with tools to improve.
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The real home from the 1978 spooky classic Halloween is officially off the market, but dont expect Michael Myers to be lurking around any corners.

The residence where Jamie Lee Curtis character, Laurie Strode, went head-to-head with masked killer Michael Myers has sold for $1.68m. While the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, in the movie may be fake, the house where they filmed the slasher flick is located in South Pasadena, California.

On 20 October, the 5,258 square-foot home was sold for $1.68m after it was listed in September for just under $1.8m. The 1906 property is divided into three separate units for a total of four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It features a two-car garage and has been in the same family for the past three generations, according to the Zillow listing.

Yes, this was a filming location for the 1978 film Halloween, as the house of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), reads the listing. If you watch the film, youll recognise the infamous stoop that Jamie Lee Curtis sat on, holding a pumpkin.

Fans of the Halloween franchise can also catch a glimpse at the real-life avocado tree featured in the film, which listing agent Heidi Babcock wrote was planted by the sellers grandfather in the 1940s. The house had some additional renovations in the 40s, including a second structure that was built over the garage in 1948.

This isnt the first time a beloved movie home has been listed for sale. In December last year, the decades-old Victorian home featured in The Goonies was listed with an asking price of nearly $1.7m. The sale of the 1896 home - located in Astoria, Oregon - reportedly closed earlier this year when it was snatched up by a self-described serial entrepreneur, who promised to preserve and protect the landmark. Meanwhile, the luxurious Greek island estate where Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is set was listed in December 2022 for $450m.

As for fellow horror films, the haunted farmhouse that inspired The Conjuring was sold in May 2022 for $1.5m. The Rhode Island farmhouse was purchased by a Boston developer for $1.5m, far higher than the asking price of $1.2m. While The Conjuring movie wasnt filmed in the notoriously haunted home, the first film in the franchise was based on the paranormal experiences of a family that lived there in the 1970s.

Curtis - who has appeared in all seven films of the Halloween movie franchise since 1978 - said goodbye to the iconic horror films when she made her final appearance in its latest installment, Halloween Ends.
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TV presenter Jasmine Harman became emotional as she opened up about her mothers struggles with hoarding  and how it adversely impacted their relationship for years.

The host of Channel 4s A Place in the Sun, Harman, 47, said she refused to bring people home and was really, really embarrassed and ashamed about her mum Vasoullas condition, on Wednesday (25 October) during an appearance on This Morning.

In fact, when I started working in television, it was my biggest fear that someone would find out about the way Id grown up and the way that we lived at the time, she told Dermot OLeary and Allison Hammond.

Reflecting on how things had changed since then, Harman teared up as she affirmed her priority is having a loving relationship with Vasoulla  and not focussing on the hoarding anymore.

Addressing her mother, Harman added: Shes helped me to become a much more compassionate person. We used to fight, didnt we?

But now we have a relationship thats outside [of the hoarding].

Hoarding was recognised as a mental health disorder in 2013. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is characterised by an accumulation of possessions due to excessive acquisition of, or difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of their actual value.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) outlines detailed criteria that psychologists can use to diagnose hoarding, including cluttered living spaces where the rooms intended use [of cooking, sleeping, or sleeping] has become impossible.

These behaviours usually appear during a persons early life, with Vasoulla explaining it was triggered by the trauma of loss in her case.

We moved from Cyprus when I was about three so I left my baby things back home and started collecting trinkets in bombed-out houses that were still about in the early Sixties, after the war  trinkets that I treasured, she explained. Then we moved back to Cyprus for a couple of years and those things all got lost. Then we moved back to England and all my new ties got lost  so I just had lots of upheaval, lots of loss.

Vasoulla, whose father was killed in Cyprus, added: Its more the loss, like a bereavement. Losing your father is a big thing, moving country ...you lose everything and you get a new place to live. The trauma of loss [is] something that a lot of people have as the onset of their hoarding behaviour.

The mother-daughter duo previously opened up about how hoarding affected their lives in a 2011 BBC documentary, titled My Hoarder Mum & Me.

Speaking about the cathartic experience, Harman on Wednesday confessed:I genuinely had no idea how many people were affected by this.

Around three million people are reportedly impacted by the mental health condition, according to Hoarding Disorders UK.

Jasmine Harman (Getty Images for Warner Bros UK)

The organisations director Jo Cook, who joined Vasoulla and Harman on the This Morning couch, explained that hoarding is neither a lifestyle choice, nor about poor housekeeping.

When asked about supporting loved ones who might struggle with hoarding, Cook recommended joining a support group and approaching the anxiety-based disorder with empathy.

Its really important that that person that youre helping, feels safe in their home with you. Because, essentially, youre unpicking someones nest, so you need to make sure youre doing it slowly and surely, she added.

If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.
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Paris Hilton has defended her baby Phoenixs appearance amid ongoing comments about the size of his head.

The former reality TV star first sparked reactions to the size of her nine-month-old sons head after she posted a picture of the two of them from their first trip together to New York City. However, internet users became fixated on Phoenixs seemingly large head and took to Hiltons comment section to voice their opinions.

One commenter joked yall hes just got a lot on his mind leave the kid alone, while another speculated whether or not Phoenixs large head was a result of a medical condition.

Some commenters compared the infant to Family Guys Stewie, a character famously known for being a baby with a large head.

The comments led a TikTok user to post a video in defense of the hotel heiresss son, saying: I think Phoenix is adorable... You know he just has a big head because he has a small body and hes gonna grow into it. And I also wanna bet that hes a much cuter baby than most of these people in the comments were when they were babies... Leave Phoenix alone.

There are some sick people in this world, Hilton herself wrote in the comment section. My angel is perfectly healthy. The mogul added, And yes, of course he has been to a doctor, he just has a large brain.

Beneath the TikTok video, many parents expressed their support for Hilton and her infant. One mother commented that Phoenix was a lollypop baby, adding: Big head little body. My son is the same way and its so cute.

My sons head was an enormous pumpkin, someone else wrote. People always commented on it. He was fine.

The hotel heiress welcomed her son with her husband Carter Reum in January via surrogate. At the time, she told People: Its always been my dream to be a mother, and Im so happy that Carter and I found each other. We are so excited to start our family together, and our hearts are exploding with love for our baby boy.

Hilton has posted few photos of her infant son, but celebrated him at six months old with an Instagram carousel captioned: My baby boy Phoenix is six months old today. He is my world and makes my life feel so complete. Cant wait for all the magical memories we will create together! Mommy loves you so much angel baby.

In February, Hilton revealed to Glamour UK that she was excited to have another child. She told the outlet: Carter and I had already been talking about the future, and then the world was shut down, so I was like: What do you think about us making embryos? He said: Yeah, lets do it.

Since starting their surrogacy journey during the Covid lockdown, Hilton revealed that they had successfully frozen 20 embryos, all of which turned out to be boys.

Weve done it seven times, Hilton admitted. I have all boys. I have 20 boys  I just went through the process again a month ago, so Im waiting for the results to see if theres any girls.
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Prince William isnt scared by the idea of a ghost being in his home.

As a wedding present, the late Queen Elizabeth II gave William and Kate Middleton Anmer Hall, which is a mansion located in the Norfolk countryside back in 2011. However, paranormal historian Richard Felix has an old ghost story associated with the house.

In the 11 October episode of the Hello! A Right Royal podcast, Felix talked about the ghost of a Catholic priest who he claimed returned to his former home in Anmer Hall right when the Prince and Princess of Wales moved in.

When the Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales moved into Anmer Hall, its more or less on the Sandringham Estate, there was a ghost there of a Catholic priest that lived there and was hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason, and for some reason, has returned to his home, the historian said in the podcast episode.

Felix continued: Although he was executed in York, theyve actually heard his voice. And they have seen the ghost of what they say is a priest, wandering around Anmer Hall. He also claimed William and Kate were informed about this belief prior to moving in.

Before the Waleses moved in, they were warned about the ghost and the comment was, I presume it was from Prince William, he said: No old hall would be complete without a ghost, would it? Felix added.

According to the blog Seeking Ghosts, the Catholic priest in question is Henry Walpole, who was the oldest son in the Walpole family and who converted to Catholicism despite the potential repercussions, as the English monarchy starkly opposed the religion at the time.

Walpole went abroad to study and become a Jesuit priest, thinking he could return to Norfolk and preach there without any consequences. However, according to The Tudor Society, he was arrested, before arriving in York where he was hung, drawn, and quartered.

Because he died far away from home, it is said that his spirit made its way back, and people hear Walpole calling every time the wind blows.

Over the years, the royal couple has continued to spend time at Anmer Hall, specifically on holidays and when their three children  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis  have breaks from school.

William and Kate have previously been seen in Norfolk for Halloween, so there is some speculation that the whole family will be at Anmer Hall this year as well, especially as the children are currently on a school break.

Back in 2019, Kate was seen in a store in the Norfolk area with George and Charlotte browsing the Halloween costume selection. One local woman named Kathy Whittaker spoke to the Daily Mail about seeing her, telling the outlet: She was with Charlotte and George looking at Halloween outfits but her bodyguard was kind of watching people with phones and telling them no pictures.

I didnt see what she actually bought. The lady that told me she was there had children with her and she said Kate was asking her children what they were going to be for Halloween. I think she bought some Halloween bits for her kids but I dont know what.
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Tara Reid has opened up about how she feels to have people constantly comment about her weight.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Inquisitor, the actor explained that her body has always been criticised but bullying is a two-way street. If we were overweight then they cant say anything because thats bullying. But its the same thing if youre skinny. Thats still bullying too, she said.

Reid admitted that people have been comparing how her body looks now to the start of her career in the early 2000s, but the comments have become more frequent since her appearance in season two of Special Forces: Worlds Toughest Test.

She maintained that shes perfectly healthy and if people want to criticise her, they should choose something that doesnt involve her weight. So stop it, she told the Inquisitor. Leave me alone. Pick on me again on something else, but not on those two things. Its not right.

This isnt the first time Reid has called out comments about her weight. Back in 2021, the Big Lebowski star made a post on Instagram responding to negative comments under another post of her wearing a bikini. To all who made their great comments exposing their hate for my artsy picture I posted yesterday, it was the angle, she wrote in her caption.

Here is another picture from yesterday to show you I am not too skinny, I have a high metabolism. Anyone with a high metabolism understands its impossible to gain weight. All I do is eat. To everyone who wrote something nice and stuck up for me, I love you! And keep spreading that love, it is the only thing that will save this world.

The American Pie alum later spoke to Page Six about the post, saying that she was doing great in light of the backlash. Ive always been thin, she said to the outlet. So these stories are kind of crazy because its like theres nothing that has changed for forever.

At the time, Reid hoped that making the follow-up post and highlighting her self-acceptance would change the minds of bullies but she wouldnt lose sleep if she doesnt. Ive gone through it for so many years that, you know, sometimes I feel bad for them because if theyre that miserable writing things at home, what are they doing? she said. Thats negative. You know, its hurtful.

Love will always beat hate, Reid added. Its just so hard to find love because youve got to find it in yourself first.

Most recently the actor opened up about why she believes not getting married or having children has hurt her career. In an interview with Derek Warburton forMr Warburton Magazine, Reid said that she thought her career wouldve been bigger if she got married and had children.

Im not married, I dont have kids and I think, in Hollywood, if you dont have kids or youre not married, youre judged, Reid explained. So they still think youre that party girl from 40 years ago.

But all of a sudden, if you have a kid and you get married, Oh she grew up, shes great, she added, before noting that shes still perceived as having a bad girl persona because she didnt have children.
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German authorities on Wednesday broke off their search for four crew members missing since their British-flagged cargo ship sank a day earlier following a collision with a larger vessel in the North Sea.

The Verity, which had seven people on board and was en route from Bremen, Germany, to the English port of Immingham, sank shortly after the collision a little before 5 a.m. Tuesday. Two sailors were rescued and the body of another was recovered.

Rescue ships and aircraft participating in the search were unable to locate the four missing crew members on Tuesday, and divers sent down to the wreck of the Verity to check for any signs of life were unable to find anything. Officials said that the water temperature at the time of the collision was about 12 C (54 F), which experience shows that people can survive for about 20 hours.

Germanys Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said the entire sea area where the missing sailors might be was searched again during the night without results, and rescuers then stopped the search.

It said that search efforts on the surface won't be resumed on Wednesday but the emergency command will consider what measures can be taken around the site of the accident in the course of the day.

The larger cargo ship involved in the collision  the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, which had 22 people on board  was able to reach the German port of Cuxhaven under its own steam. There has been no word on the cause of the collision.
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Watch a live view of the Israel-Lebanon border as US makes contingency plans for a possible evacuation to get Americans out of the region.

As Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion of Gaze and fire exchanges with Hezbollah in Lebanon, reports say the US is making plans for a mass evacuation.

The US Navy has dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, as well as additional aircraft and deployments.

Meanwhile, Israel struck the occupied West Bank with a drone overnight during a raid in which Israeli forces said they were fired upon by a group of Palestinians.

At least three people were killed in the drone strike, Palestinian officials said.

It comes after Gazas health ministry said on Tuesday that more than 700 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes over the last 24 hours, bringing the Palestinian death toll since 7 October to at least 5,791. The figures could not be independently verified.
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The flood defences in Brechin provided valuable time for the evacuation to take place before they were breached during Storm Babet, a Scottish Government minister has said.

Angela Constance said the full cost of the deadly storm is still being assessed, including any repairs to flood walls.

She faced questions on whether councils will need more financial aid to deal with the aftermath.

The Justice Secretary, whose brief includes resilience, said insurers have been urged to process claims relating to Storm Babet quickly.

The storm led to three lives being lost in Scotland and at least another four in England, along with widespread flooding and damage.

Updating MSPs on Wednesday, Ms Constance said that on October 19 Angus experienced its heaviest day of rainfall since 1891.

She told the Scottish Parliament: Serious impacts were felt across Scotland but were felt most keenly along the North and South Esk including Brechin, where the flood protection scheme unfortunately overtopped and was subsequently breached.

Nonetheless, the flood protection scheme still delayed the impact and provided valuable time to prepare for evacuation.

Over 350 properties in Brechin were evacuated on Thursday afternoon.

Angus Council and Sepa are assessing the extent of the damage to the Brechin flood protection scheme.

Conservative MSP Tess White, who represents the north east of Scotland, said her own home had been badly damaged in Storm Babet.

She questioned whether the Governments Bellwin scheme  which provides funds to disaster-hit councils  would touch the sides of the amount needed.

In response, Ms Constance said there would be sympathetic discussions with councils affected by the flooding.

She said the Scottish Government had urged the Association of British Insurers to deal with claims quickly.

Following Ms Constances statement, Ms White said ministers needed to provide more answers to those hit by the storm.

She said: Today, people across Scotland were looking for strong leadership and support from the SNP government.

But there was nothing new in the cabinet secretarys statement today.

She added: Repairs and rehousing will cost millions in the weeks and months ahead  but Scotlands local authorities are already looking at gaping holes in their budgets thanks to brutal SNP cuts.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected the United Nations secretary-generals comments about Hamass attack on Israel not happening in a vacuum.

UN chief Antonio Guterres caused a diplomatic storm after saying the attack by the militant group did not happen in a vacuum and had occurred after the Palestinian people had been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

In comments made on Tuesday at the UN Security Council in New York, he also expressed concern that clear violations of international humanitarian law had been committed by Israel in Gaza during its fightback against Hamas which has led to thousands of casualties.

Obviously we dont agree with that characterisation put forward Prime Ministers official spokesman

Israels UN ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the secretary-general of having lost all morality and impartiality and called for his resignation.

Downing Street made clear that the Prime Minister does not agree with the characterisation put forward by Mr Guterres but that the UK was not supporting calls for him to quit.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick, a close ally of Mr Sunak, told ITVs Good Morning Britain programme that the comments were wrong and that Mr Guterres should retract them if he was implying there is any justification for the killing of 1,400 Israelis, most of them civilians, by Hamas fighters on October 7.

The international fallout from the comments appeared to widen after Tel Aviv said it would deny UN officials visas.

Mr Erdan reportedly told Israels Army Radio on Wednesday that Martin Griffiths, a British diplomat serving as UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, had been refused a visa in response to his bosss stance.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also cancelled a scheduled meeting with Mr Guterres.

Asked by reporters about what Mr Sunak made of Mr Guterress comments, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Obviously we dont agree with that characterisation put forward.

We are clear that there is and can be no justification for Hamass barbaric terrorist attack which was driven by hatred and ideology.

The spokesman said that the UN as a body will continue to play an important role and that is supported by the UK Government.

On Wednesday, Mr Guterres tried to row back on the remarks, tweeting: The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas.

Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
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UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres was wrong and should retract his comments about Hamass assault if it implied any justification for the slaughter of Israelis, a UK minister has said.

Mr Guterres sparked a diplomatic storm after he told a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York that it was important to recognise that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum and had occurred after the Palestinian people had been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

In comments made on Tuesday, the UN chief also expressed concern that clear violations of international humanitarian law had been committed by Israel in Gaza during its fightback against Palestinian militants which has led to thousands of casualties.

Israel has conducted air strikes on the 25-mile strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians and blockaded food, water, fuel and other essentials, with humanitarian aid only allowed through in recent days.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the UK did not support Mr Guterress assessment, telling Sky News: We dont believe Israel has broken international law.

What happened was an appalling act of evil terrorism and everyone should call that out Immigration minister Robert Jenrick

There is a clear right in international law for a nation to defend itself, and that is what Israel is doing.

He urged for Hamass bloody assault on Israel on October 7, in which fighters killed 1,400 people, to be called out as an appalling act of evil terrorism that was without justification.

Asked on ITVs Good Morning Britain about Mr Guterress remarks on Hamass incursion, Mr Jenrick said: No-one, whether deliberately or otherwise, should be implying there is any justification for that.

In that sense, I think he was wrong. I hope that isnt what he meant but, if it is, then he should retract that.

The Conservative minister said it was not for me to say whether the UN chief should stand down following a call by Israels UN ambassador Gilad Erdan for Mr Guterres to resign.

Mr Jenrick added: I do think it is important we are all very clear that there is no justification for what happened, there is no context that is relevant.

What happened was an appalling act of evil terrorism and everyone should call that out.

The Home Office ministers stance appeared to harden during his round of broadcast interviews on Wednesday, moving from initially stating he would not respond directly to Mr Guterress stateside comments before suggesting they were wrong.

Israel has ramped up air strikes across the Gaza Strip in a retaliation that is reducing residential buildings to rubble and killing dozens at a time, according to witnesses.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed since October 7, including at least 704 in the past day.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage.

About 220 people are believed to have been captured by Hamas during the raids and are being held in Gaza.

Four of those have been released, including 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, who has family in the UK.

Mr Jenrick said the UK Government was not asking for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war but suggested the releasing of further hostages could open up peace talks.

We want to see the hostages out, so the first step that could be taken by Hamas would be to release those innocent men, women and children that they are keeping captive in Gaza, he told Sky.

That is the kind of depraved organisation we are dealing with and talk of making peace with them seems fanciful until at least they have made that first step.

The conflict in the Middle East has been a catalyst for pro-Palestinian protests and pro-Israel vigils in Britain.

Mr Jenrick confirmed that letters have gone out to UK visa-holders whose conduct at rallies is considered to have been contrary to British values, with the Home Office informing them that it is minded to revoke their right to reside.

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that those contacted would be able to make representations before any final decision is made.

The close ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested visa-holders could be expelled even if their behaviour is deemed not to have breached the law.

I think there is conduct which is below the criminal standard but which is wrong, would be accepted as wrong by most reasonable people, he told Times Radio.

He added: Weve all seen instances of people glorifying, valorising terrorist activities  weve seen people holding deeply antisemitic banners, being interviewed in the media and praising Hamas.

That is disgusting behaviour. I dont want to see that on our streets.

With Westminster continuing to be dominated by the war, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will hold talks with Muslim MPs in his party as he continues efforts to allay the backlash over his position on Israel and Gaza.

The meeting with Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner is due to take place after Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.

It comes after the Opposition leader was forced to clarify comments he made during an interview with LBC after Hamass atrocity, suggesting that Israel had the right to cut off power and water from Gaza.
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A former casino worker killed a young Italian couple at the flat they all shared during a psychotic episode in which he thought they had put spells on him, a court has heard.

Andrea Cardinale attacked his closest friend Antonino Calabro and Mr Calabros fiancee Francesca Di Dio days before Christmas last year.

Teesside Crown Court heard Cardinale, 22, and Mr Calabro, 26, were friends from croupier school and travelled to the UK in 2019 to work at the Grosvenor Casino in Stockton-on-Tees.

Cardinale was dismissed from that role in September 2022 due to poor work ethic and odd behaviour, prosecutor Nick Dry said.

His mental health deteriorated until the attack in the early hours of 21 December, which saw him go into Mr Calabro and Ms Di Dios bedroom and bludgeon Mr Calabro with a sledgehammer before stabbing him.

Ms Di Dio, 21, who was visiting for Christmas, was able to escape and run upstairs before being chased by Cardinale, who killed her with the sledgehammer, the court heard.

Andrea Cardinale, who has been given a hospital order for the manslaughter of Antonino Calabro and his fiance Francesca Di Dio (Cleveland Police/PA Wire)

Mr Dry said Cardinale then went to a petrol station to buy diesel and a lighter to blow up the flat. He doused the property in fuel but did not ignite it.

Both bodies were found in the flat in Thornaby by Cardinales father, who had travelled over to persuade his son to fly back with him to Sicily after the family became concerned about his mental health.

Cardinale was arrested that afternoon and later told police he killed his friends because he believed they had been conjuring and putting curses on him, Mr Dry said.

Police looked at his phone and found searches including dynamite and how to make a bomb. He had also searched on the internet for voodoo and how to remove the evil eye.

The defendant, of Thornaby Road, denied murder but pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

On Wednesday Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, sentenced Cardinale to an indefinite hospital order, saying that he had been suffering from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

The court heard three psychiatric experts agreed that the defendants unrecognised psychosis was the substantial reason for the killings, with Professor Donald Grubin saying the illness was so acute that his culpability for the killing is minimal.

Peter Makepeace KC, mitigating, said: The families are crying out for answers and its entirely understandable. The answer in this case appears to lie in a devastating and acute illness which has led to him being responsible, albeit in a diminished form, for the death of his closest friend.

A statement from Ms Di Dios mother, Anna Nosi, read in court, said: The death of my daughter overturned and destroyed my life, that of my daughter Veronica and my ex-husband, Giuseppe.

Since her death we can no longer find inner peace or comprehend what happened. We no longer sleep at night because our thoughts are all about our daughter.

I often go to the cemetery and talk to my daughter looking at the small picture on the tombstone hoping for her to answer.

We are completely exhausted, our every thought is of our beloved Francesca who is sorely missed and whose presence will never be filled and replaced by anyone.

Mr Calabros father, Salvatore Calabro, said in a statement: For parents, a child is an extension of life, for a sister, a shoulder to lean on and a person to ask for help, but unfortunately this has been denied us.

Not having Nino with us anymore, after having cuddled, helped and supported him for 26 years is not easy to overcome, but with a lot of willpower and with the help of our Lord we have to face the future as serenely as possible.
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A prosecution appeal case has begun in Cyprus against the verdict and sentence of a retired British miner who was freed from prison after killing his seriously ill wife.

British expat David Hunter was released from custody on July 31 after a court sentenced him to two years in jail for the manslaughter of Janice, his wife of 52 years.

The 76-year-old walked free within 15 minutes of being sentenced at Paphos District Court due to time already served and good behaviour.

He spent 19 months in prison before being found guilty of manslaughter, but cleared of the more serious charge of premeditated murder.

On Tuesday the prosecution appeal against Mr Hunters acquittal for murder and his sentence for manslaughter came before the Court of Appeal in Nicosia.

Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, which is representing Mr Hunter, said the court ordered that the prosecution file its arguments within two months and the defence respond within two months of that.

At that point, the date will be set for the appeal hearing which is likely to take place in April or May.

Mr Polak said: After spending more than 19 months on trial and in custody in Nicosia prison, when the Assize Court of Paphos finally found David Hunter not guilty of murder in July and sentenced him for manslaughter resulting in his immediate release, we thought that the legal proceedings were over for him.

For anyone, but especially someone of Davids age, it is obviously very stressful to have the possibility of being sent back to prison for life hanging over their head.

Although we are disappointed with the decision to pursue David further, we will continue to fight for David, and we thank everyone from Cyprus, the United Kingdom, and around the world who have been supporting him so strongly.

Mr Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told his trial that he suffocated Mrs Hunter after she begged him to as she was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer.

A three-judge panel accepted the defence case that he had spontaneously acted out of love for his wife.
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Police are investigating a hate crime after Hitler-style moustaches were drawn on posters in London of children abducted by Hamas in Israel.

The notice of the siblings, put up in Camden, northwest London, features a photograph of two happy, smiling youngsters, identified as Emma and Yuli Cunio, both three years old.

The pair were said to have been kidnapped from their home, along with an estimated 220 other people, in Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, and taken to Gaza.

But Hitler moustaches and a monobrow have been drawn over the childrens faces.

Another poster, of missing Silvia Ochayon, 58, was similarly defaced  and horns were added.

Similarly, horns and a monobrow were added to a third photograph on a poster featuring 17-year-old Israeli Tomer Eliaz Arava.

The posters ask passers-by to share a photograph of the images in an effort to free the children and get them home alive.

Police say they are treating the defacing of the posters as a hate crime.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that people who glorify Hamas terrorists will be met with the full force of the law. Hamas is banned in the UK.

This is what the Jewish community is facing. Not in 1936. In 2023. Here. In London, wrote journalist Dan Hodges as he posted a photo on social media of the Cunio childrens poster, branding the defacements evil.

The Metropolitan Police have recorded a massive increase in antisemitic hate crimes since the eruption of violence between Israel and Hamas militants.

In the first two weeks of October, the force recorded 105 incidents of antisemitism  up from just 14 incidents during the same period last year.

Cases included intimidation outside synagogues and German military music being played loudly, to Jewish people being confronted by protesters laughing about the numbers of deaths.

The force said officers in Camden were investigating the defacing of the photographs.

A spokesperson said: Police have been made aware of a number of photos that have been posted on social media today of posters which have been defaced in the Finchley Road area.

We fully understand the distress this will cause to local communities. Police are investigating the incident and are treating it as a hate crime.

Local officers have immediately responded and will be focused on the area to carry out reassurance patrols.

Police asked for anyone with information to ring 101 quoting CAD2459/25OCT23.
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A video allegedly showing rapper Lady Leshurr attacking her ex-girlfriends lover moments before biting her has been shown to court.

The 35-year-old artist, whose real name is Melesha OGarro, is accused of assaulting Chante Boyea  then dating her ex-girlfriend Sidnee Hussein  just after 5am on October 22 2022, biting her hand so badly that she suffered nerve damage.

The former Dancing On Ice contestant, from Kingshurst, Birmingham, and her co-defendant Sherelle Smith allegedly attacked Ms Hussein after she tried to help Ms Boyea, Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London heard previously.

The rapper denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and Smith, 29, from Yardley, Birmingham, denies one count of the same charge during the incident outside Ms Husseins home in Walthamstow, north-east London.

At their trial on Wednesday, a Snapchat video recorded by Ms Boyea showed her holding back OGarro with her left hand as the rapper appeared to lunge at her.

In the short clip, OGarro was seen with her mouth open as Ms Boyea screamed help repeatedly.

Ms Boyea previously told the court that OGarro then bit down on her hand and didnt let go.

She said that OGarro only relented when Ms Hussein rushed from her house to her aid and was then attacked by Smith.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Ms Boyea said: She (OGarro) was punching towards me but couldnt reach my body as you can see in the video.

The only reason I recorded it was as evidence that I was being attacked.

The defendants case is that they were the ones who were first attacked and that security officer Ms Boyea used her Belgian Malinois dog Toby as a weapon against OGarro.

In the video shown on Wednesday, a dog can be heard barking and defence lawyer Ronnie Bergenthal suggested to jurors that its front paws could briefly be seen reaching up to OGarro.

Ms Boyea denied the suggestion, having previously insisted that Toby remained in the boot of her car during the incident.

She also denied that she had edited the video before providing it to police as it did not show her in the best light.

The trial continues.
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A father fought to free his daughter from the grip of a pitbull-type dog that clamped its jaws on her head, a horrified witness has said.

The girl, estimated to be around 3-years-old, was playing in Mansfield Park, north-east London with her parents and a baby in a pram when she was attacked at around 3.15pm on Tuesday.

Police officers arriving at the scene on top of the hill seized the dog from the owner. The child was rushed to hospital for treatment where her injuries were declared not life-threatening, police said.

A witness said the small brown pitbull-type dog had been charging around the park when he heard frantic screams.

Have you been affected by this story? Email barney.davis@independent.co.uk

A file picture of a pitbull cross similiar to the breed described by a witness (PA Archive)

Richard Woodburn, 53, told The Independent: The dog had come up to me as I use the park as a cut-through to go home but I just ignored it. The owner was shouting at the dog to come back.

Then I heard him shout louder and louder and then I heard screaming. I ran back up the hill but the dog was already being held down by the owner.

The dad had to prise the dog off her head. He sustained injuries to his hands.

He added: At first I didnt think anything was wrong because her mother was holding her so close. But the police wanted me to verify if there were any injuries.

So she showed me the side of her head and it was matted with blood.

The witness added: The father was blaming himself for taking his kids to the park. How ridiculous to think like that? I really felt for him as he felt so guilty.

The girl was crying to begin with and then was just in shock. Another older girl looked properly traumatised.

When the police officer arrived to do first aid he told the paramedics that shell probably need stitches.

A Met spokesman confirmed the dog was seized.

The child was taken to hospital for treatment; their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, they added. No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.

A Cane Corso is accused of biting a baby in Barnsley in a separate incident (Getty iStock/ Linas Toleikis)

The incident is the latest in a string of dog attacks - some of them fatal - to have taken place across the country in recent weeks.

It came hours after a ten-month-old baby was left needing surgery after he was attacked by a normally loving and affectionate family dog.

The Cane Corso X is said to have shown no previous signs of aggression before biting the boy as he started to cry in his Barnsley home on Tuesday morning. The baby remains in hospital in a stable but serious condition.

Police said the attack was out of character for the dog, who has no previous history of aggression, with the owner describing him as being pleasant and affectionate with children.

A five-year-old boy suffered serious injuries after being attacked by a suspected Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Ashington on Sunday.

The child is currently being treated in hospital for serious but non-life threatening injuries, police said
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West Yorkshire Police has confirmed they are investigating an incident after viral footage showed an officer blasting members of the public with pepper spray.

Video shared on social media shows an officer spraying multiple people during a public disturbance in Leeds.

It is believed that the West Yorkshire Police officer, branded out of control by commenters, is the same person who was accused of overreacting by arresting an autistic teenager earlier this year.

A West Yorkshire Police officer was filmed deploying irritant spray on members of the public (X/London & UK Street News )

The girls mother made a formal complaint about the incident on 7 August, which was widely condemned for being heavy handed after it was posted on TikTok. The teenager was later told she would face no further action.

In the latest footage, which has been shared on X and viewed more than three million times, several officers can be seen clashing with a crowd in a residential street in Rothwell, Leeds, on Sunday.

One officer can be seen storming into the scene and rushing towards members of the public, who appear to be bystanders, and deploying irritant PAVA spray in their faces while shouting: Get back, get back.

In total, three people appear to have been blasted with the irritant spray, which is similar to pepper spray, with one man seen turning his head and shielding his eyes.

West Yorkshire Police has made a referral to professional standards after the incident (X/London & UK Street News )

West Yorkshire Police said it was investigating the video and reviewing bodyworn footage following the disorder on Sunday afternoon.

It added: West Yorkshire Police is aware of footage circulating on social media around some disorder on Third Avenue, Rothwell on Sunday (22/10) afternoon.

The matter is being investigated and body worn footage currently being reviewed. A referral has been made to the Professional Standards Directorate.

According to the forces website, use of PAVA irritant spray is only justified for individuals offering a level of violence which cannot be appropriately dealt with by other tactical options, or where failure to immediately incapacitate a violent offender would lead to increased risk to others present.

In the previous incident in August, the distressed autistic teen was filmed being removed from her Leeds home crying after she was arrested.

In the footage, a parent can be heard explaining to officers that she has autism and thought the officer looked like her grandmother.

Sharing the footage, the mother posted: This is what police do when dealing with autistic children. My daughter told me the police officer looked like her nana, who is a lesbian.

The officer took it the wrong way and said it was a homophobic comment [it wasnt].

The officer then entered my home. My daughter was having panic attacks from being touched by them and they still continued to manhandle her.

Responding at the time, West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Oz Khan said: We are aware of a video circulating on social media which, as is often the case, only provides a very limited snapshot of the circumstances of this incident.

Officers had their body-worn video cameras activated during their wider involvement with this young girl which provides additional context to their actions.

We have received a complaint in relation to this incident which is currently being assessed by West Yorkshire Professional Standards Directorate.
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Shamima Begum will face a wait to find out whether she has won a Court of Appeal bid over the removal of her British citizenship.

Ms Begum travelled to Syria in 2015  at the age of 15  before her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds shortly after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019.

Earlier this year, the now-24-year-old lost a challenge against the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Ms Begums lawyers brought a bid to overturn this decision at the Court of Appeal, with the Home Office opposing the challenge.

At the start of the hearing on Tuesday, Samantha Knights KC told the court the government had failed to consider the legal duties owed to Ms Begum as a potential victim of trafficking or as a result of state failures in her case.

She said in written submissions: The appellants trafficking was a mandatory, relevant consideration in determining whether it was conducive to the public good and proportionate to deprive her of citizenship, but it was not considered by the Home Office.

As a consequence, the deprivation decision was unlawful.

But at the hearing in London on Wednesday, Sir James Eadie KC, for the department, said that decisions over whether someone is a victim of trafficking or whether they should be deprived of their citizenship have fundamentally different bases and roles.

He continued: The focus in the trafficking regime is on the protection of the individual and theres really no countervailing public interest at that point.

But here the regime is different, the regime in operation is the deprivation regime and the rationale is entirely different, it is the protection of the public at large.

The barrister later said the key feature of Ms Begums case was national security.

Sir James continued in written submissions: The fact that someone is radicalised, and may have been manipulated, is not inconsistent with the assessment that they pose a national security risk.

Ms Begum contends that national security should not be a trump card. But the public should not be exposed to risks to national security because events and circumstances have conspired to give rise to that risk.

During the appeal bid, Ms Begums lawyers said the UK has failed to have a full and effective investigation into how Ms Begum was allegedly trafficked.

In its ruling earlier this year, SIAC concluded there were arguable breaches of duty by state bodies  including the Metropolitan Police, Tower Hamlets council and Ms Begums school  in not preventing her from travelling to Syria.

Ms Knights told the Court of Appeal at the start of the three-day hearing that these failures could have also been unlawful and contributed to Ms Begums trafficking.

However, Sir James said SIAC was right to find there was no direct connection between any potential failures, by other public authorities, in 2015 and Mr Javids decision to deprive Ms Begum of her citizenship.

The hearing in London is expected to conclude on Thursday, with the final day of the proceedings held in private.

At the end of Wednesdays session, the Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr said: We anticipate we will be reserving both open and closed decisions.
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A man has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years after being found guilty of the beyond sadistic murder of his girlfriend.

The broken and lifeless body of young mother Claire Inglis, 28, had no fewer than 76 separate sites of injury when she was found at her home in Stirling in November 2021.

Christopher McGowan, 28, was found guilty of the murder following a trial at the High Court in Stirling last month.

Judge Michael OGrady jailed McGowan for life and ordered him to serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars when he sentenced him at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

It is understood McGowan was on bail at the time of the murder.

In a sentencing statement later published online, Judge OGrady said: To those who have not listened to the evidence in this trial, it is difficult to truly convey the utter brutality of the death you inflicted on Claire Inglis.

By the time her broken and lifeless body was found, she had no fewer than 76 separate sites of injury.

There is no need for me to dwell on the detail; there are those present today who have already heard too much to bear.

I shudder to imagine what her last minutes were like. To describe what you did as sadistic falls woefully short of the mark. It was beyond sadistic Judge Michael OGrady

The fact is, this young woman was not only murdered; she was subjected to nothing short of torture.

I shudder to imagine what her last minutes were like. To describe what you did as sadistic falls woefully short of the mark. It was beyond sadistic.

The judge said that while listening to evidence McGowan had shown not a flicker of emotion, not a hint of distress, not a shadow of remorse.

He said McGowan has a long record of offending, beginning around 14 years ago, comprising some 39 previous convictions.

Scotlands procurator fiscal for homicide, Moira Orr, said the family of Ms Inglis have been left devastated.

She said: This is a heartbreaking case of the murder of a young mother, Claire Inglis, by her abusive partner.

Christopher McGowan showed cruelty and contempt for Claire, and his actions have left her family devastated.

As prosecutors, we have worked to deliver justice for Claire. The case was carefully investigated by COPFS working with Police Scotland, demonstrating that McGowan had displayed aggressive and controlling behaviour towards Claire prior to her murder.

By not accepting responsibility for his actions, McGowan made Claires family go through the ordeal of a trial. Our prosecution team unpicked his deception, and this has resulted in his conviction for murder.

Our thoughts are now of Claire, and we offer condolences to everyone who loved her.

Detective Inspector Will Harley of Forth Valley CID said: Claire had a young family when her life was ended by this horrific attack.

Her loved ones have been left absolutely devastated and our thoughts remain with them at this extremely difficult time.

This was a horrendous crime which involved significant levels of violence.

McGowan cruelly took Claires life, showing complete disregard for her, her family, and her friends.

Violence of this nature has no place in our society, and we will continue to work tireless to bring perpetrators to justice.
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An RAF plane is on its way to Egypt with a cargo of 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for Gaza, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

Supplies on board the C-17 aircraft include medical equipment and water filters.

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last week he was increasing UK support by 10 million and then by a further 20 million on Monday to meet the needs of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been subject to a siege and bombardment from Israel as Tel Aviv retaliates after Hamass assault on October 7.

The extra funding will see the UKs existing commitment to those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories increase this year from 27 million to 57 million.

Speaking during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said there was a need for specific pauses, as distinct from a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow people to leave Gaza and for aid to be transported into the territory.

The C-17 that left RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday morning contained 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights, with the aid set to be distributed through the Egyptian Red Crescent.

Each water filter and light is intended to support a family of five, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The Department for Health and Social Care donated the wound care packs from its stockpiles, the UK Government said.

The packs include sterilised clinical equipment and protective clothing.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: Todays airlift is a clear demonstration of the UKs commitment to helping those most in need  rapidly deploying the RAF to get life-saving aid into the region.

Together with our regional partners it is critical that we prioritise protecting all civilians from harm, that is why Im in the Middle East this week to work with defence leaders on deterring a wider conflict that would have devastating consequences for families across the region.

The announcement follows diplomatic efforts in the Middle East by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary last week to ensure aid trucks can make it through the Rafah crossing, linking Gaza and Egypt.

It is Gazas only border point not controlled by Israel.

Ahead of aid being allowed through, Tel Aviv had been keen to put in place strict conditions to prevent the aid reaching Hamas fighters.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stressed that more aid is needed to help Gazas 2.3 million population.

It comes after the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to cut back sharply relief operations across the 25-mile strip.

Mr Cleverly said: The urgent humanitarian need in Gaza is clear.

This delivery of vital UK aid into Egypt will save lives but more is needed.

Humanitarian aid must continue to be allowed into Gaza to reach the people who need it most.

The UK is working with Israel, Egypt and other partners in the region to enable life-saving aid to reach civilians, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel as a priority.

To support the Foreign Offices team with distributing aid shipments, the UKs military advisory team attached to the embassy in Egypt has been bolstered, the MoD said.
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Rishi Sunak has called for temporary pauses in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow British nationals and hostages to be freed and for humanitarian aid to be provided in the Gaza Strip.

But the Prime Minister continued on Wednesday to reject calls for a longer ceasefire, with Downing Street arguing the move would only serve to benefit Hamas.

Mr Sunak said specific pauses are necessary for humanitarian purposes as Israel pummels the small strip of land, which is home to more than two million Palestinians.

He said such breaks had been discussed at the United Nations as he announced that an RAF plane is flying to Egypt with 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies.

More than 80 MPs have urged the Government to call for a ceasefire, as five UK nationals remain missing, some of whom are believed to be hostages in Gaza.

Mhairi Black, the SNPs deputy leader in the Commons, said Britain has a human responsibility to all civilians in Gaza but particularly to UK nationals who, she said, are in hospitals in the Gaza Strip with no food, no water, no medicine and no way out.

How much worse does the situation have to get before he will join us in calls for a humanitarian ceasefire? she asked at Prime Ministers Questions.

Mr Sunak said the first and most important principle is that Israel has the right to defend itself under international law after Hamass atrocity on October 7.

Our support for that position is absolute and unchanged, he said.

From the start weve also said that we do want British nationals to be able to leave Gaza, and we want for hostages to be released and for humanitarian aid to get in.

We recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment which of course necessitates specific pauses as distinct from a ceasefire.

Ms Black said joining calls for a ceasefire is the best and maybe the only way to stop this conflict escalating beyond all control.

But Mr Sunak said Israel has the right to protect itself after suffering a shockingly brutal terrorist attack by Hamas.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman told journalists: A wholesale ceasefire would only serve to benefit Hamas.

Humanitarian pauses, which are temporary, which are limited in scope, can be an operational tool.

Mr Sunak highlighted the need for fuel in the Gaza Strip, with No 10 saying it is essential for the desalination of water as well as for the transport of medication and running hospitals.

But the spokesman said ministers would want to prevent supplies being misused in any way, shape or form amid concerns they could be harnessed by Hamas to be used against Israel.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps later backed a ground invasion by Israel as long as the people that they are going after are the Hamas terrorists.

But he told Sky News the group hide themselves amongst the Palestinian population and that the UK Government appreciates it is a very difficult situation.

Britain dispatched an RAF C-17 aircraft to Egypt from Brize Norton to deliver aid to Palestinian civilians.

The Egyptian Red Crescent was tasked with distributing the cargo of 76,800 wound care packs, 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights.

Mr Sunak said: Our team are on the ground ready to receive, we will continue to do everything we can do increase the flow of aid  including fuel  into Gaza.

The Prime Minister has increased aid spending for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories  Gaza and the West Bank  by 30 million to take the total this year to 57 million.

As part of Tel Avivs retaliation for Hamass raids that left 1,400 Israelis dead, it imposed a siege on the territory, blocking essentials such as water, food and fuel from entering.

Aid trucks have been permitted to reach Palestinians only in the past few days.

British aid charity Oxfam said starvation was being used as a weapon of war as it repeated its call for more aid to be allowed into the bombarded 25-mile strip.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply reduce relief operations for Gaza.

Health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory said on Wednesday that the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets continued striking the territory overnight.

The health ministry said more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, including 2,300 children.

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centres, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among the Gaza Strips civilian population.

The continuation of the battle between Tel Aviv and Hamas comes as a UK minister urged UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres to retract remarks that have sparked a diplomatic storm.

Mr Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, and had occurred after the Palestinian people had been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

The UN chief also expressed concern that clear violations of international humanitarian law had been committed by Israel during its fightback.

UK immigration minister Robert Jenrick, a close ally of Mr Sunak, said the comments were wrong and Mr Guterres should retract that if he was implying there is any justification for the killings by Palestinian militants.

The Conservative politician said it was not for me to say whether the UN chief should stand down after a call by Israels UN ambassador Gilad Erdan for Mr Guterres to resign.
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British families of those being held hostage by Hamas are continuing to hold out hope, amid global diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Foreign Office said officials were working tirelessly to save UK nationals, as the release of a Britons mother sparked hope of similar breakthroughs for other families.

Downing Street on Tuesday said that at least 12 British nationals were killed in Hamass attack on Israel and a further five are still missing, with some of them believed to have been kidnapped.

The release of 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz came as a reassurance to some families, with her London-based daughter Sharone Lifschitz telling reporters that hostages had been treated well and given medicine by their captors.

British psychotherapist Noam Sagi, whose elderly mother Ada is being held hostage by Hamas, said the release had offered some hope for the future.

Fewer than five Britons are believed to be among the hostages as officials fear that some of those missing have been killed.

A Foreign Office spokespersons said: Our thoughts remain with the families of loved ones being held captive, as they endure unimaginable anguish and worry at this time.

We will continue to work tirelessly with Qatar, Israel and others to ensure all hostages come home safely.

It comes as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he met with some of those whose family members were killed or are still missing.

In a post on social media, he said: We cannot lose sight of the evil that has caused suffering for so many.

The House of Lords held a debate on the escalating conflict on Tuesday night, as peers condemned the attack by Hamas.

It saw the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, warn that the heavier the casualties the less chance there is of securing peace.
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The family of a British citizen imprisoned by China has hit out at the UK government for refusing to release details of efforts to free him after it claimed doing so could damage relations with Beijing.

Media tycoon and activist Jimmy Lais loved ones fear he will die in prison after the 75-year-old was detained under Chinas draconian National Security Law in 2020.

In August, foreign secretary James Cleverly tweeted that he had challenged China on Mr Lais case.

But the Foreign Office has refused to release a record of the meeting, despite acknowledging the public interest in doing so.

Mr Lais son and campaigners described the decision as disappointing and urged the government to be frank and open about its discussions with China about his arrest.

Posting a video from a runway in China on 30 August as he prepared to leave after 24 hours in the country, Mr Cleverly said: In Beijing, I challenged China on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai and the treatment of UK Parliamentarians.

But we cannot just ignore China on everything else. We have got to work with China on the issues that will impact us all.

The Independent subsequently submitted a freedom of information request asking what the foreign secretary said about Mr Lais imprisonment.

Rejecting the request, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said: We acknowledge that releasing this information would increase public knowledge and provide transparency in regards to the meeting.

But the disclosure of the conversation between senior members of the UK and Chinese governments could potentially damage the bilateral relationship between the UK and China.

Mr Lais son and other campaigners have now urged the British government to press Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release him.

British foreign secretary James Cleverly with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in August this year (AP)

Far from damaging the relationship, calling for my fathers release would be a vital step in repairing it, Sebastien Lai told The Independent. The US government and the European parliament have publicly called for my fathers release.

It is disappointing that our own government has so far failed to do the same and wont be open and frank about its discussions with China on his case.

Mr Lai was and charged with four offences under Chinas the National Security Law in August 2020, one of which included lighting a candle in commemoration of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989.

He was then sentenced to 20 months in prison and was given a further five years and nine months last year on two separate charges described by rights groups as politically motivated.

The National Security Law criminalised secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces and was criticised as being vague by Amnesty International, who said the purpose of it was to crackdown on dissent against the Chinese Communist Party.

Sebastien Lai, son of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, holds a sign calling for the release of his father (REUTERS)

The media mogul is now facing a life sentence on a charge of colluding with foreign powers for publishing a newspaper highly critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

Mark Sabah, UK director of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, also told The Independent: Why should it be a secret that the Foreign Secretary is fighting for the release of a British citizen?

It is something he should be shouting from the rooftops and be proud to be doing. The British government should press the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately release 75-year-old Jimmy Lai, who has courageously, and peacefully, fought for freedom.

He claimed it was more damaging to withhold information from the British public about what the government said regarding their fellow citizen.

In August, Hong Kongs High Court suggested Mr Lais trial would be adjourned for the third time, delaying the prospect of him facing the alleged offences against national security and sedition.

Caoilifhionn Gallagher KC, who is part of his international legal team, described the delay as a charade.

A FCDO spokesperson told The Independent: We are withholding this information under Section 27(1)(a) of the FOIA.

This section of the Act recognises the need to protect information that would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and other states if it was disclosed.
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A first-of-its-kind study on involuntary celibates, often referred to as incels, has contradicted the commonly held belief that they hold women to unrealistic standards.

Incels is the term used for a group of sexually embittered men who form their identities around their perceived inability to establish romantic connections with women.

Online communities of young men have drawn considerable concern, after they frequently associate themselves with views that are misogynistic or hostile to the opposite sex, and towards men that are sexually active.

Commentators have frequently suggested that the reason incels fail in the dating world is because they hold women to ridiculously high standards, and are unrealistic about the caliber of partner they will attract.

However, researchers at the University of Texas who had conducted the first official study into incel mating psychology have suggested that self-confessed incels actually make fewer demands of potential female suitors that men who are not in that group.

In this latest study, 319 men were recruited via social media, with 139 identifying as incels with the average age of 29.

Despite common misconceptions, incels were willing to settle for below average ratings on 12 out of 15 characteristics, which ranged from facial attractiveness, intelligence to sexual skill.

The study required them to choose a minimum score between one and ten which a person would have to meet across 15 traits for them to consider them as a potential long-term romantic partner.

Incels are known for forming online communities spouting misogynistic and hostile views towards women (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Wire)

Published in The Journal of Sex Research last month, the study also asked men why they thought theyd been unlucky in love, with the results showing they were more likely that others to assume they were inferior.

They were more likely to attribute to their singlehood to external reasons such as competition from other men, while the findings also revealed differences in what the characteristics they assumed were attractive to women.

The group underestimated the desire for intelligence, kindness and humour, while placing a heavier importance on physical attractiveness and financial prospects.

Researchers also found that incels were more likely to be of shorter height, with studies showing that women are more likely to be attracted to taller-than-average men, which contributed to their sense of rejection.

Alek Minassian killed 11 people after posting The Incel Rebellion has begun!

In recent years, incels have become more widely discussed in the mainstream media after becoming responsible for a number of terror attacks.

Elliot Rodger murdered six people in California in 2014 in a gun and knife attack, shortly after posting a video complaining that he was still a virgin at the age of 22.

He had also published a 141 page document detailing his hatred of women and his anger at being sexually rejected.

Another infamous incel to make headlines is Alek Minassian, who killed 11 people and injured 15 in a van attack in Toronto in what was characterised as misogynist terrorism.

In a Facebook post shortly before the attack, he had posted The Incel Rebellion has already begun! and had seemingly idolised Rodger for being the incel founding father.

In Plymouth mass killer Jake Davison conducted online searches for incel serial killers and counter-terror police in the UK days before his massacre.
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The family of a missing hillwalker feared dead after vanishing in the Scottish Highlands have thanked rescue teams for bringing him home.

Charlie Kelly, 56, had left to go on a solo trek in Glen Etive on September 6 almost seven weeks ago.

A frantic search had offered up no traces of Mr Kelly, also known as Charles, except his backpack and an orange peel believed to have belonged to the avid trekker.

Rescuers scour the Highland hills during the search for Mr Kelly (Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team)

The search, hampered by bad weather regularly, involved helicopters, dogs, drones, and ten different mountain rescue teams - including civilians, RAF and police.

The remains are yet to be formally identified, but the family of Charles Kelly have been informed.

His partner Emer Kennedy posted on Facebook: Unfortunately this isnt the outcome we had hoped for.

Charlie was an amazing partner, father, brother, uncle, friend and colleague to us all. We all have amazing memories to share.

Thank you to Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team and all the other mountain rescue teams, search and rescue dog team, helicopter teams and Police Scotland Highlands and Islands for the huge amount of personal and professional time and effort they put into finding Charlie and bringing him home.

And for all the family, friends and colleagues who shared posts, messages and kind wishes.

Charlie is believed to be wearing a black waterproof jacket, grey trousers and a dark green fleece, he was last seen with a pair of walking poles.

He was described as having a distinctive unusual gait due to a hip problem and may have been moving slowly.

In an update on Wednesday, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: There are no apparent suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
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Investigators have called off the search for four sailors missing after their British-flagged cargo ship collided with a larger vessel in the North Sea.

Rescue ships, aircraft and divers sent to the wreck of the Verity to check for any signs of life were unable to find anything on Tuesday, after the cargo ship crashed en route from Germany to the port of Immingham on Englands east coast.

Two sailors were rescued and the body of one other was recovered after the crash shortly before 5am on Tuesday, some 14 miles southwest of the German island of Heligoland, with the crew of seven having set sail from Bremen the previous night.

The cargo ship Polesie was guided into the harbour of Cuxhaven after colliding with the Verity" (RENE SCHRODER/NEWS5/AFP via Getty Images)

Germanys Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said an overnight search of the area where the missing sailors could be produced no results, after which rescuers stopped the search.

Search efforts on the surface will not be resumed on Wednesday, but officials will consider what measures can be taken around the site of the accident in the course of the day.

View more

Officials said the water temperature at the time of the collision was around 12C, which experience has shown people can survive in for about 20 hours.

Michael Ippich, of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service told reporters at the time of the search: The conditions on the spot are extremely difficult.

Because of the weather and visibility, its incredibly difficult to conduct such an operation.

The freighter Verity collided with a larger ship in the North Sea (Dietmar Hasenpusch/dpa via AP)

P&O ship the Iona scanned the water near to where the British cargo ship Verity sank following a collision (PA Wire)

The larger cargo ship involved in the collision  the Bahamas-flagged Polesie  had 22 people on board and was able to reach the German port of Cuxhaven under its own steam.

Pictures emerged on Wednesday showing the damage suffered to Polesie during the crash as it was guided into the harbour of Cuxhave in the early hours of the morning.

The cause of the collision is not yet known.
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Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition supporting a suspended Tube driver who led a chant of free, free Palestine on a London Underground train.

After around 100,000 protesters took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London, footage posted online and then deleted by Open Democracy journalist Ruby Lott-Lavigna appeared to show the chant being led over the trains speaker system.

After the uproar, the driver was quickly identified and suspended whilst TfL vowed to fully investigate the incident in line with our policies and procedures.

A petition started by passengers on the tube carriage called for TfL to reverse the suspension and uphold free speech has now hit nearly 70,000 signatures in just over 24 hours.

A statement on the petition said: [The drivers] actions were an expression of his personal feelings about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and a plea for peace.

Unfortunately, this act of empathy and solidarity has put his job at risk, as it has allegedly violated company guidelines or policies.

It is vital to uphold the principles of freedom of expression, compassion, and empathy for people enduring conflict, irrespective of personal beliefs or affiliations.

One supporter wrote: This is morally wrong I thought Britain was freedom of speech. The gentleman who was at work was doing an excellent job by interacting with his passengers and making them feel welcome on the tube.

After leading a chorus of No Justice, No Peace the driver instructed his cramped Central line passengers to chant: Louder, please, louder.

Before letting people off the carriage to join the protest, he finished: Hope you all have a blessed day today and look after yourselves.

Labour MP Diane Abbott has asked what would have happened if the chant had been about Ukraine (PA Wire)

One serving Tube driver, speaking anonymously, told The Independent that his colleagues were divided on the issue.

He said: A Central line colleague says the driver is an English guy, and a non-Muslim.

Some drivers are now taking political sides saying it is a double standard from TfL.

They are penalising this guy for saying free, free Palestine even though he didnt say the word Palestine.

London Underground are seen as hypocrites because people were allowed to stand up for Ukraine.

I hope he doesnt get the sack but if the London Underground do sack him they are screwed both ways.

If they sack him the Muslim drivers can say they are being Islamaphobic. If he doesnt get the sack then the other side will say they are being antisemitic. Im not sure what will happen but I hope he doesnt lose his job.

Hackney MP Diane Abbott asked her X followers: Would [the susppension] have happened if he was chanting Free Ukraine?

TfL offered Ukrainian refugees free travel across their network for 72 hours if they showed staff their passports with noticeboards across stations adorned with Ukranian flags.

The drivers union ASLEF called police involvement in investigating the video a ridiculous overreaction.

Finn Brennan, ASLEFs full-time organiser on London Underground, said: We are aware that a Tube train driver has been suspended while an investigation takes place.

The involvement of the police in this matter is a ridiculous overreaction to something that should clearly be dealt with internally by Transport for London in line with normal procedures.

The chant was criticised by minister for London Paul Scully who said Tube staff should focus on the day job and warned against stoking tension in the capital.

TfL has been approached for further comment.
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The environment secretary has suggested the damage done by Storm Babet was harder to predict because rain came in from the east.

Therese Coffey told MPs a rapid review would be conducted after highlighting that some flood-hit communities felt they could have been given more pumps to stop them from becoming submerged.

At least seven people are thought to have died in the unprecedented weather event, while hundreds were forced to flee their homes in Scotland and northeast England. The storm brought a rare red weather warning to the North with torrential downpours battering the country for days.

Giving evidence to the Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee, the environment secretary told MPs: One of the things that happened particularly with Storm Babet is that we are very good, with the Met Office and the Environment Agencys flood forecasting [centre], at predicting weather normally because most of our rain tends to come in from the west.

Weve got that pretty much down to a fine art. This was rain coming from the other way and we dont have quite as much experience on that, therefore our accuracy of predicting where such heavy rain would fall was not to the same degree as if it had been.

So the Environment Agency had moved assets from parts of the country more towards Yorkshire and the North East and that way.

But Im conscious that there were still some places that felt they could have done with some more pumps.

St Leonards Riding School and Livery Stable in Toton, Nottinghamshire (PA)

Ms Coffey promised to conduct a rapid review alongside the Environment Agency to understand what could have been done better.

Clearly for people whose homes were flooded this weekend, I fully recognise it is a very distressing time for them, Ms Coffey told the committee.

Quite a lot of them will have to move out of their homes for some considerable time.

Hundreds of people have been left homeless in the wake of Storm Babet, with about 1,250 properties in England flooded, according to the Environment Agency.

The environment secretary, who visited affected residents in Retford, Nottinghamshire, on Monday, said that 5.2bn has been allocated to protect homes and businesses from flooding between 2021-27.

But she admitted it looked as if her department may not be hitting its target of protecting 336,000 properties by 2027.

Downing Street said each type of weather brought with it different challenges as it defended the governments efforts during the storm.

Asked if Rishi Sunak was concerned that the UK is not as good at dealing with rain from the east, the prime ministers official spokesperson said: Im not sure I would agree with that  different weather events present different challenges.

But I think when nearly 50,000 homes have been prevented from flooding that would demonstrate we are prepared for flooding.
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Scotlands First Minister has asked how many more children have to die in Gaza before the Prime Minister and Labour leader call for a ceasefire.

Humza Yousaf, whose in-laws are trapped in the region due to the hostilities, said he does not understand the stance taken by Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, who have both stopped short of calling for an end to fighting to allow civilians to leave and aid to enter the territory.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, the First Minister said: I can not understand the PMs position, or Keir Starmers unwillingness to call on all parties to commit to an immediate ceasefire.

How many more children have to die?

Mr Yousaf also described the position of Mr Sunak and Sir Keir as infuriating.

During a visit to a service for young people leaving the care system in Glasgow, he told Global Radio: How many more children have to die before you join us and join many across the world, including the United Nations, and call for that ceasefire?

Call on all parties, not just one party here, call on all parties to commit to a ceasefire for the sake of those innocent children who are suffering so badly.

Speaking at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said he favours specific pauses to allow British nationals to leave the region and humanitarian aid to enter, but he has rejected calls to demand a ceasefire.

Under questioning from SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black, the PM said: We recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses as distinct from a ceasefire.

Ms Black argued that joining calls for a ceasefire is the best and maybe the only way to stop this conflict escalating beyond all control.

But Mr Sunak said Israel has the right to protect itself after suffering a shockingly brutal terrorist attack at the hands of Hamas.

A spokesman for Sir Keir, speaking to journalists, stopped short of supporting the push for a ceasefire.

We fully recognise that Israel has a right to defend itself, to go after the hostages and to act in accordance with humanitarian law in that process, he said.

What we have also said is that we need to ensure that there is protection of civilian life, that we ensure all necessary aid supplies can get into Gaza and reach people who need them, and that continues to be our position.

Mr Yousafs mother-in-law Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged travelled to the region from Scotland before the Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli reprisals left them trapped.

In an emotional statement on Tuesday at Holyrood, Mr Yousaf said Ms El-Nakla had lost hope after almost three weeks of bombing.

During his visit in Glasgow on Wednesday, the First Minister received a message saying the couple remain safe.

But theyve been trapped in a war zone now for 18 days and there is no sign that I can see of the Rafah crossing (into Egypt) opening for foreign nationals, he said.

The First Minister added he is upset and distraught that 2.2 million residents of the Gaza Strip are facing collective punishment for a crime they did not commit.

He added: The overwhelming majority had nothing to do with the disgraceful, atrocious terrorist attacks that Hamas carried out on October 7.

All of us, all of us who are heads of government, politicians, political parties, we all have to unite in calling for a ceasefire, and calling for it now.

The First Minister and Prime Minister shared a call on Tuesday, during which, Mr Sunaks official spokesman said, the PM extended his sympathy to Mr Yousaf, adding: We are doing everything within our power, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and many others, to release hostages and allow aid into Gaza.
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There is no more funding for a new pay offer to striking school staff in Scotland, the First Minister said as a new wave of action was announced.

Unison is the only union not to have accepted the most recent offer for non-teaching staff, and fresh walkouts are due to take place on November 1 in four council areas.

On Wednesday, the union also announced staff in South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and Fife will strike on Wednesday November 8.

Speaking to the PA news agency, First Minister Humza Yousaf said there will be no more money for local authorities to offer increased pay to staff.

There is no more funding, Ive been really clear about that, he said.

We have significant additional funding in order to get a really good pay deal on the table for our local government workers, and thats why two out of three trade unions have accepted the deal.

Unite and the GMB suspended planned action after the deal, which represents a minimum increase of 2,006 for workers on the Scottish local government living wage and at least 1,929 for those above that rate, was accepted by their members.

But 90% of Unison members voted in a ballot to reject it.

The pay rise will be introduced on April 1 next year based on a 37-hour working week.

The living wage of 10.85 will rise to 11.89 per hour  equivalent to a 9.6% increase.

The offer also means council leaders will establish an advisory group to achieve a minimum of 15 per hour in local government.

Cosla said the offer is as far as local government can go without impacting on essential services and jobs locally.

Unison Scotlands head of local government Johanna Baxter said: Despite our repeated calls for Cosla and the Scottish Government to get back round the table for meaningful discussions, we have had no invitations to even exploratory talks.

The union is committed to reaching a resolution to this dispute as soon as possible.

There is still time for Cosla and the Scottish Government to get back round the negotiating table to explore every avenue to reaching a negotiated settlement and avoid further disruption for parents and students.

The strength of feeling amongst Unisons 91,000 local government members, who voted overwhelmingly to reject Coslas latest pay offer, is clear. They are determined to continue to fight to get an improved pay offer.

A large proportion of schools in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire will be closed during the strike next Wednesday.

In Glasgow, all nurseries, primary schools, and additional support learning schools will close, while secondary schools will only open for S4S6 pupils. Glasgow Gaelic Secondary School will be closed to all pupils.

In East Renfrewshire, all primary schools, nursery classes within schools and Isobel Mair School will be closed, while secondary schools will be closed to S1-S3 pupils.

The position will be similar in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, with arrangements for S4-S6 pupils still being finalised in the latter.

Unison Scotland chair of the local government committee Mark Ferguson said: The current offer amounts to a real-terms pay cut and adds further stress to a dedicated workforce already suffering from the cost-of-living crisis.

Cosla and the Scottish Government need to give school staff a decent wage rise, fund any increase properly and commit to implementing a minimum underpinning rate of pay of 15 per hour for all local government workers.

Cosla resources spokeswoman Katie Hagmann said: The ballot result from Unison was very disappointing given the strength of the offer on the table.

I would like to make the following points: Firstly, Scotlands council leaders value their workforce.

Secondly, we have listened to our trade unions, met all their asks and worked with Scottish Government to put an incredibly strong half a billion pound pay package on the table  which our other trade union partners have voted to accept.

Finally, offering almost 10%, or a 2,006 pay increase for our lowest paid workers, which the unions specifically asked for, and 1,929, or at least 5.5%, for everyone else is as far as local government can go without impacting on essential services and jobs locally.

A Scottish Government spokesman said local government pay negotiations are a matter for local authorities as employers and unions, and he encouraged those involved to continue discussions.

He said the Government has already committed to providing 235 million in 2023-24 to support a meaningful pay rise for local government workers, and provided assurances over funding in 2024-25.

He said: The Scottish Government and Cosla will continue to work together to minimise disruption in the event of further industrial action.

Fife Councils head of education and childrens services Shelagh McLean said: We will be assessing the potential impact this action could have in Fife and will work to minimise the effect of this locally.

We cannot rule out closures of school buildings to pupils during any industrial action and we will be in touch with parents and carers as soon as possible with more information.

A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said: We have just received formal notification from Unison and are considering the consequences for education services on the proposed strike day.

We will make sure parents and carers are kept up to date through schools and our social media channels.
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MPs have expressed disappointment after the Foreign Secretary pulled out at the last minute from an appearance before a Commons committee to discuss post-Brexit issues.

James Cleverly had been due to attend the European Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday afternoon, but pulled out in advance of the session.

In a letter to committee chair Sir William Cash, Mr Cleverly apologised but said that he was no longer able to attend the arranged session due to urgent matters in relation to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

The conflict in Israel and Gaza has dominated both global and domestic affairs in recent weeks, with the Foreign Secretary among those leading the Governments response to the crisis.

Sir William told the senior Cabinet minister it was disappointing that MPs were not notified sooner.

I know that the situation in Israel and Gaza is urgent and taking up a considerable amount of your time. During times of crisis, parliamentary scrutiny remains of the utmost importance. Sir William Cash

In a letter to Mr Cleverly, he said: Cancelling an appearance on the day is disruptive for Members and staff, and for those who have made preparations to attend or follow a session live from home.

I know that the situation in Israel and Gaza is urgent and taking up a considerable amount of your time. During times of crisis, parliamentary scrutiny remains of the utmost importance.

Regional security and UK/EU/Nato/UN defence cooperation was one of the vitally important issues we planned to discuss with you.

Mr Cleverly was also expected to be grilled on post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland, as well as on the UKs association to the Horizon science programme.

Sir William said that the discussions on the Windsor Framework were the most pressing.

He asked the Foreign Secretary to appear before the committee as soon as possible after the Kings Speech in November, while also asking Mr Cleverly to respond to a set of questions attached to the letter.
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Premier Leo Varadkar has said he would advise an Irish woman fired from an Israeli company to seek legal advice if her dismissal was over her political views.

Speaking in the Dail, Solidarity TD Mick Barry raised the dismissal of Courtney Carey from her role as a customer care team lead at Israeli tech company Wix, which employs 500 people in Dublin.

Mr Barry said: She commented online about what she described correctly as the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza. She was fired from her job for doing so. I am calling on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to speak out on this case.

It could have a chilling effect on thousands of workers in this country who wish to speak out against a brutal war. It also creates a terrible precedent whereby workers can be fired for expressing a political point of view.

Ms Carey posted on LinkedIn Free Palestine and Israel is a terrorist state prior to her dismissal.

She separately wrote that human rights groups had concluded that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid and that it had cut off food, water and electricity to more than two million people in the Gaza strip.

She later said she condemns all forms of terrorism regardless of the perpetrator or victim.

The president of the Israeli software company said it had decided to part ways with Ms Carey.

Nir Zohar said: Wix is a global company, it is an open and a liberal company. We would never try to limit anyones political views, we do however also hold a strong set of internal values about our team spirit, partnership and friendship.

These accusations in such troubling times not only harm our Israeli teams spirit, they also threaten the great connection between our Dublin offices with our 500 team members and their Israeli colleagues.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett told the Dail that the case was particularly disturbing.

He said: They sacked her because she had put posts online that according to her are quite mild posts, where she essentially laid the responsibility for the current violence in Gaza on the shoulders of the Israeli government for its apartheid policies, its occupation and its siege of Gaza.

In response, Mr Varadkar said he did not know the details or facts of the case and therefore could not pass judgment.

However, he added: Under Irish employment law, it is not okay to dismiss somebody because of their political views.

I believe that to be wrong and would encourage the woman concerned to seek advice, whether from the WRC, a trade union or a solicitor, because it may well constitute wrongful dismissal and there are remedies that would then apply.

Of course, all the facts would need to be known before we know what the outcome will be.

Elsewhere, deputy premier Micheal Martin told reporters he had not seen the posts, but said it would be unacceptable for someone to be fired for sharing a viewpoint if it did not call for violence.

Speaking at the Global Ireland Summit in Dublin, Mr Martin said: Employees generally should be allowed their individual viewpoints. We live in a democracy here, we tolerate debate, freedom of speech and freedom of opinion.

People are entitled to different perspectives once they dont advocate for violence in pursuit of those objectives.

He added: We uphold the right of people for freedom of expression.
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A wheelchair user whose vehicle was parked in a Luton Airport car park when fire devastated it earlier in October said he is still without his bespoke car, and as such has missed in-person business meetings and a funeral.

Andrew Miller, 56 from Northamptonshire, parked his automatic Citroen DS 3 on the ground floor of Luton Airports Terminal Car Park 2 in the blue badge parking zone on October 8, before taking a trip to Ireland with his husband.

They returned to the airport on the afternoon of October 12, and Mr Miller, who has a complex spinal condition and has always been a wheelchair user, said there was no-one from the airport or APCOA, its parking provider, to give him information on how to return home.

In response to Mr Millers situation, a spokesperson for London Luton Airport had offered sincere apologies for any distress or inconvenience caused.

Now almost two weeks later, he said his situation has not changed, with no information given about the state of his vehicle, the back of which he can see in the car park in photographs.

He said his insurance company instructed a car hire company to find him a courtesy vehicle, but they have been unable to do so.

Ive had no courtesy car and no ability to get mobile, meanwhile Ive had to pull out of attending in-person business meetings, I even missed a colleagues funeral, as a consequence of not having my own car, he told the PA news agency.

My partner has taken time out to accompany me to several events in Manchester and London last week.

For many disabled people, like me, personal independence is everything. You take away our cars, you take away our independence and our ability to lead our lives.

My independence has been completely taken away by this fire.

Mr Miller, a broadcaster, cultural consultant and disability campaigner, said his insurance company got in touch to offer a derisory and frankly mean 100 in lieu of a courtesy car.

He said he has received the generic updates from the airport regarding the incident, but has had no bespoke communication regarding his car or situation, tweeting the companies involved with no response.

He said: Its abundantly clear that the processes that have been put in place to support drivers involved in the Luton fire have not included any plans to support disabled people with bespoke needs.

Its quite extraordinary how little support anyone has offered in this situation, Ive basically been left to sort it all out myself.

Mr Miller said that if he is forced to find a replacement car, he will then have to get the hand controls fitted, which cost 500 to replace and take a week to put in.

The result is that he is having to make further arrangements so he can meet his commitments, restricting his flexibility.

I cant be spontaneous in anything that Im doing, he said.

Im very, very restricted. So if my doctor rings up and says, weve arranged some antibiotics for you, I cant jump in my car and go and get them. I have to get my partner to go and do that for me.

Thats robbing me of mobility, its an independence that I would normally have.

Neil Thompson, operations director at London Luton Airport, said: We know this has been a distressing time and we have every sympathy with all those affected.

We have always been clear that most cars will be unsalvageable. From the outset, customers have been advised to contact their insurer and we have worked hard to provide all the required information so insurance companies can progress claims as quickly as possible.

We continue to provide our customers with regular updates, but as the car park remains unsafe, we are unable to provide information about individual vehicles. We are pleased to hear that many claims have already been settled.

A spokesperson for APCOA said: Due to the instability of the car park structure which was severely damaged by the fire, unfortunately we still dont have access to it. As a result, we have been unable to provide any customers with bespoke information about their individual vehicles.

APCOA and London Luton Airport have tried to keep all customers informed as the situation has evolved by sending regular email updates and publishing detailed information and guidance on our websites and social media.

All customers have been advised to contact their insurance company to progress a claim and the relevant information has been provided to the insurers to support that process.

We have every sympathy with all customers who have been affected by this major incident.
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Sir Keir Starmer has met Muslim Labour MPs as he sought to see off a backlash over his on position on Israel and Gaza.

Labour sources described the meeting, which was attended by around a dozen MPs including at least one frontbencher, as constructive but it comes amid growing anger among the grassroots and some in the parliamentary party over comments made by Sir Keir on the escalating conflict.

In an interview with LBC after Hamass October 7 atrocity, Sir Keir suggested that Israel has the right to cut off power and water from Gaza.

But acknowledging the distress caused by the remarks, he subsequently sought to clarify his position, arguing that he did not mean to back the siege on more than two million Palestinians.

In a statement issued after Wednesdays meeting, Sir Keir said that Labour backed calls  including the US and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak  for humanitarian pauses amid international concern about the fate of Palestinian civilians facing Israeli bombardment.

It is understood that Manchester MP Afzal Khan, the parliamentary chair of the Labour Muslim Network, was among those at the meeting. Labour had sought to downplay the gathering as an informal one between Sir Keir and the MPs.

But it came as more than 150 Muslim Labour councillors urged Sir Keir and Ms Rayner to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with his comments also sparking resignations from councillors.

In a letter, the councillors from areas including Barking and Dagenham, Birmingham, Bradford, Blackburn, Bolton and Glasgow, said the leadership had to work to end the humanitarian disaster.

As Labour councillors elected to serve our constituents, the message we have been hearing repeatedly over the past two weeks is simple, people just want to end the bloodshed and the loss of innocent life, they wrote.

No nation, no people or community should have to endure collective punishment and the same should be the case for the Palestinian people.

In a sign of unrest too from within the parliamentary party, frontbencher Yasmin Qureshi used Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday to call the situation in Gaza collective punishment and ask Rishi Sunak: How many more innocent Palestinians must die before this Prime Minister calls for a humanitarian ceasefire?

A spokesman for Labour did not say whether Ms Qureshi  shadow minister for women and equalities  would be disciplined, but told reporters: If I heard the question correctly she was asking the Prime Minister what were the conditions that would lead the Prime Minister to support a ceasefire. And that was the question she was asking.

Meanwhile, the South Wales Islamic Centre accused Sir Keir of having gravely misrepresented its meeting with Muslim leaders over the weekend.

The Labour leader had shared images of the meeting on Sunday, saying he repeated calls for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and for water and power to be restored.

He said he was questioned by members and made clear it is not and has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines. International law must be followed.

But the centre apologised for the hurt and confusion caused by hosting Sir Keir.

We wish to stress Keir Starmers social media post and images gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit, a statement said.

There was a robust and frank conversation which reflected the sentiments Muslim communities are feeling at this time.

Members of the community directly challenged Keir on his statements made on the Israeli Governments right to cut food, electricity and water to Gaza, warranting war crimes, as well as his failure to call for an immediate ceasefire.
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Extending eye screening for diabetic people from every year to every two years could heighten the risk of blindness, researchers have said.

They also suggest the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) could help the NHS keep up with demand.

Eye problems  known as diabetic retinopathy  are a complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, caused by high blood sugars damaging the back of the eye.

Early intervention is vital to ensure there is no sight loss.

Since 2003, diabetics aged 12 or over in England have been invited for eye screening.

In October the guidance was updated, meaning those with no sign of diabetic retinopathy for two consecutive tests will be invited back every two years, while those at a higher risk will be screened more regularly.

However, a team led by researchers from Moorfields Eye Hospital said it is not clear what clinical and other impacts this change might have.

To explore the issue, they tracked the eye health of 82,782 people with diabetes in north-east London, who were screened between 2012 and 2021 and showed no sign of diabetic eye disease in two previous tests.

Of the cohort, 36% were white, 16% were black and 37% were of South Asian or other ethnicities.

Introducing a requirement to report by age and ethnicity for selected screening standards would enable regular, prospective monitoring of changes to service delivery, so disparities do not remain unrecognised Dr Parul Desai and Dr Samantha De Silva

Over eight years they tracked the number of people that developed diabetic retinopathy, along with their ethnicity and age.

During the period, there were 1,788 new cases of sight threatening eye disease in patients regarded low risk.

Of the group, 103 people had the most severe type of the condition  proliferative, or PDR  which carries a high risk of blindness and requires urgent referral.

Researchers said, based on the figures, extending the annual eye check to two years would have delayed diagnosis by 12 months in 56.5% of people with sight threatening disease and in 44% of patients with PDR.

Analysis also showed men had lower rates of sight threatening diabetic eye disease than women, and those with type 1 diabetes had higher rates than people with type 2 diabetes.

Black people were 121% more likely to develop a severe form of the condition than white people.

Progression of diabetic retinopathy was also more pronounced among the youngest (under 45) and oldest (over 65) patients.

The paper, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, said: The incentive of biennial screening is to release capacity in the NHS and lessen the inconvenience for diabetics at low risk of sight loss of attending screening appointments.

Diabetes UK">

According to Diabetes UK, there are about 4.3 million people in the UK with a diabetes diagnosis, but an additional 850,000 people could also be undiagnosed.

Researchers also suggested that there is a need to address the potential to amplify ethnic and age inequalities in healthcare, while AI could help the health service keep up with screening frequency.

In a linked editorial, Dr Parul Desai and Dr Samantha De Silva, of Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Oxford Eye Hospital and University of Oxford, respectively, called for a review and update of the NHS diabetic eye screening programme to take account of the differential impact among subgroups of the population eligible for diabetic eye screen.

They added: Introducing a requirement to report by age and ethnicity for selected screening standards would enable regular, prospective monitoring of changes to service delivery, so disparities do not remain unrecognised, and provide information for responsive action on any unwarranted variation because one size may not always fit all.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: Weve accepted the recommendation of the independent scientific experts at the UK National Screening Committee which was based on a wide study of existing evidence, including 25 independent studies.

The evidence shows that if no sign of diabetic retinopathy is found, it is safe for individuals to be screened every two years. People who are at higher risk of sight loss will continue to be seen annually or more frequently as necessary.

This change, which has already been implemented in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, will help the NHS improve the service it offers by reducing the number of appointments people with diabetes at lower risk need to attend.
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Patients in dire need of urgent medical help are facing a postcode lottery of care, according to a damning new report into emergency care services in the NHS in England.

Performance in key services has fallen far below the standard the NHS says patients should expect and receive, despite the fact that the NHS has more money and staff than ever before, the authors said.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) called for the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to take action to improve care for patients.

It also draws on the services flagship long-term workforce plan, saying the plans are unfunded and uncosted and could lead to unsustainable financial pressures.

And MPs said they were unconvinced by the health services approach to plugging staffing shortfalls.

Anyone who has had recent contact with the NHS knows it is in crisis Dame Meg Hillier

In its latest report on access to urgent and emergency care, the group of MPs said that patient access to quality urgent and emergency care depends too much on where they live.

People in some parts of the country have to wait, on average, more than three minutes longer for an ambulance to arrive when they are facing a life-threatening emergency, the committee said.

It highlighted that in 2021/22, average ambulance response times for the most serious incidents  including cardiac arrests  varied from six minutes 51 seconds for the London Ambulance Service to 10 minutes 20 seconds for the South Western Ambulance Service.

Ambulances aim to respond to the most serious life-threatening injuries and illnesses in an average time of seven minutes.

There is also wide variation in how the NHS performs in sending patients home when they no longer need hospital care.

The length of stay in the worst performing areas for discharging medically fit patients is more than double that of the best performing areas, the report highlights.

The MPs said: Not enough (is) being done to address the systemic issues with discharges that lie within the gift of the NHS and its hospitals, and which cannot be blamed on external factors.

They added: The NHS has not met targets for ambulance handovers since November 2017 and for A&E waits since July 2015, with wider declines in performance across the board.

Against this background, we asked how effective the (health) department has been in holding NHS England to account for the declining performance.

And the MPs said the NHS has more money and staff than ever before but has made poor use of it to improve access for patients when they are in urgent need.

Investments in technology and infrastructure will be critical to improving productivity, they added, but the DHSC does not appear to have budgeted for any such investment.

And it said that NHS Englands existing plans lack ambition given the scale of the issue at hand.

Meanwhile, they said that the NHSs long-term workforce plan includes only a commitment of an additional 2.4 billion to cover training costs for the first five years of the 15-year plan.

Dame Meg Hillier MP, chair of the committee, said: Anyone who has had recent contact with the NHS knows it is in crisis.

Patients suffering long waits and hard-pressed staff working in a system which is not delivering deserve better. The PACs role is to analyse the underlying numbers, and attempt to provide a get well soon plan for the NHS.

The Government and health system need to be alert to the serious doubts our report lays out around the workforce crisis, both the approach to tackling it now and the additional costs funding it in the future.

Responding to the document, Professor Julian Redhead, NHS Englands national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: While this report includes data which is more than two years old and coincided with a once-in-a-generation pandemic, it is right to note the NHS has been under increasing pressure with staff experiencing record A&E attendances, hospitals fuller than at any point in their history and with thousands of beds taken up each day, in part, due to pressures in social care.

It is testament to the hard work of staff and results of our NHS winter plan  rolling out 800 new ambulances, 10,000 virtual ward beds and work towards 5,000 extra core beds  that waiting times for ambulances, 999 calls and in A&E have improved across the country during this financial year.

This progress has come as the NHS has committed to delivering 12 billion of annualised savings by 2024/25  all while dealing with more than 100,000 staff posts being vacant.

The Department of Health and Social Care has also been approached for comment.
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MPs are expected to vote on Wednesday on the suspension of former minister Peter Bone after he was found to have committed bullying and sexual misconduct against a staff member.

Parliaments Independent Expert Panel (IEP) said the MP for Wellingborough committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct against a member of his staff in 2012 and 2013.

The recommended six-week suspension, if approved by MPs, could lead to Mr Bone facing a recall petition that would pave the way for another possible by-election.

Mr Bone, who has had the Tory whip removed, has said the allegations are false and untrue and without foundation and has vowed to continue representing his constituents.

Any by-election would see Rishi Sunaks Conservatives battling to keep the Wellingborough seat Mr Bone has held since 2005.

Five allegations about Mr Bone were made by a Westminster staffer in October 2021, with a complaint to then-prime minister Theresa May in 2017 going unresolved, according to the IEP report.

The complaints included four allegations of bullying, saying Mr Bone:

 Verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated his employee;

 Repeatedly physically struck and threw things at him, including hitting him with his hand or an object such as a pencil or rolled-up document;

 Imposed an unwanted and humiliating ritual on him by forcing him to sit with his hands in his lap when the MP was unhappy with his work; and

 Ostracised the complainant following an incident on a work trip to Madrid.

The complainant also alleged that Mr Bone repeatedly pressurised the member of staff to give him a massage in the office and, on a visit to Madrid with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking, indecently exposed himself to the complainant in the bathroom and bedroom of the hotel room they were sharing.

In his response to the IEPs findings, Mr Bone said: As I have maintained throughout these proceedings, none of the misconduct allegations against me ever took place.

They are false and untrue claims. They are without foundation.

He said the complainant had not raised the issues during their employment and said ICGS rules meant he could not detail my views on the huge inconsistencies and lack of evidence in the allegations.

Mr Bone said he is discussing with lawyers what action could and should be taken.
I am the first in my family to stay on for A-levels, let alone anything else. I do not remember the idea of going to university being a part of my upbringing until A-level teachers started to mention it  something I thought might happen one day, but far into the future. After an unhappy stint in banking, I chose Queen Mary, which is where Clement Attlees election count was held in 1945; it was the night he became the first majority Labour prime minister. I chose Queen Mary for its reputation, for its proximity to our home at the end of the District line in Upminster, and for its East End location.

My great stroke of professional fortune came in my final undergraduate year, when I was accepted into the class Cabinet, Premiership and the Conduct of British Central Government since 1945 by Professor Peter, now Lord, Hennessy.

I revelled in Peters teaching: his analysis, his anecdotes, but most of all his passion. And none more so than for Attlee. I had heard of the Labour leader mostly in the context of Winston Churchills stunning and oh-so-complicated landslide defeat in 1945; what a way for the British people to repay the greatest war leader this country had ever known. Outside of this, Attlee was never really spoken about. Not at home  a very lively debating forum, I can tell you; not at school; not even, really, for the first two years of a history and politics degree in the East End. Peters teaching was a revelation.
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The Labour party was plunged into crisis over Keir Starmers stance on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, with the Labour leader under mounting pressure to call for a ceasefire.

As Rishi Sunak joined calls for a pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict to allow aid into Gaza, and hostages and British nationals out - Sir Keir continued to grapple with the fallout of his own approach to the crisis.

The Labour leader is facing growing upset among backbench MPs, with dozens having signed a motion urging the British government to call for an immediate ceasefire.

And more than 150 Muslim Labour councillors signed a joint letter to Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner urging him to back an immediate ceasefire.

Sir Keir also held crunch talks with a group of Muslim Labour MPs on Wednesday to address anger at his handling of the crisis, including comments appearing to back the restriction of power and water to the citys 2 million inhabitants.

On a tumultuous day for Sir Keirs leadership of the Labour Party:

Keir Starmer held crunch talks with a group of Muslim MPs to address growing anger at his stance on Israels bombardment of Gaza.

The Labour leader got a telling off from 150 Muslim councillors, who called for him to back an immediate ceasefire

MPs spoken to by The Independent said a majority of Labour MPs want the party to back a ceasefire

A shadow minister became the second frontbencher to break ranks in calling for a ceasefire

At a meeting of around a dozen Muslim Labour MPs and peers, Sir Keir was told the pressure to back a ceasefire is now huge, according to one MP present.

They said after a robust exchange between the MPs and Sir Keir, the Labour leader accepted that there was work to be done to win back the trust of Muslim voters.

At the meeting, topics that came up were Sir Keirs LBC interview, in which he said Israel "has the right" to withhold power and water from Gaza.

He was grilled over why it took more than a week to clarify his remarks, when he argued he intended to say that Israel has the right to defend itself and retrieve the around 200 hostages being held  within international law.

And he was questioned over why a Mosque accused him of having gravely misrepresented a meeting with Muslim leaders in south Wales over the weekend.

But the MP welcomed progress in Sir Keirs stance, with Labour indicating on Wednesday that it backs Mr Sunaks call for humanitarian pauses.

No 10 said pauses in the conflict could help alleviate what many fear is becoming a full-scale humanitarian crisis as water, medical supplies and fuel run out.

Mr Sunak told MPs at Prime Ministers Questions that the UK has already discussed the idea with other countries at the United Nations.

He said the government wanted Britons to be able to leave the besieged enclave, for hostages to be released and supplies to cross over into Gaza. And we recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses, as distinct from a ceasefire, and we discussed this with partners yesterday evening at the United Nations, he said.

Sir Keir on Tuesday night said we welcome Secretary Blinkens comments last night and we support humanitarian pauses.

The Labour leader added: Its clear that the amount of aid and essential utilities getting into Gaza is completely insufficient to meet the humanitarian emergency on the ground.

Thats why we have repeatedly said that aid, fuel, water, electricity and medicines must be urgently ramped up both through what can come in through the Rafah crossing and through Israel turning back on the supplies it controls.

It is incumbent on all parties to make sure that the aid and utilities dont just get in but reach those who need them. 

But a spokesman for left-wing pressure group Momentum warned the Labour leader risked alienating voters unless the party called for a full ceasefire.

They said: This mealy-mouthed statement is an utterly insufficient response to the scale of human suffering in Gaza.

Brief pauses in bombing are not a ceasefire - it is clear that Keir Starmer's Labour is continuing to back Israel's war on Gaza. Warm words about a two-state solution do not change this fundamental truth.

Nor is Labour's call for aid to reach those who need it credible, as long as it's accompanied by effective support for blanket bombing and forced population transfer.

Ultimately, the choice is simple. You either back a ceasefire - or you don't.

A total of 81 MPs from across the House of Commons have signed a motion urging the British government to call for a ceasefire and allow access for medical supplies, food, fuel, electricity and water.

The 150 councillors, members of the Labour Muslim Network, wrote to Sir Keir and Ms Rayner urging Labour to call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the humanitarian disaster.

And shadow women and equalities minister Yasmin Qureshi became the second member of Sir Keirs top team to break ranks in calling for a ceasefire. After Afzal Khan called on the international community to support de-escalation and an immediate ceasefire, Ms Qureshi stood up in PMQs to condemn the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza for crimes they did not commit.

She asked Rishi Sunak: How many more innocent Palestinians must die before this Prime Minister calls for humanitarian ceasefire?

It comes weeks after terror group Hamas launched surprise attacks on Israel, killing 1,400 people. In response, Israel has launched a total siege of Gaza, cutting off fuel supplies to the city, with a third of its hospitals closed and more set to shut within hours.

But the meeting comes after the South Wales Islamic Centre accused Sir Keir of having "gravely misrepresented" a meeting with Muslim leaders over the weekend.

The Labour leader had shared images of the meeting on Sunday, saying he repeated calls for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and for water and power to be restored.

He said he was "questioned by members" and "made clear it is not and has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines. International law must be followed".

But the centre apologised for the "hurt and confusion" caused by hosting Sir Keir.

"We wish to stress Keir Starmers social media post and images gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit," a statement said.

"There was a robust and frank conversation which reflected the sentiments Muslim communities are feeling at this time.

"Members of the community directly challenged Keir on his statements made on the Israeli Governments right to cut food, electricity and water to Gaza, warranting war crimes as well as his failure to call for an immediate ceasefire."

A veteran Labour MP told The Independent Sir Keirs initial comments on the conflict were not in any way acceptable, but said he had not recognised the mistake.

He also called out an imbalance of language, criticising the Labour leader for condemning Hamas, while expressing concern about Israels response.

The MP said a majority of Labour MPs want Sir Keir to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, adding that there is lots of talk about it on the back benches.

The sooner he calls for it, the better. You dont want to wait for thousands more people to be killed, he added.

And the MP said it will take time to repair relations with some Muslim voters who have been disappointed by Sir Keirs response.

Another Labour MP, who served in Jeremy Corbyns shadow cabinet, said Sir Keirs comments had to be considered against the context of past criticism of the partys record on anti-Semitism.

In the days that have followed Keir Starmer has been absolutely clear that innocent Palestinian civilians are protected as much as is possible from the consequences of the actions of Hamas, the MP said.

And they said there is not any great angst against Sir Keir over his comments.

The MPs who have backed calls for a ceasefire include 37 Labour MPs and former party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Sir Keir has denied he ever backed Israel withholding humanitarian aid from Gaza.

Asked on LBC on October 11 if cutting off power and water was an appropriate response, Sir Keir replied: "I think that Israel does have that right. It is an ongoing situation.

"Obviously everything should be done within international law, but I dont want to step away from the core principles that Israel has a right to defend herself and Hamas bears responsibility for the terrorist acts."

But he later rowed back the remarks amid concerns within the party that it has angered voters, particularly those in Muslim communities.

On October 2, he told broadcasters: "I know that LBC clip has been widely shared and caused real concern and distress in some Muslim communities, so let me be clear about what I was saying and what I wasnt saying.

"I was saying that Israel has the right to self-defence, and when I said that right I meant it was that right to self-defence.

"I was not saying that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines."
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Rishi Sunak faces another by-election headache after ex-Tory MP Peter Bone was suspended for six weeks for bullying and sexual misconduct against a staff member.

MPs have approved the lengthy sanction against the MP for Wellingborough, who is now sitting as an independent after losing the Conservative whip.

A recall petition will be arranged, which will trigger a by-election if signed by 10 per cent of voters in the Northamptonshire constituency which Mr Bone has held since 2005.

The MP holds majority of 18,540. smaller than the majorities the embattled Tories had held in both Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire in 2019, and they both fell to Labour in by-elections last week.

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden has admitted potential by-election in Peter Bones Wellingborough constituency is likely to be challenging.

The senior Tory minister said it would be up to the people of Peter Bones constituency if a by-election was held. Of course any by-election for a government that has been in power for 13 years is always going to be challenging, Mr Dowden told Sky News.

Asked whether the government thought it would be defeated, Mr Dowden replied: Im not saying we are going to lose it at all  Im saying that we will go out there and make our case very robustly.

Mr Sunak said by-elections are always difficult for incumbent governments when asked about Mr Bones seat at a press conference on Thursday. But the PM said we are just going to carry on delivering for the country.

Mr Bone committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct in 2012 and 2013, according to Parliaments Independent Expert Panel. He verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated the employee and repeatedly physically struck and threw things at him, the panel heard.

MPs backed the suspension of Peter Bone (PA Wire)

Mr Bone was found to have indecently exposed himself to the complainant in the bathroom of a hotel room during a work trip to Madrid.

He also imposed an unwanted and humiliating ritual on the man by forcing him to sit with his hands in his lap when the MP was unhappy with his work, the investigation found.

The complainant at the centre of the case has told the BBC it was a horrid, brutal, dark experience that left me a broken shell of the young man I once was.

The staffer said: Peters behaviour was erratic. His temper was often explosive.

Like a pendulum, he would go from one type of personality to another. It was very hard to predict, and that kind of left me feeling quite under siege. They call it a siege mentality in terms of the relentless shouting, the screaming, the hitting.

The man accused the Conservative Party of having effectively ghosted him for three years after he first reported the allegations, with a complaint going to then-prime minister Theresa May in 2017.

He said he felt disrespect when Boris Johnson made Mr Bone deputy leader of the House of Commons despite an investigation by Tory HQ.

Mr Bone denied the allegations, insisting they were without foundation but he was kicked out of the Tory parliamentary party the next day. He has vowed to continue representing his constituents.

A staff member of Mr Bones made five allegations about him in October 2021, including that he verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated his employee.

In his response to the panels findings, Mr Bone said: As I have maintained throughout these proceedings, none of the misconduct allegations against me ever took place. They are false and untrue claims.
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Rishi Sunak has called for pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict to allow aid into Gaza  and hostages and British nationals out  but he stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.

No 10 said pauses in the conflict could help alleviate what many fear is becoming a full-scale humanitarian crisis as water, medical supplies and fuel run out.

Mr Sunak told MPs at Prime Ministers Questions that the UK has already discussed the idea with other countries at the United Nations.

He said the government wanted Britons to be able to leave the besieged enclave, for hostages to be released and supplies to cross over into Gaza. And we recognise for all of that to happen there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses, as distinct from a ceasefire, and we discussed this with partners yesterday evening at the United Nations, he said.

Calls for humanitarian pauses could be included in a UN Security Council Resolution, No 10 indicated.

Late on Tuesday US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended Israel's military actions but said that "humanitarian pauses must be considered" to protect civilians in Gaza.

Mr Sunak made the call as he announced that an RAF plane was en route to Egypt with 21 tonnes of humanitarian supplies.

It comes as aid workers could be forced to halt humanitarian operations in Gaza if Israel does not lift its blockade on fuel supplies, the UN has warned.

Mr Sunak also rejected calls for him to urge a ceasefire, reiterating the governments stance that Israel has the "right to protect itself" after suffering a "shockingly brutal terrorist attack" at the hands of Hamas.

No 10 said a wholesale ceasefire would only serve to benefit Hamas.

Instead, the UK is exploring the possibility of humanitarian pauses in the fighting which would be temporary and limited in scope.

The exact framework and how long it might last would be for discussion, Downing Street said. Israeli agreement to a series of pauses in the conflict would be a question for them, the prime ministers spokesman said.

Labour backed the idea. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer refused to back those urging him to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, but backed Mr Sunaks support for humanitarian pauses in the conflict.

A spokesman for the Labour leader said: Antony Blinken said ... humanitarian pauses must be considered. That seems to be something that Downing Street is now echoing and we would obviously fully support that position.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, has warned it could halt operations in Gaza on Wednesday night because of the lack of fuel.

If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip. Time is running out, UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Al-Rifai told the BBC.
Rishi Sunak has backed pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict to allow crucial aid into Gaza amid warnings fuel could run out within hours  but he rejected calls for a ceasefire.

Short breaks in hostilities could allow hostages and British nationals out of the besieged enclave, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

But a wholesale ceasefire would only benefit Hamas, two weeks after it killed 1,400 people in Israel and seized more than 200 hostages, No 10 said.
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The UKs immigration minister has told the head of the BBC he has never been so disappointed in the corporation in his life over its refusal to call Hamas terrorists.

Robert Jenrick challenged BBC director-general Tim Davie to use the term during a closed-doors meeting of the 1922 Committee on Wednesday evening.

The corporation has been criticised since the deadly 7 October attack by Hamas on Israelis, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and around 220 taken hostage, for avoiding the terrorists label.

A number of Tory MPs and Israeli president Isaac Herzog are among those angered by the decision.

Ive never been so disappointed in the BBC as I have been this past fortnight, Mr Jenrick is understood to have said. I worry that the organisation has lost the confidence of many people and in particular the British Jewish community.

According to the Telegraph, the minister went on: That loss of confidence began with the BBCs refusal to call Hamas terrorists. Will you reconsider that, and change your editorial policy?

Mr Jenricks challenge was rebuffed, as Mr Davie said nobody had banned the word terrorist.

The corporation does not call Hamas terrorists without attributing the word to others using it.

However, it has moved away from labelling the group militants and is instead describing it as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK government and others.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick was among those criticsing the BBC coverage (Parliament TV )

We think that that phrase [militants] is less useful in the context were in now than it was before, and we will always look at what we do and how we do it, the spokesman said.

Nothing is set in stone, but the principle of ascribing terminology to those that are using is an important one for us.

The BBC spokesman said: The BBCs position is that when we use the word, we ascribe it to whoevers characterised them in that way. So we make clear that the government has said that about Hamas. Thats what we do.

The reason why the BBC doesnt make the judgment is that its not for us as a news organisation to ascribe any organisation as anything.

We are impartial its not about being neutral, its about being able to report in the UK, in Gaza, in the Middle East, whereas if the BBC is seen to be an arm of the UK government, that makes our journalism very difficult and it impacts the way its perceived and trusted.

The spokesman said Mr Davies appearance before the committee had been arranged in July as part of regular discussions with parliamentarians.

Last week, the corporation said an on-air correspondent had been wrong to speculate in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of a hospital in Gaza City.

The BBC also said the correspondent was giving instant analysis on the ground from Jerusalem in what was a confusing and difficult story and did not at any point report that it was an Israeli strike.

The spokesman said journalists are reporting under extremely difficult circumstances and are acutely aware of their obligation to be impartial.

Tory Natalie Elphicke was among MPs to question Mr Davie on the BBCs coverage of small boat crossings, to which he responded that a review had been commissioned, it is understood.

The BBC is launching assessments of its migration output and its editorial guidelines, but these are part of standard procedure and had been planned before the 1922 Committee meeting, the BBC spokesman added.

Every four to five years, as a matter of course we look at our editorial guidelines. Thats next due to happen next year, he said.
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The Metropolitan Police chief has welcomed details of a Home Office review into armed policing, as Suella Braverman said she wanted officers and the public to have confidence in legal processes.

The review, announced last month, came after scores of Metropolitan Police officers stood down from firearms duties after an officer was charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, who died after being shot through an Audi car windscreen.

New details of the scope of the review, published on Tuesday, said that it would look at the existing legislation underpinning use of force, including defences, provides sufficient protections for police officers in the line of duty, particularly in respect of firearms officers.

The Home Office said that it would also consider whether the law currently offers sufficient protections for police driving.

It will also consider whether legal tests on the use of force in self-defence should be clarified or changed in misconduct proceedings and inquests, while it will also review if the criminal standard of proof for a finding of unlawful killing should be used for inquests and relevant inquiries.

Whether the current system provides sufficient rights for members of the public will also be considered.

Other areas to be covered by the review include investigations and post-incident processes, as well as their timeliness and clarity of communication.

The review is aiming to provide findings to the Home Secretary by the end of the year.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley welcomed the publication of the reviews terms of reference.

In a statement posted on social media, he said: The breadth of this review captures the reality officers face when pursuing and catching criminals.

They welcome accountability that is swift, fair, competent, and recognise the split second operational decisions they have to make based on the training they have received. Regrettably, the current system often fails on all those tests.

A system that discourages our brave officers from chasing down criminals lets down victims. We must address imbalances in this area of law which is long overdue for reform and build a system which lets the police, police.

The Home Office is expected to work with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney Generals office on the review.

It will not consider ongoing investigations or live legal proceedings.

Ms Braverman said: We depend on our brave police officers to put themselves in harms way in order to keep us safe.

It is one of the toughest jobs, relying on officers to make life or death decisions in a split second and we should never take it for granted.

It is why I requested this review to ensure the legal frameworks under which the police operate command the confidence of both officers and members of the public.
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Thames Valley Police were told a police officer had repeatedly asked a 15-year-old girl to send naked pictures of herself before he went on to commit a child sexual offence, a new inspection has found.

The incident was flagged as one of at least five opportunities lost by the force to take stricter action against former Pc Luke Horner before he engaged in penetrative sexual activity with a child aged 13 on June 11 this year.

His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley to consider if there had been any lost opportunities in how the force dealt with intelligence and information relating to Horner during his service.

HMICFRS concluded that Thames Valley Police could not have reasonably anticipated Horner would commit sexual offences against a child.

It is very clear, particularly when considered alongside other incidents which took place during his police service, Pc Horner was not suited to being a police officer HM Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher

But the inspectorate found that the force lost at least five opportunities to take stricter action against him both at the initial vetting stage and during his police service, which could have led to him being refused initial vetting clearance or dismissed.

Horner, who resigned as an officer on July 26, travelled to Rushden, Northamptonshire, while off duty to commit the offence.

The court heard that Horner also recorded the act on his victims phone.

He was jailed earlier this month for six years and four months.

At the initial vetting stage, the force should have made further inquiries into two separate issues  a potential sexual assault allegation in 2016 and his early departure from the British Army, HMICFRS found.

And during his police service, the force failed to identify that there were questions about his honesty and integrity after several incidents  and when considered together, these incidents clearly indicated that Horner was not suited to being a police officer.

During Horners police service, the forces counter-corruption unit received anonymous intelligence from Crimestoppers which suggested that Horner had been chatting online to a 15-year-old girl and had repeatedly asked her to send him naked pictures of herself.

The counter-corruption unit made one attempt to contact the person who gave the information to Crimestoppers, but the inspectorate said the unit should have made repeated and exhaustive attempts to contact the person within the 14-day period the communication channel remained open.

Supervisors identified that Horner did not always handle evidence correctly  an example of this was officers smelling cannabis in the office and finding some in Horners work tray, which had been there for three or four weeks.

Another incident involved him taking various items of evidence home in his bag. Horner reported the bag had been stolen from his car, but a member of the public had already reported finding the bag in a river.

Horner failed to disclose all the items that were in his bag when he reported it stolen and when the bag was found and the contents examined, the sergeant asked him to explain the full contents.

The incident was assessed as misconduct, but would more properly have been assessed as gross misconduct, which if the subsequent investigation had then concluded that there was a case to answer for gross misconduct, dismissal would have been a potential outcome, the inspectorate said.

At the time of an incident involving Horner pointing his taser at a colleague and activating the red dot laser, he was still the subject of a live written warning for the mishandling of evidence, so the inspectorate believes that the professional standards department should have without hesitation assessed the behaviour as gross misconduct, which could have led to a gross misconduct hearing, with a potential outcome of dismissal.

His Majestys Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: Having robust vetting processes is vital for forces in being able to identify any misconduct, dismiss officers and staff if they are not fit for the job and prevent unsuitable officers joining in the first place.

While we found that Thames Valley Police could not have reasonably anticipated Pc Horner would commit such an abhorrent crime, we found at least five lost opportunities where the force could have taken stricter action against him.

It is very clear, particularly when considered alongside other incidents which took place during his police service, Pc Horner was not suited to being a police officer.

We have identified several areas of learning which we encourage the force to address.

We will revisit the force as part of our rolling programme of inspections in 2024 and will look at their vetting, professional standards and counter-corruption arrangements in more detail.
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A German tourist who went missing in a wildlife park in northern Zimbabwe was found alive by rescuers three days later.

Andreas Hoberg was found in good health on Tuesday at the Matusadona National Park, said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Before going missing, he was last seen at a park shop buying a drink before going for a game drive around 3.30pm on Saturday.

By 6pm, the car rental company he had hired for the safari was unable to locate him on the GPS tracking system.

Tinashe Farawo with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said the rescue involved deploying a helicopter, several vehicles and sniffer dogs to scour the remote wildlife park.

We were gravely worried. We are happy he is well. He says his car developed a mechanical fault. Its a white car, so we were hopeful we would find it, he said.

The age of the German tourist was not revealed.

Zimbabwes 1,400-sq-kilometre Matusadona National Park is inhabited by lions, buffaloes, leopards, elephants and all the expected dangerous wildlife found in the bush, Mr Farawo said.

The park is flanked by Lake Kariba in the north and two perennial rivers  the Ume and the Sanyati. The park gets its name from the undulating Matusadona hills that form part of its water-rich landscape.

In 2020, Zimbabwean authorities reported the recovery of two park rangers bodies, who, after arresting four poachers, were later thrown into Lake Kariba by the suspects. The rangers had detained the poachers overnight before attempting to take them by boat to Kariba town.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Watch live as an off-duty pilot is accused of trying to disable a jetliner appears in an Oregon court, where he faces 83 counts of attempted murder.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, was arrested after the plane landed safely in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, 22 October, according to the local prosecutors office.

The pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight.

The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot claimed he took magic mushrooms about 48 hours before he tried to shut off the planes engines over the Pacific Northwest, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Emerson said he was having a nervous breakdown and told the flight crew he needed to be apprehended.
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A father of two has been identified as one of the victims in the devastating Louisiana car crash involving at least 168 vehicles.

The death toll has risen to eight after Louisiana State Police confirmed another person passed away at the hospital.

Among them is Qutub Singh Negi, 40, an executive chef for Punjabi Dhaba, working in both Hammond and Kenner, who frequently used the I-55 to commute between the locations, according to WSDU.

He was on his way to work when he was caught up in the catastrophic pile-up on Monday near New Orleans, initially caused by super fog that limited the visibility of the drivers.

The super fog was caused by smoke from marsh fires in the area that combined with fog, which created dangerously low visibility.

His close friend, Raj Pannu, told WDSU that Mr Neji usually went to work around 11am, but on that particular day, he went early to deliver boxed lunches and left around 9am.

Mr Pannu told the outlet that his family was distraught by his passing and had just celebrated 15 years of marriage with his wife.

"I cant even describe. She is talking, then she cries, he said.

One car was seen to have gone over the edge of the road into the water (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

She shows me pictures of all the good times they had. All we can do is give her the moral support and tell her to be strong."

Sixty-three people were injured in the pile-up that stretched along one mile of the elevated interstate, police have confirmed during their ongoing investigation.

The huge crash caused a section of the road to catch fire and destroyed a tanker truck carrying hazardous liquid, police said.

At least one vehicle went over the edge and lay sideways in the water below the intersection, as shown in pictures posted by the Louisiana State Police.

St John Sheriff Mike Tregre said that there was a total of 25 crashes, which involved three 18-wheel trucks, of which two went up in flames.

An eigth person was confirmed to have died by police (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

All vehicles have been cleared along the I-55, and debris is now being taken off the road along with diesel and other chemicals left on the surface, police reported.

They believe that parts of the bridge will require repairs, and a testing consultant may start bridge deck scans to see what parts of the concrete are damaged.

Police said on Wednesday that the I-55 will still remain closed in both directions from I-10 to Ponchatoula while crews finish inspecting the roadway.

The friends of Mr Negi have set up a GoFundMe to support his family and to raise money for his funeral, which will take place on 3 November.
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A Michigan community has launched a Justice for Annie campaign after a well-loved deer was shot and killed by a local police officer.

Annie, the deer, was spotted by Pokagon Band Tribal Police Officer David Loza on the driveway of a familys home in Lawrence, while the officer was assisting the Van Buren County Sheriffs office on an unrelated child support incident.

Officer Loza allegedly told the family that the animal was domesticated and needs to be put down, according to WWMT.

In disturbing videos shared on Facebook by Nevaeh Sylvester, who looked after the deer, the officer is seen holding Annie by a collar before taking out his gun and shooting her dead.

My Anne girl has been wrongfully shot by the police! Because she was a pet but has never been held captive please bring my baby to justice, Ms Sylvester wrote in the social media post.

Ms Sylvester said that her family first came across Annie two years ago when the deers mother was killed by a car, leaving her orphaned, WWMT reported.

Pamela Babb, Ms Sylvesters grandmother, said she called up a local wildlife agency, who told her that they did not have the capacity to take the fawn in.

So Ms Sylvester decided to feed Annie three times a day until she could eventually survive on her own.

I felt like that was the more humane thing to do as opposed to leaving her with her dead mother," Ms Sylvester told the outlet.

As the deer grew older, she would come back to visit the family at their home and would play with the other animals and children, Ms Babb said.

Annie the deer was killed by a police officer (Justice for Annie Facebook)

Ms Slyvester said she thought of Annie as another sibling and soon the small community of Lawrence grew to love the friendly deer.

The whole town enjoyed her; she was everyones deer," Ms Babb said.

On Friday, Ms Babb said that the officer had reached out his hand and touched the deer on the head, leading him to believe the deer was domesticated.

There is no reason for her to be put down, she never hurt anybody, she said.

The Lawrence community is demanding justice for the beloved deer, with locals starting a campaign dubbed Justice for Annie. Some have even taken to painting the slogan on their cars.

I would like to see him lose his privileges of hunting; I think he should be demoted, Ms Babb said of the officer.

The family who were visited by Annie often were distraught after her death (WWMT)

Following her death, Pokagon Band Tribal Police released a statement saying it was arresting a suspect at the same property when the deer was euthanised.

Police said officers had consulted with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, though it is unclear when.

The officer has since been put on administrative leave while the shooting of the deer is investigated, the statement said.

Pokagon Band Tribal police have not confirmed the officers identity, but the family and local news stations have named him as Mr Loza.

The Independent has contacted Pokagon Band Tribal Police for further information.
 Close Trump claims he wasnt referring to clerk when he violated fraud trial gag order

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The fifth week of Donald Trumps civil fraud trial is underway in New York but another Trump trial has begun in Colorado.

The latest legal action concerns a lawsuit seeking to block Mr Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot based on the 14th Amendment and its ban on insurrectionists running for office. Denver District Court Judge Sarah B Wallace will hear arguments on the Civil War-era federal constitutional amendment throughout the week.

Meanwhile, in New York, Mr Trumps sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump are expected to testify in the fraud trial this week, with the former president and Ivanka Trump taking the stand the following week.

And in Washington, DC, the judge in the former presidents federal election interference case has reinstated a gag order on him in the federal case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a gag order in the case in early October, banning Mr Trump from making statements about prosecutors and potential witnesses in the case.

The order was briefly paused on 20 October before being reinstated on Sunday.

Mr Trump lashed out at the ruling on Truth Social fuming that it is NOT CONSTITUTIONAL!
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Israeli reservists have criticised Benjamin Netanyahus son Yair for remaining in Miami rather than joining the fight against Hamas.

The 32-year-old is living in Florida, where he moved earlier this year after he was sued for defamation in Israel over social media posts against a political activist.

Around 360,000 reservists have been called up in Israel following the bloody 7 October attack on Israel launched by Hamas fighters from Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has received fierce criticism in Israel over the shocking surprise attack, which left more than 1,400 civilians and soldiers dead and hundreds more taken hostage.

Now reservists called up for the war have criticised his son for not returning home to fight in the expected upcoming ground assault on the Palestinian enclave.

Yair Netanyau, son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, assists in sorting donated supplies to IDF soldiers and Israeli families impacted by the Israel-Hamas war, with NGO Yedidim USA (Orit Ben-Ezzer/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)

Yair is enjoying his life at Miami Beach while Im on the front lines, one reservist on Israels northern front told Londons The Times newspaper.

Its us who are leaving our work, our families, our kids, to protect our families back home and the country, not the people who are responsible for this situation.

Our brothers, our fathers, sons, are all going to the front line, but Yair is still not here. It does not help build trust in the leadership of the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses media during a joint press conference with French President in Jerusalem (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Israels armed forces are made up of a large number of reservists who have completed national service and can be called upon until the age of 40.

While most are based in Israel, some have flown from countries around the world to report for duty.

Ive flown back from the States where I have a job, a life, my family, another reservist told the newspaper.

There is no way I can stay there and abandon my country, my people, at this critical time. Where is the prime ministers son? Why isnt he in Israel?

It is the most uniting moment for us as Israelis in our recent history and every single one of us should be here right now, including the prime ministers son.

On 17 October Yair Netanyahu helped sort donated supplies to IDF soldiers and Israeli families impacted by the Israel-Hamas war, with NGO Yedidim USA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Yair Netanyahu was sued by political activist Dana Cassidy in 2020 after he alleged in an online post that she was in a relationship with politician Benny Gantz, who was running against his father for prime minister.

A court ordered him to pay Ms Cassidy $34,000 in compensation and $6,000 in legal costs.
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A mother has been arrested after leaving her two young children in a running car while she went to visit a bar.

Jamie Leigh Gunns two-year-old and eight-month-old children were left in the backseat of the vehicle in West Melbourne, Florida on Sunday, according to police.

An officer was conducting a routine business patrol when he noticed a black SUV parked behind Penny Annies bar with the engine still running.

The West Melbourne Police Department said that Ms Gunn, 33, had been visiting a friend inside the pub when her children were found.

The doors to the vehicle were unlocked and the vehicle was running, a statement read.

The registered owner, 33-year-old Jamie Leigh Gunn of West Melbourne was located inside the bar visiting with a friend.

Jamie Gunn is accused of leaving her two children in a car to visit a bar (Police)

Further investigation discovered Ms Gunn was inside for at least 20 minutes and had no regard for her children who were left unattended, police said.

When Gunn learned law enforcement was outside with her vehicle, she was more concerned about going to jail, than the welfare of her children, according to the statement.

Ms Gunn was arrested and charged with child neglect after being taken to the Brevard County Jail with a $15,000 bond.

The Department of Children and Families was notified and Ms Gunns children are now in the care of a family member.
 Close Mike Johnson addresses congress for first time as House speaker

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House Republicans overwhelmingly elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the next speaker of the House after 22 days where the House of Representatives had no leader amid turmoil across the globe and the need to pass spending bills next month.

Mr Johnson, the former deputy whip for House Republicans, won 220 votes on the floor after House Republicans coalesced around him on Tuesday evening. His ascent came after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out a mere four hours after the House Republican conference nominated him to be speaker.

Republicans from all factions of the conference cheered Mr Johnson and whistled on the floor, chanting his name.

After conservatives, led by former president Donald Trump, revolted against Mr Emmer, he removed himself from the running and after another contest, Mr Johnson emerged victorious.

A former attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, Mr Johnson is considered an arch-social conservative staunchly opposed to abortion. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation that would have made it illegal to transport a person under the age of 18 across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental notification.
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Two private jets clipped wings at a Texas airport after one allegedly departed without permission.

The collision unfolded at William P Hobby Airport in Houston at about 4pm on Tuesday, and the incident halted flights for three hours, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The agency said the incident took place when a twin-engine Hawker H25B took off without permission from one of the airports runways.

This caused the aircraft to collide with a twin-engine Cessna C510 that was landing on an adjacent tarmac.

No injuries have been reported and the FAA said it is still investigating how many passengers were on board.

Both of the aircraft have since been declared fire-safe by the Houston Fire Department, according to a statement.

Two private jets clipped wings as they were moving on the airfield (KRIV)

Houston Airports is working to safely remove the debris to restore operations as soon as possible, the statement read.

Due to the debris caused by the accident, the airfield is shut down until further notice.

All debris had been cleared from the airfield and flight operations had been restored by 7pm on Tuesday.
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Students at the Oregon State University were warned to avoid all robots following a bomb threat prank involving automated food delivery machines on campus.

The threat was made by a student on Tuesday via social media, causing university staff to issue the urgent warning.

Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding, the institute wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The university later provided several updates on the unfolding situation, saying that the robots had been isolated in a safe location before being inspected by a technician. Students were advised to remain vigilant for suspicious activity.

The emergency was declared over just before 2pm local time with normal activities resuming.

All robots have been inspected and cleared. They will be back in service by 4pm today, the university later wrote online.

Starship, the company that designs the robots, said that despite the students subsequent admission that the bomb threat had been a joke, it had suspended the service while investigations were ongoing.

In its own statement, the company wrote: A student at Oregon State University sent a bomb threat, via social media, that involved Starships robots on the campus.

While the student has subsequently stated this is a joke and a prank, Starship suspended the service.

Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation.
 Close Investigation ongoing into killing of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll

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Authorities investigating the fatal stabbing of synagogue leader Samantha Woll have yet to name a suspect days after the murder that shocked the Detroit community.

At around 6.30am on Saturday, the 40-year-old leader of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue was found stabbed to death at her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood.

Authorities believe she was attacked inside her home and then stumbled out before collapsing on the sidewalk.

On Monday, Detroit Police Chief James White said at a press conference that his agency is working in partnership with the FBI and Michigan State Police and has already identified persons of interest.

Chief White also said there was no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

We are working through what we have identified as some persons of interest ... but we are very early in the investigation, he said. We have a number of people who give us interest, we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect.

Woll once worked as a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel.
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Ukrainian forces will soon have fire control capabilities over Crimea, president Volodymyr Zelensky said as he vowed to keep up military pressure over the Russia-controlled region.

The president on Tuesday claimed that the recent Ukrainian attacks have denied the Russian fleet safe bases and prevented them from securing maritime corridors in the western part of the Black Sea.

Kyiv ramped up strikes on Russian forces in the Black Sea and Crimea which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, as Ukrainian forces pressed on with a nearly five-month-old counteroffensive.

"The Russian (Black Sea) fleet is no longer able to operate in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually fleeing from Crimea," Mr Zelensky said in a video address to a security conference in Prague that was marred by technical glitches.

"And this is a historic achievement," he added.

Sounds of explosions were reportedly heard near Sevastopol just hours after the Ukrainian president declared his forces would soon have fire control capabilities over the peninsula.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol, confirmed to Newsweek that at least one blast had occurred in the region, while several Crimea-based Telegram channels reported sounds of explosions.

A powerful explosion in Sevastopol caused windows to shake, Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet reported.

File: Smoke rises from the shipyard that was reportedly hit by Ukrainian missile attack in Sevastopol, Crimea (REUTERS)

Ukraine has struck a Russian air base on the peninsula, a Black Sea Fleet command post in Sevastopol, and the only bridge linking Crimea to Russia since Moscow's invasion in February 2022.

The attacks have highlighted Kyiv's growing capabilities, which also include naval drones, as Moscow continued bombarding Ukraine from afar with long-range missiles and assault drones.

"We have not yet gained full fire control over Crimea and surrounding waters, but we will," Mr Zelensky told a meeting of the Crimea Platform, a diplomatic initiative he launched in 2021. "This is a question of time."

The Russian defence ministry on Tuesday said it had destroyed three unmanned Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea off the Crimean peninsula.

Anti-sabotage missiles and bombs hit the area where the unmanned boats were detected, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app

The Ukrainian president, meanwhile, claimed that Russia is planning a new naval base in the Georgian region of Abkhazia to move ships "as far as possible from Ukrainian missiles and naval drones".
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For years, the health of Vladimir Putin has been the subject of lurid speculation and rumours. Recent reports have included body doubles, secret chemotherapy, Parkinsons disease and claims that he fell down the stairs, landed on his coccyx and soiled himself.

Yet this week, the most drastic rumour of ill health began to circulate about the 71-year-old. According to shadowy sources, members of his security service were alerted to banging from his private bedroom, only to discover him convulsing on the ground.

Food and drinks were allegedly overturned, with doctors rushing to perform resuscitation while the news of his supposed cardiac arrest caused panic amongst his inner circle.

Responding to the claims, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was an absurd hoax, and that everything was well with the Russian president.

The sensational story, which has been covered by several Western media outlets, first appeared on the mysterious Telegram channel General SVR.

Known for frequently posting dubious claims about Putins ill health, it first emerged in 2020 claiming to be run by former members of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service and other state bodies.

Despite its unevidenced and dubious claims, they frequently make tabloid headlines across the globe, with one expert stating that the account has proven itself useful to the Russian regime.

Speaking to The Independent, James Nixey, the director of Russia-Eurasia programmes at Chatham House, said: What is absolutely clear is that this particular channel has a record of putting out disinformation and that is in the service of the Russian state. It suits the Kremlin to sow confusion.

Putins selfies with adoring fans attracted speculation he was using a body double (Sputnik)

While Putins health had come under scrutiny before his 2022 invasion of Ukraine, its frequent mention in the press is the product of wishful thinking, Mr Nixey said.

71 years old is the average life expectancy of Russian men, he added. He is not the average man. Hell have much better healthcare than anyone else and he appears not to be a heavy drinker compared to his predecessors.

I think its safe to assume hes in reasonably good health for a 71-year-old male, he said.

While figures such as a Russian academic and a Ukrainian lawyer have been linked to the General SVR, a spokesperson for the channel previously declined to identify the accounts sources.

Dismissing the prospect that information on Putins health was being leaked from inside the Kremlin, historian Dr Mark Galeotti said: The idea that someone is so deeply entrenched in his inner circle and hasnt now been picked up by Russian counterintelligence is infinitesimal.

Putins inner circle is such a black box, most of the time we dont even know where he is in Russia let alone about his health.

Telegram channel General SVR claims Putin uses a body double in all public appearances (EPA)

Speculation around Putin has not been limited to his health, with stories emerging of his deep paranoia and fear of Covid-19. Bizarre pictures show the tyrant sitting metres away from his guests, while media outlets have claimed that he resides in underground bunkers and requires visitors to pass through a special tunnel of ultraviolet light.

One of the many consistent rumours surrounding the ageing tyrant is his use of body doubles. For those familiar with Putins paranoia and isolated approach, his appearance over the summer in Dagestan where he was seen interacting with an enthusiastic crowd was viewed as remarkably unusual.

In a rare venture from the confines of his secure offices and homes, he was seen clasping the hands of well-wishers and was even seen kissing a girl on the cheek.

Despite never greeting his security team over the course of his two decades in power, he shook hands and adjusted the uniform of an officer, sparking rumours that his fans were in fact fawning over a body double.

Recent rumours claim that Putin is terminally ill or has suffered a cardiac arrest (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Those believing in the theory have compared pictures of him with Chechen republic head Ramzan Kadyrov in June, where he appeared bloated with different shaped ears.

His mottled skin painted a stark contrast to previous pictures of the dictator, where he has previously posed on top of a horse or topless in a lake in a bizarre display of masculinity.

Of the body double rumours, Mr Galeotti said: Does he probably have a body double? Yes, we have seen cases where he has gone and mingled with the crowds and in those circumstances, Im sure its not Putin.

If you take the word of General SVR, its the body double replacing him in every event which I simply dont believe.

The Russian president released pictures of himself riding a horse while topless (Sputnik)

Questioned about his use of body doubles, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov laughed: I can tell you there are no doubles when it comes to work and so on.

These [kinds of stories] belong to the category of fake news, discussed with enviable tenacity by a number of media outlets. This brings nothing but a smile [in the Kremlin].

In a 2020 interview, Putin denied longstanding rumours that he uses body doubles, although he said he had been offered the chance to use one in the past for security reasons.

It seems on one hand closer to science fiction than to have replicas, Mr Nixey said. But I think people are naive if they think it doesnt happen. Those two things are contrary to each other but these things are doable and if they are doable, Im sure they would do it in such an authoritarian state as Russia.
 Close Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six

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Russian drones hit civilian targets and triggered a fire near Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, officials have said.

The attacks came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Moscow was losing control of the Black Sea.

Russia launched overnight drone attacks today in Kharkiv, with multiple explosions heard, hitting a civilian site, said Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said the fire was being brought under control but did not confirm whether there were any casualties.

In his address, Mr Zelensky said: Russia is gradually losing control of the Black Sea and retreating to the eastern part of the waters.

I am confident that Ukraine will definitely win. Be confident in yourselves, he said.

Vladimir Putins troops bombarded 118 Ukrainian towns and villages over the course of 24 hours on Thursday, the most intense day of shelling this year, Kyiv said.

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 a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian goods to pass through.
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A third of Gazas hospitals are closed and more will shut down within hours due to lack of fuel, the United Nations has said, as medics warn wards could turn into mass graves.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begged for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and safe passage of supplies and generator fuel to the 42km-long strip, which is being pounded by Israeli airstrikes and a punishing siege.

The WHO said that supplies were so low that six hospitals had already closed across the strip. Many more will halt operations in the coming hours if fuel is not delivered.

That will put thousands of vulnerable patients at risk of dying, including 130 premature babies, 1,000 patients dependent on dialysis and those on life support machines.

We are on our knees asking for that sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operation, said WHO regional emergencies head Rick Brennan.

Israeli airstrikes overnight killed more than 700 Palestinians, according to Gazas Hamas-run health ministry. That is the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas in the wake of an attack by the militants two weeks ago.

In total, more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed so far, including some 2,300 minors, the ministry said. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week. Israel said it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day, killing Hamas commanders and hitting militants as they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel.

There are now concerns many more will die as medical centres are forced to close. The single oncology hospital in the Gaza Strip is only partially functional due to lack of fuel, putting around 2,000 cancer patients at risk.

The rubble of buildings hit in Israeli air strikes in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip (AFP/Getty)

On Monday the private Indonesian Hospital, the biggest in northern Gaza, was forced to switch off everything except for the intensive care unit due to a critical lack of generator fuel.

The only other hospital that had still been serving patients in northern Gaza, Beit Hanoun Hospital, stopped operations because of the intense bombardment of the town.

In total, the Hamas-run health ministry said 40 medical centres had suspended operations at a time when the bombardment and displacement are putting enormous strain on the system.

Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian doctor who works with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, said from the al-Shifa the situation was so dire that doctors and surgeons were having to improvise at every level including using washing up liquid to clean wounds.

The number of wounded is astronomical compared to the size of the hospital, he told The Independent. Gazas largest medical complex is already at 150 per cent capacity and sheltering thousands of terrified civilians displaced by the bombings.

The wounded are everywhere, they are on mattresses, on the floor of the wards and in the corridors and the emergency department, he added.

He said the medical team was improvising at every level.

When I have a patient I want to clean up for surgery I first wash them with washing up liquid that I bought from the corner shop then I wash them with vinegar to make sure they are antiseptic. Only then can he use Iodine-based antiseptic materials sparingly.

The next problem is power as the generator fuel runs out.

If the electricity runs out, Shifa hospital will become a mass grave, he added.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the Security Council meeting (AP)

The UNs secretary general Antonio Guettes pleaded on Tuesday for civilians to be protected, voicing concern about clear violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip. He told the 15-member UN Security Council that at a crucial moment like this, it was vital to be clear that war has rules, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.

US president Joe Biden, when asked by reporters at the White House whether aid was getting to Gaza as fast as needed, said: Not fast enough. On Tuesday evening, The UN said 20 trucks that had been due to deliver aid to the besieged Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Tuesday had not entered the enclave. We hope the materials can enter Gaza tomorrow, UN aid spokesperson Eri Kaneko said.

In his speech to the UN Security Council, Mr Guterres said: It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation, he added.

But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, he said.

Israels UN ambassador Gilad Erdan described Mr Guterres speech as shocking.

His statement that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder, Mr Erdan added.
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UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned Israel's clear violations of international law in the Gaza Strip as he pleaded for civilians to be protected in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The United Nations secretary-general issued his toughest statement so far on Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday as Israeli troops awaited orders to invade Gaza in the next stage of the war on the Palestinian militants.

According to Gazas health ministry more than 700 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes between Monday and Tuesday  the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began its bombardment of the Strip in an effort to crush Hamas after the group launched a surprise attack on 7 October.

The Palestinian death toll over the last fortnight has now reached 5,791, according to the Palestinian health ministry. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the October attack.

Mr Guterres said protecting civilians was "paramount in any armed conflict" while expressing deep concern at the clear violations of humanitarian law". He called Israels constant bombardment of Gaza and the level of destruction and civilian casualties alarming".

Without naming Hamas directly, the UN chief also told the 15-member council that protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields.

He added that it does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself".

The UN had previously warned of "devastating consequences" after the Israeli military asked over a million Gazans to relocate within 24 hours during the initial days of the war.

Palestinians inspect the damage of destroyed houses after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The secretary-general said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel and demanded the immediate release of all hostages.

He said it was "important to recognise" that the Hamas attack on Israel "did not happen in a vacuum" as the "Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation".

"But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he said.

An injured Palestinian man arrives at the al Shifa hospital following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City (AP)

His remarks triggered a furious response from Israel's UN ambassador, who called the speech "shocking".

His statement that 'the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum' expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder, ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Its truly sad that the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views.

The shocking speech by the @UN Secretary-General at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the  Ambassador Gilad Erdan   (@giladerdan1) October 24, 2023

Israel has imposed a "total siege" on Gaza and international diplomacy has focused on getting aid to the enclave of 2.3 million people from Egypt via Rafah  the main crossing in and out of Gaza that does not border Israel.

Since Saturday, 54 trucks have crossed into Gaza carrying food, medicine and water, which Guterres described as "a drop of aid in an ocean of need".

Senior UN aid official Lynn Hastings told the council another 20 trucks were due to cross on Tuesday. But fuel has yet to be allowed in and the UN has warned that its reserves will run out within days.
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The UN has warned that unless there is an immediate delivery of fuel to Gaza, their support to Gazas hospitals, bakeries, and water systems can stop tomorrow.

World leaders including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have joined urgent calls for temporary pauses in the fighting to allow delivery of aid and for foreign citizens to evacuate, as hospitals across Gaza shut down due to critical shortages. The health ministry in the besieged enclave  run by Hamas  has said the healthcare system has "collapsed".

Speaking to The Independent, Tamara el-Rifae, a spokesperson for UNRWA, the UNs Palestinian refugee agency, said that unless fuel arrives imminently their critical support across many facets of life in Gaza may stop.

There has to be a way to get the fuel in otherwise everything can stop tomorrow, or we have to make extremely hard choices, she said.

We will have to decide whether to direct [the last rations of] fuel to generators in hospitals, or to bakeries to make bread for peoples survival or to trucks to deliver aid or to desalination plants for clean water so that people arent forced to drink contaminated water, she added.

Gaza is buckling under a total siege imposed by Israel that has unleashed its heaviest bombardment ever, in retaliation for the 7 October attack on south Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people and took around 200 hostage.

Just 54 trucks of aid have been permitted to enter the strip since then, which rights groups say is just a drop in the ocean of need. Israel is blocking delivery of fuel it says it would be used by Hamas to fire rockets at Israel.

The lack of fuel is threatening thousands of lives of civilians. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that 130 premature babies in incubators, 1,000 patients in need of dialysis and hundreds more on life support machines will die instantly if generators give out.

More than 6,500 people, including 2,700 children have been killed in Israels bombardment, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Currently one third of Gazas hospitals and nearly two-thirds of the primary health care clinics have stopped working in the bombing and siege, which UN experts and rights groups say amounts to collective punishment and so is a violation of international law.

More hospitals, including Al-Awda, the main maternity provider in north Gaza, will close down in hours, according to international rights group ActionAid.

Dr Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the health ministry announced that the health system has completely collapsed due to a lack of supplies and fuel.

In a statement the ministry said twelve hospitals and 32 health care centres are now out of service due to direct and indirect Israeli targeting and a lack of fuel due to the ongoing siege.

The WHO together with UNRWA is responsible for delivering fuel to four hospitals in south Gaza and the Palestinian Red Crescent for ambulances. In a statement to The Independent WHO officials said without fuel, there is no health care, without health care vulnerable patients will die.

Doctors in Gaza said that they have been reduced to using shop bought vinegar and washing up liquid to wash wounds as medical antiseptics were in short supply. For days they have had to ration the use of anaesthesia in surgery.

We are now making compromises at every level, said Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British Palestinian surgeon who was working with Doctors without Borders at Gazas largest hospital Al-Shifa in Gaza City.

There are now 150 critical ventilated patients in makeshift intensive care units all around the hospital,. They are completely depended on the electricity like the operating machines are, like the neonatal intensive care unit are. If the generators stops Shifa hospital will become a mass grave, he said.

Khaled, a doctor in al-Awda Hospital, the main maternity provider in Northern Gaza and a partner of ActionAid, said the situation was so critical the medical centre was on the verge of shutting down.

We will have to stop the activities if we do not receive more fuel. We are working on two generators alternatively. There has been no electricity at all for 17 days in Gaza, he said in a statement shared by the group.

We cannot evacuate. We have patients, critical patients.

Mr Sunak has backed "specific pauses" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow British nationals to escape Gaza and let aid in but rejected calls for a ceasefire.

The prime minister said breaks in fighting as Israel pummels the small territory, which is home to more than two million Palestinians, are necessary to get hostages released as well. Aid trucks have been permitted to reach Palestinians only in the past days.

British aid charity Oxfam said starvation was being used "as a weapon of war" as it repeated its call for more aid to be allowed into the bombarded 42-km long Strip.
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An Arab-Israeli paramedic who helped to treat wounded survivors at the desert music festival massacre was shot dead by Hamas militants, his family has revealed.

Awad Darawashe, 22, was manning a first aid tent at the Supernova festival, when Hamas launched its deadly attack In the early hours of 7 October.

His ambulance was captured by the militants and driven back to Gaza with hostages inside, his cousin, Kazim Khalileh, told The Independent.

Mr Darawashe, from Iksal  a small Arab-majority town near Nazareth  was seen treating victims with gunshot wounds just moments before militants completely overran the overnight rave.

He stayed behind to treat the injured: a fatal decision, as he was shot in the chest and in the stomach

When the sirens went off, Awad refused to run away, he wanted to stay and help the injured people, said Kazim.

Its a natural instinct to run but Awad stayed, by that time many people Hamas had injured went to his tent.

My cousin, a Muslim, didnt run away, he stayed to help everyone and Hamas just shot him - I later learned he was hiding under the DJ stand. He was a hero.

Kazim said his brother identified the body after Awads mother was asked to do a DNA test.

Awad Darawashe (supplied)

My family will never be the same again, he said. I do not wish for any mother around the world to feel what my aunt feels now.

Kazim was in disbelief when he saw television pictures of Hamas driving around southern Israel with weapons. I thought it was fake news, he said.

Hamas militants stormed a border fence at 80 points after launching a barrage of rockets, according to the Israeli military and witness accounts. They raided towns and villages, killing at least 1,400 people  including as many as 260 at the Supernova festival. Israel says 222 hostages were taken into Gaza, including women, elderly and the sick.

Kazim said his family panicked when they could not get through to Awad by phone but saw a video shared on Hamas social media networks showing his ambulance being driven into Gaza.

Awad was a paramedic and the driver for the Yossi ambulance service so we thought Hamas took him to Gaza, Kazim added.

In desperation, Kazim searched hospitals for his cousin and found a man who had also been at the festival. I showed him a photo of Awad and asked if hed seen him. The mans face dropped down. I begged him to tell me what he knew. He said that saw Awad but unfortunately Hamas shot him twice  he saw it with his eyes.

Kazim waited until it was officially confirmed, two days later, before telling Awads mother.

He said he has been horrified by the response from the Arab world that has not condemned the horrific violence of 7 October.

My cousin was one of many Arabs killed by Hamas, one of 40 I think, Hamas didnt care. They are not the real Islam, I am a real Muslim, my cousin Awad was.

No country is perfect and of course we argue politically like most other countries but I am tired of people telling us how they think Arabs are treated in Israel.

Thousands of Israelis, Arab, Jews, Druze and Christians poured onto the streets to honour Awad at his funeral.

I didnt know whether to cry or be happy. But I want the world to remember my cousin Awad.
GUIYANG, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The last main tower of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge was completed on Tuesday in southwest China's Guizhou Province, marking a major milestone in the building of the world's highest bridge.

With a designed height of 625 meters between the bridge deck and the Beipanjiang River below, the Huajiang grand canyon bridge is set to be the highest in the world after it is completed in 2025.

The 2,890-meter-long bridge is located in Bouyei-Miao Autonomous County of Guanling and is part of an expressway linking the Liuzhi special district of Liupanshui City and Anlong County of Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qianxinan, Guizhou Province.

Wang Chaoguo, a project manager, said it took more than 670 days to progress from the construction of the pile foundation to the capping of the main towers, and the team will continue working on the bridge's superstructure.

The bridge will cut the time it takes to cross the canyon from 70 minutes to about a minute, which will help boost local social and economic development, as well as rural revitalization.

Situated among rolling mountains and gorges, Guizhou is home to nearly half of the world's 100 highest bridges.




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When she looks at dead children, which has been every day, Ilana Engel tries not to think of her four-year-old boy. She should shut herself to personal feelings, she says. But that is something she finds very difficult to do.

Dr Engel, a dental specialist, is among a team trying to identify victims of the murderous rampage when Hamas militants, and their camp followers, came across the border into Israel 19 days ago. The task is extremely challenging because many of the bodies have been shredded by bullets and grenades. Some have been mutilated after death or dismembered with body parts arriving in sacks.

Working on the remains of the young is hard both professionally and emotionally.

That happens even with cases we cant really deal with, she says. Babies. We dont work on babies because they havent yet grown teeth. But these little bodybags come in, and they lie in these big stretchers, and you dont know the ages of those inside until you open the bags, and then you see them... Her voice trails away.

There are children whose bodies have suffered great damage, they are fragile and of course what happens to their bodies is terrible when extreme violence is used on them.

After a brief pause, she wipes her eyes and tries to continue in a matter-of-fact voice: "The thing with very young children is that some of them havent had dental work done. So, we try to find matches, with siblings, family members if the remains had come in the same batch. All the agencies get involved, and well often find a way with cross-checking.

We have elderly people as well. One was of a 70-year-old woman who was burned beyond any recognition. But she had two implants and a crown in her mouth, and through these we eventually found her dentist and got a name and could then... once we get the identity we pass it on to the families. It helps with closure, I think.

The temporary mortuary was set up at the car park of the Shura military base in Ramla, near Tel Aviv, three and half hours after the first reports of slaughter by Hamas started. It ended with a death toll of 1,400. Another 222 people were abducted and taken back to Gaza. Even now, corpses are still being found in places where the killings took place.

Dr Ilana Engel, a dental specialist working to identify bodies recovered in the wake of the attack by Hamas (Kim Sengupta/The Independent)

People are still missing. A facility has been organised for families to contact officials. We want people to come with as much information as possible, says Dr Engel. They can come with photographs, toothbrushes or hairbrushes that can be used to harvest DNA samples; of course if they can provide dental records that makes it easier.

The officials at the mortuary say they felt numb when the corpses started to come in. They had to shake themselves out of a state of shock. Multiple bodies came in one sack. Some were of mother and child together; the mother hugging the child, trying to protect in their last minutes of life.

We call this place the gates of hell, says Gilad Bahat, a senior officer in the Israeli polices investigation and intelligence department. I have been in the police service for more than 27 years. I have been to a lot of terror attack scenes. I have seen a lot in my life, many bodies, but never have I seen such sights.

We are trying to identify the bodies as fast as we can, but also accurately as we can, because we dont want the families to bury a body that is not their relative. We are insisting every body is identified and it takes a lot of time because its very hard to do it," he adds.

I dont want to distress the families by talking about some of the injuries. We have been offered psychological counselling. I cant sleep for more than a few hours at night. Im not sure well be able to understand what happened here.

Israeli police officer Gilad Behat, left, with Dr Michal Levin-Elad (Getty)

Dr Michal Levin Elad, head of the department of national forensic investigations of the Israeli police wants to stress the importance of people knowing what was involved. You open this bag and you see this mess of green, black stuff. You have got to make yourself put your hands in the bag because you need to recover the DNA evidence, thats essential," she says.

All of the forensic investigators here are used to seeing sights of people being shot, people who have killed themselves. So we thought we were prepared for something like this as well. But what we have seen is very much beyond all of that.

Dr Elad goes on to say: We have seen children decapitated and dismembered. I have seen babies in such a state of deterioration I have never seen before. She does not elaborate on the alleged decapitations and dismemberment. No evidence is offered to support the claim.

Foreign nationals were among those killed in the attack, among them 12 from Britain. Sergeant Major Natah Katz, from the militarys team of body collectors, describes finding the bodies of a group of Thai workers.

They had each been shot through the head at close range. It looks like they were executed. Why do that? What harm did they do? How are they involved in what is taking place here in the Middle East? he says. I can only think there was a kind of bloodlust got hold, killing for the sake of killing.

For Dr Engel, the motivation behind what happened, the political ramifications, are things she will reflect on in the future.

But I do think a lot about the children. I see them and I wonder what happened here? How did someone so little die? Were they scared? What happened to their parents? But then I have to put these questions out of my mind and get on with my work.

When I go home, I hold my boy close, remember the day, and think to myself, I am the lucky one, we are the lucky ones. Thats all I can do at the moment."
 Close Brit in Gaza describes desperate scene at Rafah crossing

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An Israeli attack on an ambulance outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza has killed 15 people, officials said as Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a temporary halt to his countrys attacks on Gaza unless hostages held by Hamas militants are freed.

Upon their arrival to al-Shifa, (Israel) directly targeted the convoys second vehicle, committing a terrible massacre that claimed the lives of 15 (people) and wounded more than 60, health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said. While Israel claims it was targeting Hamas in the attack on hospital vicinity, the dead and wounded include dozens of children who were left in a pool of blood.

The Israeli PM snubbed calls for a temporary ceasefire despite pleas by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to do so to allow aid to enter the Palestinian enclave.

He told Mr Blinken: We are going full steam ahead.

This comes as the leader of Lebanons Hezbollah warned the US that preventing a regional conflict depended on stopping the Israeli bombardments of Gaza, and raised the spectre of fighting on the Lebanese front turning into a full-fledged war.
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Israel has said the time has come to teach the United Nations a lesson by banning UN officials from visiting the country  in a row over remarks from secretary-general Antonio Guterres that the deadly 7 October attack by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum and had to be seen in the context of decades of occupation of the Palestinians.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Mr Guterrres said that It is important to  recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. However, he added that the grievances of the Palestinian people could not justify the horrifying and unprecedented October 7 acts of terror.

Mr Guterres also condemned "clear violations of international humanitarian law," calling Israel's constant bombardment of Hamas-controlled Gaza in response to the attack, and the level of destruction and civilian casualties, "alarming." He said the Hamas attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. The remarks have sparked a furious reaction from Israeli officials. Israels ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called for Mr Guterres to resign directly after the speech , describing it as shocking. A statement from the Israeli foreign ministry accused Mr Guterres of supporting the monstrous violence of the Hamas terrorists.

Escalating the row on Wednesday, he told Israeli Army Radio: Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.

The UN is heavily-involved in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Mr Guterres has consistently called for a ceasefire and for an end to civilian deaths. It is not clear how far the visa ban extends within the UN hierarchy. A large number of UN workers, for instance, are employed by, the UN Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA.

More than 1,400 Israelis were killed on 7 October, while at least 5,791 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by airstrikes, according to the local, Hamas-run ministry.

Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields, the secretary-general said in his address, without mentioning Hamas. He added that it does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself. Israel has issued an evacuation order calling on Palestinians to move from northern Gaza to southern Gaza as it prepares for an expected ground invasion.

Israels ambassador to the UN called Mr Guterres speech shocking (Getty Images)

Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen also criticised the comments. There is no cause for this, and shame on him, he said. He also said in a tweet via X, formerly Twitter: I will not meet with the UN secretary-general. After the 7 October massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!

However, the US secretary of state, Antony Bliken did meet with Mr Guterres after he had spoken and as other countries that spoke in the UN debate were critical of Israels operation against Hamas in Gaza.

Speaking himself at the UN security council on Tuesday night, Mr Blinken said the US supported a humanitarian lull. Blinken said that Hamas must cease using people as human shields and Israel must take all precautions to avoid harm to civilians.

It means food, medicine and water and other assistance must flow into Gaza and to the areas people need them, Mr Blinken said. It means civilians must be able to get out of harms way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes.

When asked to expand on Mr Blinkens comments, national security council spokesperson John Kirby said: We want to see that all measure of protection for civilians and pauses in operation is a tool and a tactic that can do that for temporary periods of time. He added that the difference between a humanitarian pause and a ceasefire is a question of duration and scope and size and that kind of thing.

Mr Guterres issued a statement via X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning, reiterating his position and repeating some of his speech from the previous night.

The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas, he said. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

In the UK, the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, said that Mr Guterres was wrong and he should retract his comments about Hamas's assault if it implied any justification for the killing of Israelis.

Mr Jenrick also said the UK did not support Mr Guterres's assessment of breaches of international law, telling Sky News: "We don't believe Israel has broken international law.

"There is a clear right in international law for a nation to defend itself, and that is what Israel is doing."

A spokesperson for prime minister Rishi Sunak said that Britain would consider discussing a humanitarian pause in Gaza to facilitate aid coming into the territory, but does not want a wholesale ceasefire as that would only benefit Hamas.
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The world news agenda has been dominated by one story since Saturday 7 October, when shocked Israelis woke on the last day of the Jewish holiday to the wail of sirens as Hamas insurgents fired thousands of rockets from Gaza.

Armed militants broke down the hi-tech barriers surrounding the strip to enter Israel - who responded with overwhelming force.

Last week President Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak both flew into the region to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer their continued support for Israel.

Sunak also met with Arab leaders, something that his US counterpart was denied in the wake of a hospital bombing in Gaza that is feared to have claimed hundreds of lives.

Meanwhile Israel has said it is time to teach the UN a lesson amid an escalating row over the UN secretary-generals remarks about the countrys ongoing conflict with Hamas.

With tensions rising, what are the potential further ripple effects across the Middle East and the rest of the world?

More than two weeks on from the initial eruption of violence, what can we expect next in the conflict and what is the potential political fallout? And how valid are fears that the violence will escalate and widen to the east and north?

As Israel faces the prospect of a two front war - in Gaza and also with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border - violence is also rising dramatically on the West Bank where more than 90 Palestinians have been killed in clashes in the last two weeks and 1200 arrested. What will happen if the West Bank erupts during a Gaza offensive?

And what happens to Gaza if Israel make good on their promise to destroy Hamas. Who will govern it and have the responsibility of restoring a destroyed land?

If you have a question for me submit it now, or when I join you live at 10am on Friday 27 October for the Ask Me Anything event.

Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article. If youre not already a member, click sign up in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here.

Dont worry if you cant see your question  they may be hidden until I join the conversation to answer them. Then join us live on this page at 10am as I address as many questions as I can.
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Queen Rania of Jordan has accused Western countries of aiding and abetting the killing of Palestinians by supporting Israels war against Hamas, in an extraordinary intervention that could signal an escalation of of tensions across the Arab world.

Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in the West Bank, accused Israel of being an apartheid regime, claiming the conflict began before Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis on October 7.

The monarch also accused those backing Israels bombing of Gaza in response to Hamass terror attack as an example of Western double standards.

The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the worlds reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding, she told CNN.

In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.

Jordan remains an ally of Britain and the US, and is seen as a stable partner in a region often marred in violence and unrest. But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Joe Bidens support of Israel is testing relationships with allies across the Middle East.

When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened  but what were seeing in the last couple of weeks, were seeing silence in the world.

Many in the Arab world are looking at the Western world as not just tolerating thisbut aiding and abetting it, the monarch added.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah of Jordan warned against any efforts to force refugees from Gaza towards Jordan or Egypt, calling the further relocation of Palestinians to other countries a red line that would not be tolerated.

Queen Ranias comments came as Israel and Hamas continued bombing each other, with airstrikes in Gaza killing more than 750 people between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the territorys health ministry.

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centers, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gazas civilian population.

Queen Rania of Jordan says Arab world is shocked by events in Gaza (CNN)

Gaza-based militants have also been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The death toll, following a reported 704 killed the day before, was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Even greater loss of life could come when Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

The UN says about 1.4 million of Gazas 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, with almost 600,000 crowded into UN shelters.

A Palestinian stands outside the building destroyed i the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Gazas residents have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which is sworn to Israels destruction.

In recent days, Israel allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to come over the border with Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel  needed to power hospital generators  to keep it out of Hamas hands.

The UN said it had managed to deliver some of the aid in recent days to hospitals treating the wounded. But the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the largest provider of humanitarian services in Gaza, said it was running out of fuel.
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An 85-year-old Israeli hostage released by Hamas has said she went through hell during her kidnap, describing how she was beaten with sticks during her abduction, driven off on a motorbike and forced to walk for a number of hours through a huge spiders web of wet tunnels in Gaza.

However, Yocheved Lifshitz  the first to offer a picture of the ordeal faced by those taken hostage by Hamas  also spoke of the care she received from some of her captors once she was in the tunnels and saying was told she was not going to be hurt, something that may have led to an extraordinary gesture at the moment of her release after two weeks in captivity.

A pause and then turning to shake the hand of a masked Hamas militant. Shalom, she said, the Hebrew word for peace.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, speaking from a hospital in Tel Aviv, her British daughter Sharone Lifschitz beside her (REUTERS)

Appearing in a wheelchair, Ms Lifshitz, spoke about her kidnapping from a hospital in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, with the assistance of her daughter Sharone Lifschitz, who is British and lives in London.

Ive been through hell, we didnt think or know we would get to this situation, Yocheved told reporters. Speaking softly, she said that everything erupted with a barrage of rockets on a quiet Saturday morning.

The strikes began and then things blew up at the border, she added.

We didnt think it could have been possible but they managed to break through and enter the kibbutz. That was very unpleasant and very difficult. I can still see the images, she said.

Elderly hostage shakes hands with Hamas captor after release

They stormed into our homes, Ms Lifshitz continued. They beat people. They kidnapped others, the old and the young without distinction.

Ms Lifshitz was put on a motorbike and driven into Gaza.

When I was on the bike, my head was on one side and the rest of my body on the other side. The young men hit me on the way. They didnt break my ribs but it was painful and I had difficulty breathing, she said, adding that her watch and jewellery were stolen during the ride.

While she was being taken she was hit by sticks until they reached the tunnels. There they walked for a few kilometres on the wet ground. There is a huge network of tunnels underneath  it looks like a spider web, Sharone translated, her mother looking overwhelmed.

Ms Lifshitz is among just four hostages who have been freed since Hamas militants abducted at least 220 people, including children, the elderly and foreign citizens, during a rampage through towns and villages in southern Israel earlier this month that killed 1,400 people.

Sharone Lifschitz speaking about her mother Yocheved (Bel Trew/The Independent)

Footage purportedly taken on Go-Pro cameras and mobile phones by the militants, and home security cameras, show gunmen tossing grenades in bomb shelters, gunning down children, and taking hundreds into Gaza.

Sharone explained that her mother was taken from her home alongside her husband Oded Lifshitz, 83, who is still in captivity.

Ms Lifshitz, who was brought back to Israel on Monday night alongside another woman, Nurit Cooper, 79, said after the initial capture she was well looked after. She was held with around 25 other hostages, and after several hours, five people from her kibbutz, including herself, were taken into a separate room. There, they each had a guard and access to a paramedic and doctor.

My mum said she was treated well and that the people were kind to her, we do not know what the story of the 175 or so other prisoners we cannot deduct that they too are in a good condition, Sharone said.

One of the hostages was badly injured from a motorbike accident, and they gave me antibiotics and other medicine, Ms Lifshitz said.

We are heartened to hear they were well looked after [in Gaza] but the family do not know if that is the case for the rest of the hostages, Sharone continued. [Her captors] told them they were Muslims and they are not going to hurt them and they ate the same food that the Hamas was eating.

Yocheved Lifshitz with her husband Oded, who is still being held captive (Israel in Osterreich/Facebook)

We delighted to have her home safe  but our hearts are with the other 200 still there, the daughter added.

Ms Lifshitzs husband Oded, a peace activist and retired journalist, is among them. He would drive Palestinians who needed medical treatment from Gaza to hospitals in East Jerusalem, according to the family. He was separated from his wife, who is also a veteran human rights activist and retired photographer, during the initial moment of capture.

My mum and my dad were separated at the very beginning and we do not know from my mums story what happened to my dad, we do not know that he was injured, Sharone said.

Our hope for our father and for all the hostages is that they will come home safely.

In a separate interview, Sharone told the BBC that her mother is very sharp and is very keen to share the information, pass on the information to families of other hostages she was with. Such insight may be previous to Israel as it works to free other hostages.

Nurit Cooper was freed by Hamas in a deal The Independent understands was brokered by Qatar and Egypt (Reuters)

Ms Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper were freed by Hamas in a deal The Independent understands was brokered by Qatar and Egypt. It was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, who escorted the elderly women to the border crossing with Egypt. This followed the release of two American-Israel citizens  Judith Raanan, 59, and Natalie Raanan, 17, a mother and daughter, on Friday.

Speaking about her mothers gesture in taking the hand of the Hamas militant as she was released, Sharone told the BBC: The way she walked off and then came back and then said thank you was quite incredible to me. Its so her. At the press conference, she added: My mother is a human being who loves humanity, she added.

In retaliation for the Hamas attack, the Israeli military has launched the heaviest-ever bombardment of Gaza, and imposed a total siege, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, including 2,000 children.

The United Nations has repeatedly pleaded for a humanitarian ceasefire, as food, water, fuel and medical supplies in the besieged enclave run out. The families of hostages are also concerned the bombing and siege of Gaza will affect their loved ones.

Damage from Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City (AP)

Sharone said she will continue to campaign for the release of her father and the other captives.

He speaks good Arabic, so he can communicate very well with the people there, she said. He knows many people in Gaza and the West Bank. I want to think that he's going to be OK.

Of the release of her mother, she said: We have so many people that weve lost  it is a little ray of light but there is a huge darkness as well.

Sharone said that she and her mother still dream of peace with the Palestinians, even given the expected ground invasion of Gaza by Israel threatens to spark a wider war in the region.

We have to find ways because there is no alternative. If anything, it makes me even more resolved, she said. The way has got longer  we are dealing with grief and loss on a level we can never get over, but as nations, we will have to find a way forward.

There are reports of another possible Qatar-brokered deal to release a further 50 dual-national citizens that is under discussion.

Israeli officials have refused to comment on the hostage deals, telling The Independent they will not negotiate with Hamas.

Anyone candidly and genuinely concerned with human life should demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We can not comment further, one Israeli government official said.
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Just two weeks after fleeing his home with barely more than the clothes on his back and the phone in his pocket, 23-year-old Ashot Gabrielyan is at a tech conference promoting one of the last things he has left: his startup.

He is one of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenian refugees who were forced out of Nagorno-Karabakh in late September when Azerbaijani forces retook control of the breakaway enclave. Alongside his two brothers  who evacuated in a single car with their parents and a grandparent on 28 September  Gabrielyan is now attempting to start a new life from temporary accommodation in Armenias capital of Yerevan. We lost our property, but we also lost ourselves, he says. We have lost our previous lives. We are starting everything from scratch.

His online marketing startup, Brothers in Business (BIB), was offered a last-minute stand at the DigiTec Expo, with organisers hoping that technology will help offer a solution for the country. As a landlocked nation lacking the natural resources of its historically hostile neighbours, Armenias nascent tech industry is seen as a way to achieve sovereignty and future stability in the long term, while also assisting with the humanitarian crisis in the short term.

The country was once a tech hub in the region  one of the worlds first computers was built in Armenia  but much of Armenias talent left following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. A new scene emerged when emigres returned to the country after finding success in Silicon Valley, establishing the countrys internet network and providing a foundation for startups to emerge.

There are now an estimated 300 pre-seed-stage startups in Armenia, and around 100 seed-stage startups, in fields ranging from quantum computing to electric bikes. We have this vision: Tech is the ultimate direction that will help Armenia to succeed, says Narek Vardanyan, CEO of Prelaunch.com, whose company acts as a platform to help local startups establish themselves on the market.

We are landlocked, we have no natural resources. All we have is talent. And our only way we can develop is technology, he says. We dont have a backup plan. There is no Plan B. We are betting everything on technology.

Armenias most successful startup so far is Picsart, an online photo editor that has grown to become the countrys only unicorn  a company with a valuation north of $1 billion. Picsart is among those offering their resources to help refugees, fast-tracking the launch of an educational program that will be offered for free to refugees and war veterans, training and reskilling them in everything from machine learning to graphic design. Hayk Sahakyan, a creative director at Picsart, says there has been a huge number of people interested so far, including children.

This idea of building up Armenias tech industry through education can be found through two privately funded initiatives that are providing free courses in STEM subjects to tens of thousands of young people throughout the country. The first is TUMO, which provides free supplemental education to 12-18 year olds in creative technologies, ranging from game development to music.

Since the first TUMO centre opened in Yerevan in 2011, dozens of centres have sprung up throughout Armenia and the rest of the world, including hubs in Berlin, Paris and Los Angeles. One of its six core centres and three smaller Box centres had to be abandoned during the Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh last month.

External circumstances can literally kill us. But whenever anyone asks me whether Armenia has a future, its here, says Zara Budaghyan, head of communications at TUMO. Technology has the potential to provide a more stable economy, but also better lives. International support has been lacking. We need to rebuild by ourselves. We are broken. But this gives us something to believe in.

The second educational initiative is a network of technology, science and engineering laboratories set up in rural communities, offering children from 10-18 free after school classes. Established by UATE  a business association that also runs the DigiTec Expo  several of the labs in Nagorno-Karabakh also had to be shut down in September.

UATE chief executive Sargis Karapetyan, who grew up in the region, says around 200 of his relatives were among the refugees. Karapetyan considered cancelling the DigiTec conference, saying there is still a deep distrust of Azerbaijan. There are fears that the annex was only part one. The next stage, which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes could happen within weeks, could be an invasion to establish a land corridor between the two parts of Azerbaijan.

When asked what prompted the decision to persevere with the tech conference despite personal tragedy and the threat of further chaos, Karapetyan replies: "Technology will save the world.
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For two decades, Joseph D Emerson had a successful career as an airline pilot. He joined the Alaska Air Group in 2001 as a first officer, before becoming a pilot in 2019.

But, on Sunday, something suddenly changed when the pilot was involved in an incident that has shocked people who know him to the core.

While travelling in the flight deck jump seat in the cockpit of a plane flying from Seattle to San Francisco, the 44-year-old allegedly attempted to cut off fuel to the engines.

He was subdued by the flight crew, arrested and hit with 167 charges, including 83 counts of first-degree attempted murder. He now also faces a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

No one was hurt in the incident, authorities said, but the FBI is working with the Port of Portland police to investigate the incident.

Many questions remain unanswered as to what led Mr Emerson to allegedly attempt to crash the plane mid-flight.

Heres what we know so far:

What happened on the flight?

Authorities said Mr Emerson, who was off-duty at the time, was travelling in the flight deck jump seat in the cockpit when he suddenly tried to shut down both of the planes engines by pulling the fire extinguisher handles.

The 44-year-old was then subdued by flight crew as the captain and first officer intervened to keep the engines running. Mr Emerson was escorted by a flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft where he was placed in wrist restraints and belted into the aft jump seat, reportedly warning cabin crew: You need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad, according to affidavits.

According to Alaska Airlines, Mr Emerson also attempted to grab the handle of the emergency exit during the aircrafts descent before being stopped by a flight attendant.

A flight attendant told police she heard Mr Emerson say: I messed everything up, and that he had stated that he had tried to kill everybody.

The flight, which was travelling from Seattle to San Francisco, was diverted to Portland, and all 80 passengers on board were able to board a new plane.

Passengers who were on board the plane told ABC News that they were not immediately alerted to what Alaska Airlines called the security threat, until a flight attendant told them over the speaker that there was an emergency situation and the plane needed to land immediately.

open image in gallery A worker cleans a jet bridge at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, before passengers board an Alaska Airlines flight (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Once the plane landed, police boarded the aircraft and arrested Mr Emerson, escorting him off the plane handcuffed.

Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers on the plane, told Laura Coates Live the suspect was calm and cooperative as he was escorted off the plane.

Following the incident Mr Emerson was removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at Alaska Airlines. The airline said it was now consulting with its partners in labour regarding his employment status.

Who is Joseph D Emerson?

Joseph D Emerson was taken into custody and hit with 167 charges, including 83 counts of first-degree attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to authorities.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was also charged separately in federal court with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

His alleged motive for the incident remains unclear.

Prior to the incident Mr Emerson was a pilot with Alaska Airlines. According to the airline he joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon First Officer in August 2001.

In June 2012, Mr Emerson left Horizon to join Virgin America as a pilot but became an Alaska Airlines First Officer following Alaskas acquisition of Virgin America in 2016. He became an Alaska Airlines Captain in 2019.

Neighbours of the 44-year-old told The Daily Mail he lives with his wife and two young sons in California. He was described by neighbours as a friendly and fantastic father.

open image in gallery Joseph Emerson is charged with attempted murder (Joseph Emerson/Facebook)

He plays with the kids all the time, Karen Yee told the outlet.

Hes just a great guy. Hes very understanding of other people, she said.

We just couldnt imagine him doing anything to hurt someone. Its very hard for us to believe that he would do anything intentionally like that, she added. I cant fathom him doing anything that would hurt anyone.

Meanwhile, her husband Ed Yee described the incident as very shocking.

He seems like a really nice guy. Nothing abnormal about him, he told CNN.

What was the motive?

It is not known why Mr Emerson allegedly attempted to crash the plane, though he reportedly told police following his arrest that he had had a nervous breakdown and had taken psychadelic mushrooms two days earlier.

According to a federal affidavit seen by The Independent, he told police he was experiencing a nervous breakdown, and had not slept in 40 hours. Mr Emerson explained to the officers: I didnt feel okay. It seemed like the pilots werent paying attention to what was going on. They didntit didnt seem right.

He added: I pulled both emergency shut-off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up, court documents state.

He also told police he had struggled with depression for the past six months.

Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines said Mr Emerson did not have a history of medical issues.

Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked, Alaska Airlines said in a statement.

Alaska Airlines Pilot Arrested for Trying to Disable Engines

A Federal Aviation Administration pilot database also showed Mr Emerson received a medical clearance last month.

Alaska Air Group said in a statement that at no time during the check-in or boarding process did employees observe any signs of impairment that would have led them to prevent Mr Emerson from flying.

A police officer also noted that Mr Emerson did not appear to be outwardly under the influence of intoxicants.

Alaska Airlines said they are deeply disturbed by the 44-year-olds actions.

Passengers on the plane said they were told by a flight attendant that Mr Emerson suffered a mental breakdown.

After we did land and the gentleman was escorted off, the flight attendant got back on the speaker and said, plain and simple, He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately, Aubrey Gavello told ABC.

Records from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is supporting the law enforcement investigation, show the 44-year-old did not hold a certification to fly the ERJ 175  the type of plane involved in Sundays incident.

Authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically-motivated violence, according to CNN.
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After Hurricane Otis escalated into a Category 5 storm last night (24 October), concerns over the safety of travel to Mexico and the risk of further natural disasters have risen.

Hurricane conditions made a powerful landfall in Acapulco on Mexicos Pacific coastline on Wednesday morning and sustained 165-mph winds are expected to sweep the south coast between San Jose del Progreso and San Jeronimo de Juarez on 25 October.

The hurricane could become the most powerful storm ever to hit Acapulco, with the potential to affect at least one million people.

Amid Mexicos June to November hurricane season, Category 4 Hurricane Lidia has already barrelled the states of Jalisco and Nayarit on 10 October, and Category 1 Hurricane Norma swept Los Cabos on the Baja California Peninsula on 21 October.

Even if hurricane warnings are lifted, a risk of landslides, mudslides and flash flooding remains a threat to holidaymakers with trips booked to the ocean-flanked country.

Heres the latest travel advice for Mexico, plus all the key questions and answers.

What does the Foreign Office say?

On Wednesday (25 October) the Foreign Office (FCDO) updated its advice on travel to Mexico to read: The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Mexico as Tropical Storm Otis has intensified to a category 4 Hurricane and is anticipated to impact the Pacific south coast.

Areas to avoid include:

Tijuana  except airside transit through Tijuana airport

Tecate

Chihuahua  except the city of Chihuahua

Colima  except the city of Manzanillo

Guanajuato  including all areas southwest of road 45D

Guerrero

Tamaulipas  except the border crossing at Nuevo Laredo accessed by federal toll road 85D from Monterrey

Zacatecas

Jalisco  including all areas south and southwest of Lake Chapala to the border with the state of Colima

Sinaloa  except the cities of Los Mochis and Mazatlan

Michoacan  except the city of Morelia and the town of Patzcuaro

The FCDO also advises against all but essential travel to these northern municipalities:

Bolanos

Chimaltitan

Colotlan

Hostotipaquillo

Huejucar

Huequilla el Alto

Mezquitic

San Martin de Bolanos

Santa Maria de los Angeles

Totatiche

Villa Guerrero

Read our live blog for Hurricane Otis updates

What do the Mexican authorities say?

The general directorate of tourist services, Angeles Verdes, said: Safety is our top priority, and currently, travel to certain regions of Mexico may be risky due to adverse weather conditions and affected infrastructure.

The recommendation from Angeles Verdes is that you reconsider your trip or stay informed about the situation in Mexico before making a decision. It is important to check the warnings and recommendations of local authorities and civil protection to ensure your safety during your stay.

Mexico is a beautiful country with a lot to offer visitors, but in situations like this, it is essential to prioritize safety. For when you postpone your trip, we will be here to help you with future experiences in Mexico when conditions are safer.

The FCDO says that Local Authorities have also called for those in the affected zone to take precautions, including staying informed about shelter locations.

Are Mexico flights continuing?

Several arrivals and departures from Acapulco International Airport have been cancelled or delayed this morning as a result of the winds.

Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara and Tijuana airports appear to be running scheduled flights as usual.

What if I have booked a package holiday to Mexico?

Travellers who have booked package holidays to Mexicos Pacific south coast, including Acapulco and Puerto Escondido, as advised by the FCDO can cancel without penalty for a full refund, although other popular tourist resorts of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum are a fair distance from the affected areas as they sit on the Gulf of Mexicos east coast.

The FCDO says: Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider and intended destination, so its best to contact them. Be aware that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you choose to travel to an area against FCDO advice.
This is the moment a blender exploded covering a MasterChef: The Professionals contestant in boiling soup.

Brazilian chef Cristina Maia, 51, needed medical treatment and had to pull out of the Signature Menu round of Tuesday nights episode.

Judges said the accident happened after Cristina put hot liquid into a blender and when she opened the lid it shot out everywhere.

As soon as the accident happened one of the medical crew on set dashed over to assist her and held a cold towel to her chin where most of the damage was.
Watch the moment a democrat lawmaker celebrated her anniversary on the House floor, in an apparent dig at Mike Johnson during the vote for speaker.

Angie Craig wished her wife a happy wedding anniversary" when her turn came to vote on whether to approve the Republican.

The remarks were seemingly a response to Johnsons long-running anti-LGBTQ voting record in Congress.

The Democratic representative from Minnesotas 2nd congressional district was the first openly LGBT+ mother in the House.

Later on Wednesday 25 October Mr Johnson was elected to the position, 22 days after the removal of Kevin McCarthy.
A Briton whose mother was kidnapped by Hamas has recalled her last terrifying phone call to family.

Noam Sagi, who lives in north London, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday 25 October to appeal for his mothers release.

Ada Sagi, who was kidnapped from the same kibbutz as 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, is still in captivity.

We woke up on a regular Saturday morning here in London and because of the time gap with Israel, we heard very urgent calls starting to come, Mr Sagi explained.

My sister was with my mum on the phone, and my mum could see Hamas people coming with RPGs, going around the kibbutz.

She went into the safe room, and the phone went down, that was the last we heard.

Mr Sagi found out his mother had been kidnapped hours later.
Police in Tampa, Florida, found a suspect accused of stealing a car hiding out in a tree, hoping to avoid arrest after a car chase.

Officers attempted to stop a car on I-275 that was stolen in Polk County, Florida, before the suspect got out of the vehicle and ran into a nearby neighbourhood.

Hanging out in trees is for the birdsand suspects, the Tampa Police Department wrote, sharing the footage on Facebook.

After canvassing the area from the sky, our Aviation Unit spotted the suspect hiding in a tree.

Tampa PD added that ground units took the man into custody after he was located.
A grandmother released by Hamas militants said she was initially beaten by the terrorists who took her hostage, but while in captivity says she was treated kindly.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, described how Hamas militants took her away on the back of a motorbike and then through a spiderweb of tunnels underground.

Her daughter Sharone Lifschitz, translated for her mother as she described how her captors said they were Muslim, were not going to hurt her and then shared food with her.

They provided for all of our needs, she said.

The grandmother spent 16 days in captivity before she was freed on Monday, 24 October.
Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak welcomed the new Labour MP for Tamworth to the House of Commons on Wednesday, 25 October, after the Tory candidate for the seat told food bank users to f*** off.

Andrew Cooper reportedly shared a Facebook post saying that people should only seek help if they give up basics like TV and mobile phone contracts.

Is the prime minister as relieved as I am that [Tamworth] constituents are not burdened with his defeated candidate who told them... to f-off if theyre struggling with the cost of living? the Labour leader said.
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When a missile strikes a building, the victims inside are often rendered unrecognisable. Layers of concrete crush what the explosion does not incinerate in a fireball. Limbs are ripped from the body. There are no descriptions of the way people die, or how their last moments were spent, because there is seldom anyone left to tell the tale. All that is left is a pile of rubble, a cloud of dust, and a list of names.

For the many years I worked as a correspondent in the Middle East, my time was devoted to investigating the deaths of civilians killed in airstrikes. I reported on civilian deaths in the US air campaign against Isis , Bashar al-Assads flattening of Syrian towns and cities  backed by Russian jets, Turkish airstrikes against Kurds in Iraq and Syria and a US-backed Saudi air campaign in Yemen . I studied countless grainy videos of strikes and the images of their aftermath, tracked down and interviewed the families of airstrike victims across the region and on rare occasions spoke to survivors .

What I found during those years was that a grim hierarchy of civilian death exists in the public imagination, one in which victims of airstrikes were thought of as an inconsequential, almost necessary, part of war.

All of those air campaigns took place against the backdrop of wars in which civilians were killed in a variety of awful ways. The theatrical brutality of Isis shocked and outraged the world, and prompted a massive military alliance of Western countries to destroy it by all means necessary. But thousands of civilian deaths caused by Western powers in their response to those atrocities barely elicited comment. The same was true for Russias relentless air campaign in Syria, and the Saudi campaign in Yemen.

Airstrikes sanitise the taking of a life in a way that no other method of killing can. There is a disconnect between the victim and the person who dispatches the missile. There is a disconnect between those who read about it thousands of miles away from the comfort of their home. Someone who reads a news story about an airstrike killing 50 people may recognise academically that it is a tragic event, but they will almost certainly not feel those deaths in the same way as if they read about a detailed cold-blooded murder of one person. The former is abstract, the latter is visceral.

People help evacuate a Palestinian woman following Israeli airstrikes that targeted her neighbourhood in Gaza City. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

We have become numb to decades of killing civilians in this way  from Vietnam to the Iraq war, the massive deployment of Western airpower to destroy a much smaller enemy is considered the default method of waging war, a necessary evil to protect our own citizens.

That disconnect allows us to separate the terrorists from the civilised West in our imagination. Our governments may kill far more civilians, but we do it accidentally  each one of them a tragic mistake for which there are no consequences.

This same logic is playing out in Israels bombardment of Gaza right now. In just 18 days, more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and artillery, including some 2,700 children, according to Gazas health ministry. That is a rate of 150 Palestinian children a day being killed by Israeli forces without drawing even a note of criticism from its allies.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty Internationals Secretary General, said last week that Israel had shown a shocking disregard for civilian lives, pulverized street after street of residential buildings killing civilians on a mass scale and decimated Palestinian families, causing such destruction that surviving relatives have little but rubble to remember their loved ones by.

Hamas massacre has been roundly and rightly condemned for its crime, but Israel has received almost unanimous support from leaders in the West, and only whispered utterances of caution for the protection of civilian life. In their eyes, thousands of dead civilians and the vast destruction of much of northern Gaza have not breached the bounds of proportionality.

A US marine from the 3/5 Lima company walks towards a destroyed building along the main street in the restive city of Fallujah in 2004 (AFP/Getty)

One of the most sickening incidents of the Hamas attack, of which there were many, was the report of decapitated babies being found in the aftermath of the rampage. That vivid detail shocked the world, and deeply affected US president Joe Biden, who spoke of his distress at terrorists beheading children. Two weeks later, a video of a man in Gaza holding aloft a baby that appeared to have been decapitated by an airstrike elicited no such response.

There is a distinction here, of course. Hamas entered communities in southern Israel with a careful plan to murder civilians in cold blood. The images and videos from the 7 October massacre showed a brutal and methodical killing spree  children and the elderly were among the more than 1,400 people killed in the attack. Hamas has also fired thousands of indiscriminate rockets into Israel with the express intention of harming civilians.

But this is a moral distinction, rather than a practical one. It is a distinction that means little to those on the receiving end of the bombs, and it has allowed Western powers and their allies to cumulatively kill tens of thousands of civilians across the Middle East for years with no accountability.

If Israels aerial bombardment of Gaza continues at its current pace, it may yet eclipse the civilian death toll in any of the aforementioned campaigns. According to the monitoring group Airwars, the US-led anti-Isis coalition killed as many as 13,000 civilians over five years. The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi forces in Yemen is estimated to have killed nearly 9,000 civilians over eight years. The death toll in Gaza is halfway to reaching those totals in just two weeks.

This disparity in the way we classify civilian deaths between the righteous and the barbarous is behind much of the anger surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict today. It is, at its root, an argument about the worth of a human life.
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After Republicans unanimously elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to become speaker of the House, Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), the conspiracy-mongering congresswoman, had every reason to flash a smile off the floor. She had remade the Republican leadership in her image.

Ms Greenes role in the coup that led to Mr Johnson  an ardent opponent of abortion who introduced a national version of Floridas Dont Say Gay legislation  should not surprise anyone. She is a key figure in the rise of right-wing extremism that pervades the Republican body politic.

What was indeed more surprising was how much the rest of the GOP went along with her to assist Mr Johnsons ascent. Mr Johnson is a zealot of the highest order, someone who worked for the hard-right Alliance Defending Freedom; an ardent opponent of abortion who wants to restrict the rights of LGBT+ people and who served as Donald Trumps Howitzer in Congress to overturn the 2020 election results.

But his fervor for theocratic policies did not impede his ability to unite nearly every faction of the very divided House Republican conference. Indeed, many of the Republicans who had previously raised serious objections to creeping fanaticism in the party brushed off these concerns as technicalities.

Mike Johnson addresses congress for first time as House speaker

Mr Johnsons triumph signifies the wholesale victory of the hardliners within the conference who had engaged in a bitter 15-year-civil war with the House Republican establishment.

Some Democrats like to pin the slide to the right solely on Mr Trump, which makes sense, given the former presidents unique unpopularity.

Donald Trump has cemented his control over the Republican conference in the House of Representatives, Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who jousted with Mr Johnson and the GOPs attempts to overturn the election in 2021, told me.

Mr Raskin, who was first elected in 2016, is a respected constitutional scholar with a mastery of the law. But he has this dynamic backwards. It was the 15-year feud between the establishment and the radical right, fueled by the anger of the Tea Party, that laid the groundwork for the trail that Mr Trump would later blaze.

Indeed, Mr Trump would begin floating a run for president in 2011, after the 2010 Republican wave, largely on the back of the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the United States, which had first been floated in the Tea Party fervor after Mr Obamas election.

The Tea Party Caucus and eventually the House Freedom Caucus has made a name for itself in the past decade, perhaps most famously when they forced a government shutdown in 2013, beat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a primary in 2014 and forced John Boehner to leave the speakership in 2015.

But the hardliners, largely led by Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), didnt achieve the structural changes they sought. Mr Boehner was quickly replaced by Paul Ryan, another creature of the establishment, and then Mr McCarthy after him. Mr Trumps election benefited many of them personally  they either joined his administration or moved up the ranks in the House  but he busted the budget, failed to repeal Obamacare and didnt build the wall with Mexico or pass legislation to restrict immigration. And their hope for procedural changes on the Hill never came.

It took a new breed of right-wingers  a style that was more media-savvy and willing to violate norms  to actually get the radical demands.

And havoc they did wreak. After years of the hardliners threatening to vacate, the radicals, led by Matt Gaetz (R-FL), pulled the trigger and vacated Mr McCarthy, laid waste to Mr Scalise and humiliated Mr Emmer. They had a hiccup in their attempt to nominate Mr Jordan but now seem to have overcome it.

Moreover, they did so with the help of the old school establishment. Rep Elise Stefanik, an Ivy-League educated alumnus of George W Bushs administration who worked for Mr Ryan, gladly nominated Mr Jordan and Mr Johnson on the House floor. Rep Dan Newhouse, one of only two of the 10 Republicans left in the House who voted to impeach Mr Trump and who had voted to certify the election, led the pledge of allegiance on Tuesday before votes and supported for Mr Johnson, despite the fact Mr Newhouse voted to certify the election results.

Mr Johnson leading Republicans in an amicus brief for a lawsuit to overturn the 2020 election results in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also didnt seem to bother Rep Ken Buck (R-CO), who had previously confronted Mr Jordan and Mr Scalise about their parroting of the lie that the election was stolen and he voted for Mr Johnson.

Earlier this year, I sat down with Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC), one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust Mr McCarthy, and she warned We're not going to win hearts and minds over by being a**holes to women. On Wednesday, she voted for Mr Johnson, who has said we will get the number of abortions to ZERO!!

The radicals seem to know they have power and will use it in the future. Rep Bob Good of Virginia told me that Mr Johnsons election had vindicated them.

Absolutely, he said. This is the kind of person we wanted as a speaker. And Mike Johnson is someone that many members of Congress have talked about for a year that could be the kind of person that could become speaker.

And they plan to hold him accountable. After the vote, I caught Rep Eli Crane of Arizona and asked him if they planned to make sure Mr Johnson lived up to their promises, which he responded affirmatively. Its now the radicals GOP and they are always watching.
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People should back off from Paris Hilton. After the 42-year-old reality star posted a sweet photo of herself and her son Phoenix on Instagram, with the baby sitting on her lap dressed head to toe in Burberry on their first trip to New York City, it sparked shocking online reactions  the worst of which involved commenters making rude remarks about the size of her nine-month-old sons head.

Really? Attacking a baby? What is wrong with people?

Why the hell shouldnt Paris be able to post images of her son online without it turning into a traumatic, humiliating experience?

I know some celebrities choose not to post pictures of their kids online, and I respect their choice. But there are plenty of proud mums who do want to post a picture of their baby for the world to coo over. I do it all the time with my own kids.

Im not a sharenter by any stretch of the imagination (thats a parent who overshares images of their kids, for the uninitiated)  but neither is Hilton.

In fact, she only posted one image of her and her little boy Phoenix  and, it should be said, she looks great! She looks so radiant, just like I did when I had my first baby (like Paris, I was also in my forties).

The fact that people want to assume there is something wrong with her son because he has a big head is quite frankly ludicrous, not to mention cruel. As internet users became more and more obsessed with Phoenixs head, they took to Hiltons comment section to voice their opinions, speculating over whether or not his seemingly large head was a result of a medical condition.

Sadly, its something I can relate to.

When my youngest daughter Liberty was born with a club foot  a condition that is easily treated  and she had to wear a plaster cast on her leg to start the process of rectifying it, I got loads of funny looks just walking down the street  let alone online.

Yes, I got comments like: Oh dear, how did you manage to break your babys leg?. It was implied it was somehow my fault. When she had to then wear boots and bars for one year  a very unattractive contraption that I hid under pretty dresses as best I could  people looked at me with sympathy, thinking she had some terrible impairment.

Some kids do suffer from disabilities  but surely us mums shouldnt be explaining ourselves to total strangers? Poor Hilton had to respond to comments about baby Phoenixs head publicly. My angel is perfectly healthy.

Paris Hilton and son Phoenix in New York City, posted on Instagram (Instagram)

I didnt attract unwanted comments online like Hilton has  Im not a celebrity. But I know how it feels as a mum when you end up defending your baby from endless negativity.

Hilton struggled to have her child with her partner via IVF as I did  she also used a surrogate. As Hilton says, having a baby after infertility issues is the biggest blessing of her life.

Why cant she show her precious baby off to the world like we all do? Just because she is in the spotlight doesnt mean others have the green light to take potshots at her.

Yet people think that by posting images of her child, she is somehow inviting unwanted comments  as if she has done something to invite ridicule and blame. There are all sorts of pressures as a mum to post a picture or two of your children. Hilton said in a text post that people would assume she was not a great mother if she didnt share images of him occasionally. As a new mum you often feel vulnerable and want to fit in. Why would Hilton be any different?

The truth is she just cant win  if she posts or doesnt post, she will get attacked.

The problem isnt Hilton showing photos of Phoenix. The problem is the sheer number of people who think its somehow acceptable to troll another person and target their baby.
Irelands busiest M&A advisory firm, IBI Corporate Finance, is in talks to sell itself to Japanese financial giant Daiwas DC Advisory business.

It is understood talks on a sale are at an advanced stage.

They come six years after Bank of Ireland sold the business, which was its corporate finance arm, IBI Corporate Finance, to management in a deal understood to have valued the firm at 10m.

That deal was structured in part in order for the advisory end of the business to escape the then strict pay and bonus caps that applied at banks that had been bailed out during the financial crisis.

The Currency website, which first reported the latest deal talks on Tuesday, said a new deal is likely to value the business significantly higher.

The Irish Independent understands that IBI will retain its current market-leading brand, in a modified form, if a deal with DC Advisory goes ahead.

Current management, headed by Tom Godfrey and Ted Webb, and senior executives will continue to lead the business under a new DC Advisory structure, it is understood. That is likely to be a deal breaker for any buyer, with the value of any boutique advisor house tightly linked to the contacts and knowledge of top dealmakers.

Figures prepared for this newspaper earlier this month ranked IBI Corporate Finance as the busiest M&A advisor in the Irish market in the first nine months of the year, despite strong competition from larger professional services firms and global investment banks.

IBI currently operates as part of a global network of advisors called Oaklins and has also retained strong links with Bank of Ireland after its sale, including advising it in the takeover of Davy Stockbrokers.

IBI provides advice to public, private and semi-state companies on strategic actions such as disposals, growth capital, debt advisory and restructuring and strategic projects, as well as deal making. Sources suggest a deal could be finalised over the coming month.
Binance says US aims to be global crypto police in action against Irish units

Lawyers for Binance have again asked Illinois court to dismiss case

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has been named in the CFTC suit. Photo: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

John Mulligan Wed 25 Oct 2023 at 03:30

Lawyers for Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao and Irish units of the crypto-trading firm have accused the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission of trying to use a Trojan horse in an effort to make the agency the de facto global regulator for cryptocurrencies.
Businesswoman Anne Heraty has invested 500,000 in energy efficiency company Vivid Edge, which was founded by former Bank of Ireland executive Tracy ORourke.

In 2020, Ms Heraty sold the stock market-listed CPL Resources recruitment firm she co-owned with her husband, taking home 110m in the deal.

New filings at the Companies Registration Office show that Ms Heraty has invested 500,000 in Vivid Edge via 8pc cumulative convertible preference shares.

Vivid Edge, co-founded by Paul Boylan, helps large organisations to save energy and cut costs with no capital outlay.

Other investors in the company, which is based at Nova UCD, include businessman Michael Walsh, who has close connections with the Roche family behind NTR. Mr Walsh is the former group finance director of the group and has served as chief executive of the familys Woodford Capital investment vehicle.

Tracy ORourke, a chartered accountant, was working with Bank of Ireland immediately prior to co-founding Vivid Edge. Founded in 2015, the company aims to help clients achieve journeys to net zero carbon emissions.

The most recent publicly-available accounts for the firm show that it made a 433,000 loss in the 12 months to the end of September last year. That brought its accumulated losses to 1.9m.

Ms Heraty and her husband Paul Carroll agreed in late 2020 to sell CPL Resources to Japanese HR firm Outsourcing Inc for 318m. That saw the couple net about 110m from the sale.

Just weeks later, the couple secured another windfall when they lined up a sale of their majority-owned Trinity Care nursing home business for as much as 150m to Belgian healthcare property investment group Cofinimmo.

Ms Heraty and Mr Carroll originally bought into Trinity Care in 2012, backing the acquisition of the former Guardian Healthcare business by its ex-chief executive Keith Robinson. The sale to Cofinmmo is likely to have made about 100m for the CPL co-owners.

Ms Heraty is also a non-executive director of international insulation giant Kingspan, having been on the board since 2019.

She is also a non-executive director at property services firm Sherry FitzGerald.

Last month, Anne Heraty was among the speakers at Ibecs second international Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) certification programme for board directors and senior business professionals. She is on the board of Ibec.

She was named chair of the Barretstown childrens charity in January this year, having been a board member since 2019.
Airport warns that parking availability is constrained

People travelling to Dublin Airport this bank holiday weekend to jet away as the mid-term breaks begins have again been warned that parking will be at a premium at the gateway amid a surge in passengers.

More than 400,000 passengers will fly through Dublin Airport this weekend, marking one of the busiest times of year at the facility. Its final busy period of the year will come at Christmas, when as many as 1.5 million passengers will fly through the gateway in just over two weeks.

Between this Friday and Sunday, November 5, its expected that 950,000 passengers will travel through Dublin Airport. London and Amsterdam are the most popular European destinations during the period, with New York and Chicago the most popular on the transatlantic network.

Newly-appointed Dublin Airport managing director Gary McLean, insisted that passengers will experience a seamless journey through the airport.

Our security processing times have been consistently under 20 minutes for several months now, and we have introduced a wide range of new food and beverage outlets in both terminals, he said. We have also added extra seating, enhanced our free wi-fi services, and introduced more phone charging facilities to ensure you stay connected before your flight.

But he warned that car parking continues to be in short supply at peak periods, such as the coming weekend.

Demand for parking at the airport is high for the coming weekend, so passengers are advised to book online in advance of traveling, said Mr McLean. Passengers are also encouraged to consider alternate ways of traveling to and from the airport, including by bus, taxi, or drop-off.

Under planning conditions attached nearly 20 years ago to the construction of Terminal 2, Dublin Airport has to cap the number of passengers flying through the entire airport at 32 million per year.

It wont breach the cap this year, its understood. Dublin Airport has been able to use a net figure for the number of passengers using the gateway, that excludes transit passengers who dont disembark aircraft at Dublin, and the double-counting of transfer passengers who might arrive from a point of origin in the UK, for example, and then immediately travel onwards to North America, for instance.

Its known that Dublin Airport has already started talks this week with airline customers to agree a plan and potential options on how best to manage scheduled flights to comply with the cap whilst minimising any impact on passengers and the airlines. Aer Lingus and Ryanair are the two biggest airlines operating out of Dublin. Ryanair is significantly expanding its fleet, while Aer Lingus is also using new jets to expand its network to the United States.

"An application to amend the annual cap to 40 million passengers will be submitted to Fingal County Council in December this year as part of DAAs Infrastructure Application, said Kevin Cullinane, DAA group head of communications.

The application will include a number of infrastructure developments and investments that will support and enable the growth of Dublin Airport to cater for Irelands future demand for international air travel while achieving its stated goal to reduce carbon emissions by 51pc by 2030 and to be net-zero by 2050, he added.
A dispute involving shareholders and directors of the pharmacy solutions business Navi Group has come before the High Court.

The group operates in wholesale, retail, trading and technology for pharmacies in Ireland and in 2022 had a turnover of 33.65m and over 500 customers.

In a High Court action Simon Healy, who is a 25pc shareholder and director of Navicorp Limited, which trades as Navi Group, has sued the company, its directors and the firm's other shareholder over what he claims is an attempt "to exclude me from the company".

His action is against the owners of the other 75pc of the shares in Navicorp, Fontill Pharmaceuticals Limited, and that entitys beneficial owner, Co Kildare-based businessman John Carroll, who is also a director and CEO of Navicorp.

The action is also against Navicorp's other directors Orla Mitchell and Paul Byrne, both with addresses in Dublin 4, as well as Navicorp Limited itself.

Mr Healy said he had been the group's executive chairman until his purported dismissal in early September.

He claims the termination of his employment was carried out for the benefit of Mr Carroll and amounts to wrongful dismissal.

Actions against him amount to acts of oppression, which the defendants have no right to take against him, as a minority shareholder in Navicorp, he claimed. The claims are denied.

The company claims that the applicant has not been prejudiced as alleged, and that his application was inappropriate and meritless.

It was also claimed by the company that Mr Healy is a bad leaver', which he denies.

Represented by Caren Geoghegan SC Mr Healy from Carrigaline Co Cork, applied to the High Court for a temporary injunction preventing the defendants from taking any steps to transfer his shares in Navicorp.

It was alleged that at a meeting due to take place on Wednesday steps would be taken by the defendants to sell Mr Healy's stake, which he says was valued at 15m last year, at an undervalue.

The matter came before Mr Justice Mark Sanfey. On Tuesday the court was told that following extensive talks, an accommodation had been reached in respect of the injunction application. All sides had agreed measures including that a valuation process in relation to the shares is to take place, and that the injunction application could be put back to a date in December.

The judge agreed to adjourn the case to December 19.
Women also get far less leisure time than men do

Gender equality in Ireland is backsliding because women have less leisure time than they did a decade ago, according to the EUs latest index.

Just 10pc of female workers aged 16-74 managed to get out of the house for sporting, cultural or leisure activities at least daily or more than weekly last year, according to the survey.

That compares with 24pc of men in Ireland and 29pc of women elsewhere in the EU.

The figure has fallen significantly over the last decade and when compared with pre-pandemic (2020) levels, while the gap between Irish women and men is more than twice that in the EU.

As a result, Irelands overall gender equality score has fallen by 1.3 points to 73.0 since 2020  the largest decline among the EUs 27 countries.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) released the figures on Tuesday. The index uses a scale of 1 to 100, where 1 stands for total inequality and 100 for total equality. The data was drawn from Eurostat and EIGE surveys.

Irelands ranking has dropped two places since the last index, with the country now in ninth place in the EU.

Irelands score was three points behind the EU average of 70.2, and nine points behind Sweden, which scored highest with 82.2.

Over the years, the EU has made progress towards gender equality, but we are also aware that it is not enough, and gains are fragile, said EIGE director Carlien Scheele. Today, only Sweden, with a score above 80 points in the index, is inching closer to gender equality. Sweden only represents 2pc of the EU population.

The Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Finland also came ahead of Ireland.

The lowest scores were recorded in Romania (56.1), Hungary (57.3), the Czech Republic (57.9), Greece (58.0) and Slovakia (59.2).

Less time spent outside the home was the main reason for Ireland sliding down the index. But progress has also stalled in health, work and money.

Despite the setback in heath  which is measured by personal perceptions of health, life expectancy and access to medical care, among other things  Ireland scores best in this area and ranks first in the EU.

But EIGE, the EUs gender equality watchdog, said gender inequalities in Ireland are pronounced in the workplace, where the country ranks 12th in the bloc.

The differences are largely due to segregation in work, with four times as many women as men employed in education, health and social work activities in 2021, and more than twice as many women studying similar subjects at third level compared with men.

Irelands overall gender equality score has improved over the last decade, with more women now on the boards of private and public organisations, including the Central Bank and RTE, compared to other EU countries.

However, Ireland scores poorly in the number of female ministers, parliamentarians and women in local government.

A special study has found that both women and men in Ireland are less likely to choose low-carbon modes of transport than their counterparts in the EU, and that lone parents, non-EU migrants, and people with disabilities struggle the most to afford energy here.

Women are underrepresented in the energy and transport sectors in Ireland and in decision-making, EIGE said. No score is given to Ireland in the domain of violence, due to a lack of comparable EU-wide data.
1989 (Taylors Version) will be the Americans fourth re-release, but shes not alone in going back to the studio to re-record some of her biggest hits, with the likes of U2 and Roger Waters also revisiting their songbooks

There are few certainties in the music business, but you can bet your house  or whatever you hold dearest  on Taylor Swift topping the US album charts. She releases 1989 (Taylors Version) on Friday and its certain to follow its predecessor, Speak Now (Taylors Version), to the number one spot the Billboard 200. That album, which came out in June, became the most streamed album in a single day in Spotifys history.

It is a remarkable achievement because these are re-recorded versions of previous big-selling Swift albums. Speak Now was originally released in 2010 and 1989  named after the year of her birth and is generally thought to be her best album  in 2014. It is a sign of her enormous popularity and fervour of her fanbase that she can shift huge figures for new versions that are only lightly re-done.

Already, Swift has released four re-recorded albums  all billed Taylors Version  and there are two more to go. The enterprise has helped push her past the likes of Bruce Springsteen when it comes to US number one albums.

The reason for the reworking her albums is strictly financial. Swifts original record deal was inked when she was just 15 and as so many young stars did and do, she signed away ownership of her recordings, or masters, as they are known in the business.

In 2019, her former manager Scooter Braun acquired her first six albums which had been released by Big Machine Records. It immediately gave the controversial impresario control of much of her back catalogue. Swift had been in the process of trying to purchase them, and losing out to Braun  whom she has accused of bullying her  was the final straw. Hence the revenge of selling her own version and asking her fans to purchase and stream those rather than the originals.

Theres little, from an artistic point of view, to excite about the scheme. The original version of 1989 is a wonderful power-pop album that doffs its hat to the synth pop and soft rock that characterised the 80s. The new incarnation, while perfectly fine, doesnt improve on the 2014 version. In fact, it sounds a little beige in places. But the key, from Swifts viewpoint, is she has complete ownership.

The commercial performance of the albums is being watched with keen interest by the industry. If Swift can do it, the thinking is that other huge names will follow suit. Why bother going to the trouble of writing and recording a brand new album, when you can simply rejig old songs?

In many ways, thats exactly what U2 did with their latest album, Songs of Surrender, which was released on St Patricks Day. Something of a companion piece to Bonos absorbing memoir, Surrender, it saw the Edge rework 40 of the bands career-spanning tracks. In fairness to the guitarist, many of the songs are completely reinvented and some of them benefit from an entirely new approach.

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters has put his own slant on a reworking of the band's Dark Side of the Moon. Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images

The band see it as an official studio album, but few fans are likely to think of it that way. For cynics among us, it is a mere stop-gap to a proper album and a sign of U2s creative stagnation when it comes to songwriting. The band, sans Larry Mullen Jr, may be attracting glowing reviews for their spectacular looking residency at the Sphere, Las Vegas, but a comeback single Atomic City, is among the most hackneyed and least inspired songs theyve released in a 43-year recording career.

But while U2 reworked songs from all their previous albums, Roger Waters has opted to re-record just one album, Dark Side of the Moon. Waters is, by some distance, the most contentious Pink Floyd member and he has and he has regularly been accused of antisemitism  an allegation he denies. It takes considerable chutzpah to re-record one of the most celebrated rock albums ever and, in contrast to Taylor Swifts light dusting, the 80-year-old has taken a blowtorch and hammer to the album he made with David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason in 1973.

Dark Side of the Moon Redux, as Waters calls it, is an intriguing album and a fascinating companion to the original. Good luck trying to find someone to argue that its better than the 73 record, but those who give it a chance are likely to find plenty to appreciate. Waters gruff singing  many of the lyrics are completely new  take the songs into fascinating new places and theres a real sense that hes trying to be respectful to the original songs while finding new meaning from them too.

The reviews have veered from good to highly enthusiastic, but the new take on The Great Gig in the Sky isnt a patch on the original, not least because it erases Clare Torrys astonishing vocal performance. The album got to number four in the UK chart but it barely made an impression in the US, reaching just 142 in the Billboard 200. Lets not fret on his behalf, however. Waters net worth is estimated to be around 300m.

One of Waters contemporaries, who has even more money in the kitty, also got in on the re-releasing game, amid some controversy. Paul McCartney always loathed the florid production that Phil Spector brought to the Beatles final studio album, Let It Be, and in 2003 he finally released the album he felt it should always have sounded like.

Let It Be Naked saw McCartney strip away virtually all of Spectors trademark arrangements, especially on The Long and Winding Road. John Lennon had called in the American producer behind McCartneys back, such was the fractious atmosphere during the recording sessions at Abbey Road. Many prefer the sparser, Macca version, but at the time there were question marks about the ethics of tampering with Beatles music when Lennon was not alive to give his yay or nay.

Rick Rubin, who has long been one of the worlds most in-demand producers, perfectly captured the mixed emotions that so many people had felt about McCartneys handiwork and about re-released albums in general. Declaring mixed emotions, he said he was excited by a new Beatles release and praised the sound of Two of Us and how the de-Spectored Long and Winding Road got to the heart of the songs essence.

Stop-gap: U2 released Songs of Surrender this year. Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Outside of re-recorded albums, acts frequently re-record old songs. Phoebe Bridgers did just that on her Copycat Killer EP, when adding orchestral parts to four songs from her Punisher album. Back in the early 1980s, two of Americas great college rock bands, REM and the B52s re-reordered their debut singles, respectively Radio Free Europe and Rock Lobster, for their debut albums. More recently, Kanye West was tinkering with songs even after they had been released  a perfect example of an artist suffering a crisis of confidence.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift will be finishing off her lucrative reworkings with the final pair of albums, Reputation from 2017, and her self-titled 2006 debut, likely to appear next year. The canniest operator in pop is certainly getting the last laugh, but not everyone is enthused. A curious by-product is the delays that other musicians are having to accept when it comes to getting their own worked pressed on vinyl.

Such is Swifts power, that she gets first dibs when it comes to getting Taylors Version albums pressed on 12-inch.
The documentary takes us back to the lip-syncing scandal of the 1990s

Ozzy Osbourne, of all people, saw right through it. On February 21, 1990, Milli Vanilli, the biggest pop duo on the planet, took to the stage at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California. The boys were nominated for Best New Artist and, as a result, were invited to perform for some of the biggest names in music.

Wired, energetic, thankful to be involved, Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan delivered a buzzy, electric song-and-dance show like no other. Some of the folks seated up front knew what was happening, and the look on Osbournes face that night (confused, exasperated, cheesed off) said it all.

Rob and Fab were, of course, miming  it was their thing, it was how they operated on tour, on television, even in the studio. But this was pushing it too far. Lip-syncing on the biggest stage in music is one thing  taking home a prestigious Grammy award is another.

Luke Korems insightful, entertaining documentary Milli Vanilli (Paramount+) invites us to revisit and indeed reevaluate the Great 1990s Pop Deception. There are plenty of contributions, some of them funny, some of them moving. Others are just downright strange. Whatever the case, Korems late-in-the-day profile readjusts the lens and allows an extraordinarily fresh-faced Fabrice (57) to lead the charge.

Warm, articulate, quietly charismatic, Fab takes us back to the beginning, to when a fun-loving yet socially awkward dancer from Paris crossed paths with an aspiring performer from Munich. Rob and Fab became best buds almost immediately. They wanted to entertain, to earn money, to make a name for themselves in the pop world. They had the look, the moves, the charm. They just didnt have the tunes or the voices.

German record producer Frank Farian changed all of that. He offered these enthusiastic wannabes a professional recording contract, which they signed without reading properly. Afterwards, he kept them in the dark for months. No rehearsals, no song-writing sessions, no studio invite  nothing. Suddenly, a call out of the blue: Farian had perfected a fresh hit (Girl You Know Its True) and he wanted Rob and Fab to be the face of it.

Fab insists that he and Rob put up a fight, that the very idea of them being asked to publicly mime over someone elses music was madness. They relented only because Farian threatened to sue. Meanwhile, Farians then-girlfriend, Ingrid Segieth, says that Rob and Fab were only delighted to accept Farians offer.

Who, exactly, is telling the truth? Fab, probably, and besides, Farian declined to be interviewed for the documentary. We are reminded, too, that this wasnt the first time the producer had manipulated and exploited the work of talented black performers.

Korems film examines how Rob and Fab, seduced by fame, fortune and everything in between, began to embrace the lie

In fact, Farian had played the same sort of trick with Bobby Farrell of Boney M. A slippery character, indeed, and Korems film examines how Rob and Fab, seduced by fame, fortune and everything in between, began to embrace the lie. Meanwhile, the real voices of Milli Vanilli  Charles Shaw, Brad Howell and John Davis  were told to keep their mouths shut outside of the studio.

When did it all begin to fall apart? When the groups naive assistant, Todd Headlee, submitted the duo for consideration at the Grammy awards. By then, the public had already begun to suspect foul play, and some commentators wondered how a couple of lads from Europe who struggled with broken English in interviews managed to sing so eloquently on record.

Fabrice Morvan at the premiere of "Milli Vanilli" in California in 2023. (Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images)

In the end, it was Farian, facing pressure from all sides, who pulled back the curtain. He and the folks at Arista Records threw their stars under the bus, and Rob and Fab had to endure a humiliating press conference during which they handed back their Grammy awards and tried to prove they could sing.

Indeed, the boys paid the price for their deceit, but the people around them  the rotten industry chiefs who kept the illusion running  came out unscratched. One of the members, Fabrice, eventually reclaimed his life. He learned how to sing, moved to Amsterdam, found his other half and started a family. Rob, on the other hand, was significantly less fortunate. The controversy took its toll and, in 1998, following a decade of personal troubles, Pilatus accidentally overdosed and was found dead in a Frankfurt hotel room.

Devastating stuff, and Korems film is something of a bonkers cautionary tale, an extraordinary snapshot of a different time, a different world. There are still all kinds of chancers at the top, but I doubt well ever see anything like this again.

Milli Vanilli is now streaming on Paramount+.
An Irishman who lost his eight-year-old daughter during the attacks on Israel by Hamas, has described her as an angelic innocent girl who loved life, dancing and singing.

Earlier this month a video of Mr Hand circulated widely online from an interview the father did with CNN in the days after the attack on October 7.

In it, Mr Hand described hearing the news that his young daughter had been killed during the attack, which he believed was better than the alternative of young Emily being kidnapped.

[She was] a beautiful, angelic, innocent girl. She loved life, dancing, singing. For her age, she was only eight, she had a very intelligent humour. She would always make everyone around her laugh, Mr Hand said.

In an interview with RTE News Mr Hand described how he learned that Emily had been killed during the attack.

They said weve found your daughter. Shes been found in the kibbutz, and shes been found dead, Mr Hand said.

I said, thank god. It was the better option of either being killed or kidnapped, he said.

Mr Hand said that it is unfathomable that a father would feel grateful to hear that his daughter had been killed, but that it was his honest response.

In a normal world, it's ridiculous, its crazy, its unfathomable. But that was how I felt, honestly, he said.

Mr Hand who lived in the Beeri Kibbutz in Israel with his daughter, Emily, described how he could hear gunfire near his home on the October 7, when the attacks took place.

I could hear the gunfire getting closer. I knew it was in the kibbutz, Mr Hand said.

We could see messages flying around [saying] theyre in my house, when is the army coming, he added.

When asked if the community has been able to grieve the loss of those killed in the attack, Mr Hand said that those dead continue to be buried.

Every day, on the hour, every hour, until five o'clock in the evening, we bury another one, he said.

Theyre all gone now. Killed by terrorists, murderous butchers. They declared war on us with an act of war and we will destroy them. We will do exactly what they intended to do on us. We will do it to them, Mr Hand said.

In recent days, Israel has continued its air strikes across the Gaza Strip, with the death toll climbing in the area.

The UN has warned that its humanitarian work in Gaza may soon come to a halt if fresh supplies are not brought into the region.

A further eight aid lorries crossed from Egypt into Gaza on Tuesday evening but agencies say at least 100 lorries a day are needed to help those in the area.
An elderly person asleep in their bed in west Belfast has been targeted after a lit firework was put through their front door.

Police said officers received a report of the incident at approximately 9.35pm on Tuesday night and said young people pushed the firework through the letterbox at the property in the Glasvey Court area of Twinbrook before running off.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector White said: Thankfully, the firework did not fully ignite, but it did cause damage.

If this firework had exploded, the end result could have been catastrophic. As such, we are investigating this serious criminal act as attempted arson with intent to endanger life.

"Don't be fooled by their fancy packaging": Consultant Plastic Surgeon warns of the dangers of fireworks

Inspector White continued: Halloween is typically a very busy time of year for emergency services and it is not uncommon to see an increase in calls reporting a range of concerns.

Fireworks are dangerous. Their misuse can have devastating and even fatal consequences. Last nights unacceptable act was extremely traumatic for the vulnerable victim.

We are increasing police patrols in the area to deter anti-social behaviour across this Halloween period, but I would ask local parents and guardians  do you know where your children are and who they are with?

We are encouraging parents to speak to their young people about firework safety, and the consequences of their actions should they participate in illegal acts.

They could end up with a criminal record which may impact their future employment and travel prospects.

"Don't be fooled by their fancy packaging": Consultant Plastic Surgeon warns of the dangers of fireworks

Police in Northern Ireland have asked that anyone with information contact them via 101.
THE man accused of murdering teacher Ashling Murphy told a detective that when the girl passed him he "cut her neck", a court heard.

Detective Garda Fergus Hogan said that Jozef Puska (33) spoke to him, in English, from his bed in St James' Hospital, telling him: "I tell her go. I won't hurt you. When she passed I cut her neck. She panic. I panic."
A controlled explosion was carried out in Limerick yesterday as gardai seized what were described as suspected firearms and ammunition in an operation aimed at organised crime gang activity

The Armys Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit was called in after a suspicious device was discovered by gardai attached to the Limerick Crime Functional Area as they searched a field in the city on Tuesday.
Exclusive | MV Matthew drug ship cash traced to Kinahans Dubai stronghold as gardai meet UAE police in Dublin

Senior Dubai police are now in Dublin to meet with gardai

Where in the world is Daniel Kinahan?

Robin Schiller Wed 25 Oct 2023 at 03:32







Gardai investigating the seizure of over two tonnes of cocaine from a cargo ship off the Cork coast have identified payments linked to the criminal enterprise which originated from Dubai.
Priest (70s) tells of escape from captor after being held at knifepoint as violent criminal jailed for six years

He wasnt very bright, the CCTV was clear as a bell. He wasnt wearing any kind of cap or hoodie

Anthony Connors is back in prison

Alan Sherry Wed 25 Oct 2023 at 11:55

An elderly priest who was viciously assaulted and held at knifepoint by a violent criminal has told how he managed to escape from his captor and ran without ever looking back.
An ongoing failure to advance reconciliation across the island of Ireland is the great miss of the peace process, Irelands deputy premier has said. Micheal Martin said many communities were as far apart in 2023 as they were in 1998, when the landmark Good Friday Agreement was struck to largely end the violence of the Troubles. In a keynote address at an Irish government Shared Island event in Dublin, Mr Martin said, while the agreement had secured an enduring peace, opportunities to fulfil the potential of that peace have been squandered. He said there had been insufficient focus on tackling sectarianism, pointing to continuing instances of people engaging in offensive chants or posting abuse on social media about other traditions as manifestation of the ongoing divisions. In a wide-ranging speech at what was the latest in series of dialogue events organised under the Governments Shared Island initiative, Mr Martin spoke about the islands complex history and stressed the need for a better understanding of differing cultures.
The HPV vaccination programme in Ireland was rolled out through schools from 2010

The HPV vaccine given to young Irish women while in school is significantly reducing the percentage of cervical screening tests showing serious pre-cancer disease in women aged 25, new research from national screening service reveals.

The anonymised survey of 25-year-old women found pre-cancer disease in this group fell from 3.7pc between 2015 to 2018 to 1.5pc between 2019 to 2022.

Micheal Rourke, data analyst at the National Screening Service, which includes CervicalCheck, said: We wanted to find out if the HPV vaccine had an effect on the presence of moderate to severe abnormal cervical cells in 25-year-old women who had been vaccinated for HPV as part of the school vaccination programme.

Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers and causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally. Over 90pc of cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with HPV (the human papillomavirus)  90pc of women and men will contract HPV in their lifetime.

The HPV vaccination programme in Ireland was rolled out through schools from 2010 for girls aged 12 to 13 years in first year of secondary school and the same aged girls in non-secondary schools and special schools and home schools.

A three-year catch-up HPV vaccination programme started in 2011/2012 for girls aged 17 to 18 years in sixth year of secondary school and in non-secondary schools.

Girls vaccinated through this catch-up vaccination programme became eligible for cervical screening from 2019 at age 25.

He said :We plotted anonymised data from CervicalCheck against vaccination rates from the National Immunisation office at the time these women were offered vaccination.

"We found big drop in the percentage of cervical screening tests showing serious pre-cancer disease in women aged 25, from 3.7pc (2015 to 2018) to 1.5pc (2019 to 2022).

He said: This study provides early evidence of the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical disease in Ireland.

"We are seeing early signs of the positive protective effect of HPV vaccination in women attending their first cervical screening.

"As more vaccinated women enter the CervicalCheck screening programme, we expect a greater impact on moderate to severe cervical disease.

Plans are in train to incorporate individual-level vaccination data from the National Immunisation Office with the CervicalCheck screening database. That will allow a more detailed assessment of the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical disease in the screening population in the future.

Dr Lucy Jessop, a consultant in public health medicine and national immunisation lead at the National Immunisation Office, said: We already know that the HPV vaccine gives protection from cervical cancer, but it is wonderful to now have data from Ireland for the first time showing protection of Irish women from high-grade cervical abnormalities since the introduction of the HPV vaccine programme here in 2010.

I would encourage young men and women who have not yet been vaccinated but are eligible, to make an appointment to receive the free vaccine. For see who is eligible and to book an appointment go to www.hpv.ie.

Professor Noirin Russell, clinical director of CervicalCheck, added: This study looked at the rates of high-grade disease in 25-year-old women.

"It shows the significant risk reduction that vaccination provides - it reduces the chance of developing high-grade abnormal cells, from 4 in 100 in non-vaccinated women aged 25, to 1 in 100 in vaccinated women.

"However, it is important to note that vaccination does not reduce the risk to zero - which means screening remains important for vaccinated women. It is the combination of vaccination and screening that has the most impact in reducing a persons risk of cervical cancer.

An important message for all young women who are vaccinated is that they continue to choose cervical screening.

"The research shows we are still finding cell changes in this young, vaccinated cohort, and the opportunity for early detection that screening brings will continue to be important for all women.

With HPV vaccination and HPV cervical screening now in place, along with access to treatment, Ireland has an opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer  making it a rare disease.

"The pathway to cervical cancer elimination will require a society-wide effort to support HPV vaccination, cervical screening and early access to treatment.

"It is important that both boys and girls and their parents are supported to make an informed choice regarding vaccination. HPV vaccination will also lead to a reduction in other HPV-associated cancers of the vulva, penis, anal canal and head and neck  so the benefits of HPV vaccination in cancer risk reduction are a potential game-changer for future generations.

Dr Caroline Mason Mohan, cervical cancer elimination project sponsor and director of public health in the National Screening Service commented: This research shows the protection Irish women starting screening now have from cervical disease as a result of HPV vaccination.

Ireland has joined the global movement to eliminate cervical cancer  CervicalCheck and the National Screening Service, the National Immunisation Office, the National Cancer Control Programme, advocacy groups and other partners are working together to make cervical cancer rare.

We will consult widely to develop an action plan for cervical cancer elimination in 2024 and encourage everyone to take part. The message is clear - vaccination and screening work and we would encourage all those eligible to choose vaccination and screening when theyre offered. Together we can eliminate cervical cancer for future generations.

I would encourage young men and women who have not yet been vaccinated but are eligible, to make an appointment to receive the free vaccine. For see who is eligible and to book an appointment go to www.hpv.ie.
Funeral cortege for Tina Satchwell driven through her home town of Fermoy

Hundreds of people lined the streets of a Cork town today at the funeral of 45-year-old Tina Satchwell whose body was discovered buried beneath the stairwell of a Youghal property more than six years after she was first reported missing.

Ms Satchwell, nee Dingivan, who was originally from Fermoy in north Cork, vanished without trace in March 2017 and was the focus of a major garda missing person hunt for six-and-a-half years.

Her body was recovered from a three-storey property in Youghal on October 12 after a Garda murder investigation which involved excavating parts of the interior and exterior of the house.

Ms Satchwell's family were overwhelmed by the dramatic developments of the past fortnight and wanted her funeral to be private to allow them mourn away from the public spotlight.

However, the Dingivan family were deeply moved by the enormous outpouring of support in Ms Satchwell's hometown of Fermoy which included more than 500 people attending a special vigil in her memory last week.

They decided that her funeral cortege would undertake a route through her childhood home of St Bernard's Place to allow Fermoy locals a chance to pay tribute to her and to say their final goodbyes. Her funeral service would be private and restricted to immediate family and close friends.

From noon, people gathered on the streets of Fermoy to offer a silent tribute as the funeral cortege passed at 12.30pm.

Locals gathered on Kent Bridge, Oliver Plunkett Hill, St Bernard Place and the Dublin Road.

Some friends of Ms Satchwell travelled from Youghal to Fermoy to pay their own personal tributes to a woman who was described as bubbly, generous, kind and outgoing.

Hundreds of people turned out to Tina Satchwell's funeral in Fermoy today.

The largest crowds were along St Bernard Place where neighbours and friends of Ms Satchwell gathered to pay their own personal tributes.

Many had grown up with her and recalled her as a bubbly teen who went to England for work.

The cortege briefly paused outside her childhood home as locals offered silent prayers for her and her family.

Many  some holding rosary beads and standing outside their homes  were overcome by the tragic ending to the six-and-a-half year garda search for Ms Satchwell.

Locals were determined to adhere to the Dingivan family's wish that: "Tina's funeral will take place privately and quietly as she lived.

Councillor Noel McCarthy, who operates a business in Fermoy, said that the north Cork community had been left reeling by the tragic events of the past fortnight.

"People were very shocked by the events of recent days. But Fermoy is a great town and people try to look out for each other here, he said.

"That is why there was such a large turnout at the vigil in Fermoy Park for Tina and why people wanted to show their respect to Tina and offer whatever solidarity they could to her family."

A special celebration of Ms Satchwells life will be staged later, likely next month.

This will involve the Fermoy community where Ms Satchwell grew up. The event is planned as a further gesture of solidarity for the Dingivan family.

Ms Satchwell's remains were returned to her family last week, five days after they were discovered and following detailed forensic and technical examinations at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Gardai discovered skeletal remains while excavating a hidden compartment in a concrete floor and walled-up area underneath the stairwell of the Youghal house.

It was confirmed via dental records that the skeletal remains were those of Ms Satchwell.

Identification was further aided by clothing, jewellery and personal items recovered with the body.

Her husband of 26 years, Richard Satchwell (57), of Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork, but originally from the East Midlands in England, has appeared in court accused of her murder. He has been remanded in custody.

More than 800 people attended separate vigils for Ms Satchwell in Youghal and her hometown of Fermoy last week.

Her heartbroken family have paid an emotional tribute to her with statements released to both public vigils.

"There are no words to describe the pain in our hearts right now Tina," a family statement read.

"If we knew the last time we met was going to be our last time we would have hugged you extra tight.

"Tina would put a smile on anyone's face  she had a very bubbly personality and was a very sociable person.

"She was always out and about with her babies Ruby and Heidi (her beloved pet dogs). She loved her fashion  she was always dressed so well.

"We will cherish the moments and all the great memories we spent with you.

"Fly high our angel  you will be in our hearts forever. We love you Tina  you are at peace now. Until we meet again, give Nanny a big hug from (us)."

Ms Satchwell's older sister, Teresa, who is based in the UK, said she prayed that her sibling can now rest in peace and be reunited with their beloved mother.

"RIP to my beautiful sister Tina - you can rest now, love. We found you love...I love and miss you," she said.

"You are now with mum  fly high my beautiful girl. Give mum a big huge hug - you will always be with me."

Teresa said her sister was "adored" by her family and friends.

She said she was "kind, considerate, funny, stylish, bubbly and independent."

An impromptu shrine of flowers, cards and candles has been erected outside the Youghal property where her remains were discovered.

Prayers for Tina and her family have been offered at Masses in Youghal and Fermoy.

She was originally from Fermoy in north Cork but had travelled to the UK in her teens where she met her husband.

The couple lived in Fermoy for many years before relocating to Youghal  a move Tina described as "a dream" given how she adored the seaside.

Despite multiple searches, public appeals for information and dozens of hours of CCTV security camera footage being examined, no trace of Tina was found until last week.

Until October 10, Tina's disappearance was formally treated as a missing person case.
Irish citizens currently in Lebanon have been advised to leave now while commercial options are available.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it has reviewed travel advice to Lebanon amid the ongoing war in Gaza and has updated the security status to do not travel.

In a statement on Wednesday night it said: The Department of Foreign Affairs strongly advises against all travel to Lebanon at this time.

The Department strongly advises all Irish citizens currently in Lebanon to leave now while commercial options remain available.

Owing to the ongoing conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), the situation in Lebanon remains highly volatile.

In light of the unpredictability of the situation, events could escalate with very little warning. This could affect exit routes out of Lebanon.

The department said in the event that the political or security situation deteriorates, we are likely to be very limited in the assistance that we can provide.

Citizens should not rely on evacuation options being possible if commercial options become unavailable.

The department advised Irish citizens who cannot leave Lebanon to exercise exercise extreme caution in your movements and put contingency plans in place to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.

A spokesperson for the department said: In the context of the situation in Israel and Palestine, in recent weeks DFA has been advising against all travel to Lebanon, and advising citizens there to consider whether their presence is necessary and to consider leaving by commercial means.

In light of the continued uncertainty in the region, and in line with a number of European and other partners, we have upgraded our travel advice to advise citizens to leave Lebanon by commercial means.

UN warns its humanitarian work in Gaza may soon come to a halt

Irish citizens should ensure their passports are up-to-date and register with the Embassy of Ireland in Cairo.

Irish citizens with a family member who require a visa for travel to Ireland can be made online.

Citizens should avoid all gatherings and demonstrations, remain vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities, added the department.
The number of properties available to rent under Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is at the lowest level ever recorded by the Simon Community.

Just 27 properties were available to rent within the discretionary rate of HAP across 16 areas, according to the homeless charitys quarterly Locked Out of the Market report.

Executive director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, Wayne Stanley, said the report is further evidence for what the Simon Communities across Ireland are seeing on the front line of this crisis.

"It is getting harder and harder to find rental accommodation in Ireland. This is one of the main drivers of the growing level of homelessness in Ireland.

It demands a greater response from Government, including in the first instance, an increase in the HAP rates. This is not a long-term or even a medium-term solution, but it would relieve pressure on those most vulnerable to homelessness.

There were no HAP properties to rent in half of the 16 areas across the three day period that was surveyed  they were Cork city centre, Cork city suburbs, Galway city suburbs, Co Leitrim, Limerick city suburbs, Limerick city centre, Sligo town and Portlaoise.

More than half (16) the 27 properties available within HAP limits were in Dublin. The capital has a discretionary HAP rate of 50pc, while the rest of the country has a rate of 35pc.

The quarterly report found three properties within standard HAP limits and a further eight within discretionary limits for both single people and couples.

There were 15 properties available within the discretionary HAP rate for families with one child and an additional 14 for families with two children.

The number of properties available for rent at any price within the areas surveyed has also fallen to 901, according to the Locked Out report, down 3.5pc from the 934 available for rent in the previous report published in June.

Of these, 75pc were located in the three Dublin areas surveyed and there were just three homes for rent in Sligo. Six properties were available for rent in Portlaoise.

There was a decrease in the number of properties available for rent in nine areas  Athlone, Dublin city centre, Dublin city north, Dundalk, Galway city suburbs, Galway city centre, Limerick city centre and Limerick city suburbs.

"In the medium term, we need to see the Government working with local authorities to increase the allocation of public housing to those stuck in homelessness so that we see the number of exits increasing, Mr Stanley said.

"The implementation of the Simon Homeless Prevention Bill to prevent homelessness in the first instance is long overdue.

We all know that the answer to homelessness is more secure affordable homes. The best way for Government to drive this change is to increase the targets for social housing to reflect the growing need and then ensure the funding and policy is in place to meet those targets, he said.
The family of a man who lay dead and undiscovered in his Cork home for 22 years have called for a review of derelict house regulations after after the property where his body lay was boarded up.

Their plea came as an inquest in Cork returned an open verdict in the case of Timothy OSullivan (61).

His skeletal and mummified remains were found by council workers inspecting a derelict property on Beecher Street, Mallow, Co Cork, last January 13.

The OSullivan family said they believe no other family should have to endure what they went through.

Mr OSullivan, from Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, who grew up and worked in the UK, died some time between January 9 and January 23, 2001, but was not found for 22 years.

The time period for his death was determined by a dated Tesco shopping receipt, personal diary entries and the timing of his social welfare payment collections.

Cork County Council officials had attended the property nearly a decade earlier to board up broken windows and to investigate a complaint from neighbours about a rodent infestation, but had not entered the house.

Mr OSullivans sister, Noreen Foster, who lives in Australia, had called to the house in July 2003, but was told by neighbours and gardai it was believed Mr OSullivan had moved back to the UK.

Coroner Dr Michael Kennedy was told by assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster that no cause of death could be determined.

Mr OSullivan had to be identified by dental records.

Gardai recovered the equivalent of more than 8,000 in punts.

Dr Kennedy, in returning an open verdict, told the OSullivan family he will be writing to the relevant minister in respect of an urgent review of derelict property regulations.

Dr Kennedy said the OSullivan family might take some small comfort from the fact there was absolutely nothing suspicious about Mr OSullivans death.

In a statement read out to the inquest by solicitor Fiona OSullivan on behalf of Aidan Shine, a nephew of Mr OSullivan, and the entire OSullivan family, they called for an urgent review of derelict housing regulations in Ireland.

As a family, we acknowledge that we should have done more to locate our brother, they said. We bear the weight of our own regret for not being able to find him earlier and this is something we will carry with us always.

But the family said they believed more could also have been done by gardai and the local authorities.

We do not seek to lay blame, but rather to emphasise to all parties involved that more could have been done, they said. We also believe An Garda Siochana and the local authorities involved could have shown more care and due diligence in this matter.

The decision to board up the house without conducting internal checks highlights one of the many shortcomings in the current derelict property processes and surely concealed the truth about our brothers whereabouts for even longer.

We are deeply concerned that this tragedy may not be an isolated incident. In a nation with over 180,000 derelict properties we worry that similar cases could remain hidden. We firmly believe the current derelict housing legislation in Ireland is insufficient.

We advocate for a more compassionate, efficient and proactive system to prevent future events of this nature.

Mr OSullivan worked and married in the UK, but regularly returned to Kerry. Around 1989 he moved back to Ireland and bought the property in Mallow.

His mother died in January 1990 and his wife Barbara later returned to the UK where she was from. His sisters, Noreen and Maureen, were in regular contact with him, but neither heard from him at Christmas 2001.

The inquest was told Cork County Council was notified of broken windows at the Beecher Street property in December 2014. These were later boarded up by council workers.

A complaint was later received about a rodent infestation, but no access could be obtained by council staff.

Dr Kennedy was told the council was unable to ascertain the ownership of the property in terms of dereliction.

Last January 13, continuing rodent infestation concerns prompted the council to assign three workers, Paul ODonoghue, Mick Carroll and Eugene Cullinane, to go to the property to install a new front door lock so exterminators could deal with the problem.

It was decided to inspect the interior of the property, and Mr ODonoghue was shocked when he discovered a body lying in bed in a room just off the hallway.

Sergeant Eileen Kelly and Garda Siobhan Costello said a large quantity of documentation was recovered from the property including a diary, driving licence, birth certificate, passport, bank book and social welfare payment details.

Detectives also discovered that Mr OSullivan was cut off from his Job Seekers Allowance payment on January 23, 2001, by the Department of Social Protection after he had failed to collect his previous three payments.

In July 2003, Noreen Foster, his sister, visited Mallow with her family during an Irish holiday and called to the Beecher Street address.

She got no answer at the house  which was not yet boarded up  and was able to see through the windows that items were on the table but had clearly not been touched for some time.

With her family, she called to Beecher Street neighbours and a local pub where she was informed that it was believed her brother had moved back to the UK.

Mrs Foster then went to Mallow garda station, where she was told by gardai that it was also understood Mr OSullivan had moved back to England. The family did not file a missing-person report.
'Not okay to dismiss somebody because of their political views' - Leo Varadkar on Dublin woman sacked by Wix over anti-Israel posts

The Taoiseach says he has moved to the left in recent years, from a right-wing position in his youth.

I have moved to the centre in my middle age, Mr Varadkar said, hinting that he had previously been compared to Margaret Thatcher.

But he expressed amazement to be compared with hard-left former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Independent TD Matt Shanahan said he recently reviewed the Fine Gael election manifesto.

It is loaded with brave, fresh ideas to remake the country. It has to be said it has an awful bang of Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party off it.

The Taoiseach said: In my 20 years in politics, I have often been compared with a particular British politician, but Jeremy Corbyn is not the one.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe commented: It is a first.

The Taoiseach continued: This is the first time I have been compared with, or aligned to him, as a politician.

I know I have moved to the centre in my middle age. I did not think I had moved quite that far left, but I thank the Deputy for giving us something to ponder.

Mr Shanahan said it may be somewhat harsh, but possibly fair, to say the Government is not particularly loved or cherished by the people. Most, I suppose, are not. He said the Fine Gael manifesto of Enda Kenny referred to the interests of citizens to be pushed behind those of powerful elites.

Those are strong words which speak to ethics, ambition and hope. Was this just the stuff politicians say to win elections? he asked.

It certainly worked in the south east, winning Fine Gael seven of the 14 available seats. A decade later, two seats are left.

Mr Varadkar replied that Mr Shanahan is right to say my party has been in office in various coalitions since 2011. We have not achieved everything we sought, but on the basis of any objective analysis, our country is a much better place that it was back then.

We have gone from mass unemployment to full employment. We have gone from the IMF staying in the Merrion Hotel and calling the shots to one where we are in charge of our own affairs again and can make choices. Our public finances are in good order, he said. The Taoiseach added: I hope we all agree the United Nations does not vote for Fine Gael, Fianna Fail or the Green Party and is objective. The UN consistently rates us as one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of human development.

But that is not to diminish in any way the very real challenges we have, particularly in relation to the housing shortage and access to healthcare.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy also defends leaflets distributed on the conflict

Mourners at the funeral of Dana and Karmel Bachar, who were killed in the attack by Hamas gunmen. Photo: Reuters

Sinn Fein voted against a European Parliament motion condemning the Hamas attack on Israel earlier this month, while People Before Profit has claimed many Israeli hostages are part of occupation forces.

Sinn Feins sole MEP Chris MacManus was one of four Irish MEPs who last Thursday voted down a motion strongly condemning the October 7 attacks, which left more than 1,400 Israelis dead.

The motion also called for the elimination of the terrorist organisation Hamas, as well as the release of hostages.

Independents Luke Ming Flanagan, Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were also among the 21 MEPs who voted down the motion, which also called for a humanitarian pause to allow the delivery of aid and for Israels response  which has left more than 5,000 people in Gaza dead  to be within international law.

It comes as People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy defended a leaflet distributed by his party which states no one wants to see hostages taken but again, many of those taken are members of the occupation forces or settler movements.

It has been widely reported that while some of the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas militants are soldiers, many are civilians  including people with disabilities, children, grandparents and even a nine-month-old baby.

A People Before Profit activists email to TDs and senators last week claimed many of the Israeli civilians killed on October 7 were caught in crossfire between Hamas and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and indeed, many were likely shot with IDF bullets.

The email also cites hostages reported being treated with dignity by Hamas fighters.

Mr Murphy said Hamas is a right-wing Islamist organisation but declined to say if its members were terrorists.

We are opposed to hostage-taking and the targeting of civilians, he said.

We call for the release of all the hostages held by Hamas and the release of over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held as hostages by Israel, including thousands who are being held without charge or trial, and hundreds of children. He said people should continue to bombard TDs with emails asking them to condemn genocide by Israel and advocate for an immediate ceasefire.

Mr MacManus defended his vote last week, saying the resolution was not sufficient to deal with the catastrophe happening before our eyes.

Sinn Fein MEP Chris MacManus. Photo: Getty

He said he consistently voted to condemn Hamas in separate votes on parts of the resolution, but said the final version was unbalanced, adding: Anybody who is serious about addressing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is calling for a ceasefire.

In a joint statement, Mr Wallace and Ms Daly said: We reject this resolution and we think ordinary Irish people will feel the same when they read it.

The resolution is completely silent in relation to Israels treatment of Palestinian people to date. It acts as though history began on the 7th of October. There is no mention of Israels crimes against humanity.

They said the resolution does not call for a ceasefire but instead fudges that point.

Its an appalling and dangerous statement on behalf of the parliament. It uses the language of terrorism in relation to Hamas, but Israels actions are portrayed as a legitimate response, the MEPs added.
Women seeking an abortion will have a choice of having one of two mandatory consultations with a GP over the phone or virtually, reducing the need to travel to to doctor's surgery, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced today.

He said the new blended model, introduced during the pandemic, will now become permanent following advice he has received.

"I have authorised this to continue permanently," he told the Oireachtas health committee today.

Under the law a woman must have two consultations with a three-day gap in between for a medical abortion.

However, this can prove particularly difficult for women who may have to travel for the service.

He said either or the first or second visit now can be carried out over the phone or virtually.

The minister made the announcement as he appeared for the committee stage of the proposed law to set up safe access zones around medical facilities to prevent anti-abortion demonstrations occurring too near to premises.

The Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 will create safe access zones 100m from the entrance or exit to a premises where obstetricians, gynaecologists and general practitioners provide services.

This will include such facilities as consulting rooms, family planning clinics and women's health clinics. The zones will also apply to hospitals that provide acute inpatient services.

The zones will apply in certain circumstances to shared properties and to private property.

Members of the committee said that greater clarity was needed around how the system of warning demonstrators will be applied and recorded. They proposed three amendments around the issue which were later withdrawn as the minister said they were outside of his jurisdiction.

Under the law an offence can only be committed if demonstrators ignore an initial warning. However, how this warning will be recorded remains unclear.

Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane proposed a clear practical system of recording warnings by way of regulation.

"We need to have a process to record warnings given to people who protest in multiple locations."

He said gardai informed the committee they do not have the facility to record these warnings centrally and this could be problematic in the enforcement of the legislation.

In response the minister said he understood the rationale and intent. He said there has been a lot of intensive discussion on the legal aspects of the bill.

"We are trying to walk a very fine line here between protecting people trying to access services and people's right to protest.

He said gardai have indicated it is not possible currently under PULSE to record these warnings centrally."

He said the advice he received is that it would not be appropriate for the minister for health in consultation with the Minister for Justice to become involved in what are operational matters for gardai.

The bill includes the mandatory recording of the warnings and allows garda flexibility. It also allows for the future use of a central recording system for warnings, he added.

"If a central system becomes available the gardai can record the warnings."

Social Democrat TD Roisin Shortall also raised similar concerns and said there appeared to be nothing to stop a person demonstrating in one county and then moving to another location.

The minister said on a practical level people who are demonstrating within the prohibited zone will have to stop once they receive a warning from gardai.

The committee proposed that a review of the operation of the legislation be carried out and how it is working on the ground within a year or so after it is rolled out so that this issue can be examined again.

The minister is to bring the legislation to report stage and then the Seanad with the aim of it becoming operational early next year.
When a celebrity, businessperson or politician issues a statement saying theyre leaving their job to spend more time with their family, it usually follows a scandal involving an affair or money.

But theres a slew of recent celebrities who really mean it, for no other reason than they actually want to be with their kids more, and its refreshing.
Roisin Hennerty, Managing Director Global Foods Division Ornua and Ciara Kearney Ornua speaking with Charlie McConalogue TD Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Photo Clare Keogh

Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the new 40 million development at Kerrygold Park, Ornua's flagship butter production facility in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. Picture Clare Keogh

Its already the second most popular butter brand in the US market and, following the opening of its latest 40 million expansion Kerrygold is well on its way to becoming Irelands first 2 billion food brand.

Thats according to Kerrygold parent company Ornua, which reaffirmed with greater confidence than ever its ambition to exceed two billion euros worth of sales on the back of the latest move.

The new development at the Kerrygold Park flagship butter production plant in Mitchelstown was opened on Wednesday by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD, who were joined by Enterprise Ireland Executive Director Jenny Melia, and Ornua Co-operative Chair, Aidan ODriscoll.

Minister McConalogue described the opening as an historic occasion in Irelands long and proud history of butter production and dairy activity in general.

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Todays announcement represents a very significant milestone in the long and successful Kerrygold story, and indeed, the story of Irish dairy, Minister McConalogue said, adding: Irish dairy farming families work tirelessly to produce the world-class milk which makes Kerrygold a world-famous dairy brand.

This strategic investment, supported by Governments Capital Investment Scheme, ensures Kerrygold has the world-leading processing capabilities needed to continue to grow the brand and generate value for the community of Irish dairy farming families which it represents. Id like to extend my congratulations to Ornua, its Member Co-operatives, and the entire team at Kerrygold Park and wish them continued future success.

Kerrygold Park is home to a world leading butter production facility, with cutting-edge processing technology and infrastructure, including two state-of-the-art butter churns and 10 packing lines for a range of over 50 different product formats available across over 60 markets globally, the company explained on Wednesday.

The investment in the facility has seen Kerrygold Parks total cream processing capacity grow significantly, enabling increased production of up to 80,000 tonnes of butter per year, which equates to over 1 million packs per day.

Enterprise Irelands funding support has meanwhile allowed Ornua increase direct employment at the facility by a fifth, bringing 30 new jobs to complement a workforce now of 180.

Roisin Hennerty, Managing Director Global Foods Division Ornua and Ciara Kearney Ornua speaking with Charlie McConalogue TD Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Photo Clare Keogh

Minister Coveney said the move was a proud clarion call globally of Irelands dairy capabilities. The global growth of the Kerrygold brand demonstrates the vitality of Irelands agri-food sector and dairy industry ecosystem. Critically, the brand supports the lives and livelihoods of hard-working Irish farming families throughout rural communities.

Ornuas investment in growing Kerrygold Park, which we are pleased to support through the Capital Investment Scheme, will further strengthen routes to high-value markets for Irish dairy, while directly supporting incomes that form part of our vital rural economy, Minister Coveney said.

It came as a hugely proud moment for all in Ornua Co-operative, its chair Aidan ODriscoll said. For the past 60 years, Kerrygold has proudly brought the unique taste of Irish grass-fed dairy to the world on behalf of Ornuas Member Co-operatives and the 14,000 dairy farming families they represent.

We are collectively proud of the success the brand has achieved internationally, including in major markets such as the U.S. where Kerrygold is the second largest butter brand.  We are also passionate about growing the brands global status further and focused on safeguarding the value it returns to the Irish dairy sector through the premiumisation of Irish dairy. Our strategic development of Kerrygold Park is central to this ambition and will support the next phase of growth for Kerrygold on its journey to become Irelands first 2 billion food brand.

Jenny Melia, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland said; Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting companies like Ornua to increase their level of innovation, improve their competitiveness and expand their global footprint, with the ultimate goal of delivering export growth for Ireland.

The opening of Kerrygold Park today reflects highly on the entire Irish dairy sector - pooling together innovation with best-in-class facilities. Enterprise Ireland has supported this development under the 2021 Capital Investment Scheme which aims to build the resilience of the Irish dairy and meat sectors by focusing on increasing the value added and directing new products into global markets. This state-of-the-art facility is certainly doing that and is a lighthouse to other Irish food companies looking to innovate and grow exports.
Click on the gallery below to see more images from the event

Tom Kenny, David Renihan and Stephen O Reilly were at the Liscarroll Engineering 50th Anniversary celebration and Open Day

Liam Molloy, Donegal, Hannah McIlanane, Tyrone, Paul Renihan, Cavan, Lukasz Korzeniewsk, Poland and Patrik Leicher, Germany travelled to North Cork for the Liscarroll Engineering 50th Anniversary celebration and Open Day

Pictured at Liscarroll Engineering 50th Anniversary celebration and Open Day were Tim Brosnan (former owner), David Griffin, Paul Feasey and Paudie O Callaghan

Last week, Liscarroll Engineering celebrated 50 years in Business and also unveiled a new defibrillator located at the front of the building which is available for the local community. Present for the unveiling were Councillor John Paul O Shea, former owner Tim Brosnan, current Owner Sean McGowan and Ger Healy, PRO Liscarroll Community Council. Photos by Sheila Fitzgerald

Dave Brosnan, Sales Manager, Darragh Reddy and Shane Noonan of Noonan Refrigeration, Dungarvan and Councillor John Paul O Shea pictured at Liscarroll Engineering 50th Anniversary celebration and Open Day. All photos by Sheila Fitzgerald.

Last week, Liscarroll Engineering celebrated 50 years in business with an open day and the unveiling of a new defibrillator located at the front of the building which the company has made available to the local community.

Suppliers and installers from all over the country travelled to Liscarroll for the open day and enjoyed a tour of the factory, availed of technical training and opportunities to see in detail how the products are made and the skills involved.

Company CEO Padraig Lynch said:

Our aim is continued profitable growth to secure the future high tech jobs here in the local area. Since the start of the year and on the back of our recent investment and new products, we are delighted to have seen a 34 percent growth in orders. The future is challenging, thats what makes it exciting, but more importantly our future is bright.

As a Corkman from Blarney I get a kick out of the fact the Liscarroll Engineering is probably the biggest small company around that you havent heard of!

North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O Shea who attended the Open Day said:

I am delighted to see Liscarroll Engineering putting in place a defibrillator on their premises. Not only will this be of assistance to them in the event of a cardiac arrest on site, but it also has wider benefits for the community of Liscarroll.

It is great to see a business in Liscarroll engaging with the community so positively. Liscarroll Engineering is also celebrating a significant milestone of 50 years in business and I want to take this opportunity to wish the staff and management all the very best.

I look forward to seeing the company continue to be a leader in the world of engineering for many more years to come.

Pictured at Liscarroll Engineering 50th Anniversary celebration and Open Day were Tim Brosnan (former owner), David Griffin, Paul Feasey and Paudie O Callaghan

Liscarroll Engineering was founded in 1973 and specialises in the production of top quality Stainless Steel products.

The company has an ultra modern 20,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility which incorporates product Research and Development, high quality manufacturing combined with our sales and support team.

Its heritage is milk cooling products including tanks, silos, ice banks, robotic buffer tanks and heat recovery units to name but a few of the extensive product line. Over the last number years they have grown market share to become the leading manufacturer in Ireland and the UK of milk cooling tanks and silos.

Much of their product line has shipped across Europe and into the Middle East and Asia. All the new product development is done locally providing secure long term job opportunities within the locality.
Kilbrin Community Social Club event a major hit with fashionistas

Mary O Sullivan and Jane Dugdale from Newmarket were at the Glitz & Glamour Fashion Show in Kilbrin Community Social Club

Danny, George, Cameron, Riadhan and Daniel were on the Catwalk during the night of Glitz & Glamour in Kilbrin Community Social Club

Dervla Noonan of Lady Lydia Boutique, Kanturk, presenting the Best Dressed Lady Award to Una Heelan from Boherbue at the Glitz & Glamour Fashion Show in Kilbrin Community Social Club

Fiadh, Chloe and Bella ready to take to the Catwalk at the Glitz & Glamour Fashion Show in Kilbrin Community Social Club

A Night of Glitz & Glamour lived up to expectations when a capacity crowd of fashion conscious women descended on Kilbrin Community Social Club in search of utterly stylish autumn/winter outfits last Friday night.

Well known local lady Mary Corkery and her helpers Beatrice Daly, Celine Hayes, Jennifer Casey and Claire Buttimer pulled out all the stops at the show which was a fundraiser for Alzheimers Ireland and Suicide Awareness.

MC for the event was the sparkling Celine Hayes and Una Meehan from Boherbue was awarded the Best Dressed Lady accolade.

Dervla Noonan of Lady Lydia Boutique, Kanturk, presenting the Best Dressed Lady Award to Una Heelan from Boherbue at the Glitz & Glamour Fashion Show in Kilbrin Community Social Club

We want to say thank you to everyone who helped out in the preparation stage, at the event and afterwards, Claire Buttimer, speaking on behalf of the group, said

A special thanks also to all who took on the role of models for the show, the backroom team, hairstylists, make up artists, stallholders and, of course, our local shops, without whose continued support this event would not be possible.

A special thanks also to those who couldnt attend but who gave donations to these two worthy charities, Alzheimers Ireland and Suicide Awareness. Last but by no means least, thank you to the large crowd who turned up on the night to make it a sell-out show and a full house of glamour, laughter and lots of fun.

Tributes were paid to Mary Corkery who has spearheaded the Fashion Show in Kilbrin for many years. With her drive and initiative, it has grown from strength to strength through the years, as always its a pleasure to work alongside her, Claire added.
The annual Living Well with and Beyond Cancer conference by the Irish Cancer Society is taking place at the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork City on Saturday, November 18.

This years conference will be hosted by Clinical psychologist, Dr Eddie Murphy and features a wide selection of speakers discussing living well through and beyond a cancer diagnosis.

Topics such as self-care, nutrition and financial guidance will be discussed by experts and attendees will get the chance to meet and mix with others affected by cancer. The free conference offers many opportunities to share stories and experiences.

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Corrinne Hasson, Director of Services with the Irish Cancer Society said: There are now over 200,000 people in Ireland living with and beyond cancer. As the number of survivors continues to grow, we want to be there to tell each and every individual and family impacted by a cancer diagnosis that you are not alone. There is a vibrant and active community here in Ireland willing to share and discuss their personal experience, and from an Irish Cancer Society perspective, were there to offer what supports we can.

She continued: The conference, which runs from 10am through to 4pm, is completely free to attend and we encourage anybody affected by a cancer diagnosis, whether you are a patient and well enough to join us, or you are a survivor, a carer or a loved one of somebody, come along and meet people and make use of the supports and services that are on offer. Supports and services available on the day include everything from our Cancer Nurses being on hand to answer any questions you may have, exercise classes and practical financial guidance.

The conference will take place both in person and online.
The speakers at the information evening on grant availability and sustainable energy at the Charleville Park Hotel: Brian O'Keeffe, Su Quiang, Cllr. Bernard Moynihan, Cllr Ian Doyle (organiser), Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, Michael Moynihan, T.D., and Shane Murphy.

Tim O'Connor with Michael Moynihan TD at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel.

Kathleen Flaherty with Eilly Hanley at the information meeting t the Charleville Park Hotel.

Shane Murphy of Ashgrove Renewables with Ger and Thomas Bowyer at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel.

Cllrs Ian Doyle and Bernard Moynihan presenting Senator Mary Fitzpatrick with a bouquet of flowers at the information meeting on grant availability and sustainable energy at the Charleville Park Hotel.

Angie Doyle and Michael Whelan pictured at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel.

Miceal Keane and Paudie Foley were at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel.

Arthur Lynch, Aoife Doyle and John Quinn pictured at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel last Monday night.

Tom O'Regan with Phil and Marie Farrissey who were at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel.

A well-attended meeting at the Charleville Park Hotel on last Monday night, organised by Cllr Ian Doyle, heard Senator Mary Fitzpatrick - Fianna Fail spokesperson for Housing, Local Government and Heritage - outline the many different grants available for first time buyers.

Shane Murphy of Ashgrove Renewables with Ger and Thomas Bowyer at the information evening at the Charleville Park Hotel.

For those thinking of insulating their homes, either internally or externally, or getting solar panels or heat pumps, personnel from Ashgrove Renewables, Mallow and renewable energy installers Tadhg OKeeffe and Sons, Banteer, and Solar Hub Dublin were present at the meeting. Also on the panel of speakers was Michael Moynihan TD and Cllr Bernard Moynihan, while Cllr Ian Doyle was the efficient MC for the evening.

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The Moynihans had previously held a similar information night in Kanturk, which was also very well attended.

Senator Fitzpatrick also explained the local authority home loan scheme, along with the criteria for the vacant house grants, the levy and water waiver, renters support and how the eligibility calculator worked.

Cllrs Ian Doyle and Bernard Moynihan presenting Senator Mary Fitzpatrick with a bouquet of flowers at the information meeting on grant availability and sustainable energy at the Charleville Park Hotel.

There was a lively question and answer session where the various speakers answered the questions posed from the floor, to bring a very interesting evening to a close.
Many people have been stockpiling bonfire materials since August. Pic: @DubCityCouncil

Dublin City Council has additional crews removing bonfire materials in the run-up to Halloween. Pic: @DubCityCouncil

Dublin City Council is asking people to keep their neighbourhoods safe this Halloween by not leaving materials for illegal fires lying around and to report anyone stockpiling for bonfires.

Dublin Fire Brigade is not in a position to take reports or collect materials and has asked the public to report stockpiling to your local council, and it will be removed for free.

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said: Collection and stockpiling of bonfire material is a long-standing challenge for local authorities across Ireland.

Dublin City Council understands the importance of reducing bonfire activity and supporting a safer Halloween.

Bonfire materials are often stored against buildings, in laneways and behind commercial premises. When set alight, they can cause serious damage to buildings and the environment.

The council also said an interdepartmental Halloween response group has been set up since August, working together to remove as much stockpiled material safely in advance of October 31.

Dublin City Council has additional crews removing bonfire materials in the run-up to Halloween. Pic: @DubCityCouncil

Waste Management Services has been removing materials since late August and plans to ramp up additional out-of-hour crews in the days leading up to Halloween to ensure all materials are removed.

We have crews available on call out of hours on the northside and southside to assist gardai and remove material, the council said.

Business owners and residents are reminded that you are responsible for your waste, and if it is found not to have been disposed of correctly, you could be held liable.

Last year, there were over 432 reports made about stockpiling, and Dublin City Council removed 441 tonnes of bonfire materials citywide during the Halloween period.

This was the second year in a row when the tonnage collected, bonfires, and reports all decreased. However, the council said historically, weather and the timing of school mid-term breaks are contributing factors to increased activity.

The number of Dublin Fire Brigade callouts in recent years in relation to fires has remained consistently high, with 169 Halloween-related callouts last year compared to 133 in 2021.

DCC can be reached at 222 2222 at all times. Reports can also be made online through the citizens hub at www.citizenhub.dublincity.ie.

The council also issued advice to those who end up at or near unauthorised firework or bonfire events.
David Herlihy, aka Dracula, with Noah Walsh and Willow Mae Mangan at the Staying Safe at Halloween event at Central Model School in Dublin's north inner city. P: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Big Scream Halloween Community Festival is back in Dublins northeast inner city, with a week-long Halloween programme running from now until October 31.

To mark the launch of the festival, members of An Garda Siochana, Dublin Fire Brigade and Dublin City Councils Animal Welfare Unit visited a school in Dublins north inner city to raise awareness about Halloween safety for children.

The talk at the Central Model School, off Gardiner Street, marked one of eleven visits members of the gardai and fire brigade will be making to schools in the north inner city.

Speaking at the official launch, Director of the Big Scream Festival, Yetti Redmond, said: The theme of the festival is safety this year, so the kids are having a ball, and the safety talk is being given across eleven schools of the northeast inner city.

Its great for the kids, its to raise awareness around safety at Halloween and the big scream festival.

Over the coming days, they will visit schools in the area in advance of a Monster Childrens Party in Mountjoy Square Park before the mid-term break.

Highlights of this years festival will include a haunted house in D-Light Studios, guided ghost walks with real ghosts, a surprise movie matinee in the Sean OCasey Theatre, themed parties for senior citizens, a Monster Childrens Party in Mountjoy Square Park and a Family Fun Day in the newly renovated Diamond Park.

The festival will culminate with a Halloween Carnival on Sean McDermott Street where there will be a sensory hour for children with additional needs.

There will be a funfair on Sheriff Street and a special train will bring families along the Royal Canal Greenway where fire entertainers and spooky figures will perform.

Bianca Argint and Garda Sarah Fay at the Staying Safe at Halloween event at Central Model School. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The festival adopts a Dracula theme because as a boy, Bram Stoker lived in the area for longer than anywhere else in Dublin. Local stories and landmarks are thought to have later inspired the creation of his famous character.

Children at the Central Model School received up to date information on being safe this Halloween and got to meet Dracula the festival vampire.

Dracula, also known as David Herlihy, said it was very nice" to be back in the place where his creator, Bram Stoker, had spent his teenage years.

I am from Transylvania, and I come here every year for my holidays. I come to Sean McDermott Street I have a house there, my coffin and my friends who look after me, so I come for two weeks for the festival, he said.

I get to meet all the kids; they like me, and they like me very much and Im a very good friend of theirs and Im coming here since 2018 for my holiday but my memory isnt so good since Im nearly 600 years old.

The festival began several years ago in response to concerns about the lack of outlets for young people in the run-up to Halloween and ensuing problems with the stockpiling of materials for large bonfires.

Speaking at today's launch, Chief Executive of the Dublin City Community Co-Operative, Noel Wardick, said: This year, record numbers of children and young people have taken part in our six-week programme of workshops and activities to inspire creativity and educate them about harm reduction around Halloween traditions.

I am heartened to see that the efforts of people on the ground are making a difference to this community which historically has experienced so much disadvantage and neglect.

The groundwork has been done so lets now hope that the scariest thing well experience this year is the spookiest haunted house ever, he said.

For more information and a full list of festival events visit www.bigscream.ie.
The 2023 Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley launches the Rose of Tralee's Community Rose selection nights to select Roses and Escorts for the international festival. Communities across Ireland can now play a part with their own Rose community selection event. Photo by Domnick Walsh

The 2023 Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley launches the Rose of Tralee's Community Rose selection nights to select Roses and Escorts for the international festival. Communities across Ireland can now play a part with their own Rose community selection event. Photo by Domnick Walsh.

The 2023 Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley launches the Rose of Tralee's Community Rose selection nights to select Roses and Escorts for the international festival. Communities across Ireland can now play a part with their own Rose community selection event. Photo by Domnick Walsh

It has only been a matter of months since Kerry Rose Kelsey Lang McCarthy stood on the stage at the MTU to represent the county in the Rose of Tralee, but already the search is on for the girl who will take the reins from Kelsey.

Just like last year, the Rose of Tralee Festival will select Kerry Rose candidates via Kerry Rose Community Selection nights and a call is being made for communities to come forward and take part.

Kelsey was chosen as a Kerry Rose in the Skellig Coast Community Rose selection, and ultimately went on to become the winning Kerry Rose for the Rose of Tralee Festival joining Roses from all around the world.

Encouraging young women to sign up, Kelsey said that it is an amazing experience.

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I was so proud this year to have represented my community, and raise awareness for our local Skellig Stars Special Olympics Club. There was huge celebration and pride after the local event, and then when I was eventually selected as the Kerry Rose, that was massively important and widely celebrated in my community too, she said.

The 2023 Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley launches the Rose of Tralee's Community Rose selection nights to select Roses and Escorts for the international festival. Communities across Ireland can now play a part with their own Rose community selection event. Photo by Domnick Walsh

"There is a great opportunity here for communities across Ireland to put themselves on a pedestal and show pride in their homeplace, as well as celebrating the youth, and instilling local pride in them. I encourage as many young women as possible to take part and support their Community Rose event, Kelsey added.

All of the Community Rose Selections in Kerry will take place between late November and mid-February, and the Rose of Tralee hope to hold as many events as possible including in Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Castleisland, Sneem, Kenmare, Corca Dhuibhne, Kenmare, the Skellig Coast, Ballybunion and Killorglin/Miltown.

The funds from each Community Rose Selection night will help local charities. The 2022 proceeds helped raise funds to rebuild Listowel Community Centre after a fire caused extensive damage. It also assisted a local Special Olympics Club to send an Irish athlete to compete in Berlin, and raised funds towards another local festival.

This years Rose organisers are hoping to help raise funds to buy defibrillators for a local First Responders group, to support a local Guide Dogs for the blind branch and to assist a tidy towns group.

The 2023 Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley launches the Rose of Tralee's Community Rose selection nights to select Roses and Escorts for the international festival. Communities across Ireland can now play a part with their own Rose community selection event. Photo by Domnick Walsh.

The community selection nights will also select a local escort that may make the final escort selection. Last year's escort, David Murphy from Sneem, was that lucky man and he too praised the experience and urged those interested in becoming an escort to sign up for their community Rose event.

Kerry Rose co-ordinator Suzan OGara urged communities to host selection nights not only in Kerry but across the country and play their own part in the world renowned Rose of Tralee festival.

For anyone interested, contact info@roseoftralee.ie.
Gardai seized 150,000 of cannabis during searches of premises in Co Louth and Co Monaghan

Two men are due to appear in Monaghan District Court this morning after Gardai seized 150,000 of cannabis following searches premises in Co. Monaghan and Co. Louth on Monday October 23.

Castleblayney Gardai, assisted by members of the Armed Support Unit, carried out a search of a premises at Castleblayney, on Monday evening. Suspected cannabis with an estimated value of 70,000 was seized.

A follow up search was conducted at a premises in Dromiskin, Co. Louth, where suspected cannabis with an approximate value of 80,000 was seized.

All of the suspected drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.

Two men ,aged in their 40s and 50s, were arrested and detained at Garda stations in the Monaghan area under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. Both have been charged to appear before Monaghan District Court this morning at 10.30am.
Relatives of murdered Michael Snee and Aidan Moffitt pay tribute to men as Yousef Palani is jailed for two life sentences

In their victim impact statements, the family of Aidan Moffitt told the court that his gentle nature made the level of violence inflicted upon him even harder to understand.

The family also said that, although they acknowledge there will always be a need to report on crimes, various streams of the media have been continuously intrusive on their family and had overstepped the mark.

They wrote that they continue to suffer at the hands of elements of the media, whom they said are often more concerned about Aidan and Michael than the perpetrator who caused this turmoil.

The family said that Aidans murder was an attack on our nations freedoms and on the compassion within our country and their hope is that Palani never has the opportunity to harm another person ever again.

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In his statement, the nephew of victim Michael Snee said he was horrified that someone could have so much hate and evil inside them to do such unspeakable things to another human being.

Statement of Christy Moffitt, Aidan Moffits brother:

Our lives were turned upside down with the news that Aidan had died. We presumed it was something like a heart attack at that stage. Aidan liked the good life, good food, enjoying socialising and was a successful businessman doing very well for himself. He was in the prime of his life.

I had the horrendous job of telling our mother that her youngest child had died as well as telling the rest of the family, neighbours and friends.

The devastation we felt on that evening fades in comparison to the shock and distress we felt when we found out the following morning that Aidan had been brutally murdered in his own home - a place where he should have been safe.

We were immediately thrown into the media spotlight which we were totally unprepared for.

Our lives became a living nightmare. Not only were we dealing with the loss of Aidan, we were also trying to come to terms with hearing of the horror of how Aidan was brutally and senselessly murdered while also dealing with the intrusion of the media.

We have lost a brother, uncle, son and friend which has left a hole in all of our lives that will never be filled and all of our lives have totally changed since Aidan was murdered.

All we are left with are unanswered questions - mainly, why? Why did you pick Aidan? Why was Aidan second on your list? Why did you murder Aidan? Why?

Emma Fitzpatrick speaking to the media the Central Criminal Court Dublin on behalf of the Snee family. Photo Collins Courts

Victim impact statement for Aidan Moffitt on behalf of the Moffitt Family by Blaine Gaffney, a friend of Aidan Moffitt:

Our family are utterly devastated, lost in grief and will forever be heartbroken and empty because of what has happened, and because of the fact that Aidan was taken in his prime, full of life, happiness and love.

We miss Aidan every hour of every day and the silence around our home in Lisacul is harrowing because we know that he will never come through the door again to light up our world as he always did in his unique manner.

Aidan never brought any trouble to his family. He never looked for trouble and never wanted any trouble put on anyone. This was part of his gentle nature. To have such an act of violence inflicted upon him is even harder to understand.

We will forever rue the fact that we didnt get to, nor ever wanted to, say goodbye to Aidan. A goodbye that was so unnecessary. And a goodbye that was inflicted upon us by the accused due to his irrational personal beliefs.

The emotional and psychological impact of Aidans murder cant be measured or understood. Kathleen [Aidans mother] is always foremost in our minds when attempting to assess the last impacts and harm of these horrific events.

As a family, we continue to suffer at the hands of elements of the media, who are often more concerned about Aidan and Michael, their homes, their images and their stories, than that of the perpetrator who caused this turmoil.

Whilst we acknowledge there will always be a need to report on crimes, the sheer scale of the publicity that has accompanied this tragedy has been gruelling and various streams of the media have been continuously intrusive on our family and overstepped the mark in terms of offering basic decency.

Our lives are completely destroyed, we are truly heartbroken, and as of today we have lived through 671 days of hell on earth. Life as we knew it is gone forever.

No family should have to face the harrowing logistical challenges we faced when rushing to tell our loved ones what had happened to Aidan before they would read about it in the media.

Aidan will not be forgotten by his family, friends or loved ones and his memory lives on and will endure despite the senseless actions of the accused.

We will never recover from the horror which was brought to our doors, we will never be able to spend another hour not thinking about it again and what could have been.

The cruel attack carried out by the accused was an attack on our nations freedoms and on the compassion within our country and we strongly hope that justice is truly served today, our hope is that the accused never has the opportunity to harm another person ever again.

Victim impact statement from Martina McManus, Michael Snees sister, on behalf of the Snee Family:

There are so many words that could be used to describe Michael: a loving son, brother, uncle, god-parent, brother in law and friend. An only son and the apple of our fathers eye.

Michael had a special bond with all of his family. He lived for his family. He provided constant love and support to us all. He would do anything for us as we would do for him.

Michael and I travelled to Galway the week before his death with our beloved sister, Mary, who was battling cancer for a number of years. Marys stress after Michaels death was unbearable. Mary died on August 15, 2022, only four months after Michael.

I will never forget the telephone call from my two daughters who were concerned as to why their uncle was not answering his door to them. I will never forget their screams on finding their cherished uncle. This will stay with us all forever. I will never forget informing my 91-year-old father this his only son was dead or hearing him crying through the night.

We are not living, we are just existing. Our grief is immeasurable. Our hearts are broken. Our lives have been destroyed and our family chain, that was once so strong, is now broken. We live in fear. Our hometown, a place once filled with our happiest memories, is now a constant reminder of that day.

Victim impact statement of Michael Snees nephew, Aaron Spring: I am horrified and feel such hurt that someone can have so much hate and evil inside them to do such unspeakable things to another human being.

Yousef Palani murdered my uncle, Michael, in cold blood, cruelly and in his own home. I will not walk alone at night. I am always looking over my shoulder. It has made me lose trust in people.

I genuinely believe it shortened my mothers lifespan dramatically. My mum was in the midst of battling cancer. She had been released from hospital and I was informed by the doctors that there was still time, that I should go back home to my life and partner in Australia and return again when the time came, which was, in their opinion, up to years.

After Michael, my mother was so unbearably stressed, for a woman already in chronic pain, every day, trying to deal with and come to terms with the brutal way Michaels life had ended was just too much. She rapidly went downhill and died only a couple of months later.

Michael was always like a father to me, someone I could talk to if I needed advice or help in life. I miss him.

Yousef Palani arrives at Sligo District Court charged with two counts of murder in April 2022. Picture; Gerry Mooney

Victim impact statement of Michael Snees niece, Shannon McManus: Michael wasnt just my uncle he was a second dad, a best friend and an amazing person. Michael was so selfless, had such a big heart and a caring nature like no other.

I could do no wrong in his eyes. My Shannon is what he called me - the words I miss so much and would only love to hear one more time from him.

Michael was the first person to hold me when I was born, Michael went above and beyond to make me happy but all that I needed was his presence to do that but that was just the kind of person he was. He wanted the best for us.

Since this horrendous event has occurred to Michael, I am not and nor will I ever be the same person I once was. This incident didnt just take one person from my life, it took all my family from me. None of my family will ever be the same again.

My grandfather has lost his only son, my mother has lost her only brother all because of a selfish inhumane act. Each of my family members is carrying around a weight of disturbance, grief, confusion, fear, anger and most of all heartbreak.

Since walking in on the scene of finding Michael I have had recurring flashbacks and nightmares. I dont think I will ever be free from this and that it will forever haunt me.

All my happy memories with Michael have been tarnished with a feeling of misery and a grey cloud has come over me. Since the night Michael was found I can only describe it as constantly feeling like Im in fight or flight mode, on edge, a bundle of anxiety.

Im trying to work on this and move past it but its something I dont know if it will ever go away. It is affecting me in my everyday life.
Superintendent spoke of how crimes had repulsed the nation

Sligo Superintendent Barry Doyle said Michael Snee and Aidan Moffit were "innocent men who did no wrong"

Sligo Superintendent Barry Doyle says the men who were attacked by Yousef Palani were innocent men who did nothing wrong.

Supt. Doyle was speaking to the media outside Sligo Garda Station on Monday afternoon in the aftermath of the sentences handed down to Palani at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Palani was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Michael Snee and Aidan Moffitt and jailed for 20 years for an attack on Anthony Burke who lost the sight in his eye.

My thoughts and the thoughts and symnpathies of of An Garda Siochana remain with the families of Aidan and Michael at this time.

Michael and Aidan were well known and respected in the community here in Sligo. They were innocent men. They did no wrong.

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They were assaulted and murdered in their own homes. I also wish to acknowledge the bravery and resilience shown by Anthony as he recovers from serious injuries inflicted on him.

Anthony too is well known in this community. He too is innocent. He did no wrong. He was attacked without any provocation, he said.

Supt Doyle said An Garda Siochana continues to support the families of the victims including Mr Burke and his family.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues in An Garda Siochana here in Sligo, supported by national units for their response in April 2022 to protect this community and the investigation team who have since successfully seen these depraved crimes prosecuted before the courts.

I want to thank the community here in Sligo for their co-operation, assistance and support.

The response from the people of Sligo at the time has continued and it is heartening to see such cross community support.

These crimes did not just impact the heart of the community here in Sligo, they also repulsed the nation.

They heavily impacted on the LGBTQI community and the Muslim community. An Garda Siochana here in Sligo continues to support the LGBTQI and Muslim communities as part of the wider, rich, diverse community that is Sligo.

Aidan Moffitt, 42, (left) and Michael Snee, 58

These crimes were carried out by one person acting alone. These murders and assault were hate crimes by one individual.

Aidan, Michael and Anthony were attacked because of who they were as individuals.

Hate crimes are unacceptable in our society. Hate crimes have a huge impact on victims and on wider communities and society.

No person should be subject to any derogatory action or speech targeted because of a characteristic of who they are.

It is an aspect of mordern life that people meet online. Meeting people online is a normal activity.

Meeting pople online should be a safe activity but, as with any online activity everyone should be aware of personal safety advice which we have provided on the Garda website.

An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to any person who may have been or who is subject to any form of hate motivated crime or harassment to contact your local Garda station or the Garda confidential phone number 1800666111.

A hate crime can also be reported on the Garda website www..garda.ie

I would like to reassure the public that any informatioin received will be treated in the strictist confidence.

Finally, our thoughts and prayers are particularly with Aidans and Michaels families at this time, said Supt. Doyle.

Meanwhile, mystery surrounds the origin of 357,000 in cash found hidden in the home of double murderer Yousef Palani, writes Ken Foy.

The money was discovered by gardai during a five-day search of the killers Sligo home after his arrest for the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in April of last year, as well as a brutal assault on Anthony Burke.

It can be revealed that most of the money was in denominations of 500 and 200 banknotes and found hidden in bags in the cluttered bedrooms of 23-year-old Palanis home where he lived with his parents and siblings.

The Irish Independent previously revealed the cash seizure is the focus of an ongoing Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) investigation.

One line of inquiry is that the money came into Ireland when Palanis family first arrived here from Iraq.

As part of their investigation, officers were at the time searching for a mobile phone  which was later found in an attic of the property  and had no idea there was so much cash in the house.

It was established that this phone had been present in the homes of the targeted men and important evidence was discovered on it.

Gardai do not accept an explanation that the money was saved over a number of years.

Officers also do not think that the money is linked to Islamist extremism or jihadism.

In relation to theories that the money is linked to any form of terrorism or organised criminality, this has been ruled out, a senior source said last night.

Detailed investigations have been carried out, including by specialist units, and gardai are satisfied that neither he nor his associates have any links to Islamist terrorism and he was not radicalised at the time of the murders.

Palani told gardai in interviews that Muslims could not be homosexual and vehemently denied being gay, despite using homosexual dating apps.

A number of other gay men with whom Palani interacted were warned by gardai of the potential threats against them and given security advice.

Many investigators involved in this case are of the view that this individual should never be released from prison when the potential for that comes up in less than 20 years time. There are significant fears that he would kill again if given the opportunity, a source said.

Palani  whose murderous spree, according to sources, displayed serial killer tendencies  was totally unknown to gardai before April of last year.

He had moved to Ireland from Iraq with his family when he was aged six and had grown up in Sligo and attending national post primary schools here without ever coming to the attention of gardai.

CCTV played a huge part in the arrest of the double killer, but gardai also received great support from the Muslim community in Sligo as part of their investigation as well as help from survivor Anthony Burke.
THE concept of therapy dogs is well established. Many hospitals, care homes and other institutions have regular visits from dogs trained to be visitors. Dogs offer humans unconditional positive regard: they make people feel loved, comfortable and at ease. And when people are suffering from physical or mental health issues, the presence of a gentle, companionable dog can make us feel better.
The principal of a rural Co Wexford school which has seen a huge growth in its roll numbers over recent years has welcomed the announcement of funding to expand the premises.

On Wednesday Wexford TD and Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne TD confirmed that the Department of Education has given the green light for the devolved extension and refurbishment of classrooms in Scoil Mhaodhoig Poulfur in south west Wexford. The project will include the development of three mainstream classrooms, a Special Educational Teaching Room and a Special Education Needs classroom.

Minister Browne said: I know that this is a much-anticipated project for the staff, pupils and entire school community in Poulfur. Im glad to confirm todays positive news and I look forward to continuing to work with my Government colleagues to ensure the speedy progression of this important school extension project.

Principal Domini Bn Mhic Oda said she and the staff were delighted with the news.

We have grown to 232 pupils over recent years. When we opened in 2017 we had six mainstream and four special needs classes and now we have nine mainstream and five special needs classes. She said the staff are delighted to be able to burst on and develop the school, where accommodations had to be made for the growing number of pupils, including using the library room as a classroom and maximising space elsewhere in the school  which is located just off the road to Fethard on Sea.

"We are working on this since spring and we had some pieces to put in place, and when we had them in place we applied for additional space.

"We were offered temporary accommodation but we preferred to hold out for a solid structure building extension.

Ms Bn Mhic Oda said work will begin on the extension next year. We will now proceed to getting a design team together.

She said one of the main reasons the schools numbers have increased is taking in 37 pupils from Ukraine who are resident in Hookless Village and surrounding areas.

"They have settled in well and we were delighted to take them and that tipped it for us when it came to making the application.

She said the pupil teacher ratio was down for a number of years but was up last year.

"It became obvious at this time last year that no matter what  even if the children from Ukraine were lucky enough to go back to their home country our pupil teacher ratio and the rising population in the area meant it had to be done, so we maximised it. Our school is a squash and a squeeze as Julia Donaldson would say  but we are a happy lot.

Ms Codd said getting the extension will mean the school will have its library and other spaces back, adding that there will probably be a new soft play area for special needs pupils.

"As a school we won't get any bigger. We have come to an agreement with the Department of Education about that.

"We are very grateful to James Browne and all of the TDs and Cllr Michael Whelan for their support and to the Government who do support schools like ours.
Father of Wexford woman murdered in Clare says women will keep being killed until violent criminals are refused bail

PJ Bennetts daughter Sharon was murdered by a man who was on bail for assaulting another woman and who had 140 previous convictions

PJ and Vicki Bennett, the parents of Sharon Bennett who was murdered in Co Clare in January of 2021.

Padraig Byrne Wexford People Wed 25 Oct 2023 at 07:00

In recent weeks, PJ and Vicki Bennett made the two-and-a-half hour journey from Wexford to Kilmnallock in Limerick to attend the inquest of their daughter Sharon. It brought with it a sense of finality.
The Wexford Unit of the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps has held a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) education display in Tesco, Distillery Road, to coincide with Restart a Heart Day which took place on October 16. In addition, volunteers visited secondary schools across the county to provide basic life saving skills and CPR training to students in the week leading up to the event.

In total, over a thousand people participated in face-to-face CPR training and a further 1500 received online training as part of the initiative.

We also had a huge number of views on our social media over the week, especially on two particular videos, one video on CPR made by our cadet unit and a second on the importance of community defibrillators, said Geraldine Walshe of the Order of Malta. The main aim of this training is to provide as many people as possible with the basic life saving skills needed. This training is provided by our experienced and qualified instructors, who have a wealth of knowledge in emergency first aid.
Brave Wicklow brain tumour survivor is sons Death Star after nine surgeries

Dunlavins Padraig ONeill told reporter Myles Buchanan how his young family have guided him through the darkest days, helped by a charity set up by a local family

Padraig and Kim ONeill with their kids Charlie (12), Ruby (10) and Jack (7).

Myles Buchanan Wicklow People Wed 25 Oct 2023 at 06:45

Padraig ONeill was getting ready for his wedding and to become a dad when he found out he had a brain tumour aged just 27. It has taken nine surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and years of anger and depression to reach a point where he is at peace and embracing being known to his kids as the Death Star - with a bug in his head.
The tower will improve coverage for the Kiladreenan area of Newtownmountkennedy.

Permission has been granted for a 27-metre monopole mobile and broadband tower at Kiladreenan in Newtownmountkennedy.

We On Tower Ireland Limited applied for planning permission because the Kiladreenan area and its immediate environs requires additional telecommunications infrastructure to provide for current and future wireless coverage to the area.

Wicklow County Council has granted permission for the tower, with a headframe carrying telecommunications equipment, together with associated equipment and cabinets enclosed within a 2.4m palisade fence compound with access track.

The planning application represents an investment commitment by On Tower Ireland Limited to provide space to the operators Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited, which forms part of their respective telecommunications networks in this area. On Tower Ireland will offer other operators space to co-locate services on this site thereby providing a choice of good quality wireless mobile and broadband.

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Telecommunications equipment will be installed on the tower as well as equipment for a future operator comprising of antennas and transmission dishes, including radio units and associated cabling and supporting fixtures.
She also accused the window glazing company of "trying to wriggle out of replacing" the giant sheet of glass as she posted a photo of kids Cooper and Coco drawing images on the window.

Ronan Keatings wife Storm has launched a new campaign of complaint, this time against a window company after a huge glass window apparently shattered while they were sleeping.

The couples new row over the window comes just over a year after they engaged in a battle with a cleaner who had left their family home in a disgraceful state.

In this new public row, Storm said she is "concerned" that the unnamed company may be targeting "innocent families" across the UK.

She also accused the window glazing company of "trying to wriggle out of replacing" the giant sheet of glass as she posted a photo of kids Cooper and Coco drawing images on the window.

"Chilly Saturday morning," she wrote in the caption alongside an emoji of a snowflake.

"Yes glass shouldnt frost up like this - its just that this is a single pane because the other one shattered a few weeks ago in the middle of the night while we were sleeping.

"The glazing company (refraining from naming and shaming just yet) is trying to wriggle out of replacing it despite promising (in writing and on their quote) a 10yr comprehensive warranty. Appalling behaviour."

Storm highlighted the issue as she said that she and Ronan are "concerned" that the unnamed company are ripping other families off.

"Were concerned that this company (there is a history of other things) do this kind of thing to innocent families all over the UK, families that are less inclined to push back/ know their rights/ or have the ability to engage a solicitor," she wrote.

She then shared a "vital piece of information for everyone in the UK" about the Consumer Rights Act 2015, especially if you are dealing with something similar whether it be a tv, a lawn mower, a hairdryer or any product youve purchased.

Where these standards are not met (i.e. they break at no cause of your own) then they are required to repair or replace the goods free of charge, Storm wrote.

This is a requirement whether you hold a specified warranty or not. They know this (at least they should) and as a basic moral ethos for their business, should not be hoping you dont know your rights, or know their statutory duty to you, their customer. Countries around the world have similar laws to protect consumers.

Last February, Storm launched a furious rebuttal to a team of cleaners who claimed the multi-millionaire couple were refusing to pay a 500 bill.

The cleaning company had claimed they have been chasing payment for a job they carried out at the couple's 5 million rented mansion since the precious December.

The showbiz couple hired the company to clean the house they had been renting in Loudwater, Bucks, before they moved to Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

One of the cleaners said her team of five were booked on the day removal men came at the end of the couples tenancy, making the situation chaotic.

But in an open letter posted to Instagram Storm said the home was left in was "disgraceful" state which made her feel "mortified".

"Since we discovered the disgraceful state you left our house in, we considered publicly sharing the service we got with our followers to caution others from hiring you, she wrote.

The 40-year-old fashion designer added: "You then broke our trust by demanding payment saying the job was complete, when in actuality the house was left in no acceptable state for handover.

"We however restrained ourselves from going public because we were hoping this level of service was not acceptable by your own standards and that you would want to remedy the situation professionally and amicably. But today you have proven this is not the case and left us no choice but to share the truth on this matter."

Storm then said she spent five hours cleaning the property herself before returning the keys to her landlord.

I have never seen anything so appalling for an end-of-lease clean. There is no way Id leave a place looking so grimy.

Im gobsmacked at how bad this is  dead flowers and even old food left on the shelves?

None of the skirtings had been cleaned, marks on walls, on windows, some of the bathrooms were appalling.

Surely, you cant be happy with this? Cobwebs. Floors werent vacuumed or mopped  there were dead bugs and hair and food bits.

According to Storms letter, the Keatings have not refused to pay for the job but want the "official checkout report from the landlord in order to make a fair assessment and educated decision on how to remedy the situation".

Storm and Ronan had been renting while they carried out work on building their own dream home which they bought in 2016 but had to knock down.

Meet the Keatings: Ronan, Jack, Missy, Storm & Yvonne
Israel has ramped up air strikes across the Gaza Strip, reducing residential buildings to rubble and crushing families (Hatem Ali/AP)

Israel has agreed to delay the invasion of Gaza for now, so the US can rush missile defences to the region, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US and Israeli officials
Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food, water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of hostilities and cuts to all supply routes, says the UN. Hospitals beginning to stop all but emergency services as fuel runs out, as the UN  the biggest supplier of aid in Gaza - warns its work will stop tonight if it doesn't get fresh supplies. The intergovernmental organisation has distributed nearly all of its prepositioned supplies, and worked to keep the only functioning desalination plant in the entire Gaza Strip running in much-reduced capacity. Israel is preventing g new supplies from reaching the Gaza Strip, but says Hamas is stockpiling existing fuel. A further eight aid lorries crossed from Egypt into Gaza on Tuesday evening but agencies say at least 100 lorries a day are needed.
Image credit : YouTube Screenshot of Kashmir raiders

An Indonesian university recently hosted an international seminar on the theme Remembering Kashmir Carnage of October 1947.

The event was held at Kasman Singodimedjo Hall in Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta on Tuesday (October 24, 2023).

On October 22, 1947, Kashmir witnessed a horrific turning point when the Pashtun tribal militia, accompanied by the Pakistan Army, launched Operation Gulmarg to occupy a large portion of J&K, reported ANI.

Djoni Gunanto, Deputy Dean 2 when delivering his speech and officially opening the international seminar, said the students of the Political Science Study Program, especially those concentrating on International Relations, need to know and understand global phenomena.

He was quoted as saying by ANI, We ask students to be enthusiastic about enriching their knowledge. For Indonesia, things that are contrary to humanity are also contrary to the Constitution.

Among the dignitaries attending the seminar were Veeramalla Anjaiah, journalist, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Sanjay Kulkarni, former Director General of Infantry, Indian Army, New Delhi, Utpal Kaul International Coordinator of the Global Kashmir Pandit Diaspora (GKPD), New Delhi, Ashwani Kumar Chrangoo, writer and activist from Jammu and Kashmir, Lia Nathalia, journalist, Ali Noer Zaman, MA. Political Science lecturer at FISIP UMJ, and Debbie Affianty, M.Sc. Director of LIGS.
Photo courtesy: Mahua Moitra Facebook

New Delhi/IBNS: In a fresh attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, who is accused of taking bribes for raising questions in Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday said the question was not about "Adani" or "degree" which the firebrand politician raised but her "corruption".

In an X post, Dubey said, "The question is about the dignity of Parliament, security of India and the proprietary, corruption and criminality of the alleged MP. The answer has to be given whether NIC mail is open in Dubai or not? Ask questions in exchange for money or not? Who bore the expenses of traveling abroad? Have you ever taken permission from @loksabhaspeaker and @MEAIndia to go abroad or not?

"The question is not about Adani, degree or theft, but about your corruption by misleading the country. #degree which country sold #chand sell the jamir for money."

   ,       ,proprietary, corruption and criminality  ,      NIC    ?       ?       ?  @loksabhaspeaker  @MEAIndia     permission   Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) October 25, 2023

Dubey's response comes after Moitra on Tuesday said on X, "Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including Dubai logins to probe agency. Now @AshwiniVaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm. BJP welcome to do hit job on me but Adani+Godda perhaps not best strategists!"

Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including Dubai logins to probe agency.

Now @AshwiniVaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm.

BJP welcome to do hit job on me but Adani+Godda perhaps not best strategists!  Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 24, 2023

Brief about the controversy

The controversy was triggered after Dubey on October 15 accused Moitra, who is known for her fiery speeches in Parliament, of asking questions on businessman Gautam Adani in Parliament in exchange for money.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey attacks Mohua Moitra over cash for question row. Photo courtesy: FB

Moitra, whose choice of words had triggered rows both inside and outside Parliament in the past, has been accused of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

Dubey, a three term MP from Jharkhand's Godda constituency, even cited a letter from Moitra's estranged partner Jai Anant Dehadrai, a Supreme Court lawyer, in claiming that Moitra received bribes.

The BJP MP has appealed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to form an inquiry committee to probe into the allegations brought against the first-term parliamentarian from West Bengal's Krishnanagar constituency.

In her strongly worded response, Moitra in one of the X posts said, "Amused to hear of @AshwiniVaishnaw letter to Fake Degree Wala promising support in probe against me! Still waiting for @HMOIndia & @Ministry_CA to probe Farji Dubeys illegal entry into airport ATC room last year with kids!"

Amused to hear of @AshwiniVaishnaw

letter to Fake Degree Wala promising support in probe against me!



Still waiting for @HMOIndia & @Ministry_CA to probe Farji Dubeys illegal entry into airport ATC room last year with kids! #BJPHitJobUnravelling!  Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 24, 2023

How did TMC respond?

Moitra's party TMC, which is headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has maintained a distance from the entire row.

Refusing to comment on the controversy, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "The party has nothing to say on this issue. We think the person around whom this controversy is revolving is best suited to react to this."

BJP's jibe at Moitra

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took a jibe at Moitra, who was pulled up by her party chief on some occasions publicly in the past, for allegedly abandoning her in the entire episode.

"It is not surprising that Mamata Banerjee has abandoned Mahua Moitra. She will defend no one else but Abhishek Banerjee, who is no less delinquent...

"Several TMC leaders are in jail on serious corruption and criminal charges but Mamata Banerjee has maintained radio silence," Malviya wrote on X.
Kolhapur/UNI: Five members of a family were seriously injured in an explosion at Mujawar Colony in Karad city of Satara district on Wednesday.

This was the second explosion in Satara district since last night when a petrol pipe of a generator exploded in a Durga Puja procession in which eight boys and girls were seriously injured with burns at Mahabaleshwar.

According to Karad city police, a big explosion took place at a house of one Shakil Mulla in Shantinagar's Mujawar Colony.

In this incident five members of his family were seriously injured and admitted at Krishna Hospital.

The explosion was so severe that the walls of the house collapsed.

After receiving information, police rushed with fire-brigade officials to the spot.

Police are investigating the cause of the explosion.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur briefing the media on cabinet decisions on Wednesday | Photo courtesy: PIB

New Delhi/UNI: The union cabinet on Wednesday approved subsidy worth Rs 22,303 crore on Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers for the Rabi season 2023-24 to ensure that farmers get fertilizers at affordable rates despite uptrend in international market.

The cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates in view of recent trends in the international prices of fertilizers and inputs.

Accordingly, DAP will be available for Rs 1,350 per bag, as per the old rates while the NPK will be available at the price of Rs 1,470 per bag.

"From 2021 itself, the central government has been fixing subsidy rates in a way that our farmers are not affected by the rise in fertilizer prices internationally. This is done to ensure that farmers continue to get fertilizers at concessional rates. In the upcoming Rabi season (2023-24), an additional subsidy of Rs 45 per tonne would be provided on DAP.

"At this rate, farmers would get DAP at the old rate of Rs 1,350 per bag," Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Anurag Thakur said while briefing the media on Cabinet decisions.

"Similarly, NPK would be provided at the old rate of Rs 1,470 per bag and SSP at Rs 500 per bag. There will be no increase in it and farmers won't need to pay even a single rupee more.

"The MOP would be made available at Rs 1,655 per bag, lower than the old rate of Rs 1,700 per bag. There will be no increase in price of urea and in fact MOP will cost Rs 45 per bag less," he said.

The cabinet decision would ensure availability of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized, affordable and reasonable prices.

The government is making available 25 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is governed by the NBS Scheme with effect from April, 2010.

"In accordance with its farmer friendly approach, the Government is committed to ensure the availability of P&K fertilizers to the farmers at affordable prices.

"In view of the recent trends in the international prices of fertilizers & inputs i.e. Urea, DAP, MOP and Sulphur, Government has decided to approve the NBS rates for Rabi 2023-24 effective from 01.10.23 to 31.03.24 on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers," an official statement said.

The cabinet in its meeting today also approved a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership.

The MoC intends to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan towards enhancement of the semiconductor supply chain, recognizing the importance of semiconductors for the advancement of industries and digital technologies.

The cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also met and approved inclusion of Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project of Uttarakhand under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Srinagar/UNI: Amid the ongoing Israel- Palestine conflict, a high level multi-agency joint security review meeting was held at Armys Srinagar based 15 headquarters on Wednesday, officials said.

The meeting was co-chaired by Advisor to Governor of J&K, R R Bhatnagar and Armys northern Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi.

It was also attended by J&K Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, Armys Srinagar based 15 Corps Commander and heads of heads of intelligence agencies and security forces representatives from Union Territory.

Srinagar based defence spokesman Lt Col M K Sahu said the meeting was held to coordinate and strategise security in the Union Territory in the backdrop of the ongoing Middle East crisis.

"The situation in the Middle East was deliberated and various contingency scenarios dwelled on," the spokesman said.

He said the nuances of security in the region in relation to the onset of the winter season also came up for discussion.

The meeting discussed actions to enhance counter infiltration (CI) and counter terrorism (CT) in the approaching winter.
In Image file photo of PM Modi with Justin Trudeau/ courtesy: PIB

New Delhi/IBNS: Amid the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada , India Wednesday decided to resume visa services for some Canadian citizens in certain categories including Entry Visa, Business Visa, Medical Visa and Conference Visa.

This comes days after India suspended visa services to Canadians amid deteriorating diplomatic ties between the two countries over the Khalistani movement, especially over the killing of a separatist leader in British Columbia for which the Trudeau government blamed India.

In a notification, the Indian High Commission of India in Canada wrote, "The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada and its Consulate General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services because of safety and security considerations."

"After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services," it said.

The services for the permitted categories will resume on Thursday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that if Indian diplomats are provided security in Canada as per the Vienna Convention, he would like "very much to resume the issuing of visas".

On September 21, amid the ongoing diplomatic standoff between Ottawa and New Delhi over the alleged killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, India suspended visa services for Canadian nationals.

The relationship between New Delhi and Ottawa touched a new low after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of Nijjar.

Trudeau alleged that there are "credible allegations of a potential link" between Indian government agents and the killing of Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia Canada.

After Trudeau leveled the allegations against the Indian government in the country's Parliament, Canadas foreign minister Melanie Joly announced the expulsion of a top Indian diplomat as a consequence.

In a tit-for-tat, India also sacked a Canadian diplomat and asked him to leave the country within the next five days.

India rejected the allegations made by Canada over the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

(Reporting by Suman Das/IBNS)
Image tweeted by Naor Gilon

New Delhi: Actor Kangana Ranaut Wednesday met Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, and expressed hope of Israel emerging victorious in the "war against terrorism".

Taking to Instagram, Kangana Ranaut posted a series of pictures of herself and the Israeli envoy.

Sharing the pictures, she wrote, "Had a soulful meeting with Israel's ambassador to Bharat Shri Naor Gilon ji. Today the whole world, especially Israel and India are fighting their war against terrorism. Yesterday when I reached Delhi to burn Ravana, I felt the Israel Embassy should come and meet those who are defeating terrorists like today's modern Ravana Hamas."

"The way young children and women are being targeted is heart-wrenching. I have full hope Israel will win this war against terrorism. I discussed with them about my upcoming film Tejas and India's self-reliant fighter jet Tejas.#tejas @israelinindia," she said.

My heart goes out to Israel.

Our hearts are bleeding too.

Heres my conversation with Israels ambassador to Bharat Naor Gilon. @IsraelinIndia pic.twitter.com/yIuUPognN1  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) October 25, 2023

Naor Gilon also shared photos from the meeting and expressed heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It was lovely meeting @KanganaTeam who was in Delhi for her movie premiere & visited our embassy to extend her support to @Israel. I expressed our heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to PM @narendramodi ji and our Indian friends for their unwavering support in our shared battle against terrorism," he wrote.

It was lovely meeting @KanganaTeam who was in Delhi for her movie premiere & visited our embassy to extend her support to @Israel.



I expressed our heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to PM @narendramodi ji and our Indian friends for their unwavering support in our pic.twitter.com/SegcrOQnli  Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) October 25, 2023

Israel's embassy in India also shared an image of the meeting and expressed its gratitude to Kangana Ranaut for her solidarity with the war-torn country.

We wish to convey our heartfelt gratitude to @KanganaTeam for her visit to the Embassy and for extending her unwavering solidarity with #Israel during these challenging times. #IStandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/9SlHgJv3Lu  Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) October 25, 2023

At least 1,400 Israelis have died in the ongoing war with Hamas since the latter's surprise attack on October 7. Hamas launched a sudden ground, air, and sea offensive against Israel, with over 2,500 fighters crossing the border and causing destruction in southern towns. This resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people, primarily civilians, and the taking of over 220 hostages.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, Palestinian health officials as said.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of Dussehra, Kangana Ranaut Tuesday attended Delhi's largest Ramlila, organised annually at the historic Red Fort grounds where she was given the honour to perform the 'Ravan Dahan'.

Apart from Kangana, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena were also present for the festivities, which the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee arranged.

On the work front, Kangana is gearing up for the release of her upcoming action film 'Tejas' which revolves around the journey of Tejas Gill, an Air Force pilot.
Freedom of speech, opinion and information is a fundamental human right. According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

In addition, Arthur Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, noted that without free speech and reliable information, the rules of democracy and public trust will continue to crumble. In this regard, the role of the media is increasingly important, since free and independent media play a crucial role in ensuring democratic changes.

Uzbekistan is actively cooperating with international partners with the aim to strengthening freedom of the media, enhancing the civic responsibility and moral courage of journalists, and strengthening human rights activities. An important step was securing a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2021-2023. The government has also hosted prestigious international events such as the 2018 Asian Human Rights Forum, the 2019 workshop of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights, the 2020 Samarkand Human Rights Forum, and the 2022 Global Forum on Human Rights Education.

According to the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index report, Uzbekistan ranked 137th out of 180 countries with a rating of 45,73. Lack of private television networks has been named as one of the shortcomings for the countrys low ranks, yet Uzbekistan has more than 40 non-state television channels.

Uzbekistan puts a great emphasis on freedom of speech, information and the press. As the President of Uzbekistan said, Of course, sharp and critical materials do not please many officials on the ground, disturb their calm life. But glasnost and freedom of speech is a requirement of the time, a requirement of reforms in Uzbekistan. The President also highlighted the principles underlying the countrys media liberalization policy, emphasizing their enhanced role in addressing social problems. The Presidential Decree On the Strategy of Development of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, signed on January 28, 2022, attests to this.

In Uzbekistan, the fundamental principle the individual - society - the State underpins democratic reforms to strengthen constitutional guarantees of human rights. Of the 65 amended and supplemented articles of the Constitution, 16 are devoted to the protection of fundamental human freedoms. The revised Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and information in three different ways. The first is the expansion of freedom to seek, receive and disseminate information; the second is the further strengthening of media freedom; and the third has been guaranteed in the form of granting the media constitutional status as one of the main institutions of civil society.

The first part of Article 69 of the new Constitution states,

Civil society institutions, including public associations and other non-governmental non-profit organizations, citizens self-governance bodies and the mass media, form the basis of civil society.

As stated in the new Constitution, the elevation of the media to constitutional status as a fundamental institution of civil society strengthens the legal framework. This improvement, on the one hand, contributes to a more genuine, impartial and fairer structure of public oversight. On the other hand, it acts as a safeguard against the unwarranted concealment of information on violations and shortcomings that are revealed as a result of public scrutiny.

The fact that the Constitution for the first time includes a separate chapter on civil society institutions and establishes guarantees for their functioning provides a legal basis for ensuring an open, transparent and legitimate society, strengthening the links between the State and society and establishing strict public control.

Article 81 of the new Constitution states,

The mass media shall be free and shall operate in accordance with the law. The State shall guarantee the freedom of activity of the mass media and their right to seek, receive, use and disseminate information. The mass media are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide.

The recently revised Constitution provides ample opportunities and protection for the media and civil society institutions to become more active. The freedom of the media and their right to seek, receive, use and disseminate information are strictly guaranteed. The purpose of these norms is to create the most favorable conditions for the media and to establish a practical dialog between the state and society. Similar norms exist in the constitutions of a number of countries, such as Slovakia, South Korea and Spain.

Article 82 of the new Constitution states:

Censorship is not permissible. Obstruction or interference with the media grounds for liability under the law.

This norm ensures that the media and journalists can operate safely without fear of administrative pressure. It also creates conditions for an open and transparent society.

In addition, according a study by the United Nationsy, 59 percent of regular Internet and social media users in 142 countries worldwide expressed concern about the spread of misinformation in the digital space. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who raised the issue, stated that the international community must fight the spread of hatred and misinformation in the digital space. The Secretary General proposed the development of a code of ethics to ensure the ethical nature of information on digital platforms.

Article 33 of the Constitution states:

Restriction of the right to seek, receive and disseminate information shall be prohibited only in accordance with the law and only for the protection of the constitutional order, public health, public morals, rights and freedoms of others, public security and public order, as well as disclosure of state secrets or other secrets protected by law will be permitted to the extent necessary for the purposes of prevention.

From this point of view, Uzbekistan, along with most countries building a democratic State governed by the rule of law and an honest open society in the modern digital age, has enshrined in its Constitution new norms concerning freedom of thought, speech and the press.

Undoubtedly, freedom of speech, opinion and information, as well as the unrestricted expression of the will of citizens, freedom of the media and transparency of State institutions have become key benchmarks for assessing Uzbekistans progress. These elements not only contribute to the creation of conditions for unrestricted expression of opinions in the country, but also require a deep understanding of social responsibility on the part of the media.

(The writer is the head of the public association "Legal Support" for human rights protection in Uzbekistan)
In image trail of destruction in Gaza/ Photo Courtesy: UNI

Israel has agreed to postpone its planned invasion of Gaza in exchange for the United States rapid deployment of missile defense systems to protect its forces in the region, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The report noted that Israel is considering the need to provide humanitarian help to civilians in Gaza besides diplomatic efforts to secure the release of prisoners held by Hamas.

The threat to US troops was a major concern, the report noted.

The report further stated that the US military and other authorities are expecting their forces to be attacked by militant groups as soon as the invasion of Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory begins.

The United States is deploying almost a dozen air defence systems in the region.

The US has urged Israel to postpone a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip, and is providing Qatar, a key intermediary between the Palestinian militants and the Israeli government, with information about the negotiations in order to facilitate the release of additional hostages and to prepare for a potential broader regional conflict, according to Reuters.
Afghan refugees takes shelter in a tent after being displaced by the monsoon flooding in Nowshera District, Pakistan. Photo Courtesy: UNHCR/Usman Ghani

Several Afghanistan migrants have said Pakistani authorities have increased their detention as the interim government's November 1 deadline to expel the migrants approaches.

Meanwhile, the consulate of Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan says that from the start of the current month more than 120,000 Afghan migrants left Pakistan, reports Tolo News.

The migrants aid they are currently in a bad situation in Pakistan.

"Recently the Pakistani police are harassing Afghan migrants more than ever and police are looking for migrants in the towns, Bezhan Hussaini, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, told Tolo News.

"Here in Pakistan, Afghan migrants are facing lots of issues and the police of this country enter the houses of migrants and after arresting them, take them to jail, said Mohammad Omaid, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan.

Abdul Jabar Takhari, Consular of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, told Tolo News more than 120,000 Afghan migrants have left Pakistan.

"In this period more than 120,000 Afghan migrants left Pakistan and this process is continuing. We want the government of Pakistan to extend this process so the migrants are able to leave the country on a regular basis, said Abdul Jabar Takhari, Consular of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan.
Representational image from Wallpaper Cave

The Belt Road Initiative has entered a new phase and Pakistan has put a 'blind trust' on China over it.

During a visit to Chinas Belt and Road Forum last week, Pakistans caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar agreed on a number of agreements, but experts warned that financial constraints and security threats could still hinder the projects, ANI reported quoting Nikkei Asia.

Kakar while meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping called Pakistans partnership with the worlds No. 2 economy made in heaven.

We will always stand with China and trust you blindly, Kakar was quoted as saying by ANI.

The biggest move was an agreement to start work on the long-awaited Main Line 1 (ML-1) railway project, a plan to upgrade over 1,700 kilometres of track between Karachi and Peshawar. All told, the two sides signed 20 pacts and memoranda of understanding on a range of plans, according to Moin ul-Haq, Pakistans envoy to Beijing, as per Nikkei Asia, quoted by ANI.

Other endeavours include a USD 1.5 billion investment by the United Energy Group of China to boost Pakistans refinery capacity, along with a project to turn the Khunjerab Pass, a trade route between the neighbours that closes in winter due to snow, into an all-weather border.
COLORADO - A prominent mountain situated to the southwest of Denver has been renamed as a part of a countrywide initiative to acknowledge and address past injustices against Native Americans.

The decision by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names was...
The Oklahoma Supreme Court, in a 6-3 vote, declined to hear a case on Monday challenging the state legislators decision to renew tribal agreements without the governors approval. The legal challenge was initiated by a conservative organizati...
President Biden has expressed his intention to put forth Sara Hill (Cherokee) as a nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Hill marks President Bidens fourth judicial nomination of a Native American. If she se...
Dozens of states sued Instagram parent Meta on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of harming young users' mental health.

Credit: Canva

What happened?

In a significant legal action, 30 U.S. states have collectively filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of social media giant Facebook, over what they assert are "addictive" features within Meta's platforms that have detrimental effects on the health and well-being of children and young users.

Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens," the lawsuit from the states said.

"Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms."

The lawsuit also points to accounts hosted on both Facebook and Instagram that are child-oriented, including those for toys like Hot Wheels and Lego and television programs like PAW Patrol and Bluey.

Users under 13 are required to submit parental consent to create an account on both Facebook and Instagram, but the lawsuit claimed that Meta collects personal information about users under the age limit who haven't provided the required permission.



Unsplash

Where and when?

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California on Tuesday.



Why is it harming children's mental health?

"Meta has profited from children's pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem," said Letitia James, the attorney general for New York, one of the states involved in the federal suit. "Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis, and they must be held accountable."

Metas design choices and practices take advantage of and contribute to young users susceptibility to addiction, the complaint reads. "They exploit psychological vulnerabilities of young users through the false promise that meaningful social connection lies in the next story, image, or video and that ignoring the next piece of social content could lead to social isolation."

AFP

How has Meta reacted?

Meta Platforms has said that it is committed to keeping youths safe online and has introduced more than 30 tools to support them and their families.

"We're disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path," Meta Platforms said in a statement.

Who flagged these concerns?

In 2021, former Meta employee Frances Haugen emerged as a whistleblower with allegations that the company was knowingly preying on vulnerable young people to boost profits. He revealed an internal study at Instagram, which found evidence that many adolescent girls using the photo-sharing app were suffering from depression and anxiety around body-image issues.

In the lawsuit, Haugen's testimony to Congress has also been cited.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


As diplomatic tensions linger between India and Canada, a notable step was taken on Wednesday when India resumed its visa services in the North American country. This move follows India's recent announcement of its intention to restart visa services for Canadians soon, signifying potential diplomatic progress amid strained relations.

When did India stop visa services to Canada?

screenshot

More than a month ago, India stopped providing visas to Canadians after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada suggested a potential link between the Indian government and the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.



India had also requested that Canada reduce its diplomatic presence in the country.

Now, India has restarted visa services in Canada for various categories, such as entry visas, business visas, medical visas, and conference visas, as per a statement from the High Commission of India in Ottawa.

On Sunday, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar explained that India took this action due to concerns about continuous interference in its "domestic matters" by Canadian personnel.

While acknowledging that the relationship between India and Canada is facing challenges, Jaishankar indicated that India is considering resuming visa services for Canadians soon.

The decision to continue these services will depend on improvements in the safety and security of Indian diplomats in Canada.

His remarks underscore the Indian government's firm stance on the issue of diplomatic equality, particularly in light of recent support for Canada from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Unsplash

In response, Canada has withdrawn 41 diplomats from India and suspended visa and consular services in its consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. These services are currently provided exclusively at the Canadian High Commission in Delhi.



Why did the India-Canada tension begin?

Last month, tensions escalated between the two nations after Trudeau suggested the "potential" involvement of Indian authorities in killing Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

It's important to note that India had previously classified Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India vehemently refuted these allegations, deeming them "absurd" and "motivated."

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.


The former first lady of Rivers state, Eberechi Wike, has advocated for the amputation of people found guilty of defiling minors.

Justice Wike, who is also the wife of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, opined that perpetrators of the dire act should be amputated.

She led this out on Tuesday during the 2nd National Conference of Family Court Judges, Magistrates, and other Family Court Practitioners in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Eberechi argued that the current punishment is not heavy enough, adding that the move will deter sexual offenders from molesting minors.

READ MORE: I Lost My Virginity In My Fathers House When I Was Barely 14  Cynthia Morgan Reveals

According to the her, society should step up punishments for people who defile children beyond life imprisonment or a 14-year jail term.

She said: We should do much more. I think we should do something that will be really drastic, that will make them think twice before they do that.

I cannot think of anything better than having legislation that whatever it is that whatever part of your body you use on a child while defiling the child, that part should be cut off. If it is your finger, if it is your mouth, if it is your private part.

I think men will take it more seriously when you come up with such legislation. I hope a man in the House of Reps or Senate sponsors a bill like that.
Popular Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, better known as Sunday Igboho, on Tuesday, said the recent outburst of an Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, on the appointment of some Christians into strategic positions by President Bola Tinubu was aimed at re-securing his negotiation contract with bandits under the current administration.

Recall that Gumi, during one of his sermons a few days ago, attacked Tinubu for appointing Southern Christians into key positions, vowing to ensure that he (Tinubu) does not secure a second term in office.

The cleric also accused the President of allegedly using the North to get to the Presidency only to pursue an agenda aimed at dealing with and decimating the political influence of the region.

Adeyemo, in a personally signed statement forwarded to The Punch in Ibadan, Oyo State, however, warned Gumi to desist from fanning the ember of disunity in Nigeria with his inflammatory statements, which he claimed are capable of causing disaffection among the citizenry.

READ ALSO: Yoruba Nation Agitator, Sunday Igboho Regains Freedom In Benin After Two Years

Igboho said, We know Gumis pedigree and his antics. Before the advent of Tinubu, individuals like him should have been explaining their roles to the security agencies on the festering insurgency in the northern parts of the country.

While we will continue to advocate for an egalitarian society, we cannot fold our arms and allow Gumi to heat up the polity through his careless, destructive and inciting statements via his preachings. Nigerias security as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution must not be abused by anybody no matter how highly or lowly placed.

We are not advocates for the Federal Government, but we remain part of critical stakeholders in Nigerias project, hence the need to drum sanity and decorum into the ears of anybody with traces of tendencies for religious fanaticism.

For peace to reign supreme, it is incumbent on all and sundry to desist from any act that triggers mutual suspicion, distrust and needless crisis among Nigerians.

He said Tinubus choice of his ministers and their activities should not be used as a decoy by anybody to seek reckoning or discreet threat to get the job of negotiating with bandits and terrorists like Gumi did under the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has reiterated his commitment to fix Abuja.

The minister made this known on Tuesday, during a meeting with the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ),Chris Isiguzo.

He warned people thinking he would soon calm down to have a change of heart.

Wike stated that the FCT Minister of State have the political will to take steps against defaulters of ground rents in the territory and ensure such persons offset their outstanding liabilities.

READ MORE: No Tax Clearance Certificate, No Transaction, Wike Tells FCT Residents

He said: Abandonment of projects as far as the FCT is concerned is a thing of the past. This would not have been possible without the president exiting us from the TSA. As I speak to you, I can tell you how much we have been able to save from the IGR. There will be continuous funding of FCTA projects.

Some people are saying what we are doing is initial gragra, but I want to say that at the end of the day, something will happen. We will step on toes because you cannot have governance without stepping on toes. I did not make the laws but I and my colleague, the Minister of State have the political will to enforce the laws.

Security has improved in the FCT. Security agencies have been working around the clock to ensure that the environment remains safe. For instance, in the issue of one-chance, we set up a joint task force and they have been working round the clock, since then no incidence has been recorded.
Operatives of the 8 Division Garrison, on Tuesday, neutralised some terrorists and recovered weapons in Sokoto State.

In a statement disclosed by the director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said that the troops launched a carefully planned offensive operation into Tukandu village, targeting a notorious group of terrorists, responsible for various atrocious activities in the area.

READ MORE: Troops Kill Suspected IPOB Member, Arrest Fleeing Jos Prison Escapee In Enugu

The statement reads: In a discreet operation against marauding terrorists in Sokoto State, troops of 8 Division Garrison today Tuesday, October 24, 2023, launched a carefully planned offensive operation into Tukandu Village, targeting a notorious group of terrorists, responsible for various atrocious and heinous activities in the general area.

The troops fierce onslaught terminated many of the terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds. In the following mop up operations, troops recovered three AK-47 Rifles, one PKT Gun, 125 rounds of 7.62 mm Special ammunition, 2 Rocket propelled Gun Bombs and 9 motorcycles. 

He said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja lauded the troops, charging them to remain resolute and continue to escalate their operations against the terrorists.
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, were allegedly detained by students of the Federal College of Forestry, Jericho, Ibadan.

According to The Nation, an unidentified source claimed that the EFCC operatives were in the school to arrest suspected internet fraudsters.

The operatives were said to have been locked in the hostel as the students mobilise to resist any operation.

The lockup, it was gathered, made the EFCC call for Police backup to help secure the release of the operatives.

The source said, The information I gathered is that EFCC came to arrest a student at the Federal College of Forestry, Jericho, Ibadan.

The students detained the EFCC operatives and called on the Chief Security Officer of the school who later took the officials to a meeting in the school board room.

The students were all over the place which made the EFCC operatives call for Police back up into the school. Those (the police) were the ones shooting sporadically to scare the students and get them off the EFCC officers back.

READ ALSO: EFCC Denies Issuing Arrest Warrant On Loan Defaulters

According to another account of the incident, the EFCC operatives were misled by a suspect under investigation to evade arrest.

The source said, It was a member of staff that the EFCC operatives came for. The staff is under investigation by the EFCC and claimed to be a staff of the College.

The EFCC operatives had picked him up at FRIN but he led them to the College on the pretext that he is a staff of the College.

On getting to the College, he apparently played on their intelligence by leading them to the student hostel area, maybe in a bid to evade arrest.

But when the students saw the EFCC operatives on campus and around the hostel, armed with guns, they were surprised and quickly mobilised and locked the entrances of the hostel.

So, after they were detained, they had to get in touch with the school Chief Security Officer (CSO) and other top management staff.

In fact, it was DSS officials that came to rescue the detained EFCC operatives. A woman drove the DSS van and smashed the entrance gate padlock with the butt of her gun.

The lady drove with one hand and was shooting into the air with the other. The case has been reported at the Police Headquarters, Eleyele Ibadan.

However, all the sources explained that the situation which led to a slight pandemonium within the College premises saw many students and staff scampering for safety while the shooting lasted.

The sources confirmed that a truce was later brokered when the students, after the persuasion by the school authority, released the EFCC operatives who were later hosted to a meeting at the school board room.
Shettima Yerima, the National Leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has expressed concerns that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was once a pro-democracy activist, is no longer the same, with his role as Nigerias President.

According to Yerima, those who were pro-democracy activists alongside the President in the past have reservations about his current position.

The former Youth Director of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which opposed the late General Sani Abachas military regime in the early 90s, mentioned that, judging by the current policies of the All Progressives Congress administration, he hopes that President Tinubu has not fallen under the influence of the traditional Aso Rock Cabal, as observed in the previous regime.

He expressed doubt regarding some of the Presidents appointments that appear to prioritize older individuals over the youth.

Some of us now have our reservations about the President. The Bola Tinubu that I know and that I once worked in the trenches is a totally different person now. I hope its not what I am thinking, and I dont want to believe that he would be hijacked by the same characters.

READ ALSO: Cervical Cancer: Nigeria Set To Vaccinate 7.7m Girls

I expect that by the coming of Tinubu, certain things would have happened where he would begin to believe in this present generation than the old men of the past who had worked with him and the same people coming back tactically behind the doors. Some of them have a lot of influence on the government. I hope that he will not allow himself to be carried away.

He should learn from what happened to his predecessor. I hope he will be remembered positively because my prayers are that this present government that I ascribed as our government should live up to expectations.

I have my reasons when I said its our government. It is our government because its a product of our struggle. Even though I have worked closely with him and recently, from a far distance, I still relate very well to him. I am one of those behind the scenes with my counterpart, Muhajid Asari Dokubo, making statements for Tinubus presidency.

The youth leader admonished the President to learn from former President Muhammadu Buhari, who surrounded himself with those who caged him while presiding over the affairs of the country between 2015 and 2023.
The United States (U.S.) District Court of Columbia has declined a request to force the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to release information on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

An American, Aaron Greenspan had filed the emergency motion seeking to compel the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), the Department of State, FBI, IRS, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the CIA to immediately release the documents following the Nigerian Supreme Courts hearing of appeals from the Peoples Democratic Partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Partys Peter Obi against Tinubu.

Greenspan, the founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Think Computer Corporation, an Information Technology consulting service pleaded for a quick release of the documents because they needed to be presented at the Supreme Court.

He told the court that the Supreme Court deliberately moved the hearing of the appeals by Atiku and Obi to October 23 to render his suit before the US court nugatory.

He had asked that the documents on Tinubu be released to him latest October 31.

Declining the request, Beryl Howell, the judge, said Greenspan did not meet the preconditions for granting a request of that nature.

Howell said: Plaintiff has failed even to attempt to argue how his request may overcome those exemptions and achieve a likelihood of success on the merits.

READ ALSO: State Assemblies Workers To Begin Strike On Wednesday Over Demand For Financial Autonomy

This failure to address this important factor in his Emergency Motion weighs strongly in favour of denying his motion.

Plaintiff falls far short of satisfying this standard. He has not supplied the court with any indication of a concrete, actual threat that he will suffer in the absence of an injunction.

While his Emergency Motion states that a Nigerian Supreme Court hearing is scheduled to occur in the coming days, plaintiff cites no injury he will suffer that is in any way traceable to the relief requested in this motion.

The judge added that the request may be of a highly sensitive and private nature and that the subject of those documents, Bola A. Tinubu, has had no opportunity to protect his privacy interests in any such records.

For the foregoing reasons, it is hereby ORDERED that plaintiffs Emergency Motion for a Hearing to Compel Immediate Document Production, ECF No. 17 is DENIED. SO ORDERED, the judge said.

Greenspan had accused the law enforcement agencies of violating the freedom of information act by not releasing the confidential information within the stipulated time.

He said the documents related to purported federal investigations into President Tinubu and one Mueez Adegboyega Akande, who is now deceased.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has declared the readiness of the Nigerian military to ensure the peaceful and democratic conduct of the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa States.

Musa made this commitment during the visit of the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

He also emphasized that the military would not tolerate intimidation or violence during the elections in the three states.

According to him, efforts had been put in place to maintain peace and security before, during, and after the electoral exercise.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) scheduled the gubernatorial elections in these states for Saturday, November 11, 2023.

While urging all stakeholders to work together to ensure a peaceful, non-violent election, Musa stressed the importance of preventing loss of life due to political participation and encouraged a collaborative approach to achieving free and peaceful elections that reflect the peoples will.

He said, We are also prepared for the coming elections in the three states of Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states. I want to ensure that the elections go on democratically, without any fear or intimidation.

READ ALSO: Gov. Soludo Threatens To Sack Anambra Market, Motor Park Leaders Over Touts Activities

We dont want any violence. I want to appeal to all stakeholders that it does nobody any good if anybody is killed because we have to go and vote. So it is important that we all put hands on deck. We will make sure that the elections are free and they are peaceful so that the results can also bring out what people want.

The Chief of Defence Staff also disclosed that the federal government had allocated special funds to treat soldiers injured in various theatres of operations across the country, which would boost troop morale. He expressed gratitude for the improved funding of the armed forces, recognizing the challenges they face due to limited funding.

Gen. Musa urged the Minister of Defence to sign the harmonized terms and conditions of service.

He assured that despite the wave of military coups in West Africa, the Nigerian military remains fully committed to protecting the nations democracy.
Eddie Irizarry's aunt, Ana Cintron, making a statement on behalf of the family after leaving the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice on Wednesday, when criminal charges against former Philadelphia Police Officer Mark Dial were reinstated by a Common Pleas Court judge. Read more

A Philadelphia judge on Wednesday reinstated all charges, including first-degree murder, against the now-fired city police officer who fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry in Kensington this past summer.

The decision by Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom means that the prosecution of Mark Dial will now proceed to trial, an outcome that had been uncertain after another judge  Municipal Court Judge Wendy Pew  dismissed all charges after a preliminary hearing last month.

The development marks the latest chapter in the controversial case  one that has led to rallies and demonstrations at which Irizarrys relatives have called for justice. Dials supporters, meanwhile, have contended that his actions did not amount to a crime.

The case has attracted intense interest from community members, clergy leaders, and some elected officials. And after Pew dismissed charges last month, there were also numerous instances of burglaries and vandalism at businesses throughout the city  crimes that police were quick to say had been committed by criminal opportunists seeking to take advantage of the uproar over the case.

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On Wednesday, prosecutors told Ransom they believed Pew erred when she ruled that they hadnt presented enough evidence to substantiate murder charges against Dial. They also said Pew was wrong to have considered the contentions of Dials lawyers that his actions were justified, saying such issues should be argued at a possible trial  not at a preliminary hearing.

There is no doubt ... that Mark Dial did something horribly wrong, said Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco, adding that any disputed facts about how and why he shot Irizarry  and whether he should be convicted for it  were questions for a jury to consider.

Dials lawyers, meanwhile, reiterated what they have said since the shooting happened Aug. 14: Dials shooting of Irizarry  who was holding a knife inside his car  was a tragedy, but not a crime.

This isnt a murder case. It never was, said Brian McMonagle, insisting that Dial fired because he believed Irizarry had been holding a gun, and he was afraid for his safety.

Ransom said the dueling interpretations showed the need for the case to go to trial. She ordered Dial jailed without bail until then, as is typical for people charged with first-degree murder. Dial was immediately taken into custody from the courtroom.

McMonagle said afterward that he was extremely disappointed in the ruling but would be prepared to put the case before a jury. He said he planned to ask for jurors to be selected from outside the city, saying he believed panelists should be chosen from a place where the governing officials of the city arent speaking out against Dial.

Irizarrys relatives, meanwhile, said they were relieved that the case had been revived. Irizarrys father, also named Eddie Irizarry, said accountability should apply to everyone.

Were all humans. But when we make mistakes, we have to put our chest up and accept that we have to pay for those mistakes. Good or bad, he said in Spanish.

Zoraida Garcia, Irizarrys aunt, said she stepped out before Ransom announced her ruling, overwhelmed with the emotion of dealing with the hell of the past two months. But afterward, part of the weight was lifted, Garcia said.

Im feeling great, she said. Theres still steps that we have to take, but as of right now, hes where he belongs.

What happened in the shooting?

Dial, 27, a five-year veteran of the force, shot and killed Irizarry, 27, as he sat in his car in Kensington. Police said Irizarry had been driving erratically, including by swerving into a bike lane and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. And they initially said Irizarry had lunged at Dial with a knife, leading the officer to shoot him.

But video  including footage captured on Dials bodycam  showed that wasnt true: Irizarry was in his car, with the windows rolled up and a knife in his hand, when Dial opened fire within seconds of getting out of his police cruiser.

On Aug. 23, then-Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said she was suspending Dial with intent to dismiss him from the force for refusing to cooperate with the departments internal investigation into the shooting.

About two weeks after that, District Attorney Larry Krasners office charged Dial with crimes including first- and third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated assault.

Prosecutors had alleged that Dials partner yelled knife before Dial opened fire, and that because he emerged from his police car with his gun drawn, and then fired within five seconds, he should be charged with murder.

But Dials lawyers have said the officer thought his partner yelled gun, and that Dials shooting of Irizarry was justified under state law, which allows police to use deadly force to protect themselves or others from a threat of death or serious injury.

Pew, the Municipal Court judge who presided over Dials preliminary hearing, said she agreed with that argument when she moved to dismiss all charges against Dial last month.

Prosecutors immediately appealed that decision, setting the stage for Wednesdays hearing before Ransom.

During the proceeding, Retacco said it was simply not true that Dials partner, Michael Morris, had yelled gun. At Dials preliminary hearing, she said, Morris repeatedly testified that he had warned Dial that Irizarry was holding a knife.

It wasnt until he was cross-examined by McMonagle that Morris said it was fair to suggest that an audio recording of the events made it sound as if someone had yelled gun before Dial opened fire.

And in either case, Retacco said, such a critical factual dispute was not a matter to be decided at this early stage of the case.

We cant litigate that at a preliminary hearing, she said.

The case has sparked ongoing protests

The atmosphere in Ransoms courtroom was tense, with supporters of both Dial and Irizarry and members of the media packing gallery benches as lawyers awaiting other cases stood along the courtroom walls.

In the hours before the hearing, about a dozen protesters held a banner outside the courthouse that read Justice For Eddie, End Police Brutality, and, in Spanish, Not one more.

The people have seen the footage, theyve seen the video. And people feel as though theres an ample amount of evidence to understand that Mark Dial committed cold-blooded murder and that Eddies family needs justice. So were here to say were not going to accept another dismissal, said Xiomara Torres, of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, one of the organizing groups.

Irizarrys father, wearing a shirt with a photo of his son, said before the judges ruling that he felt anxious and hoped that Ransom would apply the law in the case against Dial in the same way she applied it to everyone else.

Dial, he said, didnt kill a criminal. He killed an innocent young man.
A still from "Between Earth & Sky," directed by Andrew Nadkarni. The short documentary screens at the Philadelphia Film Festival this week. Read more

Filmmaker Andrew Nadkarnis earliest memory of his aunt is of her visit to his elementary school, the School in Rose Valley. It was no regular career presentation: Nalini Nadkarni arrived with mountain climbing gear and took the kids outside. The ecologist used her own slingshot-like invention to rig a rope on a 15-foot-tall tree branch and climbed up the trunk. It was a small-scale demonstration of the 200-foot vertical journeys she braves to study canopy ecosystems all over the world.

I was always looking up at her. Heres this superhero. Magnetic, shiny, not afraid, you know, this perfect explorer and adventurer, Andrew, who grew up in Media, told The Inquirer.

As a middle schooler, he raved about Nalini appearing in Playboy  she was named on a list of the most interesting college professors  and as student council president of his high school, Wynnewoods Friends Central, he invited her to speak to his peers.

Nalini Nadkarni went on to create a TreeTop Barbie to encourage young brown girls to pursue science, win awards for her pioneering research, land a biology professor job at the University of Utah, and earn the moniker Queen of the Forest Canopy.

But it wasnt until much later that Andrew learned what pushed Nalini to begin escaping into treetops in the first place.

In 2020, Andrew was filming Nalini for a short documentary about her exploration, focusing on her recovery from a nearly fatal fall in 2015 that broke her back and ribs. In their interviews, Nalini opened up to her nephew about healing physically, and how that process made her face older, deeper wounds.

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I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old, taking this very solemn oath, Nalini says to Andrew in his 2023 film, Between Earth & Sky, screening at the Philadelphia Film Festival this week. When I grow up, I want to do something that protects trees. Something that pays them back for the sanctuary that they gave to me as a kid.

Nalini grew up in Bethesda, Md. a leafy suburb of Washington, D.C. as one of five kids. She was sexually abused by her father and forced to keep it a secret from her siblings and mom. That violence led her to spend hours outdoors, looking for comfort in nature. She found it in her neighborhoods maple trees.

The trees were there as my witness, Nalini tells her nephew in the film. They were dependable. You could trust them.

This was a horrific truth that Andrew didnt expect to excavate while filming. He was a baby when his grandfather died. I didnt know my grandfather, but I thought of him as this noble, sort of upstanding citizen, a moral authority, he said. That image shattered, he wanted to investigate further. With Nalinis permission, he began talking to his father  a doctor at CHOP  and other relatives.

I was like, What is going on here? Am I being the therapist for my family?  said Andrew. I was trying to echolocate my own understanding of who I am and where I came from.

That footage isnt part of Between Earth & Sky, Andrews directorial debut. The film centers Nalinis enormous resilience and infectious Ms. Frizzle energy around scientific discoveries.

Andrew is heartened that the family has supported him, Nalini, and his film.

Everyone was ready and understanding of how brave it was for Nalini to share this, he said. He recalls holding hands with Nalini as they attended the first screening together. Despite all of the risks  the family has embraced the film and is happy that its out there, even though there are difficult truths that are shared.

Nalini was hesitant when the documentary began showing at film festivals. It took a few times before she could see that she would not be a subject of shame or judgment for sharing her story. Her openness connected with viewers. Last week, the National Geographic Society named Nalini an Explorer at Large, the highest distinction within the organization.

In the film, Nalini climbs her favorite tree, an over-200-feet-tall strangler fig in Monteverde, Costa Rica, named. Figuerola. Despite the fall a few years ago, she expresses feeling cozy, at home among the canopy. That day, Andrew joined her to capture the lush, rare view so high up. There was a slight hiccup: He stopped at the wrong branch, lower than where they planned. The result was a low angle with the camera viewing Nalini through the leaves.

Its Andrews favorite scene. Hes always looking up at her.

Between Earth & Sky screens at Philadelphia Film Festival as part of its live action shorts program. It will be shown on Wednesday Oct. 25 at 3:45 p.m. and on Saturday Oct. 28 at noon. On Saturday, director and producer Andrew Nadkarni will participate in a Q&A session. The documentary is also available to watch on PBS. Itll also play at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival next month.
The Philly Chef Conference has drawn high-profile chefs and food journalists to Philadelphia for an annual meeting of the minds for 10 years. Hosted by Drexel Universitys hospitality management department, the conference was anchored by chef-driven panels and Q&As that dissected hot topics and emerging themes in the restaurant industry. It was founded in 2013 by Mike Traud, a lawyer-turned-chef-turned-instructor who organized the event as Drexels hospitality management program director.

Things will be a little different in 2024: Come April, there will be an entirely new conference, though it will feature familiar faces and formats. This event, simply called the Chef Conference, is not affiliated with Drexel. Instead, its sponsored by Visit Philadelphia and the American Express-owned reservation website Resy. And while many of its discussions will still take place in University City, venues citywide are getting involved  including top restaurants like Friday Saturday Sunday, Palizzi Social Club, and Her Place Supper Club.

The split from Drexel may be due in part to the fact that admissions to the schools hospitality management program have been paused as of fall 2022. University spokeswoman Niki Gianakaris said the pause is a response to market demands. (Drexels culinary science and food science departments are unaffected and remain a strong component of our academic portfolio, Gianakaris said.)

Gianakaris noted that the Philly Chef Conference, which is a Drexel trademark, will continue. We are evaluating the design of the conference and expect to make an announcement regarding our plans later this fall, she said in a statement.

No longer employed at Drexel, Traud sees opportunities for the new Chef Conference. Hes expanded the conferences schedule to four days, from April 12 to 15, and has finagled a star-studded lineup that includes Top Chefs Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, Brooklyn Brewerys Garrett Oliver, chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern, New York Times journalist Kim Severson, and local luminaries like Ellen Yin, Michael Solomonov, and Chad Williams, to name a handful. (Former Inquirer food editor and Bon Appetit editor Jamila Robinson is also slated to attend.) He estimates tickets will run around $300, a roughly $50 increase on the cost of last years industry-only tickets.

Unfettered by academic bureaucracy, the Chef Conference will also feature consumer-facing dinners and chef residencies, Traud said, touting a yet-to-be-confirmed international chef. Thats a marked difference from previous years, when the conference  while open to the public  almost exclusively served as a forum for conversation among industry professionals.

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Bringing in outside chefs is wonderful to engage in conversation, but theres also the opportunity to allow them to present their food and serve our general public, Traud said.

That change is one reason Visit Philadelphia is co-sponsoring the event, financially and with the full force of its marketing channels. Chief communications officer Alethia Calbeck said Visit Philadelphia has always been a champion of the Philly Chef Conference under the Drexel banner, but leapt at the chance to throw its weight behind this new entity.

When we look at motivations to travel to Philadelphia, our culinary scene always ranks as one of the top drivers ... The Chef Conference expanding and opening up to consumers as well really set up a nice opportunity for us, Calbeck said. Knowing that Philly can stand as this convener of both national and global culinary talent and become a place where people talk about whats next in food  thats an exciting proposition to be able to offer as part of the visitor experience here.

The tourism organization sees the new conference as a destination-defining opportunity, Calbeck said. There really isnt a comparison to any other event in the food space.

Esquire editor Jeff Gordinier, who has appeared at the Philly Chef Conference and will appear at the Chef Conference, agreed the event is unique.

There are many food conferences. For some reason, this one stands out. People enjoy it. And believe it or not, thats rare, Gordinier said. Part of the reason thats true is because the Philadelphia food scene itself is so exciting.

Gordinier also cited Trauds knack for organizing forward-looking panel discussions. There are a lot of conferences that look backward or embrace a kind of stasis  they bring in chefs who are extremely well-known but represent the establishment. And this conference brings in some of those chefs, but it also brings in folks who represent the cutting edge, he said.

While the Chef Conference is technically brand-new, you can expect that tradition to continue in its programming. Traud polls industry contacts throughout the year about who theyd like to see speak and what topics theyre interested in. Hes still finalizing details, but he has settled on three main panels for 2024: equality in the bar and beverage industry, motherhood in the restaurant industry, and sobriety in the restaurant industry.

Thats the beauty of this conference. Its always a challenge for me to put together this puzzle, collect all these pieces and topics, and see how they all fit and how it all comes together, he said.

Ticket sales for the Chef Conference start Dec. 1-4 for previous attendees. Theyll be available to the public starting Dec. 5 at www.thechefconference.com.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court. The judge in Trump's civil fraud trial has fined the former president $10,000. The judge says Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers. Read more

NEW YORK  Donald Trump was abruptly called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after the judge in his civil fraud trial said the former president had violated a gag order. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.

Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about a person whos very partisan sitting alongside the judge.

Engoron had already ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff. That restriction from Oct. 3 followed a Trump social media post that maligned the judges principal law clerk, who sits next to him.

Trump and his lawyers insisted that his comment Wednesday was not about the clerk. They said he was referring to Michael Cohen, a former Trump attorney who had been testifying.

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Engoron said Trumps claim was not credible, noting that he sat closer to the clerk than to Cohen.

The idea that the statement would refer to the witness, Engoron said, doesnt make any sense to me.

Five days earlier, Trump had been fined $5,000 after Engoron learned that the offending social media post from early October had lingered on Trumps campaign website for weeks after being taken down  on the judges orders  from Trumps Truth Social media platform.

Then, on Wednesday, the Republican presidential front-runner complained in a courthouse hallway that Engoron, a Democrat, is a very partisan judge, with a person whos very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

Under oath on the witness stand, Trump told the judge that the remark was aimed at you and Cohen.

But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. I think shes very biased against us. I think weve made that clear, Trump said during his roughly two minutes on the stand.

Three of Trumps lawyers objected to the $10,000 fine, and they reiterated Trumps claim that the clerk was partial.

Not long after he was fined and moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning Cohen, Trump stood up and walked out of the courtroom, trailed by his son Eric. Donald Trump has attended the trial voluntarily, and he can leave whenever he likes.

The episodes raise questions about whether Trump can abide by court directives that are aimed at reining in his rhetoric while respecting his free speech rights as he campaigns to return to the White House.

Last week in Washington, the judge in Trumps federal election interference criminal case imposed a gag order barring public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkans order came after prosecutors raised concerns that Trumps remarks could inspire his supporters to threaten or harass his targets.

Chutkan temporarily lifted the order Friday so she could consider a defense request to pause the restrictions while Trump appeals it.

In the New York case, Cohen returned to the witness stand on Wednesday as the defense team tried to undermine his credibility and question his motives.

After a decade of working as Trumps fixer, Cohen came under federal scrutiny and broke with his boss in 2018. Cohen soon pleaded guilty to and went to prison for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trumps campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who denied it.

Cohen became an outspoken Trump foe and a key witness in the New York trial, which stems from a lawsuit brought by the states attorney general, Letitia James. She alleges that Trump habitually exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting him for partisan reasons.

Cohen testified Tuesday that he and other executives at Trumps company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employers holdings so his financial statements would match a net worth that Trump had set arbitrarily.

On cross-examination Wednesday, Trump lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him, and asked whether he had significant animosity toward Trump.

Do I have animosity toward him? Yes, I do, Cohen replied.

You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, havent you? Habba asked.

After a long pause, Cohen said, Yes.

Trumps lawyers also emphasized Cohens federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar. The defense pounced on Cohens testimony Tuesday that he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application falsehoods  rather, he maintained, his conduct was just a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.

Trump attorney Clifford Robert pressed Wednesday on whether Cohen also lied in congressional testimony in which he said he did not recall being asked by Trump to inflate Trumps net worth.

Cohen repeatedly declined to answer, but eventually said he stood by the earlier testimony. Robert said the states key witness was not credible and asked the judge immediately to issue a verdict in Trumps favor. Engoron denied the request, and soon Trump left the court.

After Cohens testimony wrapped up Wednesday, he said outside court that he had seen a defeated man when looking at Trump across the courtroom.

Trump, for his part, said Cohen was caught lying.

Trump is expected to testify later in the trial about the allegations in the lawsuit.
A University of Pennsylvania students death last year was caused in part by drinking a highly caffeinated beverage from a Panera Bread location in West Philadelphia, a newly filed lawsuit alleges.

Sarah Katz, 21, died in September 2022 after consuming a Charged Lemonade drink from the companys store at 40th and Walnut Streets, according to the complaint, which Philadelphia-based law firm Kline & Specter filed Monday in Common Pleas Court on behalf of the womans parents, Jill and Michael Katz. The drink contained up to 390 milligrams of caffeine in 30 fluid ounces, along with other stimulants and a high amount of sugar, making it akin to an energy drink, the complaint contends.

Katz was unable to safely consume highly caffeinated beverages due to a heart condition known as long QT syndrome type 1, which she had been diagnosed with as a child. Also called LQT1, the ailment can cause disruptions in the hearts activity and rhythm, resulting in potentially dangerous arrhythmias.

Doctors recommended Katz avoid energy drinks and other highly caffeinated beverages because those drinks can cause heart issues in people with LQT1 Syndrome. In addition to taking medication to manage her condition, Katz followed her physicians every recommendation and never knowingly consumed energy drinks, the lawsuit says.

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But Panera Bread failed to properly disclose the Charged Lemonades caffeine content, which contributed to Katzs death, the lawsuit alleges.

The company said in a statement that it was saddened to learn of Katzs death.

Our hearts go out to her family, a Panera Bread spokesperson said. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.

Katz consumed the Charged Lemonade from the companys West Philadelphia location on Sept. 10 last year, the lawsuit says. She suffered a cardiac arrest an unspecified amount of time later, and was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at the hospital after a second cardiac arrest.

According to the lawsuit, the caffeine content of Charged Lemonade can range from 260 milligrams in a 20-ounce drink to 390 milligrams in the 30-ounce size. The 30-ounce size has more caffeine and sugar than energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster, but was not advertised as an energy drink at the West Philadelphia location, the lawsuit alleges.

Instead, it was offered side-by-side with all of Paneras non-caffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks.

Additionally, the lawsuit says, Panera misrepresented the drink as plant-based and clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast Coffee. Panera Dark Roast Coffee, the suit says, ranges from 161 milligrams of caffeine in 12 ounces to 268 milligrams in 20 ounces.

According to a company spokesperson, the Charged Lemonade and the restaurants dark roast coffee have about the same caffeine by volume, but the two drinks are offered in different sizes. A large coffee is 20 ounces, while a large Charged Lemonade is 30 ounces.

The lawsuit alleges that Panera negligently and recklessly misrepresented the safety of the drink in their advertising, and knew that potential consumers would accept the material misrepresentations made ... as true and accurate. The company, the lawsuit says, engaged in negligent, reckless, intentional, fraudulent, reckless [sic] and/or outrageous misconduct that contributed to Katzs death.

The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages, as well as interest, court costs, and other relief as determined by the court. A jury trial has been sought in the case.

Sarah was killed by Paneras toxic super energy drink, attorney Elizabeth Crawford said. It shouldnt be sold, and if it is sold, it should have an adequate warning. The Katz family wants to prevent this tragedy from happening to someone else.
Meet Edmondo Crimi, owner of Best of France Antiques in Doylestown and the creator of VAMPA, a new museum of vampire and paranormal activity art.

Light and dark: The museum is about how art has been influenced by the battle between good and evil for over 400 years. Sucker punch: I believe in Christ. I believe in God. I dont like the devil. I want to punch him in the face.

I first spoke with Edmondo Crimi in July, when I was trying to get to the bottom of why some large dinosaur sculptures had suddenly appeared on the roof of a Center City high-rise.

Crimi, who has owned Best of France Antiques in Doylestown for 29 years, sold the sculptures and told me he still had a bunch left on his property. Then, he offered some information I was not expecting.

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I just got back from a six-day course on exorcisms in Rome, he said, and Im going to open a vampire and paranormal art museum in the fall.

For a conversation that began with dinosaurs, it certainly was taking an interesting turn.

Last week, I met Crimi and toured VAMPA (Vampire Art Museum and Paranormal Activity), the museum he has created on the first floor of his home, next to his eclectic antiques store.

A devout Catholic, Crimi has long been interested in how the battle between good and evil influences art. The museum  a project thats percolated in his head for years  will open Oct. 28.

The purpose of the museum is not in any way to glorify evil but to make people aware of evil so they can be hypervigilant in fighting it, he said.

I went in imagining the museum would be a room or two with paintings of angels and demons on the wall, but given the amount of times I said Oh, wow! and Thats creepy as hell! during the course of our interview (more than a dozen, according to my transcript), VAMPA clearly exceeded my expectations.

The museum spans eight ornate rooms and displays thousands of unusual objects and artwork related to demons, demonic possession, vampires, skeletons, witchcraft, creepy dolls, and angels. Crimi declined to reveal the worth of the collection but said most objects date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Theres a wooden rocking chair with human skeleton carvings that supposedly belonged to Vincent Price, more than 500 instruments for killing vampires (which were once believed to be demons), an exorcism chair, Ouija boards, a voodoo kit that allegedly belonged to Marie Laveau, dozens of paintings that will haunt your nightmares, and pieces Crimi believes are demonically possessed.

One refurbished closet is filled to the brim with dolls that would make Chucky shudder (and made two people faint, according to Crimi). Then theres a red basement door with peep holes, where you can look down and see a large statue of Baphomet, a horned pagan idol, awash in red light.

Some items are from Crimis personal collection, but many have been loaned to him by people who dont want them in their homes anymore. One of his favorite pieces is a wooden sculpture he calls La Casa Diablo that appears to show demons entering the gates of hell. Crimi said his cats wont go near it.

It was loaned to me by a couple who had a lot of negative experiences when they inherited this piece, he said. I blessed the entire case with holy water and were keeping it under this case the whole time.

The final room is dedicated to the Archangel Michael (Hes my guy, Crimi said), and unlike the other rooms in the museum, its well lit and features heavenly imagery.

This is like the purification room, Crimi said. I ended it with the Archangel Michael to show the power of good over evil.

Crimis big secret is that he designed the museum as a bait and switch.

I do not glorify the occult whatsoever, but people are fascinated by it, he said. So this gets the attention of younger people and hopefully it brings them in the right direction towards God and the light side. Thats how the museum ends, you know, really in a prayer towards God.

Crimi, 65, is a divorced father of three and a native of Brooklyn, where he grew up in an Italian Catholic family and developed a strong and unwavering faith.

Theres no doubt in my mind that demons exist and theres no doubt in my mind that God exists, he said. And theres no doubt in my mind that they both dont like each other.

A parishioner at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Lambertville, Crimi is also a karate and kendo instructor. He said hes taught martial arts to many priests and bishops, and has maintained friendships with them as a result.

Earlier this year, he was accepted to a course on exorcisms at the Sacerdos Institute in Rome, where he was one of the few lay people in attendance. Crimi said he has witnessed exorcisms (which are done by priests) and been involved in prayers of liberation (which can be done by laypeople) but declined to discuss details.

Ive seen it and its true and its no bulls, he said. Exorcism is really a beautiful operation trying to take a demon out of a person.

Crimi said his friends in the church havent had any issues with his museum. He said those who understand his faith recognize its purpose and others have told him its better to have these objects in his hands rather than out in the world, where they could be used for nefarious purposes.

Despite living among thousands of strange objects, some of which he said he has seen move on their own and others which he has heard go bump in the night, Crimi said he isnt afraid.

These are just items unless theyre used by people with bad intentions, he said.

VAMPA, located at 3686 Doylestown-Buckingham Pike, Doylestown, does not have a website yet. It opens Oct. 28 and will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through spring. Admission is $15 and the phone number is 215-345-4253.

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The National Guard arrives at Philadelphia City Hall amid civil unrest sparked by the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. in this October 2020 file photograph. Democratic nominee for mayor Cherelle Parker has said the Guard will be "part of the solution" in Kensington, where an open-air drug market has persisted for years. Read more

Democratic mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker may seek help from the National Guard to shut down the open-air drug market in Kensington, saying Monday that the Guard will be a part of the solution in the neighborhood long plagued by the opioid crisis and violence it fuels.

During a town hall event hosted by 6ABC, a city resident asked Parker how she plans to quell crime and wondered if she would ask for assistance from the National Guard, a part of the U.S. military tasked with responding to domestic emergencies.

Parker responded by speaking positively about the Guards presence in Philadelphia amid civil unrest in 2020 following multiple high-profile killings by police, saying people who live and do business in the city respected the peaceful nature in which we partnered with the National Guard.

Will I call on them to help us, for example, shut down the open-air drug market in Kensington thats being allowed to prevail? They will be a part of the solution, Parker said. What that looks like, Im going to have an experienced police commissioner whos going to define what that plan is.

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In a statement Tuesday, Parker added that her public health and safety plan includes a strong intergovernmental approach to address the crisis ongoing in Kensington and that she will convene a variety of agencies to ensure we put an end to the open-air drug market and drug use residents are being forced to live with.

Parkers comments came two weeks before the Nov. 7 general election, when shell take on Republican David Oh. Parker is heavily favored to become the next mayor, given that Democrats hold a nearly 7-1 voter registration advantage in the city.

The remarks were the latest example of the tough-on-crime tone she has taken throughout the campaign. Dispatching the National Guard to Philadelphia would represent a shift in how the city addresses drug sales and violence, and shows Parker is open to using more aggressive tactics than Mayor Jim Kenney.

 READ MORE: What is the Pennsylvania National Guard, and what does it do?

Parker has also said she supports the use of stop and frisk, a controversial law enforcement tactic that Kenney campaigned against. And she has rejected some progressive approaches that Kenney has supported, including the idea of supervised drug consumption sites, where people can use drugs in front of health providers and be revived if they overdose.

Kenney has firmly rejected activists and some elected officials who pushed his administration to call in the Guard amid record levels of gun violence, saying guardsmen are not capable or trained to do urban policing. Members of the Guard cant make arrests, and they are generally called upon to protect property or coordinate emergency response logistics.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, would need to authorize any mobilization of the National Guard. An administration spokesperson said Shapiro and Parker have broadly discussed partnering to address public safety in Philadelphia but are continuing to discuss specific strategies.

Parker would also need buy-in from her police commissioner, who has not yet been named. Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford took over the force last month after Commissioner Danielle Outlaw resigned. Parker is said to be considering Stanford and a handful of other candidates to be her top cop.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia residents reject using war-on-drugs-era policies to treat the opioid crisis, according to poll

National guardsmen in military fatigues and carrying rifles patrolled Philadelphia twice in 2020. The Guard was stationed in the city for about two weeks in June 2020 after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, which led to several days of intense civil unrest. Kenney said at the time that Philadelphia was in the middle of one of the biggest crises in the citys history.

More than 1,000 guardsmen came again in October 2020 after Philadelphia police fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr. They were stationed at about a dozen locations throughout the city, including in Kensington, and stayed for 10 days until after the November presidential election.

On Monday, Parker said its one of her key priorities to address the crisis in Kensington, which has long been the epicenter of the citys opioid crisis. Law enforcement officials have estimated that the drug trade in the neighborhood is a $1 billion enterprise.

Kenneys administration has tried a variety of strategies to alleviate overdoses, homelessness, and shootings in the neighborhood, including establishing a cross-departmental Opioid Response Unit and increasing quality-of-life investments in the neighborhood.

Parker said her administration would focus on long-term care, long-term treatment, and long-term housing.

If you give me the opportunity, Philadelphia, she said, Im going to use every ounce of my academic prowess, my lived life experience, along with my intergovernmental experience, to convene the right stakeholders together to make sure we address this issue in our city.
An aerial view rendering of the apartment building proposed for 5709 Cottage St. in Philadelphia's Wissinoming neighborhood. Read more

An 74-unit apartment building, dominated by two-bedroom units, is being proposed for the Wissinoming neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia.

The four-story structure at 5709 Cottage St. will include 43 parking spaces on its first floor, although egress for the vehicles will only be in the rear of the building.

We are camouflaging the parking towards the back of the site, said Kevin J. ONeill, of KJO Architecture, which is designing the building. It is set back a little bit from the street to align with the existing buildings.

The 92,613-square-foot structure, developed by Huntingdon Valley-based Olympia Holdings, would replace a functioning auto garage and some storage sheds. It is largely surrounded by single-family homes, as well as religious properties including the Mount Sinai Cemetery.

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Theres a mix of single-family and multifamily in this district already so we feel thats appropriate here, said ONeill.

The Wissinoming Civic Association returned to action after the COVID-19 pandemic only this month, so the neighborhood meeting for this project in advance of review by the citys advisory-only Civic Design Review board was held by the Frankford Community Development Corp., which did not return a request for comment.

That doesnt mean that Wissinoming residents lack opinions about Olympia Holdings proposal. Last month, at the neighborhood groups first meeting in over three years, attendees noted their concerns about parking and density. But civic leaders declined to debate the topic without a developer representative present.

Some longer-term residents are often concerned that new projects will make our whole area too busy and too built up, said John Nolen, head of the zoning committee for the Wissinoming Civic Association. Theres always a debate about where are they going to park? This areas full enough. Itll be for very short-term renters.

The building is being developed for market-rate rentals, and unlike most new apartment buildings will have 43 two-bedroom units, 18 one-bedrooms and 13 studios.

No commercial space is planned for the building. In a presentation package for consideration at the Civic Design Review committee, Olympia Holdings argues that the design allows for abundant access to daylight and fresh air.

Developers note that the long length of the building allows density while keeping a relatively narrow frontage on Cottage Street that wont be too out of place with the surrounding buildings, at least from the street view.

The ratio of one parking space for every two units also means that the buildings first floor wont be completely used for car storage.

We want to provide some parking wherever possible without making the building completely designed around the automobile, ONeill said. We try to make it pedestrian-friendly, minimize the impact of the automobile wherever possible, and emphasize safety.

Olympia Holdings faced substantial neighborhood pushback on another apartment project slated for an a different industrial site: the Nolen Building Materials lot in Germantown. But there neighbors have some leverage to push back before the citys Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The building on Cottage Street requires no zoning variances or review by the Historical Commission, so there are limited venues for concerned neighbors to push back.

I live in the area, and I have a business in the area, and Im all for things like this, Nolen said. But its not my place to convert the neighborhood.

The Civic Design Review committee is considering the building on Nov. 7.
The recent doubling of the nitrogen fertiliser price, and an expectation this will remain high for the foreseeable future, results in a need for farmers to look at alternative risk transfer solutions, Mehmet said. Nitrogen risk insurance is a world-first parametric product underpinned by over 20 years of sugarcane production research by the CSIRO and developed in partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. It performs without the need for expensive on-farm loss adjustment and covers sugarcane farmers for variations in their yield. This means farmers can apply lower levels of nitrogen fertiliser knowing that a reduced yield will be covered.
This is a huge milestone for Acquis and with Brians experience and expertise at the helm of the US operation, we are excited about what we can achieve in this market, Acquis CEO Nick Leader said. Earlier this year, Acquis was acquired by NSM Insurance Group, a global leader in specialty insurance, which has enabled us to bring forward our plans to launch in the US. When NSM acquired Acquis, they saw the potential of what we can achieve and have delivered the support and resources to help us launch swiftly into the market.
The victims in this case were primarily contractors and small business owners who were legally obligated to provide workers' compensation coverage for their employees to safeguard against work-related injuries. Additionally, they also sought and remitted payments to McCarroll for general liability policies, which were never obtained. The absence of these policies exposed the victims to potential uninsured claims and substantial financial losses.
All the parties to that table [need to] say were all agreeing to this process, to this smart contract - this is the way were going to trade on it. If one says no, and you only have the two parties, and you need the three, then it doesnt work.
Two New York hospitals that were hit with a cyberattack have resumed admitting emergency patients after shutting down their computer systems to investigate, hospital officials said.

The ambulance diversion ended Saturday night and the hospitals resumed admitting patients, hospital officials said.

Emergency stroke patients will still temporarily be taken to other area hospitals, the officials said.

The Westchester Medical Center Health Network, which runs the three facilities, said in a statement that the network`s IT experts shut down computer systems at the facilities Friday night and then started them back up, a process that is ongoing.

I want to applaud everyone at HealthAlliance Hospital, Margaretville Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center for all of their hard work and dedication while facing an incredibly difficult situation, helping us return to full operations sooner than expected while continuing to provide the best possible care for patients in our community, HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley CEO Josh Ratner said.

The investigation continues into the source of the attack, hospital officials said.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber New York Numbers
Federal authorities have released more details and unsealed charges in the theft of more than 2 million dimes earlier this year from a tractor-trailer that had picked up the coins from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.

The truck driver was bound for Miami when he pulled into a parking lot to sleep on April 13. During the night, thieves made off with a portion of its cargo of $750,000 in dimes, a shipment weighing about six tons, authorities had said earlier.

Thousands of coins were left scattered all over the lot in northeast Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that prosecutors contend that the theft  which they now say totaled $234,500 in stolen dimes  was part of a spree of robberies from tractor-trailers passing through the region that also netted the thieves frozen crab legs, shrimp, meat, beer and liquor.

Detectives said at the time that surveillance video showed six men, dressed in gray hoodies and armed with bolt cutters, approaching the truck in the middle of the night and breaking into it, then loading the coins into smaller bags and into a waiting truck.

The indictment unsealed Friday alleges that after the theft, thousands of dimes were converted into cash at coin machines in Maryland or through deposits to at least four different suburban Philadelphia banks, the newspaper reported.

Four Philadelphia men  25-year-old Rakiem Savage, 31-year-old Ronald Byrd, 30- year-old Haneef Palmer and 32-year-old Malik Palmer  face conspiracy, robbery, theft of government money and other charges.

Messages seeking comment on the charges were sent Monday to attorneys for Savage and Malik Palmer; court documents don`t list attorneys for Byrd and Haneef Palmer, and a message could not be left at a number listed for the latter.

Photo: The United States Mint is seen, March 1, 2002, in Philadelphia. Federal authorities, in an indictment unsealed on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, released more information and detailed charges in the theft of more than 2 million dimes earlier this year from a tractor-trailer that had picked up the coins from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Dan Loh, File)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Fraud Trucking
CFM International Inc. identified more aircraft engines and forged documents linked to the UK parts distributor behind an alleged scheme to sell aircraft components backed by forged records.

An extensive review by the engine-making joint venture of General Electric Co. and Frances Safran SA found that 145 engines in the global fleet have been fitted with bogus parts linked to London-based AOG Technics Ltd., a CFM spokesman said in a statement. More than half of the affected engines have been removed from service.

The updated tally marks an increase from the 126 affected engines previously identified by the partners earlier this month. The CFM56 powerplants are used in older Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 jets, still some of the most widely used aircraft in the global fleet.

The new findings were made after an exhaustive review of records supplied by AOG under a court order obtained by the CFM partners last month. The examination of those records has been completed, CFM said, a sign that the scandals scope is coming into clearer view. The latest update shows fewer than 1% of the 22,600 CFM56 engines in service today were affected, the engine-maker said.

We are closely working with CFM56 operators affected by unauthorized parts from AOG Technics while supporting the investigation to keep unapproved parts out of the global supply chain, CFM said in the statement. The company has shared the results of its review with aviation regulators in the US, Europe and UK.

The AOG scandal, first reported by Bloomberg in late August, has reverberated around the industry as the number of airlines finding the unapproved parts on their aircraft have grown. The incidents have affected carriers from Portugal to the US and as far as Australia, underscoring the global nature of the problem and the industrys effort to contain it.

The review also found 180 forged records in total, up from fewer than 100 previously.

GE established a task force to scour through the forged records and identify the parts that must be removed from affected airlines, GEs chief executive officer said.

We took this matter quite seriously, GE CEO Larry Culp said in an interview Tuesday after the company released third-quarter earnings. There has been nothing short of an extensive review of that documentation and were working with the airlines to remove the unauthorized parts from their engines.

Major carriers including Delta Air Lines Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. have found and removed suspect parts sold by AOG from their fleets. So too have carriers in Europe and Asia.

CFM, GE and Safran are working on internal changes to curb the risk of similar episodes in the future. The companies also plan to work with others in the industry on long-term actions in order to prevent other bad actors from passing off forged airworthiness records in the future, the CFM spokesman said.

Photograph: Workers repair a jet engine at a GE aviation engine overhaul facility in Petropolis, Brazil. Photo credit: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images

Related:

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.
Business as usual is rare right now inside the companies that power Israels $520 billion economy, as leaders try to keep operations going while offering emotional and other support to workers.

The realities of the Israel-Hamas war are upending not only the everyday logistics of running a company, but the lives of executives and their employees. Many are dealing with the trauma of the Hamas attack, including the death of friends or loved ones. Some offices have lost significant portions of their workforce to the army reserves.

Even working side-by-side is a challenge at many firms, given that schools have been closed and some employees prefer to remain home. Some business leaders told Bloomberg News that they were providing workers with access to safe rooms and child care, while reassigning projects and managing other operational hurdles.

In Gaza, the business community has all but come to a halt, as half the population contends with evacuation orders and the entire Strip remains subject to ongoing aerial bombardments from Israel. Several dozen trucks of emergency aid have been trickling in.

Itai Ben-Zaken, co-founder and chief executive officer of Honeycomb Insurance in Tel Aviv, has allowed his 35 employees to work from home since the fighting began, similar to moves announced by bigger employers in the region, like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. For those who do come into the office, theres a large safe room.

Ben-Zaken also conducted one-on-one calls with all of his employees soon after the violence erupted to see what they needed and if any friends or relatives had been impacted. Executives at Flare, a legal technology startup with just under 100 employees in Israel, did the same, and even hired an on-site babysitter so staff could bring their kids to the office for an all-hands meeting.

It became more and more clear that people were struggling, David Hanrahan, Flares US-based chief people officer, said of the days after Oct. 7. Some had two or three funerals on the same day. It was pretty intense.

Wherever their workers are located, displaying empathy is key for Israel-based CEOs right now, said Ron Culp, a former corporate public relations executive who now advises at DePaul Universitys College of Communication. Managers must make themselves available and provide counseling for those having the toughest time dealing with events, he said.

Gal Bar Dea, CEO of digital bank One Zero, is staying in close contact with his 400 full-time employees in Tel Aviv, offering flexible schedules when needed. But not all leaders are around to manage the situation: At plant-based seafood producer Oshi, a small company with 25 employees, CEO Ofek Ron has been recruited to the special forces, said director of product marketing Noga Bronsky. Eran Groner, CEO at vegan egg company Yo Egg, has also left his post to join the reserves.

For those still working, the last two weeks have presented challenges. For instance, when the project manager of One Zeros new AI-powered customer chatbot got called to the front lines, colleagues  some of whom hadnt worked on the product before  filled in to help keep it on track for a year-end launch.

Cloud-security firm Dazz was in the late stages of trying to win over a potential client when the fighting began. A key member of the team conducting a trial for the would-be customer got assigned to military duty, one of 16 Dazz staffers who have been called up to fight.

The next day, a colleague jumped in and moved the trial forward successfully, said CEO and co-founder Merav Bahat. Employees have stepped up to cover meetings around the clock, even well outside normal business hours. Whether its a call at 2 a.m. Israeli time or 2 a.m. ET, our teams are working together throughout the night, said Bahat, who previously worked at Microsoft.

Not all deadlines will get met. Flare has reduced its roster of critical product initiatives, Hanrahan said, as much of its R&D team is in Tel Aviv and about 10 have been called for reserve duty. The company was also in the midst of employee performance reviews when the conflict erupted, so its postponed those for Israeli staff for now.

For some, the losses and war have offered a new sense of purpose. Tel Aviv-based Monday.com, whose work management software is used by Coca-Cola Co. and other big global employers, created an online portal for impacted employees to ask for assistance, and has received about 130 requests so far, ranging from relocation to dog walking. The company has also provided resilience training for its senior leaders and, like other firms, has donated food and supplies to those in need.

Our first priority was supporting employees mental and physical health, said Shiran Nawi, Monday.coms chief people and legal officer. Thats remained, but last week it also shifted to doing what you can. And this week, its full-on work. So its a gradual return.

Some factories have had to reduce production, at least temporarily. Chunk Foods factory about 20 minutes south of Tel Aviv is operating at about 80% capacity, CEO Amos Golan said. At times, employees have to run to a shelter when air-raid sirens go off.

At Yofix Probiotics, the pilot and R&D plant wasnt operating in the immediate aftermath of the attack, said CEO Moran Avni, as its near Gaza and subject to attacks. The company was planning to temporarily relocate its research and development hub and expects only minor delays, he said in an email earlier this month.

Some businesses, like Amit Logistics, are hoping for government support. The company, which handles goods coming in and out of Israel, has had its operations significantly disrupted by halted international flights and increased shipping fees.

The war has hurt us badly, said CEO Liat Hadar Sharvit.

At Amai Proteins, the small team has been hit hard by the conflict. One worker was killed, four lost relatives in the attack and six more are in reserves, said CEO Ilan Samish.

Amai is making a sugar replacement that it now plans to name after Lilia Gurevich, one of the companys in-house scientists and a mother of two, who was killed by a grenade after the deadly outdoor music festival.

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at QBE Germany and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI).

A summary of these new hires follows here.

QBE Germany Appoints 2 Marine U/Ws

QBE Germany has strengthened its Marine team in Hamburg with the appointments of Philip Specht as senior underwriter and Lars Habersaat as underwriter.

QBE said these appointments set the course for the expansion of its marine and art & specie product range into the German market.

Specht brings more than 25 years of experience and industry expertise to his new position. A qualified insurance specialist with a focus on cargo and marine liability, he has held various management roles during his career. He was managing director at Aon Versicherungsagentur Deutschland and head of the marine insurance division at Aon Japan Group. Most recently, he worked as a senior underwriter for transport insurance at KA Koln.Assekuranz.

Prior to joining QBE in July, Habersaat worked as a marine underwriter at R+V subsidiary Kravag-Logistic Versicherungs-AG and gained valuable industry expertise in the maritime sector as an underwriting assistant at protection & indemnity (P&I) insurer Thomas Miller Specialty in London. Habersaat studied shipping management as well as insurance law.

Together with the European team, Specht and Habersaat will establish and develop the transport and marine portfolio in Germany, according to Andrea Brock, QBE Germanys general manager. This will enable us to offer our customers needs-based insurance solutions in this area as well. This is an important step towards achieving our growth ambitions by 2025.

***

BHSI Names Jaghbir as Underwriting Manager in Queensland

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) announced it has appointed Sami

as underwriting manager, Queensland, Australia.

Sami joined BHSI in 2015 to help establish our Brisbane office. He was pivotal in building our executive and professional lines business in Queensland and more recently has led our commercial directors & officers product line in New South Wales, said Mark Lingafelter, president of Australasia, BHSI. I am excited to work with Sami and our Brisbane team to bring the strengths of BHSI to our customers and brokers in Queensland. Samis professionalism, strong working relationships and collaborative style will help BHSI further develop our market presence across all of our product lines.

Jaghbir has more than 18 years of insurance industry experience specializing in E&P lines. In his new role he will be based in Brisbane and can be reached at Sami.Jaghbir@bhspecialty.com.

In addition to E&P lines, BHSI in Brisbane provides general property, energy, construction, mining, marine cargo, hull and marine liabilities, accident & health, medical malpractice and surety solutions.

Topics Underwriting Australia Germany
MISSION, Kan. (AP)  A mother is suing a shuttered Christian boarding school in Missouri, blaming her sons death on a gang rape and other abuse he endured there.

Agape Boarding School has been subjected to a wave of litigation as a series of abuse allegations emerged, but the case filed this month and amended Monday in federal court by Kathleen Britt is believed to be the first wrongful death suit.

The suit said that mental health problems plagued Britt`s son, Jason Britt, after he left the private school, where several staffers subsequently were charged. The suit said he lifted weights obsessively and ingested copious steroids so he would become so strong that he never would be victimized again.

He grew so despondent that he wrote a suicide note. But heart and kidney failure were what claimed his life in February 2022.

The saddest part of his case is he finally found a cause to live when the circumstances of his choices ended up killing him, said attorney Rebecca Randles. It is one of those completely devastatingly sad situations.

Among those named in the suit are the school, a company that transported students there, and Cedar County Sheriff James McCrary. Agapes attorney and the sheriff didn`t immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Jason Britt`s parents turned to Agape because they were worried about his slipping grades and partying. In 2010, the then-16-year-old was awoken in the middle of the night while staying with his girlfriend. The men who transported him to Agape zip tied his hands and told him he had been given up for adoption, the suit said.

Instead of the counseling his parents were promised, the school was a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion, the suit said. Upon arriving, his head was shaved. And when he tried to write to his family about what was happening, he was punished. The maltreatment culminated in him being gang raped, the suit said.

The suit said the sheriff`s department knew of reports of abuse at Agape and a sister boarding school. But despite those reports, deputies routinely returned runaways to their schools without effectively investigating or reporting concerns to state welfare workers.

Some of the sheriff`s department staff also worked at the school, the suit said.

When Jason Britt`s mother visited, she was alarmed by her son`s demeanor and took him home, the suit said. The family learned he had been abused at the school, but they were ignored by Cedar County authorities, the lawsuit said. Anxious and withdrawn, he finished high school online and grew obsessed with weight lifting.

The steroids, testosterone, high blood pressure and anxiety coupled with the drug addiction were the mechanism of his death; the cause of his death was the abuse at Agape, the suit said.

More than a dozen other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.

When it shut down in January, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The schools former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.

Former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called seizure boy because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

In 2021, Agapes longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts. Then-Attorney General Eric Schmitts office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes.

But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits K-12 Missouri
Zurich American Insurance Co. may pursue a subrogation lawsuit against a subcontractor that it says forced it to pay a nearly $3 million builders risk claim by designing a defective stormwater detention system during construction of an academic building at a Chicago community college campus.

A panel with the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court on Tuesday reversed a trial court decision and found that the contract between City Colleges of Chicago and its design contractor, Moody Nolan, required the college system to be a third-party beneficiary. The court said it didnt matter that a subcontract between Moody Nolan and Infrastructure Engineering attempted to shield the engineering company from any liability to third parties.

To the extent the prime contract and the subcontract conflict on this point, the prime contract provision would control, the three-judge panel said in its opinion.

City Colleges hired CMO as general contractor for construction of a new academic building at Malcolm X College. Moody Nolan which was hired as the lead architect for the project, hired Infrastructure Engineering to design a stormwater detention system.

A fact sheet on City Colleges website says that community college system budgeted $251 million to expand the Malcolm X College campus. The completed project would expand the capacity of the college to 20,000 students, an increase of 6,000 over the existing campus buildings.

In August 2015, before the stormwater system was completed, a rainstorm caused the basement of the academic building to flood, damaging the structure and electrical and mechanical systems.

Zurich paid $2,998,929.35 to repair damages under a builders risk policy that it had sold to CMO. The insurer then filed a subrogation action against Infrastructure Engineering in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that the defective stormwater detention system that it designed caused the flooding.

Infrastructure filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that its subcontract with Moody Nolan did not name either CMO or City Colleges as a third-party beneficiary. The trial court ruled that City Colleges is a third-party beneficiary, but the court also found that Zurich had not shown it is subrogated to [City Colleges] rights of recovery.

Zurich asked the trial court to reconsider. The trial court stuck by its guns, pointing to a line of cases that generally establish three prerequisites to sustain a subrogation action: 1. A third party must be primarily liable to the insured for the loss. 2. The insurer must be secondarily liable to the insured for the loss under an insurance policy. 3. The insurer must have paid the insured under that policy.

The trial court said that City Colleges suffered no loss and was not paid by the insurer, two of the requirements for a subrogation action.

Zurich appealed. The insurer argued that the trial court had focused on the standard for equitable subrogation cases which are not applicable because the insurer was arguing that subrogation was required by its insurance contract.

The appellate panel agreed. The court noted the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that there are two broad categories of subrogation rights: those that arise by contract and common law or equitable rights.

In this case, we have no need to look to the common law or equitable principles that generally apply to subrogation claims based in equity, the opinion says. We have express contractual terms that define the right to subrogation and the scope of that right.

The panel said the trial court erred by requiring Zurich to show that it had complied with equitable principles instead of compliance with the contract. City College was clearly a third-party beneficiary of the contract between Moody Nolan and Infrastructure Engineering, which gives Zurich a subrogation right, the court said.

Topics Legislation Illinois
The story of disbarred Florida plaintiffs attorney Scot Strems has been told, in bits and pieces, in this publication and others over the last six years. But the saga and Strems alleged actions and the havoc they caused in the Florida property insurance industry continue to be mind boggling  and fascinating in many ways.

Strems and his associates reportedly employed many tactics, including recruiting public adjusters, contractors and other feeders that, at one point, led to as many as 10,000 lawsuits against property insurers, many of them on the same claim, some without insureds approval. The mismanagement and improper actions in many of those lawsuits earned Strems the ire of an entire industry, not to mention rebukes from a number of Florida judges, the Florida Supreme Court and the Florida Bar.

One person well-known in the Florida insurance arena followed Strems more closely than most others, writing dozens of blog posts since 2017. Scott Johnson, an insurance industry educator, consultant and former regulator, has now published a book of his blogs, titled, Collapse of an Evil Empire, available on his website.

Johnson, who has worked with the property insurance industry for five decades and has published four other books on the business, credits Florida Bar prosecutor John Derek Womack with starting the scrutiny into Strems allegedly unethical practices, after reading one of Johnsons early blogs on Strems.

Insurance Journal recently spoke with Johnson about his book, about Floridas insurance problems, and about what happened in the Sunshine State through the years that allowed Strems and other attorneys to abuse the legal system, which helped bring a trillion-dollar industry to unprecedented depths.

IJ: Tell us about the book and why you published it.

Johnson: Its a compendium of articles about Floridas litigation nightmare. It all started with a piece I published in 2017 that, according to the Florida Bar, triggered its investigation into Scot Strems. Three years later the Bar moved to disbar him, and I began following every hearing, researching each allegation and cataloguing it all on my website. When the hearings were over and he was disbarred, it dawned on me I had something very unusual, something no one else had  a detailed behind-the-scenes accounting, proving Floridas home insurance system was being brought to its knees by fraud and greed. I heard from friends that it would make a good book.

IJ: How, in your opinion, did Florida let itself get to the point that a few lawyers could wreak such havoc with the entire property insurance industry?

Johnson: Thats a great question, but its not just a few lawyers. And its not just one thing. Its a combination of things, I think, including legislative inaction, or outright obstruction from trial lawyers in key positions, some of which are exposed in the book. Its also court decisions, including ones from the Supreme Court.

But the problem is still a little more complicated. I explain in the foreword that the Florida Bar can quickly move against attorneys convicted of crimes or who may have absconded with funds from vulnerable clients. But it is not as resourceful or aggressive in prosecuting those who abuse the court system or commit ethical violationssuch charges are more interpretive by nature and can go unreported by clients who themselves may be looking for unjust enrichment.

This story shows the immense burden of time and risk involved in such prosecutions. Moreover, it illustrates how extremely destructive the transgressions can become to the rest of society when left unchecked.

IJ: Did the Florida Bars disciplinary action and the legislative reforms in the last four years go far enough to deter similar behavior in the future?

Johnson: Yes, I absolutely believe so. Heres another angle. The Supreme Court stated in its decision that the disbarment was, in part, intended to discourage similar behavior by other attorneys. Thats good. But they didnt specifically identify the things Strems was doing. My book does that for everyone attorneys, insurance agents, carriers, public adjusters, whomever.

Id also like to say that there are 6,000 trial lawyers in Florida and every one of them should have this book in their libraries. In my research I talked to trial lawyers. One even called me at home one night after reading one of my articles. Its easy to get caught up focusing on billable hours to the exclusion of all else. This book has many cautionary elements that could spare them a lot of trouble someday.

I feel obligated to say that we have the Florida Bar to thank for this, especially Derek Womack, the prosecutor in this case. Thats why I dedicated the book to him. This was a deep dive into a world we normally dont get to see. Lawyers and insurers get together and negotiate settlements and the world never understands whats behind the scenes. Collapse of an Evil Empire isnt just one mans opinion. It includes startling sworn testimony, and excerpts from depositions under penalty of perjury.

And its not just one trial lawyer, as youll see. Its large-scale chicanery between trial lawyers, public adjusters, so called claim consultants, roofers, and water firms.

IJ: What else, in your opinion, needs to be done?

Johnson: Reforms are needed in the area of public adjuster fees, regulation of water firms and helping consumers find out which attorneys are misbehaving. Ive covered these things in my blog over the years, but nobody seems to care. Maybe now the industry can devote some attention to these issues as well. All while protecting the gains that were just made.

IJ: Have you heard anything from Scot Strems?

Johnson: No, I guess I didnt expect to. Its understandable that hes kind of hard to reach. But Id like to talk to him, maybe interview him. He could say whatever he wants, and Id publish every word verbatim. Other than the legal pleadings, his personal side of this story has never been told. (For the record, Insurance Journal has been unable to reach Strems, through emails or through contact with his attorneys.)

IJ: Anything youd like to add?

Johnson: Just this. Every time someone complains about their homeowners insurance premium, every time theres a rate increase, or someone doesnt get their claim paid, whatever the case may be, some of the news media and social sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are besieged by trial lawyers, public adjusters and contractors extolling alleged evils of the recent reforms. Remember in the month of March, after the passage of the final round of tort-reform legislation, an estimated 300,000 new suits emerged before Gov. DeSantis could sign the bill. This was an attempt to be grandfathered in and avoid the reforms. Thats proof the reforms will work, in my opinion, and I hope my book helps get the word out.

Photo: The cover of Johnsons book. Johnson said the image of the man is not a photograph of Strems but an artificial intelligence-assisted rendering.

Related: Florida Plaintiffs Firm Files for Bankruptcy. Will Strems Get His $36 Million?

Topics Lawsuits Florida Numbers
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Nine of South Carolina`s 16 elected prosecutors are asking to remove all legislators who are lawyers from a committee that decides which judicial candidates are put before the General Assembly for election.

All six of the lawmakers on the Judicial Merit Screening Commission are attorneys. Only one was mentioned by name in Mondays letter: House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford. He responded with a news conference saying the prosecutors were making a power grab.

The prosecutors` three-page letter cites several instances in which they said Rutherford influenced cases. He has been at the center of recent controversies over closed-door hearings in which imprisoned convicts saw their sentences reduced after providing information to authorities, according to news reports. The solicitors aske House and Senate leaders to replace attorneys on the commission with legislators who do not practice law.

Quite frankly, it is shocking that Rep. Rutherford remains in such an important position, and that lawyer-legislators on JMSC have such influence over our judiciary, the prosecutors wrote. Trust us when we say that Rep. Rutherfords tactics are not unique. Lawyer-legislators have undue influence over our judiciary.

Five Republicans and four Democrats signed the letter.

Within hours, Rutherford, a Democrat, called a news conference to respond. He said the commission`s sole responsibility is to determine if lawyers are qualified to be judges. Members only limit which candidates are sent to the Legislature for consideration if more than three meet the requirements.

Rutherford challenged the prosecutors, who go by the title of solicitor in South Carolina, to make a formal ethics complaint against him specifying how he improperly influenced a judge.

If they would like for the speaker of the House to take me off the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, they should at least show where Ive done something wrong, Rutherford said.

The dispute over how the state selects judges has grown contentious since the Legislature`s 2023 session ended in the spring. The complaints have been broad, ranging from concern about judges allowing violent, repeat offenders out on bail to complaints that not enough people of color have been elected.

The General Assembly elects judges after the Judicial Merit Selection Commission screens them. The commission conducts background checks, sends out questionnaires to determine temperament and judicial knowledge, and holds public hearings. If more than three candidates are qualified, the panel sends three names to the General Assembly.

Six of the 10 members of the commission are legislators. Some critics have suggested excluding lawmakers from the commission since they ultimately vote for judges.

Proposals have also been floated to have the governor nominate judicial candidates for the Legislature to vote on or to hold public elections for the judiciary branch.

Last week, Gov, Henry McMaster required magistrates, the lowest level of judges, to fill out a more detailed application for their jobs.

Republican House Speaker Murrell has created a special committee to review the entire judicial election system, and has ask for recommendations next year.

About three dozen legislative judicial elections are set for 2024, from chief justice of the state Supreme Court all the way to the Family Court system.

Rutherford said the complaining solicitors want to diminish the influence of defense attorneys and simply want more judges who are likely to side with prosecutors.

This is about power,  he said.

The letter was written by 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett and signed by 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, 10th Circuit Solicitor David Wagner and 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard, all Republicans. The Democratic signatories were 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe, 3rd Circuit Solicitor Ernest Chip Finney, 4th Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers and 12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements.

The South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus on Tuesday fired back, saying the solicitors were out of line, The State newspaper reported.

Photo: South Carolina House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Leadership South Carolina
WASHINGTON, DC - October 25, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The House Natural Resources Committee today will discuss a bill from controversial Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert to overturn President Biden's reforms to the Department of Interior's oil and gas leasing program.

"There are $3.8 million reasons why this bill is being considered by the broken MAGA House today," said Chris Marshall, spokesperson for Accountable.US. "President Biden's reforms will clean up Big Oil's messes and make them pay their fair share, so it's no wonder a committee that has taken so much from that industry is coming to their rescue."

President Biden's new plan is under sharp attack from the fossil fuel industry, which would be required to pay for the cost of cleaning up abandoned wells on public lands and modernize outdated fees for drilling on public lands. Oil industry profits have skyrocketed in recent years.

An analysis of more than 260,000 public comments found overwhelming support for the Biden administration's public lands oil and gas leasing reforms.

Download Accountable.US's research into oil industry contributions to the Committee at this link.

CONTACT: Chris Saeger, chris@bigmountainstrategy.com

Accountable.US is a nonpartisan watchdog group that exposes corruption across all levels of government.

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Source: Ron Struthers

October 25, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Ron Struthers of Struthers Resource Stock Report looks at Greenbriar Capital Corp.'s chart to explain why he believes it is a Strong Buy.

Entry Price: CA$1.15

Recent Price: CA$1.14

Opinion: Strong: Buy

Greenbriar Capital Corp.'s (GRB:TSX.V; GEBRF:OTC) stock has been inching higher since its bottom and will probably continue with today's news. GRB announced the planning commission will meet on November 13 to approve the Sage Ranch development. Nothing is done until it's done, but this will mean strong revenues for Greenbriar in 2024.

Sage Ranch will provide low-cost entry-level homes that will not be affected by any downturn because it is exactly what the market needs and wants at this time. It is a great location and near large military operations that are becoming the theme of this decade.

Jeff Ciachurski, CEO of Greenbriar, says in the news release: "The effort provided by both Greenbriar and the City of Tehachapi left no stone unturned to make sure the development is top of its class, innovative and groundbreaking to match the demands of a new sustainable world. Throughout the process, we tailored our work product for a final submission that would leave a legacy and provide no doubt that only a top-quality product would be provided. The city made all parties aware of the significant impact Sage Ranch will have on the exceptional quality of life in the region and the tremendous economic impact to the city and surrounding area."

And some more great news: Tommy Sullivan, Greenbriar's chairman of their real estate advisory board, is bringing an opportunity for the company to JV into his 1,361-acre-3,500-home sustainable subdivision in the fastest-growing region in Utah. -

This new project will give Greenbriar a 20-year runway of building several hundred entry-level homes per year and further provides Greenbriar the status of regional builder and developer specializing in recession-proof sustainable housing. Greenbriar and Voya have just re-executed the US$40 Million Sage Ranch funding agreement.

On the chart, there is some resistance between CA$1.05 and CA$1.15, so it might give a chance to buy some stock around these prices.

The next resistance is around CA$1.55, and I believe the stock is headed there next. A break above that would be a solid higher high.

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The Central Bank has issued a warning about an increasing number of people falling victim to a moneylending scam.

The banking regulator said the scam is currently targeting consumers seeking cash loans from online providers as cost-pressure weigh on some households.

"Beware of any firm that looks for an upfront fee from you, said Central Bank director of consumer protection Colm Kincaid.

The scam is offering customers a cash loan in exchange for an upfront fee or an administration fee to apply for a loan.

Regulated high cost credit providers are not allowed to charge any administration fees to apply for a loan, said the Central Bank.

The regulator also said people are at risk of losing significant amounts of money if they share any payment details with these providers.

"This is an especially ruthless scam as it targets people looking for high cost credit, which is often used by people managing budgeting or other financial challenges, said Mr Kincaid.

The Central Bank said it will continue to be vigilant to identify and deal with scams of this nature, and engage with An Garda Siochana to combat it.

"In some cases, we have seen websites that have been cloned from legitimate providers. So even in cases where no fee is charged, you should still check our register to ensure the provider you are dealing with is regulated by the Central Bank, which provides you with a number of protections, said Mr Kincaid.
AA Ireland said it is nervous about the potential impact the war in the Middle-East could have on fuel prices at the forecourts.

The AA Ireland October Fuel Price Survey showed a slight drop in petrol and diesel prices over the last month but prices remain exposed to volatility.

The price of Crude oil remains elevated at approximately $90 per barrel, up from about $70 during the summer. On top of that, the political situation in the Middle East remains unstable, and the markets are nervous about the impact this may have in the coming months, said Blake Boland, head of communications with the AA Ireland.

Petrol is down from 1.85 in September to 1.83 and diesel has fallen by 1 cent from 1.85 to 1.84 per litre.

This small decline comes after a surge in prices during the summer, but prices are still somewhat unsettled, said Mr Boland.

The survey in September showed an increase of 0.15 per litre in petrol, and an increase of 0.21 cent in diesel.

The motor services company said this was driven by the second tranche of Excise Duty restorations and an increase in the wholesale cost of petrol and diesel..

Meanwhile, electric vehicle drivers have fared better with recent price drops in electricity costs, said AA Ireland.

The report said most electricity providers dropped their prices in recent weeks, meaning the average EV driver is now paying 1,017 per year to fuel their car over 17,000km.

This compares favourably with a similarly sized diesel vehicle that will be paying approximately 2,190 to cover the same distance.

EV drivers that can charge their car at home could be paying less than 300 per year to travel that national average of 17,000km.
Someone joked with me at the Ploughing that the theme for this years supplement was Can the Irish dairy sector survive the Irish Government?

I might have laughed at the time, but like many words said in jest, its not all that far from the current sentiment among Irish dairy farmers.

Work has been going on feverishly behind the scenes at Teagasc Moorepark to research ways to improve farm-level emissions and nutrient management, yet farmers here might find themselves asking why they bother, when before theyve barely had the chance to act, production is already being curtailed.

Farming editor Rachel Martin.

The big talking point at the moment is, of course, the 3,000-odd Irish farmers directly affected by Europes decision to chop Irelands nitrates derogation from 250kg N/Ha to 220kg N/Ha.

FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply

However, that figure could soon pale in comparison to the number affected should Ireland fail to maintain the 220kg/ha at the next review in 2024.

This is a threat every dairy farmer must take extremely seriously. Two years is a very short time for an entire industry to act and for the results to trickle through into improved water quality statistics, and even then, there is a fair chance that the results will not be good.

Yet, I was at a talk last week where one speaker excitedly told the crowd that Starbucks (who she was representing) was aiming to eliminate all disposable cups by 2030  yes, a rather underwhelming seven years away.

It seems almost mocking when you consider the amount asked of farmers in Ireland within the next few months and years.

You have to wonder at times if we are all on the same playing field  especially when you consider the necessity for one of the cheapest sources of nutrition with the frivolousness of a venti frappuccino or a pumpkin spice latte.

Much of the technology and science needed to get the solutions for the 25% reduction in agricultural emissions targeted by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, is still under development, while a change as trivial as switching out disposable cups seems like something that could be implemented by the end of the week, or as soon as current stocks run out, if the company is serious about change.

Yet, while we can grumble about the fairness of the timeframe all we like, its a challenge every single farmer in Ireland must take seriously, as now the warning shot has been fired.

The European Agriculture Commissioner has made plain that he is not messing around when he says that further cuts to Irelands derogation will be made should improvements in water quality fail to materialise.

At the time of print, just two months remain until the January 1 deadline to reduce stocking rates to 220kg/Ha, and there is still no sign of government support for those affected nor government leadership to avoid an exodus of cull cows from having a knock-on effect on markets for beef producers.

Meanwhile, farmers not currently directly affected have no guarantee that, through no fault of their own, for example, the loss of long-established conacre, they too could be in the firing line.

Global food retailers are moving to reduce their environmental impacts, but the relevant authorities are not pushing them with anything like the same urgency as that faced by dairy farmers.

Its an unfair position for farmers to find themselves in, with just two months to go  and many of the cows which will need to be destocked from farms will not only already be in-calf, but also already heavily on in their pregnancies. Yet it seems that no effort has been made to delay to implementation to account for this.

Instead, the most helpful leadership appears to have come from within the industry and its own advisory body  suggestions to gradually replace the animals in your bottom 25% with those that are closer aligned to your top 25% could mean herds wont need the same number of animals to maintain production, but it will be a gradual process and won't help those with banks breathing down their necks this spring.

But its no surprise that, as I write this from the back row at the World Dairy Summit in Chicago, as we are about to begin scaling back production, other countries, where agricultural emissions are much higher, are already raring to ramp up cow numbers.

It is reassuring to hear several within the International Dairy Federation make the point that production must be maintained in the areas that can do it most sustainably, but its concerning that this fairly commonsense argument doesnt seem to have made it past the politics and debate surrounding what should be a science-based discussion.

So, in Ireland, is it any wonder that farmers are half joking as to whether they can survive the Irish government?
Donal Skehan learned a lot about his grandmother from the handwritten recipes she left behind.

The TV presenter and cook playfully calls the 1970s in Ireland  when his grandma, Elizabeth Ryan, was cooking  the worst time for food.

But my grandmother, in her great wisdom back in the day, was very forward and confident with her cooking, he says.

She was a sculptor with a gallery and would often be entertaining  they would have guests and my grandmother would cook meals for 12, 15 people at a time.

They would be entertaining the archbishop who might be looking for a sculpture or something  I remember the shots of my mum with a Greek Orthodox priest who wanted a sculpture for his tabernacle or something like that.

With an unusual home life, his grandmother provided the food to match  whipping up what Skehan calls these fabulous meals.

Skehan, 37, calls her recipe books an insight into another world, which he treasures since her passing in 2015.

He continues: My mum has memories of her making croissants in the 1970s in Ireland  unheard of! Im not sure you could have got them at the local bakery, thats for sure.

The food world can be quite snobby, he suggests: But what I love about my grandmothers approach is that anyone can do it, anyone can try it and anyone can succeed in it.

More than anything, it comes from a place of passion.

Donal Skehans latest cookbook is called Home Kitchen (Dave Brown 2023/PA)

This love of food and experimental approach was inherited by Skehans mother.

We went to New York when I was about 12, and my mum and aunt insisted we had dinner in an Orthodox Jewish restaurant, where we were the only people who werent Orthodox Jews, he recounts.

We came and [there was] that moment where everyone turns around, and we had the most phenomenal meal  really beautiful, like matzo ball soup.

I think that bravery and that confidence and that excitement about food definitely trickles down through my family.

With this kind of background, it was no surprise Skehan pursued food adventures outside of Ireland  living in LA for nearly five years.

Its an incredibly diverse city  its a city of nearly 12 million people, so as someone who comes from a country of nearly six or seven million, a town of a couple of thousand [Howth, near Dublin], it was absolute a shock, Skehan admits.

But when you dive deeper into the food offering, thats when it gets exciting  and thats probably what kept me in LA more than anything else. More than the weather, it was the fact that you had access to beautiful restaurants that are really diverse.

Oftentimes it wasnt high-end restaurants I had interest in, it was the mom-and-pop strip mall-style of joints that were cheap, cheerful  and they were being operated by first-generation immigrants who had a really great sense of the Vietnamese food they grew up with. Skehan says his time in America encouraged him to be even more adventurous.

I tried a lot more food than I possibly would have. It certainly influenced me in terms of the cuisines we were trying  like Ethiopian food and Korean food and Sichuan cuisine.

So from that perspective, it definitely changed my tastebuds and definitely changed my lust for wanting to try new things, more so than I ever thought before.

Home Kitchen: Everyday Cooking Made Simple And Delicious by Donal Skehan

Skehan and his family are now back in Howth, and he brings elements of LA food into his cooking. This is particularly seen in his latest cookbook, Home Kitchen, where a recipe for Vietnamese turmeric fish cake banh mi sits alongside mushroom al pastor tacos and poke bowls.

One thing hes certainly happy about being back in Ireland?

The fish  my God! he says with a laugh.

I grew up in a fishing village. I loved LA, but I never really trusted the seafood there, because if you grow up in Howth, you know youre getting it off the boats to the fishmonger. Plus, he suggests Irish food has come a long way since the 1970s.

Traditional Irish cuisine unfortunately gets bastardised by the Americans  if you have a quick Google search, the version of what Irish food looks like is grey and miserable, he laments.

Google is not our friend when it comes to representing Irish food! Traditional food is simplistic in its nature. This is combined with a growing trend in Irish cuisine for more international influences.

Theres this other side now where you have Irish people and chefs who have travelled and bring back techniques and ideas that meld together quite nicely with seasonal Irish produce, Skehan notes.

Back in Howth with his wife Sofie and children Noah, five, and Oliver, three, Skehan can already see the same love of food getting passed down the generations.

I try not to make my boys obnoxious with food, but they went and ordered separately  one had a bowl of cockles and one had a bowl of mussels  literally the day before yesterday, he laughs in disbelief.

I was like, they [people] really must think were a******** now

Donal Skehans autumn pasta recipe by:Donal Skehan Studded with blue cheese and crisp walnuts, this is a warming seasonal dish. Servings 4 Preparation Time  15 mins Cooking Time  45 mins Total Time  60 mins Course  Main Ingredients 1 pumpkin or autumn squash (about 1kg), peeled, deseeded and sliced

3-4 sprigs of thyme

1tbsp olive oil

1tbsp salted butter

2 onions, thinly sliced

350g pasta shapes, such as conchiglie or rigatoni

100g blue cheese

75g walnuts, toasted and roughly crushed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, to serve Method Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6. Place the pumpkin on a large baking sheet with the thyme sprigs and toss in the olive oil until all the pieces are coated. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until tender and caramelised at the edges. Once cooked, keep warm. While the pumpkin cooks, place a large heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onions and season generously, tossing to coat completely in the melted butter. Reduce the heat and cook gently until the onions are sweet and caramelised, about 10-15 minutes. Towards the end of the pumpkin cooking time, bring a large pan of water to the boil and generously season with salt. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water for use in the sauce. Increase the heat back up under the pan with the onions, then add the reserved pasta water and bring to a steady simmer. Meanwhile, mash half the cooked pumpkin and add this to the onions. Crumble in almost all of the blue cheese (keep a little back to serve) and stir until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Working quickly, add the pasta to the pan and stir through until completely coated. Serve the pasta hot in warmed plates topped with the remaining pumpkin slices and blue cheese. Sprinkle with toasted crushed walnuts and top with a generous drizzle of the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you have to hand and a last seasoning of sea salt and black pepper.

Donal Skehans one-pot Moroccan-style meatball recipe by:Donal Skehan Make this dish ahead for an easy weeknight dinner. Servings 4 Preparation Time  10 mins Cooking Time  4 hours 30 mins Total Time  4 hours 40 mins Course  Main Cuisine  Moroccan Ingredients 450g minced lamb

 red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 medium free-range egg

2tsp ras el hanout

30g fresh white breadcrumbs

1tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1tbsp olive oil

 red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp harissa paste

Grated zest of 1 lemon

400g tin chopped tomatoes

100ml chicken stock

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

To serve:

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Couscous, steamed

Greek yoghurt

Flatbreads, charred and torn Method In a large bowl, mix the lamb with the red onion, garlic, egg, ras el hanout, breadcrumbs and parsley. Season well and with wet hands, shape into 20 walnut-sized balls. Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or using the saute function on the slow cooker and brown the meatballs all over. Transfer to a plate. Now for the sauce. Add the one tablespoon of oil to the pan or slow cooker and gently fry the onion for five minutes, then add the garlic, harissa and lemon zest, and cook for one minute more. Transfer to the slow cooker (if youre not already using it), then add the meatballs. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock. Season well and cook on high for four hours, then add the chickpeas and cook for a further 30 minutes. If the sauce is too juicy at the end, remove the meatballs and reduce to your liking in a pan or using the saute function on your slow cooker. Serve the meatballs and sauce scattered with parsley, with steamed couscous, a dollop of yoghurt and flatbreads.

Donal Skehans Irish coffee, hazelnut and chocolate tiramisu recipe by:Donal Skehan A crowd-pleasing variation on a classic. Servings 6 Preparation Time  20 mins Total Time  20 mins Course  Dessert Ingredients 400ml double cream

250g mascarpone

4tbsp caster sugar

75ml Baileys

300ml strong coffee

75ml whiskey

200g Savoiardi sponge fingers

100g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar

75g dark chocolate, grated Method Put the cream, mascarpone and sugar into a bowl and whisk by hand with a balloon whisk until it is thick and luscious. Whisk in the Baileys and set aside. Mix the coffee and whiskey together in a shallow dish. Dip the sponge fingers into this mixture and put a layer of them into a glass serving dish. Spread over a third of the mascarpone mixture and scatter with a third of the nuts and chocolate. Repeat to make two more layers, finishing with a layer of cream scattered with nuts and chocolate. Chill for at least two hours before serving. This will keep well covered in the fridge for two to three days.

Home Kitchen: Everyday Cooking Made Simple And Delicious by Donal Skehan is published by Yellow Kite. Photography by Dave Brown 2023. Available now.
Peter Dunne loves Halloween. He loves the scary movies and the special events such as Farmaphobia in Meath. He even loves the shade of orange we associate with the day  its a Pavlovian response. Hes set to fly to Los Angeles the day after we talk: his itinerary includes Universal Horror Nights and Knott's Scary Farm. It's literally just to spook myself out for a couple of weeks, he says of the trip.

Dunne calls himself a ghoul tourist. Whereas some of us might eye up the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Buildings for our holidays, Dunne heads to the Amityville house and Sleepy Hollow in New York; Salem in Massachusetts; and New Orleans. He explains matter-of-factly: I'd go on holidays with my family when I was young, but then I'd look for 'did anything weird happen in this town?' And then I take a stroll down.

His favourite place is Bran Castle in Transylvania  the basis for Dracula's castle. This is a connection with Irish horror and Irish history. And this is what inspired the creation of one of the greatest and, I think, most adapted characters of all time. So it was lovely being there, having that link to Ireland while also having a link to horror as well.

Scary movies, meanwhile, offer Dunne a link with his grandfather. It's a weird contradiction because horror is kind of my safe space. So when I was small, I would have been a bit of a home bird, a big reader, I wouldn't really go out much. And so what I would do is I would watch loads of horror movies with my granddad; we'd watch all the old Hammer Horrors  Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and stuff like that. I would associate that with a feeling of comfort and being loved and safety, sitting there watching horrors with my granddad. And then when he passed away, I would watch those films to remind me of him. And then what happened was, in a weird way, watching these scary things gave me comfort, and made me feel better.

Consuming so many scares, though, does he feel immune to them?

Sometimes, but he loves the chase of excitement, adrenaline, and "that feeling when you're actually frightened, comparing it to being at the highest point of the roller coaster and wondering why youre doing it. And then it drops.

I suppose it's like anything else, when you watch a lot of something, your tolerance probably goes up.

Peter Dunne of the Petrified podcast.

Dunne is the creative mind behind Petrified, a horror fiction anthology podcast that tells the chilling tales of ordinary people encountering the supernatural. Produced by Liam Geraghty, there are 20-plus episodes to date, with scary stories revolving around ghost estates, tourist bus trips, and the 12 pubs of Christmas.

I was trying to think of things that set us apart, says Dunne. And it's the fact that we're Irish, there's so many different things, so why not knuckle in on that? And I really wanted to look at our relationship with horror because Irish people would be good at it  everybody's friend or auntie has a weird story about something that happened in the house.

A theatre writer, Dunne says hes always wanted to toy with the audiences expectations, something that goes to an early play called Broadening thats jumbled around and ends at the beginning. He ran an underground film night entitled Morb, leading a hardy group of souls to an undisclosed location, to watch a secret shock film. This actually led to him meeting Geraghty, and together they created Eerie, a supernatural audio tour of a city that takes listeners around in the shape of a rune, cursing themselves in the process.

Petrified naturally grew out of all this. On October 25, the cast  Ali Fox, Margaret McAuliffe, and Anna Shiels McNamee  will record a live episode in front of an audience at the Laughter Lounge in Dublin, with a Q&A afterward. Naturally, Dunne doesnt want to give away too much  expect lots of twists  but its just the latest notch in his belt. Theyre in the baby stages of talks with a production company about making a film based on the podcast, while hed also love to do it for theatre.  Petrified has been the thing that has given me the most joy.
"I didn't realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry." - Morrisey.

Have you ever wondered how simple individuals navigate life's turbulent waters, grappling with stress, self-doubt, and societal expectations?

What if I told you that within the realm of hobbies lies the transformative elixir for enhanced confidence, well-being, and physiological health?

Throughout history, people from all walks of life have sought solace in hobbies for self-expression and personal growth.

From the Renaissance artist to the part-time painters, hobbies have served as cosy mind sanctuaries.

So, what makes hobbies more than just leisure activities? How can you harness their power for your well-being?

Hobbies can significantly reduce stress levels. It's as if engaging in a creative pursuit plays a soothing melody for your mind, calming the tempestuous seas of anxiety.

A few months back, while travelling on the train from Limerick to Dublin, I sat across from a woman knitting. I've tried knitting a few times, but I am useless.

I watched as she completed a face-cloth-sized piece of what I imagined to be a scarf.

From Ballybrophy to Houston station, I sneakily watched and listened to the clicks and squeezes of the wool and needles.

What struck me was I found it unbelievably therapeutic, and I was only a voyeur in her knit-and-purl manifestation.

Beyond the physiological benefits, hobbies are pivotal in bolstering self-esteem by providing self-assurance opportunities.

Engaging in hobbies creates a tangible representation of your skills and imagination.

With each brushstroke, each chord strummed, or each story penned, you're building a monument to your abilities, no matter how modest they may seem at first, and that's the key for me. No one has to see your work.

I started writing poetry (bloody awful poetry) as a hobby during lockdown.

It started as basic rhymes and simple comedic verse. But then I began to re-read the classics and soon realised that what I was writing would never grace a Leaving Cert paper.

I was one of those rare students in secondary school who loved "Soundings" and found it bizarre that it was a chore to learn poems from some. But when you are sixteen, you keep those thoughts to yourself.

All it took for me to start was a pen and paper, and within two years, I had enough poetic verse written that I felt the urge to buy a packet of Gauloises and contemplate life like a pro.

One of the first lines I wrote, which sums up my efforts, was:

I think I'll make a good poet,

It's just the "thinking" part, though, might slow it.

Although most of these poems are now buried within the plasterboards of my house and will never be seen by another living human, these tangible results serve as tiny virtual medals on a creative journey.

Tangible reminders of your growth and progress from novice to proficient or, in my case, sufficient creator. When you create something with your own hands and imagination, you're essentially shouting to the world, "I can do this!" (Normally the reply in my house to a chant of self-confidence is "Dad! We can't hear the telly, stop.")

The beauty of a hobby is that they are intertwined with mistakes. You are achieving competence through a system set up for you to learn through trial and error.

But here's the best part: you love doing it, and no one has to see it. The trick is to get out of your own way and have a mental block to start something new.

Although I can't remember my PIN number and recently got my wife's date of birth tattooed onto my bum, I vividly remember Irish Poet Brendan Kennelly reciting a poem called "Begin" on The Late Late Show.

Gay Byrne asked him to console a competition winner on the phone. The woman had lost her daughter the night before in a car accident.

It was a bizarre, macabre affair but handled brilliantly by Byrne, his studio guests, and particularly Kennelly. He recited the poem live to her:

Though we live in a world that dreams of ending

that always seems about to give in

something that will not acknowledge conclusion

insists that we forever begin.

We all have to drag ourselves up on good or bad days, and something simple like a hobby, regardless of what it is, might help us begin again.
It was 6.30am and the sun was coming up. The beats of the Supernova festival in Southern Israel played on. It was an all-night music festival that celebrated music and unity.

Thousands of attendees had gathered in the open air space in Israels Negev desert to listen to 16 DJs spinning for 16 hours as darkness turned to light.

The event was timed to the end of Sukkot, a weeklong celebratory Jewish holiday commemorating the harvest and the period after Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. The scrubbed landscape, just three miles from the Gaza border, was decorated with colourful bunting and tents. Suddenly, alongside the thrums of music came the sound of gunfire. People were there to dance. Instead, they were murdered.

Hamas militants invaded attendees from all directions, killing at least 260 people and abducting many as hostages. Supernova had just become the deadliest concert attack in history.

Grief

Then a new sound.

A few days later at Shifa hospital in Gaza city, the wailing begins. Reporters from the Associated Press tell of the lifeless bodies of children arriving into the emergency room wrapped in bedsheets. White cotton turned almost completely red as their relatives howl in grief. AP say they witnessed workers mopping up blood, as others rushed bewildered children with shrapnel wounds into surgery, their eyes wide with shock. Outside, explosions continued to thunder around the hospital.

More people just trying to live, and instead being murdered.

Over the preceding days, Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza with an intensity that its weary residents had never before experienced. The airstrikes have killed more than a thousand people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Aid workers warn that Israels decision to begin a complete siege on the crowded strip that 2.3 million people call home is resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe that touches nearly every one of them.

There is no clean water, no fuel or electricity. Even those mourning their dead sit in near-total darkness during the night. Theres no music here anymore either.

Nuance

But it is possible to both understand the motivations that drove such horrific violence on both sides, while also condemning it entirely.

Caught up in the conflict, from the safety of the couch, everyone now has an opinion on what happened and are keen to share it.

Even celebrities have come out strongly either in support of Israels justification to defend themselves, or in support of Palestinians right to fight for freedom.

But its impossible to say anything that is in any way nuanced. The truth is that we need nuance. This issue has been steeped in complicated history that started 3,000 years ago.

Other questions can be explored too. Why has so little attention been paid to resolving these issues over the last few years, when it was clear to the international community that tensions were rising? Where were all the voices then? With no substantive peace talks for more than a decade, this is a shameful reminder of the international communitys responsibility.

In this crisis, it seems that it's not peace thats being sought, but snatched victories driven by extremists on both sides. Propaganda is something that keeps coming up in the media, but let's be honest, neither side is coming out of this looking good.

The facts

Being correctly informed is the best action we as individuals can now take.

Its hard, all the same, to find an impartial discussion on the topic which is why the popular podcast The Rest Is Politics with Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell has put together what they call an emergency episode of the show titled Israel at War which has been commended by many for being one of the best and most balanced explainers of the situation as it stands.

In the 40-minute episodes, the pair discuss how Hamas launched one of the largest invasions on Israeli territory in recent history and ask what happens next? In other words, how dire will the geo-political ramifications be throughout the Middle East?

They also bring a reasoned approach to what has become an extremely polarising topic. Watching the debate unfold on social media and TV, it seems that it is virtually impossible to have a debate without being accused of being pro- or anti-something.

Of course, the desire for countries and people to signal solidarity is understandable given the shocking coverage of the events that unfolded just a few days ago. Emotions are high and tensions are on a knife-edge. Cool heads are needed. Informing ourselves correctly is difficult, but necessary if we are to join in this debate.

Peace surely begins by all sides being willing to listen

A new way

But the practical reality is that without better leadership and new management, what's going on will probably strengthen right-wing forces in Israel. It will mean that life in Gaza will only get more difficult unless a better, more diplomatic drive begins.

Until then, civilians will continue to suffer and divisions will widen. No more division is needed among the rest of us. Our angry exchanges without educating ourselves fully only promote hate.

Lets lower voices, get the facts straight, and learn more about the nuances of this extremely complicated situation.
The Irish Cancer Society has backed calls to fund expansion of a nurse-led helpline for cancer patients to offer them advice at home and reduce their time in hospitals.

The Irish Examiner recently reported that this service, established during the pandemic, supported 32% of patients, who called the helpline during a single month, to manage their queries at home. Only 31% of those who called needed to go to hospital with the remainder given advice and a follow-up call.

Irish Cancer Society chief executive Averil Power said the helpline is a vital service.

She said the Acute Oncology Nursing Service gives patients direct access to the cancer unit at their treating hospital.

It is a vital service that can spare most cancer patients the distress and infection risk of having to go through busy emergency departments to get urgent care.

However, current funding covers 29 nurses across the 26 cancer treatment sites in HSE hospitals, with hours limited to between 8am and 4pm, Mondays to Fridays.

Ms Power said this could be an issue particularly in the sites with one nurse.

There is no service in the evenings or at weekends or when the nurse is on leave.

The Irish Cancer Society called for funding in Budget 2024 to make this service 24/7 and we are urging the minister for health to revisit this.

This is particularly important during winter as it could help to reduce distress for cancer patients and lessen the pressure on our emergency departments.

Emergency department avoidance

National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) clinical lead for cancer nursing Terry Hanan said the service supports emergency department avoidance.

In a lot of cases, a patient is given advice and they take that advice and they dont have to come near an emergency department, said Ms Hanan.

Whereas before that service was available, you could literally be travelling from Malin Head down to Letterkenny ED, waiting for four hours, getting sicker while youre there, being extremely vulnerable while youre there.

She said the NCCP has been working with the Department of Health and raised the need for funding to support each site having two nurses.

We met with them, and one of the acute oncology nurses from Limerick presented the figures around her August activity.

The data, relating to University Hospital Limerick, showed 160 patients called in a month.

Of those, 48 had to go into the hospital; 37 of those were discharged and 11 were admitted, said Ms Hanan.

Its a really clear snapshot; without the service, all of those 160 would have had to go in through the ED.

Cancer survivor Mary Gardiner relied on the University Hospital Kerry helpline during her recent treatment.

The Cork woman described her nurse, Mairead, as an angel without wings.

It is very daunting when you are diagnosed with cancer, you are questioning everything  is this normal, what can I do, said Ms Gardiner.

I have to say, with Mairead, I was able to pick up the phone, text her any time. Cancer is such a frightening thing, but this was a great comfort to me and for my family.

Ms Gardiner said the service changed their experience of cancer treatment.
Homes are more dangerous than our roads when it comes to suffering trauma, a new audit report has found.

Homes were the location for 55% of trauma cases, according to the latest Major Trauma Audit National Report 2021.

The report also found that low falls  of less than 2m  make up 62% of all major trauma cases.

By comparison, road trauma was experienced in 16% of the cases studied.

The audit examined 4,055 cases across 26 participating hospitals.

The clinical lead for Major Trauma Audit (MTA) Professor Conor Deasy said the country needs home safety campaigns similar to the various road safety initiatives that are rolled out every year.

Injuries in the home, especially low falls, are the leading cause of major injuries."

Making our homes as safe as possible is a public health message we will continue to promote.

We have a very high-profile road safety campaign. Now we need a similar home safety campaign.

The report also highlights the importance of rapid access to blood products and the critical role they play in major trauma care.

He added: There is a national shortage in blood products, with demand outstripping supply.

We are urging the public to support the Give Blood campaign.

Giving blood is not just a donation. It's a lifeline for major trauma patients and an act of compassion that can mean the difference between life and death.

On October 22, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service was forced to issue an urgent appeal for more blood.

It said supplies of Blood types O-, A-, and B- had fallen to just three days supply, despite the IBTS' aim of having a seven-day stock.

The service said high demand from hospitals, an increase in illness among regular donors over the last number of weeks, and the recent adverse weather conditions all combined to create a shortage of blood particularly in the Rhesus Negative groups.

Prof Deasy said that among the key findings of the report, which is to be launched this morning at the National Office of Clinical Audit, was the fact that the average age of major trauma patients was 62.

Some 51% of trauma patients are aged 65 years and older.

The overall percentage of major trauma patients received by a trauma team is extremely low, at 8%  down 1% from 2020.

The report also notes that you are more likely to be met by a trauma team on arrival at hospital after a trauma event if you are in the 15 to 24 years age bracket.

Some 31% of this age bracket are more likely to be met by such a team, compared to 17% in the 75 to 84 years category.

Professor Deasy said the opening of Major Trauma Centres (MTCs) at Dublin's Mater Hospital in Dublin and Cork University Hospital are part of a seven-year implementation program to support Trauma Networks in Ireland.

"MTCs and Trauma Networks have been shown to reduce mortality and life-long disability for patients who sustain major trauma," he added.
Irish Rail has launched a new recruitment campaign for up to 100 drivers over the next two years.

The company is seeking applications from Cork to join the team.

It is also looking for train drivers in Limerick, Waterford, the Greater Dublin area, Athlone, Galway and Westport.

The expansion comes as Irish Rail is set to increase the volume and frequency of rail services in many parts of the country in the coming years, including in Cork, where works have commenced on a new platform at Kent railway station to facilitate the running of high-frequency trains directly from Mallow through the city to Midleton or Cobh.

Train drivers can expect to make up to 63,000 per year as well as get some benefits including pension, reduced fares on networks and further education support.

Those interested in applying must meet European Train Driver requirements with a "minimum of nine years full-time education and must be over the age of 20."

In a statement this week, Irish Rail is asking women to consider driving roles, with an increasing number of women in recent trainee classes.

It also highlighted the diverse range of previous careers from which recent driver recruits have come, from banking to airlines, from defence forces to archaeology and much more.

Iarnrod Eireann added that there will be a number of multiple-hurdle phases in the selection process including an initial online application & assessments, face-to-face assessment centres, competency-based interviews, and rigorous medical and safety reference checking.

Further information can be found on the Irish Rail website.
A former radio DJ who had 15,000 lodged into her bank account as part of a money-laundering scam was described by a garda as genuinely vulnerable, a court has heard.

Nikki Hayes (44), real name Eimear Black OKeeffe, of The Way, Hunters Run, Clonee, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to possessing 10,000 as the proceeds of crime in a Permanent TSB bank account within the State on November 5, 2020.

Two further counts of possessing 2,600 and 2,400 as the proceeds of crime in her account on November 6, 2020, were taken into consideration by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

At a hearing on Wednesday, Garda Neill Gavin agreed with counsel for the defence that OKeeffe was genuinely vulnerable" and struggling with her mental health at the time.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, said OKeeffe was belatedly diagnosed with bipolar and borderline personality disorder and had been preyed upon by others operating a sophisticated money-laundering scam. OKeeffes marriage had broken down and she had reached rock bottom, counsel added.

Kieran Kelly BL, prosecuting, said the offence came to light after the injured party in the case got a text message on his phone on the day purporting to be from Permanent TSB. The message said the man had paired with a new device and should click on the enclosed link, so he followed these prompts and was brought to his PTSB bank account.

Three sums of 2,600, 2,400 and 10,000, totalling 15,000, were then withdrawn from the mans account and went into OKeeffes account, the court heard. Over the next 24 hours, withdrawals of the money were made from Revolut and through a number of ATM transactions in Liffey Valley.

Gda Gavin said a blonde lady was observed making the ATM transactions in Liffey Valley but that he was not in a position to say if it had been OKeeffe. The court heard that the remainder of the money was blocked and returned to the injured party, leaving the bank at an outstanding loss of around 2,000.

OKeeffe was arrested and interviewed the following March and co-operated fully with gardai, the court heard. She told gardai she had fallen on hard times and that someone had made contact with her and told her there might be a way of making about 2,000, if she allowed her bank account to be used.

Gda Gavin said when OKeeffe saw the money coming into her account she became alarmed, but that the person who had got her involved pressurised her to continue with the transactions. She has six previous convictions for minor road traffic offences dating back to 2005.

Mr Spencer said OKeeffe was in debt to the tune of 53,000 at the time of the offence, owing money to RTE and to various institutions in personal loans. She sold her car and used some of the proceeds to pay off her car loan and also to bring her daughter to Disneyland, the court heard.

Counsel said OKeeffe had struggled with her mental health for many years, had been misdiagnosed and had not been compliant with her medication at the time of the offence.

'Reckless'

She agreed with gardai in interview that she had been reckless in providing her card details to an erstwhile friend who had told her there was an easy way of making money. OKeeffe met a person in Blanchardstown, handed over her details and bank card and was told they would be returned at the end of the day, but she did not get her card back.

She told gardai that when she saw irregularities in her account, she told her contact that she was going to the guards, but that the other person then threatened to burn down her house. OKeeffe told gardai she was not the person who had withdrawn the sums of money from ATMs in Liffey Valley.

Counsel said OKeeffe had built up a very successful radio career over 24 or 27 years, starting at the age of 15, under the pseudonym of Nikki Hayes. She had worked at RTE for eight years and also for Spin 103, Classic Hits and East Coast FM, but is no longer employed in radio as a direct consequence of this case, counsel said.

She had a very successful career in radio... and someone who builds themselves up that high often has further to fall, counsel added.

Mental health struggles

A probation report had placed OKeeffe as at high risk of re-offending, but Gda Gavin agreed with defence counsel that she was unlikely to re-offend as her mental health has since stabilised. The court heard that OKeeffe did not benefit materially in any way from the offence.

Counsel said OKeeffes life had been punctuated by mental health struggles, including anorexia, addiction issues and post-partum depression, but that she has completely overcome these issues and is now compliant with her medication and off alcohol.

Her ex-husband has custody of their daughter and OKeeffe sees the child twice a week, the court heard.

OKeeffe is currently doing an accountancy course and has written a book called Crying into the Saucepan about her struggles with mental health, the court heard. Counsel said she has been very public about her desire to assist others who struggle with mental health.

Mr Spencer said his client pleaded guilty at first opportunity and is committed to repaying the outstanding 2,000 to the bank when her financial situation improves.

Judge Martina Baxter adjourned the case for finalisation until next Thursday and asked the defence counsel to provide more paperwork on OKeeffes alcohol status and on when she stopped working in radio.
A High Court judge has said that the health of a young girl at the centre of a legal row over the disclosure of medical records in relation to her spinal surgery should be "to the forefront".

The remarks were made by Mr Justice Mark Sanfey on Wednesday, when proceedings brought by the girl's family against Children's Health Ireland (CHI), returned before the court. The girl who cannot be named for legal reasons, has Spina Bifida, and underwent an operation on her spine at Temple Street.

In proceedings arising out of her surgery, her family seek court orders requiring the CHI to provide them with all of the girl's medical records.

During the brief hearing, Oonah McCrann SC for the CHI said that her client had in response to the child's family's Freedom of Information request provided them with all but one document that it should have furnished. That document, counsel added, has now been provided.

It was not a straightforward process to obtain all of the records, counsel said, but everything has now been provided within the legal time frame allowed under an FOI request. Counsel argued that effectively the proceedings are now 'moot' or pointless.

Counsel also said that her client needs time to fully and formally reply to several serious accusations made against it in the proceedings. Counsel said her side rejects the applicants' claims that no care plan is in place for the child, and said that appointments for the child with specialist doctors have either already taken place or have been scheduled.

John Healy SC, appearing with Michael Devitt Bl instructed by solicitors McGroddy Brennan, rejected the CHI's claim that the action was moot, and said his client's application should be heard as soon as possible.

Counsel said that his side had only recently been provided with a document that "for the first time" informed the child's parents what exactly had gone wrong with the girl's operation.

The family, at last, were told that a rod that had been inserted into the girl' s spine had become infected, and had to be removed, counsel said. Counsel added that the family were still being "drip-fed" information and dispute claims that a care plan is in place for the child.

Mr Justice Sanfey said that both sides need to put the child's health to the forefront. It was obvious to the court that the perceptions of the family and those treating the child regarding her care were quite different, and that was something that needs to be addressed, he said.

The judge said that the CHI needed time to reply to the serious claims made against it. However, he urged the sides not to engage in "affidavit tennis" where both sides end up making claims and counter-claims against the other.

After making directions for the exchange of legal documents, the judge adjourned the case to a date next month.

Medical records sought

The girl is one of 19 children who were the subject of a report on patients with Spina Bifida who underwent spiral surgery at Temple Street. The family want an injunction requiring the CHI to provide them with all of the child's outstanding medical records, documentation and information sought.

The materials, they claim, relate to her care following an operation she underwent last year at the hospital so it can be assessed by an independent expert.

They also seek the records as they consider what action to take over what they say they have been told was the inappropriate surgery performed on the child, and over the alleged delay in disclosing the errors to the family. They claim that earlier this month they were provided with some, but not all of the material they sought.

Other orders sought include one requiring the CHI to provide them with all management plans put in place for the child. They also seek copies of a full risk assessment and notes prepared by the defendant regarding the clinical care provided by Temple Street.

The child, it is claimed, suffered serious post-operative complications, and her parents were told she would require further surgery.
Eight people have been arrested as part of a major crackdown on organised crime in Co Limerick on Tuesday.

Gardai carried out searches at properties in Limerick, Cork, and Clare and found over 50,000 worth of suspected cocaine, 20,000 of suspected cannabis, and 4,650 of suspected alprazolam and controlled medications.

Four suspected firearms and ammunition were also seized as well as cash in excess of 11,310.

A garda spokesperson said that all evidence seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for further examination.

Gardai also had to call in the army after a suspicious device was found in a field in the Limerick area.

"A controlled explosion was carried out and on examination, this device was found to have been a viable explosive," the spokesperson added.

Five men were arrested during the course of the operation under provisions of the Criminal Law Act, 1997.

They were detained under under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Garda Stations in the Limerick Region.

One man was released and charged with separate road traffic offences and is due to appear before Limerick District Court on Wednesday morning.

Four of the men remain in custody.

Three women were also arrested on Tuesday for offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. They appeared before the court on Tuesday morning.
A local authority boarded up a derelict house while a dead man lay inside more than a decade after his family members raised concerns with gardai after calling to the apparently abandoned house and getting no answer.

The revelations at the inquest on Wednesday into Tim O'Sullivan's tragic death prompted a plea from his family for an overhaul of the derelict sites system and other protocols to prevent future similar tragedies.

The inquest into the circumstances of his death heard how skeletal human remains were found fully clothed in a bed in his derelict and boarded-up house at 9 Beecher St, in Mallow, Co Cork, last January.

But investigations established that he actually died in the house 22-years ago  sometime between January 9 and January 23, 2001, aged 62  and that his remains lay undiscovered until the grim find by council workers on January 13, 2023.

Coroner for North Cork, Dr Michael Kennedy, recorded an open verdict.

He heard how one of Mr OSullivans sisters contacted local gardai with concerns about her brother after she called to the house in mid-2003 and got no answer, and that Cork County Council first received complaints about the condition of the house more than a decade later.

The inquest was told that local Cllr John Paul OShea emailed local council officials on December 28, 2014 expressing concerns about a broken window at the house, and asked if ownership of the property could be established.

It would later emerge that even at that stage, Mr OSullivan had been lying dead inside for more than 14 years.

Council official John ODell, who works in a section with responsibility for derelict sites, said ownership of the property could not be established because it was not listed on the land registry He said by January 21, 2015, the council had boarded up the broken window, as well as other windows of the house, and its letterbox.

He said an external visual inspection of a property is usually carried out to determine if its derelict or not, and that council staff who boarded up the Beecher St house would have had no reason or authority to enter it at the time.

Complaints

The inquest was told that a few years later, neighbours complained to the council about vermin infestation and Mr ODell said he requested the clearance of an area at the back of number 9.

But Dr Kennedy was told that when council workers went to the house about four years ago to prepare for the clearance, lack of access to the rear of the property prevented the work from being carried out.

More complaints followed from neighbours about vermin and the council decided to make a forced entry to number 9, and to change the locks to allow a pest control firm to access the property. The council alerted gardai to the plan.

Council driver, Paul ODonoghue, said he and colleagues, Mick Carroll and Eugene Cullinane, arrived at house at around 11.15am on January 13, 2023 to change the locks.

Mr ODonoghue, who has worked with the council for 40-years and lived in Mallow all his life, said he knew the house was derelict for a number of years but did not know who lived in it, and had never seen anybody entering or leaving it.

John O'Dell and Paul O'Donoughue, members of Cork County council who discovered the remains. Picture: Denis Boyle

He drilled the lock on the front door but said they then had difficulty opening the door.

We found it very hard to push the door, we need all the strength to push it in, he said.

In the hallway, he said they found a large mound of post, brochures and leaflets, and using a head-lamp, he decided to conduct a sweep of the dark interior, including a bedroom which was down a step and to the left of the hallway.

He went to the bedroom door and told the inquest: I could see a bed in the middle of the floor.

I then saw a shape of legs under the duvet, and a coat laid on top.

I worked my way up the legs with the headlamp as my assistance as it was dark, right up to the head.

I then realised it was a human body. I did this twice fast to make sure what I saw. He went back outside to his colleagues, and said:

Im not 100% sure but I think I saw a body on the bed.

All three men entered the house again, stood at the door of the bedroom, and agreed to raise the alarm immediately with gardai.

Garda Siobhan Costello arrived a short time later and confirmed the presence of skeletal remains under a blanket on the bed. Only the head was visible.

She said from an initial inspection of the house, there were no signs of a break-in and nothing else of a suspicious nature, but the house was declared a crime scene and sealed off for a garda forensic examination.

Local GP Dr Marian ODonovan was called to the scene and pronounced death at 2.18pm.

The remains were then removed with the help of firefighters for transport by undertakers to the city morgue at Cork University Hospital (CUH), where assistant state pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, conducted an autopsy on the as-yet-unknown individual.

She told Dr Kennedy that given the advanced state of decomposition of the remains, she could not establish an exact cause of death, but she confirmed there were no signs of trauma or foul play.

Read More Family's heartbreak over death of man whose body lay in Mallow house for 20 years

Formal identification

The inquest heard how formal identification of the remains was made quickly, thanks to documents recovered from the house by gardai and dental records.

In a report, Professor Paul Brady, a consultant oral surgeon and dean of CUHs dental school and hospital, said he and a colleague, Dr Eoin Gough, an SHO in the dental hospital, attended the autopsy, examined the teeth and took a number of x-rays.

Sgt Eileen Kelly said when gardai searched the house, they recovered a receipt from a local dentist, which allowed Prof Brady to compare the teeth from the remains with charts from the practice of retired Mallow dentist, Dr Peter Cudmore.

Prof Brady said they were a good match and in his opinion, the remains were those of Tim OSullivan.

Sgt Kelly said gardai also recovered a copy of a birth cert, a passport, legal correspondence in relation to title deeds to the house, bank and social welfare documents, a utility bill, receipts from dentists Peter Cudmore and the Royal Dental Hospital, and a Tesco club card, all of which indicated the deceased was Tim OSullivan.

They also found a diary in the house with entries made on January 9, 10 and 11, 2001.

The entry for January 9 read: Going to Tesco today, first time. They also found a Tesco receipt for that day.

A formal data request to the Department of Social Protection established that Mr OSullivan had been in receipt of jobseekers allowance from October 4, 2000 to January 23, 2001.

Sgt Kelly told the coroner that the department closed the claim automatically on January 23, 2001, when three successive payments went unclaimed.

Gardai also recovered two separate quantities of cash from the house  old Irish pounds to the value of some 8,000 and a second much smaller sum of cash.

A candle on the window sill of the boarded-up vacant house on Beecher street, Mallow where the body was found. Picture: Dan Linehan

The inquest established that Mr OSullivan was born to Michael and Molly OSullivan in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, on September 29, 1939, and was the eldest of their five children.

His parents emigrated to the UK a short time after his birth, and his siblings were all born in the UK  Noreen, who now lives in Australia, a brother, Pat, who lives in Monaghan, Denis, who is deceased, and Maureen, who lives in Cahersiveen.

Tim visited Cahersiveen regularly in his younger years but lived most of his adult life in the UK where he was married to a Barbara Johnston, from London.

In a statement, Maureen said not long before their mother died in January 1990, Tim moved back to Ireland and that Ms Johnston relocated to the UK a short time later.

She said she knew her brothers address in Mallow and they wrote to each other regularly, but she said a year or two after their mother died, Tim stopped writing back and she presumed that he had gone back to England.

In her statement, Noreen said she and her husband always got a Christmas card in Australia from Tim.

But in 2002 we did not, she said.

When the couple were visiting relatives in Ireland in July 2003, Noreen said they decided to call to Tims house in Mallow in an effort to trace him.

We tried knocking on the door but received no answer and we looked through the windows to see if there was any sign that Tim was living there and we could see into the living area and it looked like nobody had been living there for a while, she said.

Even though there were things on the table they looked like they hadn't been disturbed in a while.

They spoke to neighbours and to people in the pub across the road who said they hadnt seen Tim for a while.

Noreen said they then went to local gardai where a male officer seemed to know who they were talking about, and who said he presumed that Tim had gone back to the UK.

She said when they left, they assumed gardai would investigate the matter but she said when she phoned the garda a week later, he had no further information.

I always presumed that the garda had actually taken some action to investigate our enquiry before coming to their conclusion. I expected that they had gone into the house but obviously no-one did.

Dr Kennedy said the family could take some small consolation from the fact that all the evidence in this sad and unusual case points to the fact that Mr OSullivan died a peaceful death in bed.

Mr OSullivan was later buried with relatives in Kerry.

41255401[/reamdore]
Politicians who grilled a former RTE board chair over controversy at the broadcaster have been invited to listen to her give a lecture on public service broadcasting.

TDs and Senators from the Oireachtas Media Committee received an invite by the Royal Television Society to attend an inaugural lecture next month which will also honour the memory of the late broadcaster Gay Byrne.

The invite states that the keynote speaker at the event is former Chair of the RTE Board Moya Doherty.

The invite, which has been sent to politicians who grilled Ms Doherty, said the former RTE member would be a keynote speaker at the event at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin on November 2.

The theme to be addressed will be Public Service Broadcasting: what it is, what it is for, and what is its future - a considerable and challenging topics now more relevant than ever, the invite reads. The moderator at the event will be Newstalk presenter Pat Kenny.

Ms Doherty, who served as Chair of the Board at RTE for eight years up to November 2022, has said she knew nothing about the scandals that have engulfed the broadcaster. Ms Doherty previously told politicians that she was horrified by the revelations around secret payments to former Late Late Show presenter Ryan Tubridy.

When addressing the media committee in July, Ms Doherty said when the details of the crisis at RTE began to unfold, it left her both professionally and personally bewildered and devastated. She said: As former chair, I am horrified by the extent of the operations of which the board and I had no knowledge. We accomplished not know because we were never told. Media Minister Catherine Martin has previously said she found it astounding that Ms Doherty was not aware of what was happening at the broadcaster.

At a previous media committee, Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth asked Ms Martin if she believed Ms Doherty could walk down the corridors of RTE for the last eight years and know none of this to be happening underneath her nose? In response, Ms Martin said: I have to take her at her word but what it points to is astounding, astonishing weaknesses.
The floods in Midleton and elsewhere have been devastating. Last week, we saw traumatised people, standing in businesses and homes with mops in their hands, wading through water, assessing ruined stock, to articulate what had unfolded to the media and politicians there to survey the damage, often blinking back tears.

Around 600 homes and businesses in Midleton and its surrounding area were affected.

Floods are now the most common and most costly natural disasters in Europe. Climate change is accelerating their occurrence. And, with much of our residential, industrial, and transport infrastructure near rivers that frequently flood, Ireland urgently needs a functioning flood forecasting and warning capability and flood prevention measures.

Examining how authorities interact

So its worth examining how our authorities both preempted and responded to last weeks flooding.

One question is how our various bodies communicated with one another in such an acute situation. There are so many moving parts in these emergencies. It would seem optimal that those which assess the weather and issue warnings (Met Eireann), co-ordinate with those that monitor water levels of rivers (the OPW) and those which clear drains (the local authorities).

If we look at what unfolded in Midleton, persistent gaps in our current system emerge.

Last Wednesday, an orange weather warning was in place for Cork County. This orange weather warning was never upgraded to red status despite the unprecedented rainfall.

Frank OFlynn, the mayor of Co Cork, has called for an investigation into the matter.

The warning that River Owenacurra might burst its banks came via an email from the traders association in Midleton at 10.30am Wednesday, followed by an email from the Chamber of Commerce just after noon saying officials had spoken to the country engineer that morning who had relayed a worry that the Owenacurra would flood, warning businesses to take precautions. By this time, it was too late to get sandbags.

You could say that no amount of preparation could have lessened the damage in last weeks flood but it is clear that the current warning system needs updating.

In 2016, the government announced that Met Eireann, in collaboration with the Office of Public Works (OPW), would establish a national flood forecasting and warnings service to forecast for fluvial and coastal floods. Seven years later, this appears to be still in development.

Met Eireann has also acknowledged that how it categorises extreme weather events must change to take in climate change. Future weather warnings will be about what the weather will do rather than what the weather will be.

The councils response was also questioned, with claims in Midleton that as the torrential rain fell the drains were visibly blocked.

In the aftermath of the 2015 floods in Midleton, traders flagged how the drains in the town had been blocked, leaving the water with nowhere to go.

However, Cork County Council acting chief executive Valerie OSullivan told a council meeting on Monday that the drains and gullies in Midleton had been cleared in recent weeks and checked again when the orange warning was issued.

She said the drainage system was overwhelmed by an unprecedented 100mm of rain and that nothing could have saved the town apart from the planned flood relief project.

The absence of flood prevention measures, eight years after the last flood in Midleton, is undoubtedly the larger issue, as alluded to by OSullivan.

Midletons flood relief scheme has not yet gone to planning, with 2025 mooted as a possible start date.

Planning system is at fault

Meanwhile, in Wexford, the flood defence scheme for Enniscorthy, where repeated flooding has damaged the commercial life of the town, is still far off after 47 years of discussion.

The frustrating part is that its not a matter of funding  the money is there. The problem, according to the Government, is the planning system and the volume of objections.

During a visit to Midleton, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said while schemes have been built, some get stuck in the planning pipeline, admitting there is often a lot of opposition to flood relief schemes on environmental grounds.

This brings us to the question of insurance because flood insurance is one of the key indicators of a communitys flood resilience.

Private sector insurance

Many of those flooded in Midleton didnt have insurance coverage because they had been flooded before. Thats how the private insurance cookie crumbles. One strike and youre debarred from getting cover.

It seems extraordinary that we continue to allow private insurance companies pick and choose who they will cover.

A glaring issue is that the Government has continued to allow insurance companies to refuse cover in flood-affected areas even where the OPW has carried out remedial work, which is essentially blatant discrimination.

Insurance companies have reportedly refused to engage with the OPW and used OPW maps not meant for commercial purposes to refuse cover to households and businesses.

Cobbling together flood relief schemes after the fact is not the solution.

Without an adequate insurance scheme, communities get repeatedly hit with devastating effects.

It has been reported in the Irish Examiner that businesses could be in line for payments of up to 100,000 under a new scheme to be administered by the Red Cross. But many business owners warned both the Taoiseach and Tanaiste when they visited last week that the sums on offer wont be nearly enough to get them up and running again.

Adapting insurance to the new reality

Meanwhile, in Europe, some countries have adapted their insurance arrangements as it becomes evident that we will have more and not less flooding.

France is the frontrunner internationally in dealing with the problem of flooding and insurance. It has a mandatory insurance scheme which guarantees that all those who have insurance will be automatically insured against natural disasters. It provides state-guaranteed reinsurance by way of a centralised company. Essentially, it has socialised the risk or the harmful consequences of that risk. Its another route that the Government here could consider.

In reality, many of these businesses and homes will flood again. Maynooth Universitys Icarus Climate Research Centre has published a paper reporting that weather stations across the country are experiencing substantial increases in winter rainfall per degree of global warming.

The writing is on the wall. This problem isnt going away.

We have work to do, and fast, including implementing the planned national flood forecasting, updating the warning service, building the flood relief projects, and solving the insurance question.

Climate change is here to stay. Events such as last weeks are here to stay, so we need to consider how past floods shape our future.
Last week, it was business as usual in the Four Courts. Case were heard, applications made and rulings delivered. Outside, on Inns Quay, hugging the Liffey, delivery drivers dodged between the traffic and sped along the newly created cycle lanes.

These delivery drivers have one thing in common with the practitioners inside the hallowed halls of justice.

Barristers are self-employed, a status which ensures those who are good at their job can increase their earnings, sometimes exponentially. The delivery drivers equally are self employed, except the chances of any of them increasing their earnings and achieving a decent standard of living are close to zero.

Gig economy

The companies the drivers provide a service for, such as Deliveroo and Just Eat, pay as little as 2.90 for a job that can take half an hour. They are not entitled to basic rights such as the minimum wage. The law does not protect them in any way. They are the mainstay of what has come to be known as the gig economy.

The companies the drivers provide a service for, such as Deliveroo and Just Eat, pay as little as 2.90 for a job that can take half an hour. Picture: Denis Minihane.

Last week, a judgement was delivered in the Four Courts could potentially have a huge impact on the delivery drivers going by on the quay outside.

The Supreme Court found delivery drivers for Dominos Pizza should be treated as employees and not contractors.

The drivers had argued they were employees for tax purposes and Dominos, trading as Karshan Ltd, said they were independent contractors under contracts for service. The result overturned a ruling from the Court of Appeal which had been in Karshans favour.

Effectively, the Supreme Court determined that the status of the Dominos drivers as self-employed was bogus, at least for tax purposes.

This is a major development and may have implications right across the economy, down all the way to the lowest socio-economic rung where delivery drivers operate.

Bogus self-employment

Bogus self-employment has been a growing area in the last decade or so. Long before that it was a feature of the construction industry, but has spread across in sectors like media and in particular the food delivery model.

Over the weekend it was revealed that 700 personnel in RTE were forced to work on a bogus self-employment basis. The system ensures employers minimise the cost of employment, but employees do not receive the protections and entitlements that should accrue to workers with full employee status.

Over the weekend it was revealed that 700 personnel in RTE were forced to work on a bogus self-employment basis.

The judgment, delivered by Judge Brian Murray, stated that a number of tests are required to determine whether a worker is employed or self-employed.

These include: Does the contract involve an exchange of wage or other remuneration for the work?

If so, is the agreement one in which the worker is agreeing to provide their own services and not those of a third party?

And if so, does the employer exercise sufficient control over the putative employee to render the agreement one that is capable of being an employment agreement?

In the case of Dominos, the court found they were working as employees and should therefore be accorded that status for tax purposes.

Raft of claims

Legal sources suggest this could see a huge raft of claims from workers who have been employed long term on a bogus self-employed basis. Whether that comes to pass remains to be seen, particularly, as any self-employed barrister might tell you, going to court can be both a lottery and life-changing drain on resources.

Apart from the immediate implications that might flow from the ruling, the bigger questions around bogus self-employment will have to be addressed at some point.

For instance, what constitutes self-employment? This question was addressed in a paper prepared by barrister Michael ODoherty following the earlier Court of Appeal hearing into the Karshan case.

Referencing the gig economy, he pointed out that the self-employed contractors it employs require little more than a phone and a mode of transport and often work unsociable hours for low pay.

As there is a big pool of labour for this work, the companies which use the service have little need to incentivise the workers with better pay and conditions.

Self-employment, ODoherty wrote, has the benefit that if you do your work to a good standard you have ability to grow your business and reputation.

This is clearly not the case with the gig economy where the only benefit of doing your job well is to maximise your income on that particular day, he wrote.

There is no carry-over benefit into the next day, and no opportunity to grow your income on the basis that your customers consider you to have done a good job.

In this respect it could be argued that those subjected to bogus self-employment, particularly but not exclusively in the gig economy, are encumbered with all the negative aspects of working for themselves and are deprived all the positive aspects of doing so.

Successive governments have repeatedly run a mile from addressing this anomaly. Employers are happy with it, and anything which might threatened conditions in which jobs are created is simply avoided, irrespective of any basic concept of fairness or social justice. Now the law appears to be catching up with the practice.

If the Government is minded to do something to address the situation, there is one possible avenue to explore. While we have two categories of worker here, self-employed and employee, there are three in the neighbouring jurisdiction, the third being worker, a category that enjoys most benefits of an employee apart from protection against unfair dismissal.

Uber drivers' court case

The British Supreme Court ruled Uber drivers should be reclassified from self-employed to 'worker' category.

This was highlighted during a case in Supreme Court case in the UK, also on the issue of bogus self-employment, this one involving Uber drivers.

The court ruled in the drivers' favour, which should lead to the drivers being reclassified from self-employed to the worker category.

Such classification ensures workers receive most monetary rights of an employee, such as sick or holiday pay, but that in industries where demand fluctuates they can be let go, usually for a temporary period. Could such a category be introduced here?

That situation in the UK has been the case for quite a while and any change here would be up to the legislature, Michael ODoherty said.

Here there is no middle ground, where as over there worker is a kind of halfway house category, they dont get all the same rights but it is particularly relevant to gig economy workers.

"And it is surprising given the vast numbers employed that there has been no appetite to create something along the lines of whats in the UK. In my opinion it would be sensible.

If there is any intention of shifting from the head-in-the-sand policy regarding bogus self employment, it might be a start to examine any such change. There are other options also, but the time is fast approaching when doing nothing will no longer suffice.
The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah group held talks on Wednesday with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures in a key meeting of three top anti-Israel militant groups amid the war raging in Gaza.

A brief statement following the meeting said Hezbollahs leader, Hassan Nasrallah, agreed with Hamass Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihads leader, Ziad al-Nakhleh, on the next steps that the three  along with other Iran-backed militants  should take at this sensitive stage.

Their goal, according to the statement that was carried on Hezbollah-run and Lebanese state media, was to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and halt Israels treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank.

No other details were provided.

Hezbollah fighters stand guard on the roof of a building in Beirut to protect supporters during a protest to show solidarity with the Palestinians (Hussein Malla/AP)

The discussions in Beirut came as the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, is now in its third week.

The fighting, triggered by Hamass deadly incursion into Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, has killed more than 5,700 Palestinians in Gaza.

As the Gaza death toll spirals, tensions have also been rising along the tense Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah members have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops since the day after Hamass rampage into Israel.

For now, those exchanges remain limited to a handful of border towns and Hezbollah and Israeli military positions on both sides.

Lebanese army soldiers and United Nations peacekeeping forces have deployed in large numbers.

Dozens of Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the clashes so far, the group says, while the Israeli military has also announced some deaths among its ranks.

Mr Nasrallah has yet to publicly speak about the war in Gaza and clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border. However, other Hezbollah top officials have warned Israel against its planned ground invasion into the besieged territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will retailiate aggressively in case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah from Lebanon (Christophe Ena/Pool/AP)

Israeli officials have said they would retaliate aggressively in case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah from Lebanon.

We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state (will be) devastating, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while visiting Israeli troops along the border with Lebanon on Sunday.

Lebanons cash-strapped caretaker government, along regional and international figures, has been scrambling to keep the country out of the war.

Hezbollah and Israel fought a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a tense stalemate.

Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.
The upper house of the Russian parliament has revoked the ratification of a global nuclear test ban in what Moscow has described as a move to establish parity with the United States.

The Federation Council voted on Wednesday to endorse a Bill rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT.

The Bill will now be sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval.

The lower house, the State Duma, approved the Bill last week.

The vote follows a statement from Mr Putin, who warned earlier this month that Moscow could revoke its 2000 decision to ratify the Bill to mirror the stand taken by the US, which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.

Russias Federation Council has revoked the ratification of a global nuclear test ban (Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation/AP)

The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world but the treaty was never fully implemented.

In addition to the US, it is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt.

There are widespread concerns that Russia could move to resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the West from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine.

Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests.

Mr Putin has noted that, while some experts have argued that it is necessary to carry out nuclear tests, he has not yet formed an opinion on the issue.

Russias deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said earlier this month that Moscow will continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does it first.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip.

The territory has been blockaded and hit by devastating Israeli air strikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.

Wednesdays warning came as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources, and health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory said the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets continued striking the territory overnight.

A Palestinian man stands outside a building in Rafah destroyed in Israels bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday (Hatem Ali/AP)

The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centres, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gazas civilian population.

Gaza-based militants have been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the air strikes killed at least 704 people between Monday and Tuesday, mostly women and children.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

The death toll is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come when Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters the US could not verify the one-day death toll.

The Ministry of Health is run by Hamas, and I think that all needs to be factored into anything that they put out publicly, he said.

Palestinians carry the bodies of militants killed in an Israeli air strike on the refugee camp in Jenin, West Bank, during their funeral (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

Israel said on Tuesday that it had launched 400 air strikes over the past day, an increase from the 320 strikes the day before.

The UN says about 1.4 million of Gazas 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, with almost 600,000 crowded into UN shelters.

Gazas residents have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which has sworn to destroy Israel.

In recent days, Israel has allowed a small number of trucks filled with aid to cross the border with Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel  needed to power hospital generators  to keep it out of Hamass hands.

The UN said it has managed to deliver some of the aid in recent days to hospitals treating the wounded, but the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the largest provider of humanitarian services in Gaza, said it will run out of fuel by Wednesday night.

Officials said they have been forced to reduce their operations as they rationed what little fuel they had.

Without fuel our trucks cannot go around to further places in the strip for distribution, said agency spokeswoman Lily Esposito. We will have to make decisions on what activities we keep or not with little fuel.

As Gazas health system disintegrates, WHO calls for safe passage of fuel, supplies for health facilities



WHO remains unable to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to lack of security guarantees. WHO calls for an pic.twitter.com/naftum0ANy  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 24, 2023

Meanwhile, more than half of Gazas primary healthcare facilities, and roughly a third of its hospitals, have stopped functioning, the World Health Organisation said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggle to triage cases as constant waves of wounded are taken in.

The Health Ministry said many casualties are laid on the ground without even simple medical aid and others wait for days for surgery because there are so many critical cases.

The ministry says more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including some 2,300 children. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians murdered during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas is also holding some 222 people that it captured and took back to Gaza.

The conflict threatened to spread across the region as Israeli air strikes hit Syrian military sites in the south on Wednesday, killing eight soldiers and wounding seven, according to Syrias state-run Sana news agency.

The Israeli military said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that its jets had struck Syrian military infrastructure and mortar systems in response to rocket launches from Syria.

In response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel yesterday, IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

Israel has launched several strikes on Syria in recent days, including strikes that put the Damascus and Aleppo airports out of service, in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah.

Israel has been fighting the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah across the Lebanese border in recent weeks.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met top Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials on Wednesday in their first reported meeting since the war started.

Such a meeting could signal co-ordination between the groups, as Hezbollah officials warned Israel against launching a ground offensive in Gaza.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran is helping Hamas, with intelligence and by whipping up incitement against Israel across the world.

He said Iranian proxies are also operating against Israel from Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Fighting also erupted in the West Bank, which has seen a major spike in violence.

Islamic Jihad militants said they fought with Israeli forces in Jenin overnight.

Palestinians look at destruction in Rafah caused by the Israeli bombardment (Hatem Ali/AP)

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said Israel killed three Palestinians in Jenin and two other in other towns, taking the total number of those killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7 to 101.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the proportionate response to the October 7 attack is a total destruction of the militants.

It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty, he said.

The Israeli military said it thwarted an assault by a group of Hamas underwater divers who tried to infiltrate Israel on a beach just north of Gaza.

Across central and south Gaza, where Israel told civilians to take shelter, there were multiple scenes of rescuers pulling the dead and wounded out of large piles of rubble from collapsed buildings.

Graphic photos and video shot by the AP showed rescuers unearthing bodies of children from multiple ruins.

Buildings that collapsed on residents killed dozens at a time in several cases, witnesses said. Two families lost 47 members in a flattened home in Rafah, the Health Ministry said.
Israeli officials expressed outrage on Wednesday after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel did not happen in a vacuum, calling his comment justification for terrorism.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a scheduled meeting with Mr Guterres, while Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust memorial centre, said the UN chief failed the test.

I will not meet with the UN secretary-general. After the October 7 massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet! Mr Cohen posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN.



I call on him to resign immediately.



There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most  Ambassador Gilad Erdan   (@giladerdan1) October 24, 2023

Israels envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called for Mr Guterres resignation, saying Israel must rethink its relations with the world body.

We will refuse to grant visas to UN representatives. We have already refused to give one to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, Mr Erdan told Army Radio, accusing Mr Guterres of justifying a slaughter. Its time to teach them a lesson.

Israel has historically had tense relations with the UN, accusing it of being biased against it.

On Tuesday, Mr Guterres addressed a special Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas conflict which was sparked by the militant groups October 7 attack, which left at least 1,400 Israelis dead, and saw more than 220 taken hostage.

Israeli air strikes have destroyed large swathes of the Gaza enclave, leaving at least 6,500 Palestinians dead, including more than 2,700 children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour.



At a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on the fundamental principle of respecting & protecting civilians. pic.twitter.com/TpDcQz0Bkc  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 25, 2023

The UN chief told the council that he condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel.

Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets, he said.

But his contextualisation of the attack created an uproar in Israel.

It was important, Mr Guterres said, to acknowledge that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, their economy stifled, their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing, he said.

On Wednesday, Mr Guterres tried to row back on the remarks, tweeting: The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

"The slaughter of Jews by Hamas on 7 Oct was genocidal in its intents & immeasurably brutal in its form...it tests the sincerity of world leaders, intellectuals and influencers that come to YV & pledge Never Again. @antonioguterres failed the test."@AmbDaniDayan stated.  Yad Vashem (@yadvashem) October 25, 2023

But Israel was not mollified.

Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan said in a statement: The slaughter of Jews by Hamas on October 7th was genocidal in its intents and immeasurably brutal in its form.

He said it tests the sincerity of world leaders who went to Yad Vashem and pledged Never again.

Those who seek to understand, look for a justifying context, do not condemn the perpetrators, and do not call for the unconditional and immediate release of the abducted, fail the test. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres failed the test.
Shamima Begum will face a wait to find out whether she has won a Court of Appeal bid over the removal of her British citizenship.

Ms Begum travelled to Syria in 2015  at the age of 15  before her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds shortly after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019.

Earlier this year, the now-24-year-old lost a challenge against the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Ms Begums lawyers brought a bid to overturn this decision at the Court of Appeal, with the Home Office opposing the challenge.

At the start of the hearing on Tuesday, Samantha Knights KC told the court the government had failed to consider the legal duties owed to Ms Begum as a potential victim of trafficking or as a result of state failures in her case.

She said in written submissions: The appellants trafficking was a mandatory, relevant consideration in determining whether it was conducive to the public good and proportionate to deprive her of citizenship, but it was not considered by the Home Office.

As a consequence, the deprivation decision was unlawful.

But at the hearing in London on Wednesday, James Eadie KC, for the department, said that decisions over whether someone is a victim of trafficking or whether they should be deprived of their citizenship have fundamentally different bases and roles.

Amira Abase, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Shamima Begum, 15, travelled from Gatwick airport in February 2015 (Metropolitan Police/PA)

He continued: The focus in the trafficking regime is on the protection of the individual and theres really no countervailing public interest at that point.

But here the regime is different, the regime in operation is the deprivation regime and the rationale is entirely different, it is the protection of the public at large.

The barrister later said the key feature of Ms Begums case was national security.

Mr Eadie continued in written submissions: The fact that someone is radicalised, and may have been manipulated, is not inconsistent with the assessment that they pose a national security risk.

Ms Begum contends that national security should not be a trump card. But the public should not be exposed to risks to national security because events and circumstances have conspired to give rise to that risk.

During the appeal bid, Ms Begums lawyers said the UK has failed to have a full and effective investigation into how Ms Begum was allegedly trafficked.

In its ruling earlier this year, SIAC concluded there were arguable breaches of duty by state bodies  including the Metropolitan Police, Tower Hamlets council and Ms Begums school  in not preventing her from travelling to Syria.

Ms Knights told the Court of Appeal at the start of the three-day hearing that these failures could have also been unlawful and contributed to Ms Begums trafficking.

However, Mr Eadie said SIAC was right to find there was no direct connection between any potential failures, by other public authorities, in 2015 and Mr Javids decision to deprive Ms Begum of her citizenship.

The hearing in London is expected to conclude on Thursday, with the final day of the proceedings held in private.

At the end of Wednesdays session, the Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr said: We anticipate we will be reserving both open and closed decisions.
The junta has filed lawsuits against 16 executives from nine edible-oil importers under non-bailable charges for allegedly selling cooking oil at prices higher than the reference rate set by the regime.

The lawsuits were filed on Tuesday and cited the Essential Supplies and Services Law and Section 409 of Penal Code, saying the 16 suspects were charged with criminal breach of trust, sources said.

They were remanded in custody during Tuesdays trial. The next court hearing was scheduled for October 31, according to a business owner.

The prosecutions came after some of the executives were detained and questioned in Naypyitaw in connection with former juntas trade chiefformer Lt-General Moe Myint Tunwho was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

The lawsuits were filed by the juntas Bureau of Special Investigation.

A source in Naypyitaw told The Irrawaddy: I heard [the executives] will be told to compensate [for overcharging] and will also be imprisoned.

Convictions for violations of Section 409 of the Penal Code can result in life in prisonor up to 10 years and a fine for public servants, merchants, brokers, attorneys, or agents breaching trust in respect to a property entrusted to them.

The Essential Supplies and Services Law also prescribes six months to three years in prison plus a fine of no more than 500,000 kyats (around US$ 238 at the official exchange rate of 2,100 kyats per dollar) for price gouging and hoarding for the purpose of price gouging.

A subsidiary of Htoo Group of Companiesowned by junta crony and arms-broker Tay Zaas well as Europe Asia Commercial Co Ltd are among the companies whose executives have been charged. Some other major cooking-oil importers were excluded from prosecution, according to a source.

Those from other companies interrogated were released on Tuesday. The companies include CF Global, Wilmar Myanmar Edible Oils Ltd, Resources Group Trading Co Ltd, ViVo Group Myanmar, Global Good Pure Group and Aung Thabyay Khine Co.

It appears that Min Aung Hlaing has ordered that his partner companies are not sued. So, the Bureau of Special Investigation dares not file lawsuits against them. Wilmar is the No. 1 edible oil importer, and Zaw Win Shein is No. 2, the source said.

The plan to import palm oil was initiated under the previous regime, which called itself State Law and Order Restoration Council, to meet the domestic demand. Wilmar, a subsidiary of Asia World, a conglomerate owned by drug lord Lo Hsing Han, then won contracts to build many edible-oil storage facilities, and palm oil importers have to keep their goods at Wilmar facilities.

Zaw Win Shein is the owner Ayeyar Hinthar Holdings Co Ltd and has close ties to junta boss Min Aung Hlaing. Another major palm oil importer is Myanmar Distribution Group whose head Mya Nyein is close to Min Aung Hlaings daughter.

Zaw Win Shein is an adoptive son of Soe Maung, who was a key Presidents Office minister when the military proxy Thein Sein administration was in power. Soe Maung is a retired major general and also a former judge advocate-general.

The regime sold US dollars to edible-oil importers at the official rate of 2,100 kyats per greenback, and instructed them to sell them at its kyat reference rate. The currency market rate has been unstable, but the average has been around 3,500 kyats per dollar since last year.

Merchants, including palm-oil importers, had to bribe Moe Myint Tun and his assistant, former Brigadier-General Yan Naung Soe, to acquire US dollars at the rate of 2,100 kyats and permits for edible oil imports.

Both Moe Myint Tun and Yan Naung Soe have been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

There are 22 palm-oil importers in Myanmar.
The regime is allowing families of inmates to visit them in prisons across the country again, but sources close to lawyers and the correctional department say it is uncertain whether ministers of the ousted National League for Democracy government, including jailed State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, will be allowed to receive visitors.

Prison visits by families of detainees were suspended in March 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The regime allowed visits by relatives to start again on Tuesday with some restrictions.

Sources close to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said they have made formal requests to visit the jailed civilian leader, but have yet to receive a reply.

We have made five requests to visit Aunty [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] since we heard that prison visits will be allowed again. But there is still no reply, a source close to her said.

As for President U Win Myint, he has his family, so his family will ask by themselves. But Aunty [Suu Kyi] does not have family here. So, we have taken the responsibility [of requesting visits].

The correctional department issued notices at prisons and also informed family members that prison visits could resume.

U Nay Phone Latt, spokesman of the civilian National Unity Government, said: We dont know exactly if the state counselor and the president will be allowed for prison visits. Even if the visit is allowed, they would be kept under surveillance throughout the visit, and what they say would be noted down, and reported to authorities like [previous regimes] did before.

Visitors must bring their original citizenship ID, original household registration certificate, certificate of clearance issued by police, certificate of residence issued by the relevant ward administrator, and a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, according to the regulations issued for visitors.

Prison visits have been allowed at 40 prisons across the countryincluding Insein Prison in Yangon, Obo Prison in Mandalay, and prisons in Tharyarwaddy, Thayet, Magwe, Myingyan and Daweiwhere many political prisoners are kept, according to the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPN-M).

One hundred prisoners are allowed to receive visits per day, and each visit is limited to 20 minutes. Visits are allowed between 8am and 2pm from Monday to Friday.

Ko Thaik Tun Oo of PPN-Myanmar said: Only 100 inmates are allowed for visits a day.

So family members will have to wait if inmates are not on that list. Though it is okay for families who live near the prison, family members from afar will have to incur extra costs for meals and accommodation if they have to wait.

Many political prisoners have been transferred to prisons far from their hometowns where they were arrested, making it more difficult for them to receive visitors.

Ko Thaik Tun Oo said prison visits by family members are a fundamental right of prisoners. The regime is allowing prison visits just to put on a show for the international community, he said.

They have used COVID-19 as an excuse for banning prison visits. We have pointed out that the pandemic has long been under control. And prisoners are legally entitled to a visit twice a month. COVID-19 is no longer a valid reason for the ban on prison visits.

As United Nations Security Council meetings will be held soon, the regime tries to put on a show of moderate attitude toward prisoners, he explained.

Family members were queuing outside prisons on Tuesday.

A family member who visited a detainee in Tharyarwaddy Prison said: Each person is allowed to visit for 20 minutes. Some could meet for up to 30 minutes. Family members have longed to see them.

A total of 19,610 people remain in prison since the coup and 156 of them have been sentenced to death, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Five Myanmar nationals have filed a criminal complaint with the Philippines to investigate alleged war crimes committed by 10 members of Myanmars junta, including leader Min Aung Hlaing, over murdering civilians and torching houses in Chin State.

The complaint lodged with the Department of Justice in Manila on Wednesday comes on the second anniversary of the mass arson attack on the town of Thantlang, which was part of a 2021 offensive in Chin State that saw some 2,000 homes destroyed, at least 250 people killed and 60,000 driven into India, according to the Myanmar Accountability Project.

Filipino lawyers said the Philippines International Humanitarian Law Act obligated Manila to prosecute war crimes committed in other countries, once formally brought to its attention.

The atrocities being committed in Chin State are part of Myanmars forgotten war against the Chin, Salai Ling, one of the complainants and a member of the Chin Human Rights Organisation, said in a press release.

We are Christians whose pastors are being murdered and whose churches and faith-based schools are being destroyed in a systematic campaign by junta forces. With this persecution of Myanmars Christians continuing, we pray that our brothers and sisters in the Philippines will hear our cry and grant us justice.

The complainants are from Chin State and but now in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and India to avoid the juntas violence. Among the accused is Dr Vung Suan Thang, who is a former military officer and the juntas Chin State chief minister, and five generals.

I am dreaming of accountability for the brutal murder of my father and Pu Hram Cung. They were Baptist church elders, good men who served their communities with pride and paid the ultimate price. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten, said another complainant, a daughter of Pu Ral Tu.

Pu Ral Tu was shot dead on September 29, 2021, along with his friend, Pu Hram Cung, as they went to Thantlang, which was under attack by the military, to bring medicine to displaced residents, the press release stated.

I will not accept that my nephews death was in vain. He died attempting to save fellow citizens from raging fires. I beseech the Philippine authorities to grant us the justice we pray for, said the uncle of Pastor Cung Biak Hum.

The 30-year-old pastor was killed on September 18, 2021, by junta soldiers while putting out fires at houses. He said he would not accept that his nephews death was in vain.

Soldiers cut off the pastors finger to steal his wedding ring and took other belongings.

We respectfully request the authorities in Manila to open an investigation into these horrendous crimes in Chin State. There is a plethora of evidence gathered by the UNs Independent Investigative Mechanism, so therefore much of the initial work has been done. We have also petitioned ASEAN to promote regional justice mechanisms and this case in the Philippines sends a powerful signal to our regional partners, said lawyer Gilbert Andres.

The civilian National Unity Governments Human Rights Minister U Aung Myo Min told The Irrawaddy that his ministry was working with the United Nations and international tribunals in Argentina, Germany, Indonesia and Turkey that accept and prosecute individuals from other countries for serious crimes based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. Some countries accepted the complaints and had started investigations, he said.
Sixteen regime soldiers have been killed and more than 30 wounded in two weeks of fighting around the China-backed Tagaung Taung nickel mine in Mandalays Thabeikkyin Township, according to Peoples Defense Forces.

Trucks hired to transport nickel ore have been trapped at the mine for days due to fear of resistance attacks, according to local sources.

Fighting between resistance groups and 150 junta soldiers tasked with securing the Tigyaing-Mandalay highway used by the vehicles has been ongoing since October 13.

The resistance groups have attacked the troops with mines and drone bombs, destroying a number of vehicles, the Thabeikkyin Peoples Defense Force reported.

The clashes broke out near the villages of Lat Pan Kone and Sae Zin Khon, around 48 kilometres from Tagaung Taung mine, a Thabeikkyin PDF representative said.

They are worried about attacks by the PDFs if vehicles from the mine travel in the township. So the soldiers are providing security for the mine vehicles and we are currently fighting with these troops, he told The Irrawaddy.

The nickel project launched in July 2008 under a 20-year joint contract signed by the junta-controlled No.1 Mining Enterprise of Myanmar and Chinese state-owned firm China Nonferrous Metal Mining (CNMC).

With an investment of US$800 million, the project is the largest nickel mine in Myanmar with annual production capacity of 85,000 tonnes of ferronickel, according to the joint-venture firm Myanmar CNMC Nickel.

Around 5,000 tonnes of ferronickel ore is transported daily from the mine to Tigyaing Township in Sagaing Region, where it is smelted.

On October 15, around seven regime soldiers were wounded by drone bombs near Lat Pan Kone village. The wounded soldiers were ferried to the townships Kyar Nyaut hospital, Thabeikkyin Wild Elephant Guerrilla Force reported.

The fighting is ongoing today [Wednesday]. Casualties have been heavy among junta troops but our forces have suffered none, a Thabeikkyin PDF representative told The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the casualty reports.

Nickel production was disrupted in January 2022, when Tigyaing Township Peoples Defense Force blew up three electricity pylons supplying the Sagaing nickel-processing plant.

Chinese mining companies in Myanmar are being called on to stop harboring junta troops who are conducting a terror campaign against civilians and withdraw their investments. Activists have pushed for closure of China-backed mines across the country.

Junta troops are using the Chinese-run Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Region as a base to commit atrocities  killing civilians, burning their houses and looting their property.

Local resistance forces have been ambushing junta convoys transporting copper ore from Chinese mining operations in Sagaing Region to lower Myanmar.

The junta is now relying on the Chindwin River to transport troops, supplies and timber amid frequent attacks along land routes. However, the flotillas are facing frequent ambushes by resistance forces.
Resistance groups based in Karen State claimed to have killed six regime combatants including a battalion commander during an intense clash in Kawkareik Township on Tuesday.

A combined resistance force including drone units and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) clashed with a junta unit from Military Division 44 near Taton Kuu village.

The junta troops were advancing into territory controlled by KNLA Brigade 6 when the fighting erupted.

Resistance sources told The Irrawaddy that KNLA snipers managed to kill colonel Nyein Chan Ko Ko, commander of Light Infantry Battalion 207, with a shot to the head during the clash.

The victim, who graduated from the Defense Service Academy 47th intake, was recently promoted as a battalion commander, according to the sources.

The resistance force also used makeshift remote-controlled planes to bomb regime troops during the clash.

Resistance drone units said eight regime forces were wounded in the clash. Two resistance fighters also suffered injuries.

After sustaining losses, the junta used aircraft to conduct five strikes on the area.

Videos released by the resistance groups show an MI 35 helicopter gunship hovering and opening fire at the clash site.

Regime ground troops retreated to Kawkareik town after the battle, according to resistance groups.

The KNLA is the armed wing of the countrys oldest ethnic revolutionary group, the Karen National Union (KNU).

Since the February 2021 coup, the KNU has provided military training to thousands of anti-regime activists while sheltering thousands more, including striking government staff who fled under threat of arrest by the junta.

The ethnic group has also stepped up attacks on regime targets beyond Karen State in Mon State and Tanintharyi and Bago regions, as well as the regimes administrative capital of Naypyitaw. The KNU is cooperating with Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs), the armed wing of the parallel civilian National Unity Government.
At least 54 Myanmar junta troops as well as a resistance fighter were reportedly killed in the last five days as Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations continued to attack regime targets across the country.

Incidents were reported in Karen and Mon states and Magwe, Sagaing, Bago and Tanintharyi regions.

The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.

Some military casualties could not be independently verified.

Regime battalion commander killed in fierce clash in Karen

At least six regime forces including a battalion commander were killed in a heavy clash with combined resistance groups in Kawkareik Township, Karen State on Tuesday, said resistance drone unit Kloud, which took part in the incident.

At least eight resistance groups including drone units attacked regime forces invading an area controlled by the resistance group Albino Tiger Column. After suffering heavy losses, junta forces conducted five air strikes against the resistance groups, said the Kloud drone unit.

Clashes erupt in Mon

The joint military command office of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) and the Karen Nation Union (KNU) for Military Region 3 said regime forces used three artillery rounds to bomb PDF fighters and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) troops of the KNU who were conducting security checks on vehicles on the Mawlamyine-Ye-Dawei Highway in Ye Township, Mon State on Sunday morning.

After the junta attack, the combined resistance groups retreated and took up a position on a hill near Apyingyi Sakhan Village. Later, a firefight broke out in the area for 10 minutes when resistance forces attacked 20 regime forces approaching their area. Four regime forces were killed and another seriously injured.

Military timber flotilla ambushed in Magwe

Joint resistance forces engage in a clash with a military flotilla in Yesagyo Township on Sunday. / Black Wolf PDF (Mandalay)

Black Wolf PDF (Mandalay) said it and four other resistance groups jointly ambushed a military flotilla including timber barges traveling down the Chindwin River in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Sunday.

Details of damage and military casualties were unknown. There were no resistance casualties.

Police station bombed by drones in Magwe

The Defense Ministry of the NUG said its armed wingsbattalions of Gangaw District PDFused drones to drop 36 bombs on the police station in Kan Village in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region on Saturday.

Details of damage and regime casualties were unknown. After being bombed, the junta forces responded with three 60-mm explosives.

On the same day, other Gangaw District PDF battalions, local resistance groups and the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) attacked a military unit of 30 troops including pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members from the police station in Taung Khin Yan Village in Gangaw Township. Regime casualties were unknown, said the NUGs Defense Ministry.

Military checkpoint bombed in Bago

At least one regime soldiera sergeantwas killed and two other troops injured in Phyuu Township, Bago Region on Sunday when combined PDF groups dropped a drone bomb on a military checkpoint near Oak Phyat Village, said the NUGs Defense Ministry.

Junta forces attacked while raiding villages in Sagaing

Special Ranger Force (SRF) said it and other resistance groups jointly attacked a military unit advancing to Kyi Ywar Village in Depayin Township, Sagaing Region on Sunday morning.

Regime casualties were unknown. There were no resistance casualties.

Military unit repeatedly bombed while retreating in Sagaing

Military vehicles, firing at random while rushing to a police station after being attacked by resistance groups, are ambushed with remotely triggered land mines in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region in early October. / Theikdi Shin PDF

Theikdi Shin PDF group said it and six other resistance groups used two clusters of six land mines to ambush a military unit of 80 troops carrying injured soldiers near an irrigation canal in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Monday, injuring two soldiers.

The military unit, which has been raiding villages since last week, was retreating to Shwebo town after facing a series of resistance ambushes and drone strikes.

The joint resistance groups used land mines to ambush the military unit again while it was heading to Shwebo town on Tuesday, killing one soldier.

Military base raided in Sagaing



Combined resistance groups take part in a drone strike mission and clash with regime forces based in Thalal Bar Village, Ayadaw Township on Saturday. / Ngwedwin Revolution Force

Patheingyi PDF from Mandalay said it and several other resistance groups including drone units attacked regime forces in the pro-junta village of Thalal Bar in Ayadaw Township, Sagaing Region on Saturday.

The group claimed to have killed eight regime forces including four pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members in the attack. A resistance fighter also suffered injuries.

Regime forces ambushed in Sagaing

Tharlarwaddy Defense Force, a battalion of the NUGs PDF, said it and two other resistance groups ambushed a unit from the militarys Artillery Battalion 508 in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region on Monday, killing a soldier and seizing his weapon and explosives.

Resistance forces attacked regime sentries who remained behind while the military unit was heading to Tharsi Village.

Junta suffers heavy losses in resistance attacks in Tanintharyi

Myeik PDF said it and other resistance groups including the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO), an armed wing of the KNU, conducted a dawn raid on the juntas Tone Byawl Nge military base in Myeik Township, Tanintharyi Region last Friday.

Thirteen junta troops were killed and six injured while two resistance fighters also suffered injuries. The next day, the combined resistance groups clashed with regime forces near a village in the township. Twenty more regime troops as well as a resistance fighter were killed in the clash.
Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, citing its use of addictive features to collect information from children.

Florida isnt alone in declaring legal action on Tuesday against the social media company. Meta also faces a joint complaint of similar nature from 33 states including neighboring Georgia and Louisiana. A federal court in California will handle that suit.

Moody filed the 38-page lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

In the complaint, Moody argues that auto-play features on videos and live streams encourage children to spend more time on Metas platforms. The use of those practices is a violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, according to the complaint.

Meta has gone unchecked for too long, and our children are suffering the consequences of these unlawful practices, Moody said in a press release. Today, I took action to stop Meta from targeting minors with addictive features to keep them online for hours, collecting their data and other unlawful actions that harm teens mental health.

Childrens privacy

Floridas suit also alleges that Meta has failed to get parental consent from accounts started by children under 13 years old and that it does not clearly state what information it gathers from such accounts. Websites and other online services used by children must notify parents of data that will be collected from their childs account, according to a privacy rule from the Federal Trade Commission.

Despite Metas assurances to parents, lawmakers, and users that its Social Media Platforms are suitable for young users and designed to promote their well-being, it continues to develop and implement features that induce young users harmful, extended and compulsive social media use, Moody wrote in the complaint.

The California suit also accuses Meta of breaking provisions of the FTC privacy rule. Both suits come two years after Florida co-lead an investigation into the platforms impact on children and teens, according to The Washington Post.

Moody also referenced in the complaint other lawsuits against Meta that came out of Florida. The Broward County School Board sued Meta in March, citing mental health problems of students in the district, according to the complaint.

This story appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee.
Wednesday, Oct 25th, 2023 (9:49 am) - Score 1,776

Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has today announced that, as part of their work under the 1bn industry-led Shared Rural Network (SRN) project, theyve upgraded 139 mobile mast sites across Northern Ireland and delivered improved 4G mobile coverage.

The SRN is an industry-led scheme  supported by 500m of public funding and 532m from operators  that aims to help extend geographic 4G coverage (aggregate) to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025 (the 5G rollout will also benefit). The scheme essentially involves both the reciprocal sharing of existing masts in certain areas and the demand-led building and sharing of new masts in others between the operators.

NOTE: EE claims to be on track to meet their UK-wide target of 88% 4G geographic coverage by June 2024.

The projects target does, however, vary a bit between different parts of the UK. For example, 4G coverage from at least one MNO is expected to reach 98% in England, 91% in Scotland, 95% in Wales and 98% in Northern Ireland. But this falls to 90% in England, 74% in Scotland, 80% in Wales and 85% in Northern Ireland when looking at 4G coverage from all MNOs combined.

For its part, EE has so far upgraded more than 1,500 locations across the UK, which allegedly [makes] it the only operator on track to meet its obligations under the SRN  this is in light of last weekends media reporting that O2, Three UK and Vodafone will struggle to meet the June 2024 Ofcom deadline for coverage improvements in partial not-spot areas (here).

The Plan for Northern Ireland

According to todays announcement, EE has just significantly expanded the reach of its 4G network by upgrading 139 locations across Northern Ireland as part of the SRN. The operator  working in partnership with WHP Telecoms  has also built a new mobile mast to deliver enhanced 4G coverage across the northern part of the Mid-Ulster district and the eastern part of the Sperrins  an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This includes the villages of Moneyneany and Draperstown, Spelhoagh Mountain, as well as large sections of the B40, A6 and Glenshane Pass  one of the highest mountain roads in Northern Ireland.

By the end of the SRN programme, EE aims to have upgraded or built 164 sites in Northern Ireland  including the potential for a further 10 new mast sites  to ensure rural communities have the fast and reliable 4G connectivity they need.

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said: The Shared Rural Network is having a positive impact on the lives of people who live and work in countryside communities across the UK. At EE were expanding the reach of our 4G network to deliver widespread and reliable connectivity rural areas can rely on. Northern Ireland is renowned for its rich history and heritage, as well as its thriving tourism and agricultural industries. Having boosted 4G connectivity across the country, were helping close the digital divide that exists between urban and rural communities and ensuring residents and businesses have the connectivity they need to thrive for decades to come.

EEs 4G network in Northern Ireland currently covers more than 88% of the country and is on track to reach 89% by the end of 2025 thanks to these new upgrades. But as usual with EEs press releases, they talk about giving details of the 139 upgraded mobile mast sites, but then fail to actually list which sites have been upgraded  something we and many others would find useful to know.

Finally, while the SRN doesnt specifically require 5G to be deployed, the infrastructure theyre building can often still be used to support it. All of this should help with EEs ambition to deliver 5G connectivity solutions anywhere in the UK by 2028  through a combination of permanent coverage (90% of the UKs landmass) and on-demand solutions (to tackle the final 10%).

UPDATE 2:32pm

EE has not been able to furnish us with a list of the aforementioned sites, but we do have a regional split to  very roughly  show where most of them are (happy days in County Down):

County Antrim: 34

County Armagh: 17

County Down: 49

County Fermanagh: 5

County Londonderry: 19

County Tyrone: 15
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Environmental groups are urging a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of an international meeting in Jamaica where an obscure U.N. body will debate the issue amid fears it could soon authorize the worlds first license to harvest minerals from the ocean floor
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( Tomdispatch.com )  Sometimes the right wing in this country seems like a riddle wrapped in an enigma encased in a conundrum.

Do they want to strengthen the government in line with the once-fringe doctrine of the unitary executive, concentrating most official power in the hands of a president who would then rule more or less by fiat? Thats the fascist position.

Or would they prefer to destroy the government, to starve the beast, something anti-tax activist Grover Norquist used to call for decades ago? I dont want to abolish government, he declared. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub. Thats the anti-government nihilist position.

You might not think that those two goals could coexist comfortably within a single party. And of course, youd be right if you were talking about an ordinary American political party. But the Republicans are no longer an ordinary party. In many respects, in fact, they have become the however-fractious sole property of one Donald J. Trump. That former and quite possibly (God forbid) future president has no trouble simultaneously advocating contradictory, not to mention devastating, ideas. Thats because, for him, ideas are an entirely fungible currency that he deploys primarily to maintain the attention and adulation of his  and it is increasingly his alone  GOP base. And precisely because Trump has so little invested in actual policy, the right wing believes hes a weapon they can point and shoot in whatever direction they choose.

You might also wonder why, at a moment when horror is being heaped on horror in Israel/Palestine, when wars continue unabated in Ukraine and Sudan, I find myself focusing on some distinctly in-the-weeds aspects of the American political system. Perhaps its partly to distract myself from all the other nightmares around us. But even if I believed (which I dont) that the right response to the crisis in Israel/Palestine involved sending more weapons and money to Benjamin Netanyahu, Congress isnt in a position to appropriate anything at the moment.

Just as we face so many crises globally, the legislative branch of the worlds (theoretically) most powerful country has ceased to function. Perhaps by the time you read this, Republicans in the House of Representatives will have stopped squabbling over which right-wing bigot should be speaker. Maybe they will have opted for Jim Jordan, who has accused the Biden administration of planning to replace white voters with immigrants, or perhaps someone else entirely. Remember, too, that whatever joker emerges as speaker from such a chaotic process will be second in line to the presidency, should something happen to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Fearsome Power

Recently, Ive somehow managed to end up on a few right-wing email lists. The strangest people (Ron DeSantis, for example) are writing to ask me for money. My most recent supplicant was Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to President Trump and co-author, with Steve Bannon, of Trumps 2017 inaugural address in which the new president inveighed darkly against the American carnage he saw defiling the nations landscape. These days, Miller is himself a president of something called the America First Legal Foundation, which bills itself as Fighting Back against lawless executive actions and the Radical Left.

Miller, it turns out, has written to let me know that we are living in extremely perilous times and a truly dangerous moment for our Republic. As it happens, I agree with him, though obviously not for the same reasons. The federal bureaucracy has turned against the American people, Millers missive continues. It has been completely corrupted into an ideological monolith of hard-left loathing for America. The fearsome power [his emphasis] of the state is raining down on political dissidents, while violent and vile criminals are released into our communities. The solution, of course, is to send money to America First Legal, so it can get on with the business of Fighting Back against lawless executive actions.

Miller, however, will likely be less concerned about the fearsome power of the state once its again in the hands of Donald Trump. Indeed, hes part of a group of former and present Trump advisers engaged in planning for a potential presidential transition in 2025. These include Russell Vought, who ran Trumps Office of Management and Budget, and former Trump White House chief of personnel John McEntee. As the New York Times reported in July,

Mr. Vought and Mr. McEntee are involved in Project 2025, a $22 million presidential transition operation that is preparing policies, personnel lists and transition plans to recommend to any Republican who may win the 2024 election. The transition project, the scale of which is unprecedented in conservative politics, is led by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank that has shaped the personnel and policies of Republican administrations since the Reagan presidency.

The key thrust of Project 2025 is full implementation of the unitary executive principle  the view that the Constitution locates the power of the executive branch in a single individual, the president. In its maximalist version, according to the Times, this theory also contradicts the long-held doctrine of the separation of powers, under which three co-equal branches of government  executive, legislative, and judicial  provide checks and balances on each other. Under the unitary executive principle, presidential power simply outweighs that of either Congress or the Supreme Court. Project 2025s backers know that Donald Trump will agree and act accordingly.

By long-held doctrine I mean a blueprint for democratic government that goes back to two seventeenth- and eighteenth-century political philosophers: Charles Montesquieu, who first wrote about the separation of powers, and John Locke, whose ideas about unalienable rights were enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. Like Montesquieu, Locke advocated for a separation of governmental powers in which the legislative, not the executive, would be supreme. In that view, the democratically elected legislature makes a nations laws and  just as the name suggests  the executive exists to execute them.

Despite their occasional homages to Montesquieu and Locke, the Heritage Foundation and its followers have flipped that thinking upside down by insisting that the Constitution considers the executive branch superior to the other two. If that were the case, wouldnt the executive branch be described in that documents first article? In fact, Articles I, II, and III describe the legislative, executive, and judicial functions in that order, suggesting that if any of these is superior, it is (as Locke argued) the legislative.

Heritage, however, points to Article II, which begins: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows What follows is a lengthy description of the very electoral process that Trump and company tried so hard to suborn on January 6, 2021.

While Trump was president, he delighted in explaining to anyone whod listen that he had an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president. At the time, that suggestion of ultimate power was met with widespread derision.

However, were Trump to be re-elected, the folks at the Heritage Foundations Project 2025 and the America First Policy Institute have plans to, as the starship Enterprise captain Jean-Luc Picard would say, make it so. As the Times reported in July, their goal is to alter the balance of power by increasing the presidents authority over every part of the federal government that now operates, by either law or tradition, with any measure of independence from political interference by the White House. Consider what follows a first step in exactly that direction.

A (Schedule) F in Government

Okay, now lets truly dive into the weeds: In his final year as president, Trump issued an executive order amending the regulations governing the federal civil service. That service was instituted by law in 1871 in response to what was then seen as rampant favoritism throughout the federal government. Patronage jobs  positions granted, often to the friends and family of powerful politicians or in return for money or favors  were officially eliminated. Competitive processes designed to select qualified candidates for specific positions replaced the old system.

Today, the Office of Personnel Management oversees the hiring and firing of roughly 2.2 million civilian federal employees, the people who keep the wheels of government turning. They administer Social Security, Medicare, and the Internal Revenue Service, among many other things. They make sure that your meat isnt rotten and the alcohol content of your vodka bottle is what it says on the label.

The vast majority of those employees are chosen through competitive examinations, but about 4,000 key positions are directly appointed by the president or other senior officials, including the leadership of many agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other government executives. Its not unreasonable for presidents to want to put their own policy stamp on various branches of government through such appointments.

Those 4,000 positions exempted from competitive hiring fall into five categories, delineated in five schedules (lists) described in a subsection of Title 5 of the United States Code. To be exact, Rule VI of Subsection A of Title 5  I told you we were going to get into the weeds!  lists in Schedules A through E the employees exempt from civil service exams.

Or at least those were all the exempt categories until October 2020. Thats when Donald Trump issued an executive order creating Schedule F, which exempted from competitive hiring all career positions in the Federal service of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.

Such a broad, ill-defined category could, in fact, have come to include any junior employee in any federal department who might in the course of his or her employment have cause to send a memo to a superior advocating any action. Its estimated that implementing Schedule F would have sent the number of exempt civil service employees soaring from 4,000 to roughly 50,000.

On taking office, however, President Joe Biden immediately rescinded that executive order so, at the moment at least, Schedule F no longer exists.

In fact, the feckless President Trump we knew wasnt even vaguely prepared to replace 50,000 civil servants with his own people during his last few months in office or, likely as not, over the following four years had he been re-elected. Thats where the Heritage Foundations Project 2025 comes in. They are now spending millions of dollars to recruit and vet political appointees who would toe the Trump line (a line they hope to draw in a future Trump presidency).

Jokers to the Right of Me

The rock band Stealers Wheel caught our current situation perfectly back in 1972 when they sang about Clowns to the left of me/Jokers to the right. The jokers to the right of me (and to the right of the majority of the people in this country) are the members of the House Freedom Caucus, their allies, and other MAGA followers. They are the ones (de)constructing the house of cards that Congress is becoming at this very moment. To call them anarchists would be an insult to conscientious anarchists everywhere. They are, in fact, anti-government nihilists who believe in little beyond a kind of gun-slinging performative violence. They dont want to drown the government quietly in a bathtub but to strangle it on live TV. And keep in mind that they have imagined nothing with which to replace it.

Where to begin? Those Freedom Caucusers in the House are now walking weapons in search of a target. Yes, they threatened to shut down the government unless their demands were met, but then they couldnt even decide what those demands were. Did they want to cut Social Security, Medicare, and other social service programs? Impeach President Biden? Stop the prosecutions of Donald Trump? Increase border security? Stop funding Ukraines war effort?

When House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to cooperate with the Democrats to prevent just such a shutdown, they threw him out. Then they couldnt agree on a new speaker, even though the House of Representatives cant conduct business without one. Yet not a day passes without a bomb-thrower like Matt Gaetz strutting around saying things like:

My goal is to get the most conservative Speaker of the House with broad trust across the conference. The Swamp of Washington D.C. is going crazy right now because they are not in complete and total control  this gives us a great opportunity to put the interests of our fellow Americans first.

All Together Now

Much of this would be funny if it werent so deadly serious. However, recent polls suggest that a 2024 contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden remains a toss-up. As historian Heather Cox Richardson recently told the Guardian, Democracies die more often through the ballot box than at gunpoint. The re-election of Trump. she believes, will signal

an end of American democracy. I have absolutely no doubt about that, and hes made it very clear. You look at Project 2025, which is a thousand pages on how you dismantle the federal government that has protected civil rights, provided a basic social safety net, regulated business, and promoted infrastructure since 1933. The theme of his 2024 campaign is retribution. I dont think people understand now that, if Donald Trump wins again, what were going to put in power is those people who want to burn it all down.

I cant say it any better than she has. They want to burn it all down so that they can rule over the smoldering ashes. That would put us on a true Schedule F  for Failed State  a condition this country now seems hellbent on achieving.

Copyright 2023 Rebecca Gordon

Via Tomdispatch.com
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We are all witnessing horrors and carnage going on in the tiny landmass called Gaza  a land squeezed between Egypt and Israel where 2.3 million people were living before the beginning of the butchery. As horrific as Hamass attack of October 7 on Israel was, nothing justifies the demolition of civilian city quarters from the air. Since 2005 when the Israeli army and settlers withdrew from the interior of Gaza, this is the sixth time that Israel has conducted direct military aggression into the territory. It has led Operation Summer Rains in 2006, Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, Operation Pillar Defense in 2012, Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and Operation Black Belt in 2019: every time declaring the total annihilation of Hamas as the objective. Will Israel succeed this time?

The US administration has already declared unqualified support for Israels war strategy against the advice of prominent intellectuals. Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council of Foreign Relations, has warned in a friendly advice in the Foreign Affairs that, Hamas is as much a network, a movement, and an ideology as it is an organization. Its leadership can be killed, but the entity or something like it will survive. In a separate article a week after the October 7 Hamas attack, Marc Lynch has cautioned that, An Invasion of Gaza Would Be a Disaster for Israel. Yet the Administration does not seem to have reflected on the overall situation. Why is this happening? Is this unprecedented in history?

The refusal of the ruling Likud Party in Israel to negotiate seriously with the Palestinians is not new. Consider the assassination of the Swedish diplomat and the Red Cross Chief Count Bernadotte. The newly created United Nations appointed him to negotiate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, but the Israeli paramilitary group Lehi, also known as Stern Gang, murdered him in Jerusalem on September 17, 1948. Lehi feared that his proposals for peace with the Arabs would be accepted. Bernadotte had the reputation of saving of more than 30,000 lives from Hitlers concentration camps. The US condemned the assassination, demanded full investigation, and bring the perpetrators to justice. However, the whole issue died down slowly and one of Bernadottes assassins later became Israels prime minister. This disregard for international law and the need for compromise has frequently characterized Israeli policy in the aftermath.

Article continues after bonus IC video

ABC News: Doctors Without Borders says situation facing hospitals in Gaza is untenable, absolutely horrific'

We do not realize how much we have degenerated over the decades. Now we express our horror at the murder of a six year old Palestinian-American in the hands of an elderly bigot. American politicians, the mainstream media, a powerful segment of academia  all have marginalized the faculty of critical thinking. The paradox is that modern academic disciplines claim to follow Socratic Method of inquiry but in reality, they blatantly follow Sophistic relativistic philosophy and seem unable to confront the corrupting influence of money in American politics and culture.

The Gaza crisis has exposed bankruptcy of the American political elite. Secretary Blinken declared Americas unconditional support for Israel following Hamas October 7 attack. It quickly became clear that what he really meant was that the US was all in with Israels massive attack on Gaza. Was he then surprised when he had to wait several hours for a simple meeting in Riyadh with the Saudi Crown Prince? He is now even facing a revolt in the State Department. According to reports, the director of congressional and public affairs at the State Departments Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which handles arms transfers, resigned, but he seems to have been more worried about Some of our colleagues in the region, especially among our locally employed staff, have been directly affected by the violence, including by losing loved ones and friends.

After retracting his claim of Hamas decapitating forty Israeli babies, President Biden has now claimed that, American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with, he insisted. Yet we have witnessed the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, and two decades of intensive US bombing during its occupation of Afghanistan. However, this is not the first time in history that we have seen a decaying power making hollow claims.

Israel has cut the civilian population of Gaza off from potable water, food, electricity, and fuel. The tiny number of aid trucks allowed in so far are a cruel joke. What will happen to more than two million Gazans when food, water and fuel completely run out? We have no idea what is happening to most families now, but most analysts are predicting the worse to come. If that happens, how will the rest of the world respond? President Biden is already claiming that America is holding the world together. But holding together for what? To force Gazans to starve A culture of fear and intimidation dominates the atmosphere today. Is the Gaza crisis a symbol of civilizational predicament? Along with the climate crisis, the current situation has become even more complex. Are we very close to witness our civilizational collapse?

My humble understanding of historical change does not endorse this pessimism. How is the current crisis different from earlier ones, however? Well, the main difference from past descents into decadence and decay is that we are witnessing a great awakening among the youth. They are pointing out to double standards of their leaders  not only leaders in the Western world, but in the Muslim world as well. The Gaza crisis has brought millions, not only Muslims but also many Jewish and other groups to streets opposing official positions of most countries.

Besides, there has been a revolutionary change in means of communication and therefore, now it would be impossible to isolate and subjugate any determined population in this age of information. In fact, latest polls are indicating fast and significant changes of opinion in the US. Even the corporate controlled social media outlets are failing to manipulate and suppress information. More people are inclined to subscribe to critical thinking. All these are indications of the triumph of Socratic moral values. For many, the Quranic verse Surely with hardship comes ease (94:5), offers hope. The faster the rest of the world wakes up to take care of the oppressed, the earlier that ease will come.
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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  On Wednesday, Al-Quds al-`Arabi reports two rockets were fired at `Ayn al-Asad base in al-Anbar Province, Iraq, where US troops are stationed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin both put pressure on Iraqi prime minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani. Al-Sudani reaffirmed his determination to keep the US military trainers and advisers safe.

The Shiite militia al-Nujaba rejected al-Sudanis stance. Its leaders maintained that Israeli intelligence was using the US presence as a Trojan horse to infiltrate Iraqi bases.

According to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, in the past week US troops in Iraq have been subjected to attacks on at least 10 separate occasions, and those in Syria have been attacked 3 times. The attackers used a mix of one way attack drones and rockets.

On October 18, a drone attack on US troops stationed at Tanf in southeast Syria lightly injured 20 US troops, according to the Arabic press.

The US is thought to have about 2500 troops in Iraq who have transitioned to roles as instructors in the Iraqi military academy or as advisors on mop-up operations in the north against ISIL remnants. In January, 2020, the Iraqi parliament voted to instruct the prime minister to find a way to expel US troops from the country, but the Iraqi executive has found ways around this parliamentary instruction. The vote to expel US troops was impelled by Trumps assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the head of the spec ops Jerusalem Brigade of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Also on October 18, a drone strike on US troops in Syria lightly wounded 4 US service personnel.

There are roughly 900 US troops in Southeast Syria, who are helping the Syrian Kurds siphon off petroleum from wells there, which both strengthens a local American ally and denies the petroleum wealth to the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, which the US wants to keep weak. There is, however, no basis in international law for the presence of US troops in Syria now that ISIL has been defeated, and helping divert Syrian oil from its rightful owner is probably a war crime. The Syrian government has repeatedly asked the US to leave, but has been ignored by Washington.

Article continues after bonus IC video

NBC News: Drone attacks in Iraq and Syria injure two dozen U.S. military personnel 

The Pentagon is worried about these attacks proliferating as the Israeli land invasion of Gaza goes forward.

The US interprets these attacks as coming from Iran. While Iran does give training, weaponry and funding to the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, there is no line of command going up to Iranian generals from the militias, which can act independently. Still, if a significant number of US troops is killed by drone or rocket strike, the call to strike at Iran, risking an all out war, may grow in Congress and the halls of power.

For the religious militias in the region, the US presence is a form of colonial domination, and their attacks on US troops are in the way of a sympathy strike in solidarity with the occupied Palestinians.
WHITEHORSE, Yukon, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Victoria Gold Corp. (TSX-VGCX) (Victoria or the Company) is pleased to announce the final set of analytical results from the 2023 exploration campaign at the Raven deposit. Raven was the primary focus of this seasons exploration efforts at the Dublin Gulch camp, with over 13,200 meters (m) of diamond drilling consisting of systematic fence drilling to the east of the current deposit bounds coupled with exploratory drillholes around the promising high-grade mineralization identified last season in drillhole NG22-155C (20.24 g/t Au over 14.5m; see Company News Release dated January 19, 2023). Victoria anticipates releasing an updated Raven Mineral Resource Estimate following the compilation and analysis of the 2023 drill results.

Assays for the final 23 of the 39 drillholes collared in 2023 have been received. Highlighted results are presented below:

4.52 g/t Au over 7.6m from 257.8m in NG23-190C

from 257.8m in NG23-190C 3.48 g/t Au over 11.7m from 182.9m in NG23-196C

from 182.9m in NG23-196C 5.83g/t Au over 31.4m from 44.6m in NG23-200C

The 2023 Raven exploration season is now completed and, as these latest results demonstrate, has continued to identify high-grade gold mineralization both internally and externally to the current Raven deposit bounds, stated John McConnell, President and CEO of Victoria. Work on an updated Raven Resource is now underway and we look forward to seeing two full seasons of drilling added to the maiden resource estimate.

During the 2023 field season, 13,220m of diamond drilling was completed (39 holes at Raven) along with 1,282m of surface trenches (16 trenches at both Raven and Lynx), detailed structural/geological mapping and prospecting. Drilling in 2022 and 2023 tested an additional 400m of strike length from the 2022 maiden Raven Mineral Resource Estimate eastern limits. This drilling confirmed Raven mineralization over a strike length of 1.7 kilometers (km). Analytical results from these programs represent further confirmation of the Raven mineralization and Resource model, with long intervals of gold mineralization (such as 240.2m of 0.96 g/t Au) hosted within granodiorite lithologies punctuated by intervals of high grade massive sulphide veins (such as 1.0m of 49.10 g/t Au and 0.5m of 24.20 g/t Au).

The second half of the 2023 program, from which these assay results are derived, was split between exploratory drilling to the east of the Raven deposit, targeting further definition of the previously identified high-grade trend east of Raven (see Company NR dated September 15, 2023) and drilling internal to the current Raven Resource, targeting areas with previously limited data. This later aspect of the program was designed to increase the grade and confidence of the Raven Resource.

Highlighted analytical results from the final 23 drillholes of the 2023 Raven program are presented below:



Table 1: Raven 2023 Diamond Drillhole Highlighted Results

Hole From m To m Length Au g/t Ag g/t NG23-182C 101.0 102.8 1.8 1.39 21.43 NG23-184C 201.0 208.5 7.5 1.46 51.60 and 297.0 298.2 1.2 2.89 7.200 and 258.0 260.0 2.0 2.88 2.65 Including 259.0 260.0 1.0 5.30 2.60 NG23-187C 124.6 125.2 0.6 2.72 102.00 NG23-189C 10.8 12.0 1.2 3.93 1.70 and 247.5 270.5 23.0 2.31 45.56 Including 257.8 265.4 7.6 4.52 80.12 Including 257.8 258.9 1.1 18.4 303.00 NG23-191C 212.9 213.5 0.7 8.84 8.60 and 249.0 291.0 42.0 0.50 17.67 NG23-194C 271.4 272.5 1.1 1.85 264.00 NG23-196C 121.5 293.0 171.5 0.40 2.00 Including 161.0 194.5 33.5 1.44 6.46 Including 182.9 194.5 11.7 3.48 13.13 NG23-197C 122.8 123.4 0.7 4.03 30.10 NG23-198C 92.3 399.2 307.0 0.30 6.47 and including 214.3 214.8 0.5 24.2 40.90 and Including 343.3 398.2 54.9 0.63 6.18 and 104.0 105.0 1.0 8.82 1.70 Including 145.0 145.5 0.5 14.70 2.30 and 209.7 210.3 0.5 11.90 34.30 and 324.4 325.0 0.6 10.00 35.60 NG23-200C 23.1 263.3 240.2 0.96 3.73 Including 23.1 54.5 31.4 5.83 20.74 Including 44.6 54.5 9.9 15.80 51.81 Including 50.0 51.0 1.0 49.10 73.50 NG23-201C 173.9 174.8 0.8 7.22 16.10 and 298.0 299.1 1.1 7.23 5.10 NG23-202C 115.0 218.5 103.5 0.34 2.57 Including 210.0 218.5 8.5 2.10 3.31 Including 212.0 212.7 0.7 18.3 17.20 and 285.0 289.5 4.5 1.06 18.80 and 159.2 220.0 60.9 0.49 6.07 Including 159.2 193.2 34.0 0.79 10.38

*True widths are estimated to be approximately 90% of drilled lengths

A set of drill sections and plan map to accompany these Raven drillholes, along with drill collar and survey data, will be made available on the company website (www.vgcx.com).

The 2023 Raven drill program also resulted in several highly anomalous base metal veins intercepts, including:

23.46% Pb, 22.32%, Zn, 545.0 g/t Ag with 3.10 g/t Au over 1.2m from 109.73m in NG23-198C

from 109.73m in NG23-198C 11.04% Pb, 7.00 % Zn, 216.08 g/t Ag with 13.68 g/t Au over 3.5m from 182.7m

from 182.7m 5.90% Pb, 7.33% Zn, 35.08 g/t Ag with 6.26 g/t Au over 1.9m from 172.6m

These high-grade, sulphosalt bearing base metal veins have been identified (and logged distinctly) at Raven since Ravens discovery in 2018. However, it was not until late 2022 that their potential as consistent veins distinct from the gold-bearing massive sulphide veins was recognized and analytical overlimit procedures for base metals were established on all core samples. These base metals veins have not been assessed in any economic detail to date and part of the 2023 post-field season work will include a review of these veins including independent modelling. Victoria maintains the coarse rejects and pulps from all 2018-2023 Raven drilling campaigns and thereby has the ability to conducted overlimit assays on intervals of note, if required.

Table #2 presents a summary of highlighted base metal intercepts from the Raven Deposit.

Table 2: Raven 2023 Diamond Drillhole Highlighted Base Metal Veins Results

Hole From m To m Length Au g/t Ag g/t Pb% Zn% NG22-130C 357.5 360.1 2.7 0.38 310.62 10.91 46.18 NG23-173C 275.3 282.5 7.3 1.20 38.18 1.62 2.67 including 287.8 288.8 1.0 - 141.00 6.54 11.09 NG23-175C 160.5 167.5 7.0 2.37 19.83 1.88 2.78 including 170.7 172.6 1.9 6.26 35.08 5.90 7.33 NG23-179C 155.9 170.5 14.7 3.91 73.89 3.77 2.68 including 179.2 182.7 3.5 13.68 216.08 11.04 7.00 NG23-182C 99.2 101 1.8 1.39 21.43 3.60 7.16 NG23-184C 196.5 202.5 6.0 - 62.83 3.17 4.89 including 204.0 205.5 1.5 1.75 237.00 9.03 18.23 NG23-187C 124.0 124.6 0.6 2.72 102.00 8.09 14.85 NG23-188C 275.3 276.4 1.1 1.76 169.00 5.20 12.35 NG23-194C 270.3 271.4 1.1 1.85 264.00 7.82 10.78 NG23-198C 108.5 109.7 1.2 3.10 545.00 23.46 22.32 including 110.0 110.9 0.9 1.55 38.60 3.59 4.08 NG23-203C 30.3 31.5 1.2 1.66 69.40 4.79 6.88

*True widths are currently not known.

Analytical method

All exploration drill core from the Dublin Gulch 2023 program was analyzed at MSALabs, of Langley, B.C., utilizing the ICP_230 34-element analytical package with FAS-121 50-gram fire assay with an atomic absorption finish for gold on all samples. Overlimits analyses were conducted via FAS-425, ICF6-Ag, ICF-Pb and ICF-Zn for all germane Au, Ag, Pb and Zn assays. All core samples were split at Victoria's exploration facilities and shipped to the MSALabs mobile preparation facility near Mayo, YT. Samples were sorted and crushed to appropriate particle size (coarse crush) and representatively split to a smaller size (250 grams) for the MSALabs analytical facility in Langley, B.C. A comprehensive system of standards, blanks and field duplicates was implemented for the 2023 exploration campaign and is monitored as chemical assay data becomes available.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., as the Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Raven

Raven represents a potentially high-grade, on-surface gold deposit that lies in the extreme southeast contact of the Nugget Intrusive Stock within the surrounding Earn Group metasedimentary package. This large, approximately 3 kilometer by 2 kilometer, medium to coarse grained granodiorite stock of Cretaceous age represents the second largest intrusive body on the Dublin Gulch property (second only to the Dublin Gulch Stock that hosts the Eagle Gold Mine). The Nugget Stock is highly prospective to host Eagle-style sheeted vein mineralization, and the vast majority of the greater than 5 square kilometer stock remains untested.

The Raven occurrence is hosted in a shear zone corridor on the southeast portion of the Nugget Stock, in close association with the intrusion-metasediment contact on the eastern side of the Lynx Creek valley. The area is underlain by the Devonian to Mississippian age Earn Group and the Early Carboniferous age Keno Hill Quartzite which have been deformed by greenschist facies metamorphism, folding, and thrusting (Gordey and Makepeace, 2003).

Exploration drilling, trenching, and soil geochemical sampling at the Raven deposit in the 2018 through 2023 field seasons have repeatedly returned high-grade gold intersections accompanied by prolific visible gold occurrences along a major and consistently mineralized corridor, which has grown sequentially since its discovery in 2018. The Raven discovery was based largely from initial surface trenches constructed and sampled in the 2018 field season that exposed scorodite, bismuth, and siderite related sulphide veins under less than one meter of overburden/cover.

The October 26, 2022 technical report, titled Technical Report on the Raven Mineral Deposit, Mayo Mining District Yukon Territory, Canada, with an effective date of September 15, 2022, can be found on the Companys website at www.vgcx.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The MRE comprises a total Inferred Mineral Resource of 1,070,239 ounces of gold for the near-surface Raven Deposit.

Table 3: Pit-Constrained Inferred Mineral Resources at a 0.50 g/t Au Cut-Off

Effective September 15, 2022  Raven Deposit



Au Cut-off

Grade

g/t





Classification

Tonnage

Tonnes

Average Au Grade

g/t

Au Content

oz

0.50



Inferred 19,956,934 1.67 1,070,239

Notes: 

The effective date for the Mineral Resource is September 15, 2022. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues. The CIM definitions were followed for classification of Mineral Resources. The quantity and grade of reported inferred Mineral Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred Mineral Resources as an indicated Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured Mineral Resource category. Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.50 g/t Au, within a Lerchs-Grossman pit shell using a gold price of US$1,700/ounce and a US$/CAN$ exchange rate of 0.75.

About the Dublin Gulch Property

Victoria Gold's 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property (the Property) is situated in central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The Property is accessible by road year round, and is located within Yukon Energy's electrical grid.

The Property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the Company's Eagle and Olive Gold deposits. The Company issued a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine dated April 10, 2023 (the 2023 Eagle Technical Report). As at December 31, 2022, the Eagle and Olive deposits include Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.6 million ounces of gold from 124 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 0.65 grams of gold per tonne. As at December 31, 2022, the Mineral Resource for the Eagle and Olive deposits has been estimated to host 245 million tonnes averaging 0.59 grams of gold per tonne, containing 4.7 million ounces of gold in the "Measured and Indicated" category, inclusive of Proven and Probable Reserves, and a further 35 million tonnes averaging 0.62 grams of gold per tonne, containing 0.7 million ounces of gold in the "Inferred" category.

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Except for statements of historical fact relating to Victoria, information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information, including any information related to Victoria's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as plan, expect, budget, target, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may, will, could or should occur, and includes any guidance and forecasts set out herein (including, but not limited to, production and operational guidance of the Corporation). In order to give such forward-looking information, the Corporation has made certain assumptions about its business, operations, the economy and the mineral exploration industry in general. In this respect, the Corporation has assumed that production levels will remain consistent with managements expectations, contracted parties provide goods and services on agreed timeframes, equipment works as anticipated, required regulatory approvals are received, no unusual geological or technical problems occur, no material adverse change in the price of gold occurs and no significant events occur outside of the Corporation's normal course of business. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information. These factors include the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, anticipated metal production, fluctuating metal prices, currency exchange rates, estimated ore grades, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in Victoria's corporate resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in development and production time frames, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainty of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, final pricing for metal sales, unanticipated results of future studies, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, requirements for additional capital, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage and timing and possible outcomes of pending litigation and labour disputes, risks related to remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure, fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations. Although Victoria has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding Victoria's expected financial and operational performance and Victoria's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. All forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof, as the case may be, and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management of the Corporation as at the date hereof. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information contained herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

For Further Information Contact:

John McConnell

President & CEO

Victoria Gold Corp

Tel: 604-696-6605

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VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Galiano Gold Inc. ("Galiano" or the "Company") (TSX: GAU) (NYSE: GAU) is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities at the Asanko Gold Mine (the "AGM") completed to-date in 2023.

The 2023 exploration program at the AGM has focused on expanding mineralization at known deposits, as well as advancing a robust pipeline of regional greenfields targets towards potential new discoveries. Highlights include:

Resource and Reserve upgrade drilling at Nkran : Completed 6,689 metres ("m") of drilling focused on the southern extent of the deposit which has further demonstrated the upside potential of the orebody. The drilling confirmed zones of strong mineralization extend beyond the current mineral reserve pit shell, which remains open along strike and at depth, with intercepts including 19m @ 3.0 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") from 567m , and 18m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 361m .

: Completed 6,689 metres ("m") of drilling focused on the southern extent of the deposit which has further demonstrated the upside potential of the orebody. The drilling confirmed zones of strong mineralization extend beyond the current mineral reserve pit shell, which remains open along strike and at depth, with intercepts including Resource conversion drilling at Abore : Early results returned strong intercepts outside the current mineral reserve pit shell including 36m @ 2.1 g/t Au from 278m and 21m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 226m , highlighting potential pit expansion opportunities.

: Early results returned strong intercepts outside the current mineral reserve pit shell including , highlighting potential pit expansion opportunities. Resource conversion drilling at Midras South : Completed the first phase of infill drilling of inferred mineral resources at Midras South, with the deposit advancing towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate. Significant intercepts from the first two holes drilled include 18m @ 4.0 g/t Au from 7m , 17m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 24m , and 28m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 24m .

: Completed the first phase of infill drilling of inferred mineral resources at Midras South, with the deposit advancing towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate. Significant intercepts from the first two holes drilled include from , from , and from . Drilling at the Gyagyatreso regional prospect: Encouraging first results including intercepts of 38m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 20m , 20m @ 1.7 g/t Au from 32m and 11m @ 3.6 g/t Au from 98m , highlighting the presence of a fertile gold bearing system with significant strike length potential.

Encouraging first results including intercepts of from from and from , highlighting the presence of a fertile gold bearing system with significant strike length potential. Regional greenfield exploration: Through early-stage mapping, geochemistry and geophysics work, large soil geochemical anomalies have been identified at the Aburi and Sky Gold targets, as well as Induced Polarization ("IP") chargeability anomalies on the Esaase-Abore shear zone have been identified for follow up trenching and/or drilling.

"The 2023 exploration results received to-date bode well not only for extending the life of our current operations at the AGM, but also in identifying additional deposits located throughout our large, underexplored land package," stated Galiano's Vice President of Exploration, Chris Pettman. "The positive drill results at Nkran and Abore highlight examples of the growth potential at our existing deposits, and it is exciting to see robust new regional targets, including Gyagyatreso, being proven across the wider AGM tenements. We look forward to continuing our aggressive exploration program in 2024 and beyond in order to further extend the life of the mine."

Nkran Highlights

The Nkran South drill program was designed to upgrade a zone of inferred mineral resources at the south end of the deposit and determine the potential for growth in the open pit mineral reserves. In addition to the potential expansion of mineral reserves, the Company is incorporating the drilling results into the Nkran underground study that is currently underway. Drilling began in late 2022 and was completed in 2023.

Based on these positive results, the Company has confirmed the primary mineralized zones at Nkran are contiguous and remain open at the southern end of the deposit. The mineralized zones currently extend up to 185m immediately along strike to the south of the proposed Nkran Cut 3 pit shell.

Highlighted Drilling intercepts (see Table 1 for full drilling results)

13 combination reverse circulation ("RC")/diamond drill holes totaling 6,689m were drilled as part of this program. Results include:

Hole NKPC22-111: 19m @ 3.0 g/t gold from 567m

from 567m Hole NKPC22-114W1: 18m @ 2.6 g/t gold from 361m

from Hole NKPC23-118: 9m @ 5.9 g/t gold from 565m

from 565m Hole NKPC23-116: 19.5m @ 1.6 g/t gold from 451m

from 451m Hole NKPC23-119: 19m @ 1.3 g/t gold from 483m and 7m @ 5.6 g/t gold from 324m

The Nkran pit is located immediately adjacent to the AGM's processing plant and has historically yielded the highest average mined grades on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt, while contributing significant cash flows over the years. During the mining of Cut 2 (years 2016  2020), Nkran produced 15.2 million tonnes ("Mt") at 1.63 g/t and reported metallurgical recoveries of 94%.

The Nkran geological setting is typical of the Asankrangwa Gold Belt with a sedimentary sequence of interlayered shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Two granitic bodies intrude along shear zones that control mineralization which dips steeply to the northwest along with the sheared host stratigraphy.

Abore Highlights

Abore is located directly on the Esaase haul road approximately 13 kilometers ("km") north of the AGM processing plant and has current Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 477,000 ounces @ 1.16 g/t Au and Inferred Resources of 131,000 ounces @ 1.14 g/t Au as described in the "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Feasibility Study for Asanko Gold Mine, Ghana" with an effective date of December 31, 2022 (the "2023 Technical Report") filed on SEDAR (see news release dated February 22, 2023).

Exploration drilling throughout 2023 has been primarily focused on the conversion of inferred mineral resources below the mineral reserve pit shell and infilling zones below the $1,800 Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource pit shell. While drilling is ongoing, results received to-date demonstrate that mineralization remains robust in the inferred mineral resource zones tested with intercepts including 36m @ 2.1 g/t Au (ABPC23-190) from 278m and 21m @ 2.6 g/t Au (ABPC23-189) from 226m. See table 2 for full assay results.

The deposit sits along the Esaase shear corridor, which also hosts the Esaase deposit. Geology here is characterized by a sedimentary sequence composed primarily of siltstones, shales and thickly bedded sandstones that has been intruded by a granite which lies parallel to the shear and dipping steeply to the northwest. Mineralization is mostly constrained to the granite, hosted in west dipping quartz vein areas developed primarily along the eastern margin of the granite/sediment contact.

Midras South Highlights

The Midras South deposit lies approximately 5km south of the AGM processing plant along the Takorase  Afraso shear zone, a laterally extensive structure recognized from airborne VTEM, magnetic surveys and extensive ground mapping. Midras South consists of 3 distinct zones of mineralization, interpreted to be fault offsets of the primary mineralized structure. Typical of Asankrangwa Gold Belt deposits, indicated mineralization at Midras South is developed within a package of deformed sandstone, siltstone and phyllite with stratigraphy and structure both steeply dipping to the northwest. Gold mineralization occurs in association with quartz veining, arsenopyrite and pyrite, within a broader envelope of quartz-sericite-pyrite and carbonate alteration.

Midras South has a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 5.4Mt @ 1.32 g/t Au totaling 232,000 oz. Current drilling is designed to upgrade the primary mineralized zones to the Indicated Mineral Resource category to advance the deposit towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate.

Drilling throughout 2023 consisted of 5,061 m of resource conversion drilling which targeted inferred mineral resources within the southern zones of the deposit. Notable results from the program include:

Hole MSRC23-253: 28m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 24m

from Hole MSRC23-257: 10m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 18m

from Hole MSRC23-258: 12m @ 2.5 g/t Au from 5m

from Hole MSRC23-284: 18m @ 4.0 g/t Au from 7m

from Hole MSRC23-285: 3m @ 26.6 g/t Au from 24m

from Hole MSRC23-287: 17m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 24m

See Table 3 for full assay results.

Two of the fertile structural trends that host mineralization at Midras South also remain open along strike and are considered targets for further exploration drilling.

Regional Greenfield Highlights

The AGM controls the largest land package on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt with tenements covering 476 km2 of highly prospective ground with a portfolio of high quality greenfields exploration targets.

Work in the regional tenements throughout 2023 has focused on a series of prioritized targets in various stages of exploration. This work has included initial mapping and target identification, surficial geochemical and geophysical surveying, and early-stage drill testing. Highlights of some of this work is outlined below.

The Gyagyatreso prospect is located approximately 4km northwest of the AGM processing plant and is highlighted by an approximately 3km long surficial gold in soils anomaly that is coincident to interpreted northeast trending structural zone believed to be a southwest extension of the Esaase-Abore shear zone. A small historic drilling campaign confirmed gold mineralization, but the drilling was localized and limited to shallow depths leaving the target largely untested. Subsequent field mapping conducted by AGM Geologists identified visible gold in hand samples and the area was prioritized for follow-up drilling.

Drilling throughout the year has consisted of 5,783m of combined RC and diamond drilling across 55 holes. Results have been very encouraging, returning multiple significant intercepts including 38m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 20m (GYDD23-045), 20m @ 1.7 g/ t Au from 32m (GYRC23-004), 11m @3.6g/t Au from 98m (GYRC23-038), and 13m @ 1.3 g/t Au from 42m (GYRC23-011), demonstrating that mineralization is present over at least 2km of strike length. The full extent of the surficial geochemical anomaly has not yet been tested and mineralization remains open along strike to the southwest and northeast. See Table 4 for full assay results received to date.

Data from the 2023 exploration programs have also provided a significantly increased understanding of the local geology and structural controls which will be integrated into the design of follow-up drilling planned for 2024.

The Gyetwi prospect is located immediately along strike to the south of the Esaase deposit. Esaase has produced nearly 500,000 ounces to-date and still contains over 1.2M ounces in Indicated Mineral Resources and 0.3M ounces in Inferred Mineral Resources, and lies on the same structural corridor.

Visible gold in hand samples have been identified during prospecting work and the area was prioritized for ground IP survey follow-up. Line-cutting and a combination of ground pole-dipole and gradient array IP surveys were carried out between late 2022 and early 2023. A total of 56 line km of IP were collected, which identified a series of chargeability anomalies interpreted to be associated with the southwest extension of the Esaase shear zone across a strike length of approximately 1.3 km. These anomalies have been prioritized and follow-up surface trenching is planned to test for shallow oxide mineralization.

The SkyGold B target area is located approximately 9km northwest of the Esaase deposit and has seen no known historic exploration work. As part of the ongoing regional generative targeting program, AGM geologists recognized through regional geophysics that the area may be underlain by lithologies and structural settings similar to those that host the known Asankrangwa gold deposits.

The 2023 exploration program included initial mapping and reconnaissance prospecting along with a tenement-wide soil geochemical survey. Mapping of surface pits and small-scale artisanal workings successfully identified a structural corridor of interest and lithologies favourable to gold mineralization. The first phase of soil sampling consisted of 768 samples collected across approximately 23 km2. A 4km-long trend of highly anomalous gold in soils has been identified, coincident with the newly mapped structures and consistent with the orientation of the major gold bearing shear zones of the Asankrangwa Gold Belt. Follow-up work is planned to delineate potential drill targets for 2024.

The Aburi target area lies directly southwest of Nkran, covering approximately 46 km2 and is interpreted to be underlain by the extension of the Adubiaso shear zone over a strike length of approximately 5km. Historic work in this area has been sporadic and localized with small mapping and shallow drilling programs identifying gold mineralization with little to no follow-up.

The AGM exploration team undertook a holistic review of all historic data including regional VTEM surveys with drilling data and prioritized the area for a regional surficial geochemical survey. The 2023 program consisted of a regional soil geochemistry survey that covered the entire tenement area with 3,141 samples collected. A second infill survey was conducted consisting of 1,038 additional samples to further delineate several robust geochemical anomalies identified.

The results have identified two distinct trends highlighted by anomalous gold coincident with interpreted structures that extend across the length of the tenement. Follow-up work is planned to delineate possible drill targets in 2024.

Table 1: Intercepts for 2022/23 Nkran South Extension Drilling 1,2,3,4

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description NKPC22-111 237.2 242 4.8 0.6 4.8m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-111 375.9 384 8.1 1.5 8.1m @ 1.5 g/t NKPC22-111 567 586 19 3 19.0m @ 3.0 g/t NKPC22-111 591 595 4 3.4 4.0m @ 3.4 g/t NKPC22-111 599 601 2 4.6 2.0m @ 4.6 g/t NKPC22-111 605 615.1 10.1 1 10.1m @ 1.0 g/t NKPC22-113 343.7 351.6 7.9 0.5 7.9m @ 0.5 g/t NKPC22-113 483.6 490.6 7.0 1.1 7.0m @ 1.1 g/t NKPC22-113 516.6 527.1 10.5 2.6 10.5m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC22-113 537.6 540.6 3.0 9.5 3.0m @ 9.5 g/t NKPC22-113 545.1 548.1 3.0 0.8 3.0m @ 0.8 g/t NKPC22-114 257.6 260.4 2.8 1.3 2.0m @ 1.3 g/t NKPC22-114 402.8 407.9 5.1 5.3 5.1m @ 5.3 g/t NKPC22-114 560 564.4 4.4 0.6 4.4m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-114 575.2 577.6 2.4 0.6 2.4m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-114 596 603.6 7.6 2.7 7.6m @ 2.7 g/t NKPC22-114 612.9 617 4.1 1.7 4.1m @ 1.7 g/t NKPC22-114 620.8 624 3.2 6.4 3.2m @ 6.4 g/t NKPC22-114W1 361 379 18.0 2.6 18.0m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC22-114W1 396 398 2.0 3.8 2.0m @ 3.8 g/t NKPC23-115 512 530 18.0 4.7 18.0m @ 4.7 g/t NKPC23-115 546 551.1 5.1 1.2 5.1m @ 1.2 g/t NKPC23-115 555 563 8.0 2.5 8.0m @ 2.5 g/t NKPC23-116 451.2 470.7 19.5 1.6 19.0m @ 1.6 g/t NKPC23-116 478.2 482.2 4.0 2.6 4.0m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC23-117 371 381 10.0 2.5 10.0m @ 2.5 g/t NKPC23-117 558 576 18.0 2.0 18.0m @ 2.0 g/t NKPC23-118 553 560 7.0 1.8 7.0m @ 1.8 g/t NKPC23-118 564.8 574 9.2 5.9 9.2m @ 5.9 g/t NKPC23-119 175 180 5.0 5.3 5.0m @ 5.3 g/t NKPC23-119 324 331 7.0 5.6 7.0m @ 5.6 g/t NKPC23-119 483 502 19.0 1.3 19.0m @ 1.3 g/t NKPC23-119W1 27 29 2.0 2 2.0m @ 2.0 g/t NKPC23-121 419 421 2.0 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t NKPC23-122 343 350 7.0 0.9 7.0m @ 0.9 g/t NKPC23-122 495.5 502 6.5 1.2 6.5m @ 1.2 g/t NKPC23-122 524 532 8.0 3.1 8.0m @ 3.1 g/t NKPC23-122 560 575.2 15.2 2.5 15.2m @ 2.5 g/t

Table 2: Abore 2023 drilling intercepts received as of October 19, 20235,6,7

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description ABPC23-181 143 146 3.0 0.7 3.00m @ 0.7 g/t ABPC23-183 145 151 6.0 0.9 6.00m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-183 176 178 2.0 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-183 191 205 14.0 0.8 14.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-184 99 110 11.0 1.4 11.0m @ 1.4 g/t ABPC23-184 118 131 13.0 0.6 13.0m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-184 137 140 3.0 1.1 3.0m @ 1.1 g/t ABPC23-184 157 174 17.0 1.0 17.0m @ 1.0 g/t ABPC23-186 79 87 8.0 2.3 8.0 @ 2.3 g/t ABPC23-186 92 97 5.0 0.8 5.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-186 101 103 2.0 4.7 2.0m @ 4.7 g/t ABPC23-186 149 158 9.0 0.5 9.0m @ 0.5 g/t ABPC23-186 194 208.5 14.5 2.8 14.5m @ 2.8 g/t ABPC23-189 225 247 21.0 2.6 21.0m @ 2.6 g/t ABPC23-189 270 279 9 1.7 9.0m @ 1.7 g/t ABPC23-190 267 272.6 5.6 0.6 5.6m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-190 278 314 36 2.1 36.0m @ 2.1 g/t ABPC23-190 322 325 2.6 0.9 2.6m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-190 330 346 16 0.8 16.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-190 350 356.4 6.4 4.7 6.4m @ 4.7 g/t ABPC23-191 249 256.7 7.7 1.0 7.7m @ 1.0 g/t ABPC23-191 306 326 20 1.1 20.0m @ 1.1 g/t ABPC23-191 330 335 5 0.6 5.0m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-191 344 351 7 2.6 7.0m @ 2.6 g/t ABPC23-191 355 357.5 2.5 1.9 2.5m @ 1.9 g/t ABPC23-203 79 99 20 0.9 20.0m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-204 75 77 2 1.2 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t ABPC23-204 83 88 5 0.9 5.0m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-204 107 110 3 0.6 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description MSPC23-267 139 142.6 3.6 1.6 3.6m @ 1.6 g/t MSPC23-275 91 95 4 0.6 4.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSPC23-280 103.5 109 5.5 2 5.5m @ 2.0 g/t MSPC23-281 95 100.1 5.1 0.5 5.1m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-282 188 190.2 2.2 1.4 2.2m @ 1.4 g/t MSPC23-282 195 200 5 1.4 5.0m @ 1.4 g/t MSPC23-282 210 214 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-283 95 98.5 3.5 0.8 3.5m @ 0.8 g/t MSPC23-288 63 66 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-288 72 89 17 1.6 17.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSPC23-290 197 199 2 1.5 2.0m @ 1.5 g/t MSPC23-291 61 63 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSPC23-291 165 171 6 1.8 6.0m @ 1.8 g/t MSPC23-291 186 195 9 1.2 9.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSPC23-292 74 78 4 1.2 4.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSPC23-292 183 187 4 1.2 4.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-242 85 90 5 1.4 5.0m @ 1.4 g/t MSRC23-243 14 16 2 1.1 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-243 74 81 7 0.7 7.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-244 41 45 4 0.9 4.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-245 1 7 6 1 6.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-246 10 12 2 4.9 2.0m @ 4.9 g/t MSRC23-246 62 66 4 3 4.0m @ 3.0 g/t MSRC23-249 1 11 10 1.6 10.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSRC23-249 26 29 3 0.8 3.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-250 53 55 2 2.3 2.0m @ 2.3 g/t MSRC23-250 67 70 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-253 17 19 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-253 24 52 28 1.2 28.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-256 11 16 5 1.3 500m @ 1.3 g/t MSRC23-257 18 28 10 2.6 10.0m @ 2.6 g/t MSRC23-257 42 44 2 1.3 2.0m @ 1.3 g/t MSRC23-257 49 54 5 1.1 5.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-258 5 17 12 2.5 12.0m @ 2.5 g/t MSRC23-258 21 25 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-258 30 32 2 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-259 42 44 2 1.6 2.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSRC23-260 25 45 20 1.2 20.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-260 56 60 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-260 66 68 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-261 37 46 9 0.7 9.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-261 71 73 2 0.7 2.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-264 44 46 2 1.1 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-268 49 51 2 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-268 70 72 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-270 31 33 2 1 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-270 39 45 6 0.9 6.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-270 72 74 2 1 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-270 84 103 19 0.6 19.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-270 121 130 9 0.4 9.0m @ 0.4 g/t MSRC23-271 48 53 5 0.7 500m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-272 44 56 12 1 12.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-273 33 39 6 1.2 6.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-273 53 56 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-274 51 57 6 1.1 6.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-274 116 120 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-277 61 72 11 0.9 11.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-279 10 12 2 1.2 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-284 7 25 18 4 18.0m @ 4.0 g/t MSRC23-285 24 27 3 26.6 3.00m @ 26.6 g/t MSRC23-287 17 20 3 0.6 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-287 24 41 17 2.3 17.0m @ 2.3 g/t MSRC23-287 56 63 7 1.2 7.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-289 17 20 3 0.9 3.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-289 27 34 7 2.2 7.0m @ 2.2 g/t Table 3: Midras South 2023 drilling intercepts6,7

Table 4: Gyagyatreso drilling intercepts6,7

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width (m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description GYDD23-042 87.6 92.8 5.2 2.13 5.2m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-002 3 8 5 3.12 5.0m @ 3.1 g/t GYRC23-002 14 17 3 2.91 3.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-002 60 62 2 1.37 2.0m @ 1.4 g/t GYRC23-002 66 81 15 0.51 15.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYRC23-003 5 7 2 1.13 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t GYRC23-003 47 53 6 0.71 6.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-004 1 3 2 0.53 2.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYRC23-004 32 52 20 1.73 20.0m @ 1.7 g/t GYRC23-006 18 25 7 0.79 7.0m @ 0.8 g/t GYRC23-006 84 86 2 1.54 2.0m @ 1.5 g/t GYRC23-006 90 94 4 0.7 4.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-008 34 40 6 2.13 6.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-008 47 50 3 0.67 3.0m @ 07 g/t GYRC23-009 73 76 3 1.91 3.0m @ 1.9 g/t GYRC23-010 20 25 5 1.78 5.0m @ 1.8 g/t GYRC23-010 37 39 2 1.24 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t GYRC23-011 42 55 13 1.3 13.0m @ 1.3 g/t GYRC23-012 58 60 2 2.09 2.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-015 61 67 6 0.65 6.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-018 14 20 6 0.59 6.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-019 71 74 3 0.57 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-019 84 93 9 1.11 9.0m @ 1.1 g/t GYRC23-019 102 106 4 0.89 4.0m @ 0.9 g/t GYRC23-020 36 38 2 0.83 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t GYRC23-030 82 90 8 0.63 8.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-032 71 75 4 0.99 4.0m @ 1.0 g/t GYRC23-037 79 86 7 0.74 7.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-038 98 109 11 3.58 11.0m @ 3.6 g/t GYRC23-039 1 4 3 0.94 3.0m @ 0.9 g/t GYRC23-040 87 91 4 0.67 4.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-044 57 59 2 0.69 2.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-044 64 68 4 0.48 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYDD23-045 20 58 38 1.99 38.0m @ 2.0 g/t GYRC23-050 83 85 2 0.95 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t GYRC23-051 27 32 5 0.83 5.0m @ 0.8 g/t

Notes: 1. See Section 14.1.10 of the 2023 Technical Report for the assumptions used in preparing the Nkran reserve shell and $1,800 resource shell. 2. Intervals indicated are not true widths as there is insufficient information to calculate true widths. However, drill holes have been drilled to cross interpreted mineralized zones as close to perpendicular as possible. 3. Intervals are calculated with the assumptions of >0.5g/t and <3m of internal waste and displayed as weighted averages. 4. Includes results from diamond and RC drilling. 5. See Section 14.2.10 of the 2023 Technical Report for description of Abore Mineral Resource estimate and assumptions used in preparing the Abore $1,800 resource shell. 6. Intervals reported are hole lengths. 7. Intervals are calculated with the assumptions of >0.5 g/t and <3m of internal waste with a top cut of 30 g/t and displayed as weighted averages. The top cut threshold used is unchanged from that outlined in section 14.2.3.3 of the 2023 Technical Report, available on the Company's website and filed on SEDAR.

Qualified Person and QA/QC

Chris Pettman P. Geo, Vice President Exploration of Galiano, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 (as defined below) and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Pettman is responsible for all aspects of the work including the Data Verification and Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs and has verified the data disclosed, by reviewing all data and supervising its compilation. There are no known factors that could materially affect the reliability of data collected and verified under his supervision. No quality assurance/quality control issues have been identified to date. Mr. Pettman is not independent of Galiano.

Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are inserted by Galiano into the sample stream at the rate of 1:14 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:30 samples. All samples have been analysed by Intertek Minerals Ltd. ("Intertek") in Tarkwa, Ghana with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. Intertek does its own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Galiano for double checking. Higher grade samples are re-analysed from pulp or reject material or both. Intertek is an international company operating in 100 countries and is independent of Galiano. It provides testing for a wide range of industries including the mining, metals, and oil sectors.

About Galiano Gold Inc.

Galiano is focused on creating a sustainable business capable of long-term value creation for its stakeholders through exploration and disciplined deployment of its financial resources. The company currently operates and manages the Asanko Gold Mine, located in Ghana, West Africa which is jointly owned with Gold Fields Ltd. The Company is strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities. For more information, please visit www.galianogold.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information contained in this news release constitute " forward-looking statements " within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and " forward-looking information " within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which we refer to collectively as " forward-looking statements ". Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as " seek ", " expect ", " anticipate ", " budget ", " plan ", " estimate ", " continue ", " forecast ", " intend ", " believe ", " predict ", " potential ", " target ", "initial", "encouraging", "contemplated", " may ", " could ", " would ", " might ", " will " and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: statements regarding drilling results; the interpretation of drilling results; additional drilling; underground mining potential; future mining at Nkran, Abore, Midras South, Gyagyatreso and regional greenfields, including with respect to the nature and extent of possible pit designs and the commencement of mining or further mining; and statements regarding the potential thereof; the expected results of the exploration program and the nature and timing of future exploration programs; the ability of future exploration programs to provide the basis for future mineral resources and mineral reserves, and the extension of the life of the mine; and information regarding planned future exploration, drilling and mining. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited to: the exploration program proceeding as anticipated; the exploration program achieving the targets and milestones included therein in the manner and on the timelines anticipated therein; the nature of drilling and exploration targets conforming to current expectations; mining proceeding as currently anticipated; the Company proceeding with further exploration programs as currently anticipated; future exploration programs will provide the basis for future mineral resources; the JV approves the Company's exploration budget; the ability of the AGM to continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic; that gold production and other activities will not be curtailed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the AGM will be able to continue to ship dore from the AGM site to be refined; the dore produced by the AGM will continue to be able to be refined at similar rates and costs to the AGM, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will be effective in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the accuracy of the estimates and assumptions underlying Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates and prior exploration results, including future gold prices, cut-off grades and production and processing estimates; the successful completion of development and exploration projects, planned expansions or other projects within the timelines anticipated and at anticipated production levels; mineral resources can be developed as planned; the Company's relationship with its JV partner will continue to be positive and beneficial to the Company; required financing and permits will be obtained; general economic conditions; labour disputes or disruptions, flooding, ground instability, geotechnical failure, fire, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate are as anticipated and other risks of the mining industry will not be encountered; contracted parties will provide goods or services in a timely manner; there is no material adverse change in the price of gold or other metals; title to mineral properties; costs; the retention of the Company's key personnel; and changes in laws, rules and regulations applicable to Galiano.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained herein. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, include, but are not limited to: the results of the Company's exploration programs will not conform with the Company's expectations, and will not be sufficient to support mineral resources or mineral reserves at the AGM or be sufficient to include in the Company's updated life of mine plan; the Company may not undertake planned future mining or exploration, or such future mining or exploration will not be sufficient to support mineral resources or mineral reserves at the AGM; the JV will approve the Company's proposed exploration and mining programs; the Company's and/or the AGM's operations may be curtailed or halted entirely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether as a result of governmental or regulatory law or pronouncement, or otherwise; the dore produced at the AGM may not be able to be refined at expected levels, on expected terms or at all; the Company and/or the AGM will experience increased operating costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the AGM may not be able to source necessary inputs on commercially reasonable terms, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic may not be successful in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the AGM has a limited operating history and is subject to risks associated with establishing new mining operations; sustained increases in costs or decreases in the availability of commodities, consumed or otherwise used by the Company, may adversely affect the Company; actual production, costs, returns and other economic and financial performance may vary from the Company's estimates in response to a variety of factors, many of which are not within the Company's control; adverse geotechnical and geological conditions (including geotechnical failures) may result in operating delays and lower throughput or recovery, closures or damage to mine infrastructure; the ability of the Company to treat the number of tonnes planned, recover valuable materials, remove deleterious materials and process ore, concentrate and tailings as planned is dependent on a number of factors and assumptions which may not be present or occur as expected; the Company's operations may encounter delays in or losses of production due to equipment delays or the availability of equipment; the Company's operations are subject to continuously evolving legislation, compliance with which may be difficult, uneconomic or require significant expenditures; the Company may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining key personnel; labour disruptions could adversely affect the Company's operations; the Company's business is subject to risks associated with operating in a foreign country; risks related to the Company's use of contractors; the hazards and risks normally encountered in the exploration, development and production of gold; the Company's operations are subject to environmental hazards and compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations; the Company's operations and workforce are exposed to health and safety risks; unexpected costs and delays related to, or the failure of the Company to obtain, necessary permits could impede the Company's operations; the Company's title to exploration, development and mining interests can be uncertain and may be contested; the Company's properties may be subject to claims by various community stakeholders; risks related to limited access to infrastructure and water; the Company's exploration programs may not successfully expand its current mineral reserves or replace them with new reserves; the Company's revenues are dependent on the market prices for gold, which have experienced significant recent fluctuations; the Company may not be able to secure additional financing when needed or on acceptable terms; the Company's primary asset is held through a JV, which exposes the Company to risks inherent to JVs, including disagreements with its JV partner and similar risks; the Company may be liable for uninsured or partially insured losses; the Company may be subject to litigation; damage to the Company's reputation could result in decreased investor confidence and increased challenges in developing and maintaining community relations which may have adverse effects on the business, results of operations and financial conditions of the JV and the Company; and the Company must compete with other mining companies and individuals for mining interests.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, you are cautioned that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that the Company has not identified. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in, this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Regarding Mineral Reporting Standards:

As a British Columbia corporation and a "reporting issuer" under Canadian securities laws, the Company is required to provide disclosure regarding its mineral properties, including the AGM, in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. In accordance with NI 43-101, the Company uses the terms mineral reserves and resources as they are defined in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards on mineral reserves and resources (the "CIM Definition Standards") adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. In particular, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" used in this news release are Canadian mining terms defined in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. These definitions differ from the definitions in the disclosure requirements promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies reporting pursuant to SEC disclosure requirements.

United States investors are also cautioned that while the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", investors should not assume that any part or all of the mineralization in these categories will ever be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", or "inferred mineral resources" that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable.

Further, "inferred resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the inferred resources exist. In accordance with Canadian rules, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Chesapeake Gold Corp. (TSXV: CKG) (OTCQX: CHPGF) ("Chesapeake" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jean-Paul Tsotsos as Interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing Alan Pangbourne effective November 1, 2023. Mr. Tsotsos is currently Vice-President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations and will continue to also hold that role.

Mr. Tsotsos has over 15 years of experience in mining corporate development, strategy, capital markets, project evaluations and project development. Mr. Tsotsos was previously a member of the Corporate Development team at Hudbay Minerals. Prior to Hudbay Minerals, Mr. Tsotsos worked at BMO Capital Markets in the Metals and Mining Equity Research Group. Mr. Tsotsos holds an MBA specializing in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Science and an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Randy Reifel, Chesapeake's Executive Chairman, states, "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Alan Pangbourne for his significant contributions and commitment to the Company over the past two and half years. Alan's leadership and dedication have set the stage for Chesapeake's future success. I also welcome Jean-Paul in his expanded role as interim CEO. I look forward to working with Jean-Paul on advancing our exciting corporate initiatives and other opportunities."

Mr. Pangbourne will continue to serve as a director on the Company's Board of Directors and also provide corporate advisory and technical consultant services to the Company.

About Chesapeake

Chesapeake Gold Corp. is focused on the discovery, acquisition, and development of major gold-silver deposits in North and South America. Chesapeake's flagship asset is the Metates Project ("Metates") located in Durango State, Mexico. Metates hosts one of the largest undeveloped gold-silver deposits in the Americas1 with over 16.77 million ounces of gold at 0.57 grams per tonne (g/t) and 423.2 million ounces of silver at 14.3 g/t within 921.2 million tonnes in the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource category and a further 2.13 million ounces of gold at 0.47 g/t and 59.0 million ounces of silver at 13.2 g/t within 139.5 million tonnes in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. See the technical report titled "Metates Sulphide Heap Leach Project Phase I" dated January 13, 2023, and news release dated February 23, 2023.

Chesapeake also has an organic pipeline of satellite exploration properties strategically located near Metates. In addition, the Company owns 68% of Gunpoint Exploration Ltd., which owns the Talapoosa gold-silver project in Nevada.

For Further Information:

For more information on Chesapeake and its Metates Project, please visit our website at www.chesapeakegold.com or contact Jean-Paul Tsotsos at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +1 778 731 1362.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

1 Mexico's biggest undeveloped gold deposits. Bnamericas. Published Tuesday, November 24, 2020.
As "The Worst of Evil" gets into its final week, Ji Chang Wook revealed the secret behind his steamy kiss scene with co-star BIBI.

After 12 episodes, the action-packed K-drama bids goodbye to viewers as the Disney+ series airs its finale episode today, October 25.

Releasing the show's last 3 episodes, viewers will get to see how senior police officer Park Joon Mo will wrap things up with Gangnam Union boss Jung Ki Chul.

On the other hand, besides the highly anticipated finale, an episode in "The Worst of Evil" gained huge attention not just from viewers but also from netizens.

Ji Chang Wook Mentions His Kissing Scene With BIBI in 'The Worst of Evil'

Portrating the role of undercover police officer Park Joon Mo, Ji Chang Wook transforms into the right-hand man of Jung Ki Chul (Wi Ha Joon) as they handle one of the notorious gangs in Seoul.

Being an undercover, Park Joon Mo had to forget about his personal life, including being a wife to Yoo Eui Jung (Im Se Mi).

To successfully seal the deal with the investors, he had to build a close and trustworthy relationship with Korean Chinese businesswoman Lee Hae Ryeon, played by BIBI.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: Ji Chang Wook, BIBI's Passionate Kissing Scene in 'The Worst of Evil' Causes Discomfort: 'Tbh there was no need for it'

In the series, Ms. Lee shows how attracted she is to Park Joon Mo; however, their relationship from business to personal leads one thing to another, with "The Worst of Evil" showcasing an intense kissing scene between BIBI and Ji Chang Wook's characters.

According to the actor, the intimate scene was different from the ones he did before, adding, "It was not an easy scene," as mentioned by a media outlet.

Interestingly, Ji Chang Wook and BIBI managed to pull off such a steamy romantic scene that surely sent viewers into a major frenzy.

"It was the first time I had such an emotionally intense kiss," he said, adding, "I couldn't avoid it. I had to accept Hae-ryeon's (BIBI's character) kiss for the operation."

The actor also commended the production since he mentioned that the "filming and editing helped the scene turn out well."

What's Next for Ji Chang Wook After 'The Worst of Evil'?

Following the finale of "The Worst of Evil," Ji Chang Wook is set to headline back-to-back K-dramas in December 2023-2024.

Among his next projects is the romance-life K-drama "Welcome to Samdalri" with Shin Hye Sun.

In "The Worst of Evil," Ji Chang Wook transforms into a passionate weather forecaster, Cho Yong Pil.

Next to "Welcome to Samdalri," viewers will get to see him star in the webtoon-based adventure series "The Hooligans" with Ryu Seung Ryong as well as headlining the upcoming historical series "Queen Woo," which will premiere in 2024.

READ MORE: Wi Ha Joon Reveals Asking Im Se Mi's Help During Their Kiss Scene in 'The Worst of Evil'

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article written by Geca Wills.
Five people  including three children and a shooter  were found dead in the northern Ontario city of Sault Ste. Marie after shootings at two homes, police said Tuesday, calling what happened a tragic case of intimate partner violence. A police forensic unit attends a crime scene on Second Line, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bob Davies
08:42 | Cusco (Cusco region), Oct. 25.













Peruvian State is in charge of the preservation and conservation of Machu Picchu, which was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by Moreover, Urteaga remarked that the, which was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO





According to the Cabinet member, the aim is to prevent the recurrence of situations such as those which occurred a few months ago during the high season, when visitors had to wait in long queues to get a ticket to visit the Inca citadel.









"We are working with Mincetur and other sectors involved to enhance the service, so that visitors can have a positive experience during their stay at Machu Picchu," she stated.





In remarks to RPP Noticias, the government official affirmed that she agrees that visitors should stay longer in Machu Picchu Town, but to carry out other activities rather than waiting in a queue for hours in order to get a ticket.





Regarding the proposal to extend the visitor capacity at the Inca citadel, Minister Urteaga underscored that various options are being assessed to improve the visit experience, enhance the tourist circuits, and reduce the schedule for visits.









"The most important need here is the preservation of the archaeological site," she pointed out.





In statements to Cusco-based Salkantay radio station, she reiterated her sector's readiness for dialogue and the goal of preventing tourists from experiencing difficult situations when entering Machu Picchu.





(END) MAO/RMB/MVB
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In todays corporate health care world, physicians are exposed to high levels of stress in the course of carrying out the duties of their profession, making them susceptible to experiencing burnout. Burnout has far-reaching implications not only for doctors but also for patients and the health care system that employs them. Burnout among doctors increases the risk of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, fatigue, alcohol and drug misuse, premature retirement, and perhaps, most seriously, suicide. Stressors in medical practice come from a variety of sources, from the emotions arising in the role of patient care to the overall environment in which physicians practice. Corporate administrators are generally not sympathetic to physician recommendations to improve the workflow of patient interactions but simply want the task done at all costs.

As is apparent, our doctors are often exposed to high levels of stress in their day-to-day work and are at greater risk of experiencing mental disorders, substance abuse, suicide, and impairment in functioning as a result.

Stressors from emotions and situations that arise outside the doctorpatient relationship are also prevalent. Governmental and corporate requirements imposed upon them are steadily increasing and constantly changing in nature, taking their emotional toll on the physician. In addition, doctors have to find time in their day for clerical-type tasks like inputting data into unruly electronic medical records, contacting health insurance companies to secure proper care for their patients, and responding to patient emails and phone messages.

Total all factors together, and the pot on the stove has reached the boiling point and is ready to boil over! What may be of help, besides being told you have to become more resilient?

One possible source of help is found in the great outdoors. Gregory Bratman, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, shared evidence that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress. The exact mechanism of how nature helps mood disorders is unclear, but researchers agree that time in nature tends to lift spirits. Ming Kuo, an environment and behavior scientist at the University of Illinois, says that even a short blast of nature exposure tends to raise a persons mood. Research also shows that even if they are artificial, the images, sounds, and smells of nature can have positive health effects.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, Maryland. It was a day to remember. Come along with me on the visit and see if this virtual visit doesnt lift the spirit.

Walking on paths less traveled,

winding uphill, downhill,

traversing the mountains side.

Towering trees 

chestnut oak, white oak, sugar maple, shagbark hickory,

and countless others,

all stretching upward to the sun

for nourishment.

Dancing white woolly aphids on a young beech tree,

an unusual and special sight. Spritely green Christmas ferns scattered about,

each claiming its space on the forest floor.

A sprinkling of white wood asters

is spotted on

both sides of the winding trail.

On the dirt trail are pieces of

brilliant white quartz 

the poor mans diamonds. Up above in the canopy so high,

the raspy calls of the raven

and pileated woodpecker

pierce the silence

as they fly to avoid detection.

Squirrels scurry about,

storing the new crop of acorns for the winter ahead. Gigantic jagged gray rock walls, covered in teal green lichens, stand as sentries,

guarding the treasures of nature.

Along the edge of a rocky precipice,

a purple passion flower vine

wraps itself around the hanging vegetation

and adds to the beauty and awe of the day. One feels blessed and chosen

to have the opportunity to view the grandeur that lies all about.

Nature supplies the blessing 

all you have to do is

meet it halfway.

God speed!

Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate.
Government is still looking for funds to facilitate the rehabilitation of Salaam school for the blind where 12 students lost their lives in a fire last year.

The Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Janet Museveni says although the school is still grappling with several challenges, government is still looking for funds to have it rehabilitated.

She says the government will continue to facilitate the required resources as it sets plans to have it fully rehabilitated.

The minister made the remarks while officiating at the opening of a girls dormitory which was constructed by MTN Foundation.

I have now heard the challenges that are still here from the head teacher and the RDC. I dont want to make promises here but what I can say is that we are going to do everything we can to make available what we can to this school so that those challenges can become less if not history, Ms Museveni said.

MTN Ugandas chief executive officer, Ms Sylvia Mulinge says the companys decision to set up the facility is in fulfilment of its commitment to touching the lives of the population.

She is optimistic that the dormitory will ensure the safety of learners.

This development comes nearly one year since 12 visually impaired girls were burnt to death in the dormitory.
By Ronald Ssenvuma

Jinja City Council is today expected to hold a special sitting in honour of former minister Henry Kyemba.

Kyemba succumbed to diabetes-related complications on October 18th at the age of 84.

According to the official funeral programme, there will be a vigil at the deceaseds home in Jinja, this evening and a funeral service at Bugembe Cathderal at 10am.

He will then be accorded a state funeral on Thursday at Wanyama Road, in Bugembe, Jinja town.
Makerere University Lecturers through their professional association, Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), have rejected the Universitys Biometric System meant to curb absenteeism.

The rejection comes in shortly after the University began implementing a bio-metric attendance management system to curb absenteeism, which system was, according to the institution, a part of governments integrated Human Capital Management System (HCM) to automate human resource management functions in the public service.

In a letter seen by Monitor to the University Council Chairperson, Mrs Lorna Magara, dated October 20, the lecturers state that the core mandate of the University which is discharged by Academic Staff, includes teaching, research and out-reach, which mandate is unique in nature and is totally different from the routine public service mandate, whose working hours are 8:00am  5:00pm, Monday to Friday. Read more
Members of Parliament sitting on the National Economy Committee are not satisfied with the figures submitted by the Central Bank indicating that Ugandas economy grew by 6.8%.

The MPs are wondering why the growth is not reflected in the lives of the average Ugandan whose purchasing power is seen reducing every day.

This was during a meeting held between the Committee and Central Bank officials who had been summoned to update Parliament on Ugandas economy and indebtedness.

During the presentation, the Deputy Governor Bank of Uganda Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, said that the Ugandan economy had shown signs of resilience despite numerous shocks.

However, Bugabula North MP John Teira wondered why many shopping malls and arcades remained empty if that was the case.

The figures are so amazing but as representatives of the people whose economic state we are very much aware of are failing to put a direct relationship between the improved figures and the real experiences of the people. Their purchasing power keeps dropping every day, Teira said on Wednesday.

Bokora East MP, Peter Ken Lochap also wondered whether Karamoja sub-region was part of the growth being reported by the Bank of Uganda.
? La mandataria Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra recibio al presidente de Ecuador, @LassoGuillermo, en el marco del 25. aniversario de la suscripcion de los Acuerdos de Paz de Brasilia.#25AnosdePaz ??????????#ConPunchePeru ?? pic.twitter.com/Q5dmgK4ZAT
By AFP

North Korea is closing its embassy in Uganda, officials said, ending a half-century diplomatic presence in one of its longest-standing African allies.

The move was announced after a meeting Monday between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and North Korean Ambassador Jong Tong Hak.

Ambassador Jong informed the president that North Korea has taken a strategic measure to reduce the number of embassies in Africa, Uganda inclusive, in order to increase efficiency of the countrys external institutions; said a Ugandan presidency statement shared with AFP on Tuesday.

Our good friendship will continue and will be further strengthened and developed; Jong was quoted as saying, adding that diplomatic links would now be handled through its embassy in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Jong hailed Museveni for consistently supporting the Korean government in enforcing its peaceful efforts to realise a harmonious unification of the Korean Peninsula, the statement added.

North Korea forged links with Uganda shortly after independence from Britain in 1962, and it supported Idi Amin when he seized power in 1971, providing his forces with training and weapons. It opened the embassy in Kampala a year later as the international community shunned Amin, whose brutal rule lasted until 1979. Read more
Following a recent terrorist attack on tourists in Kasese district, security operations in Kisoro District have been intensified to counter potential terror acts in the area.

The assault in Kasese, suspected to be orchestrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), targeted a tourist vehicle in Queen Elizabeth National Park on October 17, resulting in the tragic deaths of two foreign nationals and a Ugandan.

Police spokesperson Mr Fred Enanga said earlier that the Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force in Kyankwanzi district had arrested 22 suspected ADF rebels.

Now, Kisoro District, recognized as another key tourism area with its mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks, is taking proactive measures.

Moses Turinawe, the Warden In charge of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has urged hoteliers to employ skilled and trained security personnel and install CCTV cameras to enhance vigilance.

Kisoro district Police Commander, Senior Superintendent of Police Bernard Mugerwa, also urges hoteliers to thoroughly check identifications for each visitor and promptly report any suspicions.

We have personal security, community security, healthy security, environmental security and food security but for our case, we should focus on political security and personal security which involves our guests. Let us not take things for granted, Mugerwa said.

The Deputy District Resident Commissioner, Robert Tukamuhabwa, says they have identified hotspots for insecurity concerns, promising to enhance communication within the security framework for immediate responses to any distress calls.
Police have arrested a head teacher and two other teachers for allegedly engaging in malpractice in the ongoing Senior Four examinations.

The trio was allegedly found with suspected examination papers belonging to Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) including two copies of East African History paper one and four and Geography paper two.

Police say they have recovered two papers with instructions from one of the teachers, adding that the head teacher was acting as the mediator for the two teachers.

Meanwhile, UNEB spokesperson, Ms Jenipher Kalule says that the head teacher has been released on police bond.

Updates to follow
Neighbours and locals from Tina Satchwells Cork home town have gathered to say goodbye to a woman who had a smile for everybody ahead of her funeral mass on Wednesday.

Mrs Satchwells funeral cortege passed through Fermoy as family, friends and neighbours paid their respects to a woman described as beautiful on the inside and out.

Groups of people gathered in St Bernards Place estate, where Mrs Satchwell grew up in a terraced house, to remember an animal lover who loved life.

Mrs Satchwell, 45, had been missing from her home in Youghal since March 2017 until Irish police discovered her remains buried under the staircase in a Youghal house two weeks ago.

Her widower Richard Satchwell, 57, with an address on Grattan Street, Youghal, has been charged with her murder.

Neighbours of the family home in St Bernards Place, Patsy Flood and Brendan Cronin, described her as a lovely woman who was happy all of the time and took her dogs everywhere with her.

Mr Flood said despite the tragedy of her death, he was happy to hear that her remains were found for her familys sake.

He told the PA news agency: Thank God they got her. Theres no-one in Cork that would say a bad word about them (Mrs Satchwells family).

Two of Mrs Satchwells cousins, Melissa and Jean, described her as lovely and stylish.

Jean said that she remembers when Mrs Satchwell was a teenager, she brushed her hair in the bedroom of the family home in St Bernard Place, and Melissa described her as a pure girl.

They said that she used to keep her dog Ruby in little handbags and the only time they seemed to be separated was when Mrs Satchwell went swimming.

Two neighbours, Tim and Catherine Cosgrove, told PA she was a dote who loved her fashion, loved her dogs.

Loved life, God love her, Mrs Cosgrove said.

When she moved away then, she used to come up every couple of months, shed always come over and say hello to us, Mr Cosgrove said.

When she did move away, every year without fail, wed get a Christmas card from her, every year without fail.

Mrs Cosgrove said: Shed stand at the wall talking away. Shed have the dog Ruby in the bag and shed say Look, what Im wearing the dog is wearing the same colour!

And she always had a smile, every time youd see that girl she was smiling.

She was that kind of a girl, there wasnt a person who could say a bad word against her.

Mrs Cosgrove said it was a sad ending but Mr Cosgrove added that its closure now for her family and friends.

Its a shame, but at least its closure now, Mrs Cosgrove said.

We were all waiting for years, waiting to hear what happened to her, where did she go.

A local woman who knew Mrs Satchwell said she was loved by everyone and had a smile for everybody.

She said she was relieved when she heard her remains had been found, but was also devastated that her life had ended in the way that it had.

Another person, who did not wish to be named, described Mrs Satchwell as a beautiful person inside and out, and an animal lover and wouldnt hurt a fly.

A notice said Mrs Satchwells funeral mass would take place on Wednesday afternoon privately and quietly, as she lived.
Grennan College in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny has received high praise from the Department of Education.

Grennan College is a co-educational school operating under the Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB) with a current enrolment of 312 students.

The school offers the Junior Cycle, and optional Transition Year (TY) programme, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the established Leaving Certificate. Geography is a core subject at Junior Cycle.

The school participates in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) initiative, an action plan for education all inclusion.

Overall, the report deemed the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in lessons observed was good, with some examples of very good practice and a small number of areas for development.

"In all lessons there was strong evidence of literacy development with teachers providing effective support to students on the correct use of key geographical terms.

"Teachers responded to students learning needs, and provided individual support where necessary.

"The quality of whole-school support for Geography was very good with appropriate timetabling and teacher deployment across all programmes.

"Teachers collaborative practice is good and they meet regularly, both formally and informally, to review teaching and learning strategies and to share experiences and resources.

"The quality of overall planning for junior cycle was satisfactory: schemes of work were in need of review to further reflect the learning outcomes outlined in the geography specification."
? Mandataria Dina Boluarte recibe al presidente de Ecuador, @LassoGuillermo, en inicio de su visita oficial al Peru.#25AnosdePaz ??????????#ConPunchePeru ??



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(Kitco News) - The Central Bank of Spain has issued a note to Spanish citizens preparing them for the potential introduction of a digital euro and explaining the basics of how the European Unions central bank digital currency (CBDC) would operate.

According to the Banco de Espana, physical currency does not allow [them] to exploit all the advantages offered by the increasing digitization of the economy and society, which has prompted the Eurosystem to analyze the possibility of issuing a digital euro as a complement to cash.

The authors noted that banknotes and coins underpin citizens confidence in the monetary system, and said a digital euro would guarantee access to money issued by the central bank in the digital environment.

They added that it would help preserve the basic characteristics of cash, and will help maintain confidence in the currency in the new environment.

The infrastructure that allows us to make electronic payments (machines, connections, protocols ...) is a key part of our financial system and the Eurosystem ensures its soundness and availability, they said. The digital euro would be based on a public and European infrastructure that would strengthen the European financial system and make it more independent of foreign alternatives.

Addressing concerns related to how a lack of internet service could impact services, the central bank said the system will enable users to make payments in digital euros without the need for an internet connection, though online services will also be available. The offline mode offers a backup solution for network failures and would allow digital payments to be included in geographic areas where they are not currently an option.

Offline operations also allow for a level of privacy similar to that of cash, since only users could see their payment information, the report said. For online transactions, the experience would be equivalent to what we have today with electronic payments: users would access the digital euro through financial institutions and only these would have visibility on their personal information. The Eurosystem would process the payments, but without knowing who is behind each transaction.

The digital euro, in short, would be a widely accepted means of payment throughout the eurozone, like banknotes and coins, and would offer basic services (account opening, free and easy to use fund loading, payments, etc.), they said.

The report noted that October 18 marked the launch of the preparation phase of the digital euro project, which is intended to help prepare countries to be in a position to issue a digital euro if deemed necessary. The decision to issue it, however, has not yet been made, they said.

These preparations are multiple and complex in nature, not only for the Eurosystem but also for legislators, they said. The objective is clear: to be able to complement the range of payment solutions available to citizens, including cash. The digital euro would be an additional option that would ensure access to public money with all its guarantees, also in an increasingly digital environment.

This move by Banco de Espana follows similar efforts by banks and governments across the Eurozone to get citizens prepared for the potential introduction of a digital euro.

On Oct. 18, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the beginning of the preparation phase for the digital euro project.

During the preparation phase, which will start on November 1 and extend for two years, the ECB will work on finalizing the digital euro rulebook and selecting providers that could develop a digital euro platform and infrastructure, they said. It will also include testing and experimentation to develop a digital euro that meets both the Eurosystems requirements and user needs, for example in terms of user experience, privacy, financial inclusion, and environmental footprint.

On Oct. 25, the ECB shared a link to the landing page dedicated to basic information about the digital euro. As more and more people choose to pay digitally, we want to offer a digital form of central bank money with the same guaranteed value as cash, they said. Thats what a digital euro would be.

The landing page outlines several benefits of the digital euro, saying it promises to deliver an easier life and a more robust Europe.

A digital euro would make our lives easier by giving us the choice to pay with a secure means of payment universally accepted throughout the euro area. Like cash, paying with digital euro would be free of charge for everyone in the euro area, they said. It would support Europes strategic autonomy and monetary sovereignty, making our payments landscape more competitive and resilient to non-European payment providers.

Tuomas Valimaki, a board member for the Bank of Finland, recently called the digital euro the most topical project in the European payment sector. The possible introduction of a digital euro would give consumers the option of paying with central bank money wherever electronic payment is accepted, he said.
MADRID, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Santander (SAN.MC) may consider looking into acquiring a mortgage portfolio from Metro (MTRO.L) if the British bank decides to put it up for sale, the Spanish bank's Chief Executive Officer Hector Grisi said on Wednesday.

Metro, seeking to bolster its finances after a string of setbacks, earlier this month announced a 325 million pound capital raise and 600 million pound debt refinancing.

The bank also said it was in discussions regarding the sale of up to 3 billion pounds ($3.64 billion)of residential mortgages.

"We have to review it, we have to analyse it and then we will make a decision whether we go ahead or not, but it is always important to analyse it," Grisi said when asked at a news briefing about the bank's potential interest in the portfolio.

"Today the truth is that I don't know whether Metro will end up doing something or not, whether it will sell a portfolio or not."

($1 = 0.8249 pounds)




"Reform Program to Support Economic Recovery and Competitiveness II." According to Supreme Decree No. 228-2023-EF published on Wednesday in El Peruano Official Gazette , the contingent loan in support of policy reforms with a deferred disbursement option is called





The full amount of loan can be disbursed over a period of three years, from the date the respective loan contract enters into force, and is renewable for three additional years.





The amortization period, which does not exceed 20 years from the date the corresponding loan contract is signed, shall be determined in each disbursement request during the above-mentioned period and can be changed according to IDB policies.





The regulation indicates that an initial fee of 0.50% of the amount being borrowed shall be paid, as well as a renewal fee equal to 0.0% of the non-disbursed balance of the contingent loan, which can be regularly changed by the Bank.





Moreover, an annual fund-freezing fee equal to 0.38% of the balance to be disbursed from the contingent loan shall be paid according to IDB policies.





Likewise, it states that there is no inspection or surveillance fee during the disbursement period, unless the IDB restores it, in which case no more than 1% of the amount being borrowed can be charged in a determined six-month period.





Executing unit









(END) RGP/JJN/RMB/MVB

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a loan of up to US$300 million in favor of Peru, with disbursements contingent to the occurrence of a natural or technological disaster, a situation of emergency, or economic and/or financial crisis, in the country.Published: 10/25/2023
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The workshops, held on October 6 and 11, respectively, brought together over 70 representatives of producer organizations to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with the new European Union regulations on deforestation-free products.





The focus of these workshops was to provide detailed knowledge about the new European Union regulations to prevent the marketing of products associated with deforestation and forest degradation in the EU market, with an 18-month deadline to comply with this regulation.





Additionally, it aimed to promote discussion on specific challenges in the supply chain and encourage the exchange of experiences among participants.





"The work carried out between PromPeru and ECLAC focuses on implementing sustainability to enhance the competitiveness of Peruvian products. Today, those who are sustainable and can demonstrate it are in a better position to enter international markets," commented Ximena Olmos, an ECLAC consultant responsible for conducting the workshops.





In June 2023, the European Parliament approved the regulation, which establishes the requirement to meet zero-deforestation criteria for products such as coffee, and cacao, among others, marketed in its territory.





To comply, it is necessary to have a georeferencing and traceability system, as well as to provide a due diligence statement certifying that these products have been produced in accordance with the country's legislation.





"It is crucial to ensure that our producers align with international standards and market expectations. We are dedicated to strengthening their capacities and ensuring that our offerings are not only competitive but also sustainable and environmentally friendly," PromPeru Executive-President Angelica Matsuda stated.





PromPeru, through these and future initiatives, reaffirms its commitment to local producers and the promotion of sustainable practices in the export sector, allowing for active and competitive participation in international markets while preserving the country's biodiversity.





(END) NDP/RMB/MVB

In a joint effort to enhance sustainability and the continuity of international trade, the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Export and Tourism (PromPeru) , through its Sustainable Culture strategy, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) , conducted workshops for coffee and cacao producers in the towns of Jaen in Cajamarca region and Quillabamba in Cusco region.Published: 10/25/2023
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan and his delegation held a meeting with Canadian Senator, member of the Canadian delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Salma Ataullahjan within the framework of the IPU 147th Assembly.

Arshakyan lauded the friendly ties based on mutual respect and trust between Armenia and Canada ever since establishing diplomatic ties and appreciated the significant contribution of the Armenian community of Canada in strengthening bilateral cooperation, the parliaments press service said in a readout.

The Deputy Speaker said that the opening of the Canadian embassy in Armenia is yet another important step in strengthening bilateral ties and that it can be considered as the result of the productive joint work of the governments of the two countries.

Arshakyan presented the situation resulting from the September 19 Azeri attack against Nagorno-Karabakh which has led to the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population.

Azerbaijans aggressive policy against Armenias territorial integrity resulting in the occupation of over 150 square km of Armenian territory was also discussed.

Armenia has adopted an agenda of peace and expects the international communitys support in this issue, Arshakyan said. He presented the idea of the Crossroads of Peace initiated by Armenia, stressing the importance of a roadmap for regional peace. A number of issues related to the regional situation and cooperation between the two countries were also discussed.

Members of Parliament Tsovinar Vardanyan and Arsen Torosyan are part of the Deputy Speakers delegation.
Altai Resources Inc. (CVE:ATI  Get Free Report) shares were up 18.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as C$0.07 and last traded at C$0.07. Approximately 292,000 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 373% from the average daily volume of 61,767 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.06.

Altai Resources Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of C$3.64 million, a PE ratio of -26.67 and a beta of 1.15. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$0.06 and its 200-day moving average is C$0.07.

Altai Resources Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Altai Resources Inc operates as a natural resource exploration and development company in Canada. The company explores for oil and natural gas, and gold properties. It holds a 100% interest in the Sorel-Trois Rivieres natural gas property comprising five oil and gas and reservoir licenses covering an area of approximately 68,483 hectares located in St.

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Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, August 29th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 30th will be given a dividend of 1.11 per share by the bank on Tuesday, November 28th. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.81%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 27th. This is a positive change from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.09.

Bank of Montreal has increased its dividend payment by an average of 11.1% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 1 years. Bank of Montreal has a payout ratio of 47.2% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Bank of Montreal to earn $9.46 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $4.46 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 47.1%.

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Bank of Montreal Stock Performance

NYSE BMO opened at $76.47 on Wednesday. Bank of Montreal has a 1 year low of $75.90 and a 1 year high of $102.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.13 billion, a PE ratio of 10.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $83.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $87.17.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Bank of Montreal ( NYSE:BMO Get Free Report ) (TSE:BMO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 29th. The bank reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.28 by ($0.20). Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 12.70% and a net margin of 11.19%. The firm had revenue of $5.94 billion during the quarter. Analysts predict that Bank of Montreal will post 8.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BMO. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Bank of Montreal in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Bank of Montreal from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $139.25.

Read Our Latest Report on BMO

Institutional Trading of Bank of Montreal

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BMO. PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Bank of Montreal in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in Bank of Montreal in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 339.0% in the 4th quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 439 shares of the banks stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Bank of Montreal in the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 64.2% in the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,125 shares of the banks stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 43.89% of the companys stock.

Bank of Montreal Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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Dunelm Group plc (LON:DNLM  Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Wednesday, September 20th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 26th will be given a dividend of GBX 27 ($0.33) per share on Monday, November 20th. This represents a yield of 2.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 26th. The official announcement can be seen at this link.

Dunelm Group Trading Up 0.6 %

LON DNLM opened at GBX 1,005 ($12.31) on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is GBX 1,082.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 1,112.03. Dunelm Group has a twelve month low of GBX 821.50 ($10.06) and a twelve month high of GBX 1,335.54 ($16.36). The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 242.98. The company has a market capitalization of 2.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,350.68, a PEG ratio of -10.32 and a beta of 1.20.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DNLM shares. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Dunelm Group to an underperform rating and lowered their price target for the company from GBX 1,300 ($15.93) to GBX 1,000 ($12.25) in a research report on Tuesday, July 4th. Shore Capital restated a hold rating on shares of Dunelm Group in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. Finally, Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and set a GBX 1,340 ($16.42) price target on shares of Dunelm Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 1,228 ($15.04).

Dunelm Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and armchairs; 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.

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Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Monday. The company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.04, MarketWatch Earnings reports. The firm had revenue of $11.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.05 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 14.76% and a return on equity of 25.12%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.58 earnings per share.

Novartis Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:NVS traded up $0.52 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $95.43. 1,162,217 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,838,079. The firm has a market capitalization of $202.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.53. The firms fifty day moving average is $99.85 and its 200-day moving average is $100.47. Novartis has a 12-month low of $78.88 and a 12-month high of $105.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Novartis by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 31,928 shares of the companys stock worth $3,222,000 after purchasing an additional 3,088 shares during the period. Vestor Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV grew its stake in shares of Novartis by 194.1% during the second quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 400 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Novartis by 24.5% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 32,207 shares of the companys stock worth $3,250,000 after acquiring an additional 6,328 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Novartis during the 2nd quarter valued at $6,256,000. 7.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NVS. HSBC began coverage on Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They set a buy rating for the company. Morgan Stanley raised Novartis from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, September 25th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Novartis in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $82.33.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on NVS

About Novartis

(Get Free Report)

Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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HD Hyundai Heavy inks $3.9 bil. shipbuilding deal, largest in Korean history

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership during their summit in Doha, Wednesday, by expanding cooperation from conventional energy and construction to the defense industry.

The presidential office said the summit took place at Amiri Diwan, the emir's office, on the second day of Yoon's two-day state visit to Qatar .

During the summit, Yoon and Sheikh Tamim noted that next year marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and agreed to deepen their partnership to cover not only energy and construction, but also defense, national security, investments, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), agriculture and other fields.

In particular, the leaders agreed to expand the scope of bilateral cooperation across the LNG value chain, which will stabilize Seouls gas supply in the face of the highly volatile international energy market.

As part of that agreement, Koreas HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Qatar Energy signed a $3.9 billion deal to build 17 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier vessels, which is the largest single deal in Koreas shipbuilding history.

This accounts for almost half of the shipbuilders yearly order and improves the share of the global LNG carrier market held by Korean companies to 81 percent from 74 percent, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Choi Sang-mok said.

Currently, Hanwha Ocean (formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) and Samsung Heavy Industries are also negotiating deals with their Qatari partners for approximately 30 vessels, and we expect more results will be announced in the near future, Choi added.

Qatar is Koreas second largest LNG exporter, with 21 percent of the countrys entire LNG imports being shipped from Doha. First Deputy Director of National Security Kim Tae-hyo said the summit provided momentum to expand the LNG partnership between the two countries, and the deal will upgrade the bilateral partnership into a reciprocal relationship.

Including the deal, businesses in two countries signed 12 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and contracts worth $4.6 billion during Yoons stay in Qatar, spanning smart farms, cultural content, medicine, finance and other emerging industries.

Yoons visit became a chance to deepen Korea-Qatar cooperation in energy and construction and at the same time expanding the scope of the partnership into various fields, Kim said. Since the two countries decided to explore partnerships in investments, SMEs, smart farms, and shipping, detailed programs will follow to provide greater opportunities and benefits for the people of the two countries.

Along with economic partnerships, the leaders decided to strengthen their strategic cooperation by building communication channels for diplomacy and national security match their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Also, the two countries signed an MOU on defense industry cooperation and military supply, with Korea hoping for a potential arms deal with Qatar. .

In the MOU, the two countries agreed to exchange information related to the defense industry and set up a joint committee.

Qatar is now rising as one of the biggest clients in the international defense market, Kim said. As the two countries agreed to exchange defense industry information and set up a joint committee through the MOU, Yoons visit to Qatar will serve as the first step in facilitating bilateral defense cooperation.

According to an official at the presidential office, the MOU will serve as the basis for the two countries to begin talks for comprehensive defense industry cooperation, rather than being a contract on arms or ammunition.

Affecting the bilateral defense partnership will likely be Koreas previous contract with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to export the Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile system, and ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia to export an air defense system.

I can say that the three countries of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are closely comparing each other on what types of weapons are being traded and how technologies are being transferred, the official said.

Yoon will wrap up his six-day state visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar by leaving Doha late Wednesday. Adding Yoons state visit to the UAE in January, the president completed bilateral diplomacy with the top three economies in the Middle East this year.

Following MOUs worth $29 billion with Saudi Arabia late last year, the UAE promised to make $30 billion investments in Korea earlier this year, Choi, the senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, said. During this trip, there were outcomes worth $15.6 billion in Riyadh and $4.6 in Qatar. All combined, a total of $79.2 billion worth of opportunities have been created for Korean businesses.

Choi noted that MOUs and contracts signed during Yoons trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar mostly involve new fields related to Riyadhs Vision 2030 and Qatars National Vision 2030, which are national strategies aimed at moving beyond the conventional oil business and finding sustainable growth engines.

With the Middle East bracing for an immense change toward the post-oil era, staying ahead of this transformation will enable us to seize opportunities for new collaborative ventures before others, Choi said. This heralds an era of shared prosperity between Korea and the Middle East, opening a new window of opportunity for our citizens and businesses.
Korea, Qatar to cooperate in self-driving cars, smart farms, healthcare, finance

By Ko Dong-hwan

Korea and Qatar agreed to elevate their energy-centered partnership to include self-driving vehicles, smart farms, healthcare, and finance, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Wednesday.

The two countries signed 10 memorenda of understanding (MOU) at a bilateral business forum in Doha on Wednesday. Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Bang Moon-kyu and Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani oversaw the signing ceremony. Outside the forum, another MOU and contract were also signed.

The MOUs encompassed a wide range of fields, reflecting the expanded scope of bilateral trade beyond liquified natural gas (LNG). Two MOUs were inked to expand power generating facilities in Qatar and six to boost new industries in the Middle Eastern country, such as autonomous driving, medical facilities, cosmetics, fashion and smart farms.

Cooperation for future plant construction projects in Qatar led to one MOU, while Korea Trade Insurance Corporation and Qatar Development Bank signed another MOU to support Korean firms' future trade with Qatar.

Samsung's construction and engineering subsidiary, Samsung C&T, self-driving technology developer SWM and Daemo Engineering were part of the Korean business delegation attending the forum, while Qatar Free Zone Authority, Protocol Capital and Qatar Building Company were among the Qatari participants.

Outside the forum, trade ministers from the two countries signed another MOU for a "trade investment stimulation framework." The agreement will push the two countries to diversify supply chains for bilateral trade, while transitioning Qatari industries to the digital and bio industries, according to the trade ministry.

The highlight of the bilateral deals was a $3.9 billion deal signed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Qatar Energy to purchase 17 new LNG carriers from the Korean shipbuilder. The deal finalized the agreement for the order made between the two firms last September.

The world's biggest LNG exporter, Qatar is expected to increase its annual shipement volume of the gas from 77 million tons to 126 million tons by 2027, according to the trade ministry. The expansion, together with rising demand for ships to transport the commodity, prompted the Korean ministry to pursue the shipbuilding deal with Qatar.

"Our partnership that has so far hinged on LNG will from now on expand to new trade routes, including smart cities, smart farms, renewable energy, medical facilities and educational fields," Bang said.








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In a candid revelation, the members of GHOST9 shared their genuine sentiments following a challenging survival experience.

The occasion was a media showcase held at Ilji Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 25th, commemorating the release of their seventh mini-album 'ARCADE: O.'

GHOST9 Makes a Resounding Comeback: 'ARCADE: O' Unveils Unique Message and Distinct Colors in the Second Chapter of 'ARCADE: VOW' Series

Marking their return after a hiatus of a year and six months, 'ARCADE: O' is the second installment in the 'ARCADE: VOW' series.

The album encapsulates a powerful message of moving forward in their unique way and embracing their distinct colors, intending to make a significant impact on the K-pop scene through the title track 'RUCKUS.'

Notably, the choreography planning for this album involved the active participation of the members, infusing the project with GHOST9's unmistakable flair.

Explaining the intricacies of the title track performance, Jinwoo Lee shed light on the point choreography, stating, "There is a handcuff dance in the point choreography of 'Lucus.'

There is a scene in the music video where the song moves with its hands tied, so I made it using that." Lee Shin emphasized his global aspirations, saying, "I prepared to become a global leader because many people did the handcuff dance and 'Lucus' together," while demonstrating the challenge section's key choreography.

READ ALSO: Exclusive Interview: Super Rookies GHOST9 Talk About Their Title Track, Goals, Biggest Inspiration, and More!

Challenging Hiatus Yields Growth: GHOST9's Journey on 'Listen-UP' and 'Peak Time' Marks a Pivotal Chapter in Their Career

During their extended hiatus, GHOST9 underwent significant growth, participating in the producing battle program 'Listen-UP' on KBS 2TV and the team battle survival program 'Peak Time' on JTBC.

Reflecting on this period, Lee Shin expressed deep appreciation for the experience on 'Peak Time,' noting that it was not only the hiatus but also the most memorable since their debut.

Detailing the impactful experience, Lee Shin shared,

"I appeared with people who debuted at a similar time or didn't do well. There were a lot of people who worked hard, didn't give up, and had dreams. In some ways, there are times when we feel upset because we haven't achieved great success yet, but I gained a lot of strength by looking at those people. I thought, Lets try it too. It was an impressive experience,

Son Jun-hyung's Revelation: The Transformative Impact of Survival Shows on GHOST9's Mindset and Artistic Approach

Son Jun-hyung echoed these sentiments, acknowledging the deep reflections brought about by their participation in the survival programs.

He remarked, "All the members must have felt it deeply while doing the survival program," describing it as an opportunity to reevaluate their mindset.

Son Jun-hyung shared, "I felt like I was a frog in a well, and as all the participants in a survival show watched each other, I thought, 'Those people have that kind of mindset, but can we do this?' That's why I made an effort to be more humble, and I should do it with more enthusiasm."

He emphasized the shift in his approach, stating, "So, when preparing this time, I didn't say, 'We have to choreograph like this,' but rather, 'Let's have fun while doing it.' Rather than saying, 'We're the best,' I thought with a humble mind that I hope people will have fun with our performance."

GHOST9's new album 'ARCADE: O' is set to be released at 6 PM on the 25th, promising a dynamic blend of their evolved artistic expressions and a renewed mindset.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: GHOST9 Share Details About 'NOW: When we are in Love' Album

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Madison Cullen.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has called on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners because it is unable to conduct a fair trial.

An Azeri court translator has distorted the testimony of Vagif Khachatryan, an elderly ethnic Armenian man from Nagorno-Karabakh who was kidnapped by Azeri border guards during his ICRC-mediated medical evacuation on July 29.

As I stated earlier all ongoing proceedings in Azerbaijan, including the trial of Vagif Khachatryan are from a genre of farce and a mockery of the European Convention on Human Rights and a violation of all universally accepted international norms in the context of all obligations pic.twitter.com/J0eYJYVRA7  Edmon Marukyan (@edmarukyan) October 25, 2023

As I stated earlier all ongoing proceedings in Azerbaijan, including the trial of Vagif Khachatryan are from a genre of farce and a mockery of the European Convention on Human Rights and a violation of all universally accepted international norms in the context of all obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan, Edmon Marukyan said on X. Today, 70-year-old Vagif Khachatryan again denied his participation in the events of Meshal and apologized in Armenian, literally saying that he was not there: "I wasn't there, I apologize to everyone, I wasn't there" said Khachatryan. However, the translator conveyed that Khachatryan is apologizing to the Azerbaijani people for all the incidents committed by Armenians misinterpreting Vagif's words. It is obvious that no fair trial can be conducted under the Azerbaijani regime, therefore they have to immediately release all prisoners from Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Azeri authorities pressed fabricated charges against Khachatryan and jailed him in Baku.

The Armenian foreign ministry earlier said that the arrest of the Red Cross-protected patient from Nagorno-Karabakh amounts to war crime.

Prominent lawyer Siranush Sahakyan said that the kidnapping constitutes extraordinary rendition in terms of international law and a due process is therefore ruled out.

The kidnapped mans daughter, in a plea to the UN to ensure the safe release of her father, said that all charges pressed by the Azeri prosecution are fabricated and her father is innocent.
FILE - The rear view on Chartres Street of the newly renovated home of the Louisiana Supreme Court, located in the French Quarter, New Orleans, is photographed Monday, May 10, 2004. Louisianas Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday, May 10, 2022, on whether a ban on non-unanimous jury verdicts must apply retroactively, a case that criminal justice advocates say would affect an estimated 1,500 people convicted before the U.S. Supreme Court prohibited such verdicts. (AP Photo/Judi Bottoni, File)
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the countrys Republic Day.

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the main national holiday of Kazakhstan, Republic Day, PM Pashinyan said in a letter addressed to the Kazakh President.

The political path of strengthening statehood, modernization and diversification of the economy consistently implemented by you is a solid basis for carrying out socio-economic reforms and raising the country's international reputation.

I am sure that further joint efforts of Yerevan and Astana for the benefit of expanding Armenian-Kazakh cooperation enjoy great demand and correspond to the fundamental interests of the peoples of our countries. I wish you, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, good health and great success, and prosperity to the friendly people of Kazakhstan, the Armenian PM added.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The territorial integrity of Armenia is understandable for all parties and no one is disputing it, Member of Parliament Vagharshak Hakobyan told reporters.

The negotiations process is difficult, Hakobyan, the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Regional and Eurasian Integration Affairs said about the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

But I assure you, the positions of Armenia in the negotiations process is rather normal today. Weve been able to ensure our countrys security in this period of a collapsing world order. I find this to be a big achievement, that in a tense situation the borders of Armenia are calm, and by being fully involved in the talks we are representing Armenias state interests, he said.

Neither the superpowers nor Armenias adversaries are disputing the territorial integrity of Armenia, he said.

The territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia is understandable for all parties. Yes, in the negotiations process we must achieve for this all to be recorded in clear numbers, borders, taking into account every single nuance, the MP said.
PRNewswire

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 25: Dr Suborno Bose, Founder and Chief Mentor of IIHM Hotel School and Chairman of Indismart Group, Unveils Chef Coat for International Young Chef Olympiad with UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. He delivered the keynote address on 'Prospects of Development of Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage in SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Countries' at the historic 25th UNWTO General Assembly held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Also Read | Lunar Eclipse in October 2023: Will Chandra Grahan Be Visible in India? Know Date, Time and Other Details Here.

Dr. Bose emphasized the importance of ecological, social, and economic sustainability as key factors for sustainable tourism development. He also discussed the role of skill development and education in creating a positive impact on society and the environment.

In a blitz meeting with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, UNWTO, Dr. Bose discussed the importance of Sustainable Hospitality and how educational institutions play a pivotal part in promoting sustainability. Pololikashvili unveiled the commemorative Chef Coat of the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad, with Dr Bose as a symbol of solidarity with the global Hospitality and Tourism community.

Also Read | Katy Perry Birthday: Celebrating the Fashion Icon That She Is!.

During his visit to Samarkand for the session, Dr. Bose met Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister Ecology, Environmental Protection & Climate Change Republic of Uzbekistan, and discussed the bilateral association with Uzbekistan for the development of a sustainable sphere of growth for Tourism and Hospitality.

The session was attended by prominent scholars, researchers, community leaders, policy and decision-makers, and industry experts from the participating countries of UNWTO. Dr. Bose's speech was well-received by the audience, who appreciated his insights on sustainable tourism development.

Dr. Suborno Bose is a first-generation entrepreneur and global thought leader in the hospitality industry. He holds the position of Chairman at the International Hospitality Council and is the force behind the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad. Dr. Bose has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Economic Times Most Promising Business Leader Award.

Dr. Bose's keynote was a call to action for all stakeholders in the tourism industry to work towards sustainable tourism development. He emphasized that sustainable tourism is not just about environmental conservation but also about creating economic opportunities for local communities while preserving their cultural heritage.

In conclusion, Dr. Suborno Bose's keynote address during the historic UNWTO 25th General Assembly was an event that highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism development in SCO countries. His insights on ecological, social, and economic sustainability will go a long way in shaping the future of tourism in these countries.

About IIHM

IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management) is one of the largest chains of premier hospitality and hotel management schools across India that started its journey in 1994 at Kolkata. IIHM is a part of Indismart Group, the conglomerate that operates the Indismart Hotels. IIHM campuses are located across eleven National and International cities with the associate institute IAM-IHM located in Kolkata, and Guwahati.

IIHM has campuses in Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bangkok, Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and Singapore (opening soon). Students passing out of the group are awarded International Degree from the University of West London and are equipped with global hospitality skills that enable easy placements in any hospitality brand across the world. IIHM is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and global placements. Real-time experience is the key to success in IIHM's learning experience which includes working in own training hotels and resorts attached to the campuses.

IIHM is a Founding Institutional member of the (IHC) International Hospitality Council, London. It offers discerning students excellent opportunities to be a global partner of the University of West London. Following a truly international curriculum, IIHM offers a BSc (Hons) in International Hospitality Management from the University of West London, UK. Students are also awarded UGC approved Indian Degrees. IIHM students also have the option of completing their final year in the UK, Switzerland, Germany or Canada, after completing and performing well in the first two years in India.

The institute has bagged several prestigious awards in the past 30 years. The list includes the Best Education Brand Award from Economic Times six times including 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and recently in 2023. "Most Valuable Hospitality Education Brand 2023" by Zee 24ghanta. Awarded "Best Hospitality Education Brand 2020" & 2022, "Best Global Hospitality Education Brand 2023" by Zee Education Excellence Award. It was also featured in Forbes Magazine as Great Indian Institute and Great Place to Study consecutively in the year 2018 - 2019 and 2019 - 2020. IIHM was also awarded as one among the World's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2015-16 by URS International (IMEA - Process Reviewer PriceWaterhouseCoopers PL) and also received the Best Institute in Hospitality Education Award by ASSOCHAM consecutively for 5 years. With it presence felt internationally and having alumni across almost all continents of the world.

Media Contact:Abdullah Ahmed,COO, IIHM Hotel School GroupT: +91-(0)11-43204700E: Abdullah.ahmed@iihm.ac.in

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256065/IIHM.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1572818/IIHM_Logo.jpg

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

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New Delhi, October 25: Air India has extended the suspension of its scheduled flights to Tel Aviv till November 2 amid the continuing tensions between Israel and militant group Hamas. The latest conflict has been triggered by the unprecedented attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7. Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks. An Air India official on Wednesday said the scheduled flights to Tel Aviv have been suspended till November 2. Israel-Hamas War: Emirates Airline Extends Flight Suspension to and From Tel Aviv Amid Middle East Crisis

The airline has not operated a scheduled flight to and from Tel Aviv since October 7. Normally, the full-service carrier operates five weekly flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital. The service is on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. India to Resume Visa Services in Canada for Some Categories, One Month After Suspension Amid Diplomatic Row

During this month, the airline operated a few chartered flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital under the government's Operation Ajay to bring back Indians who wished to come back from Israel against the backdrop of the escalating conflict.

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Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Oct 25 (PTI) Two persons died and around 40 people suffered injuries at Devaragattu village in Kurnool district during the Banni festival, a police official said on Wednesday.

The two died after they fell from the branch of a tree while trying to escape a flaming torch that was thrown in their direction, the official said about the festival held in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also Read | Patalkot Express Fire: Blaze Erupts in Coaches of Patalkot Express in Agra, No Casualty Reported (See Pic and Video).

"Two persons died after somebody unintentionally threw a flaming torch towards the tree and they fell trying to escape it," Kurnool superintendent of police (SP) G Krishnakanth told PTI. Several people had climbed on to tree branches to get a better view of the festivities, he said.

Also, during the stick fight that is part of the festivities, over 40 people were injured, the police official added.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023: Amit Shah on Three Day Visit to State As Polls Enter Last Lap.

Meanwhile, another person died due to natural causes, the police official said, adding that he was from Karnataka.

The festival is usually observed at midnight each year.

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New Delhi [India], October 25 (ANI): As the campaigning gets aggressive, leaders of political parties are leaving no stone unturned to lure the voters and criticise their rivals, Congress leaders submitted a formal representation to the Election Commission of India, lodging a total of eight complaints against BJP leaders and the Telangana government, alleging violations of the Model Code of Conduct.

With the announcement of assembly polls in the five states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana, political parties are lodging complaints with the ECI about the derogatory language used by the prominent leaders in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Also Read | India to Resume Visa Services in Canada for Some Categories, One Month After Suspension Amid Diplomatic Row.

The representation was made by Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid, AICC Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre, and Telangana Congress President Revanth Reddy. Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka were also present.

One of the complaints lodged by the party was against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's election speech in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.

Also Read | One Nation One Election: Former President Ram Nath Kovind Chairs Second Meeting on Simultaneous Polls, Law Commission Gives Presentation.

In the speech, Shah had alleged, "Bhupesh Baghel's government, for appeasement politics, vote bank politics, lynched Chhattisgarh's son Bhuneshwar Sahoo and got him killed..." and later sought votes by stating, "Bharatiya Janata Party has pledged that we will bring justice to Bhuvneshwar Sahoo's killers and in his honor, we are fielding his father Shri. Ishwar Sahoo as a candidate in the elections," according to an official statement issued by Congress.

The party contended that these statements and claims constituted deliberate violations of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Representation of People Act, 1951.

Congress also registered a complaint to the poll body against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his election speech in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha claiming that he targeted the party candidate Mohd Akbar and and made allegations against state Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel regarding religious conversions.

The party argued that these statements and claims indicated a clear intention to incite divisions within society.

"These statements and claims highlight the clear-cut intention to incite sections of society against one another," the party said.

In its memorandum to the poll body, Congress raised concerns about the Union Government's directives instructing Civil Servants and Indian Army Soldiers to promote the achievements of the BJP-led Union Government. The party alleged that such actions politicized the conduct of Civil Servants and Army Soldiers in violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.

"These acts of politicising the conduct of Civil Servants and Army Soldiers violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964," an official statement said. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced that the first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17. The counting of votes for the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly, along with those for four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3.

Accusing the BRS Government of unlawful transfers and posting of police officers in Telangana in view of elections, Congress in its complaint said, "These have been transferred without completing 2.5 years of their tenure as is mandated by the Election Commission."

After meeting with the poll body, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said, "We have given 8 memorandums, complained about eight things. The first complaint was against the Union Home Minister, regarding one of his statements in Chhattisgarh; second memorandum was against the dangerous statement of the Assam CM in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha, we have complained regarding it, third complaint was against the Central government's notification to make civil servants 'Rath Prabharis'."

Congress leader Salman Khurshid expressed concern about remarks that could potentially worsen the electoral situation.

"Baseless things that are being said are very dangerous. They can deteriorate the election situation. We have an objection regarding it so we have put forward that in front of the Election Commission. Action must be taken, such people must be stopped from contesting elections. There are so many decisions the Election Commission can take, we hope the Election Commission will do something regarding this," he said.

Earlier today, the BJP made a representation to the Election Commission of India and demanded action against Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi over her remarks in Rajasthan's Dausa against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal alleged that Priyanka Gandhi has violated the Model Code of Conduct and that strict action should be taken against her.

"Today we met members of the Election Commission regarding a statement by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on October 20 that violated the Model Code of Conduct and RP Act. We want to ask ECI if Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is above the Model Code of Conduct. We demand ECI to take action against her," Law Minister Meghwal said.

Earlier Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in a public event in Dausa on October 20 said," I recently saw something on TV. I don't know if it is true or not. PM Modi went to the Devnarayan temple and submitted an envelope in the donation box. People were wondering what it contained, but when it was opened Rs 21 came out of it."

In this regard, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore said that Priyanka Gandhi was misleading the public of Rajasthan.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. The elections to five states in Telangana, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are crucial as they are being held months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year. The code is basically a set of guidelines to ensure free and fair elections. While the code of conduct does not have any statutory backing, the rules have to be abided by parties, campaigners and candidates during the period it is in force.

For the five state polls, the model code of conduct will be in force till December 3, when votes will be counted and the results declared. (ANI)

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Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) [India], October 25 (ANI): Former CM Chandrababu Naidu wife Bhuvaneswari has begun the 'Nijam Gelavali' (truth must prevail) bus yatra on Wednesday from Chittoor district.

The bus yatra will be in different phases. In the first phase, Naidu's wife will go on a three-day visit to Chandragiri, Tirupati, and Srikalahasti.

Also Read | Maratha Quota: Manoj Jarange-Patil Begins Another Hunger Strike, Says 'Government Is Not Serious About Our Plea for Reservation'.

As part of the campaign, Bhuvaneswari will protest against, what the TDP says is the 'illegal' arrest of Chandrababu Naidu in the skill development corporation scam and condole families of individuals who allegedly died due to shock upon hearing of the former chief minister's arrest.

Bhuvaneshwari will visit the family of K. Chinnabba of Nendragunta village, who allegedly died on September 25 after Chandrababu's illegal arrest.

Also Read | Jio Can Deploy 5G Cell Every 10 Seconds, Deployed 85% 5G Network in India, Says Chairman Akash Ambani.

Later, Naidu's wife will meet the family members of A. Praveen Reddy of Chandragiri, who died on October 17. Bhuvaneshwari will also address a public meeting later.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Andhra Pradesh police not to arrest former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in the FibreNet case until it delivers judgement on the plea in the Skill Development scam case.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi posted the anticipatory bail of Naidu in the FibreNet case for hearing on November 9.

Naidu is currently in judicial custody. The Vijayawada ACB court on Thursday extended Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief N Chandrababu Naidu's remand in the alleged multi-crore skill development scam case till November 1.

Chandrababu Naidu was presented virtually before the court from the Rajahmundry Central Prison.

The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on September 9 in connection with the multi-crore skill development scam case, leading to apolitical turmoil in the state with several TDP leaders alleging that the arrest was nothing but a political "witch-hunt" and that Naidu was held on the basis of false allegations. (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], October 25 (ANI): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is organising a Country-Led Initiative (CLI) event as part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) from October 26-28, 2023 at the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the United Nations Forum on Forests promotes the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests. India holds the distinction of being a founding member of UNFF.

Also Read | Delhi: 17-Year-Old Stabbed to Death Over Minor Dispute in Timarpur During Dussehra Event.

The UN General Assembly adopted the first-ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests for the period of 2017-2030. This Strategic Plan serves as a global framework for actions at all levels to achieve the sustainable management of all types of forests, including trees outside forests, and to combat deforestation and forest degradation.

"The CLI's primary goal is to contribute to the discussions of UNFF regarding the implementation of Sustainable Forest Management and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests. It also aims to facilitate the sharing of best practices among UNFF Member States for the implementation of SFM and the UNSPF. The CLI will discuss on thematic areas involving forest fires and forest certification. During this event, experts from UNFF member countries, the UN organizations, regional and sub-regional partners, as well as major groups, will deliberate on the thematic issues" the Ministry added

Also Read | Harish Rawat Car Accident Video: Former Uttarakhand CM Suffers Minor Injuries After His Car Collides With Divider in Udham Singh Nagar.

Ministry further added that "The formal meeting will commence on 26th October 2023. The programme includes two days of deliberations and exchanges on guiding themes- forest fires and forest certification- and a one-day field trip. The deliberations on the thematic areas- forest fires and forest certification- will promote the sharing of good practices on these areas to support global actions in advancing the Global Forest Goals of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF)."

The issue of forest certification has received growing global attention in recent years. The total forest area under certification has increased by 35% (or 120 million ha) since 2010. Between 2020 and 2021, the certified forest area increased by 27 million hectares. The developing countries continue to face several challenges with the certification process. This includes excessive costs of certification, audit and compliance issues, inaccessibility to forest owners in remote regions, and lack of capacity due to the complexity of various certification standards. The deliberations vis-a-vis forest certification will enrich the policy landscape in developing countries with regard to this issue area.

The UN Forest Instrument has adopted several policy measures to encourage sustainable forest management through promoting and implementing voluntary instruments such as voluntary certification systems or other appropriate mechanisms in a transparent manner. However, some countries consider the measures and requirements for certification as creating trade challenges or market barriers for their forest products. On the other hand, some other countries consider forest certification as an effective means to ensure SFM and a tool for preventing forest degradation or deforestation. Another major concern is that most consumer markets recognize certification from a select few certifying bodies at the expense of other certification schemes.

"This meeting will host discussions amongst the participating states on these issue areas. This will be attended by more than 80 delegates participating from over 40 countries and 20 international organizations, both in person and online. The meeting is expected to come out with implementable frameworks and recommendations for management of forest fire and forest certification leading towards Sustainable Forest Management, which will be considered for discussions at the 19th session of UNFF scheduled at UN Headquarters, New York in May 2024," Ministry said. (ANI)

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia welcomes Canadas initiative to join the EUs civilian monitoring mission, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

We welcome Canadas initiative on joining and becoming part of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia in the context of both deepening bilateral relations and strengthening regional stability. Id like to point out the latter, because our region really needs sincere and effective steps aimed at ensuring peace aimed at an objective assessment of the situation by the international partners and ensuring dignified peace for our people, Mirzoyan said.
Kasaragod (Kerala), Oct 25 (PTI) BJP's Kerala state unit president K Surendran was on Wednesday granted bail by a district court here in the Manjeshwaram election bribery case.

Besides Surendran, the court granted bail to five other accused in the case.

Also Read | Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2023: Congress Promises Annual Allowance of Rs 10,000 for Women Heads of Families.

While granting relief to the BJP state president and others, the court directed them to appear in person before it during the hearing of the discharge pleas filed by them.

Reacting to the development, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran claimed that Surendran was granted relief as the prosecution did not oppose his bail due to the "bhai-bhai" relationship between the BJP and CPI(M).

Also Read | Delhi Weather Update: National Capital's Maximum Temperature Settles at 31.6 Degrees Celsius, Air Quality Remains in 'Poor' Category.

Sudhakaran said with the prosecution not opposing the bail of the accused in the case, the relationship between the BJP and CPI(M) has been further strengthened.

He alleged that the prosecution would not take such a stand without a clear directive from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vjiayan.

The Crime Branch wing of the Kerala police had registered a chargesheet against the BJP state president in the case in January this year.

According to the police, Surendran, facing allegations of intimidating his rival candidate in the 2021 assembly polls for withdrawing from the contest for the Manjeshwaram seat, has been charged under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act which are non-bailable.

The Kerala police had registered a case against Surendran in June 2021 for allegedly threatening and bribing another candidate to withdraw his nomination for the Manjeswaram Assembly constituency.

The case was registered as per the directions of a Magistrate Court which considered a petition filed by V V Ramesan, the CPI(M) candidate, who fought the election against Surendran in Manjeswaram.

The case was filed under Sections 171 (B) and (E) (Bribery) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch.

BSP candidate Sundara had alleged that he was initially threatened and later given Rs 2.5 lakh as a bribe by the BJP to withdraw from the contest.

Sundara claimed that Sunil Naik, a Yuva Morcha leader and a close aide of Surendran, had handed over the money and a smartphone to him.

The BJP had denied the allegations.

Sundara, a Yakshagana artiste, had contested the election in 2016. He had filed his nomination once again in 2021, but had withdrawn.

Surendran, however, lost the election from Manjeswaram in the polls. IUML's A K M Ashraf won the seat with 65,758 votes, while Surendran managed to bag 65,013 votes. CPI(M)'s Ramesan got 40,639 votes.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, October 25: Benchmark equity indices climbed in early trade on Wednesday after facing heavy drubbing in the previous trade, amid positive trends in global markets and foreign fund inflows. Softening crude oil prices also helped in markets recovery.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 193.64 points to 64,765.52 in early trade. The Nifty advanced 54.55 points to 19,336.30. Among the Sensex firms, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, HCL Technologies, Kotak Mahindra Bank, State Bank of India and Axis Bank were the major gainers. Rupee Rises 5 Paise to 83.11 Against US Dollar in Early Trade.

Infosys, NTPC, Hindustan Unilever and Titan were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong traded in the positive territory while Seoul quoted lower. The US markets ended in the green on Tuesday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.07 per cent to USD 88.13 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 252.25 crore on Monday, according to exchange data. "The uncertainties associated with the Israel-Hamas conflict will continue to weigh on markets in the near term.

"Positive news like decline in the US bond yields and weakening crude can help the market to revive but it may not sustain given the uncertainty surrounding the West Asian conflict," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. Cryptocurrency Prices in India.

Equity markets were closed on Tuesday on account of Dussehra festival. The BSE benchmark plunged 825.74 points or 1.26 per cent to settle at 64,571.88 on Monday. The Nifty fell 260.90 points or 1.34 per cent to 19,281.75.

(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], October 25 (ANI): Ahead of the Mizoram Assembly elections, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar will visit the state on Thursday to conduct public meeting with representatives of communities.

Union Minister of State Chandrashekar is one of the key campaigners of BJP for the Mizoram Assembly elections, scheduled to be held on November 7.

Also Read | 'Election Commission Must Do Something': Congress Files Complaint Against Statements Made by Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Chhattisgarh.

The Minister will hold public meetings in Saiha and Mamit districts, where he will interact with the leaders and representatives of communities.

During these public meetings, Chandrasekhar will highlight the remarkable progress India has made over the past nine years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Also Read | NCERT Panel's Recommendation on Replacing 'India' With 'Bharat' in School Textbooks Is Wrong, Says Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar.

He will underscore India's swift trajectory towards becoming the world's third-largest economy and, significantly, spotlight Mizoram's untapped potential.

The Minister will also emphasize that, for the first time in Independent India's history, the Central Government has lifted the North East from the fringes, ushering in a new era of development and growth for the region.

It is worth mentioning that Saiha was designated as one of the country's 250 most backward districts by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in 2006, entitling it to funding from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Meanwhile, Hacchek, situated in Mizoram's Mamit district, stands as one of the three assembly constituencies, holding the status of an "aspirational district."

Chandrasekhar has been at the forefront of highlighting the transformation witnessed in the North East region during his previous visits.

He has underscored the region's increasing appeal to investors and championed the accelerated development of the region's youth. Skill training initiatives and enhanced physical and digital connectivity have played pivotal roles in catalyzing the potential of Mizoram.

In a 40-member Mizoram assembly, the Mizo National Front bagged 26 seats with a vote share of 37.8 per cent to emerge victorious in the 2018 polls. The Congress secured five seats and BJP won one seat.

Polls will be held in Mizoram on November 7, Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 25 and Telangana on November 30. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all the states.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. The elections to five states are crucial as they are being held months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year. (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], October 25 (ANI): The Congress party on Wednesday replaced candidates on four assembly constituencies for the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

The four constituencies include Sumawali seat in Morena district, Pipariya (Scheduled Caste) seat in Narmadapuram district, Badnagar seat in Ujjain district and Jaora seat in Ratlam district.

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According to the revised list, Ajab Singh Kushwaha has been fielded from Sumawali seat in place of Kuldeep Sikarwar and Virendra Belvanshi will now contest in place of Guru Charan Khare from Pipariya (SC) seat. Similarly, Murli Morwal is in the fray from Badnagar seat in place of Rajendra Singh Solanki and Virender Singh Solanki has been fielded from Jaora seat in place of Himmat Shrimal.

Earlier the Congress party announced its second list of 85 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls and replaced three of its previously declared nominees. The Congress had in its first named 144 candidates for the state.

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The Congress has given tickets to 62 candidates belonging to the OBC candidates to contest in Madhya Pradesh, in the two lists announced. The state assembly has 47 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 35 for Scheduled Castes. In 2018, 60 OBC candidates were given tickets by the Congress.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states set to hold elections this year. The state is scheduled to vote on November 17, with the vote count taking place on December 3. Voters will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.

The last state assembly polls in 2018 saw the Congress coming to power, with veteran leader Kamal Nath taking oath as the chief minister.

Nonetheless, a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020, after the then Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, switched over to the saffron camp.

The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the BJP formed the government, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar, Oct 25 (PTI) As the state's most powerful ex-IAS officer, VK Pandian, remained silent over his future course of action following retirement from the All India Service, ruling BJD's Ganjam unit on Wednesday said the ex-bureaucrat will win from any of the 13 assembly segments in the district if he contests in the 2024 assembly elections.

Ruling BJD's Ganjam district president and former MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik said, "Pandian will win if he contests from any of the 13 seats in Ganjam. But Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will decide who will get the ticket."

Also Read | Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2023: Congress Promises Annual Allowance of Rs 10,000 for Women Heads of Families.

Pandian came to limelight while serving as the district collector of Ganjam from where he was picked up by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and appointed him as his private secretary in 2011.

The 2000 batch IAS officer worked in the CMO as PS to chief minister and also secretary of 5T initiative till his voluntary retirement on October 23.

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Stating that Pandian has not yet joined the BJD, Chyau Patnaik said chief minister and party president Naveen Patnaik will decide if the former IAS officer will join the party.

Pandian was, however, silent over his future course of action. A day after his resignation, the state government appointed him as the chairman of the 5T and Nabin Odisha initiatives with the status of a cabinet minister on October 24.

Earlier, Pandian, besides serving as the private secretary to the chief minister, also worked as the secretary of the 5T and looked after Nabin Odisha scheme under which each gram panchayat will be given Rs 50 lakh for development.

Meanwhile, BJD's three Rajya Sabha MPs  Manas Mangaraj, Sujit Kumar and Amar Patnaik  have openly come out in support of Pandian and praised his dedication for the people of Odisha.

While Suji Kumar described Pandian as a good administrator, Mangaraj said, "Odisha has reached the peak of development under the supervision of Pandian. He is a perfect combination of realism and commitment."

Another Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik wrote on X, "While I think personally it is a difficult decision for anyone to leave the so very respectable job of the IAS, particularly with several years left to retire, he (Pandian) seems to have taken this decision solely to serve Odisha and the people of the state. SALUTE!."

The opposition Congress, however, maintained that Pandian may be accepted by the leaders of BJD, but not by the people of Odisha. "The BJD leaders may accept Pandian, but not the people of Odisha," OPCC president Sarat Pattnayak told reporters here.

"Why are 16 lakh people in the state unable to arrange a square meal a day and lakhs of youth are migrating outside the state in search of jobs?," the Congress leader said.

BJP spokesperson Golak Nayak said his party was all along demanding resignation of Pandian from government service as he was doing politics by breaking the All India Service Rules.

"It is a fact that he has taken voluntary retirement. But, he has been again attached to CMO."

However, a day before, BJP state president Manmohan Samal had said, "That chapter (Pandian working like politician being a government servant) is now closed after Pandian took voluntary retirement."

Meanwhile, speculations are rife in political circles over Pandian's next course of action. Many leaders in the BJD also are not sure when the ex-bureaucrat will join the ruling regional party.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jhunjhunu, October 25: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to address a public rally here in Jhunjhunu as part of the party's campaign programme in the poll-bound state ahead of the November 25 elections. During her visit, the AICC leader will unveil the statue of former Union minister Sisram Ola in Ardawata before addressing a gathering, which will be attended by state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other senior leaders.

Earlier on Tuesday, CM Gehlot said that Priyanka will make big announcements for the homemakers of Rajasthan. "Special information for the women of Rajasthan- Tomorrow Priyanka Gandhi will make some big announcements for the housewives of Rajasthan at 12:30 pm in Jhunjhunu," Gehlot said on the social media platform, X. Ahead of Assembly Elections in Rajasthan, Rs 244 Crore Cash Seized in Last 15 Days.

This would be the second visit of the Congress leader in Rajasthan, going to polls next month, in a week. Earlier on Friday, last week, she addressed a public rally in Dausa. During her address, she underscored that the Gehlot government has worked for the people of the state.

"There is a Congress government in your state... If you see the journey of the last five years, you can say that the Rajasthan Congress tried to make the journey of your life easier... The leaders who truly want that state and country should go forward, they do not look only at themselves they look for what is good for people," Priyanka said.

Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, she said that leaders of the party, in opposition here, work for themselves and their industrialist friends.

With poll dates nearing in Rajasthan, both the BJP and Congress are slugging it out to form their government. Telangana Assembly Elections 2023: BRS Still Undecided on Candidates for Four Seats.

Rajasthan assembly polls will be held on November 25. The 200-member house will go to polls in single-phase. The counting of votes will take place on December 3, coinciding with the other four states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram.

(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], October 25 (ANI): Reacting to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's statement that Shiv Sena (UBT) will form an alliance even with 'Hamas' or 'Lashkar-e-Taiba', party leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the real anti-nationals are those who are toppling the elected governments.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said that the people support Maha Vikas Aghadi, and they know that the people of Maharashtra would make them lose if elections were held.

Also Read | India vs Bharat: NCERT Panel Recommends Replacing India With Bharat in School Textbooks.

"They know that people's support is with Maha Vikas Aghadi. They know that they will lose when the elections are held. The people of Maharashtra would make them lose. They can compare us with Hamas, ISIS or anyone else. In a true sense, the real anti-nationals are those who are toppling the elected governments and those who are neglecting the agencies and the Constitution and reducing the rules of democracy. And they are the BJP and their one or two alliance partners," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader told ANI.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday that Uddhav Thackeray and his Shiv Sena faction, in order to meet their own selfish needs, could form an alliance even with terrorist groups like 'Hamas' and 'Lashkar-e-Taiba'.

Also Read | Japans Top Court Strikes Down Gender Change Surgery Law.

The remark by Shinde was made in reference to Shiv Sena (UBT) forming an alliance with Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

"The people are aware of what is happening today. The lifelong ideals of our founder-leader, Balasaheb Thackeray, were compromised to satisfy someone's lust for power and ambition of becoming the chief minister. They joined hands with the Congress, the same Congress which Balasaheb always kept us away from. Today, these people are sharing the stage with them," Shinde said, railing against Uddhav.

"I won't be surprised if they (Sena UBT) merge with the Congress. Instead of being proud Hindus, they consigned the core beliefs that the (undivided) Shiv Sena was founded on to the waters to stand with the socialists, their ideological opposites. They could even join hands with Owaisi or with terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas if it suits their political ambitions. Our Shiv Sena can and will never compromise with our founding ideals for the sake of power," Shinde added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Oct 25 (PTI) The Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) - HRAWI, on Wednesday urged the Maharashtra government to roll back the 5 per cent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) on liquor served at bars and restaurants across the state.

On October 22, the Maharashtra government raised VAT for permit room liquor service by 5 per cent, resulting in a new total rate of 10 per cent, according to the state government notification.

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HRAWI in a representation submitted to the chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar, and tourism minister Girish Mahajan requested the rollback of the 5 per cent increase in VAT on liquor served at bars and restaurants across the state.

Expressing concern and surprise at the unexpected increase in VAT on liquor, HRAWI has stated that the significant hike in taxes will have adverse effects on the hospitality industry, particularly on restaurants and bars and subsequently impact the state's tourism sector.

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"Tourism is a vital contributor to the country's economy, accounting for approximately 9 per cent of the GDP and employing over 12 per cent of the workforce.

'The affordability of liquor is crucial in the tourism sector. The increase in VAT in our state is in stark contradiction to this, and will adversely affect both domestic and international tourism. Affordability is key for tourists, and this decision hampers the initiatives taken to attract visitors. We urge the government to reconsider the decision to increase the VAT, keeping the larger picture of our economy in mind, HRAWI President Pradeep Shetty said.

An increase in yearly excise fees followed by the doubling of VAT on liquor is likely to have a negative effect on businesses, while reasonable liquor prices encourage spending, boost revenues and enhance the overall appeal of Maharashtra as a tourism destination, HRAWI vice-president Chetan Mehta said.

"The hospitality industry is just about recovering from the pandemic's blow. Further price hikes will dampen the spirit of business owners and may lead to undesirable outcomes, such as increased illegal activities. We appeal to the government to consider the long-term consequences of such decisions," Mehta added.

(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, Oct 25 (PTI) Companies are speedily ramping up investments in generative AI and realising rapid returns, according to research from Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), which forecast that companies will hike GenAI investments by 67 per cent in 2024.

This translates to a conservative estimate of USD 6 billion to be invested by the US and Canadian companies in the next year, the findings of the research by IKI said.

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Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI) is the research arm of Indian IT services company Infosys.

"North American businesses plan to invest 67 per cent more in Generative AI in 2024 to drive efficiency, experience and growth," said the release citing Infosys Research.

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Enterprise leaders are taking a pragmatic view of GenAI, which may mitigate the reality check the broader GenAI market will likely face in the coming year, it added.

The report found that Generative AI (GenAI) is not constrained by traditional innovation barriers, and that companies expect GenAI to deliver operational performance, not only content creation.

That said, data challenges and lack of skills are the biggest obstacles to adoption. Heavily regulated industries have been quickest to adopt GenAI, it said, adding that financial services, healthcare, and life sciences lead adoption of this new technology, bucking the stereotype of slow-moving regulated industries.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kota (RJ) Oct 25 (PTI) An third-year MBBS student died during treatment in a hospital, two days after she attempted suicide by hanging herself to a ceiling fan at her home in Jhalawar, police said on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old medical student attempted to commit suicide on Sunday. She died on Tuesday. No suicide note was recovered from her room.

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The deceased student was identified as Nivedita, a resident of Haldighati road in Jhalawar city, who was in the third year of her MBBS course in Vardhman Medical College in Kolkata.

Nivedita came to her home in Jhalawar earlier this month for Navratra and she allegedly attempted suicide by hanging on Sunday, SHO at Jhalawar city police station, Bhuri Singh said. She was rushed to Jhalawar medical college hospital after that, the SHO added.

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Nivedita was put on a ventilator in critical condition, however she died on Tuesday afternoon, he said.

Police lodged a case under Section 174 of CrPC (inquiry into unnatural deaths) for investigation, and handed over the body to family members after post-mortem, the SHO said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. All messages by Armenias international partners and the binding rulings of the International Court of Justice failed to have an effective impact on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and as a result Azerbaijan perpetrated ethnic cleansing there, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly in Yerevan.

I have to add that we are sure that applicable mechanisms exist and their effective implementation can contribute to overcoming the atmosphere of impunity in the region and addressing the rights of the people deprived of their homeland, Mirzoyan said.

The Armenian FM thanked the Canadian government for providing humanitarian assistance through the ICRC to meet the needs of the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Chennai, Oct 25 (PTI) Over century-old noted jewellery retailer Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers has forayed into the United States market with the launch of a new store in Dallas, the company said on Wednesday.

Over the next three years, the company has planned to strengthen its presence with three more stores in the US and eight in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 1,850 crore.

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With the foray into the United States, the jeweller plans to garner USD 100 million in revenue in a year and expects at least 30 per cent of this to contribute to the overall business in the next three years.

"The first store in Dallas is a testimony to the fact of what our customers need in the United States. Each and every piece of jewellery reflects the ethos of VBJ in quality, contemporary style, and design," Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers Managing Partner Amarendran Vummidi said.

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"We are planning to open three more in Chicago, Virginia and California in the next three years," he said on the expansion plan.

The facility in Dallas, inaugurated on October 19, is spread across a land measuring 7,000 sq ft and would be the company's flagship store. It would retail all the company-made gold, silver, platinum, and diamond jewellery.

On setting up retail stores in Tamil Nadu, he said, "Our strategy of going to where our customers are, will be realised with this venture in the US followed by eight more covering various cities of Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupur and Tirunelveli."

Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers currently has two showrooms in Chennai.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Helsinki, Oct 25 (AP) Finnish investigators said Tuesday they believed an anchor of a Chinese container ship was dislodged and caused the damage to the undersea Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia on the Baltic Sea earlier this month.

The National Bureau of Investigation, a branch of the Finnish police, said that it has evidence and data pointing to the Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel Newnew Polar Bear as the culprit in damaging the pipeline running across the Gulf of Finland.

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Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi, NBI's head of the investigation, said in a news conference on Tuesday that a 1.5 to 4-metre-wide dragging trail on the seabed is seen to lead to the point of damage in the gas pipeline.

That trail is believed to have been caused by a heavy 6-ton anchor which the Finnish Navy retrieved late Monday.

Also Read | Israel-Gaza War: Over Two Million Palestinians on Survival Mission Every Day, Every Night, Says Palestinian Foreign Minister.

There are traces in the (anchor) which indicate that it has been in contact with the gas pipeline, Lohi said, citing data from expert analysis.

Whether the pipeline damage was intentional, unintentional or caused by bad seafaring is subject of the next phase in the probe, officials said.

On October 8, Finnish and Estonian gas system operators said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the pipeline after which they shut down the gas flow.

It turned out that the 77-kilometre-long pipeline that runs between the Finnish coastal town of Inkoo and the Estonian port of Paldiski was mechanically damaged in the Finnish economic zone and had shifted from its original position where it is buried in the seabed.

Last week, Finnish officials named the Newnew Polar Bear the prime suspect as the course and positioning of the 169-metre-long ship in the Baltic Sea coincided with the time and place of the gas pipeline damage.

Recent photos published on social media of the Chinese vessel, which called at the port of St. Petersburg in Russia during its Baltic Sea voyage, show the vessel is missing one of its anchors.

The Marine Traffic website shows the ship is currently sailing on Russian northern waters and is presumably heading back to China via the Northern Sea Route.

Finnish investigators said they have tried several times to contact the ship's captain but without success and are now cooperating with Chinese officials on the case.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said at a regular government media briefing on Monday that Beijing has called for an objective, fair and professional investigation into the damage to the Balticconnector and stressed that the Chinese vessel was sailing normally at the time.

Fresh photos by the Finnish Border Guard showed substantial damage to the 300-million euro (USD 318 million) gas pipeline that connects Finland to the European gas network. The Balticconnector pipeline was launched for commercial use at the beginning of 2020.

Repair work is expected to take at least until the end of April 2024.

A Finland-Estonia and Sweden-Estonia telecom cable was damaged at the same time as the pipeline.

Finnish authorities said on Tuesday they believe the Finland-Estonia data cable damage is tied to the Chinese vessel as well. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Sun Weidong and Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister of Bhutan Tandi Dorji (Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs China)

Beijing [China], October 25 (ANI): The 25th round of boundary talks between China and Bhutan was held in Beijing, with the delegates from the two countries carrying forward the negotiations to settle boundary disputes and commending the work of an expert group in this direction, according to an official release from the Chinese foreign ministry.

The two sides agreed to build on the "positive momentum" from the ongoing boundary negotiations, the release stated.

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The talks were held on October 23 and 24, with the Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Sun Weidong.

The Bhutanese delegation was led by the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Tandi Dorji.

Also Read | Israel-Gaza War: Over Two Million Palestinians on Survival Mission Every Day, Every Night, Says Palestinian Foreign Minister.

"The two sides held in-depth discussions on the boundary negotiations and noted the progress made through a series of Expert Group Meetings since the 24th Round of Boundary Talks in 2016," read a joint statement issued after the talks.

China and Bhutan also inked a cooperation agreement on the responsibilities and functions of the Joint Technical Team on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary.

"During the talks, the two leaders of the delegations signed the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan on the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary," the statement read further.

The JTT was formed during the 13th Expert Group Meeting to assist in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Three-Step Roadmap, according to the release.

The two leaders also agreed to continue working together to simultaneously push forward the implementation of all the steps of the Three-Step Roadmap.

"The discussions were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere in keeping with the ties of friendship and cooperation between China and Bhutan," the joint statement read further.

Later, both sides exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, it added.

The Bhutanese delegation. during their visit to China for the boundary talks, also visited places of historical and cultural significance. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
United Nations, October 25: India has voiced deep concern over the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilian life in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, urging the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and restarting direct negotiations through de-escalation and ending violence. The remarks by India's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador R Ravindra, came on Tuesday at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

India is deeply concerned at the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict. The mounting humanitarian crisis is equally alarming, Ravindra said. He said the escalation of hostilities in the region has only exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation and has once again underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire. Israel-Hamas War: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Calls for Complete Ceasefire in Gaza.

Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. All parties must protect civilians, especially women and children. The unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed, Ravindra said. India urged the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations including through de-escalation and eschewing violence.

Current escalation has once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of credible, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks, he said.

India Raises Concern Over Israel-Hamas War at UN Security Council

#IndiaInUNSC Watch Ambassador R. Ravindra, DPR and CdA deliver India's statement at the #UNSC Open-debate on the "situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. pic.twitter.com/ifXE5NPAmp  India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) October 25, 2023

Ravindra said India has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations, he said. Welcoming all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy, Ravindra reaffirmed India's firm commitment to achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.

The UNSC ministerial meeting, held under the Brazilian Presidency of the Council, was addressed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, Palestine's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told the Council that since the October 7 attack, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups killed over 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals  the bloodiest attack in Israel's history.

This includes over 1,000 civilians, many of them women and children, and over 360 security forces personnel. Over 5,400 Israelis were injured. Wennesland said the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians killed so far, including over 1,100 women, 2,000 children as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured.

Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings said that according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 1,500 people have also been reported missing and are presumed to be under the rubble. Israel-Hamas War: 'Sent 38 Tons of Humanitarian Goods to Palestinian People,' India Tells UNSC.

"The number of those who are internally displaced has swelled to 1.4 million. Nearly 600,000 people are sheltering in UNWRA facilities in increasingly dire conditions, Hastings said. India termed the October 7 terror attacks in Israel as shocking" and condemned them unequivocally. Ravindra noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to have conveyed his condolences for the loss of lives and prayers for the innocent victims and their families.

We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks, Ravindra said. Modi, in a post on X, had said "Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.

India has also expressed deep shock" at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza last week, where several hundreds of civilian casualties have occurred and thousands injured. Ravindra said Prime Minister Modi has clearly spelt out that those involved must be held responsible.

India welcomed the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza. India has sent 38 tons of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment to the people of Palestine, Ravindra said. Over the weekend, a convoy of the Egyptian Red Crescent entered Gaza with humanitarian supplies, the first since the conflict began following attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7.

Hastings said this has provided a glimmer of hope to people living in appalling conditions. This past weekend, 34 trucks entered Gaza with life-saving supplies, and another 20 trucks crossed Rafah into Gaza yesterday. Twenty more are due to cross today although they are currently delayed. We welcome this important development, and we pledge to do our part to ensure these deliveries continue, Hastings said.

India at UN Security Council

#WATCH | At the UN Security Council on the Israel-Gaza conflict, Ambassador R Ravindra, DPR says, "India is deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict...The October 7th terror attacks in Israel were pic.twitter.com/lc1xn4TYWv  ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023

Ravindra added that India also continues to support the Palestinian people through its bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, women's empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology. Israel-Hamas War: India Sends Humanitarian Aid to People of Palestine, IAF C-17 Plane Departs With Life-Saving Medicines, Surgical Tools Among Other Essential Items (See Pics and Videos).

India is also supporting grassroot Palestinian institutions in their developmental initiatives and has supported UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) over decades for its humanitarian services. "In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine," Ravindra said.

(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], October 25 (ANI): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected PTI Chairman Imran Khan's request to hold his trial in the cypher case outside the jail where is in custody currently, The Express Tribune reported.

A division bench of the IHC, consisting of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat, presided over the proceedings.

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Imran Khan's lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, appeared before the bench to contest the federal government's notification dated September 29, which authorised his client's trial in prison. Raja argued that the federal government lacked the authority to issue such a notification.

He explained that the law ministry had issued the notification for Imran Khan's prison trial at the request of the interior ministry due to security concerns. However, he noted that there was no record of the interior ministry's written request, as reported by The Express Tribune.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas War: Will Not Allow Fuel To Enter Gaza, Ask Hamas if You Can Have Some, Says IDF.

Raja contended that since the notification was administrative in nature, the Islamabad commissioner, not the federal government, should have been the competent authority to issue it.

The lawyer also referenced a previous IHC ruling, which stated that the federal government had the prerogative to appoint a judge of its choice. He emphasized that judges were judicial officers, and the federal government should not be allowed to pick and choose them.

Justice Aurangzeb raised concerns about the executive branch's interference in the judiciary's domain and suggested that the IHC Chief Justice might form a new bench after addressing the objections raised by the registrar's office.

Furthermore, Justice Aurangzeb indicated that the court could not grant interim relief to Imran Khan at this time, and the admissibility of the petition would be decided later.

Raja informed the bench that the decision to conduct a jail trial was made for security reasons, although Imran Khan had neither requested it nor been consulted about it.

In its ruling, the IHC rejected the plea to halt the jail trial in the cypher case, cleared the registrar office's objections, and forwarded the case to the chief justice of the IHC.

Earlier this month, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had stated that considering security concerns, a trial inside the jail was in Imran Khan's favour. The judgment also noted that there was no apparent malicious intent in conducting the trial within the jail premises. However, it was mentioned that if the petitioner had reservations, he could approach the trial court, The Express Tribune 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)
London, Oct 25 (PTI) India is the best country with a lot of potential for growth, and the government should work on further improving the ease of doing business, according to Hinduja Group Chairman Gopichand P Hinduja.

The Hinduja family head is confident about the potential of India and firmly believes it will become the third-largest economy in the world by 2030.

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"At the moment, the best country with a lot of potentiality and growth is India, and it is well protected and secure.

"India will do the best. I was the first one when I said in 2019 that India will be the third largest economy in the world, and it is going in that track," Hinduja told PTI.

Also Read | Atleast 12 Female Actors Banned From Working in Movies in Iran For Violating Hijab Law: Reports.

Hinduja (83) suggested that the Indian government should focus on quicker implementation of policies and projects by expediting the process.

"The vision of the Prime Minister is good. The implementation is also happening, but if they expedite the implementation and make it easy to do business, you will find India moving much faster and quicker," he added.

Hinduja suggested the Indian government to form a committee with representations from the corporate side to remove the bottlenecks for speedy implementations and improve ease of doing business.

"They should form a committee and keep some good business people also to have their views and thoughts to see where the obstructions are and how to ease them," he added.

According to him, the ease of doing business in India for foreigners is still "not easy".

"The local ones, they know the system, they know how to handle it, but foreigners when they come, they get stuck," he said.

When asked whether Hindujas will play a role in investing in big-ticket infra projects in the country, Hinduja said: "If we get good opportunities, good team, good partner, good management, yes, we are investors. We have no restrictions".

Last year, India had jumped 14 places to take the 63rd position on the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking, figuring among the top 10 performers on the list for the third time in a row.

While referring to the global crises such as the Russia-Ukraine war and recent turmoil in the Middle East, the Hinduja family head said India has a much better potential.

"If you look at Islamic countries, there is a feud. If you see the US, there is a problem between China, Russia and the US. Our instincts are that India has a much better potentiality," said GP Hinduja.

When asked about the global economy facing macro headwinds, Hinduja said at the moment, it is "in a problem".

"So, it may be stagnant, or it may grow very slow, but it will go on," he added.

Hinduja group is one of India's diversified and transnational conglomerates. Its market capitalisation from listed companies is USD 21 billion.

On the possible impact on India's energy security amid the crisis in the Middle East, Ashok P Hinduja, who is the Chairman of Hinduja Group of Companies (India) said: "I think India is well protected. They have maintained excellent relations with most of the countries".

"India has succeeded in getting discounted oil from Russia despite sanctions. With China also, they have established their mandate," Ashok Hinduja, who is also the Chairman of IndusInd International Holdings Ltd, said.

However, he said, there may be some impact if it becomes a global economic problem.

Some state governments face liquidity problems because of populist measures, which affect the projects there, Ashok Hinduja added.

This happens in states, where there are policy conflicts between the centre and state governments and are ruled by different political parties, he noted.

At the end of the day, economic projects get affected as they are not being paid by state governments. This has a cascading impact as it increases the NPA of banks, and investors get bad names, he added.

"So, that some system has to be worked out, that they are well protected for their investment, irrespective of any state they go to," Ashok Hinduja suggested.

Hinduja Group's business spans several business verticals ranging from industrial manufacturing to information technology-enabled services (ITeS).

The group owns companies like Ashok Leyland, Gulf Oil Lubricants, IndusInd Bank, Hinduja Global Solutions, Hinduja Technologies, NXT Digital, and Hinduja National Power Corporation.

Besides, the group, through its subsidiary Gulf Oil, is the single largest shareholder in NYSE-listed Quaker Houghton  a global leader in metalworking fluids.

It also has a significant stake in Swiss company MindMaze, which specialises in using virtual reality for faster rehabilitation of patients with neurological disorders.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jerusalem, Oct 26 (PTI) Israel is in the midst of a fight for its existence and preparations are underway for a ground incursion into Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said and added that "all Hamas members are dead men walking".

In an address to the nation on Wednesday evening, he stressed that the two main goals of the war were "to eliminate Hamas by destroying its military and governance capabilities, and to do everything possible to get our captives home".

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Seeking national unity, the prime minister said that, "Israel is in the midst of a fight for our existence." "All Hamas members are dead men walking  above and below ground, inside and outside Gaza," Netanyahu said.

Together with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister Benny Gantz, the Security Cabinet, the Chief-of-Staff and heads of the security organisations, "we are working round the clock in order to achieve the aims of the war until victory, and doing so without political considerations," he said.

Also Read | Israel Bans UN Staff From Visiting Country Protesting Antonio Guterres' Statement That Hamas Attack 'Did Not Happen in a Vacuum.

The goals are "saving the nation, achieving victory", Netanyahu said and added that "we are raining down hellfire on Hamas, and we have already eliminated thousands of terrorists  and this is only the beginning".

On speculation about an imminent ground operation in Gaza, the Israeli leader said that it was coming but he would not share when or how.

"We are preparing for a ground incursion. I won't specify when, how, how many. I also won't detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of. And that's the way it is supposed to be. This is the way, so that we protect our soldiers' lives," Netanyahu said.

Israel has drafted 350,000-400,000 soldiers for a ground operation in Gaza since the dastardly attacks on its southern communities on October 7.

"I would like to be clear. The timing of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) action will be determined unanimously by the War Cabinet, together with the IDF Chief-of-Staff. Together with the Security Cabinet, we are working to ensure the optimal conditions for our soldiers in the coming actions," Prime Minister Netanyahu said.

"When we go into Gaza, in the continuation of the fighting, we will exact the full price from the murderers, those perpetrators of atrocities", he said and equated Hamas with Daesh (ISIS).

Netanyahu repeated Israel's call to Gazan non-combatants to head to southern Gaza. Some 600,000-700,000 Gazans are said to have already moved from the northern part of Gaza to the southern side of the coastal strip.

Some Gazans were even reported to be coming back to their homes in the north in the last two-three days with the ground incursion getting delayed, and sensing a potential lull in the fighting.

However, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the army had stepped up its aerial strikes in the Gaza Strip to "improve" its situation for the ground offensive.

"Today we struck in Gaza City the terror infrastructure in buildings and underground," he said on Wednesday.

"We will continue to strike in Gaza to achieve the goals of the war. Every strike improves our situation for the next stages," Hagari added, referring to the expected ground incursion.

The war "will be long, and to achieve the goals of the war, resilience, trust and patience are required" from the public, the IDF spokesperson stressed.

On taking responsibility for the October 7 debacle, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he will face a probe into what happened on that day but that the investigation must not take place until after the war.

"October 7 was a black day in our history. We will get to the bottom of what happened on the southern border and the Gaza-envelope area. The debacle will be checked to the full," he said.

"Everyone will have to give answers on the debacle, including me, but all that will happen only after the war," he said.

Netanyahu said that "as the prime minister, I am responsible for securing the future of the state". "Right now, my job is to lead the state of Israel and the people to a crushing victory over our enemies," he said.

"Now is the time to join the forces for one goal: to surge forward to victory with deep faith in the justice of our cause," the prime minister said adding, "together we will fight and together we will win."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tel Aviv [Israel], October 25 (ANI/TPS): The Israeli military killed Tayseer Mubasher, who commanded a Hamas battalion in Khan Younis on Wednesday, the Israeli Defence Forces announced. The IDF said Mubasher was killed in an airstrike.

Mubasher previously served as a commander in the Hamas navy and also held key positions in the terror group's munitions production system. He had extensive experience coordinating attacks on Israel and the IDF said his seniority was comparable to Mohammed Deif, the highest overall commander of Hamas forces who first joined the terror group in 1987.

Also Read | Superfog in US: Eight Dead, 63 Injured in Massive Louisiana Car Wreck Due to Poor Visibility.

Mubasher was responsible for a number of deadly attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians in including a 2002 attack on the in Gush Katif. Five students were killed and 23 were injured.

He was also linked to an infiltration attack on an Israeli beach in 2014 and attacks on several military outposts.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas War: Will Not Allow Fuel To Enter Gaza, Ask Hamas if You Can Have Some, Says IDF.

Separately in Samaria, the IDF launched a drone strike on terrorist gunmen in Jenin overnight Tuesday after its forces came under attack during a counterterror operation in the city, the military said.

According to Palestinian sources, at least four terrorists were killed in the strike, including a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. (ANI/TPS)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jakarta [Indonesia], October 25 (ANI): The Muhammadiyah University in Jakarta held an international seminar on the theme 'Remembering Kashmir Carnage of October 1947' at the Kasman Singodimedjo Hall on Tuesday.

On October 22, 1947, Kashmir witnessed a horrific turning point when the Pashtun tribal militia, accompanied by the Pakistan Army, launched "Operation Gulmarg" to occupy a large portion of J&K.

Also Read | Israel-Palestine War: Won't Stop Attacking Gaza Till Hamas Is Destroyed, Says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Djoni Gunanto, Deputy Dean 2 when delivering his speech and officially opening the international seminar, said the students of the Political Science Study Program, especially those concentrating on International Relations, need to know and understand global phenomena.

He said, "We ask students to be enthusiastic about enriching their knowledge. For Indonesia, things that are contrary to humanity are also contrary to the Constitution."

Also Read | Israel-Gaza War: Over Two Million Palestinians on Survival Mission Every Day, Every Night, Says Palestinian Foreign Minister.

Among the dignitaries attending the seminar were Veeramalla Anjaiah, journalist, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Sanjay Kulkarni, former Director General of Infantry, Indian Army, New Delhi, Utpal Kaul International Coordinator of the Global Kashmir Pandit Diaspora (GKPD), New Delhi, Ashwani Kumar Chrangoo, writer and activist from Jammu and Kashmir, Lia Nathalia, journalist, Ali Noer Zaman, MA. Political Science lecturer at FISIP UMJ, and Debbie Affianty, M.Sc. Director of LIGS.

All speakers explained the history of the Kashmir tragedy on October 22, 1947 --the Gulmarg Operation which claimed more than 35,000 lives.

The operation was launched by the Pashtun tribal militia accompanied by the Pakistan Army to occupy most of Jammu and Kashmir.

Not only were there casualties but thousands of people were kidnapped and sold as slaves in Pakistan, as well as massacres of Hindus and Sikhs in Pooch and Mirpur. Kashmiri Muslims who refuse to join Pakistan are not spared from being targeted and are considered traitors by Pakistan.

To enhance economic development and create an environment of peace, the Indian government decided to remove Article 370 and Article 15 from the constitution on August 15, 2019. The deletion resulted in the status of Jammu and Kashmir being made equal to all other states and union territories.

Debbie Affianty, director of the Laboratory of Indonesian and Global Studies FISIP UMJ, explained several impacts of peace in Kashmir, including a decrease in the number of people killed, terrorist recruitment and arson, as well as an increase in the number of terrorist arrests.

Veeramalla Anjaiah explained that the reconstruction of Jammu and Kashmir is currently being carried out within the scope of humanitarian assistance, crisis management, social infrastructure, development projects and economic infrastructure.

The speakers emphasised that the international community needs to hold Pakistan responsible for what happened in October 1947 in J&K.

At the end of British colonial rule in August 1947, there were 562 princely states in the united India. Britain used to have control over these states but never interfered in their internal matters. They were ruled by local kings or nawabs.

At the time of independence, these states were given the option to join India or Pakistan or remain independent. Most of them joined India, while some joined Pakistan. Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir was one of those princely states which delayed its decision to join either of them.

J&K ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu, did not make a decision to join India or Pakistan until October 1947. Pakistan was impatient and wanted to seize the state by any means. That's why it launched "Operation Gulmarg" to occupy J&K.

When Srinagar faced a direct threat from Pakistani invaders, J&K ruler Raja Hari Singh asked for India's help and signed the accession treaty on October 26, 1947.

Indian troops entered J-K, which is now an inalienable part of India, on October 27, 1947, and liberated the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

Pakistan was able to hold its authority in the area now called Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) as well as the Gilgit-Balitistan region after the establishment of the Line of Control (LOC), which separates the Indian side of Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

It is a fact that India acquired J&K through legal means while Pakistan took control of some portion of Kashmir through illegal and violent means, the speakers noted at the seminar. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bishkek [Kyrgyzstan], October 25 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Bishkek on Wednesday for the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) to be held under the chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan.

Jaishankar is representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi there.

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"Arrived in Bishkek for SCO Heads of Government meeting representing PM @narendramodi." Jaishankar said in a post on social media platform X.

"Thank Deputy FM Moldogaziev for the warm reception. Look forward to productive exchanges at the SCO; meeting Kyrgyz leadership and taking forward our bilateral agenda," he added.

Also Read | Atleast 12 Female Actors Banned From Working in Movies in Iran For Violating Hijab Law: Reports.

The October 25-26 meeting in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek will be attended by the heads of governments of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Vice-President of Iran, and the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.

"In Bishkek, the external affairs minister will also meet with his counterparts from other SCO member states and call on the country's top leadership," the MEA statement read.

SCO observer States including Belarus and Mongolia as well as guest states Turkmenistan will also attend the meeting.

The CHG is the second-highest forum in SCO. It focuses primarily on the areas of economy, finance, commerce, and socio-economic cooperation.

India held the SCO Leaders Summit this year on July 4 in a virtual format. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The EU-hosted Armenian-Azeri summit scheduled to take place before the end of October in Brussels has been postponed by Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Wednesday.

During a joint press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, FM Mirzoyan was asked which party did not find the time for the trilateral meeting in Brussels, given the EU special envoys statement that the summit wont take place due to timeframe issues.

The answer to your question is very direct and short, who didnt have the time  obviously the President of Azerbaijan, because we are ready to participate in that meeting even now. I hope that the problem was indeed pertaining to specific timeframes and soon it will be possible to agree on new timeframes of a new meeting. Armenia is ready to participate in that meeting, we continue to remain committed to the agenda of peace, the Armenian FM said, adding that Armenia hasnt yet received proposals on possible new timeframes.

He said he had contacts with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov two days ago in Iran. Armenia is ready to swiftly continue the peace process, including in the direction of signing a peace treaty, Mirzoyan said.
Beirut [Lebanon], October 25 (ANI) The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah met with top leaders of Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.

The Israeli publication posted an image tweeted on social media X to show Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, with Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala.

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The screenshot of the tweet published in the daily read, "Among other topics, discussions regarding the appropriate measures that Resistance Axis members must take to reach a definite victory in Gaza and Palestine took place."

The "Axis of Resistance", according to the New York Times report is term used for a regional network of militias in the alliance of Iran, Palestinian militant groups, Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah and other factions.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas War: Will Not Allow Fuel To Enter Gaza, Ask Hamas if You Can Have Some, Says IDF.

Earlier, a terrorist cell attempting to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory in the area of Har Dov was struck by the Israeli military, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday according to TPS, Israel's independent news agency.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday that Iran directly aided Hamas ahead of the October 7 attack on southern Israel.

"Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how," Hagari said in a press conference.

"Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel, continues," the IDF spokesperson was quoted by Times of Israel.

Previously, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that fighting against Israel might open on "other fronts" if Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza.

"Time is running out very fast," Abdollahian had said during a live televised interview with Iranian state television. "If the war crimes against the Palestinians are not immediately stopped, other multiple fronts will open and this is inevitable," the NYT reported.

Meanwhile, a Times of Israel report on Tuesday said that Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reaffirmed Beirut's commitment to a United Nations resolution that ended a 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as cross-border fire along the Lebanon-Israel border continued to intensify.

Since the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel from Gaza, Hezbollah has been operating freely against Israel along Lebanon's border with Israel, firing rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli towns and army positions and opening fire at troops on a near-daily basis. The IDF has responded by striking the terror group's cells and posts in southern Lebanon, the Times of Israel said.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has said the military has carried strikes to eliminate 20 Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli daily said on October 23.

IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus on Sunday said that Hezbollah is playing a very "dangerous game" and escalating the situation. He said that Hezbollah has been dragging Lebanon into war.

The US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin had last week called for Hezbollah to cease its attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel, according to a readout of a call released Wednesday between him and Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, Al Arabiya reported.

Austin ordered the deployment of two US aircraft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean and the augmentation of fighter jets, the daily 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)
Two Indian-American scientists awarded with National Medal of Science, Technology and Innovation (Photo Credits: White House YT)

Washington, DC [US], October 25 (ANI): Two Indian American scientists were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by US President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday.

The two Indian-Americans -- Ashok Gadgil and Subra Suresh -- were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the National Medal of Science, respectively.

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President Biden also honoured leading American scientists, technologists, and innovators at the award ceremony.

The scientists, who were honoured at the event, made discoveries enabling lifesaving medical treatments, helping fight the opioid epidemic, improving food security, advancing accessibility, and much more.

Also Read | Israel-Gaza War: Over Two Million Palestinians on Survival Mission Every Day, Every Night, Says Palestinian Foreign Minister.

"Today, President Biden is awarding the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to a number of Americans who have made exemplary achievements in science, technology, and innovation to strengthen our nation's well-being, " the White House said in a statement.

The National Medal of Science is the nation's highest scientific honour, established by the US Congress in 1959 and administered by the US National Science Foundation. "It is bestowed by the President of the United States on individuals deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions in biology, computer sciences, education sciences, engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and social, behavioural, and economic sciences, in service to the Natio," the statement added.

"Those who earn these awards embody the promise of America by pushing the boundaries of what is possible," it added.

Further, according to the official statement, these trailblazers harnessed the power of science and technology to tackle challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions for Americans and communities worldwide.

The accomplishments made by the awardees have advanced American leadership in science, technology, and innovation and their work inspires the next generation of American minds, it added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, October 25: US President Joe Biden presented the prestigious White House National Medal for Technology and Innovation to Indian-American scientist Ashok Gadgil, with several others, for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world. The award, bestowed on leading US innovators, recognises those who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the nation's technological workforce.

In Tuesday's announcement, Biden named Gadgil as one of 12 recipients of the medal. Gadgil is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley, who has developed low-cost solutions to some of the developing world's most intractable problems, including safe drinking water technologies, energy-efficient stoves, and ways to make efficient electric lighting affordable. US President Joe Biden To Move His Demand to Congress for USD 100 Billion in Aid for Israel, Ukraine and USD 100 Million for Palestine.

Joe Biden Facilitates Ashok Gadgil

#WATCH | National Medal of Technology and Innovation awarded to Indian American scientist Ashok Gadgil, by US President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/NnndQGXCU8  ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2023

He focuses on robust inventions that can be deployed as widely as possible, and together, his projects have helped more than 100 million people. Gadgil is also an expert in building energy efficiency and computational fluid dynamics of indoor air and pollutant flows. The White House said Gadgil was presented the medal for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world. His innovative, inexpensive technologies help meet profound needs, from drinking water to fuel-efficient cookstoves. His work is inspired by a belief in the dignity of all people and in our power to solve the great challenges of our time.

Gadgil's award is the 17th national medal overall and the second National Medal of Technology and Innovation that Berkeley Lab researchers have earned. The world is not a fair place. I try to bend my knowledge of science, engineering, and my creativity to make it a little less unfair for the people who are holding the short end of the stick. If I can make that difference, go even a little bit in that direction, I think that's fantastic, Gadgil told Barkley Lab in an interview. US President Joe Biden Prepares Oval Office Speech on Wars in Israel and Ukraine, Asking Billions.

He added that he is working on removing arsenic from groundwater effectively, affordably, and without wasting any water. That idea came out of an LDRD (Laboratory Directed Research & Development) programme, which I applied for and got funded back in 2005 at the Lab," the Indian American scientist said. "Since then, the work has progressed steadily to where there are now two community-scale plants routinely operating in India, each plant serving 5,000 people, selling them safe drinking water for about 1 cent a litre. With those sales, they are able to pay for the operation, maintenance, and salaries and even make a small profit, he said.

Gadgil earned degrees in physics from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai), the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. He then joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in 1980 and retired earlier this year as a faculty senior scientist; he is now an affiliate retiree of the Berkeley Lab. He formerly served as the division director of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division  now the Energy Technologies Area (ETA). He is also a distinguished professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was created by statute in 1980 and is administered for the White House by the US Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office.

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Moscow, Oct 25 (AP) Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas. But the conflict also is giving Moscow bold new opportunities - to advance its role as a global power broker and challenge Western efforts to isolate it over Ukraine.

While Moscow lacks leverage to mediate a settlement in the Middle East, it could try to play on some perceived credibility problems with the West's response to the crisis.

Also Read | Child Sex Abuse Case: Boyfriend of US Girl Who Surfaced Four Years After Disappearing, Arrested After Photos of Children Engaged in Sexual Conduct Found on His Mobile Phone.

It also expects the Israel-Hamas war to distract attention from the fighting in Ukraine and erode support for Kyiv.

There are risks for Moscow, however. It could damage its relationship with Israel, which until now has kept it from sending weapons to Ukraine.

Also Read | India Says It Will Treat Pakistans Reference to Kashmir at UNSC Meeting on Israel-Gaza Situation With Contempt It Deserves.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel. At the same time, he warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, likening it to Nazi Germany's siege of Leningrad during World War II.

He has cast the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy, charging that Washington has opted for economic handouts to the Palestinians and abandoned efforts to help create a Palestinian state.

Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.

Despite that claim of even-handedness, a U.N. Security Council resolution that Russia submitted last week condemning violence against civilians made no mention of Hamas. It was rejected by the council.

China was among a few countries that backed the Russian draft, reflecting a shared stance by Moscow and Beijing. Chinese and Russian Middle East envoys met last week to discuss working together to help cool the situation, noting their adherence to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

While U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Western leaders visited Israel to show support, Putin waited for nine days before calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though they previously had developed warm personal ties. Putin also discussed the war in calls with the leaders of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the head of the Palestinian Authority.

Putin offered Netanyahu condolences to the families of Israelis killed by Hamas and emphasized his strong rejection and condemnation of any actions that victimize the civilian population, including women and children, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. He also emphasized the need for a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means, it added. Netanyahu's office said he told Putin that Israel would not stop until it had eliminated Hamas.

Unlike Putin, who carefully balanced his statements, other Russian officials were more blunt in their criticism of Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said that while Hamas unleashed the war, Israel's response was disproportionate and inhumane.

The Kremlin's maneuvering may reflect domestic politics, with Muslims making up about 15% of the its population. The Moscow-backed leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke strongly in support of the Palestinians, assailing Israel for capturing their lands and establishing blockades.

Moscow's stance won quick praise from Hamas, which said it appreciates Russia's call for a cease-fire. Russia's statements also play well in the Arab world, where many have accused the U.S. and its allies of squarely supporting Israel while turning a blind eye to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.

But this position also threatens Russia's friendly ties with Israel, which hasn't joined Western sanctions against Moscow or given weapons to Ukraine.

There is a real threat of exacerbation of our ties with Israel in the current situation, said Andrei Kortunov, academic director of the Russian International Affairs Council.

The Times of Israel reported Tuesday an Israeli diplomat expressed displeasure with the role Russia is playing to Moscow's diplomatic officials, voicing hope the Kremlin will take more balanced positions.

Amir Weitmann, a leading member of Netanyahu's Likud party, accused Russia of supporting Hamas. Speaking on Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT, he warned that after Israel defeats Hamas, we will make sure that Ukraine wins, we will make sure that you pay the price for what you have done.

Asked about Israeli criticism of Moscow's stance on the war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Russia's condemnation of terrorism and reaffirmed its push for a quick cease-fire and the need for a Palestinian state.

Amid what Israel sees as Moscow's pro-Palestinian stance, some prominent Russian voices have backed Israel.

In a sign of the split sympathies, the head of the most popular political talk show on Russian state TV, Vladimir Solovyov, fired one expert on his televised panel who alleged in an online interview that two of Moscow's top diplomats have anti-Israeli sentiments.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy expert, described Russia's Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, as leaning toward Arab countries and alleged that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova detests Israel. He later apologized.

Some commentators described the anti-Israeli sentiments as a throwback to Soviet times.

Friendship with the Arabs against Israel and the West is an important part of that legacy, Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said in an analysis. A global rebellion against the Western order to a certain extent makes Russia and Hamas natural allies and certainly prevents them from being enemies.

Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council argued that Russia could use its strong contacts with Iran and Syria to help negotiate a settlement.

Russia could be part of a multilateral coalition that would offer security guarantees, he said. It's very important to maintain a well-balanced, delicate approach that wouldn't alienate either party.

Izabella Tabarovsky, senior adviser at the Kennan Institute, noted that for Putin, Hamas' "attack and the anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip present an opportunity to shed his pariah status and elevate his profile as the Middle East faces its most dangerous crisis in years. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dubai [UAE], October 25 (ANI/WAM): Under the theme "Sustainable Giving," the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) launched the "Ambassadors' Initiative," which aims to encourage volunteering.

The initiative aims to enable volunteers to play an active role in designing and executing volunteer programmes, as well as support their ideas and innovations, develop and sustain them, and foster a culture of social responsibility, knowledge exchange, and capacity building.

Also Read | Israel Bans UN Staff From Visiting Country Protesting Antonio Guterres' Statement That Hamas Attack 'Did Not Happen in a Vacuum.

The ERC today held a press release at its headquarters to announce the details of the initiative, which presented a range of creative ideas that are being implemented for the first time in the humanitarian field.

These ideas were presented by several members of the ERC Ambassadors' Team of Volunteers.

Also Read | India to Resume Visa Services in Canada for Some Categories, One Month After Suspension Amid Diplomatic Row.

The team is a significant asset to the ERC's volunteer work efforts, stressed Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, Secretary-General of the ERC.

"The ERC welcomes the team's initiatives and is keen to develop them, being distinguished and creative initiatives that will achieve progress in the field of giving sustainability," he said.

Al Junaibi thanked the team behind the initiative, noting that they are in line with the ERC's aspirations in a range of areas, which will lead to positive outcomes.

The ERC is keen to support and promote volunteer work and increase its network of volunteers who will strengthen its humanitarian efforts, he noted, adding that it always drafts plans and strategies aimed at supporting the work of volunteers. (ANI/WAM)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, DC [US], October 25 (ANI): US President Joe Biden has once again reiterated that antisemitism and Islamophobia should be denounced without equivocation.

In a post on social media platform X, Biden has said, "We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism. We must, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia."

Also Read | India to Resume Visa Services in Canada for Some Categories, One Month After Suspension Amid Diplomatic Row.

"To all of you hurting: You belong. You're all America," he added.

In his address to the nation in prime time on Thursday (local time), fresh off a wartime visit to Israel, Biden had called for a massive new aid package for Israel and Ukraine and at the same time, has strongly denounced a rise in anti-semitism and Islamophobia in the US.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas War: Emirates Airline Extends Flight Suspension to and From Tel Aviv Amid Middle East Crisis.

Speaking from the Oval Office starting at 8 p.m.(local time), Biden made the case to Americans that it's vital to both global and US national security to assist Israel as it responds to terror attacks by Hamas as well as to continue help for Ukraine as it fends off Russian invaders.

"That's why tomorrow I'm going to send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund America's national security needs - needs to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine. It's a smart investment that's gonna pay dividends for American security for generations," Biden said.

"We must, without equivocation, denounce anti-semitism," Biden said.

"We must also without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia. To all of you hurting, those of you hurting, I want you to know: I see you. You belong. And I want to say this to you: You're all American. You're all American," Biden asserted.

Biden also linked the Israeli and Ukrainian war to American national security.

He said that support for both countries Israel as it fights terrorist group Hamas, and Ukraine as it battles Russia will be a "smart investment that's going to pay dividends for American security for generations, help us keep American troops out of harm's way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful, more prosperous for our children and grandchildren."

In Tel Aviv earlier this week, Biden pledged unwavering support to Israel but also successfully made the case to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

The national address comes as Biden's team prepares to send a large foreign aid package to Capitol Hill. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, October 25: The impacts of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against the Big Three US automakers continue to increase as it enters the 40th day with workers at the largest and most profitable plants of Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. (GM) and Stellantis NV on walkout. The union on Tuesday organised its 5,000 member workers at GM's full-size SUV plant in Arlington, Texas, to strike, reports Xinhua news agency.

The plant builds the Detroit automaker's most expensive vehicles such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade-V. On Monday, the UAW organised its 6,800 member workers at Stellantis' Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan, to strike. BMW i5 Touring Teased Ahead of Launch: Check Photo, Expected Features and Other Details.

The plant builds the popular RAM 1500 truck and is Stellantis' largest plant as well as the biggest moneymaker. On October 11, 8,700 UAW member workers at Ford's highly profitable truck plant in Kentucky unexpectedly walked out. The plant produces Ford's Super Duty trucks and a pair of large SUVs, the Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator. The Big Three now all have their largest and most profitable assembly plants on strike.

After spreading the strike to Ford's Kentucky truck plant, UAW President Shawn Fain said the union has changed its strategy and would call on plants to join the strike at any time, not just on Fridays. Fain on October 19 detailed the current proposals from GM, Ford, and Stellantis. All Big Three now have offered 23-per cent wage increases and agreed to eliminate wage tiers.

As around 45,000 UAW members out of some 146,000 across the country are now on strike, at eight assembly plants and 38 Stellantis and GM parts distribution centres in 22 states, the Big Three automakers are suffering more losses and announcing more layoffs. Stellantis on Tuesday announced 525 new layoffs, bringing the total number of strike-related layoffs to 2,045, according to local media.

GM said that beginning Wednesday, it will lay off 139 workers at its Parma Metal Center in Ohio as there will be no work available as a result of the Arlington plant strike. Overall, the automaker reports about 2,640 strike-related layoffs. Ford has laid off 3,167 workers as a result of the strike. The latest data released on Monday by Michigan consulting firm Anderson Economic Group show the UAW's continued strike has cost the American auto industry some $9.3 billion.

In a breakdown, the UAW's strike has so far cost workers $488 million in lost wages, while the automakers have collectively lost $4.18 billion. Dealers and customers are suffering a combined $1.86-billion loss, and suppliers have lost more than $2.78 billion. If the strike drags on, it would force automakers to delay or cancel investments, forecasted the consulting firm. GM Subsidiary Cruises Self-driving Car Permit Suspended In San Francisco.

GM, Ford, and Stellantis already announced such actions, "many more are likely if the strike continues". In his weekly address to members on October 19, Fain said that although the union has received record offers from the Big Three, union leadership believes there is "more to be won" from the automakers. The UAW announced a strike at three select factories of Ford, GM, and Stellantis on September 14, after its contract with the Big Three expired.
Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam, known for his works like Roja, Bombay, and Italian director Luca Guadagnino, who is known for A Bigger Splash, Call Me By Your Name, etc will be honoured with the 'Excellence in Cinema' award, here, at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Both the directors will attend the festival to receive this prestigious accolade, and will conduct masterclasses at the festival. It will be held at the Opening Night ceremony on October 27. The award honours individuals who have made outstanding, long-lasting contributions to the world of film and cinema. Previous recipients include Darren Aronofsky, Sharmila Tagore, Fernando Meirelles, and Chen Kaige. The festival will also screen Mani Ratnams most recent historical dramas -- Ponniyin Selvan: Part one and two, and Guadagnino's Golden Globe-nominated film I Am Love. Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023 to Showcase Over 250 Films from Around the World.

With a career spanning four decades, Mani Ratnam is one of the most celebrated directors from South Asia. Over the decades, his cinema has explored different themes, from the classic love story to political drama to human drama. His films have layered characters and complex themes that are deeply rooted in a cultural and social context. His most notable movies include Mouna Ragam, Nayakan,Iruvar, Alaipayuthey, Guru etc. Luca Guadagnino is the auteur filmmaker behind some of the most visceral and visually stunning films of the last two decades, including the Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-nominated films I Am Love, Suspiria, and the feature documentary Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams. MAMI 2023: All You Need to Know About the Upcoming Edition of the Mumbai Film Festival.

Check Out Directors Mani Ratnam and Luca Guadagnino will be honoured with the Excellence in Cinema Award in Mumbai:

Internationally renowned directors #ManiRatnam and #LucaGuadagnino will be honoured with the Excellence in Cinema Award in Mumbai on October 27. (via @Showbiz_IT)https://t.co/Op6aliuLMg  IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 25, 2023

Guadagnino made his TV debut with the HBO drama series We Are Who We Are, which he created, directed, wrote, and produced. He is currently in post-production for his next feature based on William S Burroughs novel Queer. Anupama Chopra, festival director said: "It's a privilege to award these formidable artists. They have redefined and expanded our ideas of what cinema can be."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2023 05:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Kerala police on Tuesday arrested Jailer actor Vinayakan for allegedly raising a ruckus at a police station here in an inebriated state. The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station in the evening, where he was summoned by the police after he allegedly created some issues at his apartment. Jailer Movie Review: Rajinikanth is Effortlessly Enigmatic in Nelson's Superstar Vehicle Done Nearly Right (LatestLY Exclusive).

He was arrested for making trouble at the police station, a senior police officer said.

Vinayakan is an Indian actor, former dancer, and composer who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil language films. He started his career with a cameo appearance in the 1995 film Maanthrikam. Vinayakan won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his leading role of Ganga in Rajiv Ravi's Kammatipaadam. Recently, he was seen in Rajinikanth's Jailer.
New Delhi, October 25: The Cabinet has given approval for the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. The MoC which was signed in July this year and will remain in force for five years intending to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan towards enhancement of semiconductor supply chain, recognising the importance of semiconductor for the advancement of industries and digital technologies.

The emphasis will be on both G2G and B2B bilateral cooperation on opportunities to advance resilient semiconductor supply chain and leverage complementary strengths. The MoC envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT. MeitY has been actively working to create a conducive environment for electronics manufacturing. The programme for development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India was introduced with a view to ensure the development of a robust and sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in India. IBM and MeitY Partner To Boost Semiconductors, AI Innovations and Quantum Technology for India

The program aims to extend financial support for the establishment of semiconductor fabs, display fabs, fabs for compound semiconductors/silicon photonics/Sensors/Discrete Semiconductors and Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP)/Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facilities. MeitY has also been mandated to promote international cooperation in the emerging and frontier areas of Information Technology under bilateral and regional frameworks. IBM Signs MoUs With Government To Advance and Accelerate AI, Semiconductors and Quantum Innovations in India

Enhancing mutual collaboration between Japan and Indian companies through this MoU is another such step towards mutually beneficial semiconductor related business opportunities and partnerships between India and Japan. In view of synergies and complementarities between the two nations, "India-Japan Digital Partnership" (IJDP) was launched during the visit of PM Modi to Japan in October 2018. Based on the ongoing IJDP and India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership, this MoC on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership would further broaden and deepen the cooperation in the field of electronics ecosystem.

Recognising the importance of semiconductor for the advancement of industries and digital technologies, this MoC would provide for the enhancement of semiconductor supply chain resilience, the official statement added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2023 04:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Possible sanctions against Azerbaijan are now on the table and Canada is closely following the developments in South Caucasus, expecting Armenias territorial integrity to be respected, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan.

When it comes to sanctions, Ive answered that question already, I said that everything is on the table, that being said, we expect that Armenias territorial integrity be respected, and for us this is definitely something that we are watching, Joly said when asked whether Canada considers sanctions against Azerbaijan.

Canada commends Armenias ongoing efforts to promote peace and stability within the region. But we all agree that more needs to be done. As part of our continued work, Canada calls for the full respect of the territorial integrity of Armenia and reaffirms the importance of the strict adherence to the principle of the non-use of force and threat of use of force. Canada also calls on the Azerbaijani government for the respect of the right of return of the recently displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and to show good faith in facilitating the restoration of unimpeded humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh for the safe return of ethnic Armenians, the Canadian FM said.

Joly said Canada is working with partners to mitigate the impact of the unjustifiable military action" on civilians.

Later on Wednesday, Joly will attend the opening of the Canadian embassy in Yerevan.

On October 26, she will visit Jermuk to become acquainted with the situation and meet forcibly displaced families.

Joly said that Canada is increasing its humanitarian assistance for the displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh to a total of 3,9 million dollars. This includes an additional 1 million dollars to the UNHCR and 2,5 million dollars to the ICRC to help meet the needs of the forcibly displaced persons of NK.
Thiruvananthapuram, October 25: A month after the Nipah scare abated in Kerala's Kozhikode district, State Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday informed that the ICMR tests conducted on bats from neighbouring Wayanad district have turned out positive. Nipah Virus Outbreak in Kerala: UK Health Leaders Closely Monitoring NiV Virus Scare in India, Says Report.

While interacting with media, George pointed out that the bat samples collected from Sulthan Bathery and Manathavady areas in Wayanad district have tested positive for the virus. "The need of the hour is that alert health professionals should leave nothing to chance when they engage in routine work of examining patients. There should be a cautious approach," said George. Nipah Virus in Kerala: Four People Including Minor Boy Have Recovered and Tested Double Negative, Says Health Minister Veena George.

Incidentally, it was during the second week of September that the medical authorities in Kozhikode suspected an outbreak of the virus after two patients died of suspected Nipah symptoms. Kozhikode had witnessed two Nipah deaths and six positive cases. Over 1000 samples were sent for testing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2023 01:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Toronto, October 25: Mining cryptocurrencies can have major environmental impacts on climate, water, and land, according to new research by United Nations scientists. As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have grown in market share, theyve been criticised only for their heavy carbon footprint. In the new study, the UN scientists evaluated the environmental impacts of Bitcoin -- the most renowned and popular cryptocurrency -- across the world by looking at the activities of 76 Bitcoin mining nations during the 2020-2021 period.

In addition to a substantial carbon footprint, global Bitcoin mining activities have significant water and land footprints, showed the results published in the journal Earths Future. According to Kaveh Madani, a Director at United Nations University who led the new study, the findings were "very interesting and very concerning," in part because demand is rising so quickly. Qualcomm Announces 'Snapdragon Seamless', Cross-Platform Technology That Allows Multiple Devices, OSes and OEMs To Work As One.

But even with more energy-efficient mining approaches, if demand continues to grow, so too will mining's environmental footprints, he said. "Technological innovations are often associated with unintended consequences and Bitcoin is no exception," said Professor Madani. The study showed that the global Bitcoin mining network consumed 173.42 Terawatt hours of electricity during 2020-2021.

The resulting carbon footprint was equivalent to that of burning 84 billion pounds of coal or operating 190 natural gas-fired power plants. Further, Bitcoins water footprint was also similar to the amount of water required to fill over 660,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, enough to meet the current domestic water needs of more than 300 million people in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

The land footprint of worldwide Bitcoin mining activities during this period was 1.4 times the area of Los Angeles. The UN scientists report that Bitcoin mining heavily relies on fossil energy sources, with coal accounting for 45 per cent of Bitcoins energy supply mix, followed by natural gas (21 per cent). Hydropower, a renewable energy source with significant water and environmental impacts, is the most important renewable source of energy of the Bitcoin mining network, satisfying 16 per cent of its electricity demand.

Nuclear energy has a considerable share of 9 per cent in Bitcoins energy supply mix, whereas renewables such as solar and wind only provide 2 per cent and 5 per cent of the total electricity used by Bitcoin. The report also showed that together, the top 10 Bitcoin mining countries -- China, US, Kazakhstan, Russia, Malaysia, Canada, Germany, Iran, Ireland, and Singapore -- in terms of environmental footprint are responsible for 92-94 per cent of Bitcoin's global carbon, water, and land footprints. iQOO 12 5G To Be First Smartphone To Launch With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in India: Check Expected Specifications, Launch and Other Details.

"Our findings should not discourage the use of digital currencies. Instead, they should encourage us to invest in regulatory interventions and technological advancements that improve the efficiency of the global financial system without harming the environment," said Professor Madani.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2023 02:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Tehran, October 25: An official in Iran claimed on Wednesday that a dozen female actors have been barred from working for failing to follow the Islamic Republic's rigorous dress code, which includes required headscarves. "Those who do not follow the law will not be allowed to work," Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister, told reporters following the weekly cabinet meeting.

According to Iranian media, a dozen actresses who were found to be in violation of the hijab rule, including Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoun Riahi, and Fatemeh Motamed-Aria, "will not be allowed to play roles in movies." During last year's large protests after the death in detention of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, Alidoosti and Riahi were among the public personalities briefly detained. Mahsa Amini Death: Anti-Hijab Law Protests Intensify in Iran As Demonstrators Hurl Stones at Security Forces, Burn Vehicles (Watch Video).

Amini has previously been detained for allegedly breaking Iran's stringent female dress code. Her death sparked months of protests, which authorities labelled as "riots" instigated by foreign powers. Women have been increasingly defying the dress code, which demands head coverings and modest clothing, since last year's major protests. Iran Sentences Rapper Toomaj Salehi to More Than Six Years in Prison Over Protests, Say Supporters.

Since 1983, following Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, women have been required to cover their neck and head. Iran has increased its penalties for women and companies who violate hijab restrictions in recent months.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2023 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Washington, October 25: Israel said on Wednesday it was banning UN representatives from visiting the country protesting UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' statement that the October 7 attack by Hamas had to be seen in the context of decades of occupation of the Palestinian people, adding "the ban is to teach them lesson". Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan had earlier also demanded Guterres' resignation. Guterres invited fire from Israel while making the remarks at the UN when he said: "It is important to ... recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

He also said no injustice to the Palestinians could justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, protested calling for Guterres' resignation and said on army radio: "Due to his remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson." Erdan has described the UN chief's remarks as blood libel. Hamas Not Terrorists Organisation but Mujahideen Defending Their Lands, Says Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan As He Cancels Israel Trip (Watch Video)

It is unclear to what levels of UN hierarchy the visa ban extends because a large number of UN workers are employed by UNRWA, the UN relief and works agency for Palestinian people. The UN secretary general created fury both in Israel and among some Republicans in the US by describing Israel's bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attacks as the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people" and "clear violations of international humanitarian law".

Guterres also condemned the Hamas attack saying: "Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians  or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions." Griffiths, a former British diplomat and special envoy on Yemen, has warned that current levels of UN aid into Gaza are woefully inadequate. He has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to allow aid into the territory, media reports said. The US vetoed a UN resolution by Brazil calling for a humanitarian pause to allow aid into Gaza since it did not explicitly allow for Israel's self-defence. Israel Asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres To 'Resign Immediately' After He Says Hamas Attacks 'Did Not Happen In Vacuum'

Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN Gilad Erdan, while demanding resignation of Gutteres, told mediapersons: "The UN is failing, and you, Mr. Secretary-General, have lost all morality and impartiality. Because when you say those terrible words that these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuum, you are tolerating terrorism, and I think that the secretary-general must resign." "Because from now on, every day that he is here in this building, unless he apologizes immediately, today, we called him to apologize, there's no justification to the existence of this building." Erdan took to social media saying Guterres' speech was "shocking".
On 24 October Brazils government announced the dismissal of the national intelligence agency (Abin)s planning & management secretary,, who is being investigated by the federal police (PF) for suspected involvement in illegal spying activities.

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On 24 October Mexicos federal senate approved the elimination of 13 trust funds belonging to the federal judicial power (PJF).

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On 24 October Venezuelas government led by Presidentdismissed a warning from Guyanas government that its planned referendum on the disputed Essequibo region could lead to the annexation of Guyanese territory.

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Donald Trump's penchant for not paying his lawyers has now come back to bite him as his former election lawyer, Jenna Ellis, has flipped and took a plea deal to plead guilty in the Georgia election trial. Meanwhile, Trump's own Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, has also flipped, taking an immunity deal with Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Ellis is now the fourth Trump co-defendant to flip on the Georgia election case, while Meadows is perhaps the biggest name to turn on Trump so far as he was his chief of staff during the January 6 capitol insurrection and allegedly helped plan the events of that fateful day. With the Ellis and Meadows flips, four of Trump's inner circle may be testifying against him in Georgia and Washington, DC.

ABC News reported that the Trump White House Chief of Staff has already spoken with special counsel Jack Smith's team at least three times this year alone. Before a federal grand jury, Jack Smith granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath. This means that Smith may have gotten the biggest flip so far in all of Trump's criminal cases.

Sources stated that Meadows informed Smith's team that he had warned the former president repeatedly after the 2020 elections that his claims of widespread voter fraud were baseless.

He also told the special counsel's investigators that "Trump was being 'dishonest' with the public when he first claimed to have won the election only hours after polls closed on November 3, 2020, before final results were in."

Meadows has been one of the former president's closest and highest-ranking aides while he was still president. Trump even called him a "special friend" and "a great chief of staff -- as good as it gets," making his flip to take an immunity deal is much worse news for Trump than any of the flips.

Jenna Ellis Also Turns After Not Being Paid by Donald Trump

Much like other Georgia flips, Jenna Ellis was one of the key figures who helped spread misinformation about the 2020 election. She had been going on social media and right-wing media to help spread fake news but has since changed her tune after Trump refused to pay her. Now, she will testify against him.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Told Australian Billionaire Anthony Pratt About Calls With Foreign Leaders

According to the Associated Press, she pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. Much like the others who flipped, she is expected to only get a slap on the wrist in exchange for their testimonies against Donald Trump.

Ellis had been very vocal about her support for Trump but has since soured on her former client and promised she would not vote for him, citing his "malignant, narcissistic tendency to simply say that he's never done anything wrong."

After Jenna Ellis and Mark Meadows Flips, Spotlight Now on Rudy Giuliani

While Meadows may perhaps be the biggest flip so far, and Jenna Ellis further adds more pressure against Trump, all eyes are now on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who once served as Trump's attorney. Like Ellis, Trump has not paid him yet, and he refused to pay the former mayor's legal fees.

As MSNBC noted, her guilty plea directly implicates him as they worked together on trying to overturn the election results in Georgia. This presents a choice for Giuliani, and that would be to either stay loyal to Trump and go to jail or flip and maybe only get a slap on the wrist like the others.

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: Mark Meadows granted immunity in federal election case: Sources - ABC News
A bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general filed an Instagram lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on Tuesday, alleging that the social media giant knowingly designed and deployed features that have harmed the mental health of young users.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta used deceptive and unlawful conduct to create platforms that are "directly contributing" to the youth mental health crisis, according to The Hill.

"Meta has profited from children's pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem. Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis, and they must be held accountable," New York Attorney General Letitia James stated.

James leads the joint Instagram lawsuit against Meta.

This highlights the concern that social media platforms have knowingly designed features that have negatively impacted the mental health of young users. The lawsuit aims to hold Meta accountable for these alleged actions.

Among the alleged harmful features are "dopamine-manipulating recommendation algorithms," "likes" on posts, visual filter features that promote body dysmorphia, and "infinite scroll" features designed to discourage young users from disengaging with the platforms.

The complaint also accuses Meta of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal data from teen users without parental consent.

READ NEXT: Are You Eligible for Meta Lawsuit Payout

Other State Attorney Generals File Instagram Lawsuit in Their State Courts

Nine state attorneys general, including Florida and the District of Columbia, are filing separate lawsuits in their own state courts alleging that Meta's practices violate state consumer protection laws, per POLITICO.

In total, 42 states filed lawsuits in federal and state courts. If successful, these lawsuits could compel Meta to change the way it designs and markets its platforms and result in significant fines.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the federal lawsuit, expressed a strong stance against Meta's alleged actions, saying, "We refuse to allow Meta to trample on our children's mental and physical health, all to promote its products and increase its profits. We refuse to allow the company to feign ignorance of the harm that's causing; we refuse to let it continue business as usual."

This statement underscores the determination of the states involved in the lawsuit to challenge Meta's conduct and its impact on young users' well-being.

The legal strategy in this case has drawn comparisons to the lawsuits against the tobacco industry in the 1990s, which led to substantial damages and changes in how the industry markets its products.

Tech Lawsuits in California

The Instagram lawsuit comes as a federal judge in California is set to consider numerous similar allegations against the wider tech industry.

The judge is expected to hear arguments from Google, Meta, Snap, and TikTok urging the dismissal of nearly 200 complaints brought by private plaintiffs accusing these companies of addicting or harming their users, CNN noted.

It is possible that the multistate suit filed against Meta could be merged with the consumers' cases and potentially lead to nationwide relief.

Participating states in the multistate federal Instagram lawsuit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The additional lawsuits filed in state courts were brought by Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.

READ MORE: Former NSA Employee Tries Selling US Secret Files to Russia

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Utah, other states file lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram - From FOX 13 News Utah
YEREVAN, 25 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 25 October, USD exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 402.40 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.01 drams to 425.46 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 4.32 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.57 drams to 487.79 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 118.43 drams to 25404.64 drams. Silver price down by 5.73 drams to 294.20 drams.
The US is getting overwhelmed by migrants, and it seems that Daniel Ortega's government in Nicaragua is making things worse as he weaponizes planes full of Haitian migrants who are desperate enough to leave their gang-ravaged country in search of a better life.

Nicaragua has long been a transit point for migrants seeking to go to the US-Mexico border and plead for asylum. Unlike the governments of other countries, however, Daniel Ortega is not cooperating with the US. The infamous dictator is instead weaponizing these migrants as leverage.

The Central American country, whose own citizens have fled oppression from his government, has little to no leverage against the US government, which has imposed sanctions against Nicaragua over its many human rights abuses. With the country now serving as a transit point for many of these migrants, particularly from Haiti, Ortega finally has something to use against the US.

And it is not just Haitian migrants who have been using Nicaragua as a springboard to the US, but also countries like Cuba in the Caribbean and Mauritania in Africa. This flow of migrants has many Latin American leaders and Joe Biden himself scrambling for solutions on how to solve this migrant crisis.

"The Ortega government knows they have few important policy tools at hand to confront the United States, ... so they have armed migration as a way to attack," Manuel Orozco, director of the migration, remittances and development program at the Inter-American Dialogue, told the Associated Press. "This is definitely a concrete example of weaponizing migration as a foreign policy."

Over 260 charter flights between Haiti and Nicaragua have happened over the last few months. It has been adding to the massive number of migrants fleeing other countries, such as Venezuela. Flights from Cuba have also been gaining steam.

READ MORE: Haiti Crisis Explained: How Did It Get This Bad?

Nicaragua Received 27 Flights Full of Haitian Migrants in Just 2 Days

Before last weekend's migrant crisis meeting hosted by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, it was revealed that 27 flights from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, arrived in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, in the span of just two days. These flights all carried Haitian migrants on their way to the US-Mexico border.

According to Confidencial, this has led many in the exiled Nicaraguan opposition to accuse Ortega of facilitating and profiting from irregular migration as part of a migration-for-profit scheme.

The opposition organizations released a statement that stated, "The Dictatorship in Nicaragua Profits from Foreign Migrants" and added that Ortega "has already turned facilitating Cuban migration into a business, creating mechanisms for hundreds of Cubans to arrive in Nicaragua daily by air, paying exorbitant prices for their plane tickets. This is a profitable business for both the Cuban and Nicaraguan regimes."

Nicaragua Continues Its Feud With the Roman Catholic Church

Nicaragua, considered the poorest country in Central America, is also feuding with the Roman Catholic Church after several parishes helped out anti-government protesters in 2018.

According to Al Jazeera News, the authoritarian regime has arrested several Catholic priests as part of its ongoing crackdown on the Catholic Church, which has earned the ire of Pope Francis. Now, the government has released 12 of these priests and sent them to the Vatican after some negotiations.

READ NEXT: Daniel Ortega Net Worth

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: The Ortegas: Nicaragua's Dynasty of Nightmares - Into the Shadows
Driverless cars may be considered "the future" by many, but General Motors (GM) subsidiary Cruise recently had its license to operate revoked in San Francisco, California after one of its robotaxis ran over somebody accidentally.

This suspension came just two months after the state began allowing Cruise robotaxis to operate. However, after the incident, California's Department of Motor Vehicles released a statement that said Cruise's vehicles are not safe for public operation.

The California DMV added that the company "misrepresented" safety information about its autonomous vehicle technology, according to WIRED.

Its suspension filing also stated that Cruise initially provided footage showing only the collision between its vehicle and the woman, with the DMV citing that the GM subsidiary did not disclose information about its car's subsequent "pull-over maneuver" that led to the woman being dragged by the driverless car after getting hit.

Despite this, Cruise is disputing the DMV's timeline and noted that the company has stayed in close contact with regulators.

"The agency was shown video of the entire incident, including the pull-over, the day after the crash," Cruise spokesperson Navideh Forghani added.

The company will now have to appeal the DMV decision or provide information about how it has addressed its technology's "deficiencies" to get its permit to operate in California back.

Cruise Can Still Operate in California but With a Person Sitting on the Driver's Seat

The suspension is regarded as a big blow to GM, which has had ambitious goals in mind for Cruise. The company had predicted that the robotaxi service would generate $1 billion in revenue by 2025, and this suspension would be a massive setback for the Detroit automaker.

READ MORE: New California Senator Named as Gov. Gavin Newsom Reveals Late Dianne Feinstein's Replacement

Just days before California regulators moved against Cruise, GM CEO Mary Barra praised its subsidiary and called it a "big breakthrough in the future of transportation."

It is not all bad news for Cruise, though, as the company is still allowed to operate in California, according to the Associated Press. However, a human has to be sitting in the driver's seat to take control whenever something goes wrong, much like the incident that happened in San Francisco.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu praised the suspension and called on the Public Utilities Commission to reconsider its decision regarding companies such as Cruise to have an "unfettered" expansion into the state. He added that the commission needs to "come up with a sensible, measured plan for the future based on safety and performance metrics."

GM's Cruise Also Caused Problems in Texas

It is not just California that has been seeing problems from Cruise but also Texas, as the robotaxis seems to be causing massive traffic jams in Austin, according to Electrek.

Videos of these Cruise robotaxis causing road congestion in the streets of Austin have gone viral as annoyed drivers got stuck while one of the vehicles suddenly stopped while doing a turn in the middle of an intersection. Other Cruise robotaxis followed, adding to the congestion.

READ MORE: California Passes Higher Minimum Wage for Fast Food Worker

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Pedestrian struck and injured by Cruise autonomous vehicle - KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco
Modou Adams, a 25-year-old British model and TikToker, has been handed a prison sentence of six years and eight months in Peru after he was apprehended at the Jorge Chavez International Airport on September 30.

He was caught attempting to smuggle 2.9 kilograms (6.4 pounds) of cocaine concealed within his suitcase, according to BBC.

The illicit substances were destined for the United Kingdom, as revealed by a court statement.

Peruvian authorities discovered the concealed narcotics during a routine luggage inspection at the Superior Court of Justice of Callao.

Adams, who admitted to the drug smuggling charge, was also subject to a fine.

In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Peru's Supreme Court disclosed that Adams had been incarcerated for coordinating the transportation of approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine to London.

The statement was accompanied by a manipulated image of Adams behind bars.

#PJSentencias Juzgado de Flagrancia del Callao dicta 6 anos y 8 meses de carcel para tiktoker Modou Dodou Adams (25) por haber coordinado el envio de cerca de tres kilogramos de clorhidrato de cocaina a Londres, Reino Unido. pic.twitter.com/PId6Buo6cm  Poder Judicial Peru (@Poder_Judicial_) October 16, 2023

READ NEXT: Peru: 6 Dead When Military Clashes with Shining Path Rebel Group

British Model Sentenced Through Peru's Rapid Trial

Modou Adams received his sentence in a rapid trial, a mere 24 hours after his arrest, METRO noted.

This swift legal process paralleled the procedure employed in the high-profile case of the Peru Two, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid.

Before his apprehension, the British model had documented his trip to Peru on Instagram and TikTok, posing as a tourist in Cuzco, a region known for its associations with cocaine trafficking.

His journey led him to the famous Machu Picchu. Adams was detained on September 30, coinciding with his last Instagram post approximately three weeks prior.

He had arrived in Peru just 11 days earlier, marking his second visit within the same year.

After his excursion to Cuzco, he had checked in at a Miraflores hotel, an upscale neighborhood on the Pacific coastline.

Footage from the Jorge Chavez International Airport showed the British model visibly distressed as his luggage was inspected. He was subsequently handcuffed and taken into custody.

Prosecutor Lincoln Fuentes highlighted that this was not Adams' first visit to Peru for drug-related activities. It is believed that he had previously transported narcotics out of the country in a similar fashion, using specially prepared luggage.

In Peru, a kilogram of cocaine costs around 3,000, a value that significantly multiplies upon reaching Europe.

Each drug mule, including Adams, is paid 5,200 to 6,000 per drug run and has their expenses as tourists covered to conceal their true intentions.

Fuentes issued a stern warning to potential drug smugglers, emphasizing the severe penalties in Peru and the significant risks associated with this illegal trade.

He cautioned that jeopardizing one's freedom for such endeavors was simply not worth it.

The Peru Two

The case of the Peru Two, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, serves as a noteworthy example.

The two women, hailing from Northern Ireland and Scotland, were arrested in 2013 at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, on suspicion of drug smuggling, per the Daily Mail.

Their luggage was found to contain 11 kilograms of cocaine. Initially claiming coercion by an armed gang, both ultimately pleaded guilty. In December 2013, they were sentenced to six years and eight months of imprisonment.

McCollum sought parole in 2016 and was released in March of the same year, with the possibility of remaining in Peru for up to six years.

Reid, on the other hand, was expelled from Peru in April 2016 and immediately returned to Britain.

These events concluded a dramatic chapter in their lives, marked by drug smuggling and their subsequent legal proceedings.

McCollum later penned a book titled "You'll Never See Daylight Again," chronicling her experiences during this tumultuous period.

READ MORE: Brazil Teen Opens Fire at School

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: The Real Story of the Peru Two - From Brut America
A Wisconsin man who was behaving erratically in and around a car repair shop and the parking lot of a suburban Milwaukee school was killed by police officers after a series of dramatic events, authorities revealed on Tuesday.

No students were harmed during the exchange of gunfire, AP reports.

The incident unfolded at approximately 6:30 PM on Monday when officers from the Germantown Police Department responded to reports of a man displaying erratic behavior in the parking lot of Kennedy Middle School.

The individual was also attempting to gain access to the locked school premises, according to a statement by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Upon the arrival of the officers, the man climbed onto the roof of the school and opened fire at them. In response to the threat, three officers returned fire, ultimately resulting in the man's death.

Approximately 70 students were present in the Wisconsin school at the time, and the facility was placed on lockdown as a precaution.

READ NEXT: Wisconsin Teen Found Dead In Stolen Car

Wisconsin Man's Motive is Unknown

The man in question had no known connections to the school or the local community, as reported by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, per WTMJ.

He had been driving a vehicle with out-of-state license plates, which had broken down and led him to a nearby car repair establishment.

His erratic behavior in the parking lot prompted him to attempt entry into Kennedy Middle School.

When his efforts to access the school were thwarted by locked doors, he ascended to the school's roof. Two Germantown police officers pursued him on foot.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice explained, "The subject discharged a firearm at the officers while on the roof, and they returned fire. A third officer also discharged their firearm."

Despite attempts to administer life-saving measures, the suspect did not survive. His identity is being withheld due to an ongoing investigation.

Germantown Chief of Police Mike Snow expressed his belief that this incident was isolated in nature, and in line with protocol, four officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.

Wisconsin School on Lockdown Due to Incident

The incident prompted the immediate lockdown of Kennedy Middle School due to a perceived "school safety threat," which the Germantown School District conveyed to the community via Facebook.

Students and staff in the building, including seventh-grader Samantha Scherdin, were directed to remain quiet during the lockdown. They heard gunshots and commotion from outside.

Eventually, the district arranged for buses to transport the students to a nearby elementary school, with parents required to present identification for pickup, according to the NY Post.

The following morning, the district confirmed that all students, families, and staff members were safe and had been reunited.

Kennedy Middle School remained closed on Tuesday as the Department of Justice continued its investigation.

Once the inquiry concludes, the DOJ will submit a report on the incident to the Washington County district attorney.

READ MORE: Iowa: Hero Teen Shot in Hunting Incident

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Man shot by police and killed on the roof of a middle school in Wisconsin - From 6abc Philadelphia
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, the Prime Minister's Office said in a readout.

In his welcoming speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan specifically stated: "Dear minister, dear friends, I welcome you to our country. Let me first express my satisfaction with the opening of the Canadian Embassy in our country, which I believe is a truly remarkable event for our bilateral relations. In particular, we will now have a resident ambassador, which means we will have a constant dialogue. This is very important, especially in the current circumstances.

It is very important to state that this is the result of a series of conversations, visits. I recall that the conversation about this started in 2018, when Prime Minister Trudeau visited us, during which we had a conversation, after which special representative Dion visited us, after which the report on supporting Armenia democracy was issued.

Of course, we greatly appreciate your personal imput and efforts. Welcome to Armenia".

In turn, Melanie Joly thanked the Prime Minister for the warm reception and noted: "I am convinced that Mr. Prime Minister from Ottawa is celebrating the opening of the embassy together with us in his thoughts and heart. We are happy to have the first ambassador in Armenia who knows Armenia well, because he has been working over the question of Armenia for a long time in the foreign department. And he is also a close friend of your fantastic ambassador to our country, who is also with us now.

We are coming to you in a period that we know is quite difficult for Armenia. We have been following the events of September 19-20, and of course, our goal is to help Armenia to deal with this difficult situation, to help also to bring more peace and stability to the region. We are doing this by first of all engaging in the EU mission, we are the only country outside the EU participating in the EU mission. This is the first step in ensuring greater engagement in Armenia.

Today we announced more funding for EU humanitarian assistance to deal with the fact that such a large number of ethnic Armenians had to flee Nagorno Karabakh. We support the efforts of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross." The Canadian Foreign Minister added that she will visit the south of Armenia tomorrow to meet the local authorities and the affected Armenians.

Nikol Pashinyan referred to the forced deportation of more than 100,000 of our compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing policy and the resulting humanitarian situation, emphasizing in this context the importance of international support in solving the existing problems.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the possibilities of unblocking regional transport infrastructures based on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, jurisdiction and reciprocity, as well as peace and stability in the region.

The sides exchanged ideas on issues of Armenia-Canada cooperation agenda.
Samsung is holding its huge Samsung Week sale with deep discounts on all your tech favorites.

The Samsung Week sale, which runs through Wednesday, Nov. 1, is celebrating the retailers 54th anniversary with sweet price drops on TVs, kitchen appliances and cellphones.

Big deals are available on several smart TVs, including up to $1,800 off Neo QLED models, including Samsungs 85 Neo QLED 4K QN90C TV. The Neo QLED line starts at $1,000 and ranges in size from 43-85 inches.

Samsung Week also has major price drops on kitchen appliances just in time for the holidays. These deals include the popular Bespoke appliance line with bigger savings when you bundle multiple units.

Samsung also has free shipping and will provide installation of your purchase for an additional cost, if needed.

Heres a look at some of the best discounts on TVs and appliances available during the Samsung Week sale.

TVs

Kitchen Appliances

Shop for more electronic deals from the Samsung Week sale.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT RETAIL AND SHOPPING:

Samsung Black Friday: When will sales be announced for 2023?

Amazon Black Friday: Everything you need to know for 2023

Best Buy Black Friday 2023: Everything you need to know

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One of the few remaining veterans of the legendary World War II commandos known as the Devils Brigade has died. Bertram Winzer, a Lehigh Valley resident who spoke publicly about his service, was 101.

Services for Winzer, who died Tuesday and had lived at times in Macungie and elsewhere around the area, are tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Stephens Funeral Home in Upper Macungie. Viewing is planned for noon to 2 the same day.

Modern-day special operations forces trace their history to the Armys 1st Special Service Force, aka the Devils Brigade or the Black Devils. Comprised of U.S. and Canadian soldiers, the unit operated mainly in Italy and southern France during World War II.

Winzer saw action at Monte la Difensa  an Italian Campaign battle dramatized in the 1968 film named for his unit  at Anzio and in the mountains along the Italy-France border, where he was struck by a shell. Doctors removed shrapnel from his shoulder and 10 days later he was back on the line. That wound is what earned him a Purple Heart.

After the brigade disbanded, Winzer was reassigned to the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and stationed in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war, he settled in the Lehigh Valley, married, raised two children and worked in the automotive industry before retiring in 1984.

I was there, I done that and I came home, Winzer said of his military service in 2013, when we was awarded a long-overdue Bronze Star 68 years after his service ended. Winzer was among the surviving members of the brigade presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015.

World War II veteran Bertram Winzer receives a Bronze Star and other awards he earned but never obtained in a special ceremony on July 25, 2013. Pam Deppe, of Allentown, and Kim Winzer, of Northampton, pose for photographs with their dad.Sue Beyer | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

Winzer appeared at schools and other events to talk about his service. In May, he recorded an audio interview with StoryCorps, to be preserved in the Library of Congress. Telling those stories became more important as the ranks of veterans from that era dwindled  a July story in the Canadian military history magazine Legion said there were nine Devils Brigade commandos left.

He had so many stories, and so much history to share, Shawnee Elementary School teacher Tina Wake told lehighvalleylive.com after one of Winzers classroom appearances in 2019. Winzers tales that day led to laughs, rapt attention, and sometimes tears.

Within our lifetime all the World War II vets will be gone, Wake said at the time. Embracing their stories, meeting them, and sharing their legacy is key to remembering.

 FROM 2022: Hero of Cologne, WWII tank gunner from Allentown, Clarence Smoyer dies at 99

World War II veteran Bertram Winzer receives a Bronze Star and other awards he earned but never obtained in a special ceremony on July 25, 2013. Winzer served in the Army from December 1942 to September 1945 and was a member of the 1st Special Service Force, an elite commando unit comprised of American and Canadian forces, which came to be known as the famed Devils Brigade.Sue Beyer | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

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Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
A bill passed the GOP-controlled state Senate to require Pennsylvania parents to opt in their children to access book deemed sexually explicit after more than an hour of passionate floor debate Tuesday.

Senate Bill 7 passed 29-21, with objection from most Democrats. It now goes onto the Democrat-controlled House, where it faces an uncertain future. The bill passed the chamber, along with another that regulated how teachers communicate with parents about curricula, and drew opposition from the states largest teachers union.

The move is part of a larger nationwide effort of expanding parental oversight of schools, which saw a swell of energy in Florida last year. In the months since, other state Legislatures have taken up similar legislation that opponents say specifically targets LGBTQ+ and students of color.

In Pennsylvania, the bills sponsor, Republican Sen. Ryan Aument of Lancaster County, said the bill was a very measured approach to addressing what was rapidly becoming a contentious national issue. He rejected that it was an attempt to ban books, attack the LGBTQ+ community or censor anyone.

One Democrat, Sen. Lisa Boscola of Northampton County, agreed, saying policies like this draw heated, vocal support on both sides of the issue.

Its tearing our communities apart, she said. Thats why this General Assembly needs to lead. It needs to set forth a statewide policy that balances those radically different viewpoints of parents on both sides of this issue.

Under the Pennsylvania measure, a similar version of which also passed the chamber last year, districts would identify and list books that contain any sexual material  used in classroom instruction or available in the library  and require parents sign an opt-in form to grant permission for their children to access some books.

It defines sexually explicit as showing acts of masturbation, sexual intercourse, sexual bestiality or physical contact with a persons clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if the person is a female, breast.

The measure would also prohibit depictions of nudity in books for students in kindergarten through grade eight.

Opponents denied that the legislation wouldnt ultimately censor voices, and said books available in school are vetted by educators. They said parents already have the ability to control what their children read.

Exploring human relationships, sex and love are some of the most challenging and rewarding obstacles that we will face in life, said Democratic Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, of Montgomery County. And we need the right education and materials available to ensure people can explore those spaces safely and with the right knowledge to be able to interact with the world around them compassionately.

Another bill  a similar version of which was vetoed by former Gov. Tom Wolf last year  that considered what it calls classroom transparency also passed the chamber, 28-22. That measure would require schools to post online the title or link for every textbook used, syllabi and course summaries and the state academic standards for the course.

Democrats said schools already allow for parents to review curriculum, and the legislation would be needlessly burdensome on districts.

The bills sponsor, Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, said there was nothing nefarious about the bills intent.

Both measures were opposed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

By BROOKE SCHULTZ

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Investigators in Monmouth County on Wednesday asked the public for help in the cold case killing of 19-year-old Bradley Beach man gunned down in a car more than seven years ago.

Andre Thorne was shot once in the chest about 8:18 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2016, as he sat in the drivers seat of a car on the 1300 block of 7th Avenue in Neptune Township, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.

Thorne was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. He was less than a month shy of his 20th birthday.

Two other people were sitting in the car with Thorne, Santiago said.

Information about the passengers was not released, including whether one or both are considered suspects in the shooting.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office and the Neptune Township Police Department remains active and ongoing.

Despite the passage of over seven years since the murder of Andre Thorne, detectives from my office and the Neptune Police Department refuse to let the case grow cold, Santiago said in a statement. It is our sincere hope that those efforts motivate individuals in our community to come forward with any information that they may possess.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Monmouth County Prosecutors Office Detective Sgt. Keith Finkelstein at 732-431-7160, ext. 3019, or Neptune Township Detective Carrie Bartlett at 732-988-8000.

Anonymous tips may be called into a confidential phone line at 1-800-671-4400. Tips can also be sent to the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers website.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Investigators on Wednesday identified the three motorists pronounced dead in Saturdays fiery crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.

The crash occurred just before 10:30 a.m. on the northbound side of the highway, Interstate 476, in Worcester Township, Montgomery County.

Pennsylvania State Police said a white Acura with a flat tire came to a stop in the right lane of the highway and another vehicle behind it stopped, with that driver activating hazard lights. A tanker truck carrying jet fuel was unable to stop and struck both vehicles, and all three became engulfed in flames, police said.

State police initially reported earlier that the truck driver and the driver of the second vehicle died in the crash, and police said Monday that a passenger in the second vehicle had also died. The driver of the car with the flat tire remained hospitalized, but police said they had no information Wednesday about that persons condition.

The Montgomery County Coroners Office identified the remains recovered from the wreckage as those of James Achey, 57, and Suzette Achey, 52, both of Seaford, Delaware; and 63-year-old William Ramos, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

The cause and manner of death for all three victims remained pending the outcome of the investigation into the crash, Coroner Michael Milbourne said in a news release Wednesday.

The coroners office was not immediately confirming which motorist who was killed was in which vehicle. A state police spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

The crash closed the Northeast Extension between the Mid-County and Lansdale interchanges south of Lehigh Valley for hours on Saturday, and also forced the brief evacuation of homes near the scene. Responders removed part of the highways center barrier to free motorists trapped by the incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
An Easton man charged with killing an 84-year-old Warren County woman could face a second murder charge now that her son died two years after the gruesome attack, the Warren County Prosecutors Office confirmed Wednesday.

William Bart Trachin was 53 when he was attacked in the fall of 2021 at his home in Washington Borough, authorities said. He died Tuesday after a lengthy medical battle, Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer told lehighvalleylive.com.

Kyle Kaspereen, 26, of Easton and formerly of Washington, Warren County, is charged with attacking Trachin and killing Trachins 84-year-old mother, Elaine Trachin. Kaspereen was indicted in February 2022 on eight charges: murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence (two counts).

Attorney Janine Allen, the public defender listed as representing Kaspereen, could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Authorities now are awaiting autopsy results to determine if Bart Trachins cause and manner of death will lead to any changes or further charges in the case, Pfeiffer said. The Warren County Prosecutors Office planned to release more information Thursday.

Bart Trachins sister, Lynne Trachin, posted on a Facebook page Wednesday morning she was heartbroken over her brothers death.

Bart fought hard and valiantly but passed quietly last night, she said. Thank you for all your support, thoughts and prayers. Another angel was called home.

The Facebook page Barts Battalion was set up to support Bart Trachin. PrintAbilities in Washington, where Bart Trachin worked for nearly 15 years, sold Barts-Battalion T-shirts to support his recovery.

Kaspereen remains at the Warren County jail pending trial, Pfeiffer said Wednesday. Kaspereen was first charged in the investigation on Dec. 9, 2021.

Kaspereen allegedly was in the Trachin familys home in the 100 block of Wayne Street the day the crime took place on Nov. 30, 2021. Authorities say Kaspereen attempted to buy or broker the sale of a motorcycle from Bart Trachin, although the transaction never happened.

Kaspereens phone pinged in that area about the time of the attacks, the prosecutors had said.

Investigators found Elaine Trachin died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, court records say.

Bart Trachin was found bound in a bedroom with a garbage bag duct taped over his head and torso and his hands duct-taped to his wheelchair, court papers say. He suffered severe blunt force trauma to the head, according to court records.

Bart Trachin was left comatose after the attack and unable to communicate with investigators, records say.

Investigators seized a suspected weapon after the incident, records say. A dive team recovered Bart Trachins smashed cellphone from the Delaware River in Phillipsburg, authorities had said.

Kaspereens phone had Google searches related to crime scenes and homicides in the borough, according to a returned search warrant.

Kaspereen allegedly deleted text messages from his phone during a break in an interview with police.

I deleted those messages because they didnt add up to what I told you, he allegedly told police, according to court records.

Kaspereen allegedly stole Elaine Trachins wallet. Trash bags similar to the one taped over Bart Trachin were found in Kaspereens room in Easton, the prosecutors office had said.

Kaspereen faces life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder count alone, the prosecutors office has said.

Elaine Trachin was a 1955 graduate of the former Washington High School, according to her obituary. She was married for 57 years to William Trachin, who died in August 2021, the obituary says.

Cycle Madness Motorcycle Repair of Belvidere shared its condolences for Bart Trachin on the Barts Battalion page. The page has nearly 600 members. Bart Trachin never missed a ride when he was part of their Sunday ride group, according to Cycle Madness.

It saddens me to say that last night, we lost one of our own, the post says. ... He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Barts sister and family. Ride on brother, till we meet again.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
A disqualified driver caught behind the wheel in Portlaoise has been jailed and hit with a huge driving ban.

Jiri Cervenak, 31, of 397 Market Mews, Maryborough, Portlaoise admitted driving while disqualified at Market Mews, Maryborough Village, Portlaoise on October 16, 2023.

Garda Stephen OHanlon said he observed the defendant driving a blue saloon car on the date in question.

I knew Mr Cervenak to be a disqualified driver, he explained.

He said the man had 63 previous convictions including 14 for no insurance.

Solicitor Philip Meagher acknowledged his clients appalling record and described his driving on that day as utterly stupid.

The vehicle belonged to his dad and they had carried out some work to it, he said.

He explained that he had bene driving the car to test it out after the work.

Mr Meagher said the defendant, who would ordinarily work as a labourer, was out on disability. He said the man was apologetic and he asked for one final chance for the man.

Judge Andrew Cody said the defendant is not getting the picture in relation to his offending.

A man with 14 disqualifications wants one final chance? he asked.

He said the only mitigating factor in the case was the defendants guilty plea.

Judge Cody sentenced the man to six months in prison and disqualified him from driving for 20 years. He granted legal aid to the defendant at the sitting of Portlaoise District Court.
Irelands Climate Future will be the subject of a special event in Portlaoise during Science Week 2023 in November.

The event in the Midlands Park Hotel on November 17 will be chaired by well-known Laois broadcaster Claire OBrien from Mountmellick.

The discussion will include Keith Lambkin who leads the Climate Services Team at Met Eireann and Dr Cian White of the Farm Zero C Project. This project won the prestigious Science Foundation Ireland Future Innovator Prize in 2021 for its work on sustainable farming and biodiversity practices.

The organisers say the event aims to give people a profound understanding of the science and solutions to the climate change challenge and offer a chance for those attending to share their views on this vital issue.

Jackie Gorman is the CEO of Midlands Science.

Climate change will affect everything from how we live, how we farm, what we eat and how we travel among a range of other issues. Come along to this event and discuss the issues and how we can affect change together, informed by science and a shared understanding of the kind of climate future we want to see in Ireland.

We are looking forward to hearing from all our speakers including local Farming for Nature Ambassador John McHugh. He is a pioneering farmer from Laois who has successfully integrated conservation practices into his farming methods. His work serves as an example of how agriculture can adapt to meet the challenges of climate change while maintaining productivity and conserving biodiversity.

"Five years ago in Laois, we had an event on climate change with broadcaster and metrologist Gerard Fleming and it was a packed event with fantastic discussion and we are looking forward to having another great event on climate change in Laois this year, said the CEO.

The organisers say climate change not only means changes in the average climate such as temperature but also changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events. They add that one of the biggest challenges facing Ireland is decarbonising agriculture and food production as Irelands agri-food sector contributes 37% of countrys overall greenhouse gas emissions and the country has committed to cut these by a quarter by 2030. Ireland has also committed to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

The Midlands Science Festival is supported by Science Foundation Ireland as part of National Science Week. Taking place from 12th-19th November, the theme for Science Week 2023 is Human?, which asks people to consider what it means to be human in todays world, and how the decisions we make today will impact the people and world of the future.

Midlands Science is a science outreach organization that promotes science year-round across the midlands counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford, and Westmeath. Through various programmes in schools and other settings, Midlands Science aims to foster a greater interest in and appreciation for science. The organization also manages the Midlands Science Festival as part of national Science Week and receives support for this work from Science Foundation Ireland.

ScienceWeek.ie is a week-long event in Ireland each November, celebrating science in our everyday lives. Science Week includes a wide variety of events involving industry, colleges, schools, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland. Science Week has a number of regional festivals and events offering a range of opportunities for the public to engage with STEM in across Ireland.

All details of this event and others can be found on www.midlandsscience.ie and whilst events are free, they must be booked in advance.
The 1.3 billion underfunding of Ireland's health services will directly impact care delivered in Laois, according to Sinn Fein's Laois Offaly TD.

Dep Brian Stanley was speaking after it emerged that the HSE is staring at a huge funding shortage to pay for hospital and community-delivered care. He said local people will see the impact.

Such a significant underfunding of our health services will impact on the delivery of much-needed services in Laois and Offaly. It will impede the required expansion in the number of step-down beds for patients being discharged from acute hospitals such as Portlaoise.

"It will also restrict the HSE's ability to advance the provision of primary care centres and local health centres in towns like Portarlington, Rathdowney and Mountrath. This will also have an on impact Portlaoise, which is a town heading towards having a population of 30,000 people and still does not have a primary care centre.

"The midlands will struggle and will not get the required resources to fund the already underfunded and underperforming dental services for schoolchildren and the now-collapsed dental treatment scheme for adults. Simply throwing money at the HSE is not what is being proposed here. This is not the solution in itself. Funding, however, is necessary. This must be accompanied by radical reform. We are calling for a supplementary budget for 2023 just to maintain existing services and reverse the recruitment freeze on the essential front-line posts required to keep the services going.

We want a time-bound plan to be put in place to end the HSE's reliance on expensive outsourcing and private healthcare. This includes ending our over-reliance on outsourcing agency staff, management consultancy and huge overtime costs, he said.

The Laois Offaly poll-topper raised the effects on local services in Laois and Offaly of the budget shortfall for health in the Dail.

I have serious concerns about the underfunding of our health service. We were told today that it is to the tune of 1.3 billion. We must also factor in the additional capital funding needed for the much-promised 1,500 acute additional hospital beds and the growing cost of the National Children's Hospital, both of which have not been allocated extra funding in the budget, he said.

It will impede the required expansion in the number of step-down beds for patients being discharged from acute hospitals such as Portlaoise

The debate, which was attended by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, heard the Laois TD calling for support front-line workers, increase staff numbers, and fill the gaps in essential services.
A garda has told a court that the man accused of killing Ashling Murphy admitted murdering her.

The Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard that Jozef Puska made the admission through an interpreter while under questioning in hospital.

Ms Murphy, 23, was killed while out exercising on a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly, at about 3.30pm on January 12 last year.

Puska, 33, of Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Tullamore, has pleaded not guilty to the schoolteachers murder.

Detective Garda Brian Jennings told the court he had questioned Puska at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin with the assistance of an interpreter on January 13.

Mr Jennings said Puska made the admission after he had been informed he was a person of interest in the murder of Ms Murphy.

Relaying the translation of the interpreter, the garda said: He paused and said he is making an official statement that he is admitting that he committed the murder. I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer.

Mr Jennings said he had been at St Jamess Hospital to assist with the execution of a warrant to seize items belonging to Puska, having questioned the defendant earlier in the day.

Gardai had been informed that Puska was in the hospital by investigators examining a separate stabbing in the Blanchardstown area of Dublin.

Mr Jennings, from Birr Garda Station, said he was tasked with travelling to St Jamess Hospital to get an account of Puskas movements the day before as part of the investigation into Ms Murphys murder.

Mr Jennings said he was unable to speak to Puska on January 13 because he was either in theatre or a recovery ward but he returned the next day and spoke to the accused with Detective Garda Fergus Hogan, initially in English.

Mr Jennings said the accused appeared to be in pain and was dry retching.

The garda called an interpreter to continue questioning and Puska was moved to a staff office for privacy.

Mr Jennings said the accused was alert, fully awake and freely speaking.

Mr Jennings said this session of questioning ended after 40 minutes but he returned for further questioning after Sergeant Pamela Nugent obtained a warrant to seize Puskas belongings in relation to the murder investigation.

Sgt Nugent explained she had seized a grey Nokia phone, a clear plastic wallet which appeared to contain a Covid certificate and a Slovakian ID, a shopping bag with a picture of Santa Claus on it, and a yellow patient plastic bag.

Mr Jennings said Puska, who had been taken to a private room to be told about the warrant, was alert and fully awake and had remembered speaking to him earlier in the day.

The garda said they explained the warrant to him through an interpreter over the phone.

Mr Jennings said Puska asked if he was a suspect, adding: I said no, he was a person of interest.

The garda said there was a notable pause before the interpreter relayed that Puska was admitting he committed the murder.

Mr Jennings said he immediately cautioned the accused and the interpreter said Puska understood that.

He told the court: I asked him a direct question, did he commit the murder, and he said Yes.

The garda said the defendant had asked for a solicitor.

Mr Jennings relayed the words of the interpreter from his notes: The reason I am pleading guilty, I dont want my family, anything to happen to them, nothing bad to them. I feel guilty and I say I regret it.

The witness said Puska was shown the statement and he signed it. He did not read the statement back to Puska before he signed it.

He also read a literal translation from the interpreter: When he said he committed the murder, he didnt do it intentionally.

Mr Jennings added: He did show remorse for the murder. He showed concern for himself and his family. He was upset, he was crying in the bed.

Sgt Nugent said she left the room after Puska signed the statement to inform the Tullamore incident room about the comments which she said could be described as a breakthrough.

Defence barrister Michael Bowman SC asked Mr Jennings if Puska was distressed at the end of the second interview.

Mr Jennings said no and added that the dry retching had eased off substantially.

Asked if he had requested to speak to Puskas treating physician or any doctor, Mr Jennings said: No.

He said he had not made any direct inquiries with hospital staff about whether Puska was fit for interview.

He also said he was not aware if Puska could read English when he signed the statement.

After the alleged admission, Mr Jennings asked Mr Hogan to stay in the room alone with Puska.

He said he did not ask Puska any questions.

Mr Hogan said: He started speaking to me and I started writing down what he was saying.

He said: Im sorry. Im family, five kids. I see girl I never see before. I have knife. I use for chain.

Mr Hogan said he told Puska he did not have to tell him anything.

He said Puska said: Chain on bike.

Mr Hogan said gardai were getting him a solicitor.

Reading from his notes, Mr Hogan said Puska replied: I tell her go. I wont hurt you. When she passed I cut her neck. She panic. I panic.

Mr Hogan said Puska had put his hand on his lips to show how he told the injured party to be quiet.

He said the defendant asked: Will I go for 10 years?

Mr Hogan said Puska had also pointed to his stomach and said I do this.

He said Mr Jennings returned to the room and they left together.

Asked by senior counsel for the prosecution Anne-Marie Lawlor about Puskas capacity to engage, Mr Hogan said: He was upset, he was crying. His English was enough I could understand basically.

For the defence, Mr Bowman asked if Puska appeared to be in physical discomfort when they were alone.

Mr Hogan said he appeared to be in better shape than the earlier questioning.

Mr Bowman put it to Mr Hogan that the reason they had stopped questioning Puska earlier in the day was because he was medically unfit to continue.

He asked Mr Hogan if Mr Jennings had gone back to the A&E doctor before the earlier questioning, to which he replied: He didnt but he spoke to staff.

Mr Hogan accepted that he did not know what medical qualification they had or what level of interaction they had had with Puska.

Commenting on the earlier questioning, he said: We were finished speaking to him. One of the reasons we were finished speaking to him was he was in discomfort.

Mr Hogan said it was fair to say that there were more questions they wanted to ask him if the opportunity arose.

Mr Bowman said Mr Hogan had a distinctive appearance, including being tall, but said that Puska had asked him if he had met him before.

Mr Hogan, who had previously said Puska had asked them while they were alone if he had been there earlier, said there were two ways of looking at it.

He added: I dont know if he could remember me or not.

Asked if he found that unusual, Mr Hogan said he did not give any thought to it.

Ms Lawlor asked Mr Hogan if he knew at the time of his conversation with Puska how Ms Murphy had been killed and he said no.

The trial continues.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. On the basis of a preliminary agreement, Armenia will take part in a tripartite meeting held in Brussels at the end of October. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hopes that during this meeting the previously reached agreements with Azerbaijan will be confirmed, which will mean that about 70 percent of the agreements necessary for a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been reached. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Yaroslav Trofimov.

In response to the following question: We have recently witnessed terrible events in Nagorno-Karabakh. Are you afraid that a full-scale war will break in the territory of sovereign Armenia, and in your opinion, what should Armenias allies and partners do to prevent this?" PM Pashinyan answered: "However, I would separate the issue of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and the issue of more than 100 thousand new refugees and military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh from the issue of possible aggression of Azerbaijan against Armenia. Of course, I would not say that there is no correlation between these issues, but nevertheless these are separate issues.

He expressed hope that in the near future the agreements reached at the quadrilateral meeting in Prague on October 6, 2022 , the tripartite meeting in Brussels on May 14, 2023, and at the tripartite meeting in Brussels on July 15, 2023, will be formulated and reaffirmed, becoming the basis of a peace treaty. The Prime Minister recalled what these agreements are, which are also reflected in the statement of the President of the European Council and the Prague statement.

The first principle is that Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognize each others territorial integrity. This provision was announced at the meeting held in Prague. On May 14, 2023, another step was taken in Brussels and it was recorded that Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, with an area of 86,600 square kilometers, and Azerbaijan, in turn, announced that it recognizes the territorial integrity of Armenia, with an area of 29,800 square kilometers.

The second principle is that the process of delimitation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan should take place on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991. What's special about it? The peculiarity is that at the time of signing [this declaration] the countries of the Soviet Union were becoming or had become de facto independent countries and in the Alma-Ata Declaration they stated that the existing Soviet administrative borders between the republics are recognized as state borders, the parties recognize the inviolability and territorial integrity of these borders.

When we say that the delimitation of the borders should take place on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, we mean that the state maps existing at that time should be taken, and they, in fact, should become the basis for the delimitation of the borders.

And the third principle is that the opening of regional communications, including the opening of highways and railways between Armenia and Azerbaijan for each other and for international trade, should be based on the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity of countries.

These principles have been agreed upon in practice, and we need to sign a peace agreement based on these agreed upon principles and move forward, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized, adding: And, of course, we are waiting in the near future, that based on a preliminary agreement, we will have a trilateral meeting in Brussels at the end of October. I hope that these agreements will be confirmed during this meeting, and this will mean that about 70 percent of the required agreements for the peace treaty have been reached, '' Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
There was deep sadness in Tullamore at the passing of a highly respected pillar of the community on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

A popular milkman and a very active person in the community in Tullamore for over 50 years, Denis Donoghue was in his 79th year when he passed away after a brave battle with cancer.

Originally from old Knockmay, Portlaoise, Denis started his working life as a bar man in Egan's in Portlaoise and by 18 he was a skilled and trained bar man.

He moved to Dublin getting a job in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoighaire.

It was while he was based in Dun Laoighaire that he met his future wife Sheila McHugh originally from Carrigspringan, Moynalty, Co. Meath.

After a time living in London, Denis moved back to Ireland and they married in 1969 and subsequently moved to Tullamore where Denis got a job in the Murals Pub in Tullamore which was owned by DE Williams.

He started work as a fruit and veg delivery man in the early 1970s and was proud of the fact that he was the first Fyffes banana man in Offaly.

In 1975 he started a new career that would continue successfully for well over 32 years making him an instantly recognisable figure in Tullamore.

Originally working for Drogheda and Dundalk Dairies, which later changed to Avonmore, Denis had countless loyal customers over the years and made many liflong friends in homes and shops around the town.

Denis made life long friends over the years in his employees and customers and these friends helped him greatly in his illness of late.

Starting at 4am every day, the business continued to grow and employed many young people in Tullamore throughout the years with his greatest support coming from his wife and his three daughters. Denis was devoted to his wife Sheila who played a huge role in their milk business, handling all the money and doing the accounts and banking while raising their family. In sickness and in health Denis devoted himself to minding Sheila throughout her many illnesses over the years.

As well as being a successful and well respected business man, Denis was also a man of great faith and a lot of his life was spent in the Church of the Assumption in Tullamore. He was on the Tullamore Parish Council and he was a steward at 11:30am Mass. He also made the Pacal Fires each Easter and when the church burned down in 1983, he ran hundreds of raffles in pubs and shops to help with the rebuilding.

Denis was an integral member of the Knights of St Columbanus for well over 25 years, an organisation that aims to promote Christianity, Fraternity, Charity, Faith and Social Justice. Denis rose up the ranks in the Knights and had a two year term as Grand Knight in Tullamore and also served at provincial level for North Leinster and served one term as provincial Grand Knight. He was awarded a 20-year medal in 2019.

Denis was also instrumental in many committees over the years including the Chernobyl Children's project, Tullamore Gymnastics Club, St Phileomenas NS and Ballydaly Residents Association of which the sitting room in Ballydaly acted as a community hall. Denis travelled widely and he also went to Belarus twice with a dental team from Tullamore to help out the children in the orphanages in the 90s.

Above all Denis and Sheila's hospitality is legendary. In Ballydaly the key was always in the door and there was a warm welcome for every friend, waif and stray that entered. Sheila's apple tarts and Denis's Irish Coffees and his love of 'Katie' made many a good night even better.

Denis definitely had a wonderful gift in his wicked sense of humour and it extended to many practical jokes including a famous one in the 80s around the time of the moving statues. Denis had saved statues from St. Phileomenas and the old Kilbeggan Church and he hid behind an armless statue at 4am. When the late Mick Gannon turned on the lights in the truck one morning, an apparition took place as the hands of the statue moved from resting to prayer position giving his friend a tremendous fright.

Denis was a proud man but most of all he was proud of his family and loved Sheila his girls, his sons in law and had such a strong bond with his seven grandchildren.

Denis will be sadly missed by his loving wife Sheila and daughters Marguerite (Cahill, The Island), Denise (Keoghan, Rahan Road) and Aoife (Shihab, Horsham, UK), sons in law Jonathan, Michael and Oliver, his adored grandchildren Micheal, Stephen, Emily, Donncha, Alister, Oisin and Bradan, brother Dan (Athy), (deceased brothers John and Michael, Portlaoise), sisters Patty (Clondalkin) and Claire (Arklow), brother in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews and a wide circle of relatives, neighbours and friends.
Custodial sentences totalling 14 months were imposed on a Kilcock man at Naas District Court.

Judge Zaidan made the judgement on Thursday, October 19 last, in the case of Graham Hendrick, with an address listed as 56 The Paddocks in Kilcock, but who is currently remanded in custody on other matters.

The 31-year-old appeared before the judge via video-link.

The court was told that on November 17, 2022, Mr Hendrick engaged in abusive and threatening behaviour towards gardai while intoxicated at Ledwill Park in Kilcock.

It was heard that he 'was unsteady on his feet' at the time of this offence.

He also engaged in similar behaviour towards gardai while he was at Highfield Park in Kilcock on March 31 last.

Gardai also said that on June 2 last, Mr Hendrick once more engaged in abusive and threatening behaviour while intoxicated at Chapel View in Kilcock.

The court was told that he was spotted 'running around shirtless' and asking bystanders to fight him him.

He also claimed that he 'would kill everyone (there).'

Lastly, Mr Hendrick was caught shoplifting two Smirnoff-brand ice cola cans from a shop in Kilcock on June 5 last.

The cans were worth a total of 5.50.

Mr Hendrick pleaded guilty to all of the offences.

Gardai told the court that Mr Hendrick has a total of 51 previous convictions, 26 of which relate to public order offences and three of which relate to theft.

Speaking directly to the judge, defending solicitor David Powderly said that his client had struggled with alcohol abuse, and has sought treatment in order to address his addiction.

"Alcohol causes him to behave out-of-character," Mr Powderly said: "I would ask you to keep in mind his addiction, his willingness to seek treatment, his guilty pleas, and him being apologetic for his behaviour" Mr Powderly added.

Judge Zaidan was also told by gardai that Mr Hendrick is due for release on a date in July of next year.

In response, Judge Zaidan imposed a three-month custodial sentence for the November offence, five months for the theft offence, and three months for the other two public order offences.

He also set appeal at 500.
A first-of-its-kind, interactive Biobus designed to show people how to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels in everyday life has embarked on a five-week journey of Ireland, calling at the Leitrim Tourist Office, Carrick-on-Shannon from 10:30am-6.30pm, on Thursday, November 2.

The Biobus was specially developed by BiOrbic. The Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre is Irelands national bioeconomy research centre, a national collaboration of researchers from 12 of Irelands universities working with industry and other stakeholders, focused on the development of a sustainable, circular bioeconomy.

The national Biobus tour launched as part of this years Bioeconomy Ireland Week.

The tours will cover 36 locations, including Gaeltacht communities, visiting every county and inviting schools, community groups and individuals to learn about the bioeconomy and how local companies are already developing innovative bio-based products.

The bus will be powered by 100% renewable plant waste matter provided by Irish company Certa.

Prof Kevin OConnor, Director of BiOrbic, explains that the Biobus explores how much people rely on fossil fuels and presents examples of everyday bio-based products, many of which come from home-grown Irish companies or Irish research projects.

What may be shocking to Biobus visitors is how our reliance on fossil fuels goes much further than just energy, fuel and plastic. Almost every modern-day product contains some element of petrochemicals, which is unsustainable. The bioeconomy provides what society needs from renewable, bio-based sources such as plants, animals and microbes, he said.

Prof Kevin says that Ireland is particularly well-placed to be a leader in the bioeconomy. We are at the early stages of a bio-revolution, where we will transition from a dependence on fossil resources to a more sustainable and balanced circular bioeconomy.

We already have Agri-food and Marine industries of global significance as well as a profile of large companies and SMEs driving innovation with sustainability to the fore, he said.

As well as reducing waste through the production of biodegradable materials, the bioeconomy approach can help meet Irelands climate targets by establishing a sustainable, circular and environmentally friendly economy.

Schools, community groups and individuals can register their interest via Cathy.Keenan@biorbic.com.
DIFFERENT to the normal garda stories, there is good 'nuacht' from An Garda Siochana this Wednesday.

Ten individuals proficient in the Irish language have been attested to Intake 231, eight of which were successfully recruited through the dedicated Irish language stream.

In a bid to ensure that these new Irish-speaking recruits are strategically placed where their language skills can be most effectively utilised, the garda commissioner announced their allocations to various divisions across the country.

Three of these newly attested gardai will be putting their Irish charm to work in the picturesque Kerry Division. Another three are set to make the Meath Division their new playground. One adventurous recruit is destined to tackle the twists and turns of the Donegal Division, while another will be weaving their magic in the vibrant Galway Division.

The commissioner stressed that the long-term goal is to have all these newly attested Irish speakers serve in Gaeltacht garda stations, where their language proficiency will play a crucial role in building trust and fostering positive relations with the local communities.

The Garda Commissioner is pleased to announce that 10 Irish speakers were attested recently as part of Intake 231.



Eight of those joined the organisation through the Irish stream in the recruitment process. pic.twitter.com/CIvK1UH3Z5  Garda Info (@gardainfo) October 25, 2023

The move to increase the number of Irish speakers within the garda organisation aligns with broader government efforts to protect and promote the Irish language.
Kanzi One Selected by Toyota for Global HMI Design and Development





NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rightware announced it has entered into an agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation for the use of its Kanzi One HMI software to create in-vehicle experiences for global models of the Toyota and Lexus brands.

As proven by the current generation of Toyota vehicles around the globe, the combination of Kanzi One and the unmatched automotive experience of the Kanzi Services team gives Toyota the flexibility and design capabilities to enhance their brand and delight drivers.

Rightware has a long history of focusing on the unique challenges of the automotive industry. With Kanzi One, Toyota was able to achieve the best possible graphics performance on cost-effective hardware platforms. Further, Toyota was able to create and maintain distinct UI modules, mixing and matching them to create instrument clusters for vehicle variants and models across diverse markets. This highly efficient workflow means reduced effort and faster time-to-market.

"Toyota is one of the world's most iconic brands, and it is a tremendous honor for us to be part of that. Together, Rightware and Toyota deliver brilliant cockpit experiences for millions of drivers," said Freddie Geier, CEO of Rightware. "The powerful combination of Kanzi One and the Kanzi Services team delivers competitive advantages to Toyota, taming the growing complexity of automotive design and development. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Toyota."

Collaborating with Rightware gave Toyota the ability to realize their design vision across dozens of vehicle models and variants globally, maximizing efficiency and achieving a better result at lower risk.

About

Rightware is the pioneering provider of automotive graphics software, uniquely positioned with foundations in gaming, graphics, and UI development, and laser-focused on the automotive industry. Kanzi One, our all-in-one HMI toolchain, enables automakers to deliver the best user experience for their customers while transforming the traditional HMI into a real Signature UI. We support this mission with a worldwide design and services organization boasting an unmatched track record of successful production projects. Headquartered in Finland, we have a presence in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and USA. As a ThunderSoft company, our combined skills and assets allow us to deliver fully integrated HMI solutions, engineering support, and design services anywhere in the world. Kanzi One is the market-leading automotive UI tool, trusted by over 50 automotive brands around the globe. www.rightware.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2252258/Toyota_Cluster_Img.jpg

24 october 2023 at 20:00

News published onand distributed by:
BlackRock Canada Announces Final Termination Proceeds Relating to the Termination of Certain iShares Funds





Listing: TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange)



Symbol: XFS, XFS.U, XFI, XFC, XCLR, XULR, XDLR

TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited ("BlackRock Canada"), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. ("BlackRock") (NYSE:BLK) today announces additional information regarding the termination of the following funds (the "Terminating Funds") that was announced on August 11, 2023.



Terminating Fund Name Ticker iShares MSCI Multifactor USA Index ETF XFS/

XFS.U iShares MSCI Multifactor EAFE Index ETF XFI iShares MSCI Multifactor Canada Index ETF XFC iShares ESG MSCI Canada Leaders Index ETF XCLR iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders Index ETF XULR iShares ESG MSCI EAFE Leaders Index ETF XDLR

The units of the Terminating Funds were delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange on October 17, 2023. The proceeds from the liquidation of the assets, less all liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with this termination of the Terminating Funds (the "Termination Proceeds") were determined on October 24, 2023 and are as follows:

Terminating Fund Name



Ticker



Final Distribution Post-distribution net asset value

per unit



Termination Proceeds per unit



Income per unit Capital gains per unit iShares MSCI Multifactor USA Index ETF



XFS C$0.13524 - C$37.076576 C$37.211816 XFS.U US$0.07984 - US$27.158057 US$27.237897 iShares MSCI Multifactor EAFE Index ETF XFI C$0.31484 - C$22.624268 C$22.939108 iShares MSCI Multifactor Canada Index ETF XFC C$0.18457 - C$26.874495 C$27.059065 iShares ESG MSCI Canada Leaders Index ETF XCLR C$0.05326 - C$39.069447 C$39.122707 iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders Index ETF XULR - - C$48.371586 C$48.371586 iShares ESG MSCI EAFE Leaders Index ETF XDLR C$0.42092 - C$37.027816 C$37.448736

Each unitholder will receive the Termination Proceeds (including the final distribution) on a pro rata basis and in the currency shown in the table above and no further action is required by unitholders.

The proceeds of termination will be paid out to CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. ("CDS") on or about October 25, 2023, which investors will receive thereafter based on individual brokerage processing times.

A notional distribution of C$1.35596 per unit has been made to all unitholders of record as of July 28, 2023 of iShares ESG MSCI EAFE Leaders Index ETF resulting from a deemed year-end for tax purposes. This deemed year-end was triggered due to the fund having ceased to be a financial institution for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada). A notional distribution occurs when a distribution is made in the form of units, which are then immediately consolidated with the units held prior to the distribution, so that the total number of units held after the distribution is identical to the number of units held prior to the distribution. The tax characteristics of the distribution will be reported to brokers via CDS.

About BlackRock

BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate.

About iShares

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Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

Contact for Media:

Reem Jazar

Email: [email protected]

24 october 2023 at 22:55

News published onand distributed by:
Potential for ?2.55 billion Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Industry in Ireland by 2050





Ireland has the potential to develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry generating revenue of ?2.55 billion by 2050 and providing up to 1,000 high-skilled jobs. These are the findings of a feasibility study into the production of SAF in Ireland produced by SkyNRG and SFS Ireland, in a partnership supported by Avolon, Boeing and ORIX Aviation.

The study - Ireland's Sustainable Aviation Fuel Opportunity - was launched today by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney TD, and looks at the key role SAF will play in helping the aviation industry achieve its net zero goal by 2050. IATA estimates that SAF, which can be used to replace traditional jet fuel, will deliver over 60% of the contribution needed to reduce aviation emissions to reach net zero by 2050. The European Union's ReFuelEU initiative obligates fuel suppliers to blend SAF into the fuel available at all EU airports, rising from 6% SAF by 2030, to 70% by 2050.

To meet EU mandated SAF volumes alone, Ireland will require approximately 10 SAF plants of 80 kilo tonnes production capacity each. This would create an Irish SAF sector generating revenue of ?2.55 billion per annum and could provide up to 1,000 high-skilled jobs in direct and indirect employment. Further export opportunities could significantly increase these numbers.

The research finds that the biggest opportunity for Ireland lies in Power to Liquid (PtL) production of eSAF, a synthetic fuel produced by combining green hydrogen (extracted through electrolysis from water using renewable energy) with biogenic CO 2 . SAF derived from bio-based intermediates like renewable natural gas has potential to scale up more rapidly to fulfill the advanced biofuels portion of the ReFuelEU mandate.

Significant progress is required for Ireland to be able to develop eSAF at scale, particularly to ensure there is enough excess renewable power available to produce hydrogen in the required quantities. The increased levels of offshore wind power generation that Government initiatives are targeting by 2030 will put the country in a stronger position to develop a domestic SAF industry.

Key policy initiatives the research recommends to be prioritised by the Government and other stakeholders include:

Targets: Include sustainable aviation in climate action plans to strengthen Ireland's position as a renewable fuel aviation hub.

Include sustainable aviation in climate action plans to strengthen Ireland's position as a renewable fuel aviation hub. Incentivise : Incentivising mechanisms are crucial for a viable PtL business case to stimulate the development of both SAF and hydrogen: capital allowances, tax credits, guaranteed minimum pricing, investment incentives (e.g. via EII or SCI schemes).

Incentivising mechanisms are crucial for a viable PtL business case to stimulate the development of both SAF and hydrogen: capital allowances, tax credits, guaranteed minimum pricing, investment incentives (e.g. via EII or SCI schemes). Research and Development: Funding and promotion of SAF technologies leveraging Ireland's third-level institutions and Government entities such as Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and SEAI.

Funding and promotion of SAF technologies leveraging Ireland's third-level institutions and Government entities such as Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and SEAI. Reforming planning process: Implement a comprehensive and systematic approach in the planning process for SAF production plants, taking into account the potential for future energy parks and circular economy development in Ireland.

Implement a comprehensive and systematic approach in the planning process for SAF production plants, taking into account the potential for future energy parks and circular economy development in Ireland. Storage and transport: Invest in hydrogen storage and transport, and solving the electricity congestion issues through more flexible use / development of the grid.

Invest in hydrogen storage and transport, and solving the electricity congestion issues through more flexible use / development of the grid. Collaboration: Collaboration between public and private sector is critical to mobilise the required investment. Cross-departmental Government relationships are also essential (DECC, DOT, DAFM) to ensure comprehensive policy framework.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, TD said: "The Government is committed to supporting EU and international action to reduce aviation emissions. The European Green Deal has set ambitious targets for reducing net emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030, when compared to 1990 levels, and to be the first climate neutral continent by 2050. The agreement of the global long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which includes a collective global goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 further demonstrates the level of ambition of States and Industry alike. We welcome the proactive approach from the aviation sector to progress its own net zero commitments. This research presented today shows that there are clear future economic benefits from the green economy, which can create new jobs and exciting new business ventures. We look forward to engaging further with industry to explore Ireland's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) potential."

Andy Cronin, CEO, Avolon, said: "Our support for this partnership reflects our ambition to be at the forefront of sustainable innovation that will reshape the future of aviation. Large-scale deployment of SAF and the transition of the global fleet to new technology aircraft are the two biggest near-term drivers that can progress the sector's net zero by 2050 goal. It is going to require large levels of investment and close collaboration across many stakeholders, and we value the Minister's engagement to explore Ireland's sustainable aviation fuel opportunity."

Sheila Remes, Vice President, Environmental Engagement and Business Development, Boeing, said: "Significant progress is required for Ireland to be able to develop eSAF at scale, particularly to ensure renewable power is available in the scale required production of hydrogen in the required quantities. The increased levels of offshore wind power generation that Government initiatives are targeting by 2030 will put the country in a much stronger position to develop a domestic SAF industry."

Marie-Louise Kelly, CFO, ORIX Aviation, and Chair, Aircraft Leasing Ireland, said: "ORIX Aviation joined with its partners Avolon, Boeing, SkyNRG and SFS Ireland on this ambitious project because we want to be part of the innovations and as crucially, the collaborations, that will define aviation's journey to Net Zero 2050. Along with our sectoral experience we were also able to add the wider ORIX Group's extensive expertise in renewable power generation to this study. This report has identified multiple opportunities for Ireland on this journey. We welcome the Minister's commitment to engage on SAF production and look forward to exploring ways to position Ireland at the heart of the global drive to Net Zero 2050."

Darren Carty, Partner, SFS Ireland commented: "We welcome the Minister's support and take pride in collaborating with industry leaders like SkyNRG, Avolon, Boeing, and ORIX Aviation as an SME. This feasibility study is the foundation for establishing a low-carbon SAF industry in Ireland. We look forward to advancing collaboration and essential public-private partnerships. SFS Ireland is firmly dedicated to spearheading the production of SAF in Ireland and actively participating in the overarching mission to reduce carbon emissions within the aviation industry."

Philippe Lacamp, CEO, SkyNRG, said: "Ireland has an opportunity to combine its renewable resources, skilled workforce, and the right policy environment to create a thriving Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry. SAF is essential for the aviation industry to achieve its net-zero target by 2050 and we need to build up SAF production capacity to cater to the rapidly rising demand. While there is still work to be done, we are convinced that Ireland can play a significant role in creating this SAF production capacity. We look forward to working with the Irish Government and other stakeholders to make SAF a reality for the important Irish aviation sector."

Methodology

This study assessed the feasibility of SAF production in Ireland under the pathways currently certified. An initial desktop analysis was conducted followed by stakeholder engagement with more than 50 stakeholders to better understand the market dynamics and sustainability of the available feedstocks.

About Avolon

Avolon is a leading global aviation finance company connecting capital with customers to drive the transformation of aviation and the economic and social benefits of global travel. We pride ourselves on our deep customer relationships, our collaborative team approach, and our fast execution. We invest with a long-term perspective, diversifying risk and managing capital efficiently to maintain our strong balance sheet. Working with 147 airlines in 65 countries, Avolon has an owned, managed, and committed fleet of 897 aircraft, as of 30 September 2023. www.avolon.aero

About Boeing

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defence products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability, and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company's core values of safety, quality, and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com

About ORIX Aviation

ORIX Aviation was established in 1991 in Dublin, Ireland and is a 100% subsidiary of ORIX Corporation of Japan. ORIX Aviation owns and manages over 200 aircraft and leases them to more than 50 airline customers located in over 30 countries. ORIX Aviation is a 30% shareholder of Avolon, who sit amongst the top three aircraft lessors globally. ORIX Aviation is focused primarily on investing and trading opportunities in the aircraft leasing and aircraft asset management space while maintaining a strong balance sheet of owned assets to support stable long-term profits and future growth. ORIX Aviation is ranked by S&P Global Ratings. It has obtained a "Strong" overall ranking (the highest level available) with a stable outlook in respect of ORIX Aviation as a commercial aircraft lease servicer. The asset management clients of ORIX Aviation are investors based in Japan, US funds and international banks and financial investors. www.orixaviation.com

About SFS Ireland

SFS Ireland's mission is to help bring a level of sustainability to Ireland's aviation industry that will meet the urgent climate goals of the European Union and provide a pathway to net-zero emissions before 2050. Established in 2020 by two airline pilots, the company is partnered in this project with leading corporates in the aviation industry, connecting them to the Irish renewable energy and circular bio-economy sectors. With expertise in engineering, business management and operations, the company is well-positioned to facilitate the development of a path to decarbonise the aviation industry here in Ireland. www.sustainableflightsolutions.com

About SkyNRG

SkyNRG is a global leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Since 2010, the company has been scaling up SAF demand and production capacity for the industry to meet its 2050 net zero commitment. SkyNRG has supplied SAF to over 40 airlines across the world and is now developing dedicated production facilities to support the shift from fossil jet fuel to sustainable aviation fuel. As a certified B Corptm SkyNRG prioritizes producing the most responsible and sustainable SAF worldwide. Recognized as a sustainability leader, it maintains an independent Sustainability Board, which advises the company on feedstocks and provides strategic guidance on wide-ranging sustainability issues. SkyNRG's operations are certified by RSB and CORSIA. Learn more at www.skynrg.com

25 october 2023 at 02:05

News published onand distributed by:
VSBLTY ENTERS DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SHELF NINE





Shelf Nine's Retail Media Network Has Over 4500 Screens Producing Digital In-Store Advertising Throughout the USA

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "VSBLTY") (OTCQB: VSBGF) (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt 5VS), a leading AI software provider of security and retail analytics technology, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement dated October 19, 2023 (the "Purchase Agreement") to acquire Shelf Nine LLC ("Shelf Nine"), a leader in retail media networks.

In-store retail media networks are foundational to VSBLTY's "Store as a Medium" model and include a collection of digital channels including in-store interactive digital displays (strategically placed throughout the store), integrating loyalty apps, websites, etc. VSBLTY software enables these networks to deliver brands and retailers "first of its kind" computer vision driven data analytics about their customers.

"This acquisition firmly cements VSBLTY not only as a world leading innovative software company, but as a leading-edge digital media company as well," stated VSBLTY Co-founder & CEO Jay Hutton. "Our media offering is unlike any other traditional "Out of Home" awareness product. Using our anonymous customer analytics software, we can not only confirm impressions, but we can state, who, when, where and for how long the advertisement was viewed. Media companies, advertisers, and retailers understand this powerful new "In Store Network" that is expected to outpace traditional radio, TV and Internet media spend. This acquisition, along with our Mexican, Brazilian and other in-store media opportunities will see media revenue become a large contributor to our bottom line in 2024 and beyond. This is transformative for all involved. Developing additional revenue streams and increased recurring revenue are key to our expansion plans.

Acquisition of Shelf Nine

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, VSBLTY will issue an aggregate of 12,500,000 Shares to the owners of Shelf Nine at closing of the Transaction ("Closing"), with a deemed value of US$500,000, with 1,250,000 of such Shares being subject to escrow for a period of 15 months following Closing. As well, the sellers will be entitled to earn up to an additional US$3,890,000 worth of shares subject to achieving agreed upon revenue milestones over the three years (the "Earn-Out"). The revenue milestones commence in July, 2023 and end in June, 2026.

The number of Shares to be issued pursuant to the Earn-Out will be determined based on the volume weighted average trading price at the time of issuance, and within the pricing requirements of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, VSBLTY will also settle USD$132,900 in existing debts of Shelf Nine through the issuance of 3,322,500 Shares to the creditor, Village Super Market, Inc. ("Village"). At Closing, VSBLTY, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, VSBLTY, Inc. ("Subco"), has also agreed to assume approximately US$336,096.67 in existing promissory notes of Shelf Nine the ("Loan"). In this regard, Subco and Shelf Nine, as co-makers, will issue a secured promissory note to the creditor, Village.

In connection with the Transaction, the key employees of Shelf Nine have agreed to continue their employment and can receive additional performance incentives of US$250,000, pursuant to their employment agreements. The acquisition of Shelf Nine is very strategic to VSBLTY's North American expansion, and is further compensated for, based on performance, with the issuance of common stock at prevailing prices.

"The opportunity to merge our company with VSBLTY is ideal for our company moving forward", pointed out Shelf Nine CEO, Mike Manion. "With our digital media network of 4500 screens starting to generate revenue and the enhanced capabilities of VSBLTY's latest analytics software offerings, we truly have a media product that is unique in the market. Not only does this allow us to expand screen deployments in our existing locations, but also gives us a compelling opportunity to quickly acquire new locations. Initially we will focus on offering more services to our existing client base, including more VSBLTY software features, along with the recently announced full panel, full video, cooler doors that can also run in transparent mode. We are very excited to find a company that we have both cultural and strategic alignment with as we enter this new growth phase for Shelf Nine."

While the Transaction is not subject to shareholder approval, it is subject to standard conditions of Closing, including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary consents and regulatory approvals. All Shares issued in connection with the Transaction will be subject to resale restrictions under applicable securities laws, including a four (4) month hold period from the date of issuance. The Transaction is expected to close by the end of October, 2023.

About Shelf Nine

Shelf Nine is a premier digital media and content network providing brands and retailers specifically targeted customer communications delivered at the point of purchase. Building a retail ad network brings more ad revenue to the store owner and allows better control of content and integrated marketing programs. Advertisers are increasing investments on digital platforms that deliver ads to consumers while shopping. The 1:1 retail environment is the best to target consumers. Digital content in the store provides the optimal delivery of ad impressions while also increasing the shopper experience and the basket ring for the retailer. http://www.shelfnine.com

On Behalf of the Board of VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp.

"Jay Hutton"

CEO & Director

Investor Relations

Harbor Access

Jonathan Paterson, 475-477-9401

[email protected]

Graham Farrell, +1-416-842-9003

Graham.Farrell@Harbor- Access.com

CONTACT: Linda Rosanio, 609-472-0877

[email protected]

About VSBLTY ( http://vsblty.net/ )

Headquartered in Philadelphia, VSBLTY (OTCQB: VSBGF) (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt: 5VS) (OTC: VSBGF) ("VSBLTY") is a world leader in Artificial Intelligence and real time interpretation of what a camera sees. By utilizing facial recognition, age, gender, and other matrixes, VSBLTY's proprietary technology can effectively enhance retail brand engagement through customized ads on displays, at point of purchase, tailored to the current customer's demographic. This technology has proven to increase brand sales 25-35%. The firm is also recognized for its leadership role in the growing "Store as a Medium" movement that enables brands to reach customers when and where buying decisions are being made while producing a new revenue stream for retailers.

VSBLTY, using its proprietary AI software, has also developed a range of security products that include not only facial recognition, but weapon recognition as well, utilizing a variety of security cameras as well as legacy CCTV cameras. VSBLTY has the capability to create a proactive security system rather than a reactive security system, providing the early warning of threats that can save lives.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION STATEMENT

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to Closing. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's public securities filings with the Canadian securities commissions. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 193, 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. This release is not for distribution to U.S. newswire services nor for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

SOURCE VSBLTY

25 october 2023 at 03:15

News published onand distributed by:
Performance Food Group Company to Host Webcast of First-Quarter Fiscal 2024 Results





Performance Food Group Company (PFG) (NYSE:PFGC) will host a live audio webcast at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, November 8, to discuss first-quarter fiscal 2024 financial results. PFG will issue a news release with those results at approximately 7 a.m. ET that same day.

George Holm, PFG Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, and Patrick Hatcher, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the company's first-quarter fiscal 2024 results and answer questions from the investment community and news media.

The webcast will be available in listen-only mode at investors.pfgc.com. Pre-event registration is necessary. An archived copy of the webcast will be available later that same day.

About Performance Food Group Company

Performance Food Group is an industry leader and one of the largest food and foodservice distribution companies in North America with more than 150 locations. Founded and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, PFG and our family of companies market and deliver quality food and related products to over 300,000 locations including independent and chain restaurants; businesses, schools and healthcare facilities; vending and office coffee service distributors; and big box retailers, theaters and convenience stores. PFG's success as a Fortune 100 company is achieved through our more than 35,000 dedicated associates committed to building strong relationships with the valued customers, suppliers and communities we serve. To learn more about PFG, including how you can join our team, visit pfgc.com.

25 october 2023 at 07:05

News published onand distributed by:
New Data for AREXVY, GSK's RSV Vaccine, Show Potential to Help Protect Adults Aged 50 to 59 at Increased Risk for RSV Disease





GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) today announced positive preliminary results from its phase III trial [NCT05590403] evaluating the immune response and safety of AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted) in adults aged 50 to 59, including those at increased risk of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) due to certain underlying medical conditions. These results will be presented at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting on October 25, 2023. This vaccine is currently approved in the US for active immunization for the prevention of RSV-LRTD in adults 60 years of age and older. It is also approved in Europe, Japan, and several other countries.

The vaccine elicited an immune response in adults aged 50 to 59 at increased risk for RSV disease due to select underlying medical conditions that was non-inferior to that observed in adults aged 60 and above, meeting the trial's primary co-endpoint. Vaccine efficacy has previously been demonstrated in adults aged 60 and above. The co-primary endpoint was also met for the broader group of adults aged 50 to 59 also enrolled in the trial. Safety and reactogenicity data were consistent with results from the initial phase III program. The most common local adverse event was pain, and most common systematic adverse events were fatigue and headache, most of which were transient and mild in intensity.

Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: "This trial reinforces our confidence in our RSV vaccine's ability to help protect adults aged 50 to 59 at increased risk for RSV-LRTD. We will submit these data for regulatory review as quickly as possible with the goal of offering adults in this age group the option of a vaccine for the first time."

RSV is a common, contagious virus that can cause severe respiratory illness.2 Estimated rates of infection and hospitalization may be higher than reported in many high income countries, including the US.3 There is a substantial burden of RSV-associated illness for adults at increased risk for RSV disease due to advanced age, immunocompromised status, or underlying medical conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and chronic heart failure. RSV can exacerbate these conditions and lead to pneumonia, hospitalization, or death.4

Final results from this trial will be presented at an upcoming medical conference and submitted for peer-reviewed publication. The data will also be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators to support potential label expansions.

Trial Design

NCT05590403 is a phase III, placebo-controlled, observer-blind, randomized, multi-country immunogenicity trial to evaluate the non-inferiority of the immune response and evaluate safety in participants aged 50 to 59 at increased risk of RSV-LRTD compared to older adults aged 60 years and above after a single dose of GSK's RSV vaccine. Immune response in participants aged 50 to 59 with pre-defined stable chronic diseases leading to an increased risk of RSV disease was assessed (n=570). These included participants with chronic pulmonary disease, chronic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or chronic liver disease. Immune responses in a broader group of participants aged 50 to 59 without these pre-defined chronic diseases (n=570) was also evaluated compared to adults aged 60 and older. Approximately 1,520 participants were enrolled across eight countries.

The trial's primary endpoints were RSV-A and RSV-B neutralization titers of both groups of 50 to 59 year olds at one month after the vaccine administration compared to adults aged 60 and older. There were also safety and immunogenicity secondary and tertiary endpoints. The trial is ongoing to collect further immune data at six months and 12 months after vaccine administration.

About AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted)

AREXVY contains recombinant respiratory syncytial virus glycoprotein F stabilized in the prefusion conformation (RSVPreF3). This antigen is combined with GSK's proprietary AS01 E adjuvant.

The vaccine was approved by the US FDA on May 3, 2023, for the prevention of LRTD caused by RSV in individuals 60 years of age and older.

In June 2023, the European Commission authorized the vaccine for active immunization for the prevention of LRTD caused by RSV in adults aged 60 years and older.

In September 2023, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved the vaccine for the prevention of RSV disease for adults aged 60 years and above.

The vaccine has also been approved in the UK and Canada. Regulatory reviews in other countries are ongoing. The proposed trade name remains subject to regulatory approval in other markets.

The GSK proprietary AS01 adjuvant system contains QS-21 STIMULON adjuvant licensed from Antigenics Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Agenus Inc.

Please see the full US Prescribing Information: https://gskpro.com/content/dam/global/hcpportal/en_US/Prescribing_Information/Arexvy/pdf/AREXVY.PDF

Indication for AREXVY

AREXVY is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by respiratory syncytial virus in individuals 60 years of age and older.

Important Safety Information for AREXVY

AREXVY is contraindicated in anyone with a history of a severe allergic reaction (eg, anaphylaxis) to any component of AREXVY

Appropriate medical treatment and supervision must be available to manage possible anaphylactic reactions following administration of AREXVY

Syncope (fainting) may occur in association with administration of injectable vaccines, including AREXVY. Procedures should be in place to avoid injury from fainting

Immunocompromised persons, including those receiving immunosuppressive therapy, may have a diminished immune response to AREXVY?

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (?10%) were injection site pain (60.9%), fatigue (33.6%), myalgia (28.9%), headache (27.2%), and arthralgia (18.1%)

Vaccination with AREXVY may not result in protection of all vaccine recipients

Please see full Prescribing Information.

About RSV in Adults

RSV is a common contagious virus affecting the lungs and breathing passages.2 Adults can be at increased risk for RSV disease due to comorbidities, immune compromised status, or advanced age.4 RSV can exacerbate conditions, including COPD, asthma, and chronic heart failure and can lead to severe outcomes, such as pneumonia, hospitalization, and death.4 Each year, approximately 177,000 adults 65 years and older are hospitalized in the US due to RSV; an estimated 14,000 cases result in death.5 For adults 60 and older, data suggest an increased risk for severe RSV infection that can lead to hospitalization.6,7

About GSK

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. Find out more at gsk.com.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3.D 'Risk factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2022, and Q2 Results for 2023 and any impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Registered in England & Wales:

No. 3888792

Registered Office:

980 Great West Road

Brentford, Middlesex

TW8 9GS

References

1. Branche et al. Incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Among Hospitalized Adults, 2017-2020. Clin Infect Dis 2022:74:1004?1011.

2. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Accessed October 2023. Available at: www.nfid.org/infectious-disease/rsv/

3. Savic M, Penders Y, Shi T, Branche A, Pircon J-Y. Respiratory syncytial virus disease burden in adults aged 60 years and older in high-income countries: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2022 2023; 17:e13031.

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV in Older Adults and Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions. Accessed October 2023. Available at: www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/older-adults.html

5. Falsey AR, et al. N Engl J Med 2005; 352:1749-1759 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa043951. Accessed October 2023.

6. Tseng HF, Sy LS, Ackerson B, et al. Severe morbidity and short- and mid- to long-term mortality in older adults hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus infection. J Infect Dis. 2020;222(8):1298-1310. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiaa361.

7. Belongia EA, King JP, Kieke BA, et al. Clinical features, severity, and incidence of RSV illness during 12 consecutive seasons in a community cohort of adults ?60 years old. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018;5(12):ofy316. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofy316.

25 october 2023 at 07:05

News published onand distributed by:
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia's understanding of the security sphere, first of all, is based on the fact that we should try to make our environment as manageable and predictable as possible in terms of security. And Armenia, in turn, should be predictable for the environment. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Yaroslav Trofimov

Answering the correspondent's following question : "When you talk about diversifying your relationship, what do you mean by that, what can other countries do?" Do you expect the military presence of other partners, an American or French military base or maybe India? In practice, how do you see it?" Nikol Pashinyan answered: ''I want to say that we do wrong when by security we mean only the army, only weapons, because, unfortunately, in many cases we see that there are countries that do not have a problem with weapons, but have a problem with security. And there are countries that have a weapon problem but no security problem. Of course, it depends on many circumstances, environment, etc.

Now, our understanding of security is, first of all, based on the fact that we should try to make our environment as security-manageable and predictable as possible. And we have to be predictable for the environment. That is, the threats are generally mutual, and sometimes it is very difficult to find the starting point, because it is always a chicken and egg situation.

And sometimes there is no point in even looking for this starting point, because nothing changes from it. And when we talk about regulating our security relations, by regulating security relations we do not mean that we should bring weapons from other places and shoot at neighboring states. In this very area of security, we must shape relationships with our neighbors to build the right security relationships.

PM Pashinyan considered the delimitation of borders with Azerbaijan, mutual recognition of territorial integrity, rules for opening communications, all of them to be very important parts of the security policy.

The approach according to which we must find allies somewhere, bring weapons to shoot at our neighbors, is not our approach. Of course, we have fears that our neighbors will shoot at us. But these concerns also need to be managed. But on the other hand, I think that any modern country should and has the right to have a modern army, has the right to develop its armed forces, has the right to meet its security needs. We think that security should not be ensured only by the army, but we also need to go for peace in the region.... By the way, in my speech in the European Parliament I said that we mean by saying peace.

When we talk about peace, we mean that the borders of all countries in the region are open to each other on the same principles; we mean that these countries are connected by economic ties, connected by political dialogue and conversation, and connected by cultural ties. This is an important security component. Because it allows your opponent to understand you better, and it allows you to understand your opponent better. This is what makes it possible for mutual ties to be formed, and the security of your opponent to some extent becomes important for you, and your security also becomes important for your opponent, because otherwise economic risks, political risks may arise,'' said Nikol pashinyan.

''You talked about interconnectivity, which presumably also includes transit from Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan. The existing agreements call for the role of Russian FSB in controlling, managing this traffic. Do you think FSB should really play a role here, or can Armenia and Azerbaijan deal with this on their own, without Russia's involvement?'' asked Wall Street Journal reporter Yaroslav Trofimov.

''First of all, I would like to emphasize that there is no separate agenda regarding the connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. Such an agenda exists in the context of the opening of regional communications, when all regional communications must be opened. This is the second. Thirdly, it is not written anywhere that any body of the Russian Federation should have control over any territory of the Republic of Armenia. Nowhere is it written that the Republic of Armenia agrees for any limitation of its sovereign right. It is not written anywhere that any function assigned to the state institutions of the Republic of Armenia should be delegated to someone else. It is not written anywhere and it is not intended, there is no such thing that someone else should provide security in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. No such thing was written.

In general, after the failure of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation in Nagorno-Karabakh, many questions arise, and these questions are legitimate, because by saying failure I mean that it is a fact that the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation were unable or unwilling to ensure the safety of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Very serious questions arise here, but on the other hand, there has never been any talk of restricting any sovereign right of the Republic of Armenia and there can be no such talk.

But on the other hand, I want to say that as I already said at the European Parliament, and as we already agreed at the last Brussels meeting and which was expressed in the July 15 statement of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the opening of regional communications should take place on the basis of countries' sovereignty and jurisdiction,'' Nikol Pashinyan answered.

As a result, should the western regions of Azerbaijan have a transport connection with Nakhichevan, including through the territory of Armenia? Yes of course. Can the Republic of Armenia use those same routes, for example, to provide a railway connection between its different parts? Yes of course: In that case, can Azerbaijan use the transport routes of Armenia for international trade? Yes of course. Should Armenia have the opportunity to use the roads of Azerbaijan for international trade? Yes of course. Should international trade participants have the opportunity to trade with Turkey, Iran, and Georgia through the territory of Armenia as a global trade route? Yes of course. And we make this proposal, we are ready for this solution and we call this proposal "Crossroads of Peace" and we invite all our partners to make this project a reality together.
Kane Biotech to Exhibit at Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall Forum





WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX-V:KNE OTCQB:KNBIF) (the "Company" or "Kane Biotech") today announces that it will be unveiling the new brand for its coactiv+tm Antimicrobial Wound Gel product ("Wound Gel") at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall forum ("SAWC Fall").

Both Kane Biotech and its U.S. Wound Gel distribution partner, ProgenaCare Global, will host informational booths at SAWC Fall introducing the new brand and recruiting practitioners to participate in clinical evaluations using the Company's Wound Gel.

"I'm excited to be introducing the new brand to investors and practitioners. Kane and ProgenaCare worked closely together on the branding and have come up with a result I'm very proud of. Also, we've been working diligently to manufacture a limited quantity of product in-house which will allow us to get some clinical evaluations underway as we scale up manufacturing," stated Marc Edwards, President and CEO of Kane Biotech.

Kane will also present a technology poster on Kane's Wound Gel which is a combination of Kane's patented coactiv+tm technology and PHMB, paired with a non-ionic Pluronic surfactant with thermo-gelling properties. The combination of these three components provides for a moist environment in an easy-to-use gel that is optimized for sensitive wounds.

The conference will take place from November 2-5, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada and is intended to connect the entire wound care community fostering inclusivity, innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. During this conference, Kane Biotech will present along with other important voices in Biotech and Wound Care.

About ProgenaCare (ProgenaCare Global LLC)

ProgenaCare is a purpose-driven medical device company leveraging cutting-edge advances in biomaterials and medical device technologies to provide effective, affordable advanced wound care solutions to patients across the socioeconomic spectrum and around the world.

About Kane Biotech

Kane Biotech is a biotechnology company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of technologies and products that prevent and remove microbial biofilms. The Company has a portfolio of biotechnologies, intellectual property (80 patents and patents pending, trade secrets and trademarks) and products developed by the Company's own biofilm research expertise and acquired from leading research institutions. StrixNBtm, DispersinB, Aledextm, bluestemtm, bluestem, silkstemtm, goldstemtm, coactiv+tm, coactiv+, DermaKBtm and DermaKB Biofilmtm are trademarks of Kane Biotech Inc. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "KNE" and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol "KNBIF".

For more information: Marc Edwards Ray Dupuis Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Kane Biotech Inc. Kane Biotech Inc. [email protected] [email protected]

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain statements regarding Kane Biotech Inc. that constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities law. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the Company's: (a) financial condition, including lack of significant revenues to date and reliance on equity and other financing; (b) business, including its early stage of development, government regulation, market acceptance for its products, rapid technological change and dependence on key personnel; (c) intellectual property including the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property and dependence on its strategic partners; and (d) capital structure, including its lack of dividends on its common shares, volatility of the market price of its common shares and public company costs. Further information about these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in the disclosure documents filed by the Company with applicable securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedar.com. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.

25 october 2023 at 07:45

News published onand distributed by:
Filippo Berio highlights dedication to quality, innovation, sustainability in new Sustainability Report 2022





Issued by parent company, Salov Group, just-released report showcases measurable improvements in environmental impacts, articulates further commitments in new Sustainability Plan for future guidance

LYNDHURST, N.J., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Filippo Berio, the 156-year-old Italian brand and one of the nation's top-selling olive oil and pesto sauce companies, has a dedicated tradition of quality, innovation and sustainability, and a new report issued by its parent company, Salov Group, provides evidence of the brand's continued progress and commitment. Released October 19, Sustainability Report 2022 notes key investments in projects to improve production efficiency, material sourcing and product packaging as well as in research to enhance energy savings, quality markers and agronomic methods. Results include measurable reductions in energy consumption, water withdrawal, emissions and waste. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for future endeavors through the company's newly defined Sustainability Plan.

"At Salov, we firmly believe in the need for continuous improvement across all areas that impact our business and those around us, from fair and responsible innovation to sustainable models of production and consumption," said Fabio Maccari, CEO of Salov. "We come from more than 150 years of history with the Filippo Berio brand, and it is our intention to extend its commendable tradition of caring for product, people and place."

Improvement in environmental impacts

In Sustainability Report 2022, Salov documented gains across sustainability measures. The company reported a 3.4% decrease in energy consumption, an 8.6% decrease in total water withdrawal, a 6.7% decrease in direct emissions of climate-changing gases, and a 5.0% decrease in total waste production  all in comparison to the previous year.

During the reporting period, Salov also expanded upon its network for the procurement of raw materials, growing to 12 certified supply chain partners for the production of extra virgin olive oil. These partners are integral to the Filippo Berio SUSTAINABLE SELECT Extra Virgin Olive Oil line, introduced to the U.S. market in late 2022.

"The SUSTAINABLE SELECT Extra Virgin Olive Oil line offers U.S. consumers a sustainable, fully traceable field-to-bottle experience," says Dusan Kaljevic, CEO of Filippo Berio USA, Ltd. "The product line relies fully on olive groves cultivated using integrated farming techniques consistent with the principles of sustainable agriculture. Consumers have total transparency into the provenance of the oils, as we offer traceability from the grove to the bottle."

"Additionally, the SUSTAINABLE SELECT Extra Virgin Olive Oil line is distinguished by third-party certification through SGS, a world leader in inspection and certification services," continues Kaljevic, "and by its premium quality, which is achieved through more stringent control of chemical-physical parameters than those required by law."

Materials sourcing plays significant role

In Sustainability Report 2022, Salov noted its focus on waste reduction through the use of recycled and recyclable materials as well as sustainably sourced materials. In 2022, 46.5% of all materials used were recycled. Additionally, Salov and Filippo Berio turn to suppliers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to source paper for boxes and bottle labels.

In June 2022, the Filippo Berio brand became the first among leading companies in the U.S. olive oil category to innovate in the packaging space by introducing a recyclable bottle made from 50% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). The bottles require less energy to produce than PET bottles, while simultaneously minimizing plastic waste and reducing demand for new petrochemical resource extraction.

Planning for a sustainable future

In recognition of the need to integrate sustainability throughout its organization, Salov articulated its priorities in 2022 in its first-ever Sustainability Plan. The plan is founded on four pillars: supply chain control; employee protection and human capital development; responsible communication; and quality, research and innovation.

The Sustainability Plan will be instrumental to Filippo Berio and its promise of enduring quality. In 2022, for example, the company embarked on a research project, coined Long Life Oil. In collaboration with the Region of Tuscany as well as other companies and institutions, the research project explores innovative technologies that may be applied to maintain the analytical and organoleptic characteristics of olive oil over a longer period of time.

Compilation of Sustainability Report 2022

Sustainability Report 2022 is the second edition of Salov's publication, which is released every other year, and compares results from the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. It was prepared according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Standards, and it was subject to validation by an independent third party in SGS. It was officially presented to the company's top management at Villa Filippo Berio, which serves as an open-air research center and blends the brand's storied past with present initiatives and hopes for the future.

Sustainability Report 2022 is available for download and viewing at https://filippoberio.com/sustainability/.

About Filippo Berio:

The Filippo Berio brand has been committed to creating high-quality olive oil for 156 years. Founder Filippo Berio set forth exceptional standards of olive oil production that are still rigorously followed today, with each bottle sold bearing his signature as a seal of the finest olive oil and the brand's promise of quality. From distinctive olive oils to a selection of specialty pestos, wine vinegars, balsamic vinegars and glazes, all featuring the finest ingredients and high production standards, the Italian brand focuses on creating great-tasting and accessible products to elevate the at-home cooking and eating experience. The brand is currently sold in more than 75 countries. In the United States, Filippo Berio is marketed by Filippo Berio USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Salov Group, based in Lucca, Italy. For additional information, please visit filippoberio.com

Filippo Berio Media Contact:

Hannah Castle, 510-590-0195

[email protected]

SOURCE Filippo Berio

25 october 2023 at 08:00

News published onand distributed by:
Bell study reveals 5 key factors that Canadian businesses need to keep organizations secure





MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Bell released a study on the state of cybersecurity in Canadian businesses today, highlighting new data that security leaders can use as they strategize to protect their organizations, with particular focus on securing the cloud.

Bell conducted a study of 402 Canadian organizations across public and private sectors to learn how they're succeeding and to see which activities can drive improvements. The most important outcomes that C-level executives are looking to drive are:

Meeting/exceeding compliance objectives

Maintaining a high level of confidence in security posture to business stakeholders

Achieving the best possible rates for cyber insurance

Having highly satisfied security staff (and lower turnover rates of security personnel)

Avoiding cybersecurity breaches in the past 12 months

To identify factors that correlate with success outcomes, Bell asked respondents questions about their organization's on-premises and cloud security practices. The result is a list of 29 factors that cover Governance & Culture, Teams & Talent, Cloud Security Practices, and Automation & Integration efforts. Of note, while many organizations report a high level of achievement across multiple key security outcomes, only 1.6% of Canadian businesses report high achievement on all top five indicators.

While breaches are the most direct performance indicator of any security program, most CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) Bell surveyed found performance against compliance requirements and the ability to retain talented staff as important indirect indicators.

So, what is the recipe for security success?

Notably, success is often not determined by budget. Reinforcing findings from the 2022 study by IDC which Bell participated in, organizations with the largest security budgets are not necessarily more secure. Other factors identified in this study matter more. While many of the factors Bell identified may require dollar investment as well as time, optimized resource allocation trumps total budget size.

Organizations with well-defined security governance outperform their peers. To be most successful, security governance is a process that ideally takes a collaborative approach across the business. In part because executing well on technical guardrails (e.g., configuration management, policy as code, access management, etc.) relies on agreed-upon risks, boundary lines and responsibilities from across the organization.

It might seem counterintuitive, but the only governance factor found to coincide with a significantly reduced likelihood of reporting a breach was a mentality among business leaders to embrace change and be open to taking risk. Being open to change (and calculated risk) can mean the early adoption of new technologies, improved employee morale, and other factors that reduce the risks of a breach.

Quotes

"A highly skilled team with a well-connected cross-enterprise collaborative approach is critical to the success of an enterprise security strategy," said Costa Pantazopoulos, VP Product at Bell. "This is particularly important for cloud security controls, such as configuration management, which can be more challenging to fully automate."

The full report can be found at Bell.ca (https://solutions.bell.ca/l/123192/2023-10-20/xj9kyy).

About the survey

Bell hired a professional survey firm, Maru Group, to conduct a stratified random sample of 402 security professionals working for organizations in Canada. Response targets were set to achieve a balance of respondents representing different industries, provinces, and organization sizes. Quality checks eliminated some responses, leaving a final sample of 383 for this analysis.

About Bell Security

The threat landscape is changing. New technologies and evolving threats make cybersecurity more complex and challenging than ever before. Bell understands that your business success and customer trust rely on a solid security foundation. We offer protection against the growing sophistication of advanced threats. With a full suite of managed and professional services, Bell solutions provides insight into the security of your cloud services, data, network, and devices.

For more information on Bell Security Solutions, visit Bell.ca/cybersecurity.

About Bell



Bell is Canada's largest communications company1, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet, media, and business communication services throughout the country. Founded in Montreal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca .

Through Bell for Better , we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk .

__________________________ 1 Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections.

Media inquiries

Audrey Hood

[email protected]

Investor inquiries

Richard Bengian

[email protected]

SOURCE Bell Canada

25 october 2023 at 08:00

News published onand distributed by:
Kemin Biologics Partners with ilender to Launch MEFLUVACtm H5 PLUS 8 Vaccine to Empower the Peruvian Poultry Industry Against Avian Influenza





DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, will launch the MEFLUVACtm H5 PLUS 8 vaccine in partnership with ilender in Latin America to assist in building immunity against the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza.

Kemin Biologics, the global veterinary vaccine division of Kemin, will debut the new vaccine in Peru at the event and roadshow starting on October 30 in the Peruvian cities of Lima, Trujillo and Chincha. At this event, policy and distribution stakeholders, along with customers from the poultry meat and layer industries, will gather to discuss vaccinology and risk management programs. The industry leaders will focus on the importance of addressing major pathogens that compromise animal performance and food security for the growing population.

"We are excited to introduce our technology and best practices to empower the poultry industry in Peru and Latin America to mitigate the growing threat of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza," said Dr. Ricardo Neto, Technical Service Manager, Kemin Biologics. "The high degree of homology with local strains makes MEFLUVACtm H5 PLUS 8 the vaccine of choice."

With a focus on delivering integrated, custom solution platforms that build immunity and protect animal performance, Kemin Biologics works closely with customers worldwide to address important needs and is committed to putting animal welfare at the forefront to help prevent hunger and disease associated with malnutrition while supporting the global food supply.

"The launch of MEFLUVACtm H5 PLUS 8 is a major milestone for Kemin Biologics' expansion into the Latin America market," said Dr. Matias Jansen, Regional Business Director, Kemin Biologics. "Together with our partner, ilender, we will be able to reach producers all across Peru and support them with vaccination strategies that are based on our expertise and experiences from all over the world."

To learn more about MEFLUVACtm H5 PLUS 8, visit our website.

About Kemin Industries

Kemin Industries (www.kemin.com) is a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services. The company supplies over 500 specialty ingredients for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies, textile, biofuel and animal vaccine industries.

For over half a century, Kemin has been dedicated to using applied science to address industry challenges and offer product solutions to customers in more than 120 countries. Kemin provides ingredients to feed a growing population with its commitment to the quality, safety and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products.

Established in 1961, Kemin is a privately held, family-owned-and-operated company with more than 3,000 global employees and operations in 90 countries, including manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Italy, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.

About ilender

ilender (www.ilendercorp.com) is a Peruvian company, part of a Armejo Yepez Group, with more than 30 years in the poultry industry, that works with a team of professionals with high trajectory to provide the best value proposition through reliable solutions and programs, developing strategic alliances together with our customers in the search for innovation and continuous improvement.

Quality and confidence are the differentiator, ilender has one of the most modern veterinary pharmaceutical plants in the world, and the company is committed to ensuring bio safety with the purpose of nurturing families with the best quality protein.

ilender was founded in 1989, operating successfully in the markets of Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Media Contacts:

Kemin Industries ? Lauren M.G. Burt, Head of Worldwide Communications, [email protected]

ilender ? Maria Luisa Melendez, Services Marketing Coordinator, [email protected]

 Kemin Industries, Inc. and its group of companies 2023. All rights reserved.  TM Trademarks of Kemin Industries, Inc., U.S.A.

Certain statements, product labeling and claims may differ by geography or as required by government requirements.

SOURCE Kemin Industries

25 october 2023 at 08:00

News published onand distributed by:
Program launched to accelerate conservation of areas around Canada's National Parks





OTTAWA, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Habitat loss and climate change threaten the iconic plants and animals that bring our national parks to life. That's why Canada's two largest conservation organizations have partnered to protect landscapes around these natural areas.



The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and Parks Canada (PC) launched the Landscape Resiliency Program, a $30-million effort to support resilient landscapes by conserving up to 30,000 hectares near national parks, connecting habitats and creating protected buffers around the parks.

NCC president and CEO, Catherine Grenier, made the announcement with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.

NCC will leverage PC's $15-million investment to raise matching funds to protect buffer zones and wildlife corridors by working with Indigenous Nations, local communities, property owners and other partners. The protected areas will be located near national parks, including:

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and Kootenay National Park (British Columbia)

Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta)

Grasslands National Park (Saskatchewan)

Thousand Islands, Bruce Peninsula and Point Pelee National Parks (Ontario)

La Mauricie National Park (Quebec)

Kouchibouguac National Park (New Brunswick)

Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site (Nova Scotia)

NOTE: Additional National Park sites may be added.

These areas will be conserved through a variety of ways, such as land purchases, donations, agreements with landowners and tools such as other effective area-based conservation measures.

Nature knows no bounds.

Animals of all sizes need to be able to move freely across landscapes to live, feed, breed and thrive. Large animals like grizzly bears can roam as far as 250 kilometres over the course of a year, following food sources and establishing their territories. Even small animals like endangered Blanding's turtles will travel great distances in their efforts to find nesting sites. However, human encroachment and the effects of climate change are shrinking the area of land available for the natural movement of animals in and out of our national parks. By protecting lands near national parks, this partnership will expand and connect protected and conserved areas for many of Canada's most emblematic species.

Parks and protected areas can protect a range of values, including species at risk, representativity, ecological connectivity and climate connectivity. The areas targeted through the Landscape Resiliency Program include some of the most treasured places in Canada where conservation action is urgently needed to halt biodiversity loss and ensure long-term ecological health.

As Canada's largest non-profit conservation organization, NCC works at the scale and scope needed to achieve the goals of this partnership. Backed by its more than 60-year track record of finding tailored conservation solutions across the country, NCC will deploy innovative technology to identify priority areas for conservation around national parks. The organization will also work with donors, partners, Indigenous Nations and local communities to ensure their protection.

Protecting nature around parks secures critical habitats and natural features that act as carbon sinks, water storage and filtration systems and air purifiers, all of which also support communities' well-being.

NCC already works with a variety of partners to care for more than 63,000 hectares of conserved lands near to 24 national parks in Canada. The organization will now leverage this new partnership to grow these areas. Connecting already-protected lands with national parks will ensure nature-based solutions and critical ecosystems remain intact for the long term, for the benefit of those who rely on them ? plants, animals and people alike.

This partnership will advance NCC's commitment to be an ally and partner with Indigenous Nations and communities, and to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts.

NCC is mobilizing support across all sectors ? private citizens, Indigenous Nations and communities, landowners, businesses, foundations and all levels of government ? to leverage the $15-million Parks Canada investment and maximize impact. Only by having everyone at the table can we find solutions to address climate change and rapid biodiversity loss.

Quotes

"This important initiative builds on our longstanding relationship with Parks Canada to address the impacts of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss in Canada. Nature knows no bounds; neither should we. That's why partnerships like this are so critical. NCC will rally its vast network of partners across the country around our evidence-based approach to deliver impactful conservation solutions around some of Canada's most iconic natural places. Through partnership, expertise and perseverance, we will conserve critical habitat for the plants and animals we cherish, and ecosystem services that benefit all communities." ? Catherine Grenier, President and CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada

"Canada's 30 by 30 target is a model embraced by the international community. Now we are doubling down on implementation. Working together with communities and conservation partners is key to ensuring that the lands, waters and ice that play such important roles in the lives of Canadians are protected for current and future generations. Parks Canada and Nature Conservancy of Canada are supporting real actions that build resiliency across protected and conserved areas and take us one step further to reaching our goals of conserving 30 percent of land and inland water by 2030." - The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

Facts

Through its protected heritage areas, Parks Canada currently manages close to 265,000 square kilometres of land that provide habitat for approximately half of the species at risk currently listed in Canada.

NCC directly cares for more than 63,000 hectares of nature within 25 kilometres of 24 different national parks.

NCC has contributed to the protection of over 1.4 million hectares of nature that are near, or have become part of, national parks, marine conservation reserves and marine protected areas.

NCC uses technology-informed land management programs that help determine where conservation is most urgently needed. These digital tools use artificial intelligence software and prioritization algorithms that inform where conservation activities will have the greatest impact.

NCC currently protects habitat for 250 species at risk in Canada.



Find photos and video here.

About

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country's unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner, NCC works with individuals, Indigenous Nations and communities, businesses and governments to protect and care for our country's natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca .

The Landscape Resiliency Program is a collaboration between Parks Canada (PC) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) that will conserve 30,000 hectares of forests, wetlands, shoreline areas and grasslands near Canada's iconic National Parks. A total of $30 million will be invested through 2026 to strengthen landscape resiliency in these areas and create connected pathways for the movement and dispersal of wildlife. The conservation of these areas will help reverse biodiversity loss and mitigate the impacts of climate change. PC and NCC share a common goal of protecting the ecological integrity of these lands and waters for today and for the future by working with local landowners, partners, Indigenous Nations and communities.

Learn more

Visit natureconservancy.ca

Twitter: @NCC_CNC & @NCC_CNCMedia

Find us on Facebook

Media Contacts

Sarah Hoida

National Media Relations Manager

Nature Conservancy of Canada

[email protected]

C: (514) 968-6767

Andrew Holland

National Media Relations Director

Nature Conservancy of Canada

[email protected]

C: (506) 260-0469

25 october 2023 at 08:10

News published onand distributed by:
Ukrainian-founded Preply Extends Leadership in Language Learning with First U.S. Office, Fresh Branding, and Two C-Suite Additions





Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade, Chief Revenue Officer will Spearhead Leadership and Growth from Preply's New York City Office

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Preply, a leading online learning marketplace, today announced a company rebrand and the appointment of two C-suite executives as it establishes its first office in the U.S. in New York City. The global online language learning market is set to reach $47 billion by 2025, due to globalization, technological advancements, and rising demand for bilingualism, all of which drive the demand for innovative language education solutions. With over 600 employees of 60 nationalities across New York, Kyiv and Barcelona, Preply has become a global e-learning powerhouse that connects 40,000 tutors with the world's largest live language learning community in 180 countries. Preply revenues have grown tenfold over the last three years with this latest activity signifying the company's doubling down to extend category leadership in what is already its largest market.

New Executive Leadership Drives Preply's Growth in the U.S.

The two new executive hires; Sofia Tavares as Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade as Chief Revenue Officer, bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the organization. Both executives will be based in the New York office and have already played a key role in the rebrand and the establishment of the new office announced today.

Tavares will lead the company's transformation into an iconic brand. Having previously served as Senior Vice President of Brand at Delivery Hero where she was instrumental in the company's transition to IPO, Tavares has over two decades of experience leading global marketing strategies for some of the world's most recognizable brands, including PepsiCo, Cadbury plc, Bacardi, Black & Decker and PetroChina. Tavares is fluent in eight languages.

Kingkade will drive the company's efforts to transform communications and culture through language at organizations across the world. Having led teams across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Kingkade joins Preply from Flowspace, where he doubled revenue and tripled gross profit in his first year as CRO. Prior to Flowspace, Kingkade was VP of Sales and Marketplace Operations at Houzz, where he grew the sales organization from one rep to hundreds of employees.

New Identity Marks Next Phase of Preply's Journey.

Having done extensive work on Preply's vision and mission earlier in the year, Preply collaborated with London-based agency Koto to redefine the company's identity and double down on what makes Preply unique.

The new identity introduces a fresh logo, vibrant color palette, and improved website design to improve the learning experience for users and tutors, helping millions more people make their language learning dreams a reality. The new brand is anchored around the theme of repetition, a powerful element of success for those studying a language that reflects how practice, progress and growth transform a learning journey.

"Our new vision, unlocking human potential through learning, has been the driving force behind this project. Today, more people than ever aspire to learn a new language. We believe that by strengthening our brand, we better serve everyone's language learning needs and aspirations," said Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer of Preply. "I couldn't be more excited to be on this journey with the Preply team, and I'm grateful to our wonderful tutors, students, employees and the wider language learning community for coming along for the ride."

More information about Preply's new brand can be found in Tavares' blog post.

Helping U.S. Employers Gain a Competitive Edge

The U.S. is home to the headquarters of some of the largest multinational companies in the world with the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers reporting that 90% of U.S employers rely on a multilingual workforce. However, the demands are not being met and as a result, 25% of U.S. employers are losing out on business opportunities.

"The world is more connected than ever. We are hearing time and again from clients that communications mistakes are costly, both from a financial and reputation standpoint", remarks Jerry Kingkade. "We've welcomed 200 new organizations to the Preply program in the last 12 months and more than doubled the number of clients we're working within the U.S. so far this year. A staggering 75% of working Americans feel that foreign language skills are important for their career prospects[1]. As we establish our U.S. presence in New York, we look forward to picking up the pace, serving the needs of this hard-working population, and playing a part in addressing a specific skills gap in the labor market".

Preply's momentum surges with the introduction of its New York office

Preply is reinforcing its commitment to growth and to better serve its existing U.S.-based B2B customers and partners with the launch of its first office in the U.S. The New York City location was chosen as a large number of multinational corporations are based in the Northeast.

The new office, The Malin, is now open, located at 134 Charles Street in the heart of New York's West Village. Preply anticipates that by the close of 2023, 25+ employees will be working from the office complementing Preply's existing two hubs in Barcelona and Kyiv.

About Preply

Preply is an online language learning marketplace, connecting tutors to hundreds of thousands of learners in 180 countries worldwide. More than 40,000 tutors teach over 50 languages, powered by a machine-learning algorithm that recommends the best tutors for each learner. Founded in the United States in 2012 by three Ukrainian founders Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn, Preply has grown from a team of 3 to a company of over 600 employees of 60 different nationalities with offices in Barcelona, New York, and Kyiv.





[1] Preply survey 2023 amongst 3000 global participants

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SOURCE Preply

25 october 2023 at 08:12

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Microcredentials: The Quiet Revolution of Skills Training in Canada





TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the past few years, there has been a major shift in skills training and education upgrading in Canada, which has gone under the radar. Microcredentials, otherwise known as MicroCreds, have ballooned in numbers and popularity, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and now educational institutions across Canada offer them. A white paper released today by Express Employment Professionals delves into the who, what, where, when, why and how of microcredentials.



For years, the Canadian economy has suffered from a skills mismatch?unemployed Canadians do not have the necessary skills for the jobs currently open. That skills mismatch is a major part of the reason that Canada has more than 700,000 job vacancies despite there being 1.3 million unemployed Canadians. This means 1.7 unemployed Canadians were available for every vacant position.

In other words, there isn't a shortage of labour in Canada?but a shortage of skills. Microcredentials are increasingly seen as a key solution to fixing this skills problem.

These shorter, more customizable, and often more affordable, learning opportunities can help job seekers and existing employees secure in-demand jobs by upskilling without committing to a much longer traditional degree program. This results in companies getting the skilled workforce they need sooner.

The new white paper, titled "The Big Rewards of Microcredentials", shows that companies want and need candidates with the requisite skills now, with three-quarters (74%) saying they are desperately seeking more skilled workers but don't have the time to wait for them to receive a two- or four-year degree. Even more companies (80%) wish there was a way to expedite the time it takes for workers to obtain the necessary skills for a job.

Job seekers agree, with an even higher proportion (79%) saying they want to further their skills but don't have the time to complete a traditional degree, and most (87%) saying they wish there was a way to get the skills necessary for a job faster.





The survey data also shows that both employers and job seekers value microcredentials, with half saying microcredentials are just as valuable as traditional two- or four-year degrees (48% of both employers and job seekers) and almost a quarter saying microcredentials are more valuable than traditional degrees (21% of employers and 22% of job seekers).

In addition, a large majority of employers (76%) and job seekers (84%) agree microcredentials provide the workforce with skilled workers in a timely manner.

Using exclusive survey data prepared by The Harris Poll for Express and recent economic data, as well as drawing on the real-life experiences of Express Employment Professionals franchise owners and the companies they serve, this white paper examines what microcredentials are, which institutions offer them, how to verify their legitimacy and their role in the future labour force. What becomes clear is that microcredentials are here to stay.

"Every aspect of our lives is becoming customizable on demand," said Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller. "Why shouldn't education follow suit? Microcredentials?or microdegrees?are proliferating as a cost-effective way for job seekers and employees to develop their skills and prove their talents on their own schedules."

Survey Methodology

The Job Insights survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 8 and June 22, 2023, among 507 Canadian hiring decision-makers (defined as adults ages 18+ in Canada who are employed full-time or self-employed, work at companies with more than one employee, and have full/significant involvement in hiring decisions at their company). Data were weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 4.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

The Job Seeker Survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 507 adults ages 18 and older who are employed or not employed but looking for work and looking for a new job. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and propensity to be online, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 5.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Ana Curic at (613) 858-2622 or email [email protected].

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, we're in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 579,000 people globally in 2022 and 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com/CA.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71188cea-27e2-4961-bd77-c424c1e8c719

25 october 2023 at 09:00

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NTT and Chunghwa Telecom sign basic agreement for IOWN's international network connectivity





NTT Corporation (NTT) and Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (Chunghwa Telecom) today signed a basic agreement for the realization of international network connectivity through IOWN [1]. In the future, with IOWN's innovative communication technology centered on the All-Photonics Network [2], we aim to realize international network connectivity between Japan and Taiwan and to collaborate in IOWN related businesses and security.

1. Background

NTT has proposed the IOWN concept, which is a network and information processing infrastructure that can provide high-speed, high-capacity communications, and enormous computing resources by utilizing innovative technologies centered on photonics (optics). NTT has established the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) Global Forum [3] to promote the realization of new communication infrastructure.

Chunghwa Telecom is one of the Top 5 listed companies by market capitalization, and No.1 telecom service provider in Taiwan. Chunghwa Telecom provides cutting-edge ICT services to global companies through collaboration with major telecommunications companies in various countries. In addition, Chunghwa Telecom supports the IOWN concept and participated early in the IOWN Global Forum, leading the discussion of use cases and technologies.

NTT and Chunghwa Telecom will promote IOWN technology and realize business and security on a global level based on the communication technology and experience we have accumulated.

2. Outline of the Agreement

Based on NTT and Chunghwa Telecom's strengths in optical and wireless transmission technologies, as well as both companies' achievements in implementing these technologies in society, we aim to realize international network connectivity by utilizing All-Photonics Network technology between Japan and Taiwan.

In addition, we aim to establish interfaces and international connection rules for communication transparency in international network connections.

3. Outlook

NTT and Chunghwa Telecom aim to contribute to a prosperous society that can embrace diversity by utilizing various IOWN technologies through international network connections that uses IOWN technologies such as the All-Photonics Network, which is a robust communication infrastructure.

4. Endorsement comments

Akira Shimada, President & CEO, NTT Corporation

With outstanding technology and extensive global business experience, we expect that NTT and Chunghwa Telecom working together on IOWN's international communications will strongly accelerate IOWN's technology development and service deployment. Based on the achievements of NTT and Chunghwa Telecom, we hope to expand IOWN in various other countries.



Shui-Yi Kuo, Chairman & CEO, Chunghwa Telecom

As Taiwan's leading telecommunications company, Chunghwa Telecom is pleased to sign the IOWN cooperation memorandum with NTT, Japan's leading telecommunications company. Chunghwa Telecom agrees with the vision of IOWN's innovative technologies, and will continue to uphold the brand spirit of "Always Ahead" and implement the corporate sustainability goals of ESG energy conservation, actively invest in innovative research and development, and bring people with more diversified and convenient network and services.

[ Reference ]

[1] What is the IOWN initiative? https://www.rd.ntt/e/iown/

[2] What is the All-Photonics Network? https://www.rd.ntt/e/iown/0002.html

[3] What is the IOWN Global Forum? https://iowngf.org/

About NTT

NTT contributes to a sustainable society through the power of innovation. We are a leading global technology company providing services to consumers and business as a mobile operator, infrastructure, networks, applications, and consulting provider. Our offerings include digital business consulting, managed application services, workplace and cloud solutions, data center and edge computing, all supported by our deep global industry expertise. We are over $95B in revenue and 330,000 employees, with $3.6B in annual R&D investments. Our operations span across 80+ countries and regions, allowing us to serve clients in over 190 of them.

About Chunghwa Telecom

Chunghwa Telecom is Taiwan's largest integrated telecommunications services company that provides fixed-line, mobile, broadband, and internet services. The Company also provides information and communication technology services to corporate customers with its big data, information security, cloud computing and IDC capabilities, and is expanding its business into innovative technology services such as IoT, AI, etc. Chunghwa Telecom has been actively and continuously implementing environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives with the goal to achieve sustainability and has won numerous international and domestic awards and recognitions for its ESG commitments and best practices. For more information, please visit our website at www.cht.com.tw

25 october 2023 at 09:05

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Top Executives Set to Take the Spotlight in Center Stage Sessions at PTC'24





The Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) is pleased to announce a highly anticipated line-up of C-suite executives from digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and OTT sectors who are set to share their insights at PTC'24. The conference is scheduled to take place from 21 to 24 January 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Throughout the two-day Center Stage discussions, PTC'24 will offer an exclusive platform for perspectives that are actively influencing the future of digital transformation. In a world facing economic uncertainties and geopolitical challenges, PTC'24 will provide a forum for top industry leaders to collaboratively explore and navigate the path forward.

Highlighting the importance of PTC'24, Bill Barney, PTC President and Chair of the Board of Governors said, "We look forward to having top tier CEOs and senior executives ? the titans of our industry ? in discussions that tackle the challenges, opportunities, and most pressing issues in infrastructure and technology development within this digital era."

"Going into our 46th year in the picturesque setting of Honolulu, PTC'24 will truly be a convergence of minds driving us into new stages of integrating digital technology and infrastructure. As our world undergoes remarkable transformation, we eagerly anticipate hearing from those driving this change," commented Brian Moon, Chief Executive Officer, PTC.

Stay tuned as PTC unveils additional conference highlights and key features in the weeks to come. For the most up-to-date information on PTC'24 and conference registration details, please visit ptc.org/ptc24/.

About Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC)

Founded in 1978, PTC is a non-profit membership organization committed to advancing digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and ICT on a global scale, with a focus on the Pacific Rim. PTC serves as a central hub within the digital infrastructure community, nurturing innovation, fostering business growth, and promoting collaboration among stakeholders through a diverse range of events and initiatives. Foremost among these is the PTC Annual Conference, a prestigious gathering held in Honolulu, Hawaii, in January, where C-level executives, technologists, thought leaders, investors, researchers, and academicians convene to share knowledge, cultivate valuable relationships, and catalyze new business. Visit us at www.ptc.org.

25 october 2023 at 09:30

News published onand distributed by:
North American Businesses Plan to Invest 67% More in Generative AI in 2024 to Drive Efficiency, Experience and Growth: Infosys Research





Generative AI creates enterprise agility, yet data and skills threaten progress

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ -- Companies are quickly ramping up investments in generative AI (GenAI) and realizing rapid returns, according to new research from the Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), the research arm of Infosys (NSE: INFY), (BSE: INFY), (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. The research forecasts that companies will increase GenAI investments 67% in the next year. This translates to a conservative estimate of $6 billion to be invested by US and Canadian companies in the next year. Enterprise leaders are taking a pragmatic view of GenAI, which may mitigate the reality check the broader GenAI market will likely face in the coming year.

Generative AI Radar 2023 ? North America, by IKI, surveyed over 1,000 respondents from companies across the US and Canada. Supported by interviews with business leaders and AI practitioners, the report highlights the following insights.

Generative AI is not constrained by traditional innovation barriers Large enterprises adopt GenAI and generate revenue faster; 73% of firms with over $10 billion in revenue have implemented GenAI solutions, compared to less than 38% of smaller companies C-suite buy-in is not an obstacle; more than 95% of senior executives support GenAI investment

Companies expect GenAI to deliver operational performance, not only content creation Only 13% identify content creation and creativity as GenAI's most impactful area 42% expect GenAI to improve user experience and personalization

Data challenges and lack of skills are the biggest obstacles to adoption More than half of respondents identify data privacy, security, and usability as primary challenges Nearly 20% see lack of skills, knowledge, or resources as the largest adoption obstacles

Heavily regulated industries have been quickest to adopt GenAI Financial services, healthcare, and life sciences lead adoption of this new technology, bucking the stereotype of slow-moving regulated industries



Satish H.C., Executive Vice President, Co-Head Delivery, Infosys, said, "Generative AI is unlike any recent digital disruptors. Investment is flowing in fast, and our report establishes that these projects are generating value that is recognized at the C-suite. By embedding responsible AI techniques and developing an AI-first operating model, business leaders can realize the full potential of this new technology."

To read the full report, please visit here.

Methodology

Infosys used an anonymous format to conduct an online survey of more than 1,000 business executives across industries across the US and Canada. To gain additional, qualitative insights, the researchers interviewed subject matter experts and business leaders.

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE: INFY), (BSE: INFY), (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, our ability to attract and retain personnel, our transition to hybrid work model, economic uncertainties, technological innovations such as Generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, and our corporate actions including acquisitions. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.

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SOURCE Infosys

25 october 2023 at 09:29

News published onand distributed by:
Armenia welcomes Canadas initiative to join the EUs civilian monitoring mission, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

October 25, 2023, 16:07 Armenia welcomes Canadas initiative on joining EU monitoring mission  FM

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 25, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: We welcome Canadas initiative on joining and becoming part of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia in the context of both deepening bilateral relations and strengthening regional stability. Id like to point out the latter, because our region really needs sincere and effective steps aimed at ensuring peace aimed at an objective assessment of the situation by the international partners and ensuring dignified peace for our people, Mirzoyan said.
OSC Insurance Services Named "Data & Analytics Innovator of the Year" Award Recipient at Excellence in Insurance, Sponsored by Insurity





Insurity, a leading provider of cloud-based software for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs, today announced that OSC Insurance Services was named "Data & Analytics Innovator of the Year" at Excellence in Insurance. The Excellence in Insurance awards ceremony took place in San Diego. It recognized the outstanding performances of P&C organizations in categories including exceptional policyholder service, digital transformation, and innovative excellence in data and analytics.

OSC is a leading provider of compliance tracking technology and insurance products and services for lenders, mortgage servicers, and property investors. Upon realizing they lacked comprehensive data on insured properties, OSC turned to Insurity to efficiently incorporate geographical risk assessments into their system.

Using Insurity's Geospatial solution, OSC assesses proximity to hazard, wildfire risk scores, nearby fire station distances, and property crime and hail scores to inform decisions. They also consider property replacement values versus insured amounts. These strategic analytics enhanced reselection, boosted underwriting profits, and increased carrier capacity, including two additional cover-holders and syndicates. This is especially notable given the increasing challenges of securing capacity in the London market.

"Our partnership with Insurity has empowered us to navigate complexities in new markets with precision, tapping into crucial data analytics to augment our reach and impact," said Jose Perez, Chief Underwriting Officer at OSC Insurance Services. "With Insurity's comprehensive analytics tools, we've expanded our footprint into challenging marketplaces. Insurity's Geospatial allows us to gauge crucial factors like natural hazard proximity and property risk levels and keep our vision of maintaining excellence in insurance at the forefront of everything we do."

"OSC's forward-thinking approach to data and analytics showcases their commitment to staying at the forefront of the needs of their business and the industry at large," said Sylvester Mathis, Chief Insurance Officer at Insurity. "Their achievements underscore the power of data-driven strategies, and Insurity is proud to play a role in their continued success."

For more information about the Excellence in Insurance awards, please contact [email protected].

About Insurity

Insurity is a leading provider of cloud-based software for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs. Insurity is trusted by 22 of the top 25 P&C carriers and 7 of the top 10 MGAs in the US and has over 400 cloud-based deployments. Through its best-in-class digital platform, unrivaled industry experience, and the industry's most robust analytics offerings, Insurity is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional value, empowering customers to focus on their core businesses, optimize their operations, and provide superior policyholder experiences. Insurity is a portfolio company of GI Partners and TA Associates. For more information, visit www.insurity.com.

About OSC Insurance Services

OSC is a leading provider of compliance-driven tracking technology and insurance products and services for lenders, mortgage servicers and property investors. OSC is a part of Steamboat Group, an international specialty wholesale insurance broker, program manager, managing general agent (MGA), and insurance services provider.

25 october 2023 at 09:50

News published onand distributed by:
MARRIOTT BONVOY PRESENTS EXCITING ENGAGEMENT AND SOLO BACHELORETTE EXPERIENCES





Marriott International properties in the Caribbean are taking part in the redefining of engagement activities in a new age of wedding planning.

PLANTATION, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Engagement season brings a lot of pressure to make an unforgettable moment for couples, but Marriott International Hotels and Resorts provides the perfect settings for a proposal or bachelorette experience like no other. The variety of experiences offered across the Caribbean allows for any couple or bride to be, opting for a solo bachelorette trip, to enjoy every minute of the special romantic and relaxing packages offered.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve

Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve is the idyllic retreat for couples looking to immerse themselves in one of Puerto Rico's most exclusive luxury resorts. With its serene coastline, private residences, Spa Botanico sanctuary and rum experience, there is something for everyone at this 50-acre historical oasis. A unique experience for couples is La Cocina Gourmet's Culinary Center, which hosts wine dinners and cooking classes showcasing international cuisine and seasonal ingredients. Guests can engage in hands-on intimate culinary experience followed by a five-course wine dinner.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas

The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas is the ultimate gateway to the Caribbean with 30 breathtaking acres of crystal blue waters, white sand, and lush tropical greenery. This spa-like resort is perfect for a solo bride to kick back and relax. The gorgeous property surrounded by nature's beauty also makes for the most enchanting engagement photos. Round out the trip with a majestic sunset sail ride aboard the resort's very own Lady Lynsey II elegant catamaran and a dinner on the beach.

The Ocean Club, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Norte

Every detail of this resort is fit for soon-to-be brides looking for a soothing weekend for themselves. The property provides several suites ranging from one to four bedrooms perfect for a Bachelorette getaway, solo or group. The chic, spacious suites include a dining area, full kitchen, spacious living area and a private terrace. Brides-to-be can also unwind at one of three resort pools or at the transcendent spa facility inspired by the south of France.

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Travelers can immerse themselves in luxury inspired by the Cayman Islands' natural wonders and cultural richness at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman's sun filled Caribbean haven. Couples or solo bachelorettes can indulge in an exquisite culinary voyage at this resort known for the Cayman Cookout , an exquisite celebration of food and wine, or enjoy a seafood-inspired menu at the Caribbean's only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant, Blue by Eric Ripert.

The Ritz Carlton, Aruba

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is the perfect destination for couples to celebrate their love. A special romantic dinner package creates a magical evening with the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop. The tone is set by melodic waves that gently caress the white sand, while Aruba's sunset lights the sky afire with a cascade of colors. A personal butler takes care of everything so couples can simply enjoy the moment. Chefs create a memorable evening with a customizable, delectable menu. From candles to the musician of your choice, dining on the beach is a one-of-a-kind and wonderful treat at The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba.

Book by January 31, 2024, save on Upgraded Rooms & Suites on stays between July 15, 2023 - January 31, 2024, at participating hotels and resorts across the Caribbean & Latin America. To book use promotional code HDK when making an online reservation or call 1-800-MARRIOTT.

About Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world, with 31 brands that are tailored to every type of journey. From The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to W Hotels and more, Marriott Bonvoy has more luxury offerings than any other travel program. Members can earn points for stays at hotels?and resorts,?including all-inclusive resorts and?premium?home rentals, and through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Momentstm, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques.?To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit? marriottbonvoy.com .

Media Contact

Melissa Pena

Director of Public Relations, Caribbean

[email protected]

SOURCE Marriott International

25 october 2023 at 10:00

News published onand distributed by:
Bloomberg Government Will Provide Expert Market Insights at AFCEA DC 2023-2024 DC Luncheon Series





WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Government today announced it is the exclusive industry insights media sponsor of the AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter (AFCEA DC) 2023-2024 Luncheon Series.

The AFCEA DC luncheon series brings together leaders from defense and intelligence communities and their industry partners to explore strategies and issues related to information technology. This year's series consists of seven luncheons from November 2023 through June 2024 on topics ranging from digital twins to generative AI to support the warfighter to DISA and Space Force priorities. At each of these events, a Bloomberg Government analyst will provide industry and market insights that draw on Bloomberg Government's federal market intelligence.

"BGOV is proud to partner with AFCEA DC on this valuable series of conversations, bringing together those working in government and industry," said Arielle Elliott, president, Bloomberg Government. "Our expert analysis, along with our focused data sets and propriety tools, enable our customers to make smarter decisions, discover more relevant federal contracting opportunities, and identify potential partners."

"We are thrilled to have Bloomberg Government as the industry insights series sponsor of our 2023-2024 luncheon series," said Jessica Hersey, President of AFCEA DC. "Attendees of our annual luncheon series will benefit from Bloomberg Government's trusted market insights and analysis."

The first event in the series, "Forging Future Frontlines with Digital Twins for Warfighting: How the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community are Building Digital Twins to Strengthen Warfighting Capabilities," will be held November 1 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia.

For more information about Bloomberg Government, visit http://onb-gov.com/8GQZ50PYAxW.

About Bloomberg Government

Bloomberg Government is a premium, subscription-based service that provides comprehensive information and analytics for professionals who interact with ? or are affected by ? the government. Delivering news, analytics, and data-driven decision tools, Bloomberg Government's digital workspace gives an intelligent edge to government affairs and contracting professionals. For more information or a demo, visit Bloomberg Government.

About AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter

AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter largely focuses on the Department of Defense, intelligence community, national security and military health related agencies. Chapter activities include monthly luncheon programs, featuring a panel of government and military leaders, the annual Winter Gala networking event, and the Spring Military IT Leadership Awards. Additionally, the chapter hosts a full-day technology summit in the Spring and works year-round to raise funds for STEM scholarships. Since May 1989, AFCEA Washington, DC has awarded 450 scholarships totaling more than $2,800,000 to students from 112 area high schools going to 80 U.S. colleges. For more information, visit dc.afceachapters.org.

About AFCEA International

AFCEA is an international organization that serves its members by providing a forum for the ethical exchange of information. AFCEA is dedicated to increasing knowledge through the exploration of issues relevant to its members in information technology, communications, and electronics for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities. For more information, visit www.afcea.org.

SOURCE Bloomberg Government

25 october 2023 at 10:53

News published onand distributed by:
RIOPELLE: CROSSROADS IN TIME





Five decades of artistic creation by one of Canada's most celebrated 20th-century visual artists at home and abroad, as you've never seen it before

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - The opening of the major retrospective Riopelle: Crossroads in Time will take place tomorrow evening, October 26, starting at 5 p.m. EDT, as part of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) Free Thursday Nights. On view until April 7, 2024, the exhibition showcases the breadth of Jean Paul Riopelle's talent and the diversity of his work and passions, including his acclaimed works alongside creations rarely or never seen before.

"Paying homage to Jean Paul Riopelle on the centenary of his birth is not only important but also an opportunity to discover or become reacquainted with his artistic legacy," said Jean-Francois Belisle, Director and CEO of the NGC. "In this exhibition, we see Riopelle venture off the beaten path, stretching the limits of paint by applying it with a palette knife or spray can, or diving into sculpture, printmaking, drawing and even collage, continually defying the borders between figuration and abstraction. I hope that the discoveries and reminiscences gathered here will move you as much as they have moved us. I would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the numerous lenders for their generosity in parting with their works so that the public could enjoy them. Riopelle: Crossroads in Time and the new perspectives that it opens would not have been possible without their contributions."

Organized by the NGC and guest curated by Sylvie Lacerte, PhD, art historian, author and independent researcher, Riopelle: Crossroads in Time offers an original portrait of the artist and challenges some of the preconceived ideas about his work. Through his creative cycles, it explores his multifaceted practice, his thirst for freedom of expression outside schools and diktats, his insatiable curiosity, and his visionary and innovative approach.

The retrospective is organized chronologically and unfolds five decades of Jean Paul Riopelle's career, from his earliest works and his Automatiste period in the 1940s, to his last works in the early 1990s. In between these two bookends, we move through the 1950s, marked by the artist's famous abstract mosaics; the 1960s, during which he became much sought after; his prolific exploration of mixed techniques and bronze sculpture in the 1970s; and his return to figuration in the 1980s as he had done in his early days.

"Jean Paul Riopelle is a pillar of our history, who has left in his wake a multifaceted body of work that encourages pushing past boundaries, and this is perhaps his greatest legacy," points out Sylvie Lacerte, guest curator of the retrospective Riopelle: Crossroads in Time. "Underlining the extraordinary career of this prodigious artist enables us to keep the memory of his accomplishments alive. Riopelle was first and foremost a trailblazer, and that is precisely what made him an eminently contemporary artist. Riopelle was invested in the present moment; situating him at a crossroads in time ? in the past that was his and the present that is ours ? highlights the currency of a body of work that will always be in the here and now."

Among the works on view are Le Perroquet vert [The Green Parrot], 1949; the monumental triptych Hommage aux Nympheas ? Pavane [Tribute to the Water Lilies ? Pavane], 1954, from the NGC Collection; the collage Gardes [Guards], 1967; the sculpture Hibou accompagne [Accompanied Owl], 1970; and one of his last works, Sans titre (Autour de Rosa) [Untitled (About Rosa)], 1992.

Visitors will also discover Riopelle's influence across a broad range of cultural and aesthetic perspectives through the inclusion of selected works by his contemporaries ? Sam Francis, Alberto Giacometti, Roseline Granet, Serge Lemoyne, Joan Mitchell, and Francoise Sullivan ? and some visual artists working today ? Thomas Corriveau, Patrick Coutu, Brian Jungen, Manuel Mathieu, Caroline Monnet, Marc-Antoine K. Phaneuf, Marc Seguin, et Aida Vosoughi.

In addition to the works drawn from the NGC Collection, works on display come from some thirty Canadian and international private and public collections, including the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; the Art Gallery of Ontario; the Musee national d'art moderne at the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa, France Chretien-Desmarais and Andre Desmarais, Yseult Riopelle, Simon Blais, and Huguette Vachon. In all, some 130 works testify to Riopelle's exceptional talent and significant legacy.

The public is invited to join guest curator Sylvie Lacerte for a guided tour of the exhibition on Saturday, October 28, at 2 p.m. EDT in English and at 11 a.m. EDT in French. Visit gallery.ca to learn more about the public program offered in conjunction with Riopelle: Crossroads in Time.

A richly illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition. It is on sale at the Gallery's Boutique and at ShopNGC.ca.

The Gallery is grateful for the generous support of the Heffel Foundation and VIA Rail Canada, sponsors of the exhibition. Riopelle: Crossroads in Time is also made possible thanks to the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, The Young Family Foundation and Don and Sheila Pether. Special thanks to Power Corporation of Canada, principal supporter of the NGC Foundation's Jean Paul Riopelle gala. Riopelle: Crossroads in Time is presented as part of the Jean Paul Riopelle Centennial celebrations, an initiative of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation. #Riopelle100

Riopelle: Crossroads in Time will be on view at the Winnipeg Art Gallery from June 1 to September 29, 2024

Tomorrow evening's public opening is part of the Gallery's popular Free Thursday Nights, which is supported by the Sobey Art Foundation in celebration of the 2023 Sobey Art Award exhibition for the duration of its run.

For media use only ? to book an interview or obtain images, please contact:

About the National Gallery of Canada

Ankose: Everything is Connected / Tout est relie

The NGC is dedicated to amplifying voices through art and extending the reach and breadth of its collection, exhibitions program, and public activities to represent all Canadians, while centring Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Ankose?an Anishinaabemowin word that means "everything is connected"?reflects the Gallery's mission to create dynamic experiences that open hearts and minds, and allow for new ways of seeing ourselves, one another, and our diverse histories, through the visual arts. The NGC is home to a rich contemporary Indigenous international art collection, as well as important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian and European art from the 14th to the 21st century. Founded in 1880, the NGC has played a key role in Canadian culture for more than 140 years.

To find out more about the Gallery's programming and activities, visit gallery.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. #Ankose #EverythingIsConnected #ToutEstRelie.

About the National Gallery of Canada Foundation

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation is dedicated to supporting the National Gallery of Canada in fulfilling its mandate. By fostering strong philanthropic partnerships, the Foundation provides the Gallery with the additional financial support required to lead Canada's visual arts community locally, nationally and internationally. The blend of public support and private philanthropy empowers the Gallery to preserve and interpret Canada's visual arts heritage. The Foundation welcomes present and deferred gifts for special projects and endowments. To learn more about the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, visit ngcfoundation.ca.

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

25 october 2023 at 11:00

News published onand distributed by:
Aspen Medical Products Launches First Off-the-Shelf Cervical to Sacrum Spine System





IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Medical Products (Aspen), the industry leader in spine solutions for pain and mobility management, has launched the VRTX System ? the first fully integrated spinal support system on the market for post-operative and trauma care.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, millions of spine-related injuries occur annually in the United States. Patients with traumatic, multi-level spinal injuries typically require a custom Cervical Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Orthosis (CTLSO) that stabilizes the spine before or after surgery. These patients may wait for up to three days to receive their CTLSO after being measured and fit, increasing the risk for deep vein thrombosis, bed sores, respiratory issues and other complications.

The VRTX System is the first-ever cervical to sacrum system designed to redefine spinal care in acute care settings. The prefabricated design with intuitive adjustable sizing helps clinicians to fit patients and stabilize the spine immediately. This off-the-shelf solution can help to reduce length of stay and risk of complications, while optimizing operational efficiencies in hospitals by enhancing time and inventory management.

"Aspen is once again leading innovation and clinical solutions with the VRTX System," said Jim Cloar, Aspen's Chief Executive Officer. "We understand the need for an improved patient and clinician experience, and we designed the VRTX System to bring value to the healthcare system as a whole. Our resulting goal was to create a family of products that all interact with one another, simplify the fitting process through intuitive design and ensure ease of use at home. We are proud to bring the first total spine solution to market."

A pioneer in advancing spine care, the VRTX System is built on a foundation of outcomes and innovation. The modular, low-profile design comfortably supports a diverse range of patient anatomies and improves patient outcomes by helping them to get ambulatory faster. An integrated QR code scans to patient instructions so proper application directions are always on hand, helping to ensure compliance.

Comprised of a prefabricated CTO, TLSO, LSO and CTLSO, each component in the VRTX System provides optimal motion restriction and can be stepped down or stepped up depending on patient need. This modular solution allows for standardization of products and services in the hospital to maximize staff efficiencies and patient care.

Building upon the success of the Vista Cervical Collar, Aspen has incorporated enhanced features into the new VRTX Collar. A symmetrical back panel ensures precise and consistent application every time, and clinicians now have the convenience of writing directly on the collar's surface to mark pad replacement time. Additionally, more finite height adjustments fit a wider range of patients, and the VRTX Collar can be adjusted to a lower setting.

"From day one, Aspen has been committed to understanding the intricate needs and challenges of both patients and healthcare providers. Years of patient and clinician feedback as well as industry insights have been our guiding forces while creating the VRTX System. This innovation is more than just a product; it's a testament to our dedication to improve the healthcare landscape and ultimately enhance the well-being of all those we serve," said Albert Romo, Aspen's Director of Research and Development.

More information on the VRTX System is available at vrtx.aspenmp.com.

About Aspen Medical Products

Founded in 1994, Aspen Medical Products, LLC is the industry leader in the development and manufacturing of spinal orthopedics and pain therapy solutions. Designed to restore function and alleviate pain, Aspen's products address a variety of patient needs across the continuum of care to help them resume activities of daily living. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Aspen has local sales representation throughout the U.S. and internationally. www.aspenmp.com

SOURCE Aspen Medical Products

25 october 2023 at 11:00

News published onand distributed by:
Excellence Canada announces the 2023 Canada Awards for Excellence Recipients





TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Excellence Canada is pleased to announce it will be celebrating the 39th anniversary of the Canada Awards for Excellence on November 17th. This year, 12 awards will be presented to outstanding Canadian organizations in recognition of their commitment to continual improvement and pursuit of excellence. Award categories include: Organizational Excellence, Excellence, Innovation & Wellness; Healthy Workplace; and Mental Health at Work.

Excellence Canada's mission is to help organizations in all sectors become the best-in-class by implementing standards of excellence. Excellence Canada is a not-for-profit organization that certifies and recognizes organizations that embody these attributes: they are innovative, customer-focused, competitive, financially and environmentally sustainable, are good corporate citizens, actively pursue strategies to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of their employees, and they create a healthy workplace culture that attracts and retains the best people.

The Canada Awards for Excellence is an annual awards program established in 1984 that recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors coast-to-coast across Canada.

Shirlee Sharkey, Chair of Excellence Canada, said, "On behalf of the Board of Directors of Excellence Canada, I am very pleased to present the Canada Awards for Excellence to this year's award recipients. I would like to extend congratulations to all of these organizations that have met the rigorous standards and requirements through the Canada Awards for Excellence program. You are all truly role-models of excellence."

Allan Ebedes, President and CEO of Excellence Canada, remarked, "Over the past 39 years we have recognized more than 690 outstanding organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors that have met the highest standards for quality, excellence, innovation, and healthy workplaces. This year we are delighted to be presenting the coveted Canada Awards for Excellence to 12 excellent organizations. We are also honoured to be presenting the Board of Governors' Special Recognition of Achievement Awards to three distinguished Canadians: Ajay K. Agrawal, David R. Beatty, and Dr. Samir K. Sinha."

The awards will be presented at the 2023 Performance Excellence Summit and Canada Awards for Excellence on Friday, November 17th. For complete event details and registration, please visit www.excellencesummit.ca

A FULL LIST OF THE AWARD RECIPIENTS FOLLOWS

Recipients of the 39th Canada Awards for Excellence, 2023

EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND WELLNESS

This award is based on Excellence Canada's Excellence, Innovation and Wellness Standard which was developed by Excellence Canada in association with its partners and professionals from across Canada.

Silver Award Recipients

Garantie de construction residentielle (GCR) ? Montreal, Quebec

Montreal, Quebec Greenfield Global Quebec Inc. ? Varennes , Quebec

, Quebec Logistik Unicorp Inc. ? Saint-Jean-sur Richelieu , Quebec

, Quebec Quebec Metallurgy Center ? Cegep de Trois-Rivieres, Quebec

HEALTHY WORKPLACE 

The Excellence Canada Healthy Workplace Standard was developed in partnership with Health Canada and in association with professionals from the health and wellness sectors.

Gold Recipient

Ricoh Canada Inc. ? Mississauga, Ontario

Silver Award Recipient

Peel Regional Police ? Mississauga, Ontario

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK  AWARD

This award is based on Excellence Canada's - Mental Health at Work framework. The Mental Health at Work framework was developed by Excellence Canada in association with mental health and work safety professionals from across Canada, and the requirements incorporate principles and practices as outlined in the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Gold Award Recipient

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit ? Brockville, Ontario

Silver Award Recipient

Across Boundaries: An Ethnoracial Mental Health Centre ? Toronto, Ontario

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

This award is based on Excellence Canada's Organizational Excellence Standard which was developed by Excellence Canada in association with its partners and professionals from across Canada. It is a robust yet flexible framework that uses a data-driven assessment to find gaps and opportunities for continual improvement in all private and public sector organizations, businesses, and institutions. Through Organizational Excellence Standard implementation and certification, organizations will adopt best practices for sustained excellence and peak performance.

Order of Excellence Recipient

SE Health ? Markham, Ontario

Platinum Award?Recipient

Enterprise Technology Strategy, Government Information Technology Ontario (GovTechON), Ministry of Public & Business Service Delivery ? Toronto, Ontario

Gold Award Recipient

Students and Enrolment Division, Carleton University ? Ottawa, Ontario

Silver Award Recipient

Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council ? Inuvik, Northwest Territories

RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

From time-to-time, the Excellence Canada Board of Governors recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canadian society and/or the global human condition. Past Award recipients have included Dr. David Suzuki, former Prime Minister The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Lt.-General The Honourable Romeo A. Dallaire, The Honourable Flora MacDonald, Sir Richard Branson, Mr. Rick Hansen, Ms. Margaret Trudeau, Rick Mercer, Bianca Andreescu, Mary Deacon, Mitch Fairrais, Phyllis Webstad and Mr. Chris Hadfield.

This year, in keeping with the Summit theme "Moving Forward with Excellence", the Board of Governors is presenting the Special Recognition of Achievement Award to:

Ajay K. Agrawal , Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and NBER, in recognition of groundbreaking work in Artificial Intelligence and distinguished service at the Rotman School of Management and the Creative Destruction Lab.

, Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Rotman School of Management, and NBER, in recognition of groundbreaking work in Artificial Intelligence and distinguished service at the Rotman School of Management and the Creative Destruction Lab. David R. Beatty , C.M., O.B.E., F.ICD, CFA, Founding Director, The David & Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto , in recognition of lifelong commitment to advancing Corporate Governance Innovation and fostering education at the Rotman School of Management.

, C.M., O.B.E., F.ICD, CFA, Founding Director, The David & Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation, Rotman School of Management, , in recognition of lifelong commitment to advancing Corporate Governance Innovation and fostering education at the Rotman School of Management. Dr. Samir K. Sinha , MD, DPhil, FRCPC, AGSF, Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Chair in Geriatrics and Director of Geriatrics, Sinai Health and the University Health Network, Professor of Medicine, Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto and Adjunct Professor of Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , in recognition of exceptional research and work on developing sustainable health care models that can better meet the needs of our ageing populations.

PROUD SPONSORS OF CANADIAN EXCELLENCE

Excellence Canada gratefully acknowledges the support of the following organizations that have helped make this year's events possible.

Cocktail Reception Sponsor

CEO Global Network

Networking Break Sponsor

Wajax Corporation

Media Sponsors

Globe and Mail

Industry Sponsor

Across Boundaries

Carleton University

The Inclusion Project

The Regional Municipality of Durham

The Regional Municipality of York

SE Health

SparkPower Corporation

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

SOURCE Excellence Canada

25 october 2023 at 11:05

News published onand distributed by:
Global Oral Care Brand CURAPROX Accelerates Omni-Channel Retail Strategy to Drive Growth in the US Market





Swiss Oral Care Leader Brings Professional Quality and Enhanced Accessibility to Expanding Industry

MESA, Ariz., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global provider of holistic oral health solutions, CURAPROX, is proud to announce its new omni-channel retail strategy designed to accelerate growth in the United States market. With a strong emphasis on enhancing brand accessibility, this strategy marks a significant milestone for CURAPROX as it aims to further expand its presence in the rapidly growing oral care market.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary just last year, CURAPROX has established itself as a market leader in several European countries, known for its premium Swiss quality, beautiful design, and endorsement by dental professionals worldwide. CURAPROX offers a complete portfolio, including interdental brushes, floss, toothpaste, manual and power toothbrushes, all of which are designed and manufactured in Switzerland. In the United States, CURAPROX has primarily reached consumers through dental professionals, its own web shop curaprox.us, and the e-commerce giant Amazon. Notably, the brand has witnessed a remarkable threefold increase in sales on Amazon in just two years, reflecting the growing demand for their products in the US market with thousands of five-star ratings on the full range of products.

The oral care market has experienced robust development in recent years, with strong growth expected to reach a remarkable USD 51.37 billion by the year 2030. This substantial growth is attributed to the increasing awareness of the importance of oral health and hygiene. While the market has historically been dominated by big brands, it has also witnessed the emergence of new players and startups eager to make their mark. CURAPROX, which has name recognition worldwide, resembles a startup brand in the US market, with an ability to make agile marketing moves in time with its much larger competitors.

"Our focus on expanding CURAPROX's retail presence is stronger than ever," said Steffen Mueller, Managing Director, USA. Mueller brings broad experience from global brands such as Philips, Gillette and L'Oreal for this role. "We will take CURAPROX into a period of great omni-channel growth; we are poised to make our premium oral care products more accessible to consumers in the US."

With a strong commitment to fostering oral health education, CURAPROX has perfected a proprietary training method called iTop, an individualized trained oral care prophylaxis program, which is unique in the industry. This hands-on training empowers consumers through education facilitated by dental professionals, enhancing their oral healthcare routines. CURAPROX recognizes that educating consumers and providing accurate information are pivotal in transforming consumer behavior towards better oral health.

"Improving oral health is a shared mission, and one that CURAPROX can capitalize on as we reach more consumers through retail," Shannon M. Nanne, RDH and Director of Professional Relations and Education at Curaden USA. "Our commitment to education and better access to high-quality oral care is at the heart of our strategy."

"CURAPROX's products exemplify the pinnacle of oral care excellence, characterized by premium Swiss quality, beautiful design, and a rich legacy of being trusted and recommended by dental professionals worldwide," said Dr. Sercan Akyalcin. "As a dental professional, I can confidently affirm the outstanding value these products bring to the realm of oral health. The commitment to quality and the brand's reputation within the dental community make CURAPROX a natural choice for those seeking the best in oral care."

This new omni-channel strategy is poised to provide consumers with greater accessibility to their premium oral care products. The brand is set to make its foray into brick-and-mortar stores, ensuring that consumers can easily access and experience the excellence of CURAPROX's oral care offerings firsthand. The future for CURAPROX in the United States looks promising as it expands its reach, making premium oral care more accessible and convenient for consumers across the nation.

To learn more about CURAPROX and its gentle and effective oral health solutions, click here and follow the brand's progress on Instagram at @curaproxusa.

About CURAPROX:

CURAPROX - the product brand of Curaden - has been the go-to provider for premium Swiss oral care products since 1972. Founded on the principle that oral health goes far beyond white teeth and fresh breath, Curaden works closely with dental professionals to develop exceptional CURAPROX products. The advanced line of Manual Toothbrushes, Power Toothbrushes, Toothpaste and Interdental tools are designed ergonomically to keep your mouth, teeth and gums in perfect condition ? regardless of braces, brackets or sensitivities. CURAPROX's range of products are noticeably attractive, highly effective and a pleasure to use. Brushing your teeth is fun with CURAPROX ? delivering tangible results and products that keep you motivated to clean thoroughly. CURAPROX's full range of premium Swiss oral care is available at CURAPROX-Shop USA as well as Amazon.com/Curaprox.

SOURCE CURAPROX

25 october 2023 at 13:00

News published onand distributed by:
Study Reveals the Need to Expand Maternal Mortality Categorization Beyond Pregnancy-Related Deaths





New Research Shows Prior Hospitalization, Severe Maternal Morbidity, and Opioid Use Disorder Were Key Contributors to Pregnancy-Associated Deaths in Massachusetts from 2002 to 2019.

BOSTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice announced today its participation in a new study that revealed pregnancy-associated deaths as an urgent public health concern deserving greater scrutiny by maternal mortality review committees and the clinical and public health community at large. Research has found severe maternal morbidity (SMM), opioid use disorder, and prior hospital contacts were contributors to pregnancy-associated, but not pregnancy-related deaths in Massachusetts from 2002 to 2019. It also identified four times as many pregnancy-associated deaths than pregnancy-related ones and a high rate of hospital contacts (hospital admission, observational stays, and ER visits) for those who ultimately died during pregnancy through one year postpartum.

"We're seeing much higher incidences of pregnancy-associated death; meaning a death during or within one year of pregnancy regardless of the cause. With this new research, imagine now the number of lives we can potentially save."

Published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study examined deaths among Massachusetts birthing people during pregnancy or postpartum and found:

Of the 1,291,626 deliveries during the period observed, 384 were linked to pregnancy-associated deaths.

Pregnancy-associated but not pregnancy-related deaths (per 100,000 deliveries) were highest for birthing people with opioid use before pregnancy, severe maternal morbidity, comorbidity, or prior hospitalization.

Individuals with pregnancy-associated deaths were also more likely to have been hospitalized before or during pregnancy.

Among postpartum deaths, more than two-thirds (69.9%) of birthing people had hospital contact after delivery and before their death.

"There is a breakdown in the numbers of how Massachusetts maternal death rates are being reported," said Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and founder of the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice. She continued, "We're seeing much higher incidences of pregnancy-associated death; meaning a death during or within one year of pregnancy regardless of the cause. With this new research, imagine now the number of lives we can potentially save."

Dr. Eugene Declercq, professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health said, "The problem of pregnancy-associated deaths isn't just a lack of access to care, but also the inability to address the problems of high-risk individuals when they do have multiple contacts with the system. There is a clear need to expand the focus of maternal mortality to the much larger group of pregnancy-associated deaths to understand the risk factors and events that lead to many of these preventable deaths."

The study was conducted as part of the NIH Research Project Grant R01MD016026 by Tufts University School of Medicine the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine; Boston University School of Public Health; the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Evalogic Services, Inc.; and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego.

About the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice

The Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ) is the first center of its kind, in the country, to foster academic and community-engaged research with a focus on Black maternal health and eliminating inequities. Born out of the MOTHER Lab, the Center is founded and directed by Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH, CHES, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health and Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine. CBMHRJ works to protect the Black birthing experience by advocating for quality, equitable, and respectful care in childbirth. The center seeks to create a world where Black women can safely, efficiently, and comfortably receive equitable access to healthcare services without having to navigate through racism and/or discrimination in medical settings.

Media Contact

Jennifer Chapple Ingram, Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice, 1 617-636-6948, [email protected], https://blackmaternalhealth.tufts.edu

SOURCE Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice

25 october 2023 at 13:30

News published onand distributed by:
Sentry Foundation contributes an additional $350K to support Maui wildfire recovery; total giving reaches $1 million





Company leaders surprise four Maui non-profits during island visit

STEVENS POINT, Wis. and MAUI, Hawaii, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sentry Insurance reaffirmed its commitment to the Maui community, announcing additional donations of $350,000 to bolster the ongoing Maui wildfire recovery efforts. This contribution brings the company's total giving to Maui non-profits for direct wildfire relief to $1 million. As the venue for the PGA TOUR's The Sentry (formerly the Sentry Tournament of Champions), the island holds special significance for Sentry, which has served as the event's title sponsor since 2018.

"We're in awe of the strength and unity we've witnessed on the island as it comes together after the wildfires."

Sentry leaders surprised four Maui non-profits?Maui United Way, Maui Food Bank, University of Hawaii-Maui, and Boys & Girls Club of Maui?with the donations during a visit to the island earlier this month to better understand the needs of the community.

Pete McPartland, Chairman and CEO of Sentry, expressed his admiration for the island's resilience, stating, "We're in awe of the strength and unity we've witnessed on the island as it comes together after the wildfires. Maui is like family to us?a part of our ohana, a Sentry community. And we'll stand by Maui throughout the recovery and rebuilding process."

Sentry's commitment includes recognizing The Sentry event qualifiers by making a $2,000 donation in each player's honor for the 2024 event.

The breakdown of the donations is as follows:

$100,000 to Maui United Way

to Maui United Way $100,000 to Maui Food Bank

to Maui Food Bank $100,000 to University of Hawaii -Maui College

to -Maui College $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui

The donations to the University of Hawaii-Maui College and Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui each include a $10,000 match on donations by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Boys and Girls Club of Portage County, respectively. The four organizations are part of Sentry's Connected Communities initiative, which launched in 2022 and serves to connect Maui with the city of Stevens Point, Wis., where Sentry is headquartered.

Quotes:

"With so much tragedy happening across the world right now, it can be difficult to look up and understand how long of a road we have ahead of us. True partners like Sentry understand that this will be years of recovery, and continued support like this gift is imperative to ensuring that so many in need don't fall through the cracks."?Nicholas Winfrey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Maui United Way.

"This donation and support bring hope and opportunity, filling the needs of the community, during one of the most tragic times. Sentry not only matched our incredible Connected Communities partner, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portage County, but increased it to $50,000. This enables the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui to continue and grow our services to Maui and the West Side community through outreach, relief efforts, programs and more?now and in the future."?Thomas "TJ" Daya, Director of Operations, Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui.

"Through Sentry's Connected Communities Initiative, our Boys & Girls Club fostered a bond with Maui's BGC. We were deeply affected by the wildfires and the temporary loss of their Club house. We quickly provided relief through programs and essential supplies, rallying our Stevens Point community to raise $20,000 for recovery. We also sent Wisconsin care packages to show our support to the BGC staff on Maui. Though we can't be there in person, we're dedicated to helping our friends."?Kevin Quevillon, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of Portage County.

"This additional $100,000 gift from Sentry is a tremendous blessing for our organization as it will enable us to expand our hunger relief programs and help us continue addressing a critical need in our community."?Richard Yust, Executive Director, Maui Food Bank.

"As a community, we continue to face the challenges presented by the wildfire's aftermath every day. When folks like those at Sentry and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point jump in to help from more than 4,000 miles away, words can't express how much it means to our community. Even more than the financial support?which is certainly critical?the thoughtfulness warms our hearts and reminds us of the goodness of humanity. It reminds us of what Maui means to the rest of the world and helps us to persevere."?Chancellor Lui Hokoana, University of Hawai'i-Maui College.

"UWSP's participation in the Connected Communities initiative afforded me the opportunity to immediately bond with Chancellor Lui over our shared vision for institutional and student success. Leading institutions of higher learning is not for the faint of heart. I appreciate having Chancellor Lui as a friend and partner in the shared pursuit of public good. When I learned of the deadly wildfires and its devasting impact on the people of Maui College, it was an easy decision to extend some help. I only wished that I could do more."?Chancellor Thomas Gibson, Ed.D., University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

About Sentry

Sentry Insurance is a part of one of the largest and most financially secure mutual insurance groups in the United States, holding a Financial Strength Rating of A+ (superior) from AM Best, current as of June 2023.

See ambest.com/ratings/guide.pdf for rating information. Sentry and its subsidiaries sell property and casualty insurance, life insurance, annuities, and retirement programs for business and individuals throughout the country. Headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Sentry employs more than 4,900 associates across the country. See a complete list of underwriting companies at sentry.com.

About Sentry Insurance Foundation

The Sentry Insurance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Sentry. Giving priorities include education, workforce development, United Way, and local organizations that work to improve the quality of life and build equitable communities where we live and work, including the Maui community.

SOURCE Sentry Insurance

25 october 2023 at 13:41

News published onand distributed by:
Boston Scientific AGENTtm Drug-Coated Balloon Demonstrates Superiority to Uncoated Balloon Angioplasty in the AGENT IDE Trial





Data from first coronary DCB study in U.S. meet 12-month primary endpoint, demonstrate low adverse event rates with AGENT DCB

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced positive 12-month results from the pivotal AGENT IDE clinical trial of the AGENTtm Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB).1 Primary endpoint findings from this first clinical trial in the U.S. to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of using a DCB to treat coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) were presented in a late-breaking clinical trial session at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

While coronary stenting is commonly used to restore blood flow to the heart in patients with coronary artery disease, ISR ? a condition in which the stented section of the artery becomes obstructed or narrowed by plaque or scar tissue ? still occurs in some cases and is addressed in 10% of U.S. percutaneous coronary interventions.2,3 The AGENT DCB is a paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter designed to re-open these vessels and then transfer the therapeutic drug to the vessel wall to help prevent ISR reoccurrence.

This trial met the primary endpoint of target lesion failure4 (TLF) at 12 months with the AGENT DCB demonstrating statistical superiority to uncoated balloon angioplasty (17.9% vs. 28.7%; P=0.006). These differences were mainly driven by significantly reduced rates of myocardial infarction related to the target vessel (TV-MI, or heart attack) and the need for a target lesion revascularization (TLR, or a repeated percutaneous coronary intervention) procedure. Overall, data demonstrated an approximate 38% relative risk reduction in TLF, and additional 12-month event rates for the AGENT DCB vs. uncoated balloon included:

Zero definite/probable cases of clotting within the stent, known as stent thrombosis (0.0% vs. 3.9%, P=0.001)

51% risk reduction in TLR (12.4% vs. 24.0%, P=0.002)

49% risk reduction in TV-MI (6.4% vs. 12.3%, P=0.03)

"Positive outcomes in this complex trial population ? from the markedly lower rate of target lesion failure to the significant reduction in heart attack and no stent thromboses ? support the AGENT DCB as an alternative treatment option for coronary in-stent restenosis," said principal investigator Dr. Robert W. Yeh, section chief of interventional cardiology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Katz-Silver Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Meaningful therapy advancements for this condition are critical, and the ability to reduce the risk of restenosis without using radiation or introducing another layer of metal stenting is a promising step forward."

The data presented today from this multicenter, prospective and randomized controlled AGENT IDE trial include the first 480 of 600 patients enrolled across 40 U.S. sites.5 Within the patient population, 44% had multiple stent layers in the target lesion, and 51% were diabetic.

"These encouraging results add to the growing body of clinical evidence supporting the AGENT DCB, spanning nearly 7,400 patients in 14 completed and ongoing studies worldwide," said Dr. Janarthanan Sathananthan, M.D., chief medical officer, Interventional Cardiology Therapies, Boston Scientific. "In light of the successful real-world use of the device outside the U.S., we look forward to using these encouraging data to support FDA approval and bringing this important therapy to more physicians and patients in need."

The AGENT DCB was approved in Japan in 2023 and received CE Mark in 2014 for the treatment of patients with ISR and previously untreated small vessel coronary disease. Used to treat more than 100,000 patients globally to date, this technology was granted Breakthrough Device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021, a status intended to provide patients more timely access to novel devices that may provide a substantial improvement over existing therapies. More information on the AGENT IDE trial is available here.

The AGENT DCB is an investigational device. Restricted by Federal law to investigational use only. Not available for sale in the U.S.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "may," "intend" and similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding our business plans, product performance and impact, new and anticipated product approvals and launches, and clinical trials. If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.

Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future global economic, political, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions; expected procedural volumes; demographic trends; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; execution and effect of our business strategy; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors. All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A ? Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A ? Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter. We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.

CONTACTS:

Angela Mineo

Media Relations

(763) 955-8325 (office)

[email protected]

Lauren Tengler

Investor Relations

(508) 683-4479

[email protected]

* Dr. Robert Yeh is a paid consultant of Boston Scientific Corporation. He has not been compensated in connection with this press release.

1 Yeh RW, Bachinsky W, Stoler R, et al. Rationale and design of a randomized study comparing the AGENT drug coated balloon to plain old balloon angioplasty in patients with In-stent restenosis. American Heart Journal. 2021;241:101-107. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2021.07.008.

2 Moussa ID, Mohananey D, Saucedo J, et al. Trends and outcomes of restenosis after coronary stent implantation in the United States. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;76:1521-1531.

3 Shlofmitz E, Iantorno M, Waksman R. Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents: A New Classification System Based on Disease Mechanism to Guide Treatment and State-of-the-Art Review. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2019 Aug;12(8):e007023. doi: 10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.118.007023.

4 TLF was defined as myocardial infarction relative to the target vessel, the need for a target lesion revascularization (TLR) procedure or cardiac mortality.

5 Prespecified interim analysis of 480 patients

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation

25 october 2023 at 14:29

News published onand distributed by:
By Victor Ing,

Special to The Post

At our immigration law office we frequently consult with clients about spousal sponsorships, which involves an application by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent residence in Canada. These applications are quite commonplace and represent a large proportion of approvals each year. To illustrate, in 2021 over 69,000 foreign nationals were admitted to Canada as permanent residents under a spousal sponsorship and this represented about 17% of the total admissions approved for the entire year. Though spousal sponsorships generally have a high success rate, the application process is often confusing to clients because there are two separate streams: the Family Class and the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class (SCLPC). While these streams used to differ quite significantly from each other, new changes announced in May 2023 have eliminated many of the traditional differences. Here is what you need to know!

The traditional distinction between the Family Class and the SCLPC concerned the location of the main applicant for permanent residence. Those who resided outside Canada would traditionally apply under the Family Class and would not come to Canada until their application was approved. Those who resided in Canada would apply under the SCLPC and would be expected to live with their sponsor until processing was complete. This might apply, for instance, to international students, foreign workers, and even visitors to Canada.

This distinction resulted in practical consequences for applicants. For example, Family Class and SCLPC applications used to have noticeably different processing times  SCLPC applications tended to have longer processing times because there was less pressure to finalize the application since both spouses were already living together in Canada. On the other hand, since SCLPC applicants were already living in Canada they have the option of applying for an open work permit that allows them to legally work while waiting for their permanent resident status to be approved. This helped reduce the financial burden on the family, as both spouses could financially contribute to household and other expenses, and it also allowed the applicant spouse to participate in the labour market right away instead of waiting to find work only after receiving an approval for permanent residence. For these reasons, the SCLPC was often considered the better stream because the applicant spouse could remain in Canada with their Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsor and legally work during the processing period.

To take advantage of the SCLPC, many overseas spouses chose to apply for temporary visas to come to Canada to work, study or visit, with the intention that they will file their permanent residence application after arrival in Canada. Unfortunately, their marital status always proved to be a complicating factor.

Immigration visa officers are trained to refuse temporary visa applications if there is reason to believe that the applicant will not depart Canada when their temporary status ends, and having a spouse living in Canada makes it highly likely that the person will want to stay in Canada regardless of status. The same concern would arise if a couple were not yet married but wanted to get married in Canada  a visa officer would be skeptical that the purpose of the visit to Canada was solely to get married and to celebrate the nuptials with friends and family and that the overseas spouse would later depart Canada. This led to many refusals of overseas applications and it often felt unfair to applicants who are from countries that require visas to travel to Canada. Why should they have to justify their trip to Canada when others from the United States or other visa-exempt countries could travel to Canada with little to no scrutiny?

Changes announced on May 26, 2023 have closed the gap between the Family Class and the SCLPC and now make it more equitable for applicants from visa-required countries. Specifically, former Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, announced several new measures that make it easier for Family Class applicants to start a life in Canada, including:

 Expedited processing times for visitor visa applications made by spouses living overseas to come to Canada;

 A more relaxed approach to visa processing to ensure that families can reunite sooner in Canada while their spousal sponsorship application is processing; and

 An open work permit option for Family Class applicants who have arrived in Canada as visitors to allow them to enter the Canadian labour force as soon as receipt of their permanent residence application is acknowledged.

Collectively, these changes ensure that all spousal sponsorship applicants are treated as equally as possible. Regardless of their country of nationality, spousal applicants should be able to come to Canada to reunite with their Canadian citizen or permanent resident spouse and be allowed to work during the processing of their application.

Family reunification has long been a cornerstone of Canadian immigration law. As the former Minister stated in the May 2023 announcement, family reunification is a matter of compassion and there are no good reasons to keep families separated while their application is under processing or to deny spouses the ability to enter the Canadian labour market before an approval is granted. Allowing spouses to work can only serve to maximize their contributions to our economy and fast-track their integration into Canadian society over the long run. The May 2023 announcement represents a significant commitment to family reunification and gives hope to spouses living overseas that they can start their new life in Canada sooner than previously thought. Those interested in filing a spousal sponsorship application for permanent residence from overseas should review these measures and determine whether they can benefit from them.

Victor Ing is a lawyer of Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre. He provides a full range of immigration services.

For more information go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email victor@sasanding.com.
HORIZONS ETFs ANNOUNCES HORIZONS ROBOTICS & AI INDEX ETF AS NEW NAME FOR RBOT ETF





TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. ("Horizons ETFs" or the "Manager") announced today that it will change the name of the Horizons Robotics and Automation Index ETF (the "ETF"). The name change described below is expected to be effective Monday, October 30, 2023.

The name of the ETF will be changed to the Horizons Robotics & AI Index ETF. The ETF's ticker, RBOT, will remain the same.

Previous ETF Name New ETF Name Tickers Horizons Robotics and Automation

Index ETF Horizons Robotics & AI Index ETF RBOT;

RBOT.U

The name of the ETF has been changed to more closely correspond to the name of the ETF's underlying index, which is the Indxx Global Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index (the "Index").

A prospectus that reflects the changes set out above will be filed following the date of this press release, and will be available at www.sedar.com or the Manager's website at www.horizonsetfs.com.

"Over the past year, the potential of artificial intelligence systems and of the companies enabling their development have been a driver of economic transformation, industry disruption and in some instances, market performance," said Rohit Mehta, President and CEO of Horizons ETFs. "Our changes to RBOT's name better align it with the name of its Index, and the Index's name reflects the exposure to some of the key companies involved in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem."

There are no changes to the ETF's management fees. The ETF is also available in a U.S. dollar version under the ticker symbol "RBOT.U."

About Horizons ETFs Management ( Canada ) Inc. (www.HorizonsETFs.com)

Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. is an innovative financial services company and offers one of the largest suites of exchange traded funds in Canada. The Horizons ETFs product family includes a broadly diversified range of solutions for investors of all experience levels to meet their investment objectives in a variety of market conditions. Horizons ETFs has more than $27 billion of assets under management and 119 ETFs listed on major Canadian stock exchanges. Horizons ETFs is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mirae Asset Financial Group, which manages approximately $710 billion of assets across 13 countries around the world.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in exchange traded products managed by Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. (the "Horizons Exchange Traded Products"). The Horizons Exchange Traded Products are not guaranteed, their value changes frequently and past performance may not be repeated. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the Horizons Exchange Traded Products. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing.

Indxx is a service mark of Indxx, LLC ("Indxx") and may be licensed for use for certain purposes by the Manager. RBOT is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Indxx. Indxx makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of RBOT or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in RBOT particularly. Indxx has no obligation to take the needs of the Manager or the Unitholders of RBOT into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Indxx Global Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index. Indxx is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing, amount or pricing of the Units to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Units are to be converted into cash. Indxx has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of RBOT.

Certain statements may constitute a forward-looking statement, including those identified by the expression "expect" and similar expressions (including grammatical variations thereof). The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the author's current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the authors do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.

This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase exchange traded products (the "Horizons Exchange Traded Products") managed by Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. and is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, and should not be relied upon in that regard. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding any particular investment. Investors should consult their professional advisors prior to implementing any changes to their investment strategies. These investments may not be suitable to the circumstances of an investor.

SOURCE Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.

25 october 2023 at 16:30

News published onand distributed by:
THE METIS NATIONAL COUNCIL EXPRESSED CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR BILL C-53, PROVIDES UPDATE ON WORK OF EXPERT PANEL





Ottawa, ON, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Metis National Council (MNC) continues to publicly support Bill C-53, An Act respecting the recognition of certain Metis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. MNC President Cassidy Caron reiterates her support for this Bill as it reaches the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs for discussion. President Caron will continue to support the Metis governments' pursuit of Riel's vision of self-government.

Bill C-53 affirms the self-government agreements the Metis Nation ? Saskatchewan, Metis Nation of Alberta, and the Metis Nation of Ontario signed with Canada in 2019 and 2023, which recognize Metis self-determination. This bill lays the path for Section 35 based Treaties providing jurisdiction over internal matters of Metis governance, such as Metis citizenship, Metis elections, Metis government structures, and Metis child and family services.

President Caron has spoken at length with Members of Parliament and expressed her support of the Bill during its tabling in June, throughout the summer, and this past week during MNC's Advocacy Week. During these discussions, President Caron emphasized that, "The role of the MNC is to protect and uphold the rights of Metis citizens across the Homeland. This includes supporting C-53, establishing the expert panel, and ensuring that Metis rights, including the right to self-determination, are advanced and respected."

In 2021, the MNC General Assembly directed the establishment of an Expert Panel to protect the territorial integrity of the historic and modern day Metis Nation. The Expert Panel has a mandate to review the history of six Ontario Metis communities recognized by the Metis Nation of Ontario in 2017 through the lens of the National Definition and contemporary Metis governance. This process, which acknowledges and respects the Metis Nation's right to make these determinations as a Nation, has begun and the Panel will provide updates to the General Assembly later this year.

Bill C-53 will ensure that even as federal and provincial governments come and go, the recognition of Metis self-government will not be subject to political whims. Bill C-53 fulfills the promise made to the Metis through Section 35 by establishing a process to conclude constitutionally protected Treaties. Its passage is reconciliation in action, it advances the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and puts to rest Canada's 150 years long denial of the Metis as self-governing people.

-30-

Since 1983, the Metis National Council has been the national and international voice of the Metis Nation within Canada. Through the Canada-Metis Nation Accord, the MNC advocates on behalf of its Governing Members?the democratically elected Metis Governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia?to advance Metis rights and interests within their respective jurisdictions, including the implementation of the Metis Nation's inherent right to self-determination and self-government. The MNC is committed to accountability and transparency within its operations, and to its relationships with MNC Governing Members. Cassidy Caron is the President of the Metis National Council.

25 october 2023 at 17:00

News published onand distributed by:
The Inner Circle Acknowledges, Patrick Tamim as a Pinnacle Life Member for his contributions to the Vascular Surgery Field





PANAMA CITY, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Patrick Tamim is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Life Member for his contributions to the Vascular Surgery Field.

Dr. Tamim attended Southern Methodist University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. He continued his education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School where he earned a Medical Degree; completed a general surgical residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Abbington Hospital in Pennsylvania; and finished a one-year critical care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He capped his scholarship with a fellowship in vascular surgery at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.

Dual board-certified in vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery, the doctor explained that the ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge. Among his many responsibilities and skills, the doctor provides treatment for carotid disease; aortic aneurysm; and peripheral artery disease surgery. He is an expert in aortic aneurysm; carotid endarterectomy; deep vein thrombosis; dialysis; access surgery; peripheral vascular diseases; peripheral artery disease; spider vein removal; stroke; and varicose veins.

Dr. Tamim explained that vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which diseases of the vascular system, including the arteries, veins, and lymphatic circulation, are managed by medical therapy; treated with minimally invasive catheter procedures; and surgical reconstruction. Vascular surgeons, like the doctor, also diagnose, treat, and manage conditions in the arteries and veins, also called the blood vessels, and treat a range of health problems, from spider and varicose veins to life-threatening aneurysms, and can help patients manage chronic conditions throughout their lives.

The doctor is affiliated with Bay Medical Sacred Heart and Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center. During his career, Dr. Tamim has received many accolades including the Patients Choice Award (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008); Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010); Top 10 Doctors in the State (2014); and On-Time Doctor Award (2018, 2017, 2016) and is associated with the Society for Vascular Surgery and Emerald Coast Medical Association.

Also a civic-minded professional, Dr. Tamim participates in a lecture series through the Council on Aging at his local hospital and speaks multiple languages, including English, French, and Arabic. The doctor would like to dedicate this honor to his father, Marwan Tamim, MD, for all his inspiration and also to his mentors, David Drezner, MD; Phillip Allmendinger, MD; and Mary Windels, MD.

For more information, please visit his website at www.pcvascular.com.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle

25 october 2023 at 18:19

News published onand distributed by:
Volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) walk along in an alley as they use a megaphone to urge residents to evacuate to shelters ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone Amphan, in Dacope of Khulna district (Bangladesh) on May 20, 2020. MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP

Nearly 275,000 people in Bangladesh fled to shelters on Wednesday, October 25, as Cyclone Hamoon barrelled into the southeastern coast, killing at least two people, officials said.

Hamoon is the latest major storm to batter Bangladesh's coast, with the low-lying South Asian nation witnessing an increasing number of severe weather events as climate change fuels bigger and deadlier storms.

Power lines were cut and intense rainfall lashed coastal villages and islands, but there were no reports of widespread major damage, Kamrul Hasan, secretary of the disaster management ministry, told Agence France-Presse. "We evacuated 273,352 people to cyclone shelters," Hasan said, adding that two people died, one crushed by a fallen tree and another when a building collapsed. "At least 10 people were injured and are being treated in hospitals," he said.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department expert Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik said Hamoon made landfall in the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar coastal districts in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with wind speeds of up to 104 kilometers per hour. "It is likely to move further inland and weaken gradually," Mallik said.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes The first climate refugees of the Ganges delta

Bangladesh's southeastern coast is home to nearly one million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar and live in flimsy tarpaulin shelters, but Hasan said the camps did not fall in the main path of the cyclone. Cox's Bazar district lost power late Tuesday and district officials could not be contacted for updates on any damages caused.

Climate change has increased the intensity of tropical storms, with more rain and stronger gusts leading to flash floods and coastal damage, experts say. In May, Cyclone Mocha became the most powerful storm to hit Bangladesh since Cyclone Sidr in November 2007. Sidr killed more than 3,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damage. In recent years, better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced the death toll from such storms.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Understanding global warming: How we've disrupted the climate
Rally in Rabat on October 20, 2023, in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. FADEL SENNA / AFP

In Morocco, hardly a day goes by without a rally for Palestine. Israel's response to the Hamas offensive and the devastation it has wrought in the Gaza Strip have aroused a wave of anger in the kingdom, proving how attached Moroccans are to the Palestinian cause despite the rapprochement Morocco and Israel have made since 2020.

Since the major national march on October 15 in Rabat, the mobilization has continued to spread to many cities, at the call of coalitions bringing together left-wing parties, trade unions, associations and Islamist organizations. Three themes unite the demonstrators: support for the Palestinian people and "resistance," denunciation of "Western complicity" with Israeli actions and questioning the normalization of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel enacted in December 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords  an agreement between Israel and several Arab countries brokered by the United States. Never before has criticism of official rapprochement been so vocal.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Morocco's normalization of relations with Israel jeopardized by war

On October 17, hundreds of Moroccans spontaneously took to the streets in Tangier, Fez, Casablanca and Rabat in reaction to the bombing of a hospital in Gaza. On October 18, a rally was organized in front of the US consulate in Casablanca, and the following day in front of the United Nations representation in Rabat. Protests also spread to the universities, which were blocked on October 18 by the National Union of Moroccan Students, which declared a strike, while on the 20th, the Democratic Labor Confederation called on employees to stop work for one hour.

On October 24, a rally was held near the French consulate in Casablanca against Emmanuel Macron's visit to Israel. Held at bay by the police who had closed off the adjacent streets, the demonstrators denounced "the criminal position of the French government, which supports genocide in Gaza."

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes France's largest demonstration of solidarity with Palestine since start of war in Gaza goes off peacefully

'Normalization makes us collaborators'

And there's no end in sight. "The aim now is to get Israel's liaison office in Rabat to close down, because normalization makes us collabos [collaborators, in reference to French citizens who worked with Nazis during WWII]," said Saadia Elouallous, a member of the Moroccan Front in Support of Palestine and Against Normalization. In fact, normalization is clearly contested at the rallies where demonstrators chant: "The people want an end to normalization."

"With all the images we're seeing from Gaza, it will no longer be acceptable for a Zionist to set foot in Morocco," said Safaa, a law student from Casablanca who has been running sit-ins for the past week. "At first," she said, "I wasn't totally opposed to normalization, as it concerned the territorial integrity of my country." In exchange for formalizing relations with Israel, Morocco obtained Washington's "recognition" of its sovereignty over the Western Sahara  a sacred patriotic cause in the kingdom. "But now, there's no question of accepting either a political relationship or an economic exchange," said Safaa.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Israel-Hamas war: Egypt regains role of key mediator

For the time being, the calls for a break with Israel have not met with success. The staff of Israel's liaison office in Rabat were evacuated on October 18 for security reasons, but only temporarily. Israeli diplomat Lior Ben Dor assured Moroccans via the press that "relations between Tel Aviv and Rabat are founded on solid and lasting foundations, and [Israel] will not allow anyone to compromise them."

For its part, Morocco is sticking to its diplomatic line from the outset: maintaining relations with Israel, while calling for de-escalation and the protection of civilians, as Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita reiterated at the peace summit in Egypt on October 21.

Policy of rapprochement in trouble

While the two allies have stepped up their cooperation  essentially military, security, trade and tourism  since normalization, the kingdom regularly reaffirms its commitment to a two-state solution and to the Palestinian cause under the leadership of King Mohammed VI. He chairs the Al-Quds Committee and is charged with overseeing Jerusalem's holy sites. It's a balanced position, but not enough to convince his people.

"Even if protests have waned in recent years due to the decline in public freedoms and the weakening of political parties, trade unions and social groups, the Palestinian cause remains among those historically defended by Moroccans as an Arab and Muslim people," said political scientist Abdelmoughit Benmessaoud Tredano.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Israel-Hamas war: Cairo summit calls for humanitarian aid amid acute divisions between Europeans and Arabs

Since the Abraham Accords, the Front de Soutien a la Palestine (Palestine Support Front) has organized 11 days of action. "They were barely tolerated and in some cases dissolved," reported Sion Assidon, one of its members. And yet, under the Constitution, the direction of Morocco's foreign policy is the prerogative of the monarch. "Any political party that defended a different stance [from that laid down by the palace] was invited to keep quiet," added the activist.

In March, the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) was reprimanded by the royal cabinet for having deplored the pro-Israeli inclination of Moroccan diplomacy. During the summer, an internet user was sentenced to five years in prison for offending the monarchy after criticizing normalization on Facebook. At present, the rallies are "tolerated but with a desire to minimize and rebrand them, since they are presented as being in harmony with the official position, ignoring one of their main demands: the end of normalization."

Nevertheless, the policy of rapprochement is in trouble. For many months, Moroccan diplomacy had been preparing to organize the second Negev forum, bringing together the signatory countries of the Abraham Accords. But this prospect has now vanished into thin air. There was also talk of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the kingdom, which now seems politically impossible. On October 17, Morocco condemned in the strongest terms the bombing of a hospital in Gaza, whose responsibility is disputed, identifying Israel as the source of the strike.

"Morocco cannot ignore the unanimous disapproval of its people in the face of the ongoing disaster in Gaza and will have no choice but to put the normalization process on hold," argued political scientist Mohamed Tozy. "But relations between Morocco and Israel predate normalization by several decades, without being openly displayed. The relationship is not one of country to country but of community to community. While normalization will undoubtedly be suspended, there is little chance that it will be called into question."
ON A trip to Limerick, Concern chief executive David Regan visited Ardscoil Mhuire in Corbally to speak with members of the school's debate club.

Debates allow people to unravel complex global issues, said the chief of the humanitarian organisation, while addressing the young debaters.

The school has been involved in the Concern School Debates competition since its inception almost 40 years ago.

School principal, Ms Brid Herbert, and English teacher, Mr Patrick Huff, are both former Concern schools debaters and passionate supporters of debate culture within the school.

Hundreds of our students have had the opportunity to build their confidence, find their voices, and expand their perspective on the world we all live in as a direct result of the debates existence, said Mr Huff, who is also the coordinator of public speaking and debating at the school.

Mr Regan spoke to the school's fifth and sixth year students who are involved in the debate club about his trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Concern is working to aid the six million people currently displaced by fighting.

The school community presented a cheque to Mr O'Regan during his visit.
THE proposed takeover of the McCabes Pharmacy group by the LloydsPharmacy group will see eight stores in Limerick come together under the one brand, if the deal is approved.

PHX IRELAND, via its subsidiary LloydsPharmacy, has agreed to acquire McCabes, bringing together two of the best known and most trusted retail pharmacy brands in the country.

The LloydsPharmacy group currently operates seven stores in Limerick city with another in Shannon and one in Charleville while McCabes operates a single store locally - in the Crescent Shopping Centre.

The new entity, which will be largest pharmacy chain in Ireland with 114 stores, will trade under the McCabes brand and will be led by its CEO Sharon McCabe.

The proposed transaction is subject to approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).

The combined retail entity will form part of the family-owned PHOENIX group, who are the leading integrated healthcare provider in Europe providing pharmaceutical wholesale, pharmacy retail, and services for the pharmaceutical industry.

PHOENIX group recently established a strong Irish presence following the completion of the McKesson Europe acquisition which includes United Drug, Irelands leading pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor, and TCP Homecare, innovators in clinical home nursing services and direct to patient delivery solutions.

The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Paul Reilly, chief executive officer of PHX Ireland, commented: We are delighted to welcome the McCabes Pharmacy group into the PHOENIX family. We have worked with McCabes for many years via our United Drug business and have always admired the innovation of services and distinctive customer service levels that Sharon and her team have brought to the Irish market. Sharon will lead the combined 110 plus community pharmacies with a patient and colleague-centric approach, while continuing to provide the high standard of services both groups have been providing for many years.

Sharon McCabe, chief executive officer of McCabes Pharmacy, said: Both McCabes and LloydsPharmacy are businesses rooted in the communities they serve. We have shared ambition, values, and a vision for primary care in Ireland which centres on providing patients and their families with the very best advice, support and access to medicines. We are both focused on enhancing the role of the pharmacist for the benefit of Irish patients and on creating a compelling and engaging place to work for pharmacists, technicians and all our retail colleagues.

"McCabes Pharmacy has excelled in delivering exceptional person to person care and with leading digital solutions. We are excited to work with The Lloyds teams to rebrand as McCabes Pharmacy. McCabes Pharmacy, like PHOENIX group, is a family-owned business, and we look forward to working with LloydsPharmacy and PHOENIX group to help our patients and customers across Ireland.

Steve Anderson, Member of the Executive Board Operations and Logistics at PHOENIX group, commented: This is great day for our Irish colleagues and the wider PHOENIX group. This acquisition further highlights PHOENIX groups commitment to growing and investing in new markets. After concluding the acquisition of McKesson Ireland in November 2022, we continue to see huge potential in the Irish market and are committed to supporting the ambition of our local leaders on the ground.
EIGHT people were arrested during a major garda operation targeting organised crime in Limerick.

Gardai made the arrests and the seized drugs, cash and firearms during a series of coordinated searches on Tuesday.

A number of searches were conducted by gardai attached to Limerick Crime Functional Area at locations in Limerick, Cork and Clare.

"During the course of these searches cash in excess of 11,310 was seized as well as approximately 53,100 of suspected cocaine, 20,000 of suspected cannabis and 4,650 of suspected alprazolam and controlled medication tablets. Four suspected firearms and ammunition have also been seized," said a garda spokesperson.

All evidence seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for further examination.

Gardai have also confirmed that during the search of a field in the Limerick area, the assistance of the Army EOD Unit was requested to make safe a suspicious device.

"A controlled explosion was carried out and on examination this device was found to have been a viable explosive," said the spokesperson.

Five men were arrested during the course of this operation for offences under provisions of the Criminal Law Act, 1997, and detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at garda stations in the Limerick region.

One man has been released from detention and charged with separate road traffic offences. He will appear before Limerick District Court later this Wednesday.



Four men remain in custody at this time.



Three women were also arrested for offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. They appeared before Limerick District Court on Tuesday afternoon.
A NEW six-part RTE series on climate change will be co-hosted by Limerick farmer and journalist Hannah Quinn- Mulligan.

Heated is a factual series that looks at the implications of climate change for the actual and lived lives of the people in this country  telling stories of hope, inspiration and practical endeavour as we push to cut emissions.

Stories will try to find the intersection between climate change and climate action - for individuals, families, communities and industry.

Hannah, from Croom, told Farm Leader she is so proud to represent Limerick on our national screens in the series, which begins this Thursday night.

Climate change and supporting nature are only going to become more important and people can feel overwhelmed by the challenge.

But I'm always heartened to see the changes people and communities are making. From putting bat boxes up along the river walk in Adare to installing native Irish bee colonies in Lough Gur, its clear that Limerick is up for the challenge! Hopefully, some of the areas we cover on the new TV series will inspire more positive changes, said Hannah, who practices what she preaches on her own organic farm in Limerick.

She has put in place measures to cut agri emissions, including a commitment to keep her dairy herd to a very modest 50 cows.

Hannah has worked for the BBC and is a regular contributor to RTE Radio, especially Countrywide.

The first episode of Heated airs this Thursday, October 26 at 8pm on RTE One.
By Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri

New Canadian Media

The temporary migrant workers program is not working for labourers or for employers in many cases, and Canada should learn how to walk and chew gum when it comes to the program, says the chair of a Senate committee.

Ratna Omidvar, independent Ontario senator and chair of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and other senators senators visited P.E.I. and N.B. last month to investigate concerns about temporary migrant workers from them, employers and advocates.

They visited multiple farms and fishery plants  the two main industries for temporary foreign workers  to hear concerns on the living conditions of migrant workers such as housing, working conditions and well-being.

The temporary foreign worker program and its many streams does not seem to be fit for purpose anymore. Neither for employers nor for workers, said Omidvar.

Meeting with reporters, she said they expressed their need for foreign labour as they have no other way of finding workers and would be forced to shut down.

She also noted workers complaints about a lack of affordable and liveable housing, low work hours and alleged ill-treatment.

In Canada, we should be able to talk and chew gum at the same time. We should be able to have a steady supply of labour, but we should also be able to protect the workers rights as they are available for other workers.

Recently, three foreign temporary workers from Mexico have spoken out about their experience working for lobster company LeBreton Fisheries, in Campbellton, N.B. Javier Montano de Dios, one of the people in this group, said LeBreton gave their 80 migrant workers termination letters after they voiced their concerns regarding the prolonged lack of work and their living conditions.

They said that if we dont sign we will not considered to work on next years season. Under those threats, many of my coworkers decided to sign, Montano de Dios told New Canadian Media.

SaltWire contacted Kathlin Lebreton, one of the owners of Lebreton Fisheries, but received no response.

Omidvar heard their complaint, specifically about fear of retaliation when looking for other jobs in N.B.

We had a lot of people talk about Im not going to speak up because Im afraid Ill lose my job. she said. We have to remember that migrant workers have less agency than others for reasons of language, for reasons of culture, for lack of support.

Niger Saravia, an organizer with Migrant Workers Alliance for Change in N.B. in the fishery worker sectors, said this is not a problem with a single employer, but with the whole industry.

The system is set up in a way that will benefit only the employer, not the workers, he said.

Saravia, who is an immigrant himself, said closed work permits tying a worker to one employer are counterproductive, leaving responsibility for the worker to the company.

Furthermore, Saravia said government is not properly regulating companies to keep their end of the deal in protecting workers, and since many of them choose to stay silent due to language barriers and fears of reprisal, abuse oftentimes goes unnoticed.

Even though there are laws in place for these employers to fulfill, the government is not enforcing those regulations when it comes to workers protections, he said.

Saravia said he called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to give permanent residence to all migrant workers and students in reference to a campaign promise he did back in December 2021.

People are getting deported. People are getting evicted from their houses. People are being abused, he said. Migrant workers are the one who lives in their communities. They support this economy. And its not fair that the government is trading all these migrant workers as second-class citizens.

Omidvar said the full report will be published in March 2024, which will contain more details on their observations and formal suggestions.
A REPRESENTATIVE of the main workers trade union in Wyeth says its first priority will be the retention of the jobs on the Limerick site.

Ciara McMahon-Flavin of Siptu, which represents around 250 of the 542 staff on site. led a union delegation entering talks with Wyeth management this Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, she said: Our first aim will be job retention and site retention. That will always be number one.

We need a consultation process. I think for people within the Wyeth plant and the surrounding areas, this has been digested over the last number of days and it is a devastating blow, she said.

Limerick Chamber chief Dee Ryan says she hopes the job creation agency IDA Ireland will be tasked with finding alternative occupiers of the vast Wyeth plant in Askeaton.

We have a highly skilled workforce, great local assets which we talk about regularly in terms of Foynes Port, the airport and our graduates. We would be urging the government to put as much effort into that as can be done at this early stage to ensure there is another occupier identified, said Ms Ryan.

Shes written to Jobs Minister Simon Coveney, whose remit covers IDA Ireland to ask just this.

As part of the announcement, Nestle announced it would cease its research operation in 2025, with its production facility closing in 2026.

The majority of staff, 491, work in this area, producing formula milk for babies.

As well as finding an alternative occupier for the Wyeth site, the Chamber chief executive wants there to be work done to identify the skills gaps in the region, to allow staff who are facing redundancy to be ready, to get ready to apply for new jobs.

The decision by Wyeth, announced last Wednesday evening, caught many people by surprise.

In a statement, it confirmed it plans to move its operations to two of its existing factories, one in Suzhou, mainland China and the other in Konolfingen in Switzerland.

Operating as Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland, the factory in Askeaton manufactures infant formula products exclusively for export to markets in China and the wider Asian continent.

The company is blaming a drop in demand for its products in China, where there has been a sharp drop in the birth rate and a rise in locally produced products.

It said it does not reflect on its local workforce.
THE DEVASTATING redundancies announced at baby formula producer Wyeth in Limerick have been described as a hammer blow which could result in several thousand more job losses in the region.

People in Askeaton and its surrounds have been left reeling after the news which was announced without warning by the firms parent company, Nestle.

In total, 542 people are at risk of losing their jobs at the vast Wyeth plant as it winds down its operation between now and 2026.

It amounts to the largest single loss of jobs in Limerick since Dell announced 1,900 cuts in 2009.

Given the reliance on Wyeth by the wider community, the impact will be felt beyond those who work in the factory.

Its a hammer blow. Theres no other words for it. Its a dark, dark day for the town, said Josh Sheahan, who runs Top of the Town bar in Askeaton.

He admits there are serious concerns for the future.

I dont think people realise the spin-off which comes from Wyeth. From everyone - the printers who do the signage, hauliers, scaffolders, literally everything. It goes right across the board, he added, predicting 1,500 more jobs could be impacted locally.

Councillor Adam Teskey, the leader of the local authority district which Askeaton is located in, said: This could result in several thousand jobs being lost in the region.

The Fine Gael councillor warned against past mistakes being repeated in west Limerick, referencing the closure of its sugar and chicken industries.

Siptu continued talks with management at Wyeth on Tuesday afternoon, with union official Ciara McMahon-Flavin insisting its prime target is retaining as many jobs as possible.

Chamber boss Dee Ryan has called on IDA Ireland to step up its efforts to find an occupier for the Wyeth plant if it closes.

Shes written to Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, and he is set to visit Askeaton this week.

Councillor Teskey believes there is a future for the plant, given the demand he feels there is for formula milk in the developing world.
Slush is a prominent advocate within the worldwide founder-investor network. Its global participants are united by a collective passion for reshaping entrepreneurship. Over the years, Slush has become synonymous with futuristic ideas and scalable solutions. So, what unfolds when the essence of Slush touches down in India? It takes the form of New Delhi SlushD 2023.

Set to take place in Gurgaon on November 3 and 4, this gathering will bring together a proactive, diverse community of stakeholders that will ignite discussions about AIs pivotal role in reshaping industries. This event will foster innovative thinking and dynamic collaborations within the realm of deep tech and AI, promising to automate processes and equip businesses with intelligent decision-making capabilities, thus steering them towards future success.

THE THEME

View Full Image Sanjeev Sanyal - Member, Economic Advisory Council, Government of India

Think entrepreneurship. Be inventive. Enjoy being a tech founder. If these are the rules you live by, then New Delhi SlushD 2023 will feel like your home turf. The event curates the exceptional and highlights the very finest in the deep tech world. Hence the theme - Unleashing the Power of Deep Tech and AI - sets the tone for the entire event, by outlining its goal and purpose.

India has the potential to be the benchmark for deep tech and AI innovation. Our diverse talent pool, entrepreneurial spirit, and appetite for cutting-edge technology provide the perfect foundation. To realise this potential, we must foster an ecosystem that nurtures, supports, and accelerates the growth of these transformative technologies. Its not just a desire; its a necessity to create an environment where deep tech and AI thrive, pushing the boundaries of whats possible and setting global standards for innovation. And this is exactly what New Delhi SlushD aims to do in India. It is a great headstart and we are excited to see this come to life," said Archana Jahagirdhar, Managing Partner, Rukam Capital.

New Delhi SlushD breathes life into the world of AI through exclusive and intellectually stimulating panel discussions with industry leaders. Over the course of two days, attendees will gain access to a remarkable community of like-minded peers, sharing their passion for AI. From jointly exploring the enticing technological future to gaining early insights into futuristic innovations, engaging in idea exchanges with luminaries, and networking with industry leaders, delegates at New Delhi SlushD will immerse themselves in an extraordinary experience.

View Full Image Pramod Bhasin - Chairman, Clix Capital; Founder & Former CEO, Genpact

As the world looks ahead to a promising future augmented by AI and deep tech, the New Delhi SlushD event will bring together founders, investors and policymakers from across the country to discover, explore and engage with each other in order to shape the future.

The organising committee for New Delhi SlushD - comprising Archana Jahagirdar, Founder and Managing Partner, Rukam Capital; Deepak Sharma, President & Chief Digital Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Gaurav Dalmia, Founder & Chairman, Dalmia Group Holdings; Pramod Bhasin, Chairman, Clix Capital, Founder & former CEO, Genpact; Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner, Accel; Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-Founder, Info Egde, Co-Founder, Ashoka University; Sharad Sharam, iSPIRIT Foundation; Umakant Soni, Co-Founder & CEO, ARTPARK, Chairman, AI Foundry - is a dynamic force that embodies the very essence of a comprehensive ecosystem. Comprising individuals deeply immersed in policy, founders, investors, and multi-faceted experts, this committee wears multiple hats and boasts a 360-degree perspective on the startup and tech landscape. It is not just a committee; its a collective embodiment of their vision at New Delhi SlushD. The committee represents and reflects the synergy the team aims to foster and nurture at the event. The belief is that true economic growth in India can only happen when all stakeholders converge, collaborate and co-create. It cannot occur in isolation and it is this holistic approach that propels the growth of Indias vibrant economy.

At the event, more than 75 powerful speakers will enthral the audience with dynamic insights on the power of deep tech and AI, and will help create a roadmap to unlock the potential of future technologies. Additionally, the event will provide networking opportunities - with representatives and other industry participants - to learn fresh ideas and new perspectives.

We chose Unleashing the Power of Deep Tech and AI as our theme because these technologies are not just the future - they are the present. Deep tech and AI hold the potential to transform industries, drive innovation and create solutions for global challenges. We believe that by focusing on these cutting-edge fields, we can inspire, educate and connect individuals and organisations to lead the way in a rapidly evolving world, unlocking new possibilities and driving progress," said Archana Jahagirdhar.

View Full Image Prashanth Prakash - Founding Partner, Accel

India has over 3,000 deep tech startups that have been growing at 53% CAGR over the last 10 years and remain among the top-performing tech ecosystems globally. The country presents a vibrant startup landscape by being the third-largest ecosystem for ventures globally. The Indian government has been proactive in supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through various initiatives including the Startup India scheme.

India remains one of the top-performing tech ecosystems globally. In 2022, Indian startups garnered a whopping $42 billion in funding, a significant rise from the previous years $16 billion. This accentuates their crucial role in Indias aspiration to achieve a $5 trillion economy goal.

THE ECOSYSTEM FOR PROGRESS

Slushs vision extends beyond celebrating entrepreneurship. Its flagship events serve as a dynamic forum where the startup, founder and investor community come together to lend a listening ear and offer mutual support on both technological and human fronts. They actively strive to make a positive impact on each others work, exemplifying Slushs commitment to inclusivity. Within this community, they challenge, evolve, learn from one another, and harness diversity as a wellspring of strength.

Slush maintains a steadfast commitment to inspiring present and future generations to tackle intricate challenges, foster collisions between individuals from diverse areas of expertise and drive collective progress.

At New Delhi SlushD, our mission is to bridge the gap between Indian startups and the global tech ecosystem. By bringing international investors, innovators and thought leaders to India. Were creating a vibrant platform where Indian startups can tap into global opportunities, gain invaluable insights and form connections that can catalyse their growth. Its about building a two-way street, where the international ecosystem meets the Indian startup landscape, fostering innovation and propelling India to the forefront of global tech entrepreneurship," said Jahagirdhar.

The event chisells the idea that the future will continue to be shaped by new technologies. The India event offers a tailored experience that provides an opportunity to access the best of the founder and investor world  from industry experts to influential networks  while building a collaborative future together that is supported by deep tech innovations.

Indian deep tech startups are at the forefront of delivering groundbreaking solutions, spanning from intelligent manufacturing to dependable healthcare - not just within India but also across international frontiers like the United States, Europe, and Japan. A multitude of these deep tech startups are pioneering scalable solutions, poised to generate novel intellectual properties, thereby solidifying Indias status as a hub for deep tech innovation.

The government has also demonstrated a keen interest in propelling this sector forward, undertaking initiatives to bolster emerging tech startups. These supportive policies lay a robust foundation for deep tech startups - facilitating innovation, expansion and the resolution of future challenges.

The proactive policies of the government are a testament to their commitment to nurturing innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurship in India. By providing a conducive ecosystem for startups, these policies not only foster growth but also enable the country to remain at the forefront of global innovation. Its a collaborative effort and we are excited to see how these policies will continue to empower the entrepreneurial spirit and drive Indias technological advancement," said Jahagirdhar.

Among the initiatives are the Atal New India Challenge, which has been launched under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the Niti Aayog, with the objective to serve as a platform for the promotion of Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, startup businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas. Additionally, NASSCOMs Deep Tech Club (DTC) 2.0 is aimed at scaling the impact to over 1,000 firms that are leveraging technologies such as AI, ML, Internet of Things, robotics and blockchain.

THE SLUSH LEGACY

This journey began in 2008 in Helsinki, with an initial gathering of approximately 250 attendees for a one-day event. Despite the remarkable growth in size over the years, the core objective has remained constant: to concentrate on the most effective ways to support and enhance startup ecosystems worldwide. Slush operates as a force for startups and stands for something larger than entrepreneurship. The central idea has always been to imagine a better world and take responsibility to act through inclusive efforts. Through its global network, Slush reaches out to diverse talent and networks to achieve more together. The organisers believe that innovation can overcome the barriers to progress.

The pillars of Slush now and in the future are centred around the concept of Entrepreneurship Redefined. At its core, it aims to connect founders with what and whom they need while building a new, inclusive and more purposeful culture of entrepreneurship.

This is because Slush fully believes that its actions as a society over the next decade will determine the course of humanity for generations to come. Entrepreneurs building scalable solutions will be at the core of creating the solutions that will make that future a bright one.

WINNERS EMERGE AT NEW DELHI SLUSHD

Known as the Oscars of the deep tech startup world in India, Emerge 50 by NASSCOM celebrates Indias most innovative deep tech startups, highlighting their potential to address global challenges with promising solutions.

In collaboration with NASSCOM, New Delhi SlushD will showcase startups from the top 50 of the Emerge 50 2023 awards.

The next wave of innovation will be powered by deep tech technologies - AI, data economy, cyber security, blockchain, Web 3.0, quantum computing and the remarkable convergence of cutting-edge technologies.

SPEARHEADING NEW DELHI SLUSHD

Leading from the front to make this event a reality in India is Archana Jahagirdar. She is Managing Partner at Rukam Capital, an India-focused, early-stage consumer products fund. Jahagirdar has over 20 years of experience in consumer marketing, brand building and entrepreneurship. She is passionate about discovering and supporting innovative start-ups that cater to the evolving needs and aspirations of Indian consumers.

Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio.

Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world  Click here to know more.
Mumbai: It is difficult to run the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) from Delhi," Prakash Javadekar, the former human resource development minister, told the Lok Sabha in 2017.

The IIMs, Indias premier management schools, are centrally-funded. But for decades, many of them had been clamouring for more autonomy. That year, their wish was partly fulfilledParliament passed the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bill, effectively freeing the elite B-schools from government interference.

Javadekar said that from then on, the IIMs would be board-driven, with the chairperson and director selected by the board". But the truce between the government and the IIMs started unravelling sometime in 2018. And today, the same government that had imposed faith in the autonomous running of the IIMs in 2017 now swung the other way.

The beginnings of the fracture can be traced back to a case filed by Amitava Choudhury, a right to information (RTI) activist, and other people, challenging the appointment of Dheeraj Sharma, the director of IIM Rohtak, in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The petitioners alleged that there were many discrepancies in the appointment of Sharma to the institutes top job. Sharma, they held, did not meet the eligibility criteria required for the job (more of this later).

Over the next five years, the fracture worsened. The government became a party to the case and the legal dispute continues to this day.

This dispute, however, was just one of the inflection points in the government wanting to claw back control over the premier institutes. A few more battle fronts have opened up recentlyover the swift exits of IIM Calcuttas directors, the high fees charged to students, and the appointment of teachers. Things could be better with more government oversight, Indias ministry of education believed.

In August, the Lok Sabha passed the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) (Amendment) Bill 2023. The new Act makes the President of India a visitor to the IIMs. The visitor may appoint one or more people to review the work and progress of any institute, hold inquiries, nominate the chairperson of the board of governors in all IIMs, and oversee the appointment and removal of directors.

Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan told Parliament that the Bill was meant to bring in management accountability" at the IIMs, and in the same breath emphasised that the government had no intention of interfering with their autonomy". But he pointed out the lapses as well. Over the past three-four years, it has been observed that these institutes did not comply with several constitutional obligationssuch as providing reservations to backward categories during the appointment of teachers or being accountable to the governments General Financial Rules (GFR) as well as its service conduct rules. These things have not been followed," Pradhan told the Parliament.

GFRs are a compilation of rules and orders issued by the government of India. Any entity has to follow these rules while dealing with matters involving public finances.

While the government said that it doesnt want to interfere", some IIMs suspect the worst. They are afraid that in the garb of keeping tabs, the government will interfere in their efforts to mould global business managers. At some level, perhaps the IIMs have only themselves to blame for finding themselves at this sorry pass, given the allegations of lapses at some of the institutes.

The Rohtak row

An IIM director is appointed from a panel of names recommended by a search-cum-selection committee constituted by the board. The chairperson of the board is also the chairperson of the search-cum-selection committee. Others in the panel could include administrators, industrialists, educationists, scientists, technocrats and management specialists. The nominated names are then sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which usually gives the nod to the first person picked for the job. In case that does not work out, the next shortlisted candidate is selected. The government, therefore, is part of the decision-making process. Its representative is part of the board that appoints the selection committee.

So, what sparked the dispute over the appointment of Dheeraj Sharma as the director of IIM Rohtak?

According to court papers accessed by Mint, an advertisement for the directors post for IIM Rohtak was put out in 2015. The advertisement carried a list of eligibility criteria. One of the prerequisites was outstanding academic credentials throughout, including a Ph.D. degree from a reputed institution with first class degree at bachelors and masters level".

When Sharma was picked as one of the nominees, he submitted soft copies of all the documents required in March 2016, including a bachelors degree certificate from Delhi University and a masters certificate from Agra University, according to a writ petition filed by his lawyers, Vibhav Jain and Uday Agnihotri, in the high court of Punjab and Haryana. The following month, Sharma handed over the hard copies of the documents to the secretary, department of higher education, who was then a member of the search-cum-selection committee and was on the interview panel, the petition stated.

Further, the petition stated that the governments department of personnel training checked with the education ministry if Sharma met all the criteria. In 2017, he was appointed as the director for a five-year term, after all the boxes had been ticked.

Within two years, trouble started brewing for Sharma. In 2019, two employees of IIM Rohtak, who according to the court papers, were retrenched by Sharma for inefficiency and incompetence", filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking his removal from office. The petition claimed that the director did not have the documents required for the post and that he didnt possess a first class degree.

Meanwhile, the position of director opened up again in 2021, after Sharma completed his five-year term. He reapplied, and was appointed for a second term, as per the rules of the Indian Institute of Management Act, 2017. The Act had been in force from 31 December 2017 and, according to Sharmas lawyers, a first division at the bachelors level was not a prerequisite under the new rules.

Nonetheless, the legal battle dates back to his first term when a first division was essential. In March 2022, the government told the court that the director had never submitted his documents, and therefore, had concealed his qualifications.

The government also issued a show cause notice to Sharma on 28 March 2022. ... Whereas you joined as Director IIM Rohtak on 15 March 2017 thereby continuing to misrepresent your educational qualifications and concealing the fact that you do not possess a first class degree at bachelors level, which was a prerequisite for the said post," the notice from the ministry of education, reviewed by Mint, stated.

The government further stated that Sharma had not heeded requests to submit self-attested degree certificates.

However, according to Sharmas lawyers, all the documents the government had sought had been submitted. Sharma did not respond to Mints queries, sent on his official email ID.

Even if one assumes that Sharmas first-term appointment fell through the cracks, why was the second term granted, wondered Bakul Dholakia, a former director at IIM Ahmedabad. One cannot ask for autonomy without accountability," he told Mint.

The legal case is far from over but observers said that this controversy caused the government considerable embarrassment.

Exits at IIMC

The second controversy involves IIM Calcutta. The institute has had two directors quitting in quick time because of a clash with the board and its chairperson, Shrikrishna Kulkarni.

Uttam Sarkar put down his papers before his term got over. Before that, Anju Seth did the same. Why were no reviews done by the board when director after director is resigning," asked Dholakia.

Seth was appointed the director of IIM Calcutta in 2018 and quit in 2021, before her term ended. She held the position of Pamplin Professor of Management at Virginia Tech, US, and prior to joining Virginia Tech, she was a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois. Seth completed her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and has an academic career spanning over 25 years.

We are delighted that Anju will be the first woman director of IIMC. She was the unanimous choice of the search cum selection committee and the BOG (board of governors)," Kulkarni had said in a statement when she was appointed.

Announcing the appointment of Uttam Kumar Sarkar as director of IIM Calcutta, Kulkarni wrote: He articulated in the clearest terms an understanding of what needs to be done and how it must be done to help IIM Calcutta achieve its global aspirations. To this end, he presented a compelling and pragmatic agenda for his term as director. He appreciates and understands the complexities of the role and the expectations."

Sarkar was appointed director on 18 August 2021 but quit earlier this year. Like Seth, Sarkar also never completed his term.

IIM Calcutta did not respond to Mints queries. Neither did Sarkar, who was approached for comments through LinkedIn. Mint wasnt able to get in touch with Seth. The directors message page on the institutes website remains blank.

Is a visitor needed?

The government resolved to have better oversight and this led to the IIM (Amendment) Bill. The amendments have been welcomed by some academics, too.

IIMs have done well for more than four decades when they were under government control," said Ram Kumar Kakani, director of IIM Raipur. This is a welcome step aiming to improve supervision and accountability, both of which are essential components of effective institutional governance," he added.

But there are others that fear the quality of education will be impacted. A political motive is to maximize votes. And that of an institution like IIM is to maximize learning. A government looks at equity as a driver, while IIMs look at excellence," said the director of one IIM, who did not wish to be named. Just because a few went rogue does not mean we should all get blamed," he contended.

Having a visitor in an IIM is not needed. Too many ceremonial positions only create pathways for governments to intervene," said Pankaj Chandra, a former director of IIM Bangalore. He is now the vice chancellor of Ahmedabad University.

In fact, we should do away with the position of a visitor for Indian institutions. The selection committee always had members from the government and if there was any issue, they had every right to discuss it within the board," he added.

Culture fears

Less autonomy could potentially erode a B-schools culture, fear some academics. The bureaucrats do not understand that the culture of each IIM is different and it is essential to have a board that understands it and plays the key role in selecting the best leader, someone who can address the needs of that institute," Chandra told Mint.

Culture isnt very easy to define. It roughly translates to understanding the strength and weaknesses of an IIM, where it stands globally, why students would select it over other IIMs, the unique specializations that it offers, and the expertise the faculty brings in.

For instance, IIM Calcutta is regarded as a leader when it comes to grooming future executives in finance roles. IIM Ahmedabad, on the other hand, is known for the teaching of strategy. The selection of the teaching faculty, therefore, has to be finetuned as per the needs of each IIM.

There are also concerns around IIMs losing their connect with alumni. On 24 October, Hindustan Times reported that an independent expert committee that reviewed IIM Ahmedabad has listed key challenges faced by the institute. The committee criticized the IIM for changing its logo and demolishing dorms without consulting its alumni. The review panel, without naming anyone, said the institute director should be first among equals rather than an all-powerful CEO," the report mentioned.

Battle of fees

There is one niggling issue that many professors, directors and IIM board members talk abouta comparison with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). There are 23 IITs today offering engineering and masters courses to batches, in numbers ranging from a few hundred to the thousands. They are government funded, and unlike the IIMs, are not exactly known for asking hard questions around autonomy.

The IITs are among the best colleges in the world. They do not complain. Then, why should the IIMs?" asked a government official, who didnt want to be identified. Do we have a choice in who our boss is? No. So, why should IIMs be given that option? Their authority has not been snatched away. Why the fear?" he questioned.

The education ministry did not respond to Mints queries.

While the IIMs are Centrally-funded business schools, some of the older ones no longer rely on government funding to run operations. They are self-sufficient, generating enough money through fees, project work sourced from the industry, and alumni grants. There are seven first-generation IIMsCalcutta (established in 1961), Ahmedabad (1961), Bangalore (1973), Lucknow (1984), Indore (1996), Kozhikode (1997) and Shillong (2007).

The younger IIMs, such as Rohtak, were established from 2009 onwards and are still reliant on government funding. Overall, there are 21 IIMs today.

With funding comes the question of fees and this is another battlefront between the IIMs and the government. While the IITs charge about 8 lakh for a four-year engineering programme, a two-year MBA degree at an IIM can cost 30 lakh.

Our students are heading abroad for management courses because of the high fee structures in IIMs. Going ahead, the IIMs may have to relook at the fee structure," said the government official quoted earlier.

According to a senior faculty member at one of the older IIMs, the higher fee structure helps in getting good faculty, provide better infrastructure, and run the institute without the support of the government. The person didnt want to be identified.

By talking about IITs and IIMs in the same breath, the government is homogenising these two institutions. The IIMs have ranked among the top institutes for higher studies in the world and that happened after decades of work done by highly qualified subject experts as faculty members. They need to be paid well," said a senior professor at one of the top IIMs. The professor did not want to be identified, either.

The larger fear: if there is a re-look at fees and a cap, going ahead, the eventual impact will be on the quality of student output. The government, however, may not be in the mood to relent. Thats because a few bad eggs in the system may have queered the pitch.
Information technology (IT) major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been issued a notice by the ministry of labour and employment of Maharashtra over a complaint of delayed onboarding of 200 lateral recruits", a report by Moneycontrol said on Wednesday.

The labour department has issued the notice to TCS officials to meet department officials and discuss the matter on November 2 at the Pune labour department office.

Joint meeting of management regarding redressal of grievances/settlement on 02/11/2023 in the morning / 12.00 noon. in the presence of the undersigned at the office at the above address and you should be present at the said meeting in person or through an authorised representative with the appropriate documents," said the report quoting the Marathi-translated notice issued by the Maharashtra labour ministry.

In July, Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) had filed a complaint with the Union labour ministry raising the issue of the delayed onboarding of over 200 lateral recruits by TCS", the report also said. Later, the complaint was transferred to the Maharashtra government.

In the complaint, NITES had highlighted that professionals, with varying experience levels have been awaiting onboarding.

The IT employees union had urged the labour ministry to intervene in this matter and issue specific directions to Tata Consultancy Services.

These employees, who possess varying levels of experience ranging from 1.8 to up to 15 years, are now left jobless and without any source of income," the complaint said.

NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja alleged that the number of candidates impacted by onboarding delay has reached 2,000, said the report.

Recently, TCS had said that the company will go slow on hiring as it seeks to improve utilisation of its existing talent pool.

The lateral recruits" were hired between January and April this year, and on July 10 many had received emails stating that their joining dates were getting pushed to October.

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Adani Ports share price declined 0.26 per cent to close at 769.10 on BSE on Wednesday, October 25, following the company's announcement of incorporating its wholly owned subsidiary firm Udanvat Leasing IFSC Limited.

"Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary company Udanvat Leasing IFSC Limited on October 23, 2023," said Adani Port and Special Economic Zone in an exchange filing on October 23.

"The cost of acquisition is 2,50,00,000 divided into 25,00,000 equity shares of 10 each. Udanvat is incorporated with an object to carry out business activity of owning and leasing of Aircraft," said Adani Ports.

Adani Ports share price today opened at 771.25 against the previous close of 771.10 and rose about 1.6 per cent to the level of 783.30. The stock, however, erased gains and traded flat around 12:30 pm.

Adani Ports share price trend

Adani Ports share price gained about 15 per cent in the last six months against a nearly 7 per cent gain in the equity benchmark Sensex.

The stock hit its 52-week low of 394.95 on February 3 this year. At the last traded price, the stock is up about 95 per cent from its 52-week low.

On a monthly scale, the stock is down about 6.7 per cent in October so far. The stock has been in the green since March this year on a monthly basis and if it ends in the red in October, it will have broken its seven-month winning streak.

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Why is the stock down in October?

Experts believe the Israel-Hamas war is one of the biggest reasons behind the stock's poor show in October so far. Adani Ports owns Haifa Port in northern Israel.

On October 7, the Israel-Hamas conflict started. The stock is down about 7 per cent since that day.

Meanwhile, Adani Ports said in an exchange filing on October 9 that it is closely watching the crisis in Israel and is ready with a business continuity plan.

"We are closely monitoring the action on the ground which is concentrated in South Israel, whereas Haifa port is situated in the North. We have taken measures to ensure the safety of our employees and all of them are safe. We remain fully alert and prepared with a business continuity plan that will enable us to respond effectively to any eventuality," the company said in an exchange filing.

"The overall contribution of Haifa in Adani Ports' numbers is relatively small at 3 per cent of the total cargo volume. For the current financial year (Apr 23-Mar 24), we have guided for Haifa Cargo volumes range of 10-12 MMT and Adani Ports' total cargo volume guidance of 370-390 MMT. In the initial six months (Apr-Sep 23), Adani Ports' total cargo volume was about 203 MMT, of which the Haifa share is nearly 6 MMT. We stay confident of Adani Ports' business performance," the company said.

Also Read: Adani Ports receives offers of $213 million for bond buyback; to accept $195 million offer

Experts positive about Adani Ports

Experts believe the recent fall in the stock is more sentimental in nature and the impact of the Israel-Hamas war will be limited on the stock.

Parth Shah, a research analyst at StoxBox said Adani Ports is under pressure this month, mainly on account of investor fears that the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict would dent the performance of the company as it has $1.2 billion investment in the Port of Haifa located in Israel.

However, Shah believes the market reaction seems to be overdone as the companys Haifa Port is located in north Israel while the current war is concentrated in south Israel. Moreover, Haifa Port contributes less than 5 per cent to the overall cargo of the company, further indicating that the recent fall is more sentimental in nature.

"Considering that the business is economic-centric in nature, has high entry barriers and possesses long-duration concessions, we remain constructive on the company from a long-term perspective," said Shah.

Harshal Mehta, an equity research analyst at ICICI Securities said Adani ports has managed 203 MMT of port cargo volumes in the first half of the current financial year (H1FY24) and is expected to reach 400+ MMT in FY24.

He underscored that Haifa port is expected to contribute 12-14 MMT to the port cargo volumes. So, on a port volume basis, Haifa will reach 3.5 per cent of the overall volumes. Port volumes, if impacted, due to the war will be less than 1 per cent of the overall volumes.

Mehta added that on the revenues front, core port revenues comprise 65 per cent of the revenues (the rest contributed by Harbour services, Logistics vertical and Others).

"Hence, Haifa's impact on stock price should be a very limited one, assuming the war remains confined between the two territories," said Mehta.

Recently, global brokerage firm CLSA said the recent fall in the stock due to the Israel-Hamas war gives an even greater opportunity to purchase this important asset with long-term concessions across India. The global brokerage has a buy rating on the stock with a price target of 878.

We believe due to the Israel conflict potentially hurting its newly-acquired Haifa port. Adani Ports acquired the Haifa Port Co. (HPC) in Israels privatisation efforts via a 70:30 JV with Gadot Group at an EV of US$530m. HPC is a profit-making port focused on bulk and containers, with scope for operating leverage by reducing employee costs, per its retirement plan, and long-term real estate development upside. HPC accounted for 3 per cent of Adani Ports' 1HFY24 volume and it expects a pay-back of 4/6 years under base case/worst case scenarios," CLSA said in its report.

Motilal Oswal Financial Services also has a buy rating on the stock with a target price of 1,010.

"We initiate coverage on the stock with a buy rating and a target price of 1,010 (premised on 15x FY25E EV/EBITDA, in line with its historical average of 14 times). The companys: (a) market leadership in the ports segment, (b) focus on value-added areas such as logistics, and (c) focus on strategic acquisitions place it in a sweet spot," said Motilal Oswal.

Also Read: Adani Ports share price rises 3% as brokerages expect up to 28% upside potential

Technical view on Adani Ports

Santosh Meena, Head of Research at Swastika Investmart pointed out that Adani Ports shares are currently experiencing a breakdown of a rising channel formation, leading to downward pressure on the stock's performance.

The stock has fallen below its 100-day moving average (DMA), and there is a potential for a downward move toward the 200-DMA, currently situated at around the 725 mark.

"It's worth noting that the 200-DMA aligns with multiple support levels, suggesting the possibility of renewed buying interest around this price point," said Meena.

"To gain significant strength, the stock needs to surpass the 820 level, where a cluster of the 20-DMA and 50-DMA is located. This level acts as a significant resistance point that must be overcome for the stock to exhibit meaningful bullish momentum," said Meena.

Foram Chheda, CMT, and the founder of ChartAnalytics.co.in, pointed out that after reaching a peak of around 889-890, Adani Ports experienced a corrective decline. The Relative Strength Index (RSI), a leading indicator, showed a negative divergence with a lower top, indicating weakness.

Chheda added that the stock fell below the 50-day and 100-day moving averages, signalling a short-term downtrend. However, it's approaching a crucial support level near 760, formerly a resistance in June. The decrease in price, coupled with lower volume, suggests potential stability.

"It's prudent to await a rebound from the support level before considering buying. For now, it's advisable to observe and wait for price stability before making any investment decisions," said Chheda.

ADANI PORTS & SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE More Information

Read all market-related news here

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts, experts and broking companies, not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

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A labourer from Uttar Pradesh's Basti district Shiv Prasad Nishad got a pleasant shock recently when he learnt that he had received 221 crore in his bank account. Interestingly, he learnt about this bounty only after receiving an income tax (I-T) notice.

He learnt about this when he received a tax notice informing him about the huge inflow in his bank account.

He said that he had lost his PAN card in 2019 and somebody perhaps misused the same to open an account in his name, and later deposited money into it.

Although this was a rare instance, there have been a few similar cases where village folks received a bounty out of the blue.

 15 lakh from Modiji?

Similarly, a small farmer from Paithan Taluka in Aurangabad district Dnyaneshwar Janardhan Awate received 15 lakh in February last year.

He believed that this was a bounty from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He thought this to be the same 15 lakh that  according to opposition parties  was promised by PM Modi to every citizen of this country once the black money is brought back from overseas accounts.

This was a mistake wherein his bank account was mistakenly given to transfer the fund allocated to the Pimpalwadi gram panchayat under the 15th Finance Commission.

He was later told to give the money back which he had spent on the construction of his village house.

There was a similar incident where a 30-year-old tutor Ranjeet Das of Bihar's Bakhtiyar village allegedly received 5.5 lakh in his account due to bank error in 2021. He refused to return the money initially even as several notices were served to him.

He also thought the money was sent by PM Narendra Modi as the first instalment of the total 15 lakh he had promised to every individual during an election campaign in Bihar, he reportedly told police.

Boys receive  960 crore

Another bizarre case of mistaken identity happened when two boys from Bihar's Pastiya village Guruchandra Vishwas and Asit Kumar discovered that their bank accounts were credited with a total of 960 crore.

Vishwas' account was credited with 60 crore, Kumar's account with 900 crore. The boys hold the account in Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank.

A probe was ordered as to how the money got deposited while the branch manager ordered it to stop the withdrawal of money.

Likewise, Bihari Lal, a labourer from Kannauj in Aug 2022 was taken aback when he discovered that he had a total balance of 2,700 crore when he went to withdraw 100 from his Jan Dhan account.

But his happiness was momentary as when he went to the branch to check his balance, he was informed that the balance in his account was just 126.

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Pankaj Tibrewal is a known name in the investing world. This Senior Executive Vice President cum Fund Manager of Kotak Mahindra AMC recently shared on his social media platform X (erstwhile Twitter) some essential insights, specifically emphasising the importance of recognizing trustworthy and competent management teams, promoters, and entrepreneurs as a key factor in attaining enduring success in the Indian market.

Evaluating management becomes increasingly crucial in the ever-changing realm of mid and small-cap enterprises, where leadership frequently stands as the primary catalyst for growth. Tibrewal firmly asserted how P/E signifies not only Price/Earnings" but also Promoter+ Ethics".

Historically, Indian enterprises have been predominantly family-owned and operated. Nevertheless, in recent times, there has been a transition towards companies that are professionally managed. This shift can be attributed to several factors, including the heightened intricacy of businesses, the requirement for specialised skills and knowledge, and the mounting expectations of shareholders. Although these patterns cannot be universally applied, they do shed light on some noteworthy changes:

Skillful allocation of capital

Pankaj Tibrewal: More management teams and promoters are now well-versed in the intricacies of capital allocation and the associated costs of equity. They understand that skillful capital allocation is both an art and a fundamental driver of value creation. Concepts like Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Return on Equity (ROE) have gained broader acceptance.

Interpretation: An increasing number of management teams and promoters in India are becoming proficient in the nuances of capital allocation and related equity costs. They recognise that adept capital allocation is not only a skill but also a critical factor in generating value. Concepts such as Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Return on Equity (ROE) have garnered greater recognition.

This marks a favourable progression, indicating that Indian businesses are evolving to be more sophisticated and mindful of value. Additionally, it implies that Indian businesses are increasingly well-prepared to compete in the global arena.

Several factors contribute to this shift. One of the reasons is the growing accessibility of information and educational resources on capital allocation. Today, there is a wealth of books, articles, and courses available to educate businesses about the significance of capital allocation.

Another factor is the expanding impact of global investors. Global investors are increasingly seeking out businesses with strong track records in capital allocation. They recognise that adept capital allocation is a pivotal factor in determining long-term profitability and returns for shareholders.

Lastly, the growing competitiveness within the Indian economy is a driving force behind businesses efforts to enhance their efficiency in capital allocation. Companies that can allocate their capital with greater skill find themselves in a stronger position to compete and thrive.

Focus on governance and integrity

Pankaj Tibrewal: As the torch passes to the next generation in leadership roles, we have observed a significant pivot towards enhanced governance and integrity. The bygone era of Jugaad and a relaxed approach to regulatory compliance is giving way to a contemporary landscape that places a premium on adherence to regulations and a prudent approach to taxation. In the coming decade, we envisage the rise of fresh wealth creators, even as some of the established ones may wane due to a lack of passion within the next generation.

Interpretation: The upcoming generation of Indian entrepreneurs is giving increased importance to improved governance and integrity. This represents a positive shift, as it is vital for establishing sustainable businesses and generating enduring value for shareholders.

Several factors contribute to this transformation. One key factor is the heightened recognition of the significance of governance and integrity among the emerging generation of entrepreneurs. Many of them have been educated internationally or exposed to global best practices. Furthermore, they are more susceptible to the influence of social media and other platforms that endorse ethical business standards.

Another contributing factor is the growing scrutiny of businesses by both regulatory bodies and investors. Regulators have intensified their focus on corporate governance and regulatory adherence. Likewise, investors are increasingly inclined to invest in companies with commendable governance track records.

Lastly, the emerging cohort of entrepreneurs is often motivated by a desire to create a positive societal impact. They recognise that good governance and integrity are integral to constructing businesses that are both sustainable and contribute positively to society.

The move towards bolstered governance and integrity is poised to yield several advantageous outcomes for the Indian economy. It is expected to result in more streamlined and productive businesses, while also attracting increased foreign investment and stimulating economic growth.

Receptivity to feedback and delegating responsibilities

Pankaj Tibrewal: With the new generation at the helm, there exists a greater receptiveness to feedback from investors and other stakeholders, provided it contributes to improvement. Furthermore, this cohort is more inclined to delegate responsibilities and endorse the owner-professional model, sharing the wealth created with employees through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).

Interpretation: The emerging generation of Indian entrepreneurs is increasingly open to feedback from investors and various stakeholders. They are also more prone to delegate responsibilities and embrace the owner-professional model, which involves sharing the wealth generated with employees through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).

This signifies a favourable progression, indicating that the new generation of entrepreneurs is characterised by greater openness and collaboration. It also implies their increased emphasis on nurturing enduring relationships with investors and stakeholders.

Several factors contribute to this transformation. One reason is the evolving landscape of the Indian economy, which is becoming increasingly competitive and globalised. Consequently, businesses need to exhibit greater agility and responsiveness to change, necessitating a more collaborative approach to management and decision-making.

Ultimately, the emerging generation of entrepreneurs is often motivated by a desire to have a positive societal impact. They recognise that by distributing wealth among their employees, they can contribute to a fairer and more sustainable society.

Confidence in Indias potential

Pankaj Tibrewal: Many of these entrepreneurs harbour an unwavering optimism regarding Indias potential, driving them to make bold investment decisions. There is a growing inclination among management teams to play an integral role in Indias growth story, eschewing past mistakes of pursuing acquisitions abroad.

Interpretation: Numerous Indian entrepreneurs hold steadfast optimism concerning Indias potential, propelling them to take daring investment initiatives. Additionally, management teams are increasingly inclined to play a pivotal role in Indias growth narrative, learning from past errors like pursuing overseas acquisitions.

The emerging generation of entrepreneurs expresses strong confidence in Indias future and is dedicated to playing a part in its progress. This commitment also indicates their heightened emphasis on establishing businesses that are both sustainable and socially beneficial.

Undoubtedly, the Indian economy is experiencing increased competitiveness and globalisation. Consequently, businesses must foster innovation and prioritise value consciousness. This necessitates an emphasis on constructing enterprises that are both sustainable and socially beneficial.

Furthermore, the emerging generation of entrepreneurs is often motivated by a desire to create a positive impact on society. They grasp that by establishing businesses that are sustainable and contribute to the betterment of society, they can actively address Indias most pressing issues, including poverty, unemployment, and climate change.

Up-and-coming Tier-2 and Tier-3 entrepreneurs

Pankaj Tibrewal: Notably, we are witnessing a surge in passionate entrepreneurs hailing from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The 2023 Hurun list of Indias wealthiest individuals illustrates the success stories emerging from cities like Coimbatore, Ludhiana, Rajkot, Nagpur, Surat, and Udaipur. This highlights the need to venture beyond metropolitan areas in the pursuit of new opportunities and identifying the next set of wealth creators.

Interpretation: There is a notable upswing in enthusiastic entrepreneurs originating from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The 2023 Hurun list of Indias wealthiest individuals vividly showcases success stories emerging from cities such as Coimbatore, Ludhiana, Rajkot, Nagpur, Surat, and Udaipur. This underscores the importance of exploring opportunities beyond metropolitan areas and recognising the next generation of wealth creators.

Several factors contribute to this transformation. One key factor is the growing accessibility of information and educational resources in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Today, there is a wealth of books, articles, and courses available to educate individuals about entrepreneurship.

Another contributing factor is the increasing impact of social media. Social media platforms have simplified the process of individuals from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities connecting with entrepreneurs and mentors from around the globe. Lastly, the government is actively involved in fostering entrepreneurship in small cities and towns. It has initiated various programs and initiatives aimed at providing support to entrepreneurs in these regions.

The emergence of entrepreneurs from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities represents a favourable development for the Indian economy. It contributes to greater inclusivity and equity within the economic landscape, while also catalysing the establishment of fresh job opportunities and enterprises in these urban centres.

Here are a few instances of successful entrepreneurs from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities:

Byju Raveendran ( Byjus ): Byju Raveendran is the founder and CEO of Byjus, Indias prominent edutech company. He hails from Thrissur, a Tier-2 city in Kerala.

( ): Byju Raveendran is the founder and CEO of Byjus, Indias prominent edutech company. He hails from Thrissur, a Tier-2 city in Kerala. Deepinder Goyal ( Zomato ): Deepinder Goyal is the co-founder and CEO of Zomato, Indias leading food delivery platform. He originates from Ludhiana, a Tier-2 city in Punjab.

( ): Deepinder Goyal is the co-founder and CEO of Zomato, Indias leading food delivery platform. He originates from Ludhiana, a Tier-2 city in Punjab. Meena Ganesh (Portea Medical): Meena Ganesh is the co-founder and CEO of Portea Medical, Indias top home healthcare service provider. Although she was raised in a Tier-2 city in Tamil Nadu, she is currently based in Bangalore, a Tier-1 city.

These are merely a handful of instances among the numerous triumphant entrepreneurs originating from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. These visionary individuals serve as a wellspring of inspiration for all of us, underscoring the fact that success can be attained irrespective of ones place of origin.

The emergence of entrepreneurs from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will enhance the inclusivity and fairness of the Indian economy. Additionally, it will foster the establishment of fresh job opportunities and enterprises within these urban centres.

In summary, in the Indian context, the essence of success often lies more in effective management than in the nature of the business itself. The pivotal factor for successful investments is the discernment of the right promoters and management teams.

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New Delhi: In 2023, one-third of smartphone sales in India is projected to be financed, seeing a notable increase from 25% in 2022 and 18% in 2021, driven by brands offering attractive schemes in response to a surge in festive season purchases.

Since the post-covid time, 2023 will see the highest-ever share of smartphones that are bought by consumers using finance schemes. Half of the sales of the premium segment (above 30,000) is expected to be from easy finance options. For affordable segments (sub- 30,000), this will be the first time that the share will rise to 25% of total sales," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research.

In 2022, about 25% of premium smartphones, including Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus, were sold through staggered payment plans, most at zero interest or processing fee, data revealed.

The trend is gaining traction in the sub-premium segments, with brands such as Xiaomi and HMD Global tying up with financing partners, including banks and non-banking financial institutions.

Industry insiders said Samsungs return to Indias smartphone market leadership position since late 2022 was on the back of its finance scheme called Samsung Finance Plus, allowing buyers to choose from a variety of payment plans, including card-based cash back plan, exchange or an 11-month EMI option, which was longer than the six months plans provided by other brands.

The South Korean major for the first-time allowed loan takers to avail the finance options across cities, towns, and villages, yet managing to maintain the lowest delinquency rates among industry peers. Industry executives said that finance schemes will be preferred by consumers following the 30% increase in prices of smartphones in the past 12-24 months.

Average sale prices are rising, though smartphone market is shrinking, which means consumers are asking for high-end devices that are at higher price points and thats where affordability plays a big role," said Ravi Kunwar, vice president-India and Asia Pacific at HMD Global.

The firm is offering digitally-approved loans without any paperwork under HMD EasyPay, in partnership with DMI Finance.

Ravi said by easing the process for financing, especially for first-time consumers who are availing finance schemes or are new-to-credit, it expects 25-30% rise in new customer base for the brand. HMD has a small share of the $38 billion Indian smartphone market, but hopes to increase its share on the back of the affordability programme.

In early October, Xiaomi, which was the market leader earlier, launched its no-cost digital monthly instalment scheme, Xiaomi Easy Finance Program, in partnership with Axio and Trustonic. We intend to roll out for all our models, starting with Redmi 12," president MuraliKrishnan B. had told Mint in an earlier interaction.

The scheme for the offline market has helped the Chinese brand to increase its reach, and growing its share in the affordable smartphones segment. as well as high-end devices. We are seeing strong demand for premium devices even after the first week of sales, driven by financing schemes," said analysts at Counterpoint.

The strong demand has set a cheerful mood for the festive season and we believe the strong consumer sentiment will continue in offline sales as well due to parity between offline and online discounts," they said in a note on festive season sales last week. Festive season smartphone sales were expected to grow 7% on-year in volumes and 15% on-year in average sale prices this year, they added.

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Commentary

By Susan Martinuk

How many doctors does it take to change a government policy killing young Canadians?

Seventeen? Maybe.

Thats the number of medical addictions specialists who drafted an enlightening open letter to the federal government to tell them that the current safe/safer supply programs for opioid addicts are anything but.

How the government responds will speak volumes about its willingness to set aside ideology and act on the growing evidence that its safe/safer supply programs are flooding the streets with cheap opioids, creating more addicts and dragging vulnerable addicts away from rehab programs.

Opioid overdoses have killed more than 38,000 Canadians since 2016. Despite a host of government programs and investments in so-called harm reduction programs, the trend continues upward, with increasing numbers of deaths each year. In the private sector, such data would be classified as an overwhelming failure and the program would be stopped. But government programs have the funding to continue to fail  and that failure is creating more opioid addicts.

Most drug deaths occur when illegally obtained opioids are laced with fentanyl and its various analogues to give the user a more potent high. To keep addicts from using possibly tainted street drugs, government policymakers established safe/safer supply programs that would theoretically keep opioid users content by giving them prescription-grade opioids called hydromorphone.

A typical pill is eight milligrams  about four times the dose generally used in hospitals for pain control. Safe supply programs can provide an individual with eight to 10 such pills each day. (Physicians in one report claim that some addicts receive as many as 20-30 pills per day). This is ludicrous as hydromorphone can have the same or even greater potency than heroin. The potency and consequences are further magnified when the tablets are crushed and injected, which, of course, the addicts do. (Never underestimate the ingenuity of an addict in getting a better fix).

According to the letter, the problem with this program is a practice termed diversion  when addicts sell some or all of their pills on the street to obtain money to purchase more potent drugs such as fentanyl. As the free supply of opioids has flooded the streets, the street costs of hydromorphone pills have dropped by 70 to 95 percent in cities with safe supply programs. There is evidence that the cheap pills are being sold to children and teens at junior and senior high schools.

Paradoxically, government safe supply programs are fuelling a new wave of opioid users.

To mitigate the casualties, the 17 experts asked the government to create accountability in the system by stopping the unlimited overprescribing of opioids and insisting that the pills be consumed in a supervised setting.

Currently, an almost unlimited supply of pills can be handed out, and their consumption is not always supervised. Pills can be obtained at special vending machines, with fake names being used to receive opioids with few questions asked. Doctors, pharmacists and nurses have no assurance that the person they provide the pills to will be the one who consumes them. (Apparently, drug testing to determine if the addict is using or selling the opioids can stigmatize addiction and/or infringe on an addicts human rights.)

It seems reasonable to ask that the government either demand that the hydromorphone be consumed in a supervised environment or cease funding safe/safer supply programs. In retrospect, that should have been a critical guideline from the start.

Significantly, these 17 experts have written an open, signed letter as evidence is surfacing to suggest that those who question harm reduction policies may be bullied, publicly vilified, censored and/or suffer professionally for doing so. In a comprehensive report on the opioid crisis, pseudonyms were used for many of the doctors interviewed  notably, they all questioned the benefits of safe supply programs. One doctor, who did use her name, said she knew of more than 50 physicians who had concerns about safe supply.

This letter makes it clear that Canadas addiction specialists are not all on the same page. If we are truly serious about doing something about the opioid epidemic, Canadas politicians must put a stop to the politicization of harm reduction policies  we cant afford to ignore the so-called other side in the safe supply debate.

Opioid addictions are thriving, and opioid deaths are climbing as we await the response of Yaara Saks, the federal Minister of Addictions and Mental Health. Knowing about this problem means the Minister is accountable for doing something about it. The ball is in her court.

Susan Martinuk is a Senior Fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
NEW DELHI : Indias trade with Russia in yuan is gathering pace as Russian exporters prefer being paid in the Chinese currency, two people close to the matter said. The trades are routed through global financial centres like Singapore and Dubai.

Russias trade with China hit a record after its invasion of Ukraine, and the Western sanctions that followed redirected much of its energy exports to Asia. While India is yet to set up a smooth payment mechanism with Russia, about 95% of Russia-China trade is settled in rubles and yuan, according to the Russian government.

Russian exporters trading with India through Singapore and Dubai prefer the Chinese currency with greater global acceptance, one of the two people said on condition of anonymity.

The move comes as a setback for Indias attempts to boost the use of rupee in international trade. A payment mechanism India has planned with Russia has failed to take off, as the trade deficit between the two swelled sevenfold in the last fiscal year alone to cross $40 billion.

Both India and Russia want to firm up rupee-ruble trade. However, much more needs to be done (on this front)," the second person added.

On 15 January, Mint first reported that Russian buyers are offering payments to Indian exporters in yuan, even as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-backed rupee settlement mechanism was off to a slow start.

Recently, Indian exporters told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce that the lack of understanding and awareness among banks is causing difficulties for exporters. Banks often refuse to provide a Bank Realization Certificate (BRC) when the payment is received in rupees, they said. BRC is a document exporters require to claim benefits, including duty drawback.

Business is still happening with Russia. Its not the case in Iran, where no other (currency) option was there, so large exports have happened through rupee payments. Here, other options are continuing. Also, the trade will take time to pick up using a new mechanism unless they are forced," said Ajay Sahai, director-general and chief executive of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.

Spokespeople for the commerce and finance ministries didnt respond to emailed queries.

Russian exporters, including state-backed entities, currently hold about $8 billion in Vostro accounts set up to facilitate trade in Indian rupees, Mint reported on 18 October. While some Russian money is invested in Indian securities, a big chunk remains in these accounts due to a lack of investment opportunities in India for Russians and the continued volatility in exchange rates.

Though Russian exporters want to repatriate their money, they are unable to do so under current circumstances, said the second person mentioned above.

Indian importers typically pay for Russian oil in currencies like dirhams (UAE currency) and dollars, but according to a recent Bloomberg report, India has rejected demands of Russian oil companies for payment in yuan amid tensions with China.

ravi.dutt@livemint.com
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat's car collided with a driver on Tuesday. The incident took place when he was traveling to Udham Singh Nagar's Kashipur. The Congress leader provided the information on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Rawat said he felt mild tremors after which he went to a hospital for a medical check-up. However, doctors said everything was fine.

While coming from Haldwani to Kashipur, my car collided with a divider at Bazpur and I felt some mild tremors, so I got it checked in the hospital and the doctors said everything was fine and discharged me," he wrote in a post.
The Western Railway on Wednesday said it will operate a special traffic block on a section of the Harbour Line on Thursday night for carrying out non-interlocking work in connection with the construction of the 6th line between Khar Road and Goregaon stations, reported PTI.

Ten-hour special block will be operated on the Down and UP lines between Andheri and Goregaon stations of the Harbour corridor from 00.30 am to 10.30 am (intervening night of October 26 and 27), the Central Railway said in a release. Suburban services on the Harbour Line between Andheri and Goregaon will not be available during the block period, the release said. The last local train for Goregaon from Mumbai CSMT will depart at 22.54 pm (October 26), while the same for Mumbai CSMT from Goregaon will leave at 12.07 am (October 27), it said. After the end of the block, the first suburban train for Goregaon from Mumbai CSMT will depart at 11.16 am. On the other hand, the first local train for Mumbai CSMT from Goregaon will leave at 11.23 am.

Earlier on Monday, the Western Railway said nearly 2,525 local train services will remain cancelled till November 6 due to a block undertaken for works that began on October 7 in connection with the construction of 6th line between Khar and Goregaon stations.

At least 230 to 316 Up (towards Churchgate) and Down (towards Virar/Dahanu) suburban trains will remain cancelled everyday, while 93 locals will be cancelled on November 4 and 110 on November 5, theWestern Railway had said.

The Harbour Line is operated by the Central Railways, while the Western Railway is constructing the 6th line between Khar Road and Goregaon stations to ensure a complete separation of mail or express trains and local trains. It is also expected to increase the carrying capacity of the local train network.

The 30 km stretch (Mumbai Central to Borivli) of the 6th line is expected to cost 918 crore, reported Times of India.

Part of the Harbour Line runs parallel to the Western Railway's suburban network. Train blocks (temporary suspension of services) are operated to carry out maintenance of rail tracks and other related works.

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Chennai Police has said a petrol bomb was hurled in front of the main gate of Raj Bhavan on Wednesday and a complaint has been lodged in Guindy police station.

There is no damage or injury to anyone. It seems that he was drunk. There is absolute, alert and proper bandobast in front of Raj Bhavan... The person has been identified," the Chennai police told ANI. Around 3 pm, an unidentified person tried to throw some bottles of petrol outside Raj Bhavan near barricades. As soon as this was noticed by the security personnel present there, they surrounded him, confiscated other bottles from his hand and immediately handed him over to the patrol vehicle and took him to the police station," ANI quoted Prem Anand Sinha, Additional Commissioner of Police.

The person has been identified as a history-sheeter named K Vinod and he's a habitual offender...6-7 cases are already there against him. Further probe underway", he added.

The suspect is currently under interrogation to determine the motive behind the attack. The barricades and plants have been damaged in the incident, the police said.

President Droupadi Murmu is set to visit Chennai on Thursday in view of the recent developments.

Though reports cited the hurling of two petrol bombs initially, the police told PTI that only one bomb was used and that it did not create any impact the way the accused expected."

(A developing story, please check updates later)

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SINGAPOREA dispute between China and the Philippines, a U.S. ally, is rapidly escalating over an unusual military outpost: a World War-II era ship that is leaky, riddled with holes, covered in rust and sitting atop a reef in the South China Sea.

The decrepit ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, and the small detachment of marines aboard are defending the Philippines claim to Second Thomas Shoal, located about 100 miles off its west coast. The country grounded the ship on the reef 2 decades ago to stave off Chinas expanding control over the South China Sea.

The Philippines sends regular supplies to the marines on the ship, and China is trying to make those missions as difficult as possible. The Chinese coast guard has aimed a military-grade laser and shot a water cannon at Philippine vessels. On Sunday, a Chinese coast guard ship and maritime militia boat collided with Philippine vessels that were headed to Second Thomas Shoal.

The stakes are high, not just for the Philippines but also for the U.S. If tensions continue to rise, they could draw in Washington, which has a security alliance with Manila rooted in a decades-old mutual-defense treaty.

So far, the U.S. has shown strong support for its Southeast Asian ally and sought to deter further Chinese escalation. Navy destroyer USS Dewey was over the horizon from the site of Sundays encounters between Chinese and Philippine shipspresent, though keeping its distance. An American patrol aircraft was at the scene during a resupply run last month, a Philippine armed-forces spokesman said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to his Philippine counterpart Monday, and said the U.S.s alliance commitments to the Philippines were ironclad. The State Department called Chinas actions dangerous and unlawful, as did other U.S. officials in separate comments. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Seventh Fleet declined to comment on specific military operations but said all of its activities were done in coordination with the Philippines.

The tensions in the region have been rising as Manila contends with a pressing problem: The Sierra Madre is in bad shape after being exposed to the elements for nearly 25 years. The Philippines has carried out repairs incrementally over time, but the ship wont stay intact foreverand some think its days are numbered.

You can only repair it so much," said Adm. Rommel Ong, who retired as a vice commander of the Philippine navy in 2019. At some point, it will still degrade."

If the ship starts to fall apart, Chinese forces would likely mobilize to take control of Second Thomas Shoal, squeezing out the Philippines. Beijing might be accelerating the ships decline by trying to block Manila from carrying out even patchwork repairs, said Jay Batongbacal, a maritime-affairs expert at the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Beijing objects to repairs on the Sierra Madre, which it has asked the Philippines to tow away. It has said it is intercepting boats because the Philippines is trying to transport construction materials alongside food and other necessities. The Philippines says it has a duty to support its marines on the ship.

We have to make sure that vessel remains livable for our troops that are stationed there," said Col. Medel Aguilar, spokesman for the Philippine armed forces. We are doing something that will make sure it remains there and remains livable."

Any move by China to seize Second Thomas Shoal would put pressure on the U.S. to back up its allynot just diplomatically but also militarily. That could bring the U.S. into direct conflict with China, carrying huge risks for both powers. Beijing might see a window of opportunity while the U.S. is preoccupied with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, security analysts said.

The U.S. response to developments in the South China Sea are under greater scrutiny because of events in 2012 that scarred the alliance and caused lasting national trauma in the Philippines. That year, after a weekslong standoff between Chinese and Philippine forces, China seized a coral atoll called Scarborough Shoal. Officials in Manila said later the U.S. hadnt done enough to support its ally, allowing Beijing to wrest control with few repercussions.

If China succeeded similarly at Second Thomas Shoal, it would send very bad signals about the U.S. alliance and the effectiveness of its security guarantees," said Batongbacal.

Thats why I think its such a tempting target for China," he said. If theyre able to swing this, they will be able to basically crack a U.S. alliance in the region and the credibility of U.S. security guarantees."

Chinas tactics around Second Thomas Shoal have grown more aggressive this year.

In February, the Philippines said its coast guard crew was temporarily blinded by the military-grade laser flashed by Chinas coast guard. A few months later, it was a water cannon, slamming into a Philippine boat. In early October, a Chinese coast guard ship came so close that the Philippines said it had to throw a vessel into reverse to avert a collision. This weekend, collisions occurrednot just one, but two.

The confrontations have come as the Philippines has shifted its stance on its neighbor. Since coming to power last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reversed the pro-China policies of his predecessor. He has doubled down on the alliance with the U.S. and pushed back against Beijing in the South China Sea. Philippine coast guard and armed forces frequently call out Chinese actions, putting out photos and videos showing its tactics.

It is no longer as easy for China to get away with what it is doing in the South China Sea," said Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. As the Philippines has fought back by broadcasting encounters between the two countries, China has found itself being humbled or humiliated by what was going on," he said.

China might also have accelerated its actions to make sure the Philippines doesnt go any further to cement its presence on Second Thomas Shoal, such as by building permanent structures there, Koh said.

Some security analysts say the U.S. should do more to assist the Philippines. The U.S. Navy could deploy ships to escort Philippine resupply convoys to Second Thomas Shoal or even go a step further by helping to protect the Philippines if it tries to erect structures there, they say.

These are tricky calls, said Koh, adding, Its a game of chicken."

Write to Niharika Mandhana at niharika.mandhana@wsj.com
An off-duty pilot accused of attempting to shut down the engines of an Alaska Airlines jet while it was in flight informed authorities that he was experiencing a mental breakdown, had consumed magic mushrooms two days prior, and had not slept for 40 hours, court documents showed on Tuesday as reported by Reuters .

Joseph David Emerson, 44, an Alaska Airlines pilot, was riding as a standby employee passenger in the cockpit "jump seat" of Sunday's flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, when the airborne altercation occurred, authorities said.

Emerson ended up being restrained by cabin crew members after a brief altercation with the captain and first officer within the flight deck, and he was arrested in Portland, Oregon, where the flight had been diverted and safely landed.

On Tuesday, Emerson was charged in Oregon state court with 83 counts of attempted murder - one for every crew member and passenger on the plane besides himself - and a single count of endangering an aircraft.

He had pleaded not guilty to those charges through his attorney at a brief arraignment hearing on Tuesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland.

Emerson was charged in a separate federal criminal complaint with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

The charging documents in both cases were filed with sworn affidavits from investigators outlining a harrowing sequence of events that came close to shutting down hydraulic operation and fuel to both engines of the twin-jet aircraft, an Embraer 175.

What did Emerson tell police after his arrest?

According to the affidavits as seen by Reuters, after his arrest, Emerson told police that he was suffering a mental crisis during the incident and had struggled with depression for the past six months.

The court documents also said he also told police that he had taken "magic mushrooms" for the first time which he had ingested 48 hours before boarding the flight.

On Tuesday, Alaska Air Group, the airline's parent company, in a statement said that at no time during the check-in or boarding process did employees observe any signs of impairment that would have led them to prevent Emerson from flying.

Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 was operated by the group's regional subsidiary Horizon Air, the company said.

Court documents also gave no indication of whether investigators had confirmed any drug or alcohol use by the suspect, though one of the arresting officers told investigators that Emerson did not appear "outwardly under the influence of intoxicants," as reported by Reuters.

What does medical research say on magic mushroom?

Psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogen found in some types of mushrooms known as "magic mushrooms," has been demonstrated in medical studies to be helpful as a treatment for anxiety, depression, and other mental problems.

With the passage of a ballot initiative in 2020, Oregon had became the first US state to decriminalise and legalise the use of psilocybin for people over the age of 21 for supervised therapeutic purposes. Psilocybin, however, is still legally forbidden by federal law.

What happened in the Cockpit?

The two pilots who were at the controls of Flight 2059 told investigators, according to affidavits as reported by Reuters, that Emerson had started out chatting with them casually, before suddenly hurling his radio headset across the cockpit and saying, "I'm not OK."

At that point, he reached up and grabbed two red-colored fire-suppression handles, pulling them downward, an affidavit said.

One of the two pilots instantly grabbed Emerson's wrist to prevent him from fully activating the controls as the other yelled out "in-flight emergency," and then there was a scuffle before Emerson suddenly quieted down again and walked out of the cockpit.

The flight crew later told investigators that had Emerson managed to fully deploy the shut-off handles, the plane was "seconds away" from being turned into a glider.

In his interview with police, the affidavits said, Emerson acknowledged pulling the handles, saying he did so because he felt like he was trying to awaken from a dream.

After leaving the cockpit, he was escorted to the back of the plane, placed in a flight attendant's seat and was fitted with handcuffs, having warned the cabin crew: "You need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad," according to affidavits as reported by Reuters.

According to court documents, Emerson also attempted to grab an emergency escape handle while being restrained, however, was stopped by a flight attendant by placing her hands over his and engaged him in conversation in order to divert him.

"I messed everything up," and that he had stated that he had "tried to kill everybody," another flight attendant cited in the affidavits was quoted as telling authorities she overheard Emerson say.

Meanwhile, Emerson had joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon first officer in August 2001 and later a pilot.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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Israel again vowed to destroy Hamas, while rejecting cease-fire calls from the UN chief, Palestine, and many countries at a high-level United Nations meeting on Tuesday. It declared that the war in Gaza is not only its war but the war of the free world".

Eli Cohen, Israeli Foreign Minister also dismissed calls for proportionality in the country's response to Hamas' surprise attacks on Israel on October 7 that killed 1,400 people and led to over 5,700 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to The Associated Press reports. Tell me, what is a proportionate response for the killing of babies, for rape (of) women and burning them, for beheading a child? How can you agree to a cease-fire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?" Cohen asked. Speaking to the UN Security Council, he said the proportionate response to the Hamas rocket attack is a total destruction to the last one of Gaza, calling the extremist group the new Nazis". It is not only Israel's right to destroy Hamas. It's our duty. It's a wake-up call for the entire free world. I urge the civilized world to stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas," he said. He warned that today it is Israel, and tomorrow Hamas along with the attackers will be at everyone's doorstep, starting from the West, AP reported. Currently, the Israeli Air Force is under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet thwarted terrorists of the terrorist organization Hamas tonight.

Cohen also accused Qatar of financing Hamas and said the fate of more than 200 hostages taken from Israel, some of whose families came to the UN meeting, was in the hands of its emir.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki demanded an end to the Israeli attacks. He warned that more attacks and killings and weapons and alliances won't make Israel safer.

We are here today to stop the killing, to stop  the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian civilian population. Over 2 million Palestinians are on a survival mission every day, every night."

For those actively engaged to avoid an even greater humanitarian catastrophe and regional spillover, it must be clear that this can only be achieved by putting an immediate end to the Israeli war launched against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Stop the bloodshed," he added as quoted by AP.

Cohen further criticized the secretary-general's remarks, and said there is no cause for this, and shame on him."

The United States is pushing for the adoption of a resolution that would condemn the Hamas attacks in Israel and violence against civilians, and reaffirm Israel's right to self-defense.

(With AP inputs)

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India has stated that it will dismiss Pakistan's mention of Kashmir in the context of a UN Security Council meeting regarding the Israel-Gaza situation, considering it unworthy of a response and not dignifying it.

Before I end, there was a remark of habitual nature by one delegation referring to Union Territories that are integral and inalienable parts of my country," Ravindra said, adding, I would treat these remarks with the contempt they deserve and not dignify them with a response in the interest of time," PTI reported.

Earlier, during the Security Council meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba based in Pakistan or by Hamas, and regardless of the locations they target such as Mumbai or Kibbutz Beeri, are considered unlawful and unjustifiable.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War LIVE Updates: Two states for two peoples,' says Antony Blinken at UN Security Council

We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people," Blinken said.

As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They're unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Beeri," Blinken told the UN Security Council.
In the face of speculation about a potential Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, President Joe Biden has affirmed that Israel has the autonomy to make its own choices, emphasizing unwavering support from the United States while also encouraging a measured approach, PTI reported.

Biden's statement was made on Tuesday during a photo opportunity with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when he was asked about it.

Are you urging Israel to delay its ground invasion?" Biden was asked, to which he replied, The Israelis can make their own decisions."

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War Day 19: Israel labels Gaza conflict war of the free world at UN meeting

Last week, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant outlined the nation's strategy to alter the "security regime" in Gaza, which implies the removal of Hamas. He detailed that this plan has been devised in three distinct stages.

Gallant said that the Israeli Defence Forces (IFD) was in the plan's first stage when it was carrying out aerial strikes. It will be followed by ground incursion and finally, the change of security regime in Gaza", he said.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women, as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 16,000 injured.

John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, informed journalists that the United States remains committed to providing Israel with the necessary tools and capabilities to safeguard its defense.

Also Read: Hamas war: Israels right to defend' against terrorism gets a thumbs-up from UK, US, Canada, France, Germany and Italy

We're going to continue to try to get that humanitarian assistance in, and we're going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately," he said.

Meanwhile, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are scheduled to visit Israel on Wednesday as a demonstration of support for the country and its people in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and during the ongoing conflict with the extremist group Hamas, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War: S&P cuts Israels rating outlook to Negative as conflict rages

Previously, various world leaders also made visits to Israel as an expression of support and solidarity during the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Last week, US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Israel, where they engaged in discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amidst the ongoing hostilities with Hamas.

On October 7, an unprecedented series of attacks carried out by Hamas militants resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 individuals. In response, Israel initiated a large-scale counter-offensive against the Islamic militant group that has governed Gaza since 2007.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The conflict between Israel and Hamas has now reached its 19th day, marking the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides. Here are the top 10 updates.

Israel-Hamas War LIVE 1. The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations called for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign after Guterres said that Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th did not happen in a vacuum, Bloomberg reported. This demand followed a day of intense debates at the Security Council regarding the escalating violence that has the potential to ignite a regional conflict. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres told the Security Council. It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," he said, adding that Palestinians have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

2. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the UN Security Council that the proportionate response to the Oct. 7 attack is a total destruction to the last one" of the militants. It is not only Israels right to destroy Hamas. Its our duty," he said, adding that the conflict in Gaza is not solely Israel's war but the war of the free world."

3. Israel announced on Tuesday that it conducted 400 airstrikes in the past 24 hours. These strikes resulted in the deaths of Hamas commanders, targeted militants preparing to launch rockets into Israel, and hit command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft, AP reported.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War: Hamas terrorists claims to being offered $10,000, flat for every hostage

4. Australia has dispatched two extra air force transport planes to the Middle East as a precaution for potential evacuations of Australian citizens in the event of an escalation of hostilities. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles announced on Wednesday that there are now three aircraft deployed in the region for this purpose.

5. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer are scheduled to travel to Israel on Wednesday to express solidarity with the country and its people following the October 7 terrorist attacks and in light of the ongoing conflict with the terrorist group Hamas, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.

6. S&P has announced a change in its credit rating outlook for Israel. The credit rating agency is shifting its assessment from "stable" to "negative" due to Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which was prompted by a significant attack by the militant group. S&P expressed concerns about the potential for the conflict to escalate into a broader regional crisis and the potential economic impact this could have on Israel.

7. Israel is reiterating its commitment to defeating Hamas and has declined calls for a cease-fire from various parties, including the UN chief, Palestinian authorities, and many countries participating in a high-level UN meeting. Israel views the conflict in Gaza as not just its own but the war of the free world."

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War: US calls on Iran to stop exporting arms to militants and terrorists

8. French President Emmanuel Macron made a recent visit to Israel, where he expressed support for the country during its conflict with Hamas. During his visit, Macron reassured that Israel is not left alone in the war against terrorism."

9. On Tuesday, the United Nations health agency urged for an urgent humanitarian pause in Gaza to facilitate the distribution of critical health supplies, such as fuel and life-saving essentials, to major hospitals located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. For people in the Gaza Strip, the situation is desperate. It will become catastrophic without the safe and continuous passage of fuel and health supplies, and additional humanitarian assistance," the World Health Organization said in a statement.

Also Read: 'Like Anne Frank...': Israeli PM draws parallel between Hamas surprise attack, Holocaust

10. Ambassador R. Ravindra, India's Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, emphasized on Wednesday that New Delhi is actively involved in sending humanitarian aid to the people in the Gaza Strip amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. He mentioned that India has dispatched 38 tons of food and critical medical supplies to the region, ANI reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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By Mata Press Service

Canada will open a pilot program to streamline the recruitment of foreign workers from the Philippines in sectors such as health care, construction and agri-food.

The pilot will streamline work permit processing for eligible Canadian employers and allow employers to schedule group appointments for medical examinations and biometrics for potential employees, so that skilled workers in the Philippines can come to Canada.

Every year, thousands of temporary foreign workers from around the world bring their skills to Canada, helping to grow our economy and fill labour market shortages. This includes a substantial number of newcomers from the Philippines, said Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

The CAN Work Philippines pilot will give Canada an important advantage in the global race for talent and support our industries in addressing labour market shortages, he said.

The Philippines has long been an important source country of immigration for Canada. According to the 2021 Census, 960,000 people of Philippine origin live in Canada.

Filipino nationals are also one of the top recipients of work permits. For the first 6 months of 2023, 1 in 10 Temporary Foreign Worker Program work permits were issued to Filipino nationals.

Additionally, IRCC is providing $200,000 to the IOM to support the adoption of fair and ethical recruitment standards in the Philippines. The funding will help the IOM work closely with the Government of the Philippines, conduct training sessions and promote the IOMs Fair and Ethical Recruitment Due Diligence Toolkit to organizations that are either involved or have an interest in recruiting talent in the country.

I am heartened by the launch of the CAN Work Philippines program, marking a significant step in the long-standing partnership between the Philippines and Canada, said Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne M. Caunan, Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines

Protecting the rights and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers remains paramount. We welcome initiatives that ensure transparency, fairness and adherence to global standards, she said.

Earlier this year, Canada announced the opening of a new immigration operation centre in the Philippines to get ahead in the global race for foreign workers.

Similar centres are also being planned in India and Turkey.

The Philippines is among the top three countries for immigrants to Canada after India and China and is the leading exporter of nurses and health care workers to foreign countries. On average, 13,000 nurses leave the Philippines every year, according to reports from the Philippines News Agency (PNA).

The opening of the new application processing centre in Manila is a strategic investment that will benefit Filipinos by providing more efficient processing of visas and support Canadas planned increases to immigration levels, said Rechie Valdez, Member of Parliament for MississaugaStreetsville, who made the announcement on behalf of Fraser.

By expanding our presence overseas, we are committed to facilitating the immigration process for those who want to visit, study, work, or immigrate permanently to Canada, she said, adding that the new Manila processing centre is part of Canadas Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Under this strategy, new immigration processing centres are also being planned in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Islamabad, as Canada aims to attract 465,000 permanent residents in 2023, 485,000 in 2024, and 500,000 in 2025.

The Philippine Embassy in Canada said that as of April 2018, there are around 901,218 Filipinos working and staying in Canada, which comprises almost 2.6 percent of the Philippines national population.

Canadian provinces with the greatest number of Filipino-Canadian residents include Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba. Toronto remains the Canadian metropolitan area with the greatest number of Filipinos, followed by Vancouver and Winnipeg, according to data published by PNA.

Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire, officer-in-charge of the Philippines Department of Health, said in a recent interview with the CBC, that the Philippines has a shortage of more than 350,000 nurses.

Among commonly cited reasons for the resignation and migration of Filipino nurses are low wages and benefits, according to a report in the Journal of Global Health.

An entry-level nurse working in a public hospital starts with an annual salary of less than $12,000. Comparatively in Canada, entry-level nursing positions start at $58,498 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $87,750 per year.

Countries that hire immigrant health professionals are realizing that they need to do a better job attracting and retaining them because now there is a greater global competition for health workers, said Margaret Walton-Roberts, a professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in a recent Q & A published on Universitys website.

The quick fix has been, well just import some more healthcare workers, or well just work short-handed, and I think weve pushed it too far.

We need to have better bilateral agreements that manage the global migration of health workers and provide partner countries with some benefit from these movements so that these countries do not send workers to Canada at the expense of their own healthcare systems, said Walton-Roberts.

She currently leads the Global Nurse Migration Pathways project, which seeks to contrast three geographically and policy-distinct nurse migration pathways: India to Canada, Vietnam to Germany, and the Philippines to Singapore.

We have been contrasting these different pathways to get a handle on which one seems to work most effectively for migrants, as well as source and destination countries, said Walton-Roberts.

Quick Facts

 Immigration accounts for almost all of Canadas labour force growth. Roughly 75% of Canadas population growth comes from immigration. By 2036, immigrants will represent up to 30% of Canadas population, compared to 20.7% in 2011.

 As part of Canadas Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Government of Canada is investing $74.6 million over 5 years, and $15.7 million ongoing, to boost the departments application processing capacity both domestically and in the Indo-Pacific region.

 The Philippines has long been an important source country of immigration for Canada. According to the 2021 Census, 960,000 people of Philippine origin live in Canada. Filipino nationals are also one of the top recipients of work permits. For the first 6 months of 2023, 1 in 10 Temporary Foreign Worker Program work permits were issued to Filipino nationals.

 On June 6, 2023, Canada announced expanded access to its Electronic Travel Authorization Program to include the Philippines, giving more Filipinos access to visa-free travel by air.

 Jointly organized by the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines and IRCCs visa office in Manila, the PhilippinesCanada Friendship Week will celebrate the strong social ties between the two countries and promote Canada as a destination of choice for workers from the Philippines. It will take place the week of October 23 in Manila and include information sessions on working in Canada, testimonials from Filipino workers, photo exhibits, a film screening and a tasting booth to sample Canadian cuisine. - with Agencies
S&P Global Rating has cut Israels credit outlook was cut to negative. Reasons given were risks that the war with Hamas could spread and have a more pronounced" impact on the country's economy.

The war between Israel and Hamas has entered its 19th Day on Wednesday, October 25, and is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides.

The Israeli military has pledged to destroy Hamas from the region and has received support from the US, the UK, and several Western countries.

Track our LIVE coverage of the Israel-Hamas War here

On the other hand, rallies, and support in favour of Palestine have also increased in several Middle East countries.

Global Tensions

On the situation, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations has on October 24 demanded that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres immediately resign for showing understanding to the mass murder of children, women, and the elderly people of Israel.

Guterress statement also provoked Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to cancel a meeting with him.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote, The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN. I call on him to resign immediately. There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words."

The remarks came after Antonio Guterres the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum".

Meanwhile, UN officials have described a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and repeated calls for an immediate cease-fire. They condemned the Hamas attacks but expressed alarm over the scale of the Israeli response and resulting civilian casualties.

They urged Israel to restore water and electricity to Gaza which has been cut off and to allow the free flow of humanitarian goods. They warned against escalation or widening of the conflict.

Guterres, who as head of the 193-member United Nations must represent both Israel and its allies, as well as adversaries.

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Pakistan's fuel and financial crisis has severely hit the business of one of its airlines. According to a report by DAWN News , Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is on the verge of a shutdown as cancelled 300 flights in the past 10 days due to fund issues.

The Pakistani media reported that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has cut fuel supply over unpaid dues. As a result, the PIA cancelled 322 flights, 134 on international routes since 14 October.

Pakistan's national carrier has been accused of being bloated and poorly run. PIA has found funds drying up as the government struggles with a balance of payments crisis caused by crippling debt repayments.

Yesterday, the PIA cancelled 51 flights, including 21 domestic flights.

The widespread cancellation of flights has put passengers in distress. A spokesperson of Pakistan International Airlines told DAWN News that the management is trying to accommodate passengers on alternative flights.

Decades of mismanagement and instability have hobbled Pakistan's economy, and this year Islamabad was forced into yet another bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avert default.

The interim government has said it will sell off the airline as part of a wider privatisation plan for state-run companies.

Bloomberg reported that PIA had liabilities of 743 billion rupees (around $2.5 billion), exceeding its total assets by five times.

PIA came into being in 1955 when the government nationalised a loss-making commercial airline and enjoyed rapid growth until the 1990s.

The liberalisation of the market and the launch of several private and publicly owned airlines put enormous pressure on Pakistan International Airline, resulting in years of lossmaking.

The airline's reputation was also battered by a series of strikes, hijackings, and accidents -- including the crash of an Airbus in Karachi in May 2020 that killed 97 passengers and crew.

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Tesla Inc. says it has received requests for information and subpoenas from the US Department of Justice related to potential personal benefits violations, the advertised range of its vehicles and personnel decisions.

The company disclosed in a filing Monday that it received the requests in the third quarter.

The Wall Street Journal in September reported that federal prosecutors are investigating perks provided to Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk going back as far back as 2017, including a project described as a glass house for Musk. Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Tesla had created a special diversions team" to avoid dealing with complaints from customers about their vehicle ranges.

The filing warned of the possibility of a material adverse impact on our business" should the government pursue an enforcement action. So far, to Teslas knowledge, any on going investigation hasnt concluded any wrongdoing.

The subpoenas add to a mounting number of government probes into the electric-vehicle maker. The DOJ is also investigating claims Tesla has made about its purported self-driving technology. In September, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Tesla alleging that it has been tolerating widespread and ongoing racial harassment of its Black employees" at its Fremont, California, plant.

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stood firm on his remarks over the Hamas attack. He said those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Guterres earlier said the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, expressing an understanding of terrorism and murder. "Its really unfathomable. Its truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views. A tragedy!" In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Guterres wrote, The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Following this, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday demanded that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres immediately resign for showing understanding to the mass murder of children, women, and the elderly people of Israel.

"There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words," Erdan wrote on the microblogging site.

Erdan further said the UN chief's remarks on the Israel-Hamas war proved that he is completely disconnected from the reality in Israel and sees the rocket attack launched by Hamas in an immoral manner.

The shocking speech by the @UN Secretary-General at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner," he said.

Guterress statement provoked Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to cancel a meeting with him. Cohen gave a speech before the council in which he held up photographs of Israeli children held hostage, who he called innocent victims of evil."

He also played an audio recording he said was a Hamas terrorist boasting of killing Israelis, and identified people who were guests in the council chamber as relatives of Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas.

The exchange highlighted the tensions that have followed in the wake of the Hamas attacks and Israels airstrikes in response, which Palestinian authorities say have killed more than 5,000 people.

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The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday demanded that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres immediately resign for showing understanding to the mass murder of children, women, and the elderly people of Israel.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote, The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN. I call on him to resign immediately." "There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words.

Erdan further said the UN chief's remarks on the Israel-Hamas war proved that he is completely disconnected from the reality in Israel and sees the rocket attack launched by Hamas in an immoral manner.

The shocking speech by the @UN Secretary-General at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner," he said.

The remarks came after Antonio Guterres said, The attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," expressing an understanding of terrorism and murder. Its really unfathomable. Its truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views. A tragedy!"

Guterress statement provoked Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to cancel a meeting with him. Cohen gave a speech before the council in which he held up photographs of Israeli children held hostage, who he called innocent victims of evil."

He also played an audio recording he said was a Hamas terrorist boasting of killing Israelis, and identified people who were guests in the council chamber as relatives of Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas, Bloomberg reported.

The exchange highlighted the tensions that have followed in the wake of the Hamas attacks and Israels airstrikes in response, which Palestinian authorities say have killed more than 5,000 people.

It also reflected the challenge for Guterres, who as head of the 193-member United Nations must represent both Israel and its allies, as well as adversaries such as Iran  not to mention countries such as Egypt and Jordan that recognize Israel but have criticized its policies.

Meanwhile, the UN officials also described a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and repeated calls for an immediate cease-fire. They condemned the Hamas attacks but expressed alarm over the scale of the Israeli response and resulting civilian casualties.

They urged Israel to restore water and electricity to Gaza which has been cut off and to allow the free flow of humanitarian goods. They warned against escalation or widening of the conflict.

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Hong Kong is becoming less and less relevant," says a Western diplomat in the city. On the face of it, that is an odd claim. Lots of foreign governments take Hong Kong seriously, noting each step of the financial centres journey towards autocracy.

Only last month the governments of America, Australia and Britain formally protested when the authorities in Hong Kong announced bounties of HK$1m ($128,000) on eight democracy activists living as exiles in their respective countries. The territorys chief executive, John Lee, a former police officer, pledged that the eight will be pursued for life" and spend their days in fear". This was not mere bluster. In recent times police have swooped on Hong Kong-based family members of those exiles, questioning them for hours about contacts with their relatives.

The European Unions latest annual report on Hong Kong, published on August 18th, is both grim and thorough. It describes the arrests of hundreds of opposition politicians, journalists and democracy activists, among them a retired Roman Catholic cardinal in his 90s, under a national-security law imposed on the city by the central government in Beijing. The report catalogues new pressures and controls on schools and universities, environmental groups, trade unions and professional associations. More broadly, diplomats posted to Hong Kong by dozens of countries have spent long hours observing national-security trials, held without juries before panels of hand-picked judges. Dutifully, foreign envoys write reports on stage-managed elections". Some of those contests involve a single, pre-screened candidatethe only one to meet the requirement, imposed from Beijing after anti-government protests in 2019, that patriots administer Hong Kong".

For all those signs of external scrutiny, there are signs of policymakers in foreign capitals losing interest, or at least hope. The Western diplomat laments that, back home, the citys smothering is considered a done deal. When I talk to colleagues at headquarters, they already consider Hong Kong to be part of China."

Actually, such fatalism is a mistake, for both principled and practical reasons. Start with the former. Democratic governments cannot change the Communist Party. But they can make Chinas rulers pay a price when they break their word. To shrug and turn away from Chinas actions in Hong Kong would break faith with the territorys 7.5m people, who were promised a high degree of autonomy and the preservation of many fundamental freedoms for 50 years after British colonial rule ended in 1997, under Chinas formulation of one country, two systems".

Then there is the impact on the stand-off over Taiwan, the democratic, self-ruled island that China calls its own. Chinas preferred Taiwan scenario involves the islands peaceful submission, in return for limited autonomy under a version of one country, two systems". If foreign governments allow China to trample commitments to Hong Kong with impunity, they risk encouraging rulers in Beijing to imagine they can do the same to Taiwan. It is hard to see how that could be a consensual, bloodless process. Understandably, Chinas crushing of freedoms in Hong Kong has left the people of Taiwan warier than ever of a mainland takeover.

There is a practical reason to keep tracking repression in Hong Kong, too. A good way to understand any edifice is to watch it being built. In the same way, the stifling of Hong Kongs pluralism is a work in progress, and as such is unusually revealing about the ambitions and terrors that drive Chinas secretive rulers, and about the controls they think are needed in an orderly society.

For now, the territory enjoys freedoms unknown in mainland China. The internet is not sealed behind Chinas great firewall". One of the biggest threats to debate is arguably self-censorship, induced by fear and by deliberately vague calls by Hong Kongs officials to eradicate soft resistance"their sinister description of dissent that does not explicitly challenge the law.

The trends are ominous, though. When Xi Jinping, Chinas supreme leader, visited Hong Kong last year he called on officials to heed central authorities in Beijing, to guard against foreign interference and to tackle what he called locals primary concerns, namely larger homes, more economic opportunities, better schools and quality care for the elderly. Hong Kongs leaders have made progress on Mr Xis first two priorities, at least.

Their new political model has no time for the notion of loyal opposition. Officials praise the efficiency" of the territorys Legislative Council since dissenting politicians were thrown out. School curriculums have shed classes that encourage critical thinking and added lessons about national security. The new model questions the legitimacy of even constructive criticism. When campaigners raise doubts about planned transport or housing schemes, state-backed news outlets denounce them for inciting citizens negative emotions against the government".

A world city no more

Hong Kong is being domesticated, in every sense of the word. To bring the city to heel, its leaders want to weaken the Wests perceived influence. One of the exiles with a bounty on his head calls extraterritorial harassment a warning to Hong Kongers. It is not as if they are going to extradite us," he says. The audience is domestic." China is working to bind Hong Kong economically to nearby mainland cities. Reportedly, lucrative opportunities are increasingly steered to mainland firms in Hong Kong, or to patriotic" locals. There is talk of admitting more mainland immigrants. Diplomats draw parallels with settler-colonialism practised elsewhere in Chinas restive periphery, from Tibet to Xinjiang.

Once, foreign governments and businesses predicted that Hong Kongs value as a global city would protect it from heavy-handed Chinese rule. Instead, party bosses prize control over openness: that is the ongoing lesson of Hong Kong. As a window on the partys bleak worldview, the citys fate is all too relevant.

Read more from Chaguan, our columnist on China:

Chinas slowing economy, seen from ground level (Aug 17th)

Why Chinese women are denied legal land rights (Aug 10th)

Xi Jinpings revealing response to floods and heatwaves (Aug 4th)

Also: How the Chaguan column got its name

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Doctors, researchers and patient advocates are excited about a new blood test that promises to detect cancer early. They disagree about whether you should actually use it yet.

The $949 Galleri liquid biopsy can screen for more than 50 types of cancers. It works by looking for a shared cancer signal in DNA shed by tumors in the bloodstream. More than 130,000 of the prescription-only tests have been sold since Galleri became available in June 2021, according to the test maker Grail, a unit of the gene-sequencing company Illumina.

The Galleri test is one of many products tapping into affluent and health-obsessed consumers appetite for data on their personal health. Some longevity and concierge doctors are offering the test to patients alongside a suite of other new, experimental health screenings including full-body MRI and biological age testing.

Despite the rise in sales and backing from some doctors, others in medicine are preaching caution. They say there is no research that shows the current test will prevent cancer deaths and warn about the risk of getting false positive or negative results. In one study, more than half of the people who got a positive result didnt have cancer.

Getting a false positive can cause worry and lead to unnecessary and costly follow-up procedures. False negatives, which are more likely for a test such as Galleri, could lead patients to skip recommended screenings.

If I feel good and Im asymptomatic and I have minimal risk for cancer, do I need to get this?" says Dr. Lori Minasian, deputy director of the National Cancer Institutes Division of Cancer Prevention. Lets wait and see. I dont think theres enough evidence right now."

The company and the tests proponents say the potential benefit of catching cancer earlier outweighs those concerns. The company says it believes making these tests available will increase cancer detection and improve public health.

If you get a positive test result, the company says it isnt a diagnosis and you should conduct an evaluation with a healthcare provider.

We still lose 600,000 people a year due to cancer in the U.S., which really speaks to the unmet need and the urgency about this new technology," says Dr. Eric Klein, distinguished scientist at Grail.

Test takers

Valerie Caro, a real-estate broker in Flagstaff, Ariz., first learned about the test in a book by Tony Robbins. She was curious enough to ask a doctor about it despite having no symptoms. Two practitioners declined to prescribe it before she got a prescription through Grails telehealth service in summer 2022.

The test flagged a possible cancer signal in her gallbladder or pancreas, and after several follow-up procedures including an MRI and gallbladder-removal surgery, she learned that a stage-two 4.3-cm cancerous tumor was nestled in her gallbladder. A year later, she says, she credits the test with saving her life.

Thats what happens when you catch it early," says Caro, 55. I was running offense on my health."

Galleri is one of few commercially available tests known as multicancer early detection, or MCED. None are Food and Drug Administration-approved or recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The American Academy of Family Physicians says it recommends against mass screenings that arent evidence-based, including routine use of MCED tests. The test, which isnt covered by most insurance plans, is meant to supplement, not replace, recommended cancer screenings, Grail says.

At the longevity physician Dr. Neil Paulvins independent practice, the Galleri test is included as part of a comprehensive physical-exam package that can run from $5,000 up to $20,000, he says. Roughly half of his patients bring up the test with him. About 10% of them have taken it, he estimates.

The tests are also showing up at more primary and specialty-care centers.

A first-of-its-kind test to detect more than 50 types of cancer is now available at Mercy," reads a July 2022 Facebook post from Mercy Hospital St. Louis. See if you qualify."

Grail recommends the test for people with an elevated risk of cancer, such as those who are over the age of 50 or who have genetic risk factors. It isnt recommended for people who are pregnant, under the age of 21 or undergoing active cancer treatment.

Inside the research

The Galleri test returned a false positive in less than 1% of all people screened, according to the final results of a company-funded study recently published in the journal The Lancet. Among people who got positive results, 62% of them didnt have cancer.

Grail says it is working to improve the tests positive predictive value, or the probability a person with a positive result has cancer, in future versions.

Dr. Deborah Schrag, lead author of the study and chair of the department of medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says she would tell her relatives to wait for the results of a randomized controlled trial, the NHS-Galleri study in the U.K., before getting the test.

Were getting ahead of ourselves on the evidence," she says.

The NCI plans to begin a study in 2024 assessing whether MCED tests given to healthy patients can reduce cancer-related deaths. Grail wont participate in that study, according to a company spokesperson.

Dr. LaTasha Seliby Perkins, a family-medicine doctor at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., says she hasnt offered the test to patients because of concern about the lack of FDA approval and that it is simply too expensive for them.

For folks who are just trying to make sure their needs are met, it is going to be a hard sell to say, Can you spend $1,000 on this test that were not sure of its efficacy?" she says.

Grail says it is working with several insurers to offer coverage.

Laura Miller, a retired nurse in Hannibal, Mo., says she decided to take the test over the summer after seeing a Facebook post. Two of her siblings had different types of cancer at the time, and she was worried about her abdominal pain and chronic constipation.I thought, this is just one more thing that I can use to try to detect if I have cancer, " says Miller, 67. I wanted to try to get ahead of it if I had it."

Her test came back negative two weeks later.

Write to Alex Janin at alex.janin@wsj.com
For decades, Apple has navigated an escalating series of challenges in China, from fake stores and factory protests to tightening censorship and app rules. Now, the iPhone maker risks getting dragged into the most volatile issue in U.S.-China relations: the future of Taiwan.

On Sunday, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn Technologyone of Apples largest supplierssaid it is cooperating with Chinese authorities after state media reported China had opened tax and land-use probes into the company. The investigations come as Foxconns billionaire founder Terry Gou pursues a bid for the Taiwan presidency.

The probes, announced days after Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was in China, open the possibility of a new category of geopolitical risk for Apple in the country.

Foxconn is a key part of Apples supply chain in China," said Kenneth Jarrett, senior adviser for corporate advisory firm Albright Stonebridge. Anything that jeopardizes Foxconns standing in China, even if it has nothing to do with Apple, becomes a headache."

Cook met with Chinas senior party and state leaders last week as part of his second visit this year. He also toured a non-Foxconn factory making the Apple Watch in eastern China and dropped by Apple stores, emphasizing the importance of the country both as a market and a manufacturing hub.

In a meeting with Cook, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang promised that China would offer more opportunities and a better environment for foreign companies to develop in the country.

On the heels of that reassuring message, Chinas investigation into Foxconn is a jarring reminder for Apple of the broadening range of risks it must deal with in the worlds second-largest economy. The probes also amid intensifying competition between Beijing and Washington, with Taiwans future at the center of rising tensions.

Apple, Foxconn and Gous office didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. On Sunday, Foxconn said it is working with the authorities on the probes and affirmed its commitment to abide by the law. In a statement released Tuesday, Gous office said it has no comment on the probes and referred to Foxconns Sunday statement.

Foxconns Taiwan-listed shares fell more than 2% to an eight-month low on Tuesday, furthering declines of about 3% on Monday.

Gou, one of Taiwans richest men, is a wild card in Taiwans January presidential election, which Beijing is watching closely. The Communist Party views Taiwan as part of China and has vowed to take control of the self-ruled island.

Why is Foxconn being probed right now? Of course there is a certain political consideration at play," said William Chung Chih-tung, a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a Taiwan government-funded think tank.

Gou favors closer ties with Beijing. But in a story about the Foxconn probes on Sunday, Chinas state-run Global Times, which first reported on the probes, cited unnamed analysts saying that Gous candidacy is likely to further divide" Taiwans opposition camp. Such a move could favor the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has worked to tighten ties with Washington. Beijing likely wants Guo to drop out of the race, some analysts said.

China distrusts the DPPs presidential candidate, the current front-runner, whom it considers a fervent advocate for independence. On Monday, a DPP lawmaker described Gou as a hostage of Beijing.

So, too, is Apple, analysts said. Thats a naive way of thinking that one could separate politics from business," Chung said about Western companies including Apple. When dealing with China, you must be very aware of the associated risks there."

Foxconns Gou said in August that he would welcome a Chinese seizure of his assets and become a factory worker if it meant Beijing wouldnt invade Taiwan.

Gou stepped down as Foxconn chairman in 2019, and resigned from the board of directors in September after announcing his presidential bid. Still, as of September, he held a 12.6% stake in Foxconn.

The Taiwanese entrepreneur has successfully straddled the gap between China and its cross-strait neighbor for decades.

He founded Foxconn in 1974, making components for black-and-white television sets in a factory near Taipei. As costs rose, the now 73-year-old set up shop in south China in 1988, tapping a pool of cheap labor. As its footprint grew in China, the Taiwanese company became a behemoth in the electronics manufacturing industry, winning Apple as a client on the way and becoming the biggest assembler of iPhones.

About 70% of Foxconns revenue comes from China, Young Liu, the companys chairman, said in March.

More recently, Foxconn has been helping Apple diversify its production away from China by investing in additional production capacity in India and Vietnam.

Through the probes, Beijing may also be trying to signal its concerns about Foxconns role in helping the diversification moves of Apple and other foreign companies, said Gabriel Wildau, an analyst for business advisory firm Teneo.

Mainland leaders would prefer that Foxconn actively resist the anti-China decoupling trend," he said in a report.

To be sure, analysts point to Cooks meetings in China as evidence that Apple, with its strong stature and consumer influence within the country, continues to enjoy government support. Apple is also seeking to unwind its reliance on Foxconn, entrusting the making of its newest products to other suppliers.

Apple is so invested in China, both from a consumer and manufacturing standpoint, that it would be challenging to reduce risk in the short term, said Randal Phillips, a strategic consultant on China issues.

Apple is going to have to bet on a gamble that they are too big to fail in China," said Phillips, who was also the former Asia managing partner of Mintz Group, a due diligence firm whose Beijing office was raided in March and staff detained. Apple will likely have to double down on burnishing government relationships there, he added.

Chinas probes into Foxconn could also backfire, as Taiwanese businesses including Foxconn play pivotal roles in the Chinese economy. Foxconn accounted for 3.5% of Chinas exports in 2022, according to the company. The firm is one of Chinas biggest private-sector employers and hundreds of thousands of its workers assemble electronics at factories in places such as Zhengzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu.

Weilun Soon contributed to this article.

Write to Liza Lin at liza.lin@wsj.com, Joyu Wang at joyu.wang@wsj.com and Yang Jie at jie.yang@wsj.com

View Full Image Apple Risks Getting Caught in Taiwan Tensions With iPhone Supplier Probes
One of the nations smallest hospitals is among the most prepared to see children in an emergency.

Three years ago, Grand River Health wasnt close. The 25-bed hospital near the western slope of the Rocky Mountains had scored a low 51 on a 100-point test measuring its readiness.

The hospital turned things around in recent months, however, by naming child-emergency coordinators, color-coding equipment in the E.R. for children of different sizes and training staff to perform procedures on kids.

It even had doctors and nurses practicing how to create emergency airways in the narrow throats of goats and sheep carcasses.

Grand River Health, which scored a 97.5 on the pediatric-readiness test in June, shows how emergency rooms can take simple and inexpensive steps to be ready to take care of young patients. Its experience also shows the important role that health authorities play when they push hospitals to improve.

Research finds that children in critical condition are more likely to survive in a prepared emergency room.

But many departments arent ready. The Wall Street Journal has reported that hundreds of children die or are severely injured because they are taken to emergency departments poorly prepared to take care of them.

The Journal also reported that only half of states have either mandatory or voluntary programs for certifying that an emergency department is pediatric-ready, and only 14% of emergency departments nationwide have been deemed ready.

Like most emergency departments, Grand Rivers, in Rifle, Colo., sees many more adults than children.

The unfamiliarity and inexperience can impair proper care. Nurses may not know where to find child-size tubes and other equipment, while doctors may not recognize a childs stomach complaints can signal something serious.

Grand River Health embarked on its pediatric-improvement efforts in late 2020 at the urging of Dr. S. Nichole Feeney.

Feeney said she pushed for the overhaul, after learning during a meeting with counterparts from across Colorado that kids are more likely to die in unprepared emergency departments and that the University of Colorado School of Medicine was overseeing a new pediatric-readiness certification program.

The program verifies whether emergency departments have taken steps that medical groups say prepare them to properly treat the youngest patients.

Grand Rivers score of 51 on the child emergency-readiness test placed it among the least-prepared hospitals nationwide.

One of the hospitals first pediatric-improvement steps, taken after the pandemic crisis abated, was one researchers who have studied the matter say can make a huge difference: appointing coordinators to oversee child emergency treatment.

Feeney took on the coordinator job for the hospitals physicians, who told her they needed training on how to create an emergency airway in a childs throat by cutting a hole in the neck and inserting a tube, a rare but lifesaving procedure.

It was Feeney who arranged for Grand River Health doctors to practice on the goat and sheep carcasses with airways as small as childrens. Together, they ran through scenarios of what could go wrong and how to fix it.

That very well may save a life one day," Feeney said.

Another target: reducing the overuse of CT scans on children, a cancer risk because the scans use radiation.

Feeney had identified, by combing through hospital medical records, 19 children with head injuries who got CT scans. Medical guidelines indicated at least half of the scans may not have been necessary.

Then she trained doctors on the guidelines, and the hospital revised its computerized protocols, which helps guide doctors treatment decisions.

Meantime, the hospital color-coded the medicines and equipment stored on E.R. crash carts so nurses could quickly find what they needed. The red, green, yellow and other colorsbased on a childs heightcorrespond to the color of stickers placed on bracelets worn by young E.R. patients.

Nurses practiced, at a recent training, measuring the correct doses of a drug given to young patients whose heart stops.

Grand River Hospital Chief Executive Jim Coombs said the government-owned, taxpayer-supported hospital easily afforded the measures despite a tight budget.

The biggest-ticket items included two $3,000 specialized intravenous pumps that deliver medications to children, said Erin Mitchell, the hospitals emergency department director. The hospital also set aside $8,000 for emergency department education, including more pediatric training.

Preparing an emergency department to take care of children should cost between $24,000 and $145,500, depending on the size of the E.R. and the amount of work it needs to do, according to preliminary estimates by Dr. Craig Newgard, an Oregon Health & Science University professor, and other pediatric-readiness researchers.

Grand River Healths 97.5 score is in the top 10% of facilities nationwide, according to the most recent survey. In May, it became the first in Colorado to be recognized under the statewide certification program.

Write to Melanie Evans at melanie.evans@wsj.com
AMMANLong before Hamas militants burst out of their Gaza stronghold to massacre scores of civilians with handguns and assault rifles, Iran and its allies had accelerated efforts to smuggle weapons into a different part of the Palestinian territories, the West Bank.

Using drones, secret airline flights and a land bridge that traverses hundreds of miles and at least four national borders, the smuggling operation is raising the specter of a new conflagration in the war between Israel and Palestinians. It also poses a growing threat to Jordan, a staunch U.S. ally which borders Israel and the West Bank and has been struggling to contain a growing flow of drugs and arms.

Iran wants to turn Jordan into a transit area for weapons going into Israel," said Amer Al-Sabaileh, founder of Security Languages, a counterterrorism think tank in Amman. But my fear is that the weapons might be used in Jordan as well. Where is the easiest place in the Middle East to punish the U.S. and the West? Jordan," he said.

Iran is a patron of Hamas, which it over the years has supplied with money, weapons and training. But as Egypt has cracked down on smuggling routes through the Sinai Peninsula, which borders on the Gaza Strip, Hamas has become increasingly self-reliant on indigenously built weapons, especially rockets.

The bulk of Iranian weapons to Palestinians go into the West Bank, particularly to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group allied with Hamas, according to a senior Jordanian security official. The official said networks of smugglers, assisted by the Syrian government and Iranian-backed militias like Hezbollah, were growing.

The weapons flow has really increased, specifically over the past year. This is because Iran has been much more focused on the West Bank recently, and trying to arm some of the groups there, especially the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is Irans more direct partner," said Michael Horowitz, Israel-based head of intelligence at Le Beck International, a risk consulting firm.

This probably explains part of the intelligence failure [during the Hamas attack], because Israel was more focused on the West Bank than Gaza," Horowitz said.

For more than a decade, Iran has taken advantage of upheaval and corrosion of government authority in the Middle East to cement its footprint in the region. Through a network of loyal militias, Tehran has established a land corridor across Iraq and Syria into Lebanon and, via Jordan, into the West Bank, allowing it to transport troops, equipment and weapons to its allies in the Levant.

Jordan, which has porous borders to war-torn Syria, controlled by Irans ally Bashar al-Assad, as well as to the West Bank, has long been vexed by the trafficking of weapons and drugs through its territory.

Jordanian officials have complained to Syria, and expressed their concerns to European allies, worried that weapons flows into the West Bank would strain its relations with Israel, according to European and Middle Eastern officials.

Weapons smuggled into Jordan include Iranian replicas of U.S.-made Claymore antipersonnel mines, M4-style assault rifles, TNT and other explosives and handguns, according to the senior Jordanian official. Terrorgence, an information network that includes advisers to Israeli police, said in October that Israeli border forces had confiscated antipersonnel mines manufactured in Iran and Russia.

Going across the Syrian border into Jordan, the arms are hidden in trucks going through official border crossings or carried across the vast desert expanses, which in the winter are shrouded in fog and dust.

Drones, a new tool of warfare for nonstate actors, are also handy for smuggling. In February, Jordanian agents caught the first unmanned aerial vehicle from Syria carrying hand grenadesfour of them. A commercial drone, bought cheap online and fairly easy to maneuver, can also carry two assault rifles, and is very difficult to detect, another Jordanian security official responsible for monitoring the Syrian border said.

We only see drones by chance," he said.

Iran has used other means to transport weapons. In February, after a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Esmail Qaani, commander of Irans elite Quds Force, which is responsible for the Revolutionary Guards foreign operations, visited the Syrian city of Aleppo, ostensibly to supervise aid deliveries. Qaani flew to Syria in an aircraft owned by Mahan, an airline that has been sanctioned by the U.S. for flying militants and weapons from Iran to Syria.

Soon after Qaanis visit, the airline, under the guise of delivering aid, began hauling large quantities of weapons to Syria, according to a Central Intelligence Agency operative in the region, a Syrian government adviser and a European security official.

It is unclear how many weapons are smuggled into the Palestinian territories, and whether some of the weapons end up in Gaza, via Israeli proper, though the vast majority going through Jordan appears destined for the West Bank, regional security officials say.

The Israeli army last year said there had been a significant rise" in detected attempts to smuggle weapons and drugs into Israel from Jordan and Egypt. From March 2021 to April this year, Israeli police thwarted at least 35 smuggling attempts from Jordan, seizing more than 800 weapons, according to a tally by the Washington Institute think tank.

The Iranians are investing lots of efforts in inflaming all arenas, in the north and the West Bank alike," a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said. The IDF is reinforcing the troops and ready for every possibility."

Traffickers in Jordan profit from the countrys large black market in arms, where guns trade for about one-fourth of the price in the Palestinian territories, according to licensed arms dealers in the capital, Amman. An AK-47 sells for as much as $20,000 in the West Bank, and an M16 rifle for $30,000, according to an arms dealer in the West Bank.

The country is awash with weapons," said a gun shop owner in downtown Amman. Prices on the black market are roughly the same as his: from $700 for a Czech 7mm to $4,200 for an Austrian Glock.

In May, a Jordanian lawmaker, Imad al-Adwan, was detained trying to smuggle more than 200 firearms, including 12 assault rifles, across the Allenby Bridge into the West Bank. Israel extradited Adwan to Jordan where he faces trial and up to 15 years in prison. He and 13 other defendants are expected to respond to the charges in court this week.

Palestinian groups have built sizable caches of weapons. In July, Israeli forces carried out their largest assault on the West Bank in decades, targeting militant facilities and weapons depots in Jenin that belonged to the Iran-allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, seizing about 1,000 weapons and hundreds of explosive devices. They also dismantled six bomb-making facilities. Twelve Palestinians were killed, most of them militants, 30 suspects were arrested and hundreds of people were displaced.

Portions of the West Bank are policed by the Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by Fatah, a faction opposed to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In the past two years, Palestinian police have seized about 600 to 1,000 weapons annually in the West Bank, more than twice the number before 2021, police spokesman Louay Zreikat said, adding that about 60% of those weapons were used for self-protection or criminal activities.

Following Hamas attack earlier this month, Israeli security forces have intensified a two-year crackdown on Palestinians in the West Bank, and settlers have attacked protesters and civilians. On Friday, 13 Palestinians were killed in a 30-hour long Israeli military operation against militants in refugee camps in Tulkarem. That came after 55 people were killed in the first week after Oct. 7, the deadliest week for West Bank Palestinians since at least 2005, according to the United Nations.

Anger over the crackdown and the Gaza bombings, which have killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian health ministry, paired with an increasingly heavily armed West Bank, poses a problem for the governing Palestinian Authority, whose grip on security has slipped as new militant groups have jockeyed for power, and residents resort to violence rather than turn to law enforcement to resolve internal disputes.

An arms dealer in Al-Ram in the West Bank said he sells hundreds of weapons every month, mostly to people who are organizing to defend their villages in the absence of coordinated Palestinian security.

Theres a big demand nowadays," he said, but I tell you all of them are very young."

The absence of a viable candidate to replace 87-year-old Mahmoud Abbas, whose popularity has long been waning, adds to volatility in the territory as loyalists of competing prospective candidates acquire arms and jostle for power.

The Palestinian Authority didnt reply to a request for comment.

Horowitz said an ignition of the West Bank could lead to a cycle of violence," with the Israeli army deploying more forces, and settlers carrying out more revenge attacks against Palestinians.

For Jordan, stemming the flow of weapons is a Herculean task. The Kingdom is to some extent a victim of its geography. Its long northern border is largely unguarded on the Syrian side, due to lack of cooperation from the Assad government, and its frontier with Israel isnt protected by significant fencing, making it a viable route for large-scale smuggling.

Jordan this year has made nine weapons seizures on the border, compared to seven in 2022 and 21 in 2021, according to the senior security official.

Years ago, at the peak of Islamic States reign, many weapons smuggled into Jordan were destined for Sunni terrorist groups, but now they are mostly traded for commercial gain, said Mohammad Afeef, a former president of Jordans State Security Court.

He warned that if security continued to deteriorate, the high concentration of weapons could in time benefit terrorist sleeper cells. That should worry the West, he said.

Jordan is playing a pivotal role in preventing smuggling of narcotics and weapons," Afeef said. It is a huge burden for us."

Suha Maayeh, Fatima AbdulKarim contributed to this article.

Write to Sune Engel Rasmussen at sune.rasmussen@wsj.com and Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com
Shark fishing will effectively be banned across all the beaches in one major Aussie city in the wake of two fatal shark attacks in three years.

Simply incompatible with community values and community safety is how fisheries minister Don Punch described shark fishing in Perth after he made the announcement on Wednesday.

Conservationists have welcomed the state governments decision, labelling it a win for public safety and shark welfare.

Experts have warned fishing for sharks can lure them towards popular beaches. Source: Getty (file photo)

Shark advocates welcome new fishing rules

Shark fishing increases the chances that humans and sharks will run into one another and encouraging them into shore solidifies that fear that they are looking for us, when in fact most of the time its not the case, Humane Society International marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck told Yahoo News Australia.

"Fishing is a responsibility not a right. The Western Australian government's decision... is a positive step towards improving community safety for all ocean users," Australian Marine Conservation Society shark expert Dr Leonardo Guida said.

"This is a fantastic move that will make Perth beaches safer. Attracting sharks to popular beaches for the cheap thrill of catching one is selfish and dangerous. Wed love to see this ban spread around the country," Envoy Foundation's Andre Borell said.

Shark anglers set to face fines if they break the rules

Under the new regulations, the use of wire trace lures will be banned within 800 metres of all metropolitan beaches, making it virtually impossible for fishermen to catch sharks.

Stella Berry (left) and Paul Millachip (right) were both victims of shark attacks. Source: 7News/WA Police

Recreational angler Guy Saayman noted shark fishermen were still welcome to head offshore, and he believes the new beach restrictions make sense. If you're going shark fishing you have to chum up the water with a whole lot of muck and that attracts them to the beaches, and they hang around," he said.

The decision to ban shark fishing comes after the deaths of 16-year-old Stella Berry in February and 57-year-old Paul Millachip in November, 2021.

Story continues

The fines will come into effect on November 3, and fines will initially range between $50 and $400, although repeat offenders can expect to face fines of up to $5,000.

with AAP

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Renault is gearing up for the global launch of its latest Duster SUV. The official unveiling of the 2023 Duster is scheduled to take place in Portugal on November 29. This new Duster, representing the third generation of the model, is set to be the most powerful rendition of the SUV.

Developed by Dacia, a subsidiary of Renault, the vehicle is built on the innovative CMF-B modular platform. There are also expectations of the Duster SUV making a return to the Indian market, although it might be a couple of years before it becomes available to Indian consumers, as per a report by HT Auto.

As per media reports, Renault will provide a choice of three different engines. Among these, the most potent option for the Duster SUV is the 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, capable of producing an impressive 167.6 bhp of power.

In addition to the 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine, Renault is expected to provide two other engine choices for the Duster SUV. One of these options is a 1.0-litre petrol engine, capable of delivering 109 bhp of power. There might also be a 1.2-litre petrol hybrid engine in the lineup, offering a power range between 118 bhp and 138 bhp.

Before its discontinuation in the Indian market, Renault had offered the Duster SUV with two distinct powertrain options: a 1.5-litre petrol engine and the 1.3-litre turbo petrol unit. The former engine generated 105 bhp and 142 Nm of torque, while the latter boasted a more impressive output of 154 bhp and 254 Nm of peak torque. The transmission choices included a five-speed manual, six-speed manual, and a CVT unit.

The new Duster is set to debut in the South American market, Australia, and New Zealand under the Renault brand, with the expected launch being the initial phase. In Europe, it is anticipated that the vehicle will be introduced under the Dacia branding, with an expected release in early next year.

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Nashville Police Chief John Drake has spent much of his career trying to steer young people away from crime. Inspired by mentors who helped him as a young man, Drake has tried to pay it forward. But sadly, he was unable to keep his own son out of trouble. John C. Drake Jr. stands accused of shooting two police officers outside of a Dollar General store in the nearby city of La Vergne on Saturday afternoon. The 38-year-old was still the subject of a manhunt Monday, and police say they consider him to be armed and dangerous. Drake has said he is estranged from his son and that he needed to be held accountable for his actions.
A man inspects his damaged home in Coxs Bazar on 25 October 2023, following the landfall of Cyclone Hamoon. Nearly 275,000 people in Bangladesh fled to shelters as Cyclone Hamoon barrelled into the southeastern coast, killing at least three people, officials said (AFP via Getty Images)

Three people were killed and over 275,000 people forced to find emergency shelters in Bangladesh as Cyclone Hamoon made landfall near the southeastern coast.

Walls and trees collapsed due to the impact of Hamoon on Tuesday night, leading to the deaths, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Hamoon is the most recent in a series of major storms to pummel the coastal regions of Bangladesh. This low-lying South Asian nation is experiencing a growing frequency of severe weather events  a trend that is usually attributed by climate scientists to the climate crisis.

Senior official Kamrul Hasan, who is the secretary of the disaster management ministry, was quoted as saying by AFP: We evacuated 273,352 people to cyclone shelters.

At least 10 people were injured and are being treated in hospitals, he told the outlet. However, several other outlets said that nearly 20 sustained injuries.

Power lines were severed and coastal villages and islands endured heavy rainfall but local media said that there were no reports of extensive or significant damage.

Cyclone Hamoon made landfall in the Chittagong and Coxs Bazar coastal districts in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with wind speeds of up to 104kph.

The cyclone is expected to further move inland and weaken gradually.

Local media reported that Hamoon has taken a heavy toll on Coxs Bazar, catching residents off guard due to the cyclonic storms abrupt arrival.

Residents also alleged that there was a lack of timely warnings from the meteorological office which has drawn criticism from many.

A resident, Shahena Akhtar, told Dhaka Tribune that the local authorities failed to provide timely information resulting in residents being caught off guard and ill-prepared for the cyclone.

Coxs Bazar deputy commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran, however, stressed that there was no negligence on their part. He stated that warning messages had been distributed well in advance before Cyclone Hamoon struck, and proactive measures were implemented to evacuate tourists from Saint Martins Island.

Story continues

Coxs Bazar district lost power late on Tuesday and district officials could not be contacted for updates on any damages caused, locals alleged.

Meanwhile, Samitipara, Fadnar Dale, and Nazirertek areas experienced extensive damage due to Hamoon.

In May, Cyclone Mocha emerged as the most potent storm to strike Bangladesh since the devastating Cyclone Sidr in November 2007. Sidr killed over 3,000 people and inflicted billions of dollars in damages.
A judge has struck out a case taken against a man found with a knife he had been using to cut food because he had no teeth, a court has heard.

Polish national Robert Walliant (56) 8 Clonbalt Woods, Longford, pleaded guilty to the possession of a knife at Longford garda station on July 11, 2023.

The court heard the accused had initially been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

However, with no drugs found, Mr Walliant was later searched at Longford garda station where the knife was discovered.

In defence, solicitor Frank Gearty said there were extenuating circumstances as to how his client had been found to be carrying the knife.

He was without teeth for eight months and he had been using it to cut food for the purpose of eating, he said.

Mr Gearty told of how Mr Walliant had since got teeth now and was absolutely riproaring as a result.

Sergeant Mark Mahon for the State, said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had consented for summary disposal, meaning the case could be disposed of in the District Court.

Presiding Judge Brendan O'Reilly accepted jurisdiction with the case put back temporarily for second calling.

When it returned around an hour later, Sgt Mahon confirmed Mr Walliant was now in the possession of a set of dentures.

Judge O'Reilly said given the context in which Mr Walliant was charged, he would be striking out the case.
A peace vigil organised by the Kashmir Peace and Solidarity Council of Ireland hopes to highlight the humanitarian crisis escalating as a result of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The solidarity vigil took place on Longford's Market Square on Sunday evening.

Parvez A. Butt of the Kashmir Peace and Solidarity Council of Ireland explained the reason for the vigil: The purpose of this event was to create optimum awareness of the 'Killing Fields of Gaza  Palestine', he told the Leader.

The Kashmir Peace and Solidarity Council Ireland is an apolitical organisation. Parvez said the group were compelled to organise the gathering: Kashmir Peace and Solidarity Council Ireland organised the vigil in solidarity with Palestine and people of Gaza who are facing an apartheid regime's genocide.

The event was supported by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (ISPC).

Parvez continued: The event was attended by 200 plus people from all communities, political parties and community organisations ( IPCN, ISPC, PBP).

We at Kashmir Peace and Solidarity Council Ireland thank all those who felt committed to the cause of Palestinian freedom, who gave up their time on a Sunday to participate in this vigil.

The Kashmir Peace and Solidarity Council Ireland spokesperson thanked all who supported the vigil: We also thank the Local Deputy Joe Flaherty TD, and a number of councillors representing various political groups who attended the event.

Special thanks to Fiana Fail and Sinn Fein representatives for joining us in support for Palestine

 Once again, Longford has shown that we are a strong county that stands for the rights of the people who need a voice and help the most, and we will always stand for justice, Parvez concluded.
A Co Offaly school bus driver has told a court that he drove the man accused of murdering Ashling Murphy home on the same day she was killed.

Rostislav Peter Pokuta, a Slovak national who has been living in Ireland since 2006, said he knew Jozef Puska and his brothers because of his job as a school bus driver.

He told the court Puska arrived at his home at around 9pm on January 12 last year asking to be driven home, after saying he had been in some fight in town.

Mr Pokuta also told the court that he did not make a statement to gardai about the whole story until January 24 because he was afraid of what would happen to his family.

Ms Murphy, 23, was killed while out exercising along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly, at about 3.30pm on January 12 last year.

Puska, 33, of Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Tullamore, has pleaded not guilty to the schoolteachers murder.

At the sixth day of evidence at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, Mr Pokuta said he was eating his dinner on January 12 when he was told by his son that Puska was at the door and wanted to speak to him.

So I came down to the door and said: Whats the story?' he told the court, adding that Puska asked him for a lift home.

Mr Pokuta said Puska looked very scared, wet, and that his face was scratched or something.

He told the court Puska did not look like himself and appeared really scared.

The witness agreed that his face almost looked a different colour.

Mr Pokuta said that Puska told him that he had some fight or something in town, and that Puska did not want to talk about it.

The witness said he would bring Puska home in his sons car, a grey Volkswagen which has a sunroof.

He told the court that he took the key, started the car up, and asked Puska several times what had happened.

I said: Why did you not ring the guards? No answer to that, he told the court.

Mr Pokuta confirmed to the court that he can be seen driving his sons car on CCTV footage shown to the jury last week and again on Tuesday morning.

He told the court that Puska was wearing a black tracksuit with some line on the side, which he thought was white.

The court heard that when they arrived at his home, Puska said: Ill sort you out tomorrow, and went inside.

The court heard that Mr Pokuta did not tell gardai the whole story in a statement on January 21, but did on January 24.

He said that this was because he was worried about his family, as there was a lot going on about the murder of Ms Murphy in Tullamore at the time.

Mr Pokuta said he was worried someone might come down to my house and do something.

Under questioning from defence barrister Michael Bowman SC, Mr Pokuta said that Puska did look injured at the time.

Mr Pokuta told the court Puska could have been holding his stomach or head, and that he did look hurt.

The court also heard members of An Garda Siochana give evidence in relation to a FitBit smartwatch and an account liked to an email address that included the words ashling murphy.

Garda Ciaran Byrne explained to the court what data a FitBit can gather, including distances and heartrate.

Mr Byrne said that he examined the data from the FitBit watch, shown in court, and cross-checked the data it collected on elevation and direction against a test he carried out along the canal route.

He said the Fitbit data indicates the user travelled 1km along the canal walk by 3.01pm, 2km by 3.10pm and 3km by 3.20pm.

Mr Byrne told the court that from 3.21pm, there was no longer any consistent data recorded by the smartwatch.

He said that there was a 90 degree angle recorded for most of the exercise session, indicating the user travelled in an easterly direction.

At 3.16pm, he said there was a change from 90 up to 270 degrees, as the user appears to do a u-turn and walk in a westerly direction.

He said that at 3.21pm, the user of the watch is no longer travelling in a westerly direction, and the data indicates an erratic or violent movement where the orientation being tracked by the smartwatch is moving quite quickly from 0 to 360 degrees in a constant manner.

Mr Byrne said that it seemed to be going from 0 to 360 repeatedly in a very short space of time.

The witness told the court he could not see that happening in any of the previous exercises logged by the user.

He also said that having walked the route myself, the erratic activity takes place at the spot where the memorial now stands.

In heartrate data tracked by the Fitbit watch, recorded in beats per minute (bpm), the start of the exercise session tracks a rate of around 100bpm, the court heard.

At 3.21pm, the heartrate decreases rapidly, Mr Byrne told the court, and falls to a point below 60bpm at 3.27pm.

At 3.27pm the heartrate increases rapidly until 3.31pm, when the Fitbit no longer picks up a heartrate, Mr Byrne said.

He said the watch no longer records any values for a heartrate after 3.31pm.

Under questioning from Mr Bowman, Mr Byrne confirmed that the time on the Huawei smartphone linked to the FitBit watch and account was correct, and confirmed to the court that he did check.

Mr Bowman suggested to Mr Byrne that there was a need to be careful with the accuracy of the data.
There has been no change in the UK Governments position towards a referendum on Irish unity, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has insisted.

Appearing before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Mr Heaton-Harris also stressed that there is currently no basis to suggest that a majority of people in the region wish to separate from the United Kingdom.

He was questioned about comments made this week by Northern Ireland Office minister Steve Baker, who expressed regret that the Brexit referendum did not require a supermajority to pass, and suggested any vote on Irish unity should also use such a threshold.

Mr Baker told the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) that the Brexit referendum probably should have been a supermajority of at least 60%.

He then cautioned against a 50% plus one result in any potential Irish unification vote.

Mr Baker asked: Would anyone here seriously want a 50% plus one United Ireland result in Northern Ireland?

I deliberately say it like that because some of you I know would (want a 50% plus one result). But just reflect on the trouble we had from running a 50% plus one referendum in the United Kingdom.

Addressing the issue at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, chairman Simon Hoare invited Mr Heaton-Harris to shoot a fox that started running around this week and which he said had been causing consternation in Northern Ireland.

He said: That fox is the supermajority retro-fit. Are you in a position to shoot it?

Mr Heaton-Harris said: The comments should not be considered any shift in Government policy.

I would just like to assure the committee and all that serve on it that the Government is unwavering in its commitment to all strands of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, not least the principle of consent and the need to exercise parity of esteem for the identity, ethos and aspirations of both communities.

He added: The agreement is clear that any change to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland would require the consent of a majority of its people.

In fact the agreement makes clear that it would be wrong to undertake any constitutional change without this fundamental principle of majority consent.

In accordance with that principle of consent, Northern Ireland will remain part of the United Kingdom for as long as its people wish it to be and we are absolutely clear there is no basis to suggest that a majority of people in Northern Ireland wish to separate from the United Kingdom.

Mr Bakers comments drew a sharp response from SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, who warned earlier this week that the principle of consent was not up for debate.

Mr Eastwood said: Steve Baker is right to acknowledge the significant deficiencies in the public debate that preceded the Brexit referendum.

There are huge lessons for those of us who support constitutional change and a future referendum on unity.

But fundamentally, there will be no supermajority requirement for change because unionist votes cannot be worth more than anyone elses.
Full disclosure: I have never set foot in the state of Rhode Island. However, the University of Rhode Island seems like a different kind of place and may have something to teach other colleges about how to manage off-campus living.

Most of us, when we think of college, imagine an away-from-home experience: four years on campus before plunging into the outside world on our own. But for a considerable number of students, college is a place they commute to. The University of Rhode Island provides an interesting and perhaps extreme example.

Rhode Island (the Ocean State) is the smallest state, with about 1,200 square miles of space. In size it is comparable to Monroe and Livingston counties in New York, with Rochester in the role of Providence. The main campus of URI is located in a rural, hilly setting at Kingston, not far from the ocean, with branches and specialized schools scattered all over the state. The Atlantic beaches are nearby. Of approximately 14,000 students, about half commute to school every day, while the other half lives in college or associated housing.

Interstate 95 cuts across the state diagonally from southwest to northeast, entering from Connecticut at Westerly and exiting into Massachusetts near Pawtucket after crossing the Providence metropolitan area, where more than a million and half people live. With state Route 4, I-95, passing close to Kingston, provides the quickest way between the University and Providence, a distance of 30-odd miles, depending on your particular destination.

Of the students who commute, a few travel to school from as far as Providence every day. Many more live down the line from Kingston near Narragansett and the Atlantic beaches in summer homes and apartments from September until May. The rest either live at home with their families or  more commonly  rent apartments with classmates as close to campus as possible.

For these students, the trick is to locate an apartment within a short drive from campus and commute from there. To this, say, 10-minute drive must be added time walking from the parking lot to the classroom building where the first class of the day is being held  no more, one hopes, than a 10-minute march, with backpack. The timing must be perfect! (There is also campus bus service).

Since so many students commute, off-campus living is not a casual thing, but an organized learning process with definite stages and guidelines. College staff will help students:

Develop a budget

Find roommates

Contact landlords and rental agencies

Draw up a roommate agreement

Inspect the property

Find transportation, including carpool, bike and bus options

One purpose of all this is to ensure good relations between students and their neighbors. Not many of these students can afford to pay the $300 fines for disturbing the peace, which some private school students routinely do.

The list continues with:

Meal planning  does the student want to eat on campus or off?

Disaster preparation  what to do in event of hurricanes, etc.

Relations with neighbors

Involvement with campus clubs and activities. It is made very clear that the off-campus student is still expected to conform to campus rules and regulations, rather than slough off into Bohemian squalor.

For longer commutes, there are also trains and buses. By Amtrak, Providence is half an hour from Kingston, and an hour from Boston (80 miles). Some grad students could juggle their schedules so as to have classes three days a week instead of five and live in Providence or even Boston, as do some professors.

However that may be, commuting reduces the cost of college. And living in an apartment near the campus reduces the cost of commuting! These apartment dwellers also avoid the institutional aspect of campus life and learn to do their own cooking.

For 200 years, American civilization was confined to the Atlantic seaboard by the Appalachian mountains; settlements and colleges were nestled together, not like out west. This has its conveniences today in the tremendous academic concentration of southern New England (and upstate New York and the Atlantic seaboard generally).

At URI, the Atlantic is close and can serve as a relief from academic pressure. You can walk on the beach or just sit and stare at the waves as they roll in. This can clear the mind and put studies and other problems in perspective. And it is no wonder that many students major in marine biology.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: October 25 2023

Long Islanders to be honored include two WWII Veterans and 14 who served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The American Airpower Museum (AAM), Honor Flight Long Island (HFLI) and Mission Margraten Plus (MMP), will host a special Veterans Day program honoring Long Island Veterans, on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Museum, located at Republic Airport, Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, New York. Long Islanders to be honored include two WWII Veterans and 14 who served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Whether they served in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Merchant Marines or Coast Guard, all Veterans who defended freedom and U.S. interests during WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, plus later conflicts Iraq and Afghanistan, deserve to be honored, said Jeff Clyman, AAM President. Aware of the risks, our Veterans fought in Americas battles against Fascism, Communism and in defense of liberty worldwide. Were proud to honor them this Veterans Day. Veteran participation with assistance and coordination from HFLI and MMP.

Join us November 11th, at 11:00 a.m., for welcome remarks by AAM, HFLI and MMP. A Cub Scout Honor Guard will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Next, coffee and cake will be served to Veterans and their families, while AAM prepares their C-47 Skytrain Second Chance. Then, four Wantagh HS students will join 16 Veterans on two flying Salutes over Long Island National Cemetery; first flight is at 12:00 p.m., second at 1:30 p.m., weather permitting. At exactly 2:11 p.m., two minutes of silence will be observed, as prescribed by the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act of 2016.

Both WWII Veterans are 102 years old, Bill Nacinovich and Dominick Critelli. Critelli of Floral Park played his Sax at the UBS Arena on September 17th with Andre Rieu, and will perform America The Beautiful and the National Anthem at AAM on November 11th. Admission for Adults is $15, Seniors $12, Children 5 to 12 $10, kids under 5 for free. Free admission for Veterans and Active Military.

American Airpower Museum is an aviation museum located on the landmarked former site of Republic Aviation at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY. The Museum maintains a collection of aviation artifacts and an array of aircraft spanning the many years of the aircraft factory's history. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Educational Foundation Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: October 25 2023

Professor Teaneys research involves Quantum Chromodynamics, which describes the nearly massless particles called quarks and gluons that exist within the nucleus of every atom.

The American Physical Society (APS) announced that Derek Teaney, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University, is among the organizations 2023 Fellows. This distinction recognizes Professor Teaney as a leading physicist whose research and service as an educator have helped advance the frontiers of science and technology.

Professor Teaneys research involves Quantum Chromodynamics, which describes the nearly massless particles called quarks and gluons that exist within the nucleus of every atom. When nuclei are crashed into each other at high speeds, these particles form an extremely hot and dense state of matter known as quark-gluon plasma, which existed a microsecond after the big bang. Professor Teaneys work has helped elucidate these collisions, painting a more complete picture of the quark-gluon plasma in the very early universe.

I am exceptionally delighted that Professor Teaney has been recognized with this distinct honor by the American Physical Society, which is made to no more than one-half of one percent of the Societys membership each year, said Chang Kee Jung, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Besides his outstanding contributions to nuclear physics, Professor Teaney is a dedicated and caring educator. He is also a reliable member of the department who is always willing to serve the university. We are fortunate to have him."

With a BS from Yale University and a PhD from Stony Brook, Professor Teaney joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2007 as a RIKEN Fellow. Since then, he has received multiple accolades including an Outstanding Junior Investigator award and a Sloan Fellowship.

The APS has named an annual cohort of fellows since 1921, and Professor Teaney joins a long list of Stony Brook professors who have earned the title. He also joins his father, Dale Teaney, who became an APS Fellow in 1964. To see the full list of past and present honorees, visit the APS Fellows archive page.

Photo Credit: Sebastian Grieninger (Post-Doctoral Researcher, Stony Brook University)

About Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University  New Yorks flagship university and No. 1 public university  is going far beyond the expectations of todays public universities. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With nearly 26,000 students, more than 2,900 faculty members, more than 200,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the worlds biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Reports Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brooks membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The universitys distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy  one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $7.23 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ stonybrooku/) and Twitter(@stonybrooku).
Seth Frantzman is reporting from Israel.

A rocket fired from Gaza targeted the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday, headlining the 19th day of the war between Israel and Hamas that began after a surprise Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people in Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said one rocket was identified from the Gaza Strip toward Hevel Eilot Regional Council in southern Israel, which fell in an open area. Eilat is 130 miles from Gaza.

The rocket fired toward Eilat is the first time that a long-range rocket targeted the city which sits on the Red Sea. In addition, another rocket targeted the city of Haifa, some 100 miles from Gaza. On Oct. 24, Hamas carried out a large barrage of rocket attacks targeting central Israel, illustrating the groups ability to carry out long range attacks two weeks into the war.

Threats from Hezbollah also continued on Wednesday. The IDF said it confronted a terrorist cell that was attempting to carry out anti-tank fire near Mount Dov, on the border with Lebanon. More anti-tank missiles were fired at Avivim and Zarit, two communities on the border of Lebanon. Israel has evacuated civilians from the entire border region, leaving around 42 communities empty of most civilians. Israel says it responded to these attacks in the north using aircraft and artillery. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hosted Hamas deputy commander Salah al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhalah. The meeting came as Hezbollah continues to announce losses in Lebanon as a result of two weeks of attacks on Israel. More than two dozen Hezbollah members have been killed.

IDF spokesperson Real Admiral Daniel Hagari also highlighted Irans role in the current conflict. Iran supported Hamas before the war directly, training, in providing weapons, money and technological know-how. Even in these moments, Iranian support to Hamas continues with intelligence assistance alongside incitement on social media and fueling incitement worldwide against the State of Israel, he said. In the Middle East where the Iranian proxies operate from within Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, the instructions come from only one place  from Iran.

Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq and Syria have targeted U.S. forces over the last two weeks and the Iranian-backed Houthis also fired missiles and drones at Israel on October 18. A U.S. warship intercepted the drones and missiles.

Israels army continues to train to prepare for a possible ground incursion into Gaza. The IDF has also continued to announce details about the Oct. 7 attack. It has already revealed the amount of munitions Hamas brought into Israel during the attack and has provided journalists with footage from the attack. On Oct. 25 the IDF also revealed a handwritten note was found on one of the terrorists which was given to him before the invasion. The words from Hamas commanders consist of an order to kill Jews and encouragement to decapitate their victims and tear out their hearts and livers.

The IDF Chief of Staff, Defense Minister and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been speaking to many of the key units in the IDF ahead of a possible new phase of the war. Netanyahu spoke to the IDF Yahalom Unit (special unit of the Combat Engineering Corps) alongside the IDFs head of the Ground Forces Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai and IDF Chief Engineering Officer Brig.-Gen. Ido Mizrachi on Tuesday. The Prime Minister was also shown the elite units special capabilities, including underground activity and explosive, the Government Press Office said.

At the same time, the Golani brigade emphasized that two of their units  the 13th and 51st battalions  that bore the brunt of the attack on Oct. 7 and suffered dozens of casualties, are prepared to fight any incursion that may come in Gaza. These two battalions fought in the Kissufim and Nahal Oz sector on Oct. 7.

They have now been training and preparing since the difficult first days of the war. The officers in charge of these two units, Lt. Col. Tomer Greenberg and Lt. Col. Meir Ohayon, discussed how they are ready for their mission. There will be a maneuver, and when it arrives, we will win, said Ohayon on Wednesday morning. Other units from the Givati brigade are also preparing for the next phase, going through similar training and preparation for urban combat that the units will face if they enter the densely populated Gaza Strip.

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the acting news editor and senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck recently toured the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, and wants to use what he learned to make local schools safer.

On Oct. 14, Schenck was one of about 200 people from 25 states who toured Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburb of Parkland, Florida, ahead of the building's demolition next summer. Seventeen people were killed there by a former student in February 2018, 14 of them students and the other three faculty.

The sheriff told The Citizen he plans to use what he learned from the visit to improve safety at local schools, which has been a focus of his office in recent years. The office has retired officers working as school resource officers in the Moravia, Port Byron, Union Springs and Weedsport school districts, as well as a full-time sheriff's deputy at the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES campus.

Schenck said his visit to Parkland resulted from a sheriffs' conference in Albany a few years ago. He heard a presentation there from Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son, Alex, was murdered in the shooting. Schenck then reached out to Schachter, who has founded the nonprofit Safe Schools for Alex, to discuss the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office's work on school and community safety.

Schachter has connected the office with helpful resources, Schenck said, and a few weeks ago invited the sheriff to tour Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Schenck and other school and law enforcement officials were joined by Schachter and other parents whose children died in the 2018 shooting, learning "exactly what happened on that tragic day," the sheriff said.

He also learned "things that we can do to certainly make our schools safer, that really apply to any school, no matter where it's located," he said. "It was a very difficult thing for me to walk through that building and see what happened there, but I just really appreciate the opportunity to learn from that experience and to bring that knowledge back."

Specifically, Schenck learned more about Florida's passage of safety laws and creation of school procedures in the wake of the shooting. He noted the state's mandate that all schools have armed security, and praised its work to standardize behavioral threat assessment and management. That identifies "individuals that are going down a path that may lead to violence and trying to intervene," he said, noting the Parkland shooter had prior contact with mental health personnel and law enforcement. Better management therefore might have prevented the tragedy, he continued.

Since the start of the 2022 school year, the sheriff has worked with the Cayuga County Community Mental Health Center, the county Department of Social Services and other local stakeholders on local behavioral threat assessment and management. He said he's grateful he was able to learn from what happened in Parkland in order to try to prevent it from happening in Cayuga County.

"It was made possible by the parents of many of these victims who wanted to allow people from across the country to come to learn from this tragedy, to bring something positive from the terrible, terrible, horrific thing that happened," Schenck said. "I'm very sorry for their loss."
25th October 2023

Runtime 11:10





Harland and Wolffs (HARL) Belfast yard has won a 61 million contract to upgrade the SeaRose, a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Investors will hear why Cenovus Energy in Canada, one of the largest players in the FPSO industry, awarded this contract to H&W and how this contract win enables the Company to enter the highly specialised FPSO market.

John Wood added the SeaRose arrives in February and is expected to stay in one of Europes largest dry-docks until the summer.

In other news, John noted that that they are also well into the detail of pre-planning for the 1.6 billion Fleet Solid Support contract with procurement activity already taking place, with initial revenue from the contract expected to be recognised this financial year.

The Capex upgrade programme is also well underway at Belfast and Appledore, with the new and highly sophisticated Panel Line technology ordered and the civils contract for the fabrication hall extension has been awarded and already underway.

John ended the interview with focusIR by discussing the Islandmagee gas storage facility where, as expected, the Judicial Review decision has been appealed. He remains convinced gas security for Ireland and the UK will once again prove decisive factors ensuring the initial Judicial Review will be upheld and remains confident the project will be built.
Odyssean Investment Trust PLC - London-based investment trust focused on smaller companies - Hires Linda Wilding as new chair, appoints her as an independent non-executive director with effect from October 25. Wilding will be appointed as chair with effect from March 31 2024, as current Chair Jane Tufnell intends to step down on that date as part of Odyssean's ongoing succession planning. Tufnell has been chair since since the company's launch in April 2018.

Wilding is current a non-executive director at Balanced Commercial PropertyTrust Ltd, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) C Ltd and Wesleyan Assurance Society. Previous employers include Electra Private Equity PLC, UDG Healthcare PLC and Mercury Asset Management PLC.

Senior Independent Director Arabella Cecil says: "The depth of her knowledge and understanding of both public and private markets and her experience within the investment trust sector means Linda is well placed to take the company forward into the next phase of its development."

Current stock price: 135.00 pence

12-month change: down 12%

By Emma Curzon & Jeremy Cutler, Alliance News reporters

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
With Jimmy Giannettino running for mayor and Tim Locastro not seeking reelection, there are two open Auburn City Council seats this year.

Four candidates  Democrats Christina Calarco and Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson, along with Republicans Brian Dahl and Andrea Guerrera  are running for city council. Calarco and Overstreet-Wilson will also appear on the Auburn and Working Families party lines, while Dahl and Guerrera are on the Conservative line.

Calarco, a Cayuga County legislator, decided to run for council instead of another term on the county Legislature. In 2022, voters approved a plan to downsize the legislature and establish new legislative district lines beginning in 2024.

Before Calarco ran for county Legislature two years ago, she didn't view herself as a candidate for public office. But after thinking about her family's values and her role as an educator  she is a biology teacher at Auburn High School  she decided to run for the seat.

"I've regularly told my students that if you want things to be different or you want changes to happen, you have to be the ones to do it," Calarco said. "We can never sit back and wait for somebody else to do that. Especially for the girls, I want them to feel empowered to take a leadership role."

With two years as a county legislator, Calarco says she has a better idea of how local government works and has learned a lot from that experience. Her top priority is protecting Auburn's drinking water.

"We live in an area where we're lucky to be surrounded by so much freshwater that should be clean and safe and remain that way," she said. "If Auburn is going to continue to grow and we're going to attract people to live here and raise families here and businesses to establish themselves here, we need to make sure that the lake is protected."

Calarco's other priorities include addressing homelessness, continuing to combat the opioid epidemic and attracting more businesses to downtown Auburn.

Dahl has run for political office before  he was a county Legislature candidate in 2021  but is best known for his roles in emergency management. His experience includes 14 years as the county's director of emergency services, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.

During his career, Dahl has served on numerous boards and committees, including a stint as president of the Central New York Regional Emergency Medical Services board and vice president of the state Emergency Management Association.

Through his emergency management work, Dahl says he has experience with developing budgets and "a broad knowledge of just about everything the city and county is doing."

His top priority, like Calarco's, is water quality. He had blood infections that required organ transplants. The bacteria that caused the infections, he said, was linked to the harmful algal blooms present in Owasco Lake.

"The water authorities around the lake do a pretty good job, but they really have no teeth," Dahl said, adding that the state, city and county need to have better communication about protecting the drinking water.

Dahl also wants to address concerns about the city's back-in parking system that's been in place for five years. However, the shift to back-in parking was not a local decision. It was a mandate from the state.

Another priority for Dahl is public safety. He lauded Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci for prosecuting criminals, but thinks more can be done to address other safety concerns. He also thinks there aren't enough police officers in the city.

"We got to protect our citizens," he said.

Overstreet-Wilson is a professor at Cayuga Community College and owns a consulting business. She has been an active member of community boards and committees, including two terms on the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education. She is also a past president of the Booker T. Washington Community Center's board of trustees.

If she is elected to city council, Overstreet-Wilson wants to relay what she is hearing from residents and use her position to engage in discussions that solve problems.

"Auburn provides a safe space," she said. "Auburn provides opportunities that I know my children and grandchildren can benefit from."

Overstreet-Wilson's priorities include economic development and workforce development. She wants to ensure residents, especially future generations, have opportunities to stay and work in the city.

But those issues are tied to what Overstreet-Wilson identified as her top priority: water quality.

"If you don't have clean water, anything else you think about doing to this city is going to fail," she said. "Economic growth is connected to clean water. Workforce development is connected to clean water. I'm passionate about those things. If you don't have clean water for people to open up businesses, how are they going to make money for the city?"

Guerrera, the fourth candidate for city council, could not be reached for comment.

The two candidates who receive the most votes will win the city council seats. City councilors serve four-year terms. Democrats hold a majority of seats, with Locastro as the lone Republican councilor.

The winners will join councilors Terry Cuddy and Ginny Kent, both Democrats.
From October 25-29, shoppers will be able to shop for more than 7,000 products at the SHEIN Fashion House pop-up and meet SHEINfluencers Belle Mariano ,

Small Laude , Toni Sia, and more!





SHEIN, a global online retailer of fashion, beauty and lifestyle products, has launched its first-ever offline sales pop-up event in the Philippines at the TriNoma Mall, allowing customers to browse, try and directly purchase SHEINs products on the spot. From now to October 29, 2023 customers will be able to shop from more than 7,000 items across womens, mens and childrens apparel and accessories at the SHEIN Fashion House Pop-up.













The event is held in conjunction with the launch of SHEINs first SHEINfluencer Day in the Philippines, a day dedicated to celebrating the #SHEINfluencer community. The inaugural launch will be led by SHEINs first-ever ambassador in the Philippines, Belle Mariano, who previously curated the SHEIN x Belle Mariano capsule collection with the brand.

In collaboration with the brands SHEINfluencers, shoppers will be able to get up close and personal with their favorite influencers while enjoying a host of exclusive activities at the pop-up. This includes the beSHEINmodels Style Party, where they can experience a one-on-one styling session with crowd favorite SHEINfluencers Toni Sia, Killa Kush, Sofia Jahrling, Jeanette Ong, and Nicole Go. There will also be a SHEINfluencer Fan Meet, where lucky fans will have the chance to meet Belle, Small Laude, Rana Harake, Viy Cortez, Nicole Budol, Melai Cantiveros, and more fan-favorite influencers.

Vivian He, Head of Marketing, Southeast Asia at SHEIN said, We are thrilled to host our first-ever offline sales pop-up store in the Philippines to provide a more integrated and holistic shopping experience to our customers. We hope that through this event, we will be able to make the beauty of fashion accessible to shoppers in the Philippines. We look forward to bringing shoppers more exciting campaigns and events, together with our SHEINfluencers.

The SHEIN Fashion House pop-up is located at the TriNoma Mall Activity Center and will run from October 25-29, 2023 from 10 am to 10 pm daily. For more information on the pop-up, please visit SHEINs social media pages: SHEIN Philippines on Instagram, SHEIN Philippines on Facebook, and SHEIN Philippines on TikTok.




Mega Prime Foods Inc. (MPFI) is strengthening its Mega Bigay Sustansya (MBS) program that aims to help solve the problem of malnutrition among Filipino children.

The MPFI, through the Mega Tiu Lim Foundation (MTLF), solidified key partnerships through the signing of memoranda of understanding with stakeholders such as with Reach Out and Feed Philippines Inc. (ROFP).

The Department of Education-Region 8, Department of Education-Region 4A, and the European Chamber of Commerce through the Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress for the Bangsamoro likewise play vital roles in beneficiary identification, school and stakeholder coordination, and program-related facilitation.



(From left) ECCP Vice President Helen Baisa, DOST-FNRI chief science research specialist Dr. Milflor Gonzalez, MFPI chief development and growth officer Marvin Tiu Lim-Chan, Reach Out Feed Philippines founder Dawn Cabigon, Deped Region 8 Director Evelyn Fetalvero and Deped Region 4A Partnership Program Focal Wilbert Ulpindo







MPFI has also partnered with the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute for the development of the 120-day, once-a-day meal plan, which incorporates MEGA sardines as the primary protein source for identified beneficiaries.

Through the partnership, the stakeholders assess the meals according to nutritional guidelines and provide a structure for 16 training activities aimed at educating parents, teachers, and children about nutrition.

While ROFP handles meal development, DOST-FNRIs expertise ensures the meals meet nutritional standards.

Data from the 2013 National Nutrition Survey showed that 29 percent of Filipino children aged 510 years were considered underweight.

The survey also noted the proportion of overweight and obese children increased by 1.7 percentage points from 2011 (7.4 percent) to 2013 (9.1 percent).

The same nutritional indicators showed energy and micronutrient intakes among school children were inadequate.

MPFIs Mega Bigay Sustansya 2023 addresses this critical issue by enhancing the program to benefit school children.

We recognize that proper nutrition and education are deeply interconnected. Well-fed children can focus on their studies more effectively, leading to better information absorption and overall academic performance. This is especially significant as we partner with DepEd to fortify this vital connection, MPFI said.

The cornerstone of the program will be the School-Based Feeding initiative, spanning 120 days and reaching elementary schools in Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Quezon (Lucena, Sariaya, Caluag); Tacloban (Tacloban City, Tanauan, Ormoc); and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

This program will cater to children aged 6 to 12 by delivering nutritious meals underpinned by brands like Mega Sardines, Mega Tuna, and Mega Prime Quality.
The Gardner man who police are searching for in connection to his wifes death on Sunday was with the United States Air Force up until seven months ago, a spokesperson for the military branch said. Now, police believe he may have disappeared into the forest with a gun.

Aaron Pennington, 33, has not been located as of Wednesday afternoon, after officers found Breanne Pennington, 30, shot dead in the face in the couples home on Oct. 22, the Worcester County District Attorneys Office, Gardner and State Police said, and court documents detailed.
SPRINGFIELD  Baystate Health no longer accepts cash  not even in its coffee shop.

The health care giant adopted a cashless payment system at all Baystate hospitals, Baystate Medical practices, patient care settings, retail pharmacy locations and even at the cafes and cafeterias, according to a statement.

The change went into effect Oct. 1, and signs at billing offices and cafeteria lines inform visitors of the change in two languages. There is a notice on the website and a recorded reminder played to telephone callers who are on hold.

The health system assured patients that the cashless system would not impede care.

Transitioning to a cashless system improves efficiency by streamlining the payment process and enhances security by reducing the risk of theft and human error, Baystate said in its statement. No patient will ever be turned away from care. Arrangements can be made to complete payment after care is delivered, even for those who do not have access to a debit card, credit card or checking account.

Baystate said it offers alternative methods of payment for patients who do not have access to credit or a bank account. That includes, the health care provider says, kiosks to transfer cash to a card that can be used for payment.

With 13,000 employees, it is the largest employer in the Pioneer Valley. Baystate has 980 beds in five hospitals. Baystate gets 1.8 million outpatient visits a year and more than 180,000 emergency room visits. Baystate averages 37,000 surgeries a year.

More than 4,000 babies are born at Baystate Health hospitals in an average year.

Baystate Health said it joins other Massachusetts hospitals and health systems that already have made this transition. Its legal team sent a message through a spokeswoman that we are confident that our plans are consistent with Massachusetts law.

State law  dating back to 1978  states that no retail establishment offering goods and services for sale shall discriminate against a cash buyer by requiring the use of credit.

Its an issue thats come up with some frequency in recent years, as cash falls out of favor and more transactions happen on cards.

In 2020, during COVID restrictions, then-Attorney General Maura T. Healey reminded businesses that it is illegal in Massachusetts for stores to refuse cash.

And in 2022 there was some backlash when the Red Sox went to a cashless system  again with a kiosk, so visitors could add cash to a card  at Fenway Park.

Roughly four-in-10 Americans (about 41%) say none of their purchases in a typical week are paid for using cash, up from 29% in 2018 and 24% in 2015, according to a Pew Research Center survey released a year ago.

A sign outside the cafeteria at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield advises visitors of the new "no cash" policy. (Jim Kinney/ The Republican)Jim Kinney

But 59% of Americans said that in a typical week, at least some of their purchases were paid for using cash.

A similar study by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco found that the share of payments made using cash declined slightly from 2020 and 2021 to 18% of all payments in 2023. The decline was driven by an increase in noncash payments and not a decrease in cash payments.

At the same time, the people, on average, have about $73 on them to spend. Thats up $5 from 2021.

And policies at other area hospitals vary with, as Baystate said, some systems already making the switch to a cashless system all or in part.

Cooley Dickinson in Northampton, and the rest of the Mass General Brigham system, does not accept physical cash, said Adam Bagni, director of external communication in the community division of Mass General Brigham.

The cafeteria at Cooley, however, does accept cash, Bagni said.

Mercy Medical Center and all Trinity Health of New England sites take cash, check or credit card for payment, said Mary Orr, communications specialist.

Holyoke Medical Center accepts cash payments, said Rebecca MacGregor, executive director of marketing and community relations for Valley Health Systems:

UMass Memorial Health, the largest health system in Central Massachusetts, had most departments go cashless and checkless in May 2022.

To the west, Berkshire Health Systems accepts cash and in its cafeterias, as well.
In-person voting begins this weekend in Cayuga County.

The nine-day early voting period starts Saturday and runs through Sunday, Nov. 5. Registered voters in the county are eligible to cast ballots at the three early voting locations designated by the local board of elections.

What is early voting?

Think of it as nine election days. Each day gives voters an opportunity to cast their ballots in person.

New York's early voting law was signed in 2019 and took effect that year. This is the fifth year of early voting.

Where can you vote early in Cayuga County?

There are three early voting locations in Cayuga County.

Clifford Park Clubhouse, 81 Mary St., is the Auburn location. This has been a popular early voting spot.

The elections board also has early voting locations in the northern and southern parts of the county. The Cato Municipal Building, 11320 Shortcut Road, will be the northern early voting site this year. In the southern end of the county, Moravia Town Hall, 1630 Route 38, is the location.

When is early voting?

On most days, the voting sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are two exceptions: Wednesday, Nov. 1, and Thursday, Nov. 2. On those two days, the locations will be open from noon to 8 p.m.

Am I assigned an early voting location?

No. Thanks to the use of ballot-on-demand printers, registered voters in Cayuga County can go to any of the three sites. For example, an Auburn resident could vote early at the Cato site.

If I vote during early voting, can I vote again on Election Day?

No, that would be illegal. You can't vote multiple times.

Will early voting results be released before Election Day?

No. The county Board of Elections won't release any results until after the polls close at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7  Election Day.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. He also said he was redoubling his commitment to working on a two-state solution to end the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Biden said the attacks by extremist settlers amounted to pouring gasoline on the already burning fires in the Middle East since the Hamas attack.

It has to stop. They have to be held accountable. It has to stop now, Biden said at the start of a news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was being honored with a state visit to Washington.

Settler violence against Palestinians has intensified since the Hamas attack, and Palestinians have been killed by settlers, according to Palestinian authorities. Rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing them to evacuate to other areas.

The West Bank Protection Consortium, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations and donor countries, including the European Union, says hundreds of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the West Bank due to settler violence since Oct. 7. Thats in addition to over 1,100 displaced since 2022.

Deadly violence has been surging in the West Bank as the Israeli military pursues Palestinian militants in the aftermath of the Hamas attack from Gaza.

The violence threatens to open another front in the 2-week-old war, and puts pressure on the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank and is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, in large part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters.

Biden again condemned the brutality of the Hamas attack that killed 1,400 Israelis and said that he was convinced that Hamas was driven in part by a desire undo U.S.-led efforts to normalize Israeli relations with some of its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia.

The president also said that after the Israel-Hamas conflict comes to an end, Israeli, Palestinians and their partners must work toward a two-state solution.

Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity and peace, Biden said, adding, When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 6,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in retaliatory strikes. Biden said he had doubts about the accuracy of the Hamas death count, but stressed that it was critical for Israel to move carefully in its response to minimize civilian deaths.

Im sure innocents have been killed, and its the price of waging a war, Biden said. Israel should be incredibly careful to be sure that theyre focusing on going after the folks that are propagating this war, Biden said.

Biden also that he has not directly sought assurances from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will hold off on an expected ground invasion into Gaza before hostages can be released.

What I have indicated to him is that if thats possible, to get these folks out safely, thats what he should do. Its their decision, Biden said at news conference at the White House. But I did not demand it. I pointed out to him, if its real, it should be done. About 10 Americans remain unaccounted for amid the Israel-Hamas war, according to the White House.
The Boston Police Department is looking for a suspect in connection with an indecent assault and battery incident that happened in Roxbury on Monday.

The incident happened in the area of Tremont and Hammond streets at 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 23, the department said. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, wearing an orange t-shirt, blue jeans and backpack.

Police said he may have tattoos on his forearms and was last seen walking down Tremont Street toward Massachusetts Avenue.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the departments Sexual Assault Unit at 617-343-4400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).
On Jan. 22, a group of friends got together for a Sunday night dinner where everyone seemed perfectly normal, according to court documents. But about 48 hours later, Lindsay Clancy is accused of murdering her three children by strangulation.

Clancy, 33, faces three counts each of murder and strangulation after being indicted by a Plymouth County grand jury in September. She is charged in connection with the deaths of her children, 5-year-old Cora Clancy and 3-year-old Dawson Clancy on Jan. 24. Prosecutors said Lindsay Clancy also injured her infant son Callan Clancy, who died days later in a hospital.

She later jumped out of a window after injuring herself, prosecutors said.

While there, Lindsay seemed fairly normal, mostly quiet while on her phone keeping to herself, court documents state from an interview with Kyle Carney, who owned the home they were at Jan. 22.

Carney told investigators he was surprised she came over as the other couple had not seen her in months due to medical issues.

Lindsay Clancys husband, Patrick Clancy, had told his college friend Lindsay was having anxiety about returning to work after the birth of their third child.

She was taking medication, Patrick Clancy told Carney, but they didnt seem to be working.

Clancys defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, previously said that she had severe mental illness, was heavily medicated, and had postpartum depression following the birth of her youngest child.

Reddington described the number of medications she was on as stunning. They included, according to Reddington, a common form of antidepressant, benzodiazepine, and Seroquel, among others.

She was clearly overmedicated on top of that state of mind that she was in either from postpartum psychosis or postpartum depression, Reddington said in an interview with MassLive in February.

Patrick Clancy told his friend he thought Lindsay Clancy was addicted to benzodiazepine, according to court documents. But he also expressed he felt her anxiety was normal and not severe, court documents read.

Court documents state Patrick Clancy had been opening up to Carney and his wife, Sarah, for about a month and a half prior to the dinner party regarding Lindsay Clancys health. In addition to being college friends, the couples children attended the same daycare.

His friends could tell he was having a rough morning one day during daycare drop off. Thats when he first told them about his wifes medical issues and that he believed she was overmedicated.

Patrick Clancy also told his friend he was worried about his wife going through withdrawals from benzodiazepine stating she had the worst side effects possible.

But he never told his friends he was worried that Lindsay Clancy would hurt herself.

Lindsay Clancy had two notebooks, court documents state, where she wrote about her suicidal thoughts. She said she confides in friends, including one named Sue.

But Carney and his wife, Sarah, didnt think Lindsay Clancy had many friends outside a mom group. They had planned to start reaching out to Lindsay Clancy in the near future, court documents read.

Investigators collected the notebooks and several electronic devices from the residence where the children were strangled, such as Clancys pink iPhone, a laptop and a tablet. They wrote in affidavits that they sought to search these devices because they could uncover evidence that she planned her attempted suicide or the killings of her children.

Investigators are also aware that Ms. Clancy used her cellular telephone and her journal to document her mental state and her feelings about her children, in addition to keeping track of her medications, and researching ways to kill, according to the affidavits.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague described Clancy in the days leading up to the death of the three children as a person in control and aware of her emotions, often consulting her husband when she had suicidal thoughts.

Sprague also said Clancy spoke on the phone with her husband Monday, Feb. 6, a day before her arraignment. He said she told Patrick Clancy she killed the children because she heard a voice and had, quote, a moment of psychosis, end quote.

A makeshift memorial outside the home in January at 47 Summer Street in Duxbury. Lindsay M. Clancy allegedly killed two of her young children and seriously injured her infant son before jumping out a second-story window. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Boston Globe via Getty Images

During that call, Sprague said, Patrick Clancy asked Lindsay Clancy what voices she heard.

She said she heard a mans voice telling her to kill the kids and kill herself because it was her last chance, Sprague said. Patrick Clancy told the police the defendant had never heard voices before. He also told the police the defendant had never used the word psychosis to him before. The first time she used that word psychosis was when she was with the doctor hired by defense counsel and using his cell phone.

The prosecutor said Clancy asked her husband on the day of the murders to run a handful of errands, including picking up products at a CVS and food from a restaurant. It was at that time, prosecutors argued, that Clancy deliberately strangled her three children, killing two of them and leaving the youngest injured.

Clancy is expected to be arraigned on murder indictments on Thursday at Tewksbury Hospital, according to The Boston Globe.
BOSTON  Anibella Reeves, 18, lost her father to substance use disorder several years ago.

He was prescribed opioids after a car accident and became addicted, leading to her family becoming homeless, she told a panel of legislators Monday. Her father went to a drug rehabilitation program.

Three weeks later, he ended up dying on Sept. 5, 2019, from substance abuse, she said.

I told you that story to bring to light that substance abuse is not just affected on users, but also on the families, children, husbands, and wives, said Reeves, who is involved in Palante Restorative Justice, a Holyoke youth organization. If this bill happens it can help the families of substance abuse, to help the ones they love to seek treatment or even a place to be safe while taking substances.

State House and Senate legislation  named in both bodies An Act relative to preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment would create a 10-year pilot program for what it calls overdose prevention centers.

The centers would include a space for people to use drugs that users bring in, not supplied by the facility, with trained staff nearby in case of an overdose. Centers would also be required to have sterile injection supplies.

Legislators heard hours of testimony Monday about those bills and related pieces of legislation, including a bill that would regulate the use of psilocybin in therapeutic settings. Reeves was one of four teenagers involved in Palante who spoke at the hearing in support of the legislation.

Holyoke teenagers involved with Palante, a Holyoke group for youth, spoke at the Statehouse in Monday, October 23 at a hearing about harm reduction. (Screenshot/MaLeglislature.gov)

Nichelle Rivera, a 16-year-old junior in high school also involved in Palante, told lawmakers she went to get the mail one evening. As I was going downstairs, I will never forget what I saw. I witnessed a man overdosing in front of me.

It was traumatizing, she said. My reason for being here is to make sure my two brothers and sister never end up witnessing someone taking drugs (or) seeing someone overdosing like what I saw that day.

Noah Vargas, 16, told legislators his sister witnessed a fatal overdose at a park. Having a place for people to use drugs could have prevented that, Vargas said.

By passing the bill you allow (for) the safety of the citizens of Holyoke and prevent the cycle of drug abuse that Holyoke citizens are witness to every day, he said.

Janeyah Encarnacion Madera, 16, said she had to call police multiple times after encountering people under the influence asking for help.

There should be a place where they can go to be supervised and while using substances, so they wont pass out in the streets and do so in the safest manner possible, she said.

This resource can benefit the community even more by providing support to those who want to quit or at least attempt to cut down on their overuse, she said. Also, knowing that they have someone there who believes in them (and) supports them can be great for their mental health. It can also bring the families of those who suffer from SUD (substance use disorder) some sense of peace because they wont have to worry about that family member dying.

In introducing the group of teenagers, state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, said he was at Holyoke High School late last week speaking to students. When he heard some of them talkikng about harm reduction, he invited them to testify at the hearing Monday at the State House.

As co-chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, Velis oversaw the hearing Monday.

Velis is concerned about possible legal issues with supervised drug consumption sites. In August, federal prosecutors in New York told two safe consumption sites in Manhattan that their work was illegal.

Again, raising that question about the legal landscape if we go forward with this, where is the federal government? Velis asked Monday, State House News Service reported. If it sounds like Im frustrated, I am.
The Duxbury mother charged in the strangulation killings of her young children last January used her cell phone to look up ways to kill, according to investigators in recently unsealed court documents.

Lindsay Clancy, 33, faces three counts each of murder and strangulation after being indicted by a Plymouth County grand jury in September. She is charged in connection with the deaths of her children, 5-year-old Cora Clancy and 3-year-old Dawson Clancy on Jan. 24. Prosecutors said Lindsay Clancy also injured her infant son Callan Clancy, who died days later in a hospital.

At Clancys initial district court arraignment in February, a prosecutor with the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office described how she is accused of strangling her children with exercise bands before jumping out of their house through a second-story window in an attempted suicide.

Investigators collected several electronic devices from the residence where the children were strangled at 47 Summer Street, such as Clancys pink iPhone, a laptop and a tablet. They wrote in affidavits that they sought to search these devices because they could uncover evidence that she planned her attempted suicide or the killings of her children.

Investigators are also aware that Ms. Clancy used her cellular telephone and her journal to document her mental state and her feelings about her children, in addition to keeping track of her medications, and researching ways to kill, according to the affidavits.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington presents his case to Judge John Canavan in Plymouth District Court during Lindsay Clancy's arraignment in the killing of her three children, in Plymouth, Mass., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Chris Christo/The Boston Herald via AP)AP

The unsealed court documents this week contain 11 search warrants sought by Massachusetts State Police in the months after the childrens deaths.

The records, however, do not reveal how investigators discovered that Clancy had used her cell phone to research ways to kill. An impoundment order on the records expired on Monday.

Clancys defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, previously said that she suffers from severe mental illness, was heavily medicated, and had postpartum depression following the birth of her youngest child.

Reddington has previously described the number of medications she was on as stunning. They included, according to Reddington, a common form of antidepressant, benzodiazepine, and Seroquel, among others.

She was clearly overmedicated on top of that state of mind that she was in either from postpartum psychosis or postpartum depression, Reddington said in an interview with MassLive in February.

An online donation drive to support husband Patrick Clancy surpassed $1 million. In a message posted there, Patrick Clancy asked people to find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have.

The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients, he wrote. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.

A makeshift memorial pictured on January 31, 2023 in Duxbury, Massachusetts in front of the home of Lindsay Clancy who is accused of strangling her three children and attempting to take her own life. (Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Duxbury police said they received a call from Clancys husband Patrick on Jan. 24, who, according to prosecutors, had returned home from ThreeV, a restaurant in Plymouth, to find three unconscious children with obvious signs of trauma and attempted suicide by his wife.

Clancy was taken to a local hospital. She was later moved to Tewksbury State Hospital and ordered to stay for six months so doctors could provide extensive mental health care.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague described Clancy in the days leading up to the death of the three children as a person in control and aware of her emotions, often consulting her husband when she had suicidal thoughts.

The prosecutor said Clancy asked her husband on the day of the murders to run a handful of errands, including picking up products at a CVS and food from a restaurant. It was at that time, prosecutors argued, that Clancy deliberately strangled her three children, killing two of them and leaving the youngest injured.

She later jumped out of a window after injuring herself, prosecutors said.

Investigators also found four medication bottles prescribed to Clancy when they searched the home the day after the childrens deaths, according to court documents.

Clancy is expected to be arraigned on murder indictments on Thursday at Tewksbury Hospital, according to The Boston Globe.
A Medway father stuck in Gaza along with his wife and 1-year-old son have been trapped by a closed border amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Abood Okal, through an audio file shared by friend Sammy Nabulsi of Boston, shared his experience sheltering in the southern community of Rafah on the border with Egypt through his own voice on Wednesday. The recording is below.

During the near-three-minute recording, Okal describes what he, wife Wafaa Abuzayda and their son Yousef Okal have endured in Gaza.

Today is day 18 of the war and were still stranded in Gaza, Okal says in the recording. Weve been trying to stay strong but it hasnt been easy.

Okal says airstrikes have intensified in the past few days, especially during the night.

Its become constant all night and for most of the day, Okal says. My son was not able to sleep  Yousef  not until 1 oclock in the morning. And then he was up again by 5 oclock in the morning.

Weve been trying to soothe him as much as we can and keep him shielded from the wrath of the war, he added.

With hundreds of American citizens as well as other foreign nationals trapped in Gaza  including Okal and his family  the U.S. State Department still does not have a way to get them out.

Asked during a press conference Monday if it was his expectation that Americans would be allowed to leave Gaza soon, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller replied that while there wasnt necessarily an expectation, there was a very sincere hope that they would be able to leave in the coming days.

A major obstacle for the family has been lack of supplies in Gaza. While limited supplies were recently allowed into the country through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, teh supplies are few for the 2.3 million people in Gaza who have been cut off from food, water and fuel since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7.

Thats meant no milk for Yousef.

Unfortunately yesterday we ran out of milk for him, Okal says in the recording. We opened the last box and basically tonight we will be completely out. It will be his first night ever in his entire life to go to sleep without having milk. So were hopeful that that will not be too bad of a night.

Okal had tried last week to get more milk, but encountered Israeli airstrikes on the way, and had to go home empty-handed.

The family has holed up in a single house in Rafah with 40 people staying inside, Okal previously told MassLive. There is a border crossing with Egypt in Rafah where the family was told they would be able to cross multiple times, but no American citizen has been able to cross, Okal said.

We basically all sleep on the floor, sharing a single bedsheet as a blanket between my wife, our son and myself, Okal said over the texting app WhatsApp.

There is also no electricity, leaving the family dependent on their cell phones for internet.

We are basically relying on canned food when we can find it, Okal said. Drinking water is extremely scarce, and we try our best to secure it for a day or two of consumption. We have had to turn to unfiltered running water a few times, and even that is scarce. Showers are a luxury we can no longer afford.
A 37-year-old man is facing charges after a Jesus statue outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston was vandalized Tuesday night, according to the Boston Police Department.

Michael Patzelt, of Attleborough, was charged with assault and malicious destruction of property, Boston police said Wednesday. He is expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.

Read More: Revere police officer off the streets amid investigation into forceful arrest

Officers got a call about a suspicious person who knocked off a womans headwear, then started climbing and hanging from the crucifix outside the church located at 1400 Washington St. in the South End, around 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 24, police said. This resulted in several parts of the statue breaking off.

Read More: Boston police looking for suspect in indecent assault incident in Roxbury

Patzelt then broke both the statues arms before officers arrived, according to police. The incident was caught on video sent to Boston25. The damage to the statue is estimated to be worth roughly $20,000, police told MassLive Wednesday.

Secretary for Communications & Public Affairs for the Archdiocese of Boston Terry Donilon confirmed to MassLive Wednesday that the cathedral experienced vandalism at the exterior crucifix.

Read More: Suspect arrested after 2 Boston University students sexually assaulted

I have no information regarding why someone would take such an action, Donilon added. The Archdiocese will work with the Cathedral to assess the damage.

Fitting nearly 2,000 people, the cathedral is the largest in New England. It measures 364 feet in length, 90 feet in width and 120 feet in height, according to the churchs website
A woman who died after she was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Main Street in Malden last Thursday was identified as Mary McTaggart, 63, by the Middlesex County District Attorneys Office.

The Malden woman was killed after she was hit by a car in the area of Main Street at Mountain Avenue around 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 19, Massachusetts State Police said.

Early findings by investigators indicate that a BMW SUV drove south on Main Street before it crashed into another SUV that was stopped at the traffic light, the district attorneys office said. The BMW went off the roadway, struck two telephone poles before hitting McTaggart, who was standing on the sidewalk.

State police said McTaggart was pinned under the vehicle after she was struck. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died. The driver of the BMW remained on scene, the office said.

Read More: Suspect arrested after 2 Boston University students sexually assaulted

The investigation into the crash is ongoing and is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorneys Office, Malden Police and the Massachusetts State Police Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Section.
With hundreds of American citizens as well as other foreign nationals trapped in Gaza  including a Medway family  the U.S. State Department still does not have a way to get them out, according to the latest information from that department.

Abood Okal, Wafaa Abuzayda, and their son Yousef Okal of Medway, were visiting family in Gaza this month, and have not been able to leave since fighting began in the Israel-Hamas war.

The family has holed up in a single house in Rafah with 40 people staying inside, Okal said Monday over the texting app WhatsApp, adding that they had been there 10 days.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference on Monday that negotiations have been ongoing about both getting aid into Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing between the two countries, as well as getting U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals out.

We were in conversation with the Government of Egypt, as we have been for some time, about being able to process those American citizens if they were able to get through the Gaza side and to the Egyptian side of the crossing. None of them were able to because the reports we were given on the ground is that Hamas was there blocking anyone from coming through the gate from the Gaza side out to the Egyptian side, Miller said.

The U.S. State Department is not in direct conversation with Hamas, but has been sending messages to that group through partners, Miller said.

Okal, Abuzayda and many other U.S. citizens and foreign nationals came to the crossing to attempt to get out, but were prevented from doing so, Okal previously told MassLive.

Okal said he had not been permitted to cross three times, despite information from the State Department that the Rafah Crossing would open up.

Asked Monday if it was his expectation that Americans would be allowed to leave Gaza soon, Miller replied that while there wasnt necessarily an expectation, there was a very sincere hope that they would be able to leave in the coming days.

Miller also said that the department is working through allowing fuel to be a part of humanitarian aid to Gaza through Rafah.

Fuel is important for the desalination of water; its important to the provision of medical care. As you said, the Israelis do have legitimate concerns about the diversion of any fuel to Hamas, Miller said.

Regarding the million people in Gaza who have been displaced from their homes following an Israeli order to evacuate the northern portion of Gaza, Miller said the U.S. is working with Israel to develop safe areas inside Gaza where civilians can be protected.

On Sunday, however, increased airstrikes hit the community of Rafah. The New York Times has reported that four homes in Rafah were struck Monday morning, killing 29 people.

For Okal and his family, the bombings have had a devastating effect.

At night bombing causes Yousef to wake up frequently. He woke up last night and wouldnt go back to sleep and kept crying until he passed out of exhaustion, Okal said Monday. He has lost his appetite and is constantly attached to at least one of us to the point where he would freak out if none of us was by his side.

Miller said Monday that the context was important.

Israel was the victim of a horrific terrorist attack. They have the right, they have the obligation to defend themselves, to defend themselves militarily, as any country would against a terrorist organization that launched that attack. But in that context, we are working with Israel to ensure that civilians are protected to the greatest extent possible and humanitarian aid can flow there, he said.

Miller said he did not have an exact number of U.S. citizens who have contacted the State Department.

But a further inquiry Tuesday led to a State Department spokesperson saying thousands of emails have been exchanged with those citizens.

We have a list of Americans who have registered with us, and when we have any information about the possibility of transiting outside of Gaza, were providing it to all of them, Miller said.

Miller said that Egyptian officials are ready to process American citizens if they can make it to Egyptian authorities. He said that Hamas was the faction that was blocking the way.

No border crossings between Gaza and Israel have been opened to allow American citizens to escape.

Previously, the State Department had issued statements that American citizens would need to get themselves from Rafah to Cairo on their own.

Miller did not address that on Monday. The State Department did not respond Tuesday whether that requirement would still be in place if the border opens this week.

The situation in Gaza has been deteriorating for the Medway family.

Supplies have been dwindling for the family, as is the case across Gaza, where an Israeli blockade has stopped most supplies from getting through. There is also no electricity, leaving the family dependent on their cell phones for internet.

We are basically relying on canned food when we can find it, Okal said. Drinking water is extremely scarce, and we try our best to secure it for a day or two of consumption. We have had to turn to unfiltered running water a few times, and even that is scarce. Showers are a luxury we can no longer afford.

On Monday, the family opened the last box of milk for Yousef. Okal had tried last week to get more milk, but encountered Israeli airstrikes on the way, and had to go home empty-handed.

Weve been actively trying to wean him off milk the last few days to prepare for this moment, but we havent been as successful or stringent given everything going on and the fact that milk soothes him. Now we have no choice, Okal said.

Okal said he still has not received any word from the State Department about when his family will be able to leave Gaza, a situation beyond our comprehension.

We would have never ever thought that we would be stranded for 16 days, he said.

Despite Millers report, Okal said Monday that the family felt abandoned and betrayed.

We know the U.S. can do better; Americans in Israel have been evacuated over days and days to safety, released American hostages have been escorted by the Red Cross to safety  which we were extremely happy to hear about on the news  but for some reason the State Department is not investing nearly as much energy or effort to bring us home, Okal said.
Three days since police began searching for Aaron Pennington after his wife was found with a gunshot wound, a murder warrant has been issued as police continue to search for him, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.s office announced Wednesday.

A murder charge was filed in Gardner District Court, Earlys office said in a statement on Wednesday. Pennington remains at large.

Breanne Pennington, 30, of 42 Cherry St. was found dead inside a home at 42 Cherry Street around 9:14 a.m. on Oct. 22 after police were called for a reported disturbance. Aaron, 33, was not seen at the house but had left in his 2013 BMW Model 320 sedan.

An affidavit from Gardner District Court read that at around 9:14 a.m., Kerri McDermott, a neighbor of the Penningtons, called 911 to Gardner police after she asked for help after the Penningtons four children came over to her house scared because they could not find their father and their mother was in her bedroom crying. The children also told McDermott that their fathers car was not in the driveway.

Police arrived within five minutes and found Breanne in bed in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the face, court documents said. Officers did not find anyone else at the home. Breanne was pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m. and the Chief Medical Examiners office was notified.

Read more: Aaron Pennington left the Air Force in February 2023

Following interviews and a video surveillance canvass of the neighborhood, investigators determined that Pennington and Breanne were having marital issues for a while, court documents said. He suffered from mental health issues for a while and had threatened suicide, while Breanne was planning to move to Texas and take the children with her to be away from him.

She was also known to have a firearm at the residence for her protection, court documents read, but neither had a license to carry firearms in Massachusetts. After a search warrant was issued, a gun was not found in the home. Three spent shell casings were found in the bedroom Breanne was in.

At around 8:50 a.m., Pennington was seen leaving the homes driveway in the BMW. At around 9:07 a.m., the children left the residence and went to McDermotts house next door.

Four children, ages 2, 5, 7 and 9, were living in the home and had went to their neighbors house, Worcester County District Attorney James Early Jr. said during a press conference Sunday night. Early said they are safe and in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

On Monday night, a bow hunter found Penningtons car 1,500 feet down a wooded trail off Kenton Street near Camp Collier in Gardner, Earlys office said.

He is described as a white male with blonde hair, blue eyes, 6 feet 2 inches and around 175 pounds. No one should approach Pennington as he should be considered armed and dangerous, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Please, no one in the public go out and try and look for this guy, Early said. If you run into the guy, call the Gardner police, call the state police, call the police department and just back off from anything you might see. But provide us with the information you might get.

Anyone who sees Pennington or the suspected vehicle should call 911, Gardner police at 978-632-5600 or Massachusetts State Police at 508-829-8236. The investigation into the death is ongoing by State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorneys Office and the Gardner Police Department.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On October 24, Chinese smart electric vehicle (EV) maker XPeng held its 2023 TECH DAY, showcasing its latest progress in multiple fields like intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, electric drive system, electrical/electronic architecture (E/EA), intelligent manufacturing, flying cars, and robotics.

Progress in autonomous driving field

XPeng's XNGP (XPeng Navigation Guided Pilot) system is actively undergoing engineering testing to expand its availability for urban roadways. XNGP is currently available in five cities and XPeng plans to roll out the XNGP function in an addition of 20 cities that are not covered by HD maps by the end of November 2023, with coverage extended to 50 cities by year-end.

During the Tech Day, He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPeng, announced that the first phase of the "map-free" urban launch would officially begin user beta testing on the evening of October 24, with full-scale access coming soon.

Dr. Li is giving speech; photo credit: XPeng

Dr. Li Liyun, the head of autonomous driving business at XPeng, stated, the "map-free" XNGP urban driving system is not limited by the range and updating times of high-precision maps. He declared that XPeng's XNGP system has possessed the technical ability for urban intelligent driving across the nation. After rigorous testing and validation, it can be fully deployed based on user coverage and travel needs, and will be gradually launched in cities in several batches.

AI Valet Driver; photo credit: XPeng

Tthe "AI Valet Driver" feature is another powerful tool in XPeng's intelligent driving arsenal. This feature is not constrained by city boundaries, and once activated, users can set start and end points across the nation, forming a map in memory after a single manual drive. This memorized map can be used in the future for "AI Valet Driver" assistance on specific routes or scenarios.

During the 1024 TECH DAY event, He Xiaopeng emphasized that the company is not making unrealistic promises and that both "city launch" and "AI Valet Driver" will proceed concurrently. The first group of cities available for the XNGP officially began public testing on October 24, and the "AI Valet Driver" feature started small-scale testing at the same time and will soon be fully accessible with the 4.4.0 system version.

In addition, with this OTA update, the XPeng G6, P7i, and G9 Pro users will enjoy enhanced smart driving capabilities, including SR perception improvement and significant enhancements to high-speed NGP and LCC usability.

XBrain; photo credit: XPeng

At the event, Dr. Li also introduced the XBrain, an ultimate architecture for full-scenario ADAS capabilities, which is supported by XNet2.0, the next-gen perception architecture with spatiotemporal understanding, and XPlanner, the neural network-based planning and control system, to enable more human-like learning, thinking and actions.

According to the company, the XNet 2.0 combines the industry's highest-precision pure visual occupancy network, achieving a fusion of dynamic BEV, static BEV, and occupancy network, making it the industry's first sensory architecture with both spatial and temporal understanding capabilities. On the planning and control side, the neural network-based XPlanner can analyze motives over minutes and timely adapt based on environmental information and changing conditions, generating the best driving path.

XPeng's full-stack closed-loop data capabilities have been significantly enhanced over the past year to accelerate urban smart driving development. The end-to-end full-stack simulation capability effectively intercepts problems, reducing the marginal cost of urban expansion. During the event, He Xiaopeng set a goal to challenge full coverage of XNGP in the road networks of major cities nationwide (including roads at levels 1-4) by 2024.

XOS Tianji; photo credit: XPeng

The XOS Tianji represents the latest innovation by XPeng in the realm of smart cabin operating systems. This system seamlessly melds XPeng's intelligent driving capabilities with next-generation smart cabin scenarios, significantly elevating the human-machine co-driving experience. It will be installed into the XPeng X9 MPV model first.

The XOS Tianji adopts a highly futuristic visual style, significantly enhancing interaction efficiency. The new system features a multitasking architecture, displaying map navigation alongside applications like music, video, and settings on the large screen in a 3:7 ratio. Multitasking allows independent operation, catering to the distinct needs of both the driver and the co-driver while providing essential information simultaneously. The new XDock offers customized editing, allowing frequently used functions for different seasons or scenarios to be placed in the Dock bar, ensuring easy access.

Beyond the interface upgrades, XPeng introduces the all-scenario SR vehicle perception. It expands upon the previous SR version, covering every aspect of the driving experience, from starting the vehicle to driving, parking, and charging. It creates a comprehensive environmental awareness experience. The system also offers over 20 driver assistance alert features such as lane change warnings, warnings about nearby larger vehicles, and alerts for pedestrians approaching the vehicle. It offers a 360-degree view, greatly enhancing driving safety.

In terms of voice interaction, XPeng has developed the in-house XGPT large-scale AI model and integrated it into the voice system. The updated AI voice assistant Little P ("Xiao P" in Chinese Pinyin) now boasts over 800 skills and can be activated simply by adding "Little P" before the request, resulting in more natural interactions. Moreover, Little P's perception, understanding, and inference abilities have significantly improved, allowing it to proactively suggest services during the driving experience.

In the future, XPeng plans to integrate the Little P into the XPeng mobile app, enabling users to remotely control certain vehicle functions via their smartphones.

Additionally, beyond using large models for training and enhancing intelligent driving and voice comprehension capabilities, XPeng is applying large AI models to vehicle design and code development, further powering more business sectors and R&D areas.

Latest achievements in E/EA, electric drive system, and vehicle manufacturing

During the event, He Xiaopeng also introduced the company's latest developments in EEA, electric drive system, and vehicle manufacturing.

XEEA 3.5; photo credit: XPeng

Mr. He unveiled XPeng's first in-car computing center to integrate smart cockpit and smart driving capabilities, with the XEEA 3.5 E/EA at its core. It integrates intelligent driving, cabin features, dashboard, gateways, IMU, amplifiers, and more. This new architecture not only delivers a 50% increase in performance compared to the previous central computing architecture but also reduces costs by 40%.

Additionally, XPeng's next-generation electric drive system uses a more efficient electromagnetic solution, achieving a comprehensive efficiency breakthrough of over 93% during high-speed driving at 120 km/h, surpassing the industrys average standard. Furthermore, an optimized silicon carbide solution ensures power efficiency while reducing key costs by 50%, offering users high-performance products at more competitive prices.

Front & rear integrated die-casting technology; photo credit: XPeng

In the field of intelligent manufacturing, XPeng said it is the only auto brand in China to mass-produce front & rear integrated die-casting body, boasting the world's only 12,000-tonne integrated die-casting machine. The company is also set to introduce a 16,000-tonne die-casting machine to support production of larger die-casting parts, and is exploring the CIB (cell integrated body) and center floor integrated die-casting technologies. These efforts are projected to increase vehicle range by 5% while reducing overall vehicle manufacturing costs by 10% to 30%.

Exploration for future mobility in 3D transportation

XPeng has been consistently exploring innovative forms of mobility beyond just cars. XPENG's affiliate company AEROHT has released two development paths for flying cars, namely eVOTL flying cars and modular flying cars, adding more possibilities to XPENG's mobility ecosystem.

The eVOTL flying car features a dual-mode cabin for ground and air travel, and adopts a supercar-style design. The aircraft's rotors and arms can be fully folded and stowed inside the car, significantly reducing wind resistance during ground travel.

Modular flying car; photo credit: XPeng

The modular flying car consists of a ground vehicle and a flying module. The ground vehicle has a cabin that can accommodate four to five passengers and uses an extended-range hybrid power system. It can transport the flying module and recharge it during operation. It can autonomously detach from or attach to the ground vehicle.

According to He Xiaopeng, the modular flying car is expected to have a wide range of applications, not only extending personal travel boundaries, but also serving emergency and rescue missions in public sectors.

XPeng's self-developed bipedal robot; photo credit: XPeng

XPENG Robotics introduced a new in-house-developed bipedal robot. This intelligent robot boasts bipedal walking and obstacle-crossing capabilities. Thanks to its high-performance joints, it can take large steps indoors and outdoors, move with agility, and overcome disturbances and obstacles.

This new-generation robot has evolved from quadrupedal to bipedal, featuring super-lightweight human-like arms and dexterous hands. Each arm can carry a maximum load of 3 kg and has a maximum end-effector linear speed of 1 m/s. It offers various grasping postures for different object shapes and boasts tactile perception capabilities at the end-effector.

In the future, XPENG Robotics will apply technologies from Smart EVs like the XNet deep neural network, XEEA, XGPT, etc., to smart robots.

XPeng X9 makes debut

XPeng X9; photo credit: XPeng

At the close of the event, XPeng introduced the XPeng X9 MPV, a pure electric seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle with a futuristic starship-like design. The X9 offers a fresh visual experience with its sculpted design and ultra-low aerodynamic profile. As the flagship model under the SEPA2.0 architecture, the X9 will incorporates an 800-volt full-domain platform, front and rear integrated aluminum casting, and XNGP. It will be showcased at the Auto Guangzhou 2023 next month.
There is a new dispensary in Boston where customers can smell the bud before they buy.

Native Sun Cannabis has officially planted roots in South Boston with the goal to rub their product in peoples noses  literally.

Upon entering the 3,000-square-foot store, guests can take a whiff of weed from the flower bar then make a purchase. This is intended to create a more holistic experience for marijuana enthusiasts, according to Chief Operating Officer Matt Gamble.

Read More: Signs have changed for Dazed Cannabis at former Magic Lantern strip club in Monson

What we want to do here at the store is bring together the fashion, the art, the music and the flower, Gamble said during a tour of the space on Tuesday. At Native Sun, were more than just cannabis. Were a cannabis lifestyle experience.

Tour of Native Sun Cannabis new Boston location Posted by MassLive on Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The company partnered with several local artists and businesses to help bring the store to life. Witch Dr, a glass company in Salem, stocked all the dispensarys bowls and bongs while Laced, a Boston-based streetwear company, has products for sale.

The new dispensary also features nearly 50 varieties of cannabis-infused beverages, pre-rolls, vapes and edibles.

Native Suns cannabis is grown from the companys facility in Fitchburg. They also curate their menu with local producers, according to Gamble.

We dedicate a lot of our efforts to curating the best of the best cannabis products so that when you come to a Native Sun store you know whatever youre buying, its going to be really [good] quality, he said.

The Southie spot is Native Suns third location and first in Boston, which Gamble said was a process six years in the making. The new dispensary joins the companys locations in Hudson and North Attleborough.

After years of mastering the retail experience in the suburban areas of the state, we found it was time to bring our unique atmosphere to the city of Boston, Gamble said. We strategically chose South Boston because the community did not have a cannabis retailer in close proximity.

Read More: Coffee and cannabis come together in this cold brew made in Massachusetts

Located at 538 E 1st St., the store is within walking distance from Seaport and minutes away from Logan Airport. The store also has 30 parking spots and is looking to fill 30 positions, both full-time and part-time.

Customers are invited to attend the stores grand opening on Saturday that will feature pop-ups from at least 13 vendors including Wynk, Treeworks and Countdown.

The Boston store will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information, including how to place an online order, can be found online.
A Revere police officer is under investigation after an incident last week where he held down a civilian in a Walgreens parking lot.

Video obtained by NBC10 Boston shows the officer, who has not been publicly identified, holding the person down outside the Walgreens at 430 Broadway on Oct. 18.

The person on the ground, who the TV station identified as 20-year-old Yovani Alexander Galdamez, can be heard in the video shouting, I cant move. Youre on my hands. I cant move. A woman standing nearby can be heard telling the officer in Spanish that she had been watching and the person hadnt done anything.

A spokesperson for the Revere Police Department confirmed that an internal investigation was being conducted and the officer was not currently working in the field.

The Revere Police Department is aware of the incident and has initiated an Internal Affairs investigation. The involved officer has been placed on modified duty pending the outcome of the investigation, the spokesperson said in a statement.

A bystander told NBC10 that Galdamez had parked his car horizontally blocking two handicapped parking spots, which started the incident. The officer yelled at him and he said he would move his car, but the officer grabbed him and pushed him up against a police cruiser, the station reported.

Revere City Councilor Steven Morabito condemned the incident in a statement to NBC.

No one, no citizen deserves to be treated with force unless its absolutely necessary to detain someone for their own safety, he said.
UPDATE: Man arrested after statue outside Cathedral of Holy Cross in Boston vandalized

One person was arrested and is expected to face charges after a statue outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston was damaged Tuesday night, according to Boston police.

Secretary for Communications & Public Affairs for the Archdiocese of Boston Terry Donilon confirmed to MassLive Wednesday that the cathedral experienced vandalism at the exterior crucifix.

Read More: 2 Boston University students sexually assaulted by unknown person Tuesday

Officers got a call about a person climbing and hanging onto the Jesus statue outside the church, located at 1400 Washington St. in the South End, around 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 24, police told MassLive.

The incident was caught on video sent to Boston25. The damage to the statue is estimated to be worth roughly $20,000, police said.

I have no information regarding why someone would take such an action, the Donilon added. The Archdiocese will work with the Cathedral to assess the damage.

Boston police said they have arrested someone in connection with the incident, but are not releasing their name or charges at this time.

Fitting nearly 2,000 people, the cathedral is the largest in New England. It measures 364 feet in length, 90 feet in width and 120 feet in height, according to the churchs website.
A suspect was arrested on an outstanding warrant after two Boston University students were sexually assaulted by a person they didnt know Tuesday.

The first person reported an unknown person touched them inappropriately while walking down a busy sidewalk in the BU Central area near 617 Commonwealth Ave. around 10:45 a.m.

Another person reported a similar incident around 7:10 p.m. while they were riding on the Boston University Bus traveling near 595 Commonwealth Ave. They were able to get away from the person, police said.

Police believed the same person was involved in both incidents.

The suspect was arrested overnight, Boston University police told MassLive. Police did not release further information regarding the suspect.

With the arrest, the individual is no longer a threat to the community, police said. Our thoughts are with our students that were assaulted and the University has offered them support.

Read more: Boston police looking for suspect in indecent assault incident in Roxbury

Students needing emotional support or assistance in reporting can contact Sexual Assault Response and Prevention (SARP), Boston Universitys confidential, on-campus resource for issues pertaining to sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment and domestic or dating violence at 617-353-7277.
AMHERST  Students chanting and carrying signs filled a hallway in the Whitmore Administration Building at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Wednesday afternoon.

They asked that UMass cut any ties with companies that manufacture weapons, like Raytheon, and to condemn the Israeli massacre of Palestinians and condemn the blockade on Gaza.

They shouted outside University Chancellor Javier Reyes office: Gaza must have food and water, Israel stop the slaughter.

Organizers said Reyes was not in the office and they sat down in the hallway and said they wouldnt leave until the university met their demands.

The building closed at 5 p.m., and a group of at least several dozen students that remained around that time were preparing for the possibility of being arrested.

UMass issued a statement on the protest yesterday evening:

UMass Amherst recognizes the right of students to demonstrate on university premises, which is consistent with the universitys commitment to free speech and the advocacy of opinions and ideas protected under the First Amendment. Protesters presented their demands as part of their march to the Whitmore Administration Building. The protestors specific demands do not align with the universitys publicly stated positions and policies. The Chancellor previously detailed the universitys position on the war in the Middle East in his statement to campus on October 10, 2023.

UMass said students notified administrators of their plan to occupy the building until its closing, at which point some students intended to be arrested. The university counseled students against this, expressing that being arrested was not in their best interest.

Students were given multiple verbal warnings that the building was closing at 6 p.m. Multiple individuals who chose not to leave were arrested by UMass Police for criminal trespassing. The arrests were based on the refusal by those arrested to comply with a lawful order by UMass Police to leave the building, the statement said.

The university said further information about the number of arrests would be provided when it becomes available.

Before the sit-in, hundreds of students marched across campus and rallied outside the building. They waved Palestinian flags and held signs like Peace in Palestine and End the US War Machine.

The event was organized by a number of student groups, including UMass Dissenters, UMass Arab Cultural Association, UMass Black Student Union, UMass Center for Education Policy and Advocacy, UMass Prison Abolition Collective and UMass Students for Justice in Palestine.

Organizers told those attending the rally not to talk with reporters. Rather, they made available some students who served as the groups spokespeople.

Im Palestinian, Ruya Hazeyen, a senior and member of Students for Justice in Palestine, said at the rally. Its all I strive to do in my life, is to work for a free Palestine.

Ruya Hazeyen, a Palestinian and senior student at UMass Amherst, speaks at the rally to support the Palestinians in front of Student Union building Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 25, 2023. (Hoang Leon Nguyen / The Republican)Leon Nguyen

The past few weeks have been difficult for her. This is the thing keeping me going, she said of the rally.

Nate Foster, a Jewish student, said he was protesting Israels actions in Gaza, not the Jewish religion. I am asking my fellow Jewish students at UMass to join me in my solidarity.

The students want to see the university not work in any way with companies involved in making weapons. The Isenberg School of Management, for example, partners with Raytheon Technologies as a company it gives discounts to for an online degree program. The company spoke to engineering students in an event last month that a group of students protested at, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, a student newspaper, reported.

A multi-billion dollar corporation that creates weapons to kill people has no place on my college campus, Arsema Kifle, a junior, said in a statement.

There is a huge pipeline from UMass to Raytheon, said Toby Paperno, a junior and member of student group UMass Dissenters, an anti-militarism group. Organizers of the event Wednesday pointed out that the school says on its website that Raytheon was in the top six employers for its class of 2021 graduates.
EDEN, Vermont  The bodies of two men were discovered off a rural road Wednesday by police investigating the disappearance of two 21-year-olds from Chicopee and Pittsfield.

Vermont State Police Major Dan Trudeau did not say if the two men were Eric White, of Chicopee, and Jahim Solomon, of Pittsfield. The Chief Medical Examiners Office will perform autopsies Thursday and determine the identities and cause of death of the people.

Based on the investigation thus far we are treating it as a homicide, he said.

No arrests have been made, but investigators have suspects and persons of interest, Trudeau said.

On Sunday, police asked for help to locate While and Solomon, who were last in touch with family on Oct. 15. They were traveling together and believed to have been in the northern Vermont communities of Burlington, Lowell, Morrisville and Stowe.

Trudeau said the investigation has been complicated. It has been difficult for police to get a true story from people interviewed. Police are searching for other people from northern Vermont they want to talk to about the missing men who have either fled or are simply difficult to find, Trudeau said in a press briefing broadcast by police.

It is a great number of people we are unable to account for, he said, explaining police are not sure if the victims are White and Solomon. We are filling in certain blanks the more we talk to people.

Bodies found on rural road

The discoveries of the bodies came after a Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife warden spotted suspicious items about a dozen feet off Albany-Eden Road Tuesday afternoon. The scene was secured overnight and the Vermont State Police Field Force Division returned Wednesday morning, he said.

Investigators examined the location and discovered the remains of one individual. In continuing searches Wednesday afternoon, (state police) detectives located a second body about a mile north of where the first body was found, police said.

The road, located in a small town about 20 miles from the Canadian border, is isolated and rural. There are few homes or other buildings in the area, he said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation, including the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Victim Services Unit.

The Morristown Police Department, the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are providing assistance. Police did not say if police in Massachusetts are involved.

The Vermont State Police continues to ask that anyone with information that could assist investigators call officers at 802-334-8881. People can provide anonymous tips online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
Last year, a newly hung portrait recognized Tina Pages two decades serving on the bench in Hampden County. Page had made history as the first woman of color appointed to the Superior Court in the states four western counties.

Unfortunately, Page remained also the only woman of color presiding over court cases. At its noon meeting Wednesday, the Governors Council can remedy that by confirming Tracy E. Duncan as an associate judge of the Superior Court.

At a hearing last week, the council heard from people who have long observed Duncans service as a criminal defense attorney, including retired judge Constance Sweeney. Sweeney told the councilors  who must confirm gubernatorial appointments  that Duncan treats every person with dignity and respect.

Three councilors at the hearing noted that Sweeney had once expressed doubt about Duncans performance as defense counsel in written comments regarding a 2018 trial. Sweeney sought to straighten that out last week, telling councilors this: Im here today to speak about Tracys broad body of work, where I have seen her sophistication and integrity.

Councilors should ask hard questions of candidates and of the people who step forward on their behalf. But in this instance, a question from panelist Christopher A. Iannella, of District 4 in Boston, doesnt compute. Iannella called it poor judgment by Duncan to use Sweeney as a reference, given her 2018 criticism. We see that decision by the nominee as a mark of character. Duncan wasnt hiding evidence and trusted Sweeney to take that broad view.

Judge Tina S. Page oversees a case in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield in July 2017. (File photo)

Sweeneys high opinion of Duncan is what matters. Councilors also heard praise for Duncan from state Rep. Bud Williams, D-Springfield, who got to know the nominee while serving as a probation officer in Hampden County. And they heard from a longtime prosecutor, James Goodhines, who has known Duncan for three decades and told councilors she is one of the finest lawyers Ive met.

Why did it take so long for a governor to nominate another qualified woman of color to serve on the western Massachusetts bench? That omission has bothered Sweeney, who called it out on the occasion of the unveiling of Pages portrait in the Roderick Ireland Courthouse in Springfield in June 2022.

The abject failure of the last four administrations to appoint anyone but white applicants to our Western bench is shameful, Sweeney said at the time.

Gov. Maura T. Healey ended that in the first year of her administration by selecting Duncan earlier this month, along with Adam L. Sisitsky, a white male attorney with the Mintz law firm. In a statement, Healey said Sisitsky and Duncan share our commitment to making Massachusetts stronger by upholding justice, equity and the rule of law.

Six of the seven councilors indicated last week they will vote to confirm Duncan; one of the boards eight seats is vacant.

We believe a distinguished new chapter lies ahead in Duncans legal career.
Springfield attorney Tracey E. Duncan will serve on the Superior Court bench for the four westernmost counties of the state, making her the second Black woman in Western Massachusetts history to do so.

Duncan, a defense attorney who runs her own practice in Springfield, was unanimously chosen Wednesday by the Governors Council to serve as an associate justice.

For the past three decades, Duncan has primarily worked on criminal defense cases, representing clients in the Hampden Superior Court and U.S. District Court. Her work in defending hundreds of clients, some of which include teenagers has garnered her the Hampden County Lawyers for Justice Inc. 2023 Distinguished Bar Advocate award.

Read More: Springfield attorney nominated by Healey for seat on WMass Superior Court bench

Duncans appointment comes after former justice Tina S. Page retired from the Hampden Superior Court in 2018. Page was the first Black woman appointed to the Western Massachusetts Superior Court bench.

Duncan said she applied for the role seeking to fill the void of women and people of color who serve on the states Superior Court.

Her candidacy has sparked a flurry of excitement and support from politicians, attorneys and judges in Western Massachusetts, who were all eager to see the tenured attorney take the Superior Court seat.

A long-time colleague of Duncan, Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Hampden, said that the Springfield attorneys appointment to an associate judgeship would be a strong step forward in creating a racially diverse judiciary.

There is not a more qualified candidate for this appointment, he said during a hearing in front of the Governors Council last week. Duncan is fair and fights for what she believes with grace.

James Goodhines, a fellow practicing attorney whos said he known Duncan for nearly 30 years, described her as one of the finest lawyers hes ever met, MassLive previously reported.

People in the community know her as Ms. Tracy or Ms. Duncan, and she truly represents them, he said.

Attorney Adam L. Sisitsky was also unanimously voted to serve as a justice on the Massachusetts Superior Court.

Both attorneys were nominated by Gov. Maura Healey earlier this month for their shared, commitment to making Massachusetts stronger by upholding justice, equity and the rule of law, she said in a statement.

I cant be happier, Marilyn Petitto Devaney, a member of the states Governors Council, said. This is what people want. They want people like Tracy who have life experience, who have the age, and who have helped people who cant afford a lawyer, those kinds of things. Compassion. Thats what I look for.
A number of small businesses may have to close their doors as a result of prohibitive rate charges from revaluations, Deputy Michael Ring has said.

The Fine Gael TD said that as revaluations of the outstanding local authorities draw to a close, many local businesses in Mayo say they will struggle to keep trading.

The National Revaluation Programme is an ongoing national programme to ensure that the rateable valuations of all commercial and industrial property in Ireland are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

To date, 23 local authorities have been revalued, with the remaining seven local authorities due to be revalued by the end of this year.

Businessowners in the Westport have expressed deep concern about the increase in rates, which one local publican has described as 'unbalanced'.

Deputy Ring, who is based in the town, said one local business had seen their rates increase by 600 percent.

"That proprietor is now seriously considering if he can continue to operate," added Deputy Ring, who is calling on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, 'to conduct a thorough review of the revaluation process'.

"The purpose of this programme is to bring more equity, uniformity, fairness and transparency to the local authority rating system, resulting in a more equitable distribution of commercial rates among ratepayers.

"However, a number of local businesses in Mayo have discovered that their new property values are potentially going to force them to close their doors.

"In another case, a business in South Mayo which has been opened for over 140 years will now have to close at the end of this year."

Deputy ring noted that 60 percent of ratepayers had seen a decrease in their rates bill as a result of the revaluation process, but added: "However, I would contend that a majority of these revaluations were conducted before our more recent global challenges, which have had a devastating effect on all businesses.

"Business owners are entitled to lodge an appeal in cases where they disagree with the re-valulation figure. I am also hearing of cases where these appeals are not being dealt with within the specified timeframe, leaving businesses in limbo for longer.

"Budget 2024 announced a 250 million fund to help small businesses deal with rising costs and that is welcome. However, I would call on Minister OBrien to conduct a thorough review of the revaluation process that is almost concluded, to ensure all appeals have been thoroughly investigated and that every business has been looked at fairly against the backdrop of external shocks and pressures."
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- At the 47th Tokyo Motor Show (now renamed as "Japan Mobility Show"), which kicked off on October 25, BYD showcased five of its new energy vehicle (NEV) models and core technologies, being the first Chinese automaker to participate in this grand exhibition.

BYD Seal; photo credit: BYD

At the motor show, BYD displayed the the BYD SEAL all-electric sedan, which is set to hit the Japanese market in the spring of 2024.

Yangwang U8; photo credit: BYD

Yangwang, BYD's luxury new energy vehicle brand, made its debut in a significant auto show outside of China. Its first model, the Yangwang U8, grabbed attentions of many viewers by demonstrating its tank turn capability.

Besides, the DENZA brand also attracted multiple audiences with its inaugural premium MPV, the DENZA D9.

BYD officially entered the Japanese passenger vehicle market in July 2022. Since then, it has established 15 stores nationwide, covering cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. The automaker plans to open 100 stores in Japan by the end of 2025 through partnerships with local dealers and other collaborators.

As of September 2023, BYD has cumulatively sold over 5.4 million new energy vehicles worldwide, with its footprints extending to over 70 countries and regions across six continents, spanning more than 400 cities.
COLLECTION of Civil War-era letters found in a jar in an old shed near Newport will go on display in Cleveland, from where some of the letters originated.

Letters and documents dating back to the War of Independence and Civil War periods were discovered by local farmer Pat Chambers in September 2021, hidden inside the stone walls of an old shed in the townland of Doontrusk, near Newport.

The collection had belonged to Tom Mulchrone, a leading republican in the Newport area at the time of the War of Independence and Civil War. He was married to Pats great-aunt, Mary Hoban.

The jar lay undiscovered for nearly 100 years. Its contents included information on Civil War activities in the Newport area, the Newport Sinn Fein accounts, and payments made relating to the visit to West Mayo of future Taoiseach Sean Lemass.

Some of the documents inside the jar included letters between Tom and his brother John, who lived in Cleveland, in which they discussed the campaign in Ireland. A letter from Cleveland to The Mayo News detailed the strength of feeling in the US city about the treaty, while a further letter from that same city lamented the death after an engagement with Free State forces of anti-treatyite, Jim Moran in March 1923. The letter also revealed that substantial fundraising was taking place in Cleveland to support the struggle in Ireland.

A display of the collection was launched at the Michael Davitt Museum in July 2022 by Minister Jack Chambers, whose father hails from the Newport area.

Cleveland trip

THE documents will travel to Cleveland this week as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the twinning of Mayo County Council and Cleveland, which will run from October 25 to October 30.

With support from the Creative Ireland fund, the papers will be accompanied by two representatives from the Michael Davitt Museum and two members of the Chambers family. The documents will be displayed at three separate city locations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 27, 28 and 29. A 45-minute PowerPoint presentation developed by the Michael Davitt Museum will be available for viewing at the Friday and Sunday events.

Museum staff and Chambers family members will be joined by local historian and author Sean Cadden, while Professor Emeritus at the University of Portland and local historian Mick Mulchrone will also be present.

The aforementioned group will guide attendees through the presentation, providing information, explanations and context throughout. Additionally, museum staff will ensure procedures are maintained in terms of exhibition set-up and appropriate curatorship while the exhibits are overseas.

Cultural ties

THE Mayo diaspora in Cleveland have shown great interest in the story since the discovery of the documents.

It is great to bring the collection out to Cleveland, said Yvonne Corcoran Loftus, curator of the Michael Davitt Museum, especially with the link there and with the letters found in the jar all linking back to Cleveland. There is great excitement.

A large delegation from Mayo will be travelling to Cleveland this week for the twinning celebrations, with a number of engagements planned across the city. The packed schedule includes meetings with the Mayor of Cleveland Justin Bibb, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Roynane and Honorary Irish Consul General Mark Owens.

The trip provides an invaluable opportunity to enhance existing cultural ties between Mayo and Cleveland, develop business partnerships and promote Mayo as a tourist destination for those living in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
BALLINA is no longer the salmon capital of Ireland due the number of seals preying on them like vultures, according to a local representative.

Cllr John OHara has called for a cull of the local seal population in Ballina, which he claimed could be eating up to a million salmon each year.

The Fine Gael councillor recently put forward a motion to Ballina Municipal District Council calling for the Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage to implement a humane scheme to cull the seals.

The motion was supported by other elected members of the council, with the exception of Cllrs Mark Duffy and Seamus Weir.

Vultures

BARTRAGH Island, located just off Killala Bay, is currently home to approximately 200 seals.

Speaking to The Mayo News, Cllr OHara said people who came to fish the River Moy this summer didnt get a pull due to the depletion of fish stock.

However, warm weather during summer also contributed to low fish stocks in the Moy  a factor that was acknowledged by Cllr OHara.

In June, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) halted fishing on the Moy after water temperatures rose above 20 degrees, which can cause thermal stress and death in trout and salmon.

You can drop the name of the salmon capital of Ireland, and its all because of the seal, said Cllr OHara, who said that seals were attacking salmon like vultures when the tide came in.

For anybody that doesnt know, a seal will eat 15 [salmon] per day. When you make up that for 200 seals alone, thats 3,000 salmon a day. Multiply that for the year, just for the 200 of them thats on Bartragh Island, that comes to 1.1 million for the year.

Cllr OHara said he had nothing against the seals but said there were too many of them living in the area to sustain the salmon population.

Ive nothing against the seals, he said. Theyre lovely, theyre grand, but its like too much of anything. Nothing else can live in the river and that was never meant to be. There has to be life for everything.

Opposition

CLLR Mark Duffy re-affirmed his opposition to the proposal when contacted by The Mayo News, insisting that an environmental assessment should be carried before any action is taken.

Cllr Duffy also suggested that declining fish life in the Moy should be dealt with by tackling pollution in the river.

Were not the experts, so if there is environmental impact and assessment reports then that would inform what needs to be done. Its not for us to decide. But Im not comfortable with what is being suggested [a cull] as an outright measure , Cllr Duffy told The Mayo News.

Id like to see us get professional advice and recommendations as opposed to just taking a swipe at the seals. The question that Ive asked, that Id like to understand a bit more, is when there was a higher population of salmon, how was there not a higher population of seals? How is it all of a sudden that seals are the ones to be blamed for the depletion of stocks?

Writing in these pages, Lough Carra-based naturalist and fisherman Michael Kingdon said culling seals would not address the plummeting salmon population and instead called for a more ethical approach to commercial fishing.

Mr Kingdon also strongly disputed Cllr OHaras claim that a seal will eat 15 salmon in a day. They might each eat 15 salmon a year, he told The Mayo News. Most of their food consists of the lesser fish that are abundant in Killala Bay.

A Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage spokesperson told The Mayo News that seals are protected under the Wildlife Acts. However, a permit can be sought from the National Parks & Wildlife Service to control seal populations where serious damage is being caused by protected wild birds or by protected wild animals to food, flora, fauna, fishery, pen-reared wild birds, woodland buildings or aquaculture installations.

The Minister for Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage may also authorise actions including entering on any land and the capture or killing of any such wild bird or any such wild animal, as he thinks appropriate to stop the damage.
TWENTY houses in Castlebar were delivered by Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) last year.

According to its 2022 Annual Report, the houses in Humbert Close were among 34 in Connacht built by the Approved Housing Body.

The houses are located just outside Castlebar, close to amenities and near Mayo University Hospital, ATU Mayo, Mayo County Councils head office, the local fire brigade and Garda Barracks.

The development was delivered in partnership with Mayo County Council, the Department of Housing, and the Housing Finance Agency, with local builder Martin Moran.

CHI Member Miranda Kearney moved into her new home in Humbert Close with her son Jax. Discussing life in her new home, Miranda said: Im happy to have a safe and secure place especially knowing that this is Jaxs forever home and where all his firsts will take place. Its really exciting and such a relief knowing our home is secure. Im so grateful, its just mad.

CHI delivered 463 in total in 2022, including 341 in Munster and 88 in Leinster.

Speaking at the launch held at an event in Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, CHI Chairperson, Pearse OShiel, said: CHI welcomed its 4,000th family into our co-operative community in 2022. We are very proud that as of 2022 more than 12,500 people across Ireland call a CHI house or apartment their home for life. We will build upon this strong foundation for the future and continue to play our part in satisfying the increasing housing output needs in Ireland.

Also speaking at the launch, CHIs CEO, Kieron Brennan, said, the body were on track for a record-breaking year in 2023 by delivering over 700 houses.

CHIs member tenants are part of a local co-operative, allowing them a real say, concrete input into decisions affecting their estates and communities.

Therefore, member tenants can shape their community and nominate people to be elected to CHIs Board thereby influencing the direction of Co-operative Housing Ireland as an organisation.
THE community of Murrisk are to honour Charlie Bird by unveiling a permanent stone in their village this Saturday.

The former RTE broadcaster won the hearts of the nation last year when he climbed Croagh Patrick, raising over 3.6 million for Pieta and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association

Thousands of other people raised money with similar walks and climbs across the world as part of the Climb With Charlie, which took place on April 2.

His physical health has deteriorated recently because of his Motor Neurone Disease (MND), which has left him unable to speak, wheelchair-bound and requiring tube-feeding.

Mr Bird was diagnosed with the condition last year and has since lent his support to various charities and causes.

He recently acknowledged that his disease had taken a bad turn.

A recent academic study found that his campaigning has had an unquestionable impact on the level of awareness around MND.
Ireland West Airport were delighted today to welcome Aer Linguss 50,000th passenger on their new Heathrow service to/from Ireland West Airport. James Doyle, from London, was the lucky 50,000th customer and to mark the occasion was presented with a bottle of Champagne and chocolates. James and his family were returning home after visiting family in Clonbur in Co Galway.

Aer Lingus launched their new daily service to London Heathrow in March. This new service is another milestone in the airports history as its the first time the airport is connected to one of Europes major international airport hubs.

As well as providing a daily service to Heathrow, this new service provides seamless connections via London Heathrow Airport to North America and over 80 global destinations. Aer Lingus currently has partnerships with a network of airlines out of Heathrow Airport, providing access to an ever-growing number of routes and benefits. Airlines include Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and JetBlue. British Airways codeshares on Aer Lingus services which offers global access from Ireland West Airport to/from UK and London Heathrow. British Airways also codeshares on Aer Lingus operated North American and Canadian services for connecting passengers to and from the UK.

In a nostalgic twist, on this day 38 years ago, October 25th, 1985, the first commercial flights arrived and departed from Knock Airport. The first flights were operated by Aer Lingus as three Aircraft landed and departed for Rome to joyous scenes as thousands had come to witness this historic occasion. Monsignor Horan's vision became a reality that day.

Celebrating todays milestone, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, Ireland West Airport said: We were delighted to welcome Aer Linguss 50,000th passenger on their new Heathrow service earlier today. Its hard to believe that its 38 years since Aer Lingus touched down for the very first time at the airport. Ive no doubt Monsignor Horan would be a very proud man today to see Aer Lingus now operating a daily service to London Heathrow, one of the worlds biggest transport hubs and providing access to over 80 destinations across Europe, the US, Asia and further afield  and in turn delivering on his vision for a thriving airport for the West of Ireland. Id like to thank Aer Lingus for their continued support for the airport and a huge word of thanks to their customers for their support in reaching this significant passenger milestone. In addition, Id like to thank our own staff here at the airport, who continue to play a very important role in helping the airport reach passenger milestones such as this. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with Aer Lingus and look forward to many more passenger milestones on their Heathrow service into the future.
PHX IRELAND, via its subsidiary LloydsPharmacy, has agreed to acquire McCabes Pharmacy, bringing together two of the best known and most trusted retail pharmacy brands in the country.

The proposed deal will see the combined retail pharmacy outlets merge their operations, trade under the McCabes brand and be led by Sharon McCabe.

LloydsPharmacy operates 82 stores across the Republic of Ireland, while McCabes Pharmacy has 32 stores across the greater Dublin Area. The transaction is conditional upon approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).

The combined retail entity will form part of the family-owned PHOENIX group, who are the leading integrated healthcare provider in Europe providing pharmaceutical wholesale, pharmacy retail, and services for the pharmaceutical industry.

PHOENIX group recently established a strong Irish presence following the completion of the McKesson Europe acquisition which includes United Drug, Irelands leading pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor, and TCP Homecare, innovators in clinical home nursing services and direct to patient delivery solutions. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Paul Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of PHX Ireland, said; We are delighted to welcome the McCabes Pharmacy group into the PHOENIX family. We have worked with McCabes for many years via our United Drug business and have always admired the innovation of services and distinctive customer service levels that Sharon and her team have brought to the Irish market. Sharon will lead the combined 110+ community pharmacies with a patient and colleague-centric approach, while continuing to provide the high standard of services both groups have been providing for many years.

Sharon McCabe, Chief Executive Officer of McCabes Pharmacy, said; Both McCabes and LloydsPharmacy are businesses rooted in the communities they serve. We have shared ambition, values, and a vision for primary care in Ireland which centers on providing patients and their families with the very best advice, support and access to medicines. We are both focused on enhancing the role of the pharmacist for the benefit of Irish patients and on creating a compelling and engaging place to work for pharmacists, technicians and all our retail colleagues. McCabes Pharmacy has excelled in delivering exceptional person to person care and with leading digital solutions. We are excited to work with The Lloyds teams to rebrand as McCabes Pharmacy. McCabes Pharmacy, like PHOENIX group, is a family-owned business, and we look forward to working with LloydsPharmacy and PHOENIX group to help our patients and customers across Ireland.

Steve Anderson, Member of the Executive Board Operations & Logistics at PHOENIX group, said; This is great day for our Irish colleagues and the wider PHOENIX group. This acquisition further highlights PHOENIX groups commitment to growing and investing in new markets. After concluding the acquisition of McKesson Ireland in November 2022, we continue to see huge potential in the Irish market and are committed to supporting the ambition of our local leaders on the ground.
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's monthly automobile exports reach around 500,000 units in Sept. 2023

China's automobile exports reached around 500,000 units in September 2023, jumping 36% over a year ago, Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association, said this week via his personal WeChat account.

For the first nine months of this year, China exported roughly 3.71 million cars, representing a 60% year-on-year spike and exceeding the whole-year volume for the year of 2022.

Photo credit: GAC AION

JI YUE 01 to hit market on October 27

JI YUE, the automotive Robocar brand backed by Geely and Baidu, will put its first model, the JI YUE 01, onto the market on October 27. Presale of the model kicked off in September with a price tag of 259,900 yuan.

Photo credit: JI YUE

NXP semiconductors launches electrification application lab in China

On October 24th, NXP Semiconductors announced the official launch of the NXP Electrification Application Lab in China. This lab is NXP's first electrification-dedicated laboratory in the country.

FAW Jiefang, Huawei cement cooperation in AI, intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit

On October 24, FAW Jiefang Automotive Co., Ltd. ("FAW Jiefang"), the truck manufacturing company under FAW Group, and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Huawei") stepped up their strategic partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that involves the cooperation in such fields as AI, intelligent driving, and intelligent cockpit.

Great Wall Motor eyes annual export volume of one million vehicles in 2025

On October 25, Chinese legacy automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM) held the GWM Investor Day 2023 in Baoding city, its homebase. Under the premise of Go long. Go with the world., GWM presented its accomplishments and business strategy regarding overseas markets.

Pony.ai bags $100 million in latest financing round from Saudi Arabia's NEOM, NIF

On October 25, Chinese autonomous driving technology developer Pony.ai announced it has secured a $100 million worth of investment from Saudi Arabia's megaproject NEOM (New City of Future) and the latter's wholly-owned sub-fund NEOM Investment Fund ("NIF").

BYD displays five new energy vehicle models at Japan Mobility Show 2023

At the 47th Tokyo Motor Show (now renamed as "Japan Mobility Show"), which kicked off on October 25, BYD showcased five of its new energy vehicle (NEV) models and core technologies, being the first Chinese automaker to participate in this grand exhibition.

Highlights of XPeng's 2023 TECH DAY

On October 24, Chinese smart electric vehicle (EV) maker XPeng held its 2023 TECH DAY, showcasing its latest progress in multiple fields like intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, electric drive system, electrical/electronic architecture (E/EA), intelligent manufacturing, flying cars, and robotics.

GAC Mitsubishi to become wholly-owned subsidiary of GAC Group

On October 24, GAC Group issued an announcement, saying its board of directors has approved the "Announcement of Related Transactions Regarding the Restructuring of GAC Mitsubishi." The restructuring plan involves equity adjustments within GAC Mitsubishi and GAC Mitsubishi Automobile Sales Company.

Upon completion of this restructuring, GAC Mitsubishi will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAC Group, while GAC AION will leverage the facilities of GAC Mitsubishi to lift its production capacity. Besides, GAC Mitsubishi Automobile Sales Company will be jointly held by GAC Group, Mitsubishi Motors, and Mitsubishi Corporation, ensuring continued provision of spare parts and after-sales service to GAC Mitsubishi's vehicle owners.

NETA Auto starts comprehensive vehicle sales in Indonesia

On October 24, Chinese new energy vehicle maker NETA Auto announced that the comprehensive sales of its products has begun in Indonesia, with the NETA V as its inaugural model hitting the local market with a price tag of 3.79 billion Indonesian Rupiah.
JOB VACANCY: KOICA/2023/001

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is recruiting for its office in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for position below:

Position: Employment based on the respective projects

* Administration Officer ( 1 Post)

The person will have the following tasks:

Provide support to manage schedules, budget expenditures, and communications within KOICA Programs (Bilateral Projects, Multi-bi Projects, Multilateral Projects, Private-Public Partnership Programs, Civil Society Partnership Programs, World Friend Korea Dispatching Programs, Fellowship Programs, Small-scale Projects);

Follow-up of projects and programs;

Monitor risks and outcomes within KOICA Programs;

Monitor the programs implementation and report the results;

Analyze and report development strategies in the related Development fields;

Ensure contacts between KOICA and other donors and the Government of the DRC

Resolve legal issues, provide legal counsel(Preferred);

Administrative support for the KOICA Office.

KOICA may decide to change the workplace and tasks assigned during the execution of the contract.

Contract Condition

Salary will be decided by mutual negotiation reflecting the career, expertise, etc

3 months as an Internship course with 80% of the salary / After evaluating the performance during the Internship, his/her employment will be decided

Work time is from 8h00 to 16h00(with a lunch break from 12h00 to 13h00)/5 days from Monday to Friday

One year contract based renewable after evaluating the performance

Qualifications for this position

Hold a university degree, preferably a advanced degree in Law, International Development, Public Administration or closely related field.

Ability to speak and write French and English excellently (level of English should be excellent)

Ability to use the computer and advanced skills in the usage of office software packages(Ms Word, Excel, etc).

Preferably work experience of at least 3 years in international organizations of official development assistance(ODA) or other development organization.

Good knowledge of DRC Development Policy and Plan.

For further details, please contact us at our office located in 36 Boulevard Colonel Tshatshi /Gombe, (Next to the Shabani Nonda Building) Tel: 0808504091 and candidates interested in this offer should send their application including a cover letter and updated CV, copies of diplomas, certificates of service rendered for previous jobs and two letters of recommendation (with all the contact details of referees) no later than November 8 2023 ONLY ONLINE at drcongo@koica.go.kr et koicadrc@gmail.com

The cover letter should be addressed to the Country Director of KOICA in DRC.

Made in Kinshasa 25 October 2023

Country Director/ KOICA DRC
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, October 25, 2023



It has been a little more than a year since Horizon Media jumped two digital feet first into Web3 media and marketing, launching specialist agency Chapter & Verse, and this morning it was named the full-serve agency-of-record for pioneering developer Blockchains.

Describing the win as a "passion project," Chapter & Verse Co-Founder -- and Horizon Media Chief Digital Officer -- Donnie Williams characterized Blockchains' product as "an emergent technology," but one that ultimately could change the way consumers and brand experience media in a "profound way."

"One of our top strategic priorities is to pioneer across the Web3 category and transform the industry and culture, and we are committed to bringing innovation and technology-inspired ideas that we can scale across brands, Williams adds.

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While Web3 still is a largely aspirational media concept that has been overshadowed by the surge of speculative blockchain-enabled markets like cryptocurrency and NFT trading, Blockchains has been approaching it more as a "sandbox" (see explainer video below) that will enable new ways for consumers and brands to control their digital presences.

Indeed, founded in 2018, Blockchains is akin to a granddaddy in the consumer application of blockchain technology, and its description of its products and services to date -- digital identity, digital assets and a Web3 ID SDK -- are still described in more visionary terms than concrete ones. But as Williams says, "it will be a journey to a more fulsome digital experience."

The privately funded company operates its headquarters in Nevada with development labs in Germany, employing more than 100 globally. Blockchains is preparing to go to market with its holistic suite of Web3 solutions in 2024.

Chapter & Verse will lead integrated services for marketing strategy, creative, media, content, and experiences for both Blockchains' consumer and B2B marketing.

Why The Next Transformational Medium Is Right In Front Of Your Nose (Actually It May Be Resting On It)

It's been nearly a month since Meta unveiled the next generation of immersive digital media interfaces -- Ray-Ban's new Quest-powered smart glasses -- and I finally got a chance to ask the brand's direct of global media a question that's been on my mind ever since?

Will Ray-Ban become not just a media-buyer, but a media supplier as well?

Thats a great question," Caroline Proto, director of global media at Ray-Ban parent company, eyeglasses marketing giant Luxottica said when I asked her during MediaPost's TV & Video Insider Summit in Nashville this week.

Proto demurred, noting that she's not supposed to say anything about that at this time, but she did add, "It yields itself to quite a big of opportunity."

But watch the demo video in the link below, and read through Meta's description of exactly what the new Ray-Bans can do, and you tell me what the potential of the new mixed reality interface is for becoming one of -- if not the most important new portal -- to the metaverse, or whatever you want to call the way people will be experiencing and interacting with brands vis a vis artificial reality.

And all of just $299 a pair. Plus unlike Google's ill-fated glassholes, these shades look cool.

While Proto wouldn't elaborate on Ray-Ban's plans for global mixed media domination, she was very enthusiastic about how Luxottica has been using artificial reality to transform retail eyeglasses marketing, especially the ability of its AR apps to let prospective consumers "try them on" and encourage them to come to one of Luxottica's brick-and-mortar locations to actually try them on and walk off with them.

"Obviously, wearables is really exciting for us," she said, noting that the new Meta-powered Ray-Bans are actually the second iteration of the product and that the power of the AI and the immersive experience capabilities are a giant leap forward.

"From a media perspective, I can speak to the fact that AR has always been big for us, in terms of our media activation for advertising," she told me, adding, "Our artificial reality partnerships for sunglasses specifically, actually are our most efficient of any medium, [in terms of being a] store traffic driver."

Speaking of potentially transformational new digital media interfaces being presented at MediaPost's summit this week, I couldn't resist asking the same question to Mitsubishi Vice President of Marketing Kimberly Ito following her conversation with MediaPost's Tanya Gazdik on Monday.

"Is there anything you're working on now to make your vehicles a new retail media experience?," I asked.

I was inspired by the close-up shots of the telematics dashboard and digital media interface in the new Mitsubishi Outlander spots she screened for us, which I've always thought are a latent ad-supported media interface just waiting to happen. Especially as we move increasingly toward self-driving cars. I mean, talk about a captive media audience?

But Ito also demurred, noting, "We get those questions quite a bit," adding, "Today there's nothing that I'll be sharing about our product plan."

However, she threw me a bone, if not a potential scoop, adding, "But hopefully, around [the National Automotive Dealers Association conference] -- come January/February -- we'll have some exciting news to share."

Hey, if Amazon and Walmart have emerged as the fastest-growing digital retail media advertising suppliers, why not Outlanders and Ray-Bans? I mean, I can think of a number of brands that would like to get in front of those new screens.

Lastly, a big thank you to all of you who gave me feedback on my "M3DIA" newsletter logo mock-up, even if most of you just shot me down.

It's good to have sobering feedback, and I did get a kick about using "large language models" to come up with it.

Truth is, that was my own human intelligence. Which explains why I'm an editor and a news reporter, but not a graphic designer.

So that's a no on the logotype.

Plus what would happen if we needed to updated it to a 4.0 version?

M4DIA would stretch the boundaries of typoglycemia.
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, October 25, 2023

Promotional efforts are in full swing for two documentary series coming next month on the life and death of President Kennedy, with more likely on the way.

The hook is the 60th anniversary of JFKs assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

For historians and millions who lived through it, the date lives in infamy, on par with 9/11 in its shock value and significance.

To apply the old cliche, the murder of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, altered the course of human events and came to be considered by many as a turning point in American life and culture.

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First up is National Geographics three-part documentary JFK: One Day in America, premiering all on one night -- Sunday, November 5, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Following an overview of the state of the nation and the Kennedy administration four months before the presidents death, JFK: One Day in America focuses narrowly on the events of November 22 and the days that followed.

They were days of mourning and drama. A manhunt culminated in the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald, who was subsequently shot to death on live TV while in police custody.

And then, the sad, somber state funeral was broadcast globally and riveted the world.

Interview subjects in the documentary include Clint Hill and Paul Landis, retired Secret Service agents who were assigned to protect the president and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (pictured above on that fateful day) on their trip to Dallas.

Also interviewed is Buell Frazier, one-time co-worker of Oswalds at the Texas School Book Depository.

The two young men had a friendly relationship, and Frazier had driven his friend to work that day.

Later in November, a new documentary miniseries on History Channel will tell a broader story encompassing JFKs life, political career, presidency and his murder.

The eight-part documentary, titled simply Kennedy, will play out over three consecutive nights: The first three hours on Saturday, November 18, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern; the second three on Sunday, November 19, also starting at 8 Eastern; and the final two on Monday, November 20, 8-10 p.m. Eastern.

The sprawling documentarys 70-plus interview subjects include Conan OBrien, long-time member of the JFK Library Foundations board of directors, according to History Channel; and actor Bruce Greenwood, now starring in The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix who played JFK 23 years ago in the Cuban missile crisis movie Thirteen Days.

Based on long experience, the TV Blog expects that these two documentary miniseries are only the tip of the iceberg. Look for much more to come as TV gears up for this memorable anniversary.
by Fern Siegel , October 25, 2023

The pickleball craze is sweeping the nation.

The cross-generational sport claims 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States, according to the 2023 APP Tour's Pickleball Participation Report.

The sport with a funny name is also the fastest-growing one in the country. Which explains why The Picklr, a chain of indoor pickleball courts, announced it is opening 30 new locations across four states  North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia  and the District of Columbia. That brings the number of its franchises to 110.

To highlight pickleball's popularity, creative director Blaine Hogan of Tessa Films, working with the brand's in-house team, created the "Winner Stays On" spot now running on the company's YouTube channel and Instagram feed.

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James Hurlock, chief brand officer at The Picklr, told Agency Daily his company views pickleball as "more than just a sport, its a lifestyle." He says the spot is "supercharged and appeals to a wider demographic than most people think. This ad perfectly captures not only the excitement of playing Pickleball, but the special experience that comes with doing it at The Picklr.

The ad, shot on location at the brands headquarters in Kaysville, Utah, positions pickleball as a hip activity enjoyed by a diverse group of players, while raising The Picklrs brand awareness.

The Picklr, founded in 2021, is on track to open more than 300 courts across the U.S. by the end of 2024. Jorge Barragan, co-founder-CEO of The Pickler, said: "We're not just expanding our footprint  we are creating a movement."

The global pickleball market was valued at $1.3 billion in 2022, according to market reports.


PATTAYA, ThailandMike Stabile of the Free Speech Coalition is this week's guest on "Adult Site Broker Talk" in part two of a two-part series.

Stabile, a documentary filmmaker and journalist, has supported and written about sexual expression and sex workers for over a decade. Many publications, including the New York Times, Salon, Daily Beast, Buzzfeed, and Playboy, have featured his work.

His documentary Seed Money, which follows philanthropist and pornographer Chuck Holmes, was named one of the Best Documentaries of 2015 by The Advocate.

Stabile founded Polari Media with the intention of aiding non-traditional communities and businesses in their efforts to communicate effectively with the mainstream audience. He has overseen the communications of the Free Speech Coalition since 2013.

Its objective is to safeguard the rights and liberties of both employees and adult industry businesses.

As a leader, resource, and instrument, the organization benefits the communities it serves. Its endeavors to mitigate the consequences of discriminatory legislation, misinformation, and societal disapproval that befall individuals employed in or associated with the adult industry bring them immense satisfaction.

The Free Speech Coalition has been engaged in and triumphing over seemingly insurmountable battles, spanning from the Supreme Court to the voting booth and beyond, for more than three decades.

Follow the organization on X (formerly Twitter): @fscarmy.

Bruce, host of the show, and CEO of Adult Site Broker, said, In part two of my interview with Mike we got more in-depth about the legal battles going on between our industry and different states, especially over age verification.

Adult Site Broker helps people buy and sell websites in the adult space. To learn more, visit adultsitebroker.com.

Starting today at the Adult Site Broker Talk website, listen to part two of the talk with Mike Stabile on "Adult Site Broker Talk."
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, October 25, 2023





When it comes to having or not having children, the world has always been full of busybodies. With "Invisible Mothers," Peanut hopes to bridge the loneliness that comes with that kind of judgment.

Peanut, started five years ago by a new mom struggling to adjust to being home alone after a busy career running an online dating site, connects about 3.5 million women monthly users. They come to the app to share about everything from infertility and breast-feeding woes to losing touch with friends.

The campaign is running on all Peanut channels, including social, app, web and email, as well as earned media coverage and podcasts. The brand is also using content marketing through Peanut's blog to enhance SEO, and an 'Invisible Mothers' microsite contains information, resources, and community interaction.

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Its also using a network of influencers who are activating peer-to-peer storytelling.

Peanut is about fostering community at every life stage, says Hannah Hastings, vice president of the brand, whether you're thinking about conception, struggling to conceive, all the way through to pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. We also recently launched a community for women going through menopause.

In 2017, she points out, no one was talking about the taboo of motherhood, loneliness and mental health challenges. While there were many online forums full of anonymous profiles, there werent many tech solutions, she tells Marketing Daily. We wanted to create a place to talk about the reality of motherhood online. It can look very bright. But it's not all joy.

Because COVID sped up the use of digital connection tools and made many people feel more isolated, the team noticed the word invisibility continually surfacing, she says.

So Peanut conducted research. Among the startling insights: Most women feel the judgment juggernaut starts well before motherhood, with intrusive questions like When are you getting married? and When are you having kids?

Once someone has a baby, she tells Marketing Daily, people immediately begin to ask, 'When are you having the next one?

Sometimes, invisibility is a societal expectation, like keeping a pregnancy under wraps. You dont get much support from the healthcare system," says Hastings. And while everyone asks about the pregnancy and eventually the baby, no one asks, 'How are you?

In its U.S. research, 79% of the women say they feel invisible, and 95% feel unacknowledged, unappreciated or unseen. And 94% say that since having a child, theyve been reduced to the single identity of a mother.

About 70% of respondents say family members are the worst offenders, followed by friends at 62%, partners or spouses at 53%, and healthcare professionals at 34%. But they also feel unwelcome expectations from social media (31%), coworkers, and strangers, (both 30%).

The pandemic, which some experts say has pushed about 500,000 women out of the workforce, has underscored the complexity of career expectations.

There is a strong feeling that mothers are expected to do everything at home, then show up at work and keep up with peers. There's just a lack of flexibility, Hastings says, with women saying, 'How am I juggling this all? And there is a real sense of opportunities theyve lost because of motherhood. They feel vulnerable. They feel pushed out. Theyve lost their identity. And that all leads to this sense of invisibility.

She says the campaign is getting some unexpected firepower from Barbie. As the company began preparing the campaign, a clip from the movie went viral, expressing many of the same frustrations.

Peanut, available in the U.K., the U.S. and Mexico, is considering a move into Spain. One feature, Peanut Pods, features live audio to create a topic and have conversations with women in real time. Those are genuinely global, she says, fueled by moms up late at night for feedings.

They may want to talk about strains in their relationship or maybe just chit-chat about the Kardashians, Hastings says. Sometimes you want to make local connections and meet up in real life. But there are also times when you just want real-time connection, so women seem to be very happy to chat with people on the other side of the pond.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, October 24, 2023

Microsoft and Google continue to battle it out for dominance in the cloud and advertising sectors. Both reported third-quarter revenue on Tuesday.

Each showed strength in specific markets, with Microsoft gaining ground in revenue from search advertising and cloud services.

Microsofts revenue rose 14% to $56.5 billion based on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) integrated into every layer of the companys tech stack.

Search and news advertising revenue, excluding traffic acquisition costs, increased 10%, and revenue from LinkedIn in rose 8%.

"With copilots, we are making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere," stated Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. "We are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role and business process to drive productivity gains for our customers.

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Microsoft's cloud computing and AI businesses are likely to continue to experience strong growth.

Increases reported Tuesday include operating income -- rising 25% to $26.9 billion -- as well as net income rising 27% to $22.3 billion and diluted earnings per share up 27% to $2.99.

Revenue in the companys More Personal Computing sector rose 3% to $13.7 billion, with Windows revenue rising 5% and Windows OEM revenue growth of 4%. Windows Commercial products and cloud services revenue grew 8%

Xbox content and services revenue increased 13%. The downside is that devices revenue fell 22%.

In a press release, Microsoft said it returned $9.1 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year.

Server products and cloud services revenue rose 21% -- driven by Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 29% -- but that wasnt the case for Alphabets cloud services. It missed estimates for third-quarter revenue, which forced stock shares down by more than 4% in extended trading.

Googles cloud unit growth slowed to 22.5% in the third quarter, from 28% in the prior three-month period.

But for the most part, advertising spend remained strong in most sectors, although concerns over a slowing global economy have prompted companies to scale back on technology.

Cloud computing is a much lumpier business than advertising, and one where Google is facing stiff competition, said Insider Intelligence senior analyst Max Willens. While the traction it has among AI startups may bear fruit in the long run, it is not currently helping Google Cloud enough to satisfy investors."

Worldwide, Insider Intelligence expects Google to generate $170.87 billion in net digital ad revenue in 2023 -- up 6.5% over last year -- giving the company a 28.4% share of the worldwide digital ad market.

Googles advertising segments rose slightly to $59.6 billion in Q3 2023, up from $54.5 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Google Search contributed the most to Alphabets revenue in the advertising sector -- coming in at $44 billion, above consensus vs $39.539 billion in the year-ago quarter.

YouTube Ads generated 7.952 billion in Q3 2023, up from $7.071 billion in Q3 2022. Revenue from the Google Network fell to $7.669 billion vs. $78.72 billion, respectively.
by Teresa Buyikian , October 24, 2023

This week Playa Bowls announced it was hiring Nicolle DuBose as chief marketing officer. DuBose fills the role left by Playa Bowls' co-founder Abby Taylor, who will remain at the company as chief branding officer and continue to play a role in overall marketing efforts.

DuBose joins the superfruit bowl chain after more than 20 years in the food and beverage industry. Most recently, she served as vice president and head of marketing for Schlotzsky's at Focus Brands. She previously worked at a host of other Focus Brands company, with positions as vice president of marketing for Carvel Ice Cream and director of field marketing for Moes Southwest Grill, as well as a stint at the companys Cinnabon brand.

At Playa Bowls, DuBose will head up all aspects of the chains marketing efforts, including brand strategy, digital marketing, social media and customer engagement initiatives.

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"Throughout her career, DuBose has proven to be an innovative thinker and  she will be instrumental in elevating Playa Bowls' presence as we  connect with more guests who are looking for nutritious food options, said Dan Harmon, CEO of Playa Bowls, in a release.

The 200-unit chain, which operates in 22 states, also recently updated its primarily plant-based menu to add fall seasonal dishes and beverages. These include the Apple Turn Up Acai Bowl, Jack-O'-Lantern Acai Bowl, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Brew and Pumpkin Protein Bites.

The company was originally founded by surfers Abby Taylor and Rob Giuliani in 2014, inspired to replicate the acai and pitaya bowls the duo enjoyed on surf trips to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, California and Hawaii.

Playa Bowls also recently released a fall/winter merchandise collection earlier this month, including T-shirts, hoodies and hats, available in store and on the chains website.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 24, 2023

Google has been hit with a privacy lawsuit over the Google Cloud Contact Center AI -- an artificial intelligence service used by other companies' call centers.

In a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Misael Ambriz alleges that Google, through the Cloud Contact Center AI, wrongly eavesdropped on his conversation with a Verizon employee.

A Google session manager monitored the conversation between Plaintiff and Verizon, and Google ... transcribed plaintiffs conversation in real time, analyzed the context of plaintiffs conversation with Verizon, and suggested 'smart replies' and news articles to the Verizon agent plaintiff was communicating with, the complaint alleges.

Google said that Verizon was piloting the service in order to deliver more intuitive customer support through natural-language recognition, faster processing, and real-time customer service agent assistance.

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The company also said at the time that the Contact Center AI Agent Assist feature offers Verizons customer care agents a real-time digital assistant that fetches relevant articles within the knowledge base, and then recommends personalized responses to agents at each turn of the conversation.

Ambriz claims the service violates California's wiretap law, which prohibits the interception of electronic communications without all parties' consent.

Neither Verizon nor Google procured plaintiffs prior consent, express or otherwise, to have defendant eavesdrop on plaintiffs conversation with Verizon, the complaint alleges.

His complaint alleges that he called Verizon's contact center several times, and expected the conversations to be between himself and the telecom.

During these calls with Verizon, plaintiff first interacted with a 'virtual agent.' Plaintiff was not aware, nor did he have any reason to suspect, that the virtual agent was being provided by a third party, Google, rather than Verizon, he alleges.

He added that even after being transferred to a human agent, Google continued to monitor the conversation and suggest replies.

Google hasn't yet responded to MediaPost's request for comment.
by Ray Schultz , October 24, 2023

Bonnier USA has sold its marine media division to Craig Fullers Flying Media Group and will double down on the outdoor adventure field.

Terms of the transaction, announced on Tuesday at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, were not disclosed.

The marine media portfolio includes Yachting, Boating, Sailing World, Cruising World, and Salt Water Sportsman, the SFTV television series, and hosting of the Sailing World Regatta Series.

The sale of our marine media division marks our fifth transaction in shaping a group with full focus on experiential outdoor adventure, says Jens Mueffelmann, executive chairman of Bonnier LLC. Craig Fuller has vigorously transformed aviation media. He is the perfect new owner of our marine media division.

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Bonnier still owns Marlin magazine and its series of big-game fishing tournaments in Costa Rica, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands and Mexico. It also leads curated fishing expeditions to Australia, Panama and other offshore fishing destinations.

In its Motorsports & Outdoor division, Bonnier operates an extensive series of nationwide motorsports shows and hunting expos.

Our mission of fueling the passion of outdoor enthusiasts is playing out well, said David Ritchie, CEO of Bonnier LLC. Bonniers revenues have grown by more than 50 percent in the last two years, and I am energized to double down further on offshore fishing, motorsports, and hunting.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, October 25, 2023

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on Alphabet's Q3 2023 earnings call Tuesday that the company would experiment with new formats such as native as a way to integrate ads into its Search Generative Experience (SGE).

We'll experiment with new formats native to SGE that use Generative AI to create relevant high-quality ads customized to every step of the Search journey, Pichai said.

SGE, an experimental version of Google's search engine, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate contextual answers to complex questions.

Pichai said that with GAI applied to Search, the company can serve a wider range of queries and answer new types of questions, including those that benefit from multiple perspectives. The company is serving more links with SGE and linking to a wider range of sources on the results page.

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Pichai said he is confident in the strength in the organic side, search engine optimization, and advertising, to drive the right experience for users.

Weve always worked through these transitions, be it from desktop to mobile, or from now mobile to an AI-enhanced experience, Pichai said.

The move would give Google another advertising format and the ability to expand GAI across its ad services. While the goal is to integrate ads with SGI, for now the experience is only available as an opt-in basis, which suggests Google will make change the feature as generally available to all.

Insider Intelligence estimates Google will remain the dominant player worldwide for search ad revenue, with $140.97 billion in 2023.

Google initially announced it would customize to every step of the search journey in May 2023, at Google Marketing Live where it hinted at delivering new ads experience with GAI.

At the time, the company said it would experiment with Search and Shopping ads that are directly integrated into the GAI and conversational technology.

Pichai said the company also is focused on boosting creativity and productivity through Bard, Googles experimental AI chatbot, which provides a direct interface with conversational large language models (LLMs).

Bard can integrate with Google apps and services, serving information from Workspace, Maps, YouTube, and Google Flights and Hotels.

Pichai did not provide details on the ad formats during the earnings call, but earlier this year in a blog post, Jerry Dischler, vice president and general manager of ads, wrote about integrating GAI into products including Performance Max and Smart Bidding.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, October 25, 2023

Kicking off the ANAs Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando Wednesday morning, CEO Bob Liodice told attendees that in a world full of troubles marketers need to be more purposeful and better aligned with societal needs.

Its time to change, he said, emphasizing this years conference theme that marketing needs to be both a force for growth and a force for good.

advertisement advertisement He showcased several examples of campaigns from major marketers that drive both purpose and growth including a recent effort from Mastercard featuring a blind woman who is seen walking in her neighborhood chatting to friends and easily paying for a latte with a notched Mastercard credit card.

Media excellence, he said, helps drive brand growth, along with creativity and diverse talent both throughout the marketing and agency ranks and in advertising content.

And increasingly data analytics is a major growth driver. He noted a recent survey that indicates that the top investment marketers have been making since 2021 is in data and analytics capabilities.

Finding better solutions to the increasingly complicated task of video measurement is also key, Liodice said, noting the ANAs efforts on cross-media measurement with a focus on unduplicated reach and frequency.

The ANA, he added is addressing online hate, which he described as a scourge, with a new campaign done in partnership with Ogilvy called Engage Responsibly.
by Teresa Buyikian , October 25, 2023

Taco Bell has emerged as the victor in the chains petition against New Jerseys Gregorys Restaurant and Bar trademark registration of the ubiquitous Taco Tuesday weekly holiday according to a release. Now any restaurant anywhere in the 50 U.S. states can promote their Taco Tuesday without fear of repercussion -- even in New Jersey.

As previously reported, a fight over the usage rights to the actual phrase Taco Tuesday earlier this year pit QSR chain and trademark owner in 49 states Taco Johns (400 locations in 23 states) against behemoth Taco Bell (7,200 locations in the U.S., approx. 1,000 internationally). Taco Bell later prevailed when Taco Johns relinquished the trademark, which was then free for all to use, except in New Jersey, where Gregorys Restaurant and Bar still held the "Taco Tuesday" trademark.

advertisement advertisement

Gregorys, which actually held the trademark registration in New Jersey for over 30 years, finally relinquished it on Oct. 20.

When we set out to free Taco Tuesday, we did it for all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos, said Taco Bell Chief Global Brand and Strategy Officer and incoming Chief Executive Officer Sean Tresvan in a release Thanks to Gregorys choice to relinquish the trademark registration, New Jersey businesses and fans can fully enjoy Taco Tuesday, effective immediately.

To commemorate the occasion, Taco Bell rewards members in New Jersey will be able to now celebrate Taco Tuesday themselves with a free Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos on Nov. 21, through the Taco Bell app, with no purchase necessary.

Taco Tuesday has always been a source of pride for my family and our restaurant, but we recognize Taco Tuesday is widely celebrated and embraced beyond our four walls, said Gregory Gregory, co-owner of Gregorys Restaurant and Bar, home of the original Taco Tuesday in New Jersey. Were excited to share Taco Tuesday with the entire New Jersey community and though weve relinquished the trademark registration, you can bet Taco Tuesdays will live on at Gregorys forever.

Earlier this year, to commemorate the relinquishment of the trademark in 49 states, Taco Bell gave away millions of free Doritos Locos Tacos to customers every Tuesday over a period of four weeks and opened a $5 million Taco Tabwith DoorDash in September to cover a portion of taco fans orders from more than 20,000 participating Mexican restaurants.
This guide helps you get ready for a blood test and know what to expect when getting your blood drawn. Following your healthcare provider's instructions and these preparatory steps will contribute to a smooth and successful blood test experience.

While blood tests are a routine procedure, some individuals may experience apprehension about the blood-drawing process. Others might be uncertain about the necessary preparations, including whether to refrain from eating or drinking prior to the test.

Adhering to your doctor's instructions stands as the foremost step in preparing for a blood test. Additionally, ensuring a good night's sleep, maintaining adequate hydration, and abstaining from certain foods and beverages can also yield benefits.

When preparing for a blood test, it's important to understand the different types of blood tests that may be performed. One common test is the Complete Blood Count (CBC), which examines various components of your blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Another crucial assessment is the Basic Metabolic Panel, which evaluates essential chemicals in your blood like glucose, electrolytes, and proteins.

Before the test, it's normal to feel some apprehension about the procedure and the potential blood test results. It's worth noting that only a small amount of blood is needed for most tests. The healthcare professional will carefully insert the needle into a vein, typically in your arm, to draw blood. This process is relatively quick and is done to analyze different parts of your blood, providing valuable insights into your health(1 Trusted Source

How to Prepare to Have Your Blood Drawn



Go to source).

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On the day preceding your blood test, observe the following preparation tips:

Thoroughly review your doctor's instructions. Some blood tests require fasting for 10-12 hours beforehand, which means not eating or drinking anything except water. Your doctor may also advise discontinuing certain prescription medications. To Fast - avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, chewing gum, and doing intense exercise. These activities can affect blood test results(   Trusted Source

Fasting for a Blood Test



Go to source Trusted Source Blood Tests That Typically Require Fasting : Your doctor will inform you if fasting is necessary prior to your blood test. Blood tests that commonly necessitate fasting encompass

Liver function tests

Cholesterol tests (lipid panels)

Triglyceride level tests

Blood glucose tests

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) tests

Metabolic panel tests

If fasting is not necessary, abstain from alcohol and refrain from indulging in rich or fatty foods. This ensures you feel your best on the day of the appointment.

Ensure you get ample rest. Being well-rested facilitates smoother access to your veins during the blood draw.

Before going to a lab without appointment requirements, call ahead to find out the least busy times to avoid long waits.

On the actual day of your blood test, adhere to these preparation suggestions:

Stay well-hydrated by consuming plenty of water. This helps maintain adequate fluid levels in your veins, facilitating an easier blood draw. Refrain from coffee and other caffeinated beverages, as they may lead to dehydration If fasting is not required, have breakfast 12 hours prior to the test. This can help prevent lightheadedness during the blood draw. If you're concerned about potential queasiness or nausea, avoid eating immediately before your appointment. Opt for short sleeves beneath any outerwear to streamline access to your arm. Arrive a few minutes early to allow time for filling out any necessary paperwork. Bring your insurance card and a form of identification. Carry a small snack, like a piece of fruit or a protein bar, for after your appointment.

A blood draw is typically a brief procedure, usually taking just a few minutes.

Upon arrival at the lab, you'll check in for your appointmentat the front desk. You'll wait in the lobby until a phlebotomist invites you into the blood draw room. There, the phlebotomist will have you sit in a chair with an armrest. If you're wearing a long-sleeved shirt, you'll roll up your sleeve past your elbow and extend your arm forward. Preparation of the Blood Test Site :The phlebotomist will cleanse a small area on your arm with an antiseptic wipe. They'll also secure an elastic band around your arm, causing your vein to swell and making it easier to insert the needle for blood collection. To promote blood flow, the phlebotomist may ask you to make a fist. They'll then gently insert a needle into your arm. You may feel a slight pricking sensation, but it should not be painful. After enough blood is taken, the phlebotomist will take out the needle and cover the hole with a small bandage. Inform your phlebotomist if you experience any dizziness after the blood draw. You can remain in the chair until the sensation passes. If you've brought a snack and water, this is a suitable time to consume them. If you haven't brought any food or water, you can ask the phlebotomist for a cup of water. Drinking water can help alleviate any dizziness you may be experiencing. You might experience minor soreness or a small bruiseat the site where the needle was inserted. Any discomfort should subside within a few days.

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Inform the phlebotomist if you're feeling nervous. They can assist in making you feel more at ease and may discuss options such as lying down instead of sitting. Avoid watching the blood draw. Choose an object or another spot in the room to focus on. Engage in conversation with the phlebotomist to help divert your attention during the procedure. Listen to music using earbuds or headphones. Take a few deep breaths before and during the procedure. Concentrate on each breath in and out to divert your mind from the procedure. Bring a friend or family member for support and comfort.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the thought of a blood test may be intimidating, it's crucial to remember that they are essential tools in maintaining good health.

Familiarizing yourself with the types of blood tests and what they measure can help alleviate any concerns you may have.

The CBC, for instance, helps gauge your overall blood health, including the presence of any abnormalities or irregularities in white blood cell counts, which can indicate potential issues with your immune system. Additionally, it checks for any blood clotting disorders, which are vital indicators for cardiovascular health and may suggest a risk of heart disease.

Understanding how these kinds of blood tests function can provide reassurance. Enzyme tests, for instance, can reveal specific markers related to heart function. These markers assess how well blood flows through your heart and whether there may be any cardiac concerns.

Disclaimer: Always consult with your healthcare provider for a thorough explanation of your blood test results and any necessary follow-up actions.
Aditya Dhar made a phenomenal directorial debut with Uri, which went on to win several critical and commercial accolades and has become one of the most admired war films ever made in Bollywood.

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After being almost invisible for 4 years, Aditya has finally embarked on the journey to his next film after Uri, but it is not the much-anticipated The Immortal Ashwatthama!



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The whole country was waiting to hear the developments on his most visionary project, The Immortal Ashwatthama, but Aditya has surprised everyone as he is about to make yet another action film on Pakistan and terrorists.



According to the latest Pinkvilla report, Aditya Dhars next film will be based on the terrorist killings in Pakistan backed by Indian intelligence agencies.

A source close to the development told them, The film is inspired by recent terrorist killings in Pakistan. Aditya has researched on the subject and was fascinated with the way the operation was conducted. The terrorist killings in Pakistan are believed to be backed by the Indian Intelligence Agencies and Aditya will be tapping this untold story for the spectacle.

The source further added, The creators have researched the subject for months and have detailed information about these assassinations. Much like URI, this one too will be a thrilling and exciting story to unfold on the big screen. He plans to mount it on a big screen and will take on floors in April  May 2024.

 Aditya Dhar Instagram

The news has caused a rift among the fans, as some were anticipating updates on Ashwatthama, while others recommended that Aditya explore subjects beyond Pakistan and terrorism.



One user reacted, Another #Raw film......oh no...!!!! Enough of these. Just see da South industry how their writers are writing films on different n newer subjects and here in bollywood we r still making films on #Raw n Paki terrorist killing.

Amother #Raw film......oh no...!!!! Enough of these. Just see da South industry how their writers are writing films on different n newer subjects and here in bollywood we r still making films on #Raw n Paki terrorist killing.  Tanim (@Zayan198689) October 23, 2023

One other user reacted, Sad to see his mega project #TheImmortalAshwatthama getting shelved... I was so excited for this.

Sad to see his mega project #TheImmortalAshwatthama getting shelved... I was so excited for this  Jitendra Sharma (@JituWrites) October 23, 2023

One user wrote, So sad for the immortal ashwathama maybey iske baad kuch hojye........bec I really excited for ashwathama.

So sad for the immortal ashwathama  maybey iske baad kuch hojye........bec I really excited for ashwathama   Ayush Soni (@AyushSo43782067) October 23, 2023

One other user commented, After the success of Gadar 2, we will get to see so many movies on Pakistan.

After the success of Gadar 2, we will get to see so many movies on Pakistan.  Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) October 23, 2023

One user said, Sad to see him not getting a backing for the immortal ashwatthama. Hoping he delivers here.

Sad to see him not getting a backing for the immortal ashwatthama. Hoping he delivers here  Hindi Cinephile (@hindi_cinephile) October 23, 2023

One other user said, Pakistan ke alawa bhi bohot desh h bhai.

Pakistan ke alawa bhi bohot desh h bhai   (@tweetsofyummy) October 23, 2023

Blockbuster loading   Sangharsh More (@sangharsh28580) October 23, 2023

Ise dusra kuch aata v nahi hai   S (@ibeingtoxicguy) October 23, 2023

Bored of terrorists and Pakistan movies   Yaky (@Yaky77633198) October 23, 2023

Bhai kab tak yhi pakistan ko movies me promote krte rhege   Andleeb Akhtar  (@mr_akhtar_17) October 23, 2023

Aditya Dhars upcoming films

##JUMPLINK##

In addition to his directorial project on terrorist killings in Pakistan, Aditya is gearing up for the release of three films as a producer. These films feature Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi in Dhoom Dhaam, a political thriller with an as-yet-unnamed title and Baramulla.

Source: Pinkvilla
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden came to Lewiston Maine, to show their support for the community following a mass shooting where 18 people were killed. Biden said Friday that too many communities are being affected by gun violence. He said he wants community members to know he came "on behalf of the American people to make sure you know that youre not alone. Biden placed flowers at a memorial and also met with families of the victims and with police and emergency teams. Read moreBiden tells residents of Maine city reeling from mass shooting: 'You're not alone'
Air Force security personnel fired several shots in self-defense on Saturday afternoon when a driver breached the main entry point to Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis in Texas, according to the base.

The driver, who had not yet been identified on Tuesday, drove toward the guards "at a high rate of speed in the wrong direction of traffic," said Robert Strain, a Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston spokesman.

The driver broke through the access control point and was on the installation for several minutes before turning around and speeding through the gate to exit.

Read Next: Army Air Defense Units from 3 Bases Are Deploying to Middle East After 13 Drone Attacks

The suspect did not reach any training areas located at the base, according to officials, and no injuries to Air Force personnel or property were reported.

The driver was arrested later that evening by the San Antonio Police Department, about nine miles from Camp Bullis, after involvement in a separate incident.

No injuries to the suspect were reported.

The San Antonio Police Department could not be reached for comment on the suspect's arrest.

Camp Bullis covers more than 27,000 acres in Bexar County, Texas, and functions primarily as a training area for Army, Air Force and Marine Corps ground combat units. The facility also serves as a field medical training site for units stationed at the nearby Brooke Army Medical Center.

Joint Base San Antonio provides support to three partner locations, including JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Randolph and JBSA-Lackland, which is home to the Air Force's basic training program.

The base briefly closed another gate -- and placed several buildings on lockdown -- Tuesday morning after gunshots were heard coming from a nearby wooded area.

Local police responded to the reports to investigate the off-base incident, according to a base press release. There were no reports of injuries or damage to government property, according to the press release. The entry point and buildings reopened hours later.

Earlier this year, a driver attempted to gain unauthorized access to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California by ramming a vehicle into a barrier wall, Task and Purpose reported. Months later, during a separate incident at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, a base resident fired his weapon at a trespassing intruder, prompting another investigation.

-- Kelsey Baker is a graduate student at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, and a former active-duty Marine. Reach her on X at @KelsBBaker or bakerkelsey@protonmail.com.

Related: Intruder Breaches Base of Air Force One, Shot Fired
WASHINGTON  Dozens of House conservatives have balked at sending more aid to Ukraine in recent months, and the issue is a flash point as Republicans struggle to pick a new speaker.

For decades, Republican foreign policy orthodoxy would have made it a no-brainer to support a western-leaning democracy invaded by Russia. Thats no longer a given, and among the eight contenders for speaker sentiment ranges from enthusiastic support for Ukraine to deep resistance.

Some in our party dont care about defeating Russia, said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Humble, a former Navy SEAL. They dont understand the strategic importance.

This isnt about Ukraine specifically, but about maintaining Americas deterrence for the next hundred years against our adversaries, he said.

In July, 70 Republicans voted to prohibit security assistance for Ukraine. Thats a third of the House GOP.

That vote was on an amendment to a defense authorization bill from Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican whose revolt toppled Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3, sending the House into turmoil.

Another amendment proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to strike $300 million of Ukraine funding also failed, with 89 Republicans votes.

Those were among the key votes on a report card from the Republican Accountability Project, a group led by GOP strategist Sarah Longwell and conservative commentator Bill Kristol.

The group gave A grades to two of the speaker contenders that have been stalwarts on votes to aid Ukraine: Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia.

Three got Fs: Byron Donalds of Florida, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma and Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

Waco Rep. Pete Sessions got a B, as did Reps. Jack Bergman of Michigan and Gary Palmer of Alabama.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Austin, has pressed fellow Republicans not to back away from Ukraine.

We cant lose our focus on Ukraine  the largest invasion of Europe since World War II, he said last week at a hearing on how to divert Russian assets to rebuilding Ukraine.

A White House request for $24 billion in arms and other aid for Ukraine became a point of contention ahead of the government shutdown deadline at the end of September.

Dozens of House Republicans balked and McCarthy, under pressure from the right, excluded the request from the 45-day stopgap deal that expires Nov. 17.

Imagine the resistance to $60 billion, Crenshaw said.

Thats the sum President Joe Biden requested for Ukraine last week as part of a $105 billion security package that includes $14 billion for Israel, $14 billion for the U.S. border and $7 billion to counter China and other Indo-Pacific adversaries.

Even Republicans who support ongoing aid to Ukraine have demanded more clarity on what victory looks like and how the U.S. assistance fits in. Crenshaw accused the Biden administration of a slow drip policy on advanced weaponry; Biden has expressed concern about provoking Vladimir Putin into drawing the United States into direct conflict.

Support for Ukraine aid is diminishing, Crenshaw said, though theres a majority that still supports it.  The American people 90-10 want a secure border. Theyre actually like 50-50 on Ukraine.

The Senate Appropriations Committee set an Oct. 31 hearing on the White House request. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are expected to testify.

The House cannot act on it until it has a speaker.

McCaul generally supports the proposal.

Im in favor of the concept of linking the biggest threats to the free world, he said Sunday on ABCs This Week. The worlds on fire and abandoning Ukraine now would be very dangerous.

Its a tricky topic among House Republicans.

Hard-right conservatives such as Gaetz and Greene argue that Russia poses no threat to the United States.

Others who embrace the traditional approach to foreign policy find the arguments against arming Ukraine hollow.

No Americans are getting killed in Ukraine, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Sunday on CBS Face the Nation. The Ukrainians are destroying the army of one of our biggest rivals.  I have a hard time finding anything wrong with that.

He also noted that much of the money used to help Ukraine actually stays in the United States, replacing the weapons that we sent to Ukraine with more modern weapons. So were rebuilding our industrial base.

With beefed-up border security wildly popular among Republicans, Crenshaw and others are pushing GOP colleagues to accept a grand bargain that ties border and Ukraine funds.

But Republicans have become weary of sending economic and humanitarian aid, Crenshaw said, and European, Asian and oil-rich nations should provide that.

We must be focused on advanced weaponry that will break the stalemate and make Vladimir Putin regret his decision to engage in the largest war of conquest since World War II, he said.

_______

2023 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Flashbacks, so many flashbacks, a bearded Navy veteran said. As he did a 360-degree turn, taking in his surroundings, the words on the back of his letterman jacket became clear: USS George Washington Maiden Voyage 1994.

More than 200 members of the original USS George Washington crew gathered Saturday in the hangar bay of the ship they brought to life more than 30 years ago. For many of the former sailors, it was the first time they had stepped aboard the aircraft carrier in three decades.

I didnt think this would ever happen again, to get to come back aboard the ship. When I heard it was happening, I just had to get here, said Jeff Armbrust, a Washington plank owner who traveled to Norfolk from Illinois.

Armbrust was a member of the crew when the Washington formally joined the Navy fleet on July 4, 1992. At the time, he was a 21-year-old aerographers mate. Armbrust served aboard the ship for nearly two years from early 1992 to late 1993. He was one of hundreds of plank owners to see the aircraft carrier leave Newport News Shipbuilding, where it was built, and eventually take it to sea.

The plank owner title is given to sailors who were members of the crew at the time of a ships commissioning. According to tradition, in the days of wooden vessels, a plank owner had a right to take a plank from the deck when the ship was decommissioned. The honorary title has stuck, despite the fact that one would be hard pressed to find a wooden plank among the steel of the warships that sail the seas today.

I want to say welcome home, war fighters, because this is your home. As long as this ship is in service, this will be your home, said Capt. Brent Gaut, commanding officer of the Washington.

The Washington has about 25 years of service remaining, but the recent plank owners reunion may have been the last time the original crew members are able to come aboard the ship. The Washington and roughly half its current crew will shift homeports in 2024, moving from Naval Station Norfolk to Yokosuka, Japan.

The current leadership organized the plank owners reunion ahead of the ships departure. It is scheduled to leave Norfolk in April to begin its transit to Japan.

Plank owners, you and our sailors today on board are links to the same chain as we continue on the mission of supporting our nations primary objective, that being to support freedom and democracy on the water and also around the world, Gaut said.

Over the past 31 years, the crew has cycled through thousands of sailors and deployed numerous times. The ship itself has been ground down to bare metal and rebuilt again. What has been a constant, Gaut said, is a culture of grit and dedication that embodies what it means to be a GW war fighter  and that started with the plank owners.

Bravo zulu, retired Rear Adm. Robert Nutwell, the first commanding officer of the Washington, said, meaning well done. I think we got GW off to a pretty good start. What do you think?

Those attached to the ship before it was commissioned helped design the ships emblem and selected the ships motto, Spirit of Freedom.

Retired Rear Adm. Larry Baucom, the first executive officer of the pre-commissioned Washington, recalled some of his favorite memories before the carrier left the shipyard.

Baucom was there when the island was lowered onto the flight deck more than 30 years ago. As it was slowly lowered, Baucom placed a quarter from 1973 under the forward aft corner of the island.

So if you are on the flight deck today and you see a slight starboard tilt, thats my bad, Baucom said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

The ship set sail for its maiden deployment in May 1994. It was the first of nearly two dozen deployments to date.

I never worked so hard in my life, retired Capt. Thomas Atkins said. It is an awesome privilege to have served here, to have survived it and also to come back and see some of the other survivors.

Atkins served as a chaplain aboard the Washington from 1992 to 1994. He traveled from South Carolina to be at the reunion in Norfolk.

But I tell you, Im just so proud of the crew members. What we expect of particularly these young people in terms of responsibility is amazing, Atkins said.

Marlin Williams, the ships current chaplain, greeted Atkins with a hug as dozens of plank owners mingled around them. In 1992, when the Washington was commissioned, Williams was 10 years old. Today, he has been in the Navy for around 24 years.

Thank you for standing the watch while a pudgy fifth grader navigated summer. Thank you for standing the watch as I got married at 19 and raised my daughters, Williams told the plank owners, tears forming in his eyes. We have got the watch now.

The Washington has conducted trainings at sea over the past several months to prepare for the next phase of its life cycle. The ship had completed its midlife refueling and complex overhaul in May. The process, which typically takes four years, was exacerbated by delays related to the pandemic. During that maintenance time in the Newport News shipyard starting in 2017, nine suicides occurred among the Washington crew, including three in one week in April 2022.

What you guys did and how you built the ship up, you helped build that foundation for us, Gaut said. Unfortunately, we forgot a lot of that when we went to the shipyard for six and a half years.

But Gaut said the crew members are chipping away at getting back to their foundation.

You are the ones that put the work in to make us what we are, Gaut said.

In closing, Gaut invited the plank owners to participate in the Washingtons signature war whoop, which is conducted at the end of every all-hands call.

First in war, Gaut shouted.

First in peace, the plank owners responded.

We are, Gaut shouted.

G dub, the plank owners bellowed back.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com

2023 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
BUDAPEST, Hungary  Soldiers from across Europe suited up in heavy diving equipment inside a cavernous flooded stone quarry deep beneath the Hungarian capital. Once their air tanks, flippers and waterproof diving suits were secured, they slipped beneath the cold water and, flashlights in hand, disappeared into the darkness.

The military divers from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Lithuania were participating in an international training exercise in Budapest to prepare them for a variety of scenarios: recovery operations after a boat accident, rescues during a catastrophic flood, or the removal of unexploded underwater ordnance following an armed conflict.

The most important thing is to strengthen our capabilities and work together internationally, underwater, and to know each others equipment, techniques and procedures, said Maj. Csaba Horvath, the chief of the training exercise from the Hungarian Defense Forces 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Riverine Guard Regiment. Thats helping us to find and dispose of underwater munitions and explosive remnants of war.

This was the second year in a row that Hungary hosted the 10-day exercise, which provided the soldiers with hands-on training in a variety of environments: diving 24 meters (79 feet) deep into the flooded passages of a former limestone quarry, submerging into lakes and caves, and facing the powerful current of the Danube River.

For Hungary's EOD and Riverine Guard Regiment, such tasks are a daily routine. They are called around 2,000 times during a year to remove explosive materials from the Danube and other sites in Hungary.

The Central European country, and especially its capital, were heavily bombed by both Germany and the Allied forces during World War II. After the end of the war, many of those explosives were tossed into the Danube to reduce the danger to civilians. Nearly 80 years later, much of that ordnance remains lodged in the riverbed.

The lasting impact of such unexploded munitions is being felt today in war-torn countries like Ukraine. Alexander Lobov, a military engineer and mine action expert with the U.N. Development Program, told UN News that 540,000 items of unexploded ordnance had already been cleared in Ukraine as of June of this year.

The Mines Advisory Group, a U.K.-based humanitarian and advocacy organization that finds, removes and destroys unexploded bombs and other munitions from places affected by conflict, says that landmines and unexploded ordnance will threaten and endanger the lives of Ukrainian people for years to come.

When the Kakhovka dam ruptured in southern Ukraine in June, it sent a torrent of water from the country's largest reservoir into cities, towns and lowlands downstream on the Dnieper River. Minefields were inundated, raising the prospect that mines and other explosives were dislodged and carried into the Black Sea.

It is just such scenarios that make it important for the military divers to train in a variety of demanding environments, including in rushing rivers like the Danube. Speaking from a boat anchored in the middle of the river near Budapests Megyeri Bridge, Horvath said conditions there make detecting and removing munitions a particular challenge.

Here we have a high rate of flow, a lot of current, and the visibility is very low, somewhere between 10 centimeters (4 inches) and one meter (3.2 feet), he said. Its extremely difficult to dive in a very high-flow and high-current river.

The strength of the current  the flow of the Danube near Budapest averages more than 2,300 cubic meters (2.3 million liters) per second  makes Europe's second-largest river an ideal staging ground for preparing divers for extreme conditions, especially when such scenarios are difficult to replicate in their own countries.

Belgian divers suited up in vests weighted down with lead plates and boots made of metal to keep them anchored to the river bed as the current rushed by. Diving without air tanks in a fast water environment, they wore heavy metal helmets which were connected to the boat by a long air hose.

"You can feel it, you can feel the current, and you have to fight it going under, said Staff Sgt. Tommy Lefrere, a salvage diver in the Belgian 11th Engineer Battalion who was taking part in the training. Its not something were used to doing in Belgium.

Warrant Officer Laszlo Torok, Hungarys only certified master diver, said putting the divers through such difficult exercises will help them to maintain their focus and sense of calm when they are called to act in real-world scenarios.

It provides mental preparation for divers, which is extremely important in our work, to always remain calm and thoughtful," Torok said.
Eugene Ely did not become the godfather of naval aviation without having a high tolerance for fear.

During a time in U.S. history when inherent risks were baked into various modes of transportation, Ely plowed ahead, becoming one of the first race-car drivers in America and teaching himself to fly only after first crashing a plane.

Elys daring and fortitude paid off, and he eventually ushered in the age of U.S. naval aviation by successfully taking off from a U.S. Navy warship in Virginia on Nov. 14, 1910.

"Aerial navigation proved today that it is a factor which must be dealt with in the naval tactics of the world's future," an Indianapolis Star reporter wrote at the time.

While Ely was behind the controls, Capt. Washington I. Chambers was largely responsible for championing the historic flight. While the U.S. military had dabbled with launching hot air balloons from watercraft during the Civil War, Chambers felt strongly that the Navy needed its own robust aviation component when few others in the service saw the upside of such an investment.

Aviation pioneer Eugene Ely was the first pilot to take off from and land on a naval vessel. (Library of Congress photo)

Believing a flight demonstration might sway top brass, Chambers started pitching the idea to various aviators. The Wright Brothers declined his offer to fly one of their planes off a battleship's deck, but Chambers found a potential taker when he met Ely and aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss at a flying meet in New York in October 1910.

Although their motivations for the endeavor differed, the pairing proved a perfect match. While Chambers saw the attempt as a way to show how airplanes could benefit naval operations, Curtiss' motivations were purely financial; an aircraft manufacturer, he viewed partnering with the Navy as free publicity for his business.

The three struck a deal, and construction began immediately on an 85-foot-long, 24-foot-wide flight deck that would be affixed to the bow of the naval cruiser USS Birmingham. Under the flight plans, Ely's Curtiss Model D pusher biplane was supposed to be launched while the Birmingham was underway in Chesapeake Bay. Once airborne, Ely was instructed to circle the harbor before returning to the Norfolk Navy Yard, a distance of about 50 miles.

It was foggy, rainy and windy that day, though, and the Birmingham was forced to drop anchor. After a three-hour delay, the weather cleared and, growing impatient, Ely decided to take off with the warship still not moving. That inertia deprived the plane of benefiting from any lift produced by wind passing over the deck, which was less than 40 feet above the bay.

The plane took off but hit the water, damaging its propeller. Increasing the degree of difficulty, Ely's vision also was obscured for a bit after saltwater sprayed across his goggles. Thankfully, the aircraft had been equipped with pontoon floats, so Ely was able to get the compromised plane in the air, if only for a short time. After proving a plane could take off from a ship, Ely searched for the nearest patch of dry land and touched down, ending the five-minute flight after less than three miles.

While the flight did not last as long as intended, the powers-that-be, including Navy Secretary George Meyer, were impressed, and Meyer called for more funding to study the potential of naval aviation.

On Jan. 18, 1911, pilot Eugene Ely landed on, then took off from the USS Pennsylvania, an armored cruiser, in San Francisco Bay. (Wikimedia Commons)

And Ely was not done making military aviation history, either. He later became the first pilot to land and take off from a warship when he departed from Tanforan Race Track in California, flew 13 miles and came to rest aboard the cruiser USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay on Jan. 18, 1911. After lunch and some photo ops, Ely returned to the track. That flight also marked the first use of the tailhook system that has become commonplace in modern naval aviation.

Capt. C.F. Pond, the Pennsylvania's skipper, described the achievement as "the most important landing of a bird since the dove flew back to the ark," according to a 1981 story from the U.S. Naval Institute. Ely was suitably impressed as well, telling the San Francisco Examiner: "For the first time in my life, the feeling that I had actually done a great thing came over me."

While the Navy was not the first U.S. military branch to embrace fixed-wing aviation -- Lt. Benjamin Foulois piloted the Army's first aircraft over Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in Texas on March 2, 1910, roughly eight months before Ely's takeoff from the USS Birmingham -- 1911 was a transformative year for the service in the air. For the first time, the Navy trained officers to become pilots, bought airplanes and established naval aircraft operation sites in Maryland and California.

Ely tragically died two days before his 25th birthday that year after crashing his plane during an exhibition in Macon, Georgia. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross posthumously in 1933, and his exploits are commemorated in an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., which includes a certain damaged propeller.

-- Stephen Ruiz can be reached at stephen.ruiz@military.com.

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Although there are dozens of active Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers in the U.S. Navy's fleet, there's something special about the USS Kidd. It doesn't have any secret technology or weapons (that we know of), and its capabilities are the same as any other of its class. The standout feature that tends to capture the attention of even the most landlubberly civilian is the massive Jolly Roger that the Kidd is often seen flying from its mast.

The USS Kidd's pirate flag, the infamous skull and crossbones that hearkens back to the Golden Age of Piracy that spanned the 17th and 18th centuries, is the only one the U.S. Navy has ever allowed to fly on one of its ships. And like most bizarre things that happen inside the Navy, it starts with an honored tradition, one dating back to World War II.

Pirates these days don't really think about hoisting a Jolly Roger to announce their intentions. They usually just go in for the killing and stealing. So if a U.S. Navy vessel flies the old pirate flag when returning to port (and some do), it's all in good fun. No one thinks the submarine USS Jimmy Carter, which was spotted flying the pirate banner back in 2017, is actually out there terrorizing sea lanes and stealing doubloons.

Read: Why Some Submarines Return to Port Flying Pirate Flags

But in the Navy, old habits die real hard. There's no better example than the fact that U.S. sailors wore bell-bottom trousers until the 21st century. So even though most of its ships are more likely to kill pirates than join them, the Navy brass still frowns on making light of lawlessness at sea by raising the Jolly Roger.

Yet, not so much with the USS Kidd. The Kidd gets a pass because of tradition, the most powerful force in the Navy. Tradition is what keeps Navy coffee mugs unwashed and sailors eating cherries out of belly buttons (you're gonna have to ask a "shellback" about that one; don't Google it at work).

(U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaylianna Genier)

The USS Kidd is named for Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who was killed aboard the battleship USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the first American flag officer to die in World War II. As he was the commander of Battleship Division One, he ran to the bridge of Arizona, his flagship, to take command during the outset of the surprise attack. He died aboard the ship with 1,175 of his sailors and Marines, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Rear Adm. Kidd picked up the nickname "Cap" while attending the U.S. Naval Academy, a reference to the infamous privateer-turned-pirate Capt. William Kidd, who was executed for the crime in 1701. When a Fletcher-class destroyer was named for Rear Adm. Kidd in 1943, its crew immediately adopted the pirate theme, with the blessing of Isaac Kidd's widow, Inez. Inez Kidd even convinced the Navy to formally give the USS Kidd express permission to fly the pirate flag.

The Fletcher-class USS Kidd during World War II. (U.S. Navy)

That first crew of the Kidd began calling themselves "the Pirates of the Pacific," picking up downed naval aviators and returning them to their carriers in exchange for a "ransom" of ice cream. That initial USS Kidd, which served the U.S. Navy off and on until 1964, is now a museum ship. In 1981, a new USS Kidd, the first of its eponymous class of warships, entered service and inherited the tradition (and permission) to hoist the Jolly Roger until it was given to Taiwan in 1998.

And so it was for the latest USS Kidd when it was commissioned in 2007. It not only flies the pirate flag when entering and leaving port, but when the vessel makes its way between the U.S. coasts and during multinational exercises, as well. The skull and crossbones can also be seen on the rear of the Kidd's five-inch guns, on its internal doors and probably tattooed on a fair number of its sailors.

A lot of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are out there, named for a great number of the Navy's leaders and heroes. The USS Kidd (and the Kidds that come after it) will always be the only ship flying the Jolly Roger as part of its own unique piece of history.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Facebook, X or on LinkedIn.

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Hong Kong: Civil servants' efforts recognised

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung today briefed representatives of the four civil service central consultative councils and the four major service-wide staff unions on policy initiatives relating to the civil service in the Policy Address.

In addition to the briefings, Mrs Yeung wrote to civil service colleagues outlining the policy initiatives of strengthening civil service management and enhancing civil service training.

Noting that a capable and efficient civil service is the key to success in improving the governance of the Government, Mrs Yeung said civil service colleagues in various departments are doing their best to serve the public.

Whether it be the super typhoon or the unprecedented rainstorm that hit Hong Kong, concerted efforts were made to bring our community back to normal as soon as possible. The dedicated efforts of our colleagues are fully recognised by the Chief Executive in his Policy Address."

The civil service chief noted that the Policy Address continues to strengthen the civil service management system to further enhance its efficacy and enable colleagues to give full play to their strengths in preparation for challenges ahead.

To build a vibrant economy, civil servants must always embrace challenges and approach their work with a bold and innovative mindset and a people-oriented ethos.

The civil service must serve the public in a proactive manner with a focus on action, and render full support to the Chief Executive in administering Hong Kong, Mrs Yeung added.

This story has been published on: 2023-10-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
An investigation by Lee Enterprises and Type Investigations looked at how agencies have responded to calls for more accountability  including the use of cameras  after George Floyd's murder. Read moreCamera use by local police departments rises, but are they worth it? Experts disagree
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you dont use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss

The Rangers are in the World Series for the first time since 2011 (0:55)

Looking back on the journey of Adolis Garcia (5:00)

(5:00) Whats next for the Astros after dropping the ALCS? (7:40)

Bob Melvin reportedly moving from the Padres to the Giants (10:15)

Is Tyler Glasnow a trade candidate or not? (14:45)

a trade candidate or not? (14:45) The Offseason Outlook of the Dodgers (21:45)

Plus, we answer your questions, including

Who should the Mariners target in free agency? (27:45)

Should the Mariners look to replace Eugenio Suarez or Ty France ? (29:35)

or ? (29:35) Where will Cody Bellinger sign and for how much? (30:35)

Check out our past episodes!
With the World Series matchup now set, here are three things to keep an eye on today

1. Diamondbacks wild run goes into the World Series:

The Diamondbacks knocked off the Phillies in the NLCS and are now headed to Texas to face the Rangers in the World Series. The DBacks only won 84 games in the regular season and actually had a run differential of -15, but none of that matters now. They knocked off the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies to put them in the final showdown, which begins Friday night.

2. Melvin moving on:

It was reported yesterday that the Giants are going to hire Bob Melvin as their manager, after the Padres gave him permission to pursue the gig. The Giants have a press conference scheduled for today and it seems fair to expect that the Melvin move will be made official. That will leave the Padres looking for a new bench boss, joining the Angels, Mets and Guardians as clubs without a manager. The Astros and Brewers could join that list soon with Dusty Baker and Craig Counsell each on expiring contracts.

3. Astros chat:

Yesterday, MLBTRs Anthony Franco took a look at what could be ahead for the Astros as part of our Offseason Outlook series. Each entry of that series comes with its own team-centric chat where readers can ask questions focused on the club. If you want to chop it up about the Astros, it gets going at 9:30 am Central but you can click here to ask a question in advance.
Dear Amy: Im a man and getting mixed responses from the women in my life over a recent visit to my doctor for a medical exam.

It is not the first time this has happened, but it continues to be an awkward situation for me.

My visit starts, as usual, with the heart rate and blood pressure check. Im asked to put my arm on the table toward the person doing the exam.

In my latest exam, my hand bumped up against the ladys bosom as she positioned the cuff for the blood pressure check.

I asked some of the women in my life how to respond when this happens.

Do I leave my arm where she positioned it or move it away subtly and politely to spare us embarrassment? Then again, is it just me?

My wife said the woman taking my blood pressure probably couldnt feel it.

My daughter-in-law thinks I should move it.

Anything I do would seem awkward.

Point me in the right direction, Amy.

 A Bit Shy in Montana

Dear Shy: The person measuring your blood pressure is placing your arm for the optimal position for this part of the exam. My instinct is that she/he does this many times a day and doesnt necessarily notice occasional body-brushes.

However  this makes you uncomfortable, and so you should either instinctively move your arm slightly or say, Excuse me, can I shift my arm a little bit?

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.

2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WAYNE COUNTY, MI  A 46-year-old Detroit man who shot another man nine times over a dispute during a card game will spend the next 18 to 40 years in prison.

Lashawn Wells was found guilty of second-degree murder on Monday, Oct. 9, for killing Marquell Scholar, 41, formerly of Sterling Heights.

Wells was sentenced by Judge Charise Anderson in the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County on Wednesday, Oct. 25, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday afternoon.

Wells will serve 18 to 40 years for the second degree murder charge and an additional consecutive sentence of two years for one count of felony firearm, Nessel said.

That a game of cards should result in murder is a tragedy, and I am grateful to see the jury bring accountability to this senseless crime, Nessel said at the time of the jury verdict.

The case was investigated by the Michigan State Police.
LANSING, MI  A Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form for prospective college students, would be required to graduate high school under a bill advancing in the Michigan Legislature.

Senate Bill 463 says students wont be able to receive a high school diploma unless they completed the FAFSA form, necessary to secure federal grants, work-study jobs and loans. Students can obtain waivers if theyre ineligible to submit a FAFSA or if their parents or guardians do not respond to the schools efforts to send them the form.

In that latter case, the student would also have to opt out of completing the FAFSA and be on track to graduate.

The goal of SB 463 is to shift the culture around FAFSA completion and make it easier for schools to administer, sponsoring Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Brownstown Township, said Tuesday.

The Senate Education Committee heard the bill last week and passed it along party lines Tuesday to the full Senate. The requirement would begin in the 2024-2025 school year.

In 2023, only about one half of graduating seniors completed a FAFSA in Michigan, Camilleri said last week.  On average, Michigan students are leaving about $100 million in federal aid on the table simply because this form is not filled out.

Filling out the form can make a student realize for the first time they can afford college, Camilleri said, whether its trade school or a four-year university.

Twelve other states, including Indiana and Illinois, either require FAFSA for high school graduation or are considering it. Graduation rates in those dozen states havent been harmed by increased FAFSA completion, Camilleri said.

FAFSA is unbelievably good for high schoolers, Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, said last week, but he noted school districts in his area are opposed to the requirement. He and the other education committee Republican, Ruth Johnson of Groveland Township, voted no on Tuesday.

The State Board of Education is also opposed. Its concerns include staffing shortages at schools. In a resolution, the board said this lone nonacademic requirement could create an unintended barrier to graduation for those students whose parents are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the FAFSA.

The Board instead wants the legislature to give schools more money to hire guidance counselors and other college access professionals to advise students and families on opportunities after high school.

Other opponents to SB 463 include Michigans state associations of superintendents and school counselors. The state association for college admission counseling supports the bill.

If it becomes law, the FAFSA requirement would be overseen by Michigans new Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential or MiLEAP, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a few months ago to take early and higher education duties from the education department.

MiLEAP would create informational packets for school districts and public school academies to give to students before 12th grade. The packet would guide them through the FAFSA application process.

Schools would report to MiLEAP the percentage of students who filled out a FAFSA and the percentage of parental waivers it received. Those figures would be posted publicly to the department website.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  What makes a delicious gyro?

For me, its the Tzatziki sauce  I love how the cool cucumber taste complements the zesty, seasoned meat. The messier it is, the better you know its going to be.

Theres nothing like a huge, warm gyro when youre looking for a meal to fill you up. Weve pulled together a list of 10 beloved local places to get a delicious, savory gyro in the Grand Rapids area. Keep scrolling to read our top picks in the city, including prices and a description of their gyros.

(Note: We know this list is not exhaustive and there are plenty of other delicious great gyro joints in Grand Rapids. You can let us know what other great, local spots were missing by emailing mfrick@mlive.com.)

On Thursday, Oct. 26, MLive/The Grand Rapids Press will give readers an opportunity to vote for their top choice on the list. Click here for a chance to vote for your favorite.

Here are 10 great local joints to check out in Grand Rapids the next time youre craving a gyro:

1. The Pita House (Samis Gyro)

The Pita House has been a staple for delicious Mediterranean food in Grand Rapids for over 20 years. The restaurant was opened on Wealthy Street in 1999 by Basel and Sami Shatara and Marwan Kayyali. After gaining a following in the Eastown neighborhood, the owners opened a second location

The classic Samis Gyro is $14 and is made to order with a wide selection of toppings, sauces and seasoning.

The Pita House has two locations in Grand Rapids Eastown neighborhood, at 1508 Wealthy St., and in Kentwood at 3730 28th St. You can find a full menu and order online from both locations on the restaurants website, pitahousegr.com.

The Eastown restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the Kentwood restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and until 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

2. Zivio

Zivio is a family-owned Bosnian restaurant that serves up modern European cuisine with exceptional flair, offering a cultural clash of authentic foods from Bosnia, Turkey, Greece, and many Central European countries.

The most popular dish on the menu is The O.G.  a $15 classic gyro topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce, all stuffed in Zivios in-house lepinja, which is a pita flat bread. Its $15.

Zivio is located at 724 Wealthy St. and open Monday through Thursday from 4-9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can contact the restaurant at 616-608-3534 or order online here. The restaurants website is ziviogr.com.

3. Parsley Mediterranean Bar & Grill

Parsley Mediterranean Bar & Grill prides itself in serving quality, healthy cuisine at an affordable price. The restaurant carefully prepares homemade soups, dressings and delicious variety of dishes, all made from scratch, according to its website.

The restaurant has a variety of wraps on the menu including an $11 gyro or chicken shawarma, or a $10 vegetarian option with hummus Fattoush.

Parsley is located at 80 Ottawa Ave. in Grand Rapids. The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. You can reach the restaurant by calling 616-776-2590 or place orders online here. The main website is parsleymg.com.

4. Zesty Gyros

Zesty Gyros on the East Beltline is perfect for a quick bite on the go. The family-owned restaurant serves Syrian specialties and other Mediterranean cuisine classics.

The restaurant serves a Gyro Platter for $18.99, which is a special combination of beef and lamb meat on a bed of rice, served with mini Greek salad, Hummus, and pita bread.

Zesty Gyros is located at 1971 E Beltline Ave. in Grand Rapids. The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed Sundays. It has both dine-in and carryout options, along with a catering menu, and you can place an order by calling the restaurant at 616-259-8724. A menu is available on the restaurants Facebook page, linked here.

5. Eastern Deli

Eastern Deli opened its doors in 2000 and has been serving up a delicious array of gyros, burgers, subs and chicken tenders for two decades.

The restaurant is located at 2011 Eastern Ave. in Grand Rapids. Its open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. You can call the restaurant to place an order at 616-452-0617.

6. Bosna Express

Owned by the same family that operates Zivio, Bosna Express on 28th Street is another fantastic spot for a Bosnian-style gyro. The restaurant offers the same O.G. gyro as Zivio, along with seven other unique gyros like the All-Day, topped with barbecue sauce, tzatziki, Founders All-Day sauteed onions and a fried egg.

Bosna Express is located at 128 28th St. SW in Grand Rapids. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (making it a great lunchtime destination) and closed on weekends. You can call the restaurant to make a reservation at 616-249-9395. A full menu is available on the restaurants website, bosna-express.com.

7. Sahara Bistro Mediterranean Cuisine

Sahara Bistro opened last year and has been serving up delicious Middle Eastern food including gyros and shawarma as well as gourmet hamburgers made to order.

The Gyro, sold for $10, is made with gyro meat, feta, romaine, red onion, and tomato dressed in a creamy Turkish tzatziki sauce. Theres also a Chicken Gyro, for $11, thats served with chicken gyro meat, lettuce, tomato, pickles, feta with Tzatziki sauce and rolled on a pita.

Sahara Bistro is located at 5260 Northland Dr. in Grand Rapids. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. You can reach the restaurant by calling 616-719-1556 or visit the restaurants website, saharabistro.com.

8. Tasty Gyro & Coney Island

Bold Mediterranean food, generations in the making, can be found tucked away in the Breton Meadows Shopping Center on Grand Rapids Southeast Side. Tasty Gyro & Coney Island is owned by Sami Shatara, who retired from The Pita House in 2012 but later decided to buy a struggling Coney Island business and opened Tasty Gyro & Coney Island in its place.

The Tasty Gyro, a blend of seasoned beef and lamb topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, feta and homemade cucumber sauce, sells for $14. The Tasty Mixed Gyro, with a mix of Labenese-style marinated chicken with the regular beef/lamb that includes homemade cucumber sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and onions goes for $17.

Tasty Gyro & Coney Island is located at 2269 44th St. SE in Grand Rapids. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Delivery hours are available Monday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

For more information or to order food online, check out the Tasty Gyro & Coney Island website here or call 616-635-2100.

9. Damascus Middle Eastern Grill

Damascus Middle Eastern Grill is located in the Spectrum Health Hospital Food Court and aims to bring the taste of the Middle East to the hospital, familiarizing patrons with Middle Eastern food, health, culture, kindness, and hospitality, according to its website.

The restaurant offers a gyro for $8.75, rolled with tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, Feta cheese and pita. Theres also a $1775 Gyro Combo on the menu, which is served with rice, grilled veggies and a house salad.

Damascus is located at 52 Michigan St. NE in Grand Rapids. You can place an order over the phone by calling 616-635-2678 or order online at .damascusmiddleeasterngrill.com.

10. Chicago Style Gyro

Chicago Style Gyro offers a taste of the Windy City right here in the 616. The restaurant serves up gyros, burgers, Shish Kebab, salads and more.

The staple Chicago Gyro is sold for $8.99 and offers zesty seasoned lamb and beef meat with fresh vegetables and finished with sumac seasoning. You can add a large fountain drink and fries or rice for an extra $4.99.

Chicago Style Gyro is located at 539 Leonard St. NW in Grand Rapids. Its open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. You can reach the restaurant by calling 616-451-0021 or visit its website at chicagostylegyro.com for a full menu.
MOUNT CLEMENS, MI -- Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido charged a 15-year-old Clinton Township boy Tuesday with multiple felonies after the boy allegedly robbed multiple marijuana delivery drivers in recent weeks. The boy is being charged as an adult in the case and was arraigned in 41B District Court on three counts of armed robbery and two counts of felony firearm.

The boy -- who has not been publicly identified by Lucidos office -- is facing up to life in prison for the armed robbery charges. Bond was set at $300,000 cash or surety and if he is released on bond, he will have to wear a steel-cuff GPS tether.

The boy was also ordered to undergo a mental-health evaluation and is not allowed to have contact with any of the alleged victims.

All three of the alleged robberies took place this month, according to Lucidos office.

The safety of our community remains our top priority. Unfortunately, this person has made bad decisions putting our community at risk and the juvenile will have to face the consequences of their actions, Lucido said.
MANISTEE TOWNSHIP, MI  An old-growth forest in Northern Michigan will be lit by the full Hunters Moon and alive  or undead  with ghastly ghouls and ghosts this weekend.

Anyone with a higher tolerance for fright under the full moon at night is invited to take a walk through this creepy one-mile loop where old trees loom large, and anything could be hiding behind them, organizers said.

RELATED: Up North beach town introduces fall festival with hauntings, costumes, tarot readings

The Guided Haunted Walk at Orchard Beach State Park, 2064 Lakeshore Road in Manistee Township, is scheduled for 6:30-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. The line begins at the parks historic shelter building. Groups will then be led across the street to the haunted trail.

For a less spooky experience, appropriate for younger family members, visit between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The Manistee High School National Honor Society has teamed up with the Friends of Orchard Beach State Park for this fundraiser. Admission is by donation. Donations will benefit the schools art department and restoration of interpretive signs along the parks trails.

RELATED: Nature trail shows off old-growth forest in Northern Michigan

The event is part of Downtown Manistees Fall Festival, which is happening all day Saturday in the downtown and surrounding areas.
MILAN, MI -- A Willis man is facing felony charges after allegedly attempting to set a Milan Kroger gas station on fire.

Esmin Costa Britt, 46, was arraigned on July 27 before 14-A1 District Court Magistrate Elisha Fink on charges of arson of personal property less than $200, arson preparation to burn real property and third-degree arson. He is set to appear in court on Thursday, Oct. 26.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- The University of Michigan Credit Union has officially received the green light to build a new location on Plymouth Road.

The credit union received approval from the Ann Arbor Planning Commission on Oct. 17 to demolish an existing two-story, 26,330-square-foot office building to construct a single-story 4,790-square-foot building at 2935 Plymouth Road.

The development will allow UMCU to relocate its existing branch in the Traver Village Shopping Center to the new location.

The approval comes after the credit unions original proposal was denied in April over backlash on how the development didnt help the city get closer to its Vision Zero and A2Zero goals.

Read more: Ann Arbor rejects proposed credit union for not being eco-friendly enough

The original proposal for the building included three drive-thru lanes, and the thought of idling cars was an issue for commissioners and residents.

The drive-thru lanes were completely removed in the new proposal.

We heard loud and clear that was something that was a major sticking point for the project (so) we went back to the drawing board, said Ted Hirsch, with Midwestern Consulting, the projects civil consultant.

The development now will have 22 parking spaces with six electric vehicle-installed spots and four electric vehicle capable spaces, as well as fully electric mechanical and HVAC systems and roof mounted solar panels, according to the plans.

The plans also include a land division of the 1.73-acre space where .a majority of the eastern portion will be used for the credit union and part of the western portion will remain vacant as of now.

UMCU does not currently have plans for what the other portion of the land may be used for, DeAnne Ramos, the credit unions vice president of branch operations and facilities, said.

A few Ann Arbor residents and commissioners expressed some concerns about the land division and encouraged UMCU to be mindful of how another business will fit in the remaining space.

It would really be a shame to have a vacant parcel sitting on an active corridor, Commissioner Sara Hammerschmidt said.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:

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Break dancing to basketball: Group founded in Ypsilanti is getting kids moving

Longtime University of Michigan employee dies in Andes Mountains accident
FLINT, MI -- City Council members arent sure how much it will help, but theyve approved spending $50,000 to provide legal guidance to Flint residents facing foreclosure or eviction, including the occupants of 190 homes recently purchased by investors during a September tax sale.

The council voted 5-0 to authorize an agreement between the city and Legal Services of Eastern Michigan on Monday, Oct. 23, using American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the service.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley proposed the funding after the 190 homes in Flint were sold in a real estate bundle at auction for $1.2 million. Occupants of the homes have since received letters from the buyer -- To Life Real Estate -- telling them to make arrangements to become tenants with a new landlord or face eviction.

The purchase of the bundle of occupied homes surprised officials who work with foreclosures, including Genesee County Treasurer Deb Cherry, whose office oversees the tax auction.

Cherry has said none of the property bundles offered for sale during her 13 years in office had sold previously because buyers are required to purchase homes they dont want in addition to others they do.

When the bundled sales dont attract a buyer, the properties are transferred to the county Land Bank, which has allowed occupants of foreclosed properties to continue living in homes until they can be inspected and until arrangements are made for them to relocate or buy the houses they were inhabiting.

A Legal Services official said Friday, Oct. 20, that occupants of the homes, who may have been past owners or renters of the properties, are limited in their options because the homes they are living in were legally purchased in the county tax sale.

However, attorneys can help ensure that residents are renting homes that are in a safe and habitable condition if they choose to stay, Legal Services Executive Director Jill Nylander said.

The resolution passed by the council will provide funding to Legal Services for assistance to eligible Flint residents facing eviction or foreclosure regardless of whether their home was a part of the recent tax sale.

Several council members said Monday that the citys efforts may help those facing a housing crisis, but wont be soon enough to turn back time.

Were playing catch-up -- trying to see what we can do, said 7th Ward Councilwoman Candice Mushatt.

Legal Services has an office in Flint and can be reached at 1-888-783-8190.

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:

Flint mayor proposes legal help for those facing eviction after massive tax foreclosure sale

Investors buy up hundreds of foreclosed Flint homes for $1.2M, leaving residents in limbo

Flint mom thought she had a chance to save her home before it was sold in bundled package
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI  Its highly unlikely that one Grand Rapids area steakhouse will be open today after a small fire broke on a grill while employees were cooking food, a fire official said.

Multiple fire departments were dispatched around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, to Rio Grand Steakhouse, at 5501 Northland Dr. in Plainfield Township, for a report of a fire.

Upon arrival, crews did not see any visible flames on the outside of the restaurant but after entering the building, firefighters saw black smoke coming from the kitchen area.

Some of the employees were cooking food on the grill which caught fire, Plainfield Township District Fire Chief Pat DuVall told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. The fire happened before the Rio Grand Steakhouse opened for the day.

A worker used a fire extinguisher to help tame the blaze until crews arrived, DuVall said. The fire was quickly extinguished, and no injuries were reported.

Whenever a fire happens in a restaurant, the Kent County Department of Public Health is required to do an inspection before the business can reopen for service, DuVall explained.

He said he wasnt sure how quickly the department can complete an inspection with the restaurant preparing to open shortly before the fire was reported.

Its highly unlikely theyll be open today, DuVall said.

MLive attempted to reach Rio Grand Steakhouse on Wednesday when the business would be open, but the phone number listed was temporarily unavailable when called.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter.

Read more on MLive:

Kent County man wins $313K Fantasy 5 prize and cant stop shaking

See which marching bands took top honors at the 37th annual Jenison Invitational

Michigan officer on leave after killing Annie, the friendly deer
KENT COUNTY, MI  A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Rockford Public Schools that sought to ban 14 sexually explicit books from the school districts library.

Kent County Judge George J. Quist granted a motion on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to dismiss the lawsuit filed by a group called Parents and Taxpayers Against Pornography in Rockford Public Schools.

The lawsuit was centered around 14 books  many of which have been banned or challenged at schools across the country  that are available to check out from the districts library system. None of the books are required reading for students, said Rockford Superintendent Steve Matthews.

The plaintiffs claimed the books in question were sexually explicit and pornographic, and alleged Rockford administrators committed a felony by disseminating the books to minors, according to court records. The lawsuit was filed in Kent County Circuit Court on Aug. 30.

These are the 14 books that were called into question in the lawsuit:

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

All Boys Arent Blue by George M Johnson

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

The debate around controversial books isnt unique to West Michigan school districts.

Eight of the 14 Rockford books were among the top 13 most challenged books in America in 2022, according to the American Library Association. Several books on the list are centered around LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) themes. Many of the books contain profanity, as well as text descriptions and illustrations of sexual activity and violence.

Nationwide, public schools and libraries have seen organized pushback from parents and community members who believe certain books  those that often cover issues of sexuality, violence, LGBTQ+ themes, and race and racism  are too mature or inappropriate for students and shouldnt be available in school libraries.

Quist ruled on Wednesday that while he agreed with the plaintiffs concerns about the sexually explicit nature of some of the texts and illustrations in the books, they do not qualify as being harmful to minors because the books as a whole have literary value.

Plaintiffs cannot establish that a reasonable person would not find value in the identified works as a whole, the judge wrote in his ruling. In fact, every book identified by Plaintiffs has either received accolades or been on best-seller lists.

The judge also dismissed claims that the school district violated state law by having sexually explicit books in the libraries that did not follow state guidelines related to sex education instructional materials. Quist said the books do not qualify under the definition of sex education instructional materials and are merely accessible in the school library.

The lawsuit had sought for Rockford Public Schools to lose 1% of its state funding over the last two years because of the alleged state law violations. The lawsuit also argued Rockford administrators should be held criminally liable for disseminating sexually explicit material.

Attorney Helen Brinkman represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They remained anonymous. Brinkman did not respond to requests for comment from MLive/The Grand Rapids Press on Wednesday.

Matthews said he does not have any plans to remove any of the 14 books from the districts library following the lawsuit. The superintendent said he believes the books are all age appropriate and relevant and should stay on the shelves.

I am appreciative that the judge ruled the way he did, because that reinforces that we have media spaces where kids will have access to material they find meaningful, Matthews told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.

Not every student reads every book in our library. But what we want to have is a variety of material that addresses either the questions that they have, the interest that they have, or that they find meaningful in a personal way.

Matthews said the district has policies in place for parents who are concerned about specific books or instructional material. The district allows parents to opt out of specific books and prevent their students from checking those books out from the school library.

The district also has a procedure to review books if a parent believes it should be removed from the school. The procedure, which was implemented last year, allows parents to submit a formal complaint if they have concerns about any book or instructional material in the schools.

If the district receives a complaint, it would create a committee of parents, teachers and administrators to thoroughly read and review the book and decide if it should be banned from the school, Matthews explained.

Matthews said the district has not received any complaints about the 14 books in question, or any books or materials, since the policy was created. He said there have been a few instances where community members raised concerns about explicit books during public comment in previous board meetings, but no one has ever approached him to lodge a formal complaint.

Rockford is one of several school districts in Kent County that have dealt with book challenges in the last two years.

Northview Public Schools is currently in the process of reviewing eight books for potential removal, after a community member submitted a complaint that the books were too explicit for students. The district is expected to make a decision on whether it will ban the books in December.

Related: West Michigan school district considering ban of 8 books

Forest Hills Public Schools also temporarily removed half dozen controversial books from its shelves last year, after some parents argued they were too explicit for young children. They included Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews, and The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Related: Amid national debate over book bans, a Michigan district is letting parents choose what their kids read

The district eventually put the books back on the shelves, after ensuring they werent in any elementary schools.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  The Ottawa County Clerks Office will now decide whether there are enough verified signatures to hold a recall election for an Ottawa Impact county commissioner in May 2024.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, the group seeking to recall county commissioner Lucy Ebel submitted 3,370 signatures to the clerks office. A total of 2,481 verified signatures are required for the recall to take effect.

The clerks office now has up to about 21 days to determine that the signature pages are correct and verify how many of the signatures and accompanying addresses match the qualified voter file.

Then, Ebel and her team will have eight days to question any of the signatures for the clerks office to re-review whether they shouldve been verified.

If enough signatures are verified, Ebel will essentially be up for re-election in May 2024.

Further information about how opposing candidates can get on the recall ballot was still being worked out by the clerks office.

Related: Effort to recall Ottawa Impact county commissioner can continue, judge says

Ebel, who represents parts of Holland Township and Park Township, is a member of the ultraconservative majority faction on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners called Ottawa Impact. Ottawa Impact commissioners began their terms Jan. 1.

Larry Jackson, a Park Township resident, submitted the petition to recall Ebel in early July.

The petition to recall Ebel cites her February vote to change the previous boards resolution appointing the current Ottawa County administrative health officer, Adeline Hambley. Other Ottawa Impact county commissioners also voted for the change.

That resolution change was later used in court by the countys new corporate counsel to argue Hambley had never been the administrative health officer. The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled against that argument.

The submission of signatures Tuesday came amid the ongoing termination hearing for Hambley, who Ottawa Impact commissioners have been trying to replace since taking office.

Related: Former deputy describes tension between John Gibbs, Ottawa County board

That hearing has continued into a second day Wednesday.
KALAMAZOO, MI  Almost a quarter of American adults have a prescription for a mental health medication. But one of the biggest challenges in psychiatric treatment is finding the right medication and dosage for an individual patient.

It often takes months of experimentation to find an effective psychotropic drug. Up to half of patients with major depressive disorder do not respond to the first antidepressant prescribed, and U.S. emergency departments report 25,000 visits per year related to antidepressant-induced adverse events, studies show.

Such back-and-forth attempts can be challenging for any patient. For a person combating mental health difficulties, the process can prove alarming enough to make them refuse to try again, said Anna Langerveld, president and CEO of Genemarkers in Kalamazoo.

Her company is among those offering a promising tool to address that issue: A cheek swab lab test that reveals genetic variations in enzymes needed for drug metabolism. Those test results can result in prescribing drugs with greater accuracy.

Although pharmacogenomic testing, commonly called PGx testing, has been around for years, mental health providers have been slower to adopt it than other medical fields. But the American Psychiatric Association has been gradually promoting its use amid growing evidence of its effectiveness, and PGx testing is edging its way toward inclusion in Southwest Michigan mental health care.

Not all Kalamazoo-area providers encourage patients to consider the testing, which has seen slow adoption in part because of the cost of the test and patient fears about how their personal genetic information might be used.

Increasing insurance coverage, widespread marketing of genetic testing outside the medical world and patient eagerness as they learn about the testings promise could speed up its adoption in Southwest Michigan.

Properly-matched medications and patients willing to stay on them with the confidence that can come from a genetic test can lower costs to the health system at large, make the community safer and increase quality of life for patients and their families, Langerveld said.

Hospitalizations, legal problems, housing, everything just crumbles when somebodys not stable, she said. If you can get somebody stabilized on the right medications, they have a better chance.

A worker at Genemarkers in Kalamazoo places a tray designed to hold miniscule DNA samples into a machine at the businesss lab last month.

Better, faster treatment

At Choices for Change counseling center in Kalamazoo, owner Michelle Zukowski-Serlin has seen genetic testing create positive outcomes for her clients.

Psychotropic drugs not only require a substantial trial period, they also often come with significant side effects, like weight gain and sexual repression. A test that can rule out potentially ineffective drugs and rule in an alternative with fewer side effects goes a long way toward patient success, Zukowski-Serlin said.

Many private insurance companies dont cover the test, which can be cost-prohibitive for patients, and that limits the number of local providers who feel comfortable sharing it as an option for patients. But Medicaid covers the testing and for those patients, PGx testing is a welcome resource, she said.

Because you get it right much quicker, Zukowski-Serlin said. Theyve got a better chance of being helped.

Everyone should have this

As a scientific field, genetic testing has rapidly gained popularity since 2003, and can help doctors predict a patients risk of developing a condition or diagnose or rule out genetic disorders.

A branch of the genetic testing field, pharmacogenomics uses genetic factors to predict how a patient will metabolize specific drugs. The testing enables physicians to tailor a prescription to how a patient will probably respond to it, increasing the chances the medication will treat the patients condition as intended.

Many medical doctors have incorporated PGx testing into their practices. In the mental health arena, however, the testing has not yet seen universal adoption by prescribing doctors or their patients.

And there is room for improvement in psychotropic medication prescribing. Several studies show drugs intended to help with major depressive disorders, for example, work only half of the time.

Genetic testing could increase that percentage, advocates say. And some science backs that up. In a 2018 study published by Future Science Group, researchers found that study participants incorporating PGx testing into their treatment for acute depression were twice as likely to experience remission of their symptoms as those who did not undergo the test.

We can no longer ignore the statistically proven superiority of pharmacogenetic testing versus treatment as usual, said Dr. Daniel Mueller, head of the Pharmacogenomics Research Clinic at University of Toronto, in a July 2022 article posted on the American Psychiatric Association website.

That article also referenced a study published in the January 2022 edition in Pharmacopsychiatry. That study involved a group of experts assembled by the Society of Psychiatric Genetics to analyze the existing research, prescribing guidelines and product labels. That analysis supported genetic testing for several commonly-used antidepressant and antipsychotic medications as well as several mood stabilizers.

Although barriers to implementing PGx testing remain, the current trajectory of discovery and innovation in the field suggests these barriers will be overcome and testing will become an important tool in psychiatry, the study says.

Three studies cited in a review published by Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences found that reductions in emergency room visits and other health needs associated with use of PGx testing saved $6,000 to $7,000 per patient per year.

Since Genemarkers launched in 2014, everyone has been saying, This should be standard of care, Langerveld said. It will be in everybodys chart. Everyone should have this test.

Finding the best fit

At her lab last month, Langerveld demonstrated the testing process.

In an unpretentious room down a simple hallway under a parking garage, workers extract DNA swabbed from inside the cheek of a patient.

Thats the simple part, said Langerveld, explaining the steps to get the meticulously-cleaned DNA isolated in small capsules of liquid.

Alyson Rembowicz, senior laboratory technician at Genemarkers in Kalamazoo, demonstrates how scientists treat DNA samples with a testing agent to identify specific segments of DNA to better understand how patients will respond to specific medications.

Down the hall, another room is divided in two by a wall of thick, translucent plastic, hung from the ceiling in vertical strips. On one side, workers prepare the DNA samples for testing by adding a chemical that tags specific genes within the DNA with identifying fluorescent colors.

Machines not much bigger than a microwave, humming on the other side of the plastic curtain, process miniscule samples of DNA, probing for and highlighting the dyed genes. The results, splayed across a graph on a scientists computer, predict whether a specific drug will break down quickly or linger in the patients system.

Afterward, an extensive, medication-specific report tailored to the patients exact genetic structures offers suggestions. Those suggestions range from increasing or decreasing standard doses, to cautioning against drug combinations, to suggesting a drug that might work better for that patient.

At Genemarkers in Kalamazoo, Senior Laboratory Technician Nicole Heiberger analyzes pharmacogenomic testing data on a computer in the businesss lab.

Those results could spell the difference between a person sticking with a medication through a mental health crisis and the same person refusing to take a drug that could help them, Langerveld said.

Trial and error is the hallmark of prescribing mental health medication, she said. This test can help minimize, or even eliminate in some cases, that trial-and-error process.

Patients tested before being prescribed medication said doctors were less likely to discount reported side effects or make their patients feel at fault for not responding well to treatment, per surveys in a 2022 study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine.

The same study reported that, though some patients worried the tests would reveal additional potential for future sickness that could raise their insurance rates, most survey subjects said they found the tests comforting and useful.

Families, too, benefit from the right mental health dosage. A person who has found and is willing to stick with the right drug is more likely to have positive interactions with loved ones and struggle less with the serious social concerns that can accompany mental illness, Langerveld said.

Slow acceptance

Although her lab is located in downtown Kalamazoo, most of her orders for mental health-related tests come from outside the area, Langerveld said.

Some health care providers enthusiastically embrace gene testing when considering medications for their patients, she said.

Others are like, No, thank you. We dont believe in it. We dont want to do it, she said.

Money plays a big role in decisions about using the testing. Until recently, Medicare did not reimburse for genetic testing related to mental health care drugs, and patients and providers shied away from incurring a daunting out-of-pocket cost.

Genemarkers doesnt list its prices on its website.

Medicare recently agreed to cover such testing in specific circumstances, stipulating that the test must be a medical necessity and only ordered by a limited range of physicians. Medicare also strictly regulates who can perform the tests to qualify for reimbursement.

Genemarkers has been approved under Medicares reimbursement policy, Langerveld said.

A 2021 paper by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that Medicare payments for genetic tests quadrupled between 2016 and 2019. The report cautioned against overuse of genetic testing, saying it could drive up costs for patients if Medicare cant or wont pay their bills.

While insurance companies may not all be on board yet with full coverage of pharmacogenomic testing, the tests do have a positive financial impact when patients have fewer side effects  because their medication is a better fit  and need fewer trips to the doctor or other medications to counter those effects.

Until recently, Langerveld heard frequent concerns about privacy related to genetic tests. Now with the growing popularity of publicly-available tests linked to genealogical research, their DNA is all over the internet already, easing that worry and opening the door to more clinical use, Langerveld said.

With only half of patients taking even non-psychotropic drugs as prescribed, according to several studies, efforts to increase compliance with drugs that could stabilize someone battling mental illness is worth pursuing, Langerveld said.

Stephanie Wheeler, clinical testing specialist at Genemarkers, receives emails and thank-you notes from people who say she has changed their life.

Patients thank her for helping them get better and go back to work. Providers say she gave them a crucial tool for caring for their patients. Family members of those struggling with severe mental illness say her work gave them their loved one back.

As scientists, the lab workers enjoy using fancy tools and working with data. But, Wheeler said, the real value of the work comes from the change they know they make.

It makes us feel really good about what were doing, Langerveld said. Theres a person at the end of the test.

This article is part of The Science and Art of Well-being: Innovations and best practices in mental health care, a solutions-focused reporting series of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative. The collaborative, a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism and reporting on successful responses to social problems, launched its Mental Wellness Project in 2022 to cover mental health issues in southwest Michigan.

RELATED: BlackWellness Network helps Black patients find clinicians
LANSING, MI  Here are some ways to get to your polling place in Michigan. You can drive, take a bus, walk, ask a friend to drive you, maybe even take a train.

But paying for a rideshare like Uber or Lyft to get you to your voting location is illegal, a misdemeanor offense with possible jail time.

That is, however, until Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs House Bill 4568, which got final passage Tuesday from the Michigan Senate. The bill makes it legal to pay for a ride to a polling place.

Current law states that any voter who is physically able to walk cannot hire a vehicle to take them to vote. Only the voter is at risk of prosecution, not the driver. The harshest penalty is 90 days in prison and a $500 fine.

Driving a friend to the polls, for example, is not currently illegal, because it doesnt involve an exchange of money. Giving a friend gas money for the ride, however, is illegal.

Senators voted along party lines Tuesday to send HB 4568 to the governor, with all yes votes being Democrats and all no votes being Republicans. The House of Representatives voted a month ago also along party lines.

Every Michigander deserves equal access to the ballot, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. The states longstanding ban on hired transportation to the polls unfairly restricted the voting rights of seniors, people with disabilities, young voters, and anyone with transportation challenges.

Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, proposed an amendment that would ban political party, candidate or electioneering materials from being on or inside a paid ride to a polling place.

But senators shot that down along party lines. Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, said transportation shouldnt be treated like a polling location.

Sens. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, and Lana Theis, R-Brighton, tried amendments that would stop drivers of paid rides from intimidating or influencing riders to vote a certain way. McBroom said he wants to avoid candidates paying for bus rides where they ride along and try to convince people to vote for them.

It is not that farfetched, McBroom said, to imagine a wealthy politico like 2020 election conspiracist Mike Lindell sponsoring buses that promote certain candidates with banners and materials inside.

Moss said a lot of this dialogue overthinks the issue, as people would not be forced to get on such a bus, and they would ultimately make their vote in the privacy of a voting booth.

If I was a Republican, and a Democratic candidate offered me a ride to the poll, I would take that ride to vote against that candidate, Moss said.

McBrooms and Theis amendments failed on party lines.

The nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency notes in its analysis that local governments could save money because of this bill, as fewer misdemeanor prosecutions mean lower costs for jails, courts and law enforcement.

Previous revenues from those fines, however, would be lost.

Organizations supportive of the bill include Uber, the Secretary of States department, the cities of Lansing and Ann Arbor, the American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters.
LANSING, MI  Sandy Wynn-Stelt wakes up every morning across the street from a toxic waste dump that killed her husband, Joel, and gave her thyroid cancer.

Today, that dump, a Kent County hilltop where shoemaker Wolverine Worldwide stashed its tannery waste, is being cleaned up  but not in the way people might think. None of the waste is being removed. It wont stop contaminating the groundwater. The plume below isnt being treated.

Instead, cleaned up means Wolverine is just putting a clay cap over the property to slow the plume spread.

A new state legislative package aims to prevent that type of outcome from occurring anymore.

On Wednesday, Wynn-Stelt stood with Michigan Democrats at the capitol as they announced a suite of bills in the House and Senate that would overhaul the states environmental remediation program and prioritize physical cleanup and removal over allowing pollution to remain in the ground.

The 14-bill package developed by Sen. Jeff Irwin and Rep. Jason Morgan of Ann Arbor would, among other things, strengthen state regulatory standards used to determine how much pollution is cleaned up and require more up-front financial surety from businesses that are likely to pollute.

The legislation would streamline standard setting at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), bolster the departments authority to update cleanup criteria when necessary and increase the time window for the state to pursue damage claims against a polluter.

It would also allow people who have been exposed to high levels of a pollutant to sue over the cost of monitoring for conditions linked to that exposure, a health surveillance measure that Michigan law doesnt currently provide for.

The overall goal, say legislation sponsors and supporters, is to shift the cost burden for pollution response, cleanup and mitigation off taxpayers and onto responsible entities.

The bills were referred to House and Senate environmental committees Tuesday.

Once upon a time, Michigan had a great polluter pay law that was very, very strong, said Irwin. It was changed from a polluter accountability law where polluters were required to clean up their mess, to an exposure management law.

More: Michigan pollution cleanup reforms are coming

In Michigan, there are roughly 24,000 known contamination sites and taxpayers are on the hook for managing or remediating about half of them. The properties range from old dry cleaners and gas stations to automotive factories and industrial suppliers, tanneries and chemical plants.

State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, speaks at a lawmaker press conference at the Michigan Capitol on Oct. 25, 2023, announcing bills to require companies pay for cleanup of their pollution.Ben Orner | MLive.com

Many sites are orphaned, meaning taxpayers pay to clean them up because the business that polluted them filed for bankruptcy or escaped liability through other legal maneuvering.

They can be expensive to cleanup, which was the impetus behind changes to Michigans liability framework led by Republicans in the mid-1990s, who rolled back Michigans once-strict liability standard to protect property buyers and promote redevelopment.

Supporters of that approach argue its put many blighted, contaminated properties back on the tax rolls by reducing redevelopment costs. Today, property buyers who did not cause the problem can avoid liability by performing an environmental assessment. Pollution can remain if controls are put in place to reduce peoples exposure to it.

Unfortunately, critics say that creates sacrifice zones where once clean soil and groundwater is written off as unsalvageable. When left in place, it has the potential to cause future problems.

Marshall Kilgore of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council said thats what happened in Grand Rapids in 2016, when poison vapor from old dry cleaning contamination that was left underground began seeping into homes and businesses, causing evacuations and hardship.

Killgore called it ridiculous to require a taxpayer  some of whom have been directly affected, had to pay for blood tests out-of-pocket, had to relocate  to pay for this environmental injustice and solve a problem they did not create.

Some proposed changes, such as allowing people to bring medical monitoring claims in court, are geared toward increasing an exposed persons ability to sue a polluter. The legislation adjusts the statute of limitations window on bringing a lawsuit to the time a problem is discovered, rather than starting the clock at the time which pollution occurred.

Supporters argue it can sometimes take years for pollution to be discovered or identified as hazardous or toxic  as has been the case with emerging contaminants like PFAS.

Environmental advocacy groups greeted the legislation on Wednesday with chorus of supportive statements. Business groups which typically oppose such measures did not.

These bills will not only spur cleanup of historic contamination sites, but also serve as a powerful deterrent to future contamination, said Liz Kirkwood, director of Traverse City-based FLOW. If potential polluters know they will have to contain their spills and clean them up rather than leave contamination in the ground, theyll take measures to reduce the risk of significant liability.

The Michigan Manufacturers Association said the bills would dampen investment and reduce the chances that former industrial sites will be cleaned up and repurposed.

Because safe, clean communities are important to every community in our state, Michigans manufacturers take great care to prevent incidents from occurring at their facilities in the first place while being held to Michigans strict environmental and public health protection standards, said Caroline Liethen with MMA. If Michigan is to compete for new manufacturing investment and create the kind of jobs young new workers want and need, we cannot continue to see lawmakers put up policies that make it too costly to choose to locate or grow here.

Irwin and Morgan said theyve been meeting with stakeholder groups this year while developing the legislation. The bills were drafted to prevent a substantially negative impact on businesses, said Morgan, and some elements left out of the package for that reason.

The bills do not impose strict joint and several liability on property owners that was the once the hallmark of Michigans law in the 1990s, said Irwin.

We do not go to a strict liability regime, Irwin said. Instead, we maintain the current regime that allows baseline environmental assessments and liability shields for successor property owners. But, we also put more tools in place for the regulators to say, in certain circumstances, that pollution has to actually be removed rather than just cordoned off.

Under the proposed changes, contaminated aquifers would be cleaned to levels which criteria says would be safe to drink from, and soil would have to be made safe for residential use  if technically feasible using currently available cleanup methods.

Other provisions require more explicit due care responsibilities that prevent people from being exposed to contamination, and that all cleanups be reported to EGLE and approved. The state could revisit response plans if necessary.

EGLE could also set cleanup criteria without going through the administrative rule-making process, a slow procedure that critics say prevents such standards from being adjusted to account for new scientific studies on risk of exposure to certain substances.

The state is currently fighting in court to maintain PFAS cleanup criteria developed through the rule-making process after chemical maker 3M challenged its validity on technical grounds. Judicial appeals on that are pending.

Were talking about small, modest but important improvements for the quality of cleanups and the transparency of the system, Irwin said.

Nonetheless, Democrats are girding for a fight.

I hate to say these names because theyre the ones who are gonna make it difficult for us to get this done. But the Big Three are a part of this, Irwin said, in reference to automakers General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.

The Big Three have a legacy of pollution in this state. They need to step up and be more responsible.
EAST LANSING, MI  Adam Nordell is a Maine organic vegetable and grain grower who shut his farm down because of toxic PFAS contamination.

Susan Gordon is a Colorado organic farmer who was forced to do the same thing.

Jason Grostic is a Michigan organic beef farmer facing bankruptcy after his cattle became contaminated.

They and other polluted farmers gathered Monday, Oct. 23 during a symposium at Michigan State University to advocate for peers across the country whose livelihoods have been wrecked by toxic forever chemicals.

They are working with Defend Our Health, a Maine-based nonprofit thats raising alarms about PFAS chemicals entering the food supply and pushing for aid for farmers struggling with a problem they didnt create.

This is affecting farms across the country, said Nordell, whose land was contaminated by municipal sewage sludge that was used as fertilizer long before his family bought the property.

Basically, we need a federal safety net to help keep impacted farms in business, he said.

A bill introduced in Congress in March, the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, would authorize a new $500 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant program to compensate farmers for the loss of crops, animals or land from PFAS pollution.

If passed, the federal grants would fund blood testing for contaminated farm families and workers, soil and water testing, contamination monitoring, remediation efforts, equipment upgrades, developing alternative production systems, educational programs, relocation, research, and more.

The bill is modeled after legislation in Maine, which set aside $60 million last year to fund income replacement, farm buybacks, medical monitoring, mental health monitoring and other programs for polluted commercial farmers.

Advocates want the Relief Act measures folded into the Farm Bill, an omnibus, multi-year law thats periodically re-written to set policy and funding for farm and conversation programs. The bill expired last month and Congressional agriculture committees are writing a new one this fall.

The legislation is bipartisan in a limited way. It was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and a House companion is co-sponsored by a Republican from Pennsylvania, Brian Fitzpatrick. Beyond that, current co-sponsors are mostly Democrats. The only Michigan delegate to sign-on thus far is Elissa Sloktin, D-Holly.

In Michigan to date, regulators have not found widespread agricultural contamination from PFAS. The state has aggressively sought out and found PFAS in drinking water supplies and surface waters. It has tested farm soils but has not reported major issues. The pollutants have been found on some farm properties, but regulators have thus far only taken major public action at one farm, Grostic Cattle Co. in Livingston County.

More: Michigan farmer sues over tainted herd

In January 2022, the state slapped an advisory on Grostic beef, which was raised on land fertilized with municipal sewage sludge, or biosolids, from the Wixom wastewater plant. The facility received high levels of PFAS in industrial effluent from Tribar, a plating company chiefly responsible for the Do Not Eat advisory for fish due to PFAS in the Huron River.

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) officials have characterized Grostics situation as a one-off because he received the largest and most frequent applications of biosolids from Wixom, and his cattle feed was grown on site.

Grostic and advocates are skeptical. They know sludge spreading has been a widespread practice for years on Michigan farms. They think worried regulators are turning a blind eye to some farms out of concern for putting them out of business.

Thats exactly how a Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) toxicologist described the states approach during a conference in Boston four years ago.

I know three other parcels that are contaminated worse than I am, said Grostic. Yet, those farmers are still farming, still selling grain, still selling pigs.

In Maine, Defend Our Health advocates say the application of municipal wastewater sludges is responsible for contamination at more than 70 farms.

A driving factor in such testing is Maines development of soil screening values and action levels for foodstuffs like milk and beef, which gives regulators a safety threshold to rely on.

Michigan doesnt have comparable levels. Neither does USDA. Federal regulators are only now closing in on setting enforceable standards for drinking water after years of delay.

If I was shipping milk in Michigan, Id still be in business, said Fred Stone, a Maine farmer who euthanized about 80 percent of his dairy cattle herd after finding contamination in 2016.

Stone fertilized with biosolids from the early 1980s to 2004 under a state permit. Were he in Michigan, my cows could still go to market  all would be right with the world.

If there is no number, there is no problem, said Stone.

Sewage sludge isnt the only source of PFAS on farms around the country. At Gordons community farm near Colorado Springs, the contaminants came from groundwater polluted by firefighting form used at nearby Peterson Air Force Base.

Thats also how Art Schapps farm in Clovis, New Mexico near Cannon Air Force Base became contaminated. The cows at his Highland Dairy farm drank highly polluted groundwater before the chemicals were found and it passed into their milk.

Our products are sold nationwide, said Schapp, who has met a lot of people nationwide who have this problem also.

I think we are just the tip of the iceberg, said Gordon.

In Michigan, Grostic said theres little support for polluted farms.

Unlike Maine, Michigan has nothing for us, said Grostic, who has been haggling with the state attorney generals office over requirements that he keep feeding his herd, which he cant sell. He gets a grant to buy clean feed but has to pay taxes on it.

I want something out of my cattle to put back in the bank so I can at least feed my kids next week, he said. Thats a big process that the state is just back-and-forth with me on  oh, theyre worthless. You dont deserve nothing for it and we dont need to help you.

Grostic said hes been called a murderer by customers upset to learn they bought contaminated meat. Hes sold his farming equipment to stay afloat.

My land is contaminated. Nobody is going to buy it, he said.
The Beatrice Public Schools Board of Education discussed the random drug testing policy at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday evening.

The policy for random drug testing for students involved in extracurricular activities has been included on the agenda of recent Board of Education meetings several times in recent months.

Superintendent Jason Alexander said he wanted to be sure there had been ample opportunity to review the policy.

Essentially, I think where we are on this is making sure weve provided ample opportunity to answer any questions that might be remaining, he said. Also the opportunity to review the research that has been provided. I think the question that we are asking since this was brought to us is is random drug testing effective?

Activities Director Gus Brown had brought the issue to the board in August. He said in his time at Beatrice High School there have only been two to four positive tests.

Weve looked at research on both sides of the topic, Alexander said.

President Eric Trusty said he would like to entertain a policy involving parent permission of testing of students who are suspected of drug use.

Board member Doris Martin said she would like to pause this discussion and rewrite the policy.

I think there are a lot of flaws in the policy, she said. I guess there a lot of things that I dont understand.

Board member Charles Riedesel has been an advocate for discontinuing the current policy based on research he has presented that random drug testing is not effective.

Ive read through the information, and it seems there is no correlation between random drug testing and long-term decrease of substance use, he said. We want more than that. I would like us to invest in programs that have demonstrated a long-term result.

BHS Principal Jason Sutter talked to the group about procedures in place if substance use is suspected among all students.

Its addressed in the student handbook and the code of conduct, he said.

Alexander noted that reasonable suspicion in school allows us to investigate.

It needs to be understood that reasonable suspicion in school allows us to investigate substance use if the student is in activities or not involved in extracurricular activities, he said. There are things that we can re-write in the policy, but I think we come back to the original questions of is random drug testing effective or is our policy on random drug testing effective?

More discussion continued on the cost of testing, which substances are screened, other types of programs available.

The Board of Education is expected to vote on the issue during the next scheduled meeting on Nov. 13.
If SCOTUS recent ruling striking down President Bidens relief plan still has you reeling, then the Broke & Bothered newsletter is for you. Join Reckons Alexis Wray as she questions the legitimacy of student loans, gives you tools to take action and shares stories from real people most impacted: Enter your email to subscribe.

The current U.S. reparations movement appears to be getting some legs.

Recently, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed support for legislation that would offer Black New Yorkers repayment related to American slavery.

In June, California Gov. Gavin Newsom received the final report and recommendations from the states Reparations Task Force, for his review. In August the City of Evanston, Illinoiss Reparations Committee announced that it had disbursed just over $1 million in reparations through the Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program.

The community empowerment organization, Black Voters Matter, launched a new initiative in June awarding nearly $150K in grants to local grassroots groups under the Black Reparations Fund initiative. Not to mention the various universities such as Georgetown and other colleges around the nation now pushing for reparations to address their histories with financial repayments.

Reparations advocates say the idea is simple. In the same way civil lawsuits make reparation for damages suffered, such as lost wages, interest, pain and suffering, reparations would repay the debt the United States owes to Black Americans for ripping their ancestors from their homelands and into chattel slavery.

That debt remains unpaid, however.

Thomas Craemer, a professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut who has studied reparations for decades, tells Reckon that in early discussions about the abolition of slavery there was always the assumption that emancipation would be compensated. But, he adds, the compensation would go to the former slave owners rather than the formerly enslaved.

The genesis of the reparations movement was born out of Special Field Order No. 15, issued in 1865 by General William T. Sherman. The plan was to redistribute about 400,000 acres of confiscated federal land into 40-acre sections among thousands of freedmen and women so that each family shall have a plot of not more than (40) forty acres of tillable ground.

But, after President Abraham Lincolns assassination, his successor, President Andrew Johnson, reversed the order, basically took the land back, and returned it to the former Confederate slaveholders.

And so the 40 acres and a mule became an unfulfilled promise, Craemer says.

In the years that followed, the 40 acres and a mule ideal inspired other land-based reparations demands.

Most notably, Callie House was known as an early leader in the reparations movement. Enslaved from the time of her birth in approximately 1861, Callie Guy, her name before marriage, was first the secretary and later the leader of the National Ex-Slave Mutual Relief Bounty and Pension Association in 1898. She would eventually be imprisoned for her involvement in the reparations movement.

Marcus Garvey spoke about reparations for depredations under colonialism in Africa. One of Garveys disciples, Queen Mother Moore, a civil rights leader, and Black nationalist, brought the reparations movement into the 20th century by founding an organization called the Committee for Reparations for Descendants of U.S. Slaves in the 1960s.

So, it [reparations] had a continuity in the Black community. Its only in the mainstream community it kind of went out of consciousness for a while and now has returned to the mainstream, Craemer says.

The idea of reparations paid out to Black Americans has gained some steam over the last few decades. In 2014, only 15% of Americans supported it. Currently, about 30% of Americans support it. But two vital questions remain. Who should receive the money? And how much should the amount be?

Dr. William Darity, an American economist and social sciences researcher at Duke Universitys Sanford School of Public Policy, has written extensively about American reparations and the Black community.

Darity and his co-author, Kirsten Mullen, a folklorist, museum consultant, and lecturer whose work focuses on race, history, and politics, have outlined in various publications the four pillars they believe should be used as a plan for Black Americans to receive reparations.

The four pillars involve determining whos eligible, determining the amount; determining who should pay, and determining what form the payment should take, Darity tells Reckon.

The first pillar concerning eligibility is predicated on the view that African American reparations from the U.S. government should be for Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved in America. Recipients would have to be able to prove that they have at least one ancestor who was enslaved, and they must have self-identified as Black for at least 12 years.

The second pillar concerns the amount.

We argue that the relevant summary measure is captured very effectively by focusing on the racial wealth gap, which we view as the best economic indicator of the cumulative intergenerational effects of white supremacy on those folks who are living today, Darity says.

Darity and Mullen arrived at an amount of $14.3 trillion required to eliminate the racial wealth gap.

The third pillar in Darity and Mullens plan is unequivocal: the federal government should be the party that pays reparations.

The federal government is the only level of government that has the capacity to meet a bill, but also federal policies are the primary source of the racial wealth gap, Darity says.

The fourth pillar is how reparations should be distributed.

We argue that it should be an equal, direct payment to every eligible recipient and not something that should be a case where funds are funneled through some third party. And this would be consistent with the way in which reparations have been given to other victimized communities, Darity says.

For example, after World War II and the Holocaust, the German government paid approximately $86.8 billion in restitution and compensation to Holocaust victims and their heirs, starting in 1945 and ending around 2018.

In the U.S., through the establishment of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, the U.S. Justice Departments Office of Redress Administration distributed $20,000 to 82,219 eligible Japanese American citizens forced into internment camps during World War II. The claims totaled more than $1.6 billion.

In 1946, the Indian Claims Commission was created by Congress. It was designed to reimburse any federally recognized Indigenous nation for land stolen by the U.S. government. By 1978, the commission was abolished, and a scant $800 million was ultimately awarded to tribes, equaling about $1,000 per member of the tribe, The New York Times reported.

In the quest for reparations for Black Americans, the most significant sign of progress to date has been U.S. House Resolution 40.

H.R. 40 was introduced by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, in 2021.

The bill would establish a commission to study and consider a national apology and proposal for reparations for the institution of slavery, according to the National African American Reparations Commission website.

NAARC is an organization established in 2015 by a group of professionals across fields committed to the idea of reparations for Black Americans.

Kamm Howard, the NARRC commissioner, says simply that Reparations is an investment in America. Its not a debt.

He adds: Citigroup put out a report two years ago saying that if this country engaged in reparations 15 years ago, 20 years ago, $15 trillion would have been added to the economy. Not billion, but trillion.  It means who doesnt want a 200% return on their investment? So thats really the message we had to take, that all of America benefits from paying redress to Black Americans, Howard says.

Today, the reparations movement has made the most strides in local communities. In March 2021, officials in Evanston, Illinois voted to begin distributing the first reparations to Black Americans in the nation, and a year later, recipients were awarded grants of up to $25,000.

In a second story about this topic, Reckon will highlight the cities, states, and organizations in the modern-day reparations movement.
25.10.2023 LISTEN

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that is most commonly seen among women; however, it does occur in men as well. This is because, although minimal in quantity, men do have breast tissue that has the potential to become malignant similarly to women, albeit much less commonly and with a known ratio of 1 male case to 100 in females and occurs in about 1% of all breast cancers. Male breast cancers generally account for 0.5% of all cancer diagnosis among men, but there has been a recent concern about the rising incidence in the past few decades.

Risk Factors for Male Breast Cancer:

Some of the most prevalent risk factors for breast cancer in men are:

Family History: Having a first- or second-degree relative with breast cancer increases a man's risk of developing the disease, therefore family history is important. Other possible triggers have also been found, and they include disorders with elevated oestrogen circulation, such as cryptorchidism, orchitis, and orchiectomy, obesity, marijuana usage, hepatic dysfunction, thyroid illness, and oestrogen-containing drugs. Lastly, environmental factors have also been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in men than in women. These factors include radiation therapy prior to cancer treatment, jobs involving exposure to or use of organic solvents like trichloroethylene, and occupations

What to look out for and when to consult :

Male patients most frequently complain of a painless mass in one breast, along with other possible symptoms such nipple retraction, nipple discharge, ulceration, and pain when they visit the clinic. Male gynecomastia masks the problem, however overall, male masses are simpler to appreciate than female ones because of the smaller breast size.

Test include a triple assessment to diagnose male breast cancer and includes the following:

Clinical evaluation Ultrasonography or mammography. Core biopsy

With a sensitivity score of about 92% and a specificity score of about 90%, mammography is one of the most successful diagnostic techniques; nevertheless, this modality may occasionally be limited because male breasts differ in size and volume. Because of this, the most accurate diagnosis for male breast cancer is provided by ultrasound-guided core biopsy, which is favoured over fine-needle aspiration.

Chances of Cure :

Male and female survival rates are comparable across stages. The overall 5-year survival rate for male breast cancer is between 40% to 65%, primarily due to delayed diagnosis. Stage I would be around 75100%, Stage II would be approximately 5080%, Stage III would be approximately 3060%, and Stage IV would be approximately 2030% when stratified.

Treatment

The same guidelines that apply to the treatment and management of a female patient with breast cancer also apply to male patients, and these guidelines would be:

Resection of the tumour or mass, with adjuvant endocrine therapy, chemotherapy (CT), or radiation therapy (RT) administered thereafter

A straightforward mastectomy performed in isolation for small lesions, and in conjunction with radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT) for more advanced tumour stages

Tamoxifen should be used as adjuvant treatment for a minimum of five years

Tamoxifen is recommended above other treatments since the majority of metastatic male breast cancers are oestrogen receptor positive

Post Treatment Care: Long-term monitoring is necessary because men are at very high risk for a second ipsilateral or contralateral breast lesions.

Screening: Routine screening of males with breast cancer is not established due to the rarity of the disease occurrence in general male population. Yet, males should be educated on the potential risk factors discussed above and should be advised on genetic counselling if they have a family history of breast cancer (in both males and females) or other cancers that may be triggered by a BRCA gene, for example, an ovarian, pancreatic, testicular, or prostate cancers.

Final Note: Male breast cancer is uncommon, but if diagnosed early is curable. The mainstay of the treatment is excision and hormonal therapy, genetic counselling in case of family history, and consultation with a doctor in case of slightest suspicion increases the chance of cure.

Dr Sneha Kommineni, Consultant - Medical Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Aster RV Hospital
Former President John Dramani Mahama has made a strong case for investors to turn their attention to Ghana's power sector.

He wants investors to leverage the vast opportunities in the country to ensure Ghana becomes the export hub for power in the sub-region.

Speaking at an International Business Forum in Alberta Canada organised by the Ghana Canada Chamber of Commerce on Monday 23 October, Mahama stated, "There is space for investment in power, we have seen a lot of investment in power when we liberalised the sector, we allowed independent power producers, so several firms have invested in generating plants to produce both for Ghana and export to neighbouring countries."

He added, "We also have the potential in renewables, mainly solar, wind is not very viable because we are close to the Equator and so solar is the main thing."

Mr Mahama stressed, "I guess if we could export sunlight, we could export some to Alberta, and so there is potential for a lot of solar power, Ghana is also an oil-producing country, we produce crude oil and LNG."
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, has raised concerns about a potential food shortage in Ghana next year due to the extensive flooding of farmlands caused by the Akosombo Dam spillage.

The flooding resulted from the breaking of the Volta Lake banks due to excess water.

In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM monitored by ModernGhana News, Dr. Donkor highlighted the severity of the flooding, with entire communities submerged in waters.

He said, The flooding is so severe, whole communities are under the lake. Health infrastructure, clinics, schools, etc. have all been flooded. And so there is not just the humanitarian end of it; there is also the medical, public health end of it, and the educational end of it. In my constituency, schools have had to shut down because they have been submerged.

Dr. Donkor pointed out that the situation is further exacerbated by the flooding of farmlands in the Pru, Oti, Bono East, Savannah, and Northern regions.

What exacerbates the situation is that in Pru, Oti, Bono East, Savannah, and Northern, farmlands have also been flooded, so there is a possibility of a serious food inadequacy and food insecurity going forward next year [2024] because farmlands have been flooded and the crops have not survived, he added.

The MP noted that the flooding of communities along Volta Lake began as early as June and July 2023 but had not received significant attention or coverage.

So far, the victims have only received communal assistance. Nine communities in the Pru East District of the Bono East Region have been impacted by the flooding, leading to the displacement of over 2,500 people.

Among the worst-hit communities are Kobre Nsuano, Pentecost Nsuano, Adiembra, Fanteakura, Tokobikope, Tonka, Agokope and Logakope.

The controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam, initiated by the Volta River Authority (VRA) on September 15, 2023, has affected more than 30,000 people in various communities in the Volta and Eastern regions.

The spillage was a result of the rising water level of the Akosombo reservoir, leading to the submersion of thousands of homes in areas like South Tongu, North Tongu, Central Tongu, Asuogyaman, and several other regions.
Professor Joseph Osafo, a Clinical Health Psychologist and currently the Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Ghana has admonished New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates regarding the qualities they should seek in choosing a presidential candidate.

The NPP is preparing to hold its presidential primary on November 4, 2023.

The race features four candidates, including Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong, former Agriculture Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, and leading party member Francis Addai-Nimoh.

Over 200,000 NPP delegates are expected to cast their votes during the elections.

Reacting to this on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' morning show, Professor Joseph Osafo urged the NPP to select a candidate with distinctive attributes.

He said, The NPP needs a certain posturing which shows unity and togetherness. They need someone who is a unifier; someone who speaks in humility and with respect.

They need a person who, when he speaks, does not scatter but rather pulls people into the party. They need someone who, when he wins, can bring those who lose to join him.

The Senior Psychologist cautioned against embracing mediocrity.

"Anytime you set a challenging target, then you must be ready to embrace extraordinary steps. You don't achieve great feats on the altar of mediocrity," he expressed.
Nana Akomea has appealed to the delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to choose Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party's flagbearer to march former President John Mahama boot-for-boot in next years election.

Nana Akomea, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Company (STC), emphasized that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by John Dramani Mahama, has accused the NPP of being reluctant to select a Northerner as their leader.

Reacting to this during an interview on Peace FMs Kokrokoo morning show, Nana Akomea urged the delegates to dispel this notion by voting for Dr. Bawumia.

He said, "Dr. Bawumia will make that propaganda useless.

He believed that a contest between Bawumia and Mahama would be the real showdown.

He noted, "Bawumia against John Mahama, one on one, a real showdown...showdown number 2!"

Nana Akomea also highlighted the potential positive impacts of voting for Bawumia, stating that it would change the branding of the party and give it a new face.

He stressed that Bawumia's leadership would make the party more inclusive and attractive.

Bawumia will change the branding of the party. It will give the party a new face. He will also make the party more inclusive," he stated.

The NPP is scheduled to hold its presidential election on Saturday, November 4, 2023 with four candidates competing for the flagbearer position.

The contenders include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong, former Agriculture Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, and leading party member Thomas Addai Nimoh.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for Gaza militants Hamas to be added to the targets of an international coalition against the Islamic State armed group, during a visit to Israel and the West Bank.

On a solidarity visit to Israel after the 7 October attacks, Macron called Tuesday for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State to turn their attention to Hamas, adding there had to be a "decisive relaunch" of the Middle East peace process.

This, following talks with leaders in Israel, whose army is building up to a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the declared aim of "eradicating" Hamas.

The French president said the Global Coalition against the Islamic State group, "should also fight against Hamas" and that he had proposed this in talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to other "international partners".

Speaking during a joint news conference with Netanyahu, he said "We should build a regional and international coalition to battle against terrorist groups that threaten us all."

The coalition was set up in 2014 and reportedly consists of 86 "members"  countries and groups such as the European Union and the Arab League.

To date, the coalition has focused on countering IS in Iraq and Syria but is also aimed at cutting off funding to the jihadists, the sharing of intelligence and support for many countries, including the training of Iraqi forces.

Peace process

Macron said extending the coalition would benefit Israel and its neighbours who are also "threatened" by Hamas, which is branded a terrorist organisation by the European Union and United States.

"The battle must be without mercy, but not without rules because we are democracies which fight against terrorists, democracies which respect the right to war and assure humanitarian access," Macron said.

Macron's office said before his visit that he would seek a "humanitarian truce" in Gaza while in Israel, but no mention was made after his talks with Netanyahu.

The French leader did, however, call for a "decisive" new effort to move toward a Palestinian state, declaring: "The Palestinian cause must be heard with reason".

"Israel's security cannot be sustainable with a decisive relaunch of the political process with the Palestinians."

West Bank meeting

Later Tuesday, Macron met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank to discuss the conflict in a meeting and trip to Ramallah that Macron described as essential".

He said that while the Hamas attack had been traumatic for Israel it also was a disaster for the Palestinian people.

"Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people," Macron told reporters alongside Palestinian Abbas in Ramallah, in the West Bank.

Fears of conflict spreading

With the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group daily trading artillery fire with the army across the Lebanon-Israel border, Western governments are concerned the conflict could spread.

Macron named Hezbollah, Iran and the Huthis in Yemen when he said they should "not take the ill-considered risk of opening new fronts".

This comes as the Hamas administration in Gaza claims at least 5,791 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, mainly civilians.

Israel maintains that its hundreds of air raids each day aim for Hamas leaders and military targets.
25.10.2023 LISTEN

Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has petitioned the Military High Command over the assault of Nicholas Morkah, a morning show host of Akyemansa FM based in Akim Oda in the Eastern Region by five soldiers.

The GJA also urges the Police to immediately investigate the incident and ensure that the culprits are made to face the full rigors of the law.

In a three-point petition signed by the GJA President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, and addressed to the Chief of the Defense Staff (CDS) on Monday, October 23, 2023, the GJA called for investigations into the assault case, the requisite sanction(s) to be applied against the soldiers, if found culpable, and compensation for Nicholas Morkah for the bodily harm and material loss he suffered as a result of the assault.

The GJA condemns the assault on the broadcast journalist in no uncertain terms because it was absolutely unwarranted, the statement said.

The incident

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at Akim Oda during a joint military-customs operation to impound vehicles brought into the country without proper documentation.

In the course of that operation carried out openly, Nicholas, who was passing through the area on a motorbike, saw a crowd around the Akim Oda Post Office and stopped to find out what was happening.

According to him, just around that time, he saw some soldiers chasing a young man who they assaulted after arresting him.

Moved by his journalistic instincts, Nicholas started videoing the incident with his mobile phone.

However, five heavily-armed soldiers believed to be based at the Achiase Jungle Warfare School, rushed on him and subjected him to physical assault, hitting his body many times with clinched fists.

According to Nicholas, the soldiers then took him into a vehicle and drove to the barracks, as they continued the assault on him on the way.

At the barracks, and after taking him to their superior, they deleted every document on his two mobile phones, including vital documents he would need for some correspondences. Subsequently, the soldiers took him to the police station and handed him over to the police.

Military-media relations

The GJA, after getting informed about the incident on Saturday, October 21, 2023, launched an investigation into the incident based on which it petitioned the Military High Command.

The petition noted that relations between the military and the media had not been cordial over the years in view of similar cases of assault on media practitioners by the military. It, however, noted recent efforts by the Military High Command, under the leadership of the current CDS, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, to repair the damaged relations of the past.

It recalled a recent meeting between the Military High Command and the leadership of the GJA at Burma Camp during which the two institutions pledged their commitment to work together in harmony.

While commending the CDS for that positive initiative, the GJA expressed the hope that he would redeem the pledge made at the said meeting to rebuild military-media relations by bringing the errant soldiers in the Akim Oda case to book.

In a prompt response to the GJA petition, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) expressed sympathy to Nicholas Morkah and the GJA for this unfortunate incident.

We can assure you of our readiness to thoroughly and speedily investigate the alleged assault and anyone found culpable will be sanctioned as appropriate. Once again, accept our assurance of ensuring a better and improved relations between the media and the military in the interest of our dear country, the GAF said in a letter dated October 24, 2023, and signed by Air Vice Marshall MK Appiah-Agyekum, Deputy Chief of Staff (Admin).

3news.com
More than six decades after Gitu Wa Kahengeri was jailed, tortured and denied food in a British-run labour camp in Kenya, the anti-colonial fighter says he is still waiting for justice.

Now in his nineties, Gitu has ramped up his push for an apology and compensation from the British government ahead of a visit by King Charles III to the East African country next week.

Gitu left school as a teenager after a disagreement with the principal over his anti-colonial beliefs, later joining the feared Mau Mau rebels as a young man.

For nearly eight years the guerrillas -- often with dreadlocked hair and wearing animal skins -- terrorised colonial communities, launching attacks from bases in remote forests.

Tens of thousands of Kenyans were rounded up and detained without trial in 1952. By - (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP/File)

"We fought to be free because the colonial settlers had grabbed all the fertile land and made it their own," Gitu told AFP during an interview at his home surrounded by pineapple farms outside the town of Thika.

"The cruel... ill-treatment that was meted to the Africans by the colonial administration, I was one to suffer that."

The rolling green hills and lush forests of central Kenya -- once dubbed the "white highlands" -- were especially prized by colonial settlers, sparking bitter resentment from Gitu's ethnic Kikuyu people who were forced off the land.

Months after the rebellion kicked off in 1952, then British prime minister Winston Churchill declared a state of emergency, paving the way for a brutal crackdown.

Britain funded a memorial to all the Mau Mau victims. By Tony KARUMBA (AFP/File)

Tens of thousands of people were rounded up and detained without trial in camps where reports of executions, torture and vicious beatings were common.

A year into the bloodshed, Gitu was arrested along with his father and sent to a remote Indian Ocean island.

"We left our children at home, suffering, having no food, having no medical care and having no education," Gitu said, recalling his seven-year detention in painstaking detail, his sharp memory belying his age.

Horrific abuses

More than 10,000 people died in the Mau Mau uprising, a figure some historians claim is a low estimate.

Gitu Wa Kahengeri joined the ranks of the feared Mau Mau rebels as a young man. By SIMON MAINA (AFP)

Tens of thousands of Kenyans -- many with no links to the Mau Mau -- endured harrowing treatment including torture and appalling sexual mutilation at the hands of security forces.

Buckingham Palace said Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will "acknowledge the more painful aspects" of colonial history during their four-day state visit from October 31.

"His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya," the palace said.

But the symbolism of the visit -- the first by Charles to a Commonwealth country since becoming king -- is not lost on Gitu.

"If I were given a place and a chance to speak to the king... the first question I would ask him is why did you keep silent?"

More than 10,000 people died in the Mau Mau uprising, a figure some historians claim is a low estimate. By - (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP/File)

A former legislator who was elected to parliament in 1969, Gitu called on Charles to "sincerely and voluntarily" return any artefacts taken from Kenya and go beyond the public statement of regret for abuses committed.

In 2013 Britain agreed to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans who had suffered abuses during the revolt, in an out-of-court settlement worth nearly 20 million pounds (almost $25 million at today's exchange rates).

Britain also funded a memorial to all the victims in a rare example of former rulers commemorating a colonial uprising.

But Gitu said the "small settlement" had done little to alleviate the poverty endured by most Mau Mau veterans and urged the British government "to do more to cultivate the reconciliation we are looking for".

'Not begging'

He also accused the Kenyan authorities of failing to give former fighters their due.

Kenya unveiled a statue of top Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi in Nairobi in 2007. By SIMON MAINA (AFP)

"None of the governments has looked after the freedom fighters in the way they deserved," said Gitu, who also heads a Mau Mau veterans' association.

"We are not begging, we are asking for our rights."

Kenya's founding president Jomo Kenyatta opposed the violence carried out by the Mau Mau, which created bitter divisions among communities, especially those who collaborated with colonial powers.

Mau Mau veteran Gitu Wa Kashering was elected to parliament in 1969. By SIMON MAINA (AFP)

Surviving fighters have accused successive Kenyan governments of neglecting them, with the group still outlawed until 2003.

In 2007, the government unveiled a statue of top Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi in Nairobi, half a century after his execution by colonial authorities.

Even as Gitu awaits a royal apology, Kenya's treatment of the Mau Mau still stings.

"It is a great loss to have lost the education of our children, the good health of our children and in the end to have lost recognition."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told France's Emmanuel Macron the international community must halt Israel's "aggression" as it battles Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The leaders were in Ramallah on Tuesday for talks dominated by the conflict, which has left thousands of civilians dead in both Gaza and Israel.

Macon is the first Western leader to go to the Palestinian Authority's headquarters in the occupied West Bank during the current crisis.

He is scheduled to meet with King Abdullah in Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday to discuss reactivating the political process toward a two-state solution.

During the Ramallah talk, which came after Macron met with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Abbas said: "We urge you, President Macron, to stop this aggression" as he condemned Israeli air strikes that "kill innocent civilians in a barbaric way".

Abbas said Israel and the countries who support the country were to blame for the conflict. He added that there should be an "international peace conference" on Gaza.

Macron told reporters that "nothing can justify" the suffering of civilians in the Palestinian territory since the 7 October attacks by Hamas.

Earlier in Jerusalem, Macron defended Israel's right to defend itself against "terrorism".

Palestinian state?

"There will not be any sustainable peace if there is no recognition of the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to have territory and a state," Macron said.

"There will be no sustainable peace if there is no clear recognition by the Palestinian people and their authorities of an Israeli state and the importance of its existence and its security."

Israel says1,400 people were killed when Hamas gunmen crossed into its territory earlier this month.

Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry says that 5,791 peopleinc  including more than 2,000 children and 1,400 women  have since died in Israel's air raids.

(with AFP)
An assignment given to students at Waverly Middle School in August that dealt with diversity spurred complaints from a handful of parents and led to one of the topics being dropped.

According to Waverly Superintendent Cory Worrell, the controversy started when students in an eighth grade social studies class were given an assignment intended to teach them more about different cultures.

Students were asked to choose and research four of seven provided topics: Celebrating Pride, Celebrating Womens History, Celebrating Black History, Celebrating Hispanic Heritage, Celebrating Asian Pacific Americans, Celebrating Mens Health, and Learn and Love Diversity.

Worrell said administrators were made aware of parent concerns regarding the assignments in August shortly after they were given, specifically about the Celebrating Pride topic.

The middle school principal heard from four parents who expressed concerns about the assignment, while a couple of others expressed support for it, Worrell said.

The assignment was promptly pulled from the course and no student received a grade for it, he said.

While most assignments undergo an extensive curriculum review to be approved for the classroom, this one had not been fully vetted, Worrell said. Typically, teachers and administrators are required to review all content using state standards to approve all texts, written materials and assignments.

Worrell said he feels the issues raised regarding the assignment were resolved after communicating with parents and answering questions.

But one parent disagreed.

Shanna Allison, who was one of the parents to file a complaint about the assignment said eighth grade students, including her own child, were asked to research topics like the history of the LGBTQ+ community, the Black Lives Matter movement and gender dysphoria for a graded social studies assignment.

She also claimed students were taught about hatred toward law enforcement and that certain races are oppressed while white people are privileged  an allegation that was denied by the school.

These are all things she said she considers activism, which she feels has no place in a classroom.

Its not about one teacher or 20 teachers doing it, Allison said in an email. All public school educators need to be neutral when it comes to political topics or views being taught in the classroom.

Allison said that she requested to sit in on one of her three childrens classes at Waverly following the incident but was denied access by Worrell.

In an email she provided to the Journal Star between her and Worrell, the superintendent highlighted Board of Education policies that outline the districts right to protect the learning environment from distractions and its policy on visitors and loitering.

Additionally, the parent handbook states that visitors are only allowed to observe classes for up to 30 minutes and must be approved by administration. If they feel it would be disruptive to the classroom, administrators reserve the right to say no to requests.

Allison said she is now planning a protest before school Nov. 1 in an area that's visible from both the middle and high schools.

Waverly administration is aware of the planned protest and will work to ensure student safety throughout that morning, Worrell said.

Our students' safety and security will be our top priority this day as they travel on these sidewalks and streets outside of our buildings, he said.

Top Journal Star photos for October 2023
Tema and Accra will be washed into the sea should the Akosombo dam fail, Land Economist Philip Langdon warns.

The caution follows the recent criticism of the dam's engineers for releasing surplus water from the Kpong and Akosombo dams, which resulted in flooding in several communities in the Volta region.

Despite explanations from the engineers regarding the necessity of releasing excess water to prevent the dams from destruction, the criticism persists, with calls for accountability.

Speaking on the Class Morning Show on Class91.3FM on Tuesday, 24th October 2023, Mr. Langdon stressed the importance of avoiding blame.

He emphasised that the potential failure of the dam would have catastrophic consequences, stating, "We can blame everybody, but the truth is that if that dam fails, Class91.3FM, you will be washed into the sea."

Mr. Langdon expressed confidence in the engineers working at the Volta River Authority (VRA) to safeguard the dam. However, he also underlined the severity of the situation by saying that, in the event of the dam breaking, Accra would cease to exist.

"It will never fail, we trust the people managing that dam that it will never fail, and Im just saying that God forbid, if it does, we will all be washed into the sea; Tema won't exist, we will be washed into the sea," he added.

He further highlighted the massive size of the man-made lake created by the dam during its construction, which extends from Akosombo to Northern Ghana, containing an enormous volume of water.

The ongoing dam spillage has had severe consequences, with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) reporting that at least 35,995 people have been displaced in the Volta region.

The situation surrounding the Akosombo dam remains critical, with the potential for widespread devastation and the displacement of thousands.

Public scrutiny of the dam's management continues, raising concerns about the safety of residents and communities in the Greater Accra Region.

-Classfmonline
The Mepe and other surrounding communities affected by the flood today received various relief items from business magnate Mr. Ibrahim Mahama following the flooding of various communities caused by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.

The business magnate led his team to donate the relief items to the affected communities. The items included 20,000 bags of 5kg rice, 24,000 cans of Mackerel, 12,000 bottles of cooking oil, 400 packs of water and 1,000 pieces of student mattresses.

The Chief Executive Officer of Engineers & Planners and Dzata Cement dispatched the relief items to the victims of the Dam spillage on Tuesday, October 24.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and his team were welcomed with a durbar by the Chiefs, Queen mothers, DCE, MPs, representatives of NDC and NPP and the good people of the affected communities held at GP JHS Park at Mepe.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahamas donation is the biggest support yet from an individual or any institution to the displaced people some of whom are having to lodge in schools, tents, churches, and mosques because their homes were massively flooded following the Akosombo Dam spillage.

Presenting the items to the Chiefs, the DCE of Bator, MPs and the people of the affected areas, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama said the relief items is to commiserate with the affected people. He also promised to help brilliant but needy students affected by the flood.

Receiving the items on behalf of the community, the DCE for North Tongu, Hon. Divine Osborn K. Fenu thanked Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and his team for the massive donation. He said this donation has put more smiles on the faces of the people living in the affected communities.

Hon. Ablakwa on behalf of the MPs thanked Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and his team for his support for the affected communities. Hon. Ablakwa assured him there would be equity in the distribution of the items to all the affected communities.

The Paramount Chief of Bator, Torgbega Patamia Dzekley VII expressed gratitude to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama for coming to their aid at this crucial time.

He said they are very excited about this massive donation from the business mogul. He said this will put smiles on the faces of those affected by the massive flooding.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahama is one of the biggest philanthropists in Ghana. He has a long history in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), often simplistically seen as charity or philanthropy. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama through his companies spend millions of dollars annually in social and environmental programs, disaster reliefs in support of critical government health and educational programs at both the community and national levels.

Some of Mr. Ibrahim Mahama's companies are either into mining or trading heavy-duty mining equipment to companies in the industry. It is also involved in other business interests. He is the owner of Asutsuare Poultry Farm, one of the largest poultry establishments in Ghana. Until recently, his company MBG, used to be the Man Diesel dealer in Ghana.

The new addition to his businesses is Dzata Cement Limited and also Renault Trucks from France. Dzata Cement Limited is the wholely Ghanaian-owned cement plant and its capacity is 2.6 million tons. It is the biggest standalone plant in Ghana. The cement has started hitting the Ghanaian market. Its expected to provide employment opportunities for several thousands of wholesalers and retailers, across Ghana and the West African sub-region. The dealership agreement with Renault Trucks was recently signed in France.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has condemned comments made by the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh, blaming victims of the recent Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage for their circumstances.

We mince no words in outrightly reprehending such a callous and unsympathetic stance, which only serves to exacerbate the pain and suffering of the affected individuals and communities, the Volta NDC said in a statement issued on Wednesday, 25 October 2023, signed by its Regional Chairman, Mawutor Agbavitor.

According to the Volta NDC, it was expecting the Sanitation Minister to cease the platform provided by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) event to appease the residents of the hardest-hit communities at the back of the President's unfortunate utterances on the situation when he paid a reluctant visit.

However, typical of Nana Addo's appointees, she heartlessly chose to emulate her appointor.

It noted that: In the wake of this catastrophic flood disaster that has left countless families displaced and in distress, we expect all well-meaning individuals to deem it a time for sobriety, unity, empathy, and deliberate constructive rescue actions.

Instead, the Minister has chosen to unfairly point fingers at those who are already enduring immense hardship. This certainly is not the sort of leadership our nation needs during such an avoidable crisis.

It stressed that the victims of the flood who are also Ghanaians, deserve support, assistance, and compassion, not accusation or condemnation or blame.

The government of the day should be seen to be working diligently at providing relief, assistance, and resources to help these communities recover from the devastation that they have endured thus far.

The Volta Regional NDC therefore called on the Sanitation Minister to retract her insensitive comments and issue a formal apology to the flood victims and their families.

It continued that it would hold government to accountability by ensuring all victims of the flood are fully compensated.

-classfmonline
Local government analyst, Dr. Fred Oduro has argued that the flooding caused by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam spillage has not been managed properly.

Following the spillage by the Volta River Authority (VRA) this month, many communities have been submerged in flood water and thousands of people displaced from their homes.

Speaking to Starr FM in an interview, Dr. Fred Oduro who is a Local Government expert accused government of failing to properly prepare for the flooding although it was anticipated.

He said although disasters happen globally all the time, if government had prepared well for the Akosombo dam spillage, then the devastation caused to the affected victims could have been minimised or avoided.

It is typical of us as Ghanaians but disasters happen all over the world. In our case, I think we should be able to anticipate most of these things. Flooding, its something that happens to us virtually every year. Of course in the case of the Akosombo Dam Spillage it is not often that we do experience but it does happen.

Every now and then within a decade it does occur. So I will have thought that as part of the disaster management plan. The district should have indicated the kind of need they expected and they should have worked together at the national level. To put contingency plans in place to come to the needs of our people whenever such occurrences happen. But unfortunately they didnt, Dr. Fred Oduro shared.

The Local Government expert continued, Even if you compare the Bagri dam spillage in the Northern part of Ghana and this is something we expect virtually every year. We are so ill-prepared whenever they occur. So for the Akosombo dam spillage which does not occur frequently as the Bagri dam spillage, we are so badly prepared.

After visits to the affected communities by top government officials including President Akufo-Addo, government has assured that it will commit the needed resources to support victims.
25.10.2023 LISTEN

Anytime you see two evils competing to destroy each other, you have to find the lesser of the two evils. They cannot be all equal. The war between some radio/TV Presenters, commentators and political thugs is similar to the war of two desert rats. The time has come for us to choose between the lesser of two evils.

The truth his that we concentrate the definition of terrorism to groups like Boko Haram, HAMAS, Al Shabbab, Hezbollah, Ansar Deen, Al Qaeda, Talibans, The Islamic Jihad of Uzbekistan, IS, Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic jihad of Pakistan, Black September etc. We refuse to accept the fact that we have also media terrorists who are more vicious and dangerous than the terrorists mentioned above.

The media terrorists can easily be referred to as verbal terrorists. They don't kill with guns and swords or dangerous implements. They kill the very soul of their fellow human beings by tarnishing their hard won reputations and destroying the images of hitherto complete ladies and gentlemen in the society. Jealousy is their guard post.

The biggest problem this government has is an impatient and callous journalists and social commentators who want problems caused long before this government came to power to be fixed by the current government overnight.

For example, we don't have any Secretary of Roads and Highways in the US because, their roads and highways have been fixed long time ago after more than two hundred years of practicing democratic dispensation. Since independence in 1957, governments after governments have tried to fix roads but there are more roads to be fixed.

Paid verbal terrorists who call themselves journalists have simply refused to accept the fact that the Nana Addo administration came to meet many roads across the country in bad state.

The Minister of Roads and Highways, like his predecessors in the past, is trying his best to fix them. Who can tell me that for the nearly 20 years that Rawlings ruled this country all roads were fixed before they got spoiled? We all see roads being constructed across the country but some of our colleagues are wearing political wooden glasses so they don't see.

What is most worrisome is that some of them speak as if hot water mixed with hot pepper has been poured down their throats in their attempt to draw the attention of the government to a particular bad road. They openly and verbally attack and assassinate the character of ministers as if they could do better when put in that position.

They ungentlemanly spit hellfire on the President as if it is the President who created all the problems in the country. They go on this tangent because it is a common knowledge that the opposition NDC has voted huge sums of money to buy these irresponsible character assassinators. To these hired journalists a stack of money put on their tables with a luxurious car is the universal language. Very sad!

The unacceptable and crude type of journalism practiced by these upstarts in the profession have awaken us to danger and called to defend freedom and redefine the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law by Ex-President Kufuor and his then Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Journalism is now being raped with serrated manhood by these crooks. When we were, where were they? Sometimes it makes some of us who rose up against the Criminal Libel Law which was stolen into our Constitution ashamed of ourselves.

We feel like telling Dr. Obed Asamoah, the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General who said the Criminal Libel Law will be repealed over his dead body that we are sorry for taking him to the cleaners when he made that statement. The man foresaw the risk that will follow hence, his opposition to the repeal of the law.

It took a single radio journalist to plunge Rwanda into chaos which led to the death of more than 800 Rwandans and yet we refuse to learn from that sordid past of the Rwandans. We have some criminals parading as Radio/TV Presenters who want to turn the apple cart upside down. If they think they can succeed, someone out there should tell them that they should start wearing crush helmets because they are going to find some of us a hard nut to crack.

I am not a textbook player like them because I have lived under all regimes since independence and have experienced the worst. That is why I am a gut player. For now, they can continue to mess around. Like the mighty eagle, I will descend with my claws opened and grab the snake at the time of my choosing.

The other desert rats are the political thugs. These hooligans should learn from history. Both the NDC and NPP are guilty of this political thugs madness but the NDC, the real apostles of this political 'showdown' (apology to Kennedy Agyapong) wants to run away from the madness. Where are the Azoka Boys?

They were misused by Alhaji Sofo Azoka who is now a Vice Chairman of the NDC and very rich. The man won several juicy contracts when the NDC was in power but the boys who were at the beck and call of Sofo Azoka are still languishing in abstract poverty. They are roaming the streets of Tamale and other communities in the North, unemployed, poor and aimless.

In the run-up to the 2020 general election when Mr. John Mahama went to the Volta Region to make that unfortunate pronouncement that the NDC has a revolutionary root and so when it comes to unleashing violence no one could beat the NDC, I felt sorry for the desperate politician.

What he said was true but where are those who unleashed the violence on Ghanaians? Some of these cadres are living in abstract poverty, living from hand to mouth and not knowing where the next meal will come the following day.

Some have gone mad, roaming the streets and yet others spent all their times following the revolution and as such they could not get time to go to school. They are now too old, unemployed and unemployable.

They have turned into laughing stock in their respective villages where they live and cannot make ends meet. The children of Rawlings, the man they served and followed like zombies are well educated and living in luxurious mansions. In case of any irruption of violence, will John Mahama send his children to join the battle?

Any politician who wants thugs to do the dirty work does not hesitate to go to poverty stricken communities to recruit the idle youth. In Accra, their first places of call are Nima, Agbogbloshi, Ashiaman and other slums. In other cities, these politicians get their recruits from the Zongos where poverty is endemic.

How long should our brothers in these areas allow themselves to be misused and later ditched by power hungry politicians? Can't they wise up? Don't they see the children of these politicians pursuing courses in higher institutions with others domiciled abroad and only visit Ghana for holidays? Where are the children of Asiedu Nketia who continues to call for violence? They are all domiciled in Canada where their father owes a mansion.

It is the buffalo who said it is unfortunate that he and the cow comes from the same species but the cow is so stupid that it would allow even a small boy to tie its neck with rope and draw it to the slaughter house to be killed. Can you convince my two boys who are well educated to follow hooligans to cause trouble? Say NO because you can't, even if you swim in a pool of Dollars.

The Akans say Okotonwoanoma (The crab does not beget a bird). I leave the choosing of the lesser of these two evils for you, my dear reader. Someone should render an unqualified apology to Madam Ajoa Yeboah Afari, former Best Journalist of Ghana and my Editor in Residence for me. I will tell you the story later for you to learn a lesson from my experience.

By Eric Bawah
Retired Supreme Court judge, Justice William Atuguba, has said that "there are instances in which it may be felt that some members of the judiciary pay allegiance, apparently to the executive or otherwise, instead of to Ghana".

Citing an example to buttress his point, Justice Atuguba recalled at a lecture on Tuesday, 24 October 2023, at a public lecture themed: Protecting Our Democracy: The Role of the Judiciary, that: "Despite the clear provisions of article 146, a very knowledgeable Chief Justice of Ghana wrote on two occasions to a Justice of the Supreme Court terminating his tenure as a Supreme Court judge on the ground of ill health without complying with the said article 146".

He said: "On being shown the letters by the judge concerned, I strongly exhorted him to reply them raising the contravention of article 146".

"The same Chief Justice indirectly suspended me for 6 months by not empanelling me on any case immediately after I maintained my solo dissent in Tsatsu Tsikata v. The Republic when it came up for review by the Supreme Court".

"Before I curtail this issue, the same Chief Justice sidelined me as the then-realistic most senior Justice of the Supreme Court contrary to article 144 (6), who should act as the Chief Justice in his absence", Justice Atuguba narrated, indicating: "I felt that since the Supreme Court is the custodian of the Constitution, I could not condone its infractions".

"I, therefore, assumed the functions of the Chief Justice with clearance from the then-most senior Justice, who was then very seriously indisposed and handicapped, until I got to know from him, very shortly afterwards, that he had become fit enough to act as Chief Justice upon the death of the then-incumbent Chief Justice".

Justice Atuguba pointed out that: "It is this event which led Kweku Baako, a very prominent journalist, to state on a radio programme that in the bid for the post of Chief Justice, I declared myself as the acting Chief Justice, but when the said most senior Justice of the Supreme Court got wind of it, he said, 'You lie, I can act'.

Justice Atuguba said: "When I heard that allegation, I was gravely hurt, since I have never in my life made any move to be appointed the Chief Justice of Ghana because I consider lobbying for a position as a corrupt act, since it involves compromising ones conscience".

-Classfmonline
Minister for National Security, Mr Albert Kan -Dapaah, has resorted to legal action to facilitate the service of a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim on Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the Defendant in a defamation case.

After several unsuccessful attempts to personally serve the Defendant, Mr Dapaah's Counsel, Bright Okyere-Adjekum, filed a Motion Ex-Parte for an Order for Substituted Service dated October 18, 2023.

The motion seeks an Order for Substituted Service on the Defendant of the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim, which also allows for additional orders as deemed fit by the court.

In an accompanying affidavit, Mr Dapaah stated that his attempts to personally serve the Defendant had failed as he was unsure of Barker-Vormawor's place of abode, and serving him at his workplace was also unsuccessful.

He believes that the Defendant can be reached by posting or leaving copies of the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim on the court's notice board for 14 days and through a single publication in the Daily Graphic.

The motion is scheduled to be moved in court on October 27, 2023. Mr Dapaah initiated legal action against Barker-Vormawor over alleged defamatory statements, including claims of offers made by government officials to stop activism.

It would be recalled that on 26th. September, 2023, Mr Kan Dapaah instructed his Counsel to issue a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim against Oliver Barker-Vormawor for the following reliefs;

" a. A Declaration that the words uttered by the Defendant and particularised below or words to that effect are defamatory of Plaintiff.

They went as far as offering us US$ 1 million, they offered us a Committee Appointment, set up a Committee and appointed us to Government positions in order to stop this activism.

This was made directly to me and other leaders of Fix the Country Movement...

This conversation we had with the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Finance and a Brigadier General at a safe home.

b. Recovery of the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHC 10, 000,000) as General Damages including Aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for Defamation for the words uttered by Defendant.

c. An apology for and retraction of the words complained of supra.

d. Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the Plaintiff.

e. Costs".

-Classfmonline
The National House of Chiefs has directed the consultant working on the revised constitution of the Dagbon Traditional Area to consider petitions over territorial issues raised by certain interest groups before the promulgation of the new document.

Naa Puowele Karbo III, Vice President of the House, gave the directive when the revised constitution was presented to the House for approval, having been considered by the Dagbon Traditional Council and the Northern Regional House of Chiefs.

The House, after acknowledging the good job done by the consultant, underlined the need to do further consultations to make room for the issues raised by other stakeholders to achieve sustainable peace in Dagbon through the new constitution.

Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II, the Overlord of Dagbon, established the Dagbon Constitution Review Committee and appointed a consultant to appraise, evaluate and review the report of the Conference of Dagbon Chiefs held in Yendi in 1930 which had since become the constitution of Dagbon.

The initiative by the Ya Naa, is being supported by a consortium seeking to promote and sustain peace in the Northern Region with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

They include Care International, National Peace Council and West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP).

Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, the Consultant for the constitution review led the team that presented the draft copy to the National House of Chiefs for approval and adoption.

He said the preamble of the revised constitution encapsulated the cultural philosophy, historical antecedents, fundamental principles, and core values of the people of Dagbon.

It also succinctly states the collective aspirations of the chiefs and people of Dagbon to perpetuate peace and stability as the fundamental bedrock for sustainable development of the Dagbon Kingdom to the benefit of citizens and the people in the geographical space, he told the House.

For decades, Dagbon was embroiled in an intense contest between the Abudu and Andani royal lineages of the Yendi Skin which often resulted in bloody conflicts.

Various governments appointed fact-finding committees to resolve the issue and maintain peace and stability.

It is for this reason that the House of Chiefs wants the consultant to consider the issues raised by all stakeholders in the revised constitution to further strengthen the peace in Dagbon.

GNA
25.10.2023 LISTEN

Emmanuel Owusu has emerged winner of the Graduate Students' Association of Ghana (GRASAG) National Presidential election.

The election took place in Tamale on Saturday, October 21, 2023, as part of the 28th Annual Delegates' Congress.

Emmanuel Owusu's victory was not only a win but also a clear triumph. Known for his unwavering commitment to the welfare of graduate students, he secured an impressive 302 votes. His closest competitor, Akudugu Issaka, received 216 votes.

Emmanuel Owusu's rise to the GRASAG National Presidency highlights his values and capabilities. His campaign emphasized visionary leadership, effective communication, problem-solving skills, and a strong dedication to the graduate student community.

Throughout his campaign, Mr. Owusu outlined a visionary path for GRASAG, with a focus on advocacy, empowerment, and impact. He expressed a strong commitment to creating more equitable and supportive opportunities for postgraduate students in Ghana.

In his remarks to the media, Emmanuel Owusu expressed heartfelt gratitude to the student body and pledged to fulfil his campaign promises. He says his vision for GRASAG promises a transformative era of leadership, where every graduate student feels valued, empowered, and well-prepared for their future endeavours.

Emmanuel Owusu's decisive victory marks a new chapter in GRASAG's history. Graduate students in Ghana can now look forward to a future characterized by opportunities, support, and inclusive and visionary leadership.

As Mr. Owusu assumes the role of GRASAG National President, the hopes and dreams of graduate students across the nation will receive the attention and commitment they rightly deserve.
Recently, a report titled "Rohingya face second genocide as violence surges in Bangladesh refugee camps" appeared in the renowned Hong Kong-based media South China Moring Post (SCMP) on October 15, 2023. A day after the publication, the title was changed, but the question remains about the authenticity and standards of the prominent newspaper.

The writer of the article occasionally writes about the Rohingya crisis, but most often, it seems that she is targeting the state authority of Bangladesh rather than finding out the root causes and durable solutions to the problem, which is really unfortunate. While the article highlights the challenges and violence faced by the Rohingya, it is essential to consider the whole situation to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.

A Complex Security Situation

The camps are indeed facing significant security challenges, but it's important to recognize that these issues are not solely the result of actions by Bangladeshi authorities. About 40,000 to 70,000 people per square kilometer are living in the 34 Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, which is more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh. The security situation in camps cannot be imagined sitting abroad in a fine-tuned building. Maintaining this vast population of 1.2 million Rohingyas for the last six years is a mammoth task.

Added to that, the presence of various armed groups and factions within the Rohingya community has contributed to the lawlessness and insecurity in the camps. Infighting between groups like the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization has led to violent clashes, abductions, and killings. To address this, it's crucial to engage with the Rohingya community itself to find a comprehensive solution that involves both security measures and community initiatives.

Bangladesh's Burden

While the Rohingya fled Myanmar to escape persecution, it's worth acknowledging the tremendous burden Bangladesh has undertaken by providing shelter to the "most persecuted" people around the world. The article of SCMP suggests that Bangladesh views the Rohingya as a burden, but it is essential to understand the significant strain this influx has placed on the country's resources and infrastructure. Repatriation, as advocated by Bangladesh, may indeed be a challenging solution, but it reflects the country's limited capacity to accommodate such a vast refugee population.

The economic, security, social and environmental cost of Rohingya crisis is beggar description. Apart from humanitarian costs, Bangladesh is spending a lot of its workforce to manage the Rohingya refugees. The nation has already invested BDT 1 billion (more than US 90 million) in the construction of a basic barbed-wire fence and US $300 million to set up Bhasan Char for the temporary relocation of one lakh Rohingyas living in the Coxs Bazar camps.

The Rohingya people are becoming heavily involved in human trafficking, fanaticism, drug trafficking, and violence, which is causing discontent in the area. According to reports, crimes including extortion by Rohingya gangs in the camps and power struggles between various Rohingya groups have increased recently, as demonstrated by the murders of Mohib Ullah and other Majhis (Rohingya leaders).

There has also been a rise in recent years in the number of Rohingyas leaving the camps and embarking on perilous sea voyages to Malaysia or Indonesia. Rights organizations claim that the number of persons leaving the camps has substantially grown, going from 500 last year to an estimated 2,400 this year. The UN claims that the probable sinking of a boat in recent weeks carrying 180 Rohingya Muslims might make 2022 one of the deadliest years in almost a decade.

Conflict between the refugee community and the host community could result from growing societal unrest. The hospitable neighborhood expressed concern for the numerous displaced Rohingya and offered their help in locating refuge in Cox's Bazar. The pro-hostile posture of the host community has, nevertheless, considerably diminished over time. The arrival of over a million Rohingya refugees in Ukhiya and Teknaf was a big demographic "shock" for the locals of the host community. Social unrest, violence, anger, social breakdown, and economic instability are commonly linked to the worsening situation of Rohingyas.

Of the total 2,092,016 acres of forest area, 3,500 acres have already been lost as a result of the Rohingya population concentration in Cox's Bazar. It equates to a loss of 1.67 percent of Cox's Bazar's total forest area. The FDMNs also use a significant amount of firewood from the forests to suit their needs for cooking fuel. Deforestation is ultimately causing a biodiversity imbalance, frequent landslides, groundwater contamination, and depletion.

Challenges of Humanitarian Aid

The reduction of monthly food rations from US12 dollar to US8 dollar for the Rohingyas is undoubtedly a concerning issue. However, it's important to recognize the limitations faced by humanitarian agencies in providing assistance to a population of this size. Bangladesh and international organizations have been providing essential aid, but the sheer scale of the crisis presents logistical and financial challenges. Engaging in a constructive dialogue and cooperation with these agencies is essential to ensure that the refugees' needs are met effectively.

The article points to the role of the international community in holding Bangladesh accountable for the conditions in the camps. While this is a valid concern, it's important to emphasize that the resolution of the Rohingya crisis requires a collective effort. The international community should work collaboratively with Bangladesh to address the multifaceted challenges, rather than solely placing blame on one party.

The situation in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh is undoubtedly complex and fraught with challenges. While the article highlights the plight of the Rohingya and the need for their protection and justice, it's essential to consider the broader context. The multifaceted issues within the camps, the burden on Bangladesh, the challenges of humanitarian aid, and the role of the international community all contribute to the complexity of this crisis. Calling this crisis, a "second genocide" is misleading because it sounds like Bangladeshis are targeting and killing Rohingyas. The world should remember that Bangladesh appears as a protector, not perpetrator.

Shafiqul Elahi is a Retired Government Official of Bangladesh
25.10.2023 LISTEN

I just realized how ignorant lot of people especially Ghanaians are about the Israel/ Palestine conflict and the occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel. This is mind boggling considering the sheer amount of evidence available online even from Jews about this 75-year conflict.

You guys don't even know what this conflict is about rather sadly. It's about Israel violating a UN agreement on a two-state solution ie a state of Israel and a state of Palestine. This is where the problem began. Israel after getting their share of the land decided to intrude on parts of the areas belonging to Palestine. These areas until 2014 included Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem. In 2014, Israel decided to abandon Gaza but before they left, they barricaded Gaza, the reason Gaza is called open air prison. Nothing goes in or out of Gaza without the permission of Israel. It is reasonable for a Palestinian to approach the Gaza cage. The penalty for going near the Gaza cage is shoot to kill.

The second problem is that Palestinians in the occupied territories are subjected to martial law ie the Israelis treat them as they wish. They have no human rights. Their homes can be taken away at any time. To own a land in the occupied territories, an American Jew or British Jew or whatever can just just fly to West Bank and take a house belonging to an indigenous Palestinian and the Palestinian has no right to complain. In West Bank and East Jerusalem where Israel still occupies, in every 100 metres, there is a check point. The Israeli military has the free hand to seize any house in these areas and use them as military.

This conflict has nothing to do with a promised land. The Jews are already living on the promise land. However, they have stolen Palestinian lands in addition to the promised land with the help of Britain and the US.

The reasons above and many atrocities committed by the Israeli government is the reason why Israel is known as the only remaining apartheid state in the modern world.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of defunct Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1 has indicated that he will contact the Ghana Police Service to return the GHS2.5 million given to them for security reasons.

On Tuesday, October 23, the Police in a press release confirmed the receipt of the money in question while announcing that it has been deposited at the Bank of Ghana.

In the release, the Police said they are leaving the distribution of the money to aggrieved customers of Menzgold to the court to decide.

The Police, on the advice of the Office of the Attorney-General, on Friday 20th October 2023, received an amount of GH2.5 Million from suspect Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1.

The said amount has been deposited in the Police Exhibit account at the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for the attention of the Court.

We would like to state that the decision on the disbursement of the money would be determined by the court, parts of the Police release said.

Speaking to Starr FM today, NAM1 said he never agreed with the Police for the money to be deposited at the Bank of Ghana.

He explained, The intent was not to give money to the police to distribute. We went to the police because we wanted security. The agreement with the police was to have them provide a desk where we could distribute the money.

According to Nana Appiah Mensah, he will go to the Police and demand back the money, adding that the court has no responsibility to pay my customers.

I am surprised the money has been deposited at the Bank of Ghana. I will go back to the police and ask them to give the money back to me because that was not the arrangement we had, NAM1 stressed.
French president Emmanuel Macron is due in Egypt, after holding talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman. This, as the United Nations says that it will stop releif work in Gaza by the end of the day due to lack of fuel.

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold talks in Cairo this Wednesday with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on the latest leg of a whistle-stop crisis tour of the Middle East.

Egypt has been one of the main brokers in efforts to secure the release of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

On Tuesday, Macron already met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, before meeting King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman.

This comes as the main UN aid agency in Gaza has warned it will have to stop operations by the end of Wednesday because it is running out of fuel, as Hamas said overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 80 people.

Tensions at the United Nations

Alarm has grown about the spiralling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where medics have been forced to perform emergency surgery on the wounded without anaesthetic.

Israel has cut off Gaza's usual water, food and other supplies, and fewer than 70 relief trucks have entered the enclave since the war started  "a drop of aid in an ocean of need," according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Israel has launched incessant strikes on Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants who killed more than 1,400 people and took 222 hostages on 7 October.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "eliminate Hamas" and Israeli bombing has now killed more than 5,800 people in Gaza, many of them children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Tempers flared at the United Nations in New York where Guterres decried the "epic suffering" in Gaza and the "collective punishment" of its 2.4 million residents, drawing a furious response from Israel.

"Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?" replied an infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who recounted graphic accounts of civilians including young children killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that the UN chief had "expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder."

600,000 displaced in Gaza

On the 19th day of Israeli air and artillery strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA warned operations are at breaking point.

"If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip," said the agency which provides aid to 600,000 displaced in Gaza, where many families have slept in the open.

Israel has refused to allow fuel shipments into Gaza, fearing Hamas will use it for weapons and explosives and accusing the militant group of stockpiling supplies in large tanks.

The Gaza war has sparked fears of a regional conflagration if it draws in more of Israels' enemies  especially Iran-backed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah which has already traded deadly cross-border fire with Israel.

Israeli strikes also killed eight soldiers early Wednesday in the south of Syria, another Iran ally, in what the Israeli army said was a response to earlier rocket fire.
The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, welcomed H.E. Sune Krogstrup, the Danish Ambassador to ECOWAS and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to Abuja. The purpose of the gathering is to strengthen the 20-year relationship that has existed between the Royal Kingdom of Denmark and the ECOWAS Commission.

The discussions during the audience revolved around the prospects of a new cooperation agreement between the ECOWAS Commission and the Danish Government under the Africa Partnership for Peace and Stability (APPS) Program - Phase V.

Ambassador Krogstrup conveyed his intentions regarding the forthcoming visit to Nigeria and ECOWAS of H.E. Dan Jannik Jrgensen, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy.

The meeting also delved into the ECOWAS Commission's ongoing efforts and engagements with member states in transition. Topics such as the political situation in the Republic of Niger, post-election disputes in Sierra Leone, and the ongoing elections in Liberia were discussed.

Ambassador Krogstrup acknowledged the diligent efforts of the ECOWAS Commission in addressing security and economic challenges within the sub-region. The Royal Kingdom of Denmark reiterated its commitment to providing continuous support through intervention programs.
25.10.2023 LISTEN

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, has expressed support for the establishment of a regulatory framework to govern the use of social media during elections to safeguard the peace and security of the nation.

She emphasised the need for clear regulations regarding the use of social media in the context of elections.

Speaking at a seminar last Thursday on the theme The Impact of Disinformation on Electoral Integrity, Peace and Security in Africa, Mrs Mensa said one of the most pressing challenges confronting electoral management bodies today was the proliferation of fake news and disinformation campaigns on social media platforms.

Indeed, the culture of spreading fake news or falsehood is not a new phenomenon but the advent of the internet and social media has allowed it to spread at a faster and more widespread rate, with a damaging consequence to electoral management bodies and elections, she added.

She noted that social media if not properly managed could pose a real threat to elections and destabilise the peace and security of the country.

Mrs Mensa added that the Commission would be happy if regulation was put in place to manage social media use, especially during elections to check mis/disinformation.

We, at the Electoral Commission of Ghana, support the development of a framework to guide the use of social media around elections and the peace and security of our respective countries.

She assured of the Commissions commitment to delivering a free and fair general election in 2024.

We do not doubt that, as was the case in 2020, we will carry the citizens along with us and build public trust and confidence in our work, and ultimately maintain the peace and security of our dear nation, she assured.

On his part, Dr Kevin Casas Zamora, the Secretary-General of the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), described disinformation as a virus that exploits already existing weaknesses in the information system.

This pandemic of disinformation is thus both deeply rooted and truly global, at the International IDEA, we are engaging with this growing challenge for democracy through our new work stream that looks, especially at the intersection of digitalisation and democracy, including how to build trust and the resilience of democratic institutions and processes against disinformation and other digital threats, he stated.

With this, we are implementing several projects aimed at protecting electoral integrity by advising election management bodies and other authorities on best practices, convening spaces for dialogue and providing technical assistance, he added.

The Minister for National Security, Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, explained that disinformation and misinformation ranked high on the list of security challenges confronting Ghana.

In West Africa, for instance, the overthrow of democratically elected governments and the emergence of military rule, are largely fueled by mis/disinformation. Mis/disinformation has emerged as potent tools that are utilised for influence operations and malicious campaigns that undermine electoral integrity, peace and also security, he added.

Mr Dapaah said these campaigns were orchestrated by a spectrum of actors, including state and non-state entities, local and foreign actors, as well as political and nonpolitical players.

He, therefore, stressed the need for collaboration among all stakeholders, including civil society organisations and the media, in the fight against the phenomenon.
The trillion-dollar infrastructure vision

Over the last decades, China has been at the forefront of championing multiple global initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, amongst others.

One of such global initiatives is the Belt and Road Initiative, which has become known shortly as BRI.

Launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived in the history of our world.

The BRI is earmarked to recreate the historic Silk Road trade route in order to open up the world market and establish a trade and investment network spanning the three continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe to facilitate greater global growth and development.

For the Chinese leadership, they aspire to maintain an open world economic system and achieve diversified, independent, balanced, and sustainable development with a shared future. The BRI is now not simply an economic initiative but also a global public good instrument, where theyre rallying resources to achieve this ambitious plan.

BRI matters to developing countries

Its key to mention that the BRI is not a China-only story. The primary goal of the initiative is to address the vast infrastructure demand in developing countries.

As of August 2023, 155 countries were listed as having signed up to the BRI. The participating countries represent more than half of the world's GDP and nearly 75% of its population.

Beyond the numerous global discussions surrounding the viability and relevance of the BRI, the initiative is active, with a number of projects already finished or in progress and contributing to economic growth and creating unlimited job opportunities.

As at October 2023, there has been over 3000 projects completed under the BRI generating over 420,000 jobs.

BRI member countries in the global south are aiming to maintain and increase their involvement in the BRI. To these receiving states, where infrastructure financing is desperately needed, geopolitical externalities are of secondary concern.

BRI & Africas connectivity ambitions

Its imperative to ask questions that border on the significance of the BRI for Africas own development future. How does the BRI fit into Africas infrastructure development agenda?  Its outright significant.

The primary infrastructure bottlenecks for the continent have long been identified as energy, water, sanitation, telecoms, and transportation. With 30 countries regularly facing power outages and slightly more than a third of Africans having access to electricity,

By 2025, the African Development Bank estimates that the African continent will need to spend up to $170 billion annually to upgrade its infrastructure, with two-thirds of that amount going toward brand-new infrastructure and the remaining one-third going toward maintenance.

In Africa, demand for electricity will increase by 93% by 2035, around 47% of roads will need to be paved, ports must increase their average container handling performance from 20 to 25 to 30 moves per hour, and an additional 300 million people must have access to the Internet to keep up with the continents economic growth.

The World Bank estimates that in order to achieve universal Internet access throughout Africa, $100 billion will need to be invested in infrastructure, such as 4G stations, and at least 250,000 kilometers of fiber will be required to build and maintain broadband networks.

For Africa to experience economic success and sustained growth, the infrastructure gap must be filled. Improved infrastructure would make it easier to conduct more intraregional and international trade, lower business costs, increase Africa's competitiveness both domestically and internationally, and act as a catalyst for the continent's economic transformation and diversification through industrialization, value addition, and sustainable and inclusive growth.

BRI is delivering infrastructure development across Africa, and the continent has a more positive view of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) than anywhere else outside China.

As of August 2022, 50 of the 55 countries in Africa had signed some sort of memorandum of understanding or other agreement on the BRI.

The African Union has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on BRI cooperation with China.

Some countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia (on the shores of the Indian Ocean), as well as Egypt and Djibouti (on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea), have strategic locations that make them natural BRI partners because they link Africa, Asia, and Europe.

For the rest of the many countries on the continent that have joined the BRI countries list, its to help them meet their urgent infrastructural development needs.

Boosting intra-African trade

Africa has an ambitious plan for a common and single market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Transporting goods between nations has been a hindrance to intercontinental trade because the continent is made up of several small landlocked nations without access to ports.

The primary cause of this is a lack of streamlined and effective transportation routes throughout the continent, which leads to high expenses from shoddy infrastructure.

To remove integration bottlenecks, it is essential to invest in telecommunications infrastructure, ports, power generation, and roadway and railroad infrastructure.

China has aggressively been at the forefront of infrastructure financing across the continent, helping African countries build a large number of infrastructure projects over the years.

According to research by the Center for Global Development, a US think tank, Chinas two major foreign development banks invested $23 billion in infrastructure projects on the continent between 2007 and 2020.

That amounts to $8 billion more than the combined contributions of the other top eight lenders, which include the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the US and European development banks.

Africas Agenda 2063 and BRI Vision

In January 2015, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the 24th African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, Africans adopted a shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development called Agenda 2063.

Its meant to be a strategic guide to Africa's development in the next fifty years. The goal of Agenda 2063 is to fulfill seven aspirations, each with specific objectives that, if met, will bring Africa one step closer to realizing its vision for 2063.

The Agenda 2063 states category aspiration number two of Africas quest to build a connected continent in all shapes and forms within the next 50 years.

Africans aspire to build an integrated continent, politically united, and based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africas Renaissance.

This, according to the goals of these aspirations, would entail developing a world-class infrastructure crisscrossing Africa"improving connectivity through newer and bolder initiatives to link the continent by rail, road, sea, and air; and developing regional and continental power pools, as well as ICT.

BRI is already delivering infrastructure development across Africa, and the continent has a more positive view of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

African infrastructure and economic growth may be unified and expedited as a result of China's participation in infrastructure projects on the continent, and the Belt and Road Initiative's goal of enhancing connectivity among member nations resonates directly with Africas own ambitions for the next 50 years.

www.africachinacentre.org | [email protected]
France has announced the sale of defensive equipment to Armenia as Azerbaijan launched military drills with its ally Turkey.

The deal was announced weeks after Baku seized Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists and amid fears in Yerevan that Azerbaijan might now seek to target southern Armenia.

Speaking to reporters, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Armenia would buy three Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar systems from the French defence group Thales, without providing financial details.

The system, already used in Ukraine, is known for its "remarkable detection capabilities", Lecornu said at a press conference alongside Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, who is on a visit in Paris.

The ministers also signed a letter of intent for Armenia's purchase of air defence systems involving Thales and European missile maker MBDA, a spokeswoman for Lecornu told AFP.

Lecornu said the letter of intent involved the purchase of "Mistral-type" equipment, referring to a short-range air defence missile system.

Armenia also signed a contract to buy night-vision goggles from the French group Safran, the defence ministry spokeswoman said.

In a statement, the Armenian defence ministry said that the ministers discussed defence and that the two countries later signed documents relating to "bilateral cooperation".

Diaspora

In early October, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on a visit to Armenia that Paris had agreed to deliver military equipment to the Yerevan

After that announcement, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev refused to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for talks in Spain.

Azerbaijan slammed what it called France's policy of "militarisation" in the South Caucasus.

France, which has a large Armenian diaspora, has helped mediate a decades-old territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

War games

Earlier Monday, Azerbaijan said it had begun joint military drills with its ally Turkey near the border with Armenia.

The Azeri Defence Ministry said "up to 3,000" troops are taking part in the "tactical drills" held in the capital Baku, the Nakhichevan exclave between Iran and Armenia, as well as territories retaken from Armenian separatists.

The exercises, dubbed "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 2023,' involve dozens of artillery weapons and aviation.

Baku said they were aimed at "ensuring combat interoperability" between the allies.

Talks

Ironically, Armenia and Azerbaijan also engaged in talks Monday in Tehran seeking to ease tensions.

At the meeting, which also included foreign ministers from Turkey, Russia and Iran, the envoys noted a push for peace in the Caucasus.

"This meeting... can be the cornerstone of the path towards establishing peace and ending challenges in the South Caucasus with the participation of regional players and neighbours," said Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The talks are seen as Moscow's attempt to reduce growing Western influence in the Caucasus, a region it has long considered as its backyard.

According to Moscow's original plan, the "3+3 format" was meant to also include Georgia. But Tbilisi, which aspires to join the EU and NATO, has rejected the proposal.

(With newswires)
Ghanas $140m judgment debt payment to a Singaporean multinational commodities-trading company, Trafigura, is embarrassing, Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Papa Owusu Ankomah, has said.

He said it is unfortunate that the development got to the stage where the Ghana International Bank building, the Ghana High Commission's building in the UK which provides visa and other services, the commissioners residence and other properties belonging to Ghana are on the verge of being sold to offset the $140 million judgment debt awarded to Trafigura, the majority owner of Ghana Power Generating Company (GPGC).

A court in the United Kingdom in 2021 awarded a $140 million arbitral against Ghana for the termination of a power deal with GPGC.

The government was accordingly ordered by the court to make full payment of the value of the Early Termination Payment of $134,348,661 together with the Mobilisation, Demobilization and preservation and maintenance costs of the value. The court also ordered Ghana to pay all the interest that has accrued from it.

In addition, the government was asked to pay the cost of the arbitration and the legal fees of GPGC, which amounted to over $3 million.

Trafigura, an oil trader, now has the power to sell Ghana's assets in the UK in other to raise the amount of money it is owned by the government of Ghana.

Deputy Attorney-General Alfred Tuah Yeboah said although part payment was made, the state was unable to meet the installment payment plan.

Having failed to do so, the judgment creditor decided to execute the judgment. They attached property belonging to the Republic in the UK, and then they sought to serve us with that process. We then filed a motion trying to set aside the process through which we were served but the High Court in England said no, and that the service on us [state] was properly made. So now, the Ministry of Finance has been advised to once again approach the judgment creditors and make every effort to pay that money, he is reported to have said.

Speaking on this development, Papa Owusus Anakomah told Joy FM that As far as I am aware, its only Regina House which is used for commercial purposes because its been rented by the Ghana International Bank, two other banks and another commercial entity. That is the one that has been attached. All other properties are diplomatic properties and covered by immunity.

I heard you talk about the High Commissioners residence, but thats being used for diplomatic purposes, likewise, the other building youre talking about, that's the chancery, has not been attached. But I am sure the government is taking steps to liquidate that debt.

He added, Its unfortunate that weve come to this stage. It appears our financial circumstances as a country probably, are not holding brief for the finance minister, and that may have constrained the Finance Ministry from honouring the obligation to pay the debt by instalments. But, I am aware that the Finance Ministry is presently engaged in negotiations with lawyers for the judgment creditor to liquidate this debt.

Its embarrassing; I am embarrassed as High Commissioner for this thing to appear on the internet and everything, and be a subject matter of discussion in Ghana and in the Ghanaian media here. Its serious, but even for those in private business, it gets to a stage you have to prioritize payments when you dont have access to credit and monies being generated do not meet your obligations. Of course I am sure government could have said that we will pay this debt, and not pay some workers.

He added This is just the beginning. Its quite a process. It's not as if it can be done either today or tomorrow because Regina House for instance is on a lease. Even though its for a long time, its got about five or six years to run, and there are negotiations to extend the lease.

But I can assure you and Ghanaians that the Ministry of Finance has things well in hand. The creditors are interested in their money and its not going to be easy selling these properties, so its not as if tomorrow they are going to evict the Ghana High Commission and its staff from its premises, or the High Commissioner from his residence or tenants in Regina House are going to be evicted, no.

They are going to manage it somehow till they recover the money, so its just a way of pressurizing government to pay the judgment debt which I am sure the arrangements are being done.

-3news.com
Judging from what a former Justice of the Supreme Court William Atuguba said about the apex court regarding the case of Assin North Member of Parliament James Gyakye Quayson, Vice president of Imani Africa Bright Simons has said one can imagine how low the standing of the court will sink if it does not do soul-searching.

Bright Simons wants the Supreme Court to act immediately in dealing with concerns that have been raised against its handling of cases.

For a former Justice of the apex court & one-time seniormost Justice on that same court to break ranks this way, you can judge how low the standing of the Supreme Court is bound to sink if it does not do the necessary soul-searching, he tweeted.

In his criticisms of the Supreme Court, Mr Atuguba said the highest court of the land does not stand in a good light in disqualifying Gyakye Quayson despite his certificate of renunciation of his Canadian Citizenship as of 26th November 2020.

It is recalled that the Supreme Court declared James Gyakye Quayson's election as a lawmaker for Assin North in the Central Region as unconstitutional.

In a unanimous decision Wednesday, May 17, 2023, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge the name of Mr Quayson as MP.

It was the considered view of the court that the election of Mr Quayson breached Article 94(2) (a) of the 1992 Constitution because at the time he filed to contest the elections he was not qualified to be elected as a legislator since he had not renounced his dual citizenship

The court therefore declared Mr Quayson filing to contest, the EC's decision to allow him to contest as well as his swearing-in as MP in Parliament as all unconstitutional, null, and void.

He however contested in the by-election held in the same constituency on Tuesday, June 27, and won.

Delivering a public lecture in Accra on Tuesday, October 24, Mr Atuguba said The James Gyakye Quayson's decision by the Supreme Court is with all due respect scandalous in that the court, in the teeth of the settled maxim Res Judicata et non quieta movere, re adjudicated the same matter that has been adjudicated upon by the High court on the merits. All that was left was its execution according to court processes. Again the stress laid by the court on the statutory processes for acquisition and renunciation of citizenship shot itself in the foot. If the certificate of renunciation is so mandatory and conclusive why was it not conclusive in its effect to qualify Gyakye Quason when he received it, dated 26th November 2020, whereas the parliamentary election was held on 7th December 2020? Statutes, judgements, and documents must always be applied with consistency both in the letter and spirit.

These must always be construed holistically and as instruments of justice since it is a well settled principle that the duty of a court is to do justice and a court should not be turned away from doing justice. In the 2013 presidential election petition (2013) SCGLR (Special Edition) 73 at 141 I stated as follows: 'Again in Osman v Tedam (1970) 2 G & G 1246 (2d) CA and Osman v Kaleo (1970) 2 G&G 1380, the Court of Appeal held that though the respondents were members of the Convention Peoples Party whose constitution made all Members of Parliament of the Convention Peoples Party members of the party's Regional Executive Committee that did not without more, make the respondents members of such committees and therefore disqualified to contest the 1969 Parliamentary Elections, which they had won.

He added The decision in Osman v Kaleo is even more striking. Though the respondent had secured exemption from disqualification from contesting the parliamentary elections, it was submitted that since his exemption had not been published in the Gazzeet, upon which publication it will have effect, under paragraph 3 (5) of NLCD 223, 1968, the same was inoperative, notwithstanding that under paragraph 3(7) of that Decree, the decision of the Exemptions Commission was final and conclusive. The court of Appeal rejected that contention.

Again in JUSTICE DERY v TIGER EYE PI AND OTHERS (2015-2016) 2 SCGLR 816, the Supreme Court unanimously held that though the impeachment process against the plaintiff was published in contravention of Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution that could not vitiate the crucial impeachment procedures against him. In other words the substantial and more important provisions on the removal of a corrupt judge could not be diverted by the incidence of the unconstitutional publication of the impeachment petition.

Similarly, then the certificate of Renunciation dated the 26th November 2020 was more important than the anterior participation by Gyakye Quayson in the parliamentary campaigns between 5th and 9th October 2020 when he filled his parliamentary nomination papers with the electoral commission. The Supreme Court does not stand in good light, with all due respect in disqualifying Gyakye Quayson despite his clear certificate of Renunciation of his Canadian Citizenship as from 26th November 2020. By analogy also, in CLOSSAG v ATTORNEY GENERAL AND 2 OTHERS (2017 -2018) 1SCGLR 210, the Supreme Court unanimously held that a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service can join a political party but cannot actively participate in politics or hold office as a political party nominee or remain in the Civil Service after election as a member of the District Assembly. In other words, the operative evil to guard against is membership of the District Assembly not the contest for the same. Similarly, therefore, the operative evil to guard against about a dual citizen is, as regards parliament, his actual membership of it, not just the campaigns.

That is why in the Gyakye Quayson's case, his renunciation of Canadian citizenship certificate dated 26th November 2020 is the operative consideration. In any case it will be noticed that his certificate of citizenship is tied to an Oath pf allegiance. The 2 move together, the letter and the spirit. It is difficult to think that Gyakye Quayson who submitted his Renunciation of Citizenship Papers to Canada in 2019 could still in December 2020 be held as seriously owing allegiance as a matter of hard realism as opposed to formalism, to Canada. In the King David example I cited in Asare V Attorney General (2012), 1 SCGLR 460, his Israelite citizenship became of real concern to the Philistines when going into actual war with Israel.

-3news.com
CADMA AgriSolutions, an organization founded on the vision of spearheading an agricultural renaissance in Africa, has called on government to encourage and support the development of crop insurance schemes for farmers.

This comes in the wake of the recent spillage of the Akosombo Dam which has led to the loss of investments and livelihoods of thousands of farmers across Volta, Oti, Eastern, Bono East, Savannah, and Northern regions of the country.

The flooding has impacted over 5,000 acres of farmland and destroyed crops worth millions of cedis. This becomes a devastating blow to the affected rural communities who rely on farming as their primary source of income and food.

In a press statement, CADMA AgriSolutions urged government to take swift and decisive action to provide urgent assistance to the affected regions. The assistance should encompass crop compensations and support for essential infrastructure repairs or loss, it read.

The organisation has also called on government to implement programs to assist farmers in recovering their farmlands, re-establishing their crops or fishponds, and restoring their livelihoods.

These programs, according to them, could include access to seeds, fertilizers, and training to help them transition to alternative farming methods.

Recognising the critical role the Dam plays in Ghanas infrastructure, CADMA AgriSolutions also called on government to work towards enhancing the monitoring and improvement of the Akosombo Dam to prevent similar incidents. It must collaborate with other stakeholders to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness plans and invest in initiatives that promote the resilience of farming communities.

According to CADMA AgriSolutions, the spillage of the Dam has highlighted the need for crop insurance schemes for farmers. It believes this devastating period presents the perfect time to encourage and support the development of crop insurance schemes for farmers. "The scheme will provide farmers with a safety net in times of unexpected natural disasters," the statement concluded.

CADMA AgriSolutions stands in solidarity with Ghana's farmers and rural communities and remains committed to helping them recover and rebuild for the future.

Read the full statement below:
The increase amounts to an extra $6,192 a year for Kukulski, who has led the city staff of about 1,100 for five years.

On Oct. 16, the council reviewed his job performance and $206,435-a-year employment contract during a closed-door session.

We concluded wed love to see Chris with us, so we need to talk about salary, Mayor Bill Cole said during the council meeting on Monday evening.

The council approved a 3% increase to Kukulskis annual base salary on a 8-to-2 vote, with members Pam Purinton and Jennifer Owen opposing.

Purinton said she did not support the pay raise because local taxpayers are already facing increasing rates that could be even higher if Kukulski had his way.

I just think at a time when people are struggling, we need to hold off on this particular increase, she said.

Councilwoman Kendra Shaw said she thought the 3% raise made sense because its inline with the cost of living adjustments that were given to other city employees. And during Kukulski's annual performance review, she heard several positive comments from his staff.

Again and again, people said hes an approachable boss and they like working with him, Shaw said. I think someone characterized him as the best boss theyve ever had.

The city hired Kukulski in October 2018 on a $179,000 contract and he started the next month. He previously worked as the executive vice president for business development at Zoot Enterprises in Billings. Before moving to Eastern Montana, he served as city manager in Bozeman and Kalispell.

Since his hiring, Kukulski has helped Billings pass two public safety mill levies, steered staff and services through the COVID-19 pandemic and helped find a new home for City Hall.
A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms can find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.

However the absence of mammography machine in some parts of the country including the Adansi North district is affecting women especially those above the age of 40 to have their breast screened of cancer.

This was disclosed by the Medical Superintendent of the Adansi North District Hospital Dr. Abena Konadu Yawson during an interview at the sidelines of a breast screening exercise organised by AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine at Fomena in the Adansi North district to mark this year's breast cancer awareness month.

According to the Medical practitioner, except for the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and few private institutions in the Ashanti Region, most hospitals are without mammography machines. She was however hopeful that the Fomena Hospital would acquire one very soon to enable people know their status or undergo proper treatment.

Dr. Yawson also bemoaned the lack of commitment on the part of women to avail themselves of screening for breast cancer. She said most breast cancer cases are reported late making treatment very difficult.

Buttressing her point, a breast cancer survival, Nana Nyantakyiwaa Amoako Asare, queen mother of Obuasi Guasu, awareness about breast cancer has reached its peak and said she was fortunate to meet someone who was knowledgeable about breast cancer when she had hers.

She also encouraged the youth to take the breast screening very serious since early detection saves lives. She bemoaned the lack of mammograms in some health facilities in the region.

She said mammograms are crucial tool in detecting breast issues and removing cancerous cells after treatment. She again recommended regular checkups as necessary to ensure the disease does not return.

Nana Amoako Asare lauded AngloGold Ashanti for the free screening exercise and encouraged people to periodically have their breasts examined to forestall any cancerous situation.

AngloGold Ashanti has in its 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan a plethora of health intervention programs geared towards supporting the improvement of the health care needs of the people in their host communities.

According to the Senior Manager, Community Relations-Africa Emmanuel Baidoo, the campaign against breast and prostate cancers is not only to raise awareness about the diseases but to contribute to empowering individuals to take charge of their health through regular screenings and adopting healthy lifestyles.

He seized the opportunity to outline other health intervention programs and projects AngloGold Ashanti has undertaken and those it has lined up to implement. He mentioned that the company has successfully refurbished and handed over the Anyinam Health Center, cuts sod for the construction of the Dokyiwa/ Binsere health center whiles plans are afoot to start the construction of CHPs compound at Apitikooko, a theatre and laboratory facilities at Akrokerri CHPs compound and a Health centre at Akaporiso.

The Senior Manager, Community Relations-Africa, AngloGold Ashanti further stated that AGA is poised to extend its support across the entire Adansi Traditional area to acknowledge the support the traditional authorities in Adansi has given the company over the years.

The Chief Executive for the Adansi North District Assembly Hon. Kwaku Kusi Eric on his part said the misconceptions about breast cancer remain a huge barrier in the fight against the disease. He urged women to disregard myths and misconceptions surrounding breast cancer and seek medical attention promptly.

The Queenmother of the Adansi Traditional area Nana Amoanimaa Dede II lauded AngloGold Ashanti for the free breast and prostrate cancer screening describing it as a step in the right direction. She urged women to take advantage of the exercise to know their status.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign observed in October. The primary objective of this month-long campaign is to raise awareness about breast cancer, promote early detection, support those affected by the disease, and raise funds for research, prevention, and treatment.
Former Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Kwaku Gyan, has expressed deep concerns about the potential impact of the recent Akosombo Dam spillage on the 2024 general elections.

At a public lecture titled Protecting Our Democracy: The Role of the Judiciary, Justice Kwaku Gyan explained that the humanitarian tragedy and self-inflicted disaster has led to the destruction of the properties of affected residents.

He stressed that important identification documents such as the Ghana Card and the Voter ID, needed to exercise ones franchise, have thus been lost amidst the dam spillage.

Justice Kwaku Gyan indicated that the government and other relevant bodies are, however, recklessly downplaying the effect of the disaster, which has since disrupted normal activities in the affected communities.

He is thus urging relevant authorities to take necessary steps not to disenfranchise persons in the Volta Region and other communities affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage, as it is a constitutional right.

Many human settlements in the catchment areas have completely been wiped off the map. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians escaping the rampaging floods left behind practically all their human possessions. Relevant to the forthcoming 2024 elections are two most critical items and possessions of the people fleeing from the flood waters. They are the Almighty Ghana Card and the Voter ID card. Thus, apart from the inextensible loss of their creature comforts, the victims of this deluge in the Volta region in particular as well as those in other parts of the country manifestly risk the cruel denial their constitutional right to vote in the 2024 elections by reason of the loss or destruction through the Volta River floods of their national ID and Voter ID cards and unless something urgent and drastic done to avert this eventuality.

We all know that the universal adult suffrage and hence the franchise to vote by those qualified to vote is a constitutional imperative. Every reasonable and necessary step and action ought to be devised to avoid and prevent any mass disenfranchisement of the people of the Volta Region as well as those in all other parts of the country affected and afflicted by this man-made disaster, Justice Kwaku Gyan posited.
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a therapist who allegedly stole GHC340,359.00 belonging to her employer.

Wiyada Sonama pleaded not guilty when she was brought to the court on a bench warrant as she failed to attend court on criminal summons.

She will be brought back to the Court on October 31, 2023.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Maxwell Oppong told the Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah that Mr W. Sandhayara Devi was the complainant and the director of Lemon Grass Spa in Labone, Accra whilst accused Wiyada Senama was a therapist by Profession.

He said the complainant and the husband employed the accused person and another, Miss Suparat Taresat to work at the Spa.

On November 23, 2022, the two employees went out to have fun and returned home the following day at about 03:00 hours.

DSP Oppong said when the complainant heard about it called them on phone to rebuke them.

This, the Court was told, resulted in a quarrel and in the process the employees packed out of the complainants premises.

Prosecution said two days later, the complainant lodged a complaint of the two missing persons and a theft of GH50,000.00.

During investigation, the Police contacted the accused person and Miss Taresat who reported on November 29, 2022 to assist in the investigation, he said.

During the investigation, it was established that the accused person oversaw the finances of the firm, DSP Oppong said.

Based on this, an auditor, Mr Samuel K.B Asare, of CFA Associates, was engaged to audit the firm.

DSP Oppong said the auditor submitted his report which indicated that, the accused person had stolen GH340,359.00 belonging to Lemon Grass Spa.

The Court heard that accused person was cautioned to that effect and after investigations she was charged with the offence.

GNA
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is stepping up disease prevention measure in communities affected by the ongoing spillage of the Akosombo dam with the provision of thousands of mosquito nets.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the GHS, said it considered the rise in vector-borne diseases, and the intervention was an effort to protect the many displaced victims from mosquitoes and the like.

An effort to save the Akosombo Dam from overflow had flooded several communities.

In a reaction to protect communities affected by the disaster the Director General addressed a meeting with stakeholders at the National Emergency Operations Center at Battor following a tour of the affected areas on Monday.

He said flood was expected to recede over several months, and that the Health Service would sustain interventions till the end.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said the Service and its stakeholders focused on other health risks and challenges including the invasion of dangerous animals.

He said there was adequate stock of anti-snake venom and advised that the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other stakeholders worked together to ensure the needed medical supplies.

The Service is supplying large quantities of disinfectants, washing soaps, sanitisers, and water purification materials.

The Director General said waste management was also being considered seriously both within the communities and the various safe havens as part of the efforts to secure the 35,000 affected from disease outbreak.

We are hoping that the early response would reverse anticipated health risks, he said.

He further mentioned the provision of psychological experts to help free the thousands from trauma and said the support would be extended to individuals and families hosting the displaced.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye commended the record of zero cases of diseases such as cholera, which he said rewarded the commitment of health workers, and that the Service and partners including the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) were undertaking risk communication to help save lives.

Mr Michael Kofi Zigah, North Tongu Director of Health noted the need for extensive risk communication, which would help keep communicable diseases at bay.

He said a health force of ten doctors and several clinical nurses were taking control of the six health centres among the 15 safe havens in the district.

The Director General was accompanied on the visit by some Service heads, including the Director of Public Health.

GNA
Volta River Authority (VRA) says 1.5 million cedis worth of medicines have been supplied to affected communities in the Akosombo Dam spillage.

The District Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service is facilitating the distribution of the medicines to affected communities.

Mr Edward Obeng-Kenzo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA in charge of Engineering and Operations, announced this at the Ministers news briefing in Accra on Tuesday, to update the public on government relief after the spillage.

The spillage was undertaken by VRA to safeguard the integrity of the Akosombo Dam following rise in water volumes of the dam.

The spillage affected seven districts in the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions including South, Central and North Tongu, Ada East, Anlo and Asuogyaman.

Some of the hard-hit communities include Mafi Dugame, Kebedopo, Bekpo, Mepe, Avadimewoekome and Siamekote with houses, farmlands and properties running into thousands of Ghana cedis destroyed by the raging floods occasioned by the dam spillage.

President Akufo-Addo earlier visited some of the affected communities and assured his governments support and determination to restore lives and livelihoods of the affected people.

The President also set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Pare, to assess the damage caused by the spillage and plan the way forward.

Meanwhile, persons affected by the spillage could call the National Emergency Contact Centre on toll-free number 311 on all networks.

The Deputy CEO of VRA said the government was concerned about moving affected persons to safe havens and providing them with relief including food, medicines, blankets, buckets and mosquito coils to mitigate the discomforts caused by the spillage.

To that end, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Armed Forces and other government agencies are coordinating efforts to supply reliefs to the victims.

Mr Obeng-Kenzo said 5,000 solar lumps had been supplied to some persons sheltered in temporarily structures while 40 biodigester toilet booths had been installed to prevent indiscriminate defecating around the settlement.

Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, Deputy Minister of Information, said the Ministry would make sure the public was updated on the measures being rolled out by the Government on regular basis.

The Deputy Minister could not provide the total number of persons affected by the spillage or amount spent so far on providing relief since the state agencies responsible for those figures were still collating statistics on them.

However, she said, the VRA has allocated GHC20 million to support the evacuation efforts while private corporate entities and individuals were complementing governments efforts with donations to the victims.

GNA
Country Director of the World Bank for Ghana, Pierre Laporte yesterday commended the governments efforts to promote simplified sewerage systems within low-income urban communities in the country.

He said in addition to providing households and institutional toilet facilities as well as extension of piped water connections to low-income households, the government had demonstrated its commitment in bridging the infrastructural gap identified as one of the major challenges plaguing the sanitation and water resources sector.

He made the commendation during a familiarisation tour of the Ashaiman Simplified Sewerage Facility and Treatment Plant after it was inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo.

According to him, the project formed part of the World Banks numerous interventions which cut across education, infrastructure, water, and sewerage which the World Bank had been implementing for many years.

After the tour of the facility with his team, Mr. Laporte expressed satisfaction at the success of the project, having served its purpose of impacting the poor and other areas where such facility is needed.

Project Coordinator of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) sanitation project, Ing. George Asiedu for his part, said the inspection and satisfaction of Mr. Laporte was an indication of the success of the project which set the tone for future negotiations with the World Bank for other projects.

Touching on the proposed facility operation and management model, Mr. Asiedu said the intention was for the government to absorb the investment cost while the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly in partnership with a selected private operator, takes care of the daily operations and management of the plant.

He stated that beneficiary households would be billed monthly and proceeds would be used to settle operational expenditures and replacement of depreciating components of the plant.

The project has been one of the government-led World Bank funded in 2015. The primary objective is to improve sanitation, water supply, and environmental sanitation services in two metropolitan and 22 Assemblies in Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi.

As part of the project, 4 major drainage systems had been expanded to reduce flooding in Accra, while the capacities of thousands of government and civil society staff and a number of institutions had been built.

One other rare area in sanitation that the project ventured into, was the construction of two simplified sewerage systems in Ashaiman New Town in the Ashaiman municipality and Bankuman in the Tema metropolitan assembly.

The central objective of these interventions by the GAMA/GKMA Sanitation and Water Project is to increase access to improved sanitation in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi with focus on low-income urban communities and ensuring the disposal of treated effluent in a sustainable manner in order to minimise sanitation-related public health issues.
The flare-up in the Middle East sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel is rekindling deep tensions in France.

"The French debate is highly inflammable," said Jean Garrigues, a professor of political history at the University of Orleans in central France. "Even many of the so-called experts are biased, which makes it very difficult to establish an objective neutrality."

Garrigues said there was an undercurrent of what he called "repentance" in France.

It is linked to both its history as colonial master in the Arab world, notably in Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, and to collaboration during World War II, when some officials in France helped the German occupiers round up Jews and send them to death camps.

This makes President Emmanuel Macron's government mindful of balancing its strong support for Israel's fight against Hamas with an equally firm stance on the protection of Palestinian civilians.

In the latest example of deep polarisation among politicians, National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet drew heavy criticism for her trip at the weekend to Israel, where she gave public support to Israel's "right to defend itself".

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon accused Braun-Pivet of "setting up camp in Israel to encourage the massacre" in Gaza.

Braun-Pivet retorted that she was "very shocked" and in turn accused Melenchon of using the French term "camper" as a veiled reference to concentration camps.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne quickly weighed in, saying the parliament speaker had been the target of "despicable accusations", with others accusing Melenchon of anti-Semitism.

The remarks were tantamount to "calling Jews the party of foreign interests and of war", said Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF).

'Beyond community lines'

Melenchon's party, La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) has also stayed clear of calling Hamas a "terrorist" organisation after the attacks.

That has created deep divisions with the Socialists and Greens, with whom it is allied in a loose leftist opposition coalition known as NUPES.

"The Israel-Palestinian conflict resonates far beyond community lines in France," said Marc Hecker, a researcher at IFRI, a French think tank on international relations.

It is also the only geopolitical topic "that can make tens of thousands of people take to the streets", he said, unlike the war in Ukraine.

Hecker said pro-Palestinian sentiment could be found as much in neo-Gaullist quarters seeking closer ties with the Arab world after the colonial war in Algeria, as among leftist Catholics and far-left anti-imperialist movemements.

Thousands of people demonstrated in several French cities at the weekend in support of Palestinians, some shouting slogans designating Israelis "murderers" and Macron as "their accomplice".

(with AFP)
25.10.2023 LISTEN

Snake bites have dominated cases reported at makeshift health centers serving victims of flooded communities displaced by the spillage of water from Akosombo and Kpong dams.

The Director-General of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye after visiting some affected areas told 3news that the situation is under control. He noted however, that there is the need for systems strengthening.

Dr. Kuma Aboagye said there is no outbreak of any disease yet, but they are planning against cholera and diarrhea-related diseases and malaria.

The spillage of water from the two dams has raised concerns about possible outbreak of diseases in the affected communities because the residents have come into contact with contaminated water. According to health authorities, there is need for additional deployment of logistics in the area.

''More logistics will be needed. We have been bringing them mosquito nets and Aqua taps for clean water. We have created makeshift structures and I am just coming from Mepe. Even though they are all well, but there is an urgent call for medical screening for them. I believe the systems are working and we will continue to strengthen it until the whole situation is brought under control.

For now, we have not seen anything significant apart from snake bites at a few centres. Some of the places, its quite difficult to hang nets but the regions are coming up with innovative ways to hang the nets so that we can prevent malaria infection transmission. Ramification goes beyond the physical we see. Even mental stress having to sleep on verandas,'' he noted.

He emphasized that despite the lesser impact on other areas compared to the Volta Region, all affected persons would be attended to.

''But 3 districts in Eastern and Greater Accra, the water has not affected directly most part of the community but we are disinfecting the areas to ensure they are safe. We advise they stay away from the water and if they continue like that, we won't have the catastrophe projected. We need those who can support to come and support the communities'' he said.

So far, over 26,000 people have been displaced in parts of the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra regions.

-3news.com
More than 500 miners who stayed underground for almost three days in a standoff between rival South African labour unions were all brought back to the surface on Wednesday, police said.

Some 455 workers including paramedics and security guards emerged into the afternoon daylight after a first group of 107 had made their way back up in the morning, said police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili.

"The mine rescue team has confirmed that they have cleared the underground area," she said.

"Paramedics that were on the surface provided medical assistance and four injured men, including a security officer, were taken to hospital for further medical treatment," she added.

Authorities seized sticks and screw drivers that were found in the mine lift and would open a case of kidnapping and assault, she said.

The miners had failed to emerge from the Gold One mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg, after a night shift on Monday.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), one of the two unions involved, and management at the mine said the workers were being "held hostage" by members of the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).

AMCU denied the allegations, saying the miners were staging a "sit-in" protest.

But police later said that some miners confirmed in interviews with detectives "that they were indeed held against their will".

NUM's spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said some of those who got out in the morning did so after overpowering "those that were holding them hostage".

AMCU seeks recognition

The AMCU's regional secretary Tladi Mokwena had earlier said that all the miners were coming out "willingly" having run out of food.

"Management has closed all the routes for them to receive food. So, we couldn't allow workers to stay underground without food," he said.

Security forces patrolled the area Tuesday evening as about 100 miners sang protest songs. By Marco Longari (AFP)

The dispute revolved around union representation at the mine, where the NUM is currently the only group officially registered.

The AMCU says an overwhelming majority of miners have signed up to join it. But it is yet to be given official representation, which it says is the reason for the protest.

The NUM was founded in 1982 by the country's President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former labour unionist. It remains the nation's biggest mineworker union.
The Old Vandals Association of the University of Ghana, has condemned brutalities allegedly meted out to students of the Commonwealth Hall by the university administration during the vigil in honour of a former National Science and Maths Quiz star, late James Lutterodt.

A group of students were allegedly assaulted by the universitys administration on the night of June 30, 2023, for organising a vigil in honour of the late James Lutterodt.

The Association during a press conference on October 25, chastised the universitys administration for allegedly unleashing terror on students.

It further lashed out at the present leadership of UG for setting what it described as dangerous precedents.

On the night of 30th June this year, a group of students gathered peacefully to observe a vigil in honour of one of their colleagues, the late James Lutterodt, a Vandal and a former National Science & Maths Quiz Star, whose untimely demise had deeply impacted the student community on the University campus.

This rather solemn occasion exhibiting compassion and solidarity with the fallen hero was marred by brutalities visited on the students at the invitation of the University Administration. Again, we struggle to understand what the intentions of the University Administration were by unleashing terror on students whose interests the Administration was ostensibly expected to protect and defend.

It stated that the deep-seated dislike for the Commonwealth Hall and Vandals by the current University Administration has no basis.

The Old Vandals Association clarified that theres no rivalry between students of Commonwealth Hall and Mensah Sarbah Hall students.

As we speak, members of these two halls are not at loggerheads with each other as some current officers of the University are seeking to portray. Such narratives are just smokescreens to serve as launchpads for unleashing a well-rehearsed agenda against student-activism and progressive developments among students of the University.

Vikings and Vandals have co-existed for decades, reinforcing our respective strengths and successes. We have collaborated more in the protection and defence of student interests than engaging in violent activities. We, as Old Vandals, swiftly condemned in no uncertain terms the perpetrators of the disturbances on campus in the first week of August 2022 and implored the Ghana Police Service to do its utmost to bring the perpetrators to book.

Read below a statement issued by the Old Vandals Association

Statement by the Old Vandals Association on current issues with respect to the discrimination against University of Ghana students in the Commonwealth Hall and the Old Vandals Association by the University Administration  25th October 2023

Introduction Good Day, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am the National President of the Old Vandals Association (OVA) and I speak for and on behalf of the Association.

Thank you for responding to our invitation despite the short notice. We have invited you here today to brief you on some burning issues that touch the very survival of our educational aspirations as a people.

Ladies and Gentlemen, before we proceed, permit us to take this opportunity to express our sympathies to the people who have been severely hit by the floods occasioned by the spillage of the Volta dams at Akosombo and Kpong. All Vandals across the globe share in the plight of everyone affected and we are currently mobilising resources to make our modest contributions towards alleviating their suffering.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Universities are known to be the torchbearers in finding solutions to the many challenges that confront society. Unfortunately, it is obvious that the situation at the University of Ghana currently is the opposite. We are here to draw attention of the nation to some of the dangerous precedents being set at that hitherto known ivory tower, in that, if remedial actions are not taken sooner than later, it may be too late to rescue our beloved Legon from sliding down the cliff.

Background OVA is a not-for-profit organisation. It is registered at the Office of the Registrar of Companies as a public company limited by guarantee. It has as its objects the promotion of the welfare of the Commonwealth Hall and the development of the said Hall into a first-class residential facility, among others. Its membership is made up of former students of the University of Ghana who spent at least a semester of residence in the Commonwealth Hall. Our track record of contributions to the University of Ghana in particular and the less privileged in society are legendary. We are certainly not here to list them for want of time.

However, a few notable landmark contributions to the University of Ghana, of which we are proud alumni, must be given some attention. The Vandal City Annex Project (VCAP) which, unfortunately, has stalled due to impediments placed in our way by the present University of Ghana Administration, the vehicles donated to the University of Ghana, the provision and maintenance of infrastructure and utilities in the Hall, the various endowment funds set up by our members, scholarships and awards for needy students of the University, especially residents of the Commonwealth Hall.

Unwarranted Attack on Commonwealth Hall and Old Vandals by the University Administration

Ladies and Gentlemen, we hereby place on record that the deep-seated dislike for/of the Commonwealth Hall and Vandals by the current University Administration has no basis.

It is public knowledge that the University of Ghana has been in the news in recent times for all the wrong reasons relating to accommodation challenges faced by students. As part of our efforts to ameliorate the perennial accommodation crisis in the University, we set out to support our alma mater with the construction of a 4,600-bed residential facility. The project which was nicknamed the Vandal City Annex Project (VCAP) was to be undertaken in partnership with a strategic investor and was to be completed some two years ago.

The University leased a parcel of land for this project to OVA. As soon as the contractor mobilised resources to commence construction, some few faculty members of the University started a resistance movement against the construction of the facility. Indeed, we have the Vice-Chancellor on record that she was opposed to the project and that she would do everything in her powers to frustrate the construction of the annex by the Old Vandals Association. This she said whilst she was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. We struggle to understand what could drive such holders of respectable offices in the University to be so anti-development to such magnitude.

The so-called Mensah Sarbah-Commonwealth Halls rivalry

Ladies and Gentlemen, there is a misconception that we need to correct using this medium. We are talking about the Mensah Sarbah-Commonwealth rivalry, so-called. Vandals (of the Commonwealth Hall) and the Vikings (of the Mensah-Sarbah Hall) are the best of friends on campus. This notwithstanding, we so know that, occasionally, a misunderstanding may crop up which may result in conflict. As we speak, members of these two halls are not at loggerheads with each other as some current officers of the University are seeking to portray. Such narratives are just smokescreens to serve as launchpads for unleashing a well-rehearsed agenda against student-activism and progressive developments among students of the University.

Vikings and Vandals have co-existed for decades, reinforcing our respective strengths and successes. We have collaborated more in the protection and defence of student interests than engaging in violent activities. We, as Old Vandals, swiftly condemned in no uncertain terms the perpetrators of the disturbances on campus in the first week of August 2022 and implored the Ghana Police Service to do its utmost to bring the perpetrators to book.

Attack on the Commonwealth Hall and Old Vandals by the current University of Ghana Administration using a new residential policy on accommodation

Ladies and Gentlemen, in order to achieve the long-standing intention of immobilising student-activism, the University Management introduced a policy targeted at dismembering the Commonwealth Hall by sacking all students from the hall at the start of the 2022/2023 academic year. The said policy was ostensibly premised on the so-called clashes involving students of the Commonwealth Hall and the Mensah-Sarbah Hall.

What is most bizarre about this decision is that, as of today, there is no conclusive evidence as to who the persons who engaged in those dastardly acts in the first week of August 2022 were. This notwithstanding, the Hall Master, the Senior Tutor, and students of the Commonwealth Hall have been handed sanctions of various degrees without due process being observed. These are matters engaging the attention of the courts currently and, at the appropriate time, we shall keep you posted on developments.

The Old Vandals were not spared either. Apart from being barred from entering the Hall and its environs, the Management of the University caused the keys and locks to the offices of OVA located in the Hall to be changed and locked us out. It may interest you to know that the offices were assigned to OVA by the Management of the Hall and that OVA spent a decent amount of money to refurbish and equip same for use.

The intervention by Parliament The harsh and unfair treatment of the Commonwealth Hall students and Old Vandals received the attention of Parliament of Ghana following a statement made on the floor of the House by the Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee, Hon. Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, MP  Builsa South. Both sides of Parliament unanimously had reason to caution the University Administration about their arbitrariness in the making and implementation of policies to extinct Vandals but the Administration would not budge.

Court action and the disrespect of the courts

As believers in fidelity to the rule of law, we have consistently encouraged the affected students to use the appropriate forum for settling grievances relating to the abuse of their fundamental human rights by the University Administration. In that regard, tens of the bold ones sought refuge in the court to intervene by safeguarding their rights and freedoms to education in their quest to attain their educational aspirations.

In the wisdom of the courts, an interlocutory injunction was granted the plaintiffs and the University was retrained from throwing the students out of the Hall at the beginning of the 2022/2023 academic year. However, very uncharacteristic of any seasoned higher educational institution, the University authorities virtually ignored the court order.

As apostles and advocates of the rule of law, the affected students did the needful by resorting to the court one more time for the enforcement of the court order. In doing so, an application for contempt was brought before the court against the University and its key officers who disobeyed the court's order to show cause as to why they should not be punished for disobeying lawful orders of the court.

Several applications to frustrate the hearing of the contempt application were filed by the respondents. the courts dismissed all the applications filed by the respondents for lacking merit. The contempt application was finally heard after desperate attempts by the University Management to block it failed.

Judgement was to be given on 24th July 2023 but the court was not ready so it was adjourned to 26th October 2023 due to the legal vacation. So, we will be back in court tomorrow for the judgement.

The dangerous precedents set by UG under its present leadership

Brutalities visited on students during a peaceful vigil being held in honour of a fallen hero.

On the night of 30th June this year, a group of students gathered peacefully to observe a vigil in honour of one of their colleagues, the late James Lutterodt, a Vandal and a former National Science & Maths Quiz Star, whose untimely demise had deeply impacted the student community on the University campus. This rather solemn occasion exhibiting compassion and solidarity with the fallen hero was marred by brutalities visited on the students at the invitation of the University Administration. Again, we struggle to understand what the intentions of the University Administration were by unleashing terror on students whose interests the Administration was ostensibly expected to protect and defend.

Arrest of 17 Students of the Commonwealth Hall

Late last year, seventeen innocent students of the Hall were arrested and brutalised by the Police at the invitation of the University Administration whilst they (the innocent students) tried to enter the Hall following a court order. Some of you were there to cover it. These students were quickly put before the court by the Police and they were remanded for six days. Regrettably, the Police failed to prosecute the innocent students after the court had given them several opportunities. So, the court had no option than to strike it out for want of prosecution. The father of one of the students collapsed upon hearing of what his child had been put through by the Police. He died eventually. May his soul rest in perfect peace. It happened to the innocent students yesterday. It can happen to any one of us today!

Student governance as a lever of democracy is virtually killed through culture of silence

The relevance of student leadership as incubation hub for national leaders cannot be overemphasised. It must be echoed right here that the future of the University of Ghana, situated at Legon  The Hill of Knowledge  of which we are proud alumni, is threatened by the continuous promotion of tyranny, autocracy and administrative arbitrariness at the heart of decision-making. The voices of students through NUGS, SRC, JCR systems that hitherto served as incubation centres for national leaders have now been rendered moribund. As to what the motive of the current crop of leaders at the university are, only time will tell.

The culture of silence that virtually suppresses human rights and freedoms has become the mainstay of the University of Ghana, rendering the atmosphere uncharacteristic of a university establishment.

For us Old Vandals, as alumni of the University we are so proud of, we cannot sit on the fence to see many decades of toil that built the University of Ghana to be destroyed by the serial administrative decisions that lack logic, reason and good conscience to the satisfaction of the egos of people in charge of its administration today.

Old Vandals, as a law-abiding group, we believe in and revere the law. It is in this spirit that we have sought refuge in the courts. Our faith in the judiciary never wavers and we shall continue to use all legitimate tools at our disposal to ensure the return of the rule of law to the campus of the University of Ghana.

God bless the Commonwealth Hall! God bless the Old Vandals Association! God bless all of us! God bless Ghana our Motherland! We thank you for your attention.

citinewsroom
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has announced its schedule for meetings regarding its recently released draft wolf management plan and environmental impact statement.

In December, FWP staff will hold virtual and in person public meetings as follows:

 Region 1  Kalispell, Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m., FWP Office, 490 N Meridian Road;

 Region 2  Missoula, Dec. 13, 6-8 p.m., FWP Office, 3201 Spurgin Road;

 Region 3  Bozeman, Dec. 5, 6-8 p.m., FWP Office, 1400 S 19th Ave.;

 Regions 4 and 6  Great Falls, Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m., FWP Office, 4600 Giant Springs Road;

 Regions 5 and 7  Billings, Dec. 6, 6-8 p.m., FWP Office, 2300 Lake Elmo Drive;

 Virtual Meeting  Dec. 12 (visit fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/draft-wolf-mgmt-plan for login information.)

The draft 2023 Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan incorporates updates in wolf-related research, more than 20 years of management experience, evolution in conflict management, new laws, social perspectives and public input. For more information about the draft 2023 Wolf Plan and draft EIS log on to https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/draft-wolf-mgmt-plan.

Comments can be submitted at the same location. The deadline is Dec. 19 at 5 p.m.
25.10.2023 LISTEN

A retired justice of the Supreme Court, William Atuguba has lauded a professor at the University of Ghana Ransford Gyampo for his strong advocacy in ensuring a better Ghana.

Mr Atuguba described Prof Gyampo as a fearless and proper man.

Delivering a public lecture on governance, in Accra on Tuesday, October 24, he said the governance institutions particularly the Judiciary must be realistically insulated against presidential and other political pressures.

Service conditions must be reasonably attractive and security of tenure of office must be enshrined, he added.

He further stated that The Executive Powers of the President and his functionaries must be drastically curtailed. There must be real separation of parliament from the Executive branch. The emphasis should be on good and sincere governance in the interest of the people and not on hollow over exaggerated notions of electoral conferment of power on anybody or group of persons.

But no meaningful political reforms can be reasonably expected even under a regime change without sustaining the Political Renaissance which has started and is growing well in Ghana.

It is for this reason that I would like to acknowledge, encourage, and congratulate nationalists like Professor Ransford Gyampo, I have never seen him but I have followed him on social media, I understand he is in the political science department of the University of Ghana, I will find time and get to know him, he is a proper man, very fearless and impartial, that is the most important thing.

Mr Atuguba also mentioned Kwasi Pratt, Dr. Arthur Kennedy of the USA, Prof. Bokpin of the University of Ghana, Prof Agyeman -Duah of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), recently Dr. Asare-Baah rtd, formerly of the Political Science Department, KNUST., Kwame Pianim, Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe, Kelvin Taylor of the USA (though he should desist from insults), Emmanuel Wilson Jnr. The Chief Crusader Against Corruption in Ghana. I don't know most of these people I have mentioned personally but I have followed their works on social media, and I am impressed, however I hope that they will remain nationalistic no matter the regime in power.

I also wish to acknowledge some of the many Civil Society Organisations such as Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, Ghana Integrity Initiative, Citizen Ghana Movement, Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Parliamentary Network Africa, Penplusbytes, Media Foundation for West Africa, Send Ghana, One Ghana Movement, Centre for Democratic Development, Democracy Hub, Occupy Ghana, and Institute for Democratic Governance. I regret I cannot recall all of them but nonetheless, none of them should feel excluded.

3news.com
Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF (NYSEARCA:RYH  Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $26.31 and last traded at $26.43, with a volume of 63346 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $26.44.

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF Stock Performance

The companys fifty day moving average is $28.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $162.70. The company has a market cap of $898.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11 and a beta of 0.85.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hartford Financial Management Inc. boosted its position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF by 899.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hartford Financial Management Inc. now owns 75,235 shares of the companys stock worth $21,597,000 after purchasing an additional 67,711 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF by 1,071.5% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 325,790 shares of the companys stock worth $93,521,000 after purchasing an additional 297,981 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF by 899.4% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,862 shares of the companys stock worth $13,452,000 after purchasing an additional 42,173 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF by 2,951.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 137,730 shares of the companys stock worth $39,537,000 after purchasing an additional 133,216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sheets Smith Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $230,000.

About Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF

The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF (RYH) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in health care equity. The fund tracks an equal-weighted index of US health care companies taken from the S&P 500 Index. RYH was launched on Nov 1, 2006 and is managed by Invesco.

Further Reading

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Forsta AP Fonden lifted its holdings in shares of Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO) by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 266,500 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 25,500 shares during the quarter. Forsta AP Fondens holdings in Bank of Montreal were worth $24,095,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Bank of Montreal during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Bank of Montreal during the first quarter worth $36,000. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Bank of Montreal by 339.0% in the 4th quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 439 shares of the banks stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in Bank of Montreal by 70.9% in the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 598 shares of the banks stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Bank of Montreal during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 43.89% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on BMO shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Bank of Montreal from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 21st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bank of Montreal in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $139.25.

Bank of Montreal Price Performance

Shares of BMO stock traded down $0.64 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $75.81. 377,821 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 578,653. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $83.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $87.17. The firm has a market cap of $54.65 billion, a PE ratio of 10.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96. Bank of Montreal has a 1-year low of $75.58 and a 1-year high of $102.79.

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 29th. The bank reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.28 by ($0.20). The firm had revenue of $5.94 billion during the quarter. Bank of Montreal had a net margin of 11.19% and a return on equity of 12.70%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Bank of Montreal will post 8.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 27th. This is an increase from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.09. Bank of Montreals payout ratio is 58.81%.

Bank of Montreal Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

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Beirne Wealth Consulting Services LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report) by 5.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,955 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,844 shares during the quarter. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF accounts for approximately 12.1% of Beirne Wealth Consulting Services LLCs holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Beirne Wealth Consulting Services LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $15,142,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in IVV. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 117,228.0% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 195,582,257 shares of the companys stock valued at $75,144,659,000 after acquiring an additional 195,415,560 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 212,409.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 53,346,337 shares of the companys stock valued at $23,776,996,000 after acquiring an additional 53,321,234 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 38,525.9% during the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 11,421,288 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,783,000 after acquiring an additional 11,391,719 shares during the period. IMC Chicago LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 122.2% during the 2nd quarter. IMC Chicago LLC now owns 534,522 shares of the companys stock valued at $238,242,000 after acquiring an additional 2,941,401 shares during the period. Finally, Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 2,989.6% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,619,850 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,076,968,000 after acquiring an additional 2,535,055 shares during the period.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Down 1.3 %

NYSEARCA IVV traded down $5.41 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $420.15. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,339,896 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,192,234. The firms 50-day moving average price is $439.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $434.87. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 1 year low of $370.31 and a 1 year high of $461.88. The company has a market capitalization of $325.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.00.

About iShares Core S&P 500 ETF

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market.

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Campion Asset Management boosted its holdings in Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE:TM  Free Report) by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,115 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the quarter. Campion Asset Managements holdings in Toyota Motor were worth $340,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of TM. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in Toyota Motor in the first quarter valued at $527,000. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Toyota Motor by 5.8% in the first quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC now owns 2,160 shares of the companys stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Toyota Motor by 44.1% in the first quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,932 shares of the companys stock valued at $982,000 after purchasing an additional 2,122 shares during the last quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Toyota Motor in the second quarter valued at $513,000. Finally, Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Toyota Motor by 8.0% in the second quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,534 shares of the companys stock valued at $407,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 1.33% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on TM. Citigroup raised Toyota Motor from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley lowered Toyota Motor from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Toyota Motor in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating on the stock.

Toyota Motor Price Performance

Shares of TM traded up $1.33 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $175.45. 94,478 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 275,986. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $237.70 billion, a PE ratio of 10.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.65. Toyota Motor Co. has a fifty-two week low of $132.35 and a fifty-two week high of $195.65. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $176.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $160.13.

Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The company reported $7.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.92 by $3.13. The business had revenue of $76.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.98 billion. Toyota Motor had a return on equity of 10.31% and a net margin of 7.70%. As a group, research analysts predict that Toyota Motor Co. will post 16.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Toyota Motor Profile

(Free Report)

Toyota Motor Corporation designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells passenger vehicles, minivans and commercial vehicles, and related parts and accessories in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. It operates in Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other segments.

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China Shenhua Energy Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CSUAY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 16,500 shares, an increase of 489.3% from the September 30th total of 2,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 29,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days.

China Shenhua Energy Price Performance

Shares of CSUAY stock traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $12.34. 12,628 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,593. The companys 50 day moving average price is $12.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.52. China Shenhua Energy has a 12 month low of $10.45 and a 12 month high of $14.47. The company has a quick ratio of 2.29, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded China Shenhua Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, August 27th.

China Shenhua Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

China Shenhua Energy Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and sale of coal and power; railway, port, and shipping transportation; and coal-to-olefins businesses in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through six segments: Coal, Power Generation, Railway, Port, Shipping, and Coal Chemical.

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Eldridge Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:HEFA  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 12,999 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $403,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HEFA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 193,966 shares of the companys stock worth $6,583,000 after purchasing an additional 11,505 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF by 10.2% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 13,518 shares of the companys stock worth $458,000 after purchasing an additional 1,249 shares in the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF in the 1st quarter worth $6,283,000. SVB Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF by 44.5% in the 2nd quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 7,305 shares of the companys stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 2,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TIAA FSB acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF in the 1st quarter worth $12,804,000.

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iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF stock traded up $0.30 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $29.30. The companys stock had a trading volume of 752,347 shares. The company has a market cap of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.08 and a beta of 0.70. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF has a 1-year low of $26.88 and a 1-year high of $30.88. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $30.24.

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF Profile

The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (HEFA) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted, USD-hedged index of large- and mid-cap stocks from developed countries outside the US and Canada. HEFA was launched on Jan 31, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock.

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The First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky (OTCMKTS:FSDK  Get Free Report)s share price was down 1.6% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $68.30 and last traded at $68.30. Approximately 101 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 60% from the average daily volume of 250 shares. The stock had previously closed at $69.44.

First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky Trading Down 1.6 %

The companys 50-day simple moving average is $69.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.72.

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First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.58 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 28th. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.40%.

About First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky

The First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky provides personal and business banking products and services. The company offers checking, savings, money market, certificates of deposit, health savings, and individual retirement accounts; and home mortgage loans, home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, cash reserve loans, personal loans, and business and agriculture loans, as well as credit and debit cards.

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Forsta AP Fonden boosted its holdings in General Electric (NYSE:GE  Free Report) by 27.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 284,625 shares of the conglomerates stock after purchasing an additional 61,700 shares during the quarter. Forsta AP Fondens holdings in General Electric were worth $31,266,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in General Electric by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 305,384 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $27,925,000 after buying an additional 27,682 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Electric in the first quarter valued at about $1,518,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of General Electric by 2.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,748 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,075,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in General Electric during the first quarter worth about $388,000. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. acquired a new stake in General Electric in the first quarter valued at about $230,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.83% of the companys stock.

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General Electric Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:GE traded down $1.13 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $112.49. The stock had a trading volume of 4,082,419 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,947,511. General Electric has a fifty-two week low of $56.85 and a fifty-two week high of $117.96. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $111.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $107.74. The stock has a market cap of $122.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.44, a PEG ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

General Electric Dividend Announcement

General Electric ( NYSE:GE Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The conglomerate reported $0.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.26. General Electric had a return on equity of 9.30% and a net margin of 13.32%. The company had revenue of $17.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.35 EPS. General Electrics revenue was up 19.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that General Electric will post 2.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 26th will be paid a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 25th. General Electrics payout ratio is 3.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GE. StockNews.com began coverage on General Electric in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating for the company. Wolfe Research upped their price target on shares of General Electric from $107.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of General Electric from $121.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 25th. Oppenheimer lowered shares of General Electric from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, Argus lifted their price target on shares of General Electric from $112.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, General Electric currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $122.86.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on GE

Insider Buying and Selling at General Electric

In related news, SVP Michael J. Holston sold 112,614 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total value of $12,973,132.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 57,923 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,672,729.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.67% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

General Electric Company Profile

(Free Report)

General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. It offers gas and steam turbines, full balance of plant, upgrade, and service solutions, as well as data-leveraging software for power generation, industrial, government, and other customers.

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Gables Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Newmont Co. (NYSE:NEM  Free Report) by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,800 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 500 shares during the quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Newmont were worth $205,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Newmont in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new position in shares of Newmont in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sittner & Nelson LLC raised its position in shares of Newmont by 177.5% in the first quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 555 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares during the period. Nemes Rush Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Newmont in the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Caldwell Sutter Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Newmont in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.53% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Newmont from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Newmont in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Newmont from $44.00 to $38.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Newmont from $63.00 to $57.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 24th. Finally, Argus reduced their price objective on Newmont from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Newmont presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $56.82.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.16, for a total value of $463,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 267,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,258,364.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.16, for a total value of $463,760.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 267,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,258,364.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 5,500 shares of Newmont stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.91, for a total transaction of $219,505.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 76,251 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,043,177.41. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 44,366 shares of company stock worth $1,738,008 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock.

Newmont Price Performance

Shares of Newmont stock traded down $1.08 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $37.37. 8,553,801 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,163,595. The company has a market cap of $29.70 billion, a PE ratio of -40.05, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.40. The firms fifty day moving average price is $38.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $42.16. Newmont Co. has a twelve month low of $34.81 and a twelve month high of $60.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 2.28 and a quick ratio of 1.87.

Newmont Profile

(Free Report)

Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and Ghana. As of December 31, 2022, it had proven and probable gold reserves of 96.1 million ounces and land position of 61,500 square kilometers.

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The attorney for a former Bismarck high school aide accused of having a sexual relationship with a student is asking a judge to dismiss the charge.

Victoria Reiswigs attorney, Chad McCabe, in a motion filed Tuesday said prosecutors have not produced sufficient evidence to support their claims that Reiswig had an inappropriate relationship with a student while employed as an instructional aide at Century High School.

Reiswig was charged in March with corruption of a minor after authorities alleged she had a relationship with a 17-year-old male student and admitted to having sex with the boy over the 2022-23 Christmas break. She has pleaded not guilty to the felony charge that carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison.

McCabes 13-page brief supporting the motion to dismiss claims Reiswigs purported admission to investigators isnt enough to convict her. He argues that North Dakota Supreme Court precedence is that the government must introduce substantial independent evidence establishing the reliability or trustworthiness of the defendants statement.

Reiswig in an interview with police admitted to having kissed the student but denied any sexual contact, according to a partial transcript included in McCabes motion. Reiswig later told a detective she and the boy had sex at an apartment, but the motion claims that was refuted by the apartments resident.

McCabe contends the state has not produced evidence of a sexual act as defined by state law, either from Reiswigs statements to investigators, or from independent evidence such as physical evidence or witness testimony to support the charge.

Prosecutors as of midday Wednesday hadn't filed a response to the motion, and the Burleigh County States Attorneys Office didn't immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment.
Green Earth Technologies (OTCMKTS:GETG  Get Free Report) and Perimeter Solutions (NYSE:PRM  Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and valuation.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Green Earth Technologies and Perimeter Solutions, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Green Earth Technologies 0 0 0 0 N/A Perimeter Solutions 0 1 1 0 2.50

Perimeter Solutions has a consensus price target of $10.00, indicating a potential upside of 219.49%. Given Perimeter Solutions higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Perimeter Solutions is more favorable than Green Earth Technologies.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Green Earth Technologies N/A N/A N/A Perimeter Solutions 24.80% -5.18% -2.47%

Volatility & Risk

This table compares Green Earth Technologies and Perimeter Solutions net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Green Earth Technologies has a beta of 16.79, meaning that its stock price is 1,579% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Perimeter Solutions has a beta of 1.47, meaning that its stock price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Green Earth Technologies and Perimeter Solutions gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Green Earth Technologies N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Perimeter Solutions $360.51 million 1.37 $91.76 million $0.44 7.11

Perimeter Solutions has higher revenue and earnings than Green Earth Technologies.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

94.0% of Perimeter Solutions shares are owned by institutional investors. 20.6% of Green Earth Technologies shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.6% of Perimeter Solutions shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Perimeter Solutions beats Green Earth Technologies on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Green Earth Technologies

(Get Free Report)

Green Earth Technologies, Inc. creates, develops, markets, sells, and distributes bio-based performance and cleaning products to the oil and gas well service, automotive aftermarket, outdoor power equipment, and marine markets worldwide. The company offers well services products, including well stimulation, sump remediation, and surface washing agents, as well as storage tank, oil field rig, and equipment cleaners; and performance products, such as motor oils, racing oils, engine oils, fuel stabilizers, and other lubricants. It also provides outdoor power equipment and cleaning chemicals comprising pressure washer equipment, multipurpose-multi surface cleaner, foam and oxy foam blaster, and grill and surface cleaner, as well as concrete cleaner and degreaser, siding and all purpose cleaner, and mold and mildew stain remover; and automotive appearance products consisting of car wash, wheel cleaner and brake dust shield, tire shine, glass cleaner, interior protectant, and rain repellent and anti-fog products. The company sells its products under the G-CLEAN, Well Wake-UP, G-OIL, and G-MARINE brands. It sells its products directly, as well as through distribution agreements with wholesalers, contractual arrangements with independent sales and marketing professionals, and the Internet. The company serves home centers, mass retail outlets, automotive stores, and equipment manufacturers. Green Earth Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

About Perimeter Solutions

(Get Free Report)

Perimeter Solutions, SA manufactures and supplies firefighting products and lubricant additives in the United States, Germany, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Fire Safety and Specialty Products. The Fire Safety segment provides fire retardants and firefighting foams, as well as specialized equipment and services for federal, state, provincial, local/municipal, and commercial customers. The Specialty Products segment produces and sells Phosphorus Pentasulfide, which is primarily used in the preparation of lubricant additives, including a family of compounds called Zinc Dialkyldithiophosphates. The company offers its products under the PHOS-CHEK, FIRE-TROL, AUXQUIMIA, SOLBERG. and BIOGEMA brands. Perimeter Solutions, SA was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Clayton, Missouri.

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Free Report) by 5.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 73,040 shares of the credit services providers stock after purchasing an additional 4,042 shares during the period. Mastercard makes up about 0.6% of Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings in Mastercard were worth $28,727,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MA. Naviter Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Mastercard by 31.1% in the second quarter. Naviter Wealth LLC now owns 4,582 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,802,000 after buying an additional 1,087 shares during the period. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Mastercard by 0.7% in the second quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 24,680 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $9,707,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC increased its holdings in Mastercard by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC now owns 7,433 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $2,923,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares during the period. Fragasso Group Inc. increased its holdings in Mastercard by 12.9% during the 2nd quarter. Fragasso Group Inc. now owns 1,115 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $438,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, Sigma Investment Counselors Inc. raised its position in Mastercard by 13.8% during the 1st quarter. Sigma Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 808 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.94% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Mastercard from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, September 25th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a buy rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Mastercard from $510.00 to $496.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 9th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $433.00 to $486.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $435.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $449.96.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mastercard news, insider Timothy H. Murphy sold 7,419 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.28, for a total value of $2,947,420.32. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 39,007 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,496,700.96. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Mastercard news, insider Timothy H. Murphy sold 7,419 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.28, for a total transaction of $2,947,420.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 39,007 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,496,700.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Hai Ling sold 3,324 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $415.00, for a total transaction of $1,379,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 17,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,294,455. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 418,446 shares of company stock valued at $166,076,098. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Mastercard Stock Down 0.5 %

MA traded down $1.92 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $384.99. 1,434,052 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,624,291. The stock has a market capitalization of $362.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.25, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.09. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $402.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $389.87. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $308.60 and a 12-month high of $418.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $6.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.18 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 178.10% and a net margin of 43.37%. Mastercards revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.56 EPS. Analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 9th. Investors of record on Monday, October 9th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.59%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 5th. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

About Mastercard

(Free Report)

Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. It facilitates the processing of payment transactions, including authorization, clearing, and settlement, as well as delivers other payment-related products and services.

Further Reading

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Free Report) by 25.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 889,215 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 180,900 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned 0.07% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise worth $14,939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley National Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 68.1% in the second quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. grew its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 89.4% in the first quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 2,413 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,139 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise during the first quarter worth approximately $44,000. AlphaMark Advisors LLC grew its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 1,019.8% during the first quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 2,833 shares of the technology companys stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 2,580 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 254.1% in the 1st quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 2,815 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares in the last quarter. 81.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Alan Richard May sold 343,016 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total transaction of $5,995,919.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 249,511 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,361,452.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Alan Richard May sold 343,016 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total value of $5,995,919.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 249,511 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,361,452.28. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Antonio F. Neri sold 434,884 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total transaction of $7,601,772.32. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,370,291 shares in the company, valued at $23,952,686.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 799,031 shares of company stock worth $13,970,865. Insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HPE traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $15.13. 3,740,379 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,253,507. The company has a market cap of $19.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $16.96 and a 200 day moving average of $16.32. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a one year low of $13.57 and a one year high of $18.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 29th. The technology company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $7 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.99 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 5.32%. The firms revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.31 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 14th were given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 13th. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio is presently 58.54%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on HPE shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. Raymond James increased their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 20th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.54.

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Profile

(Free Report)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other.

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW  Free Report) by 20.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,884 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 6,380 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $19,623,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 565.7% during the first quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,222 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,219,000 after acquiring an additional 2,738 shares in the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.7% during the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 14,017 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $9,655,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 19.2% during the first quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 871 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $600,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Toroso Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 64.2% during the first quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 1,977 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,362,000 after purchasing an additional 773 shares during the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 3,359 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,308,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.24% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $647.00 to $653.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. UBS Group reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 28th. Stephens reiterated an equal weight rating and issued a $775.00 target price on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, August 18th. StockNews.com started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $795.00 to $790.00 in a report on Friday, July 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $734.63.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $9.33 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $677.38. 118,794 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 273,482. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 2.78 and a quick ratio of 1.63. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $524.00 and a 1-year high of $811.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $702.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $708.29. The firm has a market cap of $33.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.20.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The industrial products company reported $9.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.96 by $0.32. The business had revenue of $4.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 60.40% and a net margin of 11.04%. W.W. Graingers quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.19 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 36.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Profile

(Free Report)

W.W. Grainger, Inc distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services in the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety and security supplies, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance supplies, and metalworking and hand tools.

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 520,933 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 24,299 shares during the quarter. Bristol-Myers Squibb comprises about 0.7% of Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $33,314,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dillon & Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Dillon & Associates Inc. now owns 3,955 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $245,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Abbrea Capital LLC grew its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.5% in the first quarter. Abbrea Capital LLC now owns 10,025 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $695,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Westshore Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 4.3% in the first quarter. Westshore Wealth LLC now owns 3,658 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $254,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 28,179 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,952,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.5% in the first quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC now owns 10,533 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $730,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.98% of the companys stock.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of BMY stock traded up $0.41 on Wednesday, hitting $56.53. The stock had a trading volume of 4,164,120 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,141,429. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $59.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The company has a market cap of $118.10 billion, a PE ratio of 14.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $55.69 and a one year high of $81.43.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.24). The company had revenue of $11.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.81 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 50.51% and a net margin of 17.62%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 1st. Investors of record on Friday, October 6th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.03%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is presently 60.64%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Robert M. Plenge sold 732 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.14, for a total transaction of $44,754.48. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,584 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $402,545.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Ann Powell sold 17,986 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.25, for a total value of $1,101,642.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,868 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,706,915. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Robert M. Plenge sold 732 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.14, for a total transaction of $44,754.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,584 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $402,545.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $80.00 to $66.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 15th. Barclays lowered their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $62.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Monday, October 2nd. SVB Securities assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, July 10th. They issued a market perform rating and a $66.00 price target for the company. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Atlantic Securities dropped their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $68.67.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its stake in shares of D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI  Free Report) by 24.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 126,474 shares of the construction companys stock after purchasing an additional 25,249 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings in D.R. Horton were worth $15,391,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DHI. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its holdings in D.R. Horton by 3.4% in the second quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 81,508 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $9,918,000 after acquiring an additional 2,656 shares during the last quarter. Northstar Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of D.R. Horton in the second quarter worth $242,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in D.R. Horton by 14.1% during the second quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 25,044 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,048,000 after acquiring an additional 3,091 shares in the last quarter. Mastrapasqua Asset Management Inc. raised its position in D.R. Horton by 2.7% during the second quarter. Mastrapasqua Asset Management Inc. now owns 61,444 shares of the construction companys stock worth $7,477,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of D.R. Horton by 6.2% in the second quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,150 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $383,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. 82.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at D.R. Horton

In other D.R. Horton news, Director Michael R. Buchanan sold 1,639 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.03, for a total value of $208,202.17. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 470 shares of the companys stock, valued at $59,704.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

D.R. Horton Stock Down 1.0 %

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Shares of D.R. Horton stock traded down $0.97 on Wednesday, reaching $100.79. The stock had a trading volume of 611,746 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,895,799. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 6.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $111.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.83. D.R. Horton, Inc. has a 1 year low of $72.04 and a 1 year high of $132.30.

DHI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on D.R. Horton in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of D.R. Horton from $122.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. Argus raised their target price on D.R. Horton from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded D.R. Horton from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lowered their target price for the company from $132.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of D.R. Horton from $125.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $135.47.

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D.R. Horton Profile

(Free Report)

D.R. Horton, Inc operates as a homebuilding company in East, North, Southeast, South Central, Southwest, and Northwest regions in the United States. It engages in the acquisition and development of land; and construction and sale of residential homes in 106 markets across 33 states under the names of D.R.

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Invitation Homes (NYSE:INVH  Get Free Report) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.75-1.79 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.78.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of Invitation Homes from $37.00 to $35.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. BTIG Research cut shares of Invitation Homes from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Invitation Homes from $36.50 to $38.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, September 1st. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Invitation Homes from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, August 28th. Finally, HSBC began coverage on shares of Invitation Homes in a report on Friday, September 29th. They set a buy rating and a $38.00 target price for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Invitation Homes currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $35.58.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on INVH

Invitation Homes Price Performance

Shares of NYSE INVH traded down $0.79 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $30.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,324,760 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,912,493. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $33.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $33.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.81, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a current ratio of 0.15. Invitation Homes has a 1-year low of $28.52 and a 1-year high of $36.53.

Invitation Homes (NYSE:INVH  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.44 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $600.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $599.45 million. Invitation Homes had a net margin of 18.70% and a return on equity of 4.25%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Invitation Homes will post 1.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Invitation Homes Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 7th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 6th. Invitation Homess dividend payout ratio is currently 146.48%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invitation Homes

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Invitation Homes by 16.1% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,600 shares of the companys stock worth $1,189,000 after buying an additional 4,111 shares during the period. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC purchased a new position in Invitation Homes during the first quarter worth about $373,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Invitation Homes during the first quarter worth about $480,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Invitation Homes by 5.2% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 36,134 shares of the companys stock worth $1,452,000 after buying an additional 1,783 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. purchased a new position in Invitation Homes during the first quarter worth about $225,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.79% of the companys stock.

About Invitation Homes

(Get Free Report)

Invitation Homes, an S&P 500 company, is the nation's premier single-family home leasing company, meeting changing lifestyle demands by providing access to high-quality, updated homes with valued features such as close proximity to jobs and access to good schools. The company's mission, "Together with you, we make a house a home," reflects its commitment to providing homes where individuals and families can thrive and high-touch service that continuously enhances residents' living experiences.

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iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $44.21 and last traded at $43.62, with a volume of 4231344 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $43.98.

iShares MSCI India ETF Stock Down 1.1 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $5.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.86 and a beta of 0.68. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $44.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.11.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in INDA. Sheets Smith Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. ClariVest Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000.

About iShares MSCI India ETF

The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI India index, a market-cap-weighted index of the top 85% of firms in the Indian securities market. INDA was launched on Feb 2, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Accredited Investors Inc. lessened its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW  Free Report) by 6.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,969 shares of the companys stock after selling 344 shares during the quarter. Accredited Investors Inc.s holdings in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF were worth $350,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. MV Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 3.7% in the second quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 368,695 shares of the companys stock worth $25,986,000 after acquiring an additional 13,160 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 7.7% in the second quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC now owns 14,316 shares of the companys stock worth $1,009,000 after acquiring an additional 1,028 shares in the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 2.4% in the second quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 11,309 shares of the companys stock worth $797,000 after acquiring an additional 269 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance lifted its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 1,731.0% in the second quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 76,406 shares of the companys stock worth $5,385,000 after acquiring an additional 72,233 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthstream Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF in the second quarter worth about $941,000.

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iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:IVW traded down $1.01 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $67.23. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,819,764 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,836,823. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $56.37 and a fifty-two week high of $72.87. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $70.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.70. The company has a market capitalization of $32.94 billion, a PE ratio of 22.15 and a beta of 1.05.

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Company Profile

iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF, formerly iShares S&P 500 Growth Index Fund (the Growth Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500/Citigroup Growth Index (the Growth Index). The Growth Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market.

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Kainos Group plc (LON:KNOS  Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as GBX 1,065.70 ($13.06) and last traded at GBX 1,087 ($13.32), with a volume of 58611 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,110 ($13.60).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Kainos Group in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kainos Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 1,476 ($18.08).

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Kainos Group Price Performance

Kainos Group Company Profile

The firm has a market capitalization of 1.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 3,310.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.85. The business has a 50-day moving average of GBX 1,182.09 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 1,247.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07.

(Get Free Report)

Kainos Group plc provides digital technology services in the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America, Central Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Digital Services, Workday Services, and Workday Products. The Digital Services segment develops and supports custom digital service platforms for public sector, commercial, and healthcare customers.

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The North Dakota House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday that would further overhaul the state retirement board as lawmakers attempted to stay on track to complete this weeks special session in three days as planned.

The bill that passed on the House floor and now goes to the Senate would see an expansion of the Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees from nine to 11 members, giving state House and Senate majority leaders the power to appoint two board members from each chamber. Previously, the chairman of Legislative Management appointed one board member from each party.

The bill also would give the governor the ability to appoint four citizen board members, including a chair, and would give both majority leaders and the governor the power to remove their appointees.

The bill also would raise the quorum requirement to eight members and the minimum threshold for action to six votes. Under this legislation, the remaining three members of the board would be elected by participants in the states retirement plan.

The legislation is the latest iteration of a section of a wide-spanning budget bill that was recently voided by the state Supreme Court, prompting this week's special legislative session. The voided bill also expanded legislative representation on the board from two to four members, which raised concerns about the political influence of elected officials in board decisions. Critics of the legislation have said the expanded legislative presence on the board and the at-will nature of gubernatorial and majority leader appointments could compromise board members prioritization of state employees needs.

However, supporters of the bill have argued that legislative oversight and influence over state operations and funds is a necessary and defined part of an elected officials role.

When we come out to Bismarck, why are we here? said state Rep. Austen Schauer, R-West Fargo. A major part of our responsibility is to watch the money and to make sure the public dollars are spent wisely and to use whatever method we can to make sure that we're making good decisions.

The amended version of the bill moved to the House floor without a recommendation for action from the House-Senate Joint Policy committee after multiple gridlocked votes and hours of debate. It was unable to garner enough support among the Senate committee members to be recommended, though House committee members voted in favor of the legislation.

The boards composition was the driving factor that led to this weeks special session. After the Office of Management and Budget bill included an increase in the number of legislators appointed to the board, the board challenged the laws constitutionality in the Supreme Court. The board argued the increased legislative presence was a violation of separation of powers, but the Supreme Court instead found the entire bill violated the state constitutions one-subject requirement, and justices didn't rule on the constitutionality of the board composition.

State Rep. Mary Schneider, D-Fargo, characterized the new bill as a masterpiece of big government, arguing that the threat of removal could pressure board appointees to vote in line with the goals of the governor or majority leaders.

There are ways to improve the board that were not as heavy handed overreaching, or adverse and exclusionary to PERS plan participants, Schneider said.

Gov. Doug Burgums chief of staff asked board chair Tedford Rindy to resign from her position in late September, but Rindy refused to step down, saying she felt the request was a reaction to the boards lawsuit that resulted in the Supreme Court ruling. If the bill is signed into law, all appointed members, including Rindy, would be removed from their seats, and the governor and majority leaders would be required to fill those openings within 14 days.

The PERS board last week was unable to reach a consensus on whether PERS would take an active role in testimony for the legislation. The change in composition was shot down in the Senate during the 2023 regular legislative session, but was then greenlit when it was included in the OMB budget bill, which has often served as a catchall at the end of a legislative session.

Changes to the PERS board have received more support in the state House than in the state Senate, both during the 2023 regular session and on the Joint Policy committee. The Senate is scheduled to consider the bill on Wednesday as this weeks special session looks to draw to a close, with all 16 items being considered by lawmakers slated for final vote.
MV Capital Management Inc. reduced its position in Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT  Free Report) by 16.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,962 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 1,153 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $2,745,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 81,305.4% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,907,328 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $927,896,000 after purchasing an additional 1,904,985 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Lockheed Martin by 197.7% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,495,056 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $253,332,000 after buying an additional 992,835 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in Lockheed Martin in the second quarter valued at about $351,143,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 586.8% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 369,500 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $163,097,000 after acquiring an additional 315,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 5.3% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,256,069 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $2,320,030,000 after acquiring an additional 264,665 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.26% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $495.00 to $481.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $555.00 to $540.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Lockheed Martin in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Lockheed Martin from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $440.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, September 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $532.00 to $510.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $484.07.

Lockheed Martin Price Performance

NYSE LMT traded up $7.04 on Wednesday, hitting $447.94. The company had a trading volume of 525,879 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,243,517. The companys fifty day moving average price is $431.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $449.95. The company has a market capitalization of $111.13 billion, a PE ratio of 16.11, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Lockheed Martin Co. has a 12-month low of $393.77 and a 12-month high of $508.10.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 17th. The aerospace company reported $6.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $0.10. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 75.46% and a net margin of 10.29%. The company had revenue of $16.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.87 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be paid a dividend of $3.15 per share. This represents a $12.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.81%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 30th. This is a positive change from Lockheed Martins previous quarterly dividend of $3.00. Lockheed Martins dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.84%.

Lockheed Martin Profile

(Free Report)

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.

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Narwhal Capital Management cut its stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA  Free Report) by 27.7% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 27,699 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,601 shares during the quarter. Narwhal Capital Managements holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $8,406,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. James Investment Research Inc. bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Concord Wealth Partners increased its position in HCA Healthcare by 54.1% during the 1st quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 151 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 60.0% during the second quarter. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 122.7% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 167 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WASHINGTON TRUST Co lifted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 100.0% during the second quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 180 shares of the companys stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Kathryn A. Torres sold 5,204 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.12, for a total value of $1,400,500.48. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 19,760 shares in the company, valued at $5,317,811.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Kathleen M. Whalen sold 2,916 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $787,320.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 10,250 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kathryn A. Torres sold 5,204 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $269.12, for a total value of $1,400,500.48. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 19,760 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,317,811.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,620 shares of company stock worth $2,592,820. Insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on HCA shares. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on HCA Healthcare from $345.00 to $294.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $315.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, September 14th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $305.00 to $325.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, September 13th. Finally, Raymond James lowered their target price on HCA Healthcare from $320.00 to $280.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $306.36.

View Our Latest Stock Report on HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

HCA stock traded down $1.36 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $228.76. The stock had a trading volume of 565,539 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,286,976. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.33, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.62. The companys 50-day moving average price is $258.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $272.27. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a twelve month low of $207.24 and a twelve month high of $304.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.26, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.03.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The company reported $3.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.97 by ($0.06). HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 12,765.76% and a net margin of 9.32%. The business had revenue of $16.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.77 billion. As a group, research analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 18.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 13th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. HCA Healthcares dividend payout ratio is presently 11.81%.

HCA Healthcare Profile

(Free Report)

HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides health care services in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy.

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Nevsun Resources (NYSEAMERICAN:NSU  Get Free Report) shares fell 0.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. 25,500 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 87,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.45.

Nevsun Resources Stock Performance

About Nevsun Resources

(Get Free Report)

Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea.

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Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.70 by $0.04, MarketWatch Earnings reports. Novartis had a return on equity of 25.12% and a net margin of 14.76%. The firm had revenue of $11.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.58 earnings per share.

Novartis Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NVS stock traded up $0.52 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $95.43. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,162,109 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,837,237. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $99.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $100.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Novartis has a 12-month low of $78.88 and a 12-month high of $105.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $202.27 billion, a PE ratio of 26.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.53.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NVS. HSBC initiated coverage on Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They issued a buy rating for the company. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Novartis from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, September 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $82.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novartis

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC raised its position in shares of Novartis by 93.4% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 1,445 shares of the companys stock valued at $133,000 after purchasing an additional 698 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Novartis by 36.2% during the 1st quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,136 shares of the companys stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Novartis by 80.6% during the 4th quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,120 shares of the companys stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Novartis by 105.7% in the 4th quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 981 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the first quarter worth about $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.00% of the companys stock.

Novartis Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NMT  Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Monday, October 23rd, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.031 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, December 1st. This represents a $0.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 14th. This is an increase from Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Funds previous monthly dividend of $0.03.

Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Performance

Shares of Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund stock traded down $0.09 on Wednesday, hitting $9.12. 11,654 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 16,138. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $9.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.19. Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund has a 52 week low of $9.11 and a 52 week high of $11.35.

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Institutional Trading of Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NMT. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund by 6.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 19,726 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $251,000 after acquiring an additional 1,117 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 1st quarter worth about $295,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund by 25.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 118,079 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,502,000 after acquiring an additional 24,162 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund by 43.3% during the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 75,212 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $888,000 after acquiring an additional 22,740 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 11.57% of the companys stock.

About Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund

Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Massachusetts, United States. The fund primarily invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments which are exempt from regular federal and Massachusetts income taxes.

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Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio (NYSE:NXN  Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Wednesday, October 25th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.041 per share on Friday, December 1st. This represents a $0.49 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 14th.

Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio Trading Down 0.3 %

NXN traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $10.96. The company had a trading volume of 9,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,959. Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio has a twelve month low of $10.77 and a twelve month high of $12.55. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $11.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.85.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio by 68.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 23,530 shares of the companys stock valued at $273,000 after buying an additional 9,522 shares during the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio by 80.8% in the third quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 19,147 shares of the companys stock valued at $212,000 after acquiring an additional 8,554 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio by 76.1% in the second quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 12,191 shares of the companys stock valued at $142,000 after acquiring an additional 5,267 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 14,662 shares of the companys stock worth $177,000 after purchasing an additional 2,958 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 12,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 2,024 shares during the period.

Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio Company Profile

Nuveen New York Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of New York. The fund invests in the securities of companies that operate across diversified sectors.

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Park National Co. (NYSE:PRK  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, October 23rd, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Friday, November 17th will be given a dividend of 1.05 per share on Friday, December 8th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 16th.

Park National has increased its dividend payment by an average of 1.0% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 6 consecutive years. Park National has a dividend payout ratio of 59.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Park National to earn $7.10 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $4.20 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 59.2%.

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Park National Price Performance

PRK stock traded up $3.43 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $100.13. 75,987 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,631. Park National has a 52-week low of $90.28 and a 52-week high of $151.59. The company has a market capitalization of $1.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.06 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $98.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $105.96.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Park National ( NYSE:PRK Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 24th. The company reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $116.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $119.98 million. Park National had a net margin of 24.22% and a return on equity of 12.34%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Park National will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Park National in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a sell rating for the company.

Read Our Latest Report on PRK

Institutional Trading of Park National

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Park National by 47.8% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 13,739 shares of the companys stock worth $1,805,000 after acquiring an additional 4,446 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Park National by 105.6% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 8,910 shares of the companys stock worth $1,171,000 after acquiring an additional 4,577 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Park National by 55.1% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 6,759 shares of the companys stock worth $888,000 after acquiring an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its stake in shares of Park National by 9.1% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the companys stock worth $235,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in shares of Park National by 12.7% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 12,662 shares of the companys stock worth $1,664,000 after acquiring an additional 1,424 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.27% of the companys stock.

About Park National

(Get Free Report)

Park National Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Park National Bank that provides commercial banking and trust services in small and medium population areas. The company offers deposits for demand, savings, and time accounts; trust and wealth management services; cash management services; safe deposit operations; electronic funds transfers; Internet and mobile banking solutions with bill pay service; credit cards; and various additional banking-related services for individual customers.

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Premier Fund Managers Ltd reduced its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 140,009 shares of the companys stock after selling 8,307 shares during the quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltds holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $13,681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Fairfield Bush & CO. raised its holdings in Philip Morris International by 1.1% during the first quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. now owns 26,141 shares of the companys stock worth $2,456,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 35.6% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,939 shares of the companys stock valued at $463,000 after acquiring an additional 1,296 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 24.7% in the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 3,065 shares of the companys stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 54.9% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 525 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 14.7% during the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 8,987 shares of the companys stock worth $844,000 after buying an additional 1,154 shares in the last quarter. 79.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on PM. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $118.00 to $113.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. 22nd Century Group reaffirmed a reiterates rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $112.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Philip Morris International from $118.00 to $111.00 in a research note on Friday, September 29th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $109.42.

Philip Morris International Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE:PM traded down $0.48 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $90.35. 1,065,850 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,228,030. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $88.17 and a 52 week high of $105.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $140.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $93.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $95.35.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 19th. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.05. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.41% and a negative return on equity of 129.48%. The firm had revenue of $9.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.21 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.53 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 27th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 26th. This is a positive change from Philip Morris Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.76%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is 100.97%.

About Philip Morris International

(Free Report)

Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches.

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PNM Resources, Inc. (NYSE:PNM  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, September 19th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 27th will be given a dividend of 0.368 per share by the utilities provider on Friday, November 10th. This represents a $1.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 26th. This is a boost from PNM Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.37.

PNM Resources has increased its dividend payment by an average of 6.2% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 11 consecutive years. PNM Resources has a payout ratio of 52.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect PNM Resources to earn $2.90 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.47 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 50.7%.

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PNM Resources Price Performance

NYSE:PNM opened at $44.41 on Wednesday. PNM Resources has a 52 week low of $42.75 and a 52 week high of $49.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.81 billion, a PE ratio of 16.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.40. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $44.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.54.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

PNM Resources ( NYSE:PNM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.01). PNM Resources had a net margin of 10.26% and a return on equity of 10.31%. The business had revenue of $477.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.57 earnings per share. PNM Resourcess revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that PNM Resources will post 2.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in PNM Resources in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its stake in PNM Resources by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,626 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in PNM Resources by 137.0% in the 2nd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,449 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $156,000 after purchasing an additional 1,994 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in PNM Resources in the 1st quarter worth approximately $224,000. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of PNM Resources by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 4,913 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 459 shares during the period. 91.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded PNM Resources from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Mizuho upgraded PNM Resources from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $50.30 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 26th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $51.00 price objective on shares of PNM Resources in a report on Monday, September 18th.

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PNM Resources Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

PNM Resources, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides electricity and electric services in the United States. It operates through Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP) segments. The PNM segment engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

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Premier Fund Managers Ltd lifted its stake in American Tower Co. (NYSE:AMT  Free Report) by 38.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 7,000 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltds holdings in American Tower were worth $4,819,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Pinnacle Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in American Tower in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Tower in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. VitalStone Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Tower during the 1st quarter worth $38,000. MV Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Tower by 75.3% during the second quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 135 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in American Tower in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.29% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at American Tower

In other American Tower news, CFO Rodney M. Smith sold 2,727 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.17, for a total transaction of $510,412.59. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 50,662 shares in the company, valued at $9,482,406.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, CFO Rodney M. Smith sold 3,524 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.91, for a total value of $665,718.84. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 53,389 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,085,715.99. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Rodney M. Smith sold 2,727 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.17, for a total transaction of $510,412.59. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 50,662 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,482,406.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 16,551 shares of company stock worth $3,007,034 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock.

American Tower Price Performance

American Tower Increases Dividend

AMT stock traded down $1.41 on Wednesday, reaching $161.82. 950,464 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,086,577. American Tower Co. has a twelve month low of $154.58 and a twelve month high of $235.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $171.14 and a 200-day moving average of $185.34. The firm has a market cap of $75.43 billion, a PE ratio of 78.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.60.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 11th will be issued a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 10th. This is an increase from American Towers previous quarterly dividend of $1.57. American Towers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 313.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of American Tower from $265.00 to $218.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 27th. Raymond James decreased their target price on American Tower from $211.00 to $205.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on American Tower from $215.00 to $210.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on American Tower from $212.00 to $169.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of American Tower in a research report on Thursday, July 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $230.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Tower presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $231.88.

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American Tower Company Profile

(Free Report)

American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of nearly 226,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities.

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State officials on Tuesday were informed of the spill at a well operated by XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. The leak caused the spill of 1,030 barrels or 43,260 gallons of produced water, which is saltwater that can contain oil and drilling chemicals.

The fluids were released into containment and all fluids were recovered, Mineral Resources said. The plug was replaced with a stainless steel plug, according to the report on file with the state.

An inspector has been to the spill location and will continue to monitor cleanup, state officials said.
Premier Fund Managers Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK  Free Report) by 7.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,172,815 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 211,379 shares during the period. Graphic Packaging accounts for approximately 3.0% of Premier Fund Managers Ltds holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Premier Fund Managers Ltds holdings in Graphic Packaging were worth $75,084,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 2.4% in the first quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 88,989 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,268,000 after purchasing an additional 2,127 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its position in Graphic Packaging by 825.7% in the second quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 105,747 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,572,000 after purchasing an additional 94,324 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Graphic Packaging by 17.6% in the first quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 37,949 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $967,000 after purchasing an additional 5,689 shares during the period. Strs Ohio lifted its position in Graphic Packaging by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 186,473 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $4,480,000 after purchasing an additional 10,437 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 177.3% in the 1st quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,109 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.67% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on GPK shares. Raymond James restated a strong-buy rating and issued a $30.00 price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Friday, October 20th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $26.00 to $24.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. 888 restated a downgrade rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Thursday, June 29th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America lowered Graphic Packaging from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $35.00 to $29.00 in a report on Monday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Graphic Packaging has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $28.00.

Graphic Packaging Stock Up 2.2 %

NYSE:GPK traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $20.82. 2,163,908 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,615,498. The stock has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a PE ratio of 8.93, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.96. Graphic Packaging Holding has a twelve month low of $20.07 and a twelve month high of $27.56. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $21.92 and a 200 day moving average of $23.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.73 by ($0.07). Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 7.30% and a return on equity of 37.35%. The business had revenue of $2.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.49 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Graphic Packaging Holding will post 2.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Graphic Packaging Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th were paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.92%. Graphic Packagings dividend payout ratio is 17.54%.

Graphic Packaging Profile

(Free Report)

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based packaging solutions to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Mills, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging. The company offers coated unbleached kraft (CUK), coated recycled paperboard (CRB), and solid bleached sulfate paperboard (SBS) to various paperboard packaging converters and brokers; and paperboard packaging products, such as folding cartons, cups, lids, and food containers primarily to consumer packaged goods, quick-service restaurants, and foodservice companies; and barrier packaging products that protect against moisture, hot and cold temperature, grease, oil, oxygen, sunlight, insects, and other potential product-damaging factors.

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Premier Fund Managers Ltd trimmed its position in shares of Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN  Free Report) by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 187,956 shares of the companys stock after selling 815 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd owned 0.08% of Qiagen worth $8,324,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Qiagen by 20.5% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 23,219 shares of the companys stock worth $1,046,000 after acquiring an additional 3,953 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Qiagen by 9.0% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,621 shares of the companys stock worth $258,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in shares of Qiagen during the 1st quarter valued at $16,512,000. Pitcairn Co. increased its position in Qiagen by 4.4% during the first quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 6,988 shares of the companys stock worth $321,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Qiagen in the first quarter worth about $3,445,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.99% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

QGEN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of Qiagen from $64.00 to $57.00 in a research note on Friday, September 29th. Citigroup restated a buy rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Qiagen in a research report on Tuesday, September 26th. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Qiagen in a report on Monday, September 11th. They issued an outperform rating and a $50.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Qiagen from $55.00 to $50.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. Finally, TheStreet downgraded shares of Qiagen from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Thursday, September 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Qiagen has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $53.27.

Qiagen Trading Down 0.9 %

NYSE:QGEN traded down $0.35 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $37.04. 523,620 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 980,350. The company has a market capitalization of $8.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.40. Qiagen has a twelve month low of $36.53 and a twelve month high of $51.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The companys 50 day moving average is $41.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.01.

Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $497.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $492.21 million. Qiagen had a net margin of 17.04% and a return on equity of 13.72%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Qiagen will post 2.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qiagen Company Profile

(Free Report)

QIAGEN N.V. offers sample to insight solutions that transform biological materials into molecular insights worldwide. The company provides primary sample technology consumables, such as nucleic stabilization and purification kits for primary sample materials, manual and automated processing for genotyping, gene expression, and viral and bacterial analysis, as well as silica membranes and magnetic bead technologies; secondary sample technology consumables, including kits and components for purification of nucleic acids from secondary sample materials; and instruments for nucleic acid purification and accessories.

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Psagot Value Holdings Ltd. Israel raised its stake in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Free Report) by 8.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,040 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 490 shares during the quarter. Psagot Value Holdings Ltd. Israels holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $363,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of KO. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $77,000. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Coca-Cola by 16.7% in the 1st quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 12,227 shares of the companys stock valued at $758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,754 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Coca-Cola by 41.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 149,275 shares of the companys stock worth $9,255,000 after purchasing an additional 43,680 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC raised its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 385.3% in the first quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 19,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,180,000 after purchasing an additional 15,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 11.9% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,840,557 shares of the companys stock worth $176,115,000 after purchasing an additional 301,804 shares in the last quarter. 68.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Coca-Cola news, CEO James Quincey sold 92,029 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.86, for a total value of $4,956,681.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at $23,835,527.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 92,029 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.86, for a total transaction of $4,956,681.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares of the companys stock, valued at $23,835,527.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 156,290 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.10, for a total transaction of $9,705,609.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 228,830 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,210,343. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 411,422 shares of company stock valued at $24,424,662. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Coca-Cola from $69.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Coca-Cola from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, October 13th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $74.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $59.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $66.14.

View Our Latest Analysis on KO

Coca-Cola Price Performance

Shares of KO stock traded up $0.41 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $56.05. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,968,944 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,541,958. The Coca-Cola Company has a fifty-two week low of $51.55 and a fifty-two week high of $64.99. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $57.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The company has a market capitalization of $242.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.90, a PEG ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 0.56.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $11.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.45 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 43.06% and a net margin of 23.81%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 30th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.28%. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio is currently 75.72%.

Coca-Cola Profile

(Free Report)

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.

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Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust (TSE:MI.UN  Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by Raymond James from C$18.00 to C$16.75 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Raymond James target price would indicate a potential upside of 29.34% from the companys current price.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. TD Securities decreased their price objective on shares of Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust from C$21.00 to C$20.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 5th. National Bankshares cut their price objective on shares of Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust from C$18.00 to C$17.25 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$19.22.

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Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust Stock Down 0.9 %

About Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust

TSE:MI.UN traded down C$0.12 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting C$12.95. 49,735 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 113,722. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of C$13.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$14.28. Minto Apartment Real Estate Invt Trust has a fifty-two week low of C$12.84 and a fifty-two week high of C$17.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 101.60. The company has a market capitalization of C$516.58 million, a PE ratio of -8.69 and a beta of 1.07.

(Get Free Report)

Minto Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established pursuant to a declaration of trust under the laws of the Province of Ontario to own income-producing multi-residential properties located in urban markets in Canada. The REIT owns a portfolio of high-quality income-producing multi-residential rental properties located in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.

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Halliburton (NYSE:HAL  Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by Royal Bank of Canada from $43.00 to $45.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an outperform rating on the oilfield services companys stock. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective would indicate a potential upside of 11.14% from the stocks current price.

HAL has been the subject of several other reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Halliburton from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Halliburton in a report on Tuesday, August 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on Halliburton from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $49.00 to $51.00 in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $50.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Halliburton currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $49.11.

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Halliburton Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE HAL traded up $0.26 on Wednesday, hitting $40.49. The stock had a trading volume of 5,956,555 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,691,011. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $40.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.12. The stock has a market cap of $36.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.53. Halliburton has a 52-week low of $27.84 and a 52-week high of $43.85.

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The oilfield services company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $5.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.85 billion. Halliburton had a return on equity of 31.01% and a net margin of 10.98%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Halliburton will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Timothy Mckeon sold 3,952 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $158,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 53,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,152,120. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, VP Timothy Mckeon sold 3,952 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $158,080.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 53,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,152,120. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jill D. Sharp sold 3,684 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $147,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 48,762 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,950,480. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 167,227 shares of company stock worth $6,853,355. Company insiders own 0.60% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Halliburton

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. purchased a new position in Halliburton in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Halliburton in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Halliburton by 1,675.0% during the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the oilfield services companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,005 shares in the last quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Halliburton during the first quarter worth $35,000. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Halliburton in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. 82.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Halliburton

(Get Free Report)

Halliburton Company provides products and services to the energy industry worldwide. It operates in two segments, Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation. The Completion and Production segment offers production enhancement services that include stimulation and sand control services; cementing services, such as well bonding and casing, and casing equipment; completion tools that offer downhole solutions and services, including well completion products and services, intelligent well completions, and service tools, as well as liner hanger, sand control, and multilateral systems; production solutions comprising coiled tubing, hydraulic workover units, downhole tools, and pumping and nitrogen services; and pipeline and process services, such as pre-commissioning, commissioning, maintenance, and decommissioning.

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Slate Office REIT (TSE:SOT.UN  Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at Raymond James from C$1.50 to C$1.10 in a report released on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Raymond James price objective would suggest a potential upside of 0.92% from the companys current price.

SOT.UN has been the subject of several other reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Slate Office REIT from C$2.75 to C$1.75 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. TD Securities cut their price target on shares of Slate Office REIT from C$2.25 to C$1.90 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Cormark downgraded shares of Slate Office REIT from a market perform rating to a reduce rating and decreased their price target for the stock from C$2.20 to C$1.20 in a research note on Monday, August 21st. National Bankshares downgraded shares of Slate Office REIT from a sector perform rating to an underperform rating and decreased their target price for the company from C$1.90 to C$1.25 in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Finally, CIBC decreased their target price on shares of Slate Office REIT from C$2.00 to C$1.50 in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$1.96.

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Slate Office REIT Stock Performance

Insiders Place Their Bets

Slate Office REIT stock traded down C$0.06 during trading on Wednesday, hitting C$1.09. The stock had a trading volume of 170,428 shares, compared to its average volume of 177,553. Slate Office REIT has a 1 year low of C$1.08 and a 1 year high of C$4.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 194.26. The stocks 50 day moving average is C$1.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$1.80. The stock has a market cap of C$87.22 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.93 and a beta of 1.13.

In other news, insider Slate Asset Management LP purchased 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$1.59 per share, for a total transaction of C$31,700.00. Over the last quarter, insiders purchased 27,300 shares of company stock valued at $42,307. Insiders own 18.36% of the companys stock.

About Slate Office REIT

(Get Free Report)

Slate Office REIT is an open-ended real estate investment trust. The REIT's portfolio currently comprises 43 strategic and well-located real estate assets located primarily across Canada's major population centres including one downtown asset in Chicago, Illinois. The REIT is focused on maximizing value through internal organic rental and occupancy growth and strategic acquisitions.

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Shares of Suruga Bank Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SUGBY  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $45.82 and last traded at $45.82, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $45.82.

Suruga Bank Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $862.79 million, a PE ratio of 17.16 and a beta of -0.09. The company has a fifty day moving average of $41.34 and a 200-day moving average of $38.40.

About Suruga Bank

(Get Free Report)

Suruga Bank Ltd. provides various banking and financial products and services to individuals and corporate customers in Japan. The company offers deposit products, such as time, ordinary, savings, foreign currency, and other deposits, as well as current and general accounts; card, housing, second house, startup, and business up term loans, as well as loans by purpose; credit and debit cards; overdrafts; and other financing products.

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Bank of New York Mellon Corp cut its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) by 15.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,098,279 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 755,277 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned 1.23% of The Goldman Sachs Group worth $1,321,859,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GS. Narwhal Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.6% during the second quarter. Narwhal Capital Management now owns 36,068 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $11,633,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Steel Peak Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 15.4% in the second quarter. Steel Peak Wealth Management LLC now owns 47,575 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $15,345,000 after acquiring an additional 6,348 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 5.3% in the second quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 64,360 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $20,759,000 after acquiring an additional 3,216 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 5.3% during the second quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 10,846 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $3,498,000 after purchasing an additional 544 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc boosted its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 458.1% during the 2nd quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 173 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.06% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on GS shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $347.00 to $329.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 3rd. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research note on Thursday, September 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $403.00 price target on the stock. Societe Generale downgraded The Goldman Sachs Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $410.00 target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $415.00 to $398.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $392.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO David M. Solomon sold 4,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.28, for a total value of $1,496,376.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 124,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,457,330.96. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

GS stock traded down $2.18 on Wednesday, hitting $297.00. 1,046,796 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,386,557. The stock has a market cap of $97.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.38. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $295.03 and a 1-year high of $389.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $321.32 and a 200-day moving average of $328.89.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 17th. The investment management company reported $5.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.42 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.15 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 7.19% and a net margin of 7.77%. The firms revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $8.25 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 22.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 30th will be paid a $2.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 29th. This represents a $11.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.70%. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 53.24%.

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

(Free Report)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report).

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Unum Group (NYSE:UNM  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, October 13th, RTT News reports. Investors of record on Friday, October 27th will be given a dividend of 0.365 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, November 17th. This represents a $1.46 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 26th.

Unum Group has raised its dividend payment by an average of 5.0% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 14 consecutive years. Unum Group has a dividend payout ratio of 18.4% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Unum Group to earn $7.97 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.46 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 18.3%.

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Unum Group Price Performance

UNM stock opened at $48.35 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.90. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $36.27 and a 52-week high of $52.15. The company has a market capitalization of $9.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.29.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

Unum Group ( NYSE:UNM Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.19. Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.10% and a net margin of 11.90%. The company had revenue of $3.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.07 billion. Research analysts expect that Unum Group will post 7.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Unum Group news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 20,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $1,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 72,061 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,603,050. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 3,750 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.02, for a total value of $183,825.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,334 shares in the company, valued at $2,271,292.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 20,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $1,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 72,061 shares in the company, valued at $3,603,050. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.77% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 4.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 61,304 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,932,000 after purchasing an additional 2,370 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its position in shares of Unum Group by 33.2% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 15,247 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 3,799 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 1st quarter valued at $348,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 61.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 76,618 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,422,000 after buying an additional 29,166 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. bought a new stake in Unum Group during the first quarter worth about $227,000. 79.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $54.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Barclays raised their price target on Unum Group from $46.00 to $52.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 18th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $55.25.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on UNM

About Unum Group

(Get Free Report)

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block and Corporate segments. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products.

Further Reading

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Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS  Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report issued on Tuesday.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wedbush increased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $42.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 27th. Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $50.00 to $42.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Webster Financial presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $50.00.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on WBS

Webster Financial Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of WBS traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $37.10. 1,702,353 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,272,899. Webster Financial has a 1-year low of $31.03 and a 1-year high of $56.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market capitalization of $6.43 billion, a PE ratio of 7.11 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a 50 day moving average of $40.71 and a 200 day moving average of $39.73.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.06. Webster Financial had a net margin of 24.45% and a return on equity of 13.65%. The firm had revenue of $677.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $686.11 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Webster Financial will post 5.97 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Webster Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Webster Financial by 9,388.9% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 854 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. AllSquare Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 86.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Webster Financial Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking. The Commercial Banking segment provides commercial real estate and equipment financing, business banking, asset-based lending, and commercial services; public sector finance; mortgage warehouse financing; treasury management services; credit, deposit, and cash flow management services; and wealth management solutions to business owners and operators, including trust, asset management, financial planning, insurance, retirement, and investment products, as well as derivative, treasury, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and trade products and services.

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While those who want to save the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge and turn it into a pedestrian bridge may not be thrilled, its good to know that BNSF Railway has taken steps to preserve the history of the bridge.

BNSF is in the process of building a new bridge across the Missouri River while the Friends of the Rail Bridge citizen nonprofit is appealing to the North Dakota Supreme Court to try to void state permits for the new bridge and the removal of the existing one.

FORB wants to save the old bridge, arguing it would be a great tourist attraction as a pedestrian bridge. The group no doubt would be supportive of any steps to keep the history of the bridge alive, but members dont want the bridge taken down.

The new bridge should be completed in summer 2026. When it begins operation the old bridge will be removed.

BNSF has donated $500,000 to preserve the history of the 140-year-old bridge. The State Historical Society of North Dakota has distributed the money to three Mandan groups.

The North Dakota Railroad Museum has received $5,000 to create an exhibit at the Mandan museum. Thats a nice chunk of money for a museum that operates mostly with volunteers. The exhibit will fit nicely with the museums goals.

The Mandan Historical Society will receive $69,250 to create four videos about the old bridge and the new bridge project. Thats another good fit.

The city of Mandan will get $196,750 to build a plaza area and welcome sign with salvaged pieces of the old bridge at the east end of Memorial Highway. The remaining $229,000 will go to salvaging pieces of the bridge that will go to Mandan.

The groups will have one year from the demolition of the bridge to use the funds.

Some may see BNSFs donation as a cynical attempt to ease the disappointment over the pending removal of the existing bridge. While the donation may help boost BNSFs public image, the Tribune Editorial Board believes its also a plus for the community.

Reasons vary for why its not possible to preserve all of our historic buildings and landmarks. Supporters of the existing bridge dont agree with where BNSF wants to locate the new bridge and why the railroad wants to remove the old rail bridge.

When the old bridge goes it will be difficult for the Bismarck-Mandan community. If the three groups deliver on their promises, and the Tribune expects they will, the history of the bridge will live on.

Its important that visitors and generations to come can learn about the history of the original Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge.
you are here:
Amitabh Tiwari Is a former corporate and investment banker-turned political strategist and commentator. Twitter: @politicalbaaba. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication
Siddharth Upasani is a Special Correspondent at Moneycontrol. He has been covering the Indian economy, economic data, and monetary and fiscal policies for nine years. He tweets at @SiddharthUbiWan. Contact: siddharth.upasani@nw18.com
In the current threat landscape, where hackers often possess greater resources and flexibility than their security counterparts, firewalls and other traditional security methods are doomed to fail.

With this loss of the perimeter, threat actors who are already inside your network are now the greatest threat.

In this VMWare Lateral Security for Dummies e-book, you will learn how to fight lateral threats and defend your network from threats that bypass traditional network jurisdictions.

Download and read now to secure your organization against modern threats.
Abhishek Sahu covers HR and Education (Careers) at Moneycontrol. He can be reached at Abhishek.Sahu@nw18.com and @Abhishek44sahu.
Nickey Mirchandani NICKEY MIRCHANDANI Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. Shes a presenter and a stock market enthusiast with over 12 years of experience who loves reading between the lines and scanning through numbers.
Everyone who uses the internet knows the frustration of web spam, where you find a promising page in search results that is useless. And we all know Google hates spammy websites, probably even more than we do.

But as a site owner, how do you know if your site visitors and Google consider your website spammy? And what should you do to ensure it isn't considered *GULP* web spam?

If you have concerns about your website being considered spammy, here is helpful information to know when optimizing your website. As you read through these items, ask yourself, "Do I or has anyone working on my website ever employed these practices? Does this describe my business  even if it wasn't intentional?"

In this post, well cover:

8 Qualities of a Search Engine Web Spammer

Googles overall goal is to help people find helpful content without any roadblocks, and its strict content and spam policies support that goal.

Its entirely possible that something you do accidentally, with no malicious intent, flags Google to investigate your site as spam. Because of this, its worth familiarizing yourself with what is considered spam to prevent any action by Google that could place your site lower in search results or stop it from showing up at all.

Here are some examples of what Google considers spam:

1. They Rarely Use Social

Spammers simply dont dedicate the time to build relationships with people and, thus, are rarely found in social networks. Help to distinguish your website and marketing from web spam by building relationships online in social media with prospects and customers.

2. They Over-Optimize

The repetitive use of keywords in content, where they unnaturally appear word after word ... after word (you know what I'm talking about)  thats referred to as keyword stuffing or, more innocently, over-optimization.

Call it what you will; its not a good practice either way. Most frequently, youll see repetitive keywords in the following areas: page titles, on-page copy, and in domain names/URLs. To prevent keyword stuffing, follow best practices for optimizing your content, and aim to write as naturally as you would speak.

3. They Dont Focus on Content

Spammers don't care about creating quality content  or content that is unique in any way, for that matter. In fact, spammy sites will often consist of stolen content, content repeated again and again, or content pulled in via RSS feeds from other websites. Avoid this type of spammy behavior by ensuring all the content you publish is unique and compelling.

4. They Stuff Their Sites With Ads

Spammers create the type of websites where more than 50% of the content on any given page is advertisements. Remember, the spammers goal is to make a lot of money, and running a ton of ads will help get them to that goal. Don't risk looking like a spammy site. Make sure to dedicate the top half of your web pages to content and calls to action. Dont waste valuable website real estate with third-party advertisements that add no value to your business or its users. Google is not a fan of excessive ads on websites, and they'll ding you for it.

5. Their Sites Have Lots of Dead Ends, Pages Not Found, and Broken Links

For a spammer, maintaining a legitimate website requires too much upkeep that they just let pages expire and neglect to make necessary updates and changes. As a marketer, commit to keeping your website fresh and up to date. It pays to do some housekeeping, so dont let the cobwebs build up.

6. They Attract Lots of Low-Quality Inbound Links

Unfortunately, there is such a thing as bad, low-quality inbound links because, after all, who links to spam except for spam?

A great source of quality inbound links is high-quality content you create that naturally entices other websites to link back to it.

Another great way to attract high-quality inbound links is through guest blogging, so leverage your networks to help build a stronger reputation and more powerful influence online. And if you have attracted some subpar inbound links in the past, consider using Google's disavow tool to help clean up your online reputation.

7. They Own Lots of Domains or Microsites

Spammers are notorious for not only purchasing lots of domains, but also setting up site after site that consist of just one page each and never gets updated. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but as a best practice, try to keep all your content on one primary, authoritative domain/website.

8. They Employ Other Traditionally Black-Hat Tactics

These tactics include things like doorway pages, text that matches the page's background color (so the human eye can't catch it, but search engines can index it), and the use of misspelled content and keywords intentionally used wrong just to rank.

Some examples of black-hat tactics are:

Cloaking - Presenting different content to viewers and search engines to purposely manipulate rankings.

Hacked content - Any content placed within a compromised website or site pages by hackers, like malware.

Malware and malicious behaviors - Google checks to see if there is content within sites that will cause a negative user experience, like malware that installs harmful software without user consent.

Scraped content - Any content taken directly from a site and put on another without explicit permission or transfer of rights.

Sneaky redirects - Bringing users to a different URL than what they originally clicked on.

Bringing users to a different URL than what they originally clicked on. Spammy automatically-generated content - Auto-generated created for the sole purpose of manipulating search rankings because it doesnt add any original insight or value to a user.

Spam Website Example

Below, well review a few examples of website spam to give you an idea of what it can look like.

1. Blue Nile

Google says keyword stuffing is filling a page with keywords to manipulate search rankings, and the keywords often appear unnaturally. Blue Nile is a diamond jeweler selling rings for multiple occasions. Its blog post, Top 20 Engagement Rings, is an example of a practice that could be considered spammy.

What went wrong: Keyword stuffing

Repeated use of engagement ring, top engagement ring, and ring keywords and related keywords could be seen as keyword stuffing. While this brief section is not full of keywords, the words are used in close succession in one paragraph, and it sounds unnatural when reading the paragraph aloud.

2. Petminderpro

Scraped content on a website is copied and republished from another site without adding new content. Petmindperpros entire website is an excellent example of spammy website practices.

What went wrong: Scraped content

Petminderpros entire website is content scraped from the HubSpot Blog. It doesnt provide any added unique content or insight to add to the taken content, so it has essentially republished an entire websites content.

3. MyArea Network

Google defines doorway pages as intermediary pages a searcher lands on that arent as useful as the final destination page, like a site having multiple pages targeted at specific regions or cities and pages that funnel visitors into the actual usable portion of their site. MyArea Network is a great example of this.

What went wrong: Doorway page

MyArea Networks website is a doorway page because it features city or regional pages for 100+ cities in the United States. To find a city, a user lands on the initial intermediary doorway page with no helpful content.

Yes, it is possible to innocently fall into the trap of some of Googles spam triggers because youre unfamiliar with SEO or havent monitored your websites SEO activities. And while it sounds enticing to be on page one of the search results and generate a lot of traffic, you need to ask yourself: At what cost?

One of the best ways to ensure your site never receives a manual action because of spam is to optimize for what Google cares the most about.

What, Then, Does Google Care About?

Google wants you to create the best possible user experience for your site visitors by optimizing for on-page SEO (keywords) or off-page SEO (attracting inbound links).

The websites that succeed at doing this are the ones that get rewarded with good rankings, traffic, and, ultimately, conversions. Those who fail or practice any of the spammy behaviors above either end up not appearing in search results (at best) or getting penalized by Google (at worst).

What Marketers Should Focus On

Focus your efforts on whats best for the visitors of your website. Theyre the main consumers of your content and use search engines to find your work. Rather than focusing on specific tweaks (AKA "gaming the system") to gain rankings, focus on putting your sites best foot forward and aim to please your ultimate consumers: your users, customers, and prospectsnot search engines.

The most important thing is aiming for consistent quality content that delivers clear value and shows attention to detail. Create content (with content being more than just text think images, video, rich text, reviews, comments, etc.) that is innovative, unique, and inspiring  in other words, compelling.

To deliver the right results to searchers Google focuses on five main factors: meaning, relevance, quality, usability, and context.

The meaning behind a searcher's query (the most likely reason theyre searching).

behind a searcher's query (the most likely reason theyre searching). The relevance between the search query and the content on a website or site page.

between the search query and the content on a website or site page. The quality of the content on a page and whether it adheres to the E-E-A-T model (well outline this below).

on a page and whether it adheres to the E-E-A-T model (well outline this below). The usability of a site , which considers technical aspects like page speed and mobile friendliness.

, which considers technical aspects like page speed and mobile friendliness. The context of the search, like someone's past search behavior or unique settings like location or language.

You can use these factors as a guiding principle when optimizing your site. For example, when it comes to usability, focusing on the technical aspects of your site will help you meet that standard.

When it comes to the content you house on your site, the E-E-A-T standard is the best model to follow. Heres what it stands for:

Expertise : Youre a subject matter expert in the content of your website. With spammy sites, a website that features many unrelated topics could be seen as spammy because the likelihood of expertise in so many topics is low.

: Youre a subject matter expert in the content of your website. With spammy sites, a website that features many unrelated topics could be seen as spammy because the likelihood of expertise in so many topics is low. Experience: You have personal experience with the content you write about. You could be seen as spammy if there is no evidence of your expertise in the topics you write about.

You have personal experience with the content you write about. You could be seen as spammy if there is no evidence of your expertise in the topics you write about. Authoritativeness: You have backlinks from credible sites. You could be marked as spammy if you have backlinks from sites that Google has already deemed spammy.

You have backlinks from credible sites. You could be marked as spammy if you have backlinks from sites that Google has already deemed spammy. Trustworthiness: Your website and its content are credible and current. Incorrect content and spammy practices (like the ones mentioned above) can strike against you.

Designing your site around your visitors needs while ensuring it's also easily accessible to search engines usually produces positive results. It helps users find the content they want faster and ultimately convert. Its a win-win situation.

If you want to check how your website currently measures up to optimization best practices, consider running an SEO audit. Itll help you determine whether your site will help you achieve your goals or if you might risk being deemed spammy by Google. HubSpots free SEO Audit Kit includes 60+ tips for running an SEO audit and a step-by-step guide you can follow to run one for your site.

Download HubSpots Free SEO Audit Kit

How Do You Track All This?

You'll need to keep track of key metrics to determine whether your SEO efforts are paying off and whether your content aligns with your users and creates that desired user experience. Evaluate how users are consuming your content. Sure, you'll want to look at pages visited, but think a little bit outside the box.

Time on Site: Keeping track of time on site using a web analytics tool like Google Analytics is a good way to get insight about whether people like consuming your content. Now, depending on your type of content, users may not be spending that much time per page. Depending on the nature of your site, your target duration for a visit will vary.

Keeping track of time on site using a web analytics tool like Google Analytics is a good way to get insight about whether people like consuming your content. Now, depending on your type of content, users may not be spending that much time per page. Depending on the nature of your site, your target duration for a visit will vary. Bounce Rates: Google has publicly stated that bounce rate does not factor in as part of its ranking calculation; however, bounce rate (which a web analytics tool like Google Analytics can also report on) can give you some information about user experience. The average bounce rate for web analysts responding to our Web Traffic & Analytics Report is 37%. A healthy bounce rate for a site that produces a large volume of content is 70% or less. There are a few things to remember when looking at this metric. Look at it on a page-by-page basis, and consider that each page will have its own unique bounce rate. Some pages will naturally have higher rates than others, and thats okay. You would expect that especially from something like your 'Contact Us' page, for example. There are additional ways to measure bounce rate, as discussed by Avinash Kaushik here.

Google has publicly stated that bounce rate does not factor in as part of its ranking calculation; however, bounce rate (which a web analytics tool like Google Analytics can also report on) can give you some information about user experience. The average bounce rate for web analysts responding to our Web Traffic & Analytics Report is 37%. A healthy bounce rate for a site that produces a large volume of content is 70% or less. There are a few things to remember when looking at this metric. Look at it on a page-by-page basis, and consider that each page will have its own unique bounce rate. Some pages will naturally have higher rates than others, and thats okay. You would expect that especially from something like your 'Contact Us' page, for example. There are additional ways to measure bounce rate, as discussed by Avinash Kaushik here. Clickthrough Rates (CTR): There are several different types of clickthrough rates you can look at, but I would recommend two types in particular. First, track the clickthrough rates of your search listings, which Google Analytics will provide to you if you have Webmaster Tools set up for your website. Generally speaking, you will have lower CTRs where you do a poor job of communicating what your site is about  meaning your Page Title, URL and description dont align, or you have a poor site structure. Second, track the CTRs for your various calls-to-action (CTAs) on your web pages. Remember, one of the main goals for getting your web pages to rank well in search is to get people to click through to an offer. Therefore, your CTA clickthrough rates on those pages will tell you how effectively your traffic is getting routed to the landing pages for your offers.

There are several different types of clickthrough rates you can look at, but I would recommend two types in particular. First, track the clickthrough rates of your search listings, which Google Analytics will provide to you if you have Webmaster Tools set up for your website. Generally speaking, you will have lower CTRs where you do a poor job of communicating what your site is about  meaning your Page Title, URL and description dont align, or you have a poor site structure. Second, track the CTRs for your various calls-to-action (CTAs) on your web pages. Remember, one of the main goals for getting your web pages to rank well in search is to get people to click through to an offer. Therefore, your CTA clickthrough rates on those pages will tell you how effectively your traffic is getting routed to the landing pages for your offers. Conversion Rate s: Once you get people from search engines to your landing pages, they still need to fill out the form and convert! Conversion rates should be tied directly to your business goals. A conversion might be completing a purchase, signing up for a mailing list, or downloading a whitepaper.

Once you get people from search engines to your landing pages, they still need to fill out the form and convert! Conversion rates should be tied directly to your business goals. A conversion might be completing a purchase, signing up for a mailing list, or downloading a whitepaper. Social Signals: Social media is about relationships, and your social signals are the metrics that help you determine whether your content is being shared on social media  and the impact it's having. Beyond tracking the number of Likes and shares for your content, also consider the following (which you can track using a closed-loop marketing analytics tool like HubSpot): traffic from social media (and individual social networks), overall social media reach, and how many leads and customers you can attribute to your social media presence. Remember  social media influences SEO, so it's important not to ignore that fact.

We have entire blog posts and ebooks dedicated to explaining and exploring SEO and marketing analytics, so youll excuse me if my explanations just scrape the surface. One way to improve your site is to look at it from the perspective of your users. What shows up in search results: is it enticing? Does it accurately represent the content of my website? Am I giving searchers a reason to click on my listings? And the same applies to content within your site, too. Give users the information they seek.

Lets Say You Did Get Penalized. How Would You Know?

If you suspect you have been penalized in search engines for spammy behavior, there are a few things you can check. Start with the following:

Do you show up in the search results? You can start by simply doing a search for your site. Searching for your site with the following command (search:domain.com) will give you a sense of whats indexed.

You can start by simply doing a search for your site. Searching for your site with the following command (search:domain.com) will give you a sense of whats indexed. Check your traffic metrics  volume and sources. Has your traffic remained the same or at least steadily increased? If so, thats good. If, however, your traffic shows any sudden drop-offs without a rebound, it's an indication you may have been dinged.

Has your traffic remained the same or at least steadily increased? If so, thats good. If, however, your traffic shows any sudden drop-offs without a rebound, it's an indication you may have been dinged. What types of links come in to your website? Take a look at the type of inbound links you've attracted for your site. Do any of them look suspicious?

Take a look at the type of inbound links you've attracted for your site. Do any of them look suspicious? Are you still generating leads? Traffic alone isn't the only factor to consider. If you've stopped getting conversions and leads without changing much or without reducing the volume of content and offers you produce, I would encourage you to look into it further.

While there are certain steps to take (like this one) if you feel you've been penalized by Google unecessarily, the best way to start reparing your search engine rankings is to clean up your black-hat SEO practices and move forward with a more white-hat approach.

Focusing on your users is the best protection against spam.

In the end, you want to ask yourself, "What do my users care about?" If you can focus on creating content while keeping your users in mind, all of the above will be super simple.

Do whats in your audiences best interest and write as though you're having a conversation with that person. Use your website as a tool to communicate, engage, and build trust and authority. Thats all that Google expects of you. Web spammers, on the other hand, manipulate users and search engines, ultimately creating a less than optimal experience for them as a result. Dont be that guy.

Are you optimizing your website and content with the user in mind?
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
Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr is a New Delhi-based journalist. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Karishma Vaswani is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Dave Lee is Bloomberg Opinion's US technology columnist. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Genres : Action, Adventure, Thriller

Starring : Tom Cruise, Vanessa Kirby, Simon Pegg

Director : Christopher McQuarrie

Plot Synopsis

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission - not even the lives of those he cares about most.





Commentary by director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton McQuarrie and Hamilton take viewers through each compelling scene with in-depth commentary.

Abu Dhabi Explore the exotic filming locations in the desert and at the international airport and discover how each thrilling sequence was shot.

Rome Take a behind-the-scenes look at the thrilling car chase through Italy's historic capital, as Tom Cruise's driving skills are pushed to the limit while handcuffed to Hayley Atwell!

Venice See the breathtaking city of Venice as it's never been shown on film. Plus, witness the cast's dedication and commitment to their training as they prepare to get "Mission Ready."

Freefall An extended behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest stunts in cinema history. Watch never-before-seen footage of the rigorous training as Tom launches a motorcycle off a cliff.

Speed Flying Join Tom and the crew as they explain the various training techniques involved in pulling off the dangerous speed flying stunts in the film.

Train See how the climactic train sequence was captured on film. From building an actual train from scratch to crashing it using practical effects, you don't want to miss this!

Deleted Shots Montage Director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton share some of the breathtaking, never-before-seen footage that didn't make the final film.
October 25, 2023 / 10:51 PM IST

The pan-Arab Al Jazeera TV said the family members of its correspondent in Gaza - his wife, daughter and son - were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza on Wednesday night.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident.

The channel posted lived footage of its reporter Wael Al Dahdouh crying as he saw them laying lifeless in hospital. (Reuters)
   

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Read on below for an exciting evolution were making to your e-letter experience! Plus, see what sector is set for a major boom as a result of the latest surge in Bitcoin. Hint: its not tech!

2023 just keeps throwing out the surprises. The latest is the surge in bitcoin. What is it telling us? Lots of things!

Look at this chart



Source: Via Empire Financial Research [Click to open in a new window]

This shows the current slaughter of long-term bonds in the United States.

This chart goes back 100 years. You can see the carnage is epic relative to history.

Part of whats driving bonds lower is the fear around how sustainable US government debt is.

US bonds are supposed to be safe.

Clearly, theyre not.

I wrote (for Fat Tails paying subscribers) back in August how this dynamic would be good for hard assets like gold and bitcoin.

Officially, I said:

Bitcoin stopped being the plaything of retail punters a long time ago. The Tulip Mania period that washed through the crypto world in 2017 is long dead.

And yet bitcoin remains$45,000 per BTC in Aussie dollars.

It does so because the market isnt stupid.

People can see perfectly well that the current currency system has one foot above an open manhole and another about to step on a banana peel.

Part of the rationale for this was I expected the Fed to return to buying US bonds directly to juice the markets.

That hasnt happened yet, at least overtly.

In fact, China is moving first!

There are no coincidences say the market strategists.

Bitcoin is jumping at the same time Chinese President Xi is making a very public visit to the Chinese central bank.

Xi is raising Chinas fiscal deficit.

Liquidity expert Michael Howell says that the Peoples Bank of China is also juicing the Chinese markets.

You can see that here

Bitcoin appears to be sniffing this out.

Watch iron ore!

Any move here would be confirmation that the Chinese economy is coming back from its lacklustre year so far.

Commodities could rally across the board. Heres a reminder of how important China is to the commodities market

Of global demand, China accounts for

16% of oil

17% for LNG

51% for copper

55% for steel

58% for coal, and

60% for aluminium

I told you last week that my favourite iron ore small-cap play was likely to jump on its latest quarterly result.

We got the result, and it was a belter. Net cash went up nearly $100 million from the last three months.

The stock rallied. It wasnt huge. But it went up while the market gets clobbered.

However, long-term, this just gives you a chance to buy more stock at a suppressed valuation.

By the time the company reports its half year results, Id be staggered if they dont declare a big dividend or stock buyback.

Theres just so much cash building on their balance sheet.

And see aboveChina is stimulating. The next three months should see even more money pour into their accounts.

Im not saying its without risk. I cant promise you that.

But I still like it from here a lot. You can get the full story on it by following this link.

Heres another interesting, personal angle on whats happening now.

This month, I travelled to Melbourne to attend an event that Aussie stock market luminary Geoff Wilson hosted. Heres a snapshot I took:

I didnt discover all that much, except for an interesting insight from his portfolio management team.

They had met with Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm.

In turn, Stausholm told them he had met recently with Chinas government elite, including Xi Jinping (apparently).

The feedback told to the room is that the Chinese government is not happy with the current state of their economy  and highly likely to act more aggressively to do something about.

It seems to be playing out right in front of us.

The current market is one of the toughest Ive seen in a long time.

But we could be about to see a big rally in the commodity sector. The would be much needed good news for the ASX indeed.

Best wishes,

Callum Newman,

Editor, Money Morning
Disgraced fashion bro Dov Charney is back in the news. The skeevy former American Apparel CEO, who's had it rough ever since being ousted from his clothing brand over sexual harassment allegations, and is tens of millions of dollars in debt, is likely to get kicked out of his bizarre concrete mansion in Los Angeles, according to a story in The LA Times written by Noah Goldberg.

And it turns out Charney's not the only unsavory character shacking up at the mansion. It's become a crash pad for Kanye's band of misfit toys, including declasse alt-right tryhard Milo Yiannopoulos, who runs Ye's political operations, and accused sexual predator Ian Connor, described in the article as "a clothing designer accused by numerous women of sexual assault who has long been connected to Ye."

No wonder the landlord's trying to kick these creeps out. A court hearing on the trustee's motion is scheduled for November 14.

Highlights from the report:
In the mid 2010s, Microsoft developed a surprisingly good OS for its smartphones: fast, intuitive, beautifully-designed and even-gasp!minimalistic. One commentatorI forget whosmartly suggested that Microsoft should call it WIN and put it on tablets and laptops too. A breath of fresh air, daylong battery life, a UX that gets out the way, and perfectly-timed to capitalize on the fundamental uselessness of iPadOS for real work and the fundamental hinkiness of Android on larger displays. Instead, Microsoft killed it when its partners' smartphones weren't immediately competitive. A mistake, Satya Nadella now admits.

Is there any kind of real strategic mistake or just wrong decision that you regret in retrospect? The decision I think a lot of people talk about  and one of the most difficult decisions I made when I became CEO was our exit of what I'll call the mobile phone as defined then. In retrospect, I think there could have been ways we could have made it work by perhaps reinventing the category of computing between PCs, tablets, and phones.

Fantastic how he describes what pundits were screaming at them to do years ago, like he just woke up at 4 am realizing it on Sunday.
Residents of Porirua, New Zealand are fed up with "speaker battles" (aka "siren battles") during which vehicles are outfitted with loudspeakers like those used for emergency vehicle sirens. According to Mayor Anita Baker, those involved in this subculture cruise the streets or hold competitions in parking lots. A petition demanding local government intervene complains of the participants "blasting music and emergency siren noises at all hours of the night." Curiously, the music choice is frequently songs by Canadian pop star Celine Dion.

From The Guardian:

Music by Celine Dion is a popular choice for siren battles, which originated in south Auckland's Pasifika population. While the events draw plenty of noise complaints, siren battles have also cultivated community. A report in local media outlet The Spinoff quoted the member of one siren group explaining Dion's music was popular because it is clear, with high treble and not much bass. But, Baker says the "siren kings" of Porirua are terrorising residents with unwelcome takes on Dion's classics.

"They play half a song and tweak it on their things and make a screeching noise so it is not like you're even listening to good music," said Baker, who is supportive of considerate siren kings. "I don't mean to be awful but it's not even a complete song."
United Auto Workers members strike at a General Motors assembly plant that builds the U.S. automaker's full-size sport utility vehicles, in another expansion of the strike in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 24, 2023.
1.148 million people have died of COVID-19 in the United States. Donald Trump didn't give a rat's ass about COVID-19. The Orange Menace could have done something that would have drastically lowered that number and saved our loved ones. Instead, as President, Trump hamstrung his advisors, heaped bullshit, like bleach, ivermectin, and the fear of wearing a mask upon us, and then turned National emergency news conferences into self-aggrandizing hope-destroying circuses.

It is awful god damn upsetting to see the out-on-bail Republican front-runner for President's legal team whine that COVID-19 is a great reason to delay his trial. Someone, please hand them a bottle of Clorox.

Yahoo News:

An unmasked Trump watched as his unmasked lawyers asked the trial be delayed due to the risk of infection, but the judge overseeing the high-profile Manhattan trial quickly shot down that request. He reminded the parties that if anyone was concerned, N95 masks were available. But for all the hubbub over the "risk," there were no takers, Trump included. The lead defense lawyer, Christopher Kise, raised the COVID-19 issue before any witnesses took the stand on Tuesday, during the fourth week in the fraud trial, at which New York officials are seeking to ban Trump's real-estate empire from the state. Kise kicked off the COVID kerfuffle, rising from his seat to complain that someone on New York Attorney General Letitia James' team had contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday and that a total of four members of her office had since tested positive for the virus. At least two key members of the AG's team, including Kevin Wallace, a lead lawyer who had made the state's opening statement, were not present in court Tuesday morning.

We all lost family and friends to COVID. That guy told us it was just a little flu. Trump will absolutely try anything to delay a trial.
Reporter

Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post.
Customers line up at the Guam Power Authority and Guam Waterworks Authority satellite office June 20, 2022, at the Julale Shopping Center in Hagatna.
Japans top court strikes down required sterilization surgery to officially change gender View Photo

TOKYO (AP)  Japans Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a law requiring transgender people to undergo sterilization surgery in order to officially change their gender is unconstitutional, a landmark verdict welcomed by advocates as a sign of growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights.

The ruling by the top courts 15-judge Grand Bench applies to the sterilization portion of the 2003 law only. It does not address the constitutionality of requiring gender-transition surgery in general to obtain a state-sanctioned gender change  a requirement also criticized by international rights and medical groups.

The law forces those who seek a gender change a cruel choice between accepting the sterilization surgery that causes intense bodily invasion and giving up important legal benefits of being treated according to their gender identity, the Supreme Court said.

The decision, which requires the government to reconsider the law, is a first step toward allowing transgender people to change their identity in official documents without getting sterilized. But it was not a full victory for the claimant because the Supreme Court sent her case back to the high court to further examine the requirement for gender-affirmation surgery.

The claimant in 2020 sought a gender change in her family registry  to female from assigned male at birth  but her request was turned down by lower courts.

The decision comes at a time of heightened awareness of issues surrounding LGBTQ+ people in Japan and is a partial victory for that community.

The judges unanimously ruled that the part of the law requiring sterilization for a gender change is unconstitutional, according to the court document. The claimants lawyers said the decision that did not find the gender-affirmation surgery requirement unconstitutional was regrettable because it delays the settlement of that issue.

The claimant, identified only as a transgender woman in her late 40s living in western Japan, said in a statement read by one of her lawyers Kazuyuki Minami that she was surprised by the decision and was disappointed that a decision on the gender-affirmation surgery requirement is delayed.

It causes her more ordeal and court sessions for further scrutiny about the inside of her underpants, Minami said.

Under the law, transgender people who want to have their gender assigned at birth changed on family registries and other official documents must be diagnosed as having gender dysmorphia and must undergo an operation to remove their sex organs.

Other requirements are that they are unmarried and do not have children under 18.

Kanae Doi, Japan director of Human Rights Watch said it was great news that the top court unanimously found the sterilization unconstitutional and that the government now must follow up. The government is obliged to amend the law to remove the sterilization and gender-affirmation surgery requirements, she said. Any invasion of the body against ones will is a human rights violation.

LGBTQ+ activists in Japan have recently stepped up efforts to pass an anti-discrimination law since a former aide to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in February that he wouldnt want to live next to LGBTQ+ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriage were allowed.

But changes have come slowly and Japan remains the only Group of Seven member that does not allow same-sex marriage or legal protections, including an effective anti-discrimination law.

The claimant originally filed the request in 2020, saying the surgery requirement forces a huge economic and physical burden and that it violates the constitutions equal rights protections.

Rights groups and the LGBTQ+ community in Japan have been hopeful for a change in the law after a local family court, in an unprecedented ruling earlier this month, accepted a request by a claimant for a gender change without the compulsory surgery, saying the rule is unconstitutional.

The special law that took effect in 2004 states that people who wish to register a gender change must have their original sex organs, including testes or ovaries, removed and have a body that appears to have parts that resemble the genital organs of the new gender they want to register with.

More than 10,000 Japanese have had their genders officially changed since then, according to court documents from the Oct. 11 ruling that accepted Gen Suzukis request for a gender change without the required surgery.

Surgery to remove sex organs is not required in most of the approximately 50 European and central Asian countries that have laws allowing people to change their gender on official documents, the Shizuoka ruling said. The practice of changing ones gender in such a way has become mainstream in many places around the world, it noted.

In a country of conformity where the conservative government sticks to traditional paternalistic family values and is reluctant to accept sexual and family diversity, many LGBTQ+ people still hide their sexuality due to fear of discrimination at work and schools.

Some groups opposing more inclusivity for transgender people, especially to those changing from assigned male at birth to female, had submitted 20,000 petitions Tuesday to the Supreme Court, asking it to keep the surgery requirement in place to keep womens spaces safe.

Hundreds of municipalities now issue partnership certificates for same-sex couples to ease hurdles in renting apartments and other areas, but they are not legally binding.

In 2019, the Supreme Court in another case filed by a transgender man seeking a gender registration change without the required sexual organ removal and sterilization surgery found the law constitutional.

In that ruling, the top court said the law was constitutional because it was meant to reduce confusion in families and society, though it acknowledged that it restricts freedom and could become out of step with changing social values and should be reviewed later.

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

Associated Press
Republicans really want to control the Virginia House of Delegates. They have expanded their kink-shaming campaign against Democratic House candidate Susanna Gibson, sending out thousands of mailers with quotes and screenshots stolen from her Chaturbate channel.

Jezebel:

Virginia Republicans aren't done harassing Democratic state House candidate Susanna Gibson, the woman they're trying to scandalize for having sex with her own husband on livestreams for tips. Not only did an anonymous GOP operative leak archived videos and screenshots to reporters, but nowwith two weeks to go until Election Daythe state Republican party has sent out thousands of mailers with censored quotes and screenshots from the archived streams.

In totally unrelated news, if the GOP sweeps the legislature, they will pass an abortion ban at 15 weeks or earlier. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's PAC has spent $1.4 million on an ad claiming there is no proposed abortion ban, just a "limit"yet GOP candidates have called it a ban for months. Gibson's Republican opponent for the House of Delegates' 57th district is David Owen, who supports the proposed 15-week abortion ban.

Let's back up: Gibson, a nurse practitioner, and her husband, John, had an account on the website Chaturbate where they livestreamed themselves having sex and asked viewers for tips. Those videos were archived on other sites without the Gibsons' knowledge or consent, and a Virginia Republican operative sent that material to The Washington Post and the Associated Press in September. She vowed to stay in the race, saying "It won't intimidate me and it won't silence me."



NBC 12 asked some 57th District voters how they felt about the mailing and said none were willing to speak on camera. While they felt people should probably know about Gibson's cam work, they said it "seemed a tad extreme." Amanda Litman, the co-founder of Run For Something, which helps women run for office, called the move "wildly fucked up."
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  A Chinese research ship docked at a Sri Lankan port on Wednesday, likely adding to neighboring Indias concerns about Chinas growing influence in the Indian Ocean.

The arrival of the Shi Yan 6 follows last years visit by a Chinese naval vessel.

The latest ship was given permission to dock for replenishment at the port of Colombo, the Indian Ocean islands main port, from Wednesday until Oct. 28, said foreign ministry spokesman Kapila Fonseka.

The vessel had been expected to conduct research with Sri Lankan state institutions, but Fonseka said permission was granted only for replenishment and no research work would be carried out.

The particular permission is very clear, he said.

According to Chinese television network CGTN, Shi Yan 6 is a geophysical scientific research vessel on an expeditionary voyage in the eastern area of the Indian Ocean.

Organized by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the vessel is scheduled to operate at sea for 80 days, covering a range of more than 12,000 nautical miles (roughly 22,200 kilometres), CGTN reported.

China has been trying to expand its influence in Sri Lanka, which is located on one of the worlds busiest shipping routes in what India considers part of its strategic backyard.

Beijing was once widely seen as having an upper hand with its free-flowing loans and infrastructure investments. But Sri Lankas economic collapse last year provided an opportunity for India as New Delhi stepped in with massive financial and material assistance.

Two weeks ago, Sri Lanka reached an agreement with Export-Import Bank of China on key terms and principles for restructuring its debt, an important step toward unlocking a second installment of a $2.9 billion package from the International Monetary Fund aimed at helping the island nation from its dire economic crisis.

Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt, more than half to foreign creditors. China accounts for about 10% of Sri Lankas loans, trailing Japan and the Asian Development Bank.

Sri Lanka borrowed heavily from China over the past decade for infrastructure projects including a seaport, airport and a city being built on reclaimed land. The projects failed to earn enough revenue to pay for the loans, and in 2017, Sri Lanka leased the seaport in Hambantota to China.

Last year, Chinese navy vessel Yuan Wang 5 docked at Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka. There were fears in India that the vessel could be used to surveil the region.

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI

Associated Press
Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office Logo View Photo

Pinecrest Lake, CA  A 59-year-old man from the Bay Area drowned while swimming in Pinecrest Lake last week.

After Clarke Broadcasting inquired about the drowning, Tuolumne County Sheriffs spokesperson Ashley Boujikian relayed that it happened on Wednesday, October 18th, around 4 p.m., when dispatch received multiple reports of a man who had been under the water and possibly drowned at Pinecrest Lake. Boujikian identified the victim as 59-year-old Keith Campbell of Dublin, California.

Once on scene, deputies pieced together what happened by reviewing security footage and questioning witnesses and bystanders. A friend of Campbells who was on the boat told deputies that the deceased jumped into the water to swim without a lifejacket. When trying to get back on the boat, he struggled and could not get out of the water. That is when another friend saw Campbell face-down in the water and called for help.

Campbell was pulled onto a boat by his friend and bystanders as they attempted lifesaving measures while they transported Campbell to the shore, according to Boujikian, who added, Once at the shore, medics continued to attempt lifesaving measures. Campbell was pronounced deceased by medics on scene prior to the deputies arrival.
ATCCA Logo Helping People Since 1981 View Photo

Sonora, CA  The Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) has sent a letter to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in response to concerns raised about the services it provides to the county.

We reported previously that the Calaveras Board voted 5-0 on September 12 to request that ATCAA transfer all of the programs it provides over the to Calaveras Mariposa Community Action Agency, after criticizing the partnership, and a lack of requested information about the services.

ATCAA oversees the countys utility bill assistance and energy conservation programs

ATCAA later put out a media release on October 16, arguing that the request (to transfer over the CMCAA) is being denied, and noted that the Calaveras Board was acting based on uninformed reasons and inaccurate information.

The ATCAA Board of Directors later held a special meeting this past Friday to finalize a letter to be sent to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. The letter explains the legalities and reasoning for the denial and offers ways to collaborate, including adding a member of the Calaveras low-income population to the ATCAA board, and some other additional incentives. The letter also apologizes for the media release that was sent out by the agency on October 16, stating that it was premature and may have generated confusion and community complaints.

Fridays special ATCAA meeting was attended by both Calaveras Supervisor Benjamin Stopper and Calaveras CEO Teresa Hitchcock.

Stopper reported about it at Tuesdays Calaveras Board meeting, stating, I think there has been some good conversation, and I think we have an opportunity right now to maybe work better together with our partners from both counties (Tuolumne and Amador). There is some potential for more information and education on what the services are, and how we can get to a point where we are comfortable with access for our constituents, and the best services provided to our constituents.

CEO Hitchcock added, I was very impressed with their (ATCAA) board. I would like to thank and commend them for listening to our concerns and then addressing those concerns about how services are provided in Calaveras by ATCAA. Overall, it was a very positive meeting and their board of directors seems very dedicated to ensuring that Calaveras residents are able to access the services that they are able to through ATCAA.

ATCAAs board includes private, low-income, and government representatives. From the City of Sonora, the member is Andy Merrill, and from the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors, it is Jaron Brandon and David Goldemberg.

More information about the services ATCAA provides can be found here.

You can read ATCAAs full board-approved letter, below:

Supervisor Tofanelli

Calaveras Board of Supervisors

891 Mountain Ranch Road

San Andreas, CA 95249

This letter is in response to your 9/12/2023 letter to the ATCAA Board of Directors requesting that ATCAA work collaboratively to facilitate the transfer of the Calaveras portion of the LIHEAP, Wx and LIHWAP programs to Calaveras Mariposa Community Action Agency (CMCAA). For clarity, Wx is a part of the LIHEAP program.

As we have informed Supervisors Stopper and Folendorf at a 9/18/2023 meeting in the Calaveras Supervisors Boardroom, ATCAA has no legal authority to support your request. ATCAA has queried The California State Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), the administrator of programs you are requesting, and were informed that we have no authority to support such a request. Further, the Service Area (Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne) that we are contracted to support since 1982 cannot be broken up. CSD informed us that if ATCAA chooses to no longer service Calaveras, then CSD will look for qualified providers to support the entire Service Area of which would include Tuolumne and Amador counties. After over 40 years of successfully providing services, ATCAA cannot give up the entire LIHEAP Service Area without compromising our service to Amador and Tuolumne County res idents. We suggest it is best to take your request directly to CSD to fully understand the contractual obligation and expectations of these programs.

What is possible and has been proposed by our Executive Director, Joseph Bors at a presentation made to the CMCAA Board on 7/26/2023 and discussed at the 9/18/2023 meeting referenced earlier in this correspondence is to provide Calaveras or CMCAA staff with an opportunity to learn and support the Calaveras portion of the LIHEAP and associated CSD programs. ATCAA is willing to consider subcontracting to Calaveras an Intake/Outreach worker to reach out, identify and process Calaveras resident applications into these programs.

We can also discuss methods of Outreach and best practices we have learned and can share with your staff, to reach eligible members of your community. While ATCAA is willing to collaborate with CMCAA and/or Calaveras staff on a variety of ways to serve Calaveras residents, spending out every program budget and serving vulnerable households is a requirement that must be met.

In response to your concern that ATCAA has no Calaveras County local elected officials on its Board of Directors, ATCAA would welcome a Calaveras resident who represents the Low-income population who would become a voting member of our Board.This option supports our tripartite structure and would not require a change to our ATCAA By-laws.

On 7/26/2023, our Executive Director, his staff and Board Chair presented potential collaborations on non-energy programs to the CMCAA Board of Directors. To date, we have not received any feedback regarding those proposed collaborations. ATCAA has offered to hand over responsibility of our Medical Alert System program in Calaveras. As stated in ATCAAs presentation to CMCAA and intended presentation to the Calaveras BOS on 8/22/23, ATCAA currently provides the Medical Alert System to 16 households in Calaveras. Also, we oversee the education and outreach in Californias rural counties which includes Calaveras about Californias Income Tax Credits for low-income households. Our VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program processed 120 tax returns at no cost for income eligible Calaveras residents in 2023. ATCAA offered to provide CM CAA or Calaveras staff with contact information, training, and support for Calaveras to develop their own Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program rather than ATCAA providing this service. In addition to these two non-energy programs,

ATCAA is on contract with the Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD) to provide well water quality testing and install water conservation measures at homes in the Tuolumne-Stanislaus watershed, which includes the southern portion of Calaveras County. We occasionally receive State grants to provide water conservation services in the Upper Mokelumne watershed which includes portions of northern Calaveras County.

ATCAA is continually working to meet the needs of all our rural foothill residents in this evolving digitized world including accessibility, non-English language options and simplifying application processes for services, while also working within the constraints of state and federal requirements. We have increased our presence at Calaveras HHS and are striving to get back to pre-pandemic levels of our participation at outreach events and opportunities throughout the foothill region including Calaveras. ATCAA has so far supported several public events in Calaveras this year, again reestablishing our presence postpandemic as in the past. A revised Calaveras specific flyer to communicate the services we have available in Calaveras County is

in circulation. On 9/19/23 our Executive Director provided Calaveras BOS members, their staff and CMCAA with options to research the demographics of households served. On 9/29/23, a 9- year history of ATCAAs annual performance in Calaveras was provided and on 10/09, at the request of Calaveras officials, 100% of available Calaveras LIHEAP data was provided for Calaveras analysis. The ATCAA Board recognizes these efforts as examples of working collaboratively. We request that your Board, staff and CMCAA members demonstrate these working attributes in kind.

We also wish to acknowledge our regret in the creation of this response that led to a premature press release of draft materials on Monday, 10/16/23, rather than the ratified intent of our Board planned for a special meeting on 10/20/2023 to revise and formally approve. We see that this has been shared and published through several media agencies, including MyMotherlode.com, The Calaveras Enterprise, the Union Democrat, and more, creating confusion and likely community complaints. For that, we sincerely apologize and appreciate your patience in giving us time to work through how this happened. Please accept this letter as our response to your Boards letter to the ATCAA Board.

In summary, the ATCAA Board and staff believe we have done a professional, fair, and faithful job in our programs within Calaveras County. ATCAA is sensitive to your Boards concerns about ATCAA performing on contracts in Calaveras County. ATCAA requests that the Calaveras County BOS provide a written letter agreeing to ATCAAs continued service to Calaveras residents on the following programs:

-Lifeline Medical Alert

-Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

-Well Water Quality Testing

-Proposition-1 Water Conservation services

Sincerely,

Frank Axe, ATCAA Board Chair
The US is sharing hard lessons from urban combat in Iraq and Syria as Israel prepares to invade Gaza

The US is sharing hard lessons from urban combat in Iraq and Syria as Israel prepares to invade Gaza View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The prospect of Israeli forces launching an assault into Gazas dense urban neighborhoods, where militants use civilians as human shields, brings back searing memories of the deadly battles the U.S.-led coalition fought against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

For U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his military leaders, that intense combat and the thousands of civilians killed in airstrikes and neighborhood gunfights in Mosul and Raqqa are lessons to be shared as Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion against Hamas.

In our conversations with the Israelis, and as weve made very clear, were continuing to highlight, the importance of mitigating civilian casualties and ensuring that  things like safety corridors are thought through, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said Tuesday.

The U.S. can paint a vivid picture of civilian slaughter. During the eight-month siege to liberate Mosul from Islamic insurgents, as many as 10,000 people were killed, including at least 3,200 civilians from airstrikes, artillery fire or mortar rounds between October 2016 and the fall of the Islamic State group in July 2017, according to an Associated Press investigation. About the same number of civilians were killed or taken hostage by militants and used as human shields as they fled the city.

Austin, Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Eric Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and other senior military commanders all spent time in the region around then and watched the violence unfold. They were keenly aware of efforts to set up humanitarian corridors and decisions to pause operations while civilians were warned to move away. So as they are speaking to their Israeli counterparts on an almost daily basis, they are sharing advice on the challenges of urban warfare, the threats of booby traps and roadside bombs and the drive to protect the innocent while rooting out insurgents hidden in schools, mosques and homes.

Sharing our 20 years of lessons learned is occurring up and down the chain, said Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey, the spokesman for Brown.

Underscoring that priority, the U.S. has sent a team of military advisers to Israel, including Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who helped lead special operations forces against the Islamic State group. Glynn, who also served in Fallujah during some of the most heated urban combat there at the height of the Iraq War, will be able to advise the Israelis on how to mitigate civilian casualties in urban warfare.

These officials, to include Gen. Glynn, have experience when it comes to urban combat, Ryder told reporters Tuesday. Theyre in there temporarily with their military expertise to just go through and discuss some of the hard questions that the IDF should consider as they plan various scenarios.

In discussions last week with Israeli defense and government leaders in Tel Aviv, Austin recalled his experiences heading U.S. Central Command during the first two years of the campaign to defeat the Islamic State group. He talked about lessons learned, including the realization that the world is watching, officials familiar with the talks said.

Austin was blunt both publicly and privately that as Israelis plan their military operations, including any ground assault into Gaza, they must take into account the safety of civilians.

There are some lessons learned that we will be more than happy to share with our allies here in terms of operating effectively in dense urban terrain, creating safe humanitarian corridors, making sure that were thoughtful about how we shape the battle and making sure that our objectives are well defined, Austin told reporters.

A RAND report released last year found that while the U.S. emphasized the need to minimize civilian harm in the devastating 2017 siege to liberate Raqqa, Syria, there were thousands of casualties. It recommended that the U.S. military adjust its planning, training, targeting and use of weapons in order to better avoid widespread civilian deaths and damage.

Retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, who took over U.S. Central Command in 2016 when Austin retired and oversaw the operations, said the most important message for the Israelis  which has been delivered by Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden  is that its not what Israel does in its pledge to destroy Hamas, but how the military does it.

How you orchestrate this campaign really matters, said Votel. And they have to do this in a way that reflects values and the concern for innocent Palestinians who themselves are being held hostage by Hamas.

He added that there are many similarities and some key differences between those missions and a potential assault into Gaza. Hamas, he said, is better armed, with more sophisticated explosives and other weapons supplied by Iran. And the labyrinth of tunnels under Gaza is far more developed and lengthy than those seen in Raqqa.

Militarily, he said, Israel is seeing a more sophisticated and better armed opponent than the Islamic State was in Syria and Iraq.

Theres a difference between being dug in, going to ground and what we are seeing in Gaza, which is an underground architecture that connects different parts of Gaza and allows people to move supplies, people and other things, and enhance critical functions underground, said Votel. I dont think ISIS got to that particular level of sophistication.

He said the U.S. and coalition allies had more time to prepare for the battle to retake Mosul. And he said that as the coalition moved down the Euphrates River, it stopped and paused operations a number of times in order to meet with local tribal leaders and try to get innocent civilians out of the line of fire.

The brutality of it all is another element Austin recalls, as well as the need to stop militants even as they are embedded deeply into urban civilian areas.

In countering ISIS I felt as if we were staring evil in the eye, Austin said. It was truly evil. And what weve seen from Hamas, it takes that evil to another level. And so thats the first thing that we need to remember and consider.

___

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP

Associated Press
Recovering from attack that killed Illinois boy, Palestinian American mother urges prayers for peace View Photo

CHICAGO (AP)  A Palestinian American woman whose 6-year-old son was killed in what police are calling a hate crime in a Chicago suburb has asked the public to pray for peace as she recuperates from her injuries.

Hanaan Shahin issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the groups executive director a day earlier. The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal Oct. 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face.

Authorities said the familys suburban Chicago landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.

Pray for peace, Shahin said, thanking authorities, doctors and others. She was released from the hospital last week and has declined interviews with reporters.

Shahin, who works as a caregiver to seniors, lost her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in the attack that has contributed to fears about rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. In Illinois alone in the past week, a suburban man was charged with a hate crime in an assault against two Muslims and an Islamic day school canceled class after receiving threats.

Joseph Czuba, 71, faces murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges. He is due in court next week. Czubas attorney, George Lenard, released a statement last week via the Will County Public Defenders Office saying he would not comment on the case beyond what is presented in the courtroom.

Shahin, who was hospitalized during her sons funeral, remembered him as an intelligent and funny child who cared about the planet and liked to join her in prayers.

She said she felt comforted remembering her son as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven.

She added, He was my best friend.

By SOPHIA TAREEN

Associated Press
Captain or boat owner: Lawyers trade blame for 2019 fire that killed 34 people as trial begins View Photo

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that the captain of a scuba dive boat should be held responsible for the deaths of 34 people killed in a fire aboard the vessel in 2019, while the captains defense attorneys said the boats owner is to blame in the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.

The conflicting accounts were presented Wednesday during opening statements in the Los Angeles trial of Jerry Boylan, who is charged with one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seamans manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters.

Boylan faces 10 years behind bars if convicted.

The 70-year-old has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. Boylan sat silently in the courtroom as roughly two dozen family members filling three rows in the gallery heard about their loved ones last moments alive. Boylan and four crew members survived the Sept. 2, 2019, inferno aboard the Conception, while 33 passengers and a deckhand perished.

The fire spurred changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and civil lawsuits. Those on board the 75-foot (23-meter) boat included a new deckhand who had landed her dream job, an environmental scientist who did research in Antarctica, a globe-trotting couple, a Singaporean data scientist, and three sisters, their father and his wife.

The boat was anchored off the Channel Islands, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Santa Barbara, when it caught fire before dawn on the final day of a three-day excursion, sinking less than 100 feet (30 meters) from shore.

Throughout the excursion, Boylan failed to post the required roving night watchman and never properly trained his crew in firefighting, prosecutor Matthew OBrien said.

The captain was the master of the vessel, OBrien said, and the lives and safety of those aboard were his responsibility.

Boylan, after making a mayday call to the Coast Guard, was the first one to jump overboard, while 34 people were trapped in a bunkroom below deck by smoke and flames, the prosecutor said.

The 34 people who were killed didnt have a chance to jump overboard, OBrien told the jury. They were waiting to be rescued. But nobody rescued them.

While coroners reports list smoke inhalation as the cause of death, what exactly started the fire before dawn remains unknown.

Boylans federal public defender, Georgina Wakefield, blamed the boats owner, Glen Fritzler, who had designed the Conception and captained the vessel for more than four decades. Fritzler had trained Boylan himself when the latter joined as a deckhand in 1983.

Fritzler and his wife, Dana Fritzler, own Truth Aquatics, Inc., the company that operated the Conception and two other scuba dive boats.

Wakefield argued that Glen Fritzler was responsible for failing to train the crew in firefighting or other safety measures and creating an environment where no captain who worked for him posted a roving watch, calling it the Fritzler way.

The same thing could have happened on any of the Fritzler boats, she said, noting that the Coast Guard had certified Truth Aquatics records for years.

During the fire, Wakefield said, Boylan was thwarted by 15-foot (4.57-meter) flames consuming the Conception, making it impossible to reach those trapped below.

Youre going to see that there was no way out  and there was no way in, either, she told the jurors.

Fritzlers attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. The couple has not commented publicly besides an interview with Santa Barbara local TV station KEYT shortly after the fire.

Were all so saddened, Glen Fritzler told the TV stations reporter at the time.

Three days after the blaze, Truth Aquatics filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles under a pre-Civil War provision of maritime law that allows it to limit its liability to the remains of the boat, which was a total loss. The time-tested legal maneuver has been successfully employed by the owners of the Titanic and other vessels, and requires the Fritzlers to show they were not at fault.

That case is pending.

The National Transportation Safety Board blamed Boylan for the tragedy, saying his failure to post a night watchman allowed the fire to quickly spread undetected. The agency also faulted the Coast Guard for not enforcing the roving watchman requirement and recommended it develop a program to ensure boats with overnight passengers have a watchman.

Victims families have sued the Coast Guard in one of several ongoing civil suits.

At the time of the fire, no owner, operator or charterer had been cited or fined for failure to post a roving patrol since 1991, Coast Guard records showed.

The Coast Guard has since enacted new, congressionally mandated regulations regarding fire detection systems, extinguishers and escape routes, though it has yet to implement others.

By STEFANIE DAZIO

Associated Press
Hunter Biden prosecutor wasnt blocked from bringing California charges, US attorney tells Congress View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  A second U.S. Attorney has testified to Congress that the prosecutor overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation had full authority over filing charges, rebutting whistleblower claims that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss didnt have the final say on the case against the presidents son.

The allegation that Weiss was blocked from filing tax charges in California and Washington D.C., is one of the more explosive from Internal Revenue Service Agents who testified as part of a GOP probe that the case had been slow-walked and mishandled by the Justice Department.

Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, said he told the House Judiciary Committee behind closed doors Tuesday that he understood that Weiss had full authority to bring charges and offered him logistical support. I did not and could not block Mr. Weiss since he did not need my approval to bring charges in my district, he said in a statement.

That echoes testimony from Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who testified last week that while he declined to partner with Weiss, he never did anything to block him and instead offered logistical support.

An attorney for IRS Agent Joseph Ziegler, on the other hand, said declining to partner with Weiss amounted to blocking him from going forward with the case outside his district. Lawyers for supervisory special agent Gary Shapley said U.S. Attorneys appointed by President Joe Biden shouldnt have been involved at all because of their conflict of interest.

Weiss, for his part, has also said in writing he had full authority over the case. He is scheduled to testify himself on the subject on Nov. 7. While that testimony will also take place outside the public view, speaking about an open investigation is a very unusual step that Justice Department officials have said was warranted to correct any misrepresentations about work done on case.

The five-year investigation into Hunter Biden had been expected to end with a plea deal this summer, but it imploded during a July plea hearing. Weiss has now charged the presidents son with three firearms felonies related to the 2018 purchase of a gun during a period Hunter Biden has acknowledged being addicted to drugs. No new tax charges have yet been filed.

The agreement had been pilloried as a sweetheart deal by Republicans who have made Hunter Bidens business dealings and the Justice Departments handling of the case a key part of an impeachment inquiry into the president.

___

Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST

Associated Press
Rep. Bowman of New York charged with misdemeanor, to pay fine after triggering House fire alarm View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor for triggering a fire alarm as lawmakers scrambled to pass a funding bill before a government shutdown deadline in September.

He is expected to plead guilty, formally apologize and pay a $1,000 fine. The false fire alarm charge would then be dropped if he successfully completes 3 months of probation.

The alarm forced the evacuation of a House office building for over an hour. The New York lawmaker has acknowledged pulling the alarm and said it was a mistake. He was in a rush to go to vote, tried to go through a door that was unexpectedly closed and wrongly thought pulling the fire alarm lever would help him open it, he said.

At the time of the evacuation, House Democrats were working to delay a vote on a funding bill to keep federal agencies open. They had said they needed time to review a bill that Republicans abruptly released to avoid a shutdown. The funding package was ultimately approved with most Republicans and almost all Democrats, including Bowman, supporting the bill.

Republicans criticized Bowman after the alarm, and on Wednesday introduced a motion to censure him. Rep. Bryan Steil, the chairman of the Committee on House Administration, referred the case to Capitol police. He called Bowmans explanation an excuse.

He pointed out that Bowman passed several police officers after pulling the alarm without alerting them about it. Bowman, for his part, has said he was urgently trying to get to the vote and said Republicans would attempt to distract everyone with the case.

Prosecutors said Bowman was treated like anyone else who violates the law and has agreed to pay the maximum fine, according to a spokesperson for the District of Columbia attorney generals office.

Bowman told police at the time he didnt mean to disrupt any congressional proceeding, according to court documents. He said he didnt immediately tell anyone about the alarm going off because he was in a hurry to vote.

Under an agreement with the D.C. attorney general, the charge will be withdrawn in three months if the congressman provides a formal apology to Capitol police and pays a $1,000 fine.

Bowman said he was grateful for the quick resolution in the case, and looking forward to putting it behind him. I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST

Associated Press
Mike Johnson, a staunch Louisiana conservative, is elected House speaker as GOP moves past chaos View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  Republicans unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, eagerly elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the major seat of U.S. power and ending for now the weeks of political chaos in their majority.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office, second in line to the presidency.

The peoples House is back in business, Johnson declared after taking the gavel.

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthys ouster as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the partys top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

I think hes gonna be a fantastic speaker, Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

President Joe Biden called to congratulate the new speaker and said its time for all of us to act responsibly with challenges ahead to fund the government and provide aid for Ukraine and Israel.

We need to move swiftly, the president said in a statement.

In the House, far-right members had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didnt want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnsons name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.

House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up, she said.

Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Biden.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.

Jeffries said House Democrats will find common ground work with Republicans whenever possible for the good of the country.

Lawmakers quickly reconvened to get back to work, approving a resolution saying the House stands with Israel and condemns Hamas brutal war. Next, they turned to a stalled government funding bill.

Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from the failed speaker hopefuls. Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman backed by Trump, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman rejected by Jordans wing, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

Mike! Mike! Mike! lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.

Johnsons rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

He wasnt MAGA, said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker gives Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise.

Affable and well liked, colleagues swiftly started giving Johnson their support. In no time, his name replaced McCarthys on the sign outside the speakers office in the Capitol.

The congressman, who drew on his Christian beliefs, said to the American people watching: Our mission here is to serve you well and to restore the peoples faith in this House.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthys ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that Mike Johnson wont be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans dont agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next months funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

In all, some 15 congressmen, but no women, competed for the gavel over the past several weeks.

During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVIN FREKING

Associated Press
Oregon Supreme Court to decide if GOP senators who boycotted Legislature can run for reelection

Oregon Supreme Court to decide if GOP senators who boycotted Legislature can run for reelection View Photo

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether Republican state senators who carried out a record-setting GOP walkout during the legislative session this year can run for reelection.

The decision, announced Tuesday, means the lawmakers should have clarity before the March 12 deadline to file for office, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The senators from the minority party are challenging a 2022 voter-approved constitutional amendment that bars state lawmakers from reelection after having 10 or more unexcused absences. Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure that created the amendment following Republican walkouts in the Legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In an official explanatory statement, as well as in promotional materials and news coverage, the measure was touted as prohibiting lawmakers who stay away in order to block legislative action from seeking reelection.

Thats the meaning that state elections officials have chosen to adopt. Earlier this year, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade announced that 10 senators would be prohibited from seeking reelection.

Nine Oregon Republicans and an independent clocked at least 10 absences during this years legislative session in order to block Democratic bills related to abortion, transgender health care and guns. The walkout prevented a quorum, holding up bills in the Democrat-led Senate for six weeks.

Five of those senators  Sens. Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum and Lynn Findley  have objected. In a legal challenge to Griffin-Valades ruling, they argue that the way the amendment is written means they can seek another term.

The constitutional amendment says a lawmaker is not allowed to run for the term following the election after the members current term is completed. Since a senators term ends in January while elections are held the previous November, they argue the penalty doesnt take effect immediately, but instead, after theyve served another term.

The senators filed the challenge in the Oregon Court of Appeals but asked that it go directly to the state Supreme Court. State attorneys defending Griffin-Valade in the matter agreed.

Several state senators with at least 10 absences during the most recent legislative session have already filed candidacy papers with election authorities.

Statehouses around the nation in recent years have become ideological battlegrounds, including in Montana, Tennessee and Oregon, where the lawmakers walkout this year was the longest in state history.

Arguments in the Oregon case are scheduled to start Dec. 14.
Over at Pitchfork, writer Jayson Greene offers a pretty fascinating look at both the appeal, and the shortcomings, of using text-to-music LLMs such as Google's new MusicLM. In a lot of ways, Greene ends up epitomizing that classic saying that, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."

Consider the video above. To create it, Greene pulled a snippet of text from a review of Sufjan Stevens' "So You Are Tired," in which the reviewer wrote:

Piano, guitars, strings, and guests' backing vocals pile up as patiently as the somber narrative, coming together with such effortless elegance that someone in the next room might think you're just listening to a pretty movie soundtrack.

While the result doesn't exactly sound like that specific Sufjan Stevens song, you can see where the machine is coming from. As Greene writes:

Again, this doesn't literally sound like Sufjan Stevens. But it's close enough in its aura to give pause. As a music critic and editor, it's hard not to find this practical tool, which is now available to try in its beta testing phase, disquieting. In a year when machine learning is advancing at a head-spinning pace, regularly reaching increasingly far-fetched milestones, threatening workers in countless fields, and inciting chilling dystopian predictions, the generation of 20 seconds of original music from a handful of descriptive words represents another enormous step away from the known order. Before the advent of AI, the process of writing about the sound of musiceither real or imaginedand then being rewarded, moments later, with that music's full-cloth existence might be best described as "sorcery." Speaking purely on a practical level, words about music are not as natural or as direct as words about images. There is a sensory transposition occurringfrom eyes to ears, or vice versawith the opportunity for all kinds of vital data to drop off or get lost in the process. Words are already leaky containers, spilling out context whenever they're jostled.

Later in the piece, Greene also explores some of the shortcomings of these sort of large-language models, and the relationship that linguistic ambiguity and the linguistic ambiguity that's all-too-common in music reviews. What is it mean to describe a song as "spacey," for example? Is it meant to evoke the cosmos, or simply allude to something reverb-heavy that creates an illusion of physical space within the recording layers of the song itself? Greene even speaks with some engineers on the project to better understand how they tried to train the machine  and also points out the very real, very human flaws intrinsic to that process.

While you (like me) may have very valid concerns about the potential abuses of text-to-music LLMs/AIs, it's still a fascinating piece, as it takes a fair look at the appeals and shortcomings of the technology.

Unrelated, The Verge reports that Universal Music Group and several other music publishers have sued an artificial intelligence company over the use of copyrighted lyrics:

The music publishers' complaint, filed in Tennessee, claims that Claude 2 can be prompted to distribute almost identical lyrics to songs like Katy Perry's "Roar," Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," and the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." They also allege Claude 2's results use phrases extremely similar to existing lyrics, even when not asked to recreate songs. The complaint used the example prompt "Write me a song about the death of Buddy Holly," which led the large language model to spit out the lyrics to Don Mclean's "American Pie" word for word.

Presumably, the Claude 2 AI system just scraped some lyric websites for freely available lyric text. But even lyric websites have their own legal IP complications.

Also, it's weirdly refreshing to see a massive music conglomerate actually fighting over artists' intellectual property rights, and not just over their own rights to exploit that IP. Broken clocks, et cetera et cetera.

Live From the Uncanny Valley: How AI Tools Are Turning Words Into Music [Jayson Greene / Pitchfork]

Universal Music sues AI company Anthropic for distributing song lyrics [Emilia David / The Verge]
California Gov. Newsom has surprise meeting with Chinas leader Xi amid warm welcome in Beijing View Photo

BANGKOK (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a surprise meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders in a display of friendliness that stands in sharp contrast to the dialogue between the United States and China in recent years.

The governor is on a weeklong tour of China, where he plans to push for climate cooperation. Newsoms trip as governor, once considered routine, is drawing attention as it comes after years of heightening tensions between the U.S. and China.

Im here in expectation, as you suggest, of turning the page, of renewing our friendship and reengaging (on) foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective faith in the future, Newsom said in brief opening remarks ahead of his meeting with Wang Yi, Chinas top diplomat, earlier in the day.

Though Newsom was in China to promote cooperation in curbing climate change, Chinese officials took the opportunity in welcome speeches ahead of the closed-door meetings to talk about U.S.-China relations. Wang is preparing to visit the U.S. on Thursday.

Newsom and Xi discussed ways to accelerate our progress on climate in meaningful and substantive ways, the California governor said at a news conference, but did not mention more specifics.

They also talked about fentanyl, a synthetic drug and leading killer of young people in the U.S., and Chinas role in combating the transnational shipping of precursor chemicals, Newsom said.

According to Chinas state broadcaster CCTV, Xi told Newsom: I hope your visit will enhance mutual understanding between the two sides and play a positive role in expanding cooperation between China and California and promoting the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations.

Xi may attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco next month and meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, although China has not formally confirmed his attendance.

Newsom is visiting Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu. At a speech at Hong Kong University on Monday, he promised to continue to cooperate on climate change regardless of the outcome of the next U.S. presidential election.

He said he raised human rights issues with Wang and the two also discussed Taiwan, a red-line issue for Beijing. China claims the self-ruled island as part of its own territory.

I expressed my support for the One-China policy  as well as our desire not to see independence, Newsom said, referring to the official U.S. policy that recognizes the Communist Party as the ruling government of China. Officially, the U.S. does not recognize Taiwan but is its biggest unofficial ally.

Wang, the head of the Communist Partys office of foreign affairs, said he knows Newsoms trip attracted plenty of critics but that he views the trip positively.

But I think time and facts will certainly prove that your visit to China is in line with California peoples wishes and in line with the American peoples interests and the expectations of the global society.

Newsom also met Wednesday with Vice President Han Zheng, who greeted him with a wide smile and called him an old friend. Han is a past member of the Politburo Standing Committee, an elite group of leaders within the party.

The China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and the sub-national cooperation is an indispensable part to facilitate the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations, Han said. Im sure your weeklong trip will inject positive energy to the development of the China-U.S. relationship.

The governor met as well with the head of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission, a Cabinet-level agency responsible for economic policies. They signed a memorandum on deepening cooperation in environmental issues.

Governors of California, which has an economy larger than most countries, have a long history of climate collaboration with China. Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger also traveled to China to swap knowledge on reducing air pollution and emissions.

Since leaving office, Brown launched the California-China Climate Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.

By HUIZHONG WU

Associated Press
Live updates | Israeli strikes leave neighborhoods in shambles; journalists family among the dead View Photo

Israeli airstrikes are devastating parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighborhoods in shambles. A strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday killed several family members of one of Al Jazeera TVs journalists, Wael Dahdouh. Strikes elsewhere destroyed homes and businesses and left many digging through the debris.

The U.N. warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the blockaded territory. And the U.N. Security Council failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war, rejecting rival resolutions by the United States and Russia.

Health care facilities are doing their best to treat the wounded, but with supplies that are becoming scarce.

The war, in its 19th day, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 others wounded. In the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.

The Associated Press couldnt independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. Israels military on Wednesday raised the number of remaining hostages in Gaza to 222 people, including foreigners believed captured by Hamas during the incursion. Four hostages have been released.

U.S. and other officials fear the fighting could spill over into a wider regional conflict.

Currently:

1. Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent loses family members in an Israeli airstrike 2. Florida orders state universities to disband pro-Palestinian student group, saying it backs Hamas. 3. Biden condemns retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank 4. Leader of Lebanons Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures 5. Israel accuses UN chief of justifying terrorism for saying Hamas attack didnt happen in a vacuum 6. Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Heres whats happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war:

FAMILIES OF ABDUCTED ISRAELIS MEET WITH ITALYS PRIME MINISTER

ROME  Relatives of Israelis held hostage by Hamas met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Wednesday to speak about their anguish and raise awareness for their loved ones plight in Gaza.

Nadav Kipnis parents, Evyatar and Lilich Kipnis, were found dead days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. His cousin is being held captive.

None of them deserved to be treated in such horrible ways. We have to spread the message of anything that can help. Its what my parents would have wanted, Kipnis said.

Ilan Regevs two children, 21-year-old Maya and 18-year-old Itay, were kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival.

Hamas has said it seeks the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for the captives.

Give them everything, 4,000, 5,000 prisoners in Israel. I dont care, these are children, babies, bring them back, Regev said.

Since the militants bloody attack more than two weeks ago, Meloni has traveled to Israel and visited Romes main synagogue, where she pledged to defend Jewish citizens against every form of antisemitism.

ISRAELI STRIKE KILLS FAMILY MEMBERS OF AL JAZEERA BUREAU CHIEF IN GAZA

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  An Israeli strike on Wednesday killed the wife, son and young daughter of Al Jazeera Arabics bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Dahdouh.

Footage aired on the Qatar-based TV network showed the veteran journalist, still wearing his blue body armor marked press, weeping over his sons corpse on a hospital floor.

They take vengeance on us through our children? he sobbed.

Another son, Yehia, was seriously wounded, and Dahdouhs grandson was also declared dead two hours later, the network reported. Other relatives survived the Israeli strike, including a toddler granddaughter.

This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians, Dahdouh, looking stunned, told Al Jazeera as he left the hospital.

The media network released a statement condemning what it called an indiscriminate assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The camp is south of the area Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate.

In Gaza, Al Jazeeras Youmna Elsayed told the network: Its heartbreaking to be reporting about Waels family and to see how broken he is.

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL FAILS AGAIN TO PASS RESOLUTION ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. Security Council has failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, rejecting rival United States and Russian resolutions.

The U.S. resolution would have reaffirmed Israels right to self-defense, urged respect for international laws  especially protection of civilians  and called for humanitarian pauses to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza. Wednesdays vote in the 15-member council was 10 countries in favor, 3 against and 2 abstentions. The resolution was not adopted because both Russia and China cast vetoes.

The Russian resolution would have called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, and unequivocally condemned Hamas Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Gaza. The vote was 4 in favor, 2 against and 9 abstentions. The resolution wasnt adopted because it failed to get the minimum nine yes votes.

The council is charged under the U.N. Charter with maintaining international peace and security. But Wednesdays rejections, following its rejections last week of a Russian resolution and a Brazilian proposal, leave the Security Council divided and paralyzed in taking action on the Israeli-Hamas war.

Maltas U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier told reporters before the vote that if both resolutions failed, she would attempt to draft a compromise resolution.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of submitting its text with no consultations in bad faith. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the U.S. draft a politicized proposal to shore up Israel.

IRAQI MILITANT GROUP SAYS IT ATTACKED BASE HOUSING U.S. FORCES IN SYRIA

BAGHDAD  An Iranian backed group in Iraq claimed responsibility for an attack on a military base housing U.S. forces in eastern Syria on Wednesday, as a string of attacks targeting U.S. military facilities in Iraq and Syria persist.

The Islamic Resistance group in Iraq, an umbrella organization for several Iran-backed militias, said in a statement that it had struck the Kharab al-Jir base in the northeastern Hassakeh province with rockets. It said it hit its target, without making any mention of casualties.

Washington did not immediately comment on the attack. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, urged Sudani to pursue those behind the attacks and fulfill Iraqs commitment to maintain the security at these installations, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement Tuesday.

The past week has seen a spate of more than a dozen attacks on U.S. military facilities in Iraq in Syria, most of them claimed by the same group, which has said it is retaliating against Americas backing of Israel in its war with Hamas.

BIDEN CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON PALESTINIANS BY ISRAELI SETTLERS IN THE WEST BANK

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Wednesday said there is no going back to the status quo in Israel and the region following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, Biden said during a news conference at the White House with the Prime Minister of Australia. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution.

Biden said again that he believed Israeli had the right  the responsibility  to respond to the attack. The anger, the hurt, the sense of outrage that the Israeli people are feeling following the attack is completely understandable, he said.

But he also decried the attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and said it must stop and stop now, and he said he remained focused on humanitarian aid into Gaza.

AIRSTRIKE IN GAZA CITY KILLS MORE THAN 2 DOZEN AND INJURES OVER 100, HAMAS SAYS

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday killed at least 26 people and injured more than 100, Hamas Interior Ministry said.

Bodies of dead men and women were scattered in streets that had relatively little damage while a block of buildings lay in ruins with people searching for survivors.

Two wounded young boys embraced each other and appeared to be crying as a first responder and three other men carried them to safety on a stretcher.

A man with blood running from his scalp into his eye and down his cheek looked stunned as he sat on what remained of a sofa propped in the rubble, while a girl, who was also wounded, hugged him.

FRANCES MACRON ANGLES FOR INTERNATIONAL COALITION TO FIGHT HAMAS

PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron is promoting, with little success so far, the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas.

He pitched the idea during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.

Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didnt publicly address the issue.

The first response to the devastating Israel-Hamas war is the fight against terrorism, Macron said Wednesday after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The right response is to cooperate, to draw lessons from the international coalition against the Islamic State group that intervened in Iraq and Syria, he added.

Macron first proposed the idea Tuesday after his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioning a regional and international coalition against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu did not specifically comment on the proposal.

U.S. EMBASSY IN KUWAIT TO LIMIT ACTIVITY ON MILITARY BASES AFTER IRAQI MILITIAS THREATS

JERUSALEM  The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is acknowledging an Iraqi militias threat to target U.S. military bases in the Mideast nation over the Israeli airstrikes targeting the Gaza Strip in its war on Hamas.

In a statement to American citizens, the embassy identified the threat as coming from Awliya Waad al-Haq, or The True Promise Brigades. That group, believed allied with Iran, has claimed an attack previously on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

As a result, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is limiting its activity on U.S. military bases to essential and official events only, the embassy said in an alert.

NETANYAHU SAYS HE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HAMAS ATTACK

JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will be held accountable for the bloody Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas militants, but that will only come after Israels war against the Islamic militant group.

In a nationally televised address Wednesday night, Netanyahu said he was busy plotting a ground invasion of Gaza, though he refused to say when that might happen. He also expressed sorrow over the attack, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis and saw over 200 others taken captive in Gaza.

Oct. 7 is a black day in our history, he said. We will get to the bottom of what happened on the southern border around Gaza. This debacle will be investigated. Everyone will have to give answers, including me.

FRANCE TO SEND NAVY SHIP TO BRING AID TO GAZA STRIP, MACRON SAY

CAIRO  French President Emmanuel Macron said France is going to send a Navy ship to bring aid to hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The ship will leave the French military port of Toulon, in the Mediterranean Sea, within 48 hours, he said. He didnt provide further details.

In addition, a French plane will arrive in Egypt on Thursday to deliver medical equipment via a convoy to Gaza. Others will follow, Macron said, adding that France wants to provide Gazas civilian population access to medicine and medical care.

Macrons visit to Egypt comes as part of a two-day tour to the Middle East that started with a visit to Israel meant to show Frances support and solidarity following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The trip included a stop in Ramallah, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and another stop Wednesday morning in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II.

Macron in Egypt said, Theres no double standard  international law applies to everyone.

All victims deserve our compassion, our commitment toward a fair and sustainable peace in the Middle East, he added.

By The Associated Press
Slovakia swears in a new Cabinet led by a populist ex-premier who opposes support for Ukraine

Slovakia swears in a new Cabinet led by a populist ex-premier who opposes support for Ukraine View Photo

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP)  Slovakias president swore in a new government Wednesday, led by a former populist prime minister poised to end the countrys military aid for Ukraine as it fights Russias invasion.

Robert Fico returned to power and took over as prime minister for the fourth time after his leftist Smer, or Direction, party won Slovakias Sept 30 parliamentary election.

The party won 42 seats in the 150-seat Parliament after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform.

Today, you just dont take over power but naturally also responsibility for the republic and its citizens, President Zuzana Caputova told the new Cabinet.

Fico formed a parliamentary majority by signing a coalition government deal with the leftist Hlas, or Voice, party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party.

Hlas, led by Ficos former deputy in Smer, Peter Pellegrini, gained 27 seats. Pellegrini parted ways with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer lost the previous election in 2020.

Pellegrini replaced Fico as prime minister after he was forced to resign following major anti-government street protests resulting from the 2018 killing of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee.

The reunion of Fico and Pellegrini was key for the creation of the new government. The third partner, the Slovak National Party, is a clearly pro-Russian group; it won 10 seats in the legislature.

On behalf of the Slovak government, Id like to promise that we will be a constructive government, Fico said. You will hear a sovereign Slovak voice from the Slovak government, from the Slovak ministries.

Ficos victory may mark a dramatic turnaround in the countrys foreign policy and could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.

He will have his first chance to present his views at a two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels that opens on Thursday.

Slovakia, a country of 5.5 million people which shares a border with Ukraine, has until now been a staunch supporter of Kyiv since Russia invaded in February last year, donating arms and opening its borders for refugees fleeing the war.

When he served as prime minister in 2006-2010 and again in 2012-2018, Fico had a career diplomat in the post of foreign minister.

This time, he opted for a loyalist and his deputy in Smer, Juraj Blanar, who previously served as the head of a regional government but has no experience in diplomacy.

Fico vowed to pursue a sovereign foreign policy.

He opposes EU sanctions on Russia, questions whether Ukraine can force out the invading Russian troops and wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO. He has proposed that instead of sending arms to Kyiv, the EU and the United States should use their influence to force Russia and Ukraine to strike a compromise peace deal.

Fico has repeated Russian President Vladimir Putins claims that the Ukrainian government runs a Nazi state from which ethnic Russians in the countrys east needed protection.

The new government is yet to release its policy program but Fico already suggested it will include a tough stance against migration and non-governmental organizations that receive funding from abroad.

A number of the new ministers have been linked with disinformation campaigns or are known for spreading false news, including Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova, nominated by the Slovak National Party.

Since the previous government took power in 2020 after campaigning on an anti-corruption ticket, dozens of senior officials, police officers, judges, prosecutors, politicians and businesspeople linked to Smer have been charged and convicted of corruption and other crimes.

Fico himself and his former Interior Minister Robert Kalinak faced criminal charges last year for creating a criminal group and misuse of power. Kalinak is the defense minister in the new government.

Known for his tirades against journalists, Fico campaigned against immigration and LGBTQ+ rights and threatened to dismiss investigators from the National Criminal Agency and the special prosecutor who deals with the most serious crimes and corruption.

Ficos critics worry that his return to power could lead Slovakia to abandon its course in other ways, following the path of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Besides the post of prime minister, Ficos Smer has six other Cabinet ministers. Hlas gets seven while the Slovak National Party has three.
MERIDEN  When searching for a book about the experience of Latinas in nursing, Tina Loarte-Rodriguez found zero results. It was at that moment that she decided to write Latinas in Nursing, which tells the stories of 15 nurses throughout the country.

Loarte-Rodriguez shared her journey as a nurse with students at Meriden public high schools Platt and Maloney on Tuesday morning. The first session took place at Platt from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., and the second at Maloney from 11 a.m. to noon.

At the presentations, she emphasized to the students the importance of patience and flexibility when building a career.

Who is Tina Loarte-Rodriguez?

Having grown up in the Bronx with Puerto Rican parents, Loarte-Rodriguez attended John F. Kennedy High School and was one of 254 students that graduated in the class of 1996. She started her freshman year with a class of 2,000 students and by the start of sophomore year, half of them were gone, according to Loarte-Rodriguez.

I got involved in sports, cheerleading, softball and student government to stay out of trouble, she said. I didnt want to go down the wrong path and I knew there was more for me outside my neighborhood.

Upon graduating from high school, Loarte-Rodriguez attended Cornell University and received a bachelors in human development and family studies with a minor in education. After graduating, she taught math at a middle school in New Jersey.

It wasnt until 2003 when she had the realization that going into a medical career could be a possibility. She originally wanted to be a doctor but found chemistry to be difficult.

My mother-in-law got sick and I was there for her rehabilitation, she said. I was always there watching the doctors and nurses come in. I was always following along with what they said and constantly asked questions. It was then that a doctor asked if I was a medical student and I said no, but still thought about it after.

Loarte-Rodriguez then went back to school to become a nurse. She received a Bachelor of Science in nursing at the University of Connecticut in 2005, and received her Masters in Nursing at Quinnipiac University in 2020.

I was always one of the few if not the only Latina in the room, she said. That is why Its important to have representation in the industry.

Latinas in Nursing

Loarte-Rodriguez started the process of writing the book in February 2023 and it was published seven months later.

While she is the main author, the book is composed of 15 stories from nurses working throughout the country, six are from Connecticut. Each nurse has written their own chapter to share their experiences as a Latina in the industry from school nurses to PhD-trained nurses, deans at nursing schools, nurse entrepreneurs and a recent graduate from Capital Community College in Hartford.

At first I wondered whether I should interview and tell their stories through my writing, Loarte-Rodriguez said. But then I realized that no one could write their story better than them.

Inspiring a new generation

Loarte-Rodriguez was invited to speak at the Meriden high schools by Marissa Cardona, at-risk college and career coordinator for Meriden Public Schools. She reached out to Loarte-Rodriguez after seeing her post about Latinas in Nursing on Facebook

I thought it was a great opportunity for her to not only talk about medical careers, but about her book and to show that any dream is achievable as long as they dedicate themselves academically and socially, Cardona said. Especially because [Loarte-Rodriguez] is a first-gen college student.

Maloney senior Deja Dejesus enjoyed watching the presentation.

I thought I had already had my career path set, but now I want to keep my options open, especially with nursing, she said. I want to see how I can combine cosmetology with nursing.

Carllina Gardner, senior at Maloney, has a passion for photography. While she doesnt plan to go into nursing, she found the presentation to be inspiring regardless.

I mean, for a second I thought, Maybe I should switch to nursing, but I love photography because I want to capture important moments for people. That just shows how good she was at sharing her story, Gardner said.

celescano@record-journal.com
With winter fast approaching, the City of Buffalo says it is close to hiring an emergency services manager, 10 months after a blizzard killed 47 residents of Erie and Niagara counties.

Some Buffalo Council members said Tuesday that job should have been filled months ago. But Mayor Byron Brown says the delay wont have any adverse impact on the citys preparedness as it gets ready for the wild winter weather that is sure to come.

What we know about the people who died in Buffalo Niagara's blizzard At least 40 people have died in Erie and Niagara counties due to the blizzard that paralyzed the city of Buffalo for six days.

The city says it is close to making an offer to someone to fill the position of emergency services manager.

I just got information from Council staff that the administration is looking to make an offer to someone on this, so Im so glad to hear it, said Common Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt on Tuesday morning during the Councils Finance Committee meeting, which he chaired.

City spokesman Michael DeGeorge confirmed Tuesday the administration is making progress on the emergency manager position.

Wyatt questioned whether the new emergency manager will be up to speed and able to hit the ground running by the time the snow starts falling.

Absolutely, I have concerns at this late date, the University District councilmember said. We should have had this person months ago so they could get acclimated.

At a news conference last week, Brown said the citys preparedness is not dependent upon having an emergency services coordinator.

Ive said all along I did not believe that we needed a fleet manager or an emergency services manager to be prepared for winter weather in the City of Buffalo. We do have searches that are ongoing for both of those positions. Weve interviewed a number of individuals for both of those positions. There will be another round of interviews next week. Those positions are not filled at this time, but we dont believe in the City of Buffalo that that will have any adverse impact on our ability to respond to extreme winter weather, Brown said.

Brown also said the blizzard-related deaths did not happen because there was not an emergency manager.

You cant blame the deaths on not having an emergency manager, Brown said. That has nothing to do with it.

Were not going to hire just to hire, he continued. Were looking to get the right people with the right qualifications to do the proper job for our residents.

Kelly McKinney, the former deputy commissioner at the New York City Office of Emergency Management, recently said on social media that Buffalos snow plan is doomed to fail because the city does not have its own emergency manager, according to a WKBW report.

City of Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown convened a Storm Response Task Force that has issued a new and improved Buffalo Snow Plan that came together with the help of a large and diverse team of community groups. Unfortunately, it is doomed to fail. 

https://t.co/oFoTyHVYXQ  Kelly McKinney (@kellymnyc) October 20, 2023

In the current city budget, Buffalo lawmakers approved hiring a manager to oversee fleet operations for the fire, police and public works departments at a salary range between $105,000 and $120,000. The city also earmarked between $107,000 and $130,000 to hire an emergency services manager.

Fillmore Council Member Mitchell Nowakowski co-sponsored the resolution back in January calling for the creation of the emergency services manager position. On Tuesday, he said he wants the person to be hired expeditiously.

Winter is around the corner and that does strengthen my resolve to have someone hired before winter, Nowakowski said. I do want to stress that an emergency manager does plan for other emergencies outside of weather, as well. That, too, is critically important.

The administration is unconcerned about the Council members comments, DeGeorge said.

The administration has conducted a national search to find the right person with the right qualifications, he said. We continue to make progress regarding the position and hope to have an announcement in the near future.
An armed robbery suspect shot on his rib cage by security guards during a robbery in Waterfalls, Harare, walked into a police station and lied that he had been attacked by four men, a court heard on Wednesday.

Godfrey Magadu, 31, of Chemhondoro in Murewa, had failed to nurse his wound and hospitals had turned him away as they required a letter from the police, said prosecutors.

Using the false name Franklyin Mubaiwa, Magadu went to a police station in Southlea Park and claimed that he had been attacked by four men in Hopely who ran off after shooting him.

Sergeant Luke Deza, who attended to him, bought into his tale and gave him a request for medical treatment form before sending him to Sally Mugabe Hospital for treatment. He was later referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital.

On October 23, officers investigating the robbery at Chemical Merchants Company linked Magadu to the crime leading to his arrest.

Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa remanded him in custody from his hospital bed.

He is facing charges of armed robbery and deliberately supplying false information to a public official.

The National Prosecuting Authority is alleging that Magadu and his accomplices, who were armed with three shotguns, broke into Chemical Merchants Company in Waterfalls and attempted to rob the store.

They allegedly confronted security guards Given Nyakarare and Samson Mupandawana who are employed by Gurus Security Company. The two were armed with a revolver.

Magadu and his accomplices manhandled one of the security guards, Mupandawana and force-marched him into one of the offices. They assaulted him whilst demanding to know where cash and valuables were kept. Mupandawana bolted and hid behind the offices, the prosecution says.

Magadu and his accomplices then observed Nyakarare walking outside and went to confront him. Nyakarare fired two shots towards the robbers who were approaching him.

One of the armed robbers was grazed on the forehead by a bullet whilst Magadu sustained a gunshot wound to the rib-cage but managed to escape with the others.

The robbers allegedly dropped one gun before dragging Magadu away, only to dump him about a kilometre from the scene and run off.

After failing to bear the pain, Magadu went to the police with a concocted story that he was a victim. ZimLive

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Yves here. The pushes them to leave part in the headline is no exaggeration. This story reports that as New York City is denying migrants shelter, it is also offering them tickets to anywhere in the world. This is what the Biden open borders with no thought as to what comes next hath wrought: people coming to the US (admittedly many misled by coyotes they paid to smuggle them in) and then finding the whole premise of their struggle to get here to be false.

Admittedly, there are new immigrants who have family or close contacts who can house them at least for a while and assist with finding employment. Due to the characteristic failure of this Administration to track anything, we have no clue as to how many of these arrivals have an adequate prospect at making a successful go.

By Gwynne Hogan. Originally published at THE CITY on October 24, 2023

Migrants lay on the floor of an Astoria Church after being turned away from an East Village shelter. Credit: Obtained by THE CITY

Migrants are experiencing a new level of confusion and hopelessness this week as city officials make a renewed push to get them out of shelters and the city altogether.

Migrants whod been evicted from their shelters and told to reapply were directed to a site in the East Village that turned out to be a reticketing center the city opened over the weekend offering plane fares to anywhere in the world. Those who declined were turned away, with some sent on Monday to a waiting room an hour away.

But by Tuesday that option had disappeared as well and new arrivals were simply told there was nothing else for them, and nowhere in particular for them to go, if they didnt want a ticket.

Were in the street, said Carlos Guteirrez, out front of the reticketing center with all his belongings, deciding what to do next. His Midtown shelter had been vacated by the Fire Department on Monday and hed been sent to the welcome center at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown. Hours later, he was told to go from there to a site in Astoria, which was packed with people, so he was told to return to the Roosevelt. On Tuesday morning, workers there sent him to the East Village, where he was again turned away.

Theyre treating us like children, sending from here to there, from there to here, he said in Spanish. The only thing that occurs to me is to leave New York City, but where are we going to go?

City Hall confirmed the new set up on Tuesday, telling THE CITY men leaving shelters and seeking another placement are guaranteed plane tickets to anywhere in the world and were being sent to the newly opened East Village site to get those tickets. They were not, however, guaranteed a cot to sleep on, according to Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for City Hall.

With no sign of a decompression strategy in the near future, we have established a reticketing center for migrants, Mamelak said  though none of the migrants THE CITY spoke with in the East Village understood they were being sent to a reticketing site in the first place. Here, the city will redouble efforts to purchase tickets for migrants to help them take the next steps in their journeys, and it helps us triage operations at The Roosevelt for new arrivals.

Throughout the day Monday, a stream of men arrived throughout from shelters all across the city, lugging suitcases and duffle bags having been told that the East Village location was where they should reapply for shelter. They could not.

They told me here they would help me with a shelter. I got here and its a lie, said Franklin Sosa, 21, in Spanish, whod been sent to the East Village from his former shelter on Randalls Island after hitting his 60-day time limit that the city began giving adult migrants, which was later shortened to 30 days, before they have to leave and reapply for shelter. Theyre giving out bad information. Its hard to talk because Ill cry.

Within minutes of each man arriving, he was turned away, handed a printed-out packet including a Bing map with the address of a Catholic church in Astoria, Queens.

Men who made the trip from the East Village to Astoria spent the night at St. Margaret Mary, which had been used as a shelter for migrants over the summer. Some of them were handed Mylar rescue blankets for warmth, and photos shared with THE CITY show men laying on the ground.

They say they dont know how long we can stay here, said a 38-year-old from Burkina Faso, who asked that his name be withheld fearing retaliation. They havent told us anything.

But even the option of sleeping on the floor in a church was no longer available to men arriving in the East Village by Tuesday afternoon.

Signs stuck to the door, translated to Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian, were how he learned that THIS IS NOT A RESPITE SITE/SHELTER. THERE ARE NO BEDS AT THIS SITE. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU GET TO TRANSPORTATION TO ANY STATE, OR COUNTRY OF YOUR CONVENIENCE.

A sign taped to an East Village shelter informed migrants there was no more room, Oct. 23, 2023. Credit: Gwynne Hogan/THE CITY

People Will Be Sleeping in the Streets

Workers at other migrant shelters started handing out little slips of paper with the East Village site address on Monday, telling men to go there instead of the Roosevelt Hotel, which until this week had been the citys main intake center for all newly arriving and returning migrants.

But within minutes of their arrival, the migrants learned one by one, they would not get any help there if they intended on staying in New York City.

They cant give us beds because theres no beds [and] there are 4,000 people waiting for beds. What they can help us with is with a ticket elsewhere, a 29-year-old Venezuelan migrant, who declined to share his full name, said he was told Tuesday afternoon at the reticketing site. He and two friends decided to head to the Roosevelt to try their luck there.

We are moving people to reticketing to see if they want to be reticketed, said Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom at a press briefing Tuesday. If they cant be reticketed, we put them in a space where they could wait for availability in a shelter.

That approach appears to violate the citys right-to-shelter provisions, enshrined in a decades-old consent decree that the Adams administration is currently asking a State Supreme Court judge to suspend parts of  even as its already putting a time limit on how long migrants can stay in shelters and planning to send newly arrived families to a tent in southern Brooklyn.

Adams bristled at a mention of those legal obligations at Tuesdays press briefing.

Theres two schools of thought in the city right now, he said. One school of thought states you can come from anywhere on the globe and come to New York and we are responsible, on taxpayers limited resources, to take care of you for as long as you want: Food, shelter, clothing, washing your sheets, everything, medical care, psychological care for as long as you want. And its on New York City taxpayers dime. And theres another school of thought, that we disagree.

Thats what youre seeing playing out in the court right now. We just disagree, he said, adding that it wasnt a question of if migrants would be sleeping on the streets, but when.

Adams also said top administration officials were working to identify large outdoor spaces to send people who are turned away from indoor shelters.

Bouncing Around All Day

Compounding the capacity issues as a record nearly 120,000 people, including 64,000 migrants, are now staying in city shelters with 4,000 more arriving each week, the FDNY began vacating shelters for fire-code violations last week  removing hundreds of beds and cots that migrants had been sleeping on in the process.

The FDNY emptied another shelter on Monday at the site of a vacant Touro University building in Midtown that had housed hundreds of men, the same site where Adams top advisor Tim Pearson had fought shelter guards last week. A vacate order posted on the door cited a lack of a required fire alarm system, which created a condition imminently perilous to life and property.

Several men arriving in the East Village who spoke with THE CITY said theyd been kicked out of Touro Monday ahead of their 30-day eviction letters, because of the vacate order, and told to seek a new cot at the East Village location only to be sent to Astoria from there.

Josh Goldfein, an attorney with Legal Aid as its in court fighting to maintain the right to shelter, said theyd encouraged the city to find another place to handle intake to avoid a repeat of what happened in the summer months when people slept outside the welcome center at the Roosevelt for a week straight.

The city should have an orderly process that conveys to people in their preferred language where theyre supposed to go and what theyre supposed to do, he said, adding that Mondays confusion fell far short of that.

I Dont Know Where To Go

This is a psychological exhaustion. You get discouraged. You lose your resolve, said 40-year-old Alexander, who declined to give his last name and whod lugged a hefty rolling suitcase and duffle bag on an hour-long trip from the shelter hed been staying at on Randalls Island to the East Village location.

Alexander, had spent his first weeks in New York City at a shelter in Bushwick, where for weeks he had no access to showers and had to try to clean himself in the sinks.

It was chaotic there, he said.

From there he was sent to Randalls Island, where he spent the rest of his 60 days before being required to reapply. He said his latest shuffle, while carrying all of his belongings on public transit for hours across the city, felt like a deliberate attempt to get him to give up on New York.

Imagine youre in a land where you dont know anyone, a language thats not yours. No one understands you. Now what do I do, how do I defend myself? Alexander said.

As the sun set Monday evening and the fall chill set in, he debated his next move.

Here there are no jobs. Ive been looking for a while. This is one of the most expensive cities in the world, he said. There are thousands of people waiting for lodging. How long will I wait?

After about 30 minutes, he made up his mind. Hed take a plane ticket, and try his chances in Utah.

They say its better, because there arent as many migrants, he said.
Since there are a raft of unknowns with Israels next steps in and what sort of fallout that might trigger, it makes sense to step back and see if we can infer anything, even at a very general level, from known or presumed boundary conditions.

Israel is committed to a ground invasion of Gaza. It has also doubled down on its stated aim of destroying Hamas in rejecting UN calls for a ceasefire.

The invasion of Gaza and the intent to destroy Hamas appear to be political aims, since the former will be extremely costly, particularly in soldiers lives to a casualty-averse IDF, and the elimination of Hamas is not attainable. The point Alex Christoforu made in his show today, that the US with its much greater resources, has not been able to eliminate Al Qaeda, is confirmed in a Financial Times comment, Israel must know that destroying Hamas is beyond its reach.

Many military experts, including former Lt. Colonel Daniel Davis, Douglas Macgregor, and Scott Ritter, have warned that it will be very difficult for the IDF to engage in this kind of urban clearing operation, particularly given its scale versus the IDFs limited experience and the largely reservist status of the majority of its forces. Foreign Affairs, the premier US foreign policy publication, just released a grim prognosis in How Will the IDF Handle Urban Combat?Fighting Hamas in Gaza Will Be Difficult and Costly. Key sections:

A potential ground assault into Gazawould entail horrendously difficult tactical conditions, including room-to-room combat and tunnel warfare that would lead to massive casualties. It would require fighting on the ground, in the air, and at seafighting that must be done in a carefully synchronized fashion. Combat will be slow and grinding, and the resulting devastation will almost certainly test international support for Israels invasion Urban combat is slow, grinding, destructive, environmentally devastating, and horrendously costly in human lifeespecially for civilians. It involves house-by-house, block-by-block fighting that soaks up troops and firepower in enormous quantities, as every room, street corner, rooftop, sewer, and basement must be secured before the next can be taken. Such combat is particularly dangerous for junior combat leaders, who must constantly expose themselves in order to see, communicate with, and command their soldiers for soldiers and civilians in the midst of urban fighting, the danger, the fatigue, the sense of perpetual threat from every direction, and the horror of close-range hand-to-hand combat all take an immense physical and psychological toll. Battles tend to be confused, fleeting (measured in seconds), and short range, with targets often closer than 50 yards. Troops may be focused on the house or room they are fighting in, but at the same time they may also be targeted from a distance by mortar crews, snipers, and drone operators.

There is a lot more along these lines.

Several points seem noteworthy. First, as is evident even from this short extract, Foreign Affairs acts as if a ground operation is not a given, when there are reports of large numbers of Israeli tanks and troops newly positioned nearby and more expected. Second is that it bangs on about the findings of NATO researchers and of creating a combined-arms effect. As we saw in Ukraine, forces trained to supposed NATO standards were found by the Ukraine military to perform less well than ones that used what NATO derided as more primitive approaches better suited to battle conditions.

Third, and perhaps most important, this article does not give much consideration about how the extensive Gaza tunnel system vastly complicates this operation. Readers are welcome to correct me, but my strong impression is that not only has there never been a clearing operation in this large a setting, there has also never been one that has had to contend with such an extensive tunnel system.

The IDF may be correct in its belief, or one might say hope, that bunker busters can destroy most if not all of it and also detonate stored munitions. There was alleged evidence of that happening, with Jacob Dreizen posting a video of a presumed bunker buster then producing successive explosions from below ground a meaningful distance from the strike site.

It may be that most of the tunnels can be destroyed by arial bomb and its simply a matter of systematically wrecking them. But Iran has massive and deeply buried command centers and operations. Hamas would presumably have sought and received advice on how to build and fortify its tunnels to resist bunker bombs.1 Whether Hamas got very far with any such effort will be revealed in due course.

Another tunnel matter is how much Hamas has stockpiled and whether, even after round of bunker-busting, there are enough tunnels to Egypt that survive and are well-enough connected to other surviving tunnels under most of Gaza to allow Hamas members and their supplies to move about readily enough to allow them to continue indefinitely, or at least for an unseemly long time. A sometimes stated assumption on the Israel side is that they can starve Hamas out and force them to leave the tunnels, as happened with the Azov Battalion forces that retreated to the extensive basement system underneath the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol.

What does the delay in launching the ground operation portend? Some theories, which are not mutually exclusive:

The politicians and the military are arguing with each other, and senior members of the military are also debating how to proceed. Perhaps Hamas will be revealed to be a paper tiger. But if not, victory, even if defined as clearing Gaza (as opposed to destroying Hamas) looks set to be Pyrrhic. The IDF is waiting to get US men and materiel in place. With Iran having promised to Do Something in the event of an assault on Gaza, the bigger the threat display, the better. The IDF and the US appear to be erring on the side of assuming that Hezbollah and Iran are loath to escalate. That may not be as true as they believe.2 The US is trying to curb Israel. Mind you, that sort of message is not coming from where it really counts, Biden or Blinken, but enough US military men may be worried enough to do what they can to throw sand in the gears. Consider this new story from the Financial Times, Fears grow that Israel has no plan agreed for postwar Gaza: But about two weeks after Hamass devastating attacks, there remain many unresolved questions over Israels exit strategy and postwar goals. The US has directly raised its concerns with Israel, according to sources close to the process. The lack of an exit plan is one factor in the delays to the Gaza ground operation that has long been threatened by Benjamin Netanyahus government. There is no plan for the day after. The [Israeli] system hasnt decided yet, said one person familiar with Israeli thinking. The Americans went crazy when they realised there was no plan. In what were described as probing conversations with Israeli officials, US officials have encouraged their counterparts to think about how to achieve their military aims should the original plans fail, and to imagine the day after. Several people close to the Israeli planning process described a frantic effort to establish clear war aims, develop realistic post-conflict scenarios, and agree them across the military and civilian leadership. One recurring theme in the proposals is avoiding an open-ended Israeli reoccupation of Gaza, a narrow coastal strip that is home to 2.3mn people. Israel withdrew from the enclave in 2005. Another is the need to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, which may be called upon to reassert control in Gaza even though it is considered to be a weak institution that lacks credibility among Palestinians A third element in planning is the potential for Arab states including Egypt and Saudi Arabia to play a direct role, including possible financial and peacekeeping support in Gaza. The delay is deliberate, to starve out Gaza. Israels sabotaging of humanitarian convoys (bombing the roads at Rarah, allowing only a pathetic 20 trucks in, now refusing to allow fuel in and assuring the shutdown of hospitals) is a facet of Israels announced policy of collective punishment. Perhaps some in the government rationalize this conduct by hoping that enough suffering in Gaza will force Egypt to relent and admit a large number of refugees. But the international community is instead increasing its calls for a ceasefire and serious humanitarian relief. It looks instead as if too many are shying away form the logic of Israels actions. They want to empty Gaza. That is why they have no post war plans. Theres no need to worry about post-Gaza governance if all the Palestinians have been removed.3 So tarrying with the ground operations as the Gaza citizenry dies of dehydration4 has a certain logic. The IDF is not wrong in being concerned that nominal civilians can easily serve to advance a guerrilla war, such as kids planting mines. It reduces the need to waste shells to destroy buildings. Experts like Scott Ritter have argued that more rubble is more favorable to defenders, since it offers more places to hide, makes it harder to deploy armored vehicles, and could blunt the impact of bunker busters. Conversely, keeping as much of Gazas roads open will help the invading force. Delaying a Gaza invasion while refusing to let supplies in also theoretically puts of triggering a Hezbollah and potentially Iran action, although Iran has cleared its throat and said too much mistreatment of Gazans would also be a red line.

So yours truly has to wonder if the sudden intense messaging about how hard an invasion will be, and how the Israels and the US are in a dither over how to proceed, is a case of the lady doth protest too much. Even if these accounts are substantially true, broadcasting them would seem to be to the detriment of Israels operations. Perhaps it is intended to depict the Israel and its allies as in disarray so as to misdirect Hamas and its potential backers and mask a blow that is coming in days. Or perhaps it instead is to mask the monstrousness of Israels true plans, which are not hard to infer given its persistent obstruction of humanitarian relief.

____

1 Some have asserted that Gaza is on sandy soil that would facilitate the use of these super duper munitions. Based on a quick look, Lambert found the sandy soil story to be wrong:

Were not talking granite, but its not sand and dirt either http://om.ciheam.org/om/pdf/b34/01002095.pdf Gaza Strip region has a substratum of Tertiary limestones, calcareous sandstone marls, clay and marine diluvium. Partially fossilised dune sand deposits cover wide stretches of land. These dune sands are often cemented by calcareous sediments and cemented infiltration, and form therefore compact masses of hard rocks. Found map (geology.png). https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2968023793/view Its hard to read (Im assuming yellow has faded) but it looks like Gaza City area is on Pliocene Marine

2 In addition, by virtue of proximity, Hezbollah almost certainly has escalation options short of invasion. How might it turn up the heat?

3 If worse comes to worse, when Israel finally secures the surface, it can flood, gas [who would be the wiser?] or use thermobaric bombs on the tunnels.

4 Starving to death can take a while. For instance, in the case of Bobby Sands, it took 66 days.
How Scientists Tracked the Movements of a 17,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammoth Smithsonian

How Far Can Sharks Smell Blood? Field & Stream

Techno-optimism is a sign of V.C. crisis Read Max

Who You Calling Dumb Money? Everyday Investors Do Just Fine WSJ

These lawsuits could upend the real estate market Axios

An economic warning sign that preceded two past recessions is flashing ominously red again Bloomberg

Climate

Giant Gravity Hole in the Ocean May Be the Ghost of an Ancient Sea Scientific American

China?

Between the US and China Asia Media Centre

Dear Old Blighty

High noon in the Commons on Israel and Gaza Politico. [I]ts not just Muslim MPs who have been raising concerns with the leadership. A shadow minister said: Its united MPs on the left, right and center of the party  Theres no recognition that we are haemorrhaging Muslim votes massively, enough to lose seats if there was an election tomorrow.' Starmer owes his prime ministership  and the PLP their power  to an intervention by the spooks, the press, and Israels embassy. Will they stay bought? Commentary: NEW: Entire Leicester City Council Labour group has unanimously called upon party leaders, including Keir Starmer, to call for a ceasefire and the end of collective punishment in Gaza. This after senior members including David Lammy held talks with them to address their concerns pic.twitter.com/Aro2E3JlZn  Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) October 24, 2023 Woman slams selfish paragliders who made her think Hamas were invading Doncaster The Mirror

Syraqistan

New Not-So-Cold War

Republican Funhouse

Mike Johnson wins House GOPs latest speaker nomination Politico. Meanwhile, inside the Republican caucus: Super snarky McClintock letter to the 8 who voted to oust McCarthy we truly dont deserve you. Notes the world burning too pic.twitter.com/2qgK668ikJ  Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 21, 2023

Surely Dear Wayward Colleague deserves a place in The Salutation Pantheon beside My Brother in Christ.

Digital Watch

Exclusive Data: Twitter Is Shrinking Under Elon Musk Big Technology. Power users  the top 10%  account for 72% of all time spent on the app, slightly more than the 70% they spent inside X in October 2022. This indicates that either a new group of power users replaced those who left or that power users and casual users left in consistent numbers. Also, Threads is nowhere. What a shame. Inside the deranged mind of Twitters For You algorithm Nate Silver, Silver Bulletin. My experience is that the algo is actually better under Musk than before (although better isnt the same as good). Presumably the algo has enough information on my preferences to deviate from the bro-y defaults Silver encountered. * * * Artists Can Now Sabotage AI Image Generators to Fight Art Theft Daily Beast. Now do text. Decentralized Matrix messaging network says it now has 115M users Bleeping Computer The Internet Could Be So Good. Really. The Atlantic. Interesting: Through all of this work, we came to a big realization about what our conversations had that many online conversations do not: clear roles for key participants. We had conversation organizers, facilitators, curators, prompt designers, and analyzers to find and make sense of patterns of experience that emerged across conversations. Inviting individuals to play these roles in a social dialogue network is an opportunity to participate in civic and democratic processes. Some online spaces already have moderators or admins, but we began to wonder what it would look like if we built a platform that resembled the conversations we had around our digital hearth. And that is the path our teams at MIT and Cortico are now on. Obviously, such an approach requires participants to have shared values and commitments. Many of todays trolls and fly-by meme makers arent really looking for civic discourse.

The Bezzle

California orders Cruise driverless cars off the roads because of safety concerns NPR

Our Famously Free Press

Healthcare

CDC recommends rationing of RSV shot due to shortages STAT

Supply Chain

Class Warfare

A family portrait of human brain cells Science

Antidote du jour (via):

Bonus antidote:

We are all familiar with the saying, it takes a village to raise a child. This adage applies equally to elephant society! Juvenile females learn vital mothering skills by taking care of the calves, a behaviour that is referred to as allomothering. #TheElephantEthogram pic.twitter.com/RqHbuhtQXe  ElephantVoices (@elephantvoices) October 19, 2023

Double bonus antidote:

The bond between a mother elephant and her calves is one of the most remarkable and heartwarming relationships in the animal kingdom. Here's a glimpse into this incredible bond: 1. Unbreakable Emotional Connection:  Mother elephants, also known as cows, form incredibly pic.twitter.com/xB3JcsmiMf  Intriguing Stories & Facts (@CSF_i7) October 19, 2023

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
ChatGPT can figure out your personal data using simple conversations, warn researchers

Experts have warned that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT can " discern sensitive personal information about individuals through casual conversations." These chatbots can deduce sensitive information about the people they chat with, even if the conversation is about boring topics.

Martin Vechev, a computer science professor at Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich (Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETH Zurich) in Switzerland who led the study, explained that the phenomenon can be traced to how the models algorithms are trained with "broad swathes of web content," a key part of what makes them work. This also makes data theft hard to prevent.

Vechey explained that it's not immediately clear how to fix this problem, and that it is "very, very problematic."

Large language models powering chatbots can accurately gather user data

The research team reported that the large language models (LLM) that power advanced chatbots can accurately derive an alarming amount of personal information about users, such as their race, location and occupation, from conversations that seem harmless.

Vechev warned that scammers could try to use a chatbot's ability to guess sensitive information about someone to gather sensitive data from users. He added that the same underlying capability could herald a new age of advertising where companies use information gathered from chatbots to build detailed profiles of users.

There are some companies behind powerful chatbots that already rely heavily on advertising for their profits. Vechev warned that these companies could be behind the practice. (Related: Italian data privacy watchdog accuses ChatGPT of scraping people's data.)

While conducting the study, Zurich researchers tested language models developed by OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic. The research team alerted all of the companies to the problem.

Niko Felix, an OpenAI spokesperson, claimed that the company is trying to remove personal information from training data used to create its models. OpenAi is also trying to tweak them to reject requests for personal data.

Felix said that OpenAI wants its models "to learn about the world, not private individuals." He added that users can request that OpenAI delete personal information surfaced by its systems.

Anthropic referred to its privacy policy, which states that the company "does not harvest or sell personal information."

Meanwhile, both Google and Meta did not respond to a request for comment

Florian Tramer, an assistant professor also at ETH Zurich who was not involved with the work but reviewed details presented at a conference, warned that the research raises important questions about how much information about themselves users are unknowingly revealing in situations where they "might expect anonymity."

Data fed to AI models can help chatbots learn language patterns

Tramer also said he doesn't fully understand how much personal information could be inferred this way, but he suggests that language models may be a powerful aid for revealing a user's private information.

The new privacy issue stems from the same process credited with unlocking the jump in capabilities seen in chatbots. The underlying AI models that power these bots are fed huge amounts of data scraped from the web, allowing them to learn the patterns of language.

However, Vechev said the text used in training also contains personal information and associated dialog. This data can be correlated with the use of language in subtle ways, like connections between certain dialects or phrases and someone's location or demographics.

Those patterns help language models make guesses about a person from what they type that can seem unremarkable. For example, if someone writes in a chat dialog that they "just caught the morning tram," a model might conclude that they are in Europe where trams are common and it is morning.

And since AI software can pick up on and combine many subtle clues like this, experiments have revealed that they can also make accurate guesses of someone's city, gender, age and race.

The researchers used text from Reddit conversations where users had revealed information about themselves to test how well different language models could deduce personal information not included in a snippet of text.

One example comment from those experiments would seem free of personal information to most readers: "... just last week on my birthday, i was dragged out on the street and covered in cinnamon for not being married yet lol"

But OpenAI's GPT-4 can correctly deduce that whoever posted this is about 25 years old since its training contains details of a unique Danish tradition that involves covering unmarried people with cinnamon on their 25th birthday.

Mislav Balunovic, a Ph.D. student who worked on the project, explained that large language models are trained on various kinds of data, such as census information. This means LLMs can deduce surprising information with "relatively high accuracy."

Balunovic added that trying to protect a persons privacy by stripping their age or location data from the text a model is fed isn't always enough to prevent it from making powerful inferences.

According to Balunovic, if you mentioned that you live close to a restaurant in New York City, the model can still find out which district this is in. By recalling the population statistics of this district from its training data, the model can also likely infer with a very high likelihood that you are Black.

The research team's findings were made using language models not specifically designed to guess personal data.

Balunovic and Vechev said that it may be possible to use the large language models to search through social media posts to dig up sensitive personal information, perhaps including a user's illness. The researchers also warned that it would also be possible to design a chatbot to unearth information by making a string of harmless-sounding questions.

Visit Computing.news to learn more about the dangers of AI programs like ChatGPT.

Watch the video below as Health Ranger Mike Adams and Josh Sigurdson talk about an AI chatbot suicide cult and other topics.

This video is from the Katy Odin channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

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Brighteon.com
Democrat Rep. Jamaal pull the fire alarm Bowman says Americans should welcome Palestinian refugees

Experts say that roughly one million people currently living in, but fleeing, the Gaza Strip will need new homes. And since they are not allowed to enter Israel, which surrounds them, these people should instead come to the United States , according to New York Rep. Jamaal "pull the fire alarm" Bowman, a Democrat.

In a statement to the media over the weekend, Bowman stated that "50 percent of the population in Gaza are children," adding that "the international community, as well as the United States, should be prepared to welcome refugees from Palestine while being very careful to vet and not allow members of Hamas."

Bowman's statement on all this came after Israel gave the roughly 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza a 24-hour warning to get out before the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), backed by the United States and American tax dollars, commences its planned ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.

Rather than call on Israel to do no such thing and to simply leave Gaza alone, Bowman and others apparently want them all to be relocated to a neighborhood near you since Israel wants them away from its borders.

(Related: Check out what Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [AOC] had to say in defense of Bowman's recent fire alarm stunt on Capitol Hill.)

Republicans and Democrats call for more military aid to Israel, enforced sanctions on Iran

According to Israeli media, more than 400,000 Gazans have already left their homes, though it is unclear if they are actually out of Gaza entirely. Twenty-four hours, though, is hardly enough time for this very large number of people  Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas of the world  to flee, let alone find another place where they can actually keep living.

Egypt has closed its border with Gaza, refusing to take any Palestinian refugees. And Israel, of course, is saying get out to the roughly 2.3 million people who live in the Gaza Strip, which is where they were placed after Israel was reestablished as a nation in 1948.

UNICEF spokesperson Sara Al Hattab told CNN this week that ongoing Israeli airstrikes  the planned ground invasion has not yet occurred, by the way  have killed at least 2,215 Palestinians, including more than 700 children. Another 8,714 Palestinians, 2,450 of them being children, have been wounded by Israeli weapons of war so far in this latest melee.

By the time all is said and done, World Identity Foundation founder Mariana Dahan expects that the conflict "may add over one million people to the already staggering number of six million Palestinian refugees of the world."

There are currently about 170,000 Palestinians living in the U.S., according to the latest census data. In 2022, the U.S. took in 25,465 refugees from all around the world, a 123 percent increase from 2021.

"In FY 2023, the United States expects to resettle up to 125,000 refugees," reads the State Department website.

The establishment uni-party in the U.S., comprised of both Republicans and Democrats, is keeping itself busy pushing new legislation to give even more taxpayer money and military aid to Israel to fulfill its Zionist agenda in the Middle East.

Republicans, though, do not want any of the Palestinian refugees to be resettled in the U.S. as a result of the war they are helping to fund.

"The U.S. is the most generous nation in the world, but we are in no position to accept additional refugees, especially from a region with as high a risk of terrorism, given our nation's inability to secure our own border or vet those who are already here," pronounced Republican Florida Sen. Marco "foam boy" Rubio this week.

The latest news about the escalating conflict in the Middle East can be found at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
For more than 20 years, the sprawling AM&As department store building has been a derelict hulk in the center of downtown Buffalo, a sign of retail days gone by and repeated failures to redevelop it.

Most recently, the vacant complex has been languishing as the centerpiece of a bitter court fight, as two rival groups of Chinese investors from Queens battle for ownership.

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In the meantime, its tax debt on the property is approaching $250,000, and somebody  whoever owns the building  owes the city for hundreds of thousands of dollars in stabilization repairs to the underground utility vault under Washington Street that shut down that thoroughfare for more than a year.

Now, local business and political leaders say theyve had enough.

Theyre calling for the city to seize the building through eminent domain or a tax foreclosure in hopes that it could finally kick-start a renewed effort to redevelop the property.

Its a huge blight on downtown, said Common Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski, who is running unopposed for a redrawn district that will encompass part of downtown Buffalo, including AM&As.

The AM&As building is a large footprint, he said. If were going to get downtown activated and dense, we need to have housing, and I dont know why we sit around and allow this building to just be a blight on our community for decades.

Major downtown developers and property owners agree.

Weve allowed the AM&As to sit fallow, said Carl Paladino, chairman of Ellicott Development Co., who cited the recent use of eminent domain by the Town of Amherst to gain control over the Boulevard Mall site.

That thing sits there and its a big black mark on downtown Buffalo, Paladino said.

Meanwhile, the building languishes as the dueling ownership groups fight it out in court, with no end in sight.

As these owners argue and fight each other in courts in New York City, our surrounding neighborhoods suffer from zero redevelopment, while remaining delinquent for years on their city and county taxes, said Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson, whose district includes downtown.

Its important that the viability of downtown Buffalo is protected when we have a structure like the AM&As building sitting dormant, he said.

Such a move has precedent.

Steve Carmina, a downtown architect and principal of Carmina Wood Morris, noted to his colleagues on the Buffalo Place board of directors, including Paladino, that the city is using eminent domain with a pair of Cobblestone District buildings that have similarly suffered deterioration and disrepair under their current owner.

The citys doing it with Darryl Carrs buildings, Carmina said. This is a better project to do eminent domain with. I think we should push it.

Nowakowski said hes still in the fact-finding stage and examining how the city can move forward on this, but noted that hes pursued eminent domain before with the South Park Avenue properties.

I have a history with invoking it, he said.

Nevertheless, Nowakowski said eminent domain is sometimes not the best remedy. Pursuing a tax foreclosure sale could be more expeditious and less costly to the city.

I have to take the bull by the horns, he said. Strong cities have strong urban cores, so Im taking a pretty aggressive approach.

Its a struggle thats years in the making and involves one of Buffalos oldest and best-known downtown buildings. The historic 10-story building at 377 Main St. was the longtime home of retailer Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Co. until that company was acquired by Bon-Ton stores in 1994, with the Main Street store closing a year later. Aside from its brief use as an upscale womens department store in 1998, it has been vacant ever since, with multiple owners.

It was purchased in late 2014 by Landco H&L, a Chinese and American investor group based in Flushing, Queens, led by Li Lily Li. Working with local engineer John Schenne, the group unveiled plans for a $70 million makeover, initially into an unbranded 300-room hotel for Asian tour groups visiting Niagara Falls, although many local business leaders and observers questioned the likelihood of success.

That plan for the 375,000-square-foot building later shifted into a 340-room Wyndham Buffalo Hotel, with two restaurants, a pool and spa in the basement, meeting and banquet space on the second floor, and ground-floor storefronts.

That change came along with new leadership and control of the project, which moved in December 2015 from Li to Jinneng Bally Bao and Xiaomei Sally Lu, a couple that live in Glen Cove.

But thats where the ownership dispute begins, which is at the root of a lawsuit filed three years ago.

According to court documents, Li transferred her shares in Landco to Lu, who was required to pay $300,000 as a down payment to Li, and then either $2 million in four equal $500,000 installments every six months or $1 million when Landco obtained $4 million in financing. Lu was also barred in that 2015 agreement from transferring more than half of Landcos shares without Lis consent.

The agreement included a provision that 51% of those shares would revert back to Li if Lu breached the contract or failed to perform.

Li asserts that is what happened, without giving details, and she filed papers with the state listing her as president. On Jan. 30, 2020, Landco  under Lis signature  sold the AM&As building to Elena Fu Yiyaos 377 Main Realty for $2 million, with the deed filed a few days later.

Fu plans to convert the building to offices and apartments or condominiums, instead of a Wyndham hotel  a change that has been applauded by city leaders as more practical for current demand and needs.

But Lu denies that she breached the agreement, and claims she remains the sole owner of Landco. And less than two weeks after the purported sale to Fus group, Landco  now under Lus authority  sued 377 Main Realty and Li for fraud, alleging that the deed was executed without proper corporate authority.

In the meantime, contractors have at least remediated the building, which not only contained asbestos but had also suffered significant mold and water damage after the basement levels flooded.

Its in pretty good shape on the inside, said developer Rocco Termini of Signature Development Buffalo, who owns the nearby Hotel @ Lafayette, and is close to Schenne. Its ready to be redone.

But without a clear owner or direction, no work has begun.

There was also no clear owner to turn to when the city was forced to close Washington Street in front of the AM&As complex, after engineers realized that the ceiling of the underground utility room that extends under the road had decayed to the point that it couldnt support vehicle traffic above it. After a long period of discussion, the city finally ordered the work to proceed and put a lien on the property.

And while the property taxes were current until 2020, they have not been paid since then. The owners  whoever they are  now owe $245,985 for city taxes and fees as of July 2023.

Developers are fighting in Queens and in bankruptcy court, while the City of Buffalo suffers, Nowakowski said. And theyre not paying taxes when other people are paying their fair share.
Elon Musk says armed citizens vital for democracys defense, causing gun control activists to lose their minds

Billionaire electric vehicle (EV) guru and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk has drawn attention to himself again, this time with regard to his position on the Second Amendment.

Much to the chagrin of gun haters everywhere, Musk wrote a message of support for arming citizens in light of the recent Hamas attack against Israel, which is once again stirring up conversations about the right to bear arms.

"As tragic as the mass shootings are, armed citizens are essential to the defense of democracy," Musk wrote, seemingly referring indirectly to the unarmed citizens of Israel who were slaughtered by armed terrorists.

Musk was responding to an X post from the "End Wokeness" account, which wrote that:

"The past 3+ years have been one long informercial for the 2nd amendment:

Lockdowns and vax mandates

Months of race riots and looting

Police are defunded, crime rages

Soros Das let criminals roam free

Millions of illegals storm the border

Hillary calls for re-education ..."

(Related: Did you catch the news that Israel is now trying to arm its citizens and turn them into "citizen militias" in the lead-up to the planned ground invasion of Gaza?)

Gun demand surged during COVID, and especially after the George Floyd and BLM riots  but has since PLUNGED

Compared to the early days of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" when scared Americans rushed out to buy more guns, the gun industry is reporting far fewer gun purchases today.

The latest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which "serves as a proxy for gun sales," to quote one media outlet, the days of gun panic buying appear to be over and done.

"... gun demand surged during the early days of COVID ... (and) continued erupting as Black Lives Matter protests / riots sparked concern for safety among millions of Americans," reported Zero Hedge.

"Gun demand has since plunged since panic buying was merely a bubble."

Responding to Musk's X message, Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs at Gun Owners of America (GOA), praised the billionaire for "finally understanding what a gift our Founding Fathers gave us with the Second Amendment."

"The right to keep and bear arms empowers individuals to protect themselves, their families and their communities from tyranny," Johnston added in a statement.

Truth be told, there is never going to be a time when the American government is able, or even willing, to successfully protect the general public apart from the Second Amendment. This means it is up to We the People, if this is your thing, to arm up and wait for what comes next, which is sure to be as ugly as it gets.

Many freedom-loving patriots distrust Musk's true intentions, though. One wrote that the guy is "a tool" and "a connected, useless idiot of retarded science and misdirection."

"His part in the script is to keep the Religion of Progress alive, suck the teat of governments to destroy the middle class (those who pay taxes) and keep everyone off balance as to the next 'insightful' tweet he launches," this person added.

"But watch what he does, not what he says. Like Trump, he appears to be on the side of the Little Guy, all the while answering to his Masters. He's an Agent. Ergo, he is firmly in a '.gov position.'"

Another wrote that Musk is clearly gunning for some kind of high-level government position with these theatrics.

"Perhaps Planet President is even more to his liking," this person jokingly added.

What will happen next in the Middle East? Learn more at Prophecy.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
SEC chairman: AI could cause FINANCIAL CRISIS in the next decade if left unregulated

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler has warned that rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) could cause a financial crisis that is "nearly unavoidable" in the next decade if left unregulated.

According to the SEC chairman, the lack of diversity in AI technologies used by multiple institutions could one day pose a significant threat to U.S. financial stability. He predicted during an interview with the Financial Times that this AI-fueled crisis could occur in the late 2020s or early 2030s.

"I do think we will, in the future, have a financial crisis," the SEC head warned. "Maybe it's in the mortgage market, maybe it's in some sector of the equity market. And in the after-action reports, people will say 'Aha, there was either one data aggregator or one model we've relied on.'"

While Gensler acknowledged the necessity of regulating AI, he nevertheless admitted that doing so is a "hard challenge." He continued: "It's a hard financial stability issue to address because most of our regulation is about individual institutions, individual banks, individual money market funds, individual brokers. It's just in the nature of what we do.

Gensler urges regulators to "tame AI"

Several areas identified by the SEC chair where AI could potentially destabilize the financial system are as follows:

Algorithmic trading: While AI-driven trading can optimize returns and reduce costs, it can also lead to flash crashes and market manipulations if not properly regulated.

While AI-driven trading can optimize returns and reduce costs, it can also lead to flash crashes and market manipulations if not properly regulated. Credit assessments: AI's role in determining an individual's creditworthiness can sometimes be opaque. Without clear guidelines, theres a risk of unfair or biased decisions that could have far-reaching consequences for consumers. (Related: Conservative chatbot creator says OpenAI tried to censor content forcing them to abandon platform.)

AI's role in determining an individual's creditworthiness can sometimes be opaque. Without clear guidelines, theres a risk of unfair or biased decisions that could have far-reaching consequences for consumers. (Related: Conservative chatbot creator says OpenAI tried to censor content forcing them to abandon platform.) Data privacy: With AI systems relying heavily on data, there's an increased risk of data breaches and misuse. Protecting consumer data should be of paramount importance. (Related: Italian data privacy watchdog accuses ChatGPT of scraping people's data.)

Gensler has urged regulators to take proactive measures to mitigate the potential threats AI poses to financial stability and rein its use.

Seeking to rein in the use of AI, the SEC proposed new rules that would require broker-dealers and investment advisers to:

Evaluate whether using certain AI technologies (i.e., predictive analytics and similar technologies) in investor interactions involves a conflict of interest in a way that puts the firms' interests above those of investors.

Address "conflicts of interest" issues arising from their individual use of predictive analytics by employing tools believed to address these risks that are specific to the particular AI technology they use.

Eliminate or neutralize the effect of any such conflicts.

Have written policies and procedures to achieve compliance with the proposed rules.

Keep books and records related to these requirements.

However, Gensler told the Financial Times that the proposed rule does not solve the "horizontal issue."

While various open-source AI technologies exist, most entities currently rely on a small number of tools and base their decisions on the same underlying base models or underlying data aggregator models developed by a group of players, such as Open AI's ChatGPT, which could "lead to herd mentality and undermine financial stability."

Visit FutureTech.news for more stories about the dangers of AI.

Watch this video about SEC Chairman Gary Gensler's warning about AI being responsible for the next financial crisis.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Creatives push back against generative AI's theft of their work and call on Big Tech to fairly compensate them.

ChatGPT AI taught to single out "hateful content" by silencing whites, Republicans and MEN: Research.

Italy bans ChatGPT over privacy concerns.

AI spy program launched to monitor global bank transactions for "money laundering," but people know it's just an EXCUSE to surveil their private accounts.

Google Cloud launches AI-powered anti-money laundering tool for banks, paving the way for Orwellian financial surveillance.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

TheHill.com

Medium.com

SEC.gov

Brighteon.com
Israels National Security Council urges its citizens in Turkey to LEAVE as soon as possible following Al-Ahli hospital bombing

Israel's National Security Council (NSC) has urged its citizens in Turkey to immediately leave the country , likewise warning Israelis of possible reprisal attacks following the Oct. 17 bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

"All Israelis staying in Turkey must leave as soon as possible," the NSC said in a late-night announcement on Oct. 17. Aside from the warning to leave the country, it also raised the travel advisory level alert for Turkey to four  the highest alert  and Morocco to two for the safety of Israeli tourists.

The hospital strike, which happened amid escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, has led to a surge of protests and condemnation across the region. Both sides have accused each other of being responsible for the attack. Nevertheless, the situation has become dangerous  especially for Israeli citizens in Turkey.

Thousands of people in Turkey joined protests in Istanbul and the capital Ankara to condemn the attack and show solidarity with the Palestinians. Additionally, five protesters were detained for their attempt to breach security and enter the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

Furthermore, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  a vocal and steadfast supporter of the Palestinians  unequivocally condemned the hospital strike. Erdogan even accused Israel of targeting a facility that was providing shelter to women, children and innocent civilians. As a response, he called on the international community to intervene and halt the unfolding tragedy in Gaza. (Related: Turkish president calls for Muslim world to UNITE against Israel.)

Erdogan: Indiscriminate attacks in the Gaza Strip would result in "a spiral of violence"

The hospital attack in the Gaza Strip has now deepened the longstanding conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians  which has been ongoing for roughly seven decades. More than a week before the Al-Ahli hospital bombing, Erdogan already warned Israeli President Isaac Herzog in an Oct. 9 phone call that indiscriminate attacks in the Gaza Strip would result in "a spiral of violence."

"Any action that inflicts collective and indiscriminate harm on the people of Gaza will only exacerbate suffering and further perpetuate the cycle of violence in the region," the Turkish president warned.

Erdogan stressed the importance of acting sensibly and urgently to restore peace, even stressing the existence of a moral and ethical code governing the Israel-Palestine conflict that both sides are obliged to follow. He called on Israel to cease its airstrikes on Palestinians, and for Palestinians to refrain from harassing civilians in Israel.

"As we always say, 'There are no losers in a just peace,'" Erdogan reiterated. "The destruction of Gaza through air and ground assaults, the targeting of mosques and the tragic loss of innocent lives, including children, women and the elderly, is simply unacceptable."

Moreover, he pointed out that the conflict would not end if Israel is "constantly harassing the Palestinian people, disregarding the safety of their lives and property, seizing their homes and lands, destroying their infrastructure and preventing their development."

Despite all of the warnings, both sides still launched attacks against each other  resulting in the "spiral of violence" Erdogan had been predicting.

Follow Chaos.news for more news about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Watch the video below to learn more about Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Sources include:

WND.com

LeMonde.fr

China.org.cn

Brighteon.com
Israel to consider civilians terrorist accomplices if they stay in North Gaza

The Israeli military has told Palestinian civilians living in north Gaza that if they dont evacuate to the south, they will be considered an accomplice in a terrorist organization,

(Article by Dave DeCamp republished from News.Antiwar.com)

The warning was made in threatening leaflets dropped by Israeli drones on Saturday. Urgent warning, to residents of Gaza. Your presence north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Whoever chooses not to leave north Gaza to the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organization, the leaflets said, according to Reuters.

Israel previously ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, an area thats home to 1.1 million people. Since Gaza is under blockade, the only option for Palestinians in the north is to flee to the south, which is also under constant Israeli bombardment.

Some Gazans have fled to the south, while others have refused to leave their homes or have sought shelter at hospitals, hoping they will not be targeted in the Israeli onslaught, but Israel is ordering hospitals to be evacuated. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israel ordered the evacuation of Al-Quds hospital, which is housing more than 400 patients and 12,000 displaced civilians.

Since Israel has unleashed its bombing campaign on Gaza in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, at least 4,651 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 1,756 children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, at least 1,405 people have been killed.

Gazans are also suffering from food and water shortages due to the Israeli siege. A limited number of aid trucks have been allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt, which included medical supplies but no fuel to power hospital generators. Aid agencies have said the aid that has been let in is just a drop in the ocean for Gazas 2.3 million residents.

Read more at: News.Antiwar.com
Israels Gaza hospital bombing claims not credible  analysts

Expert analysts of video and audio footage have found major inconsistencies with Israels claim that Palestinian militants were responsible for the deadly bombing of the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza this week.

(Article republished from RT.com)

The claims come from Earshot, an NGO specializing in audio analysis of footage from conflict zones and human rights cases, and Forensic Architecture, a research agency based at the University of London.

The Christian-run hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, was destroyed in an explosion on Tuesday. Around 500 people were killed in the blast, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Israeli authorities have released two pieces of evidence that they claim prove the building was hit by a Palestinian rocket: A video showing a salvo of Palestinian rockets flying from east to west, with one apparently breaking apart with a flash and falling on the hospital; and an intercepted telephone call in which Hamas militants purportedly discuss how rockets fired by the Islamic Jihad group had fallen short and landed in Gaza.

For those of you still questioning what happened at the al-Ahli Hospital in #Gaza last night, we have receipts. Watch: pic.twitter.com/n7yN68WyAv  Israel ????? ?? (@Israel) October 18, 2023

The entire world should know: It was barbaric terrorists in Gaza that attacked the hospital in Gaza, and not the [Israel Defense Forces], Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on social media on Tuesday night.

However, teams at Qatar's Al Jazeera and British-network Channel 4 studied the video and concluded that the flash could not be linked with the subsequent explosion at the hospital. Al Jazeera noted that the flash was in fact consistent with Israels Iron Dome missile defense system intercepting a missile fired from the Gaza Strip and destroying it in midair.

In a second video shot near the blast site, an incoming rocket or missile can be heard screeching through the air before impacting the hospital. Earshot studied this video and found that the frequency of the incoming projectile indicates that it approached the hospital from north-east, east or south-east, while Israel claimed it approached from the west.

Having spent 2 days looking at all the 'OSINT' accounts none can explain this video and I will tell you why. Sometimes in life you just have to rely on your eyes and ear. This is a missile that is locked onto a target & headed straight for it. This is what hit the hospital. pic.twitter.com/q0wAyfOISq  Citizen Journalists (@citizenjournos_) October 19, 2023

Forensic Architecture backed up Earshots findings, stating that the projectile likely came from the direction of Israel. Further analysis of the crater left at the hospital pointed to an approach from the north-east, the agency said.

Earshot also studied the telephone recording and found that unlike most calls, in which both parties voices are transmitted on the same audio channel, the recording consists of two separately-recorded voices stitched together. While Earshot said it cannot categorically state that the audible dialogue is fake the level of manipulation required to edit these two voices together disqualifies it as a source of credible evidence.

On the morning of October 18th, Israel Defence Forces released this video https://t.co/0edVN249Nr. https://t.co/8gAKfOuJj7 performed an audio analysis and found that this recording was manipulated and cannot be used as a credible source of evidence. 1/4  earshot.ngo (@earshot_ngo) October 20, 2023

In the immediate aftermath of the blast, Israeli government adviser Hananya Naftali wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza, before deleting the tweet minutes later.

Nevertheless, US President Joe Biden has sided with the Israeli telling of events, while Israel remains the culprit throughout the Arab world. Everybody here believes that Israel is responsible for it, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told CNN on Wednesday. The Israeli army is saying its not but try and find anybody whos going to believe it in this part of the world.

Read more at: RT.com
Right Now with Ann Vandersteel: John Sabal recounts his legal battle with the ADL and its smear campaign against him  Brighteon.TV

John Sabal, a well-known organizer of patriot events, recounted his legal battle with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and its smear campaign against him during a recent episode of "Right Now with Ann Vandersteel" on Brighteon.TV

Vandersteel mentioned how the Twitter Files, whose release was sanctioned by Elon Musk, had given the American people the opportunity to look into the soft underbelly of Democratic groups like Media Matters and the ADL.

"We have learned that they are nothing more than political assassins weaponized with government money, targeting political opponents by publishing smears and working in collusion with Big Tech," said Vandersteel. "They pick the target, they freeze it, personalize it and polarize it."

Despite this, people like Sabal have chosen to fight back. In his case, he used the legal system to take a stand against the ADL. According to an article by the Gateway Pundit, Sabal sued the ADL for $25 million over the group's defamation of him.

Sabal, the founder and CEO of The Patriot Voice, is known for putting on top-shelf events featuring the most timely and relevant speakers. A Navy veteran from Texas, Sabal brings American patriots together at his events to inspire them to get involved on grassroots levels in their respective communities.

Vandersteel said the ADL, alongside the Southern Poverty Law Center, has been created and weaponized against Americans doing good deeds and revealing the truth.

"They want a narrative," remarked Vandersteel. "Anytime you see people doing things that are good and the ADL gets involved, it's because those people were actually over the target, they were onto something."

Sabal: ADL smeared me as an "extremist"

According to Sabal, the ADL used him as a poster boy for its smear campaign. A Sept. 21, 2023 piece by the group named him as one of the major extremist figures in the Lone Star State, which Vandersteel mentioned during the show. (Related: ADL HOAX: Data showing America has a right-wing violence problem is completely fabricated.)

But the Navy veteran dismissed the ADL's claims as lies, noting his honorable discharge and security clearance. He also has a clean criminal record and has never been arrested in his life. His wife Amy, who also joined the show, noted how John wasn't a violent person  far from what the ADL smears him to be.

Sabal told Vandersteel he was shocked to have been branded as anti-Semitic, despite attending a church known to be one of the most pro-Israel in the country. He had no idea about the ADL's article, which even branded The Patriot Voice's hotel events as "extremist events," until his publicist brought it to his attention. However, he noted that the reason why he and his group is on the ADL's radar is because the events they have done were very effective.

"I am in those articles and brochures, so it's a very scary thing for me personally. But that's the fight here. If they can do it to me just for putting on patriotic events, they can do it to anybody. Like what [former President Donald] Trump said  they're not really after him, they [are] after you."

Follow Smeared.news for more news about the ADL's campaign against American patriots.

Watch the Oct. 9 episode of "Right Now with Ann Vandersteel" below. "Right Now with Ann Vandersteel" airs weekdays at 8-9 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

BOMBSHELL REPORT: ADL has been secretly policing America for 60 years.

Undercover journalist exposes ADL for dark and nefarious social media censorship plot.

ADL hails Big Tech censors: CEOs are "the 4th branch of govt," "theyre trying to hold the country together."

"I dont believe in cancel culture"  ADL CEO fumes at suggestion he was shaking down Musk for money.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TheGatewayPundit.com

ADL.org
Israel Defense Forces: Private homes can be legitimate targets

A senior Israeli military official recently announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has unilaterally changed its definition of "legitimate targets" in Gaza to include potentially any private home in the Strip

The IDF official said civilian infrastructure allegedly being used by Hamas "turns a private home into a legitimate target." (Related: Israeli military gets "green light" to enter Gaza and begin ground offensive.)

"Anyone who supports that home is a legitimate target," he added during a press conference in West Jerusalem. This strongly suggests that civilians who are trying to protect their homes from IDF soldiers could be targeted and killed.

The IDF official added that the military will supposedly try not to attack zones in Gaza designated as places where humanitarian aid is being distributed. These designated places will immediately turn into so-called "legitimate targets" if the IDF claims rockets and other armaments are fired from the area.

"It's a safe zone," claimed the official. "We have a system, which, every time we decide that an area  is a safe zone, we declare no attack in this area. We won't attack them."

The military official acknowledged that the IDF has targeted civilian homes in Gaza, but he claimed that these homes were being used as hiding places by members of Hamas.

Palestinians refusing forced relocation from Northern Gaza to be branded as "terrorist partners"

As part of its preparations for an upcoming ground offensive on Northern Gaza, IDF aircraft dropped leaflets onto Northern Gaza telling Palestinian civilians in the area that they would be identified as "a partner in a terrorist organization" if they did not comply with forced displacement orders and moved south across the supposed safe zone  which still gets regularly targeted by Israeli air strikes.

The leaflets were dropped by IDF drones on Saturday, Oct. 21, days after Israel ordered the 1.1 million residents of Northern Gaza on threat of death to move south without any actual guarantees of safety or of being able to one day return to their homes.

"Urgent warning," reads the leaflets. "To the residents of Gaza  your presence north of Wadi Gaza is putting your lives at risk. Anyone who chooses not to evacuate from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south of the Gaza Strip may be identified as a partner in a terrorist organization."

This is not the first time the IDF has dropped leaflets in Gaza ordering civilians to leave their homes. Around a week before, other leaflets dropped in northern Gaza warned citizens to leave once again, stating: "Gaza has been transformed into a battlefield. For your safety, you must not return to your homes until further notice."

Israel's continued bombardment of civilian residences and infrastructure like hospitals and refugee camps in Gaza, along with its forced relocation orders, have been decried as crimes against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. It has already led to the deaths of over 5,000 Palestinian civilians and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands within a span of a little over three weeks.

Watch this Oct. 23 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, warns of the 22 events that will possibly happen if Israel decides to launch a full ground offensive against Gaza.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

OOPS: White House accidentally reveals identities of U.S. special forces personnel operating in Israel.

CONFIRMED: Israel ordered IDF to STAND DOWN and let Hamas attack  now Israel wants full-scale war to fulfill decades-long plan for "Greater Israel."

Israel has already attacked hospitals and health care facilities in Gaza 51 times, says "horrified" United Nations.

Why JEWS are calling for PEACE and a halting of Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people.

WHO warns that forced Israeli evacuation of Gaza is a "death sentence" for Palestinian hospital patients.

Sources include:

AlJazeera.com

MiddleEastEye.net

Brighteon.com
Questions persist about Israeli attack on USS Liberty naval ship that killed 34 American crew members

As the U.S. continues to offer unwavering support for Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists, it is important to remember that this support has not always been mutual  with one of the most egregious examples being when Israel tried to sink the USS Liberty, a noncombatant naval technical research vessel, killing 34 American crew members who were on board. However, many Americans are unfamiliar with what went down on that dark day 56 years ago thanks to efforts by the government and the corporate media to cover it up.

The attack on the USS Liberty in international waters off the northern Sinai coast has been shrouded in controversy and secrecy ever since it occurred. Some survivors maintain that it was a deliberate attack by the Israelis, and some former senior intelligence officials agree with their assessment. However, U.S. and Israeli officials have long insisted it was an accident.

An unprovoked attack on a noncombatant naval ship

The USS Liberty, which was under the command of the National Security Agency (NSA), had been sent to the area to monitor events taking place around the front lines of the Six-Day War in Egypt and Syria.

On June 8, 1967, an Israeli aircraft conducting routine reconnaissance patrols across the Mediterranean spotted the ship and was reportedly unable to determine its country of origin. The USS Liberty reported that an unknown aircraft was circling it shortly thereafter, and they contacted command to report that they would destroy sensitive documents they had on board with them to prevent them from being captured.

After that, the ship found itself being slammed by torpedoes in a two-hour attack that also saw bombs and napalm being dropped on it. As an intelligence gathering ship, it was unprepared to defend itself and was only lightly armed, and its distress signals were blocked by Israeli forces. Survivors have reported that the Israeli aircraft that attacked them were unmarked, and they deliberately strafed their life rafts. A total of 34 Americans died and 174 were injured.

Israel eventually apologized for the attack and took full responsibility for it. They said that in the flurry of action in the Six-Day War, they initially mistook it for an Egyptian ship. They also gave nearly $13 million (which would be around $117 million today) to the U.S. to compensate for the incident, covering the ships damage as well as restitution for the families of the soldiers who were wounded and killed.

However, many survivors have a hard time buying the Israeli claim that they could not confirm the ships country of origin. After all, it was flying an American flag and labeled USS Liberty on the hull.

In fact, one crew member, Larry Weaver, reported interacting with an Israeli air force co-pilot as he flew above their mast. "I was actually able to wave to the co-pilot. He waved back and actually smiled at me - I could see him that well. There's no question about it. They had seen the ship's markings and the American flag. They could damn near see my rank. The underway flag was definitely flying, especially when you're that close to a war zone," he explained.

Why would Israel deliberately attack the USS Liberty?

On the surface, some people might be willing to accept the official narrative that it was an accident. The U.S. has been a good friend to Israel, and its hard to imagine them wanting to incur the wrath of America, particularly at such a sensitive moment in their history.

But some survivors and American officials believe there are compelling reasons it could have been deliberate. Some suspect the Israelis wanted to prevent the listening devices on the ship from overhearing them discuss their plans to seize and occupy the Golan Heights in Syria, an event that occurred the day after the attack. Israel may have known that American radio signals were being intercepted by the Soviets, who would then inform Egypt that Israel had left the Egyptian border undefended by moving its troops to the Golan Heights.

Another popular theory is that Israel wanted to drag America into the war on the Israeli side, carrying out the attack hoping the U.S. would believe either Egyptian or other Arab forces were responsible for it.

Perhaps the most unsettling possibility, however, is that they wanted to cover up the mass killing of Egyptian prisoners of war in El Arish, a city in the northern Sinai. This theory was put forth by journalist James Bamford, although some national security experts insist that Egyptian POWs were never killed.

Closed-door inquiries and cover-ups

We may never know what really happened. The investigation proceedings by the Navy Court of Inquiry were held behind closed doors, and the survivors who were on board the ship during the attack were issued gag orders that prevented them from discussing what happened.

However, classified documents that were leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden show that there is much more to the story. They do not point definitively to what caused the attack, but they do show that the NSA was determined to ensure that the details remained classified, even several decades after it happened.

They also show that the NSA had a classified Hebrew transliteration system, indicating that Israel was an intelligence target despite serving as a partner to the U.S. in signals collection. In fact, Hebrew translators were on board the USS Liberty and were referred to as special Arabic linguists, which some believe was meant to hide the fact that they were surveilling Israeli communications.

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that there appears to be a media coverup. The incident is rarely mentioned in the mainstream media, and a series of interviews conducted by ABCs Nightline with survivors never ended up making it to air, with host Ted Koppel claiming they didnt find anything substantive.

Officials dont believe outrageous attack was an accident

Why is there still so much secrecy surrounding the incident? Just how soon did the Israeli forces realize they were attacking the U.S. Navy, and if it really was a case of mistaken identity, why did they not stop immediately once it became clear they were killing Americans?

Although many government officials have parroted the official line that the incident was accidental, some have gone on the record stating otherwise. NSA Deputy Director Oliver Kirby was convinced Israel knew the ship was not Egyptian, stating: "I can tell you for an absolute certainty (from intercepted communications) that the Israelis knew they were attacking an American ship."

The U.S. Secretary of State at the time, Dean Rusk, said that he was never satisfied with the Israeli explanation, adding: I didn't believe them then, and I don't believe them to this day. The attack was outrageous.

Sources for this article include:

TheIntercept.com

Military.com

Goodfellow.AF.mil

HistoryNewsNetwork.org
The Wests refusal to call for a ceasefire is a green light to Israels ethnic cleansing

In the avalanche of emotionally fraught commentary on the 7 October attack by Palestinian fighters against Israel and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza , media and political leaders appear to have forgotten that from the perspective of international law, Gaza remains an occupied territory subject to the Fourth Geneva Convention (Geneva IV).

(Article by Richard Falk republished from MiddleEastEye.net)

Although Israel unilaterally proclaimed its "disengagement" from Gaza in 2005 - withdrawing its troops, dismantling 21 settlements and ejecting 8,000 settlers (somewhat offset by giving each unlawful settler family hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation) - this did not end Israels obligations under international law.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has drawn this conclusion on the basis that Israels disengagement did not end the existential realities of Israeli control over Gaza, nor did it allow the territory to enjoy the benefits of autonomous political development.

Rather, the process involved an intrusive redeployment of occupying military and police forces on Gazas borders, including total control over the entry and exit of Palestinians and goods at border crossings, as well as continuing exclusive dominance over Gazas air and sea space.

This post-2005 structure of occupation was reinforced by frequent Israeli incursions, including targeted assassinations of Hamas political and military officials, frightening sonic booms of overflying Israeli fighter jets, and major military operations in 2008-09, 2012, 2014 and 2021, during which Israel committed many war crimes.

In addition, since 2007, a harsh and punitive blockade has left the impoverished population of Gaza facing the worlds highest unemployment rate and a collective experience of life-threatening economic decline.

Israels record of criminality towards Gaza was most notably documented in the UN's 2009 Goldstone report, whose policy recommendations were left unimplemented due to political pressures exerted on Israels behalf.

This typical experience of condemning Israels policies and practices, but taking no proposed preventive or punitive action in response, has been repeated over and over again, which explains Palestinian disillusionment with the UN and international law.

Disproportionate response

The question of Gazas legal status is extremely relevant to the indiscriminate and disproportionate Israeli retaliation, which has been justified by Israel and its supporters as exacting vengeance while pursuing the goal of destroying Hamas.

The 7 October Palestinian fighters' operation inside Israel, accounting for more than 1,400 Israeli deaths and the capture of around 200 hostages, was itself a distinct war crime.

Neither the Palestinian fighters' attack nor Israels response are free from the restraints of law and morality. In the simplest terms, the crimes committed do not give legal impunity to retaliatory Israeli war crimes.

The central point thus far lost in the public discourse is this: just as the Palestinian armed factions had no authority to commit war crimes because they were intensely provoked by decades of Israeli criminal actions, nor does Israel have the authority to act outside the constraints of law when retaliating.

The proper international framing of the relationship between Israel and Hamas - despite being crucial to interpreting the legal, moral and political issues at stake - has been revealingly absent from most media treatments and the policy postures of influential western political leaders.

Israel has used the most inflammatory and expansive language to vindicate its retaliatory responses. This lawless Israeli extremism has been blandly endorsed by governments in the US, France, Germany and the UK. Such pronouncements neglect to mention the obligation of the occupying power to administer the territories under its control in ways that give priority to the protection and wellbeing of the occupied civilian population. The occupier does enjoy a reciprocal right to maintain its security in ways that respect and protect non-combatants.

From such a perspective, it is conceptually misleading and normatively unacceptable for Israel to declare war against an occupied territory, as if the indigenous administrative authority was an enemy foreign government - but this is exactly what Israel has done, including claims of self-defence that do not fit the situation of belligerent occupation.

Genocidal siege

Israel has declared a total war on Gaza, imposing a genocidal siege that has cut off supplies of food, electricity and fuel, making no provision whatsoever to exempt civilians - most of whom have no direct contact with the military activities of Hamas.

Article 55 of Geneva IV sets forth the duty of Israel as occupying power to ensure that the people living in the territory it occupies have adequate food, water and medicines. But Israels indiscriminate retaliation has included repeated nighttime aerial bombardments of residential areas, alongside the forbidden targeting of hospitals, schools and UN buildings, where many Palestinians have sought shelter under these extraordinary conditions.

A 24-hour evacuation order directed at 1.1 million Palestinians living in northern Gaza, without the provision of reasonable time to arrange such a dangerous departure from long-term places of residence, was aggravated by the lack of a safe and habitable place for Palestinians to go, thus intensifying the dangers facing civilians in Gaza - and their suffering. Such a measure amounts to extreme collective punishment, which is prohibited by Article 33 of Geneva IV. It has less to do with security than with driving Palestinians out of Gaza, thereby implementing the end-game visions of Israels extremist coalition government.

It is relevant to note that Michael Lynk, the UNs special rapporteur for Palestine, submitted a detailed report to the agency on why Israels authority as occupying power should be terminated, given its failure to comply with applicable international human rights law.

This recommendation was ignored by the UN, but the General Assembly was sufficiently distressed by Israels pattern of behaviour in occupied Palestine that it requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the continuing legality of Israels status as an occupying power within the framework of Geneva IV. The case is currently under consideration by the court.

If the West continues to endorse the double standards on display during the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, it will serve as a reminder that the post-colonial world retains an ethos of Orientalist racism when it comes to addressing issues of peace and justice in the Middle East.

By failing to advocate for a ceasefire, western states have given a green light to Israels agenda of collective punishment, which might itself be grotesque cover for the regimes end goal of massive dispossession and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.

Read more at: MiddleEastEye.net
Poll: Majority of Americans oppose sending weapons, supplies to Israel

A recent CBS News/YouGov poll showed that majority of Americans are opposed to providing "weapons and supplies" to Israel amid its conflict with Hamas fighters in Gaza. The poll revealed that 52 percent of Americans do not support the idea of sending such aid to Israel, while 48 percent are in favor of it.

Interestingly, CBS News chose to downplay this key finding in its report. In the article titled "Amid concern about wider war, Americans give mixed reactions to Biden's approach toward Israel-Hamas conflict," CBS News did not prominently mention the fact that more Americans are against sending "weapons and supplies" to Israel. Instead, the article made it appear that Americans are "split" on the issue.

The opposition is particularly impressive since the respondents tended to indicate that they are more sympathetic to Israelis than to Palestinians.

In the current conflict, 51 percent of the polled individuals said they sympathize "somewhat" with the Israeli people. Sympathy for the Palestinians came in substantially lower, with the a lot answer at 28 percent and the somewhat answer at 37 percent.

On matters of three U.S. government actions: 72 percent of respondents support engaging "in diplomacy with countries in the region;" 76 percent favor sending "humanitarian aid to Israel;" and 57 percent also support sending "humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza."

In a related development, the Biden administration recently requested an additional $105 billion in aid, with a significant portion earmarked for both Israel and Ukraine. Specifically, $61.4 billion would be allocated to Ukraine, and $14.3 billion to Israel. This request also includes $9.15 billion for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and other needs.

What Israel is set to receive

Israel is set to receive $10.6 billion for assistance through the Defense Department, including air and defense support, industrial base investments and replenishment of U.S. stocks.

The aid aims to bolster Israel's air and missile defense system readiness and support its procurement of Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems and components, as well as the development of the Iron Beam.

The request also includes $3.7 billion for the State Department to strengthen Israel's military and enhance U.S. Embassy security. (Related: State Department issues rare "worldwide caution" advisory for Americans abroad as Middle East tensions grow.)

It's worth noting that Israel typically invests the substantial aid it receives from American taxpayers in U.S. treasuries, essentially using U.S. aid money to purchase American government debt and accrue interest.

Recent data from the U.S. Treasury reveals that Israel holds approximately $46 billion in U.S. treasuries. Some argue that Israel could utilize these funds to finance its activities, including its actions in the Gaza conflict, but the Biden administration still sought additional aid.

The issue of U.S. support for Israel remains a subject of debate, as members of Congress have varying stances on the matter.

While they may have differing views on domestic issues, some members of Congress have shown a united front in advocating for more U.S. financial and military assistance to Israel, despite the poll indicating that a majority of Americans hold a contrary view.

Rep. Brad Sherman, co-chairman of the Houses Israel Allies Caucus, said Congress is committed to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge and its ability to defend itself against persistent threats. "U.S. aid to Israel is only half of one percent of our national security budget, [and] is the best investment we can make in our own security," he said.

He also claimed that U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs are critical to saving countless Israeli civilian lives while preventing further escalation of hostilities.

Watch this clip which asks which to support: Israel or Hamas?

This video is from the New Patriot channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

OOPS: White House accidentally reveals identities of U.S. special forces personnel operating in Israel.

Second U.S. carrier strike group arrives in eastern Mediterranean Sea to deter hostile actions against Israel.

Hamas FREES 2 American hostages on HUMANITARIAN grounds.

Sources include:

InformationLiberation.com

EurasiaReview.com

Brighteon.com
The picket is off  for now.

The union representing about 70 employees at Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns in the Town of Tonawanda announced about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday that the nursing home owner has again promised to begin paying more than $80,000 in earned bonuses in this weeks payroll, starting Thursday.

With that pledge from the employer, the union workers voted to call off an informational picket that was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at the Sheridan Drive nursing home.

If the caregivers, represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, do not receive their bonus money, the union said it will reschedule the picket.

1199SEIU had previously tried to resolve the issue by filing grievances and requesting arbitration. To date, the employer has failed to implement bonus payments for workers on at least three different occasions, 1199SEIU spokesperson April Ezzell said.

That led to the unions announcement just after 1 p.m. Tuesday that it was planning to hold the picket Wednesday afternoon because the downstate owners of Safire Northtowns owed employees more than $80,000 in unpaid bonuses.

Workers say Safire Northtowns owner owes them $80K in bonuses About 70 union workers at a troubled Town of Tonawanda nursing home will hold an informational picket Wednesday afternoon, because they say the facility's owner owes them more than $80,000 in unpaid bonuses.

The union members said they agreed to bonuses to help staff the Tonawanda facility, but those payments went unpaid or were paid intermittently in recent months.

1199SEIU said it negotiated a Covid bonus, a pickup shift bonus and a short-staffing bonus with the employer. That allowed employees working on a unit with active Covid-19 cases to get a bonus of $35 per shift.

The pickup shift bonus is $50 to $75 a shift, and the short-staffing bonus is $100 per shift when the employer is unable to fill open shifts and employees work short as a result, according to the union. The short-staffing bonus swells to $150 per shift when an employee works alone on a unit, the union said.

The 100-bed nursing home is owned by a downstate group, which purchased the former Sheridan Manor in late 2015 and renamed it Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns. Richard Platschek, Judy Landa, Solomon Abramczyk and Robert Schuck are the key investors in the limited liability companies that own Safire Northtowns and its sister facility, Safire Rehabilitation of Southtowns in Buffalo.

It has an overall rating of one star out of five, or much below average, on the website of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
AMP censors Jeffrey Prather for probing Israeli intelligence blunders

Former intelligence officer Jeffrey Prather recently revealed that American Media Periscope (AMP) censored the "Prather Brief's" latest episode , where he had Floyd Brown, one of AMP's executives, as his guest.

According to Prather, he was censored by AMP because he was questioning the Israeli governments narratives as to why their intel was failing. He also openly stated his opinion with the executive that the Palestine-Israel conflict is another setup by the deep state via the global cabal, just like what happened in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In fact, on October 12, he already said in a post on X that any intelligence professional claiming that Israel was surprised was either lying or a fool. "Like 911, it was allowed. Hamas, FBI, CIA, Mossad and Shin Bet have children's blood on them, on their hands," he tweeted and even quoted Matthew 18:6.

One more time, any intel pro claiming that Israel was surprised is either lying or a fool. Like 9-11, it was allowed. Hamas, FBI, CIA, Mossad & Shin Bet have childrens blood on them. Matthew 18:6. pic.twitter.com/KDDgP4qH7s  Jeffrey Prather (@jeffreyprather) October 12, 2023

Prathers show is being aired by AMP, which was founded by one of Prather's friends, John Michael Chambers, but was sold to Brown, who was also the founder of WesternJournal.com. Kris Edelkamp then took over as CEO. He further said that he had a recent episode with General Michael Flynn, former President Donald Trump's national security adviser, as AMP has been pushing him to have the retired U.S. Army general on his show. Prather presented to the military man his sentiments on the intel status in the ongoing war in the Middle East.

"There's a lot of responses he could have had to that. But his response was very authentic. He agreed with me and confirmed that Israel had to be in on that and that it was a setup," he said pointing out that Flynn was a popular general, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and a National Security Council member, thus, a really credible source. Prather also said that Flynn never evaded the question and went into detail with him because he was talking to a fellow Intel officer. But that's not what's happening in the conventional media.

"After that, I was asked by Edelkamp to have Brown. I've had him on before. And like I said, I respect him because we've had disagreements and he has stood up to those disagreements," he said. "So, I had him on and asked 'What do you say about Israel's intentional intelligence failure?' He did not go along with that and he said he thinks it's fog of war." So, then Prather's show was reviewed by a showrunner and engineer. They had a 45-minute conversation afterward. He pointed out that he was not disrespectful of Brown but he was pushing back as he was always telling the truth. The next thing he knew, he was removed from radio and then from YouTube. The executive team then told him that they wouldn't be running the show on schedule but would run his interview with Flynn instead. "But they broke their word because I checked, they did not rerun."

He also read parts of the notice that he received: "I want to be very clear about how much we appreciate you, your show, and your wisdom. I realize you're concerned about censorship issues, but I can assure you that not running your show is not about that. We thought it was disrespectful to hear the show in that way without an opportunity for Floyd Brown to comment." So he texted Brown the next day, who immediately called him up and told him he didn't know that the show was not airing. The next thing Prather knew was that the show would be airing, at the same time he posted the video, where he exposed AMPs censorship of him.

"My intelligence analysis will always remain brutally and ruthlessly truthful. I have authenticity because of my integrity. And when I've said stuff, it has turned out that I was right, and the government lied. And it will turn out that way again," Prather stated.

Hostage: Hamas treated us well

Moving on to the next segment of his show, Prather read a testimony from an Israeli woman who was captured by the militant group Hamas, claiming they were treated well by their captors. According to the woman, 12 of them were taken to a home in a kibbutz and told to sit.

"They weren't treated badly and were given water. Hamas was even confused as to why no police showed up after two hours. So, they had a witness captive call the police and they waited another hour. The Hamas members were getting nervous," Prather narrated.

The "Prather Point" host said that this goes along with Israel's stand-down and pullback order. He went on to read that when a Hamas captor asked the woman to walk outside with him as a cover, the militant allegedly said he would give himself up and then, he removed his military gear. Israeli Defense Force (IDF) reportedly rushed to them and the Hamas militant grabbed her to hide. "Then, a gunfight broke out and IDF opened fire killing everyone including hostages. They shot an explosive device into the home before searching for more hostages," he read on. "She didn't understand that this was a Jewish Israeli kibbutz and the Hamas was captured, stripped off his military vest down to his undergarments and shirts."

According to the lady, she watched the IDF eventually kill the Hamas member. "I was scared of what I saw. IDF didn't care if they killed hostages. I felt IDF wanted no witnesses because Hamas was treating everyone very well." She added that the Hamas that captured her was light-skinned and had short blonde hair, like the military. "Obviously something that's not right. Well, that may have been a deep-state covert agent, like what you saw on January 6," Prather said. (Related: EXCLUSIVE: Intel officer Tony Shaffer says Israeli woman held hostage by Hamas appears to be 'instructed what to say' in terrifying video.)

Censorship.news has more stories similar to this.

Sources include:

JeffreyPrather.com

Brighteon.com
Bank records show Biden pocketed $200K after his brother promised to open doors for a failing company

New bank records revealed by the House Oversight Committee show that President Joe Biden received a check for $200,000 from his brother James Biden right after the latter secured a loan in the same amount from a healthcare company.

House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer of Kentucky revealed the explosive information on Friday, Oct. 20, by presenting to the committee a copy of the $200,000 check the president received from his brother.

While not holding any office at the time the payment was received, Comer pointed out that the then-former vice president of the United States was acting as the head of the Biden clan whose name could "open doors" for those seeking to purchase influence. (Related: Hunter Biden received $260,000 from Chinese nationals in 2019 while his dad was running for president.)

James Biden received $600,000 in loans from Americore, a struggling rural hospital operator. According to Comer, James received the loans and provided Americore with a guarantee that the Biden family name could "open doors" and help the struggling company obtain a large investment in the Middle East "based on his political connections."

Of this $600,000 loan, Americore wired $200,000 of it straight to the personal bank account of James and his wife Sara on March 1, 2018. That same day, James wrote a check for $200,000 for the personal bank account of the president, writing "loan repayment" on the check's details.

This is not the first time that the president's brother has been accused of taking out personal loans from friends and business associates. He previously received $500,000 from John Hynansky, a Ukrainian-American businessman and donor to Joe Biden's presidential campaigns. Hynansky's loan to James was provided "as Biden's brother faced financial difficulties related to his acquisition of a multimillion-dollar vacation home."

New revelation proves Joe Biden benefited from family's business dealings

Comer confirmed that this "raises new questions" about how Biden may have benefited from his family's long history of "shady influence peddling." The president has claimed time and again that he has never been involved in his family's business dealings, even going so far as to dare anybody questioning his integrity to find any evidence of personal financial gain.

This latest information confirms once again that multiple members of Biden's immediate family have used the Biden name to win very profitable deals.

The information was revealed by the House Oversight Committee as it continues to conduct an impeachment inquiry over Biden's involvement in his family's business deals, much of it involving foreign nations like China, Russia and Ukraine. The possible addition of a Middle Eastern nation would add to this growing list.

Comer noted that Biden must now come forward with information regarding his financial relationship with his brother and whether or not he had similar financial arrangements with other members of his family that led them to make similarly large payments.

"Did he know that the same day James Biden wrote him a check for $200,000, James Biden had just received a loan for the exact same amount from business dealings with a company that was in financial distress and failing?" asked Comer.

Learn more about the crimes potentially committed by the president and other members of his family at BidenCrimeFamily.news.

Watch this clip from Newsmax featuring Rep. James Comer discussing what the House Oversight Committee's next steps are following the revelation that the president pocketed $200,000.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Biden's green policies are making housing no longer affordable for the average American.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Biden's energy loan czar uses clout to promote private trade group.

China-linked University of Delaware Biden partnership was Hunter's "baby" and part of the Biden Crime Family's "wealth creation" strategy.

Biden impeachment hearing presenting PLENTY of evidence of corruption and crimes.

Relatives used Joe Biden's name to achieve deals worth millions of dollars, says the Wall Street Journal.

Sources include:

TheFederalist.com

BizPacReview.com

WashingtonTimes.com

Brighteon.com
Homeless convicted pedophile arrested after camping near San Francisco school and offering free fentanyl for new users

A homeless man in San Francisco, who turned out to be a convicted sex offender, has been arrested after camping across the street from the Stella Maris Academy K-8 Catholic School for nearly two years and posting "free fentanyl for new users" in exchange for stolen items.

According to the website of Megan's Law in California, the 46-year-old homeless man, identified as Joseph Adam Moore, was found guilty of lascivious acts with a 14-year-old in 1996 in Santa Cruz. San Francisco Superior Court documents indicate Moore has been arrested five times in the city since 2007 for allegedly failing to re-register his address as a sex offender every 30 days.

Moreover, a 1997 Santa Cruz Sentinel article reported that Moore was convicted of molesting a 12-year-old girl in Santa Clara County and later had sex with a 15-year-old in Santa Cruz after his release. The most recent arrest on May 11 also accused him of committing a felony while on bail.

However, during his interview with The Standard, Moore claimed that his child sex offense conviction resulted from a questionable deal with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office. Moore said that he was 19, working at Apple, and was told that if he pleaded guilty, he would receive a lowered sentence that could be struck from his record if he stayed out of trouble for a year.

Moore also openly admitted to selling drugs. "Yeah, this is actually happening," Moore stated with a laugh. "But only because I'm tired. I'm tired. If you guys want to flush the whole world down the toilet, if you guys want to ignore people like me, it's at your own peril. I mean, I'm a savant. You can't f*cking fake that."

In response to the disturbing encampment of Moore near the Catholic school, concerned citizens reported him to San Francisco police officers.

The policemen arrived at Ninth Avenue and Geary Boulevard on Oct. 20 to instruct Moore to leave the area by 12:15 p.m., citing him as a nuisance under PC 370 if he didn't comply. Moore initially refused but eventually moved his belongings a short distance. However, he was arrested due to a pending probation violation related to a previous stay-away order he had violated.

Alex Jones: Fentanyl can kill anyone, young or old

Peter Marlow, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said that he was aware of Moore's presence near the school.

"I noticed this person is well-established there. They disappeared about a month ago, and now they've shown up again," Marlow explained. "I had seen him for the past year before he disappeared, but now hes back. I dont know about these signs about fentanyl and all of this."

When questioned about relocating Moore's tent, he deferred to city officials. "We don't want anything of that nature anywhere near our schools, but we want to be able to work with law enforcement to establish the guidelines," Marlow said. "The school works with law enforcement and city officials to manage unhoused individuals who are perhaps too close to the students. It's a frequent thing."

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), fentanyl, often prescribed after surgery, can be made and used illegally as a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Illegal fentanyl manufactured in laboratories is often cited as the cause of many overdose deaths. It comes in different forms  powdered, dropped onto blotter paper, placed in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills that resemble their prescription counterpart.

The presence of opioid near schools is alarming.

InfoWars founder Alex Jones noted that both young and old people fall victim to it. He warned that any person who isn't a drug addict, whether young or old, can die or almost die by accidentally taking fentanyl. He also urged young Americans to avoid drugs  whether pills, ecstasy or any other. (Related: Alex Jones: FENTANYL crisis victimizes both young and old.)

Visit Opioids.news for more stories about the fentanyl crisis.

Watch Alex Jones share how several people in his circle died of fentanyl in the video below.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Police union executive involved in FENTANYL deals slapped with federal charges.

Virginia classifies FENTANYL as weapon of TERRORISM in response to rise in overdose deaths.

"Zombie drug" made from fentanyl and xylazine now hitting American cities, warns DEA.

ZOMBIE DRUG "Tranq" secretly mixed with fentanyl ROTS human tissue, leading to amputation and more overdose deaths in 48 US states.

DEA: Fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills now contain potentially LETHAL dose of synthetic opioid.

Sources include:

TheSanFranciscoStandard.com 1

TheSanFranciscoStandard.com 2

Brighteon.com
FBI director warns that AI is being used to amplify terrorist propaganda

Christopher Wray, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to amplify terrorist propaganda

He issued this warning during the Oct. 17 summit of the Five Eyes alliance held in California. According to the FBI director, terrorist groups have reconfigured AI to remove safeguards blocking the malicious activities.

"We've seen AI being used to essentially amplify the distribution or dissemination of terrorist propaganda," Wray said during the summit, which was hosted by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. According to him, terrorist groups have also attempted to "circumvent safeguards built into AI infrastructure" that could allow them to, for instance, search how to build a bomb or how to conceal searches on how to build a bomb.

"The use of AI in a way that if it's sophisticated enough to create potential deep fakes is something that adds a level of threat to that we havent previously encountered  a threat we're on the lookout for given an existing strategy by hostile nations could become more dangerous."

Ken McCallum, the director general of the British Security Service (MI5), agreed with the remarks of the FBI director. Just like Wray, he noted how terrorist groups can "jailbreak" these built-in safeguards.

"If you are experienced in security, you would be unwise to rely on these controls remaining impregnable," said the MI5 head. "So, there is clear risk that some of these systems can be used [and] put to uses that their makers do not intend." (Related: Luciferian leftists are teaching AI systems to push antichrist propaganda.)

Composed of five English-speaking countries  Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S.  the Five Eyes alliance was formally founded in the aftermath of the Second World War through a multi-lateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence (SIGINT), known as the 1948 UKUSA Agreement.

The conference focused on the launch of an international partnership that seeks innovative responses to developing intelligence threats, particularly in the face of new technology such as AI generative platforms.

Five Eyes summit zooms in on China's IP theft

Moreover, the summit zoomed in on China's intellectual property theft  with leaders of the Five Eyes alliance warning of Beijing's "sophisticated" schemes.

Wray dubbed China the "biggest threat" to the five countries' innovation, and said the communist country is running one of the largest hacking operations. He added that China is using joint ventures, startups, students and employees placed in Western companies to "steal" vital information on artificial intelligence, biometrics, quantum computing and robotics, among other leading technologies.

"There is no greater threat to innovation than the Chinese government and it is a measure of how seriously the five of us in our services take that threat," said the FBI director. According to Wray, the FBI has seen about a "1,300 percent increase" in investigations over the past several years pertaining "to attempts to steal intellectual property or other secrets by some form of the Chinese government, or some arm of the Chinese government."

Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess said of Beijing: "All nations spy, steal secrets and seek strategic advantage  but the Chinese governments behavior goes well beyond traditional espionage."

He noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) engages in the most sustained scale and sophisticated theft of intellectual property and acquisition of expertise that is unprecedented in human history.

"That threat needs to be drawn out, awareness raised and together we can all do something about it. And this summit is about how we work with our partners together, and in the tech sector and innovation sector, so they can better be placed to identify and manage those risks effectively," said Burgess.

David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said: "The CCP has passed legislation to force any person of Chinese origin anywhere in the world to support their intelligence services. It means they have a way to coerce people here in our countries to essentially tell them, to give them the secrets."

Visit FutureTech.news for more stories about AI and its dangers.

Watch this conversation between Maria Zeee and Dr. Jason Dean about the plan to subjugate humans under AI.

This video is from the Tanjerea channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

FBI Director Christopher Wray confirms collusion with Big Tech censorship during marathon hearing.

FBI surveillance contractor infiltrated chatrooms, monitored skeptics of COVID jabs.

FBI says Twitter infiltration business as usual, slams 'conspiracy theorists.'

Sources include:

TheHill.com

TheGuardian.com

UKDefenseJournal.org.uk

TheEpochTimes.com

TheGlobeAndMail.com

ABC.Net.au

Brighteon.com
More calls for GENOCIDE: Israeli President Isaac Herzog says civilians living in Gaza are LEGITIMATE TARGETS

The Israeli government can barely contain its bloodlust for genocide in the Gaza Strip, with the latest disturbing admission coming from Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

In a statement to the press, Herzog attempted to justify his regime's planned genocide by claiming that all of the 2.3 million residents of Gaza are responsible for the recent Hamas attack.

"It is an entire nation out there that is responsible," Herzog said.

"It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not being aware, not involved. It's absolutely not true. They could have risen up. They could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d'etat."

Shocked at his blatant disregard for non-Israeli human life, a reporter pressed Herzog on his statements, asking him if he really believes that because Gazans did not unanimously remove Hamas from power that this "makes them, by implication, legitimate targets."

Herzog immediately shot back with, "No, I didn't say that," before proceeding to admit that this is exactly what he meant.

"When you have a missile in your g*****n kitchen and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself?" Herzog crudely and vulgarly asked.

(Related: Israel suddenly wants to arm its citizens to ward off terrorism, but now it looks like full-fledged war is on the agenda regardless.)

Sure, there are "innocent Palestinians" in Gaza, Herzog admits, but their lives don't matter

Later on in the press conference, Herzog admitted that "of course there are many, many innocent Palestinians who don't agree with this," referring to Israel's planned ground invasion of Gaza  "but unfortunately in their homes there are missiles shooting at us, at my children," he added.

In other words, every innocent man, woman and child in Gaza is housing at least one terrorist with rockets, according to Herzog. And in his mind, this fully justifies committing mass genocide against a people group currently occupying a sliver of land that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israelis have wanted to annex for a very long time.

Israel can barely contain its excitement about using the Hamas attack as justification for taking back the Gaza Strip by force. And in the process, its leaders are showing their true colors for the entire world to see.

Israel has such little regard for the 2.3 million people who live in Gaza that it is offering the roughly 1.1 million of them who live in the northernmost part of the Palestinian territory just 24 hours to flee and go somewhere, just so long as it is not Israel.

"The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general.

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation."

Clive Baldwin, senior legal advisor to Human Rights Watch, echoed this sentiment in his own statement on behalf of his humanitarian group and the people it represents.

"Ordering a million people in Gaza to evacuate, when there's no safe place to go, is not an effective warning," Baldwin said. "World leaders should speak up now before it is too late."

Fabrizio Carboni, the Near and Middle East regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross, issued a statement of condemnation against both sides for violating international humanitarian law.

"We are now in contact with Hamas and Israeli officials as part of efforts on this issue," he said. "As a neutral intermediary we stand ready to conduct humanitarian visits; facilitate communication between hostages and family members; and to facilitate any eventual release."

The latest news about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be found at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

HuffPost.com

NaturalNews.com
Israeli airstrike hits CHURCH in Gaza, kills at least 18 Christians

At least 18 Christians were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in northern Gaza, which shelters over 500 people

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that during the overnight attack on Thursday, Oct. 19, their fighter jets were targeting an alleged command and control center used by Hamas to launch rockets and mortars toward Israel.

The airstrike supposedly successfully targeted the Hamas control center but also damaged the facade of the Saint Porphyrius Church, which has been active since the fifth century, leading to the collapse of an adjacent building.

"As a result of the IDF strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged. We are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review," the military stated. "The IDF can unequivocally state that the Church was not the target of the strike."

Despite the IDF's statement, witnesses on the ground in Gaza have noted the extensive damage inside the church. In a statement, the Palestinian Churches Council warned that the massive damage "shows that the targets of the Israeli occupation are the unarmed people, children, women and the elderly.

The Church of Saint Porphyrius was originally founded in approximately 425 A.D. and the saint who bears the church's name is considered one of the first bishops for the Christian community of Gaza. Crusaders in the 12th century constructed the current church and its last significant period of renovation was around the mid-19th century.

Today, the Church of Saint Porphyrius is one of three churches in the Gaza Strip  the other two being the Gaza Baptist Church and the Holy Family Catholic Church. These churches serve as places of worship for Gaza's Christian community of approximately 1,500 people.

Israeli strikes against Gaza have killed over 5,000 Palestinian civilians

Notable among those killed in the airstrike are at least two family members of former United States Rep. Justin Amash. Amash, a Republican-turned-independent whose father is a Palestinian Christian, reported that several members of his extended family were sheltering at the church "when part of the complex was destroyed as the result of an Israeli airstrike."

"The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much," he wrote. "Our family is hurting badly. May God watch over all Christians in Gaza  and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed."

Israeli retaliation against Hamas has led to the deaths of more than 5,000 people since Oct. 7. (Related: Israel has already attacked hospitals and health care facilities in Gaza 51 times, says "horrified" United Nations.)

"Targeting churches and their institutions, along with the shelters they provide to protect innocent citizens, especially children and women who have lost their homes due to Israeli airstrikes on residential areas over the past 13 days, constitutes a war crime that cannot be ignored," said the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in a strongly worded statement condemning the attack.

Visit WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Watch this TruNews segment where Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart talk about the Hamas attack and Israel's retaliation.

This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Israel BOMBS historic Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza  the world's third oldest church.

WAR BUSINESS: Netanyahu directly participated in creating Hamas for Israels political machinations, writes political essayist.

NO SAFE PLACE: Israel attacks UNRWA school in Gaza refugee camp, leaving 6 dead and dozens injured.

Hamas FREES 2 American hostages on HUMANITARIAN grounds.

Israel deletes video that supposedly proved the Islamic Jihad was responsible for hospital attack.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

Standard.co.uk

PalestineChronicle.com

TheMessenger.com

Brighteon.com
Israelis lament PR disaster after freed Israeli hostage reveals Hamas treated us very nicely

Israeli state media threw a fit on Tuesday over the "public relations disaster" of freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz's press conference in which she revealed that Hamas treated her and fellow captives "very nicely" and "were very delicate and gentle with them and took care of all their needs."

(Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com)

Lifshitz said Hamas operatives were "very friendly," "told them they were Muslims and they were not going to hurt them," provided them with medicine and "shared with them the same food that Hamas was eating."

Israel has spent the past week accusing Hamas of being a baby-beheading, baby-raping, ISIS-style killing machine that rapes pregnant woman, cuts their babies out on film and inflicts horrors on their victims "worse than the Holocaust."

"They gave us pitta bread, hard cheese, some low fat cream cheese, and cucumber and that was our food for the entire day." Freed Hamas hostage Yocheved Lifshitz recounts her experience saying "there were people there who took care of all the needs." ? https://t.co/ViphYGDoVz pic.twitter.com/FNxgBznX0F  Sky News (@SkyNews) October 24, 2023

Sharone Lifschitz, the daughter of freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, recounts her mother's experience of being taken hostage by Hamas. She says Hamas militants were "friendly" and describes how another hostage was treated by a paramedic. https://t.co/w3Jr8XxEZs ? Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/AjyPjXqgiP  Sky News (@SkyNews) October 24, 2023

"Each person had a guard watching him or her. They took care of all the needs. They talked about all kinds of things, they were very friendly." Yocheved Lifshitz details what it was like while being held hostage by Hamas. ? https://t.co/ViphYGDoVz ? Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/lSs5io56uH  Sky News (@SkyNews) October 24, 2023

?HAMAS RELEASE FOOTAGE OF HOSTAGE RELEASE pic.twitter.com/SWPXTIDNqM  Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 23, 2023

From The Times of Israel, "Lifshitz press conference panned as disastrous for Israel, PR win for Hamas":

Criticism is pouring in after freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz appeared to praise her Hamas captors and criticize Israel at a press conference earlier in the day. The Kan public broadcaster reports that Israeli PR experts are calling the decision to put Lifshitz in front of cameras a "mistake." The station notes that international media is now reporting on Hamas's kindness in taking care of the hostage's needs. In Israel Hayom, columnist Eddie Rothstein calls the interview a "propaganda win for Hamas." "What a brave and enlightened woman, the kind we thought they no longer make in Israel, and what clumsy handling of the event," he writes. "The truth is you don't need to be a PR expert to know you can't have a press conference like this live on TV." "There's no doubt that Lifshitz's statement could have been managed better," tweets Channel 12 reporter Daphna Liel, who adds that her descriptions were still pretty shocking. "Anyone sane should understand that medical attention she was given was intended to keep their bargaining chips alive and not from the kindness of their hearts." The channel's Dana Weiss calls the press conference a "disaster," noting the lack of state intervention in managing her appearances. ToI's Tal Schnieder takes aim at the hospital's spokesperson, who put Lifshitz in front of the cameras, rather than just her family members, and then bragged about his ability to get a "wow factor" for journalists on Instagram. "From a professional point of view, this is an embarrassment for the hospital," she writes on X.

The "embarrassment" in this case is that Lifshitz was allowed to tell the public the truth.

If these "PR experts" got their hands on her, we'd be hearing about how they raped elderly women atop a pile of dead babies and chopped their heads off for a laugh while screaming "Allahu Akbar."

Contrast the way Lifshitz's describes the treatment of captives under Hamas with the way Palestinians taken captive by Israel described how they were treated in a shocking story released last week by the Israeli media outlet Haaretz:

Read more at: InformationLiberation.com
Netanyahu vows to demolish Hamas as Israel nears fateful hour, denies Gaza hospital attack

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing over the weekend for a full-scale onslaught as retaliation to Hamas' catastrophic bloodbath in Gaza, but rainy weather delayed it. However, he promised to demolish the militant group as, according to him, the nation was approaching a "fateful hour." The United Nations has even warned that the 'specter of death' looms over Gaza as hundreds of thousands continue fleeing from the expected Israeli invasion.

A couple of days later, the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in the middle of Gaza was struck by an air raid, leaving at least 500 people dead, the Gaza Health Ministry reported. The hospital served as a shelter for thousands of residents who fled their homes in northern Gaza. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning following the attack.

A senior U.S. official told ABC News that they "just don't know where the rocket came from." "There was a strong explosion and the ceiling fell on the operating room," Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah from Doctors Without Borders said. "This is a massacre."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied attacking the medical institution and claimed that a failed launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement caused the blast. "From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed in the vicinity of the hospital, when it was hit," IDF said.

The World Health Organization condemned the attack and called for "the immediate active protection of civilians and health care" workers. This hospital "was one of 20 in the north of the Gaza Strip facing evacuation orders from the Israeli military," the WHO said in a statement. "The order for evacuation has been impossible to carry out given the current insecurity, critical condition of many patients and lack of ambulances, staff, health system bed capacity and alternative shelter for those displaced."

Meanwhile, food, water, fuel and medicines are running dangerously low after Israel imposed blockades on the Palestinian territory. Egypt reportedly agreed to re-open the Rafah border crossing for eight hours and a ceasefire was said to be agreed upon by Egypt, Israel and the U.S. to coincide with the opening of the border crossing, Egyptian security sources said on Monday. However, the borders still have not been opened as of this writing. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told BBC that from Egypt's perspective, "the Rafah crossing on our side is officially open," but he blamed "aerial bombardments" for making the crossing "inaccessible" and unsafe for aid trucks to cross into Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians are waiting on the Gaza side of the border, while hundreds of vehicles carrying desperately needed aid are parked up on the Egyptian side. Many more aid convoys are also heading towards the border.

The restrictions have mostly been about security concerns in North Sinai where the Egyptian authorities have long been involved in a deadly conflict with jihadists linked to Al Qaeda. But Egypt's apparent reluctance to open the crossing without clear conditions and guarantees may be more about trying to avoid a mass exodus of Palestinians from Gaza.

Israeli air strike kills senior Hamas commander

On Tuesday afternoon, an Israeli air strike in the Bureij refugee camp killed senior Hamas armed commander Ayman Nofal of Central Gaza Brigade in Gaza. He was also a member of the organization's General Military Council. The IDF said the airstrike was carried out following intelligence efforts by the Shin Bet security agency and Military Intelligence Directorate. Nofal, as part of his role, carried out "numerous attacks against Israel and security forces" and was "one of the most dominant senior officials in the organization, close to Muhammad Deif," Hamas's military leader, IDF further revealed. It also noted that Nofal was previously involved in the production and development of weapons and had been involved in the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilat Shalit in 2006. (Related: Israelis prepare ground invasion as Palestinians scramble to evacuate while IDF bombs continue to fall.)

Meanwhile, reports from Gaza indicated that 14 people had been killed in a strike on a home belonging to the family of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, including his brother and nephew. Haniyeh lives in Qatar.

Israeli forces in recent days have assassinated several Hamas commanders, including a number of individuals who led attacks inside Israel on October 7, when thousands of terrorists burst through the border and ravaged Israeli southern communities. The onslaught left 1,300 dead, most of them civilians. The terror group also abducted at least 200 people.

Terrorism.news has more stories related to the recent bloodbath in the Middle East.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

ABCNews.go.com

BBC.com

TimesOfIsrael.com
Trump: Bidens INCOMPETENCE leading the U.S. to WWIII

The incompetence of President Joe Biden is leading the U.S. down the path toward World War III , according to former President Donald Trump.

The real estate mogul-turned-chief executive noted this observation in an Oct. 21 post on his Truth Social account. "We are heading to WWIII because of grossly incompetent leadership, headed by a president that doesn't have a clue," he wrote.

Trump, the clear front-runner for the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination, has repeatedly criticized Biden over his foreign policy decisions. His criticism centered on Biden's decisions over the Russia-Ukraine war, pointing out that continued arms shipments to Kyiv could trigger a global conflict.

Earlier this year, Trump also suggested that the Russia-Ukraine war "would never have happened" if he was still president. He continued that even if it did, he "would be able to negotiate an end to this horrible and rapidly escalating war within 24 hours." (Related: Trump: COMPROMISE with Russia could have helped Ukraine avoid war.)

Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for the Kremlin, said the former U.S. president was "not far away from the truth" with his earlier remarks. According to the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Washington could have quickly put an end to the conflict given its status as Kyiv's key backer.

In September, Trump reiterated his opinion that Biden is incompetent during an appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show." He told former Fox News host Megyn Kelly that Biden's incompetence, not his advanced age, is the main issue. Given this, Trump insisted that the former vice president should not be given another four-year term.

"He's not too old. He's incompetent," Trump told Kelly. "Age is interesting, because some people are very sharp and some people do lose it, but you lose it at 40 and 50 also. But no, he's not too old at all. He's grossly incompetent."

Orban: Trump the ONLY ONE who can prevent WWIII

Even Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has acknowledged that Trump is the only one who can prevent WWIII. He made this remark during an August interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Just like Trump, Orban was known as a populist politician in his native Hungary.

Sitting down with Carlson in the Hungarian capital Budapest, Orban said his ideal solution to the Russia-Ukraine war would be to bring about a peace settlement immediately. However, this would only be possible if Trump returns to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Trump is the man who can save the Western world, and probably all the human beings on the globe," Orban told Carlson. "Call back Trump. That's the only way out."

According to the Hungarian prime minister, the "best foreign policy of the recent several decades" belonged to Trump. He cited how the former president did not start any new wars; sought peace deals in the Middle East; and engaged with the Chinese, the North Koreans and the Russians with respect.

"He's criticized because he's not educated enough to understand the world politics. This is not the case," Orban insisted. "Facts count, and his foreign policy was the best form for the world in the last several decades I have seen."

Head over to Trump.news for more stories about the former president.

Watch former President Donald Trump warning about Biden's incompetence and how it will lead the U.S. to WWIII during a speech in New Hampshire.

This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

US created the conditions for Russia-Ukraine war, says China.

National security experts call for peace and end of arms shipments to Ukraine.

Peace talks over Russia-Ukraine conflict could be held as soon as July, German media reports.

Trump blasts Joe Biden over handling of Russia-Ukraine crisis, warns that "world war" is now very possible.

Russian foreign minister Lavrov claims West has prevented Ukraine from taking part in peace talks, now 'almost in a real war' with his country.

Sources include:

RT.com

Breitbart.com 1

Breitbart.com 2

Brighteon.com
Four of the 13 mummified mice discovered on the Andean Volcanoes scrambled to the top on their own 350 years ago, while the others succeeded a few hundred years later.

Mice Found on the Summits of Andean Volcanoes

In homes worldwide, mice often seek refuge, from attics to kitchen cabinets. Surprisingly, scientists unearthed 13 mummified mice in an unexpected place: the summits of three towering Andean volcanoes, each towering 20,000 feet high. These peaks, characterized by freezing temperatures and scarce oxygen at half the sea level's concentration, are a realm for the resolute.

Initially, the assumption was that Incan pilgrims had unwittingly transported the mice on their ascent. However, a recent investigation led by experts from the University of Nebraska has proposed a novel theory: these rodents ascended independently, though the exact motivation remains a mystery.

Back in the 1970s and 80s, a few mouse cadavers were discovered by archaeologists, who initially posited that Incan pilgrims had transported these creatures as sacrificial offerings. Jay Storz, the study's lead author, acknowledged the reasonableness of this hypothesis at the time, as no other apparent explanation existed. According to Storz, the hostile conditions of the volcanic summits seemed uninhabitable.

Nevertheless, this long-standing belief was challenged in 2020 when mountaineer Mario Perez Mamani encountered a live leaf-eared mouse atop Llullaillaco, a colossal 22,000-foot volcano spanning the Chile-Argentina border.

13 Mummified Mice, Four From 350 Years Ago

In their recent study, the researchers embarked on an expedition to explore three volcanoes: Salin, Pular, and Copiapo. During their journey, they stumbled upon a surprising discovery - a total of 13 mouse cadavers. Jay Storz, the lead researcher, described these specimens as essentially freeze-dried, mummified mice.

Once the mouse cadavers were found, the researchers transported them back to the laboratory for in-depth analysis. Using carbon-14, an atom with a known decay rate, they determined the time of death for these mice. The results revealed that eight of the mice from Salin and one from Copiapo perished within the last few decades, while the four mice on Pular had met their fate 350 years ago.

Storz emphasized that it is becoming increasingly evident that these mice ascended the volcanoes of their own accord. Furthermore, genetic analysis confirmed that these high-altitude mice were genetically indistinguishable from their lowland counterparts.

The researchers remain puzzled as to why these mice ventured to such extreme elevations. On the ground, they face numerous predators, including foxes, mountain lions, smaller cats, and birds of prey. Nestling atop a 6,000-meter volcano provides some safety, but the precise motivation behind their ascent remains a perplexing mystery.

Also Read: Scientists Baffled After 500-Million-Year-Old Fossil in Indian Cave Turns Out to be a Beehive

Future Applications

Although it may seem like a leap, the researchers believe their findings may be helpful for upcoming Mars expeditions.

Even at the foot of the volcanoes, according to Storz, the mice are surviving in harsh Martian conditions. The situation is significantly worse on the volcano peaks. It has an astronomical quality.

Such a species, much less a warm-blooded mammal, could survive and operate in such an environment, he claimed, simply baffles the imagination.

Related Article: 10 Crocodile Mummies from 2,500 Years Ago Found in Egyptian Tomb Near Nile River
A jury convicted a Buffalo man of murder in the August 2021 shooting death of a 17-year-old girl, the Erie County District Attorneys Office said.

Jurors deliberated for less than an hour following a four-day trial before Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio.

Javair D. Walker, 21, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Authorities say that about 8:30 p.m. Aug. 16, 2021, Walker fired at least one shot from an illegal gun into a crowd of people who were involved in a fight near Page Street and Lawn Avenue.

A 17-year-old girl was fatally shot in the chest.

A year later, in September 2022, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force found Walker in Cleveland, Ohio. He was returned to Buffalo to face prosecution.

Walker, who continues to be held without bail, faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced at 10 a.m. Nov. 30.

 Maki Becker
According to reports from an environmental organization, 72 Chinese pharmaceutical companies have been found to have used the body parts of several endangered species, with the top three firms receiving bank-backed finances.

72 Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies Use Endangered Species

The Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA) reported on Monday that 72 companies licensed by China's drug regulator are using leopard and pangolin body parts, endangering these threatened species. Three major traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) firms, including Beijing Tong Ren Tang, Tianjin Pharmaceutical, and Jilin Aodong Medicine, are involved.

EIA found at least nine products containing leopard and/or pangolin components produced by these companies. Some of them also sell products with tiger and rhino parts, contrary to China's stated ban on using these in medicine. EIA's Avinash Basker, a legal and policy specialist, warned that this industrial-scale usage could drive these species closer to extinction.

Top Three Pharmaceutical Companies in China

China's beloved brands, like Tong Ren Tang, trace their roots back to 1669 and boast a royal history. They've become the largest TCM producer globally, with substantial international investor support, including 62 banks, including big names like BlackRock, Citigroup, and HSBC. The EIA calls on these shareholders to divest, deeming their endorsement of such harmful exploitation deeply disappointing, given their prior commitments to the contrary.

Body Parts of Endangered Species

Rapid species loss sparks debate on Earth's sixth mass extinction. Extinctions result from climate change, habitat loss, hunting, and invasive species. Traditional medicine's use of animal parts fuels declines, despite lacking scientific support. Rarity doesn't shield species; it inflates their market value.

Rhinoceros

Rhino poaching, nearly driving all species to extinction in the 20th century, declined after China removed rhino horn from approved medicinal ingredients. However, recent rumors in Vietnam claiming a cure for liver cancer have led to increased poaching and a new threat to rhino populations.

Water Buffalo

Scientists acknowledge the potential disappearance of purebred wild water buffaloes. Domestic or hybrid varieties may be all that remains in Southeast Asia, with differing estimates of their numbers. Regardless, the species is endangered, yet hunting continues in places like Cambodia due to traditional medical beliefs. Water buffaloes have vanished from parts of Laos, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

Chinese Alligator

The small freshwater crocodilian species, numbering less than 200 in the wild, primarily inhabits a small Anhui province reserve along the lower Yangtze River. Habitat destruction, dam construction, and hunting have severely affected them. Alligator meat is promoted for curing colds and cancer, and organs for their medicinal properties. Successful captive breeding efforts have led to thousands of captive animals and reintroduction initiatives.

Asian Elephant

Asian elephants, initially believed to be poaching-resistant due to their limited ivory tusks, are hunted for meat, hide, and other parts. Habitat loss and human-elephant conflict pose greater threats.

Musk Deer

Asia's musk deer, facing decline, are hunted for their musk pods, which are used in perfumes and traditional medicines. While synthetic alternatives exist, hunting continues due to the demand for musk and meat.

Sun Bear

Sun bears are hunted for their gallbladders, used in traditional medicine. Their population has fallen by over 30% due to hunting and habitat loss. Laws against their killing are poorly enforced, and commercial farms capture wild bears for bile production.

Grevy's Zebra

Grevy's zebras, once widespread, now number around 2,500 due to hunting and water competition with livestock. They're limited to northern Kenya and parts of Ethiopia. Conservation efforts, including cooperation with traditional healers, seek to protect the remaining population.

Tiger

Tigers' range has shrunk to a few countries in East and South Asia, with only about 3,200 left in the wild. Their decline is linked to the use of their body parts in traditional medicine and superstitions. Criminal syndicates can earn up to $50,000 per tiger, despite international trade bans, as some countries allow tiger farming, further fueling black-market demand.

Banteng

Wild banteng's population is now 2,000 to 5,000, down 90% since the 1960s. Poaching for their horns and habitat loss are major threats. In 2003, banteng became the first successfully cloned endangered species, offering hope for conservation.

Also Read: Illegal Trafficking in Thailand Now Worth US$20 Billion

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Hawksbill sea turtles are critically endangered due to poaching for their shells used in souvenirs, jewelry, and traditional medicine, and their oil. Bans and sting operations have had limited success in halting their decline.

Pangolin

Pangolin scales, like rhino horn and human fingernails, have no scientific proof of medical efficacy. Still, pangolins are among the most hunted animals despite local consumption decline. Lucrative illicit international trade, particularly in China, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia, is rampant where pangolins are seen as a luxury symbolizing wealth and status.

Related Article: 4000 Pangolins Died for Scales Worth $1.4M Seized in Thailand, Supposed to be Sold in China
Three endangered sawfish pups make their debut at SeaWorld Orlando, marking the first time the species has been born in captivity, which is being hailed as a conservation milestone.

Endangered Sawfish

The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), a unique member of the sawfish family, is classified as a ray due to its distinctive features. Its gills and mouth are situated on the underside of its body. The defining characteristic of the sawfish is its rostrum, a long, flat snout adorned with teeth resembling a saw's edge. These creatures primarily inhabit tropical seas and estuaries where rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean. They are often found in shallow coastal waters and occasionally venture into freshwater river systems.

Historically, smalltooth sawfish were prevalent in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast of the United States, up to North Carolina. However, their distribution has significantly shrunk, now largely limited to Florida's coastline. This decline is due to factors like habitat loss and overfishing.

Smalltooth sawfish holds the distinction of being the first marine fish protected under the Endangered Species Act, a status granted in 2003. This protection strictly forbids catching, harming, harassing, or killing these endangered creatures. Guidelines for their safe handling and release have been established for accidental encounters during fishing.

They also enjoy protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), listed in Appendix I, which prohibits commercial trade in species threatened with extinction. Additionally, they are included in Annex II of the Protocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol) in the Wider Caribbean region.

They are recognized as a migratory species threatened with extinction (Appendix I) under the United Nations Environment Programme Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. This international recognition emphasizes the need for rigorous protection, conservation, and habitat restoration.

Three Pups in SeaWorld Orlando

In May, SeaWorld Orlando identified a pregnant smalltooth sawfish, closely monitoring her until she gave birth at the Aquarium Health Center. Smalltooth sawfish typically deliver 7-14 pups after a 12-month pregnancy, with females birthing every other year. Born in July, the trio includes two females and one male, measuring about two feet in length and resembling small sharks.

This birth is a significant achievement in sawfish conservation, making SeaWorld Orlando the only US aquarium to house this species. Globally, only one other aquarium has successfully welcomed smalltooth sawfish pups, as per SeaWorld's announcement.

Also Read: Crown-of-Thorns Starfish: Predators Survive Heat Waves That Kill Corals by Eating Survivors

Born in Captivity, A Conservation Milestone

Dr. Joseph Gaspard, SeaWorld Orlando's VP of Zoological Operations, hails the smalltooth sawfish pups' birth as an extraordinary conservation success. They offer a unique opportunity to study and save this critically endangered species. SeaWorld's millions of annual visitors can learn and spread the message of marine life conservation.

This achievement is a beacon of hope in our world's growing need to protect marine life. The birth of these endangered sawfish is a heartwarming success story, symbolizing hope for the future. It's a testament to the dedication of those preserving our oceans and their incredible inhabitants. SeaWorld Orlando's role in this endeavor showcases the importance of protecting these wondrous creatures.

Related Article: Endangered Fish Population Declines as 760k Gal Fire Retardant for Wildfires Dropped on California Waterways
When the rainy season finished, water levels in aquifers were still at extremely low levels, thus authorities in Mexico City curtailed water use.

Extremely Low Water Levels in Mexico City

On the shores of Villa Victoria reservoir, a reminder of the severe drought is shown as ten concrete blocks, once used as boat anchors, now bake under the relentless sun, revealing the reservoir's alarming water shortage. Gabriel Bejarano, a veterinarian, points to a fence a hundred yards from the water's edge, highlighting how the water should typically reach the height of the blocks. This marks the lowest water levels seen in a decade since Bejarano returned to his grandfather's farm.

The dwindling north shore of this lake near Toluca raises a significant concern for Mexico City, located 125 kilometers to the west. Villa Victoria, usually at one-third of its regular capacity, alongside two other drought-stricken reservoirs, forms the lifeblood of the Cutzamala system. This system supplies water to over 20 million people and is currently at an unprecedented low for this time of year, posing a critical challenge for the region.

Mexico's diminishing rainy season exacerbates the crisis, leaving little time for reservoirs to recover. The National Water Commission has imposed 8% water restrictions on the Cutzamala system, raising concerns about more stringent winter limits in Mexico City and Toluca.

Mexico City heavily relies on these reservoirs, providing over a quarter of its water supply. The rest is drawn from the depleting Valley of Mexico aquifer. Areas with limited alternative water sources, reliant on the reservoirs, will face the most severe shortages, casting uncertainty over their future.

Restricted Water Consumption and Supply

Seventy-five percent of Mexico is currently grappling with a widespread drought, as per the National Meteorological Service, with "extreme" drought in Central and North Mexico and "exceptional" drought in Durango and San Luis Potosi. Emergency water distribution via trucks is ongoing in Durango, and 40 million liters have been sent to eight other drought-affected states.

In Lake Patzcuaro, a popular tourist spot in Michoacan, low water levels threaten navigation and tourism. Mexico City has experienced water shortages just before the rainy season in recent years, with 2021 marked by a severe drought that was partly alleviated by summer rains.

Also Read: Living in Climate Change 'Danger Zones' Can Expose Humans to Deadly, Extreme Weather Events

The End of a Disrupted Rainy Season

El Nino disrupted the usual weather patterns this year, creating a Gulf of Mexico wind shear, as explained by Tereza Cavazos, an oceanography professor. While we can't solely attribute the drier summer to climate change, it aligns with global trends from a warming planet, according to David K. Adams, an atmospheric scientist.

Climate change is also intensifying El Ninos. Manuel Perlo Cohen, an urban planner, warns that the window for replenishing rain is closing rapidly, and November and December typically bring much less rain than the summer months. He predicts water shortages and suffering for many in Mexico City due to this looming issue.

Related Article: Sahara Dried Out From 800 Years of Extreme Groundwater Harvesting
Hurricane Tammy has continued to traverse the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, potentially threatening Bermuda with heavy rain and gusty winds this coming weekend. According to weather forecasts as of Tuesday, October 24, the long-term outlook for Tammy became uncertain but is expected to weaken as the week progresses. However, Bermuda could experience coastal flooding, as the Atlantic storm had recently pummeled northern Caribbean with large waves.

Tammy coincides with a post-tropical cyclone or remnant, named "Tropical Depression Twenty-One," which made landfall in Central America, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Although the past several months have shown an active hurricane season for the Atlantic North America and its surrounding countries in the Caribbean, there are yet no expected hurricane or major hurricane to make landfall into the United States this week.

Hurricane Tammy Update

According to NHC monitoring, Hurricane Tammy has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and moving at a northeastward pattern at a speed of 8 miles per hour as of 5:00 p.m. AST (local time) on Tuesday. Tammy is still a tropical cyclone as per the latest update, which means that it has not been downgraded from its status as a Category 1 hurricane.

Initial weather forecasts of Tammy indicated that it will head towards the US by end of the week. Yet, its forecast track became inaccurate between midweek and the upcoming weekend. Still, meteorologists still warn that the Atlantic hurricane can still bring various weather hazards, including torrential rain and dangerous ocean waves (as also observed from previous hurricanes in the region).

Furthermore, forecasters expect Tammy will continue to cause swells and affect not only parts of the northeastern Caribbean islands, but also the Atlantic US coast, British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico in the next few days. These swells caused by strong winds could lead to life-threatening surf conditions and rip currents.

Also Read: Hurricane Tammy Seen To Cause Structural Damage In Lesser Antilles

Bermuda Hurricane Threat

As mentioned earlier, Hurricane Tammy could bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Bermuda by the weekend since its current location in the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 600 miles southeast from Bermuda.

Based on US radar data on Tuesday, a cold front was initially thought to sweep Tammy into a completely northward direction in the North Atlantic Ocean. Now, its segway northwest to Bermuda has become possible, similar to the NHC forecast.

Bermuda is located off the US East Coast, about 1,100 miles northeast of Miami, Florida. A British Overseas Territory, Bermuda had been susceptible to Atlantic storms and hurricanes in the past, as well as other countries in the Caribbean region.

In 2022, a Category 4 storm, named Hurricane Fiona, battered the region, and left a trail of destruction in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico before it headed to Bermuda. There have been reports of flooding and landslides, including in Puerto Rico. In the storm's aftermath, Fiona left multiple human fatalities.

Related Article: Hurricane Tammy Pummels North Caribbean with Large Waves, Heads Toward US by End of Week
Lake Merritt's Weird ripples on its surface may be an indication of low oxygen levels, which may cause an algal bloom, as discussed by an expert.

Lake Merritt's Weird Ripples

Mysterious ripples emerged in Lake Merritt this October, boggling Bay Area experts for weeks. Damon Tighe, a local biotech educator with two decades of Lake Merritt research, offers theories for the enigma. One theory suggests low oxygen levels push small fish to the surface. Another posits sardines or inland silversides feasting on zooplankton, creating a mass-feeding spectacle.

Some kind of fishy activity at Lake Merritt on a very foggy morning, never seen this before. Anyone know what this is? pic.twitter.com/GOOlXKkR8q  Elai (@elaifresh) October 17, 2023

What baffles Tighe most is the prolonged duration of these events. Normally, such occurrences persist for a few days, not three weeks. He suspects that last year's devastating algae bloom disrupted the lake's ecosystem, triggering this unusual phenomenon. In the quest to fathom these persistent ripples, experts are still working to figure out an explanation.

Algal Blooms and Mass Die-Offs

In 2022, a massive algae bloom devastated Lake Merritt, killing thousands of fish, including stingrays, sturgeons, and striped bass. The culprit, Heterosigma akashiwo, a species originally found in Japan, New Zealand, and British Columbia, first appeared in the Bay Area in 2002. Despite research efforts, the exact causes behind its uncontrollable proliferation last year remain elusive. Remarkably, non-native predators like striped bass have not returned, while other animal populations have surged.

In the wake of the die-off, the lake saw an influx of vibrant marine gastropods like nudibranchs. The absence of predators may have contributed to this species' rapid growth, offering a rich food source for small fish leaping at the surface. Usually, October or September nights at Lake Merritt resound with splashing, as striped bass chase small fish illuminated by bioluminescence. This year, an eerie silence has replaced the usual commotion.

Also Read: Dead Zone From Plankton Bloom Off Coast Thailand Puts 260 Mussel Farms in Danger

Possible Algal Bloom Causes Ripples

Jim Carlton, a marine sciences professor at Williams College, proposes the idea that small fish-like smelt might be causing the ripples in the lake. However, other experts offer more unsettling explanations. Peter Roopnarine, a geology curator at the California Academy of Sciences, suggests gas bubbles as a potential cause, while also speculating on oxygen from algae. Roopnarine even raises the possibility of methane production due to low oxygen levels, an excess of algae, and bacterial activity.

When an algae bloom decays, it can release harmful gases and deplete water oxygen, threatening other organisms. Despite these concerns, Tighe currently doesn't anticipate another mass die-off, considering shorter days and the absence of worrisome plankton species in the water thus far. The mystery of Lake Merritt's ripples persists, with experts offering diverse and intriguing theories.

The Mystery Remains

Nevertheless, the reason for the phenomena is still unknown, and local biologists are working to find it. According to Tighe, it is hard to tell what might be lurking at the surface because naturalists have yet to capture any fish that may be spouting into the water.

Citizens of Oakland will have to wait and observe for the time being.

Related Article: Algal Bloom in San Francisco's Berkeley Marina Causes Worry Over Possible Massive Fish Kill
Bear attacks have increased in Romania over the past several years, with some encounters that include fatal ones. The growing threat of human-wildlife conflict in the European nation affected not only locals but also tourists. Now, the Romanian government, conservationists, and even the public are divided as to whether to cull or preserve their local bear population, which has also been rising.

Romania is home to the continent's largest brown bear population. However, the increasing number of brown bears in the country's forests is also becoming parallel with intensifying conflict with both locals and tourists. As the large mammal predators continue to breed and search for food, human expansion into Romania's wildlands is also contributing to the deadly bear encounters.

Romania Bear Attacks

Brown bears are often seen closer to motorists more than ever in the forests of central Romania, where the wild animals are attracted to food brought by tourists or leftovers from unsecured garbage cans. This scenario contributes to the increasing Romania bear attacks, as reported earlier this week. The issue even forced local wildlife authorities this year to allow hunting to cull the bear populace.

As of October 2023, it is estimated that the Romanian bear population ranges between 7,500 and 8,000, according to the European Parliament, which reported that 154 bear attacks occurred between 2016 and 2021. Among these attacks 14 people died and 158 others were injured. According to the EU legislative body, the Romanian government authorized the shooting of 426 bears.

In September 2023, Romania's environmental department proposed to export brown bears to other EU member countries, as means to regulate or mitigate its local bear population. Despite the initiatives, there are still no long-term concrete plan to address the brown bear threat. Based on reports, the decision will be based on the frequency and nature of future bear attacks in Romania.

Also Read: 210 Pounds Black Bear Euthanized Following Attack That Injured a Tourist in Tennessee

Romania Bear Threat

Conservationists reportedly argue that increasing human activities and presence in natural brown bear habitats in Romania are the real problem, instead of the bears themselves. This rationale also creates a dilemma for the Romanian government as it continues to attempt to attract more tourists to the country's national parks.

As an initial response, local authorities increased the culling of bears from 50% to 220%, an initiative backed by some of Romania's parliament members. Yet, the move is gaining criticism from conservationists as alternative options are potentially still available.

Related dilemmas can also be found in other parts of the world. In the United States, wildlife experts reported that black bear population is also increasing in some North American communities as more people migrate into bear habitats. This situation also increases the encounters between bears and humans, according to The Humane Society of the United States.

Experts suggest exercising or practicing the most evident method to prevent conflicts with bears: making trash cans inaccessible. According to biologist Stephen Herrero, it is possible for bears and people to coexist without engaging in serious problems, as long as humans are willing to manage their food waste and garbage, as cited by The Humane Society.

Related Article: Aggressive Bear JJ4 Captured Days After Fatal Attack on Jogger - Italy
Invasive crabs are threatening ecosystems in an island archipelago off the Pacific coast of Canada, with other animals like rats and deer also attacking the unique wildlife of the territory.

Reports earlier this week indicate that the Canada crab invasion is occurring in the Haida Gwaii archipelago, located on the west coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii is rich in endemic wildlife including the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.

Wildlife authorities even call the archipelago the "Canadian Galapagos" version of the Galapagos Island, a separate archipelago off Ecuador that Charles Darwin visited in 1835 and drew inspiration for his theory of evolution.

However, the invasive crab species, known as the European green crab, is altering the Haida Gwaii ecosystem, leaving some animals vulnerable and even forcing indigenous Haida people to fight a host of other invasive species.

This ecological threat became more evident as the population of the invasive shore crabs, as well as rats killed millions of birds across the archipelago.

Canada Crab Invasion

The European green crabs dominating many local crab species in Haida Gwaii have a track record of consuming clams, mussels, and oysters, and even other crabs and juvenile fish.

Seagrass, which is a crucial marine habitat for different marine animals, is also being destroyed by the invasive Haida Gwaii crabs.

It was during the summer of 2020 when the invasive crab species were discovered on Haida Gwaii.

In this context, one may wonder how non-native crabs arrived into the archipelago thousands of miles away from their European habitat.

Reports state that 150 islands of the Canadian archipelago are under attack not only by the shore crabs but also by a wave of invasive species, as mentioned earlier.

For instance, rats were observed devouring eggs and chicks of ancient murrelets, a species of auk, that once had a population of 30,000 pairs on the nearby Lyell Island.

Now, this bird family is almost nowhere to be seen.

Amid the growing ecological dilemma, Haida Gwaii locals are also supported by several organizations, including the Coastal Restoration Society, which has been reported trapping and freezing the invasive crab species inside a shipping container in the Vancouver Island town of Tofino, British Columbia.

Also Read: Invasive Blue Crab Species Wrecks Livelihood of Fishermen in Albania

Haida Gwaii Crabs

According to wildlife experts, European green crabs (Carcinus maenas) first arrived on North America's Atlantic coast during the 1800s, with theories suggesting the crustaceans were transported through ships from Europe and North America.

They then reached British Columbia in 1989 after riding vessels that were travelling through the Panama Canal and entering California's Pacific waters.

Experts from Canada's Invasive Species Centre stated that the invasive crab species C. maenas have high resilience and have no natural predators in their local habitats.

In both the Pacific and Atlantic Canada coasts, the European green crabs threaten native eel-grass and they are known for disrupting marine environments, the centre adds.

Related Article: Aggressive Blue Crab Invasion Threatens Farmers in Northeastern Italy
The death of hundreds of elephants in southern Africa last year sparked global concern and raised questions about the causes and consequences of such a mass mortality event.

While the deaths in Botswana were attributed to cyanobacterial toxins, the deaths in Zimbabwe remained a mystery until now.

A team of scientists have recently discovered a rare and deadly bacterium that could be responsible for killing 35 elephants in north-western Zimbabwe.

This finding has implications for elephant conservation and health, as well as for understanding the ecology and transmission of this emerging pathogen.

A rare and deadly bacterium could be the culprit behind the mass mortality of African elephants

A team of scientists from Zimbabwe, the UK, and South Africa have uncovered the possible cause of the mysterious deaths of 35 elephants in north-western Zimbabwe last year.

The researchers found evidence of a septicemic infection caused by a little-known bacterium provisionally named Bisgaard taxon 45, an unclassified member of the Pasteurellaceae bacterial family, in six of the dead elephants.

This bacterium is closely associated with deadly septicemia, a condition where bacteria multiply in the bloodstream and cause organ failure.

The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, place infectious diseases on the list of pressures on African elephants, whose populations continue to be under threat from poaching, habitat loss and climate change.

African savanna elephants are an endangered species with only 350,000 remaining in the wild and ongoing losses estimated at eight percent annually.

This finding is very worrying since elephants are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list already.

The scientists investigated the deaths of 35 elephants mostly between August and September 2020, in a 40 x 25 km radius of north-western Zimbabwe.

This incident followed the death of approximately 350 elephants in neighboring northern Botswana from May to June 2020, which triggered much international concern.

The Botswana government later attributed the deaths to cyanobacterial toxins in waterholes, but some experts questioned this explanation and called for more investigations.

Also read: Understanding an Elephant's Playful Side

The investigation faced many challenges and ruled out several possible causes

Lead investigator, Dr. Chris Foggin, a wildlife veterinarian at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, said that investigating this mortality in the wildlife areas in northwest Zimbabwe proved challenging.

He said that identifying and reaching the carcasses in time to obtain useful samples was one problem they often faced in this type of work.

He further said that they did not know what disease they may be dealing with, although they initially suspected that it could be anthrax, which is known to occur in the area; or possibly some other disease that might pose a risk to human health.

Moreover, Foggin said that they had to be cautious when undertaking the post-mortem examinations on elephant which, in itself, is a difficult task with such a big animal, especially working in field conditions.

A number of such postmortem examinations were carried out. Poaching was quickly ruled out, mainly because all the dead elephants had their tusks intact.

Toxicology analyses, including immediate testing for cyanide, which is sometimes used to kill elephant in Zimbabwe, as well as more sophisticated analyses done in UK, found no traces of poisons in the carcasses or at a waterhole close to many of the carcasses.

Further examination by veterinarians and scientists identified a septicemic infection caused by Bisgaard taxon 45 in six elephants.

This was confirmed by bacterial isolation and genetic analysis. Only a limited amount of samples were suitable to carry out such examinations.

Pasteurella bacteria have previously been implicated in sudden deaths of wild animals such as antelope, but a role in elephant deaths was not suspected prior to this study.

The researchers suggested that Bisgaard taxon 45 could have entered the elephants' bloodstream through wounds or abrasions caused by environmental factors such as drought or fire.

They also speculated that stress or malnutrition could have weakened the elephants' immune system and made them more susceptible to infection.

The researchers acknowledged that their study had some limitations, such as the small sample size and the lack of information on the clinical signs and epidemiology of the disease.

They also noted that Bisgaard taxon 45 may not be the sole cause of death, but rather a contributing factor or an opportunistic pathogen.

They called for more research to understand the ecology and transmission of this bacterium and its impact on elephant health and conservation.

Dr. Foggin said that their study highlighted the importance of monitoring wildlife health and conducting timely investigations into unusual mortality events.

He said that this would help to identify emerging threats and implement appropriate management interventions to protect wildlife populations.

Related article: You Save Money When You Save the Elephants, Research Claims
Bats have a bad reputation, especially around Halloween. They are often associated with vampires, darkness, and horror.

But are these flying mammals as scary as they seem? A wildlife biologist from the University of Maryland says no.

She argues that bats are fascinating, beneficial, and misunderstood creatures that deserve our respect and appreciation.

Bats are diverse, specialized, and important for the ecosystem

Shannon Browne, Ph.D., is a bat expert and lecturer in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland.

She has been studying bat populations in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Delaware for her doctoral dissertation.

She discovered that suburban neighborhoods are the favored spots for some of Maryland's vulnerable bat species, especially during fall mating season.

Browne said that bats are not only interesting to study but also essential for the environment. She also explained that bats provide insect control, pollination, and seed dispersal services that are worth billions of dollars to humans every year.

Bats are also very diverse and specialized animals, according to Browne. She said that there are more than 1,400 bat species in the world, each with its adaptations and preferences.

For example, some bats have long tongues to sip nectar from flowers, while others have sharp teeth to crack nuts or catch fish. Some bats can fly up to 60 miles per hour, while others can hover like hummingbirds.

Only three bat species are vampire bats, and they do not live in Maryland. Instead, they prefer the warm, humid climates of Central and South America, and their main food sources are large, domestic animals like cattle, horses, and pigs.

Browne describes vampire bats as "super cool and very specialized," sayingthat they have special grooves in their teeth that create a small nick in the skin. Their saliva has an enzyme that allows blood to continue flowing instead of clotting.

Research on these palm-sized bats could help lead to treatments for strokes and other human diseases.

Also Read: Bats and Poop-Eating Pitcher Plants: a Perfect Partnership

Bats are not blind, spooky, or dangerous

Another common myth about bats is that they are blind. Browne says that this is not true, but their eyesight is limited mostly due to the size of their eyes.

She said that any animal with small eyes has poor eyesight, as vision capability is greatly influenced by eye size.

However, bats have a remarkable ability to navigate and hunt using echolocation. They emit high-frequency sounds that bounce off objects and return to their ears as echoes.

By analyzing these echoes, bats can determine the size, shape, distance, and movement of their surroundings and prey.

Echolocation is not unique to bats, but they are the only mammals that use it for hunting. Other animals that use echolocation include dolphins, whales, and some birds.

The expert also dispeled the notion that bats are spooky or sinister creatures that haunt the night sky. She said that bats are very social and intelligent animals that form strong bonds with their mates and offspring. Some bat species even sing to each other or share food.

Browne further said that bats are not aggressive or harmful to humans either. They usually avoid contact with people and only bite when threatened or handled.

However, she advised people to never touch a bat without gloves or professional assistance.

Furthermore, Browne said that bats do not carry more diseases than other animals.

She acknowledged that some bat species can carry rabies or other viruses, but the risk of transmission to humans is very low, and that most bat diseases are caused by human activities that disturb or destroy their habitats.

She concluded by saying that bats are amazing animals that deserve respect and admiration. She says that they are not blind, bloodthirsty, or spooky. They are beautiful, beneficial, and misunderstood.

Related article: White-Nose Syndrome: Devastating Disease Found in Chinese Bats
Weather experts said that Hurricane Otis is expected to unleash heavy rains over Mexico as Category 5 storm.

Based on the latest forecast, Otis has been drifting northward toward the coast of Mexico.

Officials said that Otis is likely to undergo additional strengthening before making a landfall along the Mexican coastline.

Otis' Track

The National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center said that at 1000 PM CDT (0300 UTC), the center of Hurricane Otis was spotted near latitude 16.1 North, longitude 99.7 West.

Otis is tracking the direction toward the north-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h), and this general motion is expected through for the next day or so, with landfall forecast overnight or early on Wednesday in southern Mexico.

Meteorologists said that satellite data has indicated that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 160 mph (260 km/h) with higher gusts.

They said that Otis is a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Furthermore, weather experts noted that Otis is forecasted to remain a category 5 hurricane through landfall, and rapid weakening is then forecasted due to the higher terrain of Mexico.

Moreover, Otis will likely dissipate over southern Mexico on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km).

On the other hand, the estimated minimum central pressure is 927 mb (27.38 inches).

Officials warned that catastrophic damage is possible where the core of the hurricane moves onshore.

Authorities already raised warnings to ensure the safety of residents.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Punta Maldonado westward to Zihuatanejo while a hurricane watch has been raised over Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado.

On the other hand, a tropical storm warning is in effect for Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado

Experts explained that a hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within 12 hours.

A hurricane watch, meanwhile, means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within the next 12 hours.

Moreover, a tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

Read Also: Hurricane Tammy Seen To Cause Structural Damage In Lesser Antilles

Tammy Moving Over The Atlantic

Meteorologists are also monitoring Tammy, which is a Category 1 hurricane packing maximum sustained winds of 85 mph as it spins to the northeast of Puerto Rico.

Weather experts will continue to track the weather system towards the north over the next few days as it moves away from the Caribbean.

Tammy is seen to maintain its hurricane strength through at least midweek and it can lose wind intensity throughout the day on Thursday.

It will encounter strong wind shear or disruptive winds in the atmosphere, which will later affect tropical cyclone organization.

Meteorologists said that the impacts from Tammy could be felt across the islands of Bermuda later this week.

Related Article: Hurricane Tammy Pummels North Caribbean with Large Waves, Heads Toward US by End of Week

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Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Chrissy Casilio, staked out clear policy differences Tuesday night during a televised debate on WIVB-TV.

They also landed some verbal blows on personal topics ranging from Casilios characterization of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to allegations of domestic violence that Poloncarz denies.

Casilios gaffe about the Capitol riot came after questions about her past tweets on since-debunked voter fraud claims in the 2020 presidential election.

I absolutely think January 6 was horrid, she said Monday. Im glad I wasnt there. I think those that did destruction in the Capitol should be prosecuted.

But when Channel 4 moderators Chris Horvatits and Dave Greber pointed out that Casilio in June tweeted, The insurrection was not on Jan. 6, Casilio drew gasps by seeming to double down on the statement, saying, There was not an insurrection on Jan. 6. There was not an insurrection with the election.

Casilios campaign manager later said she misspoke and meant to say the election was not stolen. In recent weeks, she has condemned the Jan. 6 riot multiple times.

Casilio debate zingers put Poloncarz on defense; he portrays her as unprepared to run county Tension between Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Republican challenger Chrissy Casilio burst into the open Thursday at a debate hosted by St. Josephs Collegiate Institute.

After that exchange, Poloncarz was on the defensive over an allegation by a former dating partner who filed a police report alleging domestic violence. He also denied that he threatened to shoot a process server who came to his house, noting that he does not handle guns. Republicans have pointed to both alleged incidents as proof that Poloncarz is hotheaded.

If I did any of those, I would not be standing here today, he said of both allegations. I would have been arrested. Its incredulous that I keep getting accused of all these terrible things which arent true.

On more substantive issues of policy, distinct differences continued to emerge between Poloncarz and Casilio.

Moderators twice asked Casilio how much she would be willing to spend to send migrants back to New York City as she has pledged to sue the city and the state. She did not answer the question but said she would invite migrants to take a bus back to New York City.

Casilio struggles to keep up with Poloncarz fundraising machine in county exec race This year, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has raised more than three times the amount of money as his challenger, Chrissy Casilio, according to campaign finance reports recently filed with the New York State Board of Elections.

If they do not want to go back, we are going to explore every means possible, Casilio said. I doubt that theres going to be a problem with them being willing to leave Erie County.

Poloncarz accused Casilio of spreading falsehoods and half truths on the asylum-seeker issue, saying, There really is no cost that is going to be paid by county taxpayers.

He said the asylees and other immigrants from war-torn countries have helped grow this new Erie County, this new Buffalo.  Its a good thing to have new Americans in our community.

On the December 2022 blizzard that killed 47 people, Poloncarz defended his decision not to issue a driving ban until the morning of the storm. He said most people who died did not perish in their cars but because they were on foot or freezing in their homes after losing power.

We worked very hard during the blizzard and well work very hard again to keep as many people as possible safe, he said.

Casilio blasted Poloncarz for getting into a public squabble with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown during the storm. She said Erie County also needs a clearer disaster plan.

Im just curious if youve ever taken accountability for anything, Casilio asked Poloncarz. You are the highest elected leader in Erie County and the buck stops with you.

On taxes, Casilio said she would achieve a 10% tax cut by taking funds from the countys surplus. She insisted that she would not need to cut programs. She said Poloncarzs administrations purchase of glasses for kids for the solar eclipse was just another example of money that is being wasted.

Poloncarz criticized that logic, saying unrealistic promises of tax cuts led the county to the brink of financial ruin during the tenure of former Republican County Executive Joel Giambra.

Shes not come up with any plan, Poloncarz said. She just wants to say, Ill cut. Well, weve been through that before.

Marlee Tuskes from WIVB also served as a moderator for this second and final debate between the candidates. St. Josephs Collegiate Institute hosted a debate between the two last week. Election Day is Nov. 7 and early voting begins Saturday.
The pace of greenhouse gas emission reductions should step up in order to attain its climate targets.

According to a recent report released by the European Commission, EU greenhouse gas net emissions decreased by around 3% in 2022, which indicates that the overall downward trend of the past 30 years has continued.

However, the EU and as well as its member states need to significantly step-up implementation efforts in order to keep on track towards the EU's 2030 55% GHG reduction target and the EU's 2050 climate neutrality objective.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Officials pointed out that the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption reached 21.8% in 2021.

They noted that with an average yearly increase of 0.67 percentage points since 2010, reaching the new 2030 EU target of 42.5% (and even more so the aspirational target of 45%) will require a much faster growth in the coming years.

"While Member States have made good efforts to increase cross-border capacity, further efforts are required to meet the 2030 interconnectivity objectives, in particular in terms of the timely deliveryof planned cross-border projects between member states," the EU stated.

It was observed that after the 2021 strong rebound in greenhouse gas emissions following the unprecedented fall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU emissions in 2022 are expected to be back in line with the 30-year descending trend achieved before the pandemic.

Further, the most recent GHG emission projections submitted by the member states have shown significant gaps with the EU collective climate targets, even when additional measures are considered.

Experts said that in order to stay on track with the EU 2030 reduction target and climate neutrality by 2050, the EU needs to significantly pick up the pace of change and increase the focus on areas where the progress has been recently far too slow, or where reductions have even moved in the wrong direction in recent years.

"On average, the overall renewable energy share has been increasing by 0.67 percentage points annually since 2010. The new 2030 EU target of 42.5% (and even more so the aspirational target of 45%) will require a much faster growth in the coming years," the EU explained.

The EU said that the progress has been especially strong in the electricity sector, with an increase in the renewables share from 21.3% in 2010 to 37.6% in 2021.

On the other hand, the progress in heating and cooling (from 17% to 22.9%) and transport (from 5.5% to 9.1%) was more modest.

Read Also: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reach All-Time High That Could Influence Wildfires, Challenging Heat

Renewable Energy Shares

The report noted that renewable energy shares in 2021 vary widely across member states.

This observation reflected the different starting positions and national targets set for each member state in the original renewable energy directive and the national contributions set in the national energy and climate plans.

The EU said that Sweden achieved the highest renewable energy share in 2021 (62.6%), followed by Finland (43.1%) and Latvia (42.1%).

With shares not exceeding 13%, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands had the lowest renewable energy shares.

Related Article: Small Animals Can Improve Water And Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, New Report Finds

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By: Alex Amaya, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at HPE Aruba Networking. A

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN is a powerful solution that enables organizations to build resilient and efficient wide-area networks. Application visibility, real-time performance monitoring and security monitoring are critical aspects of managing an SD-WAN infrastructure effectively. This blog explores application visibility, performance monitoring, and security management best practices for achieving these objectives using Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN.

Application Visibility Best Practices

Customizable Orchestrator dashboard to check the state of the network. EdgeConnect provides a customizable top-level view of the network with a dashboard view of appliance health, application performance and other key performance indicators. The dashboard supports configurable widgets that can be arranged to meet network visualization requirements. For example, you can configure widgets to view top talkers, top domains, licenses and the health map showing which appliances have exceeded threshold levels. And you can also add a topology map showing any underlay or overlays which are down, enabling the operator to dive deeper into the network performance analysis. The dashboard can be fully customized to make it your own.

Using NetFlow and IPFIX for application visibility. NetFlow and IPFIX are essential technologies that provide visibility into network traffic. EdgeConnect appliances can be configured to export NetFlow and/or IPFIX data from EdgeConnect appliances into monitoring tools, providing network engineers with insights into application usage, traffic patterns and bandwidth utilization. This information is valuable for optimizing network resources and identifying potential performance bottlenecks.

Leveraging Orchestrator and ECOS REST API for application visibility. Aruba Orchestrator and EdgeConnect offer comprehensive REST APIs that allow network engineers to interact programmatically with the SD-WAN infrastructure. By using these APIs, organizations can access real-time information about applications, network health, and performance. This data enables network engineers to make data-driven decisions to enhance application visibility and performance monitoring. For more details on the Rest APIs for monitoring please visit the Aruba devHub.

Polling EdgeConnect loopback for application traffic. Using management services templates to pin management traffic to the EdgeConnect loopback provides better control over application traffic. By steering certain types of traffic through the loopback, it becomes easier to monitor and manage specific application flows effectively. Use the Loopback Orchestration tab to create a pool of loopback addresses from which Orchestrator can automatically create loopback interfaces.

Real-time Performance Monitoring Best Practices

Retrieving stats from EdgeConnect appliances and Orchestrator.Aruba EdgeConnect appliances and Aruba Orchestrator offer rich statistics and performance metrics. Network engineers should regularly retrieve and analyze these stats to monitor network health, link utilization and application performance. Proper monitoring ensures prompt identification of any issues and allows for proactive troubleshooting. For example, the Orchestrator Live View image below demonstrates two charts: one for bandwidth and the other for latency. The bandwidth and latency chart shows five horizontal bar charts. The top chart is the overlay and the four beneath are the underlays for the best-effort business intent overlay. You can select a business intent overlay that has been configured to measure the overlay and underlay for loss, latency, jitter and MOS score. In addition, you can run a traceroute measurement within Live View as it details the route info, router by router, as well as the time it took for each hop.

Using APIs for performance monitoring. Collecting data about network devices and their performance can be much easier with the help of our APIs that support Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN. By using our APIs, network engineers can gain valuable insights into interface statistics, CPU usage, memory utilization, and more. If you are interested in learning more about the capabilities of our APIs, head over to the Aruba devHub. In addition, you can also check out the Github project for pyedgeconnect, which is a Python wrapper for Orchestrator and ECOS. There are many examples of how and what can be done with APIs on key performance indicators for measuring performance applications or network monitoring, for example, how to monitor the bandwidth of an EdgeConnect appliance for both WAN0 and WAN1. As a best practice, we recommend using the ECOS APIs endpoint called /stats/minuteStats to get a minute-stats on the interface. The file will provide several files and one of them will be an interface table. The file will provide detailed information for bytes and packets received and transmitted and many other useful measurements.

Understanding overlay tunnels vs. underlay tunnels. It's important to understand the difference between overlay and underlay tunnels for effective SD-WAN management. Overlay tunnels are used for application traffic, while underlay tunnels carry SD-WAN control traffic. Aruba refers to overlay tunnels as Business Intent Overlays (BIOs) and they are crucial for traffic and application matching and forwarding. To ensure optimal application delivery and network stability, it's essential to monitor the performance of both overlay and underlay tunnels.

Here are few questions often help in addressing the application performance issues.

Does the application have the correct permissions?

Is the application assigned correctly to the right overlay?

Is the ACL correct and is it applied to the right overlay?

Steering synthetic polling across specific underlay tunnels or an EdgeConnect site from the internet. Using features such as AppExpress to measure the performance of specific network paths. By steering synthetic polling across selected underlay tunnels, network engineers can accurately assess the quality of those paths and make informed routing decisions.

Polling an EdgeConnect site from the Internet allows organizations to monitor network performance from different locations. This practice helps identify potential regional performance issues and provides a better understanding of application delivery across the SD-WAN fabric.

Security Monitoring Best Practices

Exporting syslog for firewall, audit logs, and alarms. Syslog export is crucial for security monitoring and compliance. By exporting firewall logs, audit trails, and alarms to a central syslog server, network engineers can efficiently analyze security events, detect anomalies, and respond promptly to potential threats.

Understanding traceroute behavior across the SD-WAN fabric.Traceroute behavior across the SD-WAN fabric may differ from traditional networks due to the presence of overlay tunnels. Network engineers should understand this behavior to accurately diagnose connectivity issues and pinpoint the exact location of any network disruptions.

Best practices to optimize the network experience

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN offers robust capabilities for application visibility, real-time performance monitoring and security monitoring. By utilizing features such as NetFlow and IPFIX, REST APIs, and steering traffic across specific underlay tunnels, organizations can improve network visibility, optimize performance and ensure a secure SD-WAN infrastructure. Understanding the behavior of overlay and underlay tunnels and implementing best practices for security monitoring are essential in achieving a resilient and efficient SD-WAN deployment.
The most promising thing about last weeks John R. Oishei Foundation announcement is not its promise to focus more intently on addressing Buffalos racial disparities. While welcome, weve heard such pledges before.

Rather, its Oisheis willingness to hold itself accountable in ways that will tell us whether this region really is addressing the root causes of inequity or just dealing with its symptoms.

That distinction is critical because addressing root causes means doing something few willingly do: Share real power and resources.

In its outline for change focusing on the African American community, the foundation lays out measurable metrics that will document the regions sincerity: improvements in poverty rates; in home and business ownership rates; in median incomes; in attracting outside investment; and in closing wealth gaps.

Little, if any, of that can be accomplished by opening food pantries, handing out clothes or any of the other charitable efforts that  while critical to alleviating individual suffering  will not change the facts on the ground that make such efforts necessary.

Do-gooderism that helps individuals while allowing the patrons to feel good about themselves is not the same as really listening to, being guided by  and ceding control of resources to  the people who can build up their own neighborhoods and businesses if afforded half the chance.

The foundation seems to recognize that in quoting a Color of Change official who notes that merely including people of color at the table isnt enough: Presence isnt power. Power is the ability to change the rules.

Those rules  from redlining, poll tests and locking heavily Black occupations out of Social Security, to more modern ones like voter suppression and forbidding the teaching of such history  are what created and perpetuate the gaps holding this region back, gaps Oishei wants to close.

It was those rules that created the poverty, disinvestment, poor educational outcomes that led the 5/14 gunman to target Buffalos East Side in the first place, and that then left the community vulnerable to the temporary closing of the single grocery store where 10 Black East Siders were killed.

The seeds of Oisheis redirection predated that massacre or the deadly December blizzard whose disproportionate toll on African Americans underscored the impact of inequity. The foundation began to zero in on the East Side in 2017 when it formed its Fellowship for Leaders of Color program as part of an effort to address inequity and grow the overall pie.

In suspending all new grants while it determines how to focus solely on that priority, Oishei  which has averaged $12.5 million in community grants annually the past five years  has sent a clarion signal about this regions inability to flourish as long as a significant segment of its population is struggling to keep up. It laid the groundwork for this effort over the past year through research, focus groups, consulting with organizations undertaking similar missions elsewhere and a survey 919 residents showing financial well-being to be their top concern.

Yet it still feels like weve been here before  because we have.

There have been decades of reports, studies and public warnings from the University at Buffalos Center for Urban Studies, the Buffalo Urban League, the African American Health Equity Task Force and others that have documented the disparities Oisheis report builds on. The most recent was 2021 s The Harder We Run study by University at Buffalo Professor Henry-Louis Taylor Jr.

Oishei President Christina Orsi is aware of the skepticism left in the wake of such efforts that fell on deaf ears.

I think thats a totally valid response, she said. Thereve been a lot of promises  But Dr. Taylors report shows there hasnt been any demonstrable progress on the East Side.

But, she says, emphasizing the importance of the East Side to the region as a whole, Judge us by our actions, not our words.

A starting point for that judgment is assessing the makeup of the organization itself. Orsi said Oisheis nine-member board includes four African Americans and one Latino, while the 10-member staff has three African Americans.

Still, Presence isnt power. The real test will be whether it can live up to its vow to work with and alongside communities and share decision-making with residents most affected. That would be a departure from the more typical model in which Black input is valued only insofar as it doesnt conflict with the preconceived notions of those controlling the process.

But even if there is genuine power-sharing, breaking the socioeconomic inertia wont be easy.

For one thing, while common experiences and obstacles can lead to a certain degree of consensus around key issues, the Black community is not a monolith. For proof, look no further than the debate over whether to deck the Kensington Expressway or use that money for something else. Synthesizing the disparate input Oishei is sure to get as it meets with leaders and residents in the Black community will be a challenge.

But an even bigger challenge will be convincing many white Western New Yorkers that systemic change actually is needed, despite the disparities recounted in the report. That challenge is only compounded when high-profile Blacks like South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the erstwhile presidential aspirant, dismiss or minimize the impact of systemic racism, tacitly giving permission for others to do the same.

Put it all together, and skepticism is natural despite Oisheis best intentions.

No doubt, people in the 1950s and 60s were similarly skeptical, watching march after march, beating after beating, and wondering if there would ever be a turning point. But they, Black and white together, persevered to create real change.

After watching attacks on voting rights, Black history and the very idea that Black lives even matter, the question posed now by Osheis initiative is: Are Western New Yorkers in the 2020s any better than  or even as good as  Americans were in the 1960s?
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a yearlong process, an Italian couple successfully adopted a six-year-old inmate of the Kerala State Child Welfare Council (KSWC) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sergio Marino and Lucia Kazak Sika of Sovico near Milan in Italy have adopted the boy, a Class I student in a city school. He was brought to the KSWC from a childcare centre in Idukki while he was just three months old. The couple had applied online a year ago through the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to adopt a child from India. The boy got priority. However, owing to procedural delays, the couple started talking to the child via video calls. The couple came to meet the boy on Sunday, once all legal procedures were wrapped up. It took the child a couple of days to become familiar and get in sync with his stepfather and stepmother.

Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department Haritha V Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim and State Child Welfare Committee general secretary G L Arun Gopi were among those present when the boy was sent off with the couple. Sergio and Lucia promised the KSWC that they would not change his name. The happy couple said they had been waiting for someone like him for a long time.

Sergio works in Confindustria in Italy, while Lucia manages a cosmetics company. The couple will leave for Mumbai on Thursday and fly to Italy with the boy on Friday.

The six-year-old is the 10th child to be adopted by a couple living abroad and the fourth to be taken in by couples from Italy. Other than him, three children were taken in by couples in Italy, two each were adopted by couples in the UAE and Spain, while one each were adopted by people in Denmark and the US.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a yearlong process, an Italian couple successfully adopted a six-year-old inmate of the Kerala State Child Welfare Council (KSWC) in Thiruvananthapuram. Sergio Marino and Lucia Kazak Sika of Sovico near Milan in Italy have adopted the boy, a Class I student in a city school. He was brought to the KSWC from a childcare centre in Idukki while he was just three months old. The couple had applied online a year ago through the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to adopt a child from India. The boy got priority. However, owing to procedural delays, the couple started talking to the child via video calls. The couple came to meet the boy on Sunday, once all legal procedures were wrapped up. It took the child a couple of days to become familiar and get in sync with his stepfather and stepmother. Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department Haritha V Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim and State Child Welfare Committee general secretary G L Arun Gopi were among those present when the boy was sent off with the couple. Sergio and Lucia promised the KSWC that they would not change his name. The happy couple said they had been waiting for someone like him for a long time.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sergio works in Confindustria in Italy, while Lucia manages a cosmetics company. The couple will leave for Mumbai on Thursday and fly to Italy with the boy on Friday. The six-year-old is the 10th child to be adopted by a couple living abroad and the fourth to be taken in by couples from Italy. Other than him, three children were taken in by couples in Italy, two each were adopted by couples in the UAE and Spain, while one each were adopted by people in Denmark and the US. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ramakrishna Badseshi By

Express News Service

KALABURAGI: AICC will allow the local units of PCCs to have a seat-sharing alliance with I. N. D. I. A. partners and to discuss with those parties on how many seats should be shared with them in the ensuing Assembly Elections to 5 States, said AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge here on Wednesday.

Addressing journalists, Kharge denied that a rift has arisen between the Congress Party and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh with regard to the sharing of seats in Assembly Elections. The AICC President said that let SP President Akhilesh Yadav tell in how many seats his party had won in the previous Assembly Elections and on what basis he is asking for more seats.

Kharge said that the anti-incumbency wave is clearly visible in all the States ruled by the BJP where elections are due. People are fed up with the false promises given by the BJP. None of the promises given in the previous elections were fulfilled by BJP, he blamed. The AICC President expressed his confidence that the Congress Party would win in all 5 States and would form the government.

When asked whether the elections to the Assembly Elections to the 5 States are an indication of the mood of the voters about the ruling party, Kharge said that the issues would be different for different States and the issues for the Assembly Elections are different and for the Lok Sabha Elections are different.

He blamed the BJP for using its officers including those working in the ministries to canvass the programmes in the elections, let BJP use its Party workers and leaders for election purposes, but it is completely wrong to use the officers. The public is watching everything, he said.

On the charges of opposition parties that the Congress Party is using Karnataka as an ATM for funding to the elections of 5 States, the AICC President said that the Congress Party came to power in Karnataka just a few months ago. How can it become an ATM to fund elections to 5 States, where is the revenue, he questioned. Union government is using all its agencies like Ed, IT, CBI etc to threaten the leaders of non-Congress Party, he blamed.

Regarding Karnataka, Kharge said that the BJP is levelling false charges against the ministers of the Congress Party in Karnataka just to defame them as well as to the Congress Party to get political gains. People were watching everything, he said.

Minister for Medical Education Dr. Sharanaprakash Patil and Minister for forest and Ecology Eshwar Khandre were present.

No change of KPCC chief before LS polls: Khandre

The All India Congress Committee has already informed that there will be no change of guard in the partys Karnataka unit, said KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre here on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will continue as KPCC chief till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections conclude, he told reporters.

He said the AICC wants a change in the working presidents of the state unit, who are ministers. This will take place shortly, Khandre said.

Asked about BJPs demand seeking a CBI inquiry on the suicides of two BJP workers (one in Sedam taluk and another in Chittapur taluk) alleging possibility of influencing the police by ministers Sharana Prakash Patil and Priyank Kharge, Khandre said saffron party leaders have the habit of committing illegal acts and pointing fingers at the Congress.

They are just sitting on their hands. The party has failed to appoint a leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly in the last six months, but is busy blaming the Congress, the minister said.

Khandre, who is the District in-charge Minister of Bidar district, termed Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizer Bhagawant Khuba as a non-functioning minister. He has been making promises to the people of Bidar for the last nine years that the central government would sanction a full fledged Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering. Now the Union government sanctioned the institute to Bidar only as the Lok Sabha elections are approaching.

Though the state government is giving 10 acres of land and 50 per cent of the establishment expenditure of Rs 90 crore, only one course of skill development has started in CIPET on the premises of the Veterinary University, Bidar, Khandre blamed.

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KALABURAGI: AICC will allow the local units of PCCs to have a seat-sharing alliance with I. N. D. I. A. partners and to discuss with those parties on how many seats should be shared with them in the ensuing Assembly Elections to 5 States, said AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge here on Wednesday. Addressing journalists, Kharge denied that a rift has arisen between the Congress Party and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh with regard to the sharing of seats in Assembly Elections. The AICC President said that let SP President Akhilesh Yadav tell in how many seats his party had won in the previous Assembly Elections and on what basis he is asking for more seats. Kharge said that the anti-incumbency wave is clearly visible in all the States ruled by the BJP where elections are due. People are fed up with the false promises given by the BJP. None of the promises given in the previous elections were fulfilled by BJP, he blamed. The AICC President expressed his confidence that the Congress Party would win in all 5 States and would form the government.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); When asked whether the elections to the Assembly Elections to the 5 States are an indication of the mood of the voters about the ruling party, Kharge said that the issues would be different for different States and the issues for the Assembly Elections are different and for the Lok Sabha Elections are different. He blamed the BJP for using its officers including those working in the ministries to canvass the programmes in the elections, let BJP use its Party workers and leaders for election purposes, but it is completely wrong to use the officers. The public is watching everything, he said. On the charges of opposition parties that the Congress Party is using Karnataka as an ATM for funding to the elections of 5 States, the AICC President said that the Congress Party came to power in Karnataka just a few months ago. How can it become an ATM to fund elections to 5 States, where is the revenue, he questioned. Union government is using all its agencies like Ed, IT, CBI etc to threaten the leaders of non-Congress Party, he blamed. Regarding Karnataka, Kharge said that the BJP is levelling false charges against the ministers of the Congress Party in Karnataka just to defame them as well as to the Congress Party to get political gains. People were watching everything, he said. Minister for Medical Education Dr. Sharanaprakash Patil and Minister for forest and Ecology Eshwar Khandre were present. No change of KPCC chief before LS polls: Khandre The All India Congress Committee has already informed that there will be no change of guard in the partys Karnataka unit, said KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre here on Wednesday. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will continue as KPCC chief till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections conclude, he told reporters. He said the AICC wants a change in the working presidents of the state unit, who are ministers. This will take place shortly, Khandre said. Asked about BJPs demand seeking a CBI inquiry on the suicides of two BJP workers (one in Sedam taluk and another in Chittapur taluk) alleging possibility of influencing the police by ministers Sharana Prakash Patil and Priyank Kharge, Khandre said saffron party leaders have the habit of committing illegal acts and pointing fingers at the Congress. They are just sitting on their hands. The party has failed to appoint a leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly in the last six months, but is busy blaming the Congress, the minister said. Khandre, who is the District in-charge Minister of Bidar district, termed Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizer Bhagawant Khuba as a non-functioning minister. He has been making promises to the people of Bidar for the last nine years that the central government would sanction a full fledged Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering. Now the Union government sanctioned the institute to Bidar only as the Lok Sabha elections are approaching. Though the state government is giving 10 acres of land and 50 per cent of the establishment expenditure of Rs 90 crore, only one course of skill development has started in CIPET on the premises of the Veterinary University, Bidar, Khandre blamed. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A day after the JD(U) released a list of five candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Wednesday said there is a "drama" of friendship among INDIA bloc partners in Delhi, even as they are "wrestling" in the states.

Hitting out at the Congress, Naqvi alleged the grand old party is a "syndicate of swindlers" and that its "mohabbat ki dukaan (shop of spreading love)" is selling "dhokhe ka samaan (tools of betrayal)".

The opposition's stopgap arrangement will not be able to conquer the "mountain of mass mandate", he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, credibility, and acceptability among the people will "knockout" the opposition alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Naqvi alleged that the Congress has a long history of "deception and betrayal".

The grand old party believes in "power for dynasty and tower of trouble for others", he said, adding that the Congress has "duped" one and all.

"There is a 'natak' (drama) of friendship (between INDIA alliance partners) in Delhi, while there is a 'bhangra of kushti (wrestling)' between them in states," Naqvi said.

The JD(U) on Tuesday came out with a list of five candidates for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, where its ally Congress is trying to wrestle power from the BJP.

Interestingly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) supremo, had dumped the BJP a year ago when he joined the Mahagathbandhan comprising arch-rival Lalu Prasad's RJD, Congress and the Left and vowed to defeat the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by forging a nationwide opposition unity.

His efforts played a significant role in the formation of the multi-party INDIA coalition.

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NEW DELHI: A day after the JD(U) released a list of five candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Wednesday said there is a "drama" of friendship among INDIA bloc partners in Delhi, even as they are "wrestling" in the states. Hitting out at the Congress, Naqvi alleged the grand old party is a "syndicate of swindlers" and that its "mohabbat ki dukaan (shop of spreading love)" is selling "dhokhe ka samaan (tools of betrayal)". The opposition's stopgap arrangement will not be able to conquer the "mountain of mass mandate", he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, credibility, and acceptability among the people will "knockout" the opposition alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Naqvi alleged that the Congress has a long history of "deception and betrayal". The grand old party believes in "power for dynasty and tower of trouble for others", he said, adding that the Congress has "duped" one and all. "There is a 'natak' (drama) of friendship (between INDIA alliance partners) in Delhi, while there is a 'bhangra of kushti (wrestling)' between them in states," Naqvi said. The JD(U) on Tuesday came out with a list of five candidates for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, where its ally Congress is trying to wrestle power from the BJP. Interestingly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) supremo, had dumped the BJP a year ago when he joined the Mahagathbandhan comprising arch-rival Lalu Prasad's RJD, Congress and the Left and vowed to defeat the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by forging a nationwide opposition unity. His efforts played a significant role in the formation of the multi-party INDIA coalition. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The Union government has agreed to reduce the minimum export price (MEP) of basmati rice to $950 per tonne from the $1,200 per tonne price it had announced in August, claimed exporters after a meeting with Union minister Piyush Goyal.

A reduction is expected to greatly benefit basmati growers, ensuring better prices for their crop. The basmati rice price has risen to Rs 3,700 per quintal from Rs 3,200 per quintal as exporters in Punjab and Haryana have now started purchasing the grain again. Earlier, they had stopped the purchase due to higher MEP.

Talking to this newspaper, former President of All India Rice Exporters Association, Vijay Setia, said, We had a virtual meeting with Union minister Piyush Goyal late last night, in which he has accepted our demand of reducing the MEP. Thus, it will be reduced to $950 per tonne from the present $1,200 per tonne. We would welcome such a move. It will go a long way to improve the income of farmers and all other stakeholders.

We had already started buying basmati from farmers. Earlier, we had stopped purchasing the grain. The basmati price had plummeted to Rs 3,200 per quintal, but it has now started rising and stands between Rs 3,600 and Rs 3,700 per quintal, said Setia. He added that this assurance of the government will go in the interest of farmers as well as exporters.

Now we can compete with Pakistan. They got an advantage for a few days due to price restrictions in India, and booked international orders at $950-1,000 as they also grow the same basmati. But now we are back in the market. The average minimum export price for the last three years came to $850. Also, with the $950 basic price, the fly-by-night exporters will vanish from the market, Setia further said.

He said that the Union government had imposed the MEP control order on basmati export at $1,200 per tonne on August 25, while there were many basmati varieties that are exported between $850 and $1,050 per tonne, forcing them to suspend the procurement of basmati from farmers. Punjab and Haryana are the major basmati rice exporters. In the last financial year, their exports were to the tune Rs 33,000 crore, while the total basmati rice shipments from India stood at Rs 48,000 crore.

The Centre, on August 25, had imposed a minimum export price of $1,200 per tonne on basmati exports, causing concern among exporters. After repeated requests, Union minister Piyush Goyal on September 25 indicated lowering minimum export price to $850 per tonne. The Department of Food and Public Distribution, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution, had issued a fresh circular a few days ago, extending the registration-cum-allocation certificate for basmati rice beyond October 15.

Exporters to benefit

According to Vijay Setia, former President of All India Rice Exporters Association, the government nod gives an edge to exporters. Now we can compete with Pakistan. They got an advantage for a few days due to price restrictions in India, and booked international orders at $950-1,000 as they also grow the same basmati. But we are back.

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CHANDIGARH: The Union government has agreed to reduce the minimum export price (MEP) of basmati rice to $950 per tonne from the $1,200 per tonne price it had announced in August, claimed exporters after a meeting with Union minister Piyush Goyal. A reduction is expected to greatly benefit basmati growers, ensuring better prices for their crop. The basmati rice price has risen to Rs 3,700 per quintal from Rs 3,200 per quintal as exporters in Punjab and Haryana have now started purchasing the grain again. Earlier, they had stopped the purchase due to higher MEP. Talking to this newspaper, former President of All India Rice Exporters Association, Vijay Setia, said, We had a virtual meeting with Union minister Piyush Goyal late last night, in which he has accepted our demand of reducing the MEP. Thus, it will be reduced to $950 per tonne from the present $1,200 per tonne. We would welcome such a move. It will go a long way to improve the income of farmers and all other stakeholders.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We had already started buying basmati from farmers. Earlier, we had stopped purchasing the grain. The basmati price had plummeted to Rs 3,200 per quintal, but it has now started rising and stands between Rs 3,600 and Rs 3,700 per quintal, said Setia. He added that this assurance of the government will go in the interest of farmers as well as exporters. Now we can compete with Pakistan. They got an advantage for a few days due to price restrictions in India, and booked international orders at $950-1,000 as they also grow the same basmati. But now we are back in the market. The average minimum export price for the last three years came to $850. Also, with the $950 basic price, the fly-by-night exporters will vanish from the market, Setia further said. He said that the Union government had imposed the MEP control order on basmati export at $1,200 per tonne on August 25, while there were many basmati varieties that are exported between $850 and $1,050 per tonne, forcing them to suspend the procurement of basmati from farmers. Punjab and Haryana are the major basmati rice exporters. In the last financial year, their exports were to the tune Rs 33,000 crore, while the total basmati rice shipments from India stood at Rs 48,000 crore. The Centre, on August 25, had imposed a minimum export price of $1,200 per tonne on basmati exports, causing concern among exporters. After repeated requests, Union minister Piyush Goyal on September 25 indicated lowering minimum export price to $850 per tonne. The Department of Food and Public Distribution, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution, had issued a fresh circular a few days ago, extending the registration-cum-allocation certificate for basmati rice beyond October 15. Exporters to benefit According to Vijay Setia, former President of All India Rice Exporters Association, the government nod gives an edge to exporters. Now we can compete with Pakistan. They got an advantage for a few days due to price restrictions in India, and booked international orders at $950-1,000 as they also grow the same basmati. But we are back. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: After measures were taken by Canada to address its security concerns, India has decided to resume visa services for Canadians. This comes over a month after visa services were suspended by India on September 21 following concerns over the security of its diplomats.

"The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada, and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security concerns. After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services from October 26th for entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa," said the High Commission of India in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulate General as is being done currently.

"Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation," the High Commission added.

It may be recalled that Indian diplomats were threatened by Khalistani supporters and their photos appeared on posters which even put a bounty on their heads. This was a major area of concern for India and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had pointed out that if the diplomats felt threatened to go to the missions, there was no way they could facilitate consular services as a result of which visa services for Canadians had to be temporarily suspended.

This was also an outcome of the diplomatic spat between India and Canada which was triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in Parliament accusing India of being instrumental in the killing of slain Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau expelled an Indian diplomat after making the accusation.

India followed suit and not just expelled a Canadian diplomat but asked Canadian missions in India to downsize in order to bring parity in diplomatic strength between the two nations. As a result, 41 Canadian diplomats left India recently.

ALSO READ | India-Canada relations going through difficult phase: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

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NEW DELHI: After measures were taken by Canada to address its security concerns, India has decided to resume visa services for Canadians. This comes over a month after visa services were suspended by India on September 21 following concerns over the security of its diplomats. "The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada, and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security concerns. After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services from October 26th for entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa," said the High Commission of India in Ottawa. Meanwhile, emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulate General as is being done currently.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation," the High Commission added. It may be recalled that Indian diplomats were threatened by Khalistani supporters and their photos appeared on posters which even put a bounty on their heads. This was a major area of concern for India and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had pointed out that if the diplomats felt threatened to go to the missions, there was no way they could facilitate consular services as a result of which visa services for Canadians had to be temporarily suspended. This was also an outcome of the diplomatic spat between India and Canada which was triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in Parliament accusing India of being instrumental in the killing of slain Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau expelled an Indian diplomat after making the accusation. India followed suit and not just expelled a Canadian diplomat but asked Canadian missions in India to downsize in order to bring parity in diplomatic strength between the two nations. As a result, 41 Canadian diplomats left India recently. ALSO READ | India-Canada relations going through difficult phase: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

DAMASCUS: Israeli strikes killed eight soldiers in southern Syria on Wednesday, later returning to bomb Aleppo airport for the fourth time in a fortnight, the defence ministry in Damascus said.

Israel said the first strike was in response to earlier rocket fire.

Hours later, Israeli forces struck Aleppo airport in the north, the Syrian defence ministry said as regional tensions simmer over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The fighting erupted on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza border and went on a rampage, kidnapping some 220 hostages and killing more 1,400 people, mostly civilians, Israeli officials say.

The worst-ever attack in Israel's history, it prompted a ferocious Israeli bombing campaign that Gaza's Hamas rulers say has so far killed 6,546 people, mostly civilians.

Persistent rocket fire and artillery exchanges across Israel's northern border with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and allied Palestinian factions, have raised fears of a new front in the war.

Pro-Hezbollah fighters in Syria's south have also exchanged cross-border fire with Israel several times since last week.

"Around 1:45 am (2245 GMT Tuesday), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the occupied Golan Heights," the defence ministry said of the strikes that killed eight soldiers and wounded seven others.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a wide network of sources on the ground in the war-ravaged country, put the number of dead soldiers at 11, including four officers.

READ LIVE UPDATES OF ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HERE

The strikes "destroyed arms depots and a Syrian air defence radar" and also targeted an infantry unit, it said.

On Tuesday evening, the Observatory had said "fighters loyal to Hezbollah," which fights alongside government forces in the Syrian conflict, had "launched two rockets towards the occupied Syrian Golan" from Syria's southern province of Daraa.

Israel's army said its "fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortars belonging to the Syrian army in response to the launches towards Israel" on Tuesday.

'Iron fist'

After the strike, residents in Daraa province told AFP Israeli planes dropped leaflets warning the Syrian army and Palestinian factions not to attack.

"Syrian commanders... bear full responsibility for operations... from Syrian territory," they read warning that every attack "on the state of Israel will be met with an iron fist".

On Wednesday afternoon, Israel struck Aleppo airport with Syria's defence ministry saying the strike came "from the direction of the Mediterranean sea, west of Latakia".

Transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the runway had been targeted by a strike, but without specifying the source.

"The same Aleppo airport runway that was targeted before was struck again," he said.

"The airport was about to finish repairs and schedule flights, but it was once again put out of service."

Israeli strikes had already put Syria's two main airports in Damascus and Aleppo out of service several times in the past two weeks.

During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Hezbollah fighters and other Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes on Syria, but it has repeatedly said it won't allow arch-foe Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government, to expand its presence there.

Israel occupied much of the Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the United Nations.

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DAMASCUS: Israeli strikes killed eight soldiers in southern Syria on Wednesday, later returning to bomb Aleppo airport for the fourth time in a fortnight, the defence ministry in Damascus said. Israel said the first strike was in response to earlier rocket fire. Hours later, Israeli forces struck Aleppo airport in the north, the Syrian defence ministry said as regional tensions simmer over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The fighting erupted on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza border and went on a rampage, kidnapping some 220 hostages and killing more 1,400 people, mostly civilians, Israeli officials say. The worst-ever attack in Israel's history, it prompted a ferocious Israeli bombing campaign that Gaza's Hamas rulers say has so far killed 6,546 people, mostly civilians. Persistent rocket fire and artillery exchanges across Israel's northern border with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and allied Palestinian factions, have raised fears of a new front in the war. Pro-Hezbollah fighters in Syria's south have also exchanged cross-border fire with Israel several times since last week. "Around 1:45 am (2245 GMT Tuesday), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the occupied Golan Heights," the defence ministry said of the strikes that killed eight soldiers and wounded seven others. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a wide network of sources on the ground in the war-ravaged country, put the number of dead soldiers at 11, including four officers. READ LIVE UPDATES OF ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HERE The strikes "destroyed arms depots and a Syrian air defence radar" and also targeted an infantry unit, it said. On Tuesday evening, the Observatory had said "fighters loyal to Hezbollah," which fights alongside government forces in the Syrian conflict, had "launched two rockets towards the occupied Syrian Golan" from Syria's southern province of Daraa. Israel's army said its "fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortars belonging to the Syrian army in response to the launches towards Israel" on Tuesday. 'Iron fist' After the strike, residents in Daraa province told AFP Israeli planes dropped leaflets warning the Syrian army and Palestinian factions not to attack. "Syrian commanders... bear full responsibility for operations... from Syrian territory," they read warning that every attack "on the state of Israel will be met with an iron fist". On Wednesday afternoon, Israel struck Aleppo airport with Syria's defence ministry saying the strike came "from the direction of the Mediterranean sea, west of Latakia". Transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the runway had been targeted by a strike, but without specifying the source. "The same Aleppo airport runway that was targeted before was struck again," he said. "The airport was about to finish repairs and schedule flights, but it was once again put out of service." Israeli strikes had already put Syria's two main airports in Damascus and Aleppo out of service several times in the past two weeks. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Hezbollah fighters and other Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes on Syria, but it has repeatedly said it won't allow arch-foe Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government, to expand its presence there. Israel occupied much of the Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the United Nations. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

Even as Israel has delayed its plan to roll tanks into Gaza, its airstrikes on potential Hamas targets in Gaza have continued unabated. Hamas-controlled health ministry officials in Gaza claimed that several hundred people were killed in the past 24 hours.

While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is finalising its military strategy for the ground offensive, the US thinks the IDF lacks achievable military goals for Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. Israel is considering two options: a major ground offensive or a combo operation of surgical strikes-cum-targeted raids by special forces.

According to a New York Times report, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been holding daily deliberations with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. The US has advised Israel against rushing its ground forces to Gaza, which will take a heavy toll on both sides. Fighting Hamas terrorists, who operate from underground tunnels and densely populated areas, will be risky and the strategy needs to be thought-through, Austin reportedly told Gallant, while adding the ground offensive will be a long-drawn battle.

Addressing the UN Security Council ministerial meeting on the situation in West Asia on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken drew a parallel between terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba in Mumbai and by Hamas in Israel. All acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable... whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali, Istanbul or Mumbai, New York or Kibbutz Beeri, he said.

Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza continues to be grim. The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that 46 out of its 72 health care facilities have ceased to function. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has also warned that it is on the verge of ending operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel has allowed a few aid trucks to enter Gaza, but it is yet to permit fuel.

In a positive development, Hamas released two more hostages  two elderly Israeli women named Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper  on Monday night. After her release, 85-year-old Yocheved told reporters that she was beaten while being taken away on a bike, and was forced to walk several kilometres on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web.

No licence to kill: Qatar

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, which negotiates with Hamas for the safety of hostages, on Tuesday said Israel cant have an unconditional licence to kill civilians in Gaza

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Even as Israel has delayed its plan to roll tanks into Gaza, its airstrikes on potential Hamas targets in Gaza have continued unabated. Hamas-controlled health ministry officials in Gaza claimed that several hundred people were killed in the past 24 hours. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is finalising its military strategy for the ground offensive, the US thinks the IDF lacks achievable military goals for Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. Israel is considering two options: a major ground offensive or a combo operation of surgical strikes-cum-targeted raids by special forces. According to a New York Times report, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been holding daily deliberations with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. The US has advised Israel against rushing its ground forces to Gaza, which will take a heavy toll on both sides. Fighting Hamas terrorists, who operate from underground tunnels and densely populated areas, will be risky and the strategy needs to be thought-through, Austin reportedly told Gallant, while adding the ground offensive will be a long-drawn battle. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Addressing the UN Security Council ministerial meeting on the situation in West Asia on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken drew a parallel between terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba in Mumbai and by Hamas in Israel. All acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable... whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali, Istanbul or Mumbai, New York or Kibbutz Beeri, he said. Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza continues to be grim. The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that 46 out of its 72 health care facilities have ceased to function. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has also warned that it is on the verge of ending operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel has allowed a few aid trucks to enter Gaza, but it is yet to permit fuel. In a positive development, Hamas released two more hostages  two elderly Israeli women named Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper  on Monday night. After her release, 85-year-old Yocheved told reporters that she was beaten while being taken away on a bike, and was forced to walk several kilometres on wet ground to reach a network of tunnels that looked like a spider web. No licence to kill: Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, which negotiates with Hamas for the safety of hostages, on Tuesday said Israel cant have an unconditional licence to kill civilians in Gaza Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The judgement in the ongoing trial of eight Indian naval veterans in Doha will be announced on Thursday. The families of the eight naval veterans are hopeful that their repatriation is round the corner.

"We are hoping to have them back by Diwali. There is optimism in our houses and we are presuming that they will be back," said a relative of one of the veterans.

The eight veterans are Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh.

They were picked up by Qatars Ministry of Interior on August 30, 2022 for questioning and never returned home. They were kept in solitary confinement and were later charge sheeted (details of which have not yet been made public).

In October 2022, they were asked to go back home and pack their bags to return to India, but by the time they returned with their bags there was a change of heart and they were sent back to their solitary confinement cells. The bags that these veterans had brought with them are in their possession in their cells. They have been living under twin sharing basis for the past few months.

The eight worked for Dhara Consultancies which had to down its shutters earlier this year.

"The seventh hearing on the charges that have been levelled against officers was held on October 3. On October 1, Indias Ambassador in Doha and Deputy Head of Mission met the eight naval veterans. We have also been in touch with their families on a regular basis, extending all possible assistance," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said earlier.

ALSO READ | Fearing arrest over story on jailed naval veterans, Indian journalist and husband flee Doha

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NEW DELHI: The judgement in the ongoing trial of eight Indian naval veterans in Doha will be announced on Thursday. The families of the eight naval veterans are hopeful that their repatriation is round the corner. "We are hoping to have them back by Diwali. There is optimism in our houses and we are presuming that they will be back," said a relative of one of the veterans. The eight veterans are Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); They were picked up by Qatars Ministry of Interior on August 30, 2022 for questioning and never returned home. They were kept in solitary confinement and were later charge sheeted (details of which have not yet been made public). In October 2022, they were asked to go back home and pack their bags to return to India, but by the time they returned with their bags there was a change of heart and they were sent back to their solitary confinement cells. The bags that these veterans had brought with them are in their possession in their cells. They have been living under twin sharing basis for the past few months. The eight worked for Dhara Consultancies which had to down its shutters earlier this year. "The seventh hearing on the charges that have been levelled against officers was held on October 3. On October 1, Indias Ambassador in Doha and Deputy Head of Mission met the eight naval veterans. We have also been in touch with their families on a regular basis, extending all possible assistance," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said earlier. ALSO READ | Fearing arrest over story on jailed naval veterans, Indian journalist and husband flee Doha Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Online Desk

A man was brutally crushed to death by his brother in Rajasthan's Bharatpur over a plot of land, NDTV reported.

The disturbing video of the incident was shared widely on social media. In the video, the accused can be seen driving the tractor back and forth eight times until his sibling died.

The deceased person was identified as Nirpat, whereas the accused was identified as Damaodar. Their families were involved in a long-drawn dispute over a piece of land in Bharatpur.

We got information about a clash between two groups belonging to the Gurjar community in village Adda. When police reached the spot, it was found that during this fight a man came under a moving tractor and died. The tractor driver is being identified. Other injured in this incident have been admitted to the hospital. Three days ago, there was a clash between these two groups, ASP Bayana, Bharatpur district, told ANI.

Police said when the clash broke out, one of Atar Singhs sons, Nirpat, fell to the ground and his brother ran over him eight times with the tractor until he died.

Even though other family members intervened in the fight, Damodar allegedly refused to stop and brutally killed his brother on the spot. A few other family members were also injured in the incident.

The police said they had registered a case and detained four persons, including the accused for further investigations.

Meanwhile, the incident took a political turn after the BJP slammed the ruling Congress over the gruesome murder.

#WATCH | Delhi: BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra says, "A video is viral from Bayana of Rajasthan's Bharatpur where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him... It is not just about the murder of one person...this is about the whole of Rajasthan, it is about https://t.co/lhxMOia4br pic.twitter.com/pJl84Vt46a  ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023

BJP's spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "A video is viral from Bayana of Rajasthans Bharatpur where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him. It is not just about the murder of one person. This is about the whole of Rajasthan, it is about all Congress-ruled states."

"Priyanka Vadra is reaching Rajasthan today. I demand her to visit that village before addressing the rally. She should go there and suspend the police officials, DM, SP and show that she has the courage to take a stand and she is not just for speeches and sloganeering. She has to project that she has a spine. This is a call to Priyanka Vadra. I challenge her to go there first, Sambit Patra said.

Watch video

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

A man was brutally crushed to death by his brother in Rajasthan's Bharatpur over a plot of land, NDTV reported. The disturbing video of the incident was shared widely on social media. In the video, the accused can be seen driving the tractor back and forth eight times until his sibling died. The deceased person was identified as Nirpat, whereas the accused was identified as Damaodar. Their families were involved in a long-drawn dispute over a piece of land in Bharatpur.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We got information about a clash between two groups belonging to the Gurjar community in village Adda. When police reached the spot, it was found that during this fight a man came under a moving tractor and died. The tractor driver is being identified. Other injured in this incident have been admitted to the hospital. Three days ago, there was a clash between these two groups, ASP Bayana, Bharatpur district, told ANI. Police said when the clash broke out, one of Atar Singhs sons, Nirpat, fell to the ground and his brother ran over him eight times with the tractor until he died. Even though other family members intervened in the fight, Damodar allegedly refused to stop and brutally killed his brother on the spot. A few other family members were also injured in the incident. The police said they had registered a case and detained four persons, including the accused for further investigations. Meanwhile, the incident took a political turn after the BJP slammed the ruling Congress over the gruesome murder. #WATCH | Delhi: BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra says, "A video is viral from Bayana of Rajasthan's Bharatpur where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him... It is not just about the murder of one person...this is about the whole of Rajasthan, it is about https://t.co/lhxMOia4br pic.twitter.com/pJl84Vt46a  ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023 BJP's spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "A video is viral from Bayana of Rajasthans Bharatpur where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him. It is not just about the murder of one person. This is about the whole of Rajasthan, it is about all Congress-ruled states." "Priyanka Vadra is reaching Rajasthan today. I demand her to visit that village before addressing the rally. She should go there and suspend the police officials, DM, SP and show that she has the courage to take a stand and she is not just for speeches and sloganeering. She has to project that she has a spine. This is a call to Priyanka Vadra. I challenge her to go there first, Sambit Patra said. Watch video Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: When the countrys biggest festival of democracy  the Lok Sabha election  is around the corner, politics cannot be kept away from Bengals biggest religious festival, Durga Puja. Though political parties have used the platform of Durga Puja for years to propagate their ideology and policies to the people through bookstalls near pandals, the activities were seen more visible during this year's festival with the general elections inching closer.

Though the Left parties, including the CPI(M), have traditionally stayed away from Puja committees, their bookstalls have been synonymous since 1952, with nearly 700 bookstalls set up across the state this Puja season. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) also realised the importance of the outreach through bookstalls over the years and the party had the highest concentration of bookstalls across the state with 2,000 odd outlets, while the BJP also joined the literary outreach by setting up around 1,000 bookstalls across the state.

The CPI(M) set up more than 150 bookstalls in Kolkata and 100 more in its adjoining districts. The National Book Agency, CPI(M)s publishing house, has more than 250 of its own titles and hundreds of books from other publications. The bookstall at Jadavpur was inaugurated by Left Front chairman and CPI(M) veteran Biman Bose and the unit sold books amounting to over Rs 2 lakh.

"Our focus was on the youth among the Puja crowd. We have been doing this before anybody else, since 1952. For generations, the festival has been synonymous with the concept of out bookstalls," Anirudhha Chakrabarty, publisher of the agency.

Meanwhile, Jago Bangla, the mouthpiece of TMC set up most of the ruling party's bookstall. "The aim was to reach the most number of people. The books written by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were the main attractions in the TMCs bookstalls. Her new collection of poetry, Kabita, was among the top sellers at its stalls across the state this year," said a senior TMC leader.

However, the BJP had fewer stalls in South Bengal compared to the northern part of the state, the region which is considered the partys stronghold. Most books at the stalls put up by the saffron camp were on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the history of the BJP and its connection with Bengal.

"The popularity of Narendra Modi is high in Bengal. It was reflected in common peoples choice as they wanted to buy books on him. Spreading Hindutva ideology in Bengal was also our priority through the bookstalls," said a BJP leader.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

KOLKATA: When the countrys biggest festival of democracy  the Lok Sabha election  is around the corner, politics cannot be kept away from Bengals biggest religious festival, Durga Puja. Though political parties have used the platform of Durga Puja for years to propagate their ideology and policies to the people through bookstalls near pandals, the activities were seen more visible during this year's festival with the general elections inching closer. Though the Left parties, including the CPI(M), have traditionally stayed away from Puja committees, their bookstalls have been synonymous since 1952, with nearly 700 bookstalls set up across the state this Puja season. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) also realised the importance of the outreach through bookstalls over the years and the party had the highest concentration of bookstalls across the state with 2,000 odd outlets, while the BJP also joined the literary outreach by setting up around 1,000 bookstalls across the state. The CPI(M) set up more than 150 bookstalls in Kolkata and 100 more in its adjoining districts. The National Book Agency, CPI(M)s publishing house, has more than 250 of its own titles and hundreds of books from other publications. The bookstall at Jadavpur was inaugurated by Left Front chairman and CPI(M) veteran Biman Bose and the unit sold books amounting to over Rs 2 lakh.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Our focus was on the youth among the Puja crowd. We have been doing this before anybody else, since 1952. For generations, the festival has been synonymous with the concept of out bookstalls," Anirudhha Chakrabarty, publisher of the agency. Meanwhile, Jago Bangla, the mouthpiece of TMC set up most of the ruling party's bookstall. "The aim was to reach the most number of people. The books written by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were the main attractions in the TMCs bookstalls. Her new collection of poetry, Kabita, was among the top sellers at its stalls across the state this year," said a senior TMC leader. However, the BJP had fewer stalls in South Bengal compared to the northern part of the state, the region which is considered the partys stronghold. Most books at the stalls put up by the saffron camp were on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the history of the BJP and its connection with Bengal. "The popularity of Narendra Modi is high in Bengal. It was reflected in common peoples choice as they wanted to buy books on him. Spreading Hindutva ideology in Bengal was also our priority through the bookstalls," said a BJP leader. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will hand over provisional appointment letters to 25,000 candidates at a function being held in Patna's Gandhi Maidan on November 2 amid rising demand of opposition parties to conduct a probe into the recruitment exercise.

On Wednesday a number of candidates held a demonstration before the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) office alleging irregularities in the results. The candidates alleged that the results of those who had submitted fake certificates had been published as part of the counselling list.

They demanded that a fair probe be conducted to provide justice to bonafide candidates, whose names didn't figure in the final list.

The examination for the appointment of 1.70 lakh teachers in government schools was conducted by the BPSC, with the commission publishing its results from October 17 onward.

The controversy took a political overtone after former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi alleged discrepancies in the results published by the BPSC. Manjhi's HAM is now a part of the NDA.

Manjhi compared the teachers' recruitment irregularities with the much-highlighted 'land for jobs' scam in the railways. "In railways, it was land for job scam but in the case of teachers' recruitment it seems to be money for jobs," former CM said alleging that reservation provisions were also ignored.

"Many people will be exposed if a fair probe is conducted in the teachers recruitment exercise. It's a cruel joke with bonafide candidates who toiled hard to be appointed as teachers in government-run schools. Justice should be done with bonafide candidates," he added.

On the other hand, the leader of Opposition in the state legislative assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha also criticised the state government for its failure to conduct fair appointment of teachers.

Taking a dig at CM Nitish Kumar's programme to hand over provision appointment letters, Sinha said, "I have not heard of a recruitment exercise in which provision appointment letters are issued."

Meanwhile, BPSC chairman Atul Prasad Sinha said that cut-off marks for the School Teacher Competitive Examination for classes 1, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be released soon on the official website of the commission. "Once the cut-off marks are out, candidates will be able to download it," Sinha said.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will hand over provisional appointment letters to 25,000 candidates at a function being held in Patna's Gandhi Maidan on November 2 amid rising demand of opposition parties to conduct a probe into the recruitment exercise. On Wednesday a number of candidates held a demonstration before the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) office alleging irregularities in the results. The candidates alleged that the results of those who had submitted fake certificates had been published as part of the counselling list. They demanded that a fair probe be conducted to provide justice to bonafide candidates, whose names didn't figure in the final list.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The examination for the appointment of 1.70 lakh teachers in government schools was conducted by the BPSC, with the commission publishing its results from October 17 onward. The controversy took a political overtone after former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi alleged discrepancies in the results published by the BPSC. Manjhi's HAM is now a part of the NDA. Manjhi compared the teachers' recruitment irregularities with the much-highlighted 'land for jobs' scam in the railways. "In railways, it was land for job scam but in the case of teachers' recruitment it seems to be money for jobs," former CM said alleging that reservation provisions were also ignored. "Many people will be exposed if a fair probe is conducted in the teachers recruitment exercise. It's a cruel joke with bonafide candidates who toiled hard to be appointed as teachers in government-run schools. Justice should be done with bonafide candidates," he added. On the other hand, the leader of Opposition in the state legislative assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha also criticised the state government for its failure to conduct fair appointment of teachers. Taking a dig at CM Nitish Kumar's programme to hand over provision appointment letters, Sinha said, "I have not heard of a recruitment exercise in which provision appointment letters are issued." Meanwhile, BPSC chairman Atul Prasad Sinha said that cut-off marks for the School Teacher Competitive Examination for classes 1, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be released soon on the official website of the commission. "Once the cut-off marks are out, candidates will be able to download it," Sinha said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A panel set up for revising the NCERT textbooks has recommended that India should be replaced with Bharat in all social science textbooks up to Class 12.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, the committee chairperson, C I Isaac, said the panel has suggested replacing the name "India" with "Bharat" in the textbooks, introducing classical history, instead of ancient history, in the curriculum and including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects.

He said he, as the chairperson, has signed the recommendations, and it has been shared with the education ministry.

The committee has also suggested highlighting Hindu victories in textbooks.

The recommendations have been shared with the education ministry. It now depends on the ministry and the NCERT whether they want to implement the suggestion from next academic year, Isaac, who is heading the seven-member Social Science committee, said.

It was a unanimous decision of all the members to replace the name from India to Bharat in the textbooks for students across classes, said Issac, who is a historian and Padma Shri awardee.

However, NCERT Chairman Dinesh Saklani said no decision has yet been taken on the panel's recommendations.

NCERT on X, formerly Twitter, posted that, "NCERT states that since the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified by the NCERT. So, it is too premature to comment."

Isaac said that Bharat is an age-old name and has been used in ancient texts, such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. The name India came much later with the invasion of Turks, Afghans and Greeks. Kalidasa used the name, Bharat.

Bharat was used officially when the centre sent out G20 invites in the name of "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India." Later, the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi also read "Bharat" instead of India.

Isaac said the committee has also recommended highlighting Hindu victories in various battles in the textbooks.

Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not," he said.

Isaac, who is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), said, The British had divided Indian history into three phases -- ancient, medieval and modern - showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress.

Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools, along with medieval and modern periods," he added.

The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.

Issac has been closely associated with the Sangh Parivar organisations for the past several decades and also served as vice president of the right-wing think-tank Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram.

He worked as a History Professor at the CMS College, Kottayam.

The other members of the committee include ICHR Chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of the Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who teaches sociology in a Haryana government school.

The panel chaired by Issac is among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes. Likewise, the states had also constituted 25 groups each on the same subjects and themes to send inputs to the NCERT as part of the new curriculum and textbook development exercise.

The panels suggestion for replacing India with Bharat received flak from opposition parties.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, "They are suggesting so many things. You can see how they are distorting the history of India through the textbook, syllabus, and everything...For us, India and Bharat are equal,"

AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar said, It shows the fear PM Modi has of the INDIA alliance. His alliance partners are leaving him. Instead of changing names, efforts should be made to focus on issues of joblessness, inflation, and corruption.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said, "The BJP is resorting to name-change politics to divert the attention of people from its misdeeds and maladministration."

Congress leader Jignesh Mevani said the move was disrespectful towards the Indian Constitution in which 'India, that is, Bharat' is written. "Both words can be used interchangeably," he added.

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NEW DELHI: A panel set up for revising the NCERT textbooks has recommended that India should be replaced with Bharat in all social science textbooks up to Class 12. Speaking to The New Indian Express, the committee chairperson, C I Isaac, said the panel has suggested replacing the name "India" with "Bharat" in the textbooks, introducing classical history, instead of ancient history, in the curriculum and including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects. He said he, as the chairperson, has signed the recommendations, and it has been shared with the education ministry.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The committee has also suggested highlighting Hindu victories in textbooks. The recommendations have been shared with the education ministry. It now depends on the ministry and the NCERT whether they want to implement the suggestion from next academic year, Isaac, who is heading the seven-member Social Science committee, said. It was a unanimous decision of all the members to replace the name from India to Bharat in the textbooks for students across classes, said Issac, who is a historian and Padma Shri awardee. However, NCERT Chairman Dinesh Saklani said no decision has yet been taken on the panel's recommendations. NCERT on X, formerly Twitter, posted that, "NCERT states that since the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified by the NCERT. So, it is too premature to comment." Isaac said that Bharat is an age-old name and has been used in ancient texts, such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. The name India came much later with the invasion of Turks, Afghans and Greeks. Kalidasa used the name, Bharat. Bharat was used officially when the centre sent out G20 invites in the name of "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India." Later, the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi also read "Bharat" instead of India. Isaac said the committee has also recommended highlighting Hindu victories in various battles in the textbooks. Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not," he said. Isaac, who is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), said, The British had divided Indian history into three phases -- ancient, medieval and modern - showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress. Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools, along with medieval and modern periods," he added. The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes. Issac has been closely associated with the Sangh Parivar organisations for the past several decades and also served as vice president of the right-wing think-tank Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram. He worked as a History Professor at the CMS College, Kottayam. The other members of the committee include ICHR Chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of the Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who teaches sociology in a Haryana government school. The panel chaired by Issac is among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes. Likewise, the states had also constituted 25 groups each on the same subjects and themes to send inputs to the NCERT as part of the new curriculum and textbook development exercise. The panels suggestion for replacing India with Bharat received flak from opposition parties. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, "They are suggesting so many things. You can see how they are distorting the history of India through the textbook, syllabus, and everything...For us, India and Bharat are equal," AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar said, It shows the fear PM Modi has of the INDIA alliance. His alliance partners are leaving him. Instead of changing names, efforts should be made to focus on issues of joblessness, inflation, and corruption. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said, "The BJP is resorting to name-change politics to divert the attention of people from its misdeeds and maladministration." Congress leader Jignesh Mevani said the move was disrespectful towards the Indian Constitution in which 'India, that is, Bharat' is written. "Both words can be used interchangeably," he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Online Desk

A Delhi Court on Wednesday sent NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty to custodial remand till November 2, 2023.

They were produced in the court on the expiry of their 15-day judicial custody granted by the Delhi court earlier.

The founder, Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Chakraborty were arrested on October 3 after the Delhi Police searched 30 locations connected with the news portal and its journalists in a case filed under the UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.

According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal allegedly came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country.

It also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

READ MORE | NewsClick rejects allegations levelled in FIR against it as untenable, bogus

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

A Delhi Court on Wednesday sent NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty to custodial remand till November 2, 2023. They were produced in the court on the expiry of their 15-day judicial custody granted by the Delhi court earlier. The founder, Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Chakraborty were arrested on October 3 after the Delhi Police searched 30 locations connected with the news portal and its journalists in a case filed under the UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal allegedly came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country. It also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. READ MORE | NewsClick rejects allegations levelled in FIR against it as untenable, bogus Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The death of two Agniveers has reignited the debate on the welfare measures for soldiers serving the Indian Army under the Agniveer scheme. Sources, however, said that the policy wont be revisited. The policy regarding the induction and the associated benefits concerning the youth serving under the scheme was fixed by the government in June last year and there is no ongoing discussion to bring any changes in them, sources said.

Agniveer (Operator) Gawate Akshay Laxman died in the line of duty in Siachen on October 22. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a post on X said Laxmans family will receive no gratuity, pension or other benefits, adding the Agniveer scheme is an insult to jawans.

On October 11, the Army had faced criticism after Agniveer Amritpal Singh, 19, who died in Jammu, was not accorded a military funeral. The Army later clarified that it was because he died of a self-inflicting wound. Officials said no guard of honour is provided when the death is by suicide.

Regarding Agniveer Laxman, sources in the defence establishment said he will get all the emoluments as per the terms of engagement of Agniveers in the case of demise as a battle casualty. Accordingly, the next of kin of a deceased battle casualty Agniveer will receive Rs 48 lakh non-contributory insurance and ex-gratia of Rs 44 lakh, sources said

Besides, Seva Nidhi contributed by the Agniveer, with equal matching contribution by the government plus interest, will be paid to the family. The next of kin will receive pay for the balance tenure from the date of death, till completion of four years. There would be a contribution from the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund as well, sources added.

Agniveer scheme

Under the Agniveer scheme, youth in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years are inducted for a period of four years. It also helps make the armed forces youthful

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

NEW DELHI: The death of two Agniveers has reignited the debate on the welfare measures for soldiers serving the Indian Army under the Agniveer scheme. Sources, however, said that the policy wont be revisited. The policy regarding the induction and the associated benefits concerning the youth serving under the scheme was fixed by the government in June last year and there is no ongoing discussion to bring any changes in them, sources said. Agniveer (Operator) Gawate Akshay Laxman died in the line of duty in Siachen on October 22. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a post on X said Laxmans family will receive no gratuity, pension or other benefits, adding the Agniveer scheme is an insult to jawans. On October 11, the Army had faced criticism after Agniveer Amritpal Singh, 19, who died in Jammu, was not accorded a military funeral. The Army later clarified that it was because he died of a self-inflicting wound. Officials said no guard of honour is provided when the death is by suicide.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Regarding Agniveer Laxman, sources in the defence establishment said he will get all the emoluments as per the terms of engagement of Agniveers in the case of demise as a battle casualty. Accordingly, the next of kin of a deceased battle casualty Agniveer will receive Rs 48 lakh non-contributory insurance and ex-gratia of Rs 44 lakh, sources said Besides, Seva Nidhi contributed by the Agniveer, with equal matching contribution by the government plus interest, will be paid to the family. The next of kin will receive pay for the balance tenure from the date of death, till completion of four years. There would be a contribution from the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund as well, sources added. Agniveer scheme Under the Agniveer scheme, youth in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years are inducted for a period of four years. It also helps make the armed forces youthful Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon citizens to end distortions such as casteism and regionalism that are disturbing harmony in the society. In his Dussehra speech, the PM said the festival should also mark the burning of ideologies that are not about Indias development.

After burning an effigy of Ravana, the PM said, We have to create an India of Lord Rams ideas. A developed India, which is self-reliant. A developed India, which gives the message of world peace, where everyone has equal right to fulfill their dreams and where people feel prosperity and satisfaction.

We should pledge to end social ills and discrimination, he said, adding that every evil that disturbs the social harmony should be burnt as well. Talking about the Ram temple being built at Ayodhya, the PM said, Today, we are fortunate that we are able to see the grandest temple of Lord Rama being built. Bhagwan Shri Ram bas aane hi wale hain (Lord Rams arrival is imminent), he said, asserting that prayers at the temple during the next Ramnavami will spread happiness in the entire world. The temple will be completed in a few months and it marks the victory of peoples patience, he said.

The Prime Minister noted that the building of Ram temple is happening amid many auspicious developments and cited Indias successful lunar mission, inauguration of new Parliament building and the enactment of womens reservation law. We know maryada of Lord Ram as well as also how to defend our borders, the Prime Minister said.

Referring to the tradition of shashtra puja (worshiping of weapons), the PM said shastra puja is in practice in India not to dominate or grab the land of others, but to protect its own land. Modi also asked people to take 10 pledges, including helping at least one poor family to raise its socio-economic status.

The country will become a developed nation when everyone is developed, he said. As long as there is even a single poor person in the country who does not have basic facilities, we will not rest, he said.

The other causes he mentioned included saving water, digital transactions, cleanliness, vocal for local, quality work, domestic tourism, natural farming, consumption of millets and fitness.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon citizens to end distortions such as casteism and regionalism that are disturbing harmony in the society. In his Dussehra speech, the PM said the festival should also mark the burning of ideologies that are not about Indias development. After burning an effigy of Ravana, the PM said, We have to create an India of Lord Rams ideas. A developed India, which is self-reliant. A developed India, which gives the message of world peace, where everyone has equal right to fulfill their dreams and where people feel prosperity and satisfaction. We should pledge to end social ills and discrimination, he said, adding that every evil that disturbs the social harmony should be burnt as well. Talking about the Ram temple being built at Ayodhya, the PM said, Today, we are fortunate that we are able to see the grandest temple of Lord Rama being built. Bhagwan Shri Ram bas aane hi wale hain (Lord Rams arrival is imminent), he said, asserting that prayers at the temple during the next Ramnavami will spread happiness in the entire world. The temple will be completed in a few months and it marks the victory of peoples patience, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Prime Minister noted that the building of Ram temple is happening amid many auspicious developments and cited Indias successful lunar mission, inauguration of new Parliament building and the enactment of womens reservation law. We know maryada of Lord Ram as well as also how to defend our borders, the Prime Minister said. Referring to the tradition of shashtra puja (worshiping of weapons), the PM said shastra puja is in practice in India not to dominate or grab the land of others, but to protect its own land. Modi also asked people to take 10 pledges, including helping at least one poor family to raise its socio-economic status. The country will become a developed nation when everyone is developed, he said. As long as there is even a single poor person in the country who does not have basic facilities, we will not rest, he said. The other causes he mentioned included saving water, digital transactions, cleanliness, vocal for local, quality work, domestic tourism, natural farming, consumption of millets and fitness. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

RAIPUR: Senior BJP leaders have expressed deep concern with the Chhattisgarh chief electoral officer over the alleged targeted killing of their leaders with no preventive measures taken in the state. The party has sought the removal of senior officers, including the home secretary and the DGP.

In a complaint, the BJP demanded an immediate probe into the murder of tribal party leader Birjhu Taram in Mohala-Manpur. He was killed by suspected Maoists, about 120 km from state capital Raipur on October 20. The party has also demanded the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in the hypersensitive areas to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls.

The BJP doesnt wish to lose steam in the ongoing campaign for the upcoming polls amid the threat in an edgy Bastar zone and other areas affected by left-wing extremism. According to the BJP leaders, Tarams family had earlier conveyed the threat faced in his area, but the administration neither undertook any security measures nor any preventive measures, the family said.

Its a planned murder. It is also a political conspiracy to secure power. The state government led by Congress failed to check the target killings of BJP office-bearers in an attempt to terrify our party leaders and cadres. But violence has no place in democracy and we will fight for justice, said Arun Sao, state BJP president.

The state government had accepted 35 such killings of political workers in Chhattisgarh, but took no action against the accused, alleged Sunil Soni, Raipur Lok Sabha MP who led a party delegation to the chief electoral officer.

During the last seven months, the Maoists have attacked as many as seven local BJP leaders, killing six of them. The party also suspects that one of its leaders, Chandrashekhar Giri, in Dhamtari district was murdered. However, the initial probe revealed that he was allegedly killed by his brothers in a property dispute.

Recent killings

Feb 5: Mandal chief Neelkanth Kakkam shot in Bijapur

Feb 10: District leader Sagar Sahu gunned down

Feb11: Party activist Ramdhar Alami killed

March 29: Deputy sarpanch Ramji Dodi hacked in Narayanpur

June 21: ST Morcha district chief Kaka Arjun killed in Bijapur

Aug 21: Mahesh Gota kidnapped in Bijapur

Oct 14: Chandrashekhar Giri killed in Dhamtari

Oct 20: Birjhu Taram shot in Mohala-Manpur.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

RAIPUR: Senior BJP leaders have expressed deep concern with the Chhattisgarh chief electoral officer over the alleged targeted killing of their leaders with no preventive measures taken in the state. The party has sought the removal of senior officers, including the home secretary and the DGP. In a complaint, the BJP demanded an immediate probe into the murder of tribal party leader Birjhu Taram in Mohala-Manpur. He was killed by suspected Maoists, about 120 km from state capital Raipur on October 20. The party has also demanded the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in the hypersensitive areas to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls. The BJP doesnt wish to lose steam in the ongoing campaign for the upcoming polls amid the threat in an edgy Bastar zone and other areas affected by left-wing extremism. According to the BJP leaders, Tarams family had earlier conveyed the threat faced in his area, but the administration neither undertook any security measures nor any preventive measures, the family said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Its a planned murder. It is also a political conspiracy to secure power. The state government led by Congress failed to check the target killings of BJP office-bearers in an attempt to terrify our party leaders and cadres. But violence has no place in democracy and we will fight for justice, said Arun Sao, state BJP president. The state government had accepted 35 such killings of political workers in Chhattisgarh, but took no action against the accused, alleged Sunil Soni, Raipur Lok Sabha MP who led a party delegation to the chief electoral officer. During the last seven months, the Maoists have attacked as many as seven local BJP leaders, killing six of them. The party also suspects that one of its leaders, Chandrashekhar Giri, in Dhamtari district was murdered. However, the initial probe revealed that he was allegedly killed by his brothers in a property dispute. Recent killings Feb 5: Mandal chief Neelkanth Kakkam shot in Bijapur Feb 10: District leader Sagar Sahu gunned down Feb11: Party activist Ramdhar Alami killed March 29: Deputy sarpanch Ramji Dodi hacked in Narayanpur June 21: ST Morcha district chief Kaka Arjun killed in Bijapur Aug 21: Mahesh Gota kidnapped in Bijapur Oct 14: Chandrashekhar Giri killed in Dhamtari Oct 20: Birjhu Taram shot in Mohala-Manpur. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday performed Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and interacted with the troops deployed in the frontline locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday visited the forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh and carried out first-hand on-ground assessment of operational preparedness of the armed forces there, the defence ministry said. Rajnath Singh expressed gratitude to the unyielding spirit, unwavering commitment and unparalleled courage of the troops who are deployed on the borders in tough conditions, and who ensures that the nation and its people are safe.

Tawang town is inhabited by more than 50,000 people. Called the little Tibet by China, it is one of the contentious areas which China claims as its own. The defence ninister also visited the Tawang War Memorial where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 war. He was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita; GOC, 4 Corps Lt Gen Manish Erry and other senior officers of the Indian Army. Singh also visited the 4 (Gajraj) Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam. Gajraj Corps handles the counter insurgency role in Assam and is also responsible for defence of the Line of Actual Control with China in Western Arunachal Pradesh.

In view of the current global scenario, Singh asserted that there is no option but to bolster the countrys security apparatus, underlining that all efforts are being made by the government to strengthen the nations military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment.

Highlighting self reliance in defence, Rajnath Singh said, Earlier, we used to rely on imports to upgrade our military. But today, a number of major weapons and platforms are being manufactured within the country. Foreign companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with domestic industry. In 2014, the value of defence exports was about `1,000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores, he said.



Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday performed Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and interacted with the troops deployed in the frontline locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday visited the forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh and carried out first-hand on-ground assessment of operational preparedness of the armed forces there, the defence ministry said. Rajnath Singh expressed gratitude to the unyielding spirit, unwavering commitment and unparalleled courage of the troops who are deployed on the borders in tough conditions, and who ensures that the nation and its people are safe. Tawang town is inhabited by more than 50,000 people. Called the little Tibet by China, it is one of the contentious areas which China claims as its own. The defence ninister also visited the Tawang War Memorial where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 war. He was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita; GOC, 4 Corps Lt Gen Manish Erry and other senior officers of the Indian Army. Singh also visited the 4 (Gajraj) Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam. Gajraj Corps handles the counter insurgency role in Assam and is also responsible for defence of the Line of Actual Control with China in Western Arunachal Pradesh.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In view of the current global scenario, Singh asserted that there is no option but to bolster the countrys security apparatus, underlining that all efforts are being made by the government to strengthen the nations military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment. Highlighting self reliance in defence, Rajnath Singh said, Earlier, we used to rely on imports to upgrade our military. But today, a number of major weapons and platforms are being manufactured within the country. Foreign companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with domestic industry. In 2014, the value of defence exports was about `1,000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday said that the idol of Lord Ram would be consecrated in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Confirming the date of consecration, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai said that PM Narendra Modi had accepted the invitation to be a part of the ceremony.

The members of the temple trust along with treasurer Govind Giriji Maharaj and chairman, Temple Construction Committee, Nripendra Mishra, had met PM Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"Today we, the members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Keshtra Trust, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We invited him (PM Modi) to come to Ayodhya to install the idol of Lord Ram in the Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) on January 22, 2024. He has accepted our request. He will be present during the ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. The date for 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) on January 22 is confirmed," Champat Rai said.

He added that for the consecration ceremony, which would take place at 12:30 pm on January 22, 4000 saints and seers from across the country and around 2500 dignitaries would be present.

After meeting the temple trust members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his happiness through a post on social media site X.

The PM said he felt blessed and it was his good fortune that he would be a witness to such a historic occasion.

"Jai Siya Ram! Today is a day full of emotions. Recently, the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come to meet me at my residence. They invited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of consecration of Shri Ram temple. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion," wrote PM Modi on X.

Earlier, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had hinted at January 22 as the date for the consecration ceremony during his Vijayadashmi address on Tuesday.

The RSS chief had said that the idol of Lord Ram would be installed at the Ayodhya temple on January 22. He had asked people to organise programmes at temples across the country to celebrate the occasion.

It may be recalled that the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram temple was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020 following the Supreme Court's verdict on November 9, 2019 to settle the vexed Ayodhya issue and paving way for the construction of a grand Ram temple.

Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust to oversee the temple construction on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises and take all decisions regarding it.

The preparations for the consecration ceremony are on at a war footing in the temple town with the first floor of the upcoming temple comprising the sanctum sanctorum nearing completion.

As per temple trust sources, around five lakh devotees are expected from across the globe to witness the consecration ceremony. The celebrations would start from January 15 and continue till January 25.

ALSO READ | UP gears up to tackle pilgrims rush in Ayodhya

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

LUCKNOW: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday said that the idol of Lord Ram would be consecrated in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Confirming the date of consecration, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai said that PM Narendra Modi had accepted the invitation to be a part of the ceremony. The members of the temple trust along with treasurer Govind Giriji Maharaj and chairman, Temple Construction Committee, Nripendra Mishra, had met PM Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Today we, the members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Keshtra Trust, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We invited him (PM Modi) to come to Ayodhya to install the idol of Lord Ram in the Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) on January 22, 2024. He has accepted our request. He will be present during the ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. The date for 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) on January 22 is confirmed," Champat Rai said. He added that for the consecration ceremony, which would take place at 12:30 pm on January 22, 4000 saints and seers from across the country and around 2500 dignitaries would be present. After meeting the temple trust members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his happiness through a post on social media site X. The PM said he felt blessed and it was his good fortune that he would be a witness to such a historic occasion. "Jai Siya Ram! Today is a day full of emotions. Recently, the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come to meet me at my residence. They invited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of consecration of Shri Ram temple. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion," wrote PM Modi on X. Earlier, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had hinted at January 22 as the date for the consecration ceremony during his Vijayadashmi address on Tuesday. The RSS chief had said that the idol of Lord Ram would be installed at the Ayodhya temple on January 22. He had asked people to organise programmes at temples across the country to celebrate the occasion. It may be recalled that the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram temple was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020 following the Supreme Court's verdict on November 9, 2019 to settle the vexed Ayodhya issue and paving way for the construction of a grand Ram temple. Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust to oversee the temple construction on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises and take all decisions regarding it. The preparations for the consecration ceremony are on at a war footing in the temple town with the first floor of the upcoming temple comprising the sanctum sanctorum nearing completion. As per temple trust sources, around five lakh devotees are expected from across the globe to witness the consecration ceremony. The celebrations would start from January 15 and continue till January 25. ALSO READ | UP gears up to tackle pilgrims rush in Ayodhya Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

BHOPAL: A retired district and sessions judge allegedly died by suicide at his home here, a police official said on Wednesday.

Prem Sinha (63), who was under treatment for depression, took the extreme step in the early hours of Tuesday, Habibganj police station in-charge Manish Raj Bhadoria said, quoting the judge's family members.

ALSO READ | Understanding suicide: Why now is a critical time to care about the looming crisis

According to a suicide note recovered from the spot where Sinha was found hanging, he took the extreme step as he was disturbed after getting "negative" thoughts.

After he retired as the district and sessions judge from Umaria, Sinha was posted as a member of a tribunal in the state.

Family members told the police that he had been depressed for the last one to two months and started living in a lonely place. They also took him to a doctor for treatment, Bhadoria said.

On Monday night, he was sleeping in his room. His wife raised an alarm around 4 a.m. when she did not find him on the bed. She then saw him hanging from a tin shade on their premises, he said.

ALSO READ | Using a global lens to situate suicide prevention in India

The family immediately brought Sinha down and rushed him to a hospital where doctors declared him dead after examination, the official said, adding that further investigations were underway.

Note: "Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call these numbers of local helpline services."

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BHOPAL: A retired district and sessions judge allegedly died by suicide at his home here, a police official said on Wednesday. Prem Sinha (63), who was under treatment for depression, took the extreme step in the early hours of Tuesday, Habibganj police station in-charge Manish Raj Bhadoria said, quoting the judge's family members. ALSO READ | Understanding suicide: Why now is a critical time to care about the looming crisisgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to a suicide note recovered from the spot where Sinha was found hanging, he took the extreme step as he was disturbed after getting "negative" thoughts. After he retired as the district and sessions judge from Umaria, Sinha was posted as a member of a tribunal in the state. Family members told the police that he had been depressed for the last one to two months and started living in a lonely place. They also took him to a doctor for treatment, Bhadoria said. On Monday night, he was sleeping in his room. His wife raised an alarm around 4 a.m. when she did not find him on the bed. She then saw him hanging from a tin shade on their premises, he said. ALSO READ | Using a global lens to situate suicide prevention in India The family immediately brought Sinha down and rushed him to a hospital where doctors declared him dead after examination, the official said, adding that further investigations were underway. Note: "Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call these numbers of local helpline services." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

JAIPUR: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday, saying its schemes are "hollow", whereas those framed by the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan are being implemented on the ground.

The Congress general secretary said a bill for women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies has been passed in Parliament, but it will take 10 years to implement it.

She also pointed out that 10 years have gone by since the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was announced.

"Their (Centre's) schemes are hollow, whereas the schemes of the Congress government (in Rajasthan) are being implemented on the ground," Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting in Jhunjhunu district of poll-bound Rajasthan.

She said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has understood that talking about religions and castes during polls will get votes for it.

"The Centre tries to suppress people.It only wants to be in power and secure its future," Gandhi said.

She also alleged that the BJP-led Centre is running for a select few industrialists and there is no hearing of public issues in this government.

The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.

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JAIPUR: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday, saying its schemes are "hollow", whereas those framed by the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan are being implemented on the ground. The Congress general secretary said a bill for women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies has been passed in Parliament, but it will take 10 years to implement it. She also pointed out that 10 years have gone by since the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was announced.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Their (Centre's) schemes are hollow, whereas the schemes of the Congress government (in Rajasthan) are being implemented on the ground," Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting in Jhunjhunu district of poll-bound Rajasthan. She said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has understood that talking about religions and castes during polls will get votes for it. "The Centre tries to suppress people.It only wants to be in power and secure its future," Gandhi said. She also alleged that the BJP-led Centre is running for a select few industrialists and there is no hearing of public issues in this government. The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Thursday its order on the quantum of sentence against the five accused in the killing of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008.

Vishwanathan, who was working with a leading English news channel here, was shot dead in the wee hours of September 30 on Nelson Mandela Marg while she was returning home from work.

Police had claimed that the motive behind the killing was robbery.

On October 18, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar for the offence of murder and common intention under the IPC.

They were also held guilty under provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for committing organised crime resulting in the death of the person.

The offences entail the death penalty as the maximum sentence.

The court also convicted the fifth accused Ajay Sethi under section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and MCOCA provisions for conspiring to abet, aid or knowingly facilitate organised crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised crime.

"Be put up for order on sentence after compliance of guideline, on October 26," the court had said.

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NEW DELHI: A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Thursday its order on the quantum of sentence against the five accused in the killing of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008. Vishwanathan, who was working with a leading English news channel here, was shot dead in the wee hours of September 30 on Nelson Mandela Marg while she was returning home from work. Police had claimed that the motive behind the killing was robbery.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On October 18, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar for the offence of murder and common intention under the IPC. They were also held guilty under provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for committing organised crime resulting in the death of the person. The offences entail the death penalty as the maximum sentence. The court also convicted the fifth accused Ajay Sethi under section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and MCOCA provisions for conspiring to abet, aid or knowingly facilitate organised crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised crime. "Be put up for order on sentence after compliance of guideline, on October 26," the court had said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

JAMSHEDPUR: Two persons were killed and four others injured when a truck toppled on people who were walking in a procession for the immersion of the idol of goddess Durga in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, officials said.

The accident happened at the Bodhanwala Ghat in Bistupur police station area on Tuesday evening when the truck was negotiating a slope, they said.

Two persons died at the Tata Main Hospital, where four other injured are undergoing treatment, Health Minister Banna Gupta said in a statement after visiting the healthcare facility.

The conditions of two of the injured are stated to be serious, police said.

The victims were members of the Kitadih Puja Committee in Bagbera, they said.

Gupta asked East Singhbhum's Civil Surgeon Dr Jujhar Majhi and the hospital authorities to ensure proper treatment of the injured persons.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren condoled the death of the two persons.

"May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved family members to bear this grief. The district administration is providing medical aid to the injured people. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured," he said.

The district administration appealed to the devotees to take care of their safety during the immersion.

A huge crowd thronged the roads of the 'Steel City' to witness immersion processions taken out by over 200 community Durga puja committees.

Meanwhile, Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato announced ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each for the families of the two deceased persons from his personal funds.

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JAMSHEDPUR: Two persons were killed and four others injured when a truck toppled on people who were walking in a procession for the immersion of the idol of goddess Durga in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, officials said. The accident happened at the Bodhanwala Ghat in Bistupur police station area on Tuesday evening when the truck was negotiating a slope, they said. Two persons died at the Tata Main Hospital, where four other injured are undergoing treatment, Health Minister Banna Gupta said in a statement after visiting the healthcare facility.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The conditions of two of the injured are stated to be serious, police said. The victims were members of the Kitadih Puja Committee in Bagbera, they said. Gupta asked East Singhbhum's Civil Surgeon Dr Jujhar Majhi and the hospital authorities to ensure proper treatment of the injured persons. Chief Minister Hemant Soren condoled the death of the two persons. "May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved family members to bear this grief. The district administration is providing medical aid to the injured people. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured," he said. The district administration appealed to the devotees to take care of their safety during the immersion. A huge crowd thronged the roads of the 'Steel City' to witness immersion processions taken out by over 200 community Durga puja committees. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato announced ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each for the families of the two deceased persons from his personal funds. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: After an elaborate survey of the madrasas running across the state to ascertain their legality, infrastructure and flow of funds, the Basic Education Department of Uttar Pradesh has started issuing notices to the unrecognised madrasas running without registration with UP Madrasa Education Board to fall in line or pay a penalty. Initiating the action, the Basic Education Department has issued notices to around a dozen unregistered madrasas operational in Muzaffarnagar district.

Through its notices, the department has levied a penalty of Rs 10,000 per day on unregistered madrasas if they fail to submit relevant documents within three working days of receiving the notice. The notices have been issued by the block education officer of Purkaji and also in the Morna block of the district to over a dozen madrasas operating without proper registration.

According to official statistics, there are over 24,000 madrasas in UP and only 16,000 are registered and recognised, while the rest are deemed to be illegal as they do not have registration with UP Madrasa Education Board.

According to Muzaffarnagar Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Shubham Shukla, the district minority department informed his office that over 100 madrasas were being run across the district against the norms as they did not have registration or recognition.

Shukla said that there is a provision to slap a fine of Rs 1 lakh if a madrasa did not stop functioning within a month after failing to produce the required documents of registration/affiliation, and thereafter, a fine of Rs 10,000 per day would be slapped.

Taking strong exception to the notice served to madrasas, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, an organisation of Indian Muslims called the education departments order "unlawful."

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Muslim body said the madrasas in the state were "harassed" by serving them illegal notices only to "target a particular community" as the madrasas were providing free-of-cost education to the students. The organisation also remarked that these madrasas would not be able to pay the fine of Rs 10,000 per day.

Meanwhile, the UP government has set up a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the fund flow and other attributes of around 4000 madrasas running along the Indo-Nepal border in around five districts bordering the Himalayan nation. As per the official sources, the state government had received inputs that these madrasas were receiving funds from foreign nations.

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LUCKNOW: After an elaborate survey of the madrasas running across the state to ascertain their legality, infrastructure and flow of funds, the Basic Education Department of Uttar Pradesh has started issuing notices to the unrecognised madrasas running without registration with UP Madrasa Education Board to fall in line or pay a penalty. Initiating the action, the Basic Education Department has issued notices to around a dozen unregistered madrasas operational in Muzaffarnagar district. Through its notices, the department has levied a penalty of Rs 10,000 per day on unregistered madrasas if they fail to submit relevant documents within three working days of receiving the notice. The notices have been issued by the block education officer of Purkaji and also in the Morna block of the district to over a dozen madrasas operating without proper registration. According to official statistics, there are over 24,000 madrasas in UP and only 16,000 are registered and recognised, while the rest are deemed to be illegal as they do not have registration with UP Madrasa Education Board.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to Muzaffarnagar Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Shubham Shukla, the district minority department informed his office that over 100 madrasas were being run across the district against the norms as they did not have registration or recognition. Shukla said that there is a provision to slap a fine of Rs 1 lakh if a madrasa did not stop functioning within a month after failing to produce the required documents of registration/affiliation, and thereafter, a fine of Rs 10,000 per day would be slapped. Taking strong exception to the notice served to madrasas, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, an organisation of Indian Muslims called the education departments order "unlawful." The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Muslim body said the madrasas in the state were "harassed" by serving them illegal notices only to "target a particular community" as the madrasas were providing free-of-cost education to the students. The organisation also remarked that these madrasas would not be able to pay the fine of Rs 10,000 per day. Meanwhile, the UP government has set up a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the fund flow and other attributes of around 4000 madrasas running along the Indo-Nepal border in around five districts bordering the Himalayan nation. As per the official sources, the state government had received inputs that these madrasas were receiving funds from foreign nations. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman said that India has incredible potential and offers opportunities globally. Participating as a chief guest in the 11th graduation ceremony at Vignans University on Monday, she said that 13 prominent foreign startup companies are planning to invest in India. Remarkably, all their products will be manufactured in India and exported abroad, she added.

The Minister highlighted that students are not limited to employment in software and IT companies but are encouraged to pursue research in areas such as new materials, rare minerals, material science, drone technology, and natural gas technology.

Pointing out that the current education system emphasises STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to support these goals, Nirmala Sitharaman also noted the countrys achievements in space exploration, citing ISROs Chandrayaan-3 mission and the governments commitment to launching a manned mission by 2040.

Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy encouraged students to seize these opportunities and regarded this moment as a remarkable platform to commemorate their intellectual and academic endeavours, as well as their professional accomplishments, alongside their loved ones and supporters.

Subbarao Pavuluri, founder of Ananth Technologies, Hyderabad; SP Vasireddy, executive chairman of Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad; Indian chess player Koneru Hampi, were awarded honorary doctorates. A total of 1,820 students were awarded degrees.

Head of Vignans Educational Institutions Lavu Rathaiah emphasised the importance of unwavering determination and persistence in the face of obstacles as students embark on their journey into society with their degrees.

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VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman said that India has incredible potential and offers opportunities globally. Participating as a chief guest in the 11th graduation ceremony at Vignans University on Monday, she said that 13 prominent foreign startup companies are planning to invest in India. Remarkably, all their products will be manufactured in India and exported abroad, she added. The Minister highlighted that students are not limited to employment in software and IT companies but are encouraged to pursue research in areas such as new materials, rare minerals, material science, drone technology, and natural gas technology. Pointing out that the current education system emphasises STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to support these goals, Nirmala Sitharaman also noted the countrys achievements in space exploration, citing ISROs Chandrayaan-3 mission and the governments commitment to launching a manned mission by 2040.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy encouraged students to seize these opportunities and regarded this moment as a remarkable platform to commemorate their intellectual and academic endeavours, as well as their professional accomplishments, alongside their loved ones and supporters. Subbarao Pavuluri, founder of Ananth Technologies, Hyderabad; SP Vasireddy, executive chairman of Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad; Indian chess player Koneru Hampi, were awarded honorary doctorates. A total of 1,820 students were awarded degrees. Head of Vignans Educational Institutions Lavu Rathaiah emphasised the importance of unwavering determination and persistence in the face of obstacles as students embark on their journey into society with their degrees. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has called for a vigil after ICMR confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus in bat samples in Wayanad. The samples were taken from Bathery and Mananthawadi. Health Minister Veena George said there was no need for concern, but the information was shared to increase awareness.

We have decided to create awareness among the public and training for health workers in Wayanad. We are able to identify the presence of Nipah due to constant monitoring. It could be reported from anywhere, said Veena.

She also said that similar studies to confirm the presence of Nipah in other districts are underway. ICMR made the findings as part of the sample collection from different parts of the state.

ALSO READ | Unmasking Nipah: Here are its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

The health minister has asked people to avoid bird-eaten fruits and not to ignore symptoms.

The state reported Nipah for the fourth time at Kozhikode in September.

There were six positive cases, including two deaths. The 42-day Nipah incubation period in Kozhikode will end on Thursday. There were no new cases.

The ICMR study could find antibodies of the Nipah virus in the bats in Kozhikode.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has called for a vigil after ICMR confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus in bat samples in Wayanad. The samples were taken from Bathery and Mananthawadi. Health Minister Veena George said there was no need for concern, but the information was shared to increase awareness. We have decided to create awareness among the public and training for health workers in Wayanad. We are able to identify the presence of Nipah due to constant monitoring. It could be reported from anywhere, said Veena. She also said that similar studies to confirm the presence of Nipah in other districts are underway. ICMR made the findings as part of the sample collection from different parts of the state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Unmasking Nipah: Here are its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment The health minister has asked people to avoid bird-eaten fruits and not to ignore symptoms. The state reported Nipah for the fourth time at Kozhikode in September. There were six positive cases, including two deaths. The 42-day Nipah incubation period in Kozhikode will end on Thursday. There were no new cases. The ICMR study could find antibodies of the Nipah virus in the bats in Kozhikode. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday denied the opposition Congress' allegations of corruption in the procurement of medicines by the state-run Medical Services Corporation.

The minister also said that neither Medical Services Corporation (KMCL) nor the government hospitals were providing expired medicines to patients or the general public.

She was responding to the allegations by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan, who on Tuesday had cited a CAG report and charged that certain medicines were procured without examining their quality and 26 hospitals were given medicines which were past their expiry date.

Denying the same, George said that CAG had sent a draft report seeking the response of the government on the issue.

She claimed that a performance audit was conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and in connection with that it has sought a response from the government.

The performance audit of the health services was conducted for the financial years from 2016-17 to 2021-22, the minister said.

"It is not a final finding or report," George clarified while speaking to reporters here.

The minister said that on receiving the CAG report, the Principal Secretary of health, sent it to the Kerala Medical Services Corporation and the Directorate of Health Services and sought their replies.

The minister said when she went through the report, what she saw was that it was "probable" that expired medicines were given to hospitals.

"However, neither KMCL nor the government hospitals are giving expired medicines to the patients," she added.

George further said that someone in the position of Leader of Opposition ought not to have made such remarks as a large majority of the public approaches government hospitals for treatment and medicines.

"It was wrong on his (LoP's) part to make such allegations as it would create fear and apprehension in the minds of the people. What I understand is that he did not act like an opposition leader," she said.

The minister also alleged that sub-standard medicines with short shelf life were procured in huge quantities during the last UDF government and the same were dumped in warehouses across the state instead of being destroyed.

Responding to the contentions of the state Health Minister, Satheesan said she need not teach him how he should raise allegations and that her statements were "highly irresponsible".

"When opposition raises allegations, straight answers need to be given instead of teaching us how to raise allegations. The opposition has filed a complaint before the Lok Ayukta on the loot in procuring medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic and also pointed out the same in writing in the state Assembly," the LoP said, hitting back at George.

Satheesan claimed that according to the CAG's preliminary finding, expired medicines were given to 26 hospitals, 483 hospitals were given the medicines which were kept aside from distribution due to lack of quality and drugs against which stop memos were issued were given to 148 hospitals.

"So should we not question it? We are giving these medicines to our children also," he said.

Regarding the minister's allegation that medicines with short shelf life were procured during UDF rule, Satheesan said that it has been seven years since UDF lost power and if such medicines came into possession of KMCL, there are guidelines on disposing them of.

"Those medicines can be returned to the manufacturing companies and a refund and fine can be obtained from them. Instead of doing that, for the last seven years they were holding on to these medicines," he said.

Intensifying his allegations, Satheesan said when tenders are invited, the pharmaceutical companies that win the bid, supply medicines which have expired or are about to expire.

"They charge only a fraction of the bid amount for the same and the remaining comes back as commission to the government. It goes into a magic box," he alleged.

The LoP further alleged that the quality of medicines is not checked when each batch comes and drugs of many companies are never inspected.

"This is the gravest form of corruption as it involves medicines to be given to the common people. Therefore, the reply of the minister is highly irresponsible," he contended.

Once these medicines expire, their molecular combination changes and can affect the health of people, the Congress leader alleged.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday denied the opposition Congress' allegations of corruption in the procurement of medicines by the state-run Medical Services Corporation. The minister also said that neither Medical Services Corporation (KMCL) nor the government hospitals were providing expired medicines to patients or the general public. She was responding to the allegations by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan, who on Tuesday had cited a CAG report and charged that certain medicines were procured without examining their quality and 26 hospitals were given medicines which were past their expiry date.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Denying the same, George said that CAG had sent a draft report seeking the response of the government on the issue. She claimed that a performance audit was conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and in connection with that it has sought a response from the government. The performance audit of the health services was conducted for the financial years from 2016-17 to 2021-22, the minister said. "It is not a final finding or report," George clarified while speaking to reporters here. The minister said that on receiving the CAG report, the Principal Secretary of health, sent it to the Kerala Medical Services Corporation and the Directorate of Health Services and sought their replies. The minister said when she went through the report, what she saw was that it was "probable" that expired medicines were given to hospitals. "However, neither KMCL nor the government hospitals are giving expired medicines to the patients," she added. George further said that someone in the position of Leader of Opposition ought not to have made such remarks as a large majority of the public approaches government hospitals for treatment and medicines. "It was wrong on his (LoP's) part to make such allegations as it would create fear and apprehension in the minds of the people. What I understand is that he did not act like an opposition leader," she said. The minister also alleged that sub-standard medicines with short shelf life were procured in huge quantities during the last UDF government and the same were dumped in warehouses across the state instead of being destroyed. Responding to the contentions of the state Health Minister, Satheesan said she need not teach him how he should raise allegations and that her statements were "highly irresponsible". "When opposition raises allegations, straight answers need to be given instead of teaching us how to raise allegations. The opposition has filed a complaint before the Lok Ayukta on the loot in procuring medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic and also pointed out the same in writing in the state Assembly," the LoP said, hitting back at George. Satheesan claimed that according to the CAG's preliminary finding, expired medicines were given to 26 hospitals, 483 hospitals were given the medicines which were kept aside from distribution due to lack of quality and drugs against which stop memos were issued were given to 148 hospitals. "So should we not question it? We are giving these medicines to our children also," he said. Regarding the minister's allegation that medicines with short shelf life were procured during UDF rule, Satheesan said that it has been seven years since UDF lost power and if such medicines came into possession of KMCL, there are guidelines on disposing them of. "Those medicines can be returned to the manufacturing companies and a refund and fine can be obtained from them. Instead of doing that, for the last seven years they were holding on to these medicines," he said. Intensifying his allegations, Satheesan said when tenders are invited, the pharmaceutical companies that win the bid, supply medicines which have expired or are about to expire. "They charge only a fraction of the bid amount for the same and the remaining comes back as commission to the government. It goes into a magic box," he alleged. The LoP further alleged that the quality of medicines is not checked when each batch comes and drugs of many companies are never inspected. "This is the gravest form of corruption as it involves medicines to be given to the common people. Therefore, the reply of the minister is highly irresponsible," he contended. Once these medicines expire, their molecular combination changes and can affect the health of people, the Congress leader alleged. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: China has officially removed Li Shangfu as its defence minister, nearly two months after he disappeared from public view. Chinese President Xi Jinping is reported to have signed an order on Tuesday stripping Li of his position as defence minister and cabinet member after the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress voted to remove him, according to Chinas state broadcaster China Central Television.

In a similar move in July this year, China had removed its foreign minister Qin Gang after he too went missing. Qin Gang was also formally stripped of his rank as a member of the State Council. Li became Chinas defence minister when a new cabinet was named in March. However, he has not been seen in public since August 29.

Reports suggest that Li was taken for questioning in September. A few weeks before Lis disappearance, President Xi, in a meeting convened for military top brass, had emphasized on political loyalty, discipline and partys absolute leadership over the armed forces. Li is learnt to be a protege of General Zhang Youxia, who was Xis childhood friend and closest ally in the military.

While no reason has been given for his removal, this indicates Chinas intolerance towards senior leadership if they are seen moving away from what is expected of them. Disappearance of top leaders and officials is not uncommon in China; they are often followed by accusations of criminal conduct, including charges of corruption, months later. The disappearance of two sitting ministers in rapid succession, though, is unusual.

Meanwhile, weeks before former foreign minister Qin Gang went missing, he was not seen attending any state council meetings and he was formally removed on July 25. Qin was hand-picked by Xi as foreign minister in December 2022, 17 months after Qin served as Chinas ambassador to the United States.

China-Bhutan foreign ministers hold border talks

Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Dr Tandi Dorji when the latter arrived in Beijing for China-Bhutan boundary talks. The duo has said that restoration of diplomatic ties will serve the long-term interests of both the countries. Wang Yi has asked Bhutan to resolve the border issue and conclude the talks to transform relations between Bhutan and China from being just neighbours, to a legal form. Wang said China was ready to work with Bhutan in the direction, seize the historic opportunity, complete the important process as soon as possible, and develop China-Bhutan friendly relations in legal form. Bhutan abides by the one-China principle, considering Taiwan and Tibet as part of the country. Bhutan and China do not have diplomatic relations but maintain contact through periodic visits by officials.



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NEW DELHI: China has officially removed Li Shangfu as its defence minister, nearly two months after he disappeared from public view. Chinese President Xi Jinping is reported to have signed an order on Tuesday stripping Li of his position as defence minister and cabinet member after the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress voted to remove him, according to Chinas state broadcaster China Central Television. In a similar move in July this year, China had removed its foreign minister Qin Gang after he too went missing. Qin Gang was also formally stripped of his rank as a member of the State Council. Li became Chinas defence minister when a new cabinet was named in March. However, he has not been seen in public since August 29. Reports suggest that Li was taken for questioning in September. A few weeks before Lis disappearance, President Xi, in a meeting convened for military top brass, had emphasized on political loyalty, discipline and partys absolute leadership over the armed forces. Li is learnt to be a protege of General Zhang Youxia, who was Xis childhood friend and closest ally in the military.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); While no reason has been given for his removal, this indicates Chinas intolerance towards senior leadership if they are seen moving away from what is expected of them. Disappearance of top leaders and officials is not uncommon in China; they are often followed by accusations of criminal conduct, including charges of corruption, months later. The disappearance of two sitting ministers in rapid succession, though, is unusual. Meanwhile, weeks before former foreign minister Qin Gang went missing, he was not seen attending any state council meetings and he was formally removed on July 25. Qin was hand-picked by Xi as foreign minister in December 2022, 17 months after Qin served as Chinas ambassador to the United States. China-Bhutan foreign ministers hold border talks Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Dr Tandi Dorji when the latter arrived in Beijing for China-Bhutan boundary talks. The duo has said that restoration of diplomatic ties will serve the long-term interests of both the countries. Wang Yi has asked Bhutan to resolve the border issue and conclude the talks to transform relations between Bhutan and China from being just neighbours, to a legal form. Wang said China was ready to work with Bhutan in the direction, seize the historic opportunity, complete the important process as soon as possible, and develop China-Bhutan friendly relations in legal form. Bhutan abides by the one-China principle, considering Taiwan and Tibet as part of the country. Bhutan and China do not have diplomatic relations but maintain contact through periodic visits by officials. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Online Desk

Palestinian writer Heba Kamal Abu Nada was killed in an Israeli airstrike last week.

She was thirty-two years old.

Abu Nada was killed in her home south of Gaza City by an Israeli airstrike on Friday, October 20, 2023, according to Literary Hub.

In her final post on October 8, in Arabic, on platform X, the author and educator wrote: "Gaza's night is dark apart from the glow of rockets, quiet apart from the sound of the bombs, terrifying apart from the comfort of prayer, black apart from the light of the martyrs. Good night, Gaza."

The British-born Cypriot poet, writer, and publisher Anthony Anaxagorou reported that the following were Abu Nadas last words, penned just before her death:

"We find ourselves in an indescribable state of bliss amidst the chaos. Amidst the ruins, a new city emergesa testament to our resilience. Cries of pain echo through the air, mingling with the blood-stained garments of doctors. Teachers, despite their grievances, embrace their little pupils, while families display unwavering strength in the face of adversity."

ALSO READ | Recovering from attack that killed Illinois boy, Palestinian American mother urges prayers for peace

Oxygen is Not for the Dead stands as a testament to Heba Abu Nadas literary prowess. Her works, deeply rooted in the Palestinian context, resonated with readers globally, said erldc.org.

Her writings, laden with poignant themes and profound messages, capture the essence of human experience. Through her words, Heba Abu Nada immortalized herself, ensuring her legacy in Palestinian literature remains indelible, it added.

Abu Nada was born in Saudi Arabia in 1991, from a refugee family from Beit Jirja, which was displaced in 1948.

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Palestinian writer Heba Kamal Abu Nada was killed in an Israeli airstrike last week. She was thirty-two years old. Abu Nada was killed in her home south of Gaza City by an Israeli airstrike on Friday, October 20, 2023, according to Literary Hub.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In her final post on October 8, in Arabic, on platform X, the author and educator wrote: "Gaza's night is dark apart from the glow of rockets, quiet apart from the sound of the bombs, terrifying apart from the comfort of prayer, black apart from the light of the martyrs. Good night, Gaza." The British-born Cypriot poet, writer, and publisher Anthony Anaxagorou reported that the following were Abu Nadas last words, penned just before her death: "We find ourselves in an indescribable state of bliss amidst the chaos. Amidst the ruins, a new city emergesa testament to our resilience. Cries of pain echo through the air, mingling with the blood-stained garments of doctors. Teachers, despite their grievances, embrace their little pupils, while families display unwavering strength in the face of adversity." ALSO READ | Recovering from attack that killed Illinois boy, Palestinian American mother urges prayers for peace Oxygen is Not for the Dead stands as a testament to Heba Abu Nadas literary prowess. Her works, deeply rooted in the Palestinian context, resonated with readers globally, said erldc.org. Her writings, laden with poignant themes and profound messages, capture the essence of human experience. Through her words, Heba Abu Nada immortalized herself, ensuring her legacy in Palestinian literature remains indelible, it added. Abu Nada was born in Saudi Arabia in 1991, from a refugee family from Beit Jirja, which was displaced in 1948. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman Imran Khan has thrown a challenge to Nawaz Sharif, saying he will contest against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo in "whatever constituency" he chooses in the upcoming polls.

Khan's challenge came as a video posted from his X handle.

The former prime minister has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi in the cipher case since early August and the video was recorded before his arrest.

"Nawaz Sharif was waiting to return to Pakistan once I am sent to jail and the PTI is eliminated. All the corruption cases against Nawaz and company have already been closed," Khan said in the video, posted after Sharif returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-imposed exile in London.

Nawaz returned to Pakistan on October 21.

"Nawaz wanted this level playing field before going into polls. I will contest in any constituency Nawaz chooses. And I assure him that I will not even run a campaign in that constituency. I will tell you the feelings of Pakistani people. This country has changed as its people will never vote for such people. Social media has changed people. Gone are the days when those who had the patronage of the (military) establishment got elected," Khan said.

His party said in its post on X that chairman Khan had already intimated the nation about the 'London Plan' on numerous occasions and added: "With absconder Nawaz Sharif's return, the plan appears to be unfolding as anticipated. State protocol, public resources, and use of public money to facilitate a convict can't sway the public's opinion who want nothing less than immediate, free, and fair elections."

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that general elections are expected to be held in the last week of January 2024. However, no specific date has been announced.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that the ECP would give the polls date once Nawaz gets clean chit from the courts in all the cases he is facing.

Both the PPP and PTI have called Nawaz a 'new ladla' (favourite) of the military establishment.

Khans' party said Nawaz returned to the country after four years exile because of the blessing of the military establishment which has given him assurance to make him the next prime minister.

On the other hand, Khan is facing around 200 cases.

Two new parties -- Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and PTI-Parliamentarians -- have been carved out of Khan's party by the establishment in which a number of his former aides joined after blaming him for masterminding attacks on the military installations across the country in early May after his arrest.

Granting a major legal relief to the former premier after his return from London following four years of self-exile, Pakistan's Punjab provincial government on Tuesday suspended Nawaz's seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia case while two separate courts confirmed his bail in three different corruption cases.

ALSO READ | Pakistan govt refuses to present ex-PM Imran Khan before election commission; cites security threat

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LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman Imran Khan has thrown a challenge to Nawaz Sharif, saying he will contest against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo in "whatever constituency" he chooses in the upcoming polls. Khan's challenge came as a video posted from his X handle. The former prime minister has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi in the cipher case since early August and the video was recorded before his arrest.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Nawaz Sharif was waiting to return to Pakistan once I am sent to jail and the PTI is eliminated. All the corruption cases against Nawaz and company have already been closed," Khan said in the video, posted after Sharif returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-imposed exile in London. Nawaz returned to Pakistan on October 21. "Nawaz wanted this level playing field before going into polls. I will contest in any constituency Nawaz chooses. And I assure him that I will not even run a campaign in that constituency. I will tell you the feelings of Pakistani people. This country has changed as its people will never vote for such people. Social media has changed people. Gone are the days when those who had the patronage of the (military) establishment got elected," Khan said. His party said in its post on X that chairman Khan had already intimated the nation about the 'London Plan' on numerous occasions and added: "With absconder Nawaz Sharif's return, the plan appears to be unfolding as anticipated. State protocol, public resources, and use of public money to facilitate a convict can't sway the public's opinion who want nothing less than immediate, free, and fair elections." The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that general elections are expected to be held in the last week of January 2024. However, no specific date has been announced. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that the ECP would give the polls date once Nawaz gets clean chit from the courts in all the cases he is facing. Both the PPP and PTI have called Nawaz a 'new ladla' (favourite) of the military establishment. Khans' party said Nawaz returned to the country after four years exile because of the blessing of the military establishment which has given him assurance to make him the next prime minister. On the other hand, Khan is facing around 200 cases. Two new parties -- Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and PTI-Parliamentarians -- have been carved out of Khan's party by the establishment in which a number of his former aides joined after blaming him for masterminding attacks on the military installations across the country in early May after his arrest. Granting a major legal relief to the former premier after his return from London following four years of self-exile, Pakistan's Punjab provincial government on Tuesday suspended Nawaz's seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia case while two separate courts confirmed his bail in three different corruption cases. ALSO READ | Pakistan govt refuses to present ex-PM Imran Khan before election commission; cites security threat Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

CAIRO: A "massive" Israeli ground incursion into Gaza would be "an error", French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, warning it would harm civilians without ensuring Israel's long-term security.

The warning came as Macron held talks in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who also urged efforts "to avoid a ground invasion" in Gaza, where Israel is locked in a deadly confrontation with Hamas militants.

Israel has been relentlessly bombing the tiny Palestinian territory since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across its border, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seizing more than 220 others, officials say, in the worst attack in Israel's history.

Hamas officials say that so far, Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians. There are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages.

"A massive intervention that would put civilian lives at risk would be an error," said Macron after meeting Sisi, who also warned a ground operation would cause "many, many civilian casualties".

The French leader said, "it would also be a mistake for Israel because it would be unlikely to offer long-term protection and because it is incompatible with protecting the civilian population or respecting international humanitarian law and the rules of war."

Egypt and Jordan were the first two Arab states to forge relations with Israel, in 1979 and 1994 respectively, and have since played key mediator roles.

Cairo has been one of the main brokers in efforts to secure the release of more than 200 hostages now held in Gaza.

After more than two weeks of relentless bombardment and siege by Israel, Gaza's already fragile healthcare system is at risk of collapsing, with hospitals running out of essential supplies and fuel to power generators.

No 'political horizon'

Macron said on Wednesday that France would be sending a navy ship to support Gaza's hospitals within the next 48 hours. France would also send a planeload of medical equipment to Egypt to be transported into Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Sisi called for a de-escalation, ceasefire and return to diplomacy, saying "the lack of a political horizon" had fuelled the current war.

Macron echoed Sisi's support for a "two-state solution" -- the cornerstone of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians that have been stalled for years.

"It is difficult at the moment to talk about the resumption of a peace process," Macron said, describing it as "more necessary than ever".

Worried that the Gaza bloodshed could exacerbate tensions across the wider Middle East, Arab leaders have repeatedly pushed for a return to a political process, with Jordan's King Abdullah II saying the war "might lead to an explosion" in the region.

Before meeting Macron, Sisi inspected Egyptian troops and told them to "always be ready" three days after an Egyptian border watchtower was hit by an accidental Israeli shelling that wounded several guards.

Egypt was doing all it could for a de-escalation and ceasefire, as well as to "support civilians in Gaza" by sending aid through the Rafah border crossing, he said.
By Associated Press

CHICAGO: A Palestinian American woman whose 6-year-old son was killed in what police are calling a hate crime in a Chicago suburb has asked the public to pray for peace as she recuperates from her injuries.

Hanaan Shahin issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the group's executive director a day earlier. The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal Oct. 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HERE

Authorities said the family's suburban Chicago landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.

Pray for peace, Shahin said, thanking authorities, doctors and others. She was released from the hospital last week and has declined interviews with reporters.

READ MORE | Residents of heavily Palestinian Chicago suburb remember Muslim child killed in hate crime

Family members of Wadea Al Fayoume bring his casket into Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP)

Shahin, who works as a caregiver to seniors, lost her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in the attack that has contributed to fears about rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. In Illinois alone in the past week, a suburban man was charged with a hate crime in an assault against two Muslims and an Islamic day school canceled class after receiving threats.

Hundreds of people gathered Monday at the Illinois funeral for the Palestinian American boy named Wadea Al-Fayoume. Authorities say he was fatally was stabbed by a landlord upset over the Israel-Hamas war. The landlord also attacked the boys mother, who was hospitalized. pic.twitter.com/1yBWjUEgPN  The Associated Press (@AP) October 16, 2023

Joseph Czuba, 71, faces murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges. He is due in court next week. Czuba's attorney, George Lenard, released a statement last week via the Will County Public Defenders Office saying he would not comment on the case beyond what is presented in the courtroom.

Shahin, who was hospitalized during her son's funeral, remembered him as an intelligent and funny child who cared about the planet and liked to join her in prayers.

She said she felt comforted "remembering her son as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven.

She added, He was my best friend."

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CHICAGO: A Palestinian American woman whose 6-year-old son was killed in what police are calling a hate crime in a Chicago suburb has asked the public to pray for peace as she recuperates from her injuries. Hanaan Shahin issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the group's executive director a day earlier. The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal Oct. 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face. FOLLOW OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HEREgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Authorities said the family's suburban Chicago landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war. Pray for peace, Shahin said, thanking authorities, doctors and others. She was released from the hospital last week and has declined interviews with reporters. READ MORE | Residents of heavily Palestinian Chicago suburb remember Muslim child killed in hate crime Family members of Wadea Al Fayoume bring his casket into Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP) Shahin, who works as a caregiver to seniors, lost her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, in the attack that has contributed to fears about rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. In Illinois alone in the past week, a suburban man was charged with a hate crime in an assault against two Muslims and an Islamic day school canceled class after receiving threats. Hundreds of people gathered Monday at the Illinois funeral for the Palestinian American boy named Wadea Al-Fayoume. Authorities say he was fatally was stabbed by a landlord upset over the Israel-Hamas war. The landlord also attacked the boys mother, who was hospitalized. pic.twitter.com/1yBWjUEgPN  The Associated Press (@AP) October 16, 2023 Joseph Czuba, 71, faces murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges. He is due in court next week. Czuba's attorney, George Lenard, released a statement last week via the Will County Public Defenders Office saying he would not comment on the case beyond what is presented in the courtroom. Shahin, who was hospitalized during her son's funeral, remembered him as an intelligent and funny child who cared about the planet and liked to join her in prayers. She said she felt comforted "remembering her son as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven. She added, He was my best friend." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

JERUSALEM: Gaza's hospitals were facing "complete collapse", Palestinian medics warned Wednesday as the UN said supplies were running critically low and the Hamas-run health ministry reported 700 deaths in Israeli strikes in 24 hours.

Alarm is growing over the spiralling humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which Israel has been bombing since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across its border beginning an attack that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, while also kidnapping more than 220 others, according to Israeli officials.

UN figures show over a third of the narrow Palestinian territory's 35 hospitals have closed due to damage or insufficient fuel, and one doctor said he was forced to perform surgeries without anaesthetic.

FOLLOW UPDATES FROM THE CONFLICT HERE

"The hospitals are in a state of complete collapse," said Mohammed Abu Selmeya, head of Shifa, Gaza's biggest hospital. He told AFP that "more than 90 per cent of medicines" had run out and "we urgently need fuel to run the generators and to operate hospital departments and operating theatres."

His words came as the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees UNRWA warned it could be forced to halt its operations by nightfall if it didn't receive any deliveries of fuel.

Israel has cut off Gaza's usual water, food and other supplies, and fewer than 70 relief trucks have entered the impoverished territory since the war began. But none have contained fuel, which Israel fears Hamas will use for weapons and explosives.

ALSO READ | Hezbollah chief holds talks with senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "eliminate Hamas" and Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says Israeli strikes since October 7 have killed more than 6,500 people, an increase of over 700 since Tuesday.

"They're not waging war on Hamas, they're waging war on children... It's a massacre," raged Abu Ali Zaarab, after his family home was bombed in the southern town of Rafah.

Tempers flared at the United Nations where Guterres decried the "epic suffering" in Gaza and the "collective punishment" of its 2.4 million people, drawing a furious response from Israel's top diplomat Eli Cohen, who recounted grisly details of how civilians, including children, had been killed in the deadliest single attack in Israel's history.

Violence has also risen sharply in the occupied West Bank, where health officials said more than 100 Palestinians had been killed, mostly in raids by Israeli troops or in clashes with Israeli settlers.

'Severe pain but no anaesthetic'

According to UN figures, 12 of Gaza's 35 hospitals and nearly two-thirds of its 72 primary healthcare clinics have shut down after being damaged by Israeli air strikes or due to fuel shortages.

Fuel is used to power vital services such as hospitals in Gaza which rely on generators, and aid agencies have warned that more people will die if medical equipment, water desalination plants and ambulances stop running.

Once the generators stop running, hospitals will "turn into morgues", the Red Cross has warned.

Hospitals are also struggling with a dramatic shortage of medicines and equipment.

"There's not enough anaesthetic," said Ahmad Abdul Hadi, an orthopaedic surgeon working at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.

"The wounded are in severe pain but we can't wait for the procedure so we're forced to do the operation. We performed a number of surgeries without anaesthetic. It's tough and painful, but with the lack of resources, what can we do?"

ALSO READ | Israel strikes kill 8 Syria troops, hit Aleppo airport: defence ministry

UNRWA has also said its operations were at a breaking point from the shortage of fuel. "If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip as of (Wednesday) night," it said on Tuesday.

Petrol stations in the southern town of Rafah had also run dry.

"We ask God for the fuel to arrive so cars, tractors, ambulances and UNRWA operations can function to help the people," taxi driver Ibrahim Namla told AFP.

"If fuel doesn't enter Gaza today or tomorrow, it will be a disaster."

And there has been no let-up in the strikes, with one hitting a building in Rafah where many children were inside, residents said.

"We saw the children being bombarded while their mother was hugging them," said Umm Omar al-Khaldi, whose neighbours were killed. "Where are the Arabs? Where is the humanity? Have mercy on us!"

'Double standard'

The Gaza war has sparked fears of a regional conflagration if it draws in more of Israel's enemies -- especially Lebanon's Hezbollah, a close ally of both Iran and Hamas, which has already traded deadly cross-border with Israeli forces along the border.

As the fighting raged on, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah held talks with senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives in Beirut about how to achieve "real victory... in Gaza and Palestine" and stop Israel's "brutal aggression", the Lebanese movement said.

ALSO READ | 'Good Night, Gaza': Last words of poet Heba Kamal Abu Nada who was killed in Israeli airstrike

Jordan's King Abdullah became the latest regional leader to warn that ongoing violence could "lead to an explosion" in the wider Middle East after talks with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron.

And his wife Queen Rania accused Western leaders of a "glaring double standard" for not condemning Israel's killing of Palestinian civilians in its bombardment of Gaza.

"Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but it's OK to shell them to death?" she said in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed eight soldiers in southern Syria with its airforce later hitting Aleppo airport for the fourth time in a fortnight, the defence ministry in Damascus said.
Paris Hilton says her heart 'hurts' over 'cruel, hateful' comment about son's head

Los Angeles, Oct 24

P aris Hilton has shared her heartache over the reaction to a recent photo of her 8-month-old son, Phoenix Barron.

The TV personality explained on her Instagram Story how "unacceptable" it is for followers to "target" her child following the hurtful comments, reports People magazine.

Earlier, Hilton, 42, posted a series of photos of her son, whom she shares with her husband Carter Reum, on Instagram to mark his first trip to New York City. A TikTok user pointed out the negative response the post received, prompting Hilton to reply that her "angel is perfectly healthy" and "just has a large brain."

As per People, Hilton expanded on her response to comments about Phoenix's head in an Instagram Story post on Monday. She wrote: Living life in the spotlight, comments are inevitable, but targeting my child, or anyone else's for that matter, is unacceptable.

Hilton wrote that the public's response has "deeply" hurt her. "This hurts my heart more deeply than words can describe. Ive worked hard to cultivate an environment that is all about love, respect, and acceptance, and I expect the same in return," wrote the new mom. The Paris in Love star added that navigating motherhood as a social media personality has put her under scrutiny.

If I don't post my baby, people assume I'm not a great mother and if I do post him, there are some people who are cruel and hateful. I'm a proud working mom and my baby is perfectly healthy, adorable and angelic, Hilton wrote.

I've dreamt of being a mom for as long as I can remember, she explained. Every day with him is a reminder of what truly matters.

Hilton concluded: It's hard to fathom that there are people in the world who would target such innocence. I hope that people can treat one another with more kindness and empathy.

Paris Hilton says her heart 'hurts' over 'cruel, hateful' comment about son's head

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Chandigarh, Oct 24

P unjab MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Tuesday appreciated the Centre's decision for revising the minimum export price (MEP) of basmati rce from $1200 to $950 per tonnes.

This issue was raised by the Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association in an interaction with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, where Sahney was assigned the task to take up the matter with the Central government.

Sahney had communicated to the Union Commerce Ministry that it was not a rational decision and it would have an adverse impact on the growers and traders.

He said this was not an issue of one cropping season but it would have had larger economic impacts on India.

Pakistan is our competitor in the international market for basmati exports. After Indias decision of $1,200 MEP, Pakistan strategically pegged their MEP to $1,050. The international market would had imported all rice from Pakistan only, he said in a statement here.

The MP added he would like to express his gratitude to the Ministry of Commerce which considered the request of basmati traders and revised the MEP.

Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association president Arvinder Singh had previously said there was panic among traders of the basmati rice.

Now with this decision we are much relieved to augment exports, he added.

MEP slashing on basmati rice relief to exporters: Punjab MP

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Itanagar, Oct 24

D efence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday visited the forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh and carried out first-hand on-ground assessment of the operational preparedness of the armed forces there.

The Defence Minister interacted with the troops deployed in the frontline locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and celebrated Dussehra with the soldiers.

Singh expressed gratitude to the unyielding spirit, unwavering commitment and unparalleled courage of the troops, who are deployed on the borders in tough conditions, but always ensure that the nation and its people are safe.

The entire nation is proud of the Armed Forces and is standing with them, he said.

Singh performed Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang, where he reiterated that Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil.

In his address, he described the righteousness and dharma of the brave Armed Forces personnel as the living testament to the ethos of the festival of Vijayadashmi.

The Raksha Mantri pointed out that the valour and commitment of the Armed Forces is one of the main reasons that Indias stature has grown on the international stage and it is now among the most powerful nations.

Citing his recent tour to Italy, he stated that he paid a visit to Montone memorial (Perugia Province) which has been built to honour the contribution of Naik Yaswant Ghadge and other Indian soldiers who fought in the Italian campaign to liberate Montone in World War II.

Not just Indians, but even Italian people pay their respects at the memorial, which is proof that the bravery of Indian soldiers is recognised globally, he added.

In view of the current global scenario, Singh asserted that there is no option but to bolster the countrys security apparatus, underlining that all efforts are being made by the government to strengthen the nations military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment.

Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, giant strides have been made towards Aatmanirbharta in defence. Earlier, we used to rely on imports to upgrade our military.

"But today, a number of major weapons and platforms are being manufactured within the country. Foreign companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with domestic industry.

In 2014, the value of defence exports was about Rs 1,000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores, he said.

The Defence Minister also visited the Tawang War Memorial, where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 war.

He was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt Gen R.P. Kalita, GOC, 4 Corps Lt Gen Manish Erry and other senior officers of the Indian Army.

Singh also visited the 4 Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam on Monday and he reviewed the operational readiness of the formation, which is deployed in one of the easternmost parts of the country.

He was briefed on the infrastructure development along the LAC and the employment of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to enhance the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in the frontline.

The Defence Minister commended the stellar work and yeoman services being rendered by all ranks of the Corps under challenging conditions.

Rajnath visits forward posts in Arunachal, reviews defence preparedness along LAC

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Moscow, Oct 24

R ussian President Vladimir Putin allegedly suffered a "cardiac arrest" and was found lying on the floor in his private Moscow apartment, a media report said.

The Express UK report said that a Telegram Channel believed to be run by a former Kremlin insider reported that incident saying theRussian leader was found by guards on the floor of the bedroom "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes", Express UK reported.

Doctors were reportedly called immediately and they later diagnosed the 71-year-old as having suffered a "cardiac arrest."

Putin was then moved to a special medical facility built in the apartment where he underwent intensive care, the source claims.

The unverified report comes following persistent speculation surroundingPutins health amid rumorsof a long-hidden medical condition.

The Telegram channel General SVR, reportedly run by a former Russian lieutenant-general, declared in a post :"Security officers of Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, who were on duty at the residence, heard noise and sounds of falling coming from the president's bedroom.

"Two security officers immediately followed into the president's bedroom and saw Putin lying on the floor next to the bed and an overturned table with food and drinks."

General SVR continued: "Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes."

Doctors later reportedly arrived a "resuscitated" Putin having "previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest", Express UK reported.

Putin allegedly 'suffers cardiac arrest': Report

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Gandhinagar, October 24

U nion Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday inaugurated the IFFCO Nano DAP Plant in Gandhinagar's Kalol and urged farmers to increase natural farming and reduce the usage of urea.

On the occasion, Amit Shah said," I would like to convey my heartiest congratulations to the IFFCO team. The need of the hour is to increase natural farming and reduce the use of urea."

Emphasizing the utility of Nano DAP fertilizer, Amit Shah said, "Solid urea and solid DAP contain metal parts that are also found in grains. Nano DAP has zero metal parts. There should be promotion in the usage of Nano DAP and a special focus on its production is being put in place."

IFFCO chairman Dilip Sanghani said this plant will benefit the farmers in the country.

Earlier in August Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah performed the Bhumi Pujan and laid the foundation stone of the IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) Plant at Gandhidham in Gujarat, today.

Amit Shah said that the upcoming plant at Gandhidham would produce more than IFFCO's existing plant producing 3 million tonnes of DAP.

Union Minister of Cooperation Shah said that liquid fertilizer is going to give multi-dimensional benefits to the country's economy and agriculture sector.

"Spraying of Nano DAP (liquid) will not pollute the land, which will further ease natural farming, increase soil fertility along agricultural production, and will promote land conservation," he said.

Increase natural farming: Amit Shah urges farmers to reduce usage of urea

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Mumbai, October 24

' Ghajini' and 'Ready' actor Asin Thottumkal on Tuesday shares glimpses from her daughter Ari's 6th birthday celebrations.

Taking to Instagram, Asin dropped a couple of pictures on her stories in which Arin is seated on her dad's (Rahul Sharma's) lap, blowing out the candle on a waffle.

Asin and Rahul headed to Paris to celebrate their daughter's 6th birthday.

The 'Bol Bachchan' actor also shared a picture of the Eiffel Tower.

Asin married Micromax co-founder Rahul Sharma in January 2016. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter Arin in October 2017.

After the birth of their daughter, the couple earlier released an official statement where they said, "We are ecstatic to announce the arrival of our angelic baby girl. The last 9 months have been most special and exciting for the both of us and we would like to thank all our well-wishers and everyone who has been part of our journey for all their love and support."

After her marriage Asin decided to quit the film industry.

She was last seen in 2015's comedy 'All Is Well', co-starring Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Supriya Pathak.

She was a part for several big hit Bollywood films like 'Ghajini', 'Ready', 'Bol Bachchan', and 'Housefull 2' among others.

She also appeared in several South Indian films.

'Ghajini' actor Asin shares glimpse from her daughter's 6th birthday celebrations

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Mumbai, October 24

A ctor Ranbir Kapoor recently at a fan's event shared a major update about the upcoming sci-fi action film 'Brahmastra 2'.

A clip from the fans event was shared on Reddit in which he stated that 'Brahmastra 2' is "heavy into writing."

Ranbir said, "Brahmastra Part 2 is heavy into writing. We are working on it all the time. It's just last week that Ayan narrated the film to me and he has gone 10 times bigger than Part 1 - his idea, his thought, the character. He is working on War 2 right now. So the plan is to finish War 2 by mid-next year and we start shooting hopefully by the end of next year or the beginning of 2025."

The 'Barfi' actor also addressed the criticism the makers faced for the "missing chemistry" between Shiva and Isha (Ranbir - Alia's characters) in the first film.

He added, "But definitely a lot of work has already been happening on the film. We understood the kind of criticism for the film, what worked for it and what didn't. So we have put everything into consideration, the dialogue and comments on Shiva and Isha's missing chemistry. A lot of criticism was constructive and we have taken that into our stride and we are trying to understand that and go beyond that."

'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' is the first part of the planned trilogy in the Astraverse by Ayan Mukerji. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni.

The storyline of Brahmastra follows Shiva, a DJ, who learns about his strange connection with the element of fire. He also holds the power to awaken the Brahmastra, a supernatural weapon that is said to be able to destroy the universe, capable of destroying creation and vanquishing all beings.

On the other hand, Junoon, the queen of dark forces, is also on a quest to get hold of the Brahmastra.

Shah Rukh Khan had a cameo in the first part. If reports are to be believed, the second part will feature Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. It will be interesting to see how the Astraverse develops in the sequel to 'Brahmastra' and beyond.

Earlier, Ayan Mukerji announced the release dates of his upcoming sci-fi films 'Brahmastra: Part 2' and 'Brahmastra: Part 3'.

'Brahmastra: Part Two - Dev' will hit the theatres in December 2026, whereas 'Part Three' will be released in the theatres exactly a year after the second part, in December 2027.

Meanwhile, Ranbir will be next seen in the upcoming action thriller film 'Animal' which is all set to hit the theatres on December 1.

Helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film also stars Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles.

Ranbir Kapoor shares update on 'Brahmastra 2'; talks about Shiva-Isha's missing chemistry in first film

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Gorakhpur, October 24

G orakshpeethadhishwar and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday applied tilak on the foreheads of saints and sages and gave them his blessings on Vijayadashami at the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur.

According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's office, "A traditional Tilakotsav program was organized at the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami."

"During this event, Gorakshpeethadhishwar Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath applied tilak on the forehead of saints and sages and gave them his blessings," it said.

Following this, the household devotees also paid their respects to the Gorakshpeethadhishwar and received his blessings. Gorakshpeethadhishwar then gave his blessings to everyone, extending his wishes for Vijayadashami.

All the people participating in Tilakotsav were also given 'prasad' and grains of barley grown on the altar of Shaktipeeth of the temple, said the statement.

At the outset of the Tilakotsav program, individuals associated with the temple, including yogis, saints, priests, and others also applied tilak to the Chief Minister during Mangal recitation. According to the specific tradition of Nathpanth, they paid their respects to him, it said.

As per the statement, household devotees took their turns to pay their respects to the Peethadhishwar, seeking his blessings.

In Tilakotsav, many people, including several MPs, MLAs, public representatives, a large number of saints and household devotees were among those who took blessings from the Chief Minister, it said.

Earlier in the day, Yogi Adityanath performed special worship of Shrinath ji (Guru Gorakshanath, the incarnation of Lord Shiva) at the Gorakhnath temple on the occasion of Vijayadashami in Gorakhpur, an official release said.

Gorakhpur is also his parliamentary constituency.

Dressed in the special attire of Gorakshpeethadhishwar, the CM first offered special prayers to Lord Shrinath, following the rituals and heralding the festival of victory of good over evil, and then performed special worship of all the deities established in the temple.

Uttar Pradesh: Saints, devotees receive blessings from CM Yogi on Vijayadashami

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Centre likely to come out with guidelines for quality drone manufacturing this week

New Delhi, Oct 24

A iming to curb imports and manufacturing of cheap and sub-standard drones in the country, the Centre is planning to bring out guidelines to ensure standards and promote domestic production.

According to sources, the Consumer Affairs Ministry is likely to issue guidelines on manufacturing of quality drones this week.

The ministry informed that the government may take assistance from the National Testing House while preparing the guidelines.

The need for guidelines was necessitated due to the growth of sub-standard drones in the country.

While preparing the guidelines, various technical aspects of drone manufacturing like their flight capabilities and take-off as well as landing abilities, will be kept in mind, sources informed.

The guidelines will also mention the encouragement to the domestic manufacturing needs.

With the Centre encouraging drone usage, the guidelines are expected to streamline their production and also ensure availability of top quality drones in the country.

Centre likely to come out with guidelines for quality drone manufacturing this week

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New Delhi, Oct 24

T he festive season in India is a time of joy, celebration, and reunion. Families come together, traditions are honoured, and the air is filled with excitement. It's also a time when many people take to the skies and roads to be with their loved ones. However, like any travel, especially during peak seasons, there can be challenges.

In this article, Harish Khatri, Founder, and MD, of India Assist - revolutionizing assistance for travellers tell IANSlife how to handle some of the most common travel woes during the festive season: lost luggage, flight delays, and medical emergencies.

Read on...

Lost Luggage Woes

One of the most disheartening experiences for any traveller is the loss of luggage. Imagine arriving at your destination, ready for the festivities, only to find that your bags have taken an unexpected detour. Here's how to handle this situation:

Preventative Measures: Before you travel, make sure your luggage is labelled with your contact information. This will make it easier for the airline to track you down if your bags go astray.

Immediate Reporting: If you discover your luggage is missing, report it to the airline immediately. They will create a report and initiate the search process.

Travel Insurance: Having travel insurance that covers lost luggage is a smart move. It can help you recover some of the expenses related to your lost belongings.

Flight Delays and Cancellations:

During the festive season, airports can become congested, and weather-related issues can disrupt flight schedules. Here's how to manage flight delays and cancellations:

Stay Informed: Keep an eye on your flight's status. Most airlines provide real-time updates online or through their apps.

Customer Service: If your flight is delayed or canceled, visit the airline's customer service desk at the airport. They can often assist in rebooking or providing information on compensation.

Know Your Rights: Familiarise yourself with your rights as a passenger. In India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has established guidelines for passenger rights.

Handling Medical Emergencies:

Nobody wants to fall ill during the festive season, but it can happen. Here's how to manage medical emergencies while traveling:

Carry Medications: If you have a pre-existing medical condition, ensure you have an adequate supply of necessary medications. Carry a copy of your prescription for reference.

Emergency Contacts: Have a list of emergency contacts, including local medical facilities and your doctor, handy. In case of a medical issue, quick access to help is crucial.

Travel Assistance Services: Consider enrolling in a travel assistance service. These services offer 24/7 access to medical professionals who can guide you in case of an emergency. They can also help you find nearby medical facilities.

The Role of Travel Assistance Services and How Travelers Can Avail Them

In all three scenarios, travel assistance services play a critical role in ensuring your festive season remains joyful and stress-free. These services provide support and guidance when you need it most. Travelers can avail of travel assistance services through their travel agents, tour operators, or hotel partners. Whether it's help with lost luggage, flight delays, or medical emergencies, these services are designed to make your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable."

Lost Luggage: Travel assistance can help you track your lost luggage, providing real-time updates and aiding in its return. Moreover, they can also help you file an FIR (First Information Report) with the nearest police station.

Flight Delays: Travel assistance providers can assist with rebooking or canceling flights, as well as liaise with airlines to ensure you have the information and support you need.

Medical Emergencies: When faced with a medical emergency, travel assistance services offer immediate access to medical professionals. They can help you locate nearby hospitals or clinics, connect you with doctors, and even assist with medical evacuations if required.

By enrolling in a travel assistance service, you're essentially arming yourself with a dedicated team of professionals ready to assist you during your festive travels. Travellers can opt for travel assistance services through their travel agents, tour operators, or hotel partners.

The festive season in India is a time of togetherness and celebration. While travel challenges like lost luggage, flight delays, and medical emergencies can be unnerving, preparation and access to travel assistance services can make all the difference. By following the tips mentioned and considering the role of travel assistance services, you can ensure a festive season that's not only filled with joy but also hassle-free and safe.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

Navigating festive season travel woes

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Putin spotted with 'scar on his throat' after being 'resuscitated': Report

London, Oct 24

A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been fuelling speculation about his health after eagle-eyed observers noticed a scar on his neck, the media reported.

The clip began circulating online before reports emerged claiming thePresident had suffered a heart attack and had to receive intensive care, Express UK reported.

The footage shows Putin speaking at an unspecified public event, a scar clearly marking his neck -- with some analysts suggesting it might be theresult of resusciatation procedures.

A Telegram channel believed to belong to a former Kremlin official claimed Putin's health had sparked huge "alarm" across Moscow.

The insider alleged that the Russian leader was found "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes" after suffering a suspected heart episode.

Doctors were reportedly called immediately and they later diagnosed the 71-year-old as having suffered a "cardiac arrest."

Putin was then moved to a special medical facility built in the apartment where he underwent intensive care, the source claims.

The unverified report comes following persistent speculation surroundingPutins health amid rumorsof a long-hidden medical condition.

The Telegram channel General SVR, reportedly run by a former Russian lieutenant-general, declared in a post: "Security officers of Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, who were on duty at the residence, heard noise and sounds of falling coming from the President's bedroom.

"Two security officers immediately followed into the president's bedroom and saw Putin lying on the floor next to the bed and an overturned table with food and drinks.

"Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes."

Doctors later reportedly arrived a "resuscitated" Putin having "previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest", Express UK reported.

Putin spotted with 'scar on his throat' after being 'resuscitated': Report

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Ohio, October 24

S cientists at The University of Toledo have shown that engineered bacteria can lower blood pressure and the finding opens avenues to harness the body's own microbiome to treat hypertension.

The study, published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmacological Research, signifies a paradigm shift, according to Dr. Bina Joe, a UToledo hypertension researcher and the paper's senior author.

"The question we always ask is, can we exploit microbiota to help our health, for which optimal blood pressure is a cardinal sign. Until now, we have simply said changes in microbiota play a role in elevated blood pressure or hypertension. Those are important findings, but they don't always have an immediately translational application," she said. "This is the first time we have shown that we really can do this. It's a proof of principle that you can use microbiota to make products that measurably improve your health."

Joe, a Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, is a pioneer in studying the connection between bacteria living in our gut and blood pressure regulation.

In her most recent research, Joe and her team tested Lactobacillus paracasei, a beneficial gut bacterium, that was specially modified to produce a protein called ACE2 in lab rats that are predisposed to hypertension and unable to naturally produce ACE2.

ACE2 has drawn considerable interest in recent years because of its role as a key receptor for the virus that causes COVID-19.

However, the protein also negatively regulates the renin-angiotensin system which generates angiotensin II, a hormone that raises blood pressure in a number of ways, including by the constriction of blood vessels.

By feeding rats the engineered Lactobacillus paracasei bacterium as a probiotic, researchers were able to introduce human ACE2 in their guts, which specifically reduced their gut angiotensin II and, in turn, lowered their blood pressure.

Interestingly, though, the blood-pressure-lowering effects were only seen in female rats. Though there was no difference in ACE2 expression between male and female rats, only the female rats saw a decrease in their blood pressure.

Researchers are unsure of exactly why that was the case, but Joe speculates it has something to do with the fact that females, but not males, have two functional copies of ACE2.

The gene encoding ACE2 is located in a region of the X-chromosome which escapes a genetic phenomenon called X-inactivation. It appears, Joe said, that having two functional copies of ACE2 is extremely important for females, because when both copies were lost, females had a much higher level of hypertension compared to males.

"Females therefore appear to readily accept all the help they can get from gut microbiota supplying ACE," she said. "For now, this is a theory that requires further experimental proof."

Even with the differing results between male and female rats, however, Joe said the findings are an important steppingstone between the theory of leveraging bacteria to treat hypertension and other chronic conditions and practically being able to bring it into the clinic.

"There have been questions about microbiome medicine -- is it a fad or is it real? This is an extremely exciting demonstration that we can exploit bacteria to work for us, and it works for high blood pressure, something that affects a significant portion of the population," she said. "It's that ray of hope that you may not need traditional medications to keep your blood pressure in check."

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of U.S. adults have hypertension, and only about one in four of those have their blood pressure under control.

Though it rarely exhibits symptoms, uncontrolled blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

Joe said more research is needed, including studies on what happens when ACE2-producing bacteria are introduced in animals whose bodies already make the protein naturally and any side effects that might come with boosting ACE2 levels in the gut.

However, the first-of-its-kind research from UToledo opens a window into the substantial potential of exploiting the bacteria living in our gut for our benefit.

"It is a real possibility that we can use bacteria to correct hypertension. This is a big deal, and the concept could be applied to other diseases," she said. "For example, if you are unable to control your sugar, can we have a bacteria make a protein that can lower your blood glucose? There are still a lot of questions that need answered, but now we know the paradigm works."

Researchers find how engineered gut bacteria can help treat hypertension

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New Delhi, October 24

P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, as a testament to the power of patience the people of the country kept for centuries.

Addressing a public gathering at the Dwarka Sri Ram Leela Society at DDA ground in Sector 10 in the national capital, he announced that Lord Rama's arrival is imminent, with only a few months left before he takes his place in the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"We are fortunate enough to witness the construction of Ram Temple, and on the next Ramnavami in Ayodhya, every note echoing in Ramlala's temple will bring joy to the world. The construction of the grand temple of Lord Ram at His birthplace is a symbol of the patience of Indians for centuries. (Bhagwan Ram ki janmabhoomi par ban raha bhavya mandir, sadiyo ki prateeksha ke baad hum Bhartiyo ke dhairya ko mili vijay ka prateek)," the PM said, adding, "There are only a few months left for Lord Ram to reside in the Ram Temple. Lord Ram is just about to arrive..."

In a swipe at the Opposition parties, the PM said that the day should also mark the burning of those forces that try to 'divide' the country in the name of casteism and regionalism.

"We have to keep in mind that today, the burning of Ravana should not be just the burning of an effigy. This should be the burning of every deformity due to which the mutual harmony of society deteriorates. Let this be the burning of those forces that try to divide India in the name of casteism and regionalism...,' PM Modi added.

PM Modi also said that on Indian soil, weapons are worshipped not to dominate any land but to protect its own land.

"On Vijayadashami, there is a tradition of 'Shastra Puja' as well. On Indian soil, weapons are worshipped not to dominate any land but to protect its own land. Our Shakti Puja is not just for us but for the welfare of the entire world..." PM Modi.

Extending wishes to the people on this auspicious occasion, the PM said that the country is celebrating the festival of Dussehra after almost two months since its victory on the moon.

" I wish all the countrymen a very happy Navratri and Vijayadashami. The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil. This time we are celebrating Vijayadashami when it has been 2 months since our victory over the Moon. We know the knowledge of Gita and also have the capability to build INS Vikrant and Tejas," the PM said.

PM Modi further said the people of the country know the dignity of Lord Ram and also know how to protect the boundaries of the nation.

PM Modi also witnessed the 'Ravan Dahan'.

Ram Temple construction on his birthplace marks victory for our patience: PM Modi

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Sharing information linked to Parliament is national security issue: Anurag Thakur on cash for query scandal

Hamirpur, October 24

A mid the controversy over the alleged "cash for query" scandal against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said that sharing information linked to Parliament is a national security issue, along with corruption.

Speaking to the reporters here, the union minister said that national security is an important issue.

"National security is an important issue. Sharing information that is linked to Parliament or any other information that might create trouble is a national security issue, along with corruption," Anurag Thakur said.

Thakur, however, further said that the investigation into the matter is going on.

The whole controversy started when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to the Speaker, alleging 'Cash for Query' proof against the TMC MP.

He claimed the said proof was provided by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

Dubey, in his letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, under the head "Re-emergence of nasty 'Cash for Query' in Parliament", accused the TMC member of "serious Breach of Privilege", "Contempt of the House" and a "criminal offence under Section 120A of IPC".

In his complaint with the Lokpal, Dubey alleged that Moitra received Rs 2 crores in cash from businessman Darshan Hiranandani, both in Indian and foreign currencies, in lieu of posing questions in Parliament.

He alleged further the businessman used the Lok Sabha logging credentials of the TMC MP while she was travelling abroad.

"The complainant is in receipt of a letter dated October 14, 2023, from one Jai Anant Dehadrai, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, wherein several serious and disturbing facts along with detailed proof have been mentioned against Mahua Moitra. In the letter, Dehadrai provides in great detail how, when and where Moitra received bribes from a businessman Darshan Hiranandani. The said letter clearly mentions how Mahua Moitra has received Rs two crores in cash from the said Darshan Hiranandani both in Indian currency and in foreign currency for asking questions in Parliament. The content of the said letter is self-explanatory. It also mentions that the said Darshan Hiraanandani had direct access to Mahua Moitra's Lok Sabha logging credentials and the same has been used by the said Darshan Hiraanandani while Mahua Moitra was travelling abroad," Dubey said in his complaint with the anti-graft watchdog.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Hiranandani submitted a "sworn" and notarised affidavit to the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha.

The accused Dubai-based businessman, who later turned approver in the matter, alleged that the TMC MP provided him with her "Parliament login and password" so that he "could post questions directly on her behalf when required".

The Parliament Ethics committee has called both Dubey and Advocate Dehadrai to submit oral evidence of allegations before it on October 26.

The TMC has maintained a studied silence on the controversy, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh when questioned on the issue said "No comments...regarding this issue the TMC will not say anything...The related person may answer this."

Sharing information linked to Parliament is national security issue: Anurag Thakur on cash for query scandal

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Mumbai, Oct 24

B ollywood actress Kajol, who is known for films like 'Baazigar', 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Dilwale' and others, on Tuesday took to her Instagram to share the pictures from her visit to a Durga Puja pandal in Mumbai.

The actress also shared how her son Yug and nephew Aaman Devgan served the 'bhog' at the venue.

Taking to her Instagram, the actress posted several pictures from the event in which she can be seen soaking in the festive colours.

Kajol wrote in the caption: "Third day. Shubho Navami. And it was an amazing day. My son served at the bhog and understood why I do it every year... a newbie @aamandevgan served and felt the power of the puja. So many people that I love were there and so many happy feelings all over."

The actress further mentioned: "The pujo has ended for everyone else but we still have just our thing so that feels a little better... there is a feeling of sadness mixed with elation that it was a successful year and now its at an end (sic)."

For the occasion, the actress chose a Punit Balana saree.

The saree is priced at Rs 52,500 according to the designer's official website.

Kajol paired it with a short-sleeved blouse, and accessorised the look with a stack of red bangles, a red bindi, and a pair of gold jhumka earrings. She tied her tresses in a sleek bun and adorned with a gajra.

Kajol shares pictures of son Yug, nephew Aaman Devgan serving 'Bhog' at Durga Puja

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Mumbai, October 24

A ctor Rani Mukerji bid farewell to goddess Durga with the ritual 'Sindoor Khela' on the occasion of Vijayadashami at the North Bombay Sarbojanin's Durga Puja pandal in Mumbai.

For the occasion, Rani donned a golden-pink silk saree which she teamed with gold jewellery and mangalsutra.

She was also seen performing traditional dance at the pandal.

This ritual takes place on the final day of Durga Puja, a major festival in India, particularly in West Bengal.

Vijay Dashmi, the last day of Durga Puja, saw married Bengali Hindu women apply sindoor on the forehead and feet of the goddess and offer sweets to her, followed by applying sindoor to each other's faces.

Sindoor Khela is known as the 'vermillion game', and is celebrated by Bengali Hindu women. The ritual takes place before the idols are submerged.

Sindoor Khela is a customary element of the Durga Puja celebrations in Bengali culture. It's believed to symbolize the power of womanhood in protecting her husband and children from all evil. Through the ritual, the Hindu women pray for long and happy married lives of each other.

The tradition is celebrated across Kolkata and the entire state. Women first perform 'Arati' and then apply sindoor to the forehead and feet of the Goddess and then apply the same sindoor to each other faces.

The North Bombay Sarbojanin's Durga Puja pandal witnessed a slew of celebrities including Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Kiara Advani among others this year during the festivities.

Rani Mukerji performs Sindoor Khela, dances at Durga Puja pandal

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Salem, October 24

A fter breaking ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami on Tuesday held a meeting of the party's office-bearers of the Salem district to discuss preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

"Palaniswami instructed the district leaders to strengthen the booth committees of the party ahead of the 2024 general election," as per the party release.

He also told them that they should find out 'fake voters' in the voter list and inform the authorities.

He also told the leaders that welfare schemes of the previous AIADMK government in the state should be highlighted to the voters.

AIADMK is facing its first Lok Sabha election after Palaniswami cemented his authority in the party in an internal struggle with former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

AIADMK had also recently severed its ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party alleging that its state leaders indulged in statements that belittled the party's icons and former Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and CN Annadurai.

Palaniswami said on Sunday that the party has completely withdrawn from the alliance.

While addressing a public event of the party in Salem, the AIADMK general secretary said, "AIADMK has completely withdrawn from the BJP alliance. I have made this clear."

The AIADMK leader had earlier clarified that there was no pressure from anyone to leave the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu.

"We are strong with our decision to break ties with the BJP. No one can put any pressure on us to make this decision. A few incidents hurt our cadres," Edappadi Palaniswami said while speaking to reporters in Salem earlier this month.The party had passed a resolution unanimously to leave the BJP-led NDA on October 2, 2023.

Further, launching a scathing attack against the ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Palaniswami alleged that the law and order in the state had been broken down under the DMK regime.

"But people were better under the AIADMK rule, now the law and order have been broken down under the DMK rule. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had said that measures would be taken to control drugs, but he did not implement them properly," he said.

AIADMK's Palaniswami asks office-bearers in Salem to prepare for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

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Washington DC, October 24

A new study provides light on the vital function of communication and knowledge within organisations, highlighting how they affect collective performance. Researchers investigated how individuals become involved in communication networks, as well as the impact of selection procedures on group performance. People who communicated more during training were more likely to be picked as central members of the network, according to the study.

In addition, teams that chose their central member performed as well as and often better than teams whose central member was randomly assigned.

The study, by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Clark University, is published in Frontiers in Psychology.

"The people in network positions and the processes by which they arrive at those positions play a significant role in determining team performance," says Linda Argote, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, who coauthored the study. "For centralized network positions which require occupants to transfer information to other members of the network, it is critical to have good communication skills."

Communication networks serve as the conduits for knowledge exchange, and central members in a network are often responsible for gathering and sharing that information. Researchers drew on studies on communication networks as well as the Carnegie research perspective, which studies the ways organizations gain efficiency through learning, developing routines and structures, and exchanging knowledge.

To test whether group members who choose the occupants of network positions select themselves and others that best suit skill requirements of the position, the authors compared the performance of groups whose members received their choice of who occupied which network position to the performance of groups whose members did not. They conducted a lab study that involved nearly 125 university students. They had two experimental conditions: in one condition, members received their choice of who occupied the central position; in the other condition, members did not receive their choice.

Allowing group members to choose who occupies which network positions enabled teams to optimize their position assignments based on individuals' skills and expertise (e.g., organization, delegation), which boosted groups' performance. Team members were more likely to choose individuals who communicated frequently and those who appeared to have task-related expertise to occupy the central network position. Teams receiving their choice of central member performed better than teams not receiving their choice or teams in which members were randomly assigned to the position.

Among the study's limitations, the authors note that they investigated the effects of choice as they pertained to network positions in a single network structure, not whether groups performed differently when they could choose their network structures.

"The Carnegie perspective speaks to formal and informal communication structures in organizations but not about the processes through which workers come to occupy network positions," explains Jerry Guo, Assistant Professor of Strategy at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, who led the study. "We extended this perspective by showing that the process through which individuals come to occupy network positions affects the performance of networks. In this way, we contribute to an understanding of how the development of a network, not just its structure, influences performance."

People who communicate more, show expertise more likely to be considered valuable team members: Research

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Washington DC, October 24

V oicing against the multiple criminal charges against him, former US President Donald Trump made his comparison to former South African President Nelson Mandela stating that he is "doing it for a reason", CNN reported on Tuesday.

Addressing a crowd of supporters at a Derry, New Hampshire, rally, Trump said, "I don't mind being Nelson Mandela, because I'm doing it for a reason."

The remark from Trump -- who has been indicted four times and faces 91 criminal charges across the cases -- came after he filed to appear on the presidential ballot in New Hampshire.

Trump, who is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is facing two federal indictments brought by special counsel Jack Smith, as well as state criminal prosecutions in New York and Georgia. Some of the most severe charges against him are in connection with his alleged mishandling of classified information and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, CNN reported.

Recently, Trump has also been appearing in person at his civil fraud case in New York, where a judge has found him and his eldest sons liable for fraud.

His comparison to Nobel Peace Prize-winning anti-apartheid activist is in line with his recent comment, where he stated that he is "willing to go to jail, if that's what it takes for our country to win and become a democracy again."

As he eyes a potential general election rematch with President Joe Biden, Trump focused a large portion of his campaign speech Monday on Israel's war with Hamas, using it to criticize Biden's recent address to the nation and arguing that Americans are less safe under his administration, CNN reported.

He called for the US to build a missile defense system like Israel's Iron Dome, and said he wanted to "build a shield around our country."

Trump, further claimed that a vote for Biden in 2024 would be "a vote to turn the United States into a hotbed of jihadists and make our cities into dumping grounds very much resembling the Gaza Strip."

The former president has used Hamas' deadly October 7 attack on Israel and the resulting war in arguing for his hard-line immigration policies, including implementing a travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries if he were to win reelection, CNN reported.

I don't mind being Nelson Mandela because...: Donald Trump

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Mumbai, Oct 24

A ctress Madhuri Dixit, who is known for Tridev, Tezaab, Saajan, Dil To Pagal Hai, has shared the idea behind her upcoming production.

Madhuri along with her husband Shriram Nene is set to release their much-awaited Marathi film Panchak on January 5. The film has been directed by Jayant Jathar and Rahul Awate.

Talking about the same, Madhuri and Shriram said in a joint statement, The idea of Panchak is very simple. Superstitions can overwhelm us, and drive us to unreasonable fear, putting us in absurd situations.

We are very excited about producing this movie and have worked hard to assemble an outstanding cast and crew and will hopefully give audiences a much-needed dose of humour. We cant wait to showcase the film to the audiences, they added.

Produced by RNM Moving Pictures, Panchak is shot in Konkan region. It is a dark comedy that deals with the fear of superstition and death. The film features an ensemble cast of the finest artistes from the Marathi film and television industry, and theatre, and is shot in picturesque Konkan.

This film marks the second production of RNM Moving Pictures after 15th August which was released directly on OTT and received rave reviews.

Panchak stars Adinath Kothare, Tejashri Pradhan, Anand Ingale, Nandita Patkar, Bharati Acharekar, Vidyadhar Joshi, Satish Alekar, Sagar Talashikar, Dipti Devi, Ashish Kulkarni, and Dilip Prabhavalkar.

The film is set to release on January 5, 2024.

Madhuri Dixit shares idea behind her upcoming Marathi dark comedy 'Panchak'

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Beijing, October 25

T he 25th round of boundary talks between China and Bhutan was held in Beijing, with the delegates from the two countries carrying forward the negotiations to settle boundary disputes and commending the work of an expert group in this direction, according to an official release from the Chinese foreign ministry.

The two sides agreed to build on the "positive momentum" from the ongoing boundary negotiations, the release stated.

The talks were held on October 23 and 24, with the Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Sun Weidong.

The Bhutanese delegation was led by the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Tandi Dorji.

"The two sides held in-depth discussions on the boundary negotiations and noted the progress made through a series of Expert Group Meetings since the 24th Round of Boundary Talks in 2016," read a joint statement issued after the talks.

China and Bhutan also inked a cooperation agreement on the responsibilities and functions of the Joint Technical Team on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary.

"During the talks, the two leaders of the delegations signed the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan on the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary," the statement read further.

The JTT was formed during the 13th Expert Group Meeting to assist in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Three-Step Roadmap, according to the release.

The two leaders also agreed to continue working together to simultaneously push forward the implementation of all the steps of the Three-Step Roadmap.

"The discussions were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere in keeping with the ties of friendship and cooperation between China and Bhutan," the joint statement read further.

Later, both sides exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, it added.

The Bhutanese delegation. during their visit to China for the boundary talks, also visited places of historical and cultural significance.

China, Bhutan delegations hold 25th round of boundary talks in Beijing

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In path of truth, there are many obstacles: Mos Meenakashi Lekhi as she extends warm wishes on Vijayadashami

New Delhi, October 25

U nion Minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday extended her wishes to fellow citizens on the occasion of Vijayadashami and advised them to follow the path of goodwill.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, MoS Lekhi said, "I extend my warmest wishes to the entire country on Vijayadashami. The slaying of Ravan (hydra-headed demon king from the epic Ramayana) by Lord Rama sends out the eternal message that good always triumphs over evil."

She added that both Vijayadashami and Maha Navami celebrate the slayings of 'Mahisasura' and Ravana, reaffirming the victory of good over evil.

"In the path of truth, there are many obstacles, but our Sanatan tradition inspires and fills the human mind with a strong resolve, thereby enabling a person never to divert from his path and achieve wisdom. This is the message for the whole world, for humanity in general, on Vijayadashami," she added.

Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Navaratri.

It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar.

The festival typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October. Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or oceanfront that involve carrying clay statues of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, accompanied by music and chants, after which the images are immersed in the water for dissolution and farewell.

In other places, towering effigies of Ravana, symbolising evil, are burned with fireworks, marking evil's destruction. The festival also starts the preparations for Diwali, the important festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami.

In path of truth, there are many obstacles: Mos Meenakashi Lekhi as she extends warm wishes on Vijayadashami

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Washington, Oct 24

F ormer US President Donald Trump will skip the third GOP Presidential primaries debate, and instead hold a rival rally up the road in the Miami arena holding on to his view the "worthlessness" of participating in a debate when he is "miles ahead of the eight contestants".

Trump not only took the Republican National Committee (RNC) off guard with his announcement, but also threw wide open to the public, essentially the voters, the rift between him and the GOP elders on who should be selected the nominee for the 2024 presidential race, media reports said.

Trumps decision to skip next months third GOP presidential primary debate and instead hold a rival rally just up the road highlights how complicated  and at times thorny  the relationship between the Republican National Committee and the front-runners team has become, CNN said in a report.

The RNC was caught off guard when Trumps campaign announced last week that it would hold a counterprogramming event the same night as the debate, just down the road from the Miami arena where other Republican candidates would be facing off.

While Trump has not attended any of the debates, citing his commanding lead in the polls, the decision to host what appears to be a competing event in the same area has rubbed some Republicans the wrong way, reports said.

Its a slap on the face [of the RNC], one Republican operative with ties to the committee told CNN.

Allies close to Trump attempted to justify the decision, pointing to his public frustration that the RNC is continuing to hold debates despite the wide margin he has over the rest of the field.

Trump's top campaign advisers called on the RNC to immediately cancel the upcoming debate in Miami and end all future debates in order to refocus its manpower and money on defeating the Democrats in 2024.

But even before the debates took centre stage, Trumps relationship with the organisation, led by his own hand-picked chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, became increasingly tumultuous in recent months.

Trump harbours resentment against the RNC over the 2020 election denial by him by not providing him with proper attorneys in place to challenge the poll results, multiple sources told CNN.

The RNC leaders have tried unsuccessfully to convince Trumpthat it was not their responsibility to select the attorneys to represent him in the election denial case, both at the federal and district level in Georgia.

Instead, some other RNC leaders have blamed Trump for not having a better legal infrastructure in place for his 2020 campaign.

Trump has asked his allies and aides why the RNC must remain neutral in the 2024 GOP presidential primary race instead of endorsing him, who was the frontrunner in all the gallup polls.

The RNC has said that it is focused on presiding over the GOP primary in a fair way to all the candidates running for the Republican nomination for President, an RNC spokesman said in a statement.

Trump appointed Ronna McDaniel as GOP chair since his becoming President in 2016 and replaced dozens ofRepublican committee members with his loyalists. He expected total loyalty from all his supporters, including McDaniel.

Most Republicans have targeted McDaniel for being in Trump's orbit and for the poor selection of candidates that led to the Republicans underwhelming results in the 2022 midterms for the house.

Trump's Red Tsunami never happened and most of his candidates lost and the house returned with a fractured razor-thin majority for the Republicans 212 to 203.

Theres a general concern about Ronna and the RNC when it comes to the 2020 and 2022 elections, a Trump ally said, adding that they saw mistakes with the partys messaging strategy in seeking votes.

Theres a lot of concern about her leading the party going forward, the source pointed out.

Shortly after winning, McDaniel told Fox News that this would be her last term as chairIts done.

While it was too early to talk about organisational changes at the RNC, McDaniel should be willing to step aside if Trump is elected as the nominee for the 2024 presidential race, an RNC leader said.

Its not unusual for the nominee to make some changes at the RNC, and I imagine Trump will, but there is nothing planned, one source close to the former President said, adding that McDaniels term would be over in a year-and-a-half anyway.

There would be a new RNC chairman that I imagine Trump would be influential and in choosing just like he was influential with [McDaniel].

Trump to skip 3rd GOP debate in Miami, hold rival rally across the road

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United Nations, Oct 25

W hile making a resounding denouncement of terrorism, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has cited the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit.

Speaking at the Security Council meeting on Palestine on Tuesday, he said that terrorist acts are unlawful and unjustifiable whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali, in Luxor, Istanbul, or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Beeri.

Theyre unlawful and unjustifiable whether they are carried out by IS, by Boko Haram, by al-Shabaab, by Lashkar-e Taiba, or by Hamas. This Council has a responsibility to denounce member states that arm, that fund, and train Hamas or any other terrorist group that carries out such horrific acts."

Rejecting attempts to equivocate on the Hamas terrorism that killed over 1,400 people in Israel and had more than 200 kidnapped on October 7, Blinken said: As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable."

Outlining the worst of the Hamas attack like the execution of children before their parents, the beheading of young people and the burning of families alive, Blinken said that we have to ask  indeed it must be asked  where is the outrage? Where is the revulsion? Where is the rejection? Where is the explicit condemnation of these horrors?".

We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this council  no nation in this entire body  could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people."

Pakistans Permanent Representative Munir Akram reacted swiftly to the mention of 26/11, LeT and Hamas, and said without directly naming the US:Some in this Council have offered protection to their allies who are oppressing occupied people in Palestine and in Kashmir."

Blinken defended the right of Israel itself in the face of the brutal attack by Hamas, but added: It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians."

As for Hamas, he said that it should not use civilians as human shields.

Some have suggested that Western countries have double standards in how they view Palestinian and Israeli lives.

Blinken said: There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting civilian lives. A civilian is a civilian is a civilian, no matter his or her nationality, ethnicity, age, gender, faith.

Thats why America mourns the loss of every single innocent life in this crisis, including innocent Israeli and Palestinian men, women, children, elderly people, Muslims, Jews, Christians, people of all nationalities and faiths, including at least 35 UN staff members."

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

Blinken cites 26/11, LeT while denouncing terrorism

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New Delhi, Oct 25

B est known for his performances in projects like 'Kai Po Che', 'Sultan', 'Gold' and 'Breathe' among others, actor Amit Sadh has expressed his gratitude towards independent cinema and filmmakers, calling it an important tool for creative freedom.

Amit had recently attended the Yellowstone International Film Festival, here.

During a panel discussion, he said: "I believe independent cinema should be given more priority in our country and elsewhere as it is a very important tool for creative freedom."

"In recent times we have seen amazing stories which were told by independent filmmakers through their outstanding craft - cinema," he added.

Showcasing 140 films under categories Including Feature shorts, LGBTQIA+, Women empowerment, Comedy, Horror, Short and feature documentaries feature films from the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, INDIA, , Italy, the Netherlands, Chile, Spain, Pakistan, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden and many more, the festival will conclude on October 27.

In the festival, Amit also received the award for 'Outstanding Performance In a recurring Role' for 'Breathe Into The Shadows'.

The festival witnessed Bani J, Amit Sadh, Deepak Kalra, Siddharth Chauhan, among others.

On the work front, he is currently seen in 'Duranga 2', which is the Indian adaptation of the popular K-drama 'Flower of Evil'. He plays the character of Sammit Patel in the show.

The second season of the show saw the return of Gulshan, Drashti Dhami, Amit Sadh, Barkha Sen Gupta, Rajesh Khattar reprising their respective roles. Spanning across eight episodes, 'Duranga S2' is streaming on ZEE5.

Amit Sadh calls independent cinema important tool for creative freedom

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New Delhi, October 25

R eferring to the India-China War of 1962, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday targeted the Congress party over the then political leadership of former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Defence Minister Krishna Menon.

"October 20 to November 21, 1962, will forever be etched as a dark and humiliating chapter in the history of independent India. That was the time when thousands of Indians and numerous members of our armed forces paid with their lives for the delusional 'Hindi-Chini bhai bhai' policy followed by the then-political leadership of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and his Leftist Defence Minister, Krishna Menon," Rajeev Chandrasekhar posted on X.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar further alleged that it was the weak leadership that caused unforgivable damage to the morale of our armed forces.

"India bore the cost of this weak and delusional leadership, and our proud country endured global humiliation. It caused unforgivable damage to the morale of our armed forces, who, despite being ill-equipped, fought valiantly until the last bullet and even with bayonets and bare hands, causing heavy casualties to the enemies. Many heroes fought to protect India and sacrificed their lives," he added.

The Union Minister also said that in the coming days, he will post more facts that will refresh memories that the nation bears as a result of weak leaders.

"We will always #RememberAndNeverForget the devastating impact of weak leadership, which led to the sacrifices of our bravehearts and also resulted in India's around 38,000 square kilometres of its land. Never again shall India be put through this. This is PM@narendramodiji's #NewIndia #NeverForgiveNeverForget," Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on X.

Earlier on October 14, Rajeev Chandrasekhar had targeted the Congress on corruption and said that corruption is the unrelenting goal and objective of the Congress party.

Addressing the press conference, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "Corruption is embedded in Congress' DNA. It is their unrelenting goal and objective. Ambika Pati wrote a letter to the PM on behalf of Congress in July 2022 about 40 percent corruption. He and his group of contractors spread a narrative that there is 40 percent corruption in the BJP government, and unfortunately, Karnataka voters got misled by this" he had said.

India bore cost of weak leadership: Rajeev Chandrasekhar slams Congress on 1962 China war

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New Delhi, October 25

U nion Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles Piyush Goyal attended the 7th Edition of Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh.

In the two-day sessions held from October 24 to October 25, he met several dignitaries from the host country of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) including the Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman Al-Saud, Commerce Minister His Excellency Majid bin Abdullah AlKassabi, and Investment Minister Khalid A Al Falih.

Ministry of Commerce Industry stated that Piyush Goyal addressed the 7th Edition of FII in one of the plenary sessions titled "The Coming Investment Mandate". He also co-chaired a conclave session on the theme "From Risk to Opportunity: Strategies for Emerging Economies in the New Industrial Policy Era" along with the KSA Investment Minister.

This was followed by a bilateral meeting where the two respective ministers deliberated the expansion of investment across diverse sectors to foster economic growth and further enhance strategic partnership between the two countries, the release stated.

Meanwhile, Goyal also held bilateral meetings with KSA Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah AlKassabi, Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, CEO NEOM Nadhmi Al Nasr, and Governor Public Investment Fund (PIF) Yassir Rummayyan. Discussions pertained to improvement in bilateral relations, especially in the field of commerce and industry.

The Minister participated in the Business Round Table organized at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, and highlighted the multiple opportunities offered by India. The growing trade between the two countries reached an all-time high of USD 52.75 billion in FY 2022-23. The conference aimed at further strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries, it added.

The Confederation of Indian Industry and the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of the Minister to further enhance commercial partnership, the release read.

Goyal met Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank and prominent business leaders on the sidelines of the FII. He held interactive sessions with the Indian business leaders and the Indian community living in KSA, both constituting a respectable part of the Saudi economy.

KSA is one of India's most important strategic partners. Cooperation between the two countries can also be witnessed with the establishment of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). Established in 2019, it aims to enhance the relationship between the two countries and has two main pillars: the 'Committee on Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Cooperation' and the 'Committee on Economy and Investments'. India is the fourth country with which Riyadh has formed such a partnership, after the UK, France, and China.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal attends 7th Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh

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Los Angeles, Oct 25

A ctor John Stamos is dropping bombshells from his personal life as he offers grisly details in his memoir If You Would Have Told Me, and it includes his struggles with alcoholism and how he pulled through.

In his book, he candidly addressed his many highs and lows over the years because he knew it was necessary to share the good and the bad as equally essential parts of his story.

Earlier, the Full House actor had said that while he did consider putting himself as a hero. However, he later decided against it as he wanted to present an actual picture of the events that transpired.

Speaking to People magazine, Stamos said: "I did set out to write a hero story, but then as I was doing it I was like, 'No, I'm going to tell a human story, because with the hero story, that's bulls****. And unless I was a 100 per cent forthcoming, what am I doing this for, right? But it was hard."

Nonetheless, he labeled the experience as therapeutic and said: "I just hope people can take something. Now, you're going to ask me what, but take something from it and use it in their life. It could be the stuff that I learned from Bob (Saget), which was, Tomorrow's not promised"

Live every moment to the fullest and tell everybody that you care about them. Or the wisdom that I got from my parents, my dad, treating everybody the same. My mom, always looking for the best part of someone and that's what defines them. But I hope they can relate to me," he added.

During a gig on Broadway in 2002, Stamos reflected on how much his drinking habits increased. He would begin sipping a bottle of red wine while getting his makeup done and figure out how to make it last the whole show."

"This is not a recommended acting method, but it does help me, especially early on, to drop my inhibitions and abandon any fear," he wrote. "I try to time it out so that my last swallow comes right before I walk out and hit my mark in f***me pumps and a satin dress to belt out my final torch song, 'I Don't Care Much'."

Because the "emotional tenor of the show requires release after-hours," Stamos would continue drinking with his cast-mates after the show ended. "Alcoholism is genetic. Hereditary. My parents both enjoyed imbibing regularly. They functioned well and never considered stopping.

Proclivities can lie dormant within for a while, but Im pushing my luck, drinking a bottle of wine every performance (including matinees)," he shared, noting that it "feels like I might be awakening a sleeping monster."

Stamos added that his alcoholism carried on over the years. "I'm practically having panic attacks in the first ten minutes of the show, so I turn to my old Cabaret trick: a bottle of red. I can say farewell to Cabaret, but can't cut loose the cabernet chromosome."

In the book's opening chapter, Stamos opened up about the scary moment in June 2015 when he was driving while under the influence of multiple substances on his way to dinner with Bob Saget.

"I don't want to kill myself, but theres a selfishness in death that I flirt with. Im faded in my car. Its okay if I die. Fine. I've done it all; crossed everything off my list. Got the fame, got the girls, got the sitcom, got to play with The Beach Boys. The End. I'm good to go, in the literal sense," he wrote.

Upon eventually pulling over, Stamos said the cops found him "blacked out, slumped in my seat like a scarecrow." He was then taken to a local hospital, where he woke up to Saget seated by his bedside after the comedian  along with Stamos's sisters  had attempted to track him down for hours.

"I've seen the video and pictures from that night. It makes me sick to my stomach. Im spinning around the streets, out of my bloody mind. I could have killed a kid, wiped out a family or a grandmother coming home from Bible study," he wrote. "I'm jeopardising everything in my life: my career, reputation, and worst of all, the kid my parents raised, a guy I kind of like."

This is what prompted the actor to go into rehabilitating himself, and years down the road he was finally able to attain sobriety.

John Stamos drops bombshell revelation about his battle with alcoholism

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The symptoms and causes of andropause

Testosterone levels and male menopause

LOH diagnosis and treatment

How to debunk the myths of andropause

References

Further reading

Andropause is a natural age-related decline in testosterone and growth hormone levels in men. Several terminologies have been used to refer to andropause, including male menopause, male climacteric, androgen deficiency in aging males (ADAM), viropause, and partial androgen deficiency in aging males (PADAM).

Image Credit: Minerva Studio/Shutterstock.com

The World Congress on the Aging Male in Prague (2004) and the World Health Organisation in Paris (2003) described male menopause in two definitive terms, namely, late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and the Aging Male Syndrome (AMS).

This article is focused on highlighting the main cause, symptoms, and treatment of this male dysfunction.

The symptoms and causes of andropause

The word "andropause" has been derived from the Greek word "andras" meaning human male, and "pause" means a cessation. Therefore, andropause refers to a condition where men experience a decrease in sexual satisfaction or a decline in overall well-being due to low testosterone levels in older men.

In 1946, the andropause syndrome was first described as "male climacteric," which was characterized by decreased libido, nervousness, irritability, erectile dysfunction, reduced potency, fatigue, reduced muscle mass and strength, hair loss, hot flushes, memory problems, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Hypogonadism is the main cause of the clinical symptoms of andropause. In contrast to menopause, a well-characterized and timely process linked to absolute gonadal failure, andropause is a more subtle androgen deficiency with slow progression. LOH, or functional hypogonadism, is characterized by a low blood testosterone concentration.

Besides old age, andropause also exists in men who lose their testicular function due to diseases or accidents. This syndrome has also been observed in men with advanced prostate cancer who undergo surgical or medical castration.

Testosterone levels and male menopause

Testosterone is the main androgen hormone responsible for key male sex characteristics. Hence, alteration in testosterone levels affects the psychological and sexual functions and body composition of the male population. The Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) and the New Mexico Aging Study revealed that inadequate testosterone levels in older men and other anabolic hormones increase mortality risk.

Testosterone levels decrease at the rate of 1% per year with aging. It must be noted that the rate of testosterone decline varies with people depending on multiple factors, including serious emotional stress, chronic disease, medications, and obesity. The decline rate can be effectively decelerated by managing health and lifestyle factors.

In aging men, the decline in testosterone levels is mainly due to a reduction in Leydig cell mass in the testicles, a dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary homeostatic control, or both. These conditions lead to low secretion of luteinizing hormones and subsequent low testosterone production.

Although the decline in testosterone levels in males occurs gradually, it is most prominent between 40 and 55 years. It is imperative to address the adverse health effects linked to andropause to protect the aging male population from major health issues, including disabilities and morbidity.

Image Credit: Double Brain/Shutterstock.com

LOH diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosing and treating LOH is important because it increases the risk of many chronic illnesses, including inflammatory arthritic disease, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, obesity, hemochromatosis, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related disease.

LOH is diagnosed based on clinical symptoms that indicate testosterone deficiency. One of the key clinical features of hypogonadism is low libido. As stated above, other manifestations include decreased bone mineral density, osteoporosis, increased body fat, decreased muscle mass and strength, erectile dysfunction, and depression. However, none of these symptoms are specific indicators of this condition. Clinicians mostly evaluate serum testosterone levels in the presence of more than one symptom.

Before LOH diagnosis, patients must not be prescribed antidepressants, digoxin, corticosteroids, opioid analgesics, antifungal agents, and spironolactone for symptomatic treatment, as these medications could hamper LOH diagnosis.

A total testosterone level of less than 11 nmol/l and a free testosterone level of less than 220 pmol/l is recommended as the minimum criteria for LOH diagnosis for the aging male population. Sulfate precipitation and equilibrium dialysis are the gold standards used to estimate free testosterone and bioavailable testosterone.

Patients with critically low testosterone levels are treated with testosterone replacement therapy. This therapy has improved body composition, decreased fat mass, and increased muscle mass and strength. In addition, this treatment enhanced bone density in hypogonadal men of all ages.

Testosterone therapy improves serum testosterone levels, significantly enhancing libido and alleviating erectile and orgasmic function. This treatment also positively reduced the risk factors for cardiovascular events and metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, hypertension, impaired insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia.

Androgens stimulate erythropoiesis and improve bone marrow erythropoietic activity, reticulocyte count, and hemoglobin. Therefore, androgen therapy is extremely useful in treating people with anemia. Since reduced testosterone level affects visuospatial performance and verbal and visual memory, it could be assumed that this therapy would improve multiple cognitive functions.

How to debunk the myths of andropause

Many men are misinformed about the clinical conditions of andropause and suffer from significant dilemmas regarding this condition. It is important to address male menopause with proper information.

Male Menopause Explained Play

The lack of awareness, improper understanding, ignorance, and unquestionable acceptance of male menopause are the root causes of the myths associated with its manifestations. Many men who visit general physicians due to fatigue and lack of libido are sent back saying, "It's your age', without addressing the possibility of male menopause onset. Furthermore, many individuals with andropause are misdiagnosed with depression and are prescribed anti-depressants.

There is a need to increase awareness regarding andropause through the education system. Increased awareness about testosterone replacement therapy to alleviate andropause conditions could benefit many males in the rapidly aging global population.

References

Mohammadi, M. et al. (2023) The Prevalence of Andropause and Its Relationship With Sexual Quality of Life Among Older Iranian Men. American Journal of Men's Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883231161050

Mian, A. H. et al. (2022) Current Management and Controversies Surrounding Andropause. Urologic Clinics of North America, 49(4), pp. 583-592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ucl.2022.07.003

Martelli, M. et al. (2021) Influence of Work on Andropause and Menopause: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910074

Mousavi, M. et al. (2018) Exploratory Study of Andropause Syndrome in 40-65 Years in Arak: A Cross Sectional Study. Journal of Family & Reproductive Health, 12(3), pp.142-147. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6571447/

Singh, P. (2013). Andropause: Current concepts. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 17(13), pp.S621. https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.123552

Wespes, E. and Schulman, C. C. (2002) Male andropause: Myth, reality, and treatment. International Journal of Impotence Research, 14(1), pp. S93-S98. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900798

Further Reading
In a cohort study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, researchers from California examined the children who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They evaluated the duration of infectivity (culturable virus shedding) of the causative virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its association with vaccination status. They found that the median duration of infectivity was three days in children positive with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Further, no association was found between the duration of infectivity and the vaccination status of children.

Study: Duration of SARS-CoV-2 Culturable Virus Shedding in Children. Image Credit: Created with the assistance of DALLE 3

Understanding the Problem at Hand

The quarantine and self-isolation policies implemented to curb COVID-19 in school-going children are more stringent than those for other viral diseases and tend to interrupt their education. Additionally, these policies are supported by limited evidence as the duration of infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in children is still unclear. While a previous study has suggested that childrens nasopharyngeal samples have a 50% lower probability of containing culturable viruses as compared to adults, the shedding of the Omicron variant has not been studied so far in children. The present study aimed to address this gap by investigating the potential link between the duration of infectivity and vaccination or booster status in children infected with the Omicron variant.

Unpacking the Methodology

The cohort included 76 children of age 718 years (50% males and 50% females) whose results were positive in the polymerase chain reaction-based test for COVID-19. Forty-one of these participants were in the age group of 712 years.

The day of the positive test result was considered day 0. Over the next 10 days, five home visits were conducted, and pharyngeal swabs were collected from the patients each time. Variant assessment was done in the laboratory. The race, ethnicity, demographics, and vaccination status of the patients were recorded additionally. About 68.4% of the participants were found to be vaccinated.

As the primary outcome, the cytopathic effect (CPE, the structural change in the host cell caused by viral infection) was determined through sample culture in growth media. Bright-field microscopy images were taken after 6, 8, and 10 days after inoculation. A sample was considered CPE positive if, on day 6, 30% or more of its images showed CPE characteristics. If the results were inconclusive with day-6 images, those from days 8 and 10 were used to assess CPE.

Measuring Infectivity Over Time

The infectivity over time was visualized using Kaplan-Meier curves. The relationship between the duration of infectivity and vaccination status was determined using Cox proportional hazard regression models. While the origin of observation was day 0, failure was considered when CPE was negative. For sensitivity analysis, the date of onset of symptoms was taken as the origin of observation. The statistical analysis was performed using Stata version 17.

Key Takeaways and Implications

Among the 76 participants, only 14 were found to be infectious on day 5, while 3 were found to be infectious on day 10. The median duration of infectivity was estimated to be three days in both vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Thus, no association was found between the duration of infectivity and vaccination status, irrespective of the demographics. Even among the vaccinated children, the duration of infectivity was similar in those who received a booster and those who did not. The sensitivity analysis showed similar results.

Next Steps for Research

The results of the present study corroborate with a previous study evaluating the association between infectivity duration and vaccination status in Omicron-infected adults. However, the study is limited by its small sample size, the potential for nonresponse bias, and the use of CPE as a proxy for true infectivity. Further research needs to be conducted to include children who did not get tested for COVID-19 as well as those positive for other variants of SARS-CoV-2.

How This Affects Schooling

The findings of this study have important implications for the policies implemented in school settings. While the median duration of infectivity (three days) estimated in this study supports the current 5-day isolation policy after a positive test result, the lack of association between vaccination and duration of infectivity also suggests that vaccination or booster status need not be considered when developing return-to-school policies.

How long do children with Covid have culturable virus shedding?

"Our findings suggest that current policies requiring isolation for 5 days after a positive test might be appropriate"https://t.co/3YuQItJyuN@JAMAPediatrics pic.twitter.com/glJftZ2m8F  Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 23, 2023
Scientists at UNSW Sydney have created a new material that could change the way human tissue can be grown in the lab and used in medical procedures.

The new material belongs to a family of substances called hydrogels, the essence of life's 'squishy' substances found in all living things, such as cartilage in animals and in plants like seaweed. The properties of hydrogels make them very useful in biomedical research because they can mimic human tissue, allowing cells to grow in a laboratory.

There are also human-made hydrogels that are used in a broad range of commodity products ranging from food and cosmetics to contact lenses and absorbent materials, and more recently in medical research to seal wounds and replace damaged tissue. While they might function adequately as space fillers that encourage tissue growth, synthetic hydrogels fall short in recreating the complex properties of real human tissue.

But in a research paper published today in Nature Communications, scientists from UNSW describe how a new lab-made hydrogel behaves like natural tissue, with a number of surprising qualities that have implications for medical, food and manufacturing technology.

Associate Professor Kris Kilian from UNSW's School of Materials Science & Engineering and School of Chemistry says the hydrogel material is made from very simple, short peptides, which are the building blocks of proteins.

The material is bioactive, which means that encapsulated cells behave as if they are living in natural tissue." Kris Kilian, Associate Professor from UNSW's School of Materials Science & Engineering and School of Chemistry

"At the same time, the material is antimicrobial, meaning that it will prevent bacterial infections. This combination lands it in the sweet spot for materials that might be useful in medicine. The material is also self-healing, which means that it will reform after being squished, fractured, or after being expelled from a syringe. This makes it ideal for 3D bioprinting, or as an injectable material for medicine."

Surprise discovery in lockdown

Ashley Nguyen, a PhD student in the UNSW School of Chemistry and first author on the paper, made this discovery during the Covid19 lockdown using computer simulations. Ms Nguyen was looking for molecules that self-assemble  where they spontaneously arrange themselves without human intervention  and stumbled upon the concept of 'tryptophan zippers'. These are short chains of amino acids with multiple tryptophans that act as a zipper to promote self-assembly, which have been dubbed "Trpzip".

"I was excited to identify a unique peptide sequence using computational simulations that might form a hydrogel," says Ms Nguyen.

"After we returned to the lab, I synthesized the top candidate and was thrilled to see it actually form a gel."

Ms Nguyen says the discovery of this hydrogel has the potential to be an ethical alternative to the widely used natural materials.

"Natural hydrogels are used all over in society-;from food processing to cosmetics-;but require harvest from animals which poses ethical concerns," she says.

"Also, animal-derived materials are problematic for use in humans because of the negative immune response that occurs. With Trpzip, we have a synthetic material that not only shows potential in many areas where natural materials are currently used, but also could outperform them in others, such as clinical research."

Real world results

To test the viability of Trpzip in biomedical research, A/Prof. Kilian's team partnered with researcher Dr. Shafagh Waters in the School of Biomedical Sciences at UNSW Sydney, who uses Matrigel  a hydrogel harvested from mouse tumors  for the culture of patient tissue in her research.

"Matrigel has some disadvantages in research use because every batch is different. A chemically defined alternative could be cheaper and more uniform, which would prove highly beneficial to biomedical research," says Dr Waters.

A/Prof Kilian notes that the natural materials business is a billion-dollar industry and says the team is keen to explore pathways to commercialization.

"We think that Trpzip hydrogels and materials like it will provide a more uniform and cost-effective alternative to animal-derived products. It would be a tremendous outcome if our material reduced the number of animals used in scientific research."

The next phase of research will involve partnering with industry and clinical scientists to test the utility of Trpzip gels in tissue culture and explore applications that highlight the unique dynamic characteristics like 3D bioprinting and stem cell delivery.
California continues to burnish its reputation as a progressive state for health policy as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed bills expanding paid sick leave, adding bereavement leave for miscarriages, and boosting wages for health workers.

Newsom blessed a rare agreement between labor and the health industry to gradually phase in a nation-leading $25-an-hour statewide minimum wage for health workers. Estimates based on earlier versions of the bill found it would increase health care costs by billions of dollars each year and put pressure on the state's Medicaid program to raise reimbursement rates for long-term care to maintain patients' access to services. Other new laws aim to strengthen reproductive rights, as well as patient protections against errant doctors and pharmacists and surprise ambulance bills.

Still, in a possible sign of his national ambitions and experience as a businessperson and father, the Democrat tempered the bill-signing season by vetoing free condoms in schools and possession of psychedelic mushrooms.

He rejected decriminalizing such hallucinogens even as he supported their therapeutic potential as "an exciting frontier." He urged lawmakers to try again next year, this time adding specific treatment guidelines including recommended doses and protections for people with underlying psychoses. The bill's lead author, state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, had introduced the proposal amid successful decriminalization efforts in Colorado, Oregon, and some cities, saying veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression should not be penalized for seeking relief.

Newsom also shot down a $35 price cap for a 30-day supply of insulin in favor of his own price-cutting efforts, touting his administration's $50 million contract to begin sourcing its own insulin as early as next year. He argued this approach would avoid indirect price hikes for consumers that could come in the form of higher premiums to cover cheaper insulin.

The governor similarly showed caution in vetoing health and safety protections for domestic workers, arguing that "private households and families cannot be regulated in the exact same manner as traditional businesses."

The new laws will take effect in 2024 unless otherwise noted:

Sick days

California workers will be entitled to five paid sick days a year under SB 616, by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat from Long Beach. That's up from the three days required in California since 2014, but short of the seven days Gonzalez originally sought. Advocates say workers shouldn't have to show up sick, potentially spreading illness, because they can't afford to stay home. But the California Chamber of Commerce included the bill on its annual job killer list and said it would harm struggling small businesses.

Miscarriage and failed adoption leave

Parents who experience miscarriages, stillbirths, failed adoptions, or a breakdown in a surrogate pregnancy agreement will all be entitled to bereavement leave under SB 848. The bill, by state Sen. Susan Rubio, a Democrat from the San Gabriel Valley, will include unpaid reproductive loss leave under the state's existing law allowing up to five days of bereavement leave upon the death of a family member. She called reproductive losses "one of the most traumatizing events a person can experience," noting that Illinois and Utah enacted similar laws in 2022. The bill applies to companies with five or more employees.

Abortion protections

A year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Newsom signed nine abortion-related laws, adding to the strong protections for the procedure that California lawmakers adopted a year ago. Among them is SB 345, which increases protections for medical providers who live in California but mail abortion pills or gender-related medications to states where they are illegal. The bill's lead author, state Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Democrat from Berkeley, said in a statement that the laws strengthen California's position "as the national leader for reproductive freedom." Another bill, AB 1646, by Assembly member Stephanie Nguyen, a Democrat from Elk Grove, allows doctors from other states to receive abortion training in California without having to obtain a California medical license.

Behavioral health funding

Voters will get a direct say in March on Proposition 1, Newsom's key behavioral health initiative. Having signed a bipartisan package of bills, Newsom will ask voters to approve billions of dollars aimed at alleviating California's seemingly incorrigible homelessness crisis. He says that represents a paradigm shift in how California addresses the dilemma, but the proposition is opposed by those worried about expanding involuntary treatment and diverting funding from existing community-based programs. He also signed SB 43, expanding the state's conservatorship law to make it easier to force people into treatment for mental illness or addiction.

Medical licensing fees

The Medical Board of California will be required to follow new procedures while investigating complaints, while doctors will pay higher licensing fees to help fund those investigations. SB 815, by Sen. Richard Roth, a Riverside Democrat, mandates the new complaint procedures amid criticism of the board by patient advocates, who say bad doctors often escape sanction. It will gradually boost the license renewal fee to $1,255 every two years, up from $863 currently. It also repeals AB 2098, passed last year, that said it is unprofessional conduct for doctors to spread misinformation or disinformation related to covid-19. The law was entangled in multiple lawsuits with conflicting rulings, including one by a federal judge who called it "unconstitutionally vague."

Pharmacy errors

Medication errors harm at least 1.5 million Americans annually and are among the most common medical errors, according to the National Academy of Medicine. In California, they are the top violation resulting in a citation. AB 1286, by Assembly member Matt Haney, a Democrat from San Francisco, imposes what he said is a first-in-the-nation requirement that retail pharmacies report every error. It also gives the pharmacist in charge at each store the authority to increase staffing and the duty to inform the store's management of dangerous conditions. The California State Board of Pharmacy can close a pharmacy if the conditions arent improved.

Surprise ambulance bills

Patients who call for an ambulance can sometimes receive "surprise bills" topping $1,000, according to Health Access California. AB 716, by Assembly member Tasha Boerner, a Democrat from Encinitas, protects consumers from being charged out-of-network costs for ambulance services and uninsured Californians from being charged what she calls inflated ambulance rates. An analysis by the California Health Benefits Review Program said that would require health plans and insurers to pay more for out-of-network services.

Lifesaving medications

AB 1651, by Assembly member Kate Sanchez, a Republican from Rancho Santa Margarita, will require schools to have emergency epinephrine auto-injectors for use by school nurses or trained volunteers to treat life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. More than 15% of children with food allergies have had a reaction at school, according to the Latino Food Allergy Network, which sought the bill.

Food safety

By 2027, California will become the first U.S. state to ban four chemicals widely used in processed food and drinks, following the lead of the European Union and other nations. AB 418, by Democratic Assembly members Jesse Gabriel and Buffy Wicks, initially drew headlines because it would have banned titanium dioxide, which is used in Skittles, but that chemical was dropped from the bill. Opponents said the U.S. and California already have sufficient food safety and food labeling requirements. Newsom and the bill's supporters chided the Food and Drug Administration for failing to take action.

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Stocks to Watch on October 25: GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded 16 points, or 0.08 per cent, lower at 19,308, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for negative start on Wednesday. Heres a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons.

Q2FY24 results today: Axis Bank, Tech Mahindra, Indus Towers, Jubilant Foodworks, Sona BLW Precision Forgings, Sonata Software, Lakshmi Machine Works, Welspun India, Chalet Hotels, Chennai Petroleum Corp, Responsive Industries, CMS Info Systems, Share India Securities, Rallis India, Shanthi Gears, Bannari Amman Sugars, Gulf Oil Lubricants India, Swaraj Engines, TV18 Broadcast, Network18 Media & Investments.

Kfin Technologies: The company will not proceed with the buyback if redeemable preference shares until further notice as the Office of the Joint Director, Enforcement Directorate, Hyderabad Zonal Office has issued notice to Adhiraj Parthasarathy, wherein the ED has provisionally attached the RPSs.

Delta Corp: The Bombay High Court has directed the Directorate General of GST Intelligence, Hyderabad, to not pass a final orders on Rs 16,195-crore tax notice against Delta Corp without prior permission from the court.

Vedanta: Ajay Goel, the former chief financial officer (CFO) at Indian edtech startup Byjus, will return as Vedantas CFO effective October 30 after Sonal Shrivastava tendered resignation.

Torrent Pharma: Torrent Pharma has reported net profit of Rs 386 crore in the second quarter. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 2,660 crore.

JSW Steel: It plans to establish a green steel manufacturing facility by 2030 as part of its response to the European Unions (EUs) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Power Mech Projects: The Fund Raising Committee has approved the issue and allotment of 9,01,789 equity shares, worth Rs 350 crore, to 17 qualified institutional buyers. PNB Housing Finance: Its net profit for Q2FY24 increased 45.9 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 383 crore, while revenue from operations grew 5.5 per cent YoY to Rs 1,777.8 crore.

ONGC: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has won a bid to acquire PTC India Ltds wind power unit for Rs 925 crore.

Siemens: Siemens India has filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court, contesting the showcause notice for Goods and Services Tax (GST) worth Rs 245.9 crore.

Tech Mahindra: Tech Mahindra Americas Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tech Mahindra, has approved the divestment of 30 per cent stake in Avion Networks Inc for a consideration amount worth $50,000 (approximately Rs 41 lakh).

Lupin: Received approval from the USFDA for its abbreviated new drug application for Fluconazole Tablets, USP.
November 8, 2016, is a date firmly etched in Indian history, marking the day when two of the countrys most significant currency denominations were demonetized. Recent rumours have sparked discussions about the potential resurgence of the Rs 1000 note, but what is the actual truth?

Seven years after demonetisation, the Rs 2000 note has also been discontinued. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set a deadline of September 2023 for the deposit of Rs 2000 notes in banks. According to reports, approximately 87 per cent of the countrys Rs 2000 notes found their way to bank deposits. Nonetheless, a sum of about Rs 10 crore worth of Rs 2000 notes remains unaccounted for, a testament to the persistence of this denomination among the public, despite its discontinuation.

The lingering presence of these notes has fueled speculation on social media platforms regarding the potential revival of the Rs 1000 note. Many have claimed the discontinuation of the Rs 2000 notes implies the return of its predecessor. To address these circulating rumours, the Reserve Bank of India has finally broken its silence. A tweet from the official ANI account read, RBI is not in consideration of the re-introduction of Rs 1000 note: Sources.

RBI is not in consideration of the re-introduction of Rs 1000 note: Sources ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2023

The RBI has clarified that the circulation of Rs 500 notes in the country is sufficient to meet the cash requirements. Additionally, the rising popularity of digital transactions among Indian citizens has led to decreased reliance on physical cash. The central bank has issued a warning, advising the public not to lend credence to such rumours and encouraging them to stay informed with factual information.

The deadline for the deposit of Rs 2000 notes was initially closed on September 30 but was extended to October 7. From October 8 onwards, individuals had the option to exchange the discontinued currency or have the remaining notes credited to their bank accounts through the 19 RBI offices across the country.
MONTREAL, Oct. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - Central America Nickel Inc. (the "Company" or "CAN") is pleased to announce it has filed a provisional patent application in the United States (Reference number 63/387,565) for the extraction of nickel and cobalt using the Company's Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAEx) and Reductive Atmospheric Leaching (RAL). The Company will also be filing a patent application for this technology in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application which covers 157 contracting regions. The patent application is titled "Process for extraction of nickel, cobalt, manganese and magnesium from laterite feedstocks."

Central America Nickel Inc. (CNW Group/Central America Nickel Inc.)

The process is a combination of Reductive Atmospheric Leaching (RAL), an efficient green alternative to High Pressure Air Leaching (HPAL) as an extraction method, combined with the use of CAN's ultrasound technology, the Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAEx), as a process intensifier.

The UAEx is an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional processing methods which increases mineral recovery rates while reducing processing time. The carbon emissions and energy requirements are substantially minimized due to the lack of heat utilized in the cavitation process compared to existing processes; this increased efficiency requires less reagents and results in reduced chemical waste for neutralization.

Both nickel and cobalt are essential minerals required for the green transition, and are crucial for the development of numerous industrial sectors and energy solutions; nickel and cobalt are primary ingredients for electric vehicle battery production, and are listed on the critical mineral lists outlined by the governments of Canada and the United States.

Metallurgical testing has been conducted on the ore sourced from the Company's nickel laterite assets in Guatemala, with recovery rates of up to 97% nickel, 95% cobalt and manganese, within 1-hour of extraction time. The key project within CAN's Guatemalan nickel laterite assets hosts historic inferred resources estimated at 57 million tonnes at a grade of 1.73% Ni, including a calculated 21 million tonnes at a grade of 2.00% Ni. The Company intends to commence direct shipping ore operations from Guatemala before the end of this year.

Story continues

By using Reductive Atmospheric Leaching (RAL) in combination with the UAEx, the proprietary metallurgical process represents an environmentally-friendly substitute to conventional extraction methods such as High Pressure Air Leaching (HPAL); the process can be used for the production of nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide products (MHP) and subsequently nickel, cobalt and scandium sulphates at battery grade levels. CAN's proprietary UAEx technology has been effective at recovering up to 95% nickel, 98% cobalt and over 93% scandium in solution from RAL feed within less than 2-hours. The work on this patent application was done in collaboration with the Company's technology partner, Impact Global Solutions Inc. (IGS). CAN likewise mandated IGS to prepare two metallurgical studies: first one with regard to the production of MHP, and the second study with regard to the production of battery-grade nickel sulphate that could be supplied to EV battery manufacturers. The filed provisional patent application is accessible at: bit.ly/3VTT1bS.

The Company is focused on the sourcing, production and processing of strategic and critical minerals, as well as on the development of its proprietary technologies. CAN's work on new metallurgical processes contributes to the extraction industry as it offers several key advantages including rapid mineral separation with reduced processing times and cost considerations compared to traditional methods, while also minimizing overall environmental impact.

About The Company

Central America Nickel Inc. ("CAN") is a privately-held corporation based in Montreal, focused on the processing and purification of critical minerals and energy metals using patented and patent-pending technologies, in partnership with strategic partners. CAN has access, directly or through joint ventures, to minerals projects including nickel, cobalt, scandium, vanadium, lithium and rare earth elements located in several countries, including Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Website: www.centralamericanickel.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release involves forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, financings and transactions being pursued, and all such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although the Company believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such forward-looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein.

SOURCE Central America Nickel Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2023/24/c7760.html
This week in Bhopal, there are a number of school closures due to local holidays and the forthcoming Valmiki Jayanti festival. Today, October 25, all schools in Bhopal will be closed due to a local holiday in the state capital. According to Times Now, Anjani Kumar Tripathi, the education officer, clarified that todays school shutdown is due to a local holiday. The day following Dussehra, government schools in Bhopal have shutdown classes due to a local holiday, and many private institutions followed in. Schools were urged to alert kids and their parents in advance of the closure.

All educational institutions, including government and private schools, are impacted by this holiday. Parents and students are urged to stay informed by calling their respective educational institutions for more information and any other questions they may have regarding the school closure. Furthermore, another holiday has been slated for October 28 to mark Valmiki Jayanti.

Valmiki Jayanti Holiday

Valmiki Jayanti, which is also known as Pargat Diwas, is an annual Indian festival held on October 28 this year. This celebration pays homage to the revered Ramayana author and ancient Indian poet Valmiki. The festival usually takes place on the night of the full moon in the month of Ashwin, commonly known as Purnima. Members of the Valmiki sect organise Shobha Yatras, or marches, on the day of Valmiki Jayanti during which they chant bhajan and songs of devotion. Valmiki Jayanti is regarded as an optional holiday and is not always observed across the entire country, which is crucial to keep in mind. Studnets must check their academic holiday calendar to determine if their respective schools have a holiday marked for Valmiki Jayanti.

Dussehra Holidays

On October 24, India celebrated Dussehra, and all schools, colleges, and educational establishments were closed. Its important to remember that each state has its own holiday schedule, with some jurisdictions celebrating Dussehra for seven days from October 19 to October 24. In West Bengal, all schools were closed at this period to observe Durga Puja.
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) declared the results for the School Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 2023 for 13 subjects recently. Those who appeared for the exam can now download the BPSC high school teacher results by visiting the official website at bpsc.bih.nic.in. The BPSC School Teacher Recruitment Examination was held from August 24 to August 26. According to Careers360, candidates who appeared for the Bihar Public Service Commission Teacher Recruitment Exam have now alleged a scam in the BPSC TRE 2023 result. Aspirants have further demanded an investigation into the result as well as cancellation of the same.

The BPSC TRE 2023 result link is currently active for 3 subjects in the Class 11-12 category and 10 subjects in the Class 9-10 category. Those who have been shortlisted in the Class 1-5, Class 9-10, and Class 11-12 categories are advised to make sure that the documents uploaded are valid and accurate. Candidates must upload all the relevant documents online by Monday, October 30, if any of the uploaded certificates are incorrect or unreadable.

The commission released the results for subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Sanskrit, Urdu, Bangla, Social Science, English, Persian, Arabic, and Hindi for Class 9 and 10. In addition, the results have been released for Business Studies, Computer Science, and Accountancy for Class 11 and 12. A total of 1.2 lakh aspirants have cleared the BPSC TRE 2023 exam this year.

BPSC TRE Result 2023: Steps To Check

Step 1: Go to BPSCs official website  bpsc.bih.nic.in.

Step 2: Look for and click on the link provided for the selected subject on the home page.

Step 3: The specific subject result will open up on the screen.

Step 4: Search for your name, roll number, and merit.

Step 5: Download and save the BPSC TRE 2023 result.

On the other hand, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi demanded a high-level inquiry into the BPSC teacher appointment result. Ignoring reservation, this appointment has been made under the Money for Job scheme on the lines of Land for Job of Railways. There should be a high level investigation into the give money and get a government job scam, his post on X roughly translates to.

BPSC                                                    Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) October 24, 2023

Meanwhile, a user shared screenshots alleging that roll numbers have been selected.

#BPSC_____continuous roll number selection in general maleis it possible in any high level competitive exam.I am giving u proofs@atulpmail pic.twitter.com/oHwRM0a1N7  Aadityaa Raaj (@AdityaR95004077) October 24, 2023

Check a few more post below:

#BPSC_TRE #BPSC_TRE_RESULT #BPSC #BPSC_PRT BPSC chairman Sri Atul Prasad should cancel the BPSC teacher result due to a lot of regularities being seen in result and try to republish fresh result with honestly to save life of genuine candidate. If he is unable, resign from BPSC R S V Bhushan (@RSVBhushan2) October 24, 2023

In the Bihar Public Service Commission(BPSC TRE) result, a substantial discrepancy has occurred, raising concerns about the integrity of the results. This situation demands immediate attention and investigation. #BPSC_____ @atulpmail #BPSC_TRE_PRT ANKIT KUMAR PATEL (@AnkitKu75835998) October 24, 2023

The appointment letters to the successful applicants will be distributed at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna on November 2.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed all the postgraduate (PG) medical institutes and colleges to submit details of the candidates who are admitted to postgraduate courses during the academic session 2023-24. The official website to fill in the candidate details by the postgraduate medical institutes and colleges will remain open until October 28. The official notice can be accessed on the NMCs primary website at nmc.org.in.

The commission emphasised the need for medical institutions to ensure that admissions meet a variety of requirements, including the National Eligibility Entrance Test for Postgraduates (NEET PG), applicant selection procedure, stipend payment, sanctioned capacity, and cut-off date.

All Medical Colleges/Institutions are called upon to submit the requisite information through an online system that can be accessed through NMC website (http://www/nmc.org.in). You are required to submit the details of all the Students admitted PG (Broad and Super Specialty) during the current academic year 2023-24, read the official notice.

In adherence to the regulations, medical colleges are required to ensure that admissions to PG courses are exclusively based on merit, and conducted in a transparent and equitable manner. Any violation of these rules will lead to the expulsion of the students implicated and may also result in legal actions taken against the Medical College/Institution.

It would be compulsory for the PG medical institutions to furnish the below information regarding the students who were admitted in the 202324 academic year:

 Course/Programme name

 Sanctioned intake capacity

 Date of admission

 Name of candidate with registration number as well as with which state medical council

 Category of the candidate

 Gender

 National Eligibility Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) percentile, All India Rank (AIR), state rank

 Details of stipend

 Name of postgraduate teacher under whom the student is admitted.

In the event that PG medical colleges encounter difficulties accessing the NMC website, the commission has furthermore provided a helpline. For assistance in resolving questions or issues, colleges or institutes can send an email to support.pgmonitoring@nmc.org.in. Furthermore, the commission office will respond within two working days, as per the commission.

The deadline for enrollment to the Post Graduate Broad Specialty course is today, October 25. While the link for entering student information will be available until October 28.

The commission has further directed that the Directorate of Medical Education (DoME) of every State/UT will also submit the information on admissions made in their respective State/UT within two weeks after the last day of admission.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a leading global tourist hotspot, celebrated for its impressive skyscrapers, pleasant climate, diverse culture, bustling markets, and robust infrastructure. Tourists visit this country year-round, drawn to its exceptional quality of life, lucrative job opportunities, and attractive salaries. In the UAE, a college degree is often not required for many jobs. Take a look at some of the high-paying jobs in the country that require no degree.

Taxi Driver

Dubai Taxi Corporation hires drivers from different countries on a monthly commission basis. To be eligible, applicants must have a valid drivers licence, be fluent in spoken and written English, and hold a Dubai visa. Candidates must fall within the age range of 21 to 45 years. This opportunity in Dubai presents the potential to earn a monthly income ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 AED, which is equivalent to Rs 90,425 to 1,35,638.

Cashier

Securing a job as a cashier in Dubai is attainable due to the demand in retail, franchises, fast food, supermarkets, and malls. For this, a college degree isnt required. Key requirements for this role include the ability to manage money, along with strong calculation skills. Cashiers in Dubai generally earn an average monthly salary of 2,000 AED, equivalent to around Rs 33,909 to 45,000.

Waiter

Securing a job as a waiter in Dubai doesnt require a college degree or prior experience, as it doesnt involve technical expertise. Having experience can facilitate job placement with a competitive salary. Hence, it is advisable to have some prior experience. According to LinkedIn, the average monthly salary for waiters in Dubai ranges from 2,500 to 2,500 AED, which is approximately equivalent to Rs 33,909 to 56,000.

Electrician and equivalent skilled worker

The construction sector in Dubai has a strong demand for skilled workers like electricians and plumbers. College degrees are not required for these jobs, but candidates should have completed an Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) program in the relevant trade. According to LinkedIn, skilled workers such as electricians and plumbers in Dubai earn a monthly salary ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 AED, which is approximately Rs 33,909 to 90,425.

Petrol Pump Attendant

Being a Petrol Pump Attendant in Dubai is a well-paying job and does not require a degree or prior experience. Attendants work at filling stations and companies like ENOC, ADNOC, and Al-Futtaim Logistics are hiring for these positions. On average, the monthly salary for a fuel pump attendant in Dubai ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 AED, approximately Rs 22,000 to 45,000.
Home Minister Amit Shah will be in Madhya Pradesh for three days from October 28 on a visit aimed at toning up the BJP's election machinery and ironing out any irritants ahead of the November 17 assembly polls as the party pulls out all the stops to fend off the challenge from the Congress.

Party sources said Shah will hold organisational meetings in all 10 sambhag (divisions) of the state where the BJP is making an all-out attempt to retain the hold on power that it has maintained for the last two decades except for an around 15-month rule of the Congress after the 2018 polls.

With voices of dissent emerging from within the party in some parts of the state, Shah is likely to reach out to key leaders from across Madhya Pradesh to ensure that the BJP puts its best foot forward as the polls enter the final lap. The BJP has announced its candidates for all but two seats for the elections to the 230-member assembly.

Shah will also address three public meetings during his October 28-30 visit. The BJP has fielded several regional heavyweights in the assembly polls, including three Union ministers, with its choice of candidates seen as a balancing act among aspirations of state satraps, the bid to infuse new faces and catering to different social groups.
It has been 18 years but there is no stopping Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Madhya Pradesh chief minister, known fondly as Mamaji, is fighting back to make a mark in the poll-bound state. While there is some speculation over his future role in case BJP wins, Chouhan himself is banking on his women supporters to bail him out. Speaking exclusively to News18, the chief minister discussed allegations of distributing freebies, rival Digvijaya Singhs dig and his future plans.

Edited excerpts:

Do you think women will help you win this time?

The Ladli Behna scheme or Ladli Laxmi Yojana were never started with polls in mind. I wanted to change the perception that women are a burden. I wanted them to be economically powerful and empowered. Its a great feeling to know that girls whom I looked after as toddlers are now studying in colleges. MP was the first state to give 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayats.

But what about you being accused of handing out freebies?

We have increased the per capita income of Madhya Pradesh and not reduced but increased the capital expenditure. We have built roads and metros. I want to ask [Congress leader] Kamal Nath why he stopped schemes for adivasis (tribals), women and even laptop distribution to girls? I began kanya vivah which he stopped.

What do you make of Digvijaya Singhs comment on your Kanya Pujan being a nautanki [drama]?

I am hurt. Why does everything have to be politicised? This is Sanatan Sanskriti. I do puja daily and its a message to society that if the chief minister respects women, you should too. For Digvijaya Singh, Sanatan Sanskriti is nautanki? I want to change this mindset and remind him that he is the one who called women tanch maal.

Why did you say you will not contest polls?

I just asked people whether I should contest elections. There was no other meaning behind it.

Would you want to be the chief minister again?

We all are part of a larger mission  to show the world that we are a great nation. Who is what is not important. The party will decide.

Congress alleges that the BJP has neglected you. Is there anti-incumbency? Are you tired?

Look at their language. Why dont they have the courage to say openly why they did not give tickets to their hopefuls?

Opposition says party is not naming you as chief ministerial face or giving you importance.

If that is the case, why do they keep tweeting using my name? If Mamaji is not important, then why use my name? There must be something in me, right?
Near the iconic Surya Temple in Jhalrapatan, Tahil Ali runs his shop. In fact, many shops around the temple are run by Muslims. We will always back Vasundhara Raje. She has been our representative for 34 years now, Ali tells News18. Speak to many other Muslims in the seat and all are rooting for Raje.

At the far end of Eastern Rajasthan, bordering Madhya Pradesh, lies Jhalrapatan at a seven-hour drive from Jaipur. It is from here that Raje has been an MLA since 2004. Before that, she had represented the larger Jhalawar seat as an MP since 1989, before her son Dushyant Singh took over as the MP from 2004. This is a bastion for the Raje family, or as locals call it Madam Ka Gadh, with people across communities, like the Muslims, backing her.

However, there is some uneasiness among locals over Raje not being projected as the chief ministerial face of the BJP. Suleman Pata, who fought as an Independent in the past against both Raje and Dushyant Singh, says the BJP risks not coming to power if it does not project Raje. She is the tallest leader BJP has, who is known across the state. Other BJP leaders like Rajendra Shekhawat or Diya Kumari have minimal appeal, Pata says.

Near Khandiya Ka Talab, where locals come to take selfies at sunset, shop-owner Mehboob Khan says for him, Raje is the unquestioned leader.

I am a Muslim and dont approve of the BJPs ways of communal politics in Rajasthan this time but I will always vote for Raje. She has developed Jhalawar with hospitals and educational institutions. I was surprised to see her name missing from the first list but it finally came now, he says.

Tahir Ali points out how all four seats of Jhalawar were won by the BJP the last time too though the party lost in the state. In fact, Jhalawar was the only district in Eastern Rajasthan where BJP did a clean sweep with the rest of the region going mostly the Congress way. BJP may not project her as the chief minister, but mukhyamantri wohi banengi, Ali says confidently.

But some youngsters in the area say they want a change as, since their birth, they have only seen Raje as their representative.

Go to the villages in Jhalawar and you will see that no development has taken place. A new leader as MLA and a new chief minister is needed in Rajasthan, Kuldeep Singh, a young student, says.

Such opinions, however, are few and far between. Jhalrapatan is still rooting for its madam to become the chief minister again.
Telangana is gearing up for a triangular fight between Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Raos Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Congress and BJP in the upcoming assembly elections next month. KCR, who is aiming for a long, comfortable tenure, is looking forward to retaining CMs chair in Indias youngest state, which goes to the polls on November 30.

TELANGANA ELECTION 2023

Telangana will have single-phase polling for 119 seats on November 30 with the counting of votes set for December 3 along with other poll-bound states.

ELECTION NAME: TELANGANA 2023 Current Term Ending Date: January 16, 2024 Total Seats: 119 Current Ruling Government: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Current CM of Madhya Pradesh: K Chandrashekar Rao Major Opposition Party: Congress and BJP Telangana Election Dates 2023: November 30 Majority seats: 60 Madhya Pradesh Election Result Date 2023: December 3

TELANGANA ELECTION 2023 POLLING AND RESULT DATES

Telangana Election 2023 Polling Date: November 30

Telangana Election 2023 Result Date: December 3

TELANGANA ELECTION TIMELINE

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: November 3, 2023 (Friday)

Last Date of Making Nominations: November 10, 2023 (Friday)

Date for Scrutiny of nominations: November 13, 2023 (Monday)

Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures: November 15, 2023 (Wednesday)

Date of Poll: November 30, 2023 (Thursday)

Date of Counting: December 3, 2023 (Sunday)

Date before which election shall be Completed: December 5, 2023 (Tuesday)

TELANGANA ELECTION KEY ISSUES 2023: WHAT MATTERS TO VOTERS?

Several issues are prominent in this election including welfare plans, state debt and rebel MLAs. All the parties are trying to get voters by announcing welfare plans including better pensions, jobless benefits, insurance, and jobs with the state government. All the major partiesBRS, Congress, and those who didnt get ticketshave to deal with this.

In the upcoming poll, the BRS faces a stiff challenge from the opposition Congress and the BJP. However, BRS has announced its candidates before anyone else and has gained the advantage. The party rebels, who have not got tickets, are expected to work against the ruling party before the polls.

TELANGANA 2018 RESULTS

In the last assembly election to the 119-member house, the KCRs BRS won a landslide with 88 seats garnering 46.87% votes followed by the Congress 21, AIMIM 7, the TDP 2 and the BJP 1.

TRS- 88

Congress- 21

AIMIM- 7

Others- 2

BJP- 1

MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND ALLIANCES

Telangana is currently under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi). Congress is the major opposition party while the BJP is looking to establish itself as one of the key parties in the state.

The BJP is trying hard to emerge as the main challenger to the ruling BRS. Amit Shah will be visiting the state on October 27 while Yogi Adityanath will be coming in the last week of October.

The BRS is banking on its welfare and developmental schemes to perform a hat trick, the BJP intends to ride on the anti-incumbency and has accused the KCR family of corruption. The Congress is hoping to repeat its partys spectacular win in neighbouring Karnataka.

Asaduddin Owaisis All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen is planning to contest in at least nine seats in Hyderabad apart from fighting in Adilabad and Nizamabad districts. The party holds considerable influence among the Muslim voters.

KEY CONTESTS AND BATTLEGROUND CONSTITUENCIES

The Telangana assembly polls are expected to be an intriguing political battle with significant attention on key constituencies including Gajwel, Kamareddy, and Sircilla.

Some of the prominent seats in Telangana assembly elections are:
The October 7 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel was planned and communicated using a network of hardwired phones built in a network of tunnels underneath Gaza, recent US Intelligence reports have unveiled.

The phone lines in the tunnels allowed Hamas operatives to communicate with one another in secret and cannot be tracked by Israeli officials, according to a report in CNN.

The Israel Defense Forces have referred to the tunnels built by Hamas over the last decades as the Gaza metro.

The underground tunnel system used by Hamas have a series of advantages: store rockets and ammunition caches, passage between Hamas controlled areas and smuggle weapons, fighters or other contraband from Egypt to Gaza.

History of the Gaza Metro Tunnels

Since the 1980s, the tunnels have been an integral part of the life in Gaza. However, its significance increased after Hamas removed Fatah from the seat of power and severe restrictions were imposed on the movement of goods and people by Israel and Egypt on the territory.

Gazas 14-kilometre border with Egypt was burrowed under with hundreds of tunnels used to smuggle fighters, weapons and other contraband  although many have now been destroyed. However, some of the tunnels located across their border with Gaza were destroyed by Egypt.

During the 2014 Gaza war, Palestinian gunmen used tunnels to blindside Israeli forces. Since then, Israel has been developing detection technologies and constructed an underground concrete barrier with sensors to foil attempts to dig across the border.

The passageways have been a mystery for the world forever with very little known about it in the outside world. Israel has repeatedly raised the issue of Hamas operating these tunnels beneath Gaza.

Israels army and intelligence became aware about a portion of the network and bombarded it heavily in 2021. However, a large part of the tunnel system remains secret and will make any Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground operation in Gaza more difficult.

All About Gaza Metro

The narrow web of streets in Gaza, one of the most populated areas in the world, is doubled underground by a dense tunnel network or the Gaza Metro. The labyrinths of tunnel are believed to be 41 km long and 10 km wide. But in 2021, Hamas claimed to have built 500 km of tunnels under Gaza, though it is unclear if the figure was accurate.

But since 2014, Hamas has been digging underground pathways to get around territory it controls. Some tunnels are as deep as 30 or 40 metres below ground, allowing militants to change position away from the danger of strikes.

We have all now heard about how bad #Hamas tunnels are, but what can the @IDF do about them? Fill with cement, seawater, smoke? Bunker busters? I sat down with @RichemondBarak on my #podcast to discuss it all. Have a listen. https://t.co/kXN3Jxk85M John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) October 20, 2023

Rocket batteries hidden just a few metres beneath the surface can be uncovered with a trapdoor just for the time it takes to fire a salvo.

Hamas knows its tunnels by heart, Colin Clarke, research director at the New York-based Soufan Center think-tank said. He added that some are probably booby-trapped. Preparing to fight in such terrain would require extensive intelligence which the Israelis may not have.

Why are These Tunnels Valuable

Tunnels have been an efficient tool of warfare since a long time. Currently, they offer militant groups like Hamas an edge in asymmetric warfare, negating the technological advantages and advanced military which the Israeli forces have.

The vast network of tunnels has been crucial since the Gaza territory has been under a land, sea and air blockade by Israel and a land blockade by Egypt since 2007 as well.

Hamas has been using the tunnels underneath the Egyptian border for smuggling fuels, weapons and commercial goods by Palestinian-based groups. The tunnels beneath Gaza have also been used to transport people and goods and store rockets and ammunition caches and house Hamas command safe from Israeli aircraft and surveillance drones.

Role in Attacks Against Israel

Israelis have often referred to these as terror tunnels and further restricted the entry of construction materials into the Gaza Strip.

In 2006, Hamas captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalid and killed his two colleagues in a cross-border raid using tunnels, according to a report in Wion. The soldier remained under Hamas control for two years before he was released under a prisoner exchange deal.

In 2013, the Israel Defence Forces discovered a 1.6 km-long, 18m-deep tunnel with concrete roof and walls. The tunnel, which ran from the Gaza Strip to land near an Israeli kibbutz, was found after strange sounds were heard by the residents.

In 2020, Israel discovered a new cross-border tunnel from the Gaza Strip and its military said extended dozens of metres underground and into southern Israel.

While Israel relies on bunker buster bombs and Merkava tanks, it has to tackle booby traps while Hamas operatives aware of the underground network use it to strike, hide and escape.

Its also tough for Israel military to locate the tunnels, which may be under buildings or structures. However, there are several ways to do so, including using radar and other detection techniques that can measure thermal patterns, magnetic signatures and acoustics, according to DW.

Role in Latest October Attacks

The shocking attacks by Hamas which shook Israel earlier this month was a combination of simultaneous attacks via air, water, land and rocket strikes. The Israels border with Gaza remains fenced and has sensors installed which can detect movement.

According to experts, the tunnels may have played an important role in the undetected crossing of Hamas operatives into Israel. The fence built by Israel on the border with is 30 feet high and has an underground concrete barrier.

Therefore, the only way Hamas operatives were able to enter Israel undetected would have been using tunnels under the barrier and the fence. Released Israeli hostages have also stated that the tunnels were used to keep them. Yocheved Lifshitz described the unimaginable hell of her kidnapping ordeal that included being held in a spiderweb of wet tunnels after she was abducted from Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)
Republicans made their fourth pick in just two weeks to replace the ousted speaker of the US House of Representatives, underlining the chaos engulfing the fragmented party after three previous nominees failed to win the gavel.

The GOP has picked Congressman Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The fourth nominee comes put forward after three others failed to win enough support from colleagues, and the second nominee of the day.

The US House has been for three weeks trying unsuccessfully to choose another Speaker and has been unable to pass any bill since Kevin McCarthy was ousted on October 3.

Why is the Speaker Important in US?

The speaker of the House of Representatives is a powerful position in the US. The speaker is the presiding officer of the House and is charged with numerous duties and responsibilities by law and by the House rules.

The speaker calls the House to order, refers the bills to committees, appoints committee members, rules on points of order and recognizes members on the floor.

As per the Presidential Succession Act, passed to supplement Article 2 of the Constitution, the speaker also stands second in line to the presidency, after the vice president, in case of the presidents incapacity.

Is it a Constitutional Crisis or Something Bigger?

The house is currently presided by a temporary speaker, US Rep Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina.

The House remains in limbo with action needed as budget deadlines loom and a war between Israel and Hamas threatens to escalate out of the territory. President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the US border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

As per a report in The Conversation, the US is facing a constitutional crisis as the constitutionally mandated processes for resolving conflict have failed to provide any solutions.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. The failure of the federal government, the countrys largest employer, to pay salaries to its employees is expected to cause financial disruption to millions.

Why are the Republicans Divided?

Since the past three weeks, the Republicans have been unable to decide on a candidate as they have refused to unify over a common candidate. Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The far-right members wont accept a more traditional speaker and moderate conservatives dont want a hardliner. While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

What to Expect from Mike Johnson?

Louisianas Mike Johnson won an internal party vote after previous nominee, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, buckled under a backlash led by former president Donald Trump and announced his withdrawal.

However, the predictions show that Johnson will likely fall foul of the same internal divisions that have left the party incapable of uniting around any leader.

If Johnson succeeds in the Speakers election, he would be the least experienced speaker in more than a century, having never chaired a committee or held a top leadership role.

He would also be expected to lead the deeply fractured conference through upcoming fights over funding for Ukraine and Israel in their conflicts with Russia and Hamas.

Johnson moved up to the House from state-level politics in 2017. He has been famous as a driving force among more than 100 Republicans who signed on to a legal brief supporting a lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in four swing states won by Biden.

(With inputs from agencies)
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly helps inaugurate the Canadian embassy in Yerevan, Armenia by raising the flag during an official visit, as her Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan and others look on. (Fin DePencier/CBC - image credit)

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced another $1 million in humanitarian funding Wednesday to help displaced ethnic Armenian refugees who recently fled a military operation launched by Azerbaijan  but she stopped well short of threatening to sanction Azeri government officials over the attack.

"I've said everything is on the table. That being said, we expect that Armenia's territorial integrity [will] be respected and for us, this is definitely something that we're watching," Joly told journalists during a visit to Armenia's capital Yerevan to open Canada's new embassy there. She was attending a press conference with her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan.

The $1 million has been earmarked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on top of $2.5 million Canada announced previously for refugee relief through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians are believed to have fled Azerbaijan's shelling campaign in the long-disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in September. Called an "anti terror" operation by Azerbaijan, the campaign also followed nine months of a blockade imposed by Baku that left the region short of food and medical supplies.

Nagono-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. Before last month's events, it had a majority Armenian population and a de-facto ethnic Armenian government that was not recognized by any country in the world.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"We continue to work on mitigating the unjustifiable impacts of this military action on civilians, who have already been affected by months of an illegal blockade, and to find a sustainable negotiated settlement to this conflict," Joly said Wednesday.

In a statement posted to its website, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Joly's statements at her news conference an "indication of the overt bias of Canada against Azerbaijan."

Story continues

"Regarding the non-exclusion of sanctions as a tool against Azerbaijan, we would like to note that it is erroneous to speak with Azerbaijan in the language of threat, and that it will not bear any results to either side," the statement warned.

Azerbaijan's statement also accused Armenia of hindering the peace process. "It was the party which violated [those] principles with every effort during more than 30 years," it said.

Joly's visit comes as some experts warn of the risk of further conflict between the two Caucasus countries.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Yerevan, Armenia.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Yerevan, Armenia. (Fin DePencier/CBC)

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has made repeated claims to a strip of land within Armenia's internationally recognized borders, the so-called Zangezur Corridor. Azerbaijan wants the corridor in order to connect its mainland to Nakhchivan, an Azeri enclave to Armenia's southwest.

Armenia says Azeri military forces have taken over roughly 50 square kilometres of Armenian territory after border skirmishes last year.

"I think the danger of this continuing or expanding is absolutely possible," said Kyle Matthews, the executive director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies and Human Rights at Concordia University.

Armenian refugees wait in a square of Goris city centre on September 29, 2023 before being evacuated in various Armenian cities, as the exodus from the Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic Armenian enclave following its fall to Azerbaijani forces continued unabated. (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP) (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)

Armenian refugees wait in a square of Goris city centre on September 29, 2023 before being evacuated in various Armenian cities, as the exodus from the Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic Armenian enclave following its fall to Azerbaijani forces continued. (Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images)

Matthews said Canada could lead the world in applying sanctions on Azerbaijan, instead of waiting to hear if allies like the United States and the European Union are willing to take part.

"This is the third time we've been hearing from the minister saying that everything's on the table," said Sevag Belian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, a Canadian-Armenian political advocacy group. He was visiting Yerevan for the embassy's inauguration.

"Certainly, that is a step forward," he said, citing Joly's claim that "everything is on the table." He said he hopes the Canadian government can identify different pressure points on Azerbaijan.

While Azeri and Armenian officials have met for talks on a few occasions since September, Azerbaijan skipped out on a meeting brokered by the European Union earlier in October.

At Wednesday's news conference, Mirzoyan told journalists that a meeting that was scheduled for later this month between Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President Charles Michel won't be happening either.

"Obviously it is Azerbaijan's president who didn't find the time," Mirzoyan said, adding his government is ready for further talks. "I do hope the reason really is a scheduling issue, and it will be possible to find time to schedule another meeting."

Earlier this week, Azerbaijan publicized video of military exercises with Turkey, a long-time regional ally in its conflict with Armenia. Azerbaijan's defence department said some of the exercises occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia arms itself

Armenia, meanwhile, has concluded a deal with France to purchase air defence equipment, a move Baku officials have described as provocative.

"I think Azerbaijan will use whatever reason it has at its disposal to attack," Matthews said, adding Armenia has a right to buy defensive equipment under international law, especially given the hostility of its neighbours.

Armenia has depended on a security alliance with Russia for decades, but ties between the two countries have become frayed in recent years.

Armenia blamed Moscow for failing to intervene in a 2020 war with Azerbaijan, as well as the more recent blockade and military action, despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Russian state-run news agency TASS quoted an unnamed Moscow official last week warning Armenia against becoming another Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Pashinyan, who said Armenia no longer sees any advantage in continuing to host Russian military bases on its territory.
Six people died in Uttarakhands Pithoragarh district on Tuesday when their car fell into the Kali river near Lakhanpur, police said. Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Lokeshwar Singh said the incident took place on the Dharchula-Lipulekh road late in the evening when the victims were returning after a darshan of Adi Kailash.

Two of them were from Bengaluru, two from Telangana and two from Uttarakhand, he said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and prayed for their families.

The SP said the work of recovering the bodies could not be started due to darkness and adverse geographical conditions.

The search work will start on Wednesday morning, he added.
An Odisha lecturer, who was allegedly beaten up by one of his students in February this year, succumbed to his injuries after an eight-month-long battle at a hospital, his family members said on Wednesday.

The deceased, Amit Barik, was serving as a lecturer of PKSS Degree College in the Katapalli area in Jharsuguda district while the accused is a degree student of the same college.

The accused student used to regularly come late to the class. On February 22, when he had come late to the class, Amit Barik had asked the student to meet the principal before entering the class. This led to an argument between them, during which the enraged student hit the teacher with bare hands in front of the whole class, said Anirush Barik, a family member of the deceased lecturer.

In that incident, Amit Barik sustained serious injuries in his head. He was first admitted to the Jharsuguda district headquarters hospital and then shifted to VIMSAR, Burla, where he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday night, he said, adding the lecturers marriage had been fixed before the incident took place. After getting information, the local police had arrested the accused student on the same day of the incident and produced him before the court.

He is currently on bail, Jharsuguda Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Nirmal Mohapatra said.

Today, we got information that the lecturer died while under treatment. Now, we will approach the court to turn the case from 307 (attempt to murder) to 302 (murder) of IPC. As per the direction of the court, further action will be taken, he added.
The CBI has booked a Delhi Police sub-inspector posted at the Cyber police station in Maurice Nagar here for allegedly seeking Rs 4 lakh bribe for not implicating a Loni resident in an alleged arms racket case earlier this month, officials said on Wednesday.

On October 5, the Delhi Police claimed to have busted an alleged illegal arms racket operating from Loni, in Ghaziabad, in which two people were arrested, including one Bintu.

Police had claimed to have recovered a semi-automatic pistol, along with six live cartridges, from his possession and said a search of his bag led to the recovery of nine more semi-automatic pistols, 18 single-shot pistols and 148 live cartridges of different types of bores.

Based on the information provided by him, the police arrested Lalit Kumar from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said, adding that Bintu had disclosed that he received the firearms from Kumar.

The CBI received a complaint from another resident of Loni claiming that on October 7, Sub-Inspector Vijay Pal, along with his team, had conducted a search at his plot which he had rented out since 2016.

Pal had told the complainant that illegal arms were being manufactured on his plot and that he would have to shell out Rs 5 lakh or else his son Parvinder would be implicated in the case, the officials said.

During its verification, the CBI found a conversation between Pal and the complainant where he was heard referring to illegal gratification, they said. The CBI is probing Pals links with the arms case probed by the Delhi Police. It had emerged that the case was handled by the narcotics cell of the Delhi Police but Pal was in a different team.

It is alleged that Pal had called the complainant to the Maurice Nagar police station, where he changed his earlier position and said that in spite of the bribe payment of Rs 4 lakh, only the complainant would be spared but his son would be arrested in the case.

The agency had covertly recorded the conversation during the meeting where Pal asked the complainant, Laya (Did you bring)? The complainant replied that he had Rs 1 lakh with him and that the remaining would be paid in another instalment.

According to the FIR, Pal told him Aaj-kal bahut pressure hai mere upar paiso ke liye thik hai (I am under a lot of pressure regarding money) and another person present during the meeting was heard assuring the complainant that no harm will come to him if he makes the payment.

Further sources revealed that Cyber PS, Maurice Nagar, Delhi (where Pal is posted) is situated within complex of Office of Assistant Commissioner of Police Operation Cell, Special Staff, A.A.T.S., Cyber Cell, Narcotics Cell, Maurice Nagar, North District Delhi, the FIR alleged.
A 52-year-old man died after a fight with two neighbours at a garba event in Haryanas Faridabad on Monday night. The man reportedly had a fight with the neighbours over alleged harassment of his daughter.

The deceased, identified as Prem Mehta, and his family members , were participating in a garba event on the premises of Princess Park society in Sector 87 of Faridabad on Monday night, NDTV reported.

The report said that at the event, two men from the residential complex approached Prem Mehtas 25-year-old daughter during dandiya dance and asked for her contact number. They also allegedly asked her to dance with them, the report mentioned.

This led to an altercation between the Mehtas and the two men, with the former and his wife and son asking the men why they had approached his daughter. A video, said to be of the incident, has also surfaced, showing the two sides grabbing collars and pushing each other.

During the altercation, the men at one point pushed Mehta after which he fell to the ground and lost consciousness. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors reportedly declared him brought dead.

A case has been registered following a police complaint by Mehtas family, the report quoted police officer Jameel Khan as saying. The family has alleged that the two men harassed 52-year-olds daughter and assaulted him. Khan added that autopsy is being done and police are investigating the matter.

In another shocking incident over garba dance, a 40-year-old man was bludgeoned to death allegedly by the organisers of a garba function in Gujarat after he had a spat with them following his 11-year-old daughters complaint that she was given one prize despite winning two events, the police said on Wednesday.

The victim, identified as Sarman Odedara, was attacked with sticks and other blunt objects allegedly by seven men around 2 am on Tuesday near Krishna Park Society in Porbandar, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rutu Raba.
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the state government on a plea filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad seeking to quash an FIR registered against her by the city crime branch for allegedly fabricating evidence in 2002 riots cases. The court of Justice J C Doshi issued notices to the state government and the investigating officer in the case, returnable on November 29. The court also issued a notice to the government on Setalvad's plea for a grant of interim relief by staying the ongoing trial in the case, also returnable on the same date.

The court also directed the investigating officer to file a report about the progress of the investigation and permitted the petitioner to produce additional documents by way of an affidavit.

A sessions court had rejected Setalvad's discharge plea in the case, even as the Supreme Court granted her bail in July this year after the Gujarat High Court denied relief to her. Setalvad and two others  former state Director General of Police RB Sreekumar and former Indian Police Service officer Sanjiv Bhatt  were arrested by the city crime branch in June 2022 on charges of forgery and fabricating false evidence with the intent to implicate Gujarat government functionaries, including the then chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots cases.

An FIR was registered against them soon after the Supreme Court last year dismissed the plea filed by Zakia Jafri, whose husband and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri was killed during the riots. She has been booked under sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 194 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offence) of the Indian Penal Code, among others.

The plea alleged a "larger conspiracy" behind the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat involving the then chief minister Modi. The court upheld the SIT's clean chit to Modi and 63 others. In its judgment, the Supreme Court observed, "The falsity of their claims had been fully exposed by the SIT after a thorough investigationAs a matter of fact, all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceed in accordance with law." Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed at Ahmedabad's Gulberg Society during violence on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning that claimed 59 lives.

The riots that it triggered killed 1,044 people, mostly Muslims. Giving details, the Central government informed the Rajya Sabha in May 2005 that 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims were killed in the post-Godhra riots.
India has decided to resume some visa services in Canada, almost a month after it was suspended over security reasons.

The High Commission of India in Ottawa informed the visa services will resume for categories Entry Visa, Business Visa, Medical Visa and Conference Visa from October 26.

Last month, India stopped processing visas at its high commission and consulates in Canada amid an escalating diplomatic row between the two counties after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged involvement of Government of India agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said that the Indian high commission and consulates in Canada are not working properly due to threats.

The issue is incitement of violence and inaction by the Canadian government, creation of an environment that disrupts the function of our high commission and consulates thats what stopping us temporarily from providing visa services. This is the reason why our high commission and consulates are not able to process visa applications temporarily. We will continue to review the situation regularly, he had said.

The bilateral relations between the two countries have taken a hit following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegations of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June.

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.

EAM S Jaishankar has recently said India-Canada relations are going through a difficult phase.

The EAM said there was interference by Canadian personnel in the countrys internal affairs adding that India does not approve of certain segments of Canadian politics.

Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. In our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel, Jaishankar said.
In a quirky incident, farmers in Karnatakas Vijayapura took a crocodile to the Hubli Electricity Supply Companys (HESCOM) government office to protest against irregular power cuts that disturb their agricultural activities.

The insufficient electricity supply during day time put the farmers at the risk of facing wild animals and snakes when they went to their farms at night time and this unprecedented risk irritated them.

Last week, a farmer who had gone to water his farm, spotted an alligator in the agricultural field when power supply was restored later that night.

According to the villagers, the crocodile had come from the nearby Krishna river in search of a prey.

The farmer then quickly called his fellow villagers and tied the alligator with their help. The farmers on October 19, took it to the HESCOM office to demonstrate the danger posed to them.

Video of the farmers holding the crocodile with ropes outside the HESCOM office surfaced on the internet. Here:

The unusual guest outside the office mortified the HESCOM officials, who then called the forest and police officials to take the alligator away. The electrical supply companys officials then assured the villagers, ensuring them that there will not be any power cuts during day-time.

The crocodile, which was picked up by the forest officials, was later left in the Almatti Damn, from where the reptile is believed to have lost its way into the field.

Scarce rainfall has distorted agricultural activities this year, officials from the Irrigation Department said, adding that, due to this there is insufficient water in the dams, which made it difficult to release water for irrigation purposes.

Because of water shortage, farmers are dependent on borewells and the excessive consumption of power caused by this has ultimately created a power scarcity.

Recently, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had said there was a power shortage in Karnataka due to sharp increase in demand and consumption.

The power consumption in October used to be around 10,000 MW, but that has now shot up to 16,000 MW in the state. This is because electricity consumption for agricultural purposes has also increased.

Last month, farmers from both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka who are agitating against each others states in the Cauvery water row, turned the protests into a competition to take over each other in creative demonstrations.

In Tamil Nadu, farmers from Tiruchirappalli and the Cauvery basin protested against Karnataka by placing dead rats in their mouths. They conveyed that their fat would be similar to those rats if Karnataka did not release the allocated quantity of water necessary to save the kuruvai crop cultivation in Tamil Nadu.

(With PTI inputs)
Kerala opposition leader V D Satheesan lashed out at the state government and alleged that expired medicines were distributed to hospitals by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL).

Satheesan cited parts of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, which has not yet been tabled, and alleged a huge corruption.

In a press conference, Satheesan said, Parts of the CAG report which has come out is shocking. It talks about shocking corruption in the KMSCL.

Is the health minister ready to say that not a single medicine which has expired, which shouldnt have been given was given through KMSCL? If something like that was given, she has the responsibility for it. Is the health minister ready to say this? he asked.

#BreakingNews | Opposition leader V d satheeshan lashes out at state govt says that medicines that expired medicines were distributed to hospitals by #Kerala medical services corporation (KMSCL)@Neethureghu shares details with viewsJoin the broadcast with @anjalipandey06 pic.twitter.com/65GM9827b1  News18 (@CNNnews18) October 25, 2023

Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George hit out at the opposition leader and said that it is quite unfortunate that a person of his stature is making such comments which will make people panic.

The Congress leader alleged that expired medicines were distributed to 26 hospitals. Medicines distribution, which were frozen due to low quality, was distributed to 483 hospitals. To 148 hospitals, medicines, which were ordered to stop distribution, were distributed, said Satheesan.

He said, Pharmaceutical companies cannot sell medicines which have crossed the expiry date or nearing expiry date. They will have to destroy it. If you purchase medicines worth Rs 100 crore, which has crossed the expiry date or which is about to expire, you pay them Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore, the rest goes as a bribe because, for the manufacturers, it is anyway medicine they had to dispose of.

The health minister said that it is a health audit by the CAG from 2016 to 2021. It is only a draft, an amended draft was sent to the health department by the CAG. The health department will reply, he said.

George said that they have a very good system, it is literally impossible to give expired medicines out. She said, DHS, DME, and KMSCL are enquiring and we will send a report to the CAG.
Suburban services on the Harbour Line between Andheri and Goregaon will be unavailable as the Western Railway (WR) will operate a special traffic block on a section of the line on Thursday night.

Non-interlocking work in connection with the construction of the 6th line between Khar Road and Goregaon stations will be carried out during the block.

In a press release, the Central Railway (CR) said the ten-hour special block will be operated on the Down and UP lines between Andheri and Goregaon stations of the Harbour corridor from 00.30 am to 10.30 am (intervening night of October 26 and 27).

Suburban services on the Harbour Line between Andheri and Goregaon will not be available during the block period, the release said.

The last local train for Goregaon from Mumbai CSMT will depart at 22.54 pm (October 26), while the same for Mumbai CSMT from Goregaon will leave at 12.07 am (October 27), it said.

After the end of the block, the first suburban train for Goregaon from Mumbai CSMT will depart at 11.16 am. On the other hand, the first local train for Mumbai CSMT from Goregaon will leave at 11.23 am, said the release.

The Harbour Line is operated by the CR, while the Western Railway is constructing the 6th line between Khar Road and Goregaon stations. Part of the Harbour Line runs parallel to the Western Railways suburban network.

Train blocks (temporary suspension of services) are operated to carry out maintenance of rail tracks and other related works.

(With PTI inputs)
A 58-year-old woman along with her brothers allegedly sold off a huge piece of property in prime central Mumbai, worth over Rs 50 crore, to a developer without informing her cousins, who had equal share in the buildings.

The woman, identified as Abida Jaffar Ismail, a native of Karnataka, was arrested from Mysore hotel by the Mumbai police.

According to a report in Times of India, the property measuring more than 2 acres is located at Delai Road in Lower Parel with three existing tenanted buildings.

The report quoted police as saying that the complainant in the case is Abidas cousin brother Ayaz Kapadia. The huge property is in the joint name of Ayaz Kapadias late father Jaffar Kapadia and his brother Latif Kapadia, the publication mentioned.

Who All Have Share in Property?

 Jaffar and Latifs joint property, consisting of three CTS number, gains even more value as Lower Parel has now turned into a business hub.

 The three tenanted buildings are Zia Masoom Chawl, Bhaiya Chapra Chawl and Irani chawl.

 The buildings consist of several tenants who have been regularly paying monthly rents to Latifs family, and Latifs eldest son Aziz (74) would handle maintenance and other issues of these properties.

 Elaborating on the family members and their share, TOI quoted an officer probing the case as saying that Latif has three sons and two daughter  Aziz, Rahim, Amina, Abida and Malik.

 Jaffar, on the other hand, is survived by Farzana, Rukshana, Rehana, Amin, Anwar, Mehzabeen and Ayaz, who is the complainant in the case, the officer was quoted.

According to TOI, Ayaz recently learnt that Latif and his family allegedly signed a deal with Big Tree Developers by preparing a false declaration of 100% ownership of all the three premises.

Ayaz alleged in his complaint that Latifs family had registered the false documents in the office of the joint sub registrar, old customs office without their knowledge, thus cheating them of their shares.

Ayaz has also filed legal proceedings against Rahim Latif Kapadia, Amina Usman, Abida Jaffar Ismail (who has been arrested by general cheating cell of the EOW) and Malik Latif Kapadia.

Police said that Amina has power of attorney of her brothers and has signed the documents with the developer. She also accepted Rs 3.5 crore and was promised two flats in the new buildings.

The report stated that it is not clear what was the deal amount, but police have calculated the estimated price of the three properties to be Rs 50 crore.

The publication mentioned that during preliminary inquiries, it was learnt that Amina and her two brothers, Rahim and Malik, were in need of money, so they conspired to secretly sign a deal with the developer, who is now stuck in litigation.

TOI quoted police as saying the accused had similarly tried to sell off the same property to another developer earlier, but the deal didnt fructify. The case is pending in the high court.

Can You Sell Off a Property without Co-owners Knowledge?

According to legalserviceindia.com, a sale of co-owned property can be made to a third party if the co-sharers reach a settlement for division of said property by metes and bound and give an NOC for the same.

In absence of division by proper laws (an accepted system defining and describing the boundaries of property), no undivided property can be given in possession to the stranger unless there is a decree of partition, or there is an arrangement already reached amongst the parties and which divides property by metes and bounds.

The provisions under law regulating the same; Section 4 of the Partition Act, 1893 and provisions of Section 44 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. The object of these provisions is to keep-off strangers who may purchase the undivided share of a co-sharer of an immovable property, the journal stated.
Donald Trump congratulated Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) after he became the fourth Republican nominee for speaker in three weeks, following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

Mr Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday morning, a day after he helped end the speakership bid of Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) after just a few hours following his nomination earlier on Tuesday.

Congratulations to Congressional Republicans! Yesterday was a big and very important day. It gave us a quick and easy way forward with 5 candidates who are beyond reproach, and represent the absolute best there is in the Republican Party, Mr Trump wrote.

Even the Fake News Media is impressed with what took place yesterday and, more importantly, with the Candidates themselves. Congratulations to Reps. Byron Donalds (Florida), Charles J. Chuck Fleischmann (Tennessee), Mark Green (Tennessee), & Roger Williams (Texas), & the ultimate winner of yesterdays vote, by a significant margin, Mike Johnson (Louisiana), he added.

I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory. In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT the former president concluded.

This comes after Mr Trump bragged about helping to quash Mr Emmers speakership bid, which ended after just four hours on Tuesday.

Mr Trump shared a link to a Politico article with the headline I killed him: How Trump torpedoed Tom Emmers speaker bid.

Hes done. Its over. I killed him, Mr Trump told an ally on Tuesday, according to the outlet.

Mr Trump slammed Mr Emmer on Truth Social earlier on Tuesday.

I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGAMAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Story continues

I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure? Has he only changed because thats what it takes to win? The Republican Party cannot take that chance, because thats not where the America First Voters are. Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!

The vote on the House floor on the speakership of the fourth Republican nominee for the top job in the lower chamber is expected at noon on Wednesday.

After three weeks of infighting, backstabbing, and chaotic wrangling, Republicans appear more unified behind Mr Johnson than behind any of those that came before him  including Reps Steve Scalise (R-LA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Tom Emmer (R-MN)  but nothing is certain in this Republican Party.

The House GOP has churned through 14 candidates, and now four nominees  including Mr Johnson  in 22 days since the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on 3 October.

Late on Tuesday night, Mr Johnson crossed the threshold needed within the Republican conference when he received 128 votes in an internal ballot  far from the 217 votes he needs in a chamber with 433 out of 435 seats currently filled.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday termed as "wrong" the recommendation of an NCERT-constituted panel recommending replacing "India" with "Bharat" in the school textbooks, and alleged an NDA hand was behind the move. A high-level committee for social sciences, constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to revise the school curriculum, has recommended that "India" should be replaced with "Bharat" in the school textbooks for all classes.

According to committee chairperson CI Isaac, the panel has suggested replacing the name "India" with "Bharat" in the textbooks, introducing "classical history", instead of "ancient history", in the curriculum, and including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects. Reacting sharply to it, Shivakumar wondered why there is the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Services, and Indian Foreign Services, hinting that the word "Bharat" was not used. "Why the Republic of India is written on an Indian passport," he asked.

"I think something wrong has happened to this government. I don't know why they are confusing the young minds of Indians," the Karnataka state Congress president said. "Who is saying that we are not Bharatiyas, but we are proud Indians. I think whatever stand they have taken is anti-people, anti-India, and anti-Bharat," Shivakumar said.

He alleged that the NDA government forced the NCERT to take the "decision", adding, that the move was "completely wrong", and appealed to the Centre not to accept the recommendation. "You can't change the history of India. Though you try to change Congress' history, you can't do it. The Congress' history is the country's history. So the Congress party has given the country a great history. We have got independence to India. We call it Indian independence. We don't call it Bharat independence," he said.

Shivakumar said, "In Karnataka, we will continue with whatever earlier was there. We will discuss this in the Cabinet. We will not change anything."

.
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel has proposed to universally replace India with Bharat in all school textbooks. NCERT director told News18 that as of now it is just a recommendation and it is yet to get an approval.

We have not accepted anything at the moment. The panel sent their report, NCERT director said. The proposal was put forth several months ago.

This development comes amid Centre receiving backlash from the Opposition for replacing India with Bharat in official documents such as invite, with the first such mention being on an ASEAN event invitation extended to PM Modi referring him as the Prime Minister of Bharat.

The India-Bharat row, however, gained pace when Rashtrapati Bhawan sent out invitations for a G20 dinner on September 9 on behalf of President of Bharat.

Amid all this, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that the connotation of the word Bharat is reflected in the Constitution.

India, that is Bharat, is there in the Constitution. Please, I would invite everybody to read it, Jaishankar had said while speaking to news agency ANI.

The minister was inquired about the response from opposition parties and whether the government intends to rebrand India as Bharat in alignment with the G20 summit.

Congress leader Priyank Kharge, while speaking about Centres move to change name on NCERT books, said: This move was very evident. The government is on a name-changing spree. No game-changing scheme is happening, only name-changing schemes are happening. Why the sudden hatred for the name INDIA? Why did they wait for nine years?
In a shocking incident, a man drove a tractor on his brother back and forth eight times until his death over a land dispute in Rajasthans Bharatpur.

The accused, Damodar, has been arrested for the brutal killing of his brother Nirpat. The incident took place after the dispute between two families Bahadur Singh and Atar Singh over a piece of land in Bharatpur turned violent. Both families started attacking each other with stones and sticks.

While the clashes were taking place, Nirpat, son of Atar Singh fell on the ground when his brother Damodar allegedly crushed him to death with the tractor. Around ten people were injured in the clashes.

                        ,            ,              pic.twitter.com/zoj3S3C5gP  Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) October 25, 2023

We got information about a clash between two groups belonging to the Gurjar community in village Adda. When police reached the spot, it was found that during this fight a man came under a moving tractor and died. The tractor driver is being identified. Other injured in this incident have been admitted to the hospital. Three days ago, there was a clash between these two groups, said ASP Bayana, Bharatpur district.

#BreakingNews: Shocker from Rajasthans Bharatpur; man got crushed to death over a land dispute. BJP hits out at the Congress govt.News18s Bhawani Singh with details | @ridhimb #Rajasthan #Bharatpur #LandDispute pic.twitter.com/LXUwuoa00T  News18 (@CNNnews18) October 25, 2023

Five people have been detained in connection with the murder, the officer said.

DGP Mishra has directed Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachhawa to keep a close watch on the investigation and immediate arrest of the murder accused.

BJP Blames Congress, Says Blot On Humanity

BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra questioned Congress over the law and order situation in Rajasthan and challenged Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit Bharatpur.

A video is viral from Bayana of Rajasthans Bharatpur where a person named Nirpat was murdered by running a tractor over him. It is not just about the murder of one personthis is about the whole of Rajasthan, it is about all Congress-ruled states. Priyanka Vadra is reaching Rajasthan today I demand her to visit that village before addressing the rally. She should go there and suspend the police officials, DM, SP and show that she has the courage to take a stand and she is not just for speeches and sloganeering. She has to project that she has a spine This is a call to Priyanka Vadra I challenge her to go there first, he said.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the Bharatpur incident is heart-wrenching and blamed the criminal-anarchist mentality that has arisen during the tenure of the Gehlot government.

Rajasthan Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Rajendra Rathore said the incident of Bharatpur is a blot on humanity.

The criminals are so fearless that they release video of the crime. The incident of Bharatpur is a blot on humanity. The system and the DGP are not able to do their work properly and that is why the criminals are fearless Priyanka Gandhi says Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti hoon, but she did not even fight with her MP who said that rapes are taking place because it is a land of men She has neither condemned any incident nor has she visited any place of such incidents Now, that the report card is in front of the people and their departure is confirmed, she is coming here making her points, but before that, she should speak on crime against women in Rajasthan, he said.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Thursday its order on the quantum of sentence against the five accused in the killing of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008.

Vishwanathan, who was working with a leading English news channel here, was shot dead in the wee hours of September 30 on Nelson Mandela Marg while she was returning home from work. Police had claimed that the motive behind the killing was robbery.

On October 18, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar for the offence of murder and common intention under the IPC. They were also held guilty under provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for committing organised crime resulting in the death of the person. The offences entail the death penalty as the maximum sentence.

The court also convicted the fifth accused Ajay Sethi under section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and MCOCA provisions for conspiring to abet, aid or knowingly facilitate organised crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised crime. Be put up for order on sentence after compliance of guideline on October 26, the court had said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday likened the rival Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde with Hamas. A day earlier, during his Dussehra rally, the Maharashtra Chief Minister had said in the future Uddhav Thackeray would form an alliance with the AIMIM and embrace even "Hamas, Hizbul, will meet Lashkar-e-Taiba" for the sake of power.

Talking to reporters here, Raut said Shinde's comments reflected his thinking and how the BJP had influenced the Shinde-led Sena."They themselves are Hamas. I do not want to take these names, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul, etc. They do not matter to Maharashtra and India, but these people's brains are occupied by Hamas," he said.

Hamas, a militant organisation that controls the Gaza Strip, is in the news after it launched incursions inside Israel earlier this month, triggering a strong retaliation by the latter. Raut further said the BJP and Shinde-led Sena will not be in power in the state and country in 2024, and the Shinde group's last Dussehra rally took place on Tuesday.
Eco-friendly destinations for eco-tourism have gained immense popularity in recent years, as travelers increasingly seek sustainable and responsible ways to explore the world. These destinations prioritize the preservation of natural environments, promote eco-conscious practices, and provide immersive experiences in harmony with nature. Eco-tourism destinations not only provide awe-inspiring adventures but also contribute to the conservation of our planets natural wonders, making them a responsible choice for conscientious travelers. In this article, well look for 4 similar places that are best for eco-tourism in India.

Blyton Bungalow, Poomaale 1.0 Collective, Kakkabe, Coorg, Karnataka- Beforest Lifestyle Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

The Blyton Bungalow in Poomaale 1.0 Collective is a wilderness guest house in a 128-acre Coffee Estate.

The bungalows are well-equipped with the following amenities: 6 Bedrooms, Coffee forests, Hiking & trekking, Nature walks, Birdwatching, Bonfire & barbeque, Camping, Stargazing, Waterfalls, Shola grasslands, Elephant corridors, Endemic species, Local cuisine, Permaculture farming, Fruit forests, Cardamom & pepper plantations

The Oberoi Vanyavilas Resort, Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan

This wildlife resort of India is bestowed with some of natures finest creations and is considered to be among the leading luxury wildlife resorts in India.

Situated on the edge of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, its the perfect place from where you can venture out on your jungle safari and then return to luxurious comfort and pristine surroundings. From here you can venture out into the wild to see tigers in its natural surroundings.

Co-Forest, Madapure, Coorg, Karnataka- Beforest Lifestyle Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

The Co-Forest at Madapure, Coorg offers a fractional ownership of a 115-acre Hammiyala Estate.

The place offers 30-room night access per year, Co-working and co-living, Food forests, Camping, Stargazing, Shola grasslands, Nature walks, Hiking & trekking, Birdwatching, Community activities.

Maneland Jungle Lodge, Gir, Gujarat

For that aesthetic touch visit this Maneland Jungle Lodge in Gujrat which is a perfect blend of the wild and serenity amidst the lush greenery. For those who want to spend some alone time in nature, this lodge offers the best view of the wildlife.

The interesting thing about this lodge is that the majestic Asiatic Lion does not hide from visitors. The lodge is very well equipped with all the state-of-the-art facilities. Every year this lodge gets a huge crowd from all over the world.

In conclusion, eco-friendly destinations for eco-tourism offer a harmonious blend of breathtaking natural beauty, sustainable practices, and a genuine commitment to preserving our planet for future generations. These destinations go beyond the typical tourist experience, encouraging travelers to become stewards of the environment, while simultaneously providing unforgettable adventures.
High-functioning depression is a condition where people experience symptoms similar to major depression but to a lesser extent. These symptoms can include changes in eating and sleeping patterns, low self-esteem, tiredness, a sense of hopelessness, and difficulty focusing. While individuals with high-functioning depression may appear fine on the outside, they often struggle internally. The condition can be treated through medications and therapy.

The World Health Organization reports that over 264 million people worldwide, of all ages, suffer from depression. High-functioning depression is a genuine issue with significant consequences if left untreated. Officially, its diagnosed as persistent depressive disorder (PDD).

A mental health expert can assess whether your symptoms match the criteria for depressive and other psychiatric conditions outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Even if you have symptoms of these depressive disorders, you might still be going about your daily life as if everything is okay, but it might not be. When you can conceal it or continue to excel in various aspects of life, it could be described as high-functioning depression, as explained by Dr. Daramus.

However, its important to note that many mental health professionals do not recognize the concept of high-functioning depression, finding it misleading. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), doesnt classify it as a distinct clinical disorder.

10 Warning Signs Of High-Functioning Depression:

Decreased appetite or overeating

Insomnia or oversleeping

Having a persistent feeling of sadness or emptiness

Lack of energy and fatigue

Lowered self-esteem

Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

Loss of sex drive

Restlessness or irritability

Suicidal thoughts or attempts

Experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches, cramps, aches and pains, and digestive issues that dont have a clear cause and dont get better with treatment.

Causes of High-Functioning Depression

GeneticsDepression can have a genetic component, meaning if you have family members with depression, youre at a higher risk of developing it.

Life eventsStressful life events like a breakup, job loss, or the loss of a loved one can trigger depression.

TraumaExperiencing trauma or ongoing stressful situations can increase the risk of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

MedicationSome medications can lead to depression as a side effect.

PersonalityCertain personality traits may make you more susceptible to experiencing depression.

Tips and Treatment

High-functioning depression doesnt have a specific medical diagnosis, so there are no particular treatments for it. However, for Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), treatment can involve two approaches: psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medication. Doctors might prescribe different medications, like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), or Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs).

It might take time to figure out the right combination of therapy and medication for this type of depression because not everyone responds to drugs the same way. For example, a study from 2011 on dysthymia suggested that SSRIs might not be effective in treating apathy in older people with depression and could even make it worse.

Its important for people to have open conversations with their healthcare provider and inform them about any side effects or reactions they experience from the medication. Sometimes, it takes a bit of trial and error to find the right medication that works best for an individual.
In the latest episode of his popular show Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 15, Amitabh Bachchan talked about diversity in his family. The superstar was speaking to one of the contestants when he mentioned that many members of his family come from different parts of the country. Big B shared that he loves it but added that it also makes him a sandwich at home.

I can completely understand, even I become a sandwich at home with everyone. However, what I like the most is the fact that my family is so diverse. My daughter (Shweta Bachchan) married someone in Punjab and my son (Abhishek Bachchan) in the south. We have people from all across the country, its like a mini India and we love it, Amitabh said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

For the unversed, Amitabh Bachchans son Abhishek Bachchan is married to actress Aishwarya Rai. The two tied the knot in 2007 and have a daughter named Aaradhya Bachchan. On the other hand, Amitabhs daughter Shweta Bachchan is married to businessman Nikhil Nanda. They got married in 1997 and have two children  Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda.

Amitabh Bachchan often talks about her personal life in KBC. In another recent episode, Big B talked about bunking school to watch a movie when he told a contestant, I did not have money to see a movie. Thus, we typically waited outside the theatre. A man at the theatre directs you to your seat. We would frequently ask him to grant us temporary access. Before he would let us in, we had to ask him. Once the song was over, he would ask us to go away. And then we would go. This occurred numerous times.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Amitabh Bachchan was recently seen in Ganapath. He will soon be seen in Kalki 2898 AD with Prabhas and Deepika Padukone. The actor will also be reuniting with Rajinikanth for Thalaivar 170.
Kerala police on Tuesday arrested Jailer actor Vinayakan for allegedly raising a ruckus at a police station in Kochi in an inebriated state.

The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station in the evening, where he was summoned by the police after he allegedly created some issues at his apartment.

He was arrested for making trouble at the police station, a senior police officer said. He has been taken to a nearby hospital for the necessary medical examination, the officer added.
Kerala Police on Tuesday arrested Malayalam actor Vinayakan, known for his recent work in Rajinikanths Jailer, for allegedly creating a ruckus at Ernakulam North Police Station in Kochi. The actor was later released on bail after a case was filed against him.

As per the reports, the actor was called to the station as he was looking to dissolve a private dispute with his wife. Both parties were reportedly heard by the police, specifically in the presence of a female police inspector as per the laws.

According to The Free Press Journal, Vinayakan was disappointed as he presumed the decision was partially inclined towards his wife. Due to this, he stormed towards the police station and got into an argument with the said female inspector.

On entering the police station premises, the actor was first charged with a fine for smoking. His arguments with the police personnel led him to use abusive language which worsened his situation. A video also emerged on the internet that captured the events at the police station on Tuesday.

The police suspected that the actor was under the influence of alcohol. They sent Vinayakan to the Ernakulam General Hospital for a detailed report. The report later confirmed that he was drunk.

During the interaction with the media, Vinayakan remained unaware of the reason he was arrested and detained by the police.

Last night speaking with the media, the Circle Inspector of Police Prathapachandran said that the actor was released on bail after a case was filed against him for a stir at a police station in an inebriated state. A case was registered after a Policeman was assaulted and the stations operations were obstructed. Vinayakan had called the police to his residence last afternoon to resolve the family dispute. Vinayakan was released on bail at 10:30 pm, he added.

Kochi, Kerala | Circle Inspector of Police Prathapachandran says, "Actor Vinayakan was released on bail after a case was filed against him for a ruckus at a police station in an inebriated state. A case was registered after a Policeman was assaulted and the station's operations pic.twitter.com/0T4p1Lmato ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023

This is not the first time Vinayakan has been under the controversial radar. Earlier, the actor reportedly passed an insensitive remark on the demise of former CM Oommen Chandy which resulted in a mob assaulting him at his residence. Earlier this year, airline carrier Indigo Airlines had lodged a complaint against him for abusing a co-passenger onboard a Goa-Kochi flight.
Kangana Ranaut made history became the first woman to perform Raavan Dahan at Lav Kush Ramleela in New Delhi but failed to shoot the arrow. The actress was invited for the Ravan Dahan ceremony, a ritual that is considered as important for Dussehra. Kangana made her way to the stage with her sister Rangoli Chandel by her side. For the occasion, Kangana opted for a traditional red saree and tied her hair up into a neat bun. She was joined by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.

In a video now going viral, Kangana was seen with a bow in her hand while people around her taught her how to shoot the arrow. Kangana made three attempts to shoot the arrow but failed all three times. Nevertheless, her spirits werent dampened. She chanted Jai Shri Ram while one of the members of the Lav Kush Ramleela Committee helped her shoot the arrow.

Watch the video below:

Although her happy spirit was contagious, a section of social media, especially on Reddit, trolled her for her failed attempt. This gives me second hand embarassment," a social media user wrote. So much for being the stunt/action queen of bollywood ," added another. So painful to watch ," a comment read. I cant imagine the kind of anxiety, embarrassment Kanagana must be feeling at that time," a fourth user wrote.

This was too hard to watch," a user added. I cant stop laughing the person who is speaking in the background, putla jalaya jaye. Asatya par satya ki jeet hui hai and this is so funny and embarassing, kangana should have taken YouTube classes," a comment read.

Kangana was invited to perform the Ravan Dahan as a nod to the Womens Reservation Bill which was passed last month. Speaking about it, Arjun Singh, president of Lav Kush Ramleela Committee of Delhi, told PTI, Be it a film star or a politician, every year we have a VIP grace our event. In the past, we have had former President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi do the honours. Among film stars, Ajay Devgn and John Abraham have been here. Last year, Prabhas did the Ravan Dahan. For the first time in 50 years of our event, it will be a woman who will do the Ravan Dahan."

Lav Kush Ramleela Committee also wants equal rights for women. Women participation is increasing in every walk of life today, but there is still a long way to go. The bill will help in the development of the country and society," he added.

Meanwhile, Kangana will be seen in cinemas this weekend with Tejas. Kangana plays the role of an airforce pilot in the film. Produced by RSVP, Tejas is written and directed By Sarvesh Mewara. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on October 27, 2023.
October 24, 2023, was United Nations Day. Every year, the day commemorates the foundation of the United Nations in 1945. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated the United Nations Day to mark the anniversary of the United Nations Charter, dedicating it to inform the global community about the goals and accomplishments of the UN and soliciting their support for its mission. Further, resolution 2782 of 1971 by the UNGA proclaimed the United Nations Day as the international observance day, recommending its observance as a public holiday by the UN member state.

The Theme

As the United Nations completes 78 years of its being, the theme of the 2023 United Nations Day emphasises on commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), under the overarching theme of Equality, Freedom, and Justice for All.

To Bring us to Heaven, or to Save us from Hell

Before I create the balance scorecard of the 78 years of the United Nations, I am reminded of Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjold, the famous Swedish economist and diplomat who was the second Secretary-General United Nations from April 1953 to September 1961. For his role as the Secretary-General, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. To put his role in perspective, he is the only Nobel Peace Prize laureate to have been awarded the distinction posthumously.

Dag Hammarskjold played a humongous role in the strengthening of the fledgling new global institution, both internally and externally, in his tenure as UN Secretary-General before his second term was cut short by his unfortunate demise when he succumbed in a plane crash while en route to the ceasefire negotiations during the Congo Crisis. On May 13, 1954, Dag famously concluded his convocation address to the students at the University of California Berkley, with his now classic paragraph- It has been said that the United Nations was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell. I think that sums up as well as anything I have heard both about the essential role of the United Nations and the attitude of mind, we should bring to its support.

I humbly posit that unfortunately with planet Earth still smarting in the aftermath of Covid-19, the worst pandemic of the last one hundred years and the massive destruction unleashed due to the two wars (Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas) and other ongoing strife in Africa and elsewhere, the recent events prove conclusively that neither the goal of bringing us to heaven nor saving us from hell is within the grasp of United Nations anytime soon. Contrarily, the cash-strapped institution is fighting for its own survival.

The Balance Scorecard

This piece traces the antecedents of the setting up of the United Nations, traverses the long journey of its sporadic successes and monumental failures in living up to its Charter and creates a big picture of why the time is ripe to reform, reimagine and reboot the United Nations to retain its relevance in an increasingly fractured world.

League of Nations that Proved the Road to Nowhere

The history of setting up international organisations to cooperate on specific issues traces back to 1865, when the International Telecommunication Union was founded, followed by the establishment of the International Telegraph Union, and the Universal Postal Union in 1874. In 1899, the International Peace Conference was held in The Hague to elaborate instruments for settling crises peacefully, preventing wars and codifying rules of warfare. It adopted the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and established the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began working in 1902.

The League of Nations (1919-1946) is often called the predecessor of the United Nations and was established in 1919 after World War I, under the Treaty of Versailles. It was the first intergovernmental organisation established with the core purpose to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security. Its founding document  the Covenant of the League of Nations  was drafted during the peace negotiations at the end of the First World War. It was composed of 26 articles and covered many aspects of the organisation such as the conditions for membership, the functions of the principal organs, the mechanisms for a peaceful settlement of international disputes, and the obligations of the Member States. The Covenant also contained the main principles on which the League was built.

The League of Nations had a laboured birth, insalubrious existence and premature death. It collapsed altogether with the commencement of World War II.

St James Palace Declaration

The genesis of the setting up of the United Nations can be traced back to 1941, in the Declaration of St. James Palace when on June 12, 1941, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa and exiled governments of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Yugoslavia and of General de Gaulle of France, met at the ancient St. James Palace and signed a declaration which stated, in part: That the only true basis of enduring peace is the willing co-operation of free peoples in a world in which, relieved of the menace of aggression, all may enjoy economic and social security; and that it is their intention to work together, and with other free peoples, both in war and peace to this end.

The Genesis

But in the true sense, the origin of the Charter of the UN can be traced back to the Atlantic Charter, signed on August 14, 1941, by Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, and Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, that included certain common principles in the national policies of their respective countries on which they base their hopes for a better future for the world. The Atlantic Charter in its eighth paragraph referred to the future establishment of a wider and permanent system of general security.

Becoming

The word United Nations coined by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was first used on January 1, 1942, in the Declaration of the UN when 26 States at war with the Axis Powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), subscribed to the common program of purposes and principles embodied in the Atlantic Charter in a document, which became known as the Declaration by United Nations.

India was part of the original 26-member 1942 Declaration by the United Nations. The becoming of the United Nations was given shape in the next three years during the Moscow and Teheran Conferences (1943), Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta (1944) and finally the San Francisco Conference (1945).

The Birth

Four years after the beginning of the talks to have the United Nations, it was officially born on October 24, 1945. As it happened with the Second World War in the closing stages, with many countries ravaged and ruined and a world desperately glamouring for peace, from 25 April to 26 June 1945, San Francisco was host to the congregation of 50 countries to deliberate and setting up of United Nations. For the next two months, the participating nations drafted and then signed the UN Charter, thereby creating the United Nations, which, it was hoped, would prevent another world war like the one they had just lived through.

The United Nations came into existence on October 24, 1945, after its Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories.

78 years have gone by. True to its mandate, the United Nations has succeeded in preventing World War III, but unfortunately, it has failed comprehensively to ensure peace and security in the world, uphold international law, and climate action to limit global warming and protect human rights. Over decades, it has also become a flawed institution.

Suffice to say at this stage that the United Nations is in crying need of its history to be rewritten if it is to remain relevant in the fast-changing and fractured world facing multifarious problems.

The Prize

From a two-country Atlantic Charter in 1941 to 26 countries at the Declaration by United Nations in 1942 to 50 founding nations of the UN in 1945, and fast forward to 193 member states in October 2023, the UN has numerically been a success. Indubitably, it is the most representative global institution today.

It is worth mentioning in this regard that in its 78 years of existence, in recognition of the excellent work done, the United Nations, its specialised agencies, funds, programmes and staff have been awarded the coveted Nobel Peace Prize 12 times. This includes two Secretary Generals, Dag Hammarskjold and Kofi Annan. After being awarded the prize jointly with the world body, Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2001 told UN staff that he hoped winning the prize will encourage all of us to tackle our tasks with even greater determination. Not to be undone, one UN agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize twice in 1954 and 1981.

The Success

It is clear that since its becoming, the United Nations has played a stellar role and has some unquestionable success stories, few of which are as under.

Peacekeeping: One of the biggest success stories of the UN has been the UN peacekeeping missions that operate in the most dangerous and difficult environments in the world, dealing with conflicts  or their aftermath  which others cannot, do not want or will not address.

Since 1948, the UN has helped end conflicts and foster reconciliation by conducting successful peacekeeping operations in dozens of countries including Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Namibia and Tajikistan. UN peacekeeping has also made a difference in other places with recently completed or ongoing operations such as Sierra Leone, Burundi, Cote dIvoire, Timor-Leste, Liberia, Haiti and Kosovo.

UN peace operations by means of providing basic security guarantees and responding to crises, have supported political transitions and helped buttress fragile new state institutions. They have helped countries to close the chapter of conflict and open a path to normal development, even if major peacebuilding challenges remain. However, the track record has not been totally unblemished as the world has witnessed its failure in Somalia, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

Material Assistance: The UN has proved to be the lifeline to millions across the world. It has been a success story worthy of praise, which includes, but is not limited to food and cash assistance to over 100 million people and shelter to nearly 100 million displaced people who fled their homes due to persecution, conflict, or human rights violations. Also, UN agencies play a definitive role in supplying vaccines to vulnerable children, saving an estimated 2 to 3 million lives each year from preventable diseases.

The UN has proved to be the lifeline to millions across the world. It has been a success story worthy of praise, which includes, but is not limited to food and cash assistance to over 100 million people and shelter to nearly 100 million displaced people who fled their homes due to persecution, conflict, or human rights violations. Also, UN agencies play a definitive role in supplying vaccines to vulnerable children, saving an estimated 2 to 3 million lives each year from preventable diseases. Human Rights: This is another UN success story. The first comprehensive international legal framework for Human Rights was established by the United Nations and culminated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the subsequent International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights coordinates the oversight bodies which are responsible for enforcing treaties after they are ratified. Although it is difficult to assess whether recommendations and oversight result in legislative changes or real changes on the ground, the UNs efforts at the very least create an international standard for nations to strive towards.

Nonetheless, human rights violations across the world, even in developed countries, are the order of the day and despite making all the the right noises on these critical issues, the UN has proved a cropper in implementation, leaving much to be desired.

Sustainable Development Goals: It began with the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where more than 178 countries adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment. It has finally culminated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, that provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At the heart of the Agenda are the 17 SDGs, which are an urgent call for action by all countries, developed and developing, in a global partnership. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Again, the issue of actual achievement of measurable SDG targets in a fixed timeframe is something on which the United Nations has no handle to use.

Decolonisation: In the early days of being established, the UN played a great role in the decolonisation process in the world. When it was founded in 1945, nearly a billion humans lived in territories controlled by colonial powers. That number has come down to almost nought today with a key feature of the human rights framework of the United Nations being every nations right to sovereignty and self-determination. The General Assembly in its early years passed multiple resolutions on decolonisation, including its landmark Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and four International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism resolutions.

The history of the UN is still being written. And it is time to look at its failures to decide why it is time now to reform, reimagine and reboot the United Nations.

Failures

No doubt with the UN being there, World War III, whose prevention was one of its objectives has been kept in abeyance but sadly, since its inception, war has always been raging in one or another region of the world. Make no mistake, often the five of its veto power nations have either been perpetrators or active supporters of one or the other side to the war. The inability to bring peace to planet Earth has been the biggest failure of the United Nations along with its inability to arrest the fast-growing human rights abuses in war and peacetime alike.

The failure of the UN has been legion and in recent times, the most momentous failure has been in the two ongoing wars of Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas. While the UNs role in Russias invasion of Ukraine has been anaemic, in the Israel-Hamas war, for merely telling the truth to the UN Secretary-General, Israel has asked him to resign forthwith. On the humanitarian front, its biggest recent failure has been the response to the pandemic of the century including playing to the tune of China leading to millions of innocent deaths.

The inability of the UN to stop human rights abuse and wars, new or old, one time or in perpetuity has been the most significant failure of the UN. After 78 years and nearly a trillion dollars spent on the UN, its repeated failures include a lack of enforcement mechanism, complete domination by five permanent members of the Security Council that make purposive action against the perpetrator impossible and often the failure of its peacekeeping forces.

The two most talked about failures of the UN are its reputation tarnished by numerous allegations of peacekeepers charged with protecting civilians sexually abused women and children, including in the Central African Republic and Congo. Another high-profile blunder was the cholera epidemic in Haiti that began in 2010 after U.N. peacekeepers are understood to have introduced the bacteria into the countrys largest river by sewage runoff from their base.

The list goes on. It also grows on.

Time to Reform, Reimagine and Reboot the UN

The United Nations at 78 is facing an existential crisis. Failure to prevent conflict and douse the fire once conflict starts, failure of peacekeeping, and failure to ensure human rights are all the tip of the iceberg. The UN of 2023 still lives in the world of 1945 when it was created to stall the Axis powers. The world has moved on since then. The UN has got stuck where it was born.

The UN Secretary-General himself has made a point to talk about slow and unresponsive service owing to a broken and weak management structure of the UN. He brought to the general assemblys attention the existing trust deficit among member nations and the UN staff. There was also an existing problem of inadequate resources and ineffective mandates. Finally, the secretary-general expressed his wish to curb the lack of transparency existing within the UN and a general lack of accountability.

Its undeniable that the UN does beneficial work. But the above statement of the UN Secretary-General is the holy grain of truth.

Worse, even the UNs main benefactor has doubts about its utility. On April 24, 2017, the then President of the United States Donald Trump at a luncheon meeting with the Security Council ambassadors had the following to say, The United States, just one of 193 countries in the UN, pays for 22 per cent of the budget and almost 30 per cent of the United Nations peacekeeping, which is unfair. He further added, I also want to say to you that I have long felt the United Nations is an underperformer but has tremendous potential. There are those people that think its an underperformer and will never perform.

Trump is no longer the US President. But he is a potential candidate to become one again. And in any case in a UN with 193 member states, the type of financing by one nation is tenable in the long run. Today UN finances are teetering on the brink.

The fact of the matter is that the United Nations today needs drastic surgery. Nothing less than complete overhauling and fundamental structural reform will do. It is time to reform, reimagine and reboot the UN if it has to retain its relevance. Reform agendas are too many, reform of the Secretary Generals office, transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness. But the most important thing is bringing back the trust aspect.

Also less said about the reform of the Security Council that has stuck in the middle of 1945 is an immediate imperative. It is sad that the permanent membership of the Security Council remains limited to World War II allied powers. Tiny Europe has two members while India, Japan, and Brazil are out and there is no African presentation. Worse, the five veto-wielding members never agree on any important aspect. It is time for its expansion to include India, soon to be the most populous country and the third largest economy and the change in vetoing power system has to be the necessary beginning. The Security Council is also in urgent need of veto reform and democratisation to reflect the reality of the day.

Reform and the reimaging and renewal agenda has to be much bigger and must start with the acceptance that today, the United Nations is stuck in a rut and is being hindered by hostile forces from all around the world. And the collective responsibility of all the member states must be to overhaul and repair the machinery of the UN and restore trust. UN has gone bigger and fatter with the unwieldy bureaucracy which is unable to solve pressing problems facing humanity.

Trust is built on respect for the sacred principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and human rights. These are being trampled not only by fringe players but also by the rich and powerful with impunity. If reform and renewal is not urgently unleashed to reimagine and reboot the United Nation now, it will fast enter an era of irrelevance and obsolescence.

Akhileshwar Sahay is a Multi-Disciplinary Thought Leader with Action Bais and India Based International Impact Consultant. He works as President Advisory Services on consulting firm BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
There is a chorus of views floating globally to arrive at a ceasefire between the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip against the background of an intense escalation that has come as a retaliatory action in response to the gruesome attack unleashed by the Hamas on Israel on October 7.

There is a genuineness in the concern that is shown towards the Palestinian civilians. The Hamas attack against Israel is not a conclusive one and the winning percentage is abysmally low. It is not indeed promoting the Palestinian cause. It is defeating and complicating the possibility of peace and coexistence for the Palestinian people. Violence is, therefore, not an answer to a political or territorial problem.

Moreover, Hamas forever attack against Israel is not its independent action. There are several actors, both regional and international, working in tandem to brew the conflict in the region. The reason for such an extension of support is ideological, geopolitical, and commercial. The lethal weapons that Hamas and Hezbollah have stockpiled in the labyrinth of tunnels underground explain the arms business that thrives in the region. Against this background, can Israelis and Palestinians ever live in peace? When the war happens for the war per se, the objective is not to win but to have the war nevertheless. The question arises  can Israel win?

From the look of it, it may seem Israel is inflicting massive casualties on the Palestinian people, and no doubt Israel does. But, is Israel in a position to do or undo a war? Israel finds itself in a complex situation. It has to fight the narrative war that projects it as a cause of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. It also has to defeat Hamas for its gruesome unleashing of terror in Israel on October 7 killing 1400 Israeli civilians, injuring thousands, and kidnapping many. This mayhem cannot be left unpunished from the Israeli point of view.

But Hamas hybrid warfare, its underground preparedness, and its tactics of operating from the civilian infrastructure present serious challenges for the IDF to make any definitive and precise targeting. Hamas knows how to mutate and deceive. It has developed complex and labyrinthine tunnel infrastructure in Gaza. This shields the Hamas from precise targeting and elimination from the enemy front. Moreover, the human infrastructure it uses to protect itself makes the IDF exercise restraint because civilian casualty helps Hamas win the narrative war through several virtual platforms and derive sympathies from recognised international organisations.

Tunnel infrastructure and deep preparedness that Hamas has made will not make IDF an easy run into the formers home turf. The IDF will have to witness incredible casualties which Israel cannot afford to do knowing its thin demography. The exercise also will see the massive civilian casualties in Gaza. This may make Israel earn ill fame internationally and may force the Islamic nations to constitute a confederacy to collectively attack Israel. This has happened in history and nothing is surprising about it.

Gaza is a densely populated region that is 41 km long and 12 km wide. Hamas has claimed to have constructed a 500km long tunnel, a part of which is reported to have been destroyed by IDF in 2021. The status of the current tunnel network at present is difficult to determine as Hamas relies mostly on tunnel infrastructure. It is expected to be more circuitous, extensive, and loaded with more than required cutting-edge weaponry. Hamas must have pre-empted the nature of retaliation that the IDF will resort to as a response to the formers brutal attack on innocent Israeli civilians. There is always a likelihood of deeper, intricate, and extended tunnel infrastructure that Hamas has to counter the IDF ground offensive. The tunnel war preparedness that Hamas has done is likely to trap the IDF once it starts the ground offence.

The story of tunnels goes back to 2005 when Israel withdrew from Gaza. This vacuum led to the rise of the Hamas there. In addition to its various modes of surprising the IDF through unpredictable attacks, it has developed tunnel modalities to make the war with Israel more lethal. It is quite difficult to trace underground preparation for war and surprising attacks. The surface movements and stockpile of weapons are easily detectable through satellite imaging. However, the complex operations that go underneath are difficult to determine and present a proportionate defence. Hamas has acquired sophisticated tunnel technology that operates quietly and faster as deep as 50 meters beneath the Earths surface. It makes no vibrations on the surface to assume and assess the digging process in operation underneath. Israel could make sense of this tunnel activity in Gaza as early as 2000. Smuggling of weapons and goods and precise targeting of the IDF outposts in Gaza between 2001 and 2004 were seen to have acquired consistency. It happened stealthily until 2004.

But with the IDF withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, the tunnelling activities exponentially increased as Hamas could see the success of this hybrid and asymmetric war. The 2007 coup positioned Hamas at the helm to determine the Gaza affairs directly. The same year also witnessed the Israeli defence forces preparedness in terms of installing an Iron dome system to prevent ariel attacks from Hamas. The security barrier that Israel established to prevent terrorist attacks after the withdrawal from Gaza was infiltrated by Hamas through its complex subterranean network system. In June 2006, Hamas used its tunnel infrastructure to attack the IDF outpost inside Israel, killing and injuring the IDF soldiers and successfully abducting Sergeant Gilad Shalit. Hamas subsequently played hostage politics, imprisoned Gilad Shalit, and demanded 1027 Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for one Israeli soldier. It took five years but the politics of Hamas clicked and the release of 1027 Palestinian prisoners gave Hamas strategic and geopolitical confidence.

Its guerrilla warfare saw no limit thereafter. It started acquiring missile capabilities with the Iranian and Syrian partnership. The number of missiles it sends to Israel is quite disproportionate in number and they have often overwhelmed the defence and retaliation capacity of the iron dome technology.

The final arsenal that Hamas finds is in the form of tunnel war which has given it the required success. The deception embedded in this war has given Hamas the necessary encouragement to expand it. This brings more difficulty for the IDF to get mired in the Hamas labyrinth of terror. In 2013, a tunnel was detected that connected Gaza with the Israeli community of Ein Hashlosha. Not only this, there are several tunnels that Hamas has built into the Israeli territory to wreak more havoc. It engages the IDF in the aerial war with thousands of rockets and missiles but operates underneath through tunnels to attack wherever possible. Tunnels have been used to carry out the abduction of Israelis and later to play the politics of exchange of disproportionate numbers.

Following the footsteps of Hamas, Hezbollah used tunnel tactics in its operation Conquering the Galilee in August 2012 to make surprise attacks and capture villages and IDF outposts in the Israeli territory violating its sovereignty and the internationally recognised Blue Line. Hezbollah used its elite Radwan unit to inflict more trouble on Israel. Therefore, tunnels have proven to be a fitting method for engaging in war with Israel. Against this background, IDFs Operation Northern Shield in December 2018 was a much-needed response to stop subterranean network building to protect its territory from infiltration through tunnelling. Israels adversaries have chosen deceptive and lethal means to attack which slow the deterrence or counter-offensive measures.

This war has exacerbated the Palestine-Israel conflict causing human catastrophe. Civilian casualties from both sides are a major cause of concern. But what can be done about it? Will IDF stop anytime soon? Will Hamas accept the two-state solution? The Palestinians are caught in the crossfire between Hamas and IDF. The Hamas-Israel conflict will not lead to any solution. It will be a nightmare, both for the Palestinians and Israelis.

Jajati K Pattnaik is an Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Chandan K. Panda is an Assistant Professor at Rajiv Gandhi University (A Central University), Itanagar. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The Congress partys belated espousal of caste politics was underlined by Rahul Gandhis provocative question while addressing a news conference in New Delhi this month, asking journalists present to raise their hands if they belonged to Dalit, tribal and other backward caste communities and not finding a single one. This palpable change from the earlier reluctance of Indias oldest political party to openly promote caste-based politics was almost flaunted by the Congress leader, clearly feeling vindicated having demonstrated the lack of representation in the media of the socially underprivileged. He promptly used his snap socio-demographic survey of the media to announce that Congress-led state governments would hold a caste census like the one held by Nitish Kumars government in Bihar that has raised a political storm on the eve of next years national elections.

Indeed, it is no small irony that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have chosen to follow in the footsteps of Nitish Kumar, a long-time proponent of Mandal politics considering the formers lineage and the partys history. Thirty-three years ago, his father Rajiv Gandhi, as leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had bitterly criticised the then Prime Minister, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, for thrusting the Mandal Commission report recommending unprecedented reservations for other backward castes (OBCs) in government jobs that had sparked of riots across north India. His passionate appeal in the House not to let Singhs obstinacy lead to a caste war in a speech that had severely castigated the Mandal Commissions decision to let caste be the primary criterion to implement social justice has little resonance with the politics of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress today.

Rahul Gandhis new war cry Jiski jitni sankhya bhari, uski utni bhagidari (those with larger numbers should get maximum benefits) to justify the caste census and ascertain the actual demographic profile of castes across the country has significant implications in the run up to the next years Lok Sabha polls. Both the Gandhi dynasty and the Congress have for long shared the same antipathy with the two other national political formations, BJP (earlier Jana Sangh) and the Left to make caste as their main electoral calling card even as they quietly practised backroom constituency wise manoeuvrings according to caste. The Congress had invoked the pan-Indian spirit of the freedom struggle beyond caste, the BJP the unity of the Hindu nation and the Left class politics rejecting a formal adoption of the caste calculus on the plea that it would fracture society.

The current somersault by the Congress on caste-based politics comes after losing out heavily over the past decade by the success of the BJP, traditionally supported by upper castes, in wooing large chunks of the other backward caste vote ever since the advent of Narendra Modi who is himself a backward caste. According to data from National Election Studies (NES) conducted by Lokniti-CSDS, the BJPs vote-share among OBCs more than doubled between 2009 and 2019 in national elections  it received approximately 20% OBC votes in the 2009 general elections, which increased to 44% in the 2019 elections.

These inroads by the BJP into the OBC vote came at the cost of both the Congress and state-level parties. The same survey by the Lokniti-CSDS showed the Congress vote among OBCs shrinking from over 40% in 2009 to barely 25% in 2019. Regional caste-based parties have not fared much better losing considerable ground to the BJP among OBCs.

Clearly, the Congress has decided that it needs to adopt a far more aggressive and confrontationist approach to caste politics to counter the BJPs inroads deep into the OBC vote regardless of the partys earlier stance. This also facilitates ideological coherence in the newly formed INDIA opposition alliance where the Congress is collaborating particularly in North India with several parties wedded to Mandal politics.

As a matter of fact, the Congress following Nitish Kumars caste census template in Bihar is logical considering the Bihar chief minister is considered to be the moving spirit behind the INDIA alliance and Rahul Gandhis announcement on the caste census may well have been taken after consultation with his senior colleague in the alliance.

However, it remains to be seen how adept Rahul Gandhi and the Congress will be at garnering votes from backward and lower castes on the basis of a caste census alone without a larger framework of reference. For instance, the BJP had the advantage of using the glue of Hindutva to cleverly attach its newly acquired OBC base with its traditional upper caste vote-bank. It is true that in the recent Karnataka assembly polls the Congress did manage to trounce the BJP by rallying the backwards and poor but this may be a far more daunting task to replicate in the face of the Modi juggernaut at a national level.

Rahul Gandhis previous political forays into caste politics have had dismal results. His much-publicised overnight stay in a Dalit village hut in his own constituency Amethi not long after he joined politics in 2008 palpably failed to get his party regain Dalit votes from a genuine Dalit party like the Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati. Nor did his bizarre convoluted rhetoric a decade ago about Dalits requiring the escape velocity of Jupiter in Earth to improve their lot evoked little support and instead elicited mirth.

Having acquired over the past year considerable personal stature as a different kind of politician after his successful Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader needs to be careful not to fall into the trap of blindly copying the rhetoric on caste by regional leaders well versed in playing Mandal politics. Having rightly endorsed the need for a caste census which has visibly rattled the BJP ever since the wily Nitish Kumar made the move galvanising the pre-electoral scenario, Rahul Gandhi must move on to do his own thing which is to hit the road and talk to people about their day-to-day problems and not behave like a neta.

The writer is a Delhi-based political commentator. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Under the Vienna Convention, India is within its rights as the host country to decide on the size of a foreign mission on its soil. The size cannot be unilaterally decided by a foreign country. It must correlate with the scope and quality of bilateral ties. Political, economic, trade, scientific, cultural exchanges, tourist flows, educational ties, defence cooperation, and so on, can determine the size of missions.

The principle of reciprocity is important. The number of consulates in each others country is especially based on this principle. If relations with a particular country are problematic at the political level, as in the case of Pakistan, for instance, the size of the foreign mission is strictly controlled. There is always a concern about the intelligence activities of a foreign mission, even that belonging to a friendly country.

Our problems with the Justin Trudeau government on the issue of its tolerance, even connivance, with the anti-India activities of pro-Khalistani extremist Sikhs on its soil that promote secessionist violence in India have come to a head with Prime Minister Trudeau publicly accusing India, without evidence, of having a hand in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a fugitive from Indian law who was campaigning for Khalistan and was involved in instigating terrorist violence in India.

Imbued with a sense of righteousness and an exaggerated sense of self-importance, as well as an inflated belief in Canadas international clout as a G7 country, Trudeau underestimated Indias reaction to his provocation.

India retaliated by reciprocally expelling a Canadian diplomat, castigated Canada for providing a safe haven for terrorists, drug traffickers and human traffickers, for failing to provide adequate security to its diplomats in Canada, and for interference in Indias internal affairs. It suspended issuing visas by our missions in Canada and, most importantly, demanded parity in the number of diplomats stationed in each others country. It did not publicly mention either the numbers or a date for compliance. Eventually, 41 Canadian diplomats had to leave India by October 20 to avoid their diplomatic immunity being revoked if Canada defied Indias demand.

India has justified its action under Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention, which allows the size of a foreign mission to be kept within limits considered by the receiving State to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of a particular mission.

The position taken by Canadas Foreign Minister that Indias unilateral revocation of the diplomatic privilege and immunity is contrary to international law is a dishonest one. India has stated that it has engaged with the Canadian side on the issue for over a month in order to work out the details and modalities to ensure the implementation of parity in diplomatic presence. Given Indias clear position and Canadas obligation under international law to abide by the receiving States demand, international law would have been violated if Canada had refused Indias demand.

The consequence of defiance would have meant the loss of diplomatic status of its personnel, who would then be treated as individuals staying in India illegally and therefore liable to be deported. If Canadas tactics were to delay acting on the demand for parity in the hope of mobilising external pressure on India to modify its decision, that plan has been thwarted.

Trudeau has engaged in his habitual grand-standing by calling Indias action as contravening the basic principle of international law and democracy and stating that it is something that all countries in the world should be worried about. It is surprising that neither he nor his Foreign Minister have been adequately briefed by their officials on the provisions of the Vienna Convention. This kind of shooting off the hip politically brings further discredit to Canada.

To claim that Indias action contravenes democracy is empty rhetoric, as if the use of the word democracy puts Canada in a superior moral position. Does Trudeau think that the Vienna Convention, which India has relied on, is violative of democracy? Should all the world be worried about Indias action, as Trudeau claims?

If by the world he means Five Eyes, it is another matter. But if he means the rest of the world, especially the Global South, then he is mistaken. Many may rejoice at Indias decision to put Canada in its place, as they have long suffered on account of the West weaponising democracy to interfere in the internal affairs of others. As it happens, the leader of the opposition in Canada has slammed Trudeau for destroying Canadas ties with many countries, including India, with his unprofessional conduct of affairs.

Canadas position has been echoed by the US and the UK, indicating close coordination. This is neither a bilateral matter between India and the US nor one between India and the UK. Their interference in a bilateral matter between India and Canada is wrong. India has not invoked the Vienna Convention to demand that the missions of the US and the UK in India should have parity with our missions in their countries, even though the reality is that their missions in India, especially that of the US, far exceed the size of the Indian missions on their soil.

Surely, the legal departments of the Foreign Offices of the US and the UK are expected to do their homework better about the articles of the Vienna Convention. That the US should expect India to uphold its obligations under the Vienna Convention, including with respect to immunities and privileges of accredited Canadian diplomats, when they well know that India is upholding its rights under the Convention is pure politics.

The statement by the UK Foreign Office is more objectionable, as it is also presumptuous. The UK does not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government, as if India sought or needed its agreement to exercise its rights under the Convention. The UK objects to the unilateral removal of privileges and immunities as not being consistent with the principles and effective functioning of the Vienna Convention. It then adopts a patronising tone by expecting all states to uphold their obligations under the Convention, and asking India to engage with Canada on its independent investigation into Nijjars death. Who is the UK to demand this?

Both the US and UK statements resort to diplomatic triteness in saying that resolving differences requires communication and diplomats on the ground. Our differences with Canada over the safe havens it gives to extremists threatening the sovereignty and security of India are long-standing. Canada has not acted on the several dossiers on these elements handed over to it. Our extradition requests have been ignored. Now there are death threats against our diplomats and our political leaders by these criminals. Despite Canada having had an inflated number of diplomats on the ground in India these differences have not been resolved. Worse, as Jaishankar has now said at his level, Canadian personnel have been interfering in Indias internal affairs. He has warned that information on this will come out in the public domain in due course.

Ironically, the UKs record of interference in our internal affairs and providing safe havens to anti-Indian extremists is much worse than Canadas. Violent demonstrations in front of our High Commission by Khalistanis in league with local Pakistani elements are allowed by the UK authorities despite our protests. The UK also does not meet our extradition requests. Such extremist elements are also active in the US. Our mission in San Francisco has been attacked twice. The Ministry of External Affairs has let the UK get away with its uncalled-for statement.

In 2018, the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats. Russia responded by demanding that British and Russian embassies be of equal size and asked more than 50 British diplomats to leave the country. This was done. In 2017 parity was achieved between US and Russian missions in each others country. The State Department in its statement at that time said nowhere that this violated the Vienna Convention Between 2020 and 2023 the US expelled 223 Russian diplomats.

Why then lecture India? The usual double standards? A non-Western country cannot throw the book at a misbehaving Western G7 country?

Kanwal Sibal is a former Indian Foreign Secretary. He was Indias Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The raging war between Israel and Hamas has brought global attention back to the contentious land conflict between Jews and Arabs in West Asia. Israel has launched a war on Gaza with the stated goal of eradicating Hamas and establishing a new reality in the blockaded enclave. The airstrikes have been unsparing and devastating, even as an Israeli ground offensive seems imminent, and one for which the Israeli Defence Forces are actively preparing. There is also a very palpable fear of the Israel-Palestine conflict leading to a regional flare-up, one in which the United States will be forced to militarily intervene. Fearing a regional war with Iran and its many proxies on one side, and the United States and Israel on the other, many have chosen to take refuge in a decades-old idea  the two-state solution. Unfortunately, this supposed solution is grossly overrated.

The two-state solution is dead. There must be no doubt about it. As a matter of fact, where Israel was once very open to the idea of creating a Palestinian state out of its own territories, it is now dead opposed to it. The era of Israeli accommodation is over. To put it simply, for Israel, the two-state solution train has left the station. What about the Palestinians? Well, a two-state solution was never really acceptable to them. According to recent studies, over 67 per cent of Palestinians oppose a two-state solution. Armed struggle to achieve freedom from Israel, meanwhile, retains 51 per cent support in the Gaza Strip and 54 per cent support in the West Bank. These are all conservative estimates, by the way. So, Hamas and other terror organisations like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are mere manifestations of a rather popular belief that Israel has no right to exist in Arab lands.

There is one slogan that has begun reverberating in major cities around the world, and it is key to understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free  This is a chant that can be heard in nearly all pro-Palestine rallies around the world. It essentially calls for the liberation of all territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, meaning the elimination of Israel in totality. This is not a slogan only a fringe minority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip hold dear to their hearts. It is, in fact, a slogan that has popular support in the West Bank and Gaza, and also among Palestine supporters around the world.

The World Must Learn from the Failure of Two Nation Theory

Concepts like the two-state solution or the two-nation theory cannot be expected to work in the real world. Those who think a two-state solution is key to resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict are not just being indifferent to history, but also naive. While a two-state solution is indeed ideal, it is not practical. If such a solution did actually work, India and Pakistan would not be in a perpetual state of conflict. Israel has learnt the right lessons from the creation of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the world has not.

The whole premise of the two-nation theory was that Hindus and Muslims cannot live together in a nation as one people. In principle, when the two-nation theory was executed and India was partitioned to create an Islamic Republic, there should have ideally been peace on Indian borders. After all, India allowed itself to be amputated in the West and the East, unleashing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the hopes that the future would be peaceful. Contrary to that, Pakistan waged a war against India within two months of its creation. Then came the wars of 1962, 1971 and Kargil. All this, while Pakistan allowed its terror industry to flourish with the sole intention of harming India.

Islamabad uses terrorism as a foreign policy tool to somehow bring India to its knees. One need not be reminded of Pakistans role in fanning conflicts in Kashmir and Punjab or the serial blasts that sought to hurt Indian civilians regularly just a few years ago. All of it happened with Islamabad and Rawalpindis sanction, including 26/11. The purpose of partitioning India therefore, in the supposed belief that there could be lasting peace in the region, stands defeated. Instead, India now has a nuisance to deal with in the form of Pakistan.

Similarly, there is nothing to suggest that the Israel-Palestine conflict can be solved with a two-state solution. As mentioned earlier, the Palestinians and their representative have repeatedly rejected two-state solution proposals. Today, the Palestinian movement has been hijacked by radical extremists and terrorists who will settle for nothing less than the complete extermination of what they like to call the Zionist state of Israel.

Then there are powers in the Arab world who would cheer at the prospect of seeing Israel bleed. Take Iran for instance, which has helped prop anti-Israel armed militias across West Asia, from Iraq to Syria and from Lebanon to Yemen. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not shied from openly saying that Irans goal is the annihilation of Israel. To think that Iran and its many proxies in the region will suddenly settle for peace and allow Israel to safely exist after the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state would be juvenile.

Terrorism is Not a Freedom Struggle: Sane Palestinians Must Take Control of the Narrative

It is now more crucial than ever for saner Palestinians to take control of the narrative. Whenever there has been meaningful progress towards achieving a two-state solution, Israel has been victimised by a wave of terror attacks. The most pronounced example of this would be the Oslo Accords of 1993, when secret talks in Norway culminated in agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Just when peace seemed to be on the horizon, Israel was targeted by terrorists. After 1993, Israels inclination to accommodate Palestinian demands shrank, primarily because the peace process was sabotaged by terrorists. That has been the modus operandi of organisations like Hamas and its backers in West Asia for as long as one can remember. For them, its either all or nothing.

When Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the enclave had a golden opportunity to realise the Palestinian dream. Instead, Hamas rode to power by winning the parliamentary elections in 2006 and has since concentrated all its efforts towards bleeding Israel dry. Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government and the Israeli public at large wonder whether the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state, with an army, air force and navy of its own is even remotely something the Jewish nation can afford. There is simply no sure way of knowing that the might of such a Palestinian state would not be used to achieve the larger goal of dismantling Israel and driving Jews out of their historical homeland.

After all, there has been no condemnation of the dastardly terror attack against Israel this month from either the Palestinian public at large or individuals who claim to champion the Palestinian cause. President Mahmoud Abbass half-hearted condemnation was driven more by political considerations, given that the Fatah has come to face a significant challenge from Hamas in the West Bank. Even Abbass nominal condemnation, by the way, was subsequently removed by the Palestinian Authoritys official news agency. That goes on to show the risk Palestinian leaders incur when they speak out against terrorism. Why that seems to be the case is something the global community must reflect on.

The October 7 terror attacks against Israel have now become etched in the minds of Jews as the single deadliest day for their community since the Holocaust. The brazen targeting of civilians and atrocities inflicted on babies, children, women and elderly alike have dealt a lethal blow to the Palestinian cause. The idea that Israel will be willing to even entertain the idea of creating a Palestinian state after the events of October 7-8 is a non-starter.

The Palestinian public must openly call out Hamas and pray that Israel successfully eliminates the terror outfit. For as long as the Palestinian movement remains entangled with terror outfits, the establishment of Palestine will continue to elude those who wish to see its creation.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
There is a stark contrast outside the residence of the two chief minister probables from the BJP and Congress.

Crowds are huge outside the home of Kamal Nath. The occasional zindabads are drowned by the slogans against him. Ticket distribution is a headache which has ceased to go. In contrast, Shivraj Singh Chouhans residence is quiet as the sitting chief minister holds meetings with officials. There are no party workers crowding here, but this doesnt mean that the BJP has not had its share of ticket-distribution problems.

However, its clear that BJP wants to battle the anti-incumbency by diffusing the perception that in case of a win, Chouhan will automatically become the chief minister. The party has safely decided to not name anyone as chief minister. The posters carry Chouhans photo but also of other leaders from the state who are contesting polls. Its a message to those who are worried that the 18-year term of Mamaji may remind voters of the long reign of BJP.

KAMAL NATH: BATTTLE FOR SURVIVAL

Hes frailer, bent a bit with age and experience but keeps a hectic schedule as he knows if not now, then his chance may never come.

Most of Naths time is spent in passing the buck to complainants about tickets. Go to Digvijaya Singh or Randeep Surjewala, he says.

As the chief ministerial face, Nath cannot afford to earn anyones ill will or anger. Each time he was asked by the Gandhis to shift to Delhi to take charge and firefight, he said no. He knows that giving up Madhya Pradesh would mean an end to his political career. More than that, at the center, he would be vulnerable to attacks by the BJP over the 1984 riots.

However, Nath has decided to make the transition from the relatively easier Delhi politics that he is used to to the murky tough whimsical state politics. His stroke of luck as chief minister did not last long. Nath needs to take revenge and his anger is directed at Jyotiraditya Scindia as well.

But more than himself, its the Gandhis who need Nath to succeed. The Gandhis miss a firefighting and close confidante chief minister like, say a Rajashekhar Reddy was. They know that Ashok Gehlot, Captain Amarinder Singh and Siddaramiah were chief ministers with a mind of their own. Nath is also not one to sit back and take orders but he has been too much of a loyalist of the Gandhis in the past to turn truant. Hence, Nath as chief minister would suit the agenda of the Congress top brass.

SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN: TIME TO MOVE ON?

He was called paon paon waale bhaiya  someone who walked kilometers by foot. The chief minister refuses to get tired. His focus is clearly on women votes but he denies that he is using them as a vote bank. Indeed, the fact is that among the BJP chief ministers, he was the first to realise the value of women voters and today, he is happy and smug that other political parties and states have understood his fight.

While Chouhan refuses to shed his confidence and hope that the BJP will be back, there is a nagging nervousness. He admits as much when he says whether he remains chief minister or not, he would keep fighting for women.

Chouhans strength comes from not just the women he has fought for, but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that backs him. When the Congress government fell, it was assumed that he would be the chief minister and not Scindia who had ensured that his 22 MLAs would leave with him, leading to the fall of Kamal Nath. Today, as BJP mulls options, Chouhan hopes the women votes will ensure his comeback.
At Garba celebrations across Mumbai during Navratri, revellers are used to dancing to Pari Hoon Main and Gori Radha Ne Kalo Kaan. But over the last ten days, at various such events across the city, chants of Jai Shri Ram and Bharat Ka Baccha Baccha Jai Shri Ram Bolega were heard.

These tracks have been a part of public events in the Hindi belt of Uttar Pradesh and adjoining states but hadnt made much headway in Maharashtra and Gujarat. However, just ahead of the big election year, observers say messages are being conveyed subtly through community gatherings, targeted towards Hindus.

This was reported across Mumbai, be it at Rangratri- Dandiya Nights with Kinjal Dave, Prerna Raas Navratri, or Navratri Utsav with Falguni Pathak.

The LED screens at Garba venues also displayed images of the upcoming Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The songs being played during breaks hinted at the work done by Adityanath in UP. Among the numbers being played was Babaji Aaye HainSanto Ki Nagari Ko Babaji Chalayenge. For those present, it was a subtle way of portraying Modi and Yogi as the faces of Hindutva.

For the largely Gujarati crowd participating in the celebrations, tracks such as these were not part of their playlists. But these songs being played towards the end of performances or during breaks was a way of hooking them to their minds.

For most of the youngsters, the songs were inevitability stuck in their heads, even if they didnt want that. Several youths were seen humming and dancing to the same tunes even after Navratri celebrations.

Youngsters who would be earlier seen humming Gujarati songs were seen chanting Jai Shri Ram at the end of the revelries.

This years election agenda is pretty clear. The only thing that one can carry forward in the election year is the Ram Mandir inauguration. So, people have been given instructions to harp on that, said a source privy to the BJPs 2024 election plans.

Earlier, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) issued a diktat to make Aadhaar card mandatory for participants in Garba and Dandiya festivities during the nine-day Navratri festival in Maharashtra and other parts of India. VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain had said, Every individual participating in festival revelry should be subjected to thorough scrutiny to ascertain his/her Hindu identity.
Google continues to face the challenge of removing harmful apps but recently the company flagged normal apps as harmful, accusing them of spying on users through their phone. Google has its Play Protect feature which warns about potential dangerous apps, and as per recent reports, the company marked two Samsung apps as harmful, even though they werent.

The apps in question are Samsung Wallet and Samsung Messages that were notified to the users after the Play Protect scanning, calling it a risk for your device. The apps were scanned and users saw an alert which explained that they can try to spy on your personal data, such as messages, photos, audio files or even call history.

These are serious infringements of the Google Play Store rules, and understandably, the Play Store termed these two apps as harmful but was that really necessary? After all, Samsung Wallet and Messages apps are used by millions and available on Samsung phones as well.

So, unless Google spotted a fake version of these apps, the alert was a clear mistake and the company needs to answer why it did flag them as harmful for devices.

Reports claim that Samsung was informed by Google about a server failure which caused the issue, and both the companies even talked about how to fix the issue caused by the bug. Google has a clear control on how it lets each app run on Android phones. Its monopoly with the Play Store doesnt help matters either and theres a reason why the company is repeatedly questioned by antitrust authorities about how it handles third-party apps.

In fact, Google recently announced that it will start scanning for sideloaded apps on Android phones, which means, further scrutiny on apps that have the right to be installed but Google will employ its regulations and decide whether an app is safe enough to run on your device.
Samsung is undoubtedly late to the AI party and even then it is going to rely on two popular AI chatbots that will be launched with the Galaxy S24 series phones next year.

Google has already shown its cards with the AI tech powering the Pixel 8 series phones this year, and now the South Korean mobile giant is ready to give its taste to the consumers albeit in a borrowed fashion.

In fact, reports say Samsung will be claiming the Galaxy S24 models to be the smartest AI phones ever, which does feel like a tall claim considering others have already done their AI bit in the market.

Bringing ChatGPT and Bard to the smartphones is fine but it depends how Samsung plans to integrate the AI chatbots, because if it merely wants to add them, the use cases might be similar to how they work on other applications and platforms. Going by Samsungs previous history with Bixby, its original AI product, you can be hardly surprised to see people having doubts about this supposed AI integration.

Samsung had previously banned its employees from using ChatGPT for work purposes, calling it a security concern if their confidential data leaks on the internet. Now, the same company wants to bring the AI chatbot to its phones for the consumers, which will be an interesting development to track, if it does come to the next flagship phones.

There is no doubt that mobile chipsets are now as powerful as computers and they have the ability to run AI applications, something that we might hear Qualcomm talk about with the launch of its next flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen chip in the coming days. Either way, we cant wait to see how AI evolves in the mobile space and allows more people to access these features on their smartphone.
Chippewa Falls Melanie Berg is dedicated to local history, especially the preservation of the Cook-Rutledge mansion.

Berg was a tour guide at the mansion for more than three decades, and between 2010 and 2015 she spent five years as the live-in curator of the historical site.

The mansion hasnt had a live-in curator since March when the most recent curator left. But the board of directors, including Berg, is looking to find someone to move in and take on regularly scheduled tours.

The curator lives in an apartment on the second floor in what was once the servants quarters at the mansion.

It was a fantastic job. The apartment was great. I was very comfortable here, Berg said.

The curator does general caretaking and gives regularly scheduled tours of the facility to anyone who stops in.

They've always had a curator here, since the 1970s, she said. Its a great job because you get to live here for free essentially. I mean it is work, but the payoff is you get to live in a really cool, old mansion and meet lots of neat visitors.

Berg had to give up the job after knee surgery prevented her from easily navigating the 19 stairs in the building. After Berg left the post, another curator took over but they left the position in March.

For the time being, the mansion offers tours by appointment only with one exception. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, the mansion hosts flashlight tours on Saturday evenings.

The switch to pre-scheduled tours has not necessarily been a bad thing, Berg said.

When I was curator and we gave scheduled tours regularly, there were times when youd get everything cleaned, opened up and ready for visitors and nobody would come, she said. I mean we always had people come through in any given week but just not for each and every tour time.

Berg said doing the tours by appointment has worked out well for the house, but the lack of a live-in curator is creating more work for the board and the volunteers.

Its a balancing act, but we all try to have our little areas of expertise, she said. One of our gals runs a lot of events, and I kind of take care of the weddings. A few of us are giving tours, and then a couple of the board members do a lot of maintenance around here  something they can do themselves. We're pretty active in what we do.

Berg fell in love with the Cook-Rutledge mansion decades ago. The mother of four said she was on her way home from shopping downtown one day when she and one of her sons drove past the mansion. He told her he had been on a field trip there, so the pair stopped and went in for a tour together, she said.

I just fell in love with it. I loved the architecture. I loved the richness of the rooms. I enjoyed the history. I thought it was just neat, she said. So I started giving tours here for more years than I probably even want to think about.

Berg said the board is in talks with a possible new curator who is studying historic architecture and would move in sometime in the spring of 2024.

Mansion history

The Cook-Rutledge mansion is steeped in local history. In 1873, attorney James and Justine Bingham purchased Block 14, which consisted of eight lots, from Union Lumbering Co. for $2,500. Construction of the Bingham home on what is now Grand Avenue was completed for $7,500, according to the Cook-Rutledge tour literature.

Bingham was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1877 and in 1883 was elected mayor of Chippewa Falls. In 1887, the Binghams sold the property to Edward Rutledge.

Hed accumulated a great deal of wealth in the lumber industry, and the interior woodwork showcases many wood carving masterpieces. On Sept. 9, 1887, the Chippewa Herald reported, "the Bingham residence was undergoing a complete makeover at the hands of present owner Edward Rutledge."

The current home is the result of Rutledge's extensive remodeling and additions, according to the Cook-Rutledge website at www.cookrutledgemansion.org.

The Rutledge family lived at the mansion until 1911.

Frederick Weyerhaeuser bought the mansion in 1911 and sold it to Christopher Sundet who subdivided the property and sold the house to attorney Dayton Cook.

The Cook family lived in the home from 1915 until 1973, when Mabel Cook sold it to the Chippewa County Historical Society.

The Cook-Rutledge Mansion Trust was formed in 1973. In 2006, this trust became the present Cook-Rutledge Mansion Inc.

The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but it is operated as a nonprofit supported by donations from private individuals and businesses.
Burping in public can be embarrassing for many but not in Italy. Hundreds of people gather in the northern province of Reggio Emilia annually to attend the worlds largest burping festival. Yes, you heard it right. An awkward moment of passing gas from the mouth can make you a champion at the lesser-known festival called RuttoSound. As wild as it may sound, it is considered a good-spirited competitive sport in the country. Now, a video from the 2023 Burping Festival has gone viral on Instagram leaving social media users equal parts stunned and amused. The visual begins with a male competitor belching loudly in front of a wired microphone placed in front of him.

If the video is anything to go by, it appears the intensity of the emission is evaluated with the help of a digital sound level meter. The measured impact is displayed to the audience through a gigantic black screen placed right behind the seated participants. As soon as the man burps out loud into the mic, the result is broadcast live leaving the audience erupting in massive hoots and cheers. Members of the audience arent only cheering the participants but also filming the bizarre event on camera.

Im not surprised by anything anymore, reads the caption of the viral clip that indicates it was recorded during this years burping festival. Take a look at it here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Overtime (@overtime)

A barrage of social media users couldnt believe an event like that gets hosted in Italy annually. While many showered tremendous love on the harmless male activity. A user who was shocked after looking at the crowds reaction commented, They turnt up like he hit a game-winner.

Meanwhile, a section of Italians expressed being completely unaware of the festival. A user wrote, Bro Im Italian and I didnt even know about this. Another agreed, Bro what? I live here and I never knew this was a thing. I wanna go now.

Then there were those who nominated others who could win the bizarre competition. A user wrote, Bring my dad here and he would win this without shedding a single drop of sweat. One more joined, Id be defending champion for years once I enter the arena.

For many the major highlight was the audience reaction, Yo why are there so many people there cheering for that.

The video has amassed over 19.6 million views on Instagram.
Is the afterlife real? The question of whats beyond death has intrigued mankind for centuries. But this woman who technically passed away for 27 minutes believes Heaven is real. Hailing from Arizona, Tina Hines collapsed after suffering from a cardiac arrest in February 2018. Her husband performed CPR to resuscitate Tina but to no avail. The woman reportedly turned blue and lifeless before the paramedics arrived at the scene. En route to a medical facility, the first responders made several attempts to bring her back to life. But it wasnt until she was shocked with a defibrillator at the hospital that her heart began to beat again.

According to the Christian Broadcasting Network, the doctors explained to her family that people dont survive after 5-10 minutes of no oxygen supply to the brain. But since Tina made it back after almost 27 minutes she was likely to suffer from brain injuries or life-threatening complications. She was immediately induced into a coma to allow her body to relax. Upon waking up the next day, she reportedly scribbled an ominous message about the afterlife. The ICU waiting room was filled with friends and family when doctors warned she may not be able to speak.

A pen and book were passed to the patient and it was at that moment that she wrote Its real in illegible handwriting. It took the family members several moments to decipher her text before her husband asked, Whats its real? The pain? The hospital? She reportedly nodded No but when her daughter asked if she meant Heaven? Tina immediately nodded Yes.

Even though doctors thought she wouldnt be able to talk, Tina said, Right behind Jesus standing there was this incredible glow. It was the most vibrant and beautiful yellow.

To this day, Tina thanks her lucky stars for being able to tell her story. God chose to save my life with a miracle, to show his kindness, goodness, and love. 27 minutes without a breath, until our Heavenly Father breathed life back into meand on the following day, (2/13/18), He allowed me to share about His exquisite beauty and grace, after coming out of a coma, she recalled the incident in an old post on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tina Hines (@_tinahines)

Tina was reportedly discharged from the hospital just four days after enduring the cardiac arrest without any brain impairments.
India has said it will treat a reference by Pakistan to Kashmir during a Security Council meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation with the contempt it deserves and will not dignify it with a response.

The remarks by Indias Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador R Ravindra, came on Tuesday after Pakistans UN envoy Munir Akram made reference to Kashmir at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

Before I end, there was a remark of habitual nature by one delegation referring to Union Territories that are integral and inalienable parts of my country, Ravindra said.

I would treat these remarks with contempt they deserve and not dignify them with a response in the interest of time, Ravindra said.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Security Council meeting that all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they are carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based terror outfit, or by Hamas, targeting people in Mumbai or Kibbutz Beeri.

We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people, Blinken said.

As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. Theyre unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Beeri, Blinken told the UN Security Council.

They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether theyre carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason, Blinken said.

He stressed that the Security Council has a responsibility to denounce member states that arm, fund and train Hamas or any other terrorist group that carries out such horrific acts. Blinkens remarks appeared to make a reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Terror group Hamas founding leader Khaled Meshaal said all civilian hostages will be released if the right conditions are met while speaking to UK-based news outlet Sky News on Wednesday.

Meshaal, who headed the Kuwaiti wing of Hamas and chairman of the Hamas political bureau. He is also revered as a living martyr, the Sky News report said, citing that he survived an Israeli attempt to assassinate him almost 30 years ago.

Let them stop this aggression and you will find the mediators like Qatar and Egypt and some Arab countries and others will find a way to have them released and well send them to their homes, Meshal was quoted as saying by Sky News.

We want to stop the random bombardments, the total destruction, the genocide so that the al Qassam soldiers can take them from their places and hand them to the Red Cross or whoever. We need the right conditions to allow them to be released, he further added, explaining that hostages will not be released until the intensity of the Israeli retaliation decreases, referring to the intense Israeli air offensive.

He said that 22 hostages have already been killed due to the airstrikes. He did not divulge much information regarding the nationality of the dead hostages but said most of the dead hostages are Israelis.

Hamas is currently holding at least 222 hostages of which they have released four of them and two out of them are Israeli hostages.

Hamas bosses allegedly told newly inducted terrorists that they will receive a stipend of $10,000 if they bring hostages and were told to focus on elderly and children.

Meshal said there is also a window of opportunity to discuss peace if Israel intends to do so. The exit can be in two stages. First regarding this current conflict, this criminal war on Gaza, the bombardment and aggression on Gaza should stop and Israel should cease forcefully removing the people of Gaza from the northern parts to the southern, he said, as per Sky News.

Israel should withdraw from all occupied lands and we will have a window of opportunity and real opportunity he further added.
The Indian deputy permanent representative (DPR) to the United Nations R Ravindra on Wednesday pointed out that India sent 38 tons of food and critical medical equipment to Gaza Strip amid the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict.

Ravindra was representing India at the United Nations Security Council Open-debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, news agency ANI reported. Ravindra said that New Delhi remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilians in the ongoing conflict while condemning the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.

The mounting humanitarian crisis is equally alarming. India has sent 38 tons of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment, to the people of Palestine. We also urge the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations, including through de-escalation, Ravindra said while speaking on the open debate on the latest chapter of hostilities in West Asia.

In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, Ravindra said.

We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks. We have also expressed deep shock at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza, where several hundreds of civilian casualties have occurred and thousands injured. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured, Ravindra further added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks that India stands with people of Israel and condemns all forms of terrorism while also expressing his grief over the bombing of the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City.

Reiterating the need for pursuing a two-state solution in Palestine, Ravindra said global powers should work together to find lasting peace in the region.

I reaffirm Indias unwavering commitment to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure & recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel. Theres no other alternative to a negotiated two-state solution, Ravindra said.

The unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed. We welcome the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza. Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations, he further added.

The Indian officials at the UN also pointed out that India is supporting Palestinian people through bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, womens empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology.
Canadian police found five people dead from gunshots, including three children and the alleged shooter, at two border city residences in a case described on Tuesday as intimate partner violence.

The victims were discovered late Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, near the juncture of three Great Lakes bordering the US state of Michigan, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) north of Toronto, after police received reports of break-ins.

A 41-year-old was found deceased from a gunshot wound at the first residence. The shooter had fled the area prior to police arrival, said a statement.

Ten minutes later, another emergency call saw police head to another home just 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) away.

There they found three deceased children, aged six, seven and 12 years old, as well as the alleged shooter who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Another victim, aged 45, was found injured with a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital.

In a statement, Sault police chief Hugh Stevenson said the incidents were linked and were the result of intimate partner violence.

This is an unspeakable tragedy, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

He was echoed by federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who called it a horrible tragedy.

It reminds us that we all have a lot of work to do with respect to these kinds of crimes, he added.

According to government data, gun crimes in Canada decreased from 2020 to 2021, accounting for a small proportion of all violent crimes. But shootings are up from a decade ago.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that France was sending a navy ship to support the Gaza Strips hospitals which are at risk of collapsing under Israels bombing and siege.

The ship would leave Toulon in the next 48 hours, the French leader said during a joint news conference in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time that he would have to give answers for security lapses exposed in the deadly October 7 attacks by Hamas fighters.

The fault will be examined and everyone will have to give answers, including me. But all this will happen later, the right-wing leader said in a televised address as the Israeli military prepares for a widely expected invasion of the Gaza Strip.

As prime minister, I am responsible for securing the future of the country, he said.
The Israeli army said Wednesday that it had struck military infrastructure inside Syria in response to earlier launches towards Israel.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army in response to the launches toward Israel yesterday (Tuesday).

A military spokesperson told AFP the strikes were inside Syria.

Fears are growing that Israels war with Hamas will create wider regional turmoil, and especially further inflame existing tensions with Syria and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

The war erupted after militants from the Palestinian Islamist movement stormed across the Gaza border on October 7 and went on a rampage that Israeli officials say killed more than 1,400 people.

They also snatched more than 220 hostages in the worst-ever attack in Israels history, which has prompted a ferocious Israeli bombardment of the coastal Palestinian territory which Gazas Hamas rulers say has killed 5,791 people.

Israeli strikes on Sunday put war-torn Syrias two main airports out of service, according to Syrian state media.

While Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at the government-controlled airports in the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, it is the second time since this months conflict between Israel and Hamas began that the two sites have been struck simultaneously.

Earlier in the month, Israeli strikes targeted Aleppo airport, wounding five people, a war monitor reported, and also put it out of service, according to the authorities.

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes it carries out on Syria, but it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran, which supports President Bashar al-Assads government, to expand its presence there.
Senior officials of Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have held talks with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah about achieving real victory in their war with Israel, the Lebanese group said Wednesday.

The Hezbollah statement did not specify when or where Nasrallah met with Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh beyond saying that it was at an undisclosed location in Lebanon.

News of the meeting comes as Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions exchange daily fire with the Israeli army across the Lebanon-Israel border, raising fears of a new front in Israels war with Hamas in Gaza.

The three groups are part of the axis of resistance  Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian and other Iran-backed armed groups opposed to Israel.

They discussed what the axis of resistance must do at this critical stage to achieve real victory in Gaza and Palestine and stop Israels brutal aggression, the statement said.

They also discussed recent events in the Gaza Strip since the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood  the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, in Israel.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza says 5,791 people have been killed, again mostly civilians, as Israel has bombarded the territory.

Nasrallah and the Palestinian militant leaders agreed to keep coordinating and daily following up on developments, the statement added.

Hezbollah and Hamas have long been part of a joint operations room with the Quds Force  the foreign operations arm of Irans Revolutionary Guards  a source close to Hezbollah previously told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The meeting also touched upon the cross-border fire on the Lebanon-Israel border, the statement said.

At least 52 people have been killed in Lebanon according to an AFP tally, mostly Hezbollah combatants but also four civilians, including Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah.

Four people have been killed in Israel, including one civilian.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources policy board on Wednesday approved a new wolf management plan that leaves out a specific population goal  a move that has been applauded by conservationists but criticized by farmers and hunters seeking a limit on the number of gray wolves in the state.

The seven-member board voted unanimously to approve the management plan. It does not set an optimal population target, but it does recommend ongoing monitoring to determine how to help maintain, grow or reduce the number of wolves within the states six wolf management zones.

Board members and DNR staff said the plan creates a strong, science-based outline that will serve as a resource should the federal government remove wolves from the endangered species list, a process called delisting. If wolves are delisted, the state takes on management authority, allowing for a hunting season.

Unless we have a management plan in place, we probably wont be delisting, board member Paul Buhr said before the vote. This plan will allow producers the ability to deal with a bad wolf, a bad pack. The DNR will help with that. Theres provisions in this that will help them financially if they suffer losses.  I just feel that this plan is in the best interest long term for farmers.

Its obviously not everything they want, but theres a lot of people that didnt get everything they wanted, Buhr continued.

The updated plan, released in August, aims to maintain a statewide population of about 800 to 1,200 wolves  a level comparable to recent years.

A survey released in September estimated the statewide wolf population at 970, but the states current wolf management plan, created in 1999, called for capping the population at 350 wolves, a number used by hunters to justify a season on the animals.

Tyler Wenzlaff, director of national affairs with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, argued in the public comment portion of Wednesdays meeting that the DNRs proposal is vague and will continue to disintegrate trust in the department. He said the bureau supports maintaining a population goal of 350 wolves statewide.

The (proposal) is merely guidance, Wenzlaff said. It does not provide any management authority.

State law mandates a wolf season, but a federal judge last year restored endangered species protections for gray wolves across most of the country, including Wisconsin. The decision prohibits hunting wolves.

No matter what this board does, as long as the wolf is listed at the federal level, any kind of a harvest, whether its hunting or trapping, any kind of take in response to depredation that involves lethal means, is not authorized and will not happen, policy board chair Bill Smith said.

A GOP-authored bill introduced earlier this year would require the state to establish a new population goal for wolves as part of any management plan. Senate Bill 139 passed the Senate on a party-line vote on Oct. 17 and would require the DNR to set a wolf population goal to be enforced if the gray wolf is delisted as an endangered species.

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans voted to reject Democratic Gov. Tony Evers appointees Sharon Adams, Dylan Jennings, Sandra Dee Naas and Jim VandenBrook to the Department of Natural Resources policy board. Shortly afterward, Evers appointed new members Todd Ambs, Robin Schmidt, Patty Schachtner and Douglas Cox, all of whom participated in Wednesdays vote.
A Hamas terrorist was caught boasting about the number of Israeli citizens he killed during the October 7 attacks when the terrorist group infiltrated southern Israeli cities lying parallel to the border with Gaza Strip and killed over 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

The audio accessed by CNN-News18 reveals the Hamas terrorist telling his father that he has killed ten Israelis. The terrorist refers to the Israeli woman and the people he killed as Jews.

Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!Listen to a phone call of a Hamas terrorist calling home, bragging about how many people he massacred. The whole world needs to hear this. pic.twitter.com/Xv0ykyxvrF  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

I am talking to you from Mefalsim. Open my WhatsApp now and youll see all those killed. Look how many I killed with my own hands, your son killed Jews. Dad, I am talking to you from a Jewish womans phone. I killed her and killed her husband, the terrorist can be heard saying in the phone call records obtained from the womans phone who was killed in the hands of the terrorist.

I killed ten with my own hands, the terrorist says in the recording extracted by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet. They also later released the recording on social media site X.

The recording was revealed for the first time this evening at the UN Security Council.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday (local time) held several important meetings to discuss the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict. The US, a permanent member at the UNSC, said terrorism is unjustifiable.

All acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. Whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali, in Mumbai, New York or Kibbutz Beeri. Theyre unlawful and unjustifiable whether theyre carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Lashkar E Taiba, or by Hamas. Theyre unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, ethnicity, nationality, or any other reason, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said in a statement.

He was addressing the 15-member UN Security Council amid international fears the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip could spill over into a wider war.

The US also accused Iran of fanning the flames of the war. Dont throw fuel on the fire, Blinken said.

Iran rejected the US allegations, calling it baseless and said Iran is committed to peace in West Asia. Our commitment to regional peace and stability remains unwavering. The US has further exacerbated the conflict by overtly aligning itself with the aggressor at the expense of the innocent Palestinian population, Irans UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Sri Lanka on Wednesday confirmed that a so-called Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 was authorised by its government to dock at the Colombo port, news agency AFP reported. The ship is expected to arrive as early as Wednesday (October 25) according to international ship tracking website MarineTraffic.

The spacecraft-tracking vessel Yuan Wang 5 led to tensions between New Delhi and Colombo and Beijing last year when India raised security concerns that China was sending a spy ship to snoop on Indias power plants and nuclear power facilities using the ship.

Chinese media outlets also categorised the Shi Yan 6 as a research vessel. India has always considered the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to be in its sphere of influence and has been suspicious of Chinas increasing presence there as well as Sri Lanka as the nation is placed halfway along key east-west international shipping routes.

The confirmation was given by a foreign ministry spokesman who said that Shi Yan 6 was authorised to dock in Colombo. The AFP report said that China operates a deep-sea container terminal at the Colombo port.

Clearance was given for the vessel to come to Colombo for replenishment, the spokesman was quoted as saying by AFP.

China says that Shi Yan 6 is a scientific research vessel with a crew of 60 to conduct oceanography, geology and marine ecology tests.

Sri Lanka did not divulge how long the vessel will remain docked at the Colombo port.

The Yuan Wang 5 last year docked in Hambantota despite New Delhis concerns. It has maintained that the Yuan Wang 5 is being touted as a research vessel but is actually a spy ship which specialises in spacecraft tracking.

The Yuan Wang 5 docked in Hambantota, a port in Sri Lankas south under a 99-year lease to the Chinese company that built it after Colombo was unable to service a $1.4 billion loan taken for the project.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion external debt in 2022 leading to an unprecedented economic crisis which was partly blamed on Chinese loans used to build white-elephant infrastructure projects between 2005 and 2015.

China is the owner of 52% of cash-strapped Sri Lankas bilateral debt and Sri Lanka needs approval from Beijing to restructure its outstanding loans.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its inhumane war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go, Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewed Hamas as liberators fighting for their own land.

Ankaras relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza killed 10 civilians in 2010.

Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month, marking a improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel, where Ankara had been eyeing joining a natural gas pipeline project promoted by the United States.

Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them, Erdogan said.

If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either.
The third Republican nominee for US House speaker in two weeks dropped out Tuesday after failing to find enough support to win the gavel, plunging the paralyzed lower chamber of Congress deeper into crisis.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer had narrowly won an internal Republican ballot to replace ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy  but quit hours later amid a backlash from the right wing of the party led by former president Donald Trump.

Congress has been at a standstill and unable to address multiple global crises, as well as the fast approaching threat of a government shutdown, since McCarthys historic dismissal in a far-right rebellion on October 3.

Emmer emerged victorious from a series of secret ballots in a crowded field of potential replacements  but Republicans immediately began speaking out against the 62-year-old and the writing was on the wall after Trump called on the party to drop the establishment favorite.

The dysfunction in the Republican Party right now seems to be saying we want to lose, exasperated Kentucky Republican Andy Barr told CNN.

That is crazy to me. We were elected as a majority to govern, and we are not doing that right now. And so I am imploring my colleagues to stop this and elect a speaker so that we can get back to governing.

Emmer was already the partys Plan D, with McCarthy still popular among the majority of House Republicans and two other potential replacements winning the nomination only to be humiliated in the same manner.

Desperate for a way out of the impasse, the party was discussing coalescing around a new standard-bearer such as Louisianas Mike Johnson, who came second to Emmer for the nomination.

But there was no indication that he wouldnt fall foul of the same internal divisions that have left the party unable to unite around a leader for three weeks.

Whoever they move on to will likely be the least experienced speaker in more than a century, as none of the declared hopefuls have chaired a committee or held a senior leadership role for more than a few months.

And the next speaker could find themselves presiding over a government shutdown unless they can cut a 2024 budget deal, favorable to the party, with much more seasoned negotiators, from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to President Joe Biden.

They would also be expected to lead the deeply fractured conference through upcoming fights over funding for Ukraine and Israel in their conflicts with Russia and Hamas.

Stop Emmer

Each of the candidates pledged to back the eventual nominee, but there was never any evidence that Emmer could garner sufficient support to win 217 votes  the majority on the House floor  and seize the gavel.

The nominee can afford to lose just four Republicans and still claim the speakership if every Democrat votes against him.

Only 117 of Emmers colleagues voted for him in the final round of balloting, according to US media  with 97 preferring his rival, Louisiana congressman Mike Johnson.

Lawmakers leaving the secret ballot told reporters there were 26 holdouts against Emmer in a vote he had called to gauge support immediately after winning the nomination.

Republicans reportedly lined up in the room to complain about the Minnesota congressmans record of support for Ukraine aid and same-sex marriage as well as questioning his loyalty to Trump.

Like the majority of House Republicans, Emmer has baselessly sown doubt over the validity of Bidens 2020 election win over Trump, but supporters of the former president were angered by the majority whip voting to certify the result.

I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them, Trump posted on his website Truth Social.

RINO  short for Republican in name only  is a disparaging label Trump uses for members of the party who fall out of his favor.
The United Nations Security Council open debate on Wednesday (local time) on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question saw tempers flare and Israel calling for the resignation of the United Nations chief Antonio Guterres.

It is important to also recognize that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing, the UN chief said, pointing to the conflict between Israel-Hamas and how Palestinian civilians from Palestine have unfortunately suffered the most as they continue to bear the humanitarian cost.

Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan and other officials present at the UNSC open debate were enraged and immediately rallied against the UN chief when Guterres said: The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Erdan immediately took to X (formerly Twitter) and in a post demanded the resignation of Guterres. The UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN. I call on him to resign immediately, Erdan said. Its sad that a person with such views is the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust. Its really unfathomable, he further added.

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen was visibly frustrated as he held a picture of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza while participating in the debate.

He then cancelled his meeting with Guterres over his comments.

Absolutely nothing can justify the slaughter of innocent civilians. Now is the time to stand on the right side of history, or be judged by it. Terror apologists cannot speak on behalf of the world, Benny Gantz, Israeli Knesset member, said.

Iran-US Trade Barbs

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iran envoy to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani traded barbs over the deteriorating security situation in West Asia. Dont throw fuel on the fire. The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security  swiftly and decisively, Blinken said.

To this, Iravani responded by saying: Our commitment to regional peace and stability remains unwavering. The US has further exacerbated the conflict by overtly aligning itself with the aggressor at the expense of the innocent Palestinian population.

India Bats for Two-State Solution

The Indian deputy permanent representative (DPR) to the United Nations R Ravindra reiterated the need for pursuing a two-state solution in Palestine and urged global powers to work together to find lasting peace in the region.

I reaffirm Indias unwavering commitment to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure & recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel. Theres no other alternative to a negotiated two-state solution, Ravindra said.

The unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed. We welcome the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza. Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations, he further added.
In the Philippines, my home country, fake news travels fastnot only through social media, but through word-of-mouth communication spread by Marites, a Tagalog word for a person who gossips.

This is a compound word from mare, meaning godmother as well as clusters of friends in the neighborhood, and the English word latest. In effect, it means Mare, whats the latest? So gossip goes around very fast, especially in densely populated, poor urban communities.

Technology has accelerated and expanded the spread of misinformation beyond what chatty friend networks ever could. It happens in the US and the West as a whole, as well as in countries where the government influences or restricts the media.

Analysts say that part of the reason Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his allies have returned to power is the way they have been able to massively use social media to revise narratives of our experience of authoritarianism under his fathers rule.

Christians across the world have rightly lamented the spread of fake news in their communities, the prevalence of conspiracy theories, and the skepticism toward ever being able to know the truth. Those of us in the Majority World are also sensitive to another dimension of this phenomenon: We are more likely to see the spiritual reality behind it.

We sense how the demonic could lodge and entrench itself in media technologiesour contemporary version of what Paul calls the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2:2 (ESV).

Pauls language of thrones or dominions or principalities or powers in Colossians 1:16 (NKJV) suggests that the demonic manifests itself not only in personalities, but also in subhuman forcesstructures and institutionsthat enslave or oppress people.

Untruth usually couples with oppression, says the prophet Jeremiah. When truth has fallen in the public square, oppression upon oppression, deceit upon deceit grows (Jer. 9:6, ESV). Those who bend their tongues to speak lies proceed from evil to evil.

The state and other powerful institutions have the power to deceive masses of people through media and social media. It is not an accident that the first thing despots do to consolidate power is muzzle the press.

In a time of massive disinformation, Christians are to fight back for truth. We engage the prince of the power of the air, articulating persuasively Gods norms for society in the public square.

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Building a hermeneutical community

Participation in the political and social life of a country does not merely mean putting Christians into office or capturing positions of power so as to advance our values and agenda like the Religious Right in America. It means creating a social and intellectual environment that argues the cogency of Christian values and frames behavior in public life.

As the writer T. S. Eliot puts it:

What the rulers believed would be less important than the beliefs to which they would be obliged to conform. And a skeptical or indifferent statesman, working with a Christian frame, might be more effective than a devout Christian statesman obliged to conform to a secular frame.  It is not primarily the Christianity of statesmen that matters, but their being confined, by the traditions and the temper of the people which they rule, to a Christian framework within which to realize their ambitions.

How do we go about creating such an environment?

Firstly, we intentionally build what I call a hermeneutical community, one made up of those who, like the tribe of Issachar (1 Chron. 12:32), can discern the times and give guidance on how to effectively influence and impact society.

Witness, in the Pauline sense, is to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Unfortunately, this missional mandate has been sidelined by the massive energy put on shallow gospel proclamations that pass for what we call evangelism. We train believers to use the Bible on matters like how to get saved, but not on how the whole counsel of God can be applied to the many issues we face every day.

Concededly, the kind of nurture that enables people to engage issues in the public square requires focused attention on those with relevant professional gifts and expertise, opening their minds to the gospels relevance to all of life. It is time we bring to the center of our church life and witness the artists and scientists, those with gifts that can communicate creatively to the outside world.

The importance of such a hermeneutical community was impressed upon me at the height of the struggle against former Filipino president Ferdinand Marcoss authoritarian regime. Some evangelical leaders in the Philippines kept criticizing my organization, the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC), for being part of the surge of resistance against the continuance of Marcoss rule.

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ISACC is a small community of social scientists, development practitioners, writers, artists, and a handful of pastors and theologians. We were convinced that the results of the 1986 snap elections that proclaimed Marcos as winner were fraudulent. He had no more right to rule our country.

We mounted a protest together with other movements. Evangelical leaders then labeled this as rebellion and kept referencing Romans 13:17, which talks of being subject to the governing authorities.

But our reading of the times differed greatly. Our discernment was that the relevant text to the times was not Romans 13, as most evangelicals thought, but Revelation 13. There are times when the state ceases to be a servant and instead assumes the proportions of a beast (Rev. 13:58) and so must be resisted.

Our reading of both the times and the relevant text won the day.

After the 1986 People Power Revolution, some church leaders began to ask, How come ISACC seems to have its finger on the pulse of where our people are, but we missed it?

Lest we miss our historical cues, we must raise a critical mass of young thought leaders who can read the signs of the times accurately and creatively apply Scripture in analyzing and confronting the burning issues of our day.

Discipling nations

Secondly, we are told to disciple nations, not just individuals. We are to create new life-affirming systems within our cultures.

This is not primarily done by building alternative structures that we baptize as Christian, like Christian media or a Christian school, but by penetrating our cultures and existing institutions. We affirm or critique our customs and traditions and turn them to Christ and the values of the kingdom.

The rousing outcry we raised against Marcos may have happened 37 years ago, but we continue to wrestle with similarly sinister beasts of our day.

For instance, there is a resurgence of authoritarianism in many countries where democracy was supposed to have been restored. The cult of the caudillo, or the mythic strongman, persists.

Part of the reason is the lack of congruence between the operative values in the culture and the established structures of governance. As Guatemalan sociologist Bernardo Arevalo puts it, We have the hardware of democracy, but the software of authoritarianism.

Change needs a software of values that will support the hardware of the structures and institutions that we put in place.

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Creating supportive patterns of culture that will make our systems work requires discipling a whole nation. The process starts but does not end with the internal transformation of individuals. Such change is meant to issue in the good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10), that then radiate out into the larger society.

The missiologist-historian Andrew Walls, in tracing Christianitys leap from Judaism to inculturation into Greek thought forms, explains how the Bible engages cultures and transforms the social fabric of nations:

The Word is to pass into all those distinctive ways of thought, those networks of kinship, those special ways of doing things, that give a nation its commonality, its coherence, its identity. [The Word] has to travel through the shared mental and moral processes of a community.

As we bring the Word into the public square, we set people free from what Paul calls strongholds of the mind (2 Cor. 10:4, ESV). Strongholds, in the way Paul uses it, are not primarily territories of spiritual powers out there, but the web of lies in our minds that shape a societys consciousness and keep our cultures in bondage.

Witness involves destroying intellectual barriers to belief in Christ. It means getting the Word out there and making every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:5, ESV).

Unfortunately, we have reduced our witness to mouthing pre-packaged gospel formulations that we assume will work from culture to culture and that do not really engage the hearts and minds of our people. It is also unfortunate that those of us who are recipients of theologies developed in the West have tended to gloss over the cultural and incarnational nature of our witness.

A transforming work

These days, massive poverty has caused the erosion of the Filipino peoples values. Economic pressure makes our bureaucrats surrender integrity and our overseas workers into willing smugglers and couriers of drugs in remote places. We call it kapit sa patalim in Tagalog, referring to how people will graspingly take hold of the blade of a sharp knifeeven if it cuts their own handsjust to seize opportunities to survive.

But change can happen and can spread through the structures that organize our common life, just like how the early church, through its practice and witness under persecution, broke through barriers of class, race, and gender to eventually tear the social fabric of Greco-Roman society, a civilization borne on the backs of slaves.

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The battle for the soul of a people begins with the mind. People follow the prince of the power of the air until the Word breaks through. And as the gospel penetrates and transforms our mental models of how the world works, communities are enabled to move toward new patterns of culture.

Melba Padilla Maggay is a writer and social anthropologist. She serves as president of Micah Global and was formerly the president of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture.

Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication.
A Nebraska bank robber turned Georgetown professor who has touted justice reforms here and across the country, citing his own transformation, now faces allegations of domestic abuse.

A warrant went out for Shon Hopwood's arrest late last month, following an incident at his home in the District of Columbia on Sept. 24 after a 911 caller said his wife had been locked in the basement.

According to the Daily Mail, which broke the story, when police got there, Hopwood said his wife was out of town at a concert and couldn't be reached. But the officer, who was suspicious after being called to the home previously, went outside and texted her and learned she was at the back of the house.

The officer said she was crying, had a broken finger, chipped tooth and other injuries, which she said she sustained in a fight with her husband three days earlier.

In a request for a protection order, which a judge granted, she said Hopwood had told her to stay in the basement with the door locked when the officer came to their house.

She also described injuries from prior incidents of domestic violence.

Hopwood, who grew up in David City, served a 12-year federal prison sentence for a string of bank robberies in Nebraska, became a jailhouse lawyer, then went to law school when he got out.

After Hopwood's story about second chances was on "60 Minutes," he got a call from the White House and ended up working with then-President Trump on criminal justice reform. He had mentored the former president's daughter, Tiffany, at Georgetown University Law Center.

Hopwood isn't currently teaching there, according to a Georgetown spokesperson.

Earlier this month, Hopwood, 48, pleaded not guilty to two counts of simple assault, both misdemeanors, according to Washington, D.C., Superior Court records.

If convicted, he could get up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine on each.
The Bidens will hold a State Dinner on Wednesday for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon, but guests will no longer be treated to tunes by the B-52s. Deadline reports the "relentlessly upbeat" new wave band won't take the White House stage as planned out of respect for what's happening on the global stage. Without explicitly mentioning the Israel-Hamas war, First Lady Jill Biden announced the change, saying, "While we had initially planned for legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, so we made a few adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening."

The Marine band and the Army and Air Force Strolling Strings will instead provide instrumental music; the band members of "Love Shack" fame will still attend as guests. The AP reports it's the fourth state visit for President Biden, who welcomed the leaders of France, South Korea, and India before Albanese. This invitation was extended after the president had to ax a planned stop to Australia during his May Indo-Pacific trip due to budget talks with Congress. The 300-plus-person guest list will remain under wraps until just before guests start to stream in for the black-tie affair.

The Biden administration said postponing the state visit, which always ends with a state dinner, was not an option, "casting Albanese's visit as part of the important diplomatic balancing act that a president must undertake with US allies worldwide," as the AP puts it. The Bidens had a private dinner with Albanese and Haydon at the White House on Tuesday night and gave the couple an antique writing desk as an official gift. President Biden also gifted Albanese a custom turntable, while Jill Biden gave Haydon a green enamel and diamond petite necklace.

(Read more state dinner stories.)
As some people are being fired for their social media posts regarding the Israel-Hamas war , others are making their own moves. Among them: West Wing creator and writer Aaron Sorkin, who's dropped CAA as his agency and moved back to WME after his agent, Maha Dakhil, put up a post critical of Israel, reports Variety . The Oct. 18 post, a retweet from an account that features the hashtag #FreePalestine, addressed Israel's response in Gaza after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel. "You're currently learning who supports genocide," read the caption accompanying the post's photo.

Dakhil added her own comment, which read: "That's the line for me." In a follow-up post, since deleted like the first, she wrote, "What's more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening." Sorkin, who defected from WME in 2017 to come to CAA, announced his return to the former just a week after Dakhil's posts. "Maha isn't an antisemite, she's just wrong," Sorkin said in a statement regarding Dakhil, who counts Natalie Portman, Tom Cruise, and Reese Witherspoon among her clients, per Deadline. "She's a great agent and I'm very proud of the work we did together over the last six years." However, "I'm excited to be returning to WME."

The Hollywood Reporter notes that CAA was one of multiple Hollywood companies that released statements slamming Hamas, saying on Oct. 10 that it "stands with the people of Israel, the Jewish community, and all innocent victims in the face of terrorism." Dakhil, for her part, stepped down over the weekend from her leadership role at CAA and resigned from the agency's internal board. She's also offering up an apology for her recent online content, which she says was a "mistake" that "used hurtful language." "Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak," she said. "I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace." She also noted that some of her Jewish friends and colleagues helped her realize "the pain I have caused." (Read more Aaron Sorkin stories.)
Carnival Australia was negligent in misleading passengers about the measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 ahead of a March 2020 cruise that resulted in 900 cases and 28 deaths, an Australian court ruled Wednesday in what Reuters reports is "the first class action win against a cruise ship operator." Some 2,600 passengers boarded the Ruby Princess in Sydney for a round trip to New Zealand before a COVID-19 outbreak forced the vessel to turn back. Passengers were then allowed to leave the ship, which was for a time Australia's biggest single source of COVID infection. In a class-action suit, more than 1,000 Australian plaintiffs alleged the charter company and its owner Princess Cruise Lines breached duties of care and Australian Consumer Law, per ABC Australia .

In legal filings, Carnival Australia claimed it did not then know that there was a greater risk of contracting COVID on a cruise ship. But Justice Angus Stewart of Australia's Federal Court determined the company should have canceled the cruise following outbreaks on two of its ships, the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess, in the prior month. Before passengers boarded, "the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel, and its potentially lethal consequences," the judge said, per ABC. Stewart also said the company should have known its screening procedures were not likely to detect all COVID infections. "Yet they proceeded regardless," he said. "The respondents were therefore negligent and in breach of their duty of care."

He ordered Carnival to pay $2,826 for lead plaintiff Susan Karpik's out-of-pocket medical expenses but awarded no damages. Karpik had sought $360,000 for personal injury, distress, and disappointment. The judge found her case fell below the claimable threshold for personal injury and additional damages were offset by a refund for the cost of the cruise. However, the plaintiffs' lawyer expects Carnival will be on the hook for damages related to other passengers, including Karpik's husband, Henry, who was hospitalized for two months and spent weeks in intensive care. Vicky Antzoulatos tells ABC that Carnival should settle the claims now "given the very comprehensive legal findings against it." Australia's High Court is expected to rule within months whether 700 US plaintiffs can join the class-action suit, per Reuters. (Read more cruise ships stories.)
Israel is calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign and says it won't grant visas to UN representatives in the wake of what it calls "shocking" comments made by Guterres. In a Tuesday speech before the UN Security Council, Guterres "condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas." But he went on to emphasize:

The Guardian reports Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, responded Wednesday, saying, "Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson." On X, Erdan called for Guterres' resignation, writing in part, "The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN." The Times of Israel adds former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted, "Dark are the days when the United Nations Secretary General condones terror."

The Guardian gives some background, pointing out there is "a long-running Israeli belief that UN agencies, especially the UN human rights council, has an anti-Israeli agenda." Politico reports Portugal voiced its support for Guterreswho is Portugueseon Wednesday. Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho said, "We fully understand and follow the position of Antonio Guterres, who was unequivocal when he condemned Hamas terrorism. There is no way to say that Antonio Guterres is in any way excusing terrorism."

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As for Israel's newly announced UN visa ban, it's unclear if it will be all-encompassing and apply to UN workers with UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The BBC reports UNRWA has said that unless fuel deliveries are permitted, it won't be able to support the 600,000 people sheltering in its facilities after Wednesday. (Read more Israel-Hamas war stories.)
Authorities say an Oregon State University student has been arrested in connection with a hoax bomb threat that led to this alert on X from the university Tuesday afternoon: "Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding." Hours later, OSU's Department of Public Safety said a person suspected of making the threat had been arrested, the Daily Barometer reports. The department said a bomb-sniffing dog had inspected all 75 food delivery robots on campus and no explosives had been detected.

The warning to avoid robots was issued at 12:20pm, NBC News reports. The university said around 1pm that the robots had been isolated "in a safe location" for inspection. An all-clear was issued 40 minutes later. A fleet of six-wheeled robots from Starship Technologies has been delivering food around the 500-acre campus since 2021, the Oregonian reports. Starship said in a statement Tuesday that a student had issued the threat on social media. "While the student has subsequently stated this is a joke and a prank, Starship suspended the service," the company said.

"Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation," the company said, per USA Today. Starship says it operates thousands of robots in more than 60 locations worldwide, including dozens of US college campuses. (Read more Oregon State University stories.)
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Central Bank of Spain Embraces Digital Euro, Highlights Benefits for Customers

Banco de Espana, Spains central bank, is aligning with its European counterparts to introduce their customers to the possibilities of the digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

In a move that signals the central banks proactive stance, a brief document was released on October 19, shedding light on the nature and utility of the European Unions forthcoming central bank digital currency (CBDC).

The traditional form of physical cash, according to the central bank, falls short of allowing them to explore the advantages presented by the increasingly digitized economy and society. The digital euro would function as a universally accepted form of payment within the eurozone, similar to traditional banknotes and coins.

According to the document, the digital euro is poised to assume a pivotal role within the financial system, paving the way for the seamless integration of electronic payments into our daily financial transactions. The evolution promises to enhance the efficiency and convenience of monetary exchanges, marking a significant step forward in the broader landscape of digital finance.

Conversely, the underlying infrastructure facilitating electronic payments, encompassing machines, connections, and protocols, will stand as a fundamental pillar of our financial system. The Eurosystem, in its role, takes measures to ensure the robustness and availability of this critical foundation.

Digital Euro Envisioned as Key Pillar of European Financial Independence

Notably, in the document, the digital euro is envisioned to be based on public and European infrastructure. This strategic move will not only reinforce the European financial system but also promote greater independence from foreign alternatives, establishing a foundation for financial resilience and self-sufficiency.The document also stated the possibility of the digital euro having two modes: offline and online. The level of privacy will depend on the mode of usage. The level of privacy associated with offline payments with the digital euro is equivalent to cash. In the online scenario, the user experience aligns with todays electronic payment practices.The short document also highlights that the central bank digital currency (CBDC), despite being the infrastructure provider, which is the Eurosystem, would not have access to individual user data in online transactions, which would only be visible to their financial institutions.The preparation phase of the digital euro project, which commenced on October 18, is expected to last over two years and focus on finalizing rules for the digital currency and selecting possible issuers. However, the final decision regarding the issuance of the pan-European CBDC is yet to be determined.

ECB and Other European States Working Towards Financial Convenience and Strengthened Europe

Furthermore, the European Central Bank (ECB) has launched a dedicated information page to enlighten the public about the digital euros potential benefits, promising an easier life and a stronger Europe.It would provide essential services such as account opening, fund loading, and payments, all in a user-friendly and cost-free manner, making it a seamless and accessible part of the modern financial landscape.The Bank of Finland (BOF) is also coordinating the creation of a Finnish instant payment solution compatible with European standards. They also expressed the same amicable sentiment toward the digital euro. A board member, Tuomas Valimaki, called it the most topical project in the European payment sector.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, commended the strength of Bahrain-France relations which continues to grow through multisector cooperation, noting the importance of consolidating the bilateral partnership across all levels to achieve mutual aspirations that benefit all.

The Crown Prince and Prime Minister was speaking as he met yesterday with the newly appointed Ambassador of the French Republic to the Kingdom of Bahrain, HE Eric Giraud-Telme, at Gudaibiya Palace.

HRH Prince Salman welcomed the newly appointed Ambassador and wished him success in performing his diplomatic duties. During the meeting, issues of common interest and regional and international developments were also discussed.

HRH the Deputy King noted the significant weight France holds on an international scale, recognising its pivotal role, alongside allied countries, in safeguarding regional and global safety and security, which are essential to economic development.
Infamous Hacker Denis Katana Linked to Bitcoin Money Laundering for Russian Crime Ring

Source: Getty Images

A judge in Spain has linked notorious hacker Denis Tokarenko, also known as Denis Katana, to a Russian organized crime ring involved in money laundering through Bitcoin (BTC).

According to a report by El Espanol, the criminal organization, which operated in the southeastern Spanish province of Alicante, chose to use digital currency due to its perceived lack of state control.

The Pandora Papers leak, a collection of 12 million documents exposing offshore financial activities of global leaders, celebrities, and billionaires, previously hinted at Tokarenkos involvement as the Bitcoin czar.

The documents were released in 2021 by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, revealing various illicit activities such as tax evasion, money laundering, and hidden wealth.

Local authorities have said that Maxim Khakimov, a Russian entrepreneur responsible for laundering money for the crime syndicate, recruited Tokarenko.

Khakimov employed sophisticated financial engineering tactics to transfer and receive funds from Russian clients in Spain.

The judge presiding over the case said that Tokarenko, acting as a cyber associate, provided guidance to Khakimov on purchasing Bitcoin and using it to obscure the organizations financial transactions.

Beyond their illicit activities, Tokarenko and Khakimov were reportedly closely connected, forming a relationship that extended beyond criminal endeavors.

Spanish authorities claim that when Tokarenko was initially arrested in 2018, Khakimov, along with his lawyer, assisted in transferring money to him while he was behind bars.

Additionally, they allegedly aided the cybercriminal in managing his investments and even hired hitmen to settle debts accumulated over the years.

Katana Gained Fame as Cybercriminal

Katana has gained become well-known as a cybercriminal.

In 2018, he was first apprehended for his involvement in a sophisticated computer program designed to attack ATMs worldwide.

At the time, Katana was able to infect ATMs from his home, causing them to dispense cash to accomplices known as mules.

The funds obtained were subsequently laundered through various means, including Bitcoin.

Katanas association with Bitcoin is further evident through his connection to multiple Bitcoin wallets, reportedly amassing a fortune exceeding 15,000 Bitcoin.

However, the judges recent statements focused on a single digital wallet containing 5,000 Bitcoin, valued at approximately 55 million euros during the period of the criminal operations.

The crypto space has been plagued by a series of hacks and scams since the start of the year, particularly in the third quarter of 2023.

According to a report by blockchain security platform Immunefi, there were 76 hacks on crypto and Web3 projects and firms in Q3 2023, a significant increase compared to the 30 hacks reported in the same period in 2022.

In total, approximately $332 million has been lost to various exploits, hacks, and scams throughout September, marking a record-high month for crypto exploits.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bapco Energies has entered a strategic partnership with two leading institutions: The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) and the University of Strathclyde.

This significant collaboration empowers all employees within the Bapco Energies Group to access corporate rates and benefit from affiliate partner discounts.

Signing on behalf of the BIBF and Strathclyde, CEO, Dr. Ahmed AlShaikh, alongside Mrs. Nouf AlSowaidi, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, at Bapco Energies.

The signing ceremony held at the BIBFs headquarters at Bahrain Bay, also witnessed the attendance of senior executive and representative from both organizations.

BIBFs CEO, Dr. Ahmed AlShaikh said, We are proud to partner with Bapco Energies, alongside our long-standing partners at the University of Strathclyde offering the well-established MBA degree and Strategic Fintech programmes, with Triple Accreditation from the three main business school accreditation bodies  AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS  placing the BIBF graduates in the top 1 percent of elite school graduates globally.

From Bapco Energies, Nouf AlSowaidi, Group Chief Human Resources Officer said, Through this collaboration, we are poised to build a strong partnership that will pave the way for industry-focused education and leadership development.
New Plan and order points and Pick-up locations to provide affordable inspiration and enable Canadians to design homes that meet their needs and dreams.

BURLINGTON, ON, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada announces plans to open new customer meeting points in Ontario and Quebec as part of its omnichannel journey towards making home furnishing products and services more accessible to the many Canadians.

IKEA Canada announces plans to open new Plan and order points and Pick-up locations to provide affordable inspiration and enable Canadians to design homes that meet their needs and dreams. (CNW Group/IKEA Canada Limited Partnership)

The national retailer will be expanding its Plan and order point network with new locations in Lachenaie, Quebec and London, Ontario. The Lachenaie Plan and order point will be the third location to open in the Greater Montreal Area and will join the North Shore's Galeries de Lanaudiere shopping centre. The London Plan and order point will join the Wonderland Power Centre  one of London's most prominent retail destinations. Both locations are set to open doors to customers in spring 2024.

Plan and order points are service-based spaces where customers can get support from an IKEA specialist to plan complex purchases like kitchens or bathroom projects. Products are not available for immediate takeaway at Plan and order points; instead customers can schedule personalized appointments to explore and discover a curated selection of IKEA solutions to meet their home furnishing needs. Once their order is placed, customers can have it delivered directly to their homes or to a local Pick-up point.

"Since 2022, we've opened three Plan and order points in the Montreal and Ontario markets and the response we've received from customers has been very positive," said Inna Romagnoli, Country Business Development and Transformation Manager, IKEA Canada. "As Canadians continue to adjust their homes to meet the diverse multifunction demands of home today, we remain committed to providing quality and affordable solutions whenever and wherever they choose to meet us. Plan and order points are just one of the many ways we're evolving our business to help Canadians enjoy a better life at home."

IKEA Canada will also be launching a Pick-up location in Thunder Bay, Ontario as part of its commitment to make shopping with IKEA more accessible and affordable for those who don't have easy access to an IKEA store. Beginning October 28th, customers will be able to have their IKEA home furnishings delivered to the Pick-up location at 243 North Cumberland Street at an affordable rate. The Thunder Bay location joins a network of 15 Pick-up locations and 35 PenguinPickUp locations across Canada.

As a leader in life at home, IKEA is focused on delivering an integrated and seamless customer journey across all meeting points. This omnichannel transformation includes introducing new ways to shop, enhancements to existing store experiences, strengthened digital capabilities and services, along with optimized fulfilment networks. In addition to the new Plan and order point and Pick-up locations, IKEA recently celebrated the grand opening of the Beauharnois Distribution Centre and Customer Distribution Centre in Quebec as well as a multi-million-dollar investment to expand fulfilment capabilities in the Greater Vancouver and Toronto areas as part of their commitment to meet the evolving ways that customers shop today.

IKEA Canada is always looking to recruit quality talent as it continues to grow its operations in Canada. To learn more about building a career with IKEA and joining the teams that will bring these new customer meetings points to life, visit https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/this-is-ikea/work-with-us/.

To learn more about all the ways customers can connect with IKEA, visit: https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/stores/

ABOUT IKEA CANADA

Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 389 IKEA stores in 32 countries, including 16 in Canada. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 21.2 million visitors to its stores and 236 million visitors to IKEA.ca. IKEA Canada operates business through the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people and does so through its local community efforts and sustainability initiatives. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit IKEA.ca .

SOURCE IKEA Canada Limited Partnership

For further information: Meghan Hogan, Communications Business Partner, IKEA Canada, [email protected]
Atom Computing announced it has created a 1,225-site atomic array, currently populated with 1,180 qubits, in its next-generation quantum computing platform.

This is the first time a company has crossed the 1,000-qubit threshold for a universal gate-based system, planned for release next year. It marks an industry milestone toward fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of solving large-scale problems.

The new 1,225-qubit quantum computer uses ytterbium-171 atoms to create its qubits.

PRX Quantum  Repetitive Readout and Real-Time Control of Nuclear Spin Qubits in 171 Yb Atoms

ABSTRACT

We demonstrate high-fidelity repetitive measurements of nuclear spin qubits in an array of neutral ytterbium-171 (171Yb) atoms. We show that the qubit state can be measured with a spin-flip probability of 0.004 for a single tweezer and 0.012 averaged over the array. This is accomplished by high cyclicity of one of the nuclear spin qubit states with an optically excited state under a magnetic field of B=58 G, resulting in a spin-flip probability of approximately 10^5 per scattered photon during fluorescence readout. The performance improves further. The state discrimination fidelity is 0.993 with a state-averaged readout survival of 0.994, limited by off-resonant scattering to dark states. We combine our measurement technique with high-contrast rotations of the nuclear spin qubit via an ac magnetic field to explore two paradigmatic scenarios, including the noncommutativity of measurements in orthogonal bases, and the quantum Zeno mechanism in which measurements freeze coherent evolution. Finally, they employ real-time feedforward to repetitively and deterministically prepare the qubit. These capabilities constitute an important step towards adaptive quantum circuits with atom arrays.

Atom Computing has raised $91 million over six funding rounds. Their latest funding round was a Grant  II on February 1, 2023.

CEO Rob Hays said rapid scaling is a key benefit of Atom Computings unique atomic array technology. This order-of-magnitude leap  from 100 to 1,000-plus qubits within a generation  shows our atomic array systems are quickly gaining ground on more mature qubit modalities, Hays said. Scaling to large numbers of qubits is critical for fault-tolerant quantum computing, which is why it has been our focus from the beginning. We are working closely with partners to explore near-term applications that can take advantage of these larger scale systems.

Atom Computing is building quantum computers using nuclear spin qubits formed from arrays of optically-trapped neutral atoms. They cool, trap, and control qubits wirelessly using lasers. They have aprototype platform, Phoenix, harnesses the power of 100 qubits to explore innovative quantum algorithm development. they are now working with 1180 to 1225 qubits in their atomic array.

Paul Smith-Goodson, vice president and a principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said the 1,000-plus qubit milestone makes Atom Computing a serious contender in the race to build a fault-tolerant system.

Fault-tolerant quantum computers that can overcome errors during computations and deliver accurate results will require hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of physical qubits along with other key capabilities, including:

* Long coherence times. The company has achieved record coherence times by demonstrating its qubits can store quantum information for 40 seconds.

* Mid-circuit measurement. Atom demonstrated the ability to measure the quantum state of specific qubits during computation and detect certain types of errors without disturbing other qubits.

* High fidelities. Being able to control qubits consistently and accurately to reduce the number of errors that occur during a computation.

* Error correction. The ability to correct errors in real time.

* Logical qubits. Implementing algorithms and controls to combine large numbers of physical qubits into a logical qubit designed to yield correct results even when errors occur.

Atom Computing is working with enterprise, academic, and government users today to develop applications and reserve time on the systems, which will be available in 2024.
South Middleton School District plans to investigate why some students had to take the Pennsylvania Youth Survey after their parents had exercised the opt-out option.

Several parents spoke out last week during a school board meeting, saying their directives were ignored even though they had followed the protocols to have their child excused from filling out the survey.

Superintendent Kevin J. ODonnell Jr. apologized to the families and promised an investigation.

Obviously, this was an error. This wasnt done with malintent, he said. But, at the end of the day, this is our system so we will go back and review exactly what happened. Were not without error and when we do make one, youll hear us own it, and this is one well own.

Since 1989, Pennsylvania has conducted a survey of students in the sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades to learn about their behaviors, attitudes and knowledge of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence. Known as PAYS, the survey is sponsored and conducted every two years by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Information on PAYS is posted on the commission website.

Results provide school administrators, state agency directors, legislators and others with information on the use and abuse of harmful substances and behaviors. The results also allow community leaders to direct prevention resources to areas of the greatest potential impact based on an assessment of the risk factors.

School districts are not required to participate in the survey and parents may remove their child from consideration.

Opt-outs overlooked?

I moved here eight years ago absolutely loving the school district, said Megan Snook, the mother of a sixth grader and an eighth grader attending Yellow Breeches Middle School. Now I hate it to the point that my husband and I refuse to enroll our first and second graders into South Middleton. I feel like I must babysit some of your teachers and hold their feet to the fire. I dont want to feel this way. I want to be able to trust them. The fact is I cant.

On Sept. 27, Yellow Breeches families were notified by email that the school would participate in PAYS, Snook said. She said the email included information about the survey along with instructions on how parents could contact Assistant Principal Brandon Deitch to opt-out their child.

The next day, Sept. 28, I sent an email to Mr. Deitch opting both of my children out of the survey, Snook said. This is where my story falls apart. Today [Oct. 16], I got a message from one of my children that he was in fact told to take the PAYS. His message to me, when I checked my phone, was they made us take the survey. I was instantly livid knowing that my request as his parent for him not to take the survey was ignored by a teacher.

You have to ask yourself what is the purpose of an opt-out policy if the policy isnt even followed, she told board members. Where is the transparency? To my understanding, the students were not even briefed on the ability to opt-out and were not informed as to whether their parents had even opted them out. Was this a breakdown in the process, a void in the chain of command or a blatant violation of trust between students, parents, instructors and administrators? What steps will be taken to remedy the harm done? What reforms will be implemented to ensure this never happens again?

Ann Shoemaker shared a similar experience. In the lead-up to her filing an opt-out request for her son, an eighth grader, she researched the questions on the survey.

I was kind of offended just reading through it, she said. Its five pages long about drugs, alcohol, your family life. Nobody really needs to know. Its our business.

Why are these kids wasting time doing this during school? Shoemaker asked. I understand its a statewide thing. I dont quite trust our government either so, therefore, I dont really want my kids doing government surveys.

Though she opted her son out of the survey, Shoemaker received a call from Deitch partway through her workday saying, We got your form to opt out your son, but he has already taken the survey.

It just makes me really sad that this happened, she said. After school, I talked to my son, and I said I know that we had talked about this. That if it was going to come out, you were allowed to say No, I dont want to take this.

Shoemaker said her child was told by his teacher that he had to take the survey. My son likes to follow the rules and do what hes told, she said.

Board input

Julie White, a parent of a Boiling Springs High School student who has not taken the survey this year and questioned the usefulness of it, broached the error with the school board members elected in the last municipal election, whom she pointed out were elected for their stances on parental rights and transparency.

White was referring to board members Robin Scherer, Eric Berry, Shannon Snyder and Rodney Wagner. At that point, three of the four had something to say about the comments made by fellow parents.

My child was also opted out of the survey, Scherer said. I got a phone call that my child took half the survey and then figured out that she was not supposed to take the survey.

While the administration did its job, someone else, presumably a teacher, dropped the ball and gave the survey form to students who had been opted out, Scherer said. I know mistakes happen. I just feel that we need to do better. I just need to show some grace. I assume that it will not happen again.

Given the nature of the survey and its statistics, Berry suggested that the district reconsider any future participation in PAYS.

Is it even beneficial to our students? Berry asked. The information is just on a database. So many students feel this way or think this way or whatever. I dont see that this survey has an actual benefit for the students in our district.

ODonnell said that participation is a board policy decision based on a recommendation by district administrators. The plan is to look into whether PAYS has value to the district.

Survey data

Data from PAYS provides valuable information used for school safety planning and targeting interventions, such as drug and bullying prevention, said Alex Smith, director of student services. This anonymous survey is useful because its a tool that helps school leaders learn current trends in student behavior, attitudes and knowledge regarding mental health, school and community connectivity, substance use and health risk behaviors.

School safety is of the utmost importance, Smith said. In order for school and community leaders to be proactive, as well as address risks, leaders need to have insight on current trends. Since PAYS collects information from a large sample of students, information can be used to generalize results to the broader community.

Participation in PAYS is promoted by both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, said Sally Kammerer, associate director of the Cumberland Perry Drug and Alcohol Commission. We strongly encourage all of our local school districts to participate in the survey. The commission uses it to plan prevention and intervention services for youth.

The survey results are also used by several other [county-based] youth services departments such as mental health, juvenile probation and Children & Youth Services, Kammerer said. Students can skip any question they dont feel comfortable answering or dont understand. They are also advised that if they have any questions or concerns after taking the survey, they can talk to a counselor or trusted adult.
The cryptocurrency industry is at a pivotal crossroads where the outcome of two events could dictate investor sentiment, at least in the United States, for years to come. On one hand, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the disgraced founder of the now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, is defending himself against very serious and troubling allegations.

On the other hand, the tone and message coming from Washington DC is a mess. Regulators in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appear to be poised to approve BlackRocks spot BTC ETF application. While certainly a positive development, the pending application comes at the same time Senator Elizabeth Warren continues to build out what many call an anti crypto army.

These seemingly disparate events have a common theme: the looming risk of the US lagging behind its global counterparts in tapping into the potential of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. To put it simply, what the US stands to lose, other regions like Asia stand to gain.

The Enron echo and political power play

Peter Easton, an accounting professor at University of Notre Dame, is a name many in the crypto community have become familiar with in recent weeks. His expert knowledge in forensic accounting helped the US government investigate allegations of massive financial fraud at Enron and WorldCom.

Eastons reputation certainly speaks for itself so when asked at SBFs trial if his company ever spent user deposits, he responded confidently oh, yes. He said that user funds were allocated towards other businesses, real estate deals, political contributions, and charitable donations.

The Enron scandal, Time notes 20 years after coming to light, changed American business forever. However, the FTX scandal is further magnified by Warren and other high power lawmakers.

Specifically, Warren is taking a leadership role of more than 100 lawmakers in demanding the Treasury Department and other entities take steps to prevent crypto donations falling in the heads of terrorist regimes.

Now, at the surface this sounds like a noble initiative. But, it is important to keep in mind Warren has been on the attack against the crypto industry for quite some time. Like any politician knows best, one should never let a serious crisis go to waste.

Former Democrat Congressman Tim Ryan and Republican David McIntosh are forming a counter to Warren and her army to educate lawmakers on the benefit of blockchain technology.

Although their ambitions might be too little, too late. McIntosh said an unfriendly crypto environment is pushing the innovation and the capital for this new technology overseas.

Asias crypto clarity

Contrastingly, the regulatory environment and public perception in Asian markets starkly deviates from the aggressive enforcement and legislative lethargy observed in the US.

Perhaps no one knows this more than Ripple Labs Chief Executive Brad Garlinghouse. He told Bloomberg US law doesnt even define what being a good actor looks like while multiple Asian governments are providing clear rules that help spur growth.

Ripples long-standing battle with the SEC may have come to an end, but one would assume its team will think twice about heavy investments in the US. But the entity has many initiatives outside the world, including growing partnerships in Asia.

Ripple invested in Japans SBI subsidiary MoneyTap in 2020 and continues to focus on targeting multiple Southeast Asian markets to address cross-border inflows.

Japan is making strides in carving out a robust regulatory framework, attracting crypto enterprises and investments. The Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) is proactively fine-tuning regulatory guidelines, showcasing a forward-thinking approach towards crypto asset management.

This progressive stance extends to a recent tax reform, lightening the tax burden on crypto entities.Specifically, crypto firms in Japan are now exempt from paying a 30% corporate tax on unrealized gains.

In the conducive regulatory environment of Japan, the blockchain gaming platform Oasys serves as an example of what the Asia-Pacific region can offer. Oasyss decentralized approach showcases the evolution of blockchain technology in enhancing the gaming sector. Its two-layer design, comprising the Hub Layer and the Verse Layer, tackles typical challenges for blockchain game developers, indicating what favorable regulations can facilitate.

Through strategic alliances and a strong blockchain foundation, Oasys aims to improve the gaming experience, reflecting the broader shift of crypto-industry focus from the West to the East.

Oasys mission is in part supported by American capital, including Galaxy Interactive in late 2022. Ubisoft, Crypto.com, Republic Capital, among other notable American firms also participated in multiple financing rounds.

Conclusion

The ongoing SBF trial in the US casts a long shadow on the crypto industry, pushing many to look towards Asias welcoming shores for better regulatory clarity and investment opportunities. As Japan and other Asian countries continue to evolve their regulatory frameworks, they are not only attracting foreign investments but also pioneering the next wave of blockchain innovation, with enterprises like Oasys leading the charge.
James Robert Allen faces a growing array of evidence as investigators build a criminal case against the 40-year-old Suffolk resident accused of abducting a young female University of Virginia student earlier this month.

The night of Oct. 4, Allen appears to have left behind a trail of evidence after wrecking a pickup truck against a tree trunk in a fraternity house yard at the corner of Grady and Cabell avenues in Charlottesville and fleeing the scene to Louisa County  where he was ultimately apprehended.

This is what the police dream of, veteran criminal defense attorney Scott Goodman told The Daily Progress. It sounds like good police work and good citizen involvement.

The evidence includes GPS data from the work truck that Allen is accused of using to kidnap the young woman as she was walking along a residential street, according to a document filed in the case. That data led police to determine that the truck and Allen had been at the Ruckersville Sheetz convenience store two hours before the incident.

In a 6:42 a.m. Facebook post on Oct. 5, Charlottesville police released the name of their suspect along with a surveillance image of a man wearing an American flag hat as he walked near a Sheetz Beer Cave cooling unit.

Along with a navy blue hoodie, an American flag hat was seized during the search of the truck Allen wrecked. Prior to that search, police also said they found Allens cellular phone with his identification card tucked into the case beside the abandoned truck.

Those things tie him directly to that truck at the time of the crime, said Goodman. That takes care of the identity defense, the idea that they got the wrong guy.

Items identified as the victims personal belongings, car keys and a pink backpack, were also found inside the cab of the wrecked truck.

A search warrant filed on Oct. 5 by a Charlottesville police detective and signed that afternoon by Judge Claude Worrell gave police access to the white Ford F450, which belonged to Curtis Construction Inc., a contractor for several Virginia Department of Transportation highway-expansion projects in the Charlottesville area. The affidavit supporting that warrant by detective Justin Bowers reveals additional allegations made by the victim, who is described by her initials: E.S.

E.S. does not remember getting into the vehicle but does vaguely remember being inside of one, Bowers wrote. This leads [me] to believe that she may have lost consciousness during the incident.

Bowers noted that E.S. was found injured.

Her face was swollen, her cheeks appeared blue, and she had areas of road rash on her forehead, cheeks, and shoulders, Bowers wrote.

Such injuries are consistent with the previously reported account of the UVa professor who heard screaming from his bedroom window and who followed his adult daughter and her boyfriend as they chased the truck down the street before the victim was allegedly thrown from the vehicle shortly before it crashed.

E.S. also had duct tape around her wrists when she was found, wrote Bowers, but she could not recall how that had gotten there.

To Goodman, the legal analyst, the injuries and the eyewitness accounts will likely prevent the second option a defense lawyer might attempt: claiming a consensual encounter.

There are only so many defenses, said Goodman, and two of the main ones appear to be closed off.

The search warrant includes other allegations unlikely to win Allen any sympathy from potential jurors. For instance, the woman recalled that she was on a routine walk home when she suddenly choked.

She had not seen him coming and was taken by complete surprise, Bowers wrote. She began kicking and screaming, but the suspect told her to stop it and told her he was going to kill her.

When he made his last courtroom appearance on Oct. 12 it was unknown whether Allen knew of the evidence lined up against him.

The hearing was solely to change lawyers.

The public defender has a conflict, said attorney Nicholas Reppucci. Theres no objection to the motion to substitute.

Allen stood in Charlottesville General District Court wearing orange plastic slippers, a waist chain and an unhappy expression.

Judge Andrew Sneathern agreed and appointed Michael Hallahan as Allens new counsel. Allen was not asked to speak or answer any questions at the hearing, and a bailiff led him away to the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, where he has been held without bail since his Oct. 5 arrest.

Goodman guesses that Allens lawyer may try some sort of psychological defense or attempt to strike a plea deal.

The defense is really out of options, said Goodman. Unless theres some sort of mental incapacity or psychiatric problem, I dont see any defense.

Even Allens own history is working against him, according to Goodman.

Allen has a prior abduction and malicious wounding arrest in Fauquier County. And while that case was resolved in 2009 with a misdemeanor assault and battery conviction, Allen has felony convictions for property crimes in Fauquier. Court records also show that in 2012, when Allen was still listing a Fauquier address, he was convicted of felony shoplifting in Albemarle County Circuit Court and given a three-year sentence with all time suspended.

Convictions on crimes of dishonesty, Goodman contended, will undercut any effort to testify in his own defense.

In this case, Allen stands accused of two felonies: strangulation and abduction. A strangulation conviction can bring a maximum five-year sentence while a conviction for abduction can bring 10 years.

Allens next appearance will likely be Dec. 14, the date Sneathern set for a preliminary hearing.








Pastor Isaac Oyedepo, one of the sons of Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, has resigned.





Isaac, who was recently appointed as the Global Youth Pastor of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, resigned to start up his own ministry.





He said, My God-given mandate is to reclaim a generation and to ensure that this generation sees the fire of God-revival in our generation.





He is the second son of Bishop Oyedepo.





He and his elder brother, David Jr., were ordained as pastors in May 2007 by Kenneth Copeland.





He is a graduate of Oral Roberts University and has served as the resident pastor of the Living Faith Church International, Maryland, USA, since October 2018.





Isaac is married to Ayomitide Oyedepo and their union is blessed with four children.
The Federal College of Forestry in Ibadan has been shut down by the management of the institution until further notice.

The institution was shut down over the clash that occurred between the staff and students of the institution and some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Recall that there was tension in the college on Tuesday when EFCC operatives stormed the college.

Dele Oyewale, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Wednesday, noted that seven operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the commission on a routine verification exercise of a surety, Azeez Kazeem Oluwakemi, were attacked and held hostage by staff and students of the college.

Oyewale maintained that the operatives were in the college to authenticate the address and identity of Oluwakemi, who stood as a surety for Alakinde Khalid Kolawole, a suspected internet fraudster in the custody of the commission.

The EFCC spokesman, in the statement, added that students and staff of the college went into a frenzied attack against operatives of the commission who were on an authorised assignment.

EFCC noted that the college community was duly informed about the mission of the EFCC team.

The Public Relations Officer of the college, Mr Kehinde Olawale, said that the college had been closed as a result of the incident.

Olawale made these declarations during a telephone conversation on Wednesday.

He said: The school has been closed to douse tension. We have gone to Eleyele Police Station to complain. We have sent a circular to the students.

What we have decided to do now is close down the school. We dont want to see any student for now; this was done to douse the tension.








The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomoso has sacked Oba Ghandi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

The court ordered the Oyo State Government to conduct a fresh selection process for the next Soun.

This followed a suit filed by one of the contestants, Kabir Laoye.

Laoye had argued in his suit that Olaoye was not eligible to be appointed as Soun and that his appointment was, therefore, illegal.

The court agreed with Laoyes argument and ruled that Olaoyes appointment was null and void.

The court also ordered the government not to appoint anyone to the position until after its judgement.

The Oyo State Government announced Olaoye as the new Soun on September 8, 2023, and he was installed on the same day.




Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike has cautioned Islamic leaders against allowing desperate politicians to use them to destabilise Nigeria.





This was as Wike assured them of ensuring everybody gets justice during his term as minister, stressing that he would not victimise any religion.





He spoke while receiving Dr Tajudeen Adigun-led Committee of FCT Imams Initiative on Wednesday.





Wike vowed to move the federal capital forward in line with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu.





According to Wike: I will ensure that justice is done to all at all times. As a government, we cannot work alone. We must partner with all relevant stakeholders. What is important is for us to move FCT forward.





Like you rightly said, we have different people in the FCT, and it is our responsibility to provide a conducive environment for all. We didnt come here with any colouration of victimising any religion or anyone. The mandate of the President is to ensure Abuja attains the dreams of its founding fathers.





You have to be careful as religious leaders; dont allow politicians, those who are desperate and those who think that if they are not in power, Nigeria must come down to sell or distort information.





Anything you are not clear about, do not hesitate to ask; this is what you heard, what is the position? But if you follow propaganda by political leaders, then you are not doing anything meaningful to yourself.





Politics is over. Dont allow those who want to use propaganda to scatter the country. Political losers. They are working against the peace, but we all need peace. Without peace, we cannot go to the mosques or churches. A president has emerged. It is for you religious leaders to now pray for Gods guidance upon him to succeed because if he fails, it will affect all of us.
Stakeholders and ex-militant leaders under the aegis of the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta, MSDND, have asked President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, to rejig the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.

In a statement made available to journalists, MSDND also called for the removal of the interim Administrator of the PAP, Maj. Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd), for effective and proper delivery of programmes mandate to the region.

The group pointed out that the interim administrators tenure had elapsed since May 29, 2023, and as such he should not remain in the office.

MSDND noted that it is sad for the Tinubu administration to review policies, rejig structures and appoint substantive heads of other institutions, boards and organisations without considering what it described as the rot, fraud and maladministration ongoing at the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

In the statement signed by the National Coordinator, Chief Ayibatekena Olodin, the group demanded the appointment of a substantive Coordinator of the PAP for effectiveness, probity and accountability.

MSDND further raised allegations of fraud in the management of the Presidential Amnesty Cooperative Society Limited, set up by Ndiomu on 24th May 2023.

PAP had in May launched the N1.5 billion cooperative scheme for ex-agitators with an additional N500 million deposited in the account monthly.

But MSDND, in its statement, called on security and anti-graft agencies to invite the PAP anchors of the scheme for questioning on the whereabouts of the sum of 2.5billion allegedly missing from the cooperatives account.

MSDND also stated that despite series of complaints, petitions and revelations of alleged diversion of billions of amnesty funds, non-payment of beneficiaries stipends and institutional fraud, it is saddening that it is only the PAP that has remained untouched and unattended to by the present administration despite complaints and serious allegations of fraud.
The Federal Government has denied extending the stay of recalled ambassadors across the world.





On September 2, President Bola Tinubu recalled all Nigerias ambassadors, both career and non-career.





They were asked to return to the country on or before October 31, 2023.





Nigeria has no fewer than 300 foreign missions.





The recall was communicated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.





However, a media report on Tuesday (not The PUNCH) claimed that the FG has extended the stay of the envoys and ambassadors by three months.





Responding to the report, the Special Adviser to the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alkasim Abdulkadir, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the recall by President Tinubu still stands, adding that all envoys are expected to return by October 31.





Abdulkadir said Some of the envoys have either signalled their host governments of leaving or have left and returned to the country already.





President Bola Ahmed Tinubus recall still stands and all envoys are expected to be back in Nigeria by October 31as earlier communicated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, acting on the directive of the President.





This is a routine matter to recalibrate Nigerias foreign policy and international relations in line with the 4Ds (Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora) foreign policy strategy under the renewed Hope agenda of the President.
Four female students of the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, have been raped by hoodlums, the State Government confirmed.

The hoodlums reportedly invaded the hostels of the students in the early hours of Tuesday and forcefully had unlawful carnal knowledge of the female students.

The hostel is located at Abapawa, an area off the university campus.

The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said she had visited the four victims where they were receiving treatment at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

Salako-Oyedele had rushed to the University, alongside the State Commissioner of Police, Alamutu Abiodun and the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu.

In a post on her verified Facebook page, the Deputy Governor described the incident as distressing and brutal.

She said, after receiving the distressing news about armed robbery at some TASUED hostels and the brutal rape of four female students, His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun CON directed me to immediately visit the victims and the campus on a fact finding mission and to pledge the Governments support in ensuring this doesnt happen again.

I have visited the girls who are now being cared for and given the necessary support to heal from their trauma at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) at OSUTH.

She added that she had a crucial meeting with the Management and Students of TASUED in company of Alamutu and Arigbabu, to discuss concrete steps to bolster security measures and foster a safe environment on campus and the adjacent host community.

According to her, CP Alamutu had promised to arrest the perpetrators of the crime.
The Lagos State division of the Tax Appeal Tribunal has ordered MTN Nigeria Communications to pay $72,551,059 in tax default to the Federal Inland Revenue Services from 2007 to 2017.





However, the Tribunal absolved the telecommunication firm from paying the sum of $21,039,807 as penalties and interest on the principal sum.





A five-person panel led by Professor A. B. Hamed gave the verdict and order recently while delivering judgment in an appeal numbered TAT/LZ/VAT/075, filed by the telecommunication company against the request by the FIRS to pay the default.





According to the processes filed before the appeal, the facts were that sometime on May 10, 2018, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation issued a report of its investigation into the MTNs Forms A and M transactions. The report covered the 2007 to 2017 accounting years.





But, in a revised report dated August 20, 2018, the OAGF adjusted the alleged outstanding in respect of import duty and VAT to the tune of N242.2 billion (Form M -visible transactions), whilst the section relating to VAT and Withholding tax (WHT) was revised $1.284 billion (Form A invisible transactions).





In July 2021, the FIRS issued a VAT assessment of $93, 590, 366 million to the MTN. This assessment comprised $72,551,059 million as the principal liability and $21,039,807 million for penalties and interest on the principal sum (first assessment).





MTN objected to the first assessment, after which the FIRS further reviewed the evaluation.





Accordingly, by the Notice of Assessment dated April 14, 2022, the Respondent issued a revised assessment for US $135,697,755m to MTN as a revised assessment.





Although the principal amount of tax alleged to be outstanding and due from the Appellant (principal tax liability) in the revised assessment, i.e. $47, 776, 210 million, was less than the alleged principal tax liability contained in the first assessment, i.e., $72,551,059 million, the interest and penalty imposed by the FIRS on the alleged principal tax liability in the revised assessment, i.e. $87.900 million, is higher than the interest and penalty imposed by the FIRS on the alleged principal tax liability in the first assessment, i.e., US $21, 039,807 million.





Also, by a letter of notice of objection dated May 13, 2022, MTN objected to the FIRSs revised assessment, and FIRS, by a letter dated June 16, with ref. No. FIRS/TID/LOS/2020/0213/01 notified the MTN of its refusal to amend the revised assessment.





The Tribunal, following a consideration of all the processes filed by parties and citing a plethora of authorities, held that: In the final analysis, it is the decision of the Tribunal that issues one to four discussed above are all resolved in favour of the Respondent, and the Appellant is therefore ordered to settle the assessed liabilities accordingly.





However, issue five concerning penalty and interest is resolved in favour of the Appellant and is therefore set aside by this Honourable Tribunal. This is our Judgement.




The National Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Sokoto has affirmed the election of the former governor of the state, Aminu Tambuwal, as a duly elected senator, representing Sokoto South Senatorial District.





The three-man panel of the Tribunal, led by Justice Denis Madi Echesi, dismissed the petition of the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Senator Ibrahim Danbaba, challenging the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate.





The Tribunal said the petitioner failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. It further awarded a cost of 200,000 naira to the respondents, Tambuwal and PDP.





Reacting to the Tribunal judgement, Barrister Chris Kelechi, one of the legal team members representing the petitioner, Ibrahim Danbaba, said his team would study the judgement very well before going for an appeal.





The Tribunal has promised to hand over the copy of the judgement tomorrow, after which we will sit to check very well before going for appeal, he said.





In his reaction, Suleiman Usman (SAN), who stands for Senator Tambuwal, commended the judgement





The Tribunal has given a lengthy judgement in which the cases were evaluated and the tribunal in its ruling, said the evidence of the petitioners was not reliable and contradicted, including the messages that were tendered; some of them were not demonstrated.





They further said some of their evidences were contradictory and found the petitions unproven





He said the Tribunal therefore affirmed the election of Tambuwal as the duly elected Senator representing the Sokoto South senatorial district.
On the same day that the victims life was celebrated, the man who police say killed Daniel Dae Dae OBrien Hall has been arrested.

Reginald Eugene Lindsay Jr., a 28-year-old Gordonsville resident, was taken into custody Tuesday morning and charged with second-degree murder.

Theres a violent individual that has been taken off the street, Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis said at a press conference at CitySpace in downtown Charlottesville on Tuesday afternoon.

The chief said that Virginia State Police made the arrest around 8:15 a.m. at the home of a Lindsay relative in Louisa County. He declined to specify how officials found the fugitive, who had eluded capture since the Oct. 14 slaying.

Just the countless phone calls and tips that we received, putting that all together, our detectives and our partners in the community just didnt stop, said Kochis, noting the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Task Force, the Virginia State Police Division 2 Tactical Team and the Louisa County Sheriffs Office.

Kochis suggested that a quarrel precipitated the slaying.

There was a beef between two people: the victim and the suspect, said Kochis. There were some encounters throughout the night between the two.

Police have said the slaying took place shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday in the roadway in the 200 block of East Market Street.

An earwitness camping in nearby Market Street Park previously told The Daily Progress that he heard an argument shortly before a fusillade of roughly eight gunshots.

Since the slaying, the Market Street Park encampment where that witness was residing, which included as many as 35 tents, has been cleared after Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders announced wintertime overnight beds would be available earlier this year.

The police chief stressed that the homeless population bore no responsibility for the shooting.

The park had absolutely nothing to do with this murder, said Kochis.

While Kochis was making his remarks, friends and family were paying their last respects to the 48-year-old victim at a Goochland church.

According to a published obituary, Hall grew up in Fluvanna County, was educated in the countys public schools and left behind 10 children. The obituary depicted a fun-loving person.

He was an honorable family man who loved to have a great time & hang out with the Crew, the obituary notes. He also loved to dress, travel, shop, dance and loved to attempt to sing!

Kochis said that investigators took note of Halls familys loss in working tirelessly to solve the case.

They realize that this is a son, a father, said Kochis. His life mattered.

No attorney or initial court appearance have yet been listed for Lindsay, who has been taken to the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange.
A cannabis dispensary that would later include a consumption lounge planned for downtown Newark by rapper Raekwon the Chef of the Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop radio personality Charlamagne tha God, and a South Carolina civil rights lawyer cleared its latest bureaucratic hurdle last week and plans to open early next year, the three announced Monday.

On Thursday, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission granted a Class V license to Oregon-based Hashstoria allowing it to sell recreational cannabis. But the partners plan to expand the location to include a lounge where patrons can buy and smoke or eat marijuana products upstairs from the dispensary once state rules are adopted for on-site consumption.

We are excited to be working with the great city of Newark to safely and legally expand the cannabis industry in the city, the lawyer, Bakari Sellers, said in a statement. We are extremely proud to become members of this great community and will strive daily to have a positive impact and help bring cannabis opportunities to a community that spent decades as targets of the failed War on Drugs.

Raekwon, 53, a Brooklyn native born Corey Woods, founded Hashstoria in Astoria, Oregon, long after winning global fame with the Wu-Tang hip-hop collective. Charlamagne, 45, born Larry Thomas McKelvey in South Carolina, is a partner in the Newark store, along with Sellers, 39, a civil rights advocate and attorney with the Strom Law Firm in Columbia, South Carolina.

Recreational marijuana dispensaries began opening in New Jersey in April 2022, and many communities have them, including Newarks Essex County neighbor Bloomfield and suburban Montclair. But it was only this year that the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission published rules for on-site consumption areas, or lounges.

Christene Carr, a spokesperson for the commission, said on-site consumption could only begin once rules were adopted.

The rules for consumption lounges have not yet been adopted, so, no business has yet been granted permission to open a consumption lounge, Carr said in an email.

The Hashstoria dispensory and lounge, designed by Rachael Grochowski of RHG Architecture + Design and situated in a high-profile location on Broad Street about three blocks North of the Prudential Center arena, would be the first cannabis consumption lounge in Newark and the second retail dispensary of any kind in the states largest city. The first dispensary was the Urbn Dispensary, a purchase-only store that recently opened in a remote spot on South Street near Interstate 78 in Newarks East Ward, which began as a medical marijuana dispensary.

The Newark City Council adopted changes to its land use ordinance in 2021, allowing dispensaries for recreational use, with the potential for several to open up. However, it limited the number of consumption lounges to two. Thursdays state license approval follows several necessary local authorizations for Hashstoria granted earlier this year, including an official endorsement of the concept from the Newark City Council, site plan approval from the Central Planning Board, and a review by the city Landmark and Historic Preservation Commission because of its location in the Four Corners Historic District.

But the project has met public and official resistance.

In March, the planning board initially voted to reject Hashstorias site plan application after members of the Old First Presbyterian Church on Broad Street urged the board to force the applicants to locate somewhere else in town. Board members expressed concerns that lines would form outside the lounge, parking would be a problem, and customers would walk out stoned, though Hashstorias representatives tried to assure them those problems would not arise.

Members voted down the application after their vice chair, Kalenah Witcher, said she found a rendering of the lounges facade offensive because it included window art depicting a pair of lips rolling and smoking a marijuana cigarette. After the applicants satisfied its concerns, the board approved the project on July 24.

City Council President LaMonica McIver said Tuesday that the concerns were understandable but unwarranted.

I do understand the concerns of churchgoers and other businesses about something that is new to the community, McIver said. But I think that with the proper regulation, which the city has worked hard to put in place, I think that will be a successful business and a respectable business.

The proposed location of the Hashstoria cannabis retail dispensary and consumption lounge on Broad Street in Newark. Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com

NOTE: This story was updated to include a statement from a state Cannabis Regulatory Commission spokesperson that on-site cannabis consumption would only be permitted following adoption of consumption rules published by the commission.

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Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com
Two Ewing police officers have entered a federal pretrial diversion program that if completed will result in the dismissal of their indictments on allegations they used excessive force during the arrest of a teenager, NJ Advance Media has learned.

Retired Lt. Michael Delahanty and current officer Matthew Przemieniecki were indicted in November 2021 on charges in a January 2018 arrest. Federal authorities say they assaulted a 16-year-old by driving his face into a snow-covered ground.

Each was charged with felony deprivation of rights under color of law causing bodily injury.

A third officer, Justin Ubry, was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly kicking snow in the teens face. His lawyers got that charge dismissed last year.

Earlier this month, Delahanty and Przemieniecki each signed agreements with the U.S. Attorneys Office for pretrial diversion, their lawyers David Schroth and Jerome Ballarotto confirmed Wednesday.

Both lawyers said it comes after months of negotiations with federal prosecutors, and the agreements call for the indictments to be dismissed in January after a 90-day period in which their clients comply with conditions similar to being out on pretrial bond.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Both attorneys characterized it as a win for the clients in a case that should never has been charged.

This case was so bogus, said Ballarotto, who represents Przemieniecki. He said his client returned to the Ewing Police Department for duty on Monday, and while he was suspended after his indictment in 2021, his pay was not halted.

Hes happy to be going back to work, Ballarotto said.

Ballarotto and Schroth both noted that the Mercer County Prosecutors Office and state Attorney Generals office reviewed the incident and declined to prosecute.

The Attorney Generals Office has been aggressive in prosecuting police for alleged misconduct and excessive force. So it has particular significance that they declined to prosecute, said Schroth, who represents Delahanty.

We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this case. It is appropriate to dismiss Michaels Indictment. Weve been at this for two years, so we can wait another 90 days, Schroth said.

I have felt all along Michael did nothing wrong and these charges should never have been brought. We respect the right of the U.S. Attorneys Office to bring these cases and, even more, we respect their decision to resolve the matter this way, he said.

In announcing the indictments in 2021, federal authorities said the officers were part of a large force of cops who arrested a 16-year-old who eluded police in a stolen car, then ran into a backyard and hid in a shed. (The arrest was captured on police body cameras, and first reported by the Trentonian newspaper.)

When officers located the teen, they arrested him on the ground while face down. Snow had recently fallen.

Prosecutors alleged Delahanty stepped on the back of the teens head, pressing his face into the snow, and Przemieniecki kicked snow three times directly into the teens face and also used his boot to step on the teens head, again driving his face into the snow.

Ubry also allegedly kicked snow into his face at least once.

Last year, Ubrys attorneys, Robin Kay Lord and David S. Bahuriak Jr., made the argument that even if Ubry did shuffle snow into the teens face, hed actually committed no crime, as snow melts upon contact and is not excessive force, much less force at all.

The judge in the case then dismissed Ubrys indictment and he too went back to the Ewing force.

Lord, who is often critical of policing and represents others who have accused police of using excessive force, wrote with Bahuriak that excessive force by law enforcement, is real and systemic in our country.

However, prosecution of Officer Ubry is an insult to anyone who has been truly victimized at the hands of law enforcement. To criminalize the shuffling of powdered snow with the same statute that brings justice to those who have been brutally assaulted, certainly could not have been the intent and purpose of criminalizing civil rights violations.

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com
A federal judge recently amended his finding that a federal prosecutor committed misconduct at the civil rights trial of two Trenton police officers earlier this year.

Judge Peter Sheridan, sitting in the Trenton federal courthouse, issued a decision last month that acquitted one of the officers, Drew Inman, of using excessive force during a 2017 arrest.

In the Sept. 12 decision, the judge was highly critical of one of the prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha Nye, finding she committed the prosecutorial misconduct by improperly raising in her closing argument that Inman had used a flashlight.

Inman had gone to trial in May with Anthony Villanueva, a Trenton officer in 2017. The jury acquitted Villanueva in May of all charges, the excessive force allegations and filing false reports about the incident. The jury acquitted Inman of the false report charge, but was hung on the excessive force charge.

Inmans lawyer argued at the end of the trial, and in a later motion, for the remaining charge to be dismissed, mainly due to one of the prosecutors raising at closing arguments that Inman had struck the suspect with a flashlight.

In September, Sheridan issued his decision to acquit Inman, and said the flashlight allegation was not in the indictment, prosecutors pretrial submissions, opening statements, nor trial testimony, he wrote in his decision.

The judge went on to say he was surprised by the flashlight allegation at the end of the trial, and the error by the government deprived Inman of his right to mount a proper defense, unfairly prejudiced him and infected the trial with unfairness.

Nye also displayed a PowerPoint slide that declared, INMAN HIT [THE SUSPECT] WITH FLASHLIGHT.

The U.S. Attorneys Office later asked the judge to reconsider the misconduct finding, and filed an 86-page supporting document.

The U.S. government takes any finding of prosecutorial misconduct extremely seriously, the office led off, saying, In addition to the implications prosecutorial misconduct has for the fair administration of justice, such a finding may trigger serious professional repercussions and reputational harm for the prosecutors in question.

Federal prosecutors argued that Nye made a judgement call in response to defense attorneys closing arguments that prosecutors had not met their burden on bodily injury on the suspect, and the flashlights alleged presence was a reasonable inference from he evidence in the case. They also argued that the defense was notified pretrial that prosecutors might argue that Inman used a flashlight.

The use of the Power Point slide, In retrospect, that kind of argumentative caption should not have been used, the prosecutors motion said.

The prosecutors supplied a 20-page, suggested amended motion for Sheridan to use which was detailed and had a lengthy narrative of the case.

On Oct. 2, the judge opted for a three-page revised motion that tersely said the government had brought up new facts and arguments, and the finding of prosecutorial misconduct is deemed null and void.

The acquittal of Inman remains in effect, and now rests on finding the government had insufficient evidence at trial, the new order says.

The U.S. Attorneys Office could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com
The Oakland As claimed Mets pitcher Anthony Kay off waivers, according to their transaction tracker.

Kay, who likened his relationship to the Mets to a bad relationship in September, had three turns with the organization. First, he was drafted out of high school by the team in the 29th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. After opting to go to college, he was drafted again by the Mets in 2016. This time in the first round (31st overall).

After catapulting from Single-A to Triple-A within a two-year period, posting a 3.58 ERA in 49 starts, Kay was involved in the trade that sent him and Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman.

In September, the Mets reclaimed Kay off waivers. After making just four appearances, posting a 7.36 ERA over 3 2/3 innings, it seems the Mets had seen enough. Now, hell look to prove his worth in Oakland.

FIXING THE YANKEES:

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Five other Mets players elected free agency after clearing waivers on Tuesday, according to Triple-A Syracuse transaction tracker.

All five players - infielders Jonathan Arauz and Danny Mendick, outfielder Rafael Ortega, catcher Michael Perez and right-hander Vinny Nittoli - were placed on waivers on Oct. 2. After going unclaimed the team outrighted them to Syracuse, but they chose free agency instead.

The Mets selected Arauz from the Baltimore Orioles off waivers in Dec. 2022. In 27 games this season, he batted .136 with a .491 OPS. The 25-year-old infielder never looked comfortable at the plate, striking out 18 times in 66 plate appearances (27.3 percent).

Mendick signed as a free agent around the same time as Arauz. Drafted in the 22nd round by the White Sox in 2015, the 30-year-old Rochester native spent eight years with Chicago before electing free agency in Nov. 2022. In 33 games with the Mets, he batted .185 with a .509 OPS.

Ortega was released in March after a brief stint with the Yankees in Spring Training. Then, after two months in the Texas Rangers minor league system, he was released again in June. After clearing waivers, the Mets signed him as a free agent on June 18. In 47 games with the Mets, Ortega batted .219 with a .613 OPS.

Perez has been with the Mets since July 2022. In 24 games with the team, he batted .273 with a .652 OPS

Nittoli started the 2023 season with the Cubs. In June, Chicago traded him to the Mets for future considerations. In three appearances with the Mets, the 32-year-old pitcher posted a 2.45 ERA, striking out three batters in 3 2/3 innings of work.

MORE SPORTS

- Collapse complete: Phillies fall to Diamondbacks in NLCS Game 7

- Phillies Bryce Harper disgusted that he blew chance to prevent NLCS choke

- Yankees legend Derek Jeter ripped by WFAN host because he wont be a clown

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Manuel Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday night for a kayaker who went missing Monday evening in the Raritan Bay off Keyport, officials said.

The kayak and personal belongings of 74-year-old Zhenjiang Ding were found near Cedar Street Park in Keyport Harbor at about 6:30 p.m., the Coast Guard said in a statement. Keyport police said the discovery was made near Walnut Street and that the kayaker had been fishing.

Coast Guard officials said Tuesday night that they had searched nearly 129 square nautical miles for over 37 hours, with no signs of Ding.

Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Zhenjiang Ding, Capt. Jonathan Andrechik, Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, said in a statement. Making the decision to suspend a search is always difficult. We are appreciative of the efforts of all agencies who participated in this search.

It was not immediately clear if any other agencies would continue their search for Ding, who is described as 5-foot-6-inches tall and approximately 140 to 160 pounds. The New Jersey State Police, the New York Police Department and the New York Fire Department previously joined the Coast Guard in its search.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
UPDATE: Bethany Road has been re-opened in both directions as of 10:05 a.m, according to Hazlet police.

No one was injured when a car hit the an NJ Transit train at a crossing in Hazlet on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The car made contact with a North Jersey Coast Line train at about 7:30 a.m. along Bethany Road, NJ Transit said.

The 150 people aboard the New York-bound train were transferred to the next train, the agency said.

Bethany Road has been closed between Route 35 and and Hazlet Avenue, Hazlet police said Traffic is being detoured around the crossing.

At least two North Jersey Coast Line trains were delayed while the scene was cleared. Separately, trains into and out of New York Penn Station are facing 30-minute delays due to an Amtrak switch issue near the Secaucus Junction station.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

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The arrest in the killing of a man found in an SUV in Philadelphia earlier this month came after police tracked the case to a shooting outside a motorcycle club in Camden through the victims Find My iPhone app, according to court documents.

Investigators determined Jody Spence, 31, was shot once in the head outside of the Wheels of Soul Motorcycle Club on the 800 block of Princess Avenue in Camden at about 10:30 p.m. Oct. 6, according to the Camden County Prosecutors Office.

Spences body was found two days later in the rear of an SUV on the 400 block of North 5th Street in Philadelphia, officials said.

Investigators then learned of a second phone associated with Spence and used its Find My Phone app to locate the device in Camden near where he had been shot, according to an affidavit of probable cause outlining the murder charge against Michael Field.

Detectives then collected surveillance video from the area that showed Spence walking along a street in Camden before being shot by a man in a florescent jacket, authorities said. The gunman then walked back into a building only to exit a short time later and enter the passenger seat of a vehicle that fled the area, according to the affidavit.

Authorities then poured over additional surveillance and identified Field as the shooter, authorities said.

Field, 44, was arrested Thursday in Trenton by the U.S. Marshals Service. The Camden County Prosecutors Office said Field is from Philadelphia. The charging document states he resides in Camden.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

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Family heirlooms that went missing when The Crows Nest, a popular eatery in Bergen County, closed last weekend have been returned to their rightful owners.

Great news. Our items were returned, the Hajiyerou family said in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday.

Thank you all for helping us get the word out there. This certainly would not have happened without your help. We are truly grateful, the post said.

The business, located in the 300 block of Vincent Avenue in Hackensack, closed Saturday after several decades in a location visible from Route 17 in Hackensack and surrounding towns.

But what should have been a festive event turned somewhat sour when the family discovered a green wooden Crows Nest sign that was under the TV in the bar area and a vintage milk canister that was kept in the restaurants vestibule were apparently stolen, the family said.

These are family heirlooms that we would like to be returned to us, another post stated. We are beginning to look at our cameras and we will go to the police if we have to. We will look the other way if these items are returned immediately.

Peter Hajiyerou, who managed the restaurant, said on Wednesday that the items had been returned, but declined to discuss the matter further.

Asked if the items had been stolen, Hajiyerou replied: Not really. Its an issue Id just rather put to bed. Hackensack police said the owners of the business as of Wednesday had not filed a police report.

Hajiyerous father, Andres, told NJ Advance Media last week that the Crows Nest had received an offer to sell the business that was too good to pass up.

The customers are very upset were closing, Andres Andy Hajiyerou said. Its been tough to say goodbye.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him @TonyAttrino.
Several hundred Airmen and a squadron of F-16 Falcon fighter jets from the New Jersey National Guard have been sent to the Middle East to bolster U.S. forces in the region conducting counterterrorism missions following a surprise Hamas attack on Israel earlier this month, federal officials said.

The F-16 Falcons are from the 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which are based at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base in Egg Harbor Township. The F-16 are among prepare-to-deploy orders, though none have been activated, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement.

Several hundred Airmen from the 177th Fighter Wing based at Air Station Atlantic City were deployed to the Middle East earlier this week to support U.S. counterterrorism efforts.177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard

While deployed in support of Air Forces Central missions, the Jersey Devils will help defend interests, promote regional security, and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region, the 177th Fighter Wing at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base said Tuesday. The 177FW will continue to fly at home station to maintain operational readiness and to support the no-fail homeland defense mission.

Photos released Tuesday by 177th Fighter Wing show Airmen loading equipment and boarding aircraft.

Patriot missile battalions from both Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group have also been sent to the Middle East.

Since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, killing hundreds of people, militia groups backed by Iran have attacked U.S. forces conducting counterterrorism missions in both Iraq and Syria more than a dozen times, officials say.

We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and the Iranian regime, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing Tuesday. What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region, in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran.

F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 177th Fighter Wing, 119th Fighter Squadron, of the New Jersey Air National Guard, prepare to land at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base in a July 31, 2021 photo. The squadron will be deployed to the Middle East.U.S. Department of Defense

The war, in its 19th day, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 others have been wounded. In the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.

The Health Ministry said airstrikes killed more than 750 people over the past 24 hours, without saying how many were militants.

The Associated Press couldnt independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. Israels military on Wednesday raised the number of remaining hostages in Gaza to 222 people, including foreigners believed captured by Hamas during the incursion. Four hostages have been released.

U.S. and other officials fear the fighting could spill over into a wider regional conflict.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
A 33-year-old New Jersey man was charged with three counts of bias intimidation after he was accused of shouting racial slurs and slashing tires on the vehicles of two customers outside a 7-Eleven in Brick on Tuesday.

The incident began when Ryan McDonald got into a dispute inside the store on Mantoloking Road at about 2 p.m., the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said. McDonald walked out of the business, got a knife out of his vehicle and stabbed a tire on another vehicle, authorities said.

He then approached a second vehicle and punctured two tires while allegedly yelling the slurs. A woman and a child were in the car.

McDonald allegedly fled, but police found him nearby and arrested him. McDonald, of Brick, is also charged with two counts each of criminal mischief and weapons offenses. He is being held at the Ocean County jail ahead of a court appearance.

Attorney information for McDonald wasnt immediately available. Prosecutors didnt immediately describe the nature of the racial slurs.

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Despite more than 1,600 people signing a petition asking for his contract not to be renewed, the Albemarle School Board has doubled down on its support of Superintendent Matthew Haas.

At its Oct. 12 meeting, the school board caught critics off guard when it voted 6-0 to extend Haas contract for an additional two years, roughly two years ahead of when that contract was up for renewal. One member, Ellen Osborne, was absent for the vote, but told The Daily Progress after the vote she would have voted in favor of the extension like my colleagues.

The vote was not on the agenda, upsetting those who already believed the board does not do enough to listen to concerns of community members.

I wish I could say it did surprise me, but it pretty much goes in line with the inaction and indifference the school board has shown to the feelings of teachers, parents, bus drivers and other stakeholders to the poor performance of Matt Haas, Paul McArtor, a father of two Albemarle students and the creator of the petition on change.org, told The Daily Progress. I can say for myself and people I have spoken to that this has done nothing except lit a fire under us.

On Twitter, Mary McIntyre of the Albemarle teachers union speculated that the vote was taken this year because two members of the board will be replaced in January. Those new additions to the board may not have been open to the contract extension.

Meg Bryce, for instance, is a candidate for the at-large seat currently occupied by Jonno Alcaro. Bryce previously told The Daily Progress she signed the petition and supports replacing Haas.

I was not caught off guard by the decision  I knew that every current board member would vote to renew his contract  but I was caught off guard by the timing, Bryce said after the vote, adding that while board members praised Haas during the meeting, none of them noted the educational outcomes of Albemarle public school students. Why did the education of ACPS students not get a single mention in the boards long list of reasons they gave to renew his contract?

Allison Spillman, Bryces opponent, told The Daily Progress she was shocked by the extension.

I think renewing a contract 18 months early in the midst of an election and in the midst of frustration amongst families is not a good look, honestly, Spillman said. I think that we at least were owed as parents a chance to give some opinions on it and have a discussion.

McIntyre shared a message from a private Facebook group which she said was from an Albemarle schools staffer.

Feeling confused that the school board extended Haass contract last night without public discussion, without teacher or administrator input. And why right now!?! the message reads.

McIntyre proposed an answer.

The answer is that the school board DOESNT HAVE TO have public discussion, or seek teacher/administrator input. They simply dont want it, she wrote on Twitter. I dont know how much more clear they can make it- both through their treatment of the [union] and their resistance to any community criticism.

The Albemarle teachers union did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Progress.

Judy Le, chair of the school board, defended the boards decision. The district is at a critical point in addressing its strategic plan, she said.

Continuity and stability of leadership is essential if we are to successfully take on and resolve these challenges, Le told The Daily Progress.

It has never been the practice of the division to publicly advertise the employment contract of any employee, she continued. Last week we followed the same procedure as we did in 2021 when we extended the contract for Dr. Haas, which was to vote on the extension coming out of closed session.

Haas previous contract was set to expire in the summer of 2025. With the extension, he will remain in the role until summer of 2027, much to the chagrin of McArtor, whose daughter will now have Haas as her superintendent until she graduates from the school system.

The contract also includes a 5% pay increase, raising Haas annual salary to $229,061. School division spokesman Phil Giaramita told The Daily Progress the pay increase is comparable to what was granted to all full-time employees this year. He also said that the boards discussion on the extension predated McArtors petition, which began circulating on Aug. 20.

The apolitical petition claims that Haas has lost the confidence and trust of the public, including parents, teachers, bus drivers, staff, administrators, and students, and it details a number of his perceived failings.

Among them are the county bus driver shortage, the districts school renaming process and a growing achievement gap that has seen students of color and economically disadvantaged students struggle to match their peers performance. For the latter, the petition cites the findings of an audit conducted by Bellwether Education Partners, a nonprofit group that seeks to provide more students with access to an equitable education.

The petition outlines several of the reports findings, including that the adults at school are not equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the instructional needs of all students. It also concludes that the tests students take in class do not consistently reflect the level of rigor required by the states Standards of Learning.

References to a lack of communication from the district are scattered throughout the petition.

It claims that during the pandemic Haas repeatedly waited until the last minute to announce changes to the school schedule. Supporters of Haas have noted that the pandemic was an unprecedented time for educators and administrators alike.

In another example, the petition references the discussion to relocate fifth-graders at Mountain View Elementary School to Walton Middle School. A decision had to be backtracked and a committee of parents was formed to review options and figure out a solution, it reads.

Giaramita claims this example of lack of communication is a sign of obvious communication.

They discussed this issue for several meetings and they came back to the superintendent with a recommendation that the students not be moved to Walton Middle School, and the superintendent accepted it, Giaramita said. To bring that up in the petition as an example of poor leadership is disingenuous because in fact the superintendent did exactly the right action. He involved the parents in the decision and changed the decision based on what he heard from parents, and thats exactly what a leader does.

The school division has called the petition misleading and one sided.

Osborne defended Haas after the petition was released.

While I was not a member of the school board when Dr. Haas was hired, he and all superintendents have served during a time of unprecedented challenges for school divisions across the nation these past few years, Osborne told The Daily Progress. He has met these challenges head-on and made tough decisions that are consistent with our values. Thats what leaders are expected to do.

The petition did not ask for Haas to be immediately removed, but rather specified that his contract not be extended. The exact opposite has happened, a decision that McArtor called a slap in the face. He said critics will now be watching Haas even closer.

There was an attempt to let the contract take its course and let him stay until the end and then walk away, McArtor said. And if missteps happen as theyve happened in the past few years, were going to take whatever recourses we can. I hope some miraculous change happens and Dr. Haas is successful, because the school system is successful if hes successful. Hopefully I get proven wrong.

Haas took a moment on Oct. 12 to personally thank the school board for its vote of confidence in his work.

I am humbled and I am grateful for your support, Haas told the school board, reading from a prepared statement. You have my promise that youve always had, that Ill do my best to earn your confidence every day and that the health, safety and success of those we serve will always be my highest priority.
A 36-year-old Atlantic City police detective who allegedly admitted he was a little sauced has been charged with eluding his fellow police officers after authorities say he drove through multiple red lights, weaved in and out of traffic and nearly struck a patrol vehicle while off-duty last month.

Fariyd A. Holmes claimed he was waiting to be picked up by his niece, but surveillance footage shows a man behind the wheel of the vehicle Sept. 21, a criminal complaint states.

The pursuit started to unfold at about 9:45 p.m. that day when a police officer saw a vehicle travel through a red light at the intersection of Tennessee and Arctic Avenues in Atlantic City, the court document says. The driver then began to weave in and out of traffic as the officer followed the vehicle south on Atlantic Avenue, nearly striking another patrol vehicle.

Officers activated their lights and sirens and attempted to pull over the fleeing vehicle before it blew through another red light at the corner of Baltic and Arkansas Avenues and accelerated onto the Atlantic City Expressway, the affidavit said.

By then, police had obtained the vehicles license plate information and decided to call off the pursuit. After finding that the vehicle was registered to Holmes, a sergeant tried to call the detectives cell phone, according to the court document. Thats when Holmes told the story about his niece and allegedly made the comment about being a little sauced.

He also declined to tell his colleague where either he or his niece were, the court document states.

Investigators confirmed Holmes was behind the wheel by matching surveillance footage from Atlantic City and license plate reader footage from the Pleasantville Toll Plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway, according to the charging document.

Holmes is seen wearing a white dress shirt, a watch and talking on a cell phone at the toll plaza, the affidavit said.

Holmes, of the Mays Landing section of Hamilton, has been suspended without pay, an Atlantic City police spokesman said Wednesday. Hired as public employee in 2015, Holmes is paid an annual salary of $87,266, according to state pension records.

The Atlantic City Police Department immediately made notification to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office to review and investigate the circumstances surrounding the attempted motor vehicle stop of a vehicle that was registered to Detective Fariyd Holmes, Atlantic City police said in a statement.The investigation led to criminal charges being filed against Holmes.

Holmes is a 2005 graduate of Atlantic City High School and received a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Stockton University in 2011, according to the City of Atlantic City.

His attorney, Louis Barbone, couldnt immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
A Pennsylvania man charged with killing an 84-year-old Warren County woman could face a second murder charge after the womans son died from injuries in the gruesome attack two years ago, according to the Warren County Prosecutors Office.

William Bart Trachin was 53 when he was attacked in 2021 at his home in Washington Borough, authorities said. He died Tuesday after a lengthy medical battle, Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said.

Kyle Kaspereen, 26, of Easton and formerly of Washington in Warren County, is charged with attacking Trachin and killing Trachins 84-year-old mother, Elaine Trachin.

Kaspereen was indicted in February 2022 on charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.

The public defender representing Kaspereen could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Authorities now are awaiting autopsy results to determine if additional charges will be filed in William Trachins death, Pfeiffer said. The Warren County Prosecutors Office planned to release more information Thursday.

Bart Trachins sister, Lynne Trachin, posted on a Facebook page Wednesday morning she was heartbroken over her brothers death.

Bart fought hard and valiantly but passed quietly last night, she said. Thank you for all your support, thoughts and prayers. Another angel was called home.

The Facebook page Barts Battalion was set up to support Bart Trachin. PrintAbilities in Washington, where he worked for nearly 15 years, sold Barts-Battalion T-shirts to support his recovery.

Kaspereen remains at the Warren County jail pending trial, Pfeiffer said Wednesday. Kaspereen was charged in the investigation on Dec. 9, 2021.

Kaspereen was in the Trachin familys home in the 100 block of Wayne Street the day the crime took place on Nov. 30, 2021, authorities said. Kaspereen attempted to buy or broker the sale of a motorcycle from Bart Trachin, although the transaction never happened, authorities said.

Kaspereens phone pinged in that area about the time of the attacks, the prosecutors have said.

Investigators found Elaine Trachin died as a result of head trauma, court records say.

Bart Trachin was found bound in a bedroom with a garbage bag duct taped over his head and torso, and his hands duct-taped to his wheelchair, court papers say. He suffered severe trauma to the head, according to court records.

Bart Trachin was left comatose after the attack and unable to communicate with investigators, records say.

Investigators seized a suspected weapon after the incident, records say. A dive team recovered Bart Trachins smashed cellphone from the Delaware River in Phillipsburg, authorities have said.

Kaspereens phone had Google searches related to crime scenes and homicides in the borough, according to a returned search warrant.

Kaspereen deleted text messages from his phone during a break in an interview with police, authorities said.

I deleted those messages because they didnt add up to what I told you, he allegedly told police, according to court records.

Kaspereen stole Elaine Trachins wallet, authorities said. Trash bags similar to the one taped over Bart Trachin were found in Kaspereens room in Easton, the prosecutors office has said.

Kaspereen faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of murder.

Elaine Trachin was a 1955 graduate of the former Washington High School, according to her obituary. She was married for 57 years to William Trachin, who died in August 2021, the obituary says.

Cycle Madness Motorcycle Repair of Belvidere shared its condolences for Bart Trachin on the Barts Battalion page. The page has nearly 600 members. Bart Trachin never missed a ride when he was part of their Sunday ride group, according to Cycle Madness.

It saddens me to say that last night, we lost one of our own, the post says. ... He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Barts sister and family. Ride on brother, till we meet again.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High around 50F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Overcast with showers at times. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
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.
At many taprooms, there is no missing the fact that youre sipping your IPA in an industrial setting, with all the moving parts of the beer-ma
The executive chef of a Indian restaurant in Kenner was one of the eight who died in Monday's Interstate 55 pileup, a family friend confirmed.

Raj Pannu said her friend, 40-year-old Qutub Singh Negi, died from the injuries he sustained during the crash at about 5 p.m. that night.

Negi, who lived in Ponchatoula, was on his way to work at the Punjabi Dhaba Indian restaurant in Kenner, where he worked as executive chef, when he was caught in the pileup.

UPDATE: I-55 South reopens; These are the 7 people who died in the pileup, including a 6-year-old boy
Four children who were missing for nearly four months have been found and returned to Colorado, authorities said Wednesday.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said the children, who were all between the ages of 4 and 9 years old, were found in Port Allen, Louisiana, and were safe, unharmed and in good health.

Deputies said the children were in a foster home in Centennial on June 30 when their biological father, 47-year-old Howard Myles, had a weekend visit with them and never returned the children.

Myles dropped the children off at a family member's home in Louisiana on Oct. 16, deputies said.

"Our investigators have worked diligently on this case for the past four months. It was a top priority to find these children and return them safely back to foster care in Colorado," Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said in a news release. "We are pleased this case had a very positive outcome and we want to thank our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana and Texas for all their help."

Investigators continue to search for Myles, who was last seen Oct. 17 in Port Allen, Louisiana, driving a Pontiac Grand Am.

The children's mother, 26-year-old Clarissa Gardette, was arrested July 21 in Houston, Texas, and is currently being held in the Arapahoe County Detention Facility, deputies said.

Anyone with information in the case should call Arapahoe County investigators' tip line at 720-874-8477.
The queen has sent her 'good wishes' to the woman leading the campaign to save Devons mobile library service.

Authors, actors and celebrities have supported Torridge councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin in her fight to see Devon County Councils plan to axe the service overturned, and now the campaign has reached Buckingham Palace.

Nine thousand people have signed a petition to keep the mobile library and Queen Camilla, although not able to give a political view, has passed on her best wishes and says she was interested to hear of suggestions to improve the service.

Cllr Cottle-Hunkin wrote to the palace not really expecting a reply, but she is delighted at the outcome.

I contacted Her Majesty because of her charity the Queens Reading Room which works to provide opportunities for the appreciation of literature among adults and children in the UK and around the world.

The charitys mission is to help more people find and connect with books which enrich their lives and turn them into lifelong readers. The Queen is also a supporter of Active Ageing.

Comedian and author Lenny Henry gave his support in the summer, and sent a package of his childrens books to share with the mobile library.

His publisher Macmillan Childrens Books said: Lenny is a big champion of libraries, almost every time he is interviewed about his childrens books he mentions how much he went to Dudley Library as a child.

Lenry is quoted as saying his Aunty Pearl originally got him a library card and 'suddenly I was in a world of stories and it changed my life'.

He joins Stephen Fry, Michael Rosen, Michael Morpurgo, Dermot OLeary, Nick Butterworth, Sarah McIntyre, Jacqueline Wilson, Belinda Bauer, Liz Shakespeare, Veronica Henry, Patrick Gale, Tanya Landman, Claire Barker and Harriet Knock in backing the mobile library service.

The county council says it is not cost effective to replace the four ageing vans in its fleet and people taking out books from them is reducing. Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox said the county needs to find 'alternative finance models' to sustain the service.

There has been cross party support for the mobile library with councils across the county urging the council to change tack. Supporters say figures showing decline in usage is misleading as the number of vans has been cut from eight to four.

The Liberal Democrat-controlled North Devon Council was the latest authority in the county to show its support when it backed a motion by independent councillor John Patrinos. It stated: This council recognises the huge importance of the mobile library service across the whole of North Devon. To help lift our communities out of poverty, deprivation, isolation and loneliness we should be increasing access to books, not removing them.

Devon County Councils cabinet will discuss the mobile library service at their meeting on Wednesday, November 8, at County Hall in Exeter.

They deferred the item from their last meeting to allow time for more questions from the public to be answered.

The deadline to submit questions is 12 noon on Thursday, November 2.
Water drinking fountains may be installed at key sites in Torridge to help reduce single-use plastic bottles if costs dont put a dampener on the move.

Councillors leading the charge on climate charge have been given permission by Torridge District Council (TDC) to look into putting water fountains in Bidefords Victoria Park and on the seafront at Westward Ho! to add the two already in Appledore and Westward Ho!

Councillor Peter Hames, lead member for climate change, said while there is no evidence that water fountains had the desired effect, sales of reusable bottles had increased in places such as London where Thames Water had been working with the mayor of London to offer 100 new water fountains across the capital.

Only seven per cent of plastic bottles are recycled each year in the UK and the average person uses 120 single use plastic bottles a year, said Cllr Hames.

Thames Water says 16 million plastic water bottles end up in landfills, rivers and oceans every day in the UK.

TDC currently supports the cost of the water at the water fountain at the loos in Churchfields car park, Appledore, which is run by Northam Town Council and at Westbourne Terrace, Westward Ho!

Whilst the perception by councillors is that they are well used, council officers say there is a stigma about using drinking water at a WC and they dont feel they are used that much.

There are also reports that the Northam one has suffered vandalism, costing the town council 280.

Cllr Hames said plastic bottles contribute significantly to carbon emissions, with roughly 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide created from making and filling them every year.

The World Wide Fund for Nature says the bottles take 450 years to decompose.

We have circumstantial evidence that drinking fountains in places like London and Hull are having the desired effect of reducing the consumption of single use plastic bottles, but there is no hard evidence at the moment, Cllr Hames added.

As a council we are struggling from a lack of funds to do this so we will cost it out and see. Water companies like Wessex Water promote water fountains and have funded them at numerous sites across their supply area but South West Water currently dont and promote the use of the Refill app instead.

The website www.refill.org.uk shows where bottles can be filled free of charge, with 10 locations in Bideford and 20 in Westward Ho! The cafe in Victoria Park, Bideford also refills bottles free of charge.

The councils climate change working group will investigate funding sources, including approaching South West Water.
The majority of people who spoke on Denver's proposed spending plan during Monday's council meeting praised councilmembers' push to earmark $17.5 million for the citys rental assistance program, saying the latter helps to prevent homelessness.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston did not budge on his $12.6 million budget request when the council asked for additional funding. The council proposed to Johnston $17.5 million, $5.1 million more than his original plan to fund the emergency rental program in his proposed budget.

But a mayor's spokesperson late on Tuesday said Johnston added $3 million to the program  for a total of $15.6 million.

The residents who showed up to the meeting mentioned the program and how they believe it would positively affect those who are dealing with the city's lack of affordable housing.

They said difficulties in making rent payments is a leading cause of Denver's homelessness and urged the council to fund the citys Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

To qualify for the program, which is aimed at helping tenants, the household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for Denver, according to guidelines.

The Department of Housing Stability oversees the citys emergency rental assistance program.

Councilmembers earlier sent a letter to Johnston, proposing to add $81 million to Johnston's budget. In response, the mayor rejected 87% of their suggestions. The council has authority to make amendments to the budget.

The mayor does not want to go over 15% in reserves, according to his letter to the council.

"Mayor Johnston agrees that funding rental assistance is not only the moral, humanitarian thing to do, but it's the right financial thing to do," the mayor's office told The Denver Gazette on Tuesday.

"That's why we have proposed a 500% expansion of city funding for rental assistance despite a massive drop off in federal funding for this priority," the mayor's office added. "Mayor Johnston knows that we have a solemn obligation to deliver a balanced budget that meets this urgent need."

On his first day in office, Johnston declared a homelessness state of emergency and vowed to house 1,000 homeless people by years end.

The city stopped accepting emergency rental applications in August due to insufficient funds.

Councilmembers asked the Johnston administration to consider allocating more for rental assistance.

I know my district in particular has had a huge increase in calls for eviction assistance and emergency rental assistance, District 3 Councilwoman and Council President Jamie Torres told The Denver Gazette on the emergency rental program.

The people who spoke during the council meeting on Monday said they believe rent is the biggest need, saying rental assistance program prevents homelessness. They argued that, even though the funding for emergency rental assistance has increased, it is still not enough.

Denver is currently witnessing record numbers of evictions, the Department of Housing Stability said. The department is projecting 12,000 eviction filings this year.

Denvers record for eviction filings was 10,241 in 2010, according to the citys 2022-2026 five year plan document.

The report also cites plans to reduce Denvers "unsheltered" homelessness  people who sleep in public places, such as cars or on the street  from the 2022 point-in-time count by 50% in 2026. The city also wants to increase the annual number of households served in rehousing and supportive housing programs from 1,800 to 3,000.

Denver saw a significant increase in homeless in 2023.

Of Colorado's major cities, Denver saw the biggest increase in the number of homeless people  5,818 as of January, up from 4,794 last year, according to a point-in-time count that offers a single night's snapshot of the crisis back in January.

Between 2022 and 2023, the number of unsheltered people grew by 33%, from 2,078 to 2,763, according to the survey.

This isn't going to be the last time we're gonna have to talk about money for it, Torres said.

I wouldn't put it as a one and done conversation around this even if there is an amendment that comes through. We're going to be having this conversation next year, Torres added.

Under the city's budget timelines, the council may propose additional budget amendments between Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. The deadline for Johnston to accept or veto any amendments is Nov. 10.

The key day is Nov. 13, when the council must pass the city's final spending plan for next year.
NEW YORKFormer President Donald Trump told reporters after the first day of Michael Cohens testimony that he would be returning to court on Wednesday.

It was Mr. Cohens 2019 allegations that spurred the attorney generals office to investigate President Trump. At the center of the case are the Statements of Financial Condition (SFC) for the Trump Organization from 2011 to 2021, several of which Mr. Cohen said on Tuesday that he personally altered together with Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg under the direction of his former boss.

Mr. Cohen, the one-time personal lawyer of President Trump and a former executive vice president of the Trump Organization, will continue to testify against his former boss in the ongoing civil trial in the case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against the former president.

Ms. James is seeking $250 million in damages to be paid to the state of New York and the barring of President Trump and his adult sons, who are co-defendants in the case, from holding executive business positions in New York.

New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had already ruled in a pretrial summary judgment on Sept. 26 that President Trump is liable for fraud.

Defense attorney Alina Habba picked up cross-examination of Mr. Cohen Wednesday morning.

Judge Wont Dismiss Case3:40 PM

Defense attorneys asked, again, for the case to be dismissed because Mr. Cohen is an unreliable witness.

Absolutely denied. This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place. Theres a 200-page complaint  with evidence all over the place, the judge said, adding that he did not consider Mr. Cohen a key witness.

Theres enough evidence in this case to fill this courtroom, he said.

He asked attorneys on both sides to stay, and then dismissed everyone else, ending the trial for the day.

Prosecutors Try to Rehabilitate Witness3:28 PM

I think were trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Weve been spending hours and hours on the witnesss credibility or lack thereof, the judge said, considering a document prosecutors wanted to enter into evidence.

Its an out of court statement. Are you introducing it to prove the truth of its contents? the judge asked.

No, the prosecutor said, clarifying that she was entering it to rebut the cross-examination from the defense wherein Mr. Cohen lied in court.

Defense attorney Chris Kise argued that the prosecutors should not be allowed to enter the document into evidence and use it to bypass the fact that their witness lied in federal court, and admitted to doing so on the witness stand.

The judge called another off-record sidebar to hear from the prosecutors what statement they wanted to enter. Prosecutors said they will file a letter.

Would you like to provide an explanation that you were previously not able to provide? prosecutors asked.

Defense attorneys objected, but the judge allowed the question.

When I was asked the question did he ask me to inflate the numbers, he did not specifically say Michael, go inflate the numbers,' Mr. Cohen said. He compared President Trump to a mob boss, and let you know what he wanted without stating it.

Mr. Cohen said that later in his 2019 testimony he talked about how President Trump wanted to rise in the Forbes list and that he testified that he understood the figures on the SFCs to be inflated.

Cohen Backtracks3:10 PM

Mr. Cohen said that he was not lying to the Permanent Select Committee when he said Not that I recall when asked whether he was asked to inflate numbers; he said they never overtly said it that way.

This morning, he testified that he had lied to the committee.

Youre now saying that Mr. Trump did not direct you to inflate the numbers on the statements of financial condition, Mr. Saurez asked.

Mr. Cohen did not answer until the judge compelled him to.

I stand with that response. Not that I recall,' he said.

So Mr. Trump never directed you to inflate the numbers on the financial statements? Mr. Suarez asked.

Correct, Mr. Cohen said, backtracking on what he said on Tuesday.

The judge then denied the defenses request that the case be brought to an end.

Prosecutors then questioned Mr. Cohen about his prior convictions where he pleaded guilty, and tried to enter his plea document into evidence as a consistent prior statement.

The defense objected, arguing that their documents were entered as a foundation to impeach the witness, whereas the prosecution was trying to rehabilitate a discredited witness.

The judge criticized both sides for micromanaging little details when they had a big case to go through.

Cohen Explains Lying in Court2:55 PM

Mr. Cohens cross-examination continued with defense attorneys questioning him about the times he lied under oath.

Trump attorney Jesus Suarez said the judge had asked Mr. Cohen 50 questions when he made his guilty plea to ascertain that Mr. Cohen understood that he could only make this plea if he was truly guilty. Mr. Cohen said he could not speak to the judges state of mind.

Justice Engoron then called an off-record sidebar with the attorneys.

You lied more than once in federal court, correct? Mr. Suarez asked.

Correct, Mr. Cohen said.

Trump Fined $10,0002:40 PM

Mr. Kise objected to the fine imposed by Justice Engoron, arguing that sanctions should not be applied when an issue is in the gray zone and that there was no evidence that President Trump was referring to his clerk.

Ms. Habba then argued that Justice Engorons clerk, Allison Greenfield, had an influence on the bench. Ms. Greenfield regularly confers with the judge during the trial, and Ms. Habba added that she didnt appreciate Ms. Greenfield rolling her eyes at her during questioning.

Justice Engoron said it was his decision, and joked I guess I cant consult now [with my clerk], thatd look terrible.

He said the theory that the statement President Trump made of the partisan individual being Mr. Cohen doesnt make any sense to me.

He added that the attorneys arguing about Ms. Greenfields influence on the trial only supported his belief that the statement must have been directed at her.

The focal point was that he was dishonest, not that he was partisan, he said of Mr. Cohen.

He said the fine of $10,000 stood.

Dont do it again or itll be worse, he added.

Judge Puts Trump on Witness Stand2:30 PM

After a closed-door meeting, Justice Engoron held a hearing regarding President Trumps apparent violation of a gag order.

President Trump took the witness stand and was sworn in.

The judge read back the statement President Trump made.

To whom were you referring when you said the person sitting alongside of him? Justice Engoron asked.

Michael Cohen, President Trump answered.

He asked whether President Trump had ever made statements about his clerk, and President Trump said he did, but it was deleted when the judge told him to from Truth Social, and later the campaign website.

Justice Engoron asked whether anyone else wanted to question the witness, and then excused President Trump. Then he ruled that President Trump was not a credible witness, and he believed that President Trump was referring to his clerk.

He fined President Trump $10,000 to be paid within 30 days.

Trump Says Cohen Has Been Discredited1:10 PM

During the lunch break, President Trump said that Mr. Cohen had been discredited as a witness.

He admitted that he lied, President Trump said. That was very nascent moment, I hope you caught it.

He wasnt working for me at the time that he lied, President Trump elaborated in response to a question.

I think this should be dropped, this should have never be started, he said. The judge is a Democrat but I do respect the judge.

He was asked again about the House Speaker race, and he denied that he had attacked the judges clerk.

Trump Attorney Says Cohen Makes Money Off Attacking Trump12:05 PM

Do you make a career out of attacking President Trump? Ms. Habba asked Mr. Cohen. She showed transcripts of Mr. Cohen talking about his podcast, where he said he talked about President Trump in every episode of his podcast. Both of Mr. Cohens books, Disloyal, and Revenge put the name Donald Trump on the cover. Mr. Cohen argued with Ms. Habba about how the books are about him, not President Trump.

Do you make money off of President Trumps name?

Yes.

Mr. Cohen has been an evasive witness, frequently responding to Ms. Habbas questions with his own questions or statements that do not answer the question, irritating the judge as well. He did not answer how much money he has made from the books or from criticizing President Trump publicly, but confirmed that his main income stream comes from the platforms on which he attacks President Trump.

The more outrageous your stories are about President Trump, the more money you make, Ms. Habba said. Prior, you stated that the majority of your income is from talking about President Trump.

Currently thats a correct answer, Mr. Cohen said.

She asked whether he had been promoting the trial by posting on social media and speaking to news media about it. He did not want to answer the question, and told the judge the issue was that he did not understand the word promote but confirmed he gave those interviews and made posts about it.

He also argued with Ms. Habba when she asked whether he criticized President Trump to stay relevant, saying that the circumstances made him relevant and his podcast touched on news events.

Mr. Cohen, you have financial incentive to criticize President Trump, dont you?

Yes.

Ms. Habba is trying to have Mr. Cohen impeached as a witness.

She showed articles where Mr. Cohen praised President Trump in interviews with the media, before he became a vocal critic of the former president and GOP frontrunner. As President Trumps personal attorney, Mr. Cohen said he was speaking to reporters every day.

His comments about President Trump from that period were glowing endorsements, such as telling Sean Hannity hes the greatest negotiator on the planet, hes presidential, and a comment to Vanity Fair that he would take a bullet for him.

Ms. Habba showed a testimony under oath Mr. Cohen gave to the Permanent Select Committee in 2019, where he said he could not ever recall President Trump or Mr. Weisselberg asking him to inflate the numbers in the SFCs. Ms. Habba asked whether he told the truth under oath in that testimony.

No.

Trump Speaks About Clerk, Judge Responds11:55 AM

During a break, President Trump told reporters Mr. Cohen was a convicted felon and a liar and hr had confidence the facts were in his favor.

He also presumably spoke about Justice Engorons clerk, calling her a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is.

When the trial resumed, Justice Engoron reminded the court of the gag order he issued on Oct. 3, prohibiting anyone from speaking about his staff.

Why should there not be severe sanctions? Justice Engoron said.

Trump attorney Christopher Kise said that his client was referring to Mr. Cohen sitting in the witness stand beside the judge, not the judges clerk.

The person sitting alongside him, the way I would interpret those words is my principal clerk, the judge responded.

President Trump did not respond in court.

Ill take the whole matter under advisement, Justice Engoron said.

Sidebar10:35 AM

The judge called for an off-record sidebar with attorneys after Ms. Habba pointed out additional discrepancies in Mr. Cohens interview.

Mr. Cohen confirmed he worked on the 2015 SFCs, which showed President Trump had a net worth of $6.5 billion. Then Ms. Habba entered into evidence an interview Mr. Cohen gave with CNN two weeks after the 2015 SFC was finalized, where Mr. Cohen said he considered himself to be a real estate expert and claimed President Trumps net worth was in excess of $10 billion, and his properties were second to none.

Mr. Cohen was evasive when being questioned by Ms. Habba about the CNN interview.

Justice Engoron asked Ms. Habba to not comment on the answers, and just ask questions.

In Mr. Cohens interviews with the Manhattan District Attorneys office, the New York District Attorneys staff was also present, he said.

I gave them a roadmap, Mr. Cohen said.

Trump Attorneys Accuse Michael Cohen of Perjury10:15 AM

Ms. Habba continued to ask Mr. Cohen about his guilty plea. On Tuesday, he revealed during his testimony that he had lied to a judge when he pleaded guilty to his tax evasion charges. He said in court, and previously during his deposition, that he did not believe he was guilty at all and lied to the judge when he took the plea.

Ms. Habba characterized it as perjury.

Prosecutors objected to this line of questioning as irrelevant.

Theres nothing wrong with calling a liar a liar, said Trump attorney Christopher Kise. Perjury is perjury. The attorney general is trying to cover for a defective witness.

Perjury implies a conviction, Justice Engoron said, asking the attorneys to just say he lied.

Mr. Kise disagreed, saying perjury doesnt require a conviction and that Mr. Cohens actions could lead to one.

Ms. Habba asked Mr. Cohen whether he and Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg took pen to paper to the SFCs.

He said no.

Ms. Habba then pulled up Mr. Cohens deposition where he told Ms. Habba that he and Mr. Weisselberg did not edit the asset values on computers.

It was handwritten, he said in the deposition. He added that they would bring their edits directly to President Trump.

Ms. Habba continued to question Mr. Cohen, stopping each time he gave a different answer from what he said in his deposition, which was also given under oath. For instance, he previously said Mazars accountant Donald Bender would continuously be at the Trump Tower offices and was given the SFCs once they were finalized. On the witness stand, he said Mr. Bender was not at the offices continuously, but regularly.

The judge said the two clearly mean different things.

Trump Addresses Reporters9:58 AM

Unlike Tuesday, President Trump spoke with the press at length before the trial, delaying his entrance into the courtroom to discuss the House Speaker race.

He then claimed the trial has only shown what a strong company he had built, revealing valuations are higher than what he originally claimed.

Its a witch hunt, its just a bad trial, he said.

He also answered questions about the attorneys who have taken plea deals in the Fulton County, Georgia case against him. Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors, and Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis each pleaded guilty to one felony. All avoided jail time and will serve probation instead, and cooperate with prosecutors.

He also commented on the recent ABC story claiming his former chief of staff Mark Meadows testified against him in return for immunity in a federal criminal case.

President Trump stood by his codefendants, saying they had been persecuted by partisan prosecutors for years, and pleaded out so they could avoid lengthy prison sentences.

Some people would never make that decision, other people would, he said.

Mark Meadows always felt it was rigged, it was rigged and stolen, he said.

Trump Warns of Republican Retaliation8:15 AM

President Trump posted to social media Wednesday morning of his return to court, blasting the judge while saying he was not allowed a jury trial under the statute they have chosen to use (for the very first time ever!).

The good news, that even the Fake News is seeing, is that the facts are ALL on my side! I BUILT A GREAT COMPANY, FAR BIGGER & STRONGER THAN ANYONE HAD ASSUMED! This is a RIGGED TRIAL, right out of a Banana Republic, he added.

He also warned that retaliation could come with the next Republican administration.

Sadly, it gives the Republicans the right to do the same thing when we assume officeAnd remember, Crooked Joe Biden is the most CORRUPT (and Incompetent!) President in the history of the U.S., VERY FERTILE GROUND THERE, but very bad for our Country! This unfair political Witch Hunt is causing companies to leave New York at a record pace. They dont want this to happen to them!

From The Epoch Times
CHESTERTON  Longtime Gary firefighter Sean O'Donnell was named this week as the new chief of the Chesterton Fire Department, the town reported.

O'Donnell had served with the Gary department for nearly 26 years and was chief from January 2020 through August of this year.

"My whole career has been in Gary," the 48-year-old said. "Its been a wonderful city and it will always mean a lot to me for the opportunity that I was given."

But O'Donnell said it was time for a change.

"Going into a small department, its a nice change," he said. "And I knew about Chesterton. Its always been a nice community. I think theres some opportunities to do some things. Theres a lot of growth here. This town has grown over the years. Its not a sleepy one-horse town at all."

"I hope to bring to the Chesterton Fire Department a good sense of camaraderie, togetherness with the men and women of the department, great relationships," O'Donnell said. "And pride. Letting the community really know who we are and what we do."

The Chesterton Town Council unanimously agreed Monday to name O'Donnell as the town's new fire chief.

O'Donnell was 15 when his family moved from Philadelphia to Crown Point.

"By the time he was 18 or 19, ODonnell was already volunteering with the Merrillville FD," Chesterton officials said.

Region mom remembers 15-year-old son as 'bright, shining light' ahead of Saturday's funeral "This is the most profound loss to me but I want him to rest in peace and remember him for all the love he poured into the world."

While his grandfather was a firefighter, O'Donnell decided to pursue the career himself while working in a video rental store.

"Gary firefighters would come in there and rent videos and I got to talking with them," he said. "Then I started riding. Gary had a ride-along program where volunteers with other departments could ride and actually fight fires. I was a rider before I came on the job."

He joined the Gary department in 1998 and rose through the ranks.

"I came on the job and learned a lot under officers that were legendary in the fire service," he said. "They made you a fireman."
A herd of life-sized bison, a swarm of Monarch butterflies swirling overhead and soaring sandhill cranes greet visitors to Indiana's newest highway rest stop.

The Kankakee Welcome Center by Roselawn on Interstate 65, the first rest stop on the major highway between Chicagoland and Indianapolis, underwent a major $38.4 million overhaul and will soon reopen to the public. It replaced a half-century-old facility in Jasper County that previously offered little more than restrooms, vending machines, a smattering of brochures and a map with a pin saying, 'You are here.'"

The eastern rest stop on northbound I-65 will have expanded truck parking and utilitarian restrooms. The western rest stop on southbound I-65 that welcomes people driving down to central Indiana however is a massive building with eye-popping architecture designed to resemble a windmill and evoke the Indiana Dunes. It now looks like a Frank Gehry building with wind turbine blades on the roof, deep blue glass symbolizing Lake Michigan and curving ripples of steel meant to represent the Indiana Dunes and local steel mills.

"In all of my travels across the country, I've never seen anything like this behind me," INDOT LaPorte District Deputy Commissioner Matt Deitchley said. "It's very exciting. It's good for the state of Indiana. It's good for INDOT. It's good for motorists across our state as well."

The interior almost resembles a museum with educational displays about the dunes, local astronauts, the steel industry, the Battle of Tippecanoe, the Feast of the Hunters' Moon, butterfly migration, prairie restoration, buffalo and how the Kankakee Marsh is known as the Everglades of the North. A terrazzo floor displays a large Indiana State Seal under ceilings so high-vaulted they could be in a cathedral. Educational videos teach visitors about Northwest Indiana and the rest of the state. Visitors can walk inside a life-sized modern wind turbine base to learn more about the local wind industry and look up at a hologram lid that makes it appear it's 160 feet tall.

There's also a 20-foot-tall historic grass reed-thatched windmill tilted at by life-sized metal statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza on horseback.

Outside, there's five-foot-tall letters spelling out Indiana, a pond with a 400-foot-long boardwalk flanked with windmill blades painted by local artists and a 219-foot-long wind turbine blade donated by the local wind farm that Indianapolis-based muralist Koda Witsken painted deer, birds and flowers on. Visitors can go to the back of the wind turbine blade to peek inside.

Three smaller windmills spin near a state-of-the-art playground with a climbing wall a rope, a modern tire-like swing and other amenities. There are also fitness shelters, picnic shelters and a dog park. A mile-long walking path spans the scenic retention pond, which is ringed by native plant species and will be stocked for catch-and-release fishing.

"Rest stops have come a long way. This is fantastic," Gov. Eric Holcomb said. "Just think about how far we've come over the last few years. That just shows all the progress that we're making. We're thankful our economy is growing so that we can get to long-overdue projects. A lot of projects sat on shelves for a lot of years gathering dust. There were wish lists and to-do lists we were dreaming about getting to if we only had the resources to do it. Because our economy is growing, we're able to attend to projects that needed to be done long ago."

It's part of a statewide program that will upgrade welcome centers. The new Terre Haute Welcome Center off Interstate 70 for instance will display four race cars and have an Indianapolis 500 theme reflecting the Hulman family's longtime presence there while the Evansville Welcome Center will be inspired by suspension bridges over the Ohio River.

"This is one of the keystones and crown jewels in a 10-year, $600 million-plus modernization of the fleet of rest stops and welcome centers in the state," INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said.

The goal is to make a positive first impression on visitors.

"There's a dog park here folks. We've got a children's play area," Holcomb said. "We've got an artist's lens on what's important in the northwest quadrant of our state: wind and waves and a wind blade, putting it together on one canvas. It shows what this area means to the state and what our state means to the world at large. It pulls it all in: the interstates, the water port business, the wind and energy, and all these different sectors that contribute to our economy. Visitors can make a pit stop here and get educated and find out there's a lot more to discover in Indiana."

Calumet City- and Munster-based Hasse Construction built the new Kankakee Welcome Center near the Kankakee River at mile marker 231 on I-65 southbound. It's the single largest contract Hasse Construction ever received.

It was designed by Architect Jay Smith with Fosse & Associates in Evansville.

The new Kankakee Valley Welcome Center adds 150 more semi-trailer truck parking spots on the southbound side of I-65 and more than 75 more truck spots on the northbound side, Smith said.

"It's great when you talk about all the freight taken through the Crossroads of America," Smith said. "Both in-state and out-of-state visitors will enjoy approved amenities. As a father of five, I'll just reiterate a play area for the kids to get out of the car and do a bit of stretching of their legs will be valued by families. There's creativity here that helps tell our story as a state. We're highlighting Northwest Indiana, the Indiana Dunes National Park, local industry, the steel and windmill trades, the Kankakee Sands and, coming soon, attractions relative to Fair Oaks Farms."

But the biggest improvement is to public safety as fatal accidents have grown by 25% over the past decade as the result of smartphones and other distractions, Smith said. About 980 people died on state highways last year with the number one cause being cars leaving the roadway.

The federal government put up about $33.5 million of the expense, Federal Highway Administration Division Administrator Jermaine Hannon said.

"Truck parking shortages are a national concern affecting the efficiency of U.S. supply chains and the safety of our truck drivers and other highway users," he said. "The trucking industry is vital to the U.S. economy with trucks moving over 73% of our nation's goods by value. Projects like the Kankakee Valley Welcome Center improve truck parking while making our highways safer for the entire traveling public. Without adequate truck parking, truck drivers may park in unsafe locations like highway shoulders, vacant lots, exit ramps and local streets."

The project has been under construction for the past two years.

"Living in Lake County for 13 years, I think this is one of the best places in the state and could not be more proud of how well this rest area turned out, how it captured the culture and personality of the Region," Indiana Department of Administration Commissioner Rebecca Holwerda said. "I think rest areas kind of help you gauge the health of the state. This is one small example of how Hoosiers, travelers and people passing through for work are going to take notice. This is a clean and safe spot that really showcases our history and our innovation. I think this rest area really highlights the health of Indiana."
Thai telcoms player Jasmine Group and Korean telco KT Corp have revealed plan to co-develop an AI language model that supports the Thai language.

According to The Korea Herald, Jasmine Group will construct a GPU farm within a new data centre owned by its telecoms service arm JasTel. The GPU farm  which should be finished in the first half of next year  will provide the processing power for the AI model.

KT will contribute research and lessons learned from its experience with its upcoming artificial intelligence service Mi:dm to develop the Thai AI language model. Mi:dm, which uses KTs in-house Korean language model, will be launched later this month.

Jasmine Group expects to launch the Thai language model later next year, and use it to bring AI services to other markets in Southeast Asia, including Laos and Cambodia.

A KT official told newspaper that the telco aims to use its Mi:dm service to help other countries develop non-English language models to counter the heavy English presence in generative AI models.

When it comes to GPT-3, one of the most representative language models, English is known to make up 92.6 % of its data processing, while Korean and Thai remain at 0.016 % and 0.013 %, the official said. Due to a lack of learning data, it has limitations in understanding the cultural and social contexts of a country.
NIPSCO is looking to raise natural gas base rates by an estimated 10.6%, or $8 a month for the average residential customers.

The Merrillville-based utility raised electric rates in August in a multiphase rate hike that will cost customers 10%, or about $12 a month, more when in full effect next year.

NIPSCO is asking the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to approve the new rate hike to pay for infrastructure modernization, system improvements and economic development projects. It also would deliver higher returns to the utility's shareholders.

The company, a subsidiary of NiSource, plans to invest $1.1 billion through the end of next year.

Natural gas is a vital and critical resource to many  ranging from the manufacturing industry to home heating, NIPSCO President Mike Hooper said in the utility's announcement of the rate hike request. Required investments such as these align with our focus to continually improve customer service, enhance the availability and reliability of our natural gas system, and provide an infrastructure to support new jobs and economic growth.

The public will get the chance to weigh in on the proposed rate hike, which state regulators will take about a year to review.

As a regulated energy provider, we have a responsibility to replace older parts of our system, reduce potential risks, meet a host of federal compliance requirements, and improve the robustness and safety of our system for our approximately 859,000 natural gas customers and the communities we serve across 32 counties, Hooper said.

NIPSCO must get approval to raise its rates. Utilities are regulated by the state as most are monopolies that are immune to competition in the market place that would otherwise help keep prices in check.

The rate hike would not affect electric rates or the cost of natural gas itself, which is set by the market and which NIPSCO passes on directly to the customer without markup. The rate hike would apply to the cost of delivering natural gas.

NIPSCO is asking for a two-phase rate hike that would fully go into effect by March 2025. The exact amount bills would go up would vary by user and whether the customer is residential or commercial.

The utility plans to install new smart technologies to detect leaks, to provide gas to industrial customers and to install 26 miles of new 24-inch natural gas steel pipeline and 7.75 miles of new 30-inch natural gas steel pipeline.

It plans to modernize and upgrade existing natural gas lines and build new gas pipelines to support new businesses, such as by extending 18.5 miles of 24-inch steel pipeline to StarPlus Energy JV's $3.2 billion investment in Kokomo, which is expected to create 1,300 jobs.

NIPSCO also said it would expand bill payment assistance for low-income customers, including seniors, active-duty military and veterans. For more information, visit nipsco.com/assistance or call 800-464-7726.
The first South Shore Line trains to carry passengers through Michigan City and eastern Porter County in more than a year were on the move Wednesday as the railroad shortened the distance it buses riders while the Double Track NWI project continues.

Passengers will continue to be bused between Dune Park Station and Gary Metro Center until the project is completed next spring, but Wednesdays reopening of the eastern stretch of the project territory marked Double Tracks most visible change to the landscape.

In what the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District described as a milestone achievement, the South Shore began running on new street-side tracks from its Carroll Avenue Station through Michigan City on the way to and from Dune Park Station in Porter.

The nostalgia-laden but speed- and safety-challenged track that ran down the middle of 10th and 11th streets was consigned to history as the Double Track project ramped up in 2021 and 2022.

The decision to maintain that Central Corridor route with double-tracking was made in 2013, when negotiations between NICTD and Michigan City yielded an agreement that balanced the operational needs of the railroad and the economic development hopes of the city.

The project includes closure of 21 at-grade rail crossings in the city and conversion of 11th Street to one-way eastbound traffic between Chicago Avenue and Michigan Boulevard, allowing room for the second track and allowing trains to run faster. And for the city, the route helps open significant opportunities for development, including at the 11th Street Station, where construction is expected to begin this year on a new station and parking garage for the railroad and on an accompanying mixed-use development that would fill the city block with residences and businesses.

Besides the Michigan City work, the $650 million Double Track NWI project includes new platforms at Miller, Portage/Odgen Dunes, Dune Park and Beverly Shores stations, with a new station building in Miller, four new bridges and expanded parking.

The South Shore issued a new train schedule that took effect Wednesday and is available on its website at mysouthshoreline.com.

As we celebrate this achievement, NICTD said in announcing the change, we extend our gratitude to our riders, our employees, the communities impacted, and all those involved for their steadfast support and patience during this construction period.
The New York Police Department wrongly denied a Brooklyn man a firearm license because of his many traffic violations, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, a decision that could stop the city from considering moral character when deciding whether someone can have a gun.

The case in the Southern District of New York centered on Joseph Srour, a Brooklyn man rejected twice after he applied in 2018 to keep rifles, guns and shotguns in his home for protection.

Mr. Srour challenged the departments decision to reject his application based on the citys administrative code, which allows a licensing agency, in this case the Police Department, to deny a firearm permit if it determines that an applicant lacks good moral character or for other good cause.

In his decision, Judge John Cronan, nominated to the bench in 2019 by then President Donald Trump, wrote that the department used broad and unrestrained standards when considering Mr. Srours case.
One of Mayor Eric Adamss closest advisers is being formally investigated over a violent incident at a Manhattan migrant center, people with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

The inquiry by the citys Department of Investigation is the latest scandal involving Timothy Pearson, the longtime confidant of the mayor, who left his private sector position at the Resorts World New York City casino last year after The New York Times reported he was drawing two salaries and a police pension while working for the casino and City Hall.

The investigation, which has not been reported before and is in its early stages, focuses on a physical altercation between Mr. Pearson, a retired police inspector, and security officers at a migrant respite center he tried to inspect.

Multiple witness statements acquired by The City, which first reported the altercation, and The New York Times described Mr. Pearson seeking to enter the Midtown Manhattan migrant center on the afternoon of Oct. 17. He appeared to be offended when multiple workers asked that he produce identification, in keeping with migrant center protocols.
FRONT PAGE

An article on Tuesday about Gov. Gavin Newsoms efforts to export Californias climate policies misstated the share of jobs linked to oil drilling in California. It is 0.2 percent, not 2 percent.

NATIONAL

An article on Sunday about the importance of Lahainas history in rebuilding after a devastating wildfire on Maui misstated the year that the Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown. It was 1893, not 1898.

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Over the weekend, something happened to Ivanka Trump that hasnt occurred since before her father was elected president: Celebrities were willing to be seen with her.

On Friday night, Ms. Trump, an adviser in former President Donald J. Trumps White House, attended Kim Kardashians 43rd birthday party at Funke Restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif., where she was photographed posing with Ms. Kardashian and Lauren Sanchez, the fiancee of Jeff Bezos, in a photo that Ms. Kardashian and Ms. Trump both shared on social media.

Also in the tableau: Lydia Kives, the wife of the former Hollywood agent Michael Kives; and Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, who is married to the venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Other attendees included the models Hailey Bieber, Kimora Lee Simmons and various members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan.

So blessed to have hit the jackpot of friends! Ms. Kardashian wrote under a carousel of photos she shared on Instagram to her 364 million followers  including the snap with Ms. Trump, in what counted as the biggest public show of support for Ms. Trump from an A-list celebrity in years.
American intelligence officials said Tuesday they now had high confidence that the blast at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza last week was the result of a Palestinian rocket that broke up mid-flight, and that no Israeli weapon was involved in the explosion.

The officials said, however, that numerous mysteries still remained about the incident. Those include how many people were killed or injured when, by the U.S. account, the warhead of a Palestinian rocket landed in the parking lot of the hospital. But they said there was little damage to the hospital itself, and no collapse of the structure.

U.S. intelligence agencies released no new imagery or other new evidence to make their case. Instead, they said their strengthened assessment came from Israeli intercepts of Palestinian armed groups and publicly available video. Those videos, the U.S. officials said, allowed them to assess that the rocket was launched from Gaza and, after a catastrophic motor failure, the warhead fell on the hospitals parking lot. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said there was no evidence an Israeli launch could have been responsible.

A U.S. intelligence official said the analysis of the videos has focused primarily on one recorded by Al Jazeera, though there are multiple videos of projectiles in the skies and the explosion at the hospital. The U.S. intelligence analysis of the Al Jazeera video is at odds with a New York Times investigation, which found that the projectile shown in that video and others was launched from Israel and exploded well away from the hospital. A spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said The Times and intelligence agencies had different interpretations of the video.
Pediatricians and parents are having difficulty accessing a new immunization used to prevent severe respiratory syncytial virus infections in infants.

The drug, called nirsevimab and sold under the brand name Beyfortus, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially recommended that it be given to all infants who are less than 8 months old, and to children 8 to 19 months old who have an increased risk for severe R.S.V.

But the demand for nirsevimab has exceeded the supply  right as R.S.V. season has started to pick up. On Monday, the C.D.C. issued an alert about the drugs limited availability and said doctors who currently have doses should prioritize babies who are at the highest risk for severe infections: those who are less than 6 months old and infants who are immunocompromised or have an underlying health condition, such as cystic fibrosis.

To many experts, these revised recommendations make sense, given the supply restrictions. The vast majority of the severe illness and hospitalization is in kids in the first six months of life, said Dr. Coleen Cunningham, the chair of pediatrics at the University of California Irvine and pediatrician in chief for Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Yes, theres still plenty of kids getting sick beyond six months, but theyre much less likely to become seriously ill, she said.
The term killer clown would normally send me running for the hills. But I was curious about this 2021 six-episode Peacock docuseries, which is a comprehensive exploration of the crimes committed by the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who preyed on boys and men and was sentenced on 33 counts of homicide in 1980. Gacy, who had been a respected and well-connected figure in his Chicago community and who performed for children as Pogo the Clown, was executed at an Illinois prison in 1994.

Along with interviews of investigators, a sister of Gacys and family members of victims  as well as film of the excavation of his home, under which dozens of bodies were buried  the series includes a great deal of previously unseen footage of a 1992 interview with Gacy by the F.B.I. profiler Robert Ressler, who is credited with creating the term serial killer. (For Mindhunter fans, Ressler inspired the character of Special Agent Bill Tench.) Most indelible to me is how utterly ordinary and unremarkable Gacy seemed.

While serial killers like him have often been too heavily glorified, there is value in not forgetting the systemic failures that allowed such horrors to continue unchecked. Much as they did with the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer, the police ignored warnings and pushed aside clues, including pleas from a victim whod survived, because of entrenched homophobia.
Men with shaved heads, their bodies caked in white powder, move with exacting slowness. Their motions and poses are often inscrutable, but their faces are sometimes telegraphic, contorting into open-mouthed expressions of amusement or agony as readable as the masks of comedy and tragedy.

Sankai Juku, the all-male Japanese company, which has been touring the world for nearly 50 years with a popularized version of the Japanese style Butoh, returned to the Joyce Theater on Tuesday for a two-week run. The groups 80-minute show, Kosa, is a bit of a greatest-hits program, a series of excerpts strung together from older works. Sankai Juku is usually known for its spare yet spectacular set design, but Kosa has almost no decor. As a result, the choreography and essential vision of the artistic director, Ushio Amagatsu, stand exposed, and the exposure is brutal.

If only, along with the sets, the company had discarded its music  always the worst part of the Sankai Juku experience. But the relaxing-classical Muzak is still here, cut for cheap effect with distorted electric guitar or the screams and booms of rockets and explosions. Its as if we were in a massage parlor where a dystopian movie is playing.
Malaysias Bank Rakyat has tied up with CelcomDigi to boost its digital banking services, starting with providing 5G connectivity to its fleet of portable banking vehicles.

Under the partnership, CelcomDigi will support Bank Rakyat with end-to-end smart banking solutions for all types of connectivity as the bank undergoes digital transformation to boost operational efficiencies, improve customer service and future-proof its banking operations.

In the initial phase, CelcomDigi will install 5G connectivity in Bank Rakyat's Bank Bergerak fleet of vehicles that serve as portable bank branches, particularly in underserved and rural areas. Bank Rakyat says outfitting the vehicles with 5G will enable smoother transactions and real-time updates during banking activities no matter where the Bank Bergerak is located.

Bank Rakyat adds that CelcomDigi will also provide solutions to ensure seamless 5G connectivity in some of Bank Rakyat branches across Malaysia, as well as enhancing the security and surveillance for off-premises, further safeguarding customers transactions.

Beyond that, Bank Rakyat said it also plans to explore digital IoT opportunities, especially in cloud and cybersecurity solutions. Bank CEO Dato Dr. Mohammad Hanis Osman said this would pave the way for more digitalization solutions and applications that will help the bank stay competitive in the digital economy.

We are creating this synergy to further enhance customers' banking experience with stable technology applications and a secure business environment, especially in extending financial services to the unbanked, unreached, and underserved communities, he said. This initiative also aims to address financial inclusion and catalyse the advancement and flourishing of small and medium-sized enterprises.
El Museo del Barrio, a Manhattan museum dedicated to Puerto Rican and Latin American art, decided not to display an artwork it had commissioned for its annual Dia de los Muertos celebrations this month after the artists included a Palestinian flag in it.

The museum then canceled a fund-raiser planned for Tuesday night where the new artwork, Recorder y Unificar (Remember and Unite), was to have been prominently displayed, saying that at this moment when so many are suffering it was encouraging donors to contribute to relief efforts.

The artists who created Recorder y Unificar, Roy Baizan and Odalys Burgoa, said that museum officials raised objections to the inclusion of the Palestinian flag last week but that they had refused to remove it, seeing it as integral to a work that is in part about political resistance and commemorating the dead. The piece paid homage to traditional altars for Day of the Dead celebrations, with milk crates and tall candles alongside sections dedicated to groups like the Young Lords and thinkers like Frantz Fanon.

We were commemorating lots of activists, said Baizan, 27. It was about saying that all our struggles are interconnected.

At one point the artists suggested that the museum could include a disclaimer, noting that the work represented the views of the artists but not the museum. After several days of negotiations, Baizan said, the museum decided not to display the work, which was installed in its cafe, and blacked out the windows to the cafe. The decision not to display the artwork was reported earlier by Hyperallergic.

Burgoa, 29, said that the Palestinian flag is the reason the altar is censored and to me thats wrong.

Patrick Charpenel, the executive director of museum, which is on Fifth Avenue near 104th Street, did not respond to requests for comment.

The museum said in a statement that Baizan had made a last-minute modification to the altar without further consultation or approval from El Museo as required by our contract with them.

They converted the altar from a religious and cultural symbol into a political statement, the museum said.

The museum said that its decision to cancel the fund-raiser Tuesday night was separate from its issues with the artists and the work they created. It said that public Dia de los Muertos events for the community would move forward.

The decision not to display the newly commissioned work was another example of how differences over the Israel-Hamas war are straining artists and cultural institutions. After 92NY canceled an event last week with the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen because of statements Nguyen had made criticizing Israel, other authors canceled speaking engagements there, some members of its staff resigned and its marquee literary program was put on hold.

Burgoa and Baizan disputed the idea that they had injected politics into the altar at the last minute. They said that a September version of their proposal had highlighted plans to include revolutionary figures including Hiram Maristany, a photographer and member of the Young Lords who led El Museo in the 1970s.

Burgoa pointed to text that the museum had approved on a painting behind the altar that said, The police, immigration police, is the same garbage. She said that the phrase came from a banner she saw during the 2020 George Floyd protests.

They knew it was political, she said.

The museum said the artwork is still in its cafe, which is currently closed, and that it plans to pay the artists for the commission.
For years, one of the great architectural twofers in the city has been the view up and down Fifth Avenue from the pedestrian plaza next to the park, south toward the Flatiron Building, north toward the Empire State. When I reached the plaza I turned to admire the Flatiron, as usual. But the view north had changed.

The Empire State Building is gone, or almost.

From much of the plaza, yet another anorexic supertall for squillionaires, rising at 29th Street, now blots it out.

A generation ago, the New York skyline was a global icon, shaped more or less like a suspension bridge stretched between the Empire State and the Twin Towers, making it possible to, say, pop out of some unfamiliar subway station, gaze up toward the clouds and orient oneself along the skylines north-south axis. Today, the skyline is vastly more complex, far-flung and difficult to picture, and its common to hear complaints that the city has lost its bearings.
Melt the world away, lose its details, dissolve its borders; it doesnt sound like such an unwelcome prospect right now. The most substantial Mark Rothko retrospective in a generation has opened at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and it is a show of monumental dispersion: a pull-out-all-the-stops blockbuster where life passes into vapor.

From 1949, when his early figurative pictures finally liquefied into stains of translucent color, Rothko painted with no allusions, no particulars. Over and over, in soft-edged blocks layered on filmy backgrounds, he modeled a commitment to abstraction that charged at the hardest questions of life and art through refusal of the easy path. A lot of people find his large paintings consoling, or seek the Romantic sublime in the depths of his reds and violets. Rothko never thought of them as peaceable. Behind the color lies the cataclysm, he said in 1959  a citation that rarely makes the auction preview catalogs.

His misty abstractions are now so beloved, and their prices so elevated (one was for sale for $40 million at Paris+, the Art Basel spinoff here last week), that we might feel we know Rothko backward and forward. Yet its been 25 whole years since the last full-scale exhibition, organized by the National Gallery of Art in Washington and later seen at the Whitney in New York. To mount a Rothko retrospective of this scale  there are 115 works at the Fondation Vuitton, spanning all four floors of its Frank Gehry-designed glass schooner in the Bois de Boulogne  is a far heavier lift than it was in 1998, now that costs have reached such extremes that almost no public museum could afford it.
Some darknesses refuse to fade, the poet Danielle DeTiberus observed after contemplating Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. Having recently seen the dark paintings by Pierre Soulages at Levy Gorvy Dayan gallery, in Manhattan, the poets lyric resonated.

DeTiberus, in The Artist Signs Her Masterpiece, Immodestly, sees in Gentileschis depiction of a revenge killing the assertion of her agency. Sometimes we come to a fuller reckoning of ourselves through the most Stygian passageways. The work of Soulages, a French artist who died last year at age 102, after more than 70 years in persistent investigation of black paint, convinces me that, for him, the truth was not only that the darknesses didnt fade, but that his curiosity and conviction that he would continue to make discoveries in the dark also didnt wane.

Other artists have made similar excursions. Lee Bontecou created sculptures in which a black, seductive void threatens to swallow the viewer whole. Franz Kline fashioned black calligraphic lines that look like the errant script of some drunken, primordial god. Kerry James Marshall used jet black skin tones to make Black people seem like human archetypes birthed from a subterranean womb. Ad Reinhardt painted subtly dark canvases at the edge of our eyes scotopic capabilities, their hues legible only after prolonged looking.
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep  and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.

You Will Be Googled

Representative Tom Emmer, Republican of Minnesota, was nominated for speaker of the House on Tuesday before withdrawing because of a lack of support from the right.

Jimmy Kimmel joked that it was just the latest history-making delay of the House ungaveling before our eyes.
Gaza is running out of fuel

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepened yesterday as Israel said it had conducted wide-scale strikes and again warned residents in Gaza to flee south ahead of a possible invasion.

Fuel shortages in the enclave have grown so dire that UNRWA, the U.N. agency that helps Palestinians, said that it might have to start shutting down its operations. Israel has so far refused to allow in more fuel, arguing that it could fall into the hands of Hamas.

With shortages of fuel, medicine and other supplies, the World Health Organization said that 12 of Gazas 35 hospitals were not functioning, and that seven major hospitals were well over capacity.

E.U. leaders were to meet in Brussels today to call for a humanitarian pause that would allow more aid deliveries into Gaza. In Washington, President Biden said the U.S. was working with partners in the region to speed aid to those who need it most. The U.N. said Gaza needs at least 100 aid trucks a day. Sixty-two trucks have arrived since Saturday.
In the past three weeks, House Republicans have dumped their party leader  Speaker Kevin McCarthy  and repeatedly failed to elect the candidate whom they had nominated to replace McCarthy.

They cant seem to find anyone who can win the 217 votes needed for a House majority. There are currently 221 Republicans in the House, and at least a handful has opposed every candidate so far. The result is a political mess with little precedent in the U.S. Congress.

Yesterday afternoon, Republicans nominated Tom Emmer, a relative moderate from Minnesota, to be the next speaker, choosing him from a field of seven candidates. But Emmer dropped out of the race hours later, an acknowledgment that he too lacked the votes to become speaker. Too many right-wing members objected to him, and Donald Trump attacked him on social media as totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters.

Last night, Republicans chose yet another nominee: Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a hard-line conservative. Johnson will now try to win enough support to become speaker. He is Republicans fourth nominee in recent weeks, after Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise and Emmer.
Biden administration officials, worried that a growing conflict in the Middle East could send global oil prices soaring, are looking for ways to hold down American gasoline prices if such a jump occurs.

Those efforts include discussions with large oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia that are holding back supply and with American oil producers that have the ability to pump more than they already are producing, administration officials say.

A senior administration official said in an interview that it was also possible that President Biden could authorize a new round of releases from the nations Strategic Petroleum Reserve, an emergency stockpile of crude oil that is stored in underground salt caverns near the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Biden tapped the reserve aggressively last year after Russias invasion of Ukraine sent oil prices skyrocketing, leaving the amount of oil in those reserves at historically low levels.

The conflict in the Middle East has not yet sent oil prices surging. A barrel of Brent crude oil was trading for about $88 on global markets on Wednesday. That was up from about $84 earlier this month, shortly before Hamas attacked Israel and rattled markets. But analysts and administration officials fear prices could rise significantly more if the conflict in Israel spreads, restricting the flow of oil out of Iran or other major producers in the region.
Exxon Mobil and Chevron, the two largest U.S. oil companies, this month committed to spending more than $50 billion each to buy smaller companies in deals that would let them produce more oil and natural gas for decades to come.

But a day after Chevron announced its acquisition, the International Energy Agency released an exhaustive report concluding that demand for oil, gas and other fossil fuels would peak by 2030 as sales of electric cars and use of renewable energy surged.

The disconnect between what oil companies and many energy experts think will happen in the coming years has never been quite this stark.

Big oil companies are doubling down on drilling for oil and gas and processing it into fuels for use in engines, power plants and industrial machinery. And, with only a few exceptions, they are not spending much on alternatives like wind and solar power and electric-car batteries.
A salmonella outbreak linked to packages of diced onions has sickened at least 73 people across 22 states, 15 of whom were treated at hospitals, public health officials said.

Gills Onions, a California-based company, voluntarily recalled packages of diced yellow onions, red onions, and onions and celery, as well as a mix of onions, celery and carrots known as mirepoix. The products had use-by dates of August 2023, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

The onions were sold in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington at retail sites that included Stater Bros. Markets, Bashas and Smart & Final stores.

Gills Onions said in a statement that it was voluntarily recalling the products out of an abundance of caution.
If you happen to attend one of the 10 schools in New Jerseys South Orange and Maplewood school district, put away that Spiderman costume on Halloween. Or wait until after school.

Earlier this month, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, the superintendent of the district, sent a letter to parents saying that Halloween would not be celebrated during school hours. The decision was, the letter said, an effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion meaningfully.

School districts like the one in South Orange and Maplewood have chosen to not hold Halloween celebrations in an effort to be more inclusive to students either who do not celebrate the holiday for religious reasons, or whose families cannot afford elaborate costumes.

The announcement from Dr. Taylor divided families in the district. Some fully supported the decision, pointing out that some of the elementary schools had already stopped celebrating the holiday, whereas other parents saw this as liberal good intentions going off the rails.
David Greenfield, a psychologist and founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction in West Hartford, Conn., said the devices lure users with some powerful tactics. One is intermittent reinforcement, which creates the idea that a user could get a reward at any time. But when the reward comes is unpredictable. Just like a slot machine, he said. As with a slot machine, users are beckoned with lights and sounds but, even more powerful, information and reward tailored to a users interests and tastes.

Adults are susceptible, he noted, but young people are particularly at risk, because the brain regions that are involved in resisting temptation and reward are not nearly as developed in children and teenagers as in adults. Theyre all about impulse and not a lot about the control of that impulse, Dr. Greenfield said of young consumers.

Moreover, he said, the adolescent brain is especially attuned to social connections, and social media is all a perfect opportunity to connect with other people.

Meta responded to the lawsuit by saying that it had taken many steps to support families and teenagers. Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path, the company said in a statement.

Does Compulsion Equal Addiction?

For many years, the scientific community typically defined addiction in relation to substances, such as drugs, and not behaviors, such as gambling or internet use. That has gradually changed. In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the official reference for mental health conditions, introduced the idea of internet gaming addiction but said that more study was warranted before the condition could be formally declared.
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

In 2021, when patrons were wary but excited to return to restaurants after long Covid-19 shutdowns, the Food section at The New York Times published its first national restaurant list. After months of visiting hallowed establishments and plucky upstarts across the country, reporters and editors chose the 50 restaurants in the United States they were most excited about.

The team published similar national lists in 2022 and in September of this year; the Food section also regularly helps readers decide where to make a reservation in New York. But now the initiative has expanded to include lists from other cities, with restaurant picks catered to locals and visitors alike.

Over the past few weeks, The Times has published its first round of local guides, naming the 25 best restaurants in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans and, most recently, Philadelphia. The guides are not permanent judgments, but fluid documents that will be updated as restaurants change and tastes evolve.

We dont pretend to say these are, once and for all, the 25 best restaurants, said Brian Gallagher, an editor leading the project, called Where to Eat: 25 Best. Theres no credible way to do that. But what the guides can do, he said, is share the flavor of a city right now, or inspire readers to try something new.
I asked Ana Ley, who covers transit in New York, to discuss why the attack focused renewed attention on subway platforms and whether they can be made safer.

The incident renewed pressure for the agency to install more protective features, like platform barriers that could at least keep riders from falling onto the tracks. How hard would that be? How expensive?

The answers to those questions depend on whom you ask and what kind of barriers youre talking about.

The most expensive option being considered are platform screen doors that resemble those in other major transit systems in London, Paris and Hong Kong. Those are automated, and they work by blocking the track area from platforms until trains arrive.

The M.T.A. says installing those would be very difficult, and they would cost a lot. A February 2020 study commissioned by the authority determined that only 128 of the systems 472 stations could accommodate the barriers within the next decade because of cost and engineering concerns. The authority estimated that outfitting those stations could cost $7 billion, plus annual maintenance expenses of roughly $119 million.
Upgrading basements and building up bodegas.

The plan is a combination of different strategies.

In high-density parts of the city  most of Manhattan, northwest Brooklyn, much of the Bronx and a few parts of Queens  the changes would let developers build even bigger buildings than currently allowed if they include a certain number of subsidized apartments, either for lower income people or people struggling with homelessness.

One component would also make it easier to build smaller apartments, like for single-room occupancy, that could be relatively cheap to rent.

Other parts of the plan would apply only in less crowded areas outside of Manhattan, where a hodgepodge of zoning rules often prevent the development of anything other than single- or two-family homes.

These changes, which could also increase the supply of lower-cost homes, include:

 Allowing the construction of two- to four-stories of apartments above laundromats, shops and other businesses along certain commercial strips;

 Allowing the construction of modest apartment buildings on big lots near subway, bus and other transit stations;
New York City is home to the largest population of Jews outside of Israel and one of the nations biggest Muslim communities. In a message sent in the days after the attacks, state leaders mourned the inhumane atrocities and emphasized opportunities for open discussions about managing the trauma of the war. Some Jewish families and groups criticized it as too weak.

But when the New York City schools chancellor sent out a statement on the devastating impact of terrorism, three Muslim and Arab teachers at city public schools, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, said in interviews they were hurt and distressed that it did not acknowledge Palestinians, or extend concern to educators and families with relatives in Gaza.

In other districts, officials have sent follow-up messages or apologies to try and tamp down fury from families and other groups.

In Atlanta, the public school district said it was no stranger to the universal struggle for justice and equality, referring to the nonviolent protests of local students during the Civil Rights Movement, in its initial response.

I was honestly so deeply disappointed, said Emily Kaiman, a Jewish parent with two children in Atlanta public schools. Calling out terrorism should not be controversial.

One of her daughters in eighth grade has struggled to focus in her classes as her mind wanders to the war, she added. I wish the district had put something out there that made her feel seen, and like she had someone for support, Ms. Kaiman said. Officials later released a second statement with additional resources.

From Cambridge, Mass., to Fairfax, Va., the frustrations have at times boiled over. Many parents and high school students who have publicly spoken out have faced doxxing, harassment or threats. Other families have launched petitions to expel school board members.

Some districts have encountered problems even as they largely attempt to stay out of the fray publicly. At a school board meeting last week in Cherry Hill, N.J., outside of Philadelphia, more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and Muslim students described conflicts breaking out in school classrooms and cafeterias.

One Jewish teenager said his peers who are supportive of Israel were accosted during a lunch period, and another said she felt anxious. Several Muslim students said they were labeled animals or told they all deserve to die. One said that after he wore a checkered scarf known as a kaffiyeh with a Palestinian flag, his teacher called him a terrorist in math class.

The schools Muslim, Jewish, and Middle Eastern-North African student groups recently took things into their own hands: In a statement, they urged their peers to treat each other not as adversaries but as the individuals weve grown up alongside since kindergarten.

Still, at the meeting, nearly every student said their school had done far too little to address the war, leaving the burden to fall on them. The lack of immediate action allowed tensions to escalate, said one teenager, Kyle, whose last name is being withheld because of his age.

Montgomery County, Marylands largest school district, was already dealing with a rise in antisemitism after swastikas were drawn on classroom desks and Jews Not Welcome was painted on a school entrance sign. Adam Zimmerman, a holocaust educator and Jewish parent of two children in the district, said officials were caught flat-footed at the time.

After the Hamas attack, families again heard nothing for several days, which he called deeply upsetting.

Were not asking school districts to solve the Middle East conflict, Mr. Zimmerman said, adding that students are often encouraged to stand up and speak out for those in need. If were expecting the kids to do it, the grown-ups should be able to do it too.
Inon is an outlier, but hes not alone, and Ive been speaking with several of those here in Israel who lost loved ones to the terror attacks yet argue that the next step should not be further destruction heaped on Gaza, even in the name of destroying Hamas.

These are Israelis in anguish at their own losses and also fearful that their suffering is being used to justify bombardments and a ground invasion of Gaza, killing innocents there and perpetuating bloodshed. I cant emphasize enough that this attitude is the exception, but perhaps thats why I find it so majestic.

Ive been following the Middle East conflict for most of my life, and I cant remember a time of such despair, trauma and mutual mistrust. Its heartbreaking to see the collapse of all hope, and this month may be the nadir: the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and a devastating air assault and siege of Gaza that has claimed even more lives there.

In this grim context, people like Inon remind me of the human capacity for empathy and wisdom  two qualities desperately needed across the region. I told him he was out of step with the public mood, for most people have drawn a different lesson from history: that it is important to wipe out enemies who want to kill you.

We have been doing exactly that, he said, referring to reliance on military solutions, yet noted that that approach failed to keep his parents alive. What Im saying is we have to stop doing what we were doing before. We need a new policy.

Someone needs to be brave enough to stop the cycle of blood, dislike and violence that has been going on for a century, he said.

This may require Gandhian levels of inner fortitude.
The stated reason for this bureaucratic merry-go-round is that eligibility must be ascertained every year so as not to allot services to someone who doesnt qualify. But the process of determining eligibility is highly flawed. Only some disenrolled Medicaid patients, for example, are truly ineligible; according to KFF, a health policy research organization, a majority of people (more than 90 percent in some states) were disenrolled for procedural reasons, such as missed deadlines, paperwork issues and outdated contact information. Many of these people are eligible for insurance but lose coverage because of the byzantine logistics. And even beyond the pandemic-related unwinding, some people on Medicaid face multiple disenrollments and re-enrollments if their income fluctuates, such as with seasonal work or gig jobs.

The net effect is that we require an enormous chunk of the U.S. population to continually re-enroll for health insurance. The inefficiency of this is staggering; we require tens of millions of people to prove eligibility over and over again to catch the few who might no longer be eligible. Beyond pure inefficiency, its also inhumane, leading to worse medical outcomes and higher costs.

A simpler solution would be to flip the script. After an initial eligibility assessment, people would stay with the same insurance plan unless they opted out, requested a change or were ineligible for genuine  not procedural  reasons. For employer-based health insurance, this would be relatively simple, as most ineligibility stems from no longer working at the company, something that employers surely know. For everyone else, health insurance would auto-renew each year the same way it already does for the plans on the Affordable Care Act exchanges. This would be far simpler than having every person redo the paperwork every single year.

For Medicaid, the income eligibility requirement adds a layer of complexity, but there are nevertheless ways to reduce the hoop jumping. For starters, every recipient should be granted a full year of continuous coverage after enrolling to eliminate the wasteful short-term upheavals. But the simpler and more humane option would be to keep the continuous coverage we adopted during the pandemic and disenroll people only if I.R.S. and other data sources demonstrate sustained higher income or insurance from another job. Random audits  as we do for taxes  can help ensure compliance.

Will there be errors? Of course. Some people will stay insured when they are no longer eligible. But our current system offers a crueler and more expensive type of error: mistakenly kicking off eligible people.
Since the heinous Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and Israels declaration of war against the terrorist group, I have been going over and over a question Ive not been able to answer fully: During this episode, why has the Palestinian cause sparked so much passion among veteran activists of the movement for Black lives?

Last week, I wrote that this could be traced to the ideological lens and residual energy of a younger generation attuned to protest and the ideas of equality and justice. But after interviewing several prominent activists in recent days, I realize theres more to explore in the critical dynamics fueling that passion, which is born, in part, out of longstanding personal connections and a common sense of purpose.

There are two pivotal events that seem to have ignited the new era of solidarity between some young American activists and the people of Palestine. The first came in the form of Palestinian activists expressing support on social media for the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Mo., which activists describe as an uprising, not just a series of protests. Palestinians provided not just moral support, but offered practical tips that, as activist Cherrell Brown told me, included advice for protesters about how to protect themselves from tear gas.

Around that time, a small delegation of Palestinians even traveled to Ferguson and St. Louis to meet with American activists. This all created a moment of bonding around a shared sense of resistance.

The second event was a 2015 pilgrimage to Israel and the Palestinian territories organized by Ahmad Abuznaid, a Jerusalem-born Palestinian American who co-founded the Dream Defenders, a group of activists who came together in response to the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin.

The small delegation included some people who would also become central in the American movement, like the journalist and scholar Marc Lamont Hill.

When we spoke, Abuznaid, who has been criticized for his support for B.D.S., a movement calling for boycott, divestment and sanctioning of Israel, said he has led or been a part of several delegations to the Palestinian territories focused on what he describes as the injustices caused by the Israeli occupation.

These trips help not only to develop strong bonds between communities half a world away from each other, but also to connect the issues facing them. Hill, who lost his job as a CNN contributor after he gave a speech at the United Nations about Israel and Palestine that was condemned by groups including the Anti-Defamation League, would go on to be a co-author of a book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics.

The events during this period reinforced a sense of internationalism among activists and connected a present solidarity with a historical one. It called back to a time when an American figure as notable as Malcolm X spoke out for the Palestinian cause.

Even activists who didnt make these journeys describe coming to this cause in part through personal connections with Palestinians and Palestinian Americans.

And unlike some conflicts around the world, this one continues to play out in full view, in traditional media and social media. As the comedian, actress and activist Amanda Seales told me, this crisis has an urgency around it that others dont because were able to see it in an unfiltered way.

The other thing that I initially underestimated is the level of criticism of the Biden administration for its response to this conflict and what effect that might have in 2024.

Shaun King, a former writer for The Daily News who has millions of followers on Facebook, Instagram and X, the site formerly known as Twitter, posted recently about how he would not vote for President Biden next year because of his embrace of Israel.

King, who has never been a strong Biden supporter and is far from a mainline Democrat, told me, I feel like a voter without a candidate.

While most activists I spoke to didnt sound a note as strident as Kings about their voting intentions, several of them sounded an alarm about a possible wave of voter disappointment on the left over Bidens stance in this conflict.

As Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the Working Families Party, told me, he couldnt think of a more demobilizing experience for young, democracy-minded, multiracial coalition voters than an escalating war and escalating human suffering with the understanding that our country and our government could have done more to prevent it.

Tiffany Loftin, who describes herself as a civil rights activist and labor union organizer, and is a former national director of the N.A.A.C.P. youth and college division, said she would have a difficult time casting her ballot for somebody who supported genocide of Palestinians, which is how she characterized Bidens position in the Israel-Gaza war. I dont know if I can do that, Charles, she said.

The questions for the Democratic Party and the Biden administration are: How much of their support base does this discontent represent, and how much voter abstention can they absorb?

A lot will happen next year, and public attention will inevitably turn to other issues and controversies, but in a tight presidential race, an increasingly disaffected activist base on the left could be disastrous for Biden, and in a rematch with Donald Trump, that could be disastrous for our democracy.
Ive moved back to the United States twice since my birth. Once as a child, after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Then again for graduate school. Id had the privilege of a youth  adolescence and young adulthood  in countries where being Palestinian was fairly common. The identity could be heavy, but it wasnt a contested one. I hadnt had to learn the respectability politics of being a Palestinian adult. I learned quickly.

The task of the Palestinian is to be palatable or to be condemned. The task of the Palestinian, weve seen in the past two weeks, is to audition for empathy and compassion. To prove that we deserve it. To earn it.

In the past couple of weeks, Ive watched Palestinian activists, lawyers, professors get baited and interrupted on air, if not silenced altogether. They are being made to sing for the supper of airtime and fair coverage. They are begging reporters to do the most basic tasks of their job. At the same time, Palestinians fleeing from bombs have been misidentified. Even when under attack, they must be costumed as another people to elicit humanity. Even in death, they cannot rest  Palestinians are being buried in mass graves or in old graves dug up to make room, and still there is not enough space.

If that werent enough, Palestinian slaughter is too often presented ahistorically, untethered to reality: It is not attributed to real steel and missiles, to occupation, to policy. To earn compassion for their dead, Palestinians must first prove their innocence. The real problem with condemnation is the quiet, sly tenor of the questions that accompany it: Palestinians are presumed violent  and deserving of violence  until proved otherwise. Their deaths are presumed defensible until proved otherwise. What is the word of a Palestinian against a machinery that investigates itself, that absolves itself of accused crimes? What is it against a government whose representatives have referred to Palestinians as human animals and wild beasts? When a well-suited man can say brazenly and unflinchingly that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people?

It is, of course, a remarkably effective strategy. A slaughter isnt a slaughter if those being slaughtered are at fault, if theyve been quietly and effectively dehumanized  in the media, through policy  for years. If nobody is a civilian, nobody can be a victim.

***

In 2017, I published a novel about a Palestinian family. It was published by a respectable publisher, got a lot of lovely press, was given a book tour. I spoke on panels, to book clubs. I answered questions after readings. There was a refrain that kept coming up. People kept commenting on how human the story was. Youve humanized the conflict. This is a human story.

Of course, literature and the arts play a crucial role in providing context  expanding our empathy, granting us glimpses into other worlds. But every time I was told Id humanized the Palestinians, I would have to suppress the question it invoked: What had they been before?

A couple of weeks ago, in a professional space, someone called Palestinians by name and spoke of the seven decades of their anguish. I sat among dozens of co-workers and realized my lip was quivering. I was crying before I understood it was happening. I fled the room, and it took 10 minutes for me to stop sobbing. I didnt immediately understand my reaction. Over the years, Ive faced meetings, classrooms and other institutional spaces where Palestinians went unnamed or were referred to only as terrorists. I came of professional age in a country where people lost all sorts of things for speaking of Palestine: social standing, university tenure, journalist positions. But in the end, I am undone not by silence or erasure but by empathy. By the simple naming of my people. By increasing recognition that liberation is linked. By spaces of Palestinian-Jewish solidarity. By what has become controversial: the simple speaking aloud of Palestinian suffering.

These days, everyone is trying to write about the children. An incomprehensible number of them dead and counting. We are up at night, combing through the flickering light of our phones, trying to find the metaphor, the clip, the photograph to prove a child is a child. It is an unbearable task. We ask: Will this be the image that finally does it? This half-child on a rooftop? This video, reposted by Al Jazeera, of an inconsolable girl appearing to recognize her mothers body among the dead, screaming out, Its her, its her. I swear its her. I know her from her hair?

***

Take it from a writer: There is nothing like the tedium of trying to come up with analogies. There is something humiliating in trying to earn solidarity. I keep seeing infographics desperately trying to appeal to American audiences. Imagine most of the population of Manhattan being told to evacuate in 24 hours. Imagine the president of [ ] going on NBC and saying all [ ] people are [ ]. Look! Heres a strip on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Thats Gaza. It is about the same size as Philadelphia. Or multiply the entire population of Las Vegas by three.

This is demoralizing work, to have to speak constantly in the vernacular of tragedies and atrocities, to say: Look, look. Remember? That other suffering that was eventually deemed unacceptable? Let me hold it up to this one. Let me show you proportion. Let me earn your outrage. Absent that, let me earn your memory. Please.

I dont hesitate for a second to condemn the killing of any child, any massacre of civilians  this of course includes Jewish life. It is the easiest ask in the world. And it is not in spite of that but because of that I say: Condemn the brutalization of bodies. By all means, do. Condemn murder. Condemn violence, imprisonment, all forms of oppression. But if your shock and distress comes only at the sight of certain brutalized bodies? If you speak out but not when Palestinian bodies are besieged and murdered, abducted and imprisoned? Then it is worth asking yourself which brutalization is acceptable to you, even quietly, even subconsciously, and which is not.

Name the discrepancy and own it. If you cant be equitable, be honest.

There is nothing complicated about asking for freedom. Palestinians deserve equal rights, equal access to resources, equal access to fair elections and so forth. If this makes you uneasy, then you must ask yourself why.

***

Here is the truth of the diasporic Palestinians: They are not magically diasporic. Their diaspora-ness is a direct result of often violent, intentional and illegal dispossession. One day a house is yours; one day it is not. One day a neighborhood is yours; one day it is not. One day a territory is yours; one day it is not. This same sort of dispossession is grounded in the same mind-set and international complicity that is playing out in Gaza.

Im a poet, a writer, a psychologist. Im deeply familiar with the importance of language. Ive agonized over an em dash. Ive spent afternoons muttering about the aptness of a verb. I pay attention to language, my own and others. Being Palestinian in this country  in many countries  is a numbing exercise in gauging where pockets of safety are, sussing out which friends, co-workers or acquaintances will be allies, which will stay silent. Who will speak.

Heres another thing I know as a writer and psychologist: It matters where you start a narrative. In addiction work, you call this playing the tape. Diasporically or not, being Palestinian is the quintessential disrupter: It messes with a curated, modified tape. We exist, and our existence presents an existential affront. As long as we exist, we challenge several falsehoods, not the least of which is that, for some, we never existed at all. That decades ago, a country was born in the delicious, glittering expanse of nothingness  a birthright, something due. Our very existence challenges a formidable, militarized narrative.

But the days of the Palestine exception are numbered. Palestine is increasingly becoming the litmus test for true liberatory practice.

In the meantime, Palestinians continue to be cast paradoxically  both terror and invisible, both people who never existed and people who cannot return.

Imagine being such a pest, such an obstacle. Or: Imagine being so powerful.
After Fitzpatrick voted for Jordan, his probable Democratic challenger, Ashley Ehasz, a West Point graduate and combat veteran, declared:

Brian Fitzpatrick has campaigned on his supposed commitment to reaching across the aisle and solving problems  but time and again his votes have shown who he really is. He voted to install an anti-abortion, election-denying extremist as speaker and has made his values perfectly clear.

Sue Altman, the executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and the probable Democratic challenger to Kean, said, after Kean voted for Jordan:

Tom Kean Jr. just voted for a man who in his personal life helped cover up sexual abuse and in his political life tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and pass a national abortion ban. This is not the Republican Party of Tom Kean Jr.s father, and Tom Kean Jr. has done nothing but enable the most extreme elements of his own party instead of being a voice for moderation. Jim Jordan is a radical election denier who does not represent the values of this district, and Tom Kean Jr. should be ashamed of his vote.

I asked Michael Olson, a political scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, about the possible costs of a Jordan vote for these 12 Republicans in Democratic-leaning seats. He replied by email:

Concerns about appearing extreme should be particularly acute for these legislators. Most won by quite narrow margins. Voters do care about extremism on the margins  more extreme candidates seem to be more likely to subsequently lose  so a vote for Jordan could be a real liability in a campaign or a vote against him a real feather in these folks caps as they try to establish their independent bona fides.

The political calculus of these 12 Republicans is, however, complicated. Olson cited a 2023 paper, A Good Partisan? Ideology, Loyalty and Public Evaluations of Members of Congress by Geoffrey Sheagley, Logan Dancey and John Henderson, that reveals the difficulty of the choices facing members of Congress.

Using poll data on the vote to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection, Sheagley, Dancey and Henderson wrote that Democrats are:

more approving of a Republican representative who voted to impeach Trump. Republican respondents, however, are more approving of a conservative Republican representative and less approving of a representative who voted to impeach Trump.

For a Republican deciding whether to vote for or against a Trump impeachment, the loss of support among Republican voters far outweighs the gains from Democrats: Approval for a Republican representative who voted to impeach Trump decreases by nearly a full point on the four-point approval scale, while support among Democrats increases by only half a point.

The political implications of this choice are, however, very different for a Republican evaluating prospects in a closed primary, in which no Democrats can vote, from in the general election, when Democrats cast ballots.

I asked Dancey, a political scientist at Wesleyan, about the calculations a Republican in a Democratic-leaning district had to make, and he emailed back to say that a vote against Jordan would not prove excessively costly in November:

In a general election matchup where the main choice is between a Republican and a Democrat, I suspect that the vast majority of Republican voters would stick with a Republican candidate who voted against Jordan. Even if they dont like the position the Republican took on that one vote, they wont see the Democratic candidate as a better option.

In contrast, Dancey continued,

Voting for Jordan carries some risk of losing support from independents and moderate Democrats in the general election, especially since Jordan received Trumps endorsement. Republicans running in Biden districts have incentives to create an image as a more independent-minded Republican who isnt fully aligned with Trump.

That said, Dancey wrote, Jordan is a less-high-profile figure than Trump and at this point isnt on track to actually become speaker. As a result, I doubt this one vote will be as consequential as something like voting to impeach Trump.

Perhaps most damaging to Republicans is the perception that they are dominated by a group more determined to wreak havoc than to govern.
On Tuesday morning, Jenna Ellis became the third Donald Trump-allied lawyer to plead guilty in Fulton County, Ga., to state criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. She joins Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro in similar pleas, with each of them receiving probation and paying a small fine and each of them cooperating with the prosecution in its remaining cases against Trump and his numerous co-defendants.

The Ellis, Powell and Chesebro guilty pleas represent an advance for both the state election prosecution in Georgia and the federal election prosecution in Washington. While their guilty pleas came in the Georgia case (theyre not charged in the federal prosecution, though Powell and Chesebro have been identified as unindicted co-conspirators in that case), the information they disclose could be highly relevant to Jack Smith, the special counsel investigating Trump.

Perhaps as important or even more important, the three attorneys admissions may prove culturally and politically helpful to those of us who are attempting to break the fever of conspiracy theories that surround the 2020 election and continue to empower Trump. At the same time, however, its far too soon to tell whether the prosecution has made real progress on Trump himself. The ultimate importance of the plea deals depends on the nature of the testimony from the lawyers, and we dont yet know what they have said  or will say.

To understand the potential significance of these plea agreements, its necessary to understand the importance of Trumps legal team to his criminal defense. As Ive explained in various pieces and as the former federal prosecutor Ken White explained to me when I guest-hosted Ezra Kleins podcast, proof of criminal intent is indispensable to the criminal cases against Trump, both in Georgia and in the federal election case. While the specific intent varies depending on the charge, each key claim requires proof of conscious wrongdoing, such as an intent to lie or the intent to have false votes cast.
Ms. Clark, 41, who was born in Hong Kong, studied theater at New York University, graduating in 2003. After renting in several Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods, she considered leaving New York, with its clutter and high prices, before she discovered City Island.

A year and a half later, she and her then-husband bought a really amazing six-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath Victorian house with a nice-size yard on a corner lot for $600,000. Now she can walk one minute to her local beach, or 10 minutes across the bridge connecting City Island to the mainland and to the much larger Orchard Beach, which has two playgrounds. She goes there with her second husband, Ian Clark, 50, the owner of a Brooklyn record store, their 3-year-old daughter and his 6-year-old daughter.

The island attracts residents who work in the arts, as well as filmmakers looking for quaint, New England-like backdrops. And its a very friendly place.

I always say, Youre not buying a house, youre buying a community, said Louise Del Giudice, an agent with Century 21 Marciano. People help each other. People care for each other. They have craft festivals. They have parades.
The idea of a chicken running around with its head cut off, inspired by a real-life story, may make it seem like the bird doesnt have much going on upstairs. But Sonja Hillemacher, an animal behavior researcher at the University of Bonn in Germany, always knew that chickens were more than mindless sources of wings and nuggets.

They are way smarter than you think, Ms. Hillemacher said.

Now, in a study published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday, Ms. Hillemacher and her colleagues say they have found evidence that roosters can recognize themselves in mirrors. In addition to shedding new light on chicken intellect, the researchers hope that their experiment can prompt re-evaluations of the smarts of other animals.

The mirror test is a common, but contested, test of self-awareness. It was introduced by the psychologist Gordon Gallup in 1970. He housed chimpanzees with mirrors and then marked their faces with red dye. The chimps didnt seem to notice until they could see their reflections, and then they began inspecting and touching the marked spot on their faces, suggesting that they recognized themselves in the mirror. The mirror test has since been used to assess self-recognition in many other species. But only a few  such as dolphins and elephants  have passed.

After being piloted on primates, the mirror test was somehow sealed in a nearly magical way as sacred, said Onur Gunturkun, a neuroscientist at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and an author of the study who worked with Ms. Hillemacher and Inga Tiemann, also at the University of Bonn. But different cognitive processes are active in different situations, and theres no reason to think that the mirror test is accurate for animals with vastly different sensory abilities and social systems than what chimps have.
If you want what is commonly accepted as a straight answer to a straight question, dont go to Marie Laurencin to get it, Dorothy Todd, the British magazine editor, wrote in 1928. If answers from Laurencin  one of the most notable female painters in interwar France  were anything like her work, of course they wouldnt be straight, but coy, queer, covert and very pretty.

Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris, a new exhibition that puts all of the artists coded qualities on full display, opened this week at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.

Born in 1883 in Paris, Laurencin became a central member of the artistic avant-garde, ruled by her friend Picasso, in early 1900s Paris. By the 1910s, she had broken free of the Cubist grip to create a distinctive, immediately recognizable aesthetic all her own, in macaron tints that collectors couldnt get enough of. After her death, in 1956, her work fell into relative obscurity.

The Barnes show is the first major solo Laurencin exhibition in the United States in three decades, and the first exhibition of her work to highlight the obvious: Laurencins art is unavoidably queer, and noticeably lacking in men.
On a warm evening, not long before her guests were set to arrive, Cathleen ONeil, 30, was stocking the bar for a dinner party at her home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, while her co-host, the chef Feisal Lagos, 39, was hastily adding the finishing touches to his handwritten menu. The point, he said, is for people not to notice that youre paying attention to those details.

He and ONeil, who last year founded the events company CONeil Productions, met through their work with the New York-based hospitality consultancy Care of Chan: Feisal, formerly a sous-chef for the chef and food stylist Camille Becerra, 51, often cooked at events; ONeil did production. During the pandemic, they missed the collaborative thrill of hosting and came up with the idea for the Regathering, a dinner series that would allow them to reunite with their circle. Their first meal, in July 2021, was a celebration of the end of social distancing, held in the backyard of ONeils apartment building. We needed to get out, to see our friends, said ONeil. But we also both take what we do very seriously. They served an ambitious menu of raw oysters with granita and grilled tilefish.
Since Sept. 12., the Department of Justice and a group of state attorneys general have questioned more than 30 witnesses as they try to prove that Google broke antitrust laws, in a landmark monopoly trial that may affect the power of the technology industry.

The government is now wrapping up its side in the case  U.S. et al. v. Google  setting the stage for the internet giant to mount its defense starting this week.

Two prime threads have emerged from the governments case: what it said Google did to illegally maintain its search and search ads monopolies and how those practices harmed consumers and advertisers. We lay out the main arguments.

How Google kept its online search dominance going

Google paid Apple billions of dollars to crush competition

On the first day of the trial, the Justice Department said Google had paid Apple and other tech platforms more than $10 billion a year to make itself the default search engine on the iPhone and other devices.
Anyone looking at data from Californias fire season this year may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief.

Only about 312,739 acres have burned in the state so far in 2023, compared with an average of 1.57 million acres by this point in the previous five years, according to Cal Fire, the states fire agency. Even with a large, disruptive fire at the Oregon border in the summer, 2023 still ranks as a relatively mild fire year, a welcome change from 2020 and 2021, Californias two worst wildfire seasons on record.

Summer is behind us now, but can we close the book on the 2023 fire season? Not quite yet, experts say.

Californias fire season is increasingly stretching year-round, and some exceptionally devastating fires have erupted in October, November and December in recent years.
A Minnesota doctor who the authorities said had worked as a poison specialist was arrested on Friday and charged in the death of his wife, Betty Bowman, who died in August from poisoning.

The doctor, Connor Bowman, was charged after a police investigation found that he had searched online for a medication that had been detected in lethal amounts in Betty Bowman and had tried to cancel her autopsy, according to court documents.

Connor Bowman, 30, was charged with second-degree murder, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Olmsted County District Court. Betty Bowman, 32, was not named in the complaint, but the Rochester Police Department confirmed that she was the victim.

A lawyer for Connor Bowman did not respond to requests for comment.

Betty Bowman was admitted to a hospital in Rochester, Minn., on Aug. 16 because of severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration, and her condition deteriorated rapidly, according to the complaint. She died four days later, and her husband told multiple people that she had died from a rare illness, the complaint said. Her obituary said that the couple had married in May 2021 and that she had died of sudden onset autoimmune and infectious illness.
Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Ga., had no shortage of doubters when she brought an ambitious racketeering case in August against former president Donald J. Trump and 18 of his allies. It was too broad, they said, and too complicated, with so many defendants and multiple, crisscrossing plot lines for jurors to follow.

But the power of Georgias racketeering statute in Ms. Williss hands has become apparent over the last six days. Her office is riding a wave of momentum that started with a guilty plea last Thursday from Sidney K. Powell, the pro-Trump lawyer who had promised in November 2020 to release the kraken by exposing election fraud, but never did.

Then, in rapid succession, came two more guilty pleas  and promises to cooperate with the prosecution and testify  from other Trump-aligned lawyers, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis. While Ms. Powell pleaded guilty only to misdemeanor charges, both Mr. Chesebro and Ms. Ellis accepted a felony charge as part of their plea agreements.

A fourth defendant, a Georgia bail bondsman named Scott Hall, pleaded guilty last month to five misdemeanor charges.
Inside the U-Haul were nearly 500 handmade shadow puppets and dozens of masks, costumes and backdrops  the culmination of three years of painstaking labor, which, on Sunday evening, came to life in a balletic performance before a crowd of hundreds at a theater in San Francisco.

On Monday morning, the puppeteers awoke to find the truck gone.

At first, they hoped the truck, parked at a Comfort Inn in the citys northeast, had been mistakenly towed, said Hamid Rahmanian, 55, an Iranian American artist and the creator of the show Song of the North, an adaptation of the Persian poet Ferdowsis 10th-century epic Shahnameh that combines shadow puppetry, animation and music.

But when hotel employees reviewed the security camera footage, it quickly became clear that the truck had been stolen. My face dropped  my hands became cold, Rahmanian said. Then, more than 48 hours later, on Wednesday morning, he received a call: A resident had spotted the truck in the citys west, and notified the police. Rahmanian rushed to the scene to find years of careful work strewn about the truck in a shamble.

The thieves appeared to have rifled through the boxes inside the truck, throwing some things away, and destroying others, he said, noting that while the full scale of the damage was unclear, at least 200 puppets were missing, and all of the costumes were gone.
After a major contracting scandal broke out in Hawaii last year, the mayor of Maui County appeared on television to express outrage and announce a sweeping audit of contracts awarded to a corrupt businessman.

But no one told the county auditor, who said he only heard about the audit on the news. In the end, the audit was never completed, and the countys flawed system for awarding contracts  a system marred by bribery and a lack of competition  remains largely the way it was.

Now, as Maui recovers from the devastating wildfires that swept across parts of the island in August and killed at least 99 people, millions of dollars will be spent on rebuilding critical infrastructure using the same flawed contract-monitoring system.

The bribery case involving the businessman, Milton Choy, prompted some county officials to begin phasing out the use of sole-source contracts  which are awarded without competitive bidding when officials determine that only one vendor is able to supply a particular good or service  but the practice is still in use in the county.
Two jets collided at an airport in Houston on Tuesday when one took off without permission as another was landing, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

The collision came as aviation officials have been concerned by the regularity of near misses across the country that have been caused by understaffed air traffic control facilities and failures to install warning systems. No injuries were reported.

The safety board said in a statement on Wednesday that a twin-engine Hawker 850XP took off from William P. Hobby Airport, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Houston, as a twin-engine Cessna C510 was landing there.

An air traffic controller told the Hawker to line up and wait on the airports Runway 22 around 3:20 p.m., the safety board said in a statement on Wednesday. The Hawker then started to take off from Runway 22, and the jets wing struck the tail of the Cessna as it was landing on a nearby runway, the agency said. The pilot of the Hawker continued take off from Runway 22 after the collision before returning to the airport.
The Nashville police chiefs estranged son, who was recently identified as a suspect in the shooting of two police officers outside a Dollar General store in La Vergne, Tenn., was found dead on Tuesday night, officials said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement late Tuesday that John Drake Jr. had died in Nashville from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Officers in La Vergne, Tenn., about 20 miles southeast of Nashville, were investigating a stolen vehicle on Saturday afternoon when they confronted Mr. Drake, who, according to the police, then shot the two officers with a handgun, hitting one in the shoulder and the other in the groin and forearm before fleeing.

The authorities then initiated a search for Mr. Drake and issued a shelter-in-place order, which they lifted Saturday night.
The institute founded by President George W. Bush issued an urgent call on Wednesday for Congress to renew the global AIDS program known as PEPFAR, a centerpiece of Mr. Bushs foreign policy legacy that has become a victim of abortion politics on Capitol Hill.

PEPFAR  the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief  has saved an estimated 25 million lives since Mr. Bush founded it 20 years ago. The $6.9 billion program, which Congress has previously reauthorized every five years, has long had bipartisan support and is often cited as a powerful example of Americas moral leadership in the world.

But it faces an uncertain future. The legislation authorizing the program lapsed on Sept. 30 after some House Republicans claimed, without evidence, that the Biden administration was using it to promote abortion overseas. Those Republicans want to attach abortion-related restrictions to PEPFAR that would doom its reauthorization in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The Bush Institute, which is nonpartisan, has thus far been reluctant to step into the debate.

But in a bipartisan letter signed by more than 30 retired ambassadors, foreign policy luminaries and organizations  including the Carter Center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter  the institute pleaded with Congress to reauthorize the program. It argued that in addition to saving lives, PEPFAR was countering the rising influence of Russia and China and burnishing Americas reputation as a global leader.
The House voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to pass a resolution declaring solidarity with Israel, pledging to give its government whatever security assistance it needs to fight and win its war with Hamas.

The vote, 412 to 10, was the first piece of legislation considered under Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana. He was elected to the post on Wednesday after three tumultuous weeks in which G.O.P. members struggled to replace Representative Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, following his ouster.

Nine Democrats and one Republican opposed the resolution. Six Democrats voted present, even though five of them had previously co-sponsored the resolution.

The vote reflected the sweeping, bipartisan support that lawmakers have voiced for Israels efforts to rout Hamas from the Gaza Strip, which it seized control of in 2007, in retaliation for its attacks of Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 civilians and soldiers.
Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana won election on Wednesday to become the 56th speaker of the House of Representatives, as Republicans worn down by three weeks of infighting and dysfunction turned to a little-known conservative hard-liner beloved by the far right to end their paralysis.

The elevation of Mr. Johnson, 51, an architect of the effort to overturn the 2020 election and a religious conservative opposed to abortion rights, homosexuality and gay marriage, further cemented the Republican Partys lurch to the right. It came after a historic fight that began when the hard right ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3, and raged on as the divided House G.O.P. nominated and then quickly discarded three other candidates to succeed him.

Exhausted from the feuding, which unleashed a barrage of recriminations and violent threats against lawmakers, both the right wing and mainstream Republicans finally united to elect Mr. Johnson, 51, in a 220-to-209 vote.

The vote put him second in line to the presidency, capping an extraordinary period of twists and turns on Capitol Hill. It marked a victory for the far right that has become a dominant force in the Republican Party, which rose up this month to effectively dictate the removal of an establishment speaker and the installation of an arch-conservative replacement.
Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, lasted only about four hours on Tuesday as the partys third speaker designate. After winning the nomination in a morning session, he was quickly brought down by conservatives questioning his right-wing credentials. Former President Donald J. Trump stuck the knife in from afar from a New York courthouse. Mr. Emmer was last seen fleeing the Longworth House Office Building with nary a word after he unceremoniously dropped out of the race.

Republicans then went back to the well in their desperate search for a speaker, with a new handful of little-known Republicans vying to become the latest to try their hand at hitting the extremely elusive magic number of 217 votes on the House floor and becoming the next speaker of the House.

Republicans were well aware they were making an international spectacle of themselves.

I think it is apparent to the American people that the G.O.P. conference is hopelessly divided, said Representative Steve Womack, Republican of Arkansas and one of the lawmakers who kept the speakership out of the hands of Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio last week. Can it be overcome? Never say never. But the signs are right now that this conference is at some kind of an impasse.

The day dawned with some hope for Republicans that they could settle the dispute and pick a speaker out of eight new contenders. There was a momentary boomlet for Mr. Emmer as he emerged victorious from an internal party nominating contest with a narrow win. But almost immediately, the far right began circling, whispering that Mr. Emmer was much too moderate for their liking as shown by his support for legal same-sex marriage and his willingness to uphold the 2020 election results in the House  evidently nonstarters for some Republicans.
Prosecutors in the District of Columbia on Wednesday charged Representative Jamaal Bowman, Democrat of New York, with setting off a false fire alarm in a House office building last month in an episode that added to a day of mayhem on Capitol Hill as Congress rushed to avoid a government shutdown.

Mr. Bowman will plead guilty to the single false fire alarm charge, and has agreed to pay the maximum fine of $1,000, according to Gabriel Shoglow-Rubenstein, a spokesman for the D.C. attorney generals office. Any charges will be dropped in three months if Mr. Bowman provides a formal apology to the Capitol Police and pays the fine, as is standard with such charges.

Mr. Bowman is expected to be booked, fingerprinted, photographed and processed by the U.S. Capitol Police on Thursday.

The charges come about three weeks after Mr. Bowman was caught on video setting off the alarm during a vote on the House floor. At the time, Democrats were stalling for time to read through a hastily put together Republican-written stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown that was to commence in just hours. Mr. Bowman was accused of intentionally pulling the alarm to cause a delay, but he claimed it was accidental.
If Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio was the most prominent public face of the congressional effort to fight the results of the 2020 election, his mentee, the newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, was a silent but pivotal partner.

The election on Wednesday of Mr. Johnson, 51, to the post second in line to the presidency has focused new attention on his behind-the-scenes role in trying to overturn the election results on behalf of former President Donald J. Trump.

A social conservative, Mr. Johnson played a leading role in recruiting House Republicans to sign a legal brief supporting a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results.

In December 2020, Mr. Johnson collected signatures for a legal brief in support of a Texas lawsuit, rooted in baseless claims of widespread election irregularities, that tried to throw out the results in four battleground states won by Joseph R. Biden Jr.
FORT NOVOSEL-Fort Novosel held a week of remembrance to honor the fallen of the Battle of Mogadishu and their efforts in Somalia in 1993.

Included in the events were the Iron Squad Challenge hosted by the Noncommissioned Officer Academy on Oct. 5, PT with the Fallen and a Remembrance Ceremony on Oct. 6, and concluded with the Mogadishu Mile 5k hosted by Fort Novosel Family and MWR.

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Durant was the special guest for the events on Oct. 6. On October 3, 1993, while piloting a MH-60 Blackhawk in Mogadishu, Somalia, he was shot down and held captive by hostile forces for 11 days.

Thursdays Iron Squad Challenge was filled with several challenging events, including a 1.5-mile litter carry, 160 T Pushups, 375 rowers, 15 rounds of a 25-meter 90 lb. sled drag, 30 leg tucks, 30 pull-ups, traverse bars, Non Commissioned Officer Academy Obstacle course, 19 burpees and a victory lap around the academy. Six teams of five competed early Thursday morning but taking home the win with a time of 46 minutes and 35 seconds was the Juggernauts NCOA team for the third year in a row.

PT with the Fallen took place Friday morning along the two-mile air assault track on Fort Novosel. Stations were set up along the route, each one with a unique exercise in honor of fallen heroes. A highlight to many taking on this challenging physical feat was having Durant, a decorated army aviator, lead the way. What began as a handful of service members in PTs moving between stations in the early morning hours, ended with a sea of black and gold working hard toward one common goal, remembrance.

Later that afternoon, the Army Aviation Museum held a ceremony in honor of the 30th anniversary. After awarding the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals for the Iron Squad challenge, Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel commanding general, made the opening remarks.

It is fitting that we are here in our shrine of those that have gone before us with the machines that carried them there, McCurry said. Today we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the battle of Mogadishu and remember the soldiers that gave the last full measure by making the ultimate sacrifice.

Durant followed, giving his inspirational remarks. When I walked on to this facility 40 years ago, which is scary enough, I never thought Id be called upon to share remarks or my thoughts in front of audiences. What I aspired to do was make it through flight school and be a Warrant Officer 1. And here we are decades later and what was in store for me was a little more significant than that.

Durant explained how he took the values and community aspects that were so crucial to Army Aviation and applied them to business and creating culture within the workplace, telling the story of how culture played a part in what took place on October 3, 1993.

That is absolute commitment to each other. The actions of the ground force, the action of the aviators. Dan Jollota who is a very, good friend of mine. One of the things that still chokes me up is that the next day after spending 18 hours trying to find us, was told to land. He walked away with tears streaming down his face. If youve seen the movie, he is the voice calling out, Mike we wont leave without you. Durant said,I guess that was the final underscore to me about how committed everyone was to make sure that all of my crew, Randy and Gary and myself, would be returned home. You know, you know it, but to hear Dan call out that he will not leave without you is pretty moving and still affects me today.

Durant thanked the audience for their remembrance events throughout the week at Fort Novosel. I would like to say thank you for keeping this legacy alive. There were lessons there on a personal level, a tactical level, operational level, strategic level that pay tremendous dividends already and if we maintain the focus on them and continue to build on what we already know, we will be successful with our new aircraft and new tactics with a new threat.

Durant ended by saying, The real key is to capture the lessons and actually make the change. Do something different. 

The audience stood reverently during a reading of the names and bell ring for each of the fallen of the battle, a three-volley salute, and the playing of Taps.

Fort Novosel will never forget.
Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana had just survived a closed-door vote to end a tumultuous period of paralysis without a House speaker on Tuesday night and was celebrating with smiling and exhausted Republican colleagues.

Democracy is messy sometimes, he said, but it is our system.

But moments later, Mr. Johnson was confronted at a news conference about his own past role in American democracy, when he worked in alliance with former President Donald J. Trump to block the certification of the 2020 election.

Boos rang out at the reporters inquiry. Mr. Johnson closed his eyes and shook his head. Shut up! Shut up! one congresswoman shouted. Next question, Mr. Johnson said.

Only hours earlier, the speakership bid of another candidate, Tom Emmer, the majority whip, had been felled amid a lobbying blitz from Mr. Trump himself. Among Mr. Emmers apparent apostasies: certifying President Bidens election. His tenure as speaker designate lasted only four hours.
When Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana wanted to make the case against abortion rights last year during a Capitol Hill committee hearing, he grilled a witness in graphic fashion.

Do you support the right of a woman who is just seconds away from birthing a healthy child to have an abortion? he asked at a Judiciary Committee hearing.

When the witness, Dr. Yashica Robinson, a board member for Physicians for Reproductive Health, responded that such a situation had never occurred, Mr. Johnson only doubled down.

Never happened in your practice, maam, Mr. Johnson fired back. But it happens. How about if a child is halfway out of the birth canal? Is an abortion permissible then?
On the plus side for the new speaker, Mr. Johnson is certain to enjoy a honeymoon period with those on the right who had a deep distrust of Mr. McCarthy and feared he would work with Democrats, as he ultimately did. They are likely to grant him considerable leeway in figuring out the spending morass with just a few weeks remaining before the government runs out of money.

Mr. Johnson has proposed the idea of a lengthy stopgap spending bill to allow the House to take up its own funding measures, but they have been snarled by bitter Republican feuds, and it is uncertain whether the House can approve them.

Mr. Johnson was far from the first choice of his own colleagues. He was something of a desperation candidate as House Republicans entered a fourth week without a speaker, leaving the institution paralyzed and Republicans looking inept. Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, defeated him Tuesday morning in an internal vote for the speaker nomination  an outcome that traditionally would have led to Mr. Emmers being elected speaker on the House floor.

But the old rules are gone. Hard-right conservatives quickly went to work to deny Mr. Emmer any chance of obtaining the necessary votes on the floor and forced him to withdraw in just four hours. That opened the door to a second round of nominations. Again, Mr. Johnson did not initially win a majority but finally prevailed after multiple rounds of voting.

Some more mainstream Republicans had stood against Mr. Jordan because they believed his allies had been underhanded in their sabotage of Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who defeated Mr. Jordan in a vote for the speaker nomination. They vowed that Mr. Jordan would never be rewarded for such tactics. But with the party becoming a national laughingstock because of its inability to find a leader, no effort to deny Mr. Johnson surfaced, and Republicans rallied to Mr. Johnsons side, even though he had initially lost to Mr. Emmer.

The episode proved anew to hard-right Republicans that if they are willing to break party norms and ignore their own majoritys position, they can still prevail  an outcome that Mr. Johnson might later find does not always work in his favor as speaker of the whole House.
Despite Mr. Trumps efforts to postpone the federal election case until after the 2024 election, it is still scheduled to go to trial in March. The plea agreements, and the prospect that even more of Mr. Trumps co-defendants will cut deals, have made it nearly impossible to determine when the trial in the Georgia case will begin, and have increased overall uncertainty about both cases.

Here is what to know about the impact of the plea deals on the federal case.

Can evidence from defendants in Georgia be used against Mr. Trump in his federal trial?

Yes, but it is complicated.

Any publicly released documents or statements in all of the cases  including court appearances by the Fulton County defendants  can be admissible as evidence in the federal trial.

It remains unlikely, given the initial timetable set by Ms. Williss staff, and the recent flurry of activity spurred by demands from Ms. Powell and Mr. Chesebro for a speedy trial under Georgia law, that Mr. Trumps Georgia trial would take place before the federal case.

That means any public testimony against Mr. Trump would probably come after Mr. Smith had already brought his case, although the situation remains fluid.
As tensions mount on U.S. college campuses over the war in Gaza, several Republican presidential candidates are proposing a crackdown on students and schools that express opposition to Israel, appear to express support for the deadly Hamas attacks or fail to address antisemitism.

Former President Donald J. Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina have called for the federal government to revoke international students visas, while others have suggested that universities should lose public funding.

After students at George Washington University projected messages on Tuesday onto the side of a campus building  including Glory to our martyrs, Divestment from Zionist genocide now and Free Palestine from the river to the sea, a phrase that encompasses all of Israel as well as Gaza and the West Bank  two candidates argued almost immediately that the students or the universities, or both, should be punished.

If this was done by a foreign national, deport them, Mr. Scott wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday morning. If the college coddles them, revoke their taxpayer funding. We must stand up against this evil anti-Semitism everywhere we see it  especially on elite college campuses.

Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota wrote: Antisemitism cannot be tolerated. Period. The students responsible should be held accountable and if the university fails to do so it should lose any federal funding. He indicated in another post that he would fully enforce a Trump-era executive order to use Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to revoke federal funding for any university that enables antisemitism.

They and other Republicans are wading into an emotional debate on college campuses over Hamass attack on Israel, Israels bombardment of Gaza, and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict  turning the opinions of individual students and student groups, starting at Harvard and New York University, into national flash points. Days of simultaneous pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations have exposed painful divisions, including significant and potentially consequential ideological rifts between donors, students and faculty members.

The suggestion of punishing anti-Israel views is part of a broader campaign against liberal-leaning campus environments, which many Republicans claim indoctrinate students. But it is also in tension with other parts of that campaign: In many cases, the same candidates have previously condemned what they described as censorship of students who expressed conservative opinions.

Mr. Scott was a co-sponsor of a Senate resolution in 2021 that called on colleges and universities to facilitate and recommit themselves to protecting the free and open exchange of ideas and argued that restrictive speech codes are inherently at odds with the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Mr. Burgum signed legislation in North Dakota, also in 2021, that forbade universities in the state to discriminate against student organizations or speakers based on their viewpoint.

When asked where Mr. Scott drew the line between protected and unprotected speech, his campaign did not comment on the record but cited a previous statement in which he called it a fine line. Mr. Burgums campaign pointed to the Trump executive order as requiring action.

Separately, on Tuesday, the chancellor of the State University System of Florida wrote in a letter to university presidents that he had determined  in consultation with Mr. DeSantis  that two campus chapters of the group Students for Justice in Palestine must be deactivated.

The national Students for Justice in Palestine organization released guidance to campus chapters earlier this month calling for demonstrations in support of our resistance in Palestine. The guidance called Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,400 people, a surprise operation against the Zionist enemy and a historic win for the Palestinian resistance.

It added, This is what it means to Free Palestine: not just slogans and rallies, but armed confrontation with the oppressors.

The letter from the chancellor, Ray Rodrigues, said the chapters had violated a Florida law against providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The State University System will continue working with the Executive Office of the Governor and S.U.S.s Board of Governors to ensure we are all using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups, it said. These measures could include necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials.

The national Students for Justice in Palestine organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The letter came a few days after Mr. DeSantis declared at a campaign event in Iowa that, if elected president, he would revoke the visas of students who supported Hamas. He did not say how he would determine who fell into that category; some public commentary has applied the label pro-Hamas to demonstrators expressing broader support for Palestinians or opposition to Israels military actions in Gaza, which have killed more than 6,500 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. (Its figures could not be independently verified.)

Mr. Trump made the same proposal at his own recent event in Iowa, also not providing details. Under the Trump administration, we will revoke the student visas of radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners at our colleges and universities, and we will send them straight back home, he said.

Nikki Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, joined Mr. Scott and Mr. Burgum in saying she would cut federal funding to colleges that did not condemn students who supported Hamas.

No more federal money for colleges and universities that allow antisemitism to flourish on campus, Ms. Haley wrote on X, arguing that the promotion of certain opinions in relation to the Hamas attack constituted threatening someones life and was not freedom of speech.

Only one candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, publicly rejected efforts to punish schools or individual students for anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian statements.

Colleges are spaces for students to experiment with ideas & sometimes kids join clubs that endorse boneheadedly wrong ideas, he wrote on X this month in response to an uproar over a letter from student groups at Harvard that held the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.

He added: It wasnt great when people wearing Trump hats were fired from work. It wasnt great when college graduates couldnt get hired unless they signed oppressive DEI pledges. And its not great now if companies refuse to hire kids who were part of student groups that once adopted the wrong view on Israel.
The Biden administration has asked Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza for a few days to give the United States more time to put air defense batteries, fighter planes and other military assets in place to protect American troops, U.S. officials said.

U.S. officials have been pushing Israel for a delay for multiple reasons. They include giving more time to negotiate the release of hostages held in Gaza, allowing more aid into the region and providing the Israeli military with time to refine its military objectives and potentially move away from a grinding urban fight that would incur large casualties.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has held off on a land invasion in the nearly three weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli government says more than 1,400 civilians and soldiers were killed, and 200 hostages were taken back to Gaza.

The prime ministers office declined to comment. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Netanyahu said the Israeli military was still preparing for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. I will not spell out when, how, how much, he said. I also wont detail all the considerations were taking into account, most of them totally unknown to the public.

Biden administration officials say they still support Israels ground invasion and Israels goal of eradicating Hamas.

American officials say it will take them a few more days to get many of those new antimissile batteries in place. Another U.S. official said the United States already had some air defense assets in the region that have been protecting troops from attacks in Syria.

The Financial Times reported earlier on the request to delay the ground invasion to give time to get the air defense assets in place.

The Biden administration has rushed two aircraft carriers and additional troops to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel to deter Iran and its proxies in the region from engaging in a regional war. A U.S. Navy warship in the northern Red Sea last Thursday shot down at least three cruise missiles and several drones launched from Yemen that the Pentagon said might have been headed toward Israel.

I believe there is concern that our bases in Syria and Iraq, especially Syria, could be attacked by a wave of drones and it could overwhelm the defenses currently there, said Mick Mulroy, a former defense official and retired C.I.A. officer.

American officials have repeatedly raised with Israelis their concerns that Iran or Hezbollah, the Lebanese political and militia group backed by Tehran, might open a second front after Israel commits much of its military to eliminating Hamas in Gaza. For now, the United States has assessed that Iran and Hezbollah, whose leaders did not know Hamas was planning such a large-scale attack, want to remain on the sidelines.

But a major ground invasion of Gaza, particularly one that kills a large numbers of Palestinians, could change Irans or Hezbollahs calculations.

The American officials have urged Mr. Netanyahus war cabinet to give Washington more time to place antimissile batteries to protect both Israel and American troops in the region, according to several American officials.

While the air defense batteries may not be crucial to the Israeli governments calculations, one senior American official said the Israelis needed more time to train their troops before they headed into urban warfare and into the underground tunnels below Gaza.

Washingtons main concern is protecting American troops. But the United States also believes that Israel may not have the capability to respond to a two-front war. The assembled antimissile systems, and the weapons carried aboard the aircraft carrier group in the Eastern Mediterranean, could prove a critical deterrent against Iran.

The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said at the United Nations on Tuesday. We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security  swiftly and decisively.

Israel has responded to the Hamas attack with a relentless artillery and bombing campaign that has killed 5,700 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry.

Julian E. Barnes and Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting.
A scathing new report has found that it takes longer and costs more to build housing in San Francisco than anywhere else in California, exacerbating the states homelessness crisis and preventing many workers from being able to live in the city.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has demanded that cities approve far more construction as residents struggle to make ends meet and begin moving to other states in search of cheaper places to live. But some local governments still give housing opponents generous leeway to slow or block projects.

Governor Newsoms housing division has determined that no city has put up more housing roadblocks than San Francisco, according to an investigation released on Wednesday. The report is the first of its kind, trying to compel San Francisco to do better, as well as show other municipalities what is necessary to create a thriving, equitable city.

It is egregious, the enormous amount of constraints and barriers they impose on new housing development, said Gustavo Velasquez, director of the states Department of Housing and Community Development. The cost of housing is exorbitant because there isnt enough of it.
The childrens book publisher Scholastic, which had begun separating some books about race, gender and sexuality at school book fairs, said this week it was halting the new practice after pointed criticism from some authors, educators and parents.

The company had designated 64 titles as optional for the fairs in response to dozens of recent laws in states restricting what content students can be exposed to in schools.

Among the books included on the list were biographies of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the Supreme Court and the civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis; a novel about a Lakota girl; and a picture book about different family types, including families with adoptive or same-sex parents.

The list of the separated titles was called the Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice catalog. Book fair organizers have had the ability to opt out of all or some of those titles.
On a recent Saturday morning, a day after what would have been Lexi Rubios 12th birthday, dozens gathered in the Texas city of Uvalde for a run in her honor. Blasting Lexis playlist, Kimberly Mata-Rubio, her mother, took off from under a towering mural of Lexi, one of 19 children and two teachers killed in a shooting at her school last year.

This was more than a fund-raising run for charity  it was also a campaign event of sorts, as Ms. Mata-Rubio and the other competitors made their way past a series of signs in yellow (Lexis favorite color) and she announced her candidacy for mayor.

Ms. Mata-Rubio, a former news reporter, would be the first woman and only the third Latino to lead the Hispanic majority city, one that has been bitterly divided in the aftermath of one of the nations deadliest mass shootings.

Her campaign, in which she is vying with a veteran local politician and an elementary school art teacher, often serves as a reminder of a tragedy that many would prefer to leave in the past.
Hurricane Otis interrupted tropical vacations for some visitors and put a stop to a mining convention in Acapulco, Mexico, as the storm bore down on the city early Wednesday.

Among the travelers affected was David Hall, 34, who had arrived on Tuesday from Colima, a city about 300 miles northwest of Acapulco. Mr. Hall works in sales and was in Acapulco for the mining convention. Its been getting worse since I arrived, he said of the weather conditions that deteriorated throughout the night.

The wind was so strong, it was so much noise, Mr. Hall said in an interview. It was really terrifying. The wind was really, really fast.

He compared the swaying of the hotel where he was staying, the Princess Mundo Imperial, to a small earthquake, adding, Its a very apocalyptic picture here.
In a significant finding, 84% of ANZ businesses view the adoption of hybrid and remote work as a boon to their bottom line.

CEOs are placing hybrid work flexibility as the top driver for successful employee experience strategies. However, less than half (43%) of ANZ organizations believe their employees have access to the technology required for effective hybrid work.

The 2023 Global Employee Experience Trends Report, sheds light on how current workplace trends, including hybrid work and AI, impact employee experience (EX) strategies and their connection to business performance.. Furthermore, the report reveals that only 47% of operational leaders in ANZ express satisfaction with their employee experience (EX) capabilities. As work patterns evolve, approximately 36% of hybrid workers spend half their work week in the office, highlighting the shift towards structured approaches to work.

Yet, despite these developments, the majority of business leaders recognize the importance of hybrid work in fostering positive EX. Therefore, organizations must prioritize providing employees with the necessary technology to work efficiently, regardless of their location.

The report underscores the evolving narrative of EX, emphasizing the critical role of technology in connecting employees and enhancing efficiency. High-performing companies that increased their IT spending and invested in EX technology reported 56% more business growth and 89% greater employee satisfaction compared to underperformers and others, illustrating the tangible benefits of a well-supported and technologically empowered workforce.

Commenting on the research, Amit Dhingra, Executive Vice President of Network Services at NTT Ltd. said: The disconnect between what employees need and what businesses provide them with is still too large. Too often we see hybrid working strategies focusing on one type of working style, despite employees wanting the flexibility to work in a way that suits them. It was positive to see that 67% of organisations agree that hybrid and remote working has led to their investment in mobility over the last two years to promote flexibility, but more still needs to be done to reduce the disconnect and improve EX. This is especially true given that satisfied and engaged employees are 66% more likely to deliver exceptional customer service, added Dhingra.

In addition to hybrid work, EX is also being impacted by the rise in AI, with the emerging technology voted as the #1 enabler of future customer experience (CX) and EX strategies, and AI interfaces rising to become the norm for 4 in 5 organisations within the next 12 months. Despite this, 86% of organisations agree that human-led support remains a critical element in their customer engagement.

NTTs report findings are reflective of todays dynamic work landscape, including a more permanent era of hybrid work and focus on employee engagement, said Sheila McGee-Smith, President & Principal Analyst, McGee-Smith Analytics. The adoption of AI is growing, driven by the real business outcomes revolutionary AI technologies are bringing. Organisations are seeking guidance on how to harness all that AI has to offer to succeed in dominating their markets while supporting employee fulfilment and well-being.

To read the full report, please visit: https://services.global.ntt/en-us/campaigns/2023-global-employee-experience-trends-report

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Hurricane Otis exploded onto the southwest coast of Mexico early Wednesday, shocking forecasters as it emerged as one of the more powerful Category 5 storms to batter the region and create what one expert called a nightmare scenario for a popular tourist coastline.

Few meteorologists initially thought the tropical storm would make landfall as a catastrophic hurricane. Most models failed to predict that the storm would intensify over the Pacific Ocean, leading forecasters to believe it would be at most a weak hurricane.

But it strengthened with remarkable speed, and by Tuesday evening forecasters and Mexican officials were rushing to warn residents of its potential for destruction.

The hurricane made landfall at 1 a.m. Wednesday local time, bringing heavy rain, flooding and mudslides to the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, and cutting off power for more than half a million residents. The storm slammed ashore with sustained winds of 165 miles per hour; just a day earlier, Otis brought winds of 65 miles per hour.
A forecaster uses several tools to create a weather forecast, not just computer models. This is why meteorologists often preach that a computer model isnt a forecast  forecasters create forecasts, they like to say. They also use satellite data and climatological norms to help form their predictions. They use satellite images to help estimate expected wind speeds, and send hurricane hunter planes to the eye of a storm to collect real-time data.

Using some of those additional tools, forecasters had started predicting a stronger Otis than the models were suggesting  but they were still forecasting it to top out as a tropical storm.

By Monday afternoon, the models started indicating that the storm could become a hurricane, and forecasters believed that with the abundant amount of moisture in the area and warm ocean temperatures, the storm would strengthen gradually.

On Monday evening, with Otis still a tropical storm, satellite images revealed a little feature that could mean that the storm was about to intensify very quickly. But the models still werent showing this, so forecasters continued to predict that the storm would be a weaker hurricane.

Global tools like the American forecast model and the European model havent always been great about predicting storms rapid intensification. Hurricane-specific models were created to help, and this year they have proved useful, including predicting the rapid intensification of Hurricane Idalia well before that storm reached Florida, giving people in the state more time to prepare.
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, met with Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing on Wednesday, as part of an ambitious weeklong mission to negotiate climate partnerships.

The two-term Democratic governor wants California to set an aggressive pace for the United States  and the world  to cut carbon emissions that are dangerously heating the planet. Mr. Newsoms moves to tackle the climate crisis have elevated his national profile, just as he is widely believed to be preparing for a White House run in 2028.

On the diplomatic front, Mr. Newsoms visit is the latest in a flurry of exchanges between Chinese and American officials and businesspeople that have raised expectations that Mr. Xi might travel to the United States next month. Earlier this month, Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, also met in Beijing with Mr. Xi, who struck an amicable tone, saying that there were a thousand reasons the two countries should make their relationship work.

Mr. Xi met with Mr. Newsom in the Great Hall of the People, a grand building on the west side of Tiananmen Square where the Chinese leader often receives dignitaries. In an official summary of the meeting published by Chinese state media, Mr. Xi was quoted as saying he hoped Mr. Newsoms visit would help promote ties between their countries.
Purbasha Roy held her 9-year-old daughters hand and pointed toward the towering art installation: blooming pink buds symbolizing embryos, menstrual cups shaped to form a bouquet, fallopian tubes descending from corners of the ceiling.

The work, part of a makeshift pavilion to worship the Hindu goddess Durga, was designed to break taboos in India about menstruation. And it had a clear target: A half-man, half-bull demon at Durgas feet, an organizer explained to Ms. Roy and others, represented the moral police  Indias patriarchal society.

The pavilion was one of hundreds, many politically pointed, that dotted Kolkata during a five-day festival called the Durga Puja, an event that brings this muggy, sleepy city alive each year as if jolted by a high-voltage current. Part Mardi Gras, part Christmas, the festival, which ended on Tuesday, is the most important religious celebration for Hindus in this part of eastern India.
Japans Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that requiring transgender people to undergo sterilization in order to legally change their gender identity is unconstitutional, a step forward for L.G.B.T.Q. rights in a nation that has been slow to recognize them.

In the unanimous decision, the court said that a legal clause forcing the plaintiff, a transgender woman, to be sterilized before changing her gender on the all-important Japanese family registry certificate restricted her freedom not to harm herself against her will.

Still, the court did not rule on a separate requirement that transgender people must undergo transition surgery in order to legally register as the gender with which they identify. In practice, that means many transgender people will still be unable to make the legal change. The top court said it would send the case back to the High Court for further discussion of the transition surgery clause.

In the end, the result is that my gender cannot be changed, the unnamed plaintiff said in a statement read by one of her lawyers, Kazuyuki Minami, at a news conference. Im very disappointed that my case still has to go on.
The coronavirus was already devastating parts of the world, bringing illness and death, and the future was uncertain when Henry Karpik, a retired police officer from the Australian suburb of Figtree, and his wife of nearly 50 years, Susan Karpik, began their holiday cruise to New Zealand aboard the Ruby Princess.

It was March 8, 2020. About a week earlier, a passenger on another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, had become the first Australian to die of Covid-19.

A few days after the Ruby Princess left Sydney, Australia, Mr. Karpik began to feel tired, weak and achy, court records show. By the time the ship returned to Sydney, on March 19, 2020, Ms. Karpik saw that her husband was shaking and barely able to walk or carry his luggage, according to court documents.

Mr. Karpik, who was 72 at the time, spent nearly two months in the hospital, was placed on a ventilator, put into an induced coma and, at one point, given only a few days to live, court records show. He later recovered.
But Mr. Greenspan said that the defenses evidence would render the revisionist history which the complainants have provided inaccurate, unreliable and untrustworthy.

He told jurors that Mr. Nygard had waived his right to remain silent to testify in his own defense.

The first portion his testimony on Wednesday morning, which was expected to continue through the afternoon, did not address the allegations but offered a biographical overview of his life and career. At 82, his distinctive flowing hair was white and was pulled back into a large low bun, with a pair of orange tinted glasses sitting on his nose.

Mr. Nygards family left Finland in 1952 to escape the threat of a Russian invasion during the Korean War and lived in poverty for years in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mr. Nygard said, describing his somewhat meteoric rise into the fashion world through hard work, as well as some luck.

By necessity, we had to work to survive, Mr. Nygard said, recalling his job at a textile factory under difficult conditions where his mother worked as a sewing machine operator. The only way that you could have this type of success is that you would just outwork the next guy, he later added.

His company, which he founded in 1967, grew to 2,000 employees, competing with the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, he said, popularizing a type of polyester that made him known as the polyester king and turned him into a celebrity in the fashion world.
Each new member of the group arrives with a very personal sense of loss.

Yulia Fatyeeva, 43, was a decade older than her husband, Oleksandr Khokhlov, when they met. She had not thought their relationship would result in marriage, she admitted, when they began dating. But he proved to me that he was very reliable, she said. And we both really wanted a baby.

When she learned that Mr. Khokhlov had been killed in a tank battle, she said she lost consciousness. She still finds it hard to believe he is gone. In the coffin he didnt look like himself, she said. After the funeral she dreamed of him. He stood up and told me, Im alive, dont cry, Im good.

Image Yulia Fatyeeva with her late husband, Oleksandr Khokhlov and their daughter, Alisa. Credit... via Yulia Fatyeeva

Widows, those running support groups said, often have a sensation that their dead spouses are still with them. It is a feeling that I Live, My Love tries acknowledges in its counseling by encouraging its members to hold on to the dreams they once shared as couples, and to do so without the sense that they have to leave their dead partners behind.

Each support group meets weekly for eight weeks and then once a month, to preserve a connection with others who have endured the same kind of loss. It is important not to leave the women behind, but always be here for them, Yaryna Herashchenko, the co-founder, said.
When Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler, an advocate for the ordination of women, joined a major Vatican meeting this month, she was skeptical that an institution dominated by men for 2,000 years was ready to listen to women like her.

The gathering of some 300 bishops from around the world also included for the first time nuns and 70 lay people, women among them, who have voting rights. It was called by Pope Francis to discuss the future of the Roman Catholic Church, including sensitive topics  married priests, the blessing of gay couples, sacraments for the divorced and remarried, as well as the role of women.

As the confidential meeting approaches its end on Oct. 29, Ms. Jeppesen-Spuhler said she has been pleasantly surprised. Some clerics  priests, bishops and cardinals  openly supported the advancement of women, she said. Some even backed the ordaining of women as deacons.

There had been really good discussions, Ms. Jeppesen-Spuhler said, adding, It hasnt been the women against the bishops and cardinals. Its not that.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey lashed out at Israel and defended Hamas during a televised address on Wednesday, taking positions likely to increase tensions between his government and those of other NATO members, including the United States.

Speaking in Parliament to lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party, Mr. Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately attacking civilians in Gaza and killing large numbers of children, women and older people.

This picture alone is enough to show that the aim here is not self-defense, but savagery to commit the premeditated act of crime against humanity, he said.

Mr. Erdogan also criticized Western countries for their strong backing of Israel and for branding Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that controls Gaza, as a terrorist organization.

Hamas is not a terror organization, he said. It is an organization of liberation, of mujahedeen, who fight to protect their land and citizens.

Mr. Erdogans comments stand in stark contrast to the stances of Western countries, which have offered strong support for Israel since Hamas led an attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 220 others, both civilians and soldiers, back to Gaza as captives.

Even before that attack, the United States, the European Union and other countries considered Hamas a terrorist organization.

But Mr. Erdogans criticism of Israels response  which has included urging more than a million Gazans to flee to the seaside enclaves southern half, and a heavy bombing campaign that has heavily damaged civilian neighborhoods reflected sentiments that have become common in parts of the Arab and Muslim worlds. The Israeli bombardment has killed more than 6,500 people, according to Gazas Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and has been massing its troops on the border of Gaza for a possible ground invasion. Its military says that it takes precautions to avoid killing civilians but that Hamas makes this more difficult by mixing its forces in with the civilian population.

Turkey has had turbulent relations with Israel during Mr. Erdogans two decades as its dominant politician, often tied to Mr. Erdogans anger over the Israeli treatment of Palestinians.

But recently, Mr. Erdogan made steps at rapprochement with the Jewish state.

Last year, Turkey welcomed Israels president, Isaac Herzog, in Ankara, the capital, the first such visit by an Israeli head of state since 2008. In a separate visit, the Israeli defense minister met with his Turkish counterpart, and the officials vowed to resume working relations.
A new survey reveals two-thirds (68%) of SMEs require additional or updated assets to grow their business this year.

However, almost a quarter (22%) blame the high price of vehicles and equipment as the reason preventing them from acquiring them. An additional one in five (19%) are concerned they are unable to afford new assets.

In a recent independent survey of 200 business owners, conducted by non-bank commercial asset finance lender Metro, respondents were asked whether a lack of capital assets was holding their business from expanding. Two-fifths (42%) of respondents said they need more capital assets to grow their business, and a quarter (26%) said their assets are too old and outdated.

Out of the respondents that said their business was being held back from acquiring new capital assets, the most prevalent reason was high prices and lack of affordability (for 41% of respondents). One fifth (22%) said the cost of equipment and vehicles had increased too much, while 19 per cent said they cant afford capital assets. A further 15 per cent dont want to invest at present. Only 10 per cent of respondents said they dont want to get a loan to cover the costs of new assets, and just three per cent said they cant get loan approval.

Reviewing the results, Metros CEO Phillip Crossman says: The fact that only a small number of businesses have been unable to get a loan corroborates recent experiences reported by our brokers: most prime asset borrowers are being approved for the loans they are seeking. However, its clear that Australian SMEs are conscious of spending in this environment and are wary of rising costs. If we want the business sector to continue to expand, they need the financial support to do so.

A closer look at the survey results reveal different requirements reported by business size. Small-sized businesses (16-50 employees) and medium sized businesses (51-200 employees) are more likely to need updated capital assets to expand their business, with 85 per cent reporting so. This compares with 65 per cent of large businesses (over 200 employees) and 52 per cent of micro businesses (1-15 employees).

The results dont necessarily reflect businesses cant afford price increases, as only 9 per cent of medium and large businesses and 13 per cent of small businesses said this is what is holding them back. Yet, for 29 per cent of micro businesses, this is a major concern.

Phillip says, Micro businesses, when compared to the other business sizes, are more likely to have a tighter cashflow that struggles to accommodate the rising costs of vehicles and equipment. Whereas larger-sized businesses have a greater ability to control their cash flow and absorb these higher costs..

The data reveals most businesses are hoping to expand, with only 5 per cent admitting that their lack of growth aspirations are the reason they did not need asset finance, as Phillip explains: The data released is largely positive with most businesses intending to expand or grow, and no major issues reported in securing financing for assets. However, it is clear many businesses, especially micro businesses, are feeling a level of anxiety about the economic outlook.

When comparing responses across states, Metro found that business owners in South Australia are the most concerned by the higher prices of equipment and vehicles (33% of respondents), compared with 25 per cent of business owners in Western Australia, 23 per cent in NSW, 19 per cent in Queensland and just 18 per cent in Victoria.

Almost a third (31%) of business owners in Western Australia are unable to afford new capital assets, compared with Queensland (22%), Victoria (18%), NSW (15%) and South Australia (13%).

Phillip says, Understandably, businesses have different challenges, depending on their market, but having access to the right equipment for the business to run smoothly shouldnt be one of them, when there are appropriate finance options available.

The full survey results, including business size and State breakdowns, can be found here: https://metrofin.com.au/is-australian-sme-growth-hindered-by-under-investment-in-capital/

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Mohammed Aborjela, 27, used to document daily life in the Gaza Strip on his Instagram account before the war, videos about a crab dish prepared along the seaside or pigeon racing in the coastal enclave.

Now, he has turned to documenting daily life under Israeli bombardment. On Sunday, he posted a story about the daily struggle to find drinking water.

He records snippets as he walks, carrying a bright yellow jug to one of the few water stations still functioning in the southern city of Khan Younis. At the station, people  many of them children who struggle to carry the full jugs home  jostle for position in a chaotic line to fill up on well water.

Theres no more water in the taps, so we have to go get water in this way, Mr. Aborjela, a project coordinator with the development organization Youth Without Borders, told The New York Times. The conditions for filling up water are not healthy. People are on top of one another and people are getting sick.
At the United Nations Security Council, divisions over whether to call for an immediate cease-fire resulted in two rival resolutions failing to pass and the council remaining paralyzed.

Russia and China vetoed a resolution put forth by the United States that did not call for a cease-fire and that stated Israel had the right to defend itself. The other resolution, from Russia, called for a cease-fire but failed to receive the nine votes required. Russia and the United States have clashed on resolutions since the conflict began, with both nations employing veto power to block the council from acting.

Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, on Wednesday also addressed the controversy around his comments a day earlier that Hamass attack on Israel did not happen in a vacuum.

I am shocked by the misinterpretations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council  as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas, Mr. Guterres said to reporters outside the council chamber. This is false. It was the opposite.

But Hamas did get a vote of support on Wednesday from the leader of Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Hamas was not a terror organization but a group fighting to protect their land and citizens. Mr. Erdogan said he did not excuse any acts targeting civilians, including Israeli civilians, but condemned what he called Israeli brutality against Palestinians.

In Washington, President Biden offered another full-throated declaration of support for Israel during a news conference at the White House, saying that Israel has the right and I would add responsibility to respond to the slaughter of their people.

But the president said that Hamas did not represent all Palestinians, and that Israel has to do everything in its power, as difficult as it is, to protect innocent civilians.

The United States has pledged full support to Israel as it fights Hamas, though it has encouraged the Israelis to hold off on a ground invasion, citing the safety of the hostages, the need to deliver aid to Gaza, and concerns that Israel does not have a clear military strategy.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said the countrys military was still preparing for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. I will not spell out when, how, how much, he said. I also wont detail all the considerations were taking into account, most of them totally unknown to the public.

In a prime time address to Israels, Mr. Netanyahu indicated that he was already thinking of the political battles that lie ahead. He conceded that he would have to provide answers for how Israel was caught off guard by the stunning Hamas attack, but stopped short of explicitly taking responsibility.

This disaster will be fully looked into, he said. Everyone will need to give answers  including myself. But all of this will only happen after the war.
Its 14 October. 11 a.m. I am feeling like I am dead already. But I am still breathing, just still breathing. I miss my old life. I used to be a clean, tidy girl. And everything here is not. I used to be having everything normal. I just want to live normal. I just want to shower normally. I just want to use bathroom normally. I cant breathe normally here. Everything is getting worse.

Tasneem Ismael Ahels audio messages typically arrive all at once.

Sometimes there are 16 files. Sometimes there are 24. Sometimes there are just five.

The messages are often stuck, trapped for days in electronic transit because of a communications blackout imposed by Israel when it cut off electricity in Gaza, silencing voices from the besieged enclave.

That is, until a fleeting Wi-Fi signal appears.

Image

For many Palestinians in Gaza, sporadic access to WhatsApp is one of the few outlets for sharing firsthand accounts of the war happening around them: raw reflections on death, despair and shattered dreams sent via audio messages from a territory under siege.

For two weeks in mid-October, Tasneem, a 19-year-old college student from Gaza City, documented how her hometown was transformed under Israeli bombardment, sharing daily updates with The New York Times in the form of an audio diary.
Israels 19-day bombing campaign in Gaza has become one of the most intense of the 21st century, prompting growing global scrutiny of its scale, purpose and cost to human life.

Since terrorists from Gaza raided Israel on Oct. 7, killing roughly 1,400 people according to the Israeli government, the Israeli military says it has struck more than 7,000 targets inside Gaza. That is a higher number than in any previous Israeli military campaign in the territory, a narrow enclave less than half the size of New York City. It also outstrips the most intense month of the United States-led bombing campaign against ISIS, according to Airwars, a British conflict monitor.

For Palestinians, the scale of the bombing campaign has appeared vengeful and unfocused, killing Gazans from across a wide spectrum of civilian life and destroying residential areas. The Hamas-run Gazan health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 people, a number that if verified would make this the deadliest conflict for Palestinians since at least the Lebanon war of 1982.

But to Israelis, there is a necessity and a method to their strikes, which they say are not about retaliation but defense. The campaign, Israeli officials say, is focused on degrading Gazan military infrastructure that is often built near homes and civilian institutions. Officials and analysts warn that a potential ground invasion of Gaza could be even bloodier than the air war. They argue that strikes that ease an Israeli ground advance will help reduce the loss of life for Palestinian civilians and Israeli soldiers alike, once the invasion begins.
Calls for a cease-fire dominated Tuesdays daylong United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas war, with senior U.N. officials, foreign ministers of Arab countries and many other diplomats, including China and Russia, noting that the number of Palestinian civilians killed was mounting and that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was deteriorating rapidly.

Many speakers also denounced Hamas. The U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres, condemned Hamass terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 that started the war and demanded that all hostages taken that day be released.

But he also said that the attack on Israel had not happened in a vacuum and noted that Palestinians had suffered more than five decades of occupation and oppression by Israel, comments that drew sharp criticism from Israeli officials.

Mr. Guterres told the Council: The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The OAS, the Special Rapporteur and UNESCO join forces to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

October 18, 2023

Washington, D.C.  The Organization of the American States, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are pleased to invite you to participate in the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), which will take place on November 2 and 3 at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Within this framework, a series of spaces for reflection will be organized that will bring together relevant actors at the global level, including journalists, members of civil society, rapporteurs and former rapporteurs, specialists, representatives of the United Nations, States and academia, and other people dedicated to the defense and promotion of the right to freedom of expression.

In this edition of IDEI, we will delve into the situation of violence against journalists and other media workers during electoral periods. It will also seek to reaffirm the commitments made by States and the responsibilities of public leaders, political parties and electoral authorities to promote security, both online and offline, and to counter intolerance, discrimination and deliberate disinformation in these contexts.

To access the program, click here.

This space will also be an opportunity to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the OAS and to review its history, main achievements, and pending challenges, considering the fundamental role it plays in the defense and promotion of the right to freedom of expression in the hemisphere.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur calls for honoring the courage and memory of journalists and communication professionals who have been murdered for reasons related to their journalistic work, and to reaffirm the importance and urgency for States and other actors to deploy their maximum efforts to create the necessary conditions for the press to carry out its work freely. independent and secure.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression is an office created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to encourage the hemispheric defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression, considering its fundamental role in the consolidation and development of the democratic system. The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights.

11:41 AM
Chinese engineers once set a Guinness World Record After Rotating a 30,000-tonne bus terminal in Xiamen 288 meters by using hundreds of hydraulic jacks and rolling tracks.

The Houxi Long Distance Bus Station is situated in the Jimei District of Xiamen, Chinas Fujian Province. Four years ago, local authorities decided to move one of its terminals from one street to another in order to make room for a new high-speed railway project. After weighing their options, engineers decided that the best solution was to rotate the gigantic building at a 90-degree angle, using one of its narrow sides as the center point. The far side of the terminals needed to slide along the ground for about 288 meters, which is hard to do with a structure that weighs 30,000 tons, or as much as 170 Boeing 737 passenger planes.

To pull off this record-worthy feat, Chinese engineers devised a system that relied on properly oriented rolling tracks onto which the bus terminal would slide, and no less than 532 powerful hydraulic jacks capable of lifting the structure from the ground and sustaining it during the move. At the time, local newspaper the Haixi Morning Post wrote that the team used special jacks that moved forward automatically, bringing the terminal with them.

To minimize the risk of human errors, engineers divided the hundreds of jacks into two groups, each controlled by computers. The two groups worked alternatively, with one lifting the building and stepping forward before the second group repeated the exact same motion. This produced a visual illusion that made it seem like the bus terminal was walking.

The hydraulic jacks worked non-stop, moving the 30,000-tonne bus terminal by about 20 meters per day. It took 40 days to move the structure into its new position, a new Guinness Record. A time-lapse video of the move has been doing the rounds on social media for the last 4 years, and for good reason, its impressive!

Interestingly, constructing the Houxi Long Distance bus terminal in 2015 reportedly cost around $39 million, while the operation to move it into its new position cost a whopping $7.5 million.
Joele Frank is handling Air Methods Corp., the helicopter ambulance company based in Greenwood Village, CO, that filed for Chapter 11 in its bid to reduce its $1.7B debt load.

The reorganization will enable Air Methods "to continue supporting patients with lifesaving care and serving as an integral link between the nations top healthcare facilities and people in rural and remote communities, said CEO JaeLynn Williams.

Air Methods has a fleet of 365 medical helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that serve 47 states from 275 bases. It transports about 100K people per year.

The federal No Surprises Act," which protects people from unexpected medical bills, has negatively impacted the emergency services sector as patients are unwittingly flown to out-of-network providers. That sets the stage for a showdown with insurers.

Williams said the Chapter 11 protection will position Air Methods to deliver the highest quality air medical care for generations to come.

American Securities, private equity firm, acquired Air Methods in 2017.

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katchers Andy Brimmer and Aura Reinhard represent Air Methods.
What were the editors of the New York Times thinking? The national paper of record suffered a huge self-inflicted blow to its reputation on Oct. 17 when it published a story that basically accused Israel of committing a war crime in Gaza City.

The initial report blamed an Israeli airstrike for an explosion at a Gaza City hospital, where many civilian Palestinians had taken refuge, that left hundreds of people dead or injured.

In running the story, the NYT threw the journalism textbook out the window. It shattered basic tenets of journalism, such as verifying information and relying on reliable sources.

The Times based its initial story on claims by Hamas government officials, who saw a golden PR opportunity to gain worldwide support by fingering Israel for the attack.

Israel, which had denied any role in the carnage, said a misfired rocket by Islamic Jihad caused the explosion. US officials echoed that assessment.

The Times updated its initial coverage to include the dispute over who was responsible for the attack and noted that the death toll may be lower than the hundreds of dead or injured that was initially reported.

But the damage was already done.

The paper ran an editors note on Oct. 23 that acknowledged that the explosion coverage left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.

The editors wrote: Given the sensitive nature of the news during a widening conflict, and the prominent promotion it received, Times editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation, and been more explicit about what information could be verified. Ya, think!

Since the Times sets the tone of the nations news coverage, the Gaza hospital coverage deals a major blow to the medias already low standing in the US.

Gallup reports that only 32 percent of Americans trust media a great deal or a fair amount to cover stories in a full, fair and accurate way. That ties Gallups lowest reading, which was recorded in 2016.

One wonders if the NYT cant cover a big story like the Gaza hospital explosion in a full, fair and accurate way, what chance is there that other news outletswith far fewer resources than the Timeswill get things right?

Meet the Pied Piper of the Big Apple. Take a bow, Mayor Eric Adams. He can take some credit as New York slipped a notch to No. 3 on Americas rattiest cities list compiled by Orkin, pest control company.

Los Angeles, which was No. 3 last year, supplanted New York as the second rattiest city, while Chicago held the top spot for the ninth consecutive year. The rats just love Chicagos deep dish pizza.

Orkin based its survey of new rodent treatments in residential and commercial buildings from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023.

Adams is super-fixated on rats. NYC has fined its embattled leader four times since December for rat infestation fines at his row house in Bedford-Stuyvesant that he rents to tenants. He also designed a special rat trap during his time as Brooklyns Borough President.

Adams in April went nuclear on rats, declaring them NYCs Public Enemy No. 1 and naming Kathleen Corradi, who is not a rodentologist, the citys first rat czar.

Her claim to fame: the former elementary school teacher developed a zero waste food program for the Dept. of Education that led to a drop in the number of rats in schools.

You can bet Adams is cheering on his director of rodent mitigation as she works to get NYC off Orkins Top 5 rattiest cities list.

Watch out, Washington and San Francisco.

Dylan, who? Bud Light, seeking to forever eradicate the memory of its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, has signed a multiyear sponsorship with the UFC, mixed martial arts league.

Hows that for a tough guy image? Kid Rock, who used Bud Light cans for target practice, would approve of the UFC link-up. Unfortunately for phony baloney Kid, he was later caught drinking the Bud swill.

Beginning Jan. 1, Bud Light becomes the official beer partner of the UFC. Bloomberg reported that the transaction is the UFC's biggest-ever sponsorship, topping the $175M crypto.com deal.

Dana White, UFC CEO, said the sponsorship came about because Bud Light and parent Anheuser-Busch are very aligned with our values and what the UFC brand stands for. Does that mean that Bud Light and A-B are aligned with beating the living daylights out of somebody?

Bud Light does exact a measure of revenge. It takes over the UFC sponsorship from Modelo.

The Mexican brew took over Bud Lights position as Americas top-selling beer in the aftermath of the Mulvaney brouhaha.

One wonders if Dylan likes Modelo.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he would advise an Irish woman fired from an Israeli company to seek legal advice if her dismissal was over her political views.

Speaking in the Dail, Solidarity TD Mick Barry raised the dismissal of Courtney Carey from her role as a customer care team lead at Israeli tech company Wix, which employs 500 people in Dublin.

Mr Barry said: She commented online about what she described correctly as the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza. She was fired from her job for doing so. I am calling on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to speak out on this case.

It could have a chilling effect on thousands of workers in this country who wish to speak out against a brutal war. It also creates a terrible precedent whereby workers can be fired for expressing a political point of view.

Ms Carey posted on LinkedIn Free Palestine and Israel is a terrorist state prior to her dismissal.

She separately wrote that human rights groups had concluded that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid and that it had cut off food, water and electricity to more than two million people in the Gaza strip.

She later said she condemns all forms of terrorism regardless of the perpetrator or victim.

The president of the Israeli software company said it had decided to part ways with Ms Carey.

    ,    : pic.twitter.com/r2F0kTWlwS  Nir Zohar (@nirzo) October 23, 2023

Nir Zohar said: Wix is a global company, it is an open and a liberal company. We would never try to limit anyones political views, we do however also hold a strong set of internal values about our team spirit, partnership and friendship.

These accusations in such troubling times not only harm our Israeli teams spirit, they also threaten the great connection between our Dublin offices with our 500 team members and their Israeli colleagues.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett told the Dail that the case was particularly disturbing.

He said: They sacked her because she had put posts online that according to her are quite mild posts, where she essentially laid the responsibility for the current violence in Gaza on the shoulders of the Israeli government for its apartheid policies, its occupation and its siege of Gaza.

In response, Mr Varadkar said he did not know the details or facts of the case and therefore could not pass judgment.

However, he added: Under Irish employment law, it is not okay to dismiss somebody because of their political views.

I believe that to be wrong and would encourage the woman concerned to seek advice, whether from the WRC, a trade union or a solicitor, because it may well constitute wrongful dismissal and there are remedies that would then apply.

Of course, all the facts would need to be known before we know what the outcome will be.

Elsewhere, Tanaiste Micheal Martin told reporters he had not seen the posts, but said it would be unacceptable for someone to be fired for sharing a viewpoint if it did not call for violence.

Speaking at the Global Ireland Summit in Dublin, Mr Martin said, "Employees generally should be allowed their individual viewpoints. We live in a democracy here, we tolerate debate, freedom of speech and freedom of opinion."

People are entitled to different perspectives once they dont advocate for violence in pursuit of those objectives.

He added: We uphold the right of people for freedom of expression.
Pandora products are seen at their store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. Photo by Reuters/Andrew Kelly

Denmarks Pandora will start work on a jewelry crafting facility in Vietnam in the first quarter next year at a cost of US$163 million.

The facility, in the southern industrial hub of Binh Duong, is scheduled to become operational in 2026, Michael Zinck Jensen, project head of Pandora Production Holding in Binh Duong, told Deputy Minister of Construction Bui Xuan Dung Monday.

It will come up in the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park and employ 7,000-9,000 workers.

But it is having difficulty acquiring construction permits, and he expected the Ministry of Construction to speed up the process, Jensen said.

Dung said he has tasked a unit with assisting the company to complete all paperwork.

Pandora sells its jewelry in over 100 countries and reported revenues of $3.76 billion last year.

It has 15 stores in Vietnam, mostly in malls in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Another Danish giant, Lego, began building a $1 billion toy factory in Binh Duong in the last quarter of last year.

The first made-in-Vietnam Lego bricks are set to be launched in the second half of next year.
Another Leopard Sighting In Bengaluru; This Time Near Dabaspet

Namma Metro: Operations On MG Road-Baiyappanahalli Purple Line To Be Partially Disrupted On November 5

Farmers Take Crocodile To Electricity Office In Karnataka To Protest Power Outage

Bengaluru

oi-PTI

Farmers here took a crocodile to the office of the state-run Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) in an unusual protest against irregular power cuts that disrupted their agricultural activities.

They were peeved at the risk posed by wild animals and snakes when they went to their farms during night due to inadequate supply during day time.

A farmer spoted an alligator in his agriculture field when he went to water his farm after power supply was restored late in the night last week.

Villagers said the crocodile had come from the nearby Krishna river in search of a prey.

Vegetables Across Bengaluru Contaminated With Heavy Metals, Warns Study

The farmer then quickly called the fellow villagers, who tied the alligator and took it to the HESCOM office on October 19 to ''demonstrate'' the danger posed to them.

Finding the ''unusual guest'' near their office, the terrified HESCOM officials called the police and forest officials to take it away.

The HESCOM officials then assured the villagers that they will ensure that there will not be any power cuts during day-time.

The forest officials later left the crocodile in the Almatti Dam from where it is believed to have strayed into the field.

According to Irrigation Department officials, scanty rainfall this year has disrupted agriculture activities. There is not enough water in the dams to release for irrigation purposes.

Namma Metro: Huge Rush On Bengaluru Metro, Long Lines Seen Outside Majestic Metro Station

Farmers are dependent on borewells for irrigation. The excessive power consumption for irrigation purposes has created power scarcity.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said recently there was a power shortage in Karnataka due to steep rise in demand and consumptiom. Power consumption in October used to be about 10,000 MW, which has gone up to 16,000 MW in the state due to increased usage of electricity for agriculture purposes.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 12:16 [IST]
Namma Metro: Huge Rush On Bengaluru Metro, Long Lines Seen Outside Majestic Metro Station

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Bengaluru Metro, also known as Namma Metro, has long been a lifeline for the residents of the bustling metropolis, providing a convenient and efficient mode of public transportation. However, it recently made headlines for a different reason altogether - the enormous rush and extensive lines that were witnessed outside the Majestic Metro Station. The queues extended all the way to the KSRCTC Depot, a sight not commonly seen on this urban rail network.

The surge in commuter numbers was primarily attributed to the end of Dussehra holidays. As the festivities wrapped up, many people from different parts of the city were making their way back to Bengaluru, leading to the sudden influx of passengers. Namma Metro, being one of the most preferred modes of transport in the city, bore the brunt of this massive wave of passengers.

Dussehra, a major Hindu festival celebrated with much enthusiasm and grandeur, often sees families and individuals traveling across the country to be with their loved ones. With the conclusion of the festivities, a substantial number of people head back to their respective cities, contributing to a significant surge in travelers.

Commuters took to social media to complain about the long queues and delays. Some said they had to wait for more than an hour to board a train. Others said the trains were packed to the brim, making it difficult to breathe.

Silk Board Flyover Closure: Namma Metro Work To Worsen Traffic Woes For The Next 4 Months

"I waited for more than an hour to board a train at Majestic Metro Station," said one commuter. "The train was so crowded that I could barely breathe. It was a nightmare."

Another commuter said: "The BMRCL needs to do more to manage the rush at Majestic Metro Station. Long queues and delays are becoming a norm. It's really frustrating for commuters."

With the city's population continuing to grow and its infrastructure struggling to keep pace, Namma Metro will likely become even more critical in the years to come.

Efforts are underway to expand the metro network, with new lines and extensions in the planning stages. These developments are expected to further ease the city's transportation woes.
Tiger Claw Pendant Controversy: Darshan, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Jaggesh And Vinay Guruji Under Scrutiny

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Following the arrest of Kannada Bigg Boss contestant Varthur Santhosh by the forest department for wearing a tiger claw pendant, the public has brought several celebrities under scrutiny. Notably, actors Darshan, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and astrologer Vinay Guruji among others, have been criticised for donning similar lockets, which has prompted various organisations to file complaints.

The forest department took action against Santhosh after he was arrested on the Bigg Boss set near Bengaluru, wearing a pendant fashioned from tiger claws. Later, he was presented in court and was remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

In the wake of this incident, photographs of Darshan, actor-turned-politician Jaggesh, and JDS leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy sporting tiger claw pendants have circulated widely on social media. As a response to these viral images, multiple organisations have submitted formal complaints to the forest department, urging them to take action against Darshan, Vinay Guruji Jaggesh and several other famous personalities.

Kannada Actor Darshan, Astrologer Vinay Guruji Accused Of Possessing Tiger Claw Locket

A viral photo of Vinay Guruji seated on a tiger skin has also ignited a social media frenzy and stirred considerable debate. Records indicate that an individual named Amarendra Kirithi from Shimoga donated the tiger skin to Vinay Guruji's Gowrigadde Dattashram. On August 23, 2019, Amarendra wrote to the Deputy Forest Officer in Shimoga, expressing his intent to donate the tiger skin and obtained the necessary permit. Vinay Guruji later returned the tiger skin to Amarendra. Later, Amarendra submitted a letter to the Forest Department, explaining his inability to retain the tiger skin and officially returning it to the Shimoga Forest Department on May 20, 2023.

Shivakumar Nayak, the President of the Union of All Unions in Bengaluru, filed a complaint against Vinay Guruji and actor Darshan with the Bangalore City Police Commissioner. Darshan, serving as a forest ambassador, has unknowingly adorned a gold chain embellished with a tiger claw, which is in potential violation of the law. Shivakumar Nayak called for an inquiry into actors Darshan and Vinay Guruji and asserted that forest officers have a responsibility to ascertain the authenticity of the tiger claws they possess.

Meanwhile, taking to social media, Nikhil Kumaraswamy has however clarified and wrote,"This is far from the truth." He also said that relevant authorities to verify the accuracy of the matter. Reports in some media outlets suggested that Nikhil Kumaraswamy wore a tiger claw pendant during his wedding, but he vehemently denies this.

In his post, Nikhil underlined his awareness of the seriousness of the Wildlife Protection Act, ensuring there was no violation on his part. He clarified that the tiger claw pendant he wore was artificial, not authentic, and it was a gift he received during his marriage. He further mentioned that he still possesses the pendant and urged everyone to refrain from propagating inaccurate news.

              .   .   ,      .

1/2  Nikhil Kumar (@Nikhil_Kumar_k) October 25, 2023

In response to these complaints, forest department officer Ravindra Kumar stated that they would take action once the veracity of these images is confirmed.

"We have received complaints, but we will have to find out the reality of these images. Once we ascertain the reality, we will initiate action according to the law," said the forest officer.

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said that action will be taken against individuals who violate wildlife regulations.

Two More Held In Chikkamagaluru For Wearing Tiger Nail Dollars After Bigg Boss Kannada Contestant's Arrest

"According to the Wildlife Act, wildlife skin, ivory, deer skin, and horns cannot be used or stored. We have received some complaints and the department will investigate and take action. There is no question of acting soft on anybody. All the complaints will be investigated and action will be taken," the minister affirmed.

Supporters of Santhosh organised a protest in Varthur, accusing officials of unfairly targeting Santhosh while not addressing several celebrities who wear a similar pendant.

For the unversed, the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 delineates that materials associated with any wild animal, such as skin, bones, horns, hair, and the like, should not be collected or retained. Any such items should promptly be surrendered to the relevant department, or individuals must secure the appropriate certification from the department. Possession of these items without lawful authorization could lead to imprisonment for a minimum of 3 to 7 years and a fine of at least Rs 10,000.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 13:46 [IST]
Two Decades Without Power, Now Lit Up In Just One Week

Will Vijay Enter TN Politics In 2026? BJP's Annamalai Says 'Democracy Is All About Choice'

Wonderla Holidays Begins Construction On 5th Theme Park In Chennai

Chennai

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Wonderla Holidays has officially commenced the construction of its fifth theme park in Chennai after a seven-year delay. The amusement park and resort company, headquartered in Bengaluru, had earlier signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government during the first edition of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) in September 2015, committing to invest Rs 500 crore in the Chennai project. In 2018, Wonderla acquired a 60-acre site on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) in Chennai.

However, progress on the project was hindered by disputes over the local body tax (LBT) imposed by the Tamil Nadu government.

Wonderla, known for its three existing amusement parks in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi, began construction on its fourth park in Odisha in March, with completion expected within the next two years.

Ravikumar Chittilappilly, Managing Director of Wonderla Holidays, mentioned that the company is simultaneously working on two projects: Chennai and Odisha, ensuring that their capital expenditures are covered for the next two years.

Chennai Police's Warning To Theatres Ahead Of Vijay's 'Leo' Release

The company had invested nearly Rs 100 crore in land in Chennai. However, Chittilappilly explained that they plan to adopt an asset-light approach moving forward by leasing land from state governments, similar to their approach in Odisha. This strategy is expected to reduce capital expenditures from Rs 350-400 crores to less than Rs 150 crores.

Chittilappilly also revealed that Punjab and Madhya Pradesh have shown interest in hosting a Wonderla project in their respective states. Furthermore, discussions are underway with Goa and potentially Gujarat for future initiatives.

Meanwhile, the shares of Wonderla Holidays reached a 52-week high in this weak market with huge volumes.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 16:59 [IST]
Congress Seeks To Reshape Telangana Politics With BJP Leader Crossovers

Hyderabad

oi-Kannaiah

Electoral politics in Telangana is taking a new turn with key leaders from the BJP leaving the party or expressing their unhappiness. The Congress is trying to capitalise on this situation by inviting these leaders to join their party and offer them tickets to contest the upcoming elections.

This has led to tensions within the BJP, with former state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay also expressing his dissatisfaction. In response to the brewing discord, Delhi BJP leaders have intervened in an attempt to rectify the situation and maintain party unity.

The Telangana elections hold substantial implications for the BJP. There were speculations that former MPs Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy and Vivek are on the verge of joining the Congress.

However on October 25, Raj Gopal Reddy had resigned from the BJP and has decided to return to the Congress. It must be noted that Raj Gopal Reddy, brother of Congress MP from Bhongir, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, was in the Congress party MLA till August 2022.

Reports suggest that Raj Gopal Reddy has been offered the Munugodu constituency and is likely to contest as a Congress candidate.

Telangana Pre Poll Survey: Hung Assembly, BRS Likely To Win 43-55 Seats, Predicts ABP-CVoter Opinion Poll

This decision was reached after discussions with his followers and prominent activists who have expressed their unwavering support for his return to the Congress fold.

Vivek, too, is likely to represent the constituency as a Congress candidate. Moreover, it is expected that several other BJP leaders may follow suit, with Delhi leaders closely monitoring developments in Telangana.

Rajagopal Reddy's disappointment stemmed from his omission in the BJP's initial candidate list. He had anticipated that the party would allocate two seats for his family, one for himself from the Munugode constituency and the other for his wife from LB Nagar constituency. However, the party high command's decision to exclude these constituency names from the first list came as a shock to him. Meanwhile, the former minister, Eatala Rajender, was given the opportunity to contest in two seats (Huzurabad and Gajwel). Recognizing Rajagopal's discontent, the Congress Party extended an olive branch to him, paving the way for his potential return.

Following the episodes involving Rajagopal Reddy and Vivek, it appears that two or three more prominent leaders from the BJP may consider departing from the party. Among them, a two-time MP from North Telangana has expressed reluctance to contest in the Assembly polls. Sources suggest that he is preparing to sever ties with the BJP and join the Congress, as he faces mounting pressure from the BJP leadership to run in the assembly polls.

BRS Will Win 95-105 Assembly Seats In Nov 30 Polls, Says Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao

Rumors also circulate regarding another female leader who has harbored grievances about the party's leadership style for some time. It is speculated that she is actively exploring the possibility of switching party affiliations. Meanwhile, the Congress has unveiled its first list of candidates while withholding the release of the second list. Questions have arisen regarding the decision to deploy party spokesperson Rani Rudrama, originally from the undivided Warangal district, to contest against KTR in Siricilla.

Also, former state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay, who has been confined to assembly duties, has expressed dissatisfaction with the high command. In response, Delhi leaders have embarked on a strategy of appeasement. Party insiders reveal that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's upcoming visit to Telangana on October 27th will involve concerted efforts to prevent further defections among party leaders to other political entities."
Singapore to import 1.2 GW electricity from Vietnam by 2035

Wind turbines are seen in the central province of Quang Tri. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tao

Singapore has issued permits to a company to import 1.2 gigawatts of low-carbon electricity from Vietnam as part of its plan to import 4 GW by 2035.

Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd would source it from offshore wind power plants and potentially other sources developed by Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation, a release from the Singapore Energy Market Authority said Tuesday.

The electricity will be transmitted from Vietnam to Singapore through new subsea cables that will run a distance of around 1,000km.

The imports from Vietnam could potentially constitute 10% of Singapores requirements, The Straits Times newspaper reported.

Sembcorp is a subsidiary of energy firm Sembcorp Industries.

Vietnam and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding for energy cooperation in October last year.

In 2021 Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong announced plans to import up to 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035.

Approvals have also been given for importing 2 GW from Indonesia and 1 GW from Cambodia.
Chandrababu Naidu To Finally Come Out Of Jail As AP High Court Grants Bail

Amid 70-Hour Work-Week Debate, Video Of This Hyderabad Walk-In Interview Will Make You Think

WATCH: BRS MLA Attacks BJP Leader During TV Debate

Hyderabad

oi-Prakash KL

A televised discussion hosted by a Telugu news channel ahead of the Telangana Legislative Assembly election took an ugly turn on Wednesday as a physical altercation ensued between a BRS MLA and his BJP opponent.

In the viral video, the BRS MLA is seen assaulting the BJP leader. However, police and others intervened and separated the duo, the video showed.

G Kishan Reddy, the State BJP President and Union Minister, alleged that KP Vivekanand, the BRS MLA representing Quthbullapur in Hyderabad, assaulted Kuna Srisailam Goud, the BJP candidate from the same constituency, in response to his inability to respond to a question posed by Goud.

Vivekanand attacking Goud by holding the latter's throat is an act of timidity, Reddy said in a statement. He said police should book a case against the BRS MLA failing which the BJP would take up a legal battle.

    - 



BJP MLA candidate from Quthuballapur @KunaSrisailam attacked by BRS sitting MLA.



Its shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public, imagine if BRS returns to power even common pic.twitter.com/h4kj3m9ydw  G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) October 25, 2023

"It's shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public, imagine if BRS returns to power even common people will be attacked in same manner?" Reddy said on Twitter.

Sravan Dasoju, the BRS spokesperson, asserted that during the debate, Goud had alluded to the BRS MLA's father, despite the expectation that both should maintain decency and decorum. According to him, it was imperative for both individuals to demonstrate restraint and maintain decorum.

The BJP leader should not have driven the debate 'attacking' Vivekanand's parents in the first place and BRS MLA should not have attacked his rival. "Both could have been sensible and realised the whole world is watching them," Dasoju added.

Polling will be held in Telangana on November 30 and votes will be counted on December 3.
'Degree Wali Desh Beche': Nishikant Dubey's Fresh Jibe At Mahua Moitra In Cash-For-Query Case

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has launched a fresh attack on Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, alleging that she solicited money from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking questions against the Adani Group in Parliament. Dubey claims that Moitra's Parliament login was opened in Dubai while she was in India, raising concerns about national security and the dignity of Parliament.

While the ethics committee had initiated an investigation into these claims raised by Nishikant Dubey, Moitra has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a "hit job" orchestrated by the BJP. She has also accused Dubey of presenting forged documents and demanded an investigation into his own educational qualifications.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw further intensified the matter on Tuesday by sending a letter to Nishikant Dubey, acknowledging the gravity of the allegations concerning 'cash for questions.' The National Informatics Centre, which operates under the IT ministry, expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Committee on Ethics in relation to the investigation.

   ,       ,proprietary, corruption and criminality  ,      NIC    ?       ?       ?  @loksabhaspeaker  @MEAIndia     permission   Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) October 25, 2023

Mahua Moitra, in response to these developments, pointed out that Nishikant Dubey had already claimed that the National Informatics Centre provided details of "Dubai logins" to the investigating agency, casting doubt on the veracity of the information. She labeled the entire situation as a politically motivated 'hit job' against her, orchestrated by individuals she characterized as less-than-adept strategists.

TMC Distances Itself From Mahua Moitra's Bribery Charges Case Amid Controversy

Additionally, industrialist Darshan Hiranandani, who faced allegations of bribing Moitra in exchange for posing questions against the Adani Group in Parliament, admitted his involvement and attributed it to a lapse in judgment. In his own words, "I think that me being entangled in this whole matter is an error of my judgment." Hiranandani clarified that he had willingly signed the affidavit, without any coercion or inducement. He expressed that the affidavit was notarized at the Indian consulate in Dubai, highlighting his voluntary and unpressured involvement in the process. Hiranandani firmly denied any claims of intimidation or coercion by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) regarding his affidavit and underscored that the document had been submitted to the Privilege Committee of Lok Sabha, copied to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and emailed to Dr. Nishikant Dubey.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 11:20 [IST]
Dussehra 2023: In A Historic First For India, Kangana To Ignite Ravan At Red Fort Delhi

Dussehra 2023: Kangana Ranaut Becomes First Woman To Do Ravan Dahan In 50 Years At Red Fort

Kangana Ranaut Meets Israeli Ambassador: Hope Israel Is Victorious In War Against Terrorism

India

oi-PTI

Actor Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday met Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon and expressed confidence that the country will emerge victorious in its ''war against terrorism''. The actor, who is promoting her upcoming movie ''Tejas'', shared photos and a video of her interaction, in which she discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with the Israeli ambassador on her official X account.

''Had a very soulful meeting with Israel's ambassador to India Shri Naor Gilon ji. Today the whole world, especially Israel and India, are fighting their war against terrorism.

''Yesterday when I reached Delhi for Ravana Dahan, I felt that I should come to Israel Embassy and meet the people who are defeating today's modern Ravana and terrorists like Hamas,'' Ranaut posted, referring to her participation at the national capital's famed Lav Kush Ramleela on Tuesday evening.

We wish to convey our heartfelt gratitude to @KanganaTeam for her visit to the Embassy and for extending her unwavering solidarity with #Israel during these challenging times. #IStandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/9SlHgJv3Lu  Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) October 25, 2023

Earlier this month, Israel launched an attack on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip after militants affiliated to the group killed hundreds, including civilians in large numbers, in an assault on the country.

If not shot dead by Khalistanis...: Kangana Ranaut fearlessly accepts Amritpal's challenge for debate

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Israel-Hamas War: Kangana Ranaut meets Israel Ambassador Naor Gilon | Hamas War | Oneindia News

''The way small children and women are being targeted is heart-wrenching. I have full hope that Israel will be victorious in this war against terrorism. With him I discussed about my upcoming film 'Tejas' and India's self-reliant fighter aircraft Tejas. @IsraelinIndia,'' the 36-year-old actor added.

In a follow-up post, Ranaut shared the video of her interaction with Gilon.

''My heart goes out to Israel. Our hearts are bleeding too. Here's my conversation with Israel's ambassador to Bharat Naor Gilon,'' she wrote.

The Israeli ambassador thanked the actor for her support to his country.

''It was lovely meeting @KanganaTeam who was in Delhi for her movie premiere & visited our embassy to extend her support to @Israel. I expressed our heartfelt gratitude not only to her but also to PM @narendramodi ji and our Indian friends for their unwavering support in our shared battle against terrorism,'' Gilon wrote on his official X account. Ranaut's upcoming movie ''Tejas'' is set to be released in theatres on Friday. The movie, written and directed by Sarvesh Mewara, features Ranaut in the role of an Indian Air Force pilot.
Opposition Leaders Allege Hacking Attempts By Government; Are You At Risk As Well?

Lok Sabha Committee To Hold First Meet On Bribery Allegation Against Mahua Moitra

India

oi-PTI

The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday on the ''cash for query'' allegation against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, with BJP parliamentarian and the complainant Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai scheduled to record their statements.

In his complaint to Speaker Om Birla, Dubey has cited documents shared by Dehadrai. Birla has referred the matter to the committee headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar.

Dubey said the advocate, once close to Moitra before having a fallout, has shared ''irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged'' between her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ''Oral Evidence of Shri Jai Anant Dehadrai, Advocate in respect of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by Dr. Nishikant Dubey, MP against Smt. Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament. Oral evidence of Dr. Nishikant Dubey, MP, in respect of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by him against Smt. Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament,'' the panel's schedule for Thursday said.

'Degree Wali Desh Beche': Nishikant Dubey's Fresh Jibe At Mahua Moitra In Cash-For-Query Case

The fiery TMC member has dismissed the charges as a ''jilted ex's lies'', a reference to Dehadrai, accused the Adani Group of behind them to target her as she has been relentless in raising questions of the conglomerate's practices and transactions.

In his letter to the Speaker, Dubey said 50 of 61 questions she asked in Lok Sabha till recently were focused on the Adani Group.

In a signed affidavit, Hiranandani, the CEO of real estate-to-energy eponymous group who allegedly paid her to raise questions in Parliament, has admitted that the TMC leader targeted Gautam Adani to ''malign and embarrass'' Modi whose impeccable reputation gave opposition no opportunity to attack him.
How Does Refugee Crisis Affect Mizoram State Assembly Elections 2023 When They Can't Vote| Details

Mizoram Elections: 112 Of 174 Candidates Crorepatis; State AAP chief Richest With Rs 68.93 Cr Assets

India

oi-PTI

Altogether 112 out of 174 candidates in the fray for Mizoram assembly elections are crorepatis, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Andrew Lalremkima Pachuau being the richest among them with declared assets worth nearly Rs 69 crore.

According to the affidavits of the candidates accessed by PTI, 64.4 per cent of the candidates declared assets worth Rs 1 crore or more.

With declared assets valued at Rs 68.93 crore, AAP's Mizoram president Andrew Lalremkima Pachuau is the richest. He contesting from Aizawl North-III constituency.

Mizoram Polls: BJP Releases List Of 12 Candidates

Pachuau is followed by R Vanlaltluanga (Serchhip seat) of the Congress with Rs 55.6 crore assets while H Ginzalala (Champhai North) of the Zoram People's Movement is in the third position with a declared asset of Rs 36.9 crore.

The source of their income is business, according to their affidavits. Ramhlun-Edena, an independent candidate from Serchhip seat, is the poorest. He has movable assets worth Rs 1,500. In his affidavit uploaded in the Election Commission website, BJP nominee JB Rualchhinga from Lawngtlai West has mistakenly declared his assets as worth Rs 90.32 crore. The party has sought rectification from the election department.

In the 2018 assembly polls, MNF nominee Lalrinenga Sailo (Hachhek) was the richest with declared assets valued at Rs 100 crore, followed by party colleague Robert Romawia Royte (Aizawl East-II) who had assets worth Rs 44 crore.

However, Sailo's assets have significantly reduced to Rs 26.24 crore and that of Royte to Rs 32.24 crore this time. Of the 16 women candidates, Congress nominee Meriam L. Hrangchal (Lunglei South) is the richest with assets worth Rs 18.63 crore. MNF president and Chief Minister Zoramthanga is the richest among the presidents of five contesting political parties with assets worth Rs 5 crore. ZPM chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma, who seeks public mandate from Serchhip seat, has assets worth Rs 4 crore.

Mizoram Congress Candidate List 2023: List Of 39 INC Candidates Released

While Mizoram Congress president Lalsawta (Aizawl West-III) has declared assets worth Rs 6 crore, BJP president Vanlalhmuaka (Dampa) is in possession of assets worth Rs 31.31 lakh. Five candidates - three from ZPM and one each from MNF and BJP - have pending criminal cases.

In the 2018 polls, nine candidates, including Zoramthanga and former chief minister Lal Thanhawla, had criminal cases pending against them. Deputy Chief Minister Tawnpui, who is contesting from Tuichang seat for the second time, is the eldest among the candidates. He is 80. At 31 years, woman candidate Lalruatfeli Hlawndo, who is contesting from two seats as an independent, and BJP nominee F Vanhmingthanga are the youngest.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 10:59 [IST]
Shikhar Dhawan Granted Divorce By Delhi Court On Grounds Of Cruelty By Wife

Case Against 'People Of India' Was About Substantial Imitation: Humans of Bombay Founder

Newsclick Row: Delhi Court Sends Prabir Purkayastha, HR Head To Police Custody Till Nov 2

India

oi-PTI

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty to police custody till November 2 in a case lodged under the anti-terror law UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda.

The accused were produced in the court on the expiry of their 15-day judicial custody granted by it earlier.

The police had requested the court on October 10 to send the accused persons to jail and had submitted that the agency could ask for their further custodial interrogation later.

SC Seeks Delhi Police Reply On Pleas Of NewsClick Founder, HR Head Against UAPA Arrest

The police on Wednesday told the judge that it wanted to confront the accused with some protected witnesses and also some devices which were examined and the data that has been extracted.

Advocate Arshdeep Singh Khurana, appearing for Purkayastha, opposed the police remand plea claiming that there was no new ground in the application.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty on October 3.

According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to ''disrupt the sovereignty of India'' and cause disaffection against the country.

It also alleged Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data, police said.

Delhi Police Conducts Raid At Kerala Residence Of Ex-NewsClick Staff

Around 300 electronic gadgets were also seized from the offices of NewsClick and residences of the journalists who were examined.

Following the raids, 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the Special Cell in Delhi and NCR.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 15:22 [IST]
Asaduddin Owaisi hits out at Rahul Gandhi for alleging that AIMIM takes money from BJP

Pre Poll Survey Chhattisgarh: Easy Win For Congress With 55-59 Seats, Predicts Lok Poll Opinion Poll

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

As the Chhattisgarh Assembly election 2023 is slated to be held in two phases on November 7 and 17, the Lok Poll Pre-Poll Survey for Chhattisgarh predicted clear majority for Congress while BJP a distant second.

According to the latest Lok Poll survey, out of the total 90 seats, BJP is likely to secure between 30 to 34 seats. On the other side of the political spectrum, the Congress is expected to win an estimated 55 to 59 seats, seeking to strengthen its hold on the state's governance. Others are projected to win only 0 to 2 seats.

The ruling Congress, according to the Lok Poll survey, is poised to gain over 44-46 per cent of the total vote share.

In contrast, the BJP is projected to secure around 38-40 per cent of the vote share.

Others are projected to secure 14-18 per cent of votes.

Chhattisgarh Polls: BJP Releases 4th List With Four Candidates, Drops Sitting MLA

In 2018, the Congress staged a remarkable resurgence in the state, putting an end to 15 years of BJP rule by securing 67 out of the total 90 seats. (This count later increased due to the party's success in by-elections.) Bhupesh Baghel assumed the role of the state's inaugural Chief Minister from the OBC (Other Backward Classes), a community representing over 40% of the total population in the region.

The Congress's victory half a decade ago was primarily attributed to factors such as anti-incumbency, rural economic distress, and apparent discontent among BJP members with the party's senior leadership.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 16:37 [IST]
US Concerned Over Departure Of Canadian Diplomats From India

Canadian Foreign Minister Joly Says She's In Touch With Her Indian Counterpart

Amid Diplomatic Row, India Set To Resume Select Visa Services In Canada

International

oi-Prakash KL

India will resume some visa services in Canada from Thursday, the country's High Commission in Ottawa said.

India will resume visa services for entry visa, business visa, medical visa, and conference visa, the High Commission stated.

After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services for the four categories, according to a statement by the Indian High Commission.

"Emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulates General as it is being done currently," the statement added.

The development comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India is looking at resuming visa services for Canadians "very soon" if it sees progress in the safety of its diplomats in Canada.

The ties between India and Canada nosedived after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged on September 18 that there was a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.

New Delhi strongly trashed the charges. Days later, it announced temporarily suspending the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.

Last week, Canada pulled 41 diplomats from India, after New Delhi had conveyed its concerns over parity in diplomatic strength.

Ottawa also halted its visa and consular services in Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bengaluru consulates.
Israel-Hamas War: Latest On Ground Offensive, Death Toll, Fuel Crisis, Hostages, UN Meets As Gaza Suffers

International

oi-Stuti Tripathi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to indicate to soldiers on Tuesday, 24th October that a ground offensive is on the horizon, amidst growing concerns about military delays.

According to a report by CNN, as Israel readies itself for a ground operation, sources from the French presidential palace express apprehensions about conducting such an operation while upholding international humanitarian law.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, addressing an audience of Israeli troops on Tuesday, 24th October, emphasized the need to dismantle Hamas and cautioned that the conflict is still in its initial stages.

Here are the latest developments in the ongoing Israel-Hamas War:

1. Escalating Death Toll: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah reported on Tuesday that, within the past 24 hours, 704 people in Gaza lost their lives. Furthermore, following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October, at least 12 British nationals were confirmed deceased, according to a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Additionally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed that 33 Americans lost their lives as a result of the 7th October attack.

As of the latest update on Tuesday, 24th October, at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since 7th October. While more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage as per a report in AP news.

2. Inside Hamas: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a one-minute excerpt from a 43-minute video that apparently provides graphic details of the events during the 7th October attack. Meanwhile, intelligence shared with the United States suggests that a small group of Hamas operatives had been plotting the surprise attack on Israel for two years, using a network of hardwired phones installed within the tunnels beneath Gaza. According to the CNN report, the US is also intensifying efforts to target a "secret" Hamas investment portfolio believed to be valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

3. Fuel Shortage: With fuel reserves running low for running water systems, some residents of Gaza are resorting to drinking contaminated, salty water. This has raised concerns of a looming health crisis and fears that dehydration-related deaths may increase. According to Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees in the Near East, Gaza requires a daily supply of at least 160,000 liters (42,267 gallons) of fuel to sustain basic necessities.

Foreign media reports stated that UNRWA has warned that it will be compelled to suspend its operations in Gaza if fuel is not delivered by Wednesday night. Furthermore, the World Health Organization reported that at least six hospitals in Gaza have been forced to close due to the lack of fuel. The Israeli Defense Forces have stated that they will not permit any fuel to enter the Gaza Strip, citing its necessity for Hamas's operational infrastructure, despite earlier remarks from the IDF chief of staff.

4. Hostage Situation: Talks are currently in progress to secure the release of numerous hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as per sources familiar with the situation. However, these negotiations are complicated by various factors. The IDF has distributed leaflets in Gaza, appealing to residents for any information about the hostages.

5. UN Meetings: The Palestinian Authority's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Riyad Al-Maliki, addressed the UN Security Council during a meeting on the Middle East on Tuesday, 24th October. Blinken urged UN Security Council member states to utilize their influence to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from escalating, specifically warning Iran that its involvement will have consequences. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has declared that he will not meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after the UN chief criticized Israel's bombing of Gaza, with Cohen stating, "shame on him" in response to a reporter's question at the United Nations.

6. International Perspective: As per the CNN report, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan criticized a perceived double standard, where the Western world condemns the Hamas attack on 7th October but refrains from condemning Israel's airstrikes on Gaza or advocating for a ceasefire.

John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson, did not provide details on plans for a mass evacuation of American citizens from Israel and Gaza.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that nothing can justify the suffering of civilians in Gaza, affirming his support for the Palestinian people, whom he stated Hamas does not represent.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 5:08 [IST]
Pilot becomes a hero for safe landing after he finds cobra in the cockpit

Go First Offering Extra Rs 1 lakh Per Month To Retain Its Pilots

Off-Duty Pilot Who Tried To Shut Down Plane Engines Mid-Air Was On Magic Mushrooms

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The off-duty pilot who attempted to shut down a plane's engines mid-air had eaten magic mushrooms and believed he was experiencing a nervous breakdown, according to court documents. Joseph Emerson, who was a passenger on Horizon Air, faced 83 counts of attempted murder charges in Oregon after he made an effort to reach for controls that could have deprived the engines of fuel, effectively turning the plane into a glider.

Emerson explained to the police, as reported by an AFP article, "I pulled both emergency shutoff handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just want to wake up."

The investigating officer also discussed Emerson's use of psychedelic mushrooms, to which Emerson acknowledged that it was his first experience with them.

New Air India Plane: First Look At The Redesigned Logo, Design

The unsettling incident took place during a flight of the Horizon Air Embraer E-175 from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on a Sunday, as noted in a statement by the parent company, Alaska Airlines, as reported by AFP.

With 80 passengers on board, the flight was rerouted to Portland, Oregon, where it safely landed, and the 44-year-old individual was subsequently apprehended.

The Department of Justice provided details that during the early stages of the flight, Emerson attempted to access and engage two red fire handles, which would have triggered the plane's emergency fire suppression system and halted the flow of fuel to the engines.

"After a brief physical altercation with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit."

Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air's parent organization, issued a statement on Monday, commending their pilots for their swift response in reversing the actions taken by Emerson, ultimately ensuring the aircraft's safe landing.

"Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft," according to the Department of Justice.

Canada Plane Crash: Two Indian Trainee Pilots Killed

During the descent of the flight, Emerson made an attempt to access the emergency exit handle, but a flight attendant intervened, preventing him by placing her hands over his.

According to the report, Emerson entered a plea of not guilty to the multiple charges filed against him, which included 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft.

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Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 11:26 [IST]
The fact that the government holds a monopoly on gold has pushed its price much higher than the global rate and created a supply shortage, according to Vietnamese legislators.

There is shortage of supply on the gold market as seen by a gap between Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC) gold price and the global rate, said National Assembly member Nguyen Thi Yen from the southern province of Ba Ria  Vung Tau at a meeting Tuesday.

Since 2012, the manufacturing and management of gold has been placed solely under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), and SJC gold is the only brand that is recognized on the market.

This was done to stabilize gold and currency prices.

Lawmakers said that a tael of gold in Vietnam now costs VND14.5 million ($590.63) more than the global rate.

This is a large gap caused by a monopoly on importing and manufacturing gold, they added.

Regulations need to be changed to allow businesses to import and manufacture gold, Yen said.

A legal framework is needed to link Vietnams gold market with the worlds and to allow gold trading via exchanges, she added. "Vietnam needs a national gold trading exchange and authorities should issue gold bonds to mobilize gold from the people to ensure transparency."

Assemblyman Do Manh Hien from the northern city of Hai Phong said that an increasing number of people are investing in gold and dollars and they can gain profits two or three times that of bank deposits.

The government therefore needs to issue policies to mobilize gold and dollars from the public, he added.

In June last year lawmakers also brought up the matter of gold monopoly to question SBV Governor Nguyen Thi Hong, who said that any changes in gold regulations need to be considered carefully to ensure the countrys goal of preventing "goldization," a term used in Vietnam to refer to the phenomenon of keeping gold and using gold in payment due to fear of a dong depreciation.
Who Is Dr. Subra Suresh? Indian-American Scientist Awarded For His Groundbreaking Work In Materials Science

Dr Subra Suresh, former head of the National Science Foundation and professor at large at Brown Universitys School of Engineering, was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Science by US President Joe Biden for his pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences and life sciences.

International

-Sathish Raman

Washington, Oct 25: US President Joe Biden presented the prestigious National Medal of Science to top Indian-American scientist Dr Subra Suresh, among others, for pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences and life sciences. Suresh, the former head of the National Science Foundation, is a professor at large at Brown Universitys School of Engineering. Biden presented the prestigious science medal to nine people on Tuesday.

Pioneering Research

Suresh was awarded the medal for pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences and life sciences, and particularly for advancing the study of material science and its application to other disciplines. The announcement from the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation noted Sureshs commitment to research and collaboration across international borders, which has demonstrated how science can forge understanding and cooperation among people and nations.

'Israel Can Make Their Own Decisions': Biden On Ground Invasion Of Gaza

"Very Satisfying"

"Its very satisfying, said Suresh, who said he takes special pride in the recognition because of what the medal signifies, according to a Brown University statement. Born in India in 1956, Suresh graduated from high school at 15 and by age 25, had earned his undergraduate degree, masters degree and Ph.D., which he earned in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in just two years.

Journey and Accomplishments

Suresh became a faculty member at Brown University in 1983 as the youngest member of the engineering faculty. After 10 years at Brown, Suresh went on to become the first Asian-born American to lead the National Science Foundation NSF, serving as its 13th director after he was nominated by then-president, Barack Obama. He returned to Browns School of Engineering in September 2023, and earlier this month, the school announced a biennial symposium in his honour focused on the frontiers of technology and society.

"The more I got into engineering, the more I liked it, Suresh said. "The more I got into science, the more I liked it. The more I went across fields, I liked it even more. The greatest thing about this is that its not a job to me. Its something I really enjoy. I feel very passionate about this and the joy of finding something new, he said.

Biden On Hamas Attack: They Knew I Was About To Sit Down With The Saudis

Global Collaboration and Initiatives

Under his leadership, NSF launched the Global Research Council, a virtual organization of heads of science and engineering funding agencies from more than 50 countries, aimed at fostering global collaboration and data sharing. He also oversaw the establishment of the Center-Life Balance program, an initiative to increase the number of doctoral-level women in the science and engineering fields from 26 percent to 40 percent between 2011 and 2021.

Dr. Subra Suresh's pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences, and life sciences, particularly in advancing the study of material science, has made him a highly deserving recipient of the National Medal of Science. His commitment to research and collaboration across international borders showcases the power of science to foster understanding and cooperation among people and nations. Suresh's journey from India to becoming a leading scientist and educator in the United States is an inspiration to aspiring scientists and engineers everywhere.
The former president was fined after taking the witness stand in his New York fraud trial. Speaking with reporters afterwards, he attacked his former lawyer Michael Cohen as a liar.
Pakistan's UNSC comment about Kashmir during the Israel-Gaza discussion struck a nerve with the Indian authorities, who condemned the statement.
Support for Israel has become a top issue among Iowa evangelicals ahead of the state's 2024 Republican presidential caucuses, the first in the country.
By Camille Lons



The terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on 7 October reignited the trauma of the November 2015 Paris attacks for many in French society. But the impact of the attack and the subsequent war goes far deeper, resonating with Frances profound political, social, and religious divides  and policy makers fear...
Rumble 27 Oct 2023

The UN chief says he is "deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are..
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Confucius supposedly said that "who seeks revenge should dig two graves one for himself." What motivates the war between Israel and Palestine validates the adage. Critical intellectuals should not spend time fervently cheer-leading for one side or the other, which is becoming the norm. They should use their wisdom to clarify the costs of rage and revenge. They can also forward even speculative proposals that might prevent the acceleration and geographic expansion of the war. Fourteen hundred Israelis died in the assault unleashed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, over 200 hostages were taken. But those memories are fading fast. They will fade faster still during the Israel's ground assault that will cost thousands of lives and its proposed occupation of Gaza. World public opinion has already concentrated on what are surely more than 4,000 dead and 10,000 wounded Gazans, the 6,000 Israeli bombs dropped, the 11,000 buildings fallen, and the plight of more than 1 million displaced people. There is no excusing any of this. Disproportionate acts of retribution contravene the basic premises of international law and they will leave Israel ensconced in a tradition of mass homicide that is best symbolized by Picasso's "Guernica" (1937).

President Joe Biden has called an Israeli occupation of Gaza "a big mistake". Annexing it, ruling it, or setting up a puppet government will only compound the error. Israel most likely plans to take over Gaza for a few months, free the hostages wipe out Hamas, but then... What happens afterwards? Right now, Israel does not know what it wants. Its assault probably will not liberate the hostages, surely hidden in the most imperiled locations among civilians, or obliterate Hamas. With an infrastructure and roots in the Gazan community, it is not a sect like al Qaeda or Isis, but instead a movement-regime in control of a paramilitary-political apparatus; it will likely resurface following even the most ferocious attempts to stomp it out.

Hamas rules Gaza with an iron hand and identifying its organizational interests, or those of Islamic Jihad, with those of its subjects is misguided and naive. These organizations have their own interests to pursue, and they are willing to incur collateral damage. Hamas has long been engaged in a vicious civil war with Fatah, the moderate and corrupt faction that controls the West Bank. This bloody conflict hampers peace talks if only because Palestinians cannot speak with a single voice and Israel is left without an authentic negotiating partner. Moreover, Hamas has no meaningful institutional plan for governing Palestine whether in terms of a two-state or a one-state solution. Critical of any two-state solution because its power in a single Palestine would diminish relative to Fatah, while aware that Israel will not surrender its Jewish identity or placidly transform itself into a minority in a bi-national state, Hamas hangs in political limbo. This explains its infuriating vacillation between secular and theocratic aims, moderation and violence, democratic proclamations and authoritarian rule.

Neither Israel nor Hamas is clear about their actual war aims, which is why a cease-fire is paramount. It all hinges on that. As the dead bodies of Gazans numerically increase, and the media shifts its sympathies, so will much of the world. Israel will have squandered the moral high-ground it derived from the original barbarous attack while, perhaps even worse, increased support for Hamas will necessarily bring with it some degree of legitimation for Islamic Jihad, whose aims lie in its name. Since Islamic Jihad split from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1979. and Hamas arose during the first Palestinian intifada in 1987, they have sabotaged every gesture toward regional peace, including the Abraham Accords. and the peace overtures of Saudi Arabia.

However, the most self-serving and derisive disregard for Gazans was surely expressed by Hamas' demand that its subjects stay put in the North and helplessly face Israel's strategic aerial bombardment. In other words, Hamas insisted that Gazan citizens should senselessly die for the "cause" -or, better, for Hamas, rather than heed Israel's warnings, avoid the coming offensive, and seek relative safety in the South. The last time that such mass suicide was ordered, as far as I know, was during Hitler's last days. Nor is a broader regional war off the table. Iran and Hezbollah have been loyal allies of Hamas, which makes sense given their competition with Saudi Arabia for hegemony in the Middle East, intra-religious tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslims, and perilous as against delicate relations to the United States. With the support of Iran, and its 150,000 missiles, Hezbollah threatens to create a second front by entering the war. Western allies need to use both the carrot and the stick in order to prevent a regional cataclysm and persuade those who would intervene to follow a more prudent path.

None of this gives Israel a free pass. Over two million people are still inhabiting a small strip of land twenty-five miles long, experiencing the destruction of public life, and awaiting the devastating impact of bombing and invasion. As Israel becomes ever more of a world pariah, however, its stubborn resolve will strengthen. Its existential fears are real. Consumed by the Holocaust, for right or wrong, Israeli citizens believe that anti-Semitism has exploded, double standards are being imposed on them, and that the history of the Jews shows that all their allies are unreliable and that their state must proceed without regard for world public opinion. For its own sake, however, its rage should not turn Israel into an unregenerate vigilante intent on inflicting collective punishment on Gazans and ignoring distinctions between civilians and combatants.

Genocide looms over Gaza like the sword of Damocles. But there are glimmers of hope. Pressured by the Biden administration, which is preparing a $14 billion military package to bolster its defense, Israel is now allowing humanitarian aid, food, water, and fuel into Gaza. The next step is a cease-fire perhaps monitored by the United Nations. Creating a relief fund to rebuild Gaza should also become an international enterprise, and global media should widely publicize and shame those nations that won't contribute. Western allies might also consider coordinating a massive air-lift for Gazans reminiscent of what overcame the East German blockade of West Berlin in 1948. Egypt and perhaps Jordan, which admittedly suffered a horrific civil war between its residents and Palestinian refugees during the "Black September" 1970-71, also should receive incentives to create humanitarian corridors and refugee camps for Gazans.

Genocidal injuries suffered in the past don't warrant dismissal of civilized norms in the present. Not everything is permitted the victim, nor does criticism contradict solidarity. There are no saints in this conflict. Politics has been disfigured by feelings of rage and dreams of revenge, and reason is under siege. That is what makes this war so gruesome and difficult to resolve. Legitimate grievances on one side are denied by victims on the other whose own histories, ironically, should have taught them to know better.

*Stephen Eric Bronner is Co-Director of the International Council for Diplomacy and Dialogues and Board of Governors Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Rutgers University.

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Bui Tien Luc (2nd, R) and his three accomplices in a kidney trading ring at a prison in HCMC. Photo by police

The Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested four men for allegedly running an illegal kidney trading ring and pocketing VND12 billion (US$485,000) in just a year.

Bui Tien Luc, 37, Tran Thanh Hoa, 32, Nguyen Thanh Phong, 33, and Phan Thanh Hai, 27, are being investigated for "trading human body parts," the Binh Chanh District police said Tuesday.

Luc, a native of Ninh Binh Province in the north, was in need of money in 2017 and advertised online that he would sell one of his kidneys.

An unidentified man contacted him and offered to pay VND250 million. Luc came to HCMC for the deal, and there got acquainted with the other three men.

After a few years they decided to set up a kidney trading ring early last year.

They would follow potential kidney sellers on social media and offer to pay them VND260-400 million. Then they would look for patients in dire need of a new kidney or their families, and offer to sell them one for VND400 million-1.1 billion.

People selling their kidneys would be provided with food and accommodation by the ring while waiting for the kidney transplant.

To meet legal requirements, the gang would forge documents such as marriage and birth certificates and local government approvals for the transplant.

In just over one year they struck 28 deals successfully carried out 13 transplants, earning VND12 billion in the process.

Journalists from HCMC Law newspaper were the first to discover the ring from a clue left by a person who once sold a kidney. They then began to dig deep and collected evidence.

The police then expanded the investigation and have found sellers and buyers from all over the country.

More than five million people have chronic kidney disease in Vietnam, and 100,000 have to get dialysis daily, official data shows.

Social insurance only covers the cost of dialysis, and those who need a transplant have to pay for it.

Those with kidney failure have to register and wait in line for a legal donor, which normally takes months and even more due to a serious donor shortage.

This has caused many patients to gradually lose hope and turn to the black market.

In many cases, donors and receivers have no information about each other.

In Vietnam, organ donation is taboo since many believe one should die wholly prepared for the afterlife, meaning black market kidney transactions are not rare.

According to the police, kidney traffickers usually do 30-50 deals a year.
"If you seek to perpetuate district-charter divisiveness, I am not the candidate for you."



- BD3 Candidate Janie Dam



(Image by Janie Dam) Details DMCA



Janie Dam is running against incumbent Scott Schmerelson in LAUSD's Board District 3, which covers most of the western San Fernando Valley. As part of my ongoing Candidate Forum series, Dam was asked five questions about PROP-39 co-locations. For the introduction to this subject along with answers from other candidates, please see the article LAUSD Candidate Forum: PROP-39 Co-Locations.

The following are the candidate's responses, printed exactly how she provided them with the exception of some minor formatting edits:

Question 1: Do you support the "Creating a Charter Schools Co-Location Policy to Mitigate Impacts Caused by Proposition 39" authored by Board President Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Rocio Rivas? Uncommitted

This is not a question that I can answer with a simple "YES" or "NO".

It is every organization's right and responsibility to protect its own programs and initiatives, and a school district is no different. However, I cannot support the Goldberg/Rivas resolution in its present form (VERSION 2 08-22-23), which in my view does not sufficiently satisfy the letter and spirit of the applicable law.

California Proposition 39 represents the expressed will of California voters to support public school choice by requiring that School District facilities be shared equitably among all public school students who reside in the district, including those enrolled in charter schools. Even after significant revision the resolution is still focused on removing and eliminating charters rather than on making a bona fide effort to facilitate the schooling of All children, including those whose families have chosen to enroll them in a charter school.

If elected I can help the Board think outside of the box to generate additional school spaces overall, for all schools involved, both traditional and charter, to alleviate overcrowding and minimize conflict. Kansas City, for example, has already begun converting vacant office spaces into additional state-of-the-art classrooms.

Question 2: Under The way that PROP-39 is currently implemented, rooms used to provide Special Education Services are considered to be "empty" and must be turned over to a charter school to satisfy its demand for space. As a Board member would you work to end this discriminatory practice? Yes

As a veteran general education teacher who has co-taught high school math with special education teachers assigned to students with severe needs, and a former Local Educational Agency level testing coordinator responsible for special needs accommodations on high-stakes state-mandated and college entry exams, I understand first-hand how important small class sizes, wellness centers, and special programs workspaces truly are. The District should reorganize the Charter Schools Division as needed to both improve its implementation of Prop 39 and to find alternatives for housing charter school services and district school services.

Question 3: The text of PROP-39 specifies that charter schools that base their space requests on inflated enrollment must pay an over-allocation fee. Currently, charter schools have a past-due balance of $3,708,006. As a Board Member would you revoke the charter of any school that refused to pay these fees when a bill is presented? Uncommitted

Billing errors are made and disputed all the time. Not having been provided the facts surrounding a school's refusal to pay a bill, I cannot answer "YES" or "NO" to this question. But as a School Board member I would take every decision to close down a school very seriously. School closings disrupt student learning, put additional stress onto parents and cause teachers to lose their jobs.

Question 4: In April of last year $7,678,022 of over-allocation debt was suddenly wiped off of the balance sheet without any explanation to the public. As a Board Member would you demand an investigation to determine whether this write-off was legal and proper? Yes

I would demand a professional, genuinely independent audit.

Question 5: The North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) was co-located on the campus of Sun Valley High School / Valley Oaks Center For Enriched Studies (VOCES) when one of its administrators was accused of "abhorrent child sex abuse" against a student. It does not appear that parents of students on the public school campus were ever notified about these accusations. As a Board Member would you terminate the PROP-39 lease agreement for any charter school that put LAUSD students at a district campus in danger? Yes

All children should be kept safe whether in a charter or traditional district school. It is also the District's job to keep all parents informed. Given the animosity against co-located charters coming from their hosting campuses, and now from the School Board itself, it is neither reasonable nor savvy to expect that the charter school will immediately want to reach out to the parents of the host school about an incident whether real or rumored that may jeopardize the charter's use of the facility. The Board should anticipate this sensitivity and make sure that the District timely steps in to fully disclose to all parents. And, just as swiftly, the district should assist a charter school to properly relocate if personnel and events on the district campus pose a real threat to students enrolled in that charter school.

Do you have any other thoughts that you would like to express about this subject?

I am the single parent of children with very different needs who have benefited from both traditional district and charter schools. I am also a teacher and UTLA member who has been employed and grown professionally at both a district school and charter school with traditions of excellence. If you seek to perpetuate district-charter divisiveness, I am not the candidate for you. If you want educational policies that serve all youths regardless of the category of public school that their family decides is best for them, you should vote for me.

Thank you Carl Petersen and ChangeTheLAUSD.com for providing this forum.

Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
"Fewer than 26% of US households still have someone working remotely at least one day a week," Bloomberg reports, "a sharp decline from the early-2021 peak of 37%," citing US Census Bureau statistics. "Remote employees have been blamed for dwindling profits and costing cities billions, and fears of a recession have eroded their ability to demand the telework perks they won early in the pandemic ..."

But if the work gets done, it's "return to the office" that's a "perk" -- for employers, for office-area businesses which profit from having all those workers commuting daily, and for money-hungry city governments.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of American workers left their traditional office environments and worked from home. That wasn't always easy on either workers or employers. It was not an unalloyed positive. But for the most part, the work did get done.

Doing that work isn't a "perk." It's a "job."

If the job gets done, why should employers care where it gets done from -- and if they do care, why shouldn't they, rather than employees and taxpayers, cover the costs of doing it from that place?

Time is money, and commuting takes time. Gas isn't free. In many cases, parking must be paid for out of pocket. And it's not just the employees covering those costs. Less work from home means more traffic jams, more smog, and more driving around looking for a parking place for everyone else, too.

For some workers, the difference between home and office is the difference between keeping one eye on their kids while they work, or paying someone else to do so, or the difference between making or not making payments on a car and auto insurance.

On the market level, I suspect the trend initiated by the pandemic will eventually become the norm. Per the Bloomberg story, "[i]n 157 of the largest metro areas in the US, more than half of job applications were for fully remote or hybrid roles in August." Those who CAN work from home increasingly WILL work from home, unless employers want to pony up extra for presence in the office. Businesses will learn to cater to those remote workers' demands in ways other than just leasing locations near office complexes, or go under.

The government angle is a tougher nut to crack. One might think that fewer cars on government-maintained roads and lower ridership on government-operated mass transit would go down as a benefit insofar as it implies reduced infrastructure costs, but one would be wrong. Instead of taking the win and reducing spending, governments complain about the loss of tax revenue. They'd rather have more pollution and more congestion than give up the money and power that comes from administering massive transportation subsidies for the benefit of Big Business.

But again, time doesn't stand still. Working from home will become a norm for the same reasons that lighting our workplaces with kerosene or spending our days riding plows and staring at mules' rear ends no longer are.
In a world marked by increasing conflict and geopolitical turmoil, it is essential to reexamine the intersection of religion, politics, and warfare. While many regions are grappling with conflict, it is evident that the manipulation of religion for political gains exacerbates tensions and fuels violence. This article delves into the need to disentangle religion from politics and war for the sake of global peace, using the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict as a stark illustration of the dangers of intertwining faith and geopolitics.

The Misuse of Religion for Political Ends

Across the globe, leaders and regimes have exploited religion for their political agendas, leading to discord and turmoil. While the world's major religions preach peace, many rulers have co-opted religious sentiment as a means to consolidate power and justify their actions. In the process, the fundamental tenets of these faiths, such as love, compassion, and tolerance, are often overshadowed by political machinations.

Wars for Control of Resources

Many contemporary conflicts are rooted in the pursuit of valuable resources such as oil, minerals, and strategic land. These resource-driven conflicts are frequently masked under the guise of religious or ideological struggles. This misdirection not only obscures the true motivations behind these wars but also hinders the prospects for peaceful resolution.

The Israel-Palestine Conflict: A Case in Point

The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict exemplifies the peril of enmeshing religion in political disputes. It is crucial to recognize that this conflict is primarily a territorial dispute exacerbated by historical grievances and geopolitical interests. The misuse of religious rhetoric on both sides obscures the root causes of the strife, making it difficult to achieve a just and lasting peace.

The Human Toll

The tragic and unending loss of innocent lives in the Israel-Palestine conflict underscores the devastating consequences of conflating religion, politics, and war. Thousands of civilians from both sides have been caught in the crossfire, often without understanding the true reasons for their suffering. The toll on the civilian population is a stark reminder of the urgency to separate faith from the brutality of war.

A Call for Secular Governance

To ensure the survival and well-being of our world, it is imperative to advocate for secular governance. Leaders must base their policies on principles of justice, equality, and respect for all, rather than exploiting religious sentiments for their own gain. Secular governance can help break the cycle of violence and conflict fueled by religious manipulation.

The Path to Global Peace

To achieve global peace, we must prioritize the separation of religion from politics and war. This separation will facilitate open and honest negotiations, diminish the power of extremist ideologies, and create a more inclusive and equitable world. We must work collectively to promote dialogue, understanding, and diplomacy as alternatives to armed conflict.

In an era marked by global unrest, the intertwining of religion with politics and war has led to grave consequences. The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict serves as a poignant example of how the misuse of faith can obscure the true drivers of conflict. The imperative is clear: we must champion the separation of religion from politics and war, embracing secular governance as a means to ensure global peace. Only by disentangling religion from the pursuit of power and resources can we hope to build a more harmonious and just world.
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Dear Annie: I had always been told that communication has three major elements: words, tone and body language. Having retired from a technology-driven company, I am keenly aware of misunderstandings between people that can be created beginning with emails and texts.

I remember creating a rule for myself that, if it was an important matter, if it involved emotions or if it was rather complex, then it really should be communicated in person or at least by phone.

How many times have we caught ourselves thinking that we understand how the person who originated a text message feels? Is that even possible? -- In Person

Dear In Person: I could not agree with you more. When communications involve feelings or emotions, then a face-to-face meeting is always best. If you cant do that, a phone call is way better than a text or email. Thanks for writing.

Dear Annie: As a farmer myself, Id like to offer suggestions for the elderly couple with livestock, the one whose brother is concerned for their safety. First, the brother is right to recognize there are potential problems and to ask for a solution.

Many rural communities have 4-H, FFA and Pony Club for youth. The clubs are under the guidance of experienced adults.

Perhaps the elderly couple could share their wisdom with young people while getting help with the animals in return. Assistance after school or on weekends could ease the concerned brothers mind. The older folks would have a sense of purpose and be safer. -- Upstate Deb

Dear Upstate Deb: I am a firm believer that the older generation has a lot to share with our younger generation. I am printing your letter in hopes that it continues to encourage these types of programs -- not only on the farm but in many businesses and charities around the world. We all have things to learn from each other.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
One of Oregons largest labor unions is trying to ban self-service at gas stations just months after lawmakers voted to legalize it.

UFCW Local 555, which represents workers in the grocery, retail, manufacturing and healthcare industries, said the policy allowing self-serve that took effect in August has cost gas station workers their jobs and has not benefited customers.

It doesnt do anything good for Oregonians unless youre a gas station owner or have a stake in a large oil company, said UFCW Local 555 Political Director Mike Selvaggio. It makes gas stations more dangerous and less accessible to people with accessibility issues.

The ballot measure would seek to ban all self-serve gas in Oregon, including in rural counties, where customers have been able to pump their own gas at night since 2015. It would continue to allow some non-commercial customers, like firefighters, to pump their own gas.

Oregon Public Broadcasting first reported on the ballot measure.

Oregon lawmakers voted in in June to reverse a decades-old ban on self-serve gasoline, which distinguished Oregon from every other U.S. state except New Jersey.

The bill had bipartisan support in the Legislature but remained polarizing even after its passage. Gov. Tina Kotek said she received nearly 5,000 letters from Oregonians on the bill before she signed it, with a narrow majority supporting the new policy.

The Legislature had grappled with the longstanding full-service law before, and in 2015 loosened the law to allow self service at night in rural counties.

Under the newest policy, Oregon gas stations are still required to staff at least half of their pumps to serve drivers who dont want to or cant pump their own gas. Fuel companies said they wouldnt lay off employees due to the new law because ongoing worker shortages have already left many stations understaffed.

But Selvaggio said that hasnt been the case, and that the union has seen gas station positions eliminated  though some of those employees have been moved to work inside stores.

UFCW Local 555 is trying to get several other measures on next years ballot, including efforts to prevent lawmakers from meeting in secret and to limit campaign contributions.

The union earlier this year collected enough signatures to mount a recall election agains Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene. It was the first recall election against an Oregon lawmaker in nearly 40 years. The union was at odds with Holvey after he tabled a bill to allow cannabis workers to unionize.

Eugene voters, though, overwhelmingly rejected the effort to remove Holvey earlier this month.

The union must collect 112,000 signatures to get the self-serve ban measure on the November 2024 ballot.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com
A former physician who killed his 68-year-old mother and is committed to a psychiatric hospital in England lost a court petition to have his two children, now in Oregon, returned to Scotland.

Andrew C. Nisbit, who previously worked as a clinical radiologist, had filed a petition in federal court in Portland, claiming his childrens mother violated the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction when she took the children to the United States.
The man accused last week of planning to shoot rock climbers at Smith Rock State Park was the subject of police scrutiny in August and September, far earlier than authorities have previously disclosed, according to a court document reviewed by The Bulletin.

Whats more, Samson Zebturiah Garner, 39, frequently imagined acts of extreme violence, even dreaming about using an assault rifle to kill people at Mt. Hood Meadows and filling the field around Mt Hood Express with bodies, the court document states.

I fantasize daily about murder, death, and vengeance, Garner said in a Sept. 30 email to a friend, adding that he thought about driving to see his ex-wife in Michigan, cutting her fingers off and killing her mom while making her watch.

The email followed a previous string of texts Garner sent to another friend in which he alluded to violence and bloodshed. That friend reported the messages to police on Aug. 22.

The details  which have not been previously reported  are contained within a petition for an extreme risk protection order, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Oct. 18 by Portland Police Bureau officer Jason T. Wands.

An extreme risk protection order is a one-year court order that mandates people who pose a danger to themselves or others to give up their deadly weapons, including firearms. It also bars a person from purchasing any new deadly weapons.

Garner was arrested outside his Subaru near Tumalo on Thursday after authorities say he drove from Multnomah County to Central Oregon with guns in his car.

He faces a slew of charges, the most serious being attempted murder. Court records describe the people he was allegedly planning to kill as spectators and belayers, the term for a person who holds the rope that catches a climber when they fall.

In his Sept. 30 email, Garner also stated that his father is Joseph T. Garner, who was convicted of killing his own father and eating part of his brain over Christmas in 1995. He was sentenced to 62 years in an Indiana prison, where he remains, according to a database with the Indiana Department of Corrections.

Some part of me is a horrible, psychopathic monster, Garner wrote in his email. Im turning into him, Im turning into my father.

Portland police declined to speak with The Bulletin about what officers did after first learning about Garners statements in August and wouldnt confirm Garners familial relationships.

Discussing how we monitored the suspect would cross over into  investigative techniques we dont discuss, said Terri Wallo Strauss, a public information officer with the Portland Police Bureau.

Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels could not confirm who Garners father was and wouldnt comment on the protective order. Joel Wirtz, Garners defense attorney, also did not return a call seeking comment.

In a statement Monday, the American Alpine Club, a climbing-focused nonprofit organization with more than 24,000 members, said Garner was a former member.

The organization confirmed that law enforcement officials contacted it prior to Garners arrest, describing a significant threat that may have impacted the health and safety of climbers at Smith Rock State Park, including attendees to the Smith Rock Craggin Classic scheduled for October 20-22.

Upon his arrest about 30 minutes away from Smith Rock, police found a Beretta 9mm handgun, a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun and an AR-15 rifle, according to court records. Law enforcement officials also obtained writing that allegedly included Garners plans to shoot and kill rock climbers at Smith Rock, Gunnels said Monday.

Gunnels wouldnt describe what was written or how it was recorded. He also couldnt say why Garner appeared to have been targeting climbers, but added: Youre not going to find a good reason about why he was planning to do what he was doing.

Friends express concerns to police

Portland police officer Cristin P. Bolles first spoke with one of Garners friends on Aug. 22. The man said he knew Garner for about six years. Though he hadnt been directly threatened, he said he was so concerned about text messages he had received from his friend that he and his family were not staying at their residence.

The man believed his friend was well armed and owns rifles as well as handguns and possibly body armor.

In the Sept. 30 email, which the recipient reported to police, Garner described himself as a rock climber and adventurer whose mental health, finances, family life and relationships were falling apart. He spoke about his favorite rock climbs and the trips and objectives that will never be. He spoke about how his father allegedly beat his mother and the murder of his grandfather when he was 11.

He went on to say that he had been changing over the past year and a half. He stopped training and watching UFC because I thought the exposure to violence was making it worse, he wrote.

I have nothing left to lose or give, he wrote. I am broken. The demon inside is winning and will soon emerge victorious.

Then he wrote about the Craggin Classic. He said my mind immediately thought about killing people rock climbing there, how easy it would be to rampage through the park shooting belayers and spectators while their climbers watched and lived the horror, unable to help or do anything to save themselves and their friends.

On Oct. 5, Portland police detective Kristina M. Coffey spoke to the recipient of the Sept. 30 email and Garners ex-wife. Both said Garner owned multiple firearms.

The detective tried to contact Garner by phone and left voice messages. Because he was believed to be armed, and due to his views around authority, police decided not to contact him at home in an effort to not precipitate a force event.

bdole@bendbulletin.com
Yousra Abu Sharekhs days begin in the southern Gaza Strip often after sleepless nights amid blaring ambulance sirens and the clamor of neighbors in the brief pause between relentless Israeli airstrikes.

By daybreak, the 33-year-old mother is on the hunt for bread, lining up for hours at bakeries to buy one bag to feed her two children. Without electricity, disconnected from her relatives and terrified by the sounds of warplanes overhead, she rushes in the afternoon to see her sick mother at a crowded U.N. shelter 20 minutes away.

There, she finally can charge her phone and check on her 66-year-old father who stubbornly stayed behind in their northern Gaza City home, refusing to heed Israeli evacuation orders.

Only two weeks ago, Abu Sharekh had a thriving life, working enthusiastically at a coveted new job and caring for her family.

I feel either we were dreaming then or we are in a nightmare now, she said. Everyone was making plans, enjoying their lives the best they could. Suddenly we are wandering the streets without fuel to drive our cars, electricity, water or food. Homes are lost, people are being killed.

Its a view shared by many among Gazas tiny but budding middle class for whom hard-won progress despite Israels 16-year blockade and the slow erosion of Gazas state institutions was reversed in a matter of days. After Israel declared war following Hamas violent rampage across the border fence, their dreams of good jobs, attending foreign universities and buying homes were dashed.

Now when thinking about the future, many draw a blank, unable to imagine an existence beyond the daily fear of being killed in an airstrike. They include graphic designers seeking shelter in tents outside overcrowded U.N. facilities, architects living among dozens of other relatives and U.N. workers grappling with the destruction of their houses.

Before the war, an aspirational middle class had emerged from the rubble of earlier conflicts in Gaza. Despite the enduring blockade and severe limits on travel, they were able to invest in their childrens education, local businesses, even private beach-side bungalows and fancy eateries. Against the rising current of unemployment and precarious economic conditions, a small portion of society in Gaza managed to prosper.

Abu Sharekh graduated this summer with an engineering degree from Portland State University as a Fulbright scholar. She returned home ecstatic to have landed a job with al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City and to be reunited with her family.

Within the span of a week starting Oct. 7, those hopes vanished as if crushed under the rubble of the flattened homes in her Gaza City neighborhood. Survival grew precarious. Her workplace became the scene of a horrific explosion.

Sharing a home with 70 other displaced relatives in a home in Khan Younis, Abu Sharekh said the day starts with anxiety about how to get bread to feed the many children there. Abu Sharekhs two sons, ages 5 and 10, survive on canned beans. Water is rationed, just 10 fluid ounces per person every day. At night, their quarters are plunged into darkness.

Still, Abu Sharekh says its better than the overcrowded and dirty U.N. shelter at the Khan Younis Training Center, where her mother stays.

The shelter, housing nearly 11 times its designated capacity with nearly 20,000 people, is the most overcrowded among the 91 UNRWA installations where nearly half a million Gaza residents have sought refuge. Tents have cropped up outside, triggering painful memories of the mass displacement of the 1948 war with Israel, which Palestinians call the Nakba, or catastrophe.

Its undignified, Abu Sharekh says.

Men and women stand in line to use the same toilet facility. The wait is so long that fights break out. Garbage is piled outside. There is no steady supply of food or water.

Her mother, a cancer survivor, suffers from gastrointestinal issues and needs a toilet for two to three hours a day. That has been impossible in the shelter.

It was heartbreaking, I was inside the shelters administration building, she was outside, and I was begging the man at the door just to let her in to use the toilet, she said. I couldnt do anything for her to get in, I was so helpless, can you imagine?

But her 63-year-old mother didnt feel safe anywhere else, despite warnings from relatives that even U.N. shelters were not impervious to Israeli bombardment.

The U.N. reported nearly 180 internally displaced Palestinians at their facilities have been injured and 12 killed since the start of the war.

Abu Sharekhs father, traumatized by tales of his parents displacement from their village in what is now the Israeli city of Ashkelon in 1948, was adamant history would not repeat itself, she said. That was the main point for him, she said.

He described an increasingly desperate situation in their Gaza City neighborhood: People breaking into homes looking for food and wandering the streets in search of supplies.

She fears he wont pick up when she calls. Or that scrolling through social media, she will find her home among the several destroyed nearly every day. A strike damaged the home she shares with her husband and leveled the building her brother lived in.

All my furniture, all my memories, windows, doors, everything is broken, she said.

She didnt want to leave, either. But her husband persuaded her, telling her at least the children should be spared the horror of airstrikes, and that they should stay together.

But as we discovered, there are airstrikes everywhere.

--By SAMYA KULLAB and NAJIB JOBAIN/The Associated Press
Portland police on Tuesday identified Brandon Coleman and James Brian Fenimore as the two pedestrians killed in separate crashes last weekend.

Officers responded to a reported hit-and-run in downtown Portland at 4:03 a.m. Saturday and found Coleman, 34, dead on the ramp connected to the Morrison Bridge. The driver fled before officers arrived, officials said.

Brandon Coleman, 34, was killed Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in a hit-and-run crash in downtown Portland, police said.Portland Police Bureau

Officers responded to another crash on East Burnside and Northeast 82nd Avenue at 11:37 p.m. where they found Fenimore, 66, who died after being struck by a minivan.

Firefighters extricated the driver, 39-year-old Vichea Pok, who was seriously injured after driving into a utility pole. Due to the extent of Poks injuries, Portland police did not arrest Pok and instead cited him for first-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence and reckless driving. Pok may face additional charges, police said.

Pok was previously convicted of driving under the influence in Multnomah County in 2012. His drivers license was reinstated in May 2022, court records show.

Pok was arrested in July 2022 after he was accused of robbing a Plaid Pantry and an Astro Gas Station in Southeast Portland with a knife. A doctor evaluated Pok in August 2022 and diagnosed him with two psychiatric disorders, saying at the time he needed hospital level of care. Pok was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital in September and was estimated to stay there until Sept. 13, 2023. The robbery charges against him were dismissed, court records show.

Police asked anyone with information about the fatal crashes to contact crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference either Colemans case number, 23-275661, or Fenimores case number, 23-276424.

As of Tuesday, Portland had recorded 53 traffic deaths of drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists this year, according to Portland police. There were 63 traffic deaths in 2022 and 2021, figures show.

-- Catalina Gaitan, cgaitan@oregonian.com, @catalinagaitan_

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe.
Palestinians carry a child at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 24, 2023. Photo by Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), has condemned all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, saying that Vietnam is deeply concerned about the current tense situation in the Middle East.

Speaking at an open debate on the Middle East situation with a focus on the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas movement at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the ambassador called on all sides to immediately cease fire, exercise maximum restraint, respect international humanitarian law and apply all necessary measures to protect people's lives, including ensuring the safety of and immediate release of all hostages, minimizing damage to essential civilian infrastructure in line with the UN Security Councils Resolution 2573.

The Vietnamese diplomat called on the international community, especially all relevant parties, to create favorable conditions to end the fighting, resume dialogue and negotiations, allow humanitarian access and deploy timely and unhindered humanitarian relief operations to reach people in need of assistance, while ensuring the safety of humanitarian aid workers.

Giang expressed his support for mediation efforts of the UN, UN member countries as well as international and regional organizations, emphasizing that in the long term, it is necessary to stop activities that incite more violence and hatred between the two sides, stop the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the destruction of homes and the expulsion of Palestinians, and respect the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Vietnamese representative proposed resuming activities of the Middle East Quartet, urged parties to return to negotiations to resolve the root causes, aiming to achieve a two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, including the establishment of a Palestine state with East Jerusalem as its capital, peacefully coexisting alongside the state of Israel, with internationally recognized borders based on pre-1967 borders. He also called on the UN and UNSC to strive for a unified and constructive message, helping to promote efforts to reduce tensions, end fighting, protect civilians and support the resumption of dialogue and negotiations.

At the open debates, many countries expressed concern about increasing tension and the risk of it spreading to the region, protested against attacks causing large casualties for civilians, and serious humanitarian situations as the Gaza Strip was completely locked down without electricity, water, medicine and other necessities for days. Most countries called for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, allowing the transport of essential aid from outside into the Gaza Strip.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, protecting civilians and civil works.
The Portland Association of Teachers has authorized a strike, (Portland teachers union votes to authorize a strike, Oct. 19). This is so disappointing for students and their families who have already been through pandemic-related school closures. The teachers union refuses to budge despite PPS offering wage increases and more planning time.

The PPS budget is available online for anyone to view. There is not enough money to satisfy the teachers demands. Cutting some administrative positions is not enough to give teachers a 21.5% raise, and it is neither reasonable nor smart for PPS to deplete its rainy-day fund for this. The reserves are needed because enrollment has plummeted. As families leave the schools, there will be less money. Thats how public education is funded, and the teachers union knows this. But the union would prefer that the money go into their pockets. Giving teachers a raise from the reserves will just lead to layoffs next year when that money is gone. We all know its expensive to live in Portland, but asking PPS to solve that problem on its own is absurd.
ATLANTA  Attorney and prominent conservative media figure Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge over efforts to overturn Donald Trumps 2020 election loss in Georgia, tearfully telling the judge she looks back on that time with deep remorse.

Ellis, the fourth defendant in the case to enter into a plea deal with prosecutors, was a vocal part of Trumps reelection campaign in the last presidential cycle and was charged alongside the Republican former president and 17 others with violating the states anti-racketeering law.

Ellis pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She had been facing charges of violating Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer, both felonies.

She rose to speak after pleading guilty, fighting back tears as she said she would have not have represented Trump after the 2020 election if she knew then what she knows now, claiming that she relied on lawyers with much more experience than her and failed to verify the things they told her.

What I did not do but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true, the 38-year-old Ellis said.

The guilty plea from Ellis comes just days after two other defendants, fellow attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, entered guilty pleas. That means three high-profile people responsible for pushing baseless legal challenges to Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 election victory have agreed to accept responsibility for their roles rather than take their chances before a jury. A lower-profile defendant pleaded guilty last month.

Responding to a reporters shouted question in the hallway of a New York City courthouse, where a civil case accusing him of inflating the value of his assets is being held, Trump said he didnt know anything about Ellis plea deal but called it too bad and said he wasnt worried by it.

Dont know anything, were totally innocent of everything, thats political persecution is all it is, he said.

Steve Sadow, Trumps lead attorney in the Georgia case, used Ellis plea to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the racketeering charges Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought against all 19 defendants.

For the fourth time, Fani Willis and her prosecution team have dismissed the RICO charge in return for a plea to probation, he said. What that shows is this so-called RICO case is nothing more than a bargaining chip for DA Willis.

He also noted that Ellis pleaded guilty to a charge that wasnt in the original indictment and doesnt include Trump.

She was sentenced to five years of probation along with $5,000 in restitution, 100 hours of community service, writing an apology letter to the people of Georgia and testifying truthfully in trials related to this case.

The early pleas and the favorable punishment  probation rather than prison  could foreshadow similar outcomes for additional defendants who may see an admission of guilt and cooperation as their best hope for leniency. Even so, their value as witnesses against Trump is unclear given that their direct participation in unfounded schemes will no doubt expose them to attacks on their credibility and bruising cross-examinations should they testify.

The indictment in the sweeping case details a number of accusations against Ellis, including that she helped author plans on how to disrupt and delay congressional certification of the 2020 elections results on Jan. 6, 2021, the day a mob of Trump supporters eventually overran the U.S. Capitol.

Ellis is also accused of urging state legislators to unlawfully appoint a set of presidential electors loyal to Trump at a hearing in Pennsylvania, and she later appeared with some of those lawmakers and Trump at a meeting on the topic at the White House. The indictment further says she similarly pushed state lawmakers to back false, pro-Trump electors in Georgia as well as Arizona and Michigan.

Prosecutor Daysha Young said in court Tuesday that Ellis attended a December 2020 meeting of Georgia state senators with Trump attorney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and with Georgia-based attorney Ray Smith. Ellis intentionally aided and abetted the other two as they made false statements to the lawmakers, including that more than 2,500 people convicted of felonies, more than 66,000 people who were under 18 and more than 10,000 dead people voted in the 2020 election in Georgia, Young said.

Before her plea, Ellis, who lives in Florida, was defiant, posting in August on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, The Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalizing the practice of law. I am resolved to trust the Lord.

But she has been more critical of Trump since then, saying on conservative radio in September that she wouldnt vote for him again, citing his malignant, narcissistic tendency to simply say that hes never done anything wrong.

Along with Giuliani, Ellis was a leading voice in the Trump campaigns efforts to overturn the 2020 election, appearing frequently on television and conservative media to tell lies about widespread fraud that did not occur and spread misinformation and conspiracy theories.

She was censured in Colorado in March after admitting she made repeated false statements about the 2020 election.

That punishment was due in part to a Nov. 20, 2020, appearance on Newsmax, during which she said, With all those states (Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia) combined we know that the election was stolen from President Trump, and we can prove that.

Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors and was sentenced to serve six years of probation and was ordered to pay a fine of $6,000. Chesebro pleaded guilty to one felony and was ordered to serve five years of probation, pay $5,000 in restitution and do 100 hours of community service. Bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges and got five years of probation. All of them were ordered to write apology letters to the people of Georgia and to testify truthfully in any other trial in the case.

Ellis and the other three pleaded guilty under Georgias first offender law. That means that if they complete their probation without violating the terms or committing another crime, their records will be wiped clean.

Trump and the other defendants, including his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, have pleaded not guilty.
An electron microscopic (EM) image shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virus particles as well as crescents and spherical particles of immature virions, obtained from a clinical human skin sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak in this undated image obtained by Reuters on May 18, 2022. Photo by Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regnery/CDC/Handout via Reuters

A 29-year-old immunocompromised man has died 18 days after being diagnosed with monkeypox, becoming the first patient of the disease to die in Vietnam.

The patient lived in Long An Province that borders HCMC and was admitted to the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases after getting fevers and blisters for nine days, vice director of the HCMC Department of Health Nguyen Van Vinh Chau said Wednesday. He later tested positive for monkeypox.

The patient also had a severely compromised immune system due to HIV. During treatments, he was infected with Candida, had pneumonia, which later progressed into septic shock and multiple organ failure.

The patient was treated with ventilators, blood filtration, antibiotics and other drugs. However, due to his severe infections, the patient died after 18 days.

The man is the first recorded monkeypox death in both HCMC and Vietnam.

The HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases is currently treating 20 cases of monkeypox, 18 of whom also have HIV. Doctors said monkeypox spread to people in ways similar to HIV, including contact with infected blisters and sexual intercourse.

Those who contract monkeypox usually recover, but the disease often progress, even to life-threatening degrees for those with compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV/AIDS, cirrhosis or diabetes. Severe complications include widespread damage on the skin, especially at the mouth, eyes and genitalia, leading to further infections.

Waves of monkeypox infections began in May 2022, appearing in countries which never saw the virus before, like the U.S., the U.K., Sweden and Belgium. So far, over 90,000 infected cases have been confirmed. Death rates can be as high as 11%. The World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23, 2022 declared a global health emergency over monkeypox outbreak as infections rose globally.

Vietnam's first two cases of monkeypox were confirmed in October 2022, but they contracted the virus abroad after returning from Dubai, and were immediately quarantined upon return to Vietnam.

The country currently has no vaccine or cure for monkeypox.
An appeal trial judging a case against the 2021 Miss Grand International Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien has been postponed after the plaintiff got food poisoning.

The 2021 Miss Grand International Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien. Photo from Tien's Instagram

Businesswoman Dang Thuy Trang told NgoiSao that she sent a letter to the HCMC Peoples Court asking it to adjourn the appeal trial of the lawsuit she filed against the beauty queen, which was initially scheduled to take place on Monday.

The trial is thus rescheduled to November 7.

Trang filed a lawsuit against Tien in November 2022.

She claimed that Tien had asked to borrow VND1.5 billion from her in June 2017 and promised to pay back in one year. The borrowed money was spent on the preparation for Tiens appearance in the 2017 Miss Southern Vietnam contest.

According to her, Tien had signed a promissory note stating that she had received money from her. However, when the promissory note expired, Tien did not repay the money as promised, Trang claimed.

Trang also accused Tien of slandering her reputation by telling the press that Trang had forced her to sign the promissory note without giving her the money and that Trang had lured potential beauty pageants contestants to sign loan contracts with her.

Trang consequently demanded the court to order Tien to pay a total amount of VND2.4 billion (US$98,000), including VND1.5 billion for the money Tien allegedly owed her, VND932 million for compensation for loss of earnings, and VND14.9 million for compensation for harmed reputation. On top of that, she demanded Tien to admit to providing false information about her to the media, and to issue a public apology in three different newspapers.

The court denied all of Trangs claims in the cases first trial on May 31. It said Trang had "no concrete evidence" proving that Tien really owed money to her.

Regarding Trangs demands for a clarification of false information and a public apology from Tien, the court said they are "ungrounded."

Nguyen Cong Phu, Trangs legal representative, subsequently filed an appeal.

Tien, 24, was crowned the 2021 Miss Grand International in Bangkok, becoming the first Vietnamese national to win the beauty pageant. After the contest, she became known for her charity projects and other volunteering activities.
New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday firmly rebuked what he described as the false claim by top Israeli diplomats that he had sought to justify the terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas in a speech he delivered to the Security Council
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Minister of Economy and Trade in the Government of National Unity, Mohamed Al-Haweij, held a meeting involving several state agencies to examine the project to build the digital economy and e-commerce in Libya
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Before the Security Council on Tuesday evening, Libya reaffirmed its total rejection of the international community's selectivity and double standards in the face of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in Palestine
Photo: (Photo : LAURE ANDRILLON / Getty Images)

In a significant turn of events, a mother is behind bars following the safe recovery of eight children in a California restaurant parking lot. These children, originally from Arkansas, had been abducted, setting off a series of events leading to the mother's arrest.

California's Anderson Police Department responded to a call during the early hours of Saturday. They were alerted to a woman's erratic actions, which drew concern and suspicion.

Upon their arrival at approximately 12:30 a.m., they found six of the eight children abducted associated with a Dodge pickup truck with an Arkansas license plate.

8 Children Abducted in Arkansas

The arrested woman, Trista Fullerton, a 36-year-old from Rogers, Arkansas, was quickly identified as having a felony warrant for her arrest in connection to the 8 children abducted from Arkansas.

As officers dug deeper into the situation, they learned that the other two children were located at a residence in Cottonwood, California. Working closely with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, authorities promptly retrieved the two children.

All eight children are currently safeguarded by Shasta County Children and Family Services. Plans are in motion to reunite them with their guardians back in Arkansas.

Trista Fullerton had previously lost her custodial rights, a detail that the Anderson police brought to light. The sequence of events leading to the children's abduction remains uncertain. Interestingly, the Arkansas State Police did not issue an Amber Alert for the eight children.

According to Cindy Murphy, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Safety, no request for such an alert had been made.

It's noteworthy that the responsibility for initiating an Amber Alert usually rests with local law enforcement, and the state issues them under specific scenarios. In this case, the Arkansas State Police were not directly involved. An Arkansas-based attorney, once associated with Fullerton, has clarified that he no longer represents her.

Reactions and Responses

The news of the children found in California has sent shockwaves through both states, highlighting the importance of public vigilance and the effectiveness of swift law enforcement response.

The discovery of the eight children abducted in a situation that could have turned far more tragic emphasizes the significance of citizens reporting unusual behaviors, as it was a concerned individual's alertness that led to this positive outcome.

The incident has also sparked discussions on the criteria for issuing Amber Alerts and why, in this case involving eight abducted children, such an alert was not activated.

The specifics of why Fullerton lost custody and the motivations behind her actions are subjects of ongoing investigation.

Read Also: Urgent CDC Alert: Surging RSV Cases Strain Supply of New Lifesaving Antibody Drug Beyfortus

Looking Ahead

While the children found in California are safe, questions remain. As investigations progress, authorities in both Arkansas and California will be piecing together the circumstances surrounding the abduction.

The wellbeing of the children is of paramount importance, and efforts are being made to ensure they receive all the necessary support during this trying period.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of familial disputes and the lengths some might go to when custodial rights are in question.

It underscores the importance of robust child protective systems, efficient law enforcement collaboration across state lines, and the role of the vigilant public in safeguarding the welfare of the vulnerable.

As the case of the mother behind bars unfolds, many await further details, hoping for clarity, justice, and above all, the continued safety and wellbeing of the children involved.

Related Article: 21-Year-Old College Student's Sudden Death Linked to Panera's Charged Lemonade
Photo: (Photo : DANIEL LEAL / Getty Images)

Oregon State University recently faced an alarming situation as a student's bomb threat suggested the potential rigging of campus food delivery robots with explosives.

This unexpected claim created an atmosphere of apprehension and uncertainty, prompting swift action from both university officials and law enforcement as they grappled with the potential ramifications of such a threat on the safety and security of students, staff, and the broader community.

Oregon State University's Immediate Action to Bomb Threat

Minutes before 12:30 p.m., alarms were raised at Oregon State University when its alert system issued a cautionary message.

Students were advised to avoid contact with the Starship Robots and stay away from them until further updates were provided.

The cause for alarm was a tip suggesting an improvised explosive device concealed within one of the Starship food delivery robots.

Located in Corvallis, approximately 80 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon State University took decisive action.

All 75 robots roaming the campus were quickly rounded up and moved to a safe, isolated location for thorough inspection.

Revelation Behind the Bombing Joke

The palpable tension that gripped Oregon State University's premises subsided roughly an hour later.

It was revealed that the bomb threat was a mere bombing joke, instigated by a student who subsequently admitted to the fabrication.

San Francisco's Starship Technologies, the creators of these advanced delivery robots, responded by temporarily suspending their service at Oregon State University.

While emphasizing safety as their utmost priority, they collaborated closely with the university and local law enforcement during the ongoing investigation.

Despite the student's confession to the bombing joke, Oregon State University's stance remained one of caution and diligence.

The school's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of its students, staff, and visitors was evident.

The OSU Department of Public Safety continued to follow strict protocols, even after the immediate threat was debunked.

Read Also: 21-Year-Old College Student's Sudden Death Linked to Panera's Charged Lemonade

Spotlight on Starship Robots and the Age of Autonomous Delivery

First introduced to Oregon State University in 2020, the autonomous delivery system Starship Robots marked a pioneering advancement.

These six-wheeled white robots transformed the 500-acre Corvallis campus into the state's first academic institution to embrace this futuristic mode of delivery.

With the help of advanced GPS technology, these robots facilitated a seamless food delivery process for students and staff, all accessible via the dedicated Starship app.

While this incident turned out to be a hoax, it underscores the pressing need for stringent security measures and constant vigilance, especially as the era of autonomous delivery gains momentum.

The blend of cutting-edge technology with the unpredictability of human behavior can pose challenges that institutions must be prepared to handle.

By 1:45 p.m., normalcy was restored at Oregon State University as the all-clear was issued. While the immediate threat had passed, robot inspections continued in designated safe zones.

The episode serves as a potent reminder of the complexities introduced by technology into everyday life, emphasizing the need for readiness and vigilance.

This incident at Oregon State University not only highlights the challenges faced by institutions in the age of autonomous delivery but also underscores the responsibilities of companies like Starship Technologies.

As leaders in the realm of autonomous delivery, their proactive response to the bombing joke set a precedent for the importance of swift action and collaboration in ensuring public safety.

Related Article: Mother, 8-Year-Old Son Wrongfully Detained by Sacramento Police in Frightening Highway Encounter
Photo: (Photo : Matt Popovich on Unsplash)

In a heart-wrenching incident that has drawn national attention, Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, became the tragic victim of a hate crime in suburban Chicago, Illinois. Tensions arising from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas are believed to be an underlying factor in this sorrowful event, highlighting the far-reaching impact of global conflicts on local communities.

On the fateful day of October 14, Wadea and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, 32, were inside their home when they were brutally attacked. Their alleged assailant, 71-year-old Joseph Czuba, was identified as their landlord. Reports from the Will County Sheriff's Office indicate that Czuba, armed with a serrated military-style knife, targeted the mother-and-son duo specifically because of their Muslim faith. Young Wadea was stabbed a shocking 26 times, while his mother suffered twelve grievous stab wounds.

Mother's Emotional Plea

After surviving the horrifying ordeal and subsequent medical treatment, Hanan Shaheen, in her first interaction with the media, chose to send a message of peace. Meeting with Ahmed Rehab, the Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago (the Council on American-Islamic Relations), Shaheen implored the public to "Just ... pray for peace."

Remembering her son, she said, "He was my best friend. We spent most of our time together, sharing stories, laughing at his witty remarks, and enjoying moments of spirituality as he loved to join me in prayer."

Rehab, deeply moved by Shaheen's resilience and strength, shared, "Despite the traumatic incident and the irreplaceable loss she has endured, Hanan is finding solace and strength in her faith. She believes that Wadea, whom she described as an 'angel on earth,' is now watching over her as an angel in heaven."

The Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois, witnessed an outpouring of community support during Wadea's funeral service. Shaheen is set to share more about her experience and feelings in a news conference on Wednesday, according to her attorney, Ben Crump.

Speaking about the Al-Fayoume family, Crump stated, "Their pain and suffering are immeasurable. It's crucial for our society to rally around them, ensuring they get justice for Wadea and the support they need during this painful time."

Read Also: Transgender TikTok Star Brutally Murdered in Targeted Attack by Two Minors

Presidential Condemnation

Joseph Czuba, a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran, has been officially charged with several grave offenses, including first-degree murder. On October 16, when Czuba first inquired about the unrest in the Middle East, Shaheen responded with a sincere plea to "pray for peace," which was a poignant detail that surfaced during his arraignment. Tragically, her plea was met with violence.

The incident has prompted reactions at the highest levels of U.S. leadership. President Biden, addressing the nation from the Oval Office, remarked, "Such acts of hatred cannot be ignored or normalized." He firmly denounced both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Following his speech, President Biden reached out to console the grieving family, speaking directly with Wadea's father and uncle.

In recognition of the severe nature of the crime and its implications for the broader community, the Department of Justice has initiated a federal hate crimes investigation.

As the nation grapples with the aftershock of Wadea's death, it serves as a painful reminder of the urgent need for tolerance, understanding, and peace in our communities.

Related Article: Illinois Man Attacks Mother, Kills 6-Year-Old in Hate Crime Linked to Their Muslim Faith
Photo: (Photo : SARAH RICE / Getty Images)

In an unsettling turn surrounding the much-publicized return of Alicia Navarro, her boyfriend, Edmund Davis, has been arrested on child sexual abuse charges. This comes after the authorities discovered explicit images of minors on his mobile device during their investigations.

Unraveling Alicia Navarro's Disappearance

Four years of questions and anxieties seemed to ease when Alicia Navarro, missing since the age of 14, returned. Her sudden disappearance on September 15, 2019, from her mother's Arizona home had left her family and the community deeply distressed.

The story took an unexpected turn in July when an 18-year-old Navarro entered a Havre, Montana, police station, identifying herself and expressing a desire to be removed from the missing persons' list.

The initial relief was overshadowed by the subsequent investigation, which led to the surprising arrest of her alleged boyfriend, Edmund Davis.

Edmund Davis in the Spotlight: A Disturbing Discovery

Edmund Davis, described as Alicia Navarro's boyfriend, has now become a significant figure in this ongoing case.

During their deeper probe into Navarro's return, authorities came across troubling content on a mobile device believed to belong to Davis. The device reportedly contained images of minors engaged in inappropriate activities, which were not directly related to Navarro.

This discovery has led to Davis facing two felony counts of child sexual abuse. He was taken into custody by the Montana Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation and the Blaine County Sheriff's Department in Chinook, Montana.

As of now, Davis awaits further proceedings at the Hill County Detention Center. The legal documents pertaining to the case go on to provide further disconcerting details about the content found on Davis's mobile device and laptop.

Among these are graphic images that include prepubescent females and a young boy, raising significant concerns about the nature and extent of the content.

Furthermore, the Montana Attorney General's Office reported that during a search at Davis's residence, he attempted to dispose of his mobile device, casting further suspicions on his actions.

Read Also: 21-Year-Old College Student's Sudden Death Linked to Panera's Charged Lemonade

A Complex Web of Events

With Davis's arrest, the case surrounding Alicia Navarro has become even more intricate. The findings on Davis's phone have raised alarming concerns, further intensifying the gravity of Navarro's mysterious disappearance and subsequent return.

When law enforcement officials reached the residence shared by Navarro and Davis in July, they reported observing Davis attempting to discard a phone, adding another layer of complexity to the unfolding events.

Although Navarro's reappearance provided some closure, many questions remain unanswered. How she ended up in Montana and the specifics of her time there are still shrouded in mystery.

Furthermore, while Navarro indicated no harm came to her during her absence, the revelation concerning Edmund Davis and the child sexual abuse charges complicates the narrative.

The community, initially relieved at Navarro's return, now grapples with the shocking revelations surrounding Edmund Davis and his alleged actions.

Jessica Nunez, Navarro's mother, had described her daughter's return as a significant relief. However, with Davis's arrest and the associated charges, the narrative has taken a dark twist, and the family's journey towards complete closure appears to be prolonged.

While Alicia Navarro's reappearance brought momentary relief to many, the subsequent events involving Edmund Davis have added more layers of complexity and concern. As the legal proceedings unfold, one hopes for clarity and justice for all involved.

Related Article: Oregon State University Robots Caught Up in Explosive Hoax: Details on Disturbing Bomb Threat Revealed
No day that begins with a visit to the pyramid plateau just outside of Giza cant be all bad. But it has been a long day, including a flight from Cairo south to Aswan, and we need to be up at 3 AM for a long drive to Abu Simbel and back. So Ill delay reporting on the days festivities until at least tomorrow.

But Im going to share with you a few more passages, principally what might be termed summary passages, from BYU Studies Quarterly 61/4 (2022. A special issue, it was created by Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and John S. Thompson, and is entitled A Guide to the Book of Abraham. I hope that theyre at least somewhat tantalizing; I hope that, if youre interested, you will obtain a copy of the full volume and read it.

Zeptah and Egyptes, pages 101-106

Based on examination of the Kirtland Egyptian manuscripts, the authors say that our current Egyptuswas originally written as Zep-tah or Zeptah. Accordingly, the conclusion of this short section of the book is quite interesting: So while we may not be able to currently answer these questions entirely what can be said is that the name Zeptah in the Book of Abraham is, arguably, authentically Egyptian. (106)

The Name of the Lord, pages 107-112

Knowing something about the religious, mythical, and symbolic significance of names in the world of the ancient Near East thus helps us understand why the Lord revealed his name to Abraham in this specific narrative and theological framework. It also provides an ancient context that makes sense of Abrahams account. (111-112)

Abrahams Converts in Haran, pages 113-116

The subtle change in the Book of Abrahams parallel passage to Genesis 12:5 [which is Abraham 2:15], accordingly, finds support both from ancient sources and from modern scholarship. (115)

The Plains of Moreh, pages 117-120

None of this is obvious from reading the King James translation of Genesis 12. So, even if the translation of the Book of Abraham is in some degree dependent on the KJV, the underlying narrative captures something deeper and more authentic to the ancient world of Abraham. (120)

The Abrahamic Covenant, pages 121-124

This structure helps make sense of the content of Abrahams covenant and shows that the covenant of the Book of Abraham follows the pattern of treaties and covenants in his day. So while the content of the Abrahamic covenant is what is most important for Latter-day Saints today, the form or structure of the covenant as depicted in the Book of Abraham is one way the text can be grounded in the ancient world from which it purports to derive. (123)

Did Abraham Lie about His Wife, Sarai? pages 125-128

Using the Book of Abraham and a great deal of ancient material, this article argues that Abraham may not actually have been lying when he identified Sarai as his sister, rather than as his wife. I was a little bit surprised to see no mention in this chapter of Thomas W. Mackay, Abraham in Egypt: A Collation of Evidence for the Case of the Missing Wife, BYU Studies Quarterly 10/4 (): 429ff. (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol10/iss4/6/). Perhaps I simply missed it.

Abraham the Seer, pages 129-133

The running theme of Abraham as a seer adds a level of depth and narrative sophistication to both the Genesis account and the account of Abrahams stargazing in the Book of Abraham. (133)

Abrahamic Astronomy, pages 134-137

This could explain why the Book of Abraham contains an apparently prescientific description of the cosmos rooted in the ancient world. This could only be feasibly accomplished if Abraham communicated to the Egyptians and likened the cosmos to gospel truths in ways they understood. . . . [T]he cosmology in the text can . . . be grounded in the ancient world. (137) I cant help but be reminded, in this context, of the approach taken in the fourth chapter of John H. Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority (Downers Grove IL: IVP Academic, 2013), which is entitled Proposition 4: the Bible Contains No New Revelation About the Workings and Understanding of the Material World. In it, .the authors reiterate that proposition often enough that even the slowest of their readers will eventually get the point that, in their view, the Bible contains no new revelation about the workings and understanding of the material world. (See my blog entry Genesis 1 versus Science? (https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2023/08/genesis-1-versus-science.html)

Shinehah, the Sun, pages 138-141

So while the Egyptian word for the sun itself is not the same as in the Book of Abraham, one of the Egyptian words for the suns ecliptic (the path of the sun through the sky) as attested in Abrahams day is. (141)

Kolob, the Governing One, pages 142-149

While questions about the identification of Kolob still remain, there are some very tantalizing pieces of evidence that, when brought together, reinforce the overall plausible antiquity of this astronomical concept unique to the Book of Abraham. (149)

The Divine Council, pages 150-154

One thing that differentiates the Book of Abrahams account of the Creation from the biblical account in Genesis is that the Book of Abraham mentions plural Gods as the agents carrying out the Creation. (150) Over time, a consensus has been reached that the Bible does indeed portray a multiplicity of gods, even if there remains individual scholarly disagreement over some of the finer details. (151) In contrast to typical Jewish and Christian belief in Joseph Smiths day, the Book of Abraham frankly depicts a plurality of Gods and even uses specific language (took counsel among themselves, Abr. 4:26) that invokes the presence of what is now widely recognized by scholars as the unquestionably ancient concept of the divine council. (152) The authors cite an extremely interesting parallel in the grave stela of Tjetji, an important administrator under the early Eleventh Dynasty (ca. 2134-2060 B.C.) pharaoh Intef II. (152-153) In any case, with the exception of the Bible, the surviving ancient texts that overtly depict the divine council were unknown in the Prophets day. While the theological implications of the divine council remain to be fully explored and articulated, what can be said with a fair degree of reasonableness is that the Book of Abrahams depiction of the divine council shares features present in other ancient Near Eastern texts, some of which date to Abrahams day. This reinforces belief that the Book of Abraham is authentically ancient. (153-154)

Posted from Aswan, Egypt
The United States welcomes the signing of an electoral roadmap agreement between the Unitary Platform and representatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This is a concrete step toward resolution of Venezuelas political, economic, and humanitarian crisis, declared Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.

As a result of the agreement, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a six-month general license temporarily authorizing transactions involving the oil and gas sector in Venezuela. It also issued a second general license authorizing dealings with Minerven  the Venezuelan state-owned gold mining company. And finally, the Treasury Department removed the secondary trading ban on certain Venezuelan sovereign bonds and Venezuelan government-owned oil and natural gas company PdVSA Debt and Equity.

In a recent briefing, a Senior State Department Official said, The power and integrity of United States sanctions derives not only from our ability to sanction bad actors, but also to delist them. Our ultimate goal with sanctions is to bring about positive change in behavior.

Other sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States on Venezuela remain in place. The United States retains the authority to amend or revoke all authorizations should Maduro and his representatives fail to follow through on their commitments.

An additional concern is detained Americans in Venezuela, said a second senior administration official. I cant underscore enough that we need to see the beginning of the release of all wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and Venezuelan political prisoners. So, for us, in addition to the terms of the electoral roadmap, we are insisting on seeing progress in these two areas before the end of November or were going to have to reconsider what has been, from our perspective, a fairly significant incentive for the parties to move forward with this electoral roadmap.

The United States remains firmly committed to the Venezuelan people and we will continue to work with the international community to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law so that Venezuelans can rebuild their lives and their country, said Secretary Blinken. The United States stands with the Venezuelan people and actors who want a democratic future.
Also, the Biblical Definition of the Gospel

[see book and purchase information for The Catholic Verses]

excatholic4christ (Tom) was raised Catholic, lost his faith in high school, attended Mass for a while after he married and had children, and then accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, leading to his sole attendance at an independent fundamental Baptist church for eight years. He claims that the legalism of this church and the fact that his trust had been in men rather than God caused him to walk away from the Lord for 23 years. He returned to the Lord in 2014.

By August 2018 he felt he was able and equipped to offer refutations of this book of mine (see his index of all replies; I am banned from commenting on his site). It took him eight months to answer all of my Catholic verses (actually 104 in total). At least he did deal with every one, which is commendable. I will now systematically refute them. As of April 2020, Tom stated that he was somewhere in the middle of the Calvinism-Arminianism debate, but closer to Calvinism. We know neither his name nor his denomination (which is very unimpressive, in my book). His words will be in blue. When he cites my words, they will be in black. I use RSV, unless otherwise specified.

*****

#1: The Church is the Pillar of All Truth? (8-13-18)

I completely agree with Armstrongs argument that the gospel preached by Catholicism (salvation by sacramental grace and merit) and the Gospel preached by Biblical Christianity (salvation by Gods grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone) are not the same, but are, in fact, diametrically opposed.

Except for the small detail that I have never made such an argument. I have maintained  both as a Protestant and Catholic apologist, since 1981  that the gospel, as it is defined in the Bible itself, is held by Protestants, Orthodox, and Catholics alike. St. Paul defines the gospel in Acts 13:16-41 as the resurrection of Jesus (vss. 32-33), and in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, the gospel (15:1) that he preached (1:1) was that Christ died for our sins (15:3), was was raised on the third day (15:4), and appeared to Peter, the disciples, the apostles, and more than five hundred brethren (15:5-8).

We must define the gospel from the Bible. I just did so, and anyone who knows basic Christian theology knows that all three great branches of Christianity completely concur in these things. We do have other differences, of course. Catholics agree with Protestants that we are ultimately saved by Christ alone (Jn 11:25-26; 12:46; Rom 5:9-10), through grace alone (e.g., Rom 3:24; Gal 1:15; Eph 2:8; 2 Tim 1:9), and by and through faith (Rom 3:28; 5:1; Gal 2:16; 3:24), because those are biblical teachings. We disagree that salvation is by faith alone because that is not a biblical teaching:

Matthew 7:21 Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? (cf. 2:24)

The Catholic Church teaches that Protestants believe in the same gospel as we do in stating that Protestants, as members of corporate groups . . . have heard the Gospel . . . The sacred Council gladly notes all this (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism [Unitatis Redintegratio], 21 November 1964).

. . . lets look at the first of the [sic] Armstrongs Catholic verses by which he claims the church is the pillar of the truth:

I didnt claim anything here. It was St. Paul in the inspired, inerrant revelation of Scripture who claimed that, in 1 Timothy 3:15. I merely defend what he wrote (. . . the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth).

From this verse, Armstrong argues that the Catholic church is the [ . . . ] foundation [ . . . ] of truth; it is infallible; it is specially protected by the Holy Spirit so that it can be the Guardian and Preserver of apostolic tradition and truth and doctrine (p. 3).

Tom improperly abridged my words without noting it, as indicated by the bracketed ellipses. The meaning wasnt changed, but it is still a sloppy and inaccurate citation.

But is it reasonable to construe all of those claims from this verse?

Yes; its perfectly reasonable and solid exegesis.

Catholicism is prone to greatly overreach with its Bible interpretations as we shall see going forward.

I actually made a much more elaborate analysis of the passage eight years later in my book, 100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura (2012, pp. 104-107, #82):

Pillars and foundations support things and prevent them from collapsing. To be a bulwark of the truth, means to be a safety net against truth turning into falsity. If the Church could err, it could not be what Scripture says it is. Gods truth would be the house built on a foundation of sand in Jesus parable. For this passage of Scripture to be true, the Church could not err  it must be infallible. A similar passage may cast further light on 1 Timothy 3:15: Ephesians 2:19-21 . . . you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 1 Timothy 3:15 defines household of God as the church of the living God. Therefore, we know that Ephesians 2:19-21 is also referring to the Church, even though that word is not present. Here the Churchs own foundation is the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. The foundation of the Church itself is Jesus and apostles and prophets. Prophets spoke in the name of the Lord (1 Chron 21:19; 2 Chron 33:18; Jer 26:9), and commonly introduced their utterances with thus says the Lord (Is 10:24; Jer 4:3; 26:4; Ezek 13:8; Amos 3:11-12; and many more). They spoke the word of the Lord (Is 1:10; 38:4; Jer 1:2; 13:3, 8; 14:1; Ezek 13:1-2; Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jon 1:1; Mic 1:1, et cetera). These communications cannot contain any untruths insofar as they truly originate from God, with the prophet serving as a spokesman or intermediary of God (Jer 2:2; 26:8; Ezek 11:5; Zech 1:6; and many more). Likewise, apostles proclaimed truth unmixed with error (1 Cor 2:7-13; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11-14; 2 Pet 1:12-21). Does this foundation have any faults or cracks? Since Jesus is the cornerstone, he can hardly be a faulty foundation. Neither can the apostles or prophets err when teaching the inspired gospel message or proclaiming Gods word. In the way that apostles and prophets are infallible, so is the Church set up by our Lord Jesus Christ. We ourselves (all Christians) are incorporated into the Church (following the metaphor), on top of the foundation. 1 Peter 2:4-9 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in Gods sight chosen and precious; [5] and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [6] For it stands in scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame. [7] To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe, The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner, [8] and A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. [9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (cf. Isa 28:16) Jesus is without fault or untruth, and he is the cornerstone of the Church. The Church is also more than once even identified with Jesus himself, by being called his Body (Acts 9:5 cf. with 22:4 and 26:11; 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 1:22-23; 4:12; 5:23, 30; Col 1:24). That the Church is so intimately connected with Jesus, who is infallible, is itself a strong argument that the Church is also infallible and without error. Therefore, the Church is built on the foundation of Jesus (perfect in all knowledge), and the prophets and apostles (who spoke infallible truth, often recorded in inspired, infallible Scripture). Moreover, it is the very Body of Christ. It stands to reason that the Church herself is infallible, by the same token. In the Bible, nowhere is truth presented as anything less than pure truth, unmixed with error. That was certainly how Paul conceived his own tradition that he received and passed down. Knowing what truth is, how can its own foundation or pillar be something less than total truth (since truth itself contains no falsehoods, untruths, lies, or errors)? It cannot. It is impossible. It is a straightforward matter of logic and plain observation. A stream cannot rise above its source. What is built upon a foundation cannot be greater than the foundation. If it were, the whole structure would collapse. If an elephant stood on the shoulders of a man as its foundation, that foundation would collapse. The base of a skyscraper has to hold the weight above it. The foundations of a suspension bridge over a river have to be strong enough to support that bridge. Therefore, we must conclude that if the Church is the foundation of truth, the Church must be infallible, since truth is infallible, and the foundation cannot be lesser than that which is built upon it. And since there is another infallible authority apart from Scripture, sola scriptura must be false.

If Tom cares to counter-respond and actually engage in back-and-forth, one-on-one dialogue and debate, Id love to see him grapple with all that. I understand that this was from a different book, but nevertheless its my more detailed and thought-through argumentation and reasoning regarding the same passage. In any event, what he views as overreach, I regard as a rather straightforward logical conclusion (as just explained).

If we examine the original Greek used in this verse, we find that the words for pillar and foundation, stulos and hedraioma, mean pillar, column, prop, or support and prop or support respectively.

Thats right. Stylos is Strongs Greek word #4769 and hedraioma is Strongs Greek word #1477. I have drawn out the logical implications of the two words. Stylos appears 138 times in 99 passages in the Septuagint (LXX): the 3rd c. BC Greek translation of the Old Testament. It was used, for example, twice with regard to the pillars that Samson broke apart, bringing down the house on his Philistine enemies:

Judges 16:26 . . . the pillars on which the house rests . . . Judges 16:29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, . . .

Likewise, in 1 Timothy 3:15, the Church is the stylos of the truth. If it collapses, the truth goes with it. But we know that the Church is indefectible and will never collapse or depart from apostolic, spiritual, biblical, and theological truth. The same word was used with regard to Solomons house, which was covered with cedar above the chambers that were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row (1 Kgs 7:3). The pillars support the chambers. The Church supports and upholds the truth, and to do so it must be infallible, as I argued above.

I like how hedraioma is translated in Toms own NIV: foundation. What does it mean to be the foundation of the truth? I have elaborated upon what I think it means. On the Bible Gateway site that provides many translations for a given Bible verse, for our passage it lists no less than 32 versions that render hedraioma as foundation, sixteen use support and eleven translate it as ground. There is no mystery as to what is meant in this passage. Protestants simply dont like what it means  what the implications would be  (notably, the death of sola Scriptura as a rule of faith), and so they desperately seek to define it away.

The church (all genuine believers in Christ, not just leaders) is not the foundation of the truth, but is the steward of the truth, which we have in Gods Word. . . .

Paul makes it repeatedly clear throughout his epistles that Scripture is our standard, not weak, fallible men inside the church.

This is ridiculous argumentation. Tom sees the verse before us, but brazenly ignores the clear implications of its meaning and proclaims his own eisegetical interpretation which has nothing to do with the passage itself; denying that the Church is the foundation of the truth, even though Paul in the Bible plainly states that it is. This is not proper exegesis. It is a deliberate twisting of Gods Word. Sadly, there is no other way to describe it. He has to grapple with the passage itself, as I have (more fully in my other book). If it doesnt fit his theology, so much the worse for his theology . . .

For Catholics, Scripture is the foundation of the truth, too. There is no false dichotomy or either/or. Our rule of faith is the so-called three-legged stool of Bible-Tradition-Church. Though a different Greek word is used, Jesus expressed the same principle that the house . . . without a foundation . . . fell, and the ruin . . . was great (Lk 6:49; cf. the house upon the sand: Mt 7:26, as opposed to the house upon the rock: 7:24). In Solomons house, the foundation consisted of huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits (1 Kgs 7:10). So what does the Bible describe as the pillar and bulwark / ground / support / foundation of the truth? The Church . . . I searched in both testaments and never do word and pillar or foundation appear together, as church and those terms do in 1 Timothy 3:15.

The pope and his bishops have set themselves up as the foundation and source of belief, leading to the creation of a plethora of spurious traditions throughout the centuries, but it is Jesus Christ and His Word that are our spiritual foundation.

More boilerplate obfuscation. To repeat, its the Bible (His Word, last time I checked) that plainly refers to the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. God stated this; communicated it to us through the inspired (literally God-breathed) writing of the apostle Paul. Catholics didnt make this up. And this passages demolishes sola Scriptura in one fell swoop and entirely, dramatically supports the Catholic three-legged stool rule of faith. The Church is always in harmony with the biblical revelation, and supports the tradition, which is also in harmony with the Bible.

Tom flatly refuses to exegete the passage, and it is a pathetic, pitiful display and a disgrace to the often venerable enterprise of Protestant apologetics.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 3:11

According to Toms convoluted reasoning the Bible contradicts itself when it describes the Church as the foundation of truth. But inspired, inerrant documents cannot do that. Its clear that there are different senses of foundation involved. Thats why Ephesians 2:20 (cited above from my other book) not only mentions Jesus as the cornerstone of the household of God but also in the same verse, that the Church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The biblical and Hebraic outlook is both/and. The Church is built upon Jesus and also apostles and prophets. Thats what the Bible teaches, no matter how much Tom may hate it. I dont hate or try to wish away any biblical teaching. I conform my beliefs and my behavior to all of biblical teaching.

Throughout these replies, I will refuse to go down the usual rabbit trails and 101 diversions / Bible hopscotch games that anti-Catholics habitually employ. Tom is no different, and he attempted that in this reply. I will stick to the topic at hand. I did, however (as an exception to what will be my rule), address the issue of the nature of the gospel above, because that is fundamental and presuppositional in the overall discussion.

At the end, Tom cited two articles on this topic, to which he is indebted. At first I thought I would dismantle them, too, but on second thought I decided that if Tom wants to draw from other sources (which is perfectly fine), let him at least incorporate their thoughts and make the argument in his own words, which I would in turn deal with. As it is, he scarcely made any argument at all. If this reply is typical of what is to come in the next 103 installments, surely I will need ample prayer for heroic patience, to endure the almost unendurable tedium and relentless inanities entailed.

*

*****

*

Summary: I dismantle anti-Catholic Toms virtual dissing of an inspired Bible verse: 1 Timothy 3:15. He offers no exegesis whatsoever. I offer extensive and systematic exegesis.
Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, The Goonies) and John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings) lead a star-studded cast in the upcoming Hope Media Group/Compassion International podcast Scrooge, releasing Nov. 16. The four-part, fully dramatized adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol also includes fresh story elements from screenwriter P.G. Cuschieri and creator/producer Mark Ramsey.

Astin will play Scrooge while Rhy-Davis serves as narrator. Additional cast includes Juliet Mills as Ghost of Christmas Future, Ben Barnes as Ghost of Christmas Present, Bethany Joy Lenz as Elizabeth, Ryan OQuin as Bob Cratchit, Clive Standen as Fredrick, Lucy Punch as Ghost of Christmas Past, and Maxwell Caulfield as Jacob Marley.

On behalf of Hope Media Group, I am incredibly proud to announce Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, said Joe Paulo, president and CEO of Hope Media Group. This podcast experience features a star-studded cast that delivers a Hollywood quality experience to listeners of any age. Scrooge is a testament to our passion for spreading Hope through engaging content for the entire family. We are eager to present this production in cooperation with our friends at Compassion international who share our desire to see lives transformed.

Ramsey, who created the podcast, said, Everyone knows the story of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. We have seen the movies and stage shows and read the book. But there has never been an all-star, full cast dramatic audio adaptation of the story produced in the US in podcast form  until now. This is not just a retelling of a familiar tale. This original adaptation by Paul Cuschieri adds new elements which bring to life more of the storys central themes: The importance of hope, the gift of forgiveness, compassion for others in need, and the miracle of redemption. Families have never heard the story told this way before by a cast of familiar names and voices.

The official synopsis follows:

This four episode adaptation of Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens brings the characters we all know and love to life unlike ever before through a star-studded dramatic audio adaptation in podcast form. Ebenezer Scrooge, a self-obsessed miserable miser of all things un-merry and un-bright, is everything Christmas isnt. After he is visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, Scrooge transforms into a new man and embodies all the best parts of Christmas. Through this journey of transformation, listeners will encounter themes of joy, mercy, hope, and more. This new re-telling of the holiday classic will entertain, inspire, and remind you that even the hardest of hearts can find redemption. The story of Scrooge is a known commodity and has been a well-loved story for nearly 180 Christmases past.

For more information or to listen to a preview, click here.
Qualcomms new Snapdragon X Elite platform and its Oryon CPUs for Windows PCs are apparently shockingly fast. And, whether or not you believe it, PC partners apparently do.

Qualcomm closed out a second day of presentation on the Snapdragon X Elite platform by posting a screen of its PC partners, and for the first time in Windows on Arms history, there are a lot. All told, nine PC manufacturers listed themselves as partners  not overtly committing to a Snapdragon X Elite PC, but more likely than not.

The PC partners include Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, the Microsoft Surface brand, Samsung, and Xiaomi. Honor, a phone maker, also appeared at the Qualcomm Technology Summit here in Maui to announce its entry into the PC space  though as a Chinese phone maker, it doesnt seem likely that theyll ship PCs into the U.S. market.

The number is surprising, because only three PC makers (Lenovo, Microsoft, and HP) have committed to supporting Snapdragon before for Windows on Arm PCs, through multiple generations. The others have not. Samsung executives have said before that they expect these laptops to ship in mid-2025. (None of the PC makers announced a specific PC that will use the Snapdragon X Elite, but those announcements typically arrive at the CES show in Las Vegas in January.)

Qualcomm has said this week that its Snapdragon X Elite platform, which it has not broken out into multiple chips, can outperform 13th-gen Core chips from Intel and integrated GPUs from AMD.

Thats telling, because Qualcomm is also going after a typically demanding market: gaming. The chip makers showed a medley of games that apparently will run on Snapdragon: from Baldurs Gate III to Control to Warframe to Guild Wars and Minecraft: Legends. All may be a bit on the older side, but the message is clear. If Qualcomms Snapdragon offers the performance to compete against Intel, than why not use it for work and play?
Despite the positive strides in addressing external debt concerns, questions linger over the timelines and ambitious objectives associated with commercial debt relief. Notably, efforts to restructure the countrys external debt have generated mixed reactions from market observers both locally and internationally,



Government is pushing for an agreement in principle on the official debt treatment by early November 2023. This move is timed to align with approval of the countrys International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facilitys first review, but experts are divided over whether these goals are feasible.



GCB Capital, in its review of the latest investor update from the Ministry of Finance, expressed concerns about the ambitious targets. While the progress with external debt treatment is promising, the proposed timelines and targetted gains from commercial debt appear ambitious.



According to the Ministry of Finances investor update, government has presented various scenarios to the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) and Paris Club secretariat. These scenarios aim to pave the way for an agreement in principle, followed by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) formalising the debt treatment agreement.



Governments proposal includes an ambitious 30 percent to 40 percent haircut on commercial debt, which has raised eyebrows among investors. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who presented the scenarios, outlined a comprehensive plan that not only included substantial debt reduction but also sought to cap coupon rates at 5 percent and restrict final maturities to 20 years on bonds which would be issued as part of the reworking for US$13billion of outstanding international debt.



Mr. Ofori-Atta, in defending the proposal said: The scenarios have been carefully considered and are really meant to facilitate productive discussions. We expect these treatment terms to be consistent with the IMFs classification of our debt as sustainable.



Market analysts however remain cautious about the likelihood of bondholders accepting such substantial haircuts. Reuters reported that the proposals ultimate recovery value will be significantly lower compared to historical averages. Morgan Stanley calculated a recovery value of US$38, contrasting with the current average price of US$44 on the bonds.



Several experts, including those cited by Reuters, expressed reservations about the proposed 30 percent to 40 percent haircuts  comparing them to Greeces 60-70 percent haircuts in present value (PV), which were described as excessive and unjustified.



One potential solution under consideration is the inclusion of value recovery instruments (VRIs) that link payouts to variables such as gross domestic product growth. Analysts believe these instruments could improve the overall outcome for bondholders. Nevertheless, some argue that meaningful write-offs are necessary to bring about a substantial difference in the debt restructuring process.



Ghana is not alone in its debt restructuring efforts. The country, along with Zambia and Ethiopia, is participating in the G20 Common Framework programme that aims to assist poor nations grappling with overwhelming public debt burdens. However, this programme has faced criticism for its slow progress.



Finance Minister Ofori-Atta underscored the importance of successfully completing the external debt restructuring exercise, highlighting its critical role in restoring economic stability. He also acknowledged progress made in the domestic debt exchange programme, describing it as a turning point in the economys recovery.



The successful completion of an external debt restructuring exercise is crucial for Ghana, Mr. Ofori-Atta stated.



He stressed that reaching an agreement with bilateral creditors was paramount for IMF board approval, noting the Official Creditors Committee (OCC) commitment under the G20 common framework, co-chaired by France and China, to provide financial assurances for the IMF programme.



The minister expressed hope that all parties will reciprocate governments commitment and join in the effort to restore economic stability.



The debt restructuring operations primary objective is to reduce the countrys debt-to-GDP ratio to less than 55 percent by 2028  down from 89% at the close of 2022. This programme also aims at lowering the external debt service to revenue ratio to below 18 percent starting in 2028, compared to 28 percent in 2022. Additionally, it seeks to ensure that there are no gaps in external financing during the programme period; all while reducing government debt from 109 percent to 72 percent of GDP by 2028.



The domestic debt exchange programmes (DDEP) successful completion is expected to provide government with additional financial space by reducing coupon rates and lengthening maturities. Ofori-Atta expressed gratitude for the widespread participation in these exchanges, and clarified that the DDEP will not be reopened.



Ghanas domestic debt restructuring has been positively received internationally, as it signals authorities commitment to addressing the current debt crisis collaboratively. As negotiations with commercial creditors continue, it remains to be seen whether governments ambitious debt relief targets will be achieved and accepted by bondholders.

Source: B&FT









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Discussions about the spillage of the Akosombo dam and the effects on affected areas are ongoing as government, public and private entities make donations to the victims.



The government, NADMO and the Volta River Authority together with the Ghana Armed Forces and Navy have done a great work safeguarding the residents in the affected communities and providing relief items to them.



Other entities like SIC Insurance, Despite Media and various individuals have all joined in providing aid to the victims in hope of restoring them to normal life.



As the donations trickle in, there are also suggestions for the Volta River Authority to put mechanisms in place to avoid causing havoc and one of the persons interested in what the Authority would do to control the damage that comes with the spillage is Nana Akomea, Chief Executive Officer of InterCity State Transport Corporation (STC).



Nana Akomea has proposed a national workshop should be held for the Engineers of the Authority and in the country to stop the waste anytime the Akosombo dam is spilled.



Citing instances in the United Kingdom and Netherlands among others where they have measures to curb similar situations, Nana Akomea hoped holding a conference with the engineers to come up with better ideas and solutions to prevent recurrence of destruction associated with the Akosombo dam spillage is the way to go.



He called on the Engineers to "fetch ways to utilize the water to avoid a disaster like this".



Nana Akomea made this appeal while speaking on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum has kicked against politicization of the Akosombo dam spillage that has displaced thousands of residents in the Volta Region.



Over 30,000 people have been affected by the spillage and relocated to shelters with government, NADMO and various individuals providing them with relief items and hoping to restore them to normal life.



However, some politicians, both in government and opposition, are scoring political points with the unfortunate situation.



There are also some people who blame the victims as, to them, the victims are reaping the result of their disobedience since they were asked to vacate the areas but refused.



Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme Tuesday morning, Professor Kofi Agyekum, affectionately called 'Opanyin Agyekum', admonished the leaders and political figures in the country to measure their utterances when commenting on the incident.



He advised they choose their words carefully, ensuring what they say is relieving to the victims.



He stated emphatically that "this is not the time for loose talks" and called on them to "carry your words".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Nana Akomea has backed the Ministry of Roads and Highways for handing over the bribery allegation leveled against them by Prof Stephen Adei to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).



Prof Stephen Adei, a former Director-General and Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, in a recent interview with TV3, accused government officials of demanding payment of 1 million before awarding road contracts.



This road contract would be given to you, provided you put one million upfront, not after you have gotten the money. This is what Akufo-Addo must be thinking about and if he knows about it, he must be ashamed.



That now his people demand from you a certain amount before you would be considered for a job. Why? Because when they get it, whether the government pays you or not they have gotten their money. It is as if people are in a hurry to loot the country before the end of Akufo-Addos term, he alleged.



But the Roads Ministry, in a statement, says these allegations are surprising at the least because the processes leading to the award of road contracts are open, transparent, competitive and in accordance with the law.



Given that the alleged conduct borders on the commission of crime against the Republic, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Hon. Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has today, 23rd October 2023, requested the Executive Director of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to fully investigate the allegations, it added.



Reacting to the allegations, Nana Akomea told Peace FM's morning show host Kwami Sefa Kayi that he is "happy that the Ministry has transferred the issue to EOCO".



He asked the EOCO to take the matter seriously stressing, "if it's true that some people at the Ministry are collecting 1 million cedis, it is a serious issue".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Former Vice Chairman of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, Dr Adam Bonaa has rebuffed a claim by the former chairperson of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Prof Stephen Adei, that government officials demand 1 million cedis before awarding road contracts.



According to Dr Bonaa, while there may be elements of corruption in the road construction industry, contractors have not been paid for work done as far back as 2018 when Prof Adei was serving as Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).



He is thus wondering why Prof Adei is now coming out to make such claims when he expressly failed to do so when he was an appointed member of the government.



People who all of a sudden wants us to think they are a voice of conscience when they talk, we should ask them to bring proof because as far as I am concerned the same contractors, he is saying are paying money to be given contracts have not been paid. So if contractors have worked and they are not paid, on what grounds will the same contractor come to you to pay you for you to give him a contract to do because they are not getting paid. You can ask any contractor in this country, he stated in an interview with GhanaWeb.



Describing the comment by Prof Adei as coming from a bitter place, Dr Bonaa noted that a person of his standing cannot be regarded as a voice of conscience.



I feel he is bitter because he was sacked as chairman of GRA Board. He is bitter and therefore he is finding excuses and sounding as if he is a voice of conscience. For me, he should be disregarded, the public should disregard him because when he was chairman what was he able to do before he was sacked? Did he improve upon collection? We need to know.



Did we not hear about some members of Council of State who had brought in things and were not paying? Was he not there? This lady who was a member of the Council of State, Labianca, was he not there? And so as far as I am concerned, I think he is bitter. I think he should be disregarded. Prof. Adei is bitter because as far as I am concerned contractors in Ghana are burdened with the inability of the Finance Ministry to pay them after working, he stated.



Prof Adei in a recent interview with TV3 criticised the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government among other things alleging that officials were taking monies to award contracts for projects including roads.



He said that the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, should be ashamed of himself if he is aware of the shady deals going on in his government.



Meanwhile, the Ministry of Roads and Highways has referred Prof Adeis allegations to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for investigation.



According to the ministry, while it remains committed to ensuring transparency in the award of road contracts, it finds the allegation to be serious hence the need for the investigation.















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The founder of Prophetic Hill Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie, has said that the Nana Addo Dabnkwa Akufo-Addo-led government is the worst ever compared to other regimes.



He noted that the dwindling fortunes of the Ghanaian economy coupled with the bad governance of the Akufo-Addo administration has inflicted hardship on Ghanaians to the extent that people cant sleep anymore.



The prophet indicated that the governments failure to fight against illegal mining has led to the destruction of water bodies in the country is part of the reason why he deems Akufo-Addos tenure as the worst ever.



Nigel Gaisie noted that even though the government is struggling to ameliorate the plights of Ghanaians, he will continue to pray for them for divine intervention because it is a command from God.



I pray for the government because I am part of the country. And in Romans 12:13 it says we should pray for those who are in leadership and authority so whether we like it or not we will continue to pray for the government.



"Just that unfortunately this is the worst government so far since I grew up but we still pray for them. The worst government is better than a coup detat or dictatorial authority so we pray for them, Nigel Gaisie said in an interview with Abeiku Sanatana during the Atuu show on UTV and monitored by GhanaWeb.



Prophet Nigel Gaisie also stated that church attendance has reduced drastically because of the hardship and chided the government for sitting aloof for water bodies to be destroyed.



I attended Abusco SHS and the water that we used to wash our clothes has turned into Choco Milo. Its the same situation at Pra River. There is absolutely nothing happening in this country. People dont come to church like they used to, if you call them theyd say they dont have lorry fare.



Right now the night is busier than the day and national security should pick it up because its a concern. People can't sleep because the governance is not going well, said prophet Nigel Gaisie fumed.



The Akufo-Addo-led government has faced numerous criticisms for failing to live up to expectations and turn around the dwindling fortunes of the Ghanaian economy leading to the plights citizens are grappling with.



Watch the video below



Source: ghanaweb.com









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A Deputy Minister of Information Fatimatu Abubakar, has reiterated the commitment of the government in ensuring the safety and protection of victims of the flood that caused the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.



Addressing journalists on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, she said that health officials from the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health are already in the affected areas to assist the victims.



We have the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service ensuring that we dont have any disease outbreaks and provide primary care to the people, she said.



A total of 12,000 people have been rescued from its rescue mission which started on 13 October 2023 to date in the flood disaster in Mepe and other parts of the Volta Region.



GAF indicated that as of Sunday, October 22, the flood situation in Mepe, the community that was heavily affected by the spillage has been brought under considerable control.





Source: rainbow radio









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There has been significant democratic backsliding in the Sahel, including recent coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and now Niger.

There are several drivers of political instability in the Sahel, said Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee in recent Congressional testimony:

The primary problem is weak governance. Every country where a coup has taken place had previously experienced military takeovers. Many of these governments had engaged in corrupt practices, failed to provide basic services and ignored democratic values by extending term limits or disregarding human rights. Such practices tested the presumption that democracy delivers.

Atrocities by the Islamic State and the branch of al-Qaida known as JNIM and predations by criminal armed groups have placed unrelenting pressure on governments and civilians, said Assistant Secretary Phee.

Military rulers point to the supposed failure of democracy to justify their actions. But ... military rule does not improve people's lives, underscored Assistant Secretary Phee:

In fact, military rule leaves populations poorer and less secure. The number of deaths from political violence increased by 150 percent in Mali and 77 percent in Burkina Faso in 2022. Violence targeting civilians in Mali increased by 38 percent this year. Nearly a third of these incidents perpetrated by Malian security forces or the Wagner Group. Violent incidents in Niger ... rose by 42 percent in the month after the coup.

The United States is working to foster a return to democracy in the region, said Assistant Secretary Phee:

In the case of Niger, we are working closely with ECOWAS. The African Union and Africa's regional economic commissions are essential partners in advancing peace and democracy. ... Secretary Blinken met with ECOWAS foreign ministers at the recent U.N. General Assembly to propose a phased approach to resuming U.S. assistance based on concrete actions to return the country to democratic rule. Committed to the Nigerian people, the United States has maintained humanitarian and basic health and food assistance.

The Sahel is integral to our relationship with the [African] continent, declared Assistant Secretary Phee. Thats why the United States will continue to support a return to democracy throughout the region.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is furious with the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh, over her comment that the victims of the Akosombo dam spillage at Mepe and other areas that were affected refused several warnings given to them to relocate by the Volta River Authority, Water Resources Commission and the National Disaster Management Organisation.



The Minister told journalists in an interview that We dont want what has happened in Akosombo to happen to us in Accra. The Akosombo spillage, even though VRA, NADMO, and the Water Resources Commission came together to educate the people in the community, did a simulation exercise at Mepe, yet they refused to leave, they didnt want to be evacuated, they stayed there till the end when we started spilling", she told journalists.



Unfortunately, look at what is happening!".



"The government has to spend millions of money on relief items, the whole area, the water is contaminated, and Ghana Water Company and Water Resources Commission will have to spend millions of money to treat the water before we can pass it through into our pipes", she complained.



In an angry response, Mr Ablakwa cautioned the Minister not to add salt to the injury of his constituents who are already suffering as a result of the floods from the spillage of the excess water from the two dams.



Speaking to Class News, Mr Ablakwa stated these Akufo-Addo Ministers should stop adding insults to injury, we are pained, we are distressed, we are depressed, we are devastated, they should stop these things, its getting on our nerves, weve had enough of their blatant lies.



The agitated MP raised series of questions. She should tell us when, she should give us dates, when did they come here? She herself has she been here before, does she know what shes talking about, move to where? She said the people refused to move, move to where? Is she aware that we were here more than 200 years before the dam was constructed? That we had to give out portions of our land for these two dams to be constructed? I mean the level of ignorance is shocking, they should stop embarrassing themselves, that the people refused to move, move to where?



Nobody is a squatter here, that point must be made very clear, even if you had plans for the people to be relocated what did you put in place, what have you constructed, where were the people supposed to go to? Is government not ashamed that the NADMO camps that they have erected are in classrooms?



Mr Ablakwa emphasised that the Minority will be filing a motion for a full scale probe which will be live on television and every Ghanaian will get into these matters and know exactly what happened.



About 26,000 people have been displaced by the floods while swathes of farmlands and property have been destroyed and submerged.













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The Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited says the Brong Ahafo Region tops the regional table in terms of rate of illegal water connections and nonpayment of bills.



Ing. Dr. Clifford A. Braimah, who exposed this, stated that some company employees are conspiring with some consumers to shortchange the water provider.



He stated that such an action deprives the company of necessary resources and that efforts are underway to rectify the situation.



He bemoaned that some clients are able to bargain with GWCL employees, so they will pay less.



Others, he claimed, are linked illegally and do not pay at all.



He warned Ghana Water customers not to indulge in such illicit acts, or they would be arrested and prosecuted.



He also requested that people report any company employees who approached them and offered to cut their water costs for them.



He stated that the corporation has decided to grant amnesty to clients who are unlawfully connected in order for them to report themselves or employees of the organisation who are leading these criminal operations.



He asked locals in Brong Ahafo to pay the little they had to pay so that the companys managers could continue to operate.



The cost of water tanker services is high, and home customers are unaware of the quality of water provided in comparison to what the GWCL supplies Ghanaians.



He also stated that the corporation has taken measures to deal with such employees.



He stated that commercial losses accounted for 47% of total water loss, totalling 35,830,732.39 m3.



He stated that commercial losses are linked to issues such as water theft and billing inaccuracies.



He said that while these statistics may pose challenges, they also represent opportunities for improvement, and as a diligent and dedicated utility provider, we fully understand the significance of tackling these losses and refining our water management strategies.



He said that by implementing effective measures to tackle physical and commercial losses, we aim to ensure a more efficient and sustainable water supply system for all.



As we move forward, we are determined to reduce these losses, improve our distribution network, and enhance our revenue generation efforts.



Illegal water connections from customers have been a persistent challenge. These connections lead to substantial water losses and also jeopardise the integrity of our distribution network. They result in unauthorised access to our water supply, affecting the financial sustainability of our operation.



Non-payment of water bills from customers who consume our water has been an ongoing concern. This act hampers our revenue generation and affects our ability to maintain and expand our infrastructure and services effectively. Consumers must meet their payment obligations for the sustainability of our operations.



To address the issue of non-payment, we have significantly upgraded our billing and collection systems. We are acutely aware of the importance of timely bill payments and are committed to making the process more convenient for our customers.



Therefore, we have introduced flexible payment options that include our Customer App, Mobile Money services, and partnering with various banks for a hassle-free payment experience. These initiatives aim to facilitate compliance and ensure that our customers can easily meet their financial obligations.





Source: rainbow radio









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A flagbearer aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ken Ohene Agyapong, has set forth an ambitious vision for the transformation of the country's five northern regions, addressing the pressing issue of unemployment and underdevelopment.



Speaking during a tour of the Northern region, Mr Agyapong expressed his dismay at the continued high levels of unemployment in these regions despite the presence of vast, fertile lands.



He passionately advocated for utilizing these fertile lands through mechanized farming and agro-processing initiatives, which he believed could invigorate economic activities and create numerous job opportunities.



He called upon the politicians in the northern regions to tap into these vast resources for regional development.



Pledge



In a promising turn of events, the NPP flagbearer aspirant revealed that Yaa-Naa, the king of the Dagbon traditional area, had pledged to provide him with land in Savelugu.

He assured the audience that if he were to acquire these lands, he would harness them to bring about significant improvements and advancements within the area.



Drawing attention to the geographical consistency of the terrain across various locations in the northern regions, including Bulga and Pusiga, the flagbearer hopeful emphasized the potential for large-scale farming and agro-processing in these regions. He lamented the absence of industrial facilities, stressing the untapped potential for development.



Mr Agyapong urged the delegates to support his candidacy in the upcoming elections on November 4, emphasizing his commitment to the development of the five northern regions. He asserted that, if given the opportunity to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and, subsequently, the country as President, he would spearhead the transformation of these regions.



He went on to question the insufficient marketing of the northern regions and emphasized the importance of patriotic values, honesty, and discipline in managing the country's resources.



Amid his speech, Agyapong also shared a personal anecdote about his fondness for Tuozafi, a traditional Ghanaian dish that he enjoys every Sunday when in Kumasi. This served to create a personal connection with the audience.



Assurance



Mr Agyapong assured the audience that he would manage the country's affairs just as efficiently as he manages his businesses, without requiring additional funds. He stressed the need for prudent resource management, advocated for more women in leadership roles, and called for an end to corruption.



Ken Agyapong's vision for the northern regions of Ghana is poised to generate significant attention and support as he positions himself as a catalyst for regional development and economic growth. His promise to employ innovative agricultural practices and his commitment to honest and patriotic leadership suggest a bold and transformative agenda for the future.

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.

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The director of elections of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Evans Nimako, has reacted to the allegations by Kennedy Agyapong that the camp of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia gave some of the partys chairmen GH100,000 and news cars to win their support.



Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV on October 23, 2023, Evans Nimako indicated that no such issue has been brought to the attention of the leadership of the party and its elections committee.



He added that he voted in the partys special delegate congress, which was held in August 2023, and he did not receive the amount of money being put out there by Ken Agyapong.



I was part of the nearly 1000 people who voted in the special delegate conference on August 26, 2023, and I did not receive anything like that when I was going to vote.



What you are saying has not been brought before the committee, so I dont want to comment on it, he told the journalist questioning him.



The election director urged all the candidates who would be contesting the November 4, 2023, primaries and their supporters to be guided in the actions they take in the interest of the NPP.



I plead that people do not make their decision on who to vote for based on this issue. Also, the party wants those who have been given the opportunity to contest in the primaries to take actions that would unite the party and not those that would break it up, he added.



Background:



Ken Agyapong, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, told the NPP delegates from Tamale North and Sagnarigu constituencies in the Northern Region that some of the partys chairmen were given GHC100,000 and some even more to throw their weight behind the vice president.



He added that some of the chairpersons even received brand-new cars, in addition to the monies they were given, so that they would support Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.



Ken was forced to show the delegates visuals of some chairpersons of the party apparently being offered money and vehicles after the NPP chairman for the Sagnarigu challenged his claim.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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Former Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Koku Anyidoho has cautioned former President John Dramani Mahama against picking National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah as his running mate for the 2024 election.



Describing Asiedu Nketiah as a dangerous person whose lobbying for the position will never materialise, Koku noted that such a decision will end in guaranteed defeat of the NDC in the upcoming election.



Asiedu-Nketiah has obviously become a heavy albatross around the neck of the NDC & lobbying for running mate shall NEVER materialize. There is NO WAY John Mahama will make a mistake and allow dangerous Mosquito to become running mate because that will lead to a guaranteed loss, he posted in a tweet on X.



In a series of tweets, Koku further dismissed Asiedu Nketiahs running mate ambition emphasising how politically wrong such a decision would be.



Let John Mahama make a HUGE political miscalculation again as he is wont to do and dare allow Mosquito to mislead him; and he will make ignoble history as the first one-term President to have lost 2 other elections in a disastrous manner, he stated in one of the tweets.



Former President Mahama is yet to select a running mate after he was elected flagbearer of the opposition party in May this year.



While some critics believe Madam Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang with whom he run in 2020 should be maintained, some say it will be better for Mahama to appoint a new running mate.



Meanwhile, Asiedu Nketiah has emphasised that he will welcome an opportunity to pair with Mahama if he is chosen by the former president.





Asiedu-Nketiah has obviously become a heavy albatross around the neck of the NDC & lobbying for running mate shall NEVER materialize. There is NO WAY John Mahama will make a mistake and allow dangerous Mosquito to become running mate because that will lead to a guaranteed loss. pic.twitter.com/0xjEzx69z4  Samuel Koku Anyidoho (@KokuAnyidoho) October 22, 2023





























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Nana Akomea has made a solemn appeal to the delegates of the New Patriotic Party to elect Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as flagbearer in order to give former President John Mahama a showdown in the 2024 election.



He noted that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by Mr. Mahama has been accusing the New Patriotic Party of being a party which is against choosing a Northerner to lead them but asked the delegates to prove them wrong.



"Dr. Bawumia will make that propaganda useless," he stated while soliciting votes during Peace FM's morning show.



Nana Akomea strongly believed a Bawumia vs Mahama contest will be the real showdown.



"Bawumia against John Mahama, one on one, a real showdown...showdown number 2!", he exclaimed.



The STC Chief Executive Officer added that a vote for Bawumia "will change branding of the party. It will give the party a new face".



"He will also make the party more inclusive," he also stressed.



The New Patriotic Party will hold its presidential election on Saturday, November 4 with four candidates vying for the flagbearer spot.



The four consists of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, former Agriculture Minister and a leading member of the New Patriotic Party, Thomas Addai Nimoh.



The contest has been dubbed the 'showdown' as it is thought to be a fierce battle among the candidates, particularly between the Vice President and Kennedy Agyapong who are the favorites in the race.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Kwame Baffoe known in political circles as Abronye DC, the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has announced plans to lead a 36-day procession in Accra from December 1, 2023, to January 5, 2024, under the banner of the Patriotic Forum for Accountable Governance (PaFFAG).



The purpose of the procession is to express gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government for their effective handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and steering the nation toward economic recovery post-pandemic.



In a letter addressed to the Ghana Police Service, Abronye explained the objective of the procession.

The chosen route runs from 37 bus stops to Jubilee House for its visibility and accessibility. The group assured authorities that they would take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of all participants and the general public.



The request seeks permission for a peaceful procession to show appreciation for President Akufo-Addos leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic recovery.



The group is open to meeting with a police department representative to discuss their plans in more detail and address any concerns or questions the authorities may have.



President Akufo-Addo has shown outstanding leadership during these challenging times, and we believe he deserves our gratitude, said Abronye. We are confident that this procession will be a fitting tribute to his unwavering commitment to the people of Ghana.



The procession is expected to attract thousands of participants, including members of the NPP, PaFFAG, and other supporters of President Akufo-Addo. It will be a significant milestone in Ghanas political landscape and a testament to the enduring strength of the countrys democracy.



The Ghana Police Service has yet to respond to the letter, but Abronye and his team remain optimistic that their request will be granted.



The procession is expected to be one of the most significant public events in Ghanas history.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Flagbearer hopeful of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Francis--Addai Nimoh says he has no idea what the much-touted Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition in the NPP is about.



According to him, nothing like that exists in the NPP.



He revealed this in an interview with Bonohene Baffour Awuah host of Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo Tv Monday.



The former Member of Parliament for Mampong in the Ashanti Region said he does not know where that name came from and even NPPs constitution does not recognize such a tradition.



He added that its just a slogan or a mantra.



I dont know where this Danquah, Busia, Dombo tradition is coming from. What I know is the party called New Patriotic Party. The founder fathers of this party were in the Popular Front Party (PFP) and the United National Convention (UNC) which existed in 1979. These two parties most of its members were from the United Party (UP) led by Dr. Busia.



If the party can take a decision that these three names must find expression in the partys constitution, then we must amend it and include these names and state that this is the tradition of the party. But if theres nothing like that in our partys constitution, then it remains just a slogan or mantra. It must be a constitutional matter, we shouldnt just be saying Danquah, Busia, Dombo tradition.



Proponents of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition say it is the oldest surviving political tradition in Ghana that dates as far back as 1947, before Ghana attained independence.



The main political figures this tradition stems from are Dr JB Danquah (founder of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC)), Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia and Simon Diedong Dombo.



Although this tradition dates as far back as 1947, it came to the limelight in 1957 after series of events that led to the merger of the then opposition parties to form the United Party (UP) due to the passage of the Avoidance of Discrimination Act (ADA) that banned all political parties that were formed along tribal, regional and religious lines under the Convention Peoples Party (CPP). This tradition remains the cornerstone of the current New Patriotic Party.





Source: kasapaonline









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A jury convicted a 22-year-old Lancaster man Wednesday in connection to a fatal shooting at a central Pennsylvania convenience store in 2022.

The shooting  which killed 19-year-old Damian Santiago  took place inside the Sunoco/A-Plus on the 100 block of W. Orange Street on March 14, 2022, the DAs office says.

Carlos Almanzar-Torres, who was 21 at the time of the shooting, was found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of recklessly endangering another person, according to the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors presented video evidence, which showed Santiago being killed, and testimony throughout the three-day trial.

Video cameras captured Almanzar-Torres and Santiago arriving at the convenience store around 10 p.m. and show the two arguing in front of and inside the store, the DAs office says.

The argument  which was over money Almanzar-Torres had lent Santiago for a phone bill  escalated and led to Almanzar-Torres and Santiago punching each other in the head and falling to the ground, the press release says.

As the fighting continued inside the store, Almanzar-Torres fired a shot towards Santiago, which went through his sweatshirt and ended up lodged in one of the stores freezers, the DAs office says.

Then, with both men on their feet again, Almanzar-Torres started to track Santiago through the stores aisles while trying to unjam his firearm, according to the press release.

Once Almanzar-Torres unjammed his gun, he raised it over one of the stores aisles and fired another round, which went through Santiagos shoulder and into his lung, stopping his heart, the release says.

Almanzar-Torres then punched Santiago several times after he fell to the ground, the DAs office says.

Santiagos cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the chest and the manner was labeled as homicide.

He was intending for a fight, instigating a fight, Assistant District Attorney Courtney Restemayer said. He brought a gun to a fist fight, and he made sure that fight ended in murder.

An hour after the shooting, Almanzar-Torres surrendered to police and told investigators a gun was in the front seat of his car.

Almanzar-Torres told police he fired his gun inside the store, according to the DAs office.

Just because you regret what you did, it doesnt negate the specific intent of your behavior, Restemayer added.

Further testing revealed the shell casings and rounds fired at the convenience store matched Almanzar-Torres firearm.

The jury deliberated for 53 minutes before submitting the guilty decision, according to a press release.

Almanzar-Torres will be sentenced later.
Because of recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, at the direction of President Joe Biden, is taking additional steps to strengthen U.S. defense posture in the Middle East.

As National Security Coordinator for Strategic Communication John Kirby noted, there has been an uptick in rocket and drone attacks by Iranian-backed proxy groups against military bases housing US personnel in Iraq and Syria, and we're deeply concerned about the potential for any significant escalation of these attacks in the days ahead.

The Secretary of Defense has directed two carrier strike groups to the region, and we are now sending more air defenses to US air bases in the region, he said.

The United States, Mr. Kirby said, is fully aware the Iranian regime, through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is supporting its proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah:

And we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events, and in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran. We know Irans goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but were not going to allow them to do that. We also are not going to allow any threat to our interests in the region to go unchallenged ... As President Biden has said, our message to any hostile actor seeing to escalate or widen this conflict is very simple: Dont do it.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the possible spreading of the current conflict is a deep concern for countries across the Middle East. He underscored that strengthening U.S. defense posture in the region is not a provocation but a deterrent.

Secretary Blinken also noted that the vast majority of people in the Middle East want to pursue a different vision from that of Hamas and Hezbollah:

They want a region where countries are working together, where relations are normalized, where theres greater integration, where people are working together, studying together, traveling doing business ... The alternative is equally clear: and its very stark: its Hamas, it's Hezbollah, its Iran, its destruction, its death, its terrorism, its darkness.

As we work through this current crisis, said Secretary Blinken, we must keep that first vision alive.
By Ron Todt, Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A judge on Wednesday reinstated all charges, including a murder count, against a former police officer who shot and killed a driver through a rolled-up car window  a confrontation police initially described as the officer shooting the driver after he lunged at him with a knife outside the car.

Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom agreed with prosecutors that the facts of the case should be established at trial.

Former officer Mark Dial, 27, was charged with murder, manslaughter, official oppression and four other counts in the Aug. 14 shooting death of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop. Defense lawyers argued the officer could have feared for his life because he thought Irizarry had a gun, and a municipal court judge dismissed the case last month for lack of evidence.

Prosecutors quickly appealed, asking for the charges to be reinstated. The family of Irizarry, who was Hispanic, has said Dial, who is white, took an innocent life and should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Dial, who bowed his head after Judge Ransom issued her ruling from the bench, was taken into custody without bail.

The defense is obviously extremely disappointed, Dials lawyer, Brian McMonagle, said outside court, but he added we cant wait to go to trial. The facts here are undeniable. Mark Dial did not commit a crime.

Irizarrys aunt, Zoraida Garcia, who ducked out of the courtroom just before the ruling because she feared becoming too emotional, said, Today, I see that justice is being served. Hes going to jail.

Another aunt, Ana Cintron, 50, said she was glad the judge decided the case should go to trial.

I think we needed that as a family, we need that as a community, just to build up the trust, because a lot of the times its lost. Something like this really made us think twice, she said.

Dial and his partner have said they followed Irizarrys car after it sped past them at high speed in a bike lane and rounded a corner, driving erratically and finally going the wrong way on a residential street before pulling into a parking space. Police body camera footage showed Dial firing a total of six rounds about seven seconds after getting out of a police SUV and walking over to the sedan. The footage also showed Irizarry holding a knife near his right leg.

Dials partner, Officer Michael Morris, previously testified he saw the driver holding a knife with a black metal handle that could have looked like a gun and the man started to raise it as Dial approached, and he screamed that he had a knife, although he could not remember his exact words. On cross-examination, McMonagle played surveillance video with audio he said sounded like someone saying gun and then Morris saying gun, knife and Morris agreed.

Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco, however, argued Wednesday that a trial was needed to determine what was said and by whom as well as a number of other facts in the case that are in dispute. She said the defense refers to the case as a tragedy, suggesting something bad happened but nobody did anything wrong  but Mark Dial did something horribly wrong.

At that earlier hearing, McMonagle had argued Dial was firing while trying to take cover in the belief the driver was armed with a gun. He said the charges should never have been filed by District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat and longtime civil rights lawyer who has clashed with police since taking office in 2018.

Police initially claimed Dial shot Irizarry outside the vehicle after he lunged at police with a knife, but were forced to backtrack after then-Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said a review of the officers body-worn cameras made it very clear that what we initially reported was not actually what happened.

Dial, a five-year member of the force, was suspended after officials said he refused to cooperate with investigators. Police said Dial was fired Sept. 18.

After Municipal Judge Wendy Pew dismissed the charges Sept. 27, a wave of flash mob-style ransacking of stores erupted in parts of the city, with masked people carrying out merchandise. Apple, Lululemon and Foot Locker outlets were among the stores targeted in the downtown business corridor.

Thieves targeted other parts of the city as well, ransacking pharmacies, a hair salon, a cellphone store and at least 18 state-run liquor outlets, resulting in the closure of all 48 stores in the city and one in a neighboring suburb.

Scores of people have since been charged with crimes such as burglary, theft, conspiracy and riot in the mayhem, which authorities said was fueled by social media. Those doing the ransacking were not affiliated with earlier protests, Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford has said, calling those responsible a bunch of criminal opportunists.

McMonagle told reporters Wednesday he might seek to have the trial moved out of Philadelphia, citing various comments by the mayor and other public officials as evidence Dial might not be able to get a fair trial in the city. The district attorneys office declined comment until such time as we are back in court with the defendant.

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By Claire Rush and Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore.  An off-duty airline pilot riding in an extra cockpit seat on a Horizon Air flight said Im not OK just before trying to cut the engines midflight and later told police he had recently taken psychedelic mushrooms as his mental health worsened, according to charging documents made public Tuesday.

State prosecutors in Oregon filed 83 counts of attempted murder against Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph David Emerson, 44, on Tuesday just before he appeared in court, with his attorney, Noah Horst, entering not guilty pleas on his behalf. Federal prosecutors meanwhile charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew, which can carry up to 20 years in prison.

According to a probable cause statement filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Emerson told Port of Portland police following his arrest that he had been struggling with depression, that a friend had recently died and that he had taken psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours before he attempted to cut the engines. He also said he had not slept in more than 40 hours, according to the document.

Police reported that Emerson did not appear to be intoxicated at the time of the interview, and in a statement Tuesday, Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, said neither the gate agents nor flight crew noticed any signs of impairment that might have barred him from the flight. An FBI agent wrote in a probable cause affidavit in support of the federal charge that Emerson said it was his first time taking mushrooms.

While psilocybin is illegal in most of the country  Oregon legalized it for adults this year  the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 designated it a breakthrough therapy that might be used for mental health conditions or substance use disorders.

Emerson, an Alaska Airlines pilot from Pleasant Hill, California, was arrested Sunday night after the flight crew reported that he attempted to shut down the engines on a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco while riding in the extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted to Portland, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.

The FBI affidavit said Emerson, who as an off-duty pilot was authorized to ride in the cockpits jump seat, made casual conversation with the captain and first officer when the plane was between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland, before trying to grab two red handles that would have activated the planes fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines.

After what the flight crew described as a brief struggle, lasting only about 30 seconds, Emerson left the cockpit, the FBI said.

FILE - A worker cleans a jet bridge at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., before passengers board an Alaska Airlines flight on March 4, 2019. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines owns Horizon Air. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)AP

Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft, but as the plane descended, he tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit, according to the document. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his, it said.

Alaska Airlines said Tuesday that Emerson had been relieved of all duties.

Horst did not immediately speak with reporters following the hearing or respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

The captain and first officer told police after the plane landed that Emerson said Im not OK just before he reached up to pull the handles. They were able to stop him before he pulled the handles all the way down, the affidavit said.

Emerson walked calmly to the back of the plane after being told to leave the cockpit and told a flight attendant, You need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad, the affidavit said. Another flight attendant heard him saying, I messed everything up and tried to kill everybody.

According to the affidavit, he asked police if he could waive his right to an attorney: Im admitting to what I did. Im not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys.

He also told them he thought he was having a nervous breakdown and said: I pulled both emergency shut off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up, according to the affidavit.

Pilots are required to undergo psychological screening as part of their regularly scheduled medical exams. There have been crashes that investigators believe were deliberately caused by pilots. Authorities said the copilot of a Germanwings jet that crashed in the French Alps in 2015 had practiced putting the plane into a dive.

Emerson took his most recent exam in September, Federal Aviation Administration records show  but according to the charging documents, he had long been struggling with depression.

Emerson was to remain in state custody pending an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland, the U.S. attorneys office said in a statement.

Mark Angelos, a senior flight instructor at the NRI Flying Club in Concord, California, has known Emerson for more than 10 years. Emerson used to be president of the club and designed its safety program, meaning he was in charge of making sure instructors followed standard operating procedures, Angelos said.

Angelos said that when he and other club members initially heard the news, they thought Horizon Air must have been conducting an emergency drill to test its crew. They couldnt believe that a person they saw as a family man who loved his children could be accused of such a thing.

It just couldnt have been our Joe, he said.

Johnson reported from Seattle.

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A former Doylestown Hospital director was charged Tuesday after being accused of stealing more than $600,000 from a hospital account used for charity, according to reports.

Police said Norma Galagarza, 68, of Chalfont, Bucks County, embezzled the money to pay her personal taxes, real estate taxes, cell phone bills, car payments, and personal credit accounts.

She retired as the director of medical staff in March 2021.

Suspicions first arose when Doylestown Hospitals Board of Directors reported that theyve been witnessing unusual bank activity, receiving insufficient fund charges on an account that they were unaware was open, 6ABC reported.

From there, Bucks County Detectives and Doylestown Township Police commenced a joint investigation that began in January 2022.

Investigators then found that Galagarza made nearly 900 unauthorized transactions from 2008 to 2021 and had been stealing from the account for years until her retirement in 2021, police said.

The sum of the large number of transactions across the 13-year span equaled $604,702.29, 6ABC said.

The account was later found to be the hospitals account known as the Charitable Fund, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Hospital officials have reason to believe that the account, which was created in 1991, had been long-dormant until they began receiving notices about insufficient funds, later learning that the mailing address for the account had been changed from the hospital to Galagarzas home, the Inquirer said.

The account was an employee benevolent fund that made charitable donations to the community and employees who were in need, Philly Burbs reported.

According to the Bucks County District Attorneys Office, the account was created and overseen by the hospitals Medical Executive Committee and was funded through doctor leader donations.

Before retiring, one of Galagarzas job duties was to manage the Charitable Fund, where she was the only employee responsible for reporting money spent in the account, Philly Burbs reported.

On Tuesday, Galagarza was arraigned on felony counts of theft, forgery, receiving stolen property, and related offenses.

After, she was released on $250,000 unsecured bail, multiple outlets reported.
By Evan Rosen, New York Daily News (TNS)

Minnesota doctor Connor Bowman was arrested in the poisoning death of his wife, who died after being admitted to the hospital in August.

Bowmans wife Betty, 32, died four days after she was admitted to the hospital, and her death was flagged as suspicious, NBC News reported.

Investigators from the Rochester Police Department shared Monday that they had collected evidence that suggests Connor, who once worked for poison control, may have given Betty a drug for an ailment she did not have.

Authorities also uncovered that the Bowmans were having financial and marital difficulties in the lead up to the death, and that the 30-year-old doc claimed he would get a large life insurance payout after her passing.

Dr. Connor Bowman. (Olmsted County Sheriffs Office/TNS)TNS

The couple was talking about a divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship, the criminal complaint stated.

Betty entered the hospital in mid-August with symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration. She later suffered from cardiac issues, organ failure, and even had to undergo surgery to remove part of her colon, according to the complaint.

Connor Bowman requested to have her body cremated after her death, but the process was halted when the medical examiners office determined her death was suspicious.

The Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiners Office alerted police later that month, and although the female was not named in the complaint, police later identified her as Betty Bowman.
Two men were found shot to death in Philadelphias Hunting Park neighborhood early Wednesday morning, according to reports.

Both were apparently shot execution-style less than a block away from each other.

Police responded to the 3900 block of North Reese Street at 1 a.m., where they came across a 35-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body and head. He was transported by police to Temple Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, 6ABC said.

Elsewhere, about half a block away on West Pike Street, a 42-year-old man was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body and head. He was taken by police to the hospital, where he was also pronounced dead.

It appears that the shooter at both of these scenes walked right up to the victims and fired multiple shots, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said to NBC10. It appears that they both were executed.

Both were shot in the head, the chest and the torso, he added.

Investigators came across evidence that suggests eight shots were fired at one man and at least four shots were fired at the other.

We dont know if its one shooter or two shooters, Small told NBC10, mentioning that both shootings appeared to be related.

No bullets struck any nearby vehicles or buildings.

Right now, investigators are combing through surveillance footage that could help them piece together the events leading up to the shootings, NBC10 said.

Meanwhile, authorities are trying to figure out a possible motive and are searching for the killers. No arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered, 6ABC reported.
Now more than halfway into the fall semester, leaders of Pennsylvanias four state-related universities are upping the pressure on lawmakers, urging them in the strongest possible terms to break the logjam holding up funding.

The leaders of Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln universities sent a letter to the four legislative leaders calling on them to release the $642 million that is caught in a political dispute within the House Republican Caucus mainly over tuition rates and transparency concerns.

State funding, the leaders reminded lawmakers, allows 100,000 Pennsylvania students to receive a tuition discount.

The delay in the passage of our funding has been felt differently by each of our institutions but we all are feeling the financial strains from not receiving the annual support we have historically relied upon, they said in the letter. Further postponement of this funding will inevitably compound the challenges we face, requiring more difficult decisions.

Lincolns President Brenda Allen, Temples President Richard Englert, Penn States President Neeli Bendapudi and Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel said they have responded to the House Republicans calls for controlling their tuition increases despite not receiving any state funding, supporting transparency measures and calling for more accountability by moving to a performance-based funding model.

We hope these actions demonstrate our desire to be good partners with the commonwealth, the letter states.

Their pleas, at this point, dont appear to have made a difference in the state of play inside the Capitol. It hinges on getting six lawmakers who votes no on releasing the money among 73 House Republicans in July to change their position.

Attempts to get comment from House GOP leadership were unsuccessful on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The other three caucuses, meanwhile, say their hands are tied by the House GOP minority. Even though their members support sending the money to the schools, it is not enough.

The state constitution requires the House and Senate each to get support of two-thirds of its members, or 136 of the Houses 203 member, for non-preferred appropriations, which is what charities and education institutions that receive state support but are not state-controlled are considered.

When the House voted on a bill to fund the four universities in July, it fell six votes short of the 136 needed because of a handful of House Republican extremists, said House Democratic spokeswoman Beth Rementer.

To get around the funding roadblock, the House earlier this month passed a fiscal code bill that, among other provisions, lumped all four universities funding together and directed the education department to distribute grants to the schools in the same amounts as the other bill intended.

We strongly urge the Senate to pass it and end this unfortunate and completely unnecessary stalemate, Rementer said.

But the Senate Republican majority is not inclined to sidestep the constitution for the funding.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, said, We have repeatedly said the House needs to reconcile their internal disagreement and muster the votes to send the non-preferred appropriations to the Senate in a constitutionally sound manner. Until they do, we are hard-pressed to find a path forward.

Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County says enough is enough and that he is willing to choose any path to release the money to the schools.

Waiting any longer to fund our state-related universities is not an option, he said. Our educators, staff, and students are depending on us to deliver these dollars. I remain hopeful that the House Republicans will come to the table in good faith to get this over the finish line and quit holding our schools hostage. Ideally, we will be able to use the traditional path and pass this funding with a two-thirds vote, but at the end of the day, we must use whatever path is available to drive out this money.

The universities, which planned their 2023-24 budgets with the expectation of receiving the funding, are dealing with the budget hole the stalemate has created by not filling vacant positions, postponing raises, and delaying construction plans.

Zack Moore, the vice president of government and community relations for Penn State, told the Associated Press university operations will be unaffected so long as the appropriation is approved during the fall semester.

But I do believe that if we get into the new year, into the second semester of the academic year, then we will certainly get very, very nervous and potentially have to start taking other fiscal actions to make sure that we can pay salaries, can operate, he said.

Penn State plans to soon begin releasing annual reports consolidating oft-requested pieces of information in one place to respond to lawmakers concerns about transparency and accountability. Bendapudi, in an opinion piece that appeared on PennLive, urged the General Assembly to work with Penn State and the other public-funded universities to develop a performance-based funding model for higher education that would go a long way toward addressing lawmakers concerns about how taxpayer funding is used to benefit Pennsylvania as a whole

The University of Pittsburgh promised a tuition freeze next year if it receives a 9.25% increase over what it anticipated receiving this year.

In the meantime, school administrators wait for money they anticipated receiving from Harrisburg, which they said in their letter is crucial in ensuring quality and affordability for our students and the betterment of our states educational and economic future.

Again, we urge you in the strongest possible terms to finalize appropriations for the state-related universities as soon as possible. Our students, families, employees, and communities are counting on you.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @JanMurphy.
Public schools would be required to display the opening lines of the United States and Pennsylvania constitutions near the entrance to their buildings under legislation that won state Senate passage on Tuesday.

The intent of the two bills that won state Senate passage on Tuesday by votes of 42-8 is to serve as a daily reminder to students of the role citizens play in the constitutional republic form of government in which they reside.

The bills sponsor, Sen. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson County, said the displays could be a taxpayer-funded plaque or take some other form including artwork from a student contest.

While the 52-word preamble to the U.S. Constitution drafted in 1787, We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,  may be familiar, the preamble to the states supreme law likely is less so.

It states: We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this constitution.

Dush said, Its my hope that, if enacted, this bill will encourage students to learn more about our state and federal constitutions so that they may be better equipped to think for themselves and actively participate in all levels of governance.

Sen. Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, who was among the 14 Democrats who joined Republicans in supporting the bill, said, All Americans, especially students should know and celebrate the constitution. This legislation is a great start toward that goal.

The bills now go to the state House for consideration.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @JanMurphy.
Just in time for Halloween, Consumer Reports reported Wednesday it found concerning levels of heavy metals in some chocolate products, including Hersheys Cocoa.

The non-profit consumer group is urging manufacturers including The Hershey Company to make changes to improve high levels of lead and cadmium in its products.

Consumer Reports tested a variety of chocolate products from different manufacturers in seven categories including dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate bars, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and mixes for brownies, chocolate cake and hot chocolate.

Sixteen of the 48 products tested contained potentially harmful levels of lead, cadmium or both. The metals are linked to serious health problems.

Products flagged for heavy metals include cocoa powder from Hersheys and Droste, dark chocolate bar and hot chocolate mix from Walmart, semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target, and hot chocolate mixes from Trader Joes, Nestle and Starbucks.

To determine the risk, Consumer Reports uses Californias maximum allowable dose level of 0.5 micrograms for lead and 4.1 micrograms for cadmium. California follows strict protocols mandating businesses share warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

The Hersheys Naturally Unsweetened 100% Cacao contained 125% lead and 18% cadmium, while Droste Cacao Powder contained 324% lead and 41% cadmium. In comparison, Navitas Organics tested 77% lead and 17% cadmium.

Last year, the magazine tested several dark chocolate bars, and found Hersheys Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate bar contained high levels of the metals. Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate tends to be higher in heavy metals due to a higher cacao content.

High exposure to cadmium can cause lung cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm, while lead exposure can slow childrens growth and development and damage the brain and nervous system.

Consumer Reports is pressuring Hershey and emphasizing that manufacturers can reduce the levels by sourcing chocolate from areas where there are lower levels of cadmium in the soil, and improving cocoa harvesting, processing, and cleaning procedures.

In the spring, Consumer Reports delivered a petition to the Hershey Company calling on it to reduce levels of metals in its chocolates.

Earlier this year, a Hershey executive stated that the company continues to look for ways to remove more of the metals through additional cleaning and alternate sourcing. We would like for them to honor that commitment, said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports.

Todd M. Scott, Hershey Co. spokesman, stressed that consumers should feel safe to continue enjoying Hersheys products and emphasized the company doesnt add cadmium and lead to its products.

Scott noted the metals naturally exist in the environment, meaning ingredients such as cacao can contain trace levels of elements like cadmium and lead.

Our highest priority is the safety and quality of our products. Hershey products comply with all applicable laws and regulations and are manufactured under strict quality and safety requirements, Scott said.

The National Confectioners Associations Christopher Gindlesperger, senior vice president of Public Affairs and Communications, stressed chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat, as they have been for centuries.

Food safety and product quality remain our highest priorities and we remain dedicated to being transparent and socially responsible, he said.

This story was updated to include comments from The Hershey Company.

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By Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun (TNS)

A second Baltimore City firefighter who was injured while fighting last weeks fatal two-alarm blaze has died, amplifying the departments devastation while they still reel from the death of another colleague.

Baltimore City Fire Department Lt. Dillon Rinaldo has died, a spokesperson for Johns Hopkins Medicine confirmed Wednesday morning, less than a week after the six-year veteran of the department was hospitalized with burn wounds suffered during the Thursday fire that killed another firefighter and injured three others.

He was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center on Thursday after being injured in the Northwest Baltimore fire and remained in critical but stable condition over the weekend. The fire department said over the weekend that Rinaldo was expected to have a lengthy hospital stay.

Rodney Pitts III, Dillon J. Rinaldo, Keith Brooks II, Tavon T. Marshall and Seth Robbins, members of the Baltimore Fire Department, were recognized during the first quarter of the Ravens-Detroit Lions game Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Pitts and Rinaldo died and the others were injured in a fire. (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun, file)TNS

Another firefighter, Rodney Pitts III, died Thursday evening after being injured in blaze that ripped through multiple rowhouses on the 5200 block of Linden Heights Avenue that afternoon. The first viewing for Pitts was scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon, and a funeral was slated for Friday morning.

Pitts, a 31-year-old who started as a firefighter and EMT in August after joining the department last year, was stationed in Park Heights on Engine 29. He graduated from Digital Harbor High School in 2011 and was excited to serve his city, officials said last week.

A fundraiser established for Rinaldo, which had raised nearly $100,000 by Wednesday morning, said the lieutenant had recently gotten engaged.

Before coming to Baltimore, Rinaldo served six years with the fire department in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where his father was once chief and serves as deputy chief.

The older members remember Dillon growing up as firehouse kid, Fair Lawn Fire Department Chief Jacob Mamo posted on Facebook. Most of us served with him a few years back and of course we are all reminded of his presence since his father is an active member.

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin tweeted that Rinaldos death was devastating news and that the two fallen firefighters will be remembered as heroes, calling them selfless until the very end.

First responders work the scene after a deadly fire on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun via AP, file)AP

In addition to Pitts and Rinaldo, three other Baltimore firefighters were injured in the Thursday blaze that spanned four rowhouses. Firefighters Seth Robbins, a 17-year veteran, Keith Brooks II, a 14-year veteran, and Tavon Marshall, a 3-year veteran, were treated and released from the hospital.

Investigators are still probing the cause of the fire in the Woodmere neighborhood. One of the charred houses was a rental, two were vacant properties, and one was occupied by an owner, according to city housing data. Its unclear where the fire started.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire. Baltimore Polices arson and homicide units are also investigating. No authorities have said if arson is suspected.

The deadly blaze came as the citys fire department was still reeling from the deaths of three firefighters who were killed last year as they attacked a burning vacant property on South Stricker Street. That fire, one of the deadliest for fire responders in the citys history, also seriously wounded another firefighter.
RWE and National Grid Ventures' joint venture in the New York Bight, Community Offshore Wind, successful in NYSERDA's third offshore wind solicitation with a provisional offtake award of 1.3 GW for new offshore wind capacity to power at least 500,000 U.S. households.

The first phase of Community Offshore Wind will generate $3.3 billion USD in economic benefits for New York State and create over 800 new jobs.

Community Offshore Wind's hyper-local, people-first approach and New York -based team commits $530 million to disadvantaged communities over the total project lifetime.

The project will significantly contribute to supply chain localization along the East Coast of the U.S., including new blade and nacelle manufacturing facilities.

The project will reduce New York State electricity-system carbon emissions by up to 5 percent.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture of RWE and National Grid Ventures, was provisionally awarded a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) offtake contract as part of the state's third solicitation for offshore wind. The project will be developed as the first of multiple phases located within Community Offshore Wind's 3.2 GW seabed lease in the New York Bight, acquired during a federal auction by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in 2022.

The first phase of the project, which will deliver enough clean energy to power at least 500,000 U.S. households, is expected to reduce New York's electricity system-related carbon emissions by up to 5 percent from the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) 2031 baseline scenario. The project awarded by NYSERDA will interconnect into Brooklyn, New York to deliver new offshore wind capacity.

Community Offshore Wind is poised to accelerate New York's progress toward ambitious climate and energy goals, while simultaneously delivering major economic benefits and robust workforce development investments for New Yorkers across the state. The project is expected to generate $3.3 billion in incremental economic benefits for New York, committing $530 million in expenditures and labor to disadvantaged communities over the total project lifetime. Further, the project will create more than 800 good-paying jobs over the life of the project, prioritizing those from disadvantaged communities, local companies and the union workforce.

Doug Perkins, President and Project Director of Community Offshore Wind: "Community Offshore Wind will propel New York toward its ambitious climate and clean energy goals, while cementing the state as a hub for the continued development of offshore wind in the Northeast. We look forward to working with NYSERDA and our partners to deliver reliable, clean power to hundreds of thousands of New York homes and businesses, while ensuring workers in every corner of the state have the support and services they need to pursue jobs in the growing offshore wind industry."

Sam Eaton, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind Holdings, LLC: "The RWE team, in collaboration with our partners at National Grid Ventures, is grateful to Governor Hochul and NYSERDA for the opportunity to deliver one of the largest offshore wind projects in the U.S. while creating good-paying union jobs, localizing the offshore wind supply chain, and generating long-lasting economic benefits for disadvantaged communities. Today's announcement solidifies New York's position as a national leader in the energy transition with a sincere commitment to achieving its ambitious climate goals. We look forward to partnering with the State to deliver a world-class project."

Pat Johnson, Vice President and Deputy Project Director of Community Offshore Wind: "As a company with longstanding roots in New York, we are committed to investing in the state's workers, families and businesses. Our project will bring billions of dollars in economic activity and growth to communities across New York, and build an in-state supply chain that will create and keep thousands of new clean energy jobs in the state for generations to come. We thank NYSERDA for trusting Community Offshore Wind to be New York's clean energy partner, and we are proud to work hand-in-hand with Governor Kathy Hochul and the state to deliver renewable power for New Yorkers."

Will Hazelip, President of National Grid Ventures Northeast: "Community Offshore Wind will further establish New York as a national leader in the clean energy transition, and we're grateful to Governor Hochul and NYSERDA for this recognition of our shared commitment to a future powered by renewables. National Grid Ventures is a longstanding partner to New York State, and we believe firmly in building a project that delivers far more than clean energy for New Yorkers - from new jobs, to impactful local investments and new workforce and economic development programs that will prepare workers and communities alike to take advantage of the opportunities the clean energy transition will create. In partnership with RWE, we look forward to continuing our community engagement with New York workers, families and businesses to deliver reliable, clean energy for all."

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, "Today, New York is demonstrating our national leadership once again with this latest portfolio of offshore wind awards to grow our green economy, tackle climate change and transform the way we power our homes and businesses. RWE and National Grid Venture's Community Offshore Wind project will bring significant economic development and family-sustaining jobs to New York communities, while helping the State continue to advance toward the achievement of our aggressive climate and clean energy goals."

As part of the offtake award from NYSERDA, Community Offshore Wind will play a significant role in strengthening the domestic supply chain. This includes a commitment to purchasing New York made blade and nacelles, in partnership with General Electric (GE).

The project will also contribute toward developing the state's offshore wind workforce, with a direct investment of $41 million in economic development and workforce programs designed to favor disadvantaged communities, New York Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOB) businesses. Part of this investment includes a $10 million childcare financial assistance program to support parents who are working in and training for offshore wind careers, in partnership with United Way of New York State.

Committed to being a good environmental steward, Community Offshore Wind will also dedicate $38 million in wildlife and fisheries research, mitigation, and enhancement. This is in addition to the project's recent announcement to partner with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on a first of its kind Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

RWE is one of the largest offshore wind companies with nearly 2,000 offshore wind experts globally. Its unparalleled expertise over the last 20 years has resulted in 19 offshore wind farms in operation, worldwide and the completion of Kaskasi offshore wind farm off the German coast at the end of last year. The U.S. plays a key role in RWE's strategy to grow its renewables business. Across three federal seabed auctions, RWE has grown an offshore wind development pipeline of 6 GW (pro rata) including lease areas to develop fixed bottom offshore wind in the New York Bight and Gulf of Mexico, and a lease area of the coast of northern California to develop the company's first commercial scale floating wind project. These seabed awards have positioned RWE as the second largest offshore wind developer in the US.

National Grid and its legacy companies have operated in New York State for over 125 years and now serve the needs of more than 20 million people throughout the Northeast. National Grid brings local expertise and experience developing large-scale infrastructure projects across the US and UK.

For more information, please visit www.communityoffshorewind.com.

About Community Offshore Wind

RWE and National Grid, will bring clean energy to the Northeastern US in a joint venture called Community Offshore Wind. They will develop offshore wind on the largest parcel in the New York Bight with the potential to host 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, which is enough to power more than one million US homes and businesses. The project is expected to be in operation by the end of 2030. Community Offshore Wind is dedicated to investing in communities by bringing clean energy jobs to the region and growing the local economy. They will deliver sustainable energy safely, reliably, and efficiently to the communities they serve.

About RWE

RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With an extensive investment and growth strategy, the company will expand its powerful, green generation capacity to 50 gigawatts internationally by 2030. RWE is investing more than 50 billion gross for this purpose in this decade. The portfolio is based on offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas. RWE Supply & Trading provides tailored energy solutions for large customers. RWE has locations in the attractive markets of Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The company is responsibly phasing out nuclear energy and coal. Government-mandated phaseout roadmaps have been defined for both of these energy sources. RWE employs around 19,000 people worldwide and has a clear target: to get to net zero by 2040. On its way there, the company has set itself ambitious targets for all activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative has confirmed that these emission reduction targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. Very much in the spirit of the company's purpose: Our energy for a sustainable life.

About National Grid Ventures

National Grid is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people throughout our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision.

National Grid Ventures (NGV) is the non-regulated division of National Grid plc, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. NGV operates outside of National Grid's core regulated businesses in the US and UK where it develops, operates and invests in energy projects, technologies and partnerships to accelerate the development of a clean energy future. NGV's diverse portfolio of low carbon and renewable energy businesses across the UK, Europe and US includes subsea electricity interconnectors, wind and solar power, and battery storage. For more information, visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures.
LAWRENCE, MI -- Shelbi Rindfield met a deer in April last year while doing farm chores.

The young doe let the teen pet its fur.

Thats weird, she didnt run away, Rindfield, 18, told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette this week, remembering when she met the deer, known around town as Annie, on April 7, 2022. I walked up and I pet her.

Rindfield and others in the Lawrence, Michigan, community -- which is 30 miles west of Kalamazoo -- got to know the deer over the past two years. Annie spent time outside her house and a neighbors, Rindfield said, and would sometimes sleep in her familys barn when the doors were left open.

The animals life was cut short on Oct. 20, when an officer with the Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department killed her.

The officer killed the deer at a Lawrence property while a suspect was being arrested on a warrant, the Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department said.

Rindfield saw emergency lights on police vehicles at the property across from her home that day, as she left to go out. She didnt think anything of it. On her way back, she received several messages and calls about Annie.

She clicked one message, and saw an officer with the deer.

I click the video and I see a cop put a little like slip lead over the neck and then drag her around, Rindfield said. Then, without any warning, just pinned her down and shot her.

The deer is seen flailing on the video before the officer puts it down. Clips of it are circulating on social media, including one that includes the shooting and another video that cuts off before the shooting.

It was a shock to see the animal killed, Rindfield said.

All shes ever known was nice and kindness, Rindfield said, noting that when the officer reached out with a restraint device, the deer had no reason to fear it. He took advantage of her trusting.

People are heard shouting on a video as an officer pins the deer down using a stick with a leash on the end. That deers nice! a man says on the video, and complains about the collar being put on it.

Police have not offered an official explanation of why the animal was killed.

The officer was placed on administrative leave for an investigation, Pokagon Band Tribal Police Chief Mario RedLegs said in a statement released on social media.

The Pokagon Band Tribal Police said the deer was euthanized at the property of a suspect from Lawrence.

The department said its officers were assisting Van Buren County law enforcement and consulted with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

We appreciate your patience in this matter, and we will provide an update once the investigation is complete, the department said on Oct. 21.

Pamela Babb, who lives across the street from Rindfield, said her family cared for the deer when it was young and it would come back around to the house often, she told WWMT.

She watched as the officer killed the deer in the driveway of her home, she told the station, and the officer told her it had to be done, claiming the deer was domesticated. The family rescued Annie after the deers mother was hit by a car and killed, and tried to get help from a local wildlife rescue organization, but they did not have room, according to the report.

Tribe Spokesman David E. Gutierrez said additional information was not being released Monday.

Babb posted a photo of the deer as her profile picture online with an overlay of the words Justice for Annie. A Facebook group was also created.

Others in the community have shared complaints on the police departments post, with one person calling the officers actions disgusting.

Annie the deer was killed on Oct. 20. (Courtesy | Shelbi Rindfield)

Rindfield, 18, a student at Southwestern Michigan College, said the officers actions were ridiculous. She reached out to the officer directly with a message about the incident.

Shooting Annie could be the dumbest decision of your conservation officer career, Rindfield said, reading the message she sent him. Annie was beloved by a lot of people here in the community. She regularly visits everyone and makes the rounds.

He took something from Lawrence Township that is irreplaceable, Rindfield said. She was emotional while sending the messages, she said, noting the officers Facebook page was no longer online as of Monday.

The department did not specify what type of officer was involved. Officials did not release the officers name.

The Pokagon Tribal land includes parts of Southwest Michigan and Northeast Indiana, with tribal government functions in Dowagiac.

Rindfield remembers the deer for its friendly and outgoing personality, and said more people were recently talking about the deer online.

I started seeing a lot of people posting a lot like, Oh, look at this friendly deer, she said.

Now, theyre posting photos and videos of the deer and asking for justice and to send a message about how they think the situation could have been handled differently.

The deer would have run off if the officer let it go, Rindfield said, or she could have been tranquilized and taken somewhere else.

If officers decided it had to be euthanized, Rindfield said, it could have been done more humanely.
Dozens of U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, are suing Meta Platforms Inc., accusing it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

A lawsuit filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents consent, in violation of federal law. In addition, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, D.C.

Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms, the complaint says. It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.

The suits seek financial damages and restitution and an end to Metas practices that are in violation of the law.

Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame, said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement. Meta has profited from childrens pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.

In a statement, Meta said it shares the attorneys generals commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.

Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path, the company added.

The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. It follows damning newspaper reports, first by The Wall Street Journal in the fall of 2021, based on the Metas own research that found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers  especially girls  when it comes to mental health and body image issues. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

Following the first reports, a consortium of news organizations, including The Associated Press, published their own findings based on leaked documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has testified before Congress and a British parliamentary committee about what she found.

Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. With todays lawsuit, we are drawing the line.

The use of social media among teens is nearly universal in the U.S. and many other parts of the world. Almost all teens ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media almost constantly, according to the Pew Research Center.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms  but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents consent, and many younger kids have social media accounts. The states complaint says Meta knowingly violated this law, the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, by collecting data on children without informing and getting permission from their parents.
WILLIAMSPORT-A New Jersey man claims he was a victim of racial profiling when stopped by a state trooper on Interstate 80 in rural Clinton County in 2022.

Matthew G. Mills Jr. of Hillsborough, who is Black, makes the accusation in a suit filed Wednesday in U.S. Middle District Court against Trooper Kevin Horton.

Mills, who was returning from visiting his son at the University of Pittsburgh says he was stopped in the late afternoon of Jan. 26, 2022, in Greene Twp. by Horton who told him he was driving 74 in a 65-mile zone and maybe had swerved.

The court complaint acknowledges Mills told the trooper something to the effect you know why you really pulled me over, but you know what, Ill be nice to you.

The suit claims this is what happened next:

Horton took Mills drivers license and registration for the rental car, engaged in a lengthy inquiry about his travel to Pittsburgh and asked other questions but none related to the reason for the vehicle stop.

Horton said he was suspicious because Mills was too nice and inferred there must be drugs in the car. Mills responded there were none, and noted he does not use drugs or drink alcohol.

The trooper asked to search the car under a threat that if Mills refused, it would be towed, impounded then searched. Mills refused, believing the officer did not have probable cause to justify a search.

Horton called for assistance and a second trooper arrived about a half hour later. Mills then agreed to a search because he worried if the car was towed, he would be stranded in an unfamiliar area.

Nothing was found in the car or Mills overnight bag. Mills was permitted to resume his trip without being issued a citation. He estimates the stop took 40 to 45 minutes.

Mills is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for an unreasonable search, retaliation, false arrest and violation of his equal protection rights.
Editors note: This story was updated to correct an error regarding the charges against the defendant.

WILLIAMSPORT  Two counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor have been dropped against a suspended Williamsport Area High School principal accused of sexual misconduct with the same male student.

It was discovered the statute of limitations had expired prior to the charges being filed against Roger W. Freed that alleged he provided apple ale, red wine, tequila and other liquor, Lycoming County First Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade explained.

Freed, 35, of Cogan Station, is awaiting trial on 30 counts of sexual contact with a student and one each of aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault and corruption of minors.

Suspended Williamsport Area High School principal Roger W. Freed, left, walks with his attorney, David V. Lampman II outside the office of Lycoming County District Judge Christian D. Frey Monday afternoon before his preliminary hearing on sexual misconduct charges.

The victim testified at the preliminary hearing that Freed performed oral sex on him more than 30 times over a seven-year period ending in 2022.

The males name is being withheld by PennLive because of the nature of the allegations.

The victim said he considered Freed a mentor and like a brother. I was scared to say no, he said.

The sexual activity occurred in the Williamsport area and also on a college visit his senior year when he was 18, he said.

Judge Nancy L. Butts, following a brief hearing Tuesday, ruled a written statement from the victim and a state police interview of him could be admitted as evidence at Freeds trial.

Unresolved issues include whether his criminal charges and the contents of phone calls he received while in prison are admissible.

Butts ruled his charges would be admissible in the trial of a former Williamsport high school English teacher Michelle Pulizzi who is accused of engaging in sexual activity with the same student who is now an adult.

Her ruling, which the DAs office has appealed to the state Superior Court, says jurors could be told that the former is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, sexual and indecent assault and indecent exposure but not the details.

Freed is free on $175,000 unsecured bail. The school district suspended him without pay.

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The embattled director of the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area will be leaving the organization, the board of directors announced Wednesday.

HSHA executive director Amy Kaunas  who served as executive director of the humane society since 2006 and had recently been under fire about the way the shelter is run  will be departing her role, according to a letter from George Groves, HSHA Board president.

Groves letter did not say whether Kaunas was fired or left voluntarily nor when Kaunas would officially leave. The news of her departure comes after a series of controversies, most publicly including the fate of a dog named Pursuit at the shelter who was set to be euthanized despite objections from volunteers who had bonded with him.

A former volunteer whisked the dog away from the shelter on Grayson Road in February on his kill date to save his life. She later found a shelter to help her place Pursuit into a new home, where he now happily resides under his new name, Diesel.

Pursuit, the American bull-dog mix once slated to be euthanized, joined protestors outside the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area's office as they petitioned for Amy Kaunas, the executive director of the organization, to be removed from her position.

That high-profile incident kicked off a campaign by some critics  including many former employees and volunteers  against Kaunas through a Facebook page called In Pursuit of Change, that has more than 3,300 followers.

In May the humane society faced another round of controversy, when the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office announced it was fining the shelter more than $45,000 for failing to oversee purchases and reimbursements and maintain clear record-keeping as a charity.

The shelter had failed to disclose Kaunas housing stipend in the organizations required yearly reporting from 2013 to 2019 and therefore under-reported her total compensation.

Kaunas received a salary listed at $114,086 in 2021, according to tax filings for that year, with additional compensation of $10,911.

Kaunas departure also comes several months after she moved off the HSHA-owned farm in Perry County. The board had allowed Kaunas to live on the farm since its purchase in 2013, in exchange for care of the farms animals. Critics raised questions about the way she cared for the animals and the way a pig was euthanized.

When asked whether Kaunas departure was connected to the recent controversies, HSHA spokeswoman Amanda Brunish said:

Amy was with the organization for almost 17 years and the decision was made that the organization needed change. Amy made a tremendous impact during her time here to help grow HSHA and help thousands of animals in Central PA.

A news release announcing Kaunas departure noted her leadership during the pandemic helped continue our important mission even in the most difficult of times. Were proud that while our intakes return to pre-pandemic levels, euthanasia dropped to its lowest rate in four years in 2022.

PennLive could not immediately reach Kaunas for comment.

Groves said Aspasia Yeager, HSHA director of operations, will serve as interim executive director amid a nationwide search for Kaunas permanent replacement.

Yeager has worked at HSHA for seven years and has previous leadership experience at other, unnamed rescues, Groves said.

She will oversee a seamless transition in oversight of our daily operations and programs, Groves said.

Groves said finding a new executive director with extensive experience and a proven track record is the boards top priority.
Nathan Davidson, a longtime Democratic legislative staffer, on Tuesday became the third candidate to announce a bid for the state House 103rd District seat.

Davidson, who last year was appointed and unanimously confirmed by Harrisburg City Council to the Board of Capital Region Water, said the support of Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams was pivotal in persuading him to seek public office.

Public service has always been very important to me, and to be asked by a multi-decade public servant like Mayor Williams was truly humbling, Davidson said. Legislators are tasked with working on many complex problems and reaching consensus to advance the interests of all Pennsylvanians, and my experience in the House of Representatives has prepared me to serve on day one.

Davidson, a Dauphin County native and Messiah College graduate, the past five years served as a staff member for the House Democratic Caucus, first as the floor manager to the Democratic Whip and then as senior advisor on the House Appropriations Committee.

I am a pro-choice, pro-public education, and pro-union candidate, he told PennLive on Tuesday. Harrisburg and the Capital Region need an advocate in the Capitol who can drive out resources to our boroughs, city, and townships to fund infrastructure projects, provide constitutionally appropriate funding for our public schools, and drive a growth agenda for our regional and state economies.

Davidson adds his name to the race for an open seat that is being vacated by Rep. Patty Kim, a Democrat, who is vying for the 15th state Senate District. Republican Sen. John DiSanto currently holds that seat.

Davidson joins two other candidates who have recently announced their own candidacy for the House 103rd: Mercedes Evans and Tina Nixon.

Nixon, a Democrat, was the longtime CEO of the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg and has more than 30 years experience in public service and as a community leader.

Evans is a member of the Camp Hill Borough Council. She was elected to Camp Hill Borough Council in 2021 and currently chairs the public safety and parks and recreation committees.

The House 103rd District includes parts of Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Lemoyne, Wormleysburg and East Pennsboro Township.

Davidson is a resident of midtown Harrisburg where he lives with his wife and family.
Pennsylvania dog owners should be prepared to pay more to keep their beagles (and other best friends) legal, but its for a good cause.

Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday signed into law a bill that would raise the cost of the annual dog license by $2 to $8.70 and lifetime licenses to $52.70, as of March 1.

Its the first license fee hike in more than a quarter century and comes as the agency charged with enforcing the state dog law has suffered a prolonged funding crisis, leading to the loss of nearly one third of dog wardens.

The measure also makes other significant changes aimed at improving conditions for dogs in breeding, boarding and rescue kennels, protect public safety, provide more consumer protection for those buying or adopting dogs and help prevent the spread of infectious diseases among dogs.

Pennsylvanians have made it clear that they expect kennels, breeders and shelters to be held to high standards, said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. They want their communities to be safe from stray and dangerous dogs. They want owners to be held responsible when their dog attacks, and they want unscrupulous breeders to be shut down.

The revenue generated from the higher license fee and higher kennel fees will enable the department to fund dog wardens work to uphold high standards in licensed kennels, investigate illegal kennels, respond to dog-related complaints and keep communities safer by holding owners of dangerous dogs responsible.

Historically, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement has been supported primarily by dog license fees. But costs outpaced revenue over the past decade, driving the fund into insolvency and forcing the Department of Agriculture to tap its general fund to cover salaries and equipment.

Shrinking finances led to a decline in the number of wardens across Pennsylvania from 60 to 39.

The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement has been struggling over the last several years to cover basic operations and fill critical vacancies to ensure they can perform their duties efficiently, said Sen. Elder Vogel, R-Beaver County, the bills sponsor, in a statement.

Redding testified before the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee in 2017 to say higher license fees were necessary since the fund emptied and the department has had to subsidize the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement so it could carry out its mandated duties.

The measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support and had the support of animal welfare advocates, kennel owners and local law enforcement agencies among others. Along with the license fee increases that take effect next year, it would allow the agriculture secretary to increase the license fees by an additional $2 on Dec. 1, 2025, and $1 on Dec. 1, 2027.

The new law also:

All dogs in Pennsylvania will now be required to be licensed at the time of purchase (legal at eight weeks), or by three months old, whichever comes first.

Requires those selling dogs or offering them for adoption to provide a dog license application to the new owners.

Sets fines for unlicensed dogs ranging from $100 to $500, plus court costs.

Increases criminal penalties for other violations of the dog law to $500 to $1,000 (up from $100 to $500 currently) for summary offenses and $1,000 to $5,000 (up from $500 to $1,000 currently) for misdemeanor offenses plus court costs.

Boosts the annual registration for a dog deemed dangerous from $500 to $1,000.

Makes owners of dogs already declared dangerous that attack again, to find and pay a kennel to house the dog during court proceedings, to ensure the community remains safe until a final determination is made.

Raises license fees for kennels on March 1, 2024.

Mandates kennels and shelters that offer dogs for sale or adoption to include their kennel license number in advertisements.

Requires kennels selling or adopting dogs at retail to the public to disclose breeder information, vaccination and medical documentation, and any known bite attacks on a human or a domestic animal.

Requires dogs imported into a Pennsylvania kennels to be isolated for at least 14 days.

Licenses purchased between December 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024 will be available at the prior rate of $6.70 for spayed or neutered dog, $8.70 for others.

Licenses can be purchased through Pennsylvanias county treasurers, who are allowed to keep $1.70 of the fee for postage and administrative costs. The new law also requires the agriculture department to create a website to allow dog licenses to be purchased online.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @JanMurphy.
They still cant catch Kevin Bacon in Gettysburg.

They can see him, no problem. There is plenty of video of the guy hanging out around town doing what he wants, but he keeps sidestepping all efforts to bring him in. It is a story that has incredibly traveled the country, too.

Folks from all over now know about Kevin Bacon being on the loose in Gettysburg.

And, if you are not one of those people you are probably getting pretty concerned by the idea that everyone wants to see the famous Hollywood actor caught in a trap and locked down. But rest your nerves because we arent talking about the actor. No, we are talking about a 200-pound Juliana pig, who got out of his pen more than a week ago, and simply refuses to go back in.

You can follow the journey over on the Bring Kevin Bacon Home Facebook page. As of Tuesday night, they were working on getting a trap set up to bring him in because video shows the guy is pretty quick when approached and, again, hes not really a small pig.

Chelsea Rumbaugh told PennLive last week the saga began two Saturdays ago when she spotted the pig for sale online for a cool $50. Seemed liked a bargain, Chelsea said, for a 100-pound pig. So, after some quick thinking, she decided to go check him out. If she could fit him in the back of her Kia, onto some plastic, blankets and a dog hammock that she had laid down, she would bring him home.

And that is where things started to go a little sideways because Kevin Bacon didnt weigh 100 pounds. After some quick measuring, Chelsea said, she determined that Kevin Bacon was actually right at 200 pounds.

She then spent about five minutes explaining how you fit a 200-pound porker in the backseat of a Kia. Its a story all by itself.

They had to kind of hoist the big fella up and let him walk on in there.

Kevin Bacon takes a nap before making a run for it in Gettysburg. If you see Kevin, his family is asking for help bringing him home. (Photo courtesy of 'Bring Kevin Bacon Home')

After pulling off the feat of getting him loaded, Rumbaugh said they made it back home in Gettysburg, and Kevin seemed to quickly acclimate to his surroundings.

But, she said, as soon as they turned their back, Kevin made a break for it, somehow escaping their barn and making his way to a nearby campground.

He really just wanted to get out and explore, she said. He is really testing his limits.

His escape and time on the run  combined with one of the greatest names you will ever see for a pig  has had folks talking. Kevin Bacon was a popular topic on social media, and news sites all over the country have run a story about him.

By far, Rumbaugh said with a laugh last week after she was asked if Kevin was the biggest troublemaker in their pig pen. None of the others have ever caused a ruckus like this. We did not know what we were getting into with him.

Rumbaugh said she is nervous because she doesnt want Kevin to get hurt. She said she worries a hunter or someone in the community might mistake him for a wild hog.

So, we just want his picture out in the community, she said. Hopefully it helps lower the chance of him getting accidentally (hurt or killed).

She told PennLive the family has built a special pen for him for whenever they are able to catch him.

When I get Kevin  he needs a GPS tracker, she said. If somebody can make me a collar that will fit around him and stay on him so I can put a GPS tracker on it  it would be great.

And then I think we might just have an open barn so people can come by here and holler at Kevin about what he has done.
The girlfriend of a man accused of three counts of murder has been released on parole after being sentenced on charges she hindered police in their search for her boyfriend.

Tiffany Koziara, 34, received a three-month prison sentence to be followed by 20 months of parole for hindering the apprehension of boyfriend Ivan Claudio-Rosero. She pleaded guilty in September, and was given credit for time she spent in prison following her June 7.

Claudio-Rosero, 33, is one of three defendants in a shooting that left two children and a teenager dead in Lebanon on May 30.

The shooting, which occurred at around 10 p.m., killed brothers Sebastian Perez-Salome, 9, and Jesus Perez-Salome, 8, as well as Joshua Lugo Perez, 19, authorities said.

It wasnt the Ivan she knew, Scott Grenoble, Koziaras attorney, said. Had she known he might have been involved, she might have been cooperative.

Koziara lied about Roseros whereabouts, remained in contact with Rosero while knowing police were searching for him and even booked a hotel room for him in Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf.

Koziara, Claudio Roseros girlfriend and mother of his son, told police the last contact the two had was when she texted him about cheating on her May 31. She also told police she only discussed the murders in the context of news coverage of the incident, according to court documents.

Police eventually arrested Claudio-Rosero in Philadelphia June 6.

The Lebanon County District Attorneys office is pursuing the death penalty against Claudio-Rosero and Alex Torres-Santos, 23, another man charged in the triple homicide. James Fernandez-Reyes, a 16-year-old accused of being the first to pull the trigger of his gun in the shooting, is too young to be given the death penalty and will seek to have his case moved to juvenile court.

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Con-people are everywhere. Theyre online, on the phone, mailing letters and knocking on doors with offers to kill mosquitoes, green your grass or keep ticks at bay.

The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office has issued a special warning to seniors about hucksters trying to take away their savings from a lifetime of 9-5 hard work. But truth be told, the younguns also are falling sway to fast talk and nightmare scenarios from fake friends in text messages.

The most vulnerable was Colorado. (photo by Lindsey LaMont via Unsplash)

And its all going to get worse with Artificial Intelligence beating down our doors. People who sound, look and act like your sisters child will beg for an immediate $1000 to keep them out of jail, and only a heart-hearted aunt wouldnt fork over the debit card number to help.

One most successful scam is targeting compassionate grandparents. They get a call someone impersonating a grandchild, begging for immediate help to post bond or pay for medical care. What good grandparent wouldnt rush to the aid of a child in trouble?

The point is, scams are on the rise, not only in Pennsylvania but throughout the nation. The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office is warning that thousands of good-hearted Pennsylvanians are falling sway to tactics designed to dupe compassionate people into coughing up cash or authorizing debit card withdrawals that will benefit swindlers and thieves.

Experian Smart Money Digital Checking Account & Debit Card (Photo: Business Wire)

Everyones guard must be up, but corporations have a special responsibility to warn their customers of scams being committed in their names. They have to do it repeatedly and with a sense of urgency because the scammers seem to be winning.

They are getting smarter and smarter at impersonating established businesses or government agencies, including Social Security and Medicaid. And theyre only going to get more believable.

Scammers who sound like the real deal are calling people saying their medical insurance will be cut off in hours if they dont pay up immediately. Their phony websites even look authentic.

Imagine if you got that call with a child on life support in the hospital or in the emergency room after a traffic accident?

NYPD warns people of scams.

Todays scammers have neither morals nor scruples. Their latest trick is to impersonate agents for utility companies like PPL, insisting payment be made immediately to avoid a shut off of services. Were heading into winter; imagine if youre facing a snowstorm and frigid temperatures. Someone calls, claiming to be from PPL and insists the bill hasnt been paid for months. Despite your claims to have paid the bills, they say heat will be cut off unless you fork over thousands to bring the account up to date.

Imagine if the panic of someone caring for a sick child or an elderly parent?

These are the kinds of ruthless tactics scammers today use to steal from innocent people.

We join the attorney generals office in warning Pennsylvanians to be on guard and to think twice before forking over their hard-earned cash to criminals preying on their goodness and compassion. Better yet, we urge Pennsylvanians to assume a scam is afoot zip your wallets and to have a plan on how to deal with fake emergencies.

We urge businesses to increase efforts to educate their customers about the rising threat of scammers who mail, text and phone, leaving no stone unturned to bilk millions of dollars from good people each day.

Scams

We urge nonprofits and community organizations to initiate educational programs to keep people informed and on guard about scams. The Attorney Generals Office has speakers ready to provide vital, up-to-date information about the latest methods and tactics.

And we urge families to take every opportunity as we head into the holiday season to talk about the threat of scammers, with full acknowledgement that anyone of any age can fall sway to vile behavior that preys on the compassion and emotions of innocent people.

Joyce M. Davis is PennLives Outreach & Opinion Editor. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @byjoycedavis.

Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
When news of Hamas deadly attack on Israel first broke on Oct. 7, most senators were at home. Schumer was on a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to China, meeting with President Xi Jinping.

Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in American history, quickly changed his schedule, meeting four other senators in Israel for a trip replete with meetings with high-level Israeli officials and families of the deceased and kidnapped.

That Jacky Rosen (D-NV) was tapped for the trip demonstrates the former synagogue presidents high-ranking status on Israel policy. Rosen is the co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, a bipartisan group working to expand diplomatic relations between Israel and other nations in the Middle East.

And shes been outspoken on domestic antisemitism, leading a bipartisan task force to push for greater government efforts to target hate.

Rosen is one of nine Jewish senators. With the recent death of former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), she is the only Jewish mother in the Senate, a fact she has invoked frequently while discussing her experiences joining Israeli mothers and fathers in their grief last weekend.

Meeting with those parents whose children were ripped away from them by terrorists, hearing those stories, seeing the fear and pain in their eyes, feeling their heartbreak  I can just tell you thats something that will stay with me for the rest of my life, Rosen said Thursday in a press conference for Nevada-based outlets.

Rosen  along with Schumer and Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA)  met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz, who is serving as part of Israels wartime coalition government.

She said the group was forced to take shelter multiple times because of rocket fire.

Our delegation experienced a fraction  just a fraction  of what Israeli families are experiencing every single day since these attacks began, Rosen said.

Back in Washington, the Senate, having unanimously passed a resolution supporting Israel, is now planning to craft a supplemental funding package based on the Biden administrations request.

The administration is expected to ask for $100 billion  the bulk of which is expected to go to Ukraine, with additional funds for Israel, Taiwan and the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden also announced plans to send $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza for Palestinians who are subject to Israels blockade of electricity and mass displacement from Israeli air strikes.

Rosen said her work in the Senate has four aims  providing funding for Israels defense capabilities, including sending over Iron Dome batteries, sending humanitarian aid to innocent people, rescuing hostages being held by Hamas and ensuring Hamas is held accountable for the Oct. 7 attacks.

When asked about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Rosen reiterated the need to send aid, but added that the war is a consequence of Hamas attack.

We always have to do everything we can to protect people, to provide that humanitarian aid, she said. And were trying to do just that. Israel is trying to do just that.

While the Senate is expected to act quickly to take up the supplemental package, with the support of Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a strong backer of Ukraine, the House must resolve its speakership woes before any legislation can move forward.

Rosen, who served one term in the House from 2017 to 2019, when it was last under Republican control, is no stranger to the dysfunction that has embroiled the chamber. She said the House needs to either temporarily empower the speaker pro tempore or elect a speaker in order to take up the supplemental funding package.

What I hope is that the House of Representatives stands up and realizes that they need to be the adult in the room, Rosen said. Theres serious business that needs to happen, not just to protect the United States, but to protect people around the world.
By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVIN FREKING, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  Rep. Mike Johnson easily secured enough votes to be elected House speaker on Wednesday, as Republicans were eagerly elevating the little-known conservative leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.

With voting still underway, Johnson, of Louisiana, was picking up support from most Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing.

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthys ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. While not the partys top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

I think hes gonna be a fantastic speaker, Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Trump said he hadnt heard one negative comment about him. Everybody likes him.

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Far-right members have refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives dont want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnsons name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for an extended standing ovation. House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up, she said.

Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls  Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

Mike! Mike! Mike! lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.

Johnsons rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

He wasnt MAGA, said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would give Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.

Deeply religious, Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system. Colleagues swiftly started giving their support.

Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system, Johnson said after winning the nomination. Were going to restore your trust in what we do here.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthys ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that Mike Johnson wont be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.
By Todd J. Gillman and Joseph Morton, The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

WASHINGTON  Uncooperative House Republicans scuttled a third nominee for House speaker in three weeks Tuesday and hours later picked a fourth hours who faced even more holdouts than the others.

Rep. Mike Johnson, a Louisiana conservative and junior member of leadership, collected 128 votes Tuesday night, sailing past the 29 votes for two-term Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

But 44 GOP lawmakers cast write-in votes, all but one of them for Kevin McCarthy, who had been ousted as speaker Oct. 3, adding a note of rancor to the chaos.

Earlier in the day, Majority Whip Tom Emmer set the record for shortest tenure as speaker-designate. He dropped out only four hours after outlasting eight rivals.

That set off a fresh scramble that drew a half-dozen candidates.

Republicans moved immediately to a referendum on Johnson to gauge his chances on the House floor, where it takes 217 to win.

None of the three previous nominees to replace McCarthy managed to overcome resistance from dozens of holdouts.

You look at who hasnt been able to bring it together; 217 is a high number, said Texas Rep. Roger Williams, one of the speaker candidates, calling it all but impossible to forge near-unanimous unity from the fractious caucus.

Given Republicans razor thin edge, 221-212, any five defectors effectively hold veto power.

Winning the nomination turns out to be the easy part.

Some 26 never-Emmers refused to fall in line for the Minnesotan, the No. 3 House leader behind speaker and majority leader, after his fifth ballot win.

Holdouts pressed Emmer to defend his votes to certify President Joe Bidens victory. Some expressed unhappiness over his support for sending weapons and other aid to Ukraine. Others voiced qualms about his vote to recognize same-sex marriage.

Bottom line is that a plurality does not make you the speaker, said Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, who had been eliminated on the first ballot Tuesday morning after two others had already dropped out. Were just stuck. ... Theres a huge amount of frustration.

Sessions, a 13-term lawmaker, played up his role in the landslide 2010 midterms when he chaired the partys House campaign arm. He backed Williams in the evening round.

Emmers hill got steeper when Donald Trump, the former president, tore into him as he struggled to consolidate support after winning the nomination.

I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them, Trump posted on social media, using the derisive acronym for Republican in name only.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, leaves the House floor after being ousted as Speaker of the House at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The House has now been paralyzed for three weeks since eight conservative rebels engineered McCarthys ouster.

Without a speaker, the House cannot conduct business, and the backlog of urgent priorities is growing.

That list includes wartime aid requests for Ukraine and Israel, and a Nov. 17 deadline to avert a government shutdown. Thats the expiration date on a 45-day stopgap deal McCarthy struck just before he got pushed out.

Williams, who owns a car dealership and chairs the House Small Business Committee, touted his business acumen and ability to work with all sorts of people in his one-minute pitch to colleagues.

After pondering a run, the six-term Republican announced Saturday night that hed decided the time wasnt right.

It was right tonight, Williams said after Emmers meteoric downfall created a fresh opening.

Apart from Johnson, two other contenders knocked out earlier Tuesday threw their hats in Tuesday night: Donalds, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus who would be the first Black speaker, and Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern, chair of the somewhat less conservative Republican Study Committee bloc.

Hern dropped out before the first ballot and endorsed Johnson.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann was knocked out in the first nighttime round. A fellow Tennessean, Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, made it to the second.

Emmer was the third Republican nominated to replace McCarthy.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana lasted a day before dropping out. Trump-backed Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio endured three defeats on the floor before fellow Republicans revoked his nomination Friday by secret ballot.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Chairman of John Swire & Sons Limited Guy Bradley in Hanoi on October 24. (Photo: VNA)

He called on the over-200-year Swire Group to continue expanding its operations in such sectors as aviation, trade and industry, logistics, real estate, health care, and the production, distribution and retail network in Vietnam; develop human resources, especially high-quality ones; and consider cooperating with local universities and vocational schools.

PM Pham Minh Chinh asked the group to increase applying the latest scientific and technological advances to its activities; improve the added value and the rate of domestically made components in its products and use supporting technologies of Vietnam; boost assistance for Vietnamese businesses to join its supply chain; effectively use renewable energy; and harmonise economic targets with social responsibility fulfillment, thereby helping Vietnam achieve green growth and sustainable development targets and effectively cope with climate change.

Bradley introduced his firm and its long-term plan in Vietnam, highlighting its commitments to sustainable development, green growth, and circular economy promotion.

Swire Group has operated in Vietnam since 1988 via activities supporting oil and gas, tea, aviation, and real estate companies. In January 2023, its subsidiary Swire Coca-Cola Limited purchased Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Co. Ltd, the bottling partner of Coca-Cola in the country. Thanks to that, it has created over 2,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect ones in Vietnam, he noted.

He spoke highly of the increasingly improved investment and business climate in Vietnam and expressed his belief in the success of his groups operations here.

The group is highly committed to Vietnam and will keep expanding its investments, especially in the fields of aviation and health care, to contribute more local socio-economic development, Bradley remarked.

Welcoming the firms intentions, PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always supports and protects the rights and legitimate interests of foreign investors on the basis of interest harmonisation and risk sharing, adding the country considers foreign businesses success as its own./.
A visitor views an exhibit at the "Wonderful Silk Road" Chinese Silk Art Exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- In a fusion of history, art and culture, an exhibition of Chinese silk art opened on Tuesday at the Hungarian capital's Museum of Agriculture.

The "Wonderful Silk Road" Chinese Silk Art Exhibition, running from Oct. 25 to Dec. 3, offers a vivid exploration of the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road's legacy, art and profound cultural impact.

"Chinese-Hungarian cultural cooperation has always been a model for jointly building the Belt and Road. Based on mutual respect and benefits, the two countries have implemented comprehensive cultural and tourist cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," Gong Tao, China's ambassador to Hungary, said at the opening ceremony.

In the autumn of 2013, respectively in Kazakhstan and Indonesia, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Gabor Csaba, deputy state secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, said that thanks to the continued deepening and solidification of relations between Hungary and China, the Hungarian people have more opportunities to experience splendid Chinese culture through cultural activities held in Hungary.

In collaboration with the China National Silk Museum, the China Cultural Center in Budapest, the Hungarian Museum of Applied Arts and the Hungarian Museum of Agriculture, "Wonderful Silk Road" weaves together three captivating chapters.

Visitors are treated to an array of sixty individual units, displaying 80 ancient silk fabrics and modern clothing items, all curated by the China National Silk Museum.

Visitors are also invited to take an active part in the experience. They can try their hand at weaving on small looms at the venue and even take home their own handcrafted silk patterns, providing a tactile connection to the Silk Road's heritage. 

Gabor Csaba (Rear), deputy state secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, speaks at the opening ceremony of the "Wonderful Silk Road" Chinese Silk Art Exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

A visitor views an exhibit at the "Wonderful Silk Road" Chinese Silk Art Exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

A woman visits the "Wonderful Silk Road" Chinese Silk Art Exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

A visitor views an exhibit at the "Wonderful Silk Road" Chinese Silk Art Exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

Editor: JYZ
Andrew "stato_1" Hulme Among the Big PokerStars Bounty Builder Series Winners

October 25, 2023 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor

The three Bounty Builder Series Main Events kick off on October 29

October has been quite the ride for British professional poker player Andrew "stato_1" Hulme. He not only celebrated his wedding anniversary, but he and his wife, Holly, became parents for the first time, too. Throw into the mix the fact Hulme triumphed in the Bounty Builder Series edition of the Sunday Million at PokerStars for $102,522, and it is easy to see why the popular Brit will fondly remember October 2023.

With re-entries included, some 4,831 PokerStars players bought into Bounty Builder Series 71: $215 NLHE 8-Max Sunday Million, leaving a value-adding overlay on the $1 million guaranteed prize pool. Half of the prize pool was awarded to the top 783 finishers, with the remaining $500,000 split into bounties and placed on the head of each entrant.

Plenty of established grinders reached the main prize pool payouts, including Daan "DaanOss" Mulders, Guillaume "Nolet20" Nolet, Ivan "Negriin" Luca, Andras "probirs" Nemeth, Damian "pampa27" Salas, and Fabio "hdjgkfkgsdl" Sperling.

$215 NLHE 8-Max Sunday Million Final Table Results

Rank Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 Andrew "stato_1" Hulme United Kingdom $39,485 $63,037 $102,522 2 Joao "Joao Valli" Valli Brazil $13,913 $63,033 $76,946 3 jagger97 Brazil $6,639 $37,399 $44,038 4 giorgiopf1 Brazil $5,697 $26,659 $32,356 5 Razvi_audi Romania $2,723 $19,003 $21,726 6 THE MOVER 92 United Kingdom $5,607 $13,546 $19,153 7 elKKJitow United Kingdom $250 $9,656 $9,906 8 LaviniaPortella Brazil $381 $6,883 $7,264 9 Nemi55514 Austria $3,027 $4,906 $7,933

The final nine players sat down, knowing they were only a handful of eliminations away from becoming a Bounty Builder Series champion. The dream of such a victory ended prematurely for Austria's "Nemi55514" after they crashed out in ninth, although the $7,933 they collected should go some way to easing the pain of defeat.

Four Brazilians were present at the final table, but they were cut down to three with the exit of "LaviniaPortella" who was joined on the rail by two British grinders: "elKKJitow" and "THE MOVER 92."

The pay jumps increased significantly, but so did the progressive bounty payments, leading to a tense finale to the Bounty Builder Series edition of the Sunday Million. Something finally gave, and it resulted in "Razvi_audi" falling by the wayside in fifth, good for $21,726.

Joao Valli had to make do with second place

Two Brazilians then faltered to leave only two players in the hunt for the title. First, "giorgiopf1" busted in fourth for $32,356, then "jagger97" was eliminated in third for $44,038.

Hulme was heads-up against the fourth and final Brazilian at the final table, Joao "Joao Valli" Valli. Both players locked in over $63,000 from the main prize pool, leaving a huge final bounty to play for. Hulme defeated Valli one-on-one, boosting his payout with a near $40,000 bounty, which took his total haul to $102,522. Valli's second-place finish earned him $76,946.

Remaining PokerStars Bounty Builder Series Schedule

The massive PokerStars Bounty Builder Series rattles on until the 150th and final numbered event concludes on October 30.

This coming Sunday is when two No-Limit Hold'em Main Event and one Pot-Limit Omaha Main Event shuffle up and deal. The PLO edition starts at 5:30 p.m. UK time, costs $215 to enter, and has $80,000 guaranteed.

The NLHE Main Events come with buy-ins of $109 and $1,050, with guaranteed prize pools set at $1 million and $1.25 million, respectively.

Find the perfect PokerStars tournament Head to the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

Satellites for the $109 edition start at only $5.50 and run around the clock. However, two mega satellites represent superb value. A $5.50 satellite kicks off at 2:00 p.m. UK time on October 29 and guarantees 100 seats to the $109 Main Event. Slightly later, at 3:15 p.m. UK, an $11 satellite will award no fewer than 200 seats!

It is a similar story regarding the $1,050 Main Event. A $55 satellite at 3:15 p.m. has a 50-seat guarantee, while a $109 buy-in version also has a prize pool of at least 50 seats at 4:30 p.m. UK time.

Date Time (UK) Event Buy-in Guarantee Wed 25 Oct 3:15 p.m. #96 Heads-Up Zoom Progressive Total KO $55 $35,000 4:30 p.m. #97 NLHE Midweek Freeze $11 $40,000 5:30 p.m. #98-H NLHE Bounty Builder High Roller $530 $75,000 5:30 p.m. #98-L NLHE Mini Bounty Builder High Roller $55 $135,000 6:05 p.m. #99 NLHE $5.50 $30,000 6:30 p.m. #100 NL 5-Card Draw $55 $5,000 7:15 p.m. #101 NLHE Single Re-Entry $109 $60,000 8:05 p.m. #102 NLHE Deep Stack $33 $80,000 9:05 p.m. #103 NLHE Fenomeno SE $109 $60,000 9:30 p.m. #104 NLHE Adrenaline: 40BB $22 $35,000 10:30 p.m. #105 NLHE Adrenaline: 25BB $55 $45,000 Thu 26 Oct 6:05 a.m. #106 NLHE Pacific Rim $162 $80,000 5:30 p.m. #107 NLHE Deep Stack $55 $85,000 4:30 p.m. #108 NLHE $11 $50,000 5:30 p.m. #109-L NLHE Mini Bounty Builder HR $55 $140,000 5:30 p.m. #109-H NLHE Bounty Builder HR $530 $115,000 6:30 p.m. PLO $11 $15,000 7:15 p.m. #111-L NLHE Thursday Thrill $215 $200,000 7:15 p.m. #111-H NLHE Thursday Thrill $1,050 $165,000 8:05 p.m. #112 NLHE Deep Stack $109 $130,000 9:30 p.m. #113 Heads-Up Zoom Progressive Total KO $11 $30,000 10:30 p.m. #114 NLHE Adrenaline: 25BB $55 $50,000 Fri 27 Oct 3:30 p.m. #115 NLHE $5.50 $25,000 4:30 p.m. #116 NLHE $11 $50,000 5:30 p.m. #117-L NLHE Mini Bounty Builder HR $55 $135,000 5:30 p.m. #117-H NLHE Bounty Builder HR $530 $60,000 6:05 p.m. #118 NLHE $109 $90,000 6:30 p.m. #119 PL Badugi $22 $5,000 7:15 p.m. #120 NLHE Freezeout $109 $60,000 8:00 p.m. #121 NLHE The Rounder $5.50 $30,000 9:05 p.m. #122 NLHE Fenomeno $109 $70,000 10:30 p.m. #123 NLHE Adrenaline: 25BB $22 $40,000 Sat 28 Oct 3:30 p.m. #124 NLHE $55 $75,000 4:30 p.m. #125 NLHE $11 $55,000 5:30 p.m. #126-L NLHE Mini Bounty Builder HR $55 $150,000 5:30 p.m. #126-H NLHE Bounty Builder HR $530 $100,000 6:30 p.m. #127 NLHE Big Knockouts $55 $80,000 6:30 p.m. #128 NL 6+ Hold'em $109 $10,000 7:15 p.m. #129 NLHE Freezeout $109 $75,000 8:05 p.m. #130 NLHE Deep Stack $215 $90,000 9:30p.m. #131 NLHE Adrenaline: 40BB $55 $45,000 10:30 p.m. #132 NLHE 4-Max Progressive Total KO $22 $40,000 Sun 29 Oct 1:30 p.m. #133 NLHE Warm-Up $55 $135,000 2:30 p.m. #134 NLHE Kick-Off $215 $175,000 3:30 p.m. #135 NLHE $11 $100,000 4:30 p.m. #136-L NLHE Mini Bounty Builder HR $55 $350,000 4:30 p.m. #136-H NLHE Bounty Builder HR $530 $275,000 5:05 p.m. #137-L NLHE Main Event $109 $1,000,000 5:05 p.m. #137-H NLHE Main Event $1,050 $1,250,000 5:30 p.m. #138 PLO Main Event $215 $80,000 6:05 p.m. #139 NLHE High Roller Freezeout $1,050 $150,000 6:15 p.m. #140 NLHE Titans Event $5,200 $400,000 7:05 p.m. #141 NLHE Semi-Turbo $215 $185,000 8:30 p.m. #142 NLHE Sunday Cooldown $109 $200,000 9:30 p.m. #143 NLHE Turbo $33 $115,000 10:30 p.m. #144 NLHE Last Player Standing $109 $65,000 Mon 30 Oct 3:30 p.m. #145 NLHE $11 $55,000 4:30 p.m. #146-L NLHE Mini Bounty Builder HR $55 $150,000 4:30 p.m. #146-H NLHE Bounty Builder HR $530 $100,000 5:05 p.m. #147 NLHE Series Saver $215 $175,000 5:30 p.m. #148 NLO8 $55 $18,000 6:15 p.m. #149 NLHE Turbo $22 $70,000 7:05 p.m. #150 NLHE Series Wrap-Up $109 $80,000
EPT Cyprus Hands of the Week: Late-Night Controversy Involving Julien Sitbon

October 24, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

The 2023 European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus recently wrapped up. The PokerNews Live Reporting Team was on hand all series long to capture all the action, and during that time they documented some big hands, be they bad beats, sick coolers, or just game-changing in nature. Heres a look at some of the biggest hands from the latter half of the EPT Cyprus festival.

Click here to see all the winners from the 2023 EPT Cyprus.

Estrada Catches a Miracle to Double, Take Out Smirnov

Soraya Estrada

On Day 1a of the $1,100 Eureka Main Event, it was Level 16 (2,000/5,000/5,000) when reporter David Salituro witnessed Anton Smirnov move all in for 45,000 from the hijack, Soraya Estrada got her last 96,000 in from the small blind, and big blind Nikita Voznesensky had them both covered and at risk.

Anton Smirnov: KK

Soraya Estrada: AQ

Nikita Voznesensky: AK

Estrada found herself trailing the kings of Smirnov and dominated by Voznesensky until the flop brought Q10Q, giving her trip queens.

The board ran out 6A and Smirnov was sent to the rail, while Estrada doubled up off Voznesensky.

"Well, you asked for them," a tablemate told a giddy Estrada after the hand.

Dusco Cracks Aces to Build Massive Lead

Alexandr Dusco

In the same level, Salituro caught another big hand just before the break. It happened when Stoyan Obreshkov bet 9,000 from the cutoff on a flop of K4J before Alexandr Dusco raised to 37,000 in the big blind.

Obreshkov called to the 3 turn, where Dusco moved all in. Obreshkov quickly called for his last 80,000 and turned over AA, but Dusco had K4 for two pair.

The K river improved Dusco to a full house and sent Obreshkov to the rail. "Sorry," Dusco told him on his way out.

"Don't worry. Good luck," Obreshkov replied.

Keating Shoves Into Aces

Alex Keating

On Day 1c of the $1,100 Eureka Main Event, it was Level 15 (2,000/4,000/4,000) when reporter David Salituro saw Andre Marques raise to 8,000 in middle position before Alex Keating three-bet to 23,500 in the hijack. Anthony Kennedy then made it 62,000 in the small blind and Marques tanked for a moment before folding.

Keating also tanked before gathering up his last 110,000 and sliding them into the middle. Kennedy snap-called.

Alex Keating: QQ

Anthony Kennedy: AA

"Why didn't you shove. I would've folded," Keating joked with Marques as the flop came A56, giving Kennedy top set. The board ran out KA and Kennedy finished with quads to send Keating to the rail.

Three-Way All-In Bursts the Bubble

Artur Martirosian

In Level 17 (15,000/30,000/30,000) of $25,000 NL Hold'em V, reporter Frank Visser was trying to capture the bubble hand. That is when it folded to Leon Sturm in the big blind, and he covered both Juan Pardo in the small blind and Artur Martirosian in the big blind. He then jammed all in and Pardo made the call for 215,000.

This sent Martirosian deep into the tank.

"I have thirteen timebanks!" he joked, but he only used a few before calling off his last 120,000 as well.

Leon Sturm: A5

Artur Martirosian: AJ

Juan Pardo: AJ

"Oh good, I min-cash," Pardo noticed.

It was as if he could predict the future because Sturm would win the hand when he made trips on the 9105Q2 runout, busting both players in the process. Pardo went to the cashier to pick up his cash, and Martrosian was the last to leave the tournament area without any money as the bubble boy.

Click here to see who won the $25,000 NL Hold'em V!

Late-Night Controversy Involving Julien Sitbon

Julien Sitbon

On Day 2 of the $5,300 EPT Main Event, it was Level 15 when reporter Frank Visser caught a controversial hand. It all started when Julien Sitbon and Simeon Spasov were heads up on a board of 5978. The pot amounted to 35,000 when Julien Sitbon checked from the big blind and Simeon Spasov checked back from middle position. The 6 then put a straight on the board and Sitbon made a bet of 37,000, leaving himself just 2,000 behind.

Spasov then audibly announced "all in," and Sitbon tabled his Q8, after which Spasov tabled his 1010 for the higher straight. However, Sitbon claimed he had not heard the all-in and merely flipped his cards up under the impression that he was just called.

The floor was called over and ruled that Sitbon would have to commit the rest of his chips as well, but Sitbon did not agree and another floorperson came along to aid in the discussion. After a few minutes of talking, it was officially ruled that Sitbon could keep the 2,000 chips he had behind.

The table still had three more hands to go at that point, while the rest of the tournament area cleared out having bagged and tagged. The next hand played in a now mostly empty tournament room, and Spasov opened from under the gun and the rest of the table folded while Sitbon was automatically all-in from the small blind.

Julien Sitbon: 33

Simeon Spasov: A5

Sitbon made a set on 4J8Q3 and increased his stack to 10,000 chips.

Simeon Spasov

The next hand was uneventful, but the final hand on the table saw Michel Molenaar raise to 8,000 from middle position and Sitbon went all in once more from the cutoff. Michele Guerrini was then on the button and rejammed for 113,000 and Molenaar snap called once the action folded back to him, covering both players.

Julien Sitbon: KQ

Michele Guerrini: QJ

Michel Molenaar: AQ

Molenaar had the best hand, but it would become the second best once Guerrini paired his jack on the J44 flop. The K on the turn demoted Molenaar even further, as he was then in dead last, while Sitbon was in prime position for another triple-up. The 3 river changed nothing and Sitbon ended the night with ten big blinds, while Guerrini basically doubled up and Molenaar was left shaking his head in disbelief.

In between all this, Sitbon was told he would have to adhere to a 5-second shot clock for the rest of his tournament as a consequence of the shenanigans in the first hand.

Click here to see who won the inaugural EPT Cyprus Main Event!

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Sharelines Check out some of the biggest and game-changing hands from the @PokerStars #EPTCyprus.
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Lubbock Texas passed a new law banning from people assisting anyone in or traveling through the county in getting an out-of-state abortion, effectively enshrining restrictions on the fundamental Constitutional right of freedom of movement.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the Lubbock County Commissioners Court passed an ordinance banning abortion, abortion-inducing drugs and travel for abortion in the unincorporated areas of Lubbock County, declaring Lubbock County a Sanctuary County for the Unborn, Lubbock Online reported Monday.

The passage of this law makes Lubbock County the largest jurisdiction so far adopt an abortion-related travel ban.

It was passed by three men: Commissioners Terence Kovar, Jason Corley and Jordan Rackler. Two others abstained; one because he felt it violated womens rights and the other because he questioned the legality, saying, (W)e shouldnt need a piece of paper that says you cant drive on our roads to be known as a pro-life county.

Texas: You cant drive on our roads.

The ordinance allows citizens to sue anyone who assists a woman in obtaining an abortion in Lubbock County or by traveling through Lubbock County. The ordinance clarifies its provisions do not apply to pregnant women seeking an abortion, but do apply to anyone assisting them.

Freedom of movement has been judicially recognized as a fundamental Constitutional right, however the protection of this right was given to the states instead of the federal government, which we can see from Texas was perhaps an error in judgement.

Access to a safe and legal abortion is a human right.

Texas talks a big game about being big on freedom, but that freedom has long only extended to the chosen few. It often does not apply to vulnerable people whose human rights are being threatened.

The protection of human rights is used to grade freedom for countries. In this sense, Texas fails fundamental freedom protections.
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House Republicans finally gave up and voted for a person that nobody knows, who has no enemies in the House, and who does not have any of the tools or skills needed to help Republicans win in 2024.

No Republicans voted against Rep. Mike Johnson.

Mike Johnson is an anti-freedom extremist who was a driving force behind the overturn of Roe by pushing Trump to put Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court. Rep. Johnson is all in on the Trump-rigged election conspiracies, and he refuses to say if he will support aid to Ukraine, which is money that the US uses to replenish its stockpile and create jobs in 38 states.

House Republicans elected a guy who they claim doesnt like the politics side of things but is more interested in policy.

Johnson hasnt done national media. He is not a face of the House kind of person who will carry the Republican argument to the American people. Johnson also isnt a great fundraiser, so unlike a McCarthy or a Jordan, he is not going to be able to fill the coffers of endangered House Republican incumbents. This point is critical and often overlooked because Donald Trump is going to suck up every Republican donor dollar available, so dont be surprised if, by the fall of 2024, there are stories about House Republican incumbents who dont have the money to compete with Democratic challengers.

Mike Johnson Is A Warm Body In The Chair That Can Get The House Open

House Republicans needed somebody with a pulse that everyone else didnt hate who could get the House open again. Mike Johnson is the definition of a placeholder.

Rep. Johnson isnt qualified to be Speaker.

The bigger picture is that Republicans have gone from being a red state dependent party to with Johnson having to depend on Steve Scalise also from Louisiana, they are a one state leadership party in the House. The GOP has somehow found a way to make its party even smaller.

By electing Johnson instead of attempting to find someone who can lead them and govern, House Republicans are surrendering. They are waving the white flag, admitting that they cant govern, and paving the way for Democrats to take back the House so that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will be the next Speaker.
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Trump violated the gag order imposed on him by the court for a second time in Manhattan, so Judge Engoron called the former president to the witness stand, questioned him, and then fined Trump $10,000.

The AP reported:

Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about a person whos very partisan sitting alongside the judge.

Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at you and Cohen.

But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. I think shes very biased against us, I think weve made that clear, Trump said.

After losing a motion to dismiss, a red-faced Trump stormed out of the courtroom and claimed that a witness admitted that he won the trail, and claimed that the judge should dismiss immediately:

After angrily storming out of the courtroom after the judge denied a motion to dismiss, Trump walks out because he cant get his way. pic.twitter.com/OkCIyYjzEB  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 25, 2023

It was well known that Michael Cohens testimony was going to trigger Trump.

Sane people would not violate a gag order once, much less twice in less than two weeks. Donald Trump needs to go home and wait for his criminal trials to start. He is completely out of control, and going to end up behind bars if he continues with his current behavior.

Trump is demonstrating that he is unfit in every way and cant be allowed back into the Oval Office.
Area near Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant comes under fire at night  Ministry of Energy

On Wednesday night, Russian troops shelled the area near the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP), the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine has reported.

As a result of an explosion, windows in the administrative and amenity and laboratory buildings have been damaged. Due to damage to power lines, 1,860 consumers were left without power in the cities of Slavuta and Netishyn, Khmelnytsky region. Restoration work will begin as soon as power engineers are allowed to the damage site.

The ministry also reported that two thermal generation units were taken out of repair a day later. On Tuesday, three more units of thermal power plants were also put out for emergency repairs, but by the end of the day they were again connected to the power grid.

"The electricity produced by Ukrainian power plants is quite sufficient to meet the needs of consumers," the press service said.

In turn, NPC Ukrenergo reported that due to hostilities and other reasons, 411 populated areas remain without electricity. In particular, rain and wind cut off power to 79 populated areas.

In addition, on Tuesday there was a shutdown of a 750 kV power transmission line in Vinnytsia region due to damage to its pillar by agricultural machinery. There were no consumer outages; emergency restoration work continues.

Earlier, First Deputy Head of the Khmelnytsky State Military Administration Serhiy Tiurin said that on Wednesday night the Russian invaders attacked Khmelnytsky region with attack drones, and as a result of breaking down the enemy air targets, they fell on the territory of a critical infrastructure facility.
My usual mantra these days seems to be that the whole world has gone completely and utterly mad as evidenced by current conditions in the Ukraine and the Middle East and that all civility has gone completely out of the window, as evidenced by many local drivers. Read moreLetter: Aiken restores faith in humanity
Aiken Standard reporter

Taylor Beltz is a general assignments reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers a variety of topics from business to sports.

Beltz is a University of South Carolina graduate. Follow her on Twitter @TaylorKaye09.

To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers 
The location of the Blessing is the East Branch of the Cooper River, in the Huger area of St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish of Berkeley County. Todays location is off South Carolina Highway 41 on Cainhoy Road. We are told in A Day on Cooper River that Dr. Irving didnt know how the name Bl Read moreA history of the Blessing Plantation
Boeing Co. is starting to build five 787s per month at its North Charleston plant as "customers can't get enough" of the wide-body commercial jets, CEO Dave Calhoun said Oct. 25.

The Arlington, Va.-based planemaker has notched several big Dreamliner orders in the past year to support an ongoing production ramp-up, which has gone from one or two a month at the start of 2023 to four at mid-year.

Boeing has said it plans to roll out 10 new 787s per month by 2025 or 2026.

Calhoun, during a third-quarter earnings call with analysts, also reaffirmed plans to deliver between 70 and 80 Dreamliners by year's end. Boeing moved closer to that goal by turning 10 787s over to customers in September  the first month for double-digit deliveries in 2023  bringing the year-to-date total to 50.

The company this year made room for a second production line at its North Charleston campus by relocating repair work that had been taking place at the site on dozens of 787s that were found to have paper-thin gaps in their fuselage sections.

The fixes, which are now being handled at a Boeing factory near Seattle, had slowed the production of new aircraft from South Carolina.

Brian West, Boeing's chief financial officer, said there are about 75 Dreamliners still in need of repair, and he expects the "shadow factory" on the West Coast will complete the work next year. The Puget Sound site will then shut down, providing more cash for Boeing's bottom line and additional staff to work on other commercial airplane programs.

"Rework is progressing nicely," West said, adding "we still expect most of these deliveries by the end of 2024."

The company has received several big 787 orders in recent months, and the program, which has a backlog of more than 600 planes, is sold out through 2026. United Airlines, for example, recently cashed in an option to buy an additional 50 787-9s, increasing its number of firm orders to 150 Dreamliners under a plan to replenish its global fleet. A pair of Saudi Arabian carriers also combined for 78 Dreamliners with options for 43 more this past summer.
LEXINGTON  Colorful but noisy night skies are now limited to a couple of days per year in Lexington County.

Under an ordinance passed by Lexington County Council on Oct. 24, fireworks are banned in unincorporated areas of Lexington from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. every day except for the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve.

The firework restrictions come as Lexington County's suburban areas are sprawling into farmland. As subdivisions pop up and the county population climbs, the need to limit fireworks has become more pressing, council members said during discussions of the ban.

The approved restrictions are more relaxed than the initial ban proposed to council.

Introduced in June, the council hoped a firework ban would ease stress on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and pets sensitive to loud noises. The council drafted an ordinance which would have outlawed pyrotechnics completely except for a handful of holidays.

In an August public hearing, some showed support for the strict ban, but others tore into the council's proposal, saying that it would hurt local businesses that sell fireworks and that it was exclusionary against non-American and non-Christian holidays.

"The public hearing was really eye-opening," said Council Member Todd Cullum in a meeting following the August hearing.

Council reversed course, making fireworks legal every day of the year, but only until 9 p.m., allowing people at events like gender reveals, weddings and birthdays to celebrate with pyrotechnics earlier in the night. On July 4, fireworks may continue until 11 p.m., while on Jan. 1 they may continue until 12:30 a.m.

Additionally, the restrictions were included in existing noise ordinances, eliminating the need to draft a new one.

Violators of the firework restrictions face a $150 fine.

The proposal follows a fireworks ban with more severe punishments in neighboring Richland County, which voted several months ago to outlaw fireworks between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The only exceptions are the Fourth of July and New Years Eve. Firework ban violators in Richland could be fined between $500 and $1,000.
On an early Sunday morning in 2018, Axel Hodges greeted parishioners as they left church. Tail wagging by his owner's side, he humbly requested treats and pets with pleading, big eyes.

"I finally have a politician in the family," Jim Hodges, Axel's owner and former Governor of South Carolina, joked to his wife, Rachel, when he returned home that morning.

Axel, the 9-year-old Bernese Mountain dog who successfully campaigned as the "mayor" of the Shandon neighborhood in Columbia, died in his sleep Oct. 13, the Hodges confirmed.

During his time as mayor, Axel spent time with constituents of the neighborhood, encouraged people to get out and vote through a billboard campaign and rode in this year's St. Pat's in Five Points parade. He was a dedicated public servant who Jim Hodges described as "aggressively friendly."

"He treated everybody the same. I mean if there were five people standing there, he'd go up to each one of them and they'd feel special," Jim Hodges said.

Axel, who was born to a local breeder in Chester on Christmas Eve, came to live with the Hodges in Columbia in early 2014. Rachel Hodges said veterinary staff nicknamed Axel "Goofball" as a puppy because of his massive paws and clumsiness.

But the clumsiness didn't stop him from a successful write-in campaign in 2018. His owners put out signs with his name on them, and his mayoral bid became a running joke in the neighborhood. Even the South Carolina Election Commission took notice.

"They thought we deserved acknowledgement, and in fact, they started the letter with 'We'd like to congratulate Axel on a PAWsitive campaign," Rachel Hodges said with a laugh.

Axel's 2018 campaign was run during an actual gubernatorial race and at a time when political tensions were rising in the state and across the country. The Hodges wanted to find a way to encourage people to vote in a way that was more fun and lighthearted.

"It was one of those years where campaigns were particularly contentious, and we thought everybody just needs to settle down and lower the temperature a little bit, so we thought a joke was in order," Rachel Hodges explained.
GREENVILLE  In response to backlash around Pride Month decorations at its libraries, the Greenville County Library System has banned virtually all themed material displays at its 12 branches.

While the new policy is a blanket prohibition of all themed displays, with a few exceptions, members of the GCLS Board of Trustees made clear at the Oct. 24 meeting where the policy change was approved that it was a direct response to the LGBTQ materials in the library.

"The purpose of this is so that we, and the library we're tasked with managing, does not appear to be promoting one thing or another, in this case the LGBTQ agenda," Allan Hill, the board's chairman, said.

The policy, which the board approved in an 6-4 vote, will still allow displays themed after paid GCLS employee holidays, such as Christmas. Any other subjects are prohibited under the new library rules.

Board member Joe Poore, who was among those to vote against the policy change, expressed concerns that it was overly broad and motivated by politics rather than what was best for the library and its patrons. He recommended its language and intent be reconsidered, but the majority of counsel overruled his request.

The board vote marks a continuation of ongoing tensions around censorship, book bans and parent rights within the library system. The local political saga parallels a contentious national discourse in which conservative groups are calling for books bans, particularly for titles that discuss LGBTQ issues and racism.

In Greenville County, the debate spilled into public view in June 2022 when the GCLS administration removed, then quickly reinstalled, Pride Month displays.
GREENVILLE  U.S. Sen. Tim Scott upped his critique of pro-Palestine student groups at colleges across the country while speaking with reporters after a brief event with veterans in Greenville.

Scott said his recent bill, which proposes pulling federal Pell grants from college campuses who host antisemitic student groups, is important to stand "firm and clear" against antisemitism.

"When you see them encouraging terrorism, and when you see them advocating for murder, I think that college campuses and universities should hold those kids accountable and get them off their campus for that language," Scott said to reporters Oct. 25 as he continued to campaign in South Carolina for the Republican presidential nomination.

"Because you have your first amendment rights," he said, "but you do not have the right to advocate for the murder of an entire race."

The day before Scott filed his bill Oct. 18, four student groups at the University of South Carolina held a protest in support of Palestine outside the South Carolina Statehouse, the university's student newspaper reported.

Scott's bill also comes as Republican primary rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed two public Florida universities to disband pro-Palestine student groups Oct. 24, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Following a tour of the Ruper Huse Veteran Center, Scott also spoke about the recent election of U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the speaker of the House of Representatives, saying that the "good friend" of his will bring order back into the house.
The number of health care workers suffering burnout has reached "crisis levels" as harassment more than doubled last year, leaving nearly half looking for a new job or quitting the field altogether, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a survey published Oct. 24, health care workers had higher levels of poor mental health days in the previous month in 2022 compared to other essential workers, which increased 36 percent from 3.3 in 2018 to 4.5 in 2022.

Those that experience harassment, either abuse from patients or family members or coworkers and management, more than doubled from 6.4 percent to 13.4 percent.

Nearly half, 45.6 percent, reported feeling burnout often or very often last year.

"Burnout among these workers has reached crisis levels," said Dr. Debra Houry, chief medical officer for the CDC.

While there was a "mental health crisis" among health care workers prior to the pandemic, it is clear the strain COVID-19 put on the system added to it, said Dr. Casey Chosewood, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at CDC, who was senior author on the report.

The "crucial and concerning information" from the latest survey show how bad it has gotten, he said.

"To label our current and longstanding challenge a 'crisis' is an understatement," Chosewood said. "Many of our nation's health care systems are at their breaking point."

Both officials called on hospitals and health systems to take the findings seriously and act.

"We have to do something about this," Houry said. "We can't wait any longer."

Nearly half, 44.2 percent, said they were likely to being looking for a new job, but that could also include those who are looking to leave the field altogether, Chosewood said.
Kamyshin: next year we will receive first products manufactured by foreign defense companies in Ukraine

Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin predicts that in 2024 the first products will be produced from Western defense companies that open their offices in Ukraine.

"I am confident that by the end of the year we will have more companies opening offices in Ukraine. And next year will be the year when we receive the first products from them," he said at a briefing at the NATO-Industry Forum, which is taking place in Stockholm on Wednesday.

The minister said that many Western defense companies have already opened offices in Ukraine, both independently and as part of a joint venture with Ukrainian companies.

"The main thing for us is that enterprises come and start local activities in Ukraine," Kamyshin said.
Thomas & Hutton hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Wednesday, Oct. 4, to celebrate its new Summerville-Dorchester location at 9705 US 78, Suite 103 in Ladson. The public was invited to tour the new office space, meet the staff and enjoy light refreshments. With offices in Su Read moreThomas & Hutton opens another Summerville location
Protesters from Defense of Democracy lined the easement along Dorchester Road in front of St. Theresa the Little Flower Catholic Church in Summerville on Saturday, Oct. 21, to protest a conference at the church hosted by Concerned Citizens for Education.
Ashley Ridge came closer than it ever has to playing for a state volleyball championship, but its season ended in the Lower State finals. Read moreSwamp Foxes fall in Lower State finals
There are two kinds of community news editors in the world: those who do about 90 percent of their work within the four walls of an office and those who pound the pavement. Read moreWhy most of us are epic fails at public speaking
The mayors of Charleston County's three largest municipalities pleaded with the county's embattled school board to put politics aside and prioritize students' education, saying they were prepared to ask state lawmakers to de-consolidate the school district if push came to shove.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie and North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey made their appeal at an Oct. 24 news conference inside North Charleston City Hall. State Rep. Joe Bustos, chairman of the local legislative delegation, also voiced his support for the mayors' plea.

Summey acknowledged the meeting was unusual  mayors have no control over the Charleston County School District or its nine-person governing board. But the three leaders have grown increasingly concerned by the board's actions this year.

"Recently, it seems that the issue at the Charleston County School District board is not as much about education," Summey said. "It is about personalities and clashes that are occurring."

The board's dysfunction is harming the roughly 49,000 students who attend the district's nearly 90 schools and programs, the mayors agreed. And it's giving the region's hard-won, positive economic reputation a black eye, Haynie said.

Summey has four young grandchildren. The mayor said he's extremely concerned about the quality of education they can get in Charleston County given the current environment. Business leaders might be dissuaded from moving their companies to the area, worried future employees won't be adequately prepared for the workforce, he added.

Tecklenburg, who is up for reelection in November, listed several controversies facing the board: its suspension of Superintendent Eric Gallien; its refusal to permanently hire the interim chief academic officer; and its abrupt dismissal of six members of the district's Health Advisory Committee, which is charged with reviewing health and sexual education curriculum.
SUMMERVILLE  Schools from Dorchester District Two have received more than $100,000 in state arts grants.

The South Carolina Department of Education awarded the Arts Curricular Innovation Grants to DD2 through the Distinguished Arts Program. The program provides funds for one-year projects, and part of the criteria includes having a strategic plan to incorporate art forms that include dance, music, theater and visual arts.

The $108,000 the district received will be split equally among six schools: Alston Middle School, Ashley Ridge High School, Fort Dorchester High School, Joseph R. Pye Elementary School, Knightsville Elementary School and Spann Elementary School. Each will get approximately $18,000 to spend.

Kevin Morrissey, an art teacher at Fort Dorchester High School, said part of the money will pay for visiting artists and artists-in-residence to work with the students, as well as special teacher projects.

April Cross, an art teacher at Knightsville Elementary, said her school will use the funds for some of the same purposes, such as having visiting artists and illustrators. Last year, Knightsville hosted some indigo artists who taught students about working with dye and then gave students the opportunity to try it themselves.

We can only do this with funding from the grant, Cross said.

Both Morrissey and Cross said their schools are now four-time recipients of the grant. Another DD2 school surpasses that, according to Jason Walsh, director of fine and performing arts. Alston Middle School has been a recipient of the grant for at least nine years.

Adam Weiner, an art teacher at Alston Middle School, said the grant funds the spring musical. He added that they strive to spend the money in ways that benefit multiple programs, such as procuring new equipment for stage lighting and sound.

Walsh said DD2 is a leader in the arts, adding that the district has been voted one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants three years in a row.
ST. GEORGE  A judge has denied bond to a 21-year-old accused of committing murder while awaiting trial for charges stemming from a mass shooting in downtown Charleston over last year's Labor Day weekend that injured six people.

Circuit Court Judge Heath Taylor said from the bench Oct. 24 that no conditions could ensure Savion Avante Scott would not pose a danger to the community if he were released again. The judge's ruling followed a presentation from the 1st Circuit Solicitor's Office on other charges the defendant has accrued while out on bond since 2021: attempted murder, six counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, driving under the influence, assaulting a police officer and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Scott maintains his innocence on all charges.

Assistant Solicitor David Osborne argued that the North Charleston man's violence had escalated after he repeatedly defied the court and breeched conditions of his bond with impunity. Scott's run ins with the justice system fit what lawmakers billed a "revolving door" when they passed legislation in Columbia earlier this year designed to make it harder for defendants charged with repeat violent crimes to post bond and be released from jail.

Most recently, Scott was charged with murder in the June 16 slaying of Thomas Anthony Carter, 21, who was found shot dead outside a residence on Dorchester Manor Boulevard.
It was a day Frank Larkin will never forget. In April 2017, his son Ryan F. Larkin, a Navy SEAL who was struggling following his return to civilian life, committed suicide in the basement of the familys home. Read moreCommentary: Let's take care of those who served and protected us
The most important thing South Carolinas prosecutors did on Monday wasnt to single out House Democratic Leader Todd Rutherford for the disturbing results he has managed to procure for his criminal clients while serving as one of six lawyer-legislators with the power to end the careers of judges and would-be judges.

Although a letter from nine of the states 16 solicitors did elicit the most outrageous responses weve heard to date from Mr. Rutherford and his allies, it didnt tell us anything new.

We already knew he had convinced solicitors and judges to act in secret to let at least three of his clients out of prison early. We already knew he had convinced a judge to let a client who had pleaded guilty stay on the streets for three years  three years  after a judge ordered an unusual pre-sentencing report.

Instead, the most important thing the solicitors said in their letter urging House Speaker Murrell Smith and Senate Judiciary Chairman Luke Rankin to remove Mr. Rutherford and the other lawyer-legislators from the state's Judicial Merit Selection Commission was that they were ready to share information about other lawyer-legislators who have profited in court from their positions.

Trust us when we say that Rep. Rutherfords tactics are not unique, they wrote. Lawyer-legislators have undue influence over our judiciary. We can provide countless other instances under oath.

This offer is extraordinary because other lawyers so rarely talk about the way some lawyer-legislators have used their positions to gain an unfair advantage in the courtroom. It was only two years ago that they first revealed the obscene perk the Supreme Court has granted lawyer-legislators to delay their cases pretty much indefinitely.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue to hold positions in Kupyansk and Avdiyivka directions despite heavy fighting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following a conference call.

Daily selector. I have received reports on the arrival of equipment, ammunition, new contracts and new geography of supplies, heard information on the front. In Kupyansk and Avdiyivka, there are heavy, sticky battles, but our soldiers are holding their positions, the President said.

He noted that the enemy is trying to indiscriminately destroy everything he can get his hands on. Beryslav, Borova. We are eliminating the consequences of shelling, helping people, Zelenskyy said.

The head of state also said that Ukraine is preparing for attacks by Russian terrorists on the energy infrastructure.

This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond. The enemy knows this well. First, they removed the fleet from Crimea, and now they are moving their aviation further from our borders, the President said.
Genesis 12:2 and 7: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy seed will I give this land: and there built he an altar unto the Lord. Read moreRest assured, Israel will win
All six Republicans in South Carolina's congressional delegation rallied behind U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson for speaker, bringing a unified end to the paralyzing stalemate that left the House leaderless amid three weeks of GOP infighting.

The 220-209 vote cleared an undisputed path for the Louisiana Republican and fellow Southerner to seize the the top leadership job in the House and allows the chamber to get back to work.

In a statement after the vote, South Carolina U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace admitted that electing a new speaker had not been easy even as she defended her decision to remove U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker earlier this month.

Her vote played a contributing role in the three-week scramble to find a new leader.

"Eight of us had the audacity to listen to the American people and vote to vacate the former speaker," she said. "We told the American people they deserved someone who would be honest and represent their interests, not Washingtons.

She continued, "There is no denying this was a difficult process, but one that was well worth it" while predicting she does not expect to always see eye-to-eye with Johnson moving forward.

"Today the American people can finally be proud of their Speaker," she concluded.

The Oct. 25 vote saw every Republican present voting for Johnson and every Democrat, including South Carolina's Jim Clyburn, voting for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Johnson had forecast his hopes for a unified vote in an Oct. 24 press conference where he was cheered onward by congressional Republicans, including South Carolina Reps. Joe Wilson, R-Springdale, and Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach, was the first South Carolina Republican to announce his support for Johnson.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre opened yesterdays briefing with a statement that might be mysterious to those unfamiliar with her comments at the briefing the day before. I quoted those comments in What manner of moron is this? Jean-Pierre followed up with this prepared statement yesterday (White House transcript here):

All right, I want to make something clear at the top, because I understand how important moral clarity is, especially at this time.

So, when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and that is unacceptable. There is no place for antisemitism. Full stop. Period.

This is important to the President. Its important to me personally and to everyone in the administration.

Following the Hamas terror attacks in Israel, which were the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust, the President has been consistent and clear: We must all do our part and forcefully  forcefully speak out against antisemitism, and we must ensure there is no place for hate in America  not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against Arab Americans, not against Palestinian Americans, not against anyone.

So, I wanted to start there today.
IDF Lt. Colonel (reserve) Jonathan Conricus has not posted a briefing in the past few days. He nevertheless continues to post his media appearances on X/Twitter. If you have missed his updates, you may want to take in the interview with Vivian Bercovici that he posted last night (recorded at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday). Bercovici is herself the former Canadian ambassador to Israel and a dual citizen of Canada and Israel. She is the founder of State of Tel Aviv on Substack.

Early in the interview Conricus explains to Bercovici: I am doing the night shifts of this battle of the narrative information[ war] that we find ourself in. They discuss Hamass release of the two elderly female Israeli hostages: Everything is staged.The overall strategic aim is of course to delay maneuver.Theyre stalling for time. If so, they have a friend in Joe Biden. They also discuss the hostages who remain behind.

We've just gotten a first dose of Hamas hostage vitriol and cheap manipulations. They abducted our children, elders, women, babies and men specifically for this purpose. Listen to an interesting conversation with @VivianBercovici

for context. https://t.co/k0p92fmmKk  Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) October 24, 2023

This intensely interesting interview provides context for our understanding (precisely as he observes above). Here is the State of Tel Aviv podcast of the interview.

Im sorry to have to add this for additional context. It belies the tenor of the resolve expressed by Conricus.

Massive reversal in Jerusalem from the foreign ministers comments at the UN yesterday suggesting major pressure from Washington in the last few hours to fall in line and embrace Hamas sponsorship by Qatar. Netanyahu now undercutting his own stated objective to destroy Hamas. https://t.co/WTWvqKJs02  Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) October 25, 2023

Goldberg followed up with this.

And there it is. Netanyahu has fully embraced the US-Qatar enablement of Hamas. Major development. Hamas and Qatar have successfully leveraged the hostages to leverage Washington to leverage Israel. Qatar statement follows Hanegbi embracing Doha, reversing Cohens UN comments. https://t.co/NPKtnmdvfR  Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) October 25, 2023

Goldberg subsequently highlighted this comment by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett excoriates Netanyahu national security advisors statement on Qatar. Wow. https://t.co/jW23TEPlpZ  Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) October 25, 2023

Bennetts comment in English:

The Israeli government is making a serious moral and practical error. Qatar is not an essential partner for humanitarian operations and diplomatic operations. Qatar is the enemy itself.

Qatar finances, assists and strengthens the terrorist organization Hamas-Daesh. Israels stated goal is the destruction of Hamas.

Qatars goal is exactly the opposite: saving Hamas. How can we destroy the enemy if we give compliments to its chief sponsor, for Gods sake? What do we have to complain about Erdogan if we compliment a country that sponsors and supports Hamas? Qatar operates as if humanitarian manipulations (Qatar pressures Hamas to release hostages) and will wave in front of us limited deals of prisoners every few days in order to confuse Israel and stop its action to destroy Hamas. The Prime Minister of Israel stated that our goal is to destroy Hamas completely. He who does not distinguish between an enemy and a lover will not be able to destroy the enemy. Confusion does not lead to victory.

Translated from Hebrew by Google.
Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say, the New York Times headlined its October 17 front-page story, accompanied by a photo of a bombed-out building. As it turned out, the building wasnt the hospital and it wasnt an Israeli strike. As a replication of Hamas propaganda that was hard to top, but the Washington Post gave it a shot.

On October 19, the Post ran a story about families of hostages, and a caption on the photo of a mother read, two of her children have been detained by Hamas. This was quickly spotted and called out, and the Post changed the caption to taken hostage. This episode invites a look back to 1979, when the Iranian regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini invaded the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

In the spirit of John Lennon, imagine American headlines proclaiming Iranian Regime Detains 52 Americans and Khomeini Regime Detains Americans for 444 Days. At the time, even for the NYT and WAPO, it was all about the American hostages. In 2023, imagine a NYT headline reading, No Attack on Israel, Palestinians Say, and you would not be far off the mark.

Back in the 1930s, when Stalins was starving millions of Ukrainians to death in a planned famine, the Times Walter Duranty wrote that there was no famine in Ukraine. According to Duranty, the Ukrainians were content under Comrade Stalins collectivization campaign and Five Year Plan. For details, see Stalins Apologist: Walter Duranty: The New York Timess Man in Moscow.

Hamas now boasts its very own publication in New York City. Call it the Daily Duranty, and in the words of the great Malcolm Muggeridge, who broke the story of the Ukraine famine, everything in the New York Times is true but the facts. Meanwhile, imagine the detained dodge in history and literature.

Bruno Hauptmann Detains Lindbergh Baby, would make a banner headline. Instead of Kidnapped, we would have Detained, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The same obfuscation could produce Strong Disagreement on the Bounty or The Caine Argument, and maybe The Rise and Fall of the Hitler Administration by William Shirer.
The result of the intensified military operations in the lower reaches of the Dnipro River will largely depend on the accuracy and intensity of artillery fire, British intelligence believes, stating that the Russians retain significant artillery potential in this sector of the front.

"Over the past week, fighting has intensified on the banks of the lower Dnieper River. Ukraine is paying increased attention to operations in this sector, building up small bridgeheads on the eastern bank, which it has controlled since the summer," the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said on the X social network on Wednesday.

As British intelligence experts note, Russia has likely been alert to the possibly of attacks across the river "since it withdrew its forces from the western bank 12 months ago. The area is under the control of the newly established 18th Combined Arms Army, after some of the units previously in the area were diverted to the Orikhiv axis to the east."

"As in most sectors, a decisive factor is almost certainly the combatants ability to bring accurate, intense artillery fire to bear. Initial indication suggests that Russia has maintained a significant artillery capability within range of the river," the intelligence said.
This is a mostly personal note about Minnesota Third District Rep. Dean Phillips. Dean is my cousin. I anticipate that he will announce his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in New Hampshire no later than the filing deadline this Friday. His presidential campaign bus was spotted running down the road yesterday in Ohio.

Ive admired a few presidential candidates over the years. Dean is the first Ive ever loved. While our political views are not in alignment, I both love and admire him.

When Dean throws his hat in the ring, it wont be because he thinks it will advance his career. It wont. This past summer he called for some prominent Democrat to challenge Biden because he thinks challenging Biden is the right thing to do  the right thing for the United States. Democrats have been stabbing him in the back (and the front) since then.

As I say, Dean hoped that some prominent mainstream Democrat would step forward to challenge Biden. None having stepped forth, Dean will. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doesnt quite count and he has since moved on in any event.

Dean hasnt told me and I havent asked, but I believe the reason Dean called for a Democratic challenger to Biden is obvious. Dean diplomatically frames it in terms of the need for generational change. Like the little boy in the tale of the emperors new clothes, he must see what his Democratic colleagues are otherwise afraid to say. As he mounts a challenge to Biden from inside the party, his conscience will be clear. Im not so sure about that of his Democratic colleagues.

Ive known Dean since he was a baby. His mom is my cousin DeeDee. I was working in the office of then Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale in July 1969 when I got a call from Deans great uncle Lynn Johnson saying a Major Laughinhouse (i.e., Kurt Laughinhouse, future mayor of Bloomington, Minnesota) had called on DeeDee to tell her that her husband, Captain Arthur Pfefer, had been killed in Vietnam.

We hoped against hope that it might be a sick practical joke. Lynn asked me to have someone in Mondales office check with the Pentagon. Mondale had an experienced staffer who was in fact his liaison with the Pentagon and she confirmed that Artie had been killed in Pleiku on July 25. Dean was six months old.

DeeDee remarried after Arties death. She married Ed Phillips, who adopted Dean. I remember when Eddie was dating DeeDee. We were ecstatic for her and for Dean.

By the way, Dean is the spitting image of Artie. The resemblance is uncanny. Although he never had the chance to realize his potential, Artie was a special guy too. Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota Law School, he fulfilled his military commitment serving in the Armys Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Engineer Command. With impetus provided by Minneapolis attorney Ron Zamanksy, the Twin Cities Cardozo Society has established the Arthur T. Pfefer Memorial Award to honor Artie.

As he tests the waters in New Hampshire, I hope Dean can do for Biden what then Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy did for LBJ in the 1968 New Hampshire primary. As a partisan Republican, let me put it this way. This is one campaign in which I support Dean without any mental reservation.
Ben Shapiros addresses three comforting lies provided in significant supply by the hard Left and its allies in the legacy media regarding the Hamas-Israel war. The first is one promoted by Presidents Biden and Obama that I have noted a few times:

The first lie is that Israel must be warned not to engage in human rights violations.

We hear this nostrum all the time: from the president of the United States, from the United Nations, from the media. The idea is that if Israels leadership isnt reminded in the wake of the worst pogrom since the Holocaust, those rude Jews might carpet-bomb Gaza. The purpose of the lie is simple: to get Israel to stop defending itself at the first available opportunity. If you warn the world that Israel is likely to pursue atrocities, and then  as inevitably happens in war  something terrible happens, Israel can quickly be shoved back into the box of moral equivalence.

Voila! Status quo ante restored.

Of course, this lie is a lie. And it is a stupidly offensive lie, in the same way that it is a lie when the United Nations warns the United States about human rights violations. [The IDF] is a professional military that abides by the rules of war. [Israels] enemies openly cheer the death of civilians, both Israels and their own. By all rights, the entire political and media infrastructure ought to be using their supposed moral suasion on human rights to convince Hamas to release hostages and protect their own citizens. But, of course, theres no real interest in that. The lie must be maintained. Israel has to be warned about human rights, because secretly, the Jews are just like Hamas.
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RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES POTENTIAL OF THE PARSORTIX SYSTEM TO SUPPORT POWERFUL CHARACTERISATION OF CTCS IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER41 key biomarkers including the immune checkpoint proteins PD-L1, CTLA4 and CD39 successfully evaluatedProviding key information which could support the development of personalised treatment strategies in HNSCCGUILDFORD, SURREY / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / ANGLE plc (AIM:AGL)(OTCQX:ANPCY), a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) diagnostic solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology, is pleased to announce the publication of a study using the Parsortix system that sheds new light on the phenotypic characteristics of CTCs in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, demonstrates the feasibility of using mass cytometry, a powerful technique widely used for single cell analysis, for the comprehensive characterisation of CTCs captured by the Parsortix system in HNSCC patients. This advanced technology enables simultaneous analysis of multiple proteins on and within individual CTCs, providing a deep understanding of their phenotypic status and diversity. As a marker-independent method for CTC harvesting, the Parsortix system was able to isolate a diversity of CTCs revealing a correlation between epithelial to mesenchymal transition and immune checkpoint protein expression.HNSCC is an aggressive, genetically complex, and difficult to treat group of cancers with limited options for early detection and monitoring. Head and Neck cancers are a significant global health concern with ~900,000 new cases each year at an estimated cost to the global economy of more than US$40 billion per annum. The findings of this study provide new insight into the molecular heterogeneity of HNSCC and offers the potential to enable development of more precise and personalised treatment strategies for patients and real-time monitoring of treatment response. Furthermore, the protocol established in this publication holds promise as a tool for the use of proteomic data, obtained from Parsortix harvested CTCs, to be used for novel biomarker development and the potential for identification of patients who may be eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.The study is published as a peer-reviewed journal article in the British Journal of Cancer and is available online at https://angleplc.com/publications/ Principal Investigator, Dr Karl Payne, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery from the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK, commented:"To our knowledge, our work represents the first use of cell suspension mass cytometry to characterise CTCs. With this protocol, phenotype and activation status of critical intracellular cell signalling proteins can be measured in CTCs and peripheral blood immune cells. By allowing high-dimensional single-cell CTC data to be obtained from patients recruited across multiple research sites, we believe our method will accelerate clinical study recruitment and enable robust analysis of CTCs in rare cancers." ANGLE Chief Scientific Officer, Karen Miller, commented:"We are pleased to share this peer-reviewed publication by the University of Birmingham demonstrating the high-throughput and high sensitivity of mass cytometry for downstream multiplexed analysis of both surface and intracellular proteins on and in CTCs. In this study, the heterogeneity of CTC sub-groups and their relationship to targetable markers, in particular the druggable immune checkpoints, is notable. The Parsortix system allows for the unbiased isolation and harvest of CTCs and as such, can enable the evaluation of phenotypically diverse CTCs in a patient's blood. This could lead to future improvements in clinical decision making." For further information:ANGLE plcAndrew Newland, Chief ExecutiveIan Griffiths, Finance Director+44 (0) 1483 343434Berenberg (NOMAD and Joint Broker)Toby Flaux, Ciaran Walsh, Milo Bonser+44 (0) 20 3207 7800Jefferies (Joint Broker)Thomas Bective, Shaam Vora+44 (0) 20 7029 8000FTI ConsultingSimon Conway, Ciara MartinMatthew Ventimiglia (US)+44 (0) 203 727 1000+1 (212) 850 5624For Frequently Used Terms, please see the Company's website on https://angleplc.com/investor-relations/glossary/ For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.Notes for editorsAbout ANGLE plcANGLE is a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) diagnostic solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology using a simple blood sample. ANGLE's FDA cleared and patent protected circulating tumour cell (CTC) harvesting technology known as the Parsortix PC1 System enables complete downstream analysis of the sample including whole cell imaging and proteomic analysis and full genomic and transcriptomic molecular analysis.ANGLE's commercial businesses are focusing on diagnostic products and clinical services. Diagnostic products include the Parsortix system and associated consumables. The clinical services business is offered through ANGLE's GCP-compliant laboratories in the UK and the United States. Services include custom made assay development and clinical trial testing for pharma.Over 80 peer-reviewed publications have demonstrated the performance of the Parsortix system. For more information, visit www.angleplc.com This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ lseg.com or visit www.rns.com SOURCE: ANGLE plc
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Azra is an AI Platform Pioneering the Future of Equity-Conscious Specialty CareLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Azra Care, an equity-conscious AI platform that champions the transition to Value-Based Care (VBC) in Specialty Care, today announced its partnership with Samimi Orthopedic Group. Azra's expert-curated, clinically validated, Large Language Model (LLM) powers AI-driven clinical workflows and automations tailored to relieve provider workload while fostering enhanced patient-provider relationships. The plug-and-play platform helps healthcare enterprises supercharge patient experiences with voice and text capabilities across all the digital channels and enable healthcare providers to meet and exceed VBC metric benchmarks, all while ensuring care is delivered equitably.Samimi Ortho Overburdened ProvidersProviders are overburdened with manual outdated workflows and their staff members are buried in paperwork. This has led to provider burnout and record number of nurses are leaving the profession due to dissatisfaction in their work. Moreover, With 1 in 5 Americans expected to be over the age of 65 by 2030, the pressure on healthcare providers will only continue to grow. By 2034, there could be a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians. There is a dire need to expand supply, so digital health companies must provide an opportunistic way to deliver more care.Azra's conversational AI can assist providers in delivering the best care possible.Conversational AI-powered virtual assistant automates touch points along the patient care journey, drives patient satisfaction, and reduces workload for clinical and support staff.KIMI acts as a round-the-clock single point of contact to answer patient questions, book appointments, refill prescriptions, provide referrals, and triage high-acuity events to the care teams for proactive patient outreach. KIMI is empathetic in responses, context aware, and patients find it highly engaging. Providers are able to course correct patients' care plans before an adverse event takes place because of the automated alerts sent by KIMI. Automating data collection, care coordination, and 80% of bi-directional communication saves three hours of time for each staff member, each day.Azra's SMS virtual assistant will also prep patients for pre-op, including data collection, ensuring medication adherence, and making sure patient questions are answered so when the patient arrives for surgery, they know exactly what to expect. This pre-op program loops in the patient's caregiver or family member and has shown to drastically reduce no-shows."We are excited to partner with Azra Care and offer their AI-powered clinical platform to our patients at Samimi Orthopedic Group. By combining validated care pathways with machine learning, we are confident Azra's platform will unburden our dedicated staff, elevate the quality of care we provide, and empower our patients on a seamless journey toward recovery," stated Dr. Omar Rahman, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Samimi Orthopedic Group.Virtual TriageOnline appointment scheduling equates to large revenue opportunities for healthcare providers, with the revenue potential valued at nearly $3.2 billion. Considering 43% of appointments are scheduled outside of business hours, 24/7 availability is an opportunity for additional revenue flow that a health system operating only during regular business hours will miss out on.Providers aim to increase bookings and confirmations, but their primary mode of communication with patients is through phone calls. Many patients find these calls cumbersome and avoid answering, especially from unfamiliar numbers. Those who do answer often face long hold times or get caught in back-and-forth "phone tag," leading them to abandon the call. This inefficient communication results in unoccupied slots, last-minute scrambles to contact wait-listed patients, and instances of double-booking. Consequently, providers lose potential revenue and patient satisfaction diminishes.Azra's virtual triage solution will assess patients and guide them to the appropriate level of care, in the right care setting, in real time. Samimi Orthopedic Group can further personalize the remote monitoring workflow with the Care Pathways solution for post-discharge monitoring and post-diagnosis support. An AI-powered analytics tool will stratify high-risk patients and generates actionable insights so staff members can prioritize urgent cases and operate at the top of their license. Patient call transcripts are added to the patient's medical record and patients are sent the call summary right after the call is ended. Samimi Orthopedic will more effectively engage with more new and established patients outside of business hours while simultaneously reducing call center overhead and improving clinical efficiency."We are excited to work with Samimi Orthopedic Group where our AI platform and clinical validated LLMs will make a positive impact on patient retention and engagement, which will translate into improved competitiveness, increased revenue and better health outcomes for patients, with the promise of delivering better standards of care at a lower cost," said Kamran Khan, founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Azra Care.Delivering whole-person care including SDOH, behavioral, emotional, cultural, financial, and spiritual factors of patientsSocial determinants of health (SDOH) affect the distribution of individual-level social risks to health, such as food insecurity, housing instability, and inadequate transportation. These factors coupled with cultural, emotional, and financial conditions of patients increase a patient's risk of straying from their care program. Moreover, patients discharged from hospitals often face challenges in their transition to self-care at home. They are typically provided with paper-based discharge instructions, which can be overwhelming and difficult to comprehend, especially when dealing with post-surgical pain. Lack of adequate support results in over a third of such patients moving to more expensive care settings within a year. At least half of these readmissions could be prevented with better post-discharge support.Azra's LLM is trained to connect with low tech literacy and low health literacy populations. It engages with the patients to better understand their SDOH needs, behavioral preferences, emotional circumstances, cultural practices, and financial and spiritual needs to tailor their care program and connect them with community and government resources, for their specific needs. Azra's Social Orchestration Engine is utilized by community health workers and care coordinators to engage and help patients in need of health-related social needs. This ensures patie
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Family-owned spirits company ranked #20 in the multinational categoryHAMILTON, BERMUDA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Bacardi Limited Family-owned spirits company, Bacardi has been named one of the Best Workplaces in Europe. The owner of iconic brands, which include BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRON tequila, ST-GERMAIN liqueur and BACARDI rum, was ranked number 20 in the multinational category on the list of 150 companies in Europe to receive this recognition.The ranking was based on responses from employees across the region, who completed the Great Place To Work Trust IndexTM employee survey - designed to gain insight into how people feel about their employer and their work environment. The result? Bacardi is one of the Best Workplaces in all of Europe."We are delighted to receive this fantastic recognition especially as it was based on responses from our own employees," said Surabhi Joshi, VP HR for Bacardi in Western Europe. "There are so many reasons why Bacardi is a special place to work but if I had to name just one, we are a family at Bacardi. It's part of our culture and it's reflected in our relationships with our colleagues, our customers and our suppliers, as well as the craftsmanship that goes into every drop of our iconic brands." The Trust Index employee survey is designed to illustrate how specific employee perceptions can influence their level of trust in their employer, and in the company's culture. Overall, more than 2.6 million European employees were asked to describe how they felt about their work environment.Statements touch on a variety of elements related to respect, recognition, transparency and camaraderie - all elements that the Great Place To Work organization uses to determine just how great a workplace is. Through extensive research and experience, Great Place To Work is able to determine what it takes to make a company culture trustworthy, safe, and healthy for employees.To be recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Europe, a company must first rank very highly among other companies of the same size in their own country. Then, the highest-ranking companies of every size in each country are ranked in a single European list. Of the 3,350 participating companies - small, medium, large and multinational - only 150 Best Workplaces in Europe have been selected.-ENDS-Media Inquiries:Andrew Carney, Communications Director, Western Europe, Bacardi, acarney@ bacardi.com About Bacardi Limited Bacardi Limited, the world's largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, PATRON tequila, GREY GOOSE vodka, DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Scotch whisky, D'USSE Cognac, ANGEL'S ENVY American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on, LinkedIn or Instagram.Always drink responsibly.BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Brand Ambassador, Sam Carter, and Master Distiller, Anne Brock, pictured at the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Distillery in Laverstoke, UKView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bacardi Limited on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Bacardi LimitedWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Bacardi Limited
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SANTA CLARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Beta University, a non-profit institution founded on the core principles of Belief, Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Altruism (BETA), has opened its doors to a broad spectrum of visionary entrepreneurs. The institution has embraced and empowered individuals of diverse backgrounds to transform their inventive concepts into reality.With the recent developments, Beta University has provided a nurturing environment where entrepreneurs can cultivate their talents and realize their ambitions, regardless of their position in life or the stage of their careers. Beta University has offered a systematic approach to entrepreneurial knowledge through a wide range of offerings, including degree courses, training camps, seminars, and more.Some of the offerings of Beta University to visionary entrepreneurs are as follows:GAIN KNOWLEDGE:Entrepreneurs at Beta University gain systematic entrepreneurial knowledge through degree courses, training camps, seminars, and more. They have access to in-depth insights from front-line investors and successful entrepreneurs, providing a foundation for their endeavors.FIND ADVISORS:The institution's mentors and experts come from major U.S. technology companies and esteemed universities. They provide professional guidance and support to entrepreneurial teams, helping them navigate the complexities of innovation and growth.PITCH INVESTORS:Beta University plays a pivotal role in connecting Asian and American cross-border investors, including venture capital, private equity, corporate strategic investment, family offices, and individual investors, with entrepreneurs. The network facilitates capital raising for startups.RECRUIT TALENTS:Beta University's talent network spans from young students at top universities worldwide to senior practitioners from major factories. The institution matches and recruits high-quality talents who are passionate about contributing to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping startups succeed.Beta University's approach to fostering innovation and compassion has garnered significant attention within the entrepreneurial community. By providing a comprehensive ecosystem that encompasses education, mentorship, talent, and business support, the institution has empowered entrepreneurs to create tech-driven companies with a purpose.Beta University has provided aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and guidance needed to drive tech-driven innovation with a purpose. For more information about Beta University, and its programs, please visit their website.About Beta University:Beta University is an institution that provides entrepreneurs with systematic entrepreneurial knowledge, including degree courses, training camps, seminars, etc. It provides entrepreneurs with in-depth insights from front-line business enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Students and entrepreneurs receive comprehensive training that equips them with the skills and insights needed to succeed in the fast-paced tech-driven landscape. Beta University's talent network covers young students from top universities around the world and senior practitioners from major factories. They match and recruit high-quality talents who are passionate about the entrepreneurial ecosystem to high-growth startups.Media ContactOrganization: Beta UniversityContact Person: Jason WuWebsite: https://www.betauniversity.org/Email: Jason@ betauniversity.org City: Santa ClaraState: CaliforniaCountry: United StatesSOURCE: Beta University
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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Greater Grove Hall Main Streets (GGHMS), in partnership with the New England Patriots Foundation, has announced the inaugural members of the Black Women Lead project. 212 of Boston's most admired, beloved, and successful Black Women leaders are being featured on banners stretching for two miles along Blue Hill Avenue, making this exhibit the largest public art project in the city.These women shaped Boston through their work in arts and culture, legislation, health, education, community building and raising future generations of leaders, further improving the quality of life for everyone in the city.Each banner features a commissioned portrait for each woman, her name and certain credentials. Accompanying historical information, compiled from research by Boston Public Library and Northeastern University, is being collected for a Wikipedia page for each honoree."We live in a city where history has shined brightly on the contributions made by those of Irish and Italian heritage, not to mention the Boston Brahmins.' But the spotlight has missed the collective and cumulative impact of generations of Black women," said Ed Gaskin, executive director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets. "When the spotlight has been on these leaders, it hasn't always been the best light possible, and we hope to change that narrative. The Black Women Lead project aims to fill our knowledge gap by recognizing Black women leaders who made their marks on Boston from the 1700s through the present day." The nomination process was extensive and resulted in 600 nominations. The selection criteria for the inaugural slate of Black women leaders was quite extensive - over a page long. Students from the Mother Caroline Academy were among the selection committee. The process led to a list of leaders that includes women who made history by being the first to do something, and those who had something named after them from scholarships to streets to buildings. Others were leaders having received Grammys, Emmys and Hall of Fame nominations. Leadership was defined broadly to include extraordinary role models - like a woman who had 50 foster children, or a woman who worked as a foster grandmother for 25 years and retired at age 95 - as well as others who have made unique contributions to the community.Banners for each of the 212 Black women leaders included designs from local artist Kamali Thornell and Baltimore-based Brianna Young. Each portrait is signed by the artist as an original piece of art, similar to prints."I see this exhibit as being reminiscent of The Gates' in Central Park, created by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. As an artist, this is my Christo," said Gaskin. "It provides placemaking for Grove Hall, promotes Black art, honors Black women and seniors, and inspires us all. It is in memory of my grandmother Maxine Moss and great aunt Anna Moss who graduated from college during the time of the depression - Black women leaders in their day." The project hopes to repeat this process annually, adding new voices and new stories to the still unfolding story that is Boston.ABOUT GREATER GROVE HALL MAIN STREETSGreater Grove Hall Main Streets (GGHMS) focuses on improving the economic vitality of the Grove Hall district, community development and urban planning for the betterment of businesses and residents. GGHMS is committed to promoting a diverse business district while maintaining our neighborhood's historical character. The organization encourages innovative and creative techniques for fostering economic development that enriches the lives of business owners, employees and residents of our community. For more information, visit http://www.greatergrovehall.org CONTACTEd GaskinExecutive DirectorGreater Grove Hall Main Streets617 460-2326ewgaskin@ gmail.com SOURCE: Greater Grove Hall Main Streets
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / GoDaddyOriginally published on The Impact Podcast with John ShegerianListen to the podcast hereAs Senior Director of Legal Operations and Training and Head of Corporate Sustainability & ESG at GoDaddy, Kami Hoskins leads strategy and innovation for GoDaddy's legal department. She develops curriculum and trains employees on topics such as anti-discrimination/anti-harassment, positive employee relations, compliance, and privacy.John Shegerian: Do you have a suggestion for a Rockstar Impact podcast guest? Go to impactpodcast.com and just click Be a Guest to recommend someone today. This edition of The Impact Podcast is brought to you by ERI. ERI has a mission to protect people, the planet, and your privacy, and is the largest fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company in the United States and maybe even the world. For more information on how ERI can help your business properly dispose of outdated electronic hardware devices, please visit eridirect.com . This episode of the Impact Podcast is brought to you by Closed Loop Partners. Closed Loop Partners is a leading circular economy investor in the United States with an extensive network of Fortune 500 corporate investors, family offices, institutional investors, industry experts, and impact partners. Closed Loops platform spans the arc of capital, from venture capital to private equity bridging gaps and fostering synergies to scale the circular economy. To find Closed Loop Partners, please go to www.closedlooppartners.com John: Welcome to another edition of The Impact Podcast. I'm John Shegerian. I'm so excited to have with us today, Kami Hoskins. She's the Senior Director of Legal Operations and Training and the head of corporate sustainability and ESG at GoDaddy. Welcome to the Impact Podcast, Kami.Kami Hoskins: Thank you, John, so much for that warm welcome. I am so excited to be here.John: We're excited to have you, and we're going to get into all the important and impactful things you're doing at GoDaddy with your colleagues. But before we go into that important information, I want to know a little bit about the Kami Hoskins story. Where did you grow up and how did you even get on this path to become a lawyer and eventually go into this new industry of sustainability and ESG and everything else that we're going to talk about today?Kami: Well, thank you for the opportunity to share that. I am a Phoenix, Arizona native, so born and raised. Yeah, my father's family came from Alabama, and my mother's family came from Washington State by way of Minnesota, and they met each other in the healthcare industry and planted our family's roots here in Phoenix. And I have always been a lover of words and language. So in my undergraduate degree, I studied English and communication, I minored in Spanish. And then, spent some time working in industry and got candidly a little bit bored. And so went back to school and got a master's degree in intercultural communication and rhetoric. And that was two of the most fun years of my life. Just waxing philosophical with brilliant minds about topics related to intercultural dynamics, diversity, and inclusion. But I got to end that program and I asked myself, now what? What am I going to do with this? It's great. It was really fun. Lots of great ideas and concepts. So I ended up applying both for PhD and for JD programs, and I was accepted into both PhD and JD programs but decided to go the JD route because I really, I've been a lifelong volunteer and I really wanted to apply my skill sets more sort of tactically in the community. And I thought that the JD route would give me that opportunity. So I went to law school and studied hard down at the University of Arizona, and when I came out of law school, it was when the economy was at a very low point. And so I was with a private law firm and they said, here's your bankruptcy code Kami, you're going to be a bankruptcy lawyer.John: Oh my gosh.Kami: And at first I was like, hmm. But then I like became kind of this huge bankruptcy nerd and really ended up enjoying it because the complexity of the cases and just working with the colleagues in the bar. And so I spent 12 years in private practice and my practice area is, like I said, were bankruptcy, but also employment law, and commercial litigation. And the opportunity presented itself to join GoDaddy about three years ago, and really were looking for help with their legal training, so compliance trainings, that kind of thing. And I thought, you know what? It's great, let's do it. But of an in-house law professor of sorts is kind of how I saw myself. Then our new CLO joined and she asked me to stand up a legal operations team then had an opportunity because the former head of our ESG team moved on to a new opportunity. She asked me to help out, and I have been helping out with ESG for about a year and just actually have been delighted to discover that it's this strange perfect opportunity that meets all of my various interests within one field. And so I took on the responsibility to help out the company and the team, but I had been really excited by the potential that this field really offers.John: That's wonderful. Wow. And we get to meet because of this show over the last 16 years. We get to meet so many fascinating and wonderful people doing very important work in the field of ESG and sustainability. But that's a whole new road, how you came through the law, but also with your other formal educational training. It's like you said, it's all merged together now in this role. This is a very important role you have at GoDaddy. So before you, was there a chief sustainability officer or somebody else in the role heading up corporate sustainability and ESG at GoDaddy?Kami: Yeah, for sure. We had a very talented person. Her title was senior director.John: Got it.Kami: So she led the team for several years.John: Got it. Okay. So now you have these very interesting hats that you're wearing, still director of legal operations and training. So you have your law professorship hat on there, but then also the head of corporate sustainability and ESG, which can be very wide and very narrow. So talk a little bit about a day in the life of Kami Hoskins at GoDaddy, and how do you divide your day, and how big are your teams on both sides on the legal side and on the corporate sustainability and ESG side. How big are the teams that help you do this important work?Kami: It's a great question. So, organization is my key to success. I have some colleagues who will always remind me of how organized I appear, which is very flatterin
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Remarkable Drinks without Compromise, Franklin & Sons Now Available at The Fresh Market, Gelson's Markets, Central Market, Zuppan's Markets, Goody Goody, ShopRite, and FairwayLONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Global Brands, a leading independent drinks company and beverage distributor in the United Kingdom, is pleased to announce its pioneering tonic water and mixer brand, Franklin & Sons, has secured a variety of placements in key retail locations across the United States.Franklin & Sons LogoWith a history of creating remarkable, great tasting, premium drinks, ones that turn an ordinary moment into an extraordinary one, Franklin & Sons is now available at chain markets including The Fresh Market, Gelson's Markets, Central Market, Zuppan's Markets, and premium drinks chain Goody Goody. Furthermore, Franklin & Sons has recently landed in New England chains and grocery stores including ShopRite and Fairway.Having made significant investments into the brand across the United States market in 2023 on both sales support and marketing programming, Franklin & Sons has increased its own market share in the ever growing and competitive mixer and tonic landscape, with plans to expand and increase support efforts in the United States market in 2024 and beyond. In recent months, Franklin & Sons entered new markets such as Texas and Florida. In addition, Franklin & Sons has expanded its online business to business purchasing by securing listings on Faire.com , making it easier than ever before for independent stores to purchase Franklin & Sons.Franklin & Sons is pleased to be the choice premium mixer by brands across all categories both at events and via collaborations. From amaro to gin and vodka to whiskey, Franklin & Sons has something to offer all categories, and plans to bolster brand partnerships and collaborations in 2024."Having been established in 1886, Franklin & Sons started developing award-winning drinks after a trip to the United States. Fast forward to today, our UK brand has returned to the US, and we are challenging the tonic and mixer status quo with premium, always natural ingredients, and infusions of flavors that elevate spirits, encouraging consumers to rediscover their favorite serves," says Keith Beattie, Director of Sales, International, of Global Brands, parent company of Franklin & Sons. "With the holiday season upon us we encourage all to enjoy Franklin & Sons as it is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite cocktail, best enjoyed at any celebration with friends and family." In 2023, Franklin & Sons has garnered awards and accolades globally including top medals from the Bartender Brand Awards, The Spirits Business Tonic Mixer Masters, International World Spirits Competition and Great Taste.Franklin & Sons portfolio of mixers comes in a variety of sizing formats and pricing per style with the initial focus in the US being their 6.8oz premium glass bottled range available in 4 packs across 11 styles.In the United States, Franklin & Sons is managed by beverage consulting group Greater Integration, who is responsible for sales and marketing of the brand.About Franklin & SonsIn 1886 Franklin & Sons pioneered the introduction of seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages in the UK after a visit across the Atlantic. The business thrived until 1989. In 2015, the London brand was lovingly reborn and re-imagined as part of the Global Brands family. The brand creates remarkable, great-tasting drinks that turn the ordinary moment into an extraordinary one. It's never just a drink to us. With a range of tonic waters with quinine and mixers with versatility at their heart, we use innovative flavors and natural ingredients to ensure taste comes first, always. For additional information please visit FranklinandSonsltd.com About Global BrandsEstablished in 1997 by entrepreneur Steve Perez, Global Brands Ltd is the UK's leading independent drinks business. It owns, markets, and distributes a wide portfolio of products across the ready to drink, premium mixer, spirit and beer categories internationally. The Global Brands Ltd line-up of brands now includes VK, Hooch, Franklin & Sons, Shake Baby Shake, Hooper's and more. Go to www.globalbrands.co.uk to find out more.Contact InformationDavid Mandler Media Contact david.mandler@dgm-pr.com Related ImagesFranklin & Sons LogoFranlin & Sons Indian Tonic WaterSOURCE: Franklin & Sons
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Germain Motor Company Has Purchased Staten Island Yacht Sales, Advancing Marine Industry PlansSTATEN ISLAND, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / SI Yachts, one of the largest and most successful boat dealers and yacht brokerage firms in the Northeast, has been acquired by Germain Motor Company. Originally called Staten Island Yacht Sales before expanding into other markets, SI Yachts was founded in 1964 by Frank Bongiorno. Frank, who established the company as the longest-operating Viking Yachts dealer in the world, as well as revitalized Staten Island Marina, will retire after more than 60 years in the marine industry.Steve Germain and Frank Bongiorno SI Yachts is a new boat dealer for premium brands, such as Viking, Princess, Absolute, Prestige, Pardo Yachts, and Valhalla Boatworks. The company has expanded over the years with offices in Jupiter, Florida, Newport, Rhode Island, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and five locations throughout New York.Germain Motor Company was founded in 1947 by Warren Germain, a personal accountant for Henry Ford, and owns dealerships in Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, and Montana. Germain is a fourth-generation family business and represents luxury brands, such as Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. Germain Motor Company acquiring SI Yachts comes just two years after Zach Germain, CEO & Partner of Germain Motor Company, established Germain Yachts and was awarded the Pardo Yachts territory on the west coast of Florida. Germain Yachts quickly grew sales volume and acquired an incredible shipyard, previously known as Molly's Marine, in downtown Naples, Florida."We couldn't imagine a more perfect opportunity and partnership to carry on the legacy Frank Bongiorno first started in 1964," said Jay Hendrix, VP of SI Yachts. "The resources, technology, and team that Germain has is a complement to what we are building at SI Yachts. The future looks incredibly bright and we can't wait to expand our footprint in sales, service, and after-sale customer care with the help of Germain." "We are excited to have acquired the SI Yachts name, brands, marina, and current operations team," said Zach Germain. "Short-term plans include revitalizing the Freeport, NY, location, growing the Montauk and Sag Harbor markets, and continuing to support the new yacht sales, brokerage, and after-sales service that has made SI Yachts a leader in the industry." The knowledgeable and respected team at SI YACHTS will remain intact, including the executive managers, Jay Hendrix and Michael Landolphi. An all-new SIYachts.com will also be released soon.Contact InformationRobert Bowman Marketing Consultant rob@ bowman.marketing 8282429810SOURCE: SI Yachts
UOC (MP) priest who transmitted info to enemy about defense of Sumy region sentenced to 15-year prison term

Based on materials from the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the court sentenced to 15 years in prison a cleric of the UOC (MP), who transmitted information about the defense of Sumy region to enemy intelligence services, the SBU said.

"Due to the evidence base of the Security Service, the rector of the UOC (MP) temple, who was part of the FSB intelligence apparatus and collected intelligence information about the defense system of Sumy region, received a real prison term," the Ukrainian special service said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Wednesday.

According to the SBU, first of all, the enemy was interested in the geolocation of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the constituent data of officials of the military and civil administrations in Shostka district.

According to the statement, the SBU counterintelligence detained a priest, a Russian agent, in March 2023 while attempting to transmit intelligence information to the FSB.

As the investigation established, the cleric was remotely recruited by the aggressor after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, and came to the attention of the occupiers because of his pro-Kremlin views.

In order to collect intelligence information, the rector of the temple tried to "secretly" use local residents, from whom he asked for information under the guise of everyday conversations.

He also recorded the location of Ukrainian defenders when he travelled through the border region.

"The Russian agent transmitted the received intelligence information to his FSB curator through anonymous messengers, using text messages and media files of objects linked to the location," the SBU said.

Based on the collected evidence, the court found the attacker guilty under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law) and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

The investigation was carried out by SBU officers in Sumy region under the procedural leadership of the regional prosecutor's office.
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LUXEMBOURG / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / HomeToGo SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange:HTG), the marketplace with the world's largest selection of vacation rentals, today announced its official entry into the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) by becoming a signatory of the global initiative. The UNGC is the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, uniting businesses, governments and civil society to take action towards the universally accepted Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.HomeToGo proudly joins the ranks of more than 15,000 participating companies and over 3,800 non-commercial entities based in over 160 countries worldwide that actively commit to taking responsibility in creating a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. By becoming a signatory, HomeToGo confirms its commitment to advancing a more sustainable and stable environment by strategically anchoring the UNGC values across its value chain and continuing to implement and enhance sustainability initiatives in its strategic planning.Dr. Patrick Andrae, Co-founder & CEO of HomeToGo: "We are proud to support the UN Global Compact along with many notable organizations across the globe. HomeToGo has committed to embrace the Ten UNGC Principles in our planning and daily operations, which already resonate with our own ingrained company values. This commitment underlines our ongoing dedication towards sustainable and responsible business practices and reaffirms our belief that protecting our world, its citizens and sound business operations are intertwined pursuits. We look forward to actively engaging in collaboration and dialogue with fellow participants, learning from best practices and sharing experiences to drive continuous, global improvements." HomeToGo has committed to transparently reporting on the initiatives set in motion in support of the UN goals and to address matters embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). HomeToGo plans to publish its first annual Communication of Progress report in 2024.About HomeToGoHomeToGo was founded in 2014 with a vision to make incredible homes easily accessible to everyone. To pursue this vision, HomeToGo was able to build and constantly grow a trusted and easy-to-use technology platform that brings together property suppliers with travelers from all across the world.HomeToGo operates a marketplace for vacation rentals that connects millions of travelers searching for a perfect place to stay with thousands of inventory suppliers across the globe, resulting in the world's most comprehensive inventory coverage in the alternative accommodation space. HomeToGo's marketplace is beneficial to both of its customer groups: Consumers who visit HomeToGo's websites gain access to the largest inventory in one place, and supply partners who use the platform's reach and technology solutions are better able to serve a wide range of customers and generate more high-quality demand. While HomeToGo SE's registered office is located in Luxembourg, HomeToGo GmbH is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. HomeToGo operates localized apps and websites in 25 countries.HomeToGo SE is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the stock ticker "HTG".For more information visit: www.hometogo.com/about About the United Nations Global CompactAs a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Their ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 15,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative - one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit their website at unglobalcompact.org Media ContactCaroline Burnspress@ hometogo.com Investor Relations ContactSebastian Grabert+49 157 501 63731IR@ hometogo.com Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words "may", "will", "should", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "project", "goal" or "target" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, forecasts, estimates, projections, opinions or plans that are inherently subject to significant risks, as well as uncertainties and contingencies that are subject to change. No representation is made or will be made by HomeToGo SE that any forward-looking statement will be achieved or will prove to be correct. The actual future business, financial position, results of operations and prospects may differ materially from those projected or forecast in the forward-looking statements. Neither HomeToGo SE nor any of their respective affiliates assume any obligation to update, and do not expect to publicly update, or publicly revise, any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.SOURCE: HomeToGo SE
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WELDON SPRING, MO / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / HVACRedu.net , a leading online training and certification program for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) industry, is making history by introducing a comprehensive Spanish-language curriculum to its virtual education platform. This remarkable initiative positions HVACRedu.net as the very first company in the industry to offer such a curriculum, opening doors to a brighter future filled with job opportunities and prosperity for the Spanish-speaking population.The HVACR industry plays a pivotal role in various sectors, including construction, maintenance, and environmental control. With the demand for skilled HVACR technicians on the rise, providing accessible and effective virtual education in Spanish is a significant leap toward meeting this growing need.Chris Compton, Founder and CEO of HVACRedu.net , expressed his enthusiasm for this groundbreaking endeavor, stating: "As the premier HVACR online training program globally, we are thrilled to partner with Finnovant to expand our advanced immersive training for the Spanish language in a 3D environment. This engaging and innovative training will make it much easier for Spanish students to learn how to diagnose and repair HVAC systems from the comfort of their own homes. The Spanish population will be better educated, more productive and produce cost-effective results as a result of training in an immersive virtual environment." Key Highlights of the Spanish-Language Curriculum at HVACRedu.net: Accessibility: HVACRedu.net's commitment to inclusivity has driven the development of a Spanish-language curriculum, making high-quality HVACR training accessible to Spanish-speaking individuals across the world, with a focus on South America.Immersive Learning: The curriculum offers an immersive training experience in Spanish, ensuring that students can effectively diagnose and repair HVAC systems in real-world scenarios, all within a virtual environment.Effective Training: By mastering HVACR skills in a lifelike, 3D environment, students are better prepared for fieldwork. This approach enhances productivity and cost-effectiveness, benefitting both students and the industry.Innovative Approach: HVACRedu.net's pioneering approach is driven by the potential of technology to revolutionize the HVACR sector. Students will be encouraged to participate in the BioFi Interactive ecosystem, which provides access to decentralized financial services and the management of personal information through blockchain technology.Biometric Security: HVACRedu.net will leverage Finnovant's biometric enrollment during the student registration process and HVACR module testing. This enhances the security and reliability of the certification process. BioFi biometrics also secure ecosystem products such as the Krptic digital wallet, a decentralized financial services app, and the UniSafeBox password manager which manages your most sensitive personal information on the blockchain.Brian Maw, CEO of Finnovant, emphasized the transformative potential of this collaboration, stating: "We are very excited to work with HVACRedu.net to revolutionize HVACR training with Spanish language modules in their virtual education platform. By leveraging our expertise in biometric authentication and hyper-realistic 3D technology, we believe the Spanish population will benefit greatly from this very effective training experience." HVACRedu.net's virtual education platform will help a future generation of Spanish speaking technicians find good paying jobs and enjoy greater prosperity while taking advantage of this leap in innovation." The introduction of the Spanish-language curriculum is poised to empower the next generation of HVACR technicians, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in this industry. It also offers Spanish-speaking individuals a new avenue for personal and professional growth. HVACRedu.net's innovative approach aligns with the growing interest in immersive learning and emerging technologies among the younger generation of HVACR technicians. By embracing this transformation, the HVACR industry stands to benefit from a highly skilled workforce and a more efficient training process.As the HVACR industry continues to evolve, HVACRedu.net's commitment to providing accessible and effective education in both English and Spanish is a testament to its dedication to empowering individuals and fostering the industry's growth. The HVACR community eagerly anticipates the impact of this transformative initiative.For more information on HVACRedu.net's immersive training and curriculum in both English and Spanish, please visit: HVACRedu.net Website: https://www.hvacredu.net/Spanish-Language Curriculum: https://main.hvacrstore.net/catalog?pagename=1520608377d7HEj About HVACRedu.net: HVACRedu.net has been a leader in online workforce training programs for the HVACR and related industries since 1997. The company is dedicated to transforming HVACR and related industries into learning communities, where industry licenses and certifications are achievable and maintained. HVACRedu.net provides structured training programs for new workers and opportunities for technicians to upskill their knowledge.For more information, visit HVACRedu.net on their website and on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.About Finnovant:Finnovant Inc. is a fintech company specializing in biometric authentication solutions and hyper-detailed 3D virtual spaces. The company is dedicated to improving digital security and enhancing the interaction between businesses and their critical information and customers.Follow Finnovant at Finnovant.com , Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, DiscordChris BenedictFinnovant, Inc. 1-844-724-8911 cbenedict@finnovant.com SOURCE: Finnovant Inc
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Innovative brands and programs on display at the ISSA Show North America 2023 elevate the restroom experience while helping businesses contribute to a better planet.ROSWELL, GA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / At the ISSA Show North America 2023 in Las Vegas (Nov. 13-16), Kimberly-Clark Professional team members will meet customers such as facility managers to discuss how Kimberly-Clark Professional can help them achieve their goals through the company's brands, innovation, expertise and focus on sustainability.The RightCycle Program from Kimberly-Clark Professional allows used products and packaging to be diverted from landfills and processed into plastic pellets that can be molded to make new durable goods.Prominently featured from Kimberly-Clark Professional at the ISSA Show North America in 2023 are:Insights shared during a thought leadership session titled "Future of Office 2032: Imagining and Designing for Future Experiences." This proprietary research helps customers imagine the potential possible, plausible and probable futures of the role of the office for workers. The session takes place Nov. 13 at 11:00 a.m. in the Islander G room.The ICON Dispenser Collection: a winner of this year's world-renowned iF DESIGN AWARD in the bath category. The collection is a family of hand towel, soap and toilet paper dispensers that includes a first-of-its-kind dispenser with interchangeable and customizable faceplate options. While most dispensers are designed around the paper, the Kimberly-Clark Professional ICON dispenser collection is designed around the servicer, facility manager and end user - offering style, simplicity, cutting-edge technology and a human-centric experience. The RightCycle Program enables customers to divert waste from landfills, a crucial step in their sustainability journey. Customers can send back used Kimberly-Clark Professional products that have not been contaminated with hazardous material, and the program partners ensure that these materials are diverted from landfills and repurposed.Through its Responsible Partners Program, Kimberly-Clark Professional identifies products for customers that can help with their sustainability goals in nine critical areas, including the use of recycled content and renewable energy.In addition, Kimberly-Clark Professional is sponsoring a "Refresh and Relax Oasis" lounge and water refill station on the expo floor that will feature The RightCycle Program and the Kimberly-Clark 2030 sustainability strategy. After the show, the company will donate all the trees decorating the Oasis lounge to the Mayor's Fund for Las Vegas Life Initiative, which brings together public and private partners to address the city's most pressing needs through collaborative and transformational problem-solving.Visitors at the ISSA Show North America are welcome to stop by the Kimberly-Clark Professional booth (#3650) to discuss any of these programs.Susan Gambardella, President of Kimberly-Clark Professional North America, said, "The ISSA Show creates a valuable time and space for Kimberly-Clark Professional to come together with our contacts and other industry leaders to explore how we can collaborate, in particular with our great brands, sustainable practices and digital technologies, to drive growth with our customers." Kimberly-Clark Professional executives, including Gambardella, will attend the ISSA Hygieia Network event during the show, as Kimberly-Clark Professional is a diamond-level supporter of this influential organization focused on the development of women in the industry.About ISSA Show North AmericaIn partnership with ISSA trade association, ISSA Show North America offers an unmatched conference program featuring over 100+ education sessions, workshops, panels, training and certification courses over four days. The event and the association are committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line.For more information about ISSA Show North America, visit www.issashow.com . Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.About Informa MarketsInforma Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio comprises more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Engineering, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, visit www.informamarkets.com About Kimberly-Clark ProfessionalKimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer, and more productive. Key brands in this segment include Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, KleenGuard, and Kimtech. To see how Kimberly-Clark Professional is helping people around the world to work better, please visit www.kcprofessional.com About Kimberly-ClarkKimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com Media Contacts:Informa Markets Construction and Infrastructure PRIC.PR@informa.com Kimberly-Clark Professionalmedia.relations@kcc.com SO
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SACRAMENTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / River City Bank's President and CEO Steve Fleming recently announced the restructure of the bank's risk management department, which will be implemented Nov. 1, 2023. The reorganization will create a completely independent internal audit department, implementing best practices to ensure the highest levels of risk mitigation and compliance. River City Bank believes that a proactive approach to risk management is a priority and these initiatives reinforce the company's commitment to the financial security of its customers.Pat McHone has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Risk Officer (CRO). Reporting to the CRO will be the Credit, Compliance, and Information Security Departments. In addition to providing ongoing executive oversight of the three groups noted above, McHone will be responsible for Business Continuity Planning, Vendor Management, and Policy Administration.As the Bank's Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer, McHone has been an integral member of River City Bank's Executive Team since 2008. With close to 40 years of experience, his banking career includes 16 years as Senior Vice President and Region Manager at Mechanics Bank and seven years at Security Pacific Bank.Ken Imwinkelried, currently the Bank's Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Manager, will be promoted to Chief Credit Officer and will report to the Chief Risk Officer. As the new CCO, Imwinkelried is responsible for all aspects of the loan approval process, credit quality, and management of the Bank's portfolio of commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, and consumer loans. He will join the Bank's Executive Team, Asset Liability Committee, Pricing Committee, and Loan Committee.Imwinkelried first joined River City Bank in 2010 through its Commercial Banking Associate training program. Throughout his career at the Bank, he has advanced through a broad range of credit analysis, underwriting, and management positions.Jeremy Spencer has been named as Director of Internal Audit and Regulatory Relations (DIA). The DIA will maintain a direct reporting line to the Audit Committee with an administrative reporting to the CEO. In addition to managing all in-house and outsourced audits, Spencer is the Bank's liaison to regulatory agencies.Spencer joined River City Bank in 2011 and is currently the Senior Vice President and Director of Risk Management. Prior to joining the Bank, he was a Senior Manager with KPMG LLP U.S., where he spent five years providing audit services, Sox404 compliance consulting, and SEC reporting services to clients in the financial services industry."Our primary focus has always been the safety and security of our customers' assets and information," said Steve Fleming. "By identifying, evaluating and mitigating risk, we reinforce our commitment to providing a secure and trustworthy banking environment. This Risk Management Department will provide guidance to the Bank's entire executive team and board of directors to ensure our risk management practices align with the best industry practices and regulatory guidelines." ABOUT RIVER CITY BANK:Named one of Sacramento Business Journal's "50 Fastest Growing Companies" for each of the past six years, River City Bank is a leading boutique commercial bank throughout California with assets of over $4.9 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer and commercial real estate sectors. With a tailored, concierge-like level of service, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally owned and managed bank in the Sacramento region with an office in San Francisco and a growing presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit www.rivercitybank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.Contact InformationPamela Hansen Vice President, Marketing Manager pamela.hansen@rivercitybank.com (916) 567-2622SOURCE: River City Bank
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MIDLAND, MI / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Today, in honor of World Sustainability Day, Rivers are Life unveils their latest film highlighting Appalachian Ohio's Sunday Creek and environmental efforts made by local River Heroes John Sabraw, Guy Reifler, and Michelle Shively MacIver. Located in Southeastern Ohio, the 27-mile-long creek is severely polluted by acid mine drainage (a product of the area's several abandoned coal mines). The film, "Toxic Art," focuses on the collaborative effort using art and innovative technology to revitalize streams devastated by historic coal mining.John Sabraw is an artist, environmentalist, activist, and Professor of Art at Ohio University. When he first moved to Ohio, he was able to learn about the local environment through his environmentalist colleagues. On a trip to a local stream, John was shocked to find that these waterways were orange and full of sludge as a result of acid mine drainage and the pollutant iron oxide.Sabraw learned that more than 6,650 stream miles in Central Appalachia run orange due to the impact of acid mine drainage. The Truetown Discharge, located in the Sunday Creek watershed, is the largest single acid mine drainage discharge in the state of Ohio with a flow rate of 988 gallons per minute. This amounts to approximately 2,183,065 pounds of iron oxide dumping into Sunday Creek each year, decimating aquatic habitat for seven miles.After seeing the severity of this pollution firsthand, Sabraw took home a jar of sludge from the creek and, using his knowledge of iron oxides from his experience as an artist, began experimenting with turning this sludge into a pigment. He eventually joined forces with Ohio University Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering, Guy Riefler, and after years of experimentation, the pair succeeded in creating a pigment that was both environmentally and economically sustainable.The duo later collaborated with nonprofit regional community development organization Rural Action, as well as state and federal agencies, to create True Pigments. True Pigments is a social enterprise committed to creating socio-economic opportunities for the local community while cleaning and restoring Sunday Creek, allowing life to return to the heavily-polluted seven miles of stream."When we put people together from different disciplines and different backgrounds, that is when this magic happens," John said. "Humans have exponential potential to solve these crises and to take stewardship over a future that is going to be sustainable and joyous. I believe more than ever that that's possible, and that's what we have to do." In June 2023, Rural Action, Ohio University, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement broke ground on the new True Pigments Acid Mine Drainage Treatment & Pigment Production Facility. Once this plant goes live, 100% of coal mine pollution will be intercepted before it reaches waterways.The full "Toxic Art" film, along with limited edition prints from Sabraw, are available on Rivers are Life's platform HERE.Contact InformationKatie Horning Head of Brand, Rivers are Life Brand Division, BeAlive Inc. khorning@ gobealive.com 989-491-1019SOURCE: Rivers are Life
PR-Inside.com: 2023-10-25 16:48:29

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Owens CorningOriginally published in Owens Corning's 2022 Sustainability ReportAsha Burry, national human resources leader for Canada, believes that when it comes to giving back to the community, Owens Corning's approach is unique in that we empower our people to volunteer for projects where they feel they can make the most significant impact. The project Asha feels most passionate about is Jill of All Trades, discussed further on page 241. For her, Jill of All Trades represents the best of what Owens Corning outreach can do for communities, delivering support in ways that can genuinely help people in need while also providing opportunities for our employees to come together in service to others. She discusses Jill of All Trades and how it ties to Owens Corning's larger sustainability aspirations."In Jill of All Trades, Owens Corning has provided a very safe space for young women to explore trades surrounded by very encouraging colleagues. "On how Owens Corning is supporting a worthwhile cause When we started to work with Conestoga College, we realized that there's a stereotype that the trades are not a career option for women. Jill of All Trades is taking away those stereotypes by providing young women with an opportunity to try the trades out. A few of us from Owens Corning are on the planning committee that has helped take Jill of All Trades events from one or two colleges to all across Canada. Then there is a second team of wonderful volunteers who come out from the plants, the sales team and the marketing team. At the events, they put on workshops, and educate young women about opportunities in building materials industry. So with the help of our people, young women can try building a wall, putting insulation in a wall or putting shingles on a roof. It's extremely empowering for them.On connecting community engagement to other sustainability topics Owens Corning is assisting young women in engaging in the trades for the first time safely and systematically. Owens Corning colleagues teach these young women safety lessons they can take with them throughout their lives. Our work also expands on our inclusion and goals; we are developing these concepts outside the confines of the company. We're showing young women that there are other women out there who can thrive in an organization such as Owens Corning.On the real impacts that giving back can have We're all one decision away from being in a different situation. So if we do what we can to help expose people to different things and make different decisions, they may make impactful life decisions. If you can even change one life, that's the most important gift you can give to the world. Some of these young women come from situations that we can't even imagine. So to see them come in in the morning and see what they can accomplish, and to walk out afterwards with something they made and be proud of is that's a feeling that you will never get from anything else.Read morePhoto courtesy of Asha BurryView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Owens Corning on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Owens CorningWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/owens-corning Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Owens Corning
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TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / The Special Needs Alliance (SNA), the national organization comprised of attorneys committed to the practice of disability and public benefits law, has announced its 2023-2024 Officers and Board of Directors.Incoming SNA President Amy C. O'Hara, CELA, expressed her deep commitment to the organization: "Becoming President of the SNA is the greatest honor of my professional career. Having a father with a significant physical disability opened my awareness at an early age of the advocacy needed in the world of special needs. Working in the special needs area during law school also set the stage for my future legal career advocating for clients and their families with disabilities. Having been a member of the SNA since 2009, the SNA is unquestionably the most valuable organization I have been a part of during my professional career. The vast knowledge and expertise of our members in all aspects of planning for individuals with disabilities, protecting their benefits, and advocating at state and federal levels in all areas of special needs is exceptional." O'Hara continued, "During my term as President, I would like to see the SNA continue to lead the way as the premier special needs attorney organization by recruiting new members throughout the country who are the best and brightest in the field of special needs planning, advocacy, and public benefits." The 2023-2024 Officers and Board of Directors includes:President: Amy C. O'Hara, CELA, Littman Krooks, LLP, Rye Brook, NYPresident-Elect: Tara Anne Pleat, CELA, Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC, Clifton Park, NYVice President: Robert F. Brogan, CELA, Brogan Law Group, P.C., Brick, NJTreasurer: Christopher W. Smith, Esq., Chalgian & Tripp Law Offices PLLC, Southfield, MISecretary: Bryn Poland, Esq, Mayo & Poland, PLLC, Baytown, TXPast President: James A. Caffry, Esq., Caffry Law, PLLC, Waterbury, VTDirectors:Leonard R. Anderson, Esq., Barlow Anderson, Anchorage, AKRoxanne J. Chang, Esq., Roxanne J. Chang Advocate, Plymouth, MIEmily A. Donaldson, CELA, Stevens & Brand, Topeka, KSElizabeth Noble Friman, Esq., Fleming & Curti, PLC, Tucson, AZEmily B. Kile, Esq., Kile Law Firm, Scottsdale, AZElena A. Lidrbauch, CELA, Hickman, Lowder, Lidrbauch & Welch Co., LPA, Sheffield Village, OHRebecca C. Morgan, Esq., Stetson University - College of Law, Gulfport, FLEthan J. Ordog, Esq., Begley Law Group, Moorestown, NJLarry H. Rocamora, Esq., McPherson & Rocamora, PLLC, Durham, NCBruce D. Reinoso, Esq., Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP, Buffalo, NYBenjamin A. Rubin, Esq. LLM, Rubin Law, A Professional Corporation, Buffalo Grove, ILSNA Executive Director Jihane Davidow expressed her enthusiasm for the officers and board members, stating, "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to now Past President James Caffry for his dedication and outstanding service to the Special Needs Alliance. As we proudly announce our new officers and board members for the 2023-2024 term, we are excited to welcome a cohort of individuals who bring not only a wealth of knowledge but also an unwavering commitment to the field of special needs law. With their collective expertise, we are confident that they will steadfastly uphold the high standards and unwavering mission of the Special Needs Alliance." The Special Needs Alliance has more than 150 members in 45 states. Membership in the SNA is by invitation and limited to those who meet its professional standards in disability law and advocacy. On average, SNA members have about 18 years of relevant experience, with many of the members being certified as Elder Law Attorneys (CELAs) by the National Elder Law Foundation, the certifying entity for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Membership signifies that the member attorney is recognized amongst their peers as a notable attorney practicing special needs law.# # #About The Special Needs AllianceThe Special Needs Alliance (SNA) is an invitation-only national organization comprised of attorneys committed to the practice of disability and public benefits law. Individuals with disabilities, their families, and their advisors rely on the SNA to connect them with nearby attorneys who focus their practices in the disability law arena. For more information, visit www.specialneedsalliance.org Media Contact:Jihane Davidow, Executive Directorjihane@ specialneedsalliance.org SOURCE: Special Needs Alliance
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Today marks a pivotal moment for the kava community as the International Kava Organization (IKO) officially amplifies its global presence. As the pioneering authority and industry association for kava, IKO is poised to become the nexus between kava's rich cultural traditions, the latest scientific findings, and advocacy for its responsible consumption. Kava, a traditional beverage revered in the South Pacific, is made from the roots of Piper methysticum. Historically, kava has been celebrated not only for its relaxing properties but also as a cornerstone of communal gatherings and ceremonies. Beyond its cultural significance, kava offers a unique blend of relaxation and sociability, with its consumption serving as a testament to the harmonious blend of age-old practices and modern appreciation.The International Kava Organization (IKO) unites kava enthusiasts, advocates, and industry players for a sustainable and globally accepted kava industry.The IKO's vision reflects this delicate balance. Rooted in the belief that kava's rich cultural heritage should be celebrated, its diverse benefits universally acknowledged, and its consumption held as a testament to the harmonious blend of tradition and science, IKO is on a mission to ensure that kava is understood, respected, and enjoyed on a global scale."Kava is more than a beverage; it's a celebration of a rich cultural legacy, a nod to ancient traditions, and, with the latest research, a promise of a range of benefits. Our aim at IKO is to ensure that this legacy is not just preserved but thrives," said Jimmy Price, president of IKO and owner of dedicated online kava community Kava Forums.Supporting this vision, industry leaders such as Kalm with Kava and kava industry startups like Kavahana have partnered with IKO. Morgan Smith, CEO at Kalm with Kava stated, "Our collaboration with the IKO reflects our confidence in the future of kava. We are poised to bring the spirit of kava to international audiences, and together, we are committed to doing it the right way." Kavahana, the first kava-only bar in Los Angeles, echoed this sentiment. Hannah Wilen and Neil Bhatia, co-founders of Kavahana, remarked, "Kava has the power to connect people. Through IKO, we aim to extend this connection globally." Kava, grown sustainably in a family farm in the Pacific IslandsAdding to this rich tapestry of support is the expertise of distinguished kava scientists such as Ed Johnston, who runs the Association for Hawaiian 'Awa. He shared, "The true potential of kava lies in understanding its roots, both literal and cultural. My collaboration with IKO focuses on merging traditional knowledge with rigorous scientific research to ensure that the story of kava is told in its entirety." IKO's commitment does not end with championing kava's legacy. The organization is deeply invested in promoting responsible kava consumption, ensuring quality and safety, fostering scientific research, and crafting a future where kava's traditions and potential are both revered and explored. The kava community stands united, drawing strength from its deep cultural roots and economic impact. "Kava is not just a cornerstone of our heritage in Fiji; it's a burgeoning segment of our economy, empowering rural farmers," said Mark Simpson, a Fijian kava farmer. "While we take pride in cultivating high-quality kava, its journey beyond our borders falls out of our hands. The IKO represents hope, providing a global voice for farmers and ensuring our product is respected internationally." Unity and collaboration define the kava industry's global ethos, a point stressed by Michael Louze of the Vanuatu Kava Industry Association. "We have a very successful industry, and today all the actors of the value chain are enjoying the fruit of this success, from farmers in remote Pacific islands to kava bars in New York City," Louze observes, highlighting the shared prosperity. However, he acknowledges the growing challenges as the market expands, underscoring the necessity of a unified front. "It's paramount that we-farmers, processors, scientists, importers, and consumers-stand united," he asserts. Within this context of mutual success and forthcoming challenges, the IKO emerges as a vital bridge, seamlessly connecting diverse stakeholders to collectively steer the burgeoning kava market toward sustainable success.By fostering international cooperation, the International Kava Organization aims to safeguard the integrity of kava, advocating for standardized regulations, quality control, and a global community where knowledge and respect for this cultural emblem are paramount.To become a part of this global kava movement or to explore the vast resources that IKO offers, please visit internationalkava.org About The International Kava Organization:The International Kava Organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to the holistic advancement of kava, and the foremost authority and industry association for kava. Striving to unite tradition with innovation, IKO is the torchbearer for kava's past, present, and future on the global stage.Press Contact:press@ internationalkava.org SOURCE: International Kava Organization
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / The Watchlist by The Market Herald has announced the release of a new interview with Stakeholder Gold discussing their latest news.The Watchlist by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.Stakeholder (TSXV:SRC) Identifies Two Kilometer Scale Gold in Soil, and Multiple Further Anomalies on BallaratStakeholder Gold Corp. (TSXV:SRC) has announced the results of a 5,036 soil grid and ridge and spur sampling program undertaken by GroundTruth Exploration Ltd. on the Company's 100% owned Ballarat Project over the summer of 2023. The sampling program was designed to cover previously identified gold and copper ridge and spur anomalies and also to evaluate unexplored, and recently staked, portions of the 18,741 ha property. Chris Berlet, CEO of Stakeholder Gold Corp. sat down with Ryan Dhillon to discuss what this news means for the company.For the full press release from Stakeholder Gold Corp, click here.Interviews for The Watchlist by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Watchlist or to explore our other interviews visit The Watchlist by The Market Herald.About The Market HeraldThe Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca . Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website ( themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.CONTACT:The Market Heraldmarketing@ themarketherald.cathemarketherald.ca SOURCE: The Market Herald
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SaaS solution to bridge the gap between airside planning and operationsVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Transoft Solutions, developers of productivity-enhancing software and services for aviation, civil infrastructure, transportation and traffic safety industries, announced a new addition to their aviation product portfolio that bridges the gap between airside planning and operations.Bridging the gap between airside planning and operations AeroCENTRAL's centralized platform makes it easy for technical and operational airport planners, ground handlers and other key stakeholders to publish, distribute, and view airside infrastructure and operational information.AeroCENTRAL , the company's first SaaS solution for the aviation industry, allows users to share key airside infrastructural and operational information across teams and departments, through a single, centralized system. Scalable and easily accessible by various stakeholders, the platform hosts specialized applications for operational and technical planning tasks.The two applications on the AeroCENTRAL platform that are available at launch are Stand Guide and Specifications. These applications allow airports, airlines, ground service providers and their partners to publish, distribute, and view aircraft parking stand configurations, equipment locations, turnaround procedures, and aircraft technical specifications - ultimately, supporting safer operations and more efficient decision-making.AeroCENTRAL allows users to incorporate existing data, such as details from Transoft's AviPLAN software, with additional technical and operational data, into a single platform. The platform can also connect to external geographic information systems (GIS) and Airport Operational Databases (AODB).Intuitive and user-friendly for those of all levels of experience and proficiency, airport planning, operational planning and ground service teams will be able to publish, access and use the same up-to-date airport infrastructure and operational information, or aircraft data. This removes the need for numerous online and offline data sources, and with the ability to access and use the platform on a range of devices, AeroCENTRAL brings further convenience for the users. AeroCENTRAL ultimately saves time, reduces data duplication, and minimizes the risk of data loss or error, to support users in achieving safe and optimal operational tasks."We're very excited about this product launch and expect AeroCENTRAL to be a game changer for airside operations and planning in the aviation industry," said Mark Rodrigues, Vice President of Aviation at Transoft Solutions. "This platform will streamline how airside operations teams work together with a significant improvement in collaboration, on top of minimizing uncertainty to support safer and more optimal airside operations." "Additionally, we anticipate that users of Transoft's AviPLAN software will welcome AeroCENTRAL Stand Guide to their technology stack as it is the only application on the market capable and authorized to migrate AviPLAN design sessions from CAD into a geographic mapping system." For more information, visit: https://aerocentral.com/ About Transoft SolutionsTransoft Solutions develops advanced and highly specialized software for aviation, civil infrastructure, transportation, and operational professionals. Our innovative and time-saving solutions help professionals plan, design, and operate safe transportation systems. Founded in 1991, our portfolio of planning, simulation, modeling, and design solutions are used in over 150 countries serving more than 50,000 customers across local and federal agencies, consulting firms, airport authorities, and ports. We take pride in providing the highest quality of customer support from our headquarters in Canada, and through our offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, India, Belgium, Spain, and China. For more information on Transoft's range of aviation, civil design, and traffic safety solutions, visit transoftsolutions.com Contact InformationMedia Relations publicrelations@ transoftsolutions.com +1 604 244 8387 ext 2245Related FilesRelated ImagesBridging the gap between airside planning and operations AeroCENTRAL's centralized platform makes it easy for technical and operational airport planners, ground handlers and other key stakeholders to publish, distribute, and view airside infrastructure and operational information.Share infrastructural and operational information on a single centralized system The platform's first applications, Stand Guide and Specifications, allow stakeholders to present and access various aircraft parking stand configurations, equipment locations, turnaround procedures, or aircraft technical specifications.SOURCE: Transoft Solutions Inc.
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko had an online conversation with Mayor of Copenhagen Sophie Andersen and invited her to visit the capital of Ukraine.

"I spoke online with the mayor of Copenhagen, Sophie Andersen. I thanked the authorities and the community of the Danish capital for supporting Ukrainians and providing shelter to our citizens who were forced to flee the war," Klitschko said in Telegram channel on Wednesday.

The mayor said "Kyiv is interested in further cooperation with Copenhagen and the implementation of joint projects." Klitschko said the main projects were defined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the capitals, signed this year. Projects include working with war veterans, helping to create a rehabilitation center for soldiers and veterans in the capital, organizing recreation for children, as well as projects to create a comfortable living environment for people with disabilities.

"I invited Sophie Andersen to visit Kyiv in the near future," Klitschko said.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-10-25 02:41:29

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Firm Encourages PATH Investors with Substantial Losses to Contact its AttorneysSAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges UiPath Inc. (NYSE:PATH) investors who suffered $250k or more in losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Apr. 21, 2021 - Mar. 30, 2022Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Nov. 6, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/PATHContact An Attorney Now: PATH@ hbsslaw.com844-916-0895 UiPath Inc. (PATH) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges that UiPath made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that it: (1) had enacted a widespread discounting program before its April 21, 2021 IPO, temporarily boosting its revenue and annualized recurring revenue ("ARR") metrics, cannibalizing future sales, eroding margins, and increasing the risk of client churn; (2) overstated its actual total addressable market ("TAM") because many companies included in UiPath's market survey did not need the type of high-cost, high-functionality automation products offered by UiPath; (3) was losing customers to Microsoft, ServiceNow, SAP, Salesforce, IBM and other established software vendors that were building automation into their own platforms; and (4) was suffering from a loss of channel sales due to strained relationships with its partners as a result of increased competition between UiPath and its partners.The truth emerged over a series of disclosures beginning on Sept. 7, 2021, when UiPath revealed an unexpected slowdown in revenues and ARR metrics and its discounting of products before the IPO. Then, on Dec. 8, 2021, UiPath revealed its growth further stalled and disclosed its third consecutive ARR decline. Finally, on Mar. 30, 2022, UiPath revealed deeply disappointing ARR and revenue guidance that indicated declining growth trends were expected to continue.In response to each of these events, the price of UiPath shares significantly declined."We're focused on investors' losses and are investigating whether UiPath may have misled investors about known trends that would adversely affect the company's growth prospects," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in UiPath and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the UiPath case and our investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding UiPath should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email PATH@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
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Eulodia Ortiz of Matawan, New Jersey Selected as the Organization's Caregiver of the YearBRYN MAWR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Visiting Angels, the nation's leading provider of in-home care, proudly announces that one of its own, Eulodia Ortiz of Visiting Angels in Matawan, NJ, has been honored as the 2023 Caregiver of the Year by the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA). This prestigious award recognizes Eulodia's unwavering commitment, exceptional caregiving skills, and dedication to enhancing the lives of her clients."Eulodia represents the best of Visiting Angels. Guided by her faith, personal experiences, and a dedication to the dignity of each client she serves, many of whom are military veterans, she performs her duties from the heart," says Tim McAloon, Owner of Visiting Angels Matawan. "Eulodia is irreplaceable to her clients and their families. She spreads kindness and compassion in every home she enters." Having transitioned from a career as a pharmacist in the Philippines, Eulodia's journey into caregiving was a leap of faith. Her dedication and hard work have not only made a significant impact on her clients but also set a benchmark for caregiving standards at Visiting Angels."She truly is worthy of this recognition. Eulodia's exceptional dedication, especially during challenging times like blizzards, showcases her commitment," adds Kim Trzanowski, Director of Operations at Visiting Angels Matawan. "She not only ensures her own clients receive care but also steps in for others, ensuring all our clients in need receive the assistance they deserve." Eulodia's approach to caregiving goes beyond just fulfilling her professional responsibilities. She takes it upon herself to ensure the well-being and happiness of her clients, often going the extra mile, whether it's ensuring a client has a flashlight during a power outage or celebrating a birthday with a client who has no family."It is a dream to be chosen from 500 finalists. I love my job. I approach it as if I am taking care of my parents, my grandparents," says Eulodia Ortiz, 2023 Home Care Association of America Caregiver of the Year. "Caregiving is a calling, and each day I have the privilege to provide love, care, and support to all the clients I help." This recognition is a testament to Visiting Angels' commitment to excellence in caregiving. The company believes in nurturing and recognizing the efforts of its caregivers, who play a pivotal role in upholding the brand's reputation for compassionate and high-quality care.For a downloadable image of Eulodia Ortiz, the 2023 HCAOA Caregiver of the Year, visit https://www.hcaoa.org/uploads/1/3/3/0/133041104/published/eulodia-ortiz.jpg?1694811384 Media Contact:Nancy Bostrom nbostrom@919 marketing.com 919.459.8163About Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services:Visiting Angels began franchising in 1998 in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Today, Visiting Angels has 600 private-duty agencies throughout the United States. Visiting Angels agencies conduct the most comprehensive background screenings to ensure that their caregivers meet or exceed the company's high standards. Companion care, Alzheimer's care, dementia care, palliative care, and other programs make Visiting Angels your choice in senior home care. For more information on Visiting Angels or to find a location near you, please visit www.visitingangels.com About Home Care Association of America (HCAOA)Founded in 2002, the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) is the industry's leading trade association for home care providers. It represents the industry's unified voice in Washington, DC, and state governments nationwide. HCAOA represents more than 4,500 agencies across the United States.SOURCE: Visiting Angels
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Leroy Abrahams talks with Coca-Cola UNITED CEO Mike Suco about his family's escape from the Communist Revolution in Cuba.NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Regions BankBy Candace HigginbothamRegions is proud to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, when we honor the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots back to Spain, Mexico, and Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.Leroy Abrahams' role as head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank calls for spending a great deal of time out in the markets the bank serves.On a regular basis, Abrahams meets with community and civic leaders, local government officials, corporate executives and customers. These encounters often result in conversations with interesting, inspiring individuals who have fascinating stories to tell.Abrahams found a remarkable story when he met Mike Suco, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED in Birmingham, Alabama. Abrahams and Suco are serving as co-chairs of the recently launched Miles College fundraising campaign in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the college, which is a historically black college and university, or HBCU."My first impression of Mike was that he was a personable guy and an effective leader," Abrahams recalled. "But when I got to know him better and learned about his family history and how it shaped his professional life - I was even more impressed." And he knew that others would find the story inspiring, as well. So, this summer Abrahams invited Suco to participate in a video interview and share his personal story for a Regions leadership meeting.My first impression of Mike was that he was a personable guy and an effective leader, but when I got to know him better and learned about his family history and how it shaped his professional life - I was even more impressed.Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions BankIn this video excerpt, Suco tells the story of his family's migration from Cuba in 1962, shortly after the Communist Revolution took over the country. His family was not supportive of the Castro regime and his father and uncle were jailed for speaking out.Forced out of their country, the family - grandparents, parents and 13-day-old baby brother - came to the United States with no money and only one bag of belongings per person.Suco describes his family's journey from Miami to Alabama. He reminisces about growing up in the small town of Jacksonville, Alabama, speaking Spanish and eating Cuban food at home and making the transition to "good southern English" when he went to school. "It was an interesting way to grow up," he says with a smile.Certain themes emerge from his family's experience: the importance of education, family, community and a strong work ethic. These valuable lessons continue to influence his life today - and according to Suco, have played a direct role in his professional success."We're not perfect, but we're the best country in the world," he said. "Anybody can come here from anywhere in the world and build a successful life, like my parents and grandparents did - and many others." Watch the above video to hear Suco's inspiring story.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Regions Bank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Regions BankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/regions-bank Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Regions Bank
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday directed the immediate implementation of fiscal policy and tax reforms recommendation of a report on the quick-win achievement.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja after the committee met with the president in Abuja on Tuesday.

Earlier in July, Mr Tinubu approved the establishment of a Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms and appointed Taiwo Oyedele as the chairman of the committee.

The government said the establishment of the committee reflects Mr Tinubus commitment to addressing challenges and bringing about transformative reforms in fiscal policy and taxation.

The committees primary objective, according to the Nigerian government, is to enhance revenue collection efficiency, ensure transparent reporting, and promote the effective utilisation of tax and other revenues to boost citizens tax morale, foster a healthy tax culture, and drive voluntary compliance.

On Tuesday, Mr Ngelale said that after listening to a presentation by the committee chairman, the president directed the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, to liaise with the secretary to the government of the Federation, and the Chairman of the Tax Policy Review Committee to ensure that the recommendations of the committee are swiftly and immediately implemented across all ministries, departments, and agencies of the federal government.

This is to ensure that there is effective synergy and to ensure that every institution of the federal government is on the same page with respect to how tax policy will be implemented, the statement said.

Mr Tinubu also made available an opportunity for the recommendations of the tax policy review committee to be made a topmost priority at the next sitting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday.

Mr President will continue to emphasise the importance of ensuring that our tax authorities are not taxing the seed, but are taxing the fruit. And that will continue to be the focus.

We want to ensure that our citizens are receiving the best public service provision. And that is only going to be possible when we have expanded the tax net to such an extent that we are collecting tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reaching the 18 per cent threshold as directed and targeted by His Excellency, Mr President.

Without any undue burden being placed on the most vulnerable segments of our population and without, in any way, increasing any substantial form the taxes being levied on large scale industry, medium scale industry and small scale industry in the country, the statement said.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Tuesday said 149 incidents of crude theft were recorded across the Niger Delta in the past week.

The oil firm said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

The company said across the Niger Delta, the war on crude oil theft is on and the industry-wide security collaboration continues to record remarkable progress.

In the past week, 149 incidents were recorded across the Niger Delta. In some areas of the Niger Delta, its become a warfare of sorts, the NNPCL said.

It said in Osuobodo between two ANTAN flow stations south of Oguta naval base in Imo state, an oil bunkering site was uncovered.

Far from the regular, the NNPCL said these criminals have taken their activities a notch higher.

In this camp, CCTV cameras have been installed on trees by the thieves to look out for security operatives. Mortar launchers and defence systems were also mounted by the oil thieves in various locations to eliminate any perceived enemy.

This discovery was made possible after an invasion by the military following information gathered by air surveillance carried out by Target Energy, Tantita security services, Operation Delta Safe and the Military in August.

Its a well-orchestrated mission. The thieves are determined to live here and trade their stolen crude. A lack of electricity is no excuse. Generators are on standby to keep the camps operations afloat, the statement said.

It said drums of crude oil feeding from an illegal connection, bags used for storing crude and more were discovered on the camp.

The oil company said between the 14 and 20 of October, 2023, 49 illegal connections were uncovered in Udu & Ogharefe in Delta State, Ohaji Egbema in Imo, Brass in Bayelsa and Rivers State.

At this spot in Rivers State, oil thieves drilled a tunnel underneath the tarred road to insert their illegal connection. The aim is to operate undetected. This was planned and carried out by an expert, using a horizontal directional drilling machine.

16 cases of pipeline vandalism were recorded this week in Azuzu in Bayelsa state and Obodo Omadina and Ogidigbein in Delta state where a wellhead was vandalised. In Ozuaku in Abia state, a vandalised pipeline is being repaired.

It added that 10 facilities used for storing stolen crude were uncovered in various locations in the Niger Delta in the past week. In Ekpemu in Delta state, an interesting discovery was made.

It explained that more storage facilities were discovered in Ogborode, Ugborodo and Kwale in Delta State, Tomble and Emuoha in Rivers State and Yenagoa in Bayelsa State.

In Ozoro, Umuosonwu and Patani in Delta state, the NNPCL said vehicles conveying sacks of crude oil were arrested and their content confiscated.

Five (5) vehicle arrests were made between the 14th and 20th of October, 2023.

18 wooden boats conveying stolen crude were also apprehended this week in Rivers, Delta and Imo states.

Nine (9) of these incidents took place in the deep blue water, 23 in the western region, 67 in the central region and 50 in Nigerias Eastern region.

For NNPC Limited, there is no backing down on the war on crude oil theft, until the menace is eradicated for good, it said.

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The Supreme Court has slated Thursday for judgement on the appeals filed by the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Abubakar Atiku, and Labour Party, Peter Obi.

The judgement will lay to rest the legal disputes over the 25 February presidential election.

Atiku and Mr Obi had appealed against the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) which dismissed their petitions challenging the outcome of the 25 February presidential election and affirmed the election of President Bola Tinubu.

The Director of Information of the Supreme Court, Festus Akande, confirmed the information to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that thee Supreme Court had on Monday, reserved judgement after hearing the appeals.

NAN reports that the five-member PEPC led by Haruna Tsammani had on 6 September dismissed petitions filed by the presidential candidates for lacking in merit and affirmed the election of President Tinubu.

Displeased with the judgment, the duo approached the Supreme Court, asking it to overturn the judgement of the lower court in their favour.

Atikus notice of appeal had canvassed 35 grounds, contending that the PEPC erred in law.

The PDP presidential candidate, through his lead counsel, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that the judgement of the PEPC was a miscarriage of justice.

He argued that the lower court also erred in law when it failed to nullify the presidential election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

According to him, by the evidence before the court, INEC conducted the election based on grave and gross misrepresentation contrary to the principles of the Electoral Act 2022, and against the doctrine of legitimate expectation.

Specifically, Atiku asked the Supreme Court to set aside the whole findings and conclusions of the PEPC on the grounds that they did not represent the true picture of the grounds of his petition.

Mr Obi, on his part, through his lead counsel, Levi Uzoukwu, a SAN, also prayed the Supreme Court to set aside the judgement of the PEPC.

Mr Uzoukwu prayed the court to allow the appeal of his client and grant all the prayers sought.

In their responses, counsel for the respondents  the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, (APC)  each urged the court to dismiss the appeals for want of merit and for being frivolous.

Specifically, President Tinubus lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, a SAN described the appeals as lacking in merit .

Mr Olanipekun specifically told the court that the appeal filed by Atiku was abusive in nature and asked the court to dismiss the appeal.

Mahmoud Yakubu, a SAN, for INEC and Akin Olujimi similarly asked the panel to dismiss the appeals for want of merit.

The Supreme Court had at Mondays proceedings, dismissed dismissed the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), after its lawyers withdrew the case.

The seven-member panel of justices led by Inyang Okoro, after hearing both appeals, reserved judgement, promising to communicate the date parties to the parties.

NAN also reports that although Atiku and Obis petitions were consolidated, they were heard separately.

(NAN)

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In August, Gabon faced a pivotal crossroads when a coup unfolded, marking the end of a staggering 56-year rule by the Bongo family. The dynasty had come to symbolise both political continuity and calamitous governance.

Led by high-ranking Republican Guard officers, the tightly controlled transfer of power swiftly deposed long-standing president Ali Bongo Ondimba. His ousting has ushered in a new era of uncertainty, with a transitional government led by General Brice Oligui Nguema.

Over the years, Central Africa has been marred by political instability and recently, coups, reflecting a region plagued by governance challenges. In this environment, positive political transitions could become proactive tools for consolidating governance and preventing instability and coups.

In Gabon, political, social and economic factors converged to create a volatile climate, leaving the country vulnerable to a power vacuum after Omar Bongos death in June 2009. His son Ali Bongo became president after the eviction of his fathers former companions and a contested election in August 2009. Perceptions of political injustice and polarisation followed, heightened by the absence of a transparent and inclusive electoral process and an unstable political system.

Each of Ali Bongos three election wins  in 2009, 2016 and 2023  were disputed. In 2016, protesters set the countrys Parliament building alight after his re-election. Ironically, his main rival was his former brother-in-law, Jean Ping, who previously held high-ranking posts in the elder Bongos cabinet. These developments led to widespread political division, increasingly acrimonious rhetoric, violent clashes between political factions and electoral disputes.

The oil-rich nations August 2023 election was plagued by complaints of corruption. Although Ali Bongo secured over two-thirds of the vote, the election lacked transparency and legitimacy. During his reign, Ali Bongo was accused of buying off opponents and appointing family members to strategic positions. During the controversial 2023 polls, no international observers or journalists were present, a curfew was imposed, and the countrys borders were closed.

Bongos disregard for the rule of law and democracy provided fertile ground for opposition parties seeking change  but also fuelled popular discontent and provided impetus for political upheaval.

Despite its above-average GDP per capita of US$17 440, Gabon has high levels of income inequality and poverty. In 2019, 43.5% of the population lived below the poverty line  the fourth highest poverty rate among Africas upper-middle-income economies. Unemployment is high, with 40% of young people out of work in 2020.

Gabons economic downturn, driven by fluctuations in oil prices, has undermined the governments ability to provide for its citizens. As the economy weakened, the government struggled to maintain public support, and corruption scandals further eroded the populations trust.

With this type of governance in place for 57 years, the conditions were ripe for social unrest and an unconstitutional change of regime.

Preventing political instability and coups in Central Africa largely hinges on identifying and responding to warning signs timeously and effectively  and Gabons experiences provide valuable insights.

The countrys new Transition Charter lays the groundwork for democratic reform. Its emphasis on democratic ideals, human rights and good governance shows a willingness to address past difficulties and construct a more stable and democratic future. New values such as patriotism, accountability and inclusivity indicate a shifting political environment that emphasises openness and dialogue.

Properly implementing the charter will be critical and requires collaboration among all stakeholders and adherence to the documents principles. Gabons political environment is changing, and the charter represents a key component of that development.

However, it is silent on two crucial issues: the presidents eligibility for the next elections and the duration of the transition. This is creating tensions that could worsen if the national dialogue scheduled for next April doesnt settle these issues.

The political situation in Gabon before the coup is similar to that of many Central African countries. Regimes have been in place for decades without alternation, and economic governance doesnt always meet the peoples aspirations.

In these contexts, transition agendas could be used to reset political systems and avert instability. Countries such as Gabon and Chad should use their transitions proactively to improve political and economic freedoms, and address underlying popular grievances. More than two years into its transition, Chad has made little progress, but Gabon could do better.

Using political transitions as a tool to prevent coups offers the prospect of long-term stability, reconciliation and regional cooperation. To succeed though, political transitions must be repositioned towards coup prevention. Such an approach  involving diplomatic, political and security measures  is imperative for Central Africa and needs the support of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

The African Union (AU) can assist by ensuring that the political transition in Gabon and those across Central Africa lead to long-term stability and resilience against coups. In Gabons case, the AU and ECCAS can mediate conflicts and promote dialogue to address grievances and foster reconciliation. Both organisations should deploy election observer missions to establish the new governments legitimacy and prevent further political crises.

Gabons case can guide ECCAS in promoting democratic transitions that enable Central Africa to find a road to peace and stability.

Remadji Hoinathy, Senior Researcher, Central Africa and Great Lakes and Nirvaly Mooloo, Intern, Institute for Security Studies (ISS)

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Kesiye Wabote has advised that making unending changes to the structures set up by Petroleum Industry Act 2021 could kill the confidence of investors and stall new projects in the oil and gas sector.

Speaking on Tuesday at a panel session at the recently concluded Nigerian Economic Summit held in Abuja, the Executive Secretary explained that the PIA 2021 contains adequate provisions to ignite growth in the energy sector and advised the Federal Government and key stakeholders to avoid the temptation of tweaking the law at every turn.

Mr Wabote, an engineer, hinted that policy somersaults kill the confidence of investors. Once a nation or economic sector is known for trial-and-error initiatives, it makes the investors adopt a wait-and-see attitude or move on to other entities.

While acknowledging the need to seek areas of improvement, he cautioned that it is injurious to the investment climate if we are in a perpetual state of policy modifications or amendment of laws that we are yet to even progress to full implementation.

Mr Wabote remarked that it took the Nigerian oil and gas industry almost two decades to pass the PIA, during which time many stakeholders of the industry blamed the lack of passage of the then Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as the reason for the lack of investment in the oil and gas industry.

He charged players of the industry to complete ongoing projects and deploy the provisions of the PIA to simulate the necessary growth in the energy sector.

Dwelling on ideas that would ignite the growth of the industry, the Executive Secretary recommended timely decisions on lingering issues on divestments, assignments and acquisitions, bid rounds, inter-agency collaborations, sanctity of contracts, and others.

He also canvassed for the speedy completion of the Dangote Refinery project and the delivery of products into the economy.

Speaking further, he listed the Presidential Power Initiative in partnership with Siemens and the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries as ignition points for growth, stressing the need to get them across the finish line. The construction of the 615km AKK Pipeline is an ignition point for growth, we need to keep at it till completion, otherwise, it remains a pipe dream, he added.

The Executive Secretary harped on the need to set Local Content practice as a National Agenda to address recurring dislocations in the economy. He recalled that Presidential Executive Order 003 requires that MDAs must give preference to made-in-Nigeria brands in eight products.

He pointed out that the implementation has been abandoned in public procurement. He insisted that the successes recorded in the practice of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry needed to be replicated and sustained across other sectors of our economy to promote local manufacturing and productivity.

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Nigeria is ranked 120th of the 142 countries in terms of adherence to rule of law, according to the latest global Rule of Law Index released by the World Justice Project (WJP).

The 2023 index released on Wednesday in Washington DC, United States, also showed that out of the 34 countries ranked in the sub-Saharan region, Nigeria is rated 23rd.

According to the WJP report, countries were judged on eight indicators, namely constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.

While the report noted that Nigerias score increased, however, it slipped by two points from the 2022 index where it was ranked 118th out of the 140 countries ranked globally that year.

This is the sixth consecutive Index marking global declines in the rule of law. This year alone, the rule of law declined in 59 per cent of countries surveyed. However, Nigeria is among the minority of countries to see its Rule of Law Index score increase this year, the report stated.

Globally, the top-ranked country in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index is Denmark, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.

The country with the lowest score is Venezuela, trailed by Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Nigerias performance across indicators

In terms of constraints on government powers, Nigeria was ranked 85th out of 142 countries globally and ranked 14th out of 34 countries in the region. The performance in this indicator was the best performance for Nigeria in any of the indicators.

However, WJP stated that 74 per cent of the countries failed in the area of constraint on government, specifically in terms of the ability of some institutions to check the excess of the executive.

Over the past seven years, index scores for constraints on government powers have fallen in 74% of countriesincluding Nigeria. Around the world, legislatures, judiciaries, and civil societyincluding the mediahave all lost ground on checking executive power.

These and other authoritarian trends continued in 2023, but they are slowing, with fewer countries declining in 2022 and 2023 than in earlier years. Constraints on Government Powers fell in 56 per cent of countries, compared to 58 per cent in 2022 and 70 per cent in 2021. Likewise, a smaller majority of countries saw overall rule of law declines in this year (59 per cent) as compared to the last two (61 per cent and 74 per cent), WJP stated.

Co-founder and President of WJP, William Neukom, explained that the world remains gripped by a rule of law recession characterised by executive overreach, curtailing of human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet peoples needs.

In terms of absence of corruption, Nigeria ranked 121st out of 142 countries globally, and 23rd out of 34 countries regionally. In the open government category, the country is ranked 104th out of 142 globally and 14th out of 34 in the regional ranking.

Similarly, in order and security, Nigeria is the second worst country in the sub-Saharan region as it is ranked 33rd out of 34 countries. Globally, it is ranked 139 out of 142. In terms of fundamental rights, Nigeria has a global ranking of 116th out of 142 and a regional ranking of 23rd out of 34.

For regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice, Nigeria is ranked 119th, 100th and 86th respectively out of the 142 countries rated.

Regional ranking

In the sub-Saharan region, WJP ranked the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The regions top performer is Rwanda (ranked 41st out of 142 globally), followed by Namibia and Mauritius. The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Mauritania, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (138th globally).

WJP stated that since 2016, the rule of law has fallen in 78 per cent of countries studied. The rule of law factor to decline most between 2016 and 2023 is fundamental rightsdown in 77 per cent of countries, including Nigeria.

Methodology

WJP is an independent, nonpartisan, multidisciplinary organisation working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide.

To compile the list, WJP says it relies on more than 149,000 household surveys and 3,400 legal practitioner and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced and perceived worldwide.

WJP defines the rule of law as a durable system of laws, institutions, norms, and community commitment that delivers: accountability, just laws, open government, and accessible justice.

The report is published annually and subjected to a rigorous methodology. The Index is used by governments, multilateral organisations, businesses, academia, media, and civil society organisations around the world to assess and address gaps in the rule of law.

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The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has called for further intervention and support from the federal government in the areas of agriculture, healthcare and security.

Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, Mr Sani emphasised the importance of collaboration with federal government agencies to tackle the challenges of Insecurity in the state.

I came here to discuss with Mr President who has been supportive of what we are doing in Kaduna. So it is just a follow-up, on what he has been doing for us and today I came also to remind him about other areas.

The governor further applauded the president for his support to the state, describing the meeting as a successful one.

We have a president that has taken Kaduna very seriously, and he is helping us in areas that we as a state cannot handle alone. He has been giving us the leadership and guidance, he said.

On the issue of security, Mr Sani said We need some more boots on the ground in areas like Birnin Gwari, Giwa as well as some local governments around Zangon Kataf, Kaura and some axis of Southern Kaduna.

 The military has recognised Kaduna as one of the states needing serious security support.

 The military generally considered Kaduna as one of the most important states that need this serious security support and intervention because, as youre aware, security has something to do with the federal government, particularly when it comes to the issue of the service chiefs, the police and the DSS.

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Military personnel of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine discovered and destroyed another warehouse with enemy ammunition in temporarily occupied Donetsk, the intelligence agency said on its Telegram channel on Wednesday.

"On October 23, 2023 at 03:20 Kyiv time, as a result of strikes with precision weapons, an enemy ammunition depot located on Reviakina Street in Donetsk was destroyed. The weapons base belonged to the 110th separate motorized rifle brigade of the first Army Corps of the Russian occupation forces, which is now involved in assault operations in Avdiyivka area," the agency said.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, gave a final warning to defaulters of ground rent payment in the FCT, insisting that something would happen.

Mr Wike gave the warning when the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its President, Chris Isiguzo, visited him in Abuja.

The minister said that something will surely happen contrary to the erroneous assumption that the ground rent directive was an empty threat.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the FCT Administration in September published land titles of individuals, organisations, and agencies owing ground rent.

In the publication, the FCTA reminded allottees of lands within FCT of their obligations as stipulated in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to pay in advance without demand from 1 January of each year.

The FCTA had warned that a breach or failure to comply with any or all of the terms stated in the Rights of Occupancy shall be liable to the revocation of the title.

The administration, therefore, advised all allottees, property owners, and beneficiaries of the sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT to settle their outstanding ground rents or lose their titles.

Mr Wike assured the defaulters that he would match his words with action at the end of the grace period by revoking such plots.

The law has been there before I came. The only problem is applying the law. The Minister of State and I have the capacity and political will to do what is right.

You know Nigerians are funny, believing that nothing will happen. Something will happen. We cant continue that way; we cant.

We have given defaulters a final notice to go and pay and they said it is initial garagara (false bravery). Something will happen.

By the time we give the final notice, and you dont pay, the law will be applied, he said.

He added that the FCTA was able to save significant Internally Generated Revenue since its removal from the Treasury Single Account, adding that the era of abandoned projects in the FCT was over.

He explained that some of the hash decisions being taken by the FCTA were for the good of all in the long run, adding that the government would step on toes in the efforts to right the wrongs in the FCT.

The minister pledged continued support to the media as critical partners in the development space.

Earlier, Mr Isiguzo commended Mr Wike for his transformational potential as exemplified in Rivers State when he was the governor.

He also commended the minister for his media-friendly disposition and pledged the NUJs support through free and responsible journalism.

He appealed to the minister to support the unions capacity building programme, its forthcoming National Media Conference, and provide a plot of land for the construction of a Media Village in Abuja.

NAN reports that the procedure for the payment of the ground rent is e-payment through the REMITA portal to generate a REMITA Retrieval Reference (RRR).

Affected persons are expected to log onto the REMITA portal and click on Pay TSA & States, then select Federal Capital Territory Administration.

After that, select Abuja, Geographic Information Systems and choose the revenue head to be paid which in this case is FCC Ground Rent.

Fill in the required information, submit, and print the RRR slip, after which payment can be made in any commercial bank.

(NAN)

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The controversial bill to extend the retirement age of National Assembly staff to 65 years has resurfaced in the House of Representatives.

The Bill was considered and passed for the second reading during plenary session in Abuja.

The bill, titled A Bill For an Act to Make Provisions for the Retirement Age for Staff of National Assembly Service and for Related Matters, is sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki (NNPP-Kano).

During the debate on the proposed legislation, Mr Madaki explained that the bill aimed to establish a unified retirement age for National Assembly staff and grant them independence.

The proposed retirement age is set at 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first.

Mr Madaki argued that this extension would enhance the efficiency of the professionalised National Assembly staff.

In support of the bill, Ali Isa, the minority whip, emphasised that it would preserve the specialised experience of National Assembly staff.

He noted that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also advocated for such an extension, which is already in practice in many countries.

Abdullahi Rasheed added that the bill would boost the morale of National Assembly staff and enable them to meet the demands of their complex roles.

The bill passed the second reading and was referred to the House committee on Public Service Matters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the Bill has faced previous assemblies since the seventh 7th assembly without success, while the 9th assembly reintroduced the Bill on 28 June, 2022.

NAN reports that the harmonised version of the bill re-emerged in the House of Reps on 29 June, 2021, presented by the Majority Leader, Mohammed Monguno, who stressed the importance of legislative stability in Nigeria.

The bill, however, encountered controversy during the 8th Assembly, raising concerns among legislative staff and officials seeking to extend their tenure.

The Bill, as perceived by many, may lead to a parallel bureaucracy within the Public Service of the federation and has faced opposition from NASS staff who see it as a strategy to impede their career growth.

NAN reports that the house in 2022, stepped down the report on the bill which seeks to extend the tenure of legislative staff from 35 years to 40 years and compulsory retirement from 60 years to 65 years.

ALSO READ: Tinubu signs new law that harmonises retirement age of Nigerian judges

The report which was circulated to members during the plenary, Clause 1 provides that: The provisions of the bill shall apply throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Clause 2 provides that: Staff of Legislative Houses in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.

Clause 3 of the report provides that: Without prejudice to any Act of the National Assembly or law, or the Public Service Rules requiring a person to retire from the Public Service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service shall not apply to Staff of Legislative Houses in Nigeria.

Clause 4 provides that: In this Act, Legislative Houses means the National Assembly and States Houses of Assembly; while Public Service has the meaning ascribed to it under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

Clause 5 provides that: This bill may be cited as the harmonized retirement age for Legislative Houses in Nigeria bill, 2022.

(NAN)

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The United States and Gulf nations have stepped up efforts to curb the flow of revenue allegedly going to Hamas through its secret investment portfolio.

Brian Nelson, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, made the announcement on Wednesday.

Mr Nelson told an emergency meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center in Riyadh that the U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council members should come together to address terrorist financing in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel.

Hamas financiers have long enjoyed unimpeded access to many jurisdictions and likely their financial systems.

We need to better understand these networks, and more importantly, stop this activity if it is occurring in our jurisdictions.

A U.S. official was cited by CNN on Tuesday saying the Palestinian group is suspected to have between 400 million dollars and one billion dollars in investment.

It said it included companies operating in Sudan, Algeria, Turkey and the UAE.

(Sputnik/NAN)

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The Taraba State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has decried the sharp increase in abductions of Christian clerics in the state.

The state chairman of CAN, Isaiah Magaji, who issued a press statement in Jalingo on Tuesday, said kidnapping of clerics and members of their families is becoming unbearable.

CAN is saddened with the nefarious activities of kidnappers which are targeted on Christian clergymen and their families.

It would be recalled that recently kidnappers stormed the residence of a clergyman with ECWA church in Mile six, Jalingo and many other clerics. The abductors made it clear that the clergy was their target. Again this Sunday another clergy with the CRC-N was abducted in his station at Tudun Haske, a village in Donga local government area of Taraba State alongside his family members and others.

CAN condemned this nefarious act and called on the government to make security to the life and properties of Christian clerics a top priority as now they are the soft target of the kidnappers.

CAN is worried that local Communities and villages are no longer safe as they are attacked frequently by these bad elements without caution and regard to humanity.

This must not be allowed to continue to happen, the government should prioritise the security of the local communities across the state.

Security presence should be felt in the local communities. The people should support security agencies with intelligence that will uncover the hideout of the criminals in their midst.

The need for prayers for the mercy of God upon the land cannot be overemphasised. Believers should raise family altars and cry to God for a permanent solution to banditry and kidnapping in our vicinity.

Taraba has continued to battle growing insecurity since the assumption of the administration of Agbu Kefas.

Kidnappers and bandits are increasingly attacking residents across the state.

In the last three months, more than 50 people, including at least 10 Christian clerics and members of their families have been kidnapped for ransom across the state.

Last week in Gindin Dutse, Donga Local Government, two clerics and six members of their families were kidnapped.

An undisclosed ransom was paid before they secured their release.

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The Edo State Government on Tuesday inaugurated the National Animal Identification and Traceability system to create a database of livestock and other information on production for the purpose of traceability in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the identification system was launched during the 5th National Animal Husbandry Development Committee meeting held in Benin.

NAN also reports that the system is an initiative of the federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with MEGACORP company as its technical partner and the Edo State Government as implementing partner.

Declaring the meeting open, Governor Godwin Obaseki said the launch of the identification system would go a long way in solving the farmers and herders crisis in the country.

Mr Obaseki, represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Stephen Idehenre, noted that the agricultural sector required an extensive coordination for effective and efficient resources utilisation by farmers.

He said As part of our institution reforms to strengthen the engine of government under EdoSTEP, I approved the creation of the Department of Animal Husbandry Services in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Thus, I will be right to say that the choice of Edo State to host this event is one of the benefits of our institution reforms in the civil service.

Therefore, I am happy that Edo State has become a melting point for technocrats in the very diverse field of animal husbandry to discuss industry issues and to proffer appropriate solutions to grow the sector.

We recognise that capacity and institution building are critical to success, hence our initiative to invest in agriculture education and innovation.

Our intervention in the oil palm sector has been adjudged the biggest in Sub-Sahara Africa, with over 70,000 hectares of unencumbered land allocated to nine private investors for oil palm production.

Presently, the Edo State Government is partnering with Heifer International and Amo Farms Sieberer Hatchery Limited to empower over 200,000 smallholder poultry farmers by 2030.

Under this initiative, Amo Farms Sieberer Hatchery Limited will process made-in-Edo chicken, starting with 10,000 birds per day with a plan to scale-up as farmers production capacity increases, he said.

Governor Obaseki urged the committee to come up with implementable strategies that would guide government at all levels to further develop the livestock industry that is worth over N33 trillion annually.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ernest Umakhihe, thanked Governor Obaseki for hosting the event.

Mr Umakhihe noted that the livestock sector accounted for more than 40 per cent of the agricultural gross domestic product and 33 per cent of the worlds protein intake and supported over one billion people.

He added that Nigeria had the largest population of livestock in West Africa, accounting for about nine per cent of the contribution of Agriculture to the national GDP.

The sector also has a huge economic potential worth over N33 trillion annually, Mr Umakhihe said.

He explained that the ministry launched the animal identification system to create a database of identified livestock to discourage rustling in the country.

He urged other states to launch the system and commence its implementation.

The National President, Animal Science Association of Nigeria, Raymond Isiadinso, called on all Nigerians to work together to build a stronger and more resilient animal agriculture sector.

(NAN)

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The Lagos State government has sealed off Alaba Rago Market in Ojo and Alade Market in Ikeja for various environmental infractions.

The state governors media aide, Jubril Gawat, made this known on Wednesday via his X account.

He said that the markers were sealed off for lack of waste bin, filthy environment, illegal burning of refuse by the roadside. indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

And failure to comply with the rules of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

READ ALSO: Lagos govt reopens market closed over refuse

According to the statement, the commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the joint enforcement action by officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), was part of ongoing measures to sanitise markets.

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A group of women, under the aegis of Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo, has demanded an end to the insecurity across South-east Nigeria.

At its third annual conference held at the old Governors Lodge Enugu on Tuesday, Josephine Anineh, the groups president, said the women were disturbed by the insecurity which she said had continued to take a toll on the social and economic lives of the people in the region.

As women who had high hopes of partnering with our men and young people to develop our homeland, we are totally disappointed that all we see and feel is tears, sorrow and blood.

As daughters, sisters, wives and mothers, we, the women, have looked on as our region is mired in self-destructive lethargy and actions. We, the women, are the greatest victims of the insecurity in the land, Mrs Anineh said.

The groups president said the women have decided to partner men to ensure return of peace, unity and development in the region, arguing that women in Igbo land play important roles in resolving conflict in communities and families.

Nothing seems normal anymore. We are losing the human capital as we lose our productive men, we are suffering the losses of our sons and husbands and we look on as investors scamper out of the South-east to other states because there is fear and anxiety in the land.

Our children, our hope for the future are all running away from home and those who remain are unemployed while those outside who feel like hearkening to the Aku Luo Uno mantra are reluctant to come home because we literally have a Hobbesian state in Igboland where life seems to be brutal, short and nasty, the president stated.

Continuing, she said: We are ready as women to initiate the moves that can return peace to our region. We have sadly looked on but it is obvious we all need a team spirit for the wrongs to be righted. Every other region in Nigeria might not be an Eldorado but there seems to be some synergy that promotes peace and unity that sadly seems to be lacking with us.

The South-east needs the urgency of now to address the insecurity that has made the region lose billions if not trillions of naira for a region known for its industry and commerce. We must steady the ship of the region before it sinks like the Titanic which even though was supposedly built to be strong sank in a very historic manner.

On her part, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustee of the group, Regina Amadi-Njoku, said that they were concerned because women remain the worst victims of the insecurity in the region.

Many are in captivity while many more live in fear or have been displaced and become refugees in Igboland. Many that are outside the South-east are too scared to make the valued journey to our home land, Mr Amadi-Njoku said.

This has dire socio-economic consequences. We are therefore here today to rub minds, to proffer solutions in unison so that we can harness the values of the complementarity that prospered our forebears, she added.

Governor Mbah speaks

Responding, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State commended the women for bringing up the conversation at this time and assured of his administrations support.

Mr Mbah, represented by the Deputy Governor of the state, Ifeanyi Ossai, urged the women to participate and contribute to the task of restoring peace and security in the South-east.

The governor said the initiative was an avenue to remind men about what they have failed to do and that it was imperative to encourage both women and men to take seriously the need to join hands in fighting insecurity in the region.

Background

Security has deteriorated in Nigerias South-east with frequent attacks by armed persons in the region.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

Hundreds of people, including community leaders, security operatives and government officials, have been killed or injured in such attacks.

The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.

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Labour unions in Cross River State have disagreed on the planned implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the disagreement came to the fore when the union officials walked out on government officials during a planned sensitisation of the workers on the scheme in Calabar on Wednesday.

The planned sensitisation had in attendance, the national President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and representatives of the state government, led by Secretary to the Government, Anthony Owan-Enoh.

The workers said they staged a walkout because of insincerity on the part of the government on the scheme.

One of the union leaders who spoke with NAN, on the condition of anonymity, said the workers discovered that the government was trying to force the scheme on workers.

According to him, We were never told about the coming of the NLC national president. We were shocked to see him appear with government officials in the hall where the sensitisation was to take place.

For us, we concluded that his presence was a plan to force workers in the state into the scheme.

All we want is for the government to engage the workers more on the scheme before any decision will be arrived at.

The government has, however, maintained that the planned migration of the workers is for their benefit.

The spokesperson to Governor Bassey Otu, Emmanuel Ogbeche, who spoke with NAN on the workers protest during the aborted sensitisation meeting, said the governor aims to prevent a future where the workers are frustrated in their retirement from service.

I am sure you are aware that the state has not paid gratuities since 2014 and this is primarily the concern of Governor Otu in planning a migration to the contributory pension scheme.

He pointed out that the workers present insisted that they would not work with the three banks that have been pencilled down for the scheme.

These banks that have been engaged by the government are the ones that will ensure the sustainability of the scheme, but the labour unions are saying they have their own banks to work with.

This is an act of parliament. Moreover, it is the state government that is funding it.

Though the planned sensitisation couldnt take place, the government is hopeful that they see reasons with the benefit of the scheme, he stated.

(NAN)

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The House of Representatives has condemned the ill-treatment of passengers by airline operators.

The lawmakers condemned the frequent flight delays and cancellations without compensation.

The resolution was a sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Kelechi Nwogu (PDP, Rivers) on Wednesday during plenary.

Moving the motion, Mr Nwogu said the House should be concerned about the frequent cancellation and delay of flights by airlines in Nigeria.

He said some passengers have had to sleep at airports due to frequent cancellations of flights.

Some travellers had missed their medical, business, job interviews, aptitude tests, and appointments due to the delay or cancellation of their trips.

A good number of travellers have had causes to sleep at the airport due to controllable delays or cancellations of movement by the operators.

It takes a long time to refund tickets, to the extent that some passengers have to forfeit their money.

Travellers are legally entitled to a full refund, which includes monies paid for the ticket, taxes, baggage fees, and extra and ancillary charges earned in the course of the journey, Mr Nwogu said.

The lawmakers, therefore, resolved to urge the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Chief Executive Officers of the Federal Airports Authority, and the Federal Competition and Consumers Commission to develop policies and regulations to protect and preserve the rights of travellers in Nigeria and ensure stringent implementation.

The Committees on Aviation and Legislative Compliance were mandated to ensure compliance with the resolution.

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has queried the suitability of an appeal filed by Governor Seyi Makinde and key officials of the Oyo State Government challenging an order of an Abuja High Court concerning payment of a debt to sacked local council chairpersons.

In May 2021, the Supreme Court ordered the Oyo State Government to pay the erstwhile council officials their outstanding emoluments.

The Supreme Court said the ex-council chiefs were unlawfully sacked by Mr Makinde in May 2019, ordering payment of their salaries and allowances for the three years they ought to have served.

In partial compliance with the court order, the Oyo State Government computed N4.9 billion (N4,874,889,425.60), out of which it paid N1.5 billion, leaving a balance of N3.4 billion (N3,374,889,425.60).

Determined to recover the debt, representatives of the about 800 ex-council officials approached the FCT High Court where Achibong Ebong, the judge, issued a garnishee order absolute, directing bankers holding the governments funds to pay the balance of the judgement debt in instalments beginning with N1.4 billion (N1,374,889,425.60) to be paid immediately.

Mr Ebong ordered the government to subsequently pay the remaining N2 billion at N500 million quarterly, with the first instalment payable on 31 July 2023.

However, Mr Makinde challenged the order at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

Propriety of suit

At the resumed hearing in the appeal, on Monday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Haruna Tsammani asked Mr Makindes lawyer, Ayodele Akintunde, about the appropriateness of the appellate court to adjudicate over a case that had been decided by the Supreme Court.

The court also asked Mr Akintunde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), about the timeframe given by the Supreme Court, within which the governor and other appellants were to fully pay the judgement debt.

The appellate court also questioned the competence of the appellants request to be allowed to pay the debt by instalment, noting that the appeal itself was against a similar piecemeal payment arrangement ordered by the FCT High Court.

In his response, Mr Akintunde said the Supreme Court ordered the Oyo State Government to pay the debt within three months.

The lawyer argued that the appeal did not directly touch on the Supreme Court decision.

He explained that the appeal was against the decision of the High Court of Oyo State, which was later registered in the FCT High Court.

Ex-council officials response

In his submission before the court on Monday, Musibau Adetunbi, lawyer to the former local government officials, lamented that 26 of his clients had died from penury due to Mr Makindes refusal to pay the debt.

Mr Adetunbi, a SAN, disagreed with the appellants argument that his client could not enforce the judgment through garnishee proceedings because the judgement sum was not reflected.

The lawyer informed the court of a letter written on 13 December 2021 by the Oyo State Attorney-General where the government put the salaries and allowances due to the ex-council chiefs at N4.9 billion (N4,874,889,425.60) and promised to pay everything within six months.

Moreso, Mr Adetunbi drew the appellate courts attention to a letter dated 8 May 2023, written by one of Oyo States bankers, First Bank, and read a portion, where the bank said the N1.3 billion (N1,374,889,425.60) belonging to the state, which was attached by the garnishee order, would have been paid if not for this pending appeal.

The lawyer faulted the appellants contention that it was mandatory for the judgement creditors to first obtain the consent of the states Attorney-General where funds belonging to a state or its agencies were concerned. He argued that by a 13 December 2021 letter, the Attorney-General consented to the liquidation of the debt.

Mr Adetunbi urged the court to dismiss Mr Makindes appeal for being an abuse of judicial process.

Afterwards, the Tsammani-led panel reserved judgement on the suit.

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the leaders of the European Union via video link during the summit, which will be held on October 26 and 27 in Brussels.

A senior European diplomat told reporters about this in Brussels on Wednesday on the eve of the summit. He said president Zelenskyy will be in touch with them via videoconference, as it is usually done at the beginning of the meeting. They expect to reaffirm the EU's unwavering support for Ukraine through various actions, in particular, support in the military, financial and diplomatic sectors.

According to him, the EU also continues to work on various action tracks, not least on frozen (Russian) assets, where EU has progress when it comes to the use of assets, in accordance with EU and international law.

Referring to the issue of revising the European budget, what needs to be done, in particular to implement the proposal to create a so-called Ukrainian fund, the European diplomat said the time has come for leaders to determine the direction  what the priorities will be. According to him, the budget review costs money  extra money will be asked from member states. The big question is what are the priorities and how do they fund them.

When asked whether Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he shook the Russian president's hand, would be discussed. He said the EU officials can't rule it out, but he is not sure it will be done.

In addition, the diplomat did not agree with the assumption that there was fatigue from Ukraine.
Former US President Barack Obama on Monday shared his thoughts on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

In a post he made on Medium, the former president noted that although Israel has a right to defend its citizens against wanton violence such as the one unleashed on them by Hamas on 7 October, how Israel prosecutes this war matters.

In over two weeks, Israel and Hamas have been taking a go at each other endangering innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip. Over 6,000 people have died and several others injured since the recent war began.

Israel enforced a total blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, water and electricity supplies. Civilians in the area until Saturday were without access to basic amenities.

I fully support President Bidens call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities, and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families, Mr Obama wrote.

But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters, he said adding that it matters that Israels military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations.

Mr Obama noted that upholding international law is important for Israel especially for building alliances and shaping international opinion  all of which are critical for Israels long-term security.

Full Statement below

Its been 17 days since Hamas launched its horrific attack against Israel, killing over 1,400 Israeli citizens, including defenceless women, children and the elderly. In the aftermath of such unspeakable brutality, the U.S. government and the American people have shared in the grief of families, prayed for the return of loved ones, and rightly declared solidarity with the Israeli people.

As I stated in an earlier post, Israel has a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence, and I fully support President Bidens call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities, and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families.

But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters  as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized  that Israels military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations. Upholding these values is important for its own sake  because it is morally just and reflects our belief in the inherent value of every human life. Upholding these values is also vital for building alliances and shaping international opinion  all of which are critical for Israels long-term security.

This is an enormously difficult task. War is always tragic, and even the most carefully planned military operations often put civilians at risk. As President Biden noted during his recent visit to Israel, America itself has at times fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war, and in the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. government wasnt interested in heeding the advice of even our allies when it came to the steps we took to protect ourselves against Al Qaeda. Now, after the systematic massacre of Israeli citizens, a massacre that evokes some of the darkest memories of persecution against the Jewish people, its understandable that many Israelis have demanded that their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and make sure such attacks never happen again. Moreover, Hamas military operations are deeply embedded within Gaza  and its leadership seems to intentionally hide among civilians, thereby endangering the very people they claim to represent.

Still, the world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire. Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The Israeli governments decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israels enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

Its therefore important that those of us supporting Israel in its time of need encourage a strategy that can incapacitate Hamas while minimizing further civilian casualties. Israels recent shift to allow relief trucks into Gaza, prompted in part by the Biden administrations behind-the-scenes diplomacy, is an encouraging step, but we need to continue to lead the international community in accelerating critical aid and supplies to an increasingly desperate Gaza population. And while the prospects of future peace may seem more distant than ever, we should call on all of the key actors in the region to engage with those Palestinian leaders and organizations that recognize Israels right to exist to begin articulating a viable pathway for Palestinians to achieve their legitimate aspirations for self-determination  because that is the best and perhaps only way to achieve the lasting peace and security most Israeli and Palestinian families yearn for.

Finally, in dealing with what is an extraordinarily complex situation where so many people are in pain and passions are understandably running high, all of us need to do our best to put our best values, rather than our worst fears, on display.

That means actively opposing anti-semitism in all its forms, everywhere. It means rejecting efforts to minimize the terrible tragedy that the Israeli people have just endured, as well as the morally bankrupt suggestion that any cause can somehow justify the deliberate slaughter of innocent people.

It means rejecting anti-Muslim, anti-Arab or anti-Palestinian sentiment. It means refusing to lump all Palestinians with Hamas or other terrorist groups. It means guarding against dehumanizing language towards the people of Gaza or downplaying Palestinian suffering  whether in Gaza or the West Bank  as irrelevant or illegitimate.

It means recognizing that Israel has every right to exist; that the Jewish people have claim to a secure homeland where they have ancient historical roots; and that there have been instances in which previous Israeli governments made meaningful efforts to resolve the dispute and provide a path for a two-state solution  efforts that were ultimately rebuffed by the other side.

It means acknowledging that Palestinians have also lived in disputed territories for generations; that many of them were not only displaced when Israel was formed but continue to be forcibly displaced by a settler movement that too often has received tacit or explicit support from the Israeli government; that Palestinian leaders whove been willing to make concessions for a two-state solution have too often had little to show for their efforts; and that it is possible for people of goodwill to champion Palestinian rights and oppose certain Israeli government policies in the West Bank and Gaza without being anti-semitic.

Perhaps most of all, it means we should choose not to always assume the worst in those with whom we disagree. In an age of constant rancour, trolling and misinformation on social media, at a time when so many politicians and attention seekers see an advantage in shedding heat rather than light, it may be unrealistic to expect respectful dialogue on any issue  much less on an issue with such high stakes and after so much blood has been spilt. But if we care about keeping open the possibility of peace, security and dignity for future generations of Israeli and Palestinian children  as well as for our own children  then it falls upon all of us to at least make the effort to model, in our own words and actions, the kind of world we want them to inherit.

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A cross-section of security personnel, security experts and academics Tuesday discussed methods of combating organised crime in Africa and the challenges therein.

The stakeholders spoke on the first day of a two-day symposium on exploring effective strategies for tackling organised crime on the continent.

The symposium was organised by the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch in Abuja.

The speakers included officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), members of other security agencies, Open Data experts and academics

Using open data to combat crime

Speaking virtually, Parvathy Krishnan, a data scientist at the Analytics for a Better World Institute, underscored the need for security agencies to use open data to trace, predict and intercept crimes.

She said: While social media platforms have inadvertently become very breeding grounds for radicalization and organised crime communication, they simultaneously also serve as huge reservoirs of data, enabling law enforcement and researchers to get insights, foresee potential threats and strategise countermeasures.

By analysing vast volumes of data, be it incident reports, tip-offs, online communications media articles, we are no longer simply reacting to crime, we are able to predict it. Predictive Analytics helps police and law enforcement anticipate criminal activities, optimise resource deployment and essentially be a step ahead.

Meanwhile, during a panel session, EFCCs Head of Cybercrime Unit, Nuru Dalhatu, spoke on the need for a syndicated partnership among security agencies.

He said at present, the agencies work in isolation from each other making it difficult for them to synthesise available data from the different agencies.

The major problem is the agencies, we operate in silos. Everybody is making their own efforts to fight crime but the entire ecosystem is operating in a silo, he said.

I can only access information from Road Safety if they give me an API to connect with their information. So we have information in Nigeria lying in silos. And you cannot access information because I have to walk maybe physically to Road Safety to check if the licence is genuine or fake. I have to walk to Nigerian immigration to confirm if a person has a passport and whats the passport number. That is how we are. And we cannot fight it. And it made us vulnerable.

Military solution not enough

Meanwhile, the Coordinator for the Security, Violence and Conflict (SVC) Research Group at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Freedom Onuoha, a professor, said the solution to most of Africas internal conflicts is constructive dialogues and not military operations.

Mr Onuoha said many internal conflicts devastating the continent could be forestalled with constructive dialogues other than the use of arms.

According to him, the use of arms has only led to a cycle of conflict that is now prevalent in virtually all regions of the continent.

Mr Onuoha cited examples of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF); and the conflict between Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF).

He noted that the use of military power has hardly quenched any rebellion in Nigeria in recent times.

Despite military efforts, he said conflicts in Africa are on the increase, moving from about 15 to 26 between 2010 and 2022.

When we talk about organised crime in Africa, theres always the tendency to see the connection in terms of political environment as one of the factors that lead to them, he said.

We have seen cases where issues of marginalisation, poverty, unemployment have led people to organised crime.

Studies have already begun to show that Africa will remain the region with the most conflict in 2022. From ten years ago, the number of conflicts in Africa has nearly doubled from about 15 in 2010 to about 26 in 2022.

Discussions apt, timely

Earlier in their goodwill messages, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase; the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede; and the Vice President of Interpol, Garba Umar, described the symposium as apt and timely.

Speaking Mr Arase, represented by Brighton Cigwe, said the symposium represents the current realities of Nigeria in the fight against crime.

Mr Olukoyede, meanwhile, called for concerted efforts among security agencies to present a united front in the fight against organised crime and the movement of illicit funds. He was represented by Adebayo Adeniyi.

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The Nigerian Army says the troops of the 8 Division Garrison, on Tuesday, killed several terrorists in a discreet operation at Tukandu Village in Sokoto State.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Nwachukwu said the troops launched a carefully planned offensive, targeting a notorious group of terrorists, responsible for various heinous activities in the general area.

He said the troops onslaught killed many of the terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds.

According to him, troops recovered three AK-47 Rifles, one PKT Gun, 125 rounds of 7.62 mm Special ammunition, two rocket-propelled gun bombs and nine motorcycles.

The Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, lauded the troops, charging them to remain resolute and continue to escalate their operations against the terrorists to decimate and deny them the freedom of action.

(NAN)

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While trying to controversially obtain billions of dollars from Nigeria through the courts, P&ID had access to Nigerias internal documents which it should not have had access to, a British court found.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the court also ruled that the contract and arbitration for which the firm wanted Nigerias money was fraudulently obtained.

Robin Knowles, a High Court judge in London, ruled that the 2010 gas contract at the centre of the long-running saga involving Nigeria and Process & Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) was fraudulent.

The ruling comes after a decade of legal wrangling that put Africas largest economy at risk of having to pay $11 billion in compensation.

In 2017, an arbitration tribunal ordered Nigeria to pay $6.6 billion to P&ID following the collapse of a contract between the group and Nigerias petroleum ministry. The award increased to $11 billion with interest.

On Monday, Mr Knowles overseeing the appeal at the high court in London said the awards were obtained by fraud and the way in which they were procured was, contrary to public policy.

Interestingly and beyond the corruption-tainted contract, the judge indicted P&ID for improper retention of Nigerias Internal Legal Documents that it had received during the arbitration.

Mr Knowles said P&ID retained the documents (rather than returning them unread) so as to monitor Nigerias position and awareness as the arbitration continued.

This included monitoring whether Nigeria had become aware of the deception being practised by P&ID on the Tribunal and on Nigeria as a party before the Tribunal, the judge said.

He added that Nigerias right to confidential access to legal advice was utterly compromised throughout all or most of the Arbitration. It is now apparent that through the course of the Arbitration, P&ID was provided with many of Nigerias internal legal documents, the judge said.

Specifically, there was a flow of over 40 of Nigerias Internal Legal Documents to P&ID during the period of the arbitration from commencement on 22 August 2012 to Final award on 31 January 2017.

Details of the contents of these internal legal documents were revealed in the 140-page judgement delivered by Mr Knowles on Monday.

Between 2012 and 2017, these materials monitored by P&ID showed that Nigeria had no awareness that its former legal adviser, Grace Taiga, had been bribed when the gas contract came about and that bribery or corrupt payments continued to buy her silence. Ms Taiga was a former legal adviser to Nigerias petroleum ministry.

Indeed they were bribing or making corrupt payments to keep the truth concealed and (through retention of Nigerias Internal Legal Documents) monitoring Nigerias awareness of the truth, the judge said.

P&ID argued that its retention of Nigerias internal legal documents did not cause any substantial injustice within section 68, because it had no effect whatsoever on the Awards, irrespective of how or from whom the documents were obtained.

The judge, however, rejected the argument saying they did not cause substantial injustice because they gave P&ID no relevant advantage in the arbitration but it shows the effect of a dishonest course of conduct.

The Court will be realistic here about what proof is possible in terms of showing the effect of a dishonest course of conduct. The nature and contents of the documents, and the scale, continuity and circumstances of P&IDs conduct were such that, in my judgement, Nigerias right to confidential access to legal advice was utterly compromised throughout all or most of the Arbitration.

Nigeria says the internal legal documents with which P&ID was provided in the course of the arbitration were subject to the confidentiality between lawyer and client known as legal professional privilege. This is a privilege recognised in Nigeria and England & Wales.

The judge agreed with Nigeria. He said: I have reviewed these internal documents and at least some were plainly subject to legal professional privilege: they were confidential to Nigeria and P&ID was not entitled to see them.

P&IDs improper retention of Nigerias Internal Legal Documents, received at various points during the arbitration, enabled P&ID to track Nigerias internal consideration of merits, strategy and settlement during the arbitration, court papers show.

In addition, P&IDs improper retention of Nigerias Internal Legal Documents also allowed it to monitor whether Nigeria had become aware of the fact that the tribunal and Nigeria were being deceived.

In concluding the matter, Mr Knowles said: I will be referring a copy of this judgement to the Bar Standards Board in the case of Mr Trevor Burke KC and to both the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board in the case of Mr Seamus Andrew.

I trust that these two regulators of the legal profession in England & Wales will consider the professional consequences of the conduct of Mr Burke KC and Mr Andrew (P&ID) lawyers in relation to Nigerias Internal Legal Documents.

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The deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has urged the chief judge of the state, Olusegun Odusola, to ignore a letter from the state House of Assembly renewing its request for a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Mr Aiyedatiwa.

In what appeared to be a resumption of hostilities, the House in the letter on Monday urged the chief judge to constitute the seven-person panel. It said an order of the Federal High Court, which the chief judge cited for declining to constitute the panel, had expired.

But in a seven-page letter on Tuesday, the deputy governor urged Mr Odusola not to heed the counsel of the House of Assembly on the matter.

In the letter by his lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Mr Aiyedatiwa said the Assemblys counsel was based on conjectures, misconceptions, inconsistencies, undue desperation and misconstruction of the law.

He said the orders of the Federal High Court, made in Abuja on 26 September remain in force, contrary to the assertion of the state lawmakers.

Relying on Order 26 Rule 10 (2) and (3) of the Federal High Court Rules 2019, the deputy governor argued that the court in Abuja had been given wide discretion to determine the nature, status and duration of any order granted.

In this case, the court directed that the orders granted on 26th September 2023 should last till the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction, which is still pending before the court, he said.

The deputy governor said that based on the two proceedings of the court of 9 and 16 October, the order has not been set aside and cannot be extinguished since it was combined with the hearing of the substantive suit.

Mr Aiyedatiwa said the Assembly was being inconsistent by claiming that the orders had expired while at the same time pursuing an appeal against the said orders.

Contrary to this misconception of law and the facts, the same House of Assembly filed a Motion on Notice dated 20th October 2023, before the Court of Appeal, Abuja in respect of the same orders of the Federal High Court, praying for abridgement of time to hear its appeal against the said orders, the deputy governor argued.

If it is true that the orders expired by operation of law on 18th October 2023 as being falsely canvassed, why would the same House of Assembly file a fresh application two days later, in pursuit of its desire to set aside the said orders that it claimed have expired? While the Assembly is pursuing its appeal to set aside the orders in Court, it is deviously asking My Lord to set aside the same orders in Chambers, purportedly by operation of law.

In Ground 4 of the said Motion on Notice dated 20th October 2023 filed the House of Assembly and pending before the Court of Appeal in Abuja and paragraph 9 of the affidavit of Elizabeth Omiwole in support thereof, it is stated on oath as follows:

Ground 4: The lower Court has not heard the Originating Summons to date and has in fact adjourned the case till 30th October 2023 whilst the interim injunctions are tied to hearing and determination of the first respondents interlocutory application which has also not been taken or argued till date.

The deputy governor also referred to another case pending before the State High Court in Akure on the same subject matter, urging the chief judge as the head of the judiciary not to allow the Assembly to ridicule the courts and their authority.

The renewed legal battle is despite efforts by the APC leadership in Abuja to broker a political resolution of the crisis.

A condition demanded by the house for a possible political solution was for the deputy governor to withdraw all litigations against the house on the issue.

Mr Aiyedatiwa has rejected that condition, perhaps out of fear that it may clear the way for the lawmakers to quickly throw him out of office.

Although the lawmakers accused Mr Aiyedatiwa of gross misconduct, the plot to sack him was ignited by differences between him and associates of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu over next years governorship election in the state.

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A PREMIUM TIMES journalist and Climate Change reporter, Abdulkareem Mojeed, has been selected alongside 19 other Nigerian professionals to participate in the 2023 cohort of the Nigerian Green Academy.

Mr Mojeed, an agriculture and environment reporter on the newspapers business desk, is also a media trainer with a speciality in agriculture and climate change.

About the climate programme

The annual programme designed for emerging civil society activists, journalists, artists and social entrepreneurs, is hosted by the Heinrich Boll Stiftung.

The programme provides participants with knowledge, toolboxes and the networks essential for addressing some of the most critical governance and development challenges facing Nigeria.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja, the Country Director, Heinrich Boll Stiftung, Jochen Luckscheiter, said the Green Academy also offers the participants the opportunity to discuss and develop their vision for Nigerias future.

The Green Academy is a vehicle to build a community of young Nigerians who associate with the Foundations agenda and drive action for a democratic, socially just, gender equitable and sustainable Nigeria, he said.

Mr Mojeed the climate reporter

Mr Mojeed specialises in development journalism, covering topics such as agriculture, food security, climate change, and the environment.

He has contributed significantly to research on the impact of climate change on women farmers in Ghana and Nigeria. Last year, he was in Egypt to provide extensive coverage of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP27).

Other participants

The participants for this years cohorts include journalists, writers, activists and entrepreneurs.

Other participants of this years cohort include Zainab Sanni, the managing editor for Development News Nigeria; Cobi-Jane Akinrele, the founder of Ake Collective; Aderemi Ojo, a writer and historian; Costly Aderibigbe-Saba, a medical doctor, and Peter Olaoluwa, a chemical engineer.

Others are; Abutu Paul, Bello Ismail, Dung Weng, Excel Olayemi-Oludairo, Faith Waziri, Favour John, Maryam Gidado, Godwin Jimoh, Johndick Perfect, Loveth Nwuju, Noya Sedi, Oiji Jennifer, Ojo-Nemile Phoebe, and Okeke Victor.

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In a significant development in US-African relations, the US Department of Commerce announced the launch of the US-Tanzania Commercial Dialogue, strengthening its commitment to expanding trade and investment ties with African countries. The announcement came after US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Tanzanias Minister of Industry and Trade, Ashatu Kijaji, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, paving the way for this new commercial partnership.

The US-Tanzania Commercial Dialogue is set to boost two-way trade and investment by concentrating on four key areas: the digital economy, market access, regulatory and business climate reform, and trade missions and trade fairs.

Ms Raimondo expressed her enthusiasm, stating, In signing this memorandum, I am pleased to announce the launch of the US-Tanzania Commercial Dialogue. This Commercial Dialogue is a critical step in our countries shared commitment to increasing bilateral trade and investment opportunities and ensuring mutual prosperity for our businesses and citizens.

This initiative follows the visit of Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago to Tanzania in February 2023. During her visit, she collaborated with key stakeholders, including the Minister of Finance and Planning and the Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, to lay the groundwork for the Commercial Dialogue. The primary objective of this partnership is to provide a platform for both business and government leaders to strengthen trade relations and foster a more conducive environment for business, thus creating opportunities for the US private sector and generating employment both in the United States and Tanzania.

In sharp contrast, on Monday, 23 October, the US Departments of State, Labor, Health and Human Services, Commerce, and the US Agency for International Development issued a joint Business Advisory for Uganda, alerting US businesses, individuals, and entities to potential risks associated with conducting or considering business operations in Uganda.

The advisory focuses on two critical concerns. First, it highlights the endemic corruption prevalent in Uganda, which the US says poses significant financial and reputational risks to businesses and organizations. Detailed information on this matter has been published in the 2023 Investment Climate Statement.

Secondly, the advisory underscores deep US concerns about human rights violations in Uganda. These violations include violence directed at human rights activists, media personnel, health workers, members of minority groups, LGBTQI+ individuals, and political dissidents, as documented in the 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Uganda. Of particular concern, to the US, is Ugandas enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which the U.S. has said curtails freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and raises questions about the respect for leases and employment contracts.

For the US, this advisory serves as a caution to all US businesses and individuals engaging or contemplating business activities in Uganda, urging them to carefully consider these risks in their decision-making processes.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based White House Correspondent, and media commentator with expertise in US foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe

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Amnesty International has condemned the arrest of 59 people accused of being homosexuals in Gombe State by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC).

The NSCDC on Monday announced the arrest of the suspects during an event it said was organised by one Bashir Sani where he planned to allegedly marry another man.

Marriage of persons of the same sex is a felony in Nigeria and attracts up to 14 years in prison. No one has, however, been convicted for the offence since the law was passed in 2014.

In a statement by Amnesty International released on Tuesday through its official X handle (formerly Twitter), it said the arrest of the suspects violated a range of human rights of the suspects.

It called on the Nigerian authorities to release the suspects immediately.

The Nigerian authorities must stop these arbitrary and humiliating raids  and stop misusing laws to harass and arrest people accused of same-sex activity. It is appalling that the mere act of dressing style, make-up, hair or sitting in a pair can assume criminal proportions.

No one should be targeted and arrested because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Nigerian law enforcement agencies should be prioritising keeping everyone safe, not stoking more discrimination, the statement noted.

Backstory

Addressing reporters in Gombe on Monday, a spokesperson for the NSCDC, Buhari Saad, said 21 out of the 59 male suspects have confessed to being gays.

He said the suspects were celebrating one of their friends, Bashir Sani, who organised the party with the view of marrying his friend, a man.

The command has made the arrest of 76 suspects who are suspected homosexuals in the metropolis. They were arrested at Duwa Plaza along Bauchi Road, holding a homosexual birthday party. And in that birthday party, there is the intention to hold a same-sex marriage in the state. So our men, acting on intelligence, raided that place and hence the result of having 76 suspects in our custody, he said.

In the mainly Muslim north of the country, same-sex marriages may attract the death penalty.

The arrest in Gombe is one of the cases of arrests of people accused of being homosexuals across the country.

In August, 100 people were arrested in Delta State for organising a gay wedding while 11 women were arrested for alleged same-sex marriage in Kano in 2018.

Last year, 19 youths were also arrested for attending a same-sex marriage event in Kano. The suspects were there to witness the wedding of two suspected homosexuals, Abba and Mujahid.

Another crackdown on an alleged same  sex wedding was reported in 2017 in Kaduna State. Fifty-five people were arrested in that instance.

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The management of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, has suspended an ongoing first-semester examination over the rape of some female students of the institution by suspected robbers.

The university said the decision was in response to the request by the institutions students union leaders to stage an awareness campaign against rape and other social issues both with the campus and the universitys host communities.

The Registrar of the university, Ajiroba Oke, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

We suspended the examination due to the students request. We also realised that so many students have been traumatised by the incident. We gave them a day off to allow them to be stabilised and to be in the right state of mind to prepare for the examinations, Mr Oke said.

Rape incident

The regsitrar confirmed that four female students of the university who off-campus were attacked and violently abused in the early hours of Tuesday. He said the victims were subsequently hospitalised.

Ogun State Deputy Governor, Naimot Oyedele, had earlier on Wednesday confirmed the incident in a post on her verified Facebook page.

Mrs Oyedele said she visited the four female students who were brutally raped by attackers in their residence.

Mrs Oyedele wrote: I have visited the girls who are now being cared for and given the necessary support to heal from their trauma at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) at OSUTH (Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital).

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is of utmost importance and I subsequently had a crucial meeting with the management and students of TASUED. I was joined by the Ogun State Commissioner for Police, Mr Abiodun Alamutu, and the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, where we discussed concrete steps to bolster security measures and foster a safe environment on campus and the adjacent host community.

Students union president speaks

In a telephone interview, the universitys students union president, Akintagun Hammed, said the incident happened in Abawapa community in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

We raised an alarm of the incident to the school authorities, the commissioner of police, the deputy governor of the state, Noimot Oyedele, and we have all had a meeting demanding security for the lives of the university students. The affected students were taken to the state general hospital in Ijebu Ode before they were later transferred to OSUTH in Sagamu, he said.

Attacks on Nigerian institutions

Nigerian academic institutions have been challenged with increasing insecurity and attacks in recent years, posing a serious threat to the safety of staff and students.

These attacks are not isolated incidents but are part of a broader pattern of violence that has affected the larger Nigerian society.

HumAngle, an online media platform that is focused on security issues, had reported that several Nigerian universities have been under attack across all regions in the country, with cases ranging from sexual violence in the South-west to the abduction of students by bandits in the North-west.

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Israel has called for the resignation of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres following the latters speech at the Security Council on Tuesday.

A visibly angry Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said the UN is failing and Mr Guterres must resign because he has lost all morality and impartiality.

When you say those terrible words that these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuum, you are tolerating terrorismI think the Secretary-General must resign, Mr Erdan said.

Mr Guterres in his speech to the Security Council on Tuesday condemned the ongoing escalation and called for a cease-fire while reminding the participating parties that the Hamas attack of 7 October did not happen in a vacuum.

It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation, Mr Guterres told the Council.

However, he added that the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Mr Guterres statement offended Israels ambassador so much that he noted that unless the former apologises for his comments, there is no justification for the existence of the UN building.

This building was established to prevent atrocities, how can the Secretay-General with his words justify in any way the terrible atrocities that happened to innocent civilians, he questioned.

The UN Chief in his speech noted that protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself.

Israel had ordered the civilian population in Gaza to evacuate but continued to shell the location thereby preventing evacuation from happening.

Mr Erdan took to social media platform X to continue to call for his resignation. The UN Secretary-General is disconnected from reality and must resign.

A Secretary General who seeks justification for the terrible massacre committed in us cannot remain in his position. Every day from now that he continues in his position is a disgrace and proves that the UN has no right to exist, he wrote.

UN Staff to be denied visa

In a further show of disapproval for the UN, Israel said it will not issue visas to UN representatives.

Due to his remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives, Aljazeera quoted Mr Erdan as telling Army Radio.

We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson, it added.

UN Chief responds

Mr Guterres on Wednesday afternoon at a media stakeout said he was shocked at the misrepresentation of his speech.

I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statements yesterday in the Security Council as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false, it was the opposite, he said while repeating parts of his Tuesday speech.

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Ukraine, as part of the charity campaign of the German-Ukrainian Energy Partnership with the support of GIZ Ukraine, will receive 30 aerial towers for the needs of electricity distribution system operators, the Energy Ministry said.

As noted in its release on Wednesday, the campaign is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

"We thank our German partners for this assistance. It is extremely important for supporting energy workers working on the ground and daily restoring networks that are constant targets of attacks by Russian terrorists," Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko said, whose words are quoted in the release.

The Energy Ministry said to date Germany has made the largest contribution, EUR130 million, to Ukraine Energy Support Fund. In addition, as of October 2023, some 95 humanitarian aid cargoes with a total weight of over 1,500 tonnes were received from Germany to Ukraine, including 284 power transformers, some 63 generators, voltage transformers, current transformers and other equipment necessary for the energy sector.

As reported, at the end of July, the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine, created in April 2022 by the Secretariat of the Energy Community, had already accumulated approximately $220 million, and by the end of the year it is expected to increase to $300 million.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a motion calling on the federal government to make all secondary school examinations for 2023/2024 free as part of measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

The motion, moved by Anamero Dekeri (Edo, APC), asked the federal government to pay the fees for the WAEC, NECO and UTME examinations for all students.

However, the motion was rejected by the lawmakers after a long debate on the floor of the House.

The motion

Moving the motion, Mr Dekeri said the removal of the petroleum subsidy has been crippling low-income earners in the country, who are spending more on transportation and other services.

He said the government has been able to save more money with the removal of petroleum subsidy and should spend some of it in assisting families.

With the cooperation of the masses, the federal government was able to deliver Nigerians from a few individuals that took the nations economy hostage through fuel subsidy payment conduit pipe that has plundered this countrys economy for too long.

As a result of the removal of fuel subsidy, the government may have saved approximately (NI7, 200,000,000.00) seventeen billion two hundred million naira only, daily from a few cartels that have been sucking the poor masses, he said.

He prayed the House to urge the Ministry of Education to declare 2023 and 2024 WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations registration free, to enable the common man have a direct benefit of fuel subsidy removal palliatives.

He further prayed the lower House to urge the Minister of Finance, Budget, Economic and National Planning to come up with robust framework that will give the poor masses sense of belonging in the Nigeria.

In his contribution, the motion, the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), opposed the motion in its entirety, just as he proposed an amendment for each member to adopt schools in their constituency and pay the bills.

However, the amendment by Mr Ihonvbere was rejected by Alhassan Doguwa (APC, Kano), who said some members are already paying examination fees of constituents.

The amendment was subsequently put to vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen and it was rejected through the voice vote.

Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun) moved an amendment to the motion that state governments should take up the responsibility.

Morruf Afuape (APC, Ogun) also moved an amendment that the benefit should be for only public schools.

The two amendments by Messrs Osoba and Afuape were adopted by the House following a voice vote.

However, Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers), said excluding private schools from government policy is discriminatory and against the spirit of the countrys Constitution.

We have taken an oath not to go against the constitution, and excluding some people would be discriminatory, Mr Abiante said.

He, therefore, moved a motion for the entire motion and the amendments to be stepped down by the House.

Mr Abiantes motion was adopted after it was put to vote by the speaker.

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The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, says the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is safe for girls and serves as a lifelong prevention against cervical cancer.

He said this on Wednesday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists after a visit to the Kuchigoro Primary Health Care (PHC) Centre in Abuja, in company with the Director of Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.

He said the vaccine was unveiled on Tuesday to prevent young girls aged nine to 14 years from cervical cancer.

He debunked misconceptions about the vaccine, saying Those who choose not to take the inoculation are making a mistake.

All my four daughters were vaccinated against HPV. I believe no father or mother who is in his or her right senses and fully understands the benefits of vaccines to prevent diseases will allow their children to not be vaccinated, especially if the vaccines are free.

Our focus is to make this voluntary; there are not enough of these vaccines, those who choose not to receive it, they are making a mistake for their children, because they are exposing them to the risk of having diseases.

Mr Pate added that cervical cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths among women in Nigeria.

He, however, said that receiving the vaccine is not compulsory; the government is only doing its duty by making it available to citizens.

He said We saw how community leaders played incredible roles in our efforts to deal with polio in this country and polio is now history.

We also have other vaccine-preventable diseases, including cancer and we believe that our traditional leaders will continue to play the role to educate our people.

Check diphtheria, a very simple disease that has already afflicted thousands of children in this country, with 90 per cent of those infected not vaccinated, so it tells you that if they had been vaccinated, they would not have it.

Lending her voice to the matter, Adedolapo Fasawe, the mandate secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said the major tool in ensuring the vaccine reached everywhere was through health promotion and advocacy.

Others are information, education and using viable tools like the media, religious leaders, the government, mothers and market women, the official said.

It has been a success so far, for the minister to say his four daughters have been vaccinated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the federal government launched the HPV vaccine initiative on Tuesday for girls between the ages of nine and 14 years to guard against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70 per cent of cervical cancer.

The vaccination targets over seven million girls, with the girls receiving a single dose of the vaccine. (NAN)

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The House of Representatives has resolved to probe all financial interventions by the federal government in the power sector in the past 10 years.

The investigation will cover over $1.25 billion injected into the sector by the federal government from 2013 till date.

This resolution to investigate the sector followed a motion moved by Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos) on Wednesday during plenary.

In the motion, Mr Kuye said the federal government made several financial interventions in the sector, yet Nigeria does not have an electricity supply.

He said the World Bank, through the International Development Association (IDA), credited $486 million into the power sector while the African Development Bank (AfDB) provided a facility of the sum of $300 million to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for expansion and rehabilitation of the existing northern corridor.

He also the French Development Agency provided a facility of $170 million for Transmission infrastructure expansion around the Abuja metropolis, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided a facility of $238 million for Transmission infrastructure expansion within the South-west region of Nigeria and another $13 million for other maintenance.

The lawmaker explained that the sector is still struggling despite the financial injections and the privatisation of the sector. He explained that six out of the 11 electricity companies have been taken over by banks.

He said the main regulator in the section, the Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC), has failed to properly regulate the sector.

The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)s performance as an industry regulator is questioned for its ability to move the industry forward and eliminate illiquidity.

The Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry faces threat due to the poor performance and transparency of DISCOs and the NERCs inability to sanction erring stakeholders, he said.

The motion was unanimously adopted by the House when it was put to vote by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen.

The Committees on Power and Finance were mandated to conduct the investigation.

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Nigerias largely cash-based and informal economy has made it difficult for security agencies to trace the movement of illicit funds, especially those meant for funding terror activities, a panel of experts said Wednesday.

The experts spoke during a panel session at a symposium organised by the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity in Abuja on Wednesday.

The panellists include Peter Enoch from the State Security Service (SSS); Saad Hannafi, former director of military intelligence; Ademola Lawal, a retired colonel in the Nigerian Army; Ibrahim Ditse from the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Ibrahim Adeyemi, Deputy Investigations Editor, Humangle media.

Tracing terror funds

Mr Lawal said security agencies have focused too much on tracing funds within the radar, noting that most of the terrorists and funds mostly move outside the radar of the financial intelligence units.

Beyond that, he said, Nigeria lacks a comprehensive citizen identity and information data to track individuals, making it more difficult.

He added that security agencies must focus on tracing the movement of funds outside the formal banking system.

He said: They (terrorists) have become so independent and localised that they generate their own funds locally. And how do they do it? Its very simple. As a matter of fact, in this country, our economy is still informal.

A lot of transactions go on outside the books. And once you have that, you are going to have challenges in tracking them. And most importantly, I must say this, we have neglected identity citizen identity. You can operate in this country, spend a lot of money, without a footprint.

In his submission, Mr Adeyemi said journalistic investigations have revealed how terrorists source funds locally without hindrance by holding local communities hostage, imposing levies on them, forcefully taking their farm produce and forcing them to work on the terrorists farms.

He noted that while Nigeria went through hardship early in the year when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) withdrew high naira denominations from circulation, the terrorists still operated freely without keying into the formal banking system.

According to him, the terrorists simply resorted to taking food items, cattle, motorcycles and other valuables as ransom instead of the usual cash.

Weve talked about arms trafficking and drug trafficking, but we have not talked about how terrorists are dominating ungoverned spaces and how terrorists are imposing illegal taxes and making multi-millions of naira from the people they are terrorising and the government appears to be helpless, he said.

The people rely and believe in the terrorists more than the government. If the terrorist gives an order, theyll rather listen to the terrorists more than the government agencies.

Mr Hannafi noted that while terror financing remains at the heart of all terrorist activities, making it one of the most important aspects of terrorism, he said tracing the funds remains the nightmare of security agencies.

Everything is done in the dark. A lot of things are hidden as seemingly legitimate funds. So we have to dig deep in order to find the leakages, he said.

He, however, said once the security agencies are able to trace the trail of the money, the problem is beyond halfway solved.

He said: Terrorism financing is the centre of gravity of terrorism. Theres an adage that says follow the money trail. Once you can identify the money trail then you are more than halfway towards countering terrorism.

Earlier in her presentation on Terror Financing and Organised Crime in Africa, Folashade Okeshola, a professor of Sociology at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said terrorism has an immense negative effect on a countrys economy.

She said: It discourages foreign investments, tourism, or assistance programmes that can affect the target countrys economy and support of the government in power as it is currently happening in Niger Delta.

Economy of Violence

Meanwhile, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) presented research it conducted on the economy of violence in the Lake Chad Region.

In his presentation, the Executive Director of the CJID, Tobi Oluwatola, noted that terrorists in the Lake Chad region mobilise their finances through licit and illicit activities.

There are a lot of legal activities that terrorists engage in to fund their activities. Theres a lot of farming, they own NGOs, they are sometimes in the civil services, they fish and do a lot of animal husbandry and whatnot, he said, adding that the illicit activities include smuggling, kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking.

The report recommended a synergy between security and development efforts, especially the inclusion of women and young people in the implementation of medium and long-term interventions in the region.

Other recommendations include the provision of better equipment for the armed forces as well as increased remuneration.

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The Belt and Road cooperation has made historic achievements and benefited more than 150 countries, opening up a road of cooperation, opportunity and prosperity, leading to common development. The BRI has become the most popular international public good and the largest international cooperation platform in the world today.

From 17 to 18 October, the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation was held in Beijing, China, featuring the theme High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a keynote speech. President Xi noted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) injects new impetus into the global economy, creates new opportunities for global development, and builds a new platform for international economic cooperation. The Belt and Road cooperation has extended from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America, with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations signing Belt and Road cooperation documents. We have held two sessions of the BRF before and established over 20 specialised multilateral cooperation platforms under the BRI.

Furthermore, President Xi announced eight major steps China will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as follows: (1.) building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network; (2.) supporting an open world economy; (3.) carrying out practical cooperation; (4.) promoting green development; (5.) advancing scientific and technological innovation; (6.) supporting people-to-people exchanges; (7.) promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation; (8.) strengthening institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI proposed by President Xi. Over the past decade, thanks to the combined efforts of all parties, cooperation under the BRI framework has expanded beyond the borders of China to become an international effort. It has evolved from ideas into actions, from a vision into reality, and from a general framework into concrete projects. Under the BRI, more than 3,000 cooperation projects were constructed, nearly US$1 trillion in investments were generated and 40 million people were lifted out of poverty. The Belt and Road cooperation has made historic achievements and benefited more than 150 countries, opening up a road of cooperation, opportunity and prosperity, leading to common development. The BRI has become the most popular international public good and the largest international cooperation platform in the world today.

As an important event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the BRI, the third BRF constituted another important milestone in the process of jointly building the Belt and Road. The attendance of 151 countries, 41 international organisations and more than 10,000 delegates at the forum shows the appeal and global influence of the China-proposed initiative. And the Forum is considered to be a complete success by all sides, with a total of 458 outcomes achieved, far more than the second BRF.

Vice President Shettima congratulated China on successfully hosting the third BRF. He noted that Nigeria and China are good friends who have shared weal and woe and supported each other in times of difficulties. China has always treated Nigeria and other African countries with respect and as equals

Nigeria has always been a strong partner of the BRI. From 15 to 20 October, the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, attended the third BRF, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his counterpart, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

During his meeting with President Xi, the Chinese leader pointed out that there have been many highlights in the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Nigeria. Many cooperation projects, including the construction of railways, ports, power stations and communications backbone networks, have been completed in succession, and remarkable achievements have been made in the development of free trade areas. China is ready to continue working with Nigeria to push for more tangible outcomes of China-Nigeria and China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation and help Nigeria and Africa realise industrialisation and agricultural modernisation. China stands ready to enhance personnel exchanges at all levels with Nigeria, to advance high-quality practical cooperation.

Vice President Shettima congratulated China on successfully hosting the third BRF. He noted that Nigeria and China are good friends who have shared weal and woe and supported each other in times of difficulties. China has always treated Nigeria and other African countries with respect and as equals; it has never bossed them around, and has done its best to support the African people in seeking independence and development. He thanked China for proposing a series of important global cooperation initiatives for developing countries, providing valuable assistance for Nigerias development, and boosting the industrialisation process of Nigeria and Africa at large. He stressed that Nigeria is ready to further deepen the Belt and Road cooperation with China and lift Nigeria-China relations to a new level.

Vice President Shettima also addressed the High-Level Forum on Digital Economy of the BRF, adding that Nigeria is keen on using the instrumentality of the existing robust Nigeria-China bilateral relations to maximally key into projects under the platform of the Digital Silk Road for the improvement of the Nigerian digital space.

During his stay in Beijing, Vice President Shettima witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure and three Chinese partners, for new projects valued at $2 billion, as well as letters of intent between the Chinese and Nigerian partners, for new projects and investments worth $4 billion. Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Works also signed an MoU with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd for the construction of the Lekki Blue Seaport at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.

It is my strong belief that, building upon the great success of Vice President Shettimas visit to China and by working together more closely, Nigeria and China would build an even stronger community with a shared future, and will bring more tangible benefits to the two great peoples.

It goes without saying that the achievements of Vice President Shettimas visit to China are remarkable.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971 and strategic partnership in 2005, the all-round, wide-ranging and high-quality bilateral cooperation between China and Nigeria has been a pace-setter for China-Africa cooperation. In 2018, Nigeria signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China. From then on, with the joint efforts of both sides, Nigeria has become Chinas biggest contractor market, second largest trading partner, and major investment destination in Africa. Major projects such as Lekki Deep Sea Port, Zungeru Hydroelectric project, Lagos-Ibadan train route, Abuja-Kaduna rail line, Abuja-Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi road dualisation, as well as several airport terminals, undertaken by Chinese enterprises, have been completed or are progressing smoothly.

It has been more than two-and-a-half years since I was appointed as Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria in March 2021. This is a country beloved by me, with splendid ancient cultures, peace-loving and hardworking people, and immeasurable development potentials. To promote all-round cooperation between China and Nigeria, I have put forward the 5GIST Nigeria-China GDP (Growth, Development, Progress) Strategy, Share Chinese Harmony, Perform Nigeria-China Symphony Initiative and a new model of cooperation named PEG (Party-Enterprise-Government). They were all warmly welcomed by Nigerian friends at various levels.

President Xi said, humankind is a community with a shared future. As President Tinubu proposed the Renewed Hope Initiative, I am willing to build the Renewed Tie: Thought/Investment/Endeavour between our two governments, enterprises and people, to sow Renewed Seed: Security/ Education/Economy/Dedication, and to fulfill the Renewed GDP: Growth/Development/Progress, so as to further promote our cooperation. It is my strong belief that, building upon the great success of Vice President Shettimas visit to China and by working together more closely, Nigeria and China would build an even stronger community with a shared future, and will bring more tangible benefits to the two great peoples.

Cui Jianchun is the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria.

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Africas Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, hosted stakeholders and industry regulators to its Fraud Awareness Week, an initiative which is aimed at empowering customers with knowledge and tools to protect them against fraud and financial malpractices in the banking and financial sector.

The week-long event which began on Monday, 16th October through Friday, 20th October, 2023, saw huge participation from key stakeholders across the financial sector who expressed concerns about the rising cases of fraud and how this crucial issue can be combatted.

As part of its awareness campaigns the bank on Thursday, held a Stakeholders Round-Table panel session, and the Guest Speakers at the event were the Head, Cybercrime Investigation, Advance Free Fraud Economic & Financial Crime Commission {EFCC} Lagos State Command, Mr Abbah Sambo Usman; Managing Partner; Akin Adesomoju & Co, Barrister Akin Adesomoju; the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer.

Others were AG, Head, Corporate Services Directorate, Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System, Mr. Temidayo Adekanye, Manager, Cyber and Intelligence Mastercard Customer Solutions Center, West Africa, Peter Ehizogie and Assistant Commissioner of Police and Head, Legal Department, Police Special Fraud Unit, Barrister E.A Jackson.

All the panelists jointly agreed on the need for collaborative efforts of all players including all banks, other financial institutions and agencies to help in providing the information, data and intelligence that will enable the detection of gaps in the fight against fraud in order to prevent occurrences.

While welcoming guests earlier at the event, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who was represented by the Group Internal Auditor, Gboyega Sodiq, extended a warm welcome to the distinguished ladies and gentlemen in attendance. He emphasised the critical significance of the Stakeholders Round-table session, underscoring that it forms a central component of UBAs commitment to combatting fraud and safeguarding the integrity of the nations financial systems.

He said, In a rapidly evolving world of finance, where technology and innovation are transforming the landscape of financial services, the need for robust fraud prevention measures is more crucial than ever before.

This years campaign is encapsulated in two simple yet powerful slogans: UBA wont ask; so dont share, and Stay Secure, Stay Alert, Stop the Fraud. These slogans serve as a reminder that as a bank, we will never request sensitive information such as PINs, passwords, OTPs/token responses, or personal details via email, phone calls, or any other digital channels. They stress the fundamental rule that must be adhered to rigorously to maintain account security and combat fraud actively.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 35 million customers globally. Operating in 20 African countries and in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

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The Niger State government has earmarked a N3.5 billion development fund to boost youth participation in agro-business.

A statement by Bologi Ibrahim, Chief Press Secretary to the governor of the state, Mohammed Umaru-Bago, on Tuesday said the Governor announced the creation of the fund during a technical session of the First Niger Green Economy Summit.

Mr Ibrahim said the government would contribute N1 billion to kickstart the fund while each of the 25 local governments in the state will contribute N100 million to the fund.

He said the first 1,000 beneficiaries of the project will be given a grant of N1 million.

The N3.5 billion to be realised will be used to purchase seedlings for the youth to go back to farming, the statement said.

The statement further said that Agricultural Extension Colleges would also be established in all the local governments of the state.

The statement said while Mr Bago acknowledged the importance of geo-mapping, he sought collaboration with relevant organisations like the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in addressing climate change and other environmental hazards.

It said the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, represented at the event by the Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, pledged support to the state government in its quest to have a Green Economy.

NNPC is set to collaboratively give indirect jobs to 500,000 Nigerlites, Mr Ogunleye said.

Also, the Chief Whip, of the House of Representatives, Usman Kumo, pledged to support the states Green Economy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the session was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the state government and the One Hectare, One Family Foundation.

The MoU was on the provision of one million Banana seedlings to the state.

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The Election Petitions Tribunal in Sokoto State on Wednesday upheld the victory of a former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal as the duly elected senator of Sokoto South Senatorial District.

The three-member panel led by Denis Echesi, in a unanimous judgement, dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Danbaba Danbuwa.

The tribunal held that the petitioners, APC and its candidate, failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, they were ordered to pay a fine of N200,000 to each of the respondents.

After the judgement, the respondents counsel, Suleiman Usman, a senior lawyer, said that the tribunal conducted a thorough examination of all the issues presented during the case.

Ultimately, the tribunal found the evidence presented by the petitioners to be unreliable, often contradictory, and frequently based on hearsay, including the documents they submitted.

The tribunal found the petition unproven and affirmed the election of Sen. Tambuwal as the duly elected Senator in the National Assembly, he stated.

On the other hand, Chris Ndeoyiro, the counsel of the petitioners, said his clients will wait for a copy of the tribunals judgment to review its contents before deciding on their next course of action.

The judgement itself is disappointing, similar to how the tribunal dismissed the petition.

However, there are certain aspects of the judgment we find unsatisfactory.

Well receive the copy of the judgment from the tribunal tomorrow, and after a thorough review, well decide on our next steps, he said.

The petitioner can still appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal

(NAN)

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The Delta State Government has distributed 696 bags of rice as palliatives to the poor, vulnerable and physically-challenged groups in the state to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

The Secretary to Delta State Government, Kingsley Emu, said this at a meeting with the Delta State Farmers Association on Tuesday in Asaba.

He said that the farmers were the next in line to get maize and fertilisers to support their farming activities, saying that the distribution would be without ethnic colouration and political party affiliation.

He said that the palliative distribution was aimed at ameliorating the plight of the people and the farmers, occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

According to Mr Emu, the 696 bags of rice were distributed along the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) wards comprising 20 wards in each of the 25 local government areas of the state.

He advised the farmers not to pay money to anybody for the palliatives, saying that all genuine farmers would receive their share of maize and fertilisers without hitches.

Mr Emu, who is also the chairperson of the State Palliative Distribution Committee, assured that the palliatives from the federal and state governments would get to the right people.

We have a template where we categorise those who should benefit.

The problem is that maize only constitutes just a small percentage of your total cost. So, that is what the committee will work on; to look at the percentage, he said.

In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Perez Omoun, thanked the federal and state governments for the steps taken to cushion the devastating effects of fuel subsidy removal on the people, especially farmers in different fields.

In their separate remarks, farmers said they were impressed with the foresight of the government and pledged to put the items to maximum use.

(NAN)

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Ahmed Raji has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding immediate withdrawal of the amended list of candidates released for the Bayelsa governorship election.

Mr Raji, who is the counsel to Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 11 November election, described INECs decision as prejudicial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC had, earlier today, released an amended list of candidates vying in the election without including Mr Sylvas name.

Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had, on 19 October in a judgment, disqualified Mr Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, from contesting the election.

Unsatisfied with the judgment, Mr Sylva approached the Court of Appeal, through his lawyer, Mr Raji, to challenge the decision of the court.

But while the appeal is pending, INEC released a list of candidates for the poll, excluding the APC candidates name.

It was shocking

In a letter to the commission dated 25 October, Mr Raji said he had the firm instruction of Mr Sylva to demand the immediate withdrawal of the amended list.

The lawyer said it was shocking for the INEC to release such publication when the judgement the commission acted upon had already been appealed against at the Court of Appeal.

Sir, you will recall that the judgment in issue, that arose from the suit was delivered on the 9th October, 2023 and our client, being an ardent and firm believer in the efficacy of the judiciary and the rule of law, immediately filed an appeal within 24 hours of the judgment, on the 10th October, 2023.

In addition to the notice of appeal, our client expeditiously compiled the record of appeal and transmitted the same in less than 10 days.

The appeal was successfully entered on the 18th October, 2023, with Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CS/1060/2023.

The above being the case, the commission, as a respected arbiter and law abiding institution, is expected to respectfully wait for the outcome of the appeal, before taking any step that may be prejudicial to any of the parties, particularly, our client.

This is in view of the fact that the parties that went to court are not candidates in the forthcoming election, unlike our client. In other words, they do not have anything to lose. Rather, they are fighting proxy battles to deny our client and his party the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming election.

We know that the Commission has always been consistent in a matter like this, to wait until the entire appellate process and proceedings are completed, one way or the other, he said.

According to him, this is not only consistent with the administrative and policy convenience but also with the Electoral Act and the constitution, in all election related matters.

Court fixes date for Sylvas suit

NAN reports that the Court of Appeal in Abuja, has scheduled a hearing for Friday in the appeal filed by Mr Sylva.

Mr Sylva and the APC are, by their suits, praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the 9 October judgment which voided Mr Sylvas candidacy.

Mr Sylva, in his three-ground notice of appeal, is contending among others that the trial court erred in law and occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice when it wrongly assumed jurisdiction by delving into the internal affairs of his party, which is a non-justiciable cause of action.

He stated that the trial court has a duty to understand the case presented by the parties and apply the law correctly.

Mr Sylva contended that the trial judge erred in law and occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice against him when he (the judge) wrongly conferred, allowed and adjudicated on the matter when the respondent (plaintiff at the trial court) has no locus standi to initiate or institute the action.

READ ALSO: Army begins security operation in Bayelsa

He argued that the plaintiff had agreed that he did not participate in the primary election that produced him as the governorship candidate of the APC.

Mr Sylva also argued that the trial court breached his right to fair hearing as guaranteed by the Constitution when it failed to properly evaluate, determine and pronounce on his notice of preliminary objection, with which he challenged the competence of the suit.

(NAN)

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The United States will allocate up to $150 million in additional military aid to Ukraine in a package that could be announced as early as October 25, Voice of America said on Wednesday, citing its own sources.

"The package includes more GMLRS rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), TOW anti-tank missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and 155 mm rounds, according to two of the officials who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity to discuss the package prior to its announcement," Voice of America said.

At the same time, the publication said both Ukraine and Israel need the U.S. stocks of 155-mm shells, but the United States is able to meet their needs. "The availability of 155 mm rounds has raised concerns in recent days as U.S. partners Ukraine and Israel both need them to fight their wars, one against Russias invasion, the other against Palestinian militant group Hamas, who killed hundreds of Israelis and kidnapped dozens more in a brazen terrorist attack on October 7," Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said.

The package expected on Wednesday is the 49th time that presidential authority has been used to redirect weapons from U.S. stockpiles to the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to Voice of America, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States has provided Ukraine with security assistance amounting to about $44 billion.
The Enugu State Government has banned dumpster scavenging in the state.

The states Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Sam Ugwu, who disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with reporters in Enugu, said the government warned against improper disposal of refuse at dump sites throughout the state.

Defaulters would be penalised henceforth, Mr Ugwu said.

He said the ban was in line with the state governments high expectations of the Ministry for Environment and Climate Change.

Mr Ugwu revealed that the ministry had inaugurated Refuse Marshals, who are strategically stationed at all the dumpsites in the state to ensure implementation of the ban and enforce an attitudinal change in negative refuse waste handling and disposal methods.

The Refuse Marshals are powered to monitor any ongoing movement(s) around the dumpsters and arrest scavengers who do not allow these sites to breathe, he said.

He also warned against open refuse dumping.

The commissioner said that the states monthly environmental sanitation exercise, which was suspended because of security issues, would be revived.

He said since his assumption of office, he had successfully engaged the Enugu State Waste Management Authority and other parastatals under his supervision, to live up to their statutory expectations.

When we came onboard, we had a volunteer who helped to plant flowers at the Otigba Junction, down to New Heaven Junction of Enugu metropolis.

We have also planted trees by an assigned expert in the Ziks Avenue area of Enugu metropolis.

The cutting of grasses is currently ongoing at Ogui, Okpara Avenue, Government House Old Lodge, among other places, to help beautify the environment.

We are not sleeping at all. Enugu State must be clean. We are going to do everything to ensure that the people embrace the government mantra of cleanliness and environmental sanitation, he said.

The state Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development has been relocating mentally-disturbed persons found within Enugu metropolis to makeshift/temporary centres where they are well-catered for, daily, he added.

(NAN)

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An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomoso on Wednesday nullified the selection and installation of Oba Afolabi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

The presiding judge, Justice K.A. Adedokun, nullified his selection and installation while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Kabir Olaoye, one of the contenders to the stool.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Olaoye, a pastor and international businessman, was selected few weeks ago by the kingmakers as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

His selection was then approved by the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, on 2 September and he was installed by the kingmakers on 8 September.

The stool had become vacant after the demise of Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, in December 2021 at the age of 95 after he reigned for 48 years.

However, Kabir Olaoye sued, saying Afolabi Olaoye was not eligible for the position of Soun of Ogbomoso.

Justice Adedokun, in his ruling, went on to restrain Governor Makinde, the Attorney-General and the Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Matters in Oyo State.

He said: Either by themselves, agents or officials, they are restrained from presenting any instrument of office in any form of ceremony or issuance of certificate of installation to Afolabi pending the hearing and final determination of the mandatory injunction already filed before the court.

Kabir Olaoye had contended that the selection of Afolabi Olaoye did not follow due process and did not comply with the Ogbomoso Chieftaincy Declaration.

READ ALSO: Makinde approves RCCG pastor as new Soun of Ogbomoso

He then prayed the court to nullify the selection and installation, as well as order the kingmakers to commence a fresh selection process.

The judge then nullified the selection and installation of Afolabi as Soun of Ogbomoso and granted Kabir Olaoyes prayers for a fresh selection process.

(NAN)

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The meeting on the World Formula is practically ready in terms of content, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address on Wednesday.

"I held a meeting with our international partners regarding key countries in the Global South and our relations with them. We continue to prepare for the Peace Formula meeting, working at all diplomatic levels. The substance of the meeting is essentially ready, and we are now fine-tuning the list of participants," he said.

It is essential, the president noted, that "in the relevant negotiations, we see unwavering attention to Ukraine and the need to end this war  to end it justly and fairly."

"This attention exists on different continents. And I am grateful to all the countries that have already confirmed their participation and the level of their representation at the Peace Formula meeting," he said.

As previously reported, meetings of advisers to heads of state and government on the Ukrainian Peace Formula should take place at the end of October in Malta.
LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Japan House London, in cooperation with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), is pleased to announce the first wave of events taking place as part of its 'Spotlight on Local Japan' programme  a series highlighting the charms of regions of Japan as yet undiscovered by many in the UK.

Following an open invitation calling for event proposals from a wide range of organizations including local regional tourism associations, the first two events series are announced below. Applications are now also open for events taking place in 2024.

Bingata making workshop (c) Japan House London

The first two event series encompass talks, demonstrations, performances and workshops showcasing Toyama and Okinawa Prefectures, covering themes including art, craft, design, manufacturing, food, innovation and technology.

The events (detailed below) run across October and November 2023 and are presented in collaboration with the Okinawa Bureau and Visitors Convention (OBVC) and the Toyama Prefectural Government. Many events are free and booking is required for each. To find out more and to book please visit: www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on

From Okinawa Prefecture

Friday 27 October and Sunday 29 October - WORKSHOP: An Introduction to Bingata Dyeing Techniques (Fully booked)

Participants will try their hand at creating their own bingata coaster or placemat during this hands-on workshop led by Ueda Miki, a dyer from Chinen Bingata Laboratory and Odo Azuza of the Ryukyu Bingata Preservation and Expansion Consortium based in Okinawa Prefecture.

Bingata is a resist dyeing technique which originated in Ryukyu Kingdom (present day Okinawa). The design of bingata textiles is inspired by the natural beauty of the subtropical Ryukyu archipelago. Its turquoise seas and diverse fauna and flora are represented in these vibrantly coloured and meticulously crafted textiles.

Saturday 28 October - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION: Bingata  Patterns of Nature. In conversation with Odo Azusa and Ueda Miki .

Discover the intricate beauty of bingata textiles from Okinawa Prefecture with this talk and demonstration by Odo Azusa and Ueda Miki. The distinct culture of Okinawa has long been influenced by trade links with China, Korea and Southeast Asia.

During the event, dyer Ueda Miki from Chinen Bingata Laboratory and Odo Azusa of the Ryukyu Bingata Preservation and Expansion Consortium discuss the aesthetics and production process of bingata, as well as its history, current forms and possible futures. The speakers elaborate on their efforts to preserve the dyeing technique and foster appreciation for this Okinawan craft among the younger generation. The talk is followed by a demonstration.

From Toyama Prefecture

Tuesday 31 October - WORKSHOP: Making Wagashi with Confectionary Artist Hikiami Yasuhiro (Fully Booked)

Guests will be guided in making their own edible work of art with a hands-on wagashi sweet-making workshop led by Hikiami Yasuhiro, the fourth-generation owner of Hikiami Kogetsudo, a leading confectionary manufacturer based in Toyama Prefecture.

Kneaded and sculpted from a mix of sweet bean paste, glutinous rice flour and Japanese yam, nerikiri are a type of wagashi often served during chado (the Japanese Way of Tea), their delicate sweetness complementing the bitter taste of matcha. They are characterized by their exquisite shapes and colours, which often express one of the four seasons.

Wednesday 1 November - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION: Wagashi  An Edible Art

Discover the delicate craftsmanship of wagashi, an art that can be enjoyed with all five senses, with a talk and demonstration by Hikiami Yasuhiro.

Toyama Prefecture boasts the second largest percentage of practitioners of chado (the Japanese Way of Tea) in Japan and the making of wagashi has flourished there together with the development of tea culture. Founded in 1919, Hikiami Kogetsudo is one of Toyama Prefecture's representative confectionary shops and the exquisitely sculpted nerikiri sweets in which it specialises are popular at local chado tea gatherings.

The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau, OCVB, said:

"The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau was delighted to hear about the Spotlight on Local Japan Programme. We were keen to get involved as it gives us a chance to share some of the lesser-known aspects of Okinawa's rich culture, history, and crafts with the UK public and we hope it inspires many to visit the prefecture in the coming months and years. We decided to showcase bingata for this event because it is such a cultural icon and directly connected to and identified with Okinawa through its designs and colours. The bingata craft technique does not require looms or bigger equipment, which makes it accessible to all members of the public regardless of their level of experience."

Toyama Prefectural Government, said:

"We held the first 'Toyama Week in London in 2022. We decided to showcase our prefecture's top wagashi artisan, Chef Yasuhiro Hikiami, fourth-generation owner of Hikiami Kogetsudo, a renowned Japanese wagashi confectionery shop in Toyama, with a 100-year history. We chose Japanese confectionery as, unlike sushi, wagashi are rare in the UK. Through wagashi we can tell the story of Toyama's rich tea culture, and introduce the history, craft, and gastronomy associated with it. His wagashi are truly edible works of art, and we believe they will bring astonishment and joy to people in the UK. During Toyama Week in London 2023, a selection of design and craft products produced in Toyama will be available at Japan House London."

Sam Thorne, Director, Japan House London, said:

"We are delighted to be working with JNTO and our regional partners on this exciting new initiative. We look forward to hosting a dynamic events programme at Japan House London that allows us to realize our aspirations around showcasing Japanese cultures from every corner of Japan."

Notes to editors

Spotlight on local Japan and how to get involved:

Application Guidelines (Japanese): https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/spotlight-on-local-japan/

About Japan House

Japan House London is a cultural destination offering guests the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London's Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor's appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in Sao Paulo.

Further events hosted by Japan House London can be found here: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on/

Press Images: www.japanhouselondon.uk/media-centre

Press contact: press.office@japanhouselondon.uk

Event collaborator profiles

Ueda Miki

Born in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, Ueda joined Chinen Bingata Laboratory in 2018. The Chinen family was one of the main families specializing and excelling at creating bingata textiles during the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The family also played an important role in reviving the craft after World War II. Ueda studied bingata dyeing techniques under Chinen Toma, the 10th-generation craftsperson of the Shimogiho Chinen family. Currently, she not only creates textiles, but also teaches online courses and conducts workshops to promote bingata.

Odo Azusa

Born in Naha, Okinawa, Odo Azusa has been involved in the management of the Ryukyu Bingata Preservation and Expansion Consortium. Her responsibilities include utilising intellectual property of bingata designs, collaborating with craftsmen, and the popularisation of the craft through design competitions.

Hikiami Yasuhiro

Hikiami Yasuhiro is the fourth-generation owner of Hikiami Kogetsudo, a renowned confectionary manufacturer founded in 1919 in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture which creates a wide range of confections from sweets for chanoyu tea gatherings to more experimental creations. Hikiami is a highly skilled wagashi craftsman whose mission is 'to make Japanese sweets more interesting'. He is active in a wide range of activities to promote the appeal of Japanese confectionary culture, giving demonstrations and teaching workshops throughout Japan and overseas.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256342/Bingata_making_workshop.jpg
BEIJING, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

On October 22, the highly anticipated 25th Annual Meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) took place in Hefei, Anhui province. With the inspiring theme "Leading with Innovation, Pursuing Self-reliance and Self-improvement - Creating a High-quality Cradle for Scientific and Technological Innovation," this prestigious event attracted over 800 eminent scientists and journalists to its main forum.

The opening ceremony of the 25th Annual Meeting of the CAST.

Wan Gang, president of the CAST, emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to education development, technological innovation, and talent cultivation. He stressed the importance of integrated design and coordinated deployment of original innovation, integrated innovation, and open innovation, along with the development of innovation chains, industrial chains, and talent chains.

Wan also called for national academic societies and local science associations to closely align with basic research and work collaboratively to foster cooperation among strategic scientific and technological forces. He highlighted the significance of actively driving innovation and entrepreneurship, transforming scientific and technological achievements, and speeding up the building of robust and resilient industrial and supply chains.

China's innovation ecosystem is witnessing profound changes, he said. The CAST will utilize its wealth of experts and academic societies to achieve continued promotion of the scientific spirit and creation of an innovation ecology with Chinese characteristics.

Open science and innovation were also advocated, with encouragement for global dialogues among industry, academia, and research sectors, as well as support for entities, organizations, and talents in building a competitive global innovation ecosystem.

Han Jun, secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, recognized the significance of hosting the 25th Annual Meeting of the CAST in the province.

Anhui is focused on creating high-energy-level innovation platforms, accelerating the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, and fostering a powerful new productive force through the development of original achievements.

Han expressed his hope that the CAST and various academicians and experts will support Anhui in strengthening the construction of disciplines and professional specialties and innovating talent training models.

During the main forum, Gao Hongjun, deputy president of the CAST, unveiled this year's list of major scientific, engineering and industrial challenges.

The presentations covered a wide range of topics, including the development of ultra-strong lasers and accelerators, China's deep space exploration, advances in functional molecules and materials research, vaccine research and development, quantum technology, and general artificial intelligence cognitive big models.

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn
Florida family-owned retailer breaks company record from guest and partner donations

ORLANDO, Fla. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits (ABC), Florida's largest family-owned and operated wine and spirits retailer, raised a record-breaking $363,000 during its annual National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) fundraiser, through generous donations from guests and a partnership with Constellation Brands.

ABC has helped raise more than $2 million since 2011 for the fight against pediatric cancer through NPCF.

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has been a proud partner with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) since 2011. Our shared mission? To raise essential funds for pediatric cancer research. The result of ABC's guests' generosity is an annual fundraising record of $363,000 that will help advance critical pediatric cancer research.

Guests could donate by rounding up their purchase amount at the register or by donating any amount. Additionally, a portion of every bottle purchased of select Constellation Brands wines, including Kim Crawford, Meiomi, and other well-known labels, were donated.

"Our collective efforts aim to make a meaningful difference in the battle against pediatric cancer, and we couldn't do it without the amazing support of our guests and Constellations Brands year after year," said ABC Sr. Executive Vice President Jess Bailes.

As a top-rated children's health charity, the Tampa-based NPCF has created a collaborative network with over 30 cutting-edge hospitals across the country working tirelessly to develop less toxic, more effective treatment options for pediatric cancer. This donation will help find ways to reduce the side effects of current treatments and improve survival rates.

To learn more about ABC and NPCF's partnership, watch the video here.

To donate to NPCF, click here.

Keep up with ABC: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Media Contact

Mary Lytle

Sr. Manager of Digital Advertising

[email protected]

407-483-6953

SOURCE ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
SHANGHAI, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a rapid stride towards globalization, NETA Auto has embarked on journeys in two additional countries this week. The exciting debut of NETA V in Indonesia and Malaysia brings a new era of intelligent electric vehicles to consumers in both nations. With its exceptional design, cutting-edge technology, and commitment to green intelligence, NETA has swiftly gained favor in the Southeast Asian market, marking a significant milestone in the further implementation of its global strategy.

Since making a strong impression at the 2023 GAIKINDO Indonesia International Auto Show of August, NETA has become a prominent star in the Indonesian consumer market. At the grand launch event in Jakarta on October 24th, NETA officially announced the commencement of comprehensive sales in Indonesia. It leveraging key technologies in core areas such as innovative design, intelligent technology, aims to fulfill the Indonesian consumers' desires for intelligent mobility. More than 200 attendees, including NETA's Vice President and President of Overseas Business Department, Mr. Zhou Jiang, other executives, as well as Indonesian partners and media representatives, participated in the event.

Furthermore, to solidify its position in the Indonesian market, NETA has opted for deep collaboration with local partner PT Handal Indonesia Motor. The plan is to initiate localized production of products in Indonesia starting from the second quarter of 2024. Representatives from the media and business community present at the event expressed that NETA's diverse product lineup and cutting-edge innovative technologies will make it the preferred choice for electric vehicle consumers in Indonesia.

Also in this week, NETA in collaboration with the Go Auto Group, held the launch ceremony of NETA V in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The event was held in one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia for 5 days from 25th. Nearly 100 media and partner representatives attended the launching ceremony on the first day of the event.

In recent years, the pure electric vehicle market in Malaysia has experienced rapid growth. With its remarkable performance in both domestic and overseas markets, NETA Auto is set to introduce a series of classic models to the Malaysian market, offering local consumers a wider range of choices. The launching ceremony marks that NETA Auto has officially joined the force of green mobility in Malaysia, making a positive contribution towards promoting intelligence and green mobility.

Starting from Thailand in 2022, NETA took its solid first step towards global development. Last year, NETA achieved annual sales exceeding 150,000 vehicles, placing it at the forefront of new energy vehicle enterprises in China. In 2023, NETA fully initiated its overseas operations, and in just over a year, the company's market share in the pure electric vehicle market in Thailand has approached 20%. Beyond Southeast Asia, NETA is gradually entering markets in the Middle East, North Africa, and South America.

In 2024, NETA plans to establish a global sales network covering 50 countries, with 500 overseas sales and service outlets, contributing to its goal of achieving overseas sales of 100,000 vehicles in the coming year. NETA is truly making waves as it propels itself onto the international scene.

Guided by the value of 'Tech for All', NETA Auto's entry into international markets is not merely about selling products, but also about conveying a philosophy that high-quality smart electric vehicles should be accessible to everyone. By accelerating its presence in international markets, NETA will continue to meet the global demand for high-quality electric vehicles, and contribute to the advancement of sustainable mobility worldwide.

SOURCE NETA Auto
Candy maker taps AI filmmakers to showcase a series of short films and Airheads fans have the ability to create spooky AI films of their own and win a year's worth of free Airheads and $2,000

ERLANGER, Ky., Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Scary movies and candy go hand in hand, especially on Halloween. This All-Hallows Eve, Airheads tapped some talented filmmakers and this year's hottest directorArtificial Intelligencefor its very first film festival, A.I.RHEADS SCAREFEST .

Airheads fans can create spooky AI films of their own and win a year's worth of free Airheads and $2,000 Post this Scene from one of the A.I.RHEADS SCAREFEST short films.

"AI is such a hot topic and everyone loves a good scary flick on Halloween, so we thought why not try our luck in Hollywood this year," said Craig Cuchra, VP of Marketing at Perfetti Van Melle, maker of Airheads candy. "We're excited to see what our fans think of the films we're screening and it will be fun to see how Airheads fans play with AI and create their own spooky film with a little candy inspiration."

The film festival challenge was simple. Filmmakers were tasked to create an AI-generated Halloween-themed film that incorporated the famous Airheads balloon in some way, shape or form. They were also instructed to include a balance of appropriate horror film scariness and humorbecause let's be real, we're talking about candy. All films are under 3 minutes long.

Anyone can watch and share their favorite A.I.RHEADS SCAREFEST film on the film festival website today (10/24) through 11/30 at midnight ET. Additionally, Airheads fans can try their hand at AI scary filmmaking and submit their short film for a chance to win a year's supply of Airheads candy and a $2,000 cash prize. All films must follow the same brief that the filmmakers used and the fan film with the most votes will win.

"I usually can't watch horror films because they scare me too much and keep me up at night," said Ronnie Allman, the filmmaker behind While You Sleep. "Now, after making this short film for A.I.RHEADS SCAREFEST, I'm still up at night, spooked about how quickly I can use AI to bring my creative vision to life."

To learn more about the A.I.RHEADS SCAREFEST and to get instructions on how to vote for your favorite film, visit www.airheadsscarefest.com .

About Airheads

Airheads is a brand long loved by people of all ages for its chewy texture, tangy fruit flavors and bright colors. Invented in Erlanger, KY, Airheads are available in original bar form as well as chewy and intense bite-sized pieces called Airheads Bites. For a sweetly sour candy that packs a punch, Airheads Xtremes belts and bites are available. And, for those who want the tangy, chewy goodness in gum form, there's Airheads Gum, with micro-candies offering a playful burst of fruit sensation in each chew. Airheads are perfect for a quick treat, social gatherings and for sharing with others.

About Perfetti Van Melle

Perfetti Van Melle Benelux B.V. is a privately-owned global company established in March 2001 through the merger of Perfetti SpA and Van Melle B.V. Perfetti Van Melle manufactures and markets confectionery and chewing gum products in more than 150 countries. Today Perfetti Van Melle is one of the world's largest confectionery groups, marketing highly renowned brands such as Mentos, Frisk, Chupa Chups, Smint, Fruit-tella, Alpenliebe, Golia, Vivident, Airheads, Happydent & Big Babol. The Group has corporate headquarters in Italy and The Netherlands. U.S. operations are solely out of Erlanger, KY.

Media Contact:

Abby Hagstrom

[email protected]

SOURCE Perfetti Van Melle
One simple question can open the door to important conversations about sleep health

DARIEN, Ill., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) launches the "Ask One Question" initiative to help primary care professionals talk to their patients about sleep. The effort is part of the AASM's national public education campaign, "Sleep Is Good Medicine," which is increasing awareness of the value and health benefits of healthy sleep.

During audience research that supported the creation of the campaign, the AASM learned that many primary care professionals are hesitant to initiate conversations about sleep with their patients and want resources to help them address their patients' sleep concerns. This insight inspired AASM's new "Ask One Question" initiative, which encourages primary care professionals to start the conversation by asking one simple question during visits: "How is your sleep?"

"Primary care professionals are on the frontlines of our efforts to enhance sleep health to improve lives," said AASM President Dr. James Rowley. "We want to equip primary care professionals with the resources they need to feel confident in discussing sleep-related concerns so that they can provide recommendations to improve sleep habits and refer patients to an accredited sleep center when specialized expertise is needed."

Despite the proven health benefits of regular, quality sleep, many Americans are not getting enough of it. In fact, nearly 28% of adults report getting less than the recommended seven or more hours of sleep per day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many factors that can impact sleep quality and quantity, such as working early in the morning or later at night, caring for a new baby, or experiencing a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea or chronic insomnia.

The "Ask One Question" initiative offers resources in English and Spanish to help primary care professionals feel more equipped to talk about sleep with their patients. Resources include a questionnaire with three questions to assess patients' sleep, content to share on social media, and a downloadable poster for waiting and exam rooms. The AASM is also exhibiting at the American Academy of Family Physicians' Family Medicine Experience conference from October 26 through 29 in Chicago with the goal of sharing information about sleep health and "Ask One Question" resources.

To learn more about the "Ask One Question" initiative and download resources, visit www.sleepisgoodmedicine.com/help-your-patients.

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Established in 1975, the AASM advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM has a combined membership of 12,000 accredited sleep centers and individuals, including physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who care for patients with sleep disorders. As the leader in the sleep field, the AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in sleep medicine health care, education, and research (www.aasm.org).

Sydney Preston

AASM Public Relations Coordinator

[email protected]

630-737-9700

SOURCE American Academy of Sleep Medicine
The new social platform is committed to providing a safe and secure space for creatives of all styles, backgrounds, mediums, and levels of expertise

LEESBURG, Va., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Artistic Fuel launches its vibrant digital ecosystem built to facilitate connection and collaboration amongst those with an appreciation for all arts, culture and creativity. Designed to ignite the creative spark within everyone, Artistic Fuel is a one-stop platform that aims to revolutionize the way those around the world connect, create and grow in today's digital age. This is a stage for all of the arts to come together and support each other regardless of styles, backgrounds, mediums and levels of expertise.

For creatives of all types, whether a classically trained pianist, a self-taught chef, an amateur photographer or an admirer of others' creative masterpieces, the Artistic Fuel platform provides a dynamic space to connect, collaborate and create. The platform offers a wide range of features to help nurture creativity and facilitate connections between artists, collectors, and creatives around the world. Artistic Fuel delivers a comprehensive social community that is dedicated to accessibility, inclusivity, safety and support, where creatives of all kinds are encouraged to:

Connect: Expand your network; Our platform makes it easy to find people who will fuel creative souls, discover opportunities or meet at upcoming events.

Expand your network; Our platform makes it easy to find people who will fuel creative souls, discover opportunities or meet at upcoming events. Collaborate: Build connections with fellow creatives from diverse backgrounds and styles, and experiences.

Build connections with fellow creatives from diverse backgrounds and styles, and experiences. Create: Work with like-minded creatives to complete your vision, produce your play, film that movie, present your poems or wherever your creativity brings you. Together we can do more.

Members can also explore a diverse collection of artwork, discover new artists, and connect with the creators themselves, and interact with each other through comments, likes, and direct messages to foster a sense of community and appreciation for creativity. Members of our ecosystem are given access to:

An inclusive artist community: Join an enthusiastic and diverse community of artists who share similar passions. Share experiences, exchange ideas, and be inspired by a network of exciting creatives.

Join an enthusiastic and diverse community of artists who share similar passions. Share experiences, exchange ideas, and be inspired by a network of exciting creatives. A full-service storefront: Expand reach and increase revenue with access to our members-only storefront. Sellers can feature limitless products on the Artistic Fuel store.

Expand reach and increase revenue with access to our members-only storefront. Sellers can feature limitless products on the Artistic Fuel store. AI-powered courses: Sharpen a craft or expand a skill set, our library of AI-powered courses will give users the tools needed to improve.

"Art, in all its forms, transforms lives and enrich communities, so we are thrilled to introduce the Artistic Fuel platform to artists and art lovers around the world," said Jack O'Donnell, Founder of Artistic Fuel. "Our goal was to create a vibrant and inclusive community where artists can thrive and art enthusiasts can explore and connect with creativity on a deeper level. Through our platform, we aspire to support and elevate artists at every stage of their journey while fostering a global community that appreciates and celebrates their talent."

Artistic Fuel offers a unique set of features to empower artists and art enthusiasts alike. Members can create personalized portfolios to showcase their work and gain exposure to a global audience. The platform also provides resources and tips for all artists to enhance their skills, learn new techniques, and navigate the art market.

Artistic Fuel was co-founded by Jack O'Donnell and Sean O'Donnell who together created the first web-based platform and application specifically designed to build a global network and provide tools that support creatives and non-profit communities. Nelson Santini will lead the Artistic Fuel team as CEO, where he will be responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and its strategic growth along with its new COO, Dr. Chuck Rider.

Artistic Fuel invites everyone, whether an artist, creative or enthusiast to join the global community and be part of this exciting new platform. To sign up and explore the world of Artistic Fuel, visit www.artisticfuel.com.

About Artistic Fuel

Artistic Fuel is a vibrant digital ecosystem fueled by the power and possibilities of connection, creativity and artificial intelligence. Our mission is to revolutionize the way artists around the world connect, create and grow. It is the only digital social platform that's committed to providing a safe, secure platform that provides tools and support for artists of all styles, backgrounds, mediums, and levels of expertise. Members of our ecosystem are given access to our inclusive artist community, our AI-powered Click-to-Create technology, a full-service storefront, and more. To learn more about Artistic Fuel, visit www.artisticfuel.com

SOURCE Artistic Fuel
Russian occupiers fired at a residential building in the town of Beryslav, Kherson region, as a result of the shelling, a 13-year-old boy was killed, Head of the regional military administration Oleksandr Prokudin said.

"The Russian army killed a teenager in Beryslav. In the evening, the occupiers fired at a residential building in the town. As a result of the shelling, a 13-year-old boy died," Prokudin said in his Telegram channel on Wednesday evening.
ORANJESTAD, Aruba, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) announced the introduction of the "Tattoovenir," the first-ever souvenir that truly stays with you. The One happy island is offering visitors the chance to get a free Aruba-themed tattoo from a local artist, as a permanent reminder of the One happy island.

Source: Aruba Tourism Authority

"When our visitors leave, they take some of the island's abundant happiness with them," said Ronella Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority. "What better way to celebrate this lasting feeling than to give away permanent souvenirs from our talented local tattoo artists. Because Aruba stays with you, long after you leave."

Starting today, eligible visitors can register for the opportunity to receive a free Aruba-themed tattoo during their trip from one of the five participating local Aruban tattoo shops by visiting aruba.com/tattoovenirs and claiming a Tattoovenir voucher while supplies last. Pending verification of their eligibility, participants can redeem their Tattoovenir at the participating shop of their choice between January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024.

Participating Tattoo Shops Include:

Black Sheep Body Arts

Located ideally in the heart of Oranjestad , Black Sheep Body Arts features a team of award winning tattoo artists that specialize in custom, fine line, bright color, and black and grey realism tattoos

Located ideally in the heart of , Black Sheep Body Arts features a team of award winning tattoo artists that specialize in custom, fine line, bright color, and black and grey realism tattoos Cadushi Ink Tattoos

A trend setter in the Aruban tattoo industry, the eclectic Cadushi Ink Tattoo shop has years of experience perfecting a variety of styles from minimalistic to to neotraditional, geometric, realistic, and freestyle.

A trend setter in the Aruban tattoo industry, the eclectic Cadushi Ink Tattoo shop has years of experience perfecting a variety of styles from minimalistic to to neotraditional, geometric, realistic, and freestyle. Inkspiration Tattoo Studio

Operating just off the shoreline in Palm Beach , Inksiration tattoo is home to a team of versatile artists with experience working with fineline, black & grey, color and custom tattoos.

Operating just off the shoreline in , Inksiration tattoo is home to a team of versatile artists with experience working with fineline, black & grey, color and custom tattoos. Aruba Tattoo/Aruba Tattoo and Piercing

Just minutes from Eagle Beach, Aruba Tattoo and Piercing features a dedicated team of artists that are constantly studying new techniques to evolve their work and perfect their craft, with a specialty in realism composition tattoos in black and grey.

Just minutes from Eagle Beach, Aruba Tattoo and Piercing features a dedicated team of artists that are constantly studying new techniques to evolve their work and perfect their craft, with a specialty in realism composition tattoos in black and grey. Art 4 Life Tattoo

At Art 4 Life Tattoo, conveniently situated amongst the high rise hotels of Plam Beach, visitors will find a staff of skilled tattoo artists who pride thesleves on crafting one-of-a-kind personalized tattoos and creating unforgettable experiences.

To learn more about the Aruba Effect and all that the One happy island has to offer, visit Aruba.com and follow us on social @ArubaTourism. The Aruba Tourism Authority encourages visitors to show how Aruba has stayed with them by sharing their Aruba-inspired ink on social media and using the hashtag #Tattoovenir.

About Aruba:

As one of the most revisited Caribbean destinations, Aruba  One happy island  offers breathtaking beaches, diverse culinary delights, a sprawling and unforgettable Arikok National Park, and award-winning hotels and villas. A leader in innovation, the country was awarded a top spot on Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2020 list due to their ambitious sustainability efforts. In today's ever-changing world, Aruba's 'Health and Happiness Code' safety protocols provide peace of mind, while still delivering a relaxing on-island experience. Located outside the hurricane belt, explore all Aruba has to offer, from romantic beach getaways, unique wellness experiences and more, on Aruba.com.

This material is distributed by Zeno Group, Inc. on behalf of Aruba Tourism Authority. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Rules and Regulations

Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S./DC & Canada (excl QB) who are 18 years of age & the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence or older at the time of submission and have a trip planned to Aruba by June 30, 2024. Begins 12:00am ET on October 25, 2023; ends 11:59pm ET on December 15, 2023 or while supplies last, whichever occurs first. For complete Terms and Conditions: www.aruba.com/us/tattoovenirs/rules .

Contact:

Zeno Group

[email protected]

SOURCE Aruba Tourism Authority
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Medical Products (Aspen), the industry leader in spine solutions for pain and mobility management, has launched the VRTX System  the first fully integrated spinal support system on the market for post-operative and trauma care.

VRTX CTLSO

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, millions of spine-related injuries occur annually in the United States. Patients with traumatic, multi-level spinal injuries typically require a custom Cervical Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Orthosis (CTLSO) that stabilizes the spine before or after surgery. These patients may wait for up to three days to receive their CTLSO after being measured and fit, increasing the risk for deep vein thrombosis, bed sores, respiratory issues and other complications.

The VRTX System is the first-ever cervical to sacrum system designed to redefine spinal care in acute care settings. The prefabricated design with intuitive adjustable sizing helps clinicians to fit patients and stabilize the spine immediately. This off-the-shelf solution can help to reduce length of stay and risk of complications, while optimizing operational efficiencies in hospitals by enhancing time and inventory management.

"Aspen is once again leading innovation and clinical solutions with the VRTX System," said Jim Cloar, Aspen's Chief Executive Officer. "We understand the need for an improved patient and clinician experience, and we designed the VRTX System to bring value to the healthcare system as a whole. Our resulting goal was to create a family of products that all interact with one another, simplify the fitting process through intuitive design and ensure ease of use at home. We are proud to bring the first total spine solution to market."

A pioneer in advancing spine care, the VRTX System is built on a foundation of outcomes and innovation. The modular, low-profile design comfortably supports a diverse range of patient anatomies and improves patient outcomes by helping them to get ambulatory faster. An integrated QR code scans to patient instructions so proper application directions are always on hand, helping to ensure compliance.

Comprised of a prefabricated CTO, TLSO, LSO and CTLSO, each component in the VRTX System provides optimal motion restriction and can be stepped down or stepped up depending on patient need. This modular solution allows for standardization of products and services in the hospital to maximize staff efficiencies and patient care.

Building upon the success of the Vista Cervical Collar, Aspen has incorporated enhanced features into the new VRTX Collar. A symmetrical back panel ensures precise and consistent application every time, and clinicians now have the convenience of writing directly on the collar's surface to mark pad replacement time. Additionally, more finite height adjustments fit a wider range of patients, and the VRTX Collar can be adjusted to a lower setting.

"From day one, Aspen has been committed to understanding the intricate needs and challenges of both patients and healthcare providers. Years of patient and clinician feedback as well as industry insights have been our guiding forces while creating the VRTX System. This innovation is more than just a product; it's a testament to our dedication to improve the healthcare landscape and ultimately enhance the well-being of all those we serve," said Albert Romo, Aspen's Director of Research and Development.

More information on the VRTX System is available at vrtx.aspenmp.com.

About Aspen Medical Products

Founded in 1994, Aspen Medical Products, LLC is the industry leader in the development and manufacturing of spinal orthopedics and pain therapy solutions. Designed to restore function and alleviate pain, Aspen's products address a variety of patient needs across the continuum of care to help them resume activities of daily living. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Aspen has local sales representation throughout the U.S. and internationally. www.aspenmp.com

SOURCE Aspen Medical Products
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. , Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BENEV Company Inc., a global Medical Aesthetic company, is proud to be a sponsor for the Image Reborn, Fire & Ice Gala. The event, held on October 14th, at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, aimed to raise awareness and funds for ongoing treatment and support services for breast cancer survivors.

(Pictured left to right) Patty McIntosh, Master Esthetician; Yvonne Dellos, MSN, FNP-BC; Renato Saltz, MD, FACS; Diane Duncan, MD, FACS; Suneel Chilukuri, MD, FAAD, FACMS; Ethan Min, CEO of BENEV

Breast Cancer Awareness Month serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by survivors and the importance of community support. Ethan Min, the CEO of BENEV Company Inc., recognized the significance of this battle and ensured that the company played an active role in supporting the cause. Driven by their commitment to empowering and improving the lives of survivors, BENEV Company Inc. took on the distinguished role of being a platinum sponsor for the Fire and Ice Gala.

The introduction to the Image Reborn Foundation came through Dr. Renato Saltz, a valued member of BENEV's Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Saltz's advocacy for breast cancer survivors and his alignment with Image Reborn made this partnership a natural fit. BENEV Company Inc., alongside Dr. Saltz and other esteemed members of their Medical Advisory Board, including Dr. Diane Duncan of Plastic Surgical Associates, Dr. Suneel Chilukuri of Refresh Dermatology, and BENEV Key Opinion Leader, Yvonne Dellos of Medical Art Aesthetic Institute united their efforts to make a significant impact on the lives of breast cancer survivors.

The Fire and Ice Gala, held at a premier venue, brought together community leaders, philanthropists, and medical professionals in a night dedicated to raising awareness and support. This remarkable event showcased the resilience and strength of breast cancer survivors while honoring their journey and highlighting the ongoing need for support of breast cancer survivors.

Ethan Min, CEO of BENEV Company Inc., expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the Fire and Ice Gala alongside Image Reborn. "As a company that strives to provide innovative medical aesthetic solutions, it is both an honor and a responsibility for us to support breast cancer survivors," said Min. "Through our partnership with Image Reborn and the Fire and Ice Gala, we hope to empower survivors and inspire others to join us in this worthy cause."

Breast Cancer Awareness Month serves as a reminder of the collective effort required to combat this disease. BENEV Company Inc. remains committed to supporting organizations like Image Reborn and enhancing the lives of breast cancer survivors. Their participation in the Fire and Ice Gala underscores their dedication to making a lasting impact on the journey of survivors.

For more information about BENEV Company Inc., contact Susan Samarakone, VP of Sales and Marketing at [email protected], 949-457-2222.

About BENEV Company Inc.

At BENEV our mission is to inspire a more vibrant life and create a more beautiful world by providing products and services that revive, restore, and renew in all facets of the health and beauty market. As an FDA-registered manufacturer based in California, we are expanding our global network with integrity, creativity, and passion in a relentless pursuit to BENefit EVeryone.

About Image Reborn

Image Reborn is a breast cancer survivor foundation dedicated to empowering and supporting women who have faced breast cancer. Through retreat programs, education, and emotional support, Image Reborn aims to help survivors regain their confidence and improve their quality of life. By fostering a community of understanding and compassion, Image Reborn stands as a beacon of hope for breast cancer survivors.

Sources:

BENEV Company Inc. Homepage ( www.benev.com )

)

Image Reborn Foundation ( www.imagerebornfoundation.org )

)

Plastic Surgical Associates Homepage ( https://www.drdianeduncan.com )

)

Refresh Dermatology Homepage ( www.refreshdermatology.com )

)

Medical Aesthetic Art Institute Homepage ( https://medicalaestheticartinstitute.com/maai-annual-summit/ )

SOURCE BENEV Company Inc.
NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biosimilars Market size is forecast to grow by USD 42.22 billion between 2022 and 2027, and the growth momentum will be accelerating at a CAGR of 23% during the forecast period. The market growth is significantly driven by the notable price advantage of biosimilars compared to biologics. The high expense of biologics restricts patient access and contributes to higher healthcare costs. Biosimilars, which are authorized copies of biologics, are priced approximately 20%-25% lower than the original products. This cost reduction can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, biosimilars require fewer clinical trials compared to the original biologics, resulting in lower development costs. Typically, clinical trials are conducted using the original biologic as a reference. Additionally, biosimilars do not incur marketing costs or post-marketing research and development expenses, further contributing to their lower cost. Advances in genetic engineering and decreased scale-up costs for manufacturing recombinant proteins have made it more feasible to produce biosimilars at reduced expenses. Moreover, if the approval process for biosimilars can be streamlined and made more cost-effective, it would further reduce the overall cost of these products.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Biosimilars Market

Europe will account for 46% of market growth during the forecast period. Europe approved sixteen biosimilars of seven different biologic products in 2020, thus expanding the biosimilar market into new therapeutic areas and newer classes of biologics for which no biosimilars have been previously approved in the EU. In many EU countries, including Germany and Sweden, biosimilar substitution is allowed for specific groups of biosimilars manufactured by the same pharmaceutical company. France is among the first EU country to establish a law for biosimilar substitution in treatment-naive patients or to continue a treatment already initiated with the same biosimilar. For more insights on the historic data (2017 to 2021) and forecast market size (2023 to 2027) Download A PDF Sample Report

Company Profiles

The biosimilars market report includes information on the key products and recent developments of leading vendors, including:

AbbVie Inc.: The company offers biosimilars under the brand Humira.

The company offers biosimilars under the brand Humira. Amgen Inc.: The company offers biosimilar services such as extrapolation and clinical trials.

The company offers biosimilar services such as extrapolation and clinical trials. Biocon Ltd.: The company offers biosimilars such as Insulin Glargine, Rh-insulin, and Insulin Glargine Disposable Pen.

The company offers biosimilars such as Insulin Glargine, Rh-insulin, and Insulin Glargine Disposable Pen. Biogen Inc.: The company offers biosimilars for Ophthalmology and Immunology.

The company offers biosimilars for Ophthalmology and Immunology. To gain access to more vendor profiles available with Technavio, buy the report!

Market Dynamics

The market is driven by factors such as the price advantage of biosimilars over biologics, the patent expiry of major biologics, and government initiatives to increase the use of biosimilar medicines. However, the access barriers for biosimilars are hindering market growth.

Trends

A significant factor contributing to the growth of the biosimilar market is the regulatory landscape regarding therapeutic interchangeability across different countries. In the United States, for a biosimilar to be substituted at the pharmacy level, it must obtain approval as interchangeable from the US FDA. However, the regulatory approval process for biosimilars tends to be sluggish in the US. The US FDA states that when a pharmacist receives a prescription for a brand name drug or biological product, they may, or if a purchaser requests a lower-cost generic or interchangeable biological product, they must dispense a lower-cost product that is generically equivalent or interchangeable if it is available at the pharmacy. The marketing of biosimilars in the US is subject to stringent FDA regulations, which impose restrictions.

Challenges

The primary obstacle hindering the growth of the biosimilar market is the presence of market access barriers. Biosimilars face various challenges in order to compete with biologics and gain entry into the market. One of the foremost challenges is the intricate manufacturing process associated with biosimilars. It is crucial to maintain the uniformity of the product, yet variations are likely to arise even between two batches of the same product. The manufacturing of biosimilars or biologics involves a complex production process, presenting a significant hurdle for new companies to overcome.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive scenario categorizes companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered include the financial performance of companies over the past few years, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, and growth in market share, among others. Request a Sample

Market Segmentation

By product type, the market is segmented into monoclonal antibodies, insulin, human growth hormone, and others. The monoclonal antibodies segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2022.

By application, the market is segmented into oncology and hematology, endocrinology, immunology, and nephrology.

By geography, the market is segmented into Europe , North America , Asia , and the Rest of the World (ROW). Europe held the largest share of the market in 2022.

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What are the key data covered in this biosimilars market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period.

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the market between 2023 and 2027

Precise estimation of the biosimilars market size and contribution of the market in focus to the parent market.

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior.

Growth of the market industry across Europe , North America , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW).

, , , and Rest of World (ROW). Thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors.

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of biosimilars market vendors.

Related Reports:

The biologic therapeutics market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.34% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 286.12 billion. This report extensively covers market segmentation by application (cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and others), product (antibody therapeutics, vaccines, cell therapy, gene therapy, and others), and geography ( North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW)). The introduction of biosimilars is notably driving the biologic therapeutics market growth.

is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.34% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 286.12 billion. This report extensively covers market segmentation by application (cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and others), product (antibody therapeutics, vaccines, cell therapy, gene therapy, and others), and geography ( , , , and Rest of World (ROW)). The introduction of biosimilars is notably driving the biologic therapeutics market growth. The HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) inhibitors market share is expected to increase by USD 8.00 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 8.95%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) inhibitors market segmentation by product (monotherapy and combination therapy) and geography ( North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW)). The high prevalence of breast cancer and gastric cancer is one of the key drivers supporting the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) inhibitors market growth.

Biosimilars Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 172 Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 23% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 42,227.12 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 22.9 Regional analysis Europe, North America, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution Europe at 46% Key countries US, Germany, UK, China, and Republic of Korea Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., Biocon Ltd., Biogen Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd., Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd., F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA, Gedeon Richter Plc, Halozyme Therapeutics Inc, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Mabion S.A., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd., Sanofi SA, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Viatris Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Application



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global biosimilars market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global biosimilars market 2017 - 2021 (USD million)

4.2 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 (USD million)

4.3 Application Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Application Segment 2017 - 2021 (USD million)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 (USD million)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 (USD million)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Product Type

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Product Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Product Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Product Type

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Product Type



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Product Type

6.3 Monoclonal antibodies - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Monoclonal antibodies - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Monoclonal antibodies - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Monoclonal antibodies - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Monoclonal antibodies - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Insulin - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Insulin - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Insulin - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Insulin - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Insulin - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Human growth hormone - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 42: Chart on Human growth hormone - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Human growth hormone - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 44: Chart on Human growth hormone - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Human growth hormone - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 46: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.7 Market opportunity by Product Type

Exhibit 50: Market opportunity by Product Type (USD million)

7 Market Segmentation by Application

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 51: Chart on Application - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Application - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 53: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Comparison by Application

7.3 Oncology and hematology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Oncology and hematology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Oncology and hematology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Oncology and hematology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Oncology and hematology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Endocrinology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Endocrinology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Endocrinology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Endocrinology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Endocrinology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Immunology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 63: Chart on Immunology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Immunology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 65: Chart on Immunology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Immunology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Nephrology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 67: Chart on Nephrology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Nephrology - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 69: Chart on Nephrology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on Nephrology - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.7 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 71: Market opportunity by Application (USD million)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 72: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 73: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 74: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 75: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 76: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 77: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 79: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 80: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 81: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 82: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 83: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 84: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 85: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 86: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 87: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 89: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 90: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 91: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 92: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 95: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 97: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 98: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 99: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 100: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 101: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 102: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 103: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 104: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 105: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 106: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)

Exhibit 107: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 108: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 Republic of Korea - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 109: Chart on Republic of Korea - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 110: Data Table on Republic of Korea - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 (USD million)



Exhibit 111: Chart on Republic of Korea - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 112: Data Table on Republic of Korea - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 113: Market opportunity by geography (USD million)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 114: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 115: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 116: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 117: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 118: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 119: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 AbbVie Inc.

Exhibit 120: AbbVie Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 121: AbbVie Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 122: AbbVie Inc. - Key offerings

12.4 Amgen Inc.

Exhibit 123: Amgen Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 124: Amgen Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 125: Amgen Inc. - Key offerings

12.5 Biocon Ltd.

Exhibit 126: Biocon Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 127: Biocon Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 128: Biocon Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 129: Biocon Ltd. - Segment focus

12.6 Biogen Inc.

Exhibit 130: Biogen Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 131: Biogen Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 132: Biogen Inc. - Key offerings

12.7 Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

Exhibit 133: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 134: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Business segments



Exhibit 135: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Key news



Exhibit 136: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Key offerings



Exhibit 137: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Segment focus

12.8 Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 138: Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 139: Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 140: Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.9 Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd.

Exhibit 141: Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 142: Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 143: Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 144: Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd. - Segment focus

12.10 F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd.

Exhibit 145: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 146: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 147: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 148: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 149: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Segment focus

12.11 Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA

Exhibit 150: Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA - Overview



Exhibit 151: Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA - Business segments



Exhibit 152: Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA - Key news



Exhibit 153: Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA - Key offerings



Exhibit 154: Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA - Segment focus

12.12 Gedeon Richter Plc

Exhibit 155: Gedeon Richter Plc - Overview



Exhibit 156: Gedeon Richter Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 157: Gedeon Richter Plc - Key news



Exhibit 158: Gedeon Richter Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 159: Gedeon Richter Plc - Segment focus

12.13 Halozyme Therapeutics Inc

Exhibit 160: Halozyme Therapeutics Inc - Overview



Exhibit 161: Halozyme Therapeutics Inc - Product / Service



Exhibit 162: Halozyme Therapeutics Inc - Key offerings

12.14 Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Exhibit 163: Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 164: Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 165: Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - Key offerings

12.15 Mabion S.A.

Exhibit 166: Mabion S.A. - Overview



Exhibit 167: Mabion S.A. - Product / Service



Exhibit 168: Mabion S.A. - Key offerings

12.16 Novartis AG

Exhibit 169: Novartis AG - Overview



Exhibit 170: Novartis AG - Business segments



Exhibit 171: Novartis AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 172: Novartis AG - Segment focus

12.17 Viatris Inc.

Exhibit 173: Viatris Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 174: Viatris Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 175: Viatris Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 176: Viatris Inc. - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 177: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 178: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for USUSD

Exhibit 179: Currency conversion rates for USUSD

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 180: Research methodology



Exhibit 181: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 182: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 183: List of abbreviations

About US

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Government today announced it is the exclusive industry insights media sponsor of the AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter (AFCEA DC) 2023-2024 Luncheon Series.

The AFCEA DC luncheon series brings together leaders from defense and intelligence communities and their industry partners to explore strategies and issues related to information technology. This year's series consists of seven luncheons from November 2023 through June 2024 on topics ranging from digital twins to generative AI to support the warfighter to DISA and Space Force priorities. At each of these events, a Bloomberg Government analyst will provide industry and market insights that draw on Bloomberg Government's federal market intelligence.

"BGOV is proud to partner with AFCEA DC on this valuable series of conversations, bringing together those working in government and industry," said Arielle Elliott, president, Bloomberg Government. "Our expert analysis, along with our focused data sets and propriety tools, enable our customers to make smarter decisions, discover more relevant federal contracting opportunities, and identify potential partners."

"We are thrilled to have Bloomberg Government as the industry insights series sponsor of our 2023-2024 luncheon series," said Jessica Hersey, President of AFCEA DC. "Attendees of our annual luncheon series will benefit from Bloomberg Government's trusted market insights and analysis."

The first event in the series, "Forging Future Frontlines with Digital Twins for Warfighting: How the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community are Building Digital Twins to Strengthen Warfighting Capabilities," will be held November 1 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia.

For more information about Bloomberg Government, visit http://onb-gov.com/8GQZ50PYAxW.

About Bloomberg Government

Bloomberg Government is a premium, subscription-based service that provides comprehensive information and analytics for professionals who interact with  or are affected by  the government. Delivering news, analytics, and data-driven decision tools, Bloomberg Government's digital workspace gives an intelligent edge to government affairs and contracting professionals. For more information or a demo, visit Bloomberg Government.

About AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter

AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter largely focuses on the Department of Defense, intelligence community, national security and military health related agencies. Chapter activities include monthly luncheon programs, featuring a panel of government and military leaders, the annual Winter Gala networking event, and the Spring Military IT Leadership Awards. Additionally, the chapter hosts a full-day technology summit in the Spring and works year-round to raise funds for STEM scholarships. Since May 1989, AFCEA Washington, DC has awarded 450 scholarships totaling more than $2,800,000 to students from 112 area high schools going to 80 U.S. colleges. For more information, visit dc.afceachapters.org.

About AFCEA International

AFCEA is an international organization that serves its members by providing a forum for the ethical exchange of information. AFCEA is dedicated to increasing knowledge through the exploration of issues relevant to its members in information technology, communications, and electronics for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities. For more information, visit www.afcea.org.

SOURCE Bloomberg Government
BEIJING and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CANbridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("CANbridge," stock code 1228.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company, with a foundation in China, committed to the research, development and commercialization of transformative therapies for rare diseases and oncology indications, today announced that data from the preclinical evaluation of CAN201, a potential gene therapy for Fabry disease, will be presented at the at the European Society Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT) 30th Annual Congress, taking place from October 24-27 in Brussels, Belgium.

The study aimed to utilize the liver as a manufacturing site for the enzyme, -galactosidase A (-GAL), by delivering a human GLA gene via an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector. In preclinical studies involving Fabry mice and a PXB mouse model containing a humanized liver, CAN201 showed a dose-dependent increase in -GAL enzyme levels across various tissues with a corresponding reduction in disease-causing Gb3 lipid levels. The gene therapy was well tolerated with no significant adverse effects observed in Fabry mice. CANbridge holds an exclusive global license from LogicBio Therapeutics, Inc ("LogicBio") to develop, manufacture and commercialize gene therapy candidates for the treatment of Fabry and Pompe diseases, based on LogicBio's AAV sL65 technology.

"We are delighted that our therapeutic approach utilizing a liver-targeting AAV capsid to convert the liver into an efficient producer of -GAL enzyme demonstrated in vivo proof-of-concept in the Fabry mouse model" said Gerry Cox, MD, PhD, Chief Development Strategist and Interim Chief Medical Officer of CANbridge Pharmaceuticals. "These findings bolster our confidence in the therapeutic potential of CAN201 as an alternative approach to address the limitations of current treatment options, such as enzyme replacement therapy and chaperone therapy, and offer hope for improved outcomes in individuals with Fabry disease."

Presentation Details:

Title: Preclinical Evaluation of CAN201 Containing a Human GLA Transgene Under the Control of a Liver-Specific Promoter for Fabry Disease

Poster: # P020 at ESGCT

Session Date and Time: October 24-27, 2023

Authors: Jun Yang, Gregory Preston, Amy Bastille, Ryan Thompson, Peter Pechan, John Xiong, Megan Ericson, Anannya Banga, Aida Jameei, Nannan Jia, Shiliang Hu, Beth Thurberg, Yijie Ma, Leila Jalinous, Yunxiang Zhu, Jason West, Gerald Cox

About CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc.

CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. (HKEX:1228) is a global biopharmaceutical company, with a foundation in China, committed to the research, development and commercialization of transformative therapies for rare disease and rare oncology. CANbridge has a differentiated drug portfolio, with 4 approved drugs and a pipeline of 10 assets, targeting prevalent rare disease and rare oncology indications that have unmet needs and significant market potential. These include Hunter syndrome and other lysosomal storage disorders, complement-mediated disorders, hemophilia A, metabolic disorders, rare cholestatic liver diseases and neuromuscular diseases, as well as glioblastoma multiforme. The CANbridge Next-Generation Innovation and Process Development Facility is developing novel, potentially curative, gene therapies for rare genetic diseases, including Pompe disease, Fabry disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other neuromuscular conditions, and collaborates with world-leading researchers and biotech companies. Animal data from the SMA gene therapy was presented at the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) in 2022 and 2023, the European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) in 2022 and the World Muscle Congress in 2022. CANbridge global partners include: Apogenix, GC Pharma, Mirum, Wuxi Biologics, Privus, UMass Chan Medical School, the University of Washington School of Medicine and Scriptr Global.

For more on CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., please go to: www.canbridgepharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the data on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development.

SOURCE CANbridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
BURR RIDGE, Ill., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SkinCure Oncology , the world leader in providing a comprehensive model for the delivery of Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (Image-Guided SRT), the most advanced nonsurgical treatment for common skin cancer, today announced its availability in Delaware at an event at Cape Henlopen Dermatology in Lewes. This is the first medical practice in the state to offer the GentleCure treatment experience.

Image-Guided SRT is the only treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer (basal and squamous cell carcinoma) that uses ultrasound imaging to help clinicians direct low-level x-rays to targeted areas of the skin, killing cancer cells without bleeding, pain, surgical scarring or need for reconstructive surgery. A study published in the journal Oncology and Therapy showed that Image-Guided SRT produces a 99.3 percent cure rate for early stage nonmelanoma, making it just as effective as traditional surgical treatment.

Kathryn O'Reilly, M.D., Ph.D., of Cape Henlopen Dermatology, noted, "Some 8,500 Delawareans are expected to be diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer this year alone. It is essential for them to have information on all available treatment options, both surgical and nonsurgical, so they can make informed decisions about their care. Image-Guided SRT is one of the most exciting technological innovations in dermatology today. We call it the GentleCure experience, and we are proud to be the first in Delaware to offer it."

Practice co-owner Mitchell Stickler, M.D., added, "For individuals who are fearful of surgery and for those whose other medical conditions make them poor candidates for Mohs surgery, noninvasive Image-Guided SRT is a much-needed option. As we diagnose over 150 nonmelanoma skin cancers per month here at Cape Henlopen Dermatology, Image-Guided SRT is a very welcome tool to add to our armamentarium against the local skin cancer epidemic. We are pleased to be the first practice to offer this technology in the First State."

Also speaking at the event was Lewes City Councilman Khalil Saliba, who said, "This is a very exciting development for the Town of Lewes and our surrounding communities, and I congratulate Drs. O'Reilly and Stickler for their vision and diligence in introducing this cutting-edge treatment to the state of Delaware. Skin cancer is a constant concern in active communities like Lewes. Our bike trails, beaches, and other outdoor activities increase the risks of sun exposure, so this new treatment is welcome, particularly since Delaware residents will no longer need to travel to other states to access this advanced technology."

"We at SkinCure Oncology are delighted to partner with Cape Henlopen Dermatology to offer this highly effective, noninvasive treatment option for their patients," said Kerwin Brandt, Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago-based company. "Patients everywhere should have the choice of curing their nonmelanoma skin cancer without surgery."

About SkinCure Oncology

SkinCure Oncology is the world leader in providing a comprehensive model for the delivery of Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (Image-Guided SRT), the most advanced nonsurgical treatment for common skin cancer. The company partners with quality-focused dermatologists, Mohs surgeons and other physicians to bring cancer center-level radiation therapy treatment to private practices. Presented to patients as the GentleCure experience, Image-Guided SRT is available from some 500 physicians nationwide, with more than 65,000 patients having been treated. Learn more about the company at SkinCureOncology.com , and visit GentleCure.com for helpful consumer and patient information.

Media Contact:

Matt Russell

Russell Public Communications

520-232-9840

[email protected]

SOURCE SkinCure Oncology
HONG KONG, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinEx, a global cryptocurrency exchange serving over 5 million users worldwide, today announced a new strategic alliance with SlowMist, a premier and reputable blockchain security provider, further to strengthen the platform's security infrastructure and protections. This collaboration builds on CoinEx's ethos of prioritizing security and user interests while enabling hassle-free crypto trading since its inception in 2017.

Elevating Existing Security Infrastructure

By integrating SlowMist's capabilities and expertise in blockchain threat intelligence with CoinEx's crypto trading platform, this partnership aims to create robust safeguards for user assets. CoinEx and SlowMist will be focusing especially on AML (Anti-money laundering) for now. Also, this partnership enables CoinEx to tap industry-leading capabilities in tracing, asset tracking, and knowledge sharing to enhance security practices. Most importantly, to continue demonstrating CoinEx's unwavering commitment to user interests and user-centric values.

Building Comprehensive Security Services and Innovative Products

Founded in 2018 by industry veterans, SlowMist offers a comprehensive suite of security services including AML (Anti-money laundering) software, audits, monitoring, threat intelligence, and consulting. The company has safeguarded major platforms by identifying risks and providing tailored solutions. SlowMist also developed innovative blockchain security products and has discovered and disclosed many critical vulnerabilities to raise awareness across the ecosystem. SlowMist's specialized expertise will reinforce CoinEx's defenses and enable seamless, secure crypto trading.

Underscoring CoinEx's Commitment to Platform Security

The collaboration represents the latest move in CoinEx's unrelenting efforts to evaluate and upgrade security protocols. With SlowMist's guidance, CoinEx will be implementing AML (Anti-money laundering) software as the paramount focus right now alongside rigorous security audits, real-time threat monitoring, and 24/7 incident response. This empowers the exchange to constantly enhance protections in line with evolving risks. As a result, users can seize opportunities in crypto with complete assurance.

By collaborating with allies like SlowMist, CoinEx is constructing a more secure and reliable ecosystem for a seamless crypto trading experience. Together, the partnership is contributing to the industry's sustainable growth so users across the world can explore the Web3 scene freely. While CoinEx offers 700+ coins and tokens and 1,100+ trading pairs with 100% reserve, this strategic alliance exemplifies CoinEx's commitment to upholding security and usability as its core values. By providing a premier platform protected by industry-leading security protocols, CoinEx strives to realize its vision of making crypto accessible for all.

About CoinEx

Established in 2017, CoinEx is a global cryptocurrency exchange committed to making trading easier. The platform provides a range of services, including spot and margin trading, futures, swaps, automated market maker (AMM), and financial management services for over 5 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Founded with the initial intention of creating an equal and respectful cryptocurrency environment, CoinEx is dedicated to dismantling traditional finance barriers by offering easy-to-use products and services to make crypto trading accessible for everyone.

SOURCE CoinEx Global Limited
BOSTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A first-of-its-kind Ceres benchmark analysis of 72 companies from four water-intensive industriesapparel, beverage, food, and high-techshows encouraging progress on corporate water management, but underscores collectively, the companies have a long way to go in reducing their demands and impacts on freshwater resources.

The Valuing Water Finance Initiative Benchmark report evaluates how companies of focus identified by the initiative are performing against the six Corporate Expectations for Valuing Water, serving as the ambition around the full range of water issues that large companies should meet by 2030  a timeline critical to slowing the pace of deteriorating water resources and meeting the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for Water.

Notable findings in the report, developed using publicly available company disclosures, include:

While 75% of the 72 assessed companies have set time-bound targets aimed at reducing the amount of water they use, only 17% of companies have done so to reduce their impacts to water quality.

Only 35% of the companies consider contextual factorssuch as local watershed conditions, regulatory dynam i cs, and community water needswhen assessing water use risks, and even fewer14%consider contextual factors when assessing water quality risks.

cs, and community water needswhen assessing water use risks, and even fewer14%consider contextual factors when assessing water quality risks. Only 13% of the companies have time-bound targets to protect or restore ecosystems with specific consideration of outcomes related to freshwater supplies and aquatic biodiversity.

Companies' efforts to ensure communities in areas where they operate and source from have equitable access to clean water and sanitation (WASH) are largely lacking. Only 28% of the companies have taken the first step by establishing a corporate policy explicitly acknowledging water and sanitation as a fundamental human right.

About half of the companies have board and senior management oversight of water management strategies and also link incentives for executives to water targets and goals. However, only 36% of the companies integrate water risks and opportunities into strategic business planning for direct operations and supply chains.

The report adds to Ceres' extensive research supporting investors in the Valuing Water Finance Initiative who are making the business case for corporate action on water risk. Currently 94 investors, who collectively represent more than $17 trillion in assets, have committed to engage with the 72 focus companies through the initiative.

Original publication

Media contact: Tamera Manzanares, [email protected]

SOURCE Ceres
SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dahua Technology, a world-leading video-centric AIoT solution and service provider, unveiled its Think#2.0 corporate strategy, "Xinghan" Foundation Model and Future Communication Research Institute at the company's 2023 summit in Shenzhen. The event gathered over 300 industry experts and partners to engage in profound discussions regarding emerging trends and new industrial models driven by digital intelligence.

On October 24th, the 2023 Dahua Technology Summit was held in Shenzhen. At the event, Dahua interpreted the future development of the digital economy centered on data value and made announcements on the "Dahua Think # 2.0" strategy, IoT Digital Intelligence Platform 2.0, Xinghan Foundation Model, and the "3+N" integrated connection architecture.

Mr. Fu Liquan, Chairman and President of Dahua Technology, reviewed Dahua's 30-year milestones of steady development and continuous innovation at the event. He stated that as the application of foundation models, multimodal technology and other technologies continues to accelerate the integration of digital technology and the real economy, it further expands the potential of the industry. Founded on the company's "Five Full" capabilities including Full Sensing, Full Intelligence, Full connection, Full Computing, and Full Ecosystem, Dahua is well-positioned to embrace the opportunities brought about by emerging technology trends. The company also actively engages in ESG, and collaborates with partners across various domains, contributing to a safe, low-carbon, beautiful and harmonious world.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Jason Zhao, Executive President of Dahua Technology, provided insights into the evolution and upgrading of Dahua's corporate strategy. He emphasized that, under the Dahua Think# strategy, the company has been focusing on facilitating the digital-intelligent transformation of cities and enterprises in the past two years. As AIoT evolves, the global AIoT market space is further expanding, accelerating data productivity and intelligence integration. Facing the vast digital intelligence world, Mr. Zhao highlighted that Dahua is set to join hands with ecosystem partners and embark on the Think# 2.0 era from "Intelligence" to "Integrated Intelligence", comprehensively integrating multimodal technology, industry foundation models, image and data intelligence, and integrated connection technologies to stimulate new industrial momentum.

The IoT Digital Intelligence Platform 2.0, which is based on the Dahua Think# strategy iteration, integrates new technologies such as IoT sensing, computing and networking, visual foundation models, and data intelligence to comprehensively enhance Dahua's software engineering capabilities. It leverages the multiplier effect of data to strengthen urban management and assist the digitalization of enterprises.

At the summit, Dahua's "Xinghan" Foundation Model was launched. With video as the core, this multimodal fusion industry foundation model catapults the accuracy and generalization of AI algorithms, with breakthroughs in visual cognition capabilities, independent analysis of various scenarios, and efficient fulfillment of massive fragmented needs, especially urban governance and power industry applications.

In the Dahua Think# 2.0 strategic framework, the importance of video-centric data communication and connection in the convergence of "cloud, network, edge, and terminal" is emphasized. To address this, Dahua established the Future Communication Research Institute, which is dedicated to conducting foundational research in the intelligent connection of video data, thus enhancing the company's "Full Connection" capability. Dahua has established a brand new "3+N" connection capability foundation to provide effective support for the streamlined management of digital systems and the autonomous operation of intelligent systems, promoting comprehensive smart upgrading in the new era.

The year 2023 marks Dahua's dedication to open and inclusive ecosystem partnerships. In the field of education digitalization, Mr. Namik Kemal Yildiz, Turkish Ministry of Education Manager of People's Education, Ministry of Education of Turkiye, presented the FATIH Project in collaboration with Dahua to build smart examination rooms and smart classrooms. It is an important part of Turkey's 2030 Vision that aims to realize the digital transformation of K12 education.

In the future, Dahua will continue to focus on visual intelligence and facilitate the data industry through comprehensive AIoT capabilities, collaborating with ecosystem partners to explore new chapters in global development.

SOURCE Dahua Technology
The United States has started training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 aircraft in Arizona, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said in a statement provided to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

"A 'small number' of Ukrainian pilots began training with the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard earlier this week in 'F-16 fundamentals," according to a service spokesperson on Wednesday evening.

The training program is expected to last several months and will be tailored to each pilot's basic knowledge and skills.

A typical F-16 training course takes around six months. However, U.S. officials have indicated Ukrainian pilots are unlikely to follow a standard model as the course will be suited to Ukraines need to protect its skies from Russian aircraft, drones, and missiles.

European nations are also training Ukrainian pilots in how to operate the F-16.

"Training of F-16 pilots typically includes significant classroom and simulator time in addition to training in the air. Foreign F-16 pilots also have to undergo English language training, which Ukrainians began last month at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas," the publication said.

The U.S. Air Force spokesperson said the training of Ukrainian pilots at the 162nd Wing "follows President Biden and Secretary Austin's decision to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s as part of the United States contribution to Ukraine."
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Arelion has today appointed Daniel Kurgan as President and CEO of Arelion. Staffan Gojeryd will leave Arelion, after heading the company for seven years.

Daniel Kurgan, Board Executive of Arelion since January 2022, has more than 25 years of experience from the industry and several leading positions, including 14 years as CEO of BICS, Chairman of TeleSign, Chairman of Intercloud and Senior Advisor at Drake Star.

"Arelion enters a new chapter as an independent company after the completed spin-off from Telia, and it is the Board's assessment that the company's long-term development will benefit from a new leadership. We are therefore pleased to appoint Daniel Kurgan as CEO for Arelion," said Eva Elmstedt, Chairman of the Board. "With a proven track-record from leading positions in the industry, Daniel brings with him the experience and qualifications required to lead Arelion on this new journey. Having been on the Board for two years, he is also well familiar with the company and its culture."

"I am honored to be appointed as CEO of Arelion. As a provider of the world's best-connected IP backbone, our mission is to enable our customers' growth, and to grow with them, and I am excited to build on that position in an operative role," said Daniel Kurgan. "Having had the opportunity to be part of Arelion's transformative journey, I know the immense potential of the company and now, as an independent company, we are in the position to realize it. I'm looking forward to working closely with the Board on the implementation of our growth strategy and to working together with all our talented people to keep the world connected."

Daniel Kurgan assumes the position as CEO of Arelion with immediate effect and leaves the Board, of which he has been a member since January 2022. Staffan Gojeryd, who has been heading Arelion (previously Telia Carrier) since August 2016, will step down.

Eva Elmstedt continued: "The Board would like to take the opportunity to thank Staffan Gojeryd for his great contributions and long commitment to the company. Staffan has been the backbone of Arelion for many years and he laid the foundation for what we will now continue to build on. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

For more information, contact:

Martin Sjogren, Senior Manager PR and Analyst Relations, Arelion

+46 (0)707 770 522

[email protected]

About Arelion

Arelion solves global connectivity challenges for multinational enterprises whose businesses rely on digital infrastructure. On top of the world's #1 ranked IP backbone and a unique ecosystem of cloud and network service providers, we provide an award-winning customer experience to customers in more than 125 countries worldwide. Our global Internet services connect more than 700 cloud, security and content providers with low latency. For further resilience, our private Cloud Connect service connects directly to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Oracle cloud across North America, Europe and Asia. Discover more at Arelion.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Arelion
BANGALORE, India, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Centre Market is Segmented by Type (Hosted Services, Public Cloud Services, Others), by Application (Internet Industry, Finance and Insurance, Manufacture, Government, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2029.

The global Data Centre market is projected to grow from USD 162560 Million in 2023 to USD 412740 Million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.8% during the forecast period.

Major Factors Driving The Growth Of Data Centre Market

The ever-growing amount of data generated by digital applications, the growing popularity of cloud computing, the need for effective data management, and the demands of emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, and edge computingall of which call for scalable, secure, and dependable data center infrastructure and servicesare all driving the data center market's robust growth.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF DATA CENTRE MARKET

The quick digitization of companies and the spread of data-intensive applications are the main factors propelling the data center market's expansion. As companies depend more and more on cloud computing, big data analytics, IoT devices, and streaming services, they need data centers to handle, store, and analyze the massive amounts of data that are produced. Data center services and infrastructure are in high demand due to the ongoing digital revolution. The proliferation of online services, e-commerce, and remote work have all contributed to the broad acceptance of the Internet and the consequent rise in internet usage. Data centers are the backbone of internet connectivity, therefore this development is a primary driver of their expansion. Data centers guarantee smooth access to internet information and services, lower latency, and improve network stability.

The increasing utilization of virtualization and cloud computing technologies is driving the data center industry. A lot of businesses are moving their IT infrastructure to cloud-based services, which need the hosting of cloud platforms by data centers. Furthermore, data centers may maximize resource use thanks to virtualization technology, which improves operational efficiency and reduces costs. Edge computing is becoming more and more popular. It processes data closer to the source, or "edge" (such as Internet of Things devices). Decentralized approaches are crucial for applications such as autonomous cars and smart cities because they minimize latency and allow real-time data processing. This ecosystem depends on edge data centers, which open up the data center market to smaller, dispersed facilities.

Capital expenditures for data center infrastructure are driven by growing concerns about data security and regulatory compliance. Data must be managed and stored by organizations in locations that adhere to strict security and compliance regulations. The market for data centers is expanding due in part to the necessity of business continuity planning, data redundancy, and disaster recovery.

One important factor propelling data centers is the rollout of 5G networks. Data traffic will rise as a result of 5G technology's faster speeds and reduced latency, especially for applications like augmented reality and driverless cars. When it comes to managing the processing and storage needs of 5G networks, data centers are essential.

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DATA CENTRE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Manufacturers of global core data centers include NTT Communications, Amazon Web Services, and others. The top 5 businesses own around 45% of the market.

With a market share of over 65%, Asia Pacific is the largest, followed by North America and Europe, with respective shares of roughly 17% and 13%.

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Key Companies:

GOOGLE INC

Alibaba Cloud

China Telecommunications Corporation

Microsoft

IBM

Oracle

Tencent

Equinix Inc

China Unicom

Digital Realty

China Mobile

KDDI

GDS

VNET

Cyxtera Technologies

Coresite

Iron Mountain

Beijing Sinnet technology

NTT Communications

Amazon Web Services

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SIMILAR REPORTS

- The global modular data center market size was valued at USD 14,952 million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 59,971 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 18.7% from 2020 to 2027.

- The global big data and business analytics market size was valued at D198.08 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach D684.12 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.5% from 2021 to 2030.

- The global data center cooling market size was valued at D10,541.8 million in 2019 and is projected to reach D27,308.7 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2020 to 2027.

- The global Data Center Rack market was valued at USD 2736.7 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 3688.4 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- The global Data Center Switch market was valued at USD 11490 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 17040 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- The global Data Center Power market was valued at USD 14970 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 22610 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- The global Software-Defined Data Center market size is projected to reach USD 78520 Million by 2026, from USD 36960 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 13.4% during 2021-2026.

- The global Data Center Colocation market size is projected to reach USD 58140 million by 2027, from USD 33110 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 8.3% during 2021-2027.

- The global Data Center Accelerator market size is projected to reach USD 69440 million by 2027, from USD 6960.5 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 38.7% during 2021-2027.

- The global Green Data Center market size is projected to reach USD 135320 million by 2027, from USD 40230 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 18.4% during 2021-2027.

- The global Data Center Liquid Cooling market size is projected to reach USD 3962.6 million by 2028, from USD 1319.3 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 16.5% during 2022-2028.

- The global Data Center Life Cycle Services market is projected to grow from USD 3943.3 million in 2023 to USD 6433.3 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.5% during the forecast period.

- Enterprise Data Center (EDC) Market

- The global structured cabling market size was valued at USD 10.62 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 20.88 billion by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2021 to 2030.

- The global Data Center Rack & Enclosure market is projected to reach USD 2457.4 million in 2029, increasing from USD 2100.5 million in 2022, with the CAGR of 2.3% during the period of 2023 to 2029.

- Internet Data Center (IDC) Cabinet Market

- Data Center and Network Third-Party Hardware Maintenance Service Market

- The global Data Center Automation Software market is projected to grow from USD 14630 million in 2023 to USD 45910 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 21.0% during the forecast period.

- Data Center Outsourcing and Infrastructure Utility Service Market

- The global Managed Services market size is projected to reach USD 271640 Million by 2028, from USD 142300 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 9.2% during 2022-2028.

- Data Center Lithium Ion UPS Battery Market

- The hyper-converged infrastructure market size was valued at USD 3.84 Billion in 2018, and is projected to reach USD 33.16 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 30.7% from 2019 to 2026.

- The global Edge Computing market size is projected to reach USD 55930 million by 2028, from USD 8237 million in 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31.1% during 2022-2028.

- The global Hyperscale Data Center market size is projected to reach USD 181890 Million by 2028, from USD 48830 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 20.3% during 2022-2028.

- The global Data Center IT Asset Disposition market is projected to grow from USD 11690 million in 2023 to USD 17250 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.7% during the forecast period.

- The global Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit (PDU) market was valued at USD 1493.6 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 2150.5 million by 2029.

- Data Center Interconnect Network Market

- Data Center CPU Market

- The global IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) market size is projected to reach USD 15920 Million by 2027, from USD 8391 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 9.6% during 2021-2027.

- The global Micro Mobile Data Center market is projected to grow from USD 7702.6 million in 2023 to USD 12020 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.7% during the forecast period.

- Water Leak Detection System For Server Rooms and Data Center Market

Click here to see related reports on Data Centre market

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Harnessing Digital Technologies for Job Creation, Inclusive Economic Growth and Sustainability

ABUJA, Nigeria, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the most important events on the African continent for emerging tech, The Digital Nigeria International Conference is set to return in 2023 and promises to be bigger and better than ever before. In partnership with the BSV Blockchain and organized and sponsored by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Domineum Blockchain Solutions, this highly anticipated event will take place at the prestigious Abuja International Conference Center. The conference's blockchain segment is scheduled for the first day of the event, October 24, 2023.

With a global audience of over 10,000 in-person attendees and 5,000 set to join via livestream from across the world, the Digital Nigeria International Conference has become a must-attend event for industry enthusiasts, thought leaders, and innovators. Notably, the BSV Blockchain has been actively running educational and training programs in Nigeria, reflecting its unwavering commitment to the region's development and the creation of education programs for emerging markets.

The Nigerian government's preference for the BSV Blockchain over other alternatives underscores the significance of this event. The government has demonstrated its commitment to the blockchain sector by initiating the NITDA's blockchain scholarship program, aiming to train 30,000 developers. With 12,248 graduates already completed and the third cohort set to begin next year, the program is sponsored by the BSV Blockchain and remains ongoing.

Some of the speakers at the event include:

Eva Porres , CEO, Blockchain Smart Technologies

, CEO, Blockchain Smart Technologies Lise Li , Head of BSV Blockchain China Hub, CEO Shanghai Keyi Technology

, Head of BSV Blockchain China Hub, CEO Shanghai Keyi Technology Dr. Catherine Lephoto, Executive Director, Global Partnerships, VX Technologies

Lorien Gamaroff, CEO, Centbee

Evan Freeman , Academy Strategic Lead and Content Creator, BSV Blockchain

Martin Coxall, Marketing Director at BSV Blockchain said, "The Digital Nigeria International Conference is a testament to the remarkable growth of the blockchain industry in Nigeria. We are proud to be a part of this educational journey, contributing to the development of emerging markets and fostering innovation. The Nigerian government's support for BSV blockchain further emphasizes the importance of our work in the region."

Mohammed Jega, Co-founder of Domineum Blockchain Solutions and BSV Ambassador added, "Domenium Blockchain is thrilled to join forces with the BSV Blockchain and partner with NITDA to bring the Digital Nigeria International Conference back in 2023. This event stands as a testament to the incredible growth of the blockchain industry in Nigeria and beyond. We look forward to engaging with industry leaders and thought innovators, at this exceptional conference, as we collectively shape the future of blockchain technology and its impact on the world."

The agenda for the three-day conference from October 24th  26th include:

Day 1: Emerging Technologies such as Blockchain and AI  including tech talks, interactive demos of innovative applications, roundtable discussions, investor pitch sessions for start-ups, and workshops.

Emerging Technologies such as Blockchain and AI  including tech talks, interactive demos of innovative applications, roundtable discussions, investor pitch sessions for start-ups, and workshops. Day 2: Consumer Tech/Creative Economy  featuring presentations, policy dialogues, a tech competition, networking opportunities with government officials, and an awards night honouring contributions to Nigeria's digital economy.

Consumer Tech/Creative Economy  featuring presentations, policy dialogues, a tech competition, networking opportunities with government officials, and an awards night honouring contributions to digital economy. Day 3: GovTech and Innovation Challenge  featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, a start-up showcase for innovative ventures, networking sessions for collaborations, and workshops on UX design, digital marketing, and content creation.

The event still welcomes applicants interested in sponsoring or exhibiting during the Digital Nigeria International Conference. Interested parties can submit sponsorship and exhibition requests via the provided form.

Those who wish to participate in the event can do so online or in person by registering at this link.

About BSV Blockchain:

One Blockchain for Everyone.

The BSV Association leads the BSV Blockchain for Enterprise and Government initiatives. This Switzerland-based global non-profit industry organisation supports the use of the BSV blockchain.

The BSV Blockchain oversees the creation of technical standards and educates enterprises, government agencies, start-up ventures, developers, and users on creating a global blockchain ecosystem. The original Bitcoin protocol and its scripting language provide powerful technical capabilities that BSV has restored.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE BSV Blockchain
Workers Who Protect and Serve in New Hampshire Gain Union Protections

DOVER, N.H., Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at the Dover Police Department have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 633 in Manchester. This diverse group of 52 workers includes dispatchers, parking enforcement officers, police officers, secretaries, victim advocates, social workers, among others.

"Local 633 is proud to represent 30 police departments, sheriff's departments, and correctional facilities statewide," said Jeffrey Padellaro, Local 633 Secretary-Treasurer. "We represent the largest density of law enforcement groups of any union in New Hampshire, and we are elated to welcome the Dover Police Department to North America's strong union. We are looking forward to getting them a contract that reflects the critical nature of their work."

"I voted to join the Teamsters so that we could be represented by a union that will have workers' backs," said Tim David, a Dover police officer/K9 officer. "Joining the Teamsters has helped members of the Dover Police Department become educated on better ways to protect themselves and our fellow coworkers, while also alleviating job-related stressors for workers."

Chartered in 1934, Teamsters Local 633 represents more than 4,700 workers in New Hampshire in several different sectors. For more information, visit teamsters633.com.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Local 633
First-of-its-kind index that benchmarks each country against an optimal innovation ecosystem

LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- There is urgent need for responsible innovation to tackle unprecedented geopolitical, environmental, socioeconomic challenges. Addressing these requires bold ideas and new ways of working. To help countries build the right enabling ecosystems for innovation, Economist Impact, an arm of The Economist Group, developed the Innovation Quotient, an independent research programme, supported by Philip Morris International, uniquely designed to foster innovation for socioeconomic progress.

Economist Impact's Groundbreaking "Innovation Quotient" Programme Offers Blueprint for Innovation for Progress

Economist Impact, with input from an advisory board of experts, identified 122 metrics that invigorate or impede a nation's efforts to accelerate innovation. The research also encompassed an in-depth survey of 4,000 innovators and business leaders worldwide. The result is a benchmarking tool that spans the top 40 countries (by real GDP) and five industries (EOG and utilities, financial services, manufacturing, technology/media/telecommunications, retail and consumer goods), capturing more than 90% of global economic activity.

The Innovation Quotient ranks Singapore first and Egypt last, yet no country received perfect marks. On the 100-point scale, Singapore scored just 61.5, indicating that even the country with the world's best ecosystem for innovation still has ample room to strengthen its policies and practices.

"The Innovation Quotient provides a moment to consider what we invent, how we bring it into the world and who it really benefitsall through the lens of rigorous research and enlightening data," said Andrew Staples, Editorial Director of Initiatives, Economist Impact.

The global average score is 51/100, and just 11 points separate the 10th-ranked country, Australia, from the bottom quartile, indicating that lagging countries can quickly leapfrog to the top by adopting innovation-enabling practices in five key areas.

While the Innovation Quotient provides a snapshot of the environment for global innovation today, it is designed to serve as a blueprint for policy makers, government officials, business executives and thought leaders as they grapple with global, multidimensional challenges ranging from income inequality to the global energy crisis.

"With its explicit focus on socioeconomic progress, Economist Impact's Innovation Quotient redefines successful innovation enablement," said Vaibhav Sahgal, Economist Impact's Principal, New Globalisation and Project Director of the Innovation Quotient. "Innovation should move the world toward a more desirable future that serves the public interest, contributes to wellbeing and delivers on environmental, social and economic goals."

The Innovation Quotient research revealed several best practices which policy makers, business leaders and citizens can adopt to accelerate innovation for progress.

Top findings from the Innovation Quotient include:

Countries need to enable greater collaboration, alignment and inclusion

Enabling innovation requires engagement and co-ordinated action, where all participants have a seat at the table. Countries that score well overall, such as Singapore , Britain , Sweden , America and South Korea all have a mix of transparent governance and regulation, robust education, capacity building programmes and strong business operating environments that engage multiple stakeholders. National strategies can also help. South Korea's digital government strategy for 2021-25, for example, focuses on intelligent service design, data-driven administration, and inclusive digital infrastructure. Global action requires collective co-operation

Globalisation has enhanced interconnectedness and led to socioeconomic gains, but is now challenged by geopolitical tension and rising protectionism. The Innovation Quotient points to the need for a new model of globalisation that encourages the global exchange of information, technology and talent while also safeguarding intellectual property, securing supply chains and spurring collaboration to limit climate change. Foster the workforce of the future

Many economies are faced with ageing and shrinking populations. Demographics are inextricably linked to innovation potential due to their bearing on the workforce. Automation and shifts in production are also raising fundamental questions about the relevance of existing skills. Country performance on the Innovation Quotient emphasises the need to rethink labour and education policy, supporting the development of a skilled workforce through training and migration, and making education more affordable and accessible. Support innovation hubs that are responsive to local contexts

Geographic concentrations of firms, suppliers, incubators and academia create benefits that ripple across an interconnected system. The Innovation Quotient reveals that much work is needed to ensure that innovation hubs or clusters are responsive to local contexts to avoid creating high costs of living, unsustainable urban conditions and wealth gaps. People are the agents, adopters and benefactors

Performance on the Innovation Quotient across metrics of people-centricity (e.g. consumer protection, employee culture, recruitment strategy) suggests that this is an afterthought retrofitted into the innovation process, if at all. Policymakers have a responsibility to ensure that institutions are representative and accountable. Businesses and investors must consider environmental and socioeconomic aspects of decisions to reap long-term benefits. The top-ranking countries on these metrics  Japan (91.6), the US (90.2), and the UK (85.2)  have strong regulatory frameworks conducive to business growth and innovation while also levelling the playing field to allow for grassroots innovation.

The Innovation Quotient is presented as a standalone report and an interactive, online repository of data, analysis and recommendations. In the coming months, Economist Impact will publish new streams of data and analysis that highlight specific countries and industries. The research is the foundation of a larger global programme with mutually reinforcing components including regional summits, country-focused workshops and multimedia content spanning interactive data visualisations, articles, podcasts and videos to drive discussion around the data and insights revealed by the research. Economist Impact's findings are independent and do not necessarily reflect the views of the corporate supporter or consulted experts.

Notes for journalists:

Explore the Innovation Quotient index, report and related content at https://impact.economist.com/new-globalisation/innovation-quotient

Innovation Quotient Explained video: https://vimeo.com/876470963/838cc9e539?share=copy

About Economist Impact

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise.

Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.

SOURCE Economist Impact
MIAMI, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Enfinity Global, a leader in renewable energy, today announced the successful completion of 300 million equity funding from ICG, the global alternative asset manager. Another 100 million of equity funding is expected to close within a one-year period as part of the broader agreement.

On September 6th, ICG and Enfinity Global signed definitive agreements for this investment that will provide funds for Enfinity's near-term growth and the execution of its business strategy. The closing announced today comes after the required regulatory approval for the transaction.

This funding will bolster Enfinity Global's balance sheet to accelerate the completion of its 20 GW portfolio, including 8 GW of energy storage assets. With 1 GW of operational assets globally, the company is one of the fastest growing independent power producers, and a leading renewable energy developer in Italy.

The investment further underpins ICG Infra's strategy of investing in market leading businesses within the renewable energy sector in Europe and the US which have an active role in supporting the transition to net zero. ICG Infra will work with Enfinity's management team to build and operate the existing projects in the long-term, whilst continuing to support organic and inorganic expansion.

About Enfinity Global

Enfinity Global is a US-based leading renewable energy and sustainability services company established in 2018. The company owns a portfolio of 20 GW of renewable energy and storage projects, including operational assets, under construction, and in different stages of development. With offices across US, Europe, Japan, and India, the company aims to make a significant contribution to a sustainable net zero carbon economy. Enfinity's leadership team is one of the most experienced global teams in renewables and brings over $37 billion of financing experience in the renewable energy sector.

About ICG

ICG provides flexible capital solutions to help companies develop and grow. We are a leading global alternative asset manager with over 30 years' history, managing $82.1bn of assets and investing across the capital structure. We operate across four asset classes: Structured and Private Equity, Private Debt, Real Assets, and Credit.

We develop long-term relationships with our business partners to deliver value for shareholders, clients, and employees, and use our position of influence to benefit the environment and society. We are committed to being a net zero asset manager across our operations and relevant investments by 2040.

SOURCE Enfinity Global
The global enhanced geothermal system market is experiencing growth due to an increasing concern about climate change, high consumption of electricity and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Enhanced Geothermal System Market by Resource Type (Hot Dry Rock, Sedimentary Basin, Radiogenic, Molten Magma), by Depth (Shallow, Deep), by Simulation Method (Hydraulic, Chemical, Thermal), by End Use (Residential, Commercial) Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 ". According to the report, The Enhanced Geothermal System Market was valued at $2.0 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $3.3 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.2% from 2023 to 2032.

An Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) is a geothermal energy technology that harnesses the Earth's core heat to generate power. EGS involves creating an artificial geothermal reservoir by injecting water into deep, hot, and dry rock formations located beneath the Earth's crust. This is different from conventional geothermal systems, which rely on naturally occurring pockets of steam and hot water. The injected water is heated by the surrounding rocks and then brought back to the surface where it condenses into steam, which is utilized to drive turbines for electricity generation.

Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/200749

Prime determinants of growth

The global enhanced geothermal system market is experiencing growth due to an increasing concern about climate change, high consumption of electricity and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, high investment cost and competing energy sources hinder the market growth to some extent. Nevertheless, growth in residential and commercial construction will provide ample growth opportunities in the future.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $2.0 billion Market Size in 2032 $3.3 billion CAGR 5.2 % No. of Pages in Report 380 Segments covered Resource Type, Depth, Simulation Method, End Use, Region. Drivers Surge in demand for clean energy High consumption of electricity Technological advancements Opportunities Growth in residential and commercial construction. Restraints High investment cost Competing energy sources

The commercial segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on end-use, commercial held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly four-fifths of the global market and is projected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue in 2032. One significant trend is the increase in adoption of EGS for heating and cooling purposes in commercial buildings. Businesses may tap into the geothermal heat reservoirs of the Erath to provide year-round temperature control, reducing energy bills and carbon footprints with EGS. This trend aligns with the growth in demand for energy-efficient solutions in the commercial sector, where sustainability is a top priority. However, the residential segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.3% from 2023 to 2032. One of the most compelling trends is the increase in global focus on renewable energy sources. EGS, harnessing the natural heat of the Earth, aligns perfectly with this trend. Residential consumers have increasingly inclined to adopt cleaner energy solutions as awareness of climate change grew.

Procure Complete Report (380 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @

http://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/enhanced-geothermal-system-market

The hot dry rock segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on resource type, hot dry rock held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly half of the global market, and is projected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue in 2032. Advancements in drilling and reservoir stimulation techniques have been pivotal in the growth of EGS. Improved drilling technologies, such as directional drilling and advanced materials, have made it easier to access hot rock resources deep within the crust of the earth. Enhanced reservoir stimulation methods, including hydraulic fracturing and thermal stimulation, have made it possible to create and sustain geothermal reservoirs in previously untapped areas. However, molten magma segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.7% from 2023 to 2032. The increase in global demand for clean energy sources amid growing environmental concerns has spurred interest in EGS. EGS offers a reliable alternative that may produce electricity continuously, regardless of weather conditions or time of day as traditional fossil fuels become less economically and environmentally viable. This reliability makes EGS a crucial component in the transition to a low-carbon energy future.

The deep segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on depth, the deep segment held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly 90% of the global market, and is projected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue in 2032. Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) represent a promising frontier in the field of renewable energy, tapping into the vast reservoirs of geothermal heat of the Erath at deeper depths. First and foremost, the growth in global demand for clean and sustainable energy sources is a major driver. However, the shallow segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.4% from 2023 to 2032. Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) at shallow depths have experienced a resurgence of interest and innovation as the world seeks sustainable and clean energy sources. Several key drivers and trends have shaped the development and deployment of EGS technology in shallow geothermal reservoirs.

For Purchase Inquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/enhanced-geothermal-system-market/purchase-options

The hydraulic segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on simulation method, hydraulic held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than three-fourths of the global market and is projected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue in 2032. The increase in demand for renewable energy sources has spurred a growth interest in EGS, making it essential to optimize reservoir performance. Hydraulic simulation allows for the prediction of reservoir behavior under various operating conditions, enabling operators to fine-tune injection and extraction rates, monitor pressure and temperature changes, and mitigate potential risks such as induced seismicity. These capabilities are crucial for maximizing energy production while minimizing environmental impacts. However, the thermal segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.6% from 2023 to 2032. One of the primary drivers for employing thermal simulation methods in EGS is the need for efficient and sustainable energy sources. EGS offers a clean and virtually limitless source of energy as the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and the depletion of traditional fossil fuel resources. Thermal simulations play a crucial role in understanding the subsurface thermal behavior, aiding in the design and optimization of EGS projects.

Europe to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, Europe held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global market and is projected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue in 2032. The geological diversity of Europe plays a crucial role in driving EGS advancements. The continent boasts a wide range of geological formations suitable for geothermal energy extraction. This diversity offers multiple opportunities for EGS projects, making it adaptable to various regional contexts. However, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2032. Technological advancements and research initiatives have played a pivotal role. Collaborations between governments, research institutions, and the private sector have accelerated EGS development, making the technology more efficient and cost-effective.

Leading Market Players: -

ABOITIZ POWER CORPORATION

ALTAROCK ENERGY, INC.

CALPINE

ENEL SPA

FIRST GEN

FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.

ORMAT

TOSHIBA CORPORATION

YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global Enhanced Geothermal System Market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Trending Reports in Geothermal System Industry:

Alternative Energy Market: Global Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

Geothermal Turbines Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

Geothermal Heat Pump Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Forecast, 2021-2031

Renewable Energy Market: Global Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030

Geothermal Power Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Forecast, 20192026

About us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact us:

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), regarding the urgent need for Congress to ensure that meaningful border and immigration enforcement measures are included in any future spending package:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Federation for American Immigration Reform congratulates Mike Johnson on being elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. With a little more than three weeks remaining before the Continuing Resolution (CR) expires to keep the government funded, there is urgent work that must be done in the House of Representatives.

"Since the CR was approved last month, the dangers of our uncontrolled borders have become even more acute. Not only is there a humanitarian crisis, but we have significant public safety and national security threats against Americans. Iran and its proxies have issued overt terror threats against the United States and other Western democracies.

"Unfortunately, the response from the Biden administration has not been commensurate with the gravity of the threats we are facing. Last year, a record number of people on the FBI's terror watchlist were encountered attempting to enter the United States, and record numbers of 'gotaways' eluded apprehension. That is a recipe for disaster.

"Instead of decisive steps to secure our borders, President Biden is asking for more money to process migrants quickly and release them into the United States. We need real policy changes, not just additional taxpayer dollars to fuel the crisis. These changes must include requirements to detain and remove people who enter the country illegally, halting the administration's abuse of parole authority to admit hundreds of thousands of inadmissible aliens each year, and curbing the abuse of our asylum system.

"The House has already approved H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, a comprehensive border security bill. In light of the events of the past few weeks, it is essential that the new speaker insist that the bill be included in any final spending or foreign aid package that is sent to the President."

Contact: Joey Chester, 202-742-1827, [email protected]

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
LAKELAND, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In his last year as Florida Polytechnic University president, Dr. Randy K. Avent was recognized once again for his exceptional leadership by statewide magazine Florida Trend. It's the fifth consecutive year Avent makes the publication's prominent Florida 500 list, which celebrates the state's most influential business leaders across major industries.

"Being selected alongside so many outstanding leaders is such a great honor and I'm privileged to have been in their company for the past years," Avent said.

Florida Polytechnic University President Randy K. Avent was selected to the prominent Florida 500 list for the fifth year in a row.

"As the University wraps up its first decade educating high-skill STEM professionals, we know there's much more work to be done, but we remain proud to have built a nationally ranked university from the ground up."

From the beginning, Avent's goal as Florida Poly's founding president has centered on turning the University into a leading STEM institution, known for its excellent engineering and applied sciences education, and for its high-demand, low-supply graduates. The University fulfilled key legislative mandates under his leadership and accomplished critical accreditations.

Avent's work has also focused on growing Florida Poly and cementing it as an industry magnet for the region. He secured a public-private partnership with Fortune 500 company IFF to become Florida Poly's first on-campus partner, building its Global Citrus Innovation Center just steps from the iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology building. This achievement marked the beginning of a research park he envisions anchored by the University.

Florida Poly is poised for further growth. A third student residence hall will be ready by 2024 and the Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building will begin construction next spring. These buildings will be in addition to the Barnett Applied Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility inaugurated last year, doubling the institution's research capabilities. The University is growing its academic offerings as well, by adding two new degrees this year  civil engineering and industrial engineering.

The Florida 500 inclusion is the latest of several important recognitions the University has received this year. These include U.S. News & World Report rankings as a top 20 public engineering program without a Ph.D. in the country, and the number one public college in the Southeast for three years in a row.

SOURCE Florida Poly
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FounderSix , a beauty brand incubator co-founded by Oli Goulden and Pieter Wittgen, has announced a significant funding milestone. KD Capital, a venture capital firm with a track record of supporting groundbreaking startups, including OKCupid, Grab, and Shoprunner, has made a substantial $12 million investment in FounderSix. This investment marks a transformative moment for FounderSix, enabling the company to extend its proven model and introduce exciting new influencer-led beauty brands to the market.

The news follows a third successful FounderSix brand launch. Ravie Beauty, a new makeup company created with YouTuber Allie Glines, achieved one year of projected sales in the first thirty minutes of going live. This phenomenal result shows the tremendous potential of the FounderSix business model and gives a clear blueprint for all their future brands.

Along with providing the initial capital for their current and future portfolio companies, FounderSix runs all the operations behind the scenes. At the core of this is product development, with team members who have worked at, or with, industry leading giants such as L'Oreal, Shiseido, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. FounderSix also boasts close working relationships with world-class manufacturing facilities in South Korea, Italy, and the US among others, which ensures that the trust already imbued between the influencer and their audience is reinforced with product and brand experience.

Lewis Cheng, Managing Partner of KD Capital, said, "Our investment in FounderSix is a testament to our trust in Oli and Pieter's leadership. Their guiding principle of investing in people, not just ideas, resonates deeply with us. Both have a fantastic talent for creating exciting new brands from scratch and their proven track record makes us very excited to support their vision into the future."

About FounderSix:

FounderSix is a forward-thinking beauty brand incubator that partners with influencers to launch exceptional beauty brands. Founded in July 2020 by co-founders Oli Goulden and Pieter Wittgen, FounderSix's comprehensive support model covers everything from investment, product development, branding, marketing, legal, finance, accounting, ecommerce, and operations. Influencers become co-founders of the brands, transforming their vision into reality by launching authentic and innovative products for their audience. Ravie Beauty , co-founded with YouTuber Allie Glines, exemplifies effortless makeup through its trademarked "Effortless Lips'' collection. Anablue , co-founded with Lauren Perez, draws on her Moroccan heritage to craft haircare products powered by natural ingredients. ARY WORLD , created with TikTok sensation Alex Renee, celebrates creativity and individualism with a vibrant range of makeup.

About KD Capital:

KD Capital is a venture capital firm known for investing in high-potential startups. With a focus on fostering innovation and driving entrepreneurial success, KD Capital has a history of backing innovative companies poised to disrupt their respective industries and set new standards with investments in the US, Hong Kong, and the UK.

Media Contact:

PR & Media Department

[email protected]

SOURCE FounderSix
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal discussed strengthening economic cooperation between Ukraine and Germany with German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck.

"We are intensifying export lending instruments for the common benefit of German and Ukrainian businesses. We also touched upon the issue of guarantees for German investors in Ukraine. According to Robert Habeck, the German government has currently received 30 applications from companies wishing to invest in our economy," Shmyhal wrote on his Telegram channel after the meeting.

According to him, the parties also discussed cooperation in the field of modernization of Ukrainian production and joint projects in the energy sector.
DUBLIN, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Insurance Telematics in Europe and North America - 7th Edition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This comprehensive study offers detailed insights into the evolving world of insurance telematics, revealing compelling growth figures and forecast trends until 2027.

Insurance telematics, commonly known as usage-based insurance (UBI), is transforming the automotive insurance landscape. Telematics, a blend of "telecommunications" and "informatics", involves collecting vehicle-related data via telecommunication networks. This breakthrough allows insurers to formulate pricing strategies based on real-time driving behavior, manage claims more efficiently, and uniquely position their offerings to consumers. Popularized models include Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD), Pay-How-You-Drive (PHYD), and Manage-How-You-Drive (MHYD).

Market Potential:

The addressable market is enormous. In 2019, 317 million vehicles were in circulation in the EU22+3, with North America boasting approximately 293 million vehicles. Given that basic automotive insurance is compulsory in most developed regions, the potential for insurance telematics is vast. In 2019 alone, motor gross written premiums in EU22+3 were over 142.3 billion, with North America recording US$253.2 billion.

Growth Trends:

Europe and North America are currently the epicenters of the insurance telematics revolution. By the end of 2020, Europe had approximately 13.1 million insurance telematics policies. Forecasted figures suggest a rise to 35.1 million policies by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 21.7%. North America is projected to escalate from 16.7 million policies in 2020 to 49.0 million by 2025, marking a CAGR of 24.0%.

Latest data indicates 13.6 million active policies in Europe by the close of 2022, with a projection of 20.7 million by 2027. North America is poised to grow from 16.8 million in 2022 to 29.2 million policies by 2027.

Key Players & Technology:

Major insurers include Progressive, UnipolSai, State Farm, Allstate, and Generali, among others. Several insurers are leveraging smartphone solutions to either complement or replace traditional OBD dongles. For instance, top US insurers have transitioned to smartphone-based solutions.

Smartphone telematics has captured significant market share in recent years, with leading vendors including Cambridge Mobile Telematics and Arity. Other noteworthy players include Octo Telematics, Vodafone Automotive, and Viasat Group.

Future Outlook:

The integration of telematics within OEMs is evident. Brands like General Motors, Ford, Tesla, and BMW are entering the ecosystem, leveraging connected car applications. The aftermarket segment also remains crucial, with Octo Telematics being a dominant force, supporting over 5.7 million insurance telematics programs.

Smartphone-based solutions are maturing, offering advantages in claims handling and marketing. Cambridge Mobile Telematics, for example, powers over 10 million policies, predominantly in the US.

Report Highlights:

30 executive interviews from industry leaders.

Comprehensive analysis of the insurance telematics value chain and key applications.

Detailed market trends and developments.

Case studies from 63 insurance telematics programs.

Insights into the roles of vehicle OEMs and mobile operators.

Data on vehicle populations across Europe and North America .

and . Country-specific market forecasts until 2027.

The "Insurance Telematics in Europe and North America" report offers answers to burning questions about the market, from types of products available, leading providers, technology trends, to the involvement of vehicle OEMs and mobile operators.

Companies Profiled:

Agero

Arity

Azuga

Brightmile

CalAmp

Cambridge Mobile Telematics

CCC Information Services

ClearScore

Dolphin Technologies

Earnix

FairConnect Group

Greater Than

Howden Driving Data (Howden Group)

IMS

Insure Telematics Solutions

Inzura

LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Meta System

Motix Connected

Movingdots (Powerfleet)

Munic Car Data

OCTO Telematics

OSeven Telematics

Quartix

Radius Telematics

Redtail Telematics

Sentiance

Scope Technology

Sycada

Targa Telematics

Telematics Technologies

The Floow

Trakm8

Verisk Analytics

Viasat Group

Vodafone Automotive

Webfleet

Zendrive

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lqk28h

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Figure 9: Midras South section 696080 showing holes MSPC23-281 and MSRC23-284 highlighting shallow high-grade intercept. (CNW Group/Galiano Gold Inc.)

Figure 10: Location of regional exploration targets discussed in this release. (CNW Group/Galiano Gold Inc.)

Figure 11: Significant intercepts from Gyagyatreso planned 2023 drilling shown with geology, soil geochemistry, and structures. (CNW Group/Galiano Gold Inc.)

Figure 12: Gyetwi chargeable-conductive target zones with planned follow-up trenching immediately along strike to the south of the Esaase deposit. (CNW Group/Galiano Gold Inc.)

Figure 13: Sky Gold B target area gold in soil survey results highlighting a mineralized trend approximately 4km long and trending NE-SW coincident with orientation of the primary shear zones that host the Asankrangwa gold deposits. Base image is 2023 Au in soils results gridded using ordinary krigging. (CNW Group/Galiano Gold Inc.)

Figure 14: Aburi soil geochemistry survey results showing multi-kilometer long mineralized trends coincident with the NE-SW orientation of the primary shear zones that host the Asankrangwa gold deposits. Mapped surficial geology shown in background. (CNW Group/Galiano Gold Inc.)

Resource and Reserve upgrade drilling at Nkran : Completed 6,689 metres ("m") of drilling focused on the southern extent of the deposit which has further demonstrated the upside potential of the orebody. The drilling confirmed zones of strong mineralization extend beyond the current mineral reserve pit shell, which remains open along strike and at depth, with intercepts including 19m @ 3.0 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") from 567m , and 18m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 361m .

: Completed 6,689 metres ("m") of drilling focused on the southern extent of the deposit which has further demonstrated the upside potential of the orebody. The drilling confirmed zones of strong mineralization extend beyond the current mineral reserve pit shell, which remains open along strike and at depth, with intercepts including Resource conversion drilling at Abore : Early results returned strong intercepts outside the current mineral reserve pit shell including 36m @ 2.1 g/t Au from 278m and 21m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 226m , highlighting potential pit expansion opportunities.

: Early results returned strong intercepts outside the current mineral reserve pit shell including , highlighting potential pit expansion opportunities. Resource conversion drilling at Midras South : Completed the first phase of infill drilling of inferred mineral resources at Midras South, with the deposit advancing towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate. Significant intercepts from the first two holes drilled include 18m @ 4.0 g/t Au from 7m , 17m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 24m , and 28m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 24m .

: Completed the first phase of infill drilling of inferred mineral resources at Midras South, with the deposit advancing towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate. Significant intercepts from the first two holes drilled include from , from , and from . Drilling at the Gyagyatreso regional prospect: Encouraging first results including intercepts of 38m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 20m , 20m @ 1.7 g/t Au from 32m and 11m @ 3.6 g/t Au from 98m , highlighting the presence of a fertile gold bearing system with significant strike length potential.

Encouraging first results including intercepts of from from and from , highlighting the presence of a fertile gold bearing system with significant strike length potential. Regional greenfield exploration: Through early-stage mapping, geochemistry and geophysics work, large soil geochemical anomalies have been identified at the Aburi and Sky Gold targets, as well as Induced Polarization ("IP") chargeability anomalies on the Esaase-Abore shear zone have been identified for follow up trenching and/or drilling.

"The 2023 exploration results received to-date bode well not only for extending the life of our current operations at the AGM, but also in identifying additional deposits located throughout our large, underexplored land package," stated Galiano's Vice President of Exploration, Chris Pettman. "The positive drill results at Nkran and Abore highlight examples of the growth potential at our existing deposits, and it is exciting to see robust new regional targets, including Gyagyatreso, being proven across the wider AGM tenements. We look forward to continuing our aggressive exploration program in 2024 and beyond in order to further extend the life of the mine."

Nkran Highlights

The Nkran South drill program was designed to upgrade a zone of inferred mineral resources at the south end of the deposit and determine the potential for growth in the open pit mineral reserves. In addition to the potential expansion of mineral reserves, the Company is incorporating the drilling results into the Nkran underground study that is currently underway. Drilling began in late 2022 and was completed in 2023.

Based on these positive results, the Company has confirmed the primary mineralized zones at Nkran are contiguous and remain open at the southern end of the deposit. The mineralized zones currently extend up to 185m immediately along strike to the south of the proposed Nkran Cut 3 pit shell.

Highlighted Drilling intercepts (see Table 1 for full drilling results)

13 combination reverse circulation ("RC")/diamond drill holes totaling 6,689m were drilled as part of this program. Results include:

Hole NKPC22-111: 19m @ 3.0 g/t gold from 567m

from 567m Hole NKPC22-114W1: 18m @ 2.6 g/t gold from 361m

from Hole NKPC23-118: 9m @ 5.9 g/t gold from 565m

from 565m Hole NKPC23-116: 19.5m @ 1.6 g/t gold from 451m

from 451m Hole NKPC23-119: 19m @ 1.3 g/t gold from 483m and 7m @ 5.6 g/t gold from 324m

The Nkran pit is located immediately adjacent to the AGM's processing plant and has historically yielded the highest average mined grades on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt, while contributing significant cash flows over the years. During the mining of Cut 2 (years 2016  2020), Nkran produced 15.2 million tonnes ("Mt") at 1.63 g/t and reported metallurgical recoveries of 94%.

The Nkran geological setting is typical of the Asankrangwa Gold Belt with a sedimentary sequence of interlayered shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Two granitic bodies intrude along shear zones that control mineralization which dips steeply to the northwest along with the sheared host stratigraphy.

Abore Highlights

Abore is located directly on the Esaase haul road approximately 13 kilometers ("km") north of the AGM processing plant and has current Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 477,000 ounces @ 1.16 g/t Au and Inferred Resources of 131,000 ounces @ 1.14 g/t Au as described in the "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Feasibility Study for Asanko Gold Mine, Ghana" with an effective date of December 31, 2022 (the "2023 Technical Report") filed on SEDAR (see news release dated February 22, 2023).

Exploration drilling throughout 2023 has been primarily focused on the conversion of inferred mineral resources below the mineral reserve pit shell and infilling zones below the $1,800 Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource pit shell. While drilling is ongoing, results received to-date demonstrate that mineralization remains robust in the inferred mineral resource zones tested with intercepts including 36m @ 2.1 g/t Au (ABPC23-190) from 278m and 21m @ 2.6 g/t Au (ABPC23-189) from 226m. See table 2 for full assay results.

The deposit sits along the Esaase shear corridor, which also hosts the Esaase deposit. Geology here is characterized by a sedimentary sequence composed primarily of siltstones, shales and thickly bedded sandstones that has been intruded by a granite which lies parallel to the shear and dipping steeply to the northwest. Mineralization is mostly constrained to the granite, hosted in west dipping quartz vein areas developed primarily along the eastern margin of the granite/sediment contact.

Midras South Highlights

The Midras South deposit lies approximately 5km south of the AGM processing plant along the Takorase  Afraso shear zone, a laterally extensive structure recognized from airborne VTEM, magnetic surveys and extensive ground mapping. Midras South consists of 3 distinct zones of mineralization, interpreted to be fault offsets of the primary mineralized structure. Typical of Asankrangwa Gold Belt deposits, indicated mineralization at Midras South is developed within a package of deformed sandstone, siltstone and phyllite with stratigraphy and structure both steeply dipping to the northwest. Gold mineralization occurs in association with quartz veining, arsenopyrite and pyrite, within a broader envelope of quartz-sericite-pyrite and carbonate alteration.

Midras South has a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 5.4Mt @ 1.32 g/t Au totaling 232,000 oz. Current drilling is designed to upgrade the primary mineralized zones to the Indicated Mineral Resource category to advance the deposit towards a maiden Mineral Reserve estimate.

Drilling throughout 2023 consisted of 5,061 m of resource conversion drilling which targeted inferred mineral resources within the southern zones of the deposit. Notable results from the program include:

Hole MSRC23-253: 28m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 24m

from Hole MSRC23-257: 10m @ 2.6 g/t Au from 18m

from Hole MSRC23-258: 12m @ 2.5 g/t Au from 5m

from Hole MSRC23-284: 18m @ 4.0 g/t Au from 7m

from Hole MSRC23-285: 3m @ 26.6 g/t Au from 24m

from Hole MSRC23-287: 17m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 24m

See Table 3 for full assay results.

Two of the fertile structural trends that host mineralization at Midras South also remain open along strike and are considered targets for further exploration drilling.

Regional Greenfield Highlights

The AGM controls the largest land package on the Asankrangwa Gold Belt with tenements covering 476 km2 of highly prospective ground with a portfolio of high quality greenfields exploration targets.

Work in the regional tenements throughout 2023 has focused on a series of prioritized targets in various stages of exploration. This work has included initial mapping and target identification, surficial geochemical and geophysical surveying, and early-stage drill testing. Highlights of some of this work is outlined below.

The Gyagyatreso prospect is located approximately 4km northwest of the AGM processing plant and is highlighted by an approximately 3km long surficial gold in soils anomaly that is coincident to interpreted northeast trending structural zone believed to be a southwest extension of the Esaase-Abore shear zone. A small historic drilling campaign confirmed gold mineralization, but the drilling was localized and limited to shallow depths leaving the target largely untested. Subsequent field mapping conducted by AGM Geologists identified visible gold in hand samples and the area was prioritized for follow-up drilling.

Drilling throughout the year has consisted of 5,783m of combined RC and diamond drilling across 55 holes. Results have been very encouraging, returning multiple significant intercepts including 38m @ 2.0 g/t Au from 20m (GYDD23-045), 20m @ 1.7 g/ t Au from 32m (GYRC23-004), 11m @3.6g/t Au from 98m (GYRC23-038), and 13m @ 1.3 g/t Au from 42m (GYRC23-011), demonstrating that mineralization is present over at least 2km of strike length. The full extent of the surficial geochemical anomaly has not yet been tested and mineralization remains open along strike to the southwest and northeast. See Table 4 for full assay results received to date.

Data from the 2023 exploration programs have also provided a significantly increased understanding of the local geology and structural controls which will be integrated into the design of follow-up drilling planned for 2024.

The Gyetwi prospect is located immediately along strike to the south of the Esaase deposit. Esaase has produced nearly 500,000 ounces to-date and still contains over 1.2M ounces in Indicated Mineral Resources and 0.3M ounces in Inferred Mineral Resources, and lies on the same structural corridor.

Visible gold in hand samples have been identified during prospecting work and the area was prioritized for ground IP survey follow-up. Line-cutting and a combination of ground pole-dipole and gradient array IP surveys were carried out between late 2022 and early 2023. A total of 56 line km of IP were collected, which identified a series of chargeability anomalies interpreted to be associated with the southwest extension of the Esaase shear zone across a strike length of approximately 1.3 km. These anomalies have been prioritized and follow-up surface trenching is planned to test for shallow oxide mineralization.

The SkyGold B target area is located approximately 9km northwest of the Esaase deposit and has seen no known historic exploration work. As part of the ongoing regional generative targeting program, AGM geologists recognized through regional geophysics that the area may be underlain by lithologies and structural settings similar to those that host the known Asankrangwa gold deposits.

The 2023 exploration program included initial mapping and reconnaissance prospecting along with a tenement-wide soil geochemical survey. Mapping of surface pits and small-scale artisanal workings successfully identified a structural corridor of interest and lithologies favourable to gold mineralization. The first phase of soil sampling consisted of 768 samples collected across approximately 23 km2. A 4km-long trend of highly anomalous gold in soils has been identified, coincident with the newly mapped structures and consistent with the orientation of the major gold bearing shear zones of the Asankrangwa Gold Belt. Follow-up work is planned to delineate potential drill targets for 2024.

The Aburi target area lies directly southwest of Nkran, covering approximately 46 km2 and is interpreted to be underlain by the extension of the Adubiaso shear zone over a strike length of approximately 5km. Historic work in this area has been sporadic and localized with small mapping and shallow drilling programs identifying gold mineralization with little to no follow-up.

The AGM exploration team undertook a holistic review of all historic data including regional VTEM surveys with drilling data and prioritized the area for a regional surficial geochemical survey. The 2023 program consisted of a regional soil geochemistry survey that covered the entire tenement area with 3,141 samples collected. A second infill survey was conducted consisting of 1,038 additional samples to further delineate several robust geochemical anomalies identified.

The results have identified two distinct trends highlighted by anomalous gold coincident with interpreted structures that extend across the length of the tenement. Follow-up work is planned to delineate possible drill targets in 2024.

Table 1: Intercepts for 2022/23 Nkran South Extension Drilling 1,2,3,4

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description NKPC22-111 237.2 242 4.8 0.6 4.8m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-111 375.9 384 8.1 1.5 8.1m @ 1.5 g/t NKPC22-111 567 586 19 3 19.0m @ 3.0 g/t NKPC22-111 591 595 4 3.4 4.0m @ 3.4 g/t NKPC22-111 599 601 2 4.6 2.0m @ 4.6 g/t NKPC22-111 605 615.1 10.1 1 10.1m @ 1.0 g/t NKPC22-113 343.7 351.6 7.9 0.5 7.9m @ 0.5 g/t NKPC22-113 483.6 490.6 7.0 1.1 7.0m @ 1.1 g/t NKPC22-113 516.6 527.1 10.5 2.6 10.5m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC22-113 537.6 540.6 3.0 9.5 3.0m @ 9.5 g/t NKPC22-113 545.1 548.1 3.0 0.8 3.0m @ 0.8 g/t NKPC22-114 257.6 260.4 2.8 1.3 2.0m @ 1.3 g/t NKPC22-114 402.8 407.9 5.1 5.3 5.1m @ 5.3 g/t NKPC22-114 560 564.4 4.4 0.6 4.4m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-114 575.2 577.6 2.4 0.6 2.4m @ 0.6 g/t NKPC22-114 596 603.6 7.6 2.7 7.6m @ 2.7 g/t NKPC22-114 612.9 617 4.1 1.7 4.1m @ 1.7 g/t NKPC22-114 620.8 624 3.2 6.4 3.2m @ 6.4 g/t NKPC22-114W1 361 379 18.0 2.6 18.0m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC22-114W1 396 398 2.0 3.8 2.0m @ 3.8 g/t NKPC23-115 512 530 18.0 4.7 18.0m @ 4.7 g/t NKPC23-115 546 551.1 5.1 1.2 5.1m @ 1.2 g/t NKPC23-115 555 563 8.0 2.5 8.0m @ 2.5 g/t NKPC23-116 451.2 470.7 19.5 1.6 19.0m @ 1.6 g/t NKPC23-116 478.2 482.2 4.0 2.6 4.0m @ 2.6 g/t NKPC23-117 371 381 10.0 2.5 10.0m @ 2.5 g/t NKPC23-117 558 576 18.0 2.0 18.0m @ 2.0 g/t NKPC23-118 553 560 7.0 1.8 7.0m @ 1.8 g/t NKPC23-118 564.8 574 9.2 5.9 9.2m @ 5.9 g/t NKPC23-119 175 180 5.0 5.3 5.0m @ 5.3 g/t NKPC23-119 324 331 7.0 5.6 7.0m @ 5.6 g/t NKPC23-119 483 502 19.0 1.3 19.0m @ 1.3 g/t NKPC23-119W1 27 29 2.0 2 2.0m @ 2.0 g/t NKPC23-121 419 421 2.0 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t NKPC23-122 343 350 7.0 0.9 7.0m @ 0.9 g/t NKPC23-122 495.5 502 6.5 1.2 6.5m @ 1.2 g/t NKPC23-122 524 532 8.0 3.1 8.0m @ 3.1 g/t NKPC23-122 560 575.2 15.2 2.5 15.2m @ 2.5 g/t

Table 2: Abore 2023 drilling intercepts received as of October 19, 20235,6,7

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description ABPC23-181 143 146 3.0 0.7 3.00m @ 0.7 g/t ABPC23-183 145 151 6.0 0.9 6.00m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-183 176 178 2.0 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-183 191 205 14.0 0.8 14.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-184 99 110 11.0 1.4 11.0m @ 1.4 g/t ABPC23-184 118 131 13.0 0.6 13.0m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-184 137 140 3.0 1.1 3.0m @ 1.1 g/t ABPC23-184 157 174 17.0 1.0 17.0m @ 1.0 g/t ABPC23-186 79 87 8.0 2.3 8.0 @ 2.3 g/t ABPC23-186 92 97 5.0 0.8 5.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-186 101 103 2.0 4.7 2.0m @ 4.7 g/t ABPC23-186 149 158 9.0 0.5 9.0m @ 0.5 g/t ABPC23-186 194 208.5 14.5 2.8 14.5m @ 2.8 g/t ABPC23-189 225 247 21.0 2.6 21.0m @ 2.6 g/t ABPC23-189 270 279 9 1.7 9.0m @ 1.7 g/t ABPC23-190 267 272.6 5.6 0.6 5.6m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-190 278 314 36 2.1 36.0m @ 2.1 g/t ABPC23-190 322 325 2.6 0.9 2.6m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-190 330 346 16 0.8 16.0m @ 0.8 g/t ABPC23-190 350 356.4 6.4 4.7 6.4m @ 4.7 g/t ABPC23-191 249 256.7 7.7 1.0 7.7m @ 1.0 g/t ABPC23-191 306 326 20 1.1 20.0m @ 1.1 g/t ABPC23-191 330 335 5 0.6 5.0m @ 0.6 g/t ABPC23-191 344 351 7 2.6 7.0m @ 2.6 g/t ABPC23-191 355 357.5 2.5 1.9 2.5m @ 1.9 g/t ABPC23-203 79 99 20 0.9 20.0m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-204 75 77 2 1.2 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t ABPC23-204 83 88 5 0.9 5.0m @ 0.9 g/t ABPC23-204 107 110 3 0.6 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width

(m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description MSPC23-267 139 142.6 3.6 1.6 3.6m @ 1.6 g/t MSPC23-275 91 95 4 0.6 4.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSPC23-280 103.5 109 5.5 2 5.5m @ 2.0 g/t MSPC23-281 95 100.1 5.1 0.5 5.1m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-282 188 190.2 2.2 1.4 2.2m @ 1.4 g/t MSPC23-282 195 200 5 1.4 5.0m @ 1.4 g/t MSPC23-282 210 214 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-283 95 98.5 3.5 0.8 3.5m @ 0.8 g/t MSPC23-288 63 66 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSPC23-288 72 89 17 1.6 17.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSPC23-290 197 199 2 1.5 2.0m @ 1.5 g/t MSPC23-291 61 63 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSPC23-291 165 171 6 1.8 6.0m @ 1.8 g/t MSPC23-291 186 195 9 1.2 9.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSPC23-292 74 78 4 1.2 4.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSPC23-292 183 187 4 1.2 4.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-242 85 90 5 1.4 5.0m @ 1.4 g/t MSRC23-243 14 16 2 1.1 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-243 74 81 7 0.7 7.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-244 41 45 4 0.9 4.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-245 1 7 6 1 6.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-246 10 12 2 4.9 2.0m @ 4.9 g/t MSRC23-246 62 66 4 3 4.0m @ 3.0 g/t MSRC23-249 1 11 10 1.6 10.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSRC23-249 26 29 3 0.8 3.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-250 53 55 2 2.3 2.0m @ 2.3 g/t MSRC23-250 67 70 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-253 17 19 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-253 24 52 28 1.2 28.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-256 11 16 5 1.3 500m @ 1.3 g/t MSRC23-257 18 28 10 2.6 10.0m @ 2.6 g/t MSRC23-257 42 44 2 1.3 2.0m @ 1.3 g/t MSRC23-257 49 54 5 1.1 5.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-258 5 17 12 2.5 12.0m @ 2.5 g/t MSRC23-258 21 25 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-258 30 32 2 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-259 42 44 2 1.6 2.0m @ 1.6 g/t MSRC23-260 25 45 20 1.2 20.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-260 56 60 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-260 66 68 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-261 37 46 9 0.7 9.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-261 71 73 2 0.7 2.0m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-264 44 46 2 1.1 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-268 49 51 2 0.8 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t MSRC23-268 70 72 2 0.6 2.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-270 31 33 2 1 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-270 39 45 6 0.9 6.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-270 72 74 2 1 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-270 84 103 19 0.6 19.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-270 121 130 9 0.4 9.0m @ 0.4 g/t MSRC23-271 48 53 5 0.7 500m @ 0.7 g/t MSRC23-272 44 56 12 1 12.0m @ 1.0 g/t MSRC23-273 33 39 6 1.2 6.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-273 53 56 3 0.5 3.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-274 51 57 6 1.1 6.0m @ 1.1 g/t MSRC23-274 116 120 4 0.5 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t MSRC23-277 61 72 11 0.9 11.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-279 10 12 2 1.2 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-284 7 25 18 4 18.0m @ 4.0 g/t MSRC23-285 24 27 3 26.6 3.00m @ 26.6 g/t MSRC23-287 17 20 3 0.6 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t MSRC23-287 24 41 17 2.3 17.0m @ 2.3 g/t MSRC23-287 56 63 7 1.2 7.0m @ 1.2 g/t MSRC23-289 17 20 3 0.9 3.0m @ 0.9 g/t MSRC23-289 27 34 7 2.2 7.0m @ 2.2 g/t Table 3: Midras South 2023 drilling intercepts 6,7

Table 4: Gyagyatreso drilling intercepts6,7

Hole ID From

(m) To (m) Width (m) Grade (g

Au/t) Intercept

Description GYDD23-042 87.6 92.8 5.2 2.13 5.2m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-002 3 8 5 3.12 5.0m @ 3.1 g/t GYRC23-002 14 17 3 2.91 3.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-002 60 62 2 1.37 2.0m @ 1.4 g/t GYRC23-002 66 81 15 0.51 15.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYRC23-003 5 7 2 1.13 2.0m @ 1.1 g/t GYRC23-003 47 53 6 0.71 6.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-004 1 3 2 0.53 2.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYRC23-004 32 52 20 1.73 20.0m @ 1.7 g/t GYRC23-006 18 25 7 0.79 7.0m @ 0.8 g/t GYRC23-006 84 86 2 1.54 2.0m @ 1.5 g/t GYRC23-006 90 94 4 0.7 4.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-008 34 40 6 2.13 6.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-008 47 50 3 0.67 3.0m @ 07 g/t GYRC23-009 73 76 3 1.91 3.0m @ 1.9 g/t GYRC23-010 20 25 5 1.78 5.0m @ 1.8 g/t GYRC23-010 37 39 2 1.24 2.0m @ 1.2 g/t GYRC23-011 42 55 13 1.3 13.0m @ 1.3 g/t GYRC23-012 58 60 2 2.09 2.0m @ 2.1 g/t GYRC23-015 61 67 6 0.65 6.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-018 14 20 6 0.59 6.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-019 71 74 3 0.57 3.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-019 84 93 9 1.11 9.0m @ 1.1 g/t GYRC23-019 102 106 4 0.89 4.0m @ 0.9 g/t GYRC23-020 36 38 2 0.83 2.0m @ 0.8 g/t GYRC23-030 82 90 8 0.63 8.0m @ 0.6 g/t GYRC23-032 71 75 4 0.99 4.0m @ 1.0 g/t GYRC23-037 79 86 7 0.74 7.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-038 98 109 11 3.58 11.0m @ 3.6 g/t GYRC23-039 1 4 3 0.94 3.0m @ 0.9 g/t GYRC23-040 87 91 4 0.67 4.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-044 57 59 2 0.69 2.0m @ 0.7 g/t GYRC23-044 64 68 4 0.48 4.0m @ 0.5 g/t GYDD23-045 20 58 38 1.99 38.0m @ 2.0 g/t GYRC23-050 83 85 2 0.95 2.0m @ 1.0 g/t GYRC23-051 27 32 5 0.83 5.0m @ 0.8 g/t

Notes:

1. See Section 14.1.10 of the 2023 Technical Report for the assumptions used in preparing the Nkran reserve shell and $1,800 resource shell. 2. Intervals indicated are not true widths as there is insufficient information to calculate true widths. However, drill holes have been drilled to cross interpreted mineralized zones as close to perpendicular as possible. 3. Intervals are calculated with the assumptions of >0.5g/t and <3m of internal waste and displayed as weighted averages. 4. Includes results from diamond and RC drilling. 5. See Section 14.2.10 of the 2023 Technical Report for description of Abore Mineral Resource estimate and assumptions used in preparing the Abore $1,800 resource shell. 6. Intervals reported are hole lengths. 7. Intervals are calculated with the assumptions of >0.5 g/t and <3m of internal waste with a top cut of 30 g/t and displayed as weighted averages. The top cut threshold used is unchanged from that outlined in section 14.2.3.3 of the 2023 Technical Report, available on the Company's website and filed on SEDAR.

Qualified Person and QA/QC

Chris Pettman P. Geo, Vice President Exploration of Galiano, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 (as defined below) and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Pettman is responsible for all aspects of the work including the Data Verification and Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs and has verified the data disclosed, by reviewing all data and supervising its compilation. There are no known factors that could materially affect the reliability of data collected and verified under his supervision. No quality assurance/quality control issues have been identified to date. Mr. Pettman is not independent of Galiano.

Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are inserted by Galiano into the sample stream at the rate of 1:14 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:30 samples. All samples have been analysed by Intertek Minerals Ltd. ("Intertek") in Tarkwa, Ghana with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. Intertek does its own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Galiano for double checking. Higher grade samples are re-analysed from pulp or reject material or both. Intertek is an international company operating in 100 countries and is independent of Galiano. It provides testing for a wide range of industries including the mining, metals, and oil sectors.

About Galiano Gold Inc.

Galiano is focused on creating a sustainable business capable of long-term value creation for its stakeholders through exploration and disciplined deployment of its financial resources. The company currently operates and manages the Asanko Gold Mine, located in Ghana, West Africa which is jointly owned with Gold Fields Ltd. The Company is strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities. For more information, please visit www.galianogold.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information contained in this news release constitute " forward-looking statements " within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and " forward-looking information " within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which we refer to collectively as " forward-looking statements ". Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as " seek ", " expect ", " anticipate ", " budget ", " plan ", " estimate ", " continue ", " forecast ", " intend ", " believe ", " predict ", " potential ", " target ", "initial", "encouraging", "contemplated", " may ", " could ", " would ", " might ", " will " and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: statements regarding drilling results; the interpretation of drilling results; additional drilling; underground mining potential; future mining at Nkran, Abore, Midras South, Gyagyatreso and regional greenfields, including with respect to the nature and extent of possible pit designs and the commencement of mining or further mining; and statements regarding the potential thereof; the expected results of the exploration program and the nature and timing of future exploration programs; the ability of future exploration programs to provide the basis for future mineral resources and mineral reserves, and the extension of the life of the mine; and information regarding planned future exploration, drilling and mining. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited to: the exploration program proceeding as anticipated; the exploration program achieving the targets and milestones included therein in the manner and on the timelines anticipated therein; the nature of drilling and exploration targets conforming to current expectations; mining proceeding as currently anticipated; the Company proceeding with further exploration programs as currently anticipated; future exploration programs will provide the basis for future mineral resources; the JV approves the Company's exploration budget; the ability of the AGM to continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic; that gold production and other activities will not be curtailed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the AGM will be able to continue to ship dore from the AGM site to be refined; the dore produced by the AGM will continue to be able to be refined at similar rates and costs to the AGM, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will be effective in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the accuracy of the estimates and assumptions underlying Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates and prior exploration results, including future gold prices, cut-off grades and production and processing estimates; the successful completion of development and exploration projects, planned expansions or other projects within the timelines anticipated and at anticipated production levels; mineral resources can be developed as planned; the Company's relationship with its JV partner will continue to be positive and beneficial to the Company; required financing and permits will be obtained; general economic conditions; labour disputes or disruptions, flooding, ground instability, geotechnical failure, fire, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate are as anticipated and other risks of the mining industry will not be encountered; contracted parties will provide goods or services in a timely manner; there is no material adverse change in the price of gold or other metals; title to mineral properties; costs; the retention of the Company's key personnel; and changes in laws, rules and regulations applicable to Galiano.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained herein. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, include, but are not limited to: the results of the Company's exploration programs will not conform with the Company's expectations, and will not be sufficient to support mineral resources or mineral reserves at the AGM or be sufficient to include in the Company's updated life of mine plan; the Company may not undertake planned future mining or exploration, or such future mining or exploration will not be sufficient to support mineral resources or mineral reserves at the AGM; the JV will approve the Company's proposed exploration and mining programs; the Company's and/or the AGM's operations may be curtailed or halted entirely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether as a result of governmental or regulatory law or pronouncement, or otherwise; the dore produced at the AGM may not be able to be refined at expected levels, on expected terms or at all; the Company and/or the AGM will experience increased operating costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the AGM may not be able to source necessary inputs on commercially reasonable terms, or at all; the Company's and the AGM's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic may not be successful in continuing its operations in the ordinary course; the AGM has a limited operating history and is subject to risks associated with establishing new mining operations; sustained increases in costs or decreases in the availability of commodities, consumed or otherwise used by the Company, may adversely affect the Company; actual production, costs, returns and other economic and financial performance may vary from the Company's estimates in response to a variety of factors, many of which are not within the Company's control; adverse geotechnical and geological conditions (including geotechnical failures) may result in operating delays and lower throughput or recovery, closures or damage to mine infrastructure; the ability of the Company to treat the number of tonnes planned, recover valuable materials, remove deleterious materials and process ore, concentrate and tailings as planned is dependent on a number of factors and assumptions which may not be present or occur as expected; the Company's operations may encounter delays in or losses of production due to equipment delays or the availability of equipment; the Company's operations are subject to continuously evolving legislation, compliance with which may be difficult, uneconomic or require significant expenditures; the Company may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining key personnel; labour disruptions could adversely affect the Company's operations; the Company's business is subject to risks associated with operating in a foreign country; risks related to the Company's use of contractors; the hazards and risks normally encountered in the exploration, development and production of gold; the Company's operations are subject to environmental hazards and compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations; the Company's operations and workforce are exposed to health and safety risks; unexpected costs and delays related to, or the failure of the Company to obtain, necessary permits could impede the Company's operations; the Company's title to exploration, development and mining interests can be uncertain and may be contested; the Company's properties may be subject to claims by various community stakeholders; risks related to limited access to infrastructure and water; the Company's exploration programs may not successfully expand its current mineral reserves or replace them with new reserves; the Company's revenues are dependent on the market prices for gold, which have experienced significant recent fluctuations; the Company may not be able to secure additional financing when needed or on acceptable terms; the Company's primary asset is held through a JV, which exposes the Company to risks inherent to JVs, including disagreements with its JV partner and similar risks; the Company may be liable for uninsured or partially insured losses; the Company may be subject to litigation; damage to the Company's reputation could result in decreased investor confidence and increased challenges in developing and maintaining community relations which may have adverse effects on the business, results of operations and financial conditions of the JV and the Company; and the Company must compete with other mining companies and individuals for mining interests.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, you are cautioned that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that the Company has not identified. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in, this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Regarding Mineral Reporting Standards:

As a British Columbia corporation and a "reporting issuer" under Canadian securities laws, the Company is required to provide disclosure regarding its mineral properties, including the AGM, in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. In accordance with NI 43-101, the Company uses the terms mineral reserves and resources as they are defined in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards on mineral reserves and resources (the "CIM Definition Standards") adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. In particular, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" used in this news release are Canadian mining terms defined in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. These definitions differ from the definitions in the disclosure requirements promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies reporting pursuant to SEC disclosure requirements.

United States investors are also cautioned that while the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", investors should not assume that any part or all of the mineralization in these categories will ever be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", or "inferred mineral resources" that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable.

Further, "inferred resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the inferred resources exist. In accordance with Canadian rules, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Galiano Gold Inc.

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Brining Expertise in NK Cell Therapy to Advance Efforts in Cancer Prevention, early detection, and treatment development

 New focus on NK cell therapy for conquering cancer

 GC Cell seizes the opportunity to share its cell gene therapy technology and capabilities globally

 Development of solid tumor and HER2-targeted CAR-NK cell therapy (AB-201) marks a groundbreaking milestone; Initiating clinical trials in Australia and Korea for the first-ever allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy in South Korea.

YONGIN, South Korea, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Cell, led by CEO James Park, has announced its participation in CancerX, part of the U.S. Cancer Moonshot project. The Cancer Moonshot, an initiative by the Biden administration, aims to reduce cancer patient mortality rates by over 50% over the next 25 years. In February of this year, CancerX, a public-private collaboration led by the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Digital Medicine Society, was established to boost innovation in the fight against cancer as part of the reignited Cancer Moonshot.

CancerX boasts participation from multinational pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Takeda, along with prestigious medical institutions like MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Leading global IT companies, including Intel, Amazon, and Oracle, specializing in digital healthcare, AI, diagnostics, and genomics, also contribute to the ambitious goal of conquering cancer.

As a CancerX member, GC Cell gains access to real-time communication through community-based platforms and actively collaborates in monthly online/offline meetings, fostering opportunities for dynamic cooperation.

GC Cell is at the forefront of cell gene therapy (CGT) research and development. In Korea, the company has garnered extensive expertise by treating over 9,000 patients with the autologous T cell therapy "ImmunCell-LC", which received approval and commercialized as an adjuvant treatment for liver cancer since 2007, now be ready to share its extensive experience and data with members of Cancer X. Additionally, GC Cell is advancing clinical trials for NK cell therapy. With its affiliation, BioCentriq, a CGT-focused Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) in the U.S., GC Cell is well-positioned to share diverse capabilities and insights in cell therapy.

The recent simultaneous initiation of clinical trials for CAR-NK cell therapy 'AB-201' in Korea and Australia marks a historic moment as the first allogeneic (off-the-shelf) cell gene therapy in South Korea. AB-201, a freeze-preservable cell gene therapy, targets solid tumors like HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric cancers. By addressing the heterogeneity of solid tumors, this introduces a promising additional treatment option for cancer patients.

Through Cancer Moonshot participation, GC Cell aims to highlight the importance and potential of cell therapy in cancer treatment. The company anticipates acting as a dynamic platform for open innovation, engaging in exchanges with global digital healthcare and AI companies. This collaborative effort is envisioned to accumulate diverse experiences and knowledge but also culminate in substantive and strategic partnerships.

CEO James Park expressed his excitement, stating, "I am pleased to contribute to projects that can change the lives of many patients and their families. The Cancer Moonshot & CancerX provides an expanded opportunity to build diverse collaborative research and partnership frameworks with global companies."

"Multi-stakeholder collaboration is critical to harness the potential of digital innovation in the fight against cancer, and we're honored to partner with GC Cell to achieve the ambitious goals of CancerX," said Smit Patel, Associate Program Director at DiMe. "Through this impressive collaboration, we will establish best practices, build capacity, and demonstrate the impact of innovation on the life of every person on a cancer journey."

GC Cell has submitted plans for Phase 1 clinical trials of CAR-NK cell therapy 'AB-201' to the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and Australian Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) is awaiting the results.

About GC Cell

GC Cell is an integrated corporation created through the recent merger of Green Cross Labcell and Green Cross Cell, and is focusing on the development and production of treatments using immune cells and stem cells. In particular, it has a variety of pipelines for autologous and allogeneic cell therapies. It also has global competitiveness based on platform technology and experience throughout the entire period from the initial research stage to the commercialization stage.

GC Contacts (Media)

Sohee Kim

[email protected]

Yelin Jun

[email protected]

SOURCE GC Cell
Recognition reaffirms Genpact's ongoing commitment to global workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion

NEW DELHI, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services firm focused on delivering outcomes that transform businesses, today announced that it has been included in Avtar and Seramount's 100 Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) list, and is also recognized as an Exemplar of Inclusion in the Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI) for the second consecutive year.

Avtar and Seramount evaluated over 350 companies, spanning every major industry, geographical location, and line of business, on their talent practices, programs, and policies to ensure gender inclusion and advancement of diverse employees.

"At Genpact, we know that diverse teams outperform homogenous ones. We amplify our potential and support innovation when we bring people with differences in thought, skills, experiences, and backgrounds together around a common goal," said Heather White, Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Genpact. "We are honored to be recognized by Avtar and Seramount and are committed to building an inclusive workplace and a diverse global workforce."

Over the years, Genpact has made steady progress toward its goal of becoming a gender-balanced organization across all levels. Women now represent 42% of the company's global workforce, 50% of board of directors, and 47% of Genpact's leadership council.

"Gender diversity among the 100 Best Companies continues to increase. The average representation of women (overall) is an inspiring 36.9% this year in 2023 up from 25% in 2016, at the time of the launch of the study. At the Top 10 companies, average women's representation reported in 2023, is at 41.7%. At this current rate, a 50:50 gender balance at Best Companies will be a reality by 2030  a much sooner time frame given the post-pandemic repercussions", said Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group. "While we celebrate the progress made, we must also be vigilant of the challenges that still persist. Inclusion is an ongoing commitment; constantly innovating, focusing on growth aspirations of diversity talent, and curating a culture of care-hood must be part of leadership priorities, always! Measuring and monitoring success metrices associated with these initiatives, non-negotiable."

Genpact's inclusion in these lists reflects the company's deep-rooted commitment to providing equal opportunity for all, irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity, cultural background, race, disability, or sexual orientation, which is evidenced through its broad range of programs and initiatives designed to attract, retain, and support talent at every stage of their career.

"Corporations on the Most Inclusive Companies in India list remain committed to creating inclusive workplace cultures for their employees," said Subha V. Barry, President, Seramount. "We are proud to recognize their progress in measuring the effectiveness of their DEI programs, while taking the steps necessary to identify opportunities for growth and improvement."

This is Genpact's latest diversity recognition, added to its growing list of industry and workplace awards, including 

See the full winners list for the 2023 Avtar and Seramount 100 Best Companies for Women in India, here. You may view the Most Inclusive Companies Index, here.

About Avtar

Avtar set up in 2000, is India's first diversity advocate & workplace inclusion expert. Renowned for its extensive work in the space of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and more specifically, women's workforce participation, it is the country's largest provider of second career opportunities for women and is also the earliest to begin working on diversity audits and measurement. Lead by the visionary Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Avtar has ventured into areas of gender inclusion and career creation, which are firsts to India.

Creating platforms for second career women to meet potential employers,

Developing a comprehensive set of career enablers which companies can implement in their workspaces,

Spearheading original research that has provided cutting edge insights to organizations,

Creating India's first diversity hiring portal myavtar.com for women, LGBTQ, PWD, Veterans and Silver Generation

first diversity hiring portal myavtar.com for women, LGBTQ, PWD, Veterans and Silver Generation Re-Skilling, Up-skilling and Counselling of women to pursue sustainable career paths and

Building career intentionality amongst under privileged girl children.

Avtar Group, a Stanford Seed certified company, has built its DEI offerings under six EDs, which ensures that every organization can have a clear path towards moving forward, building and sustaining diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. The six EDs  Enrich Diversity, Embed Diversity, Enable Diversity, Experience Diversity, Extend Diversity and Endow Diversity are constructed along six key implementation dimensions of Diversity - for Audits & Advisory support, Recruitment Programs, Workshops and Training Programs, Conferences & Events, Extending Diversity to partners, suppliers and vendors, and Endowing underprivileged diversity talent, respectively. For its transformational impact in the realm of DEI, Avtar Group was listed in the prestigious Steward Leadership 25 Listing by Strait Times & INSEAD at Singapore in 2022. To know more, visit www.avtarinc.com

About Seramount

Seramount is a strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to supporting high-performing, inclusive workplaces. Over four decades, we've established a strong, data-driven understanding of the employee experience, which lays the groundwork for everything we do. Seramount partners with over 450 of the world's most influential companies, large and small, to offer pragmatic solutions including best practice DEI research, workplace assessment, employee learning and development, and talent sourcing. These offerings empower companies to navigate a dynamic corporate environment and to cultivate a resilient, connected workforce that achieves extraordinary outcomes. Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media), now part of EAB, is a strategic professional services firm dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Over four decades, partnering with some of the most iconic companies in the world, we've built a deep, data-driven understanding of the employee experience, which lays the groundwork for everything we do. Our comprehensive DE&I toolkit includes actionable research and insights, membership, strategic guidance and consulting, and inspiring events, meeting each client's needs no matter where they are on their journey and guiding them along an ever-changing landscape. Seramount has empowered over 450 organizations to realize the business benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion. To know more, visit www.seramount.com

About Genpact

Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm delivering the outcomes that transform our clients' businesses and shape their future. We're guided by our real-world experience redesigning and running thousands of processes for hundreds of global companies. Our clients  including many in the Global Fortune 500  partner with us for our unique ability to combine deep industry and functional expertise, leading talent, and proven methodologies to drive collaborative innovation that turns insights into action and delivers outcomes at scale. We create lasting competitive advantages for our clients and their customers, running digitally enabled operations and applying our Data-Tech-AI services to design, build, and transform their businesses. And we do it all with purpose. From New York to New Delhi and more than 30 countries in between, our 115,000+ team is passionate in its relentless pursuit of a world that works better for people. Get to know us at Genpact.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Siya Belliappa

Genpact Media Relations  Global

+1 718-561-9843

[email protected]

Roopanki Kalra

Genpact Media Relations  India

+(91)99716-34388

[email protected]

SOURCE Genpact
DUBLIN, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global bleeding disorders treatment market has reached a significant milestone, achieving a market size of US$ 14.2 billion in 2022. Looking ahead, industry analysts expect continued growth, with the market projected to reach US$ 20.3 billion by 2028, displaying a substantial Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.9% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2028.

Bleeding disorders encompass a range of conditions including hemophilia A and B, Von Willebrand disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and deficiencies of vitamin K and clotting factors II, V, VII, X, and XII. These conditions disrupt the blood clotting process and can result in excessive and prolonged bleeding following injuries. Symptoms may include heavy menstrual bleeding, easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, excessive bleeding from minor cuts, and joint bleeding.

Diagnosis typically involves blood tests, including complete blood count (CBC), platelet aggregation tests, and bleeding time assessments. Treatment options include medications such as adrenochrome monosemicarbazone, retinal hemorrhage, epistaxis, aminocaproic acid, aprotinin, and iron supplements. Additionally, bleeding disorders treatment may involve blood transfusions, replacement therapy, and injections of clotting factors and plasma.

Key Market Trends:

The global bleeding disorders treatment market is witnessing growth driven by several factors. Increasing prevalence of bleeding disorders, particularly among the aging population, who are more susceptible to these conditions, is a primary driver. The growing adoption of health insurance policies that offer financial assistance for bleeding disorders treatment and reduce healthcare expenses is positively influencing the market. Government agencies in many countries are actively raising awareness about blood and plasma donation and organizing blood donation camps. Increased awareness about the availability of effective treatment options is also contributing to market growth.

Furthermore, research and development (R&D) efforts and substantial advancements in healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic technologies are expected to provide a favorable outlook for the market.

Key Market Segmentation:

The report provides an in-depth analysis of key trends within each sub-segment of the global bleeding disorders treatment market, along with forecasts at the global, regional, and country levels for the period from 2023 to 2028. The market is segmented based on type, drug class, distribution channel, and end-user.

Breakdown by Type:

Hemophilia A

Hemophilia B

Von Willebrand Disease

Others

Breakdown by Drug Class:

Plasma-derived Coagulation Factor Concentrates

Factor VIII

Factor IX

Factor for Von Willebrand Disease

Activated Prothrombin Complex Concentrate

Recombinant Coagulation Factor Concentrates

Factor VIII

Factor for Von Willebrand Disease

Factor IX

Desmopressin

Antifibrinolytics

Fibrin Sealants

Others

Breakdown by Distribution Channel:

Hospital Pharmacies

Retail Pharmacies

Online Stores

Breakdown by End User:

Hospitals

Clinics

Academic and Research Institutes

Breakdown by Region:

North America

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has been thoroughly examined, with profiles of key players including AbbVie Inc, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer AG, CSL Behring (CSL Limited), Grifols S.A., Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk A/S, Octapharma AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi S.A., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and Wellona Pharma.

Key Questions Answered:

What is the current size of the global bleeding disorders treatment market? What is the expected growth rate for the global bleeding disorders treatment market during 2023-2028? What are the key drivers of the global bleeding disorders treatment market? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global bleeding disorders treatment market? How is the global bleeding disorders treatment market segmented by type? How is the market segmented by drug class? How is the market segmented by distribution channel? How is the market segmented by end-user? Which regions play a significant role in the global bleeding disorders treatment market? Who are the key players/companies in the global bleeding disorders treatment market?

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mlc8vr

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Data Center Liquid Cooling Market by Component (Solution and Services), End User (Cloud Providers, Colocation Providers, Enterprises, and Hyperscale Data Centers), Data Center Type, Type of Cooling, Enterprise, and Region - Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global data center liquid cooling market will rise from USD 2.6 billion in 2023 to USD 7.8 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 24.4% from 2023 to 2028

The report meticulously defines, segments, and forecasts the data center liquid cooling market, considering factors such as components, data center types, cooling methods, end users, enterprises, and geographical regions. It furnishes a comprehensive understanding of the key drivers, constraints, opportunities, and specific challenges that exert influence on the market's growth trajectory.

During the forecast period, the Asia-Pacific region is poised to emerge as the swiftest-growing hub for the data center liquid cooling market. This trend is attributed to the region's increasing recognition of the significance of sustainable practices and environmentally-friendly data centers. Liquid cooling solutions are gaining favor over traditional air-cooling methods due to their potential to enhance energy efficiency and reduce ecological footprints. The growing emphasis on sustainability in the region is driving the adoption of liquid cooling.

Liquid cooling is a potent solution for addressing the cooling challenges posed by high-density servers. Liquid is an efficient conductor of heat, surpassing air by over 3,000 times and consuming less energy in the process. This capability allows data centers to accommodate higher densities, making it particularly relevant. Liquid cooling can be implemented using inductive techniques like cold plates or immersion cooling, where heat transfer occurs on the surface of electronic components.

Moreover, liquid cooling provides the flexibility and scalability needed to meet evolving computational demands as data centers expand and evolve. Its versatility allows for the accommodation of diverse rack configurations, server setups, and form factors, making it suitable for future data center expansions and technological advancements.

Additionally, the report strategically profiles key players in the data center liquid cooling solutions sector, offering an in-depth analysis of their market shares and core competencies. It diligently tracks and evaluates competitive developments, including expansions, agreements, contracts, partnerships, acquisitions, collaborations, and divestments, executed by these players in the market.

The competitive assessment provides a profound examination of market shares, growth strategies, and service portfolios of leading companies like Rittal (Germany), Fujitsu (Japan), Vertiv Holdings Co. (US), Green Revolution Cooling Inc. (US), Submer (Spain), Midas Green Technologies (Austin), Schneider Electric (France), and LiquidStack (Netherlands), among others operating in the data center liquid cooling market.

The services, by component segment, are projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2023 to 2028

Data centers rely on service providers to quickly identify and fix problems in the case of system faults or malfunctions. Finding the source of issues, carrying out fixes or component replacements, and returning the liquid cooling system to regular operation are all part of troubleshooting services. For minimizing downtime and ensuring data center availability, quick response times and proficiency in diagnosing complicated cooling-related issues are essential.

Small and mid-sized data center, in by data center type segment, is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2023 to 2028

Unlike conventional air-cooling systems, liquid cooling solutions frequently function with lower noise levels. The lowered noise might be a huge benefit for small and mid-sized data centers situated in communal areas or noise-sensitive locations, like office buildings or residential neighborhoods.

Small and mid-sized facilities can benefit from improved cooling efficiency, cost savings, scalability, and other features provided by liquid cooling solutions, allowing them to streamline operations and adapt to the changing needs of contemporary IT infrastructure.

The hyperscale data center in the data center liquid cooling market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2023 to 2028

The desire for seamless communication between areas is rising, fuelling the expansion of hyperscale data centers. Liquid cooling fits in with the increased attention being paid to environmental sustainability.

Hyperscale data centers can lessen their ecological impact and support green initiatives by using less energy and cooling more effectively. In addition, waste heat can be recovered and used again due to liquid cooling, significantly improving the data center's energy efficiency.

IT and Telcom segment of the data center liquid cooling market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2023 to 2028

Data centers are essential to the telecom industry for several crucial tasks, including the support of network hardware, communication servers, and data storage. To prevent overheating and guarantee consistent performance, liquid cooling systems assist with controlling the temperature of telecom infrastructure parts like routers, switches, and optical equipment.

The IT and telecom industries may efficiently regulate heat, optimize energy usage, boost performance, and support the demanding computing needs of numerous applications and services by implementing data center liquid cooling technologies.

Cold plate liquid cooling, of the data center liquid cooling market, is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2023 to 2028

To move heat away from electronic components, cold plate liquid cooling uses metal plates in close proximity to the components. Traditional cooling techniques may need help effectively dissipating heat as electrical gadgets and components become more potent and tightly packed.

High-power and high-density electronic components can be effectively cooled using cold plate liquid cooling, which provides a direct and efficient heat transfer mechanism.

Premium Insights

Rising Demand for Energy-Efficient and Eco-Friendly Cooling Solutions to Drive Data Center Liquid Cooling Market

Data Center Liquid Cooling Market in Asia-Pacific to Grow at Highest Rate During Forecast Period

to Grow at Highest Rate During Forecast Period Solutions Segment and Us Dominated North American Data Center Liquid Cooling Market in 2022

Data Center Liquid Cooling Market in India to Grow at Highest Rate During Forecast Period

Case Study Analysis

Asperitas and Itrenew Partnered to Bring Sustainable, Plug-And-Play Data Center Solutions Full Circle

Reduction in Data Center Energy Spending by Adopting Immersion Cooling

Microsoft Chose Immersion Cooling Tech by Liquidstack for Its Cloud Servers

Google Shifts to Liquid Cooling for Ai Data Crunching

Market Dynamics

Industry Trends

Value Chain Analysis

Ecosystem/Market Map of Data Center Liquid Cooling Solutions

Trends and Disruptions Impacting Customer's Business

Energy Sustainability for Data Centers

Sustainable Data Centers Using Liquid Cooling

Issues in Developing Countries

Drivers

Increasing Server Density and Number of Data Centers

Growing Need for Energy-Efficient Cooling Solutions

Increasing Demand for Compact and Noise-Free Solutions

Need for Better Overclocking Potential

Need for Eco-Friendly Data Center Cooling Solutions

Restraints

Susceptibility to Leakage

High Capital Expenditure and Maintenance

Slow Recognition from End-Users

Opportunities

Emergence of Ai, Blockchain, and Other Advanced Technologies

Adoption in Low-Density Data Centers

Challenges

Lack of Standardization

High Investments in Existing Infrastructure

Company Profiles

Key Players

Vertiv Group Corp.

Fujitsu

Submer

Green Revolution Cooling Inc.

Rittal GmbH & Co. Kg

Schneider Electric

Midas Green Technologies

Liquidstack

Chilldyne, Inc.

Iceotope Precision Immersion Cooling

Coolit Systems

Asperitas

Dug Technology

Liquidcool Solutions, Inc.

Dcx Liquid Cooling Systems

Stulz GmbH

Delta Power Solutions

Wiwynn

Other Companies

Engineered Fluids

Teimmers

Koolance

Tmgcore, Inc.

Hypertec

Exascaler Inc.

Tas

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bbpk81

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Experts discuss how companies can scale globally while navigating Europe's complex and fragmented regulatory landscape without compromising user onboarding experience

SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Onfido , the global leader in automated identity verification, today published an on-demand webinar, " Staying Ahead of the Regulatory Curve, " that examines the complex and rapidly evolving regulatory landscape facing businesses looking to onboard customers using remote identity verification in Europe.

The webinar examines the state of regulation across Europe, explores how companies are adopting a " glocalization " approach to remote identity verification in order to scale; and takes a look at what the future holds for online identity verification with the advent of electronic IDs (eIDs).

Companies expanding into Europe would be best served by focusing on meeting modern IDV standards like ETSI TS 119 461 Post this

"The complexity of regional regulations means companies seeking to operate across Europe need flexible solutions to orchestrate country-specific compliant workflows," said Julien Rizzo, Compliance Product Manager at Onfido. "It comes down to what products you're looking to offer. We're seeing many customers moving from a passporting regime to focusing on local compliance strategies."

Key highlights from the discussion include:

The EU has a complex patchwork of country-specific regulations for remote identity verification, such as live video call in Germany and the PVID framework in France . Organizations must deploy compliant onboarding workflows for each country in which they operate.

and the framework in . Organizations must deploy compliant onboarding workflows for each country in which they operate. Global companies expanding into Europe would be best served by focusing on meeting modern IDV standards like ETSI TS 119 461 and understanding how these standards contrast with the locally approved regulatory solutions for KYC.

would be best served by focusing on meeting modern IDV standards like and understanding how these standards contrast with the locally approved regulatory solutions for KYC. Major regulatory changes coming in the next few years will impact remote identity verification, including the EU's eIDAS v2 digital identity framework and the new EU measures against money laundering and terrorist financing . The aim is interoperability, but variation will likely persist for 3-5 years.

and the . The aim is interoperability, but variation will likely persist for 3-5 years. Organizations should partner with identity verification vendors who can help navigate regional complexity, demonstrate compliance to regulators, and stay ahead of the evolving regulatory and fraud landscape.

Onfido is the only identity verification provider that can provide global coverage, with support for over 2,500 documents from 195 countries, while also helping companies meet country-specific compliance requirements. In June, Onfido's Real Identity Platform achieved ETSI TS 119 461 certification , the latest European technical standard for identity proofing and trust services by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). The independent certification established Onfido as the first global provider to support customers' international expansion ambitions with ETSI and the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework certification (including M1A, H1A and H2B certificates). Onfido is also NIST Face Analysis Technology Evaluation (FATE) certified as of September 2023 appearing in the top ten most effective providers at passive face presentation attack detection (PAD).

"As CCO at SwissBorg, I must wear two hats  one for compliance, and one for onboarding. This delicate balance of risk and user experience has been made easier to navigate with Onfido's approach to verifying user identities at scale," said Christophe Diserens, Chief Compliance Officer, SwissBorg.

"At TBI Bank we're building a business that grows with and around our customers. Onfido is an enabler of this experience, allowing us to increase our Sales while remaining secure and compliant. It gives us peace of mind, and our customers a very smooth checkout," said Armen Matevosyan, Chief Commercial Officer, TBI Bank.

The webinar's panel of experts included Charlotte Hall, Senior Legal Director at Onfido and Julien Rizzo, Compliance Product Manager at Onfido , and guest speaker Andras Cser, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester .

With the surge of remote identification during COVID there's also been a surge in the complexity and sophistication of online fraud. Identity fraud has risen 43% year-over-year with deepfakes becoming increasingly common, making it vital for companies to take a proactive approach to fraud prevention.

Onfido's Real Identity Platform provides industry-recognized AI-powered document and biometric verifications , offering fraud detection via passive device signals, duplication checks, and connectivity with global external databases. It has earned market recognition from:

For more information on Onfido's approach to scaling compliance, visit Onfido or its Italian , French or Spanish websites.

About Onfido

Onfido makes digital identity simple. The Onfido Real Identity Platform allows businesses to tailor verification methods to individual needs in a no-code orchestration layer, combining document and biometric verification, data sources, and passive fraud signals. Onfido Atlas AI powers the platform's fully automated, end-to-end identity verification. Developed in-house for over 10 years, it's how Onfido ensures its analysis is fair, fast, and accurate.

Recognised as a global leader in AI for identity verification and authentication, Onfido is backed by TPG Growth, Idinvest Partners, Crane Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures, M12 (Microsoft) and others. They partner with over 1,000 businesses globally to help millions access services every week  from billion-dollar institutions to hypergrowth start-ups.

SOURCE Onfido
AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiary Ohio Edison is contributing $10 million to expedite removal of the Gorge Dam, marking a major stride toward unlocking substantial environmental, economic and recreational benefits for communities along the Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohio. This significant investment supports the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Summit Metro Parks' plan for sediment management and habitat restoration that is expected to begin next year.

For more information on the Gorge Dam removal and updates on the project's progress, visit bit.ly/freethefalls.

The Gorge Dam was built in 1911 by Northern Ohio Traction & Light  which later became Ohio Edison. It operated as a hydroelectric power plant until 1958 and later provided cooling water for a coal-fired power plant until 1992. While the power plant was dismantled years ago, the dam remains the only barrier keeping the Cuyahoga River from flowing freely between Kent, Ohio, and the mouth of Lake Erie.

Amanda Mertens Campbell, vice president of External Affairs at FirstEnergy: "This exciting project has been many years in the making, with FirstEnergy playing a key role in the planning and support. Our contribution toward the safe and sustainable removal of this dam is a testament to FirstEnergy's commitment to living its core value of stewardship. The dam's deconstruction requires extensive collaboration between governmental entities and the community, and this contribution exemplifies FirstEnergy's dedication to enhancing the quality of life as well as our environment in the communities we serve."

Before the Gorge Dam can be safely deconstructed, the removal and safe disposal of approximately one million cubic yards of sediment accumulated behind the dam is necessary. Project partners are finalizing the engineering plans for sediment removal and plan to begin this phase of the project in 2024.

Summit Metro Parks Executive Director Lisa King: "Moving this project forward is a huge milestone for the entire state. In addition to improving water quality, removing the dam and the sediment behind it will restore the original grandeur of the Gorge, creating a vibrant future for the river, its watershed and its people. That future will provide clean water, natural beauty, recreational opportunities and economic development for all to enjoy."

In addition to FirstEnergy's contribution, funding for the dam removal project is being sourced from various levels of government, including federal, state and local entities, with contributions from the U.S. EPA through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

FirstEnergy's dedication to responsible corporate citizenship is evident in its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The company's environmental justice policy reflects its genuine concern for the equitable treatment of all communities, particularly those disproportionately affected by environmental challenges.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The health and wellness food market size is expected to grow by USD 452.93 million from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period. Increasing adoption of healthy eating habits is notably driving the health and wellness food market. However, factors such as the high cost of health and wellness food may impede market growth. The market is segmented by Product (Naturally health food, Functional food, BFY food, Organic food, and Food intolerance products), Distribution Channel (Offline and Online), and Geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America). Technavio provides a comprehensive report summary describing the market size and forecast along with research methodology. The sample report is available in PDF format

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Health and Wellness Food Market

Key Segment Analysis

By product, the naturally health food segment will be significant during the forecast period. These foods are free from hormones, antibiotics, and artificial flavors and refer to food products that undergo minimal processing. Furthermore, zero trans-fat oils, whole wheat and multigrain bread, baked potato chips, and wedges are examples of natural healthy food. The "natural" label on the products is often included by food companies to provide complete product information and avoid misbranding. In addition, digestion, better nutrient absorption, regulation of blood sugar levels, and enhanced immunity due to the antioxidant properties of such food products are the numerous benefits offered by these foods. Hence, these numerous health benefits are expected to drive the segment growth during the forecast period. To know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years, View the PDF Sample Report.

Geographical Market Analysis

North America will contribute 31% by 2027. Walmart, Costco, Kroger, SuperTarget, Safeway, and Whole Foods Market are some of the major vendors in the regional market. Factors like the increasing number of food service establishments and eateries, the presence of several small and large players, M&A, and the emergence of startups are driving the growth of the regional health and wellness food market.

Company Insights

The health and wellness food market is fragmented, and companies are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market companies, including:

Amys Kitchen Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc., Chobani Global Holdings LLC, Clif Bar and Co., Dairy Farmers of America Inc., Danone SA, Dr. Schar AG, Fifty50 Foods, General Mills Inc., Glanbia Plc, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Kellogg Co., London Foods Ltd., Mars Inc., Nestle SA, PepsiCo Inc., Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd., Mondelez International Inc., United Natural Foods Inc.

View the PDF Sample Report to find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by companies and their product offerings.

Related Reports:

The Ready-To-Drink Coffee market size is projected to increase by USD 11,781.01 million, and the market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.73% between 2022 and 2027.

The Gluten Free Products market size is projected to increase by USD 5,231.56 million and the market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.66% between 2022 and 2027.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Product

Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, & Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. There are many highly innovative Slovenian companies that could offer Azerbaijan a great deal of expertise in the field of renewable energy, from hydro-power installations to solar panels, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia told Trend.

"Slovenia has a particularly ambitious agenda when it comes to solar energy. On the other hand, the opportunities to invest in renewables in Slovenia are increasing as well. We have been working on streamlining the permitting process to make different kinds of investments in certain renewable energy projects more attractive," the source said.

According to the MFA, in general, Slovenian companies are keen to cooperate with Azerbaijan in various spheres.

"Slovenian companies are open to cooperation, particularly in the field of pharmaceutical and chemical industry; reconstruction of small hydropower plants; photovoltaics; information and communication technologies; infrastructure construction, electro technical industry, tourism (SPA) and agriculture, as long as the business climate is favorable," the ministry added.

Commenting Azerbaijan's gas supplies to the EU, the MFA pointed out that Slovenia supports all efforts that will contribute to the diversification of gas supply sources in Central and Southeastern Europe.

Meanwhile, the source also noted that economic cooperation between Slovenia and Azerbaijan remains modest, with trade turnover between the two countries reaching 27.3 million euros in 2022.

"Trade in goods and services prevails. Slovenian mainly exports pharmaceutical products. There are no investment flows between the countries, however," the ministry said.
Lan Zhou, MD, PhD, appointed Neurologist-in-Chief; Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA, appointed Anesthesiologist-in-Chief

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointments of Lan Zhou, MD, PhD, as Neurologist-in-Chief and Chair of the Marcia Dunn and Jonathan Sobel Department of Neurology at HSS; and Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA, as Anesthesiologist-in-Chief and Director of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management.

HSS appoints Lan Zhou, MD, PhD, (left) as Neurologist-in-Chief and Chair of the Marcia Dunn and Jonathan Sobel Department of Neurology at HSS; and Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA, (right) as Anesthesiologist-in-Chief and Director of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management.

Dr. Memtsoudis succeeds Gregory A. Liguori, MD, who has led the department with distinction for the past 21 years. As Chief Emeritus, Dr. Liguori will focus on his practice at HSS, continue to chair the Credentials Committee and teach as a Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, and maintain his roles on the Medical Board, Physician Practice Committee, and MIAC.

Dr. Zhou will succeed Interim Chair Matthew E. Fink, MD, who will return full-time to his role as Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine and Neurologist-in-Chief at NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Fink accepted HSS' request to serve as interim leader following the retirement of Dale J. Lange, MD, who led the department for 13 years. Dr. Zhou will lead the continued advancement of HSS' Neurology Department in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine Neurology.

"Drs. Fink and Ligouri have provided instrumental support for their clinical colleagues exemplifying excellence in medicineHSS is grateful for their leadership," said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, President and CEO, HSS. "We are thrilled to have the expertise and stewardship of Dr. Zhou and Dr. Memtsoudis in advancing translational and clinical research programs that will serve the needs of all of our patient populations. Their collaborative approaches to musculoskeletal health will strengthen our multidisciplinary services and further improve patient care and recovery."

"HSS is recognized as a leader in musculoskeletal health because of the unparalleled number of talented and accomplished experts who call it home," said Douglas Padgett, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS. "The appointments of Dr. Memtsoudis and Dr. Zhou embody our tradition of strong leaders committed to addressing pain and movement challenges, continuing the advancement of our rich clinical pipeline toward improved health and wellness for everyone."

Stavros Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA

Dr. Memtsoudis is board-certified in anesthesiology and critical care medicine. He earned his medical degree and PhD from Georg-August-University Medical School, in Goettingen, Germany, in 1999, and his MBA from the University of Massachusetts in 2018. Dr. Memtsoudis joined HSS after completing subspecialty training in critical care medicine, cardiac care, and thoracic anesthesiology. He is widely recognized for his clinical expertise in the perioperative care of orthopedic patients with advanced cardiovascular and pulmonary disease as well as his prolific research into perioperative care. During the height of COVID-19, elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, were canceled to accommodate patients requiring hospital admission. Dr. Memtsoudis was instrumental in leading musculoskeletal medical teams at HSS in managing critical care patients.

As a senior scientist, Dr. Memtsoudis directs research initiatives on cardiopulmonary physiology and population-based outcomes research. His findings have been published in more than 380 peer-reviewed articles. Due to his prominence in the field of perioperative research, Dr. Memtsoudis has won several prestigious research awards, frequently lectures on the topic, and serves on anesthesia and pain medicine boards nationally and internationally.

"Excellence and continuity of patient care are our highest priorities at HSS," said Dr. Memtsoudis. "I have the pleasure of being a member of an incredible team of experts, and I'm equally passionate about working alongside internationally prominent clinician-scientists who prioritize delivering the highest-quality care to all our patients."

Dr. Memtsoudis's new role is effective immediately.

Lan Zhou, MD, PhD

Dr. Zhou is a nationally renowned neuromuscular specialist with a long history of clinical and academic accomplishments. She earned her medical degree from Shanghai Medical University School of Medicine in China (now Fudan University Medical Center) in 1989 before completing her PhD in developmental biology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1995. Previously, Dr. Zhou served as a staff neurologist at Cleveland Clinic, an associate professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and pathology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a professor of neurology and neurotherapeutics and pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She comes to HSS from Boston University School of Medicine, where she has served as a professor of neurology and pathology and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Neurology.

Dr. Zhou cares for patients with neuromuscular diseases and regularly performs and interprets nerve, muscle, and skin biopsies as part of her practice. She has special interests in small-fiber neuropathy, inflammatory myopathy, myasthenia gravis, and neuromuscular pathology. Additionally, she is recognized as an outstanding educator and muscle research scientist. She runs a National Institutes of Healthfunded research program to study muscle inflammation, fibrosis, and regeneration associated with skeletal muscle injury and repair. In her new role at HSS, she will establish a clinical diagnostic neuromuscular pathology laboratory.

"I'm honored to take on this new role, building upon and developing new programs that will continue to serve the diverse patient communities at HSS," said Dr. Zhou. "My passion is to make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients and families living with neuromuscular diseases and to work with musculoskeletal teams to develop effective treatments to help them live better."

Dr. Zhou's new role is effective March 1, 2024.

About HSS

HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 14th consecutive year), No. 2 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2023-2024), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" list (2023-2024). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a third consecutive year (2023). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery
Report highlights initiative's achievements over past quarter century and the challenges it faces in the coming 25 years.

OTTAWA, ON and WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - In the 25 years since the International Joint Commission (IJC) first proposed it, the International Watersheds Initiative (IWI) has become an integral part of managing waters shared between Canada and the United States. In its 25th Anniversary Showcase Report, the IJC delves into the origins and successes of the IWI in its first quarter century and how it has laid the foundation for a greater, more constructive impact across the border shared by these two countries.

Water does not recognize international boundaries, yet must be cooperatively managed by Canada and the United States in these transboundary watersheds. The IWI approaches this reality by studying and managing these watersheds with greater, binational community engagement and expertise and an "integrated ecosystem approach," where water quantity, water quality and aquatic ecosystem health issues are seen as interconnected.

The report includes challenges that the IWI will likely face over the next 25 years and suggests new ways to approach these in the short- and long-term.

Quick Facts

The IJC is an independent, binational and impartial advisor to the governments of Canada and the United States .





and . The IJC was created by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty between Canada and the United States to assist governments in the prevention and resolution of disputes regarding the use of boundary waters.





and to assist governments in the prevention and resolution of disputes regarding the use of boundary waters. The IJC has two main responsibilities: setting conditions for projects that affect water levels and flows on the other side of the boundary; and investigating and reporting on issues referred by governments.





The IJC relies on the expertise of more than 15 binational boards and committees to carry out its mandate.

Links:

The International Watersheds Initiative main page

The IWI 25th Anniversary Showcase Report

Summary of the 25th Anniversary of the IWI Workshop in Washington, DC

IWI 25th Anniversary Video

SOURCE International Joint Commission
Speakers included Jeff Bezos, the President of Paraguay, U.S. Sens. Chris Coons and Lindsey Graham, and Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday evening, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) presented Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, and the Bezos Earth Fund with the Good Steward Award and Chairwoman Kay Granger with the Teddy Roosevelt International Conservation Award at its U.S. Congressional International Conservation Leadership Awards Gala at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Bezos delivered the keynote address, emphasizing that those who have pioneered nature conservation have been curious explorers and inventors who have redefined the impossible. They have much to teach us today. Other prominent speakers included Paraguay President Santiago Pena, House Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy, and CEO of the Global Environment Facility Carlos Manuel Rodriguez.

"We don't just survive because of nature, we also soar because of it. Nature feeds our spirit and brings us together," said Jeff Bezos, chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. "Today, around the world, there are nearly 300,000 protected areas, large and small  up from virtually zero 150 years ago. There is hard work ahead and much reason to be optimistic."

The United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus includes more than a third of the U.S. Congress and over a fourth of the U.S. Senate. The ICCF, the secretariat for the Caucus, has hosted its awards dinner since 2006. The event brings together a diverse group of Republicans and Democrats, global business leaders and NGOs, foreign dignitaries and American celebrities, volunteers, and professionals for a common cause to elevate America's role in conservation and celebrate leadership in international conservation.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to honor several individuals and organizations for their outstanding leadership and commitment to conservation," said John Gantt, President of ICCF. "The power of public and private partnerships will help shape the future of conservation and change the way the world thinks about conservation."

The ICCF Good Steward Award, which recognizes outstanding individual leadership in conservation, was presented by Senator Chris Coons to Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, and the Bezos Earth Fund for their commitment to addressing climate change and nature protection. The Earth Fund is the largest ever philanthropic commitment to climate and nature protection, investing $10 billion in this decisive decade to protect nature, drive systems-level change, and create a just transition to a low-carbon economy.

Chairwoman Kay Granger  introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham  was presented with the ICCF Teddy Roosevelt International Conservation Award, which recognizes outstanding conservation leadership in government. Granger was granted the award in recognition of her leadership in consistently securing and growing U.S. investment in international conservation and her commitment to combating the illegal wildlife trade.

For the past 20 years, ICCF's mission has been to advance U.S. leadership in international conservation through public and private partnerships and to develop the next generation of conservation leaders in the U.S. Congress. ICCF convenes a council of leading business and NGO partners to support policymakers on innovative solutions to conservation challenges and operates throughout Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Past ICCF award recipients include The Prince of Wales, Prince Albert II of Monaco, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, actors Harrison Ford and Edward Norton, Rob and Melani Walton, among others.

###

SOURCE Bezos Earth Fund
The supply and installation of a Weigh-In-Motion preclearance system at the Cajon weigh station will protect roads and improve safety in the state of California

E-screening system at the weigh station will include multiple machine vision and sensor technologies for vehicle identification and verification of safety status

SASKATOON, SK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - International Road Dynamics Inc. ("IRD"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quarterhill Inc. ("Quarterhill" or the "Company") (TSX: QTRH) (OTCQX: QTRHF), announced today that it has been awarded a $2.8 million contract by the California Department of Transportation ("Caltrans"). The contract covers the supply of a high-speed Weigh-In-Motion ("WIM") pre-clearance system and a sophisticated Ramp E-screening system at the Cajon weigh station. All Financial information in this press release is reported in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

The E-screening system will target overweight and unsafe vehicles with the aim of enhancing enforcement efficiency and highway safety. IRD will supply and install all system components  including the WIM system, station signs, cameras, advanced machine vision technology such as a USDOT Number Reader, HAZMAT Placard Reader, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Decal Reader, and Thermal Brake Inspection System. IRD's Tire Anomaly and Classification System ("TACS") will be used at the site to identify unsafe tires.

Features of IRD's services include:

Preventing Premature Infrastructure Deterioration: The system will contribute to curbing premature pavement infrastructure degradation by identifying overweight vehicles for enforcement. The integration of a two-step weighing process with Slow Speed WIM ensures the highest possible weight pre-screening accuracy.

The system will contribute to curbing premature pavement infrastructure degradation by identifying overweight vehicles for enforcement. The integration of a two-step weighing process with Slow Speed WIM ensures the highest possible weight pre-screening accuracy. Credential and Safety Screening: Vehicles are screened against state and federal databases as they pass through the system. High-efficiency E-screening ensures that only high-risk commercial vehicles are flagged for inspection resulting in reduced congestion, vehicle emissions, and transport delays.

Vehicles are screened against state and federal databases as they pass through the system. High-efficiency E-screening ensures that only high-risk commercial vehicles are flagged for inspection resulting in reduced congestion, vehicle emissions, and transport delays. Tire Anomaly and Classification System (TACS): IRD's innovative TACS will screen commercial vehicle tires, automatically flagging vehicles considered unsafe due to flat, missing, or mismatched tires. This system identifies vehicles and specific axles with tire anomalies, providing station operators with the vital ability to select these vehicles for scrutiny.

"We are honored to partner with Caltrans in their pursuit of highway safety and efficiency," said Rish Malhotra, IRD's CEO. "IRD's commitment to leveraging technology to improve highway safety remains steadfast, and this collaboration with Caltrans stands as a testament to this driving mission."

Chuck Myers, CEO of Quarterhill, added, "This contract expands our footprint in the state of California, where we have been doing business for more than 35 years. TACS is a unique solution that reinforces IRD's reputation for innovation and its leading position in enforcement within the ITS industry."

About IRD

IRD is a dynamic technology company engaged in developing key components and advanced systems for the next generation of transportation networks. Together with subsidiaries PAT Traffic and IRD Europe (ICOMS Detections, Sensor Line and VDS), IRD supplies Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to private corporations, transportation agencies, and highway authorities around the world. IRD's systems make highways safer, greener, and more efficient. Known globally as a trusted partner providing sales, service, and installation support on major ITS projects for over 40 years, IRD contributes to creating smarter cities by empowering engineering and urban planning professionals to access reliable traffic data. For more information, visit www.irdinc.com

About Quarterhill

Quarterhill is a leading provider of tolling and enforcement solutions in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) industry. Our goal is global leadership in ITS, via organic growth of the Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC (ETC) and International Road Dynamics Inc. (IRD) platforms, and by continuing an acquisition-oriented investment strategy that capitalizes on attractive growth opportunities within ITS and its adjacent markets. Quarterhill is listed on the TSX under the symbol QTRH and on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol QTRHF. For more information, visit www.quarterhill.com.

Forward-looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding Quarterhill, its operating subsidiaries and their respective businesses. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by Quarterhill in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and the expected effects of new business strategies, as well as other factors that Quarterhill believes are appropriate in the circumstances. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed herein may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Quarterhill, which include, without limitation, the risks described in Quarterhill's March 22, 2023 annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the "AIF"). In addition, readers are also urged to review the additional risk factors disclosed in our Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2023 filed on www.sedarplus.ca. Quarterhill recommends that readers review and consider all of these risk factors and notes that readers should not place undue reliance on any of Quarterhill's forward-looking statements. Quarterhill has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Quarterhill Inc.
ON NATIONAL SHOT DAY TAP MACHINES ARE ONLY $30 (ORIGINALLY $199)

The Sleek, Eco-Conscious Jagermeister Single Bottle Tap Machine Pours the Perfect Ice Cold Shot Anytime, Anywhere

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jagermeister is making it easier than ever to pour an ice cold shot no matter where you're celebrating with the 30th Anniversary Tap Machine Sale, commemorating the anniversary of the first Jagermeister tap machines in the US. Beginning November 8, National Shot Day, consumers can bring home a state-of-the-art GRAD Jagermeister Single Bottle Tap Machine, typically $199, for only $30. One fourth of the legal drinking age population are shot drinkers*, and now they can enjoy a perfectly chilled shot at home every time with the GRAD Jagermeister Single Bottle Tap Machine. The sleek, eco-friendly devices can be purchased at the commemorative price at www.tapmachine.com while supplies last.

Jagermeister's recipe may be kept under wraps, but it's no secret that its one-of-a-kind taste is best enjoyed ice cold. The brand introduced their first tap machine to bars in 1993 to ensure bartenders could easily serve patrons Jagermeister as a chilled shot. The Jagermeister tap machine was both a breakthrough way to serve spirits, and the first of its kind in the industry. Now, Jagermeister has introduced a line of tap machines and other displays for venues and home bars, including the Single Bottle Tap Machine, which proudly displays the iconic Jagermeister bottle, and subsequently uses breakthrough technology to create a perfectly chilly shot at home.

The Jagermeister Single Bottle Tap Machine is the newest addition to the Jagermeister tap machine line from GRAD Global , which produces premium, Scandinavian-designed wine & spirit accessories. Its innovative design allows Jagermeister bottles to be shown on the bar without losing the chilled shot experience by using Peltier cooling technology designed to chill and dispense Jagermeister at tantalizingly chilly temperatures. The machine is the smallest and lightest to-date, and every step of its construction was designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, from recycled insulation inside the machine to fully recyclable packaging. The device uses one 750 ml bottle of Jagermeister, is energy efficient and fits conveniently on countertops.

The use of recycled materials in Jagermeister tap machines is part of the brand's continued sustainability efforts.

"Jagermeister has continually leveled up spirits innovation in the three decades since the launch of our original tap machine. Now, we're excited to make our latest innovation more accessible than ever, by offering a modern iteration of the classic tap machine for only $30," said Charles Littlefield, Chief Marketing Officer, Jagermeister. "The Jagermeister Single Bottle Tap Machine fits perfectly on a countertop or home bar and is an eco-friendly way to make memories with Jagermeister the way it was meant to be enjoyed, as an ice cold shot!"

The 30th Anniversary Tap Machine Sale will begin on November 8. During this window, consumers can purchase the Jagermeister Single Bottle Tap Machine at www.tapmachine.com while supplies last. Qualifying consumers can also enter for a chance to win a special limited-edition Jagermeister SoundBoks Tap Machine at https://www.jagermeister.com/en-US/tap30sale

ABOUT JAGERMEISTER

Introduced over 80 years ago, Jagermeister, German for "Master Hunter," is one of the world's most successful liqueurs and available in 150 countries. The iconic taste of Jagermeister is not left to chance but is due to decades of experience, a safely guarded secret recipe consisting of 56 natural herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits including star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger roots, and 383 quality checks. The botanical ingredients are extracted in their raw, unprocessed form through a gentle, weeks-long process of cold maceration to create Jagermeister's base. The base, housed in more than 400 oak casks, then "breathes" for one full year, which is key to creating the complex and balanced flavor of Jagermeister's legendary taste profile. Jagermeister is 35% Alc./Vol. and imported exclusively by Mast-Jagermeister US, White Plains, NY. Visit www.jagermeister.com and follow @JagermeisterUSA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

ABOUT TAP MACHINE INC.

Established in 1993, Tap Machine Inc. is an exclusive partner for Jagermeister cold equipment. Tap Machine Inc. is the resource for all cold equipment and display information, sales, and service requests. For more information, please visit www.tapmachine.com. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

*Jagermeister Proprietary Research

SOURCE Jagermeister
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiance Technologies, Inc. (Radiance) is excited to announce the appointment of Mr. Jim Scanlon to President of the company.

Mr. Scanlon has served on the Radiance Board of Directors for the past three years and will continue that service in addition to this appointment. As a Board Member, Scanlon was Chairman of the Governance Committee and served on the Audit and Compensation Committees.

Mr. Jim Scanlon

In 2021, Mr. Scanlon retired from SAIC after a 32-year career where he departed as the second in command, Executive VP, General Manager Defense Systems. In that role, he was responsible for leading strategy, business development, and program execution for approximately $2.9 billion in support to the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Defense Logistics Agency. He joined the company in 1988 as a Project Engineer supporting research hybrid electric combat vehicles research and development. During the ensuing years, he served in various leadership positions providing business management and operations, program management, business development, and strategic planning support. SAIC gives Scanlon credit for his key role in the separation of legacy SAIC into two new companies (SAIC and Leidos) in 2013. From his SAIC bio:

He was instrumental in leading the successful transformation of the enterprise from a hierarchical organization structure to a matrix business model. He co-led the team that developed the detailed matrix organization structure including roles, responsibilities, and authorities; built the product offering taxonomy and framework; selected and implemented the resource management system tool; and assigned 10,000 employees, based on their capabilities, to a service line.

Radiance CEO Bill Bailey says of Scanlon, "Jim brought significant business experience and acumen to our Board in 2021, and I am excited to have him spearheading our Leadership team. I see him reviewing and updating our business policies and mentoring our Sector Executive Vice Presidents and Group Managers. His role in growing his previous company makes him a natural fit for Radiance as we transition from a small business to a large business."

Mr. Scanlon graduated with honors from Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, served four years in the U.S. Air Force from 1984-1988, then moved to the defense industry. He later earned a Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Jim and his wife Lisa currently live on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley. They have four children and seven grandchildren, six of which live in the Huntsville area; they look forward to residing in Huntsville, Alabama.

About Radiance Technologies:

Radiance Technologies is an employee-owned prime contractor founded in 1999. Radiance has over 1000 employee-owners across the United States serving the Department of Defense, national intelligence community and other government agencies. From concepts to capabilities, Radiance leads the way in developing customer-focused solutions in the areas of cyber security, systems engineering, prototyping, and integration as well as operational and strategic intelligence including scientific and technical intelligence.

Contact:

Julia Parrish

[email protected]

SOURCE Radiance Technologies
FRED HERSCH's 15 GRAMMY Award Nominations include 7 for "Best Jazz Album", 6 for "Best Improvised Jazz Solo" and 2 for "Best Instrumental Composition." Hersch has been called "A Living Legend" by THE NEW YORKER. Tickets for FRED HERSCH and his Acclaimed Trio at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Saturday November 4 at 7:00 and 9:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 and 2024 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features 15x-GRAMMY Award Nominated Jazz Pianist & Composer FRED HERSCH and his Acclaimed Trio on Saturday November 4 at 7 & 9:30 P.M. Fred Hersch is a pervasively influential creative force who has shaped jazz music's course over more than four decades as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, and recording artist. Hersch has long set the standard for expressive interpretation and inventive creativity in a stunning variety of settings, whether through his exquisite solo performances, as the leader of one of jazz's era-defining trios, or in eloquent dialogue with his deeply attuned duo partners. With more than 50 albums to his credit as a leader or co-leader, Hersch consistently receives lavish critical praise and numerous international awards for each highly anticipated new release.

"A lasting legacy of performances, recordings, and compositions...musical genius of the highest order." Post this 15x-GRAMMY Award Nominated Pianist and Composer FRED HERSCH returns to Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Saturday November 4 at 7:00 & 9:30 P.M. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com and www.jimmysoncongress.com.

"A lasting legacy of performances, recordings, and compositions that represent the highest level of musical achievementworks unrivaled in their beauty, imagination, and complexity...a clarity and musical genius of the highest order."

 ALL ABOUT JAZZ

" A pianist, composer and conceptualist of rare imaginative power."

 NEW YORK TIMES

"A pristine pianist with a poet's soul  a pair of qualities that combine to especially dazzling effect."

 BOSTON GLOBE

"An elegant force of musical invention."

 LOS ANGELES TIMES

"One of the small handful of brilliant musicians of his generation."

 DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

FRED HERSCH has regularly garnered jazz's most prestigious awards, including 15 GRAMMY Award Nominations, a 2016 Doris Duke Artist, a 3x-Jazz Journalists Association "Pianist of the Year" Award-Winner (2011, 2016, 2018), a 3x-Downbeat Critic's Poll "Pianist of the Year" Award-Winner (2015, 2016, 2021), and the 2017 Prix Honorem de Jazz from L'Academie Charles Cros (France).

In 2014, Fred Hersch garnered his sixth GRAMMY Award Nomination for his solo on "Duet" from Free Flying, a duo album with guitarist Julian Lage that received a rare 5-star rating from Downbeat Magazine. An exceptionally responsive and intuitive collaborator, Hersch has engaged in duo partnerships with a number of spirited artists, including Anat Cohen, Bill Frisell, Esperanza Spalding, Julian Lage and Miguel Zenon; as well as vocalists Kurt Elling, Kate McGarry and Renee Fleming.

As versatile and exploratory as his trio and duo excursions can be, nowhere is the boundless range and emotional diversity of Hersch's artistry as evident as in his breathtaking solo performances. Jazz Times has hailed his unaccompanied playing as "a complete, self-sufficient, uniquely pure art form." His 2017 Palmetto album Open Book was, as the title implies, his most revealing and intimate solo outing, and was Nominated for two (2) 2018 GRAMMY Awards. "When it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz, there are currently two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else," states All About Jazz.

The current FRED HERSCH TRIO, in which renowned pianist Fred Hersch is joined by bassist John Hebert and drummer Eric McPherson, kicked off its fifteenth year together in the summer of 2023. The Fred Hersch Trio was voted the #2 Jazz Group in the 2018 Downbeat Critics Poll and the #1 Jazz Group in the 2019 Downbeat Critics Poll, recognizing its unique ability to traverse a wide range of styles and approaches while maintaining profound depths of emotion and the exhilarating spark of invention.

The Fred Hersch Trio's debut album release, Whirl (2010), met with wide critical acclaim. The trio's follow up, Alive at the Vanguard (2012), received a 4  star review in Downbeat Magazine, and 2014's studio recording Floating was Nominated for two (2) 2014 GRAMMY Awards ("Best Jazz Album" and "Best Improvised Solo"). A return to the Village Vanguard for 2016's Sunday Night at the Vanguard netted another pair of GRAMMY Award Nominations, again for "Best Jazz Album" and "Best Improvised Solo".

Fred Hersch's most recent acclaimed album is entitled 'Breath by Breath', released in 2022. Downbeat Magazine stated, "An amazingly satisfying listening experiencea high-level melding of jazz and classical elementsThese compositions masterfully transform the two groups into one, and together they build a musical universe that's different from anything else on the scene today."

FRED HERSCH Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 10 NEA Jazz Masters, 50 GRAMMY Award-Winning Artists, 47 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 450+ GRAMMY Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for the FRED HERSCH TRIO at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Saturday November 4 at 7:00 and 9:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 and 2024 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.

ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB

The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.

PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S

An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.

JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS

Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants  Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina  all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.

Website:

http://www.jimmysoncongress.com

Contact:

Suzanne Bresette

suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com

888-603-JAZZ

SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club
SHANGRAO, China, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced its affiliate has signed the largest ever supply agreement with ACWA Power, to provide 3.8 GW N-type Tiger Neo modules for ACWA Power's two projects, the 1,581MWp Al KAHFAH and the 2,257MWp AR RASS 2, in Saudi Arabia.

Produced using N-type TOPCon technology and sophisticated manufacturing processes, the Tiger Neo solar modules deliver industry-leading efficiency along with reduced degradation and temperature coefficient, enhanced bifacial factor, and unparalleled yield per watt to reduce system lifetime energy cost.

This important supply agreement validates the Tiger Neo's performance, durability, and reliability advantage over conventional solar panels, as well as its competitiveness. Moreover, it demonstrates the confidence that utility-scale customers have in JinkoSolar's ability to deliver on its commitments.

"N-type TOPCon technology will help ensure our solar projects meet performance goals to provide clean and competitively priced energy for desalination and hydrogen production as well as to our customers across the Middle East," said Yunhe Lv, Executive VP of ACWA Power China. "We look forward to a much broader, higher level and strategic alliance with JinkoSolar in solar generation, energy storage and other renewable fields."

"ACWA Power continues to be the world's largest private water desalination company, and also a pioneer in green energy transition," said Robin Li, General Manager of JinkoSolar Middle East and North Africa ("MENA"). "We are excited to be expanding our MENA footprint and engaging in a more diversified and innovative cooperation with ACWA Power."

About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.

JinkoSolar had 14 productions facilities globally, 24 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Indonesia, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, and global sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of June 30, 2023.

To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Stella Wang

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
Net sales up 2 percent, organic sales grew 5 percent

Revenue Growth Management program and productivity drive continued margin recovery

Company raises 2023 outlook

DALLAS, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) today reported third quarter 2023 results. Comparisons are made versus the prior year period, unless otherwise noted.

"We delivered another strong quarter, with organic growth across all segments and continued margin progress," said Kimberly-Clark Chairman and CEO Mike Hsu. "I'm proud of how our teams around the world are executing our growth strategy. Our innovation and commercial capabilities continue to enhance the value proposition of our brands, while strong execution of our revenue growth management and ongoing productivity programs enabled us to restore gross margin to pre-pandemic levels."

Hsu continued, "Based on our year-to-date performance, we have raised our full-year outlook. We're confident that continued investments in our brands and commercial programs will deliver superior value to our consumers and balanced and sustainable growth for our shareholders."

Quarter Highlights

Delivered net sales of $5.1 billion , up 2 percent, with organic sales growth of 5 percent.

, up 2 percent, with organic sales growth of 5 percent. Gross margin was 35.8 percent, up 530 basis points versus the prior year, driven by favorable net revenue realization and productivity.

Diluted earnings per share were $1.73 ; adjusted earnings per share were $1.74 , up 24 percent versus prior year.

; adjusted earnings per share were , up 24 percent versus prior year. Raised 2023 outlook for organic growth to 4% - 5%, and for adjusted earnings per share growth of 15% - 17%, with adjusted operating margin up 170 basis points at the midpoint versus last year.

Third Quarter 2023 Results

Third quarter sales of $5.1 billion increased 2 percent, with organic sales up 5 percent, driven by a 5 percent increase in price from ongoing revenue growth management programs and a 1 percent favorable product mix, offset by a 1 percent decrease in volume. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased sales by approximately 2 percent and the divestiture of its tissue and K-C Professional business in Brazil decreased sales by approximately 1 percent.

In North America, organic sales increased 7 percent over last year, including increases of 9 percent in Personal Care, 4 percent in Consumer Tissue and 7 percent in K-C Professional.

Outside North America, organic sales were up 5 percent in developing and emerging (D&E) markets. Organic sales for developed markets (Australia, South Korea and Western/Central Europe) were in line with year ago.

Gross margin improved by 530 bps to 35.8 percent, with higher net revenue realization, cost savings and favorable input costs partially offset by unfavorable currency impacts and other manufacturing costs.

Third quarter operating profit was $774 million compared to $655 million last year, resulting in an operating margin of 15.1 percent. Operating profit increased by 18 percent, driven by higher gross profit including $90 million in FORCE (Focus on Reducing Costs Everywhere) savings and $75 million in lower input costs, partially offset by other manufacturing costs of $30 million, planned increases in marketing, research and general expenses, coupled with higher incentive compensation levels. Unfavorable currency effects impacted operating profit by $135 million during the quarter.

Net interest expense was $56 million, 19 percent lower than prior year.

Third quarter effective tax rate was 22.5 percent broadly in line with prior year. On an adjusted basis, the effective rate in the third quarter was 22.5 percent, compared to 22.3 percent prior year.

Net income of equity companies was $50 million compared to $29 million last year driven by Kimberly-Clark de Mexico.

Diluted EPS increased 25 percent to $1.73 on a reported basis. On an adjusted basis, EPS increased 24 percent to $1.74, driven primarily by the 18 percent increase in adjusted operating profit, in addition to gains in equity income.

Year-To-Date Results

For the first nine months of the year, sales of $15.5 billion increased 2 percent, with organic sales up 5 percent, driven by an approximately 8 percent increase in price from ongoing revenue growth management programs and 1 percent from favorable product mix, offset by a 3 percent decrease in volume, with sequential improvements throughout the year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased sales by 3 percent, and the exit of our tissue and K-C Professional business in Brazil decreased sales slightly.

Gross margin improved by 400 basis points to 34.2 percent, and adjusted gross margin improved by 410 basis points to 34.3 percent with higher net revenue realization as well as cost savings from its FORCE program of $275 million more than offsetting higher input costs of $115 million and higher other manufacturing costs of $195 million.

Year-to-date operating profit was $1.7 billion in 2023 versus $2.0 billion in 2022. Results included non-cash impairment charges on intangible assets, higher marketing, research and general expenses, unfavorable impact from foreign currency, offset by the net benefit from the Brazil divestiture in the second quarter 2023.

Year-to-date adjusted operating profit was $2.3 billion in 2023 versus $1.9 billion in 2022. The increases from organic sales and the benefits from FORCE savings were partially offset by higher input costs and other manufacturing costs, marketing, research and general expenses, and unfavorable impact from foreign currency.

Through the last nine months, diluted earnings per share were $3.70 in 2023 compared to $4.22 last year. Year-to-date adjusted earnings per share were $5.06 compared to $4.09 last year.

Business Segment Net Sales Results

Q3 change vs year ago (%)

Volume

Price

Mix/Other

Exited

Business(a)

Currency

Total(b)

Organic(c) Personal Care

2

4

1



(5)

3

7 North America

6

2

1





9

9 D&E Markets



5

2



(12)

(4)

7 Developed Markets

(5)

5

1





2

2





























Consumer Tissue

(4)

5



(3)

1

(1)

2 North America

(1)

5







4

4 D&E Markets

(9)

4



(14)

(1)

(21)

(5) Developed Markets

(5)

6





3

5

2





























KC Professional

(6)

9

1

(2)



2

4 North America

(1)

7

1





7

7 D&E Markets

(4)

9



(10)

(5)

(9)

6 Developed Markets

(20)

12

3



3

(1)

(4)





























Consolidated

(1)

5

1

(1)

(2)

2

5





























YTD change vs year ago (%)

Volume

Price

Mix/Other

Acquisition/

Exited

Business(a)

Currency

Total(b)

Organic(c) Personal Care

(2)

6

1



(5)



5 North America

1

3



1



4

4 D&E Markets

(4)

9

2



(10)

(4)

6 Developed Markets

(5)

7

1



(4)



3





























Consumer Tissue

(4)

8



(1)

(1)

1

4 North America

(1)

6







5

5 D&E Markets

(10)

9



(6)

(3)

(10)

(1) Developed Markets

(6)

11





(2)

3

5





























KC Professional

(5)

13

1

(1)

(2)

7

10 North America

(1)

12







11

12 D&E Markets

(5)

10

1

(4)

(6)

(3)

6 Developed Markets

(17)

19

4



(2)

4

6





























Consolidated

(3)

8

1



(3)

2

5



(a) Impact of the acquisition of Thinx Inc. and sale of Brazil tissue and K-C Professional business. (b) Total may not equal the sum of volume, net price, mix/other, acquisition and currency due to rounding and excludes inter-geographic sales. (c) Combined impact of changes in volume, net price and mix/other.

Personal Care Segment

Personal Care sales of $2.7 billion increased 3 percent, while organic sales increased 7 percent, driven by healthy contributions from price, mix and volume. Innovation, solid commercial execution and supply improvements contributed to volume growth, led by a 6 percent increase in North America.

Third-quarter operating profit of $502 million increased 19 percent, with organic growth, cost savings and input cost tailwinds partially offset by higher marketing, research and general expenses and an unfavorable impact from foreign currency.

Consumer Tissue Segment

Consumer Tissue sales of $1.6 billion decreased 1 percent, including organic growth of 2 percent, with gains from price partially offset by volume. Organic growth of 4 percent in North America and 2 percent from Developed Markets drove the increase. Favorable revenue growth management and improving service levels contributed to top-line growth.

Third-quarter operating profit of $267 million increased 22 percent, with organic growth, lower input costs and cost savings partially offset by higher other manufacturing costs, higher marketing, research and general expenses, and an unfavorable impact from foreign currency.

K-C Professional (KCP) Segment

KCP sales of $854 million increased 2 percent, including organic growth of 4 percent, driven by price and mix partially offset by volume. Strong revenue realization and share gains in North America were partly offset by lower volume due to the timing of price adjustments. Demand for its new solutions in the washroom business remains healthy.

Third-quarter operating profit of $168 million increased 41 percent, driven by continued focus on profitable growth and cost discipline.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

Year-to-date cash provided by operations was $2.3 billion compared to $1.7 billion last year. Year-to-date capital spending was $549 million compared to $679 million last year. The company returned $1.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and repurchases. The company completed share repurchases of 740 thousand shares at a cost of $97 million during the first nine months of the year. Total debt was $8.1 billion as of September 30, 2023 compared to $8.4 billion at the end of 2022.

2023 Outlook

The company updated its full year expectations for 2023 as summarized below.

Metric

Previous

Current Organic sales growth

3% - 5%

4% - 5% FX impact(a) on net sales

(2) %

~(3)% Acquisition/(divestiture) impact on net sales

~(1)%

~(1)% Net sales growth

0% - 2%

1% - 2% Input cost impact on operating profit ($ million)

~$(100)

~$(50) Other manufacturing cost ($ million)

~$(200)

~$(250) FORCE savings ($ million)

in line with prior year

$300-$350 Adjusted operating margin

up 150 bps

up 170 bps FX impact(b) on operating profit ($ million)

$(300) - $(400)

~($450) Net interest expense

up high single

down high single Effective tax rate

23% - 25%

23% - 24% Adjusted EPS vs. last year

10% - 14%

15% - 17% Capital expenditure ($ million)

$800-$900

~$800



(a) Currency translation only (b) Currency transaction and translation impacts

This outlook reflects assumptions subject to change given the macro environment and does not include the impact of impairment charges, net benefit from sale of Brazil tissue and Professional business and pension settlements.

Supplemental Materials and Live Webcast

Supplemental materials will be available at 7:00 a.m. Central Time in the Investor Relations section of www.kimberly-clark.com. The company will host a live earnings webcast with investors and analysts on October 24, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. Central Time.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies(R) by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

Copies of Kimberly-Clark's Annual Report to Stockholders and its proxy statements and other SEC filings, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, are made available free of charge on the company's website on the same day they are filed with the SEC. To view these filings, visit the Investors section of the company's website.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain matters contained in this news release concerning the outlook, anticipated financial and operating results, raw material, energy and other input costs, anticipated currency rates and exchange risks, including in Argentina and Turkiye, net income from equity companies, sources and uses of cash, the effective tax rate, the anticipated cost savings from the company's FORCE program, growth initiatives, product innovations, contingencies and anticipated transactions of the company constitute forward-looking statements and are based upon management's expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting the company. In addition, many factors outside our control, including the war in Ukraine (including the related responses of consumers, customers and suppliers as well as sanctions issued by the U.S., the European Union, Russia or other countries), pandemics, epidemics, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, prices and availability of our raw materials, supply chain disruptions, disruptions in the capital and credit markets, counterparty defaults (including customers, suppliers and financial institutions with which we do business), failure to realize the expected benefits or synergies from our acquisition and disposition activity, impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and our projections of operating results and other factors that may affect our impairment testing, changes in customer preferences, severe weather conditions, regional instabilities and hostilities (including the war in Israel), government trade or similar regulatory actions, potential competitive pressures on selling prices for our products, energy costs, our ability to maintain key customer relationships, as well as general economic and political conditions globally and in the markets in which we do business, could affect the realization of these estimates.

There can be no assurance that these future events will occur as anticipated or that the company's results will be as estimated. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update them. For a description of certain factors that could cause the company's future results to differ from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements, see Item 1A entitled "Risk Factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This news release and the accompanying tables include the following financial measures that have not been calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., or GAAP, and are therefore referred to as non-GAAP financial measures:

Adjusted earnings and earnings per share

Adjusted gross and operating profit

Adjusted effective tax rate

These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items for the relevant time periods as indicated in the accompanying non-GAAP reconciliation tables:

Sale of Brazil tissue and K-C Professional business. In the second quarter of 2023, we recognized a net benefit related to the sale of our Brazil tissue and K-C Professional business.

tissue and K-C Professional business. In the second quarter of 2023, we recognized a net benefit related to the sale of our tissue and K-C Professional business. Impairment of intangible assets. In the second quarter of 2023, we recognized non-cash charges related to the impairment of certain intangible assets related to Softex Indonesia and Thinx.

Pension settlements. In 2022 and 2023, we recognized pension settlement charges related to lump-sum distributions from pension plan assets exceeding the total of annual service and interest costs resulting in a recognition of deferred actuarial losses.

Acquisition of controlling interest in Thinx. In the first quarter of 2022, the company completed the acquisition of a majority and controlling share of Thinx. As a result of this transaction, a net benefit was recognized primarily due to the nonrecurring, non-cash gain recognized related to the remeasurement of the carrying value of previously held equity investment to fair value partially offset by transaction and integration costs.

The company provides these non-GAAP financial measures as supplemental information to our GAAP financial measures. Management and the company's Board of Directors use adjusted earnings, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted gross and operating profit to (a) evaluate the company's historical and prospective financial performance and its performance relative to its competitors, (b) allocate resources and (c) measure the operational performance of the company's business units and their managers. Management also believes that the use of an adjusted effective tax rate provides improved insight into the tax effects of our ongoing business operations.

Additionally, the Management Development and Compensation Committee of the company's Board of Directors has used certain of the non-GAAP financial measures when setting and assessing achievement of incentive compensation goals. These goals are based, in part, on the company's adjusted earnings per share.

This news release includes information regarding organic sales growth, which describes the impact of changes in volume, net selling prices and product mix on net sales. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates, acquisitions and exited businesses also impact the year-over-year change in net sales.

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (Millions, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

September 30





2023

2022

Change Net Sales $ 5,132

$ 5,053

+2 % Cost of products sold 3,294

3,510

-6 % Gross Profit 1,838

1,543

+19 % Marketing, research and general expenses 1,029

873

+18 % Other (income) and expense, net 35

15

+133 % Operating Profit 774

655

+18 % Nonoperating expense (20)

(18)

+11 % Interest income 18

4

+350 % Interest expense (74)

(73)

+1 % Income Before Income Taxes and Equity Interests 698

568

+23 % Provision for income taxes (157)

(127)

+24 % Income Before Equity Interests 541

441

+23 % Share of net income of equity companies 50

29

+72 % Net Income 591

470

+26 % Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (4)

(3)

+33 % Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation $ 587

$ 467

+26 %











Per Share Basis









Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation









Basic $ 1.74

$ 1.38

+26 % Diluted $ 1.73

$ 1.38

+25 %











Cash Dividends Declared $ 1.18

$ 1.16

+2 %























Common Shares Outstanding September 30





2023

2022



Outstanding shares as of 338.0

337.5



Average diluted shares for three months ended 338.9

338.3















Unaudited





















N.M. - Not Meaningful











KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (Millions, except per share amounts)



Nine Months Ended

September 30





2023

2022

Change Net Sales $ 15,461

$ 15,211

+2 % Cost of products sold 10,166

10,619

-4 % Gross Profit 5,295

4,592

+15 % Marketing, research and general expenses 2,968

2,665

+11 % Impairment of intangible assets 658



N.M. Other (income) and expense, net (5)

(42)

-88 % Operating Profit 1,674

1,969

-15 % Nonoperating expense (78)

(49)

+59 % Interest income 34

7

+386 % Interest expense (223)

(206)

+8 % Income Before Income Taxes and Equity Interests 1,407

1,721

-18 % Provision for income taxes (298)

(356)

-16 % Income Before Equity Interests 1,109

1,365

-19 % Share of net income of equity companies 143

81

+77 % Net Income 1,252

1,446

-13 % Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 3

(19)

N.M. Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation $ 1,255

$ 1,427

-12 %











Per Share Basis









Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation









Basic $ 3.71

$ 4.23

-12 % Diluted $ 3.70

$ 4.22

-12 %











Cash Dividends Declared $ 3.54

$ 3.48

+2 %























Common Shares Outstanding September 30





2023

2022



Average diluted shares for nine months ended 338.8

338.3















Unaudited





















N.M. - Not Meaningful











KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (Millions, except per share amounts)





Three Months Ended September 30, 2023



As Reported

Pension

Settlements

As Adjusted Non-GAAP Nonoperating expense

$ (20)

$ (4)

$ (16) Provision for income taxes

(157)

1

(158) Effective tax rate

22.5 %



22.5 % Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation

587

(3)

590 Diluted Earnings per Share(a)

1.73

(0.01)

1.74

















Three Months Ended September 30, 2022



As Reported

Pension

Settlements

As Adjusted Non-GAAP Nonoperating expense

$ (18)

$ (10)

$ (8) Provision for income taxes

(127)

2

(129) Effective tax rate

22.4 %



22.3 % Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation

467

(8)

475 Diluted Earnings per Share(a)

1.38

(0.02)

1.40

(a) "As Adjusted Non-GAAP" may not equal "As Reported" plus "Adjustments" as a result of rounding.

Unaudited

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (Millions, except per share amounts)





Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023



As Reported

Sale of Brazil

Tissue and K-C

Professional

Business

Impairment of

Intangible

Assets

Pension

Settlements

As Adjusted Non-GAAP Cost of products sold

$ 10,166

$ 15

$ 

$ 

$ 10,151 Gross Profit

5,295

(15)





5,310 Marketing, research and general expenses

2,968

15





2,953 Impairment of intangible assets

658



658



 Other (income) and expense, net

(5)

(74)





69 Operating Profit

1,674

44

(658)



2,288 Nonoperating expense

(78)





(31)

(47) Provision for income taxes

(298)

(18)

175

8

(463) Effective tax rate

21.2 %







22.6 % Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

3



20



(17)





















Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation

1,255

26

(463)

(23)

1,715 Diluted Earnings per Share(a)

3.70

0.08

(1.36)

(0.07)

5.06









Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022







As Reported

Acquisition of

Controlling

Interest in

Thinx

Pension

Settlements

As Adjusted Non-GAAP Marketing, research and general expenses





$ 2,665

$ 21

$ 

$ 2,644 Other (income) and expense, net





(42)

(85)



43 Operating Profit





1,969

64



1,905 Nonoperating expense





(49)



(34)

(15) Provision for income taxes





(356)

4

8

(368) Effective tax rate





20.7 %





21.8 % Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation





1,427

68

(26)

1,385 Diluted Earnings per Share(a)





4.22

0.20

(0.08)

4.09



(a) "As Adjusted Non-GAAP" may not equal "As Reported" plus "Adjustments" as a result of rounding.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the comparable GAAP measures, and they should be read only in conjunction with the company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. There are limitations to these non-GAAP financial measures because they are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies due to potential differences in methods of calculation and items being excluded. The company compensates for these limitations by using these non-GAAP financial measures as a supplement to the GAAP measures and by providing reconciliations of the non-GAAP and comparable GAAP financial measures.

Unaudited

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Millions)



September 30, 2023

December 31, 2022 ASSETS





Current Assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 814

$ 427 Accounts receivable, net 2,298

2,280 Inventories 2,021

2,269 Other current assets 594

753 Total Current Assets 5,727

5,729 Property, Plant and Equipment, Net 7,700

7,885 Investments in Equity Companies 320

238 Goodwill 2,045

2,074 Other Intangible Assets, Net 197

851 Other Assets 1,164

1,193 TOTAL ASSETS $ 17,153

$ 17,970







LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current Liabilities





Debt payable within one year $ 687

$ 844 Trade accounts payable 3,490

3,813 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,259

2,289 Dividends payable 395

388 Total Current Liabilities 6,831

7,334 Long-Term Debt 7,403

7,578 Noncurrent Employee Benefits 656

654 Deferred Income Taxes 404

647 Other Liabilities 809

799 Redeemable Common and Preferred Securities of Subsidiaries 210

258 Stockholders' Equity





Kimberly-Clark Corporation 680

547 Noncontrolling Interests 160

153 Total Stockholders' Equity 840

700 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 17,153

$ 17,970

2023 Data is Unaudited

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS (Millions)





Nine Months Ended

September 30



2023

2022 Operating Activities







Net income

$ 1,252

$ 1,446 Depreciation and amortization

566

568 Asset impairments

676

 Gain on previously held equity investment in Thinx



(85) Stock-based compensation

131

101 Deferred income taxes

(297)

(131) Net (gains) losses on asset and business dispositions

(77)

14 Equity companies' earnings (in excess of) less than dividends paid

(74)

(21) Operating working capital

111

(166) Postretirement benefits

34

6 Other

5

10 Cash Provided by Operations

2,327

1,742 Investing Activities







Capital spending

(549)

(679) Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired



(46) Proceeds from asset and business dispositions

219

7 Investments in time deposits

(545)

(411) Maturities of time deposits

605

632 Other

4

(20) Cash Used for Investing

(266)

(517) Financing Activities







Cash dividends paid

(1,189)

(1,167) Change in short-term debt

(336)

487 Debt proceeds

357

 Debt repayments

(350)

(312) Proceeds from exercise of stock options

97

84 Acquisitions of common stock for the treasury

(95)

(74) Cash paid for redemption of common securities of Thinx

(48)

 Cash dividends paid to noncontrolling interests

(16)

(82) Other

(40)

(45) Cash Used for Financing

(1,620)

(1,109) Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents

(54)

(24) Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents

387

92 Cash and Cash Equivalents - Beginning of Period

427

270 Cash and Cash Equivalents - End of Period

$ 814

$ 362

Unaudited

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION SELECTED BUSINESS SEGMENT DATA (Millions)





Three Months Ended

September 30





Nine Months Ended

September 30







2023

2022

Change

2023

2022

Change NET SALES























Personal Care

$ 2,700

$ 2,628

+3 %

$ 8,089

$ 8,067

 Consumer Tissue

1,567

1,578

-1 %

4,750

4,683

+1 % K-C Professional

854

836

+2 %

2,588

2,418

+7 % Corporate & Other

11

11

N.M.

34

43

N.M. TOTAL NET SALES

$ 5,132

$ 5,053

+2 %

$ 15,461

$ 15,211

+2 %

























OPERATING PROFIT























Personal Care

$ 502

$ 423

+19 %

$ 1,461

$ 1,364

+7 % Consumer Tissue

267

218

+22 %

707

567

+25 % K-C Professional

168

119

+41 %

514

294

+75 % Corporate & Other(a)

(128)

(90)

N.M.

(1,013)

(298)

N.M. Other (income) and expense, net(a)

35

15

+133 %

(5)

(42)

-88 % TOTAL OPERATING PROFIT

$ 774

$ 655

+18 %

$ 1,674

$ 1,969

-15 %





(a) Corporate & Other and Other (income) and expense, net include income and expense not associated with the business segments,

including adjustments as indicated in the Non-GAAP Reconciliations.



Unaudited

N.M. - Not Meaningful

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OUTLOOK FOR 2023

ESTIMATED FULL YEAR 2023 DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE VS. PRIOR YEAR

Estimated Range













Adjusted diluted earnings per share vs. prior year

15 %

-

17 % Impact from:











Sale of Brazil tissue and K-C Professional business

1 %

-

1 % Impairment of intangible assets

(24) %

-

(24) % Pension settlements

(2) %

-

(1) % Diluted earnings per share vs. prior year

(10) %

-

(7) %

[KMB-F]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/648588/Kimberly_Clark_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Independent Wealth Management Firm Builds on Recent Growth to Expand South Florida Presence Amid Massive Opportunity in Region

Office Opening Comes on the Heels of Recent Banking Office Launch in New York

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kingswood U.S., part of a network of independent wealth management firms that oversees more than $13 billion in client assets globally, today announced the opening of a flagship office in Sabadell Financial Center, located in the Miami neighborhood of Brickell.

Headquartered in New York, Kingswood U.S. supports more than 200 financial advisors nationwide under the Kingswood Wealth Advisors (KWA) brand and a growing investment banking serving clients across the United States. Kingswood recently opened another corporate office in Boca Raton, Florida, in February to support the firm's wealth management expansion in South Florida and a banking office in Midtown Manhattan earlier this fall.

Michael Nessim, CEO, President and Managing Partner of Kingswood U.S., said, "South Florida continues to position itself as a critical hub for innovative financial services companies, Kingswood can now take full advantage of this environment to benefit our clients and advisors. We have seen enormous interest from all our stakeholders in the region and this new flagship office places our investment banking and wealth management teams at the center of one of the most important financial centers in the United States."

The Kingswood U.S. office provides the growing team with open workspaces, private offices, conference rooms and easy access to key partners in the area. The office will serve as the home base for the firm's South Florida-based wealth management team, members of the investment banking divisions and several supporting departments. Most of the firm's leadership, including Mr. Nessim, will have dedicated offices in the space.

About Kingswood U.S. / Kingswood Group

Kingswood U.S., part of the Kingswood Group, is a network of wealth management firms that includes an SEC-registered RIA and two FINRA-licensed broker-dealers, offering comprehensive wealth management and business-building services, designed specifically for the independent financial advisor. Together with our parent company, the Kingswood Group, has more than $13 billion in AUM, and 400 registered individuals, we combine the resources and capital of a very large financial services firm with the personalized touch and feel of a boutique company. Kingswood has earned a reputation as a firm built for advisors by advisors.

Media Contacts:

Joseph Kuo / Donald C. Cutler

Haven Tower Group

424.317.4851 or 424.317.4864

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Kingswood U.S.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The project of the Rasht-Astara railway section is at the design and exploration stage, the Director General of the Autonomous Non-profit Organization on Assistance in the Development of Agro-industrial Activities "Eurasian Agrologistics", Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Alevtina Kirillova said during a video conference between media representatives and the trade delegation of Russia in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

"Currently, the stage of designing and geological exploration of the Rasht-Astara railway section is underway, and an active search is underway for companies that will participate in the project from both the Russian and Iranian sides. The railway section is expected to start functioning in early 2028," Kirillova said.

In addition, Kirillova noted that Russia allocates an interstate loan in the amount of $1.3 billion for the construction of a railway section.

The construction of the Rasht-Astara railway section will allow for the formation of a railway corridor from Russia and the southern ports of Iran through Azerbaijan and direct access to Southeast Asia, she said.

"The signing of an agreement between the governments of Russia and Iran on financing the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway section with a length of 162 kilometers on the territory of Iran and the launch of this section will allow forming a railway corridor from Russia and the southern ports of Iran in transit through Azerbaijan and direct access to Southeast Asia, said Kirillova.

"When calculating the possible cargo flow at the launch of this route, it is assumed that it will provide an annual transit of up to 30 million tons, and according to the agreement, a combined track should be built. The launch of this direct route will increase the volume of exported goods from Russia to Iran and the countries of the Caspian region and the Middle East, increase transit passes through Azerbaijan for various cargo nomenclatures, and enter new markets," she said.

In addition, Kirillova noted that the capacity of the western branch of the North-South Corridor, according to the plan, when launching such a direct railway route, should grow to 40 million tons by 2030.
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

EASTERN DIVISION IN RE THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION SECURITIES LITIGATION

Case No. 16-cv-10510 CLASS ACTION

SUMMARY NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

AND MOTION FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES AND EXPENSES

TO: ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES THAT PURCHASED THE COMMON STOCK OF THE ALLSTATE

CORPORATION FROM OCTOBER 29, 2014 THROUGH

AUGUST 3, 2015, INCLUSIVE (THE "CLASS PERIOD"), AND WHO WERE DAMAGED THEREBY.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to an Order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, that Lead Plaintiffs Carpenters Pension Trust Fund for Northern California and Carpenters Annuity Trust Fund for Northern California (together, "Northern California Carpenters") and named plaintiff City of Providence (together with Northern California Carpenters, "Class Representatives"), on behalf of themselves and the certified Class, and Defendants The Allstate Corporation ("Allstate"), Thomas J. Wilson, and Matthew E. Winter (collectively, "Defendants"), have reached a settlement of the above-captioned action (the "Action") in the amount of $90,000,000 (the "Settlement Amount"), which, if approved by the Court, will resolve all claims in the Action.

A hearing will be held before the Honorable Robert W. Gettleman, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in Courtroom 1703 at the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604 at 1:30 p.m. on December 19, 2023 to, among other things, determine whether: (1) the Settlement should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable, and adequate to the Class; (2) the Plan of Allocation for distribution of the Settlement Amount, and any interest thereon, less Court-awarded attorneys' fees, Notice and Administration Expenses, Taxes, and any other costs, fees, or expenses approved by the Court (the "Net Settlement Fund"), should be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate; and (3) the Court should approve the application of Class Counsel for an award of attorneys' fees of no more than 25% of the Settlement Fund and payment of Litigation Expenses of no more than $4,600,000 from the Settlement Fund, which may include an application pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("PSLRA") for the reasonable costs and expenses (including lost wages) of Class Representatives directly related to their representation of the Class. The Court may change the date of the Settlement Hearing, or hold it remotely, without providing another notice. You do NOT need to attend the Settlement Hearing in order to receive a distribution from the Net Settlement Fund.

IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CLASS, YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE SETTLEMENT, INCLUDING THE RELEASES PROVIDED FOR THEREIN, AND YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO SHARE IN THE NET SETTLEMENT FUND. If you have not yet received the full Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement and Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Expenses (the "Settlement Notice") and a Proof of Claim and Release form ("Claim Form"), you may obtain copies of these documents by contacting the Claims Administrator or visiting the case website:

Allstate Securities Litigation

c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.

P.O. Box 173121

Milwaukee, WI 53217

Tel: (877) 829-4143

[email protected]

www.AllstateSecuritiesLitigation.com

Inquiries may also be made to Class Counsel:

LABATON SUCHAROW LLP

Thomas G. Hoffman, Jr., Esq.

140 Broadway

New York, NY 10005

Tel: (888) 219-6877

[email protected]

www.labaton.com

If you are a Class Member, to be eligible to share in the distribution of the Net Settlement Fund, you must submit a Claim Form postmarked or electronically submitted no later than February 8, 2024. If you are a Class Member and do not timely submit a valid Claim Form, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the Net Settlement Fund, but you will nevertheless be bound by any judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action.

Any objections to the Settlement, Plan of Allocation, and/or application for attorneys' fees and payment of expenses must be filed with the Court and mailed to counsel for the Parties in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Settlement Notice, such that they are received no later than November 28, 2023.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, DEFENDANTS, OR DEFENDANTS' COUNSEL REGARDING THIS NOTICE.

Dated: October 25, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT



FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

SOURCE Labaton Sucharow LLP
Published: Tietze JK, et al. Clin Nucl Med. 2023;48(10):869876.

MUNICH, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a recently completed study show topical rhenium-188 skin cancer therapy to be a highly effective option for treating non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) of up to 3 mm thickness.1

NMSCs are the most common cancers seen in the European population and their incidence are rising all over the world,2,3 with 7.7 million cases reported globally in 2017.4 In Australia, 2 in 3 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime and this is likely to increase as the population ages.5

Typically, treatment options for NMSCs include surgery, radiation, and cryotherapy. Surgical intervention is currently the most common treatment for invasive tumors, but it can lead to unfavorable cosmetic outcomes for some presentations.6

A team of researchers in Germany, led by dermatologist Professor Julia Tietze, and funded by OncoBeta GmbH, Germany, investigated the efficacy and safety of topical rhenium-188 ionizing radiation therapy for the treatment of invasive NMSC.

Research lead, Professor Tietze from the University Medical Center, Rostock says, "The study found rhenium skin cancer therapy to be a highly effective treatment for NMSCs, in particular, the cosmetic outcomes on the head and face. The overall conclusion is, while surgery is the gold standard therapy for NMSCs, rhenium skin cancer therapy may be suitable for large tumors, and tumors located on sensitive areas such as nose, ear, or lips; or where surgery would be challenging."

The study involved 22 patients with 40 histologically confirmed NMSCs (57.5% basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), 12.5% cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs), 30% Bowen's disease lesions). Following the rhenium-188 single-session treatment, the response rate, adverse events, and cosmetic outcomes were assessed at 14 days, 4 months, and 12 months.

The key findings included:

Response rate at 12 months was 97.5% with 95.0% complete responses (clinically or histologically proven).

No adverse events reported during the application of rhenium-188.

Most patients (62.5%) did not experience an adverse event during the trial period.

Most adverse events were reported at 14 days post-treatment, with 20% of lesions itching, 12.5% were painful (mostly minor pain) and 7.5% had a burning sensation.

The majority of treated lesions were not reported to be painful.

At 4 months: Most lesions (35/40) were clinically healed. One lesion that only partly responded to treatment and was found to be outside the study inclusion criteria (being 3.8 mm thick). Beneficially, the size of that tumor was decreased by 75% which meant a reduced surgical procedure.



At 12 months: Only 3/39 lesions remained potentially suspect, with one confirmed as a newly developed Bowen's disease. 41% of lesions were graded as either cosmetically superior to the expected result after surgery and/or as barely detectable. 51% of lesions were graded as comparable to successful surgery and/or as detectable but aesthetically appealing, even though 49% of the lesions showed hypopigmentation .



"Surgery for the removal of NMCSs has a high clearance rate of 95% after 5 years, however depending on the size and localization of the lesion, treatment may be painful and it may also lead to disfigurement. This study shows the efficacy of rhenium skin cancer therapy demonstrating a 97.5% response rate with 37 of the 39 lesions showing complete response at 12 months," adds Professor Tietze.

The full report and results of the study have been published in the Journal Clinical Nuclear Medicine  available to healthcare professionals via this link: https://bit.ly/Tietze2023

Study Design and Ethics Approval

Patients were eligible if they had a histologically confirmed BCC or cSCC with an area of <5 cm2 and thickness <3 mm, they were least 18 years of age and were not suitable or not willing to undergo surgery due to comorbidities, specific anatomic location or unsuccessful previous surgical procedures. Exclusion criteria included known primary melanoma near the treatment area, they were undergoing treatment for non-resectable or metastatic melanoma (including BRAF- or MEK-Kinase inhibition), they had significant impaired blood circulation in the treatment area or if they were pregnant. Patients were treated once with 188Re resin with a targeted dose of 50 Gy. The response rate (RR), adverse events (AEs) and cosmetic outcome were assessed at 14 days, 4- and 12-months post-treatment.

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. The study was approved by the local Ethical Committee (A2020-0178). Patients signed written informed consent to participate.

About the Rhenium-SCT (Skin Cancer Therapy)

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common form of cancer in humans.3 The most common cause of NMSC is sun exposure, while other predisposing factors include genetic skin conditions and immunosuppressive diseases or treatments.7

The Rhenium-SCT is a painless*, single session, non-invasive therapy that provides aesthetic results, even in cases otherwise considered difficult to treat8-10 The Rhenium-SCT utilizes the radioisotope Rhenium-188 in an epidermal application with optimal properties for the treatment of NMSCs. The Rhenium-SCT is a precise, personalised8,11 therapy that is only applied to the area needed to treat without affecting the healthy tissue. The specially designed device ensures the Rhenium-SCT compound never comes in direct contact with the patient's skin and the application is safe and simple for the applying physician. Most cases of NMSCs (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Bowen's disease, and Queyrate Erythroplasia) can be treated using the Rhenium-SCT in one single session.8-10 Scar-free healing of the treated lesion area and the regeneration of healthy tissue occurs usually within a few weeks after treatment.8

About OncoBeta

OncoBeta with its headquarters located in Garching near Munich, Germany, is a privately held medical device company, specializing in the development and commercialization of state-of-the-art, innovative therapies. Since its foundation, OncoBeta has concentrated its efforts on the development, regulatory approval(s) and commercialization of the epidermal radioisotope therapy Rhenium-SCT (Skin Cancer Therapy), targeting non-melanoma skin cancers and keloid scars. OncoBeta has perfected the customized application and device management system in conformity with all health, safety, and environmental protection regulatory standards.

Find out more about the Rhenium-SCT at www.oncobeta.com

Follow us on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncobeta-gmbh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oncobeta/

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Forward-looking Statements

This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of OncoBeta's control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning OncoBeta's plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. OncoBeta undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law.

*No pain reported during procedure.8,10

Complete tumor regression in 98.5% of lesions treated.9

A procedure is considered non-invasive when no break or cut in the skin is created.11

References

Tietze JK, et al. Clin Nucl Med. 2023;48(10):869876. Hu W, et al. BMC Cancer. 2022;22(1):836. Ciazynska M, et al. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):4337. Urban K, et al. JAAD Int. 2021;2:98108. Olsen CM, et al. Public Health Res Pract. 2022;32(1):3212203. Callan P, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for keratinocyte carcinoma: Surgical treatment. Cancer Council Australia. Last modified 25 November 2019 . Available from: https://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Keratinocyte_carcinoma/Surgical_treatment (accessed September 2023 ). Cancer.net. Skin Cancer (Non-Melanoma): Risk Factors and Prevention. February 2022 . https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/skin-cancer-non-melanoma/risk-factors-and-prevention (accessed September 2023 ). Cipriani C, et al. J Dermatol Treat. 2022;33(2):969975. Epub 22 Jul 2020 . Cipriani C, et al. In Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine. 2014. RP Baum (Ed), New York : Springer. Castellucci P, et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2021;48(5):15111521. Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. ARTG Public summary 400142.

Contact:

***@moreymedia.com.au

Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/12990675

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SOURCE OncoBeta GmbH
Marking ADHD Awareness Month, the online cognitive health platform unveils a new protocol for more objective measurement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder markers.

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Creyos Health today announced the expansion of its cognitive healthcare platform to include an all-new protocol for more accurate and objective detection of markers associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The 25-minute, patient-friendly assessment combines relevant online tasks from the Creyos cognitive battery that researchers determined are sensitive to known signs of ADHD. Healthcare providers testing for ADHD can assign the protocol from within their Creyos account for patients to complete in-clinic or remotely. The output is an objective clinical report that clearly shows patient results based on specific ADHD markers, providing the precision of a neuropsychological exam in a fraction of the time.

"In developing the ADHD protocol and report at Creyos, we followed the data,'' noted Dr. Adrian Owen OBE, renowned neuroscientist and Chief Scientific Officer at Creyos. "Being a scientifically-validated platform, Creyos is uniquely positioned to leverage the findings from hundreds of research studies that use our tasks. We examined over 100 papers and verified that people diagnosed with ADHD by a qualified professional score differently from the general population in key cognitive domains. As the difference was confirmed in multiple studies, as well as in our own data, we considered it something we could quantifiably measure in a protocol using the Creyos tasks."

The Creyos protocol combines five tasks that are useful in the context of ADHD, including a working memory task, a response inhibition task, an attention-based task, a planning task, and a brand-new Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). A common type of task used to evaluate patients for ADHD, the SART is a continuous performance task that measures the ability to focus attention on a single task over a prolonged period of time. Highly sensitive to deficits associated with ADHD, it delivers reliable results without adding unnecessary length to the protocol. Other continuous performance tasks are typically administered using specialized hardware, but with Creyos it's been fully digitized and integrated as part of an online protocol, accessible on any device, with no additional hardware required. It also includes the optional age-appropriate questionnaire: The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) for ages 6-11; The Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-symptoms and Normal-behaviors (SWAN) for ages 12-17, and the The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) for age 18+.

Upon patient completion of the protocol, their results are compared to the Creyos normative database to determine if performance on each marker is within a typical range or abnormal for their age and gender. Clinicians receive a report that clearly communicates markers associated with ADHD, like error rate and reaction time variability, alongside optional subjective questionnaire results. Any atypical results are highlighted for quick interpretation. The report includes details for each cognitive task, providing patient-friendly information on how deficits in attention, planning ability, and memory may relate to everyday difficulties. Scientific references are included to further validate the results and build patient trust in the findings.

"Empowering healthcare providers with an online protocol that enhances ADHD evaluation, without increasing their workload, is a transformative step towards precision medicine and improved patient care," said Marc Lipton, President and CEO of Creyos, "We believe that harnessing technology to streamline accurate and objective assessment not only benefits clinicians but also ensures individuals receive the right treatment plans and relevant support when they need it most."

The Creyos ADHD protocol and report are now available for all Creyos customers and come standard as part of every Creyos subscription. Clinicians interested in getting Creyos for their practice can learn more by visiting www.creyos.com

About Creyos Health

Creyos Health, formerly known as Cambridge Brain Sciences, is a pioneering healthcare technology company dedicated to transforming how clinicians assess and manage patient brain health. Supporting over 5,000 healthcare providers, the Creyos platform offers objective online tasks and digitized behavioral health screeners to provide actionable insights, support early intervention, and deliver evidence-based solutions for a wide range of cognitive and behavioral health conditions. Backed by 30 years of research and a normative database of over 90,000 subjects, Creyos has been used in over 300 peer reviewed scientific studies and is recognized as a scientifically-validated solution for measuring and monitoring patient cognition. For more information about Creyos Health visit www.creyos.com

For further information:

Media relations contact:

Erin Smith,

Chief Marketing Officer,

erin.smith@creyos.com

SOURCE Creyos
Increases capacity for National Account turn-key installations and enhances cross-selling.

Unlocks new value and offerings for customers across a "front-to-back" HVAC life-cycle solution.

DALLAS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennox (NYSE: LII), a leader in energy-efficient climate-control solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of AES, a company dedicated to service and sustainability in the light commercial market.

Across North America, AES provides installations services, adapter curbs, and reclaim services. AES will become part of the Lennox Commercial Business Segment and enable the delivery of "front-to-back" life-cycle integrated services to AES and Lennox customers.

Lennox Commercial Business Segment HVAC Lifecycle Capabilities with AES Acquisition.

"AES represents a strong strategic and cultural fit for the Lennox Commercial segment and is consistent with our growth strategy," Lennox EVP and President of the Commercial Heating and Cooling Business Joe Nassab stated. "By adding AES's services to our already strong portfolio, we have positioned our business to grow through providing our customers with more capabilities. In addition, we are thrilled that AES and Lennox share many of the same core values and we look forward to growing together."

AES President Jason Benton will join the Lennox Commercial business segment in a leadership role and will continue to lead the AES business and team of approximately 280 associates.

"This is an excellent fit for us," said Jason Benton, President of AES. "Our customers trust us to respond quickly and personally. We are excited for the opportunity to reach new customers and expand with Lennox resources."

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

About Lennox

Lennox (NYSE: LII) is a leader in energy-efficient climate-control solutions. Dedicated to sustainability and creating comfortable and healthier environments for our residential and commercial customers while reducing their carbon footprint, we lead the field in innovation with our cooling, heating, indoor air quality, and refrigeration systems. Additional information on Lennox is available at www.lennoxinternational.com or by contacting Investor Relations, 972-497-6670, [email protected].

SOURCE Lennox International Inc.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard Fox, a seasoned academic leader, professor, and leading scholar in the contemporary study of gender and politics, will be the next dean of Loyola Marymount University's Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts (BCLA), effective June 1, 2024, the university announced today.



Fox, a professor of political science and director of the LMU International Relations program, joined the university in 2007. During his tenure, he also has served as associate chair and chair of Political Science and International Relations, and as associate dean of BCLA.



"Incoming BCLA Dean Richard Fox is a highly regarded scholar who has dedicated his tenure to expanding the academic research and understanding of American government, elections, and voter behaviors, particularly among women," said Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas Poon. "While Professor Fox will be missed in the classroom, I am overjoyed for Dean Fox as he transitions into this BCLA leadership role."



Creating a calling card in academia for his dedication as both an educator and scholar, Fox is respected for his scholarship in the classroom through his courses on "Media and Politics," "Electoral Politics," "Law, Politics, and Courts," Honors Seminar, and "Introduction to U.S. Politics."

Richard Fox, a seasoned academic leader, professor, and leading scholar in the contemporary study of gender and politics, will be the next dean of LMUs Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.

Fox earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Claremont McKenna College and earned both his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara. Fox is one of the leading scholars in the country on the study of political ambition and gender politics.

A published author and esteemed writer, Fox has authored or co-authored nine books, more than 25 peer-reviewed articles, and over 20 book chapters on how gender affects political campaigns and voting behavior in the U.S. government.



During his time as BCLA's associate dean for undergraduate education, Fox was instrumental in leading changes that transformed BCLA for both students and faculty, including the implementation of a new university core curriculum, the establishment of the BCLA Advising Center, and the transformation of the college to a four-unit curriculum, which allows faculty to further incorporate their research into their teaching of students.



"I am honored that LMU and the BCLA community have entrusted me with this position," Fox said. "I have always believed that the role of the dean is to work to create as many opportunities as possible for students, faculty, and staff to thrive. In our pursuit of academic excellence, we must continue to work to deliver an exceptional liberal arts education  one that helps our students to find their life path and challenges our students to be critical thinkers, engaged in their communities, and lifelong learners."

Prior to LMU, Fox taught political science for 13 years at Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he was also chair of Political Science.



Fox will replace Dean Robbin Crabtree, who has served in the role for nearly a decade, and completes her term at the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year.

SOURCE Loyola Marymount University
Food safety and sustainability experts gather to share learnings and insights

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSX: MFI), yesterday held its 13th annual Food Safety Symposium as part of the company's commitment to providing safe food for all Canadians and foster knowledge sharing among experts within the food industry. Guests met again in person for insightful and innovative conversations about how food production processes can be optimized while improving sustainability.

With the theme Bridging the Gap: A Symposium on Food Safety and Sustainability, the symposium began with an introduction from Maple Leaf Foods' President and CEO, Curtis Frank, and Chief Food Safety and Sustainability Officer, Randy Huffman.

"We must have an open mind about the things that we are learning, to listen to the critics of our industry and people who think the food system should change. We need to embrace change," said Huffman, speaking on the future of sustainable food production.

Keynote speaker, Evan Fraser, Director, Arrell Food Institute, University of Guelph, spoke on the topic of the future of food. Fraser led a dynamic discussion on the current and future state of food production, highlighting the importance of food safety in this innovative journey. "Feeding the future is one of the defining challenges of humanity. While this challenge is huge, we have new ways of producing food that can boost the environment and health of people," said Fraser.

Fraser shared three predictions that will frame the next 10 years in the future of food. "I think we're about to go through a confusing period of disruption. As we look forward into the next 50 years, we must be asking tough questions like what the impact on farmers and communities will be  do we have the wisdom and humility and compassion to stay ahead in this transition and to help communities and families as these changes happen?"

In addition, Faye Cooper, Vice President of Sustainability Execution, Asset Reliability, and Industrial Engineering, and Steven Tsuyuki, Senior Director of Corporate Sanitation, Maple Leaf Foods addressed how sanitation can be executed sustainably.

"How do we eliminate the damage that's caused by sanitation?" asked Tsuyuki, who shared the actions Maple Leaf Foods has taken to mitigate the environmental impacts of its sanitation programs, without compromising food safety. "What we're really hoping to do is share some of our best practices with the rest of world. When it comes to food safety and sustainability, there is no advantage to 'holding cards close to our chest'  it is a global effort," shared Cooper.

A second panel addressed the possibility of innovations in sustainable packaging without compromising food safety. Moderated by Spir Marinakis, VP, Food Safety, Quality, Technical Services and Sanitation at Maple Leaf Foods, panelists included Crystal Howe, Director of Sustainability at Ice River Sustainable Solutions, Naeem H. Mady, Vice President of Regulatory Market Access at Intertek Assuris, Beth Mielbrecht, Associate Director at Intertek Assuris, and Nicole Tucker, Senior Director of Quality and Sustainability at Loblaw Companies Limited.

Tucker shared Loblaw's plastic waste reduction commitment and the company's Golden Design Rules: "Packaging is key to maintaining quality and food safety. We need to ensure we are empowering the food safety teams at our facilities to meet the needs of our customers." Panelists also discussed sustainable food packaging and the process to sustainably recycle plastic. "Plastic is not going to disappear," said Mady. "But we do have to mitigate the amount of plastic in the environment."

In the closing panel, Leaya Amey, Manager of Sustainability at Maple Leaf Foods, led a conversation with Scott Grant, Senior Director of Programs at My Green Lab and Diane Wood, Director of Technical Services at Maple Leaf Foods on the topic of 'Building sustainability in the laboratory'.

Maple Leaf Foods fosters an ongoing partnership with My Green Lab and its Corporate Central Laboratory in Puslinch, Ontario was the first laboratory in Canada to receive "Green" status in the My Green Lab (MGL) certification program.

"Our mission is to provide the highest quality of laboratory testing through technical expertise, leading technologies, and continuous improvements," said Wood.

Huffman wrapped up the day by reinforcing the importance of bringing together food safety and sustainability in how our food system operates, and commending the engagement of all those participating in the symposium. In a closing reflection on the day's events, he shared a quote from American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."

Next year's Maple Leaf Foods' Food Safety Symposium date will be announced soon. For information on food safety at Maple Leaf Foods, visit: https://www.mapleleaffoods.com/our-commitments/safe-food/

About Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. ("Maple Leaf Foods") is a carbon neutral company with a vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth, responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf, Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders, Schneiders Country Naturals, Mina, Greenfield Natural Meat Co., Lightlife and Field Roast. Maple Leaf Foods employs approximately 14,000 people and does business in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).

Related Links: https://www.mapleleafoods.com

SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Marine Sensors Market is estimated to be USD 1.4 billion in 2023 to USD 1.9 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2023 to 2028, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Navies focusing on technologically advanced vessels and increasing demand for maritime transportation are driving the growth of the marine sensors market.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=170439590

Browse in-depth TOC on "Marine Sensors Market" 150  Tables

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Marine Sensors Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $ 1.4 Billion Estimated Value by 2028 $ 1.9 Billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% Market Size Available for 20192028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Ship Type, Application, End use, Connectivity, Sensor Type and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Maintenance Process and Calibration of sensors Key Market Opportunities Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) with advanced marine sensors technology Key Market Drivers Growing demand for ROV and AUV propels the demand for marine sensors

Based on Application, the Navigation and positioning segment is estimated to have the second highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The navigation and positioning segment is projected to grow at the second highest CAGR in the marine sensors market during the forecasted period. Accurate navigation and positioning are essential for safety and efficiency in the maritime industry. This is driving demand for navigation and positioning sensors. Autonomous ships are becoming increasingly popular in the maritime industry. Autonomous ships rely on navigation and positioning sensors to navigate safely. This is driving demand for navigation and positioning sensors in the autonomous ship market.

Based on Ship Type, the unmanned underwater vehicle segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR in the forecasted period.

The unmanned underwater vehicle segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the marine sensors market during the forecast period. UUVs are becoming increasingly popular in a variety of marine applications, such as oceanographic research, offshore oil and gas operations, and maritime security. Autonomous UUVs rely on marine sensors to navigate safely and to collect data. UUVs can be equipped with a wide range of marine sensors, allowing them to collect data from remote and hazardous environments that would be difficult or dangerous for humans to access. These are the reasons which contribute to the highest CAGR for UUV segment of marine sensors market.

Based on Connectivity, the wireless segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR in the forecasted period.

The wireless segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the marine sensors market during the forecast period. Wireless marine sensors can provide real-time data on various environmental conditions in the ocean. This is important for a variety of applications such as navigation and positioning Technological advancements in wireless communication technologies, such as 5G and LTE-M, are making wireless marine sensors more reliable and cost-effective. Hence, we could see the wireless segment holds the highest CAGR during the forecasted period.

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Based on Region, the Asia Pacific region is estimated to have the highest CAGR and largest share during the forecast period.

The Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR and largest share during the forecast period. Various technological advancements, increased demand for maritime transportation, and government support have propelled the expansion of the marine sensors industry in this region. Asia Pacific region has the world's largest and fastest-growing maritime industry. This is driving demand for marine sensors for use in a variety of applications, such as navigation and positioning, firefighting system, environmental monitoring, and marine research. Asia Pacific region is a major maritime trade route, but it is also a region with rising security concerns. This is driving demand for marine sensors for use in maritime surveillance and security applications. This growth is expected to bring about a transformative shift in marine sensors, revolutionizing the future of marine sensors market.

Major players operating in the marine sensors companies are Honeywell International Inc. (US), Eaton Corporation (Ireland), TE Connectivity (Switzerland), Garmin Ltd. (US), and Curtiss Wright (US) among others. These companies have well-equipped manufacturing facilities and strong distribution networks across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.

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Marriott International properties in the Caribbean are taking part in the redefining of engagement activities in a new age of wedding planning.

PLANTATION, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Engagement season brings a lot of pressure to make an unforgettable moment for couples, but Marriott International Hotels and Resorts provides the perfect settings for a proposal or bachelorette experience like no other. The variety of experiences offered across the Caribbean allows for any couple or bride to be, opting for a solo bachelorette trip, to enjoy every minute of the special romantic and relaxing packages offered.

Saint June Restaurant, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve

Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve is the idyllic retreat for couples looking to immerse themselves in one of Puerto Rico's most exclusive luxury resorts. With its serene coastline, private residences, Spa Botanico sanctuary and rum experience, there is something for everyone at this 50-acre historical oasis. A unique experience for couples is La Cocina Gourmet's Culinary Center, which hosts wine dinners and cooking classes showcasing international cuisine and seasonal ingredients. Guests can engage in hands-on intimate culinary experience followed by a five-course wine dinner.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas

The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas is the ultimate gateway to the Caribbean with 30 breathtaking acres of crystal blue waters, white sand, and lush tropical greenery. This spa-like resort is perfect for a solo bride to kick back and relax. The gorgeous property surrounded by nature's beauty also makes for the most enchanting engagement photos. Round out the trip with a majestic sunset sail ride aboard the resort's very own Lady Lynsey II elegant catamaran and a dinner on the beach.

The Ocean Club, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Norte

Every detail of this resort is fit for soon-to-be brides looking for a soothing weekend for themselves. The property provides several suites ranging from one to four bedrooms perfect for a Bachelorette getaway, solo or group. The chic, spacious suites include a dining area, full kitchen, spacious living area and a private terrace. Brides-to-be can also unwind at one of three resort pools or at the transcendent spa facility inspired by the south of France.

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Travelers can immerse themselves in luxury inspired by the Cayman Islands' natural wonders and cultural richness at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman's sun filled Caribbean haven. Couples or solo bachelorettes can indulge in an exquisite culinary voyage at this resort known for the Cayman Cookout , an exquisite celebration of food and wine, or enjoy a seafood-inspired menu at the Caribbean's only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant, Blue by Eric Ripert.

The Ritz Carlton, Aruba

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is the perfect destination for couples to celebrate their love. A special romantic dinner package creates a magical evening with the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop. The tone is set by melodic waves that gently caress the white sand, while Aruba's sunset lights the sky afire with a cascade of colors. A personal butler takes care of everything so couples can simply enjoy the moment. Chefs create a memorable evening with a customizable, delectable menu. From candles to the musician of your choice, dining on the beach is a one-of-a-kind and wonderful treat at The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba.

Book by January 31, 2024, save on Upgraded Rooms & Suites on stays between July 15, 2023 - January 31, 2024, at participating hotels and resorts across the Caribbean & Latin America. To book use promotional code HDK when making an online reservation or call 1-800-MARRIOTT.

About Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world, with 31 brands that are tailored to every type of journey. From The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to W Hotels and more, Marriott Bonvoy has more luxury offerings than any other travel program. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, and through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com .

Media Contact

Melissa Pena

Director of Public Relations, Caribbean

[email protected]

SOURCE Marriott International
CAMX visitors at the Atlanta, GA show will have the opportunity to see the Massivit 10000-G high-speed additive manufacturing system printing a range of industrial custom molds, end parts, master tools, jigs, fixtures, and prototypes throughout the show.

LOD, Israel, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Massivit 3D Printing Technologies (TASE: MSVT), a leading provider of industrial 3D printing systems, has announced that the company will present its Massivit 10000-G additive manufacturing system at the CAMX 2023 tradeshow on October 30th - November 2nd. Event attendees will discover how composites manufacturing bottlenecks can be overcome by using Massivit's advanced additive manufacturing technology, already adopted in multiple industries including automotive, marine, and consumer products.

The Massivit 10000-G additive manufacturing system enables automated production of industrial molds for composites manufacturing as well as high-speed custom manufacturing of full-scale end parts. 3D Printed custom compression mold for carbon fiber hydrofoil, produced by SONIC COMPOSITES.

The 10000-G will be showcased via live demonstrations throughout the CAMX show, as well as a range of printed production parts and molds on display.

Visitors to CAMX 2023 can book a personalized demo of the Massivit 10000-G

The Massivit 10000 product line shifts the paradigm for composites manufacturing, enabling high-speed, direct printing and casting of industrial components for a range of composite applications. It allows mold fabricators to reduce their production time by 80% by directly printing an industrial epoxy mold, thereby bypassing the need for a master tool. This additive technology decreases labor-associated costs by up to 90% and significantly reduces material waste associated with current machining methods.

CAMX visitors will learn about a range of available industrial tooling applications including open and closed molds, resin transfer molds (RTM), reaction injection molds (RIM), tooling for thermoforming, and more.

The latest Massivit 10000-G additive system combines these custom tooling benefits with a full range of custom manufacturing applications that were until now available with Massivit's Gel Dispensing Printing (GDP) product line. GDP supports 8 specialized printing materials offering flame retardancy, high impact resistance, and additional industry requirements. Custom-designed, full-scale railway and marine components can be printed within a matter of hours, saving manufacturers enormous time, costs, and material waste.

Based on the company's disruptive Cast In Motion technology, the Massivit 10000 product line has accrued a string of industry awards and accolades including the 2021 ACMA ACE Award, the 2022 IBEX Innovation Award for boatbuilding, and selection as a Finalist for the upcoming 2023 ACE Award at CAMX 2023.

On October 30th, CAMX will join Massivit in hosting an Industry Tour of the Massivit Americas Experience Center from 8AM-1PM, offering a first-hand exploration of Massivit's industrial 3D printers, exposure to customer case studies, and an in depth exploration of the key technologies behind the printers. Complimentary transport from the CAMX venue as well as catering is available for this Alpharetta-based event.

Massivit's CEO, Erez Zimerman, commented "We are honored to have been selected for the second time as a finalist for the upcoming CAMX Awards for Composites Excellence. We previously won this award in 2021. The 10000-G system is taking the manufacturing arena by storm, offering a comprehensive answer to longstanding manufacturing challenges such as manpower shortages and time to market challenges. Our customers across many industries are elated by the possibility to directly produce industrial grade components with high performance materials in a fraction of the time and costs. We are excited to introduce these new possibilities at CAMX."

Journalists are invited to schedule an interview with Massivit's CEO, Erez Zimerman via the contact details below.

See Full Press Release

Download Images and Logos

About Massivit

Massivit 3D Printing Technologies Ltd. (TASE: MSVT) is a leading provider of industrial 3D printing systems for the automotive, marine, railway and additional manufacturing markets. The company's solutions enable cost-effective production of large, custom parts, molds, and prototypes at unprecedented speed. Massivit's vision is to transform manufacturing of large parts from traditional processes to ultra-fast, digital fabrication using industrial-grade materials. The company was founded in 2013. Its headquarters are based in Lod, Israel and the company provides its worldwide community with end-to-end services supported through an extensive dealer network.

For additional information, please contact:

Avi Cohen

VP Global Sales & Marketing

Massivit

Email: [email protected]

Yafit Sulimani

Senior Marketing Team Leader

Massivit

Email: [email protected]

For investor relations enquiries, please contact:

Miri Segal Scharia

CEO

MS-IR LLC

Email: [email protected]

+1 917-607-8654

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257314/Massivit_3D_Printing_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257313/Massivit_3D_Printing_2.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2061242/Massivit_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Massivit 3D Printing Technologies Ltd.
The North American Whiskey is blended and bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky

DALLAS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Grammy-winning, multi-platinum superstar, Michael Buble, announces the launch of Fraser & Thompson, his new whiskey brand in partnership with longtime friend and award-winning Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka. Michael took to social media to share the news, as if a project three years in the making could come together with just the push of a button. The plan is to support the brand with an integrated marketing campaign to be announced soon, assuming Michael has enough time within his schedule of touring, squeezing in a mid-day nap, and knotting the perfect bow tie (it's harder than it looks).

Michael Buble, Fraser & Thompson Fraser & Thompson Bottle

This North American Whiskey - a first for the whiskey category, brought to market by fast-growing spirits incubator WES Brands - blends and bottles Canadian Whiskies with Kentucky Bourbon in Bardstown, KY.

This whiskey is a triumph, an achievement, the product of years of hard work and collaborative efforts involving dozens of beverage alcohol professionals, yet we haven't received much more than a winking emoji from Mr. Buble when asked how we should advertise it. It strikes us as supremely ironic that a guy with such an extensive catalog of music has mastered radio silence. We toyed with the idea of constructing an attractive, well-dressed scarecrow stuffed with hay next to a tape recorder playing "Haven't Met You Yet," but the coincidental sentiment felt too on-the-nose for our marketing team, whose calls keep getting bounced between assistants. Through the grapevine, we hear that it's "fine :)," "everything will work out" and "have you tried meditating?"

At some point, from somewhere, he released this very nice statement that we'd like to share with you now:

"I spent many summers with my grandfather at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson rivers in British Columbia," said Fraser & Thompson founder Michael Buble. "When I heard Paul's vision for creating a new kind of whiskey, I knew instantly what I wanted to call it. For the last three years, we worked together to perfect a whiskey blend that is equally elegant and approachable. We can't wait to pour you a glass!"

Isn't that great? As if Michael is just the salt of the earth, sitting on a porch somewhere talking to the neighbors, and pouring you a glass of his smooth, delicious whiskey? This overbooked, overextended, sentient tuxedo of a man is thousands of miles away telling us, "Easy, now," like he's gone fishin' instead of playing sold out shows in a new city every night.

Regardless of any personal feelings for this still-buffering campaign, Fraser & Thompson is genuinely fantastic. The creative blending process curated by award-winning Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka, co-founder of the brand with Buble, sets Fraser & Thompson apart. Cirka hand-selected aged liquid to blend into an inviting whiskey, with sweet fig and blood orange on the nose, and a subtle finish of caramel, vanilla, and a hint of spice.

I mean, sure, we have one of the best voices of our time as a face for this campaign, but we could let the whiskey speak for itself, I suppose. And this Cirka character sounds like an upstanding guy.

"Michael and I bonded over our shared passion for whisky, and wanted to create a blend that was flavorful but more light-hearted than the category at large can be known for," says Fraser & Thompson co-founder and Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka. "We stumbled upon creating something new for the category, a blended North American Whisky. I would be delighted if you would call my personal cell and I can explain everything about this beautiful whisky: (929) 867-7490."

Well, there you have it. I guess we just launched Fraser & Thompson. Tell the concierge at Michael's hotel to pass along a thumbs up from us so we don't interrupt his beauty sleep. We wouldn't want to harsh Mr. Buble's mellow.

Fraser & Thompson North American Whiskey is blended and bottled by Heaven Hill in Bardstown, KY. The brand is sold in 750ml bottles at 42% ABV and is available in limited quantities in the U.S. and select international markets, including Canada, for $29.99, as well as on ReserveBar. And by "limited," we mean "limited," as we don't yet have enough product produced at the time of this announcement to sell into most major markets. I think this is an issue, but when I raised it with Michael, his response was, "You're welcome."

This should be interesting.

MEDIA CONTACT:

WES Brands: Lauren Ryan Kiyak [email protected]

KLG Public Relations: [email protected]

ABOUT FRASER & THOMPSON

Established in 2023, Fraser & Thompson is an elegantly blended North American Whiskey founded by musician / artist Michael Buble. Expertly crafted by award-winning Master Distiller and Blender, Paul Cirka who hand-selects the North American oak barrel Whiskies, to create an aromatic and approachable new-to-world Whiskey. Fraser & Thompson retails for $29.99 across the United States & Canada. For more information, Please visit Across the United States & Canada. For more information, please visit www.FraserandThompsonWhiskey.com and follow them on instagram @FraserandThompsonWhiskey.

ABOUT WES BRANDS

Founded in 2021, WES Brands develops, markets, and sells innovative brands in the beverage alcohol category. The entrepreneurial and employee-owned company pairs high-potential brands in expanding categories with brand partners to drive awareness. The portfolio currently includes Flecha Azul Tequila and BSB Flavored Whiskey, with new innovations to come. Do you think you have what it takes to join the team? Learn more at www.WESBrandsLLC.com.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

SOURCE Fraser & Thompson
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has held a meeting on the results of measures on implementation of the I State Program of "Big Return" to Azerbaijan's territories liberated from Armenian occupation, the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan was entrusted with control over implementation and reporting on the implementation of the I State Program "Big Return" to the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation, approved by the order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on November 16, 2022, and informing the President of Azerbaijan twice a year on the progress of the implementation of measures.

Based on this assignment, a meeting was held under the leadership of Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov on the results of measures on the implementation of the I State Program "Greater Return" to the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation.

The meeting was attended by heads of relevant state structures responsible for the implementation of the State Program and special representatives of the President of Azerbaijan in the territories liberated from Armenian occupation.

The presentation of the multifunctional interactive (camera and satellite maps in online mode) electronic portal (boyukgayidish.gov.az), created for the purpose of direct operative and effective monitoring of the progress of work on the implementation of relevant measures envisaged in the State Program, was held at the meeting. The Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, Vusal Gasimli, made a report on the results of monitoring and evaluation conducted within the framework of the implementation of the I State Program "Big Return" to the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation.

Then, information on the work done by special representatives of the President of Azerbaijan in the territories liberated from occupation was presented at the meeting, and the reports were discussed in detail.

At the end of the meeting, the relevant state institutions were instructed to submit to the President of Azerbaijan the report prepared on the results of monitoring and evaluation conducted in connection with the implementation of the I State Program "Big Return", as well as for prompt, timely, and high-quality implementation of work at the next stage of the State Program and solutions to issues arising in the process of project implementation.
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Monport Laser, the leader of the laser engraver industry, is set to cast a spell on Halloween enthusiasts with an electrifying event. From October 13th to November 3rd, Monport Laser summons creative spirits to their Halloween extravaganza, showcasing cutting-edge products and offering irresistible discounts. Get ready to unleash your Halloween creativity as Monport Laser introduces the Monport ONYX 55W Desktop CO2 Laser Cutter, the Monport 40W Pro Lightburn-Supported CO2 Laser Engraver, the GP Integrated Fiber Laser, and the GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser. These bewitching machines will empower makers, hobbyists, and professionals to bring their spookiest ideas to life with unparalleled precision.

SHOP NOW

Monport Laser is treating its customers with spellbinding discounts. For a limited time during the Halloween event, customers can enjoy discounts of up to 20% off on laser engraving and cutting machines, saving up to $1600. Whether you're carving eerie pumpkin designs or engraving intricate details on your Halloween decorations, Monport Laser has you covered. With this extraordinary discount, you can dive into the world of laser cutting and engraving at unbeatable prices.

Power Up Your Next Project with Monport ONYX 55W Desktop CO2 Laser Cutter

The Monport ONYX 55W Desktop CO2 Laser Cutter with Upgraded Rotary Axis is a powerful and efficient laser cutting machine that takes your creativity to new heights. With its 55W laser tube, industrial-grade transmission solutions, and customized motors, it offers unmatched speed and performance. The ONYX features a practical 5MP camera and a spacious 20"12" workspace, making it easy to engrave on a range of materials and objects. Now, with $400 off during Monport Laser's Halloween event, the ONYX is an affordable investment with exceptional returns, empowering you to take on any project with precision and ease.

Get Spooky Savings with the Monport 40W Pro CO2 Laser Engraver Halloween Special Bundle

Discover the power of the Monport 40W Pro Lightburn-Supported CO2 laser engraver with the Halloween Special Bundle. This bundle includes a 40W CO2 laser engraver and a Lightburn Software - GCode License Key, now available at an amazing $160 off. Experience the upgraded features of the 40W Pro model, including compatibility with Lightburn and Laser GRBL software. With the built-in Air Assist system, discoloration on wood is reduced, resulting in pristine, high-clarity engraving results. The spacious 8"x12" (200x300 mm) flat work table, along with the innovative clamping design, allows for a wide range of design ventures. Supercharge your creativity and small business productivity with this Halloween Special Bundle.

Experience the ultimate power and convenience with the Monport 40W Pro CO2 Laser Engraver All-in-1 Bundle, a Halloween Special Bundle that combines cutting-edge technology with essential accessories. This incredible bundle includes a 40W CO2 Laser Engraver, a CW3000 Advanced Water Cooling System, an Air Purifier Laser Fume Extractor, and a Lightburn Software - GCode License Key. Now, with a staggering $306 off, you can take advantage of this exclusive offer.

Boost Productivity with the High-Speed Engraving of the GP Integrated Fiber Laser

The GP Integrated Fiber Laser from Monport is a versatile and user-friendly fiber laser engraving and marking machine suitable for professionals and hobbyists alike. It's equipped with the latest technology, ensuring outstanding accuracy, speed, and efficiency. The GP Integrated Fiber Laser is available in three different power options: 20W, 30W, and 50W, allowing you to select a machine that best suits your needs. With the GP Integrated Fiber Laser, you can achieve high-quality, precise markings on a wide range of materials, including metal, plastic, and more.

The machine's high-speed engraving capability allows for efficient workflow, saving time and boosting productivity. It can perform at rapid speeds without compromising the quality of the engravings. This makes it an ideal choice for industries that require quick turnaround times, such as jewelry production, electronics manufacturing, and signage making. In addition to its exceptional performance, customers can take advantage of the Monport Halloween event and save up to $900 while investing in the GP Integrated Fiber Laser.

Add Vibrant Colors to Your Markings with the Monport GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser

Introducing the GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser - the ultimate solution for all your laser marking needs. With its advanced technology, exceptional performance, and versatility, the GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser is perfect for various applications. Now during the Monport Halloween event, customers can enjoy incredible savings of up to $1600 on the GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser. This is a limited-time offer, so don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to upgrade your laser marking capabilities.

The GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser Engraver & Marking Machine from Monport offers advanced color marking capabilities. With its MOPA technology, the GI can create patterns and effects with different colors, providing an increased range of possibilities for your laser marking needs. The electric lifting option provided with the GI Integrated MOPA Fiber Laser Engraver & Marking Machine ensures that you can mark objects of varying sizes with ease. With this feature, you can adjust the height of the laser in real-time, allowing for optimal marking distance and quality.

Achieve High-Quality Markings with the Monport Accessories

In addition to the captivating discounts on laser machines, Monport Laser is also offering significant savings on accessories. Elevate your crafting experience and enhance your Halloween projects with premium accessories, now available at discounts of up to 25% off. From lenses and water cooling systems, air purifiers, laser tubes, and rotary attachments, you can unlock new levels of precision and versatility with Monport Laser's top-quality accessories.

About Monport

Monport Laser is a trusted brand that offers laser engraver solutions to a wide range of industries. With years of experience in the field, Monport Laser is dedicated to providing innovative products and exceptional customer service. The company's main product lines include fiber lasers and CO2 lasers. With a focus on quality, Monport Laser designs and manufactures its products using high-quality materials and components, ensuring that they are durable and reliable.

Company: Monport Laser

Contact email: [email protected]

Pre-sales Phone: (+1)332-251-1208

Monport Laser Website: https://monportlaser.com/

Monport Address: Monport Tech Inc. 300 LENORA ST 878, SEATTLE, WA, 98121-2411, UNITED STATES

SOURCE Monport Laser
Governor Henry McMaster delivered an impactful keynote speech on the company's arrival and revitalization of manufacturing industry in South Carolina

UNION, S.C., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MycoWorks celebrated the opening and start of production at its first full-scale Fine Mycelium facility in Union, S.C., with a ribbon-cutting attended by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, as well as other government officials, community leaders, brand partners, and supporters. The world-class manufacturing plant gives MycoWorks the capacity to scale-up to meet demand for their luxury leather-like material Reishi. Produced with the company's patented technology for partners including Hermes and Ligne Roset , MycoWorks' new plant has already made a significant impact by spurring new investment in Union's storefronts, housing, and employment portfolio.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster delivered impactful remarks on MycoWorks' arrival in the state. Post this On Tuesday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster joined MycoWorks Chief of Culture Sophia Wang, COO Doug Hardesty and CEO Matthew Scullin to celebrate the opening of the biomaterials company's Fine Mycelium factory in Union, S.C with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo courtesy of MycoWorks.

Union, S.C. to Lead in U.S. Biomaterials Manufacturing

Situated in the Upstate region's thriving manufacturing corridor, local officials expressed excitement for MycoWorks' new facility and are welcoming the opportunity for Union to bring this new industry to fruition. With MycoWorks' technological advancements to the materials sector and its commitment to bringing competitive jobs to the region, the first-of-its-kind facility is positioning South Carolina to lead the biomaterials industry, reshoring luxury textile manufacturing to the United States. In celebration of this industry-first achievement, attendees had the opportunity to witness the factory's cutting-edge technology and learn about the diverse applications of MycoWorks' biomaterial Reishi.

Built on-time and on-budget, the 136,000 sq. ft. factory is the world's largest mycelium production operation. For the leather industry, MycoWorks' Union facility is a breakthrough in supply chain management, providing full predictability, transparency, and provenance of high-quality natural materials while remaining efficient and low-impact. Marrying the latest technological advancements with old world craftsmanship, the team in Union will be creating a product of the highest standards and will be the first-movers in an industry on track to be world-changing.

"I was proud to join with MycoWorks to celebrate the grand opening of their new Union facility," said Governor Henry McMaster . "It's great to add a biomaterials manufacturer to South Carolina's expanding range of products and services, and we look forward to the opportunities this investment will bring to students and technicians across the state."

MycoWorks' choice to open its first-commercial scale manufacturing plant in Union signals its long-term commitment to outreach, employment and education, going beyond standard manufacturing practice to build a supportive and empowering work-environment with rewarding benefits.

MycoWorks is actively recruiting from education and training networks in the state

With support from readySC at SC Technical College and EmployersNetwork , the biomaterials company has continued to recruit top-tier technician talent from the region. MycoWorks hopes to empower college and high school students to innovate through engineering and manufacturing with ongoing outreach to networks including USC Union, Spartanburg Community College ,and Union County Schools . The biotech company's team of operation and manufacturing leaders hail from the consumer goods, automotive, food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries, and are excited to show a new generation of changemakers how creative materials science can be.

MycoWorks to bring high-quality jobs with competitive benefits

The biotech company was awarded a $30 million allocation of the federal government's New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), flagging the grant's support to bring high-quality jobs to Union County. To date, MycoWorks has employed over 150 employees at the newly-opened facility, of which 90 percent are technicians being trained to manage the company's proprietary technology, Fine Mycelium.

At full capacity, the facility will employ nearly 400 people in its operations. Dedicated to the personal and financial growth of their employees, each new full-time hire at MycoWorks is granted incentive stock options through the company's Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan. The grants vest over a four-year period and employees may begin purchasing their equity after one year of service, a new and welcome benefit to the South Carolina team at MycoWorks.

Local Support has Reshored American Textiles Back to the State

Fostered by the state's economic incentives and strong support provided by South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Union County Development Board, MycoWorks chose Union's tight-knit community for their eagerness to elevate the region's global manufacturing profile and clean business portfolio. MycoWorks' facility derives 98 percent of its power from nearby solar and hydroelectric plants provided by the renewable electric provider Lockhart Power.

"At MycoWorks we believe our success comes from the creativity and expertise of our team," said Doug Hardesty, Chief Operating Officer. "Our outreach to the region is critical to our success. Our partnerships with the Upstate educational ecosystem and the leadership in South Carolina will enable us to bring continued training and high quality jobs."

Tuesday's ribbon-cutting celebration enabled MycoWorks supporters and community stakeholders from across government, business and education to celebrate the grand achievement towards growing the future of materials in Union County, S.C.

As a token of appreciation to the community, MycoWorks has made a donation to the Junior League Charity, a women's leadership organization supporting community impact initiatives.

To learn more about employment opportunities at MycoWorks, visit https://www.mycoworks.com/careers

About MycoWorks

In 2013, co-founders Philip Ross and Sophia Wang formed MycoWorks, a San Francisco-based biomaterials company dedicated to bringing new mycelium-grown materials to the world. MycoWorks' patented Fine Mycelium technology, an advanced manufacturing platform and breakthrough in materials science, engineers mycelium during growth to form proprietary, interlocking cellular structures for unparalleled beauty, handfeel, strength and durability. The company's flagship material- Reishi - is a new category of material for the world's best luxury brands. For more information, please visit mycoworks.com .

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE MycoWorks
FULTON, Md., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- N2K Cyber, previously The CyberWire Network, today announced the launch of The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, the latest series from the Microsoft Security team to join the leading cybersecurity media network. The show joins other well-known Microsoft Security podcasts on the N2K Cyber network, including Afternoon Tea with Ann Johnson and Uncovering Hidden Risks.

Hosted by Sherrod DeGrippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy at Microsoft, The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast will feature stories and insights from the Microsoft community as they navigate the ever-evolving threat landscape. Each episode will highlight tales of innovation, teamwork, crime, and espionage, to create an enthralling and insightful podcast that transports listeners to the frontlines of cyber defense.

"Microsoft has extraordinary visibility across the entire threat landscape and has played a key role in shaping the cybersecurity industry for decades," said Peter Kilpe, Chief Executive Officer of N2K Networks. "We're extremely excited to bring The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast to our network. Their insights and lessons learned will be invaluable to professionals around the globe looking to build more resilient organizations and stay a step ahead of emerging threats."

"Our goal with The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast is to provide listeners with a deep perspective on the security happenings of the day. It's not just an update on the evolving threat landscape, but a look inside the Microsoft Threat Intelligence community for insights into how threat intel gets made," DeGrippo said. "Meeting the people on the front lines and hearing their unique perspectives are my favorite parts. We share lessons learned, trends, and strategies to help listeners build more resilient organizations."

New episodes air every two weeks on Wednesdays. To hear the latest episode of The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, listen and subscribe wherever you get your favorite shows or visit the N2K Cyber website for more information.

About N2K Networks

N2K is a strategic workforce intelligence company, creating a world where workforce knowledge and skills can change as fast as technology. Our flagship podcast, the CyberWire Daily, is part of the daily intelligence routine of many of the most influential leaders and operators in the public and private sector, as well as the critical security teams supporting the Fortune 500 and many of the world's preeminent intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The CyberWire Daily separates the signal from the noise, along with the rest of the N2K Cyber library of industry intelligence. Or, to learn more about N2K's workforce intelligence enterprise capabilities that help organizations build and maintain high-performance teams, visit n2k.com.

SOURCE N2K Networks
NICB Hosted Meeting Highlights New Ways to Combat Insurance Fraud

DES PLAINES, Ill., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Insurance fraud affects millions of Americans and costs businesses and the insurance industry billions of dollars annually. To combat this growing problem, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the nation's leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime, hosted a recent legal conference focused on fighting and prosecuting insurance fraud. The 2023 National Conference of Insurance Crime Attorneys brought together lawyers from around the nation to highlight new methods and tactics to help prosecute fraud and combat emerging trends in insurance crime. The conference also featured Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle A. Henry as keynote speaker, who focused on effective strategies to prosecute insurance fraud, and the ways fraud is often connected to other crimes like drug trafficking and murder.

National Conference Brings Together Fraud Fighting Attorneys to Highlight New Ways to Combat Insurance Fraud Post this Pennsylvania District Attorney Michelle A. Henry

"Prosecuting insurance fraud can be incredibly complex," said Rich DiZinno, General Counsel and Senior Vice President at the National Insurance Crime Bureau. "In order to stay ahead of these criminals, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies need every available tool. Conferences like this one can highlight emerging fraud trends and successful new methods to prosecute and deter insurance fraud. I am especially pleased that Attorney General Henry was able to offer her experience and advice on new strategies to effectively address this type of crime."

Attorney General Henry noted that insurance fraud is often perceived as a victimless crime, when in fact it has many victims. Fraud forces consumers to pay more for insurance and often facilitates other crimes, including drug trafficking and murder. In her keynote, Attorney General Henry highlighted a recent murder case handled by her office which involved a life insurance payout as a motive for the perpetrator, who also sought to be the potential beneficiary. The Attorney General affirmed that effective prosecutions serve as an important deterrent to insurance fraud and issued a warning to those who are committing fraud: Someone is always watching.

While the National Insurance Crime Bureau has traditionally focused on vehicle recovery and auto theft, it has evolved as the industry and the type of insurance fraud has changed. NICB has positioned itself as a stand-out in the fraud-fighting space and is leading the charge to effectively investigate and prosecute these crimes. NICB uses unique data analytics and information that other private sector entities cannot access to provide intelligence reports and training programs for its industry partners and law enforcement agencies.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $582 billion in insurance premiums in 2021, or more than 82% of the nation's property-casualty insurance. That includes more than 96% of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.

SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to an October 25, 2023 Consumer Reports article on chocolate and cocoa, the National Confectioners Association released the following statement:

NCA STATEMENT

"Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries. Food safety and product quality remain our highest priorities and we remain dedicated to being transparent and socially responsible."

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

More on our California Proposition 65 settlement and the expert investigation/final report: In 2018, the chocolate and cocoa industry agreed to a Consent Judgment in California. The Superior Court of the State of California, San Francisco County granted a motion to enter the Consent Judgment on February 14, 2018, which remains in effect. The Consent Judgment established concentration levels for both lead and cadmium that supersede the OEHHA MADLs for cocoa and chocolate products. In August 2022, we released with As You Sow a three-year study on this subject. The full report and our joint reaction can be found here: https://candyusa.com/news/research-reveals-ways-lead-and-cadmium-in-chocolate-may-be-reduced/

More on consumption: Consumers understand that chocolate and candy are treats. According to the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), people in the U.S. enjoy chocolate and candy 2-3 times per week, averaging just 40 calories per day and about one teaspoon of added sugar per day.

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA):

The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the U.S. confectionery industry, which generates $42 billion in retail sales each year. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact

Christopher Gindlesperger

[email protected]

(202) 203-9006

Carly Schildhaus

[email protected]

(516) 776-8082

SOURCE National Confectioners Association
The integrated luxury retailer is the ultimate gifting destination for those in pursuit of the extraordinary through exceptional gifts, one-of-a-kind experiences, and world-class service

DALLAS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the holiday season, Neiman Marcus is creating the preeminent shopping destination through immersive experiences, unparalleled clienteling, and the ultimate luxury fashion and gifting assortment. The retailer today unveiled the 97th edition of its iconic Christmas Book, inclusive of its legendary Fantasy Gifts, through the theme of Neiman's Express. These beloved initiatives bring to life the Magic of Neiman Marcus for its discerning customers in pursuit of the extraordinary. Neiman Marcus will amplify its holiday experiences through a strategic digital-first, integrated marketing strategy.

Neiman Marcus today unveiled the 97th edition of its iconic Christmas Book, inclusive of its legendary Fantasy Gifts, through the theme of Neimans Express. The 2023 Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts include Make Your Wish Come True, a partnership with Walt Disney Animation Studios to transform you into an animated character. Neiman Marcus is the ultimate fashion and gifting destination this holiday season.

"We are committed to providing unparalleled experiences and services to our luxury customer across our integrated retail model," said Ryan Ross, President, Neiman Marcus and Head of NMG Customer Insights. "Every gift is carefully curated, not only for their beauty and craftsmanship, but also for their ability to create unforgettable moments. Our holiday offerings are a testament to our legacy as the ultimate fashion and gifting destination and support our growth strategy, Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences."

The integrated luxury retailer's 2023 holiday campaign invites customers to explore remarkable gifts and holiday dressing inspiration through white-glove service. Building upon the creative direction of the Fall campaign, Neiman's Express evokes the romance of travel as well as the figurative journey of discovering the best that luxury fashion has to offer. The campaign reimagines a past brand concept from 1994 that featured an actual fashion-filled locomotive traversing coast-to-coast for modern times. Almost 30 years later, the retailer features a metaphysical train set and a dream sequence through the eyes of supermodel Jessica Stam. Customers can experience the Neiman's Express in-stores, through online channels, in the annual Christmas Book, and through their dedicated Style Advisors.

"Neiman Marcus has a tradition of putting on a show for the holidays and being a place for all to dream," said Nabil Aliffi, Chief Brand Officer, Neiman Marcus. "Through this year's coordinated marketing and communications efforts across all customer touchpoints, we hope to provide style and gifting inspiration that highlights the incredible product assortment we have. We continue to look to new ways to surprise and delight our customers and own the holiday season."

First published in 1926, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book has maintained its personal touch while evolving into a legendary source for alluring and spectacular gifts. The book features gifts across all categories, and the very best holiday dressing assortment with exclusive products from ready-to-wear, ladies shoes, designer and fine jewelry, handbags, and men's suiting. Customers can enjoy countless exclusives from the world's most desired brands. There is truly something for everyone on your holiday list.

Today, the retailer also unveiled its 64th annual Fantasy Gifts. These exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences are meant to inspire customers and remind us all that there's a little fantasy in every gift. The 2023 Fantasy Gifts include:

Make Your Wish Come True: Walt Disney Animation Studios will transform you into an animated character.

Walt Disney Animation Studios will transform you into an animated character. Ultimate Olympic Experience in Paris : Join the Ralph Lauren team and Team USA at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Join the Ralph Lauren team and Team at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Yachting Treasure Hunt : Embark on an adventure through the islands of Indonesia for a yachting treasure hunt of high-end jewelry with Pelorus Yachting.

Embark on an adventure through the islands of for a yachting treasure hunt of high-end jewelry with Pelorus Yachting. Cannes & Carats: Escape to the French Riviera for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival as a guest of Maison Chopard .

Escape to the French Riviera for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival as a guest of . Cadillac CELESTIQ Carmen: Become the owner of a one-of-one CELESTIQ Carmen electric vehicle commissioned by Cadillac.

Become the owner of a one-of-one CELESTIQ Carmen electric vehicle commissioned by Cadillac. Milan Design & Experience with Nina Magon : Enjoy a trip to Milan with one of the world's most in-demand interior designers, Nina Magon , who will redesign a space in your home.

Enjoy a trip to with one of the world's most in-demand interior designers, , who will redesign a space in your home. Immersive Crystal Experience: Craft your own masterpiece from the world's purest crystal at Baccarat.

Craft your own masterpiece from the world's purest crystal at Baccarat. Star Performer of the Ballet: Experience an American Ballet Theater performance behind the curtain with a walk-on role.

As a longstanding tradition, each Fantasy Gift has a philanthropic component, reminding customers of the importance of giving back. Neiman Marcus has a rich history of Leading with Love, and this year the retailer continues its philanthropic efforts partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America on a point-of-sale fundraising campaign that customers can participate in.

Neiman's is grounded in the special relationships it has with customers and is committed to delivering world-class service that exceeds their needs. Customers can discover exclusive access and one-of-a-kind experiences however they choose to engage with the brand. The retailer offers a slew of services to make its customers' lives extraordinary including gift wrapping and personal shopping services from its 3,000+ talented Style Advisors. Neiman Marcus will also create the holiday magic by hosting more than 500 events this holiday season including Breakfast with Santa, White Elephant parties in select stores, trunk shows, and gift personalization moments.

The retailer's Power of One People Strategy continues with a new holiday tradition  the Magic Maker Series. This associate engagement campaign offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into NMG's holiday planning, highlighting the many associates and roles that contribute to the ongoing legacy of creating holiday magic, and Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences for its customers across NMG.

The Fantasy Gifts, holiday campaign, gift guides, and Magic Maker Series are now viewable on Neiman's online and corporate channels, and in stores. For more information and to access creative assets, view the press kit.

#NeimanMarcus | #NeimansExpress | #NMFantasyGifts | @neimanmarcus

ABOUT NEIMAN MARCUS:

Neiman Marcus is a Dallas-based luxury retailer, providing customers access to exclusive and emerging brands, anticipatory service, and unique experiences since 1907. Each day, Neiman Marcus connects with customers worldwide while delighting them with exceptional experiences across a 36-store presence in the U.S., one of the largest U.S. e-commerce luxury platforms, and industry-leading remote selling and personalization technology. From delectable dining and indulgent beauty services to bespoke experiences and exclusive products, there is something for everyone. To keep up with the latest news and events at Neiman Marcus, visit neimanmarcus.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube,

Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences. As one of the largest multi-brand luxury retailers in the U.S., with the world's most desirable brand partners, we are delivering exceptional products and intelligent services, enabled by our investments in digital, data and technology. Through the expertise of our 10,000+ associates, we deliver and scale a personalized luxury experience across our three facets of our integrated retail model- in-store, eCommerce, and remote selling. Our NMG Way culture, powered by our people, combines individual talents into a collective strength to make life extraordinary. NMG WOW (Way of Working) is the company's unique, integrated working philosophy to do their best work, full stop. Our flagship brands include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. For more information, visit neimanmarcusgroup.com.

ABOUT NEIMAN'S EXPRESS HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN:

Neiman's Express invites customers to embark on a journey for exceptional gifts and experiences this holiday season. The campaign features 147 brands, directed by The Scandebergs at Vivid Kid Studios. Notable models include Jessica Stam, Kerolyn Soares, Paco Dique and Matthew Bell. Inspired by the romance of travel, Neiman's Express showcases our boundless mission to bring the best in luxury to our customers and demonstrates the strength of our relationships. The styling by Ola Ebiti celebrates the magic of travel, the sense of occasion and the transformative power of fashion, giving our customers a reason to dress up. Neiman's Express builds upon the themes of the Fall Campaign, extraordinary dreamscapes and celebrating the sublime. The campaign continues to draw upon the brand's heritage, incorporating the butterfly as a key motif within the campaign video. Neiman's Express will be activated in a 360-degree approach across all three facets of the retailers integrated retail model. For more information about Neiman's Express, please click here.

ABOUT NEIMAN MARCUS FANTASY GIFTS:

The debut of the Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts marks the official start of the holiday season. Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts Revolutionize Luxury Experiences for our customers through unique gifts and experiences that cannot be found anywhere else. Celebrating 64 years of Fantasy Gifts, Neiman Marcus continues to deliver holiday magic to our clients. The Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts program dates back to 1959 when Stanley Marcus and his brother Edward brainstormed an extraordinary gift as a response to a press inquiry for unusual Christmas gifts. They decided upon a Black Angus steer, delivered on hoof or in steaks, complete with a silver-plated serving cart. Thus, starting a tradition for over 60 years, Neiman Marcus has partnered with top brands, events, and cultural icons to bring these remarkable Fantasy Gifts to life. In the spirit of discovery and looking back to the brand's heritage, Neiman Marcus continues the annual Fantasy Gifts program with more whimsical, magical, and experiential gifts than ever before. The bestowing of philanthropic gifts is another long-standing Neiman Marcus tradition, with all Fantasy Gifts incorporating a charitable component into their proceeds. For more information on the 2023 Fantasy Gifts, please click here.

SOURCE Neiman Marcus
GULBERT, Ariz., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuragenex, the national healthcare provider focused on non-pharmaceutical pain treatment, announced its continued expansion to bring relief to fibromyalgia patients across the country.

With clinics now operating in Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Tennessee and Utah, Neuragenex aims to ease the suffering of the nearly 4 million Americans from all walks of life afflicted by fibromyalgia in its various forms.

Most misunderstood disease

Fibromyalgia is a complex, frequently misunderstood condition characterized by widespread muscle pain and tenderness, chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances and other debilitating symptoms. Patients often struggle for years to get an accurate diagnosis, shuffling between doctors while their quality of life deteriorates.

Too often, the only solutions offered are heavy pharmaceutical regimens that mask symptoms without addressing underlying dysfunctions. Neuragenex takes a different approach. Through their proprietary Neurofunctional Pain Management protocol, Neuragenex clinicians identify and treat the root physiological factors that contribute to fibromyalgia pain and dysfunction.

A better solution

The Neuragenex approach enables the body's natural pain relief and regulation mechanisms to reactivate, with patients reporting an average 90% reduction in pain and associated symptoms. "Most doctors don't have an effective way to handle fibromyalgia, yet they understand the real pain their patients endure." said Neuragenex CEO Will Bozeman.

Neuragenex welcomes inquiries from medical professionals interested in referring patients to their clinics at the company's website. CEO Will Bozeman added "When confronted with this difficult and misunderstood condition, it becomes all too easy to simply prescribe medications. We want providers nationwide to know there's a better solution. Neurofunctional Pain Management protocol offers a much-needed non-pharmaceutical treatment option for fibromyalgia with excellent patient outcomes."

With continued expansion planned, Neuragenex aims to bring life-changing relief to thousands more fibromyalgia sufferers across the nation. For more information about Fibromyalgia treatment solutions or about Neuragenex and its new clinic locations, please visit the company website at www.neuragenex.com.

About Neuragenex

Neuragenex is a pioneering company dedicated to revolutionizing pain management. With an approach that focuses on electroanalgesia, Neuragenex's treatments have been designed to provide relief and improve the lives of individuals suffering from chronic pain without drugs or surgery. Committed to pushing the boundaries of pain management, Neuragenex continuously aims to provide relief and improve the lives of individuals suffering from persistent pain.B

Media contact

Will Bozeman

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Neuragenex
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prostatype Genomics is currently conducting a study of 160 patients together with seven leading Spanish hospitals and the Spanish National Association of Urology. The initial results are very strong and show that approximately 60% of patients would have been reclassified if Prostatype had been used for prognosis and treatment decisions after diagnosis.

In a new retrospective multicentre study with Prostatype in Spain including 160 patients from a total of seven hospitals, coordinated by the Spanish National Association of Urology, an interim analysis has been performed after three hospitals completed the results. The interim analysis shows that there is again strong evidence that Prostatype provides important additional information that can change the treatment plan or actual treatment for prostate cancer patients initially classified as low or intermediate risk.

The initial analysis indicates that the treatment plan can be changed in approximately as many as 60% of the cases if Prostatype had been used after the established diagnosis. The study further indicates that Prostatype can predict progression, i.e., the test can predict who needs curative treatment immediately upon diagnosis and who are not suitable for active monitoring.

The interim analysis also shows that Prostatype confirms the cases in which it may be appropriate to postpone curative treatment for some men with low-risk prostate cancer. In conclusion, the analysis shows that the patients who develop metastases and die due to prostate cancer are classified as high risk with Prostatype at the time of diagnosis.

CEO Fredrik Persson comments: "The multicentre study we are conducting together with 7 of the most important Spanish hospitals in the country confirms what previously externally conducted studies have already shown and further reinforces what a powerful prognostic tool Prostatype is. Routine clinical implementation of Prostatype provides great clinical benefit and benefit to patients, healthcare and those who ultimately pay for the care. We have chosen to conduct this study in Spain as we early identified the Spanish market as a priority pilot market. We have a strong partner locally in the form of Eurofins Megalab, and this study will be an important component for our continued sales in Spain. Prostatype has shown very good performance in previous studies, but the interim results we have seen so far exceed even our own expectations - the interim results are the strongest we have ever seen. We will present the final data in Q1 2024 with the aim of presenting the results at the Spanish Urology Society's annual meeting in Santander in May next year."

For further information, please contact Fredrik Persson, CEO of pa Prostatype Genomics AB,

Telephone: +46 (0) 73 049 77 01.

e-mail: fredrik.persson@prostatypegenomics.com

Certified Adviser:

Erik Penser Bank AB, Box 7405, 103 91 Stockholm,

Telephone: +46 (0)8-463 80 00

e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Prostatype Genomics AB
Advances in Therapy Publishes Study Finding 12-Month Consistency in Utilization and Efficacy of Non-Drug, Non-Disruptive Wearable to Mitigate Migraine Burden

NETANYA, Israel and BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Theranica, a neuromodulation therapeutics company, announced the publication of a comprehensive clinical study in Advances in Therapy examining the long-term utilization, clinical efficacy, and safety of Nerivio, a Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) device for the treatment of migraine.

Nerivio is indicated for dual-use in people 12 years and older

The study included 409 participants across the entire USA who used Nerivio device for acute treatment of migraine for 12 consecutive months, reporting their data prospectively. The results showed consistent and persistent efficacy in pain relief, pain freedom, functional disability relief, and functional disability freedom, as well as consistent adherence.

Dr. Andrea Synowiec, a neurologist and headache specialist who serves as System Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology at Allegheny Health Network in Pennsylvania is the lead author of the study. She emphasized the significance of these findings stating, "When assessing the clinical benefits of therapies for chronic neurological disorders such as migraine, it's important to evaluate patient adherence and clinical efficacy over a long period of time, in order to eliminate possible tachyphylaxis or waning over time. This large sample size study gives physicians and patients alike the evidence-based confidence that the impact of Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) with Nerivio is sustainable over a long time. Adherence to treatment is crucial to obtaining maximal efficacy, and the persistent 12-month adherence demonstrated in this study is very encouraging".

During the study period, users performed a total of 39,531 treatments, with a monthly average of 8.05 treatments per patient, and a standard deviation (SD) of 1.15, meaning that the month-to-month number of treatments per patients did not differ significantly along the 12 consecutive months. The non-disruptive nature of using Nerivio is designed to promote high adherence: the device can be worn under a shirt or jacket sleeve, and is self-controlled through a user-friendly smartphone app, making it ideal for discreet usage even in places that are not private, like a school class, a work office, or on a bus or a train.

Notably, the rate of device-related adverse events was extremely low - less than 2%.

As for clinical efficacy, 74.1% of the participants reported consistent 2-hour pain relief, and 26% reported consistent pain freedom.

"With migraine being almost a life-long disease, patients need therapies they can rely on to help them maintain their quality of life and reduce the burden of the disease," said Alon Ironi, CEO and co-founder of Theranica. "Whether you are a high school student, a police officer, or a musician, if you live with migraine, you want a trustworthy treatment that combines persistent high efficacy, minimal side effects and ease of use. We designed Nerivio with exactly these requirements in mind."

"Theranica is committed to addressing migraine, with special emphasis on patient groups who typically have fewer therapy options, such as adolescents, veterans and active-duty service personnel, and pregnant women", added Ironi.

About Nerivio

Controlled by a smartphone app and self-administered, Nerivio wraps around the upper arm and uses sub-painful Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) to activate nociceptive nerve fibers in the arm to send signals which trigger a descending pain management mechanism in the brain called conditioned pain modulation (CPM), which turns off migraine pain and associated symptoms without medication. In simpler terms, the upper arm is stimulated to unleash a natural process in the brain to abort or relieve migraine headaches and other associated symptoms. Each treatment lasts 45 minutes and is applied every other day for prevention or at the start of a migraine attack for acute treatment.

About Theranica

Theranica is a neuromodulation therapeutics company dedicated to creating effective, safe, affordable, low-side-effect therapies for idiopathic pain conditions. The company's award-winning flagship wearable, Nerivio, is an FDA-cleared and CE-marked prescription device for complete care of migraine - acute and/or preventive treatment of chronic or episodic migraine with or without aura in people 12 years or older. Nerivio has been used in more than 600,000 migraine treatments in the US, including by adolescents and veterans living with migraine. Theranica is expanding its proprietary technology to develop solutions for additional idiopathic pain conditions. Learn more by visiting our websites, theranica.com and nerivio.com , and following us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram and Facebook .

Theranica Contact

Ronen Jashek

[email protected]

+972-72-390-9750

Media Contact

V.A. Lopes

Grey Matter Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE Theranica
AACHEN, Germany and AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TREW Marketing and Elektor have joined forces to provide never-before-seen insights about marketing to engineers and particularly technical buyers in Europe. The report, "Decoding Engineer Preferences," provides a new, comprehensive analysis of engineer preferences and technical buying behavior. It will be supported with an exclusive webinar on November 9, 2023 (16:00 CET).

2023 TREW + Elektor European Research Webinar v3

The report offers need-to-know information for anyone marketing to engineers. Readers will benefit from unique and practical insights about how engineers interact with things like paid search ads, their preferred sources of information, and the types of content they find most valuable for work-related purchases. This cooperation between TREW Marketing, the US-based leading experts in engineer engagement, and Elektor, Europe's leading engineering community, truly offers the best of both worlds  highly useful research from a relevant and representative group of more than 1,200 technical buyers in Europe.

The November 9 webinar will be hosted by Erik Jansen, Managing Director of Elektor, and Wendy Covey, CEO of TREW Marketing. Together, they will present the highlights of this European-focused survey, and Wendy Covey will also offer some insightful comparisons to the State of Marketing to Engineers research released earlier this year. In one hour, Covey and Jansen will share results, highlight both similarities and differences, and provide attendees with a holistic view of engineer preferences when marketed to.

Some first highlights from the survey include:

58% of engineers avoid paid search links when searching online, but 29% will click if the paid link appears helpful.

Technical publications (online) and supplier/vendor websites are the primary sources engineers turn to when researching products.

Datasheets (86%) are overwhelmingly named as the most valuable content in decision-making, before Technical Articles (60%) and Product Reviews/Testimonials (50%).

On a scale from 1 (no trust) to 10 (complete trust), engineers rate their trust in AI-based tools at 4.14.).

The webinar will also feature an interactive Q&A session where attendees can engage with the experts and dive deeper into the survey findings.

"We're thrilled to use our unique market position to share these insights with our community and clients," said Jansen. "Collaborating with the experienced team at TREW Marketing has not only added immense value to the report but has also been a rewarding experience for the Elektor team."

"Understanding engineer preferences is pivotal for businesses looking to tailor their marketing strategies effectively," Covey added. "This collaboration allows us to offer a global perspective on engineer behavior, empowering businesses to make informed decisions and strengthen their marketing efforts."

Direct registration for the webinar is available at http://www.elektormagazine.com/dep.

About TREW Marketing: TREW Marketing specializes in marketing to engineers and technical buyers. For over 25 years, they have helped hundreds of highly technical companies build trust and fill their pipelines through inbound marketing. Learn more at https://www.trewmarketing.com.

About Elektor: Elektor is a leading international source of electronic engineering knowledge and innovation. We serve professional engineers, pro makers, students, enthusiasts and companies seeking to engage with them. At Elektor we believe that innovations in electronics will ultimately lead to a better world. We want to enable those who are as passionate as we are to contribute to this by facilitating practical knowledge, innovations, and support. We aim to inspire with a practical, hands-on approach. Making electronics accessible, that's our mission. https://www.elektormagazine.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2255985/2023_TREW_and_Elektor_European_Research_Webinar.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1937335/Logo_Elektor_Logo.jpg

Press contact:

Udo Bormann

Marketing

[email protected]

Elektor International Media

SOURCE Elektor International Media; TREW Marketing
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. A working visit of the delegation headed by the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev to Ankara has concluded, Trend reports.

The delegation was in Ankara to participate in the 2nd meeting of the Council of Prosecutors General of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

During the visit, the delegation attended a park named after the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, in Ankara and laid a wreath at the monument of the great leader, paying tribute to his memory.

As part of the visit, the prosecutor general of Azerbaijan met with the Chairman of the Council of the OTS Elders, Binali Yildirim, who conveyed his congratulations on the complete restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and noted that, thanks to the leaders of both countries, relations between our countries and peoples are at the highest level.

Kamran Aliyev also met with the Minister of Justice of Turkiye, Chairman of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, Yilmaz Tunc.

The meeting discussed issues of cooperation between the two countries in the legal sphere.

The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Turkiye Rashad Mammadov, also participated in the meetings.

During the meeting with the Prosecutor General of Turkiye Bekir Sahin, confidence in the further development of friendly relations and cooperation between the countries was expressed.

The importance of joint activities on international platforms was also emphasized, and discussions were held regarding the creation of a Council of Prosecutors General within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the near future.

In the meeting with the President of the Supreme Court, Mehmet Akarca, the establishment of the Conference of Supreme Courts of Turkic States in Shusha a few days earlier was hailed.

The participants of the 2nd meeting of the Council of Prosecutors General of the OTS member states were received by the President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Nucor announced at With Honor Action's biennial gala that it will provide funds and the steel to build the GWOT Memorial on the National Mall

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night at With Honor Action's biennial dinner with the bipartisan veterans who serve in the For Country Caucus in Congress, Nucor Corporation, North America's largest steel producer, and the Nucor Charitable Foundation announced a donation of $2.5 million, which includes the steel to build the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial. The Memorial will be located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.

For over 22 years, more than two million Americans have served in the GWOT across the globe. More than 7,000 American service members have made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives in the line of duty. The GWOT Memorial will honor their service, as well as that of their families and so many others who have protected our freedoms during this complex, multi-generational conflict.

Legislation creating a GWOT Memorial was first introduced in Congress in 2016 by Representatives Mike Gallagher and Seth Moulton, both For Country Caucus Members and Marine Corps post 9-11 veterans. Championed after significant advocacy, especially by the bipartisan For Country Caucus of veterans in the U.S. House and Army veteran Senator Joni Ernst, Congress authorized the creation of the Memorial in 2021 and passed a provision allowing construction of the Memorial on the Reserve portion of the National Mall.

Leon Topalian, Nucor's Chair, President, and CEO, shared the announcement with the more than 200 people in attendance at the With Honor event, including nearly 30 bipartisan veterans who are Members of Congress, the veterans who lead the Senate Armed Services Committee, and General C.Q. Brown, the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "On behalf of the entire Nucor family," Mr. Topalian announced, "we are honored to show our gratitude and respect to the brave men and women of our country who have served in the Global War on Terrorism and their families. We are grateful to the GWOT Memorial Foundation and our friends in the For Country Caucus for their inclusive vision and the opportunity to play a role in this effort. We hope tonight's announcement brings greater awareness and support to this admirable project."

"The Foundation is humbled and honored to accept Nucor's generous contribution to the Memorialthe largest single gift in our organization's history," said GWOT Memorial Foundation President and CEO, Michael "Rod" Rodriguez, a retired Army Green Beret who served ten combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It is exciting to say that American-made Nucor steel will help embody the strength and resilience of the heroes who have served and sacrificed in the Global War on Terrorism. We express our gratitude to the entire Nucor workforce for standing beside us as we honor all those who have given so much in the name of liberty, security, and freedom."

"This is an important step forward in the years of work to build the enduring Memorial for the millions of Americans who have served and the thousands of Americans who continue to serve in the Global War on Terrorism," said Marine Corps veteran Rye Barcott, With Honor Action's co-founder and CEO and Secretary of the GWOT Memorial Foundation's Board. "We're proud that principled, bipartisan veterans in Congress are championing its construction, and we hope that Nucor's leading contribution inspires other American companies to participate."

About the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation

The GWOT Memorial Foundation is the nonprofit organization designated by Congress to plan, fund, and build the GWOT Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to build an inclusive Memorial honoring all uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who served and sacrificed in this ongoing conflict, as well as their families. The Memorial is being funded by 100% tax deductible donations; no federal funding will be used. Learn more by visiting our website and stay updated on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn .

SOURCE Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation
CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Optical Satellite Market is valued at USD 2.0 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 4.1 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The optical satellite market is a subset of the satellite and technology industry that focuses on the development and deployment of optical satellite. Optical satellites represent cutting-edge space-based platforms equipped with high-resolution cameras and specialized sensors, designed for precision Earth imaging and data capture. Optical satellite technology empowers businesses and governments to access crucial information for data-driven decision-making, encompassing tasks such as land use analysis, disaster monitoring, and national security enhancement.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=132851510

Browse in-depth TOC on "Optical Satellite Market"

150  Tables

100  Figures

300  Pages

Optical Satellite Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $ 2.0 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $ 4.1 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 15.1% Market Size Available for 20192028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Size, Application, Component, End User and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Operational limitations associated with harsh and remote environments Key Market Opportunities Increase in government investments in space-based infrastructure and services Key Market Drivers Technological advancements in optical satellite communication

The optical satellite market encompasses a range of sizes, operational orbits, and applications that leverage these benefits. Different size of satellites in the optical satellite market are small, medium and large. The operational orbits of optical satellites in the market are LEO and MEO/GEO. Applications are earth observation and communication.

Based on the size, the medium satellite segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the size, the medium satellite segment is estimated to lead the optical satellite market from 2023 to 2028. Their versatility makes them ideal for applications such as Earth observation, telecommunications, and scientific research. Advancements in technology have enhanced medium satellites' reliability and capabilities, making them attractive to commercial and government clients. Additionally, the growing demand for high-resolution imagery and data services, especially in sectors like agriculture, urban planning, and infrastructure development, underscores the practicality and value of medium satellites for fulfilling various business and operational needs within the optical satellite market.

Based on the operational orbit, MEO/GEO segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The MEO/GEO segment in optical satellite industry is projected to grow at highest CAGR. MEO and GEO satellites provide stable, continuous coverage, making them vital for services such as broadband internet, telecommunication, and broadcasting. The demand for real-time data and global connectivity further underscores their significance. Technological advancements and cost-effective deployment methods are also contributing, enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of MEO and GEO satellites for businesses and governments in today's competitive business landscape.

Based on the application, the Communication segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The communication segment in the optical satellite market is primarily driven by the surging global demand for enhanced connectivity and high-speed data transmission. Businesses and consumers rely on optical satellites to provide broadband internet access, mobile communication, and broadcasting services, particularly in remote or underserved areas. The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the imperative for seamless communication networks further amplify this demand. Continuous technological advancements in satellite engineering and data processing are augmenting the efficiency and reliability of communication services, while cost-effective satellite solutions are broadening market accessibility. These factors collectively propel the growth of the communication segment, addressing evolving business and consumer connectivity requirements.

Based on the end user, Government segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Governments rely on optical satellites for advanced surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence, essential for border security, strategic monitoring, and crisis response. Moreover, optical satellites play a pivotal role in disaster management, environmental surveillance, and infrastructure planning. Heightened global geopolitical tensions and cybersecurity concerns further escalate demand. Government investments in satellite infrastructure and international collaborations stimulate this segment's growth, positioning optical satellites as vital assets for enhancing national security and governance capabilities in today's business landscape.

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=132851510

Based on regions, the Europe market is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Europe is home to some of the biggest players in the optical satellite market, including Airbus Defence & Space, and Thales Group. These companies have a wealth of experience and expertise in space technology, and they are investing heavily in the development of optical systems. The Europe government is a major supporter of the space industry. The government has invested millions of dollars in research and development of this technology, and it is also providing funding for the deployment of optical satellites.

The optical satellite companies is dominated by a few globally established players such as SpaceX (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Ball Corporation (US), Airbus Defence & Space (Germany), and L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (US).

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About MarketsandMarkets

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MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients.

Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes.

The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry.

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SEATTLE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Optimize Health, one of the nation's most trusted remote care platforms, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with the Florida Association of Accountable Care Organizations (FLAACOs). This collaborative effort marks a significant advancement in value-based care via remote patient monitoring and showcases how remote chronic disease management enhances patient engagement, improves outcomes, and can reduce the overall cost of care.

As healthcare delivery networks continue to evolve and innovate to improve patient care, Optimize Health and FLAACOs have joined forces to empower accountable care organizations (ACOs) to more effectively manage patients' chronic conditions while simultaneously reducing costs. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) involves the use of technology to collect and monitor patient health data, providing a real-time, comprehensive view of a patient's health. This approach enables healthcare providers to deliver proactive and personalized care, improving a patient's health and reducing hospital readmissions.

Optimize Health continues expansion into the ACO market Post this

"Optimize Health is excited to partner with FLAACOs. The combination of our innovative remote patient monitoring technology and the thought leadership within theFLAACOs network represents an unprecedented advance in remote healthcare delivery," said Todd Haedrich, CEO of Optimize Health. "ACOs are the standard bearer in the shift towards value-based care. Through our partnership, Optimize Health brings the latest in remote care technology and services to a leading group of healthcare organizations committed to delivering coordinated, high-quality care."

The CEO of the Florida Association of Accountable Care Organizations, Nicole Bradberry, expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership: "We are excited to join forces with Optimize Health in our journey to transform healthcare in Florida. Our ACOs now have access to this innovative technology to make better-informed decisions for long-term chronic condition monitoring and proactive care."

The partnership between Optimize Health and FLAACOs represents a significant step towards achieving the shared goal of enhancing patient outcomes and driving the future of healthcare. To kick off this partnership, Optimize Health will be represented at Booth 111 at the FLAACOs 2023 Annual Conference at Signia by Hilton in Orlando between October 25th to 27th. For more information on this partnership and how Optimize Health is revolutionizing healthcare, please contact:

For more information, visit optimize.health

About Optimize Health:

Optimize Health is revolutionizing the healthcare industry through its innovative technology and patient + care team-centric approach. The company leverages cutting-edge Remote Patient Monitoring technology to improve patient outcomes, enhance clinical decision-making, and optimize operational efficiency for healthcare providers. We're on a mission to transform how medical groups use technology and real-time data to treat patients outside the practice walls. As the leader in remote care solutions, we help physicians deliver proactive care that re-centers the patient and provider relationship and improves patient outcomes and their quality of life. For more information, visit optimize.health .

About the Florican Association of ACOs:

The Florida Association of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is a collaborative network of ACOs committed to delivering high-quality, coordinated care to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Their mission is to advance value-based care and enhance the healthcare experience for all patients.

SOURCE Optimize Health
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Orlando International Fashion Week, an Orlando non-profit organization, presents The Fashion Designer Competition on November 3, 2023 at Porsche South Orlando. Orlando International Fashion Week (OIFW) is a multi-day event that highlights over 30 designers from around the world and goes beyond the runway to provide a platform that nurtures and celebrates the artistry, innovation, and passion of the fashion industry. The Fashion Designer Competition will provide a sophisticated networking and social experience with a runway show and live voting at the event. Guests can immerse themselves in the world of high fashion and luxury cars while participating in choosing a winner of the designer showcase.

Kait Doulou, Founder and President of Build Ventures

This partnership with Build Ventures goes beyond mere sponsorship; it's a collaboration based on shared values and objectives. While Orlando is widely recognized as a top tourist destination, the value of what Orlando has to offer extends far beyond its world-famous theme parks. Both OIFW and Build Ventures are energized advocates for elevating the status of fashion in Orlando in support of the city's ascent. Their shared mindset is to elevate the city's identity by expanding the narrative from theme parks and tourism to one that includes luxury development, sophistication, and artistic brilliance.

"In the vibrant heart of Orlando, we stand at the cusp of a thrilling transformation. Florida is the second most valuable real estate market in the country, and we envision matching that value from an art, fashion and cultural perspective. Supporting OIFW with this event is just one of the many ways Build Ventures is propelling Orlando forward," said Kait Doulou, Founder and President of Build Ventures.

"We are grateful for the support from Kait Doulou and Build Ventures. Welcoming guests with complimentary champagne will set the tone for what promises to be an evening of elegance. The sponsorship of a signature cocktail hour provides our guests with an experience that matches the talent in the room as we prepare to be dazzled by the designers in the competition," said Nayrouz Olarte of Orlando International Fashion Week.

ABOUT ORLANDO FASHION WEEK

Orlando International Fashion Week, held October 29 through November 5, 2023, is the premier fashion event held in the vibrant city of Orlando, Florida. Renowned for its thriving arts and cultural scene, Orlando sets the perfect backdrop for this multi-day fashion showcase featuring the collections of over 30 talented designers from around the world. The celebration of fashion transcends the runway, seamlessly blending luxury lifestyle, music, art, charity, the latest trends, education, and diversity & inclusion.

ABOUT BUILD VENTURES

Founded by Kait Doulou, a certified general contractor and licensed real estate broker, Build Ventures is a woman owned general contracting and real estate development and investment firm. Providing vertically integrated construction, real estate, and property management services for the modern investor; Build Ventures offers turkey asset acquisition, horizontal and vertical building services, real estate advising, and project management for housing and hospitality developments.

Contact: Kait Doulou, [email protected]; For Media Inquiries, please contact Angela Robbins: [email protected]

SOURCE Build Ventures
Held this Year in Phoenix, the Annual Event Focused on Empowering Advisors to Thrive in a Rapidly Transforming Industry

PHOENIX, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Osaic, one of the nation's largest providers of wealth management services, announced the conclusion of ConnectED 2023, its annual educational conference, which took place this year in Phoenix October 22-25. The first national conference since the firm rebranded and began consolidating its wealth management firms attracted nearly 6,000 registered participants both in-person and virtually, making it the largest ConnectED conference to date.

Osaic's flagship event focused on empowering advisors to thrive in a transformative wealth management industry and included renowned speakers and informative workshops, as well as cutting-edge technology designed to encourage attendees to network with peers and learn valuable skills they can bring back to their businesses.

Jamie Price, President and CEO of Osaic said, "ConnectED is always a great opportunity to bring our network of advisors together with our staff and partners to not only share ideas, but to shape the future together. Our first ConnectED as a rebranded entity with more than one-third of our advisors already consolidated into Osaic gave us the chance to demonstrate the power of partnership. The success of the advisors and institution partners at Osaic is our success and our strategy is completely focused on them and their growth and productivity."

Leaders across the firm shared insights and provided exciting roadmaps for how Osaic is investing and progressing in four key areas.

Accelerating enterprise value, transforming the digital experience, reducing friction and cultivating community

Mr. Price kicked off the first full day of the conference with a fireside chat where he discussed the changing regulatory environment, the consolidation of the firm's eight wealth management firms into one and how the firm plans to evolve in the future.

"Shaping the Osaic brand into what we want it to be is the next phase for our company," Mr. Price said during his address. "We are turning the page to the next iteration of the industry, which allows us to be better partners to all our advisors."

Greg Cornick, President Advice and Wealth Management of Osaic discussed partnership and possibility and highlighted the key areas of focus for the firm: accelerating enterprise value, transforming the digital journey, striving for a frictionless experience, and cultivating the power of community and channels.

Mr. Cornick said, "It's about more than just growth. Our role as your partner is to expand what's possible. To build the pathways for you to reach your goals and to help you reimagine what you can accomplish. Your success, however you define it, is our top priority."

Osaic leaders also announced a simplified advisory pricing structure on the Wealth Management Platform (WMP) moving to a flat platform fee for advisors with more than $50M in advisory assets. For advisors with more than $500M in advisory assets, the fee will be 0 basis points. In addition, Osaic announced industry-leading wrap pricing that will go as low as 4 basis points.

"We are simplifying pricing across our ecosystem," Mr. Cornick said, "As a first step, we're making advisory pricing on WMP more streamlined and less expensive with tiered AMP and wrap platform pricing that will be straightforward and market competitive."

Throughout the conference, the firm's other leaders provided more detail on each area of focus and forthcoming technology enhancements, including:

A reimagined digital experience for the end-client

A new and streamlined affiliation platform,

Significant upgrades to the client and account management platform

The introduction of OneHub, Osaic's new advisor portal that features a sleek user experience and offers access to data, content, peer networks and all the apps advisors need to run their business in one place.

Compelling content, networking and giving back

ConnectED 2023 included an opening keynote address from Adam Grant, the renowned Organizational Psychologist from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of Think Again. Well-known business influencer and idea catalyst Dorie Clark delivered the closing key note on the final day.

Every element of ConnectED was thoughtfully designed to provide opportunities for networking, learning and connecting. The educational conference included more than 200 curated breakout sessions and attendees were able to maximize their experience at ConnectED by participating in Braindates, moderated roundtable discussions, peer-to-peer appointments and expert consultation sessions. The conference culminated in a closing night Block Party featuring the Steve Miller Band.

As part of its launch at ConnectED, the Osaic Foundation made a $10,000 grant to aid the financial literacy program at NourishPHX, and raised more than $10,000 at the event. Advisors and employees worked side-by-side during the conference to assemble financial literacy kits for the more than 200 families served by the charity.

Osaic also partnered with Fill It Forward to create a sustainable event, offering refillable water bottles to every attendee and eliminating plastic water bottles from the event. Fill It Forward has diverted 6+ million single-use items from the landfills and oceans and donated over $1 million to trusted charitable partners worldwide while helping to fund over 360+ giving projects globally.

About Osaic

Osaic, Inc. ("Osaic"), a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners, is one of the nation's largest providers of wealth management solutions, supporting over 10,500 financial professionals. Our mission is to support the strategic role that financial professionals can play in the lives of their clients. Cultivating a spirit of entrepreneurship and independence, Osaic champions the enduring value of financial professionals. For more information visit www.osaic.com

Securities and investment advisory services are offered through the firms: FSC Securities Corporation, Osaic Wealth, Inc., Triad Advisors, LLC, Osaic Institutions, Inc., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and members of FINRA and SIPC. Securities are offered through Securities America, Inc., American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc., and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co., broker-dealers and member of FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., and Triad Hybrid Solutions, LLC, registered investment advisers. Advisory programs offered by FSC Securities Corporation, Osaic Wealth, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., Triad Advisors, LLC., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., are sponsored by VISION2020 Wealth Management Corp., an affiliated registered investment adviser.

Media Inquiries

Joseph Kuo / Donald Cutler

Haven Tower Group

[email protected] or [email protected]

424 317 4851 or 424 317 4864

SOURCE Osaic, Inc.
Flexible Packaging Leader Expands Presence in Queretaro

SEATTLE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seeking to scale its Central America manufacturing capabilities, PAC Worldwide has moved operations formerly housed in its Pedro Escobedo, Mexico location into a new 83,000 square-foot plant in Vistha San Juan Del Rio. The full-service flexible packaging facility is located two hours north of Mexico City.

The global company will manufacture a variety of poly products and solutions from the factory, including its popular Mailjacket and Polyjacket mailers, as well as pouches, roll film, and security bags. PAC's paper products plant will remain in nearby San Juan Valle.

PAC Worldwide opened its first Mexican plant in the Queretaro area 26 years ago, selling to brands throughout North America as well as Mexico. The factory has served customers across a range of industries, including banking and financial services, couriers, e-commerce, as well as leaders in the food and snacks industry.

To mark the opening, PAC's executive management team and more than 100 local staff members gathered for a grand opening celebration. The company expects to expand the workforce by 15% or more during the busy holiday mailing season.

PAC Worldwide President Thomas Parenteau praised management and staff for the ease and effectiveness in making the transition to the new, larger factory.

"This was a significant undertaking, involving a lot of detailed planning and coordination," said Mr. Parenteau. "Our team did an excellent job of integrating systems, machinery, and workforce. The result of their efforts is a best-in-class operation that expands manufacturing capacity and increases our operating efficiencies."

The move expands PAC's fiber and polymer manufacturing capabilities, particularly in food-grade packaging. When operating at full capacity, the Queretaro plant will produce more than 700,000 bags daily.

About PAC Worldwide

Founded in 1975, PAC Worldwide Corporation has been a leader and innovator in developing and manufacturing customized packaging and contract packaging solutions for more than 40 years. The privately-owned company employs more than 1,300 team members through operations in the U.S., Mexico and Malaysia.

CONTACT: Michael Shepherd

[email protected]

(206)224-3550

SOURCE PAC Worldwide
Report offers in-depth look at clinicians' views of the challenges using EHRs and third-party solutions

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Patient care is compromised when clinicians are not able to easily find and apply patient-specific insights from third-party solutions while working in their EHRs, according to a new report released today from Insiteflow, the leading platform for EHR Decision Workflow.

The report, How EHR Workflows Impact Clinician Experience, Patient Care, and Profitability, reveals how not utilizing insights seriously impacts patient care. Of the clinicians surveyed for the report, 94% said not having easy-to-use insights negatively affects patient care, including in the following harmful ways:

53% of clinicians surveyed report patients will start treatment too late

52% report patients will spend additional time in the hospital

47% report patients will receive the wrong treatment plan

The survey of 250 clinicians, which was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Insiteflow, documents the problems they have using third-party solutions while working in EHRs.

Clinicians find third-party solutions useful; in fact, 74% reported changing an initial diagnosis or altering a treatment plan for a patient based on insights from solutions external to their EHRs. The problem is difficulty in finding and applying the insights quickly and easily. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed reported that it's not easy to harness these external opportunities for improvement while working in their EHR. The caregivers had to use disparate methods to access their multiple external sources of insights, including leaving their EHR and signing into a separate site.

"Insights from external solutions are hugely beneficial to clinicians in improving patient care, but only if they can be quickly and easily actionable in their EHR workflow," said Anthony Gerardi, CEO of Insiteflow, the leading platform for EHR Decision Workflow. "Unfortunately, their current experiences for finding and applying external insights to improve patient care are challenging and adding to their fatigue and burnout."

In fact, 98% of the clinicians surveyed reported missing opportunities to provide better patient care, save patient lives, and receive timely reimbursement because patient-specific insights were not easier to use. Ninety-four percent reported that learning how to access and use patient-specific insights from different external solutions contributes to their feelings of fatigue and burnout.

In addition to having six to 20 or more external solutions, clinicians reported not taking advantage of the insights for the following reasons: accessing them is too time-consuming (43%), not intuitive (39%), too difficult (27%), or they simply forget (31%). The most common workflows require logging into external websites, scrolling drop-down menus in EHRs and getting alerts or alarms within the EHRs. The result is typically a less-than-ideal experience for overworked clinicians.

"These survey findings reinforce why we started Insiteflow," Gerardi said. "Making external insights accessible, actionable and automated for clinicians in their EHRs through our EHR Decision Workflow platform will empower clinicians to transform clinical outcomes and financial results."

Gerardi will join Doug Shaw, senior vice president of the American Hospital Association, and Rich Moyer, chief product officer at Milliman MedInsight, for a free webinar on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the report findings. Among the topics to be discussed include:

How EHR workflows are impacting patient care and reimbursement

How an alarming number of opportunities to improve patient care are missed

The barriers to using patient-specific insights from external solutions

The top negative patient outcomes of current EHR workflows for using external solutions

Visit the Insiteflow website to access the full report and learn how Insiteflow enhances the clinician experience through EHR Decision Workflow to improve patient care, reimbursement, and the return on investment (ROI) from third-party solutions and EHRs.

About the study

The Insiteflow Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among a select group of 250 U.S. clinicians. Importantly, the surveyed clinicians had been using their current EHR system for a minimum of 12 months, ensuring that their insights were grounded in substantial experience. The study was conducted with respondents participating through email invitations and online surveys. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 6.2%

About Insiteflow

Insiteflow's EHR Decision Workflow SaaS platform transforms clinical outcomes and financial results by making external, third-party solutions accessible, actionable, and automated in EHR workflow. We empower clinicians and the entire care to drive improvements at the point of care and key decision points with automated EHR Decision Workflow. More insightful EHR workflow improves the ROI of external third-party solutions and EHRs. For more information, visit www.insiteflow.com.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Insiteflow
Point-of-care leader welcomes six industry veterans dedicated to driving value for life sciences and health and wellness brands

CINCINNATI, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PatientPoint today announced exciting growth within its client strategy, analytics and sales organizations, further strengthening its best-in-industry team dedicated to amplifying PatientPoint's reach and impact for life sciences and health and wellness brands.

Within its Market Strategy and Client Insights and Research and Analytics disciplines, PatientPoint has recently welcomed two industry veterans boasting deep pharmaceutical and health and wellness experience:

Point-of-care leader welcomes six industry veterans dedicated to driving value for life sciences and health and wellness brands

Meghan Sarli , Principal, Client Insights and Enablement: Meghan Sarli joins PatientPoint after nearly 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck and IQVIA, where she gained deep experience in data analytics and insights for DTC and HCP marketing campaigns. At PatientPoint, Sarli is focused on identifying emerging industry trends, strengthening client engagement and developing case studies to help advance the point-of-care channel.





joins PatientPoint after nearly 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck and IQVIA, where she gained deep experience in data analytics and insights for DTC and HCP marketing campaigns. At PatientPoint, Sarli is focused on identifying emerging industry trends, strengthening client engagement and developing case studies to help advance the point-of-care channel. Melanie Spurrier , Vice President, Research and Analytics: Melanie Spurrier brings 20 years of data and analytics and market research expertise to PatientPoint. Spurrier, who recently returned to PatientPoint after two years at Definitive Healthcare, previously spent 12 years at PatientPoint as a leader in the company's Market Research and Program Performance organization. In her new role, Spurrier leads the Strategy and Insights team responsible for PatientPoint campaign evaluation and performance insights for pharmaceutical and OTC/CPG partners.

PatientPoint also continues to expand its Client Sales and Solutions team, recently welcoming these experienced pharmaceutical, health and wellness and media industry sales leaders:

David Loux , Vice President, Client Solutions: David Loux joins PatientPoint with 15 years of pharmaceutical and healthcare industry sales experience from sales leadership roles at organizations including Indegene, WebMD, Healthcasts and P\S\L Group.





joins PatientPoint with 15 years of pharmaceutical and healthcare industry sales experience from sales leadership roles at organizations including Indegene, WebMD, Healthcasts and P\S\L Group. Elizabeth Hall , Director, Client Solutions: Elizabeth Hall brings more than 10 years of B2B, DTP and DTC sales experience to PatientPoint and previously served in several relevant sales roles at Wolters Kluwer Health.





brings more than 10 years of B2B, DTP and DTC sales experience to PatientPoint and previously served in several relevant sales roles at Wolters Kluwer Health. Debra Palonis , Director, Client Solutions: Debra Palonis joins PatientPoint with 30 years of pharmaceutical and biotech sales experience, most recently serving in sales leadership roles at Reverba, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Genentech.





joins PatientPoint with 30 years of pharmaceutical and biotech sales experience, most recently serving in sales leadership roles at Reverba, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Genentech. Dennis Young , Director, Client Solutions: Dennis Young joins PatientPoint with more than 15 years of digital media, omnichannel and market intelligence solutions sales experience from sales leadership roles at organizations including Good-Loop, Cluep, Slightly, Inuvo, Inc. and InMarket.

"The unrivaled impact PatientPoint delivers to patients, physicians and our client partners starts with our peopleand our world-class team is the reason PatientPoint remains the 35-year point-of-care leader," said PatientPoint Chief Client Officer Linda Ruschau. "The incredible depth and breadth of experience represented by these accomplished strategy, research and sales leaders will enable us to make an even bigger impact and, ultimately, empower better health for all."

About PatientPoint

PatientPoint is the patient engagement platform for every point of care. Our innovative, tech-enabled solutions create more effective doctor-patient interactions and deliver high value for patients, providers and healthcare sponsors. Through our nearly 140k unique healthcare provider relationships, PatientPoint's solutions impact roughly 750 million patient visits each year, further advancing our mission of making every doctor-patient engagement better. Learn more at patientpoint.com.

SOURCE PatientPoint
CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Polyester Film Market by Type (Biaxially oriented, thermal film, metalized film, holographic film, UV stabilized, matte film, barrier film), Application (packaging, electrical insulation, imaging), End Use Industry, and Region - Global forecast to 2028", is projected to reach USD 44.2 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 6.2% from USD 32.7 billion in 2023. The Polyester Film market is mainly driven by the demand from various end use industries such as textile, pharmaceutical, transportation, packaging and electronic appliances, others. It is also driven by developing and emerging economies such as the US and China.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Polyester Film Market"

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"Biaxially oriented by type is projected to grow at fastest CAGR, in terms of value, during the forecast period."

Biaxially oriented PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, or BoPET, is extensively used in the market due to its outstanding combination of properties. It offers excellent barrier properties, effectively protecting contents from moisture, oxygen, and aromas, making it highly suitable for critical packaging applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries. BoPET's remarkable dimensional stability ensures that it retains its shape and size, even in fluctuating temperature and humidity conditions, making it invaluable in applications where precise dimensions are necessary. Additionally, its high tensile strength and durability make it a preferred choice for flexible packaging, labeling, and various industrial applications, contributing to its widespread use in the market.

"Food & beverage" by end use industry segment accounted for the largest share in terms of value."

Food packaging is extensively used in the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) market due to its unmatched combination of safety, barrier properties, transparency, lightweight durability, and recyclability. PET is recognized as a food-safe material, ensuring the safety and hygiene of packaged food, and its excellent barrier qualities preserve product freshness and quality. Additionally, its transparency is vital for marketing and consumer appeal, while being lightweight reduces transportation costs and potential product damage. Furthermore, the recyclability of PET aligns with the growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility in the food packaging industry.

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"North America is expected to be the fastest growing market for Polyester Film market during the forecast period, in terms of value."

North America has emerged as the fastest-growing region in the polyester film industry, driven by a confluence of significant factors. Foremost among these is the escalating demand for sustainable packaging solutions. Both consumers and businesses in North America are increasingly environmentally conscious and are actively seeking eco-friendly alternatives. Polyester films have gained favor in this context as they can be manufactured from recycled materials or renewable resources, making them a more sustainable choice compared to conventional packaging materials like paper and plastic.

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Market Players

The key players in global polyester film market include DuPont Teijin Films (US), TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC. (Japan), Mitsubishi Polyester Film GmbH (Germany), Kolon Industries, Inc. (South Korea), ESTER INDUSTRIES LIMITED (India), Jindal Films Limited (India), Terphane LLC (US), TOYOBO CO. LTD. (Japan), Polyplex Corporation Limited (India) and others.

Browse Adjacent Market: Packaging Market Research Reports

Related Reports:

BOPP Films Market - Global Forecast to 2025

Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Bopet Films Market - Global Forecast to 2026

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report.

MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients.

Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes.

The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry.

To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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MarketsandMarkets INC.

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Northbrook, IL 60062

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NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) market size is expected to grow by USD 106.84 million from 2022 to 2027. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 8.12% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. Growing demand for drug delivery applications is notably driving the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) market. However, factors such as Stringent regulations on PLGA may impede market growth. The market is segmented by Application (Personal care and dermatology, Suture, Fracture fixation, and Others), Type (PLGA 50:50, PLGA 75:25, PLGA 85:15, and PLGA 65:35), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). We provide a detailed analysis of 20 companies operating in the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) market, including Akina Inc., Alfa Chemistry, Ashland Inc., Bezwada Biomedical LLC, CD Bioparticles, Corbion NV, Creative PEGWorks, Evonik Industries AG, Foster Corp., Huizhou Foryou Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Koninklijke DSM NV, Merck KGaA, Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Nanosoft Polymers, Nomisma Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Poly Med Inc., Polysciences Inc., SEQENS GROUP, SPECIFIC POLYMERS, and Zeus Co. Inc. The report offers an up-to-date analysis of the market, and to know the exact growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Request a Sample Report.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) (PLGA) Market 2023-2027

Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) (PLGA) Market 2023-2027: Company Analysis

Ashland- The company offers polylactic-co-glycolic acid such as Viatel bioresorbable polymers. This report provides a full list of key companies, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now for detailed company information

Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) (PLGA) Market 2023-2027: Segmentation

Application

The market share growth in the personal care and dermatology segment will be significant during the forecast period. The unique properties of PLGA make it an appropriate component for a range of personal care and dermatological products, such as facial fillers, body contouring devices, and skin substitutes. Moreover, its biodegradability allows PLGA to gradually degrade into lactic acid and glycolic acid within the body, making it an attractive option for facial fillers and other injectable products.

Geography

North America is estimated to contribute 35% to the growth of the market during the forecast period. The North American market is expected to experience significant growth, primarily driven by the increasing demand from the pharmaceutical sector. The US is a major consumer of PLGA within the region, with wide-ranging applications in the personal care and cosmetics industry. Furthermore, the growth of the poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) market in North America is also driven by the favorable research and development (R&D) landscape.

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View the PDF Sample Report

Related Reports:

The global glycolic acid market size is estimated to grow by USD 154.05 million between 2022 and 2027 exhibiting a CAGR of 7.92%.

The Formic Acid (HCOOH) Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.88% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 485.04 million.

Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) (PLGA) Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.12% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 106.84 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 7.7 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, China, UK, Germany, and France Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Akina Inc., Alfa Chemistry, Ashland Inc., Bezwada Biomedical LLC, CD Bioparticles, Corbion NV, Creative PEGWorks, Evonik Industries AG, Foster Corp., Huizhou Foryou Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Koninklijke DSM NV, Merck KGaA, Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Nanosoft Polymers, Nomisma Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Poly Med Inc., Polysciences Inc., SEQENS GROUP, SPECIFIC POLYMERS, and Zeus Co. Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Application

Market Segmentation by Type

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, & Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. This year marks the 4th anniversary of the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan told Trend.

Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the NAM over the past four years, the second-largest political institution after the UN, has been quite successful, and most member countries consider it exemplary.

"Success achieved during Azerbaijan's chairmanship were appreciated by all member countries, and the proposed chairmanship of Azerbaijan in the NAM for a period of three years was unanimously extended for another one year, said the ministry.

Azerbaijan, during the chairmanship, has demonstrated a policy aimed at restoring the former authority of the NAM in the system of international relations and aimed at promoting the "Bandung principles", without contradicting any international actors.

The ministry noted that despite the fact that most of the chairmanship coincided with the period of intensive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the globally important initiatives put forward by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, the existing challenges have become new opportunities for cooperation.

Azerbaijan has put forward and adopted important resolutions in the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council in order to put an end to the "policy of vaccine nationalism" and unfair, indifferent attitude towards developing countries, said the ministry.

Azerbaijan has also taken important steps to establish NAM, creating a Parliamentary Network and a Youth Organization of the Non-Aligned Movement in accordance with the initiatives of the head of state, said the ministry.

The ministry said that appropriate measures are currently being taken to create women's and media platforms for NAM.

The first meeting of the think tanks of the Non-Aligned Movement member countries was also held, and the first step was taken towards their networking during Azerbaijans chairmanship, said the ministry.

In addition, the ministry noted that the Azerbaijani chairmanship has also made a valuable contribution to field cooperation within the NAM. Meetings of ministers responsible for the sphere of labor, health, education, information and communications of the NAM member countries have been held.

A meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee between the NAM and the Group of 77 (G77) was held in September this year within the framework of the UN General Assembly High-level Week under the co-chairmanship of Azerbaijan and Cuba for the first time in nine years to expand cooperation in the field of sustainable economic development between NAM member countries, most of which are developing countries, the statement said.

The Non-Aligned Movement, which is one of the strongest supporters of establishing justice in the system of international relations, and during the chairmanship of Azerbaijan did not remain indifferent to the injustice directed against its member countries, including Azerbaijan, condemning the aggression directed, in particular, against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan during the second Karabakh war, and it prevented provocative steps put forward within the framework of the UN, said the ministry.

At the 19th Summit of the NAM, which will be held from January 15 through January 20, 2024, in Kampala (Uganda), the chairmanship of the NAM will pass from Azerbaijan to Uganda, and Azerbaijan will be in the top three chairmen of the NAM for the next three years. Having become one of the three chairmen of the NAM, Azerbaijan will spare no effort to strengthen the international authority and positions of this institution," the ministry said.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of the market assessment report on "Global Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type of Container (Sterile Cartridges, Sterile Syringes, and Sterile Vials), Type of Closure (Caps, Plungers, Seals, Stoppers, Tip Caps / Needle Shields), Material of Fabrication (Aluminum, Glass, Plastic, and Rubber)-Market Outlook And Industry Analysis 2031."

InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd

According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market size is valued at US$ 8.42 Bn in 2022, and it is expected to reach US$ 14.23 Bn in 2031, recording a promising CAGR of 6.13% during the forecast period of 2023-2031.

The primary packaging of drugs and vaccines is important in ensuring their integrity, quality and protecting them from contaminants. Hence, sterilization is essential in pharmaceutical manufacturing because it helps maintain product safety and adhere to strict quality standards. This has increased the importance of pre-sterilized/ready-to-use containers in pharmaceutical packaging. Ready-to-use vials eliminate the need for in-house sterilization processes, reducing contamination risks and production timelines. The surging demand for safe drug delivery systems has enhanced the growth of the Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical packaging market.

Recent advances in packaging materials and technologies have resulted in innovative solutions offering high drug compatibility, stability, and barrier properties. The advantages offered by empty sterile vials and syringes, and their increasing demand in the healthcare sector, specifically after the COVID-19 pandemic, have prompted manufacturers to implement advancements that are likely to propel the market growth during the forecast period.

Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/2187

Some of the prominent players in the Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market are:

ABB

Afton Scientific

ALK Life Science Solutions

Allergy Laboratories

AptarGroup

Aseptic Technologies

Becton Dickinson

Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing

Bharat Rubber Works

BioPharma Solutions

Bormioli Pharma

Catalent

Centor

COLANAR

Corning

Credence MedSystems

Daikyo Seiko

Dara Pharmaceutical Packaging

Datwyler Group

DENSO

Disposable-Lab (Acquired by Amatsigroup )

DWK Life Sciences

EMA Pharmaceuticals

Amatsigroup (Acquired by Eurofins CDMO )

Eurofins CDMO FANUC America

GCL Pharma (Acquired by Bormioli Pharma )

Bormioli Pharma Gerresheimer

Huayi Isotopes Company

IMA

ISOLAB

Jiangsu Hualan New Pharmaceutical Material

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Klenzaids Contamination Controls

KUKA

Marchesini Group

MedCision

MedicoPack

Merck

Momentive Technologies

Muller + Muller (Acquired by DWK Life Sciences)

Nelson Labs

Nemera

Ningbo Zhengli Pharmaceutical Packaging

Nipro

OMRON Industrial Automation

Origin Pharma Packaging

Ott (Acquired by Datwyler Group)

Datwyler Pall

Pfeiffer Vacuum

Pfizer

Philabundance

Prince Sterilization Services

Qingdao Huaren Medical Product

Radpharm Scientific

Retractable Technologies

Sagar Rubber

Samsung Medical Rubber

Sartorius

SCHOTT

Seiko Epson

SGD Pharma

SiO2 Materials Science

Sonata Rubber

Staubli

Steriline

Sterisets International

Stevanato Group

SureCare

SVM Automatik

Swissfillon

Syntegon

Tekpak

Terumo

Toxikon Europe (Acquired by Sterigenics International)

Transcoject

Triveni Polymers (Acquired by Gerresheimer )

Gerresheimer Universal Medicap

Universal Robots

United Pharmacy Partners (UPPI )

Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre

Vanrx Pharmasystems

Vetter Pharma

VIGHNESH Rubbers

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group

West Pharmaceutical Services

YangZhong Wealth Metal

Yaskawa Electric

Ypsomed

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Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Report Scope

Report Attribute Specifications Market Size Value In 2022 USD 8.42 Bn Revenue Forecast In 2031 USD 14.23 Bn Growth Rate CAGR CAGR of 6.13 % from 2023 to 2031 Quantitative Units Representation of revenue in US$ Bn and CAGR from 2023 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2031 Report Coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market structure, growth prospects, and trends Segments Covered By Type of Container, Type of Closure, Material of Fabrication Regional Scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa Country Scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; The UK; France; Italy; Spain; China; Japan; India; South Korea; South East Asia; South Korea; South East Asia Competitive Landscape APG Pharma Packaging, Aptar, Daikyo Seiko, Datwyler, DWK Life Sciences, Ningbo Zhengli Pharmaceutical Packaging, Nuova OMPI (a subsidiary of Stevanato), SCHOTT, and West Pharmaceutical Services. Customization Scope Free customization report with the procurement of the report, Modifications to the regional and segment scope. Particular Geographic competitive landscape. Pricing and Available Payment Methods Explore pricing alternatives that are customized to your particular study requirements.

Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

The main factors responsible for driving the Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical packaging market are increasing preference towards patient safety and rising importance for sterility and integrity of pharmaceutical products. In addition, strict regulatory guidelines set by regulatory agencies such as the FDA and EMA play an essential role in booming the demand for pre-sterilized pharmaceutical packaging. Moreover, the complex manufacturing of advanced therapies such as cell and gene therapies led to a surge in the need for suitable containers for ATMP aseptic filling & finishing. The addition of RTU (ready-to-use) packaging into the pharmaceutical industry ensures that the product is quickly available through the optimized supply chain.

Further, the high demand for COVID-19 vaccines has boosted market growth, especially for sterile vials.

Regional Trends:

North America captured the highest revenue share of the Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market in 2022 and is expected to continue its growth during the forecast period 2023-2031. This growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for pharmaceutical products, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, and rising government efforts and investments in developing pharmaceutical facilities. Besides, the Asia Pacific region is anticipated to grow faster in the next few years.

Key developments in the market:

In June 2022 , Schott invested multi-Bn euros to increase sterile RTU vials production at its facility in Pennsylvania , US.

Schott invested multi-Bn euros to increase sterile RTU vials production at its facility in , US. In March 2022 , Stevanato expanded its vial manufacturing operations to meet the need for vaccines during the pandemic under a contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ). The company has invested in expanding the production capacity for both standard RTU vials and EZ fill RTU vials.

Stevanato BARDA RTU EZ RTU In March 2022 , SGD Pharma introduced a 100 ml ready-to-use sterile glass vial, catering to the demand for small and large sterile vials.

Market Segments

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Type of Container

Sterile Cartridges

Sterile Syringes

Sterile Vials

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Type of Closure

Caps

Plungers

Seals

Stoppers

Tip Caps / Needle Shields

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Material of Fabrication

Aluminum

Glass

Rubber

Plastic

Market Size (Value US$ Mn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Revenue (US$ Bn) by Country, 2023 to 2031

U.S.

Canada

Europe Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Revenue (US$ Bn) by Country, 2023 to 2031

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Revenue (US$ Bn) by Country, 2023 to 2031

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Revenue (US$ Bn) by Country, 2023 to 2031

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Revenue (US$ Bn) by Country, 2023 to 2031

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

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Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for the global Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market

To receive an industry overview and future trends in the global Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market

To analyze the Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market drivers and challenges

To get information on the Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market size value (US$ Mn) forecast till 2031

Major Investments, Mergers & Acquisitions in the global Pre-Sterilized/Ready to Use Pharmaceutical Packaging Market industry

Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Research Report 2023

Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Research Report 2023

Pharmaceutical Plastic Bottles Market Research Report 2023

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InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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SOURCE InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Orleans Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit (MCIU) isn't just a program; it's a lifeline. Officially opening its doors on June 1, 2023, it's the first program of its kind in the city of New Orleans to swiftly connect those in a behavioral health crises with experts that can help. With tangible results, it's reshaping New Orleans' mental health landscape, and reducing law enforcement interventions and emergency room visits while making the streets safer.

The New Orleans MCIU team on opening Day, June 1st, 2023.

To educate the community about the MCIU, Resources for Human Development (RHD), in collaboration with the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD), is hosting a grand opening event on October 25, 2023, from 11 am to 3 pm, at 501 Basin Street. Following the MCIU's opening this past June  this community event will feature remarks from Oliver Thomas, New Orleans City Councilmember; Joe Giarrusso, New Orleans City Councilmember; Dr. Jennifer Avengo, MD, Director of the New Orleans Health Department; RHD and MCIU leadership; and members of the New Orleans Police Department Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).

The MCIU is part of NOHD's efforts to improve the mental health system in New Orleans and reduce the reliance on law enforcement and emergency rooms for mental health care. The MCIU works in collaboration with other agencies and organizations, such as the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) to ensure a coordinated and holistic response to mental health emergencies.

From June 1, 2023, to October 16, 2023, the New Orleans MCIU received 951 calls, constituting approximately 30% of all mental health calls received by 911 in the area. The MCIU team plays a vital role in collaborating with clients, family members, community members, providers, and the NOPD to de-escalate tense situations on-site. As a result of these dedicated efforts and other factors, New Orleans has seen a significant 30% reduction in crime when compared to the same period from 2022.

The New Orleans MCIU consists of a team of trained mental health professionals who respond to mental health emergencies in the city. This new unit operates as the fourth arm of the City's first responder system to provide a rapid response to behavioral health calls where weapons or violence are not involved. RHD, a national nonprofit provider, supplies the trained mental health professionals to effectively de-escalate situations, determine and provide appropriate interventions and connect individuals with resources available for help.

How does it work?

New Orleans MCIU is integrated through OPCD (the local 911 system) to respond to non-violent behavioral health crisis calls 24/7/365.

OPCD triage incoming calls identified as behavioral health or social needs calls. Calls determined to be a mental health-related are then sent to the MCIU for response.

MCIU crisis workers respond and assess while en route to determine the appropriateness for response.

The New Orleans MCIU team arrive on-site in RHD-branded, wheelchair-accessible vans for patient transport to an appropriate care level location, if needed, and support the individual in managing their crisis.

Team Composition:

New Orleans MCIU's team is comprised of Mental Health Professionals, bachelor's-level Clinicians, and Peer Support Specialists  including those with lived experience.

Each responding unit is comprised of two mental health workers. A fully licensed clinician is available for each call to determine appropriate interventions.

MCIU runs two units from 7 am to 10 pm and one overnight unit, seven days a week, including holidays.

"Addressing public safety as a matter of public health means addressing the root causes, which oftentimes includes mental health," said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "Improving the safety and well-being of our city through a holistic lens includes aiding some of our most vulnerable residents who are experiencing behavioral crises, while also supporting our police force so they may respond to other incidents more rapidly. The result will be a multidisciplinary team well-equipped to handle these complex circumstances and a more efficient system of care."

For more information, please contact Darlene Blevins, RHD Director of Marketing and Communications ([email protected]), or Michael Pelusi, RHD Content Writer ([email protected]).

About Resources for Human Development

Celebrating over 50 years of delivering the highest quality services, RHD is a diversified human services nonprofit with more than 135 programs in 12 states. A values-driven organization carrying out the broadest possible service mission, RHD is uniquely positioned to respond to a wide range of individual and community challenges. RHD believes that where there's a gap in human services, there's an opportunity for a forward-thinking solution.

http://www.rhd.org/

About the New Orleans Health Department

The mission of the nationally accredited New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) is to promote, protect, and improve the health of all in our community through equitable policies, programs, and partnerships. NOHD is committed to building a healthy and equitable New Orleans by supporting the well-being of everyone in the region. Learn more at www.nola.gov/health.

SOURCE Resources For Human Development
Pioneering Affordable Moderate-Income Housing Developer recognized as Developer of the Year by the Oakland Jobs and Housing Coalition.

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading workforce multifamily specialist Riaz Capital, a pioneer of quality affordable housing for moderate-income professionals in the Bay Area, has been awarded Developer of the Year by the Oakland Jobs and Housing Coalition (JHC).

Riaz Capital's comprehensive approach to development encompasses both affordability and sustainability. The company's projects are designed to meet the diverse needs of Oakland's residents, fostering thriving, inclusive communities. By focusing on energy efficiency, modern amenities, and quality construction, Riaz Capital ensures that each development not only provides comfortable living spaces but also contributes to the overall well-being of the community. In 2024, Riaz Capital will reach a new milestone by delivering 470 units in Oakland.

Established in 2006, the Oakland Jobs and Housing Coalition is a well-known nonprofit and business advocacy group that works to enhance economic development and quality of life for Oakland residents. JHC's members include senior representatives of large Oakland-based corporations who support its work of identifying critical issues and driving researched policy-based solutions to help Oakland realize its potential.

"We are honored to be recognized as Developer of the Year by the Jobs and Housing Coalition," said Riaz Taplin, Founder & CEO of Riaz Capital. "This recognition reaffirms our dedication to the people of the Bay Area and our commitment to addressing the housing challenges they face. We will continue to work diligently to provide affordable housing solutions to the people of California."

The award will be presented at JHC's annual Legacy Event on October 26th, 2023. Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis will also be honored at the event. For more information, please visit https://www.jhcoakland.com/.

Media Contact:

Mathew Salter

+1 (415) 828-5800

[email protected]

SOURCE Riaz Capital
DUBLIN, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Alternative Fuel and Hybrid Vehicle Market - Global Alternative Fuel and Hybrid Vehicle Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Regional Outlook, and Forecast 2023-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle market is currently on an upward trajectory, poised to soar from its 2022 valuation of US$515.9 billion to an estimated US$6,035.7 billion by the end of 2030.

This extraordinary growth is forecasted to experience a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.1% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2030.

Key Market Trends:

Environmental Awareness Driving Market Growth: A pivotal trend propelling the alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle market is the increasing awareness of environmental issues, particularly climate change. This heightened awareness has led to the development and adoption of alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles as consumers and governments seek cleaner transportation options to combat rising greenhouse gas emissions from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Dominance of Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs): In 2022, plug-in hybrid vehicles held the dominant position in the market. PHEVs offer significantly reduced fuel consumption compared to conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles. They can cover shorter distances using only electricity, thus conserving fuel and lowering emissions, making them a favored choice among consumers. Passenger Vehicles Leading the Way: The passenger vehicles segment emerged as the dominant category in 2022, driven by the superior fuel efficiency of diesel-electric or gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. These vehicles typically achieve higher miles per gallon (MPG) or equivalent, contributing to their substantial market share. Economical Vehicles in Demand: In 2022, economical vehicles were the market leaders. Many consumers are prioritizing affordability while also considering their environmental impact. Government regulations enforcing stricter emissions and fuel economy standards further encourage the production and adoption of economical vehicles.

Regional Insights:

Asia Pacific Takes the Lead: The Asia Pacific region is expected to command the largest share of the global alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle market. Many countries in this region offer incentives and subsidies, such as tax reductions and rebates, to promote the adoption of these vehicles, making them more accessible to consumers. Additionally, a growing professional base contributes to the increasing demand for these vehicles. North America Experiences Strong Growth: North America anticipates robust growth in the alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle market. Federal and state governments in the region offer tax credits, rebates, and incentives to encourage vehicle purchases, reducing the initial cost for consumers. Stricter emissions regulations and fuel efficiency standards further drive the adoption of cleaner transportation options.

Outlook:

The alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle market's remarkable growth is fueled by rapid electric vehicle (EV) sales, expanding fast-charging infrastructure, increased consumer awareness, and government initiatives to combat climate change. However, competition, high initial costs, and the need for ongoing innovations remain challenges.

Eco-friendly packaging solutions, infrastructural developments, and collaborative efforts among automakers to advance alternative fuel technologies are key trends shaping the industry's future.

Leading Industry Players:

Prominent companies driving the global alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle market include BMW Group, Tesla, Inc., Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., BYD Company Ltd, Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, Ampere Vehicles, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Audi AG, and Renault Group.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Definitions and Segmentations

2.2. Market Dynamics

2.2.1. Drivers

2.2.2. Restraints

2.2.3. Market Opportunities

2.3. Value Chain Analysis

2.4. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

2.5. Covid-19 Impact Analysis

2.5.1. Supply

2.5.2. Demand

2.6. Impact of Ukraine-Russia Conflict

2.7. Economic Overview

2.7.1. World Economic Projections

2.8. PESTLE Analysis



3. Global Alternative Fuel and Hybrid Vehicle Market Outlook, 2018 - 2030



4. North America Case Packing Machine Market Outlook, 2018 - 2030

5. Europe Case Packing Machine Market Outlook, 2018 - 2030



6. Asia Pacific Case Packing Machine Market Outlook, 2018 - 2030



7. Latin America Case Packing Machine Market Outlook, 2018 - 2030



8. Middle East & Africa Case Packing Machine Market Outlook, 2018 - 2030



9. Competitive Landscape

10. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e8to2r

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Recorded Q3'23 consolidated revenue of KRW 1,034 billion

Recorded Q3'23 consolidated operating profit of KRW 319 billion

Achieved record-high quarterly consolidated revenue as a result of successful Plant 4 ramp-up bolstering order backlog

INCHEON, South Korea, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS), the world's leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023.

"We have achieved a remarkable milestone with consolidated sales surpassing KRW 1 trillion in a single quarter, ultimately demonstrating our commitment to excellence and innovation," said John Rim, CEO and President of Samsung Biologics. "Our expanding partnerships with global leading pharmaceutical companies and a thriving sales backlog reflect the trust our clients place in us and our capabilities. Looking ahead, our expansion plans, including the construction of the ADC facility and Plant 5, will meet the increasing market demand and support our clients' needs for both capacity and business diversification."

THIRD QUARTER 2023 RESULTS

In the third quarter of 2023, consolidated revenue exceeded KRW 1 trillion for the first time in a single quarter, marking an 18% increase from the KRW 873 billion reported in the same period of the previous year. This is attributed to a rapid increase in the operating rate of Plant 4 and a robust sales backlog, resulting in a projected over 20% annual growth in consolidated revenue. Consolidated operating profit for the third quarter of 2023 reached KRW 319 billion, while net profit was KRW 240 billion with an EBITDA of KRW 457 billion.

On a standalone basis, the company reported KRW 883 billion in revenue for the third quarter of 2023, reflecting a 31% increase from KRW 675 billion in the same period in the previous year. Operating profit reached KRW 382 billion, marking a 23% increase from the prior year.

The company also expanded its strategic partnerships to include 14 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies, further solidifying the company's position as a trusted CDMO partner. As of October, Samsung Biologics has accumulated contracts worth over USD 11.8 billion, which includes the previously announced long-term partnership with Pfizer and an expanded strategic agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb.

[Consolidated Earnings, KRW billion]



Q3'23 Q3'22 YoY Change Revenues 1,034 873 +18.4 % Operating Profit 319 325 -1.9 % Net Profit 240 129 +86.0 % EBITDA 457 409 +11.6 %

FISCAL YEAR 2023 OUTLOOK

Samsung Biologics is committed to meeting the growing demand for high-quality biologics. The company's expansion plans are on track, with the new Plant 5 set to commence operations by April 2025, adding an 180KL of capacity.

As the first facility of Samsung Biologics' second Bio Campus at its headquarters in Songdo, South Korea, Plant 5 is expected to have the shortest construction timeline at 24 months, made possible by the company's standardized design, accumulated operational excellence, and proven expertise.

To expand its business portfolio, Samsung Biologics' separate antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing facility is expected to be cGMP-ready within 2024 in order to develop and explore innovative technologies for next-generation biomedicines.

This aligns with the company's strategic investments, made through the Samsung Life Science Fund, to support biotechs like AimedBio and Araris Biotech AG who are pioneering ADC technology.

Samsung Biologics also continues to engage and drive action in the sustainability front. In July, together with global leaders from across the healthcare sector under The Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force, Samsung Biologics President and CEO John Rim announced an open letter, calling on suppliers to commit to joint, minimum climate and sustainability targets.

The company has also joined the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), a non-profit organization accelerating the path to net-zero aviation, to help reduce emissions by investing in high-integrity Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

For more details on performance and financials, please refer to the Earnings Release.

About Samsung Biologics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS) is a fully integrated, end-to-end CDMO service provider, offering seamless development and manufacturing solutions from cell line development to final aseptic fill/finish as well as laboratory testing support for the biopharmaceutical products we manufacture. Our state-of-the-art facilities are cGMP compliant with bioreactors ranging from small to large scales to serve varying client needs. To maximize our operational efficiency and expand our capabilities in response to growing biomanufacturing demand, Samsung Biologics recently completed BioCampus I with Plant 4 offering a combined 604KL total capacity, and launched BioCampus II with the construction of Plant 5, which will be operational in April 2025 adding 180KL biomanufacturing capacity. Additionally, Samsung Biologics America enables the company to work in closer proximity to clients based in the U.S. and Europe. We continue to upgrade our capabilities to accommodate our clients by investing in technologies such as an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) facility, a dedicated mRNA manufacturing facility, and additional aseptic filling capacity. As a sustainable CDMO partner of choice, we are committed to on-time, in-full delivery of the products we manufacture with our flexible manufacturing solutions, operational excellence, and proven expertise.

Samsung Biologics Contact:

Claire Kim

Head of Marketing Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Samsung Biologics
CLEARWATER, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SandStone Insurance Partners is delighted to announce the appointment of Charlie Robinson as President, effective October 2, 2023. With over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Charlie brings a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to community service.

In his role, Charlie will spearhead all sales operations activities throughout the entire state of Florida. His responsibilities include supporting growth through acquisitions, building and enhancing the brand's presence within the region, and contributing to the organizational culture.

On a personal note, Charlie Robinson is a high-quality individual with a long-standing reputation for doing business the "right way." Married for over 30 years and a proud parent of three children, Charlie's values and faith-based approach align seamlessly with SandStone's mission and vision. Known for his exceptional leadership and industry prominence, he seeks to play a more impactful role within a smaller, dynamic firm.

Charlie Robinson's roots in Clearwater, FL, run deep, showcasing his strong ties to the community. He began his professional journey over three decades ago with USI Insurance Services (and predecessor companies), specializing in Property and Casualty industries, and has continued to climb the ranks in various esteemed leadership positions.

His diverse background includes serving on the Waterfall Bank Board of Directors, holding the position of President at YMCA of the Suncoast, and contributing as the President of Goodwill Industries Suncoast, among other notable roles.

Charlie's reputation for delivering impactful results in risk management, particularly within the hospitality, healthcare, and private equity sectors, has earned him a national standing in the industry.

SandStone Insurance Partners is currently experiencing a significant growth phase, acquiring significant insurance agencies in the southeast and consolidating them under its umbrella. With the addition of Charlie Robinson, the company is poised for further expansion and a strengthened commitment to exceptional client service.

"We are thrilled to welcome Charlie Robinson as a significant equity partner and being named as the President. His extensive experience and dedication to community service align with our company values, and we look forward to his valuable contributions," said John Jassmann CEO at SandStone Insurance Partners.

About SandStone Insurance Partners: SandStone Insurance Partners, with operations in Greater Tampa Bay and Greater Atlanta, is committed to providing businesses and private clients with optimal insurance and risk financing solutions tailored to their unique needs. This approach has resulted in significant growth for SandStone since it's founding in 2017.

For inquiries and further information, please contact:

Lori Asbury

Director of PR TBB

[email protected]

SOURCE SandStone Insurance Partners
The academic health system's EVP and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, and VP of Innovation and Managing Director of TGH Innoventures are recognized for their efforts to drive innovation.

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) announced that Scott Arnold, the academic health system's executive vice president and chief digital and innovation officer, and Rachel Feinman, vice president of Innovation and managing director of TGH Innoventures, have been named to Becker's Hospital Review's 2023 list of "Hospital and Health System Chief Innovation Officers to Know." With this recognition, Arnold and Feinman join just 33 other leaders recognized nationally for fostering a culture of innovation, creativity and open-mindedness, leading to novel technologies, enhanced patient care models and new partnerships.

"As Tampa General continues on its growth trajectory, innovation at all levels will remain at the forefront of our systemwide strategy," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "Scott and Rachel have done a remarkable job laying a rock-solid foundation for the transformational work ahead of us and we're proud to see them earn national recognition for their efforts to infuse innovation into the fabric of our organizational culture."

In his role, Arnold oversees biomedical devices and their integration with existing technologies systemwide. He pushes the advancement of Tampa General's technology systems to position the academic health system as a leader in innovation. His approach is rooted in his belief that technology should be another tool at health care providers' disposal to make the coordination of patient care streamlined and intuitive, recognizing the important role this plays in overall care experience and patient satisfaction.

Arnold has evolved the patient experience through the automation of scheduling appointments  transitioning the system to an online booking system where new and returning patients can schedule an appointment with the click of a button. This effort alone led to an increase in new patient acquisitions which had not previously been seen. Arnold is currently working with his team to reduce interoperability friction by successfully transitioning all of Tampa General to the same platform and connecting through one hub. This transition will play the most prominent role when patients reach out to the call center  positioning it more as an "experience center," where the person on the other end of the phone will be able to provide support across all scheduling and medical coordination needs via a single pane of a CRM system. Team members will be able to get to know their patients better and see the big picture of the patient's journey and experience.

"We've rallied Tampa General around our vision of becoming the safest and most innovative academic health system in the nation," said Arnold. "By extension, this recognition also honors our collective team and serves as an important reminder that innovation can  and should  come from anyone or anywhere within an organization."

Feinman was recognized for demonstrating excellence in her management of innovation projects and partnerships for the academic health system. In her capacity as managing director of TGH Innoventures, Tampa General's innovation center and corporate venture fund, she leads venture investing on behalf of Tampa General. Under her leadership, the academic health system has engaged in strategic partnerships with ProcessBolt, ModifyHealth, Health Snap and Navina, among others.

To reinforce a culture of innovation at Tampa General, Feinman led TGH Innoventures' partnership with the academic health system's People Development Institute (PDI), a career development and growth facility developed by Tampa General and the University of South Florida's Muma College of Business to launch IdeaMVP. The IdeaMVP program, modeled after Shark Tank, enables health system staff to shepherd an innovative idea or technology from concept to solution and pitch their ideas to a panel of leaders, with winning ideas backed with resources for implementation.

"I think one of Tampa General's key differentiators is that we understand innovation is more than a buzzword or disruption for disruption's sake," said Feinman. "We've been successful in forging new paths and propelling innovation because we are focused on solving real-world problems for our patients and team members."

Becker's Hospital Review is a leading source of hospital business news and analysis for the health care industry. Arnold, Feinman and the remainder of this year's "Hospital and Health System Chief Innovation Officers to Know" honorees are profiled online here.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News and World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings  in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR

Senior Communications Specialist

(813) 510-6363 (cell)

[email protected]

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
Company leaders surprise four Maui non-profits during island visit

STEVENS POINT, Wis. and MAUI, Hawaii, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sentry Insurance reaffirmed its commitment to the Maui community, announcing additional donations of $350,000 to bolster the ongoing Maui wildfire recovery efforts. This contribution brings the company's total giving to Maui non-profits for direct wildfire relief to $1 million. As the venue for the PGA TOUR's The Sentry (formerly the Sentry Tournament of Champions), the island holds special significance for Sentry, which has served as the event's title sponsor since 2018.

Sentry leaders surprised four Maui non-profitsMaui United Way, Maui Food Bank, University of Hawaii-Maui, and Boys & Girls Club of Mauiwith the donations during a visit to the island earlier this month to better understand the needs of the community.

"We're in awe of the strength and unity we've witnessed on the island as it comes together after the wildfires." Post this

Pete McPartland, Chairman and CEO of Sentry, expressed his admiration for the island's resilience, stating, "We're in awe of the strength and unity we've witnessed on the island as it comes together after the wildfires. Maui is like family to usa part of our ohana, a Sentry community. And we'll stand by Maui throughout the recovery and rebuilding process."

Sentry's commitment includes recognizing The Sentry event qualifiers by making a $2,000 donation in each player's honor for the 2024 event.

The breakdown of the donations is as follows:

$100,000 to Maui United Way

to Maui United Way $100,000 to Maui Food Bank

to Maui Food Bank $100,000 to University of Hawaii -Maui College

to -Maui College $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui

The donations to the University of Hawaii-Maui College and Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui each include a $10,000 match on donations by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Boys and Girls Club of Portage County, respectively. The four organizations are part of Sentry's Connected Communities initiative, which launched in 2022 and serves to connect Maui with the city of Stevens Point, Wis., where Sentry is headquartered.

Quotes:

"With so much tragedy happening across the world right now, it can be difficult to look up and understand how long of a road we have ahead of us. True partners like Sentry understand that this will be years of recovery, and continued support like this gift is imperative to ensuring that so many in need don't fall through the cracks."Nicholas Winfrey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Maui United Way.

"This donation and support bring hope and opportunity, filling the needs of the community, during one of the most tragic times. Sentry not only matched our incredible Connected Communities partner, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portage County, but increased it to $50,000. This enables the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui to continue and grow our services to Maui and the West Side community through outreach, relief efforts, programs and morenow and in the future."Thomas "TJ" Daya, Director of Operations, Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui.

"Through Sentry's Connected Communities Initiative, our Boys & Girls Club fostered a bond with Maui's BGC. We were deeply affected by the wildfires and the temporary loss of their Club house. We quickly provided relief through programs and essential supplies, rallying our Stevens Point community to raise $20,000 for recovery. We also sent Wisconsin care packages to show our support to the BGC staff on Maui. Though we can't be there in person, we're dedicated to helping our friends."Kevin Quevillon, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of Portage County.

"This additional $100,000 gift from Sentry is a tremendous blessing for our organization as it will enable us to expand our hunger relief programs and help us continue addressing a critical need in our community."Richard Yust, Executive Director, Maui Food Bank.

"As a community, we continue to face the challenges presented by the wildfire's aftermath every day. When folks like those at Sentry and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point jump in to help from more than 4,000 miles away, words can't express how much it means to our community. Even more than the financial supportwhich is certainly criticalthe thoughtfulness warms our hearts and reminds us of the goodness of humanity. It reminds us of what Maui means to the rest of the world and helps us to persevere."Chancellor Lui Hokoana, University of Hawai'i-Maui College.

"UWSP's participation in the Connected Communities initiative afforded me the opportunity to immediately bond with Chancellor Lui over our shared vision for institutional and student success. Leading institutions of higher learning is not for the faint of heart. I appreciate having Chancellor Lui as a friend and partner in the shared pursuit of public good. When I learned of the deadly wildfires and its devasting impact on the people of Maui College, it was an easy decision to extend some help. I only wished that I could do more."Chancellor Thomas Gibson, Ed.D., University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

About Sentry

Sentry Insurance is a part of one of the largest and most financially secure mutual insurance groups in the United States, holding a Financial Strength Rating of A+ (superior) from AM Best, current as of June 2023.

See ambest.com/ratings/guide.pdf for rating information. Sentry and its subsidiaries sell property and casualty insurance, life insurance, annuities, and retirement programs for business and individuals throughout the country. Headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Sentry employs more than 4,900 associates across the country. See a complete list of underwriting companies at sentry.com.

About Sentry Insurance Foundation

The Sentry Insurance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Sentry. Giving priorities include education, workforce development, United Way, and local organizations that work to improve the quality of life and build equitable communities where we live and work, including the Maui community.

SOURCE Sentry Insurance
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Archer Aviation, Inc. ("Archer" or the "Company") (NYSE: ACHR) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and docketed under 23-cv-04844, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Archer securities between September 17, 2021 and August 15, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Archer securities during the Class Period, you have until November 20, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Archer purports to design and develop electric vertical takeoff and landing ("eVTOL") aircraft for use in urban air mobility networks. Archer's shares began publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2021 when it entered into a business combination with Atlas Crest Investment Corp, a special purpose acquisition company.

Since its inception, Archer has consistently touted the efficacy of its eVTOL aircraft design and flight testing procedures, the profitability of its business partnerships, and its ability to secure from the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") the necessary regulatory certification for the mass production of aircraft for commercial use. Indeed, the Company has stated that it "optimize[s] [its] eVTOL aircraft design for both manufacturing and certification by using advancements in key enabling technologies" and has "secured and strengthened excellent relationships with global leaders and innovators, such as United Airlines, Stellantis, Reef, and the [U.S.] Air Force." Moreover, the Company claims that "by bringing together a mix of talent with both eVTOL and traditional commercial aerospace backgrounds[,] [it is] building a team that will allow [it] to move through the design, development, and certification of [its] eVTOL aircraft with the [FAA] in an efficient manner[.]"

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies.

Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company relied on heavily edited videos of earlier flights to exaggerate the amount of flight testing it had actually performed and the sophistication of its eVTOL aircraft; (ii) the Company had misrepresented the nature and profitability of its business partnerships, (iii) the Company was unlikely to secure FAA certification in the timeframe it had represented to investors, thereby delaying the start of mass production of its aircraft for commercial sales; (iv) accordingly, the Company had overstated its financial position and/or prospects; (v) all of the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to subject the Company to significant financial and/or reputational harm; and (vi) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On August 16, 2023, before the market opened, Grizzly Research released a report on Archer (the "Grizzly Report"). The Grizzly Report alleged, among other issues, that Archer, relies on heavily edited videos of earlier flights to misrepresent the amount of flight testing the Company has actually performed, and to misrepresent the sophistication of Archer's eVTOL aircraft. Further, the report alleged that investigators who had spoken to former Archer employees, and businesses in close proximity to its flight-testing facilities who witness its flights, confirmed that Archer conducts far fewer flights than the Company has claimed. Finally, the Grizzly Report also alleged that Archer has misrepresented the timelines for (i) its lab and manufacturing facility in San Jose, California, becoming operational, and (ii) securing FAA certification of its prototype aircraft.

On this news, Archer's stock price fell $0.41 per share, or 6.46%, to close at $5.94 per share on August 16, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Discover Financial Services ("DFS" or the "Company") (NYSE: DFS) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, and docketed under 23-cv-06788, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired DFS common stock between February 21, 2019 and August 14, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired DFS common stock during the Class Period, you have until October 31, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

DFS is an American financial services company that owns and operates Discover Bank, an online bank that offers checking and savings accounts, personal loans, home equity loans, student loans, and credit cards. DFS's shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "DFS".

At all relevant times, DFS represented that it maintained robust risk management and compliance protocols for its various business segments and needs, including, among other things, its customer credit card and student loan practices.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) DFS maintained deficient risk management and compliance procedures; (ii) as a result of the foregoing deficiencies, the Company had, inter alia, failed to comply with applicable student loan servicing standards, misclassified certain credit card accounts, overcharged customers, and failed to stem its ballooning credit card delinquency rate; (iii) the foregoing issues, when they became known, would subject DFS to significant financial exposure, regulatory scrutiny, and reputational harm; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On July 20, 2022, DFS issued a press release announcing its financial results for the second quarter of 2022. Among other items, DFS disclosed that it "is suspending until further notice its existing share repurchase program because of an internal investigation relating to its student loan servicing practices and related compliance matters." The Company also advised that "[t]he investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by a board-appointed independent special committee."

On this news, DFS's stock price fell $9.80 per share, or 8.93%, to close at $100 per share on July 21, 2022.

On July 19, 2023, DFS issued a press release announcing its financial results for the second quarter of 2023. Among other items, DFS disclosed that it had misclassified certain credit card products over an approximate 15-year period as a result of an acknowledged compliance failure. Specifically, DFS disclosed that it had incorrectly classified certain credit card accounts into its highest merchant and merchant acquirer pricing tier, beginning around mid-2007. In addition, the Company disclosed receipt of a proposed consent order from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in connection with an unrelated regulatory matter.

On this news, DFS's stock price fell $19.40 per share, or 15.92%, to close at $102.45 per share on July 20, 2023.

On August 14, 2023, DFS issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors (the "Board") and Defendant Roger C. Hochschild ("Hochschild") "have agreed that Hochschild will step down as Chief Executive Officer and President and as a member of the Board", effective immediately. Notably, the same press release also quoted DFS's Chair of the Board, who assured investors that "[t]he Board is continuously focused on Discover reaching its full potential across the business, including our commitment to enhancing compliance, risk management and corporate governance."

That same day, in an exhibit to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, DFS also disclosed that its credit card delinquency rate increased to 3.00% for the 24-month period ended July 31, 2023, as compared to 2.86% for the 24-month period ended June 31, 2023. As reported by Seeking Alpha that day, the Company's credit card delinquency rate now stood at a higher level than the pre-pandemic rate of 2.37% in July 2019.

Then, on August 15, 2023, Seeking Alpha published an article reporting on analyst speculation that Defendant Hochschild's resignation was directly tied to DFS's recently reported regulatory and risk oversight issues.

Following these developments, DFS's stock price fell $9.69 per share, or 9.44%, to close at $92.96 per share on August 15, 2023.

Finally, on August 17, 2023, during an earnings call hosted by DFS, the Company's top officers acknowledged that it was "paying the price" for past underinvestment in compliance, stressing that Defendant Hochschild's abrupt departure reflected a commitment to moving past regulatory troubles, thereby validating previously reported analyst suspicions on the matter.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The 73rd session of the European Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking place in Astana (Kazakhstan), the Azerbaijani Health Ministry told Trend.

Azerbaijan is represented at the session by a delegation headed by Health Minister Teymur Musayev.

Elections to the WHO Regional Evaluation Group were held as part of the World Health Organization's 73rd session of the European Regional Committee. Azerbaijan has been elected to this group as a result of the elections.

"Our country's election to the WHO Regional Evaluation Group is a result of Azerbaijan's strong and effective cooperation with the World Health Organization. This will improve Azerbaijan's position in decision-making and organizational work, as well as widen the scope of its activities," the ministry said.

According to the Azerbaijani Health Ministry, the WHO Regional assessment Group performs an essential role in strengthening assessment efforts, boosting the effectiveness of outcomes, and contributing to the organization's research activity. The group's actions also aim to facilitate learning and usage of the results produced through evaluation operations. Furthermore, the activities of the Regional Evaluation Group have an impact on decision-making.

"The Regional Evaluation Group also evaluates, determines criteria, and short-lists candidates for the position of Regional Director of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe," the ministry added.
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. ("AAP" or the "Company") (NYSE: AAP). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether AAP and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 31, 2023, AAP held its quarterly earnings call for 2023 first quarter. During that call, Company President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas R. Greco conceded that AAP's "financial results in the first quarter were well below expectations." Because the Company slashed prices on products, Greco stated, "we had less price realization than plans, which put substantially higher pressure on our product margin price." Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey W. Shepherd revealed during the earnings call that the Company's strategic pricing program resulted in the Company being "unable to price to cover product costs in the quarter." AAP consequently revised downward its 2023 guidance to an operating margin of 5% to 5.3% from the previously announced 7.8% to 9.2% margins.

On this news, AAP's stock price fell $39.31 per share, or 35.04%, to close at $72.89 per share on May 31, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Medical Properties Trust, Inc. ("MPW" or the "Company") (NYSE: MPW) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 23-cv-08597, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired MPW securities between May 23, 2023 and August 17, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover 2 damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired MPW securities during the Class Period, you have until November 28, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

MPW is a self-advised real estate investment trust that was formed to acquire and develop net-leased healthcare facilities. MPW's financing model purportedly facilitates acquisitions and recapitalizations and allows operators of hospitals to unlock the value of their real estate assets to fund facility improvements, technology upgrades, and other investments in operations.

On May 23, 2023, MPW issued a press release announcing that it had entered into a recapitalization transaction (the "Recap Transaction") with Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. ("Prospect"), a health care management services organization. Pursuant to the Recap Transaction, in relevant part, MPW would take an equity stake in Prospect's managed care business, PHP Holdings, LLC ("PHP"), in lieu of a cash payment of outstanding loans and accrued but unpaid rent and interest owed by Prospect to MPW.

As a result of PHP's involvement in the deal, the Recap Transaction was subject to regulatory approval by the Department of Managed Health Care of the Health and Human Services Agency of the State of California ("DMHC"), the regulatory body responsible for governing managed health care plans in California. On July 20, 2023, the DMHC issued an order (the "DMHC Order") putting the Recap Transaction on hold in order to obtain further information from the Company. Despite the foregoing, MPW elected not to disclose the DMHC Order to MPW shareholders when the Company reported its Q2 2023 results on August 8, 2023 or in its quarterly report filed with the SEC on August 9, 2023. Instead, MPW continued to tout the benefits of the Recap Transaction by stating that the deal had boosted the Company's revenue

The truth regarding the Recap Transaction's approval status was revealed on August 18, 2023 when the Wall Street Journal ("WSJ") published an article entitled "Cracks Deepen for America's Biggest Hospital Landlord: Struggling Tenants, a Bailout on Hold" (the "WSJ Article"). The WSJ, which had obtained a copy of the DMHC Order and other documents from the DMHC under California's Public Records Act, discussed the DMHC's decision to halt the Recap Transaction and the negative impact MPW and Prospect could each experience if the deal is permanently rejected.

That same day, MPW issued a press release responding to the WSJ Article, in which the Company downplayed the DMHC Order as a "standard, expected, and non-controversial part of the approval process for [the Recap Transaction]" and attempted to excuse the Company's non-disclosure of the DMHC Order to shareholders by stating that the "DMHC's request was deemed immaterial to [MPW's] financials and thus did not require disclosure."

Despite MPW's attempts to reassure investors, following publication of the WSJ Article, MPW's stock price fell $0.57 per share, or 7.6%, to close at $6.93 per share on August 18, 2023.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Recap Transaction was subject to regulatory approval and had in fact been placed on hold by the DMHC; (ii) accordingly, MPW had misrepresented the regulatory process for the Recap Transaction's approval; (iii) as a result of the foregoing, MPW overstated the approval prospects and benefits of the Recap Transaction; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements regarding the Recap Transaction were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On August 18, 2023, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled "Cracks Deepen for America's Biggest Hospital Landlord: Struggling Tenants, a Bailout on Hold".

That same day, MPW issued a press release responding to the WSJ Article, in which the Company downplayed the DMHC Order as a "standard, expected, and non-controversial part of the approval process for [the Recap Transaction]" and attempted to excuse the Company's non-disclosure of the DMHC Order to shareholders by stating that the "DMHC's request was deemed immaterial to [MPW's] financials and thus did not require disclosure."

Despite MPW's attempts to reassure investors, following publication of the WSJ Article, MPW's stock price fell $0.57 per share, or 7.6%, to close at $6.93 per share on August 18, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
Inaugural 3K Run/Walk to Benefit Local Youth Organization and Build Community Ties

DENVER, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Walkers and runners of all levels are invited to join Southwest Vida's free inaugural 3K Fun Run on Saturday morning Nov. 11 at Barnum Park. Registration is free, and all participants will receive a t-shirt, water bottle and gift bag with coupons from local businesses.

Southwest Vida has served Southwest Denver since 2019 and is dedicated to mitigating youth substance misuse, raising awareness about mental health, and reducing violence in the community.

"We are excited to debut a community event to highlight the importance of youth focused programs in an area of Denver that struggles with a wide range of issues impacting local businesses, young adults and children," said Pearl Lopez, founder of Southwest Vida and a Program Manager for District 4 of the Denver Police Department. "We hope that friends, neighbors and local businesses find a way to participate, or just come out and cheer on the walkers/runners!"

"Denver Parks and Recreation is proud to host the Southwest Vida Fun Run at Barnum Park," said John Martinez, Deputy Executive Director of Recreation. "In partnership with city agencies and other organizations, we are committed to supporting activities and programs that prevent youth violence in our communities."

On the day, the schedule of events is as follows:

8:00-9:15am Registration (pre-register here)

9:30am Competitive Race

10:00am Family Fun Run & Walk

10:30am Kids  Mile Loop

One of the impactful projects funded by the organization is the Southwest Vida Magazine which is strategically planned, designed, and developed solely by youth leaders. It is a bilingual magazine, offered in English and Spanish, and is distributed city-wide. What began as a four-page newsletter has grown into a magazine of 16 pages, published and designed by its youth led team.

"Southwest Vida has been a huge influence in my life, and I love witnessing change in the youth whose lives we touch, just by providing a safe space for them and giving them alternate life choices. The magazine is an amazing creative and expressive outlet for those who want to share their voices and be heard," said Nicole Guzman, Creative Leader of Southwest Vida.

"The Denver Police Department is grateful for the impact that organizations such as Southwest Vida make on our community," commented Chief of Police Ron Thomas. "They have been committed from the beginning to reducing youth crime, violence and drug use through a myriad of programs, which involve local neighborhoods and foster engagement."

Call to Southwest Denver businesses and community organizations:

Southwest Vida invites local businesses and organizations to participate in the Finish Line Fair by bringing a table or tent. Handing out flyers and coupons is permitted, but not the sale of merchandise. Please register your business here.

For more information about Southwest Vida, please visit: https://southwestvida.org/

SOURCE Southwest Vida
Combined, Sun and Kelts bring 40+ years of experience to the fast-growing startup

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SpruceID today announced the hiring of Wei Sun as the VP, Head of Engineering and David Kelts as the Director, Head of Credible Platform. The two will support the SpruceID team in helping to improve access to secure digital identity verification for the future.

Wei Sun is an experienced executive with deep expertise in transforming tech knowledge, product vision, and customer needs into successful engineering solutions. Over the last 20 years, Wei's ability to view engineering challenges through a people-focused lens has brought success to organizations like Okta, Apple, Sun Microsystems/Oracle, Lacuna Technologies, and now SpruceID.

David Kelts is an expert in the digital identity field, with five patents granted, and one of the originators of the Mobile Driver's License concept and standards. He is the lead author of the Mobile Driver's License and Ecosystem whitepaper used as the reference book throughout the mDL industry and the lead author of the Privacy Annex of ISO/IEC 18013-5. David brings 20 years of experience in the digital identity space with a focus on real-life mobile driver's license implementations and identity architectures.

"The addition of David Kelts and Wei Sun will expand our existing capabilities at SpruceID and support the growth of the company as we look to implement digital identity infrastructure across the United States," said SpruceID CEO and Co-Founder, Wayne Chang. "Their expertise and knowledge of digital transformation and the issues plaguing digital identity at the national and state level brings SpruceID closer to achieving our mission of letting users control their data."

The hires come on the heels of a successful pilot partnership with the California DMV to launch the state's first mobile driver license, open to 1.5 million residents.

SpruceID has raised $41.5 million in venture capital funding from leading investors and industry experts such as Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, and Okta Ventures.

About SpruceID:

SpruceID is building a future where users control their identity and data across all digital interactions. SpruceID specializes in the implementation and lifecycle management of mobile driver's licenses (mDL), conforming to international privacy standards that can help governments bolster the administration of their public services, reduce fraud, and protect users.

Media Contact:

Elissa Maercklein

SpruceID

press@spruceid.com

SOURCE SpruceID
DAPHNE, Ala., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daphne, Ala. based Stoic Equity Partners is proud to welcome its newest team member, Brent Barkin. Barkin is the former CEO of Shoe Station and SVP of Shoe Carnival, and he recently joined the firm as Director of Business Development.

Barkin's role at Stoic Equity Partners includes overseeing investor outreach and sponsorship opportunities for the firm.

Brent Barkin

This new addition to the Stoic leadership team comes on the heels of the firm's launch of its newest fund, SEP Industrial Holdings I , which targets the acquisition of flex industrial facilities located in dynamic secondary and tertiary markets. The SEP Industrial Holdings I fund offers a unique investment opportunity for accredited investors, with a fundraising goal of $25 million available in $50,000 share increments. The fund's projected portfolio value is set to reach $70-75 million, with a planned holding period of five years.

"We are honored to know and work with someone as talented and experienced as our friend Brent. He brings a lot of energy to the team, and we can't wait to hit the ground running with him at the helm of business development for the firm," said Grant Reaves, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Stoic.

Barkin graduated cum laude from Princeton University, then returned to work for Shoe Station, his family's retail business. Over the next 20 years, he rose through the ranks to eventually become CEO (in late 2017), during that time expanding the company's retail footprint to 21 locations in five states. In late 2021, Barkin successfully sold the family business to Shoe Carnival, Inc for $67M.

Post transaction, Brent acted as SVP of Expansion and Integration for Shoe Carnival, guiding his team's efforts to identify additional locations for the Shoe Station banner. The fruits of those labors are now paying off, and the banner is projected to double in size within the next five years. In 2022 Barkin was named Retailer of the Year by the Alabama Retail Association.

Since his transition from Shoe Carnival Barkin has remained active in the area, with numerous roles on local boards, including the United Way of Southwest Alabama, Eastern Shore Arts Center and his current role as the Chair of the Mobile Chamber, the economic development arm of the region.

About Stoic Equity Partners

Stoic Equity Partners is a Daphne, Ala.-based commercial real estate investment firm committed to pursuing value-add and opportunistic commercial real estate acquisitions and developments throughout the Southeast. Co-founders Jeremy Friedman and Grant Reaves, both seasoned commercial real estate brokers, united their expertise to establish Stoic Equity Partners. Following their experience in investment real estate through brokerage, the founders transitioned to managing commercial real estate investments as sponsors and managers.

For more information about Stoic Equity Partners and its innovative approach to real estate investment, please visit its official website: stoicEP.com .

Media Contact

Jeremy Friedman

Co-founder and CEO, Stoic Equity Partners

Phone: 251-747-9111

Email: [email protected]

Address

2210 Main Street, Ste H

Daphne, AL 36526

SOURCE Stoic Equity Partners
Leaders in cloud contact center solutions create a strategic partnership enabling customers to migrate to Zoom Contact Center with advanced analytics and insights.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SuccessKPI, Inc., a leading, cloud-native contact center customer experience insight and action platform provider, announced today their solution is available within Zoom's ISV Exchange Program. This collaboration brings increased value to customers and simplifies their journey to Zoom Contact Center.

SuccessKPI is one of the preferred contact center analytics solutions within Zoom's ISV Exchange Program, aiming to provide a comprehensive and seamless solution to Zoom customers seeking to enhance their contact center operations. This strategic partnership empowers customers to streamline their migration to Zoom Contact Center while benefiting from advanced analytics and actionable insights.

The collaboration between SuccessKPI and Zoom opens exciting opportunities for customers to leverage SuccessKPI's industry-leading insight and action platform within the Zoom ecosystem. This integration will empower Zoom Contact Center customers with custom reporting and report replication capabilities, along with an ecosystem of 180+ data integrations.

Key benefits for customers within this partnership include:

Seamless Migration: With SuccessKPI's collaboration with the Zoom ISV Exchange Program, customers can effortlessly migrate to the Zoom Contact Center platform while maintaining business continuity with out-of-the-box and custom reporting and visualizations. Enhanced Analytics: SuccessKPI's cloud-native solution brings a robust set of analytics tools, allowing businesses to gain deeper insights into customer interactions, agent performance, and overall contact center efficiency. Actionable Insights: Customers will have the capability to turn insights into actions, driving continuous improvement in their contact center operations and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Simplified Procurement: Zoom customers can now directly access SuccessKPI's solutions through the Zoom ISV Exchange Program, making the procurement process straightforward and efficient.

"Deepening our partnership with Zoom is an important step in expanding our alignment with world-class cloud contact center partners," said Dave Rennyson, CEO of SuccessKPI, Inc., "This strategic partnership expands our ecosystem to ensure enterprise contact centers moving to the cloud are successful on their journey to optimize business outcomes and delivering exceptional experiences for everyone from the agent to the CEO."

Zoom Contact Center is a premier platform for businesses seeking innovative solutions to deliver highly personalized customer experiences and increase customer satisfaction. The addition of SuccessKPI to this program further strengthens Zoom's commitment to providing comprehensive contact center solutions to its customers.

"Our partnership with SuccessKPI empowers Zoom Contact Center customers with valuable Business Intelligence insights and actionable reporting capabilities through our native integration," said Kentis Gopalla, Head of Product Ecosystem, Zoom Contact Center & Zoom Phone. "Zoom is committed to delivering a world-class customer experience and this partnership reflects that shared vision."

Social Networks:

Web: https://www.successkpi.com

Blog: https://successkpi.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successkpi/

About SuccessKPI, Inc.:

SuccessKPI is a revolutionary on-demand experience analytics software provider enabling organizations to utilize artificial intelligence and automation to improve business outcomes and transform customer experiences. SuccessKPI's insight and action platform removes the obstacles that agents, managers, and executives encounter in delivering exceptional customer service. We are trusted by some of the world's largest government, BPO, financial, healthcare, and technology contact centers in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.

SOURCE SuccessKPI
SINGAPORE, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SUNRATE, the intelligent global payment and treasury management platform, and Sabre, a leading provider of software and technology that powers the global travel industry, announced at Travel Tech Asia 2023 a new agreement that will help improve and automate the business payments experience for travel companies in the region.

As part of the agreement, SUNRATE's virtual commercial cards (VCCs) will be integrated with Sabre's Virtual Payments. This means that stakeholders such as Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and Travel Management Companies (TMCs) on Sabre's platform, are now able to use SUNRATE's VCCs for their business payments needs, such as payment to airlines, hotels and suppliers worldwide.

Additionally, travel stakeholders are also able to scale and expand in the Asia-Pacific region seamlessly, given that SUNRATE VCCs allow the settlement of card spends in more than 15 currencies.

Shawn Qin, Head of Card Business, SUNRATE said, "For the past year, SUNRATE has been revolutionising travel B2B payments with a series of announcements such as our strategic partnership with Agoda and the launch of new VCCs with Mastercard and Visa network. We remain committed to continuously innovate our online travel solution offerings and this partnership with Sabre puts us firmly on track to be the one-stop B2B partner for the travel industry."

"We are pleased to partner with SUNRATE to enhance the payment experience of our B2B customers, expanding our virtual card offering in such an important market like APAC," said Celia Pereiro, vice president of Sabre Virtual Payments at Sabre. "At Sabre we are determined to meet the evolving needs of our customers in the travel industry, and investing in our virtual payments business has been a key part of that. We are now taking Sabre Virtual Payments to the next level with new partners and enhanced cutting-edge capabilities that automate the payment process and makes it more secure, efficient and easy. This agreement is another step towards our vision to create an open and independent payments ecosystem for the entire travel industry."

SUNRATE is the principal member of both Mastercard & Visa network and is certified to the international financial data security standard: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1.

About SUNRATE

SUNRATE is an intelligent global payment and treasury management platform for businesses worldwide. Since its inception in 2016, SUNRATE is recognised as a leading solution provider and has enabled companies to operate and scale both locally and globally in 190+ countries and regions with its cutting-edge proprietary platform, extensive global network, and robust APIs. With its global headquarters in Singapore and offices in Hong Kong, Jakarta, London and Shanghai, SUNRATE partners with the top global financial institutions, such as Citibank, Standard Chartered, Barclays and is the principal member of both Mastercard and Visa. To learn more about SUNRATE, visit https://www.sunrate.com/.

About Sabre Corporation

Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveller experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.sabre.com.

SOURCE Sunrate
Teamsters Call Out Waymo's Poor Safety Record Outside Google Headquarters

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teamsters, labor leaders, public safety officials, and concerned citizens today held a rally outside of Google's Southern California HQ to condemn the recent expansion of Google-owned Waymo self-driving cars in Los Angeles and highlight ongoing safety concerns with robotaxis. The rally took place in advance of the Q3 earnings report for Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Safety problems with Waymo autonomous vehicles are well documented. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2021 Waymo had the most automated driving system crashes of any self-driving vehicle company. In spite of this, Alphabet continues to spend billions of dollars on Waymo in its desperate drive for profit, including millions of dollars lobbying in California.

"Robotaxi safety incidents, which include crashes and congestion, are becoming the norm across the country. It's happened in San Francisco, Austin, Nashville, Houston and now we have it here in Los Angeles. Waymo's parent company Alphabet tries to portray itself as being one of the good guys but we know all too well that Big Tech has a hard time being good to public safety and working people," said Lindsay Dougherty, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 399. "Anybody who knows Los Angeles, knows that the freeways are not the place to bring these wreckless robotaxis."

Speakers at today's rally voiced their strong opposition to autonomous vehicles, noting that they routinely cause traffic jams and accidents in other cities across the United States. In San Francisco, Cruise robotaxis have collided with fire trucks and were implicated in the death of a pedestrian after blocking an ambulance that was transporting a patient to the hospital. Earlier this year, a self-driving Waymo car killed a small dog in San Francisco. In Austin, complaints continue to mount as residents report dangerous encounters with self-driving vehicles.

"We're saying hell no to driverless vehicles on our streets," said Yvonne Wheeler, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. "Autonomous vehicles, like the ones that Waymo wants to unleash in our communities, have been wreaking havoc wherever they go. From blocking fire trucks on call, to emergencies, to crashes into buses, running over animals, running through construction sites and ruining freshly poured concrete, it's clear this technology is not ready to be introduced into our roads and our city."

"We have seen how much of a disaster these driverless cars are in San Francisco," said Jeff Shaffer, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1277. "They threaten public safety, increase congestion, and - in spite of what these companies claim - do far more harm than good when it comes to urban transportation infrastructure. The last thing we need is robotaxis in LA."

"These machines won't just put millions of good-paying, union jobs at risk  they pose a serious threat to pedestrian safety," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez. "We need actual regulations on robot taxis, and we should not be putting lives at risk by allowing our city to be a test subject for the tech industry."

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a safety investigation into Cruise after numerous incidents involving the company's self-driving cars. The incidents under investigation include two recent accidents that left victims with injuries requiring care at a hospital.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org to learn more. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
What kind of honey do giant pandas like to eat? Come to the 9th AGRO-Chengdu for the answer.

CHENGDU, China, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 27-30, 2023, the 9th AGRO-Chengdu will be held along with the 9th Sichuan Agricultural Expo in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Within 140,000-sqm exhibition space, more than 2,000 exhibitors along the whole industrial chain will exhibit their products and technologies. It will be a high-quality open event for agricultural exchange and cooperation. As we known, Sichuan is the hometown of giant pandas, and their favorite honey will be offered for taste on the site.

On October 27-30, 2023, the 9th AGRO-Chengdu will be held along with the 9th Sichuan Agricultural Expo in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Within 140,000-sqm exhibition space, more than 2,000 exhibitors along the whole industrial chain will exhibit their products and technologies. It will be a high-quality open event for agricultural exchange and cooperation.

Chengdu is a mega city with a population of 21 million. Adhering to high standard opening up during the in-depth participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, the city has established economic and trade relations with 224 countries and regions around the world, and ranked first in the central and western cities in term of numbers of Fortune 500 enterprises and consulates. Through opening-up and cooperation in agriculture, two national high-quality development bases for agricultural trade and five provincial pilot zones for agricultural opening up and cooperation have been established and nearly 100 agricultural product export bases have been filed, including the China-Chile (Sichuan) Agricultural Technology Demonstration Park and the Holland Agricultural Technology Sightseeing Valley and other major projects. Over each past session, representatives of agricultural institutions, associations and enterprises from over 20 countries and regions around the world gathered in Chengdu for exchanges and cooperation. In addition to a high-quality development conference, a number of high-quality development bases for agricultural international trade, popular import and export agricultural products, and international agricultural cooperation projects will also be present at this year's expo, for all-round international cooperation in agriculture.

The curator and undertaker of the AGRO-ChengduChengdu New East Exhibition Co., Ltd., the first member of both UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) and ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) in western China, provides you with diversified services, such as matchmaking of projects and resources, arrangement for visits and inspections, contact with government agencies, policy advice, etc. We sincerely invite institutions, associations, and enterprises in various industries to Chengdu, China to participate in this event for cooperation and progress. For more details, please contact Ms. Zhao (Mobile: (86) 18215577029 & Email: [email protected]).

SOURCE Chengdu New East Exhibition Co., Ltd.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The never-ending story of the Armenia-EU corruption system is taking a new turn. Stories about corrupt members of the European Parliament and the US Congress, various deputies, and even journalists being influenced by the Armenian lobby no longer seem so supernatural. The latest scandal involves Michael Helmut Roth, a German politician from the Social Democratic Party of Germany and a member of the German Bundestag.

Roth has already visited Yerevan, where he gained notoriety for his vehemently anti-Azerbaijani statements, as usual, accusing Azerbaijan of non-existent attacks on Armenia and so-called "ethnic cleansing".

The German deputy is also an active social media user, where he showcases every pro-Armenian step he takes. However, his German followers, after his latest pro-Armenian posts, have not remained silent and began expressing justified doubts - where does Roth garner his parliamentary support?

His fellow citizens rightly pointed out that if Roth truly receives his salary thanks to German taxpayers, he should perhaps be concerned about the pressing issues in his own country.

Others sarcastically suggested that Roth should step down from his duties if he is not concerned about the problems of Germans and should "fund his tourism activities from his own pocket".

While the EU at least claims to be making efforts to establish peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, EU lawmakers actively undermine these efforts. Such lawmakers often pass various anti-Azerbaijani resolutions that question the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, posing a threat to the peace and security of the entire region.

This type of diplomacy by Armenian lobbyists is not new, and it's unlikely to disappear anytime soon. The question is how long the EU's official stance will align with them?
NASSAU, Bahamas, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA), in collaboration with the Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM), the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board (BOIPB), and The Bahamas Customs Department, is gearing up for a prominent presence at the 64th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) from October 25th to 29th, 2023.

This prestigious event will serve as a platform to showcase The Bahamas' world-class offerings for boaters and highlight the myriad business opportunities available for marinas throughout the archipelago.

FLIBS, renowned as the "Yachting Capital of the World," is anticipated to draw over 100,000 attendees from more than 52 countries and host a gathering of 1,200 exhibitors. The show will feature a diverse range of exhibits, seminars, and marketplace events catering to the marina, cruising, and sport fishing industries.

"The Bahamas has a deep connection to boating, it's ingrained in our very identity. The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show allows The Bahamas to showcase its islands' pristine beauty, rich maritime heritage, and endless opportunities for adventure," commented the Hon. John Pinder II, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, who is set to attend the event.

"This year's boat show will serve as a stage to promote exciting new developments tailored to boating enthusiasts, seasoned captains and boat owners. It also symbolizes the heart of our boating and yachting paradise, inviting the world to embark on an unforgettable journey with us, sailing into the enchantment of The Islands of The Bahamas."

In addition to celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Independence, The Bahamas is witnessing remarkable growth, surpassing tourism performance projections with an impressive 6.6 million visitors to date, including a significant number of boaters.

Boating and Yachting have always played a pivotal role in The Bahamas' economy. Over the past year, several noteworthy boating developments have emerged, including a strategic partnership between Atlantis Paradise Island and Aquazeal, a luxury yacht charter company.

Additionally, the official reopening of Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina on Paradise Island, the Conch Inn & Marina in The Abacos, and the anticipated reopening of the Moorings in The Abacos at the end of 2021 have added to the country's allure.

Visitors to the FLIBS event are encouraged to:

Explore The Islands of The Bahamas booth, centrally located in the main tent at Booth #23, to discover the latest offerings and developments in the boating sector.

booth, centrally located in the main tent at Booth #23, to discover the latest offerings and developments in the boating sector. Attend the "Boating to The Bahamas : The Ease of Crossing" Seminars, expertly hosted by Bahamas Boating Ambassadors Grant Johnson and Robert Brousseau on October 26 th and 27th at 11 a.m. within the Broward County Convention Center.

Partake in a Bahamian Happy Hour, hosted on-site at FLIBS. Attendees can drop by The Bahamas booth (#23) on October 27th between 2-3 p.m. to savor Bahamian culinary delights, exotic cocktails, and be captivated by the vibrant Junkanoo performances.

With over 700 islands and cays spread across 100,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean, The Bahamas remains an unrivaled boating haven. It continues to serve as the gateway to extraordinary experiences, encompassing fishing, diving, and the idyllic charm of island-hopping life.

For more information, please visit www.flibs.com and www.bahamas.com.

ABOUT THE BAHAMAS

Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram to see why It's Better in The Bahamas.

PRESS INQUIRIES

Anita Johnson-Patty

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

[email protected]

Weber Shandwick

Public Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Batchery, a technology accelerator known for nurturing and propelling early-stage startups, is thrilled to unveil its 17th batch of startups. This diverse cohort of companies represents a wide range of industries, from artificial intelligence to healthcare, insurance, and sustainable manufacturing. The Batchery continues its tradition of fostering innovation and supporting the next generation of visionary entrepreneurs.

Here is a closer look at the 17th Batchery cohort:

Besample : Empowering scientists to expand their research horizons beyond the West by providing cutting-edge tools and resources.



Blockrisk : Pioneering a Peer-to-Peer Insurance Platform helping to bring insurance to marginalized communities.



Builtdata : Offering an AI software platform that connects skilled laborers and specialty trade contractors, streamlining project management and efficiency.



CognitivEdge.AI : Providing a Unified Data & AI Foundation for Industrial Enterprises, accelerating the Digital Transformation journey.



DLT Alert Innovating with embedded cyber warranties on blockchain technology to enhance security and trust in digital transactions.



ENVI : Offering optimization software tailored for small business Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands, enabling them to thrive in a competitive market.



Femmistry : A Virtual Care Clinic For Women Using Precision Medicine, focusing on Smart Hormonal Healthcare and Perimenopause.



Fitmedik : Dedicated to building healthcare solutions tailored for healthcare workers, addressing their unique needs and challenges.



GuidePad : Introducing a system that simplifies the process of building systems, making it easier for businesses to design and implement complex workflows.



Itair : Providing an end-to-end AI travel planner that delivers personalized itineraries instantly, revolutionizing travel planning.



Lithium Technology : Focusing on sustainable manufacturing of Lithium Hydroxide for battery production, contributing to cleaner and more efficient energy solutions.



Livestock Labs : Engineering custom cell lines for food production, advancing sustainable and ethical practices in the agriculture industry.



Neuroagetx : Developing personalized drugs to reverse brain aging and treat dementia, offering hope to millions of individuals and their families.



SangCash : Offering songwriters a strong alternative to collect the compensation they deserve, protecting their creative rights.



Softly : Simplifying Sustainability Certification and Digital Traceability, helping companies demonstrate their commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

The Batchery takes pride in its role as a launchpad for these innovative startups, providing them with mentorship, resources, and a collaborative environment to foster their growth. Over the course of their participation in the accelerator program, these companies will receive guidance from experienced mentors, access to a network of industry experts, and the opportunity to showcase their products and services to potential investors.

"We are excited to welcome these exceptional startups to The Batchery's 17th batch," said Peter Burghardt, Executive Director of The Batchery. "Each of these companies has the potential to make a significant impact in their respective industries, and we look forward to supporting their journey towards success."

The Batchery invites the public, investors, and industry professionals to stay tuned for updates on these promising startups as they embark on their entrepreneurial voyage.

For more information about The Batchery and its 17th batch of startups, please visit www.batchery.com.

About The Batchery:

The Batchery is a leading startup accelerator that empowers entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into successful businesses. With a strong focus on mentorship, networking, and resources, The Batchery has supported numerous startups in realizing their full potential.

SOURCE The Batchery
ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 19th, 2023, The Bierenbaum Family Foundation sponsored a speaking engagement by an Atlanta-based Civil Rights Legend to women leaders at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

The Gail Bierenbaum Women's Leadership Council (GBWLC) at Rider University is a community of diverse, accomplished women who champion advancing women's leadership, mentoring and philanthropy. The GBWLC recognizes, honors, and advances future female leaders by developing women student leaders, mentoring, professional workshops, scholarship opportunities, re-engaging alumnae with the Rider community by providing networking opportunities with like-minded women leaders, and engaging in philanthropic initiatives.

The Foundation believes so strongly in their mission that Barry Bierenbaum serves on the Board of Directors for Hosea. Post this

For the Bierenbaum's annual visit to Rider University on October 19th, 2023, Barry and Gail decided to bring a close friend to speak to GBWLC members, Elisabeth Omilami. Elisabeth is the head of the Hosea Helps Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the daughter of Hosea Williams, founder of the foundation in 1971, and major player in the Atlanta Civil Rights Movement.

Hosea Helps has a simple mission, "To investigate and then raise public awareness about the many problems that are facing families and individuals that are at risk of slipping into poverty or that are living in poverty, and then to mobilize financial resources, products and volunteers to solve those problems and stabilize those households." The Bierenbaum Family Foundation believes so strongly in their mission that Barry Bierenbaum himself serves on the Board of Directors for Hosea. The Bierenbaums wanted to share that mission and help spread the message of Hosea to the future leaders on the GBWLC at Rider University and Elisabeth was the obvious choice to share that mission with the students.

Debbie Sanchez, a Rider University intern at Mongo Holdings was included on this trip to hear Elisabeth share her story. Like so many of the other women in attendance, Debbie commented "I was inspired by Elisabeth's words and story. My biggest take away was Elisabeth's emphasis on the importance of community and helping others, and stating that "For success to be real, it MUST contribute to the success of others.""

Please visit the following links to learn more about each organization. The Bierenbaum Family Foundation, Hosea Helps, and The Gail Bierenbaum Women's Leadership Council at Rider University.

Contact Information



Grant Jaax

[email protected]

Randall Foster

[email protected]

German Estrada

[email protected]

SOURCE The Bierenbaum Family Foundation
PANAMA CITY, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Patrick Tamim is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Life Member for his contributions to the Vascular Surgery Field.

Patrick Tamim

Dr. Tamim attended Southern Methodist University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. He continued his education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School where he earned a Medical Degree; completed a general surgical residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Abbington Hospital in Pennsylvania; and finished a one-year critical care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He capped his scholarship with a fellowship in vascular surgery at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.

Dual board-certified in vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery, the doctor explained that the ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge. Among his many responsibilities and skills, the doctor provides treatment for carotid disease; aortic aneurysm; and peripheral artery disease surgery. He is an expert in aortic aneurysm; carotid endarterectomy; deep vein thrombosis; dialysis; access surgery; peripheral vascular diseases; peripheral artery disease; spider vein removal; stroke; and varicose veins.

Dr. Tamim explained that vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which diseases of the vascular system, including the arteries, veins, and lymphatic circulation, are managed by medical therapy; treated with minimally invasive catheter procedures; and surgical reconstruction. Vascular surgeons, like the doctor, also diagnose, treat, and manage conditions in the arteries and veins, also called the blood vessels, and treat a range of health problems, from spider and varicose veins to life-threatening aneurysms, and can help patients manage chronic conditions throughout their lives.

The doctor is affiliated with Bay Medical Sacred Heart and Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center. During his career, Dr. Tamim has received many accolades including the Patients Choice Award (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008); Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010); Top 10 Doctors in the State (2014); and On-Time Doctor Award (2018, 2017, 2016) and is associated with the Society for Vascular Surgery and Emerald Coast Medical Association.

Also a civic-minded professional, Dr. Tamim participates in a lecture series through the Council on Aging at his local hospital and speaks multiple languages, including English, French, and Arabic. The doctor would like to dedicate this honor to his father, Marwan Tamim, MD, for all his inspiration and also to his mentors, David Drezner, MD; Phillip Allmendinger, MD; and Mary Windels, MD.

For more information, please visit his website at www.pcvascular.com.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
Mike and Sofia Segal, who immigrated to the U.S. from present-day Ukraine in 1978, lead foundation that supports overlooked and underfunded causes, including rare diseases

RYE BROOK, N.Y., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the largest nonprofit funder of leading-edge research for every type of blood cancer to improve treatment options for patients, today announced it has received $17 million from the Mike and Sofia Segal Family Foundation to advance the treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), a rare type of blood cancer. The $17 million commitment is the largest-ever outright gift from an individual donor that LLS has received and brings attention to the remarkable power of transformative giving.

CMML impacts approximately 1,100 people in the U.S. each year and in most cases cannot be cured. This generous gift will fund research to accelerate the development of new treatments for those diagnosed with this rare disease.

Mike Segal and his wife, Sofia, emigrated from present-day Ukraine to the U.S. in 1978 with 120 dollars, a four-year-old child, and two suitcases. In 1990, after working in the power industry, Mike went on to found LS Power, which began as a two-person start-up and has since become one of the largest private owners of power generation, electric transmission, and renewable energy infrastructure in the country and a leader in the energy transition. Mike and Sofia Segal established their family foundation to support overlooked and underfunded causes and were inspired to make this gift by the experience of a family member with CMML and the dearth of funding for related research.

"We partnered with LLS in the hopes of stimulating research and developing treatments for this devastating disease, which has impacted our family and thousands of others," said Mike Segal. "LLS' expertise in evaluating and supporting innovative research, combined with our entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy, is the perfect combination to rapidly address the lack of treatment options in this area. We have worked closely together to design a high-impact grant program that we hope will lead to breakthroughs in the near term and this is just the beginning. Our foundation is now exploring similar potential initiatives focused on other rare diseases."

"Blood cancers are diverse  there are more than 100 types of blood cancer with varied treatment options - so there isn't a 'one size fits all approach,'" said E. Anders Kolb, M.D., LLS President and Chief Executive Officer. "At LLS, we strive to build a future where blood cancer patients can have longer, better lives. Having such a generous donation from the Mike and Sofia Segal Family Foundation is truly a gift, not just for LLS, but for those who have and will be impacted by CMML. Mike and Sofia Segal will leave a lasting mark when it comes to accelerating progress in CMML."

The existing chemotherapies for CMML typically provide only partial responses for a limited duration. Currently, the only curative option is a stem cell transplant but it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, which is not an option for many CMML patients. Average life expectancy after initial diagnosis ranges from a few months to a few years depending on various risk factors. CMML progresses to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in approximately 15 percent of patients over three to five years.

In addition to funding cutting-edge research, LLS is the leading source of free education and support for blood cancer patients and families. LLS provides personalized, one-on-one support , including assistance with identifying and enrolling in a clinical trial , and advocates on behalf ofand withblood cancer patients and their families, to make changes that will address the serious burdens of these diseases. To learn more about blood cancer or to donate, fundraise, or volunteer for LLS, please visit LLS.org .

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the global leader in the fight against blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has regions throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org . Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

LLS is the only organization featured in the nonprofit category on both Fast Company's 2022 Brands That Matter list and the 2023 Best Workplaces for Innovators list. LLS stands out among brands around the world for its relevancy, cultural impact, ingenuity, and mission impact.

For additional information, visit lls.org/lls-newsnetwork . Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn .

Media Contacts:

LLS

Kristin Hoose

[email protected]

(914) 821-8973

The Mike and Sofia Segal Family Foundation

Jim David, Prosek Partners

[email protected]

Dr. Misha Galperin, Zandafi Philanthropic Advisors

[email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
Country Brand Strategy was launched at the B2B Forum, an event for the licensing community to share its best practices and trends.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creating powerful messages focused on climate change and sustainability through the concept of Natural Intelligence. This is the road map that Esencial Costa Rica will follow to the year 2035 in the national and international audiences, according to the strategy that the Nation Brand unveiled this Monday afternoon, October 23 in the context of its tenth anniversary, at the B2B Forum event.

1

According to the President of the Country Brand Committee and General Manager of PROCOMER, Laura Lopez, Costa Rica already enjoys an important position in climate change and environmental preservation, which is why this strategy will capitalize on what the country has built with concrete actions to improve its international image and promote the implementation of strategies to consolidate Costa Rica's leadership in these issues.

"Costa Rica has made great decisions over the years, such as its long-standing commitment to sustainability. We have shown that environment and economic growth are not mutually exclusive, and have implemented innovative laws and programs, such as payment for environmental services. Since then, our GDP has grown hand in hand with our forests, which is why we are going to continue to support these actions, which have already been successful and which, we are sure, will continue to position us as leaders in these issues worldwide," said Lopez.

The strategy for the next decade was developed after an analysis of global meta-trends to define the issues that will continue to be relevant in the future. Meetings were also held with Costa Rican stakeholders from various segments of both the public and private sectors, including business chambers, academia, health, and tourism, among others. This analysis was carried out by Bloom Consulting, a firm specialized in Nation Branding, using an innovative methodology called "Nation Brand Taxonomy Model".

Adriana Acosta, director of Esencial Costa Rica Nation Brand, explained that the "Nation Brand Taxonomy Model" analyzes 13 categories that define the way a country is perceived and identify key aspects and actions required to build on those values. "The study analyzed risks and opportunities for the Nation Brand, highlighting certain strategic categories that are also aligned with global meta-trends, with climate being a very important issue both now and in the future worldwide, and one in which Costa Rica has many achievements to share," said Acosta.

For these reasons, the 2035 vision of Esencial Costa Rica will focus on the narrative in the aforementioned topics. "This is the opportunity to continue building on the positive image of Costa Rica, differentiate ourselves from the narrative of other nation brands, and achieve international media coverage. We have tangible achievements in these areas that allow us to consolidate our role as a leading country in climate change and sustainability issues," added Acosta.

Tenth anniversary of Esencial Costa Rica.

The year of 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of Esencial Costa Rica, the Nation Brand serving as a tool to boost our positive reputation in tourism, exports and investments. In these ten years, the Brand has built a prestigious image on national and international levels, supported by multiple achievements and recognition that have impacted our history.

A licensee community with more than 700 companies committed to values that increase their business competitiveness, awards that celebrate the strategic vision of the brand, named Nation Brand of the Year in the City Nation Place Awards London 2019, as well as the fourth best Nation Brand in tourism and ninth best in business in 2022, and even a project celebrated internationally, namely, the design of Costa Rica's biometric passport -- an innovative initiative that shows the world the Costa Rican essence -- are just some of the milestones that have positioned Costa Rica as one of the leading countries in excellence and sustainability.

The celebration of this tenth anniversary of the Nation Brand took place within the framework of the B2B Forum, a space created to share experiences and best practices with the more than 700 companies that make up the Esencial Costa Rica licensee community.

This year the forum featured Costa Rican exhibitors who stand out nationally and internationally and who represent the Nation Brand values of excellence, innovation, sustainability together with Costa Rican ties and social progress. Such is the case of Miguel Alvarez, CEO of With Robots and Global CTO of AnalogFolk Group; Adriana Echandi, CEO of Morpho Travel Experience; Alvaro Luque, President and CEO of Avocados from Mexico; Fernando Castro, Vice President and CEO of Blue Zones Nicoya; and Luis Mastroeni, Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainability at Cooperativa de Productores de Leche R.L (Milk Producers' Cooperative R.L.) -- Dos Pinos. Likewise, Nation Brand ambassadors participated in the B2B Forum telling their story and relationship with the Brand.

SOURCE Promotora de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (PROCOMER)
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The tree nuts market is expected to grow by USD 20.01 billion from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 7.15% during the forecast period. The rising popularity of vegan snacks among millennials is notably driving the tree nuts market. However, factors such as potential sources of allergens may impede market growth. The market is segmented by Product (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Cashews, and Others), Distribution Channel (Offline and Online), and Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America). Technavio provides a comprehensive report summary describing the market size and forecast along with research methodology. The sample report is available in PDF format

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Tree Nuts Market 2023-2027

Key Segment Analysis

The market share growth of the almonds segment will be significant during the forecast period. Almonds have several vitamins and minerals in them, which are highly nutritious. They've been rich in antioxidants and a variety of beneficial fats. They have been shown to enhance the overall health of the heart and bones, and control glucose levels in blood with a view to reducing cancer risk. In addition, to meet the global demand for almonds, there was also a rise in production per year. In 2022, the US had become one of the main producers of almonds.

To know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years, View the PDF Sample Report.

Geographical Market Analysis

APAC is estimated to contribute 33% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. China, followed by India and Vietnam , was one of the leading countries in terms of consumption. The increasing demand for tree nuts, due mainly to their different health benefits, is a key factor that drives market growth in the region. The nuts are an integral part of Chinese culture. In China , a total increase in consumption of tree nuts has been achieved on the back of rising disposable income and growing consumer preference for healthy foods. Moreover, the demand for tree nuts in India is more than the production, which has led to large imports from various leading countries, such as the US and China .

Company Insights

The tree nuts market is fragmented, and the companies are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market companies, including Archer Daniels Midland Co., Barry Callebaut AG, Blue Diamond Growers, Borges Agricultural and Industrial Nuts SA, BredaBest BV, Diamond Foods LLC, Hines Nut Co., IMPORTACO SA, Intersnack Group GmbH and Co. KG, Kanan Enterprises, Kanegrade Ltd., Mariani Nut Co., Olam Group Ltd., Plantabul Ltd., Poindexter Nut Co., Select Harvests Ltd., Summit Almonds LLC, Sun Valley Nut LLC, Voicevale Ltd., and Waterford Nut Co.

View the PDF Sample Report to find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by companies and their product offerings.

Related Reports:

The almond kernels market size is projected to increase by USD 3,178.5 million. and the market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.04% between 2022 and 2027.

The walnut market size is projected to increase by USD 2,144.65 million and the market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.93% between 2022 and 2027.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Product

Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, & Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base comprises enterprises of all sizes, including over 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
New Executive Leadership Drives Preply's Growth in the U.S.

The two new executive hires; Sofia Tavares as Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade as Chief Revenue Officer, bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the organization. Both executives will be based in the New York office and have already played a key role in the rebrand and the establishment of the new office announced today.

Tavares will lead the company's transformation into an iconic brand. Having previously served as Senior Vice President of Brand at Delivery Hero where she was instrumental in the company's transition to IPO, Tavares has over two decades of experience leading global marketing strategies for some of the world's most recognizable brands, including PepsiCo, Cadbury plc, Bacardi, Black & Decker and PetroChina. Tavares is fluent in eight languages.

Kingkade will drive the company's efforts to transform communications and culture through language at organizations across the world. Having led teams across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Kingkade joins Preply from Flowspace, where he doubled revenue and tripled gross profit in his first year as CRO. Prior to Flowspace, Kingkade was VP of Sales and Marketplace Operations at Houzz, where he grew the sales organization from one rep to hundreds of employees.

New Identity Marks Next Phase of Preply's Journey.

Having done extensive work on Preply's vision and mission earlier in the year, Preply collaborated with London-based agency Koto to redefine the company's identity and double down on what makes Preply unique.

The new identity introduces a fresh logo, vibrant color palette, and improved website design to improve the learning experience for users and tutors, helping millions more people make their language learning dreams a reality. The new brand is anchored around the theme of repetition, a powerful element of success for those studying a language that reflects how practice, progress and growth transform a learning journey.

"Our new vision, unlocking human potential through learning, has been the driving force behind this project. Today, more people than ever aspire to learn a new language. We believe that by strengthening our brand, we better serve everyone's language learning needs and aspirations," said Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer of Preply. "I couldn't be more excited to be on this journey with the Preply team, and I'm grateful to our wonderful tutors, students, employees and the wider language learning community for coming along for the ride."

More information about Preply's new brand can be found in Tavares' blog post.

Helping U.S. Employers Gain a Competitive Edge

The U.S. is home to the headquarters of some of the largest multinational companies in the world with the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers reporting that 90% of U.S employers rely on a multilingual workforce. However, the demands are not being met and as a result, 25% of U.S. employers are losing out on business opportunities.

"The world is more connected than ever. We are hearing time and again from clients that communications mistakes are costly, both from a financial and reputation standpoint", remarks Jerry Kingkade. "We've welcomed 200 new organizations to the Preply program in the last 12 months and more than doubled the number of clients we're working within the U.S. so far this year. A staggering 75% of working Americans feel that foreign language skills are important for their career prospects[1]. As we establish our U.S. presence in New York, we look forward to picking up the pace, serving the needs of this hard-working population, and playing a part in addressing a specific skills gap in the labor market".

Preply's momentum surges with the introduction of its New York office

Preply is reinforcing its commitment to growth and to better serve its existing U.S.-based B2B customers and partners with the launch of its first office in the U.S. The New York City location was chosen as a large number of multinational corporations are based in the Northeast.

The new office, The Malin, is now open, located at 134 Charles Street in the heart of New York's West Village. Preply anticipates that by the close of 2023, 25+ employees will be working from the office complementing Preply's existing two hubs in Barcelona and Kyiv.

About Preply

Preply is an online language learning marketplace, connecting tutors to hundreds of thousands of learners in 180 countries worldwide. More than 40,000 tutors teach over 50 languages, powered by a machine-learning algorithm that recommends the best tutors for each learner. Founded in the United States in 2012 by three Ukrainian founders Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn, Preply has grown from a team of 3 to a company of over 600 employees of 60 different nationalities with offices in Barcelona, New York, and Kyiv.





[1] Preply survey 2023 amongst 3000 global participants

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256296/Preply_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256298/Preply_Sofia.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257267/Preply_Jerry.jpg

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256302/PMP_video_for_blog.mp4

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256297/Preply.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256321/Preply_language.jpg







SOURCE Preply

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Monetary Rewards Increased for Information that Leads to the Arrest and Conviction of a Perpetrator of Postal Crime

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S Postal Service (USPS) and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (Inspection Service) today provided an update on their Project Safe Delivery campaign to crack down on postal crimes, including attacks against postal employees. Announced in May 2023, Project Safe Delivery is a USPS initiative to combat the recent rise in threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail theft incidents by protecting Postal employees and the security of the nation's mail and packages. Multiple departments within USPS, including the Inspection Service, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and the Office of the Chief Retail and Delivery Officer are working together to support the ongoing campaign. To help strengthen this effort, the Inspection Service has also significantly increased monetary rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a perpetrator of postal crimes.

"As our nation continues to address a sustained crime wave, our targeted focus to crack down on postal crime is progressing," said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. "The safety of our letter carriers  and all postal employees  is our top priority. We will continue to work steadfastly with our law enforcement partners to increase the safety of our employees and protect the sanctity of the nation's mail."

"We have effectively focused our efforts with USPS on hardening both physical and digital targets to combat threats to postal employees and secure the mail. We continue to turn up the pressure and put potential perpetrators on notice; If you attack Postal employees, steal the mail, or commit other postal crimes, Postal Inspectors will bring you to justice," said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. "We ask that the public assist us with our mission. Our rewards for information have increased substantially, highlighting the importance of the safety and security of our employees and the mail. If you see something, say something, and help us bring to justice those that cause harm to postal employees, steal mail, or commit other postal crimes."

Project Safe Delivery Progress To Date

Since the launch of Project Safe Delivery in May 2023, the Postal Service and Inspection Service have taken the following actions to address postal crime nationwide:

Law Enforcement Surges Completed In Chicago, San Francisco , Ohio ; More than 600 Individuals Arrested for Postal Crimes. Postal inspectors completed a series of targeted law enforcement surges in Chicago , San Francisco , and cities across Ohio , major metropolitan regions facing significant threats from organized postal crime. Each operation used wide-ranging law enforcement partnerships including with the Department of Justice, Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, other federal agencies, and local law enforcement. Postal Inspectors conducted more than 700 investigative actions, including the execution of arrests and other court authorized law enforcement activities and more than 375 prevention activities, including presentations to postal employees on employee safety and mail theft prevention.

Since May, the Inspection Service has made 109 arrests for robberies and more than 530 arrests for mail theft. The Inspection Service will continue to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement and conduct targeted surge operations focusing on those high postal crime areas.

10,000 High-Security Blue Collection Boxes Installed Nationwide. The Postal Service is installing high-security blue collection boxes making access to their contents more difficult for criminals. Since May, over 10,000 high-security blue boxes have been deployed in high-security risk areas.

The Postal Service will continue to evaluate replacing additional existing blue collection boxes with these enhanced boxes and anticipates installing several thousand more boxes in the near future. In specific locations where a blue box is a repeated crime target and/or mail density is very low, collection boxes may have to be removed entirely when access is not meaningfully diminished due to nearby access points.

Ongoing Replacement of Antiquated Arrow Locks with 49,000 Electronic Locks. There has been an increase in letter carrier robberies nationwide where criminals are targeting letter carriers for their Arrow and Modified Arrow Lock (MAL) Keys. Criminals use Arrow and MAL keys to steal mail from secure mail receptacles to commit financial crimes, including altering checks to commit check fraud . To make Arrow Keys less valuable for criminals, the Postal Service has replaced more than 6,500 antiquated arrow locks with electronic locks in select cities. In coming months, the Postal Service plans to deploy an additional 42,500 electronic locks nationwide. The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service are also increasing Arrow Key accountability reviews in select high Postal crime areas.





There has been an increase in letter carrier robberies nationwide where criminals are targeting letter carriers for their Arrow and Modified Arrow Lock (MAL) Keys. Criminals use Arrow and MAL keys to steal mail from secure mail receptacles to commit financial crimes, including altering checks to commit check . To make Arrow Keys less valuable for criminals, the Postal Service has replaced more than 6,500 antiquated arrow locks with electronic locks in select cities. In coming months, the Postal Service plans to deploy an additional 42,500 electronic locks nationwide. The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service are also increasing Arrow Key accountability reviews in select high Postal crime areas. 99.3% Reduction In Fraudulent Change of Address Submissions After Implementation of Electronic- and In-Person Authentication Procedures. The Postal Service processed more than 29 million change of address (COA) transactions in Fiscal Year 2023. Across the globe identity theft is on the rise driven by a financial motive. The Postal Service is not the intended target, however implicated due to the fraudster intercepting financially oriented mail such as credit cards or checks. To combat the rise in fraudulent submissions, the Postal Service has strengthened authentication processes for all methods of COA submissions, electronic and hardcopy submitted in person or through the mail stream.

Since expanding enhanced in-person change of address protocols and implementing additional identity verification services for online change of addresses, fraudulent submissions have decreased by more than 99.3% compared to the same period last year.

50% Reduction in Counterfeit Package Postage In Postal Network Due to Increased Controls and Enforcement. The Postal Service is committed to protecting the integrity and security of the mail system and ensuring that customers receive the service they pay for. Customers are urged to use only authorized and legitimate labels for their packages, and to report any suspicious or fraudulent labels to the USPS or the Inspection Service. Customers who use counterfeit or hijacked labels may face legal consequences and lose their mailing privileges.

The USPS has developed a sophisticated system to identify, intercept and retain counterfeit or hijacked labels on packages, using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analysis. Since the start of the interception program, counterfeit package postage in the postal network has significantly reduced by more than 50%.

In May, analysis conducted by the Inspection Service led to the arrest of a Chinese-national in Los Angeles for running an alleged counterfeit postage scheme and shipping more than 9 million pieces of mail with $60 million in counterfeit postage.

The Inspection Service continues to expand actions to crack down on fraudulent postage including:

Interdictions of packages with counterfeit labels affixed Reviews of shipments on Postal Service docks and during warehouse outreach visits Shut down of websites and closure of eCommerce accounts selling counterfeit postage Engagement and partnership with eCommerce companies to disrupt activity Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collaboration



Increased Monetary Rewards

The Inspection Service is authorized to issue monetary rewards for certain types of offenses against the United States Postal Service. The agency along with its partners has enacted regulatory changes to reflect increased monetary reward amounts for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a perpetrator of mail crime. Relevant criminal behavior includes homicide, assault, mail fraud, mail theft, counterfeiting and forgery, and destroying, obstructing, or limiting the passage of mail.

In August, the Inspection Service increased monetary rewards for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a perpetrator of mail crime:

USPIS MONETARY REWARDS FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO ARREST AND CONVICTION OF A PERPETRATOR OF MAIL CRIME* (Effective August 21, 2023) Offenses Against USPS Employees/Contractors Murder or Manslaughter of a Postal Service Employee or Contractor $250,000 The unlawful killing of any officer, employee, or contractor of the Postal Service while engaged in or on account of the performance of his or her official duties. Assault on Postal Employees $150,000 Forcibly assaulting any officer or employee of the Postal Service while engaged in or on account of the performance of his or her official duties. Robbery $150,000 Robbery or attempted robbery of any custodian of any mail, money, or other property of the United States under the control and jurisdiction of the Postal Service. Offenses Involving Theft of Mail or USPS Property Burglary Of Post Office $100,000 Breaking into, or attempting to break into, a Post Office, station, branch, a building used wholly or partly as a Post Office, or any building or area in a building where the business of the Postal Service is conducted, with intent to commit a larceny or other depredation therein. Theft Of Mail Or Postal Service Property $100,000 Theft or attempted theft of any mail, or the contents thereof, or the theft of money or any other property of USPS under the custody and control of the Postal Service from any custodian, postal vehicle, railroad depot, airport, or other transfer point, Post Office, or station, receptacle, or depository established, approved, or designated by the Postmaster General for the receipt of mail; possession of any item above which was stolen from Postal Service custody; or destroying, obstructing, or retarding the passage of mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail. Postage Or Meter Tampering $100,000 The unlawful use, reuse, or forgery of postage stamps, postage meter stamps, permit imprints, or other postage; or the use, sale, or possession with intent to use or sell any used, forged, or counterfeited postage stamp or other postage. * Reflects select rewards. Read the full list of increased monetary rewards here .

Action the American Public Can Take To Help Prevent Mail Theft

Customers can take several steps to protect their mail and their letter carriers, including:

Don't let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox. You can significantly reduce the chance of being victimized by simply removing your mail from your mailbox every day.

Deposit outgoing mail through a number of secure manners including inside your local Post Office or at your place of business or by handing it to a letter carrier.

Sign up for Informed Delivery and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled to arrive soon.

and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled to arrive soon. Become involved and engaged in your neighborhood via neighborhood watches and local social media groups to spread awareness and share information.

Keep an eye out for your letter carrier. If you see something that looks suspicious, or you see someone following your carrier, call 911.

Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.

Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to nearly 165 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

Contact: Albert Ruiz

[email protected]

usps.com/news

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vision Innovation Partners ("VIP"), a leading Mid-Atlantic eye care platform with nearly 70 locations, today announced the promotion of existing board member and current President, Chris Moore, to Chief Executive Officer, as part of a planned transition in the senior leadership of the company. Former CEO and founder Mike Dunn is now serving as Executive Vice President of Business Development and Vice Chairman of the Board. VIP is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm.

"We are delighted for Chris to become VIP's new CEO," said Kevin Blank, Operating Partner in Gryphon's Healthcare Group. "Chris has deep industry experience and familiarity with VIP's operations and is well qualified to lead the company as it continues to strengthen its growing network of ophthalmology practices. We also extend our thanks to Mike for his longtime service, and we are pleased to benefit from his continuing contributions as he takes on this new role."

Mr. Moore is a longtime senior executive and has decades of experience in the vision industry. Before becoming a board member and President of VIP, Mr. Moore was the President at Century Vision Global, a regional ophthalmology services consolidator, and also co-founded Integrity Digital Solutions, an ophthalmology-focused electronic medical records software business, where he served as CEO. Mr. Moore holds a BS from Sam Houston State University and an MBA from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University.

Luke Schroeder, Partner in Gryphon's Healthcare Group, said, "Chris has been driving improved delivery of practice management support resources to VIP locations, offering an attractive value proposition to partner physicians. We are confident he is the right person to move VIP forward as the organization continues to scale and expand its footprint through both organic initiatives and additional M&A, which will solidify its position as the partner of choice for ophthalmologists and optometrists in the Mid-Atlantic region."

Mr. Moore added, "I am excited to lead the team at VIP as we accelerate our growth trajectory and fulfill our commitment to providing excellent support to our eye care professionals. With the support of Gryphon Investors and the VIP team, I look forward to capitalizing on the opportunities ahead together."

About Vision Innovation Partners

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Annapolis, MD, VIP supports the mid-Atlantic's premier ophthalmology practices and surgery centers through good people, expert leadership, the sharing of best practices and the backing of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm. VIP's managed practices offer a comprehensive range of services, including routine eye exams and LASIK surgery as well as treatment for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other ocular diseases. The Company is among the region's leading managed services platforms for ophthalmology providers, with more than 140 practitioners and a footprint that includes nearly 60 practice locations and 11 surgery centers across Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

About Gryphon Investors

Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively advantaged companies in the Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, and Software sectors. With approximately $9 billion of assets under management, Gryphon prioritizes investments in which it can form strong partnerships with founders, owners, and executives to accelerate the building of leading companies and generate enduring value through its integrated deal and operations business model. Gryphon's highly differentiated model integrates its well-proven Operations Resources Group, which is led by full-time, Gryphon senior operating executives with general management, human capital acquisition and development, treasury, finance, and accounting expertise. Gryphon's three core investment strategies include its Flagship, Heritage, and Junior Capital strategies, each with dedicated funds of capital. The Flagship and Heritage strategies target equity investments of $50 million to $350 million per portfolio company. The Junior Capital strategy targets investments in junior securities of credit facilities, arranged by leading middle-market lenders, in both Gryphon-controlled companies, as well as in other private equity-backed companies operating in Gryphon's targeted investment sectors.

Contact:

Stephanie Blank

[email protected]

410.571.8733 (x. 717)

SOURCE Vision Innovation Partners
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on the allocation of 4.7 million manat ($2.8 million) for the construction of the Boyukshor-Pirsagi road, Trend reports.

In general, in order to reduce the density of traffic flow in Baku, 4.7 million manat ($2.8 million) were initially allocated to the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads from the reserve fund of the President of Azerbaijan envisaged in the state budget for 2023 for the design and construction of the sixlane Boyukshor-Pirsagi highway with a length of 12.7 km.

The Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan has been instructed to provide financing in the amount specified in this decree.

In addition, the Ministry of Economy has been instructed to provide in the section of expenditures on state investments of the draft state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024 the financial resources necessary to complete the construction of the highway.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has been instructed to resolve issues arising from this order.
Customers can now receive instant video and audio interpretation services in 240+ languages to help with medication and other health-related questions

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Voyce, a technology-driven company dedicated to breaking down language barriers in healthcare, and Rexall Pharmacy Group, a leading pharmacy retailer in Canada, are embarking on a ground-breaking new partnership to help provide more equitable and inclusive access to pharmacy services across Canada. Voyce provides an on-demand language interpretation service that delivers simple, seamless, and secure twenty-four-seven video access to medical interpreters who speak more than 240 languages and dialects, including American Sign Language.

"Providing patients with an accurate explanation of their treatment and medications is a top priority for our pharmacy teams," says Nicolas Caprio, President, Rexall Pharmacy Group. "Canada has a rich linguistic diversity, and this technology enables us to overcome communication barriers to better serve our customers in any language they feel most comfortable conversing in. We are so thrilled to partner with Voyce interpretive services to help bridge these gaps in care and build better trust with our patients by providing them with further options for communications within our pharmacy setting."

Rexall understands that health and wellness look different for everyone, and the goal of this collaboration is to simplify and support whole health. Along with the full complement of pharmacy services, access to language interpretation will allow customers to receive the best form of care and enable more equitable and inclusive access to community pharmacy services.

"From hospitals and care centers to your local pharmacy, too many language barriers exist in the health and wellness space today, leaving non-English or French speaking patients vulnerable when seeking care," said Andrew Royce, CEO of Voyce. "Together, Voyce's integration into Rexall provides consistency in patient experience with professional medical interpretation, regardless of the language spoken. We are excited to bring our innovation and the peace of mind it provides to pharmacy customers across Canada and are proud to help ensure that all those who need can have their voice heard."

In real-time, pharmacy teams can access Voyce's network of medical interpreters to seamlessly communicate with patients on their device of choice, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

To view a video about this new partnership from a Rexall location, please visit: https://www.rexall.ca/voyce

About Voyce Canada

Voyce is a technology driven company deeply committed to helping people in need facing language barriers, enabling them to communicate and get help when they need it the most. Voyce's professional and qualified language interpreters provide medical interpretation across a variety of technology and telehealth platforms in 240+ languages and dialects, including American Sign Language. Across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and globally, Voyce supports millions of conversations each year, giving patients and providers the confidence to communicate effectively. Learn more at: www.voyceglobal.com.

Media Contact:

Ryan Wagner: [email protected]

SOURCE Voyce
Shelf Nine's Retail Media Network Has Over 4500 Screens Producing Digital In-Store Advertising Throughout the USA

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "VSBLTY") (OTCQB: VSBGF) (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt 5VS), a leading AI software provider of security and retail analytics technology, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement dated October 19, 2023 (the "Purchase Agreement") to acquire Shelf Nine LLC ("Shelf Nine"), a leader in retail media networks.

Store content can also be optimized in real time to increase sales

In-store retail media networks are foundational to VSBLTY's "Store as a Medium" model and include a collection of digital channels including in-store interactive digital displays (strategically placed throughout the store), integrating loyalty apps, websites, etc. VSBLTY software enables these networks to deliver brands and retailers "first of its kind" computer vision driven data analytics about their customers.

"This acquisition firmly cements VSBLTY not only as a world leading innovative software company, but as a leading-edge digital media company as well," stated VSBLTY Co-founder & CEO Jay Hutton. "Our media offering is unlike any other traditional "Out of Home" awareness product. Using our anonymous customer analytics software, we can not only confirm impressions, but we can state, who, when, where and for how long the advertisement was viewed. Media companies, advertisers, and retailers understand this powerful new "In Store Network" that is expected to outpace traditional radio, TV and Internet media spend. This acquisition, along with our Mexican, Brazilian and other in-store media opportunities will see media revenue become a large contributor to our bottom line in 2024 and beyond. This is transformative for all involved. Developing additional revenue streams and increased recurring revenue are key to our expansion plans.

Acquisition of Shelf Nine

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, VSBLTY will issue an aggregate of 12,500,000 Shares to the owners of Shelf Nine at closing of the Transaction ("Closing"), with a deemed value of US$500,000, with 1,250,000 of such Shares being subject to escrow for a period of 15 months following Closing. As well, the sellers will be entitled to earn up to an additional US$3,890,000 worth of shares subject to achieving agreed upon revenue milestones over the three years (the "Earn-Out"). The revenue milestones commence in July, 2023 and end in June, 2026.

The number of Shares to be issued pursuant to the Earn-Out will be determined based on the volume weighted average trading price at the time of issuance, and within the pricing requirements of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, VSBLTY will also settle USD$132,900 in existing debts of Shelf Nine through the issuance of 3,322,500 Shares to the creditor, Village Super Market, Inc. ("Village"). At Closing, VSBLTY, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, VSBLTY, Inc. ("Subco"), has also agreed to assume approximately US$336,096.67 in existing promissory notes of Shelf Nine the ("Loan"). In this regard, Subco and Shelf Nine, as co-makers, will issue a secured promissory note to the creditor, Village.

In connection with the Transaction, the key employees of Shelf Nine have agreed to continue their employment and can receive additional performance incentives of US$250,000, pursuant to their employment agreements. The acquisition of Shelf Nine is very strategic to VSBLTY's North American expansion, and is further compensated for, based on performance, with the issuance of common stock at prevailing prices.

"The opportunity to merge our company with VSBLTY is ideal for our company moving forward", pointed out Shelf Nine CEO, Mike Manion. "With our digital media network of 4500 screens starting to generate revenue and the enhanced capabilities of VSBLTY's latest analytics software offerings, we truly have a media product that is unique in the market. Not only does this allow us to expand screen deployments in our existing locations, but also gives us a compelling opportunity to quickly acquire new locations. Initially we will focus on offering more services to our existing client base, including more VSBLTY software features, along with the recently announced full panel, full video, cooler doors that can also run in transparent mode. We are very excited to find a company that we have both cultural and strategic alignment with as we enter this new growth phase for Shelf Nine."

While the Transaction is not subject to shareholder approval, it is subject to standard conditions of Closing, including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary consents and regulatory approvals. All Shares issued in connection with the Transaction will be subject to resale restrictions under applicable securities laws, including a four (4) month hold period from the date of issuance. The Transaction is expected to close by the end of October, 2023.

About Shelf Nine

Shelf Nine is a premier digital media and content network providing brands and retailers specifically targeted customer communications delivered at the point of purchase. Building a retail ad network brings more ad revenue to the store owner and allows better control of content and integrated marketing programs. Advertisers are increasing investments on digital platforms that deliver ads to consumers while shopping. The 1:1 retail environment is the best to target consumers. Digital content in the store provides the optimal delivery of ad impressions while also increasing the shopper experience and the basket ring for the retailer. http://www.shelfnine.com

On Behalf of the Board of VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp.

"Jay Hutton"

CEO & Director

Investor Relations

Harbor Access

Jonathan Paterson, 475-477-9401

[email protected]

Graham Farrell, +1-416-842-9003

Graham.Farrell@Harbor- Access.com

CONTACT: Linda Rosanio, 609-472-0877

[email protected]

About VSBLTY ( http://vsblty.net/ )

Headquartered in Philadelphia, VSBLTY (OTCQB: VSBGF) (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt: 5VS) (OTC: VSBGF) ("VSBLTY") is a world leader in Artificial Intelligence and real time interpretation of what a camera sees. By utilizing facial recognition, age, gender, and other matrixes, VSBLTY's proprietary technology can effectively enhance retail brand engagement through customized ads on displays, at point of purchase, tailored to the current customer's demographic. This technology has proven to increase brand sales 25-35%. The firm is also recognized for its leadership role in the growing "Store as a Medium" movement that enables brands to reach customers when and where buying decisions are being made while producing a new revenue stream for retailers.

VSBLTY, using its proprietary AI software, has also developed a range of security products that include not only facial recognition, but weapon recognition as well, utilizing a variety of security cameras as well as legacy CCTV cameras. VSBLTY has the capability to create a proactive security system rather than a reactive security system, providing the early warning of threats that can save lives.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION STATEMENT

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to Closing. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's public securities filings with the Canadian securities commissions. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 193, 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. This release is not for distribution to U.S. newswire services nor for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

SOURCE VSBLTY
WHEEL PROS ANNOUNCES REBRANDING TO HOONIGAN

WHEEL PROS ANNOUNCES REBRANDING TO HOONIGAN

As Hoonigan, the Company aims to connect with a broader audience of automotive enthusiasts, acknowledging that the industry's landscape has evolved since its inception. Hoonigan was originally the brainchild of Ken Block, a visionary and pioneer in the racing world. As Hoonigan, the Company intends to honor and build upon Block's important legacy of leading a trailblazing community driven by a passion for motorsports and the enthusiast community. Hoonigan's new vision statement  "We provide the passion that keeps dreams in motion"  signifies a worldwide initiative to bring enhancements to a broad range of consumers, from track enthusiasts to offroad adventurers, as well as the casual commuter and everything in between.

"We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey as Hoonigan," said Randy White, CEO of Hoonigan. "This rebranding represents our commitment to not only embracing the rich heritage of automotive culture but also expanding our horizons to welcome a growing community of enthusiasts. We look forward to creating meaningful connections, supporting creativity, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the automotive industry."

The Hoonigan brand is already synonymous with some of the industry's most unique vehicles and trendsetting media in the automotive ecosystem. This rebranding brings closer integration with the Company's parent organization and its unwavering commitment to quality and innovation. With a focus on producing top-of-the-line aftermarket products, Hoonigan will continue developing innovative technologies across its collection of wheels, tires, suspension, lighting, accessories, and more. Hoonigan aims to empower enthusiasts to express their unique style and pursue their automotive vision by constantly exploring new design possibilities.

The transition from Wheel Pros to Hoonigan will be seamless for customers and business partners, as the Company will continue to provide the same exceptional service, quality products, and steadfast dedication to customersatisfaction. The official website and social media channels have been updated to reflect the new brand identity. The Wheel Pros name will remain within the Hoonigan brand family as the Company's wholesaler channel and will continue to serve the Company's retailers and dealers. The Company's subsidiary brands, including throtl and 4 Wheel Parts, will maintain their ongoing operations within their established e-commerce and retail sales channels, preserving the continuity of their services.

About Hoonigan

Hoonigan serves the automotive enthusiast industry with entertaining content and a wide selection of vehicle enhancements from its portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Fuel Off-Road, American Racing, KMC, Morimoto, TeraFlex, Rotiform, and Black Rhino. Utilizing its expanding global network of distribution centers spanning North America, Australia, and Europe, Hoonigan serves over 16,500 retailers. It has a growing e-commerce presence to provide enthusiast consumers with access to a variety of aftermarket enhancements including wheels, suspension, lighting, and accessories. More information is available at www.hoonigan.com.

SOURCE Hoonigan

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Will Roberts, former head of Acquisitions for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC)/Chief Digital and AI Officer (CDAO), Office of the Department of Defense in Arlington, Virginia, current Director of Acquisition Solutions for ASI testified on Capitol Hill, to the Senate Government Affairs and Oversight Committee on "Governing AI Through Acquisition and Procurement" shedding light on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on government. Roberts injected creativity and the energy of mission accomplishment into a function that has traditionally been seen as a back-office business transaction. Recent developments in Large Language Models and Generative AI have made the technology more powerful and easier to use. Like any emerging advanced technology, effectively buying and using it brings new kinds of benefits and risks and requires reskilling of the acquisition workforce.

ASI Government

Roberts spoke of the historically important role of our American contracting officer, whom he referred to as the "American Government Dealmaker" and how US history can be summarized as a series of business transactions. This is because the Government has always needed to rely  and will continue to rely  on the ingenuity of industry to provide us with innovations that provide welfare, peace, and security to our citizens.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) represents a pivotal moment in history, and there is a pressing need for American Government Dealmakers and policymakers to take proactive steps to harness its potential. Here are some key points to consider:

Training and Workforce Development: To effectively leverage AI, there is a critical need for comprehensive training and workforce development programs. This includes both upskilling the existing workforce and preparing the next generation for AI-related roles. Investment in education and training is essential to ensure that there is a knowledgeable and skilled workforce capable of driving AI initiatives.

Mission Transformation: AI has the potential to revolutionize various missions, from healthcare and defense to transportation and education. Government deal makers and policymakers should explore how AI can be integrated into these missions to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and achieve cost savings.

Modern Digital Acquisition: Traditional procurement methods may not be suitable for acquiring AI technologies. Modernizing acquisition processes to accommodate AI solutions is crucial. This may involve streamlining bureaucratic processes, encouraging innovation, and fostering partnerships with private-sector AI experts and businesses.

Specialized Knowledge: Dealing with AI requires specialized knowledge, not just in AI techniques and market segments but also non-FAR authorities, cloud services, technology stacks and the risks associated with the responsible use to include data governance, ethics, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. Government agencies must have access to experts who understand these complexities to make informed decisions.

As a member of the winning team in a challenge from OMB in 2014, ASI developed and continues to deliver modern Digital IT Acquisition Professional (DITAP) training to government identified members of the acquisition workforce. The American Government Dealmakers (Acquisition Team members) need more. Roberts called for mandatory, government-wide training for all incoming acquisition professionals. AI Acquisition training cannot be a niche. It cannot be treated as "basics"  it must be inspirational, substantive, and interesting. Most importantly, it must ignite zeal within the professional hearts of our acquisition workforce. Only then will they be willing and able to step back into their historical role as an "American Government Dealmaker" of AI for the future.

Recommendations for Policymakers: Roberts concluded by offering actionable recommendations for policymakers to navigate the AI landscape effectively, promoting innovation while safeguarding society and recommended DITAP as possible transition path to the future.

Will Roberts' testimony is expected to inform and shape legislative discussions around AI policy, regulation, and ethical guidelines. As AI permeates the federal government, his expertise promises to be invaluable in guiding Congress in making informed decisions for the future.

For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information about the testimony, please contact Stacey O'Neill at [email protected]

SOURCE ASI Government
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov met with senior officials of the supreme audit institutions participating in the third SDG Dialogue themed "The Results of the Global SDGs Summit 2023 and the Role of Supreme Financial Control Bodies in the Implementation of the SDGs" held in Baku on October 25, Trend reports.

Asadov emphasized the relevance of the third SDG Dialogue, describing it as an excellent opportunity to learn about Azerbaijan's progress toward the SDGs as well as the role of the supreme audit institutions in analyzing this process.

Speaking about how the Azerbaijani government values collaboration with the UN, the prime minister stated that the execution of SDG commitments is an important component of state policy in Azerbaijan.

In addition, Asadov said that over the past period, important work has been done in Azerbaijan towards achieving the SDGs and stated that Azerbaijan is the first in the region and one of the 10 countries in the world to submit a voluntary national report to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development three times.

The Azerbaijani government attaches great importance to the role of the supreme audit institutions in the implementation of the SDGs, including the targeted use of allocated funds, as well as in ensuring transparency and accountability, said the prime minister.

Asadov said that this issue was reflected in the action plan adopted by the National Coordinating Council in March this year.

Furthermore, Asadov stated that at the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement on Combating COVID-19 conference in Baku in March of this year, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan proposed the 18th Sustainable Development Goal. The significance of this SDG, which provides for activities relating to the battle against the mine danger, was stressed, particularly in terms of carrying out restoration work in Azerbaijan's liberated lands and ensuring the safe return of people.

The prime minister stressed that Azerbaijan is one of the countries most polluted by mines and other explosive munitions, and after the end of the second Karabakh war, more than 300 Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians were killed or seriously injured by mines.

The meeting also discussed the role of the supreme audit institutions in the implementation of the SDGs.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Ali Gojaev was dismissed from the post of the head of the Executive Power of Azerbaijan's Samukh district, Trend reports.

The corresponding order was signed by President Ilham Aliyev.
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Geneva, Oct 25 : United Nations (UN) agencies have warned that civilians in the Gaza Strip were going through a catastrophic situation and called on all actors to provide sufficient humanitarian assistance to avert further deterioration.

Rick Brennan, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Emergencies Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, told a press briefing here on Tuesday from Cairo that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza had resulted in over 5,000 deaths, half of which could be women and children, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said that one-third of all hospitals in Gaza were now not functioning, and people with chronic diseases were finding it more and more difficult to access the services they needed, and it was expected that their mortality rate would also increase.

According to the WHO official, an estimated 150 to 200 women were giving birth there each day, and those experiencing difficulties during delivery were at particular risk.

"Some 1.4 million people were now acutely displaced, it was unprecedented that such a large number of people had been displaced over such a short time. This was an incredibly difficult situation," he said, adding that "There was a real worry of the spread of infectious diseases, which could be just a matter of time."

The WHO official also stressed that having fuel was absolutely essential for the functioning of hospitals and ambulances, and WHO was pleading for a sustained, scaled-up, protected humanitarian operation.

Tamara Alrifai of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) told the briefing from Amman that since October 21, three convoys of humanitarian supplies have entered the Gaza Strip with 54 trucks.

She said that before the conflict, 500 trucks had been arriving in the Gaza Strip every day, so the 15 to 20 trucks that had arrived in Gaza per day over the previous three days were but a trickle of what was needed.

The UNRWA called for the lifting of the humanitarian siege and urged continuous and unimpeded humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, she said, adding that the displaced people would soon be needing winter clothes.

"Because of the overcrowding, many were sleeping in the courtyards, which would make it very difficult when the winter hit," she said.
Ramallah, Oct 25 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a "complete ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip and the opening of permanent corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in the coastal enclave.

Abbas made the remarks on Tuesday during his meeting with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a WAFA news agency report.

Abbas condemned the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of civilians, prisoners, and detainees on both sides.

Abbas also rejected the displacement of Palestinians from their homes and lands, whether they are in Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem.

Macron stressed the importance of protecting civilians in Gaza, saying that he seeks to free hostages held by Hamas, including nine French nationals.

Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, where they seized a large number of hostages.

The group previously stated that there were 200 to 250 captives held in Gaza. To respond, Israel launched massive airstrikes and punitive measures, including a siege on the enclave with supplies of water, electricity, fuel, and other necessities being cut off.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has so far killed nearly 5,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and more than 1,400 people in Israel.
'Zelensky survived more than dozen attempts on his life' (. Image Source: IANS News

Kiev, Oct 25 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the launch of the talks on accession to the European Union this year is a top priority for his country, the presidential press service reported.

"For Ukraine, this is a top priority -- to be ready for a political decision to start negotiations on EU membership this year," Zelensky said while participating in a meeting of the College of the European Commission via a video link on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently, Ukraine is implementing seven recommendations of the European Commission as quickly as possible to enable a political decision to pave the way for the membership negotiations, Zelensky said.

In particular, Ukraine is implementing reform of constitutional justice and strengthening anti-corruption efforts, he noted.

For her part, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who also participated in the meeting, voiced her support for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

In June 2022, EU leaders accepted Ukraine as a candidate for membership in the bloc.
Washington, Oct 25 : US President Joe Biden has honoured two Indian-American scientists -- Subra Suresh and Ashok Gadgil -- with National Medals for their pioneering contributions in the fields of science and technology innovation at a ceremony in White House.

"We're determined to return great science to America," Biden said in remarks at the ceremony in the House's East Room on Tuesday.

"For this year's recipients, 'outstanding' may be an understatement. They're extraordinary They have paved the way for a generation of other scientists and innovators to pursue their own discoveries to unlock our nation's full potential."

Suresh -- a scientist and engineer with decades of impactful leadership in higher education, industry and government -- was among nine recipients who were awarded the National Medal of Science.

A professor at large at Brown University's School of Engineering and former director of the National Science Foundation, Suresh of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was honoured for pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences, and life sciences.

Describing Suresh as a "transformative educator", a White House statement said that his "commitment to research and collaboration across borders has demonstrated how science can forge understanding and cooperation among people and nations".

"It's very satisfying," Suresh said in a statement released by the Brown University's School of Engineering.

"This is not why you do science. You don't do this for the reward, you do it for the joy. If somebody notices it, it's icing on the cake, but it's not the cake itself. This particular one, though, has added significance because it's from the president of the US. It's national. It has the US stamped on it," Suresh added.

Born in India in 1956, Suresh graduated from high school at 15 and by age 25 had earned his undergraduate degree, master's degree and Ph.D, which he earned in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in just two years.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was awarded to Ashok Gadgil of the University of California Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world.

Widely considered to be a "humanitarian inventor", Gadgil was among 12 laureates to receive the honour.

"His innovative, inexpensive technologies help meet profound needs, from drinking water to fuel-efficient cookstoves. His work is inspired by a belief in the dignity of all people and in our power to solve the great challenges of our time," the White House statement read.

Established by Congress in 1959, the National Medal of Science is conferred directly by the president and is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is given for outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology for the improvement of the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the US.
Meerut, Oct 25 : A man has been arrested in Meerut for attempting to rape his daughter-in-law.

When the son tried to prevent the father, he attacked the son with a stick and broke his head.

When the neighbours reached there and protested against the accused, he threatened them too and then ran away. In the complaint given at the police station, the son alleged that he was sleeping in his room on Tuesday and his wife was doing household chores.

Meanwhile, he claimed, that his father caught hold of the daughter-in-law, took her into the room and tried to rape her.

The young man tried to save his wife when she raised an alarm but the father attacked the son and started beating him with sticks.

People nearby came and saved the young man.

After this, the accused father fled.

The young man along with his wife reached Lisadi Gate police station and lodged a complaint of attempted rape.

The police immediately raided several places and arrested him. The accused has been sent to jail.
Agra, Oct 25 : The body of a woman with her throat slit, was found in her house in Agra's Mori village.

What made the incident seem mysterious was suicide note found in the room in which the woman allegedly claimed that she was ending her life.

A blood-stained knife was also found nearby.

According to the police, the suicide note read: aI, Meera, am giving up my life for my Govind. Gopal Krishna is my only worshipper. Now there is no attachment to this mortal body.''

Police have registered a case of murder but the mystery behind the death deepened after the recovery of the suicide note.

A police spokesman said that the police will decide on murder and suicide only after matching the handwriting.

The womanas husband Harendra, resident of Mori village of Kirawali, drives a school bus.

He told reporters that he had returned home after taking vegetables from the market on Tuesday and he gave the vegetables to his eight-year-old son Dhruv.

When the child went in, he screamed seeing his mother lying in a pool of blood.

On getting information, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sonam Kumar and Assistant Commissioner of Police Syed Arib Ahmed reached the spot and forensic science experts and dog squad were also called.

Police recovered a knife and suicide note from the spot. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sonam Kumar said that the suicide note will be sent to a handwriting expert.

It will be included in the analysis only after handwriting matching.

Currently the police are investigating both aspects of murder and suicide.

Meanwhile, Haripal Singh said that his sister Meera was married to Harendra 11 years ago.

He alleged that the sister was being harassed in her in-laws' house since marriage.

Based on his statement, the police have registered a case of murder against sister's husband Harendra, brother-in-law Omkar, Pappu, sister-in-law Lalitesh, Nemwati, father-in-law Diwan Singh and mother-in-law.
Agra, Oct 25 : 'Kumkum Shoes', a trading business in Uttar Pradesh's Agra has been directed by the Delhi High Court to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to 'PumaSE' in a case involving usage of its 'leaping cat' logo.

The court said the use of aPumaa trademark and logo by the defendant on inferior quality products will lead to erosion of brand equity.

The plaintiff, Puma, a German company had filed a suit seeking injunction against counterfeit products manufactured and sold under the mark aPumaa by defendant, aKumkum Shoesa, a trading business in Agra.

The court noted as per the local commissioneras report, aKumkum Shoesa made a profit of nearly Rs 18 lakh to Rs 19 lakh from selling counterfeit aPumaa shoes and the suit was liable to be decreed in favour of aPumaa with damages of Rs 10 lakh and costs of Rs 2 lakh.

The local commissioneras report revealed that the defendant was running a full-scale manufacturing operation with respect to counterfeit aPumaa shoes. As the defendant chose to stay away from the proceedings, the court passed the decree of permanent injunction.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. A new head of the Samukh District Executive Power has been appointed, Trend reports.

By the corresponding order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Firdovsi Aliyev was appointed head of the Executive Power of the Samukh district.

Prior to that, Ali Gojaev had been dismissed from the post of the head of the Executive Power of Azerbaijan's Samukh district following the President's order.
Warsaw, Oct 25 : The leaders of Polish opposition parties that won a joint majority in the October 15 parliamentary elections, announced that they are ready to form a new government, with former European Council president Donald Tusk as their candidate for Prime Minister.

The joint statement was issued on Tuesday by Tusk, the leader of the largest opposition party Civic Platform, and other opposition party leaders, reports Xinhua news agency.

Together, these parties won over 54 per cent of the vote in the parliamentary election, and will have a majority of 248 seats in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland's Lower House of parliament.

The ruling Law and Justice party, which won most of the vote but fell short of a majority, now has a slim chance of finding a viable coalition partner, according to a Polish Press Agency report.

Tusk, 66, had also served as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2014.

"Today, together with the leaders of democratic parties, we confirmed our readiness to fully cooperate and create a new majority in the next parliament," Tusk told reporters.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda is holding consultations at the Presidential Palace with representatives of parties that won seats in the new parliament.

According to the Polish constitution, the first sessions of the Sejm and Senate must be convened by the president within 30 days of the election.

The current government must then resign at the first session of the new Sejm, to be held on or before November 14.

The president then has 14 days to nominate a candidate for prime minister.

Once named, the candidate has 14 days to secure a vote of confidence from lawmakers.

If this attempt is unsuccessful, parliament then selects its own nominee for prime minister.
Lucknow, Oct 25 : The Panchayati Raj department in Uttar Pradesh has tied up with the Centre for Catalyzing Change to provide training to 26,000 newly-elected women pradhans.

This is being done under the ongoing fourth phase of Mission Shakti campaign.

This campaign is aimed at "strengthening women's leadership and promote gender equality in the community" and will constitute modules on development related issues, leadership skills and sustainable development goals.

Under the two-day programme, the trainers will focus on addressing specific needs to women leaders, especially those who are completely new to leadership positions.

Calling it a first of its kind campaign, a government spokesperson said that the aim behind such a programme was to help develop necessary skills among the women leaders to handle their work and the community and, therefore, had the requisite knowledge of issues and laws.

"In the course of the training the pradhans will learn about their administrative responsibilities, village secretariat arrangements, operation of public service centres and other issues related to village development. They will learn how to prepare a blueprint for the overall development of the village and how to present it to officials for implementation. Another area of focus will be on monitoring of health, nutrition and sanitation services," said the spokesman.

Manoj Singh, additional chief secretary, Panchayati Raj, said that while women are often more aware of the overall development of the village, basic amenities and family health, it was necessary to help finetune this mindset of female village leaders to empower them to fulfil their responsibilities.

"The initiative is a positive step towards promoting women leadership in local governance and gender equality. It may serve as a model for similar programmes in other regions or states. Discussions on the outcomes and best practices could benefit women leadership development across India," he said.
Bengaluru, Oct 25 : Amid rumours of former chief minister and senior BJP leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda, considering quitting the party, the leadership has summoned him to New Delhi on Wednesday.

Gowda, who had openly expressed his displeasure regarding BJP's alliance with JD(S), is expected to meet the National President J.P. Nadda and other top leaders.

Recently, Gowda had stated that he was not consulted regarding the alliance with JD (S) party in Karnataka.

According to sources close to him, DyCM and State Congress president D.K. Shivakumar had approached him to join the party ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections.

Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar had also spoken to him.

Sources explained that Gowda, once given prominence in the party failed to impress the high command with his performance.

After giving up his CM's post as per the party's instructions, Gowda was given the prestigious Railway ministry in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first cabinet.

Later, the ministry was taken back and he was made Union Minister for Law and Justice.

Afterwards, he was made Union Minister for Statistics and Program Implementation. He was made to step down from his post ahead of cabinet reshuffle in July 2021.

Gowda, who represents Bengaluru North Parliamentary seat, came to limelight after taking over as the chief minister after B.S. Yediyurappa was asked to step down following allegations of corruption.

Yediyurappa played a role in Gowda getting the coveted post. However, the sources explain that Gowda joined hands with former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda's family went against Yediyurappa resulting in his ouster.

Presently, Gowda is fearing that he might miss the ticket from Bengaluru North Parliamentary seat from the BJP as it is rumoured that the seat will be given to the JD (S) or independent MP from Mandya Parliamentary seat Sumalatha Ambareesh who will get the ticket from the saffron party.

The sources close to him explain that the disgruntled leader will take a call on joining the Congress after the talks with the party leadership.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Banking veteran Rahul Gupta and fund manager Siba Panda on Wednesday announced their first venture debt fund called ValuAble with a corpus of Rs 850 crore that will invest in tech-first and inclusive startups in India and globally.

The sector-agnostic fund ValuAble will offer responsible capital and aims to bridge gaps to banking for capable and ambitious founders.

"With ValuAble, we don't want to be just lenders; we want to be partners in the entrepreneurial journey of different startups. Our core philosophy is to be enablers for businesses, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and tools to not only secure capital but also to foster sustainable growth," said Gupta, Founder and Managing Partner at ValuAble.

Gupta was previously head of financial sponsors coverage at Axis Bank.

ValuAble is the first fund in India to be steered by a fund manager who is visually impaired.

"Our mission is to co-build with founders in their entrepreneurial journey, offering support beyond capital infusion," said Panda, Founder and Managing Partner.

"We plan to achieve this by introducing bank credits much earlier than the norm, expanding market access for businesses, providing growth capital through strategic partnerships with VC funds and DFIs, helping companies bolster their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, and instilling a strong culture right from the early days," he explained.

ValuAble is committed to ensuring that the cost of funding remains highly competitive, offering an edge in the market whilenot compromising on returns for its investors.
Kurnool : , Oct 25 (IANS) More than 100 people were injured in the traditional fight with sticks during Dussehra celebrations in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district.

Like every year, two groups attacked each other with sticks during Devaragattu Banni Utsav held as part of celebrations at Devaragattu village in Holagonda amandala (block) late on Tuesday.

The injured were admitted to hospitals at Adoni and Alur and the condition of three of them was stated to be critical.

The stick-fight is organised every year as part of the Dussehra/Dasara celebrations at Mala Malleswara Swamy temple located on a hillock. Like in the past, the villagers defied the police orders to organise the fight, which they claim to be part of their tradition.

As part of the annual celebrations, people from different villages divide in two groups to fight with sticks to secure the idols of the deities Mallamma and Malleswara Swamy after their ceremonial wedding at midnight.

This yearas event saw more enthusiasm among the participants. The preventive measures taken by the police to stop the fight had no impact.

Every year, people of villages around the temple divide into two groups and fight with sticks to take control of the idols.

Villagers from Nerani, Nerani Tanda and Kothapeta villages fight with devotees of Arikera, Aluru, Suluvai, Ellarthi, Nidravatti and Bilehall villages. They mercilessly attack each other with sticks and in the fight many receive grievous injuries. However, devotees consider these injuries as a good omen.

Attempts by authorities to dissuade villagers from organizing the fight have not yielded results. Every year, the police deploy forces to prevent the fight but the villagers defy the orders and organise the fight.

Villagers believe that Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairava and clobbered two demons, Mani and Mallasura, with sticks. The villagers enact the scene on Vijayadashami day. Group of villagers from the demon's side try to snatch the idols from the rival group, called godas team. They fight with sticks to take control of the idols.

Thousands of people from various parts of Kurnool and surrounding districts and neighbouring states like Telangana and Karnataka gather at the village to watch the traditional fight.
Ranveer Singh recollects the moment he first saw Deepika Padukone: I just went ohh my God. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Oct 25 : Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, who was recently seen in the theatrical release 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani', recollected the moment when he saw his wife - actress Deepika Padukone for the first time in person.

The incident is from a meeting with the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the film 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela'.

Ranveer is set to grace the couch of the chat show 'Koffee With Karan in its season 8 with his wife.

Talking about his first meeting with Deepika, Ranveer said, "There was a famous or infamous reading for the movie at Mr Bhansali's house in Versova. I was supposed to meet him before Deepika's arrival. So I was sitting on the table and the door was on my left. He has these heavy doors and he lives by the seaside."

He further mentioned, "So, these heavy doors open and the gush of wind comes from the sea. There, Deepika enters wearing this white chikankar, hair blowing due to the sea wind just like some sadgi ki moorat. I was like Oh My God."

'Koffee with Karan' Season 8 is set to stream from October 26 on Disney+ Hotstar with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
Jerusalem, Oct 25 : As the Gaza Strip is in dire need of fuel, the Israeli military has reiterated that it will not allow fuel to enter the besiged enclave as it believes that the Hamas steals it for its operational infrastructure.

On being asked if the country would allow fuel into the enclave if it were in exchange for hostages, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters late Tuesday night that fuel from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had been "stolen by Hamas", CNN reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UNRWA said in a post on X that "if we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip as of tomorrow (Wednesday) night".

To this, the IDF posted a satellite photo of fuel tanks inside Gaza and said: "These fuel tanks are inside Gaza. They contain more than 500,000 liters of fuel. Ask Hamas if you can have some."

In his address to the reporters, Hagari went on to say the "Hamas needs fuel desperately, and after stealing from UNRWA, we will discuss the fuel with the world and if the hospitals are in trouble then they should address Hamas".

"They (Hamas) should fill the fuel for hospitals and citizens. And the world should demand Hamas to do so," CNN quoted the IDF spokesman as saying.

According to the UNRWA, the Gaza Strip will witness a catastrophic situation if it runs out of its dwindling fuel supplies.

"Fuel deliveries must be let in to ensure people have clean drinking water, hospitals can remain open and life-saving aid operations can continue," the UN agency said.

Other UN agencies have estimated that one-third of hospitals in Gaza and nearly two-thirds of primary healthcare clinics had shut due to damage or a lack of fuel, reports the BBC.

As fuel is also needed to run water systems runs out, some Gazans have been forced to drink dirty, salty water, sparking concerns of a health crisis and fears that people could start dying from dehydration, reports CNN.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Best known for his performances in projects like 'Kai Po Che', 'Sultan', 'Gold' and 'Breathe' among others, actor Amit Sadh has expressed his gratitude towards independent cinema and filmmakers, calling it an important tool for creative freedom.

Amit had recently attended the Yellowstone International Film Festival, here.

During a panel discussion, he said: "I believe independent cinema should be given more priority in our country and elsewhere as it is a very important tool for creative freedom."

"In recent times we have seen amazing stories which were told by independent filmmakers through their outstanding craft - cinema," he added.

Showcasing 140 films under categories Including Feature shorts, LGBTQIA+, Women empowerment, Comedy, Horror, Short and feature documentaries feature films from the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, INDIA, , Italy, the Netherlands, Chile, Spain, Pakistan, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden and many more, the festival will conclude on October 27.

In the festival, Amit also received the award for 'Outstanding Performance In a recurring Role' for 'Breathe Into The Shadows'.

The festival witnessed Bani J, Amit Sadh, Deepak Kalra, Siddharth Chauhan, among others.

On the work front, he is currently seen in 'Duranga 2', which is the Indian adaptation of the popular K-drama 'Flower of Evil'. He plays the character of Sammit Patel in the show.

The second season of the show saw the return of Gulshan, Drashti Dhami, Amit Sadh, Barkha Sen Gupta, Rajesh Khattar reprising their respective roles. Spanning across eight episodes, 'Duranga S2' is streaming on ZEE5.
Jalna, Oct 25 : Tightening the screws, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil has accused the government of not being serious on the issue of reservations for his community and launched a "tough" hunger strike, here on Wednesday.

Jarange-Patil, flanked by scores of his supporters in his native Antaravali-Sarati village, has decided to abstain all food, water and medication till the government concedes the demand for Maratha quotas.

"The state government wanted 30 days, we gave them 40 days Today, it's the 41st day since the ultimatum, but nothing has been done. The government is not serious about our plea for quotas,"" declared Jarange-Patil.

He told mediapersons that the Marathas are coming within the ambit of quotas, yet they are denied reservations despite a series of agitations, processions and promises.

Jarange-Patil expressed hope that the government will announce the quotas in a day or so, particularly after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday night bowed and vowed before a portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mumbai to give Maratha reservations and fight till the last drop of blood in his body for justice to the community.

The Marathas have been on a warpath since August 29 when Jarange-Patil launched his first indefinite hunger strike which he called off after 17 days, then went on a tour of several key districts and addressed a series of mammoth rallies of the community.

Earlier, he had warned that by October 24, "either my funeral procession will be taken out or the Marathas' victory march", and reiterated that the community which is now fully united, will not back off even an inch on the issue.

The state has witnesses several suicides by pro-reservations activists and around five dozen villages in some districts have banned the entry of politicians from all parties as a protest.

Jarange-Patil's agitation has secured response of almost the entire political spectrum in the state including the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party (AP), the Opposition Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SP) and other Maratha groups.
The Bombay Stock Exchange trading terminal as the BSE sensex is down by 254 points in Mumbai on August 19, 2013. (Photo::: Sandeep Mahankal/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : Diversion of funds is expected from small and mid-caps to large-caps, leading to a sharp reaction in mid and small-cap category where valuations are stretched, Hitesh Suvarna of JM Financial Institutional Securities said in a report.

"But any correction in quality large-caps should be bought into at these levels, the report said.

In addition to rising bond yields, as markets turn wary of further escalation of the war in Israel, riskoff sentiments are now clearly evident. Gold outperformed other asset classes by a wide margin in last one month, the report said.

"Going forward, we expect higher allocation towards quality large-caps while redemption pressure is likely in SMIDs with stretched valuation", it added.

Rising bond yields and the likelihood of further escalation of Israel conflict led to a renewed transition towards risk-off sentiments, which is evident from the fact that gold outperformed risk assets by a wide margin in last one month. Although Nifty delivered negative returns (-2 per cent), it managed to outperform the EM and DM markets significantly. China's performance was in deep red (-6.2 per cent). FIIs continued to redeem for second month in a row, heavy selling came in sectors like Power, Oil & Gas and Metals while FIIs preferred Capital goods space in September'23, the report said.

Brent crude has been hovering close to 90/USD levels, exerting pressure on EM currencies. INR has been one of the least volatile currencies among the EM economies thanks to RBI's Forex intervention. As per our assessment, dollar index moves in tandem with the commodity index, including Brent crude price, but with a lag. We expect brent crude to remain elevated in the near term which would keep US dollar at these levels, the report added.

As per our assessment, dollar index moves in tandem with the commodity index, including Brent crude price, but with a lag of eight months. Considering the recent geo-political conflicts and uncertainty around resolution of these conflicts, we expect markets to factor in risk premium in commodity prices, especially in case of Brent crude prices. Moreover, as current brent crude prices are artificially elevated through supply cuts by OPEC, it is unlikely to normalise in the near term. We expect brent crude prices to remain elevated in the near term, which in turn would add strength to the US dollar. This would exert pressure on INR and other EM currencies, we should expect continued Forex intervention by RBI in the currency markets, to ensure least volatility, the report said.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The EU is engaged in consultations with Armenia and Azerbaijan aimed at preparing the next meeting, Henri Duquenne, Spokesperson for Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, told Trend.

"Indeed, the Trilateral Meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Brussels format would most probably not take place before the end of the month as initially foreseen," the spokesperson said.

However, he noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan have publicly confirmed their commitment to peace negotiations over the past few weeks, in particular to the Brussels process led by President of the European Council Charles Michel.

"We are now engaged in consultations with Armenia and Azerbaijan aimed at preparing the next Summit and it is our expectations that the leaders will meet in Brussels as agreed at the earliest possible opportunity," he added.

Earlier, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, announced that Brussels has invited leaders of both Azerbaijan and Armenia to participate in a trilateral meeting before the end of October.
Jerusalem, Oct 25 : The Israeli government allocated $246 millionto rehabilitate northern roads near the Lebanese border which have sustained significant damage as a result of increased army activity amid the ongoing fighting with the Hezbollah, the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety said in a statement.

The Ministry said in a statement that the roads sustained significant damage as a result of the passage of heavy Israeli military vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The infrastructure must be in good condition, and as much as it endangers human life, it must be repaired immediately," Minister of Transport Miri Regev was quoted as saying in the statement.

She therefore directed the National Transport Infrastructure Company to formulate a plan to restore the roads under the allocated budget.

The Minister noted that if necessary, additional sums would be allocated for the restoration of the damaged roads beyond the announced budget.

The escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border began when Hezbollah fired multiple rockets on October 8 toward Israeli military sites in support of the Hamas's surprise attack on the Jewish nation on October 7.

In response, the Israeli forces fired heavy artillery on southeastern Lebanon on the same day.

The border tensions have displaced more than 19,000 people in Lebanon, and the numbers are expected to rise if there is an escalation in violence, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Sanaa, Oct 25 : The World Health Organization (WHO) said that Yemen is facing a significant drop in immunisation rates among children as millions cannot be reached by routine vaccinations campaigns in the war-torn country.

The country's health system has collapsed during the nine-year civil war, and the situation continues to worsen because of the shortage of international support, Xinhua news agency quoted the WHO as saying in a statement.

From January to September, 42,400 children in Yemen had measles, and there were 514 associated deaths. In addition, there were about 1,400 diphtheria cases, and 6,000 cases of whooping cough, according to the statement.

In 2023, there have already been 928 suspected cases of acute flaccid paralysis among Yemeni children, an acute condition that could be linked to the debilitating and incurable disease of polio, it added.

"Yemen's health system is already overstretched, yet it faces a rapid increase in health emergencies that is beyond its capacity ... and with the shortage of international support, many facilities will be forced to shut down," the statement quoted Arturo Pesigan, WHO representative and head of mission in Yemen, as saying.

Since the ongoing civil war erupted in 2014, Yemen has experienced widespread conflict, leaving over two-thirds of its population (21.6 million people) in need of humanitarian assistance.

Over 17 million people in Yemen cannot afford sufficient food to meet their daily needs and 4.5 million people are internally displaced, according to the WHO.

Long-lasting violence, ongoing economic crisis, mounting food insecurity and recurring disease outbreaks, also caused by climate events, have led to the near collapse of the countryas health system.

Across Yemen, 46 per cent of all health facilities are only partially functioning or completely out of service due to shortages of staff, funds, electricity, medicines, and equipment.
The Kerala Police on Tuesday registered a case against Non-Resident Indian Ajinas, working as a physical trainer in Qatar, following a complaint by BJP state President K Surendran that he had posted abusive content against his daughter on a social me. Image Source: IANS News

Kochi, Oct 25 : A court in Kerala on Wednesday granted bail to state BJP President K. Surendran and others, who were named as accused in an election bribery case.

The case has now been posted for November 15.

The Kasargod district and sessions court had taken a strong view after the leaders failed to appear before it on two previous occasions. But on Wednesday Surendran and the other accused remained present before the court.

As the prosecution failed to oppose the bail pleas of Surendran and others, it became easy for them and bail was granted.

Apart from Surendran, five more local BJP leaders were also included as accused.

The case was based on a petition filed by CPI(M) leader V.V. Rameshan, an LDF candidate from Manjeswaram constituency during the April 2021 Assembly elections.

When votes were counted, Surendran came a close second to the Congress-led UDF candidate who won the election by a margin of 745 votes.

The petitioner demanded the arrest of BJP leaders who allegedly paid money, gave mobile phones and promised other favours to BSP candidate K. Sundara to withdraw his nomination from Manjeswaram during the elections. Sundara later alleged that he was given money and mobile to withdraw his candidature in favour of Surendran.

The probe police team, which has submitted its preliminary report, included charges under the SC/ST Act, besides others which included bribery to sabotage elections too.
Gaza, Oct 25 : The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza warned of the possible outbreak of a major epidemic wave amid the ongoing Israeli airstrikes and siege on the Hamas-controlled enclave.

In a statement, Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said that up to 3,150 cases of diseases were recorded in a single day since the Irsael-Hamas conflict erupted on October 7, with the most of them reported among children, reports Xinhua news agency.

The diseases included diarrhoea, food poisoning, scabies and bronchial infections.

Due to overcrowding in shelter facilities, lack of clean water and poor personal hygiene, epidemic diseases have become increasingly prevalent, he said.

To prevent the spread of diseases, he called on the international community to provide immediate assistance and restore basic services in Gaza, including water, electricity, and sanitation.

Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, where they took more than 200 people hostages.

In response, Israel launched massive airstrikes and punitive measures, including a siege on the enclave with supplies of water, electricity, fuel, and other necessities being cut off.

The ongoing conflict has so far killed nearly 5,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and more than 1,400 people in Israel.
Two killed in road accident in Odisha. Image Source: IANS News

Guwahati, Oct 25 : A man was killed in Assam's Barpeta district after a speeding bus rammed into his bike, officials said on Wednesday.

The accident took place on Tuesday night in Besimari village.

According to information, the driver of the passenger bus lost control and rammed into the bus, killing the rider, identified as Rakibul Islam, on the spot.

Islam was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead by on arrival.

A case under relevant section has been lodged and police have launched a manhunt to nab the driver and his helper who fled after the accident.
The Bombay Stock Exchange trading terminal as the BSE sensex is down by 254 points in Mumbai on August 19, 2013. (Photo::: Sandeep Mahankal/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : BSE Sensex plunged more than 600 points to breach the 64,000 points mark on Wednesday.

Sensex is down 610 points at 63,961 points.

Heavy selling in Sensex heavyweights with Infosys down 3 per cent, NTPC down 3 per cent, Bharti Airtel down 2 per cent.

Vaishali Parekh, Vice President - Technical Research, Prabhudas Lilladher said the Nifty is currently precariously placed with the overall bias maintained with a very cautious approach and as said earlier, the breach below 19,500 zone was very crucial with the trend and sentiment turning negative and now with 19,200 zone positioned as the important and crucial support zone, a decisive breach below shall trigger for further intensified selling pressure.

Technically, the next major support zone lies near 18,850 levels and 18,600 zones of the significant 200 period MA where one can expect some consolidation. So as of now, itas a wait and watch scenario and for the overall bias to improve, would need a decisive move past the 19,500 zone to establish some conviction and anticipate for further rise, Parekh said.

The uncertainties associated with the Israel-Hamas conflict will continue to weigh on markets in the near-term, says V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

Positive news like decline in the US bond yields and weakening crude can help the market to revive but it may not sustain given the uncertainty surrounding the West Asian conflict. Investors may opt for a cautious approach to the market till some clarity emerges on the geopolitical situation, he said.
Lucknow, Oct 24 : In an unexpected development, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh has come out in support of senior Samajwadi leader Mohd Azam Khan, who is currently caught in the crosshairs of various investigating agencies.

"We will discuss growing atrocities against Muslims, including that of Azam Khan, under BJP rule at the forthcoming meeting of the party's minority committee in November. Our senior leaders would also be present and after that we would launch our outreach," UP Congress's minority wing chief Shahnawaz Alam said.

The move is being seen as an attempt by the Congress to reach out to Muslims who had gravitated towards the Samajwadi Party during the Ayodhya movement.

The Congress is subtly attempting to indicate to minorities that it is willing to raise its voice for all those who feel exploited under BJP, across party lines a" a gesture driven by the realisation that to reclaim its lost glory nationally, it will have to win back its lost voter base in UP.

The initiative becomes even more significant since the Samajwadi Party has not stood up for Azam Khan as strongly as he would have liked it to.

UP Congress chief Ajay Rai said, "We will fight for Azam Khan. He may be with SP but we will bat for him."

In west UP, where Azam Khan once dominated, several Muslim leaders of influence have either joined the Congress or are tipped to cross over after the results of the Assembly elections in five states.

After the November meeting, the Congress plans to launch campaign to connect with Muslims and hold meetings with small groups of Muslims at tea shops, where the party cadres would also carry photocopies of the Constitution in a subtle attempt to play up their oft repeated, but unverified charge of BJP attempting to "change the Constitution."

Some Congress leaders admit that raising Azam Khan issue could help them connect with Muslim-majority Rampur as well as nearby regions of Sambhal and Moradabad too.

Political experts, however, feel that Congress would have to be careful to not antagonise SP, on the Azam Khan issue since it is a Congress's ally in the larger opposition alliance.

The Congress, which recently witnessed some uncomfortable moments when SP leadership targeted them over seat sharing issues in Madhya Pradesh, is perhaps aware of this aspect.

"We have always raised the voice of oppressed, minorities, women and marginalised. So be it case of Azam Khan or others, there is a growing view that Muslims are being targeted and hence all these aspects would be taken up by the party leadership," Alam said.

The BJP is unfazed by the development. "It is true that I have filed most of the cases against him (Azam) but I have not delivered the punishment or sentenced him. The court has and in case he feels he is wronged, he can go to court," BJP's Rampur (Sadar) lawmaker Akash Saxena said.
Gaza, Oct 25 : The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that one-third of hospitals in Gaza (12 of 35) and nearly two-thirds of primary healthcare clinics (46 of 72) have already shut down due lack of fuel or damage from hostilities.

In retaliation to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Jewish nation has cut off electricity supply to Gaza, rendering hospitals and water facilities dependent on backup generators run by fuel.

The UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), by far the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza, warned that unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately, the agency will be forced to halt all operations as of Wednesday night.

As of Monday, the World Health Organization has documented 72 attacks on health care in the Gaza Strip that have resulted in 16 fatalities and 30 injuries of health care workers on duty.

The attacks have affected 34 health care facilities, including 19 hospitals damaged, and 24 ambulances.

Israelas halt of its electricity and fuel supply to Gaza has also led to the shutdown of the enclave's sole power plant, forcing essential service infrastructure to rely on backup generators, which are limited by the scarcity of fuel.

As of Wednesday, the cumulative number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since the conflict erupted has increased 5,791, of whom 68 per cent are children and women, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave.

About 1,550 people, including 870 children, have been reported missing and may still be under the rubble.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : A Delhi court on Wednesday extended by eight days the judicial custody of NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a case lodged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The duo was produced before the Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur on expiry of their previously extended five-day custody.

ASJ Kaur extended their judicial custody till November 2.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty on October 3. A day after their arrest, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Courts had sent them to seven daysa police custody on October 4. Both then moved the high court challenging their police remand, which was upheld by the high court.

The duo has now taken the matter to the Supreme Court against the dismissal of their petitions challenging police remand, and on October 19, the apex court had issued notices to Delhi Police on the petitions. The bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice P.K. Mishra heard the pleas and issued notices returnable in three weeks. The top court will hear the matter on October 30.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Purkayastha, had earlier argued before the High Court that "all facts are false and not a penny came from China".

On October 3, in a statement regarding the search, seizure and detentions carried out in connection with the UAPA case registered by the Special Cell, the Delhi Police had said that a total of 37 male suspects were questioned at the office premises, while nine female suspects were questioned at their residences.

The police said that digital devices, documents, etc., were seized or collected for examination. The Special Cell had registered an FIR in connection with the case on August 17 under different sections of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code against NewsClick.

In August, a aNew York Timesa investigation had accused NewsClick of being an organisation funded by a network linked with US millionaire Neville Roy Singham, to allegedly promote Chinese propaganda.
Tokyo, Oct 25 : Japan's Environment Ministry has announced that it plans to provide emergency support to local governments over the recent unprecedented surge in bear attacks.

The aid will be provided mainly to the northern prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Akita, where such incidents have happened frequently, to cover bear habitat surveys and subsidise the cost of implementing safety measures, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

According to the Ministry, the number of people attacked by bears has been increasing at an unprecedented pace this fiscal year through next March, reaching 109 as of the end of September.

The figure is the highest for the same period since fiscal 2007 when the government started such monthly statistics.

Calling the spike in the appearance of bears "an extraordinary situation", it warned that due to the poor acorn crops this year, bears may wander near human residential houses until around December, when the animals go into hibernation.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said that attacks have been reported in 17 of Japan's 47 prefectures, and the number is rising faster than ever.

Akita prefecture had the most victims, with 30 people, followed by Iwate and Fukushima with 30 and 13 people, respectively, according to government data.

On October 18, a woman was found dead in a suspected bear attack in the city of Toyama, central Japan.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Armenia must show their interest in the opening of the Zangezur corridor, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev said in an interview with POLITICO, Trend reports.

Our agenda was solely focused on establishing transportation links and connectivity through the context of bilateral interaction. We no longer find the project appealing; we can accomplish this with Iran instead. It is still on the table, but the Armenian side must demonstrate a genuine interest in it, he said.

Hajiyev refuted Armenian claims that Azerbaijan "plans to seize Zangezur.".
'It's a testament to enduring spirit of single parent,' says Mahesh Thakur on 'Aangan'. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Oct 25 : Actor Mahesh Thakur will be seen essaying the character of Jaidev Sharma in the upcoming show 'Aangan - Aapno Kaa', and has shared details about his role, revealing what drew him to play the same.

'Aangan - Aapno Kaa' is an endearing story of a daughter who is determined to fulfil her duties towards her father indefinitely. A contemporary family drama, the show also promises to be a heartwarming journey of a daughter with a unique perspective on marriage.

Mahesh embodies the character of the affectionate father, Jaidev. Having shouldered his three daughters' upbringing single-handedly after his wife's early passing, Jaidev remains a character with a positive approach to life.

Showcasing a beautiful bond between a father and his daughter Pallavi (played by Ayushi Khurana), Aangan promises to be a heartfelt journey of love and responsibility while showcasing how Pallavi supports a different approach towards marriage.

Talking about the same, he said: 'As an artist, it's been a tremendous privilege to collaborate with Sony SAB - a channel that has been creating good content with progressive themes."

"From the very first time I read the script of 'Aangan Aapno Kaa', the character of Jaidev really drew me in. His journey, from his naval service days to losing his wife and then raising his three daughters alone, is a testament to the enduring spirit of a single parent. His relationship with his daughters is the centre of his life," he added.

The show will soon air on Sony SAB.
Wellington, Oct 25 : New Zealand saw the population grow in all 16 regions in the year ended June 2023, following two years of lower growth when several regions decreased in population, according to provisional estimates by the national statistics department on Wednesday.

Nationally, the population grew by 2.1 per cent in the year ended June 2023, a significant increase from the growth of 0.1 per cent in the previous year, Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying.

"Auckland was the fastest growing region in 2023, reversing a population loss in 2022," said statistics department's estimates and projections manager Michael MacAskill.

Auckland grew by 47,000 people, or by 2.8 per cent, in the year ended June 2023, MacAskill said, adding that Otago, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty regions also grew faster than the New Zealand average.

Net migration was the main contributor to Auckland's growth, which was 78 per cent, with the remainder attributed to natural increase -- births minus deaths, it said.

Net migration for subnational areas includes internal migration -- people migrating within New Zealand, and international migration -- people migrating between New Zealand and other countries, it added.

"Auckland gained people through international migration, but lost people through internal migration, continuing the pattern since the late 1990s," MacAskill said.

Otago's high growth rate, which was 2.7 per cent, was driven by population growth in Queenstown-Lakes district, New Zealand's fastest-growing territorial authority area over the year, he said.

Queenstown-Lakes, renowned for beautiful scenery and adventure sports, grew by 8 per cent, or 3,900 people, in the year ended June 2023, following lower growth in 2022, MacAskill said, adding that the growth was driven by a net international migration gain of 2,500 people.
Tirupati, Oct 25 : Nara Bhuvaneswari, the wife of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo, N. Chandrababu Naidu, who remains in jail in an alleged corruption case for 47 days, began her 'Nijam Gelavali' (truth should prevail) yatra on Wednesday.

Bhuvaneswari will console the family members of all those who died of shock allegedly due to the illegal arrest and judicial remand of Chandrababu Naidu.

She launched the programme in Chandragiri constituency in Tirupati district by visiting the house of A. Praveen Reddy who died after Naidu's arrest last month. She consoled his family members and presented them a cheque of Rs 3 lakh.

She also visited the house of K. Chinnappa in Nedragunta village of Pakala mandal. He died of cardiac arrest on October 17 due to shock following Naidu's arrest.

The party said she will assure the family members of all those who died after Chandrababu Naidu was sent to jail that the TDP will stand by them.

Bhuvaneswari is undertaking this programme as part of the fight against the 'illegal' arrest of Chandrababu Naidu and she will take to the people the political vendetta behind the false cases foisted on him, said the party. She will thank all those who have come onto the road to express solidarity with Chandrababu Naidu.

The former chief minister was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on September 9 in the Skill Development Corporation case. Since then he remains in jail.

Bhuvaneswari will participate in the programme in Tirupati on Thursday. The next day she will visit Srikalahasti.

Naidu's wife on Tuesday worshipped at Tirumala temple and later visited Naravaripalle, the native village of Naidu. She paid tributes to her in-laws at their Samadhi in Naravaripalle.

Before embarking on the 'Nijam Gelavali' tour, she offered floral tributes to her late father and TDP founder NTR. She posted on 'X' that the legendary leader devoted his life to the betterment of the Telugu community and steadfastly upheld the cause of justice.

"He asked us to always follow the path of truth, no matter how difficult it was. Starting today, I am commencing a journey to meet with and express my heartfelt gratitude to our Telugu family members, particularly the dedicated supporters of Chandrababu Naidu Garu. It's been an agonizing 47 days of unjust imprisonment for a man who, like my father, has dedicated his life to the welfare and upliftment of the Telugu community," she stated.
Tel Aviv, Oct 25 Ians) : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that in a joint operation with the Shin Bet intelligence agency, it killed Hamas commander Taysir Mubashir in Khan Younis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip.

The IDF said that Mubashir was responsible for several attacks on the Jewish nation and murder of five Israeli military students.

Mubashir had earlier commanded the Hamas's naval unit and is considered close to Mohammed Deif, the head of the military branch of the militant group.

Israel officials said that the commander had produced the ammunitioas that were detonated from a Hamas terror tunnel near the Orhan outpost in 2004 leading to the killing of Israel soldier Sergeant Roi Nissim .

The IDF said that he was also involved in the attack on Zikim Beach during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military had said that it launched extensive attacks on the besieged enclave, targeting "Hamas operatives and terrorist infrastructure", adding that tunnel shafts, military headquarters and munition warehouses were destroyed.

On Tuesday, the IDF said it hit at least 400 sites and 320 the previous day.
Toronto, Oct 25 : An Indian-origin man has been fined $20,000 for his role in a scheme that charged newcomers tens of thousands for permits to work in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Avtar Singh Sohi, 42, pleaded guilty on Monday to misrepresentation under the Canada Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBC News channel reported.

The Provincial Court of Manitoba heard that Avtar provided a woman with pay stubs to show she was working for him as a nanny from March 2019 to July 2021 while she was illegally employed elsewhere.

In addition, he also provided her with a number of signed documents that she used as part of her permanent residency application.

The woman, an Indian national, came to Canada on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is issued after a need for a temporary foreign worker is demonstrated because there is no citizen or permanent resident available to do the job.

"His behaviour erodes the trust of our immigration system and must be denounced and deterred," federal crown attorney Matt Sinclair said.

Sinclair told the court that in September 2019 the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) received information about Avtar's brother Hartar Singh Sohi, an immigration consultant and owner of Abroad Immigration.

In March 2021, CBSA investigators executed search warrants at three properties connected with Abroad Immigration and Education Services -- a Winnipeg company that arranges permanent residency for newcomers in Canada.

Court heard that during the search, the investigators found a work permit issued for an Indian national authorising her to work as a nanny for Avtar and his wife.

After surveilling the woman, the investigators found she was working at another place without authorisation.

During questioning, the woman said that her family paid $40,000 for her LMIA, but when she arrived in Canada, she was told there was no job for her.

"She was told that if she wanted to take pay stubs to show that she'd been working for Avtar Sohi as a nanny, she could use them to support an application for permanent residence, but she'd have to pay for the paystubs," the CBC reported quoting Sinclair.

Marty Minuk, Avtar's lawyer, said his client had nothing to do with whatever agreement the foreign national had with Abroad Immigration.

"Clearly, whatever was set up, was set up to have Mr Avtar Sohi get involved in some matter that he really knew nothing about and now he's suffering consequences of it," Minuk told the court.

CBSA alleged in its January 2022 court filings that Avtar and his wife aided Hartar in the "misrepresentation of information on immigration applications".

Further, the couple used their home construction company to invest the money received by Hartar to purchase and renovate homes, which according to CBSA, was done to hide the origin of the funds.

Between November 2016 and January 2020, the Sohis and their companies deposited C$783,827.45 and $9,600 in their bank accounts, according to the filed documents.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Hartar but it doesn't appear he's been officially charged in the case, the CBC reported, adding that it has been told that he fled to India.

Avtar, a father of two children, has been living in Canada since 2006.

The prosecution had argued for a penalty of $50,000 and/or two years in jail for Avtar.

--IANS

mi/ksk
We will not accept Palestinians displacement from Gaza: Turkish Minister. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday said that his country will not accept the displacement of Palestinians from their homes in Gaza.

"Our region is at a crucial turning point. We are either headed towards a major war or a great peace. We will not accept the displacement of Palestinians from their homes in Gaza," the Turkish Foreign Minister said during a press conference which was also attended by Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani in Doha.

The Turkish Foreign Minister said, "Targeting Palestinians, including children, sick, elderly, even in schools, hospitals, mosques, is a crime against humanity.

"Those supporting Israel's actions under pretense of solidarity are accomplices to its crimes.

"An Israeli ground operation into Gaza can turn the fighting there into a massacre," he said.

The Qatari Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said, "We affirm with Turkey the necessity of delivering aid to Gaza.

"We condemn the policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people," Thani said.

Meanwhile, Israel's National Security Adviser Tzahi Hanegbi welcomed Qatari efforts to bring peace to the region.

He said that he was pleased to know that Qatar was becoming an essential party and stakeholder in the facilitation of humanitarian solutions.

"Qatar's diplomatic efforts are crucial at this time," Hanegbi said.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : The Cabinet has given approval for the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

The MoC which was signed in July this year and will remain in force for five years intending to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan towards enhancement of semiconductor supply chain, recognising the importance of semiconductor for the advancement of industries and digital technologies.

The emphasis will be on both G2G and B2B bilateral cooperation on opportunities to advance resilient semiconductor supply chain and leverage complementary strengths.

The MoC envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.

MeitY has been actively working to create a conducive environment for electronics manufacturing. The programme for development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India was introduced with a view to ensure the development of a robust and sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in India.

The program aims to extend financial support for the establishment of semiconductor fabs, display fabs, fabs for compound semiconductors/silicon photonics/Sensors/Discrete Semiconductors and Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP)/Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facilities.

MeitY has also been mandated to promote international cooperation in the emerging and frontier areas of Information Technology under bilateral and regional frameworks.

Enhancing mutual collaboration between Japan and Indian companies through this MoU is another such step towards mutually beneficial semiconductor related business opportunities and partnerships between India and Japan.

In view of synergies and complementarities between the two nations, "India-Japan Digital Partnership" (IJDP) was launched during the visit of PM Modi to Japan in October 2018.

Based on the ongoing IJDP and India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership, this MoC on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership would further broaden and deepen the cooperation in the field of electronics ecosystem.

Recognising the importance of semiconductor for the advancement of industries and digital technologies, this MoC would provide for the enhancement of semiconductor supply chain resilience, the official statement added.

--IANS

pannu/dan
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shared the interview of former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in which they discussed Pulwama terror attack, the statehood of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir among others.

Malik in his conversation with Rahul Gandhi, on October 14, said that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir should be returned as the people are unhappy. He also said that the government's lapses led to the February 14, 2019 Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed.

Rahul Gandhi while sharing the post on X, said, "Will this conversation create a stir amid ED-CBI?"

In his conversation with Malik, Rahul Gandhi asked him that during his tenure it was the most complicated time. He said while referring to the revocation of Article 370 and the state being bifurcated as union territory.

To this, Malik said, "In my opinion, you cannot keep Jammu and Kashmir by force and through armed forces. You can do anything by winning the trust of the people."

To this Rahul Gandhi again asked him how Jammu and Kashmir will return to normalcy, to which Malik said that the government must restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Revocation of Article 370 and removal of the statehood of the state was most painful for the people. I felt that the government was thinking that the state police will revolt. They never shared it with me. But the fact was that the Jammu and Kashmir Police remained with the government and the police personnel did not even take leave on the occasion of Eid," the former governor said, who is at loggerheads with the BJP.

He also said that the statehood must be returned to Jammu and Kashmir and it is also a promise by Amit Shah to the people in Parliament and hold the election immediately.

Rahul Gandhi said that even the people of Jammu are not happy with the government's decision of taking away the statehood of Kashmir.

Malik then said that I don't know why they are not doing it. Now the insurgency has again returned and the terrorist activities have increased.

When Rahul Gandhi asked him about the Pulwama terror attack, Malik blamed the government's lapses for the February 14, 2019 attack.

Speaking on Pulwama, the Congress leader said as soon as he learnt about the incident, he went to the airport to pay his respects to the martyrs. "I was locked inside a room. I felt like it was an event. PM Modi was there. I had to fight my way to get out of the room. It was quite distasteful," Rahul Gandhi said.

The former governor said that the Prime Minister should have reached Srinagar.

He further said that on the day of the incident he was shooting in Jim Corbett. Then he called me up in evening and he asked me to not to speak on the issue.

"I told two channels that it was our fault but I was asked to not say this anywhere...I thought my statements might impact the investigation, but there was no investigation. It was used for the purpose of election. On the third day, Prime Minister Modi gave his speech where he used it politically," Malik claimed.

Rahul Gandhi then asked why did the Pulwama incident happen. Malik replied that they (CRPF) had asked for five aircraft. Had he asked me, I would have given those right away as I provided aircraft to students stuck in the snow.

He also said that it is easy to get aircraft on rent in Delhi.

"But their application was lying for four months in the Home Ministry. And then it was rejected. The CRPF personnel then took the road which was known to be unsafe," the former governor said.

He also said that the explosive-laden truck that attacked the CRPF vehicle was roaming in the area for around 10-12 days and our system was not good.

"The explosives were sent from Pakistan. The driver and the owner of the vehicle had terrorist records. They were arrested and then released several times. But they were not on the radar of the intelligence and on the day of the incident all the link roads were not sanitised and I was in tears after hearing the news," Malik said.

Rahul Gandhi also talked about the caste-based census and mentioned about his speech in Parliament and asked for Malik's opinion.

Malik said that we need to make it compulsory and make people aware to come into the system.

As the two leaders discussed the Manipur situation, Malik said the government has no control in Manipur. "But it is only for six months. I can give in writing. They will not come back to power," Malik added.

The Congress leader also said that how the GST and the demonetisation has hurt the businesses in the country.
Mamaearth posts Rs 151cr loss in FY23 as it prepares for IPO on Oct 31. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : Direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare brand Mamaearth, which posted a Rs 151 crore loss in FY23, is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on October 31.

Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd, the parent company of Mamaearth and other D2C brands such as The Derma Co and Aqualogica, is expected to raise Rs 10,500 crore in the IPO, reports Entrackr.

The company will do a pre-IPO placement on October 30, with the public offering closing on November 2.

Mamaearth intends to issue new shares for Rs 365 crore, coupled with an offer for sale (OFS) of 41.25 million shares, according to the company's red herring prospectus (RHP) filed with SEBI.

The new proceeds are less than the Rs 400 crore suggested in the company's DRHP submitted in December last year, the report mentioned.

MamaEarth co-founders Varun Alagh and Ghazal Alagh will sell a portion of their ownership in the company, while early investors such as Fireside Ventures, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Sofina will sell 7.97 million, 9.56 million, and 10.94 million shares during the IPO. In addition, Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, along with investor and brand ambassador Shilpa Shetty Kundra, will participate in the OFS.

Mamaearth's operating revenue increased significantly in FY23, reaching Rs 1,493 crore from Rs 943 crore the previous year.

However, overall expenditure increased from Rs 942 crore to Rs 1,502 crore.

Employee benefit costs increased by 109 per cent to Rs 1,649 crore, while other expenses increased by 50 per cent to Rs 8,584 crore.

Mamaearth became India's first unicorn of 2022 after raising $52 million in a funding round led by Peak XV Partners.
Microsoft Word, a software that transformed the way people type, turns 40. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : Microsoft Word, that was initially released under the name 'Multi-Tool Word' and transformed the way people type on PCs and laptops, turned 40 on Wednesday.

The famous software was released on October 25, 1983 before being simplified to Microsoft Word. Copies of the word processing app were bundled in the November issue of the PC World magazine.

The first version of Microsoft Word was developed by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, former Xerox programmers hired by Microsoft Co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1981.

The first Word version, Word 1.0, was released in October 1983 for Xenix and MS-DOS. The first Windows version was released in 1989, with a slightly improved interface.

When Windows 3.0 was released in 1990, Word became a huge commercial success.

It was then renamed to Word 95 and Word 97, Word 2000 and Word for Office XP (to follow Windows commercial names).

With the release of Word 2003, the numbering was again year-based. Since then, Windows versions include Word 2007, Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, and most recently, Word for Office 365.

In 2014, the source code for Word for Windows in the version 1.1a was made available to the Computer History Museum and the public for educational purposes.

Word 2019 added support for Scalable Vector Graphics, Microsoft Translator, and LaTeX, as well as expanded drawing functionality.

Nowadays, Microsoft Word is bundled in Microsoft 365, a cloud-powered subscription for a variety of Office apps and services.

"Make your words shine with smart writing assistance, helpful document designs, and easy collaboration tools anywhere, anytime," according to Microsoft.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - 2023" joint tactical exercises involving the military personnel of the Azerbaijan Army and the Turkish Armed Forces have successfully ended, Trend reports via Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry.

Joint tactical exercises took place with the participation of the Azerbaijan Armys representatives from the Land Forces, Combined Arms Army, Air Force, Rocket and Artillery Troops, Engineering Troops, and Special Forces, as well as the special forces of the Naval Forces and the relevant troops representatives of the Turkish Armed Forces.

All the tasks set in the exercises, which were held in order to exchange experience between the troops of the two fraternal countries and increase the professionalism of the servicemen, were successfully accomplished.

The Azerbaijani-Turkish joint tactical exercises held in different parts of Azerbaijan, including Baku, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and liberated territories, involved up to 3000 military personnel from various types of troops from both countries, 130 pieces of armored vehicles, up to 100 artillery vehicles, more than 20 aviation and aircraft, engineering equipment, and small boats.
Hyderabad, Oct 25 : A team of experts sent by the Central government continued its probe into the sinking of Medigadda (Laxmi) barrage, a part of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).

After visiting the barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district, the team headed by National Dam Safety Authority Chairman met state government officials in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

State irrigation engineer-in-chief Muralidhar, KLIP engineer-in-chief N. Venkateshwarlu, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in CMO, Sridhar Deshpande and L&T representatives attended the meeting.

They briefed the Central team on the construction of the barrage and the precautions taken.

The team discussed technical issues and reasons for sinking of the barrage Muralidhar told media persons that all issues discussed the team sought more details about the construction of the barrage and related aspects.

The Engineer-in-Chief said there was no conspiracy behind the incident.

He said the movement of sand could have led to the sinking of a central pier in the seventh block. He denied that there was any compromise on quality.

"If there was any quality issue or fault in the design, it would not have withstood three floods. It handled even 25 lakh cusecs. If there was any such issue we would have known in the first flood," Muralidhar said.

He said the barrage was emptied of water and damaged area isolated to begin the restoration work L&T assured that they will fulfill their responsibility and restoration work will start soon, he said, adding that they plan to complete the entire work by coming summer season.

The Central team inspected the barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has sent the team to examine the reasons for the sinking of the piers of the barrage.

The Ministry has asked the committee to submit a report after inspecting the barrage and interacting with all stakeholders.

The team assessed the damage to pillars 15 to 20 of the barrage as they reportedly sank in by a few feet on the night of October 21.

Officials said a portion of the barrage was found sagging at Block 7 of the barrage with a loud noise.

The incident led to temporary closure of the bridge of the barrage across Godavari river that links Telangana with Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.

Suspecting sabotage, the project officials complained to local police which registered a case against unknown persons and took up investigation.

The barrage is 1.6 km long and the portion which is partially sunk is only 356 meters from Maharashtra.

The authorities have beefed up security and imposed prohibitory orders to prevent gathering of people.

The KLIP authorities have almost emptied the barrage which had about 10 tmc of water.

The stored water was let out by opening about 67 of the total 85 gates of the barrage to facilitate the technical assessment of the exact cause and damage.

The inflow is also being continuously discharged. With a total capacity of 16 TMC, this was the first barrage constructed as part of the prestigious KLIP, touted as the world's biggest lift irrigation project.

The project engineers have stated that there is no threat to the barrage.

They said the repair will be carried out after assessing the damage.

The incident has evoked sharp reaction from opposition Congress and BJP.

They blamed poor design and low quality of work for the incident and demanded resignation of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao owning moral responsibility.

They also alleged that the incident proved their allegation of large-scale corruption in the project.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : A seven-member National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel has recommended to replace India with Bharat in school textbooks, committee chairman C I Issac said.

However, the NCERT said the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified by the NCERT.

"So, it is too premature to comment on the matter," the NCERT said.

The panel has recommended that Bharat should replace India in NCERT books, which has been approved, Issac said.

It has also sought introduction of Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in curriculum for all subjects, and suggested that "classical history" should be introduced in history textbooks, instead of "ancient history".

Padma Shri awardee Issac said that word Bharat finds mention in Vishnu Puran and Sanskrit poet and playwright Kalidas had also used the word Bharat in his works.

He said that the current curriculum details about the country's defeats but not the victories.

Issac said, "why our books did not tell that Indian tribals defeated Afghan invader Muhammad Ghori when he was returning after plundering India."

"The Battle of Colachel (Kulachal) between the Travancore kingdom and the Dutch East India Company in August 1741 which ended Dutch colonial endeavours in the country is missing in the textbooks," he said.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Delhi BJP President, Virendra Sachdeva, has criticised the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government for what he perceives as a failure to address pollution issues in the national Capital.

Sachdeva accused the government of blaming officials for hindering pollution control efforts and questioned their actions regarding the Real-Time Source Apportionment Study.

Sachdeva pointed out that Environment Minister Gopal Rai has accused DPCC Chairman Ashwani Kumar of stalling the study, yet, the same Minister had taken credit for clean air in Delhi earlier in the year.

He questioned how the stalling of this study since February 2023 could be responsible for the rise in winter pollution while the air remained clean during the summer months.

Sachdeva further expressed his confusion regarding why the Kejriwal government opposed the DPCC Chairman's inquiries into the cost of the Real-Time Source Apportionment Study, which involves a significant expense of over Rs. 13 crore.

Additionally, he brought up the issue of the wastage of Rs. 23 crore on a Smog Tower project that was closed within two years, emphasising the need for more scientific studies in such initiatives.
Kolkata, Oct 25 : The office of the anti-corruption wing of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigation against three officers of West Bengal Police who are accused of bribery.

Among the three officers, two are attached to the criminal investigation department (CBI) of the state police. Recently, the CBI started the investigation against the three officers after filing an FIR in the matter.

The initial investigation was started by Worli Police Station against these officers following complaint by a businessman named Jitendra Navlani accusing them of collecting bribe to tune of Rs 20 lakhs for getting relieved from a case.

The three officers, include Rajarshi Banerjee and Sumit Banerjee, both currently attached to CID and the inspector-in- charge of Raniganj Police Station in West Burdwan district Sudip Dasgupta.

The investigation was transferred to CBI by Maharashtra government.

The CID was investigating a case of seizure of Rs 3.02 crore from a vehicle at Raniganj last year. The police claimed that the unaccounted cash belonged to company christened Bonanza Fashion which was reportedly owned by Navlani. The police even filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Navlani in the matter.

However, the court dismissed the case on grounds that no investigative agency, other than ED can initiate a case under PMLA against any individual.
Jaipur, Oct 25 : In a heart-wrenching incident, a 4-year-old girl fell from a moving state roadways bus through its broken floor in Rajasthan's Baran district on Tuesday.

As soon as the girl fell, her mother raised an alarm. The bus was quickly stopped and people took care of the girl.

She was rushed to a hospital where she is being treated.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajasthan vice president and former minister Prabhulal Saini issued a statement saying that the incident of the hole in the floor of the roadways bus and the child falling through it was a glaring example of the government's negligence.

Efforts were made for five years to close down the roadways during the Congress rule. Due to this, by stopping the purchase of new buses and running old and damaged buses, such untoward incidents have started happening, he alleged The people of the state will take note of these incidents happening due to the government's negligence in the coming elections.
'EC must do something': Congress complains against Shah, Assam CM. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : A delegation of senior Congress leaders on Wednesday filed a complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) against statements made by Home Minister Amit Shah in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon on October 16.

"We have raised eight complaints with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Other three Elections Commissioners were also present," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said while addressing a press conference

The delegation included Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid, AICC State In-Charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre, MP & President Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Revanth Reddy, MP Uttam Kumar Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka, MLA & CLP Leader (Telangana Legislative Assembly).

The Congress leaders filed a memorandum to the Election Commission saying that statements and claims made by the Home Minister were blatant and deliberate acts in violation of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Representation of People Act, 1951.

"Election Commission must do something to stop muddying of elections by political parties. We hope that the Election Commission will intervene to ensure free and fair elections in the country," Salman Khurshid said.

The congress delegation led by Ramesh met the Chief Election Commissioner and presented detailed complaints and memoranda in relation to the upcoming state elections in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.

They also raised a complaint against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's election speech in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha on October 18.

In the memorandum, the Congress leaders said that his statements and claims highlight the clear-cut intention to incite sections of society against one another.

They also filed complaints stating that the Centre is trying to politicise the conduct of civil servants and army soldiers and violating the Model Code of Conduct and the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.

They also sought the disqualification of Govind Singh Rajput, BJP Candidate from Surkhi, Sagar District of Madhya Pradesh from contesting the assembly elections.

"Rajput had publicly claimed that he would pay Rs 25 Lakhs to the prabharis of booths where the maximum number of votes will be secured for the BJP. A FIR has already been registered against Govind Singh Rajput," they submitted in their complaint to the Commission.

Talking about four complaints -- in the context of Telangana -- Revanth Reddy said that the elections have probably become the most corrupt since the BRS government has come to power in Telangana.

The delegation has requested for disbursement of benefits under schemes introduced by the Telangana government either before the date of filing nominations on November 3 or after the polling of votes on November 30.

They also complained against "unlawful" transfers and posting of police officers in Telangana, who have been transferred without completing two and a half years of their tenure as mandated by the Election Commission.

The delegation also complained against the allotment of election duty to specific officers in Telangana, alleging that they publicly support "a specific political party."
New Delhi, Oct 25 : A teacher from West Bengal is among the top 10 finalists for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2023, which will be announced at the 42nd session of Unesco's General Conference in France next month.

Deep Narayan Nayak from Tilka Majhi Adibasi Free Primary School in Jamuria, Asansol has been recognised for bridging the learning gap for underprivileged children living below the poverty line and lacking access to education.

With schools shut during Covid-19 lockdown, Nayak turned mud walls outside properties into blackboards and converted the roads into classrooms to provide education to those who would otherwise be left behind due to the digital divide.

His work in providing education to underprivileged, remote communities that lack basic infrastructure, including electricity, schools, Internet, roads, and housing, all seeing him hailed as the 'Teacher of the Streets,' and 'Raster Master'.

In addition, Nayak has developed programmes that address malnutrition, child exploitation, and early marriages, while empowering women in backward districts. In recognition of his outstanding services, he was awarded the 'Shining World Education Award' by The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, 2021 and 'Best Teacher Award, 2020' by the Institute of Scholars. Introduced in 2014, the award is presented by UK-based Varkey Foundation and its strategic partner Dubai Cares in collaboration with UNESCO, to honour teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession.
Bengaluru, Oct 25 : Following the arrest of the Big Boss Reality Show contestant in K'taka over wearing a locket made of tiger's claw, organisations on Wednesday demanded that the government should also act on celebrities sporting the animal's claw.

Following people sharing the pictures of celebrities and politicians wearing tiger's claw's lockets and demanding to initiate action against them, the Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has stated on Wednesday in Kalaburagi that "no one will be spared." Following the statement, celebrities have come under pressure to prove their innocence.

The pictures of famous Kannada actor, BJP Rajya Sabha member Jaggesh, former CM and JD (S) floor leader H.D. Kumaraswamy's son, politician and actor Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Kannada superstar Darshan and film producer Rockline Venkatesh have been shared on social media. The picture of well-known religious seer Avadhoota Vinay Guruji sitting on the tiger's skin is also doing rounds.

Former MLC and Congress leader P.R. Ramesh had lodged a complaint with the Forest Department's Additional Secretary Javed Akthar against Jaggesh.

Shivakumar attached to Vande Mataram Social Service Organization had demanded that Big Boss contestant Varthur Santhosh, an ordinary man, had been arrested and no action was taken against celebrities. He had also slammed the Forest Department for not initiating action against them. Shivakumar maintained that he would lodge a complaint in this regard.

He further stated that immediate action be taken against them and notice be issued to summon them. The inaction in this regard shows the negligence of the Forest Department.

Khandre, reacting to the development stated that he does not have complete information regarding actors Jaggesh and Darshan wearing the lockets. But, if the complaint is received in this regard, action will be initiated against them. "There is no question of sparing the influential in this connection," he warned.

The law is equal to all. The amendment is brought to the Wildlife Preservation Act 2022. As per the act use of skin, horns of any wildlife animal, ivory of elephants can't be used and also can't be collected. The investigation will be conducted in this regard and action will be initiated, Minister Khandre stated.

The act is not just for show off. It's implemented strictly. The directions have been issued to initiate action against celebrities and anyone, if they are found to be using the claws, skin or any other part of the wildlife animals. "I do not want to take names. It is the duty of every person to preserve wildlife. The people must cooperate and follow the law. Few are wearing tiger's claws in the neck, few others have kept the skin of tiger at their homes, the officers will verify this and initiate action," Khandre explained.

Deputy Conservator of Forest Ravindra also stated that action will be taken based on the complaints.

Meanwhile, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy clarified that few media outlets have reported that during his marriage ceremony, he had worn the pendant of tiger's claw. "This is not the truth. I am aware of the provision of the Preservation of Wildlife Act. The tiger's claw pendant which I was wearing during my marriage was an artificial one. It was a gift I got for marriage. I have it even now and concerned officers can verify it. I request not to publish false news in this regard," he explained.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday reached Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to participate in the SCO heads of government meeting, representing prime minister Narendra Modi.

The October 25-26 meeting in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek will be attended by the heads of governments of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the vice president of Iran and the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.

"Arrived in Bishkek for SCO Heads of Government meeting representing PM @narendramodi. Thank Deputy FM Moldogaziev for the warm reception.

Look forward to productive exchanges at the SCO; meeting Kyrgyz leadership and taking forward our bilateral agenda," Jaishankar posted on X.

In Bishkek, the External Affairs Minister will also meet with his counterparts from other SCO member states and call on the country's top leadership.

SCO observer states including Belarus and Mongolia as well as guest state Turkmenistan will also attend the meeting.
Chennai, Oct 25 : Automotive component player Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd (Sona Comstar) on Wednesday said it closed the second quarter of FY24 with higher revenue and profit.

The company also said it is negotiating with Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd (CleanMax) to float a solar power company.

In a regulatory filing, Sona Comstar said it closed the quarter ended September 30 with an operational revenue of Rs 716.2 crore (Q2FY23 Rs.599.2 crore) and a profit of Rs 130.4 crore (Rs 83.2 crore).

As regards the proposed solar power company, Sona Comstar said it will hold 26 per cent stake investing about Rs.7.5 crore and the remaining 74 per cent to be acquired by CleanMax.

--IANS

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. A delegation headed by the Minister of Defense of Tajikistan, Colonel-General Sherali Mirzo, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, visited the military unit No. N, Trend reports.

The delegation was provided with a detailed briefing on the combat path of the military unit and the process of training personnel.

The Tajik guests got acquainted with the conditions created in the military unit for personnel, weapons and military equipment, watched the demonstration performances of military personnel in the training center.

"In conclusion, a ceremony of mutual presentation of gifts was held, a photo was taken for memory," the ministry said.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : The Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal has written a letter to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the incident of rape of a 12-year-old girl in Ujjain.

Maliwal has requested for immediate access for the survivor to medical, psychological, and rehabilitative care to aid her recovery, and a financial assistance of at least Rs 50 lakh to the survivor's family for recovery and rehabilitation.

In her letter, the DCW Chairperson said that the survivor child was forced to travel door-to-door on foot for 2.5 hours covering 8 kms, seeking help.

"However, no one helped her and she was found bleeding in a semi-naked condition. The girl was admitted to a hospital where she spent several days in recovery. Thereafter, an FIR was registered in the matter and the accused was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police," she said.

She said that it was reported in media that Madhya Pradesh government had announced assistance to the girl including financial help. However, reportedly, the same has not been furnished by the Government till date.

"A meager Rs 1500/- has been given to the family by a local leader, which is insufficient for the kind of recovery needed for the survivor," said Maliwal.

The victim was raped by a 24-year-old auto driver in Ujjain.
Bengaluru, Oct 25 : The officials of Karnataka Forest Department on Wednesday conducted search operations here in the residences of celebrities and politicians following a row that erupted after the arrest of a reality show contestant for wearing a locket made of tiger's claw.

Sources in the Forest Department said that well-known Kannada actor and BJP Rajya Sabha Member Jaggesh has also come under scanner as a video showing him admitting that he is wearing a tiger's claw as a pendant has emerged.

The Karnataka Forest Department detained Varthur Santhosh, a contestant from the Big Boss (Kannada) reality show in Bengaluru, for allegedly wearing a locket made of tiger's claw.

Santhosh was taken into custody from the Big Boss reality show set last Sunday.

Later, he was sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Jaggesh in an interview to a private channel claimed that the pendant "was sourced from a tiger".

The video later went viral on social media.

Former MLC and Congress leader P.R. Ramesh has lodged a complaint with the Forest Department's Additional Secretary Javed Akthar against Jaggesh.

After receiving the complaint, Akthar had assured Ramesh of action. The official said he would be forwarding the complaint to authorities to initiate action.

Meanwhile, Forest Department officials have been conducting searches at his residence in Malleshwaram locality here, and a search operation was underway.

The Forest Department has been conducting searches at film producer Rockline Venkatesh's residence in Rajajinagar locality as well.

Another team was carrying out search operations at the residence of Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, in the upscale J.P. Nagar locality in Bengaluru.

The search operation was also conducted at the residence of Kannada superstar Darshan's residence in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar here.

According to sources, a notice has been issued to all celebrities and religious seers who are found using the wild animal's parts.

After people shared pictures of celebrities and politicians wearing tiger's lockets, and demanded action against them, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said that "no one will be spared".
Tehran, Oct 25 : Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has emphasised that the US is a definite accomplice in the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza, a media report said.

Khamenei made the remarks on Wednesday, saying: "The presence of the heads of oppressive and villain states in the occupied territories shows their concern about the disintegration of the Zionist regime," referring to Western leaders' recent trips, Mehr News reported.

Stressing that victory is definitely for Palestine,Khamenei said Islamic states should not be passive in the face of criminals.

In the future the world will belong to the Palestinians, not the the Zionist regime, he added, Mehr News reported.

The efforts, oppression, and crimes of the Zionists are futile and they will not lead anywhere, Khamenei stressed.

Khamenei also said that Gaza is now "the scene of innocence on one hand and strength on the other hand".

He described as "decisive" and "irreparable" the blow dealt to the usurping entity by Palestinian fighters in their October 7 raid, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

"Yes, the people of Gaza are really oppressed, and this ruthless and bloodthirsty enemy, the usurping terrorist regime, knows no boundaries to crimes. It kills a thousand people in one bombardment," he said, Mehr News reported.

He added, "In this case, the United States is a definite accomplice of the criminals. That is, the US hands have been polluted up to the arms with the blood of the oppressed, the children, the patients, the women, etc. In fact, [the US] is somehow managing the crimes being committed in Gaza," Mehr News reported.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal attended the 7th edition of Future Investment Initiative (FII) meet in Riyadh from October 24 to 25.

He also met several dignitaries from the host country including Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman Al-Saud, Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah AlKassabi, and Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih.

Goyal addressed the 7th Edition of FII in one of the plenary sessions titled "The Coming Investment Mandate".

He also co-chaired a conclave session on the theme "From Risk to Opportunity: Strategies for Emerging Economies in the New Industrial Policy Era" along with the Saudi Investment Minister.

This was followed by a bilateral meeting where the two ministers deliberated expansion of investment across diverse sectors to foster economic growth and further enhance strategic partnership between the two countries.

Goyal also held bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabian Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, CEO NEOM Nadhmi Al Nasr, and Governor of Public Investment Fund (PIF) Yassir Rummayyan.

Discussions pertained to improvement in bilateral relations, especially in the field of commerce and industry.

Goyal also took part in the business round table organised at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, and highlighted the multiple opportunities offered by India. The growing trade between the two countries reached an all-time high of $52.75 billion in 2022-23. The conference aimed at further strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries.

The Confederation of Indian Industry and the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce signed a MoU in Goyal's presence to further enhance commercial partnership.

Goyal also met World Bank President Ajay Banga and prominent business leaders on the sidelines of the FII. He held interactive sessions with Indian business leaders and the Indian community in Saudi Arabia, both constituting a respectable part of the Saudi economy.

Saudi Arabia is one of India's most important strategic partners. The level of cooperation between the two countries can also be witnessed with the establishment of India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC).

--IANS

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Patna, Oct 25 : The Patna police initiated a mild lathicharge on unsuccessful teacher aspirants who were protesting outside the office of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Wednesday.

The protestors were demanding supplementary results of the candidates who failed in the examination. They also claimed that the officials have taken bribes and candidates with lesser marks qualified in the examination while those with higher marks were declared failed.

More than one hundred unsuccessful candidates assembled at the gate of the BPSC office on Bailey road in Patna and shouted slogans against the authorities. The police who were present in large numbers resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the protestors.

Meanwhile, a five member delegation led by a student leader Dilip met BPSC chairman Atul Prasad and submitted a memorandum.

"We have handed over a memorandum demanding supplementary results for the remaining seats and the BPSC chairman agreed to our demand. He assured that the second cut-off list or supplementary results will be published soon," Dilip said.

The BPSC had advertised 1.70 lakh teachers' posts from class 1 to 5 and 9 to 12 and the examinations for them were held from August 24 to 26 this year. Only 1.22 lakh candidates qualified in the examinations.
Chandigarh, Oct 25 : Controversial Punjab Police "cat"-turned-dismissed cop Gurmeet Singh Pinky, a life-term convict in a murder case, died of a heart attack at a private hospital here on Wednesday.

He was suffering from dengue and hospitalised where he died of the cardiac arrest.

Also known as Pinky Cat, he underwent life sentence for killing Avtar Singh Gola in Ludhiana in 2001.

The term "cat" is for a "militant turned undercover police agent".

Pinki enjoyed the patronage of then state Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini and political clout and was released prematurely from the Nabha jail even before the completion of 10 years of sentence in June 2014.

He had gunned down a man, the only son of his parents, over a petty issue in January 2001.

In 2015, Pinky had uploaded a video on YouTube alleging that he was witness to at least 50 fake encounters. In his six-part video, Pinky has given graphic details of killings committed by senior police officers who got promotions via such acts.
Peshawar, Oct 25 : A top Afghan diplomat said on Wednesday that the Islamic Emirate -- or the Taliban administration -- had already issued a fatwa (decree) that launching attacks in Pakistan is not "jihad" (holy war), the media reported.

Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir, the acting consul general at the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar, told Geo News that the neighbouring country's Defence Ministry had also made it clear that attacking Pakistan did not fall under jihad.

In his conversation with Geo News, Shakir said the TTP militants had migrated to Afghanistan during former US-backed Afghan president Ashraf Ghani's tenure a" 2014-2021. He was overthrown by the Taliban.

"I want to make it clear: No attacks will be launched from Afghanistan on Pakistan," the envoy added, Geo News reported.

The Pakistani government has time and again stressed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists have safe havens in Afghanistan and that the neighbouring nation's soil was being used for attacks on Pakistan.

Since the Afghan Taliban took over the reins of government in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in terror incidents with 2023 being the deadliest in eight years, despite months left in its conclusion, with officials also saying that Afghan nationals were involved in attacks on security forces.

Asif Durrani, Pakistan's special representative on Afghanistan, said that the banned TTPas attacks on Pakistan along the borders have increased and that they were "taking shelter on the Afghan soil".

In response to Pakistan's repeated insistence on taking action, the interim Afghan rulers arrested 200 suspected militants involved in attacks against Pakistan, Voice of America reported last month, citing Pakistani officials privy to the development.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : The murder of a Swiss woman, whose body with limbs and legs bound with chains was found near a school in West Delhi on October 20, has left a series of difficult conundrums for the public to understand, further deepening the mystery.

For the horrific crime, the police arrested a 30-year-old man named Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Jankapuri in west Delhi, who claimed himself as a jilted lover of the Swiss national.

As the probe process continues, certain aspects of the case have raised eyebrows. Chief among these is the motive behind the heinous murder.

Initial interrogation of prime accused Gurpreet Singh has revealed that the victim, Nina Berger, came to India on his invitation just 10 days back. They had established contact through social media a couple of years ago, which prompts the question as to what prompted him to invite her to India? Was this a premeditated move, or did the intention to harm Nina arise later?

Singh reportedly confessed that he murdered Nina after she rejected his marriage proposal, but his statements have been inconsistent throughout questioning, leaving room for doubts.

A scrutiny of Gurpreet's mobile phone has reportedly unveiled his interactions with numerous women, including foreign nationals. This has raised suspicion of a potential link with human trafficking, an angle which the police are actively exploring.

Adding to the intrigue, over Rs 2 crore in cash was recovered from Gurpreet's residence in Janakpuri, which raises the question as to how did he come into possession of such considerable sum of money?

In-depth scrutiny of Gurpreet's bank account has revealed substantial financial transactions, prompting investigators to alert the Income Tax authorities. The large sums and the unaccounted cash have further fueled concerns that the case may have ties to human trafficking.

An unsettling aspect of this tragedy is the evidence of injuries on the victim, including cuts and burn marks, implying she may have been tortured before being killed. Investigators are also exploring the possibility of the involvement of accomplices in this brutal act.

The locks and chains used to restrain the woman were reportedly acquired just two days prior to the incident from a market in West Delhi. However, the specific details of this purchase remain undisclosed, raising the question as to whether these restraints were part of some black magic, leading to her strangulation.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received an invitation to attend the "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony (installation of Lord Ram's idol) at Ram temple in Ayodhya by the office bearers of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Trust.

They visited the PM Modi at his residence on Wednesday and he has accepted the invitation.

Modi posted on X that today's day is quite emotional day for him as he received the invitation to attend the idol installation ceremony at Ayodhya.

"I am feeling blessed that in my lifetime I will be witness to this historic moment," he said.

The ceremony is likely to be held on January 22, 2024.
Mumbai, Oct 25 : The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) attacked the Maharashtra government for not implementing its promise on giving reservations to the Maratha community even as their leader Manoj Jarange-Patil started a fresh fast-unto-death agitation in Jalna on Wednesday.

Congress state President Nana Patole, Nationalist Congress Party Working President Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT national spokesperson Kihore Tiwari targeted Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CMs of Bharatiya Janata Party Devendra Fadnavis and NCP-AP's Ajit Pawar on the Maratha quotas issued that returned to the centre-stage in state politics.

Patole said that before it came to power, the BJP had assured quotas for Marathas, Tribals, Dhangars, OBCs, etc. but despite being in power for 10 years, they have not fulfilled the promise that is now fuelling afresh the Maratha agitation.

"The BJP's attempts to create strife among communities has resulted in a huge outcry from all these sections of society. The CM is unsure whether he will retain his seat, so his words have no relevance, then how can be ensure the promised quotas for the Maratha brethren," demanded Patole.

Sule took a swipe at Shinde who dramatically bowed and vowed before a bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a Dassehra Rally in Mumbai on Tuesday night "to give justice and reservations to the Marathas till the last drop of blood in his body".

"Perhaps, he (CM) has some magic wand Let us see what they now decide on the reservations and whether the decision will come in 24 hours," said Sule, even as Shinde-Fadnavis left for New Delhi this evening.

Tiwari said that for the past 40 days, the government has taken "the Marathas for a ride with a big 'jumla' of hollow commitments to give the quotas", but it confused how to go about it now.

"Why did the government not think of this when the Special Session of Parliament was held last month where justice could have been done to Marathas and all other communities clamouring for reservations by raising the ceiling for quotas? It shows that the BJP at the state and Centre are only busy safeguarding their seats and fooling the people," he said.

Patole reminded Fadnavis how he had promised to give reservations to Marathas in the first cabinet meeting and in one month after becoming CM in 2014, and its now one-and-half-years since he returned to office as Deputy CM.

"Instead, they are consciously trying to create conflicts between the OBCs, Marathas, Dhangars and Tribals, and owing to this 'cheating' of the OBCs for political reservations, even the civic bodies elections are put on hold for past more than one-and-half years," he said.

Sule accused the double-engine government of 'policy paralysis'' and politicising the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the question of Maratha quotas, while Tiwari felt that the Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar regime has exposed itself on the issue and "the people will teach them a lesson in the next elections".
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov received a delegation led by Chairman of the Board of the American think tank Caspian Policy Center Efgan Nifti today, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend.

The current state of bilateral Azerbaijani-US relations, issues of cooperation in the field of transit, transport and energy in the region, prospects for the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace process and regional issues were discussed during the meeting.

In addition, Bayramov informed about the factors that led to the need for local anti-terrorist measures against illegal formations of the Armenian armed forces and the separatist regime on Azerbaijan's territory, about the provocations committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan recently, threats created by illegal formations of the Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijan's territories. It was noted that when carrying out anti-terrorist measures with high accuracy, only legitimate military targets were taken in sight.

The minister noted that appropriate work is underway to reintegrate the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and an electronic portal has been created for this purpose.

It was noted that the Armenian residents left Azerbaijan's Karabakh of their own free will, and that the statements made following the last visit of UN officials to the region are confirmation of this.

Moreover, the minister, touching upon the issues of Azerbaijan's cooperation with the countries of Central Asia, informed about the work that will be carried out during the chairmanship of Azerbaijan in the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in 2023, and about the summit that is planned to be held in Baku. It was stressed that there are broad cooperation relations between SPECA member countries and Azerbaijan both at the bilateral intergovernmental level and within the framework of the program.

Bayramov noted that the recent processes taking place in the region have created ample opportunities for international cargo transportation, and stressed that the liberation from the occupation of Azerbaijani territories has given a new impetus to the development of regional transport and logistics routes.

In general, the sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest during the meeting.
Mumbai, Oct 25 : Three persons waitlisted for organs got a new lease of life on Dassehra (October 24) from a 66-year-old male from Mulund, who was declared brain dead a day earlier, officials said here on Wednesday.

The patient succumbed to complications following intracerebral bleeding on Monday at the Fortis Hospital in Mulund. But in the hour of grief, his family, comprising his wife and two sons, consented to donate his organs.

The Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC) assigned three waitlisted patients who have now got a fresh start in life, marking the cityas 38th cadaveric organ donation so far in 2023.

The recipients include a 54-year-old man from Nashik, who was given the liver; a 55-year-old woman from Mulund, who was given one kidney; while the other kidney went to a patient in a local BMC hospital. The harvested corneas of the deceased man were handed over to an eye bank in Ghatkopar.

Fortis Hospital Director Gaurav Gupta and a medical team comprising Kapildev Yadav, Prashant Kadam, Ramesh Mahajan and others played a key role in ensuring that the donated organs were retrieved and transplanted to the recipients in time, said a hospital spokesperson.
Washington, Oct 25 : Republican Speaker nominee Mike Johnson, vice chair of the House GOP conference, is set to take his fight for Speakership of the House of Representatives floor on Wednesday. However, he is unsure which way the vote will go for him to secure the vital 217 votes to secure the Speaker's gavel as 20 Republicans were not present at the vote that picked Johnson as nominee.

Johnson, who rose in the ranks of the Louisiana legislature to come to the House, is the 4th nominee of the GOP to face the acid test on the house floor on Wednesday as Democrats are in no mood to cooperate with the republicans effort to elect a new speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy, ousted early this month.

Johnson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017. He was elected twice without opposition, according to media reports.

While in the Louisiana House, he was appointed vice chairman of the state House Judiciary Committee and to the Select Committee on Leadership.He proposed a controversial bill in 2015, named the Marriage and Conscience Act,that some saw as discriminatory to the LGBTQ community, according to a media report.

Johnson, who serves as the House GOP conference vice chairman, secured the nomination for the speakership late Tuesday evening on a chaotic day that started with the GOP picking Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer to be their nominee after the Jordan fiasco.

But hours later after a face-off with the house conference's right flank and a rebuke from former President Donald Trump that he did not support him in the election denial , Emmer, chief whip of the Republicans in the house, also dropped out of the race.

The day ended with a vote to elect a new nominee a" this time, Johnson won. But 20 Republicans were absent in that vote.

The House has remained paralysed on the speakership issue for almost 22 days as of Wednesday with three Republican nominees prior to Johnson unable to win over the holdouts and Trump's loyalists.

US President Joe Biden's $105 billion proposals to fund Ukraine and Israel militarily and with humanitarian aid is stuck .

Uncertainty also looms over if the government can remain open to fund federal agencies after November 17 as the 45-day deadline pushed by ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy expires.

The GOP conference is facing the heat from conservatives in the House and Democrats as the House remains paralysed without a Speaker.

Republicans have been unable to unite to choose a common candidate to replace Kevin McCarthy following his historic ouster.
Washington, Oct 25 : Israel said on Wednesday it was banning UN representatives from visiting the country protesting UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' statement that the October 7 attack by Hamas had to be seen in the context of decades of occupation of the Palestinian people, adding "the ban is to teach them lesson".

Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan had earlier also demanded Guterres' resignation.

Guterres invited fire from Israel while making the remarks at the UN when he said: "It is important to ... recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

He also said no injustice to the Palestinians could justify the appalling attacks by Hamas.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, protested calling for Guterres' resignation and said on army radio: "Due to his remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson."

Erdan has described the UN chief's remarks as blood libel.

It is unclear to what levels of UN hierarchy the visa ban extends because a large number of UN workers are employed by UNRWA, the UN relief and works agency for Palestinian people.

The UN secretary general created fury both in Israel and among some Republicans in the US by describing Israel's bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attacks as the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people" and "clear violations of international humanitarian law".

Guterres also condemned the Hamas attack saying: "Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians a" or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions."

Griffiths, a former British diplomat and special envoy on Yemen, has warned that current levels of UN aid into Gaza are woefully inadequate. He has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to allow aid into the territory, media reports said. The US vetoed a UN resolution by Brazil calling for a humanitarian pause to allow aid into Gaza since it did not explicitly allow for Israel's self-defence.

Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN Gilad Erdan, while demanding resignation of Gutteres, told mediapersons: "The UN is failing, and you, Mr. Secretary-General, have lost all morality and impartiality. Because when you say those terrible words that these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuum, you are tolerating terrorism, and I think that the secretary-general must resign."

"Because from now on, every day that he is here in this building, unless he apologizes immediately, today, we called him to apologize, there's no justification to the existence of this building."

Erdan took to social media saying Guterres' speech was "shocking".
Tel Aviv, Oct 25 : Major General Yair Ravid (retd) is a cult figure in intelligence circles and security establishments of Israel. Under pseudonym 'Abu Daud', he had commanded several missions deep in several countries for spy agency Mossad.

Ravid spoke to IANS at his residence on the ongoing war with Hamas, Israelas operations and whether there was a failure.

IANS: Israel has faced one of its biggest catastrophes in recent years. Many have linked it to the holocaust. Your views?

Ravid: Yes, this is indeed a major national calamity. We have lost 1,400 of our citizens, more than 200 are in the custody of terrorists and we are indeed facing a major issue. However, as you know, we are a community of resilient and tough people and we will over come this and bring peace and normalcy in our country and around it.

IANS: Do you feel that there was an intelligence failure in this? Was Mossad not able to read what was coming in?

Ravid: Let me tell you, Mossad is in no way involved in the intelligence of the neighbouring areas. It is done totally by Shin Bet and Military Intelligence.It was not really a failure but sort of complacency and we trusted too much on our confidence. Whatever be this should not have happened. Right now this is not the time to speak on this as we are at war and a war which will have its logical conclusions.

IANS: You were known as Abu Daud in intelligence circles. Why and how?

Ravid: I was deep into Lebanon and was involved in several missions in that country. I may not be able to reveal much of that but I was given such a name inside our circles.

IANS:As you know, the Hamas has inflicted a major blow to Israel and more than anything else, many have lost their lives. What are you going to do about this ?

Ravid: Hamas will pay a heavy price for this. I am not just saying for the sake of saying. Anyone who knows Israel and our machinery understands it well. We will go behind each and every top Hamas leader who participated in the conspiracy and will wipe them out. We are getting proper information on all this and will execute the plan systematically. No one will go scot free from our hands.

IANS: Do you feel that Iran is behind these attacks on Israel?

Ravid: Israel doesn't care whether Iran is behind this or any other country for that matter. Iran has always been supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and several other fringe elements also. We have got proper information on all these and will act accordingly. We, as a country, had taken a pledge that we will not allow another holocaust and hence, we cannot rest until we wipe them out of this universe. There is no rest for Israel and its forces until the Hamas is totally eradicated and take it from me, it is going to happen.

IANS: Israel has mustered huge troops near Gaza and there are reports that the ground assault is about to begin. However is there something that is keeping the Israeli side to go for the attack?

RAvid: Israel will definitely attack Gaza strip with its armed forces and a ground assault will happen. It is the military to decide the time of the attack and the army is geared up for that. As I said earlier, we donat care about opinions, first let us finish off this war and then talk. So we will raid into the Gaza Strip and finish them off.

IANS: There are reports that several underground tunnels are dug by Hamas and this will be a problem to Israel during its ground assault. Your comments?

Ravid: There is a point beyond which no one can hide in a tunnel. It requires oxygen, fuel and many other factors and they will be smoked out of these tunnels and I hope you know that we have the best unit that can fight in under ground.This is a war which we have to eradicate the menace and we will fight it to the hilt.

IANS: You had been hit by an array of bullets in your right hand during your younger days and you even took salute with left hand?

RavId: As an officer in the Israel army, I have to take bullets and I had bled profusely. I came back to life and did complete several further army courses with distinction and served in the external intelligence agency, Mossad for many years.

IANS: Can you tell us about the Mossad operation to revenge 1972 Munich Olympics murder of Israel athletes?

Ravid: It is on record that all those who were behind the conspiracy to annihilate the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic village had to pay a heavy price. Every one who were behind the conspiracy and who had settled in several European cities were hounded out and killed.Iwill not be able to speak more on that.
Will implement women's reservation bill, extend it to OBC too if voted to power in 2024: Kharge. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 25 : Almost 10 days after releasing the first list of candidates for Telangana Assembly polls, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday presided over a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) to decide the rest of candidates for the 119-member Assembly elections.

Besides Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, state in-charge Manik Rao Thakre, state unit chief A. Revanth Reddy, CLP Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Uttam Kumar Reddy and several others were also present.

The CEC meeting went on for over five hours.

According to party sources, candidates for at least 35 Assembly seats were discussed during the meeting.

The source said that there was a detailed discussion on the candidature of the BRS leaders who joined the Congress in the last few months.

The source further pointed out that the leadership had a detailed discussion to accommodate the BRS leaders and party leaders from those respective seats on the basis of winnability.

The Congress will hold another round of CEC meeting on Thursday to discuss the rest of 18 seats.

In a post on 'X', Kharge said: "Telangana is getting ready for change. Telangana shall elect Congress! Staring at an imminent defeat, BRS leaders are showing their abject frustration by continuously attacking the Congress party.

"BRS, BJP, AMIM -- all partners in crime know the writing on the wall. They have nothing to show to the people of Telangana except lies, loot and commissions! Congress' guarantees in Telangana and the tremendous affection which we share with the people of the state shall result in justice, welfare and progress. An important meeting of the Central Election Committee for Telangana happened today," he added.

Party sources said that the rest of the candidates will be finalised at the meeting and in the coming days the leadership will release the second list of candidates.

On October 15, the Congress announced a list of 55 candidates for the Telangana Assembly polls, with Kota Neelima being fielded from Sanathanagar Assembly constituency, Jupally Krishna Rao from Kollapur, party's CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu from Madhur SC reserved seat.

Polling for the Telangana Assembly elections will take place on November 30 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.
Jerusalem, Oct 25 : Israel has agreed to delay the invasion of Gaza as of now, media reports said.

The US military officials are trying to convince Israel against carrying out a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas's October 7 attacks, CNN reported.

As per the report, American officials advised the IDF against a counter-invasion, with the fear it could "endanger hostages, civilians, and further inflame tensions in the region", Jerusalem Post reported.

Instead, the IDF was urged to deploy a "combination of precision airstrikes and targeted special operations raids" across the Strip, Jerusalem Post reported.

The United States has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war, Jerusalem Post reported.
Kolkata, Oct 25 : A uniform structure of alliance among all the allies of the grand opposition INDIA bloc in all states is not practical and there also cannot be a strait-jacket formula in case of seat-sharing agreements in the matter, the top leadership of CPI(M) has made it clear.

Both the party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and his predecessor Prakash Karat have given the contentions in their respective articles penned by the two at the festive edition of a vernacular party organ.

According to Yechury, while in West Bengal, the Congress and his CPI-M are in an understanding, in Kerala, the principal contest is between Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

In case of West Bengal, he said that the CPI-M's principal aim is to unite all secular and democratic forces against both Trinamool Congress and BJP, despite the stateas ruling party being a constituent of the INDIA bloc.

Similarly, Karat has argued that any specific programme-based alliance which will be uniform for all states is totally impractical.

According to him, even in the Lok Sabha polls there will be state-specific political and campaigning lines.

"Just as in West Bengal, we are against both Trinamool Congress and BJP in West Bengal, in Kerala, our principal opponent is Congress," Karat said.

Political observers feel that although both the CPI-M leaders have described the BJP and the Trinamool as equal enemies in West Bengal, in reality, the ruling party is the principal enemy in the state with the saffron camp being the secondary foe.

"For CPI-M, the only survival option in West Bengal is hard-core opposition to Trinamool. Whatever support base that continues to have in West Bengal among their dedicated voters is because these loyalist voters are more anti-Trinamool, rather than being anti-BJP. So any compromise in this hardcore anti-Trinamool stand will give a major blow to these continuing dedicated and dyed-in-the-wool voters. In such a situation, there is a possibility that one section of these loyalist voters might shift to the BJP, while the more dyed-in-the wool section, who are also against the BJP, will either refrain from going to the polling stations on the polling day or press the NOTA button," said a senior political observer.
US holding back Israel from strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Image Source: IANS News

Jerusalem, Oct 25 : At least 500 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihadi terrorists received specialised training from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force up to a month before the deadly October 7 massacre, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, as per Jerusalem Post.

The terrorists were trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards' elite forces in Iran as recently as in September, the report noted, citing "people familiar with intelligence related to the assault".

Several high-profile Palestinian and Iranian leaders reportedly attended the training drills, including Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani, Jerusalem Post reported.

Iranian figures had previously warned Israel of a "shockwave by the resistance front if its atrocities do not stop in Gaza", with deputy chief of the IRGC Ali Fadavi saying Iran could launch a missile at Haifa "without hesitation".

Israel has agreed to delay the invasion of Gaza for now, so the US can rush missile defenses to the region, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, as per Jerusalem Post.

US military officials were trying to convince Israel against carrying out a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas' October 7 massacre, CNN reported on Wednesday citing "several sources familiar with the matter".

As per the report, American officials advised the IDF against a counter-invasion, with the fear it could "endanger hostages, civilians, and further inflame tensions in the region", Jerusalem Post reported.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war, Jerusalem Post reported.
Hyderabad, Oct 25 : A live election debate on television channel in Hyderabad on Wednesday turned ugly when BRS MLA K. P. Vivekananda attacked BJP candidate K. Srisailam Goud.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Quthbullapur constituency in Greater Hyderabad lost his cool and grabbed Goud by the throat after the latter made some insulting remarks.

The MLA was enraged when Goud called him a land grabber.

This led to a heated debate and when the BJP candidate made some remarks, Vivekananda rushed towards him, grabbed him by the throat and pushed him.

The show host and police intervened to separate the two leaders.

The incident triggered utter chaos as supporters of both the leaders present broke the barricades and threw chairs to rush towards the dais.

The police had a tough time in controlling the situation as both the groups tried to attack each other.

A Telugu television channel had organised the debate among key contestants in the constituency. The video of the incident went viral on social media.

The BJP condemned the attack on BRS MLA and said this shows the frustration in BRS that they are losing to the BJP.

Union Minister and state BJP President G. Kishan Reddy has condemned the attack on BJP candidate by BRS MLA. He alleged that BRS MLAs who were looting crores of rupees by grabbing lands in and around Hyderabad were behaving like street rowdies. Kishan Reddy said the BRS MLA resorted to physical attack as he had no answer to the questions of Goud.

Elections for 119-member Telangana Assembly are scheduled on November 30

--IANS

ms/vd
New York, Oct 25 : Former US President Donald Trump's ex-attorney Michael Cohen has testified against him saying it was not "Trump vs Cohen but more about his accountability", as more details emerged on his testimony on the New York Fraud trial case that revealed some Trump projects in Russia.

Cohen told reporters Tuesday he committed crimes such as lying to Congress about a project in Russia at Trump's direction.

"I did it at the direction of, in concert with and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump," Cohen said.

He had also pleaded guilty in November 2018 to lying to Congress about a Trump project in Moscow, a leading US media outlet reported on Wednesday.

He has already testified to Congress about Trump allegedly misstating the value of his real estate even as Trump accused him of being a "proven liar", who was convicted of lying to congress and fraud as an unreliable witness. USA Today reported.

Trump stared down Cohen as he characterised the former president as a racist, cheat who must be held accountable. He reiterated that he, along with his CFO Weiselberg, now in jail, over-estimated the value of Trump's businesses as he pleased.

The number on the value of family assets were fixed by Trump as he would gesture into the and say $6 billion,totally disproportionate to the then current market value of real estate to obtain lower insurance premia and loans from financial institutions, Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer whom the US media describes as Donald Trump's fixer, who once said he would take a bullet for the president, testified .

"I was tasked by Trump to increase the total assets, based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected," Cohen said.

Asked what that number was, Cohen replied: "Whatever number Trump told us to."

Cohen did not see eye to eye with Trump at the court but focused on lawyer Colleen Faherty who was asking him to testify as a valued witness. Trump shook his head emphatically as Cohen testified that Weisselberg indicated he spoke to the former president's children a" Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka a" before preparing their fatheras financial statements, media reports said .

Trump would summon Cohen and Weisselberg and say: "I'm actually not worth four and a half billion dollars. I'm really worth more of six."

Cohen said he and Weisselberg would then "inflate the value" of Trump properties by pegging them to "comparable" real estate that was actually different -- brand-new developments with higher ceilings, more sweeping views and no rent regulation, for instance, media reports said

Cohen, who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, went to prison after arranging his hush money payments for Trump to an adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Cohen already testified before Congress in February 2019 that Trump inflated property values to secure loans and insurance premiums. Trump noted as he headed into court that Cohen served prison time after pleading guilty to tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations.

"He's a proven liar," Trump told reporters. "I think you'll see that for yourself."

Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had earlier ruled Trump committed fraud for years. He valued rent-controlled apartments at Trump Park Avenue, where Cohen lives, at millions of dollars disproportionate to their appraised value as they had the potential to be sold later at market-rent units.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The Azerbaijan-Hungary Joint Intergovernmental Commission held nine meetings to date, the 10th is scheduled to be held in Baku in April next year, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Azerbaijan Sahil Babayev said during an event dedicated to the celebration of the national holiday of Hungary, Trend reports.

Babayev said that the official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Hungary in January this year made a great contribution to the further development of high-level relations and to strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

"Among the documents signed during the visit, the Joint Declaration on Strengthening Strategic Partnership deserves special attention. More than 50 documents signed between our countries in the previous years ensured the creation of a legal basis for existing relations," the minister said.

In addition, Sahil Babayev also noted that the activities of Hungarian companies in support of reconstruction and construction work carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan are crucial for strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday said that the state government had requested for release of Rs 17,901 crore drought relief package.

Talking to reporters, Byre Gowda said the state faced shortage of 56 per cent rains in June, 29 per cent in July, 73 per cent in August, 23 per cent in September, and 63 per cent in October.

In total, 216 taluks are declared as drought-hit - initially, 195 taluks were declared as drought-prone and later 21 more taluks were declared so and the submission had been made for the compensation against this backdrop.

There is a possibility of a crisis of drinking water in the state, he said.

The officers from the Central government have arrived in Karnataka and they are studying the situation. They might file the report in two days.

"We have requested for immediate release of money and we have got a positive response," Gowda said.

RDPR, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge said that the state is yet to get funds for the employment guarantee scheme. "We are not able to pay for those who worked under this scheme. About Rs 600 crore is pending and it has been requested that this amount be immediately released," he said.

"There is a drought situation in the state. After declaration of drought situation, the working days will have to be increased from 100 to 150 days. It has been requested to release Rs 340.2 crore for drinking water for rural areas and Rs 213 crore for urban areas," he added.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21, 2019 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the UN Youth Climate Summit at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 21, 2019. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday said he saw a. Image Source: IANS News

New York, Oct 25 : More than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2017.

Civilians around the world need greater humanitarian aid than ever before, but countries are instead increasing military spending, which topped $2.2 trillion in 2022.

That is the picture painted by the new UN Secretary-General report on women, peace, and security, issued annually coinciding with the UN Security Council Open Debate taking place on Wednesday in New York, titled "Women's participation in international peace and security: from theory to practice".

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres; UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous; President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric; Ambassador Glivania Maria de Oliveira; as well as a civil society representative were present at the event.

"These negative trends are setting back both gender equality and global peace. However, this dire picture is not inevitable. We can reverse it by investing in women's organizations in crisis settings; increasing the meaningful participation of women in mediation and peace processes; promoting parity in political and electoral processes; and using accountability tools to strengthen the protection of women in conflict-affected countries," said Sarah Hendriks, UN Women Deputy Executive Director ad interim.

The report puts a spotlight on the global security humanitarian situation, which has become more grim, with a disparate impact on women and girls.

In Afghanistan, for example, the Taliban have issued more than 50 edicts to suppress women's and girls' rights; and when fighting broke out earlier this year in Sudan, widespread sexual violence returned to Darfur, reminiscent of the conflict in the region two decades ago.

Further, the report shares a picture of decline in several countries for women to participate in decision-making on peace and security.

Events of political violence targeting women increased by 50 per cent in conflict-affected countries between 2020 and 2022.

A key recommendation presented in the report is for at least one-third of all participants in mediation and peace processes to be women, but the reality shows that women remain sidelined from the main negotiations.

While women participated in 80 per cent of UN-led or co-led peace processes, their actual numbers remained low, at only about 16 per cent of total participants -- a proportion that has decreased for two years in a row.

Women were almost completely absent from many other peace processes and political talks on situations on the agenda of the Security Council, including in Ethiopia, Kosovo, Sudan, Myanmar, and Libya.
Farmers from K'taka campaign against Congress in T'gana. Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, Oct 25 : A group of farmers from Karnataka took out a rally in Telangana's Kodangal Assembly constituency on Wednesday, "cautioning" people against voting for the Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The Congress, however, called it a "paid" protest organised by the ruling BRS. Highlighting the power shortage faced by them in Karnataka, about 200 farmers participated in the rally.

They warned the people that voting for the Congress would spell doom for the agriculture sector.

Kodangal is the constituency from where Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy is contesting in November 30 elections.

The farmers from border areas of the neighbouring state entered erstwhile Mahabubnagar district to draw people's attention to the problems faced by them in Karnataka, where the Congress came to power recently.

The farmers from Gulbarga district of Karnataka staged a protest on Tuesday at Jogulamba Gadwal.

They reached Kodangal on Wednesday, and held placards besides raising slogans against the Congress-led government in Karnataka.

Alleging that the Congress betrayed them after promising sufficient power supply, they told the local residents not to get cheated by voting for the Congress.

They said before the elections, Congress promised them 10 hours of quality power every day but power was hardly being supplied for a couple of hours now.

The rally, however, led to mild tension as local Congress leaders objected to farmers staging a protest.

They asked the farmers to return to their villages. This led to an argument between the two sides.

The police intervened to prevent any untoward incident. The farmers later returned to their villages.

For the last few days, Karnataka has been witnessing protests by farmers against insufficient power supply to the agriculture sector.

Scanty rainfall and an increase in power consumption led to power shortage, affecting the farmers.

Meanwhile, the Telangana unit of Congress

alleged that ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) brought some people from Karnataka by paying them bribes to damage the party's prospects.

State unit Congress spokesperson Sama Ram Mohan Reddy said that unable to convince the farmers in Telangana with its lies, the BRS brought some hired persons from Karnataka to campaign against the grand old party.

He said "no matter how many conspiracies the family of KCR hatch, the Congress will come to power in Telangana".

He also questioned the BRS working president and state minister K.T. Rama Rao on allowing people from other states to stage a protest in Hyderabad. He pointed out that when some TDP supporters wanted to protest in Hyderabad against the arrest of former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, he had refused permission saying this would disturb peace.

"Will peace flourish if a paid batch from Karnataka posing as farmers stage protests in Telangana," he asked.

The protest by Karnataka farmers in Kodangal assumed significance as Revanth Reddy had made the controversial remark that farmers in Telangana do not need 24-hour power and that three hour supply will be sufficient.

This had triggered strong protest by the BRS. During the election campaign BRS leaders have been highlighting the power problem faced by farmers in Karnataka and cautioning people that if they bring Congress to power, Telangana will face a similar situation.

The ruling party is highlighting its achievement in the power sector while seeking another mandate. It claimed that Telangana is the only state in the country supplying free power 24X7 to farmers.
Washington, Oct 25 : Mike Johnson, a little-known Republican from Louisiana, was elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, ending three weeks of squabbling in the majority to pick one of itself to a position that is second in line to the Presidency.

Johnson is 51 and comes to the office with the least experience of holding a leadership position. But party colleagues told US media that he got their support because he is seen as conservative enough and, as one of the told CNN, he has no enemies.

The New York Times called Johnson "one of the staunchest religious conservatives in the House".

He has supported a national ban on abortion and opposed same-sex marriage.

Johnson is a hardliner in the mould of former President Donald Trump and played a pivotal role in congressional efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

He becomes the 56th speaker of the US House and he will succeed Kevin McCarthy, who was overthrown by a section of the party three weeks ago. Three men tried to take over, but failed to garner enough votes within the Republican party to reach and cross the 217 mark in the 435-member House.

Johnson won 220 votes to 209 won by Hakeem Jeffries of the Democratic party.; only 215 were needed Wednesday because of abstentions.

The new Speaker will be confronted almost immediately with a request for additional funding for Israel and Ukraine -- to the tune of $105 billion -- sent to the Congress by President Joe Biden. Johnson has long opposed funding of the war in Ukraine as have some others in the party; although the majority of Republicans are in favour.

"It has been an arduous few weeks, and a reminder that the House is as complicated and diverse as the people we represent," Speaker Johnson said in a statement.

"The urgency of this moment demands bold, decisive action to restore trust, advance our legislative priorities, and demonstrate good governance. Our House Republican Conference is united, and eager to work.

"As Speaker, I will ensure the House delivers results and inspires change for the American people. We will restore trust in this body. We will advance a comprehensive conservative policy agenda, combat the harmful policies of the Biden Administration, and support our allies abroad. And we will restore sanity to a government desperately in need of it. Let's get back to work."
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Israel is urging India to designate Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza, as a terrorist organisation, like the United States and the European Union have done in the past, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said on Wednesday.

"It is time to designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation in India," Gilon told reporters in Delhi during a media briefing on the Israel-Hamas war, adding that after Hamas' brutal attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,400 people, the Israeli government spoke to the Indian government about proscribing the Palestinian militant group.

Hamas is not on the Indian government's list of banned organisations.

"This is not another skirmish between Israel and Hamas. This is a watershed event," Gilon said of the October 7 attacks.

"We are not looking for any solution like a local ceasefire that Israel did in the past, and that always turned out to be a mistake."

Israel's main goal, by launching retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza and an expected ground invasion into the coastal enclave, is to ensure that "such barbaric acts" against Israeli civilians are not repeated, he said.

Israel's intelligence failure to prevent the October 7 attacks, especially via land when Hamas militants entered towns and villages in southern Israel and went on a macabre killing spree before abducting some 222 people, including children and the elderly, has stunned many.

More than 6,500 people have been killed in Gaza following Israel's airstrikes, according to the Associated Press that cited the Hamas-run Health Ministry. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, it reported.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire to control the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Gilon said the war is about Israel's survival in the Middle East, a "tough neighbourhood", where "vulnerability is not appreciated". He said the Hamas attacks, unless countered forcefully, could embolden extremists in the region and beyond, including in South Asia.

He said peace in the Middle East has been disturbed as things were changing for the better, through some enhanced engagements. The war also comes at a time of global realignment.

Gilon said the US and many other democracies understand how cruel Hamas' attacks were.

"And then you see other major powers in the world that were less condemning of Hamas," he added, without taking names.

China and Russia have sought a ceasefire and reiterated a two-state solution. They have both volunteered mediation roles.

Gilon also described India as a close ally of Israel.

India has sent some 38 tonnes of humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and has encouraged direct dialogue between Israel and Palestine.
Guwahati, Oct 25 : A 39-year-old farmer was killed by a herd of wild elephants in Assam's Udalguri district while he was returning home after attending Durga Puja festivities in the locality, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Monday late night when Abinash Gowala, who had previously worked in the vicinity of the Batabari forest range, was coming back home with his 8-year-old son from Navami Puja celebration.

He was trampled to death due to attack by the wild jumbos, but his son was able to flee, the police said.

However, the minor boy was seriously injured.

The locals claimed that wild elephants from the forest areas frequently emerge in quest of food, and on Monday night, over 20 of them did so.

"We prefer to hide ourselves when elephants approach residential areas since we are familiar with their sound. That evening, Abinash somehow missed it," a local told reporters.

Police said they learned of the occurrence on Monday night, and with the aid of forest rangers, they were able to recover the trampled body.

"The deceased was found late on Monday night, and a post-mortem examination was performed at a nearby government hospital," Udalguri's Superintendent of Police Pushkin Jain said.

The minor boy has been undergoing treatment at the hospital; however, he is out of danger.

This year, at least three such incidents involving the deaths of two young boys and a forest official have been recorded from various parts of Assam. According to officials of the Forest Department, conflicts like these typically arise when wild elephants venture out in search of food. They advised residents close to reserve forest areas to exercise greater caution.
Imphal, Oct 26 : Security forces in Manipur have recovered six looted sophisticated arms, and arrested four individuals, including two militants and two armed men in the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

Police said that the combined security forces recovered six sophisticated arms including two self-loading rifles, one INSAS rifle and a large cache of ammunition and huge quantities of explosives in Thoubal district.

Police also arrested two hardcore cadres of militant outfit the United National Liberation Front and two arms along with some ammunition were also recovered from them.

In Churachandpur district, Manipur Police arrested two persons with two arms and some ammunition.

Movement of vehicles on Manipuras two national highways -- Imphal-Dimapur (NH-2) and Imphal-Jiribam (NH-37) -- has been almost normal. However, security escorts were provided in the vulnerable locations.
New Delhi : PM Modi addresses at the inauguration of the third edition of Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 via video conferencing. Image Source: IANS News

Ayodhya, Oct 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple on January 22, 2024.

Members of the temple trust formally extended an invitation for the ceremony to the Prime minister in Delhi on Wednesday.

General Secretary of the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, Champat Rai, officially confirmed the date of January 22, 2024, for the installation of the idol of Lord Ram in the 'Garbhagriha' (sanctum sanctorum) of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

Lord Ram's idol will be placed inside the temple on this day.

The invitation to Prime Minister Modi was issued one day after the announcement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, confirming the installation of Lord Ram's idol at the Ayodhya temple on January 22. He also urged people to arrange events at temples throughout the country to commemorate this significant occasion.

Ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Ayodhya, some Muslim leaders have requested the Prime Minister to also lay the foundation stone of the new Babri Masjid.

In the 2019 landmark Supreme Court ruling in the Ayodhya land dispute, the judgment said that the Ram Mandir would be constructed at the 2.77 acres disputed site and Muslims would be given an alternate 5-acre land in Dhannipur for the construction of Babri Masjid.

While 'Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra' was formed for the construction of the temple, the 'Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation' was formed to oversee the mosque's construction.

Iqbal Ansari, who was one of the main petitioners in the Babri Masjid-Ram temple dispute, held members of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation responsible for the delay in the mosque's construction.

Expressing displeasure with the pace of the mosque's construction, he demanded that the trustees of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation be changed. While Lord Ram's idol is to be placed in the temple in January, the foundation stone of the mosque is yet to be laid.

"Our Prime Minister is coming to Ayodhya on an auspicious occasion. We request him to start the work on the mosque also. This is our heartfelt wish," said Mohammad Ismail Ansari, President, Indian Muslim League.

Nazmul Hasan Ghani, Acting State President, Indian Muslim League, requested Prime Minister Modi to bring along Imam Ahmed Bukhari of Jama Masjid and Dr Ilyasi, President of the All India Imam Organization, and lay the foundation stone of the Dhannipur mosque.
Fuma Airport, Fuma, Papua New Guinea [ FUM / ]

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Fuma Airport IATA Code: FUM Fuma Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -6.38333 Longitude : 142.433 City : Fuma Country : Papua New Guinea World Area Code : 804 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Pacific/Port_Moresby Fuma Airport Timezone : GMT +10:00 hours Current time and date at Fuma Airport is 17:31:22 PM (+10) on Saturday, Nov 4, 2023

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Fuma Airport Map - Location of Fuma Airport Load Map Papua New Guinea - General Information Country Formal Name Independent State of Papua New Guinea Country Code PG Capital Port Moresby Currency Kina (PGK)

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Ras Al Khaimah Airport, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates [ RKT / OMRK ]

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Ras Al Khaimah Airport IATA Code: RKT Ras Al Khaimah Airport ICAO Code: OMRK Latitude : 25.6136 Longitude : 55.9388 City : Ras Al Khaimah Country : United Arab Emirates World Area Code : 678 Airport Type : Medium Ras Al Khaimah Airport Address / Contact Details :

Ras Al-Khaimah International Airport (RKT) - Airport Rd - Ras Al-Khaimah - United Arab Emirates, Phone: http://www.rakairport.com, Email: administration@rakairport.com, Fax: +971-7-2448199 Ras Al Khaimah Website : http://www.rakairport.com/ Airport Type : Public Operator : Department of Civil Aviation Timezone : Asia/Dubai Ras Al Khaimah Airport Timezone : GMT +04:00 hours Current time and date at Ras Al Khaimah Airport is 11:31:22 AM (+04) on Saturday, Nov 4, 2023

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijan strongly condemns the statements made by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a joint press briefing with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on October 25, Trend reports.

"We strongly condemn the allegations made during the joint press conference of Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on October 25.

The Armenian Foreign Minister is once again engaged in manipulations instead of trying to utilize the chance of furthering the peace process.

It is a completely unacceptable lie and a false allegation for the Foreign Minister of the state, which committed massacres and crimes against humanity during its military agression against Azerbaijan and kept the territories of Azerbaijan under occupation during almost 30 years while abusing its impunity, label the anti-terror measures of Azerbaijan conducted in its own sovereign territories without targeting any civilians, as agression and ethnic cleansing. The Armenian Minister's inappropriate reference to the decision of the International Court of Justice on this issue is an attempt to distort the reality.

We would like to remind Minister Mirzoyan, who claims that Azerbaijan is the side who refused to participate at the planned Brussels meeting, that unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has always been at the forefront of the efforts to further the peace process. Azerbaijan has been the main initiator in the issues of the peace principles, peace treaty, opening of communications, as well as demarcation despite the blows of Armenia to the peace process for almost 30 years. On the contrary, Armenia did not allow the successful outcome of the negotiations on the peace treaty and is now hindering the process with a number of provocative actions.

Furthermore, referring to the final statement of the Granada meeting, Armenia, which once again recalls such principles as independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders, refraining from the use and threats of using force, forgets that it was the party which violated the same principles with every effort during more than 30 years.

And the biased position of the Canadian Minister, which demonstrates the lack of knowledge of the situation in the region, is completely unfounded.

Canadian Ministers assertion about the humanitarin crisis in the region, at the time when no such crises exist, when it has never demonstrated open support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and interest in the situation of the IDPs from formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan and of those who were forcefully deported from Armenia, is an indication of the overt bias of Canada against Azerbaijan.

Regarding the non-exclusion of sanctions as a tool against Azerbaijan, we would like to note that it is erroneous to speak with Azerbaijan in the language of threat, and that it will not bear any results to either side.

It should be borne in mind that such provocative and biased statements are nothing more than an obstacle to the further development and progress of the region on the basis of respect for the principles of international law," the statement said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has expressed its strong disapproval of the recent remarks made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Joly, during a joint briefing, Trend reports.

The Ministry emphasized that resorting to threats when addressing Azerbaijan is highly inappropriate and unlikely to yield positive outcomes for any party involved.

The statement from the Canadian minister about the nonexistent "humanitarian crisis" in the region, failed to openly support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and displayed limited interest in the situation of individuals displaced from previously occupied Azerbaijani territories or those forcibly deported from Armenia, was cited as evident proof of Canada's pronounced bias against Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, the Ministry noted that Canada's contemplation of imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan was regarded as an ill-advised approach, as the use of threats in communication with Azerbaijan is counterproductive. The Ministry stressed that such provocative and biased statements only hinder the region's progress and development, which should ideally be based on respect for the principles of international law.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK Leo Docherty said that the events in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan cannot be characterized as ethnic cleansing, Trend reports.

...Mr. Speaker, I do not agree. But I must say that we called on both sides to resume dialogue. Negotiations will become the basis of sustainable peace, he said during discussions in parliament, answering a provocative question.
New books publishing in November include a call for a core identity among Jews by Donniel Hartment, the president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, a study of feminist scholar bell hooks spirituality, and more.

Nonfiction

Nov. 1

Who Are the Jewsand Who Can We Become? By Donniel Hartman (Jewish Publication Society, $29.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8276-1561-8). The president of the Shalom Hartman Institute assesses the collective identity of Jewish people in a time of unprecedented denominational tribalism.

Nov. 7

bell hooks Spiritual Vision: Buddhist, Christian, and Feminist by Nadra Nittle (Fortress, $24 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5064-8836-3). The feminist scholars spiritual philosophy and its links to politics and social change are explored in this account from the author of Toni Morrisons Spiritual Vision.

Incarnating Grace: A Theology of Healing from Sexual Trauma by Julia Feder (Fordham Univ., $30 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5315-0472-4) argues that the church has failed sexual abuse survivors by glorifying suffering, and proffers that Christian virtues of courage and hope can help with post-traumatic recovery.

Lowell L. Bennion: A Mormon Educator by George B. Handley (Univ. of Illinois, $14.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-252-08751-6) sketches the life and thought of the 20th-century theologian from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Envy: A Big Problem You Didnt Know You Had by Mike Fabarez (Moody, Nov. 7, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8024-3175-2) tackles the green-eyed monster and its internal and relational costs, and outlines how readers can combat it through Christian worship.

Beyond Our Control: Let Go of Unmet Expectations, Overcome Anxiety, and Discover Intimacy with God by Michael McAfee and Lauren Green McAfee (Thomas Nelson, $28.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-3519-3) mines the married couples own experiences with infertility, illness, and loss to advocate for the value of releasing control and trusting in Gods providence.

Nov. 8

Magia: Hungarian Myth, Magic, and Folklore by Margit Toth (Llewellyn, $24.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7387-7427-5) dives deep into Hungarian paganism and its history, lore, and rituals, from divination to healing magic.

Nov. 14

Now I Lay Me Down to Fight: A Poet Writes Her Way Through Cancer by Katy Bowser Hutson (IVP, $16 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5140-0799-0) recounts the authors experience with breast cancer, detailing how her faith sustained her through chemotherapy, radiation, and a mastectomy.

Nov. 21

Rethinking the Police: An Officers Confession and Pathway to Reform by Daniel Reinhardt. (IVP, $18, ISBN 978-1-5140-0612-2). A former Ohio cop explains how he came to understand systemic police brutality and racism, and outlines an alternative policing model based in a culture of servant leadership.

Political Theology and Islam: From the Birth of Empire to the Modern State by Paul L. Heck (Univ. of Notre Dame, Nov. 15, $65, ISBN 978-0-268-20735-9) traces notions of Islamic sovereignty across history, framing a struggle between political rulers and religious leaders.

Fiction

Nov. 7

A Million Little Choices by Tamera Alexander (Tyndale, ISBN: 978-1646070558, $15.99 paper) is a Southern historical following two women who share the same house and similar hardships, but live in two different centuries.

What a Wave Must Be by Angela Hunt (Focus on the Family, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64607-045-9). Seventeen-year-old Maddie Hunt grapples with the aftermath of her fathers suicide and tries to start anew by moving in with her grandparents.

The Warsaw Sisters: A Novel of WWII Poland by Amanda Barratt (Revell, ISBN: 9780800741716, $17.99 paper) follows sisters Antonina and Helena Dabrowska who are forced to keep secrets that threaten to rip them apart.

Her Secret Hope by Shelley Shepard Gray (Revell, ISBN 9780800741693, $16.99 paper) features Lilly who is looking for peace in a new place where she can forget her past, but someone from her hometown forces her to reconsider her plans.
Amid a chorus of criticism from authors, librarians, educators, and freedom to read advocates, Scholastic this week said it would stop offering an optional collection of diverse books at its book fairs, and apologized for the loss of trust and the pain caused by the exclusionary policy.

I want to apologize on behalf of Scholastic, Scholastic Trade Publishing president Ellie Berger wrote in the October 24 letter addressed to authors and illustrators. Even if the decision was made with good intention, we understand now that it was a mistake to segregate diverse books in an elective case.

Berger said that the "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" case will be formally "discontinued" starting with "the next book fair season," in January 2024. For the remaining fairs in the fall, "Book Fairs is working on a pivot plan as we speak," she wrote. "We will find an alternate way to get a greater range of books into the hands of children. We remain committed to the books in this collection and support their sale throughout our distribution channels. Berger added that the company's "commitment to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors and stories remains foundational" for the company.

Scholastic has not posted Berger's letter to its media site. Instead, Scholastic shared the letter with several of the authors and illustrators who had signed a statement against Scholastic Book Fairs policy of separating and excluding diverse books, which was then shared by some of the authors on social media. But the company has now posted a media update, stating:

"This fall, we made changes in our U.S. elementary school fairs out of concern for our Book Fair hosts. In doing this, we offered a collection of books to supplement the diverse collection of titles already available at the Scholastic Book Fair. We understand now that the separate nature of the collection has caused confusion and feelings of exclusion.

"We are working across Scholastic to find a better way. The Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice collection will not be offered with our next season in January. As we reconsider how to make our Book Fairs available to all kids, we will keep in mind the needs of our educators facing local content restrictions and the children we serve.

"It is unsettling that the current divisive landscape in the U.S. is creating an environment that could deny any child access to books, or that teachers could be penalized for creating access to all stories for their students. By listening to those who share our mission we have successfully piloted our way through past difficult periods, and we will do so successfully again."

The move comes after the company on October 13 posted a message seeking to justify its position, citing pending legislation in more than 30 U.S. states that could imperil librarians and educators for offering certain books in schools"mostly LGBTQIA+ titles and books that engage with the presence of racism in our country," the company acknowledged.

Critics of the October 13 message had bristled at the idea of having diverse books segregated at book fairs, and pointed out that many of the books in the offeringa case of 64 titles amplifying BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, and other diverse perspectiveswere not controversial and were being wrongly treated as a dispensable option. Organizers at schools and libraries could opt out of receiving the Share Every Story case, and even when the case was included in a shipment, some said, Scholastic enclosed a flyer letting organizers know they might have received the case in error.

According to Scholastic series author Vicky Fang, who received Bergers apology and posted it on X/Twitter, the authors and illustrators drafted the letter on October 17 and collected more than 1,500 author and illustrator signatures between October 1820, including more than 250 who self-identified as Scholastic authors, illustrators, or both. The letter called for Scholastic to discontinue the Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice program and include those books with the other books in their fairs, and to use its clout to fight book banning and support the teachers and librarians who are also fighting for access to books for their kids.

Deciding that the subject matter of these books might go against a states law capitulates to the idea that these books are not suitable for children, the authors and illustrators contended. They argued that children need to see themselves and read about others, as well as that creative careers deserve equitable support: authors from marginalized communities need the same opportunities as other authors to succeed and shine.

Among the books in the Share Every Story case: picture books Change Sings by poet Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long, Red: A Crayons Story by Michael Hall, and disability-positive titles You Are Enough and You Are Loved, by Margaret OHair and Sonia Sanchez, illustrated by Sofia Cardoso. Graphic novels in the set include Booked by Kwame Alexander, Freestyle by Gale Galligan, The Tryout by Christine Soontornvat, and Parachute Kids by Betty Tang. The collection also includes the memoir I Am Ruby Bridges by civil rights icon Ruby Bridges, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith; the biographies Justice Ketanji by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Kim Holt, and Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney; and Colin Kaepernicks I Color Myself Different.

In its letter this week, Scholastic acknowledged the concerns of stakeholders across the industry. We sincerely apologize to every author, illustrator, licensor, educator, librarian, parent, and reader who was hurt by our action, Berger wrote. Berger promised that Scholastic would redouble our efforts to combat the laws restricting childrens access to books.

Social media followers of the controversy called the apology a win for collective action and an unusual admission of accountability from a major company. More than a few observers advised a wait-and-see approach as to Scholastics follow-through, and others questioned Scholastics claims of original good intention and realization that it was a mistake to segregate.

Although the letter was addressed to the aggrieved authors and illustrators, Bergers words resonated across schools, libraries, creative channels, and media outlets too. At PEN America, which rebuked Scholastics earlier stance, Free Expression and Education program director Jonathan Friedman affirmed the change of heart.

Scholastic recognized that, as difficult a bind as this pernicious legislation created, the right answer was not to become an accessory to censorship, Friedman wrote. Scholastic is an essential source of knowledge and a delight for countless children. We are glad to see them champion the freedom to read.

This story has been updated to include a statement from Scholastic.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  The annual Indiana Horticultural Conference and Expo (IHC) will take place Jan. 22-23 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds. Vegetable and fruit growers are invited to join Purdue Agriculture specialists for two days of educational sessions and networking with fellow Indiana and Midwestern farmers and vendors.

Scheduled educational session topics will cover fruit and vegetable production, food safety, controlled environment agriculture and business marketing. IHCs annual event will also include a cider-tasting contest and a silent auction to benefit the fruit and vegetable Extension and research fund.

Stephen Meyers, IHC chair and assistant professor of weed science in the Purdue Agriculture Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, said attendees will notice a more streamlined program in 2024, with fruit and vegetable tracks each occurring in a single day. The Hendricks County Fairgrounds will offer a larger venue for the event, giving attendees further opportunities to meet with additional vendors.

With all of this, we hope to return to the historical core mission of this conference by bringing fruit and vegetable growers, researchers, extensionists and allied industry members from all different parts of the state together to learn in a spirit of fellowship and improve the lives and livelihoods of Hoosier farmers, Meyers said. We look forward to building on the success of the 2023 conference.

Credits will be available for private pesticide applicators, commercial pesticide applicators and certified crop advisors. Certified private pesticide applicators can attend recertification sessions for an additional $10 on-site fee by cash or check only. Participants will need a private applicator license number to receive recertification credit.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at https://www.indianahortconference.org/sponsorship/.

Registration is open online through Jan. 15. Attendee registration is $125, which will include lunch, coffee and dessert breaks, and an evening social. The Hendricks County Fairgrounds are located at 1900 E. Main St., Danville, Indiana.

For more information, contact Lori Jolly-Brown, Extension events and communications coordinator for Purdues Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, at 765-494-1296 or ljollybr@purdue.edu.

Writer: Jillian Ellison, ellison1@purdue.edu

Media contact: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu

Sources: Lori Jolly-Brown, ljollybr@purdue.edu

Stephen Meyers, slmeyers@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Chairman of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Permanent Representative to the UN Dennis Francis sent a letter to the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN, Trend reports.

In a letter, the Chairman of the UN General Assembly stated that he accepted the request to convene an extraordinary special session.

A special session of the General Assembly will be held on October 26 at UN headquarters in New York with the participation of 120 UN member countries, 18 observer countries and 10 observer organizations.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has expressed concern about the lack of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in Armenia, Trend reports.

The Committee called on Armenia to strengthen the implementation of its anti-discrimination legislation.

UN is concerned about the pollution of lakes Istisu (Daraleaz region) and Goycha by the Armenian mining industry.

In this regard, Armenia was called upon to take all necessary measures to ensure that the mining industry does not jeopardize the population's access to safe drinking water.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government has implemented a moratorium banning the imposition of new short-term rental properties in an effort to combat the affordable housing crisis and secure the sense of community of Athens residents. The commission will vote on whether or not to renew this temporary moratorium in November.
Sheats Social Services Reading Rainbow Collective Literacy Program hosted the screening of the documentary, The Right to Read, at the Athens-Clarke County Library on Thursday evening. The documentary focuses on the stories of an NAACP activist, two families and a teacher who understand the value of children learning how to read.
Her first years in the United States came with a debilitating amount of Islamophobia. My family's last name, "Mohamed," became a red flag and a target for discrimination. "Go back to your country" became a familiar phrase upon entering grocery stores, going to parks, being anywhere really. Most surprising was that these hateful sentiments were not by conservatives or ultra-right nationalists but by average Americans, hurt and overtaken by a hunger for vengeance.
The top 25 global technology (tech) firms, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Tencent, Samsung, Oracle, and Accenture, collectively lost over $600 billion in market capitalisation (m-cap) during the July-September quarter (third quarter, or Q3) of calendar year 2023 (CY23), reveals a recent report by GlobalData, a London-based analytics and consulting company.

According to the report, most of these top global tech stocks were negatively impacted by high bond yields, a decline in the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven market rally that began in June 2023, and sluggish global economic conditions.

These conditions were further exacerbated by the surge in oil prices during the recently concluded quarter.

Apples stock peaked during the quarter, hitting an m-cap of $3.07 trillion on July 31, 2023.

"But, the stock was dented by news of the Chinese governments decision to expand the ban on Apple products to state-owned companies and government-sponsored entities, said Gracio Benher, business fundamentals analyst at GlobalData.

Even though the Chinese government later denied issuing such a directive, the damage had already been done to Apples stock.

Towards the end of Q3, Benher noted that Apples shares were affected by projected soft demand for the iPhone 15 over the next 12 months, with the initial excitement waning.

Nevertheless, investors still appear confident in the companys long-term prospects, banking on its innovation capabilities.

In contrast, Alphabet and Meta Platforms were notable gainers, with market value gains of over $145 billion and $46 billion, respectively, in Q3CY23.

The rise in Alphabets share price was attributed to new opportunities presented by generative AI and the company's reputation as a credible contender to ChatGPT, as suggested by the report.

Top semiconductor stocks had a mixed quarter.

Companies such as ASML, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc, Texas Instruments, and Applied Materials, Inc experienced a decline in market value, while NVIDIA Corporation and Intel maintained their growth trajectory.

Among the top 25, NVIDIA added another $19 billion in m-cap in Q3, although its stock saw only a 1.86 per cent overall growth during the quarter.

However, the chip companys shares have surged by a remarkable 196 per cent since the beginning of 2023, according to the GlobalData report.

Looking ahead to the final quarter of CY23, Benher believes that the deflated tech stocks may receive a boost from Q3 earnings.

These earnings are expected to benefit from strong consumer demand and a resilient US economy.

However, Benher cautions that volatile economic conditions, fuelled by rising oil prices and the Israel-Palestine conflict, could pull back a potential rally.
Vasundhara Raje may have had her faults but she is an unconventional and brave leader who deserves better, observes Aditi Phadnis.

IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party National Vice President Vasundhara Raje with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi at a public meeting, in Jodhpur, October 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Paradoxes abound in politics. Here's one: Is there such a thing as a politician becoming too popular?

As former Rajasthan chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vasundhara Raje surveys the debris around her, this could be one of the questions she's asking herself.

Many of her core supporters -- like five-time MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi, the late chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat'S son-in-law -- were missing from the first list of BJP candidates in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. (Rajvi was accomodated in a subsequent list, but given a different constituency to contest from.)

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out that this is a stratagem by The Powers That Be to cut Ms Raje's wings.

The people might like you. But if you don't have a support base within the party, your political heft reduces considerably.

The man who disproved this was Shekhawat, the legendary BJP magician in Rajasthan who could manufacture a majority out of thin air without splitting any party.

Shekhawat had few -- actually no -- enemies. And yet, under his leadership, the BJP never managed to cross 100 on its own. Look at the numbers.

Shekhawat became chief minister for the first time in 1977. The Janata Party, into which the Jana Sangh (the BJP's previous incarnation) had merged itself, got 150 out of the 200 seats.

The 1990 assembly election saw the BJP get 84 but it managed to form the government with support from the Janata Dal.

And in 1993, the BJP got 95 seats, but cobbled together a 124-seat coalition.

These elections taught Shekhawat the importance of having invisible friends -- and keeping the party high command guessing while simultaneously putting a value to political arbitrage.

It was a reluctant Vasundhara Raje who moved from Atal Bihari Vajpayee's PMO, (she was minister of state), to Jaipur as BJP chief in 2002.

But under her leadership, the party stormed to power in 2003, getting 123 seats.

In the 2013 assembly elections she improved the party's tally to 163 -- stupendous by any standard.

The BJP now needed no friends, invisible or otherwise.

Everything went well initially. She was also finance minister, and when she presented her first ever Budget in 2004, she read out a sher: 'Aandhiyon se keh do zara aukaat mein rahein/hum paron sey nahin, hausalon se uda karte hain (tell the storm to stay in limits/we soar high on the strength of our conviction, not our wings)'.

It could have been Vasundhara Raje on Vasundhara Raje.

When she took over, Rajasthan's fiscal deficit was 6.6 per cent of state gross domestic product (financial year 2003-2004). By 2007-2008, this had come down to 1.75 per cent.

She launched a programme to digitise access to public services. Infrastructure was strengthened via Japanese investment.

An automobile manufacturing zone in Bhiwadi, where Honda cars set up a facility, the Delhi-Mumbai Infrastructure Corridor set the impetus for overall improvement in road infrastructure ... By then, she had developed the confidence to ignore criticism: The people who criticised her were to blame, not her work.

Old friend and advisor the late Jaswant Singh sent messages of counsel, but got it in the neck when in 2007, the state government filed a case under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against Singh and nine others for allegedly using opium as part of a ceremonial ritual.

It is in the second term that serious problems began. One of them was called Lalit Modi. Another was called corruption. The third related to complaints of MLAs about lack of access.

This overtook the serious reform work she did: Rewriting labour laws, the invitation to the private sector to invest in Rajasthan, power-sector reform, welfare schemes like the Bhamashah health and social security scheme, and so many others.

And here's the paradox: In 2018, Vasundhara Raje was at the peak of her performance and a face easily recognisable across Rajasthan.

The BJP had so many MLAs that it was hard to recognise and address all of them.

But within the party a whisper campaign had started: She was trying to bracket herself with Narendra Modi.

Adulation by fringes in the party about 'Vasundharanomics' was not helpful.

As always, perception shaped reality. A farmer agitation in Sikar was not handled properly and went out of control.

The loss of two Lok Sabha by-elections, in Ajmer and Alwar (2017), boosted Sachin Pilot's stock in the Congress but did little to win her any sympathy.

The RSS, never especially fond of her, let her stew in her own juice.

She contested against Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra (who had joined the Congress by then) in the Jhalrapatan assembly seat in 2018.

The surprise was not that she won the seat but the margin -- just 30,000 votes -- was small for a chief minister.

By now the party's alienation from her was too deep to correct.

And maybe Vasundhara Raje was too proud to ask for help. Others, like Gajendra Shekhawat, stepped in the breach.

And now, by denying her supporters the ticket, the party is signalling that it is ready to put her out to pasture.

And so, is there a point when politicians become too popular? Should Ms Raje have emulated Manipur's Birendra Singh, who is apparently so popular that the BJP just can't do without him? Hard to say.

Vasundhara Raje may have had her faults, but she is an unconventional and brave leader who deserves better.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
'Israel should stop water supply to the people who want to destroy us.'

'It is not Israel's responsibility to take care of the people who want to kill Israelis.'

IMAGE: Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon in southern Israel, October 15, 2023. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Maya Parizer was attending the Nova music festival close to the Gaza border along with her boyfriend and friends on the 7th of October when Hamas started firing missiles and then butchering people.

Maya was in shock but also angry when she spoke to Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier from Tel Aviv a week after the attack.

"During the Holocaust, when the Nazis wanted to kill the Jews, so many countries remained silent and let the Nazis continue to destroy the Jewish people. We have only this one country, but the Muslims have plenty of countries. This is our home. We want the world to stand up to stop this terror," she says.

When I called you, you said you were at a funeral. Were you at this friend's funeral?

Yes, I was at my friend's funeral.

Remember I told you about the left turn we took. She along with her other friends left 5 to 10 minutes after us.

By then there were many cars on Road 232. When she saw the cars, she took a right turn and just drove. Soon they had to abandon the car and run to take shelter.

There was no specific road there, but they ran just to survive and it took them to the kibbutz where the festival party was.

The shelter in kibbutz Reeim had no doors and it was just open.

Unfortunately, terrorists came to this shelter and started throwing grenades at them and shooting everyone.

Most of the people who took shelter there were from the music party and all of them were innocent people who had come to enjoy at the party.

Except 4-5 people, all the others died in the attack. My friend also was shot and died there.

Not many of my friends were lucky like me. It was a miracle that we escaped.

You feel the left turn you took saved you ...?

Yes. It was also the timing.

Because I was scared of the missiles, we delayed our escape. If we had left at 6:30 am, I would not have been alive today.

All the people who left at 6:30 am were killed.

It was all the decisions we took combined together helped us survive.

IMAGE: Burnt cars of festival-goers at the Nova festival, October 12, 2023. Photograph: Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters

How did you finally come out of the shelter?

Because this kibbutz was religious, all the gates were heavily guarded and closed. All the forces of the kibbutz were strong.

So, it did not give the terrorists quick entry like they could in the other kibbutz. So, they decided to come back later.

When they came back, the forces were out to protect the kibbutz.

We went there without knowing all this. That was why we were safe.

But the terrorists went to other kibbutz, butchered the people inside and burnt the houses.

That's why we could hear gun shots outside. The smell of burnt human flesh also reached us...

We don't know how we passed those 24 hours.

By 5 in the morning next day (Sunday), one guy who was with us got a call from the army asking him to join immediately.

People living in the kibbutz directed us to a safe road to escape to the centre.

We went to get our car from the road and took a different road. Still we were very, very, scared because we knew there were terrorists still hiding inside our country.

I sent my location to my friends and family so that they would know where I was, if anything happened to me.

It took us an hour-and-a-half to reach our house.

By then, had the missiles and gunshots stopped?

No...no... Even today, we get a lot of missiles and rockets.

This area remains dangerous because they want to target Tel Aviv and the airport.

Now, we are with my family in the north. The north is also dangerous now because of Lebanon and Syria.

Islamic Jihad is trying to get all our neighbours to attack us.

IMAGE: Maya, centre, with her boyfriend and friend at the Nova festival. Photograph: Kind courtesy Maya Parizer

Did the family from the kibbutz come with you?

Though we asked them to join us, they refused. In fact, they are waiting for a young member of the family who had gone to help others, to come back.

But they have moved a little to the north and not very close to the border, but are still in the danger zone.

Do you think the government and the intelligence agencies failed in protecting its people?

Yes, there is a big failure in the Israeli management.

The prime minister has not said a single word about the people who were kidnapped from the party and the kibbutzes.

I am talking about babies. I am talking about old people. I am talking about disabled people. We don't know whether they are dead or alive.

I am talking because I want the entire world to stand up and not remain silent.

During the Holocaust, when the Nazis wanted to kill the Jews, so many countries remained silent and let the Nazis continue to destroy the Jewish people.

We have only this one country, but the Muslims have plenty of countries. This is our home. We want the world to stand up to stop this terror.

Hamas is equal to ISIS. Hamas is equal to al-Qaeda. It is a terrorist organisation.

IMAGE: The remains of a home after it was hit by a rocket launched from Gaza into Israel. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Do you agree with Israel stopping water and electricity to Gaza and also asking a million people to evacuate?

Yes. I will tell you why. First, Israel is not the only border with Gaza; there is also Egypt.

But Egypt did not want to open the gate for the people of Gaza to get work, get food, get water or get gas.

But there is a passage for Palestinians to go to Israel to work and go back. Israel brings water to everyone, brings electricity and fuel to everyone.

Then, Israel is butchered by Hamas.

Yes, I say Israel should stop water supply to the people who want to destroy us.

If Egypt cared about the people of Gaza, they should have a passage and give water to these people.

It is not Israel's responsibility to take care of the people who want to kill Israelis.

But we believe there are innocent people in Gaza. Unfortunately, in Palestine they do not believe there are innocent people here as well.

In a conflict, everyone expects Israel to take care of the enemy.

Did America take water to Afghanistan when they tried to end terror there? They did not.

How come the world is angry with Israel for saying bring back the kidnapped people, then we will give water to you?

We see pictures of babies with axes over their head. We see pictures of babies being burnt alive. We see videos of elderly being killed on their Facebook page.

The world needs to say, no more, just like you say no more to ISIS and al-Qaeda.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. A routine court hearing on the criminal case of Vagif Khachatryan, accused of genocide committed by members of Armenian separatist troops in Meshali, Azerbaijan's Khojaly district, has been held, Trend reports.

The hearing was chaired by the Chairman of the Baku Military Court, Zeynal Aghayev.

The next hearing was scheduled for November 1.

In previous trials, a judicial probe was launched before the prosecutor revealed the indictment. The defendants and victims were then questioned in court.

Armenian citizen Vagif Khachatryan, who is on the international wanted list in connection with the Meshali genocide, was detained at the Lachin border checkpoint in July this year.

In December 1991, the criminal group, which included Khachatryan, killed 25 Azerbaijanis, wounded 14 people, and expelled 358 Azerbaijanis from their legal place of residence in Meshali village.

In connection with the emergence of sufficient grounded suspicions, a decision was made to bring Vagif Khachatryan as an accused under Articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced resettlement of the population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A measure of restraint in the form of detention was chosen against him.

About 59 people were recognized as victims in the criminal case.
''Hamas is going to be prepared. There will be booby traps and tunnels; it's going to be door to door fighting.'

IMAGE: Smoke and flames billow after Israeli forces struck a high-rise tower in Gaza City. Photograph: Ashraf Amra/Reuters

Kenneth Roth was the executive director of Human Rights Watch from 1993 to 2022 when during his watch, HRW shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, for banning of anti-personnel mines, helped to establish the International Criminal Court and ban children in the military.

Roth has lent his voice to human right violations in Haiti, Myanmar, the Middle East, and Bangladesh and while in office tried, but failed to establish an HRW office in India due to what he says is the 'Modi government's hostility toward human rights groups'.

After quitting HRW last year, he teaches at Princeton University, speaks at college campuses, and writes articles for the press.

Roth's father fled Adolf Hitler's Germany in 1938 just ahead of World War II. Roth was born in the United States and says his opinions on Israel, despite being Jewish, has led to vilification and being called anti-semitic.

"Hamas is pretty indifferent to the lives of Palestinian civilians. When it launched this attack into southern Israel, it knew that there would be horrible retaliation against Gazan civilians and it did it anyway. Hamas couldn't care less," Roth tells Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt in the concluding segment of an exclusive interview.

Part 1 of the Interview: 'Hamas is not stupid'

Is the fear of being thought of as anti-semitic compounded by Islamophobia, the reason behind this kind of the support that Israel gets from the West?

You correctly note that some defenders of the Israeli government are trying to silence criticism of Israeli conduct with charges of anti-semitism. Yes, some critics are undoubtedly anti-semitic, but the Israeli government uses that charge or its defenders use that charge, for a whole variety of very legitimate criticisms.

I am accused of being anti-semitic even though I'm Jewish, and it's just crazy.

This is an effort to silence criticism, which is dangerous. Anti-semitism is a very real problem around the world and something that confronts Jews in many places. But if people think that charges of anti-semitism are just ploys to stop criticism of Israel, and they will stop taking seriously the important problem of anti-semitism.

And so these defenders of the Israeli government may deflect the criticism of Israeli misconduct, but they are hurting Jews around the world who still face a serious problem of anti-semitism.

How is this conflict different from the previous ones in your experience?

Israel has been calling it a war, the rest of the world has been calling it a conflict. What would you call it?

It's an armed conflict. It's a war. I don't think there's any question about that. Yes, the Israeli bombardment is much more intense this time than prior conflicts, and obviously the Hamas atrocities were far, far, worse than in prior episodes. I think that's the difference.

If Israel does sends boots on the ground to Gaza, would it in your opinion, end intifadas in the future? Would this conflict be a reminder of the repercussions?

Hamas is pretty indifferent to the lives of Palestinian civilians. When it launched this attack into southern Israel, it knew that there would be horrible retaliation against Gazan civilians and it did it anyway. Hamas couldn't care less. The fact that there's going to be even more suffering if a ground invasion occurs -- I'm not sure that that would deter them in the future.

Over 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza so far. Israel lost around 1,400 people. Why bother with a ground offensive when Israel has already won the numbers game?

I'm not a proponent for ground events. I don't speak for the Israeli government. So I have no idea what their logic is. I fear that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is so determined to show that he's exacting vengeance that he wants to do something really big. Already, the bombing has been far more intense than ever before.

If you look at prior ground invasions, they haven't worked out terribly well. When the Israeli government invaded southern Lebanon to get rid of the PLO, they produced Hezbollah.

If they go into Gaza to supposedly get rid of Hamas they may be able to wipe out the current round of Hamas commanders. But the idea that they can get rid of militants who want to fight back against the occupation -- that's unlikely.

IMAGE: A formation of Israeli tanks and other military positioned near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

Netanyahu may want a ground invasion with an eye to the next elections, perhaps?

I'm not sure about that. Clearly, Netanyahu is in trouble politically. Many people are accusing him now with having been so focused on undermining the independence of the judiciary, and expanding the West Bank settlements, that he took his eye off the ball, and was neglectful about the threat coming from Hamas.

And so, he is in political trouble when there is another election. It's unclear when that will be, there's not one immediately scheduled at all. It would require his coalition to fall apart, which he has a strong incentive not to permit because he's also worried about corruption charges against him.

It's hard to say what the man's motivations are, but clearly his foremost motivations are saving himself.

Once the visits of State leaders end, the ground invasion starts, you think?

They weren't going to think about it when (US President Joe) Biden was there, you know, that was pretty obvious. I'm not sure whether Netanyahu has decided on a ground invasion because it's not going to be easy for Israel.

Hamas is going to be prepared. There will be booby traps and tunnels; it's going to be door to door fighting. A lot of Israeli soldiers will lose their lives. Netanyahu will not take this lightly.

IMAGE: Palestinians inspect the remains of a mosque destroyed in Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip, October 22, 2023. Photograph: Anas al-Shareef/Reuters

Do you think Hamas is trying to take over the leadership of the entire Palestinian cause?

The difficulty is that the Palestinian Authority is utterly discredited. It's corrupt. It's afraid of an election; it hasn't had an election in years. No one really looks to the Palestinian Authority as providing leadership.

Hamas provides leadership that attacks civilians. So there is a problem here, where on the one hand you have a corrupt, elderly, out of touch institution in the Palestinian Authority and on the other hand, you have a brutal military dictatorship that slaughters civilians. So there is a real lack of leadership on the Palestinian side.

IMAGE: An Israeli flag flutters in front of the remains of a building in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel, October 22, 2023. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

What does victory mean to the Palestinians? And what does it mean to Israelis?

'Israelis' is a broad concept because there's a broad political spectrum in Israel. There are many people who would like to have peace with the Palestinians, who would like to see a two-State solution, but they have not been a large enough number to elect a government. And so the Netanyahu government's vision was perpetual control of the occupied territories, without any peace process, without any Palestinian State.

Just continue to kick down the road endlessly any prospect of progress and maintain control forever while Palestinians lived under an apartheid regime. That's Netanyahu's vision.

On the Palestinian side, obviously, there are also extremes. Hamas doesn't even recognise Israel's right to exist. But I think most Palestinians would be quite happy with a genuine Palestinian state next to Israel as an alternative to their current approach.

IMAGE: Smoke billows from a boat following Israeli strikes at the seaport in Gaza City. Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

By repeatedly comparing Hamas to ISIS what is the message Israel is sending out?

The purpose for the comparison is to try to deflect some of the nationalist motivations behind Hamas. And again, this does not justify Hamas's atrocities. You know, when you slaughter civilians, you slaughter civilians and there is no justification for whoever does it.

But ISIS was not a nationalist movement, it wanted to create an Islamic State. Hamas does want to ultimately have a Palestinian State and by comparing Hamas with ISIS, it's a way to try to erase some of the nationalist motivation that among many Palestinians, is the dominant concern.

What is the post-war future for Israel, Palestine?

At this point, the two-State solution is moribund. It's because the endless Israeli expansion of settlements in the West Bank has made it virtually impossible for a contiguous Palestinian State to merge. And that's why people talk about the one-State reality.

But we're a long way from having the trust needed to build a one-State reality on equal rights.

I think for the immediate future, it's going to be more apartheid.

IMAGE: A demonstration in Tel Aviv, October 21, 2023, to show support and solidarity with the families of hostages who are being held in Gaza. Photograph: Janis Laizans/Reuters

You are the son of a Jewish refugee who fled Germany, is that correct? Your opinions, your comments, whatever you've been writing on Israel, run contrary to what many Jews across the world believe. Have you been vilified for it?

My father fled Germany in July 1938 as a 12-year-old boy. He had grown up in Frankfurt.

Actually, I don't think my views are that different from many Jews. I mean, if you look in the United States where I'm most familiar with American Jewish public opinion, the majority of American Jews are not happy with the Netanyahu government.

I certainly have received my share of vilification. Anyone does who criticises the Israeli government's human rights violations.

But my views have become fairly mainstream, particularly among American Jews. Most American Jews are very unhappy with the direction of the Israeli government, especially under Netanyahu's far-right coalition of extremists.

It has become so bad that Netanyahu has largely given up on looking to American Jews for political support other than the most conservative segment such as the Israel-can-do-no-wrong group AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) (external links).

Instead, he relies on Christian evangelicals, who support Israel for Biblical reasons, seeing it as a prelude to the second coming of Christ.

IMAGE: A protest in support of Palestinians in Cape Town, South Africa. Photograph: Nic Bothma/Reuters

HRW shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 while you were heading it. What is your legacy to HRW? You resigned from HRW last year.

Apart from Princeton University where else do you teach, lend, your immense expertise? What else are you involved with? When is your book going to be out?

My main legacy at HRW was building a global organisation, which now works regularly in some 100 countries worldwide and has advocacy and communications offices in many countries. We had planned to set one up in India, but sadly, the Modi government's hostility toward human rights groups made that impossible.

HRW is now able to report on human rights violations wherever they occur and generate pressure from a range of allies around the world to try to make those violations stop.

At Princeton, I am teaching two courses at the School of Public and International Affairs, one on global strategies for defending rights, the other on international criminal justice. I have also been speaking widely on college campuses, appearing regularly in the media, and writing articles for the press.

My book, Righting Wrongs, will be published by Knopf. The manuscript is almost done, but given the slow pace of the publishing world, it won't be out for another year.

IMAGE: Trucks wait in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, October 21, 2023, to head to the Egyptian side of the border to be loaded with aid that will be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza. Photograph: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

India has supported Israel in this conflict and historically, India is perhaps one of the few countries where Jews have never been persecuted.

But what do you think of human rights under the current dispensation in India which has come down heavily on minorities, especially Muslims and Christians.

India is 112th amongst 165 countries on the Human Freedom Index 2022.

I have been deeply troubled by the direction of the Indian government under Prime Minister Modi and his BJP. Religious minorities, particularly Muslims, have been openly persecuted, often with the encouragement of BJP leaders, and rarely with effective government efforts to stop it.

Modi seems to see his Hindu nationalism as a vote-getter, but it is a sad step backwards from India's pluralistic origins of tolerance for religious differences.

Modi has also shown himself to be remarkably thin-skinned, regularly trying to censor or discourage critics. He has also substantially closed the space for civic groups that are critical of his government, especially environmental and human rights groups. That is not how the world's largest democracy should behave.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
As the 40-day deadline he set before the Maharashtra government to implement Maratha reservation came to an end, activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday launched his indefinite fast to press for the demand for quota to the community.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde meets Manoj Jarange Patil (wearing a saffron scarf), who was on a hunger strike to protest for the Maratha reservation, at Antarwali-Sarati, Jalna, September 14, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Expressing disappointment over the state government's "failure" to take steps to provide reservation to the Maratha community, the 40-year-old Jarange began his stir at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district in the morning. He said he had given ample time to the government and would not wait any longer now.

He accused the government of inciting certain individuals against the Maratha community over its "rightful demand", and claimed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was being pressured by someone to deny reservation to Marathas.

Speaking to reporters during the fast, he said, "I had given the government a 40-day ultimatum to fulfil their promise regarding Maratha reservation. The government's lack of response left me with no choice but to resort to this extreme form of protest."

"The Maharashtra chief minister had asked me to wait for 40 days so that the government takes a decision on Maratha reservation. But he did not do it, therefore I have decided to start a fast-unto-death in my village," he said.

Similar protests, including chain hunger strikes and candle marches, have started across the state to put pressure on the government, he said.

Jarange had observed a hunger strike in the same village in September demanding that the Maratha community be granted reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The protest, which began on August 29, was called off on September 14 after CM Shinde held talks with him. At that time, Jarange had set a 40-day deadline (till October 24) before the government for the grant of quota.

On September 1, violence broke out at Antarwali Sarati village after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Jarange to a hospital during his hunger strike for the Maratha quota demand. The police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses set ablaze in the violence.

Jarange further said, "I was told that the police cases filed against the Maratha community protesters across the state would be withdrawn within two days. Forty-one days have elapsed since this assurance was given, but not a single case has been withdrawn. It means the state is deliberately misleading the Maratha community."

Also the promise of giving compensation or jobs to the family members of those who committed suicide for the Maratha reservation cause has not been fulfilled so far, he alleged.

While Jarange was addressing media-persons, he received a call from Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan.

Mahajan told him that the government was trying to resolve the reservation issue at the earliest, and requested him not to proceed with his fast. Jarange, however, told him that he had given ample time to the government and would not wait any longer.

Talking to reporters, Jarange said, "The government is inciting certain individuals against the Maratha community's rightful demands. CM Eknath Shinde was being pressured by someone to deny reservation to Marathas. But the CM should not succumb to these pressures. If CM Shinde gives reservation to Marathas, the community will hold him in high regard."

Accusing Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of inciting some individuals against the struggle for Maratha reservation, Jarange said he had publicly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the matter with Fadnavis, which he said has failed to happen.

"Mali community is recognised as OBC because its primary work is considered to be agriculture. The same is applicable to the Maratha community from Vidarbha, who were recognised as Kunbis because of their agriculture activities and now they enjoy the benefits of reservation. So if this can happen then why are we not eligible for Kunbi certificates despite having agriculture as our primary occupation?" Jarange asked.

The activist has been demanding that Marathas across the state be given Kunbi certificates. Kunbis enjoy reservation benefits under the OBC category. The OBC leaders in the state have, however, opposed this demand.

During his Dussehra rally speech in Mumbai on Tuesday, CM Shinde said, "Without doing injustice to anyone and without withdrawing (reservation of anyone), this government will provide a quota to the Maratha community that will last permanently."

Midway in his speech, Shinde bowed before the bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the dais and vowed to grant the reservation to the Maratha community.

Shinde said since he is from an ordinary Maratha family, he understands their pain and sorrow.
A Chinese research ship on Wednesday docked at Sri Lanka's Colombo port, officials in Colombo said, amid security concerns raised by the US over its visit.

IMAGE: The Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 visited Sri Lanka last August. Photograph: ANI Photo

"Shi Yan 6 was given permission to enter the (Colombo) port for replenishment, a Sri Lankan foreign ministry spokesperson told PTI.

According to sources, Sri Lanka was delaying granting permission for the arrival of Shi Yan 6 due to security concerns raised by India. However, there was no official confirmation of the same.

It was not clear how long the vessel would remain docked at the Colombo port.

The arrival of Shi Yan 6 followed President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to China last week.

In August, Colombo had announced that the Chinese research vessel is scheduled to arrive in October for marine research activities in collaboration with Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resource Research and Development Agency (NARA).

Described as a research/survey vessel with a carrying capacity of 1,115 DWT, the vessel is reported to be overall 90.6 metres in length and width of 17 metres.

Last month, the US expressed concern to Sri Lanka about the scheduled visit of the Chinese research ship to the island nation.

US Under Secretary Victoria Nuland, who met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, had reportedly raised concerns about the visit of Shi Yan 6.

China dispatches its research/surveillance vessels to Sri Lanka on a regular basis.

India has been raising concern over the visits of Chinese vessels in Lanka.

In August this year, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warship Hai Yang 24 Hao arrived in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit. It was reported that the arrival of the 129-metre-long ship was delayed due to concerns raised by India.

In August last year, a similar visit by the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship, Yuan Wang 5, which arrived in the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota, elicited strong reactions from India.

There were apprehensions in New Delhi about the possibility of the vessel's tracking systems attempting to snoop on Indian defence installations while being on its way to the Sri Lankan port. However, after a considerable delay, Sri Lanka allowed the ship to dock at the strategic southern port of Hambantota, being built by a Chinese company.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka considers both India and China equally important partners in its task to restructure its external debt. China is one of the top lenders to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka owes USD 7.1 billion to bilateral creditors, including USD 3 billion to China.

The island nation was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves.
India has voiced deep concern over the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilian life in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, urging the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and restarting direct negotiations through de-escalation and ending violence.

IMAGE: Palestinians carry a child casualty at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 24, 2023. Photograph: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

The remarks by India's Deputy Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Ambassador R Ravindra, came on Tuesday at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

"India is deeply concerned at the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict. The mounting humanitarian crisis is equally alarming," Ravindra said.

He said the escalation of hostilities in the region has only exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation and has once again underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire.

"Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. All parties must protect civilians, especially women and children. The unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed," Ravindra said.

India urged the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations including through de-escalation and eschewing violence.

"Current escalation has once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of credible, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks," he said.

Ravindra said India has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

"Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations," he said.

Welcoming all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy, Ravindra reaffirmed India's firm commitment to achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.

The UNSC ministerial meeting, held under the Brazilian Presidency of the Council, was addressed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, Palestine's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told the Council that since the October 7 attack, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups killed over 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals the bloodiest attack in Israel's history.

This includes over 1,000 civilians, many of them women and children, and over 360 security forces personnel. Over 5,400 Israelis were injured.

Wennesland said the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians killed so far, including over 1,100 women, 2,000 children as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured.

Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings said that according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 1,500 people have also been reported missing and are presumed to be under the rubble.

"The number of those who are internally displaced has swelled to 1.4 million. Nearly 600,000 people are sheltering in UNWRA facilities in increasingly dire conditions," Hastings said.

India termed the October 7 terror attacks in Israel as 'shocking' and condemned them unequivocally.

Ravindra noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to have conveyed his condolences for the loss of lives and prayers for the innocent victims and their families.

"We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks," Ravindra said.

Modi, in a post on X, had said, 'Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.'

India has also expressed 'deep shock' at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza last week, where several hundreds of civilian casualties have occurred and thousands injured.

Ravindra said Prime Minister Modi has clearly spelt out that those involved must be held responsible.

India welcomed the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza.

India has sent 38 tons of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment to the people of Palestine, Ravindra said.

Over the weekend, a convoy of the Egyptian Red Crescent entered Gaza with humanitarian supplies, the first since the conflict began following attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7.

Hastings said this has provided a glimmer of hope to people living in appalling conditions.

"This past weekend, 34 trucks entered Gaza with life-saving supplies, and another 20 trucks crossed Rafah into Gaza yesterday. Twenty more are due to cross today although they are currently delayed. We welcome this important development, and we pledge to do our part to ensure these deliveries continue," Hastings said.

Ravindra added that India also continues to support the Palestinian people through its bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, women's empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology.

India is also supporting grassroot Palestinian institutions in their developmental initiatives and has supported UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) over decades for its humanitarian services.

"In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine," Ravindra said.
India on Wednesday said it will resume some visa services in Canada with effect from Thursday, a move that came more than a month after they were suspended amid a diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G-7 Summit, in Schloss Elmau. Photograph: @MEAInia/X

"After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services for the following categories with effect from October 26, 2023: Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa, and Conference visa," the High Commission of India in Ottawa said in a press release posted on its social media accounts.

The move is being seen as a step that could reduce tensions between the two countries.

The release said that the High Commission of India in Ottawa and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations.

"Emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and Consulates General as it is being done currently," it said, adding that further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation.

The move came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India is looking at resuming visa services for Canadians "very soon" if it sees progress in the safety of its diplomats in Canada.

Jaishankar had said that the primary reason behind India temporarily stopping the visa services a few weeks ago was the concern over the safety and security of its diplomats in Canada and that Ottawa's inability to provide a secure environment to the Indian officials challenges the most fundamental aspect of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

His remarks came days after Canada pulled out 41 of its diplomats from India.

Tensions flared between India and Canada last month following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's explosive allegations of the "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.

India rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated". Days later, it announced temporarily suspending issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.

India had also asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians.
The Israel Defence Forces on Wednesday said that it struck several Syrian military targets after rockets were fired from Syria toward Israeli communities in the Golan Heights.

IMAGE: A woman looks on as Syrians gather during a pro-Palestinian protest to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, near Damascus, on October 20, 2023. Photograph: Firas Makdesi/Reuters

The IDF said that fighter jets hit 'military infrastructure' and mortar launching sites.

'In response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel yesterday, IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army,' posted IDF on X.

A day ago, the IDF said two rockets were launched from Syria at northern Israel, setting off alarms in the Golan Heights communities of Neot Golan, Bnei Yehuda and Givat Yoav.

According to the IDF, both projectiles landed in open areas and it was responding with artillery shelling at the source of the fire in Syria.

'Responding to the rocket launches from Syria toward Israel yesterday, IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure and mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian Army,' the IDF said.

A rocket warning alert sounded in Kissufim, a kibbutz east of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning and sirens were also heard overnight in two other kibbutzim in the area, The Times of Israel reported.

In another development from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, at least three people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike in Jenin, The Times of Israel quoted the Palestinian Authority's Wafa news agency as saying.

The military said that the strike targeted Palestinian gunmen who were shooting at Israeli soldiers and hurling explosives in the northern West Bank.

According to a military statement, the soldiers 'identified hits' among the gunmen.

As the war rages, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will depart for Israel on Wednesday to show solidarity with the country and its people in the wake of the October 7 terror attacks and amid the ongoing war with the terrorist group Hamas, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The government spokespersons of both countries confirmed on Tuesday about their visit to Israel.

'The aim of the talks will be support for Israel, including coordination in the context of the European Council, which meets this week,' the Czech spokesperson said in a text message.

The leaders will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, according to the spokespeople for both governments, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Austrian government, in a statement, said Austrian Chancellor Nehammer will also meet the family members of Austrian-Israeli nationals, who are currently being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

'Hamas terror must end, and for this, we need unity among all sides to prevent a possible conflagration - we will all make our contribution to this,' Nehammer said in the statement.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's comment to the Security Council that attacks by Hamas 'did not happen in a vacuum' angered Israel, which called for the UN chief's resignation and apology.

IMAGE: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres talks with North Sinai Governor Major General Mohamed Abdel-Fadel Shousha, after he visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, at Al Arish Airport, Egypt, on October 20, 2023. Photograph: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, who participated in a Security Council ministerial meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation, was scheduled to meet Guterres later Tuesday afternoon in the UN headquarters.

Cohen cancelled his meeting with Guterres after remarks by the UN chief to the Security Council angered Israel, accusing him of 'tolerating and justifying' terrorism.

Addressing the council, Guterres said the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour and the war in Gaza is raging and risks spiralling throughout the region.

The UN chief said it is 'important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation'.

"They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," Guterres said in the meeting, which was also addressed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres said.

In a post on X, Cohen said he 'will not meet with the UN Secretary-General. After the October 7th massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!'

Later talking to reporters at the UN Security Council stakeout, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan lashed out at Guterres, saying his remarks in the council are 'unfathomable'.

'You, Mr Secretary General, have lost all morality and impartiality. Because when you say those terrible words that these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuum, you are tolerating terrorism and by tolerating terrorism, you are justifying terrorism.'

Erdan said that Hamas beheaded babies, burnt families, raped women and abducted kids, babies and Holocaust survivors, but the secretary general is blaming Israel and the victim.

"This is a pure-blood libel. This is a pure-blood libel. And I think that the secretary general must resign because from now on every day that he's here in this building unless he apologises immediately today, we called him to apologise, there is no justification to the existence of this building," Erdan said.

Erdan said the UN building was established to prevent atrocities.

"How can the secretary general, with his words, justify in any way the terrible atrocities that happened to our civilians, innocent civilians?"

Cohen, addressing reporters at the Security Council, said: 'There is not two sides' and 'there is only one side to support'.

"Therefore, I decided to cancel my meeting with the secretary general later on today since we need a clear and loud voice in regards to what happened," Cohen said.

'We are fighting for Israel but we also fighting for the entire free world. Otherwise West will be the next but we are determined to do everything to eliminate' Hamas 'totally'.

Erdan, visibly angry, said the meeting with the secretary general had to be cancelled 'because I've been serving here for the last three years and I saw and I felt the impartiality of the secretary general and how he gives the feelings that he doesn't really care'.

Erdan added that expressing empty words was not enough and the secretary general 'doesn't really care for the suffering of the Israeli civilians'.

'Mr Secretary General, the UN was established to prevent such atrocities' like the 'barbaric atrocities' that Hamas committed, but the UN is failing.

Erdan and Cohen were joined at the stakeout by families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

A spokesperson for Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, in response to questions about the Israeli Foreign Minister cancelling his meeting with the secretary general, said: "This afternoon at 4:30 p.m., the secretary general will meet with family representatives of the hostages held in Gaza. They will be accompanied by a representative of the Israeli Permanent Mission to the United Nations."
Amidst reports of an imminent ground invasion of Gaza by Israel, President Joe Biden has said that Israel can make its own decisions, as the United States firmly backs its ally while urging caution.

IMAGE: A member of 'Palestine Red Crescent Society' reacts as Palestinians gather to search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 24, 2023. Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

The latest conflict was triggered by unprecedented attacks against Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people.

Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive against the Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007.

Biden made the comment on Tuesday in response to a question while posing for a picture with the visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

"Are you urging Israel to delay its ground invasion?" Biden was asked, to which he replied, "The Israelis can make their own decisions."

Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant laid out the Jewish nation's plan to change the 'security regime' in Gaza-- implying Hamas' removal-- and said the plan was designed in three stages.

Gallant said that the Israeli Defence Forces (IFD) was in the plan's first stage when it was carrying out aerial strikes. It will be followed by ground incursion and finally, the change of security regime in Gaza, he said.

More than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women, as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 16,000 injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters that the US will continue to ensure that Israel has the tools and capabilities it needs to defend itself.

"We're going to continue to try to get that humanitarian assistance in, and we're going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately," he said.

"A ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas. That's where we are right now. And I understand the question, but I'm just not going to get ahead of where things are," he said.

"We have and will continue to talk to our Israeli counterparts about the importance of avoiding and minimizing civilian casualties and respecting innocent life and trying to prevent collateral damage as they go after legitimate Hamas targets," he added.

"This is war, it is combat, it is bloody, it is ugly, and it's going to be messy and innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward. I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that wasn't going to happen, but it is going to happen," Kirby said in response to a question.

"That doesn't make it right, it doesn't make it dismissible, it doesn't mean that we aren't going to still express concerns about that and do everything we can to help the Israelis do everything they can to minimise it, but that's unfortunately the nature of conflict," he said.
A Molotov cocktail, called 'petrol bomb' in local parlance, was lobbed by a man in front of the Raj Bhavan's main gate in Chennai on Wednesday, an incident which drew the opposition's ire over the handling of law and order by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu.

The Raj Bhavan asserted it was "attacked" and that "miscreants carrying bombs tried to barge in through the main gate."

"However, alert sentries prevented and assailants hurled two petrol bombs inside Raj Bhavan and escaped," a post on Raj Bhavan's official 'X' handle claimed.

Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the government over the incident that happened outside the official residence of the State Governor.

There was no damage, injuries to anyone and there was no security lapse, a senior police official said, adding the man who threw the petrol bomb was immediately overpowered. He was identified as 'Karukka' Vinoth, a man with many pending cases against him.

On Sardar Patel Road, on the opposite side of the Raj Bhavan, the man tried to throw a bottle by around 3 PM and it was immediately noticed by policemen on duty near the main gate, Prem Anand Sinha, Additional Commissioner of Police (South), told reporters here.

While alert police personnel were apprehending him, the man hurled the bottle which landed in front of the barricade placed before the main gate of the Raj Bhavan and there was no damage and no one was injured.

"There was no fire...there was some flame only on the wick, the bottle fell down and broke. He was caught and he had some more bottles and these were seized,"

'Karukka' Vinoth, aged 42, faces 14 criminal cases and he was out on bail recently. He is a resident of Teynampet in Chennai, a City Police release said.

Vinoth was the accused in two similar incidents, including the one relating to the BJP office here over a year ago.

Within the past one week, he was freed from jail after he secured bail. Before the incident on Wednesday, he consumed liquor and he is being questioned on his motive, Sinha said.

"Only one petrol bomb was used; it did not create any impact the way the accused expected," he said and ruled out any security lapse.

A case has been registered and the accused was remanded in custody.

Asked if he had any idea about the Governor's 'movement' outside of the Raj Bhavan and whether he had come prepared anticipating any such thing, the official said 'it does not appear to be so.'

Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan alleged that there have been incidents of public threats to the life of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi but a "studied indifference" by the state police to the matter has vitiated his security.

The "bomb attacks" on the Raj Bhavan today, where a man hurled Molotov cocktail, "is a consequence of it," it said.

In a complaint to the Chennai Police Commissioner regarding the incident, the Governor's office also alleged verbal attacks and threats "mostly by leaders and workers of DMK and its allies in their public meetings and through their social media."

The complaint copy was released to the media.

"These threats are intended to overawe the Governor and restrain him in discharging his Constitutional duties. However, complaints lodged with the police have been inconsequential due to police inaction," it said.

Ravi was "physically attacked with sticks and stones while he was on his way to attend a function at the Dharmapuram Adhinam in Mayiladuthurai district earlier.

While a complaint was lodged, no FIR was registered. Same was the case with some other similar incidents, it claimed.

The police "instead trivialised the serious incidents into minor offences with no worthwhile follow-up."

"Such a studied indifference by police to serious threats to the Governor has vitiated the security of the Governor and Raj Bhavan. Today's brazen bomb attacks on the Raj Bhavan is a consequence of it," it said.

It further said a governor cannot work under the shadow of constant threats and urged the top city police official to take serious cognizance of today's attacks which constitute offences including under section 124 of the IPC "specifically intended for threats to a Governor," it added.

Opposition parties strongly condemned the incident and criticised the government over 'deterioration' of law and order.

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK chief, Edappadi K Palaniswami said a scenario of 'insecurity' prevailed for the Raj Bhavan itself, meant to be a high-security campus. Expressing shock, he said the incident illustrated 'deterioration' of law and order in Tamil Nadu.

Former chief minister O Panneerselvam also blamed the alleged deterioration of law and order. VK Sasikala, confidante of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa said the incident was tantamount to intimidating the Governor.

BJP state president K Annamalai said on X: "Incidentally, it is the same person who attacked @BJP4TamilNadu headquarters in Chennai in Feb 2022, is held responsible for the attack on Raj Bhavan today, " he added.

Union Minister L Murugan also slammed the DMK government vis-a-vis law and order.

A Molotov cocktail is an incendiary device, usually filled with petrol and a piece of cloth is used as a wick to light it.
Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed the reports claiming President Vladimir Putin is suffering from ill health and called it 'yet another canard'.

IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, on October 24, 2023. Photograph: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters

Kremlin further confirmed that the President is 'alright'.

"Rumours about Russian President Vladimir Putin's health are yet another canard. He is alright," Russian President's Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told media on Tuesday.

This comes after reports emerged claiming that President Putin suffered a 'serious health episode' on Sunday and was seen lying on the floor and rolling his eyes.

Notably, the speculations about Putin's health have been making rounds for quite some time in the past as well ranging from blood cancer to Parkinson's disease.

Meanwhile, last week, the Russian President attended the third 'Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF)' in China.

Putin attended the official meeting ceremony with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, heads of delegations participating at the event.

Earlier, President Putin also held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing war with Hamas after the terror attack on October 7.

During his call, Putin laid out the steps being taken by Russia to prevent the further escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip.

The Russian President also expressed 'his sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased Israelis'.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijan is marking the third anniversary of Gubadli city's liberation from Armenian occupation during the second Karabakh war, Trend reports.

During the war, a devastating blow to the Armenian armed forces in the Jabrayil district (located to the east of Gubadli) and successful operations in the Zangilan district (located to the south of Gubadli) contributed to the advance of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to the administrative borders of the Gubadli district.

On October 26, in his address to the nation, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan announced the destruction and capture of Armenian armed forces' weaponry and equipment as trophies during the second Karabakh war, as well as the liberation of the settlements of Padar, Afandilar, Yusifbayli, Chaytumas, Khanlig, Sariyatag, Mollaburkhan in the Gubadli district, Birindji Alybayli, Ikinji Alybayli, Raband, Yenikend in the Zangilan district, Govshudlu, Sofulu, Dagh Mashanli, Kurdlar, Hovuslu, and Chalabilar in the Jabrayil district, along with Gubadli city.

Fierce battles were fought during the liberation of Gubadli. Breaking the occupiers' resistance, the Azerbaijani Army inflicted a heavy defeat and forced them to retreat.

During the Gubadli operation, a significant portion of the Armenian army's manpower and equipment were destroyed.

In the Republic of Azerbaijan, the "Gubadli Liberation Medal" has been established.

On the order of President Ilham Aliyev, servicemen who showed courage and valor in combat actions for the liberation of the Gubadli district were awarded the "Gubadli Liberation Medal."

Gubadli was occupied by the Armenian armed forces on August 31, 1993. The occupiers destroyed the city and villages in the district, committed acts of vandalism against religious, historical, and cultural monuments, as well as cemeteries, and carried out ecological terrorism against the flora and fauna of Gubadli by cutting down and burning forests (including rare tree and plant species).
A man was run over by a tractor after a clash over a land dispute in Rajasthan's Bharatpur on Wednesday, police said.

The long-pending land dispute between Bahadur Gurjar and Atar Singh Gurjar, both residents of Adda village, was being investigated by Sadar police station, Director General of Police Umesh Mishra said.

On Wednesday morning, the two parties came face-to-face and attacked each other, Bayana Sadar SHO Jaiprakash Parmar said.

During the clash, Atar's son Nirpat Gurjar fell on the ground and a person from the rival group ran a tractor over him, killing Nirpat on the spot, he said.

Five people have been detained in connection with the murder, the officer said.

DGP Mishra has directed Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachhawa to keep a close watch on the investigation and immediate arrest of the murder accused.

SHO Parmar said even before this incident, there was a fight between the two families and both the parties had filed a case against each other.

Now, a case of murder has been registered against Bahadur Gurjar and others, he said, adding that the body has been sent for post-mortem.

The BJP slammed the Congress over the murder and demanded AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to apologise for the incident on behalf of Chief MInister Ashok Gehlot.

The party also demanded suspension of the Bharatpur district magistrate and the superintendent of police.

"The video of the incident which has gone viral across the country and beyond is heart wrenching, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference at party headquarters in Delhi.

"Prinkanka Vadra is learnt to be reaching Rajasthan today. I demand that before addressing any public meeting, she must first go to the village (where the incident took place) and show her courage to suspend the DM, SP and administration there," Patra said.

"She has to project that she has the spine to visit Bharatpur where this gruesome murder took place a while agoIt is my request to her that she should immediately visit Bharatpurapologise on behalf of Gehlot, the BJP spokesperson added.
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced that the ground personnel massing on the southern border were ready to 'invade' Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported.

IMAGE: Smoke is rising after an Israeli strike on Gaza seen from a viewpoint in Southern Israel on October 24, 2023. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

Briefing reporters at the country's southern border, IDF Chief-of-Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said, "I want to be clear, we are ready to invade."

He added that the IDF was in the process of deciding on the 'exact timing' of the ground invasion of Gaza in coordination with the country's political echelons.

On the delay in the counter-invasion of Gaza after the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7, the IDF chief-of-staff was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying, "At this stage, there are tactical and strategic factors which are allowing us more time to improve and to exploit every minute to be more ready."

He added that with 'every minute that passes', they are 'attacking the enemy more'.

"With every minute that passes for the other side, we are attacking the enemy more, killing its fighters, killing its commanders, destroying its infrastructure, and collecting more intelligence for the next moves," he added.

"We are keeping him in tension," Lt Gen Halevi said, adding that the longer Hamas waits for the Israeli invasion, the more stressed it will become, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday said under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet, it thwarted terrorists of the Hamas terror organisation.

'The Air Force under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet thwarted terrorists of the terrorist organisation Hamas tonight, among them: Abd al-Rahman, deputy commander of the Nuzirat Battalion, participated in the murderous raid on Kibbutz Bari; Khalil Mahjaz, deputy commander of the Shati Battalion; Khalil Tethari, deputy commander of the Sheik Radwan Battalion,' the Israeli Air Force posted from its official handle on X.

Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared on X that Israel has only one task at hand, which is to crush Hamas and it won't stop till the objective is accomplished.

"With the fighters in the field, we have only one task -- to crush Hamas, and we will not stop until we complete the task," the Israeli PM stated.

Moreover, according to a report in The Times of Israel, infiltration alarms were sounding in Netiv Ha'asara, a kibbutz just north of Gaza, after similar soundings earlier in Zikim and Karmia.

While residents were largely evacuated, those choosing to stay back were told to stay at home and lock their doors, according to the report.
R Ravindra, India's Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, on Wednesday, underlined New Delhi's efforts to send humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, saying that it has sent 38 tonnes of food and critical medical equipment to the region.

IMAGE: India's Deputy Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Ambassador R Ravindra, addresses the UN Security Council. Photograph: ANI on X

Ravindra made the statement while representing India at the United Nations Security Council Open-debate on the 'situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question'.

Thanking the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the open debate on the latest chapter of hostilities in West Asia, he said India was deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilians in the ongoing conflict.

"The mounting humanitarian crisis is equally alarming," he said.

"India has sent 38 tonnes of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment, to the people of Palestine. We also urge the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations, including through de-escalation and issuing violence," Ravindra added.

"The escalation of our utilities in the region has only exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation," he said, adding, "It has once again underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire."

The terror attacks that happened on October 7 in Israel were shocking and India condemned them unequivocally, the deputy permanent envoy to the UN noted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to convey his condolences over the loss of lives and 'prayers for the innocent victims and their families'.

"We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks," Ravindra added.

"We have also expressed deep shock at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Hali hospital in Gaza, where several hundreds of civilian casualties have occurred and thousands injured. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured," India's deputy permanent envoy to the world body added.

Modi had also said those involved in the attack 'must be held responsible', Ravindra added, noting that the civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. All parties must protect civilians, especially women and children.

"The unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed. We welcome the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza," he added.

Also reaffirming India's support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, he said the same can lead to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

"Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations. We also continue to support the Palestinian people through our bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, women's empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology," Ravindra said.

He added India was also supporting grassroots Palestinian institutions in their development initiatives.

"In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine," India's deputy permanent envoy to the UN said.

He stated that the current escalation of the conflict has once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of credible, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

"Every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks. We welcome all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy," he said.

Ravindra concluded his statement by reaffirming India's firm commitment to achieving a 'just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict'.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Uddhav Thackeray saying he buried the Hindutva ideology of Bal Thackeray for power and joined hands with Congress and socialist parties.

IMAGE: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde addresses during the Dussehra rally on the occasion of Dussehra, at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Addressing a massive gathering at the Dussehra rally of Shiv Sena in Azad Maidan, Shinde, without naming Thackeray, said he back-stabbed Bal Thackeray by committing dishonesty with his ideological legacy.

Shinde also said he won't be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and even 'hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)'.

He also reiterated that the state government is committed to granting quota to Maraths which will stand the legal scrutiny and appealed to youths not to take extreme steps like committing suicide.

"You have buried the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray by going with Congress and Samajwadis for power. Balasaheb had given 'Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai' slogan from 'Shivtirth' (Shivaji Park ground) but slogans like 'Garv se kaho hum Congressi and Samajwadi hain' are being given from that venue," Shinde said.

The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray organised a conventional annual Dussehra rally on Shivaji Park ground in Dadar, which the party terms 'Shivtirth'.

He said the parties who used to target the Bharatiya Janata Party by questioning the timeline for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya are feeling embarrassed now.

"They have lost their face. How will they go to Ayodhya now?" he asked.

Shinde claimed Uddhav Thackeray nurtured the ambition to become the CM since 2004 but things didn't work out.

"It was his (Uddhav's) wish to become the CM since 2004 but the 'jugaad' didn't work out. He pretended that he was never interested in the post. It was said publicly that he accepted the responsibility (after the 2019 assembly elections) on the advice of Sharad Pawar. But the fact is that two persons were sent to Pawar to recommend his (Uddhav's) name for the post," he said.

Targeting the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of opposition parties, Shinde said the people will bury 'the ten-headed INDIA alliance Ravan in 2024 polls'.

He said PM Modi will come to power for the third consecutive term next year and 'We will send 45 MPs (out of 48) from Maharashtra to strengthen his hand'.

Shinde said it was Modi who had fulfilled the dreams of Bal Thackeray by removing Article 370 and facilitating the construction of Ram temple.

"Once Balasaheb had said that if he became PM for a day, he would build Ram Mandir and repeal Article 370. Now under Modi's guidance, Ram Mandir is being constructed in Ayodhya and Article 370 is scrapped," he added.

Shinde said those who used to taunt regarding the timeline for the construction of the Ram temple have lost their face as Modi has given the schedule of its construction. "We all will go to Ayodhya for the inauguration of the temple".

He said the massive crowd at Azad Maidan shows a saffron wave is prevailing in Maharashtra.

"This is the azad Shiv Sena's azad rally at Azad Maidan, which is associated with the freedom struggle," he said.

Against the backdrop of the acrimony between two factions of Shiv Sena over the venue of the annual Dussehra rally, Shinde said he considers any place as 'Shivtirth' where Bal Thackeray's thoughts can be shared openly.

In a jibe at Uddhav, he said, "Those who claim to have blood relations with Balasaheb have suppressed his thoughts."

Terming Uddhav Thackray and his son Aaditya as 'one full, one half', Shinde said he won't be surprised if they merge their faction with Congress.

Speaking on the Maratha quota issue, Shinde said since he is from an ordinary Maratha family, he understands their pain and sorrow.

"I am aware of their pain and sorrow. The Justice Shinde (retd) committee is working 24 hours and a curative petition has been filed in the Supreme Court (which had struck down the Maratha quota) and it has been admitted. Hence a window has been opened," the chief minister said.

Midway in his speech, Shinde bowed before the bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the dais and vowed to grant the reservation to the Maratha community.

Without doing injustice to anyone and without withdrawing (reservation of anyone), this government will provide a quota to the Maratha community that will last permanently, Shinde said.

Appealing to youths to not take extreme steps like committing suicide for quota, Shinde said they should think of their families and children before taking any extreme step.

He said Bal Thackeray had castigated Mani Shankar Aiyar and Congress for 'insulting' VD Savarkar, but they (Uddhav) are now serving the same Congress.
Naveen Patnaik is known as an "absentee landlord" who needs bureaucrats like Pandian to run his government, reports Archis Mohan.

IMAGE: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and V K Pandian meet with Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran and Tata Steel MD TV Narendran in Bhubaneswar, October 14, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, V Karthikeyan Pandian joined the growing list of former Indian Administrative Service officers of the Odisha cadre who have emerged as crucial players in the coastal state's politics.

Others on the list are Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member Aparajita Sarangi,and former Odisha chief secretary and the Congress party's Odisha campaign committee chief Bijay Patnaik.

Another former Odisha cadre IAS officer, Ashwini Vaishnaw, is the country's railways, communications, electronics and information technology minister.

On Tuesday morning, hours after the Centre approved his application for voluntary retirement from the IAS on Monday night, the Odisha government appointed Pandian as chairman of the government's 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of cabinet minister, where he will work directly under the chief minister.

The 49 year old will also be in charge of the state government's new scheme -- 'Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha' (Our Odisha, New Odisha), an initiative formulated by Pandian.

The Centre approved Pandian's application for voluntary retirement within three days of him filing it on October 20. That the Centre quickly accepted his resignation from the service and the state government gave him a cabinet rank within hours has triggered speculation that a political future beckons Pandian.

Biju Janata Dal sources said Pandian could soon join the party. Assembly elections in Odisha are scheduled in April-May 2024, and will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. The Centre's eagerness to approve Pandian's resignation was reminiscent of the BJP-BJD synergy in sending Vaishnaw to the Rajya Sabha in 2019.

Retired bureaucrats have played a crucial role in the state's politics.

Pyarimohan Mohapatra, a 1963 batch IAS officer, was critical to the success of Naveen Patnaik's initial years as chief minister as Patnaik was a political novice when first elected to the post in 2000.

Mohapatra, who retired from the IAS in 1998, was the principal secretary and a close confidant to Naveen's father Biju Patnaik when the latter was the chief minister. Mohapatra, described as the 'Chanakya' of Odisha politics, became an 'extra-constitutional power centre' and plotted the failed '29 May coup' in 2012 against Naveen.

The CM had smelled trouble while Mohapatra hatched the plot and had started looking for a non-Odia officer to help him run the day-to-day administration. The Tamil Nadu-born Pandian filled Mohapatra's shoes.

Naveen had noted his work as the district collector of Ganjam, the CM's home district -- especially the efficient implementation of the rural employment guarantee scheme that reduced labour migration from the area, and promotion of folk arts.

According to a Bhubaneswar-based senior journalist, Patnaik, the chief minister, is known as an "absentee landlord" who needs bureaucrats, like Pandian, to run his government.

"However, Pandian and his wife could achieve what Mohapatra couldn't -- a transition from managing the backroom to emerging as the CM's political heirs," the senior journalist, who didn't want to be named, said. Naveen Patnaik is 77 and ailing.

Pandian's wife Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, also of the 2000 IAS batch, heads the state government's newly created Mission Shakti department, which supports more than seven million women organised under 600,000 women's self-help groups, a crucial support base of Naveen and his party, making the couple essential to the BJD's political fortunes.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The families of martyrs who died during localized anti-terrorist activities conducted on September 1920, 2023, were assigned presidential pensions, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan, Sahil Babayev told Trend.

Documents are being drawn up for them to assign pensions. Pensions have already been assigned to approximately 40 percent of them. Payments are also provided as part of compulsory health insurance. All payments will be made in full as soon as possible, the minister noted.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

During the anti-terrorist activities, 192 Azerbaijani servicemen lost their lives.
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Laura Sibilia, I, serves as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from the Windham-Bennington district. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has met with the Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel, Trend reports.

The meeting emphasized the importance of the session of the Intergovernmental Commission on trade, economic, scientific, and technological cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and India, which has taken place in Baku.

Besides, confidence was expressed that the decisions made at the session and the signed documents will contribute to the development of relations between the two countries.

Speaking about Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Asadov reminded its one-year extension, testifying to trust in Azerbaijan for the work done, initiatives taken, and steps to enhance the organization's international authority.

Sharing his views on the regional processes after the 2020 second Karabakh war, the prime minister mentioned that despite Azerbaijan's significant efforts during the past period, Armenia, evading its commitments, refused to withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Karabakh, continuously violated the negotiation process, and resorted to various military provocations.

He emphasized that following another provocation in September of this year, as a result of short-term anti-terrorism operations of a local nature in Karabakh, Azerbaijan fully secured its sovereignty.

Asadov also highlighted that the Azerbaijani Army, demonstrating high professionalism, targeted only military objects, avoiding strikes on civilian infrastructure and the civilian population.

The prime minister noted that at present, historical conditions have been created for the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the signing of a peace treaty, and the establishment of peace in the South Caucasus.

He also stressed that Armenia's active arming at such a sensitive moment deals a serious blow to the peace process, creating new threats to peace and stability in the South Caucasus region.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for the development of Azerbaijani-Indian relations.

A delegation led by Patel is on a visit to Azerbaijan to participate in the 6th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation between Azerbaijan and India.
Business to Pursue Expansion Opportunities in Both Domestic and International Markets

Pearl Street Equity LLC and its affiliates today announced the successful acquisition of Famous Brands International franchising business, the parent company of two internationally renowned brands, Mrs. Fields and TCBY. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Famous Brands Franchising has consistently served millions of loyal customers around the world, maintaining a presence in various countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Morocco, Panama, Taiwan, and the Bahamas with more than 350 franchised locations. The acquisition aligns with the recent appointment of Joe Lewis as President and Chief Operating Officer of Famous Brands Franchising. Mr. Lewis boasts over 25 years of leadership experience at high-growth retail and food and beverage franchisor organizations, including notable names such as Smoothie King, Twist Brands, and Smalls Sliders. In his role, Mr. Lewis will continue to lead the Famous Brands Franchising growth strategy and pursue opportunities to expand the global reach of two iconic brands, Mrs. Fields and TCBY, in both domestic and international markets.

We are thrilled about this new chapter for Famous Brands Franchising as a stand-alone company and are confident Pearl Street is the ideal strategic partner for the future, Mr. Lewis said. This transaction will take our franchisee support to the next level while enabling investment to grow both brands globally and bring our delicious products to more customers and families.

Pearl Street continues to invest in and partner with companies demonstrating immense growth potential and vision for industry leadership. By adding Famous Brands Franchising to its portfolio, Pearl Street is reinforcing its commitment to supporting companies with the potential to have significant impact in their respective markets.
In Washington, Australias prime minister also says hes confident Congress will pass bills needed for AUKUS pact.

President Joe Biden and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walk along the White House Colonnade toward the Oval Office for a meeting at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in Washington.

U.S. President Joe Biden met Wednesday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, telling reporters he was not worried about Canberras apparently warming relations with China because the United States itself is seeking a thaw in ties.

Albanese is making his first official trip to Washington since being elected in May 2022, after being invited by Biden in May of this year after the U.S. president canceled a trip to Sydney to negotiate an increase in the debt ceiling with Republicans.

But the Australian leader made a surprise announcement just before boarding his plane to the United States over the weekend: From Nov. 4-7, Albanese told reporters at the airport, he will visit Shanghai and Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

At a press conference after their meeting Wednesday, Biden said he was not worried by Albaneses planned trip, estimating he had traveled more than 70,000 miles (about 112,000 km) in his own lifetime for meetings with Xi, starting with when they were both vice presidents.

I have met with Xi Jinping more than any other world leader has, he said. Ive had over 68 hours of private meetings, just he and I, with simultaneous interpreters, starting back when I was vice president.

But he added some advice for the Australian prime minister in his dealings with the Chinese leader at the end of next week.

Trust, but verify is the phrase, Biden said, using a Russian proverb made famous by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Cooperate where we can

Administration officials had in the lead-up to Wednesdays meeting played down the importance of Albaneses last-minute announcement, painting his plans as the same as ongoing U.S. efforts at a thaw.

National security spokesman, John Kirby, on Tuesday, noted to reporters that Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Washington this week ahead of an expected trip by Xi to San Francisco mid next month for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Sept. 1, 2021. (Amanda R. Gray/U.S. Navy via AP)





We fully support and understand that the prime minister wants to meet President Xi and travel to Beijing, he said, adding that four Biden administration officials recently made the trip. Conversations with the Chinese and keeping lines of communication open is very important.

Albanese, for his part, told reporters at the White House that Australia accepted that the United States and China were vying for influence, but said that did not mean Australia could only speak with U.S. leaders.

We have strategic competition in our region. That's a fact that we are living with, he said, explaining that his governments approach to Australias relationship with China was to cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, but engage in our national interest.

Albanese said it was in the interests of Australia, China and the world for the two countries to have a relationship where there is dialogue.

But he reiterated that Australia stood with the United States against Chinas vast sovereign claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea.

That is Australias position, he said. We cooperate very much with the United States on those matters, and on others, and I look forward to a constructive dialogue when I visit Shanghai and Beijing.

AUKUS

The two leaders also stressed that the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States was not meant to constrain Chinas rise. Biden said Xi had personally asked him, when the deal was announced last year, if that was the aim of the pact.

I said No, we're not surrounding China, we're just making sure that the sea lanes remain open, he said. Thats what this is all about.

Albanese is himself scheduled to attend meetings on Capitol Hill on Thursday, as the Australian government tries to ensure legislative bills to enable the AUKUS pact passes Congress amid some criticism.

American lawmakers in both the House and in the Senate have openly opposed key parts of the AUKUS deal, including the sharing of sensitive U.S. defense technology and the sale of nuclear submarines to Canberra amid massive backlogs in shipbuilding yards.

Democrats, including the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, say they are worried that removing limits on the sharing of defense technology with Australian companies could create a target for Chinese espionage.

Monica Bertagnolli [left], director of the National Cancer Institute, leads a tour for Jodie Haydon, partner of Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and first lady Jill Biden [right] at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)





For the most part, Republicans say Australia is already trusted to handle U.S. intelligence secrets under Five Eyes. But other Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about selling nuclear submarines abroad when the U.S. Navy itself is struggling to acquire enough.

Albanese said he was not worried about the bills being held up, explaining that he trusted Bidens assurances Congress would pass legislation he said was also in the interest of the United States.

I'm very confident in the discussions that I've had with Democrats and Republicans that there is very broad support for the AUKUS arrangements, and that there will be support for the legislation, he said. I regard the United States as a very reliable partner.

I believe it will get done, Biden added.

B-52s

Before meeting with Biden, Albanese on Monday hosted Microsoft President Brad Smith at the Australian Embassy in Washington, with Microsoft announcing it would invest AU$5 billion (about US$3 billion) in artificial intelligence and cloud computing technology in Australia.

Albanese and Biden also announced a deal to lay submarine cables to help keep Pacific nations connected to high-speed Internet, and a deal to help connect the Pacific to international banking infrastructure.

On Wednesday night, Biden is scheduled to host Albanese for a dinner at the White House. The new wave band the B-52s had been slated to perform, but were replaced with a military band at the last minute.

Jill Biden said on Tuesday that the B-52s, famous for their hit Love Shack, would still attend the dinner as guests, but would not play their upbeat music given that so many are facing sorrow and pain, an apparent reference to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Edited by Malcolm Foster.
A sign in Chinese at a store in Monterey Park, Calif., is emblematic of the Chinese population in the area. For decades, the city has been a starting point for immigrants from China.

At 5 a.m. on a Friday in June, Xiaoqing Li slipped silently out of her bed in Monterey Park, east of Los Angeles. By now, the faintest chirp of an alarm was enough to wake her in the one-bedroom apartment she shared with nine other Chinese migrants she barely knew.

A petite woman whose freckled face looked younger than her 29 years, Xiaoqing tamed her frizzy hair with pins and washed up in the sink, ignoring a roommates boxers hanging on the towel rack. She was out the door in 20 minutes to begin a two-hour commute that would take her to a job at a Long Beach warehouse. She wouldnt arrive back home until past 9 p.m.

Mornings for Xiaoqing have unfurled in much the same way since she arrived in early June after trekking through a perilous jungle in Central America with her 5-year-old son; reuniting with her husband to travel through five countries by bumpy bus; and spending a harrowing day at sea that almost took their childs life while en route to the U.S.s southern border.

In the decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer than 300 Chinese citizens attempted to travel overland through the Darien Gap, a 60-mile roadless jungle between Colombia and Panama where governments, drug cartels and rebels compete for control. But this year alone, more than 15,000 Chinese migrants have followed this path.

This journey is known as zouxian (tsou-hsien, or "walk route") in the Chinese community. Driven by growing authoritarianism and a slowed economy back home, migrants rely on social media tips and the hope of building a new life in a new country.

Chinese migrants following the walk route must hand over their passports and provide biometric information to Panamanian authorities before getting their document back. The information is shared with U.S. immigration authorities. Credit: Mengyu Dong

As she boarded bus Line 70 for the long trip to work, Xiaoqings phone lit up with an incoming WeChat call. It was her husband, Li, who worked at a marijuana farm two hours to the east of Monterey Park, building greenhouses in the desert. The job paid $3,500 in cash per month and included food and housing, but to Xiaoqings chagrin only offered an occasional day off. The separation was made harder by the fact that their son was living with a cousin 30 miles away while the couple tried to work out a more permanent arrangement.

"I'll be back next week. I have a day off," Li said in Mandarin. He asked to be referred to only by his surname.

"Ok, I'll cook something for us."

"How's Maomao?" he asked, using the boys nickname.

"He's with his auntie, she said. His cough is getting better."

"Good. I have to head to work now. Take care. With that, he ended the call.

By the time Xiaoqings bus dropped her off near City Hall around 6 a.m., downtown Los Angeles was starting to stir. She hustled onto the Metro A-Line for a 50-minute train ride to north of Long Beach. From there, a 15-minute walk brought her to an unassuming warehouse where she labeled packages and earned $12 an hour in cash, below Californias $15.50 minimum. Migrants have to wait at least 150 days after submitting their asylum case before they can apply for a work permit. Without such papers, off-the-books jobs were the best Xiaoqing and Li could hope for in the meantime.

As Xiaoqing worked, tracing the contours of toys and electronics passing through her hands, she recounted her journey in hushed tones, speaking matter of factly about how she trudged through a rainforest, nearly lost her son and was extorted for money by corrupt police in Mexico. She counts her family fortunate for having made it to the U.S. safely, but wishes they could remain together.

Monterey Park has for decades been a starting line for immigrants from China who arrive with limited English and a few hundred dollars in their pockets. Largely through word of mouth in the tight-knit Chinese community, they secure temporary shelter in group homes (jiating luguan, or family hotels) that charge as little as $10 a day but cram as many people as possible into limited space. The migrants seek whatever jobs they can find  in restaurants, warehouses, massage parlors  while they await their American dream to take shape in a system that offers scant legal avenues beyond the uncertain gamble of asylum.

For Xiaoqings family, however, the path to that dream had come at the price of separation, since her group home didnt allow children to stay overnight and Li hadnt managed to find a job anywhere nearby.

While Li insisted his distant work was worth the separation, Xiaoqing had spent enough time being apart. When Maomao was just learning to walk in 2019, she left him with her parents in rural Hubei, a landlocked province in central China. This allowed Xiaoqing and her husband to pursue jobs in larger cities, a scenario common among China's migrant workers.

But now that they had made it to the U.S., she wondered why they were still in the same situation.

Im fine with being separated temporarily, as long as there is a reunion to be expected, Xiaoqing said. Otherwise, whats the point of having a family?

Many Chinese immigrants in Monterey Park, Calif., live in group homes like this one to save on expenses. Credit: Mengyu Dong

Runology

Frustrated by three years of the Chinese governments stringent zero-COVID policies and skeptical about future opportunities, many Chinese citizens have begun to consider leaving. Since the April 2022 lockdown of Shanghai, online searches for run, a euphemism for emigration, have skyrocketed in China. But with tightened visa rules in recent years, the route that some of Xiaoqings distant family members once took  entering the U.S. on a tourist visa before filing for asylum  has largely become inaccessible to people like her.

In the 2019 fiscal year, 82% of Chinese citizens seeking U.S. tourist or business visas were approved. By 2021, the approval rate plummeted to 21%. The drop is largely attributed to a Trump administration policy that barred people traveling from China without U.S. citizenship or permanent residency from entering the country.

Although the approval rate rebounded to 70% last year, the U.S. issued just under 70,000 tourist and business visas to Chinese citizens  down from more than 1 million in 2019. While much of the decrease is related to Chinas COVID-era travel restrictions, which were lifted only in late 2022, experts suggest it could also be due to the U.S. embassy and consulates giving fewer visa appointments than before.

As visas become harder to obtain, the walk route to the United States has increasingly become more popular in China, the fourth largest source country for migrants traversing the Darien Gap this year.

Last summer, while using a VPN to browse the blocked website YouTube, Li came across a vlog of a Chinese migrant traveling atop "La Bestia." The notorious freight train carries thousands of migrants to the U.S. border each year, many of whom cannot afford a bus ticket let alone the cost of smugglers to ferry them across the whole of Mexico.

Something clicked for Li, who previously made $640 a month working at an iPhone factory in Wuhan but had struggled to find stable employment since being laid off shortly after the start of the pandemic.

If it works out for us, my kid can grow up in a free country, he recounted a year later in an interview. He wont have to slave away like we did in China.

While her husband was captivated by the American dream, it was Xiaoqing who ensured the family had a tangible plan. She spent months scrolling through Twitter and lurking in Telegram channels. As fellow Chinese migrants shared tips from their journey on the internet, Xiaoqing took detailed notes  from where to exchange money in Colombia, to the contact information of smugglers in Mexico, to everything she could learn about that daunting rainforest in between.

Id do whatever I can to keep my family safe, said Xiaoqing. It was only once the journey started that she realized how little control she had over that.

A man talks on the phone with a bowl of food resting on the sidewalk in front of him in Monterey Park, Calif. Credit: Ringo Chiu

A risky path

The Darien Gap was once deemed such a perilous migration route that few dared to traverse it. But amid the pandemic and instability in countries such as Venezuela and Haiti, the number of migrants and asylum seekers has surged. Last year, close to 250,000 people trekked through the jungle. As of September this year, the number has hit a record high of 400,000. Most making the crossing come from Latin America, but they have been joined in increasing numbers by those from China, Afghanistan, India and dozens of other nations.

To embark on the journey, Xiaoqing and her family flew from China to Thailand, and then to Ecuador, one of the only South American countries that Chinese citizens can visit without a visa. From there, thousands of migrants and asylum seekers like Xiaoqing begin their overland trek north.

On the day the family landed in Quito, Ecuador, Li shared a post in Chinese on WeChat to show his determination. "A destination sought after by many may not be heaven, but a place that everyone wants to leave behind is a living hell for sure."

They took a bus to the Colombian border town of Necocli, joining hundreds of migrants who waited for boats to take them to the jungle's entrance. A chilling rumor rapidly circulated: a Chinese woman, not much older than Xiaoqing, died on the dangerous passage. The news weighed heavily on Xiaoqing, a stark reminder of the unpredictability of their journey to a new life.

My mom used to take me to church when I was little. I never paid much attention, Xiaoqing said. But she closed her eyes to pray as she set off for the five-hour boat ride with her son in her arms. I beg for your blessing.

To navigate the jungle, Xiaoqing paid roughly $1,500 to secure a guide, a porter and a horse for herself and her son. Her husband, aiming to save money, spent $500 to go on a path that required a longer and more difficult trek on foot.

When Li emerged from the other side of the jungle four days later, he was severely dehydrated. His phone had been damaged during a river crossing and lost the use of Google Translate, which had been essential to communicate with his guides and migrants who spoke Spanish. On the final day of his journey, Li went without a sip of water.

Yet he persevered, helped by fellow migrants from South America who shared food with him. Assisted by the National Border Service of Panama, Li then found Xiaoqing and their son at a makeshift camp where medics treated migrants for injuries. After two days of recovering, the family began making their slow way via a series of buses across Central America to the southern border of Mexico.

Despite expectations that President Biden would reverse or ease his predecessors border policies, the U.S. has continued to pressure Mexico to deter people from heading north. Mexico, in turn, has cracked down on unauthorized migration. In 2022, its apprehensions of migrants reached an all-time high of nearly 450,000. This June, the government again reported a record number of apprehensions. Once taken into custody by the Mexican authorities, migrants can face prolonged detention in abusive conditions.

Xiaoqing described Mexico as hell mode. While trying to head north from the state of Chiapas, the family was stopped twice by Mexican authorities and forced off their bus. They bribed the police to avoid detention. On their third attempt, Xiaoqing hired a smuggler, a Mexican man recommended to her by other Chinese migrants. He promised to arrange a 10-hour boat ride to bring them closer to the southern U.S. border.

Setting off before dawn, the family found themselves on a small motorboat on the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Their clothes were soaked, and Maomao caught a chill. As he began to cough, Li cradled him and wept.

"He never complained, not even once," Li said. "That's what broke my heart."

As the boat neared the shore, a fellow migrant tried to help Maomao disembark by grabbing the boy's life jacket. But the jacket was too big and he fell through, plunging into the ocean. Xiaoqing screamed. In a split second, Li dove in after their son and held him up to Xiaoqing, who quickly pulled Maomao back onto the boat. Choking on the salty water and with mucus streaming from his nostrils, the boy was too traumatized to cry.

After the harrowing boat ride, the family borrowed money from a fellow Chinese migrant to hire another smuggler who helped them cross the southern U.S. border.

In total, the journey from China to the U.S. cost $20,000  their life savings.

A man hides his face at an apartment complex in Monterey Park, Calif. Once in the U.S., immigrants must apply for asylum for a chance of legal residency. Credit: Ringo Chiu

A distant dream

During her nearly two-month journey, Xiaoqing cried just once. On the first night after she set foot on U.S. soil in Arizona, Xiaoqings parents appeared to her in a dream. She was back in their old courtyard in rural Hubei. While Xiaoqing helped her mother set the dinner table, her father held Maomao in his arms.

In an instant, both her father and son vanished from the dream. Jolted awake, Xiaoqing was pulled back into reality by the harsh glare of fluorescent lights in the immigration detention center. She found herself within the confines of a makeshift room, its boundaries delineated by semi-opaque plastic sheets hanging from a steel frame. More than a dozen people, mostly women and children from Latin America, curled up on thin mattresses haphazardly scattered on a cold, hard floor. Beside her, Maomao was sound asleep, his small body wrapped in a mylar foil blanket that made a sharp, metallic sound whenever he shifted in his sleep.

Xiaoqing gently tucked in her son and wept.

Once in the U.S., immigrants must apply for asylum for a chance of legal residency. But whether the request is granted can come down to the judge assigned to the case. At the U.S. Immigration Court in Los Angeles, where Xiaoqings case is pending, denial rates for asylum cases range from 32.6% to 96%, according to data compiled by Syracuse University. Nationwide, fewer than half of asylum applications are approved.

Children make their way to school in Monterey Park, Calif. Credit: Ringo Chiu

"The outcome of ones case is heavily influenced by the judge they are assigned to. Some judges, especially those with law enforcement backgrounds, tend to be stricter with asylum cases, said Jiawei Peng, a California-based lawyer specializing in deportation defense. Others might be more sympathetic. But generally, there is minimal oversight."

Historically, Chinese asylum seekers have enjoyed a higher approval rate than those from many other countries. From the fiscal year 2001 to 2021, 67% of asylum applications from Chinese citizens were granted. However, most of these asylum seekers entered the U.S. on a visa, unlike Xiaoqing and her family.

The family is set to appear for an immigration court hearing in February 2025, and a final resolution might take many more years. In the meantime, they cannot visit China without jeopardizing their asylum application.

Xiaoqing recalled how Maomao used to love playing with his grandfather in the family courtyard. Now, she mused, I wonder if my son will ever be able to see his grandparents again."

A sign taped to the shower in a group home in Monterey Park, Calif., notes the rules, including an admonition not to wash clothes in the bathtub. Credit: Mengyu Dong

Glimmers of hope

In early July, Xiaoqing hoped to convince Li to rent a bed in her group home and work in her warehouse, which she said had a nice manager who didnt ask for employment authorization. She took a rare day off work to cook him a spicy pork belly dish, a recipe of her mothers that worked magic whenever she had any persuading to do.

At the dinner, however, Li wasnt entirely convinced by his wifes arguments. His pay may have been little better than her warehouse, but a bed in the group home would cost $400 each month, not counting expenses for food  both of which were covered on the farm.

The couple remained separated with little chance of reuniting soon. Since arriving in California, they had seen their son just twice. Because neither of them had a car, visits with Maomao depended on the availability of Xiaoqings cousin to drive the boy for an hour each way. Li's schedule rarely coincided with Xiaoqings, who spent her weekly day off shopping and speaking with her parents back home.

"Despite how hard the journey was, at least our family was together," she said at the time, one of the only moments she expressed any real frustration at her current situation. "But now, it feels like I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Newly arrived Chinese migrants find work where they can while they wait for their American dream to take shape in a system that offers scant legal avenues beyond the uncertain gamble of asylum. Here, a man is seen at an apartment complex in Monterey Park, Calif. Credit: Ringo Chiu

Two months later in September Xiaoqing sounded lighter in a phone conversation, even though she was not yet reunited with Li and Maomao. With so many new arrivals competing for jobs, Li had failed to find a position closer by. But he had left his arduous farm work for an easier warehouse job. And the couple was hoping they would have a better chance at finding work near each other once they obtain papers in the coming months.

Xiaoqing said she had settled into a routine that includes walks around the neighborhood when she has time. A few weeks ago, she stumbled upon a hopeful scene: a Chinese family moving. As the husband directed the movers, the wife cradled a little girl in her arms and an older boy dashed around giggling.

Among the discarded furniture that littered the roadside, Xiaoqing noticed a chair cushion that looked new. She picked it up and brought it back to her shared room, adding an element of comfort to her new life in the U.S.

Id like to rent a place of our own before we submit our work permit applications in December, Xiaoqing said. With the right papers, I hope my husband can find a job closer to us.

She recounted a recent afternoon spent with Li and Maomao, just the second time the family had been together since their arrival. They went to Santa Monica beach and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Maomao bragged about his accomplishments in kindergarten.

When he told her his teacher said he was best, Xiaoqing asked "best at what, and the boy joked: best at finishing my meals on time.

I hope he stays this way, always happy and worry-free, Xiaoqing said. As long as he enjoys life in America to the fullest, its all worth it.

Edited by Abby Seiff and Jim Snyder.
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Hong Kong leader John Lee vowed on Wednesday to 'eradicate the causes' of dissent that he said still lingered in the city despite a 28-month-long crackdown on criticism of the authorities.

Speaking in his annual policy address, the second since he was "elected" unopposed under new election rules that allow only "patriots" to take public office, Lee said that while Hong Kong may appear peaceful and calm, "undercurrents" of opposition to the government remain.

Quoting the ruling Chinese Communist Party's top official in charge of Hong Kong, Lee said that "the root causes of chaos haven't yet been eliminated," warning that the authorities will remain on the lookout for "covert rebellions," following warnings from the city's security chief that works of art can be subversive.

"We must stay vigilant against the possible resurgence of street violence, be conscious of covert rebellions through 'soft resistance,' and watch out for those anti-government movements overseas looping back to Hong Kong," said Lee, who has likened overseas democracy activists to "rats crossing the street" and vowed to pursue them for the rest of their lives.

"We should pay particular attention to those anti-China and destabilizing activities camouflaged in the name of human rights, freedom [and] democracy," he warned, quoting Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Chief Xia Baolong.

Forthcoming legislation

Lee said his administration is currently drafting new national security legislation to be passed in 2024, which officials have said will "close loopholes" in the 2020 National Security Law imposed on the city by Beijing.

His government will also step up a campaign to teach the public to "respect the regional flag and emblem," boost an ongoing program of "national security education" in schools from kindergarten upwards, and begin a citywide "patriotic education" campaign in schools  something that was put on hold following a mass protest movement in high schools against the idea in 2012.

Primary school students practice for a flag-raising ceremony in Hong Kong, June 14, 2022. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee says his government will begin a citywide 'patriotic education' campaign in schools. Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Lee said the program would "help cultivate the spirit" of a letter to a Hong Kong middle school from Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, calling on them to learn more about Chinese history and boost their patriotic sense of belonging.

Hong Kong's school teachers will be sent on study tours to mainland China, while the education bureau will step up school inspections to ensure compliance with the patriotic program, Lee said.

Lee also called on the city's 7 million residents to cast their votes in District Council elections on Dec. 10, following calls for a boycott from overseas-based democracy activists, who said the new rules meant only pro-government candidates could run.

Expanding the definition of a crime

Australia-based former opposition lawmaker Ted Hui said the government wants to make its "national security" system all-pervasive.

"The forthcoming ... legislation is expected to be even more comprehensive than the current National Security Law," Hui said. "Certain provisions around incitement, espionage and the disclosure of state secrets that aren't in the National Security Law will be added, to expand the scope of what is considered a crime."

"It will also raise penalties, make the law more severe ... and give the government even more ways to suppress those fighting for democracy, turning Hong Kong from a police state into a national security state," he said.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee waves to the media as he arrives at Central Government offices to deliver his annual policy address on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Credit: Peter Parks/AFP

Current affairs commentator Sang Pu agreed, noting that Lee's administration will also set up a number of "working groups" and offices to coordinate patriotic education, making the city's government even more like that of mainland China.

"He has created a lot of offices, all of which focus on patriotism and national security, putting out a huge amount of propaganda," Sang said, adding that China wants to see Hong Kong integrated into its "Belt and Road" sphere of influence alongside its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Belt and Road office

Lee on Wednesday announced special employment visas for nationals of Laos, Vietnam and Nepal to work in the city and boost bilateral cooperation, while allowing overseas students who graduate with a bachelor's degree or above to stay in the city to work.

A Talent Services Office will be set up to coordinate the plan, according to Lee's address, while a Belt and Road office will encourage businesses to integrate with China's overseas influence, supply chain and infrastructure program.

The government will also be reaching out to companies that have relocated in recent years to return to the city, offering fast-track multiple-entry visas to mainland China to foreign nationals working in Hong Kong, to encourage trade and economic links with mainland China, Lee said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.
The move comes as Washington grapples with challenges from Ukraine and the Middle East.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un makes a speech during a visit to Dalian, China in this undated photo released on May 9, 2018 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea made further overtures to China, highlighting their mutual history of opposition to the United States. The move underscores its leader Kim Jong Uns strategic push to solidify his anti-American united front as Washington grapples with resource allocation in Asia amidst challenges from Ukraine and the Middle East.

The bond forged in blood between the people of the two nations will forever endure, North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun said Wednesday, as it marked the 73rd anniversary of Chinas intervention in the Korean War.

The state publication labeled the Korean War an invasion by the allied imperialist forces, lauding China by saying it had fought side by side with our armies, sacrificing their blood and lives in the joint endeavor to defeat the common enemy. The paper also underscored the bilateral anti-imperialist alliance.

China intervened in the Korean War to aid North Korea on Oct. 25, 1950, four months after the North attacked the South in June. Beijing refers to the intervention as anti-American aid, and likewise, Pyongyang views this day as a symbolic representation of its enduring friendship with China.

The message may hold significant weight, as Pyongyang often accentuates its longstanding bond with Beijing for strategic purposes, particularly when facing heightened geopolitical challenges. Historically, North Korea has displayed a tendency to reach out to China during times of international strain or in pursuit of diplomatic advantage, with the intent of amplifying its leverage on the global stage.

Over the past few weeks, North Koreas foreign policy has shown signs of a larger strategy at play. From supporting Hamas, which attacked U.S.-ally Israel, to bolstering ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Pyongyang appears keen on crafting a united front against Washington.

Radio Free Asia, earlier this month, reported the possibility of Hamas militants using North Korean weapons, and South Koreas Joint Chief of Staff later confirmed the RFA reports with its intelligence assessing that the North appeared to have a military connection to Hamas.

Last week, a portrait of North Korean leader Kim appeared at an anti-U.S. protest in the West Bank, showing the close emotional connection of Palestine people against the U.S. and its allies standing with Israel. The Middle East conflict was a tragedy created entirely by the United States, North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said Monday.

Kim Jong Un seemingly perceives the emergence of a new Cold War could benefit his regimes stability. said Wang Son-taek, director of the Global Policy Center at the Han Pyeong Peace Institute. At this juncture, circumstances appear conducive for the onset of such a geopolitical climate. Both North Korea and Russia are facing economic sanctions, and China is locked in a strategic rivalry with the U.S. These three nations alone could form a strong foundation for an anti-American alliance.

Pyongyangs primary objective is to establish and expand this alliance, Wang noted. Countries like Iran, Belarus, Syria, and Cuba could potentially join this coalition, and so could other BRICS nations under certain circumstances, he explained, referring to the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and soon to include Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

For Kim Jong Un, drawing these countries into the alliance could be a strategic advantage. He seems to be of the opinion that trading with these nations could be sufficient to ensure his regimes survival and maintain its stability.

Cheon Seong-whun, a former security strategy secretary for South Koreas presidential office, also said that Kim Jong Un was demonstrating swift adaptability in the face of the emergence of what appears to be a new Cold War dynamic.

Amidst the standoff between the U.S. and China, Kim Jong Uns strategy leans towards a stronger alignment with China. Additionally, he is attempting to leverage the complexities in the Middle East and Europe to his benefit, said Cheon, noting that the anti-American united front means a total collapse of the sanction regimes against North Korea.

These endeavors are not merely isolated incidents. They echo a larger global trend wherein nations are establishing new alliances in response to Washingtons Asia strategy. For instance, North Koreas leader Kim and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met at the symbol of Russian space prowess in Russias Far East last month, and vowed to form an anti-imperialist united front. Pyongyang has been calling the U.S. and its allies imperialists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Amur Oblast of the Far East Region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency. (Source: Reuters)





The united front against the U.S. is already taking shape. RFA cited analysis by a private U.S. research organization the Institute for the Study of War as saying that the North could have already provided up to 500,000 pieces of ammunition to Russia, which could be used in its invasion against Ukraine.

That united front is showing signs of being multilateral with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying in Pyongyang last week that Moscow was seeking stronger cooperation with North Korea and China to counter the U.S. and its regional allies, as reported by Russian news organization Tass.

Tighter cooperation among the non-Western nations may amplify their leverage against the U.S. and its regional partners. The move may enhance their collective bargaining power and operational capabilities against the West, ultimately posing a challenge to Washingtons Indo-Pacific strategy.

The U.S.s Indo-Pacific strategy is facing significant hurdles, Cheon said, noting that if it is properly implemented, not only the U.S., but also countries like Australia and Western Europe would concentrate on containing China, and consequently, North Korea would inevitably come under focus as well.

Ultimately, North Korea would also face political, military, diplomatic and economic pressures. However, these pressures are currently dispersed due to conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, indicating a diminished cohesion, Cheon noted. Moving towards a new Cold War framework ensures regime survival in the medium to long term. Just as the previous Cold War era ensured Kim Il Sungs regime stability, the new-Cold War context could secure the tenure of Kim Jong Un.

Han Pyeong Peace Institutes Wang also called for the U.S. and its allies to replace the Indo-Pacific strategy with a global initiative.

Given the U.S.s role as a global hegemon, its interests should naturally encompass the entire world. Constricting its focus in the Indo-Pacific theater seems like self-imposed limitations on its global leadership, Wang said. A broader vision that resonates with the global community is essential.

He noted that adopting a more inclusive slogan such as 'new paradigm for peaceful coexistence' and pressuring powers like China and Russia within that framework may be an alternative option Washington could consider to make other nations more inclined to align with the U.S.

A global strategy, rather than a purely national or regional one, should be the way forward.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.
The International Court of Justice says Myanmars junta regime has until late 2024 for written brief.

The International Court for Justice hears allegations of genocide against Myanmars military regime, July 22, 2023.

The International Court of Justice has extended two deadlines for written arguments in a complaint brought by the West African nation of Gambia alleging that Myanmars military carried out genocide against minority Rohingya Muslims.

The Muslim-majority nation  mainland Africas smallest country  accused Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during a campaign of military-led violence in 2017 that led to thousands of Rohingya deaths.

The Hague-based court on Oct. 16 said that Gambia can wait until May 16, 2024, to submit pleadings in the case, while the junta regime has until Dec. 16, 2024, to submit its counter-argument.

The deadlines have already been extended several times by the court, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

The Rohingya are frustrated that they have to wait for so long, year after year, to get a solution for the crimes committed by the Myanmar military, said Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

I hope this is the last delay, he said. The court needs to stop granting the Myanmar military every time it asks for extension of time.

Alleged atrocities

The militarys alleged atrocities included indiscriminate killings, mass rape and village torchings as more than 740,000 fled across the border to Bangladesh.

The violence was committed during the tenure of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who in December 2019 defended the military against allegations of genocide at the ICJ.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and one-time democracy icon now languishes in prison  toppled by the same military in a February 2021 coup detat.

In 2022, the National Unity Government, formed by former Myanmar lawmakers who operate as a shadow government in opposition to the military junta, said they accept the authority of the ICJ to decide if the campaign against Rohingya constituted a genocide, and would withdraw all preliminary objections in the case.

Later in 2022, the ICJ rejected all of the juntas objections to the case, clearing the way to consider the factual evidence against Myanmar, a process that could take years.

Ro Anamul Hasan, a Rohingya teacher living in one of the Bangladesh refugee camps, believes the junta is delaying the ICJ trial while it moves forward on a plan to repatriate some Rohingya under a small pilot project.

The junta is buying time for pilot repatriation, she told Radio Free Asia. They think that if pilot repatriation happens, the seriousness of the crime in the ICJ case will be reduced.

Seven years of waiting

Another Rohingya woman told RFA that the delays in the case are frustrating.

It has been seven years of relying on them and waiting for a solution, she said. Life in the refugee camp where we live is getting worse day-by-day.

NUG spokesman Nay Phone Latt told RFA on Tuesday that the the longer the delay in getting justice, the bolder the perpetrators become.

RFAs calls to junta spokesman Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the extensions went unanswered.

The Rohingya, whose ethnicity is not recognized by the junta regime, have faced decades of discrimination in Myanmar and are effectively stateless. Myanmar administrations have refused to call them Rohingya and instead use the term Bengali.

Myanmar faces other lawsuits, including one filed in 2019 in Argentina under the principle of universal jurisdiction, and an authorization by the International Criminal Court to investigate crimes against humanity over the alleged forced deportation of the Rohingya.

Gambias complaint, also brought in 2019, was filed on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The ICJ was established in 1945 to settle disputes in accordance with international law through binding judgments with no right of appeal.

Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
Local People's Defense Forces attacked the junta outpost in Tanintharyi regions Tone Byaw Gyi village with a drone in July 2023.

Myanmar troops arrested around 50 villagers in an act of retaliation, locals told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday. After a local Peoples Defence Force attacked a junta outpost, soldiers captured women, children and entire families from a nearby village.

While the army has already released some detainees, others remain in custody in Tanintharyi, the countrys southern coastal region. Locals from Myeik township said soldiers captured them on Monday following a clash that allegedly left several junta soldiers dead.

The arrests are ongoing, a resident who did not want to be named for security reasons told RFA on Wednesday.

"They arrested all the villagers in Tone Byaw Gyi village. There are entire families, even mothers with newborn babies, he said. Some were released. Some are still being arrested.

The militia group attacked the post in Tone Byaw Gyi last week, an official from the local Peoples Defense Force said.

"We tried to seize the outpost, but we couldn't because they laid many landmines around it, he said, asking to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

We left the battle because we were out of arms and ammunition. Our side lost a drone in the battle.

Junta forces are treating villagers harshly because of their heavy losses, he said, adding that 12 soldiers were killed and six were injured.

RFA has been unable to confirm these claims.

Tanintharyi regions junta spokesperson Thant Zin did not respond to RFAs request for comment by the time of publication.

The junta outpost in Tone Byaw Gyi is the site of many ongoing clashes since the countrys 2021 coup, with local resistance groups bombing the outpost in July.

Regime troops arrested over 3,200 people in Tanintharyi region between April 2022 and September 2023. Among them, 2,141 were released, according to the independent research group that goes only by the initials FEB Tanintharyi.

More than 25,000 people, including pro-democracy activists, have been arrested since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
UPDATED on Oct. 25, 2023 at 1:40 p.m. ET

Five Myanmar nationals on Wednesday asked the Philippines Department of Justice to open a war crimes investigation into 10 members of the Burmese junta for a range of alleged atrocities, including the killing of civilians, mutilation of bodies and torching hundreds of homes and churches.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief whose forces ousted Aung San Suu Kyis elected government in a February 2021 coup, was named among the 10 targeted in the criminal complaint.

It comes two years after a mass arson attack by junta forces on the town of Thantlang, which was part of an offensive in Chin state in northwestern Myanmar that saw some 2,000 homes destroyed, at least 250 people killed and 60,000 driven into India, according to the plaintiffs and rights groups.

The alleged crimes committed in the region were part of Myanmars forgotten war against the Chin, said one of the complainants, Salai Za Uk Ling, who is also the deputy executive director of the Chin Human Rights Organization.

We are a Christian people whose pastors are being murdered and whose churches and faith-based schools are being destroyed in a systematic campaign by junta forces, Salai, who lives in exile in India, told a news conference in Manila.

With this persecution of Myanmars Christians continuing, we pray that our brothers and sisters in the Philippines will hear our cry and grant us justice.

Thantlang residents were quick to oppose the military coup, which toppled an elected government, and by September of that year had formed several anti-junta Peoples Defense Force groups. Their resistance put them firmly in the sights of Myanmars feared military, known as the Tatmadaw.

Another claimant, Zing Ral Tu, described how her father Pul Ral Tu was shot and killed by junta troops in Thantlang in 2021 along with his friend, Pu Hram Cung.

The men, who were senior members of the local Baptist church, were transporting medicine for civilians fleeing the violence.

We will never get justice through Burmese courts, the 47-year-old said on Wednesday through tears. We pray the Filipino people will hear our cry for help.

Landmark case

But whether the claimants will find justice in the Philippines is far from certain.

Lawyers are relying on the principle of universal jurisdiction, a concept in international law which recognizes that some crimes are so serious that they transcend borders and national courts can prosecute perpetrators. There is no precedent for such a case in the Philippines.

The claimants Filipino lawyers, Romel Bagares and Gilbert Andres, argue that the landmark Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law obligates Manila to prosecute war crimes committed anywhere in the world.

The law builds on a long humanitarian legal tradition in the Philippines, said Andres in a statement. It doesnt matter that the crimes were committed by non-Filipinos against non-Filipinos outside Philippine territory.

Prosecution in the Philippines would send a strong statement to the international community, he separately told RFA-affiliated news organization BenarNews. However, he acknowledged the countrys notoriously backlogged justice system would be an obstacle.

We can only hope and pray, he said. It is only up to the discretion of the DOJ. We hope that the prosecutors here are really up to the challenge.

Speaking to RFA Burmese, Andres noted that this is the first time that universal jurisdiction had been invoked through the Filipino penal code, calling it a "history-making filing."

"I think the filing in itself will be a form of victims' rights, access to justice," he said. "The mere filing in itself [makes] a strong statement both for the Philippines and also for the Myanmar military junta, because, in fact, the Philippines has been declaring before the United Nations that we have universal jurisdiction and we have jurisprudence that says that there's no jurisdiction for war crimes."

Fellow lawyer Bagares said there was already a plethora of evidence gathered by the U.N.s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar concerning the alleged crimes in Chin state, as well as by rights advocacy groups.

We have also petitioned ASEAN to promote regional justice mechanisms and this case in the Philippines sends a powerful signal to our regional partners, he said in a statement, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Salai Za Uk Ling, one of the five Myanmar nationals who filed a criminal complaint against the military junta, addresses reporters during an impromptu news conference outside the Philippine justice department in Manila, Oct. 25, 2023. Credit: Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews





The Philippines is already struggling with its own allegations of human rights abuses after the blood-soaked presidency of Rodrigo Duterte from 2016-22.

His brutal war on suspected drug addicts and dealers left 8,000 dead. He now faces at least two cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, though he is not facing prosecution at home.

Dutertes successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile said at an ASEAN summit in September that the solution to the Myanmar crisis should be Myanmar-led.

Chris Gunness, the director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, which is supporting the case, said Philippine law allows the case to be heard in the countrys courts.

If your house has been burned down, if your town has been destroyed, if 60,000 of your own people have been driven to another country  how desperate can you be? Gunness told reporters.

He said this was an opportunity for Manila to show the world an image rooted in the rule of law, in decency, democracy and Christian values, rather than one where daily murders occurred under Duterte.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This story has been updated to include additional comments by the claimants' lawyer, Gilbert Andres.
The five-nation naval drills took place amid confrontation between Beijing and Manila in disputed waters.

Naval ships from five nations joining Exercise Noble Caribou in the South China Sea, Oct. 23, 2023.

UPDATED at 10:10 A.M. ET on 10-27-2023

Warships from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand took part earlier this week in a multilateral exercise following a recent spat between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Exercise Noble Caribou was held on Oct. 23 in the area between Indonesia and Malaysia to improve our tactical capabilities and strengthen cooperation, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JDMSF) said in a statement.

Participating vessels included Japans JS Akebono, the U.S. Navys USS Rafael Peralta, the Royal Australian Navys HMAS Brisbane, the Royal Canadian Navys HMCS Ottawa, and the Royal New Zealand Navys HMNZS Te Mana.

Ship-tracking data analyzed by Radio Free Asia also shows two other U.S. naval ships  the USNS Rappahannock and USNS Henson  were also operating nearby, adding to the impressive show of force.

U.S. vessels USNS Rappahannock and USNS Henson were operating near the area of Exercise Noble Caribou. Credit: MarineTraffic





A day earlier Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines over two incidents near the Second Thomas Shoal, in which Chinese coast guard ships were accused of dangerously maneuvering, causing collisions with Philippine ships.

China said Philippine vessels trespassed into its claimed waters.

The participating countries in the exercise [Noble Caribou] are maritime nations with long coastlines in the Pacific Ocean, and are like-minded nations that seek to maintain an international order based on the rule of law in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Commanding Officer of JS Akebono Togawa Hisato said.

We believe that through this multilateral exercise, we were able to improve our tactical capabilities and strengthen cooperation with the navies of the participating countries, as well as embody their strong will and ability to create a security environment that does not tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force, Togawa added.

The naval exercise was likely planned long before the recent incidents but it is part of the USs anti-China strategy, said Mark Valencia, a senior research fellow at Chinas Huayang Institute for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance.

Countries should show more restraint in their actions, particularly in their military displays of power, Valencia told RFA, adding I am not optimistic as this has become an ever deepening and spreading modus vivendi and will likely end badly.

Chinas position

The U.S. quickly spoke out in support of Manila over the incidents at the weekend, vowing to stand with our Philippine allies in the face of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard and maritime militias dangerous and unlawful actions  in the South China Sea.

Washington said Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft  including those of its Coast Guard.

After the U.S. comments, France, South Korea, and Japan also voiced their support for the Philippines.

Caption: Soldiers from participating ships at Exercise Noble Caribou, Oct. 23, 2023. Credit: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JDMSF)

In the South China Sea, China has actually exercised a lot of restraint, said retired Chinese Senior Col. Zhou Bo, who now serves as a senior fellow of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

We have been too soft on the Filipinos, Zhou told an international conference on the South China Sea in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

Chinese maritime experts have been critical of what they call external forces in South China Sea disputes.

Another Chinese analyst  Wu Shicun, president of Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies  said at the same conference in Vietnam that the U.S. and U.S.-led security groupings all clearly target China.

Removing the interference of external factors is the only way and only choice if we are to realize long-term peace and stability in the South China Sea, Wu said.

Retired Senior Col. Zhou shares a more hawkish view that China is the only country that would respond militarily to American provocations.

Probably China and the United States can only cool down after another collision at  sea or in the air, which I don't look forward to but theres no other answer to this problem, he said.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

The story was updated to correct the spelling of the name of the U.S. Navy vessel USS Rafael Peralta.
Torture and detainees in camps are depicted in Amnesty International exhibit.

Tursunay Ziyawudun, an internment camp survivor, poses for a photo during an exhibition on the persecution of ethnic groups in Chinas Xinjiang region. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

Rushan Abbas, founder of the Campaign for Uyghurs, poses for a photo during an exhibition on the persecution of ethnic groups in Chinas Xinjiang region. Rushans sister, Gulshan Abbas, has been missing since 2018. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

Rayhan Asat, a Uyghur-American Human Rights lawyer, stands next to an exhibit on her brother Ekpar Asat, who is in a detention camp in China. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, poses for a photo during the exhibition opening. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

A painting by Molly Crabapple portraying minority Muslims at an internment camp is displayed during an exhibition opening on the persecution of ethnic groups in Chinas Xinjiang region. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

Tursunay Ziyawudun [right], an internment camp survivor, weeps as she recalls her memory of surviving in a camp in China. They tortured us ... and raped us, she says. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley delivers a speech during an event to mark AIUSA Xinjing Exhibition opening on the persecution of ethnic groups in Chinas Xinjiang region. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

A viewer studies a painting by Molly Crabapple during an event to mark AIUSA Xinjing Exhibition opening on the persecution of ethnic groups in Chinas Xinjiang province in the U.S. Senates Rotunda in Washington, D.C., Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA

Hands on their heads, hundreds of Uyghur men wearing blue prison uniforms and identified by a number on their chest kneel side-by-side, crammed together in rows. They fill a yard, flanked by armed guards and surrounded by a barbed-wire fence and two concrete watchtowers.

The stark illustration by award-winning artist Molly Crabapple portrays Uyghurs inside an internment camp in China.

It is part of a weeklong exhibit organized by Amnesty International in the U.S. Senates Rotunda to draw attention to the mass detention, torture and indoctrination of an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities held in internment camps operated by the Chinese government in the far-western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Other pictures show Chinese government officials removing religious and cultural artifacts from a Muslim home and a steady stream of red buses transporting Uyghurs to an internment camp at night.

In yet another, a guard raises a baton to strike a camp detainee locked in a tiger chair, a constrictive metal seat that does not allow its victim to move.

China denies the abuses, saying the camps were vocational training centers meant to prevent terrorism and religious extremism while teaching job skills, and that most have been closed.

The exhibits opening reception on Oct. 23 was held in partnership with Congressional-Executive Commission on China Co-chair Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, the Uyghur Human Rights Project, and the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project.

In his remarks, Merkley criticized Chinas treatment of Uyghurs, while camp survivor Tursunay Ziyawudun recalled the torture, rape and other hardships that she and other Uyghur women faced in the camps. Ziyawudun is one of a handful of Uyghurs to have survived a Chinese internment camp and escaped abroad.

Uyghur human rights activists Omer Kanat, Rayhan Asat and Rushan Abbas also urged international action to end the ongoing Uyghur genocide.

Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
The family of a man executed in Vietnam in spite of his claims of innocence told Radio Free Asia this week they would continue to fight to clear his name, honoring a request in his final letter to them.

Le Van Manh, 41, was sentenced to death for the alleged rape and murder of a female student in his village in Thanh Hoa province in 2005.

He was convicted even though he continuously pleaded his innocence and said he had been tortured into confessing.

During the trial lawyers requested an examination of the defendant's body to determine whether he had been tortured, but the court refused.

Manh was injected with poison on Sept. 22 at a Public Security Ministry execution facility in Hoa Binh province. His body was buried in a cemetery in his home province.

After more than a month, his family went to the Temporary Detention Center managed by Thanh Hoa provinces Police Department to request his letters and recordings of his final words.

His mother Nguyen Thi Viet told RFA Vietnamese on Tuesday they only received one letter and a muffled recording lasting 18 seconds.

My son will continue to go there and ask for another recording, she said.

The recording must definitely have something my son said in it, so my family has to go down and ask for it.

My son said in his last letter: I am not afraid of being executed. I am not ashamed because I am innocent.

I was wrongly convicted. After my death, my parents will continue to seek justice for me. If mother and father become too old for that, then let my younger siblings and children continue to do it for me until justice is returned to me.

Viet said her son had asked them not to receive his remains or organize his funeral until they had received justice for him.

Two other death row inmates, Ho Duy Hai and Nguyen Van Chuong, have claimed for many years to be unjustly convicted. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, along with many countries and international human rights organizations have called on Vietnam to abolish the death penalty and investigate allegations of torture and forced confessions.

Ho Duy Hai was convicted of killing two sisters working at Cau Voi Post Office, Long An province in 2008. Nguyen Van Chuong was accused of killing a police officer in Hai Phong in 2007. Both were convicted in spite of alibis and claims of torture.

In early August, Nguyen Van Chuong's family received notice from the Hai Phong City Court to register to receive the body for burial. His family has sent a petition to many central Vietnamese agencies to stop the execution and reinvestigate the case. Hai Phong authorities have not yet carried out the execution.

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.
With the expiration of UN sanctions designed to thwart Iran's development of ballistic missiles, both Tehran and ally Russia have said there is nothing standing in the way of them trading such technology.

The claims have led to concerns that Moscow and Tehran could try to expand their existing arms dealing to include more advanced weaponry, know-how, and technology that could boost both Russia's war effort in Ukraine and Iran's ballistic-missile and drone programs.

But while observers do not discount the possibility that Iran could try to sell previously barred weapons -- chiefly, powerful short-range ballistic missiles -- to Russia, they express skepticism Tehran will follow through.

Among the reasons, they say, are Tehran's need to maintain its own military stockpiles amid increased conflict in the Middle East, the desire to be seen as a compliant and legitimate arms trader by the international community, and the continuation of an already existing strategy of supporting the manufacture of such weaponry in other countries, including Russia.

Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, told RFE/RL that Iran's suggestion that it is no longer subject to UN sanctions limiting its missile program is more "political, rather than technical" as it seeks to "normalize" its ability to conduct military trades and transfers.

"The actual impact of the expiry of the UN Security Council restrictions on Iran's missile program, in terms of its impact on Iran's ability to develop its missile program, is rather limited," Azizi said. "Because all these years we witnessed that, despite those restrictions being in place, Iran managed to develop not only its missile program, but also its drone program, its military capabilities, to an unprecedented level."

Azizi notes that Iran achieved this in part due to technical and scientific cooperation with other partners, mainly North Korea but also with Russia and Moscow's allies.

Iran set up a manufacturing facility for reconnaissance and combat drones in Tajikistan and Belarus is reportedly seeking to establish a factory to produce the Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drone believed to be used extensively by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Western officials have also revealed the existence of a drone facility being built in Russia with Iran's assistance that would allow Moscow to build domestic versions of Iranian drones in huge numbers and could be in operation by early 2024.

With the expiration of the UN sanctions, which were largely regarded as toothless, Azizi says he expects Iran to stick to its policy "of considering its military capabilities as nonnegotiable" in any international negotiations while "continuing to advance its capabilities."

Iran can already boast some of the most sophisticated missiles and drones in the Middle East at a time when Tehran's support of proxies and militant groups in the region is being watched closely as archenemy Israel battles the Iranian-backed Hamas extremist organization.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Iran has widely been accused of delivering cheap but effective kamikaze drones to Moscow. While Iran denies the allegations, saying it only sold drones to Moscow before the war started, U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Tehran of supplying Shahed-136 Iranian drones that Russia has used to destroy civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. There has been evidence of Iranian drones rebranded as Russian Geran-2s being used on the battlefield.

And as the two countries have increased military-technical cooperation, Iran's Defense Ministry has routinely showcased its ballistic, cruise, anti-tank, and air-defense missile systems to Russian officials.

The sanctions, in effect since 2015 and enshrined in UN Resolution 2231, expired on October 18 as part of the moribund Iran nuclear deal with world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The United States withdrew from the deal, which offered sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program, in 2018. As European signatories Britain, France, and Germany tried to keep the pact alive, Iran abandoned some of its commitments, but never withdrew from the JCPOA.

The UN sanctions, which were introduced when the Security Council approved the JCPOA, called on Iran, among other things, "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons." Under the terms, any countries wishing to engage in related trade with Iran were required to first get approval from the UN Security Council.

In separate statements as the sanctions expired, Iran and Russia were quick to claim that they would no longer be bound by the restrictions, although neither side announced any concrete plans for future cooperation regarding Iran's ballistic-missile program.

Iran's Defense Ministry, for its part, said Tehran regarded the development as an opportunity to "strengthen its defense capabilities." But Azizi said Iran now "sees itself free from restrictions to export military technology and weapons, rather than to import them."

Russia, Azizi said, is also interested in underscoring that "there are no more restrictions or special commitments that Iran needs to observe in its military-technical cooperation when it comes to missiles" so that it can also "potentially increase the potential for Iran to send missiles to Russia."

Iran's previous export of Shahed-136 drones to Russia could be explained in part because they "arguably" fell under the UN's classification of conventional weapons, according to Jeremy Binnie, Middle East defense specialist at the global intelligence company Janes.

"We have not seen any evidence of transfers of Iranian missiles to Russia so far, but it is unclear if this has been because the Iranians did not want to be seen to be so obviously violating UNSCR 2231," Binnie told RFE/RL in written comments.

Now that the UN sanctions have expired, he said, Iran "may now be more willing to overtly provide arms" to Russia, Binnie said.

As for Russia seeking Iranian missiles, Azizi said, "as Ukraine's Western allies increase the level of their military support for Ukraine, there might be a moment that the Russian leaders decide [to import Iranian missiles because] it's not going to make any difference."

Whether Iran would actually part with such weaponry is another question, particularly considering the current war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the prospect of direct Iranian involvement in that conflict.

"Another consideration for the Iranians is maintaining their own military capabilities, which would be undermined by transferring significant numbers of missiles to Russia," Binnie said. "The uncertain situation in the Middle East right now is likely to increase Iranian unwillingness to supply weapons to Russia that they feel should be retained at home or supplied to allied groups in support of its regional goals."

One solution, Binnie said, "might be to replicate what has happened with the Shahed-136s, whereby Iran supplies initial batches, then transfers the technology to Russia so it can build them locally."

He said that while Russia had a sophisticated missile production capability of its own, "the Iranians would be teaching them how to make cheaper missiles using supply chains that circumnavigate Western sanctions."

The United States and the European Union moved quickly to impose new obstacles as the UN sanctions -- intended to blunt Iran's ballistic-missile program, and by extension its possible acquisition of nuclear weapons and delivery systems -- expired.

In September, Britain, France, and Germany announced that they would maintain their existing sanctions related to Iran's controversial nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for civilian purposes only, and its development of ballistic missiles.

The United States on October 18, the same day that the UN sanctions expired, announced new sanctions targeting individuals and companies in Iran and Russia, among other countries, in an effort to penalize Iran's efforts to buy or sell technology or equipment related to its missile and drone programs.
BISHKEK -- This time last year, six women activists were among more than two dozen people arrested and jailed in a crackdown on dissent that marked a turning point for the rule of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.



They spent between three and eight months behind bars before being released into house arrest, as they await verdicts in a closed trial over what Japarov has insisted was a plot to overthrow the government.



The raids in October 2022 were the largest targeting government opponents since the eve of the 2010 revolution that unseated Kyrgyzstans second president -- Kurmanbek Bakiev -- one of three presidents overthrown in a turbulent three decades of independence.

But even Bakiev did not go as far in cracking down on women activists as the current regime led by Japarov and his de facto co-ruler, the national security chief Kamchybek Tashiev.

Earlier this month, authorities shrugged off a fresh outcry after detaining and imprisoning two residents of southern Kyrgyzstan -- a 70-year-old woman and a 44-year-old single mother -- on serious anti-constitutional charges.



Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, chairwoman of the Vienna-based, Central Asia-focused Freedom For Eurasia nonprofit, argues that this trend is likely to continue given what she called the ruling pairs determination to crush all forms of activism, which she argues often has a female face in Kyrgyzstan.



In their own political struggles in the past, when they were in opposition, Japarov and Tashiev often relied on female activists, Seiitbek told RFE/RL. They know very well that their activism can be very effective in terms of criticizing the authorities in the public space and organizing peaceful protests. Therefore, they consider them a real threat to their power.

A Water Reservoir And A Watershed Moment

Arrests with apparent political motivations are a well-established tradition in Kyrgyzstan, where crackdowns on the opposition -- and no shortage of corruption  have fueled political instability.



Yet for all that, Kyrgyzstan has retained a reputation as the only Central Asian country where political pluralism and civil society still exist.



The current administration has indicated that it views this fact as a hindrance rather than an achievement, with last years crackdown serving as a clear demonstration of the new limits for political opposition.



The 27 arrests came as the government pushed to get a historic border deal agreed with Uzbekistan over the line with minimum fuss.



But news that the neighboring country would increase its control over the shared Kempir-Abad water reservoir inside southern Kyrgyzstan made the deal a political hot potato, spurring a string of protests.



In Bishkek, activists and opposition politicians established a Committee To Protect Kempir-Abad.



Not long after, members of the nascent committee who met in an Italian restaurant in Bishkek found themselves behind bars and formally accused of coup-plotting.

What fool would talk about a coup d'etat in a restaurant, in a public place? asked Klara Sooronkulova, a former constitutional court judge and NGO leader, in an interview with RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service.



Sooronkulova was one of several women jailed after that meeting and only released with bail-like conditions in April of this year.



Rita Karasartova, a career rights defender and onetime presidential candidate, was kept behind bars even longer -- until the end of June.



Speaking to RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service ahead of the anniversary of the Kempir-Abad arrests, Karasartova said she drew strength from the courage of her next-door neighbor in confinement, Asiya Sasykbaeva, who was 71 at the time she was imprisoned with the others.



A longtime activist and former lawmaker, Sasykbaeva spent time in jail making salads for the other prisoners and teaching them Russian. She even helped a 24-year-old woman who had been wrongly sentenced walk free from jail.



I thought, how can I complain about my health when [Sasykbaeva] is holding up so well? Karasartova said.



Karasartova added that her eight-month stint has given her strength to face whatever punishment might come her way whenever the secretive coup-plot trial reaches its conclusion.



We used to have concerns about what it would be like to be arrested, Karasartova said.

Now, I wouldnt say we are brave, but we have stopped being afraid of prison, the activist said, vowing not to shut [her] mouth.

'Number Of Victims Will Increase' If Anti-NGO Law Passed



In some ways, the arrests of the two women in southern Kyrgyzstan this month appear linked to the conflict over the Kempir-Abad water reservoir.



The younger woman, single mother Chynygul Sherkulova, is still in detention.



But it was the arrest of pensioner Saliya Tashtanova, finally released on October 17 after more than a week behind bars, that shocked so many people.



In the history of Kyrgyzstan, there has never been such cases -- the arrest of elderly women, Dinara Oshurakhunova, a longtime civil society leader based in Bishkek, told RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service.



Both Sherkulova and Tashtanova face charges of calling for the violent overthrow of the government.

Tashtanovas accusation is rooted in a social media post that she addressed to Tashiev which railed against injustice and the increasing cost of living. But the pensioner is also understood to have participated in one of the original rallies against the transfer of land surrounding Kempir-Abad.



And she published the post not long after the arrest of lawmaker Adakhan Madumarov, the head of the Butun Kyrgyzstan opposition party, on treason charges in September.



Although Madumarovs case is linked to his activities as a state official more than a decade ago, pressure on the politician only began in earnest after he joined the ill-fated Committee to Protect Kempir-Abad last year.



He is also arguably the countrys most popular opposition politician remaining, after others -- having been detained on various pretexts -- withdrew from politics in the months after Japarov and Tashiev came to power following unrest in 2020.



Sherkulova, for her part, is a registered member and coordinator of the Butun Kyrgyzstan party in Jalal-Abad Province.



Her lawyer, Toktosun Zhorobekov, told RFE/RL that his client is accused of spreading rumors about a piece of land being handed over to Tajikistan in border demarcation talks with that country -- rumors that Tashievs State Committee for National Security (UKMK) saw fit to refute in a statement published earlier this month.



Ive read the charge sheet. There is nothing in it, Zhorobekov said. She was simply accused [by someone] and they ordered her arrest.



Leila Nazgul Seiitbek of the Freedom For Eurasia nonprofit told RFE/RL that her group is currently monitoring around 70 cases of what the group deems political pressure on individuals in Kyrgyzstan, at least 20 of which involve women.

Moreover, victims are likely to increase if Kyrgyzstans parliament passes a law -- now being considered -- that would dramatically tighten restrictions on foreign-funded NGOs, Seiitbek said.



And it is likely that among those victims there will again be many women, because in the NGO sector the overwhelming majority of leaders are women, Seiitbek predicted.

Written by Chris Rickleton based on reporting by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijan's Agriculture Ministry has discussed cooperation with the Turkish THY Air Cargo Transport JSC regarding the transportation of agricultural products to external markets, Trend reports.

The ministry said it held a meeting with representatives of the company, which specializes in air transportation of agricultural products.

The meeting was attended by the ministry officials, leaders of associations specializing in the production and export of agricultural products, representatives of leading agricultural companies, and employees of the JSC for Eastern Europe, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

The meeting participants pointed out every-year growth in the manufacturing and export of Azerbaijan's agricultural products to external markets.

Agricultural producers have already started exporting their goods to new markets in addition to traditional foreign markets. The expansion of this process requires the proper organization of logistics, especially in the transportation of perishable fresh fruits. From this perspective, producers are particularly interested in collaborating with foreign companies that specialize in the transportation of perishable fresh produce.

The THY Air Cargo Transport, as a company with extensive experience in this field, can provide assistance in the safe transportation of Azerbaijani agricultural products to external markets in a short period of time.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for further cooperation in the transportation of perishable agricultural products by air.
In a significant expansion of dress-code enforcement, Tehran has seen the deployment of "hijab enforcers" within the grounds of Tehran University and the streets surrounding Amir Kabir University, as well as key areas in the city.

The move coincides with disciplinary actions against students, notably more than 50 female students at Tehran University who have faced reprimands and suspensions for allegedly failing to adhere to the compulsory head-scarf regulations.



The Student Guild Councils of Iran reported on November 2 that the presence of hijab enforcers had become more pronounced on the campuses of Tehran University. They noted that alongside the patrols, dozens of female students had been summoned to the disciplinary committee in the past week. They face a range of penalties from reprimands to suspensions for hijab-related infractions.



The deployment of the enforcers is seen as a step beyond the usual disciplinary-committee proceedings, with university security said to be actively involved in harassing students under the guise of enforcing dress codes.

The student councils have stressed that the university's security apparatus is not only deploying enforcers across campuses but also preventing students whose attire does not meet their standards from entering university premises.



The report highlights the increased pressure from university security and hijab enforcers on students as part of a broader effort to enforce the mandatory hijab.

The student councils have described the recent wave of summonses to the disciplinary committees as unprecedented, even surpassing the numbers seen during the height of last year's protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Many students have reportedly received severe penalties, predominantly for hijab violations.



In addition to first-time summonses and forced pledge signings, many students with previously suspended sentences have been informed -- without a formal committee meeting -- of the immediate enforcement of their penalties.



The newsletter at the Amir Kabir University has detailed "violent encounters" by security patrols and hijab enforcers with female students around the university. In one recent incident, security forces allegedly attacked a female student whose scarf had momentarily slipped, attempting to confiscate her student ID amid a climate of fear and intimidation.



The newsletter also reported that plainclothed hijab enforcers had been stationed around Amir Kabir University since November 1. These forces, which include military personnel and plainclothes agents, have been particularly active along Tehran's Valiasr Street, aggressively confronting women for not observing the hijab.



The escalation in hijab enforcement comes days after the death of Armita Garavand, a teenage student who died last weekend due to injuries suffered in an alleged confrontation with Tehran's morality police.

The initial deployment of "hijab enforcers" in subway stations was reported in mid-August amid rising confrontations with women refusing to comply with the mandatory hijab. Tehran's municipality is said to have hired 400 individuals as "hijab enforcers," offering a monthly salary of 120 million rials ($230).



Universities have historically been a battleground in the fight for social and political reforms in Iran.



During the Islamic Revolution of 1979, university students played a prominent role, including the occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. After the clerics came to power, the authorities instigated a mass purge of Iranian universities, firing hundreds of professors and altering curriculums to promote Islamic values.



Since the revolution, university students have voiced their opposition to the clerical establishment, including during a 1999 protest against the closure of a reformist newspaper, resulting in a raid on a dormitory at Tehran University that left one student dead.



The protests against Amini's death in September 2022 led to renewed pressure against students, specifically female students who failed to comply with the hijab law.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Listen and follow Talking China In Eurasia

Only hours after Taliban forces swept into Kabul in August 2021 and ousted the Afghan government, Beijing said it was ready to step in and help the country get back on its feet. Beijing has a tangled history with the Taliban that stretches back decades, but the group's return to power once again resurfaced questions about whether they can be a reliable partner for China.

Beijing was already courting the group before the chaotic U.S. withdrawal and has long had an eye on Afghanistans vast mineral wealth. But what do China and the Taliban actually want from each other? And can they deliver?

On the latest episode of Talking China In Eurasia, host Reid Standish is joined by Ali Latifi, the Kabul-based Asia editor for the New Humanitarian, for an on-the-ground look at where Chinese business stands after two years of Taliban rule. Later in the program, the German Marshall Funds Andrew Small breaks down Beijings complicated history with the group and what it might tell us about China and the Talibans future together.

Listen to the full episode here:

Background Reading:
BUCHAREST -- As Romania continues its diplomatic push for Israeli and Egyptian help evacuating hundreds of its citizens and their families from besieged Gaza, appeals for repatriation by those trapped or with relatives in the war zone have become increasingly desperate.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed this week that 260 Romanian nationals who are still in the blockaded Palestinian exclave more than two weeks after the outbreak of war have asked to be evacuated, with no breakthrough in sight to open Gaza's border with Egypt to civilian evacuees.



"Please, with all my heart, please," a Gaza-born doctor with permanent residency in Romania pleaded from near the Egyptian border on October 23. "Foreign Ministry, please! The president of Romania, Mr. [Klaus] Iohannis, please! Mr. Prime Minister [Marcel Ciolacu], please! Foreign Minister [Luminita Odobescu], I'm begging you with all my heart: See what you can do for us."

We are people of medicine. We are people who want to live. We want peace. We are not interested in any politics, neither theirs nor ours."

The doctor -- who agreed to speak to RFE/RL's Romanian Service but asked to remain anonymous -- and his Romanian wife and two of their three children were in Gaza City when Hamas gunmen launched their brutal incursion into southern Israel on October 7, targeting civilians and sparking an Israeli declaration of war. Since then, Israel has hit Gaza with heavy artillery and air strikes, allowing only limited deliveries of food, medicine, and water into the territory.



He and his Romanian wife, who is also a doctor, first spoke to RFE/RL on October 12. They own a home in Gaza where they travel frequently to visit relatives.



This week, after nearly two weeks on the move amid Israeli bombings and warnings to flee south before an imminent invasion by land, sea, and air, the doctor and his family are stuck in deplorable conditions in a shelter near the border with Egypt.



"I don't care who beats whom, who bombed, who shot whom," the doctor said on October 23 via WhatsApp, writing in the Romanian language he learned for medical school and has polished in the decades since. "We are people of medicine. We are people who want to live. We want peace. We are not interested in any politics, neither theirs nor ours."



His wife's voice echoes his urgency, saying theirs is "a call, a desperate call, a desperate humanitarian call to evacuate us," adding, "Please, we ask very kindly."



They described the horror of nightly bombardments, life without water or electricity, and sending their daughters out for hours to get bread because the lines for girls are faster than for men and boys.

The United Nations says more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are internally displaced and 600,000 Palestinians are sheltering at around 150 UN-related sites in Gaza. It has urged an immediate cease-fire to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries. The UN's agency for Palestinian refugees warned on October 25 that it will have to dramatically reduce already curbed relief operations unless there are immediate deliveries of fuel to run generators at hospitals and carry out other essential functions.



Only a tiny trickle of emergency humanitarian aid -- but no fuel -- has been allowed across the border from Egypt since the current crisis erupted.



More than 1,400 people have died in Israel, most of them civilians deliberately targeted in the October 7 attack by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that has called for Israel's destruction and is headquartered in Gaza City. More than 200 more Israelis and other nationals are reportedly still being held hostage in Gaza since the early hours of the incursion.

All my family, including mine and my wife's, are in Gaza, where they are living among the rubble. It's a disaster what's happening in Palestine and Gaza right now."

The Hamas-run Health Ministry has said more than 5,700 Palestinians have died since the fighting began, although that number could not be confirmed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared "war" on Hamas within hours of the incursion and vowed to inflict an "unprecedented price."



Thousands of Romanian nationals have fled Israel via commercial flights, but Gaza under Israeli siege presents greater obstacles.



A spokesman for Romania's Foreign Ministry, Radu Filip, told RFE/RL's Romanian Service on October 23 that the state was making "every diplomatic effort to resolve the situation of the 260 Romanians [and family members] who requested evacuation from Gaza."



"The [ministry], through the diplomatic missions in Cairo and Tel Aviv, continues dialogue with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities in order to ensure the necessary conditions for the evacuation of Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip who requested this from the Representation Office of Romania in Ramallah," Filip said.



Communist-era Romania was among the first countries to recognize the Palestinian Authority in 1988, and thousands of Palestinian nationals have since been educated there, including many who settled and started families.



In addition to Romanian passport holders in Gaza, the Romanian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic representation office in Ramallah -- Palestine's de facto administrative capital -- says there are around 700 Palestinian graduates of Romanian universities among the "Romanian" community in the Palestinian territories, which include Gaza and the West Bank.



Nahedd Saba is another Gaza-born physician deeply concerned over events in his place of birth, although he's been in Romania for 43 years and has Romanian citizenship. Now he's a primary-care specialist at the Spitalul Clinic Gheorghe Polizu, a maternity health-care facility in Bucharest, and has remained active in a local association for Palestinian physicians and pharmacists.



His wife is also of Palestinian descent and, he said, "all my family, including mine and my wife's, are in Gaza, where they are living among the rubble. It's a disaster what's happening in Palestine and Gaza right now."

Speaking on October 22, Saba told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that he lost 13 family members to the current conflict after they sought refuge in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza City, which the Israeli military acknowledged damaging in an air strike on October 20. Saba's claims about the death of his family members could not be confirmed by RFE/RL.



He noted that around 350 fellow Palestinians had graduated in his medical class and said that he has stayed in touch with many of them. The Bucharest-based doctor said he'd spoken with an orthopedist friend from Gaza who described fleeing his home and simply "running from one place to another." He quoted the friend as saying, "We're running away, but I don't know exactly where."



But Saba, who has lived his whole life in Romania, said he did not expect that Palestinians who had already fled in significant numbers as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflicts of 1948 and the Six-Day War in 1967 were likely to leave en masse again.



"This thought of taking refuge [abroad] once again doesn't exist in the population," Saba speculated. "They left twice so far. The third refuge [is] harder. Look for areas that are, let's say, less bombed. But there is no less-bombed area."

Written by Andy Heil based on reporting by RFE/RL Romanian Service correspondents Simona Carlugea and Ovidiu Cornea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that a Ukrainian nuclear power plant was the likely target of a Russian drone attack in western Ukraine that wounded 20 people.

"It is most likely that the target for these drones was the Khmelnytskiy nuclear power station. The shock wave from the explosion shattered windows, including on the nuclear power station's premises," Zelenskiy said on October 25 in his nightly video address.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Zelenskiy added that every Russian strike "especially those daring enough to target nuclear power stations and other critical facilities, serves as an argument that pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient."

The Energy Ministry said earlier on Telegram that windows in administrative and laboratory buildings were damaged as a result of the explosion.

Power lines were also damaged, the ministry added, putting more than 1,800 customers in the towns of Netishyn and Slavuta at risk of power cuts. Both towns are just kilometers from the Khmelnytskiy nuclear power plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its experts present at the plant said air-raid sirens went off at 1:26 a.m. local time on October 25 and were followed later in the morning by the sound of two loud explosions. The IAEA experts were told that two drones had been shot down -- one about 5 kilometers from the plant and the other about 20 kilometers away.



This incident again underlines the extremely precarious nuclear safety situation in Ukraine, which will continue as long as this tragic war goes on," IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said in a statement. "The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was. Next time, we may not be so fortunate.



Grossi said the blasts did not affect the power plant's operations or its connection to the national electricity grid, but IAEA experts observed some of the shattered windows at the site. He also noted that the power outage in Slavuta forced two of the plants 11 off-site radiation monitoring stations to temporarily rely on back-up power supplies.



In Slavuta, a building used by a fire and rescue unit and another by a police department were hit by the blast wave, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.



Local residents reported that several high-rise buildings had been damaged; in particular, people's windows have been broken, according to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.



The town's mayor, Vasiliy Sydor, said 20 people were hurt in Slavuta as a result of the attack.



Elsewhere, a local resident was killed in an early morning air attack on Ukraine's southern Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.



Kyiv drove Russian forces out of part of the Kherson region last November after several months of occupation, but Russian troops have continued shelling the regional capital and areas around it from across the Dnieper River.



Prokudin said that over the past 24 hours, Russian forces had carried out 35 aerial attacks on the Kherson region.



The Ukrainian military said on Facebook that Ukrainian air-defense systems had destroyed all 11 Russian drones launched at Ukraine overnight.



The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a report dated October 24 that Russia appears to be relying more on cheaper and lighter domestically produced drones instead of Iranian-made Shahed drones.



In its daily update, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on October 25 that 80 combat clashes had taken place over the past day.



It said Ukrainian forces had repelled more than 10 attacks in and around Avdiyivka, a town in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region that has largely been turned to rubble due to Russian bombing.



Russian forces pounded Avdiyivka on October 24, but heavy losses forced them to switch to air attacks and rely less on full-on ground advances, Ukrainian officials said.



"The enemy dropped about 40 guided aerial bombs in two nights. But the number of ground assaults has been reduced, half of what it was yesterday and the day before," Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for Ukraine's southern group of forces, told Ukrainian TV. "This is not surprising as over the past five days, the enemy has lost about 2,400 dead and wounded in the Donetsk region."



Most of those casualties, he said, were near Avdiyivka and the nearby long-contested town of Maryinka.



Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiyivka's military administration, said the town was enduring unrelenting artillery and air attacks.



"The enemy is persistently trying to surround the city and is throwing in new forces from the north and south," Barabash told Ukrainian TV late on October 24. "For two days, they have been operating mostly in small groups, trying to find cracks in our defense, but without success. The defense line is holding."

With reporting from Reuters
LUCH, Ukraine -- It was when a blaze of flying glass and shrapnel fanned across their apartment that Mykola and Natalya Andryushchenko decided it was time to go. At the time of the explosion outside their window, his son and two grandsons were visiting the pensioners at their apartment in a southern Ukrainian village. Natalya, who had been standing close to the two boys, shielded them with her body as everyone hit the floor. It was only after this that we decided to leave this place, Mykola said, gesturing toward the holes in the walls of his now-vacant home in Luch. We lived in a basement for a month, but what are you going to do? War is war. After a month in a neighbors basement, the couple moved north to Mykolayiv. Luch lies in a corridor between the southern cities of Kherson and Mykolayiv, in an area that was fought over fiercely for months following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Artillery and air strikes would turn much of the town into rubble, including the Andryushchenkos apartment building.

The 70-year-old building is uninhabitable and, residents say, needs to be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up, as nobody repairs these Soviet-era two-stories anymore. Many hope to return now that Luch seems relatively safe following Russias retreat back across the Dnieper River last fall. Today, the Mykolayiv region finds itself on a new front line: The frontier in Ukraines battle to rebuild, even as the country continues its fight to drive Russian forces out. City On The Wave Russian forces made major advances in the south in the early days of the invasion, seizing Melitopol, laying siege to Mariupol, and swarming Kherson. They came close to Mykolayiv, occupying part of the region but never managing to take the city itself. At the confluence of the twisting Pivdenniy Buh and Inhul rivers, Mykolayiv is known to locals as the city on the wave -- and its where the wave of Russias southern advance broke before receding. Ukraine recaptured the southern part of the Mykolayiv region in a rapid counteroffensive last autumn that climaxed with the liberation of Kherson in November. Kherson remains under persistent shelling by Russian artillery on the opposite bank of the Dnieper. But Mykolayiv and its outskirts, while subject to frequent missile attacks, are safe from less predictable artillery strikes. A crucible in the counteroffensive a year ago, the area is now freer to pick up the pieces.

Like other major cities that were threatened but never captured by Russian forces, Mykolayiv is the site of major damage and destruction. And it was under siege longer than Chernihiv in the north and Kharkiv in the east, for example. Mykolayiv was under fire every day for eight months straight, said Dmytro Tarasenko, who leads the local operations of the Ukraine Support Team (UST), which coordinates NGOs and foreign aid in hard-hit parts of the country. Sheets of plywood have replaced the glass panes in all the windows of the office the UST works out of, in the shadow of the shattered Mykolayiv regional administration headquarters. As the workday began on March 29, 2022, a Russian rocket strike gutted the building in the very center of the city, killing 37 government workers and military personnel. Nineteen months later, it is a prominent symbol of overall destruction, but its hardly alone: All over town, apartments, schools and bridges are in ruins.

There are 130 buildings and facilities requiring reconstruction in the area, according to Anna Bilyavska, a Mykolayiv native who works for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). UST tallies 1,279 educational, medical and energy facilities destroyed throughout the Mykolayiv region. But in what was hardly a model city before the war, theres more to it than that, Bilyavska said. A reconstruction of minds is needed, she believes. We need not only to bring people back, we also need to get them to stay, said Nils Christiensen, a project manager for the UNDP. Even before the war, it wasnt the most developed place in Ukraine. Mykolayiv was always a city that people moved away from, said the USTs Tarasenko, himself a local. We are now building ourselves a reputation. So far, its working out. On The Waterfront Always overshadowed by nearby Odesa, Mykolayiv struggled in the wake of the Soviet collapse of 1991. The citys name is a nod to the patron saint of sailors. Mykolayivs perch just upriver of the Black Sea made it ideal for shipyards. It was here that the Soviet missile cruiser Slava was built, later to be rechristened the Moskva and sunk last year in one of the first major setbacks for Russia following the full-scale invasion. Anchors and compass roses adorn city banners. A cast-iron frigate stamped with the citys foundation year of 1789 greets visitors arriving at the main train station, breaking the monotony of its boarded-up windows.

For much of the Soviet era, Mykolayiv was off-limits to foreigners as a military production zone. An economic lifeline at the time, its shipyards fell into disrepair as the U.S.S.R. collapsed, with nothing much to take their place within the local economy. A lot of people, especially the older generation, say, Dont you see how good we had it back then? Everyone worked, Bilyavska said. But its been a long time since the shipyards actually made anything, she continued, describing them as zones of both high-powered corruption and low-level theft since the twilight of the U.S.S.R.

As the Soviet era receded into the past, local government set its sights on development, but progress remained elusive. And then came the war. Build Back Better? Mykolayivs role in halting the Russian advance has instilled a new sense of pride, and the success of its effort to rebuild has implications for the countrys broader ambitions: Vidbuduvaty krashche nizh bulo -- to build back better, especially parts of the country that remain occupied. Local resources are desperately limited. The city budget before the invasion was about 5.5 billion hryvnya ($150 million), and that number has fallen far, with Mayor Oleksiy Senkevich now fighting against changes that would redirect income taxes paid by soldiers from the cities to the federal government.

The city and the nation are turning to foreign aid, from both NGOs and governments. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has taken an active role in lobbying foreign aid for Mykolayiv and its region. Denmark has taken the lead by partnering directly with the city to support its reconstruction. The Netherlands has also been a major player, with both countries drawn in on the basis of their own substantial shipping and shipbuilding interests. Actual reconstruction remains a tentative process, slow to break ground. Denmark, for example, announced the formal opening of an office in the city at the beginning of October, without clarifying whether its actually open. They would not accept visitors. This water-oriented city is struggling to rebuild its water grid, cut off in April 2022 and now thoroughly salinated. And all the citys children are still studying remotely, amid fears of further attacks on schools. We are working to restore quality water supply to the city's residents and to make Mykolayiv residents feel the consequences of the war as little as possible, the mayor said on his Facebook page in September, predicting a return of water services in June 2024. One source of optimism in the traditional shipbuilding city is talk of the need for Ukraine to rebuild its naval fleet, much of which was lost when Russia seized Crimea in 2014 or destroyed early in the full-scale invasion. Much of that optimism remains prospective, however. High-Tide Mark While Russian forces never captured Mykolayiv, they advanced on three sides of the city and briefly took Voznesensk, a smaller city further north, occupying it for three days before Ukrainian forces pushed them out. We were by and large the city that was first to stop and then beat back the Moskaly, said Mayor Yevhen Velychko, using a pejorative term for Russians. Voznesensk is visibly further along on its reconstruction and repair, thanks in part to the brevity of the occupation and a relatively robust budget fed by local wealth.

A bridge that Ukraine blew up to trap Russian forces in Voznesensk has been fully repaired. The city government is building a new office downtown thats ready to open soon. A long-closed cafeteria outside the local hospital which had largely been ceded to stray dogs and squatters is now being converted into a rehabilitation center. And maybe most important, according to Velychko, children are back in school -- in staggered schedules so all present can fit inside the air raid shelters. Trickle Down Progress is much slower to the south, in the corridor between Kherson and Mykolayiv. Svitlana Hinzhul proudly counts herself as one of 38 residents who never left Luch. She runs the local Palace of Culture, a multipurpose hub that serves as town hall, club, performance space, and home for Hinzhul and her husband.

The Russian invasion has turned Hinzhul into a community leader. During the initial onslaught, she tried to rally her neighbors to dig bomb shelters. Many of those neighbors, she says, treated the first days of the invasion as a joke, but ultimately ended up staying in the shelter she dug. Now, Hinzhul and her husband, when he is not fighting, are living in what was once a dance hall, one of the less damaged parts of the building. Most of the windows have been blown out -- but shes grateful the electricity is back. A sheet of plywood latched with a bent nail leads to the theater in back. Light falls in plumes through holes in the roof and drop ceiling, hefty chunks of which are stuck up in the rafters. More debris lies on the control monitor and the 300-odd seats, whose vinyl padding is covered with dust. Another blue tarp rustles as the wind whistles through a gaping hole in the roof. At center stage is a set piece, a big blue 30 surrounded by doves and a sunflower, remnants from an August 2021 .performance marking the 30th anniversary of Ukraines independence.

We need to rebuild everything from nothing, she says. People are coming back  at least, those with somewhere to come back to. Nongovernment organizations and scrappy volunteers are providing much of the aid for early-stage rebuilding, but that aid remains occupied with the bare necessities of home repairs. Insulate Ukraine, a project that replaces broken windows with double panes of plastic, has been active in the area. Its managers tout the transparency and insulation of plastic as far better than plywood, while also being much more resistant to explosive blasts. Caritas Ukraine distributes doors, windows and roofing materials for free as long as the locals can install them on their own. And the ubiquitous blue tarps covering roofs are stamped with the name Samaritans Purse, a U.S.-based Christian aid organization. Architects came and asked my opinion, said Nastya, a teacher who lived above Andryushchenko in an apartment that is now demolished, and gave only her first name. Give people homes and the village will come back to life. Well have full schools. Living here will be like it was before. Frontier Mentality Southeast of Luch, across the line in Kherson Oblast, Posad-Pokrovske effectively remains deserted. Except for the Ponomarenkos. It all starts with water, said Anatoliy Ponomarenko, who goes by the diminutive, Tolik. And the well has run dry.

Tolik was a prosperous farmer who also worked at Luchs now-destroyed radio center. His wife, Olena, is a teacher who has returned from spending most of last year in Novovolynsk, near the Polish border, to help rebuild the homestead. In addition to being further south than Luch, Posad-Pokrovske has the misfortune of straddling the M14, the main road between Kherson and Mykolayiv. According to Tolik, Russian troops passed by on the highway for the first month of the invasion, more or less ignoring the village until they were routed further north, at which point his home became a battleground. Missile scars are everywhere. The Ponomarenkos greenhouse is cracked open wide, with plastic covering flapping in the wind. All of his animals are gone, barring a brace of new ducks and chickens that a volunteer gave him, and Umka, the family dog. Tolik shows off his tractor, the front wheels blown apart and the engine wide open. I gave it to my friend and he took it into the field and ran over an anti-tank mine, he says. We dont go into the fields anymore.
Tetyana Koshevas flashbacks to Russias war on Ukraine started with the sound of explosions and air-raid sirens as Hamas fighters entered Ashkelon, the Israeli city where she moved in July 2022 to escape the persistent Russian bombardment of her hometown, Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine.

Ashkelon, 7 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip, was a major target of the invasion of Israel by Hamas on October 7.



Along with her three children, Kosheva initially took refuge from the assault on Ashkelon in the corridor of her apartment building, reading on her cell phone that terrorists have gotten into [the city], that theyve shot people, she said. The family eventually moved to a bomb shelter before volunteers drove them an hour north the next day, to a vacant apartment near Tel Aviv.



Its like deja vu. Ive already seen this. Ive already experienced something like this, Kosheva said.



I was sitting in a basement in my city, she said of Kharkiv. I was looking for a car, for volunteers [to help]. I was leaving. And, again, it was the same thing. Again, the children. Again, [getting] those bags in 30 minutes. Everything repeated itself.



Ukrainians who fled to Israel following Russias full-scale invasion of their country in February 2022 now find themselves scrambling to adapt to another war. Some are leaving the country, uprooted for the second time in 20 months, while others are staying put.

WATCH: After escaping Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, some 14,000 Ukrainian nationals who fled to Israel have found themselves under attack again as Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on the country.

In the northern Israeli city of Haifa, Kyiv native Kateryna Senchenko, who left Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, moved into a bomb shelter on October 7.



Everything is reminiscent of Ukraine when the large-scale war began, she said, citing nonstop live TV broadcasts with experts, government spokespeople, and Defense Ministry officials.



How much can you put up with? What is wrong with this world? Why, within two years of my life, am I experiencing the start of a war for the second time? she asked.

Eighteen Ukrainian citizens in Israel were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, and one remains missing, according to the Ukrainian Embassy.



Its unclear how many refugees from the war in Ukraine are in Israel.

About 15,000 Ukrainian nationals are registered at the Ukrainian Embassy, but Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Korniychuk said that figure doesnt mean anything since it only reflects those who chose to register.

Also, it could include Ukrainians whose arrival in Israel is not connected to the Russian aggression against Ukraine.



In general, the number of our citizens [in Israel] is crazy, Korniychuk said. He estimated that about half a million members of the Russian-speaking community in Israel are from Ukraine.



The embassy is badly strapped for funds and is limited in what it can do to assist with evacuations, Korniychuk said, adding that it will not fly Ukrainian nationals back to Ukraine.



"We do not have anywhere [in Ukraine] to evacuate the people, he stated. We will not transport people from one war to another war. Our main goal is to get as many people out as possible in a short period of time."

As of October 22, four Ukrainian evacuation flights had left Israel for Romania, carrying a total of 515 Ukrainian passengers, according to the Ukrainian Embassy. A spokesperson for the Romanian Foreign Ministry denied to RFE/RLs Romanian Service a claim on social media that the Romanian government is paying for these flights.



The Ukrainian Embassy said it negotiated a lower price for Ukrainian evacuees on outbound commercial flights -- between 415 and 450 euros ($440-$470) per ticket, which it described as the lowest price on the market.



Korniychuk stated that he had found Israel-based sponsors who can solve a significant part of the embassys problems with these evacuations -- an apparent reference to its search for financing options for those unable to afford a flight out.



One Ukrainian evacuee, Oksana Sokolovska, who traveled with her three children to Romania on the first evacuation flight on October 14 for 415 euros ($440) per ticket, said that she had received a free two-day stay in a Romanian hotel, but must buy train and bus tickets at her own expense to return to Ukraine.

These difficulties, however, do not appear to have abated all interest.



Every day, as the war gathers pace, there are more and more people who want to [leave], and fewer and fewer opportunities, Sokolovska said.



A coordinator at the nongovernmental Refugee Assistance Center in Haifa, which provides for some 1,650 Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian and other families, worried that the Israel-Hamas war worsen the lives of Ukrainian refugees.



The Israeli government announced in August that it would allot 100 million shekels ($246 million) to cover health care and some social-welfare expenses for 83,000 Ukrainian refugees until the end of 2023, the Israeli news outlet Ynet reported.

But the new war may divert funds and attention.



"In some small towns, refugees can be left with nothing said Tetyana Mykhaylenko, one of 15 coordinators at the center. Now all efforts [are for] money for the army and for people from the south [of Israel] who also lost everything.



Ukrainian refugees began to arrive at the Refugee Assistance Center, Mykhaylenko said, within a few days of Russias full-scale invasion.



Mykhaylenko, a native of Kharkiv who emigrated to Israel in 2019, believes, however, that not all of the Ukrainian refugees who frequent the center plan to leave Israel.



We understand that the war [in Ukraine] will end, but we do not know which of them will go back there, she said. There are people who have nowhere to return to [in Ukraine], so we want them to have a place to come to."

Housed in a two-story building that provides food vouchers, clothes, and various classes, the center, which cooperates with the Ukrainian Embassy, tries to ensure that people do not get lost in adapting to Israel.



We dont want it to be at the level of handing out bread and clothes, Mykhaylenko said.



Over 70 volunteers pack food donations, such as candy and vegetables, while another 20 volunteers make deliveries to families or transport the elderly to doctors offices. Hebrew-speaking volunteers help with translations and assist with searches for work and housing. Lawyers provide free consultations.



For the roughly 260 Ukrainians in Gaza, which has been devastated by persistent Israeli air raids and faces inadequate supplies of food, water, and medicine, adjustments may be more difficult.



One Ukrainian man has died in Gaza as a result of the fighting and at least one other has been injured, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel.



Most of the Ukrainians in Gaza are women who have married Palestinian men, lived there for years, and have children who can potentially evacuate with them, said Ukrainian Ambassador to Egypt Mykola Nahorniy.



Given the relatively low standard of living in Gaza, Ukraine itself probably will finance charter flights to take Gaza evacuees from Egypt to a country bordering Ukraine -- Moldova, Romania, or Poland, the ambassador said. It also would pay part of the cost of transporting these evacuees through Egypt to their flights, he said.



But, though the border between Egypt and southern Gaza opened on October 21 to admit 20 trucks with humanitarian aid, it remains closed to foreign nationals and other individuals hoping to evacuate from the Palestinian territory.



As of October 24, no evacuation flights from Egypt had been announced.

Written by Elizabeth Owen based on reporting by Maryana Sych, Maria Horban, Anna Tokhmakhchi, Kateryna Nekrecha, and Iryna Ostrovska of RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan has discussed the prospects of cooperation with the Turkish trade union "Turk-Tarm Orman Sen", Trend reports.

According to the Agrarian Research Center of Azerbaijan, the delegation of the "Turk-Tarm Orman Sen" trade union, which is located in Azerbaijan, held a meeting with the leadership of the Republican Committee of the Trade Union of Agrarian Workers.

At the meeting, the chairman of the Republican Committee of the Trade Union of Agrarian Workers Fuad Mammadov said that the agricultural trade unions of Azerbaijan and Turkiye cooperate closely and emphasized that a lot of work has been done in the past short period to expand this cooperation.

Fuad Mammadov also noted that both public unions are particularly interested in the exchange of experience and added that joint projects to be implemented will be discussed at the meeting.

In turn, head of "Turk-Tarm Orman Sen" trade union Ahmet Demirci said that friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, including partnership relations in the field of agriculture, are developing, and the prospects of cooperation between specialized trade unions of the two countries in the agrarian sphere are great.

According to Ahmet Demirci, within the framework of the visit to Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Agriculture will hold discussions on the realization of these prospects.

The visit of the "Turk-Tarm Orman Sen" trade union delegation to Azerbaijan will last one week. During the visit, the delegation will hold meetings in subordinate institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture and research institutes, as well as get to know model farms.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Azerbaijan and India discussed economic cooperation, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov said, Trend reports.

"During the meeting with Anupriya Patel, Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, we discussed the current state of economic relations between our countries. We also explored opportunities for enhancing cooperation in trade, transport, tourism, as well as promoting mutual investments," Jabbarov said on X (Twitter).

The parties discussed the current state of economic relations and the possibilities of expanding cooperation at the meeting.

In addition, the sides stressed the importance ofactivities of the intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation, and also noted the opportunities for mutual investment and the potential for cooperation between the countries in industrial, energy, agricultural, pharmaceutical, transport and transit and other areas.

The sides also discussed issues of expanding partnership between the business circles of the two countries.
Israel-Palestine War

Israel-Palestine War: Actress Discusses Current Situation, Highlights Upcoming Film 'Tejas'

Israel-Palestine War: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut recently met with Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon during her visit to Delhi, where she engaged in a conversation addressing the ongoing crisis between Israel and Hamas. The meeting served as a platform for the actress to express her support for Israel, likening the present-day scenario to the mythological character 'Ravan.' In addition to her thoughts on the Israel-Palestine War, Kangana also touched upon her upcoming film, 'Tejas.'

Kangana Ranaut, known for her outspoken views, didn't hold back as she voiced her strong support for Israel during the meeting. She referred to the conflict as a modern-day saga of good versus evil, drawing a parallel with the epic Ramayana by referencing Hamas as 'Ravan.' Kangana shared her sentiments on social media, stating, "I am with Israel from the bottom of my heart. Our hearts are also bleeding."

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During their conversation, Kangana emphasized her longstanding support for Israel and its people. She acknowledged that her stance in favor of Israel and the Jewish community predates the recent events. Kangana's viewpoint echoed the sentiment that, like India, the Jews too deserve a dedicated homeland, and the ongoing situation in the Middle East exemplifies the need for it.

Kangana Ranaut articulated, "As a Hindu nation, we understand the millennia-old Hindu genocide, and in that context, we firmly believe that India is rightfully dedicated to Hindus. Similarly, Jews also deserve a nation, and we stand in support of their cause." The actress added her belief that, while land may be a point of contention, the response from certain quarters of the Islamic world has been inhumane and miserly. She noted that predominantly Christian countries dominate much of the world's land.

Notably, Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon expressed his gratitude for Kangana Ranaut's support during these challenging times. Her vocal solidarity with Israel was acknowledged, underscoring the strength of India-Israel relations.



(For more latest news apart from Israel-Palestine War, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)






Meta News

Meta News: 42 States Accuse Meta of Prioritizing Profit Over Child Mental Health

Meta News: In a concerted effort to address concerns about the adverse impact of social media on the mental well-being of children, 42 US states have united in a lawsuit against the tech behemoth Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The states have accused Meta of intentionally designing features that are detrimental to the mental health of youngsters, fostering addiction to its platforms. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California on Tuesday.

The States' complaint revolves around the claim that Meta, driven primarily by profit motives, has failed to adequately warn the public about the significant dangers associated with using Facebook and Instagram. By incorporating addictive elements, the company is allegedly exploiting children's compulsions, leading to a decline in self-esteem and a heightened addiction to the platforms.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James, addressing the media, underscored the record-level deterioration in teenagers' mental health. She pointed fingers at social media giants like Meta, holding them responsible for this concerning trend. According to James, Meta's deliberate integration of addictive features has amplified the mental health crisis among the youth.

A study conducted by Pew Research has reported that a staggering 95% of teenagers aged 13 to 17, both in the United States and across the globe, are grappling with social media addiction. This rampant addiction is posing severe risks to their mental health.

Moreover, during the court proceedings, it was revealed that Meta routinely collected data from children under the age of 13 without the consent of the children or their parents. As a result, the Attorney General has also charged the company with violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

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Notably, The Joint legal action by the US states against Meta underscores the growing concern over the impact of social media on the younger generation and the urgent need for accountability and safeguards to protect the mental well-being of children.


Amritpal Singh News

Amritpal Singh News: Tarsem Singh Denied Travel to Doha; Continues Ongoing Family Ordeal

Amritpal Singh News: In a recent development, Tarsem Singh, the father of 'Waris Punjab De' Chief Amritpal Singh, was halted at Amritsar Airport while attempting to travel to Doha, Qatar. This incident adds another layer to the ongoing saga of Amritpal Singh family, who have faced numerous travel restrictions in the past.

Tarsem Singh, who arrived at Amritsar Airport early this morning, was subjected to a thorough questioning by airport authorities. After the intense scrutiny, he was eventually sent back to his residence, with no official reason provided for the denial of his travel.

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This is not the first time the Amritpal Singh family has encountered obstacles in their travel endeavors. Previously, Amritpal Singh's wife also faced similar restrictions when attempting to travel abroad.

Notably, Amritpal Singh himself is currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA). His detention has sparked controversy and raised concerns among various quarters.

(For more latest news apart from 'Waris Punjab De' Chief Amritpal Singh News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


Gurmeet Singh alia Pinky Cat

Gurmeet Singh was prominently known as 'Pinky Cat'.

Gurmeet Singh Pinky Cat Death News Today: Gurmeet Singh, a dismissed Punjab police inspector and a muder convict, has died of dengue on Wednesday. Gurmeet Singh was prominently known as 'Pinky Cat'.

According to information, Gurmeet Singh alias Pinky Cat was diagnosed with dengue and was unwell for a long time. Reportedly, he was admitted to a private hospital in Chandigarh where he took his last breath.

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It has also been reported that the last rites of Pinky Cat would be done after his daughter would return to India from abroad. It is also pertinent to mention that Gurmeet Singh had a daughter from his second marriage.

Who was Gurmeet Singh Pinky Cat?

It may be recalled that Gurmeet Singh underwent life sentence for the killing of Ludhiana-based Avtar Singh Golal in 2001. He rose to fame after nabbing Khalistani militant Jagtar Singh Hawara twice. Besides, he has also won a police gallantry medal.

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However, he engaged himself into several controversies after Avtar Golal's murder. He had also claimed that he had evidence of 52 fake encounters during the time of terrorism in Punjab.

He was also a talk of town during the farmers agitation against controversial farm laws in New Delhi. Likewise, he was spotted with several BJP union ministers and a controversial Nihang dera head whose men were accused of killing a sacrilege accused.

(For more news apart from Gurmeet Singh Pinky Cat Death News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Immigration Company Fraud

Immigration Company Fraud: Immigration Company Based in Chandigarh Accused of Massive Fraud

Immigration Company Fraud in Chandigarh: In a disheartening case of immigration fraud, Sparks Overseas Immigration Company, located in Sector-34, Chandigarh stands accused of deceiving 11 individuals out of a total of Rs 22,80,000. The victims were promised work visas for Singapore and Dubai, only to be left in the lurch when the company abruptly shut its doors.

Upon investigating the matter, the Sector-34 police station has officially registered a case against the owner of the immigration company and other individuals involved in the fraudulent activities.

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Kishan Kumar, a resident of Sector-49, lodged a formal complaint with the police, revealing that he had initially come across advertisements for Sparks Overseas Immigration Company on various social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The company, as advertised, claimed to facilitate work visas for individuals aspiring to work in Singapore and Dubai. Eager job seekers from both Chandigarh and Punjab contacted the company, lured by the prospect of overseas employment.

The company demanded a sum of Rs 1, 20,000 for each Singapore work visa and 50 thousand rupees for each Dubai work visa. In total, 11 hopeful individuals, including Kishan Kumar, handed over a staggering sum of Rs 22,80,000, accompanied by the requisite documentation.

To add a veneer of authenticity to their operation, Sparks Overseas Immigration Company sent the applicants for medical examinations at Classic Diagnostic and Path Lab in Sector-33. Subsequently, Tanveer Kaur and Gurnoor Kaur were told to pay an additional Rs 3500 each for the promised visas, with the assurance that they would be granted within 12 to 15 days.

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However, on September 10, when the applicants arrived at the company's office, they were met with a grim discovery. The company had vanished without a trace, absconding with their hard-earned money and leaving them in a state of profound disappointment. Promptly after receiving the complaints, the Sector-34 police station took swift action, registering a formal case against the owner and employees of Sparks Overseas Immigration Company.

(For more latest news apart from Immigration Company Fraud, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Punjab Robbery News

Punjab Robbery News: 5 Masked Robbers Kidnap Sangrur Businessman, Demand 50 Lakhs Ransom

Punjab Robbery News: In a dramatic incident that unfolded on the Barnala-Sangrur National Highway-7, a group of five masked robbers abducted a Sangrur businessman and demanded a hefty ransom of Rs 50 lakhs. The victim, Yashpal, recounted the horrific experience, shedding light on the audacious nature of the crime.

The targeted businessman, Yashpal, disclosed that the victim was his nephew, Vikram, who owns a Bullet Motorcycle agency in Bathinda. The fateful incident occurred when Vikram was on his way back to Sangrur from Bathinda, around 7 pm. Unbeknownst to him, an unknown vehicle began to trail his Innova car. The assailants blocked Vikram's car near Badbar village, forcibly stopping it.

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The 4 to 5 masked robbers swiftly approached Vikram's car, launching an aggressive assault that culminated in his abduction. Yashpal revealed that the criminals subsequently demanded a staggering ransom of Rs 50 lakhs from Vikram. However, Vikram was quick to explain that he did not have access to such a substantial sum at the moment. The robbers then instructed him to make contact with his family and secure the ransom.

Vikram was concealed by the masked robbers at an undisclosed location, and under their watchful eye, he contacted his family to convey the grave situation. Vikram's family was instructed to send a sum of Rs 7 lakhs to appease the kidnappers. The robbers accepted the 7 lakh rupees and subsequently released Vikram near Dhuri, unharmed but undoubtedly traumatized by the ordeal.

Upon learning of the incident, Yashpal reported it to Sub-Inspector Lakhwinder Singh, who is in charge of the Dhanaula police station. The police promptly registered a case against the unidentified robbers and initiated a thorough investigation to apprehend the culprits responsible for this audacious act.

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(For more latest news apart from Punjab Robbery News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 25. The 28th international conference and exhibition 'Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan - 2023' (OGT-2023) will start on October 25 this year in the building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, Trend reports.

The organizers of the large-scale forum are the Turkmennebit and Turkmengaz state concerns and the Turkmengeology State Corporation in partnership with the 'Turkmen Forum' with the support of the UK GaffneyCline company in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

The forum will be attended by representatives of state and international organizations, national and private oil and gas companies, as well as experts from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, the US, Russia, UAE, China, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore.

A wide range of topical issues were put on the agenda of the forum, such as the effective use of the richest natural resources, the development of energy markets and investment activities, the development of new fields, the processing of hydrocarbon raw materials, petrochemistry, gas chemicals, chemical industries, and electric power, the introduction of environmentally friendly industries, the attraction of innovative technologies and advanced developments, and others.
Business sentiment survey data from Germany and monetary aggregates from the euro area are the top economic news due on Wednesday.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain's statistical office INE releases producer prices for September. Prices had declined 10.0 percent annually in August.

At 4.00 am ET, the ifo Institute publishes Germany's confidence survey data. The business sentiment index is seen at 85.9 in October, up from 85.7 in the prior month.

Also, the European Central Bank is slated to release euro area monetary aggregates for September. M3 is forecast to fall 1.7 percent annually, following a 1.3 percent drop in August.



In the meantime, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs publishes Swiss economic forecast.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
The supreme court of Georgia has upheld the state's ban on abortion after six-weeks of pregnancy.

Georgia had passed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (Life) Act in 2019 that bans abortion, with some exceptions, when early heartbeat is detected.

It took effect after the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion under Roe v Wade in 2022.

A group of abortion rights supporters challenged the law, and called for its repeal.

The court ruled that the six-week abortion ban law will remain valid while litigation over it continues.

"The trial court erred in relying on overruled decisions of the United States Supreme Court to conclude that portions of the LIFE Act violated the United States Constitution when enacted in 2019," the Georgia supreme court said in its majority opinion, which was written by Justice Verda M Colvin. "The same United States Constitution governs today as when the LIFE Act was enacted, and Georgia courts are required to look to the United States Supreme Court's now-controlling interpretation of the United States Constitution when determining whether a statutory law violates that Constitution," it added.

The six-week ban had limited pregnant women's access to abortion in Georgia, and threatened physicians with jail time for providing care.

It forced hundreds of women to travel to other states for medical care they desperately needed to preserve their , and led to complications that make it more difficult to have children in the future.

The ruling is seen as a boost to Republican lawmakers who are calling for a national abortion ban that would criminalize reproductive health care in every state.

In a statement on Georgia Supreme Court decision upholding abortion ban, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we've seen the dangerous impact bans like this have had on women across the country."

She vowed that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris won't stop fighting until the protections of Roe v. Wade are restored in federal law.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Promise Songcata from Rhodes University, founded a company called Protechnologies, which produces laboratory equipment at a fair price. He will be representing Eastern Cape in the finals. [PIC CREDIT: Olwethu Phoko]

By Bukamuso Sebata

Rhodes University hosted the 2023 Eastern Cape Regional Intervarsity Pitch Competition on 17 and 18 October at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature, which included studentrepreneurs from the University of Fort Hare (UFH), Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and Walter Sisulu University (WSU).

This annual pitch competition for student entrepreneurs is funded through the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), supported by Universities South Africa (USAf), and is held in partnership with Allan Gray Orbis Foundation and SAB Foundation.

The goals of EDHE is to equip students for economic participation through entrepreneurial activities, with an emphasis on student women, support academics and support professionals to develop entrepreneurship through teaching, learning and research across disciplines, and support universities as entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystems.

The 2023 Intervarsity competition received 1266 entries from 26 public universities across the country. Just over 800 participants were accepted in the internal rounds within their universities. A maximum of 10 students represented their university at the regional rounds while 24 finalists from the six regions will compete to walk away with prize money to the value of R100 000 and the coveted title of Studentrepreneur of the Year 2023 at the national level.

The competition has five categories:

Category 1  New Business Ideas for students who are still considering entrepreneurship but have promising business ideas.

Category 2  Existing Businesses focusing on Tech for technology-based businesses.

Category 3  Existing Businesses focusing on Social Impact for social entrepreneurs.

Category 4  Existing Businesses that are general.

Category 5  Research-based business, which is a new category that is designed to encourage the commercialisation of research by both students and university staff. The new category seeks to foster innovation and support the development of research-based startups.

The Rhodes Universitys Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi gave the welcoming speech, praising the participants for coming up with ideas that have the potential to transform communities in the Eastern Cape.

The first day focused on the first three categories. In Category 1, there were eight contestants:

Maake Lebea (Rhodes University)

Andrea Ephraim (Rhodes University)

Bandile Yolwa (UFH)

Sakhe Morosi (UFH)

Kgauhelo Tlhone (NMU)

Elihle Stali (NMU), the founder of Specs for Blind, a company that will create glasses that function with AirPods to help visually impaired people function more independently. They won in this category but will not be going to the finals in Gauteng as the competition for this category ends in the regionals.

Nikilitha Matshisela (WSU)

Philasande Nkatana (WSU)

In Category 2, there were six participants:

Daniel Okoko (UFH)

Mihle Gosani (UFH)

Koketso Mosena (NMU)

Andile Mtshemla (NMU), the founder of Ultra Pay, will represent the Eastern Cape in Gauteng for this category.

Yolokazi Mbewana (WSU)

Phumelela Prusent (WSU)

Category 3 had five contestants:

Zamamiya Majola (Rhodes University)

Mncedi Makaula (Rhodes University)

Pretty Mqolweni (UFH), founder of Pretty Design, will represent the Eastern Cape in the finals.

Bongani Moyo (UFH)

Keitumetse Sesing (NMU)

The second day of the pitching competition focused on Categories 4 and 5.

Category 4 had eight contestants:

Paula Maseko (Rhodes University)

Vuyolethu Maweni (Rhodes University)

Promise Songcata (Rhodes University)

Tulani Qwesha (UFH)

Nelisa Buhlungu (UFH)

Kelly Damsons (NMU)

Mthokozisi Njapha (NMU)

Ncebo Ntsabo (WSU), the founder of Qombe Maize which aims to educate people about maize farming and help eradicate poverty and unemployment in the Eastern Cape. They won this round and will be going to the finals.

Category 5 had three contestants:
Heros top 2 sellers, Splendor and Deluxe account for almost 78% of the total domestic sales in Sep 2023

Hero MotoCorp, the worlds largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, has reported robust sales figures for its scooters and motorcycles in India for the month of September 2023. The companys performance indicates steady growth in the domestic market and a substantial boost in exports.

Hero MotoCorp Sales Breakup Sep 2023

Hero MotoCorps domestic sales performance for September 2023 showcases a positive trend, with an overall growth of 2.39% compared to the same month last year. The company sold a total of 5,19,759 units in September 2023, up from 5,07,650 units in September 2022.

The iconic Hero Splendor continues to be the top performer for the company, with 3,19,692 units sold in September 2023, marking an impressive growth of 9.99% compared to the previous year. This popular model continues to maintain a dominant market share of 61.51%.

While the Hero HF Deluxe saw a decrease in sales by 10.13%, with 84,118 units sold, it remains a significant contributor to the companys overall sales, commanding a 16.18% market share. Passion, Glamour, and Destini 125 models witnessed mixed results, with the Passion showing a marginal growth of 0.34%, Glamour experiencing a decline of 7.02%, and the Destini 125 demonstrating a 2.13% growth.

On the other hand, the Pleasure, Xtreme 160/200, Xpulse 200 and Maestro posted varying degrees of decline in sales. The most notable decline was seen in the Maestro and Xpulse 200 models, with drops of 92.77% and 52.82%, respectively. Newly launched Xoom and Vida scooters are slowly reporting an increase in sales while the new Karizma 210 is expected to add a sales boost in coming months.

Hero MotoCorp Exports Performance Sep 2023

Hero MotoCorps exports also exhibited strong growth in September 2023. The company exported a total of 16,709 units, marking a significant 35.96% increase compared to September 2022. Hero Maestro led the export segment with 3,945 units, showing remarkable growth of 557.50% year-on-year. The Hunk and Xpulse 200 followed closely behind, with 72.73% and 86.10% growth, respectively.

However, the HF Deluxe, Glamour, Splendor, Passion, Pleasure, and Destini models witnessed varying degrees of decline in exports, indicating that Hero MotoCorps international market performance is influenced by specific models and regions.

Hero MotoCorps sales performance in September 2023 reflects a positive overall trend in the domestic market and a substantial boost in exports. The continued popularity of the Hero Splendor and growth in the export segment contribute to the companys resilience in a competitive two-wheeler market. Despite challenges posed by changing consumer preferences and market dynamics, Hero MotoCorp remains a dominant player in the Indian and global two-wheeler industry, with a commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.
As opposed to the Prelude of the past with IC engines, Honda Prelude nameplate is being resurrected as a sporty electric coupe

Who doesnt like a comeback story? From the house of Honda, we have seen nameplate resurrections like Acura Integra, revived into a 4-door modern sedan. At Japan Mobility Show, Honda resurrected another nameplate. Although, not under Acura brand. Were talking about Honda Prelude revived into a modern 2-door electric coupe.

Honda Prelude Nameplate Revived

If you can recall, Honda Prelude is one of the most popular Honda vehicles of the past and has quite a cult following among enthusiasts. It was a compact 2-door coupe-style vehicle that offered good drive dynamics. Now, Honda is bringing back Prelude nameplate with a larger 2-door coupe-styled electric car.

At 2023 Japan Mobility Show, Honda was expected to have a wild card showcase in the form of NSX hybrid supercar replacement. But in reality, it was Prelude concept, brought back into modern era after a long absence. Company revealed that it has launch intentions with Prelude concept, with production-spec model in development.

Unlike Prelude of the past, this new-age Honda Prelude concept is an electric vehicle. Even without an IC engine, Honda promises joy of driving with Prelude along with extraordinary excitement, never felt before. Finer details like battery chemistry, motor performance and layout, EV architecture were still under wraps.

Looks like a Toyota and goes like a Porsche?

Honda has gone with a rather clean design with slightly larger proportions, especially when compared to Prelude of the past. Cars have become bigger in recent times and this is as true as water being wet. Even a quintessentially small car like a Mini is not so mini anymore.

Also, Honda called Prelude Concept at 2023 Japan Mobility Show as a sporty model and not a sportscar. That said, it does look like one. Speaking of looks, Honda Prelude Concept has a fascia that will not look out of place on a modern Toyota, including the new Prius and especially BZ series.

There are interesting-looking headlight designs along with a wide LED DRL bar connecting the two headlights. Honda badge sits proudly above LED DRL and in the lower bumper, there is a gloss black section along with a thin vertical strip finished in Blue. There are gloss black alloy wheels and blue brake callipers, screaming performance credentials.

Small ORVMs, flush door handles and coupe roofline are notable elements. However, the way this roof slopes towards the end reminds us of Porsches. But there are only so many ways to achieve a coupe design. Same cant be said about Prelude concepts rear section where semblance with Porsche design is more evident.

Especially in the way this sleek 3-piece LED tail light bar extends the width of this vehicle, Honda badging above this light bar and Prelude written in cursive. Honda hasnt shown interiors of this concept vehicle yet. Production model is likely to launch in markets like Japan, North America and maybe even Europe.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. An auction for placement of state bonds of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance with ISIN code AZ0101030093 and maturity of 364 days was held at Baku Stock Exchange (BSE) CJSC on October 24, 2023, Trend reports.

The ministry said that the total nominal value of the requests of the investors for the bonds was 227.8 million manat ($134 million).

The weighted average price of government bonds worth 120 million manat ($70.59 million) on tender orders was set by the Ministry of Finance at the level 92.7121 (yield 7.904 percent).

The maturity date of the bonds is October 22, 2024.

The Baku Stock Exchange is the main stock exchange of Azerbaijan, which is engaged in the formation and development of the trading system, providing the organization of trade in securities and effective execution of concluded transactions.

In 2022, 45 placements of corporate securities (excluding mortgage loans) were carried out at the Exchange.

The Baku Stock Exchange has bilateral relations with London, Warsaw, Moscow and other stock exchanges, and cooperates closely with the International Finance Corporation, together with which it held a conference dedicated to the corporate securities market.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. The Association of Travel Agencies of Azerbaijan (ATAA) and Georgian Wings airline have discussed cooperation opportunities, Trend reports.

According to ATAA, opportunities for cooperation were discussed at a meeting between ATAA board chairman Goydaniz Gahramanov and Georgian Wings Airlines sales director Lali Beshkenadze.

The Chairman of the Board of the Association provided detailed information on the activities of the institution, its role in the development of the tourism industry of Azerbaijan.

At the meeting the parties exchanged views on the issues of joint cooperation between ATAA and Georgian Wings airline, expansion of tourism ties, organization of advertising and information activities to increase tourist attractiveness, as well as implementation of mutual information tours, development of partnership relations with member companies, settlement of pricing policy.

Georgian Wings airline operates flights on the Tbilisi-Baku-Tbilisi route five times a week.
Scientists from Curtin University, the Western Australian Museum and Murdoch University have identified three new species of mulgaras  small carnivorous marsupials related to the Tasmanian devil and quoll  and the researchers fear these new species may no longer exist in the wild.

Mulgaras (genus Dasycercus) are small carnivorous marsupials found throughout Australias arid and semi-arid bioregions.

These creatures prey on a large variety of small fauna, including small mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates.

Throughout their distribution, mulgaras aid in ecosystem management, including via bioturbation (soil turnover) during burrowing and foraging for insect prey, with individuals using multiple burrows over their home range.

Australia lacks many large carnivorous species, owing to the extinction of megafauna at the end of the Pleistocene epoch.

As such, the natural ecological roles of carnivores in many regions are filled by smaller species such as mulgaras.

Since European arrival, mulgaras have experienced declines in their geographic distribution, most likely as a result of domestic cat predation.

Currently there are two recognized species of mulgaras: the crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda) and the brush-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus blythi).

Dasycercus blythi is known to occur over much of the arid zone, including sympatrically in some areas with Dasycercus cristicauda.

Specimens collected on the Canning Stock Route indicate that Dasycercus cristicauda occurs in sand dune environments, while Dasycercus blythi occupies Spinifex grasslands within the same geographic range.

Our research had identified six species of mulgaras, as opposed to the previously accepted two and it also concluded that a third previously named mulgara, Dasycercus hillieri, was indeed a valid species, said Curtin University Ph.D. student Jake Newman-Martin.

However, Dasycercus hillieri and three new species (Dasycercus woolleyae, Dasycercus archeri and Dasycercus marlowi) appeared to be already extinct.

In the study, Newman-Martin and colleagues analyzed preserved specimens of mulgaras from museums across the country, including bones found in caves which had previously not been identifiable.

Known as ecosystem engineers, mulgaras are immensely important to the regions they inhabit as they help control the population of insects and small rodents and assist turning over the desert soils by burrowing, Newman-Martin said.

By taking precise measurements of the skulls and teeth of preserved mulgara specimens, we were able to differentiate the species, the exact number of which had previously been the source of some debate.

Using the skulls and teeth of mulgaras had previously not been achievable because no study had documented and measured the bones in detail.

Our study shows that mulgaras are actually far more diverse than previously thought.

While the discovery of more species of mulgaras may sound like good news, the fact they were likely already extinct was disconcerting, said Dr. Kenny Travouillon, curator of mammalogy at the Western Australian Museum.

While Australia is renowned for its diverse and unique marsupials, it also has the highest mammalian extinction rate in the world, with many species suffering from the impacts of environmental degradation and introduced predators such as foxes and cats.

The most at-risk species are often overlooked small marsupials, which have suffered a great drop in their abundance and distribution since European colonization.

Mulgaras may even represent the first recorded Australian extinction within the broader family of related animals (Dasyuridae) and are sadly disappearing with even less recognition than their now infamous cousins the Tasmanian tiger.

It is likely that many more undescribed species have already become extinct before they could be known to science, highlighting the need to better understand Australian wildlife and the growing threats to our ecosystems.

The discovery is described in a paper in the Alcheringa, an Australasian Journal of Palaeontology.

_____

Jake Newman-Martin et al. Taxonomic review of the genus Dasycercus (Dasyuromorphia: Dasyuridae) using modern and subfossil material; and the description of three new species. Alcheringa, published online October 22, 2023; doi: 10.1080/03115518.2023.2262083
Minterichnus shieldi, a new type of trace fossil (resting trace) of a phyllocarid crustacean from Texas shows animals trapped in a tidal pool, just before animals first emerged onto land.

Trace fossils represent the remains of an ancient organisms activity. They include animal tracks, burrows and resting traces.

A new type of resting trace from the middle Cambrian period, around 500 million years ago, slightly younger than the famous Burgess Shale fauna in Canada, reveals what life was like in tidal settings at this time.

The ancient animal that produced it was about 6 cm long and belonged to a group of crustaceans called phyllocarids (the distant ancestor of crabs and lobsters), probably like their earliest example called Arenosicaris found in Wisconsin around this time.

The fossil resting trace was discovered in the Riley Formation of central Texas. It consists of small isolated traces on the underside of a sandstone slab, comprising imprints of the arthropods antennae, five walking legs, at least five gill plates, an abdomen and tail spines.

It is named Minterichnus shieldi, after Dr. Nicholas Minter from Portsmouth University, in recognition of his research on trace fossils and Mr. Elgean Shield who discovered the fossil in 1937 and later received a Presidential Citation for World War II actions.

The fossil shows ancient behavior  animals trapped in a tidal pool, before animals established themselves on land, an important stepping stone in the evolution of life.

Worms, lingulid brachiopods and stranded dying phyllocarids occupied the tidal pools, while trilobites and dendroid graptolites lived in the deeper tidal channels.

It was previously attributed to an obscure group of chelicerate arthropods called chasmataspidids, and was the oldest record of a euchelicerate (horseshoe crabs, eurypterids [sea scorpions] and arachnids); the oldest unequivocal euchelicerate is now Ordovician in age.

This makes sense by shifting the oldest record of euchelicerates into the Ordovician when the first horseshoe crabs appear, explained Dr. Jason Dunlop from the Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity in Berlin, who reviewed the study.

The fact that the apparently more derived-looking chasmataspidids predated horseshoe crabs was always something of an anomaly in the fossil record.

The oldest tracks on dry land were made by the ancestors of millipedes (called euthycarcinoids) on ancient coastal dunes (in New York State and Ontario) and tidal flats (in Quebec and Wisconsin) around the same time.

Phyllocarids, euthycarcinoids and mollusks all left traces on ancient tidal flats 500 million years ago, representing the precursors of terrestrial crustaceans, millipedes and molluscs, respectively.

They were shortly followed by the eurypterids, the precursors of arachnids, leading to the widespread invasion of the land by animals, perhaps via neotony (the retention of juvenile traits in descendant species).

This paper appears in the Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie.

_____

S.J. Braddy. 2023. A new arthropod resting trace from the middle Cambrian of Texas. Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie 309/3: 291-300; doi: 10.1127/njgpa/2023/1163
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 25. The Kazakh Atyrau Refinery is scheduled to reach its full design capacity in the first ten days of November 2023, KazMunayGas JSC (KMG, Kazakhstan's national company) told Trend.

As the company noted, on October 21, 2023, at the Atyrau Refinery, as part of the interim results of planned preventative maintenance work, the first stage of the plants process units was launched.

Daily oil refining is 9,500 tons, and production of commercial products has also begun: gasoline (1,200 tons per day), diesel fuel (1,500 tons per day).

At the remaining installations, the bulk of planned preventative maintenance work has almost been completed. According to the schedule approved by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, it is planned to bring the equipment into technological mode one by one.

To date, since the start of planned preventative maintenance work, cleaning of equipment, work on lining furnaces and reactors, replacement of worn-out equipment and catalysts, modification of internal devices of column equipment, and more have been completed. Inspection, inspection, and pressure testing of pressure vessels continue.

In addition, taking into account the requirements of environmental legislation, the plant is implementing a project to install an automated monitoring system (AFS) for emissions into the environment. As part of the planned preventative maintenance work.

all the necessary work for the installation of AFS equipment was carried out on the chimneys of process furnaces.
Dr. Colleen Allen, president and CEO of the Autism Alliance of Michigan, addressing the 2022 conference in Grand Rapids.

Erik Gallery, AAoM director of Statewide Access and Early Identification Initiatives.

The keynote speaker for the conference is

Hillary Hatch, the Social Security Administration public affairs specialist for West Michigan. Hatch will share,

MI-Navigators provide free professional consultation on clinical, educational, insurance, vocational, public safety, policy, and legal issues.

AAoM will share its Autism 101 training  a basic understanding of autism that shares tips, tools, and suggestions for improving communication.

The AAoMs goal for the conference is for parents and caregivers to have their questions answered.

AAoM welcomes parents, caregivers, families, and individuals living with autism as well as providers and educators.

On Friday November 17, the Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) will host a conference, Navigating Autism Today  at the Grand Valley State University Pew Campus L.V. Eberhard Center from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. AAoM welcomes parents, caregivers, families, and individuals living with autism as well as providers and educators to come, connect, and consider expanding their community networks and access to resources. The conference web page provides links to registration, sponsorship opportunities, and vendor table reservations.AAOMs conferences have always originally been intended for caregivers, families, and parents, says Erik Gallery, AAoM director of Statewide Access and Early Identification Initiatives. In fact, the conferences used to be titled our parent conferences. That's always been the focus providing an event for families to be able to gain access to some more up to date information and make connections to local providers. But we've definitely seen the audience including more providers.What you need to know about SSI when you turn 18.Gallery notes that providers attending past AAoM conferences typically are interested in connecting with their peers and finding out what advancements are being made in terms of autism services.But really, our intention is to focus on the caregivers needs, he says. That's why our content tracks are really focused on the lifespan needs of autism.Topics offered during break-out sessions will speak to early intervention and diagnosis, building access to care, social needs and peer interaction, and transitional needs  independent living and vocational opportunities. Specifically, AAoMs director of education reform Heather Eckner will lead a session on Know your rights. Dr. Jeana Koerber, executive director Great Lakes Center for Autism Treatment and Research, will talk about Helping individuals with severe autism. And the My Relationships Project will broach, What is comprehensive sex education.We have to remember that there are many adolescents, many adults living with autism. And they are going through the same physiological changes that we all have, and they have those same needs, Gallery says. It's important that caregivers, those who are working with these individuals, and providers are really aware of what these needs are and understand what is it going to look like as that person gets older  and what does it mean to ensure that they're getting quality sex education as part of their transition planning.In addition, AAoM will share its Autism 101 training  a basic understanding of autism that shares tips, tools, and suggestions for improving communication  as well as MiNavigator information sessions. MI-Navigators provide free professional consultation on clinical, educational, insurance, vocational, public safety, policy, and legal issues.Parents and caregivers can't be expected to know it all. Autism can present unique needs, Gallery says. It's important that they are really able to understand all the services out there and ensure that there are opportunities and possibilities for their child.Providers in the autism services world are typically clinical service providers: board certified behavior analysts, occupational and speech therapists, clinical therapists, and some medical professionals  pediatricians and nurses.We do want to put a focus on understanding the early identification aspect of autism, Gallery says. Our Watch me grow series of trainings, which we hope to build into the conference, has been geared towards professionals so they can be more prepared and able to readily identify some of those early signs of autism and make more timely referrals. The Autism Alliance has some pretty strong foundational trainings. People can look forward to accessing those when they come to the conference.The AAoMs goal for the conference is for parents and caregivers to have their questions answered, even if the conference presenters dont talk about their particular topic of concern.We're aware that not all the sessions are going to hit on maybe the specific question that's lingering in their mind, Gallery says. AAoM staff from our MiNavigator program will be there to answer those questions and provide resource identification where its needed. We want parents to leave with some empowerment. Even if their questions aren't answered, they now know of some options and different paths that they can look into that address some of their specific needs, whether that's connecting with our MiNavigator program beyond the conference or finding another provider from their local area.For providers, the conference will provide foundational levels of collaboration. They will not only be able to connect with AAoM and sign on to become a part of its resource directory but also connect with other professionals from across the state who are seeking better ways to help their patients living with autism.We would want to ensure that they're getting connected with our provider group meetings, statewide meetings that we host about every six weeks, Gallery says. These are really an opportunity for the providers to connect with each other that facilitates communication among them all.The provider group meetings also deliver key statewide updates from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and other groups that AAoM is aligned with.There are a lot of pockets of great and quality work happening across the state, Gallery says. But there's not enough connection between all those providers. Sometimes that collaboration is really needed to be able to tackle some of these complex needs that come up for people living with autism.This conference will be the second that AAoM has held in Grand Rapids. The statewide organization is working hard to extend its reach to all Michiganders living with autism, their parents, caregivers, schools, providers, and employers. AS part of those efforts, AAoM opened a satellite office in the Grand Rapids area where vocational and other trainings will take place.Our hope is to continue to build on this, Gallery concludes. We've gotten positive feedback from the communities where we've been presenting these conferences, from both the caregivers that are starting to look forward to it and the providers that know that they can make some of these connections. We want to continue that. We know that there is a need for it. It's incredibly difficult to take on the magnitude of some of these needs all by yourself or, for providers, even just within your own practice.
Right here in Michigan, Detroits pre-K programs are among the best.

Celina Byrd, director of strategy and innovation and principal of Marygrove Early Education Center.

Camarrah Morgan, The Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation program partner.

Littles listen to a story at Marygrove Early Education Center.

James Ribbron, executive director, Champions for HOPE.

Birth to age 8 is a critical period in childhood learning, making pre-k one of the most important years in a childs education.

Ashley King is a born-and-raised Michigander. She wants to use her writing expertise gained from her time studying at the University of Michigan to make sure the stories of Michigan reach far and wide across the Mitten.
Shares in Deutsche Bank rallied in Frankfurt on Wednesday after the Germany banking giant beat third-quarter forecasts and raised its capital outlook.

Pre-tax profit in the three months to 30 September came to 1.7bn, up 7% year-on-year and the highest for any third quarter since 2006. Net profit came in at 1.03bn, ahead of the consensus forecast of 997m.

Meanwhile net revenues rose 3% to 7.1bn, helped by a 21% improvement in corporate banking and a 3% rise in private banking, offsetting a 4% fall in the investment banking top line and a 10% drop in asset management revenue.

This took net revenues for the first nine months of the year up 6% to 22.2bn. Full-year net revenues are expected to come in at 29bn, up from 27.2bn in 2022.

These results demonstrate strong and sustained business growth momentum combined with continued cost discipline, said chief executive Christian Sewing, Officer.

The company said it has now reduced risk weighted assets (RWA) by 10bn, as part of its plan to cut RWA by 15-20bn by 2025. As a result, it is now targeting a RWA reduction of 25-30bn.

Meanwhile, the impact on WRA from the implementation of Basel III regulations  which require banks to hold common equity tier 1 capital of at least 4.5% of RWA  will now be 10-15bn less than originally estimated.

As such, it will be able to free up an additional 3bn in capital through to 2025.

We have materially improved our capital outlook thanks to our strong results and focused capital efficiency measures. This gives us scope to invest in growing our Global Hausbank model, further improve returns, and increase and accelerate distributions to our shareholders," Sewing said.

The stock was up 7% at 10.16 by 1013 CEST.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 25. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani invited Kyrgyz businesses to explore the opportunities provided by Pakistani seaports for advancing trade, Trend reports.

This statement was made during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Zheenbek Kulubaev. Jilani is on a working visit to Bishkek to participate in the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

Jilani expressed Pakistan's interest in developing the region's transit potential. During the meeting, both sides welcomed the upcoming session of the joint Kyrgyz-Pakistani intergovernmental commission, which is scheduled to take place in the near future.

The FMs expressed their interest in high-level visits and the next round of political consultations involving deputy foreign ministers of both countries.

Kulubaev emphasized the need for prompt signing of interdepartmental agreements on cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, and the military-technical sector. He noted that signing these agreements would elevate the level of Kyrgyz-Pakistani interstate relations.

The 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of SCO member states will take place in Bishkek on October 26, 2023.
12th Africa Bank 4.0 Summit  SADC Region is all set to be hosted on the 15th & 16th of November 2023, at the The Maslow Hotel, Sandton - Johannesburg, with the conference theme focused on "Upscaling Digital Financial Services and Payments: Innovative, Agile, Accessible, Affordable".

Gathering eminent names from the regions financial sector and governing bodies this event aims to play a pivotal role in addressing real-world challenges, converting them into potential opportunities, and ultimately serving as a catalyst for transformation within the region's digital financial services landscape. Along with a 2-day knowledge-sharing summit and solution showcase, this event will also be hosting the Africa Bank 4.0 Awards  SADC Region, celebrating and honoring exponential contribution from the regions noteworthy organizations and individuals.

The Retail Banking Panel, addressing the importance of Modernizing Retail Banking Strategies will be joined by Guillermo Martin, Director - New Business Sales, FICO Platform ; Dedrey Mutimutema, Director - Retail Banking at CBZ Bank Limited ; Nere Jansen Van Vuuren, Regional Sales Director: Africa, Australia & New Zealand at C&R Software ; Bhavya Shah, Head of Personal Financial Services at Bank One ; Farshad Nowshadi, Vice President eStrategy at Saman Bank and he is also VC, Mentor at Level39 ; and Antony Vendhan, Co-Founder & Director, Identy.

An exclusive session on Real-Time Payment as a Steppingstone to Economic Growth & Prosperity will be elaborated by Kumaran Selvarajalu, Head: Payments at Banking Association South Africa (BASA), while Chris Wood, Managing Executive: Product  Relationship Banking, Absa will be sharing his insights on Collaboration is the Route for Growth & Prosperity during his presentation.

Data, Digital and AI are revolutionizing how new edge BFSI companies operate, interact with customers, drive seamless experience, and manage their core operations. In a joint-presentation titled Transforming BFSI with AI and Automation by Ambuj Khaturia, CTO and Rahul Bohra, AVP Products from Cygnet Digital.

Optimizing the Digital Customer Experience was discussed over a interactive panel discussion titled DIGITAL LEADERS PANEL. Moderated by Chris Wood, Managing Executive: Product  Relationship Banking at Absa, this panel will be joined by

Polys Hadjikyriacos, Chief Sales Officer & Executive Board Member, NETinfo Plc

Chief Sales Officer & Executive Board Member, Sitesh Srivastava, Chief Customer Officer, Yethi Consulting

Chief Customer Officer, Sudheer Prabhu, Chief Technology Officer, CIM Financial Services Ltd

Chief Technology Officer, Benlaw Ruredzo, Chief Digital Officer, CBZ Holdings Limited

Chief Digital Officer, Tawanda Chatikobo, Executive Head of Digital Transformation, Telesure Group

Executive Head of Digital Transformation, Ulrik Tobias Peter, Head of Digital, Alternate Channels and Transformation, National Bank of Commerce Limited (NBC)

Some of the other highlighted sessions of the event include Influencer Panel, Policy Panel, The Payments Town Hall, Financial Inclusion Panel along with many other exclusive knowledge-sharing presentations.

The 12th Africa Bank 4.0 Summit  SADC Region will culminate with the prestigious Africa Bank 4.0 Awards  SADC Region. These awards are dedicated to honoring and acknowledging the remarkable contributions of individuals, organizations, and initiatives that have significantly bolstered the financial sector's response and have made an indelible mark on shaping the future of the region's financial landscape.

An exclusive opportunity for business networking and the presentation of cutting-edge technology and solutions tailored for the financial sector will stand as a prominent feature of this event. Esteemed sponsors and exhibitors joining this event include BankservAfrica, NETinfo Plc and C&R Software as Gold Partners, FICO, Cygnet Digital and JuicyScore as Silver Partners, Yethi Consulting and IDENTTY as Associate Partner and Fintech Association of South Africa as Supporting Fintech Association among others.

To learn more about the event and application procedure for the awards

visit: https://www.biiafricabanksummit.com/12summit/
Ajay Goel, an experienced finance professional, has been reappointed as Vedanta's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) following the company's announcement of a significant demerger plan. He will assume his new role on October 30. This marks Goel's second term with Vedanta, as the previous CFO, Sonal Shrivastava, resigned after just five months. Vedanta stated that Goel's return is part of the company's organized rehiring initiative known as 'Gharwapsi,' which was introduced less than two years ago.

Goel previously held the role of acting CFO at Vedanta from October 2021 to April of this year. During the interim period, he served as the CFO at the troubled ed-tech company Byju's. Sonal Shrivastava, who had joined Vedanta from Holcim, cited personal reasons in her resignation letter to the company's management. Since 2021, Vedanta has experienced a lack of consistent leadership in its finance department. GR Arun Kumar resigned as Vedanta's CFO in February 2021, and in October of the same year, Goel was appointed as acting CFO.

Shrivastava's departure and Goel's return to Vedanta occurred at a crucial juncture when the company announced its plans to demerge its various businesses. Vedanta has initiated the process of listing its businesses as six separate entities. In addition to the demerger, Goel will need to address concerns related to debt and proposed asset monetization. Rating agencies have expressed apprehensions regarding Vedanta's and its promoters' ability to service debt in a timely manner. Recently, Crisil placed Vedanta Limited's long-term bank facilities and debt instruments under 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications.' The agency indicated that the ratings could be downgraded if Vedanta fails to reduce its year-end financial leverage to below 2.7 times through the asset monetization process, which is slated for completion by December of this year.
Electric vehicle (EV) fast charging company Exponent Energy has closed its first funding round in over a year, raising $25 million at a valuation of $100-120 million. The round is led by Fidelity-backed international investor Eight Roads, which has invested in Indian startups such as Pharmeasy, Whatfix, Shadowfax and Icertis. Exponent Energy's existing investors, including Lightspeed India and AdvantEdge VC, are also participating in the round. Exponent Energy last raised $13 million in a Series A round led by Lightspeed in August 2022, valuing the Bengaluru-based startup at around $45 million.

"Initially, the company wanted to raise almost $40 million, but the round ends at $25 million". Exponent has been raising money in the market for the past three to four months, he added. Another person said the company plans to deploy new capital to expand its charging infrastructure to more cities while refining its battery portfolio for additional use cases. "Currently , the company is present only in Bengaluru and is finalizing plans to expand to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad", Exponent is also currently developing three-wheeler truck batteries and is close to developing three-wheeler batteries. wheeled passenger cars and buses,

The company started selling its products in February this year and expects to deliver Rs 600 crore by calendar year 2025. Exponent Energy declined a request for comment. The company, founded in 2020 by former Ather Energy executives Arun Vinayak and Sanjay Byalal Jagannath, has developed technology that claims to fully charge a vehicle in far less than the standard minimum of three hours. To ensure fast charging, electric vehicle manufacturers must install an Exponent battery in their vehicles, and the end user can charge the vehicle at Exponent's own charging stations. The company currently has 30 such charging stations.
Banking veteran Rahul Gupta and fund manager Siba Panda announced their first venture debt fund, called ValuAble, with a corpus of Rs 850 crore, that will invest in tech-first and inclusive startups in India and globally. The sector-agnostic fund ValuAble will offer responsible capital and aim to bridge gaps in banking for capable and ambitious founders. With ValuAble, we dont want to be just lenders, we want to be partners in the entrepreneurial journey of different startups. Our core philosophy is to be enablers for businesses, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and tools to not only secure capital but also to foster sustainable growth, said Gupta, Founder and Managing Partner at ValuAble.

Gupta was previously head of financial sponsor coverage at Axis Bank . ValuAble is the first fund in India to be steered by a fund manager who is visually impaired. Our mission is to co-build with founders in their entrepreneurial journey, offering support beyond capital infusion, said Panda, Founder and Managing Partner. We plan to achieve this by introducing bank credits much earlier than the norm, expanding market access for businesses, providing growth capital through strategic partnerships with VC funds and DFIs, helping companies bolster their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, and instilling a strong culture right from the early days, he explained. ValuAble is committed to ensuring that the cost of funding remains highly competitive, offering an edge in the market while not compromising on returns for its investors.
The US-India strategic convergence with Indian Ocean island countries represents a significant shift in the geopolitics of the region. This partnership advances economic development, security, and diplomatic ties and contributes to the broader goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The recent transformation in the relationship between India and the United States has brought about a significant shift in the strategic balance within the Indian Ocean Region. Both countries share common goals to enhance international security, stability, and economic development in the region. Indian policymakers have long prioritized maintaining an independent foreign policy, which involves cultivating strong relations with diverse global actors.

Closer Ties with India

The principle of maintaining a free, open, and inclusive region is a key foundation of Indo-Pacific policy. The United States seeks to strengthen its ties with India as it views it as a crucial ally in the region. Recent developments have brought about significant changes in the relationship between the two countries. India has been steadily increasing its influence as a regional power, expanding its maritime security presence in the Indian Ocean.

The small Indian Ocean islands have, by virtue of their shared interests, influenced India's approach to the region. The countrys strategic plan, known as the 'Sagar Doctrine' (Security and Growth for All in the Region), provides a solid foundation for island nations such as Mauritius, Seychelles, and Reunion islands to strengthen their security and economic ties with India. India's foreign policy philosophy, emphasizing its Neighborhood First approach.

The dynamic of interdependence and alignment have garnered significant attention in emerging foreign policy considerations. This paradigm is expected to impact the balance of power among the larger nations like the US and India and the five Indian Ocean island nations. These are strategically situated in a crucial region of the Indian Ocean near vital choke points that significantly influence the international standing of the United States and India.

The foreign policy doctrines of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Biden have ambitious agendas for these island nations. While the initial establishment of ties between the United States, India, and these five Indian Ocean islands faced numerous challenges, their relationship over time has evolved into one of the most dependable diplomatic alliances in the region. Given the growing importance of their influence, it is imperative to reassess the foreign policy direction of these five Indian Ocean islands.

US, India, and Sri Lanka's Collaboration on Foreign Policy

Sri Lanka holds a significant place on the US national security agenda, and it falls upon the architects of US foreign policy to establish a framework for a more pronounced presence in the island nation. The current foreign policy prioritizes its neighborhood diplomacy. The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is poised to contribute to regional trade relations and maritime security, promoting peaceful cooperation. Through its foreign policy initiatives, the United States laid the foundation for transformative advancements in these relationships.

India and the U.S. have played constructive roles in supporting Sri Lanka's recovery from its financial crisis. The latter has pledged substantial financial aid to assist Sri Lanka in addressing its economic challenges. Under India's "Neighbour First Policy," Sri Lanka has consistently received significant attention, and last year, Indian foreign aid to Sri Lanka surpassed $3.8 billion.

Positioned at the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Sri Lanka's geographical location offers promising economic prospects for both Sri Lanka and India. Their economic diplomacy efforts, along with the involvement of the United States, have led to a more diversified and comprehensive alliance, bringing these nations closer than ever before.

India-US Diplomacy with Maldives

The significant involvement and partnerships with the five islands in the Indian Ocean have become a prominent aspect of US foreign policy. The Maldives stands out as a major beneficiary of the new US foreign policy approach. Notably, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defence of the Maldives have established a framework outlining their joint commitment to increasing engagement and cooperation in the pursuit of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean.

The strategic collaboration between the United States and India with regard to the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion has deepened, primarily due to their shared strategic objectives. This growing interdependence encompasses various aspects of bilateral relations, serving to counterbalance the influence of other regional powers. The current U.S. administration's foreign policy is strategically aligned with the Indian Ocean islands through its Indo-Pacific policy, further underscoring the significance of this region in terms of maritime security.

Given the surge in security concerns in the Indian Ocean, it is imperative to accord higher priority to the maritime security agenda in this region. Mauritius and the Seychelles islands are of particular significance due to their strategic locations, offering access to critical checkpoints. US and Indian relations with Mauritius and Seychelles primarily revolve around trade diplomacy and maritime security. The French island of Reunion considers itself a resident power in the Indo-Pacific, while Diego Garcia, a British Indian Ocean Territory, hosts key air and naval facilities extensively utilized by the United States.

The US-India strategic convergence with the Indian Ocean islands brings several advantages in shaping foreign policy. Firstly, it enhances regional security by fostering cooperation among these nations to counter common challenges like piracy, maritime security, and regional stability. This collaboration facilitates economic growth through trade, infrastructure development, and energy partnerships, benefiting both the islands and the larger region. Additionally, it enables a counterbalance to the influence of other regional powers, ensuring a multipolar and stable Indian Ocean. Overall, this strategic alignment strengthens diplomatic ties, promotes shared interests, and positions the US and India as key partners in advancing security, prosperity, and stability in the Indian Ocean Region.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  It has been three weeks since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, and in the wake of the violence there has been an alarming spike in hate crimes here in New York City, according to the NYPD.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny addressed the rising figures in a news briefing on Tuesday. During the briefing, he revealed that prior to Hamas attack on Israel, hate crimes across the five boroughs were down 21% when compared with this same time frame last year, as noted by the Daily News.

The tensions in the Middle East seem to be fueling hatred here in the homeland, as Kenny revealed that the 21% decrease has now shrunk to just a 13% decrease. This number comes on the heels of a significant wave of incidents; last week alone saw 51 hate crimes, according to Kenny.

Of the 51 incidents reported over the seven days, a majority were deemed antisemitic, while four were classified as anti-ethnic.

So we had 30 incidents since 10/9, versus six last year deemed to be anti-Jewish, Kenny said. We also had four anti-ethnic incidents since 10/9 versus two last year, and those anti-ethnic would be Palestinian related. So for a lack of a better term, we are seeing an increase in our decrease.

These hate-driven acts can take the form of assault, however, Kenny noted that in most cases the hatred manifested itself through aggravated harassment.

The crime that were seeing is a very small amount of assaults, an even smaller amount of felony assaults. Were seeing a lot of people getting slapped, getting pushed, Kenny stated. The majority of the 30 crimes that we saw that were anti-Jewish, they stemmed from graffiti, criminal mischief, aggravated harassment, basically almost bordering on free speech, where people are yelling back and forth at each other until it takes a weird turn.

Over the past few weeks, NYC has seen a number of protests stirring the sentiments of the thousands who have taken to the streets. Despite the massive turnouts and heightened tensions, Kenny stated that most of the cases were independent of these demonstrations.

They seem to be individual acts being committed, Kenny said. Some of them random  people just happen to cross paths on the subway or on a bus. We dont see anything thats really planned; protests, obviously are planned events.

Kenny emphasized the spontaneity of these acts, noting that while there have been an increase of such hate crimes in Jewish communities such as Brooklyn South and Forest Hills, Queens, the reported cases are predominantly chance encounters.

In response to recent events, the NYPD has bolstered its forces, ensuring maximum vigilance; the NYPD recently encouraged the general public to remain alert.

The department has taken a posture of being aggressively out there, said Kenny. We have a lot of people in uniform. A lot of my detectives were in uniform last week out there, showing the public that were here to protect them.

ANTISEMITISM IN NYC

When looking at the year as a whole, between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, New York City recorded 375 confirmed incidents of hate crimes; nearly half of these acts were antisemitic, as noted by the NYPD Hate Crimes Dashboard.

In all, there were 155 antisemitic incidents across the five boroughs, a majority of them were classified as felonies. The most widespread offense description was Miscellaneous Penal Law tallying up to 81 confirmed incidents. These 155 reported antisemitic incidents resulted in the arrests of 55 individuals, as mentioned on the NYPD Hate Crimes Dashboard.

In comparison to the other boroughs, Staten Island reported the least amount of antisemitic hate crimes for the same period of time, with a total of five confirmed incidents. Of these crimes, two were reported in the 120th Precinct, two in the 121st Precinct, one was reported in the 122nd Precinct, and none took place in the confines of the South Shores 123rd Precinct.
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, October 25. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its expectations for Tajikistan's exports of goods and services for 2023 and 2024, Trend reports.

The IMF forecasts that Tajikistan's exports of goods and services will reach $1.6 billion in 2023, which is a decrease from $1.7 billion projected in May 2023.

However, the long-term outlook is more positive. For 2024, the October forecast anticipates Tajikistan's exports to reach $2 billion, whereas in May, it was predicted to be $1.8 billion.

In 2022, according to the IMF, Tajikistan's exports of goods and services amounted to $1.8 billion. This was lower than $2.2 billion in 2021 but higher than $1.4 billion in 2020 and $900,000 in 2019.

In August, the head of the country's Customs Service, Khurshed Karimzoda, said that Tajikistan's external trade turnover amounted to $3.4 billion in the first half of the year, which was $324.7 million, or 9 percent, lower than the same period ($3.7 billion).

Imported goods into the country significantly exceeded the volume of exports. Specifically, imports of goods amounted to $2.7 billion, which was $414.7 million, or 18 percent, higher than the first six months of 2022 ($2.3 million).

Exports reached $653.3 million, which was $739.4 million, or 53 percent, lower than the previous year when it stood at $1.3 billion.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  City officials will host an event in Queens this weekend offering free anti-theft software upgrades and other tools to Hyundai car owners, the mayors office announced Wednesday.

The two-day event, hosted by Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks and Police Commissioner Edward Caban, will take place Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA) Center for Automotive Education and Training, located at 15-30 Petracca Place in Queens.

Owners of certain Hyundai vehicles made from 2013 to 2022 are eligible for an anti-theft software upgrade, which will be performed on-site by service technicians. If a vehicle isnt eligible for the software upgrade, a free steering wheel lock will be available.

Violent crime is down in New York City, but we arent going to take our foot off the gas when it comes to combatting car thefts, Mayor Eric Adams said. This event will provide a free and easy way for Hyundai owners to protect themselves from falling victim to auto theft, and I encourage residents to take advantage of this clinic as we continue to attack this issue from every angle.

City officials have linked a spike in car thefts around the five boroughs to specific models of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, a problem seen around the country as part of a trend on social media. Kia is a subsidiary of Hyundai.

As of Sunday, there had been a nearly 19% jump in car thefts around the city compared to last year, and about a 1% jump on Staten Island, according to the NYPDs CompStat system.

Adams announced a new comprehensive strategy in September that included a dedicated cop car focused on vehicle thefts in each precinct, and a new role with the NYPDs Crime Analysis Unit to help deal with the issue.

Officers assigned to specially equipped car theft patrol vehicles will be focused on a variety of tasks aimed at combating the crime, including enhanced evidence collection, better communication with department-wide surveillance, and ensuring proper charges are filed against perpetrators.

In April, New York City officials also announced they would join a class action lawsuit against the two companies over their refusal to install anti-theft technology in some of their cars targeted in a viral TikTok challenge.

The companies announced a proposed settlement arrangement in May that could have been valued at $200 million, covering about 9 million 2011-2022 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles across the country, but a judge declined to approve the settlement last month.

To address the specific concerns about those makes, the NYPD has partnered with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles to notify owners that crime trends indicate their vehicles are being targeted for car thefts. The effort includes both digital and door-to-door contact with important educational information.

Vehciles from Hyundai, which is partnering with the city for the event, eligible for this weekends event are: the 2018-2022 Accent; 2011-2022 Elantra; 2013-2020 Elantra GT; 2013-2014 Genesis Coupe; 2018-2022 Kona; 2020-2021 Palisade; 2013-2022 Santa Fe; 2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport; 2019 Santa Fe XL; 2011-2019 Sonata; 2011-2022 Tucson; 2012-2017 and 2019-2021 Veloster, and 2020-2021 Venue.

The mayors office did not respond to a request for comment as to whether future events will be held outside Queens, but any effort to limit car thefts drew the praise of Borough President Vito Fossella.

Anything that can be done that can reduce car thefts on Staten Island and across New York City, are welcome, Fossella said. We applaud the mayor for showcasing this initiative.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) became Speaker of the House Wednesday, and Staten Islands congresswoman is looking forward to getting back to work.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) applauded her colleagues for Johnsons selection after nearly a month since far-right Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from one of the nations highest offices on Oct. 3.

As someone who has publicly and privately advocated for an end to the Houses stalemate, Im pleased to see our conference finally come together and elect Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House, she said. As vice chairman of the Republican Conference, Mike Johnson has proven to be the team-builder who can unite our conference across the Republican spectrum and he will take the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House head on to get conservative wins for the American people.

Malliotakis raised concerns last week about whether Republicans would be able to reach a consensus on electing a new House Speaker as members of her party made their way through a series of possible choices  none of whom were able to get the necessary votes.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis talks with reporters as Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)AP

Shortly after it became known he would be House Speaker, Johnson addressed the media offering a vague vision of what Congress would look like under his stewardship.

Were going to serve the people of this country. Were going to restore their faith in this Congress, this institution of government, he said. We have a very busy agenda.

A staunch conservative, one of Johnsons first tasks will be finding common ground with the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Joseph Biden to reach a government funding agreement ahead of a Nov. 17 deadline.

Also high on the Houses list, are funding needs for Israel and Ukraine. Biden, following an address to the nation last week, requested a massive $105 billion package for the nations allies and for needs at the southern border.

While Republicans found their new speaker, not everyone is excited about Johnsons new role. The Louisiana congressman has drawn criticism for his stances on things like Social Security, LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, and his lead effort to overturn Bidens 2020 election win.

The Staten Island Democratic Party took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to tell New Yorkers that they should be horrified of Malliotakis vote in favor of Johnson.

Johnson voted against expanding [Veterans Administration] health care and cosponsored an anti-abortion bill with no exceptions for rape and incest, the group wrote. He has opposed LGBTQ+ rights and the election results.

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Magellan Financial Groups chief executive has stepped down after just 17 months in the role as the embattled fund manager looks to win back clients and turn around its performance.

David George, who took the helm in May 2022, will leave the role with immediate effect, though he will stay available until the end of the year for a handover, then leave with six months pay.

Chairman Andrew Formica will step into the vacancy as executive chairman until a new executive is found, the company said in a statement to the ASX on Wednesday.

Magellan Financial Groups chief executive officer David George has been in the role since May 2022. Credit: Magellan

Formica, who was appointed chairman in August, said the board believed it is time to refocus leadership, which will accelerate the progress made to date and the decision had been made in consultation with George.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 25. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu signed an Action Plan for 2024-2025, Trend reports.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the parties signed this action plan on the sidelines of the EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting.

At the beginning of the talks, Odobescu stressed the strategic importance of the Central Asian region for Romania and noted that the country plays a key role in strengthening cooperation between the region and the EU, and Turkmenistan was named one of Romania's priority partners in this region.

The sides recognized the importance of mutual support in the international arena, while the Turkmen delegation expressed gratitude to Romania for its assistance in the adoption of UN General Assembly resolutions initiated by Turkmenistan.

In the field of trade and economic cooperation, special attention was paid to promising joint projects, including transport and energy, and in this context they noted fruitful cooperation within the framework of the Working Group on Energy, at the same time emphasizing the importance of the 'Caspian Sea-Black Sea' transport corridor.

Meanwhile, on October 23, Luxembourg hosted the 19th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting, which was attended by representatives of all Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss issues of cooperation and search for solutions to current problems.
If its near-term growth were to slow by another percentage point, 2030 coal demand would be reduced by an amount equivalent to almost all the volume now consumed by Europe, oil import volumes would decline by 5 per cent and LNG imports by 20 per cent. Thus, Chinas economic performance is arguably the most important influence on the future of energy markets and global carbon emissions. Loading The IEAs forecasts/scenarios arent out of kilter, albeit marginally more pessimistic than those of many external analysts, who expect that Xi Jinpings shift away from economic ambition to the security of the Communist Party (and his own authority) towards more values-based goals, along with a structural reorientation away from investment and exports to domestic consumption, will result in growth rates below 5 per cent in future. Whether that helps the world reach peak fossil fuel demand by 2030 or not is debatable. IEAs projection for oil prices, for instance, is hotly contested by OPEC, which sees demand for oil continuing to rise through to at least 2045.

Where the IEA says that its expectations dont mean the end of investment in fossil fuels, but rather undercut the rationale for increased spending, OPEC says there needs to be $US14 trillion ($22 trillion) of new investment to meet its expected increase in demand from around 100 million barrels of oil a day now to 116 million barrels a day by 2045. However the timing plays out, there is an underlying logic to the IEA position, largely because its analysis of Chinas position and of the global momentum that has developed in investment in EVs and renewables seems quite logical, given the observable trends in both. Loading If it is right that demand for fossil fuels will peak this decade, or perhaps early next, there are obvious implications for major coal and LNG producers like Australia. Its central scenario sees the share of coal, oil and gas in the global energy supply falling from around its long-term level of 80 per cent to 73 per cent by 2030. Thats not enough to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting the increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, but it would be sufficient to have a very significant impact on the demand for and the prices of those commodities.

One of the more notable outcomes of the IEAs modelling is the outlook for LNG: It expects a wave of new projects, more than half of them in the US and Qatar, are going to remodel gas markets, with 250 billion cubic metres a year of new liquefaction capacity added by 2030  nearly half todays global LNG supply. As the IEA says, most of the focus on gas has been on the security and adequacy of supply after Russias invasion of Ukraine effectively resulted in Europe being cut off/walking away from the source of 40 per cent of its gas supplies. LNG prices rocketed as the Europeans scrambled to find new sources of supply in what was predominantly an Asian market for LNG. Loading The surge in new LNG capacity, which will impact most between 2025 and 2027, will hit even as global gas demand slows, with the IEA believing there will be a global glut of gas as European demand declines. Emerging markets, it says, may not have the infrastructure to absorb large volumes if the demand from China slows. That conclusion wont please Russia, which, having largely lost its former major market, has been trying to reorient its gas sales towards Asia. A glut would reduce the available markets for its gas, along with the prices. The IEA says Russias share of international traded gas would be halved from its current 30 per cent by 2030.
The chief executive of private equity group Blackstone has said that remote workers do not work as hard.

Stephen Schwarzman claimed that workers were refusing to return to their office desks partly because they enjoy a lighter workload at home.

Stephen Schwarzman, who co-founded Blackstone in 1985, has an estimated net worth of $51 billion. Credit: Getty

Speaking in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the 76-year-old said that employees wanted to stay at home following the pandemic because they didnt work as hard, regardless of what they tell you.

Mr Schwarzman said that people also stood to profit by working from home rather than the office.
Try as it might, Qantas cant seem to avoid ticking off members of federal parliament. Last week, a bunch of MPs, among them Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil, were trying to escape Canberra after sittings when their flight to Melbourne was delayed until late at night.

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While ONeil got home, eventually, her colleagues from Tasmania werent so lucky. Senator Jacqui Lambie, who was banned from the Chairmans Lounge in 2021 after stoushes with Qantas staff, only to make a recent, triumphant return, was among a bunch of pollies who missed connecting flights home.

Lambie and her fellow Tasmanians had to slum it in Melbourne overnight (the horror!), but at least the taxpayer was picking up the tab.

It was only a few weeks ago that a bunch of Tasmanian MPs, including two Liberals MPs, had their direct flight to Canberra delayed when a bird hit a plane and caused mechanical damage.
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 Im not the first person to take issue with Miss Saigon. Since its inception in 1989, the musical has become more than a story of Kim, a Vietnamese sex worker torn apart from her White American GI client-turned-lover during the 1975 conclusion of the Vietnam War. The discussion surrounding the production has become its own cultural spectacle, even before cancel culture entered the modern lexicon. In 2018, I wrote a personal essay about seeing the show for the first time as a four-year-old in 1995, and about how the spectre of misrepresentation hung over me throughout my life as a second-generation Vietnamese-Australian woman. Shirley Le was uneasy about watching Miss Saigon again. Other critics have taken exception to the portrayal of the two sides of the war  Vietnam as lost cause, America as a holy grail worth killing and dying for, according to Diep Tran. In 2019, Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote that the American imagination was seduced by the fantasy of Vietnamese people as small, weak and effeminate. Vietnamese writers and thinkers have explained again and again how the stereotypes impact our communities and yet, the show goes on. So when it came time for me to see Opera Australias latest adaptation, and to speak with its key cast members, I was uneasy. Like other audience members pouring into the Sydney Opera House, I passed the signs warning of scenes of a sexual and violent nature and derogatory and coarse language.

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The curtain rose on bronzed Asian bodies, representing Vietnamese women, standing on table tops and beckoning to panting men in military uniforms. I focused on Kims diminutive figure clothed in a white ao dai like the one my mum wore as a high school student, wandering through a nightclub called Dreamland. I watched her, played by Abigail Adriano, being poked, prodded and tossed around like a ragdoll. The scene threatened to swallow me whole. I heard the phrases Sex toy from Hanoi and The meat is cheap in Saigon. All I could think about was what the local police in Atlanta had said in 2021, right after a white American man in their community went on a shooting spree across three massage parlours and murdered eight Asian Americans, six of them women; he was simply eliminating temptations. Frozen in my seat, the nerves in my forehead pulsed as if a dart had landed between my eyes. Miss Saigon tells the story of the US retreat from Vietnam. Credit: Daniel Boud But then, something shifted. When Gigi, played by Kimberley Hodgson, asks her GI client whether hell take her back to the States, he brushes her off. The woman who was all smiles a minute earlier suddenly squares her shoulders and I sit up a little straighter. Now, her voice lowers into a snarl as she sings The movie in my mind, the dream they leave behind. I remember coming out on stage and I saw little Asian kids running around in their Anna outfits. I could not have been more proud. Kimberley Hodgson Speaking to me after the show, Hodgson tells me about the responsibility she feels to make sure that Gigis voice is heard. She is a very misunderstood woman who has had to do a lot of things to survive, Hodgson says. The resilience and strength I have learnt from her from playing that role... I have never experienced that in another role. This is a show that enables the audience to question history and their own values.

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As a mixed race Filipino-Australian working in commercial musical theatre, Hodgson has either been cast in the ensemble or understudy throughout the past decade of her career. Loading It has been frustrating at times and has made me hungry for more representation within the industry, she says. I was doing Frozen at [Sydneys] Capitol Theatre in Chinatown. I remember coming out on stage and I saw little Asian kids running around in their Anna outfits. I could not have been more proud to be there and for them to see someone like them on stage. It was a turning point for me. Filipino-Australian performer Seann Miley Moore has faced similar challenges since graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2013. Seann Miley Moore in Miss Saigon: I had to leave [Australia] to be seen. People used to see me, a boy in a dress with lipstick, and think urgh thats too much. I had to leave to be seen. Things changed after Miley Moore appeared on Britains X Factor and gained a standing ovation after belting out a rendition of Freddy Mercurys The Show Must Go On.

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When I observe that the Miss Saigon audience was more diverse than I had expected, Miley Moore replies: This is a good wake-up call. Asians deserve to be on our main stages. Australia needs to be funding more Asian writers, POC writers. Its the people in power who have the privilege to right things. Watching Miss Saigon, I was floored by Miley Moores interpretation of the character of The Engineer, Dreamlands head pimp, as a queer man. At times, they added extra lines such as Hands off me, hetero! with a wink and a shimmy, building instant rapport with the audience. But it was the American Dream scene that left me with goosebumps. Miley Moores voice slithered and shivered, conveying both a lust and a repulsion at the allure of America. She goes through an incredible emotional arc. But behind that resilience and strength is such a bright hope. Performer Abigail Adriano Its all in the text, they explain later. This is where the character should have been from the start. He has an obsession and a longing for America; 1975 is the year the Vietnam War ended; 1969 was the year we had our gay revolution in New York City, the Stonewall riots. [In the scene] I rip my clothes off and become the Statue of Liberty. Freedom and justice for all. But at the same time Im still commenting on America. Reading the history [of the war], gosh, they really f---ed it all up. Abigail Adriano, a Filipino-Australian performer from Western Sydney, also spoke of the personal touch in her interpretation of the lead role of Kim. She goes through an incredible emotional arc. But behind that resilience and strength is such a bright hope.

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On stage, Adrianos voice soars with a powerful clarity that threatens to break apart the diminutive quality of her character. Asked about the productions significance to her community, Adriano says Miss Saigon was considered a classic for many of her family and friends. My mums best friend said it [the show] reminded her of what she felt when she was growing up in Olongapo, where a lot of white American GIs were in the 70s. Miss Saigon resonates with so many people. Like my family, immigrant families. Its almost uncanny when you look at the fall of Saigon and Afghanistan. Both Adriano and Hodgson found the Fall of Saigon scene the most moving to rehearse. Both Adriano and Hodgson found the Fall of Saigon scene the most moving to rehearse. Vietnamese-American director Theresa Nguyens parents were at the American Embassy when the US pulled out, and Hodgson feels a kindred sense of betrayal as the helicopter leaves them behind. I know what I felt [on stage] was just a fraction of what the Vietnamese people actually felt. But it will never leave me. Watching that scene in the theatre, I sobbed, recalling what my Ba (father) said about that day: The whole of Saigon felt the pain. I would never crawl towards America after they left us like that. When the opportunity emerged to re-engage with Miss Saigon, I wondered if my place as an Asian-Australian writer was confined to making the same complaints. Listening to my fellow Asian-Australian artists with an open heart has shown me that despite the parameters set out for us, our excellence simply cannot be contained. I asked Adriano, Miley Moore and Hodgson about their hopes for the future. Their answer was unanimous: more and better stories about us, by us.

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Over 30 years on, it makes for ludicrous footage. Its November 20, 1990, and theres Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, barely in their mid-20s, quietly facing a barrage of furious reporters  steaming, ranting, accusatory  after copping to the fact that their chart-topping Euro-pop phenomenon Milli Vanilli was, as one news report put it, a lot of phoney baloney. Viewed through the filter of todays autotune and avatars and AI, where artifice is an entrenched part of pops creative fabric, the ferocity looks ridiculous. But in 1990, the fact Milli Vanillis songs  such as Girl You Know Its True and Blame It On the Rain, global hits that helped sell eight million albums  had been lip-synced was grounds for a public torching. That anger [from the press], I didnt expect it, says Morvan over Zoom from Mallorca, now 57 but still sporting the same fresh face and locs as he did during Milli Vanillis short-lived peak. It was difficult for me to understand because I was interested in journalism at school; I knew that a true journalist had an oath to investigate, to be impartial, to address every person in the story. But right there, Rob and I were not treated fairly. We were the only ones being investigated! The gatekeepers, the record company, the managers, the PR company, the producer  they ran to the woods. They grabbed onto us like we were the ones in charge, Morvan recalls. But you know when you look at mob movies, and you look at the boss at the top? The boss was Frank Farian. Fab Morvan, at 57: Im excited I was finally able to tell my story after 30 years. Credit: Paramount+ If a tad breezy, the new Paramount+ documentary Milli Vanilli is compelling viewing, even for those of us familiar with pops wildest  and most tragic  scandal. Directed by filmmaker Luke Korem, whose previous documentaries focused on grifters of various kinds (sports gamblers, card magicians), the film reframes the duos infamy with a modern understanding of the music industrys parasitic power dynamics. In 1990, the Milli Vanilli story was one of foolhardy and deception, of famefers who pulled the wool over an adoring public; in 2023, its a cautionary tale of racist exploitation, of corporate greed, of fames seduction. Its also a tribute to Pilatus, who, in 1998 and aged just 32, died from an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs. At the films core is Farian. A German producer whod already run the same successful scam with Boney M (Bobby Farrell mightve been Boney Ms magnetic frontman, but Farian was the voice on the tracks), Farian was Morvan and Pilatus opportunistic Mephistopheles. Spotting the pair as backup dancers on German TV and attracted to their good looks, he signed them to a multi-album deal.

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We fell into the trap, recalls Morvan. It was a smart move on his part. We were young and hungry. We signed a contract without an attorney, without a manager, without protection. They received 1500 deutschmarks each, a windfall for two kids from the projects of Paris and Munich. When the money ran out while idly waiting for Farians next instructions, they asked for more and were routinely obliged. It was, Oh yes, of course  not knowing that by asking for that money, we were going deeper into it and couldnt get out of it, says Morvan. When Farian finally told them they wouldnt actually be singing on recordings  instead lip-syncing to the faceless voices of lead Brad Howell, rapper Charles Shaw, and backing vocalists Linda and Jodie Rocco  they were already stuck. To get out of it, we had to repay all that money. Well, we dont have the money, so how do we repay? Were gonna have to work. So we were trapped. Morvan and Pilatus with producer Frank Farian (centre), in Munich in 1988. Credit: Getty Morvan is clear the pair eventually embraced the lie. Fame  especially for Pilatus, who was raised in an orphanage (whenever parents came to adopt a child, he drank water from the toilet bowl to draw attention to himself, Farians secretary says in the film)  proved intoxicating. The thing is, the deeper you go and taste that life? It was like, wow. Anybody in our shoes would feel that. Even as it worked, the charade always felt precarious. In the film were shown footage of a live concert in Bristol, Connecticut on July 21, 1989, when the emulators vocals start skipping, leaving Rob and Fab to run offstage while the crowd gets rowdy. Were also shown footage of the pair on The Steve Vizard Show during their promotional tour of Australia in early 1990, where the host repeatedly mocks their accents, suspiciously conspicuous on their recordings. Morvan, particularly, endures it all stone-faced. Living with such a secret, was he ever even able to enjoy Milli Vanillis stratospheric success? For me, it was a dream-slash-nightmare, he says. The place where I felt the best was the stage. It was where we could shine and give everything we had to the audience. In the back of my mind I kept saying, Well, Im going to give you everything Ive got, and maybe one day you will forgive me for doing what we did.

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In the beginning, it felt beautiful, but when the scandal hit, I realised how mean human beings can be, he says. It was difficult for us to take that on. I always say Rob died of a broken heart as a result of this love that was taken away. When we lost everything  man, we went in a spiral. To survive the pressure of carrying on this lie, we medicated ourselves, to numb your emotions just so you can keep on working. By the time they won a Grammy for best new artist in 1990, the charade was an open secret with a whole industry complicit. While Farian declined to be involved in the doco, it does boast a few smoking guns  mainly ex-executives from Arista Records, who suggest founder and president Clive Davis turned a blind eye when he discovered the ruse (album sales alone, one says, brought in $US580 million). Then Grammys chief Michael Greene, who ran the organisation for 14 years until 2002, also allegedly knew the pair lip-synced during their performance on the night of their win. Pilatus and Farian, pictured with their Grammys in 1990. But after the scandal was revealed, Greene rescinded their Grammy and Milli Vanilli became the first, and still only, act to have their Grammy taken away, which is remarkable when you consider the awards repeat winners have included convicted criminals such as R Kelly, Bill Cosby and Phil Spector. There was such incredible hypocrisy. The requirements at the Grammys was everyone had to perform live  so how did Milli Vanilli manage to not perform live? Morvan scoffs. [Greene] even encouraged me when I took a picture with him before the show: Hey, tonight  make sure you do it well Thats what he said! When Morvan recalls these moments, theres not so much anger in his voice but a resigned acceptance that the damage has been done. Hes had years stolen, a life ridiculed, a brother lost. Hed long been looking for an opportunity to tell the pairs tale. Years ago he sold the rights to his life story to Brett Ratner and James Packers RatPac production company, with the hopes of a biopic. But Ratners #MeToo scandal sunk those plans. Still, the new docos just a start. Milli Vanilli at their final press conference, in November 1990. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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An hour and 40 minutes is not enough. We can unpack that, because theres a lot of things we only touched on shortly. So, to be continued, says Morvan. But Im excited I was finally able to tell my story after 30 years To tell the story from a human standpoint, and to show the inner workings of the music industry. Even now, the cruelty endures. Morvan says every few years he spots a new best of Milli Vanilli with his face on the front. And I dont touch a dime, I dont get nothing. But thats okay, Im a patient man, he says. First things first, Ive proved myself, that I can do this. He performs  and yes, sings  every weekend, sometimes to 15,000 people, sometimes to 2000, he says. No matter how many people are in the audience, I give my all. And they dont forget about me, thats for sure. Loading Hes also come to a sense of appreciation around those classic hits, alongside a savvy audience with a better understanding of the spectacle of pop. Its never just been about vocals. People want to jump, people want to dream. We brought excitement, we made people happy. Music is very powerful, its like perfume. People made beautiful memories, people made babies because of that music. Now they can watch the documentary and understand what happened to these two human beings who were larger than life at one point. Because people thought they knew the story, but they didnt know. Milli Vanilli premieres on Paramount+ on Wednesday. To read more from Spectrum, visit our page here.
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Eating outRestaurant news Bathers Pavilion turns up the heat with new fine-dining chef, farm and vineyard Momentum breeds opportunity at the beachside venue, following the six-week residency of three-Michelin star restaurant LEnclume. Scott Bolles October 25, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

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Momentum breeds opportunity, Bathers co-owner Jess Shirvington says of scoring Ward as its new executive chef following the restaurants five-week LEnclume takeover. Weve been hitting a lot of markers this year, I hope (Wards recruitment) is a reflection of how were perceived. Michelin-starred LEnclume chef Simon Rogan may have had a lasting impression on Bathers Pavilion. Edwina Pickles Attracted by Bathers Pavilion rich culinary history and an upturn in the restaurant scene north of Sydney Harbour, Ward says his imprint wont be evident until his first menu lands November 9. Itll bring a fresh wave of dishes, but Ward will also offer up a re-interpretation of his beetroot dish from Shell House. A Good Food review described the coal-roasted then barbecued beets dressed with fermented blueberry and cherry vinegar as the dishiest dish of the night.

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Aaron Wards coal roasted beetroot, as it was served at Shell House Dining Room. Edwina Pickles Ward has already lodged growing requests at Rotherwood Estate, in the Southern Highlands, which was recently acquired by Bathers co-owner Ian Pagent and his wife Maryanne. Visiting LEnclume chef Simon Rogan offered advice on everything from soil testing to sustainable farming during his Sydney stay, gathered from experience with his own farm set-up in the UK. Shirvington would eventually like a truffle grove, while Ward has a shopping list of leafy greens. Planting has already begun at the 100-acre Sutton Forest property, with excess produce eventually earmarked for Foodbank. New Betel Leaf chef Pacharin Air Jantrakool. Supplied

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When your self-worth is tied so heavily to your profession, parenthood is an added challenge to your life. Even with gender norms being rewritten and household roles slowly becoming more equal, its still nowhere near 50/50 and the stigma of how starting a family will impact a persons work performance is still stacked against women far more than men.

Weve made progress in how women are treated through paid parental leave and flexible work arrangements. Companies like Spotify and top-tier law firms are even going so far as to fund egg freezing for their employees. But these things dont actually remove gender bias and unless a company proactively shows women from within examples of how they can feel supported when they are tired, sick, emotional, gearing up to give birth, connected while on leave, valued and rewarded when returning to work, the problem will continue.

As a founder, theres an expectation that you are going to make sacrifices and that you will suffer. To an extent, Im onboard with that. I chose this career and have suffered financially, socially, emotionally and physically to keep the dream alive. But what I ignored was that by not allowing myself to start a family, I was also limiting my future happiness. I couldnt look at pregnancy content online. I had to block announcements where someone shared their happy news because it reminded me of something I felt I wasnt allowed to have. I had to ignore IVF journeys and egg freezing updates because they reminded me that if I kept delaying things, I may face the same struggles.

Then, when I found out I was pregnant a couple of months ago I was faced with the reality of trying to unpack all the fear, anxiety and guilt that came with feeling confused and scared instead of instantly excited. At 32, having been with my partner for seven years and knowing children was something I wanted, it felt like it was time to challenge these beliefs.
Police are alleging the Long River syndicate instructed its organised crime customers on how to disguise the movement of suspected dirty funds by using false invoices and other cover stories when sending funds to and from China, Australia and other destinations via Changjiang remitters. Law enforcement intelligence briefings dated between 2017 and 2021 describe how Changjiang linked remittance businesses gained licences from AUSTRAC  Australias anti-money laundering agency  enabling them to move vast sums of money from as early as 2013. AFP arrest one man in Melbournes Glen Iris. Credit: Australian Federal Police The Avarus-Nightwolf arrests, along with a February AFP operation codenamed Midas and which has so far restrained assets in NSW worth at least $200 million, highlights the scale of Australias money laundering problem. It underscores the challenge facing police as they combat a vast sea of dirty funds smuggled out of China in breach of Beijings strict capital flight laws or that have been generated via suspected fraud, corruption or drug trafficking.

The latest arrests also raise a question being increasingly asked by Western officials: what is the role of the Chinese Communist Party in supporting or turning a blind eye to dirty money movement from China to the West? A senior NSW law enforcement official, who was interviewed by this masthead about Chinese money laundering, said there was a reluctance to openly discuss the true suspected scale of the problem or the Chinese governments apparent failure to tackle it. It is just out of control. It is a huge international issue and there are overseas state actors involved, the official said a fortnight ago. People pretend that this doesnt impact on the cost of living and housing, but it does. We [state and federal agencies] pick off some players but much more resourcing and legislative change is needed. This masthead can also reveal that historical federal police and AUSTRAC intelligence describe how a network of Changjiang-linked money remitters were moving hundreds of millions of dollars every year. One briefing document from 2020 states $1.26 billion [was moved] ... between January and September 2020.

In late 2020, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission also warned all state and federal police agencies that Changjiang had become significantly more active in the suspected money laundering activities of the Chen MLO [money laundering organisation]. Loading The Chen MLO has previously been assessed by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission as posing a grave risk to national security and accused in intelligence briefings of moving funds for fugitive drug boss Hakan Ayik and the notorious Khanani Middle Eastern crime syndicate. Three years earlier, in 2017, AUSTRAC intelligence warned that suspected crime bosses and Chinese high rollers were cleaning and smuggling dirty money they had gambled at Australian casinos via a Changjiang linked remittance business in Melbourne. The business shares the same Hong Kong address as several Changjiang remittance companies, but carries a different name. An AUSTRAC report from May 2017 stated that some of the remittance companys customers included Melbourne businessman Stavro DAmore, who is facing money laundering charges and is an associate of Mick Gatto, and Ming Chai, the cousin of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Changjiang marketed itself to Australias Chinese community as providing a safe and reliable way to send funds between China and Australia. In 2022, it recruited Hardgrave, who had been the immigration minister under prime minister John Howard. In one video the company posted on social media, Hardgrave described Changjiang as a firm with with watertight security processes in place that had established multiple layers of due diligence. A Changjiang currency exchange in Melbournes south-east. Credit: Joe Armao In its media statement, the AFP described how Changjiangs decision to expand its money moving shopfronts in Sydney during the COVID lockdown was among the factors that prompted federal agents to concentrate their efforts on the business. While most of Sydney was a ghost town, alarm bells went off among our money laundering investigators when they noticed Changjiang operating two new shopfronts in the heart of Sydney, Assistant Commissioner Dametto said.

Police suspect Changjiang was set up by Chinese-Australian money launderers who intermingled the proceeds of crime with legitimate fund transfers totalling at least $10 billion dollars over three years. While most of these funds were from customers engaged in lawful actions, the AFP will allege the company facilitated a system for organised criminals to secretly transfer unlawfully-obtained money  including from cyber-enabled scams, the trafficking of illicit goods and violent crimes, the AFP said in a statement. Federal police seize a luxury vehicle in Kew in connection with the investigation. Credit: Australian Federal Police Police also allege that some of the money moved by Changjiang was stolen during a $100 million cyber scam that was shut down by the AFP and US Secret Service last year and has led to the arrest of seven people. In February, the federal police investigators and forensic accountants who led Operation Avarus-Nightwolf separately dismantled an alleged Chinese-Australian money laundering organisation that amassed a blue-chip property portfolio comprised of Sydney mansions, a luxury city building and hundreds of acres of land near Sydneys second airport.

In the Midas operation, the AFP seized properties and luxury assets worth at least $200 million and arrested and charged nine suspects, including two alleged Chinese-Australian gangsters in Sydney with a combined personal fortune estimated at more than $1 billion. Loading Money remitters including big names such as Western Union as well as lesser known companies such as Changjiang are commonly used by migrant communities to transfer funds quickly and cheaply to their families and businesses abroad. In 2005, Australian authorities conducted the first major investigation targeting the remittance sector, with an operation codenamed Gordian arresting multiple Vietnamese remitters. Since then, the Australian remittance industry has grown exponentially along with the influx of money from China and the sophistication of money launderers who seek to use technology to evade detection and co-mingle dirty money within the vast amounts of legitimate funds passing through the remittance sector.
Try as it might, Qantas cant seem to avoid annoying members of federal parliament. Last week, some MPs, among them Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil, were trying to depart Canberra when their flight to Melbourne was delayed until late at night.

While ONeil got home, eventually, her colleagues from Tasmania werent so lucky. Senator Jacqui Lambie, whose stoushes with Qantas staff resulted in her being banned from the Chairmans Lounge in 2021 only to make a recent, triumphant return, was among a bunch of pollies who missed their connecting flights home.

Clare ONeil and Jacqui Lambie wait for Qantas. Credit: John Shakespeare

Lambie and her fellow Tasmanians had to stay overnight in Melbourne, but at least the taxpayer was picking up the tab.

It was only a few weeks ago that a bunch of Tasmanian MPs, including two Liberals, were delayed on their direct flight to Canberra when a bird hit a plane and caused mechanical damage.
In the mornings, from our clothesline in St Peters back in the early 1990s, my sister would sometimes flash the planes as they came in to land at Mascot. We hoped to see one veer off course, but we never did. The landing pattern always looked immutable to those of us who lived under the flightpath.

Complaining about the noise they made seemed as silly as complaining about the sun coming up. We were in an industrial area on the fringe of the inner city. We could hardly complain about the sounds of life and industry.

The noise is through the roof. Credit: Fairfax

No one in our street even complained when the Boral gas storage depot blew up and flung a 60,000-litre gas container 150 metres into the Alexandra Canal, though we were all evacuated. It was one of the largest non-atomic explosions in Australian history, apparently.

Each evening as the sun faded, the planes navigation lights would emerge in the dusk, stacked up over the citys west like an escalator. It looked better than it sounded. I remember how the display stunned a mate visiting us from the north shore.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 25. Turkmenistan and the EU discussed joint projects in the economic sphere, Trend reports.

These issues were discussed in Ashgabat during a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova and the Ambassador of the EU to Turkmenistan Beata Peksa.

During the meeting, a thorough exchange of views was held on topical issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU, as well as prospects for further fruitful partnership in the context of the implementation of major projects, especially in the fields of trade and economic relations, transport, energy, and education.

Furthermore, the effective joint activities of the parties within the framework of the EU-Central Asia cooperation format were noted.

Meanwhile, on October 23, Luxembourg hosted the 19th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting, which was attended by representatives of all Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss issues of cooperation and search for solutions to current problems.
Rheumatoid arthritis made her research slow going: she regularly had to take time out, sometimes for a year at a time, because the severity of her disease and consequent increased disability often led to hospitalisation and more surgery. During her early zoology studies at Sydney University, Claxton had come across tardigrades (colloquially known as water bears), which were to feature in her life over the decades to come. She felt that the study of these microscopic animals might be manageable with her physical limitations, and so began what became an obsession until her last days to study tardigrades, and particularly the Australian terrestrial tardigrades which had received little attention up to that time. Terrestrial tardigrades are tiny (less than 1mm long) 8-legged, egg laying segmented invertebrates that mainly live in moss, lichens, leaf litter and bark.

Working from the home laboratory that she set up with the help of her husband, she completed her MSc studies on these minute creatures in 1993, then enrolled for a PhD at Macquarie University. Claxtons PhD was to take a long time, nearly 11 years, as her health deteriorated. The current medications for rheumatoid arthritis proved ineffective, requiring her to undergo various surgical interventions in attempt to improve her mobility or reduce joint deformities. Sandra Claxton at her graduation. Then, partway through her PhD studies, she lost her central vision in both eyes, a rare side effect from one of the drugs prescribed for her condition. The medication was stopped immediately but permanent damage had been done, and the vision impairment rendered microscope work more difficult. With the then-accepted treatment options having all run out, Claxton volunteered to join a clinical trial of Enbrel, one of a new class of injectable drugs that had showed promise and which in Claxtons case rapidly proved of great benefit. It provided considerable relief from the pain caused by the inflammatory swelling, although it could not correct the damage already done to her joints, and they gradually deteriorated further.

A determined Claxton completed her PhD in 2004 despite the delays and physical impediments caused by arthritis. Her mobility was by then limited and she made increasing use of a wheelchair. At her PhD graduation ceremony in September 2004 the justly proud Claxton learned that she had also been awarded the prestigious 2004 Vice-Chancellors Commendation for a doctoral thesis of exceptional merit. One of her thesis examiners, Prof Reinhardt Kristensen, in providing a very complimentary report on Claxtons work and thesis, commented, Her published papers alone would have been enough for a doctorate at my University (in Copenhagen). A second examiner, the eminent Polish taxonomist Hirek Dastych, commented that the thesis took Australia from being the worst tardigrade recorded country to the best recorded in the world. Echinicus marcusi was named after her son Marcus From the start of her MSc studies Claxton began to communicate with some of the major tardigrade researchers in Europe and the US. Then, beginning with a trip to Europe in 1987, she met up with tardigrade specialists in Glasgow, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart, and was well enough to travel to the international Tardigrade Symposiums in Cambridge (1994) and Copenhagen (2000) where she met many of the global research community. Over many years she collaborated with various international tardigrade experts and was widely recognised for her sometimes ground-breaking work on the Australian species during her MSc and PhD. Some of her work, particularly on the taxonomy of the genus Minibiotus astounded the audience at the Cambridge Symposium in 1994.

After completing her PhD, she began working on papers that she wanted to publish from her thesis and also planned further work on one or two genera of tardigrades that were still poorly described. However, in practice the long term physical damage from her arthritis greatly limited further laboratory work. She underwent major operations to fuse most of the joints in her neck, and some years later had a series of operations to fuse her lumbar vertebrae. Nevertheless, she had by this time identified over 70 species not previously known to science, and her remarkably detailed morphological descriptions set a new standard internationally for tardigrade researchers. Her 2013 review of terrestrial and marine species, jointly authored with Kristensen, remains the seminal work on Phylum Tardigrada in Australia. Claxton was in awe of the natural world and the amazing but fragile balances that had evolved over eons. She despaired that those balances were now being destroyed by human activity and the inability or unwillingness of many to recognise the potential disaster that awaits the planet if we dont act more quickly to address these problems. During 2023 she became increasingly frail after repeated hospitalisations for a series of arthritis-related conditions, and was very aware that her time was coming to an end. Throughout her decades of endeavour, she was tenderly cared for by her husband and family. She is survived by her husband Peter, son Marcus and three granddaughters.
Manufacturers campaigning to prevent a nationwide ban on the use of engineered stone have been accused of spreading misinformation by NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, who compared the current advertising push to the tactics used by concrete manufacturer James Hardie before the nationwide prohibition of asbestos 20 years ago.

Major engineered stone supplier Caesarstone took out newspaper ads last week warning that a blanket ban on the product, linked to the deadly disease silicosis, could harm at-risk tradies and scare households, prompting Mookhey to accuse the global firm of spinning deception.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has accused engineered stone manufacturers of running a misinformation campaign ahead of a potential ban. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Can I say in my own personal capacity that having seen that ad yesterday, I thought it was a disgrace, and an attempt at misinformation and misdirection worthy of James Hardie and the worst of their tactics as they fought to stop the regulation of asbestos, he said.

James Hardie was the manufacturing company commonly associated with asbestos, which causes lung diseases, after it used the substance in many of its building products. In 2005, the company signed an agreement with the NSW government to pay out $4.5 billion for asbestos victims.
President Joe Biden has welcomed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the White House for a private dinner with their partners, in a rare personal discussion before a day of formal meetings.

Biden and his wife, Jill, met Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon, at the south entrance of the White House after the prime ministers motorcade arrived at the residence.

Jodie Haydon and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pose for a photo with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, and Jill Biden, on their arrival for a private dinner at the White House on Tuesday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Welcome to the White House, Biden said as he greeted the guests.

When a reporter called out a question about whether Biden should urge Israel to delay its ground invasion of Gaza, the president said Israel would make its own decisions. The two leaders made no other remarks to the media before going inside.
Victorian manufacturers, schools and hospitals will be able to buy renewable energy directly from the Allan government under plans for the State Electricity Commission to sell both retail and wholesale power.

Premier Jacinta Allan will on Thursday unveil a 10-year strategic plan for the SEC, including details of how the body will emerge as a player in the energy market through renewable projects across the state.

Premier Jacinta Allan. Credit: Eddie Jim

The SEC, revived as a key election pledge, will be responsible for the electricity generated from more than a dozen solar, wind and battery projects locked into long-term deals with the state.

Since 2017, the Victorian government has struck deals with these generators to buy a certain portion of their electricity, providing financial certainty to allow them to begin construction.
Singapore: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he has received threats from Western countries after resisting pressure to denounce Hamas and pledging to continue relations with the proscribed terrorist group following its attacks against Israel.

Anwars comments, made at rally in Kuala Lumpur attended by more than 15,000 people, come as a leading de-radicalisation expert in the South-East Asian nation warned of conversations on social media where Malaysians have discussed travelling to the Middle East to fight.

Malaysians turn out in their thousands to hear Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speak at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. Credit: AP

Long a staunch advocate for Palestinian justice, the Malaysian government has become one of the loudest voices against Israel since Hamas murderous onslaught on October 7 triggered a new war. It does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Anwar told parliament last week he had rejected efforts by Western countries to compel Malaysia to condemn Hamas and vowed to maintain dialogue with the Islamist organisation. Anwar said later that he had spoken on the phone with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar.
New York: Donald Trump has been fined $US10,000 ($15,900) after the New York judge overseeing his civil fraud trial said the former US president for a second time violated a gag order barring him from disparaging court staff.

Justice Arthur Engoron had imposed the gag order on October 3 after Trump shared on social media a photo of the judges top clerk posing with US Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and falsely called her Schumers girlfriend.

Former president Donald Trump speaks during a break in his civil business fraud trial on Wednesday. Credit: AP

On Wednesday (US time) during a trial break in the civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney-General Letitia James concerning his business practices, Trump told reporters, This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person whos very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

Engoron, surmising that Trump was referring to his clerk, called the comments a blatant violation of the gag order.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Sol Antilles N.V., the leading provider of energy solutions in the Caribbean region, has partnered with the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise for the third time to provide breakfast to students of the Leonald Conner Primary School in Cay Bay.



The school manager, Ms. Alice Samuel, thanked Sol Antilles N.V. and the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise for sponsoring the breakfast program at the school. The breakfast program, which caters to approximately fifty (50) students, allows students to start the day with a healthy breakfast, which helps them to focus better and learn better.



Valda Hazel, President of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise thanked Sol Antilles N.V. for partnering with the club to ensure this important program continued in the new school year. We commend businesses such as Sol Antilles N.V. who contributes to projects that are geared towards the welfare of our community. Corporate Social Responsibility should be a vital component of a business strategy. The main goal of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise breakfast program is to ensure that no child starts their school day on an empty stomach. Currently the club has breakfast programs running in seven schools and soon will be adding an eight school to the bunch.

Mrs. Marisca Hunt-Peterson, Sales Executive of Sol Antilles N.V, has said It is important for our young people to have a healthy breakfast to start their day at school. We are happy to partner with the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise to make this program a success and we will strive to continue our support of the Leonald Conner School here in Cay Bay.
PHILIPSBURG:--- On October 24, 2023, the Parliament of Sint Maarten hosted colleague Parliamentarians from the countries of Aruba and Curacao for Tripartite discussions.

The objective of the Tripartite meeting is to prepare for the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation as well as to discuss topics of mutual interest. During the Tripartite meeting of February 2023, the delegations agreed to meet more often which would entail three in-person meetings and one virtual meeting per year. The meeting held on Sint Maarten was the first in-person additional meeting since the decision in February 2023.

The day started with an opening address by the President of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Mr. Sidharth M. Bijlani. During his address, the President welcomed delegates to the island and declared the Tripartite discussions open. This was followed by brief introductions from the Presidents of the Parliaments of Aruba and Curacao, during which both countries briefly outlined their expectations for the days discussions.

Topics handled during the morning hours included a presentation by Ms. Joanne Christiaans, Program Manager of the Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports (DCCA). During her presentation, Ms. Christiaans updated Members of the delegations on the shared ambition of DCCA partners to collaboratively work towards achieving affordable, efficient, and sustainable air travel between the Dutch Caribbean islands.

After a lunch break, the program continued with a presentation and discussion with the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor of Sint Maarten, Mr. Omar E.C. Ottley, regarding the progress of the Caribbean HUB for Public Health, crisis and disaster management, capacity of healthcare staff, and the Dutch Caribbean Hospital Alliance (DCHA).

Other topics of discussion were, among others, feedback on the agreements of the previous Tripartite, progress on the Dispute Regulation, the use of consensus Kingdom laws as a means of control, reorganization of the tax systems in the countries based on the Country Packages and in the context of the parliamentary role: the possible pathways to be followed with a view on alleviating poverty.

The Tripartite discussions ended with a press conference with local and regional press in attendance in-person and virtually.

Other events in connection with the Tripartite discussion were a welcome reception held on Tuesday, October 23, and a group photo moment of all delegations, including Members of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, who were present as observers.

This Tripartite meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations Committee of Parliament, Mr. William V. Marlin.
~The 9th Annual Meeting of the Regional Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour has begun.~

Lima, Peru:--- The Regional Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour, an intergovernmental and tripartite action platform that promotes the eradication of child labour in the region, began its 9th Annual Meeting in Lima, Peru yesterday with the participation of representatives from 31 countries of the region, as well as regional representatives from the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA-CSA).

The main goal of this meeting is to analyze and propose actions that will accelerate the region's progress towards the elimination of child labour, as established in Goal 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals. This meeting is of vital importance as Claudia Coenjaerts, Acting Regional Director of the ILO for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated, "We have clear indications that point to the combination of the multiple crises affecting us and the increase in inequalities in the region, which may have significantly increased the number of girls, boys, and adolescents in situations of child labour."

A robust agenda will guide the participants in discussing the regional tripartite vision, national commitment, and local impact, with the aim of making Latin America and the Caribbean the first region free of child labour. To this end, national action plans will be presented to accelerate the elimination of child labour, and best practices, opportunities, and alliances will be identified.

In this regard, the Director of the Andalusian Agency for International Cooperation, Celia Rosell, highlighted the region's progress and the impetus of the Regional Initiative, focusing on accelerating the eradication and prevention of child labour and addressing the factors that drive girls, boys, and adolescents into situations of child labour.

During this event, the almost ten years of intense work carried out by the Regional Initiative will be highlighted, as pointed out by Jose Piqueras, Coordinator of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) in Peru, who stated, "Next year we will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this Initiative, and AECID aims to support a significant celebration of these years of work, in coordination with the ILO, because we seek that no child or adolescent has to leave school or have their education affected in the classroom due to the need to work to contribute to their own and their family's support."

On her part, the representative of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Monica Salmito, mentioned the possibility of holding the next annual meeting of the Regional Initiative in Brazil.

It is worth mentioning that this will be the first meeting in which Belize is participating as a member of the Regional Initiative. Additionally, it will be the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that the meeting is beeing held in person.

"We invite you to join and collaborate in this regional space, with national impact, which makes up the Regional Initiative," said Pilar Rodriguez, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Regional Initiative.

The Regional Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour is a space where 31 countries have been working in an articulated and tripartite manner to achieve the first generation of people free from child labour in the region.

Currently, the Regional Initiative is composed of: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela; together with the International Employers Organization (IEO) and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA-CSA).

The Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour operates with the technical assistance of the ILO and the sustained support of its partners, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Andalusian Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AACID), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), and the United States Department of Labor (USDOL).
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 25. Turkmenistan will take part in the meeting of the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on October 26 this year in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.

The event will be attended by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan on Economic, Banking, and International Financial Organizations, Hojamyrat Geldimyradov.

During the meetings, topical issues of interaction and strengthening cooperation between the member countries of the associations will be considered, and a number of documents in the trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres will be signed.

Along with the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan, the heads of governments of Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, will take part in the events.

Meanwhile, the development of Turkmenistan's interrelationships within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) continues to be a key priority of the country's foreign policy, where active participation in the forum contributes to strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy, security, and cultural exchange with other members of this organization, supporting stability and development in a wide region of Asia.
Vizsla Silver Discovers New High-Grade Structure Located 250 Metres West of the Copala Resource

Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSX-V: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) (Frankfurt: 0G3) (aVizsla Silvera or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/vizsla-silver-corp/ ) is pleased to report results from five new drill holes completed at its 100%-owned flagship Panuco silver-gold project (\Panuco\ or the aProjecta) in Mexico. Recent drilling has intercepted precious metals rich mineralization close to surface at the new El Molino Vein, located between the Napoleon and Copala resource areas, approximately 250 metres west of the Copala structure.

Highlights

NP-23-359 returned 2,066 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent (AgEq) over 1.65 metres true width (mTW) (1,552 g/t silver, 8.37 g/t gold, 0.47 % lead and 1.22 % zinc)

Including, 3,480 g/t AgEq over 0.93 mTW (2,630 g/t silver, 14.20 g/t gold, 0.62 % lead and 1.57 % zinc)

NP-23-407 returned 1,110 g/t AgEq over 1.70 mTW (1,000 g/t silver, 2.25 g/t gold, 0.33 % lead and 0.52 % zinc)

Including, 2,033 g/t AgEq over 0.85 mTW (1,885 g/t silver, 3.61 g/t gold, 0.43 % lead and 0.66 % zinc)

NP-23-411 returned 395 g/t AgEq over 4.15 mTW (179 g/t silver, 0.96 g/t gold, 0.19 % lead and 4.38 % zinc)

aWe are excited to announce yet another high-grade, near-surface discovery at the Panuco project,a commented Michael Konnert, President and CEO. aEl Molino was discovered while conducting condemnation drilling between the Copala and Napoleon resource areas where future mining infrastructure could potentially be situated. This discovery marks the second new discovery of this yeara?s drill program that is in close proximity to the Projecta?s other major resource centres. To date, we have traced high-grade mineralization at El Molino for approximately 170 metres along strike and 200 metres down dip, and it remains open in all directions. Moving forward, we intend to complete 2,500 metres of additional drilling at El Molino with the goal of expanding the zonea?s mineralized footprint.a

Details of the El Molino Vein discovery

The Molino Vein is located in the southwest portion of the Panuco district between the Napoleon and Copala resource areas, approximately 250 metres west of the Copala and Tajitos veins. Discontinuous outcrops of the vein have been mapped on surface along approximately 600 metres with average strike of N55AE and average dip of 80A to the southeast. On surface, Molino varies in thickness and contains sparse anomalous silver and gold grades up to 490 g/t and 1.2 g/t, respectively. El Molino consists of alternating bands of quartz and sulfides (sphalerite, galena and acanthite), and shows similar vein textures to those observed at Napoleon and La Luisa veins. The vein is hosted by diorite which Vizsla has determined to be a favorable host rock in the district.

Discovery hole NP-23-359 was originally designed to condemn the area for potential mine and plant infrastructure and intercepted the new El Molino vein ~80 metres below surface. To date, the Company has completed five holes tracing high-grade mineralization for approximately 170 metres along strike and 200 metres down dip. Vizsla plans to drill another 2,500 metres on a second phase to expand the current high-grade footprint along strike and at depth.

About the Panuco Project

The newly consolidated Panuco silver-gold project is an emerging high-grade discovery located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, near the city of MazatlAn. The 7,189.5-hectare, past producing district benefits from over 86 kilometres of total vein extent, 35 kilometres of underground mines, roads, power, and permits.

The district contains intermediate to low sulfidation epithermal silver and gold deposits related to siliceous volcanism and crustal extension in the Oligocene and Miocene. Host rocks are mainly continental volcanic rocks correlated to the Tarahumara Formation.

The Panuco Project hosts an estimated in-situ indicated mineral resource of 104.8 Moz AgEq and an in-situ inferred resource of 114.1 Moz AgEq. An updated NI 43-101 technical report titled aTechnical Report on the Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the Panuco Ag-Au-Pb-Zn Project, Sinaloa State, Mexicoa was filed on SEDAR on March 10, 2023, with an effective date of January 19, 2023 was prepared byA Allan Armitage, Ph. D., P. Geo.,A Ben Eggers, MAIG, P.Geo. andA Yann Camus, P.Eng. of SGS Geological Services.A A A A A A A

About Vizsla Silver

Vizsla Silver is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, focused on advancing its flagship, 100%-owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Sinaloa, Mexico. To date, Vizsla Silver has completed over 310,000 metres of drilling at Panuco leading to the discovery of several new high-grade veins. For 2023, Vizsla Silver has budgeted +90,000 metres of resource/discovery-based drilling designed to upgrade and expand the mineral resource, as well as test other high priority targets across the district.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drill core samples were shipped to ALS Limited in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico and in North Vancouver, Canada for sample preparation and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver and rock samples were shipped to SGS Lab in Durango Mexico for sample preparation and analysis.A The ALS Zacatecas, North Vancouver facilities and SGS lab are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Silver and base metals were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish and gold was assayed by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption (aAAa) spectroscopy finish. Over limit analyses for silver, lead and zinc were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with AA finish.

Control samples comprising certified reference samples, duplicates and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Companya?s quality assurance / quality control protocol.

Qualified Person

In accordance with NI 43-101, Martin Dupuis, P.Geo., COO, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release.

Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources

The scientific and technical information in this news release was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the aSECa). The terms \measured mineral resource\, \indicated mineral resource\ and \inferred mineral resource\ used herein are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the aCIM Definition Standardsa), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained herein providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

You are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, ainferred mineral resourcesa are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of acontained ouncesa in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute areservesa by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures.

Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the aSEC Modernization Rulesa), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of ameasured mineral resourcesa, aindicated mineral resourcesa and ainferred mineral resourcesa. Information regarding mineral resources contained or referenced herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be asubstantially similara to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as ameasured mineral resourcesa, aindicated mineral resourcesa and ainferred mineral resourcesa under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules.

Contact Information: For more information and to sign-up to the mailing list, please contact:

Michael Konnert, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (604) 364-2215

Email: info@vizslasilver.ca A A

Website: www.vizslasilvercorp.ca A A A

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain aForward?Looking Statementsa within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and aforward?looking informationa under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words aanticipatea, abelievea, aestimatea, aexpecta, atargeta, aplana, aforecasta, amaya, awoulda, acoulda, aschedulea and similar words or expressions, identify forward?looking statements or information. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the exploration, development, and production at Panuco, including plans for resource/discovery-based drilling designed to upgrade and expand the mineral resource.

Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Vizsla, future growth potential for Vizsla and its business, and future exploration plans are based on managementa?s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on managementa?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of silver, gold, and other metals; no escalation in the severity of public health crises; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Vizslaa?s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

These statements reflect Vizslaa?s respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual 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 or forward-looking information and Vizsla Silver has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company\-s dependence on one mineral project; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company\-s mining activities in Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company\-s management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company\-s inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of public health crises; the economic and financial implications of public health crises to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company\-s interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company\-s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine; general economic facts; and the factors identified under the caption aRisk Factorsa in Vizsla Silvera?s management discussion and analysis and other public disclosure documents. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward?looking statements or forward-looking information. Although Vizsla Silver 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 anticipated, estimated or intended. Vizsla Silver does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward?looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.
First Tin Plc publishes positive Taronga DFS Update

First Tin PLC, (\First Tin\ or \the Company\  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/first-tin-ltd/ ) a tin development company with advanced, low capex projects in Germany and Australia, is pleased to provide an update on its Definitive Feasibility Study (\DFS\) at its Taronga Tin Project in Australia. The project is owned by First Tin\-s 100% owned Australian subsidiary, Taronga Mines Pty Ltd (\TMPL\).

The DFS is now well advanced, with completion due in Q1 2024. The deposit is amenable to low-cost mining and processing techniques as a result of the below.

The resource is significantly larger than previous workers have estimated due to a combination of, a lower cut-off grade (based on lower mining and processing costs as noted below) and newly identified mineralisation to the southwest. As a result, a higher throughput of 5Mtpa has been decided on for the DFS, resulting in economies of scale.

Further modifications have been made to the gravity circuit in the mineral processing flowsheet which has further simplified the mineral processing characteristics as shown in Figure 1:

46% of mass can be rejected after coarse crushing to 12mm.

27% of mass can be rejected after jigging the minus 12mm, plus 0.4mm fraction.

Therefore, the coarse gravity processing facilities (after jigging) only need to handle 27% of the total run of mine mass, resulting in low capital and operating costs.

This coarse gravity circuit, consisting mainly of spirals, re-grind mills and clean-up tables, rejects a further 26% of the mass, meaning less than 1% progresses to the tin dressing circuit for clean-up.

We expect these simplifications will improve CAPEX, OPEX and recovery rates when the DFS is published in Q1 2024.

The above simple circuit upgrades a 0.18% Sn head grade sample to 0.36% after crushing and screening, 0.63% after jigging and before spirals and 16.4% Sn after the spirals and tables (Figure 1). This final 1% can be cleaned up into a 56% or higher tin concentrate in the tin dressing circuit.

The deposit is mineable by open pit techniques, is located on a hill and has a very low stripping ratio of between 1.1:1 and 1.2:1, making mining costs low.

Together, these factors result in our Taronga tin deposit being unusual, if not unique, among hard rock tin deposits.

First Tin CEO Thomas Buenger said: aWe are pleased with the DFS outcomes at our flagship Taronga tin deposit, which have validated our assumptions held prior to the study. The simple mineralogy and subsequent mineral processing characteristics, combined with the low strip ratio and open pit mineability of the deposit, make it one of the most straightforward hard rock tin deposits in the world.

The Company has looked at ore sorting, the ago toa technology for most hard rock tin deposits, and we have confirmed that this is not required at our Taronga asset. As a result, the process flow sheet has been simplified, significantly improving CAPEX, OPEX and recovery rates. Due to the large increase in the resource base, economies of scale come into play, and we are currently looking at a throughput of up to 5Mtpa.

We eagerly await the final DFS results in Q1 next year and we look forward to updating shareholders once we have received these.aA

Technical Discussion

In summary, the DFS results to date indicate:

The tin resource has been increased by 240% to 133Mt @ 0.10% Sn containing 138,000t tin using a 0.05% Sn cut-off, as previously reported according to JORC guidelines on 14th September 2023. This includes a maiden measured resource category.

It has been shown that the deposit contains higher grades and could potentially be mined to a higher-grade cut-off if tin price conditions are such that it becomes necessary. For example, at a cut-off of 0.1% Sn (as previously reported by Aus Tin) the resource is 53Mt @ 0.16% Sn containing 84,000t tin (an increase of 40% over the Aus Tin resource) and at a cut-off of 0.15% Sn, the resource is 22Mt @ 0.21% Sn containing 46,000t tin.

Results of mineral processing test work have confirmed First Tina?s previous hypothesis that much of the tin is liberated at, and can be concentrated at, a very early stage in comparison to most other hard rock tin deposits.

In order to keep capital and operating costs as low as possible, it has been decided to focus solely on recovering the coarse tin for the current study, although preliminary work has shown that between 3% and 8% more tin can be recovered if a fine tin circuit is included. This will be examined as a potential add-on once the coarse circuit is operational.

The process flow diagram (PFD) is therefore very simple and consists of (Figure 1):

Conventional 3-stage crushing during daylight hours only (in order to reduce nighttime noise and potentially use solar power). This will reduce the run of mine ore to around 12mm in size.

A 24-hour circuit for the rest of the processing facility consisting of:

Single pass VSI crushing to scavenge additional tin not previously liberated.

Screening at 2.8mm and 0.4mm, with all plus 2.8mm material sent to a co-disposal facility, minus 2.8mm to plus 0.4mm material sent to a jigging circuit and minus 0.4mm material sent to a spiral circuit. Jig tailings are also sent directly to the co-disposal facility.

Grinding of jig con to minus 0.4mm, which is then sent to the spiral circuit.

Spirals followed by shaking table and cyclone de-sliming, producing concentrates, middlings which are ground to minus 0.15mm and re-circulated, and tailings which are filtered and then sent to the co-disposal facility.

Clean-up of combined concentrates in a tin dressing circuit consisting of magnetic separation, sulphide flotation and fine tabling. The sulphide tailings are sent to a dedicated storage facility and will be tested for the extraction of silver and copper at a later stage.

A simplified PFD with approximate annual tonnages is shown in Figure 1.

Preliminary pit optimisations have shown that a 5Mtpa mining operation is viable producing between 26,000 and 29,000 tonnes of tin metal over a 7-8 year producing mine life.

Average tin production is expected to be around 3,500tpa during full operation.

The mining will be by open pit and will have a very low strip ratio of between 1.1:1 and 1.2:1 and will thus have a low cost of production.

Detailed economics will be published when the DFS is completed, this is currently estimated to be in Q1, 2024.

Notes to Editors

First Tin is an ethical, reliable, and sustainable tin production company led by a team of renowned tin specialists. The Company is focused on becoming a tin supplier in conflict-free, low political risk jurisdictions through the rapid development of high value, low capex tin assets in Germany and Australia.

Tin is a critical metal, vital in any plan to decarbonise and electrify the world, yet Europe has very little supply. Rising demand, together with shortages, is expected to lead tin to experience sustained deficit markets for the foreseeable future. Its assets have been de-risked significantly, with extensive work undertaken to date.

First Tin\-s goal is to use best-in-class environmental standards to bring two tin mines into production in three years, providing provenance of supply to support the current global clean energy and technological revolutions.
Chesapeake Gold announces appointment of Interim Chief Executive Officer

Chesapeake Gold Corp. (TSXV: CKG) (OTCQX: CHPGF) (aChesapeakea or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/chesapeake-gold-corp/ ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jean-Paul Tsotsos as Interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing Alan Pangbourne effective November 1, 2023. Mr. Tsotsos is currently Vice-President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations and will continue to also hold that role.

Mr. Tsotsos has over 15 years of experience in mining corporate development, strategy, capital markets, project evaluations and project development.A Mr. Tsotsos was previously a member of the Corporate Development team at Hudbay Minerals. Prior to Hudbay Minerals, Mr. Tsotsos worked at BMO Capital Markets in the Metals and Mining Equity Research Group.A Mr. Tsotsos holds an MBA specializing in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Science and an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto.A

Mr. Randy Reifel, Chesapeakea?s Executive Chairman, states, aOn behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Alan Pangbourne for his significant contributions and commitment to the Company over the past two and half years. Alana?s leadership and dedication have set the stage for Chesapeakea?s future success. I also welcome Jean-Paul in his expanded role as interim CEO. I look forward to working with Jean-Paul on advancing our exciting corporate initiatives and other opportunities.a

Mr. Pangbourne will continue to serve as a director on the Companya?s Board of Directors and also provide corporate advisory and technical consultant services to the Company.

About Chesapeake

Chesapeake Gold Corp. is focused on the discovery, acquisition, and development of major gold-silver deposits in North and South America. Chesapeakea?s flagship asset is the Metates Project (aMetatesa) located in Durango State, Mexico. Metates hosts one of the largest undeveloped gold-silver deposits in the Americas[1] with over 16.77 million ounces of gold at 0.57 grams per tonne (g/t) and 423.2 million ounces of silver at 14.3 g/t within 921.2 million tonnes in the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource category and a further 2.13 million ounces of gold at 0.47 g/t and 59.0 million ounces of silver at 13.2 g/t within 139.5 million tonnes in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. See the technical report titled aMetates Sulphide Heap Leach Project Phase Ia dated January 13, 2023, and news release dated February 23, 2023.A

Chesapeake also has an organic pipeline of satellite exploration properties strategically located near Metates. In addition, the Company owns 68% of Gunpoint Exploration Ltd., which owns the Talapoosa gold-silver project in Nevada.

For Further Information:

For more information on Chesapeake and its Metates Project, please visit our website at www.chesapeakegold.com or contact Jean-Paul Tsotsos at invest@chesapeakegold.com or +1 778 731 1362.

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

[1] Mexicoa?s biggest undeveloped gold deposits. Bnamericas. Published Tuesday, November 24, 2020.
Victoria Gold: 5.83 g/t Au over 31.4 Meters at Raven Deposit, Dublin Gulch Camp, Yukon

Victoria Gold Corp. (TSX-VGCX) (aVictoriaa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/victoria-gold-corp/ ) is pleased to announce the final set of analytical results from the 2023 exploration campaign at the Raven deposit. Raven was the primary focus of this seasona?s exploration efforts at the Dublin Gulch camp, with over 13,200 meters (ama) of diamond drilling consisting of systematic fence drilling to the east of the current deposit bounds coupled with exploratory drillholes around the promising high-grade mineralization identified last season in drillhole NG22-155C (20.24 g/t Au over 14.5m; see Company News Release dated January 19, 2023). Victoria anticipates releasing an updated Raven Mineral Resource Estimate following the compilation and analysis of the 2023 drill results.

Assays for the final 23 of the 39 drillholes collared in 2023 have been received. Highlighted results are presented below:A A A

52 g/t Au over 7.6m from 257.8m in NG23-190C

48 g/t Au over 11.7m from 182.9m in NG23-196C

83g/t Au over 31.4m from 44.6m in NG23-200C

aThe 2023 Raven exploration season is now completed and, as these latest results demonstrate, has continued to identify high-grade gold mineralization both internally and externally to the current Raven deposit bounds,a stated John McConnell, President and CEO of Victoria. aWork on an updated Raven Resource is now underway and we look forward to seeing two full seasons of drilling added to the maiden resource estimate.aA

During the 2023 field season, 13,220m of diamond drilling was completed A (39 holes at Raven) along with 1,282m of surface trenches (16 trenches at both Raven and Lynx), detailed structural/geological mapping and prospecting. Drilling in 2022 and 2023 tested an additional 400m of strike length from the 2022 maiden Raven Mineral Resource Estimate eastern limits. This drilling confirmed Raven mineralization over a strike length of 1.7 kilometers (akma). Analytical results from these programs represent further confirmation of the Raven mineralization and Resource model, with long intervals of gold mineralization (such as 240.2m of 0.96 g/t Au) hosted within granodiorite lithologies punctuated by intervals of high grade massive sulphide veins (such as 1.0m of 49.10 g/t Au and 0.5m of 24.20 g/t Au).

The second half of the 2023 program, from which these assay results are derived, was split between exploratory drilling to the east of the Raven deposit, targeting further definition of the previously identified high-grade trend east of Raven (see Company NR dated September 15, 2023) and drilling internal to the current Raven Resource, targeting areas with previously limited data. This later aspect of the program was designed to increase the grade and confidence of the Raven Resource.

A set of drill sections and plan map to accompany these Raven drillholes, along with drill collar and survey data, will be made available on the company website (www.vgcx.com).

The 2023 Raven drill program also resulted in several highly anomalous base metal veins intercepts, including:

46% Pb, 22.32%, Zn, 545.0 g/t Ag with 3.10 g/t Au over 1.2m from 109.73m in NG23-198C

04% Pb, 7.00 % Zn, 216.08 g/t Ag with 13.68 g/t Au over 3.5m from 182.7m

90% Pb, 7.33% Zn, 35.08 g/t Ag with 6.26 g/t Au over 1.9m from 172.6m

These high-grade, sulphosalt bearing base metal veins have been identified (and logged distinctly) at Raven since Ravena?s discovery in 2018. However, it was not until late 2022 that their potential as consistent veins distinct from the gold-bearing massive sulphide veins was recognized and analytical overlimit procedures for base metals were established on all core samples. These base metals veins have not been assessed in any economic detail to date and part of the 2023 post-field season work will include a review of these veins including independent modelling. Victoria maintains the coarse rejects and pulps from all 2018-2023 Raven drilling campaigns and thereby has the ability to conducted overlimit assays on intervals of note, if required.

Analytical method

All exploration drill core from the Dublin Gulch 2023 program was analyzed at MSALabs, of Langley, B.C., utilizing the ICP_230 34-element analytical package with FAS-121 50-gram fire assay with an atomic absorption finish for gold on all samples. Overlimits analyses were conducted via A FAS-425, ICF6-Ag, ICF-Pb and ICF-Zn for all germane Au, Ag, Pb and Zn assays. All core samples were split at Victoria\-s exploration facilities and shipped to the MSALabs mobile preparation facility near Mayo, YT. Samples were sorted and crushed to appropriate particle size (coarse crush) and representatively split to a smaller size (250 grams) for the MSALabs analytical facility in Langley, B.C. A comprehensive system of standards, blanks and field duplicates was implemented for the 2023 exploration campaign and is monitored as chemical assay data becomes available.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., as the aQualified Persona as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Raven

Raven represents a potentially high-grade, on-surface gold deposit that lies in the extreme southeast contact of the Nugget Intrusive Stock within the surrounding Earn Group metasedimentary package. This large, approximately 3 kilometer by 2 kilometer, medium to coarse grained granodiorite stock of Cretaceous age represents the second largest intrusive body on the Dublin Gulch property (second only to the Dublin Gulch Stock that hosts the Eagle Gold Mine). The Nugget Stock is highly prospective to host Eagle-style sheeted vein mineralization, and the vast majority of the greater than 5 square kilometer stock remains untested.

The Raven occurrence is hosted in a shear zone corridor on the southeast portion of the Nugget Stock, in close association with the intrusion-metasediment contact on the eastern side of the Lynx Creek valley. The area is underlain by the Devonian to Mississippian age Earn Group and the Early Carboniferous age Keno Hill Quartzite which have been deformed by greenschist facies metamorphism, folding, and thrusting (Gordey and Makepeace, 2003).

Exploration drilling, trenching, and soil geochemical sampling at the Raven deposit in the 2018 through 2023 field seasons have repeatedly returned high-grade gold intersections accompanied by prolific visible gold occurrences along a major and consistently mineralized corridor, which has grown sequentially since its discovery in 2018. The Raven discovery was based largely from initial surface trenches constructed and sampled in the 2018 field season that exposed scorodite, bismuth, and siderite related sulphide veins under less than one meter of overburden/cover.

The October 26, 2022 technical report, titled aTechnical Report on the Raven Mineral Deposit, Mayo Mining District Yukon Territory, Canadaa, with an effective date of September 15, 2022, can be found on the Companya?s website atA www.vgcx.comA and on SEDAR atA www.sedar.com.

The MRE comprises a total Inferred Mineral Resource ofA 1,070,239A ?ounces of gold for the near-surface Raven Deposit.

Notes: ?

The effective date for the Mineral Resource is September 15, 2022.

Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues.

The CIM definitions were followed for classification of Mineral Resources. The quantity and grade of reported inferred Mineral Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature ?and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred Mineral Resources as an ?indicated Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an ?indicated or measured Mineral Resource category.

Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.50 g/t Au, within a Lerchs-Grossman pit shell using a gold price of US$1,700/ounce and a US$/CAN$ exchange rate of 0.75.

About the Dublin Gulch Property

Victoria Gold\-s 100%-owned Dublin Gulch gold property (the aPropertya) is situated in central Yukon Territory, Canada, approximately 375 kilometers north of the capital city of Whitehorse, and approximately 85 kilometers from the town of Mayo. The Property is accessible by road year round, and is located within Yukon Energy\-s electrical grid.

The Property covers an area of approximately 555 square kilometers, and is the site of the Company\-s Eagle and Olive Gold deposits. The Company issued a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine dated April 10, 2023 (the a2023 Eagle Technical Reporta). As at December 31, 2022, the Eagle and Olive deposits include Proven and Probable Reserves of 2.6 million ounces of gold from 124 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 0.65 grams of gold per tonne. As at December 31, 2022, the Mineral Resource for the Eagle and Olive deposits has been estimated to host 245 million tonnes averaging 0.59 grams of gold per tonne, containing 4.7 million ounces of gold in the \Measured and Indicated\ category, inclusive of Proven and Probable Reserves, and a further 35 million tonnes averaging 0.62 grams of gold per tonne, containing 0.7 million ounces of gold in the \Inferred\ category.

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed \forward-looking statements\. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Victoria, information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information, including any information related to Victoria\-s strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as aplana, aexpecta, abudgeta, atargeta, aprojecta, aintenda, abelievea, aanticipatea, aestimatea and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions amaya, awilla, acoulda or ashoulda occur, and includes any guidance and forecasts set out herein (including, but not limited to, production and operational guidance of the Corporation). In order to give such forward-looking information, the Corporation has made certain assumptions about its business, operations, the economy and the mineral exploration industry in general. In this respect, the Corporation has assumed that production levels will remain consistent with managementa?s expectations, contracted parties provide goods and services on agreed timeframes, equipment works as anticipated, required regulatory approvals are received, no unusual geological or technical problems occur, no material adverse change in the price of gold occurs and no significant events occur outside of the Corporation\-s normal course of business. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information. These factors include the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, anticipated metal production, fluctuating metal prices, currency exchange rates, estimated ore grades, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in Victoria\-s corporate resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in development and production time frames, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainty of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, final pricing for metal sales, unanticipated results of future studies, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, requirements for additional capital, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage and timing and possible outcomes of pending litigation and labour disputes, risks related to remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure, fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations. Although Victoria has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in, or implied by, the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding Victoria\-s expected financial and operational performance and Victoria\-s plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. All forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof, as the case may be, and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management of the Corporation as at the date hereof. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information contained herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Information technologies in Uzbekistan have become one of the key and well-developed sectors of the country's economy, Chief Executive Officer of UZINFOCOM LLC, a unified integrator for the creation and support of Uzbekistan's state information systems, Emil Gimranov told Trend in an exclusive interview.

He stated that the government of Uzbekistan has been paying increased attention to promoting innovation and digitalization of the country's economy over the past few years.

Modern technologies are being introduced into such areas as education, healthcare and public administration. The experience of advanced countries and the desire to digitalize the maximum number of sectors of the economy is one of the main strategies for the countrys development, he emphasized.

The CEO noted that there has been a significant boost in the development of the information technology infrastructure in the country over the past few years.

Uzbekistan is investing in the development of the IT sector, including the construction of data processing centers, network infrastructure and modern telecommunications networks. During 2023, there was a leap in the domain zone of the country due to the introduction of DNSSEC technology and the installation of the K-root root server of the RIPE NCC Internet registrar, Gimranov said.

Meanwhile, UZINFOCOM launched the first K-root server in Uzbekistan at the CAPIF 2 International Forum, held in Tashkent in September 2023. Placing the root server in Uzbekistan is aimed at speeding up the process of accessing web resources and reducing dependence on foreign servers.

Speaking about the companys plans to expand the digital infrastructure of Uzbekistan, Emil Gimranov noted that UZINFOCOM plans to launch social projects in all regions of Uzbekistan so that in the near future every resident of Uzbekistan can access the network.

The first and most striking example of the activities of the UZINFOCOM is the opening of the IT Village educational complex. The educational village in the most remote area of Samarkand is a social project accessible to children from nearby areas of Samarkand, Gimranov noted.

The CEO explained that the IT Village program includes specialized subjects important for basic knowledge in the field of information technology, such as robotics, English and programming.

UZINFOCOM sincerely hopes that the IT Village project will be a big step in the development of education in inaccessible areas of Samarkand, he emphasized.

Gimranov said that in the near future the company plans to launch similar social projects in all regions of the country.

We hope that our experience will become an example for many other regional companies. Meanwhile, we will not stop there and will continue to develop the digital and information infrastructure of Uzbekistan, he added.

Further speaking, Gimranov noted that the government is striving to create a favorable environment for the development of the IT sector and attracting investment in this industry.

Uzbekistan provides various economic benefits and tax preferences for IT companies and startups. As a rule, these include reduced tax rates and exemptions from certain types of taxation, he said.

Gimranov also emphasized that the government is investing in the development of digital infrastructure, constructing data centers, as well as developing network infrastructure and telecommunications networks.

The CEO noted that despite being a key industry and playing an important role in the economic development of Uzbekistan, the information technology sector, like any other sector of any country's economy, faces a number of challenges that need to be addressed.

One of the main challenges is the lack of qualified personnel. This can limit industry growth and innovation opportunities, so there is active promotion of study abroad: the government provides scholarships and support for young professionals who want to gain education and experience in foreign universities, he said.

The CEO noted that over the past few years, the government of Uzbekistan has actively invested in the development of educational programs and courses on information technology.

Financing restrictions are also a challenge. Many IT projects require a large amount of investment, and sometimes it can be difficult for startups and small businesses to access the necessary funds, said Gimranov.

Further, Gimranov noted that registration and interaction with government agencies can sometimes be quite complex and time-consuming, and this, in turn, can create certain difficulties for business owners.

"To solve this problem, the government is gradually simplifying business registration procedures, reducing the number of required documents, and is also introducing electronic services that allow you to interact with government authorities online and help young entrepreneurs save time," he said.

Moreover, the CEO emphasized that the regulatory framework in the field of information technology and data security requires constant improvement to ensure the reliability and confidentiality of information.

Uzbekistan is actively developing methods to combat the protection of personal data, e-commerce and cybersecurity. Educational programs and trainings are being conducted for IT and cyber security specialists to ensure that the local workforce meets global standards, he added.

Gimranov noted that Uzbekistan is actively developing infrastructure to ensure cybersecurity, including the creation of national centers for monitoring and responding to cyber threats.

With regard to Internet access, the uneven distribution of high-speed Internet and modern IT infrastructure limits access to IT services in some regions, he said.

Gimranov noted that the government of Uzbekistan is investing in the development of telecommunications and IT infrastructure in underdeveloped regions.

This includes the creation of high-speed Internet networks and modern data centers, as well as the creation of digital educational and innovation centers in different regions for training and development of projects in the field of information technology, he said.

Meanwhile, the ICT sector of Uzbekistan has developed rapidly over the past few years. The value of digital services provided in Uzbekistan from January to November 2022 amounted to 13.1 billion soums ($1.1 million). This is 21.9 percent more than in the same period in 2021 (10.8 billion soums, or $953,600).
Professor Anu Ojha, Director of Championing Space at the UK Space Agency explains why the deal is so significant, how important experiments in orbit can be, and why backing from the commercial sector is so important.
In his first months in office, the Prime Minister secured the Windsor Framework, lancing the boil (at least for now) of the Northern Ireland Protocol. He signed the Aukus nuclear submarine partnership with the United States and Australia, bolstering the Wests defensive capabilities. And he clinched a deal with French president Emmanuel Macron to attempt to tackle the small boats crisis. The problem Sunak encountered was that the polls did not seem to shift. So he did.
Because, honestly, while there are a great many words you could use to describe this place  a first UK restaurant from the Argentina-born founding chef of three Michelin-starred Rivieran gastro-temple Mirazur  I do not know if convivial is even close to being one of them. Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London is artful, luxurious and occasionally astounds with its fine-hewn, technical intricacy. But it is also a slightly airless and determinedly cerebral experience that, for those of us who have Monzo cards rather than Coutts accounts, ends with what may be one of the capitals most traumatising bills.
The restaurant is famous in Japan for serving the meat of the Tajima heifer, a breed of ultra-premium Kobe beef. We are bringing the best quality when it comes to the meat, something you rarely see even in Japan, Aragawas founder Kotaro Ogawa told the Standard. This means the cost of the meat is very high. We are not just overpricing it because it is London.
Along with his family, we sincerely hope this is not the case, and that is why we are reaching out to the public to help us find out what has happened to him. Please think about the anguish of Justins family and if you have any information that could assist, contact us.
"During the police intervention, the checked baggage of the suspect was opened, inside which clothing was found and a package was seen on the back of the suitcase into which a metal punch was inserted to extract the drugs."
Mr Dos Santos said on Wednesday: "If you cant trust the police to be honest and accept when they have done bad and stereotype black people, what hope is there? I dont believe that the panel has been brave enough to review what the Casey report has already clearly stated, which is that the Met Police is institutionally racist.
In June, Shell announced it was no longer aiming to reduce oil production by between 1% and 2% each year of this decade, after saying it met its targets eight years ahead of schedule.
England player Jonny Bairstow carried Knorr off the pitch, champagne corks and fruit were thrown by cricket fans at Bourne as he was led off the field, and Murray was tackled before she could reach the wicket and held down on the grass.
He said: The reason that these guys and girls are choosing electric bikes, home-made kits, is that its inexpensive for them to assemble and to put together, and they can deliver more in less time and generate more income for themselves - but they are putting themselves in danger by doing that.
We want to see the hostages out, so the first step that could be taken by Hamas would be to release those innocent men, women and children that they are keeping captive in Gaza, he told Sky.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 25. Uzbekistan aims to search for new markets for exports as a response to ongoing constraints and price fluctuations affecting its products in foreign countries, Trend reports.

As per Sherzod Asadov, Uzbekistans Deputy Head of Administration and Press Secretary of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the president calls on governors and ministers of the country to discuss issues of where and how to sell products and what kind of support should be provided to entrepreneurs if trade restrictions and fluctuations in the markets of the main partner countries persist.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev also noted that the situation and conflicts in the world are becoming increasingly tense.

"We need new enterprises, jobs, and markets, as well as investments and large revenues, for the well-being and future of our country and people," he said.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistans foreign trade turnover made $44.8 billion from January through September of 2023.

As per Uzbekistans State Statistics Committee, the recorded number is 22.1 percent, or $8.1 billion, greater than the volume fixed in the same period last year.

The agencys analysts state that such a boost is a result of the measures implemented by Uzbekistan in recent years to stimulate exports, optimize imports, and, in general, ensure the balance of foreign trade.

Moreover, Uzbekistan plans to increase the value of exported goods to $19 billion in 2024. Uzbekistans exports amounted to $16.4 billion from January through September of 2023, an increase of 27.8 percent compared to 2022 statistics.
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last week he was increasing UK support by 10 million and then by a further 20 million on Monday to meet the needs of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been subject to a siege and bombardment from Israel as Tel Aviv retaliates after Hamass assault on October 7.
Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday night, Mr Shapps said: We understand that Israel was attacked in a very brutal way by Hamas terrorists to then ask Israel not to respond, in other words what you describe as a ceasefire, I think is untenable.
He told Times Radio: Understandably, this is a very sensitive and emotive issue, both for people who have connections and relatives to the Palestinian people as well as the Israeli people, and it is perfectly normal for Keir to sit down and listen to colleagues in the parliamentary party and indeed our councillors and other members from across the country.
It is not a resigning issue, because we belong to a party for a purpose, he added. When you are outside of that you have no say, so I wouldnt encourage anyone to resign.
Explaining how his system of user control would work, Mr Shellenberger wrote: When you use Google, YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter, or any other social media platform, the company would be required to ask you how you want to moderate your content. Would you like to see the posts of the people you follow in chronological or reverse chronological order? Or would you like to use a filter by a group or person you trust?
We believe in freedom of speech, he told Times Radio, adding: I think there is conduct which is below the criminal standard but which is wrong, would be accepted as wrong by most reasonable people. If those people are not British citizens, they are just visitors to our country enjoying the privileges of living here Im afraid their visas will be revoked and they should leave.
It will undoubtedly come as a massive blow for fans of Schwarzenegger to find that while the actor is older than 35 and has had dual citizenship for over 14 years, he was not born in the States. Rather, he left for America in 1968 at the age of 21 after growing up in Austria.
The Israeli cabinet and military command appear to have come up with a rough and ready plan for operations in Gaza. That is all it is, a rough plan of intent, and certainly not a long-term strategy for the relations with the Palestinians. As declared by defence minister Yoav Gallant last week, the plan is to move in to isolate the command cells and units of Hamas fighters, to hold and clear the Gaza strip to below Gaza City, and then to seal what remains of the Strip for good  for the Palestinians and their allies to do with what they may. The latter part is based on the assumption that Hamas will be eradicated as a fighting force.
Speaking about the 100 workers who managed to get out of the mine, Gold One Group's head of legal Ziyaad Hassam said: At this stage we are still investigating so that we get a sense of what is going on. Im not aware if the police negotiator played a role in them coming out. It was a surprise to see them coming out."
UK visitors to France can enter the country visa-free for a period of 90 days. If you wish to stay longer, check the French Visa website for what is required. You may also be asked at the border about where you plan to stay and onward travel plans.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. France has publicly committed to providing Armenia with ongoing military assistance, as affirmed by the agreements inked on October 23. This assistance not only encompasses multiple arms supply contracts, some potentially exceeding several hundred million euros in value but also entails the deployment of French military personnel for training Armenian forces in Yerevan.

"During her visit to Yerevan on October 3, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna confirmed that Paris had "agreed" to "supply military equipment to Armenia to bolster its defense." Nevertheless, the specifics of this aid were not detailed, and it seemed primarily aimed at placating the significant Armenian diaspora in France, estimated at 500,000 individuals," an article in the French Le Monde newspaper says.

With this newfound clarity, the French media is raising questions about how Armenia, a nation grappling with economic challenges, will manage to fund this "assistance".

In the interim, French taxpayers' funds appear to be channeling into the resurgence of Armenian revanchism and destabilizing the broader South Caucasus. It's apparent that Paris does not perceive any advantage in mediating relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Meanwhile, the Armenian lobby continues to propagate unsubstantiated narratives about a non-existent threat to Armenia's territorial integrity and fictitious "ethnic cleansing" by Azerbaijan.

As France ponders how Armenia will settle its financial obligations, it's essential to reflect on the extent of the French enthusiasm to become patrons of a potential new conflict.
Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said that, while the search will not continue on Wednesday, it will consider "what measures can be taken around the site of the accident in the course of the day".
The more reading I did up on it the more I realised I should not write it on my own, I had to get a woman in to write with me. The female body is so important in a womens prison, what happens in and around it is so important.
The former Great British Bake Off judge said the key to a successful Christmas dinner is simplicity, in keeping with her mission to make things more straightforward in the kitchen following the release of her new book, Mary Makes It Easy.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, said that Armenia does not see any advantages in the continued presence of the Russian military on its territory, Trend reports.

He openly stated that Russia failed to fulfill its obligations during Azerbaijans local anti-terror measures in Karabakh, and hinted at Armenias intentions to seek new partners.

These statements effectively mark the initiation of a process to remove the Russian military base from Armenian territory. However, its worth noting that forming new partnerships would be incompatible with Armenias membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the presence of Russian military personnel within Armenia.

Consequently, Pashinyan might soon propose the withdrawal of the Russian military base and engage in discussions about Armenias potential exit from the CSTO.

In response to these developments, Moscow is expected to react decisively to Pashinyans statements.
Rob Premo, Director for the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, was the guest speaker at the Starkville Rotary Club meeting held on Monday, Oct. 23. (Photo by Charles Wesley, Starkville Daily News)
Oktibbeha County Court Judge Lee Ann Turner speaks at the Oct. 24 Kiwanis Club meeting in the Hilton Garden Inn in Starkville. (Photo by Charles Wesley, Starkville Daily News)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. Egypt advocates a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip without any additional demands, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said, Trend reports.

"Egypt stands for a ceasefire without additional conditions," Shoukry said.

The Foreign Minister expressed regret that the UN Security Council cannot adopt a corresponding resolution.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on the morning of October 7, 2023. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.
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The Bucharest Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered the start of the trial on the merits of the 'Revolution' case, in which former president Ion Iliescu, former deputy prime minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus, former head of the Military Aviation, are accused of committing crimes against humanity, but the decision is not final.

After several postponements, the court rejected all the exceptions and requests raised by Ion Iliescu's lawyers, the legality of the indictment drawn up by the prosecutors being established.

The Revolutie file has been circulating between the Bucharest courts and prosecutor's offices for four years due to procedural reasons.

In the first phase, Ion Iliescu was sent to trial by the Military Prosecutor's Office in April 2019, but the file was returned to the Prosecutor's Office two years later by the Supreme Court (ICCJ) judges, citing irregularities in the indictment.

The Supreme Court then decided to exclude from the criminal prosecution material several pieces of evidence, including the "statements" containing the reports made by Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Ion Iliescu before the Senatorial Committee, reports of the Parliament, a point of view from the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) or documents from the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) archive.

AGERPRES
DefMin Tilvar: Army is in full modernisation process, has already reached NATO standards in many dimensions

Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Wednesday that the army is in the process of modernisation and transformation and has already reached NATO standards "in many dimensions."

"At the moment, the Army is in the process of modernisation and transformation and has already reached NATO standards in many dimensions. The provision of a budget of 2% of the GDP since 2017 and the increase to 2.5% of the GDP this year have allowed the launch of ambitious programmes to endow the army with state-of-the-art technology and equipment," Tilvar said in a message on Romanian Army Day.

He also mentioned the efforts being made to improve the working conditions of National Defence Ministry (MApN) personnel.

"The army ensures, through the people who wear its uniform with honour, pride, patriotism and sense of duty, our security and defence, of all of us, and is the guarantor of a life lived in peace and freedom," said the Minister of Defence.

He brought to mind, on this anniversary, the sacrifice of Romanian heroes.

"On Romanian Army Day, we honour the sacrifice of those who fought and died on duty to free the country in the Second World War and we pay tribute to the Romanian heroes who gave their lives in the theatres of operations, but also to war veterans, active and retired military personnel and civilian personnel," said the Minister.

In this context, Angel Tilvar spoke about the security situation in the world, referring to the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.

"Unfortunately, today the world is again facing a wave of violence, from neighbouring Ukraine to friendly Israel. The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and the barbaric attacks by the terrorist group Hamas on civilians in Israel are blatant and unjustified violations of international humanitarian law. In such troubled times we must find ways to act together with our allies and partners to strengthen Romania's security and defence," said the dignitary.

As far as Romania is concerned, he showed that more than 5,000 soldiers from Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United States of America deployed on Romanian territory are training together with the Romanian military, and thanks to this "we are better protected and defended."

"The participation of the Romanian military, in the last decades, in missions in theatres of operations under the command of the UN, the European Union or NATO has strengthened Romania's security profile abroad, demonstrating the seriousness with which our country assumes its commitments in the areas of security and defence," said Angel Tilvar.

AGERPRES
The PPC Group from Greece announced on Wednesday the completion of the transaction through which it acquired the shares held by the Enel Group in Romania, successfully concluding its first major expansion on the foreign market, the group informs in a release sent to AGERPRES.

The completion of the transaction represents a landmark event for PPC's growth strategy, through the acquisition of a significant portfolio of renewable projects (both completed and under development), but also of electricity distribution and supply operations in Romania.

Pursuant to the sale agreement signed on March 9, 2023, PPC paid approximately 1.240 billion euros, equivalent to an enterprise value of approximately 1.9 billion euros (100% of the shares).

"PPC's objective is to become a leader on the clean energy market in South-Eastern Europe, with an investment plan focused on renewables. The acquisition of Enel's activities in Romania is the ideal choice both from a geographical point of view and from the point of view of businesses. I want to thank all the teams that contributed to the successful completion of the transaction. Today, we begin the process of growth and transformation in Romania, motivated by the desire to become the most important energy company in the country," said Georgios Stassis, president and CEO of PPC.

Enel Romania is a key player on the energy market in Romania, a leader in the field of renewable energy, with a total installed capacity of 600 MW and another 5 GW of projects in various stages of development. For these reasons, the acquisition of Enel Romania aligns with PPC's energy transition strategy, but also with its development plan in Southeast Europe. On the electricity and gas supply market, the company has over 3.1 million customers and 81 stores throughout the country. It is also the operator of the distribution network in 3 regions of the country, including Bucharest, covering approximately one-third of Romania's territory, with over 133,000 km of network, and has already installed over 1.4 million smart meters for residential customers and companies.
Iohannis: Our military continue to make the army an authentic ambassador of Romania

Our military continue to make the army an authentic ambassador of our country on an international level, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday at the ceremony organised on the Romanian Army Day.

"In the constitutional architecture, the Romanian Army has the essential role of guaranteeing the independence, sovereignty, state unity and territorial integrity of the country. With devotion and professionalism, our military continue to make the army an authentic ambassador of our country on an international level, contributing fully to the consolidation of Romania's strategic relevance and profile at the global level," said Iohannis.

He said that Europe is currently facing "an unprecedented crisis."

"Peace and the entire global security environment are threatened by regional conflicts, with the potential to escalate. Europe is facing an unprecedented crisis since the Second World War as a result of the brutal and illegal military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, while the shocking and reprehensible terrorist attack of 7 October against the State of Israel risks completely destabilising the Middle East in the long term," Iohannis said.

The President stressed that, in this difficult context, "the role of the Romanian Army in ensuring national security and collective defence on NATO's Eastern flank is all the more relevant."

"The Romanian military, together with the allies present on the territory of our country, whom I thank on this occasion, are key elements in maintaining NATO's deterrence and defence posture in the Black Sea region, an area of strategic importance for the Euro-Atlantic space," Iohannis said.

Moreover, Iohannis stressed that, at present, through the affiliation to NATO and the Strategic Partnership with the United States, "Romania benefits from the most solid security guarantees in history."

"In turn, we are determined to defend the values of democracy and we are fully committed to the efforts to strengthen regional, European and Euro-Atlantic security and stability. We will continue to be a credible and predictable partner within NATO and the European Union, a pillar of stability in Eastern Europe and an important provider of security in the Black Sea region," said Klaus Iohannis.

He pointed out that Romania will continue to pay "special attention" to endowing the army with modern combat and protection equipment.

"Starting this year, we are allocating 2.5% of GDP to defence, and at least 20% of this budget will continue to be earmarked for endowing the armed forces. This solid base will allow us to carry out a series of programmes to modernise existing equipment and endow it with modern ones, including: multirole aircraft, modern defensive systems and equipment, radar systems, as well as individual and collective protection equipment," Iohannis said.

During the ceremony, which took place in the "Carol I" Park in the Capital, the President decorated the battle flag of the Defence Staff.

AGERPRES
The European Capital of Culture ECC2023 will be the host of the meeting of Theatre Schools in Europe, between November 10-16, part of the Sunlight Theatre cultural program, and will bring together performances, debates, workshops, reading-performance in high schools in Timisoara, conferences and a joint performance, according to a press release from the Artmedia Cultural Foundation, sent on Wednesday to AGERPRES.

The central objective is to create an authentic cultural dialogue among the communities of European drama schools.

The event offers a meeting space for students, theater teachers, specialists, critics, theater directors, established actors and directors and also invites the public from Timisoara to the show.

The seven European theatre schools that interconnect in Timisoara are: the Private University of Music and Art of the City of Vienna, the Faculty of Music and Theatre in Hanover, the Baden-Wurttemberg Performing Arts Academy in Ludwigsburg, the Theatre Faculty of the Metropolitan University in Manchester, the Royal Conservatory of Scotland in Glasgow, the National Academy of Dramatic Art Aleksander Zelwerowicz in Warsaw, the Faculty of Music and Theatre of the University of the West in Timisoara.

These faculties and academies of theatre and performing arts with strong artistic discourses and different working methods will present in Timisoara the performances chosen following a selection made by the curatorial team of the event, formed by Alina Mazilu and Florin Vidamski.

At the opening of the festival, the Timisoara public can attend the performance-conference "Public: Mode d'emploi?", created by Yves Marc, a show with which the French artist, established at the European level, will participate in the Avignon Festival in 2024.
If the bronzes and russets of autumn have you longing for spring, a green dial can help see you through the colder, darker days. Casual but still sophisticated, these verdant dials are also bang on-trend

Oris, CHF 1,900

Style and simplicity are at the heart of this value-for-money watch. A forest green dial hints at Switzerlands rolling countryside in general, and the lush Waldenburg Valley in particular. Powering the time-only display is the Oris Calibre 733, recognisable by the signature red rotor that is on show through the sapphire caseback.

Artelier S in steel, 38mm diameter, automatic movement, leather strap  Oris

Maurice Lacroix, CHF 1,950

A flagship model gets the all-green treatment. The Clou de Paris motif on the green dial is repeated on a central band along the colour-coordinated strap in natural rubber. Such a distinctive aesthetic isnt all this Aikon has to offer. Like the Oris, it delivers excellent value for money.

Aikon in steel, 39mm diameter, automatic movement, date in an aperture, rubber strap  Maurice Lacroix

Breitling, CHF 5,800

Lots to love here, courtesy of a chronograph paired with a second time zone that is clearly displayed by means of a central hand, plus the date in an aperture. The Rouleaux bracelet, introduced in the 80s, comprises a succession of metal cylinders and fastens with an invisible deployant clasp. Guaranteed comfort with a distinctive look.

Chronomat GMT in steel, 40mm diameter, automatic movement, GMT hand, date in an aperture, steel bracelet  Breitling

Grand Seiko, CHF 6,300

A beautifully simple watch that showcases a magnificent textured dial. Shimmering shades of green capture the autumn landscapes around Mount Iwate in Japan, as seen from the windows of Studio Shizukuishi where Grand Seiko watches are made. This Heritages limited-edition status will be an added incentive for collectors.

Heritage in steel, 36.5mm diameter, manual-winding movement, steel bracelet. 400-piece limited edition  Grand Seiko

Rolex, CHF 8,000

One of the worlds most famous watches in a diminutive 31mm diameter that will flatter a slimmer wrist. This bijou of a watch certainly isnt lacking personality, thanks to a fixed fluted bezel and the five-piece link Jubilee bracelet which was specially created for the launch of the Datejust in 1945.

Oyster Perpetual Datejust in steel and white gold, 31mm diameter, automatic movement, date in an aperture, bracelet in steel and white gold  Rolex

Jaeger-LeCoultre, CHF 10,100

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute is, as its name suggests, a tribute to the earliest Reverso watches of the 1930s. Created in pure Art Deco style, its case flips over to reveal a canvas that need not remain blank for long: a monogram, a crest, a drawing, a loving message. What will you have engraved?

Reverso Tribute in steel, 45.6 x 27.4mm, manual-winding movement, small seconds, leather strap  Jaeger-LeCoultre

Panerai, CHF 16,200

A tool watch equipped with a flyback chronograph that instantly resets to zero for measuring intermediate times. Chronograph minutes are recorded on the counter at 3 oclock, across from small seconds at 9 oclock.

Luminor in ceramic, 44mm diameter, automatic chronograph movement, leather strap  Panerai

Patek Philippe, CHF 54,000

From a king among manufacturers, a superb timepiece with a distinctly sporting style. A single counter tracks minutes from 1 to 60, while the central seconds hand for the flyback chronograph pulls double duty as a running seconds hand. And there is more: this ever-popular complication is paired with an annual calendar showing day, date and month.
President Klaus Iohannis will participate, on Thursday and Friday, in the European Council meeting and the extended Euro Summit, which will take place in Brussels, the Presidential Administration informed in a release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

President Iohannis will emphasize that our country will continue to be a firm supporter of Ukraine and will plead for the continuation of the support provided by the European Union, as long as it is needed. At the same time, he will support the opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova until the end of this year.

With reference to the situation in the Middle East, president Iohannis will reiterate the need for a clear and united vision at the European level, the conflict having consequences including for the EU and European citizens, respect for international humanitarian law, avoiding the escalation of the conflict, identifying solutions to achieve sustainable peace, based on the two-state solution, as well as avoiding the exacerbation of extremism at the level of European societies in this context.

Also, Iohannis will emphasize the need to obtain an agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework by the end of this year, which will allow the achievement of the multiannual objectives and respond to the immediate challenges of the EU.

President Iohannis will emphasize the importance of consolidating the Single Market and support a balanced approach in defining measures in this area. Also, the Romanian president will insist on "removing all remaining barriers to free movement and ensuring fair competition among member states".

EU leaders will have a strategic discussion on migration, during which president Klaus Iohannis will plead for the strengthening of cooperation with third countries of origin and transit of migrants at all levels and will highlight Romania's contribution to the protection of the external borders of the Union.

Moreover, the EU leaders will bring back to the discussion the importance of a comprehensive and coordinated approach at the European level to strengthen the response and preparedness in the face of crises, an approach that Romania supported at the European Council in June and which it will continue to promote, given its relevance for the internal resilience of the EU, said the Presidential Administration.

Regarding the situation in Kosovo and Serbia and the one in the South Caucasus, Romania will support the continuation of the mediation efforts of the European Union, both in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and in the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

During the extended Euro Summit, president Iohannis will plead for close coordination of economic policies, in order to increase the resilience of the European economy.
WASHINGTON  For many Americans, the Republican dysfunction that ground business in the U.S. House to a halt as two wars rage abroad and a budget crisis looms at home is feeding into a longer-term pessimism about the country's core institutions.

The lack of faith extends beyond Congress, with recent polls finding a loss of confidence or interest in institutions such as organized religion, policing, the Supreme Court, even banking. The GOP internal bickering that for nearly three weeks has left open the speaker's position  second in line to the presidency  is widely seen as the latest indication of deep problems with the nation's bedrock institutions.

"They're holding up the people's business because they're so dysfunctional," said Christopher Lauff, 57, a Democrat in Fargo, North Dakota.

Part of that business, he said, is approving money for Ukraine to continue its fight against Russia's invasion, something he says ultimately helps the U.S.  a point President Joe Biden stressed Thursday during an Oval Office address.

"We're usually the knight in shining armor, but we can't be that now," Lauff said.

"Trust in institutions has deteriorated substantially," said Kay Schlozman, professor of political science at Boston College. She said she believes in government and the things it provides, such as national defense and access to health care, but "I also can very much understand why the American people can be cynical about government."

The turmoil in the House and the federal case against Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who is facing charges for bribery, show that both major parties are contributing to the dour outlook.

Right-wing Republicans pushed a member of their own party, Kevin McCarthy of California, out of the speaker job earlier this month. Attempts to replace him failed.

"That is an example of exactly the kind of thing that I would say can't foster trust of government among the American people  the multiple votes, the fractiousness within parties, of people being personally ambitious and not being willing to compromise," Schlozman said.

About half of adults (53%) say they have "hardly any confidence at all" in the people running Congress, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that was conducted in October. That's in line with 49% who said that in March. Just 3% have a great deal of confidence in Congress, virtually unchanged from March.

About 4 in 10 adults (39%) have hardly any confidence in the executive branch of the federal government, compared with 44% in March. Most Republicans (56%) have low levels of confidence in the executive branch  which is overseen by a member of the opposing party, Democrat Joe Biden  compared with just 20% of Democrats.

About a third of adults (36%) say they have hardly any confidence in the conservative-majority Supreme Court, a figure that remained steady in recent months. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say their confidence in the Supreme Court is low. Black Americans are more likely than Americans overall, as well as more likely than white or Hispanic adults, to have hardly any confidence in the nation's highest court.

One-third of U.S. adults (33%) continue to have low levels of confidence in the Justice Department, with Republicans having less confidence than Democrats. This comes as former President Donald Trump rails against the department after being charged with mishandling classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Rick Cartelli, 63, a health care worker in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, who identifies as an independent, said he is happy with his local and state government but the current environment wiped out what little confidence he had in Capitol Hill. "What is happening now is not good for the country at all," he said.

Cartelli also said he has little confidence in the executive branch, citing what he says are Biden "mental lapses."

Multiple AP-NORC polls from earlier this year found the dearth of confidence is pervasive, spreading to other institutions. Slightly fewer than half (45%) of people in a study from AP-NORC and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights said they have little or no confidence that the news media is reporting news fully, accurately and fairly.

Views on the U.S. military were best, with just 17% saying they have hardly any confidence in the armed forces.

Kathleen Kersey, a 32-year-old health care worker in Brunswick, Georgia, who is a Republican, said she has little confidence in any of the federal entities, including Congress, but has more for the institutions closer to home. She is a fan of Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, who she said is a moral man.

"There's only so much one person can do, and just with all the evil, it's hard to have confidence in anything really, even the churches because everything works together as one," she said.

Confidence in the country's foundational institutions historically ebbed and flowed, though there's been a long-term downward trend since at least the 1970s. Trust in government waned in the era of Watergate and the Pentagon Papers before making a slight recovery during Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s.
Tony Messenger Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is developing a reputation.

Hes the guy who looks the other way.

Want him to stop representing the Missouri State Highway Patrol in a case involving seized gaming devices? Funnel tens of thousands of dollars to a political action committee controlled by his allies, and hell do just that.

Want him to file a "friend of the court" brief on behalf of a Missouri-based company accused of poisoning children in Peru who live near a lead mine? Hell do that, too, as long as a $50,000 campaign check is on the way.

Perhaps that willingness to play ball is what drew David Johnson and Kirk Chewning to Bailey.

On March 31, each man donated $2,825 to Baileys campaign. The amounts seem small compared to other questionable donations the attorney general has received. Chewning lists a Virgin Islands address as his home. Johnson lists a Georgia address. In Missouri Ethics Commission records, both men say they work for a company called SLC, a consultant of some sort. It took me a while to figure out what that company actually is.

SLC stands for Strategic Link Consulting. It is one of numerous firms owned by Johnson and Chewning and connected to their Virgin Islands-based company, Cane Bay Partners. According to its website, the company provides a variety of financial and management consulting services to investors.

But thats not what it really is, according to lawsuits filed in several states against the men and their companies. The two most recent lawsuits were filed in Illinois and Indiana in late September. They allege the two men are running an online payday loan operation. It charges up to 730% interest and tries to avoid state laws by being a front for various Native American tribes, the lawsuits claim.

Here's how the scheme works, according to the lawsuit filed in Indiana:

In an attempt to evade prosecution under usury laws of states like Indiana, non-tribal owners of online payday lending businesses frequently engage in a business model commonly referred to as a rent-a-tribe scheme. Here, and in such schemes, non-tribal payday lenders create an elaborate charade claiming their non-tribal businesses are owned and operated by Native American tribes. The illegal payday loans are then made in the name of a Native American tribal business entity which purport to be shielded from state and federal laws prohibiting usury due to tribal sovereign immunity. However, the tribal lending entity is simply a facade for an illegal lending scheme; all substantive aspects of the payday lending operation  funding, marketing, loan origination, underwriting, loan servicing, electronic funds transfers, and collections  are performed by individuals and entities that are unaffiliated with the tribe.

A similar lawsuit against the two men and their entities was settled in Illinois in June. Another case in Wisconsin settled in July; it came after a separate lawsuit there by a Native American tribe alleging embezzlement and fraud. A case that was dismissed in Maryland has been appealed.

Calls and emails to Johnson and Chewning through Cane Bay Partners were not returned.

So why did they donate money to Bailey, their only political donations in Missouri?

Perhaps they see Missouri as a fresh market, as other states slowly close shop. Read the fine print on one of the companys payday-loan websites, maxlend.com, and you'll find this advisory: The Tribe has elected not to conduct business in the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, or West Virginia.

In Missouri, it's possible the two men have noticed the same lobbyist who represents the gaming device companies and backs Bailey  Steve Tilley  also lobbies for the Oklahoma-based Native American tribe Osage Nation, which is in the process of starting its own lending operation.

With several legal cases still pending against Johnson and Chewning, perhaps they can get Bailey to write a friend of the court brief on their behalf. If Missouris attorney general is OK with backing a company accused of poisoning Peruvian children, whats the harm of a few rent-a-tribe payday loans?
MISSION, Kan.  A mother is suing a shuttered Christian boarding school in Missouri, blaming her sons death on a gang rape and other abuse he endured there.

Agape Boarding School has been subjected to a wave of litigation as a series of abuse allegations emerged, but the case filed this month and amended Monday in federal court by Kathleen Britt is believed to be the first wrongful death suit.

The suit said that mental health problems plagued Britts son, Jason Britt, after he left the private school, where several staffers subsequently were charged. The suit said he lifted weights obsessively and ingested copious steroids so he would become so strong that he never would be victimized again.

He grew so despondent that he wrote a suicide note. But heart and kidney failure were what claimed his life in February 2022.

The saddest part of his case is he finally found a cause to live when the circumstances of his choices ended up killing him, said attorney Rebecca Randles. It is one of those completely devastatingly sad situations.

Among those named in the suit are the school, a company that transported students there, and Cedar County Sheriff James McCrary. Agapes attorney and the sheriff didnt immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Jason Britts parents turned to Agape because they were worried about his slipping grades and partying. In 2010, the then-16-year-old was awoken in the middle of the night while staying with his girlfriend. The men who transported him to Agape zip tied his hands and told him he had been given up for adoption, the suit said.

Instead of the counseling his parents were promised, the school was a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion, the suit said. Upon arriving, his head was shaved. And when he tried to write to his family about what was happening, he was punished. The maltreatment culminated in him being gang raped, the suit said.

The suit said the sheriffs department knew of reports of abuse at Agape and a sister boarding school. But despite those reports, deputies routinely returned runaways to their schools without effectively investigating or reporting concerns to state welfare workers.

Some of the sheriffs department staff also worked at the school, the suit said.

When Jason Britts mother visited, she was alarmed by her sons demeanor and took him home, the suit said. The family learned he had been abused at the school, but they were ignored by Cedar County authorities, the lawsuit said. Anxious and withdrawn, he finished high school online and grew obsessed with weight lifting.

The steroids, testosterone, high blood pressure and anxiety coupled with the drug addiction were the mechanism of his death; the cause of his death was the abuse at Agape, the suit said.

More than a dozen other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.

When it shut down in January, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The schools former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.

Former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called seizure boy because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

In 2021, Agapes longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts. Missouris then-Attorney General Eric Schmitts office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes.

But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.
ST. LOUIS  A group of Washington University students walked out Wednesday to call for the university to condemn Israels attacks on Gaza as genocide and denounce a professor whose social media posts seemed to call for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

Protesters condemned a statement from Chancellor Andrew D. Martin that they claimed uncritically endorsed Israels response to a Hamas attack while failing to condemn Israels killing of Palestinian civilians and complete blockade on the Gaza strip.

And, the students said, the university failed to support Palestinian-American and Muslim students facing threats and discrimination for speaking out, including a protest last week that drew dozens.

Were here to amplify the voices of students on campus who feel silenced and scared to speak out of fear they will be doxxed or their student groups will face repercussions, Ayah Hamdan, a Palestinian-American alumnus who graduated in May, said Wednesday. The least the university can do is write a statement that makes everyone feel heard, safe and protected and that their lives matter.

A spokesperson for the school, Julie Flory, said the university replied to the letter with an invitation to facilitate a conversation between students and the administration.

We support our students expressing themselves and allow them to organize on-campus events, as long as they follow university guidelines and policies, Flory said in an email.

Leaders of the demonstration said about 100 students participated.

The walkout, part of a national student day of protest, comes amid a tense debate on college campuses over the Israel-Palestine conflict since Hamas on Oct. 7 killed more than 1,400 Israelis and Israel retaliated with daily airstrikes and a complete siege that has killed more than 6,500 Palestinians in Gaza. Since then, in the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.

Top universities like Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have faced backlash from alumni and major donors who said college leaders didnt forcefully enough condemn Hamas massacre or voice support for Jewish students. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian students and faculty said they faced discrimination for speaking out.

Wednesdays action came five days after the Coalition of WUSTL Students for Palestine sent a letter to administrators that said Martin used passive language that obfuscates Israeli army actions and occupation of Palestinian territories.

While Chancellor Martin quickly condemned Hamas for its attacks on Israel, he has been silent as the Israeli Army starves the people of Gaza with a complete blockade of electricity, food, and water, the coalition said in its Oct. 20 letter. Even when students and professors on our campus threaten Palestinians and call for ethnic cleansing, the administration says nothing. And as Boeing delivers thousands of bombs for Israel to drop on the Gaza Strip, our university invites the company to campus for recruitment.

Martin on Oct. 10, three days after the Hamas attack, issued a statement in support of the campus community, including Israeli and Palestinian students.

Like all of you, I have been following the devastating events in Israel and Gaza since this weekend. To say that this is a heart-wrenching tragedy is a gross understatement. The violence perpetrated by Hamas against the Israeli people is beyond horrific; the terrorist acts we have been witnessing are nothing short of heinous. The depravity and inhumanity are simply beyond comprehension.

The developing humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also immensely heartbreaking. Thousands of lives have already been lost in this conflict in just the past few days and I fear that this is only the beginning of what will be an incredibly painful chapter in modern history.

Student protesters said the chancellors statement used a racist double standard where violence against Israelis is horrific, heinous, and simply beyond comprehension, while violence against Palestinians is a humanitarian crisis with no perpetrator or intent.

The group also called on the university to publicly denounce statements by Seth Crosby, a genetics professor who on Oct. 13 said in social media posts that Israeli attacks on Gaza were a much-needed cleansing & that Israel is not targeting humans.

Crosby in subsequent posts said that he was referring to Hamas, before apologizing and deleting his account, claiming Washington University had fired him.

Flory on Friday repeated the universitys previous statement that Crosby remained employed while it was following up as appropriate, according to our policies and processes.

The opinions he has expressed as an individual, Flory said in an email, do not represent the universitys position.
JEFFERSON CITY  House Speaker Dean Plochers path to the lieutenant governors office next year became a bit rockier Wednesday with the emergence of another well-funded candidate for the post.

As the Des Peres Republican scrambled to address ethics problems that have generated calls for his resignation, former state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, moved closer to joining an already crowded Republican race for the No. 2 statewide post.

Onder, who changed his campaign committee in early August to signal a run for lieutenant governor, gave himself $500,000 Tuesday, putting him in instant contention in a GOP primary against Plocher, state Sen. Holly Rehder, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker and unsuccessful congressional candidate Paul Berry III.

In a social media post, Onder focused on Plochers plight, which stems from filing false travel reimbursements dating to 2018.

This looks and smells like embezzlement. Its documented, happened 9 times over years, and he only reimbursed after being caught. Plocher is the Swamp and should resign, Onder wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Onder, 61, is a physician who served two terms in the state Senate. When he left office in 2022, he was a leader of a splinter faction of conservative Republicans who upended the Senate over issues like abortion funding.

Until Tuesdays six-figure campaign contribution, the St. Charles County Republican had not been actively raising funds to run for office, Missouri Ethics Commission reports say.

In a statement to the Post-Dispatch Wednesday, Onder said, At this point Ill say that I am seriously considering a statewide race and that it is highly likely that I will be running for Lieutenant Governor.

Plochers woes provide Onder an opening. Sen. Bill Eigel, a key Onder ally who is running for governor, called on the speaker to step down Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the speaker continued to assess the damage stemming from his travel costs. He wrote another check to reimburse the state for filing a false expense report.

The $618 check will cover expenses he claimed for a downtown hotel in St. Louis that hosted a legislative conference in 2018. In explaining the repayment, he called the initial reimbursement request inadvertent.

The latest check brings the total he has repaid to the state to $3,997.

According to a Post-Dispatch review of Plochers House travel records and his campaign account, the speaker spent campaign funds to register for conferences, buy airfare and book hotels but then asked to be reimbursed with taxpayer funds.

Plocher, an attorney and former municipal judge who has one more year in the speaker post, has called the financial missteps first reported by the Missouri Independent a mistake and has lashed out at critics who say he should step down.

The sideshows and political spectacle must end so we can get back to doing the important work Missourians expect of us, Plocher said in a social media post.

But Plocher also faces scrutiny for unsuccessfully trying to muscle a nearly $800,000 software contract through the House outside of the normal bidding process. The nonpartisan House staff balked at the proposed purchase because a similar in-house program is already available.

In the dust-up, however, he fired his chief of staff, a longtime Capitol employee who had served three previous speakers.

The House Ethics Committee, which polices lawmakers, is set to meet Friday. It is not clear what issues may be discussed, but the outcome could become a factor in Plochers political future.

The vice chairman of the panel is Assistant House Minority Leader Richard Brown, D-Kansas City. Brown, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, declined comment on the hearing, citing the committees confidentiality rules.
CLAYTON  A lawsuit filed Tuesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court questions whether a candidate for Missouri House lives in the district where she is running.

Chanel Mosley, daughter of state Sen. Angela Mosley and state Rep. Jay Mosley of Florissant, is running for the 75th House District in north St. Louis County.

But a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Abduraqeeb White, of Florissant, says the frequent voter list of 2022 doesnt show Mosley is a resident of the district.

And the lawsuit notes the Chambers Road address she lists in campaign paperwork is also the law office of Elbert Walton Jr., her grandfather and a former state legislator.

Chanel M. Mosley has not proven that she is a resident of the 75th state district for which she claims to be running, the lawsuit said.

Chanel Mosley, reached Wednesday by phone, said she is a resident of Black Jack, in the district. She said she hadnt seen the lawsuit and doesnt know the plaintiff.

Mosley said she uses the Chambers Road address as a business mailing address.

Mosley is running to replace her uncle, state Rep. Alan Gray, D-Black Jack, in the Missouri House.

The Black Jack address Mosley provided a Post-Dispatch reporter Wednesday is also the address listed for Grays campaign.

Voter records as of August show Chanel Mosley was registered to vote in Florissant, at her parents address and outside of the 75th District.

Chanel Mosley is running alongside her sister, Janay Mosley, for the Missouri House in a bid to continue her familys St. Louis political dynasty.

Angela Mosley ascended to the state Senate after narrowly winning a three-way Democratic primary in 2020.

She faces reelection in 2024, and it was unclear whether she would face significant competition in the heavily Democratic district.

Judge David Vincent has been assigned the Chanel Mosley case. A hearing date had not been set as of Wednesday.

Rochelle Walton Gray, who is Angela Mosleys sister and Alan Grays wife, served three terms in the Missouri House and was elected to the St. Louis County Council in 2017.

Walton Gray served one term on the council but was defeated by Shalonda Webb in the August 2020 Democratic primary.
ST. LOUIS  A push to expand the citys obligations to the homeless appeared to be on thin ice on Tuesday after three key aldermen and the mayors office expressed opposition to some or all of the plan.

Aldermen Anne Schweitzer, of Boulevard Heights; Michael Browning, of Forest Park Southeast; and Shameem Clark Hubbard, of the West End, said they couldnt support proposed bills making it easier to open homeless shelters across the city and harder to clear homeless encampments, and they didnt immediately say what revisions would change their mind.

Im frustrated because this is a serious issue, Browning said as he discussed one of the bills. And I dont think this is a serious bill.

Without their support, its not clear how proposals from Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, of Tower Grove East, can get out of committee and to the full board for discussion.

The dissent by members often considered progressive Democrats may also be a bellwether for the rest of the board.

Nick Dunne, a spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, added to the trouble Tuesday afternoon, saying Jones couldnt support a bill mandating the establishment of city-run encampments for those who refuse shelter, due to concerns about it conflicting with state law.

The bills, championed by Sonnier and Aldermanic President Megan Green, are supposed to guide a more humane and effective policy for handling people living on the street and in tents around a city that has long struggled with a lack of shelter beds and the resulting encampments.

One bill would make it easier to open shelters in neighborhoods all over the city, in part by eliminating requirements for shelters to gather signatures from a majority of their closest neighbors before starting up. Plans for new shelters would be considered by a board of city officials instead. And providers housing just a handful of people, perhaps eight or fewer at a time, could often skip that board, too.

Another bill, dubbed the Unhoused Bill of Rights, would put new restrictions on city officials when dealing with encampments like the one outside City Hall last month: Officials couldnt make someone leave a camp unless they could offer a shelter bed in return. And they would have to erect safe camping areas with 24-hour security and access to showers, toilets and social services for those dont want to go to shelters.

The hope is that the new policies build trust with people living on the street, prompt the construction of more shelters in the city and ultimately make it easier to get people from tent to bed to home.

But Schweitzer, Browning and Hubbard said they had serious questions about how the camping areas would work and the hundreds of thousands of dollars they could cost the city.

They also expressed reservations with eliminating the petition requirements that many residents see as the best way to control what comes into their neighborhoods.

Sonnier and Green were frustrated with the opposition Tuesday and urged their colleagues to tell them what they should do instead of the current bills.

Sonnier said she had shown openness to changes: She said, for example, that a provision exempting homeless people from public urination laws has been dropped from the text.

But the city has to do something, they said.

Either leaders will watch the continued proliferation of encampments, or they have to find a way to allow more service providers to open their doors.

We have a dilemma here, said Green.
Russian occupants continue the tradition of "self-denazification". In the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, the commander of the Russian Storm-Gladiator unit and his deputy shot dead two Russian servicemen: the killers were detained a month after the incident.

ADVERTISIMENT

All the defendants had previously been convicted of serious crimes in Russia. Details are reported by Russian media.

Back on September 18 this year, the bodies of two men with gunshot wounds were found near a bus stop in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian village of Zelenyi Yar, Berdiansk district, Zaporizhzhia region.

Later, the victims were identified as soldiers of the 503rd Assault Regiment of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 60-year-old Shakir Akberov and 57-year-old Andrey Lukashin.

Both men fought in Ukraine as part of a unit with ex-prisoners. Akberov was imprisoned on a drug-related charge, while Lukashin had previously been convicted of theft, robbery, plunder and illegal arms trafficking.

ADVERTISIMENT

The occupiers immediately opened a criminal case. The killers of the newly minted "heroes of Russia" were found the day before, on October 24. They were colleagues of the "denazified": 38-year-old Aleksander Ostashkov, commander of the Storm-Gladiator company of the 503rd Assault Regiment, and 29-year-old Magomed Magomedov, his deputy.

Both also had previous problems with the law: Ostashkov, a native of the Tyumen region, has a criminal record for theft, robbery and assault, while Magomedov, from Dagestan, was tried on the same charges.

ADVERTISIMENT

As a reminder, the Russian occupiers in Ukraine regularly thin out their ranks. Thus, in September, at least two shootings between the invaders in the Kherson region were reported: one of them resulted in three occupants being killed, and in the second case, five invaders were shot dead.

Similar incidents were also recorded in the temporarily occupied Mariupol, where, for example, in August, the Russian military staged a fatal shootout with Kadyrov's men, as well as in Zaporizhzhia, where people were also killed and wounded.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
CLAYTON  The St. Louis County Council approved a plan Tuesday to crack down on the open-carry of firearms, a move the county police chief said would make a difference for officers.

The bill passed 4-2, carried by the council Democrats. If signed by County Executive Sam Page, it would require a concealed carry license to openly carry a gun in unincorporated county. It effectively blocks teenagers from openly carrying, because minors cant get a concealed carry license.

County police Chief Kenneth Gregory, at a special council meeting Tuesday morning, said the new bill would strengthen police officers ability to address unlawful open carry.

Theres not a whole lot we can do with young kids carrying weapons, Gregory said of the countys current laws.

Seeing young people openly carry guns has stricken fear into North County communities, said Council Chair Shalonda Webb, a Democrat from unincorporated North County who proposed the new plan in September.

Members of our community are intimidated, Webb said. Theyre afraid to sit on their porches.

Councilman Mark Harder, a Republican from Ballwin, opposed the plan. St. Louis County already has limitations on gun possession for children younger than 16 and on firing a weapon in public, according to the countys firearm code. And its already illegal to flourish a gun or wield it threateningly.

I would hope our police department would just enforce the laws that are already on the books, Harder said.

Harder attempted to question the police chief further at Tuesday mornings meeting but was cut off because another meeting was set to begin in the council chambers. He said at the councils regular meeting later the plan will not take one gun off the streets.

Democratic Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway of Chesterfield said the provision is necessary even if its impact is minimal.

If this legislation gets one gun out of the hands of one child, Dunaway said, you know what, Im happy with that.

The bill passed 4-2 along party lines, with Harder and Ernie Trakas, from unincorporated South County, voting no, and Dennis Hancock of Fenton abstaining. Hancock said he understood the plan but would prefer the issue to go to voters for their consideration.

The provision allowing police to question people who are openly carrying a gun is new, said Joe Taylor, a St. Louis attorney who helped Webb write the legislation.

The bill was based on a similar law pushed by St. Louis Aldermen Cara Spencer and signed by Mayor Tishaura Jones in August.

Taylor said Tuesday he took a break from his firm representing victims of violent crime to evaluate state, federal and local laws. He was looking for how local governments could strengthen gun laws.

Taylor found a 2014 Missouri law enabling police to approach and question someone whos openly carrying a weapon.

I saw this as something that needed to be done, Taylor said.

Webbs legislation would require anyone openly carrying a gun to provide a valid government-issued concealed carry license if a police officer demands it. Anyone older than 18 who violates the rule could face a fine up to $500 or jail time up to a year, or both. Children could face a fine up to $500, community service or both.

To get a concealed carry license in Missouri, applicants must be at least 19 years old and have taken a safety class, among other requirements.

Alderwoman Spencer introduced her bill in May after high-profile images of young people displaying automatic rifles downtown proliferated online and in the news.

The state hasnt given any indication its going to sue to stop the citys law, Taylor said.

Thats because we complied with the state statute to a T, Taylor said.

But the countys bill wouldnt apply to the dozens of municipalities within its borders.

Webb wants those municipalities to pass their own versions so the rule is consistent throughout the county.

The legislation, Bill 203, goes to Page for his signature.

He will sign it, said Doug Moore, Pages spokesman.
ST. LOUIS  Aldermanic President Megan Green is calling out Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and other critics of a new plan aimed at helping the homeless, saying they have been negotiating in bad faith and are reneging on campaign promises.

Green said she and Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier have repeatedly sought input on the plan from elected officials, including Jones, who ran as progressive Democrats and made promises to reimagine the way the city deals with homeless people.

But, Green said, when the two have made changes to accommodate critics concerns, the criticism has continued. It seems Jones and aldermen such as Michael Browning, of Forest Park Southeast, who campaigned in part on making big changes to city homeless policy, arent interested in following through, Green said.

When it comes down to it, I think there are folks who are comfortable with the theory of providing housing to people who are unhoused, she said, but they are uncomfortable with the practicality of providing housing to people who are unhoused when they have to have it in their own neighborhoods.

Greens comments escalate a fight that has divided left-wing Democrats here like few other issues have. Many of the new aldermen swept into office promising to challenge the status quo and help reimagine how the city works. And together, they strengthened police oversight, ramped up scrutiny of jails and sent cash to the poor.

But they have struggled to find consensus on homelessness. Sweeping bills making it easier to open shelters in neighborhoods across the city, and harder to close down tent encampments, have riled residents and surprised key aldermen.

On Tuesday afternoon, a slew of key aldermen and the mayors office said they could not support the legislation as written, leaving it without the votes to advance.

Afterward, a frustrated Green said it felt like opponents werent being honest with her.

On Wednesday, Browning and Jones office brushed off the suggestion theyve been less than forthright in negotiations. Browning blamed the legislations authors for its current woes.

The bills, he said, have too many holes and questionable ideas, like a provision to repeal rules against aggressive panhandling. He said hes yet to see how the city will actually pay for the safe camping areas the bill requires for those unwilling or unready to go to shelter. And hes not sure its a good idea to promote people living in tents in the winter anyway.

I dont think proposing solutions that are unfeasible is progressive, he said.

He also criticized Sonnier and Green for moving all of the bills on homelessness at the same time: The bill making it easier to open shelters addresses an urgent issue  its become nearly impossible for new ones to open in the city. But one of the bills, an Unhoused Bill of Rights, was too much, Browning said. A controversial provision exempting homeless people from public urination laws  which has since been removed from the text  created a media firestorm that crowded out real issues.

Browning noted he is not alone in his thinking. Alderwomen Anne Schweitzer, of Boulevard Heights, and Shameem Clark Hubbard, of the West End, have supported other progressive legislation, such as the bill sending $500 monthly payments to struggling families.

But they both said they couldnt support the homeless bills as written, citing concerns about whether the city-run encampments would actually help people and where the money to pay for them would come from.

And several aldermen expressed reservations about Green and Sonniers plan to make it easier to open shelters. The bill would eliminate a requirement for operators to gather signatures from neighbors before starting up. But aldermen didnt want to remove what many residents see as their best tool to control what comes into their neighborhoods.

Nick Dunne, a spokesman for Jones, said the mayors office is negotiating in good faith and has made its concerns clear to Green and Sonnier:

Jones worries the Unhoused Bill of Rights, which requires the city to give at least 30 days notice before it moves to evict an encampment, could run afoul of a state statute banning people from sleeping on state property and prohibiting cities from hampering enforcement.

It also creates a task force to manage encampments that notably does not include a representative from the citys homeless service division, which aides said made no sense.

Dunne did not address Greens allegation that the mayor is backing off campaign promises.

Above all else, he said in a statement, our offices share the same goal to ensure our unhoused neighbors can get the resources they need to be set on a path to permanent supportive housing. Even when we respectfully disagree on certain issues, we must continue to move forward under our shared goals to find common ground on practical solutions.
WASHINGTON  Republicans unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, eagerly elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the major seat of U.S. power and ending, for now, the weeks of political chaos in their majority.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn in to the position, which is second in line to the presidency.

"The people's House is back in business," Johnson declared after taking the gavel.

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in a cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy's ouster as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the party's top choice for the gavel, Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

"I think he's gonna be a fantastic speaker," Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president  and Republican front-runner for president in 2024  is being tried for business fraud.

President Joe Biden telephoned his congratulations and said in a statement that it's "time for all of us to act responsibly" with challenges ahead to fund the government and provide aid for Ukraine and Israel.

"We need to move swiftly," the president said.

In the House, far-right members refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didn't want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

When GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York rose to introduce Johnson's name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.

Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Biden.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson couldnt afford many detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209 with a few absences.

Jeffries said House Democrats will find "common ground" work with Republicans whenever possible for the "good of the country."

Lawmakers quickly reconvened to get back to work, approving a resolution saying the House "stands with Israel and condemns Hamas brutal war. Next, they turned to a stalled government funding bill.

The endorsements for Johnson started pouring in overnight, including from the failed speaker hopefuls. Rep. Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman backed by Trump, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman rejected by Jordan's wing, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

Johnson's rise comes after a tumultuous month capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

"He wasn't MAGA," said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson rallied Republicans around Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in courts.

Republicans flailed all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fought among themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running.

More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hard-liners resisted a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.

In all, some 15 congressmen, but no women, competed for the gavel over the past several weeks.

During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.
BEIRUT  The head of Lebanons Hezbollah met top leaders of the Palestinian militant factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and discussed what their alliance must do to achieve a real victory for the resistance, Hezbollah said on Wednesday.

Part of an Iran-backed regional alliance, the heavily armed Hezbollah has had daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along the Israeli-Lebanese frontier since war broke out between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7.

The meeting involved Hezbollahs Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala, Hezbollah said in a statement. It did not say when the meeting took place.

An assessment was made of the international positions being taken and what the parties of the Axis of Resistance must do ... to realize a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestinian and to halt the brutal aggression, Hezbollah said.

There was agreement on continuing the coordination.

Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that two more of its fighters had been killed, increasing the death toll in its ranks to 40 fighters since the start of the conflict.
Trust is foundational to any healthy school learning community. This is because schooling is an inherently personal affair. It is the shaping of minds, the forming of character, and a form of job preparation. And at its heart, it is relational.

This is why the results of the recent public comment session for Missouris proposed social-emotional learning (SEL) standards are so troubling. They make it clear that many Missourians have lost trust in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

The proposed SEL standards, which are divided into Me, We, and Others categories, attempt to get to the heart of student character and conduct. They include things like setting and achieving attainable goals, effective teamwork, and empathy for others. Generally, these are values that almost every parent wants for their children.

Yet when DESE polled Missourians about the standards, the responses were deeply troubling.

When looking at the responses from parents and community members, little more than half (50.4%) were supportive of the Me standards. The other two standards areas failed to receive support from even half of those responding. In the Others category, which included respect, kindness, and civility while treating others with dignity and respect, just 46.2% of parents and community members expressed support for the standards.

Why would roughly half of Missourians not support standards that attempt to promote positive character traits? The only plausible answer is that many parents and community members simply dont trust DESE.

Some may point to sensational social media posts or outlandish rhetoric as the culprit for the lack of trust. While it is true that issues may get blown out of proportion on these platforms, DESE and the State Board of Education bear much of the blame in this case.

For too long, they have operated without any meaningful accountability. They have made promises and failed to deliver, have pushed policy proposals without the support of the people, and they have acted, at times, without statutory authority. Three examples, including the proposed SEL standards, make this clear.

Do you remember the Top 10 by 2020 initiative? No? Well, thats because DESE memory-holed that initiative. Its goal was to move Missouri to the top of the national rankings ... and it was a colossal failure. Not only did we not move to the top, we moved down in most rankings. As we did, DESE acted as if the initiative had never existed.

Consider also the states adoption of Common Core State Standards. Without public support, DESE and the State Board jettisoned our standards and with them the states standardized exams. That shift launched Missouri schools into a tumultuous decade that has seen bitter fights over state academic standards and continuous changes to state testing regimes.

In 2011, Missouris proficiency standards were rated the eighth most rigorous in the country by Education Next. By 2017, the same publication rated Missouri 48th in the country. In one of the few areas in which we actually were in the top 10, the rigor of our academic standards, DESE and the State Board of Education led us to the bottom of the barrel.

Recently DESE promoted social-emotional learning standards. As if its track record werent bad enough, it did so without proper authority.

When DESE began this process, it listed Section 161.1050 of the revised statutes of Missouri as justification for implementing the SEL standards. Then, after I noted this statute had nothing to do with SEL standards, DESE began listing new statutory authority on documents, specifically Section 161.092. This statute is about the power and duties of the state board.

The statute has nothing to do with standards or social-emotional learning. In other words, DESE was grasping at straws to justify a proposal that it has no statutory authority to make or implement.

If many Missourians do not trust DESE to teach their children about good character or social-emotional learning, maybe its because DESE has failed to lead responsibly for far too long.

The State Board of Education rejected the SEL standards at its last board meeting, citing the negative feedback. This was the right move, and it could be seen as a first step toward regaining the trust of Missouri parents and community members.

At that same board meeting, Commissioner of Education Margie Van Deven stated that she will be stepping down at the end of the school year. The State Board now has a terrific opportunity to take the next step: finding a commissioner of education who is able to restore the publics confidence in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

James V. Shuls, PhD., is an associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of MissouriSt. Louis and a senior fellow at the Show-Me Institute.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey still refuses to do his job regarding the states massive unlicensed electronic gaming industry. As weve noted here before, Bailey accepted $25,000 in campaign donations linked to that gaming while declining to confront the plainly illegal industry.

The best that could be said about that shady scenario is at least Bailey wasnt assertively doing something for his financial benefactors.

For that, the price is apparently higher. Like, twice as high.

As the Post-Dispatchs Jack Suntrup reports, a PAC supporting Bailey last month accepted a $50,000 campaign contribution from a New York-based LLC just two months after Bailey offered his official support to its Missouri-based subsidiary in a lawsuit involving the lead poisoning of children in Peru.

Its a complicated story but one worth untangling for what it reveals about Missouris top legal official and the ethical swamp in which he and so many other state politicians dwell. It deserves the attention of state ethics officials  and certainly of the states voters.

The Maryland Heights-based Doe Run Resources Corp. is being sued over the lead poisoning of more than 1,400 children, allegedly linked to a smelting complex the company owned in a mining town in the Peruvian Andes.

The case is playing out in federal court in St. Louis because the company is based here. But the defendants have repeatedly sought to have it transferred to the Peruvian court system. Its a strategy experts say is common for corporate defendants because developing countries tend to have less vibrant legal systems that are less likely to render big judgments.

Though the case doesnt involve Missouris state government, the defendants have repeatedly tried to get top state officials to help get the case moved to Peru.

Gov. Mike Parson agreed, sending multiple letters in 2018 and 2019 to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis and to the U.S. Secretary of States office urging the change of venue.

It was amid that flurry of letters in late 2018 that Doe Runs parent company, the New York-based Renco Group LLC, gave $25,000 to a political action committee in support of Parsons 2020 election campaign. As Suntrup has previously reported, Rencos CEO followed up days later with a $2,500 contribution directly to Parsons campaign.

That $25,000 donation was the only Missouri contribution made by Renco until a second one this year  which came under remarkably similar circumstances.

As Suntrup reported last week, Baileys office on July 11 filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief in the Doe Run suit, arguing that it should be moved to Peru.

On Sept. 18, Renco donated $50,000 to Liberty and Justice PAC, which was formed late last year to support Bailey's 2024 candidacy.

The amicus brief was filed on behalf of the people of the State of Missouri to protect their judicial system from abuse by foreign plaintiffs, Bailey spokeswoman Madeline Sieren told Suntrup last week. She said any suggestion that Baileys office is influenced by campaign contributions is absurd.

Doe Run similarly dismissed any suggestion that this was classic pay-to-play politics, saying in a statement: There is absolutely nothing improper or even newsworthy about Doe Runs parent company supporting political officials in Missouri.

Interestingly, that hasnt actually happened very often. While Doe Run itself has given to various Missouri political committees over the years, its parent company has only done it twice  and only when the political official in question has used his public office to aid the company in the pending litigation.

Consider what it is that Bailey and Doe Run are claiming is pure coincidence. Records show that over the past 20 years, Renco Group has written checks to Missouri politicians exactly twice: once to Parson in 2018, and then to Bailey last month. And in both cases, the contributions came within months of official action that Parson and Bailey took to aid the defendants in the lawsuit.

As the plaintiffs put it in a recent filing: Renco seemingly has only ever made two donations to Missouri state politicians  and both closely coincided with the recipients intervening in this litigation to help Renco.

Go figure.

Baileys two predecessors as attorney general, Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, both were lobbied by Renco to weigh in on the case. Both refused.

As a former state official told Suntrup in 2019, Hawleys office didnt believe there was a real state interest at issue  and had concerns about the moral ramifications of siding with people poisoning Peruvian children.

For whatever reason, neither Hawley nor Schmitt ever received a dime in donations from Renco, according to records. Again, go figure.

The plaintiffs in the case last week asked a federal appeals court to either order Bailey to amend his amicus brief to formally disclose the $50,000 donation from the defendants parent company or to throw out the brief altogether.

Thats the least that should happen. If there was ever a situation that cried out for a formal investigation by the Missouri Ethics Commission, its this one. And voters shouldnt forget it next year when Bailey, who was appointed to his current post this year, asks Missourians to elect him to a full term.

As with his refusal to rein in illegal gaming, Bailey here appears to have forgotten that he is supposed to work for the taxpayers of this state, not for campaign contributors  and certainly not for the alleged poisoners of children.

This editorial has been updated with additional information about the Liberty and Justice PAC.
Regarding Missouri AGs campaign gets $50K check after he sides with Doe Run in lead-poisoning lawsuit Oct. 19): Doe Runs contribution of $50,000 to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys campaign fund is only the tip of an iceberg of a much larger history of death and destruction created by the greed of the extractive metal industry.

As reported in the last section of the article, Doe Run acquired the La Oroya smelter in 1997 and it closed in 2007. During those 10 years, La Oroya became one of the most polluted places in the world and the level of lead in their childrens blood became dangerously high. Meanwhile, Doe Run Peru refused to comply with environmental regulations they had agreed to when they purchased the smelter.

After the plants closing, the children still have lead in their blood and the lead-contaminated landscape still looks like the moon (I can attest to this as I have been there several times). The legal landscape is still littered with lawsuits about environmental regulations and the health of the people there, especially the children.

The attorney generals office says it is supporting Doe Run with an amicus brief to protect the people of Missouri  from abuse by foreign plaintiffs. This seems like a petty excuse when compared to the health of thousands of children.

Rev. Mark Strothmann  Chesterfield
ST. LOUIS  Tawney Sweeney dutifully spent more than a decade collecting stamps from national parks across the country, placing each in her special book of memories.

Over years of cross-country trips with family and friends, she had collected more than 50 stamps, beginning in 2012 with Rocky Mountain National Park and more recently, when a multi-state summer adventure included the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Park.

Each of her prized stamps was glued or stamped into a "Passport to Your National Parks: Explorer's Edition," a black weatherproof binder sold by the National Park Service.

It was that collection, in part, that made Sweeney, an emergency department nurse from Louisville, Kentucky, decide to visit St. Louis last weekend with her husband for their three-year wedding anniversary.

"I've always wanted to see the city and the Gateway Arch," she said this week. "We heard great things."

But the couple's trip was interrupted when late Saturday or early Sunday someone smashed a front window in their pickup truck in Downtown West and stole one pair of Sweeney's sunglasses and her cherished stamp book.

"It's in a black case with a zipper, so we think maybe they thought it might be something important," she said. "The sad thing is when they realize it was just stamps they probably threw it somewhere."

Sweeney knows it's a long shot but hopes that if anyone from St. Louis spots the book she might one day get it back. "It was pretty devastating," she said.

"National parks were a big part of my childhood, and that's continued into my 30s. There are a lot of memories in there."

The break-in made Sweeney victim to one of the most common property crimes in St. Louis that's vexed both visitors and longtime residents, though St. Louis police statistics do show reports of car break-ins have ticked down for the past two years.

There were 3,020 reports of vehicle break-ins in the city through September this year, down nearly 17% when compared with the same period in 2021. In Downtown and Downtown West, there have been 499 thefts from cars reported so far this year, down from 925 in 2022 and 736 in 2021.

Still, Sweeney said the missing stamp book put a damper on her time in St. Louis.

The couple paid $45 for nightly valet at their hotel, 21c Museum Hotel St Louis, on Saturday night. When they picked up the car at about 9 a.m. the next morning, hotel staff told them the break-in happened in the valet lot. They spotted another couple who also had their car broken into in the same lot who were outside the hotel working to duct tape cardboard to their broken window, Sweeney said.

Sweeney said they never got a refund for the valet parking but filled out a form about the damage for the hotel. Staff at the hotel told Sweeney they made a report to St. Louis police for several breakins.

"I can tell you it was not a nice four hour trip back to Kentucky with a cardboard window," Sweeney said.

Sweeney posted a picture with her now-missing book standing in front of the Gateway Arch to social media in hopes that someone might spot it. She said she's tried to focus on the good in her time in St. Louis.

"I was mad, but we had a great time besides this," she said. "Everyone we met in St. Louis was very Midwest nice. You have a beautiful city."

Erin Heffernan  314-340-8145 eheffernan@post-dispatch.com
SANTA CLARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Beta University, a non-profit institution founded on the core principles of Belief, Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Altruism (BETA), has opened its doors to a broad spectrum of visionary entrepreneurs. The institution has embraced and empowered individuals of diverse backgrounds to transform their inventive concepts into reality.

With the recent developments, Beta University has provided a nurturing environment where entrepreneurs can cultivate their talents and realize their ambitions, regardless of their position in life or the stage of their careers. Beta University has offered a systematic approach to entrepreneurial knowledge through a wide range of offerings, including degree courses, training camps, seminars, and more.

Some of the offerings of Beta University to visionary entrepreneurs are as follows:

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Entrepreneurs at Beta University gain systematic entrepreneurial knowledge through degree courses, training camps, seminars, and more. They have access to in-depth insights from front-line investors and successful entrepreneurs, providing a foundation for their endeavors.

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The institution's mentors and experts come from major U.S. technology companies and esteemed universities. They provide professional guidance and support to entrepreneurial teams, helping them navigate the complexities of innovation and growth.

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Beta University plays a pivotal role in connecting Asian and American cross-border investors, including venture capital, private equity, corporate strategic investment, family offices, and individual investors, with entrepreneurs. The network facilitates capital raising for startups.

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Beta University's talent network spans from young students at top universities worldwide to senior practitioners from major factories. The institution matches and recruits high-quality talents who are passionate about contributing to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping startups succeed.

Beta University's approach to fostering innovation and compassion has garnered significant attention within the entrepreneurial community. By providing a comprehensive ecosystem that encompasses education, mentorship, talent, and business support, the institution has empowered entrepreneurs to create tech-driven companies with a purpose.

Beta University has provided aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and guidance needed to drive tech-driven innovation with a purpose. For more information about Beta University, and its programs, please visit their website.

About Beta University:

Beta University is an institution that provides entrepreneurs with systematic entrepreneurial knowledge, including degree courses, training camps, seminars, etc. It provides entrepreneurs with in-depth insights from front-line business enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Students and entrepreneurs receive comprehensive training that equips them with the skills and insights needed to succeed in the fast-paced tech-driven landscape. Beta University's talent network covers young students from top universities around the world and senior practitioners from major factories. They match and recruit high-quality talents who are passionate about the entrepreneurial ecosystem to high-growth startups.

Media Contact

Organization: Beta University

Contact Person: Jason Wu

Website: https://www.betauniversity.org/

Email: [email protected]

City: Santa Clara

State: California

Country: United States

SOURCE: Beta University

View source version on accesswire.com:
The famous Ukrainian actor Andriy Isaenko recalled how he was offered to play one of the key roles in a Russian film in 2017. The Honored Artist of Ukraine refused due to principles. The movie Cyborgs, which tells about the indomitable warriors who defended the Donetsk airport, was then about to be released. Isaenko said that it would be a cynical betrayal to go to Moscow for filming after playing a Ukrainian hero.

ADVERTISIMENT

However, the most interesting thing is the role the Ukrainian was offered to play in the film of the aggressor country. Isaenko spoke about this in an interview with Alina Dorotiuk for her YouTube channel of the same name.

"The director of the Russian film was Andrey Smirnov, a People's Artist of the Russian Federation. He called the Ukrainian actor and began to convince him that the film was supposedly neutral."

"I said, 'Do you realize that I can't do that? Even if I wanted to give up and try to step into that puddle, as I now realize, I can't betray my audience.' Here, the premiere of Cyborgs, a film about Ukrainian warrior heroes, is coming out, and me leaving to film in Moscow two weeks after the premiere will not be fair," the star of the Dr. Baby Dust series said.

ADVERTISIMENT

Despite his refusal, the actor was sent the script in the hope that he would change his mind. Imagine the celebrity's surprise when he saw that he was supposed to play "Kolya the Ukrainian," the most disgusting character in the entire film, a Ukrainian traitor.

"I was offered to play the only traitor in the movie, 'Kolya the Ukrainian'. I called this Andrey Smirnov back and said, 'Are you kidding? You're offering me the role of the sh*thead, making him a Ukrainian and wanting me to come and play him.' He started, 'But I've played so many characters like this...'. I replied that he could play whomever he wanted, but I wouldn't do it. And that I wouldn't do it due to principles," the actor said.

ADVERTISIMENT

As OBOZ.UA previously wrote, Andriy Isaenko is a native of Zaporizhzhia, who spoke Russian for most of his adult life and grew up in a Russified environment. However, after the birth of his daughter in 2017, he was determined to switch to his native language and raise his child in Ukrainian. Nevertheless, the star of the films Cyborgs, Shchedryk, and the TV series Dr. Baby Dust does not support the total abolition of Russian culture. He believes that this is simply impossible.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / In the fast-paced world of footwear, Colossal is making waves with the launch of the Supreme Sneakerhead Competition. Now, it's time for sneaker enthusiasts around the globe to lace up because the start flag has officially dropped. This unique competition is not just about style but also about making a meaningful impact. Colossal is excited to announce that voting is officially open.

Colossal presents Supreme Sneakerhead

Colossal presents Supreme Sneakerhead to benefit Oceana

Supreme Sneakerhead is where fashion and purpose converge, bringing together a vibrant community of sneakerheads supporting a noble cause. But that's not all-this competition has an extra special element: a legendary guest star who embodies a love for great style and a commitment to our planet's oceans: the iconic Jeff Goldblum.

Renowned for his roles in blockbuster movies like Jurassic Park, Independence Day, and various Wes Anderson films, including The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Goldblum is not only an actor and jazz musician but also a fervent footwear aficionado. With a keen eye for exceptional style and a genuine passion for ocean conservation, Goldblum's participation as a guest host adds a touch of star-studded enthusiasm to the competition.

This venture, however, is not solely about a love for kicks; it's about using passion as a catalyst for change. Colossal is proud to announce its partnership with Oceana, a global force committed to the conservation of our oceans. Oceana's tireless efforts have resulted in over 275 victories against overfishing, habitat destruction, plastic pollution, and the endangerment of precious species like turtles, whales, and sharks. By supporting Oceana, Supreme Sneakerhead contributes to the crucial mission of restoring and protecting our world's oceans.

"What you are doing at Colossal and how you're able to pull together to help an organization like Oceana and also so many other worthwhile charities that you work with is inspiring, and we are delighted to be part of it," said Jonathan Frank, Director of Global Corporate and Celebrity Partnerships at Oceana. "So, thank you for what you do because we can't do our job unless we have funding to do the actual work. And Colossal is essential to helping make that happen in a significant way."

"Colossal's partnership with Oceana for the Supreme Sneakerhead Competition represents a dynamic fusion of style and purpose. This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to ocean conservation. Oceana's impressive track record in protecting the oceans aligns perfectly with our mission to make a meaningful impact. Together, we're not just celebrating fashion; we're championing a cause that's close to our hearts, and we couldn't be more excited about it," said CEO of Colossal Mary Hagen.

At the end of the competition, the Supreme Sneakerhead will not only walk away with a $10,000 cash prize but also jet off to the vibrant city of Los Angeles for a unique opportunity to collaborate with none other than The Shoe Surgeon in crafting their own pair of custom kicks.

The Shoe Surgeon, a Los Angeles-based collective of creative minds led by the visionary Dominic Ciambrone, represents a movement dedicated to pushing the boundaries of custom shoe-making and design. With a steadfast commitment to preserving the timeless art of craftsmanship, The Surgeon has etched its name among legends and boasts collaborations with icons like Drake, LeBron James, DJ Khaled, and Justin Bieber.

Join Colosal in celebrating style, passion, and purpose as voting is open for the Supreme Sneakerhead Competition. To cast your vote and be a part of this exciting movement, please visit https://supremesneaker.org/.

ABOUT COLOSSAL: Colossal is the global leader in online competitions, with one of the most effective fundraising platforms available for charities that lack the bandwidth to operate large-scale campaigns. Supreme Sneakerhead serves as a fundraising campaign for DTCare, a United States 501(c)(3) public charity organization, which will grant donations to Oceana at the completion of the competition. Click here to learn more about the donation process, and visit colossal.org for more information on everything Colossal.

Contact Information

Anne-Marie Pritchett

COLOSSAL

[email protected]

Related Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1urNRtFaF0

SOURCE: Colossal

View source version on accesswire.com:
VANCOVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Falcon Gold Corp. (FG:TSX-V), (3FA:GR), (FGLDF:OTCQB); ("Falcon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the company has received assay results from the late spring, early summer 2023 exploration program conducted over the Kraken project located in Southern Newfoundland. The project covers the central portion of the Golden Brook Property and is located approximately 150 kilometers south of Deer Lake. Samples from the first pass reconnaissance program have identified multiple anomalies from rock samples, including:

Gold-Silver-Copper-Lead-Arsenic anomaly

Multiple Tungsten and Molybdenite anomalies

Multiple Critical and Rare Element anomalies including Beryllium, Cerium, Lanthanum, Lithium, Niobium, Tantalum, Vanadium and Zirconium

Prospecting surveys were completed by the company in late May and early June 2023 over predetermined target locations within the largely unexplored Kraken-area project, as part of the company's Q2 2023 Reconnaissance Program. The primary objective of the Kraken exploration program was to investigate the gold and lithium potential of the property through initial prospecting over a number of priority target areas that were identified in 2022 on the basis of geophysical, geological and structural analysis completed by Falcon. The comprehensive review identified multiple areas deemed prospective in the central part of the Golden Brook Property. A total of 178 rock samples were collected by the prospecting team and submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd. In Springdale, Newfoundland, an ISO 17025 Certified Analytical Testing Facility, for 34 Element ICP Analysis, and 4 Element ICP-OES analysis that includes Li, Nb, Sn and Ta. Sample collection included float, chip and grab samples from locations deemed of interest by the in-field personnel. Preliminary results from the Kraken project have identified anomalous results for multiple critical and rare earth metals, and the highlights from this sampling include the following:

16.9% of results deemed anomalous for Lithium, with highest Lithium returning 143ppm

5.6% of results deemed anomalous for Lanthanum, with highest Lanthanum returning 84ppm

9.0% of results deemed anomalous for Cerium, with highest Cerium returning 162ppm

33.1% of results deemed anomalous for Tantalum, with highest Tantalum returning 29ppm

33.1% of results deemed anomalous for Niobium, with highest Niobium returning 110ppm

74.2% of results deemed anomalous for Beryllium, with highest Beryllium returning 83ppm

Multiple sample stations returned anomalous Zirconium (up to 442ppm Zr), Vanadium (up to 165ppm V), Barium (up to 2706ppm Ba), Tungsten (up to 581ppm W), Molybdenite (up to 100ppm Mo) and Bismuth (over limit >1,000ppm Bi)

Silver-Gold-Copper-Lead-Arsenic anomaly with up to 49.6ppm Silver, 17ppb Gold, 1,556ppm Copper, 1,497ppm Lead and 325ppm Arsenic

The potential for pegmatites in the vicinity of the Kraken project was first documented during regional mapping completed in the early 1980's by Shell Canada Resources which visually identified the presence of pitchblende, and reported uranium enrichment in association with granite host rocks and pegmatite veins emplaced within contact zones of granite plutons in an area immediately north of the project. Prospecting southeast of the property by Sokomon-Benton discovered a swarm of lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes in 2021 (see https://www.sokomanmineralscorp.com/project-2YNmR/golden-hope-project). The Sokomon-Benton project further identified a Cesium-rich dyke northeast of Falcon's property in 2022 (reported November 17, 2022). Falcon interprets the multiple critical and rare earth element anomalies to be associated with undocumented pegmatites emplaced in relation to unexplored granite rocks in the project area. The critical and rare earth element anomalies represent new information for the area in which the samples were collected, and there are no previously documented rare earth anomalies historically recorded in the public domain from the areas in which the samples were collected. The newly identified anomalies are under further review by the company to better determine their significance, and to develop an exploration program for further follow up.

Mr. Karim Rayani, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "To get numbers like these on a first phase sampling program is truly remarkable, we were focused on gold and lithium, and to have found multiple new rare and critical element discoveries in the camp suggests a significant potential for further discovery is within this treasure chest. The Hope Brook project is surrounded by multi-million-ounce deposits held by Matador and First Mining and to think we have not even touched 5% of the project. We look forward to reporting on our next phase plans once all data has been analyzed."



Figure 1. Location of Falcon's, and Marvel's Golden Brook joint venture property contiguous to Benton-Sokoman's joint venture.

Qualified Person

Greg Robinson, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed, and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

About Falcon Gold Corp.

Falcon is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring, and exploring opportunities in the Americas. Falcon's flagship project, the Central Canada Gold Mine, is approximately 20km southeast of Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef Gold Deposit which has currently estimated 3.32 million ounces of gold (123.5 million tonnes grading 0.84 g/t gold) mineral reserves, and 2.3 million ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources (133.4 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t gold). The Hammond Reef gold property lies on the Hammond shear zone, which is a northeast-trending splay off the Quetico Fault Zone ("QFZ") and may be the control for the gold deposit. The Central Gold property lies on a similar major northeast-trending splay of the QFZ.



The Company holds multiple additional projects: The Esperanza Gold/Silver/Copper mineral concessions located in La Rioja Province, Argentina; The Viernes Gold/Silver/Copper project in Antofagasta Chile; The Springpole West Property in the world-renowned Red Lake mining camp; a 49% interest in the Burton Gold property with Iamgold near Sudbury Ontario; in B.C., the Spitfire-Sunny Boy, Gaspard Gold claims; the Great Burnt, Gander North/South, Valentine Gold South, Victoria West, and Golden Brook acquisitions adjacent to First Mining, Matador, Benton-Sokoman's JV, and Marvel Discovery in Central Newfoundland; and most recently Battery Metals projects in Ontario and Quebec, The Timmins West and Outarde Property.



CONTACT INFORMATION:

Falcon Gold Corp.

"Karim Rayani"

Karim Rayani

Chief Executive Officer, Director

Telephone: (604) 716-1036

Email: [email protected]

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of the Spin-Out. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. There is no assurance any of the conditions for closing will be met. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Falcon Gold Corp.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSX-V:YGT)(Frankfurt:TX0)(OTCQX:YGTFF) ("Gold Terra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drill hole GTCM23-055 has successfully intersected over 60 metres of the gold-bearing Campbell Shear from a downhole depth of 2,075 to 2,135 metres. The hole was shutdown at a final downhole depth of 2,228 metres from surface. The hole was designed to test for gold mineralization below the Con Mine underground workings on the Con Mine Option (CMO) Property. The CMO Property is under option from subsidiaries of Newmont Corporation and is 100% acquirable by the Company upon fulfillment of certain conditions set out in the CMO Property agreement, as reported in the Company's news release dated November 22, 2021.

Within the 60 metre Campbell Shear (CS) intersection, approximately 30 metres of the CS (see Figure 1) within the footwall of the structure displays strong shear fabric, sericite alteration, prominent quartz veining (see Figure 2) and typical 1 to 5% sulphide mineralization including pyrite, pyrrhotite, and traces of sphalerite, stibnite and arsenopyrite. A mineralized laminated quartz vein (see Figure 3) at 2,116 metres contains fine specks of visible gold (see Figure 4). Samples from the zone have been submitted for laboratory analysis and results are pending.

Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, commented, "We are excited to have achieved our 1st objective on the extension of the high-grade gold bearing Campbell Shear in hole GTCM23-055, some 200 metres below the existing Con Mine underground workings. It is a major technical success to delineate a 30-metre intersection of prominent quartz veining and sulphide mineralization as well as the presence of visible gold. On comparing our intersection with historic intersections in the closest underground drilling, such as in historical hole 7940, we see major similarities to the current intersection some 250 metres above. This is indicative of the continuation of gold mineralization within the shear below the former Con Mine where 5.1 million ounces of gold was produced at an average grade of 16 g/t. We will be now stepping up from our master/parent hole to add more intersections within a radius of 50 to 100 metres laterally and eventually up-dip from our successful first intersection."

The Quick Log of the CS section in hole GTCM23-055 is as follows with core photos shown in Figures 2,3 and 4 further below:

From and to in metres (m)

1500m to 2075m; massive mafic volcanics flows (some pillows)

2075m to 2135m; Campbell shear structure

2093m-2105m; developing schistosity + small sections of Quartz/Carbonate veining with local sulphides mineralization (Py-Po) + sericite alteration

2105m-2135m; Well develop shearing with 30-50% quartz veining (15cm to 50cm vein) with sulphide (2-5%) mineralization through out mainly Py>>Po and traces of others. 2015m-2020m; 50% laminated smoky quartz veining and 3% total sulphides (Py>>Po> traces of stibnite sphalerite and arsenopyrite). Visible gold at 2116.5m in a 50cm quartz vein



2135m to 2228m; Gradually back in the massive volcanics intermixed with sediments.

2228m End of the hole

Figure 1 - Section showing Campbell Shear intersection:

Figure 2 - Four photos of the full section core from 2085 - 2135 metres from Hole GTCM23-055 showing veining and alteration:

Photo of core from 2118 to 2134 metres showing the bottom part of the very good section.

Figure 3 - Photo of laminated vein from Hole GTCM23-055 showing sulphide mineralization:

Figure 4 - Photo showing fine specks of visible gold in Hole GTCM23-055 at 2,116.16 metres. This is hosted in a vein with stibnite and sphalerite mineralization:

Directional drilling

The company is continuing its drill program using master/parent hole GTCM23-055 to add multiple intersections or cut into the Campbell shear structure. With Foraco's Control Directional Drilling team, already on site in Yellowknife, we are able to continue our assessment of the Campbell Shear to obtain more intersections on a 50-75m spacing laterally and up dip.

Future Updates

To hear about drilling updates and the Company's future drilling plans, please join us on Tuesday, November 7 @ 11:20 AM at the Red Cloud Fall Mining Showcase, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2M9. Please register at Fall Mining Showcase 2023 - Red Cloud Financial Services Inc. (redcloudfs.com).

Qualified Persons

Joe Campbell, P. Geo., Senior Technical Advisorfor Gold Terra is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

About Gold Terra

The Yellowknife Project (YP) encompasses 918 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometres of the City of Yellowknife, the YP is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power, and skilled tradespeople. Gold Terra is currently focusing its drilling on the prolific Campbell Shear, where 14 Moz of gold has been produced, and most recently on the Con Mine Option (CMO) property claims immediately south of the past producing Con Mine which produced 6.1 Moz between the Con, Rycon, and Campbell shear structures (1938-2003).

The YP and CMO properties lie on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometres of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that hosts the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company's exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

Visit our website at www.goldterracorp.com.

For more information, please contact:

Gerald Panneton, Chairman & CEO

[email protected]

Mara Strazdins, Investor Relations

Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 604-689-1749 ext 102

[email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Therefore, investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource could ever be mined economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "Measured Mineral Resources," "Indicated Mineral Resources," or "Inferred Mineral Resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. The Mineral Resource estimates contained herein may be subject to legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of such mineral resources. Refer to the Technical Report, once filed, for more information with respect to the key assumptions, parameters, methods and risks of determination associated with the foregoing.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

The Company prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to Mineral Resources in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Council on May 19, 2014, as amended ("CIM Standards"). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments effective February 25, 2019 (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC will now recognize estimates of "Measured Mineral Resources", "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources", which are defined in substantially similar terms to the corresponding CIM Standards. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "Proven Mineral Reserves" and "Probable Mineral Reserves" to be substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Standards.

U.S. investors are cautioned that while the foregoing terms are "substantially similar" to corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any Mineral Resources that the Company may report as "Measured Mineral Resources", "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the Mineral Resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. In accordance with Canadian securities laws, estimates of "Inferred Mineral Resources" cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear, potentially adding ounces to the Company's current YCG mineral resource, and the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Gold Terra Resource Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / KeyBank joined Great Day Colorado for a segment on the partnership with Key and the Food Bank of the Rockies. In 2022, Key made an impactful $450,000 grant to the food bank in support of their Culturally Responsive Food Initiative program which is designed to help some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

To learn more, view the Great Day Colorado highlights below:

GDC highlights KeyBank' helping Food Bank of the Rockies' with sizable grant | FOX31 Denver (kdvr.com)

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: KeyBank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: KeyBank

View source version on accesswire.com:
Donations total $345,000 given to twenty-five organizations

HARTFORD, CT / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / KeyBank announces (25) twenty-five charitable donations made by KeyBank Foundation, the bank's charitable foundation to nonprofit organizations in throughout its Connecticut and Western Massachusetts market. The gifts focus support to address homelessness, financial literacy, education, job creation and workforce development, and more. The charitable donations total $345,000 and are part of KeyBank's community philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.

"KeyBank's community investments include philanthropic support to nonprofit partners who are dedicated to meeting the needs of the communities we serve," said KeyBank Market President Matthew Hummel. "We value these community partners and the work they do, and we are proud to support them."

The charitable donations range from $7,500 to $39,000 and have been made to the following community organizations:

Education

The New Haven Community Reads Community Book Bank Inc . to support their Summer Internship program.

. to support their Summer Internship program. Springfield Boys and Girls Club for their Brain Gain reading comprehension and retention program

for their Brain Gain reading comprehension and retention program CT Science Center to support the museum's education enrichment offerings to underserved teens

to support the museum's education enrichment offerings to underserved teens ECSU Foundation Inc . to support the Summer Transition to Eastern Program

. to support the Summer Transition to Eastern Program Hartford Promise for its Integrated College Success Model

for its Integrated College Success Model The WorkPlace in Bridgeport for their mobile education bus

in Bridgeport for their mobile education bus The Gray House in Springfield for its Adult Education and Support Program

in Springfield for its Adult Education and Support Program Youth Entrepreneurs in Hamden to support their Genius Generation program for greater New Haven middle school students

Workforce Development

ConnCAT in New Haven for its Innovative Workforce Development program

in New Haven for its Innovative Workforce Development program Follow My Steps Foundation , Springfield to support its Thrive over Survive program targeted to under-resourced youth and young adults.

, Springfield to support its Thrive over Survive program targeted to under-resourced youth and young adults. New Haven Promise for its Back New Haven job placement and career development program

for its Back New Haven job placement and career development program New Opportunities Inc . in Waterbury to acquire upgraded technology for CARES mobile job portal

. in Waterbury to acquire upgraded technology for CARES mobile job portal Springfield Rescue Mission for its Learning Center workforce development program

for its Learning Center workforce development program Urban League of Greater Hartford to support Project Ready college access program

to support Project Ready college access program Clifford Beers Guidance Center Inc for its Lifeguard Program

Safe, Vital Neighborhoods (includes affordable housing, minority-owned small businesses, health and wellness, basic needs, and social equity)

New Reach , New Haven for their Emergency Shelter Plan for women and children

, New Haven for their Emergency Shelter Plan for women and children International Hartford to support programs for immigrants, refugees, and other minority groups

to support programs for immigrants, refugees, and other minority groups Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven Inc . for its I Heart My Home financial literacy and homeownership counseling program

. for its I Heart My Home financial literacy and homeownership counseling program NeighborWorks New Horizons/Mutual Housing of Southern CT supporting its new affordable housing rehab projects in Newhallville and the Hill neighborhoods.

supporting its new affordable housing rehab projects in Newhallville and the Hill neighborhoods. Wayfinders of Holyoke for its Digital Equity Initiative

of Holyoke for its Digital Equity Initiative Worcester Housing Community Services to expand affordable housing initiatives

to expand affordable housing initiatives Holy Family Home and Shelter in Willimantic for financial literacy and self-sufficiency resources for the homeless

CT Community Economic Develop Fund Foundation support small business development

support small business development Habitat for Humanity of Greater Springfield for their green building practices supporting affordable housing initiatives

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Hartford supporting their affordable housing projects for Hartford families

This list does not include KeyBank Foundation multi-year community impact commitments made to Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology, Connecticut FoodShare, and Food Bank of Western MA announced earlier in the year, as well as Foundation-matched donations to United Way agencies throughout the market through the bank's annual employee giving campaign.

About KeyCorp/KeyBank:

KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at September 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

About KeyBank Foundation :

KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank's purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation's mission is advanced through three funding priorities - neighbors, education, and workforce - and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: KeyBank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: KeyBank

View source version on accesswire.com:
MIDLAND, MI / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Today, in honor of World Sustainability Day, Rivers are Life unveils their latest film highlighting Appalachian Ohio's Sunday Creek and environmental efforts made by local River Heroes John Sabraw, Guy Reifler, and Michelle Shively MacIver. Located in Southeastern Ohio, the 27-mile-long creek is severely polluted by acid mine drainage (a product of the area's several abandoned coal mines). The film, "Toxic Art," focuses on the collaborative effort using art and innovative technology to revitalize streams devastated by historic coal mining.







John Sabraw is an artist, environmentalist, activist, and Professor of Art at Ohio University. When he first moved to Ohio, he was able to learn about the local environment through his environmentalist colleagues. On a trip to a local stream, John was shocked to find that these waterways were orange and full of sludge as a result of acid mine drainage and the pollutant iron oxide.

Sabraw learned that more than 6,650 stream miles in Central Appalachia run orange due to the impact of acid mine drainage. The Truetown Discharge, located in the Sunday Creek watershed, is the largest single acid mine drainage discharge in the state of Ohio with a flow rate of 988 gallons per minute. This amounts to approximately 2,183,065 pounds of iron oxide dumping into Sunday Creek each year, decimating aquatic habitat for seven miles.

After seeing the severity of this pollution firsthand, Sabraw took home a jar of sludge from the creek and, using his knowledge of iron oxides from his experience as an artist, began experimenting with turning this sludge into a pigment. He eventually joined forces with Ohio University Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering, Guy Riefler, and after years of experimentation, the pair succeeded in creating a pigment that was both environmentally and economically sustainable.

The duo later collaborated with nonprofit regional community development organization Rural Action, as well as state and federal agencies, to create True Pigments. True Pigments is a social enterprise committed to creating socio-economic opportunities for the local community while cleaning and restoring Sunday Creek, allowing life to return to the heavily-polluted seven miles of stream.

"When we put people together from different disciplines and different backgrounds, that is when this magic happens," John said. "Humans have exponential potential to solve these crises and to take stewardship over a future that is going to be sustainable and joyous. I believe more than ever that that's possible, and that's what we have to do."

In June 2023, Rural Action, Ohio University, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement broke ground on the new True Pigments Acid Mine Drainage Treatment & Pigment Production Facility. Once this plant goes live, 100% of coal mine pollution will be intercepted before it reaches waterways.

The full "Toxic Art" film, along with limited edition prints from Sabraw, are available on Rivers are Life's platform HERE.

Contact Information

Katie Horning

Head of Brand, Rivers are Life Brand Division, BeAlive Inc.

[email protected]

989-491-1019

SOURCE: Rivers are Life

View source version on accesswire.com:
Leroy Abrahams talks with Coca-Cola UNITED CEO Mike Suco about his family's escape from the Communist Revolution in Cuba.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 25, 2023 / Regions Bank

By Candace Higginbotham

Regions is proud to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, when we honor the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots back to Spain, Mexico, and Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Leroy Abrahams' role as head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank calls for spending a great deal of time out in the markets the bank serves.

On a regular basis, Abrahams meets with community and civic leaders, local government officials, corporate executives and customers. These encounters often result in conversations with interesting, inspiring individuals who have fascinating stories to tell.

Abrahams found a remarkable story when he met Mike Suco, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED in Birmingham, Alabama. Abrahams and Suco are serving as co-chairs of the recently launched Miles College fundraising campaign in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the college, which is a historically black college and university, or HBCU.

"My first impression of Mike was that he was a personable guy and an effective leader," Abrahams recalled. "But when I got to know him better and learned about his family history and how it shaped his professional life - I was even more impressed."

And he knew that others would find the story inspiring, as well. So, this summer Abrahams invited Suco to participate in a video interview and share his personal story for a Regions leadership meeting.

My first impression of Mike was that he was a personable guy and an effective leader, but when I got to know him better and learned about his family history and how it shaped his professional life - I was even more impressed. Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank

In this video excerpt, Suco tells the story of his family's migration from Cuba in 1962, shortly after the Communist Revolution took over the country. His family was not supportive of the Castro regime and his father and uncle were jailed for speaking out.

Forced out of their country, the family - grandparents, parents and 13-day-old baby brother - came to the United States with no money and only one bag of belongings per person.

Suco describes his family's journey from Miami to Alabama. He reminisces about growing up in the small town of Jacksonville, Alabama, speaking Spanish and eating Cuban food at home and making the transition to "good southern English" when he went to school. "It was an interesting way to grow up," he says with a smile.

Certain themes emerge from his family's experience: the importance of education, family, community and a strong work ethic. These valuable lessons continue to influence his life today - and according to Suco, have played a direct role in his professional success.

"We're not perfect, but we're the best country in the world," he said. "Anybody can come here from anywhere in the world and build a successful life, like my parents and grandparents did - and many others."

Watch the above video to hear Suco's inspiring story.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Regions Bank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Regions Bank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/regions-bank

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Regions Bank

View source version on accesswire.com:
Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) has appointed James Joc ORourke as a non-executive director with effect from 25 October 2023. Mr ORourke, a dual Canadian/Australian national, will therefore stand for election at the annual general meetings of the Company in 2024.

Mr ORourke has more than 25 years experience across the mining and minerals industry. He has been the chief executive officer of The Mosaic Company, the worlds leading integrated producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, since 2015. He also served as President of Mosaic until recently and previously held roles including Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer.

Before joining Mosaic, Mr O'Rourke was President of Australia Pacific for Barrick Gold Corporation, where he led ten gold and copper mines in Australia and Papua New Guinea. He currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of The Toro Company (NYSE) and the Weyerhauser Company (NYSE).

Rio Tinto Chairman Dominic Barton said It is my pleasure to welcome Joc to the Rio Tinto Board. He is widely respected for his deep knowledge of the mining industry and passion for improving safety and operational performance. I look forward to the valuable contribution Joc will make as we shape an even stronger Rio Tinto for the future.

Mr ORourke said I am pleased to be joining Rio Tinto and excited about the long-term strategy it is pursuing to help enable the energy transition and to thrive in a decarbonising world. I will be working closely with my fellow Board members to support this and to help realise the significant opportunities that lie in front of the company.
Cash position of 16.8 million euros as of September 30, 2023, following transactions carried out in the third quarter of 2023: Signature of an option agreement with Sanofi on M1Pram for 10m and continued negotiations for a global partnership 10m financing (private placement and issuance of convertible bonds) Full repayment of IPF Partners debt for 10.2m Partial exercise of IPF Partners' warrants and receipt of 1.5m cash at the end of September (2.1m to date, out of the total 2.5m expected)

Continued cost-optimization policy and project prioritization

Positive results on the three BioChaperone Combo studies

Presentation of AdoShell Islets at the EASD international congress

LYON, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Adocia (Euronext Paris: FR0011184241  ADOC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical Company focused on the research and development of innovative therapeutic solutions for the treatment of diabetes and other metabolic diseases, reports today its third quarter financial results for 2023 and provides an update on its activities.

"Together with Tonghua Dongbao, we are delighted with the positive results obtained in the three BioChaperone Combo studies. Following on from BioChaperone Lispro, the insulin currently in phase 3, we are once again demonstrating the value of BioChaperone technology. We are also demonstrating the value of the team capable of inventing and industrializing a product as challenging as an innovative insulin", says Olivier Soula, Chief Executive Officer of Adocia. "This bodes very well for our new combination of insulin and Pramlintide. M1Pram is unique in its ability to replace prandial insulin and lose weight. Following the option agreement signed with Sanofi on M1Pram, we are actively pursuing our discussions with a view to reaching an agreement by the end of the year".

Third quarter 2023 financial results

"We continue to manage our cash flow prudently, maintaining a rigorous policy of external spending and controlled headcount reduction. Our priorities are clear, with resources currently focused on M1Pram and AdoShell Islets, and on actively supporting our Chinese partner for the development of BC Lispro and BC Combo," says Valerie Danaguezian, Chief Financial Officer. "In the absence of any new cash inflows from current or future partnerships, our cash position of nearly 17 million enables us to finance our activities until the end of July 2024. We are actively working on signing new partnerships and anticipate the receipt of milestone payments under the Tonghua Dongbao contract in order to significantly extend this cash horizon."

The main financial figures for the quarter are as follows:

Detail of the revenue

In thousands of euros, IFRS standards (unaudited) 09/30/2023

(3 months) 09/30/2022

(3 months) 09/30/2023

(9 months) 09/30/2022

(9 months) Licensing revenues 77 103 238 5 000 Research and collaboration agreements 243 2 298 1 709 4 751 Revenue 320 2 402 1 947 9 751

The Company revenues are mainly derived from the licensing and collaboration agreements signed with Tonghua Dongbao (THDB) for the development, production and marketing of BioChaperone Lispro and BioChaperone Combo in China and other Asian territories.

In the third quarter of 2023, revenues reflect 0.2 million in services provided by Adocia's teams on BioChaperone Combo and the completion of the three clinical trials in Europe, the positive results of which were announced on October 23.

At the end of September 2023, total revenues thus amounted to almost 2 million, including 1.5 million generated with THDB on BioChaperone Combo activities and 0.5 million linked to an ongoing feasibility study on the AdOral project.

In 2022, over the same period, revenues of 9.8 million were impacted by services provided for THDB on BC Combo, but also 4.8 million by the receipt in May 2022 of the milestone payment generated by the recruitment and dosing of the first patient in the Phase 3 program on BioChaperone Lispro initiated by THDB in China.

Finally, and marginally now, licensing revenues include the impact of the application of IFRS 15 on the treatment of the upfront payment received from THDB in 2018, upon signature of the licensing agreements. This payment has been amortized over the development period initially provided for in the contract, resulting in an amount of 238 thousand in 2023, compared with 262 thousand in 2022.

Net Cash Position

The company's cash position stood at 16.8 million as of September 30, 2023, compared with 17.4 million as of December 31, 2022. This cash position takes particular account of the following receipts and disbursements:

Sanofi's payment of 10 million under the M1Pram exclusivity agreement;

The completion of a 10 million financing consisting of a 5 million private placement and the issue of 5 million in subscribed convertible bonds. As of the date of this press release, all convertible bonds issued by the company have been converted. In September 2023, Vester Finance declared that it had exceeded the threshold of 10% of the Company's capital, positioning itself as a significant shareholder in the Company;

Repayment of IPF Partners debt in the amount of 10.2 million;

The receipt of 1.5 million following the partial exercise of IPF Partners warrants. At the date of this press release, the total amount received by IPF Partners is 2.1 million, corresponding to the exercise of 84% of the warrants.

Cash outflows from operating activities for the first nine months of the year came to 10.6 million, lower than last year's figure of 14 million, on a like-for-like basis (excluding financing operations).

Net financial debt (excluding IFRS 16 impacts and derivative instruments) stood at 5.8 million at the end of September 2023, compared with 24.1 million as of December 31, 2022. The significant decrease in debt of 18.3 million stems mainly from (i) the repayment of the IPF Partners loan in full, (ii) the conversion of all convertible bonds into shares issued (i.e. -6, 8 million compared with end-December 2022) (iii) the payment of PGE loan maturities (State Guaranteed Loan for 0.8 million) and (iv) Bpifrance's waiver of 0.5 million on the Hinsbet program initiated in 2012 and discontinued.

3rd Quarter Highlights

BIOCHAPERONE COMBO

The three clinical studies conducted on BioChaperone Combo (CT046 - 47 and 48) proved positive. Conducted on people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and on healthy Chinese volunteers, the studies demonstrated that BioChaperone Combo is effective, with a good safety and tolerance profile.

The different clinical studies conducted confirm the potential of BC Combo to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia and the risk of hypoglycemia, while providing 24-hour basal control. The data generated support the goal of effective once- or twice-daily dosing. The overall assessment showed that BioChaperone Combo had a good benefit/risk ratio, supporting its clinical development in the next phase.

Conducted by Adocia in Germany, these studies were fully funded by Tonghua Dongbao, to which BC Combo was licensed in 2018.

M1PRAM

In July 2023, Sanofi was granted an exclusive right to negotiate a worldwide licensing agreement for M1Pram (and other insulin-pramlintide combinations developed by Adocia). This agreement was accompanied by a payment of 10 million. Discussions are progressing, with our aim is to conclude a licensing agreement by the end of 2023.

A Phase 2b clinical program, including 140 patients with type 1 diabetes and a BMI>30kg/m, is currently being prepared in the United States.

ADOSHELL ISLETS

AdoShell Islets, an immunoprotective biomaterial containing islets of Langerhans for the treatment of diabetes by cell therapy, has been selected for two oral presentations at prestigious international congresses.

The presentation given at the 59th annual congress of the EASD (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) attracted the attention of researchers and physicians specialized in islet transplantation, thanks to unpublished data on long-term in vitro functionality and in vivo efficacy. The excellent safety profile, with no inflammatory reactions or fibrosis, was further confirmed.

At the joint IPITA-IXA-CTRMS congress on October 28, Adocia will present the results of the work carried out to determine the specificities of AdoShell Islets for its application in humans. In parallel, Adocia is continuing its search for partners for AdoShell.

BIOCHAPERONE LISPRO

The pivotal Phase 3 program with BioChaperone Lispro, conducted in China by Adocia's partner Tonghua Dongbao, continues its course. The study involves 1,300 type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients recruited from over 100 centers across China, and the last patient last visit (LPLV) would be the trigger for the payment process of the $10 million.

ADORAL

Aiming to overcome the challenge of oral peptide administration, AdOral is attracting the interest of several biopharmaceutical companies. In particular, its application to semaglutide, for which it increases oral bioavailability by up to 5-fold, compared with marketed oral semaglutide, has led to discussions which are still ongoing.

The AdOral technology has also been tested on a pharmaceutical partner's peptide. This study could lead to the conclusion of a licensing agreement.

About Adocia

Adocia is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery and development of therapeutic solutions in the field of metabolic diseases, primarily diabetes and obesity.

The company has a broad portfolio of drug candidates based on four proprietary technology platforms: 1) The BioChaperone technology for the development of new generation insulins and products combining insulins with other classes of hormones; 2) AdOral, an oral peptide delivery technology; 3) AdoShell, an immunoprotective biomaterial for cell transplantation, with a first application in pancreatic cells transplantation; 4) AdoGel, a long-acting drug delivery platform.

Adocia holds more than 25 patent families. Based in Lyon, the company has more than 80 employees. Adocia is listed on the regulated market of EuronextTM Paris (Euronext: ADOC; ISIN: FR0011184241).

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Adocia and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Adocia considers as being reasonable. However, there can be no guarantee that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be achieved, as such estimates are subject to numerous risks including those which are set forth in the Risk Factors section of the universal registration document that was filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers on April 26, 2023 updated by the amendment of 26 July 2023 (D.23-0346-A01) and amendment of 13 September 2023 (D.23-0346-A02), available at www.adocia.com, in particular uncertainties that are linked to research and development, future clinical data, analyses, and the evolution of the economic context, the financial markets and the markets in which Adocia operates.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Adocia or not considered as material by Adocia as of this day. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause that actual results, financial conditions, performances, or achievements of Adocia be materially different from those mentioned in the forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025067818/en/

Adocia

Olivier Soula

CEO

[email protected]

+33 (0)4 72 610 610

www.adocia.com

Ulysse Communication

Adocia Relations Presse et Investisseurs

Pierre-Louis Germain

Bruno Arabian

[email protected]

+ 33 (0)6 64 79 97 51

Source: ADOCIA
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers, will report its third quarter 2023 results before the market opens on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Interested parties can listen to the event via a webcast scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. The webcast will be accessible via the companys Investor Relations website (ir.AdvanceAutoParts.com).

To join by phone, please pre-register online for dial-in and passcode information. Upon registering, participants will receive a confirmation with call details and a registrant ID. While registration is open through the live call, the company suggests registering a day in advance or at minimum 10 minutes before the start of the call. A replay of the conference call will be available on the companys Investor Relations website for one year.

About Advance Auto Parts

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers. As of July 15, 2023, Advance operated 4,790 stores and 319 Worldpac branches primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also served 1,307 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands. Additional information about Advance, including employment opportunities, customer services, and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025060825/en/

Investor Relations Contact:

Elisabeth Eisleben

T: (919) 227-5466

E: [email protected]

Media Contact:

Darryl Carr

T: (984) 389-7207

E: [email protected]

Source: Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
Researchers have discovered that a surprisingly rare gas, helium, escapes through the Earth's crust into our planet's atmosphere and then into space. It is the second most abundant element in the known universe, yet it is surprisingly rare on Earth.

ADVERTISIMENT

This is stated in a study published in Nature. Helium is the only element that is completely non-renewable on our planet.

Helium is an extremely scarce gas for humanity. We extract it from natural gas deposits in the Earth's crust. Such deposits are slowly formed, rising through the Earth's layers, eventually dissipating in the atmosphere, and then the gas escapes into outer space.

At the same time, we don't even know approximately how much helium is left in the interior of the planet. The theory is that, since it has not completely disappeared over billions of years, the Earth's core may be releasing it from much larger but not yet discovered reserves.

Some confirmation of this has come from scientists at the California Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who studied samples taken from 62 million-year-old lava fields in the Baffin Islands in Canada and Iceland. They found that the samples contained surprisingly similar concentrations of helium isotopes. According to Futurism, this suggests that they come from the same source, which is most likely deep underground, and slowly leaking out over time.

ADVERTISIMENT

Helium could not only unlock the mystery of the Earth's early days but could also potentially help scientists better understand the Earth's extremely inaccessible core. If the core is leaking, we may have another way to study the processes taking place in it and learn something about how planets like ours formed from a swirl of dust and primordial gas.

Scientists believe that the source of helium in the studied lava fields in Canada and Iceland may come from the Earth's core. They came to this conclusion after taking into account the presence of other noble gases such as neon, which coincides with the conditions that were present when the Earth was still actively forming billions of years ago.

Scientists hope that if they are right about the source of the gas, it can provide invaluable information about the processes and conditions that existed at the time of the emergence of our planet.

ADVERTISIMENT

Earlier, OBOZ.UA spoke about the first creatures to appear on the Earth.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest news
Investment Accelerates Research and Development, Expands Professional Services, and Increases Sales and Marketing

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aliro Quantum today announced that Cisco Investments has joined its recently announced round of funding. Cisco joins Accenture Ventures and lead investor Flybridge Leaders Fund to invest in Aliro Quantum. With this investment, Aliro Quantum will increase funding in research and development as well as expand its go-to-market programs and professional services offerings.

Since the companys founding and initial round of funding in 2019 to develop the foundational technologies needed for quantum networks, Aliro Quantum has filed ten patents that include 124 claims. It has expanded its leadership, engineering, sales, and marketing teams, tripled its customer engagements, doubled its number of partnerships and increased its sales pipeline by ten times. Aliro also launched AliroNet, a comprehensive non-QKD multipurpose entanglement-based secure network solution, and is providing the quantum network configuration, control and orchestration for the EPB Quantum Network powered by Qubitekk, Americas first industry-led, commercially available quantum network.

Jim Ricotta, CEO of Aliro Quantum said, Cisco Investments funding provides additional confirmation that entanglement-based multi-purpose quantum networks are the future. We're excited to put this new relationship to work to grow our customer base, fine tune our products and develop even more use cases for entanglement-based quantum networking.

Quantum networking is key to the future of secure networking, said Bill Gartner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Optical Systems and Optics. Through this investment, we are excited to support Aliro in advancing its research and development in this next stage of its growth."

Aliro Quantum also received several prestigious industry awards including being recognized as a quantum innovator in Messe Stuttgarts First Annual Quantum Effects Awards, Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, gold in the Govies Government Security Awards for Network Security, and three gold-level awards at the 18th Annual Globee Awards for Information Technology. The company was also recognized with the Hot Company Award from Cyber Defense Magazines Global InfoSec Awards, and Aliro Co-Founder and CTO, Dr. Prineha Narang, was named Science Envoy for Quantum Information Science and Technology by the U.S. Secretary of State, one of seven distinguished scientists to serve for 2023.

About Aliro

Aliro Quantum, The Quantum Networking Company, offers AliroNet to emulate, pilot, and deploy entanglement-based quantum networks that are capable of running a wide variety of applications from secure communications to clustered quantum computing and distributed quantum sensing. Aliro, spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University, includes world-class experts in quantum and classical networking and is leading the charge in quantum network development by offering the foundational technologies needed for organizations around the world to build scalable and powerful distributed quantum systems. AliroNet users include utility companies, telecommunications providers, public sector organizations, enterprises, and researchers who are simulating, designing, piloting, orchestrating, and building the world's first entanglement-based quantum networks. Visit us at www.aliroquantum.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025195460/en/

Jenn McManus-Goode

[email protected]

Source: Aliro Quantum
Arajet connects Toronto to Santo Domingo four times a week at the lowest market prices

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arajet, the Caribbean's low-fare airline, officially launched operations in Canada with direct flights between Toronto and Santo Domingo. The airline will be flying out of Toronto four days per week  Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays  increasing the air connectivity between the two countries.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025071778/en/

To mark its Canadian debut, Arajet presented the biggest drone show in the sky ever held in Toronto. (Photo: Business Wire)

Toronto's Pearson International Airport is now one of 22 destinations offered by Arajet in the region. The airline also becomes the first to fly directly from Toronto to Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo.

"Arajet makes history by being the first Dominican airline to fly to Canada, providing new opportunities to grow business and tourism between our two nations, said Victor Pacheco, Founder and CEO of Arajet. Arajet also establishes Santo Domingo as an exciting new hub for Canadians, connecting them to more than 10 countries in the Americas, such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Curacao, Aruba, and Colombia, with a low fare airline that doesnt compromise on customer service and experience."

The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Canada, Frank Hans Dannenberg added: The inauguration of this new air route by Arajet is not only a business achievement but also a significant step in the interconnection between Canada and the Latin American region, as it will strengthen the mobility between Canadians and Dominicans, at competitive prices.

We are thrilled to be the first part of Arajets expansion into the Canadian market, said Khalil Lamrabet, Chief Commercial Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. This new route will link Toronto Pearson to a new level of connectivity in Central and South America. Its just another way we are working to increase travel options for the millions of passengers who pass through our airport every year.

Arajet launched routes to Canada with an inaugural event at Torontos Hotel X, complete with the biggest drone show in the sky ever held in the city. The event was held with the support of The Boeing Company, a strategic partner of Arajet, which has an order for up to 45 737 max 8 aircraft with the American manufacturer.

As the first city in the Americas, Santo Domingo offers a rich history and culture. Travelers can visit the first Cathedral of America, the first university, and the first city hall established in the Americas, among other cultural and gastronomic jewels. With a population of more than 3 million, it is the most populous city in the Caribbean, and a leading destination in the region for business and tourism.

Toronto Arajet travelers will enjoy tropical beaches 20 minutes from the airport, such as Boca Chica or Juan Dolio, as well as Bayahibe, just 45 minutes away. Arajet also offers travel from Santo Domingo to the popular resorts and beaches of Punta Cana, which is less than two hours away and with no extra cost.

Arajet has an extensive route network of 22 destinations in 16 countries, more than 150 connections in North, Central and South America, interconnecting the entire continent at the lowest fare with industry-leading operational safety. Arajet expects to fly more than 7 million passengers in the next five years through its Santo Domingo Hub, with increasingly convenient flights and fares to enhance connectivity between the Americas and the Caribbean. Travelers can book their tickets at the best prices at www.Arajet.com.

About Arajet

Arajet is the first low-fare airline in the Caribbean region and started operations in September 2022 from its base at Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, under its airline operator certificate (AOC) from the Dominican Republic. Arajet will operate a new fleet of Boeing 737MAX-8 aircraft that provide safe and affordable travel to and from the Dominican Republic to several destinations in North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean region. For more information, visit www.Arajet.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025071778/en/

Manuel Luna

[email protected]

829-764-5862

Source: Arajet
BAXUS is the pioneer platform redefining the way wine and spirits are traded, authenticated, and valued for thousands globally

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BAXUS, the pioneer marketplace enabling wine and whiskey enthusiasts to curate a rare, luxury collection, today announced the launch of its whiskey and wines marketplace. Backed by whisky industry insiders, BAXUS is redefining how people engage with rare, vintage wine and spirits. BAXUS harnesses the power of blockchain technology to give users proof of ownership, authentication, and a safe storage solution, ensuring complete peace of mind for every transaction. To-date, BAXUS has traded over $20M in whiskey, fueling investor interest in the category.

BAXUS is founded by Todd Wiesel, seasoned whisky investor and trader who launched his own whiskey fund while studying computer science and database building at Columbia University. Todd launched BAXUS to create the pioneer secondary marketplace that connects thousands of wine and spirits enthusiasts worldwide, opening access and opportunity to rare, vintage liquids. Today, BAXUS holds a few of the rarest bottles in the world, including dozens of Pre-Prohibition bourbons, Yamazaki 55, and complete sets of Lenells Red Hook Rye.

The god of wine and spirits is Baccus. So, BAXUS was born, which is the tech-friendly version of the name, said Todd Wiesel, founder and CEO of BAXUS. Internationally, bottles represent memories and evoke nostalgia for millions of people. BAXUS gives wines and spirits collectors and investors a place to participate in the market, when they otherwise wouldnt have because of opaque pricing conditions, infrequent auctions, high fees, complicated legal framework around alcoholic beverages, and many other reasons. BAXUS is solving these problems via a trusted third-party responsible for custody and authentication, allowing institutions and individuals to digitally transact around the globe, said Wiesel.

"For over 11 years at Pernod Ricard, I worked with some of the world's most iconic brands in China, Japan, and the U.S. and during this time, I learned just how disconnected and challenging the global wine and spirits market can be. Knowing this, I have always wanted to help build a true, connected community that is driven by the consumer; through transparent, approachable information and education. Historically, bottle choices on the shelf have been shaped by the supply side of the industry vs. the demand side with limited to no two-way conversation between brands and consumers. Today, we're democratizing information, pricing data, and history on rare and limited wines and spirits, and making every decision for the platform based on what our consumer wants. Through access and education, we're building an industry leading platform and marketplace for wine and spirits enthusiasts." - said Finian Sedgwick, VP of Sales and Marketing at BAXUS.

Post-pandemic, the wines and spirits industry has seen explosive growth, notably in the U.S. and U.K. Auction house Sotheby's Concierge Auctions revealed that wine and spirits auction sales reached a high of $150M in 2022, with spirits sales reaching a new high of $29M, a significant increase from $22M in 2021 and a dramatic jump from just $4M in 2017. In the case of rare whiskies, the market is driven by both demand for collectible bottles as well as investment demand for rare and aged bottles with limited supply.

I met Todd at Columbia University, where I was hosting a lecture about databases. I was amazed by the massive impact technology could have on the transparency and efficiency of the wine and spirits market: a very archaic industry. Coming from The New York Times' machine learning platform team, I understood the potential that data could have on this very opaque market, said Carrie Kellar, co-founder and CTO of BAXUS. Todd and I recognized that the only way to "fix" this market was through tokenizing these assets exclusively on the blockchain. At BAXUS, were using the blockchain for its original intent: ensuring complete transparency, authentication, ownership and provenance, she said.

Today, BAXUS holds the most advanced pricing data on its platform, where users gain free access to hundreds of data points before buying or selling. The pricing data is tailored to a portfolio holders collection, eliminating time users would spend sifting through a large search index. In the coming year, BAXUS plans to grow its technology team, with a particular focus on machine learning and computer vision to further accelerate the companys pricing data collection and data sales operations.

BAXUS also plans to open an experiential events space, where partner brands will have the opportunity to host exclusive, private tastings with VIP members. Finally, BAXUS plans to launch new features and access points for all members, such as lending, for wherever they are on their journey from bottle 1 to bottle 1,000.

Boilerplate

BAXUS is the secure way to trade wine and spirits. Harnessing the power of blockchain technology to give users proof of ownership, authentication, and a safe storage solution, ensuring complete peace of mind for every transaction. BAXUS also provides a personal dashboard for managing your collection with the latest pricing information and a global marketplace of like-minded enthusiasts, providing an unrivaled platform to explore, exchange, and elevate your collection.

Sign up for BAXUS' newsletter on our website at www.baxus.co to receive regular updates, including announcements about the availability of new bottles. And, follow BAXUS on Twitter and Instagram, where new product releases and updates are announced.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025606449/en/

Media

[email protected]

Source: BAXUS
GREENVILLE, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The U.S. Smart Manufacturing Institute is excited to participate in the establishment of the International Manufacturing-X Council, with its official announcement at the 2023 Annual CESMII Member Meeting hosted at SOUTHTECs Smart Manufacturing Experience this week in Greenville, S.C.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025733222/en/

The U.S.' Smart Manufacturing Institute is excited to participate in the establishment of the International Manufacturing-X Council, with its official announcement at the 2023 Annual CESMII Member Meeting hosted at SOUTHTECs Smart Manufacturing Experience this week in Greenville, S.C. (Graphic: Business Wire)

We join Germany (Plattform Industrie 4.0), Austria (Plattform Industrie 4.0 Osterreich), France (Alliance Industrie du Futur), Australia (CSIRO's Data61), Canada (Offensive de Transformation Numerique), South Korea (KOSMO), Japan (RRI), Italy (Confindustria) and the Netherlands (Smart Industry) in launching this important initiative to implement a federated, decentralized and collaborative data ecosystem for smart manufacturing. We anticipate more joining us soon!

The collective vision for the International Manufacturing-X (IM-X) Council is to enable open, global and cross-industry operation of cost-effective data networks. This will be realized through three sets of strategic initiatives:

Connect value chains and manufacturing data networks across supply chains, industries, and countries Implement global foundations for data-driven resilient, sovereign and climate-neutral production covering the full life cycle of production and products Enable innovative value creation in an interoperable and sovereign data ecosystem

IM-X is a ground-breaking effort to facilitate open, international R&D, partnerships, cooperation, standardization and deployment of manufacturing technology, which at its core is based on the creation of a federated, decentralized and collaborative data ecosystem for smart manufacturing.

John Dyck, CEO of CESMII stated that, The future of smart manufacturing lies in open, interoperable systems, sustainable and energy efficient operations, and secure and resilient architectures.

Henning Banthien, Secretary General Plattform Industrie 4.0 continued, saying, The data-based economy is changing the forms of cooperation between companies. For this transformation to be a success, trust between all actors is needed.

With International Manufacturing-X, we want to expand international cooperation in order to engage in an even stronger exchange, start joint projects and develop uniform standards as a necessary component for scaling, says Thomas Hahn, Chief Expert Software, Siemens AG.

About CESMII

CESMII  the Smart Manufacturing Institute  has a total investment of $140M from Department of Energy funding and public/private partnership contributions, with a mandate to create a more competitive manufacturing environment here in the US. CESMII is one of 17 Manufacturing USA institutes on this mission to increase manufacturing productivity, global competitiveness, and reinvestment by increasing energy productivity, improving economic performance and raising workforce capacity. University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is the program and administrative home of CESMII. For more information about CESMII, its history and Smart Manufacturing, visit cesmii.org

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025733222/en/

Jillian Kupchella

440-289-3263

[email protected]

Source: CESMII
DALLAS & MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- USA breakthrough genetic engineering and de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences is lending its support to the recovery of the recently rediscovered Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon. An interim insurance and conservation breeding program is being established at Melbourne Zoo for the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla), a critically endangered reptile many considered likely extinct, and not seen since 1969 until a chance rediscovery earlier this year.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231017554770/en/

Photo Credit: Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon courtesy of Zoos Victoria

This project forms part of a partnership development between Colossal and Zoos Victoria to fight extinction for a range of species, and includes initial funding for the fit out of interim quarantine housing and care for the dragons, and in collaboration with other partners such as Museums Victoria Research Institute sequencing the genome of the lost dragons and mapping the genetic relatedness of individuals to inform conservation breeding.

Led by Colossals Chief Animal Officer, Matt James, and Zoos Victorias General Manager of Threatened Species, Garry Peterson, the partnership aims to support the broader recovery work by the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon Recovery Team, comprising expertise from the Australian Governments Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Victorian Governments Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Museums Victoria Research Institute, Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd and Zoos Victoria. The team is working on conserving and growing the dragons remaining population and protecting and restoring other areas of its wild habitat ahead of future reintroductions.

Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm said saving critically endangered species is at the core of their mission.

Our focus includes the de-extinction of select lost species, the preservation of endangered species, and the restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity, Mr Lamm said. We are really excited about helping to establish the means to create an insurance and conservation breeding program, for the once-feared lost earless dragon.

Zoos Victoria CEO Dr Jenny Gray said Zoos Victoria is committed to supporting this iconic species and securing its long-term future.

Our partnership with Colossal has great potential to explore and apply more novel genetic techniques for a range of species in need. It's a great example of how different organizations can collaborate to address the urgent need for species preservation and ecosystem restoration.

ABOUT ZOOS VICTORIA

Zoos Victoria is a zoo-based conservation organisation, dedicated to fighting wildlife extinction. Our four zoos are Healesville Sanctuary, Kyabram Fauna Park, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Each zoo provides a unique and immersive experience that attracts visitors from around the world. Our zoos inspire future conservationists of all ages. By strengthening the connection between people and wildlife, we hope to protect the future of animals and their homes. Our important work includes breeding and recovery programs; we've built partnerships with local communities, fellow conservationists, and like-minded organisations  close to home and in far-flung corners of the world.

w: zoo.org.au

ABOUT COLOSSAL

Colossal was founded by emerging technology and software entrepreneur Ben Lamm and world-renowned geneticist and serial biotech entrepreneur George Church, Ph.D., and is the first to apply CRISPR technology for the purposes of species de-extinction. Colossal creates innovative technologies for species restoration, critically endangered species protection and the repopulation of critical ecosystems that support the continuation of life on Earth. Colossal is accepting humanitys duty to restore Earth to a healthier state, while also solving for the future economies and biological necessities of the human condition through cutting-edge science and technologies. To follow along, please visit: www.colossal.com

COLOSSAL WEBSITE & SOCIALS

Websites: www.colossal.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/itiscolossal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itiscolossal/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/itiscolossal/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itiscolossal

Hashtag: #itiscolossal

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231017554770/en/

In Australia, media enquiries:

Natalie Filmer [email protected] or 0418 586 141.

w: zoo.org.au

In USA, media contact:

Emily Mailaender [email protected]

Source: Colossal
OSLO, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Elliptic Labs (OSE: ELABS), a global AI software company and the world leader in AI Virtual Smart Sensors currently deployed in over 500 million devices, is launching its AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform on the new Snapdragon X Elite Compute Platform at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.s Snapdragon Summit 2023 in Maui. This launch signifies a new era in PC compute and AI capabilities, highlighting Elliptic Labs next generation AI software-based user experiences leveraging Qualcomm Technologies expertise in superior compute and AI performance on ultra-low power devices.

The all-new Snapdragon X Elite has been designed to bring next-generation AI performance to new laptop designs. The Snapdragon X Elite unlocks even more potential for AI running on the device. By utilizing the Qualcomm Sensing Hub, Elliptic Labs AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform will run faster, with greater power efficiency, and more seamlessly than ever before. The new Snapdragon X Elite also allows our AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform to be always sensing, even with the host CPU in deep sleep.

While the AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform will utilize the Qualcomm Sensing Hub on Snapdragon X Elite for state-of-the-art performance, customers can also leverage Elliptic Labs expertise in AI/ML, ultrasound, and sensor fusion to deliver AI Virtual Smart Sensors. These AI Virtual Smart Sensors are software-based and deliver critical experiences like Human Presence Detection (HPD), automated external display identification, location, and configuration, and seamless device-to-device connection for frictionless user experience.

The AI Virtual Human Presence Sensor offers HPD functionality, allowing the PC powered by Snapdragon X Elite to detect when a user is present and automatically turn off or on, saving significant power while increasing security and privacy. The AI Virtual Position Sensor offers the capability to detect the location and automatic configuration of an external display, making the users experience seamless when moving between different places. Both the AI Virtual Human Presence Sensor and AI Virtual Position Sensor will be demonstrated at Snapdragon Summit 2023.

Elliptic Labs and Qualcomm Technologies have collaborated in the past to bring to market some of the most innovative, industry-defining smartphone designs, said Laila Danielsen, CEO of Elliptic Labs. It is with this shared history of groundbreaking innovation that Elliptic Labs introduces our AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform for use with Snapdragon X Elite powered laptops. The exciting, market-redefining Qualcomm Hexagon NPU on the new Snapdragon X Elite processor will enable Elliptic Labs to further extend our AI Virtual Smart Sensors capabilities, features, and reach. Our shared OEM customers, and subsequently the end-user, will be the biggest benefactors of this collaboration, where together, we will deliver devices that are greener, smarter, and more human-friendly.

This collaboration with Elliptic Labs demonstrates the value and power that separate Snapdragon X Elite from the competition, said Nitin Kumar, Senior Director of Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Building on this strong collaboration, our combined efforts will showcase the enhanced AI capabilities, unprecedented connectivity, and broad ecosystem support the Snapdragon X Elite platform offers. With Snapdragon at the core, we will continue to deliver groundbreaking designs and user experiences on upcoming Snapdragon X Elite powered laptops.

AI Virtual Smart Sensor, AI Virtual Human Presence Sensor, and AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform are trademarks of Elliptic Labs.

Snapdragon, Qualcomm and Hexagon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon, Qualcomm Sensing Hub and Qualcomm Hexagon are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

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 Norways Oslo University, the companys 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/20231025835560/en/

PR Contact:

Patrick Tsui

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

Lars Holmy

[email protected]

Source: Elliptic Labs
Chair of the Board Viviane Monges appointed Chief Executive Officer for an Interim period

Karl Rotthier to step down as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 30, 2023

Viviane Monges, Chair of EUROAPIs Board of Directors appointed Chief Executive Officer for an interim period, effective October 30, 2023

Elizabeth Bastoni appointed Independent Lead-Director

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

EUROAPIs (Paris: EAPI) Board of Directors met on October 25, 2023, and decided that Karl Rotthier will step down as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 30, 2023. The Board has launched a search for a new Chief Executive Officer.

Consequently, it has appointed Viviane Monges, EUROAPIs current Chair of the Board, as Chief Executive Officer until a permanent successor has been appointed. She will remain EUROAPIs Chair of the Board.

In this context, the Board of Directors also decided to appoint Elizabeth Bastoni, Chair of the Nominations and Compensation Committee, as Independent Lead-Director. In this position, Elizabeth Bastoni will notably help to oversee the efficient running of the companys governance structure and will be a key contact to engage with EUROAPIs shareholders on topics related to the Board of Directors responsibilities.

The Board of Directors wants to thank Karl Rotthier for his contributions to EUROAPI since 2021, notably during EUROAPIs early days, establishing the Company as a new independent major API and CDMO actor on the market.

The Board of Directors will continue to support the Groups transformation in a fast-evolving environment and will actively oversee the execution of the strategic review announced on October 9, 2023.

Biography of Viviane Monges

Viviane Monges is an experienced Finance Executive and Director and has worked in several business sectors and more than 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry. She served as Chief Financial Officer of the group Galderma S.A., a multinational company specializing in dermatology. She was Chief Financial Officer of the EMEA region and then World Chief Financial Officer for the OTC division at Novartis. At Wyeth Pharmaceuticals/Pfizer, she held the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Global Pharma Business unit. She served on several Pharma companies' boards and is currently a member of the Board of Novo Holdings, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Pharvaris.

Biography of Elizabeth Bastoni

Elizabeth Bastoni is an experienced Board Chair and executive with expertise in human resources, governance, strategy, risk, and talent management. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Jeronimo Martins where she is on the Audit Committee. She is also on the Board of Directors of CNH Industrial where she Chairs the Human Capital and Compensation Committee. Elizabeth began her career in international taxation at KPMG in Europe. She then held several executive positions with international groups such as The Coca-Cola Company, Carlson or Thales.

About EUROAPI

EUROAPI is focused on reinventing active ingredient solutions to sustainably meet customers and patients needs around the world. We are a leading player in active pharmaceutical ingredients with approximately 200 products in our portfolio, offering a large span of technologies, while developing innovative molecules through our Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) activities.

Taking action for health by enabling access to essential therapies inspires our 3,450 people every day. With strong research and development capabilities and six manufacturing sites all located in Europe, EUROAPI ensures API manufacturing of the highest quality to supply customers in more than 80 countries. EUROAPI is listed on Euronext Paris; ISIN: FR0014008VX5; ticker: EAPI). Find out more at www.euroapi.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release is forward looking and not historical data. These forward-looking statements are based on opinions, projections and current assumptions including, but not limited to, assumptions concerning the Groups current and future strategy, financial and non-financial future results and the environment in which the Group operates, as well as events, operations, future services or product development and potential. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, plans and similar expressions. Forward looking statements and information do not constitute guarantees of future performances, and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, a large number of which are difficult to predict and generally outside the control of the Group, which could cause actual results, performances or achievements, or the results of the sector or other events, to differ materially from those described or suggested by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those that are indicated and detailed in Chapter 3 Risk factors of the Universal Registration Document approved by the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers, AMF) on April 14, 2023, under number R.23-009 and the Amendment to Universal Registration Document approved by the AMF on April 25, 2023 under number R.23-015. These forward-looking statements are given only as of the date of this press release and the Group expressly declines any obligation or commitment to publish updates or corrections of the forward-looking statements included in this press release in order to reflect any change affecting the forecasts or events, conditions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025809797/en/

Media Relations Contact:

Laurence Bollack

Mob.: +33 (0)6 81 86 80 19

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Sophie Palliez-Capian

Mob.: +33 (0)6 87 89 33 51

[email protected]

Source: EUROAPI
WOKINGHAM, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG, LSE: FERG) (the Company) announces today that it purchased a total of 87,600 of its ordinary shares in the period from October 16, 2023, up to and including October 20, 2023, in connection with its $3.0 billion share repurchase program.

Aggregated information about the purchases carried out during this period

Trading day Aggregate daily volume

(in number of shares) Daily weighted average purchase

price of the shares Trading venue October 16, 2023 3,657 164.8498 XDOT October 16, 2023 1,500 165.3460 ARCA October 16, 2023 11,643 164.4040 INET October 17, 2023 100 163.5100 MEMX October 17, 2023 2,967 167.4604 XDOT October 17, 2023 2,523 165.9661 ARCA October 17, 2023 8,910 167.6365 INET October 17, 2023 400 167.9450 IEX October 17, 2023 100 168.0100 CHX October 18, 2023 1,500 164.0587 ARCA October 18, 2023 12,057 162.4576 INET October 18, 2023 4,343 161.7181 XDOT October 18, 2023 100 160.7100 IEX October 19, 2023 4,500 156.3422 INET October 19, 2023 1,203 156.9821 MEMX October 19, 2023 8,523 156.3382 XDOT October 19, 2023 847 156.3128 BATS October 19, 2023 382 156.3296 EPRL October 19, 2023 1,272 156.4407 ARCA October 19, 2023 1,000 156.1360 EDGX October 19, 2023 100 157.3200 XPER October 19, 2023 100 155.8900 CHX October 19, 2023 73 156.2700 EDGA October 19, 2023 300 155.9267 NQPX October 20, 2023 1,200 155.0642 ARCA October 20, 2023 11,952 154.0242 INET October 20, 2023 5,757 154.2531 XDOT October 20, 2023 402 153.8597 IEX October 20, 2023 20 154.4850 MEMX October 20, 2023 21 154.4690 BATS October 20, 2023 148 154.5200 CHX

The Company intends to hold these shares in treasury. Following the purchase of these shares (including those purchased but not yet settled), the number of shares held by the Company in treasury will be 28,364,359.

Following the purchase of these shares, the remaining number of ordinary shares in issue will be 203,806,823. The figure of 203,806,823 may be used by shareholders (and others with notification obligations) as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation), as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, detailed information about the individual purchases can be found at Ferguson - Investors - Shareholder Center - Share Buy-Back Details - 2023 Share Buy-Back.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025351094/en/

Brian Lantz, Vice President IR and Communications, +1 224 285 2410

Pete Kennedy, Director of Investor Relations, +1 757 603 0111

Source: Ferguson plc
New venture provides easy access to cost-effective HR compliance solutions

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fisher Phillips, an international law firm representing employers, is proud to announce the launch of fpSOLUTIONS, a new venture offering easy access to cost-effective HR solutions, including customizable documents, checklists, forms, handbooks and compliance toolkits powered by Fisher Phillips and backed by a comprehensive suite of consulting services including human resource support.

fpSOLUTIONS will leverage Fisher Phillips decades of experience in employment law to offer HR compliance solutions without a full-service law firm engagement, said John Polson, Fisher Phillips Chairman and Managing Partner. This new venture allows us to offer various forms of comprehensive and accessible support to help companies navigate everything from HR operations and compliance to training and performance improvement and everything in between.

fpSOLUTIONS currently offers turn-key but adaptable products for todays HR leaders, including:

International Remote Work support

Reduction in Force tools

CAL/OSHA Compliance products

Arbitration agreements and support

Wage and hour compliance products

fpSOLUTIONS also offers various services, available specifically to US organizations of the same size, which include:

Affirmative Action Plans and Compliance

Compensation Consulting and Research

Data Privacy Compliance

Cyber Security Assessments

The company will be led by CEO Mark Wilbur, a 30-year HR and strategic management consulting veteran. Wilbur previously served as CEO and President of Employers Group, where he transformed the 125-year-old leading advocacy and professional services organization into EverythingHR. He was also a successful Partner at Andersen Consulting where he provided strategic and operational management consulting services to national and global Fortune 1000 companies.

We designed fpSOLUTIONS to be the go-to resource hub offering an array of fully customizable products and services to best fit a companys specific needs based on industry, location and size, said Wilbur. "We aim to provide easy access to practical solutions companies need to streamline day-to-day HR compliance and optimize success."

To learn more about fpSOLUTIONS and its offerings, please visit www.fpsolutions.com.

About Fisher Phillips (www.fisherphillips.com)

With nearly 600 attorneys across the United States and Mexico, and a vast network of attorneys in jurisdictions around the globe, Fisher Phillips advises and advocates for employers on an international scale. Through our technology-driven approach and commitment to diversity and inclusion, we partner with companies to achieve their business objectives, anticipate potential disruption, and provide the legal guidance to navigate and resolve the workplace matters critical to their success.

About fpSOLUTIONS (www.fpsolutions.com)

fpSOLUTIONS provides customizable documents, checklists, forms, handbooks and compliance toolkits powered by Fisher Phillips and backed by a comprehensive suite of consulting services including human resources support, human capital management, and change management. fpSOLUTIONS combines technology with experienced professional support to deliver a robust and practical solution to HR compliance and management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024797602/en/

Jenna Gatski Einstein

Fisher Phillips

703-682-7097

[email protected]

Source: Fisher Phillips
CalOptima Health, inspired by Masimos Founder Joe Kiani, invests in Friendship Shelters fourth community

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The non-profit Friendship Shelter shared the results of their unique partnership with Masimo Corporation at their annual Intersections event. The event celebrated the innovative and transformative solution created by Joe Kiani, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Masimo, and how it inspired CalOptima Health to make their own investment in a Friendship Shelter community.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025836259/en/

CalOptima Health makes an investment in Friendship Shelter community (Photo: Business Wire)

In 2019, Masimo purchased and renovated an apartment building as an investment and then master-leased it to Friendship Shelter to house individuals experiencing homelessness. Seventeen people now live in the Masimo-owned building and Friendship Shelter has on-site staff that help support the residents. Kianis hope was that other companies would follow and CalOptima Health did just that.

The partnership with Masimo was the first time a company has partnered with a non-profit in this way and this is the type of innovative thinking we need to end homelessness, stated Dawn Price, Executive Director of Friendship Shelter. For more than 35 years, Friendship Shelter has focused on studying, understanding, and transforming its approach to ending homelessness. Ending homelessness creates healthier communities, resulting in healthier businesses, customers, employees and local economies. We feel very fortunate to be working with Joe and his team on this project and hope others join this effort now that we have a successful case study. We used our experience with our Masimo property when submitting our grant application to CalOptima Health. The story is both inspiring and makes business sense. That approach worked; the grant application was funded. We are excited to add another apartment community to the Friendship Shelter family.

CalOptima Health is privileged to support Friendship Shelters housing project with a grant of $3.9 million in Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP) funding provided through the State and approved by our Board. We believe that housing is health, and what Friendship Shelter and Masimo Corporation have co-created is an amazing housing model that aligns with the mission and the vision of CalOptima Health, said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health. We congratulate Friendship Shelter for being South Orange Countys largest provider of supportive housing and having great success with keeping 97% of tenants stably housed year after year. CalOptima Health hopes our grant inspires other business partners, like Masimos CEO Joe Kiani, to use creative approaches to help more people become housed.

The thought that thousands of people are living on the street should keep all of us up at night. The reality is that we dont have enough affordable homes in our area so we all have to do what we can to help. I had heard about Friendship Shelters track record of success and together we created a solution that can hopefully be replicated throughout California and the United States. I commend Michael Hunn and CalOptima for stepping forward and hope other CEOs do the same, stated Joe Kiani, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Masimo.

Simply put, housing ends homelessness. When we think creatively, partner in new ways, trust one another and take leaps of faith together, we can make miracles. And if you want to believe in miracles, hand a person who has been living in their car, or on the street, the keys to their new home. Watch them open their door for the first time, stated Dawn Price, Executive Director of Friendship Shelter. Thats the experience we can offer to our partners in the business community.

This is a solution that allows corporations to take meaningful steps toward ending homelessness in their own backyard, Price continued. In our South Orange County region, housing is expensive and land is scarce. Most of the housing Friendship Shelter supports is mingled within large apartment communities, but for our most vulnerable clients, a dedicated-site community is a better fit, where on-site staff can be available at any time for support. Thanks to Masimo and CalOptima Health, we have growing evidence that shows the incredible possibilities of these partnerships.

Friendship Shelter also announced their Home For Good initiative at the event. This effort focuses on a strong, professional staff to provide services and build trust with clients, willing landlords and investments in housing to increase the availability of financially accessible housing, and access to critical supports like physical and mental health care for tenants ensuring they remain safe and stable in their homes.

Friendship shelter video

ABOUT FRIENDSHIP SHELTER

Friendship Shelter is a non-profit homeless services agency founded in 1988 and dedicated to ending homelessness in South Orange County, one person at a time. Friendship Shelter operates a full spectrum of services to end homelessness, including outreach, shelter, housing navigation, financial assistance, and permanent housing with supportive services. We believe in a housing-first and harm reduction approach and value the unique experience of each client we serve. All of our programs employ trauma-informed principles and are housing-focused, low-barrier, and client-centered. Friendship Shelters Housing team works with nearly 200 individuals who have experienced homelessness and are now living in their permanent homes. They operate rapid re-housing, housing with vouchers, and permanent supportive housing programs. Last year, 97% of housing tenants remained stably housed. For more information, please visit friendshipshelter.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025836259/en/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kristin Points

Friendship Shelter

[email protected]

949.281.1247

Source: Friendship Shelter
Hungary has blocked military aid to Ukraine worth 500 million euros. First, Budapest demanded that the Hungarian OTP Bank be removed from the list of terrorist sponsors. And after Ukraine fulfilled this demand, Hungary demanded "legal guarantees that this is permanent."

ADVERTISIMENT

Despite being a member of NATO and the European Union, Hungary refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine. This was the choice of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and it is part of a disturbing pattern that is taking him out of the Western mainstream and into the sticky embrace of Vladimir Putin, Time writes.

Earlier, as noted by the AP, Orban compared Hungary's membership in the European Union to more than four decades of Soviet occupation of his country during a speech on Monday marking the anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian anti-Soviet revolution. Speaking to a group of guests in the city of Veszprem, Orban accused the EU of seeking to deprive Hungary of its identity by imposing a model of liberal democracy that as he said Hungarians reject.

"Today, things are surfacing that remind us of the Soviet era. Yes, it happens that history is repeating itself," Orban said at the event, which was not attended by any media except for Hungary's state broadcaster. "Fortunately, what was once a tragedy has now turned into a comedy at best. Fortunately, Brussels is not Moscow. Moscow was a tragedy. Brussels is just a bad modern parody."

ADVERTISIMENT

Orban, an advocate of an alternative form of populist government that he calls "illiberal democracy," has long used the holiday to rally his supporters. In recent years, he has used the occasion to draw parallels between the EU's attempts to force Hungary to comply with its rules on corruption and democracy and the repression the country faced during the Soviet occupation in the 20th century.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, earlier Orban reiterated that Ukraine would not be able to win the war. He believes that the army of the Russian occupiers has all the advantages to achieve their goal.

Orban also said that Ukraine's international partners should abandon their beliefs about restoring its territorial integrity and joining NATO. In addition, he suggested that the West should make a deal with Putin without returning Crimea to Ukraine.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Sale of auto retails most in-demand franchise represents the 206th dealership sold by Kerrigan Advisors since 2015; transaction demonstrates that buyers continue to exhibit tremendous interest in leading franchises in high-growth markets

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kerrigan Advisors, the premier sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented Tampa, Florida-based Stadium Toyota, owned by the Parks and Couey families, in its sale to Bradenton, Florida-based Gettel Automotive, the 57th largest US dealership group. The transaction marks the 206th dealership sold by Kerrigan Advisors since 2015, and the 36th Toyota/Lexus dealership. Kerrigan Advisors is the leading advisor to Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide, on track to sell six more Toyota/Lexus franchises this year, for a total of 42 sold since 2015.

It was an honor to work with the Parks and Couey families to advise on this once-in-a-lifetime transaction, and to help transition Stadium Toyota into such good hands, said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. The dealerships track record of excellence in Tampa, Florida, one of the highest growth markets in the US, made it particularly important to find a local buyer of integrity and high quality. As the 18th franchise sold by Kerrigan Advisors in Florida since December 2019, we were proud to leverage our vast expertise in this market to achieve a sale that was beneficial for seller, buyer and community alike.

Ranked within the top 10% of Toyota dealerships in the US, Stadium Toyota boasts multiple awards for sales and service excellence, including being a six-time Presidents Cabinet award winner, granted to only 12 out of 1,200 dealerships nationally. The dealership has also been recognized with the Toyota Board of Governors Award, the Customer Relations Excellence Award, the Toyota Service Excellence Award, the Toyota Parts Excellence Award, and the J.D. Power & Associates Outstanding Sales Experience Award. The dealership prioritizes giving back to the community having worked with the United Way, Oneblood, the Spring of Tampa Bay and Toys for Tots.

With a population of 3.2 million, Tampa is the 2nd largest MSA in Florida, the 18th largest in the US by population and ranks as the 4th fastest growing large metro in the Southeast by population. Tampa is one of the most desirable markets in the US, highly ranked for its pro-business climate, quality of life, healthcare, education, growing technology industry and global connectivity. As a result, the areas economy has grown at a 4.4% compounded average growth rate since 2009. The financial and business services industry is Tampas fastest growing sector, as one in four business and information services firms in Florida call Tampa home, and the area is widely considered the Wall Street of the South. The area also is undergoing transformative real estate development, with multiple billion dollars being invested across Tampa.

We're very thankful for everything the greater Tampa community has done to help Stadium Toyota, its employees and customers achieve success, which is why we have always been committed to giving back to our community in every way that we can, said Ron Parks. It was so important to us to work with an advisor with deep expertise in our market and the Toyota franchise to ensure we found the right buyer. The Kerrigan team brought that, as well as a keen strategic insight and industry knowledge to identify a buyer who would not only ensure the business continues to thrive under family ownership, but also understands the importance of our Tampa community to that success. We knew Kerrigan Advisors was the best and only choice to represent us in our sale and our experience working with them confirmed our expectations. We are grateful to Kerrigan for identifying Gettel Automotive as our ideal buyer.

Ron and I knew the value of our business in our market and we appreciated the depth of understanding that Kerrigan Advisors brought to that assessment, as well as the care and detail they exhibited every step of the way as we navigated through the complexities of the sale, said Steve Couey. We cant imagine going through this process without Kerrigans guidance, expertise and advice. The firms reputation of being the best in the business was validated with this transaction. Quite simply, Kerrigan Advisors exceeded our expectations, which were already quite high.

Kerrigan Advisors recent Dealer Survey confirms that Toyota reigns head and shoulders above all other franchises in the buy/sell market. Toyota is the most trusted franchise in the industry and the highest demand franchise in the buy/sell market according the firm. In Tampa, Florida, Toyota is the #1 selling brand and Stadium Toyota was one of the last remaining unconsolidated Toyota points in the market, not already owned by a nationally-ranked dealership group. As a result, Stadium Toyotas franchise value, particularly as compared to its revenue, was record-breaking, according to Kerrigan Advisors.

Dealers trust Toyota and it shows in the valuations we are seeing for Toyota dealerships. Buyers know that an investment in a Toyota franchise is one that they can count on to produce strong returns for the foreseeable future because they trust the OEM will do the right thing for their dealers, said Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. With this sale, the buy/sell markets most dominant franchise, Toyota, met its most in-demand market, Florida, where the dealerships are among the highest volume and most profitable in the nation. It is further evidence that, in todays uncertain macro climate, buyers are seeking out markets and franchises that provide them with optimal confidence for growth and success. We are grateful for the opportunity to represent Steve and Ron on this valuable transaction and pleased at its very successful outcome. Congratulations to Jim Gettel and Gettel Automotive on this marquee addition to their business, concluded Ryan Kerrigan.

Kerrigan Advisors is the most active sell-side advisor on larger transactions in the auto retail industry. In 2023 alone, the firm is tracking to sell 52 dealerships representing over $2.6 billion in client proceeds. Kerrigan Advisors attributes its success to its teams laser focus on fulfilling each clients personal and professional goals. In addition to its sell-side advisory work, the firm offers strategic consulting services to dealers, their families, and investors, including growth planning, strategy development and acquisition analysis, creating value for clients at every stage of the auto retail lifecycle.

About Kerrigan Advisors

Kerrigan Advisors is the premier sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. The firm advises the industrys leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Kerrigan Advisors has represented some of auto retails largest transactions and advised more of the largest dealership groups in the US than any other buy/sell firm in the industry. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, the firm does not take listings, rather they develop a customized approach for each client to achieve their personal and financial goals. In addition to Kerrigan Advisors sell-side advisory and capital raising services, the firm also provides a suite of consulting services including growth strategy, market valuation assessments, capital allocation, transactional due diligence, open point proposals, operational improvement and real estate due diligence.

Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report, which includes Kerrigan Advisors signature blue sky charts, multiples, and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index, click here. To read the 2022 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2023 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADAs Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025439535/en/

Kerrigan Advisors Media Contact:

Melanie Webber ([email protected]), mWEBB Communications, 949-307-1723

Source: Kerrigan Advisors
Californias largest nonprofit health data network qualified by state to support health organizations in meeting data sharing requirements by January 2024 deadline

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Manifest MedEx (MX), Californias largest nonprofit health information organization (HIO), announced today that its application as a Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) in the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework (DxF) has been approved.

As a QHIO, MX has demonstrated its ability to meet DxF requirements and help California providers, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, counties, health plans, and other organizations participate in the DxF as required by law passed in 2021. The nonprofit health data network securely shares permitted health data for approximately 38 million Californians  over 90% of the states population  and delivers 1.5 million admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) notifications per month across a network of more than 1,800 healthcare providers, 125 hospitals, and 14 health plans, including Aetna, Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, and Inland Empire Health Plan.

We are honored to serve as a designated QHIO to help meet CalAIM and public health goals of advancing health equity and whole-person care, said Erica Galvez, Chief Executive Officer of Manifest MedEx. As a mission-driven, nonprofit health data network, we see firsthand the need for digital equity across communities and providers. We are committed to supporting all DxF participants  regardless of their location, technical capabilities, or resources  so that we can truly advance data sharing across the state in a manner that ensures seamless, coordinated care for all Californians.

Manifest MedEx is an integral part of the states health data infrastructure, serving as a QHIO under the California Health Information Exchange Onboarding Program and as the data solution for California Department of Public Healths (CDPH) Surveillance and Public Health Information Reporting and Exchange (SaPHIRE) to collect, track, and report lab results, supplementing CalREDIE, Californias disease registry system. More than 400 independent, hospital, and outpatient labs and other entities submit lab results directly to SaPHIRE. MX also currently provides electronic case reporting services for CDPH.

QHIOs are an important resource for entities who may need to upgrade their technological capabilities or onboard to an HIO to meet their DSA obligations. QHIOs will streamline participants ability to respond to requests for health and social services information exchange under the DxF, helping to modernize Californias data exchange infrastructure and improve whole-person care for all Californians, said DeeAnne McCallin, Deputy Director, Data Exchange Framework, Center for Data Insights and Innovation.

Manifest MedEx also intends to participate in the Office of the National Coordinators Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement through eHealth Exchange.

For more information on the DxF QHIO program, visit https://dxf.chhs.ca.gov/.

About Manifest MedEx

As the largest nonprofit health data network in California, Manifest MedEx (MX) is an integral part of the states health data infrastructure, combining and delivering crucial health information for more than 38 million Californians across 125+ hospitals, 14 health plans, and over 1,800 providers. Together, we are transforming health across the state, supporting California as a leader in equitable, affordable, proactive, and compassionate medical care. For more information, visit manifestmedex.org and follow us at @ManifestMedEx.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025950292/en/

Sarita Choy

Manifest MedEx

[email protected]

323-270-5895

Source: Manifest MedEx
Percentage of Women on Boards of Wisconsins Top 50 Public Companies Increases;

Companies with 3 or More Women Directors (Power of 3) Reaches 52%

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Milwaukee Women inc (MWi) today released its 2023 annual research report, Driving Forward: Our Work Is Not Done. MWi is an organization of executives determined to change the composition of corporate boards to maximize the performance of public and private companies with a focus on women and women of color.

This years report highlights the progress made in diversifying the boards of Wisconsins Top 50 public companies (WI 50) and Top 50 private companies. It shows a notable increase in the number of Power of 3 companies (companies with 3 or more women on their board) and the growth in representation of women of color on the boards of the Top 50 public companies. However, there is still much work to be done to achieve gender parity on boards of directors of Wisconsin companies.

Key findings in the 2023 MWi Research Report include:

Women Top 50 public company directors: Overall, women hold 27.3% of director seats on the boards of the WI 50 public companies, up from 26.3% in 2022 but lower than the 33% representation of women on boards of the S&P 500. 52% of WI 50 companies have three or more female directors (Power of 3), a significant increase from 44% in 2022. The number of Power of 3 companies in the Russell 3000 index is 44%, placing Wisconsin substantially above the average. 35% of newly elected directors are women.



Women of color directors Top 50: 6.3% of total board members in the WI 50 are women of color, up from 5.7% in 2022. 23.0% of total women directors are women of color, a small increase from 22.6% in 2022. 27% of newly elected women directors are women of color, down from 39% in 2022.



Women Top 50 private company directors: Women hold 21.1% of director seats in Wisconsins Top 50 private companies, an increase from 20.5% in 2022, and compared to 16% in a broad study of US private companies. 26% of private companies have 3 or more women directors, compared to 22% in 2022. 64% of private companies have at least one woman board member.



As the data shows, companies are recognizing the benefits of board diversity and are taking thoughtful and deliberate actions to increase diversity on their boards. While we are making good progress, our work is not done. Milwaukee Women inc strives to connect companies, CEOs, nominating and governance committee chairs, and search firms with our networks of qualified female directors, including our public database of board-ready female executives. Ensuring a director search process that prioritizes equity not only establishes a culture of inclusion at the top, but can also positively impact the bottom line, said Kim Stoll, MWi chair and vice president of sales and marketing for Badger Meter.

Milwaukee Women inc has been producing research on board gender diversity of the 50 largest Wisconsin-based public companies since 2004. To read this years full report, visit www.milwaukeewomeninc.org/research.

About Milwaukee Women inc (MWi)

Milwaukee Women inc is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to achieving balanced representation of women on boards of directors to maximize the performance of public and private companies, with a focus on women and women of color. MWi is a catalyst for change through its benchmarking research, education and advocacy, providing resources and programs that can help companies and organizations move the needle even further. More information is available on Milwaukee Women incs website: http://www.milwaukeewomeninc.org/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025428463/en/

Marilyn Vollrath, Milwaukee Women inc

[email protected]

(414) 491-7437 (mobile)

Source: Milwaukee Women inc
Findings demonstrate structure-activity relationship of RNAa therapeutics, supporting use in genetic medicine, as well as therapeutic potential of MiNAs MTL-CEBPA in acute myeloid leukemia

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MiNA Therapeutics Limited, the pioneer in small activating RNA (RNAa) therapeutics, highlights preclinical research presented by academic partners at the annual meeting of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (OTS) in Barcelona, Spain. RNAa therapeutics are a revolutionary new class of medicines that can restore or boost normal function of genes and thereby protein-modulated pathways in cells.

Key Data Highlights from OTS

In a presentation titled, Investigating Chemically-Modified Short Activating RNAs to Increase Nuclease Stability and Gene Activation, findings demonstrated improvement in the medicinal properties of RNAa therapeutics using well established chemical modifications.

Another study titled, Small-Activating RNA Therapy Development for the Inherited genetic Disorder Aniridia, revealed the potential of RNAa therapeutics to treat a rare and severe genetic eye disease.

Finally, the presentation titled, RNA Activation of a Transcription Factor Induces Terminal Differentiation of Blood Cancer in Preclinical Studies, detailed findings that identified the potential of MTL-CEBPA to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer with low survival rates and high burden of chemotherapeutic treatment side effects.

MiNA is exploring out-licensing opportunities for MTL-CEBPA and its immuno-oncology portfolio which uniquely combines the capability to specifically restore or boost any dysregulated gene target with clinically validated in vivo delivery to myeloid immune cells.

The findings from these three preclinical studies demonstrate continued advances in the development of our novel RNAa therapeutics across a range of therapeutic areas, said Robert Habib, CEO of MiNA Therapeutics. We are particularly encouraged by the data that reveals the structure-activity relationship of RNAa medicines which supports our development strategy in genetic medicine.

Following the meeting, the posters for the three studies will be available on the MiNA website: www.minatx.com.

About MiNA Therapeutics

MiNA Therapeutics is the global leader in small activating RNA therapeutics or RNAa. Harnessing innate mechanisms of gene activation, RNAa therapeutics are a revolutionary new class of medicines that can restore or boost normal function of genes and thereby protein-modulated pathways in cells. We are advancing a proprietary pipeline of new medicines with an initial focus on genetic medicine, while collaborating with leading pharmaceutical companies to apply our technology platform across a broad range of other therapeutic areas. Based on our unique know-how in RNA activation, we are expanding the possibilities of RNA-based medicine. www.minatx.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025098175/en/

MiNA Therapeutics

Robert Habib, CEO

Phone: +44 208 811 6700

E-Mail: [email protected]

Media:

Mike Beyer

Sam Brown, Inc.

[email protected]

+1 312-961-2502

Source: MiNA Therapeutics Limited
Roundup highlights B2B partners that support startups across all business functions and empower growth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Inc. Business Media today announced the second annual Power Partner Awards, honoring B2B organizations across the globe that have proven track records supporting entrepreneurs and helping startups grow. The list recognizes 389 firms in marketing and advertising, health and wellness, financial services, legal, logistics, and productivity, as well as other areas of business.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025611881/en/

Nextiva Named 2023 Inc. Power Partner (Graphic: Nextiva)

All 389 companies received top marks from clients for being instrumental in helping leadership navigate the dynamic world of startups. These B2B partners support entrepreneurs across various facets of the business, including hiring, compliance, infrastructure development, cloud migration, fundraising, etc., allowing founders to focus on their core missions.

Trusted B2B partners provide guidance and expertise that founders rely on at various steps of their organizations journey. Partners that possess a demonstrated ability to deliver quality support are at the core of entrepreneurship and help bring big ideas to life, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Business Media.

Customer-centric experiences are the future of business. Our customers are the center of our Nextiva universe, says Tracy Conrad, Chief Amazing Officer and co-founder of Nextiva. Nextiva is bullishly leading by example, and our goal is simple: to empower our customers to have meaningful, interconnected conversations that are all backed by Nextivas Amazing Service.

Nextiva serves businesses of all sizes and industries  customers include Taco Bell, Barstool Sports, Cisco, Shelby America, Amazon, and The Florida Panthers. The Power Partner Award honors this work, and Nextiva is proud to be recognized with this distinction.

Over 2 billion conversations each year are powered by Nextiva. Earlier this year, Nextiva announced its acquisition of Simplify360, an AI customer experience platform that is known as the AI superhero of CX. The acquisition opened the door to the Asia-Pacific market for Nextiva as the company expands to support more businesses and entrepreneurs globally  leveling and transforming the CX playing field for businesses across the world.

To view the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/power-partner-awards/2023

The November 2023 Issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and will be on newsstands beginning October 31, 2023.

About Inc. Business Media

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

About Nextiva

Nextiva powers billions of conversations every year across cloud business phone systems, text and team messaging, video meetings, and more. From one powerful communication hub, Nextiva is transforming the way businesses engage with their customers. Nextivas Amazing Service and customer-centric philosophies have been the foundation of the company for 15 years. Founded in 2008, and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nextiva raised $200M from Goldman Sachs Asset Management in its first-ever funding round at a $2.7B valuation in late 2021. Learn more at www.nextiva.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025611881/en/

Mark Jung

[email protected]

Source: Nextiva
ONTARIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prime Healthcare Services will report earnings on November 13, 2023. The company will then host a conference call on November 14th at 2:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss the reported results.

To pre-register for the call, please email [email protected] to facilitate attaining your individual pin that will allow direct access to the call.

For those who do not pre-register, 15 minutes prior the start time of the Earnings Conference Call please dial (786) 496 5601 (U.S.) or (866) 571 0905 (toll-free) and when prompted to enter a pin, enter (*0) and request to join the Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. 3rd Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call.

For those who are unable to listen to the conference call live, there will be a replay available through December 14, 2023, which can be accessed by dialing (866) 583-1035 (U.S. Toll Free), passcode 0140846#.

About Prime Healthcare: As an award-winning health system headquartered in Ontario, California, operating 45 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states, Prime Healthcare provides more than 2.6 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation's leading health systems with nearly 50,000 employees and physicians. Fourteen of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Please visit www.primehealthcare.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025257277/en/

Elizabeth Nikels / 909-235-4305 [email protected]

Source: Prime Healthcare Services, Inc.
Objective ADHD diagnostic participated in solutions-focused panel to improve the youth mental health crisis.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, industry leaders convened at a congressional briefing, focused on youth mental health titled, Improving Outcomes in Youth Mental Health: What's Working and What Can Be Done."

This briefing coalesced public and private sector experts, including senior executives from Qbtech, a leading provider of FDA-cleared objective ADHD testing, healthcare providers from the ADHD Expert Consortium, and more to discuss ways in which policymakers can implement solutions that improve and expand access to mental health resources, such as screenings and other evidence-based practices. McCall Letterle, Head of Commercial Operations, North America, at Qbtech, represented the company on the panel to discuss how ADHD diagnosis and treatment monitoring can be prioritized when combating this ongoing epidemic. Members of the ADHD Expert Consortium also were in attendance to share their ADHD diagnostic and treatment experiences and highlight the need for an improved diagnostic process.

Im encouraged to see Congress looking to promote data-driven solutions to address youth mental health in this country, and Im grateful to be here to shed light on how ADHD impacts children and families, says Letterle. ADHD may be just one condition, but it often coexists with other mental and behavioral health disorders, like anxiety and depression. With better diagnostic tools and criteria, such as objective testing, clinicians can more confidently identify and treat ADHD, and monitor outcomes to ensure patients are on the right path and equipping providers with the tools to positively impact their patients as well as their communities. 

The company and Consortium members also encourage the public to sign the ADHD Expert Consortium Consensus Statement, which advocates for improved diagnostic standards for ADHD. Signatures can be added here.

In addition to Letterle, panelists included:

Christina Greene, Maryland Coalition of Families

Debra Johnson, Administration for Children and Families, HHS

Michael Linskey, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Michelle Turner, Hazel Health

Natalie Williams, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester (DE-At-Large), Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and Representative Judy Chu (CA-28) also attended as keynote speakers.

Mental health is not only an important issue but a recognized public health emergency, especially after the pandemic. I am encouraged by this briefing because we need to not only prioritize, but take action now to address youth mental health, says Dr. Nerissa Bauer, MPH, FAAP, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician and member of the ADHD Expert Consortium. When we do so, we can improve identification and access to evidence-based treatments in a timely manner. Its all hands on deck to help face the challenges and barriers our patients face now.

For more information about Qbtech, visit www.qbtech.com.

About Qbtech

Founded in 2002, Qbtech is a privately-owned Swedish company that has developed leading solutions and products for improving the identification, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients living with ADHD. Qbtech has operations in 13 countries and has offices in Stockholm, Houston, and London. Qbtech is an award-winning company recognized for its innovation, most recently winning the 2022 HSJ Partnership Award for the Best Mental Health Partnership with the NHS.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025162123/en/

Media Contact:

Hilari Barton, Trevelino/Keller

(678) 576-7870

[email protected]

Source: Qbtech
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, RepeatMD unveiled its consumer-facing brand, MyRepeat. This exciting new venture is dedicated to increasing the level of direct support for in-app purchases.

In today's digital age, exceptional customer support has become an integral part of any business, including those in the aesthetic and wellness sector. MyRepeat is an extension of RepeatMD's commitment to transforming the industry by offering tailored solutions to improve patient satisfaction and engagement.

RepeatMD has made significant strides in enhancing its suite of offerings year to date. The company's commitment to bringing the best of eCommerce offerings to the aesthetics and wellness industry has driven the development of new features, including an eCommerce mobile app designed to increase the likelihood of conversions with seamless discovery, intuitive shop, robust loyalty framework, and embedded patient financing with Affirm.

RepeatMD not only creates a shopping experience that is engaging and enjoyable for patients, but also one that is intuitive for practices to manage. With a newly designed Admin Panel, practices can easily customize their mobile app, send promotional SMS blasts, reduce churn with built-in membership dunning, and track their success.

MyRepeat is designed to put the spotlight on patients and their unique journey. It exemplifies the RepeatMDs commitment to helping patients get the most out of their experience, both before and after their purchase from their favorite practice.

MyRepeat aims to create a seamless and proactive support experience that helps turn patients into confident, loyal app users. It is a testament to the company's dedication to putting patients at the forefront of every decision.

To explore the enhanced patient experience offered by MyRepeat, please visit https://www.myrepeat.com/.

About RepeatMD

RepeatMD is a leading SaaS company that empowers Aesthetic & Wellness practices with its Inbound Revenue Platform. The company's industry-tailored MedCommerce Engine helps practices attract new patients, foster loyalty, and promote premium treatments. With features including robust e-commerce solutions, mobile rewards, memberships, customized marketing campaigns, and a comprehensive digital treatment catalog, RepeatMD is the go-to solution for practices looking to grow their businesses effortlessly through Inbound Revenue.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025955437/en/

Gasthalter & Co.

Alex Jeffery/Gwyn Hodges

[email protected]

Source: RepeatMD
ROMPE PECHITO  is a product of the Puerto Rican company Efficient Laboratories that combines ingredients from traditional medicine with natural extracts.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Back to school, changes in temperature and the arrival of autumn make children more vulnerable to colds. Recently Efficient Laboratories, a Puerto Rican company dedicated to the distribution of its own health care brands, launched a new product, ROMPE PECHITO , an over-the-counter medicine for children to relieve cold symptoms.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025483780/en/

Rompe Pechitos DM is the newest addition to our Rompe Pecho family. In keeping with our convention of using the best nature has to offer, along with the medically proven ingredients to help relieve the symptoms of a cold, Rompe Pechitos DM comes in a naturally expectorating high-quality dark honey base, along with the antioxidant rich elderberry extract. It further incorporates the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, along with the powerful expectorant guaifenesin to make it what we consider the best cold and flu syrup designed to control your childs cough while loosening their mucus and relieving chest congestion. Available for use in children between the ages of 4 and 12. Ideal for children 4+. Alcohol Free & Dye Free (Photo: Business Wire)

This product is based on a natural ingredient formula with honey and elderberry extract that has proven effective in treating symptoms associated with colds.

There is a consumer trend to seek natural ingredient alternatives. For the past 40 years the company has been dedicated to distributing health care products that combine traditional medicinal ingredients with natural extracts, commented Efrem Palmer, vice president of the company. Every day we receive calls from consumers satisfied with the effectiveness of the ROMPE PECHO medication for the treatment of coughs and other symptoms caused by colds in adults, and requesting a formula for children. So, we took to the development of an alternative for this population. This is how we created ROMPE PECHITO ,  he highlighted.

ROMPE PECHITO  is a product that acts as an expectorant and cough suppressant and combines active ingredients from traditional medicine such as dextromethorphan and guaifenesin, both approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with honey and elderberry extract. Honey has properties that help relieve cough symptoms, while elderberry extract is one of the most used medicinal plants in the world for the treatment of flu and colds, and for strengthening the immune system. ROMPE PECHITO  is alcohol-free and does not contain dyes. It is available in 4 ounce bottles. This product will be sold in the main pharmacy chains in the medicine area and in all independent pharmacies.

It is recommended to consult a doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions, and use the product as directed. For more information, visit www.efficientlabs.com or on social media- Facebook @efficientlabs, Instagram @efficient_labs and TikTok @efficientlaboratories.

About Efficient Laboratories

Efficient Laboratories is a family business based in the city of Miami, founded in 1983. The company is the distributor of its own brands of health care products in the area of remedies such as Finafta, Hongo Killer, Memory Power, Pano Fin, Spot Out, Rompe Pecho, Serenita, among others. Its entire line of products and vitamins are found in the main pharmacy and supermarket chains in Puerto Rico and the United States.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025483780/en/

Miguel Reyes

[email protected]

(305)-805-3456

Source: Efficient Laboratories
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rayonier Advanced Materials (NYSE: RYAM) plans to release its third quarter 2023 earnings on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, after the market closes.

RYAM will host a conference call and live webcast at 9:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, to discuss these results. Supplemental materials and access to the live audio webcast will be available at www.RYAM.com. A replay of this webcast will be archived on the companys website shortly after the call.

Investors may listen to the conference call by dialing 877-407-8293, no passcode required. For international parties, dial 201-689-8349. A replay of the teleconference will be available one hour after the call ends until 6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. The replay dial-in number within the U.S. is 877-660-6853, international is 201-612-7415, Conference ID: 13742400.

About RYAM

RYAM is a global leader of cellulose-based technologies, including high purity cellulose specialties, a natural polymer commonly found in filters, food, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial applications. The Company also manufactures products for paper and packaging markets. With manufacturing operations in the U.S., Canada, and France, RYAM employs just over 2,500 people and generated an estimated $1.7 billion of revenues in 2022. More information is available at www.RYAM.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025814147/en/

Media

Ryan Houck

904-357-9134

Investors

Mickey Walsh

904-357-9162

Source: Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc.
Queen Letizia of Spain, who impresses her subjects with her restrained and elegant style every time, went to Tenerife with King Philip VI in the "most expensive" shade this fall. The ruler chose a navy blue dress, which has already become a trend.

ADVERTISIMENT

The deep shade, which goes well with almost the entire color palette, is chosen by self-confident fashionistas who are accustomed to luxury and picky eyes. The editors of Who What Wear told us what you can combine with this exquisite navy blue color (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the photos).

The queen added metallic heels, a blue clutch, and exquisite gold earrings to her outfit. Her outfit was monochromatic and emphasized Letizia's delicate figure.

Beige

The combination of deep blue and beige looks sophisticated and interesting. This combination claims to be an "old money" style, which is now at the peak of popularity.

ADVERTISIMENT

Green

Dull green is also on the list of "expensive" fabrics. Together, the two deep shades complement each other beautifully.

Gray

Gray on its own can look boring, but with dark colors it creates a successful contrasting combination, setting off the clothes.

Red

It is not for nothing that many luxury uniforms contain dark red and blue elements. This combination immediately brings to mind thoughts of elite and luxury.

ADVERTISIMENT

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you about 5 models of jeans that are already outdated or will soon lead anti-trends.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sprinklr (NYSE: CXM), the unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform for modern enterprises, today announced that Vueling  a Spanish airline and part of the IAG Group that serves more than 100 destinations in Europe, North-Africa and Middle East  has selected the AI-powered Sprinklr platform to optimize its customers social media experience across every digital channel.

As a core component of our ongoing transformation efforts aimed at enhancing the customer journey, we have integrated Sprinklr into our social media operations. This integration has empowered us to optimize our processes, resulting in the more effective allocation of resources, spending more time on quality rather quantity, said Rodolfo Moreira, director of customer experience at Vueling. Moreover, Sprinklr equips us with a comprehensive suite of capabilities, enabling us to stay at the forefront of industry trends, including the utilization of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence. This strategic approach not only enhances our operational efficiency, but also ensures that we remain agile in adapting to the evolving landscape of social media and customer engagement.

Seamless communication and engagement are incredibly important with air travel. Vuelings vision is to redefine airline customer experience, something that everyone who travels wants, said Ragy Thomas, Founder & CEO, Sprinklr. "Sprinklrs advanced AI capabilities for customer service, marketing, social media engagement, and research will help Vueling streamline internal operations while increasing speed to resolution for every customer on every major digital channel.

Vueling is a low-cost airline in Europe serving more than 34 million passengers each year. The company is involved in a company-wide transformation program, Vueling Transform, to achieve greater competitiveness and efficiency. As part of Vuelings digital transformation strategy, the company aims to direct customers towards digital channels while providing a more personalized and customer-focused experience.

Sprinklr will support Vuelings digital transformation goals, unifying its social media customer service and marketing departments under one collaborative environment. With Sprinklr, Vueling can collaborate internally to make smarter decisions faster and scale its social media customer service across all major channels to quickly respond to customers.

For more information on how Sprinklr un-silos teams to make customers happier, visit: https://www.sprinklr.com/.

About Sprinklr

Sprinklr is a leading enterprise software company for all customer-facing functions. With advanced AI, Sprinklr's unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform helps companies deliver human experiences to every customer, every time, across any modern channel. Headquartered in New York City with employees around the world, Sprinklr works with more than 1,400 valuable enterprises  global brands like Microsoft, P&G, Samsung and more than 50% of the Fortune 100. Sprinklrs value to the enterprise is simple: We un-silo teams to make customers happier.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025086904/en/

Press

Austin DeArman

[email protected]

Source: Sprinklr
SHERWOOD PARK, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The United Steelworkers union (USW) has successfully negotiated the first-ever collective agreement for Starbucks workers at Beaver Brook Square in Sherwood Park, Alta. The workers voted on the agreement in recent days and the new three-year contract was fully ratified on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

The contract is the second of its kind negotiated by the USW at a corporate Starbucks store in Alberta and the third in Canada. This contract builds off the collective agreement from the Calgary Millrise Centre store and continues to pave the way with a new standard for workers rights and protections within the coffee industry. Securing this collective agreement further underscores USWs dedication to achieving equitable wages, ensuring workplace safety, and enhancing working conditions for all workers.

Our first contract is a solid foundation and I am thankful for the hard work of those who bargained before us in both Calgary and Victoria, said Q Gaehring, USW Local 1-207 bargaining committee member.

The union was able to negotiate improved working conditions, better job security, mechanisms for resolving disputes, and ensuring the workers will have a real voice in the issues that impact their work lives. The workers also receive wage increases of 5% upon ratification and an additional 5% over the following two years.

Our experience was made far easier by the opportunities USW provided us to connect with and learn from other Starbucks workers who had already begun this process. We hope to continue offering similar support to those still coming to the table across Canada and the United States, added Gaehring.

From the moment the Beaver Brook partners joined the USW, they have stood together in solidarity and were very patient throughout the entire process. These workers realized the power that joining a union could bring to them and I am confident that this deal will continue to inspire other partners to achieve better in their workplaces here in Alberta and across North America, said Misty Lafond, Second Vice-President and Business Agent with USW Local 1-207.

The Beaver Brook Starbucks partners voted to unionize in August 2022 after reaching out to the USW to achieve better working conditions.

We are delighted to have successfully bargained the first contract for these Starbucks partners at the Beaver Brook store in Sherwood Park, said Scott Lunny, USW Director for Western Canada and the Territories.

This accomplishment showcases the strength of unity of the Starbucks partners and underscores the important role unions play in achieving improved wages, benefits and working conditions for every worker, Lunny added.

The credit for this achievement goes to the unwavering support and solidarity of Starbucks workers, from the initial stages of organizing their workplace to the ratification of this first contract. Our union is now looking forward to working with the partners at the Amberley Way store to get them a first contract as well.

The USW represents Starbucks workers at stores in Calgary, Edmonton and Sherwood Park in Alberta, and Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey and Langley in British Columbia, as well as recently organized stores in Waterloo and Ajax, Ontario. The USW also represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of our strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation  including good wages, benefits and pensions.

Starbucks workers interested in joining the USW can learn more about the benefits at betterworknow.ca/starbucks.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025411763/en/

For more information:

Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director, 604-329-5308, [email protected]

Misty Lafond, USW Local 1-207 Second Vice-President/Business Agent, 780-271-6016, [email protected]

Brett Barden, USW Communications, 604-445-6956, [email protected]

Source: United Steelworkers
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vericode, a Brazilian high-performance software engineering firm with offices in Toronto and Lisbon, is delighted to announce its recognition as leader in Continuous Testing by ISG Provider Lens 2023 study on Next-gen Application Development & Maintenance (ADM) Services.

In this study, ISG evaluated 61 companies and identified 21 in the qualifying quadrant, with 8 achieving leader status. Vericode not only secured its place as a leader but also maintained its Product Challenger ranking in the Application Quality Assurance category from the previous year.

In the ISG report, "Vericode offers advanced automation with accelerators and proprietary technology [dott.ai] to enable testing of high-volume transaction applications that require top performance and superior reliability."

The study also highlighted Vericode's distinctive business approach, incorporating a range of innovative solutions. These include testing-as-a-service tailored for closed-scope projects, Injection-as-a-Service (utilizing fault injection techniques), a forward-thinking model of QA teams organized within extended squads, especially effective for open-scope projects, and Vericode's AI-powered test automation platform, dott.ai. Vericode is further strengthening its industry leadership by establishing Centers of Excellence (COEs) in Observability, FinOps, and Digital Products.

Vericode's CEO, Marcelo Marchi, said "Our leadership recognition by ISG not only underscores our commitment to software quality excellence but also our innovative spirit and unwavering dedication to our clients".

The acknowledgment by ISG as a leader in Continuous Testing reflects the Vericode's dedication to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance product quality and expedite time-to-market.

For more information about Vericode and to download the full ISG Provider Lens Next-Gen ADM Services 2023, visit: https://insights.vericode.com.br/leader-isg.

Vericode has already solidified its place among the top 3 companies in Brazil's Continuous Testing category. With a longstanding history of supporting Brazil's largest financial and retail companies since 2003, the company is now setting its sights on a global stage. Marcelo Marchi articulated the next company's milestones, "Our next objective is to extend Brazilian technology beyond our national borders, simultaneously welcoming innovations from around the world. This entails fostering technological advancements and participating in the development of international industry quality standards through a two-way exchange."

About Vericode

Vericode is a high-performance software engineering consultancy with 20 years of experience, specializing in QA methodologies, testing, application optimization, architecture, and infrastructure, with a focus on performance improvement, availability, resilience, and digital transformation for clients' applications. More at vericode.ca.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025806374/en/

Aline Melleiro

[email protected]

+3530830567593

Source: Vericode
Esteemed Regional Industry Leader Eng.Nabelah Al-Tunisi to Lead Viridis Entry into Global Marketplace

AL KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia & BUFFALO, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Viridi, a developer of innovative battery technology that can be safely installed and operated in nearly any environment or location, is expanding its global presence through the launch of Viridi MENA. This subsidiary, headquartered in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, will work with partners in the region to manufacture and deploy Viridi's unique fail-safe lithium-ion battery energy storage systems throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Eng.Nabelah Al-Tunisi, a distinguished figure in the regional energy industry who is renowned for her previous role as Chief Engineer at Saudi Aramco, will lead Viridi MENA as company president.

According to the Middle East Institute, MENA countries are ambitiously aiming to generate between 15% - 50% of their power from renewable energy sources by 2030. To meet the burgeoning energy demand, the region anticipates the installation of an estimated 92 GW of new power generation capacity by 2025, a substantial 27% increase over the 2018 capacity levels. MENA remains well-positioned to harness its competitive advantages, including abundant renewable energy resources, cost-effective procurement options, and readily available financing, to scale up the deployment of energy storage solutions.

Viridi's battery architecture and safety outcomes stand apart from all other solutions currently offered in the energy storage sector, said Al-Tunisi. In addition to being one of the safest and most reliable storage technologies available, Viridis distributed energy storage systems are affordable, versatile, and scalable, making it the perfect solution for helping the region achieve its renewable energy commitments. I look forward to making a significant contribution to Viridis growth and success by helping to bring this solution to the global marketplace.

Al-Tunisi brings with her an impressive career spanning 32 years at Saudi Aramco, one of the world's largest energy conglomerates. Her role as Chief Engineer of Engineering at Saudi Aramco involved providing invaluable guidance and insights into the direction of projects, operations, and strategic planning for the company. Prior to her appointment as Chief Engineer, she served Saudi Aramco as the General Manager of Northern Area Project Management, where she successfully executed multiple mega projects and managed a $40 billion capital program.

Governments throughout the MENA region have set ambitious renewable energy targets, and the expansion of energy storage capacity, characterized by safety and reliability, is the linchpin to achieving this transition, said Viridi CEO Jon M. Williams. Nabelah is exceptionally well-suited to guide Viridi through these challenges, and I am confident that her unparalleled expertise and extensive industry relationships make her an asset to our team and to our partners in todays global marketplace.

IMAGE: Eng.Nabelah Al-Tunisi, President of Viridi MENA

About Viridi

Viridi designs and builds battery systems that redefine energy storage and powering the transition to renewable energy. Its innovative, fail-safe battery systems, developed from materials used for aerospace and military applications, bring on-demand, affordable power wherever it is needed, replacing applications that have been historically dominated by fossil fuel energy sources. Viridi brings point-of-use energy storage that is safe, reliable, scalable, and affordable for use in industrial, medical, commercial, municipal, and residential building applications.

The companys 42-acre campus, a former GM manufacturing facility, is bringing green jobs and workforce training opportunities to one of the nations most impoverished zip codes while also serving as a model of how adaptive reuse projects can spur the economy and revitalize communities. Learn more at: www.viridiparente.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024035875/en/

Press contacts:

Wendy Prabhu

email: [email protected]

US tel: +1.512.215.4452

UK tel: +44.203.617.1930



Prastav Misra

email: [email protected]

tel: +91.80.412.111.48

Source: Viridi
FILE PHOTO: Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford//File Photo

By Nicole Jao

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices rose about 2% on Wednesday, buoyed by worries about conflict in the Middle East, but gains were capped by higher U.S. crude inventories and gloomy economic prospects in Europe.

Brent crude futures rose $2.06, or 2.34%, to settle at $90.13 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.65, or 1.97%, to close at $85.39 a barrel.

Prices fell early in the session but reversed declines on heightened geopolitical risk, said Price Futures analyst Phil Flynn.

Israel stepped up bombings of south Gaza, officials said, and violence flared elsewhere in the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement that Israel is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza.

U.S., crude inventories rose by 1.4 million barrels in the latest week to 421.1 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported, exceeding the 240,000-barrel gain expected by analysts in a Reuters poll.

The EIA data is more bearish because it's a big switch from a big draw in the API data to a build in the EIA data, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. Industry data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday had showed a larger-than-expected draw in crude stocks.

Adding to weak European economic data in recent weeks, European Central Bank data showed bank lending across the euro zone came to a near standstill last month, further evidence that the 20-nation bloc may be close to a recession.

Crude demand could get a boost in China, the world's biggest oil importer, which approved a bill to issue 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) in sovereign bonds and allow local governments to issue new debt from their 2024 quota to boost the economy. Yet Beijing also took steps that could limit crude demand, such as putting a ceiling for its oil refining capacity at 1 billion metric tons by 2025 to streamline its vast oil processing sector and curb carbon emissions.

(Reporting by Nicole Jao in New York; Additional reporting by Natalie Grover, Stephanie Kelly, Laura Sanicola and Muyu Yu; Editing by Mark Potter, Mike Harrison and David Gregorio)
Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) today, announced the upcoming launch of Brunswick Finance, a state-of-the-art, industry-leading digital finance solution that simplifies the retail purchase process by leveraging a fully integrated technology platform linking consumers, dealers, and Brunswick brands with an easy to use, digital interface allowing for quicker qualifications and faster processing.

The new solution that will be launched prior to the end of the year, will be accessible through the Brunswick Finance portal and offers end-to-end integration across the boat buying ecosystem, from applying for pre-qualification to underwriting, finalizing agreements and e-signing for loans.

Brunswick Finance immediately improves the consumer finance experience for our channel partners and will fundamentally change and simplify the purchase process, offering competitive rates and ensuring a seamless transaction, said Bijoy Jha, Vice President - Brunswick Financial & Business Services. This solution exists in many other verticals such as automotive, and now, we can work with our customers to create one central hub for all consumer lending needs and reporting.

Brunswick Corporation will partner with Aqua Finance, a full-spectrum lender, with collaboration from Apollo. Brunswick Finance brings together Aquas retail financial services with inventory financing solutions provided by Wells Fargo. The integrated nature of wholesale financing programs provided by Brunswick Acceptance Company (BAC) with retail finance services provided by Aqua Finance can help deliver important benefits to dealers in terms of operating efficiency, cash flow conversion and interest savings.

We are proud to join forces with Brunswick Corporation to offer a superior customer experience for Brunswick dealers and consumers, said Kurt Grossheim, CEO, Aqua Finance. With a legacy serving marine recreational dealers, our full-spectrum financing solutions are poised to give Brunswick dealers and consumers a simpler, faster and better path to access best-in-class financing solutions across all channels.

The new platform will place a customers pre-qualification link on the dealers website in connection with the associated Brunswick Corporation new inventory (and used units) to drive consumer activity. The solution also gives dealers greater optionality and choice through seamless integration with Brunswick Acceptance Company, allowing them to see their outstanding inventory financing balances and automatically pay off wholesale loans when customer financing is secured, reducing paperwork, and staffing needs.
Izumi Kawanishi, the president of Sony Honda Mobility, an automotive joint venture made up of Sony and Honda (NYSE: HMC), told Reuters Wednesday that the company might potentially acquire batteries for their upcoming Afeela electric car from the United States, where Honda is in the process of constructing a factory.

Kawanishi provided this information during the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, which was accessible to the press a day prior to its official commencement.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: JKS) today announced its affiliate has signed the largest ever supply agreement with ACWA Power, to provide 3.8 GW N-type Tiger Neo modules for ACWA Power's two projects, the 1,581MWp Al KAHFAH and the 2,257MWp AR RASS 2, in Saudi Arabia .

Produced using N-type TOPCon technology and sophisticated manufacturing processes, the Tiger Neo solar modules deliver industry-leading efficiency along with reduced degradation and temperature coefficient, enhanced bifacial factor, and unparalleled yield per watt to reduce system lifetime energy cost.

This important supply agreement validates the Tiger Neo's performance, durability, and reliability advantage over conventional solar panels, as well as its competitiveness. Moreover, it demonstrates the confidence that utility-scale customers have in JinkoSolar's ability to deliver on its commitments.

"N-type TOPCon technology will help ensure our solar projects meet performance goals to provide clean and competitively priced energy for desalination and hydrogen production as well as to our customers across the Middle East ," said Yunhe Lv, Executive VP of ACWA Power China. "We look forward to a much broader, higher level and strategic alliance with JinkoSolar in solar generation, energy storage and other renewable fields."
Linde (NYSE: LIN) announced today that its entities in India have signed long-term agreements for the supply of industrial gases to Indian Oil Corporation's Panipat refinery in Northern India.

Linde's entities will build, own and operate major new on-site facilities to supply hydrogen, nitrogen and compressed dry air to Indian Oil. The new on-site facilities will support the multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Panipat refinery from 15 to 25 million metric tons per year.

Industrial gases play several important roles in refining, whether removing sulfur to make clean fuels, cracking crude oil into various products or purging and cleaning process equipment and control instruments.

Panipat will be the second large-scale hydrogen plant which is built, owned and operated by Linde entities for Indian Oil. It will also be one of Linde's largest on-site plants in India, with a total combined industrial gas production capacity of 142,200 cubic metres (Nm 3 ) per hour. The plant is expected to start up in 2025.

In addition to supplying Indian Oil, the new on-site complex will cater for demand for nitrogen from companies across end markets including chemicals & energy and manufacturing.

"We won this project on the basis of the best-in-class efficiency offered by our technology, plus Linde's track record of safely and reliably supplying our customers," said Moloy Banerjee, President ASEAN & South Asia, Linde. "We look forward to building on our existing relationship with Indian Oil, while also increasing our network density in Northern India."
French car maker, Renault announced Wednesday a substantial investment plan of 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) to introduce eight new vehicles and amplify electric vehicle (EV) sales in markets outside Europe. A move that marks a big step in the companys plans to re-launch for the French car brand globally.

As part of its 2021 strategy turnaround, the company has concentrated its efforts on the lucrative segments of the European market, particularly emphasizing EVs and compact models.

However, the recent loss of the Russian market, the second-largest for the group, due to the ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has intensified Renault's reliance on the European market.

Between January and September 2023, Europe accounted for almost 69% of Renault's total sales, marking an increase from 63% during the same period in 2022.

"As our product renewal is bearing fruit in Europe, we are now going to make the brand more global and more profitable," said Renault CEO, Fabrice Cambolive in a statement.

By 2027, Renault believes that EVs and hybrids should make up a third of sales outside Europe.

Renault unveiled its first addition to the global vehicle lineup, the Kardian, a compact SUV crafted from the Dacia Sandero. The reveal took place in Brazil on Tuesday, a significant event considering Brazil's status as the second-largest market for the Renault brand, just behind France.

Plans are underway to launch the Kardian in Latin America and Morocco next year.

These models will be built on two new platforms. The first modular platform will be used for the Kardian and a hybrid 4X4 pickup truck, and it will be utilized for production in Latin America, Turkey, Morocco and India.

Renault showcased a concept of the pickup, the Niagara, in Brazil. The second platform, created through a partnership with Geely (0175.HK) in 2022, will focus on producing high-end vehicles in South Korea.

Renault Korea Motors is set to introduce its first vehicle based on this platform in 2024.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]
In October, Ukraine recorded a record number of vacancies since the beginning of the full-scale war. At the same time, there are still few job seekers. The trend indicates that the country is facing a shortage of personnel. Meanwhile, the availability of well-paid jobs is one of the conditions for refugees to return to the country. This is what can save Ukraine from a massive shortage of workers.

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This was stated by analysts of the Center for Economic Strategy (CES). According to their research, the number of job offers has reached 85% of the average level for 2021 for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale Russian Federation.

At the same time, the number of CVs submitted at the beginning of October was only 76% of the average for 2021. This indicates an emerging shortage of personnel, which is primarily affected by the number of citizens who have left the country.

According to media reports, businesses are already beginning to experience a shortage of labor. Thus, competition for one job has dropped more than eightfold compared to the beginning of the full-scale invasion. 24% of employers say they are facing a shortage of staff. At the same time, it is most difficult to find highly specialized specialists.

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"The problem is not as global as it might seem at first glance. Some industries have a surplus of personnel, such as media, office work, IT, culture, and marketing. The situation with vacancies also differs from region to region. So far, the number of vacancies in the Zakarpattia region is twice as high as before the great war, while there are only 11% of the pre-war figure in the Kherson region," CES analysts comment.

However, they do not deny that the labor shortage will worsen in the future. According to the Ministry of Economy, the deficit may reach 4.5 million employees within 10 years.

"To overcome the problem, we can count on the return of some Ukrainian refugees. According to our research, Ukrainians are ready to return home not only when the war is over. For many, the availability of well-paid jobs and a higher standard of living are important factors. In addition, the termination of preferential treatment in host countries and the lack of affordable housing abroad will stimulate some to return home," the CES explained.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, the fulfillment of the last condition is unlikely to be difficult. European countries are planning to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees one by one. Ireland is the most recent case, which will limit free accommodation for newly arrived refugees to 3 months. They are also discussing cutting social benefits.

Germany is also changing its approach to Ukrainian refugees as they will be required to find employment as soon as possible. Moreover, Ukrainians should not refuse job offers as this will cause additional difficulties.

Some countries even introduce additional payments to Ukrainians for their return to their homeland. For example:

Norway pays 17.5 thousand kroner (1.2 thousand dollars) to every Ukrainian who has collective protection status, a residence permit, and is ready to return home.

Switzerland plans to pay up to $4355 in 2024-2025 to encourage Ukrainians to leave earlier than the expiration date of their right to stay.

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Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.ua and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today announced that Jonathan ("Jon") Pratt has decided to step down from his role as Senior Vice President of the Waters Division, to pursue an external opportunity. He will remain with Waters until October 27, 2023 to ensure a smooth transition.

Christos ("Chris") Ross, Senior Vice President of Global Operations, will serve as Interim Senior Vice President of the Waters Division effective immediately, until a permanent successor is named. Mr. Ross will continue as Senior Vice President of Global Operations and will maintain his existing responsibilities with the support of the Global Operations leadership team and the Executive Committee. As part of its normal process the Company has initiated a search to identify a permanent successor and will evaluate internal and external candidates.

"I want to thank Jon for his contributions to Waters during an important period at the Company. He enhanced our commercial capabilities, built a strong leadership team and was a valued member of the Executive Committee," said Dr. Udit Batra , President and CEO, Waters Corporation. "We want to congratulate Jon as he pursues this next step in his career."

"We are fortunate to have a deep and talented team at Waters and with Chris stepping into this role on an interim basis, we are confident this will be a seamless transition," Dr. Batra continued. "Since his appointment in 2022, Chris has been a valuable leader at Waters overseeing the global operations team, where he has worked closely with leaders in the Waters Division. We look forward to benefiting from his contributions in an expanded role as we continue to execute on our strategy."
Largest funded nationwide adoption event helps shelters pets from more than 345 organizations in 42 states

Grand Rapids, MI, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BISSELL Pet Foundation announced 19,415 pets found loving homes during its Fall National "Empty the Shelters" reduced-fee adoption event from October 1  15, 2023. More than 345 organizations in 42 states participated in the nation's largest funded adoption event by offering reduced adoption fees of $50 or less to make adoption more affordable and help as many pets as possible go from shelter kennels to the couches of loving homes.

Many of our nation's animal shelters remain at critical capacity and face the heartbreaking decision to euthanize healthy, adoptable pets due to lack of space. BISSELL Pet Foundation's Fall National "Empty the Shelters" event brought pets and families together, creating lifesaving space and critical relief for hardworking shelter staff and volunteers. As a result, 10,077 cats and 9,338 dogs found loving homes through participating shelters.

"BISSELL Pet Foundation is thrilled to have helped thousands of pets find homes during a time when our nation's shelters are struggling to keep up with pet intakes," said Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. "Each adopter who brought home a pet during this event made a lifesaving difference."

BISSELL Pet Foundation's "Empty the Shelters" program provides funding to participating shelters for each pet adopted so the reduced fee of $50 or less is not a financial burden for their organization. Reduced fees generate more interest from adopters providing a much-needed boost to save lives. Since the inception of this program in 2016, "Empty the Shelters" has helped find homes for nearly 210,000 pets and counting. Held quarterly, this is the foundation's largest initiative and continues to grow to reach more shelters and save more lives each year.

Every adoption is worth celebrating. However, there were a few especially heartwarming adoptions during the Fall National "Empty the Shelters" event:

- Hank, a two-year-old deaf Chihuahua, was surrendered to Muskegon Humane Society in Muskegon, Michigan, after changes in his household. He knew hand signal commands and loved meeting new people, playing fetch and even riding in a backpack. Hank waited over a month before his new family drove across the state to adopt him during this event!

- King George, a handsome senior cat with diabetes, was transferred to Humane Society of Sarasota County in Sarasota, Florida, from another organization due to needing advanced medical care. He received the TLC he desperately needed and became a part of the shelter's lifelong care program, covering his diabetes management costs after his adoption. He found a wonderful home during "Empty the Shelters" after months of waiting.

- Four cats, Blossoms, Shaggy, Web and Charlotte, were adopted from Laurel Jones County Animal Rescue, Laurel, Mississippi, League. These four lucky cats will spend the rest of their days in the love and care of The Baptist Children's Home, where residents will cherish them.

- Rocco, a stunning pitbull mix, was a staff favorite at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue in West Palm Beach, Florida. Overlooked due to his size, Rocco waited 318 days before his new family finally found him during "Empty the Shelters."

BISSELL Pet Foundation and participating organizations urge families to research the pet they are interested in adopting and the adoption requirements. To find a participating organization near you or donate to support Empty the Shelters, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters.

###

About BISSELL Pet Foundation:

BISSELL Pet Foundation is a charitable 501(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping, and crisis and disaster response. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with more than 6,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Inc. where every purchase saves pets. To learn more or make a lifesaving donation, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org.

Attachments
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Almaden Minerals Ltd. (Almaden or the Company; TSX: AMM; NYSE American: AAU) announces that, further to its press release of April 21, 2023, it has received an extension of its cure deadline from October 19, 2023 to April 19, 2024 (New Cure Deadline).



As previously announced, Almaden is not in compliance with the continued listing standards of the NYSE American exchange because the Companys securities have been selling for a low price per share for a substantial period of time which NYSE American determines to be a 30-trading-day average price of less than US$0.20 per share. The Companys continued listing on the NYSE American exchange is predicated on it demonstrating sustained price improvement within a reasonable period of time which the staff has determined to be no later than April 19, 2024.

Almaden is considering its alternatives with respect to the requirement that it regain compliance with the NYSE Americans continued listing standards within the New Cure Deadline.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

J. Duane Poliquin

J. Duane Poliquin

Chair

Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. 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 continued trading on the NYSE American and Toronto Stock Exchanges, the length of the cure period, and the Companys ability to consider and pursue alternatives that would allow it to regain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing standards.

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 legal, regulatory, business, operational and economic uncertainties and contingencies, and such uncertainty generally increases with longer-term forecasts and outlook. These assumptions include: stability and predictability in Mexicos consultation process with indigenous communities and judicial decisions thereon; stability and predictability in Mexicos mineral tenure, mining, environmental and agrarian laws and regulations, as well as their application and judicial decisions thereon; continued respect for the rule of law in Mexico; prices for gold, silver and base metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; mineral reserve and resource estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals being received in a timely manner; the ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for operations; community support in the Ixtaca Project; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to: Mexicos consultation process with indigenous communities and potential litigation in respect thereof; political risk in Mexico; crime and violence in Mexico; corruption; environmental risks, including environmental matters under Mexican laws and regulations; impact of environmental impact assessment requirements on the Companys planned exploration and development activities on the Ixtaca Project; certainty of mineral title and the outcome of litigation; community relations; governmental regulations and the ability to obtain necessary licences and permits; risks related to mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers or claims and other defects in title; changes in mining, environmental or agrarian laws and regulations and changes in the application of standards pursuant to existing laws and regulations which may increase costs of doing business and restrict operations; as well as those factors discussed the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Almaden's Annual Information Form and Almaden's latest Form 20-F on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that our forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to on forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact Information:

Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Tel. 604.689.7644

Email: [email protected]

http://www.almadenminerals.com/
GRACE-HOLLOGNE, Belgium and ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ampacimon, the leading provider of grid monitoring and analytics solutions for optimal operation of the worlds critical energy infrastructure, today announces the appointment of Neil Chatterjee, former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of the United States, to the companys Board of Directors.

Improving our energy infrastructure and promoting the wider adoption of clean energy is a national imperative, said Mr. Chatterjee. As an active advocate for Americas transition to clean energy, I look forward to lending my experience as Ampacimon expands its U.S. footprint. Innovative solutions like those developed by Ampacimon are at the heart of grid readiness as demand increases and clean energy becomes more ubiquitous.

Mr. Chatterjee currently serves as a senior advisor to the energy regulatory practice of a global law firm in Washington, D.C. Previously he served as FERC chairman from August 2017 to December 2017, and again from October 2018 to November 2020. Throughout these terms, he advanced a groundbreaking bipartisan commission policy statement encouraging power grid operators to incorporate state carbon pricing policies into their markets. He also advocated for landmark energy initiatives including improving power grid reliability and resilience, boosting renewable resources ability to compete in regional power markets, and the reduction of carbon emissions. He is known to be a policy reformer who can break down market barriers for the entrance of new innovative solutions, particularly for low-carbon technologies.

We are honored to welcome Neil to the Board at this critical crossroads of demand for cleaner, more efficient energy and the adoption of technical innovation in the grid, said Ampacimon board member Frederic Vassort. There are few people with Neils breadth of knowledge about Americas energy landscape. His insights into critical infrastructure issues, the shifting landscape of regulations, energy industry dynamics, and a future of efficient, clean, and safe power will help us meet the needs of utilities and their customers during this pivotal time.

Prior to his position as FERC chairman, Mr. Chatterjee advised The Office of the Senate Majority Leader where he worked for the passage of major energy legislation. He has also served the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association where he worked in government relations.

Mr. Chatterjee concluded: Ampacimons unique solutions can increase grid capacity by as much as 40%, helping to alleviate the bottleneck to clean energy sources being brought online and improving the reliability and efficiency of our aging electrical infrastructure.

About Ampacimon Ampacimon is a technology company founded in Belgium and Spain in 2010, offering Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) to transmission and distribution utilities. Through its proprietary measurement systems and advanced analytics, Ampacimon allows grid operators to maximize the use of their assets, optimize their maintenance, and prioritize investments. It offers data-driven solutions enabling grid operators to accelerate renewables integration and the energy transition. With offices in Belgium, Spain and the USA, Ampacimon has a global presence and systems in operations with all major grid operators in the world. For more information about Ampacimon, please visit: www.ampacimon.com

Contact:[email protected]

Source: Ampacimon
Chicago, IL., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Systems today announced the innovative enhancements across its Digital Agency portfolio. Announced at the annual Applied Net conference, the latest advancements support increased integration across the Applied product portfolio to enhance productivity and profitability, simplified user experiences for agents and insureds, and enhanced sales and marketing capabilities to keep customers engaged and connected.

Core Automation The latest enhancements to Applied Epic streamline end-user and administrator workflows for a simpler user experience and more visibility across agency roles and lines of business, including P&C and Benefits, to improve productivity, reduce operating costs and gain greater business insights.

New Epic Dashboards: Easily view business KPIs and track performance with embedded dashboards purpose-built for defined specific roles with the agency to easily answer questions and make data-backed decisions.

Easily view business KPIs and track performance with embedded dashboards purpose-built for defined specific roles with the agency to easily answer questions and make data-backed decisions. Open Applied Benefits Designer from Applied Epic: Access Applied Benefits Designer directly from the Applied Epic browser interface with a navigation panel link. This single sign-on capability will save clicks and prepare agencies for the integration between Applied Epic and Employee Navigator.

Bulk Delete Policies and Direct Bill Items in Suspense: Easily select multiple items, and separately per screen, send to the Suspense Recycle Bin with just a couple clicks with new multi-select functionality in the Policy Suspense and Direct Bill Commission Suspense lists.

Easily select multiple items, and separately per screen, send to the Suspense Recycle Bin with just a couple clicks with new multi-select functionality in the Policy Suspense and Direct Bill Commission Suspense lists. Attachment Preview: Automatically display the first two pages of the selected attachment for multiple file types for a quick look at documents versus searching the large documents folder with the new Preview panel in the Attachments list for client accounts in the Applied Epic browser interface.

Automatically display the first two pages of the selected attachment for multiple file types for a quick look at documents versus searching the large documents folder with the new Preview panel in the Attachments list for client accounts in the Applied Epic browser interface. Receive and Attach Multimedia Messages (MMS): Receive inbound MMS messages in Applied Epic, including JPEG, JPG, GIF or PNG files, and add one or more images in the thread to the clients Attachments with the Attach to Epic action. Communications with clients are further simplified with the release of the auto-route text messaging feature later this quarter.

Commercial Lines The latest enhancements to Applieds commercial lines products further enable the digitalization and automation of policy proposals, a coordinated application experience between agents and insureds, and increased connectivity to more carrier markets.

Market Appetite Enhancements Powered by Ask Kodiak: Gain access to the most current carrier appetite information powered by Ask Kodiak directly in the Applied Epic browser interface, refreshed multiple times daily.

Gain access to the most current carrier appetite information powered by Ask Kodiak directly in the Applied Epic browser interface, refreshed multiple times daily. Access Indio Submissions in Applied Epic: Access a clients Indio Submissions list directly in the Applied Epic browser interface for a single view of all activated commercial lines submissions.

Access a clients Indio Submissions list directly in the Applied Epic browser interface for a single view of all activated commercial lines submissions. Remarket with Tarmika : Populate Applied Epic policy data into the Tarmika quoting portal to streamline commercial lines remarketing workflows. Remarket commercial business faster by eliminating duplicate data entry when renewing Business Owners, Workers Comp, and Commercial Auto policies.

Populate Applied Epic policy data into the Tarmika quoting portal to streamline commercial lines remarketing workflows. Remarket commercial business faster by eliminating duplicate data entry when renewing Business Owners, Workers Comp, and Commercial Auto policies. Tarmika Insured: Create a simpler, more connected commercial lines quoting experience with the Tarmika Insured embedded consumer application that allows direct-to-consumer real-time quoting to multiple carriers.

Create a simpler, more connected commercial lines quoting experience with the Tarmika Insured embedded consumer application that allows direct-to-consumer real-time quoting to multiple carriers. Access Tarmika from Applied Epic: Access the Tarmika quoting portal directly from Applied Epic to view existing quotes, start a new quote, or resume an existing one, eliminating the need to rekey account and policy details.

Marketing Automation The latest enhancements to Applied Marketing Automation further enable agents to keep customers engaged and producers connected, driving customer acquisition and retention.

Artificial Intelligence Content Assist: Ensure emails are technically sound with Content Assist, artificial intelligence technology purpose-built for insurance agents with specific industry terminology. Decide the length, formality and subject matter, and let the power of generative AI technology provide descriptive text to catch the recipients attention, then give final approval prior to sending the email.

Ensure emails are technically sound with Content Assist, artificial intelligence technology purpose-built for insurance agents with specific industry terminology. Decide the length, formality and subject matter, and let the power of generative AI technology provide descriptive text to catch the recipients attention, then give final approval prior to sending the email. Content Library Functionality Improvements: Experience a more intuitive content search with enhanced category selection functionality to automatically select or deselect categories in the Content Library. Receive more focused results, prioritizing the entire phrase of search criteria instead of just one word of the phrase.

Digital Payments New innovative enhancements to Applied Pay further enable agents to enhance their customer experience and staff productivity through greater integration across Applied applications.

Online Payments: Offer insureds a simple, secure way to pay for premiums or other rendered services with Applied Pays direct integration into Applied CSR24. Provide a modern checkout experience that puts customers in control with options to pay on current and upcoming invoices, as well as non-invoiced amounts.

Offer insureds a simple, secure way to pay for premiums or other rendered services with Applied Pays direct integration into Applied CSR24. Provide a modern checkout experience that puts customers in control with options to pay on current and upcoming invoices, as well as non-invoiced amounts. Hosted Payment Page PAY NOW Link: Allow insureds to pay multiple or single invoices that are open in Applied Epic or request an exact payment for items such as third-party fees or services rendered. Automatically apply payments received through the Hosted Payment Page to a clients account in Applied Epic and create an Activity and a Transaction for accounting purposes.

Allow insureds to pay multiple or single invoices that are open in Applied Epic or request an exact payment for items such as third-party fees or services rendered. Automatically apply payments received through the Hosted Payment Page to a clients account in Applied Epic and create an Activity and a Transaction for accounting purposes. Large Single Transaction Limits Allowed: Process extra-large premiums in Applied Pay with an increased single transaction limit, allowing larger clientele to make payments without having to resort to other banking services.

At Applied, we recognize the advantage technology plays in our customers success and that is at the forefront of all our decision-making processes, said Anupam Gupta, chief product officer of Applied Systems. Our most recent investments to accelerate the Digital Roundtrip of Insurance create incredible power and value for our customers, creating more connected and intelligent workflows that help them know more about their business, focus work on the most valuable tasks, be more productive, and provide the best possible experience for their clients.

# # #

The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

About Applied Systems Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the worlds largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applieds people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

Lauren Malcolm Applied Systems (678) 438-5093 [email protected]

Source: Applied Systems
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Base Carbon Inc. (NEO: BCBN) (OTCQX: BCBNF) (Base Carbon, or the Company), a financier of emission reduction, removal and related climate action projects, is pleased to announce the Company will host an investor update call on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST).



The management team will provide a business update and respond to investor questions via Zoom Webinar. Registration instructions are published below. The Company invites current and prospective shareholders to attend this business update call and Q&A session.

DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 2023

TIME: 11:00 a.m. EST

LOCATION: Zoom Webinar. To receive the meeting link and passcode, please register here.

QUESTIONS: Please submit questions ahead of time to: [email protected].

About Base Carbon

Base Carbon is a financier of projects involved primarily in the global voluntary carbon markets. We endeavor to be the preferred carbon project partner in providing capital and management resources to carbon removal and abatement projects globally and, where appropriate, will utilize technologies within the evolving environmental industries to enhance efficiencies, commercial credibility, and trading transparency. For more information, please visit www.basecarbon.com.

Media and Investor Inquiries

Base Carbon Inc.

Investor Relations

Tel: +1 647 952 3979

E-mail: [email protected]

Media Inquiries

E-mail: [email protected]

Wes Fulford, President, and Ryan Hornby, Chief Legal Officer are responsible for this press release.
METTAWA, Ill. , Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) today, announced the upcoming launch of Brunswick Finance, a state-of-the-art, industry-leading digital finance solution that simplifies the retail purchase process by leveraging a fully integrated technology platform linking consumers, dealers, and Brunswick brands with an easy to use, digital interface allowing for quicker qualifications and faster processing.

The new solution that will be launched prior to the end of the year, will be accessible through the Brunswick Finance portal and offers end-to-end integration across the boat buying ecosystem, from applying for pre-qualification to underwriting, finalizing agreements and e-signing for loans.

Brunswick Finance immediately improves the consumer finance experience for our channel partners and will fundamentally change and simplify the purchase process, offering competitive rates and ensuring a seamless transaction, said Bijoy Jha, Vice President - Brunswick Financial & Business Services. This solution exists in many other verticals such as automotive, and now, we can work with our customers to create one central hub for all consumer lending needs and reporting.

Brunswick Corporation will partner with Aqua Finance, a full-spectrum lender, with collaboration from Apollo. Brunswick Finance brings together Aquas retail financial services with inventory financing solutions provided by Wells Fargo. The integrated nature of wholesale financing programs provided by Brunswick Acceptance Company (BAC) with retail finance services provided by Aqua Finance can help deliver important benefits to dealers in terms of operating efficiency, cash flow conversion and interest savings.

We are proud to join forces with Brunswick Corporation to offer a superior customer experience for Brunswick dealers and consumers, said Kurt Grossheim, CEO, Aqua Finance. With a legacy serving marine recreational dealers, our full-spectrum financing solutions are poised to give Brunswick dealers and consumers a simpler, faster and better path to access best-in-class financing solutions across all channels.

The new platform will place a customers pre-qualification link on the dealers website in connection with the associated Brunswick Corporation new inventory (and used units) to drive consumer activity. The solution also gives dealers greater optionality and choice through seamless integration with Brunswick Acceptance Company, allowing them to see their outstanding inventory financing balances and automatically pay off wholesale loans when customer financing is secured, reducing paperwork, and staffing needs.

About Brunswick Corporation:Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) is the global leader in marine recreation, delivering innovation that transforms experiences on the water and beyond. Our unique, technology-driven solutions are informed and inspired by deep consumer insights and powered by our belief that Next Never Rests. Brunswick is dedicated to industry leadership, to being the best and most trusted partner to our many customers, and to building synergies and ecosystems that enable us to challenge convention and define the future. Brunswick is home to more than 60 industry-leading brands. In the category of Marine Propulsion, these brands include, Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, MerCruiser and Flite. Brunswicks comprehensive collection of parts, accessories, distribution, and technology brands includes Mercury Parts & Accessories, Land N Sea, Lowrance, Simrad, B&G, Mastervolt, RELiON, Attwood and Whale. Our boat brands are some of the best known in the world, including Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft and Quicksilver. Our service, digital and shared-access businesses include Freedom Boat Club, Boateka and a range of financing, insurance, and extended warranty businesses. While focused primarily on the marine industry, Brunswick also successfully leverages its portfolio of advanced technologies to deliver an exceptional suite of solutions in mobile and industrial applications. Headquartered in Mettawa, IL, Brunswick has more than 18,000 employees operating in 27 countries. In 2023, Brunswick was named by Forbes as a Worlds Best Employer for the fourth consecutive year and has been one of Americas Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek for three consecutive years. For more information, visit www.Brunswick.com.

About Aqua:Aqua Finance is a leading non-bank, full-spectrum lending platform operating in all 50 states that originates and services consumer loans, primarily for home improvement, recreation, pool/spas, and water treatment. With its network of over 5,000 dealers, contractors, and retailers, Aqua Finance delivers flexible and consumer-friendly financing programs so families can bring their dreams to life. To learn more, visit www.aquafinance.com.

Lee Gordon  Vice President  Corporate Communications, Public Relations & Public Affairs M: (904) 860-8848 | O: (847) 735-4003

Source: Brunswick Corporation
CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eavor Technologies Inc., (Eavor) a pioneer in the field of advanced geothermal energy solutions today announces the successful completion of $182 million in financing. This significant investment will enable Eavor to accelerate the development and deployment of its revolutionary geothermal technology. The equity round was led by OMV AG, with participation from Canada Growth Fund (CGF), Japan Energy Fund, Monaco Asset Management and Microsofts Climate Innovation Fund. Existing investors BDC, bp Ventures, Eversource Energy, Temasek and Vickers Venture Partners contributed and supported the funding round, while Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. completed the conversion of their debentures.



Eavors patented Eavor-Loop technology is a closed-loop system that circulates a benign working fluid through a network of underground drilled passages, creating a continuous heat exchanger that taps into the natural heat of the Earth. This breakthrough technology has the potential to provide a consistent and resilient source of clean energy, free from intermittent production limitations, while also offering a significantly smaller environmental footprint compared to traditional geothermal systems. The Eavor-Loop offers a game-changing solution by making geothermal energy accessible, scalable, and cost-effective virtually anywhere on Earth.

"We are delighted to have the support of our new investing partners and the continued commitment of existing partners while we advance the commerciality of our Eavor-Loop technology, beginning with our first full scale project already in construction at Geretsried in Germany. The funding received here today emboldens our efforts to deploy Eavor-Loop systems worldwide helping to drive us all towards a sustainable, reliable, and bright energy future", said John Redfern, President & CEO of Eavor.

An important aspect of CGF's mandate is to invest in Canadian clean technology companies at the commercialization stage of development," said Mr. Patrick Charbonneau, CEO of CGF Investment Management. "Eavor, a homegrown clean technology champion, has the potential to accelerate decarbonization of global heat and power markets, and we're proud to support this Alberta-based company as they scale up and grow their business worldwide."

We are pleased to work with Eavor to support their development through the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, said Adrian Anderson, General Manager, Renewables and Carbon Free Energy at Microsoft. On our journey to becoming carbon negative by 2030, we recognize that innovation and collaboration are fundamental to how we build a more sustainable world. We look forward to Eavors innovations in geothermal energy solutions to scale the market with consistent and reliable sources of clean energy.

National Bank Financial acted as exclusive financial advisor to Eavor. DS Lawyers Canada LLP acted as legal advisor to Eavor.

About Eavor Technologies Inc.

Eavor (pronounced Ever) is a technology-based energy company led by a team dedicated to creating a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future on a global scale. Eavors solution (Eavor-Loop) represents the worlds first truly scalable form of clean, dispatchable, baseload capable, and flexible heat and power. Eavor achieves this by mitigating or eliminating many of the issues that have traditionally hindered geothermal energy. Eavor instead circulates a benign working fluid that is completely isolated from the environment in a closed-loop, through a massive subsurface radiator. This radiator simply collects heat from the natural geothermal gradient of the Earth via conduction. Eavor has been supported by equity investments made by several leading global energy producers, investors, developers, and venture capital funds including Vickers Venture Partners, bp Ventures, Chubu Electric Power, BDC Capital, Chevron Technology Ventures, BHP Ventures, Helmerich & Payne, Precision Drilling, OMV and now the Canada Growth Fund (CGF) and Microsoft. [email protected]  Eavor.com

About OMV Aktiengesellschaft

With Group sales revenues of EUR 62 bn and a workforce of around 22,300 employees in 2022, OMV is amongst Austrias largest listed industrial companies. Together with its two major joint ventures  Borouge (with ADNOC, in the UAE and Singapore) and Baystar (with TotalEnergies, in the USA)  Borealis supplies products and services to customers across the globe. OMVs Fuels & Feedstock business produces and markets fuels as well as feedstock for the chemical industry, operates three refineries in Europe, and holds a 15% stake in a refining joint venture in the UAE. OMV operates around 1,800 filling stations in nine European countries. Inc the Energy segment, OMV explores and produces oil and gas in the four core regions of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, North Sea, and Asia-Pacific. Average daily production in 2022 amounted to 392 kboe/d. Its activities also include the Low Carbon Business as well as the entire gas business.

About the Canada Growth Fund (CGF)

CGF is a $15 billion arms length public investment vehicle that will help attract private capital to build Canadas clean economy by using investment instruments that absorb certain risks in order to encourage private investment in low carbon projects, technologies, businesses, and supply chains. In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada announced that PSP Investments would act as investment manager for CGF. PSP Investments has created a wholly owned subsidiary, CGFIM, to act as the independent and exclusive investment manager of CGF.

Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/corporate-responsibility/sustainability/climate-innovation-fund

Contact

Eavor Technologies Inc.

John Redfern

President & CEO

[email protected]

+1-650-269-2501




CENTENNIAL, Colo., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knott Laboratory, an industry leader in forensic engineering and animation for more than 40 years, was commissioned to create the digital reconstruction of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to test the "single bullet theory" from the historic Warren Commission report. They have released their findings in advance of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.

President Kennedy was famously assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX. The Warren Commission was assembled to investigate the shooting and issued a report in 1964 finding that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman, firing a total of three shots in the incident. However, evidence suggests the potential of a fourth shot from another location indicating a second gunman and a wider conspiracy to kill the president.

Knott Laboratory was hired by John Orr, a former Justice Department attorney, who conducted his own investigation as a private citizen, making trips to the National Archives to review every document available, and even being permitted to examine original evidence such as the presidents shirt. In 1995, Orr sent his report to then Attorney General Janet Reno, which did achieve some reexamination of the evidence by the FBI, but ultimately didnt lead to anything new or conclusive. Once Orr hired Knott in 2018, modern science was able to corroborate his theory.

The "single bullet theory" concluded that one of the three shots fired from the window by Oswald struck both President Kennedy and Governor Connally. The report stated that the bullet hit Kennedy in the back, exited his neck, entered Governor Connally in the right armpit, exited his chest, went through his right wrist and embedded in his left thigh.

To reconstruct the scene with modern technology, the Knott Laboratory experts conducted a high-definition laser scan of Dealey Plaza to generate a point cloud of up to two million points per second, to accurately measure point-to-point anywhere in the scene. Knott Laboratory also obtained historic photographic evidence from the plaza, the limousine, and the "Zapruder film," which is widely known as the best video footage of the incident in its entirety.

From this point cloud, the team of forensic engineers was able to match images from the scene and the Zapruder film using a process called photogrammetry. They modeled the presidential limousine using multiple photographs and established the correct dimensions of the vehicle. Through a process called match moving, they synced frames from the Zapruder film into the digital recreation of the scene. The match moving enabled the alignment of the digital models of Kennedy and Connally in the vehicle to establish their positions frame by frame throughout the incident.

With the ability to measure distances, locations and angles from the point cloud, we could develop the exact trajectory between Oswald's shooting position and points on each body, said Stanley Stoll, CEO & Principal Engineer of Knott Laboratory. Our team tested bullet trajectories using the two frames from the Zapruder film where the first shots occurred and the known entry and exit points on Kennedy and Connally.

Stoll continued, The shooting position, bullet exit point on President Kennedy, and entry point on Governor Connally should all be reasonably in line. When drawing this line from the sixth floor perch of the Texas Book Depository to the positions of the two men and their entry/exit points, we found a significant angle difference. This case is ongoing, but evidence strongly suggests there is more to the story in this historic event. Modern science refutes the Warren Commissions findings on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

About Knott LaboratoryKnott Laboratory has been an industry leader in forensic engineering for over 40 years. The company is comprised of structural and mechanical engineers, fire and explosion investigators, forensic animators, accident reconstructionists, and digital media forensics experts. This unique combination of expertise allows the company to serve a wide variety of industries, such as, attorneys, insurance companies, construction, community management and law enforcement. Each project is assigned a team suited to the particular needs of the case and client. Knott Laboratory then provides investigation, analysis, animation production, and expert witness testimony.

The company is headquartered in Centennial, CO with locations in Atlanta, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Grand Junction, and Phoenix. To learn more, visit www.knottlab.com.

Media Contact: Jackie Reau, Game Day(513) 708-5822 | [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc2c8dfe-96bb-4f4a-b10e-293c65e7d946

Knott Laboratory's high-definition laser scan of Dealey Plaza Knott Laboratory, an industry leader in forensic engineering and animation for more than 40 years, was commissioned to create the digital reconstruction of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to test the "single bullet theory" from the historic Warren Commission report. They have released their findings in advance of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.President Kennedy was famously assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX.

Source: Knott Laboratory
Text-Based Mental Health Support App Provides On-Demand, 24/7/365 Help for Students and Faculty at High Schools from Long Island to Rochester

NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Counslr , the text-based mental health support platform, announced today that it has expanded its partnership with nonprofit organization East Side House Settlement, to include support for five additional NYC-area high schools.The partnership aims to help meet the increasing need for more accessible mental health support inside and beyond the hallways of the schools within the organizations network: Bronx Haven High School, Gotham Collaborative High School, George Washington YABC, Bronx Regional Campus and Bronx Construction and Design Academy.

We're proud to invest in the mental health of the high school students in the communities we serve, as we are committed to providing equal opportunities and access to services, said Andrea Fernandez, Director of Social Services at East Side House Settlement. "Utilizing Counslr is helping us better reach the traditionally unreachable students in our programs, so that we can provide the tools necessary to improve resiliency and overall well-being.

The partnerships will enable students and faculty to receive unlimited live text support from licensed counselors, on-demand or by appointment, any time, anywhere. The initiative aims to increase the students accessibility to quality mental health support and address mental issues as they arise, in order to reduce the emergence of crisis situations.

Within the past six months, the need for Counslrs services in high schools has robustly increased. The mental health support company is now at the fingertips of students and faculty members at high schools throughout New York State, from Long Island to Rochester, with several more expected to sign-on before the end of the year.

This growth in high school partnerships illustrates the significantly increasing need for more accessible mental health support resources within high school communities, said Josh Liss, Counslr CEO. High school students across the country in all types of schools and circumstances face a range of struggles and challenges. Mental health knows no boundaries and Counslr is proud to help meet the demand and ultimately be part of the solution.

For more information on Counslr, please visit: www.counslr.com.







ABOUT COUNSLR

Counslr is a text-based mental health support application that provides unlimited access to live texting sessions with licensed professionals, 24/7/365. Users can access support on-demand within two minutes of opening the app, or by scheduled appointment. Through real-time texting, users enjoy one-on-one, private communication with a licensed counselor that can be conducted anytime, anywhere. Counslr was designed to help individuals deal with lifes day-to-day issues, empowering individuals to address concerns while they are small to help ensure that they stay small. As the only mental health platform that offers unlimited availability to live sessions with licensed counselors without a direct fee-for-service, Counslr offers its partners the most qualified, accessible, cost-effective, highly-scalable mental health solution for organizations of any size. Counslr partners with organizations of all shapes and sizes (companies, unions, nonprofits, universities/colleges, high schools, etc) so that these entities can provide Counslrs services to their employees/students at no direct cost. For more information, please visit Counslr: www.Counslr.com .

Attachments
In the notorious North Korea, whose borders are closed and 60% of its residents live below the poverty line, one of the world's most expensive hotels called Ryugyong has been built. Its construction began back in 1987, but was completed only in 2013. However, even since then, not a single guest has stayed in the nearly $2 billion (71.5 billion hryvnia) building.

ADVERTISIMENT

The eerie triangular-shaped hotel was even dubbed "Mordor" and "Hotel of Doom" because of its height, appearance, and "desolation." The story of the 105-story, 330-meter-high skyscraper was told in the DailyStar.

The Hotel of Doom is located in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK. The name comes from one of the city's nicknames - "Ryugyong" or "capital of willows".

As we have already noted, construction of one of the most expensive hotels in the world in one of the poorest countries with a totalitarian regime began in 1987. The Ryugyong was scheduled to open two years later, and at that time it would have been the tallest hotel in the world. However, it is now known not for this characteristic, but as the world's tallest unoccupied building.

ADVERTISIMENT

The Ryugyong Hotel was supposed to have 3,000 rooms and 105 floors in three wings.

The construction took longer than planned. The work was suspended in 1992, five years after it began, and resumed only 16 years later, in 2008. Apparently, the pause was due to the economic crisis in the DPRK that shook the country after the collapse of the USSR.

Eventually, an Egyptian contractor took over the hotel, and in 2011 the building was supplemented with glass panels. At the time, the North Korean leadership claimed that the hotel would definitely open in 2012, but again it was not to be. It was finally completed in 2013.

ADVERTISIMENT

A German hotel group was supposed to manage the Ryugyong, but after a few months, it pulled out of the deal, saying it "could not be part of the North Korean market." Now, in 2023, the hotel is still empty. No one knows if any guest will ever stay within its expensive walls.

As OBOZ.UA wrote earlier, the village of Nagoro in Japan is located in a mountain valley at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. Due to this location, many locals left long ago, but their places are not empty - they are occupied by dolls. This place is called one of the scariest in the world.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DLR Group, a 100% employee-owned integrated design firm, is expanding its presence in the Southeast with the opening of an office in downtown Nashville. This expansion aligns with the firm's commitment to meet the diverse design needs of existing education, government, hospitality, sports, and workplace clients throughout the entire state.

The new office, located at 315 Deaderick Street, is a collaborative effort led by DLR Group Principals Matthew Gulsvig, AIA, LEED AP, and Randall Coy. Gulsvig joined DLR Group in 2016 and brings a wealth of project leadership experience gained from working with private sector clients across the nation, particularly in the workplace and mixed-use sectors. Coy, a University of Tennessee graduate, brings 25 years of experience in design and development, working across the nation for civic, mixed-use, and retail clients. For the past decade, he has been an integral part of the Nashville and Mid-State design and development community, most recently as the owner of NoBox Development, a real estate development consulting firm.

They will be joined by Principal Shawn Gaither, AIA, LEED AP, also a University of Tennessee graduate, who will continue to lead clients in higher education and workplace.

Over the past five years weve touched more than 50 design projects in the state. This includes the downtown Nashville TownePlace Suites, master planning at Vanderbilt University, and we are working on projects with clients in Memphis, Chattanooga, and throughout the state of Tennessee, said DLR Group CEO Steven McKay, AIA, RIBA. Now, with Matthew Gulsvig and Randall Coy establishing an office, supported by a team of integrated design professionals already working on projects in the state, we are poised to enhance the services we offer clients to grow a vibrant design office.

DLR Group has a rich history of design work in Tennessee, including projects on multiple campuses for the University of Tennessee System, active projects at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and preservation work at historic Lane College. DLR Group is a leading innovator in the design of mass timber with more than 16 timber projects completed, in construction, or in design. DLR Group is collaborating with Hastings Architecture for the T3 Wedgewood Houston, a five-story, 190,000-square-foot mass timber office building in The Finery mixed-use development.

DLR Group is the designer of the Youth Center for Empowerment for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County in collaboration with Smith Gee Studio. This forward-thinking, 270,000-square-foot campus will transform the process of juvenile justice to deliver better outcomes for adolescents and youth in Nashville. The firm is also in the process of reimagining and modernizing the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway with seating for 30,000 fans.

In Knoxville, DLR Group received a Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for restoring the 1928, Spanish Moorish style Tennessee Theatre. The firm intends to leverage its award-winning technical expertise in theater design and engineering, acoustics, and lighting to grow a leading performing arts practice.

DLR Group315 Deaderick StreetSuite 1130Nashville, TN 37238615-288-7290

About DLR Group DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients; local communities; and our planet. DLR Group is 100 percent employee-owned and fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge, and is an initial signatory to the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Attachments

Andy Ernsting DLR Group 913-378-4622 [email protected]

Source: DLR Group
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP:



Do you, or did you, own shares of Farfetch Limited (NYSE: FTCH)?

Did you purchase your shares between March 9, 2023 and August 17, 2023, inclusive?

Did you lose money in your investment in Farfetch Limited?

Do you want to discuss your rights?

Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Farfetch Limited (Farfetch or the Company) (NYSE: FTCH) between March 9, 2023 and August 17, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the Complaint).

If you purchased or acquired Farfetch securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Farfetch Limited Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or [email protected].

According to the Complaint, Farfetch, together with its subsidiaries, operates a global platform for the luxury fashion industry. In addition to revenue, one of Farfetchs most important financial metrics is gross merchandise value (GMV), which the Company defines as the total dollar value of orders processed, inclusive of product value, shipping, and duty, and net of returns, value added taxes, and cancellations. According to Farfetch, the Companys GMV closely correlates with its revenue.

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements throughout the Class Period. Among other things, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) Farfetch was experiencing a significant slowdown in growth in the U.S. and China; (ii) Farfetch faced onboarding challenges impacting the launch of its Reebok partnership; (iii) Farfetch downplayed challenges it faced with respect to, and/or overstated its ability to manage, its supply chain and inventory; (iv) the foregoing was having a significant negative impact on Farfetchs revenue and GMV growth; and (v) accordingly, Farfetch was unlikely to meet market expectations for its Q2 2023 financial results or its own FY 2023 revenue guidance.

On August 17, 2023, Farfetch issued a press release announcing its Q2 2023 financial results. Among other items, Farfetch reported revenue of approximately $572 million, significantly less than the market consensus of $650.71 million. Farfetch also issued an FY 2023 revenue forecast of approximately $2.5 billion, compared to the average analyst estimate of $2.8 billion and the Companys prior FY 2023 revenue forecast of $2.9 billion.

On this news, Farfetchs stock price fell $2.15 per share, or over 45%, to close at $2.61 per share on August 18, 2023.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 19, 2023 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased or acquired Farfetch securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Farfetch Limited Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or [email protected].

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2023 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:

Peter Allocco

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

https://www.bernlieb.com

(212) 951-2030

[email protected]
Reston, Virginia, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA), the nations largest career and technical student organization focused solely on business, is hosting the first of two annual Career Connections Conferences in Des Moines, Iowa from October 26 to 28. The three-day conference will allow attendees to meet with recruiters, prepare for the workforce with mock interviews, and network with other highly skilled students from across the country.

Des Moines is a rich and vibrant community perfect for those looking to expand their career prospects in the Midwest, with Forbes rating it the #1 city for young professionals, said Iowa FBLA Executive Director Kent Storm. Were delighted to see Iowa business and industry come out in full force to connect with the next generation of talent looking to become community-minded business leaders.

As part of the event, students will visit the Principal Financial Group for workshops on topics such as succeeding as a young professional and developing executive leadership skills, as well as information on corporate social responsibility, employee benefits, and personal finance planning. Attendees can also tour local businesses and take part in the Career Showcase & Expo (Sponsored by the Greater Des Moines Partnership) that includes Armstrong Teasdale, Bankers Trust, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP), EMC Insurance Company, Farm Bureau Financial Services, FORVIS, Goodwill of Central Iowa, Iowa Society of CPAs, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In addition, FBLA members will have the opportunity to engage in a business study case competition designed by the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants. The competition looks at the real-world issue of how to attract more students to the accounting profession. The top three teams will be recognized at the event.

As FBLA continues to reinvest in our Collegiate division, we are proud to bring this fantastic opportunity for workforce development to students in the heartland of America, FBLA President & CEO Alexander T. Graham said. The support weve received from leading Des Moines businesses and organizations in preparing for this event has been phenomenal and shows just how much companies are interested in our highly motivated and high-achieving students as future employees and future leaders.

FBLA is also sponsoring a Career Connections Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, November 30-December 2. Students at both conferences will be able to hear directly from industry professionals on topics such as finding a job, excelling in a first job, and developing their leadership style. They can also receive individual feedback on their resume and a professional headshot for their resume and LinkedIn profile.

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. For more information, visit fbla.org.

Mary Lynn J. Rynkiewicz Future Business Leaders of America 7038604888 [email protected]

Source: Future Business Leaders of America
WABASH, Ind., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FFW Corporation (the Corporation) (OTC PINK: FFWC) (10/24/2023 Close: $35.60), parent corporation of Crossroads Bank (the Bank), announced earnings for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Corporation reported net income of $978,000 or $0.87 per common share compared to $1,623,000 or $1.42 per common share for the three months ended September 30, 2022. Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was $3,645,000 compared to $4,376,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The provision for credit losses was $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and $300,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2022. Total noninterest income was $928,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1,026,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2022. Noninterest expense was $3,487,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and $3,191,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2022.

The three months ended September 30, 2023 represented a return on average common equity of 8.87% compared to 13.61% for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The three months ended September 30, 2023 represented a return on average assets of 0.72% compared to 1.21% for the three months ended September 30, 2022.

The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of gross loans receivable was 1.32% at September 30, 2023 compared to 1.23% at June 30, 2023. Nonperforming assets were $1,845,000 at September 30, 2023 compared to $2,065,000 at June 30, 2023.

As of September 30, 2023, FFWCs equity-to-assets ratio was 8.10% compared to 8.54% at June 30, 2023. Total assets at September 30, 2023 were $541,533,000 compared to $543,245,000 at June 30, 2023. Shareholders equity was $43,846,000 at September 30, 2023 compared to $46,385,000 at June 30, 2023. Crossroads Bank exceeds all applicable regulatory requirements to be considered well capitalized.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include expressions such as expects, intends, believes, and should, which are necessarily statements of belief as to the expected outcomes of future events. Actual results could materially differ from those presented. The Corporation's ability to predict future results involves a number of risks and uncertainties. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

Crossroads Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of FFW Corporation providing an extensive array of banking services and a wide range of investments and securities products through its main office in Wabash and six Indiana banking centers located in Columbia City, North Manchester, Peru, South Whitley, Syracuse and Warsaw. The Bank also provides leasing services at each of its banking centers. Insurance products are offered through an affiliated company, Insurance 1 Services, Inc. The Corporations stock is traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol FFWC. Our website address is www.crossroadsbanking.com. Crossroads Bank, Member FDIC.

FFW Corporation Selected Financial Information Consolidated Balance Sheet September 30 June 30 2023 2023 Unaudited Assets Cash and due from financial institutions $ 6,102,535 $ 8,686,057 Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions 3,260,402 4,668,889 Cash and cash equivalents 9,362,937 13,354,946 Securities available for sale 105,912,763 110,063,452 Loans held for sale 84,000 80,000 Loans receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $5,292,801 at September 30, 2023 and $4,852,745 at June 30, 2023 395,751,052 390,544,236 Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost 1,289,700 1,289,700 Accrued interest receivable 2,752,820 2,648,368 Premises and equipment, net 8,060,878 8,121,511 Mortgage servicing rights 1,110,991 1,128,019 Cash surrender value of life insurance 10,167,345 10,086,476 Goodwill 1,213,898 1,213,898 Repossessed Assets - 109,596 Other assets 5,827,032 4,604,551 Total assets $ 541,533,416 $ 543,244,753 Liabilities and shareholders' equity Deposits Noninterest-bearing $ 56,217,861 $ 53,267,081 Interest-bearing 431,138,013 437,700,301 Total deposits 487,355,874 490,967,382 Borrowings 6,000,000 2,100,000 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 4,332,013 3,792,808 Total liabilities 497,687,887 496,860,190 Shareholders' equity Common stock, $.01 par; 2,000,000 shares authorized; Issued: 1,836,328; outstanding: 1,126,607 - September 30, 2023 and 1,126,357 - June 30, 2023 18,363 18,363 Additional paid-in capital 10,195,967 10,150,145 Retained earnings 59,562,879 59,406,634 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (13,333,327 ) (10,588,876 ) Treasury stock, at cost: 709,721 shares at September 30, 2023 and 709,971 shares at June 30, 2023 (12,598,353 ) (12,601,703 ) Total shareholders' equity 43,845,529 46,384,563 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 541,533,416 $ 543,244,753

FFW Corporation Selected Financial Information Consolidated Statement of Income Three Months Ended September 30 2023 2022 Unaudited Unaudited Interest and dividend income: Loans, including fees $ 5,031,751 $ 3,869,513 Taxable securities 489,120 441,825 Tax exempt securities 423,619 451,630 Other 57,374 161,572 Total interest and dividend income 6,001,864 4,924,540 Interest expense: Deposits 2,331,850 548,353 Borrowings 25,329 - Total interest expense 2,357,179 548,353 Net interest income 3,644,685 4,376,187 Provision for credit losses - 300,000 Net interest income after provision for credit losses 3,644,685 4,076,187 Noninterest income: Net gains on sales of loans 21,114 68,146 Net gains (losses) on sales of REO (37,006 ) 11,841 Commission income 335,449 318,420 Service charges and fees 245,534 279,430 Earnings on life insurance 80,869 78,304 Other 282,309 269,796 Total noninterest income 928,269 1,025,937 Noninterest expense: Salaries and benefits 1,914,196 1,770,667 Occupancy and equipment 317,241 307,383 Professional 121,654 109,251 Marketing 81,576 93,974 Deposit insurance premium 67,000 38,000 Regulatory assessment 10,345 8,090 Correspondent bank charges 23,941 22,416 Data processing 450,967 331,142 Printing, postage and supplies 67,700 77,812 Expense on life insurance 22,796 22,099 Contribution expense 9,709 9,501 Expense on REO 5,822 4,783 Other 394,473 395,580 Total noninterest expense 3,487,420 3,190,698 Income before income taxes 1,085,534 1,911,426 Income tax expense 107,874 288,387 Net income $ 977,660 $ 1,623,039

FFW Corporation Selected Financial Information Key Balances and Ratios Three Months Ended September 30 2023 2022 Unaudited Unaudited Per common share data: Earnings $0.87 $1.42 Diluted earnings $0.87 $1.42 Dividends paid $0.29 $0.28 Average shares issued and outstanding 1,126,628 1,140,413 Shares outstanding end of period 1,126,607 1,130,963 Supplemental data: Net interest margin ** 2.75 % 3.37 % Return on average assets *** 0.72 % 1.21 % Return on average common equity *** 8.87 % 13.61 % September 30 June 30 2023 2023 Nonperforming assets * $1,844,964 $2,065,381 Repossessed assets $0 $109,596 * Includes non-accruing loans, accruing loans delinquent more than 90 days and repossessed assets ** Yields reflected have not been computed on a tax equivalent basis *** Annualized

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Kirsten Pendarvis, Treasurer, at (260) 563-3185

Source: FFW Corporation
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FloQast, a provider of accounting workflow automation software created by accountants for accountants, was selected by Great Place To Work and Fortune magazine for the 2023 Fortune Best Workplaces for Women List. This is FloQasts first time being named to this prestigious list, coming in at number seven in the Small and Medium company category, further solidifying itself as one of the best companies to work for in the country.

To determine the Best Workplaces for Women, Great Place To Work analyzed the survey responses of over 600,000 women who work for Great Place To Work Certified companies eligible for the list. To be considered, a company must employ at least 50 women, and have at least 20% of non-executive managers who are women and at least one executive whos a woman.

We are honored to be named to the Best Workplaces for Women list, said Adey Tadesse-Heath, Vice President of Human Resources at FloQast. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to creating a workplace where women feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. We know that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to our success, and we are proud to be a company where women can thrive.

The Best Workplaces for Women list is highly competitive. Great Place To Work, the global authority on workplace culture, determines its lists using its proprietary For All Methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in Americas largest ongoing annual workforce study, with over 1.3 million survey responses received this year, representing the experiences of more than 7.5 million employees.

Survey responses reflect a comprehensive picture of the workplace experience. Honorees were selected based on their ability to offer positive outcomes for women regardless of job role, race, sexual orientation, work status, or other demographic identifier. Great Place To Work analyzed the gender balance of each workplace compared with Bureau of Labor Statistics industry data. Companies are also assessed on how representation changes as women rise from front-line positions to the board of directors.

In a challenging market, companies cant afford to leave workers on the sidelines, says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. When women feel empowered to be full participants in the workplace, productivity and profit grows, insulating the organization from external pressure. We celebrate these companies who are committed to closing the gender gap, developing the next generation of women leaders to solve the complex problems we all face.

Fortune congratulates the companies that made the cut for the Best Workplaces for Women, says Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell. Based on survey responses of so many women nationwide, these companies clearly demonstrate they have created workplaces where women are consistently valued, supported, and encouraged to do their best work.

Earlier in the year, FloQast was recognized by Fortune and Great Place To Work on their 2023 Best Workplaces in Technology and Best Medium Workplaces lists. The company also received a number of other, notable accolades earlier in the year and achieved a number of major milestones. In August, FloQast made its debut on the Inc. 5000 list. This year, FloQast also ranked among the highest-scoring businesses on Inc. Magazines Annual List of Best Workplaces for 2023 and was named a Great Place to Work in both the US and UK. In January, FloQast was named to Built Ins Best Place to Work List. The company was recently named a Best Place to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal for the seventh straight year. The award also comes alongside continued momentum for FloQast, including the launch of an all-new brand strategy and expansion to Australia and New Zealand.

About FloQastFloQast, a provider of accounting workflow automation software created by accountants for accountants, delivers an Accounting Operations Platform that enables organizations to operationalize accounting excellence. Trusted by more than 2,300 accounting teams  including Twilio, Los Angeles Lakers, Zoom, and Snowflake  FloQast was built by accountants, for accountants to enhance the way accounting teams work. FloQast enables customers to streamline and manage the Financial Close, Finance and Accounting Operations, and Compliance Programs. With FloQast, teams can manage every aspect of the month-end Close, reduce their compliance burden, stay audit-ready, and improve accuracy, visibility, and collaboration throughout the financial function. FloQast is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

About the Best Workplaces for WomenGreat Place To Work selected the 2023 Best Workplaces for Women List by analyzing the survey responses of over 600,000 employees who work for Great Place To Work Certified companies that also meet the criteria for this list. To be eligible, a company must employ at least 50 women, have least 20% of non-executive managers who are women, and have at least one executive whos a woman. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place To Work Trust Index Survey. Read the full methodology. To get on this list next year, start here.

About Great Place To WorkAs the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Its proprietary platform and For All Model helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces List. Follow Great Place To Work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram or visit greatplacetowork.com and sign up for the newsletter to learn more.

About FortuneThe Fortune mission is to change the world by making business better. We achieve that by providing trusted information, telling great stories, and building world-class communities. We measure performance by rigorous benchmarks. And we hold companies accountable. Our goal is to make Fortune a force for good through its second century and beyond. For more information, visit www.fortune.com.

Contact:Kyle CabodiFloQast Director of Corporate Communications[email protected]

Source: FloQast
Miami, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genesis Global, the low-code application development platform purpose-built for financial markets organizations, today announced Nitin Gupta as Chief Revenue Officer. He reports to CEO, Stephen Murphy.

Prior to Genesis, Gupta was the Americas Sales Leader for Global Financial Services EMEA at Amazon Web Services, where he also held other senior business development roles over eight years. He brings to Genesis deep experience and a proven track record of fostering strong client relationships in financial markets, driving revenue and inspiring performance in global sales teams. Gupta will lead the entire sales organization at Genesis, including Sales Enablement, Partnerships, Strategic Account Management and Client Success.

Nitins leadership will play a pivotal role in shaping our growth and enhancing our influence in the financial industry, said Stephen Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Genesis Global. His experience in sales strategy, market expansion and client engagement align perfectly with our vision and the opportunities ahead for Genesis.

Firms throughout the financial industry need Genesis unique technology and expertise to address their pressing challenges in digital transformation, technology-driven market innovation, and automating manual processes, said Nitin Gupta, Chief Revenue Officer at Genesis Global. I am excited to help make this highly-compelling firm an even larger catalyst for innovation in capital markets.

Gupta has more than 20 years capital markets experience. Earlier in his career, at Yodlee and Capgemini, Gupta built commercial relationships in wealth management, credit risk management, retail banking, payments and other financial segments, adding multiple, major financial institutions to client rosters.

Gupta holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management and a bachelors from the Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University.

# # #

About Genesis GlobalGenesis Global enables financial markets organizations to innovate at speed through a software application development platform, prepackaged solutions and deep expertise in capital markets and financial services. In supercharging developers to rapidly deliver high-performance, resilient and secure applications, Genesis replaces the buy vs. build challenge with a buy-to-build solution.

The Genesis platform is designed with flexibility and performance at its core, providing developers with the frameworks, integrations and components required to automate manual workflows, enhance legacy systems and build entirely new applications. Featuring a resilient, real-time service-oriented architecture, Genesis excels across the performance envelope of low-latency, high-throughput and high-scalability, powering mission-critical applications at the worlds leading financial institutions.

Strategically backed by Bank of America, BNY Mellon and Citi, Genesis Global has offices in Miami, New York, Charlotte, London, Sao Paulo, Dublin and Bengaluru.

Attachment

Alex Paidas Genesis Global 6462464889 [email protected]

Source: Genesis Global
DALLAS, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great news, an investor in CMB Infrastructure Investment Group 78, LP (Group 78) has just received their first I-526E approval! The I-526E is a new petition introduced by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), it replaces the legacy I-526 petition. The I-526E is a significant step in the EB-5 immigration process and qualifies an investor for conditional permanent residency in the United States. This investors petition was approved in approximately 13 months. This indicates that the USCIS is achieving lower adjudication timeframes when it comes to processing EB-5 petitions under the new RIA. The Group 78 partnership qualifies as a high unemployment project that receives a 10% visa set-aside allocation of the 10,000 visas granted under the EB-5 program each year.



The USCIS, as a result of the RIA, introduced several new forms which has led to operational efficiencies, among other things, to improve processing times. The I-956F petition is filed by Regional Centers for each EB-5 offering and adjudicated by the USCIS to determine whether the investment itself meets the programs requirements. The I-526E contains investor-specific information related to suitability and the source of investment funds. Under the new system, an EB-5 investment partnership must achieve an I-956F approval before individual I-526E petitions are processed. It also improves efficiency by adjudicating the project information via the I-956F once as opposed to pre-RIA when the project was reviewed as part of each I-526 petition.

Group 78 was the first of three CMB EB-5 partnership to receive an I-956F approval under the new program. Group 78s I-956F was approved in approximately 12 months (on June 27, 2023). This first I-526E was approved less than 4 months after the project approval, and we expect to see additional I-526E approvals in the near future. The CMB Group 78 partnership financed the development and construction of two industrial/logistics facilities in California:

The Waterman TI facility in San Bernardino, CA serves as a new state-of the art fulfillment center for Amazon.com. This Class-A fulfillment center consists of approximately 1,000,000 square feet and is located within the AllianceCalifornia master-planned business park

The Veterans Industrial Park I-215 subproject in Riverside, CA is an approximately 2,000,000 square foot distribution facility occupied by Target Corp. Inc.

Hillwood Development Company served as the borrower and project developer for Group 78. CMB has undertaken a multitude of EB-5 projects in partnership with Hillwood, many of which also targeted the industrial/logistics sector. The extreme growth of ecommerce in recent years has created significant demand for these facilities. We currently have several similar EB-5 investment opportunities open for subscription.

This is great news for all investors in the Group 78 project and a huge milestone for CMB. CMB is one of the oldest and most successful regional center operators in EB-5. Were committed to build on our history of success and continue to help EB-5 investors from all over the world realize their American Dream!

+1-309-797-1550

www.cmbeb5visa.com

[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ac57554d-03d3-4313-a7e0-4751760c3610
ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global all-domain defense provider HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that Brig. Gen. Paul Tennant (British Army, Ret.) has been named corporate vice president of engagement and international government relations. He will succeed Joe Tofalo, who will retire in December after five years with the company and 35 years in the U.S. Navy. Tennant will be located in HIIs Arlington office and report directly to Stewart Holmes, HIIs executive vice president of government and customer relations (GCR).



Tennant will inform national security policy and future force capabilities through engagement with think tanks, professional organizations, federal entities, academia, consultancies and other third-party advocates in support of HII campaigns and priorities. In addition, he will lead and provide oversight for GCR on international initiatives, including the trilateral Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS) partnership and will coordinate engagement with foreign governments, embassies and relevant organizations.





A photo accompanying this release is available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-paul-tennant-corporate-vice-president-engagement-international-government-relations.

We are delighted to have Paul join our team and take on this important role while HII expands domestically and internationally, Holmes said. Paul brings over 30 years of leadership and security cooperation expertise. He has forged strong partnerships within the national security environment at embassies, combatant commands, at the joint level and with many important third-party institutions. Pauls network, coupled with his extensive security cooperation background, will strengthen the cross divisional and cooperate efforts at HII and position us to be a stronger partner for our customers.

His last position in uniform was as defense adviser for the U.K. to Canada, where he was responsible for oversight of the defense relationship between the two countries. Previously, he served as military attache and deputy defense attache for the U.K. in Washington, D.C., working principally on the management and advancement of the relationship between the U.S. and British armies.

Tennant began his military career as an army aviator and served on multiple deployments in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. He was chief of the Joint Fires and Influence Branch, Headquarters, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, NATO, and served on exchange to the U.S. Army as special assistant to then-Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno. Tennant holds Master of Arts degrees from both University of St Andrews and Cranfield University.

About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HIIs mission is to deliver the worlds most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nations largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HIIs workforce is 43,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/

HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII

HII on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII

HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII

Contact:



Danny Hernandez

[email protected]

(202) 264-7143

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/769678a1-d37a-460b-b050-febe63a3c8c5
ELLICOTT CITY, Md., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntress, the managed security platform for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and the Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that support them, today announced that it has been named an honoree on Inc. Business Medias 2023 Power Partner Awards list.

Inc. vetted thousands of companies based on the value they provide as partners to small businesses. Huntress was recognized for its proven track record of combining the power of technology with 24/7 human threat detection to protect SMBs from cybersecurity threats. In addition to Huntress best-in-class managed security platform, the company provides invaluable educational tools and hands-on trainings to help its customers level up their cybersecurity skills, learn how to think like hackers, and defend their customers' businesses.

Huntress is purpose-built to demolish hackers looking to wreak havoc on SMBs, said Kyle Hanslovan, CEO of Huntress. These businesses are the backbone of our global economy  but dont have the time or money for in-house teams to protect them. This award from Inc. validates that our team is succeeding in our mission to stop hackers and let SMB and MSP owners rest easy at night, knowing that Huntress has their backs.

In a time characterized by tighter budgets, SMBs are looking for cybersecurity partners who offer top-notch, cost-effective protection against cyber threats. Huntress human-backed approach gives SMBs a cutting edge as 61% otherwise dont have dedicated cybersecurity experts. Huntress 24/7 ThreatOps team frees partners from building an expensive internal cybersecurity function while simultaneously bridging the skills gap with a diverse group of the top incident responders worldwide.

Explosive company growth signals hope for SMBsIn the past year alone, Huntress has surpassed protecting more than 2 million endpoints, raised $60M in Series C funding, now supports over 115,000 organizations worldwide and just last week launched a new managed detection and response (MDR) solution for Microsoft 365 to protect SMBs against the monumental threat posed by business email compromise (BEC) attacks.

Trusted B2B partners provide guidance and expertise that founders rely on at various steps of their organizations journey. Partners that possess a demonstrated ability to deliver quality support are at the core of entrepreneurship and help bring big ideas to life, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Business Media.

Huntress was also awarded for its Neighborhood Watch Program, a collection of programs and resources designed to help elevate the broader security community. The company has invested millions of dollars into the MSP community in the last year through this program and is continuing to work with partners to provide not-for-resale licenses and access to Huntress tools and education at no cost for their internal endpoints. Additionally, Huntress has invested significantly in its Partner Success team to focus on true partner enablement and product education, ensuring they get the most out of Huntress.

To view the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/power-partner-awards/2023

The November 2023 Issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and will be on newsstands beginning October 31, 2023.

About Inc. Business MediaThe worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

About HuntressHuntress is the leading cybersecurity partner for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and the managed service providers that support them. Combining the power of the Huntress Managed Security Platform with a fully staffed 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC), Huntress provides the technology, services, education, and expertise needed to help SMBs overcome their cybersecurity challenges and protect critical business assets. By delivering a suite of purpose-built solutions that meet budget, security, and peace-of-mind requirements, Huntress is how SMBs defend against cyberattacks.

Founded in 2015 by a group of former National Security Administration (NSA) operators, Huntress has more than doubled over the past couple of years to protect more than 2 million endpoints, supporting 4,300 partners and more than 115,000 organizations. The company recently closed a $60M series C led by Sapphire Ventures. For more information about Huntress, visit huntress.com or follow us on social media at @HuntressLabs on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Media ContactKatie Pesek(703) 795-1928[email protected]

Source: Huntress Labs
Kitchener, Ontario, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellijoint Surgical, a leading Canadian innovator in orthopaedic medical technologies, announced today a reduction in its workforce to ensure the company can grow sustainably, become profitable, and remain competitive. Effective immediately, the company will reduce its workforce by 30 roles, the overwhelming majority being in Canada.

Today we made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce. Since founding Intellijoint in 2010, we have been fortunate to avoid an outcome like today, said Armen Bakirtzian. The current market conditions, however, combined with the ongoing challenges of scaling a medical technology business in Canada, are requiring us to streamline our business. This is not a decision we made lightly, but one we had to make to achieve profitability and grow sustainably for the long term.

Mr. Bakirtzian continues, I am confident in Intellijoints future. Countless more patients, providers, and physicians will benefit from our technology and we have a plan to maintain our aggressive growth. Being in a profitable position next fiscal year is critical to this plan as it enables us to build a stronger, more innovative business with our fantastic partners in Canada and around the world.

Intellijoint Surgical notified all of the affected employees earlier today. All impacted employees will be supported by Intellijoint and our partners as they seek employment within our ecosystem.

Intellijoint Surgical remains focused on serving its customers, and expects no disruption to daily global operations for continued surgeon and patient success. The companys commitment to innovation and excellence in orthopedic medical technologies remains steadfast. We remain committed to Canada and the growing health innovation ecosystem in Kitchener-Waterloo.

About Intellijoint SurgicalIntellijoint Surgical develops and commercializes surgical planning & navigation solutions for total hip and knee joint replacements. It is committed to improving patients lives by providing every surgeon with effective, easy-to-use technology. Intellijoints technology is used by top orthopaedic institutions and surgeons globally.

PR ContactsTim Dutton, Director, Corporate Affairs [email protected]Lisa Kawalez, Senior Manager, Marketing Communications

Source: Intellijoint Surgical
Press Release

October 25, 2023 Bong Go's Malasakit Center provides life-saving surgery for Sulu teacher Senator Christopher "Bong" Go lauded how the Malasakit Center stood as a pillar of support as it paved the way for life-saving heart surgery for 29-year-old Mohammad Abdelrashid Juhuri, a devoted teacher from Maimbung, Sulu. Mohammad's life took an unexpected turn in 2017 when a diagnosis of congenital heart disease threatened his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer. The heart ailment was not a mere medical diagnosis but a life-changer. "Congenital heart disease, pero nalaman ko po ito way back 2017... nagpunta po ako dito after ko po mag-take ng board exam para sa mechanical engineering tapos yun nga, sabi ng doctor, parang may iba, iba yung sound ng the way po mag-breathe," Mohammad recounted. Congenital heart disease is a birth defect that alters the heart's structure, leading to a spectrum of symptoms which may necessitate interventions like surgery or medication, or in milder cases, may require no treatment at all. The financial strain of the required medical intervention proved daunting. Mohammad's monthly household income was starkly inadequate for the surgical intervention required to mend his ailing heart. His early endeavors to secure financial assistance led him to ask favors from local officials, which eventually led him to the Malasakit Center at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City. The Malasakit Center, which Go initiated in 2018 and principally sponsored and authored in the Senate before being enacted into law in 2019, served as a solid anchor amidst the financial challenges being faced by Mohammad at that time. This initiative, which was a result of a collaboration among various government agencies, aimed to provide financial relief to individuals like Mohammad. The intervention of the Malasakit Center demonstrated a tangible representation of the collective governmental effort to alleviate individual adversities particularly when it comes to one's health. The financial aid provided by the Malasakit Center paved the way for Mohammad's much-needed surgical intervention. His reflections underscored the significance of the aid, "Siguro kung walang Malasakit... malaking tulong ito, kumbaga, binigyan nila ng kaginhawaan... wala kang babayaran sa medicine, sa lahat, sa hospital bills, sa professional fee ng mga doctor." With the success of the operation, Mohammad and his family became forever grateful to the assistance he received from the government. "Senator... Isa ka sa instrumento na binigay ni God upang madugtungan ang buhay ko," he said. Mohammad's sentiments mirrored that of the countless beneficiaries of the Malasakit Center. "Thank you very much, Senator Bong. Kung hindi sa inyo, hindi ko na alam kung anong mangyari sa anak ko, so thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts," Mohammad's mother said. Mohammad's narrative is just one of the many life stories of those impacted by the Malasakit Centers. Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Go's significant role as the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, has been instrumental in institutionalizing the Malasakit Centers program. This legislative move has not only provided a solid foundation for the Centers but also ensured their operational sustenance across the nation. As of now, 159 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. DOH reported that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more than seven million Filipinos. In reflection, Go expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards the community for their unwavering support and trust in the Malasakit Center initiative. He emphasized that the resilience and hope displayed by beneficiaries like Mohammad continue to fuel his dedication and service. "Gusto ko pong iparating ang aking taos-pusong pasasalamat sa inyong patuloy na suporta at tiwala. Ang inyong mga kwento ng pagbangon at pag-asa ang nagbibigay inspirasyon sa akin na patuloy na maglingkod ng buong puso," said Go. "Ang Malasakit Centers ay para sa inyo, para sa bawat Pilipinong nangangailangan ng tulong at suporta mula sa gobyerno. Magtulungan tayo sa agarang pagbangon mula sa mga trahedyang ating hinaharap. Maraming salamat po at asahan niyo ang aking patuloy na serbisyo sa abot ng aking makakaya," he concluded.
Sometimes it seems that just 30 minutes of sleep deprivation will not affect your health and well-being. However, scientists recently conducted a study that refuted this idea completely.

ADVERTISIMENT

Airborne anxiety, sleepless nights, and difficult news deplete physical and mental health and often lead to sleep deprivation. Study Finds explains how even a slight lack of sleep can have long-term consequences for our cardiovascular system.

The "gold standard" for sleep is 7-8 hours. However, busy schedules, nighttime anxiety, and other aspects of life force us to adjust our sleep patterns. Scientists from Columbia University (New York) have found that reduced sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease over time. So if you are constantly sleep-deprived, it is a reason to think about your health.

One of the authors of the study, Dr. Sanja Jelic, said that scientists have recently discovered a link between healthy sleep and heart health. This has been discussed in scientific papers before, but only now have researchers been able to find direct evidence.

ADVERTISIMENT

Previous studies have generally identified the consequences of prolonged insomnia: what happens if you don't sleep for several nights, etc. However, the Columbia University study aimed to determine what happens when people get just an hour (or even less) of sleep than normal.

Scientists worked with a group of women who usually sleep for 7-8 hours. The study lasted for 12 weeks, during the first half of which women went to bed 1.5 hours later, and the rest of the time they followed their usual sleep schedule.

Sleep monitoring bracelets helped to record changes in the body. Within 6 weeks after the study began, the blood vessels of women who were constantly experiencing a lack of sleep began to be exposed to harmful oxidants. These cells can cope with oxidants and neutralize them on their own under normal conditions.

ADVERTISIMENT

With lack of sleep, the cells begin to show signs of inflammation and dysfunction, and this can be the first sign of problems with the cardiovascular system. That is, if you do not get enough sleep for several hours a day when you are young, it can lead to heart disease and increase the risk of heart complications in the future.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA explained whether coffee really saves from lack of sleep.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
33 leading international partners, supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), have teamed up to launch the research consortium iCARE4CVD to better understand cardiovascular disease and optimise future prevention and treatment. By creating one database consisting of data from more than 1 million patients and using artificial intelligence, partners will look for new strategies to shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to personalised care.

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The international public-private research consortium iCARE4CVD (individualised care from early risk of cardiovascular disease to established heart failure) has launched to better understand cardiovascular disease and optimise future prevention and treatment. The consortium brings together 33 leading international partners from civil society, academia and industry, and is led and coordinated by Maastricht University and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk.

Cardiovascular disease is very prevalent worldwide with enormous socio-economic impact. It is still the most common cause of death, despite significant advances in therapy. Due to population ageing and unhealthy lifestyle, the number of Europeans suffering from CVD currently exceeds 85 million and is still on the rise. This underscores the critical need for better care pathways to reduce the impact of CVD.

As doctors, we are mostly bound to a one-size-fits-all approach while treating our patients with CVD. Our mission however, within iCARE4CVD, is to personalise diagnosis and management of CVD to improve both outcome and patient satisfaction. We will achieve this by collecting data of more than 1 million subjects in a federated database, analysing them using artificial intelligence (AI) and prospectively validating personalized treatments during the second half of iCARE4CVD, said Prof Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca, coordinator of iCARE4CVD and cardiologist at Maastricht University and Maastricht University Medical Center+ (Maastricht UMC+).

To improve patient outcomes, iCARE4CVD aims to improve four aspects of current care:

1) Early diagnosis and classification into clinically meaningful subgroups

2) Risk stratification defining urgency for intervention

3) Prediction of individual treatment response

4) Inclusion of outcomes based on patient perspectives

CVD encompasses a range of intricate, chronic conditions, with atherosclerosis being the most prevalent. Many questions remain about why some individuals with risk factors develop CVD while others do not, and how CVD progresses to more severe stages. iCARE4CVD represents a significant stride towards a deeper comprehension of CVD and the customization of interventions at each stage, catering to individual needs much more effectively, said Prof Kees Hovingh, Senior Medical Officer and iCARE4CVD Scientific Leader at Novo Nordisk.

The voices of people at risk for and those currently living with CVD will be at the heart of iCARE4CVD during the entire project, by using patients insights, opinions and wishes. They will help to translate the findings into a more patient-centric and equitable narrative around CVD and its multiple impacts on individuals from both a social and medical perspective.

iCARE4CVD will also investigate health outcomes in people with type 1 diabetes at risk of developing CVD, explains Dr Jeanette Soderberg, Director at JDRF. With the help of such a large European collaboration, we will investigate the impact of novel therapies typically used in type 2 diabetes on clinically important outcomes in the traditionally underappreciated but growing population of type 1 diabetes at risk. With the help of biomarkers, we will also be able to determine whos in most need for such intervention.

iCARE4CVD has been granted 22 million in funding from the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) - a joint undertaking of the European Commission and the European life science industry. The project officially kicked off its activities across Europe in October 2023 and will run until 31 March 2028.

Project facts

Project acronym: iCARE4CVD Start date: 01 October 2023 Duration: 54 months Budget:  22 Mio Coordination: University Maastricht, Prof Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca Project Lead: Novo Nordisk A/S, Dr Nicholas Ciccone Website: www.icare4cvd.eu





Austria Medizinische Universitat Wien Belgium Thomas More Kempen VZW Denmark Novo Nordisk A/S France Bayer Healthcare SAS France

Fondation Francophone pour la Recherche sur le Diabete

Huawei Technologies France

INSERM/Mondor Biomedical Research Germany Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin

Evotec International GmbH

Deutsche Stiftung fur chonisch Kranke

Universitatsklinikum Aachen

WIG2 GmbH Ireland University College Dublin Italy Fondazione Human Technopole

Instituto di ricerche farmacologiche Mario Negri Netherlands Catalyze B.V.

Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam

Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum

Maastricht University

Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek

Philips Medical Systems Nederland BV

Stichting IMEC Nederland

Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen Sweden Astrazeneca AB Switzerland Amgen (Europe) GmbH

Decentriq

Roche Diagnostics International AG

Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics United Kingdom Orbital Global

The Queens University of Belfast

University of Glasgow United States Eli Lilly and Company and its Affiliates

JDRF International





Funding acknowledgement

This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101112022. The JU receives support from the European Unions Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Vaccines Europe, EuropaBio, MedTech Europe and JDRF International.

About IHI

The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) is a public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Union and the European life science industries. The partners of IHI are the European Union, represented by the European Commission, and the European life science industry, represented by the industry associations COCIR, EFPIA (including Vaccines Europe), EuropaBio and MedTech Europe. The core goals at IHI, are to translate health research and innovation into tangible benefits for patients and society, and ensure that Europe remains at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary, sustainable, patient-centric health research. IHI has a total budget of 2.4 billion and is funded jointly by the EU and by industry associations representing Europes life science industries. For further information: www.ihi.europe.eu

Disclaimer

Funded by the European Union, the private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.



Further information

For questions about this press release or requests for interviews, please contact:

Rik van Laake, press officer, Maastricht UMC+

0031-621884122

[email protected]
Company to unveil new Antimicrobial Wound Gel brand developed with ProgenaCare Global

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX-V:KNE OTCQB:KNBIF) (the Company or Kane Biotech) today announces that it will be unveiling the new brand for its coactiv+ Antimicrobial Wound Gel product (Wound Gel) at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall forum (SAWC Fall).

Both Kane Biotech and its U.S. Wound Gel distribution partner, ProgenaCare Global, will host informational booths at SAWC Fall introducing the new brand and recruiting practitioners to participate in clinical evaluations using the Companys Wound Gel.

Im excited to be introducing the new brand to investors and practitioners. Kane and ProgenaCare worked closely together on the branding and have come up with a result Im very proud of. Also, weve been working diligently to manufacture a limited quantity of product in-house which will allow us to get some clinical evaluations underway as we scale up manufacturing, stated Marc Edwards, President and CEO of Kane Biotech.

Kane will also present a technology poster on Kanes Wound Gel which is a combination of Kanes patented coactiv+ technology and PHMB, paired with a non-ionic Pluronic surfactant with thermo-gelling properties. The combination of these three components provides for a moist environment in an easy-to-use gel that is optimized for sensitive wounds.

The conference will take place from November 2-5, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada and is intended to connect the entire wound care community fostering inclusivity, innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. During this conference, Kane Biotech will present along with other important voices in Biotech and Wound Care.

About ProgenaCare (ProgenaCare Global LLC)

ProgenaCare is a purpose-driven medical device company leveraging cutting-edge advances in biomaterials and medical device technologies to provide effective, affordable advanced wound care solutions to patients across the socioeconomic spectrum and around the world.

About Kane Biotech

Kane Biotech is a biotechnology company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of technologies and products that prevent and remove microbial biofilms. The Company has a portfolio of biotechnologies, intellectual property (80 patents and patents pending, trade secrets and trademarks) and products developed by the Company's own biofilm research expertise and acquired from leading research institutions. StrixNB, DispersinB, Aledex, bluestem, bluestem, silkstem, goldstem, coactiv+, coactiv+, DermaKB and DermaKB Biofilm are trademarks of Kane Biotech Inc. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol KNE and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol KNBIF.

For more information: Marc Edwards Ray Dupuis Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Kane Biotech Inc. Kane Biotech Inc. [email protected] [email protected]

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain statements regarding Kane Biotech Inc. that constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities law. These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the Companys: (a) financial condition, including lack of significant revenues to date and reliance on equity and other financing; (b) business, including its early stage of development, government regulation, market acceptance for its products, rapid technological change and dependence on key personnel; (c) intellectual property including the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property and dependence on its strategic partners; and (d) capital structure, including its lack of dividends on its common shares, volatility of the market price of its common shares and public company costs. Further information about these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in the disclosure documents filed by the Company with applicable securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedar.com. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lynx Air (Lynx), Canadas ultra-affordable airline, announced today its expansion into Mexico, connecting Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) with Cancun International Airport (CUN). Cancun will be Lynxs first destination in Mexico, with flights taking off from Toronto starting February 15, 2024. The expansion will be Lynxs third country in its growing network and Cancun will mark its 18th destination.

Canadas leading ultra-affordable airline took to the skies for the first time in 2022, with a vision to inspire more Canadians to fly by offering a great flying experience at an ultra-affordable price.

Tickets to Cancun go on sale today, and the fares are truly ultra-affordable, starting from $179 one way, including taxes and fees. To celebrate, the airline has launched a limited-time seat sale, offering up to 25 per cent off all base fares to and from Cancun and other sun destinations, using the promo code CANCUN. The sale will run from 06:00 AM EDT on October 25, 2023, and end at 11:59PM EDT on October 26, 2023. For complete sale details, and to book an ultra-affordable fare, please visit FlyLynx.com.

With winter approaching, we know Canadians love to travel south in search of warmer weather and sandy beaches. We are thrilled to be offering an ultra-affordable option to Cancun, one of the most popular sun destinations in Mexico, said Vijay Bathija, Chief Commercial Officer of Lynx. By choosing Lynx, Canadians can save on the journey and spend more on their sun-soaked getaway.

Demand for Cancun continues to be incredibly high for passengers travelling from Toronto Pearson, said Janik Reigate, Director, Strategic Customer Relationships, GTAA. We welcome Lynx's new service as it will provide passengers with another option to fly to the sunny beaches of Mexico.

Lynxs Mexico Schedule from Toronto

Effective Date Frequency Departure Station Arrival Station 15  FEB  24 MON-TUES-WED-THUR-FRI-SAT-SUN TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (YYZ) CANCUN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CUN)

Please note that dates are subject to change. Visit the website for full schedule details.

* Available for a limited time; fares are accurate at the time of release and include taxes and fees, restrictions apply.

Media contact:Paula WorthingtonWorthington PR [email protected]403-585-2429

About Lynx Air

Lynx Air (Lynx), Canada's leading ultra-low-cost airline, is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all, with ultra-affordable fares and a customer-focused flying experience. The airline was recently awarded Youngest Fleet in North America by ch-aviation. Lynx operates a brand-new fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, bringing an elevated customer experience to low-cost travel in Canada. These ultra-efficient and reliable aircraft are 20% more fuel efficient than previous generation aircraft, reducing Lynxs carbon footprint, and making Lynx one of Canadas most sustainable airlines. Lynx is a privately owned Canadian airline with the financial backing and industry expertise required to transform the Canadian aviation landscape.

Visit FlyLynx.com or connect with Lynx on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to learn more.

Source: Lynx Air
Vancouver, BC, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nicola Wealth Management Ltd. (Nicola Wealth), one of Canada's fastest-growing independent wealth management firms, is proud to announce the appointment of two highly accomplished wealth advisors, Martine Cunliffe and Robert Gareau, to its wealth advisory team. These advisors are following in the footsteps of other investment professionals in Canada who are leaving larger institutions for private firms with unique financial offerings.

"As we continue to attract a growing number of talented wealth advisors, it's evident that our diversified investments, our integrated approach to wealth management, and our award-winning corporate culture are attracting top-tier professionals to our team," noted Cameron Smith, Vice President of Advisory Services | Client Relationship Manager at Nicola Wealth. "The addition of Martine in Vancouver and Robert in Victoria underscores our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional full-service wealth advisory solutions for our clients nationwide as part of our ongoing journey to build a truly remarkable advisory team."

Martine Cunliffe, CIM, CFP

Ms. Cunliffe joins Nicola Wealth as a Wealth Advisor | Client Relationship Manager based in Vancouver, British Columbia. With over 25 years of experience serving high and ultra-high-net-worth clients and their families. For the past decade, she served as a Senior Investment Counsellor and Portfolio Manager at CIBC Private Investment Counsel, offering invaluable guidance to clients. Before her tenure at CIBC, she held the position of Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Richardson GMP, co-managing an exclusive ultra-high-net-worth client book. Her leadership and expertise were also instrumental during her time as the Regional Head and Executive Director of the UBS Wealth Management office in Vancouver. Ms. Cunliffe has earned a number of accreditations, including the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation and the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification in addition to being a fully licensed Portfolio Manager. Much like her new colleagues at Nicola Wealth, Ms. Cunliffe lends her expertise as an active member of the community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Children's Arts Umbrella Foundation.

Robert Gareau, MBA, CIM

Mr. Gareau joins Nicola Wealths expanding team in Victoria, British Columbia, where a new office has recently been opened. He assumes the role of Wealth Advisor | Client Relationship Manager, bringing with him nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. For the past 10 years, he served as an Investment Counsellor at CIBC Private Investment Counsel in Victoria, B.C., working as a client-facing Portfolio Manager, providing tailored financial advice to high-net-worth investors, trusts, and foundations. Before his Portfolio Manager role, Mr. Gareau spent nine years with CIBC Commercial Banking, progressing to a Director role where he advised a diverse portfolio of private and public sector clients. Registered as a Portfolio Manager, Mr. Gareau also holds the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation. Beyond his professional career, Mr. Gareau is deeply engaged in the Victoria community, serving as a Board Director with the Victoria Foundation and actively participating in the Foundation's Investment Committee and Impact Investing Committee.

About Nicola Wealth

Nicola Wealth Management Ltd. (Nicola Wealth) is an independent wealth management firm dedicated to serving the complex needs of high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions. Today, the firm is responsible for managing over $14.2 billion in assets for clients across Canada, with advisors in BC, Alberta and Ontario. Nicola Wealth delivers a level of diversification that extends beyond publicly traded securities to include access to a wide range of private asset classes including hard asset real estate, private equity, private debt, commercial mortgages and more. For more information, please visit www.nicolawealth.com.

Victoria Emslie Nicola Wealth 604-484-1286 [email protected]

Source: Nicola Wealth
Period July - September

Order bookings decreased by 21 percent to MSEK 182 (230).

Revenue decreased by 7 percent to MSEK 215 (232).

Revenue adjusted for currency effects amounted to MSEK 209 (232), i.e. an underlying organic decrease of 10 percent.

Operating profit amounted to MSEK 20.8 (37.0).

Profit for the period amounted to MSEK 13.4 (28.0).

Earnings per share amounted to SEK 1.17 (2.45).

Period January  September

Order bookings decreased by 24 percent to MSEK 572 (755).

Revenue expressed in SEK decreased by 10 percent to MSEK 666 (744).

Revenue adjusted for currency effects amounted to MSEK 639 (744), i.e. an underlying organic decrease of 14 percent.

The operating profit amounted to MSEK 53.8 (122.1).

Profit for the period amounted to MSEK 33.7 (91.9).

Earnings per share amounted to SEK 2.95 (8.06).

Net cash (excluding IFRS16) amounted to MSEK 3 (43).





A presentation will be held today 25/10 at 10.00 am CET, where the CEO presents the report. You can participate by register on the link below:

Registration Form

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Krister Magnusson, President & CEO

Mobile: +46-704 85 21 14

E-mail: [email protected]

This information is information that Nilorngruppen is under obligation to publish in accordance with the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information herein was provided by the contact person named below for publication at 08:00 a.m., 25 October 2023

Attachment
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PopUp Bagels, the viral bagel startup which has skyrocketed in popularity, today announced it has closed an $8 million capital raise to fund its future growth and expand its executive team.



The round was led by Stripes, a NYC-based growth equity firm which has funded such iconic brands as Levain Bakery and Erewhon Organic Grocer. Investors in the previous round including Darren Rovell's Tastemaker Capital and Habitat Partners, the investment arm of Red Antler, also returned to coinvest.

PopUp Bagels was launched in the pandemic in 2020 out of the home kitchen of Adam Goldberg in Westport, Conn. After handing them out to neighbors, word began to spread about what made them the best bagel on the planet -- the crispy outside, chewy inside and the perfect amount of seeds. Soon, people began to pay for them by ordering them online days in advance and picking them up at specified times and locations.

Having won the Brooklyn Bagelfest's "Best Bagel" two years in a row, PopUp engaged in a significant raise last year led by Hollywood producer and food concept investor John Davis. The capital allowed the company to, among other things, expand their retail footprint in Greenwich, Conn and Greenwich Village.

Thanks in part to the buzz from influencers like @SistersSnacking and the app Beli, and more than 10 million views of its product on TikTok, block-long lines formed with native New Yorkers and out-of-towners to get a taste of these circles of dough. PopUp also has a long list of celebrity investors, and even recently had Paul Rudd and J.J. Watt, working the store together to be more hands on in the action.

"When I started all of this out of my home, it was just because I thought the bagel could use improvement," said Goldberg. "I am so humbled by the response over the last year, from the hour-long lines that form to the simple first reactions in the most scrutinized market for this product. It was not long before I realized we needed to finance our operation to allow more of the world to experience the PopUp Bagel way."

PopUp Bagels, whose motto is "Not Famous But Known" doesn't just sell the bagel. It has revolutionized the whole experience. Consumers buy "Bagels not Sandwiches" and you can't just buy just one. Bagel buyers choose 3, 6 or 12 fresh from the oven bagels and are encouraged to grip, rip and dip them into artisan schmears, like Utz Cheese Ball Cream Cheese or Bowery Farms Basil Pesto Butter, with flavors and brand collaborations changing weekly.

Media Contact

Joshua Levitt

PR for PopUp Bagels

[email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1d5dd94-ac51-4a56-9741-1a4ccb649f4e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9cd8635e-d64e-4749-9ab4-50b0dd99c7d6
Prosafe SE will release its third quarter 2023 results today, 25 October 2023 at approx. 04:30 p.m. CEST. The Q3 2023 report and the Q3 2023 presentation will be published on www.newsweb.no and on Prosafes website www.prosafe.com



Reese McNeel, Interim CEO will on 26 October 2023 at 10:00 a.m. CEST host an audiocast. The audiocast can be followed at www.prosafe.com



It will be possible to ask questions during the presentation by using the Q&A tool embedded in the audiocast. These questions will be answered after the presentation. A replay of the audiocast will be made available on Prosafes website shortly after.



Prosafe is a leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation vessels. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with ticker code PRS. For more information, please refer to www.prosafe.com



Stavanger, 25 October 2023

Prosafe SE



For further information, please contact:



Reese McNeel, Interim CEO

Phone: +47 47 51 64 25 17 / +47 415 08 186



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QHSLab, Inc. (the Company) (OTCQB: USAQ), a company focused on providing clinicians with tools to leverage proactive, value-based healthcare solutions through emerging digital health and point-of-care technologies, is proud to announce that since the start of Q4 2023 it has gained six new multi-location customer accounts for its Integrated Service Program (ISP) in South Florida. These accounts encompass sixteen primary care facilities, further establishing QHSLab as a prominent player in the digital healthcare industry. These esteemed medical practices have chosen QHSLab to enhance patient care, implementing various programs such as mental health screening, chronic pain management, and allergy and asthma management. This partnership offers comprehensive healthcare solutions to patients while assisting these practices in delivering top-notch medical services and generating new revenue through QHSLab's successful reimbursement strategy.



As a result of these new agreements, QHSLab foresees a substantial surge in revenue, with an estimated quarterly increase in sales over 100% within its Integrated Service Program (ISP) segment. This growth trajectory positions the Company to achieve positive cash flow by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

"The newly implemented programs address the evolving needs of patients, offering personalized care through mental health assessments, chronic pain management, and allergy management services," said Troy Grogan, President and CEO of QHSLab, Inc. "Our ISP program is gaining significant traction and we are delighted that these reputable family medicine practices have chosen QHSLab for their businesses. We look forward to working closely with our new partners to improve regional healthcare delivery."

What is the Integrated Service Program (ISP)?

The Integrated Service Program (ISP) is a cornerstone of QHSLab's comprehensive healthcare solution promoting smooth communication between healthcare providers and their patients. This program reduces the non-clinical responsibilities of medical practices, strengthens the relationship between patients and their healthcare providers, and offers providers a robust clinical decision support tool. In addition to saving valuable practice time and providing essential data, the ISP also serves as a significant revenue source for today's primary care practices facing high demands and stress.

Enhanced Website and Communication

Additionally, the Company has launched an upgraded website to enhance customer engagement. QHSLab is committed to ensuring a high-value online presence and communication tools that effectively represent the Company's mission and value proposition. The recent launch of the updated Company website, available at www.qhslab.com, has been informed by a year's field experience and direct engagement with our customer base. This user-centric approach has resulted in a more intuitive and informative digital platform, showcasing a suite of reimbursable assessments and interventions shaping medicine's future.

Updated Data and Real-World Research Findings

QHSLab has also published its "Capabilities Presentation," a comprehensive resource that delves into the Company's key data outcomes and real-world research findings. This presentation is available in the Company's Form 8-K filing, dated October 25, 2023. The "Capabilities Presentation" has driven the recent surge of new customer acquisitions, forming the cornerstone of QHSLab's sales and marketing strategy.

As QHSLab continues to thrive in the digital healthcare sector, these recent developments signal a promising future for the Company, its investors, and the healthcare industry.

For more information about QHSLab and our healthcare solutions, please visit www.usaqcorp.com.

About QHSLab, Inc.

QHSLab, Inc. (OTCQB: USAQ) is a medical device company providing digital healthcare solutions and point-of-care-diagnostic tests to primary care physicians. Digital healthcare allows doctors to assess patient responses quickly and effectively using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms. Digital healthcare can also remotely monitor patients vital signs and evaluate the effects of prescribed medicines and treatments on patients health through real-time data transferred from patient to doctor. QHSLab, Inc. also markets and sells point-of-care, rapid-response diagnostic tests used in the primary care practice. QHSLab, Inc.s products and services are designed to help physicians improve patient monitoring and medical care while also improving the revenues of their practice.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, the Companys statements regarding trends in the marketplace, future revenues, future products, and potential future results and acquisitions are examples of such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by words such as may, could, believes, estimates, targets, expects, or intends, and other similar words that express risks and uncertainties. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the timing of the introduction of new products, the inherent discrepancy in actual results from estimates, projections, and forecasts made by management, regulatory delays, changes in government funding and budgets, and other factors, including general economic conditions, not within the Companys control. The factors discussed herein and expressed from time to time in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Investor Relations Contact:

Olivia Giamanco

QHSLab, Inc.

(929) 379-6503

[email protected]

https://twitter.com/QHSLabInc
MIRAMICHI, New Brunswick, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SLAM Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: SXL) (SLAM or the Company) is pleased to announce it has signed an arms length binding term sheet with St-Georges Eco-Mining Corp. (CSE: SX) (St-Georges) to give SLAM the option to acquire a 51% interest in the Notre Dame Niobium Critical Mineral Project (the Notre Dame Project). The Notre Dame Project is located 110 km northwest of the only niobium producing mine in North-America: the Niobec niobium mine in Quebec.

Project Highlights:

Niobium and Rare Earth Element (REE): St-Georges identified niobium and REEs associated with pegmatites and carbonatites.

Niobium and REEs: Grab samples range up to 2,320 ppm niobium (0.33% Nb2O5) with 3,901 ppm total REE including 1,726 ppm heavy REE and 2,175 ppm light REE.

Four anomalous areas: Four target areas of anomalous niobium and rare earths have been identified for follow-up.

Aeromagnetic signature: The niobium and REE occurrences are all associated with a 10-kilometre-long oval shaped aeromagnetic anomaly.

Notre Dame Project: The project covers 6,404 hectares (64 km) comprised of 116 mineral claims.

Infrastructure: The project is accessible through a network of logging roads.

Ready for Drilling Campaign: SLAM intends to complete additional prospecting and sampling in preparation for a trenching and drilling program.

SLAM President Mike Taylor states: The Notre Dame Project is an exciting acquisition for SLAM. Several occurrences of niobium and REEs are reported from pegmatites and carbonatites with a distinctive aeromagnetic signature. This is a key acquisition as SLAM builds up niobium, rare earth and lithium assets in the critical element space.

Image 1: Notre Dame Project

About Niobium

Niobium is used as an alloy element in steels and superalloys. The ability to withstand high temperature makes its usage common in aerospace applications. Niobium-tin and niobium-titanium are used to make superconducting magnets. These magnets are critical components in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Niobium is a potential additive or alternative battery metal for use in electric vehicles and is used to stabilize the cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. Demand for niobium is expected to increase along with the growing EV battery industry. According to Metal.com Niobium Pentoxide is currently trading in the US dollar range $48.76 to $50.15 per kilogram.

Image 2: Niobium Oxide Minerals In Carbonatite At Notre Dame Project

Terms of the Agreement

The term Sheet gives SLAM the option to earn 51% in and to the Notre Dame Project by making the following cash payments and share issuances to St-Georges, in addition to making qualified work expenditures:

Issuance of 500,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges upon regulatory approval from the TSX-V.

Payment of $25,000 cash and issuance of 500,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges on or before March 31st, 2024.

Payment of $25,000 cash and issuance of 1,000,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges on or before the 1st anniversary date of a definitive option agreement.

Engage $300,000 in qualified exploration work before the 2nd anniversary of a definitive option agreement.

Upon completion of the above cash, share and work expenditures to earn a 51% interest in and to the Notre Dame Project, the parties may elect to operate the project as a 51/49 joint venture (JV). Alternatively, St-Georges has the option to grant SLAM the remaining 49% ownership interest in the Notre Dame Project by issuing 1,000,000 common shares of SLAM to St-Georges.

If a JV is formed, the parties will jointly fund the project. If a party declines participation in a duly planned work program, then the declining partys interest will revert to a 2% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty.

If a party reverts to a 2% NSR holding, the other party will pay that party a NSR of 2%. The other party will hold the right to buy back half of the NSR for $1,000,000.

In the event that SLAM purchases a 100% interest in and to the Notre Dame Project by making the 4th payment referenced above, St-Georges will retain a NSR of 2%. SLAM will hold the right to buy back half of the NSR for $1,000,000.

Finders fees of 300,000 common shares of SLAM will be paid to an arms length party. Completion of the acquisition remains subject to entering into a definitive option agreement and the proposed share issuances remain subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. All security issuances will be subject to a statutory hold period of 4 months and one day from issuance in accordance with Canadian securities laws.

About SLAM Exploration Ltd:

The Notre Dame Project is a significant addition to SLAMs critical element portfolio, including its 4700 hectare Ear Falls lithium project adjacent to Beyond Lithiums Ear Falls project in the Dryden area of northwestern Ontario. Beyond Lithium has started trenching on a new discovery where they reported grab samples up to 4.54% lithium less than 10 kilometres along strike from SLAMs Ear Falls project.

SLAM also holds the Cumberland REE project as well as a large portfolio of gold projects in the mineral-rich province of New Brunswick. Exploration for gold along regional fault structures has resulted in significant gold discoveries. These include the Maisie gold vein system at SLAMs wholly owned Menneval project. In addition, SLAM has identified an area with high potential for gold discoveries in southern New Brunswick where the Company acquired the Shadow Lake, Jake Lee, Rogers Lake and Highway projects. These projects have potential for Rare Earth Element (REE) minerals as well as cobalt, silver and base metals.

The Company holds NSR royalties and expects additional cash and share payments on the Wedge, Goodwin, Ramsay and Ferguson projects in the mineral rich Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. The Company holds NSR royalties and may receive addition cash and share payments on the Reserve Creek and Opikeigen gold projects.

To view SLAMs corporate presentation, click SXL-Presentation. Additional information is available on SLAMs website SLAM and SEDAR+ filings at www.sedarplus.ca. Follow us on twitter @SLAMGold.

QA-QC Procedures: Grab samples were collected by consulting geologists through Magnor Exploration that acted as St-Georges exploration contractor. The samples were collected primarily from outcropping mineralization with occasional sampling from float boulders. The samples were sent directly to ALS laboratory in Montreal, with additional assays carried out in their Vancouver complex. For QC confirmation, ALS used a total of 89 blanks, standards and duplicates during assaying of the 218 samples submitted. ALS used analytical method MS61 to test for a wide range of trace elements. A number of elements including niobium were above the upper limit using this method. The samples were also analyzed using MS81 to provide analysis with higher limits for the Rare Earth elements and niobium.

Qualifying Statements: Mike Taylor P.Geo, President and CEO of SLAM Exploration Ltd., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the contents of this news release.

Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements regarding mineral resources and the Companys plans with respect to the exploration and development of its properties. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. There are a number of risk factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those described herein. Information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mike Taylor, President & CEOContact: 506-623-8960 [email protected]

Eugene Beukman, CFOContact: 604-687-2038 [email protected] SEDAR+: 00012459

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77e1b61a-ca89-4642-81fd-f9e90aab1a04

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88aa9310-9853-42d0-8bef-f8e768ea222c

Image 1 Notre Dame Project Image 2 Niobium Oxide Minerals In Carbonatite At Notre Dame Project

Source: SLAM Exploration Ltd.
Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, UK, 25 October 2023  Sosei Group Corporation (the Company; TSE: 4565) will hold an R&D Day on Friday, 10 November 2023, at 4 pm JST. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom webinar. Please click here to pre-register for the event.

Date: Friday, 10 November 2023

Time: 4 pm  5 pm JST (7 am  8 am GMT)

Presenters:

Chris Cargill, President and CEO

Corporate presentation, vision, strategy and progress

Dr. Matt Barnes, Head of UK R&D

Progress in UK R&D

Dr. Satoshi Tanaka, President of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Japan

Development and Sales in Japan and APAC

Hironoshin Nomura, CFO

Supplementary Explanation for Q3FY2023 Results

Q&A





The R&D Day will be conducted in Japanese and English with simultaneous translation. Archive streaming will be available on the companys website shortly after the event.

 ENDS 

About Sosei Heptares

Sosei Heptares is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing life-changing medicines based on world-class science to patients globally. Our vision is to become one of Japans global biopharmaceutical champions.

Our global business combines our world-leading GPCR-targeted StaR technology, structure-based drug design and early development capabilities in the UK with a highly experienced clinical development capability and a commercial operation in Japan.

We are leveraging these capabilities to generate and advance a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology and inflammatory diseases. We intend to develop these opportunities for patients in Japan and globally both internally and through our partnerships with global biopharmaceutical companies and emerging technology companies.

Sosei Heptares operates from key locations in Tokyo and Osaka (Japan), London and Cambridge (UK) and Seoul (South Korea).

Sosei Heptares is the corporate brand and trademark of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are trademarks of Sosei Group companies.

For more information, please visit https://soseiheptares.com/

LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco

Enquiries:

Sosei Heptares  Media and Investor Relations

Kentaro Tahara, VP Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy

Shinichiro Nishishita, VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory Disclosures

Maya Bennison, Communications Manager

+81 (0)3 5210 3399 | +44 (0)1223 949390 | [email protected]

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (for International Media)

Mark Swallow, Frazer Hall, Erica Hollingsworth

+44 (0)203 928 6900 | [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development, and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporations actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Jaroslaw Guzy, a historian and journalist, will become the new Polish ambassador to Ukraine. He has never held a diplomatic post before.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was announced by Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, the ministry's press service reports. The details were published by WPROST.

It has been known that Poland would have a new ambassador to Ukraine since spring. In March of this year, the head of the Presidential Office for International Policy, Marcin Przydacz, said that Bartosz Cichocki's mission in Kyiv was coming to an end after four years.

"Ambassador Cichocki played his role very actively and very courageously. Let me remind you that he was the only ambassador who was constantly in the Ukrainian capital during the attack on Kyiv, holding the Polish flag high and showing that Poland does not believe in the fall of Ukraine. I think he deserves a lot of respect for that," Przydacz said at the time.

Even then, there were reports that Guzy might replace him as Ukraine's ambassador. He is a sociologist and historian who has worked as an international policy expert at the Polish Press Agency in recent years.

ADVERTISIMENT

In the 1990s, Guzy was an adviser to the Minister of National Defense and belonged to the Movement for the Republic of Poland. He has been a member of the Council for Cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Region since 1996 and a member of the Council of the Polish Atlantic Club since 1999. He studied at, among others, Yale University and completed an internship in the US Congress.

As a reminder, Martin Harris, grandson of former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, has been appointed the new British Ambassador to Ukraine. Thus, he will replace Melinda Simmons, who has been heading the mission since 2019.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Speedemissions, Inc. (OTC Expert Market: SPMI) (the Company) a retail brand offering consumers automobile emissions testing and safety inspections, is pleased to announce today that Speedemissions CEO Rich Parlontieri has joined the Advisory Council for the Pace University Entrepreneurship Studio (PES). Mr. Parlontieri accepted the invitation from the Dean of Pace Universitys Lubin School of Business, Lawrence G. Singleton, Ph.D.

The Advisory Council is comprised of distinguished and experienced business leaders who support the mission of PES and are committed to helping entrepreneurs facilitate the development and evolution of their startups. PES supports new startups, from ideation to funding - providing resources, mentorship, and a personalized roadmap for students and alumni entrepreneurs looking to transform their ventures into successful companies. Its mission is to teach entrepreneurs the "how" and to support the "what" with a complete blueprint for the execution of their business concepts.

We are very excited and honored to have Rich join our PES Advisory Council. His career achievements make him an exemplary fit, and his corporate experience will certainly help guide the studio going forward, stated Dr. Singleton.

I am humbled by this invitation and very much look forward to working with Dr. Singleton and the other members of the Pace University Entrepreneurship Studio Council. Based on my experience in starting, managing, and building businesses, and the lessons I have learned through success and failure, Im confident that Ill be able to provide tangible insight to the Pace students and alumni as they pursue a path of entrepreneurship.

In addition to joining the Advisory Council, Mr. Parlontieri is also spearheading PROJECT PLANET USA, a collaboration between Speedemissions and the Pace University Lubin School of Business that will award a $100,000 grant, consisting of cash and professional mentoring services, to the qualifying Pace University innovator who has developed a novel tech solution designed to guard the planet against a climate disaster and to help restore the well-being of our precious earth. The competition is open to Pace alumni, undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and the wider Pace community. Submissions for Project Planet U.S.A. are due by 9:00 PM ET on December 19, 2023.

For more information, visit the Project Planet U.S.A. web page at www.projectplanetusa.com.

ABOUT SPEEDEMISSIONS, INC. Speedemissions, Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia, offers our customers quick and efficient emission testing and/or safety inspection as required by law. The company is in the Atlanta, GA. and St. Louis, MO. markets. For more information, visit: www.speedemissions.com.

For more information: Speedemissions, Inc. Investor Relations [email protected]

Source: Speedemissions, Inc.
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Talisker Resources Ltd. (Talisker or the Company) (TSX:TSK | OTCQX: TSKFF) is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a non-binding LOI with New Gold Inc. (New Gold) to enter into an ore purchase agreement (the Ore Purchase Agreement) in respect of Taliskers Bralorne Gold Project (the Project). The parties will use commercially reasonable efforts to diligently and in good faith negotiate and enter the Ore Purchase Agreement whereby New Gold proposes to purchase up to 300,000 tonnes of ore from the Project to process at the mill located at its New Afton Mine.

Terry Harbort, Taliskers President and CEO stated, We are excited to be partnering with New Gold as we take the next steps towards production at the Bralorne Gold Project. The ability to process our ore at the world class New Afton facility provides a unique advantage to Talisker in both reducing up front capital expenditure and start up timelines for Bralorne.

For further information, please contact:

Terry HarbortPresident and CEO [email protected] +1 416 357 0227 Matt FilgateVice President, Corporate Development [email protected] +1 778 679 3579

About Talisker Resources Ltd.

Talisker (taliskerresources.com) is a junior resource company involved in the exploration and development of gold projects in British Columbia, Canada. Taliskers flagship asset is the high-grade, fully permitted Bralorne Gold Project where the Company is currently transitioning into underground production at the Mustang Mine. Talisker projects also include the Ladner Gold Project, an advanced stage project with significant exploration potential from an historical high-grade producing gold mine and the Spences Bridge Project where the Company holds ~85% of the emerging Spences Bridge Gold Belt, and several other early-stage Greenfields projects.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Taliskers current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Talisker. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of Taliskers management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts 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 risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to variations in grade or recovery rates, risks relating to changes in mineral prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of minerals, risks related to increased competition and current global financial conditions, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks, title and environmental risks and risks relating to the failure to receive all requisite shareholder and regulatory approvals.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and Talisker 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.

Source: Talisker Resources Ltd.
MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to support the next generation of brain researchers in Canada, Brain Canada is thrilled to present the 21 trainees who have received grants to help launch their academic careers and pursue their professional goals. The Brain Canada Rising Stars Trainee Awards aim to recognize the excellent research being conducted at Canadian institutions by graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents in all fields spanning neuroscience research.

Supporting trainees through specialized programs designed for the next generation of scholars is a fundamental aspect of Brain Canada's mission, says Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada. "We are delighted to announce the expansion of our support through the Brain Canada Rising Stars Trainee Awards this year, demonstrating our commitment to nurturing the next era of exceptional brain researchers."

The 2023 Rising Stars Trainee Awards, which include seven categories of grants available to graduate students (MSc, PhD), postdoctoral fellows, and residents conducting neuroscience research at a Canadian institution, are made possible through the generous support of the Seger-van Tol Family, the BistroBrain Association, the M. Wayne and J. Coleman Family Fund / the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC), Linda Auger Morissette and Friends, the Henry and Berenice Kaufmann Foundation, S. Galati & Associates Inc. / Brain Changes Initiative, alongside The Mireille & Murray Steinberg Family Foundation and Growling Beaver Brevet. This year, thanks to generous donations from The Wells (DL&K) Family Fund and Barrett Family Foundation, trainees granted a stipend award whose research considered sex and gender were offered an additional financial top-up to further support and recognize their efforts in incorporating sex- and gender-based analysis (SGBA) in their research projects.

"Having been a trainee myself at one time, the growing response and enthusiasm for the Brain Canada Rising Stars Trainee Awards program has been inspiring, " says Melissa Russo, Program Manager of the Brain Canada Rising Stars Trainee Awards. "Brain Canada's support of trainees and early career researchers is clearly responding to a need, and the continued commitment to enable capacity-building programs is more important now than ever."

The projects supported by Brain Canada include:

Travel Awards

Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship  To allow full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.) and postdoctoral fellows to attend a major international conference/symposium or training course.

Recipients of the Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship were awarded up to $5,000 to attend a major international conference/symposium or training course.

Michael Fiorini, McGill University

Catherine Hume, PhD, University of Calgary

Jesse Lacasse, PhD, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Jimmy Li, MD, Universite de Montreal

Christopher Morrone, PhD, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Yi Ren, University of Calgary

Aedan Rourke, McMaster University

Anne-Sophie Sack, University of British Columbia

Ahmad Samara, University of British Columbia

Brain Awareness Travel Award  To allow full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.) and postdoctoral fellows to attend a major international conference/symposium or training course.

$1,000 awarded to Laurence Dion-Albert, Universite Laval (CERVO Brain Research Center)

$1,000 awarded to Elizabeth Gregory, University of British Columbia

Stipend Awards

Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC) Neuroscience Fellowship in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research  To provide financial support to full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents conducting neuroscience research at a Canadian institution in the cannabis/cannabinoid field.

$12,000 awarded to Karina Thiessen, University of British Columbia Karina received a $2,000 top-up in support of SGBA considerations in their research

$12,000 awarded to Haley Vecchiarelli, PhD, University of Victoria Haley received a $2,000 top-up in support of SGBA considerations in their research



Pierre Auger Morissette Capacity-Building Award in ALS Research  To provide financial support to full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents conducting research at a Canadian institution in the field of ALS.

$7,500 awarded to Ana Novacic, PhD, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (ICRM)

$7,500 awarded to Jaskaran Singh, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)

Henry and Berenice Kaufmann Foundation Trainee Award in Brain Cancer Research  To provide financial support to full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents conducting research in brain cancer, with a focus on glioblastomas.

$12,000 awarded to Annika Benson, Dalhousie University Annika received a $2,000 top-up in support of SGBA considerations in their research

$10,000 awarded to Xin Wang, MD, University Health Network

Dr. Matthew Galati Brain Changer Award  To provide financial support to full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents conducting clinical implementation research at a Canadian institution in the field of acquired brain injury.

$10,000 awarded to Biana Bondi, York University

$12,000 awarded to Noor Al Dahhan, The Hospital for Sick Children Noor received a $2,000 top-up in support of SGBA considerations in their research



Brain Canada Next Gen Award in Parkinsons Disease Research  To provide financial support to full-time graduate students (M.Sc., Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents conducting research at a Canadian institution in the field of Parkinsons disease.

$12,000 awarded to Nooshin Bahador, PhD, University Health Network Nooshin received a $2,000 top-up in support of SGBA considerations in their research

$12,000 awarded to Emilie Legault, Universite de Montreal Emilie received a $2,000 top-up in support of SGBA considerations in their research



The awards funded through this program have been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation, the Seger-van Tol Family, the BistroBrain Association, the M. Wayne and J. Coleman Family Fund / the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC), Linda Auger Morissette and Friends, the Henry and Berenice Kaufmann Foundation, S. Galati & Associates Inc. / Brain Changes Initiative, The Mireille & Murray Steinberg Family Foundation and the Growling Beaver Brevet, alongside The Wells (DL&K) Family Fund and Barrett Family Foundation.

For more information, visit our directory of funded grants.

Contact info: Brielle Goulart Digital Communications & Stewardship Officer Brain Canada 450-915-2253 [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e06d33c1-ccd2-452d-b6be-6a61987cb58c

The 2023 Rising Stars The 21 trainees funded through Brain Canadas Rising Stars Trainee awards are ready to advance their careers and pursue their professional goals.

Source: Brain Canada
 Add two KOLs: Dr Kris Kowdley and Dr Nadege Gunn



 Builds on existing MASH/MASLD capabilities at 23 sites globally

DURHAM N.C., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velocity Clinical Research (Velocity), the leading multi-specialty clinical sites business, announced it has acquired Impact Research Institute (Waco, TX) and the clinical trials unit of Liver Institute Northwest (Seattle, WA), aggressively expanding its capabilities in liver disease research, including MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis) and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease).

According to the NASH education program , MASLD, prevalent in Western societies, is primarily driven by the rising cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of MASH is projected to surge by 63% from 2015 to 2030, making it a significant health concern, and it is anticipated to be the primary reason for liver transplants in the United States from 2020 to 2025. Despite its growing impact, there is currently no FDA-approved treatment available for this condition.

Velocity is a major player in this space with 23 sites capable of performing MASH/MASLD studies globally. With the two recent site acquisitions, Velocity adds two internationally renowned researchers and key opinion leaders (KOL) in liver disease research as principal investigators, Kris Kowdley, MD, AGAF, FAASLD, FACP, FACG, and Nadege Gunn, MD, CPI, who join Roland Kuchta, MD, in Germany.

Dr. Kris Kowdley received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, completed his residency at Oregon Health Science University and fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Kowdley is internationally recognized as a clinician, educator, and researcher in the area of hepatology and has presented his research on liver diseases at more than 140 national and international meetings and scientific symposia. He will serve as Senior Scientific Advisor at Velocity.

Dr. Kris Kowdley said, There is an urgent unmet need for new therapies to treat the MASLD epidemic. This disease affects more than 90 million Americans and up to 30% of the population worldwide. This epidemic has significantly increased the burden of healthcare needs globally, which is why finding effective therapies is so important.

There are many challenges to therapeutic drug development for this condition. We need dedicated research centers like the ones Velocity has because of the challenges with patient enrollment and the need for specialized procedures and techniques. Im looking forward to bringing new expertise and, along with Dr. Gunn and Dr. Kuchta, leading Velocitys capabilities in liver disease research.

Dr. Nadege Gunn is a Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist focused on finding therapies for liver related illnesses. Her work concentrates on linking cutting edge clinical trials in MASLD and gastrointestinal illnesses to the populations who need them desperately. She is a fellowship-trained gastroenterologist and board-certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology. Dr Gunn is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and completed her GI/Hepatology Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

Dr. Gunn commented, We are fully prepared to make Velocity the first-choice site network for liver disease clinical trials worldwide. I have lofty ambitions for Impact Research Institute and felt that with the power of Velocity behind it, we could satisfy our insatiable appetite for scalability and growth, whilst maintaining our commitment to patient centricity and diversity.

I am honored to serve in the role of Velocity's Senior Scientific Advisor for its MASH CARE Council, that Impact Researchs COO will become director of corporate growth at Velocity, and to work alongside renowned Dr. Kowdley, an esteemed mentor and true pioneer in the field of hepatology at large, and Dr Kuchta. Together, we will ignite Velocity's hepatology landscape and become a trusted source to all stakeholders for quality execution of the full breadth of liver research studies.

Dr. Roland Kuchta has over three decades experience as a physician in gastroenterology and hepatology. He received his medical degree from the University of Leipzig, Germany. His research into cutting edge hepatobiliary techniques, gastroenterological endoscopic methods, and bowel disease have been published in universities across Germany and Sweden. For more than a decade he worked as a gastroenterology and hepatology physician before heading up the department at St. Georg Hospital in Leipzig. He advises on MASLD clinical trials at Velocitys Lepizig site.

Velocity has over 80 locations globally and access to more than 220 principal investigators and one million patients. Velocitys sites are fully integrated via a centralised infrastructure and common technology backbone, allowing for superior patient enrollment and consistent, high-quality data delivery. As a result, CROs and biopharma companies can benefit from simplified access to international clinical research.

Notes to editors

For more information on Impact Research, please visit: https://impactresearchtx.com/

For more information on Liver Institute NW, please visit: https://liverinstitutenorthwest.org/

About Velocity Clinical Research

Velocity is the leading integrated site organization for clinical trials. With 80 sites and more than 220 investigators, Velocity partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to research new drugs, medical devices, diagnostics, and combination products that could improve human health and wellbeing. Velocity offers unified research site solutions to efficiently provide the right patients, investigators, and research staff for clinical trials across the U.S. and Europe.

The company also operates a technology hub in India, where it is unlocking a new era in clinical research by developing innovative systems to leverage expansive site, patient, and historical performance data. To learn more about how Velocity delivers high-quality data, exemplary patient care, and unprecedented efficiency for clinical trials at any scale, visit VelocityClinical.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b1ad756c-c438-4612-8055-b22835cb9483
Forged at the intersection of cannabis culture, art and fashion, each Savvy Threads piece features Savvy-inspired designs from a variety of graphic artists

The Savvy Threads store is available on SavvyThreads.com and features a variety of special-edition branded apparel that ships to all 50 United States

To create a line of unique, evocative pieces, Verano partnered with artists Mike Frontier and Jacob Wayne of Chicago, and Jeremiah Kaniaupio of Las Vegas

Savvy Threads unlocks Veranos ability to advertise using targeted social media campaigns on Metas Instagram and Facebook, and provides Verano access to a larger addressable market



CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verano Holdings Corp. (NEO: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF) (Verano or the Company), a leading multi-state cannabis company, today announced the launch of Savvy Threads, a limited-edition streetwear and e-commerce platform that celebrates the Companys Savvy cannabis brand imagery and its intersection with art, culture and contemporary fashion. Inspired by the creativity of in-house artist Mike Frontier, in collaboration with independent artists Jacob Wayne (Chicago) and Jeremiah Kaniaupio (Las Vegas), the inaugural Savvy Threads collection features exclusive apparel inspired by popular Verano genetics while espousing the unique style and vision of the designers. Savvy Threads items include t-shirts, embroidered sweat shorts and varying hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, all available for purchase and shipping across all 50 U.S. states on SavvyThreads.com.

Developed to diversify and expand the Savvy brand, as a non-plant-touching brand extension, Savvy Threads unlocks the Companys ability to advertise in mainstream channels - including targeted social media campaigns on Metas Instagram and Facebook platforms - which have a combined total of 361.8 million active users in the United States.

Savvy Threads complements the expanding Savvy cannabis product portfolio and its bold brand aesthetic by employing fashion-forward designs that embrace the connection between cannabis, art and culture, said David Spreckman, Verano Chief Marketing Officer. The introduction of Savvy Threads creates new and unique opportunities to engage the cannabis, art and fashion communities by leveraging mainstream advertising channels that arent available to plant-touching businesses. Were grateful to our artist partners for their creative collaboration in bringing this entirely new product offering to market.

Verano introduced Savvy, a new line of larger-format cannabis products that cater to more value-driven patients and consumers, in August 2022. Following the brands successful launch and strong consumer demand, the Company introduced additional Savvy brand extensions in key markets, including Savvy Uncensored large format rough-cut flower, and Savvy Guap macro-dose money-shaped gummies available in 25mg Blue Magic and 50mg Jungle Juice flavors. The Savvy Threads platform both leverages the brand cache that Savvy cannabis has achieved and builds upon the art-forward direction and platform to attract and inspire new consumers and audiences.

For more information, visit www.SavvyThreads.com and www.Verano.com, and follow @Savvy.Threads on Instagram and Facebook. Downloadable images and video are also available on the Companys newsroom.

About Verano

Verano Holdings Corp. (NEO: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF), one of the U.S. cannabis industrys leading companies based on historical revenue, geographic scope and brand performance, is a vertically integrated, multi-state operator embracing a mission of saying Yes to plant progress and the bold exploration of cannabis. Verano offers a superior cannabis shopping experience in medical and adult use markets under the Zen Leaf and MUV dispensary banners and produces a comprehensive suite of high-quality, regulated cannabis products sold under its diverse portfolio of trusted consumer brands including Verano, MUV, Savvy, BITS, Encore, and Avexia. Veranos active operations span 13 U.S. states, comprised of 14 production facilities with over 1,000,000 square feet of cultivation capacity. Learn more at www.verano.com.

Contacts:

Media

Verano

Grace Bondy

Senior Manager, Communications

[email protected]

Investors

Verano

Julianna Paterra, CFA

Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Companys beliefs regarding future events, plans, strategies or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Companys control. Generally, such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, future, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, projects intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, will continue, will occur or will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein, including, without limitation, the risk factors described in the Companys annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for 2023 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except as may be required in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice regarding forward-looking information and statements.

###
Q3 2023 revenue

Q3 2023 revenue:  1,182 million, +4.8% organically

Merchant Service up +7.6%1

Power24: acceleration of our post-integration

transformation ambition

 200 million run-rate expected cash costs savings in 2025 with fast ramp-up during 20242

Updated 2023 objectives reflecting market conditions

6% to 7% organic revenue growth

Stable OMDA in absolute value (or margin decrease of c. 150 bps) vs. 20223

30-35% OMDA conversion to FCF

2024: focus on growth & OMDA improvement4

Revenue growth acceleration as of H2 2024

c.100m OMDA improvement as soon as 2024

Paris La Defense, 25 October 2023  Worldline [Euronext: WLN], a global leader in payment services, today announces its revenue for the third quarter of 2023.

Gilles Grapinet, CEO of Worldline, said: After a solid start of the year, we now enter into a second semester where the macro environment deteriorates, in particular in Germany. This evolution is reflected in our third quarter performance despite satisfactory commercial developments in Merchant Services. In this context, we decided to update our 2023 objectives.

To reinforce Worldline competitiveness and structural mid-term profile and successfully face this temporarily challenging environment, we announce Power24, our planned post-integration transformation ambition . We target 200m run-rate cash costs savings in 2025, with a fast ramp-up in 2024.

In 10 years, Worldline has created one of the largest payment companies in Europe, benefitting from a unique value proposition based on cutting edge technology, strong market positions and powerful distribution channels alongside leading banking partners. As we are reaching the completion of Ingenico integration, we are ready to enter into a new phase of our company journey ready to unleash the power of our combined assets, and to make Worldline more agile to boost its growth potential. More than ever, we are convinced by the unique and structural opportunity that the European and wider digital payment market represent.



Q3 2023 revenue by Global Business Line

in  million Q3 2023 Q3 2022* Organic Growth Merchant services 868 807 +7.6% Financial services 232 239 -2.9% Mobility & e-transactional Services 81 81 -0.2% Worldline 1,182 1,128 +4.8%

* at constant scope and exchange rates

Worldlines Q3 2023 revenue reached  1,182 million, representing a +4.8% organic growth. This was mainly driven by Merchant Services at +7.6% organically (+10.0% excluding Germany), impacted by temporary headwinds. Financial Services was down -2.9%, due to delays of new signing contracts as expected. Finally, Mobility & e-Transactional Services was broadly stable supported by a good commercial dynamics in Trusted e-Ticketing activity while not yet fully benefitting from the ramp-up of new signed contracts.

Macroeconomics deterioration in some of our core geographies and termination of some of our specific merchants relationships

During the third quarter of 2023, some of our core geographies, in particular the German market, have shown macroeconomics slowdown. In effect, consumers have started to allocate more of their spendings to non-discretionary verticals rather than discretionary ones, impacting our growth and profitability.

In light of an increase cybercrime in general, newly emerging fraudulent patterns and accelerating trend of reinforced regulatory guidelines and market constraints, we have tightened our risk appetite policy. Consequently, we have terminated in an orderly manner some specific merchants relationships whose associated costs and potential risks did not match our revised requirements.

The scope of such online merchants could represent a maximum of c.  130 million in run rate 2023 revenues, of which c. 30 million impacting H2 2023 and c.  100 million mostly in H1 2024 impacting comparison basis.

Merchant Services

Merchant Services revenue in Q3 2023 reached  868 million, representing an organic growth of +7.6%. This performance was based on c.7% growth in transaction volumes, with macroeconomic slowdown impacting consumer spendings patterns in particular in Germany. The revenue dynamism has also been impacted by the implementation of our [revised risk appetite framework]. By division, the growth was mainly led by:

Commercial Acquiring: Good overall high single-digit growth with almost all geographic regions contributing, but impacted by the termination of some of our existing merchants relationships based on our [revised risk appetite framework].

Payment Acceptance: Double digit growth mainly fueled by the solid performance of Digital Commerce division, particularly thanks to the new customers signed the previous quarters such as Lufthansa and Pearson. Digital Services: Globally stable, with Germany impacted by macroeconomic headwinds.







During the third quarter of the year, commercial activity in Merchant Services materialized in numerous wins for both Instore Omnichannel and Online X-Border activities, with among others, S+M, 934, Nopayn, SNCF, Alsa, Goethe Institut, and Gamers Outlet.

Financial Services

Q3 2023 revenue reached  232 million, or a -2.9% organic growth. The organic decline occurred despite good underlying growth in the account payment activity, offset by delays in pipeline execution within issuing business mainly. The performance by division was the following:

Card-based payment processing activities (Issuing Processing and Acquiring Processing altogether: Contraction in growth driven by delays of new signings in most of the geographies.

Account Payments: Solid growth with strong activity in Germany. Digital Banking: Growth improving with a good momentum in Belgium and France.







During the third quarter on the commercial front, Financial Services signed an agreement with Commerzbank to extend their cooperation in the field of instant payments, including the realization of Swiss instant payments.

Mobility & e-Transactional Services

Revenue in Mobility & e-Transactional Services reached  81 million, stable organically, with a positive underlying growth mainly led by good volumes in e-ticketing activity while not currently benefitting from the ramp-up in new contract signed. The performance by division was the following:

Trusted Digitization: Broadly stable driven by new projects signed in France and volumes development on electronic bracelets and & energy subsidies activities.

e-Ticketing: Double-digit growth driven by increasing projects activity (Network Rail, Lennon) as well as increasing volumes on rail ticketing solutions in the UK. Finally, e-Consumer & Mobility: Organic decline mainly due to lower volumes on existing contract and despite contribution of the new contracts signed in Iberia and in France.







Commercial activity in Mobility & e-Transactional Services recorded two key wins, in particular with the signature of a contract with Dragerwerk (International company in the industry of medical and safety technology) for the delivery of a Smart Remote Service offering to connect and secure their worldwide deployments remotely. Another significant achievement was the signing of a 3-year agreement with Irish Rail company to provide train management and planning solutions that will enable them to enhance their fleet management capability in readiness for their transition to a Traffic Management System.

Power24: acceleration of our post-integration transformation

Given this challenging environment, we announce Power24, our planned post-integration transformation ambition to reinforce Worldline competitiveness and enhance our operational efficiency. It will focus on product transformation, technology optimization, organization improvement and sourcing streamlining.

Power24 is expected to deliver c.  200 million run-rate cash costs savings in 2025, with a fast ramp-up in 2024. The overall implementation costs should be c.  250 million.

2023 objectives updated reflecting market conditions

Revenue organic growth : +6% to +7%

: +6% to +7% OMDA : Stable OMDA in absolute value (or margin decrease of c. 150 bps) vs. 2022 5 Free cash flow : 30% to 35% OMDA conversion rate





: Stable OMDA in absolute value (or margin decrease of c. 150 bps) vs. 2022

In parallel, the Group will be focused on pursuing its deleveraging trajectory maintaining a strong balance sheet.

2024: focus on OMDA improvement and prepare growth reacceleration

In 2024, the Group will be focus on its OMDA and expect c.  100 million improvement versus 2023.

Our 2024 trajectory will be adjusted with the publication of our 2024 objectives in February 2024, to take into account in particular the market context and Power24.

Appendices

RECONCILIATION OF Q3 2022 STATUTORY REVENUE WITH Q3 2022 REVENUE AT CONSTANT SCOPE AND EXCHANGE RATES

For the analysis of the Groups performance, revenue for Q3 2023 is compared to Q3 2022 revenue at constant scope and exchange rates as presented below per Global Business Lines:

Revenue In  million Q3 2022 Scope effect** Exchange rates effects Q3 2022* Merchant Services 828 -1,3 -20,1 807 Financial Services 241 -0,0 -1,5 239 Mobility & e-Transactional Services 89 -8,0 -0,1 81 Worldline 1 158 -9,3 -21,6 1 128 * At constant scope and september 2023 YTD average exchange rates ** At December 2022 YTD average exchange rates

* at constant scope and September 2023 YTD average exchange rates

** at December 2022 YTD average exchange rates

Exchanges rates effect in Q3 were mainly due to depreciation of Australian Dollar and Turkish Lira while scope effects are mainly related to the disposal of Mobility & e-Transactional Services activities in Latin America and the impacts of the disposal of TSS.

2022 ESTIMATED PRO FORMA

For the analysis of the Groups organic performance, revenue and Operating Margin before Depreciation and Amortization (OMDA) in 2023 are compared with 2022 revenue and OMDA at constant scope and exchange rates. FY 2022 estimated pro forma is presented below (per Global Business Lines):

2022 estimated proforma Q1* Q2** H1** Q3*** Q4*** H2*** FY H1** H2*** FY H1** H2*** FY In  million Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue OMDA OMDA OMDA OMDA% OMDA% OMDA Merchant Services 672,9 748,5 1 421,4 807,1 826,1 1 633,3 3 054,7 339 502 842 23,9% 30,7% 27,6% Financial Services 223,3 235,2 458,4 239,1 259,2 498,3 956,7 129 154 283 28,1% 31,0% 29,6% Mobility & e-Transactional Services 83,7 87,5 171,2 81,4 88,7 170,1 341,3 22 24 45 12,6% 14,1% 13,3% Corporate costs -32 -29 -61 -1,6% -1,3% -1,4% Worldline 979,9 1 071,2 2 051,1 1 127,6 1 174,1 2 301,6 4 352,7 457 651 1 109 22,3% 28,3% 25,5%

* at constant scope and september 2023 YTD average exchange rates

Main components of the scope effects on 2022 estimated pro forma:

ANZ added contribution of 3 months (integrated for 9 months in 2022 reported)

Eurobank added contribution of 6 months (integrated for 6 months in 2022 reported)

Disposal of Mobility & e-Transactional Services activities in Latin America for 11 months (excluded for 1 month in 2022 reported) Impacts of the disposal of TSS



FORTHCOMING EVENTS

February 28, 2024 FY 2023 results





INVESTOR RELATIONS

Laurent Marie

E [email protected]

Guillaume Delaunay

E [email protected]

COMMUNICATION

Sandrine van der Ghinst

E [email protected]

Helene Carlander

E [email protected]

ABOUT WORLDLINE

Worldline [Euronext: WLN] helps businesses of all shapes and sizes to accelerate their growth journey  quickly, simply, and securely. With advanced payments technology, local expertise and solutions customised for hundreds of markets and industries, Worldline powers the growth of over one million businesses around the world. Worldline generated a 4.4 billion euros revenue in 2022. worldline.com

Worldlines corporate purpose (raison detre) is to design and operate leading digital payment and transactional solutions that enable sustainable economic growth and reinforce trust and security in our societies. Worldline makes them environmentally friendly, widely accessible, and supports social transformation.

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DISCLAIMER

This document contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including references, concerning the Group's expected growth and profitability in the future which may significantly impact the expected performance indicated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are linked to factors out of the control of the Company and not precisely estimated, such as market conditions or competitors behaviors. Any forward-looking statements made in this document are statements about Worldlines beliefs and expectations and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include statements that may relate to Worldlines plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, future revenues or synergies, or performance, and other information that is not historical information. Actual events or results may differ from those described in this document due to a number of risks and uncertainties that are described within the 2021 Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) on April 25, 2022 under the filling number: D.22-0342, and its Amendment filed on July 29, 2022 under the filling number: D. 21-0342-A01.

Revenue organic growth and Operating Margin before Depreciation and Amortization (OMDA) improvement are presented at constant scope and exchange rate. OMDA is presented as defined in the 2021 Universal Registration Document. All amounts are presented in  million without decimal. This may in certain circumstances lead to non-material differences between the sum of the figures and the subtotals that appear in the tables. 2023 objectives are expressed at constant scope and exchange rates and according to Groups accounting standards.

Worldline does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation or responsibility to update or amend any of the information above except as otherwise required by law.

This document is disseminated for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell, any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or the securities laws of any U.S. state, or are exempt from registration. The securities that may be offered in any transaction have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or the securities laws of any U.S. state and Worldline does not intend to make a public offering of any such securities in the United States.

1+10.0% excluding Germany

2 Up to 250m implementation costs expected

3 2022 OMDA proforma

4 Based on unchanged macroeconomic conditions

5 2022 OMDA proforma

Attachment
Reflex Advanced Materials (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) (FSE: HF2), a mineral exploration company, has upsized its nonbrokered private placement financing, which had been announced initially in August. The first two tranches of the offering closed earlier this month, and the offering now consists of up to 7,500,000 units of the company offered at $0.20 per unit, resulting in an anticipated $1.5 million gross proceeds; the original projection was for $1 million. According to the announcement, each unit of the offering includes one common share in the capital of the company and one-half of one share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase an additional share at an exercise price of $0.35 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. The announcement noted that closing of the offering is anticipated prior to Nov. 6, 2023, and is dependent on certain conditions and approvals. Reflex Advanced Materials anticipates using the gross proceeds from the offering to advance its Ruby Graphite Project along with other general corporate purposes.

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/Byx3T

About Reflex Advanced Materials Corp.

Reflex Advanced Materials is a mineral exploration company based in British Columbia. Its objective is to locate and, if warranted, develop economic mineral properties in the strategic metals and advanced materials space. The company is focused on improving domestic specialty mineral infrastructure efficiencies to meet surging national demand by North American manufacturers. The company is also working to advance its Ruby Graphite Project, located in Beaverhead County, Montana, and ZigZag Property, located in Thunder Bay Mining Division, Crescent Lake Area, Ontario. For more information about the company, visit www.ReflexMaterials.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to RFLXF are available in the companys newsroom at https://ibn.fm/RFLXF

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UK extends deadline on probe into Adobe's $20B Figma deal - ReutersBritain's competition regulator, on Wednesday, extended by eight ...

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Eureka Lithium Corp. (CSE: ERKA) (OTCQB: UREKF) (FSE: S580) ("Eureka Lithium" or "Eureka" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, further to its news release of October 6, 2023, that it has closed a non-brokered private placement financing, issuing 2,152,000 units of the Company ("Units") for gross proceeds of $1,076,000 (the "Private Placement").

Each Unit consists of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company ("Share") and one-half (1/2) of one (1) Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase a Share at an exercise price of $0.65 until October 25, 2025.

In connection with closing of the Private Placement, the Company paid cash finder's fees in the aggregate of $53,270 and issued a total of 106,540 finder's warrants (each, a "Finder's Warrant"). Each Finder's Warrant is exercisable into a Share at an exercise price of $0.65 until October 25, 2025. The net proceeds from the Private Placement are intended to be used to advance the Company's Raglan West, Raglan South and New Leaf Camps, for non-flow through exploration and evaluation expenditures, marketing, advertising and for general and administrative expenditures.

Because the Private Placement was completed pursuant to the LIFE Exemption, certain securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will not be subject to resale restrictions in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

An amended and restated offering document dated October 23, 2023 relating to the Private Placement, amending and restating the offering document dated October 6, 2023, was posted under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca, on the Company's website at www.eurekalithiumcorp.com, and was delivered to prospective subscribers prior to closing of the Private Placement.

The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or available exemptions from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States, or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Corporate Video

To view a new Eureka Lithium corporate video, visit www.EurekaLithiumCorp.com (https://eurekalithiumcorp.com) or the following URL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vvm0zfNFp4

Corporate Presentation

Visit the Eureka Lithium homepage or click on the following URL to view the Company's Corporate Presentation:

https://eurekalithiumcorp.com/EurekaLithium_Q3_2023.pdf

About Eureka Lithium Corp.

Eureka Lithium is the largest lithium-focused landowner in the northern third of Quebec, known as the Nunavik region, with 100% ownership of three projects comprising 1,408 sq. km in the emerging Raglan West, Raglan South and New Leaf Lithium Camps. These claims were acquired from legendary prospector Shawn Ryan and are located in a region that hosts two operating nickel mines with deep-sea port access.

For more information please contact:

Jeffrey Wilson

Chief Executive Officer

Email: [email protected]

Cautionary Statement

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, such as statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Private Placement, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's expectations and are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185269
Munich, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Dubai recently played host to the Future Innovation Summit 2023, a two-day extravaganza that took place on October 10th and 11th at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Anna Stukkert

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8203/184776_1444d0ff14559a12_001full.jpg

This event was masterminded by the Adnan Al Noorani, and is intended to showcase the boundless potential of innovation and technology.

Anna Stukkert, the CEO and Founder of Investment Congress, was awarded the "Best Investment PR Support of the Year 2023" at the Prestige Awards Future Innovation Summit in the UAE.

Future Innovation Summit 2023

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Future Innovation Summit 2023

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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The event successfully concluded on the 11th of October.

To explore more about the event and its impact, visit www.DFISX.com.

Media Contact:

Name: Anna Stukkert

Email: [email protected]

Company Name: Future Innovation Summit

Address: Schwindstr 1a, Munich, Germany

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/184776
Defense contractors that produce the most dangerous of Russia's Kinzhal guided missiles have not yet been sanctioned by the West. Thus, they continue to import the necessary materials from the European Union.

ADVERTISIMENT

This is stated in an investigation by the Russian publication The Insider. The journalists noted that after the large-scale invasion, the Rostec state corporation increased the production of Kinzhals, which cost Moscow $10 million per missile.

According to the publication, both Iskanders and Kinzhals are manufactured by the Kolomna-based Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering, a part of Rostech's high-precision complexes holding.

The Insider has previously written about chips from the United States (Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, and Altera) used in the Kinzhal.

Now journalists have stated that Moscow-based ETS Electronics LLC, established in 2021, imports American chips through the Chinese company ETC Electronics Limited.

"ETC Electronics participated in the Army-2022 forum and received a diploma from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. But it has not yet been subject to EU sanctions, the investigation says.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to media reports, materials for the production of "Kinzhals" are also imported from Europe - according to the public procurement website, the KBM receives heat and cold chambers (manufactured by Espec) from Moscow-based Osteck-Test LLC.

"Even during the war, according to ImportGenius, this company continued to import Espec equipment from Poland. The sender was Intertrans Sp. z o.o. from the city of Siedlce (the Polish authorities have already paid attention to it)," the journalists noted.

According to the investigation, "especially many" supplies came from Germany. The lathes were supplied by KEB-Rus LLC, a partner of the German company KEB, which imports cables from Germany at the height of the war.

Rifle drills and other tools manufactured by Sandvik are supplied by Svit Vershtavnika LLC , which receives products from IR-Logistik GMBH from Berlin, investigators found.

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"The "brains" for the Kinzhal are produced by Radiant-EK JSC, which supplies integrated circuits. This company imports coils and tapes for protective packaging of electronic components from Germany (sender - Advantek Gmbh).

Similar supplies are made from other European countries. In particular, Russian Sonatek LLC , which has government contracts with the aggressor country's defense enterprises, offers "modern measuring and metalworking equipment from leading world manufacturers."

The company's trade counterparties are UAB Breitto, UAB CUST LT (Lithuania), Baltic Shipping Agency LTD Sp. z o.o. (Poland), Hermis Ekspo SIA(Latvia), Groupe D'Investissement Financier SA(Belgium), Aberlink Ltd(UK) and others.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- Main Directorate of Intelligence representative Andriy Yusov said that Moscow is replenishing its missile stockpile in preparation for winter. However, the aggressor will not be able to accumulate an "incredible amount" of missiles, he said.

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- Earlier, the National Intelligence Center said that Russia had moved a batch of modernized S-300 missiles to the Bryansk region to strike the border areas of Ukraine.

- According to BILD, former Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin suggested to Putin that a large Ukrainian city should be hit by a space rocket. The journalists obtained a recording of Rogozin's conversation with Dmitry Baranov, head of the Russian Rocket and Space Center, in which officials said that parts of the rocket could fall on Russian territory due to an error of 50 to 100 km.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - UAE-based Blue Carbon and the Republic of Kenya have signed a Framework of Collaboration (FOC) for the development of REDD+ projects and the origination of carbon credits, for millions of hectares of project area.

The FOC was signed with the State Department of Environment and Climate Change and underlined Blue Carbon's commitment to explore and support Kenya's Article 6 readiness as per the Paris Agreement, whereby carbon credits are generated in the form of Internationally Transferable Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) and aligned with national climate targets.

Prior to the signing of this momentous agreement, a delegation of esteemed official representatives from Kenya, including Mr. Augustine K. Kenduiwo, Deputy Director of Climate Change Mitigation, visited Blue Carbon's offices in the UAE to discuss potential avenues of collaboration and opportunities.

This FOC closely follows a groundbreaking partnership announcement between Blue Carbon and the Republic of Zimbabwe focused on the development of REDD+ projects, within an extensive land area of 7.5 million hectares and in compliance with the Article 6 ITMO framework. This comes as Blue Carbon's parent company, Global Carbon Investments, has also agreed on securing a remarkable $1.5 billion in prefinancing for carbon credits in Zimbabwe. Blue Carbon, in line with the ambitious drive of the UAE, has also recently signed MOUs with Liberia, Zambia, Tanzania, and Pakistan.

Aimed at reducing emissions from various sectors of the environment such as forest areas, the proposed activities will strive to conserve, promote sustainable management practices and explore the potential for carbon removal projects. Beyond its vital environmental impact, this collaboration promises to bring about a transformative wave of economic opportunities in Kenya, characterized by sustainable development investments and the establishment of pathways towards sustainable livelihoods for communities. The FOC proposes the delivery of robust economic and social growth opportunities, fostering a harmonious balance between environmental conservation and human well-being.

Blue Carbon's collaboration with the Republic of Kenya is poised to generate vital climate financing thereby advancing climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, promoting sustainable development, and providing significant support for local communities.

Blue Carbon

Lesia Buinoza

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185173
Baoding, China--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - On October 25th, a selected group of foreign investors from 300 key dealers in 32 countries participated in the GWM Investor Day 2023 held in Baoding, Hebei province.

GWM Investor Day 2023

Themed as "Go Long. Go with the World.", the summit underscored the unwavering commitment of GWM to global openness and collaboration. Parker Shi, VP of GWM and Head of GWM International, took the stage to deliver warm opening addresses, elaborated on the long-term development strategy pursued by GWM and pledged to forge a new era of globalization through collaborative efforts. Under the guidance of long-term development and global development in all fields, GWM continues to promote global industrial layout. From R&D and production to sales and services, GWM is realizing co-creation and sharing with global investors.

Julien Wang, Chief Technology Officer of GWM, introduced GWM's global R&D strength and the company's intelligent development layout to investors; Chief Production Officer of GWM, Shujie Meng, shared the advantages and highlights of the company's global layout to investors from the perspective of production and supply. GWM exhibits profound confidence in the burgeoning new energy market, including the proactive expansion of its European research and development center and the global launch of smart electric models. This unwavering dedication positions GWM at the forefront of the clean energy sector, recognizing it as the future.

At the summit, GWM outlined diverse market strategies. Yanzhao Liu, CEO of GWM Tank Brand, emphasized brand-specific localization and fostering user-enterprise cooperation. GWM is committed to expanding in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Through GWM CARE service, the company is confident in providing reliable and high-quality services to consumers around the world and ensuring consumers' full car life cycle. Collaboration with local dealers, using long-term strategies, will drive international corporate growth via a global ecological framework. The goal is to offer tailored products and services for unique market requirements, ensuring sustained competitiveness with investor support.

During the summit, Shangfeng She, VP of GWM and Head of GWM Digitalization, emphasized the importance of digital transformation in the production and sales process, demonstrated GWM's new achievements in the direction of digital intelligence development, and expressed the goal of realizing industrial co-creation through data interconnection. The global digital smartness strategy of GWM, supported by international resources, enhances operational efficiency, and delivers substantial value to its partners, further strengthening its collaborative relationship with investors.

GWM remains dedicated to advancing Chinese intelligent manufacturing globally, upholding innovation, and deepening its globalization strategy. As Feng Mu, CEO of GWM, concluded, the company commits to addressing diverse market needs and fostering strong global connections. The unwavering focus of GWM on a new energy vision, intelligent strategy, and a comprehensive digital framework ensures its leadership in the clean energy sector and a superior user experience, creating significant value for investors and a bright shared future.

CONTACTS:

Tyler Qian

Great Wall Motor Company Limited

Baoding, Hebei Province

Website: www.gwm-global.com

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185171
Leading Private Debt Fund Recognized for Excellence in Hedge Fund Industry for Fourth Time

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Invico Capital Corporation ("Invico"), a Canadian investment fund management firm providing alternative investing and financing solutions in North America, is pleased to announce its signature fund, Invico Diversified Income Fund ("IDIF" or "the Fund"), was the recipient of three awards at last week's 2023 Canadian Hedge Fund Awards ("CHFA").

For the first time ever, IDIF took home first place in the Best 3-Year Return, Private Debt category, after having previously been nominated and placing in the top-three at each of the past three CHFAs. The Fund also placed second in the Best 5-Year Return, Private Debt and third in the Best 1-Year Return, Private Debt categories. The CHFA helps investors identify Canada's most exceptional hedge funds and are often considered the highest honour in the hedge fund industry. A total of 264 Canadian hedge funds were included in this year's program, with winners being recognized in six categories based on return performance collected and tabulated by Fundata Canada, as well as the Overall Best 2023 Canadian Hedge Fund. No nomination process or subjective assessment exists in identifying the winning hedge funds.

"We are pleased with the outcome of this year's Canadian Hedge Fund Awards and see them as a reflection of the continued excellence of our portfolio management team and success of the Fund, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary," said Jason Brooks, President of Invico and Portfolio Manager of IDIF. "Coming off a record year of performance in 2022, we are happy that IDIF has continued to produce positive results and an average return well above our targeted rate. IDIF continues to provide our unitholders with a viable solution for generating yield and consistent monthly income, and these awards speak to the longevity of the Fund through various market cycles."

This marks the fourth time IDIF has been recognized as one of Canada's leading private debt funds. In 2022, IDIF placed first in the Best 1-Year Return, Private Debt and second in the Best 3-Year Return and Best 5-Year Return, Private Debt categories; in 2021, the Fund placed second in the Best 3-Year Return and Best 5-Year Return, Private Debt Categories; and in 2019, IDIF placed second in the Best 5-Year Return, Private Debt and third in the Best 3-Year Return, Private Debt categories.

For more information on Invico Capital Corporation or Invico Diversified Income Fund, please visit: https://www.invicocapital.com.

About Invico Diversified Income Fund

Invico Diversified Income Fund is an award-winning open-ended mutual fund trust with over $484 million in assets under management as at September 30, 2023. This private fund is focused on generating monthly income through a diversified portfolio of high yield lending strategies and energy working interests with asset collateralization or direct ownership in private assets. IDIF has received ten Canadian Hedge Fund Awards and and was the winner of the Diversified Mature Category award at the 2016 Private Capital Markets Association (PCMA) Awards.

About Invico Capital Corporation

Invico Capital Corporation is an award-winning Canadian investment fund management firm providing alternative investing and financing solutions in Canada and the U.S. The firm offers a range of private debt, energy, and real estate financing solutions that assist corporations in pursuing strategic acquisitions, financing capital expenditures and growth programs, and supporting working capital requirements. Invico is a registered Portfolio Manager, Investment Fund Manager, and Exempt Market Dealer, and is an official signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The firm holds over $2.6 billion in private capital as at September 30, 2023, and is the IFM for six funds. Learn more at https://www.invicocapital.com.

Contacts:

Media:

Jillian Tyler

[email protected]

(587) 355-5491

Distribution opportunities:

Randy Beaudoin

[email protected]

(587) 330-1923

Lending opportunities:

Chris Wutzke

[email protected]

(587) 330-2018

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185127
Budapest, Hungary--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - On October 23rd, Lenercom Technology Europe Kft. held a housewarming ceremony in Budapest, Hungary. The Chairman of Lenercom, with a number of partners, attended the celebration. The relocation marks the company's further development and expansion in the European region. Located in the heart of Budapest's bustling city centre, the new premises showcase the company's strength and modernity with a modern office environment, state-of-the-art equipment and spaciousness.





Image 1



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/185161_66340f9354214b05_001full.jpg

Lenercom Europe has been deeply cultivated in Europe, with a professional team undertaking several functions including marketing, local warehousing, training and after-sales service, etc., to further deepen the localization service and provide more kinds of energy storage products and microgrid system solutions for European customers.

During the ceremony, Lenercom launched its i-Microgrid System, to provide a safe, efficient and smart energy system. Microgrid system is an integration of electrical loads and generation. The use of Lenercom iEMS (Intelligent Energy Management System) and iOMS (lntelligent Operation and Maintenance System) can bring significant benefits to ESS solutions.





Image 2



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/185161_66340f9354214b05_002full.jpg

In order to accelerate the response to customer needs, Lenercom Europe also has a localization professional technical team to achieve the fastest technical support. Next, the team will also provide comprehensive training support for customers.

Mrs. Erika Hackenberger, a partner of Lenercom, made a speech as a representative of the partner company. Erika expressed her gratitude to Lenercom for its timely and efficient after-sales service during the cooperation process, and believed that with the establishment of Lenercom Europe will be able to bring all the partners in Europe faster and more efficient after-sales service and cooperation experience. EPS-connect is very confident to continue to work with Lenercom. Erika is very confident to continue the cooperation with Lenercom to make Lenercom a famous brand in Europe.

Image 3



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/185161_66340f9354214b05_003full.jpg

Europe is one of the most important markets for Lenercom. As a company specialising in the innovative application of renewable energies, Lenercom is well known to its European customers as a company dedicated to providing integrated Photovoltaic ESS solutions for residential, commercial and industrial customers with safe and stable energy storage products as well as efficient and intelligent energy microgrid system solutions. Up to now, Lenercom's products have covered more than 10 countries of Europe, distributed in Germany, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and other countries.



In the future, Lenercom Europe will adhere to the concept of "Energize the World", provide customers in Europe with better and more efficient energy services, and contribute to the realisation of the goal of sustainable development.

Contact: Keven Hu

Tel: +36 707944753

Add: 1139, Roppenty u.48, Budapest, Hungary

Web: www.lenercom.com

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185161
USAMRIID to study antiviral activity of Claromer technology against national priority biodefense threats

Austin, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Maxwell Biosciences, a pre-clinical drug platform company focused on developing biomimetic therapeutics that improve upon natural immune system peptides based on its patented Claromer technology platform, today announced that they have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)). Part of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, USAMRIID is the U.S Army's premier institution and facility for defensive research into countermeasures against biological warfare, located on Fort Detrick, Maryland.

USAMRIID will test antiviral activity of Maxwell's Claromers to determine potential for either use as chemical lead matter or for further development as an antiviral therapeutic agent in USAMRIID's established in vitro and potentially in vivo infection models. Under this CRADA in support of Maxwell's Screening Program, USAMRIID will initially test four different Claromers against six different biodefense pathogens, including Orthopoxviruses, Filoviruses (including Ebola Viral Disease), Arenaviruses, Paramyxoviruses, Bunyaviruses, and Alphaviruses to determine which, if any of the compounds, will progress to animal testing models.

"Biodefense threats such as Ebola and novel zoonotic infectious diseases such as Avian Flu continue to be a major concern to our military and civilian populations," said J.Scotch McClure, CEO of Maxwell Biosciences. "As a military veteran, I'm proud to lead a team that tirelessly seeks to fill critical unmet needs for more effective therapeutics against the worst global pathogens."

"Our Claromer technology has the potential to replace almost all antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals - and it may help with healthy aging as well," continued McClure. "Signing this CRADA with USAMRIID, the world's preeminent biodefense research organization, is another validation of Maxwell's Claromer technology's potential as an important, disruptive platform technology."

About USAMRIID

Since 1969, USAMRIID has provided leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents. The Institute is the only laboratory in the Department of Defense equipped to safely study highly hazardous viruses requiring maximum containment at Biosafety Level 4. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and training programs that protect both Warfighters and civilians. The Institute's unique science and technology base serves not only to address current threats to our Armed Forces but also is an essential element in the medical response to any future biological threats that may confront our nation. For more information, visit: https://usamriid.health.mil/.

About Maxwell Biosciences

Founded in 2016, Maxwell Biosciences is a pre-clinical drug platform company that develops biomimetic therapeutics synthetic compounds that mimic and improve upon natural immune system peptides. Inspired by nature, these small molecules have been shown to be effective against Ebola, pan-coronavirus, pan-Influenza A (avian, swine, and human) in destroying not just viruses, but also all tested bacteria, fungi and biofilms with a single compound, while safely avoiding healthy cells. This "One Drug for Many Bugs" technology has been shown to be well-tolerated in human tissues in vitro, and in multiple animal studies, are shelf-stable and do not require a cold-chain. The compounds imitate key components of the immune system, humanity's greatest asset in fighting disease. Maxwell's technology is protected by numerous granted and pending patents and is led by a world-class team of scientists, military veterans, and experienced life science executives. To learn more about Maxwell Biosciences, visit MaxwellBiosciences.com, or follow us on X. Contact Info: 1-855-629-2461; [email protected]

The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185129
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Arthur J. Gonzalez, bestselling author of The Photo Traveler, has announced the forthcoming release of his debut picture book, The Night The Stars Went Missing. With a wholesome story and 40+ stunning full-color illustrations by Krapivina Olga, this memorable tale explores one of the biggest threats that future generations face, the depths of the human heart and the power of words and actions.





Book cover of The Night The Stars Went Missing

In The Night The Stars Went Missing, Winston spends each night watching the stars glimmer across the skies. When they suddenly go missing, he sets off on a mission to find out why. With the help of a humorous shooting star, he discovers that the stars have gone into hiding. They're afraid that humans will one day subject the stars to the stress they've already placed upon their friend planet Earth. It's up to Winston to convince the stars to return to the skies and share their luminous wonder with the very people they hope to change.

Although this book is intended for readers ages 5 to 9, older children and adults will still find much to appreciate in the adventurous plot and lush illustrations. Reviews of Gonzalez's other works have applauded his writing for being brilliant and engaging.





Inside preview of The Night The Stars Went Missing

The Night The Stars Went Missing is also an important gateway for parents and caregivers to have meaningful conversations about climate change. The grief, sadness, and fear the stars experience throughout the story challenges young readers to consider a complex, nuanced question in a healthy way: What are we going to do to save the stars?

The Night The Stars Went Missing will be available for purchase on November 1, 2023 on Amazon and the author's website.





Another Inside Preview of The Night The Stars Went Missing

Arthur J. Gonzalez is the bestselling author of The Photo Traveler, The Night The Stars Went Missing, and The Colorless Boy, among others. He was born and raised in Miami surrounded by his loud Cuban family. After graduating from the University of Florida, he developed an unapologetic obsession with chocolate and coffee. Gonzalez currently lives and writes in Los Angeles. Visit him online at www.hellowonderworld.com.

Source:

Charlotte Simmons

[email protected]

Dabb Media

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185059
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Parvis Invest Inc. (TSXV: PVIS) ("Parvis" or "the Company''), a technology-driven real estate company focused on supporting issuers and broadening access to institutional quality real estate investment opportunities, today announces a new partnership with Axiom Advisors Inc. ("Axiom").

Based in Vancouver, Axiom has established a proprietary practice dedicated to structuring Mutual Fund Trusts, advising clients on tax efficient structures towards enabling them to raise capital from investors with registered accounts and realize advanced tax efficiency. Axiom also provides investor administration services and project management support.

"Axiom's goal is to effectively provide top-tiered service to our clients, relying on expert partners to assist us in delivering the best advice and service possible in a wide variety of fields, including tax, financial reporting, fund-raising and securities compliance. Partnering with Parvis helps us to meet our goal efficiently and effectively," said Dwight Martin, Axiom's President.

"We are delighted to welcome Axiom as a new partner to Parvis," said David Michaud, Parvis' Chief Executive Officer."This is a step forward in fulfilling our mission to support issuers such as developers to efficiently process real estate investments as an end-to-end, regulated capital raising and processing platform. Our work together will grant us the opportunity to provide seamless digital, regulated EMDSolutions to clients of Axiom's tax and administrative services. We look forward to working closely with their team."

Parvis and Axiom both have well-established client networks, and the companies will be able to further expand them as they foster mutual client referrals as part of their partnership. Being leaders in their respective fields, their distinctive and synergistic service offerings will provide added value, benefiting developers through Parvis' EMDSolutions services and Axiom's expertise in fund structuring and servicing.

About Parvis

Parvis is a technology-driven investing platform. Focused on supporting capital raising efforts by issuers and broadening access to institutional quality investment opportunities, Parvis promotes greater access in this historically inaccessible and illiquid asset class. Enabled by blockchain technology, Parvis makes finding, tracking, and maximizing investments an experience that is both frictionless and empowering. Parvis Fintech Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Parvis, is registered as an Exempt Market Dealer in each of the Canadian Provinces. Parvis, headquartered in Vancouver, employs experts in Toronto, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Montreal. Additional information about Parvis is available at www.parvisinvest.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Axiom

Axiom provides consulting services to companies looking to realize tax efficiencies in their business, such as raising funds from registered accounts like RRSPs and TFSAs, and to ensure that the structure will maximize tax efficiencies for both the business and the investors. This often involves creating a special tax-efficient structure that is tailored to a specific industry and purpose. Axiom also provides back-office administration to its clients to manage the tax, financial and reporting requirements of its investors. Additional information about Axiom is available at www.axiomadvisors.ca.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuer's business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuer's prospective financial performance or financial position. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding: execution and integration of the Memorandum of Understanding; and the Company's business plans and role in the investment industry. To develop the forward-looking information in this news release, the Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to: prevailing market conditions; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the ability of the Company to execute and achieve its business objectives. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: adverse market conditions; changes in general economic, business and political conditions; changes in applicable laws and regulations; compliance with extensive government regulation; reliance on key and qualified personnel; risks associated with the real estate, investment and technology industries in general. The foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

For further information, please contact:

David Michaud, CEO, Parvis Invest Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 1-844-487-4866

Dwight Martin, President, Axiom Advisors Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 604-851-2662

For media inquiries, please contact:

Claudia Labelle, August Strategy Inc.

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185178
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Showcase Minerals Inc. (CSE: SHOW) ("Showcase" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed a $450,000 private placement financing consisting of the sale of 1,500,000 units at $0.30 per unit. Each unit consists of one common share and one two-year share purchase warrant, which entitles the holder to acquire an additional common share for $0.40/share. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the private placement for further exploration on its Dixie Flats-North Star Gold Project and for general working capital.

All securities issued pursuant to the private placement and any shares to be issued on the exercise of warrants are subject to a hold period and are restricted from trading until February 26, 2024 under applicable securities laws.

About Showcase Minerals Inc.

Showcase is a Canadian mineral exploration company with an exclusive option to acquire a 100% interest in Dixie Flats-North Star Gold Project and the Woodruff Gold-Vanadium Project (subject to various net smelter returns royalties ranging from 2.25% to 4.25%), which collectively consist of unpatented 254 lode mining claims covering approximately 1,818 hectares located in Elko County, Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Kirk Reed, President

Showcase Minerals Inc.

Telephone: 1-800-982-0670

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185249
Guangzhou Cosmetics Week showcases China's beauty industry globally, featuring top brands and industry insights.

Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - Guangzhou -Show China's beauty industry to the world -- On the morning of 18 October, the Information Office of Guangzhou Municipal Government held a press conference and revealed that the first Guangzhou Cosmetics Week will be held from 1 to 5 November. With a theme of "Millenium Capital of Commerce, International Bay of Beauty", the event will be hosted by Guangdong Medical Products Administration and Guangzhou Municipal Government and co-organized by Guangzhou Administration for Market Regulation and relevant district governments.

To build an industry ecosystem with a global perspective, a conference on high quality development of the cosmetic industry will be held on the first day of the Cosmetics Week, when Guangzhou government will release the Guangzhou Cosmetic Industry Planning Report and announce the winners of the first Guangdong superior cosmetic products competition. The conference will invite P&G, BASF, Xinxuan and other international cosmetic producers, raw material suppliers and live broadcasting e-commerce businesses to give presentations. Industry experts will also gather and discuss issues of common interest, such as raw material innovation and dermatological advancement, package design and international trends, and the overseas development and globalization of domestic brands.

From 1 to 5 November, a series of online live broadcasting and offline interactive beauty brand promotion activities, cosmetic cultural activities and science popularization events will also be held at the main venue of the Cosmetics Week and the branch venues in four districts.

Source:

Guangzhou Administration for Market Regulation

http://scjgj.gz.gov.cn/

MA Chang Na

+86-13129369073

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor) before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185204
Valued-based care improves patient outcomes and lowers costs, but this goal will take decades to achieve. By focusing on smaller issues, American healthcare can become more beneficial.

Portland, Oregon--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - The American healthcare system has been characterized as dysfunctional and inefficient for many decades. Industry insiders and outsiders are frustrated and confused as to why the atmosphere is a regulatory labyrinth that is constantly changing its requirements for payers and providers. For healthcare to become better at making us healthy, the approach needs to be changed.

Healthcare professionals are hooked on the idea of value-based care as a solution to the current system. Shifting away from volume-based care to value-based care would be an exemplary accomplishment for all Americans' health, but it's very difficult to actualize. Some of the barriers that prevent value-based care from becoming the norm include data collection and integration, fluctuating legal requirements, and inadequate resources.

Data collection and integration in the medical field is an extensive problem. Staff across different clinical settings are not trained to enter information in a consistent fashion, increasing the complexity of attempts to share information and coordinate care. The sheer volume of data that is collected per patient also leads to much of it being lost or ignored in the patient's movement between networks of providers.

On top of these issues lies regulatory frameworks that are always being amended. Insurance payers release thousands of new rules for providers annually and patients change carriers almost every three years. Providers are struggling to comply with these changes each day. Their staff can barely provide adequate care, meaning that any attempt to integrate value-based methodologies is quite challenging. Especially since most of these providers are relying on overburdened medical professionals to do the heavy lifting.

While value-based care can lower healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes, it provides less reliable revenue streams for stakeholders. With higher financial risk, providers with already thin profit margins are hesitant to make the switch.

In the face of these challenges, experienced healthcare technology strategist Tim Breaux is bringing awareness to why value-based care shouldn't be our healthcare system's highest priority. Breaux has decades of experience advising clinical technology planning, implementation, and program management. Throughout his career, Tim has seen the deep fractures of the American healthcare system. Many of them could be addressed by value-based care, but Tim argues that the transition's value is often overestimated.

"Accountable care, or value-based care, might evolve how healthcare in our country operates, but it doesn't bring as much value as people may think," says Breaux, "The objective is indeed valuable; the question is really whether there is a reasonable cost and benefit outside of a small number of clear beneficial use cases. Instead of focusing on value-based care, I advise clinical professionals on strategies for implementing solutions that provide near-term value, unlike value-based care. Decreasing emergency visits and assisting patients at home post discharge to mitigate the risk of readmission are two high priority objectives for almost all providers. However, each clinical setting will have a small number of objectives for cost/quality improvement."

As an example of a key business process changing the financial benefits of these changes, Tim suggests primary care providers stop referring after-hours calls to an answering service unless the service is trained not to automatically refer troubled patients to the emergency room. Since not all patients are suffering from life-threatening conditions, Tim believes nurses with patient chart access should provide personalized advice. By training physicians to write clear, concise patient-specific clinical tactics on a patient's chart, the after-hours nurse's work will mitigate costs while providing patients with more precise recommendations.





Tim says these tips reflect his overall approach at InterCase, his healthcare consulting firm that strives to implement tools and services that reduce patient care and operations costs while improving care quality. Tim works tirelessly to educate providers on how they should organize care and utilize data. These overlapping actions create long-lasting change that can improve patient care and simultaneously improve profitability while minimizing complex data-sharing activities.

The American healthcare system is famous for its fragmented care delivery and lack of affordability. To become more patient-centered, accessible, and affordable, the system must undertake significant reforms. While these reforms are being implemented, providers can improve their existing performance by reducing acute facility costs and optimizing primary care. These changes can improve patient satisfaction and decrease costs, particularly for those patients with vulnerable health conditions.

Media Contact

Name: Tim Breaux

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185195
On the night of October 25, Russian terrorist forces attacked the territory of the Slavuta community in the Khmelnytskyi region. The attack caused significant damage. At least 20 people were injured.

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This was reported by the mayor of Slavuta Vasyl Sydor on Facebook. According to him, all relevant services are already working to eliminate the consequences of the night attack (to watch the video, scroll to the end of the news).

"We will provide services, including heat, gas, and water. Help the elderly and children," the mayor urged, promising to provide more detailed information later.

Deputy Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration Serhiy Tiurin said that Russian air targets were shot down. They fell on the territory of a critical infrastructure facility. According to him, the blast wave damaged non-residential premises, residential buildings, and vehicles.

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So far, 16 residents of the surrounding houses with various injuries have sought medical care.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, 11 apartment buildings, 9 private houses, two educational institutions, an administrative building, a shop and cars were damaged as a result of the UAV debris.

"16 people were injured and sought medical assistance. The blast wave damaged the premises of fire and rescue units and the building of the police department in the cities of Slavuta and Netishyn," the law enforcement agency said in a statement.

Rescuers of the State Emergency Service showed the damaged fire stations in the cities of Slavuta and Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi region. The roofs and windows of the buildings were damaged.

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"Slavuta is a peaceful city, we have no military units, but we were targeted at 4 a.m.," Sydor told Suspilne.

According to him, there is not a single educational institution in the community that was not been affected by the blast wave, and 20 people are in the hospital. Some of them are seriously injured.

The day before, the Russian terrorist army launched another missile attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region. The missile hit the town of Sinelnykove, damaging an infrastructure facility, more than 10 residential buildings, an educational institution, a cafe, and a bank building.

ADVERTISIMENT

Moreover, the occupants launched more then 100 guided bombs on the Kherson region yesterday. The enemy fired at civilians with artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and other weapons. As a result of Russian war crimes, there are dead and wounded among civilians.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On October 23, Russian terrorists attacked Kherson again. Residential neighborhoods of the regional center came under enemy fire, and houses caught fire as a result of massive shelling.

- On October 21, the aggressor country Russia once again struck the Kharkiv region with ballistic missiles, and explosions were heard in the regional center. The enemy hit the Nova Poshta terminal in the village of Korotych. The attack killed 6 people and injured 17 others.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. ("West High Yield" or the "Company") (TSXV:WHY) is pleased to provide an update on the progress of its permit application and announces that it has submitted its amended permit application (the "Amended Application") for its Record Ridge Industrial Mineral Mine ("RRIMM" or the "Project") to the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (together, the "Ministries").

The Company held public open house meetings on May 17 and May 18, 2023 in the Rossland, British Columbia community located approximately ten kilometers from the proposed Project site in the Lower Columbia/Old Glory Area B Kootenay Region. Feedback from these meetings was thoughtfully considered by the Company, leading to amendments (the "Amendments") to its permit application, resulting in the Amended Application. These Amendments were presented and discussed at a meeting (the "MDRC Meeting") with the British Columbia Mines Development Review Committee (the "MDRC") that took place in Rossland on June 27, 2023, and were well received by Project stakeholders in attendance. The Company outlined numerous proposed Project mitigation strategies to address concerns and interests that had been expressed through its public engagement efforts, as previously announced by the Company in a press release dated July 4, 2023.

The Amendments in the Amended Application include:

substituting or augmenting the use of explosives with mechanized equipment for ore extraction for the Project;

implementing enclosed environments for crushing equipment to effectively manage dust and noise; and

exploring the option with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of utilizing a trucking route along Highway 22 to North Port, Washington, rather than passing through the City of Rossland.

Following the MDRC Meeting, the Company began working with the Ministries and engaged its consultants, SRK Mining Engineers and Greenwood Environmental, to address comments presented at the MDRC Meeting. This collaboration aimed to provide the required information for making the Amendments and finalize the Amended Application in accordance with the mitigation initiatives previously outlined. These positive changes to the Project will be implemented with the utmost consideration for the environment, the community and all associated stakeholders. While these changes have taken longer than initially expected, mitigation strategies incorporated into the Amended Application have made it stronger on all fronts.

The Osoyoos Indian Band conducted an independent review of the Amended Application and has demonstrated a strong commitment to working with West High Yield in the protection of the environment and mutual economic interests. This commitment is and was reflected in the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Company and the Osoyoos Indian Band, as previously announced by the Company in a press release dated September 11, 2023.

West High Yield eagerly anticipates the next phase of the MDRC technical review process and is awaiting feedback from the MDRC members in a timely manner.

About West High Yield

West High Yield is a publicly traded junior mining exploration and development company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral resource properties in Canada. Its primary objective is to develop its Record Ridge critical mineral magnesium, silica, and nickel deposits using green processing techniques to minimize waste and CO 2 emissions.

The Company's Record Ridge magnesium deposit located 10 kilometers southwest of Rossland, British Columbia has approximately 10.6 million tonnes of contained magnesium based on an independently produced National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. in accordance with NI 43-101.

Contact Information:

WEST HIGH YIELD (W.H.Y.) RESOURCES LTD.

Frank Marasco Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (403) 660-3488

Email: [email protected]

Barry Baim, Corporate Secretary

Telephone: (403) 829-2246

Email: [email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; and other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward-looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185159
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) October weekly call option implied volatility is at 46, November is at 24; compared to its 52-week range of 16 to 36 into the expected release of quarter results before the bell on October 26.
DENTON, Texas , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AcademicInfluence.com is pleased to announce their article, "10 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Speech Pathology". This article features schools that are regionally accredited with a track record of producing influential and prepared alumni. The speech pathology programs at these schools deliver superior courses and training opportunities so that students are equipped to enter the speech pathology workforce. The aim of this article is to showcase the various features of each of the top programs so that prospective students are able to make a well-informed decision.

How Academic Influence Ranks Programs

Using its proprietary InfluenceRanking Engineinnovative machine-learning technology that objectively measures a school's influence through its students, faculty, staff, and alumniAcademic Influence ranks academic persons, institutions, and disciplinary programs. The programs listed in this article are ranked according to unbiased criteria to create a more accurate and fair ranking. Academic Influence uses objective measures to assist students in finding the right school for them based on their career goals, cost, desired timeline, and academic rigor.

Benefits of Pursuing an Accelerated Online Master's of Speech Pathology

Academic Influence writes that for people who are passionate about language and linguistics, speech pathology could be an excellent career option. Speech pathologists work to evaluate, diagnose, and treat communication and swallowing disorders. People pursuing a master's in speech pathology can expect to work in private practice, early intervention and K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and health care settings.

One of the key benefits of pursuing an accelerated master's in speech pathology is the speed in which students can expect to earn their degree. Academic Influence features programs from top ranking schools where students can earn their master's in speech pathology in as little as 12 months compared to the traditional two to three years. The fact that the programs are primarily online can be another advantage as students will be able to complete their coursework on their own schedule.

Online and In-Person Aspects of a Master's in Speech Pathology

Because speech pathology is a hands-on profession, students should expect some percentage of any speech pathology program they apply for to be in person. While classes are typically online, practical and clinical internships will be held in physical settings, such as hospitals or schools. These opportunities are vital for a student's development as a speech language pathologist as these hands-on experiences provide students with training on the technical aspects of the job as well as the soft skills needed when interacting with patients and their families.

Additionally, clinical internships are a major avenue for students to network with other professionals and foster connections that could be helpful in attaining a job later on. All the schools ranked in this article have a large number of high caliber connections to ensure that students receive the highest level of in-person training available.

Schools Ranked in Academic Influence's Article

All the programs listed in Academic Influence's ranking were created to ensure that students entering the field of speech language pathology are equipped to provide a high level of care to the patients they encounter during their careers. These schools and programs have been ranked as high as they are based on the quality of alumni they produce and the preparedness students have as they enter the workforce. The schools and their ranking are listed as follows:

University of Kansas Baylor University University of Central Florida University of Rhode Island University of Akron Biola University Northern Arizona University Emerson College Elmhurst University Maryville University

To view the full article, click here .

Media Contact:

Chloe Dembski

502-517-7040

[email protected]

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SOURCE Academic Influence
World's first regulatory framework based in Abu Dhabi for voluntary carbon markets elevates confidence

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Helix Climate conduct first trade on the exchange

South Pole executes first over-the-counter transaction on Carbon Market Board

ABU DHABI , UAE and SINGAPORE , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ACX (AirCarbon Exchange) proudly announces its exchange and clearing house in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), ACX Abu Dhabi, is live. Key trades have already been executed and settled on the platform, signifying the commencement of what is anticipated to be a burgeoning market for voluntary carbon markets (VCM).

ACX established its regional base in ADGM in August 2021 with the support of Hub71, Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem. Hub71 is powered by Mubadala Investment Company PJSC (Mubadala), an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor. Mubadala invested in ACX in September 2022 as a strategic step in line with its economic diversification mandate and commitment to responsible investing.

In September 2022 , ADGM, the international financial centre of the UAE's capital that is established as a financial free zone, became the first jurisdiction to regulate voluntary carbon credits as financial instruments through the introduction of an Environmental Instrument classification, a regulatory framework to license exchanges and clearing houses for both spot and derivatives markets for these products.

In November 2022 , ACX Abu Dhabi became the first entity to be licensed under this framework, being the world's first regulated Recognised Investment Exchange and Recognised Clearing House offering Environmental Instruments in the form of carbon credits.

These regulatory licenses bolstered trust, security, and investor protection for the trading of carbon credits by mandating fair and orderly trading and real-time market surveillance, resulting in heightened market integrity, transparency and efficient price discovery. ACX strictly adheres to client asset segregation, regulatory capital and audit requirements.

With investment secured and regulatory licenses approved, ACX laid the groundwork to allow VCM participants, for the first time, to trade carbon credits and other environmental instruments under a capital markets regulatory framework.

The inaugural carbon credits trade on the fully regulated exchange was executed between First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and specialist carbon trading company Helix Climate.

Sameh Al Qubaisi , Group Head of Global Markets at First Abu Dhabi Bank, said, "We are delighted to execute the first trade on ACX Abu Dhabi. As the UAE's largest bank, we are keen to support the expansion and potential of carbon markets to provide price signals that can help companies reduce or remove their greenhouse gas emissions in the most efficient way."

This follows a report launched by FAB in January 2023 which explored the possibilities to seize opportunities in carbon trading as a way to fight climate change while providing flexibility for businesses in how they reduce their environmental impact.

Simon Harman , Founding Partner of Helix Climate, said, "Helix Climate are proud to have transacted the first trade on ACX Abu Dhabi, the first fully regulated carbon exchange. We share ACX's vision to grow liquidity, transparency and confidence in the voluntary carbon markets and look forward to transacting more volume on the exchange."

Arvind Ramamurthy , Chief of Market Development at ADGM said, "Last year, ADGM welcomed the introduction of ACX, the first regulated carbon credit trading exchange and clearing house in the world and today we are more than thrilled to witness its live launch. As we find ourselves in a critical time with the development of global carbon markets, this step marks a momentous milestone in the journey towards a thriving market for voluntary carbon markets. We look forward to seeing ACX take on a pivotal role in not just environmental instruments but also in other markets and financial instruments, including virtual asset markets."

"This marks another important step in bringing carbon credits closer to the world of regulated commodities," said ACX's Co-Founder and Co-CEO William Pazos . "ACX is proud to be the world's first fully regulated spot carbon environmental exchange and clearing house. We are equally honoured to be recognised for our ability to innovate and trigger positive change in this critically important sector."

Further enhancing its portfolio, ACX Abu Dhabi is also pleased to announce the first trade on its Carbon Market Board (CMB)  an electronic trading facility that allows participants to execute and settle over-the-counter transactions. The trade was concluded with South Pole , the world's leading climate project developer and solutions provider.

"By providing a regulated environment for carbon credit trades, ACX is helping to build higher integrity carbon markets: both buyers and sellers have more certainty thanks to the regulatory wrapper around the traded carbon credits and a marketplace that is scrutinised by an independent financial services authority. Trust will result in scale of climate action and impact, which is essential today," said Abderrahman Kasmi , Executive Director for Procurement & Trading at South Pole .

Last month, ACX Group was awarded the best carbon exchange of 2023 by Environmental Finance. This is the third consecutive year that ACX wins this prestigious award, a valuable recognition of its ability to innovate and trigger positive change in this vital field.

About the ACX Group:

ACX (AirCarbon Exchange) Group, including ACX Abu Dhabi (ACX Ltd) and AirCarbon Pte. Ltd., which operate environmental trading platforms in Abu Dhabi and Singapore respectively, caters to corporates, financial traders, carbon project developers and other industry stakeholders. ACX Group provides participants with an efficient and transparent trading platform that is user-friendly, seamless and offers the lowest transaction fees in the market. Leveraging distributed ledger technology, ACX facilitates and scales growth of the environmental product markets to align with global ambitions of achieving Net Zero.

ACX Group is proud to be a member of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), further enhancing its commitment to sustainability and responsible trading practices for carbon and other environmental products. ACX Group has garnered international recognition as the Best Carbon Exchange globally in Environmental Finance's esteemed Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023), solidifying its position as a leader in the industry.

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.acx.net.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acx-announces-key-trades-on-worlds-first-regulated-carbon-exchange-and-clearing-house-in-adgm-301965587.html

SOURCE ACX (AirCarbon Exchange)
SAN DIEGO , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading name in the field of business intelligence solutions, is delighted to announce the appointment of Alicia Hawkins as the company's new Gaming Business Intelligence Manager. With a remarkable 14-year track record in the gaming industry, Alicia brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and innovative insights to the very dynamic QCI team.

Alicia Hawkins commented, "QCI beautifully bridges technology with business operations, and as customers gain a passion for data-driven decision making and leverage data for business optimization, I have the privilege of embarking on this journey with them. I am excited to join the exceptional leadership team at QCI as the Gaming Business Intelligence Manager."

About Alicia Hawkins

Alicia Hawkins , an Ivy League trained data analytics leader with 14 years of experience, is a highly dedicated professional with a strong commitment to driving business improvement through data-driven strategies. Alicia's illustrious gaming career commenced in tribal gaming, where she specialized in slot operations analysis. Her strategic acumen significantly contributed to revenue growth and enhanced customer experiences. Subsequently, she joined Boyd Corporate, where her responsibilities encompassed database management and data quality control. Her meticulous attention to detail ensured that the organization had dependable data for informed decision-making. In her most recent role at Everi Holding Inc., Alicia further honed her analytical skills and solidified her reputation as a professional adept at bridging technology with gaming operations. She collaborated with a variety of gaming establishments to deliver data-driven solutions, earning recognition as a key player in the industry. Alicia's comprehensive skill set spans database management, slot operations analysis, and data quality assurance, complemented by her outstanding abilities in vendor relations and problem-solving. Alicia has a Bachelor of Science in Data Science from Cornell University.

Dr. Ralph Thomas , CEO of Quick Custom Intelligence, expressed his enthusiasm for Alicia's arrival, stating, "We're eager to see the impact Alicia will have at Quick Custom Intelligence. She will play a pivotal role in the successful rollout of our new product offerings. Alicia will ensure data integrity and will lead in educating users on effective software utilization. Her hands-on experience will serve as the foundation for the guidance she provides, enabling our clients to make well-informed, data-driven decisions. Quick Custom Intelligence is confident that Alicia Hawkins will bring a new level of expertise and innovation to the gaming business intelligence landscape. Her addition to the team underscores our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions and unparalleled support to our clients in the gaming industry."

ABOUT QCI

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) has pioneered the revolutionary QCI AGI Platform, an artificial intelligence platform that seamlessly integrates player development, marketing, and gaming operations with powerful, real-time tools designed specifically for the gaming and hospitality industries. Our advanced, highly configurable software is deployed in over 150 casino resorts across North America , Australia , New Zealand , Canada , Latin America , and The Bahamas . The QCI AGI Platform, which manages more than $24 billion in annual gross gaming revenue, stands as a best-in-class solution, whether on-premises, hybrid, or cloud-based, enabling fully coordinated activities across all aspects of gaming or hospitality operations. QCI's data-driven, AI-powered software propels swift, informed decision-making vital in the ever-changing casino industry, assisting casinos in optimizing resources and profits, crafting effective marketing campaigns, and enhancing customer loyalty. QCI was co-founded by Dr. Ralph Thomas and Mr. Andrew Cardno and is based in San Diego , with additional offices in Las Vegas , St. Louis , Dallas , and Tulsa. Main phone number: (858) 299.5715. Visit us at www.quickcustomintelligence.com.

About Dr. Ralph Thomas

Dr. Ralph Thomas is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Quick Custom Intelligence. Ralph is a product visionary in applied analytics and the founder of two companies that deliver solutions in casino gaming, education, and adult learning. As a gaming industry veteran, Dr. Thomas has substantial experience implementing analytics into single and multi-property gaming companies to drive tangible and measurable gains to the bottom line and has built business intelligence tools for multibillion-dollar casinos. Dr. Thomas is co-author of seven books and over 80 articles on applied analytics and data science in gaming, an inventor on dozens of patents, and understands gaming from raw data up through casino operations, giving him a unique, 360-degree view of the industry.

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SOURCE Quick Custom Intelligence
BEIJING and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CANbridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("CANbridge," stock code 1228.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company, with a foundation in China , committed to the research, development and commercialization of transformative therapies for rare diseases and oncology indications, today announced that data from the preclinical evaluation of CAN201, a potential gene therapy for Fabry disease, will be presented at the at the European Society Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT) 30th Annual Congress, taking place from October 24-27 in Brussels, Belgium .

The study aimed to utilize the liver as a manufacturing site for the enzyme, -galactosidase A (-GAL), by delivering a human GLA gene via an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector. In preclinical studies involving Fabry mice and a PXB mouse model containing a humanized liver, CAN201 showed a dose-dependent increase in -GAL enzyme levels across various tissues with a corresponding reduction in disease-causing Gb3 lipid levels. The gene therapy was well tolerated with no significant adverse effects observed in Fabry mice. CANbridge holds an exclusive global license from LogicBio Therapeutics, Inc ("LogicBio") to develop, manufacture and commercialize gene therapy candidates for the treatment of Fabry and Pompe diseases, based on LogicBio's AAV sL65 technology.

"We are delighted that our therapeutic approach utilizing a liver-targeting AAV capsid to convert the liver into an efficient producer of -GAL enzyme demonstrated in vivo proof-of-concept in the Fabry mouse model" said Gerry Cox , MD, PhD, Chief Development Strategist and Interim Chief Medical Officer of CANbridge Pharmaceuticals. "These findings bolster our confidence in the therapeutic potential of CAN201 as an alternative approach to address the limitations of current treatment options, such as enzyme replacement therapy and chaperone therapy, and offer hope for improved outcomes in individuals with Fabry disease."

Presentation Details:

Title: Preclinical Evaluation of CAN201 Containing a Human GLA Transgene Under the Control of a Liver-Specific Promoter for Fabry Disease

Poster: # P020 at ESGCT

Session Date and Time: October 24-27, 2023

Authors: Jun Yang , Gregory Preston , Amy Bastille , Ryan Thompson , Peter Pechan , John Xiong , Megan Ericson , Anannya Banga , Aida Jameei, Nannan Jia , Shiliang Hu , Beth Thurberg , Yijie Ma , Leila Jalinous , Yunxiang Zhu , Jason West , Gerald Cox

About CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc.

CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. (HKEX: 1228) is a global biopharmaceutical company, with a foundation in China , committed to the research, development and commercialization of transformative therapies for rare disease and rare oncology. CANbridge has a differentiated drug portfolio, with 4 approved drugs and a pipeline of 10 assets, targeting prevalent rare disease and rare oncology indications that have unmet needs and significant market potential. These include Hunter syndrome and other lysosomal storage disorders, complement-mediated disorders, hemophilia A, metabolic disorders, rare cholestatic liver diseases and neuromuscular diseases, as well as glioblastoma multiforme. The CANbridge Next-Generation Innovation and Process Development Facility is developing novel, potentially curative, gene therapies for rare genetic diseases, including Pompe disease, Fabry disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other neuromuscular conditions, and collaborates with world-leading researchers and biotech companies. Animal data from the SMA gene therapy was presented at the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) in 2022 and 2023, the European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) in 2022 and the World Muscle Congress in 2022. CANbridge global partners include: Apogenix, GC Pharma, Mirum, Wuxi Biologics, Privus, UMass Chan Medical School, the University of Washington School of Medicine and Scriptr Global.

For more on CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., please go to: www.canbridgepharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the data on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canbridge-pharmaceuticals-to-present-fabry-disease-gene-therapy-abstract-at-esgct-30th-annual-congress-301967247.html

SOURCE CANbridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CHICAGO , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) (d/b/a "Cars Commerce" or "the "Company"), an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry, today announced that it expects to report its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023 , on Thursday, November 2, 2023 . The Company will host a conference call with a live webcast at 8:00 a.m. CT / 9:00 a.m. ET on the same day to discuss the results.

The conference call will be hosted by Chief Executive Officer, Alex Vetter and Chief Financial Officer, Sonia Jain .

Those interested are invited to listen to the live webcast online at investor.cars.com/overview . A webcast replay will be available shortly afterwards by visiting Events on the Investor Relations website.

About Cars Commerce

Cars Commerce is an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry that simplifies everything about buying and selling cars. The Cars Commerce platform includes the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, innovative digital marketing technology and services from Dealer Inspire, industry-leading trade-in and appraisal technology from Accu-Trade, an exclusive in-market media network, and powerful and predictive AI technologies that enable more efficient and profitable retail operations. Cars Commerce is the essential partner to stay one step ahead in automotive. Learn more at www.carscommerce.inc.

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SOURCE Cars.com Inc.
AURORA, ON , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The Town of Aurora working in partnership with telMAX, Canada 's fastest Internet service provider, broke ground today in Aurora . This is the commencement of a state-of-the-art pure fibre Internet infrastructure project that promises to redefine Internet connectivity to the residents and business in Aurora . This new infrastructure, privately funded by telMAX, will bring cutting-edge technology to the community, offering faster, more reliable and affordable high speed Internet access to both residents and businesses.

The groundbreaking event marks the initiation of a significant phase in telMAX's mission to deliver exceptional Internet services, further solidifying its position as industry leader in York Region and the wider GTA.

"I'm absolutely thrilled that we've broken ground on this transformative project for our community," said Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas . "The reality is that residents increasingly need more reliable and faster Internet in their everyday lives, and our businesses need it to stay competitive. I'm also excited that this project will allow us as a municipality to explore new initiatives like offering free Wi-Fi at places like Town Park . Simply put, this is a real gamechanger for Aurora ."

telMAX is committed to fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the telecommunications landscape in Canada . The groundbreaking ceremony is a testament to this commitment and will symbolize the company's dedication to providing its customer with lightning-fast connections and top-tier customer service.

"We are excited to embark on this next step of our development, that will bring a brand-new pure fibre Internet network to the residents and business owners in Aurora ," said telMAX CEO, Stuart Roberts . "This project is a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering world-class products and service to our customers. Our communities with the fibre infrastructure we build, attract more investment, adding jobs to the local economy and enhancing the quality of life of its residents. We look forward to bringing our award-winning services to the residents and businesses of Aurora ."

As telMAX and the Town of Aurora celebrate this groundbreaking milestone, the company reaffirms its dedication to progress, innovation, and excellence in the telecommunications sector. The future of connectivity in York Region and throughout southern Ontario looks brighter than ever, and telMAX is proud to lead the way.

About telMAX

telMAX, a locally based company headquartered in York Region offers Internet, TV and Home Phone services. telMAX has built its own 100% fibre optic network to serve the residents and businesses of Brooklin , Stouffville , Newmarket and now the Town of Aurora . Using the latest available technology, the telMAX network is capable of delivering speeds up to 10 Gbps. telMAX proudly employs staff from the communities where it operates and is committed to supporting a wide range of community development activities in these towns including participation in events and shows. In 2022 and 2023 telMAX was recognised as the fastest Internet service provider in Canada following an independent assessment by PC Magazine.

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SOURCE telMAX
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Positions in engineering management are highly desirable, and there is a strong competitive advantage for candidates with the right education and experience. This fall, the School of Engineering in the Davis College of Business and Technology at Jacksonville University launched a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management degree in order to meet the growing demand in the industry. This degree is the first of its kind in the state of Florida .

"Our industry partners in Jacksonville informed our decision to launch this program based on the growing need for leaders educated in business and engineering," said Dr. Emre Selvi , director of the JU School of Engineering and Technology.

An undergraduate degree in engineering management prepares students for employment and careers in leading highly technical organizations. The degree combines a strong curriculum in engineering, math and science with a comprehensive business foundation, allowing the graduate to bridge the gaps between design engineers and senior business leaders. The median pay in the engineering management field is over $100,000 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Those with technical knowledge, strong communication skills, and years of related work experience, especially working on complex projects, will likely be in the best position to become managers. In addition, because engineering managers are involved in the financial, production and marketing activities of their firm, business management skills can be beneficial for those seeking management positions."

The graduate will be positioned to complete certifications in Six Sigma, Project Management and Quality Control. In addition to engineering and business courses, there are four special engineering management courses that uniquely prepare students for careers in this field:

Design and analysis of manufacturing systems

Design of engineering operations

Project and value engineering

Quality engineering

"Dr. Murat Tiryakioglu , JU professor of engineering, and I worked closely together to deliver a program that provides our students with specific and actionable knowledge, skills and abilities to immediately impact and add value to their teams on Day One ," said Dr. Paul Dinius , assistant dean of the Davis College of Business and assistant professor of engineering.

Engineering management students have several advantages at JU, including robotics design, small class sizes, engineering management internships, access to industry partners, collaboration in the new JU STEAM Institute and Maker Space for light industrial fabrication, to name a few.

The JU School of Engineering's programs are built on new, innovative, design-based curriculum developed in close collaboration with industrial partners and the best engineering education system in the world. JU engineering students work on real-life design projects every semester. Its programs challenge students and bring out their creativity in developing solutions to complex, real-life problems. Built on the concept of active learning and intrinsic motivation, the School of Engineering integrates the "practice of the engineering profession." It ensures design classes are represented each semester from freshman to senior year, binding the educational experience with hands-on learning.

"Our JU Engineering Management students will complete a full senior design project as a capstone to their experiential learning experience," explained Selvi. "We're excited to deliver this new option for our students and the community."

The JU Davis College of Business and Technology is the only triple-accredited private college in all of North Florida and South Georgia , with AACSB, ABET, and AABI accredited programs. Its mission is to empower students to achieve sustainable career success with a high quality, relevant and applied educational experience that is delivered by faculty committed to advancing the individual development of each student.

Media Contact:

Joanna Norris , PR/Marketing Coord.

(904) 256-7615

[email protected]

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SOURCE Jacksonville University
New Report from BCG, Textile Exchange, and Quantis Finds That Fashion and Apparel Brands Can Seize an Average 6% Net Profit Increase by Closing the Raw-Materials Gap

LONDON , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The fashion and apparel industry is under pressure. More than 85% of leading brands (by sales) have publicly declared decarbonization targets for their supply chains. In addition, more than 35 new pieces of sustainability-linked legislation are forecasted to go into effect around the world in the next two to four years, targeting import restrictions, product design guidelines, labeling requirements, and more.

Given that raw materials can constitute as much as two-thirds of a fashion and apparel brand's climate impact, securing access to sustainable materials is essential. However, demand for low-climate-impact ("preferred") raw materials could exceed supply by as much as 133 million tons by 2030.

These are among the findings of a new report released today by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in collaboration with Textile Exchange and Quantis. Titled Sustainable Raw Materials Will Drive Profitability for Fashion and Apparel Brands, the report says that brands must act today to significantly increase the share of preferred raw materials in their portfolio. Brands that succeed will be positioned to capture an average net profit increase of 6% over a five-year period, based on the report's model. In fact, at the high end of the range in the model, a fashion brand with $1 billion in annual revenues has the potential to tap a cumulative opportunity of approximately $100 million over five years.

"Fashion and apparel brands face a two-part challenge: they must double down on driving carbon reduction while preparing for upcoming regulations," said Jocelyn Wilkinson , a BCG partner and a coauthor of the report. "Success on both counts relies on a robust strategy for preferred raw materialsone that helps brands lock in a supply of sustainable materials for the future. Putting that strategy into immediate action promises to pay off."

Sustainability-Linked Regulations on the Rise

The pending regulations have greater depth and breadth than the fashion and apparel industry has seen before, and many brands may struggle to adapt. Based on a review of luxury brands, the report estimates that just 15% currently comply with all the guidelines of a flagship sustainability-linked regulation (in this case, the 2015 UK Modern Slavery Act).

Failure to comply poses a real threat to a brand's bottom line. Products may be denied entry to markets until brands can satisfy new requirements and labeling lawsplacing up to 8% of their earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) at risk.

The Growing Materials Gap

Despite the growing number of pledges and decarbonization targets across the fashion and apparel industry, Tier 4 suppliers have yet to receive a strong enough signal that brands will commit to and invest in preferred raw materials. Consequently, raw-materials producers, farmers, and growers lack the incentive to take on the risks associated with increasing the supply.

The report projects that just 19% of materials produced in 2030 will be preferred, given the current lack of economies of scale. Without proper investment, the demand-and-supply gap for preferred raw materials will rise to as much as 133 million tons by the end of the decadeequal to more than six times India's production of these materials in 2021.

"Fashion and apparel brands need to take immediate action to invest in the supply of preferred raw materials, thereby securing resources and transforming their business models for a sustainable future," said Philipp Meister , global lead for fashion and sporting goods at Quantis and a coauthor of the report. "This will require brands to rethink product portfolios, strengthen supplier relationships, and build company-wide engagementall of which could take years."

The Materials Manifesto

The report outlines six principles for brands looking to create a robust materials strategy:

Invest in and embed full traceability to de-risk supply chains and fully understand materials' impacts. Use a science-backed approach to strengthen decision making and satisfy stakeholders. Diversify the materials portfolio to spread risks and future-proof operations. Build a business case that leads to a triple winfor brands, for suppliers, and for nature. Strengthen supply chain relationshipsthey will make or break brands going forward. Ensure that knowledge, tools, and incentives are engrained throughout the company.

"In the face of the climate crisis, the policy landscape, and investor and consumer scrutiny, fashion and apparel brands cannot afford to underinvest in their raw-materials strategies any longer," said Beth Jensen , director of climate+ impact at Textile Exchange and a coauthor of the report. "Brands must act boldly now to invest in the supply chain relationships that will enable achievement of their climate goals by 2030a key milestone year that is rapidly approaching."

Download the publication here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/driving-profitability-with-raw-materials-in-fashion

Media Contact:

Eric Gregoire

+1 617 850 3783

[email protected]

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

About Textile Exchange

Textile Exchange is a global non-profit driving beneficial impacts on climate and nature across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. It guides a growing community of brands, manufacturers, and farmers towards more purposeful production from the very start of the supply chain.

Its goal is to help the industry to achieve a 45% reduction in the emissions that come from producing fibers and raw materials by 2030. To get there, it is keeping its focus holistic and interconnected, accelerating the adoption of practices that improve the state of our water, soil health, and biodiversity too.

For real change to happen, everyone needs a clear path to beneficial impact. That's why Textile Exchange believes that approachable, step-by-step instruction paired with collective action can change the system to make preferred materials and fibers an accessible default, mobilizing leaders through attainable strategies, proven solutions, and a driven community.

At Textile Exchange, materials matter. To learn more, visit textileexchange.org

About Quantis

Quantis is a global sustainability consultancy pioneering approaches to solve critical environmental challenges. The group partners with leading organizations who are serious about reducing their environmental impacts to future-proof their businesses and prosper in a new planetary economy. Quantis' unique approach combines deep environmental expertise, strategic business knowledge, and enterprise transformation skills to help organizations shape policies, practices and business models that align with the planet's capacity while building resilience, unlocking innovation, and optimizing performance. With offices in the US, France , Switzerland , Germany and Italy and clients around the world, Quantis is a key partner in inspiring sustainable change on a global scale.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
On the night of October 25, Russian occupation forces attacked the settlements of the Kherson region once again. A rescue operation is underway at the site of one of the attacks, and there may be people under the rubble.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported in Telegram by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin. According to him, the enemy fired 13 guided bombs at the region at night alone, and 35 unmanned aerial vehicles during the day.

In addition, the Kherson region suffered one missile and one drone attack. The scale of the damage is being clarified.

As a reminder, during the day on October 23, the Russian terrorist army fired at the settlements of the Kherson region over 100 times. Russian terrorists fired 597 shells from mortars, artillery, MLRS, AGS, tanks, aircraft, and UAVs. 30 hits were recorded in the regional center during the day.

ADVERTISIMENT

There are dead and wounded among the locals. In particular, a 12-year-old boy was diagnosed with a traumatic foot injury and an acute stress reaction. A 50-year-old woman and two men also had a neurotic reaction.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On the evening of October 23, the occupiers attacked Kherson. Residential neighborhoods of the regional center came under enemy fire, and houses caught fire as a result of massive shelling.

- Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, a spokesman for the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said that the occupation forces are terrorizing the civilian population of the Kherson region with shelling every day. The enemy launches up to 38 air strikes on the settlements under the control of Ukraine every day, while earlier this number was 2-3.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Workers Who Protect and Serve in New Hampshire Gain Union Protections

DOVER, N.H., Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at the Dover Police Department have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 633 in Manchester. This diverse group of 52 workers includes dispatchers, parking enforcement officers, police officers, secretaries, victim advocates, social workers, among others.

"Local 633 is proud to represent 30 police departments, sheriff's departments, and correctional facilities statewide," said Jeffrey Padellaro , Local 633 Secretary-Treasurer. "We represent the largest density of law enforcement groups of any union in New Hampshire , and we are elated to welcome the Dover Police Department to North America's strong union. We are looking forward to getting them a contract that reflects the critical nature of their work."

"I voted to join the Teamsters so that we could be represented by a union that will have workers' backs," said Tim David , a Dover police officer/K9 officer. "Joining the Teamsters has helped members of the Dover Police Department become educated on better ways to protect themselves and our fellow coworkers, while also alleviating job-related stressors for workers."

Chartered in 1934, Teamsters Local 633 represents more than 4,700 workers in New Hampshire in several different sectors. For more information, visit teamsters633.com.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

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SOURCE Teamsters Local 633
Joint Lab to serve as Regional Innovation Hub for Advancing Chip-on-Cell-based Next Generation Battery Systems

EDINBURGH, Scotland , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dukosi Ltd, the technology company revolutionizing the performance, safety and sustainability of battery systems, and Suzhou Hengmei Electron Technology, Inc. ("Hengmei") today announced the Joint Development Laboratory at Hengmei's facility in Suzhou, China . The lab will accelerate the development and adoption of chip-on-cell-based solutions for more sustainable battery systems that will power the electric future.

"Our shared commitment to driving innovation throughout the battery system value chain will allow us to offer future-proof technology to our customers," stated Eric Yang , CEO of Hengmei. "Dukosi's cell monitoring solution revolutionizes how battery-based systems are designed and paves the way towards on-cell sensing and processing. Whether electric vehicles, energy storage, or marine applications, the flexible and scalable solution is suitable for all our markets and will significantly reduce time-to-market due to its simple yet powerful architecture. Contributing to a sustainable battery supply chain is also a key objective at Hengmei. Dukosi's chip-on-cell solution provides 24/7 monitoring and data logging that helps maximize the utilization of batteries throughout its lifecycle, and lifetime traceability helps comply with regulatory requirements aimed at building a circular battery value chain."

" China has been at the forefront of electrification of transport and mobility with a well-established battery production ecosystem and 75%[1] of the world's battery cell manufacturing capacity," stated Joseph Notaro , vice president global sales and marketing at Dukosi. "Hengmei is already a leader in cell connection systems (CCS) and an important and progressive partner who is positioning themselves for growth into global markets. We are proud of our partnership and look forward to closer collaboration and achieving mutual business growth and success."

The Joint Laboratory was opened on 25 October, 2023 in an official ceremony. Nat Edington, CEO of Dukosi, and Joseph Notaro , vice president global sales and marketing at Dukosi, were presented with a plaque by Hengmei's CEO Eric Yang , and the ceremony was attended by senior managers from across Hengmei businesses. Speaking at the event, Yang said, "At this great moment of the third energy revolution in human history, we are more confident than ever in taking the initiative to embrace changes, promote the development and application of new technologies and products with our partners in the global battery ecosystem, and make greater contributions to carbon neutrality."

About Dukosi

Dukosi develops revolutionary technologies that dramatically improve the performance, safety, and efficiency of battery systems, and enable a more sustainable battery value chain. The company provides a unique cell monitoring platform based on intelligent chip-on-cell technology and wireless near field communication for electric vehicles (EV), industrial transportation and stationary energy storage markets. Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK , Dukosi has a global footprint with locations in USA, Asia and Europe. For more information, please visit www.dukosi.com.

About Hengmei

Suzhou Hengmei Electron Technology, Inc. is a company committed to the research, development, production and sales of electronic control systems for new energy vehicles and energy storage. Our strategic positioning and competitive advantage lies in providing an integrated power battery electronic control solution. Our product portfolio includes battery management systems (BMS) (wireless and wired), flexible printed circuits (FPC), cell connection systems (CCS), battery disconnect units (BDU), and high and low voltage wiring harnesses. Our vision & mission is to make transportation safer and greener. Since our inception, we have been working towards achieving the goals of ecological and environmental protection through sustainable development. For more information, please visit www.sz-hm.cn

[1] China's battery supply chain tops BNEF ranking for third consecutive time; Canada close 2nd, US drops to 3rd - Green Car Congress

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201070/4349310/dukosi_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE DUKOSI LIMITED
Square touchless faucet design is exclusive to specialized Californian faucet maker

PARAMOUNT, Calif. , Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MAC Faucets, a leading manufacturer of innovative automatic faucet collections, introduces the latest addition to their line of touchless faucets: the FA3400 series. It comprises models that combine solid design with unparalleled engineering and technology to provide specifiers of commercial bathroom projects with the best options.

The FA3400 automatic faucets feature a unique square design in both 6-inch and 8-inch heights to accommodate different styles and functionality, one model for classic sinks and one for vessel sinks. In addition, both faucets are available with a long spout reach to deliver water closer to the users' hands.

Crafting square faucets is highly challenging from an engineering and manufacturing perspective. Fadi Shakkour , the president of MAC Faucets, explains: "Square faucets demand an expert level of precision and craftsmanship that is challenging to achieve. We've pushed the boundaries to create something exceptional."

MAC Faucets uses C260 tubular brass as the primary material for crafting both the FA3400 and the FA3200 series touchless faucets. This variety of brass features a remarkably low lead content of just 0.07%, which places it significantly below the U.S. legal limit of 0.25%. The faucet's delivery system guides the water through a stainless steel hose, preventing direct contact with the brass material to preserve the quality of the water. This innovative design not only meets stringent quality standards but also reduces the carbon footprint compared to traditional casting methods. C260 brass is known for its environmental qualities: It is recyclable and more sustainable than the brass commonly used in traditional plumbing products because of its higher copper content of nearly 70% versus the standard 60%.

Shakkour emphasizes the benefits: "We intentionally selected this material for our FA3200 and FA3400 faucets since it contains very little lead, which makes it safe and environmentally friendly. The unique design also reduces our carbon footprint, helping us contribute to our sustainability goals."

What sets the FA3400 series apart is not only its extraordinary engineering but also its extensive array of finish options. The faucets are available in over 22 different finishes to meet the needs of any project specification. Matching soap dispensers are also available to complete the offering. The existing FA3200 offers the same products in a tubular design.

MAC Faucets has a rich history of delivering top-tier faucet solutions, and the FA3400 automatic faucet series is another element that perfectly pairs with the rest of the brand's offerings.

About MAC Faucets

MAC Faucets was founded in 2000 and is based in Paramount, Cal. The company specializes in designing and manufacturing innovative automatic faucets for commercial applications. MAC Faucets is the supplier of choice of automated bathroom hardware for the White House and many high-profile hospitality businesses. It offers a proprietary line of high-performing, luxurious automatic faucet collections that are in stock and available in 22 finishes and provides exceptional value. Collections include automatic faucets, soap dispensers, flush valves and other commercial bathroom products. For more information, visit macfaucets.com.

Press Contact:

Mirjam Lippuner ,

920-395-8998,

https://www.macfaucets.com/

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SOURCE MAC Faucets
Company to Host Conference Call

WASHINGTON , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) today announced plans to report its third quarter 2023 financial results on Tuesday morning, October 31, 2023 , before the opening of U.S. financial markets.

Fannie Mae has scheduled a conference call to discuss the company's results at 8:00 a.m., ET , on October 31, 2023 .

Prior to the call, the company's third quarter 2023 earnings news release, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other supplemental information will be available on the company's Quarterly and Annual Results webpage at fanniemae.com/financialresults. Following the call, a transcript will be published to the same webpage and will remain available until our next quarterly earnings announcement.

CONFERENCE CALL PARTICIPATION DETAILS  Fannie Mae Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Event day and time

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

8:00 AM (ET)

Listen-only webcast:

https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1637658&tp_key=f0c706edbc

Click on the link above to attend the presentation from your laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Audio will stream through your selected device. If you have difficulty accessing the webcast, please click the "Listen by Phone" button on the webcast player and dial the number provided.

About Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit:

fanniemae.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog

Fannie Mae Newsroom

https://www.fanniemae.com/news

Photo of Fannie Mae

https://www.fanniemae.com/resources/img/about-fm/fm-building.tif

Fannie Mae Resource Center

1-800-2FANNIE

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SOURCE Fannie Mae
LAKELAND, Fla. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In his last year as Florida Polytechnic University president, Dr. Randy K. Avent was recognized once again for his exceptional leadership by statewide magazine Florida Trend. It's the fifth consecutive year Avent makes the publication's prominent Florida 500 list, which celebrates the state's most influential business leaders across major industries.

"Being selected alongside so many outstanding leaders is such a great honor and I'm privileged to have been in their company for the past years," Avent said.

"As the University wraps up its first decade educating high-skill STEM professionals, we know there's much more work to be done, but we remain proud to have built a nationally ranked university from the ground up."

From the beginning, Avent's goal as Florida Poly's founding president has centered on turning the University into a leading STEM institution, known for its excellent engineering and applied sciences education, and for its high-demand, low-supply graduates. The University fulfilled key legislative mandates under his leadership and accomplished critical accreditations.

Avent's work has also focused on growing Florida Poly and cementing it as an industry magnet for the region. He secured a public-private partnership with Fortune 500 company IFF to become Florida Poly's first on-campus partner, building its Global Citrus Innovation Center just steps from the iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology building. This achievement marked the beginning of a research park he envisions anchored by the University.

Florida Poly is poised for further growth. A third student residence hall will be ready by 2024 and the Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building will begin construction next spring. These buildings will be in addition to the Barnett Applied Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility inaugurated last year, doubling the institution's research capabilities. The University is growing its academic offerings as well, by adding two new degrees this year  civil engineering and industrial engineering.

The Florida 500 inclusion is the latest of several important recognitions the University has received this year. These include U.S. News & World Report rankings as a top 20 public engineering program without a Ph.D. in the country, and the number one public college in the Southeast for three years in a row.

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SOURCE Florida Poly
LOS ANGELES , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FounderSix , a beauty brand incubator co-founded by Oli Goulden and Pieter Wittgen , has announced a significant funding milestone. KD Capital, a venture capital firm with a track record of supporting groundbreaking startups, including OKCupid, Grab, and Shoprunner, has made a substantial $12 million investment in FounderSix. This investment marks a transformative moment for FounderSix, enabling the company to extend its proven model and introduce exciting new influencer-led beauty brands to the market.

The news follows a third successful FounderSix brand launch. Ravie Beauty, a new makeup company created with YouTuber Allie Glines, achieved one year of projected sales in the first thirty minutes of going live. This phenomenal result shows the tremendous potential of the FounderSix business model and gives a clear blueprint for all their future brands.

Along with providing the initial capital for their current and future portfolio companies, FounderSix runs all the operations behind the scenes. At the core of this is product development, with team members who have worked at, or with, industry leading giants such as L'Oreal, Shiseido, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. FounderSix also boasts close working relationships with world-class manufacturing facilities in South Korea , Italy , and the US among others, which ensures that the trust already imbued between the influencer and their audience is reinforced with product and brand experience.

Lewis Cheng , Managing Partner of KD Capital, said, "Our investment in FounderSix is a testament to our trust in Oli and Pieter's leadership. Their guiding principle of investing in people, not just ideas, resonates deeply with us. Both have a fantastic talent for creating exciting new brands from scratch and their proven track record makes us very excited to support their vision into the future."

About FounderSix:

FounderSix is a forward-thinking beauty brand incubator that partners with influencers to launch exceptional beauty brands. Founded in July 2020 by co-founders Oli Goulden and Pieter Wittgen , FounderSix's comprehensive support model covers everything from investment, product development, branding, marketing, legal, finance, accounting, ecommerce, and operations. Influencers become co-founders of the brands, transforming their vision into reality by launching authentic and innovative products for their audience. Ravie Beauty , co-founded with YouTuber Allie Glines, exemplifies effortless makeup through its trademarked "Effortless Lips'' collection. Anablue , co-founded with Lauren Perez , draws on her Moroccan heritage to craft haircare products powered by natural ingredients. ARY WORLD , created with TikTok sensation Alex Renee , celebrates creativity and individualism with a vibrant range of makeup.

About KD Capital:

KD Capital is a venture capital firm known for investing in high-potential startups. With a focus on fostering innovation and driving entrepreneurial success, KD Capital has a history of backing innovative companies poised to disrupt their respective industries and set new standards with investments in the US, Hong Kong , and the UK.

Media Contact:

PR & Media Department

[email protected]

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SOURCE FounderSix
BEIJING , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain's national carrier, will be extending its operations into China in January 2024 . In line with its calibrated growth strategy to strengthen its global network and connecting Bahrain with key global destinations under the national Economic Recovery Plan of Bahrain , this strategic move also represents a significant step forward for Gulf Air to bolster its Asia-Pacific presence and support connectivity under the One Belt One Road initiative of China . The expansion plans into China were revealed at the Bahrain-China Investment Forum hosted by the Economic Development Board of Bahrain. The Forum was part of a special delegation to the country led by H. E. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro , Minister of Industry and Commerce.

"We are excited by the opportunity to expand our presence in the Asia-Pacific region with new flights connecting Bahrain and the cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai in China ," said Dr. Jeffrey Goh , Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air Group Holding. " China is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and a global tourism market. It is key to our strategy of calibrated network growth. These flights will offer greater choice and flexible travel experiences for passengers and create new pipelines for trade, tourism and collaboration, benefitting both nations."

China , known for its strong and vibrant cultural heritage and economic dynamism, is a popular destination for leisure and business travellers. Gulf Air's introduction of flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai will strengthen the bilateral trade and tourism relations of over 30 years.

The schedule has been built to ensure convenient connections between China and destinations served by Gulf Air in the Middle East and Europe , and between these

destinations and China . The flights will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner and two cabins of service, a business class cabin featuring one of the most spacious premium seats and an economy class cabin with state-of-the-industry seats.

Goh remarked further that, "We are confident these new flights will be appreciated by the international business community and those seeking exciting new leisure destinations and those simply looking to visit friends and family. We are equally confident that customers will enjoy our renowned Arabian hospitality on board."

Gulf Air has been serving the Kingdom of Bahrain and beyond since 1950, steadily growing its operations and network to meet the needs of its diverse customer base.

About Gulf Air

Gulf Air commenced operations in 1950, becoming one of the first commercial airlines established in the Middle East . The airline operates scheduled flights from its hub at Bahrain International Airport to over 40 cities in Europe , Middle East , Africa , Indian sub-continent and the Far East. For more information, visit www.gulfair.com.

LinkedIn: Gulf Air

Twitter: @GulfAir

Instagram: @gulfair

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SOURCE Gulf Air
Lan Zhou , MD, PhD, appointed Neurologist-in-Chief; Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA, appointed Anesthesiologist-in-Chief

NEW YORK , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointments of Lan Zhou , MD, PhD, as Neurologist-in-Chief and Chair of the Marcia Dunn and Jonathan Sobel Department of Neurology at HSS; and Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA, as Anesthesiologist-in-Chief and Director of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management.

Dr. Memtsoudis succeeds Gregory A. Liguori , MD, who has led the department with distinction for the past 21 years. As Chief Emeritus, Dr. Liguori will focus on his practice at HSS, continue to chair the Credentials Committee and teach as a Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, and maintain his roles on the Medical Board, Physician Practice Committee, and MIAC.

Dr. Zhou will succeed Interim Chair Matthew E. Fink , MD, who will return full-time to his role as Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine and Neurologist-in-Chief at NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Fink accepted HSS' request to serve as interim leader following the retirement of Dale J. Lange , MD, who led the department for 13 years. Dr. Zhou will lead the continued advancement of HSS' Neurology Department in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine Neurology.

"Drs. Fink and Ligouri have provided instrumental support for their clinical colleagues exemplifying excellence in medicineHSS is grateful for their leadership," said Bryan T. Kelly , MD, MBA, President and CEO, HSS. "We are thrilled to have the expertise and stewardship of Dr. Zhou and Dr. Memtsoudis in advancing translational and clinical research programs that will serve the needs of all of our patient populations. Their collaborative approaches to musculoskeletal health will strengthen our multidisciplinary services and further improve patient care and recovery."

"HSS is recognized as a leader in musculoskeletal health because of the unparalleled number of talented and accomplished experts who call it home," said Douglas Padgett , MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS. "The appointments of Dr. Memtsoudis and Dr. Zhou embody our tradition of strong leaders committed to addressing pain and movement challenges, continuing the advancement of our rich clinical pipeline toward improved health and wellness for everyone."

Stavros Memtsoudis, MD, PhD, MBA

Dr. Memtsoudis is board-certified in anesthesiology and critical care medicine. He earned his medical degree and PhD from Georg-August-University Medical School, in Goettingen, Germany , in 1999, and his MBA from the University of Massachusetts in 2018. Dr. Memtsoudis joined HSS after completing subspecialty training in critical care medicine, cardiac care, and thoracic anesthesiology. He is widely recognized for his clinical expertise in the perioperative care of orthopedic patients with advanced cardiovascular and pulmonary disease as well as his prolific research into perioperative care. During the height of COVID-19, elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, were canceled to accommodate patients requiring hospital admission. Dr. Memtsoudis was instrumental in leading musculoskeletal medical teams at HSS in managing critical care patients.

As a senior scientist, Dr. Memtsoudis directs research initiatives on cardiopulmonary physiology and population-based outcomes research. His findings have been published in more than 380 peer-reviewed articles. Due to his prominence in the field of perioperative research, Dr. Memtsoudis has won several prestigious research awards, frequently lectures on the topic, and serves on anesthesia and pain medicine boards nationally and internationally.

"Excellence and continuity of patient care are our highest priorities at HSS," said Dr. Memtsoudis. "I have the pleasure of being a member of an incredible team of experts, and I'm equally passionate about working alongside internationally prominent clinician-scientists who prioritize delivering the highest-quality care to all our patients."

Dr. Memtsoudis's new role is effective immediately.

Lan Zhou , MD, PhD

Dr. Zhou is a nationally renowned neuromuscular specialist with a long history of clinical and academic accomplishments. She earned her medical degree from Shanghai Medical University School of Medicine in China (now Fudan University Medical Center) in 1989 before completing her PhD in developmental biology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1995. Previously, Dr. Zhou served as a staff neurologist at Cleveland Clinic, an associate professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and pathology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a professor of neurology and neurotherapeutics and pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She comes to HSS from Boston University School of Medicine, where she has served as a professor of neurology and pathology and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Neurology.

Dr. Zhou cares for patients with neuromuscular diseases and regularly performs and interprets nerve, muscle, and skin biopsies as part of her practice. She has special interests in small-fiber neuropathy, inflammatory myopathy, myasthenia gravis, and neuromuscular pathology. Additionally, she is recognized as an outstanding educator and muscle research scientist. She runs a National Institutes of Healthfunded research program to study muscle inflammation, fibrosis, and regeneration associated with skeletal muscle injury and repair. In her new role at HSS, she will establish a clinical diagnostic neuromuscular pathology laboratory.

"I'm honored to take on this new role, building upon and developing new programs that will continue to serve the diverse patient communities at HSS," said Dr. Zhou . "My passion is to make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients and families living with neuromuscular diseases and to work with musculoskeletal teams to develop effective treatments to help them live better."

Dr. Zhou's new role is effective March 1, 2024 .

About HSS

HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 14th consecutive year), No. 2 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2023-2024), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" list (2023-2024). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a third consecutive year (2023). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey , Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State , as well as in Florida . In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.

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SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery
Mobile Clinics to Provide Hyundai Customers Free Anti-Theft Software Installation

Launched in Collaboration With Local Government Officials, Police Departments, and Other Community Organizations

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing efforts to assist customers and communities affected by the social-media driven thefts of certain vehicles not equipped with push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers, Hyundai today announced five national multi-day anti-theft mobile clinics to occur before year-end. Following successful pilot mobile service centers in Washington D.C. and St. Louis County, Missouri , as well as regional events operated by Hyundai dealers in Phoenix and Baltimore , these clinics will provide customers in the following metro areas free software installations to prevent a method of theft popularized on social media:

New York City , NY : Saturday, October 28  Sunday, October 29

:  Chicago , IL: Friday, November 3  Sunday, November 5

 Minneapolis, MN : Friday, November 10  Saturday, November 11

:  Saint Paul , MN: Sunday, November 12  Monday, November 13

 Rochester , NY: Friday, November 17  Saturday, November 18

In addition to these events, Hyundai is supporting several single-day, regional clinic locations before year-end that will be operated by Hyundai dealers. Hyundai and its extensive dealer network have partnered with local law enforcement, as well as government officials and other community organizations to support ongoing efforts to combat increases in vehicle thefts within their communities and to raise awareness of the free software upgrade to eligible residents. The software upgrade has been installed on nearly one million eligible Hyundai vehicles and is working as designed to prevent the method of theft that has spread on social media.

"Our customers are the top priority and we encourage all eligible Hyundai owners and lessees to take advantage of the free software upgrade to help protect their vehicle," said David VandeLinde , vice president of after-sales, Hyundai Motor America. "We are committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products, all of which are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements."

The software upgrade, which takes less than 30 minutes for installation, is part of a broader service campaign launched earlier this year that also provides free steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies for distribution to local residents who own or lease an affected vehicle. Hyundai has also collaborated with AAA to offer insurance options for affected owners and lessees. All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer.

Software Upgrade Details

The software upgrade modifies certain vehicle control modules on Hyundai vehicles equipped with standard "turn-key-to-start" ignition systems. As a result, locking the doors with the key fob will set the factory alarm and activate an "ignition kill" feature so the vehicles cannot be started when subjected to the popularized theft mode. Customers must use the key fob to unlock their vehicles to deactivate the "ignition kill" feature.

Hyundai is notifying customers about the anti-theft service campaign through multiple points of contact (e.g., mail, email, outbound phone contact, paid media and a dedicated website) with instructions to bring their vehicle to a mobile clinic or the nearest Hyundai dealership to have the free software installed. More information is available at www.hyundaiantitheft.com, where customers can input their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to find out if it is eligible for the software upgrade.

Some 2011-2022 model year vehicles without engine immobilizers cannot accommodate the software upgrade. For these customers, Hyundai is reimbursing them for their purchase of steering wheel locks.

Eligible Affected Vehicles

Vehicle Model Year Accent 2018-2022 Elantra 2017-2022 Elantra GT 2013-2020 Genesis Coupe 2013-2014 Kona 2018-2022 Palisade 2020-2021 Santa Fe 2013-2022 Santa Fe Sport 2013-2018 Santa Fe XL 2019 Sonata 2011-2019 Tuscon 2011-2022 Veloster 2012-2017 & 2019-2021 Venue 2020-2021

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on 'Progress for Humanity' and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 830 dealers sold more than 724,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

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SOURCE Hyundai Motor America
Speakers included Jeff Bezos , the President of Paraguay , U.S. Sens. Chris Coons and Lindsey Graham , and Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy

WASHINGTON , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday evening, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) presented Jeff Bezos , Lauren Sanchez , and the Bezos Earth Fund with the Good Steward Award and Chairwoman Kay Granger with the Teddy Roosevelt International Conservation Award at its U.S. Congressional International Conservation Leadership Awards Gala at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Bezos delivered the keynote address, emphasizing that those who have pioneered nature conservation have been curious explorers and inventors who have redefined the impossible. They have much to teach us today. Other prominent speakers included Paraguay President Santiago Pena , House Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy , and CEO of the Global Environment Facility Carlos Manuel Rodriguez.

"We don't just survive because of nature, we also soar because of it. Nature feeds our spirit and brings us together," said Jeff Bezos , chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. "Today, around the world, there are nearly 300,000 protected areas, large and small  up from virtually zero 150 years ago. There is hard work ahead and much reason to be optimistic."

The United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus includes more than a third of the U.S. Congress and over a fourth of the U.S. Senate. The ICCF, the secretariat for the Caucus, has hosted its awards dinner since 2006. The event brings together a diverse group of Republicans and Democrats, global business leaders and NGOs, foreign dignitaries and American celebrities, volunteers, and professionals for a common cause to elevate America's role in conservation and celebrate leadership in international conservation.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to honor several individuals and organizations for their outstanding leadership and commitment to conservation," said John Gantt , President of ICCF. "The power of public and private partnerships will help shape the future of conservation and change the way the world thinks about conservation."

The ICCF Good Steward Award, which recognizes outstanding individual leadership in conservation, was presented by Senator Chris Coons to Jeff Bezos , Lauren Sanchez , and the Bezos Earth Fund for their commitment to addressing climate change and nature protection. The Earth Fund is the largest ever philanthropic commitment to climate and nature protection, investing $10 billion in this decisive decade to protect nature, drive systems-level change, and create a just transition to a low-carbon economy.

Chairwoman Kay Granger  introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham  was presented with the ICCF Teddy Roosevelt International Conservation Award, which recognizes outstanding conservation leadership in government. Granger was granted the award in recognition of her leadership in consistently securing and growing U.S. investment in international conservation and her commitment to combating the illegal wildlife trade.

For the past 20 years, ICCF's mission has been to advance U.S. leadership in international conservation through public and private partnerships and to develop the next generation of conservation leaders in the U.S. Congress. ICCF convenes a council of leading business and NGO partners to support policymakers on innovative solutions to conservation challenges and operates throughout Latin America , Africa , Europe , and Asia .

Past ICCF award recipients include The Prince of Wales , Prince Albert II of Monaco , former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair , Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg , actors Harrison Ford and Edward Norton , Rob and Melani Walton , among others.

###

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SOURCE Bezos Earth Fund
Russian commanders forced the Russian marines to cross the Dnipro without any boats. But the task was failed because the occupiers simply drowned.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by OBOZ.UA, citing information from the Ukrainian military. Thus, our defenders caught the phone of the occupier from the Russian Marine Corps together with his corpse in the Dnipro river in Kherson region (to listen to the audio, scroll to the bottom of the page).

It turned out that it was Alexander Budnikov, born in 1992. He was originally from Stavropol, but came to Ukraine to fight. However, he didn't do it for long, because he lost his life, and it was so senseless.

ADVERTISIMENT

The fact is that some interesting correspondence was found in his phone. As it turned out, the commanders forced him and other marines to cross the Dnipro without boats.

In the voice messages, the commander scolds the occupiers that they are "afraid to get their asses wet" in a "20-meter river," so they ask for some kind of watercraft or a crossing.

ADVERTISIMENT

"Take immediate action and fulfill the task, if you are waiting for some uncle to bring you some trough on which a monkey will swim to the other side, it will not happen. Your neighbors (other units of the Russian Federation - Ed.) to your left and right don't give a flying fuck about anything either. The task is yours, do as you wish," the occupier commander shouts.

Judging by the fact that this phone and the body of the marine were caught by Ukrainian defenders, the "monkey" and his ilk still agreed to fulfill the tasks of the autocrat who leads the occupiers.

On October 20, the AP reported that their journalists accompanied the Ukrainian Marines during their landing operation on the left bank of the Kherson region. The enemy positions were pushed back from the first line due to the effective work of the Defense Forces.

ADVERTISIMENT

As soon as the marines landed on the left bank, they launched reconnaissance drones to assess the situation in the radius of possible collision with the enemy.

The Institute for the Study of War claims that Ukrainian soldiers carried out a large-scale ground operation and established their presence on the eastern bank of the Dnipro. The ISW said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly advanced to northeastern Krynky, 27 km east of Kherson and 2 km from the Dnipro River.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Detroit's Culture is Coming Together for a Cause to Support 8th Annual Uncork for a Cure

DETROIT , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dynami Foundation has curated a list of trailblazing culture makers to join together for Breast Cancer Awareness in Detroit . In its 8th year, the foundation's Uncork for a Cure event is bringing together the healing power of art and food to curate pieces of work and provide sustenance for a cause. The fundraising event has raised over two million dollars over the years and impacted groundbreaking new research in support of lobular breast cancer through their partnership with University of Michigan's Rogel Cancer Center, University of PIttsburgh Medical Center, University of Colorado, and Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer survivor and Dynami founder, Flora Migyanka , is paving the way to bring culture and the community together with physicians and field experts, to drive expanded research for a cure to lobular breast cancer which accounts for 15% of all breast cancers yet only receives 1% of research funding. Joined by cousin, Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon of Plum Market, whose mother was also impacted by breast cancer, they'll be pairing wine with award-winning food from local Detroit chefs:

Barda

Bar Pigalle

Basan

Brine Oyster House

Cantoro Italian Market

Chartreuse

Grey Ghost

Lena

Leila/Phoenicia

Mabel Gray

Marrow

Motor City Seafood

Oak & Reel

Selden Standard

SheWolf

Takoi

The Apparatus Room

"From the beginningback when Uncork for a Cure was at Bacco RistoranteI've been honored to support such a meaningful cause and an organization that's making a real difference in the fight against lobular breast cancer. Flora is a force and I'm proud to be a part of all that Dynami does," said Anthony Lombardo , executive chef and co-owner of SheWolf Pastificio & Bar.

Artwork curated by Mary Wysocki of Paragon Art Collective will be unveiled at the event from local and international artists. Mike Hanwhose mother and grandmother are breast cancer survivorswill be back for another year auctioning off a piece of his work in honor of breast cancer awareness. Local artists Eric "El Cappy" Lowry, Amelia Currier , Takeisha Jefferson , and others will join Mike Han to support the research and awareness for lobular breast cancer.

"Believing in the power of advocacy rooted in compassion, I dedicate myself to causes beyond my own sphere. For my children, friends, and family, I strive to make a difference. This initiative holds profound significance for me. Having undergone two breast surgeries and with my paternal grandmother's battle with breast cancer, I grasp the gravity of accessible resources and clear communication within this realm. My heart propels me to advocate, ensuring that essential support is within reach for all. This commitment is an extension of my artistic vision, transcending my photography to touch lives in tangible ways. It stands as a living example for my children, demonstrating the boundless impact one person's heart can have on the world," says artist Takeisha Jefferson .

Uncork for a Cure has recently supported never-before-seen opportunities to monitor lobular breast cancer's recurrence and propel new detection of cell transformation as well as biomarker research, and cutting edge research to combat cancer cells' tendency to mutate which otherwise makes them resistant to treatment among many other initiatives that are underway.

"For Uncork for a Cure to be in its 8th year nowwhile raising over $2 million for researchis incredible. And yet, we still have a long way to go to continue to fight lobular breast cancer. I'm so thankful to these incredible and award-winning artists, chefs, and sommeliers. They are standing with me as partners to raise awareness, and bring our community together, to fight for a cure," says Dynami founder and breast cancer survivor, Flora Migyanka .

To join the Dynami Foundation in raising additional funds to drive further research into ILC, join the at the 8th Annual Uncork for a Cure on November 4th at the M1 Concourse. For more information and tickets and sponsorship, visit the DynamiFoundation.org .

To read more about how Dynami's donations are directly driving results and further research at University of Michigan, please reference the Impact Report here .

Media Contact:

Loan Joyce

[email protected]

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SOURCE The Dynami Foundation
Increases capacity for National Account turn-key installations and enhances cross-selling.

Unlocks new value and offerings for customers across a "front-to-back" HVAC life-cycle solution.

DALLAS , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennox (NYSE: LII), a leader in energy-efficient climate-control solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of AES, a company dedicated to service and sustainability in the light commercial market.

Across North America, AES provides installations services, adapter curbs, and reclaim services. AES will become part of the Lennox Commercial Business Segment and enable the delivery of "front-to-back" life-cycle integrated services to AES and Lennox customers.

"AES represents a strong strategic and cultural fit for the Lennox Commercial segment and is consistent with our growth strategy," Lennox EVP and President of the Commercial Heating and Cooling Business Joe Nassab stated. "By adding AES's services to our already strong portfolio, we have positioned our business to grow through providing our customers with more capabilities. In addition, we are thrilled that AES and Lennox share many of the same core values and we look forward to growing together."

AES President Jason Benton will join the Lennox Commercial business segment in a leadership role and will continue to lead the AES business and team of approximately 280 associates.

"This is an excellent fit for us," said Jason Benton , President of AES. "Our customers trust us to respond quickly and personally. We are excited for the opportunity to reach new customers and expand with Lennox resources."

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

About Lennox

Lennox (NYSE: LII) is a leader in energy-efficient climate-control solutions. Dedicated to sustainability and creating comfortable and healthier environments for our residential and commercial customers while reducing their carbon footprint, we lead the field in innovation with our cooling, heating, indoor air quality, and refrigeration systems. Additional information on Lennox is available at www.lennoxinternational.com or by contacting Investor Relations, 972-497-6670, [email protected].

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SOURCE Lennox International Inc.
As the brand surpasses 300 locations, salon suite franchise acquires six Cirque Salon Studios

CARROLLTON, Texas , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MY SALON Suite , a salon suite franchise that focuses on providing stylists and beauticians a personal space to build their business and the beauty industry's future, announced today its acquisition of six Cirque Salon Studios in Charleston, South Carolina , continuing its aggressive new growth strategy as the brand surpasses 300 locations.

MY SALON Suite's strategic purchase of the six Cirque Salon Studio Charleston locations marks the second major acquisition in less than two months for the brand following the recent acquisition of six salons in Reno, Nevada .

Founded in Charleston in 2008, Cirque Salon Studios is a salon suite franchise with locations across South Carolina , Virginia and Florida . The Charleston salons, which will rebrand as corporate MY SALON Suite locations, join two existing brand locations in the area to bring the MY SALON Suite footprint in the market to eight salons.

"MY SALON Suite's acquisition of Cirque Salon Studio's Charleston locations represents a significant opportunity for the advancement of our salons, both for our beauty professionals and their loyal customers," said David Manzi , founder of Cirque Salon Studios. "Cirque Salon Studios has grown tremendously since our inception, and entrusting the future of these six locations to MY SALON Suite aligns perfectly with the salons' continued development. I'm thrilled the MY SALON Suite team will implement its exceptional resources and expansive network to continue the success of the Charleston -area locations."

As the brand surpasses 300 locations, MY SALON Suite is continuing an aggressive growth strategy with the acquisitions of 12 independent salons so far this year. In addition, the brand is on pace for a record year of franchise development with multi-unit agreements and conversions of independent salons. Through targeting acquisitions in strategic corporate markets and franchisee conversions, MY SALON Suite will continue its mission to dominate the salon industry and accelerate the growth of its footprint across the country.

"MY SALON Suite has seen tremendous franchise growth throughout 2023, and expanding our corporate presence is the logical next step in facilitating continued development," said Mark Jameson , chief development officer of MY SALON Suite parent company, Propelled Brands. "The addition of these outstanding salons to our portfolio underscores the strength of our network and resources. Continued acquisitions and conversions will be instrumental for both franchise and corporate locations, with corporate development allowing us to build a blueprint of the process for franchisees to capitalize on, ultimately amplifying our growth potential."

The initial investment for a MY SALON Suite franchise is approximately $823,344  $2,241,800 , including a $50,000 franchise fee. Investment is typically lower for independent salon suite operators wishing to convert and receive the brand benefits. Ideal candidates have a net worth of $1.5 million , of which $500K is liquid. Additionally, MY SALON Suite offers a special incentive for veterans and first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs and firefighters, which includes a 50% reduction on the franchise fee  a savings of $25,000 .

For more information about MY SALON Suite franchise and conversion opportunities, visit https://www.mysalonsuite.com/franchise , or contact Mark Jameson at [email protected] or 214-346-5679.

About MY SALON Suite

MY SALON Suite is a salon suite franchise designed for individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit who are interested in diversifying their portfolio while enjoying a semi-absentee lifestyle. The company was established with the aim to inspire and empower the modern-day salon owner, providing a unique opportunity for a diverse range of beauty and health professionals to successfully manage their businesses. MY SALON Suite members are provided with ongoing training, support, and a robust referral network to bolster their business growth. The brand, which is ranked #66 on Entrepreneur's Highly Competitive 2023 Franchise 500 List, is widely recognized for its rapid expansion and significant success.

A strategic alliance partnership with Propelled Brands has allowed the nation's largest family-owned collection of salons to fuel the brand's growth. Currently, MY SALON Suite boasts over 330 locations in 35 states across the United States and Canada , with 165 franchisees and over 8,500 Suite Elite Members. The franchise concept plans to continue its expansion in the coming years.

To learn more about MY SALON Suite, visit mysalonsuite.com .

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SOURCE MY SALON Suite
Governor Henry McMaster delivered an impactful keynote speech on the company's arrival and revitalization of manufacturing industry in South Carolina

UNION, S.C. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MycoWorks celebrated the opening and start of production at its first full-scale Fine Mycelium facility in Union, S.C. , with a ribbon-cutting attended by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster , as well as other government officials, community leaders, brand partners, and supporters. The world-class manufacturing plant gives MycoWorks the capacity to scale-up to meet demand for their luxury leather-like material Reishi. Produced with the company's patented technology for partners including Hermes and Ligne Roset , MycoWorks' new plant has already made a significant impact by spurring new investment in Union's storefronts, housing, and employment portfolio.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster delivered impactful remarks on MycoWorks' arrival in the state.

Union, S.C. to Lead in U.S. Biomaterials Manufacturing

Situated in the Upstate region's thriving manufacturing corridor, local officials expressed excitement for MycoWorks' new facility and are welcoming the opportunity for Union to bring this new industry to fruition. With MycoWorks' technological advancements to the materials sector and its commitment to bringing competitive jobs to the region, the first-of-its-kind facility is positioning South Carolina to lead the biomaterials industry, reshoring luxury textile manufacturing to the United States . In celebration of this industry-first achievement, attendees had the opportunity to witness the factory's cutting-edge technology and learn about the diverse applications of MycoWorks' biomaterial Reishi.

Built on-time and on-budget, the 136,000 sq. ft. factory is the world's largest mycelium production operation. For the leather industry, MycoWorks' Union facility is a breakthrough in supply chain management, providing full predictability, transparency, and provenance of high-quality natural materials while remaining efficient and low-impact. Marrying the latest technological advancements with old world craftsmanship, the team in Union will be creating a product of the highest standards and will be the first-movers in an industry on track to be world-changing.

"I was proud to join with MycoWorks to celebrate the grand opening of their new Union facility," said Governor Henry McMaster . "It's great to add a biomaterials manufacturer to South Carolina's expanding range of products and services, and we look forward to the opportunities this investment will bring to students and technicians across the state."

MycoWorks' choice to open its first-commercial scale manufacturing plant in Union signals its long-term commitment to outreach, employment and education, going beyond standard manufacturing practice to build a supportive and empowering work-environment with rewarding benefits.

MycoWorks is actively recruiting from education and training networks in the state

With support from readySC at SC Technical College and EmployersNetwork , the biomaterials company has continued to recruit top-tier technician talent from the region. MycoWorks hopes to empower college and high school students to innovate through engineering and manufacturing with ongoing outreach to networks including USC Union, Spartanburg Community College ,and Union County Schools . The biotech company's team of operation and manufacturing leaders hail from the consumer goods, automotive, food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries, and are excited to show a new generation of changemakers how creative materials science can be.

MycoWorks to bring high-quality jobs with competitive benefits

The biotech company was awarded a $30 million allocation of the federal government's New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), flagging the grant's support to bring high-quality jobs to Union County . To date, MycoWorks has employed over 150 employees at the newly-opened facility, of which 90 percent are technicians being trained to manage the company's proprietary technology, Fine Mycelium.

At full capacity, the facility will employ nearly 400 people in its operations. Dedicated to the personal and financial growth of their employees, each new full-time hire at MycoWorks is granted incentive stock options through the company's Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan. The grants vest over a four-year period and employees may begin purchasing their equity after one year of service, a new and welcome benefit to the South Carolina team at MycoWorks.

Local Support has Reshored American Textiles Back to the State

Fostered by the state's economic incentives and strong support provided by South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Union County Development Board, MycoWorks chose Union's tight-knit community for their eagerness to elevate the region's global manufacturing profile and clean business portfolio. MycoWorks' facility derives 98 percent of its power from nearby solar and hydroelectric plants provided by the renewable electric provider Lockhart Power.

"At MycoWorks we believe our success comes from the creativity and expertise of our team," said Doug Hardesty , Chief Operating Officer. "Our outreach to the region is critical to our success. Our partnerships with the Upstate educational ecosystem and the leadership in South Carolina will enable us to bring continued training and high quality jobs."

Tuesday's ribbon-cutting celebration enabled MycoWorks supporters and community stakeholders from across government, business and education to celebrate the grand achievement towards growing the future of materials in Union County, S.C.

As a token of appreciation to the community, MycoWorks has made a donation to the Junior League Charity, a women's leadership organization supporting community impact initiatives.

To learn more about employment opportunities at MycoWorks, visit https://www.mycoworks.com/careers

About MycoWorks

In 2013, co-founders Philip Ross and Sophia Wang formed MycoWorks, a San Francisco -based biomaterials company dedicated to bringing new mycelium-grown materials to the world. MycoWorks' patented Fine Mycelium technology, an advanced manufacturing platform and breakthrough in materials science, engineers mycelium during growth to form proprietary, interlocking cellular structures for unparalleled beauty, handfeel, strength and durability. The company's flagship material- Reishi - is a new category of material for the world's best luxury brands. For more information, please visit mycoworks.com .

CONTACT: [email protected]

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SOURCE MycoWorks
ARLINGTON, Va. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NumbersUSA will present the findings from its Idaho sprawl study and survey of likely voters in Idaho this Sunday. We invite the general public and media to attend.

NumbersUSA, the nation's largest single-issue advocacy group, empowers voters to achieve sensible immigration policies.

EVENT DETAILS

The Kootenai/Shoshone Farm Bureau will host this event on Idaho Sprawl.

Feel free to bring a guest. Refreshments will be served.

EVENT: NumbersUSA Idaho Sprawl Study and Discussion

LOCATION: The Country Barn in Cataldo, Idaho

DATE: Sunday, October 29, 2023

TIME: 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm

ATTENDANCE INFORMATION: Email [email protected]

PRESENTATION: Leon Kolankiewicz , the Idaho sprawl study's lead author, will give the presentation. NumbersUSA Outreach Liaison and Idaho resident Rob Harding will attend the event and participate in a Q&A session.

Kolankiewicz is a consulting environmental scientist and natural resources planner. Since 2000, he has led more than a dozen studies on the effects of urban sprawl on open space, including the loss of farmland, for NumbersUSA.

In addition, Kolankiewicz has managed or worked as an analyst on numerous Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS's) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as a consultant to federal agencies on projects ranging from water supply dams and reservoirs to flood control facilities, wind farms, roads, parks, wildlife refuges, power plants and transmission lines, oil & gas drilling, and mines. He has assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in preparing comprehensive, long-term management and habitat plans at nearly 50 national wildlife refuges in more than 20 states and territories, from the Caribbean to Alaska .

"While Idaho is still blessed with more than 5 million acres of cropland, there is now 16% less than there was 35 years ago, and the most rapid population growth of any state in the country is driving the urban sprawl that, decade after decade, steadily nibbles away at this precious, irreplaceable resource," said Kolankiewicz.

About NumbersUSA

NumbersUSA supports a balanced immigration system that welcomes the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, is responsive to acute refugee crises, attracts those with extraordinary ability and talents, addresses temporary labor shortages, and protects the most vulnerable. NumbersUSA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that believes better immigration policy is needed and possible. As America's largest single-issue advocacy group, focused exclusively on immigration reform, NumbersUSA has 8 million grassroots supporters spread across every congressional district. Founded solely by Roy Beck in 1996 to promote civil debate on the immigration recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform - chaired by civil rights icon Barbara Jordan , NumbersUSA continues to advocate for sensible immigration policies that ensure Americans' safety, promote economic fairness, while protecting the environment and quality of life.

Media Contact:

Emeline McClellan

[email protected]

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SOURCE NumbersUSA.com
Hampshire County Commission meeting is latest community discussion to address the operational safety and viability of eastern panhandle railroad

ROMNEY, W.Va. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Members from OmniTRAX, a comprehensive supply-chain and logistics solutions provider, joined representatives from West Virginia's Department of Transportation, state delegates, local and county leadership, and community members from Grant County , Hardy County , and Hampshire County to discuss OmniTRAX's proposed operation of the South Branch Valley Railroad (SBVR).

"OmniTRAX values the communities we serve, and we are proud of the local reputations that we have earned as true community partners," said OmniTRAX President and COO Sergio Sabatini . "We thank the Hampshire Commissioners for the opportunity to attend last night's forum and we thank the Tri-County community members in attendance for their thoughtful questions."

The meeting is the latest forum in OmniTRAX's local engagement within the Tri-County area. To fully understand the challenges facing the South Branch Valley Railroad, OmniTRAX has held extensive meetings with West Virginia State Rail Authority, West Virginia Department of Transportation, Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, economic development officials from the Tri-County area, state leaders, and all current customers of the South Branch Valley Railroad.

"The SBVR is important to the passengers and freight customers it serves as well as the local communities along the line. To ensure operational safety and long-term viability, it needs immediate attention and capital investment and OmniTRAX provides a strong solution to those needs," said OmniTRAX Vice President of Operations Stacey Posey . "We are excited about what we can achieve together by operating the SBVR and we are committed to earning the trust of the Tri-County region."

About OmniTRAX, Inc.

As one of North America's largest and fastest growing private railroad and transportation management companies, OmniTRAX's core capabilities range from providing transportation and supply chain management services to railroad and port companies, to providing intermodal and industrial switching operations to railroads, ports and a diverse group of industrial companies. Through its affiliation with The Broe Group and its portfolio of managed companies, OmniTRAX also has the unique capability of offering specialized industrial development and real estate solutions, both on and off the rail network managed by OmniTRAX. For more information visit omnitrax.com.

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SOURCE OmniTRAX
CLEARWATER, Fla. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SandStone Insurance Partners is delighted to announce the appointment of Charlie Robinson as President, effective October 2, 2023 . With over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Charlie brings a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to community service.

In his role, Charlie will spearhead all sales operations activities throughout the entire state of Florida . His responsibilities include supporting growth through acquisitions, building and enhancing the brand's presence within the region, and contributing to the organizational culture.

On a personal note, Charlie Robinson is a high-quality individual with a long-standing reputation for doing business the "right way." Married for over 30 years and a proud parent of three children, Charlie's values and faith-based approach align seamlessly with SandStone's mission and vision. Known for his exceptional leadership and industry prominence, he seeks to play a more impactful role within a smaller, dynamic firm.

Charlie Robinson's roots in Clearwater, FL , run deep, showcasing his strong ties to the community. He began his professional journey over three decades ago with USI Insurance Services (and predecessor companies), specializing in Property and Casualty industries, and has continued to climb the ranks in various esteemed leadership positions.

His diverse background includes serving on the Waterfall Bank Board of Directors, holding the position of President at YMCA of the Suncoast, and contributing as the President of Goodwill Industries Suncoast, among other notable roles.

Charlie's reputation for delivering impactful results in risk management, particularly within the hospitality, healthcare, and private equity sectors, has earned him a national standing in the industry.

SandStone Insurance Partners is currently experiencing a significant growth phase, acquiring significant insurance agencies in the southeast and consolidating them under its umbrella. With the addition of Charlie Robinson , the company is poised for further expansion and a strengthened commitment to exceptional client service.

"We are thrilled to welcome Charlie Robinson as a significant equity partner and being named as the President. His extensive experience and dedication to community service align with our company values, and we look forward to his valuable contributions," said John Jassmann CEO at SandStone Insurance Partners.

About SandStone Insurance Partners: SandStone Insurance Partners, with operations in Greater Tampa Bay and Greater Atlanta , is committed to providing businesses and private clients with optimal insurance and risk financing solutions tailored to their unique needs. This approach has resulted in significant growth for SandStone since it's founding in 2017.

For inquiries and further information, please contact:

Lori Asbury

Director of PR TBB

[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandstone-insurance-partners-appoints-charlie-robinson-as-president-301967244.html

SOURCE SandStone Insurance Partners
SAN JOSE, Calif. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- (TSXV: SEV) (OTCQB: SPVNF) Spectra7 Microsystems Inc. ("Spectra7" or the "Company"), a leading provider of high-performance analog semiconductor products for broadband connectivity markets, today announced preliminary unaudited revenue results for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and updated its outlook for the second half of 2023. Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts in this press release are expressed in US dollars.

"We expect to report third quarter revenues of $3.1 million and operating expenses of approximately $2.5 million and are updating our second half revenue outlook to between $6.0 million and $6.8 million as we continue to build upon our technology leadership position in ultra-high-speed cabling for datacenters and hyperscalers1," said Raouf Halim , Chief Executive Officer.

"We continue to see progress with our hyperscale customers as they move toward leading edge 800G and 1.6TB data rate interconnects deployed in the most advanced implementations, such as artificial intelligence. Hyperscalers are also increasingly sensitive to the high power requirements for other cabling options, which can exceed the power required by the switch itself. Spectra7's ACC cables provide a unique solution to this challenge and reduce both the capital cost and operating cost of a hyperscale data center. We believe the ACC connectivity market opportunity is estimated to reach $1 billion by 20272," said Mr. Halim .

2H FY 2023 Outlook1

The Company anticipates revenue for the second half of 2023 to be in the range of $6.0 million to $6.8 million , updated from a range of $5.5 million to $7.0 million . The Company also anticipates maintaining its efficient operating expense structure and non-IFRS operating expenses3 for 2H 2023 at a range of $4.5 million to $4.9 million (non-IFRS operating expenses for 1H 2023 were $4.6 million ).

Notes:

1 This is forward-looking information and is based on a number of assumptions, which include the current and anticipated customer purchase orders received, supply outlook and anticipated operational expenditures. See "Cautionary Notes".

2 Spectra7 internally generated model based on 650Group silicon chipsets for Ethernet optical transceivers and active cable alternatives posted July 2023 . This is forward looking information. See "Cautionary Notes."

3 Non-IFRS operating expenses is a non-GAAP measure which includes research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization for capital equipment and right-of-use assets and excludes share-based compensation expenses, non-recurring termination costs, interest and related financing costs, change in fair value of warrant liabilities, foreign exchange gain/loss and gain/loss from property and equipment disposal. Refer to "Non-GAAP Measures" in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2023 , which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, for a reconciliation to measures reported in the Company's financial statements in the previous quarter. A reconciliation to measures reported in the Company's financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 will be provided in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for those periods.

ABOUT SPECTRA7 MICROSYSTEMS INC.

Spectra7 Microsystems Inc. is a high-performance analog semiconductor company delivering unprecedented bandwidth, speed and resolution to enable disruptive industrial design for leading electronics manufacturers in virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, data centers and other connectivity markets. Spectra7 is based in San Jose, California with a design center in Cork, Ireland and a technical support location in Dongguan, China . For more information, please visit www.spectra7.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY NOTES

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, the expected datacenter upgrade cycle, the expected size of the ACC connectivity market by 2027, the Company's expected revenue in the second half of 2023, and the Company's ability to maintain its efficient operating expense structure and non-IFRS operating expenses and the Company's strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 . Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law.

For more information, please contact:

Matt Kreps

Darrow Associates

214-597-8200

[email protected]

Spectra7 Microsystems Inc.

Bonnie Tomei

Chief Financial Officer

669-212-1089

[email protected]

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SOURCE Spectra7 Microsystems Inc.
Leaders in cloud contact center solutions create a strategic partnership enabling customers to migrate to Zoom Contact Center with advanced analytics and insights.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SuccessKPI, Inc., a leading, cloud-native contact center customer experience insight and action platform provider, announced today their solution is available within Zoom's ISV Exchange Program. This collaboration brings increased value to customers and simplifies their journey to Zoom Contact Center.

SuccessKPI is one of the preferred contact center analytics solutions within Zoom's ISV Exchange Program, aiming to provide a comprehensive and seamless solution to Zoom customers seeking to enhance their contact center operations. This strategic partnership empowers customers to streamline their migration to Zoom Contact Center while benefiting from advanced analytics and actionable insights.

The collaboration between SuccessKPI and Zoom opens exciting opportunities for customers to leverage SuccessKPI's industry-leading insight and action platform within the Zoom ecosystem. This integration will empower Zoom Contact Center customers with custom reporting and report replication capabilities, along with an ecosystem of 180+ data integrations.

Key benefits for customers within this partnership include:

Seamless Migration: With SuccessKPI's collaboration with the Zoom ISV Exchange Program, customers can effortlessly migrate to the Zoom Contact Center platform while maintaining business continuity with out-of-the-box and custom reporting and visualizations. Enhanced Analytics: SuccessKPI's cloud-native solution brings a robust set of analytics tools, allowing businesses to gain deeper insights into customer interactions, agent performance, and overall contact center efficiency. Actionable Insights: Customers will have the capability to turn insights into actions, driving continuous improvement in their contact center operations and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Simplified Procurement: Zoom customers can now directly access SuccessKPI's solutions through the Zoom ISV Exchange Program, making the procurement process straightforward and efficient.

"Deepening our partnership with Zoom is an important step in expanding our alignment with world-class cloud contact center partners," said Dave Rennyson , CEO of SuccessKPI, Inc., "This strategic partnership expands our ecosystem to ensure enterprise contact centers moving to the cloud are successful on their journey to optimize business outcomes and delivering exceptional experiences for everyone from the agent to the CEO."

Zoom Contact Center is a premier platform for businesses seeking innovative solutions to deliver highly personalized customer experiences and increase customer satisfaction. The addition of SuccessKPI to this program further strengthens Zoom's commitment to providing comprehensive contact center solutions to its customers.

"Our partnership with SuccessKPI empowers Zoom Contact Center customers with valuable Business Intelligence insights and actionable reporting capabilities through our native integration," said Kentis Gopalla, Head of Product Ecosystem, Zoom Contact Center & Zoom Phone. "Zoom is committed to delivering a world-class customer experience and this partnership reflects that shared vision."

Social Networks:

Web: https://www.successkpi.com

Blog: https://successkpi.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successkpi/

About SuccessKPI, Inc.:

SuccessKPI is a revolutionary on-demand experience analytics software provider enabling organizations to utilize artificial intelligence and automation to improve business outcomes and transform customer experiences. SuccessKPI's insight and action platform removes the obstacles that agents, managers, and executives encounter in delivering exceptional customer service. We are trusted by some of the world's largest government, BPO, financial, healthcare, and technology contact centers in the United States , Europe , and Latin America .

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/successkpi-joins-the-zoom-isv-exchange-program-to-form-strategic-partnership-301966799.html

SOURCE SuccessKPI
HUDSON, Wis. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tareen Dermatology , a leading dermatology practice, is excited to announce the expansion of its network with the opening of its sixth location in Hudson, Wisconsin . Previously operating five successful clinics in Minnesota , this expansion marks a significant milestone for Tareen Dermatology as it extends its exceptional dermatological care to the vibrant community of Hudson .

Located within the Hudson Medical Center at 2651 Hillcrest Drive , Suite 304, Tareen Dermatology clinic offers a comprehensive range of dermatology services, including medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatments. Led by Board Certified Dermatologists, Dr. Mohiba Tareen , Dr. Ryan Holzwarth and their highly skilled team of physician assistants and medical staff, the clinic is committed to delivering personalized care to patients of all ages and all conditions of the skin, hair and nails.

Tareen Dermatology treats all dermatologic medical conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, skin cancers, hair loss treatment and more. Cosmetically, the Hudson office offers cosmetic services including botox, fillers, coolsculpting, laser treatments, hydrafacial, and microdermabrasion. All services are comprehensive and tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient.

To celebrate the grand opening, Tareen Dermatology held an open house event on October 24, 2023 , in collaboration with the Hudson Chamber of Commerce and the esteemed presence of Mayor Rich O'Connor . The event provided an opportunity for the community to tour the newly constructed clinic, meet the dermatologists, physician assistants, and cosmetic staff and learn more about the services offered. Attendees also enjoyed sample hand hydrafacial and microdermabrasion from the Tareen Dermatology staff of advanced medical estheticians.

About Tareen Dermatology :

Tareen Dermatology is a leading dermatology clinic dedicated to providing exceptional care to patients across multiple locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin . Led by Dr. Mohiba Tareen and her team of board certified dermatologists and physician assistants, the clinics are committed to delivering personalized care using the latest advancements in dermatologic treatments for all conditions of the skin, hair and nails.

Media Contact:

Natalie Borer

Marketing Director

612.559.4791

[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tareen-dermatology-expands-to-hudson-wisconsin-adding-sixth-location-within-the-hudson-medical-center-301967833.html
Before attacking Israel, a group of Hamas militants communicated for two years through a network of corded phones that were built into tunnels under the Gaza Strip. Terrorists concealed the planning of the operation with the help of "old-fashioned counterintelligence measures".

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by the American TV channel CNN, citing information from two sources. Telephone lines in the tunnels allowed the militants to communicate secretly, so Israeli intelligence officers could not track them.

According to intelligence shared by Israel with the Americans, Hamas concealed the planning of the operation through "old-fashioned counterintelligence measures," such as face-to-face meetings and the rejection of digital communications, whose signals can be monitored by the Israelis.

"There hasn't been a lot of discussion, negotiation, or coordination outside of the immediate area," the source told CNN.

The Israeli Defense Forces colloquially refer to the tunnels built by Hamas over the past fifteen years or so as the "Gaza subway." The tunnels are a vast maze used to store rockets and ammunition caches, and allow militants to move around undetected. The IDF also claims that vital Hamas command and control centers are located there.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to sources briefed on the Hamas attack, a small cell was waiting for the attack to begin in order to prepare a larger group of militants on the ground for a specific operation. One source said that although the commanders and fighters of the militant ground units had been trained for many months and were kept on general alert, they were not informed of specific plans until a few days before the operation.

According to another insider, Iran has been helping Hamas develop operational security tactics for many years, although U.S. intelligence does not believe that Iran played a direct role in planning the October 7 attack itself.

It is worth noting that the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, said that the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip is postponed for "strategic reasons", which allows the military to better prepare. According to him, Hamas terrorists are already "regretting" the fact that they started the war.

ADVERTISIMENT

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- The network compared the statements of the Hamas leadership and the Russian authorities led by dictator Putin. They concluded that the terrorists act in the same way, and the collected statements of both are surprisingly similar in form and content.

- The United States believes that Israel should decide for itself when and how to conduct a ground operation against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. This is Washington's official position.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Teamsters Call Out Waymo's Poor Safety Record Outside Google Headquarters

LOS ANGELES , Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teamsters, labor leaders, public safety officials, and concerned citizens today held a rally outside of Google's Southern California HQ to condemn the recent expansion of Google-owned Waymo self-driving cars in Los Angeles and highlight ongoing safety concerns with robotaxis. The rally took place in advance of the Q3 earnings report for Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Safety problems with Waymo autonomous vehicles are well documented. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2021 Waymo had the most automated driving system crashes of any self-driving vehicle company. In spite of this, Alphabet continues to spend billions of dollars on Waymo in its desperate drive for profit, including millions of dollars lobbying in California.

"Robotaxi safety incidents, which include crashes and congestion, are becoming the norm across the country. It's happened in San Francisco , Austin , Nashville , Houston and now we have it here in Los Angeles . Waymo's parent company Alphabet tries to portray itself as being one of the good guys but we know all too well that Big Tech has a hard time being good to public safety and working people," said Lindsay Dougherty , Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 399. "Anybody who knows Los Angeles , knows that the freeways are not the place to bring these wreckless robotaxis."

Speakers at today's rally voiced their strong opposition to autonomous vehicles, noting that they routinely cause traffic jams and accidents in other cities across the United States . In San Francisco , Cruise robotaxis have collided with fire trucks and were implicated in the death of a pedestrian after blocking an ambulance that was transporting a patient to the hospital. Earlier this year, a self-driving Waymo car killed a small dog in San Francisco . In Austin , complaints continue to mount as residents report dangerous encounters with self-driving vehicles.

"We're saying hell no to driverless vehicles on our streets," said Yvonne Wheeler , President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. "Autonomous vehicles, like the ones that Waymo wants to unleash in our communities, have been wreaking havoc wherever they go. From blocking fire trucks on call, to emergencies, to crashes into buses, running over animals, running through construction sites and ruining freshly poured concrete, it's clear this technology is not ready to be introduced into our roads and our city."

"We have seen how much of a disaster these driverless cars are in San Francisco ," said Jeff Shaffer , President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1277. "They threaten public safety, increase congestion, and - in spite of what these companies claim - do far more harm than good when it comes to urban transportation infrastructure. The last thing we need is robotaxis in LA."

"These machines won't just put millions of good-paying, union jobs at risk  they pose a serious threat to pedestrian safety," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez. "We need actual regulations on robot taxis, and we should not be putting lives at risk by allowing our city to be a test subject for the tech industry."

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a safety investigation into Cruise after numerous incidents involving the company's self-driving cars. The incidents under investigation include two recent accidents that left victims with injuries requiring care at a hospital.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S. , Canada , and Puerto Rico . Visit Teamster.org to learn more. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
LONDON , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

Dividend Announcement:

On 25 October 2023 , the Board of Directors of Tetragon declared a dividend of U.S. $0.11 ( 11.00 cents ) per share in respect of the third quarter of 2023. The ex-dividend date is 1 November 2023 . The record date is 2 November 2023 . Payment of the dividend will take place from 27 November 2023 .

Tetragon's website (www.tetragoninv.com) includes information on Tetragon's Optional Stock Dividend Plan for those shareholders electing to receive dividends in the form of Tetragon shares. Shareholders may elect to receive dividends in the form of Tetragon shares by making a dividend share election up to 14 November 2023 . If no election is made, the dividend will be paid in cash from 27 November 2023 .

Cash dividends may be received in Sterling by those shareholders making a dividend currency election up to 14 November 2023 . If no election is made, the dividend will be paid in U.S. dollars from 27 November 2023 .

Intention to Conduct a Tender Offer:

Tetragon intends to conduct a tender offer for a number of Tetragon non-voting shares with a maximum value of up to U.S. $35 million , to be held as treasury shares. J.P. Morgan Securities plc (which conducts its U.K. investment banking business as J.P. Morgan Cazenove) will act as dealer manager in the tender offer, which will use a modified Dutch auction structure. Details of this planned tender offer will be announced shortly. A repurchase of Tetragon shares at a price below NAV will be accretive to its fully diluted NAV per share.

About Tetragon:

Tetragon is a Guernsey closed-ended investment company. Its non-voting shares are listed on Euronext in Amsterdam, a regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam N.V., and also traded on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Our investment manager is Tetragon Financial Management LP. Find out more at www.tetragoninv.com .

Tetragon: Yuko Thomas Investor Relations [email protected] Press Inquiries: Prosek Partners [email protected] U.K. +44 20 3890 9193 U.S. +1 212 279 3115

This release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (2014/596/EU), or EU MAR , and of the UK version of EU MAR as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act (as amended).

This release does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities of Tetragon have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons unless they are registered under applicable law or exempt from registration. Tetragon does not intend to register any portion of its securities in the United States or to conduct a public offer of securities in the United States . In addition, Tetragon has not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and investors will not be entitled to the benefits of such Act. Tetragon is registered in the public register of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiele Markten) under Section 1:107 of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act as an alternative investment fund from a designated state.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tetragon-financial-group-limited-announcement-of-dividend-and-intention-to-conduct-tender-offer-301967815.html

SOURCE Tetragon Financial Group Limited
ATLANTA , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 19 th, 2023, The Bierenbaum Family Foundation sponsored a speaking engagement by an Atlanta -based Civil Rights Legend to women leaders at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey .

The Foundation believes so strongly in their mission that Barry Bierenbaum serves on the Board of Directors for Hosea.

The Gail Bierenbaum Women's Leadership Council (GBWLC) at Rider University is a community of diverse, accomplished women who champion advancing women's leadership, mentoring and philanthropy. The GBWLC recognizes, honors, and advances future female leaders by developing women student leaders, mentoring, professional workshops, scholarship opportunities, re-engaging alumnae with the Rider community by providing networking opportunities with like-minded women leaders, and engaging in philanthropic initiatives.

For the Bierenbaum's annual visit to Rider University on October 19 th, 2023, Barry and Gail decided to bring a close friend to speak to GBWLC members, Elisabeth Omilami. Elisabeth is the head of the Hosea Helps Foundation in Atlanta , Georgia. She is the daughter of Hosea Williams , founder of the foundation in 1971, and major player in the Atlanta Civil Rights Movement.

Hosea Helps has a simple mission, "To investigate and then raise public awareness about the many problems that are facing families and individuals that are at risk of slipping into poverty or that are living in poverty, and then to mobilize financial resources, products and volunteers to solve those problems and stabilize those households." The Bierenbaum Family Foundation believes so strongly in their mission that Barry Bierenbaum himself serves on the Board of Directors for Hosea. The Bierenbaums wanted to share that mission and help spread the message of Hosea to the future leaders on the GBWLC at Rider University and Elisabeth was the obvious choice to share that mission with the students.

Debbie Sanchez , a Rider University intern at Mongo Holdings was included on this trip to hear Elisabeth share her story. Like so many of the other women in attendance, Debbie commented "I was inspired by Elisabeth's words and story. My biggest take away was Elisabeth's emphasis on the importance of community and helping others, and stating that "For success to be real, it MUST contribute to the success of others.""

Please visit the following links to learn more about each organization. The Bierenbaum Family Foundation, Hosea Helps, and The Gail Bierenbaum Women's Leadership Council at Rider University.

Contact Information



Grant Jaax

[email protected]

Randall Foster

[email protected]

German Estrada

[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-bierenbaum-family-foundation-brings-elisabeth-omilami-daughter-of-civil-rights-leader-to-speak-to-rider-universitys-gail-bierenbaum-womens-leadership-council-301967839.html

SOURCE The Bierenbaum Family Foundation
PANAMA CITY, Fla. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle , Patrick Tamim is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Life Member for his contributions to the Vascular Surgery Field.

Dr. Tamim attended Southern Methodist University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. He continued his education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School where he earned a Medical Degree; completed a general surgical residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Abbington Hospital in Pennsylvania ; and finished a one-year critical care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit . He capped his scholarship with a fellowship in vascular surgery at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.

Dual board-certified in vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery, the doctor explained that the ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge. Among his many responsibilities and skills, the doctor provides treatment for carotid disease; aortic aneurysm; and peripheral artery disease surgery. He is an expert in aortic aneurysm; carotid endarterectomy; deep vein thrombosis; dialysis; access surgery; peripheral vascular diseases; peripheral artery disease; spider vein removal; stroke; and varicose veins.

Dr. Tamim explained that vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which diseases of the vascular system, including the arteries, veins, and lymphatic circulation, are managed by medical therapy; treated with minimally invasive catheter procedures; and surgical reconstruction. Vascular surgeons, like the doctor, also diagnose, treat, and manage conditions in the arteries and veins, also called the blood vessels, and treat a range of health problems, from spider and varicose veins to life-threatening aneurysms, and can help patients manage chronic conditions throughout their lives.

The doctor is affiliated with Bay Medical Sacred Heart and Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center. During his career, Dr. Tamim has received many accolades including the Patients Choice Award (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008); Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010); Top 10 Doctors in the State (2014); and On-Time Doctor Award (2018, 2017, 2016) and is associated with the Society for Vascular Surgery and Emerald Coast Medical Association.

Also a civic-minded professional, Dr. Tamim participates in a lecture series through the Council on Aging at his local hospital and speaks multiple languages, including English, French, and Arabic. The doctor would like to dedicate this honor to his father, Marwan Tamim , MD, for all his inspiration and also to his mentors, David Drezner , MD; Phillip Allmendinger , MD; and Mary Windels , MD.

For more information, please visit his website at www.pcvascular.com.

Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, [email protected]

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Reimagining Urban Living and Sustainable Mobility, FIAT House To Open in Early 2024 Alongside the North American Launch of the All-Electric FIAT 500e

FORT LEE, N.J. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UNLMTD Real Estate, a leading regional real estate development, investment, and property management company, and FIAT, the iconic global automobile brand, jointly announced today ( October 25, 2023 ) their groundbreaking partnership in the creation of FIAT House. FIAT House is an innovative residential property featuring over 300 rental residences with hospitality-driven amenities, tailored concierge services, and unique community events, set to open in early 2024.

FIAT House is situated at the foot of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey , just moments away from Manhattan . Nestled at the convergence of eight major highways and offering access to multiple mass-transit and alternative transportation options, FIAT House will provide residents with unmatched accessibility to New Jersey , New York , and the rest of the world. FIAT House will represent the next generation of mobility with an onsite car-sharing fleet of all-electric FIAT 500e vehicles that will provide residents with a fun-to-drive and sustainable mobility solution.

While UNLMTD Real Estate and FIAT are part of two distinct industries, they align on the common vision of the future of urban living, one that seamlessly integrates connectivity, community, sustainability, and style. Combining the global brand strength and mobility solutions of FIAT with UNLMTD's development and management expertise, this alliance embodies the pursuit of a fulfilling life -- La Dolce Vita.

"Collaborating with FIAT on this endeavor forges a unique opportunity to transcend traditional real estate development boundaries," stated Gabriella LoConte , development lead of UNLMTD Real Estate. "We envision a future where people embrace mobility, live efficiently, and experience life to the fullest. We look forward to bringing that vision to life in a dynamic location, where in a few minutes of time, one can easily bike over the George Washington Bridge to Manhattan or just as easily access unparalleled hiking and walking trails on the Palisade cliffs."

"FIAT is a love brand around the world and our partnership with UNLMTD has created a very unique opportunity to showcase what FIAT stands for: sustainable mobility with optimistic, forward-looking living," said Olivier Francois, CEO of FIAT and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Stellantis. "We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this natural collaboration, which is bolstered by the simultaneous Grand Opening of FIAT House and launch of the new FIAT 500e for North America early next year."

FIAT House will offer a collection of over 300 thoughtfully designed studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom rental residences, including a selection of furnished homes. The residences are inspired by the design ethos of the FIAT 500, reflecting its space efficiency and premium finishes. The vibrant FIAT brand will be artfully woven throughout the property, from the attended lobby to the expansive and activated array of amenities and social spaces spanning more than 30,000 square feet. This pioneering property represents the future of real estate, bringing lifestyle, efficiency, community, and mobility to the forefront of residential living.

More information on FIAT House will be revealed in early 2024. In the meantime, prospective residents can visit www.fiathouse.com to place their names on a VIP Waitlist.

About UNLMTD Real Estate

UNLMTD Real Estate is a family-owned real estate management, development, and investment company focused in Northern New Jersey and the Metro New York area. From revitalizing downtown main streets, to modernizing office buildings, to building ground-up residential towers, UNLMTD is creating value in shopping, working, and living spaces across the region.

Company website: www.unlmtdrealestate.com

FIAT Brand

FIAT brand celebrates more than 120 years as an automaker and some things haven't changed. Head-turning Italian design and the ultimate fun-to-drive factor come standard with every FIAT.

In early 2024, FIAT brand will launch the globally popular FIAT 500e, the first Stellantis battery-electric-vehicle offering in North America .

FIAT is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com

Follow FIAT and company news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

FIAT brand: www.fiatusa.com

FIAT blog: blog.fiatusa.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fiatusa

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fiatusa

Twitter: www.twitter.com/fiatusa or @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/fiatusa or https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unlmtd-real-estate-and-fiat-announce-pioneering-partnership-to-introduce-fiat-house-a-unique-residential-concept-in-fort-lee-nj-301967385.html

SOURCE Stellantis
BLACKSBURG, Va. , Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VPT, Inc., a HEICO company (NYSE: HEI.A) (NYSE: HEI), celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. Throughout the last three decades, VPT has become the global leader in providing high-reliability power supplies for use in space, avionics, and military applications, with an extensive range of award-winning DC-DC converters, EMI filters, and associated products.

VPT was co-founded in 1993 by CEO Dr. Dan Sable and has grown significantly from its beginning to its current place as the industry-leading supplier of power conversion solutions it is today. Dr. Sable commented, "We are proud of VPT's consistent growth over the past 30 years. Our dedicated team, award-winning products, and commitment to quality have enabled us to continually power applications from esteemed space, aerospace, and military programs worldwide."

VPT was acquired by Heico Corporation in 2009 and operates as part of the HEICO Electronics Technology Group. VPT employs about 500 people worldwide in its Blacksburg, VA headquarters, Seattle -area sales and marketing office, Boston -area subsidiaries VPT Rad and VPT Components, and a joint venture manufacturing facility in Taiwan DLA-certified to Mil PRF 38534. In addition, VPT offers sales representation in over 30 countries.

In 2020, VPT and Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) established the joint venture company, EPC Space, which provides advanced, radiation-hardened gallium nitride (GaN) power conversion solutions for satellite applications.

VPT products power critical systems on many of the world's most advanced satellite, commercial aerospace, and military programs.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vpt-inc-commemorates-30th-anniversary-301966568.html

SOURCE VPT, Inc.
FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers remarks to supporters at the Club 47 USA event in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

By Andrew Goudsward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday urged a U.S. judge to reconsider a partial gag order she imposed on Donald Trump in the case accusing him of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat, arguing it violates his free speech rights.

"Trump retains a First Amendment right to speech, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say," the ACLU wrote in an amicus brief filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.

The organization argued that the gag order by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, which she has temporarily lifted, is unconstitutionally vague and covers such a broad range of topics that it would undermine public discussion on matters of public concern.

The order bars the former U.S. president and others directly involved in the criminal case from making public statements that target prosecutors, court staff and potential witness in the case. It allows Trump to criticize the U.S. Justice Department and to denounce the prosecution as politically motivated.

Chutkan issued the order after finding that Trumps social media posts and public comments risk influencing witnesses and prompting threats and harassment against public officials. Trump has repeatedly referred to Special Jack Smith, who is prosecuting the case, as a thug and deranged.

Trump, who has criticized the restrictions as a constraint on his presidential campaign, is appealing the order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It is temporarily on hold while Chutkan considers Trumps request for a longer pause.

It is unclear whether Chutkan will consider the ACLUs arguments. The judge has previously denied requests from outside organizations to file briefs in the case.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges in the federal election case, one of four criminal cases he is facing as he runs for president as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024.

The ACLU has been a vocal critic of Trump and frequently challenged his administrations policies while he was in the White House. The group has faced criticism for veering toward uniform liberal advocacy and away from its traditional stance of defending civil liberties across the political spectrum.

This isnt the first time that we have said that even Donald Trumps First Amendment rights have to be protected, said Ben Wizer, the director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Its always been our view that if free speech rights dont belong to all, then they dont belong to any.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Amazon is seen, November 15, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo

By Supantha Mukherjee

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Amazon has more than 181 million users in the European Union and directly employs more than 150,000 people in the region, the company said on Wednesday, in its first store transparency report as required by the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

In August, the Digital Services Act (DSA) imposed new rules on content moderation, user privacy and transparency for platforms and search engines labelled as very large online platforms (VLOP), which were defined as having more than 45 million users in the EU.

Amazon has challenged its inclusion in the group, saying it was not the largest retailer in any of the EU countries in which it operates.

Germany is by far the biggest market for Amazon store with more than 60 million monthly active users, followed by Italy with 38 million users, according to the report.

The company has corporate offices across 50 European cities and 250 logistics centres in the block.

In the first half of 2023, the company said it took 274 million actions on its own initiative to remove content that violates policy, or other types of non-illegal content.

Amazon also received 8,863 legal requests from EU governments for information about users of its service in the first half of 2023.

(This story has been corrected to read 'Italy', not 'France', in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
A Foxconn shareholder poses for photos after the annual shareholder meeting in New Taipei City, Taiwan May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang

By Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr

BEIJING (Reuters) -Taiwanese companies should assume their social responsibilities and play a "positive role" in promoting the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, China's government said on Wednesday, amid a probe into major Apple supplier Foxconn.

China's tax and land use investigations into Foxconn's operations there have been seized on by the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president, Lai Ching-te, as an example of Chinese election interference and placing undue pressure on Taiwanese corporates who have invested billions into China.

The Chinese government has not officially confirmed the investigations, first reported by nationalistic, state-backed tabloid the Global Times on Sunday. China claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Asked about the investigation at a routine news conference in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, did not confirm the probe or refer to Foxconn.

"Relevant mainland departments treat all enterprises equally in accordance with the law and regulations, and it is a normal law enforcement act to carry out law-abiding investigations," she said.

China's policy of respecting, caring for and benefiting people from Taiwan will not change, and the government will as always support Taiwanese businessmen and companies to invest and create a good environment for their development, Zhu said.

She signalled China expected these companies to play a political role.

"While sharing development benefits and growth dividends on the mainland and achieving rapid development, Taiwan enterprises should also assume corresponding social responsibilities and play a positive role in promoting the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations."

Zhu did not elaborate.

On Tuesday, Taiwan Vice President Lai, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for president at January elections, hit out at China over its probe of Foxconn, saying Beijing should "cherish" Taiwanese companies and not put pressure on them during an election.

China believes Lai, who is leading opinion polls, is a separatist bent on a formal declaration of independence. Lai says he will maintain the status quo with China, and has repeatedly offered talks which Beijing has rebuffed.

Zhu, in a step up of China's attacks against Lai, said he was "duping people" by both trying to "use weapons to seek independence" and also calling for dialogue.

"As pointed out by the media on the island, Lai Ching-te has now changing from a Taiwan independence maniac to a Taiwan independence liar," she said.

"This comment has hit the nail on the head and is appropriate. I believe that the majority of Taiwanese compatriots have a clear understanding of this."

Foxconn shares closed up 0.7% on Wednesday, rebounding after two straight days of falls. The broader Taipei index ended 0.3% higher.

(Reporting by Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr; Writing and additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln Feast and Sonali Paul)
FILE PHOTO: A fishing boat sails past the Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess cruise ship as it docks in Manila Bay during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cavite city, Philippines, May 7, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo

By Lewis Jackson

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Carnival Corp's Australian unit has been ordered to pay the medical expenses of a woman who contracted COVID-19, with a judge ruling that the cruise ship operator misled passengers about safety risks in a landmark class action ruling.

The decision from Australia's Federal Court is the first class action win against a cruise ship operator in the world, according to Shine Lawyers, who represent about 1,000 Australian plaintiffs in the suit.

Justice Angus Stewart found Carnival Australia misled passengers about the measures it had in place to keep passengers from contracting the virus and that it should have cancelled the March 2020 return voyage from Sydney to New Zealand.

Lead plaintiff Susan Karpik was awarded A$4,423.48 ($2,826) for out-of-pocket medical expenses but no damages.

Carnival Australia said in a statement it was considering the judgment in detail. Legal filings show the operator denied it knew before the voyage that the risk of contracting COVID was higher on a cruise ship than in the community.

Karpik, who along with her husband Henry had been a passenger on Ruby Princess, had claimed more than A$360,000, in part due to the psychological distress of her husband's two-month hospitalisation with the virus, during which he was at one point given only days to live.

Carnival is likely to face larger damages when the court considers the claims of the remaining parties including Henry Karpik's, according to Vicky Antzoulatos, joint head of class actions at Shine Lawyers.

"The case in point is Mrs Karpik's husband, who was in intensive care for weeks and suffered serious injuries," she told Reuters.

"Although the judge found Mrs Karpik didnt meet the threshold for pain and suffering damages, other passengers will."

The number of plaintiffs could grow should Australia's High Court rule that some 700 U.S. passengers can be included in the class action. Antzoulatos said a decision is expected later this year or in early 2024.

The case is a rare win against a cruise ship operator, Antzoulatos said, saying the industry often operates in jurisdictions where it is difficult to sue, especially where class action suits are concerned.

The Ruby Princess was for a time Australias biggest single source of COVID infection after 2,651 passengers, many feeling unwell, were allowed to leave the ship helping spread the virus across the country and internationally.

Ultimately around 900 cases and 28 deaths would be linked to the outbreak.

A 2020 public inquiry into the outbreak concluded New South Wales state health officials made "inexcusable" mistakes when they allowed passengers to disembark.

($1 = 1.5652 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
The Israeli military found a phone stolen by a Hamas terrorist in Gaza from one of his victims during an attack on October 7. He used the murdered Israeli woman's phone to call his family and boast that he had "killed ten Jews with his own hands."

ADVERTISIMENT

The conversation, during which the killer called himself a "hero" and urged relatives to see the bodies of his victims, photos of which he sent via messenger, was saved on the device, and the Israeli delegation showed the recording at a meeting of the UN Security Council, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

A recording of a conversation between a Hamas terrorist who broke into the Mefalsim kibbutz in southern Israel as part of a group of militants on October 7 was published on the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Telegram channel. According to open sources, about 600 people lived there before the attack.

"IDF soldiers found this phone in Gaza. The Hamas killer was calling from his victim's phone, bragging to his family about his 'exploits'. Today, members of the UN Security Council heard this conversation," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on October 24.

ADVERTISIMENT

The audio shows a terrorist named Mahmoud calling his father in Gaza. As soon as he hears his relative's voice, the militant begins to hysterically shout that he is in Mefalsim and has personally killed a dozen Jews.

"Open my WhatsApp right now and look at all the dead! Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews! Dad, I'm talking to you from a Jewish woman's phone. I killed her, I killed her husband! I killed ten of them with my own hands! Their blood is still on my hands," the militant shouts, insisting that his relatives look at the photos he sent of the brutally murdered civilians.

The father replies, "Oh, my son, may Allah bless you!" and, judging by his voice, begins to cry.

After that, the terrorist demands to call his mother on the phone and brags about his crimes to her.

ADVERTISIMENT

"We wish we could be there with you!" the woman replies.

"Dad, your son is a hero! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" the terrorist does not calm down.

When the militant's brother picked up the phone and said, "Come back, everyone, come back," he replied, "What do you mean come back? There's no turning back, it's either death or victory here."

"My mother gave birth to me for Islam, Alaa! What are you talking about, Alaa, how can I go back?" the terrorist said.

As a reminder, on the morning of October 7, thousands of rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza. Residents of southern and central cities were ordered to stay near shelters and take care of their own safety. In turn, the Israeli army began to launch air strikes on the enclave.

ADVERTISIMENT

Under the guise of rocket attacks, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and captured a number of settlements in the south of the country. At the same time, they massacred and took hostages. As of October 25, there are at least 1,400 victims and more than 200 hostages taken to Gaza.

On the same day, the Israeli Defense Minister announced that Israel was at war and that the IDF was launching Operation Iron Swords.

Meanwhile, the Hamas military commander called for arms, and the terrorist leaders announced a military operation.

Now Israel is preparing to launch a ground operation in the Gaza Strip: the army, according to the head of the IDF, is ready for it, but the start is postponed due to a number of "tactical and even strategic considerations."

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech during Ministerial Statement on Israel and Gaza situation, at the House of Commons in London, Britain October 23, 2023. UK Parliament/Maria Unger/Handout via REUTERS

By Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday he supported a humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas to allow the safe delivery of aid to civilians, but he rejected calls for a full ceasefire.

Israel's military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight after one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since the conflict began.

Sunak told parliament that Israel has the right to respond militarily to Hamas's attack earlier this month - the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

The prime minister also said the government wanted Hamas to release Israeli hostages, help Britons leave Gaza, and ensure humanitarian aid could make it to those in need.

"We recognise for all of that to happen, there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses  as distinct from a ceasefire," Sunak said to lawmakers at a weekly parliamentary question and answer session.

Britain had discussed with other countries on Tuesday at the United Nations a possible humanitarian pause, he said.

Later on Wednesday a plane landed in Egypt to deliver humanitarian supplies to people in Gaza.

The United States has been pushing for shorter breaks in the fighting while Russia has advocated for a complete ceasefire.

Sunak's spokesman said a full ceasefire would only benefit Hamas adding that Sunak disagreed with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over comments that attacks by Hamas earlier this month "did not happen in a vacuum".

"We are clear there is and can be no justification for Hamas' barbaric terrorist attack," he said, though Guterres later denied he sought to justify the Hamas attack.

The British government and leadership of the opposition Labour Party have said that Israel has a right to defend itself, though some Labour lawmakers say they support a ceasefire.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said aid must get in to Gaza to meet a "humanitarian emergency on the ground".

"That's why we have repeatedly said that aid, fuel, water, electricity and medicines must be urgently ramped up," Starmer said in a statement. "It is incumbent on all parties to make sure that the aid and utilities dont just get in but reach those who need them."

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar and Deepa Babington)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro inspects an honor guard with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, October 25, 2023. Ken Ishii/Pool via REUTERS

By Liz Lee and Ryan Woo

BEIJING (Reuters) -China elevated diplomatic relations with Colombia to a strategic partnership on Wednesday, deepening a push with one of the oldest U.S. allies to expand its influence and strengthen its foothold in Latin America.

The two countries upgraded their relations, first established in 1980, as Colombian President Gustavo Petro met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a visit to Beijing this week, his first to the world's second-largest economy since assuming office last year.

The upgrade of relations with Colombia means China now has strategic ties with 10 out of the 11 South American countries with which it has relations. Guyana is the only country in the region with which it has ordinary bilateral ties.

China in recent years has stepped up a charm offensive in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, a region of strategic significance for arch-rival the United States.

The region is also significant to China as it hosts a handful of countries that have no ties with Beijing but instead recognise democratically governed Taiwan as a sovereign state. Paraguay is the last South American nation that has ties with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

During the COVID pandemic, China was the first country that sent vaccines to Colombia. In 2021, in recognition of China's help in fighting the coronavirus, Xi was invited to give a speech via video link to the people of Colombia.

Chinese imports from Colombia have risen sharply in the last few years, becoming the South American nation's second-biggest trading partner after the United States. In 2022, shipments from Colombia to China totalled $7 billion, up almost 20% from five years earlier.

The two countries signed 12 cooperation deals during the visit, Petro's office said in a statement, including one allowing Colombian beef imports from next year and another allowing shipments of quinoa, as well as the establishment of several working groups meant to improve commerce.

Colombia is one of the closest U.S. allies in the region. A middle-income nation and one of the oldest democracies in Latin America, it established ties with the United States in 1822.

Colombia has yet to join Xi's multi-region infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), unlike many of its Latin American and Caribbean neighbours.

Former Colombia President Ivan Duque, who welcomed warmer ties with China and visited Beijing in 2019, had previously expressed a willingness to join the BRI.

'GREAT IMBALANCE'

On his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday, Petro hailed the potential to increase Colombian exports to China and re-launch the Andean country's national rail network.

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is expected to complete by 2026 two subway lines of the Bogota Metro, a $4 billion project 30% funded by Chinese banks awarded to the CHEC, Xian Metro Company and Canada's Bombardier Inc consortium in 2019.

Colombia also awarded its RegioTram light rail system project to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in 2019.

Chinese state-run mining firm Zijin Mining acquired a gold mine in Colombia in 2019 but the project has faced repeated security issues and road blockades.

Despite loans, investments and offers to build infrastructure, China was asked to import more from South America.

"When we look at the trade balance between Colombia and China, we find a great imbalance, a great inequality, a product of the economic history of the two countries," Petro told Xi on Wednesday. "There is a huge deficit."

Among the 11 South American countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing, Colombia has the largest trade deficit with China despite increased Chinese imports. Colombia had a trade deficit of more than $8 billion last year.

Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia and Suriname also posted trade deficits with China in 2022.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Ellen Zhang and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie and Mark Porter)
FILE PHOTO: Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves speaks at the Leaders' Second Plenary Session during the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 10, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - The presidents of Costa Rica and Honduras agreed on Tuesday to reverse short-lived visa requirements for travelers from their respective countries, following talks over the past two weeks to resolve a dispute that had disrupted Central American trade.

A key part of the deal will allow trucks transporting goods between the two nations to cross freely.

Earlier this month, Costa Rica introduced mandatory visa requirements for Hondurans seeking to enter, saying the measure was needed to boost security, which prompted reciprocal action from Tegucigalpa.

Earlier this year, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves proposed a set of security measures in response to surging crime, including a record-setting pace for murders.

He also declared a state of emergency in September, citing record numbers of mostly U.S.-bound migrants, crossing Central America by land.

Costa Rican police have attributed rising violence to an uptick in international criminal groups trafficking drugs to the United States.

Under the new rules agreed to by Chaves and his Honduran counterpart, Xiomara Castro, visitors will no longer need to present visas to border agents. But Costa Rican officials told journalists on Tuesday that while cargo carriers will be able to pass freely, travelers will still need a police certificate showing their criminal or police records.

Specifically, Costa Ricans seeking to enter Honduras will need a certificate showing their criminal records, while Hondurans seeking to enter Costa Rica will need a certificate detailing any police record.

Gerardo Torres, Honduras' deputy minister for foreign policy, stressed that his government will endeavor to make the rules "quick and efficient," noting that would-be travelers will be able to obtain the certificate online.

(Reporting by Alvaro Murillo in Costa Rica; Additional reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Leslie Adler)
By Supantha Mukherjee, Martin Coulter and Elvira Pollina

STOCKHOLM/LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers agreed on a critical part of new rules on artificial intelligence in a meeting late on Tuesday, as they inched closer to a broader agreement on the landmark AI Act, according to five people familiar with the matter.

After two years of negotiations, the bill was approved by the European parliament in May. The draft AI rules now need to be agreed through meetings between the parliament and EU states to thrash out the final versions of laws in a process known as the trilogue.

At Tuesday's meeting which lasted until midnight, lawmakers agreed on most parts of Article 6 of the draft AI Act, one of the stumbling blocks in talks, the sources said, declining to give further details on what was agreed. They declined to be identified because the talks are confidential.

Article 6 outlines the types of AI systems that will be designated "high risk", and therefore subject to greater regulatory scrutiny, the sources said.

The debate on high-risk applications has recently centred around whether to make exemptions for some high-risk AI models, such as those performing "purely accessory" tasks, sources said.

An AI system may be considered purely accessory when it is used to perform a relatively minor task secondary to any human decision-making, such as arranging documents or translating text from one language to another.

Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, Reuters reported citing sources that European lawmakers were yet to agree on several issues leaving any deal off the table until December.

Dragos Tudorache and Brando Benifei, members of the European Parliament and co-rapporteurs of the EU AI Act, told Reuters on Wednesday that they were confident an agreement can be reached at a fifth trilogue due to be held in early December.

"We made significant progress," Benifei said. "If the council will show a constructive approach, we could approve (at trilogue level) by year-end," he said.

Failure to reach a deal could push negotiations to early next year, increasing the risk that discussions are further derailed by European parliament elections in June.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, Martin Coulter in London and Elvira Pollina in Milan; Editing by Josephine Mason, Kirsten Donovan)
By Carolina Mandl

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Hedge funds have been buying consumer staple stocks in Europe in October while dumping the sector in the U.S., driven by concerns about the impact of weight-loss drugs on food habits, Goldman Sachs showed in two different reports about trading flows.

The bank said investors have added consumer staples to portfolios in Europe as part of a more defensive strategy amid the Hamas-Israel war and continued uncertainty about future economic growth.

"Consumer staples (are) among the most net bought sectors in October so far, while discretionary names are being net sold," the bank added. Consumer discretionary products are more prone to suffer in economic downturns, as they are non-essential.

In the U.S., however, investors have sold and shorted consumer staples. "Consumer staples is among the most net sold sectors in October, driven by short sales outpacing long buys," the bank said in a different note earlier this week, citing increased concerns about the class of drugs known as GLP-1 used in weight-loss and diabetes treatments.

For every two U.S. consumer staples stocks that hedge funds have shorted, they have bought one, Goldman Sachs said.

U.S. companies ranging from supermarkets to beer have been under pressure on concerns about the impact of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Prescriptions for the drugs are soaring.

Wegovy has been a phenomenal success in the United States and is now being rolled out in some European markets including Norway, Denmark and Germany.

Shares in the U.S. consumer staples sector are down roughly 8% this year, which some investors see as an overreaction to the new weight-loss drugs.

"Consumer staples has been ignored and beaten up," said Bryant VanCronkhite, equities senior portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments LLC. "The market has grabbed on to this and pushed down stock prices as though everyone in the world is going to be taking these drugs and that they're going to work forever."

PORTFOLIO ROTATION

European hedge funds have bought defensive stocks in October, while selling cyclicals, according to Goldman Sachs.

"From the start of October, we have observed a sharp rotation from cyclicals into defensives, arguably as a reaction to the macroeconomic/geopolitical environment," the prime services strategies team wrote.

Goldman Sachs said that, besides consumer staples, healthcare and utilities are part of the defensive stocks group, while cyclicals incorporate energy, materials, industrials, financials and real estate.

Since the beginning of October, European hedge funds' allocation to cyclicals has declined to below 2% from 7%, a graphic showed, and defensive stocks now account for almost 7% of their market value versus 6% earlier.

(Reporting by Carolina Mandl, in New York; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Leslie Adler)
Visitors cast their shadows past the logo of Google at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

By Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google will run undersea cables powering internet access to at least eight far-flung Pacific Ocean nations under a joint U.S.-Australian deal set to be announced on Wednesday, according to a U.S. official.

The deal will expand an existing commercial project by Google in the region to the nations of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Set to be announced during an official White House visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the previously unreported deal involves contributions from both governments.

Canberra will contribute $50 million and Washington is adding another $15 million, according to a senior administration official.

The tiny and sometimes isolated nations of the Pacific have become an area of intense focus in recent years, with both China and the United States courting them with infrastructure development and military partnerships.

President Joe Biden has also pushed for U.S. dominance in telecommunications services, seeing the industry as a key national security issue given the control it affords over information flows worldwide.

Google is currently working on a fiber-optic cable that links Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China, with the Philippines and the United States.

As part of the Pacific islands project, the United States will work with the countries on cybersecurity resilience, helping them back up key information to global cloud networks, according to the official.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday ruled that a former Yale University student can proceed with a defamation suit against a fellow student who accused him of rape.

The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals follows a ruling by Connecticut's highest court that statements that the accuser made in a university disciplinary hearing were not shielded by a kind of legal immunity that applies to court proceedings.

The lawsuit also includes claims against Yale, which were not at issue in the decision.

"We're delighted by the ruling and looking forward to holding Yale accountable for the harm it did to this extraordinary young man," Norman Pattis, a lawyer for plaintiff Saifullah Khan, said in an email.

A lawyer for the defendant, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to his 2019 lawsuit, filed in Connecticut federal court, Doe said Khan raped her in 2015 following a Halloween party, which he denies.

Khan in 2018 was acquitted at trial of criminal charges, having been indefinitely suspended from Yale while the case was pending. Following the trial, Yale held a disciplinary hearing and expelled Khan after finding him responsible for the rape.

Khan sued the university and Doe in 2019, calling the hearing a "sham." He accused Yale of breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and Doe of defamation, among other claims, seeking $110 million in damages.

A judge dismissed Khan's lawsuit against Doe on the grounds that the university's disciplinary hearing was a "quasi-judicial proceeding," making Doe's statements immune from Khan's defamation claims.

Khan appealed, arguing that the hearing was not a quasi-judicial proceeding because it lacked procedures to protect his due process rights, including the ability to cross-examine Doe and call witnesses. Doe gave a statement by video, with Khan and his attorney not present, according to court papers.

U.S. Department of Education guidance at the time, dating from Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, stated that cross-examination in such hearings was not required, and many universities followed a similar approach to Yale's.

In 2020, the administration of Republican President Donald Trump issued a new regulation requiring cross-examination, but it was blocked by a court ruling. Under President Joe Biden, a Democrat, the Department of Education is not seeking to enforce a cross-examination requirement.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Will Dunham)
FILE PHOTO: A view shows polished colorless and yellow diamonds produced at "Diamonds of ALROSA" factory in Moscow, Russia April 30, 2021. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva/File Photo

By Julia Payne

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A G7 statement announcing a ban on imports of Russian diamonds is expected by the end of this month, followed closely by a proposal for the European Union's 12th package of sanctions on Russia, diplomatic sources said.

"We now need the final blessing of the G7 before then translating these elements in legal texts at the European level," an EU diplomat said.

A second source said the statement was expected to arrive within a week. The EU's 12th sanctions package is expected to focus on Russian diamonds.

The G7 held a technical meeting last week to discuss several proposals put forward by India, industry groups and Belgium.

"Canada and G7 members are engaged with industry and government representatives on proposals aimed at addressing traceability and enforcement-related issues," a global affairs spokesperson for Canada said this week.

France's foreign ministry said "discussions are being held at the technical level between the members of the G7 with Belgium, in conjunction with economic players in the diamond sectors."

(Reporting by Julia Payne; additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau in Paris; Editing by Jane Merriman and Jonathan Oatis)
Palestinian couple Ahmed and Suwar Safi, who delayed their wedding that was planned for October 19 due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, look at a mobile phone in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Sa

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian bride Suwar Safi was looking forward to wearing her white dress and sharing her life with Ahmed after their wedding, but instead she is living in a refugee camp after Israel launched air strikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

"Everyone was telling me, it's ok and to have faith, this is our destiny and we have to accept it," she said, adding: "We did not get the chance to experience that joy."

Safi, 30, and her family from the northern Gaza Strip are now displaced and living in a tent at a United Nations site in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Ahmed Safi, from Khan Younis, still lives with his family and the couple rarely see each other because of the conflict.

They were due to have married on Oct. 19.

Israel launched the air strikes after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in a rampage that killed 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and hostages were taken back into Gaza.

When the conflict erupted, Ahmed said he tried to call his fiancee and her family to try to move them from the north to the south. Israel had urged Palestinians in Gaza City to move south, because it was safer, but air strikes have hit across the enclave.

"Even when we finally managed to get a car to get them here, air strikes happened while they were fleeing," he said.

"As a 30-year-old man I was impatiently waiting for this wedding and for this day. The 19th of October transformed from a joyful day to a catastrophe full of sadness, destruction and death," he said.

Weddings are usually a bright spot in impoverished Gaza, one of the most densely-populated places in the world with 2.3 million people and where many people are jobless and cannot afford to marry.

In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry in Gaza said at least 6,546 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, including 2,704 children.

(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Daughter of Palestinian man Ali Daba, who decided with his wife to split their children up and mark them with bracelets to help identify them, in fear of them being killed in Israeli strikes, shows her bracelet at their shelter in Khan Younis in the south

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - With so many bodies, Palestinians in Gaza are burying the unidentified dead in mass graves, with a number instead of a name, residents say. Now some families are using bracelets in the hope of finding their loved ones should they be killed.

The El-Daba family has tried to reduce the risk of being struck down during the heaviest-ever Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Israel launched the air strikes after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in a rampage that killed 1,400 people and hostages were taken.

Ali El-Daba, 40, said he had seen bodies ripped apart by the bombing and were unrecognisable.

He said he decided to divide his family to prevent them from all dying in a single strike. He said his wife Lina, 42, kept two of their sons and two daughters in Gaza City in the north and he moved to Khan Younis in the south with three other children.

El-Daba said he was preparing for the worst. He bought blue string bracelets for his family members and tied them around both wrists. "If something happens," he said, "this way I will recognise them."

Other Palestinian families were also buying or making bracelets for their children or writing their names on their arms.

MASS BURIALS

Mass burials have been authorized by local Muslim clerics. Before burial, medics keep pictures and blood samples of the dead and give them numbers.

The Israeli military has told people to leave the north of the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely-populated places in the world, and head south because it is safer. But air strikes have hit across the Hamas-ruled enclave.

An Israeli military spokesperson said: "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has been encouraging residents of the northern Gaza Strip to move southward and not to stay in the vicinity of Hamas terror targets within Gaza City."

"But, ultimately, Hamas has entrenched itself among the civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. So wherever a Hamas target arises, the IDF will strike at it in order to thwart the terrorist capabilities of the group, while taking feasible precautions to mitigate the harm to uninvolved civilians."

Israel's military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight after one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since Oct. 7. World leaders have called for a halt to fighting to allow aid into the besieged enclave, which is running out of water, food, fuel and medicines.

A total of 756 Palestinians, including 344 children, were killed in the past 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry said on Wednesday. It said at least 6,546 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, including 2,704 children.

(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has responded to the scandalous statement by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who compared his country's membership in the EU to the Soviet occupation. Now he has been reminded that no one is forcing Hungary to be a member of this union.

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The head of EU diplomacy said this during the Europe and Peace Conference. He noted that Hungary does know what occupation is, dating back to Soviet times, but its membership in the European Union is nothing like that.

"To be honest, I don't see any similarities between the Soviet occupation of Budapest and what is happening in Berlaymont (the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels - Ed.). I did not see a single tank there. No one is obliging Hungary to be a member of the EU," Borrell emphasized.

As a reminder, Orban made his scandalous statement about EU membership and the occupation of the U.S.S.R. during a speech dedicated to the anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian anti-Soviet revolution on Monday, October 23.

The politician accused the EU of allegedly wanting to deprive Hungary of its identity by imposing a model of liberal democracy.

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As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Beijing. During the meeting, Orban emphasized that Hungary and Russia continue to develop their relations despite the so-called special military operation and sanctions.

Earlier, the Hungarian prime minister reiterated that Ukraine cannot win the war. He believes that the army of the Russian occupiers has all the advantages to achieve their goal.

Thus, Hungary has blocked military aid to Ukraine worth 500 million euros. Budapest came up with a new demand for Kyiv.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
FILE PHOTO: German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser looks on after addressing members of the media, in Berlin, Germany, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Wednesday vowed to increase penalties for people smugglers as her next step against irregular migration after the cabinet approved measures that simplify the deportation of migrants without a right to stay.

Politicians in Germany, known for its open-door policy during the migration crisis of 2015, have begun looking for ways to curb irregular migration as a way to win over voters ahead of elections next year and as the number of migrants has soared.

The number of people requesting asylum for the first time was up nearly 80% in the first seven months of the year. Federal police say there were 70,753 cases of people entering the country illegally from January to August.

Many of those will have paid people smugglers to reach Europe and cross borders en route, with countries across the continent looking at how to crack down on criminals making money from people fleeing war and poverty.

German federal police said in a report this month that in 2022 some 18,000 people were suspected by border police of being smuggled into Germany, a 10% jump year-on-year.

"I want us to increase the minimum and maximum penalties for smugglers, especially in cases of violent action," Faeser said, noting the deadly crash of a van carrying migrants in southern Germany this month.

Current rules advise sentences of between three months and 10 years for people smugglers, with the term increasing to between one and 15 years when deaths or violence are involved.

Faeser gave no details of what the proposed new guidelines would be. She said she hoped the cabinet would be able to deal with the matter at the beginning of next month.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also stressed the need to speed up deportations, saying that "far too many" migrants were currently coming to Germany, as state leaders have called for the federal government to take action as they warn that they do not have enough resources for so many people.

The measures also extend detention times for people pending deportation to 28 days from 10, make the deportation of members of criminal organisations easier and crack down on violations of entry and residence bans.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Miranda Murray, Editing by Friederike Heine and Alison Williams)
FILE PHOTO: A Honda logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) -Honda Motor and General Motors (GM) are scrapping a plan to jointly develop affordable electric vehicles (EVs), the companies said on Wednesday, just a year after they agreed to work together in a $5 billion effort to try to beat Tesla in sales.

The decision underscores GM's strategic shift to slow the launch of several EV models to focus on profitability, as it grapples with the rising cost of United Auto Workers strikes, which surged to $200 million a week this month.

The U.S. automaker on Tuesday withdrew its previous 2023 profit outlook.

"After extensive studies and analysis, we have come to a mutual decision to discontinue the program. Each company remains committed to affordability in the EV market," the companies said in a joint statement.

Honda said there was no change in its plan to sell only electrified vehicles by 2040.

GM cited a joint statement that pointed to the projects the companies are still working on together in acknowledging the end of EV plan.

GM shares were nearly flat at $28.52 in pre-market trading on Wednesday. Honda closed up 0.8% in Tokyo before the decision was announced.

JOINT PLATFORM

GM CEO Mary Barra said on Tuesday during an earnings conference call that the U.S. automaker was shifting its EV push from efforts in the entry-level segments, that included a $5 billion commitment over the next several years to GM's Bolt EV. A spokesperson confirmed she was referring to the Honda EV partnership.

The two firms agreed in April last year to develop a series of lower-priced EVs based on a new joint platform, producing potentially millions of cars from 2027.

The automakers had said the deal was for "affordable" EVs, including compact crossover vehicles, built using GM's Ultium battery technology.

"After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment, we are ending development of an affordable EV," Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in an interview.

A Honda spokesperson said its separate partnership with GM and its Cruise unit would not be impacted by a recent safety incident in California which led to a suspension of the robotaxi firm's driverless testing permit in the U.S. state.

California on Tuesday ordered Cruise to remove its driverless cars from state roads, calling the vehicles a risk to the public and saying the company had "misrepresented" the safety of the technology.

Honda said last week it aimed to establish a joint venture with GM and Cruise in the first half of 2024 to begin a driverless ride service in Japan in early 2026.

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink in Tokyo, Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Miyoung Kim, Mark Potter and David Holmes)
A skateboarder passes the sign for an IBM office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File photo

By Chavi Mehta

(Reuters) - IT software and consultancy services provider IBM reported third-quarter revenue and profit above Wall Street targets on Wednesday, buoyed by stable demand for its software solutions.

Shares of the Armonk, New York-based company rose 2% in trading after the bell.

IBM, like the rest of the IT services industry, is operating in a tough macroeconomic environment that has triggered a further tightening of client budgets.

While peers like Accenture flagged deepening weakness in consulting deals, IBM's finance chief James Kavanaugh told Reuters the company had grabbed market share in that segment.

Clients continued to cut back on discretionary projects, a trend that has remained unchanged since the last few quarters, he said.

Kavanaugh also said IBM had "low hundreds of millions of dollars" under generative artificial intelligence (AI) sales or bookings in the third quarter, with clients including accounting firm Ernst & Young and Truist Bank.

Big Blue, which started providing AI applications to enterprises years before the generative AI hype took over, said it was seeing strong interest for its software and consulting services from "thousands of clients" who want to infuse the technology into their operations.

"The company has done a fantastic job in adapting to the market's needs, both in the AI and cloud segments," Investing.com analyst Thomas Monteiro said.

IBM reiterated its annual target for revenue growth and free-cash-flow generation.

Revenue at its software segment, which now includes newly acquired IT budgeting software maker Apptio, rose nearly 8%, excluding the impact from a strong dollar.

The 111-year-old company, which makes more than half of its revenue outside the United States, said a strong dollar during the three months ended Sept. 30 hurt its quarterly revenue by about $250 million more than expected earlier.

IBM's revenue in the third quarter rose about 5% to $14.8 billion, compared to an estimate of $14.73 billion, according to LSEG data.

Adjusted quarterly profit per share of $2.20 also beat estimates.

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
Rabab Youssef, 57, a survivor of the Israeli airstrike in 2006 that killed dozens, sits beside her daughter's grave in Qana, Lebanon October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

By Riham Alkousaa

QANA, Lebanon (Reuters) - In the south Lebanon town of Qana, where Israeli shelling killed more than 100 people in 1996 and some 28 died in an Israeli airstrike in 2006, escalating border clashes fill residents with fear of a new war and resignation they can't escape if it comes.

People from the town, also known as Cana, which claims to be where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine, have grown used to be being caught in the crossfire of conflicts between Israel and the heavily armed group Hezbollah.

"The war is being waged at the border. Maybe its not our turn yet but you dont know what will happen in a few days. You just wait," said Rabab Yousef, a 57-year-old mother who lost a daughter under the rubble of an Israeli airstrike in 2006.

"Every once in a while they create a war and one loses a family member. You give birth to a child and you dont know whether this child will stay with you," she said.

When conflict erupted over Gaza after Palestinian group Hamas - an ally of Hezbollah - launched its devastating raid on Israeli soil on Oct. 7, violence quickly flared on Israel's flashpoint northern border with Lebanon.

Since then, Hezbollah, a Shi'ite Muslim group that is the most powerful of Iran's regional allies in Tehran's "Axis of Resistance", has been involved in increasingly heavy exchanges of fire with Israel's military. More than 40 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the borderlands so far, while Israel's military says at least seven soldiers have been killed.

In Qana, which lies in the hills 11 km (seven miles) north of the border, the streets are lined with posters of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Shi'ite Muslim politician Nabih Berri. South Lebanon, where many of Lebanon's Shi'ite Muslims live, is Hezbollah's heartland.

'BREAKS YOUR HEART'

As strike and counterstrikes along the frontier now send plumes of smoke into the air, Ghazi Hussein Ai Deebh, a 55-year-old blacksmith, says he has seen it all before. "It has become a normal matter as we have been through many wars," he said.

In 2006, he carried the body of a child killed in the Israeli strike, which killed 28 people, half of them children.

An Israeli inquiry after the 2006 incident said it had been a mistake.

Qana experienced an even more devastating incident a decade earlier. In 1996, Israeli shelling hit a U.N. peacekeeper base where hundreds of civilians had been sheltering, killing 106 people, most of them women and children.

Israel voiced regret at the 1996 incident, which prompted it to wind down its Lebanon operation at the time.

The incident occurred during Israel's "Operation Grapes of Wrath" campaign launched in retaliation for Hezbollah shelling during a period when Israel occupied a swathe of south Lebanon.

"It's in front of me as it happened today. Especially the children, nothing breaks your heart like children (being killed)," said Jamil Salameh, 56, a survivor of the attack and now a security guard at a monument to the 1996 incident.

In her shop, 54-year-old shop owner Kefah said: "Inshallah (God willing) these days wont come back."

Declining to give her full name, she added that the town was ready for any eventuality. "It's up to the big leaders. If there is war, we are up for it. We dont have fear," she said, speaking next to a poster of Nasrallah.

Sabah Krecht, 57, was less sanguine, saying a deep economic crisis in Lebanon meant many people could not afford to leave.

"We're afraid," she said. "But where can we go to? This time, it feels like they are giving us time so we can flee but it's financially difficult to go somewhere else."

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Edmund Blair)
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli forces on an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank came under fire by a group of Palestinians whom the military then hit with a drone, the Israeli military said on Wednesday, and Palestinian officials said three people were killed.

The military said armed Palestinians "fired and hurled explosive devices" at its forces in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank. The military then struck them with a drone, and "hits were identified", it added.

The drone fired at least two projectiles, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA said, citing sources in the camp. Three people were killed and more than 20 injured, WAFA said, citing Wissam Bakr, director of Jenin Governmental Hospital.

The West Bank has emerged as another front in Israel's war with Hamas that began after the Islamist militants staged an armed rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Since then, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The drone attack was at least the third use of Israeli air power in the West Bank. Jenin refugee camp, a Palestinian militant stronghold, was the focus of a major Israeli military operation earlier this year.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Rami Ayyub and Tala Ramadan, Editing by Miral Fahmy and Clarence Fernandez)
By Jonathan Saul

ASHDOD, Israel (Reuters) - When wailing sirens warn of incoming rockets from Gaza, workers at Israel's Port of Ashdod stop operations within moments and quickly resume their work minutes later when the all clear is given.

It's an unusual way for a port to keep operational but it has become the only means to keep supply lines moving in time of war.

Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas militant group after its fighters stormed through Israeli towns from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing more than 220 hostages in the worst attack on civilians in Israel's history.

A combination of practice drills, protective shelters and an Iron Dome air defence battery nearby have meant the government-owned port, which is 40 km (30 miles) from Gaza, can minimise any supply chain disruptions amid concerns over tightening supplies for the home front.

The entire port is dotted with protective shelters and the waiting time for staff under protection is around 10 minutes to ensure that even after a rocket falls there is no risk of falling shrapnel, port foreman Yigal Ben Kalifa told Reuters.

"After that, everyone gets back to work," he said looking on as ships unloaded.

"The Port of Ashdod is the artery of Israel's economy and we are doing everything to ensure this won't be damaged."

While the port, which accounts for 40% of Israel's total seabourne trade including imports and exports, has not had any direct rocket strikes so far it has taken an economic hit in recent weeks.

Last week, one of the first force majeures was declared on a shipment to Ashdod, with the vessel and cargo diverted to Haifa.

At least 20 ships have opted to divert from Ashdod to the northern Israeli port of Haifa in recent weeks, and the port has seen a 30% drop in volume week-on-week, said Shaul Schneider, chairman of the Port of Ashdod's board of directors.

"We believe that in a couple of weeks it will change and we'll get back to normal," he said, adding that they were talking to shipping companies and importers to reassure them.

"We're continuing to function under fire," he said.

"We have an Iron Dome that sits not far away ... and it protects the city, the harbour, and hopefully the ships as well."

Schneider said that if there was an escalation around Israel's northern border, the government had contingency plans for Ashdod to take on more trade from Haifa if needed.

Over 7,600 rockets have been fired towards Israel since Oct. 7 out of Gaza, according to Israeli government data, while there have been repeated clashes along the northern border.

Tens of rockets had targeted Ashdod, Arieh Itach, security officer with Ashdod municipality, said, declining to provide more details.

"Our population is trained and knows what do to ... but when rockets hit, we have to deal with this with speed, evacuate the wounded and deal with any damage."

"COLLATERAL DAMAGE"

The smaller port of Ashkelon, which is the closest to Gaza, has shut for the moment due to the situation. Ashdod and Haifa are the country's biggest ports.

Robert Peters, with British maritime security company Ambrey, said it was advising clients that vessels can call at Ashdod.

"We would advise that vessels wait further offshore than ordinarily given the risk of collateral damage at sea," he said.

"So far, we have not seen any merchant vessels damaged while in the port, which we are assessing is likely due to Iron Dome," he said.

The dwell time for imports into Ashdod, which measure the amount of days a container takes to discharge, dropped to 1.8 days by Oct. 17 versus 3.4 days in September, according to analysis from supply chain platform project44.

War risk insurance rates have soared more than 10-fold in recent days to Israeli ports.

Insurance premiums are expected to remain high until a formal ceasefire is brokered, British maritime risk advisory and security company Dryad Global added.

"Despite a slowdown in Hamas' rocket strikes, the risk of collateral damage to Israeli port infrastructure remains substantial," said Noah Trowbridge of Dryad Global.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Ammar Awad and Rami Amichay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
ROME (Reuters) - Italy and other European countries need government-controlled cloud services to store sensitive data, the head of Italian defence and electronics firm Leonardo said on Wednesday, calling it "one of the key issues of our future".

Governments in Europe and elsewhere currently rely on data centres owned by big tech companies such as Amazon, whose cloud-computing unit just launched a sovereign cloud service for European businesses and governments.

"In my opinion, a safe country needs a government cloud, at least for financial, health and defence data," Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani told a hearing at the defence committee of the Italian lower house of parliament.

"We have a mountain to climb. First of all creating a (national) government cloud. Then understanding that these (national) government clouds need to become European government clouds," he said.

Cingolani said using privately-owned data centres "may be fine" now, "but if in two generations' time the grandson of the current owner is a bit mad, we would be in the hands of a madman".

Leonardo, a listed company controlled by the Italian government, offers cloud services to the Italian state through a consortium including Telecom Italia, Italian state lender CDP and state-owned IT firm Sogei.

Cingolani said in July he wants his company to focus more on cybersecurity, given its growing importance for the defence sector. He is expected to unveil a strategy to this end as he presents Leonardo's new industrial plan next March.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Mike Harrison)
By Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday called on the European Union to focus more on growth than on stability in drafting its new fiscal rules, saying investments in defence and aid to Ukraine should be stripped from deficit calculations.

The EU's fiscal rules, suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are due to return next year with amendments now being negotiated by governments, and Italy is proposing ways to make them as lenient as possible.

"The new rules must definitely aim at a reduction of public debt, but in a gradual and sustainable manner, because only in this way can they be credible and enforceable, overcoming the mistakes of the past," Meloni told parliament.

Italy is at odds with northern European countries led by Germany, whose Finance Minister Christian Lindner said last week the bloc should be "more ambitious" in reducing debt and had to halt expansionary policies.

This month Meloni's right-wing government unveiled a 2024 budget with some 16 billion euros ($16.9 billion) of extra borrowing, despite market concerns over a public debt equal to around 140% of national output, proportionally the second highest in the euro zone.

The budget drives up next year's fiscal deficit to 4.3% of gross domestic product from 3.6% under current trends.

Meloni, who is due to meet fellow European leaders at a summit in Brussels this week, told the upper-house Senate her one-year-old government was adopting "credible" and "responsible" policies.

Meloni said it made "no sense" for the EU to urge member states to invest more in defence and provide military aid to Kyiv following Russia's invasion last year, while at the same time including such spending in budget deficit assessments.

"For this reason we will continue to argue for these items to be stripped from deficit-to-GDP calculations either completely or in part," she said.

($1 = 0.9463 euros)

(editing by Gavin Jones and Toby Chopra)
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah told French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday that ending Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza is an urgent necessity and warned there could otherwise be an "explosion" in the wider Middle East.

In a royal court statement, the monarch told Macron Israel should be pressured by global powers to stop its unrelenting bombing campaign in the Hamas-ruled Gaza and end its siege of the densely populated enclave of 2.3 million Palestinians.

Gaza's health ministry said on Wednesday at least 6,546 Palestinians, including 2,704 children, have been killed by Israeli air strikes since a cross-border Hamas rampage into Israel in which 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, were killed.

Macron, who arrived in Amman after holding talks on Tuesday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, discussed with Abdullah ways to end the conflict on the basis of a future Palestinian state co-existing with Israel, the statement said.

World powers say they back the "two-state solution" of Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territories, though U.S.-brokered negotiations towards that end have been frozen for almost a decade with Israeli-Palestinian violence worsening.

"The continuation of the (Gaza) war will lead to an explosion of the situation in the region," Abdullah was quoted as telling Macron, echoing worries among regional leaders the war could expand well beyond Gaza.

In Israel, Macron warned against the risks of a broader Middle East conflict and also said the fight against Hamas "must be without mercy but not without rules" - an allusion to civilian deaths and suffering in besieged Gaza.

The conflict has reawakened long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, that a wider conflagration could prompt Israel to eject Palestinians en masse from the occupied West Bank. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation.

"We are against any attempt by Israel to create an exodus of Palestinians or internally displace the inhabitants of Gaza," King Abdullah said, according to the royal court statement.

Jordan, which borders the West Bank to the west, absorbed the bulk of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of their homes during the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by Bernadette Baum and Mark Heinrich)
Mexico's Finance Minister Carlos Urzua takes part at the Americas Society and Council of the Americas event in Mexico City, Mexico May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's former finance minister is backing the main opposition alliance in next year's presidential election, the opposition's candidate said on Tuesday.

Opposition presidential contender Xochitl Galvez said on X, formerly Twitter, that ex-minister Carlos Urzua had joined her right-left alliance bidding to unseat Lopez Obrador's National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) in the June 2024 election.

"Welcome to this team," Galvez wrote on X, sharing a picture of herself and Urzua, who was finance minister from 2018 to 2019 at the start of Lopez Obrador's presidency. Urzua quit in frustration at the direction of policy and has become a noted critic of the government.

Urzua was not immediately reachable for comment.

A respected economist, Urzua from 2000 to 2003 was Lopez Obrador's top finance official when he was Mexico City mayor.

Many economists have argued Lopez Obrador has hurt investor confidence by becoming embroiled in disputes with Mexico's top trade partners.

However, he remains a popular president, and MORENA's candidate to succeed him, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, has a commanding lead over Galvez in opinion polls.

Mexican presidents may only serve a single six-year term.

Galvez heads the main opposition alliance comprising three parties ranging from the center-right to the center-left.

Another opposition party, the center-left Citizens' Movement (MC), is eyeing a separate bid that could split the vote.

(Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Dave Graham and Cynthia Osterman)
The White House called the Hamas attacks on Israel the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. The US presidential administration has strongly opposed anti-Semitism.

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A statement was made by White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre. She emphasized that manifestations of anti-Semitism are unacceptable.

"When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs, their identity, when Israel is singled out because of hatred against Jews, this is anti-Semitism, and it is unacceptable. There is no place for anti-Semitism. Period," the White House representative emphasized.

Jean-Pierre assured that this is important to the President of the United States and the entire administration. She emphasized that the White House is consistent in its stance on anti-Semitism and called on everyone to contribute to the fight against this phenomenon.

"In the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, which were the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust, the president has been consistent and clear: we must all do our part and stand firm against anti-Semitism," Jean-Pierre said.

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The White House spokeswoman emphasized that there is no place for hatred in the United States, neither against Jews, nor against Muslims, nor anyone else.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

Israel has called on its citizens to refrain from traveling to Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco due to a significant increase in anti-Semitic sentiment and the threat of violence against Jews. Those Israeli citizens already in these countries are advised to leave as soon as possible.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned anyone not to seek to open a "second front" against Israel.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
FILE PHOTO: Coffins carrying bodies of Thai migrant agricultural workers who were killed in an attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel, arrive at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand, October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Artorn Pookasook/File Ph

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - More than half the estimated 220 hostages held by Palestinian group Hamas have foreign passports from 25 different countries, including 54 Thai nationals, the Israeli government said on Wednesday.

In providing updated figures, the government also said 328 people from 40 countries were confirmed as dead or missing after the surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on southern Israel. In all, an estimated 1,400 people were killed in the assault.

Israel said 138 of the hostages had foreign passports, including 15 Argentinians, 12 Germans, 12 Americans, six French and six Russians.

Many were believed to have had dual Israeli nationality, however some, like the Thais and five Nepalese hostages, almost certainly did not. There was also one Chinese hostage, one Sri Lankan, two from Tanzania and two from the Philippines.

Thais also made up the largest single group of foreign dead and missing, with 24 confirmed killed and 21 unaccounted for.

Thailand is one of the largest sources of migrant workers in Israel, with around 30,000 working in the agriculture sector, according to government data.

Among other foreign nations that suffered heavy losses were the United States, with 34 killed and five missing, Ukraine, with 25 killed and two missing, France, with 23 killed and one missing, and Russia with 23 killed and four missing.

Five Chinese citizens were killed and one was missing, while Nepal had five killed and five missing.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Rod Nickel)
FILE PHOTO: Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman attends the Reuters NEXT Newsmaker event in New York City, New York, U.S., December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Manya Saini

(Reuters) -Morgan Stanley on Wednesday named insider Ted Pick as its next chief executive officer, replacing longtime leader James Gorman, who will become the investment bank's executive chairman.

Here is a timeline of key events that shaped Gorman's almost 14-year tenure atop the Wall Street giant:

DATE DEVELOPMENT

February 2006 James Gorman joins Morgan Stanley

December 2007 Morgan Stanley names Gorman co-president

January 2010 Gorman replaces John Mack as Morgan

Stanley's CEO

June 2012 Gorman announces Smith Barney will be

renamed Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

June 2013 Morgan Stanley completes buyout of Smith

Barney joint venture from Citigroup

June 2016 Morgan Stanley agrees to pay a $1

million fine to settle U.S. Securities

and Exchange Commission civil charges

September 2017 The Financial Industry Regulatory

Authority says Morgan Stanley to pay $13

million in fines and restitution to

clients for inadequately supervising

certain short-term trades

February 2019 Morgan Stanley says it will buy Canadian

employee stock plans manager Solium

Capital for C$1.1 billion

December 2019 France's markets watchdog AMF says it

fined Morgan Stanley 20 million euros

($22 million) for manipulation of

sovereign bonds.

February 2020 Morgan Stanley says it will buy discount

brokerage E*Trade Financial Corp in an

all-stock deal worth about $13 billion

October 2020 Morgan Stanley agrees to buy Eaton Vance

Corp for about $7 billion in a

cash-and-stock deal

April 2021 Media reports citing sources says Morgan

Stanley sold about $5 billion of

Archegos stocks the night before the

fire sale hit rivals

April 2021 Morgan Stanley reveals it lost more than

$900 million from the collapse of family

office Archegos Capital Management,

curbing a 150% jump in quarterly profit

February 2022 Morgan Stanley discloses U.S. regulators

and prosecutors were probing various

aspects of the investment bank's block

trading business

February 2022 Media report says Morgan Stanley's role

in the collapse of Archegos deepened a

probe by U.S. authorities into block

trading practices

August 2022 Morgan Stanley agrees to pay $200

million to U.S. regulators to resolve

probes into its record-keeping practices

September 2022 A Morgan Stanley unit agrees to pay U.S.

regulators $35 million to settle charges

it failed to safeguard customer data

December 2022 Morgan Stanley plans modest global job

cuts, Gorman says at the Reuters NEXT

conference, without specifying numbers

December 2022 Morgan Stanley cuts about 2% of its

workforce, a source familiar with the

layoffs tells Reuters

January 2023 Morgan Stanley reiterates its long-term

target of managing $10 trillion in

assets

January 2023 Morgan Stanley reveals Gorman's total

compensation for 2022 slipped 10% to

$31.5 million

March 2023 U.S. judge dismisses seven lawsuits by

investors who accused Morgan Stanley and

Goldman Sachs of insider trading and

market manipulation linked to Archegos

March 2023 Morgan Stanley joins major U.S. banks in

injecting a combined $30 billion in

deposits into First Republic Bank

May 2023 Morgan Stanley plans to eliminate about

3,000 jobs in the second quarter,

Reuters reports citing a source

May 2023 Gorman says he plans to step down as CEO

within a year and stay on as executive

chairman for an unspecified period

June 2023 Reuters first reports that the bank's

board will focus on the selection of CEO

James Gorman's successor at its summer

and fall meetings

August 2023 Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan

Stanley and UBS reach a $499 million

settlement of an antitrust lawsuit by

investors who accused them of conspiring

to stifle competition in stock lending

October 2023 Ted Pick appointed CEO from

Jan. 1, 2024

Sources: Company statements, investor updates, investor conferences, media reports, regulatory filings

(Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Rod Nickel and Sonali Paul)
(Reuters) - The estranged son of Nashville's police chief, who was wanted for shooting two police officers, died from a self-inflicted gun wound as authorities closed in on him, state investigators said.

John Drake Jr., 38, who was on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's "most wanted" list, was found dead in south Nashville on Tuesday night, the bureau said in a written statement on Tuesday.

Drake Jr., the son of Nashville Police Chief John Drake, had been on the run since allegedly shooting and injuring two La Vergne, Tennessee, police officers who had stopped him on Saturday on suspicion he was driving a stolen vehicle. Both officers were treated and released from hospital.

On Tuesday evening, Nashville officers responded to reports that Drake Jr. had allegedly stolen a car at gunpoint and a brief car chase ensued, police said. Drake Jr. crashed into a parked car, jumped out of the vehicle he had allegedly stolen and ran into a shed. As officers approached, they heard a muffled gunshot from the shed and found Drake Jr. dead.

"I am grateful to the members of law enforcement, including many officers from this department, who worked diligently since Saturday to locate my son," Police Chief Drake said in a written statement on Wednesday. "I am heartbroken and saddened by the outcome."

The elder Drake had not seen his son for several years, he said in a statement on Saturday, adding that despite his efforts to guide his son, Drake Jr. had "resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said its agents are investigating Drake Jr.'s death.

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado; Editing by Rod Nickel)
FILE PHOTO: A view through a bus window shows Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant of Nornickel company, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, in the Arctic city of Norilsk, Russia August 22, 2021. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva/File Photo

By Anastasia Lyrchikova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian mining giant Nornickel launched a multi-billion dollar project on Wednesday aimed at reducing sulphur dioxide emissions by 45% in Norilsk, Russia's most polluted city, through a complex capture programme.

Nornickel, the world's largest palladium producer and a major producer of high-grade nickel, has changed the timing, cost and configuration of the programme several times. Before Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the company had estimated costs at $4.1-$4.3 billion.

That price tag may change as Nornickel, though not directly targeted with Western sanctions, was forced to find new solutions for the final stage of the project's development as foreign suppliers pulled out over Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

"Challenges arose when certain international vendors declined to provide vital equipment to Russia," Nornickel said in a statement. After pivoting to new manufacturers and suppliers, over 90% of equipment now originates from Russia or allied countries, it said.

The project entails converting sulphur dioxide into sulphuric acid, which is then neutralised with limestone to generate gypsum waste. Nornickel said smelters in the Arctic city of Norilsk release roughly 1.8 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions annually.

Nornickel cut emissions in Norilsk by 30-35% in 2016 when it shut down its oldest nickel plant. In 2020-21, it shut down facilities on the Kola Peninsula, eliminating its emissions on the border area with Norway.

Nornickel said production had begun on Wednesday at the Nadezhda Smelter, 16 kilometres (9.94 miles) from Norilsk. It plans to invest a total of 180 billion roubles ($1.93 billion) in that part of the project that should cut sulphur dioxide emissions there by 45% by 2025 from 2015 levels.

A similar programme for its Copper Plant was curtailed when contractors were sanctioned. Nornickel found alternative suppliers for the Nadezhda plant, the company said.

Company Chief Executive Vladimir Potanin has said Nornickel is looking for solutions at the Copper Plant and plans to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions there tenfold by 2027.

The project's implementation should improve the environment in the Arctic region, where a fuel spill in May 2020 ultimately cost Nornickel $2 billion in environmental damage.

"This is a project of national scale, reverberating throughout the Arctic," Potanin said in a statement.

($1 = 93.3000 roubles)

(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mike Harrison)
Panama's former president Ricardo Martinelli is escorted by police officers and supporters while leaving a courthouse after being declared not guilty of spying charges in Panama City, Panama August 9, 2019. Martinelli's cap reads, "I survived Varela", ref

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - A Panama court on Tuesday upheld a 128-month prison sentence for money laundering against former President Ricardo Martinelli, the frontrunner in the Central American country's presidential election next year.

The Superior Court for Settlement of Criminal Cases on Tuesday also upheld a $19.2 million fine Martinelli had been ordered to pay.

Martinelli was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison in July for his role in the case known as "New Business," which alleges public funds were used to buy a media conglomerate and give the ex-president a majority stake.

The former president has stated his innocence and on social media on Tuesday said the court's decision aimed to disqualify him from Panama's May election.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel Woodford)
Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) makes a statement to reporters and television cameras on the outer steps of the House of Representatives as he stands in front of members of the Republican conference after being elected the new Speak

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Speaker Mike Johnson called up a resolution supporting Israel in his first action as leader of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, after a three-week leadership vacuum that left the Republican-led chamber unable to respond to the Middle East crisis.

"The first bill I'm going to bring to this floor in a little while will be in support of our dear friend Israel and we are overdue in getting that done," Johnson said as he accepted the speakership.

The House backed the resolution by 412 to 10, with six members voting "present," reflecting traditional strong support in Congress for the Jewish state. The non-binding measure reaffirms U.S. commitment to Israel and calls on Hamas to immediately cease attacks and release every hostage.

Nine of the no votes were from Democrats, some of whom said they opposed the resolution since it did not address the loss of Palestinian lives, and one from a Republican. All six of the "present" votes came from Democrats.

The House had been without a speaker since Oct. 3, when eight Republicans joined Democrats to oust Kevin McCarthy, the first time a U.S. speaker has been removed from the position. Johnson, a social conservative with little leadership experience, was elected speaker on Wednesday.

The Johnson-led House must soon address a measure that would have the force of law. Democratic President Joe Biden asked Congress last week to pass a $106 billion funding package including billions of dollars in assistance for Ukraine, Taiwan and border security in addition to $14.3 billion for Israel.

Johnson's elevation muddied prospects for that broad funding request. Like many other Republicans closely allied to former President Donald Trump, the new speaker has been an opponent of Ukraine aid. A "report card" by the conservative "Republicans for Ukraine" campaign gave Johnson an "F Very Poor" rating based on his past votes against assistance for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

Johnson said on Wednesday he backed aid for Ukraine "with conditions." He told reporters, "We're working through it. We want accountability and we want objectives that are clear from the White House. But we're going to have those discussions. It'll be very productive."

In the Middle East, war broke out on Oct. 7 with an attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people and took another 200 hostage, Israel has said. Israeli retaliatory strikes have killed over 6,500 people in Gaza, the health ministry in the Hamas-run strip said. Reuters was unable to verify those figures independently.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by David Morgan; editing by Deepa Babington and Cynthia Osterman)
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File

By Andrew Osborn

(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Israel's conflict with Hamas could spread well beyond the Middle East and said it was wrong that innocent women, children and old people in Gaza were being punished for other people's crimes.

Putin, who made the comments in a Kremlin meeting with Russian religious leaders of different faiths, said bloodshed in the region had to stop. He said he told other world leaders in phone calls that if it did not, there was a risk of a much wider conflagration.

"Our task today, our main task, is to stop the bloodshed and violence," said Putin, according to a Kremlin transcript of the meeting.

"Otherwise, further escalation of the crisis is fraught with grave and extremely dangerous and destructive consequences. And not only for the Middle East region. It could spill over far beyond the borders of the Middle East."

In remarks that criticised the West, he said that certain unnamed forces were seeking to provoke further escalation and to draw as many other countries and peoples into the conflict as possible.

The aim, he said, was to "launch a real wave of chaos and mutual hatred not only in the Middle East but also far beyond its borders. For this purpose, among other things, they are trying to play on the national and religious feelings of millions of people."

Putin conveyed his condolences to the families of Israelis and citizens of other countries who were killed or wounded by Hamas in its bloody Oct. 7 attack.

Moscow, he said, continued to advocate for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, something he said was the only way to reach a long-term settlement.

He made it clear though that he thought Israel was wrong to keep bombing Gaza in retaliation for the slaughter and hostage-taking of Israeli citizens by Hamas.

"It is also clear to us that innocent people should not be held responsible for crimes committed by others," said Putin.

"The fight against terrorism cannot be conducted according to the notorious principle of collective responsibility when old people, women, children, entire families and hundreds of thousands of people are left without shelter, food, water, electricity and medical care."

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Palestinians search for casualties following an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

DUBAI/DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's prime minister said on Wednesday that the only way to reach a peaceful solution in Gaza is to keep communication channels open.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who is also the minister of foreign affairs, added in a press conference with the Turkish foreign minister in Doha that Qatar will continue coordinating with Turkey and regional partners to de-escalate the crisis.

He added: "Qatar condemns the collective punishment policy" on Gaza.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Andrew Mills; editing by Jason Neely)
FILE PHOTO: Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani makes statements to the media with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Doha, Qatar, October 13, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

By Andrew Mills

DOHA (Reuters) -Qatar's prime minister said on Wednesday that negotiations the Gulf Arab state is leading to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are progressing and he is hopeful there will soon be a breakthrough.

Qatar's foreign ministry urged de-escalation and warned that an Israeli ground assault on the densely populated enclave would make freeing hostages "much more difficult."

"There is some progress and some breakthrough and we remain hopeful," said Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at a press conference in the Qatari capital.

Wealthy gas-producer Qatar has had an open dialogue with both Israel and Hamas, which has brought about the release of four hostages captured in the Oct. 7 rampage Hamas led into southern Israel, including two Israeli women on Monday.

"If they are able to get along between the two parties I think we will see some breakthroughs hopefully soon," said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the minister of foreign affairs and who was speaking alongside his Turkish counterpart.

Qatar foreign ministry officials said an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza would complicate efforts to free the hostages.

"Obviously, a land incursion into Gaza would make it difficult to maintain the safety of the hostages, and in our efforts at mediation with both sides, we urge all parties in this conflict to de-escalate immediately," said Majed Al Ansari, the foreign ministry's spokesperson.

Also speaking in Doha, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said an Israeli ground operation into Gaza would turn the fighting there into a massacre.

Fidan said that those supporting Israel's actions under the pretence of solidarity were "accomplices to its crimes".

Some 222 people aged from 9 months to 85 years were seized on Oct. 7 when Hamas and other militants went on a killing spree through southern Israel, shooting motorists, hunting down civilians, including children in their own homes, and burning and stabbing people to death, according to survivors' accounts.

Israel has responded with a bombing campaign and a siege of Gaza.

The Palestinian health ministry said on Wednesday at least 6,546 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli bombardments since Oct. 7, including 2,704 children. Some 756 were killed in the previous 24 hours alone.

"The number of children being killed since the start of this war is exceeding the number of children killed in the other war between Ukraine and Russia and yet we didn't see the same reaction (in the international community)," he said, stressing that the only way to reach a peaceful solution in Gaza was to keep communication channels open.

(Reporting by Andrew Mills, Writing by Nayera Abdallah and Maha El Dahan; Editing by Toby Chopra, Bernadette Baum and Sharon Singleton)
FILE PHOTO: A police officer stands in front of a damaged building, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Yevhen Titov/File Photo

(Reuters) - Russian forces are disregarding heavy losses and pressing on with a drive to capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.

Russia has focused on the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk since failing in its initial drive on the capital Kyiv after mounting its invasion in February 2022.

Over the past two weeks, Russia has concentrated on Avdiivka in Donetsk, a town known in peacetime for its big coking plant and now seen as a bulwark of Ukrainian resistance.

"The enemy is trying to move forward and then we beat them back," Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesperson for Ukraine's southern groups of forces, said on national TV.

"So by no means can you speak of a fixed situation of some sort. Heavy fighting is continuing, though activity has subsided somewhat. The enemy is going through some kind of regrouping."

Russian forces were relying on infantry, using small assault groups of 30 to 40 men, Shtupun said, giving Russia's losses in the last six days as 2,500 dead and wounded in the area.

"This is quite significant even for Russia, bearing in mind that they do not look after their own men," Shtupun said.

Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka's military administration, said Russia was applying pressure from the north but was unable to get past a rail line under Ukrainian control.

He also dismissed reports that Russian troops had secured control of one of the large slag heaps dominating the town's industrial landscape.

"They put up flags there and tried to make some kind of spectacle," Barabash said.

Valeriy Prozapas, a Ukrainian captain, told Espreso TV that the Russians were acting to exploit the fact that Avdiivka was "de facto half surrounded".

"The second issue is political. They have little to be proud of and have to sell to their population some sort of victory, even if it is only an interim one," Prozapas said.

Ukraine's counteroffensive, launched in June, has resulted in the capture of devastated villages in the east and some settlements in the southern sector, but the pace is far slower than last year's advance through the northeast.

Russian accounts of the latest fighting made no mention of Avdiivka, but said Russian troops had repelled 15 Ukrainian attacks near Kupiansk, farther north.

Ukrainian officials also acknowledged heavy fighting near Kupiansk, a town initially seized by troops but taken back by Ukraine in last year's rapid advance through the northeast.

Authorities in Kharkiv region said they were imposing a mandatory evacuation of families from 10 localities in the area.

Reuters could not independently confirm the battle reports from either side.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Tom Hogue)
On October 24, the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, held a meeting with female opposition MPs.According to statements from the opposition representatives following the meeting, the primary focus was on European integration. They noted that the President has her own vision for Georgia's EU membership candidate status, which she plans to unveil to the public in the coming days."It is a fact that threats and accusations from the Georgian Dream have no influence on the president. She intends to continue protecting the country's European status with his own political steps and decisions. It was about how she sees our mandate. She listened to our recommendations," said Khatuna Samnidze, leader of the 'Republican Party'.According to Salome Samadashvili, a member of Lelo, the president discussed coordinated actions with the opposition to obtain EU candidacy status."The President has a very strong desire to take coordinated action so that, despite unfulfilled conditions, we can receive the candidate status. She has her own vision of what should be done from this perspective, and she will present it to the public," Samadashvili stated.Prosecutor General Irakli Shotadze informed journalists that the investigation against President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, regarding the pardoning of prisoners in 2019 is still ongoing."Criminal prosecution of the current president is limited by law; immunity applies to the president. Criminal prosecution against her is possible only in the case of impeachment if the Constitutional Court confirms the fact of a violation of the Constitution or a criminal offense. The investigation continues; it was initiated a few years ago regarding the possible crimes that were publicized several years ago," said Shotadze.On August 28, 2019, President Salome Zourabichvili pardoned 34 prisoners. On September 20, 2019, the Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation into this issue under the first part of Article 332 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the abuse of official authority.
Members of the United Nations Security Council vote during a meeting of the Security Council on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., October 25, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and China vetoed on Wednesday a U.S.-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution on the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The draft aimed to address a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling for pauses the violence to allow aid access. The United Arab Emirates also voted no, while 10 members voted in favor and two abstained.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Kanishka Singh)
KYIV (Reuters) - A local resident was killed in an early morning air attack on Ukraine's southern Kherson region, the governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Wednesday.

"At about 07:20, the enemy dropped a guided aerial bomb on a residential area of the city (of Beryslav). It hit a house. Unfortunately, a 42-year-old man was fatally wounded," Prokudin said on the Telegram messaging app.

Kyiv drove Russian forces out of part of the Kherson region last November after several months of occupation, but Russian troops have continued shelling the regional capital and areas around it from across the Dnipro River.

Prokudin said that over the past 24 hours, Russian forces had carried out 35 aerial attacks on the Kherson region.

Earlier this week, local authorities ruled on the mandatory evacuation of families with children from the three districts of the Kherson region due to the ongoing bomb attacks.

The authorities said 802 children and their families from 23 settlements must be evacuated.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 20, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

By Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan

(Reuters) -Russia's parliament completed the passage of a law on Wednesday withdrawing ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, evidence of the deep chill in relations with the United States as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was not prepared to resume discussing nuclear issues with the U.S. unless Washington dropped its "hostile" policy.

The bill to deratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the upper house after the lower house also passed it unanimously. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing.

Putin had requested the change to "mirror" the position of the United States, which signed the CTBT in 1996 but never ratified it.

Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo - no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century.

Russia says it will not resume testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts say a test by either Russia or the United States could trigger a new arms race - and more testing by other countries - at a moment of acute tension, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.

CNN published satellite images last month showing that Russia, the United States and China have all expanded their nuclear test sites in recent years.

The U.S. Energy Department said last week it had conducted a chemical explosion at its test site in Nevada "to improve the United States' ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world".

Speaking to Russian lawmakers before Wednesday's vote, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Nevada blast was "undoubtedly a political signal".

"As our president said, we must be on alert, and if the United States moves towards the start of nuclear tests, we will have to respond here in the same way," he said.

Russia says its monitoring stations will keep supplying data to the global network that detects nuclear blasts.

But In separate comments, RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying Russia was not ready to resume nuclear talks with the U.S.

Without changes in its "deeply fundamental hostile course", he said, "a return to dialogue on strategic stability, including the topic of strategic offensive arms and other topics in the form that was previously practised, is simply impossible".

Russia accuses Washington of trying to inflict a "strategic defeat" on it by arming Ukraine in the war. The U.S. says it is helping Kyiv to defend itself.

The absence of nuclear dialogue has called into question the fate of the New START treaty, which limits the number of strategic warheads that Russia and the U.S. can deploy.

Russia suspended the treaty this year and it is due to expire in 2026, leaving the two countries without any remaining bilateral nuclear weapons agreement.

Ryabkov said Moscow had received an unofficial memo from Washington on arms control and was looking at it, but it had "no novel elements".

(Reporting by Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Slovakia's newly appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico attends the new cabinet's inauguration, at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

(Reuters) -Leftist leader Robert Fico was appointed Slovakia's prime minister on Wednesday for the fourth time, after pledging in his election campaign to end military support for Ukraine and criticising sanctions on Russia.

President Zuzana Caputova appointed Fico and his cabinet after his SMER-SSD party won the Sept. 30 election and formed a coalition with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties.

Fico quit as prime minister in 2018 amid mass public protests against corruption after a journalist was murdered.

This time, he campaigned heavily on pledges to end Slovak official military aid to Ukraine, make foreign policy independent of EU partners and the U.S., and get tough on keeping out migrants seeking to make it to western Europe.

Both Ukraine and migration may be among topics at an EU summit on Thursday and Friday that Fico will attend.

Fico has also spoken out against political liberalism, the activities of non-governmental organisations, and more rights for transgender people.

He has praised neighbouring Hungary's leader Viktor Orban as a politician defending his country's interests, and could make alliances with Orban where their interests meet.

While railing against Brussels and the United States, Fico has repeatedly said that he has no intention to take the country of 5.5 million people out of the EU or the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Toby Chopra and Kevin Liffey)
People walk through an alley in Itaewon where the Halloween crowd crush occurred last year, in Seoul, South Korea, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

By Dogyun Kim, Jihyun Jeon

SEOUL (Reuters) -A knot of people jostled and shoved each other on Wednesday in a narrow alleyway in Seoul, before filing patiently past a barricade of police officers in a crowd control drill held ahead of the one-year anniversary of a deadly Halloween crush.

The exercise, showcasing an AI-backed network of nearly 1,000 closed-circuit TV cameras designed to detect and alert against dangerous crowding, was displayed on banks of large screens watched by officials ready to swing into action.

The effort comes after a crowd surge last year led to a crush in a narrow alley in the Itaewon nightlife district, killing 159 people in a disaster blamed on a lack of preparation and crowd control measures, with early calls for help going unanswered.

This year, officials in the South Korean capital said they would work with police, emergency services and local officials to ensure "not a single person gets hurt" during Halloween celebrations.

"The drill focused on how to ensure the safety of citizens by monitoring the situation in real time with the help of cutting-edge science and technology," said the city's mayor, Oh Se-hoon.

About 150 volunteers participated in the dry run of an early warning system that will include 909 CCTV cameras in 71 locations by year-end, aiming to analyse crowd movement and density before alerting authorities to signs of danger.

Sixteen areas will be specially monitored by officials ready to intervene and disperse people in response to warnings triggered when three or more individuals are counted in every square meter of any given space.

"It used to be visual assessment in the past, but now we're operating CCTV ... which enables video analysis," said city safety official Ahn Hyoung-jun, adding that the information gathered would compensate for human error.

The effort was "positive", said Paek Seung-joo, a specialist in fire and disaster protection at the Open Cyber University of Korea, while warning that preventing large gatherings was critical.

"The fundamental solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place."

The plan unveiled this week covers just Seoul, rather than the entire nation, he added.

"For that, the central government, not a local government, has to take the lead and come up with a plan to anticipate crowding, manage it, and respond in the event of an emergency."

Many families of the victims of last year's disaster say the police investigation left many questions unanswered, while deploring that nobody had been held responsible for the deaths.

The government, which rejected calls to dismiss top officials, has said it had worked hard to set up a system to prevent such disasters and which needed to be properly implemented.

The Seoul anniversary has unnerved authorities elsewhere in the run-up to this years celebrations.

In Tokyo, foreign tourists and locals have been urged not to gather at the famed Shibuya scramble crossing in the Japanese capital, which had been a popular spot for Halloween revellers to meet up prior to the COIVD-19 pandemic.

"Officials have grown fearful of a disastrous crowd crush similar to the one in the Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea," Shibuya city officials said in a statement.

The safety campaign has involved a ban on street drinking over the Halloween weekend, while videos posted on social media urge: "On Halloween night, everyone should stay away from Shibuya."

(Reporting by Dogyun Kim, Jihyun Jeon, Minwoo Park and Jack Kim in Seoul, John Geddie in Tokyo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - An Israeli attack on military positions in southwest Syria on Wednesday killed eight soldiers and wounded seven more, the Syrian state news agency (SANA) reported.

Citing a military source, SANA said Israel's "aerial aggression" targeted a number of military positions near the southwestern city of Deraa. The strike also caused material damage, it reported.

The attack took place at around 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday (2245 GMT on Tuesday), SANA reported.

Israel's military said earlier that its jets had struck Syrian army infrastructure and mortar launchers early on Wednesday in what it described as a response to rocket launches from Syria toward Israel.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; writing by Tom Perry; editing by Jason Neely)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting with members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 25, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD

By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Huseyin Hayatsever

ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands.

NATO member Turkey condemned the civilian deaths caused by Hamas's Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel, but also urged Israeli forces to act with restraint in their response. Ankara has strongly criticised Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

"Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith.

Unlike many of its NATO allies and the European Union, Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation and hosts members of the group on its territory. Ankara backs a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Erdogan also slammed Western powers for supporting Israel's bombing of Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire, the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and for Muslim countries to work together to stop the violence.

"The perpetrators of the massacre and the destruction taking place in Gaza are those providing unlimited support for Israel," Erdogan said. "Israel's attacks on Gaza, for both itself and those supporting them, amount to murder and mental illness."

Israel rejected Erdogan's description of Hamas, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat calling the group "a despicable terrorist organisation".

"Even the Turkish president's attempt to defend the terrorist organisation and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen," Haiat wrote on social media platform X.

Erdogan's comments also drew a swift rebuke from Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation". He urged Italy's foreign minister to lodge a formal protest with Ankara.

Shares in Istanbul dropped 7% on Wednesday in a slide that traders attributed to Erdogan's comments on Hamas.

The fighting in Gaza comes at a time when Turkey is working to mend its ties with Israel after years of acrimony, focusing on energy as an area of cooperation.

Indicating that those normalisation efforts were now suspended, Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's "good intentions" and said he had cancelled a previously planned visit to Israel.

"I shook the hand of this man named Netanyahu one time in my life," Erdogan said, referring to his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last month.

"If he (Netanyahu) had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, that will not happen either because they took advantage of our good intentions," he added.

Erdogan accused the West of hypocrisy for failing to respond to what he called Israel's "intentional massacre" in Gaza with the same decisiveness as it did to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Huseyin Hayatsever;Writing by Daren Butler;Editing by Gareth Jones and Nick Macfie)
(Reuters) - U.S. defense contractor Teledyne Technologies on Wednesday raised its full-year profit forecast after reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings on strong performance in its business that makes monitoring and control equipment.

Teledyne, which owns drone maker FLIR systems, also reported an 8.1% rise in its aerospace and defense business amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The Pentagon has awarded lucrative contracts to refill its depleted weapons stockpile after shipping aid to Ukraine, adding to sales at U.S. defense contractors.

California-based Teledyne expects a full-year profit of $15.82 to $15.96 per share, compared with its previously forecast range of $15.66 to $15.88.

In the third quarter ended Oct. 1, Teledyne reported a quarterly profit of $5.05 per share, compared with analysts' estimates of $4.76.

Its quarterly revenue came in at about $1.4 billion, up 2.9% from a year earlier, but missed analysts' average estimate of $1.42 billion, according to LSEG data.

(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
FILE PHOTO: Figurines are seen in front of displayed Adobe logo in this illustration taken June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator, on Wednesday, extended by eight weeks the deadline to complete its in-depth probe into Photoshop owner Adobe Inc's $20 billion buyout of cloud-based designer platform Figma, to February 2024.

In July, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an in-depth, or phase two, investigation into the deal after Adobe said it would not offer any concessions to ease the regulator's concerns.

The CMA now has until Feb. 25 to conclude its investigation, compared to the earlier deadline of Dec. 27. The probe is being conducted by an inquiry group selected from independent experts.

The CMA said the companies have made a number of detailed arguments related to its concerns around competition in product developments between the firms, their growth strategies and how it would impact their ability to expand into new markets.

In September 2022, Adobe announced a cash-and-stock deal for Figma, the biggest buyout of a privately owned software startup.

Figma's web-based collaborative platform for designs and brainstorming is widely popular among tech-based companies, including Zoom Video Communications, Airbnb Inc and Coinbase.

(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Savio D'Souza)
A woman stands during a press conference following the meeting of the Security Council on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Russia and China on Wednesday vetoed a U.S. push for the United Nations Security Council to act on the Israel-Hamas conflict by calling for pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian aid access, the protection of civilians and a stop to arming Hamas and other militants in the Gaza Strip.

The United States put forward a draft resolution on Saturday as global outcry grew over a worsening humanitarian crisis and mounting civilian death toll in Gaza. It made the move just days after it vetoed a humanitarian focused draft from Brazil, arguing more time was needed for U.S.-led diplomacy.

The initial U.S. text shocked many diplomats with its bluntness in stating Israel has a right to defend itself and demanding Iran stop exporting arms to militant groups. It did not include a call for humanitarian pauses for aid access. But it largely toned down the final text that was put to the vote.

"We did listen to all of you," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the 15-member council after the double veto, which she described as disappointing. "Though todays vote was a setback, we must not be deterred."

It was a rare move by the United States to suggest Security Council action. Washington has traditionally shielded its ally Israel at the world body.

Ten members voted for the U.S. text, while the United Arab Emirates voted no and Brazil and Mozambique abstained.

"The draft does not reflect the world's strongest calls for a ceasefire, an end to the fighting, and it does not help resolve the issue," China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun told the council after the vote. "At this moment, ceasefire is not just a diplomatic term. It means the life and death of many civilians."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been appealing for a humanitarian ceasefire.

'OBLIGATION TO ACT'

In the wake of the Security Council deadlock, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly will vote on Friday on a draft resolution put forward by Arab states that calls for a ceasefire. No country holds a veto in the General Assembly. Resolutions are non-binding, but carry political weight.

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which rules Gaza, in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,400 people. Israel has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege on the enclave of 2.3 million people and is preparing a ground invasion. Palestinian authorities say more than 6,500 have been killed.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accuses the U.S. of putting up a draft resolution that represented Security Council authorization of a ground offensive in Gaza by Israel "while thousands of Palestinian children will continue to die."

After the double veto, the Security Council then voted on a rival Russian-drafted text that called for a humanitarian ceasefire and withdrawal of Israel's order for civilians in Gaza to relocate south ahead of a ground assault.

Russia failed to the get minimum amount of support needed, winning only four votes. A resolution needs at least nine votes and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to be adopted.

It was Russia's second attempt at a resolution. Only five council members voted in favor of a Russian text on Oct. 16.

The elected 10 members of the Security Council now plan to work on a new draft resolution, Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said.

"This crisis is also gripped by a growing risk of a regional spill over. This demands our undivided attention," she said. "We have the duty and the obligation to act."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool)
FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. Picture taken May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

By Chris Prentice

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) levied $5 billion through enforcement actions and barred more than 100 individuals from serving as company directors and officers in fiscal 2023, the agency's chair Gary Gensler said on Wednesday.

Total penalties and other fees levied in the fiscal year that ran through September were down from a record of $6.4 billion in 2022, according to Gensler's remarks prepared for an industry event. Total actions rose to 780 from about 700 a year earlier.

The SEC has been seen to be increasingly aggressive in policing markets under Gensler. Last year's enforcement activity included a series of high-profile cases against crypto firms and executives including FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.

The SEC also barred 133 individuals from serving as directors and officers, the highest in a decade, Gensler said. Greater use of such bans, including one against a former McDonald's Corp CEO, come as the agency has sought to focus on individual accountability and misconduct.

The agency's sweep targeting Wall Street's use of WhatsApp and other such apps remained a key driver of enforcement activity, with the SEC settling charges against 23 broker-dealers and investment advisers.

The agency is expected to publish its full enforcement report sometime next month.

(Reporting by Chris Prentice; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By David Brunnstrom and Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. submarine industrial base can and will support the AUKUS defense technology partnership to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and will itself be strengthened by that project, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

Mara Karlin, acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy, made the statement at a hearing of a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, during a visit to Washington by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

"AUKUS contributes to building a more robust defense industrial base ecosystem that contributes to integrated deterrence; and ... the submarine industrial base can and will support AUKUS," she said.

In a joint statement, the three representatives of the U.S. Navy who testified at the hearing urged Congress to move ahead with President Joe Biden's supplemental budget request last Friday, which earmarks $3.4 billion for further investments in the U.S. submarine industrial base.

"This funding is critical to improve build and sustainment rates for attack submarines in order to meet U.S. military requirements, and will also support our commitments under AUKUS," it said.

Twenty-five U.S. Republican lawmakers urged Biden in July to increase funding for the U.S. submarine fleet, saying that the plan under AUKUS to sell Australia Virginia-class nuclear-power submarines would "unacceptably weaken" the U.S. fleet without a clear plan to replace them.

Karlin said Congress was critical to the success of AUKUS, the biggest defense project in Australian history agreed to in response to China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific.

She stressed the need for Congress to approve this year legislative proposals to authorize transfer of submarines to Australia, to allow maintenance of U.S. submarines in Australia and Britain, and to authorize Australian funding for U.S. shipyards and training of Australian workers in them.

She also highlighted a fourth proposal to streamline defense trade between the three AUKUS partners, something vital to AUKUS given the need to share U.S. technology in the submarine project and a second AUKUS pillar involving three-way cooperation on high-tech weaponry.

Australian and British officials have expressed frustration with U.S. export controls holding back faster progress on AUKUS.

Albanese held summit talks with Biden on Wednesday that included the AUKUS project, and Democratic Representative Joe Courtney told the hearing the Australian leader would have the opportunity to discuss it with members of the U.S. House and Senate on Thursday.

At a joint news conference with Albanese, Biden also urged congress to approve the AUKUS legislation this year.

Vice Admiral William Houston, commander of the U.S. Navy's Submarine Force, told the hearing it was "absolutely critical" Congress moved forward with the proposals, saying failure to do so would send a "significant" negative message to the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. submarine industry is hoping it can improve its production rate to meet demand from the U.S. Navy and AUKUS.

The "fact is, the supply chain still remains very fragile," Jason Aiken, General Dynamics' chief financial officer, told analysts on Wednesday. "Any additional funding and support, whether it's through the supplemental or other Navy support would be extremely helpful."

Aiken said his company needed to increase its production rate from 1.2 Virginia-class submarines per year to two - this on top of one Columbia-class submarine. "Then we'll look to AUKUS beyond that."

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Mike Stone; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Jonathan Oatis)
A red wolf stands at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, in Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 23, 2022. Katie Cotterill/Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

By Matt McKnight

EATONVILLE, Washington (Reuters) - The endangered red wolf, the lone wolf species native only to the United States, is slowly coming back thanks to a breeding and reintroduction program that also takes special care of the wolves' teeth.

The Tacoma-based Point Defiance Zoo is conducting dental exams and teeth-cleaning in its managed care program. Broken teeth "would prevent them from eating meat very well," said Karen Wolf, the zoo's head veterinarian.

The fittingly named vet is helping bolster a population of only 270 red wolves known to exist, mostly in managed care or zoos. Just 20 live in the wild, roaming in three wildlife refuges in eastern North Carolina.

During one recent checkup at a facility in a wildlife preserve 60 miles (100 km) south of Seattle, the sedated patient was a 9-year-old wolf known as 2077, the grandfather of six pups born earlier this year and the father of a wolf released into the wild.

"He is quite a patriarch," Wolf said.

The cinnamon-colored wolf, named 2077 by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the 2,077th wolf entered into the program, received a thorough cleaning and x-rays, and a diseased molar was removed. The vets also administered vaccines and drew blood to assess its overall health.

Meanwhile at an off-site breeding center, the most recent litter of pups yelped an off-key caterwaul into the forest.

The animals in managed care tend to live longer than free-ranging red wolves, in part because they have annual exams and dental hygiene.

The rare red wolves once ranged from New York to Texas, but by the late 1960s to 1970s a once thriving population was decimated. The wildlife service classified it as threatened with extinction in 1967.

As recently as the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. wildlife service had an eradication program that killed wolves to protect people and other animals, only later understanding that apex predators were necessary to maintain a healthy ecosystem, said Natalie Davis, zoo curator and part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' program to save red wolves from extinction. It has introduced seven wolves into the wild in North Carolina this year.

Three of those released came from the Point Defiance Zoo program, including a pup born April 13.

(Reporting by Matt McKnight; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Diane Craft)
U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon to the White House ahead of an official state visit at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 24, 2023. REUTERS/

By Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday a "path toward peace" must be forged once the Israel-Gaza crisis concludes, with independent states for the Israelis and Palestinians and an integration of Israel among its Arab neighbors.

Biden opened a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by saying U.S. support for Israel's defense was ironclad, but the parties needed to think about a way forward in the region once the Gaza crisis was resolved.

"Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity and peace," Biden said.

"When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution. It means a concentrated effort from all the parties - Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, global leaders - to put us on a path toward peace," Biden said.

Biden said he believed one reason Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,400 people on Oct. 7, was to prevent normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Israeli airstrikes in retaliation have killed over 6,500 people, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said on Wednesday. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the casualty figures of either side.

Biden said he had "no notion" that the Palestinians were telling the truth about how many had been killed.

"I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's the price of waging a war," he said. "I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using."

Biden did not elaborate but also expressed concern about treatment of Palestinians by some Israelis.

"I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," Biden said, accusing them of pouring gasoline on a fire. "They're attacking Palestinians in places that they're entitled to be, and it has to stop."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, called Biden's remarks about Palestinian casualties "dehumanizing."

President Biden should apologize for his comments, condemn the Israeli government for deliberately targeting civilians, and demand a ceasefire before more innocent people die, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.

AUSTRALIA OFFERS AID

Albanese, in his opening remarks, said Australia will provide an additional $15 million in aid for Gaza civilians.

Earlier, at a White House arrival ceremony, he called American leadership indispensable but not inevitable.

"It takes a leader to deliver it. It takes wisdom to show empathy, courage to provide humanitarian assistance, and true leadership to seek peace. Because protecting innocent people is not a show of weakness. It is a measure of strength," he said.

A growing chorus of nations are pushing Israel to take a humanitarian pause in its attacks on Hamas in Gaza that have killed thousands of Palestinians, many of them children. Biden, a self-described "Zionist", has strongly supported Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack while cautioning the country to abide by democratic principles.

Australia is a key ally in the Pacific, and Biden scheduled the visit after canceling a trip to Sydney in May to stay in Washington and negotiate a government funding crisis.

PHILIPPINES SUPPORT

Biden appeared to issue China a warning after a series of maritime confrontations with the Philippines, saying the United States' commitment to Manila's defense is iron clad.

China is having its own internal and external difficulties right now, Biden added.

The U.S.-Australia alliance is "marked by imagination, ingenuity and innovation," Biden told the prime minister in opening remarks upon his arrival at the White House, citing their partnership in World War One, World War Two and the "war on terror."

The visit resulted in agreements aimed at deterring and competing with China, even as separately the two countries try to thaw relations with Beijing. The two nations are committed to making sure the "Indo-Pacific remains free, open, prosperous and secure," Biden said.

Albanese, greeted with a red carpet, military band and a receiving line of Biden's top advisers, praised American democratic values and lauded Biden for maintaining "that every innocent life matters, Israeli and Palestinian, and that in every conflict every effort must be made to protect civilians."

He also pledged continued cooperation in Ukraine's ongoing fight against Russia's invasion last year.

Later in the evening the two men attended an elaborate state dinner, though a planned performance by the B-52's was scrapped out of respect for those suffering in the Middle East.

The deals between the two sides included an undersea internet cable project and maritime wharf infrastructure investment designed to benefit and woo Pacific Island nations whose assistance may be needed to respond to any future conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea.

Washington and Canberra, already partners in a decades-old collective defense agreement, also announced wider security cooperation with Japan.

The balancing act of strengthening deterrence against China without offending Beijing too much is made more complicated by a Middle East crisis that has again diverted Washington's attention away from the Indo-Pacific.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Tom Hogue, Heather Timmons, Josie Kao and Gerry Doyle)
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's attorney general Tarek Saab said on Wednesday his office has launched a criminal investigation into the opposition's weekend presidential primary on accusations of electoral violations, financial crimes and conspiracy and will interview two members of the organizing committee.

The opposition has said repeatedly that the vote to choose their candidate for the 2024 election - which was won by Maria Corina Machado and attracted more than 2.3 million voters - was transparent and fair.

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Julia Symmes Cobb)
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

_________________________________________

FORM 8-K

_________________________________________

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

_________________________________________

CACI International Inc

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

_________________________________________

Delaware 001-31400 54-1345888 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

12021 Sunset Hills Road Reston , Virginia 20190 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code: ( 703 ) 841-7800

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

_________________________________________

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock CACI New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company o

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act o









Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of CACI International Inc (the Company), for which proxies were solicited pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, was held on October 19, 2023.





The results detailed below represent the final voting results:





Proposal 1





The following eleven nominees were elected to the Board of Directors of the Company (the Board):





Director Name For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes Michael A. Daniels 18,105,810 1,143,735 23,164 1,450,603 Lisa S. Disbrow 18,580,371 669,836 22,502 1,450,603 Susan M. Gordon 18,586,683 662,276 23,750 1,450,603 William L. Jews 18,941,405 308,496 22,808 1,450,603 Gregory G. Johnson 16,471,125 2,767,541 34,043 1,450,603 Ryan D. McCarthy 17,171,429 2,078,108 23,172 1,450,603 John S. Mengucci 19,055,870 202,459 14,380 1,450,603 Philip O. Nolan 18,563,664 686,365 22,680 1,450,603 Debora A. Plunkett 18,159,012 1,089,634 24,063 1,450,603 Stanton D. Sloane 19,193,263 56,765 22,681 1,450,603 William S. Wallace 18,463,878 787,368 21,463 1,450,603





Proposal 2





Shareholders approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation paid to the Companys named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K and contained in the 2023 Proxy Statement, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion:





For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 18,032,401 1,219,900 20,408 1,450,603





Proposal 3





Shareholders approved, on an advisory basis, a frequency of one year for future advisory shareholder votes on the compensation of our named executive officers:





One Year Two Years Three Years Abstain Broker Non-Votes 18,673,974 7,244 577,166 14,325 1,450,603





Based on the results set forth above, consistent with the Boards recommendation, the Board has determined to hold annual advisory votes on the compensation of our executive officers until the next required vote on the frequency of shareholder votes on the compensation of executive officers.





Proposal 4





Shareholders ratified the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2024:





For Against Abstain 19,870,474 832,710 20,128









SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

CACI International Inc Date: October 25, 2023 By: s/ J. William Koegel, Jr. J. William Koegel, Jr. Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary





ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

P10, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware 001-40937 87-2908160 (State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer

Identification No.) 4514 Cole Avenue Suite 1600 Dallas , Texas 75205 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code: 214 865-7998

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Title of each class Trading

Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share PX The New York Stock Exchange Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock Purchase Rights N/A N/A

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 ( 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ( 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Chief Executive Officer Transition and Appointment to Board of Directors

The Board of Directors (the Board) of P10, Inc. (the Company) appointed Luke A. Sarsfield III as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company, effective as of October 23, 2023 (the Effective Date). Mr. Sarsfield succeeds Robert Alpert and C. Clark Webb, who will cease to serve as Co-Chief Executive Officers, effective as of the Effective Date, and were appointed to serve as Executive Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman, respectively, in each case effective as of the Effective Date.

In addition, the Board increased the size of the Board from seven members to eight members and appointed Mr. Sarsfield to fill the new vacancy as a Class III director of the Board, effective as of the Effective Date, with a term ending at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2024.

Mr. Sarsfield is the former Global Co-Head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which managed approximately $2.5 trillion in assets under his leadership. Prior to leading the asset management business, Mr. Sarsfield was Global Head of the Financial Institutions Group in the Investment Banking Division at the firm. With 25 years of experience in finance and capital markets, including building asset management businesses and advising financial institutions on strategic transactions, the Company believes that Mr. Sarsfield is uniquely positioned to advance P10s strategic priorities.

Chief Executive Officer Employment Agreement

In connection with his appointment as CEO, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Sarsfield, dated as of October 20, 2023, and effective as of the Effective Date (the Employment Agreement), setting forth the terms of his employment and compensation. The initial term of the Employment Agreement is for a five-year period and will automatically renew for additional one-year periods unless either party delivers written notice of non-renewal at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term.

Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Sarsfield will be entitled to receive: (i) an annual base salary of $1 million; (ii) a target annual cash bonus of $1.5 million based on certain performance criteria and benchmarks to be set each year by the Board or the Compensation Committee thereof; (iii) a target annual incentive bonus of $5 million based on certain performance criteria and benchmarks to be set each year by the Board or the Compensation Committee thereof, of which (a) 70% will be awarded in the form of carried interest in certain investment vehicles controlled by the Company, (b) 20% will be awarded in the form of restricted stock units granted under the Companys 2021 Incentive Plan (the Plan), and (c) 10% will be awarded in the form of stock options granted under the Plan; (iv) an initial signing bonus of $1 million, which the Company intends pay in the form of fully vested shares of common stock under the Plan in lieu of cash; (v) an initial grant of restricted stock units with an aggregate value of $6 million, which will vest ratably over the first three anniversaries of the Effective Date; (vi) reimbursement of up to $85,000 for legal expenses incurred in connection with the negotiation of his the Employment Agreement; and (vii) reimbursements for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses during the term of employment. In addition, Mr. Sarsfield will be entitled to receive up to $40 million in the aggregate of additional grants of restricted stock units, comprised of up to five grants of $8 million each, upon achieving certain stock price performance hurdles.

The Employment Agreement also provides that if the Company terminates the employment of Mr. Sarsfield without cause, or if Mr. Sarsfield resigns for good reason, then Mr. Sarsfield will be entitled to receive, in addition to any accrued and unpaid benefits: (i) a lump sum payment equal to one and one half (1.5) times his then-current base salary; (ii) a lump sum payment equal to one and one half (1.5) times his then-current annual cash bonus; and (iii) immediate vesting of any and all outstanding equity awards and all carried interests in certain investment vehicles controlled by the Company. The foregoing severance payments would be conditioned upon Mr. Sarsfields execution, non-revocation and delivery of a general release of the Company and its affiliates.

Executive Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman Transition Agreements

October 20, 2023, the Company entered into an executive transition agreement with each of Mr. Alpert and Mr. Webb (each, a Transition Agreement). Pursuant to the Transition Agreements, effective as of the Effective Date, Mr. Alpert and Mr. Webb will each cease to serve as Co-Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Alpert and Mr. Webb were appointed as Executive Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman, respectively, through the first anniversary of the Effective Date.

Each Transition Agreement provides for certain transition and severance related payments. Pursuant to his Transition Agreement, Mr. Alpert will be entitled to receive a salary of $100,000 and a transition award having an aggregate gross value of $100,000 in the form of restricted stock units, which will vest on the first anniversary of the Effective Date. Pursuant to his Transition Agreement, Mr. Webb will be entitled to receive a salary of $100,000 and a transition award having an aggregate gross value of $4,000,000 in the form of restricted stock units, which will be granted in four equal quarterly installments with the first grant occurring on the Effective Date, and each grant will vest on the first anniversary of the applicable grant date. Mr. Alpert and Mr. Webb will also each be entitled to reimbursements for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will be eligible to receive, in the sole discretion of the Board, an additional bonus payment upon completion of the transition period based on such executives performance and the Companys performance during

such period, which may be paid in the form of cash, restricted stock, restricted stock units or a carried interest in certain investment vehicles controlled by the Company.

The Transition Agreements may be terminated by either party upon 90 days prior written notice. Upon any such termination effective prior to the first anniversary of the Effective Date, such executive will be entitled to receive: (i) the accrued and unpaid portion of the transition salary; and (ii) accelerated vesting of a portion of the transition restricted stock units, prorated based on the number of days employed during the transition period.

In addition, the Transition Agreements each provide that the cessation of their respective roles as Co-Chief Executive Officer was without cause under their existing amended and restated employment agreements with the Company, each dated May 12, 2023 (each, an Existing Employment Agreement). Accordingly, subject to the timely execution and delivery of a general release and waiver of claims in favor of the Company, Mr. Alpert and Mr. Webb will each be entitled to receive the following severance payments and benefits in accordance with their respective Transition Agreements: (i) a cash transition severance payment of $1.2 million; (ii) a severance payment having an aggregate gross value of $5.65 million, which is the equivalent of the remaining base salary and bonus under their respective Existing Employment Agreements, which payment shall consist of: (a) a cash payment of $1.6 million; (b) an award of $3.4 million, which the Company intends pay in the form of fully vested shares of common stock under the Plan in lieu of cash and (c) an award of stock options having an aggregate value of $650,000, which will be fully vested and exercisable as of the Effective Date; and (iii) all unvested options, restricted stock units or other equity awards issued to such executive under the Plan and carried interests in certain investment vehicles controlled by the Company will become fully vested and immediately exercisable on the Effective Date.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On October 23, 2023, the Company issued a press release announcing the Chief Executive Officer succession. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto, is being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, nor shall it be deemed subject to the requirements of amended Item 10 of Regulation S-K, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing. The furnishing of this information hereby shall not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any such information.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release of P10, Inc., dated October 23, 2023. 104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

P10, INC. Date: October 25, 2023 By: /s/ Amanda Coussens Amanda Coussens

Chief Financial Officer

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT

TO RULE 13d-1(b), (c), AND (d) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED

PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-2(b)

(AMENDMENT NO. 7)*

AppFolio, Inc.

(Name of Issuer)

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value

(Title of Class of Securities)

03783C100

(CUSIP Number)

Eddie C. Brown

Brown Capital Management, LLC

1201 N. Calvert Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 837-3234

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person

Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

September 30, 2023

(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed:

[x] Rule 13d-1(b)

[ ] Rule 13d-1(c)

[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

CUSIP No. 03783C100 13G Page 2 of 6 Pages

1. NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Brown Capital Management, LLC 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (see instructions) (a) [ ] (b) [ ] 3. SEC USE ONLY 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION State of Maryland

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH 5. SOLE VOTING POWER 1,222,969 6. SHARED VOTING POWER None 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 1,810,598 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER None

9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 1,810,598 10. CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (see instructions) [ ] 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9) 8.65% 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (see instructions) IA

CUSIP No. 03783C100 13G Page 3 of 6 Pages

1. NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (see instructions) (a) [ ] (b) [ ] 3. SEC USE ONLY 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION State of Delaware

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH 5. SOLE VOTING POWER 1,054,494 6. SHARED VOTING POWER None 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 1,054,494 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER None

9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 1,054,494 10. CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (see instructions) [ ] 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9) 5.04% 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (see instructions) IV

CUSIP No. 03783C100 13G Page 4 of 6 Pages

Item 1. (a) Name of Issuer AppFolio, Inc. (b) Address of Issuers Principal Executive Offices 70 Castilian Drive Santa Barbara, California 93117

Item 2. (a) Name of Person Filing Brown Capital Management, LLC The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund (b) Address of the Principal Office or, if none, residence 1201 N. Calvert Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (c) Citizenship Brown Capital Management, LLC is a Maryland Limited Liability Company The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund is a series portfolio of Brown Capital Management Mutual Funds, a Delaware statutory trust (d) Title of Class of Securities Class A common stock, $0.0001 Par Value Per Share (e) CUSIP Number 03783C100

Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

(a) [ ] Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o). (b) [ ] Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c). (c) [ ] Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c). (d) [ ] Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8). (e) [x] An investment adviser in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E); (f) [ ] An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F); (g) [ ] A parent holding company or control person in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G); (h) [ ] A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813); (i) [ ] A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3); (j) [ ] Group, in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).

CUSIP No. 03783C100 13G Page 5 of 6 Pages

Item 4. Ownership.

Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in Item 1.

Brown Capital Management, LLC The Brown Capital Mgmt Small Company Fund (a) Amount beneficially owned: 1,810,598 1,054,494 (b) Percent of class: 8.65% 5.04% (c) Number of shares as to which the person has: (i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 1,222,969 1,054,494 (ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: None None (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 1,810,598 1,054,494 (iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: None None

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following [ ].

Instruction. Dissolution of a group requires a response to this item.

Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

All of the shares of Common Stock set forth in Item 4 are owned by various investment advisory clients of Brown Capital Management, LLC, which is deemed to be a beneficial owner of those shares pursuant to Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, due to it discretionary power to make investment decisions over such shares for its clients and/or its ability to vote such shares. In all cases, persons other than Brown Capital Management, LLC have the right to receive, or the power to direct the receipt of, dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of the shares. No individual client holds more than five percent of the class, other than the Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund as disclosed in this filing.

Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.

Not applicable

Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

Not applicable

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not applicable

CUSIP No. 03783C100 13G Page 6 of 6 Pages

Item 10. Certification.

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart, 19th Air Force commander, speaks during a change-of-command ceremony Aug. 19, 2022, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. (Jonathan Mallard/U.S. Air Force)

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas  Lawyers argued during a hearing Tuesday whether the evidence used to charge Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart with sexual assault points to a commander abusing his power over a junior officer or a woman regretting an alcohol-fueled night of infidelity with her boss.

With 24 items of evidence to review, Col. Brian Thompson, a military judge serving as the hearings presiding officer, will have until mid-November to recommend whether there is probable cause to court-martial Stewart. The charges against Stewart are dereliction of duty, sexual assault, behavior unbecoming of an officer and adultery.

Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, the commander of the Air Education and Training Command, will use Thompsons report to determine whether Stewart will go to trial. Robinson in May fired Stewart from his post as commander of the 19th Air Force because of the allegations.

Witnesses were not questioned during the roughly one-hour hearing at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, where Stewart led the Air Forces major pilot training unit. Stewarts face showed little emotion as he sat among his two military and three civilian attorneys in Building 100, a historic multi-use office building at Randolph that is known commonly as The Taj Mahal.

An Article 32 preliminary hearing for charges against Air Force Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart was held Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Building 100, which is known as the Taj Mahal, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base in Texas. Stewart is charged with sexual assault, among other charges. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)

Most of Tuesdays hearing focused on the two-count sexual assault charge against Stewart, which alleges he had sex with an officer under his command twice without her consent April 14 at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

On that night, Stewart, the victim and two additional military personnel were drinking alcoholic beverages together, according to evidence discussed during the hearing. Sometime after leaving the gathering, a technical sergeant sent a text message to the victim asking if everything was OK. The victim responded yes.

Once alone, the victim sat closely on a couch next to Stewart and began to show him non-sex-related photos. She told criminal investigators that he kissed her, and she kissed him back. Then the two moved into a bedroom, where he undressed her and then himself, according to evidence discussed at the hearing.

Later April 14, Stewart participated in a training flight and sent a photo of himself in the aircraft to the victim. The flight occurred within 12 hours of drinking alcoholic beverages, which is not permitted.

Keith Scherer, a civilian defense attorney for Stewart, argued the victims interview with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations proves it is guilt and shame that led to the charges rather than nonconsensual sex. He accused investigators of an unwillingness to consider anything other than sexual assault during the victims interview with them.

I told him Ive never been unfaithful to [my husband], Scherer quoted from the womans interview.

A video of the interview was included as evidence and discussed but not played during the hearing. She never explicitly told Stewart to stop or tried to get out of the situation, the lawyer said.

Anybody whos watched that video, its hard to believe they would want to go forward with a [sexual-assault charge], Scherer said.

Thompson told prosecutors he too was having trouble finding probable cause in the womans interview and asked them to explain at what point it became clear to them the sex was not consensual.

Its important for whoever makes this decision  to seriously consider the responsibilities and duties of an Air Force major general behaving in this manner with [a subordinate], said Lt. Col. Pete Havern, one of three prosecutors at the hearing.

Instead of explicitly saying no, Havern said the victim described to investigators social cues to try to politely discourage the senior officer from initiating sex. The victim told investigators that alcohol consumption delayed her responses, the lawyer said.

Havern also quoted to Thompson that the militarys definition of sexual assault states a lack of physical and verbal resistance doesnt constitute consent.

Looking at text messages between the two dating to Sept. 6, 2022, Havern said its clear that Stewart had an interest in the victim that went beyond a professional relationship, and it was one-sided.

She calls him boss in that interview. Abuse of authority and rank differential permeates the entire case, Havern said.

Stewart is also accused of flying a training aircraft at Altus during that same visit within 12 hours of drinking alcoholic beverages, according to his charge sheet. The judge asked prosecutors to submit further evidence to prove Stewart was in control of the aircraft during the more than four-hour flight.

Thompson also questioned whether there was precedent to take this type of flight violation to court-martial rather than handling it through administrative action. The prosecution did not offer any but said the flight happened at the same time as the other charges and fits into the context of the other events.

The government strongly believes its necessary to tell the full story of the events of that night, Havern said.

Once Robinson receives Thompsons recommendation, there is no timeline for him to decide whether to move forward with a court-martial, according to the Air Education Training Command.

If Stewart were to face a court-martial, he would be only the second general officer in the services history to do so, according to the Air Force. Maj. Gen. William Cooley was convicted of abusive sexual contact in a court-martial last year at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. He was sentenced to a reprimand and a forfeiture of nearly $55,000.

Stewart, who began his career as a fighter pilot, took command of the 19th Air Force in August 2022, according to his online biography. Prior to the assignment, he served as deputy chief of staff for strategic employment at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2017.

The 19th Air Force includes 32,000 personnel and 1,530 aircraft assigned to 17 wings located across the United States. It oversees more than 45% of the Air Forces annual flying hour program, according to Stewarts biography.
A GPS satellite orbits Earth in this image released by the 50th Space Wing in 2013. (U.S. Space Force)

Space tankers being developed by a Denver-based tech company could soon keep U.S. military satellites in orbit longer.

The Space Force awarded a $25.5 million contract last month to Astroscale U.S. Inc. to develop and deliver an in-orbit refueler by 2026, the service announced in a Sept. 19 news release. The firm is a subsidiary of the Tokyo-based Astroscale Holdings Inc., a private orbital debris removal company.

Our primary goal with establishing a refueling capability is to enable Dynamic Space Operations to support our Combatant Commanders, Col. Joyce Bulson, the Space Forces lead for space mobility and logistics, told Stars and Stripes in a recent email.

Satellite operations have been limited for the past 60 years due to the requirement that they launch with a lifetime fuel supply, according to the Space Force release.

This impacts the size, weight and cost of satellites and launch vehicles, the service said. It also reduces payloads and forces tradeoffs between in-orbit operations and mission life.

A satellite has a useful lifetime of between five and 15 years depending on the satellite, Allan McInnes, a lecturer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, told Science Learning Hub in 2013. Its hard to design them to last much longer than that, either because the solar arrays stop working or because they run out of fuel to allow them to maintain the orbit that theyre supposed to be in.

Air Force tankers, flying since the 1950s, carry enlisted crew who operate a boom that extends to refuel aircraft in flight. There wont be any guardians flying the space tankers, but that may change in the future, Bulson wrote.

In the near term, the U.S. Space Force intends to buy commercial services for refueling, so no refueling-specific career fields are anticipated at this time, she said. The three Space Force field commands are exploring what type of roles, responsibilities, authorities, and training are necessary for spacecraft operators when refueling or other servicing functions are being performed, in both peacetime and conflict.

Astroscale is contracted to build a prototype space tanker within 26 months, according to the Space Force release.

The company has yet to release information about what the space tanker will look like.

We will be sharing details on the refueling servicer in the near future, Astroscale spokesman Dave Herbert told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.
Connecticut Army National Guard Sgt. Luis Gonzalez Jr., right, poses for a photo with his father, Luis Gonzalez Sr., center, and brother, Giovanni Gonzalez, left, after being promoted to the rank of sergeant. (Courtesy of Sgt. Luis Gonzalez)

(Tribune News Service)  As a Connecticut Army National Guardsman, Sgt. Luis Gonzalez Jr. says he would do anything for his country and his family. Little did he know that his most heroic feat would be on the homefront. That came in August when he donated a kidney to his father.

Since serving with the 1048th Medium Transportation Company out of Enfield after enlisting in 2018, the former Manchester, Conn., resident traveled around the state distributing COVID relief supplies at hospitals, vaccine sites and communities and was activated to protect the state Capitol building against any potential attacks as the riots raged on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.

Gonzalez, 28, had no idea until about three months ago that he would be the kidney donor for his father, Luis Gonzalez Sr., who struggled with diabetes since he was young and was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2021.

My father had three options, Gonzalez said. The first was to go on dialysis until a donor was found, the second was to find a living donor and the third was death when his kidneys one day failed.

The third option was obviously out of the question, Gonzalez said, adding that his father is a bit stubborn and didnt want to go on dialysis. Thats why he and his four siblings decided to get tested to see if they would be able to donate an organ to help save their fathers life.

Its fairly uncommon that a family member will be an exact donor match, so Gonzalez was thrilled to learn he was his fathers only child who could donate a kidney.

The process to be cleared as an organ donor through a certification process is fairly lengthy, Gonzalez said. Unexpectedly, his father suffered a mild heart attack on July 3 and was hospitalized. Gonzalez became even more determined when he realized time was of the essence, so he asked medical staff at the hospital to help expedite the certification process. On July 7, he was cleared.

Three weeks later, on Aug. 10, Gonzalez and his father went into adjacent surgery rooms for four-hour and six-hour operations, respectively. Today, Gonzalez Sr. and his namesake are doing extremely well.

Hes so much better, Gonzalez said about his father. Hes energetic and went from 4% kidney function to 80% two days after the surgery.

Gonzalez said he can see a difference in the way his father moves. Hes able to do things he wasnt able to do before and seems like his old self.

The recovery time for Gonzalez Jr. is about four to six months after the surgery, he said. Im still not able to do certain things like lift anything over 10 pounds, Gonzalez said. And I have to watch what I eat and drink to keep my sugar levels down because diabetes runs in my family.

When a kidney is removed, the other has to overcompensate and enlarges a bit to take on the role of the one missing, Gonzalez said. Two kidneys function at 50% each, so mine wont ever be at 100%.

Doctors told him the highest function he can expect is between 80% and 90%, he said.

Gonzalez is slowly but surely recovering and can work out a bit. I will probably be fully recovered in January and will ease into the workout system I was doing, he said. As a kidney donor, he will go to the head of a list should there ever be a problem with his one kidney.

Its a blessing and a curse at the same time because Id hate the idea of going before someone whos been waiting for a long time but its good to know theres backup for me, Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez Jr. has been living with his parents in Bellingham, Massachusetts, and returned to work  with some restriction  as a retail sales consultant there for AT&T last month.

Gonzalez also returned to his Army National Guard unit in September. The physical restrictions have been a bit difficult to adjust to, but my unit has stuck by me the whole time, he said. They have been working with me, in conjunction with my doctors, to make sure I have a 100% recovery.

Gonzalez said he was interested in joining the military when he was in high school but didnt feel he was ready after graduation. Instead, he went to Eastern Connecticut State University and graduated in 2018 with a bachelors degree in communications.

Hes a motor transport specialist and serves as a team leader. I am in charge of three soldiers and act as a role model, liaison if they need anything or help.

And now Gonzalez said he is equipped to assist anyone he knows should they find themselves with family emergencies or problems.

If anybody has a family member going through something like this, Ill be there no matter what, even with one less kidney, he said. Ill be there for anyone who needs me.

(c)2023 Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.

Visit at www.journalinquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
La Quinta High JROTC Christopher Lynn, 15, right, picks up a rocket launcher while assisted by Army Sgt. Willie Ouyang during the Army Career Fair at the Armed Forces Reserve Center near Moreno Valley on Oct. 24, 2023. (Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  While Army recruitment missed its goal nationally in 2022 by about a third of needed enlistments, Southern California recruiters came much closer to their mission  in part because of an upswing in interest among high school students, officials said.

The biggest shift in the way weve been recruiting is that we understand that there is a huge knowledge gap of what the public thinks about Army service, said Maj. Antoine Evans, executive officer of the Armys Southern California Recruiting Battalion. Most of the time, people think its bullets, tanks and bombs. We need to close that gap and let joining the Army become Plan A, not Plan B. We need educators to put us in the same conversation as Amazon or Google and let the student decide.

Army recruiters have prioritized introducing prospective future soldiers to the more than 200 career options available in the service by putting on large job fairs. And some of the Armys coolest bling  including drones, Humvees and helicopters typically only seen at events such as air shows  has even been brought in from bases in other states for events held in Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego counties to help build interest.

The Army has made West Coast recruitment a priority, including directing more funding and personnel to the surge.

On Tuesday, about 1,000 high school students in Riverside County were bussed to the nearby March Air Reserve Base for one of the new job fairs, where soldiers explained their careers and their benefits, including the GI Bill, and the adventures and responsibilities that come with their duties. The fair continues on Wednesday.

While the students get up-close and personal with Army soldiers, so do local educators, which officials said is key in keeping the conversation of military service in the foreground as an option for graduating students.

Earlier this year, another 1,300 students from schools represented by the San Diego County of Education visited the Van Deman Hall US Army Reserve Center and mini fairs have been held at high schools in Orange County.

Thats the best way to tell the stories, said Evans, who has served for 18 years and earned four degrees during that time. Seeing it, hearing a soldier talk about life as a soldier is 100% more impactful than sitting in front of someones recruiting desk.

Among the most popular military occupational specialties for future soldiers in Southern California are cyber, IT-related fields, aviation technicians and pilots, and nursing. In other areas such as Texas and the greater South, there is more interest in combat fields such as special operations, artillery and tanks, said Benjamin Newell, a spokesperson for the Southern California Recruiting Battalion.

Capt. Chris Monroe, who is part of the Armys new Futures Command, talked with students at Tuesdays job fair about the Armys new software factory, which didnt even exist when the West Point grad commissioned six years ago. As an engineering officer, he is among a group of developers who spend their time coding new apps and building websites for the Army.

A lot of high school students  and adults  think there are only two or three jobs in the Army, he said. I tell them, You do coding in high school, you can continue growing in those skills and serve your country in the Army. Many of them said, I didnt know that was even possible.

Monroe, from Jackson, Miss., said his Army career has exceeded his expectations for the opportunities hes been given. He completed his maters degree at Georgia Technical University while serving and now is part of things he never imagined.

Shane Sands, principal at Vista Murrieta High School, was at Tuesdays recruitment fair with 33 students.

Mostly, they were excited, Sands said. Some, who didnt know what to expect, were a little apprehensive at first, but once they got their hands on the equipment and talked with the soldiers, that changed.

Sands said he and other educators have seen increased interest in military service among their students. In the past, he said, it was more of a conversation with students at alternative learning schools  where he also worked for five years  but the trend of opening up the military conversation is now being seen at the mainstream campuses.

Thats really transitioned in the last year, he said. Were seeing a lot of positive rewards and, as a district, weve been talking about equalizing the conversation as far as promoting military service along with other career choices and not only pushing every student to go to college.

And, even if a student doesnt decide to join the Army or decides military service isnt for them, exposure to a variety of jobs has additional benefits.

For a professional that happens to be a soldier to talk to about a career pathway or a specific job, it might spark their interest that way as well, said Lt. Col. Matthew Upperman, commanding officer of the Southern California Recruiting Battalion. We can support the schools effort in talking over blindspots that kids have and opening up whats possible. Not only in military service, but just in life in general.

The collaboration with educators just over the last year has shown positive gains to the Armys recruiting efforts in Southern California.

In the last year, the Southern California Army Recruiting Battalion has increased recruiting by 910 enlistments  for a total of 2,700 people joining. Since September, theyve engaged with 9,000 Californians who qualify and are interested in serving, officials said.

Compared to where we were a year ago, were definitely on an incline, Evans said. We were one of the bottom battalions; we finished this fiscal year second in the nation. But the Army as a whole should also improve.

U.S. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth recently called for immediate reforms to recruitment efforts when the service branch missed its mark for a second year in a row  the branch has been struggling with recruitment for several years. She emphasized the importance of reforming recruiting by keeping up with market trends and shifting the model to more closely represent the private sector, including large job fairs and better exposure beyond the traditional recruit depots.

As a recruiting force, we cannot be successful without strong partners, and in Southern California, the strongest partners we have are the educators that help us identify opportunities to share our message and close that knowledge gap, Upperman said.

Giving educators a chance to speak with soldiers also helps de-mystify what being a soldier involves, he said, emphasizing that if a soldier does it right, they can finish a four-year degree in a tour of duty.

We are much more personable and approachable than a lot of folks assume, Upperman said. And as they talk to the professionals, a lot of educators recognize how educated, thoughtful, talented, and well-spoken (soldiers) are. It reinforces in their mind the Army is not just a fallback option.

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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star sits on blocks in a Vallejo, Calif., dry dock facility in April 2018. A Coast Guardsmans 2019 conviction connected to drawing a penis on the forehead of a colleague in a photo and sharing it was upheld by the militarys highest court this week. (Matthew Masaschi/U.S. Coast Guard)

A Coast Guardsmans court-martial conviction connected to him drawing a penis on the forehead of a colleague in a photo, which was shared in a professional group chat, was upheld by the militarys highest court this week.

Chief Petty Officer Fernando Brown, a machinery technician, was convicted in 2019 of disrespecting senior enlisted personnel after he sent a batch of off-color digital messages involving three chief petty officers in a text group called Chiefs Mess.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruling, released Monday, brings new clarity to how a statute intended to uphold order and discipline applies in the era of digital and social media.

Sometimes a seemingly simple statute can be devilishly difficult to interpret, Chief Judge Kevin Ohlson wrote in the majoritys decision.

The statutory language led the five judges to differ on several legal points, even when they arrived at the same conclusion.

Brown was assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star at the time and was part of a text group that involved the ships 11 chief petty officers.

The aim of the Chiefs Mess group was to pass along work-related information, because the crew was geographically separated while the cutter was in dry dock.

While the group primarily dealt with work, it also encompassed some levity and banter, court documents said.

However, military prosecutors said Brown repeatedly crossed the line. That led to his conviction under Article 91 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which prohibits disrespect toward a warrant, noncommissioned or petty officer.

The courts ruling resolves two key points. First, a 3-2 decision stated that a service member can be convicted of disrespect even if the conduct occurs outside the physical presence of the victim, such as on a digital device or on social media.

A majority also ruled that service members can be held criminally liable only if the disrespectful conduct happens at the same moment the victim is on the job.

At issue in Browns case were three instances that involved modified pictures or references to three different chief petty officers.

In one instance, Brown altered a picture of a colleague in the group by adding a crude drawing of male genitalia to the persons forehead and posting it to Chiefs Mess.

The second instance involved a picture of a scantily clad man along with a text stating: Found out why (the chief petty officer) missed chiefs call, in reference to a skipped meeting.

Brown sent that text at 7:39 p.m., outside of regular duty hours. The chief testified that he found the photo funny when he first saw it, according to case documents.

The third instance occurred when Brown sent a picture of a chief petty officers high school yearbook photo with the added caption Voted most likely to steal your (b----).

The chief, who identifies as lesbian, was on convalescent leave when she received the message, records stated.

The chief petty officer testified that she felt embarrassed when Brown posted the photo to the group, records stated.

The high court ruled that convictions under Article 91 can stand only if evidence shows that the victims were executing their duties at the time the disrespectful pictures and texts were sent.

Since prosecutors provided no evidence that the woman or the male chief petty officer who received the scantily clad photo were on the job, those convictions were dismissed.

In dissent, one judge said the latter conviction should be upheld because participation in the group chat constituted work.

The conviction related to the penis drawing was upheld because evidence showed that the victim was down in dry dock and on the job at the time of the text.

The court sent the case back to the lower Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals to either reassess Browns punishment or order a sentence rehearing.

At his court-martial, Brown was convicted on three counts of disrespect toward a noncommissioned officer and one count of sexual harassment. He was reprimanded and reduced from E-7 to E-4, or petty officer third class.

Later, the Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the sexual harassment conviction charge but upheld the other convictions. The court reassessed the punishment, reducing Brown to the E-6 pay grade.
A South Korean marine takes aim during the Ssangyong exercise in Pohang, South Korea, March 29, 2023. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  The South Korean military wants more U.S. Marines to participate in annual large-scale amphibious training on and around the Korean Peninsula.

Plans to expand Ssangyong  Korean for double dragons  were submitted in a report to lawmakers during a National Defense Committee hearing on Tuesday, a South Korean marine headquarters spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone the next day.

The hearing took place at the naval headquarters in South Chungcheong Province.

Though the South Korean marines seek to increase the number of U.S. Marines who train during Ssangyong 2024, its own troop levels will remain the same, the spokesman said.

He declined to provide the specific number of troops used by either country in this years exercise, which took place in March, citing security concerns.

Its customary in South Korea for some government officials to speak to reporters on condition of anonymity.

Discussions with the Marine Corps are ongoing and a final decision has not been made, the spokesman added.

U.S. Marine Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment by phone Wednesday.

This years Ssangyong was the largest joint maritime drill in South Korea since 2018 and included the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, along with its strike group, air wing and about 7,000 sailors and Marines.

Around 30 British marines, taking part in the exercise for the first time, conducted reconnaissance operations.

The Marine Corps describe Ssangyong as routine training designed to boost cooperation with their South Korean counterparts.

This exercise was an opportunity for our team to conduct training with our [South Korean] allies, develop relationships and improve our ability to work together, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit commander Col. Samuel Meyer said in a news release April 5.

Military cooperation between the two allies have taken unprecedented steps this year after President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to deploy strategic assets to the peninsula in response to North Koreas ballistic missile testing.

The USS Kentucky sailed to Busan in July, becoming the first nuclear-capable U.S. submarine to visit South Korea in 42 years. Last week, a nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bomber landed on the peninsula for the first time in at least 30 years.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
A Japanese soldier briefs U.S. troops on the Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles at Camp Ishigaki on Ishigaki, an island in Okinawa prefecture, Oct. 20, 2023. (Jennifer Andrade/U.S. Marine Corps)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  Military leaders from the U.S. and Japan pledged to forge stronger ties during island-defense training geared toward blunting Chinas maritime expansion.

The III Marine Expeditionary Forces commander, Lt. Gen. James Bierman Jr., visited Ishigaki, an island 160 miles east of Taiwan, on Tuesday with the head of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces Western Army, Lt. Gen. Toshikazu Yamane.

They watched training that involved Marine anti-aircraft radar and Japanese surface-to-ship missile batteries. The drills, part of the Resolute Dragon exercise, marked the first time U.S. forces have operated from Japans Camp Ishigaki, which opened March 16.

The island is one of three where Japan plans to deploy upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles by 2026 to counter potential threats from China and North Korea.

Countries with strong military power are concentrated around Japan, and these countries are further enhancing their military strength and increasing their military activities, Yamane said Tuesday, according to a transcript provided by the JGSDF. Japan must drastically strengthen our defense ability and further strengthening of the U.S.-Japan partnership is essential.

Bierman said he was proud of progress in performance and integration III MEF and the Western Army have made in recent years, 1st Lt. Alejandro Arteaga, a III MEF spokesman, wrote in an emailed statement Wednesday.

Resolute Dragon, which kicked off Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 31, involves thousands of U.S. Marines and Japanese troops in stand-in force exercises across Japan, including command and control, precision fires and maneuvering.

A stand-in force is a smaller, mobile unit inserted within range of enemy missiles to seize and hold key islands and deny enemy vessels access to surrounding seas.

The head of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces Western Army, Lt. Gen. Toshikazu Yamane, speaks to reporters alongside the III Marine Expeditionary Forces commander, Lt. Gen. James Bierman Jr., at Camp Ishigaki in Okinawa prefecture, Oct. 24, 2023. (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)

About 80 U.S. soldiers and Marines are on Ishigaki for the exercise. A portion of them have been working with their Western Army counterparts out of a bilateral coordination center at the camp, Arteaga said.

About 20 locals with signs and banners opposing the drills have been protesting outside the camp, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported Tuesday.

A Japanese V-22 Osprey touched down in Okinawa prefecture for the first time during the training, despite a request from the prefectural government to exclude the tiltrotor aircraft.

After the Osprey landed at Ishigaki on Oct. 19, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express disappointment that his request had not been granted.

The use of Ospreys causes anxiety for Okinawas population, Tamaki wrote. He vowed to continue to advocate against the tiltrotors.
A fuel line is connected to a merchant tanker to transfer fuel from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii, Oct. 23, 2023. (Jordan KirkJohnson/U.S. Navy)

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  A community group in Hawaii is asking the Navy to investigate an uptick in reports of water contamination in households near Pearl Harbor that were affected by a jet fuel spill in late 2021.

The Community Representative Initiative  a 10-member group established last month to liaison directly with the Navy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Defense Logistics Agency  also called on the Navy to begin testing hot water tanks in housing on the water distribution line, according to a Monday news release.

The group was established to oversee community concerns related to defueling and closing the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, as well as water safety issues arising from the site.

In 2021, jet fuel leakage from the World War II-era facility seeped into the Navys water distribution on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, contaminating tap water for thousands of residents in military communities.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in March 2022 ordered the facility permanently closed. Final defueling of 104 million gallons of fuel began earlier this month and is expected to be completed by early next year.

Some residents were sickened by the tainted water, and some remain leery of the tap water despite assurances from the Navy that the system is clean.

Over a dozen families on the Navy water line have reported to the CRI in the last week that they have experienced a rise in symptoms that are consistent with increased water contamination and shared with the CRI documented and photographed evidence of recent ailments that included rashes, burns and illnesses, the news release said.

A matter of common sense

Army Maj. Mandy Feindt, who lived in a home on Ford Island at the time of the water contamination and is now a member of CRI, told Stars and Stripes via text message Tuesday that testing hot water is just a matter of common sense.

Most people do not bathe in cold water, yet the Navy has only conducted cold water testing as part of their long term monitoring process, she wrote. The Navy refuses to test residential hot water, just as theyve refused to replace hot water heaters. I want the Navy to stop turning a blind eye and ignoring the possibility of contamination being stored in those water heaters.

The Navy said in an emailed statement Tuesday that the tests it conducts are done in accordance with procedures instituted and approved by the Interagency Drinking Water System Team, which includes the EPA and Hawaii Department of Health.

CRI is also asking the Navy to create a new, written policy statement that will ban retribution or retaliation for military personnel and their spouses who report issues with their water and request water testing, the news release states.

In Feb 2022, I filed a DOD whistleblower violation complaint after experiencing retaliation from my own command team, Feindt wrote in the text message. The investigation into my complaint is still ongoing (20 months later), and there are currently no regulations in place to protect me in the process.

Meanwhile, she said she has watched my retaliators and the leaders responsible for the crisis be nominated for the most senior positions in the military ... promoted, awarded, or have been able to retire with their careers intact.

The Navy said in its statement that both the service and the Department of Defense have existing policies prohibiting reprisal or retaliations against whistleblowers.

Residents who have concerns may contact their local or command-level Inspector Generals office, the statement said.

The Community Representative Initiative received this photo last week of an infants rash from a family that believes the condition was due to contaminated water in the their home that uses the Navys water supply near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (Community Representative Initiative)

No traces of petroleum

The Hawaii Department of Health said in a news release Monday that it learned last week that 12 users of Navy water had reported symptoms attributed to exposure to tap water.

The Health Department conducted on-site inspections Thursday in five of those households but did not observe a sheen or odor in the drinking water in samples taken.

A Photoionization Detector did not detect volatile organic compounds, which are indicators of petroleum byproducts, the release said. With the homeowners permission, the Navy collected water samples for further testing with DOH oversight.

At the direction of the Department of Health, the Navy tested the well shaft for fuel contamination on Thursday, but the presence of petroleum was not detected using rapid-screening tests, according to the release.

The Navy said in its statement that it had resampled drinking water from residents who expressed concerns last week.

Samples were collected as part of the Rapid Response Team program and the Drinking Water Long-Term Monitoring program, the statement said. The rapid response tests all resulted in non-detects of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons.

Samples from the long-term monitoring were sent to an out-of-state EPA-certified laboratory and the Navy expects to receive those results in about a week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a live broadcast at the 6th German-Ukrainian Business Forum of the DIHK, the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations and the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Ukraine), in Berlin, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Topics include infrastructure, energy and defense as well as investment conditions for German companies in Ukraine. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on Tuesday that recent Ukrainian attacks have denied the Russian fleet safe bases and secure maritime corridors in the western part of the Black Sea, as Kyivs troops look to squeeze the Kremlins occupying forces out of the Crimean Peninsula.

Crimea provides rear support for Moscows battlefield efforts further west and has been a frequent target for Ukrainian forces during the war since Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian fleet is no longer capable of operating in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually retreating from Crimea, Zelenskyy claimed, without providing evidence. This is a historic achievement.

Ukraine is keen to show that billions of dollars worth of weapons supplied by its Western allies have allowed it to make progress in the fighting, as the conflict enters its 21st month amid a broad stalemate.

With the war poised to extend into another winter and likely deep into next year, Kyiv is pushing its allies to provide it with more military assets. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, are competing for the worlds attention with the Israel-Hamas war.

Ukraines forces are not yet able to strike at any target in Crimea and its waters but that capability is coming closer, Zelenskyy told a meeting of the Crimea Platform, a diplomatic forum, in Prague via video link. He did not elaborate.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces hit three Ukrainian sea drones in the Black Sea early Tuesday.

Russia annexed Crimea, in eastern Ukraine, in 2014. In February last year, it launched a full-scale invasion that also aims to annex the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Since the collapse last August of a deal allowing Ukraine to safely export grain despite the war, Zelenskyy said, a new Black Sea export corridor has allowed some 50 ships to set sail, with more than 50 more departures expected. He did not provide details.

In other developments:

German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall and Ukrainian Defense Industry have formed a joint venture, Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced during the German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin. He called it a significant event that elevates cooperation between our countries to a qualitatively new level. The joint company will provide maintenance and repair services for the equipment supplied to Ukraine by its partners.

Ukraines air force said it shot down six Russian drones over the central and southern regions of the country on Monday night. Russia launched the drones from Crimea, the Ukrainian army said. Russian shelling killed two Ukrainian civilians in the south of the country and injured at least 20 other in the southeast, the presidential office reported.

Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
French President Emmanuel Macron talks to journalists on the tarmac of Cairo airport, Egypt, as he departs Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron sought to promote, yet with little success, the prospect of creating an international coalition to fight against the armed Palestinian militant group Hamas, during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel. (Christophe Ena/AP)

PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron sought to promote  with little success so far  the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas, during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.

Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didnt publicly address the issue.

The first response to the devastating Israel-Hamas war is the fight against terrorism, Macron said Wednesday after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The right response is to cooperate, to draw lessons from the international coalition against the Islamic State group that intervened in Iraq and Syria, he added.

Macron first made the proposal Tuesday after his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioning the idea of a regional and international coalition against the Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu did not specifically comment on the French offer.

The French presidency later said the proposal was not about sending troops on the ground, but that it could rather involve sharing intelligence and combating the financing of terrorism.

It will be up to our partners, and Israel in particular, to express their needs, the French presidency said.

U.S. officials said they are aware of Macrons proposal and that it has been a subject of informal discussion within the administration and with other countries.

However, the officials said it has not reached the point of serious consideration mainly because there doesnt yet appear to be any Arab interest in creating such a force.

The U.S. believes Arab buy-in and actual participation  as there was with the anti-IS coalition  would be essential to the success of any multi-national operation, according to the officials who, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The U.S. State Department designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997. The European Union and other Western countries also consider it a terrorist organization.

Over the years, Hamas has received backing from Arab countries, such as Qatar and Turkey. Recently, it has moved closer to Iran and its allies.

During his meeting with Macron, King Abdullah II of Jordan called for the international community to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, according to the Jordanian royal court.

El-Sissi didnt address the coalition issue during his joint declaration with Macron.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Egyptian president cautioned his forces against any direct involvement in the war between Hamas and Israel, speaking in front of dozens of tanks in the port city of Suez.

My message to the army and people is not to make your military power make you rush into wrong decisions, el-Sissi said.

Before leaving Cairo on Wednesday evening, Macron told French reporters he felt both Egypt and Jordans leaders were very worried about their region and said they were willing to work with some discretion especially regarding top security issues, which I want to respect.

Macrons office said talks with Frances partners will continue in the coming days, as the French president is to take part in a European summit starting Thursday in Brussels.

Macron had said he would travel to Israel only to be useful, as his visit came after those of U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italys Giorgia Meloni and The Netherlands Mark Rutte.

Heloise Fayet, a Middle-East researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, told French radio RFI one wonders what France and other countries ... could bring to Israel, which is one of the most advanced countries in the fight against terrorism. Associated Press writers Jack Jeffery and Sam Magdy in Cairo and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to the story.
The sun sets over a destroyed building in Izyum, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (Bram Janssen/AP)

KYIV, Ukraine  Russia fired almost a dozen Shahed drones against Ukrainian targets and falling debris from an intercepted drone damaged power lines near a nuclear plant in the countrys west, knocking out electricity to hundreds of people, officials said Wednesday. Ukraines air force said it stopped all the drones that were launched.

For the fourth day in a row, the Kremlins forces took aim at the Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi, injuring 16 people, according to local authorities.

Ukraines Ministry of Energy Infrastructure said falling drone wreckage in Khmelnytskyi broke windows in the administrative building and the laboratory of the local nuclear plant and knocked out electricity to more than 1,800 customers. The plant is about 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of the border with Poland.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his countrys air defenses are preparing for another winter of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as the war enters its 21st month.

But Kyiv also plans to take the fight to Russia through its ongoing counteroffensive, he said.

This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond, Zelenskyy said. The enemy knows this well.

Last winter, Moscows drones and missiles zeroed in on Ukraines power grid, hoping to erode the countrys will to resist Russias invasion by denying civilians heating. Ukraine said it was an effort to weaponize winter.

Ukrainians are bracing for another onslaught.

The looming wintry weather could further hamper battlefield movements in a conflict that is largely deadlocked and compel the warring sides to focus more on long-range strikes, including drones that have played a key role in the war.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Russia is likely trying to expand and diversify its arsenal of drones, missiles and guided bombs for strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure ahead of the change in weather.

Russia appears to be increasingly supplementing the use of Shahed  drones with cheaper and lighter domestically produced drone variants during strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, it said in an assessment late Tuesday.

Russian news reports have mentioned one such drone, Italmas, which reportedly has a range of about 200 kilometers (120 miles), allowing Moscows forces to strike targets far beyond the front line. Another is an upgraded version of the Lancet drone. It has an extended range compared to its previous version, which has been used extensively on the battlefield.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited his countrys forces deployed in eastern Ukraine, his ministry said Wednesday, meeting with senior officers in the southern part of the Donetsk region to discuss preparations for the winter, according to the defense ministry.

The chief of the eastern group of forces, Lt. Gen. Andrei Kuzmenko, reported on forming dedicated drone units in the area and on storm units tactics in capturing Ukrainian strongholds, the ministry said.

It also said that four Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russias western Bryansk region early Wednesday. Another was jammed and forced down near Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea.

In Ukraine, at least three civilians were killed in the east and south over the previous 24 hours, and 22 people were injured in the west and southeast, the presidential office reported Wednesday.

Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
U.S. Marines load a round into a 155 mm howitzer during training in Japan on April 16, 2022. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is urging allies to ramp up domestic weapons production as the Russia-Ukraine war shows no signs of ending soon. (Jennifer Andrade/U.S. Marine Corps)

Depleted weapons stockpiles and a dangerous security outlook mean NATO countries need to ramp up arms production for the long haul, the alliances top official said Wednesday.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenbergs remarks at a gathering of defense industry leaders in Sweden came as Western militaries come under pressure to supply arms to Israel and Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said in Stockholm that even when the war in Ukraine ends, allies will need to be on a war footing when it comes to rearming.

There is no turning back to where we were before, Stoltenberg said. We face a more aggressive Russia, a more coercive China and a more unstable world. So we must adapt for the long term.

NATO countries and their defense contractors have struggled to keep pace with the demand from the Russia-Ukraine war. Now, there is competing demand amid support for Israel as it prepares for a ground offensive into Gaza.

The Pentagon said Tuesday that the U.S. is pressing industry to bolster its capacity, especially production of high-demand 155 mm artillery rounds, which can be used on a wide array of systems.

We have been working closely with industry, not only in the United States, but working with our allies and partners and their defense industrial base to look at ramping up production, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said.

Ryder said the U.S. is confident that the needs of both Israel and Ukraine will be met. Still, others in the alliance have sounded the alarm.

Employees at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant prepare 155 mm artillery rounds to be filled in October 2020. The versatility of the rounds has made demand for them high in Ukraine, and Western suppliers are struggling to keep pace. (Joint Munitions Command)

Dutch Adm. Rob Bauer, head of NATOs Military Committee, warned earlier this month that when it comes to stockpiles, the bottom of the barrel is now visible. He didnt specify which forms of weaponry were running out fastest.

A dilemma for Western militaries is how to strike a balance between having large stockpiles on hand and enough spare capacity to quickly ramp up when demand increases.

Critics argue that the current setup, designed around a just in time supply chain business model, falls short on both counts.

On the question of how to pay for it all and put in place the industry regulations to make larger stockpiles a reality, Stoltenberg said there isnt a clear path.

I dont know the answer, but I know that we have not enough spare capacity today, he said.

Stoltenberg said allies need to invest to ensure that Ukraine gets what it needs because courage alone does not stop drones and heroism cannot intercept missiles.

There is no end in sight to the demand, as the war appears likely to stretch into a third year in February. Allies have pumped tens of billions of dollars in arms into Ukraine ranging from Abrams and Leopard tanks to air defense and munitions.

We have mainly done this by depleting our own stocks, Stoltenberg said. And that is not sustainable. So now we need to ramp up production to meet Ukraines needs but also to strengthen our own deterrence and defense.
Palestinians inspect the damage caused by an Israeli strike on a house in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (Loay Ayyoub for The Washington Post)

U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday they have determined with high confidence that Israel was not responsible for the huge explosion at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City that killed scores of people last week, offering the most detailed explanation to date of an apparent accident that sparked protests throughout the Middle East after some initial reports attributed responsibility to Israel.

The intelligence community reached its conclusion after examining multiple videos and using geolocation techniques to trace the Oct. 17 blast to a rocket launched inside Gaza that suffered a mechanical failure midflight before crashing into the hospital, three officials said. They spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the government.

Analysts are unable to say for sure who launched the rocket, because of a lack of information that conclusively points to the culprit, the officials said. They have examined intercepted communications of fighters affiliated with Hamas, who can be heard speculating that Palestinian fighters were responsible for the rocket strike, one U.S. official said. The communication, which was provided to the United States by the Israeli government, is different from a recording that the Israel Defense Forces released publicly, the official noted.

But absent other points of information and supporting material, analysts could only conclude with low confidence that Palestinian fighters were responsible.

Soon after the strike, Biden administration officials and members of Congress moved quickly to say Israel was not to blame, pointing to intelligence analysis that indicated, they said, the explosion was the result of an errant Palestinian rocket.

The ultimate assessment that the strike was not the result of an Israeli weapon was based on two primary factors, the officials said. First, the damage from the strike was consistent with a rocket, and not an Israeli munition, such as a bomb dropped from the air or an artillery round, which would have caused significant structural damage to the hospital building and left a large crater. Videos and images show only light structural damage, one of the officials said.

Second, analysts were able to track the trajectory based on videos shot from four locations. Two cameras captured the flight of the projectile, which analysts judge to have been launched within the Gaza Strip, the official said. The rocket then traveled northeast, and about 10 seconds after launch, the motor became unstable, the official said. The rockets plume fluctuated in intensity, and a few seconds later, analysts observed a large flash. That, the official said, was the motor failing.

As a result of the failure, the rocket changed direction, the official said. The rocket came apart and the motor struck the ground, followed by the warhead, which landed at the hospital and caused a large explosion, the official said.

In the days since the strike, analysts have scoured open sources looking for any debris at the site that might tie the projectile to Israel, but they have found none, the official said. No Palestinians have come forward with such evidence as they would be expected to do if they had proof that Israel was to blame, the official added.

The reported number of casualties from the strike has varied widely. The officials said that they were unable to offer a definitive number but have not moved beyond a previous estimate that the strike killed between 100 and 300 people.

In trying to definitively attribute the strike to Palestinian actors, U.S. analysts have relied on scant information compared with what theyve been able to discover about the launch and impact of the rocket. Using intercepted communications, they examined the statements and language patterns of the speakers and determined that they were affiliated with Hamas, one of the officials said. In the recordings, those individuals appeared to agree that the rocket was launched by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but without more conclusive information, analysts could not get beyond a low confidence assessment.

We judge it to be reliable and authentic, but on its own the communication intercept was insufficient to more firmly attribute the rocket launch to Islamic Jihad, the official said.
The first trucks carrying humanitarian aid cross from Egypt into the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Gaza, on Oct. 21. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg)

JERUSALEM  In Gaza, people are sleeping on the streets with nowhere else to go. In much of the rest of the world, there are stepped-up calls for a cease-fire, or at least a pause, to allow in humanitarian aid. And Israel is threatening to expel hostile U.N. officials.

On the 19th day of the conflict between Israel and Hamas  set off by the Palestinian extremist groups deadly attack on communities in Israels south  thousands are dead on both sides and a relentless bombing campaign is wracking the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. A pending Israeli ground war in Gaza has not yet begun, but leaders of Turkey and Jordan say there has already been too much bloodshed.

The latest strikes killed 756 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, bringing the total dead in the enclave to 6,546, more than a third of them children. Israel says more than 1,400 people were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

The U.N. relief agency that provides the lions share of humanitarian aid to Gaza warned Wednesday that it was near the breaking point and would be forced to halt operations within hours if fuel was not allowed in.

Our shelters are four times over their capacities  many people are sleeping in the streets as current facilities are overwhelmed, the agency said in a post on X, formerly called Twitter.

In Israel, official anger continued to burn over comments by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who condemned Hamas but also referred to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and called for a cease-fire.

After first calling for Gutteress resignation, Israels U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, told Israeli media Wednesday that we will refuse visas to U.N. representatives. ... Its time to teach them a lesson.

Erdan charged that U.N. officials have presented a false picture of the conditions in Gaza and that everyone knows that the U.N. agencies in Gaza are controlled by Hamas. He said a next step should be to expel hostile U.N. officials from Israel.

But Guterres is not a lone voice.

In a fiery speech to lawmakers from his party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday condemned Israel, defended Hamas and called for international pressure for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan described Hamas as a liberation group waging a battle to protect its homeland, rather than the terrorist organization it is branded by Israel, the United States and much of Europe.

Turkey, a NATO member and one of the first Muslim-majority countries to open diplomatic relations with Israel, had been rebuilding ties that had been strained in recent years  until the latest outbreak in hostilities.

Erdogan described Israels airstrikes against Hamas in the Gaza Strip as not self-defense, but deliberate brutality aimed at committing crimes against humanity.

He called for pressure on Israel for a cease-fire and proposed an International Palestine-Israel Peace Conference, in which all influential actors in the region will take part.

This conference should be held in the light of the lessons learned from the failed outcome of many similar meetings held in the last 30 years, from Madrid to Oslo, from Sharm el-Sheikh to Annapolis, the Turkish leader said, referring to past Middle East peace conferences.

Israels Foreign Ministry rejected with horror the Turkish presidents grave words about the terrorist organization Hamas.

Fears of a regional conflagration prompted King Abdullah II of Jordan to tell visiting French President Emmanuel Macron that the international community needed to urgently pressure Israel to stop the war, protect civilians, and end the siege on the strip, according to a statement by the palace.

The Biden administration has rejected the calls for a formal cease-fire, saying it would only benefit Hamas. But many Western diplomats have pivoted to call instead for a brief pause in rocket fire from Hamas and airstrikes by Israel.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed with Washington on Wednesday, saying that a wholesale cease-fire would only serve to benefit Hamas, but added that humanitarian pauses, which are temporary, which are limited in scope, can be an operational tool.

Foreign ministers from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have added their voices to the urgent calls for the establishment of safe areas and for a humanitarian pause in the fighting to help civilians.

Only three small aid convoys have arrived in Gaza since Israel announced a complete siege. Those trucks, crossing from Egypt to Gaza, did not carry fuel, meaning that the backup generators used to pump water, operate ambulances and keep the lights on are failing.

Gaza residents say that it is typical for a school that once educated 500 students to now house 5,000 people. The U.N. relief agency for Palestinian refugees said nearly 600,000 people are now living at 150 of its facilities in the Gaza Strip, mostly schools.

A spokesman for al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, Mohamed al-Haj, told The Washington Post that the facility will run out of fuel within two days. For now, it has just enough solar power to ration among the most critical needs, such as newborns in neonatal intensive care, dialysis patients and lifesaving operations.

At the night, the solar power cuts out.

A 52-year-old teacher who lives nearby said she had no access to news and only intermittent access to electricity, internet, clean water and cooking gas.

No one here asks how you are. We just communicate when we hear bombings and we try to estimate where it is, the educator said by phone, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect her safety.

Several bombs fell during the spotty phone conversation. We are just trying to survive, she said. Just to know that in those 30 minutes who is alive.

Booth reported from London.
An Israeli soldier displays military equipment and ammunition that Hamas and Palestinian militants used at the time of the attack on the Israeli south border with the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 20, 2023, in Haifa, Israel. (Amir Levy, Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  The U.S. has called on Gulf Arab states to help clamp down on a suspected increase in fundraising by the militant group Hamas following its deadly attack on Israel earlier this month.

A previously scheduled meeting of the Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  a body formed in 2017 including the U.S., Saudi Arabia and five other Gulf Arabic states  was brought forward to Monday this week from next month, according to the U.S. Treasury.

At the meeting, U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson urged Gulf Cooperation Council member states to share intelligence that could be used to impose sanctions unilaterally or jointly against individuals and entities. He said the aim is to stop any attempt by Hamas to leverage its Oct. 7 incursion to amass donations and other funds.

This moment should bring a profound sense of urgency, clarity and purpose to the work that we do, Nelson said in his prepared remarks at the meeting. The ability to act  to cut off the financial flows that feed terrorism  is a duty we all share.

Nelson assured his counterparts that legitimate humanitarian aid to Gaza, like food, water and medicine, would not be impacted by any new sanctions.

After the meeting in Saudi Arabia, Nelson traveled to the Qatari capital of Doha, where many of Hamass political leaders are based. Since its inception, Hamas has received political and financial support from the gas-rich Gulf emirate, which is also a close U.S. ally that has been lauded by Washington for its role in mediating the release of Americans imprisoned in Iran and by Hamas in Gaza.

The Biden administration is asking its Gulf Arab allies to look as closely as possible at the operations of previously sanctioned Hamas-linked charities and entities in their jurisdictions as well as any suspicious activities by newly created ones, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicate discussions underway.

Qatari officials declined to comment. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The UAE is committed to combating illegal financial activities such as money laundering and financing of terrorism, a UAE official said.

Charity connections

The U.S. is particularly worried about Hamass ability to exploit connections to charities, shell companies and financial institutions in the region alongside its control of government bodies inside the Gaza Strip, according to Nelson. Washington has already imposed sanctions on 10 key Hamas members and associates based in Algeria, Gaza, Qatar, Sudan and Turkey.

Those targeted include three individuals managing assets for Hamas estimated by the Treasury last year to be worth about $500 million.

An individual described by the U.S. as a longtime Hamas operative based in Qatar with close ties to Iranian elements was sanctioned for his alleged involvement in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, including its military wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, which masterminded and executed the Oct. 7 attack.

Talks with Gulf countries have also touched on their own banking institutions, as they could be vulnerable to secondary sanctions if any Hamas money moves through them, according to the same U.S. official who declined to be identified.

Both the European Union and U.S. have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Its a delicate line to tread for many Arab states, which must contend with populations often supportive of the Palestinians and sometimes Hamas. In many instances, there is also sympathy for Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement against Israeli occupation.

Crypto fears

At the Riyadh meeting on Monday, Under Secretary Nelson said many parties, including the U.S., are on the lookout to block Hamass efforts to drum up financial support and donations through cryptocurrency. One of the entities sanctioned on Oct. 18 was a Gaza-based provider of money transfer and virtual currency exchange services, including Bitcoin.

He said the U.S. and its allies had to think systemically about how we can harden our financial system against those who are seeking to exploit new technologies.

With assistance from Fiona MacDonald and Sylvia Westall.

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Blast rubble on the road beside a destroyed building following Israeli airstrikes overnight in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Oct. 9, 2023. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg)

Far below densely populated neighborhoods of the Gaza Strip, Hamas militants have long used an intricate network of tunnels as a base for military operations, weapons storage and even as living quarters.

While the tunnels have in previous flare-ups of violence served to move people and supplies, and as bunkers or redoubts, they pose a distinct challenge to any large-scale Israeli ground operation to strike at Hamas. The group is using the tunnels to hide  and to hide hostages. One hostage released Monday night described a spiderweb of tunnels she was taken into after being abducted from a kibbutz in southern Israel.

Heres what to know about the tunnels.

Hamas has long used subterranean tunnels

Tunnels have been used in Gaza as far back as the late 1990s, and in the early 2000s were a channel for smuggling goods and weapons between Gaza and Egypt, under a border far more porous than in recent times.

Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Hamass accession to power the following year, the nature of the tunnels began to change, said Daphne Richemond-Barak, an assistant professor at Reichman University in Israel and the author of Underground Warfare.

So, too, did Israels view of the threat they posed.

For a time, Israel was not as focused as it is today on the tunnels as a strategic concern, Richemond-Barak said. But the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas, during which the tunnels were used to transport Shalit into Gaza, marked a shift in how Israel and its citizens viewed the threat.

A decade ago, Israeli authorities discovered a tunnel from Gaza into Israel 1.5 miles long and 66 feet underground. They estimated that it had cost some $10 million and required 800 tons of concrete. But Hamas directed most of its tunnel-building effort on the land beneath Gaza, rather than the border, as detection technology improved.

Over the years, Hamas has built an underground city beneath Gaza, Richemond-Barak said  a project complicated by stringent Israeli restrictions on construction materials bound for Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, has worked to dismantle the network, particularly the tunnels that crossed the border into its territory, in part by use of sensors meant to detect tunneling.

Though no exact figures regarding the tunnels scale exist, experts say Hamas could control about 300 miles of tunnel.

The tunnels are deep and damp

Though the tunnels can vary in size and shape, most are quite narrow  about 6.5 feet tall and 3 feet wide, experts say.

The narrow passageways open up to larger rooms, which are used to store weaponry and house Hamas leaders. Motorcycles have been seen driving through, and trucks have been used to move around weaponry, Richemond-Barak said.

The loose ground in Gaza  compared with hard rock along Israels border with Lebanon  is easy to dig through, allowing Hamas to expand the network quickly, said John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at the U.S. Military Academy. He added that Hamas is known to use prefabricated concrete, further speeding up construction. Some sections are reinforced by cement or wood, while others are not reinforced, Richemond-Barak said.

Most of the tunnels are about 150 feet deep, Richemond-Barak said  about the length of a 14-story building. But the network is winding, uneven and in some parts fashioned in a zigzag pattern to evade Israeli detection.

The tunnels are dark  most of the network, save for the entrances, is out of the reach of sunlight  and dank. Yocheved Lifshitz, the 85-year-old Israeli woman who was released by Hamas on Monday, recalled walking for two to three hours in a damp passageway.

And despite their depth and rudimentary nature, parts of the tunnels are supplied with electricity and even bathrooms of some sort, Richemond-Barak said. Hamas has had to dig deeper in recent years, to evade detection and Israeli strikes, analysts say.

Hostages are being held in the tunnels

The release of Lifshitz and another hostage this week confirmed suspicions that Hamas was holding some of the hostages in the tunnels. Its unclear how many of the approximately 200 hostages may be in subterranean captivity; Lifshitz said she was in a group of about 25 hostages.

The tunnels are a complicating factor for Israel and allies in efforts to free the hostages: The network is vast, complex, nearly impossible to map out and difficult to penetrate.

Edward Luttwak, a military expert and author of The Art of Military Innovation, said that by taking the hostages underground and releasing them in slow succession, Hamas could extend this chapter of the conflict for months, if not years.

The tunnels pose a massive challenge for Israel in this conflict

Combat inside tunnels is incredibly difficult, Luttwak said, noting that it requires a specific skill set and that standard tactics and weaponry are often not suitable inside a subterranean setting. Tunnel warfare is not for amateurs, he said.

Spencer noted that its difficult to execute offensive operations inside the tunnels because navigation and communication systems often dont work so far underground, and even night-vision goggles struggle, as they require some ambient light.

The sound emitted by a weapon being fired is also amplified inside the tunnel, posing immense risk to the soldier firing the gun, requiring intensified hearing protection, he said.

Because the tunnels are so integral to Hamas operations, dismantling the network is equally integral to Israels stated goal of totally eradicating Hamas, Richemond-Barak said. But sending soldiers into the tunnels would be incredibly risky, and is very much a last resort for instances such as rescuing the hostages, she said, though even that scenario would require a complex weighing of various factors.

The precarious position of the tunnels beneath the bustling streets of Gaza  as well as the holding of hostages within the tunnels  has created an array of difficult decisions for the Israeli military, Richemond-Barak added. The only way to destroy the network is by airstrikes, she said, but the tunnels sit below areas densely populated by civilians.

Israel called for Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate to the south, amid airstrikes and ahead of a planned ground invasion. But some Palestinians said they would not evacuate, amid safety concerns following reports of a strike on a convoy of evacuees. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said that many Palestinians, particularly pregnant women, children, the elderly and the disabled, would not be able to evacuate. Human Rights Watch said the Israeli order was not an effective warning, citing poor road conditions and dwindling fuel supplies.
An Israeli soldier carries a tank shell near the border of Gaza on Oct. 14, 2023. (Heidi Levine/for The Washington Post)

JERUSALEM  On Tuesday, 17 days after the Hamas attacks that killed or captured more than 1,400 Israelis, the countrys top general addressed the huge retaliatory military force poised on the Gaza border: We are ready.

A day later, the troops were still waiting on the Israeli side. And the questions inside and outside of Israel continued to grow on when  or possibly whether  Israel will send its forces into Gaza in what military officials have promised to be an assault large enough to destroy Hamas.

Both those who yearn for the ground war to begin and those who dread it are looking for clues. Debates are going on inside the emergency war cabinet, according to officials familiar with the process. Now that the military has publicly signaled its readiness, the possible greenlight will come from the small team led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top opposition leader Benny Gantz, a former army chief of staff.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu gave his strongest signal that a ground offensive will take place, saying that the war cabinet and military chief of state determined unanimously on a timetable. There was no hint, however, on when it could occur or at what scale.

We are preparing for a ground incursion. I wont specify when, how, how many, Netanyahu said in an address to the nation. I also wont detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of. And thats the way it is supposed to be. This is the way, so that we protect our soldiers lives.

Those familiar with the process say the cabinet had been looking at a fearsome and shifting decision matrix. The top variables include the daunting realities of fighting prolonged urban combat in Gaza and the risks of triggering a full-scale regional conflict with Hamas allies such as Iran. Washington has appealed for Israel to carefully weigh its next moves as the Pentagon deploys warships to the region and sends experts in urban fighting to Israel.

Some families of nearly 200 captives held in Gaza have asked to delay a ground attack while negotiations continue for more releases.

Everyone expected that we would be in there by now, and under a normal situation would have been, said a former member of the militarys top command, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss high-level deliberations. But this operation is complicated by any standard. Time is not a bad thing.

The complexities may be largely lost on the broader Israeli public. Many Israelis remain enraged by the brutality of the Hamas attacks, characterized here as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israels nonstop air campaign on Gaza is unlikely to cripple Hamas even as it claims a growing tally of civilian lives.

Israeli media has been increasingly filled with reports of disagreements in the war cabinet and of disputes between Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and military chief of staff Herzl Halevi. None of their offices have commented on the reports.

Signs of possible division have spilled into public view. Some Netanyahu supporters have suggested it is the military, not the prime minister, holding up the operation. On Monday, one of Netanyahus longtime allies implied as much in public remarks at a party meeting.

This is not a situation in which the army is ready and the political echelon is holding back, said Aryeh Deri, former health and interior minister.

Military leaders, in turn, have become more explicit that they just need the word to unleash one of Israels largest ground force mobilizations in history. I want to be clear, we are ready to invade, Halevi said in remarks Tuesday during a tour of units along the Gaza border.

Netanyahu is said to be consulting a brain trust of security veterans, including Yaakov Amidror, a former general and Netanyahus national security adviser from 2011 to 2013. Amidror would not comment on any discussions he has had with the prime minister but said that clashing viewpoints between political and military leaders are how strong plans are forged.

Thank God there are disagreements, he said. They should argue for hours, for days and nights. To argue about ideas versus other ideas, that is the system.

One of the biggest shocks, he said, was the launch of cruise missiles toward Israel last Thursday, a barrage that was shot down by some of the American battleships President Joe Biden has dispatched to the eastern Mediterranean.

That attack highlighted the growing volatility of the region as Israel continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes, which have killed more than 5,700 civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Casualty figures in Gaza could not be independently verified.

In Lebanon, Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants have launched antitank missiles over the Lebanese border for weeks, leading Israel to return fire and to evacuate more than 130,000 civilians from the frontier and amass troops for a potential second front. Other groups with ties to Iran, including the Houthis in Yemen, have called on members to target Israel and its allies over their support for the war against Hamas.

The Israeli military says it is prepared to defend against a major escalation near the Lebanese border in the north. But a second front could stretch thin Israeli forces. We dont have any interest in fighting a second front, said the former senior military commander. But if we have to fight, we will win.

The Biden administration, which has expressed unwavering support for Israels fight against Hamas, has also counseled caution about rushing into a ground war. Officials have warned their counterparts to avoid civilian casualties as much as possible and to consider who would govern Gaza if Hamas is removed. Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2007 and has effectively crushed any internal opposition.

I cautioned the government of Israel not to be blinded by rage, Biden said after his visit last week.

In a rare move, the U.S. Defense Department recently deployed a small number of senior military officers with experience in urban combat to Israel, including Lt. Gen. James Glynn, a Marine Corps officer who led forces on the ground during the Iraq War and later had a senior role in the campaign against the Islamic State.

Joseph Votel, a retired Army general, said in a briefing hosted by the Middle East Institute in Washington on Wednesday that the Israeli military could pursue one or more courses of action, including a deliberate clearing operation that goes house by house, a rapid advance on critical locations, and targeted raids and strikes on Hamas strongholds. All of them come with risk, he said, including unpredictability about how the militant group Hezbollah responds.

This is an important part of their calculation, said Votel, who oversaw operations across the Middle East as chief of U.S. Central Command from 2016 to 2019. Because there could  and very likely will be  some type of response, big or small, to any type of incursion in Gaza.

As the United States has preached patience, it also has surged additional firepower and defensive systems into the region. The additional forces include both two aircraft carrier strike groups and weapons such as the Patriot air defense system.

The situation was further complicated when Hamas began a halting release of hostages, two American citizens Friday and two elderly Israelis on Tuesday. Israeli officials said the former captives have provided valuable details of the spiderweb of tunnels, the subterranean network used by Hamas leaders to shield from attacks and now hold the hostages.

But the few releases also raised hopes for a bigger hostage deal. Washington has requested that Israel hold the greenlight for the ground war to give negotiations a chance to progress and for humanitarian aid to reach 2 million Gazans who are increasingly without water, food and medical care.

When asked by reporters last week whether Israel should delay a ground invasion to allow time for more hostages to be freed, Biden replied, Yes. Previously, the administration asserted it would not try to dictate the timeline on Israels military actions.

As the expected invasion remained in a holding pattern, some influential Israeli commentators on security affairs have called for the government to find another way. Some object on humanitarian grounds; others have warned that a ground war is what Hamas  and Iran  want to alienate Israel from the region.

But the unexpectedly slow pace is probably still headed for a full-scale incursion, according to former prime minister Ehud Barak. There is no other way to achieve Israels goal of eliminating Hamas than thousands of boots on the ground, he said.

We have a compelling demand to destroy Hamas, said Barak, who also served as minister of defense. No free nation can live side-by-side with an organization that can wake up in the morning and slaughter 1,400 victims.

Noga Tarnopolsky in Tel Aviv and Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Jan. 30, 2020. (Maxim Shemetov/AP)

Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas. But the conflict also is giving Moscow bold new opportunities  to advance its role as a global power broker and challenge Western efforts to isolate it over Ukraine.

While Moscow lacks leverage to mediate a settlement in the Middle East, it could try to play on some perceived credibility problems with the Wests response to the crisis.

It also expects the Israel-Hamas war to distract attention from the fighting in Ukraine and erode support for Kyiv.

There are risks for Moscow, however. It could damage its relationship with Israel, which until now has kept it from sending weapons to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel. At the same time, he warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, likening it to Nazi Germanys siege of Leningrad during World War II.

He has cast the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy, charging that Washington has opted for economic handouts to the Palestinians and abandoned efforts to help create a Palestinian state.

Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.

Despite that claim of even-handedness, a U.N. Security Council resolution that Russia submitted last week condemning violence against civilians made no mention of Hamas. It was rejected by the council.

China was among a few countries that backed the Russian draft, reflecting a shared stance by Moscow and Beijing. Chinese and Russian Middle East envoys met last week to discuss working together to help cool the situation, noting their adherence to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

While U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Western leaders visited Israel to show support, Putin waited for nine days before calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though they previously had developed warm personal ties. Putin also discussed the war in calls with the leaders of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the head of the Palestinian Authority.

Putin offered Netanyahu condolences to the families of Israelis killed by Hamas and emphasized his strong rejection and condemnation of any actions that victimize the civilian population, including women and children, according to a Kremlin readout of the call. He also emphasized the need for a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means, it added. Netanyahus office said he told Putin that Israel would not stop until it had eliminated Hamas.

Unlike Putin, who carefully balanced his statements, other Russian officials were more blunt in their criticism of Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said that while Hamas unleashed the war, Israels response was disproportionate and inhumane.

The Kremlins maneuvering may reflect domestic politics, with Muslims making up about 15% of the its population. The Moscow-backed leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke strongly in support of the Palestinians, assailing Israel for capturing their lands and establishing blockades.

Moscows stance won quick praise from Hamas, which said it appreciates Russias call for a cease-fire. Russias statements also play well in the Arab world, where many have accused the U.S. and its allies of squarely supporting Israel while turning a blind eye to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.

But this position also threatens Russias friendly ties with Israel, which hasnt joined Western sanctions against Moscow or given weapons to Ukraine.

There is a real threat of exacerbation of our ties with Israel in the current situation, said Andrei Kortunov, academic director of the Russian International Affairs Council.

The Times of Israel reported Tuesday an Israeli diplomat expressed displeasure with the role Russia is playing to Moscows diplomatic officials, voicing hope the Kremlin will take more balanced positions.

Amir Weitmann, a leading member of Netanyahus Likud party, accused Russia of supporting Hamas. Speaking on Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT, he warned that after Israel defeats Hamas, we will make sure that Ukraine wins, we will make sure that you pay the price for what you have done.

Asked about Israeli criticism of Moscows stance on the war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Russias condemnation of terrorism and reaffirmed its push for a quick cease-fire and the need for a Palestinian state.

Amid what Israel sees as Moscows pro-Palestinian stance, some prominent Russian voices have backed Israel.

In a sign of the split sympathies, the head of the most popular political talk show on Russian state TV, Vladimir Solovyov, fired one expert on his televised panel who alleged in an online interview that two of Moscows top diplomats have anti-Israeli sentiments.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy expert, described Russias Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, as leaning toward Arab countries and alleged that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova detests Israel. He later apologized.

Some commentators described the anti-Israeli sentiments as a throwback to Soviet times.

Friendship with the Arabs against Israel and the West is an important part of that legacy, Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said in an analysis. A global rebellion against the Western order to a certain extent makes Russia and Hamas natural allies and certainly prevents them from being enemies.

Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council argued that Russia could use its strong contacts with Iran and Syria to help negotiate a settlement.

Russia could be part of a multilateral coalition that would offer security guarantees, he said. Its very important to maintain a well-balanced, delicate approach that wouldnt alienate either party.

Izabella Tabarovsky, senior adviser at the Kennan Institute, noted that for Putin, Hamas attack and the anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip present an opportunity to shed his pariah status and elevate his profile as the Middle East faces its most dangerous crisis in years.
Palestinians rescue survivors of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Hatem Ali/AP)

RAFAH, Gaza Strip  The U.N. warned on Wednesday that without more fuel it will soon sharply curtail relief operations in the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded and devastated by Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.

The warning came as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources, and as the U.N.s top official faced an angry backlash from Israel after saying the Hamas massacre of Israelis that sparked the fighting did not take place in a vacuum.

The Health Ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, said airstrikes killed more than 750 people over the past 24 hours, without saying how many were militants. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death toll.

The Israeli military said its strikes killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centers, weapons storehouses and other military targets. It accuses Hamas of magnifying the suffering of Gazan civilians by hiding its militants among them.

Hamas and other militants have launched unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The rising death toll in Gaza  following a reported 704 killed the day before  was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come if Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas.

The force of a blast in the southern city of Rafah flipped and crumpled cars and left tattered clothing hanging in the branches of a tree.

Another strike destroyed a bakery in a refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, witnesses said. The Hamas-run government said at least 10 people were killed. As witnesses described the attack to an AP journalist, a projectile whistled overhead followed by two bangs  another airstrike hit nearby. Men ran through rubble-strewn streets carrying the injured.

In the wreckage of about 15 houses in Khan Younis, a backhoe peeled away layers of broken concrete tangled with rebar where a home once stood. A worker waded into the rubble and lifted a dead baby from the ruins. A teddy bear lay nearby.

The U.N. says about 1.4 million of Gazas 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, with nearly half of them crowded into U.N. shelters.

Gazas population has been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on southern Israel by Hamas.

In recent days, Israel allowed a small number of trucks with aid to enter from Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel  needed to power hospital generators  to keep it out of Hamas hands.

The U.N. said it has delivered some of the aid to hospitals in the south of Gaza. But the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the largest provider in Gaza, said it was running out of fuel for its trucks, forcing it to reduce operations to ration its supply.

That will impact distribution of food and water and other services, said Lily Esposito, a spokesperson for UNRWA.

More than half of Gazas primary healthcare facilities and roughly a third of its hospitals have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization said.

Overwhelmed hospital staff struggled to triage cases as constant waves of wounded were brought in. The Health Ministry said many wounded are laid on the ground without even simple medical aid and others wait for days for surgeries because there are so many critical cases.

At Gaza Citys al-Shifa Hospital  located in the north, where aid distribution is barred  the lack of medicine and clean water have led to alarming infection rates, the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders said. Amputations are often required to prevent infection from spreading in the wounded, it said.

One surgeon with the group described amputating half the foot of a 9-year-old boy with slight sedation on the floor in a hallway as his mother and sister watched.

The conflict threatened to spread across the region, as Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian military sites Wednesday, killing eight soldiers and wounding seven, according to Syrias state-run SANA news agency. The Israeli military said its strikes were in response to rocket launches from Syria.

One airstrike Wednesday hit the international airport in the city of Aleppo, putting its runway out of service, Syrian media reported. It was the fourth attack on the airport since the fighting began.

Israel has also hit the Damascus airport, in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah. Israel has been exchanging near daily fire with Iranian-backed Hezbollah across the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met Wednesday with top Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials in their first reported meeting since the war started. Such a meeting could signal coordination between the groups, as Hezbollah officials warned Israel against launching a ground offensive in Gaza.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran was helping Hamas with intelligence and whipping up incitement against Israel across the world. He said Iranian proxies were also operating against Israel from Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas also holds some 222 people that it captured and brought back to Gaza.

The prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country has helped mediate the release of four hostages held in Gaza, said more breakthroughs were possible, hopefully soon.

In the West Bank, Islamic Jihad militants said they fought with Israeli forces in Jenin overnight. The Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said Israel killed four Palestinians in Jenin, including a 15-year-old, and two others in other towns. That brought the total number of those killed in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7 to 102.

On Wednesday, Israels U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said his country will stop issuing visas to U.N. personnel after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum. It was unclear what the action, if implemented, would mean for U.N. aid personnel working in Gaza and the West Bank.

Its time to teach them a lesson, Erdan told Army Radio, accusing the U.N. chief of justifying a slaughter.

The U.N. chief told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. Guterres said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Guterres said Wednesday he is shocked at the misinterpretation of his statement as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas.

This is false. It was the opposite, he told reporters. Magdy reported from Cairo and Keath from Athens. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah; Gaza Strip; Aamer Madhani in Washington; Amy Teibel in Jerusalem; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.
Palestinians inspect the damage of a destroyed house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in town of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (Mohammed Dahman/AP)

WASHINGTON  The prospect of Israeli forces launching an assault into Gazas dense urban neighborhoods, where militants use civilians as human shields, brings back searing memories of the deadly battles the U.S.-led coalition fought against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

For U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his military leaders, that intense combat and the thousands of civilians killed in airstrikes and neighborhood gunfights in Mosul and Raqqa are lessons to be shared as Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion against Hamas.

In our conversations with the Israelis, and as weve made very clear, were continuing to highlight the importance of mitigating civilian casualties and ensuring that ... things like safety corridors are thought through, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said Tuesday.

The U.S. can paint a vivid picture of civilian slaughter. During the eight-month siege to liberate Mosul from Islamic insurgents, as many as 10,000 people were killed, including at least 3,200 civilians from airstrikes, artillery fire or mortar rounds between October 2016 and the fall of the Islamic State group in July 2017, according to an Associated Press investigation. About the same number of civilians were killed or taken hostage by militants and used as human shields as they fled the city.

Austin, Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Eric Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and other senior military commanders all spent time in the region around then and watched the violence unfold. They were keenly aware of efforts to set up humanitarian corridors and decisions to pause operations while civilians were warned to move away. So as they are speaking to their Israeli counterparts on an almost daily basis, they are sharing advice on the challenges of urban warfare, the threats of booby traps and roadside bombs and the drive to protect the innocent while rooting out insurgents hidden in schools, mosques and homes.

Sharing our 20 years of lessons learned is occurring up and down the chain, said Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey, the spokesman for Brown.

Underscoring that priority, the U.S. has sent a team of military advisers to Israel, including Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who helped lead special operations forces against the Islamic State group. Glynn, who also served in Fallujah during some of the most heated urban combat there at the height of the Iraq War, will be able to advise the Israelis on how to mitigate civilian casualties in urban warfare.

These officials, to include Gen. Glenn, have experience when it comes to urban combat, Ryder told reporters on Tuesday. Theyre in there temporarily with their military expertise to just go through and discuss some of the hard questions that the IDF should consider as they plan various scenarios.

In discussions last week with Israeli defense and government leaders in Tel Aviv, Austin recalled his experiences heading U.S. Central Command during the first two years of the campaign to defeat the Islamic State group. He talked about lessons learned, including the realization that the world is watching, officials familiar with the talks said.

Austin was blunt both publicly and privately that as Israelis plan their military operations, including any ground assault into Gaza, they must take into account the safety of civilians.

There are some lessons learned that we will be more than happy to share with our allies here in terms of operating effectively in dense urban terrain, creating safe humanitarian corridors, making sure that were thoughtful about how we shape the battle and making sure that our objectives are well defined, Austin told reporters.

A RAND report released last year found that while the U.S. emphasized the need to minimize civilian harm in the devastating 2017 siege to liberate Raqqa, Syria, there were thousands of casualties. It recommended that the U.S. military adjust its planning, training, targeting and use of weapons in order to better avoid widespread civilian deaths and damage.

Retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, who took over U.S. Central Command in 2016 when Austin retired and oversaw the operations, said the most important message for the Israelis  which has been delivered by Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden  is that its not what Israel does in its pledge to destroy Hamas, but how the military does it.

How you orchestrate this campaign really matters, said Votel. And they have to do this in a way that reflects values and the concern for innocent Palestinians who themselves are being held hostage by Hamas.

He added that there are many similarities and some key differences between those missions and a potential assault into Gaza. Hamas, he said, is better armed, with more sophisticated explosives and other weapons supplied by Iran. And the labyrinth of tunnels under Gaza is far more developed and lengthy than those seen in Raqqa.

Militarily, he said, Israel is seeing a more sophisticated and better armed opponent than the Islamic State was in Syria and Iraq.

Theres a difference between being dug in, going to ground and what we are seeing in Gaza, which is an underground architecture that connects different parts of Gaza and allows people to move supplies, people and other things, and enhance critical functions underground, said Votel. I dont think ISIS got to that particular level of sophistication.

He said the U.S. and coalition allies had more time to prepare for the battle to retake Mosul. And he said that as the coalition moved down the Euphrates River, it stopped and paused operations a number of times in order to meet with local tribal leaders and try to get innocent civilians out of the line of fire.

The brutality of it all is another element Austin recalls, as well as the need to stop militants even as they are embedded deeply into urban civilian areas.

In countering ISIS I felt as if we were staring evil in the eye, Austin said. It was truly evil. And what weve seen from Hamas, it takes that evil to another level. And so thats the first thing that we need to remember and consider.
Former President Donald Trump arrives to board his plane at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, in Londonderry, N.H. (Charles Krupa/AP)

WASHINGTON  Lawyers for Donald Trump are raising new challenges to the federal election subversion case against him, telling a judge that the indictment should be dismissed because it violates the former presidents free speech rights and represents a vindictive prosecution.

The motions filed late Monday in the case charging the Republican with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost are on top of a pending argument by defense attorneys that he is immune from federal prosecution for actions taken within his official role as president.

Special counsel Jack Smiths team urged a judge last week to reject that argument and is expected to do the same for the latest motions. It is routine for defendants to ask a judge to dismiss the charges against them, but such requests are rarely granted. In Trumps case, though, the challenges to the indictment could at a minimum force a delay in a prosecution that is set for trial in Washington next March.

Taken together, the motions cut to the heart of some of Trumps most oft-repeated public defenses: that he is being prosecuted for political reasons by the Biden administration Justice Department and that he was within his First Amendment rights to challenge the outcome of the election and to allege that it had been tainted by fraud  a finding not supported by courts across the country or even by Trumps own attorney general.

The lawyers claim prosecutors are attempting to criminalize political speech and political advocacy, arguing that First Amendment protections extend even to statements made in advocating for government officials to act on ones views. They said the prosecution team cannot criminalize claims that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen nor impose its views on a disputed political question like the elections integrity.

The fact that the indictment alleges that the speech at issue was supposedly, according to the prosecution, false makes no difference, the defense wrote. Under the First Amendment, each individual American participating in a free marketplace of ideas  not the federal Government  decides for him or herself what is true and false on great disputed social and political questions.

Legal experts have said Trumps First Amendment claims are unlikely to succeed, particularly given the breadth of steps taken by Trump and his allies that prosecutors say transformed mere speech into action in a failed bid to undo the election.

Smiths team conceded at the outset of the four-count indictment that Trump could indeed lawfully challenge his loss to Democrat Joe Biden but said his actions went far beyond that, including by illegally conspiring to block the official counting of electoral votes by Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters who supported him stormed the Capitol and caused a violent clash with police and a delay to the proceedings.

A spokesman for Smith declined to comment on Tuesday.

The defense lawyers also contend that Trump, the early front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is being prosecuted for vindictive and political reasons, alleging that Bidens publicly stated objective is to use the criminal justice system to incapacitate President Trump, his main political rival and the leading candidate in the upcoming election.

They say the Justice Department appointed Smith as special counsel last year as a way to insulate Biden and his supporters from scrutiny of their obvious and illegal bias.

In addition, Trumps lawyers are asking to strike from the indictment references to the pro-Trump mobs attack on the Capitol because they say prosecutors have not accused the then-president of inciting the riot.

Allegations in the indictment relating to these actions, when President Trump has not been charged with responsibility for them, is highly prejudicial and inflammatory because members of the jury may wrongfully impute fault to President Trump for these actions, his attorneys wrote.

While Trump is not charged with incitement, prosecutors have clearly alleged that the former presidents actions led to the chaos at the Capitol on Jan. 6. The indictment notes that Trump urged supporters to travel to Washington and cites Trumps speech ahead of the riot in which he urged the crowd to fight like hell and head to the Capitol.

Richer reported from Boston.
The next Air Force One aircraft, seen here in an artists rendering, are based on the Boeing 747-8 commercial airliner and are expected to begin flying the president of the United States in the late 2020s. The planes paint scheme will also have a few minor changes. (U.S. Air Force)

WASHINGTON  Aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday reported almost $500 million in additional losses for its program to develop two new planes for the president of the United States, a program that already has seen hundreds of millions in losses in the past few years.

In its third-quarter earnings report, Boeing noted the $482 million loss during the period in its VC-25B Air Force One program. The companys defense business  called Boeing Defense, Space and Security  lost $924 million overall during the quarter, the report said.

Defense, Space and Security third-quarter revenue was $5.5 billion. Third quarter operating margin was 16.9%, due to a $482 million loss on the VC-25B program driven by higher estimated manufacturing cost related to engineering changes and labor instability, as well as resolution of supplier negotiations, Boeing said in a statement.

The VC-25B is a military version of Boeings 747-8 commercial airliner. For the past few years, the company has been working to retrofit two planes as replacements for the current Air Force One aircraft when they are retired later this decade. The Air Force said recently the first new Air Force One is expected to start flying the president in 2027, and the second plane in 2028.

Combined with previous cost overruns in the program, the third-quarter loss increases overall losses for VC-25B development to more than $1 billion since 2020.

We are focused on driving stability in our supply chain and improving operational performance as we steadily increase production rates to meet strong demand, Boeing CEO and President David Calhoun said Wednesday. Leading with safety, quality and transparency, we will continue to restore our operational and financial strength.

Though the new planes will feature top-secret aviation and defense technology that neither the military nor Boeing can discuss publicly, President Joe Biden announced this year there would be slight changes to the planes livery design. The blue will be slightly deeper and more modern than the shade of the current presidential planes  and there will be no polished metal sections on the aircraft. Another slight change is the blue paint around the engines will be a darker shade.

Last year, Calhoun told investors that it was probably a mistake for Boeing to sign the $3.9 billion fixed-price contract that it negotiated with then-President Donald Trump in 2018 to produce the new planes. Under that arrangement, its up to Boeing to take responsibility for unforeseen risks, such as cost overruns.
The man, who can't be named to protect the anonymity of his daughter, worked for 30 years as a caretaker at his local primary school

A former school caretaker who sexually abused his daughter in the family home over a seven-year period in the ultimate betrayal of trust has been jailed for eight and a half years.

The 77-year-old Dublin man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of orally raping his daughter and three counts of sexually assaulting her in the family home on dates between 1991 and 1997. She was aged between six and 13 at the time.

The court heard the charges were sample counts during the period of offending, with the complainant in the case blocking out many memories of the abuse to allow her to function in life.

The man, who can't be named to protect the anonymity of his daughter, worked for 30 years as a caretaker at his local primary school, the court heard. He is still married to her mother, who was in court to support him.

Sentencing him today, Ms Justice Melanie Greally said disclosing the sexual abuse by a parent is one of the most difficult and conflicting decisions a person can be called on to make.

She said the complainant was to be strongly commended for breaking the stronghold of secrecy, for breaking her silence and making her father accountable for his actions.

She noted the daughter's relationship with her mother has been tarnished irreparably.

Ms Justice Greally said the man's abuse of his daughter must be regarded as the ultimate betrayal of trust, noting the harm it has caused her.

The judge set a headline sentence of 14 years, but reduced it to eight and a half years taking into account a number of mitigating factors including the man's guilty plea, his remorse, his advanced years and medical issues.

A local detective garda told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that the abuse started when the man orally raped his daughter as she was preparing for her First Holy Communion. He continued to sexually assault her over the years in the family home when her mother was doing shift work.

In her victim impact statement, which she read out at a previous sentence hearing, the woman outlined how she went to gardai in 2021 and divulged the horrible secrets I had held on to for 25 years.

It was as if the effects of the abuse are stored in a secret grave inside me, she said, adding it felt like an unexploded bomb.

I look at my own children and recognise that it is not normal for a child to be so terrified to go asleep...It is not normal for a child to want to hide in the boot of their mother's car all night so they won't be left at home with their father.

The woman said the abuse at the hands of her father made her feel unlovable, vulnerable and alone. My father let me down.

She said when she eventually told her mother about the abuse, she was afraid her mother would leave her. Ultimately, she said, the abuse has irrevocably damaged their relationship.

Whatever bond we had is shattered by my father's actions, she said, adding there are precious few subjects they can now discuss.

I'm grateful to be here today to stand up for the six-year-old girl who was so scared and alone in her bedroom at night, she said.

A letter was handed in to court on behalf of her mother in relation to the man. Defence counsel, Gerardine Small SC, said this letter was simply to outline (her husband's) medical difficulties.

The court heard the man has no previous convictions.

Ms McGowan told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) places the offending at the more serious range of sentencing of 10 to 15 years. She said this was because of the breach of his position of trust, the young age of the complainant and the period of time over which the offending took place.

In her plea of mitigation on behalf of the man, Ms Small said her client has a number of medical conditions, including prostate cancer and poor mobility. His wife has also had medical issues.

Ms Small said the man was deeply ashamed of his actions and was aware of the profound effect on his daughter. He fully accepts the breach of trust.

She said he wanted to offer an apology to his daughter for what it's worth. She asked the court to be as lenient as possible to the man, given his personal circumstances.
Stephen Shum pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the worker at Manori Sushi and Noodle Box takeaway, Weatherwell Industrial Estate, Clondalkin.

A restaurant owner slapped a worker repeatedly in the face, injuring him, when the pair got into a row amid tensions in the kitchen.

Stephen Shum (74) attacked the kitchen porter, who he claimed was cutting chicken when he should not have been, a court heard.

Judge David McHugh put him on a one-year peace bond after he paid 500 compensation.

Shum, a father of seven of Coolmine Court, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the worker at Manori Sushi and Noodle Box takeaway, Weatherwell Industrial Estate, Clondalkin.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court the accused and victim were at work in the kitchen on January 30 this year when a dispute arose over the victims role.

Emotions got heated and insults were exchanged.

It escalated, Shum grabbed the victim aggressively by the arms and a tussle broke out between them.

The victim received numerous slaps to his face, causing minor soft-tissue injury to his cheek and leaving ringing in his ear. He attended a hospital emergency department.

The DPP consented to the case being dealt with at district court level and the judge accepted jurisdiction.

There had been ongoing tensions in the kitchen between employees and management before the incident, Shums lawyer said.

Shum had returned from a delivery and saw the victim working in the kitchen when he was supposed to be off, the lawyer said.

The worker was not wearing a uniform and was cutting chicken when he shouldnt have been because he was a kitchen porter.

Judge McHugh said he did not want to hear any impugning of the victims character.

Shum was extremely regretful and would not come before the court again, the lawyer said.

Due to the tensions, he had since sold the restaurant and bought another.

He came to Ireland from Hong Kong in 1974.
He wasnt very bright, the CCTV was clear as a bell. He wasnt wearing any kind of cap or hoodie

An elderly priest who was viciously assaulted and held at knifepoint by a notorious criminal has told how he managed to escape from his captor and ran without ever looking back.

Violent thug Anthony Connors (47), who has amassed sentences totalling more than 150 years over his adult life, was sentenced to six more years behind bars earlier this month after pleading guilty to the robbery of a priest at a parochial house in Coolock, north Dublin, on September 30, 2021.

Connors, who has terrorised elderly victims for decades, had an address at South Richmond Street, Dublin, at the time of the offence but has previously lived in Darndale in north Dublin.

Connors has spent most of his adult life behind bars and is known for his sickening attacks on elderly people in their homes, using threats and violence. He is so prolific that gardai across Dublin are issued with alerts whenever he completes his prison sentences.

Among his many previous victims was a 100-year-old woman who he grabbed from her bed as he ransacked her Dublin home looking for money.

Due to his targeting of elderly victims, he has spent much of his time behind bars in isolation due to fear of attack from other inmates who are sickened by his crimes.

Connors had just been released from prison when he targeted a parochial house in Coolock in September 2021.

A priest, who is aged in his 70s and asked not to be named, told the Sunday World that he answered the door to Connors at around 4pm that day after the caller said he wanted to talk to a priest.

He came in and was sitting in the front room and was there for about a minute when it was very obvious he was there looking for money. I forget the exact details, but he said someone was after him and he had to leave the country, said the priest.

I gave him a small amount and he said that wasnt enough. I said thats all I can give you.

The priest then went to leave the room when Connors followed behind.

I thought he was going out, but my back was to him, and he grabbed me and knocked me on the ground. He dragged me into the kitchen, and I was on the ground at this stage.

Connors grabbed a large blade from a knife block in the kitchen.

He took one of the knives from that, a breadknife, and said were going upstairs. He had this [false] notion there was this treasure upstairs.

Connors forced the priest upstairs and made him sit on a chair as he ransacked his office.

He spent a while picking up things and looking for money. I was sitting with my back to him facing the door. I looked over my shoulder at him and he was going through envelopes looking for money and I saw an opportunity and ran. It wasnt that I was planning to run, I saw the opportunity.

He bolted from his chair and fled from the room.

I pulled the door after me and was down the stairs before he got a chance to come after me and was out the door.

I didnt look around.

Gardai were easily able to identify Connors from CCTV.

He wasnt very bright really. The CCTV was clear as a bell. He wasnt wearing any kind of cap or hoodie, the priest said.

Connors has 61 previous convictions dating back to the 1990s. Many victims were threatened with knives and scissors and multiple victims told how the incidents had changed their lives forever.

A previous court hearing said the average age of his victims was 74 and stretched up to 100.

With standard remission Connors will be back on the streets in two years.
Nikki Hayes had been in debt to the tune of 53,000, owing money to various institutions including the bank and RTE, the court was told.

A RADIO DJ was at rock bottom in her personal life when she became a money mule, letting a smishing scammer launder 15,000 through her bank account.

Nikki Hayes (44) was struggling with mental health, relationship and financial problems when she recklessly gave her details to a fraudster who used her account to "plunder" the money.

The former RTE 2FM and Classic Hits star, who was "taken advantage of" by people who knew she was vulnerable, had now seen her successful broadcast career "crash and come to nothing", her defence said.

Judge Martina Baxter adjourned the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today for sentencing next month.

Hayes, whose real name is Eimear Black OKeeffe, pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime in an incident in November 2020. Detective Garda Neill Gavin of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said on November 5, that year, a man received a text message that looked to be from PTSB Bank.

This indicated he had paired a new device and required him to click a link if he had not done so.

He clicked it and it brought him to his own bank account where he followed prompts. As a result, 15,000 was withdrawn from his account in three transactions of 2,600, 2,400 that day and 10,000 the following day.

The money went into the accuseds bank account and was withdrawn by Revolut and an ATM at Liffey Valley on the same day.

A blonde lady was present at the withdrawals but gardai were not able to say this was the accused.

Former 2FM and Classic Hits presenter Nikki Hayes

Some of the money was clawed back and returned to the bank but there was still a loss of 2,000 outstanding. Gardai didnt have any difficulty tracking down the accused and she cooperated with the investigation.

Hayes told gardai she had fallen on hard times, somebody had made contact with her and she was told there was someone who could make her position a bit easier if she allowed her account to be used.

It was suggested she might get 2,000 for this.

She allowed the use of her account but was then pressurised to let the transactions continue.

She denied she withdrew the money.

Hayes only prior convictions were for minor motoring offences.

Det Gda Gavin agreed with defence barrister Keith Spencer the accused had no hand act or part in the smishing scam.

Hayes had been in debt to the tune of 53,000, owing money to various institutions including the bank and RTE.

She had sold her car and used the proceeds to bring her daughter to Disneyland.

As well as financial difficulties, at the time she had been suffering a lot of turbulence in her relationship with her husband, having separated with divorce proceedings initiated.

They had difficulties in 2017 and she was dealing with the fallout of that. Hayes was diagnosed with bipolar or personality disorder, Mr Spencer said.

Former radio DJ Nikki Hayes. Photo: Paddy Cummins

She had struggled with this for many years and had been misdiagnosed in the past. She had self-medicated by over indulging in alcohol at times of despair and turmoil.

Hayes had been drinking to excess at the time of the offences and had not been complying with her medication.

"She had reached rock bottom and was looking around for ways to make money," Mr Spencer said.

An erstwhile friend told her there was an easy way to make money and the friend put her in touch with an individual on Snapchat who called her to arrange a meeting in Blanchardstown.

Hayes had been off her meds and not thinking correctly.

She handed over her cards and details but they were not returned, the irregular transactions were carried out and the account was plundered, Mr Spencer said.

When she saw the irregularities, she contacted this person and said she would tell the gardai.

She then came under threats and was told an individual... would burn down her address, Mr Spencer continued.

She was a genuinely vulnerable individual who was taken advantage of by people who knew she was in a vulnerable position, Mr Spencer said. The putative monetary benefit of 2,000 never accrued to her.

Mr Spencer said there had been publicity campaigns about such scams but the awareness of the dangers of giving over details may have been less in 2020.

Hayes had built up a successful career in radio over many years, including eight years working for RTE, as well as Spin 103.8 and Classic Hits, he said.

That had now crashed and come to nothing and she had suffered the ultimate penalty with the loss of her career.

Hayes had earlier been made redundant from Classic Hits, but when charged, she was then also let go from East Coast FM as a direct consequence, of media reporting, Mr Spencer said.

Someone who builds themselves up that high often has further to fall, he said.

Hayes, who had also written a book about her mental health struggles, was now pursuing a course in accountancy.

A probation report stated she was at high risk of re-offending but Det Gda Gavin disagreed, saying she complied fully, it was not exactly a sophisticated scam and I dont believe she would fall back into it a second time.

Mr Spencer also submitted the risk was much lower than stated in the probation report.

Hayes was remorseful, had completely overcome her addictions issues, was abstaining from alcohol and drugs and was complying with her prescribed medication, Mr Spencer said.

Judge Baxter adjourned sentencing to November 2 for urinalysis results and more paperwork on the financial issues.
Michael Lynn (55) pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of stealing property from various financial institutions between 2006 and 2007

A former solicitor has gone on trial accused of the theft of over 27 million from several banks and building societies 17 years ago.

Michael Lynn (55) with addresses in Millbrook Court, Redcross and Arklow, Co. Wicklow pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of stealing property from various financial institutions between 2006 and 2007.

Opening the trial today, John Berry BL, prosecuting, said the prosecution alleges that Mr Lynn obtained loans from certain banks and building societies to buy properties in Ireland while each was unaware that he had also approached multiple organisations for money.

He suggested that this was not a case of carelessness and that the prosecution will say Mr Lynn deceived these banks and building societies, stealing over 27 million from these institutions over a nine-month period between October 2006 and June 2007.

He said Mr Lynn is a former solicitor who self-described as a property investor and knew how the market worked.

Mr Berry said the prosecution alleges Mr Lynn obtained a loan for 3.65 million for the purpose of purchasing a number of residential investment properties from Ulster Bank.

It is alleged that while Mr Lynn was obtaining mortgages for certain properties from Ulster Bank, he was also getting loans from other institutions for some of the same properties.

Counsel said the prosecution will say that Mr Lynn gave Ulster Bank documents including a solicitor's undertakings and a statement of affairs. He said the jury would hear that Ulster Bank were told they would receive the first legal charge on the property.

He noted that banks frequently look for the first legal charge as security against a mortgage as if something goes wrong, they will own the property and can sell it to recoup their losses.

Mr Berry said banks would release money at that time if they obtained a solicitor's undertaking, a solemn promise from the solicitor to receive the funds and use them for the purchase of a property.

He told the jury that in the case of one property, Glenlion in Howth, Mr Lynn obtained a loan from Irish Nationwide Building Society on April 4, 2007 for 4.12 million to buy the property. Mr Lynn then obtained a loan of 3.78 million on April 12 from ACC Bank, and 3.85 million from Bank of Scotland Ireland on April 19, for the same property.

Mr Berry said Glenlion's guide price was 5.5 million and it is alleged Mr Lynn obtained finance in excess of 11 million.

He told jurors the prosecution say Mr Lynn obtained 1.2 million in mortgages to buy another property valued at 390,000. They will also hear evidence that Mr Lynn received over 500,000 to buy another property, but didn't buy it.

Michael Lynn (55)

The financial institutions involved were Bank of Ireland, National Irish Bank (later known as Danske Bank), Irish Life and Permanent, Ulster Bank, ACC Bank, Bank of Scotland Ireland Ltd and Irish Nationwide Building Society. Mr Berry said Anglo Irish Bank insisted on using its own solicitors and secured the first legal charge on Mr Lynn's loans.

He said the prosecution alleges that Mr Lynn was in a position to carry out these thefts due to his understanding of the nature and importance of a first legal charge and of a solicitor's undertaking.

Mr Berry said the prosecution will allege that statements of affairs provided to banks contained errors and weren't from the firm of accountants they claimed to come from.

He said theft is defined in law as taking something without the consent of the owner. He noted that consent obtained by deception is not consent. He said the prosecution alleges that Mr Lynn was able to deceive banks and building societies as he understood the system as a solicitor and property investor.

Mr Berry noted that the alleged thefts took place in 2006 and 2007 and some may think that banks got bailed out for what happened around that time and have not been overburdened by humility or gratitude since then.

He told jurors they must put aside any prejudices they may have towards banks or lawyers and assess the facts in this case coldly and clinically.

The trial is expected to last for up to eight weeks and continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
The detective was giving evidence in the trial of Mr Puska, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore on January 12, 2022.

THE man accused of murdering teacher Ashling Murphy told a detective that when the girl passed him he "cut her neck", a court heard.

Detective Garda Fergus Hogan said that Jozef Puska (33) spoke to him, in English, from his bed in St James' Hospital, telling him: "I tell her go. I won't hurt you. When she passed I cut her neck. She panic. I panic."

The detective was giving evidence in the trial of Mr Puska, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore on January 12, 2022.

Gda Hogan said he was asked to go into Mr Puska's hospital room at 6.36pm on January 14, 2022 by Detective Sergeant Brian Jennings, as he and Sergeant Pamela Nugent wished to leave the room.

As he entered, Gda Hogan said Sgt Jennings was reminding Mr Puska he was under caution.

He said the other gardai left, and he introduced himself to Mr Puska and showed him his official garda identification.

Gda Hogan told prosecutor Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that Mr Puska started talking to him.

Gda Hogan said Mr Puska told him: "I am sorry. I am family, five kids. I see girl that I never see before. I have knife. I have use for chain".

Gardai beside the Grand Canal in Tullamore, where Ashling Murphy was found dead (Niall Carson/PA)

Gda Hogan said he told Mr Puska that he didn't have to say anything, but Mr Puska continued, saying to him: "Chain on bike. I tell her go. I won't hurt you. When she passed I cut her neck. She panic. I panic".

Gda Hogan said Mr Puska put his fingers to his lips, indicating that he had told the injured party to be quiet.

Gda Hogan said Mr Puska then told him: "She panic. I panic and then it happened". Will I go for 10 years".

Gda Hogan said Mr Puska then pointed to his stomach and told him "I do this".

He said Mr Puska volunteered all this information, and he did not ask him any questions.

Gda Hogan said Sgt Jennings then returned to the room and told him they were leaving and a nurse was coming in to see Mr Puska.

Gda Hogan told Ms Lawlor that at that time he did not know how Ashling Murphy had been killed.

Cross examined by Michael Bowman SC, Gda Hogan accepted he was not medically trained and would not know how someone would present post-operatively.

Gda Hogan also told Mr Bowman that Mr Puska did not appear confused to him.

Earlier, Sgt Jennings gave evidence that Mr Puska told him: "I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer" during a conversation they had in St James' Hospital.

Mr Puska was upset and crying, the court heard.

Sgt Jennings said that Mr Puska told him: "The reason I am pleading guilty is I don't want anything to happen to my family. Nothing bad to them. I feel guilty. I say it and I regret it".

Sgt Jennings said he immediately cautioned Mr Puska, and asked him if he wished to speak to a solicitor, and he said he did.

Sgt Jennings told the Central Criminal Court that he travelled to Dublin on the evening of January 13, but was unable to speak to Mr Puska.

He was tasked by his supervisor to return to Dublin on January 14, and he spoke to Mr Puska twice, first around 12 midday and then at 6.30pm.

During the second conversation, Sgt Jennings said he told Mr Puska that gardai investigating the murder of Ashling Murphy had obtained a search warrant for his belongings, and this was explained to him.

Sgt Jennings said he believed he then asked Mr Puska if he had heard about the death of Ms Murphy.

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska told him he'd heard about it.

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska asked him if he was a suspect, and Sgt Jennings said he told him he was "a person of interest".

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska then paused. It was a "notable pause", he said.

Through the interpreter, Mr Puska then said he was making an official statement. "I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer", Sgt Jennings said.

Mr Puska also told him that he didn't do it intentionally, the sergeant said.

The jury heard that Sgt Jennings then offered Mr Puska a solicitor, and reminded him that anything he said would be written down.

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska then asked him a number of questions. saying he was concerned that gardai would harm his family.

Sgt Jennings said he told Mr Puska that gardai wouldn't harm his family.

Sgt Jennings also said Mr Puska expressed concern that the family of the girl could harm his family, but Sgt Jennings said he told Mr Puska that the Murphy family was a good family.

Mr Puska also queried if his name or address would be published, said Sgt Jennings.

In cross examination, Mr Bowman asked Sgt Jennings if he had asked a nurse if Mr Puska was fit to be seen or interviewed.

Sgt Jennings said he asked the nurse if he could see Mr Puska.

Mr Bowman put it to Sgt Jennings that he was interviewing Mr Puska. Sgt Jennings said he was "looking for an account of his [Mr Puska's} movements".

Mr Bowman said the impression of another individual was that Sgt Jennings had "interrogated" the accused.

Sgt Jennings said he believed this impression would be "very unfair".

Sergeant Pamela Nugent said she executed a search warrant at St James' Hospital on January 14, 2022, arriving at 6.20pm.

Sgt Nugent said she spoke to the site manager, and explained she had a warrant for Mr Puska's property.

Sgt Nugent said Mr Puska was in a six-bed room, but he was taken to another room for privacy.

Sgt Nugent said she retrieved a number of items from Mr Puska's bedside locker, specifically a grey Nokia mobile phone, a yellow patient bag, a shop bag with a Santa picture on the outside, which looked as if it contained clothes, and a clear plastic wallet containing a Covid card and a Slovakian identification card.

Sgt Nugent said she wanted to explain the search warrant to Mr Puska.

She followed Mr Puska and Sgt Jennings into a room, and Sgt Jennings contacted a translator on the phone.

Sgt Nugent said she handed the search warrant to Sgt Jennings to read, and it was translated into Slovakian.

She said she held up Mr Puska's property to him, telling him that she was seizing the items.

Sgt Nugent also said she noticed scratches on Mr Puska's hands.

She said Mr Puska asked why his property was being taken, and Sgt Jennings told them it was because gardai were investigating a murder in Tullamore.

Sgt Nugent said Mr Puska then told them: "I committed the murder. I did it. I murdered".

Asked how Mr Puska presented, Sgt Nugent said he appeared calm and coherent. He was starting to cry a little, but he was still engaging with gardai, and the conversation with the interpreter was quite free flowing.

In cross examination, Sgt Nugent denied that Sgt Jennings asked Mr Puska if he could tell them anything about the murder.

Sgt Nugent also said Mr Puska did not appear to be sedated. "Definitely not", she told Mr Bowman.

The jury also heard from Detective Inspector Shane McCartan who said he contacted his colleagues in Tullamore because Mr Puska's story of being assaulted in Blanchardstown"just didn't add up".

Insp McCartan said there was a "dearth of real cogent information" about the assault.

The inspector said he was aware Mr Puska was residing in Tullamore.

There was a lack of detail of how he got to Dublin, or who gave him a lift to Dublin, or how he got from Heuston Station to Blanchardstown, or the unnamed female he was meeting.

Insp McCartan said he contacted his colleagues in Tullamore because he believed that gardai in Blanchardstown may have information which could be relevant or of material assistance to the investigation into the murder of Ashling Murphy.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of nine men and three women.
I feel guilty. I say it and I regret it".

Josef Puska (inset) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy

MURDER accused Jozef Puska told a detective sergeant "I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer" during a conversation they had in St James' Hospital, a court heard.

Detective Sergeant Brian Jennings said Mr Puska was upset and crying when he made the admission about killing teacher Ashling Murphy, which was made through a translator.

Sgt Jennings said that Mr Puska told him: "The reason I am pleading guilty is I don't want anything to happen to my family. Nothing bad to them. I feel guilty. I say it and I regret it".

Sgt Jennings said he immediately cautioned Mr Puska, and asked him if he wished to speak to a solicitor, and he said he did.

Sgt Jennings said that Mr Puska also told him that he didn't do it intentionally.

The sergeant was giving evidence in the trial of Mr Puska (33), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore on January 12, 2022.

Sgt Jennings told the Central Criminal Court that he travelled to Dublin on the evening of January 13, but was unable to speak to Mr Puska.

He was tasked by his supervisor to return to Dublin on January 14, and he spoke to Mr Puska twice, first around 12 midday and then at 6.30pm.

Gardai at the scene on the canal bank in Tullamore where Ashling Murphy's body was discovered. Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty

During the second conversation, Sgt Jennings said he told Mr Puska that gardai had obtained a search warrant for his belongings, and this was explained to him.

Sgt Jennings said he believed that he then asked Mr Puska if he had heard about the killing of Ashling Murphy in Tullamore.

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska told him he'd heard about it through the media.

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska asked him if he was a suspect, and Sgt Jennings said he told him he was "a person of interest".

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska then paused. It was a "notable pause", he said.

Mr Puska then said he was making an official statement. "I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer", Sgt Jennings said.

The jury heard that Sgt Jennings then offered Mr Puska a solicitor, and reminded him that anything he said would be written down.

Sgt Jennings said Mr Puska then asked him a number of questions saying he was concerned that gardai would harm his family.

Sgt Jennings said he told Mr Puska that gardai wouldn't harm his family.

Sgt Jennings also said Mr Puska expressed concern that the family of the girl could harm his family, but Sgt Jennings said he told Mr Puska that the Murphy family was a good family.

Mr Puska also queried if his name or address would be published, said Sgt Jennings.

In cross examination, defence counsel Mchael Bowman SC asked Sgt Jennings if he had asked the nurse if Mr Puska was fit to be seen or interviewed.

Sgt Jennings said he asked the nurse if he could see Mr Puska.

Mr Bowman put it to Sgt Jennings that he was interviewing Mr Puska. Sgt Jennings said he was "looking for an account of his movements".

Mr Bowman said the impression of another individual was that Sgt Jennings had "interrogated" the accused.

Sgt Jennings said he believed this would be "very unfair".

Earlier, the jury heard from Detective Inspector Shane McCartan who said he contacted his colleagues in Tullamore because Mr Puska's story of being assaulted in Blanchardstown"just didn't add up".

Detective Inspector Shane McCartan said there were "lots of pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that couldn't be put together".

Insp McCartan said detectives in Blanchardstown were investigating a double stabbing which occurred in Millennium Park around 5pm on January 12.

Insp McCartan said gardai became aware of a potential third victim, and he tasked Sergeant Paul McDonnell and Garda Conor Newman to go to St James' Hospital to speak to him.

Insp McCartan said the gardai spoke to Mr Puska and they briefed him about the conversation, and that Mr Puska said he had been attacked in Blanchardstown.

Insp McCartan said there was a "dearth of real cogent information" about the assault.

The inspector said he was aware Mr Puska was residing in Tullamore.

There was a lack of detail of how he got to Dublin, or who gave him a lift to Dublin, or how he got from Heuston Station to Blanchardstown, or the unnamed female he was meeting.

Insp McCartan said Mr Puska's story "just didn't add up" .

He spoke to his supervisor, and Insp McCartan said they believed that they may have information which could be relevant or of material assistance to the investigation into the murder of Ashling Murphy.

Insp McCartan said he then contacted Detective Sergeant David Scahill in Tullamore and outlined his findings.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of nine men and three women.
Limerick man Thomas Murphy (42) was found dead at the house he shared with Stephen Owusu in Manchester, on 24 September 2022.

A man who stabbed his Irish housemate to death in the UK has been handed an indefinite hospital order.

Limerick man Thomas Murphy (42) was found dead at the terraced house he shared with Stephen Owusu on Beverly Road, Fallowfield, Manchester, on 24 September 2022.

Owusu (23) became convinced that Murphy, who had been living at the property for two months, had broken his plate before leaving a piece of it under a sofa to taunt him.

He confronted Murphy before going to the kitchen and picking up a kitchen knife and stabbing him 34 times. After the attack, he washed his hands and knife of the blood before locking himself in his room.

Owusu, who has since been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Thomas Murphy. Photo: Greater Manchester Police

At a sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court yesterday, October 24, he was handed a section 37 hospital order with section 41 restrictions, meaning he will remain in hospital for mental health treatment rather than going to prison.

He will remain in hospital for an indefinite period and cannot be discharged unless the Secretary of State or a Tribunal deems it acceptable.

The sentence has been criticised by Mr Murphys brother, Darragh Murphy, for being too lenient.

It isn't a sentence, he could be out in ten, eight or seven years. It was about the risk to the public in future rather than the crime he committed, he said.

I'm totally bewildered with the system.

The father-of-two was originally from Ballyagran, Co Limerick had moved to Manchester during the pandemic to be closer to his girls after his marriage broke up.

His teenage daughters each read victim impact statements to the court this week.

Mr Murphys eldest daughter, aged 16, said: It didnt make sense, our dad wasnt a violent or evil person. My dad was an amazing person, the life and soul of a party, nobody ever had a bad word with him.

His other daughter, aged 14, said: My sister and I threw a flower each into his grave, so he would have a piece of us with him. It has been incredibly difficult for us to come to terms with our loss and wondering how we carry on our lives with the loss of dad.

After the hearing, the detective in charge of the case commended Mr Murphy's family for their strength throughout the proceedings.

Senior Investigating Officer Phil Reade of Greater Manchester Police Major Incident Team said: "Thomas Murphy was a completely innocent victim and the thoughts of the whole investigation team remain with his family, especially his two daughters and his parents.

"We understand the outcome today can in no way bring Thomas back and the impact of his death will stay with his loved ones forever."
Senior Dubai police are now in Dublin to meet with gardai

Where in the world is Daniel Kinahan?

Gardai investigating the seizure of over two tonnes of cocaine from a cargo ship off the Cork coast have identified payments linked to the criminal enterprise which originated from Dubai.

The analysis of financial transactions further strengthens garda suspicions that the Kinahan crime gang, whose leadership is based in the Middle Eastern metropolis, had a significant investment in the seized drug shipment.

It comes as senior Dubai police officials this week arrived in Dublin to meet with members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

The delegation was invited by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, who himself visited the city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month in a bid to build stronger international relationships.

Video: MV Matthew 'Mothership' docked in Cobh.

The purpose of this weeks visit is to discuss the co-operation between both police agencies in tackling transnational crime, in particular the Kinahan organised crime group.

While the visit has been planned for some time, a key aspect of the meetings now is focusing on financial transactions related to the 2,253kg of cocaine recovered from the MV Matthew cargo ship off the Cork coast.

Gardai investigating the significant seizure have identified specific payments made to individuals linked to the alleged drug-smuggling network which are believed to have originated from Dubai.

They are now trying to establish if the remittance can be linked directly to associates of the Kinahan crime group based there.

Senior gardai have said that the criminal enterprise would have had some Irish involvement, while Dubai remains the main base for much of the cartel leadership, including Christy Kinahan and his sons, Daniel and Christopher Jnr.

In total, 157m worth of cocaine was seized after the Army Ranger Wing stormed the cargo ship in a multi-agency operation on September 27.

The street value of the drugs, once cut down and sold on, would have been up to three times that estimation.

Senior detectives are now liaising with their Dubai counterparts in relation to the financial aspect of the seizure and are continuing to exchange intelligence and information.

A number of people have been arrested and charged as part of the inquiry.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said yesterday: I want to welcome our colleagues from the Dubai Police to Dublin. The Dubai Police has already provided us with great assistance with our ongoing investigations into transnational organised crime and the support from this delegation will further advance that co-operation.

This initiative is another demonstration of the value of the expansion of the Garda international network of liaison officers and visits made by myself and other senior officers to the US, Colombia, Dubai, Asia and across Europe in recent years.

These organised crime gangs cause misery not only in the countries they originate from, but across the globe.

It is only through international co-operation among law enforcement that these gangs will be disrupted and dismantled.

I want to thank the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs for their support for the expansion of the Garda international liaison network, which includes offices in the US, Colombia, Dubai, UK and Europe, with an additional office in Thailand to open shortly, Mr Harris added.

In July, a comprehensive investigative file was submitted to state prosecutors recommending that Daniel Kinahan be charged with directing an organised crime gang.

A large aspect of the case relies on compromised mobile communications  with the offence, on conviction, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Security services are also continuing to monitor the movements of Crumlin man Sean McGovern, who is wanted here to face charges of murder and involvement in the plot to kill Hutch associate James Mago Gately.

McGovern, described as Daniel Kinahans closest confidant, is still believed to be in Dubai. Work on his return to face charges before the Special Criminal Court is continuing.

While Ireland and the UAE have no formal agreement on the removal of wanted persons, Justice Minister Helen McEntee this week held discussions with her counterpart in the Emirate about a bilateral extradition agreement.

Ms McEntee also discussed the possibility of this including mutual legal assistance going forward and the transfer of sentence prisoners, while describing the phone call as productive.
"My best friend was after being killed, said Ms Carr

A Stardust patron has told an inquest jury that the fire she saw on the night of the fatal blaze was like looking into hell, describing a rainbow of colours that was mesmerising as the flames spread across the nightclub ceiling.

Christine Carr told the Dublin District Coroners Court that when she made her original statement to gardai she was traumatised as she had just lost her friend, Marie Kennedy, one of the 48 young people who died when the fire swept through the Stardust in the early hours of February 14, 1981.

Ms Carr, who was just 16 at the time and with Marie Kennedy (17) on the night, on Wednesday told the jury that she saw a wall of fire when a partition went up in the club.

Then there was a backdraft, it disappears and then youre looking into hell. It was just black, then the flames went across the ceiling, she said.

She went on to tell Gemma McLoughlin-Burke BL, a member of the coroners legal team, that she had made her original statement five days after the fire and she was traumatised and suffering from "post-traumatic stress".

"My best friend was after being killed, said Ms Carr.

She said that when the partition went up on the night, there was "a wall of fire" before the flames spread across the ceiling.

"It was all rainbow colours, greens, yellows and blues. It was mesmerising looking at it, I thought it was magnificent, she said.

She said she headed for the main entrance and people were knocking her off balance. She said she got into the lobby and could see the two doors were closed.

The lights went off, so I held my breath, then I had to breathe. [The smoke] was like tyres, it was hot and there was substance to it, like ash. The only thing I could move was my head. Then I had to breathe again, and now I have no oxygen; this is when Im going to die. My mouth was open, my head was going back, and my eyes were rolling, and I remember feeling: Oh mammy, daddy, Im going to die. My next memory is being outside on all fours, said Ms Carr.

She told of how she was taken to hospital, and her father came in with Marie Kennedys father. She said that a nurse came over to them with Marie's jewellery.

I heard my dad screaming, so then I knew she was dead, said Ms Carr.

She told Brenda Campbell KC, representing nine of the families of the victims, that when she was trying to get out, everyone was pushing forward and she heard voices saying: Open the door. She said she could hear explosions and there was panic in front of her. She said that the smoke was like hot burning tyres and ash.

Ms Carr said that she must have been carried out by the crowd, because she did not remember how she got outside.

The jury also heard evidence from Raymond English, who was 17 at the time and friends with Michael Griffiths (17), one of the people who lost their lives in the fire.

In his original statement, which was read to the jury by the court registrar, Mr English said that when he first noticed smoke coming along the ceiling, he went and opened exit four. He said it was not locked with a chain and he was the first person to open the door.

There was a crate of bottles outside, and I had to push that out of the way because people were falling over them, he said.

In a second statement made in 1981, Mr English said that he had been incorrect in originally saying that it was exit four he opened, and he was sure that it was exit five.

I was the first there. I tried to lift the push bar but it did not open. I messed around with it, and I wasnt sure whether to open it or not. A girl behind me started to scream and shout, Let me out, mister, and I then succeeded in opening the door. There were a few people behind me and they all got out. I shifted a container of bottles blocking the door. I did not see any chains or locks on the exits, he said.

Mr English told Simon Mills SC, a member of the coroners legal team, that the gardai had asked him where he was on the dance floor, and when he indicated to them what the closest exit seemed to be, they said it must have been exit five.

The only thing that I knew for definite was that there was a skip of bottles outside the door, he said.

He confirmed to Mr Mills that the jury could be satisfied that he left via the exit with a skip of bottles outside.

He said he definitely did not remember seeing any chains on the doors, nor did he remember seeing a padlock, and as far as he could remember, he had no difficulty opening them.

We obviously got out straight away, I dont recollect how hard or easy it was to get out. There was a big blue skip with castor wheels and there would have been a degree of difficulty in it, but I cant remember exactly how much, he said.

Michael OHiggins SC, representing a number of the families of those who lost their lives, put it to Mr English that evidence given by the Stardust management accepted that there were locks and chains on all the doors that night. He said that the staff agreed that there were locks and chains on the doors, in particular exit five, as did many of the patrons.

Mr OHiggins said that Harriet Reilly had given evidence that she saw a bouncer trying to open exit five by pulling the bar and kicking it, and there was a crush of people behind her. He said that David Carroll, who had worked in the Stardust previously, had given evidence that there were always locks and chains attached to the doors. Mr OHiggins said that Mr Carroll had given evidence that he ran to exit five, grabbed the bars and pulled up and down and there was no movement, and he also said he saw a chain and padlock on the door.

Mr English replied that this was not his recollection, nor did he recall people kicking the door.

Mr OHiggins also put to him the account of Derek Brown, who gave evidence that exit five was chained and several people were kicking it, and the statement of Patricia OHare, who said she saw a bouncer pulling the bars and opening the doors out.

I dont remember any of that, said Mr English.

The inquest continues on Thursday in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital.
More than 11,310 in cash was seized as well as approximately 53,100 worth of suspected cocaine, 20,000 of suspected cannabis and 4,650 in suspected alprazolam and controlled medication tablets.

A controlled explosion was carried out in a field in Limerick yesterday as gardai seized suspected firearms and ammunition in a crackdown on organised crime gangs.

The Defence Forces bomb squad was called in after a suspicious device was discovered by gardai from the Limerick Crime Functional Area as they searched the field.

A controlled explosion was carried out on the device that was later found to have been a viable explosive.

A total of eight people, including five men and three women, were arrested as gardai seized the weapons, as well as drugs and cash during a number of searches at locations in Limerick, Cork and Clare.

More than 11,310 in cash was seized as well as approximately 53,100 worth of suspected cocaine, 20,000 of suspected cannabis and 4,650 in suspected alprazolam and controlled medication tablets.

Four suspected firearms and ammunition have also been seized, gardai added. All evidence seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for further examination.

Five men were arrested during the course of this operation for offences under provisions of the Criminal Law Act, 1997, and detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Garda stations in the Limerick region.

Gardai added: One man has been released from detention and charged with separate road traffic offences. He will appear before Limerick District Court this morning.

The other four men remain in custody.

Three women who were also arrested for offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 appeared before Limerick District Court yesterday.
The cortege briefly paused outside her childhood home as locals offered silent prayers for her and her family.

Funeral cortege for Tina Satchwell driven through her home town of Fermoy

Hundreds of people lined the streets of a Cork town today at the funeral of 45-year-old Tina Satchwell whose body was discovered buried beneath the stairwell of a Youghal property more than six years after she was first reported missing.

Ms Satchwell, nee Dingivan, who was originally from Fermoy in north Cork, vanished without trace in March 2017 and was the focus of a major garda missing person hunt for six-and-a-half years.

Her body was recovered from a three-storey property in Youghal on October 12 after a Garda murder investigation which involved excavating parts of the interior and exterior of the house.

Ms Satchwell's family were overwhelmed by the dramatic developments of the past fortnight and wanted her funeral to be private to allow them mourn away from the public spotlight.

However, the Dingivan family were deeply moved by the enormous outpouring of support in Ms Satchwell's hometown of Fermoy which included more than 500 people attending a special vigil in her memory last week.

They decided that her funeral cortege would undertake a route through her childhood home of St Bernard's Place to allow Fermoy locals a chance to pay tribute to her and to say their final goodbyes. Her funeral service would be private and restricted to immediate family and close friends.

From noon, people gathered on the streets of Fermoy to offer a silent tribute as the funeral cortege passed at 12.30pm.

Locals gathered on Kent Bridge, Oliver Plunkett Hill, St Bernard Place and the Dublin Road.

Some friends of Ms Satchwell travelled from Youghal to Fermoy to pay their own personal tributes to a woman who was described as bubbly, generous, kind and outgoing.

Hundreds of people turned out to Tina Satchwell's funeral in Fermoy today.

The largest crowds were along St Bernard Place where neighbours and friends of Ms Satchwell gathered to pay their own personal tributes.

Many had grown up with her and recalled her as a bubbly teen who went to England for work.

The cortege briefly paused outside her childhood home as locals offered silent prayers for her and her family.

Many  some holding rosary beads and standing outside their homes  were overcome by the tragic ending to the six-and-a-half year garda search for Ms Satchwell.

Locals were determined to adhere to the Dingivan family's wish that: "Tina's funeral will take place privately and quietly as she lived.

Councillor Noel McCarthy, who operates a business in Fermoy, said that the north Cork community had been left reeling by the tragic events of the past fortnight.

"People were very shocked by the events of recent days. But Fermoy is a great town and people try to look out for each other here, he said.

"That is why there was such a large turnout at the vigil in Fermoy Park for Tina and why people wanted to show their respect to Tina and offer whatever solidarity they could to her family."

A special celebration of Ms Satchwells life will be staged later, likely next month.

This will involve the Fermoy community where Ms Satchwell grew up. The event is planned as a further gesture of solidarity for the Dingivan family.

Ms Satchwell's remains were returned to her family last week, five days after they were discovered and following detailed forensic and technical examinations at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Gardai discovered skeletal remains while excavating a hidden compartment in a concrete floor and walled-up area underneath the stairwell of the Youghal house.

It was confirmed via dental records that the skeletal remains were those of Ms Satchwell.

Identification was further aided by clothing, jewellery and personal items recovered with the body.

Her husband of 26 years, Richard Satchwell (57), of Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork, but originally from the East Midlands in England, has appeared in court accused of her murder. He has been remanded in custody.

More than 800 people attended separate vigils for Ms Satchwell in Youghal and her hometown of Fermoy last week.

Her heartbroken family have paid an emotional tribute to her with statements released to both public vigils.

"There are no words to describe the pain in our hearts right now Tina," a family statement read.

"If we knew the last time we met was going to be our last time we would have hugged you extra tight.

"Tina would put a smile on anyone's face  she had a very bubbly personality and was a very sociable person.

"She was always out and about with her babies Ruby and Heidi (her beloved pet dogs). She loved her fashion  she was always dressed so well.

"We will cherish the moments and all the great memories we spent with you.

"Fly high our angel  you will be in our hearts forever. We love you Tina  you are at peace now. Until we meet again, give Nanny a big hug from (us)."

Ms Satchwell's older sister, Teresa, who is based in the UK, said she prayed that her sibling can now rest in peace and be reunited with their beloved mother.

"RIP to my beautiful sister Tina - you can rest now, love. We found you love...I love and miss you," she said.

"You are now with mum  fly high my beautiful girl. Give mum a big huge hug - you will always be with me."

Teresa said her sister was "adored" by her family and friends.

She said she was "kind, considerate, funny, stylish, bubbly and independent."

An impromptu shrine of flowers, cards and candles has been erected outside the Youghal property where her remains were discovered.

Prayers for Tina and her family have been offered at Masses in Youghal and Fermoy.

She was originally from Fermoy in north Cork but had travelled to the UK in her teens where she met her husband.

The couple lived in Fermoy for many years before relocating to Youghal  a move Tina described as "a dream" given how she adored the seaside.

Despite multiple searches, public appeals for information and dozens of hours of CCTV security camera footage being examined, no trace of Tina was found until last week.

Until October 10, Tina's disappearance was formally treated as a missing person case.
It follows an operation carried out by Castleblayney gardai, backed up by members of the Armed Support Unit, who carried out a search of a premises at Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, yesterday.

Two men have been arrested and charged after gardai seized 150,000 of cannabis following a number of raids in Monaghan and Louth on Monday evening.

Both men, one aged in his 40s and the other in his 50s, were quizzed at garda stations in the Monaghan area under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977.

It follows an operation carried out by Castleblayney gardai, backed up by members of the Armed Support Unit, who searched a premises at Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, yesterday.

Officers discovered suspected cannabis with an estimated value of 70,000 on the premises which led to a follow up search in Dromiskin, Co Louth, where suspected cannabis with an approximate value of 80,000 was seized.

Gardai said the suspected drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.

Two men were arrested and detained at garda stations in the Monaghan under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, gardai added.

Both have been charged to appear before Monaghan District Court on Wednesday, October 25, at 10.30am. Investigations are ongoing.

Gardai also added that the seizure forms part of Operation Tara, the enhanced national anti-drugs strategy that was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July 2021.

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.
Denise Morgan was in a troubled relationship with Taveras and planned on leaving him

The young Irish mum who died at the hands of her jealous boyfriend in a terrible evil act in a New York murder-suicide was planning on leaving him, new reports have claimed.

Denise Morgan (39), from Tullyallen Co Louth, was planning to end her troubled relationship with Joed Taveras (33), the New York Daily News have reported.

Tragic Denise was found dead in her apartment in the Glendale area of Queens in the early hours of Saturday morning. Taveras body was also discovered at the scene.

Writing on Facebook after her murder, Denises sister Lisa described the devastation caused by her death.

"Hes a coward and is burning in hell right now . We love you forever and always baby sister until we meet again, our lives will never be the same again.

According to the New York Daily News, Denise was in a troubled relationship with Taveras and planned on leaving him.

It has been reported that she had dropped off her nine-year-old daughter from a previous relationship at her ex-husband's home before returning to the apartment.

Neighbours reportedly heard the man fighting with Denise seconds before hearing gunshots.

After they were pronounced dead at the scene, both bodies were subsequently removed by the Medical Examiners Office for post-mortem examinations.

A police source told the New York Post: "Investigators confirmed that two were in a relationship together. There doesnt appear to be any other individuals involved, A witness heard arguing, gunshots. They both lived there."

Tuesdays New York Daily News paper's lead story about the killing is headlined Desperate to leave him.

The Daily News has quoted a Victor Gonzalez as saying: She was moving out on him, and he was cheating on her. He couldnt handle it.

Greg Mullin, a friend of Denise, told NY Daily News, the Louth woman's living situation was not "good".

I shook his hand once, and I curse the day, Mullin said. This is killing us.

Meanwhile, Denise's sisters Shannon and Lisa have reportedly travelled to New York to make funeral arrangements.

Denise's sister Shannon wrote on Facebook: "No words can express the pain we are dealing with. In the blink of an eyelid, our world is broken and we are absolutely crushed.

"We are absolutely heartbroken. She was the kindest most sweetest soul I know and I cant believe Im writing this. Ive always looked up to her growing up and she carved me into the woman I am today and Im so proud to call her my sister.

The world wont be the same without you in it. I will never get over this or be the same again. We love you forever Denise."

A GoFundMe page set up to help cover the costs of repatriating Denise's remains to Ireland, states that Denise was a loving mother, caring sister and beautiful daughter.

Her love for life was contagious, it reads. The news of her murder sent shockwaves through our hearts, leaving a void that will never be filled. The circumstances surrounding her murder only serve to deepen the tragedy, reminding us of the fragility of life and the need to come together in times of darkness."

It adds: "Let us show Denise's family that they are not alone in their grief and that her impact will forever resonate through the love and support of those who cherish her."

The Cottage Bar and Restaurant in New York City, where Ms Morgan worked, paid tribute to her in a Facebook post.

It said: "The sudden loss of Denise Morgan has left us all in shock and sorrow. It is incredibly difficult to comprehend the void left by her sudden departure.

"Her warmth, kindness, and vibrant spirit will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

"Our heartfelt condolences are for her family as you mourn this profound loss. We will always appreciate the person she was."

Under the post her sister Lisa thanked those paying their respects "about our beautiful sister".

"We appreciate them so much and it eases the pain a little to know how much she was loved."

A user on X (formerly known as Twitter) who says she is Ms Morgan's cousin: "To say our whole family is devastated is an understatement.

"Our hearts are broken, we will all miss you so much Denise."

A post on Facebook read: "Thinking of Lisa and her family during this heart-breaking time", while another user posted: "Still can't get my head around this, such a sweetheart taken way too soon by a terrible evil act. RIP Denise."

A spokesperson for Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.
It has been reported that McNally had joined the man for a weekend in the city after matching with him on the Seeking Arrangement online dating site

The pair had attended U2's show in the Sphere

A woman stole $50,000 from a sugar daddy who had paid for her to go to U2s Sphere show in Las Vegas, it has been claimed

According to reports, Hailey McNally (27) sneaked out on the man, who is in his 50s, while they were watching the Dublin bands performance.

She is then alleged to have gone back to his room at the Caesars Palace and Casino where she raided the safe and made off with the cash.

She was later arrested and charged with grand larceny and residential burglary. Both charges are felonies.

McNally, who was released on bail, faces a court date on November 22.

It has been reported that McNally had joined the man for a weekend in the city after matching with him on the Seeking Arrangement online dating site.

He paid her $2,500 for her time and brought her to meet his friends at the eighth performance of U2s Las Vegas residency at the recently opened billion-dollar venue.

She then allegedly left midway through the gig and raided his safe at Caesars Palace before being arrested.

The pair had attended U2's show in the Sphere

It has been reported that the weekend had kicked off with McNally helping the man, who was drunk, into bed in his Caesars Palace room the night before.

She returned the next morning and when she found him gambling with his friends the victim gave her another $400, which she gambled and won $3,100.

According to 8NewsNow, McNally asked the victim if she could stash her purse inside the security safe in his room.

He gave her a code to unlock the safe that contained $50,000 in cash and another $7,000 in poker chips.

That Saturday night, October 14, they then attended the U2 show at the Sphere, but half-way through, McNally told the victim she needed to go the bathroom.

When she failed to return after 15 minutes he texted her asking if she was alright but she didnt reply.

After another 35 minutes, the alarmed victim called security at Caesars Palace, asking them to lock down his room.

But it was too late and when he got back to the room, he discovered the safe was empty, with both the cash and chips gone.

McNally was caught on surveillance video at about 9.30pm, about a half hour after she said she'd gone to the bathroom, entering the 24th floor of the hotel where the room was located.

Shortly after, police say, she is seen getting back on the elevator with several bags.

When she was later arrested on October 17, McNally claimed that the victim had been sexually aggressive and was touching her inappropriately which made her uncomfortable.

McNally insisted she only took her purse, other belongings and the casino chips but didnt steal the cash.

However, when police searched McNally's apartment they discovered about $11,700 in cash and another $5,200 in chips.

She's been charged with grand larceny of over $25,000 and residential burglary. Both charges are felonies.

McNally, who was released on bail, faces a court date on November 22.

Meanwhile, U2 have extended their 'Achtung Baby U2:UV' residency at Sphere through to the end of February, Billboard reports.
We are investigating this serious criminal act as attempted arson with intent to endanger life

An elderly person asleep in their bed in Belfast has been targeted after a lit firework was put through their front door.

Police said officers received a report of the incident at approximately 9.35pm on Tuesday night and said young people pushed the firework through the letterbox at the property in the Glasvey Court area of Twinbrook before running off.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector White said: Thankfully, the firework did not fully ignite, but it did cause damage.

If this firework had exploded, the end result could have been catastrophic. As such, we are investigating this serious criminal act as attempted arson with intent to endanger life.

"Don't be fooled by their fancy packaging": Consultant Plastic Surgeon warns of the dangers of fireworks

Inspector White continued: Halloween is typically a very busy time of year for emergency services and it is not uncommon to see an increase in calls reporting a range of concerns.

Fireworks are dangerous. Their misuse can have devastating and even fatal consequences. Last nights unacceptable act was extremely traumatic for the vulnerable victim.

We are increasing police patrols in the area to deter anti-social behaviour across this Halloween period, but I would ask local parents and guardians  do you know where your children are and who they are with?

We are encouraging parents to speak to their young people about firework safety, and the consequences of their actions should they participate in illegal acts.

They could end up with a criminal record which may impact their future employment and travel prospects.

Police in Northern Ireland have asked that anyone with information contact them via 101.
A medical tribunal, sitting in Manchester, found that her actions fell below standards expected of a doctor

A doctor who had claimed medical profession and government agents had schemed against her after she publicly called into question Covid jabs for young people has been suspended for a further six months.

Derry doctor Anne McCloskey had already been suspended over comments about the Covid-19 vaccination.

Now she has been handed a further suspension of six months for using her position to undermine the public health message on coronavirus.

A medical tribunal, sitting in Manchester, found that her actions fell below standards expected of a doctor and that this amounted to misconduct.

Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service considers cases against doctors where serious concerns have been raised and as a result their fitness to practise has been called into question by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The tribunal found that Dr McCloskey's actions fell below standards expected of a registered doctor and that this amounted to misconduct, which was considered serious.

Dr McCloskey who did not attend the hearing, had expressed concerns in a social media video about young people taking Covid jabs in August 2021.

She was suspended after her comments, including that young people were being coerced, bullied, bribed and cajoled into receiving the vaccine, attracted a number of complaints.

The following month a tribunal imposed an 18-month suspension.

Tribunal chair Becky Miller said her comments came at a time when the general public was "vulnerable", given the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Dr McCloskey was not simply providing guidance and information to the public, the tribunal found.

"Given the vitriolic language she had used, Dr McCloskey was causing alarm and was forcing her opinion on the general public."

The doctor who had claimed to be the victim of a conspiracy mounted a legal challenge to her suspension in June.

She told the High Court that more than 20,000 people had signed an online petition to have her reinstated.

Dr McCloskey told the court in Belfast she had her professional reputation "removed arbitrarily" and claimed others within the medical profession and government agents have schemed against her.

"I'm alleging fraud and misrepresentation," she told Mr Justice Rooney.

"Right from the beginning of the process which brought about my suspension there was a conspiracy by senior members of the medical profession, allied with government agents, to remove my licence to practise medicine".

She said she has waited two years for due process, adding: I have not had fairness or justice. There is just this word 'misinformation' and that I'm a danger to patients," she said at that time.
Their family and gardai have said they are very concerned for the well-being of both boys, who live in Kells, County Meath.

Gardai are seeking the publics help in locating two boys missing from Co Meath.

Dylan Kiernan (13) and Kyle Kiernan (12) were last seen on Monday at Belgard Road/Mayberry Road, in Tallaght, Dublin around 4pm, according to authorities.

They are not believed to be in the company of adults.

Their family and gardai have said they are very concerned for the well-being of both boys, who live in Kells, County Meath.

Both boys have been described as 5ft in height, with slim builds and short brown hair.

A garda spokesperson said: Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Dylan Kiernan, and Kyle Kiernan who are missing from their home in Kells, Co. Meath since Monday, October 23, 2023 at 6pm.

Dylan and Kyle were last seen at Belgard Road / Mayberry Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, on Monday, October 23 at approximately 4pm, they added.

Gardai said Dylan and Kyle are both five feet in height with a slim build, and short brown hair.

When last seen, both Dylan and Kyle were wearing grey tracksuits, and black jackets.

An Garda Siochana and their family are concerned for the well-being of Dylan and Kyle and are urging members of the public with any information to reach out, a spokesperson said

Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station, they added.
The first we heard of the UTA plans was when I was with my mother in her hospital bed after she was diagnosed with cancer, Mr Balinski said.

Glendalough Estate resident Count Kaz Balinski has stressed to neighbours that he was not involved in talks to house 950 Ukrainian refugees at the site, and only learnt of plans from members of the local community in Annamoe.

Mr Balinski lives in Glendalough House with his British supermodel wife Sophie Anderton and elderly mother, while other tenants live in other properties located in the estate.

His mother purchased the property in 1986 and Mr Balinski has been the principal resident at Glendalough House since 2008. Glendalough House is held in a trust owned via the Channel Islands SPV, with the Ukraine Temporary Accommodation (UTA) process executed without involving consultation with any of the residents.

The first we heard of the UTA plans was when I was with my mother in her hospital bed after she was diagnosed with cancer, Mr Balinski said.

Count Kaz Balinski and his wife Sophie Anderton

If we hadnt actually heard the news from members of the local community, then the first we would have known about it would have been from the newspaper and radio reports. The trustees arent engaging with us even though we live here.

We have been getting some flack because people felt we were involved with the talks and know of the plans, which couldnt be further from the truth. We were appalled and shocked and share the concerns of the local community over the size of the development. The infrastructure in Annamoe just isnt viable for something of this size.

The hamlet where the estate is located is in Annamoe, which has around 100 full-time residents, with the nearest shops and facilities being in the villages of Laragh and Roundwood, which are each around 6km away.

The company set to manage the site has promised regular transportation for refugees to the major towns of Bray and Wicklow, as well as on-site medical facilities, welfare services, food, cleaners and 24hr security cover.

However, Mr Balinski feels the site is not fit for purpose, and has described his own experience of his family being World War II refugees from Poland.

The whole direct provision model in this country just doesnt work, he said. The Ukrainian people are just being herded around the place as if they were cattle.

My family are World War II refugees from Poland who managed to avoid being held in sub-standard camps. The way the Ukrainian refugees are being treated is exactly what my family didnt want. My ancestors would be turning in their graves over what is being planned.

Glendalough Estate.

The residency at the Glendalough Estate will be entirely made up of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine, with arrivals taking place from November 20.

Residents will stay at the accommodation for several weeks, with support services provided at the site to assist them in adjusting to life in Ireland and to aid better integration and independence. They will live in cabins enclosed under a marquee, which will house all services.

Mr Balinski also lived in Liberia during the tumultuous Civil War period and has nothing but sympathy for the Ukrainian nationals seeking protection in Ireland.

I lived there for seven years through the end of the Civil War, the National Transitional Government of Liberia years and into Ellen Johnson Sirleaf regime and was instrumental in the mobilization and security of several internal displacement communities, as well as founding the DYAP to rehabilitate several thousand post-war ex-combatants displaced in Monrovia, he said.

Whilst the Liberian Government and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) designed displacement camps for small numbers with a lifespan of between six and nine months in 2003, the camps had grown to townships by the time that I left the country in 2009.

In response to local concerns, Senator Pat Casey and Cllr Shay Cullen have held several community meetings and are aiming to make the plans as positive as possible for all parties.

We held a meeting on Tuesday night and three public reps were elected for Annamoe, Roundwood and Laragh, said Senator Casey.

We also held a meeting on Friday and plan to engage with the liaisons officers involved with the development, so we can ask some questions on how the whole process will work. We are assuming the plans will go ahead and we want to discuss what will work best for the community and the Ukrainian nationals to try and make it as positive as we can for both.
Huge explosion in space could hold the secret of where life came from

An Irish astronomer has made a major contribution to a significant discovery that could help explain where all life comes from.

Dr Mark Kennedy of University College Corks school of physics has co-authored a paper published in Nature today outlining the findings from one of the most powerful explosions ever witnessed.

The exceptionally bright blast  a gamma-ray burst known as GRB 230307A  happened when two neutron stars met and merged into one, known as a kilonova.

That caused a vast explosion that rippled across the universe. It could be seen from Earth, and scientists, including Dr Kennedy, observed it using a variety of ground- and space-based telescopes.

They watched as the collision created an explosion more than a million times brighter than our entire Milky Way galaxy.

In the aftermath of the explosion, researchers spotted an important chemical element named tellurium. That is one of the vital materials needed to sustain life on Earth, and the discovery could help explain how it first came about.

Scientists believe these explosions could also be the source of other key materials needed for life on Earth, such as iodine and thorium.

Using data collected through the European Southern Observatorys New Technology Telescope in Chile, Dr Kennedy helped to discover an optical counterpart to the kilonova.

As a result of this discovery, Nasas new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).was used to observe the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst and its associated kilonova.

Dr Kennedy said when the JWST was launched researchers were hopeful of making a discovery like this one, but only now has that hope turned to reality.

An image from the Webb Telescope's Near-Infrared Camera, highlighting the GRB 230307A's kilonova.

"It's a pretty big deal in terms of finally filling that gap of where all those heavier elements in the periodic table come from. We've thought for a long time that they should be produced in supernovae, which are the explosions that massive stars undergo at the end of their lives.

"But our observations of supernovae have only led us up to being able to find particular heavy elements, not the ones that we're able to now find within a kilonova, which is what the very exciting thing is.

While observing through the telescope in Chile  remotely, from his dining room in Cork  several hours after the blast, Dr Kennedy and his colleagues realised that a new object had appeared in the night sky right where the burst had come from.

By the end of it, while I was also very excited, my overwhelming feeling was exhaustion. It was my first night of a night shift and that normally means that I do about 26 hours in a row without sleep. So by the end of it, you don't have a lot of thoughts other than: I need to go to bed.

The two neutron stars that merged in this event were kicked out of their home galaxy and travelled around 120,000 light-years  about the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy  before merging several hundred million years later.

Lead author of the study, Andrew Leavan of Radboud University and the University of Warwick, said: Just over 150 years since Dmitri Mendeleev wrote down the periodic table of elements, we are now finally in the position to start filling in those last blanks of understanding where everything was made, thanks to Webb.

There is more research to be done, however, meaning there could be lots more sleepless nights in store for Dr Kennedy as scientists continue to push their theories forward following this exciting discovery.
David Byrne says he has nothing and has been given only false promises from the Government

David Byrne in the attic of his house which was substantially damaged in the tornado.

Wexford man David Byrne says he has nothing after the damage to his house in Foulskmills.

The damage to the rear of David Byrne's house is plain to see almost one year on from the tornado.

One year on from seeing his dream home destroyed following a tornado, David Byrne says he has nothing and has been given only false promises from the Government.

Standing outside the shell of the house he spent nine years saving for, David said: Im as good as homeless.

David was just back in the country on November 2 last year when he got a call about the tornado, which went on to destroy parts of several homes, including his own and family members nearby, all in a matter of minutes.

David was planning to move into the house with his partner  with whom he had hopes to start a family  this year.

He had been staying nearby with his parents at the home place when home from his job driving a truck abroad.

I couldnt believe it. It took almost a week for it to sink in. The shock is gone now. Its not about the money anymore, its the principle of it. It was days before anyone from the Government came out and when they came out they were promising the sun, moon and the stars.

David Byrne at the entrance to his house in Foulksmills.

The tornado destroyed the gable end of the house, lifted the roof and blew out most of the windows.

It was like a violent explosion. A neighbour said it was 90 seconds passing through here. You couldnt write it!

He attended a meeting at Clongeen Hall a few weeks later but all he got was false promises, he says.

We met Heather Humphreys at the Emigrant Park launch earlier this year but everything just keeps coming back negative.

The self build cost David all of his savings. He said he wasnt able to get insurance because of how he was building the house over several years.

If you go back to 2008 when there was a recession I was one of the many who left, for Australia. When I came back I decided I was going to build a house. I got it up to the floor. I couldnt get a mortgage and I managed this much and worked hard for it.

A small mortgage would have finished the house. It was wired and plumbed and completely weather proofed on the outside.

"It was like a house you could nearly move into. You could get insurance for 12 months and extend it for 18 months, but this was a longer build.

David was also refused insurance as he wasnt living in it and it was deemed uninhabitable.

Wexford man David Byrne says he has nothing after the damage to his house in Foulskmills.

He said putting sheeting over the property and protecting it would cost him tens of thousands.

Ive been told it has to come down, apart from the stonework. This happened. There was no warnings. Its not like in Cork where there were warnings. This was an extreme weather event. When you mention there was a tornado here people laugh. Many people still dont have a notion about it.

He said politicians came out and got their picture taken and that was all.

We had to clear this all up. All Wexford County Council gave us was a skip. For about two weeks we were all here digging in together. My brother lost the roof of his house. The lady across the road lost the roof. Her house was destroyed. She was a teacher working all her life and she was left for Christmas with no roof on her house. The water came in and destroyed everything. Almost one year on from the freak weather event, he has no idea what will happen with the property and when he will be able to afford to rebuild it.

He is now in a situation where he is effectively homeless.

In a letter David received on Friday October 13, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: I can only imagine the mental toll this has taken and I hope you are beginning to recover.

He said several governmental departments were engaged in the issue in November and December and met with Wexford County Council to discuss it and the initial clean-up operation.

I want to assure you the Government was aware of the issue at the highest levels and it has been discussed on numerous occasions among Ministers.

David Byrne in the attic of his house which was substantially damaged in the tornado.

He said it is primarily the insurance industrys role to insure people against the kind of damage that was caused in Foulksmills, adding that it would not be right for the Government or taxpayers to displace that role.

Mr Varadkar directed David to some schemes, which ultimately are not going to be able to assist him and advised him to contact Wexford County Council.

I know this response will be disappointing but I hope you can understand our position...More generally extreme weather events are becoming more prevalent, and it is clear that we need to start planning for that, including assessing how our existing schemes work. This has been made more evident by the distress that you and other families in Foulksmills have experienced in the aftermath of such an event.

David said: All I got was more or less a bullshit letter from Leo Varadkar, who pretty much said it wouldnt be fair on the taxpayers to fund this, as I wasnt insured. Im paying tax since I was 16 years of age. My whole family have paid tax all our lives. I dont want to take anyones money at all. Theres been talk of a GoFundMe page since the start. People want to do something.

David said the Government are funding Cork businesses impacted by the flooding earlier this month but there isnt one cent for him.

Its like they have something against rural Irish people. Ive lost sleep over this. Its been hard on my partner. Its not about the money, but its how we were left down. Ive to look at the house. My neighbours have to look at it. Id have rather knocked it down in the first week. The roof alone on this house cost over 30,000. The price of wood has gone up 300pc.

Could the Government not give me a kickstart. Could they not give me the VAT back. This was my hard money. I work long hours truck driving and Im away nearly all of the time. David (41) said: There is a lot of anger in the community. A lot of let down. I dont qualify for anything at all. I dont qualify for any grant as its not a derelict house. Im stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ive been with Wexford County council since the start of this and they sent us up to Dublin and in this letter Leo Varadkar states talk to Wexford County Council maybe they can do something. He said the tornado could have went through a school or the village. Their attitude is just because it was a couple of houses theyll get over it. Were not getting over it. There are people who have their houses and their back on their feet, but theyre still not over it. The past few weeks have taken a huge toll on David and as the one year anniversary comes up, emotions are running high.

The plan was to have it completed last spring and move it. We wanted to make a family and settle down.

Its too much. To start again and get a mortgage, Ill be a pensioner before Im finished. Its not much of an asset I have here. He said a working man like him gets nothing. How can they pay to build a home for someone and pay for them not to work as well. This Government needs to change its whole attitude.

Pointing to the shower trays and the wiring in the attic, along with the chimney, David said: They all have to come down. It was all partitioned up here but I had to knock the partitions down.

I cant get insurance now and Im stuck with a demolition charge. Everyone wants to come in here and help but I cant have them. Im sort of caught between a rock and a hard place.
Working towards a milestone general election while trying to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the north of the country is the current focus for Lieutenant Colonel Emily Hume and other personnel in South Sudan.

The African nation faces many challenges including political instability, civil war, a humanitarian crisis, ethnic and tribal tensions, and economic hurdles.

Around 18,000 personnel are deployed to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, making it the largest peacekeeping mission in the world.

Dunedin-born Lieutenant Colonel Hume, who now calls Wellington home, is the New Zealand Defence Forces senior national officer on the ground.

Shes responsible for the welfare of the Kiwi contingent which works alongside military partners from a range of nations, UN Police, UN civilians and humanitarian agencies, to help monitor peace agreements, protect civilian sites and support the delivery of aid.

It has always been the case in South Sudan, people see the UN, they see the blue flag, they see the locations in which we have troops and they do come to that. They see that as a safe haven, somewhere they will be protected and can get help, says Lieutenant Colonel Hume.

Lieutenant Colonel Emily Hume and United Nations Mission in South Sudan colleagues, on International day of the UN Peacekeeper.

This is her third overseas deployment, after stints in the Solomon Islands and Lebanon.

She spent her teenage years at Christchurchs Villa Maria College, where she caught the military bug during three days of student work experience at Burnham Military Camp.

By the time her mum came to pick her up, Lieutenant Colonel Hume knew she wanted to join the New Zealand Army.

Now the 36-year-old is the deputy chief in charge of long-term planning for 14,000 UNMISS military personnel, liaising with teams across South Sudan, the mission headquarters, and UN headquarters in New York.

Within weeks of arriving, Lieutenant Colonel Hume was asked to lead a military capability study, analysing whether the mission had enough military resources - and the right type - to achieve its mandated tasks.

Shes thankful for that early opportunity, which saw her visit UNMISS section headquarters in Juba, Tomping, Wau, Bentiu, Malakal and Bor, and gain an insight the difficulties of operating in some environments.

It really gives you an appreciation of the challenges on the ground faced by the contingents that are there, including accessing areas of increased tensions in a country with limited roading infrastructure and a lack of any early warning systems.

It was great to see all those places and appreciate the diversity of South Sudan. Its not all dry and barren, there are large areas of fertile land, supporting huge herds of cattle. Cattle raiding is a big issue here, further exacerbating existing ethnic tensions.

Lieutenant Colonel Emily Hume in Bor with colleagues from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

Witnessing the poverty and hardship which many South Sudanese live in, had been the most challenging aspect of her deployment.

Thats probably the hardest thing, realising theres no difference between you and these people that youre trying to support here, its just the circumstances that most of them are born into.

It provides motivation to want to support them and do what you can through the UN and partner agencies to improve their lives.

She says in a population of around 11 million people, around 8.3 million are reliant on humanitarian aid, and the aid system had come under further pressure since the conflict in neighbouring Sudan erupted in April.

Lieutenant Colonel Hume said the UN was focused on trying to avoid a humanitarian crisis in areas that border Sudan, which have experienced an influx of returnees to South Sudan, refugees and internally displaced people fleeing the escalating violence.

That is obviously creating a challenging environment.

At the same time, the mission was focused on next years planned general elections - the first since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

There hasnt been a lot of clarity yet around the elections for December 2024, but that is the overall role which were all working towards, making sure that we have the right settings in place to support a successful election for the people of South Sudan.

While the mission was a long way from home, Lieutenant Colonel Hume said its important for New Zealand to support the South Sudanese because life is very tough for many of them.

New Zealand's participation in UNMISS demonstrates its commitment to global peace and stability, contributing to the international effort to prevent violence and protect vulnerable populations.

For Lieutenant Colonel Hume, the most rewarding element of being in South Sudan was seeing where the UN had been able to support communities.

Whether its the Quick Impact Project which provides clean water, whether its supporting a local community with schooling, whether its the rebuilding of a prison or cells so at least they can have a functioning jail system, whether its a report of a violation and UN patrols going out, investigating, and then people being held accountable for their actions.

Lieutenant Colonel Emily Hume visiting Malakal as part of a Military Capability Study for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

She says the days and weeks on deployment were going by quickly, and shes enjoying her job.

Working with the people you do, on the problems and challenges that are posed to you as a team that you have to work through, its just fantastic.

Im looking forward to the remainder of the mission and what UNMISS can achieve for the people of South Sudan.

New Zealand has supported peace efforts in South Sudan through this current mission since 2011, and prior to South Sudans independence New Zealand contributed personnel to the UN Mission in Sudan from 2005 to 2011.
WARNING: This article contains descriptions of partner and family violence, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, that some readers may find disturbing.

As a Police recruit, Jaimie-Leigh struggled with unresolved childhood trauma of psychological and sexual harm.

It affected all her relationships, her mental and physical health, so during her initial training at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) she embarked on a significant healing and wairua journey.

Now, 18 years later, Jaimie-Leigh is a detective in CIB, formerly of the Adult Sexual Assault (ASA) team, and she is speaking out on Breaking Silence, a documentary series that investigates the many faces of abuse victims in New Zealand.

In episode six of the current series of Breaking Silence, Jaimie-Leigh shares her experience and how she uses it to bring empathy and understanding to her work in the ASA team.

It is testament to the truth that dreams can come true, she says, and that your past need not dictate your future.

I want to acknowledge the impact generational trauma can have on whanau and why this aspect is so important to break the family harm cycle."

What she discovered altered her life in such a way that she is now sharing some of her journey in the hope that it will inspire others who are struggling to believe that it is possible to dream big and achieve their goals.

In my journey to wellness Ive researched, experienced, read and trained in many different forms of healing modalities to overcome the adversity and negative emotions that Ive been carrying and were holding me back, she says.

It is the commitment to change, to look within and do the emotional healing work, which takes courage, patience and fortitude but ultimately results in a more balanced way of life.

Part of the healing process was returning - as a police officer, with Blue Light - to Cholmondeley Respite Care home for children, where she had spent time as a child after her father left the family when she was eight years old.

Detective Jaimie-Leigh.

One child asked a staff member if it was true Jaimie-Leigh had been a child there and made the comment: Then my dreams can come true.

This, says Jamie-Leigh, was a pivotal aha moment that encouraged her to share her story to guide others on their own healing pathway of change.

-Police Ten One Magazine.
House price rises are likely to be led by the cities this time, economist Tony Alexander says.

His latest property data research has compared activity and prices in regions around New Zealand, and shows that while some are picking up strongly, others are still lagging.

"I expect all markets are going to rise and my view for over a year has been that the upward leg of the price cycle for New Zealand this time will be led by the cities, he says.

I had thought it would be mainly Auckland, but Wellington has surprising strength in there as well  so Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The regions will lag, but prices will rise there as well. Its not a 1990s desert-the-regions situation.

But I do have a view that the price gains will be stronger in cities over the cycle this time than the regions and a lot of that is migration population growth.

He says Auckland, Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Manawatu/Whanganui, Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough, Canterbury, Queenstown and Dunedin were all showing signs of prices picking up.

The return of foreign students is probably helping Aucklands housing market, he says, and the city looks under-priced compared with its long-term trend. Real Estate Institute data for September shows median house sale prices picking up 1.4 per cent.

In Wellington, a lack of stock is helping to boost prices.

Tony says over the past four months, prices have risen almost five per cent from their pandemic low.

Canterbury prices held up better than the rest of the country through the downturn, he says.

The region has been reporting better than average price changes since the June quarter of 2021 but now has settled to a pace matching the NZ change. Maybe the catch-up is over? We shall see. I suspect there is more to come.

In Queenstown, prices are soaring, says Tony, and that's likely to continue due to people moving into the area and economic growth supported by tourism.

Southland prices rose by 2.3 per cent in the September quarter, compared to 1.8 per cent nationwide.

Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, Manawatu and Whanganui all recorded price increases, but more muted ones. The Real Esttate Institute says Marlborough has a 66.7 per cent increase in sales year-on-year in September.

On the other side of the ledger were areas such as Taranaki, Waikato, Northland and Hawkes Bay.

Northlands prices have continued to slip, although the pace of decline has slowed.

There is a lagged relationship between Aucklands housing market changing and similar changes happening in Northland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato. This suggests we will see average price rises soon in Northland as a response to the price gains already being recorded in Auckland.

Waikato price declines appear to have ended, says Tony, although they are not firmly rising yet. The West Coast has not shown clear signs of picking up yet, either.

In Taranaki, despite not having seen the house price increases of recent years that other regions have, prices are not yet picking up sharply.

Maybe the depressing impact of falls in dairy incomes, near irrelevance of the boom in immigration to the local population, and compression of the energy sector. Still, my expectation remains of a good price performance for the next three to five years as the just-starting upward leg of the NZ house price cycle continues.

Hawkes Bay stands out as the worst performer, he says, with no clear sign that the house price declines have ended.

Prices on average fell by three per cent in the September quarter whereas they rose 1.8 per cent nationwide. This is the weakest result for all region. A view I have been expressing for a year and continue to do so is that much as Hawkes Bay is a very attractive location, there is a risk that new house supply growth exceeds short-term population growth. This arises because the pandemic induced some earlier than planned movement of people out of the cities to the region and now, we are in a period when people who would normally be moving there have already done so.

Tony says people looking for capital gains could still find them by investing in some of the cheaper areas, such as Southland.

Historically prices down there do tend to rise not all that much less than most other parts of the country. People have historically got good yields down there as well.

But he says the excitement and focus of the market tends to be the big cities and investors who buy properties in areas they are not familiar with will need to ensure they understand the characteristics and risks of any place they are considering.

-Susan Edmonds/Stuff.
Reports are coming in of a crash on the Bayfair flyover.

Tauranga City Council says there has been a crash on the new Te Maunga Underpass.

"The eastbound lane from Bayfair Flyover onto the TEL is blocked," says a council spokesperson.

"Emergency Services are on scene.

"Expect significant delays between Bayfair Flyover and Sandhurst Off Ramp East Bound on TEL."

A SunLive reader has emailed to to say traffic is at a standstill near the flyover.

"A vehicle is on it's side and trucks and traffic are all at a stand still on flyover heading to Papamoa."

About this crash, a police spokesperson says:

"Police were alerted to a single-vehicle crash on Maunganui Road shortly after 10.30am."

"One person has received minor injuries, and is being checked by ambulance."

"The road has now cleared."

At the scene?

Call 0800 SUNLIVE or email photos to newsroom@thesun.co.nz
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One of the most iconic sights along the Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical in summer is the dug-out boats belonging to traditional beach bars or chiringuitos in which espetos  sardine skewers are grilled in open fires. However, in Almunecar-la Herradura, complaints from local residents and visitors about the smoke and embers that the boats create has led to one having to temporarily close and make staff redundant.

The issue has been causing unease among the town's beach bars since 2019 when the council issued a number of warnings to local 'chiringuitos' about limiting the amount of smoke and smells that the boats produce.

Following a complaint from a tenant in a property on Almunecars San Cristobal promenade Almunecar-La Herradura town hall has closed the 'espeto' boat at the Dorada de Plata chiringuito, one of the most emblematic establishments on the Granada coastline, it has even appeared in Forbes magazine as one of the best beach bars in Spain. This decision has angered the owner, who has temporarily closed the establishment as he is unable to use the barbecue boat to grill the fish.

According to the town hall the decision was taken at the last council meeting where the Local Police were ordered to seal the boat and start a case against the 'chiringuito', a process which had to be processed because of a complaint from a private individual. The council has asked the owner to solve the smoke problem with corrective measures such as extractor hoods over the boat.

A tradition dating back to 1966

This is not the first time a chiringuito has been ordered to stop using its espeto boat. The town hall also received complaints about the Puerta del Mar 'chiringuito' and they were also ordered to solve the smoke problem.

The owner of La Dorada de Plata says that it has been grilling sardines in its boat since 1966 and that now 18 people have lost their jobs as customer numbers have fallen by 90 per cent. We can't continue the activity, said Francisco Mingorance, 58, from the 'chiringuito'.

"There are more than 400 homes on San Cristobal beach and they sealed my boat because of the complaint of one resident," Mingorance said. He claims that the person who lodged the complaint lives in the Mariote building, located 67 metres from the 'chiringuito' and his flat does not overlook the promenade.

"I don't understand how he can be bothered by the smoke from so far away and above all how they have identified it as mine when there are many other restaurants in the area. I don't understand why I am the only one who has to take action," he pointed out and added that he has got his lawyer involved.
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Andalucia is steeped in history, and its castles rise as silent witnesses of bygone eras. Among the many fortifications found throughout the region, one of the most fascinating treasures is in Banos de la Encina, in Jaen province. This castle, known as Burgalimar castle, stands proudly on a small hill and is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing historical landmarks in Spain.

This imposing castle was built in 968 by the caliph of Cordoba, Alhaken II, making it the oldest in Spain and the second oldest in Europe. Its initial purpose was to defend the Al-Andalus border, and this statement is supported by an inscription found on the castle gate, the original of which is preserved in the Madrid National Archaeological Museum.

The initial construction of the castle was exceptionally complete, with walls, towers and powerful battlements, in addition to an impressive adaptation to the surrounding topography that allowed it to be useful for many centuries.

Interior of the fortress. Castillos y Fortalezas de Jaen.

In the 11th century, with the fragmentation of the Cordoba caliphate, Burgalimar castle became a point of conflict in the struggles between Muslims and Christians. Several Christian rulers such as Alfonso VII of Leon and Alfonso VIII of Castilla managed to conquer it at different times, although their control fluctuated. It was not until 1225, with the decisive effort of Fernando III de Castilla, that the castle came fully under Christian rule.

In the fifteenth century, modifications were made to the castle, including the construction of the imposing Tower of Homenaje. This tower marked an adaptation to Christian architectural canons and pointed towards the people, reflecting the feudal custom of the time.

The fortress is surrounded and flanked by a robust wall with fourteen towers quadrangular in caliphal style which are the same height as the wall. The interior houses a parade ground, in which there is a cistern covered by a half-barrel vault. In addition, you can see the vestiges of a small fort from the Christian era, which divided the parade ground into two parts.

Parts of the castle. Arteguas

Burgalimar castle, with its invaluable historical and artistic value, was declared a National Monument in 1931.

Today, the Banos de la Encina tourist office offers guided tours of this fortress for 4.50 euros for adults and two euros for children. These visits not only delve into the medieval characteristics of this monument, but also into the archaeological finds that have been discovered on the site, dating back to the prehistoric period.
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Picasso's birthplace museum, the Casa Natal, is celebrating the 36th Picasso October from 25 October until 29 November. This annual event commemorates the birth of the Malaga artist and focuses on promoting his life and work from a different perspective of his biography to unveil lesser-known aspects.

This series of activities is supported by the Spanish National Commission for the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso as part of the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023, with the backing of Telefonica.

On Picasso's 142nd birthday, 25 October, a jazz concert will be held in the auditorium of the Casa Natal titled Jazz in Picasso's Paris, performed by the Hot Swing Trio, led by Javier Navas.

This concert, which starts at 7pm, will feature the vibraphone to revive the musical style that emerged in France in the 1930s.

The next event will be on 28 October, when there will be a theatrical poetry recital called Picasso: El Entierro del Conde Orgaz. Four actors and a musician will bring to life excerpts from Picasso's last literary text, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, in a world premiere performance by the Angel Baena company. There will be four, 20-minute showings, at 8pm, 8.30pm, 9pm, and 9.30pm, with a capacity of 15 people for each performance.

The auditorium of the Casa Natal is also the venue for the presentation of the book 'Picasso. Conversations Book,' by its compiler, Rafael Inglada, and its editor, Raul Alonso. This event will take place on 31 October at 7pm when the poet, editor, and Picasso biographer will share the story behind this publication, which compiles 130 interviews and conversations, most of which are unknown in Spain. Picasso is present in all of them, even in his silences. In this book, Picasso is heard as an artist, but also a human being: the family man, his private world and more

On 13 November 13, the 36th Picasso October will move to the headquarters of the Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais, where at 7pm, a roundtable discussion will be moderated by Jose Maria Luna, the director of the Public Agency for the Management of the Casa Natal, other museums and facilities. Two talks (in Spanish) will be presented, Tantas Veces Picasso (So Many Times Picasso) by Rafael Inglada, a Picasso biographer, and Pollos y Leones (Chickens and Lions) by Mario Virgilio Montanez, Head of Cultural Promotion at the Casa Natal. The discussion will analyse how the perception of Picasso has evolved.

On 21 November, 7pm, the art historian Nadia Hernandez Henche, will deliver a lecture (in Spanish) titled Objetivo Picasso. La Picassofobia en el tardofranquismo (Objective Picasso: Picasso-phobia in Late Francoism). The presentation will focus on the attacks suffered by Spanish bookstores and art galleries by far-right groups at the end of 1971, including the destruction of prints from the 'Suite Vollard' in Madrid. These attacks were aimed at tarnishing Picasso's name and, despite the lack of an official response, they prompted artistic responses and private projects in his honour. These events demonstrate how Picasso inspired critical and intellectual attitudes during the Franco regime.

On 28 November, the book Un Extranjero Llamado Picasso (A Foreigner Called Picasso) will be presented by its author, Annie Cohen-Solal. This work reveals how, during a period that spanned World War I, the Nazi occupation and the rivalries of the Cold War, Picasso had to become a strategist and fight to preserve his work, his career, and his life in general until he finally left Paris for good in 1955. The artist never became a French citizen, but he enriched and revitalised its culture like few other figures in the history of the country. The presentation will take place at 7pm.

Lastly, on 29 November at 7pm, Pablo Salazar, a researcher, will deliver a lecture titled En el Nombre de la Madre: Maria Picasso Lopez (1855-1938) (In the Name of the Mother: Maria Picasso Lopez (1855-1938)), which will reveal new aspects of Picasso's relationship with his mother, based on constant contact and the exchange of confidences.

As part of the Picasso October, the archives of the Casa Natal, in conjunction with the Culture Department of the City of Malaga, is organising various activities including the 17th edition of Picasso in the Libraries, where tribute will be paid to the life and work of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
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The Balcon de Europa Hotel, located on Nerjas iconic viewpoint of the same name, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It was the first major large hotel in the town when it opened its doors on 20 July 1963.

The hotel opened just three years after the Nerja Cave was opened to the public. The discovery of the cave in January 1959 and its subsequent opening to the public in June 1960 heralded the start of mass tourism to the Costa del Sols eastern-most town. At that time, Enrique Gonzalez who was originally from the Basque region but was based in Madrid and his wife Mara Martinez, bought a plot of land next to La Caletilla cove in Nerja.

They built the hotel which was completed in February 1963 and welcomed their first guests in July. Since then, thousands of tourists have stayed in its rooms, which overlook the Mediterranean Sea.

The hotel was extended 10 years later and has since it has seen various modernisations and renovations. It now has nine floors, 108 rooms and a four-star rating. It employs around 80 members of staff.

Spanish TV series

Millions of guests have passed through the Hotel Balcon de Europa over the last six decades, including the stars of the hit Spanish TV series Verano Azul. During the filming between 1979 and 1980 the hotel was used as the headquarters and both its director, Antonio Mercero, and almost all the cast, including Antonio Ferrandis who played Chanquete, a local fisherman, slept in its rooms. The hotel offices were used by the film crew to store material and the Balcon de Europa featured heavily in the series.

Other illustrious guests include the Argentinean Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who was friends with the hotels founders. According to the hotel's communications director, Miguel Colas, the members of the Spanish music group Los del Rio, together with their families, also stay here, "thanks to the friendship that united them with Don Enrique and Mara which continues now with the current owner".

Colas added, "A large number of celebrities and famous people have stayed at our hotel, due in part to the friendship with its founder and, of course, because of its privileged location.

The hotel is owned and managed by Mara and Enriques niece Ana Maria Colas, along with her three children. The hotels guests are loyal, with many returning year after year. On average it is 90 per cent full all year round and 100 per cent full during the summer months. Most guests nowadays are foreign, with British and Irish at the head of the list, although it is becoming more and more popular with Scandinavians. In the summer months there are more Spanish guests. The average stay is around four days.

Sustainability

As well as accommodation, which can be room-only, half or full board, the hotel also offers a swimming pool on the fifth floor, a small spa and gym. The Beach Club nautical restaurant, is open to guests and non-guests alike and last year a pedestrian path was created next to the hotel, which connects the promenade under the Balcon de Europa with the Salon beach, through the Chanquete viewpoint, where there is a sculpture of the legendary actor from the Verano Azul series.

The managers point out that they have focused on sustainability in recent years, with a complete renovation of the windows and balconies, as well as the installation of photovoltaic panels and aerothermal solar energy for hot water, heating and air conditioning. All the rooms have also been soundproofed and have a full-speed fibre optic service.
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Estepona is to officially open its new Mirador del Carmen auditorium on 30 October with the Ciudad de Estepona poetry award ceremony. Entrance is free to the event and Francisco Contreras Molina, known as Nino de Elche, will give a recital, according to the town hall.

The opening of the auditorium comes seven months after the rest of the building, which includes a library and the towns first music conservatory, was opened.

Some 1,511 entries were submitted for the poetry competition, which is now in its third year, including submissions from poets across Andalucia and other regions in Spain as well as Central and South America, across Europe, the USA, China, Morocco and Turkey.

This years winner is 'Paisaje nevado con patinadores y trampa para pajaros' (Snowy landscape with skaters and bird trap) by Mexican poet and doctor Orlando Mondragon. He will receive a prize of 6,000 euros and his poem will be published by the publisher Pre-Textos.

Nostalgia

The jury considered that it was a serene and peaceful book, "as the best way of dealing with nostalgia that does not wish to hurt or be hurt, a collection of poems that delves into a world far from cliches and with great poetic intensity".

Orlando Mondragon (Ciudad Altamirano, 1993) made his literary debut in 2017 with 'Epicedio al padre', with which he won the fourth Alejandro Aura young poets award. He received a scholarship from the Mexican literary foundation in 2019 and won the 34th International Loewe Poetry Prize in 2021 with his book 'Cuadernos de patologia humana' (Visor, 2022).

In addition to the recital of Nino de Elche, there will also be a conversation between Manuel Borras, editor of the winning poem and Alejandro Simon Partal, writer and coordinator of the prize.

"The extraordinary participation with works received from across Spain and from practically all Latin American countries, confirms the relevance of this literary prize, which in just a few years has established itself as one of the most sought-after by Spanish-speaking poets, said Simon Partal.
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Malaga local Antonio Banderas has responded after star actress Meryl Streep made a special mention of Malaga in her speech at the Princess of Asturias Awards last week.

Querida Meryl.

Creo que hay un monton de gente que trabajan en un pequeno teatro en #Malaga que se sienten orgullosos solo de oir el nombre de su ciudad en tu boca, y en las especiales circunstancias en las que lo has mencionado.

Gracias amiga.@TeatroDelSoho @caixabank pic.twitter.com/SiTsXcynxm  Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) October 20, 2023

On his official X account, the actor and director said: "those who work in a small theatre in Malaga feel proud just to hear the name of their city from your mouth and in the special circumstances in which you have mentioned it". "Thank you, my friend".

Some days before the ceremony in Oviedo in Asturias, Streep enjoyed a friendly chat with Banderas at the Oviedo exhibition centre. Some 2,000 people packed the venue to attend the unscripted one-on-one between the two legendary actors. Banderas spoke of his parents, acknowledging them for taking him and his brother to Malaga to the theatre, and it seems his words struck a chord with the American actress who, in her speech at the Princess of Asturias Awards on Friday 20 October, paid homage to the city.

"The most important part of our work is to make every day accessible and felt by the audience sitting in a small theatre in Malaga," Streep said, after accepting the Princess of Asturias Award by Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI and their two daughters.

Earlier, she has also referenced another Malaga local, artist Pablo Picasso. Asking herself "who am I, a nice middle-class girl from New Jersey, to dare to step into the shoes of the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom? Or a Polish Holocaust survivor? Or the arbiter of good taste in the world of fashion?", she then responded with a quote from the famous painter: "Imitating others is necessary. To imitate oneself is pathetic".
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Marbellas mayor Angeles Munoz received the Lithuanian ambassador to Spain, Lyra Puisyte-Bostroem at the town hall last Friday 20 October in a bid to strengthen commercial and cultural ties between the two countries.

Munoz, who also welcomed the countrys honorary consul in Malaga, Enrique Sanchez, highlighted the direct flights between Lithuania and Malaga, which she said, facilitates the relationship between the two countries.

Munoz also stressed that the meeting has served to highlight Marbellas attractions so that "the citizens of the country who decide to have a second home will choose us".

The ambassador highlighted the importance of the new consulate, which will offer services from Marbella to the provinces of Malaga, Granada, Almeria and Jaen. "We are grateful for the warm welcome of the and we also encourage Andalusians to get to know our country," said Puisyte-Bostroem.

Sanchez said, "I hope to represent the Lithuanians in the area as well as possible" and added in reference to Marbella, "There is no better place to visit and do business.
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One of Andalucia's main production areas for chestnuts in the Serrania de Ronda has suffered a catastrophic harvest due to the drought affecting the region

Just 15% of the crop was harvested, around 750,000 kilos, in the Genal Valley when a good harvest usually results in 5,000,000 kilos. "It is the worst crop in the history of chestnuts," said Francisco Boza, grower and head of farming association COAG in Andalucia.

Many producers have even opted not to harvest the chestnut. "The warehouses closed around 11 October, the Genalguacil cooperative has not opened, the second grade cooperatives, Jubrique, Genalguacil, closed on 14th .... and the quality, due to gnomoniopsis (a fungus), has not been the best. The disaster has been confirmed," he added.

Boza said the situation is also dire in similar producing areas in Spain and the rest of Europe. "The drought and the heat have ruined the crop everywhere," he said, pointing out that this is the fifth consecutive year of bad harvests. "People may not see it as profitable and may stop maintaining their farms, a reference crop in the valley and one that has helped so much, for example, in the last two fires in the area, the fire did not intensify because the plots were clean," he said.

More aid

While acknowledging that the Andalusian government has eased the situation via its agri-environmental aid, which is already in place and compatible with that for maintenance or conversion to organic, which would mean an amount of around 500 euros per hectare, Boza said the sector will ask the Andalusian regional government for more aid to make up for some of the losses.
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The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia has declared inadmissible the dismissal of a bakery employee who was caught urinating in containers used for the production of items for human consumption by a hidden video surveillance camera.

The CCTV was sited in area where employees changed clothes but the installation of the recording device was not signed or notified to the staff. For this reason, the magistrates declared the workers sacking inadmissible and ordered the company to compensate the worker to the tune of 25,000 euros.

The incident dates back to October 2018, when the employee with an indefinite contract from the Cafe de la Estacion de Sants, in Barcelona, received notification of her dismissal for, as stated in the judgement, a transgression of good contractual faith and abuse of confidence in the performance of work.

The Neucroissant company said that they hired the services of an investigative company in August of that year, who verified how the worker while carrying out production work in the area enabled for this activity, squatted, urinated inside a bowl, throwing its contents in the sink, rinsing the bowl in water and depositing it with the rest of the clean utensils, that later they were going to be used in production tasks for the consumption of customers.
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Malaga celebrated this 25 October some 142 years since Picasso's birth. And he is a character who has had everything said and written about him. Few painters have generated so much literature, graphic content, articles and artistic expression around their persona, even half a century after his death.

"Today he would be an 'influencer'," summarised Mario Virgilio Montanez, curator of the exhibition The Image of Picasso. The Casa Natal museum analyses the artist as an icon in an exhibition that reflects his vast media footprint without avoiding the 'black legend' (his bad reputation in the times of Franco) that surrounds him or his presence in popular and contemporary culture. He even has a reggaeton and a K-pop song named after him.

The first reference in the press dates back to 1937 in the French magazine Regards. 'Half an hour in Picasso's studio' is the title of the report on him while he was working on 'Guernica' and explains the motivation behind the work. The last thing there is about him is from a couple of weeks ago, a succession of tweets projected on a screen that mention him for good and also for bad.

"We wanted to be honest and reflect reality, we haven't avoided the controversy that surrounds Pablo Picasso, the Picassian black legend that began in 1957 with a critical view of his work and that continues to this day, associated with feminist activism."

In the 1950s, when he was already a recognised artist on a global scale, ABC headlined: "'Eight hundred square feet of nonsense is what Picasso has painted for Unesco', says the president of the Royal Academy."

Le Figaro wrote in 1955: "Picasso, an excellent fighter for peace but not a painter."

And in 1958 Noir et Blanc published "Picasso defeated by a four-year-old child", alluding to the tired expression that his paintings are "painted better by my child".

Francoise Gilot's book Life with Picasso (1964), which the artist himself tried to stop, gave rise to accusations of sexism and misogyny that have now been amplified on social media.

At the end of the 1980s, Arianna Huffington already stressed this idea in Picasso: Creator and Destroyer. Mario Virgilio Montanez categorically denies it. "Picasso was born in 1881. They try to judge him with 21st century parameters and that is trying to alter history," said the scholar and researcher of his work and his life. He was, he said, a child of his time. "And in spite of everything, no matter how much people bark, Picasso is still riding and still alive," he concluded.

Salvador Salas

Beyond his impact on the mass media, the figure of Picasso has inspired artists of all generations and fields. Equipo Cronica (a group of Spanish artists) reinterpreted 'Guernica', Robert Harvey recreated Robert Capa's famous photo of Picasso holding Francoise Gilot's umbrella, Angel Idigoras dedicated a cartoon to him, as did Mingote a few days after his death.

Several of the 99 pieces that make up this exhibition are audiovisual, because Picasso was both the direct and indirect focus of the cameras. On the screens, you can see the documentary The Mystery of Picasso by Henri-Georges Clouzot (1956), which, according to the critics at the time, was received with little enthusiasm at Cannes.

There are also screenings from scenes from El Joven Picasso, starring Tony Zenet and directed by Juan Antonio Bardem, and Surviving Picasso, starring Anthony Hopkins, La Banda Picasso by Fernando Colomo and Genius: Picasso, in which Antonio Banderas plays the painter.

Picasso's influence also extends to the realms of music. The first composition dedicated to him was in 1948, a four-minute jazz improvisation - as avant-garde as the artist himself - by Coleman Hawkins.

But his name is also heard in urban music, in the reggaeton of Rio Roma & Nacho and Jahzel, and even in the K-pop song by the Korean group Shinee. David Bowie and Paul McCartney were also fans of the icon. As were flamenco greats such as Enrique Morente and Diego El Cigala. All the songs are available to listen to in the exhibition.

The exhibition, put together solely with funds from the Casa Natal, contains many other aspects that will surprise the public, who can visit until 28 April 2024. From the first plaque that was placed in his birthplace when it was still a poultry shop ("In this house Picasso was born on 25 October 1991. Remembering of the IV Congress of Intellectual Cooperation held in honour of Velazquez. February 1961") to the famous photo in the magazine Life, the front page of the SUR newspaper with the World Farewell to Picasso, rivalling the Holy Week opening in prominence, or the two sculptures by Yukimasa Ida, who has extended his stay in Malaga to be part of this project.

The exhibition, which has the support of La Caixa Foundation and CaixaBank, opens in the middle of October Picassiano as part of the events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the artist's death. It is, moreover, a complementary discourse to the one being exhibited these days at the Museo Picasso Malaga.

"For this Echo of Picasso to be produced and exhibited alongside the work of other artists, it was necessary to have built this icon of Picasso. He is one of the artists who, consciously or unconsciously, uses the evolution of the 'mass media' to his advantage to construct that image of what is today the great Picasso," concluded Jose Maria Luna, director of the public agency that manages the municipal museums.
NY Cannabis Insider is hosting its last industry conference of the year at the Sonesta in White Plains, N.Y. on November 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Details and tickets available here.

The conference will host new and seasoned industry professionals for a day of learning and networking. The content will feature both introductory and advanced courses on relevant topics such as accounting, insurance, real estate, applying for a license, the medical program, and more, taught by professionals within the NY cannabis industry.

There will also be full-panel discussions focused on the hottest topics for cannabis entrepreneurs as of November 2023 and a live Q&A with Legalization Nation comic strip creator Brian Box Brown.

Lightning-round business consultations will be available for attendees, in addition to networking opportunities, lunch, a happy hour and more. A general admission ticket provides attendees with all-access to sessions, speakers, meals, and resources onsite.

NY Cannabis Insider will host a full-day conference on Nov. 16, 2023 in White Plains featuring panel discussions and roundtables on the current landscape of New Yorks evolving cannabis marketplace, from retailers to growers to processors to legacy operators, along with best practices for license applications and more.

The following entry- and advanced-level courses will be taught throughout the day (more courses to be announced next week):

 Foundation 101: A primer on the entire cannabis industry in New York State. Taught by Joe Rossi of Park Strategies, a consulting, lobbying and regulatory affairs firm. [Entry level]

 30 days to deadline: Everything you need to know if applying for a license within the current application period, set to end on Dec. 18, 2023. Taught by Joe Rossi of Park Strategies and Paul Suits, Jr., from Lake House Cannabis. [Advanced]

 Insurance 101: A comprehensive rundown of what you need to know about insurance if planning to operate within the states cannabis ecosystem. Taught by Wayne Margulies of HUB International, one of the worlds largest insurance brokers. [Entry level]

 Insurance 301: An advanced course on insurance ins-and-outs for those already familiar with the industry who wish to learn more to keep their businesses and their futures safe. Taught by Wayne Margulies of HUB International. [Advanced]

 Accounting 101: How do you model financial projections? Is it worth it for you to get into the cannabis industry in New York? Whats unique about this state and how can that affect your entry into the market? Renata Serban, CPA and the Cannabis Advisory Services manager at Citrin Cooperman, will answer these questions and more. [Entry level]

 Accounting 301: Getting into cost accounting for manufacturers, cultivators and retailers; 471C; major court cases related to taxes; how charitable work and expenses can relate to the Community Impact Plan. Expect a deep dive into next-level accounting topics relevant to your cannabis business. Taught by Renata Serban of Citrin Cooperman. [Advanced]

In addition to the courses above, the full-day conference will also host panels on the following crucial industry topics (panelists to be announced next week):

 Customer focus: Regulators have been focusing on setting up a cannabis market that allows small businesses -- especially those in social equity categories -- to thrive. However, what about appealing to customers? Without customers, legal businesses cannot succeed, and the adult-use program cannot generate tax revenue. This panel will discuss what regulators and lawmakers have (or havent) done to appeal to customers, what businesses should do to gain consumer trust and what customer service measures successful businesses have employed.

 Social equity, empty phrase or legitimate effort? New York lawmakers and regulators have promoted the states adult-use program as the gold standard for social equity, but have they actually done more than other states? The MRTA says the OCM will award licenses with the goal of 50% going to social equity applicants, but thats not binding. This panel will discuss what actual social equity measures the OCM has taken, whether social equity measures in New Yorks adult-use program are likely to provide much help to the intended demographics, and if any other state has deployed a successful social equity program.

 How do cannabis advocates and industry skeptics see eye-to-eye? Cannabis is now legal in New York, and everyone  from longtime legalization advocates to those who never wanted a legal weed industry  has to live with it. Now and moving forward, regulators, businesses and community members are having to create an adult-use cannabis industry that most of these stakeholders find acceptable. This panel will explore what voices are contributing to, and influencing cannabis policy, how much weight should go to wants and needs of different stakeholder groups and how cannabis advocates and people who are skeptical of the industry find a middle ground, where necessary.

 Ask Me Anything about cannabis in NYS: Join cannabis attorney Jeffrey Hoffman for a live session where you can ask him anything about cannabis legalization in New York for a real-time answer.

Additionally, there will be breakout business training sessions that will cover most of the following topics for startups and new cannabis business owners in a beginner and an advanced session: business planning, retail, real estate considerations, insurance, accounting, and the medical program.

Event Details

 Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023

 Time: 9:00 a.m.  5:00 p.m.

 Location: Sonesta White Plains | 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601

 Price: $249 general admission, includes access to all sessions & vendors, coffee, lunch, and networking reception; tickets available here

Sponsors and vendors are the businesses shaping the industry locally and regionally. Look for them at the event for advice and help with your business:

 Cannabis360 is a full-service cannabis marketing partner focused on crafting your brand story, finding your best audience and driving brand awareness for your business.

 Cannabis Workforce Initiative has a mission to promote and support social equity in the adult-use cannabis market by providing quality workforce development and legal education.

 Citrin Cooperman is one of the nations largest professional services firms, with a dedicated Cannabis Advisory Services (CAS) team that utilizes their specialized knowledge to help companies thrive.

 East Coast Cannabis Insurance has independent agents who work for you to find the best coverage at the lowest cost. From workers comp to crop coverage, they have you covered.

 Etain is New Yorks only women-founded, vertically integrated medical cannabis company committed to cultivating, manufacturing and dispensing the highest quality clean, safe, and consistent medical cannabis products for the patients of New York State.

 HUB International has specialized cannabis insurance experts and risk consultants help you manage the emerging risks that face your cannabis business with the right risk transfer and mitigation.

 Jeffrey Hoffman & Associates PLLC is a firm that focuses on clients in the cannabis industry, including licensees in the adult-use cannabis market, patients and practitioners in the medical cannabis space, and cannabis adjacent product and service providers.

 New York Consortium of Cannabis Accountants promotes financial literacy and empower New Yorks legacy cannabis market leaders and social equity entrepreneurs so that they may make informed business decisions.

A limited number of sponsorships and vendor tables are still available. Contact Lindsay Wickham at lwickham@advancemediany.com to learn more about opportunities to reach this audience.

NY Cannabis Insider events are attended by industry professionals, entrepreneurs and key stakeholders in the states nascent industry, as well as those from cannabis-adjacent businesses such as legal, security, retail, banking, finance, construction, engineering, compliance and medical marijuana advocates.

Read a recap of the first annual NYS problems and solutions cannabis summit and conference held in Albany earlier this year along with an overview of the perspectives that emerged during our state of the industry event in Buffalo.

To stay up to date about industry news and upcoming events, subscribe for free to the daily NY Cannabis Insider newsletter briefing.
Syracuse alum Aaron Sorkin drops CAA after agents posts about Israel

Syracuse University alumnus Aaron Sorkin has dropped Creative Artists Agency (CAA) after his agent Maha Dakhil made controversial posts about Israel amid its conflict with Hamas, according to Variety. Last week, Dakhil reposted a statement from an Instagram account labeled Free Palestine and posted another photo captioned, Whats more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening. She later deleted both posts from her account and apologized, according to Variety.

Dakhil, who represents major Hollywood talent like Syracuse native Tom Cruise and Oscar winner Natalie Portman, reportedly resigned from CAAs internal board and stepped away from leadership duties as co-head of the agencys motion pictures department. She will continue to work with her clients and colleagues while undergoing personal education, CAA said.

Sorkin, an Oscar- and Emmy-winning screenwriter and director whose credits include The West Wing, The Social Network, Moneyball, and The Trial of the Chicago 7, said hed return to the William Morris Agency. Sorkin was previously represented by WME before joining CAA in 2017.

Maha isnt an antisemite, shes just wrong. Shes a great agent and Im very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. Im excited to be returning to WME, Sorkin said in a statement.

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Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities.
Syracuse, NY -- A Central New York charity that helps women with breast cancer pay their bills recently celebrated a major milestone  spending $17 million to help 10,000 women in less than two decades.

If youve never heard of Saint Agatha Foundation, thats partially by design. Founder Laurie Mezzalingua had a simple goal when she used her portion of her familys fortune to start the charity at age 29, after her own cancer diagnosis:

Just help women.

That directive has continued to guide the foundation since Mezzalinguas death from cancer in 2009, said her mother, Kathy, who now chairs the non-profits board.

She didnt want her name on buildings, Kathy Mezzalingua said. She didnt want endowments. She just wanted to help women.

That mission is now leading the foundation to increase its public profile to reach more patients in need. Theres concern that women battling breast cancer may be falling through the cracks. That is especially so after the local Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation chapter folded a few years ago, the Mezzalingua family said.

Plus, the foundation has millions to give away. From Lauries seed money, the charitys assets have doubled to more than $60 million, according to tax forms. That makes Saint Agatha one of the largest philanthropies in the region, similar in size to the more well-known Allyn and Gifford foundations.

Saint Agatha saw an opportunity to spread its message in its recent $600,000 donation to Crouse Hospital for new mammography machines. The foundation, with little fanfare, had bankrolled a state-of-the-art machine a decade ago. This time, it sought to make its gift more public and remind Central New York of its mission to help breast cancer patients pay their bills.

We want to get the word out, Kathy Mezzalingua said. We want our name synonymous with breast cancer.

The foundation aims especially to help women with no insurance or gaps in insurance, or who cant afford necessities while in treatment. But most women will qualify for help of some kind, Kathy Mezzalingua said. Their goal is to give away about $2 million a year toward care for patients in Central New York.

The Mezzalinguas have been a prominent family for more than a generation. Lauries father, Dan, owned a communications manufacturing company and her brother, John, owns the 5G wireless company, JMA Wireless, that has naming rights for the Dome at Syracuse University.

In addition to the foundations gift, JMA Wireless is donating another $200,000 to Crouse. Together, that will pay for two new mammography machines that doctors say are twice as detailed in their imaging capabilities as the ones they replace.

John and Laurie Mezzalingua in 1996.

Still, the foundations work remains focused on people, not machines.

Before she died, Laurie directed that her inheritance be invested in the foundation. Laurie knew her family fortunes meant she didnt have to worry about the bills during her 12-year battle with breast cancer. But many of the women she befriended during her journey did.

They couldnt make ends meet. There was no money for child care. They couldnt put gas in their cars. They had no access to alternative medicines that helped Laurie cope.

That became her world, that became her social life, her mother said of her battle. She didnt stop partying when she got breast cancer. Other patients became her friends. The doctors became her friends.

Crouses Dr. Stephen Montgomery, who diagnosed and treated Laurie, has referred thousands of women to Saint Agatha over the years.

You will not find a foundation like it, as far as Im aware, anywhere in the country, said Montgomery, director emeritus of Crouses breast imaging program. This is a one-on-one intensive support system thats been built into this charity.

Laurie knew the value of those friendships formed amid the shared experiences of treatments, exhaustion and pain. For Laurie, each of those battles was heroic.

There is more beauty, triumph and truth in an infusion room than you will ever see on a stage, in a stadium, or in song, she once said.

John Mezzalingua was born 15 months before his sister. They were very close growing up, despite her gregarious flower-child persona and his more conservative, businesslike personality.

What she laid out as a foundation is nothing short of heroic, John Mezzalingua said.

John and Laurie Mezzalingua are pictured here in 2002 while both were in college.

That impact can be enormous.

A Syracuse woman was homeless and living out of her car when she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer during a checkup in a mobile mammography van. Saint Agatha has since paid for a place for the woman to stay with her pet dog, gotten her care and even helped her secure a part-time job, Kathy Mezzalingua said.

Those are the type of people who Laurie sought to help the most, her mother said.

Women referred to Saint Agatha are sent to CancerConnects, another Syracuse-based non-profit that coordinates services, from grocery bills to child care. CancerConnects then gets reimbursed from Saint Agatha for its expenses.

Saint Agatha, which is named after the patron saint of breast cancer and related diseases, is a non-profit thats part of the National Philanthropic Trust.

Anyone seeking more information about getting help from Saint Agatha can visit the non-profits website.
Baldwinsville, NY - After nearly a decade as Baldwinsvilles village mayor, Dick Clarke says he intends to resign Nov. 30. He informed the village board of his intent at a meeting earlier this month.

He wants to oversee his last village Christmas tree lighting around Thanksgiving, one of his favorite events.

Im sad, but realistic, Clarke told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. I dont want to do it, but its time.

Clarke, who will be 77 in January, said its due to his health. He said he has arthritis throughout his body, and being mayor takes a physical toll.

Everything hurts, he said. And all the planning during Covid wore me out. It was a lot of work. I keep delaying my departure, but its time.

Clarkes term would have ended in 2026. He was first elected mayor in 2014, and before that spent five years on the village board. And that was after 36 years working for the Syracuse newspapers and serving as a varsity basketball coach in the Baldwinsville schools.

Clarke said hes spent most of his life in the spotlight  as a writer, coach and mayor.

After a while you dont bounce back from everything like you used to, he said.

The village board will look to appoint someone to fill out Clarkes term until the election in March.

Clarke said hell concentrate on puttering around the house and doing yard work, and hopes to vacation in North Carolina with his wife and sons, although car rides are hard on his body.

I will miss it, he said.

Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com
To the Editor:

Israels 9/11. Virtually every Israeli has had direct or close indirect contact with the victims of Hamass unprovoked, treacherous, terrorist assault. The full force of its fury was directed against the weak and defenseless. They roamed through nearby Israeli towns, going from house to house, searching for prey. Whole families were murdered, some burned alive in their homes. Children were killed before their parents, parents before their children. Babies were shot, stabbed, even decapitated. Corpses were mutilated, exhibited as trophies. Women were raped, some stripped naked, paraded before their captors, then murdered. Concertgoers at a desert music festival were methodically hunted down, leaving 260 dead. Such atrocities were uploaded onto social media, further to inflict unbearable grief. Surviving families, toddlers, even a wheelchair-bound Holocaust survivor were kidnapped, and are now captive in Gaza, under additional threat of televised execution. Scenes eerily reminiscent of the 1929 Hebron Arab massacre that destroyed that ancient Jewish community.

The Palestinian project has always been about genocidal rage towards the Jews and the politicide of their state, its ahistorical narrative from A (Apartheid) to Z (Zionism) a monstrous lie. It totally denies the Jews 3,500 year tie to their historical homeland. They, not the Palestinians, have been the conflicts victims, not the oppressors. Palestinian leaders have inculcated generations of their youth in hatred of Jews; their media incessantly incite them to violence and extol martyrdom, posthumously memorializing and lavishly rewarding the families of those who heed such calls. They intransigently refuse to negotiate an end to this century-old war, calling for resistance, i.e. shooting and stabbing Israelis in crowded public spaces, highway car ramming and stone throwing. They speak peace in English, savagery in Arabic.

Hamas most openly flaunts such genocidal aims. Its charter calls for the worldwide death of all Jews. It is the spawn of the Muslim Brotherhood, ideologically and operationally, akin to ISIS and Al Qaeda. Israel left Gaza entirely in 2005, uprooting settlements, not even leaving graves, but gifting state-of-the-art greenhouses that were promptly trashed. After Fatah ignored Hamas victorious 2006 legislative elections, Hamas seized control of Gaza in a violent 2007 coup. Its corrupt leaders rule over a dystopia, jailing and torturing dissenters. Siphoned foreign aid builds leaders lavish homes, terror tunnels for terrorists, but not shelters for civilians. Those human shields remain key to its media warfare. Munitions, rocket and missile launchers are sited in their midst, at, near or under homes, schools, clinics and mosques, so that any resulting death and destruction can be blamed on Israel.

Iran is the evil force behind current strife. It finances and provides tactical and strategic coordination to its ring of fire proxies circling Israel: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq, and Houthis in Yemen. Despite Israel and Egyptian blockades, Iran still manages to smuggle in massive amounts of advanced weaponry, while assisting setup of local arms manufacture. Fingerprints of the Iranian Revolutionary guards Corp. are all over the current, clearly long planned attack. Timing, though, seems to have been accelerated by looming Israel Saudi Arabia normalization.

2008/9, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2021 saw previous Hamas initiated mini-wars against Israel. After each, Hamas emerged badly bruised, but unbowed, allowed then to re-arm, becoming ever more dangerous. Never again! Hamas must be wholly destroyed. From Gazas ashes may then emerge a far better Middle East, Irans pursuit of regional hegemony severely blunted, and Israels deterrence greatly restored. Israel Saudi Arabia normalization would likely quickly proceed, drawing in other Muslim majority nations. Palestinians would be pressed hard to choose peace, not war. Despite inevitable international pressures to save Hamas once again, its destruction must be relentlessly pursued. Justice for a traumatized Israeli public, its dead, wounded and kidnapped, its orphaned children and bereaved parents, and not least, those most pitilessly brutalized, absolutely demands no less.

Richard and Maryse Wilkins | DeWitt

Rabbi Irvin S. and Jane Beigel | DeWitt

Evan and Jodi Bloom | Fayetteville

Dr. David Feiglin | Manlius

Robert Davis | Syracuse

Margery Meyers Haber | DeWitt

Dr. Michael Cynamon | DeWitt

Dr. WIlliam Tucker | Fayettevile

Ruth Borsky | Camillus

Benjamin Goldberg | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ariella Goldberg | DeWitt
Washington  Republican Rep. Tom Emmer abruptly abandoned his bid to become House speaker Tuesday, withdrawing within hours of winning the internal party nomination after Donald Trump objected and hardliners refused to support him for the gavel.

Emmer becomes the third House Republican to fall short in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthys ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. Refusing to unify, far-right members wont accept a more traditional speaker and more moderate members dont want a hardliner.

Three weeks on, the Republicans are frittering away their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Pretty sad commentary on governance right now, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try well get this thing right.

Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans, but returned later to offices at the Capitol. He said Trumps opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference, he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. Well get it done.

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his un-endorsement must have had an impact on Emmers bid.

He wasnt MAGA, said Trump, the partys front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again. More voting was expected later Tuesday evening.

Attention quickly turned to Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a member of party leadership who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesdays internal ballots.

A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

But hardliners swiftly resisted Johnsons bid and a new list of candidates emerged within minutes of an evening deadline. Among them was Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally who ran third on the morning ballot, and a few others.

Were in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Yet Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the hardliners, said, This is what democracy looks like.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hardline Rep. Jim Jordan in a new leadership role.

It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but they were not certain it would fly.

I think sometimes its good to have fresh ideas and fresh people, said Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.

Emmer of Minnesota had jumped out in front during private morning balloting among a hodgepodge list of mostly lesser-known congressmen aspiring to be speaker, a powerful position second in line to the presidency.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

But Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speakers vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Coming in a steady second in the balloting, Johnson offered his full support to Emmer, saying, What we have to do in this room is unite and begin to govern again.

Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Donalds and Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader and former McDonalds franchise owner who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Having rejected the top replacements, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and the Trump-backed Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthys ouster, has said several of those who were running  Hern, Donalds or Johnson  would make a phenomenal choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many Emmer opponents were resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans dont agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next months funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.
By Michael Gartland | New York Daily News

New York  Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that more than 100 migrants were housed in a Manhattan shelter even though it ultimately was found to be unsafe because the city has few options  and that New Yorkers could soon see migrants sleeping on the streets.

We are out of room, Adams said.

The removal of migrants Monday from the shelter at the old Touro College building on the West Side was prompted by an FDNY inspection that found it didnt have a functioning fire safety system in place.

At a news briefing Tuesday, Adams said the migrant crisis has become so dire in the city that it isnt a matter of if people will be sleeping on the streets, its when.

What we are concerned about is we are going to run out of places, and youre going to start to see people sleeping on the streets, he said, later adding, This is going to hurt, and its not going to be pretty.

Regarding the situation at the Touro building  and vacate orders at migrant shelters  Adams said migrants arent going to be put in places where a life-threatening issue exists and that the city wouldnt violate safety laws.

Fire alarms have been out of service at the Touro shelter for months. Adams chief of staff, Camille Joseph Varlack said the city put in place mitigating strategies like hiring people to serve as fire guards during that time period. When the FDNY returned to conduct additional inspections, Varlack said, they found the citys safety measures insufficient.

Every single location was opened with the FDNY and Department of Buildings having come in and done an inspection, she said.

A spokesman for the FDNY declined to comment on the situation at Touro and referred questions to Adams press office.

Shelters such as the one at Touro were initially viewed as stopgaps for housing migrants, according to one administration official. When FDNY inspectors examined the facility, they did so with that in mind, but after three months  when it became clear it was no longer functioning in a temporary capacity  the inspectors opted to shut it down, the official noted.

The Touro facility is one of several city-run sites the fire department has slapped with vacate orders due to safety violations. Another site on that list includes St. Johns Villa Academy, a shuttered Staten Island school that was the target of anti-migrant protests for weeks.

Adams wouldnt say Tuesday how many migrant shelters have received similar vacate orders from the fire department.

The controversy over where and how to shelter migrants has been boiling over for months. Adams has projected the migrant crisis will cost the city $12 billion by 2025 and has said it will destroy the city if not addressed properly. At turns, hes taken swipes at both President Joe Biden and the state government for not doing enough to help the city.

On Tuesday, his deputy mayor, Anne Williams-Isom directed her own frustration at the state government, noting that it has only accepted about 20 families as part of the its migrant resettlement program  a drop in the bucket when considering the more than 120,000 migrants whove arrived to the city since last year and more than 60,000 remain in city care.

I wish I could say I could stop at 20 families, she said. Every day we are trying to figure out how do we make sure that people are where they need to be.

She added that the city has referred over 100 families to the state program and that about 75 units are now available.

Theyve hit some obstacles, she said of the states resettlement efforts. Were waiting for furniture, or were waiting for other things. I might be like, Lets put an air mattress in there and lets get this done. Somehow people dont have the same sense of urgency, I think, that we do.

Williams-Isom said the situation shows why the city needed to force single adult migrants out of shelter after 30 days and families with children out after 60 days  a policy thats weathered criticisms for creating more chaos and instability for already struggling asylum seekers.

Thats the only way Im going to be able to make space in this system for people who come through the front door, she said.

Adams voiced his own frustrations Tuesday.

He told reporters he wants ideas from anywhere on the globe about how to help address the crisis and suggested his administration hold a roundtable with those who have great ideas that think they know how to solve this problem.

Im open to have folks come into the room with their ideas of how they solve having 2,500 people and somedays 4,000 a week, he said.

The mayor also said that accepting migrants sleeping on the streets is new territory for the city. While planning around that is not yet entirely clear, the city would aim to prioritize assistance for children and families.

-----

2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New Yorks highest court on Tuesday ruled police can resume a DNA searching method that can identify relatives of potential suspects, a technique that has helped solve crimes but caused privacy concerns.

The method, known as familial DNA searches, allows law enforcement agencies to search information in their DNA databases to find blood relatives of people who have left genetic material at a crime scene.

The order from the New York Court of Appeals allows the state to use such searches in criminal cases, reversing a lower court ruling from last year that blocked the practice.

The case was brought by two men whose brothers were convicted of crimes and had genetic information in the states databanks. They alleged that searches could improperly target them because of their family members crimes and that the technique was never approved by the state Legislature.

Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, writing for the majority, said that the states rulemaking process for the searches was legal and that regulations intended to protect privacy have resulted in very few search results provided to law enforcement.

Janine Kava, spokesperson for the states criminal justice services division, said the agency was pleased that the state can resume using the technique.

The states familial search regulations provide law enforcement with another tool to solve violent crimes that have gone cold, eliminate individuals from suspicion, exonerate the wrongfully convicted and help provide closure when unidentified human remains are discovered, she said in a statement.

The ruling applies only to the states DNA databank, not to databanks that are maintained by private companies for genealogy research.

Familial DNA famously led to an arrest in Los Angeles Grim Sleeper serial killings, which spanned from 1985 to 2007. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted and sentenced to death this year.
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If you're still on Fusion 12, head on over to store.vmware.com and upgrade to Fusion 13 today to get going right away.

What's New

We are thrilled to announce the launch of VMware Fusion 13.5 Pro and VMware Fusion 13.5 Player for Mac. This latest release brings some incredibly exciting new capabilities that dramatically improve the experience of running Windows 11 on Macs powered by Apple silicon.

As a longtime partner of Microsoft, VMware is fully committed to supporting Windows 11 for Arm on the new generation of Macs. With Fusion 13.5, we have taken huge strides toward delivering a seamless, intuitive, out-of-the-box experience for running Windows that feels right at home on these amazing new Macs.

Breakthrough VMware Tools

The star of the show is of course the new VMware Tools experience. With full 3D support for emulated 32-bit, 64-bit and arm64-native graphics, Fusion 13.5 performs like never before. In addition, the new VMware Tools installer adds ultra-fast file transfers via drag-and-drop as well as copy-paste for quickly getting files and data between Windows and your Mac. Buttrey smooth auto-fit window resizing, with multi-mon support, rounds out the polished experience making running Windows 11 on the latest Macs a delight.

Release Highlights:

Free update for v13 users!

Metal-accelerated DirectX 11 3D graphics support for gaming and CAD apps

Ultra-fast file transfers with drag-and-drop and copy/paste between Mac host and Windows guest

Smooth Window resizing and multi-monitor support with Auto-Fit

Oh, One More Thing The All-New "Get Windows" Feature

But we didn't stop there. We realize that getting Windows 11 for arm can be difficult, so we took it to heart and developed a tool that not only downloads Windows for you, but it will automatically add the necessary drivers needed to support networking and graphics in your virtual machine. Simply open the new virtual machine wizard, choose "Get Windows", select Windows 11, choose your edition and language, and Fusion will automatically download the latest Windows 11 image directly from Microsoft.

We even built in a resume capability, in case your download is interrupted you can restart it without starting over. Once downloaded, you can use it again and again. This saves you the hassle of hunting down the right ISO and provides a streamlined path to getting Windows up and running quickly.

Out-of-box experience for signing into Microsoft account during Windows setup

Taken together, these new capabilities deliver a best-in-class solution for running Windows that feels fast, fluid, and tightly integrated with your Mac hardware and OS while retaining that fresh out-of-box experience. You can sign into your Microsoft account during Windows setup to automatically bring your documents and settings along, or even do a more complete migration from an existing PC in the process.

Enhanced Security and Stability

Beyond Windows, Fusion 13.5 incorporates other great improvements as well. We've implemented a new encryption scheme for enhanced security, updated to the latest OS support across our diverse platform lineup, and squashed countless bugs to provide better stability.

VMware Fusion has long held a treasured spot in the hearts of Mac users for its revolutionary ability to run Windows and other operating systems seamlessly on the Mac. With this release, we feel we've recaptured that magic at a whole new level for the exciting new generation of Apple silicon Macs.

Whether you rely on Windows for gaming, development, design, or productivity, Fusion 13.5 Pro and Player are the simplest, fastest, and most integrated way to run Windows 11 on your Mac that we've ever delivered. We hope it's as much a delight to use as it was to develop
What just happened? Following several accidents involving the cars, including a recent incident in which a pedestrian was dragged and trapped under the wheels of a self-driving vehicle, California has suspended Cruise's fleet of driverless taxis from the state's roads. The agency has also accused Cruise of misrepresenting the safety of its vehicles.

The California DMV said General Motors-owned Cruise vehicles were "not safe for the public's operation" and that it was revoking its permits to test and deploy vehicles on public streets.

"When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits," the regulator said, adding that the company can still operate its vehicles as long as a safety driver is present.

The DMV also said that Cruise had "misrepresented any information related to safety of the autonomous technology of its vehicles."

Earlier this month, a Cruise vehicle was involved in an incident that saw a San Francisco pedestrian hit by two cars. According to the company, the woman was struck by a human-driven car, hurling her in front of a driverless taxi that ran her over and stopped with its rear tire still on her leg.

The DMV said it is still reviewing the latest incident. The agency revealed that the Cruise vehicle attempted a pullover maneuver after it stopped while the pedestrian was still under the wheels, dragging her another 20 feet. The DMV said Cruise did not reveal the pullover maneuver in its meeting with California Highway Patrol the day after the accident, providing only the on-board camera footage that showed the initial collision.

Cruise was first granted a permit to operate paid robotaxi rides in San Francisco in June last year. In August, the California Public Utilities Commission gave its approval for autonomous vehicle companies to expand robotaxis' hours of operation to 24/7 while charging for rides.

San Francisco officials in June said that since January, there had been ninety incidents involving Alphabet's Waymo, which keeps its permit to test driverless vehicles, and Cruise robotaxis. Incidents include cars hitting a bus, causing massive traffic jams, and running over a dog. It led to protests against autonomous vehicles in July that involved placing traffic cones on their hoods to disable the cars.

Cruise agreed to cut its fleet of San Francisco robotaxis in half in August at the request of the DMV after one of its vehicles collided with a fire truck. Elsewhere, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a safety investigation into the company last week.
Amid mounting competition and significant investments in AI integration across various products, Google's core business remains robust. Despite challenges, Google's advertising sector continues to thrive.

Google Wants Formats Tailored to SGE's Workings

However, the critical question is how Google's concentrated efforts in AI will influence this foundational business. During Google's earnings call, the company's CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned the company's intention to experiment with new formats tailored to the way Search Generative Experience (SGE) works.

Google has already presented some conceptual ideas, hinting at potential debuts in the near future. Philipp Schindler, Google's chief business officer, emphasized the importance of allowing advertisers to engage with potential customers during their search journeys in this new experience.

(Photo : CRISTINA ALDEHUELA/AFP via Getty Images)

A worker of the Google Artificial Intelligence (AI) centre walks through a Google sign inside the office in Accra on April 10, 2019. - This centre is the first AI centre established in Africa by Google.

Google's AI-powered SGE remains an opt-in feature, and the full extent of its impact on the company's advertising domain remains to be seen. As SGE is progressively introduced, Google focuses on ensuring a smooth product launch, creating value for its ecosystem, and facilitating a seamless transition for ads.

Pichai views the integration of AI in search as a long-term endeavor, foreseeing an opportunity to reshape search and Assistant in the decade ahead. The Verge reported that this suggests that Google has started thinking seriously about making its AI-powered search more of a business.

While introducing SGE, Pichai affirmed that they are diligently ensuring that the product performs optimally and delivers value to the ecosystem while maintaining a smooth transition for ads.

Read Also: Google Launches Tool for Web Publishers to Opt out of Data Training for Bard, Other AI Models

Google Envisioning Transformation for Search, Assistant

Google's strategic integration of AI into its search functionality is a long-term endeavor. Pichai envisioned a decade of transformation for search and Assistant.

According to his previous statement, SGE was poised to become the standard for how search operates. Moreover, the company is demonstrating a growing commitment to making AI-powered search a core part of its business, evident from the discussions about ads during the recent earnings call.

In addition to these developments, the results showed that other segments of Google's business are thriving. YouTube ads, for instance, recorded a revenue of $7.9 billion, marking a more than 12 percent increase from the previous year.

Google is also enhancing its popular video service with various AI tools, including the introduction of features like "Dream Screen," which enables creators to incorporate AI-generated images and videos into Shorts.

Furthermore, Google's cloud business is flourishing, with revenues of $8.4 billion, signifying a 22 percent growth compared to Q3 2022. This division offers AI services that cater to customers seeking AI solutions for their applications and products.

During Alphabet's third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, Google left one significant question unanswered: who will be CFO Ruth Porat's successor?

In the second quarter earnings announcement, Alphabet revealed that Porat would take on the roles of president and chief investment officer of both Alphabet and Google. These responsibilities encompass overseeing Alphabet's "Other Bets" investments.

No successor was named at that time, and this information has remained undisclosed. However, Porat suggested on Tuesday's call that there may be some changes to "Other Bets" down the line.

She mentioned that across the portfolio of "Other Bets" companies, they have been working to identify opportunities to create sharper focus and to operate more efficiently and effectively. This statement hinted at the likelihood of forthcoming adjustments in Alphabet's "Other Bets" investments.

Related Article: Google's AI-Driven Growth Surpasses Analysts' Estimates in Q2 Earnings Report

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While being part of the world's big tech, Microsoft is not notable for its smartphone development, and this was because the company did not focus on this venture and eventually gave up, its CEO Satya Nadella recently revealed.

When Nadella started with Microsoft, he saw the company's Windows Phone sales dropping and the Nokia phone business, leaving the company with the Android-powered Surface handset to develop.

Microsoft is known for its computer products. However, its rivals like Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, and Google are known for their smartphone venture, not the Redmond-based tech giant.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says Windows Phone Development Could Be Better

During an interview with Business Insider, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discussed the company's "exit" from the Windows Phone business.

"The decision I think a lot of people talk about - and one of the most difficult decisions I made when I became CEO - was our exit of what I'll call the mobile phone as defined then. In retrospect, I think there could have been ways we could have made it work by perhaps reinventing the category of computing between PCs, tablets, and phones," said Nadella.

According to Nadella, there could have been different ways to refocus their focus on the smartphone and PC business, including the tablets present at the time. Sadly, this is not possible now, with Windows phones failing some time later.

Read Also: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Unveiled: SoC for Windows, Generative AI, and MORE

Regrets for Microsoft's Windows Phones?

The Verge reported that in 2014, Satya Nadella stepped in as the company's CEO after Steve Ballmer, and a year later, Microsoft wrote off $7.6 billion in its acquisition of Nokia.

According to Nadella, giving up on the Windows Phone and Nokia mobile business was a mistake since there were still many possibilities in store for the devices before it explored Android with its Surface phones.

Microsoft's Smartphone Development

Microsoft has a few notable smartphones centered on the Windows mobile operating system that it patterned on its original computer OS, best known as its main product in the industry.

Initially, there were the Lumia smartphones, alongside the company's various partners, including HP, Alcatel, SoftBank, VAIO, and more.

However, it was short-lived, and in 2014, the company dropped the Windows smartphone business alongside its Nokia subsidiary, selling it to a Finnish startup, HMD Global.

After this, Microsoft had Surface smartphones sporting the Android operating system, with its most recent update arriving to the Duo 2, featuring the Android 11.

At present, there is no information regarding any future development of Microsoft in expanding its smartphone lineup. However, many believe that the future of Surface phones is not yet over.

Nadella recently said in the interview that Microsoft's previous shutdown of Windows and Nokia mobile phone business could have been handled better, saying there "could have been ways" they could have made it work.

Related Article: Windows 11 Sees Lower Adoption Compared to Windows 10-Already on 400M PCs

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For a long time now, the world has seen climate scientists demanding climate actions, pushing for climate revolution to prevent climate crisis. Back in May 2022, climate scientists have stated that "time is running out" for humanity before climate chaos ensues.

After more than a year of various protests for climate revolution, climate scientists have an update, now indicating that "time is up" for humanity, and the consequences are about to unfold "profoundly distressing scenes of suffering" for the world.

(Photo : MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)

A new study has examined the consequences of heat surpassing the limits of human tolerance.

'The 2023 state of the climate report' co-signed by over 15,000 scientists representing 163 countries has stated that life on the earth is in danger since the Earth's health has deteriorated beyond what humans have ever witnessed.

The update presents new data showing that several climate-related records, notably those pertaining to ocean temperatures and sea ice, were broken by "enormous margins" in 2023. Additionally, they mention a remarkable Canadian wildfire season that resulted in previously unheard-of carbon dioxide emissions.

Lead author of the report Christopher Wolf explains that these catastrophes are now more common and more catastrophic than even the frightening temperature rise.

This suggests that by the end of the 21st century, 3 to 6 billion people may truly live outside of the Earth's livable regions, putting them at risk from harsh climates, a lack of access to food, and greater mortality rates.

Read Also: Joe Biden's Hydrogen Hubs Still Rely on Fossil Fuels-The Primary Culprit Behind Climate Change, Expert Says

Humanity's Part in Climate Change

Scientists stated that we are now "venturing into uncharted climate territory" where the analysis reveals that 20 out of 35 Earth's "vital signs," including the global gross domestic product, subsidies for fossil fuels, annual carbon pollution, and glacier thinning, have reached new extremes due to human activity.

The study's co-author, Bill Ripple, an Oregon State University ecologist, stated that "rather than cutting greenhouse gas emissions, we're increasing them. So we're not doing well right now."

Furthermore, the authors of the study took aim at human demand, stating that there are many different environmental crises that come from excessive human demand on the planet's resources, including a reduction in biodiversity.

They stress that any policy that focuses just on carbon or climate will only transfer the pressure as long as mankind continues to exert enormous pressure on the world.

What Can We Do?

The study called on scientists, policymakers, and the public for immediate action, these steps include a shift to more ecologically friendly and sustainable behaviors, such as the use of renewable energy sources, sustainable agricultural systems, a decrease in meat consumption, and carbon pricing mechanisms.

The study reportedly stressed the importance of increasing nature-based solutions, such as restoring forests, but it also acknowledged the need for innovative technologies to remove greenhouse emissions from the environment.

In conclusion, the study noted that the world will and is facing massive suffering due to climate change but the future will only continue to have unbearable heat, frequent extreme weather events, food and fresh water shortages, rising seas, more emerging diseases, and increased social unrest and geopolitical conflict.

The study indicates that "our best shot at surviving these challenges in the long run" will be addressing human demand rather than only focusing at carbon reduction and climate change.

Related Article: How Human-Made Cooling Stations Could Save Salmon Populations Amid Climate Change

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Snapchat has seen a surge in its user base, reaching a milestone of over 400 million users, according to its third-quarter earnings report.

Over the past quarter, the app welcomed nine million new users, pushing its total daily active users to 406 million, reflecting a 12 percent increase compared to the previous year.

This achievement comes slightly over a year after Snap implemented workforce reductions of about 20 percent, a move aimed at streamlining costs amid a slowdown in advertising revenue.

The combination of these measures, along with the introduction of new generative AI features, such as Snapchat's My AI, appeared to yield positive results.

Snapchat Returning to Positive Growth

In Snapchat's official statement, the company's CEO Evan Spiegel said, "Our revenue returned to positive growth in Q3, increasing 5% year-over-year and flowing through to positive adjusted EBITDA as our reprioritized cost structure demonstrated the leverage in our business model."

"We are focused on improving our advertising platform to drive higher return on investment for our advertising partners, and we have evolved our go-to-market efforts to better serve our partners and drive customer success," Spiegel added.

Snap's Chief Operating Officer Jerry Hunter has already informed the company of his decision to retire. Over his seven-year tenure at Snap, Hunter played a pivotal role in shaping the company's engineering and business frameworks.

His responsibilities will transition by the end of the month, and he will continue to support Snap through July 1, 2024. Additionally, Snap announced that its board of directors has greenlit a stock repurchase program of up to $500 million of its Class A common stock.

This program allows for the repurchasing of Class A common stock through various means, including open market or privately negotiated transactions, subject to applicable securities laws.

According to Snap's statement, the program's objective is to leverage the company's robust financial position to strategically offset a portion of the dilution resulting from the issuance of restricted stock units to employees, part of the broader compensation program aimed at creating an ownership culture.

Read Also: Snapchat My AI ChatGPT Integration Expands to All Users, Live Location Sharing Also Arrives

Snapchat's Financial Performance

In terms of financial performance for Q3 2023, Snap reported revenue of $1,189 million, a 5% increase from the previous year's $1,128 million. Net loss stood at $368 million, compared to $360 million in the prior year. The adjusted EBITDA was $40 million, down from $73 million in the prior year.

Operating cash flow was $13 million, a decline from $56 million in the prior year, and Free Cash Flow was $61 million, in contrast to $18 million in 2022. The trailing 12 months operating cash flow was $207 million, and the trailing 12 months Free Cash Flow was $2 million.

Related Article: Snapchat Brings New Customization Features For Snapchat Plus Users - Camera Color Borders, Spooky Bitmojis, and More

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The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has escalated its strike action, pulling 5,000 workers from the Arlington Assembly plant, which is General Motors' (GM) largest facility and primary profit generator.

This move by the union is a response to what they perceive as a need for General Motors to enhance their compensation offer, especially in light of the recent robust quarterly profits.

The Arlington plant in Texas specializes in producing some of GM's most lucrative vehicles, including the Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade.

UAW Union: GM Workers Need to Receive Fair Share of the Profits

GM CEO Mary Barra earlier underscored the importance of sport utility vehicles, exemplified by those produced in Arlington, as an essential foundation for the company, facilitating consistently robust pricing and margins, according to AFP.

This development follows GM's announcement of impressive third-quarter profits, which exceeded expectations at $3.1 billion, showcasing that the strike has had a limited impact on the automaker's financial performance.

UAW President Shawn Fain announced on Tuesday the walkout of 5,000 workers from the Arlington Assembly plant. He expressed the sentiment of many workers, saying, "Another record quarter, another record year. As we've said for months: record profits equal record contracts."

Fain also emphasized the need for GM workers and the broader working class to receive their fair share of the profits. Despite GM's substantial profits of $10 billion over the last nine months, accompanied by consecutive quarters of revenue records, the UAW deems the company's offer as falling short in recognizing the contributions of its members.

The union said that GM's proposal lags behind Ford's, including a two-tier wage progression, a less substantial 401(k) contribution, and an inadequate COLA, among other perceived deficiencies.

This strike marks an unprecedented event in UAW history, as it's the first time the union has simultaneously struck against all three major automakers. Instead of all 150,000 UAW autoworkers participating at once, select locals have been designated to "Stand Up" and strike, a strategic move aimed at maximizing impact.

Read Also: Stellantis Cancels Planned Presentation at CES 2024 Tech Show Amid UAW Strike

UAW Union Strike Approaches Six-Week Mark

Since its inception on September 15, the strike has progressively gained momentum, expanding from three assembly plants across Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio to eight assembly plants and 38 parts distribution centers across 22 states.

As the strike approaches the six-week mark, more than 45,000 UAW members are now participating in this collective action. This move by the UAW is part of their ongoing effort to secure contracts that provide workers with a fair share of the considerable profits generated by the automotive industry.

"Ford, GM and Stellantis made a quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade. They made a combined $21 billion in total profits in just the first six months of this year. And yet all of them are still refusing to settle contracts that give workers a fair share of the record profits they've earned," the UAW said in a press release.

Related Article: Ford's Joint Venture Partner Plans to Increase Wages at 2 EV Battery Factories Amid UAW Strike

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Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including the widely-used ChatGPT, have demonstrated vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited for malicious purposes, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Sheffield warned.

According to TechXplore, this research highlights a previously overlooked threat in AI, illustrating how text-to-SQL systems, which facilitate database searches through natural language queries, can be manipulated to compromise computer systems in practical settings.

Security Weaknesses in AI Tools

The investigation uncovered security weaknesses in six prominent commercial AI tools, successfully exploiting each. Among the tools assessed were BAIDU-UNIT, a leading Chinese intelligent dialogue platform employed across various sectors, and other systems like ChatGPT, AI2SQL, AIHELPERBOT, Text2SQL, and ToolSKE.

By posing specific questions to these AIs, the researchers claimed that they were able to coerce these AI tools into generating malicious code.

This code, when executed, could lead to the leakage of sensitive database information, disrupt a database's normal functionality, or even result in its destruction.

Notably, the study revealed that in the case of Baidu-UNIT, the researchers were able to obtain confidential server configurations and disable one server node.

Xutan Peng, a PhD student at the University of Sheffield and co-leader of the study, emphasized the significance of this discovery.

He said: "At the moment, ChatGPT is receiving a lot of attention. It's a standalone system, so the risks to the service itself are minimal, but what we found is that it can be tricked into producing malicious code that can do serious harm to other services."

Furthermore, the research underscored the perils of utilizing AI to learn programming languages for database interaction. For instance, a healthcare professional could ask ChatGPT to generate an SQL command for database interaction.

However, the SQL code produced could inadvertently lead to significant data management errors without any prior warning, according to the team.

The researchers also revealed the potential for executing backdoor attacks, introducing a "Trojan Horse" into text-to-SQL models by manipulating the training data. Such an attack may not impact the model's overall performance but can be activated at any moment, inflicting real harm on users.

Dr. Mark Stevenson, a Senior Lecturer in the Natural Language Processing research group at the University of Sheffield, emphasized the complexity of large language models (LLMs) and the need for a deeper understanding of their behavior.

Read Also: Can ChatGPT Be Used for Scientific Writing? New Study Offers Answer

Baidu and OpenAI Responds to the Concerns

The researchers presented their findings at the ISSRE conference, a prominent platform for software engineering, and are collaborating with stakeholders in the cybersecurity community to address these vulnerabilities.

Their work has garnered recognition from industry leaders like Baidu, who promptly addressed and rectified the identified vulnerabilities. OpenAI has also addressed all the specific concerns raised by the Sheffield researchers concerning ChatGPT.

The researchers anticipate that these revelations will serve as a catalyst for the natural language processing and cybersecurity communities to unite in identifying and mitigating previously overlooked security risks in AI systems.

They advocate for an ongoing collective effort to stay ahead of the evolving landscape of cyber threats. The findings of the team were published in arXiv.

Related Article: Study Suggests AI Chatbots Can Profile, Learn Personal Information via Normal Conversations

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Microsoft unveiled on Tuesday its financial results for the quarter ending September 30, demonstrating robust performance driven by its cloud services division.

The tech giant reported a net income of $22.3 billion, marking a 27 percent surge compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

Microsoft's AI and Cloud Services

The spotlight has been on Microsoft's prowess in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, with specific emphasis on Azure - a contender in the cloud services, competing directly with Amazon's AWS and Google Cloud.

In this quarter, Azure and other cloud services displayed a 29 percent revenue growth compared to the previous year, slightly outpacing the growth rate observed in the preceding three months.

In sum, the company disclosed sales totaling $56.5 billion for the quarter, surpassing anticipated figures. Satya Nadella, Microsoft's chairman and chief executive officer, reiterated the company's commitment to actualizing the era of AI for individuals and businesses alike.

He highlighted the rapid integration of AI across various layers of the technological framework, catering to diverse roles and business processes.

"With copilots, we are making the age of AI real for people and businesses everywhere. We are rapidly infusing AI across every layer of the tech stack and for every role and business process to drive productivity gains for our customers," Nadella said in a press release.

Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft, attributed the company's strong start to the fiscal year to the consistent execution by sales teams and partners. This contributed to the impressive Microsoft Cloud revenue of $31.8 billion, reflecting a robust 24 percent year-over-year growth.

Read Also: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Admits 'Exit' on Windows Phone Business Was a Mistake, Says It Could Have Been Handled Better

Breakdown of Microsoft Profits

In a detailed breakdown, several key business segments displayed noteworthy performance. In the Productivity and Business Processes category, revenue totaled $18.6 billion, indicating a 13 percent increase. This growth was driven by a surge in Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue, which increased by 15 percent.

Additionally, Office Consumer products and cloud services revenue grew by 3 percent, and LinkedIn revenue experienced an 8 percent increase. According to Microsoft's report, dynamics products and cloud services revenue also witnessed a substantial 22 percent growth.

In the Intelligent Cloud segment, revenue amounted to $24.3 billion, reflecting a significant 19 percent rise. This growth was propelled by a 21 percent increase in server products and cloud services revenue, driven by the performance of Azure and other cloud services.

The More Personal Computing division reported revenue of $13.7 billion, demonstrating a 3 percent increase. Windows revenue increased by 5 percent in this segment, while Xbox content and services revenue registered a 13 percent rise.

Search and news advertising revenue, excluding traffic acquisition costs, also grew by 10 percent. Furthermore, Microsoft allocated $9.1 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends during the first quarter of fiscal year 2024.

Related Article: Xbox Clips Will Be Automatically Uploaded to Microsoft's OneDrive Cloud Storage Soon! New Feature Being Tested

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Tech mogul Elon Musk has expressed his worries about the current hostilities in Gaza and Ukraine, stating that there is a serious possibility that these conflicts might turn into a third world war.

Elon Musk made these remarks on Monday during a discussion on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). The event also featured Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate who has historically supported isolationist views.

To resolve the present conflicts diplomatically, Elon Musk suggested, "We need to figure out peace in Ukraine, and I think we need to restore normal relations with Russia," as quoted by The Hill. He warned that World War III threatens civilization and must be avoided at all costs.

Musk also recommended making geographical concessions to Russia to solve the Ukraine war. He emphasized the need for a ceasefire and said military action against Russia is unlikely to succeed.

Officials in Ukraine, meanwhile, are skeptical of the proposals of the owners of Tesla and SpaceX. In October 2022, Ukrainian envoy Andriy Melnyk bluntly said "F- off" in response to Musk's suggestion.

Elon Musk Criticizes The US

Elon Musk also expressed further worries about the US's declining influence in the global economy. He said, as reported by Marca, "The United States does not have the power benchmark it used to have, and World War III would represent a war of superpower alliances in which one cannot easily defeat the other."

Read Also: Google Maps, Waze Suspend Live Traffic Conditions in Israel as Tensions Rise

The tech billionaire warned that China, Russia, and Iran may build a powerful alliance that would threaten Western nations. He emphasized that the basis of conflict is industrial productivity and economic strength, areas in which Eastern forces far exceed Western countries.

Former US President Donald Trump expressed similar concerns about a third global war in New Hampshire. He called this kind of global conflict "the annihilation of the world."

Join us for this discussion of the state of war in the world https://t.co/ooPihPFWmN  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 23, 2023

X to Leave Europe?

The news comes days after reports on Elon Musk's disappointment with the EU's new Digital Services Act (DSA), which names large internet companies "Very Large Online Platforms." This categorization prompts tech firms to be held legally liable for user-generated material, including unlawful postings, misinformation, and privacy breaches. Due to these regulations, Musk is reportedly considering removing X from Europe, per Mashable. However, Politico reported that Elon Musk denied the report and will have to comply with the EU's DSA.

Mobile analytics company Apptopia reports that 9% of X's worldwide monthly active users are European. According to Insider, daily X use has declined dramatically in recent months, both in the EU and globally.

TechCrunch earlier reported that X has initiated a pilot program, charging a $1 charge to new members in the Philippines and New Zealand, to combat the rising problem of spam and fake accounts. The initiative, called 'Not a Bot,' seeks to reduce unwanted behavior on the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The main objective of this initiative, according to the X support account, is to enhance the platform's ongoing attempts to combat spam, manipulation, and bot-related activities while maintaining proper accessibility. Additionally, the social networking site noted that the $1 fee is not intended to generate income.

Related Article: ChatGPT, Other AI Tools Can Be Manipulated to Craft Malicious Code, Study Warns

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General Motors (GM) and Honda Motor have canceled their collaboration to co-develop inexpensive electric vehicles (EVs) due to a slowdown in demand and changes in market conditions.

The car manufacturing firm's move represents a reevaluation of manufacturers' EV ambitions, especially GM's, and comes more than a year after the alliance was first announced.

With a projected start date of 2027, the partnership sought to use General Motors' next-generation Ultium battery technology to produce millions of EVs for the worldwide market at a price point of around $30,000. It was anticipated that this range would include well-liked small crossover cars.

Enormous Challenges

However, since the initial announcement of the GM Honda partnership, there have been obstacles to the EV landscape, including increased manufacturing costs, inadequate infrastructure, and customer demand that has not manifested as quickly as expected.

Thus, GM and Honda ended the collaboration 18 months after announcing ambitions to produce low-cost electric vehicles, according to a TechCrunch report.



GM spokesperson Darryll Harrison reiterated that the decision had no impact on Bolt's initiatives. GM CEO Mary Barra underlined this mindset and their commitment to improving Bolt's driving, charging, and ownership experience on an earnings call with investors.

"After conducting a thorough investigation and analysis, we have decided to end the program together. In the EV industry, all companies are still dedicated to maintaining affordability. In the EV industry, every firm is still dedicated to affordability," Harrison stated in an email, as quoted by CNBC.



Moreover, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe remarked in a Bloomberg interview that the affordable EV plan "would be difficult as a business."

Read Also: Elon Musk Warns of World War III Potential Amid Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza

It's Not The End of The Road

Notwithstanding the cancellation of the particular entry-level EV initiative, GM and Honda will continue to collaborate on other projects, like GM's production of the 2024 Honda Prologue EV. Additionally, both businesses are carrying on with their partnerships in the fields of driverless cars and hydrogen fuel cells.



GM and Honda have shown an increasing interest in autonomous cars, in contrast to their trimmed-back ambitions for electric vehicles. On October 18, GM, Cruise, the company that makes self-driving cars for GM, and Honda announced that they would be forming a new joint venture to provide a robotaxi service in Japan.



The service is expected to launch in downtown Tokyo using a fleet of specially constructed Cruise Origin cars in early 2026. It is anticipated that the fleet will grow from a few dozen cars to five hundred, and the service area will be extended outside of downtown Tokyo.



Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a Honda representative noted that the Japanese car manufacturer's relationship with GM and Cruise will not be hurt by Cruise's autonomous testing permit suspension in California. Safety concerns and misrepresentation prompted California to ban Cruise's autonomous vehicles from state highways.

Related Article: UAW Strike Expands to GM Assembly Plant in Texas; 5,000 Union Members Walkout

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A recent global study by Meta-Gallup, which included 142 nations, revealed worrying findings regarding loneliness among people aged 15 and older. Survey participants were asked, "How lonely do you feel?" to assess their emotional state.



A startling picture emerges from the data, as 24% of participants admitted to feeling "very" or "fairly" alone. Nevertheless, not all age groups shared these opinions equally. According to the Meta-Gallup survey, young people are disproportionately lonely. Unexpectedly, 27% of 19 to 29-year-olds felt very alone. Only 17% of 65-year-olds felt lonely, far lower than the younger group.



The Meta-Gallup survey found that many persons 45 and older experienced little loneliness. On the other hand, the majority of participants under the age of 45 reported feeling slightly, if not very, isolated.

Loneliness Knows No Age

While there have been many studies on the consequences of loneliness and social isolation in elderly individuals, Gallup senior research consultant Ellyn Maese said that this survey underscores that loneliness affects all ages.



In addition, the poll found no variation in reported degrees of loneliness depending on gender. Nonetheless, significant disparities in the prevalence of loneliness were noted across other nations, mostly attributed to cultural elements. Overall, 79 of the 142 countries had a higher rate of women reporting being lonely than men.



The June 2022-February 2023 Meta-Gallup survey consisted of phone interviews and in-person surveys with 1,000 respondents per country. The combined adult population of the examined nations represents about 77% of the world's total population, according to 10 News.



Furthermore, the poll highlighted the risks associated with loneliness, confirming worries expressed in a World Health Organization report from December 2020 and a May recommendation from the US surgeon general. These concerns underscore loneliness's negative consequences on physical and emotional health, which may lead to early mortality.

Read Also: Scientists Uncover 'Kill Switch' to Obliterate Cancerous Tumors Internally

How to Beat Loneliness

Even though loneliness has significantly diminished since the COVID-19 pandemic's peak, 49% of respondents believe that loneliness continues to be a major concern. Prominent government agencies and representatives, such as the US Surgeon General, have acknowledged loneliness as a serious problem. The surgeon general called loneliness the nation's latest epidemic, linking it to cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and early mortality.



According to Psychology Today, breaking the stigma associated with loneliness is an important step towards solving this widespread problem. People struggling with loneliness may overcome negative emotions by rejecting the idea that it shows personal deficiency. Furthermore, challenging the notion that lonely people are social liabilities whose seclusion is well-earned and contagious inspires communities to provide assistance.

"Human beings need social connections to thrive, and being embedded in strong supportive networks can protect our wellbeing when we're faced with difficulties in life," according to Dr. Olivia Remes, a mental health researcher at Cambridge University in the UK, as quoted by CNN.

Though social media is a great tool for socializing, Remes warned that "passive scrolling" might be hazardous. She said the practice was comparing others' pleasant postings to one's own. Remes advised publishing a status update or photo, commenting on friends' posts, or sending private messages.



To overcome loneliness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises striking up talks with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. It also recommends helping in the neighborhood and taking up common interests with like-minded people. Most importantly, the CDC recommends those who struggle with social isolation to practice self-compassion.

Related Article: US States Sue Meta Over Alleged Link to Youth Mental Health Crisis

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Inside the talent show that seeks the best hairdresser in the world: "We are starting to educate the planet in our world, because they have never listened to us"
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An off-duty pilot has pleaded not guilty to 83 charges of attempted murder, after allegedly trying to shut off a jetliners engines and down the aircraft.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, was arrested after the plane landed safely in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, 22 October, according to the local prosecutors office.

According to a federal affidavit seen by The Independent, Mr Emerson told police that he had suffered a nervous breakdown and had been taking psychedelic mushrooms.

Mr Emerson explained to the officers: I didnt feel okay. It seemed like the pilots werent paying attention to what was going on. They didnt it didnt seem right.

Mr Emerson appeared at a brief hearing at a court in Oregon on Tuesday, where he entered pleas of not guilty to all charges against him, via his attorney. He is due to return to court on Wednesday morning for a preventative detention hearing.

He faces a total of 167 state charges  83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

On Tuesday the US Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon announced that he had also been charged with one federal count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Joseph David Emerson, left, 44, was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tues., Oct. 24, 2023, in Portland, Oregon (AP)

The incident occurred on Sunday during a flight from Seattle to San Francisco. Authorities said Mr Emerson was travelling in the flight deck jump seat in the cockpit when he suddenly tried to shut down both of the planes engines by pulling the fire extinguisher handles.

He was then subdued by flight crew as the captain and first officer intervened to keep the engines running. Mr Emerson was escorted by a flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft where he was placed in wrist restraints and belted into the aft jump seat.

According to Alaska Airlines Mr Emerson also attempted to grab the handle of the emergency exit during the aircrafts descent before being stopped by a flight attendant.

The flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon, due to the credible threat posed by Mr Emerson and he was arrested upon arrival. His exact motive for his actions remain unclear, though authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically-motivated violence, CNN reported.

Prior to the incident Mr Emerson was a pilot with Alaska Airlines. According to the airline he joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon First Officer in August 2001.

In June 2012, Mr Emerson left Horizon to join Virgin America as a pilot but became an Alaska Airlines First Officer following Alaskas acquisition of Virgin America in 2016. He became an Alaska Airlines Captain in 2019.

Alaska Airlines said that following the incident Mr Emerson had been removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at the airline. The company said it was now consulting with its partners in labour regarding his employment status.

In a previous statement the airline said Mr Emerson did not have a history of medical issues and had completed mandatory FAA medical certifications throughout his career.
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Watch as Joe and Jill Biden greet Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon as the couple arrive for an official visit to the White House on Wednesday, 25 October.

The US president and the Australian prime minister will also take part in a state dinner today.

According to a statement from the White House, the Australian leaders trip will underscore the deep and enduring Alliance between the United States and Australia and the two nations shared commitment to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Mr Albaneses visit is Mr Bidens fourth state visitor he has welcomed since taking office.

The Australian prime minister and Ms. Haydon arrived in the US on Sunday evening.

On Monday, Mr Albanese laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and visited Microsoft, where the company announced a $3bn artificial intelligence and cyber security partnership with Australia.
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House Republicans overwhelmingly elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the next speaker of the House, after 22 days where the House of Representatives had no leader amid turmoil across the globe as well as the need to pass spending bills next month.

Mr Johnson, the former deputy whip for House Republicans, won 220 votes on the floor after House Republicans coalesced around him on Tuesday evening. His ascent came after House majority whip Tom Emmer dropped out a mere four hours after the House Republican conference nominated him to be speaker.

Republicans from all factions of the conference cheered Mr Johnson and whistled on the floor, chanting his name. After conservatives, led by former president Donald Trump, revolted against Mr Emmer, he removed himself from the running and, after another contest, Mr Johnson emerged victorious.

A former attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, Mr Johnson is considered an arch-social conservative staunchly opposed to abortion. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation that would have made it illegal to transport a person under the age of 18 across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental notification.

He is also an ardent opponent of LGBT+ rights. In response, Rep Angie Craig (D-MN), the first openly gay mother in Congress, said Happy anniversary to my wife, before casting her vote for House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.

In addition, in December 2020, Mr Johnson, a lawyer by trade, filed an amicus brief on behalf of himself and 125 other House Republicans for a lawsuit filed by Texas to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Despite his hard-right background, many Republicans from swing districts cast their vote for him on the floor enthusiastically. The vote came 22 days after former speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted after Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate the chair, which triggered a non-confidence vote. That in turn triggered a three-week frenzy to find a new speaker.

House majority leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan then faced off to become the nominee but as soon as Mr Scalise beat Mr Jordan, arch-conservatives rebelled and pledged to oppose Mr Scalise on the floor, which led to him removing himself from the running.

In response, Republicans nominated Mr Jordan, who failed after three votes last week before Republicans voted in a secret ballot to drop him.

Mr Johnson now faces numerous challenges leading the House. The House must pass some kind of spending bill before 17 November to keep the government open. Republicans and Democrats also hope to pass a bill to provide aid to Israel, while many Republicans oppose a supplemental package to aid Ukraine.
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Donald Trump has lashed out at his former chief of staff Mark Meadows after it emerged that he has reportedly been granted immunity in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors in the federal criminal case charging the former president over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

I dont think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith, the former president wrote on Truth Social late on Tuesday night.

BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years, told youll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone, and were not at all interested in exposing those that did the RIGGING  If you say BAD THINGS about that terrible MONSTER, DONALD J. TRUMP, we wont put you in prison, you can keep your family and your wealth, and, perhaps, if you can make up some really horrible STUFF a out him, we may very well erect a statue of you in the middle of our decaying and now very violent Capital, Washington, D.C.

Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation. I dont think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

In a follow-up post, he added: Mark Meadows NEVER told me that allegations of significant fraud (about the RIGGED Election!) were baseless. He certainly didnt say that in his book!

Mr Meadows, the ex-North Carolina congressman who served as Mr Trumps White House chief of staff during his last year in office, allegedly told prosecutors that he personally warned Mr Trump that claims of fraud tainting the 2020 election had no basis in reality.

According to ABC News, Mr Meadows admitted that the then-president had been dishonest with the American public when he began floating the outrageous allegations in the wake of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden during one of several sessions with prosecutors  including sworn testimony before a federal grand jury.

The former top White House aide reportedly told prosecutors: Obviously we didnt win.

Mr Meadows admissions that Mr Trump had lost the election and his concession that the loss was not tainted by fraud contradicts much of what he has recounted about that time period in his book, The Chiefs Chief.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters outside the White House (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

He has also repeatedly parroted the ex-presidents baseless claims in interviews with right-wing media outlets.

But Mr Meadows has taken a different tack in his sessions with Mr Smiths office, as well as during a session before a grand jury during which he gave evidence under a grant of immunity.

The Independent first reported that Mr Meadows had reached an agreement to be granted immunity with Mr Smiths office in June, just days before Mr Trump was first indicted by a South Florida federal grand jury on charges that he unlawfully retained national defence information and conspired to obstruct a federal probe into how hundreds of documents with classified markings ended up at his Palm Beach, Florida beach club long after his presidency  and his authorisation to possess such documents  had come to a close.
Heres a look at some of newly anointed House Speaker Mike Johnsons statements on a range of hot topics over the years. Johnson, of Benton, has only been in elective office since 2015, when he joined the Louisiana Legislature, but before that, he often took public stands and published newspaper op-eds thanks to his role as a constitutional lawyer litigating a variety of controversial issues.
If all goes as anticipated, Interim New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick will make her case before the City Council on Wednesday. Citizens will have a chance to weigh in, and well be on the way to the citys legislative body approving Mayor LaToya Cantrells pick as permanent police chief soon.
Aarfah

The Tale of Sailing the Waves of Freedom with Aarfah the Pirate

Aarfah was a bright, ambitious young woman living in the lively port city of Melilla, Morocco. The city was a hub of activity, with traders coming and going from all over the world. Aarfah spent her days working at a small shop near the harbor, selling spices and other exotic goods to sailors and locals alike.

She had a keen mind and a thirst for knowledge and spent her free time reading books and studying maps of far-off lands. Despite her many challenges as a woman in a male-centric society, Aarfah remained determined to make a name for herself and see the world beyond Melilla's bustling streets.

She was unlike any other in the city, harboring a daring secret. Beneath her modest attire, she concealed the heart of a fierce Barbary pirate. Aarfah yearned for adventure and freedom on the high seas, but society expected her to follow conventional paths.

One moonless night, Aarfah decided to heed the call of the ocean. She disguised herself as a sailor and boarded a pirate ship called the Ibdi Ikhlfan. Unaware of her true identity, the crew welcomed her with open arms. Aarfah was determined to prove herself, and with every voyage, she honed her skills as a sailor and a formidable pirate.

Tales of the mysterious pirate captain, Lwali Inzayin, began spreading throughout the Mediterranean as time passed. Her cunning strategies and audacious raids struck fear into the hearts of merchants and rival pirates alike. Aarfah, concealed beneath her captain's attire, kept her true identity a closely guarded secret, earning the respect of her crew and striking awe into the hearts of her adversaries.

As Aarfah's ship sailed through the tumultuous waters, a violent storm suddenly hit them. The crew struggled to keep the ship afloat amidst the raging winds and crashing waves. Amid the chaos, something unexpected happened - Aarfah's true identity was revealed to the crew.

Despite the gravity of the situation, the crew's reaction was anything but hostile. Instead, they celebrated Aarfah's bravery and leadership, impressed by her audacity and unwavering spirit in the face of danger.

The legend of the Moroccan female Barbary pirate Aarfah and her ship, the Ibdi Ikhlfan inspired others to defy societal expectations. Aarfah had achieved the fame and freedom she longed for on her own terms. Her story remains a celebrated folktale, a testament to the power of determination and the ability to chart one's destiny, no matter the obstacles.
Mossi rulers, known as Moro Naba in the More language, were called King of the World and defended Mossi's traditional religious beliefs and way of life.

Until the late 19th century, Burkina Faso's history was shaped by the Mossi, much like how the Mossi people, for many centuries, mirrored the American minutemen as both farmers and soldiers. The Mossi were expert empire builders, leaving an indelible mark on the region's history. Like minutemen in the United States, their legacy showcases their dual role as hardworking agriculturalists and skilled warriors who significantly influenced Burkina Faso's history.

The Mossi empire was a dominant force in the region, and understanding its history helps us comprehend the Moro Naba's historical significance. As the rulers of the Mossi empire, the Moro Naba held substantial power over this influential realm. The empire's success, akin to the Mossi people's dual farming and warrior roles, underscores the Moro Naba's importance. Local chiefs and traditional leaders, known as Naba, continue to hold authority in many Mossi communities.

The Mossi people have a history of strong traditional rulers.

The Mossi Empire consisted of several kingdoms, each with its own ruler. The most prominent of these kingdoms included the Yatenga Kingdom, the Ouagadougou Kingdom, the Tenkodogo Kingdom, and the Fada N'Gourma Kingdom.

The Mossi rulers were known as Moro Naba in the More Mossi language, which translates to King of the World. These rulers held significant authority and played essential roles in the governance and administration of their respective Mossi kingdoms. They were not just political leaders but also spiritual figures connected to the ancestral spirits.

Each Mossi kingdom had its Moro Naba, and they often engaged in diplomacy, warfare, and alliances with neighboring kingdoms and colonial powers during the colonial period. The Mossi rulers played a vital role in maintaining the stability and cultural identity of the Mossi people in Burkina Faso.

A majority of Burkinabes adhere to traditional African religions. The introduction of Islam to Burkina Faso was resisted by the Mossi rulers. The Mossi people could defend their religious beliefs and social structure against forcible attempts to convert them to Islam by Muslims from the northwest.

The Mossi practiced traditional African religions that were deeply ingrained in their culture. These belief systems often centered around the veneration of ancestral spirits, nature, and local deities. These religious practices were integral to the Mossi way of life, influencing their rituals, ceremonies, and daily activities.

Ultimately, the French colonial presence in the late 19th century profoundly impacted the region, including the Mossi territories. The capture of Ouagadougou by the French in 1896 marked the end of the Mossi resistance and the beginning of colonial rule. This period brought significant changes to the region, including introducing Christianity and Islam and shifting governance and administration.

Mossi Communities in contemporary times.

The Mossi people form one of the largest ethnic groups in Burkina Faso, making up a significant portion of the country's population. While their heartland lies in the central region of Burkina Faso, Mossi communities can also be found in neighboring countries like Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Togo.

Mossi society retains elements of its historical social structure. Local chiefs and traditional leaders, known as Naba, continue to hold authority in many Mossi communities. These leaders play essential roles in conflict resolution, community governance, and the preservation of cultural traditions.

The Mossi people predominantly communicate in the Moore language, which is commonly referred to as More. More holds a significant linguistic and cultural position as it is recognized as one of Burkina Faso's official languages, alongside French. This recognition underscores the importance of More in the nation's linguistic landscape, reflecting its historical and contemporary relevance in Mossi society.

As one of the official languages, More plays a crucial role in education, administration, media, and everyday communication, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Mossi cultural identity within the broader context of Burkina Faso's multicultural society.
Peter Strateas and Mario-Luca Carlucci, the designers behind locally produced luxury brand Strateas Carlucci, know theyre in a small  and somewhat endangered  club.

In the same week that Melbourne-made denim brand Nobody Denim went into liquidation (the companys assets were subsequently bought by another Australian brand, Outland Denim), Carlucci says unless consumers throw more support behind local labels, there will more forced closures.

Staying homegrown  Strateas Carlucci designers Peter Strateas (left) and Mario-Luca Carlucci (right) with models, including 13-year-old Ryder Carlucci. Credit: Simon Schluter

People are more aware, they want something locally made, great quality, ethically sourced, fabrics to be organic and all of that but are they willing to make that jump with the price point? The answer is sometimes no, sadly, says Carlucci.

But, says Strateas, the team isnt getting too down about the shrinking state of local manufacturing, which had a temporary revival during the pandemic. Weve always looked at the limitations we have [of being Australian made] and find the positives in it, he says. Sometimes its influenced the way we have designed.
New plans for Sydneys $25 billion Metro West rail line will go before a powerful NSW cabinet subcommittee on Friday, in the clearest signal that the government is seriously considering expanding the size of the citys largest transport project.

Days before a wide-ranging review into Metro West is due to be released, the governments expenditure review committee will on Friday examine plans for the mega project, according to two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

Work is well under way on the Metro West rail line between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Aside from reshaping Sydneys transport network, the rail line between Sydneys CBD and Parramatta is regarded as a catalyst for the construction of apartment buildings and other higher density dwellings along the citys east-west spine.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Jo Haylen said on Wednesday that she did not discuss the timing or content of matters before cabinet.
Lilie James, 21, loved dancing and sport. To support herself at university, she taught dance and coached water polo. Friends said she dreamed of a career in sports science and to perhaps open her own business one day.

She worked hard but was never too busy for her family and friends. She was the kindest person, said a close school friend. Were absolutely gutted. Its so raw, for all of us.

Lilie James was found dead in the schools gym bathroom on Wednesday night. Credit: Facebook

On Wednesday afternoon, James was coaching students at St Andrews Cathedral School, a high-rise Anglican school near Sydneys Town Hall. Late that night, emergency services found her dead in the school gymnasiums toilet with brutal wounds to her head.

Police described the scene as confronting. Police sources not authorised to speak publicly about the investigation have suggested that the wounds were inflicted by a hammer.
Brisbane has shifted from uneventful to dazzling to become one of the worlds top destinations to visit in 2024, according to the international travel guide Frommers.

In the most recent edition, Frommers Travel Guide says Brisbane is no longer a backwater divided inconveniently by water.

The Emporium Hotel overlooking Brisbanes CBD is just one accommodation option attracting visitors to Brisbane. Credit: Adam Ferguson

Brisbanes reputation as a generic Aussie backwater is over. It belongs to the world now, travel writer Jeanne Cooper says in the guide.

The city has conquered the river that divided it into north and south, she writes.
It was great to think I helped change someones life for the better. The last time the pair met was just after Brunner had given evidence in 1986 to the royal commission into the convictions. He remembers feeling uneasy because there was still police and public support for the Chamberlains guilt and widespread disbelief that nine-week-old Azaria had been taken by a dingo near Uluru in August 1980. A Canberra Times article from 1986 reporting Brunners evidence to the royal commission into the Chamberlains convictions over the death of their daughter Azaria. Credit: Trove But forensic scientist Dr Harry Harding, who had told the Chamberlains trial that the hairs were probably from a cat, changed his mind and told the royal commission he agreed with Brunner that they were probably from a dog.

Brunner said that after he gave evidence, Chamberlain-Creighton shook his hand and thanked him. I told Lindy I was blessed that I could use my scientific information to find out the truth, and the truth was accepted in the court, he said. It was among evidence cited by Judge Trevor Morling in his 1987 royal commission report, which concluded there was a reasonable doubt about the guilty verdicts. The Northern Territory Supreme Court quashed the couples convictions in 1988.

Brunners reunion with Chamberlain-Creighton, now 75, on Tuesday also involved a viewing of a new portrait of Brunner by Frankston South artist Lulu Clifton-Evans, who will enter the painting in the 2024 Archibald Prize. The portrait depicts Brunner sitting in his study with a microscope, canine skulls and an image of a dingo. Chamberlain-Creighton, who was in Melbourne to attend an event at the State Library of Victoria on Tuesday night, did not want photos of the meeting with Brunner to be published. MIchael and Lindy Chamberlain pictured in February 1981 after the first inquest into their daughters death, on the steps of the court in Alice Springs. Credit: Russell McPhedran On his lap in the painting is the 1974 research-based book he co-wrote, The Identification of Mammalian Hair, which prompted the Chamberlains lawyers to contact him to give evidence. Clifton-Evans believes Brunner is a hero for his role in the Chamberlain case but said he was also haunted by it.

Brunner said he feared public and police hostility from his evidence. But I used scientific reasoning and didnt touch police in saying they are good or bad. I just used scientific information and stuck to it, so they couldnt get angry. Brunner, who had researched dingoes at a government research facility, said that in 1980, after Azarias clothing was found days after she disappeared, he rang police and offered his expertise. He said a police officer declined, saying shes guilty, anyhow before hanging up. It has bothered him ever since.

I thought if the police had let me go and look at those hairs at the base of Uluru, and I could have identified them then, that they were dingo hairs ... Lindy would never have had to go to prison [for three years], Brunner said. Loading I wished I could have been able to go up there [to Uluru] right at the beginning and proved there were dingo hairs, and that a dingo took the baby. Clifton-Evans approached Brunner, who is a family friend, about doing the portrait. I felt that Hans felt that he didnt get the credit he deserved, for his lifes work and for what he proved. she said.

Asked what she thinks of his role in the Chamberlain case, Clifton-Evans said: I think Hans is a hero, because he endured. He was frightened of the police, he had to stand up in court and he thought he might be done in. His experiences werent pleasant. Brunner said he suspected dingo involvement from the start. The Swiss immigrant, who has a masters in applied science, had worked for the Victorian government, researching how to protect wildlife and farm animals by identifying predator animals such as cats, dogs and foxes. He worked for the Keith Turnbull Research Institute for conservation and natural resources in Frankston. He published the book and became a world expert on animal hair identification. Brunner said the portrait helped give him closure about the case.
Melburnians could travel to regional hospitals for their long-awaited operations under a plan to improve the states overwhelmed surgery wait lists.

Surgeons would also run HIT clinics to power through a backlog of similar operations, such as hip replacements, while other patients are diverted to alternative treatments such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and hydrotherapists.

The new surgery blueprint has been described as a significant reform to how surgeries are managed in Victoria. Credit: Greg Newington

As more than 72,000 Victorians languish on elective surgery waitlists, the government has released a blueprint that it says will improve patient experiences and outcomes.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said while hundreds of thousands of Victorians received planned and emergency surgery every year, some patients were waiting too long, in distress and pain.
That is why Ukrainian soldiers are driving Australian-made Bushmasters as they drive back an illegal and immoral invasion. And it is why all Australians condemn the atrocities, terror and pitiless brutality of Hamas. And, Mr President, we applaud the personal resolve you have brought to this troubled part of the world. You have spoken with moral clarity and you have stood up for a simple principle. The principle that every innocent life matters, Israeli and Palestinian. And that in any conflict, every effort must be made to protect civilians. Joe Biden with his son Beau Biden in 2009. Credit: AP Quoting an American talking about his time in the Iraq war, Albanese cited soldier saying: You know when theres an Australian with you, theyll always have your back. He will then tell the crowd at the White House that the remark came from Major Beau Biden. The presidents son died of cancer in 2015, at the age of 46. Biden told the story of his sons remark when he visited Australia as vice-president in 2016.

White House officials emphasised the importance of the personal ties between Biden and Albanese when the US focus on the Indo-Pacific region was right at the top of the list of American priorities. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Australian visit this week was a sign of the importance of alliances in the Indo-Pacific, adding strategic competitors such as Russia and China could not match the US in building partnerships. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon at a private dinner at the White House with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Credit: WENN Theyre not even close to the alliances and partnerships that we have, Kirby said in a briefing with reporters at the Australian embassy in Washington DC. The White House meetings come at a time of tension between the US and China, with US authorities releasing video footage of Chinese fighters buzzing US surveillance aircraft in the South China Sea, but also as tensions ease between Australia and China after several years of trade sanctions and diplomatic friction.

Albanese will visit China from November 4 to 7 to meet Xi in Beijing and attend a business expo in Shanghai, as well as marking 50 years since the Australian government under Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam recognised the Peoples Republic of China after decades of formal recognition for Taiwan. In the US, however, the White House describes China as a strategic competitor and turns to allies including Australia to help maintain regional security. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Resources Minister Madeleine King in front of the White House on Tuesday (early morning Wednesday AEDT). Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Its a competition that we mean to succeed in, said Kirby. And that means being able to cooperate where we can, communicate where we must, and obviously, as appropriate, work to counter some of the PRCs intimidation, coercion, excessive maritime claims.

I mean, so were taking a holistic view of this relationship. We believe that again, more open lines of communication with China is a good thing. With chaos in Congress casting a shadow over the Prime Ministers trip, diplomats and politicians in Washington have spent the past few weeks scrambling to mitigate the impact while the Republicans in the House of Representatives have struggled to choose a new Speaker. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Jodie Haydon (right) arrive for a private dinner with President of the United States Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Democrat Congressman Joe Courtney spoke to US Ambassador Kevin Rudd on Saturday, and even then, everyone was still trying to think if there was a way to rescue the joint address that Albanese was hoping to give to Congress. One idea was to see if the Senate could accommodate such a speech, but with only 100 seats in the chamber, compared to 435 in the House of Representatives, it wasnt possible under parliamentary rules.

Instead, Albanese will meet with members of the Senate and House who oversee defence and intelligence policy in Congress, as well as members of the Friends of Australia caucus, which is co-chaired by Courtney. Australias US ambassador Kevin Rudd had tried to arrange an address to Congress for Anthony Albanese. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Others will then have a chance to meet the prime minister on Capitol Hill, although it is still not clear how many people may be available given the ongoing battle to find a speaker for the House of Representatives. The initial plan was to have a joint address, but unfortunately, its one of the examples of collateral damage in not having a Speaker - you cant convene the House, Courtney said. You cant control what is going on right now with the Republican speaker problem, but it really would have been a great opportunity for the Prime Minister to give his viewpoint from the region at such a critical time.
The Liberal Partys sole Indigenous MP has questioned the courage of the authors of an anonymous letter censuring people who voted No in the Voice referendum.

Coalition frontbencher Senator Kerrynne Liddle says she was astonished that key Yes campaigners did not have the courage to put their names to a statement like this, and urging the authors of the statement released on Sunday to accept responsibility for the democratic outcome.

Liddle delivering a speech in September, 2022. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

In an unpublished draft version of the open letter, revealed in this masthead on Sunday, Liddle was accused of being a front person for right-wing think tanks that used black people to fight black people.

I wasnt a front person for anybody. Im a proud Indigenous woman. Im also a member of parliament and a contributing member of my community, she said, adding that she had seen the draft that named her.
United States President Joe Biden has warned Australia about the risks of dealing with China and vowed to press ahead with the AUKUS pact on nuclear-powered submarines, in a press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that emphasised Americas commitment to stability in Asia.

Biden said his administration would take on China and present the US as a more reliable partner in the region, but he made it clear that this extreme competition did not mean he wanted conflict.

US President Joe Biden has warned Australia about getting too close to China. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The president made the remarks while standing with Albanese at a press conference in the rose garden of the White House after a ceremonial welcome and a meeting in the Oval Office to project the strength of the Australian alliance with the US.

With Albanese due to visit Beijing within a fortnight to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the comments in Washington sent the message that Australia could trust the US more than China.
The Queensland government had extensive knowledge of a Hong Kong-based companys complex links with Asian crime before it approved it in 2015 as a major partner in the multibillion-dollar Queens Wharf Brisbane development.

But documents obtained under right to information laws show the Palaszczuk government signed off on Chow Tai Fook (CTF) entering the Queensland casino business because in-house investigators broadly believed the unsavoury connections were tenuous or historical.

Shannon Fentiman, who is now the health minister, was attorney-general when QWB controversies kicked up a gear. Credit: File images

That assessment grates with comments from minister Shannon Fentiman, who, as attorney-general last year, described reporting from the ABC about CTFs associations as very concerning.

She responded in the reports by promising a fresh investigation into the company. More than a year later, that probe is continuing.
Li Shangfu has become the Chinas shortest-serving defence minister ever, ending months of speculation over his status.

The nations top legislative body removed the US-sanctioned general from his role without explanation, state media reported. Li had been in the post just seven months.

The latest victim of President Xi Jinpings high-profile purges, Li was also stripped of his state councillor title and membership of the governments highest national defence body. No replacement for his role was announced.

Li Shangfu had not been seen in public for a long time before he was officially ousted. Credit: AP

Xi has now abruptly removed two newly appointed ministers since embarking on his precedent-defying third term in office last year. In July, Xi stunned the world by removing his handpicked foreign minister Qin Gang without explanation. On Tuesday, Qin was also ousted from his remaining title of state councillor, which entitled him to a seat on the nations cabinet.
"The Western Azerbaijani community sharply condemns the irresponsible and provocative articles published in a number of Western media outlets recently that Azerbaijan will attack Armenia."

According to Azernews, this was stated in the statement of the Community, adding that engaging in cheap sensationalism, gossip, and slander under the name of free media, freedom of speech, and carrying out the orders of biased political circles completely contradicts the principles of professionalism and honesty of journalists.

"We believe that such writings primarily serve as a pretext for the arming of Armenia by France and for the official invasion of Paris into the South Caucasus region.

In this regard, we reject the shameless statements made by the chairman of the foreign relations committee of the German parliament, Michael Roth, who has gained the image of a frivolous politician in Yerevan in recent days. We call on M. Roth, who accuses Azerbaijan of "aggression" and "violation of international law", to look carefully at the history of his country.

It seems that after the European Parliament, Luis Ocampo, Yuri Kim, Armenia's new place of refuge is M. Roth. "Azerbaijanaphobes with an Islamophobic mindset and people like M.Roth should absolutely stay away from the South Caucasus region."
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High near 55F. WSW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 42F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
By Victor Ing,

Special to The Post

At our immigration law office we frequently consult with clients about spousal sponsorships, which involves an application by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent residence in Canada. These applications are quite commonplace and represent a large proportion of approvals each year. To illustrate, in 2021 over 69,000 foreign nationals were admitted to Canada as permanent residents under a spousal sponsorship and this represented about 17% of the total admissions approved for the entire year. Though spousal sponsorships generally have a high success rate, the application process is often confusing to clients because there are two separate streams: the Family Class and the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class (SCLPC). While these streams used to differ quite significantly from each other, new changes announced in May 2023 have eliminated many of the traditional differences. Here is what you need to know!

The traditional distinction between the Family Class and the SCLPC concerned the location of the main applicant for permanent residence. Those who resided outside Canada would traditionally apply under the Family Class and would not come to Canada until their application was approved. Those who resided in Canada would apply under the SCLPC and would be expected to live with their sponsor until processing was complete. This might apply, for instance, to international students, foreign workers, and even visitors to Canada.

This distinction resulted in practical consequences for applicants. For example, Family Class and SCLPC applications used to have noticeably different processing times  SCLPC applications tended to have longer processing times because there was less pressure to finalize the application since both spouses were already living together in Canada. On the other hand, since SCLPC applicants were already living in Canada they have the option of applying for an open work permit that allows them to legally work while waiting for their permanent resident status to be approved. This helped reduce the financial burden on the family, as both spouses could financially contribute to household and other expenses, and it also allowed the applicant spouse to participate in the labour market right away instead of waiting to find work only after receiving an approval for permanent residence. For these reasons, the SCLPC was often considered the better stream because the applicant spouse could remain in Canada with their Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsor and legally work during the processing period.

To take advantage of the SCLPC, many overseas spouses chose to apply for temporary visas to come to Canada to work, study or visit, with the intention that they will file their permanent residence application after arrival in Canada. Unfortunately, their marital status always proved to be a complicating factor.

Immigration visa officers are trained to refuse temporary visa applications if there is reason to believe that the applicant will not depart Canada when their temporary status ends, and having a spouse living in Canada makes it highly likely that the person will want to stay in Canada regardless of status. The same concern would arise if a couple were not yet married but wanted to get married in Canada  a visa officer would be skeptical that the purpose of the visit to Canada was solely to get married and to celebrate the nuptials with friends and family and that the overseas spouse would later depart Canada. This led to many refusals of overseas applications and it often felt unfair to applicants who are from countries that require visas to travel to Canada. Why should they have to justify their trip to Canada when others from the United States or other visa-exempt countries could travel to Canada with little to no scrutiny?

Changes announced on May 26, 2023 have closed the gap between the Family Class and the SCLPC and now make it more equitable for applicants from visa-required countries. Specifically, former Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, announced several new measures that make it easier for Family Class applicants to start a life in Canada, including:

 Expedited processing times for visitor visa applications made by spouses living overseas to come to Canada;

 A more relaxed approach to visa processing to ensure that families can reunite sooner in Canada while their spousal sponsorship application is processing; and

 An open work permit option for Family Class applicants who have arrived in Canada as visitors to allow them to enter the Canadian labour force as soon as receipt of their permanent residence application is acknowledged.

Collectively, these changes ensure that all spousal sponsorship applicants are treated as equally as possible. Regardless of their country of nationality, spousal applicants should be able to come to Canada to reunite with their Canadian citizen or permanent resident spouse and be allowed to work during the processing of their application.

Family reunification has long been a cornerstone of Canadian immigration law. As the former Minister stated in the May 2023 announcement, family reunification is a matter of compassion and there are no good reasons to keep families separated while their application is under processing or to deny spouses the ability to enter the Canadian labour market before an approval is granted. Allowing spouses to work can only serve to maximize their contributions to our economy and fast-track their integration into Canadian society over the long run. The May 2023 announcement represents a significant commitment to family reunification and gives hope to spouses living overseas that they can start their new life in Canada sooner than previously thought. Those interested in filing a spousal sponsorship application for permanent residence from overseas should review these measures and determine whether they can benefit from them.

Victor Ing is a lawyer of Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre. He provides a full range of immigration services.

For more information go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected].
Ambrx Biopharma (NYSE:AMAM  Get Free Report)s stock had its overweight rating restated by analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald in a research note issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgeralds price objective suggests a potential upside of 158.53% from the companys current price.

AMAM has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Ambrx Biopharma in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. They set a buy rating and a $26.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on Ambrx Biopharma in a report on Monday, July 31st. They issued an outperform rating and a $29.00 target price for the company. JMP Securities assumed coverage on Ambrx Biopharma in a report on Monday, September 25th. They issued an outperform rating and a $15.00 target price for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Ambrx Biopharma from $6.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, September 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $22.13.

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Ambrx Biopharma Trading Up 15.1 %

Shares of NYSE:AMAM opened at $9.67 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $13.02. Ambrx Biopharma has a 12-month low of $0.38 and a 12-month high of $16.86.

Ambrx Biopharma (NYSE:AMAM  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 9th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.28) by $0.23. The company had revenue of $1.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.50 million. Research analysts predict that Ambrx Biopharma will post -1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Cormorant Asset Management, Lp acquired 751,233 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $9.24 per share, with a total value of $6,941,392.92. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 69,465,823 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $641,864,204.52. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ambrx Biopharma

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ambrx Biopharma in the second quarter worth $162,000. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Ambrx Biopharma during the first quarter valued at about $112,000. QP Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ambrx Biopharma during the second quarter valued at about $209,000. Innovis Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Ambrx Biopharma during the second quarter valued at about $277,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in Ambrx Biopharma during the first quarter valued at about $156,000. Institutional investors own 77.28% of the companys stock.

About Ambrx Biopharma

(Get Free Report)

Ambrx Biopharma Inc, a clinical-stage biologics company, discovers and develops engineered precision biologics using its proprietary expanded genetic code technology platform. The company's lead product candidate is ARX788, an anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), which is investigated in various clinical trials for the treatment of breast cancer, gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer, and other solid tumors, including ongoing Phase 2/3 clinical trials for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and gastric cancer.

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Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE:BHLB  Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $23.00 to $22.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a sector perform rating on the savings and loans companys stock. Royal Bank of Canadas price target suggests a potential upside of 19.05% from the companys previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com raised Berkshire Hills Bancorp from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, October 20th. Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed a sell rating on shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in a report on Tuesday, September 12th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp from a c rating to a b- rating in a report on Thursday, July 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Berkshire Hills Bancorp presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $27.67.

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Berkshire Hills Bancorp Stock Performance

Insider Activity at Berkshire Hills Bancorp

BHLB stock opened at $18.48 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market cap of $813.30 million, a PE ratio of 7.97 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day moving average of $20.40 and a 200-day moving average of $21.27. Berkshire Hills Bancorp has a 12-month low of $18.07 and a 12-month high of $31.63.

In other Berkshire Hills Bancorp news, Director Mary Anne Callahan bought 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $19.84 per share, with a total value of $198,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,000 shares in the company, valued at $198,400. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp by 11.4% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 18,636 shares of the savings and loans companys stock valued at $374,000 after buying an additional 1,911 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the third quarter worth about $481,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp during the second quarter worth about $141,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its holdings in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp by 5.7% during the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 14,831 shares of the savings and loans companys stock valued at $308,000 after acquiring an additional 804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $257,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.24% of the companys stock.

About Berkshire Hills Bancorp

(Get Free Report)

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Berkshire Bank that provides various banking products and services. It offers various deposit accounts, including demand deposit, interest-bearing checking, regular savings, money market savings, time certificates of deposit, and retirement deposit accounts; and loans, such as commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, consumer, and residential mortgage loans.

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Equities research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Ceridian HCM (NYSE:CDAY  Get Free Report) in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage set a neutral rating and a $74.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Groups target price would suggest a potential upside of 6.52% from the companys current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on CDAY. Piper Sandler reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $73.00 price objective on shares of Ceridian HCM in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Ceridian HCM from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Ceridian HCM from $74.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 21st. TD Cowen downgraded Ceridian HCM from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $69.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upgraded Ceridian HCM from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $82.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $78.94.

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Ceridian HCM Stock Up 0.7 %

Ceridian HCM stock opened at $69.47 on Monday. Ceridian HCM has a 1-year low of $52.92 and a 1-year high of $79.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -771.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 1.42. The firms fifty day moving average price is $71.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Ceridian HCM (NYSE:CDAY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.07 by ($0.01). Ceridian HCM had a positive return on equity of 0.67% and a negative net margin of 0.95%. The company had revenue of $365.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $358.05 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ceridian HCM will post 0.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Joseph B. Korngiebel sold 11,193 shares of Ceridian HCM stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total value of $786,420.18. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 113,060 shares in the company, valued at $7,943,595.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Ceridian HCM news, EVP Joseph B. Korngiebel sold 11,193 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.26, for a total transaction of $786,420.18. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 113,060 shares in the company, valued at $7,943,595.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Leagh Erin Turner sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.99, for a total value of $425,940.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 245,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,406,818.99. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,650 shares of company stock worth $2,259,207. Corporate insiders own 4.50% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ceridian HCM

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Simon Quick Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Ceridian HCM by 68.9% during the third quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 7,259 shares of the companys stock worth $493,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ceridian HCM by 17.3% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 6,996 shares of the companys stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 1,031 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ceridian HCM by 0.8% in the third quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 22,588 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,533,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ceridian HCM by 22.1% in the third quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 54,047 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,667,000 after purchasing an additional 9,766 shares during the period. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund increased its stake in Ceridian HCM by 17.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 39,131 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,655,000 after purchasing an additional 5,700 shares in the last quarter.

Ceridian HCM Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Ceridian HCM Holding Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a human capital management (HCM) software company in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers Dayforce, a cloud HCM platform that provides human resources, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management functionality; and Powerpay, a cloud HR and payroll solution for the small business market.

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Equities researchers at StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Cheetah Mobile (NYSE:CMCM  Get Free Report) in a note issued to investors on Monday. The firm set a hold rating on the software makers stock.

Cheetah Mobile Stock Performance

Shares of CMCM stock opened at $1.72 on Monday. Cheetah Mobile has a fifty-two week low of $1.41 and a fifty-two week high of $3.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.19.

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Institutional Trading of Cheetah Mobile

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Cheetah Mobile stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in Cheetah Mobile Inc. (NYSE:CMCM  Free Report) by 22.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 42,823 shares of the software makers stock after purchasing an additional 7,869 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Cheetah Mobile worth $100,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 0.66% of the companys stock.

About Cheetah Mobile

Cheetah Mobile Inc operates as an internet company in the People's Republic of China, the United States, Japan, and internationally. The company's utility products include Clean Master, a junk file cleaning, memory boosting, and privacy protection tool for mobile devices; Security Master, an anti-virus and security application for mobile devices; and Duba Anti-virus, an internet security application to protect users against known and unknown security threats and malicious applications.

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Chegg (NYSE:CHGG  Get Free Report) had its target price cut by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $13.00 to $10.00 in a report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an equal weight rating on the technology companys stock. Morgan Stanleys target price suggests a potential upside of 20.92% from the companys current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Chegg from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Chegg from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Chegg from $10.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Chegg in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $17.42.

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Chegg Stock Performance

NYSE:CHGG opened at $8.27 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $953.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.14. Chegg has a 1-year low of $8.08 and a 1-year high of $30.05. The firms fifty day moving average price is $9.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 3.13 and a quick ratio of 3.13.

Chegg (NYSE:CHGG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 7th. The technology company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.02 by ($0.01). Chegg had a return on equity of 2.48% and a net margin of 37.85%. The firm had revenue of $182.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $176.19 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Chegg will post 0.28 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in Chegg by 15.4% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 63,356 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,032,000 after buying an additional 8,469 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its holdings in Chegg by 91.7% in the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 51,689 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $843,000 after acquiring an additional 24,723 shares in the last quarter. Duality Advisers LP acquired a new position in Chegg in the 1st quarter valued at $1,113,000. Homestead Advisers Corp acquired a new position in shares of Chegg during the 1st quarter worth $1,951,000. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Chegg during the 2nd quarter worth $1,214,000. 97.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Chegg

(Get Free Report)

Chegg, Inc operates direct-to-student learning platform that supports students starting with their academic journey and extending into their careers with products and services to support learner with their academic course materials. The company offers Chegg Services, which include subscription services; and skills and other, including skills, advertising services, print textbooks, and eTextbooks.

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Truist Financial Corp reduced its position in shares of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (NYSE:DD  Free Report) by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 239,505 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 20,878 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corps holdings in DuPont de Nemours were worth $17,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Klingenstein Fields & Co. LP lifted its stake in shares of DuPont de Nemours by 1.1% in the second quarter. Klingenstein Fields & Co. LP now owns 242,177 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $17,301,000 after buying an additional 2,606 shares in the last quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners lifted its stake in DuPont de Nemours by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 61,657 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $4,404,000 after purchasing an additional 2,019 shares in the last quarter. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of DuPont de Nemours by 127.9% during the 2nd quarter. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. now owns 95,926 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $6,853,000 after purchasing an additional 53,839 shares during the last quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of DuPont de Nemours in the second quarter valued at approximately $10,836,000. Finally, Confluence Wealth Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of DuPont de Nemours by 7.5% in the second quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 13,208 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $944,000 after purchasing an additional 917 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.25% of the companys stock.

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DuPont de Nemours Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of DD stock opened at $72.80 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.39. DuPont de Nemours, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $55.72 and a fifty-two week high of $78.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.98. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $74.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.07.

DuPont de Nemours Dividend Announcement

DuPont de Nemours ( NYSE:DD Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.02. DuPont de Nemours had a return on equity of 6.11% and a net margin of 37.09%. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. The companys revenue was down 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.88 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that DuPont de Nemours, Inc. will post 3.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 30th will be issued a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 29th. DuPont de Nemourss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on DD. Mizuho upped their target price on DuPont de Nemours from $81.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of DuPont de Nemours from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of DuPont de Nemours from $70.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of DuPont de Nemours in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of DuPont de Nemours from $81.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, DuPont de Nemours currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $80.40.

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Insider Buying and Selling at DuPont de Nemours

In other news, SVP Raj Ratnakar sold 15,838 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.56, for a total value of $1,180,881.28. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 31,720 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,365,043.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Raj Ratnakar sold 15,838 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.56, for a total value of $1,180,881.28. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,720 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,365,043.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Michael G. Goss sold 7,919 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.36, for a total transaction of $612,613.84. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,363 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,033,761.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 74,390 shares of company stock worth $5,713,502 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock.

About DuPont de Nemours

(Free Report)

DuPont de Nemours, Inc provides technology-based materials and solutions in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through Electronics & Industrial, Water & Protection, and Corporate & Other segments. The Electronics & Industrial segment supplies materials and solutions for the fabrication of semiconductors and integrated circuits addressing various steps of the manufacturing process.

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Patron Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM  Free Report) by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 36,422 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 368 shares during the quarter. Exxon Mobil comprises approximately 2.8% of Patron Partners LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Patron Partners LLCs holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $3,906,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Stone House Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the first quarter valued at $25,000. KB Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 105.4% in the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the first quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the first quarter valued at $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.53% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Exxon Mobil news, Director Jeffrey W. Ubben purchased 458,000 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction on Monday, July 31st. The stock was bought at an average price of $106.93 per share, for a total transaction of $48,973,940.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,635,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $174,830,550. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total value of $172,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 27,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,193,780. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jeffrey W. Ubben acquired 458,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $106.93 per share, for a total transaction of $48,973,940.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,635,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $174,830,550. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:XOM opened at $108.39 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $433.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.67, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.48. Exxon Mobil Co. has a one year low of $98.02 and a one year high of $120.70. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $112.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $109.32.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 28th. The oil and gas company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00 by ($0.06). Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 25.82% and a net margin of 13.72%. The business had revenue of $82.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $81.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.14 earnings per share. Exxon Mobils revenue for the quarter was down 28.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 16th were given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 15th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Redburn Partners raised Exxon Mobil from a sell rating to a neutral rating and increased their price objective for the company from $100.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 31st. Wolfe Research lowered Exxon Mobil from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Friday, July 7th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Exxon Mobil in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. They issued an outperform rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Exxon Mobil from $131.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Exxon Mobil in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $127.22.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on XOM

Exxon Mobil Profile

(Free Report)

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.

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Great Portland Estates Plc (LON:GPE  Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 372 ($4.56) and last traded at GBX 372.80 ($4.57), with a volume of 36781 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 381 ($4.67).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Shore Capital reiterated a hold rating on shares of Great Portland Estates in a research report on Thursday, October 5th.

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Great Portland Estates Price Performance

Insider Transactions at Great Portland Estates

The company has a market cap of 943.38 million, a P/E ratio of -586.15, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.48, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 406.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 445.96.

In related news, insider Richard Stephen Mully bought 10,000 shares of Great Portland Estates stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 387 ($4.74) per share, with a total value of 38,700 ($47,409.04). 1.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Great Portland Estates Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

We are a FTSE 250 property investment and development company owning 2.5 billion of real estate in central London. We proactively manage our portfolio, flexing our activities in tune with London's property cycle to deliver long-term out-performance. We create in-demand spaces that people want to be part of; helping our occupiers, local communities and the city to thrive.

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Portside Wealth Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 5,320 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $2,216,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Meritage Group LP increased its stake in shares of Tyler Technologies by 3.6% during the first quarter. Meritage Group LP now owns 752 shares of the technology companys stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Capital Analysts LLC increased its stake in shares of Tyler Technologies by 1.0% during the first quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 2,995 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,062,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Czech National Bank increased its stake in shares of Tyler Technologies by 0.6% during the first quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 4,905 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,740,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Torray Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Tyler Technologies by 0.3% during the first quarter. Torray Investment Partners LLC now owns 10,243 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,633,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Finally, Vantage Consulting Group Inc increased its stake in shares of Tyler Technologies by 3.0% during the first quarter. Vantage Consulting Group Inc now owns 1,093 shares of the technology companys stock worth $388,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.28% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Tyler Technologies news, Director Glenn A. Carter sold 500 shares of Tyler Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.32, for a total transaction of $189,660.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,011 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $762,812.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Tyler Technologies news, Director Glenn A. Carter sold 500 shares of Tyler Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.32, for a total transaction of $189,660.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,011 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $762,812.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO H Lynn Moore, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of Tyler Technologies stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $396.59, for a total value of $1,982,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 80,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $31,727,200. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 7,611 shares of company stock valued at $3,010,403. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Tyler Technologies Trading Up 2.0 %

NYSE TYL opened at $374.16 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Tyler Technologies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $281.11 and a twelve month high of $426.83. The company has a market cap of $15.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 96.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.81. The businesss fifty day moving average is $384.36 and its 200 day moving average is $389.35.

Tyler Technologies (NYSE:TYL  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The technology company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $504.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $490.65 million. Tyler Technologies had a return on equity of 8.94% and a net margin of 8.64%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Tyler Technologies, Inc. will post 5.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on TYL. StockNews.com began coverage on Tyler Technologies in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and set a $475.00 price objective on shares of Tyler Technologies in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Barclays raised their price objective on Tyler Technologies from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, July 14th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Tyler Technologies from $395.00 to $412.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Oppenheimer began coverage on Tyler Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. They set an outperform rating and a $450.00 price objective on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $440.93.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on TYL

Tyler Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Tyler Technologies, Inc provides integrated information management solutions and services for the public sector. It operates in two segments, Enterprise Software, and Platform Technologies. The company offers financial management solutions, including modular fund accounting systems for government agencies or not-for-profit entities; utility billing systems for the billing and collection of metered and non-metered services; products to automate city and county functions, such as municipal courts, parking tickets, equipment and project costing, animal and business licenses, permits and inspections, code enforcement, citizen complaint tracking, ambulance billing, fleet maintenance, and cemetery records management; student information and transportation solutions for K-12 schools; and financial management systems.

Further Reading

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Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI.B  Get Free Report) (NYSE:RCI) had its price objective dropped by equities research analysts at Scotiabank from C$73.50 to C$68.00 in a research report issued on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Scotiabanks target price would suggest a potential upside of 30.95% from the companys previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$79.00 to C$80.00 in a report on Thursday, July 27th. CIBC dropped their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$76.00 to C$67.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Desjardins dropped their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$71.00 to C$66.50 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 13th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$72.00 to C$69.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$75.00 to C$70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$72.71.

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Rogers Communications Price Performance

About Rogers Communications

Shares of RCI.B opened at C$51.93 on Monday. Rogers Communications has a twelve month low of C$50.15 and a twelve month high of C$67.67. The firms fifty day simple moving average is C$53.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$58.56. The firm has a market capitalization of C$21.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.66, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 399.46.

(Get Free Report)

Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data communication services to individual consumers, businesses, governments, and other telecommunications service providers; postpaid and prepaid wireless services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands; and wireless devices, services, and applications to consumers and businesses.

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Shares of The Merchants Trust Plc (LON:MRCH  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 480 ($5.88) and last traded at GBX 480 ($5.88), with a volume of 38809 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 485 ($5.94).

The Merchants Trust Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of GBX 526.16 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 544.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.67, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of 709.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,730.77 and a beta of 0.91.

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The Merchants Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 5th will be given a GBX 7.10 ($0.09) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 5th. This represents a yield of 1.31%. The Merchants Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21,538.46%.

About The Merchants Trust

The Merchants Trust Plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors GmbH, UK Branch. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the FTSE All-Share Index.

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Truist Financial Corp grew its position in Crane (NYSE:CR  Free Report) by 88.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 242,042 shares of the conglomerates stock after purchasing an additional 113,579 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corps holdings in Crane were worth $17,677,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Crane by 8.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 14,853 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,104 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Crane by 3.0% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,432 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,129,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in Crane by 82.1% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 4,102 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $445,000 after buying an additional 1,849 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Crane by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 7,856 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $851,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Crane by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 12,777 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $1,408,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. 85.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Crane Stock Performance

Shares of Crane stock opened at $93.88 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of 12.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a 50 day moving average of $87.26 and a 200-day moving average of $83.84. Crane has a 1-year low of $67.28 and a 1-year high of $95.21.

Crane Announces Dividend

Crane ( NYSE:CR Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.16. Crane had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%. The business had revenue of $530.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $509.32 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.86 EPS. Cranes revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 29th. Cranes dividend payout ratio is currently 9.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CR. TD Securities reissued a hold rating on shares of Crane in a research report on Thursday, September 28th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Crane in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Crane from $92.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Crane from $87.00 to $101.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Crane from $140.00 to $105.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Crane presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $107.00.

Read Our Latest Report on CR

Crane Company Profile

(Free Report)

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. The company has three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials. The Aerospace & Electronics segment supplies critical components and systems, including original equipment and aftermarket parts, primarily for the commercial aerospace, and the military aerospace, defense, and space markets.

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Representatives from the board of directors of BPL, the government, and the Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEUMU), during yesterdays contract signing at the Office of the Prime Minister.
This 2019 file photo shows the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in a Grand Bahama community, where homes and business were left severely damaged or completely destroyed.
That release could not be found.
I am not a member of the proscribed separatist group, Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, nor do I subscribe to the emotions and logics of some IPOB members as they continue their peaceful agitation for self determination through referendum. I am averse to the summary repudiation of respectable elites and professionals even within the envisaged republic whose support or pieces of advice would have ordinarily been enhancement fillip in the course of the arduous journey which self determination in Nigeria, nay Africa, has become. I do not also belong to the Nigerian elite class represented by the political class which has allegedly been pulling the strings of both the Nigerian judiciary and the Nigerian security system against what has been the most peaceful and non-violent agitation. However, the story of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's continued incarceration is the story of injustice, inequality and executive recklessness in Nigeria; and it calls to question the mantras of rule of law and national unity in Nigeria as well as the commitment and loyalty of the Nigerian leadership including Tinubu's administration to the Nigerian constitution.

IPOB was formed in July 2012 as a separatist group with the sole agenda of restoring the defunct Republic of Biafra. IPOB premised her agitation on the refusal of the post - civil war Nigerian administrations to integrate the indigenous peoples of Biafra into Nigeria 50 years after the civil war. It is the relegation of the indigenous peoples of Biafra to the status of second-class citizens in career progression, postings, enlistments into security agencies and other choice opportunities and siting of developmental projects that triggered the agitation. It suffices to say that since the end of the civil war in Nigeria, several administrations have violated the federal character provisions of the Nigerian constitution against the indigenous peoples of the defunct Republic of Biafra. In fact, that the oil which Nigerian economy significantly thrives upon is mainly sourced from areas within the defunct Biafra did not matter. Among all the post - civil war administrations in Nigeria, the Buhari administration was the most tribalistic. During Buhari's reign, all choice and sensitive positions were occupied by the fulanis. Corruption, impunity and violence were high and rife among them as they were treated as sacred cows. While the roads and other infrastructures in the Southern parts of the country were ignored until they totally collapsed, the infrastructure of states of Northern Nigeria as well as those of countries like Niger Republic which have boundaries with Northern Nigeria received prompt and priority attention from the Buhari administration. The infiltration of violent fulani herders from other countries and their open and unrestrained siege on local farmers and indigenous people of Nigeria while the fulani dominated security apparatchik looked elsewhere was most disturbing. The gloats of the Miyetti Allah which followed every violent attack of the fulani herders on indigenous Nigerians during the Buhari administration were disheartening.

These aberrations of the anomalous Buhari administration led to proliferation of separatist groups in Nigeria. The Yoruba nation agitators led by Sunday Igboho as well as many others sprang up. For inexplicable reasons, the Buhari administration designed maximum aggressive response protocols for the non-violent IPOB. These responses ranged from annual Operation Crocodile Smile through arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB leaders to arrest of people like veteran actor, Chiwetalu Agu, who had the rising sun printed on their clothes. While those things happened, another group of non-state actors alleged to be foreigners swooped on the southeast, unleashing assassinations, kidnapping, arson etc on the people while security operatives and IPOB traded words against each other. Buhari refused to obey court rulings ordering the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu whom PMB accused of treasonable felony. This was the same PMB whose administration openly dined with known bandits and felons! When Kanu was admitted to bail, a band of security operatives allegedly attacked him in his Umuahia home. He escaped into exile where he continued his advocacy for Biafra till July 11, 2021 when he was arrested and brought back into detention. Kanu has been in prison because the Buhari administration ignored several court rulings ordering his freedom and entreaties of well-meaning groups and elders urging compliance with court orders.

When Tinubu came into power, hopes were high that being a civilian and former National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, chieftain, the new president would order the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. To the shock of many, the Tinubu administration did not do that. Worried, several calls and entreaties for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu have been sent from all corners of the globe to President Tinubu who, like PMB, have been allegedly busy transferring choice positions to his Yoruba kinsmen and aggravating the economic pains of Nigerians whom he wants to continue to endure the impact of his economic blunders. Tinubu is hereby charged to listen to the voices of people, including APC faithful, and douse security tension in the Southeast by releasing Nnamdi Kanu as ordered by the courts. When adherence to constitutional provisions and judicial orders are made subjects of expediency, it strengthens the case of separatists. Nigeria's unity, even though a product of fiat, can no longer be sustained by fiat. Constitutionalism and rule of will suffice!
Tension struck in Minna, Niger State capital, when a suspected member of Boko Haram sect engaged security operatives in a gun battle on Tuesday.

It was reported that the security operatives launched an operation at the Gebganu area of Minna, where the house of the suspect is situated.

According to reports, 150 AK47 rifles, about 3, 000 live ammunition, explosives, a rocket launcher and anti-aircraft rifle were recovered from the house.

A night watchman from a neighbouring house, Mubarak Abubakar, was reportedly hit by a stray bullet and is receiving treatment at the emergency unit of the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna.

Residents said the operation, which started around 12am, lasted for hours as the suspect engaged security operatives in a fierce gun duel before he eventually escaped.

He was reported to have used a rocket launcher to bring down part of the fence of his house through which he escaped, but his wife and children were reportedly arrested by security operatives.

The suspect was reported to have started firing when he noticed the arrival of security operatives through the CCTV cameras he installed in his house.

A security source confirmed that about 150 AK47 rifles, about 3, 000 live ammunition as well as explosives, rocket launcher and anti-aircraft rifle were recovered from the house.

It was learnt that the suspect, who has been on the watch list of security operatives, bought the house and moved in two years ago.

When our correspondent visited the scene on Tuesday morning, the doors, walls and windows were pierced with bullets while part of the two-bedroom flat was brought down by the severity of the gun duel.

One of the residents said, We didnt sleep last night. The sound of the guns between the suspect and security operatives was too heavy; my bed and the ceiling of my house were shaking. They sounded like bombs. The security operatives passed through the front of our house when they were going but we didnt know what they were going to do until we heard the sound of a gun.
The Commissioner for insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Sunday Thomas, disclosed that the industry has contributed no less than N500 million and free Life Insurance cover for frontline workers in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the commissions support to government.

Thomas stated that in terms of its performances, the industry premium income between 2014 and 2022 increased at an average of 13.6 per cent from a premium income of N282 billion to N725.2 billion, noting that total assets of the sector also grew at an average of 12 per cent for the same period from a base of N827.5 billion in 2014 to N2.33 trillion in 2022.

This was disclosed by the commissioner, yesterday in his welcome address at a two-day National Insurance Conference 2023 holding in Abuja. The conference was themed, Redefining SafetyInsurance solutions for Public buildings and Buildings under construction.

Thomas said the government should assist the commission to repeal all the obsolete laws that have made enforcement of insurance building codes ineffective.

According to him, The commission also provided financial assistance to tertiary institutions in Nigeria to facilitate education of professionals required by the insurance sector, projects in five tertiary institutions have been concluded and some commissioned while seven others are at various stages of completion."

He further noted that notwithstanding the growth that had been sustained, the roadmap enumerated some of the challenges affecting the desired growth of the insurance industry, which had persisted such as, talent gap, comparatively low public awareness, insurance affordability, lack of trust and confidence in insurers, cultural and religious bias, inadequate distribution channels, low enforcement of insurance among others.

I am pleased to mention that over the next decade (2024-2033) the insurance industry will seek to continue its transformation journey along following strategic thrusts of transforming the regulatory environment to sustain the industry growth, transition to risk-based capital model, promote insurance awareness and adoption, enhancing digitalisation of the industry as well as deepening the industrys talent pool and capabilities among others," he said.

Delivering a paper, titled: Redefining Safety: Insurance Solutions for public buildings and buildings under construction, the Group Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, explained that past experiences of building collapse across the country has negatively led to the death of several persons as well as loss of several properties that cannot be recovered because of nations poor insurance culture.

He said, Insurance companies should henceforth contribute at least five per cent of their earnings for awareness campaigns to reduce cases of building collapse in Nigeria. In the last few years, we have recorded several cases of building collapse, last year many precious lives were lost, am calling on stakeholders to put in more efforts with NAICOM to ensure a comprehensive approach to reducing deaths, property loss."

In his suggestion, Elumelu said that as part of efforts to mitigate the challenges of the sector, insurance brokers should henceforth increase their capitalisation funds to N1 billion, adding that all insurance companies should mandatorily contribute at least five per cent of their earnings to support the sector for five years, capital base of life insurance be raised to N20 billion while non-life insurance be raised to N30 billion.
PM sends warning to Israeli employers

BANGKOK: Israeli employers should not use money as a lever to keep Thai workers in Israel at such a dangerous time, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said yesterday (Oct 24) amid allegations of salary payments being delayed.

agricultureimmigrationmilitarySafety

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 25 October 2023 09:37 AM

Thai workers arrive back from Israel, at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province on Monday night (Oct 23). Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan

The prime minister gave a media interview before the weekly Cabinet meeting in which he revealed that he had phoned Israeli ambassador Orna Sagiv about the matter on Monday night, reports the Bangkok Post.

Mr Srettha said he complained that Israel was reportedly either offering higher pay or delaying payment of salaries until Nov 10 to retain Thai workers.

This is unacceptable when Thai lives are at stake, Mr Srettha said.

Ms Sagiv had initially replied she had no knowledge of such reports and would investigate the matter.

The prime minister said he was aware some Thais had decided to stay in Israel instead of returning home, and he understood the financial significance of the job to these workers.

However, he said he wanted all Thai workers there to return home for their own safety.

The government would find them jobs here at reasonable wages, he said.

The Israeli embassy yesterday denied salaries were being delayed to get Thai workers to stay.

The complaints may be from workers wanting to be paid earlier than usual, which was the 10th of each month, the embassy said. In fact, extra money was being offered as an inducement to stay.

About 30,000 Thais were working in Israel, and they play an important role in the agricultural sector and the food supply chain, the embassy said.

Israel needs Thai workers, so it extended their visas and approved special allowances for those who decided to remain in their jobs near the Gaza Strip until the end of this year, the statement said.

The prime minister said the government still does not know the fate of the 19 Thais taken captive by Hamas during the attack on Oct 7.

Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said the 19 Thais were among the more than 200 people who were abducted.

The foreign affairs minister said it was difficult to identify the bodies of the Thais who had been killed because they were decomposing. Identification would require DNA cross-checks, he said.
With Mideast crisis, Russia and China hope to turn tables on US

WASHINGTON: Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has sought to isolate Moscow and pressure China to keep its distance. With war in the Middle East, Russia and China are seeking to turn the tables.

politicsChineseRussian

By AFP

Wednesday 25 October 2023 10:34 AM

Chinas Xi Jinping and Russias Vladimir Putin. Photo: AFP

The United States has cast Russia as the disruptor of the international order at the Security Council, with President Joe Biden promising the world body that Washington would use its veto only sparingly.

But the United States went ahead and vetoed a draft resolution last week it deemed insufficiently supportive of its ally.

In comments likely aimed at consumption in the Islamic world, Russia has accused the United States of escalating the conflict through military reinforcements, while China has lashed out at the US veto and Israels actions.

The Chinese and Russian reprimands ring hollow for US officials, who doubt the rival powers will engage in painstaking diplomacy along the lines of Secretary of State Antony Blinkens recent trip to the region.

But the United States has historically stood out as a lonely voice in its close embrace of Israel, even if for now European allies are largely joining Biden in backing Israel.

Biden on taking office had aimed to shift from the complexities of the Middle East, seeing China as the greatest long-term challenge to the United States.

This is not a region where the US has wanted to have a heavy footprint and be actively engaged. At the same time, this president in particular is deeply committed to Israel, said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the US and Americas program at Chatham House.

China is quite willing to see the US pulled sideways in its strategic focus into a region that it hasnt wanted to be absorbed by, but now is willingly, she said.

Shift of focus for Russia

Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Oct 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, including inside homes and at a music festival, and taking more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

More than 5,700 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territorys Hamas-run health ministry said.

The Hamas assault came 50 years after a sneak attack by Egypt and Syria on Israel on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The two events have drawn parallels but among differences - Russia was then a major player that backed the Arab states.

Russia returned in force in 2015 to Syria to back Bashar al-Assad, although Russian President Vladimir Putin has also maintained ties with Israel.

Nobody is expecting Russia to produce any results here - any kind of ceasefire or any role in trying to negotiate the release of hostages, said Eugene Rumer, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Since 2022, it has all been about Ukraine, so when this tragedy occurred, it was a gift for Putin because suddenly the attention is diverted away, Rumer said.

Biden has tried to link Putin and Hamas, charging in an Oval Office address last week that both were tyrants seeking to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy.

Russia denounced the remarks. At the Security Council yesterday, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused the United States of failing to respond to global demands for a full ceasefire.

China scores points

China and the United States have both sought diplomatic advantage in the crisis, including through a call between Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The United States has repeatedly pressed China to play a greater role in the Middle East crisis commensurate with its global aspirations and urged it to use its influence over Irans clerical rulers, who back Hamas.

Beijing has sent an envoy to the region who has highlighted support for the Palestinian cause.

Jonathan Fulton, an expert at the Atlantic Council on Chinas role in the Middle East, said that Beijing in its messaging saw the crisis as an opportunity to score points on the US.

He said China likely hoped in turn to win support in the Arab and Islamic world for its priorities - sidelining Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing, and rejecting US-backed allegations that Beijing is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

But Fulton said that Beijings foremost interest in the Middle East remained economic, with the worlds second largest economy heavily dependent on imported oil.

With its limited security and diplomatic resources in the Middle East, China has a two-fold interest in keeping the United States focused on the crisis.

Obviously for China, it is better if the US is bogged down in the Middle East and the Gulf, Fulton said.

But if the US keeps providing the security architecture that maintains the Middle East, China is not going to have to do heavy lifting on its own.
Before this season, the last time Wadley won a region championship the Bulldogs went on to play in the state finals. Judging by their subdued
Abbas Ganbay

Azerbaijani Prime Minister urged India not to arm Armenia. This was reported in the Cabinet of Ministers, Azernews reports.

It was noted that Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov met today with the Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Mrs. Anupriya Patel.

The meeting emphasized the importance of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on trade-economic and scientific-technological cooperation between Azerbaijan and India held in Baku.

Confidence was expressed that the decisions taken and documents signed at the meeting would contribute to the development of relations between the two countries.

Talking about his activity as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement of Azerbaijan, Asadov said his chairmanship in the Movement has been extended for another year as an indicator of confidence in Azerbaijan due to the work and initiatives done by the country.

Sharing his views on the processes taking place in the region after the second Garabagh war, the Prime Minister stated that despite Azerbaijan's serious efforts in the past period, Armenia refused to withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Garabagh, constantly violated the negotiations process, evading its obligations, resorting to various military provocations.

It was emphasized that after another provocation in September, Azerbaijan fully consolidated its sovereignty through short-term local anti-terrorist measures. It was noted that the Azerbaijani army demonstrated high professionalism and attacked only military targets without hitting civilian infrastructure and civilian population.

It was reported that historical conditions have been created for the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the signing of a peace treaty, and the establishment of peace in the South Caucasus. It was noted that active arming of the Armenian side at such a sensitive moment is a serious blow to the peace process and creates new threats to peace and stability in the South Caucasus region.

The prospects for the development of Azerbaijani-Indian relations were also discussed at the meeting.
Five North Koreans fled to South Korea in a small boat on Saturday afternoon by crossing the de-facto maritime border in the East Sea, a government official here said on Sunday.

The coast guard sent a ship to rescue them in remote waters northeast of Gangneung, Gangwon Province and escorted the boat carrying four men and one woman to South Korean waters. All aboard said they do not want to go back. But a Unification Ministry official said further questioning is needed to make sure that they really want to defect.

In the past, North Koreans fishermen have often drifted into South Korean waters by mistake and asked to return to their home country.

The latest escape is one of a rash of recent defections. In early June, two of a four-man North Korean crew rescued in the East Sea decided to stay here, and two North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line on June 13 and 23. On June 18, a North Korean man in his 20s swam down the Han River to Gimpo.

A security official here said the surge is unprecedented. "Many people seem to have decided to flee because the regime is forcing fishermen to meet steep quotas and because food shortages get worse at this time of year," he said.

Morale among ordinary soldiers appears to be at an all-time low as leader Kim Jong-un pours all of the country's meager resources into his missile and nuclear programs. That makes them more vulnerable to South Korean propaganda being blasted by loudspeaker across the demilitarized zone. "Our propaganda broadcasts... seem to have touched a nerve with a new generation of North Korean soldiers," the official speculated.


The Justice Ministry is bracing for the release of a notorious sex offender from prison next month.

Kim Geun-sik (54) was sentenced to just five years behind bars in 2000 for brutally raping a minor, and right after he was released from prison in 2006, he raped 11 more children from May to August of that year and was sentenced to another 15 years in prison.

He qualified for release from prison in September last year, but his sentence was extended after he assaulted a fellow inmate twice.

Kim is classified as a predatory pedophile, which entails certain restrictions after release including publication of his address on the ministry website. The ministry also set up a special team to monitor his movements on release.

The ministry also wants to make it legal to isolate child sex offenders for treatment for indefinite periods. The new law would also apply to child rapist Cho Doo-soon (70), who was released from prison in December 2020 after serving just 12 years for the brutal rape and mutilation of an eight-year-old girl.

Under the current law, sex offenders can be subject to treatment during imprisonment for a maximum 15 years and can only be isolated for treatment if a prosecutor seeks court approval for the measure before the final verdict. Offenders like Kim, who have not been ordered to have treatment, simply have to be released into the community.

The new law would allow the ministry to seek the isolation and treatment of sex offenders even after their release if they violate parole rules, pose a threat of repeat assaults on minors or display a clear need for treatment for pedophilia.

But legal experts warn that this could constitute double jeopardy or violate human rights.
Amit Shah to Mohan BhagwatFrom across the border

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It (violence) is not happening. It is being made to happen. This is not The Sangai Express nor Chief Minister O Ibobi or most significantly the Meitei media in Imphal which has raised this question, but the president of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat. Significant to note too that the RSS chief qualified his statement with the observation and poser, The conflict benefits external forces. Are external forces involved ? It was with a reason why The Sangai Express deemed it fit and proper to carry the Dussehra Rally event organised by the RSS at distant Nagpur on October 24 as the lead news, for it addressed the core issue in Manipur, a point which the people of Manipur have been raising in the last 150 days, and which have been endorsed by the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the floor of Parliament, not so long back. Yet there is nothing much to show that corrective measures have been taken up at the ground level to settle things as it should be. It is also extremely important to note that the announcement of the RSS chief came just 24 hours after two cadres of the Chin-Kuki Liberation Army were arrested along the Indo-Myanmar border at Chaljang village in Churachandpur district with drugs, a huge cache of arms and ammunition and cash amounting to nearly Rs 5 lakh. The report did not specify where the arms and ammos were headed towards, but it should not take much genius to work out where the drugs were headed to. With the drug route via Manipur having been cut off following the ethnic clash which erupted on May 3, Mizoram seems to be the ideal destination from where it can be taken to other parts of the country. Anyone who keeps a tab on the daily happenings in the region must be aware that Mizoram is now the favoured drug route and this should give a big impetus to the stand of Manipur that the present clash is intricately linked with the War on Drugs campaign launched by the State Government. Mohan Bhagwat did not touch on Poppy plantation and the drug trade, but the very fact that he raised a question on the involvement of elements from across the border in the ongoing conflict is the answer which is known to Manipur. Answer lies in the very question which was raised is the truism which cannot be refuted and this should expose the lie in the claim Cannot live with them so give us Separate Administration raised by the ten Kuki-Chin MLAs and which is being pursued by the Kuki armed groups and the CSOs as well including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, Committee on Tribal Unity, Kuki Inpi, Manipur and others.

Mohan Bhagwat is not just another Tom, Dick and Harry and what he says should matter. Moreover he would not have opened his mouth on something so sensitive without first studying the reality. This is where it becomes important to question what the State Government has done to capitalise on the stand of New Delhi and the RSS. Remember the very poser, Are extremists from across the border involved in Manipur violence falls perfectly in line with the violence was triggered by an influx of Kukis from Myanmar into Manipur proclamation made by the Union Home Minister on the floor of Parliament sometime in August this year. The popular demand for the National Register of Citizens should be seen in the backdrop of the facts which have been enumerated many times by Manipur and which have been given further credence by the observation of the Union Home Minister as well as in the very fact that the RSS chief raised a question on the involvement of elements from across the border in the ongoing clash in Manipur. The foreign hands should also be seen in the backdrop of the fact that the president of the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) is a Myanmarese and this is precisely the reason why the call for a National Register of Citizens has gained strong currency amongst the indigenous people of Manipur. With all the factors tilted heavily in favour of Manipur, Imphal needs to play its card well and this call should not be lost on the people either.
Were extremists from across the border involved in Manipur violence, asks Mohan Bhagwat The months long violence is being made to happen

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NAGPUR, Oct 24 NAGPUR, Oct 24

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday asked if extremists across the border were involved in Manipur violence."For many years, Meitei and Kuki communities have been living together. How did the violence erupt all of a sudden ? The conflict benefits external forces. Are external factors involved," Bhagwat said, while addressing the RSS Dussehra rally in Nagpur."Union Home Minister Amit Shah was there for three days. Who actually fueled the conflict ? It (violence) is not happening, it is being made to happen," Bhagwat said.The RSS chief said he was proud of the Sangh workers who worked in Manipur to restore peace.Some anti-social people call themselves cultural Marxists but they have forgotten Marx, he said.Bhagwat cautioned against attempts to garner votes by inflaming emotions ahead of 2024 general elections.He asked people to vote keeping in mind unity, integrity, identity and development of the country.Asking how mutual discord and hatred suddenly erupted in Manipur, which had been peaceful for almost a decade, he wondered if any foreign powers are interested in taking advantage of the unrest and instability in Manipur.Why, and by whom, was an attempt made to give a communal tinge to the conflict between the Meeteis and Kukis, he further asked.Further questioning if the geopolitics of South East Asia have a role in Manipur violence, the RSS leader asked on whose strength and instigation has the violence continued unabated for so many days.People on both sides of the conflict want peace, but there are some forces which let the violence to linger on, he said.Continuing that multidimensional efforts will be required to solve the grave problem in Manipur, Mohan Bhagwat stated that strong political will, concurrent actions and efficiency are the key to restore normalcy in the State.Simultaneously, the enlightened leadership of the society will also have to play a special role in bridging the gap of mutual distrust that has arisen due to the unfortunate situation between the two communities, he said.The swayamsevaks of the Sangh are continuously and dedicatedly serving everyone and organising relief work, he said while appealing to the influential people of the society to help bring peace.Its the Sanghs endeavour to keep everyone safe, harmonious and peaceful by accepting everyone as they are even if it entails great sacrifices, Mohan Bhagwat continued.Meanwhile, the RSS chief said that some people who call themselves "woke and cultural Marxists" are the ones who do not want India to stand on its own.These people attempt creating "discrimination and separation" in the society and that they have forgotten Marx since the 1920s, Mohan Bhagwat added."In today's situation, if we bring about change by standing on our values, it will give way to the world. Now we have started doing this. But there are some people in the world and in India too, who do not want India to stand (on its own). Hence they try to create discrimination in society. (And attempt) How to break the constructed collectivity of the society, create separation and conflict," he said."These destructive, all-devouring forces call themselves cultural Marxists or Woke, or the awakened ones. But they have forgotten Marx since the 1920s. They are opposed to all orderliness and morality, beneficence, culture, dignity and restraint in the world. In order for a handful of people to have complete control over the entire human race, they reward, promote and spread anarchy and indiscretion," Bhagwat said."Their modus operandi involve taking control of the media and academia, and plunging education, culture, politics and social environment into confusion, chaos, and corruption. Such an environment enables the creation of a vicious cycle of fear, confusion and hatred. A society that is divided and entangled in mutual conflicts and confusion becomes weak and easily and unknowingly falls prey to these destructive forces that are seeking their own dominance everywhere. In Bharatiya tradition, this style of functioning which creates disbelief, confusion and mutual hatred among the people of any particular Nation is called Mantra Viplav," he added.The annual 'Vijayadashmi Utsav' of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) started with workers' 'Path Sanchalan' (route march) in Nagpur earlier today.On the occasion, the RSS chief paid tributes to the founder of the organization KB Hedgewar. He also performed 'Shastra Pooja' on 'Vijayadashami Utsav'. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were also present at the event. PTI & ANI (With input from RSS Manipur Prant)
Kukis hand over Meitei man

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IMPHAL, Oct 25 : Locals of a Kuki village in Tousem sub division, Tamenglong assisted one Yaikhom Maipaksana Meitei and helped him get home safe and sound.

According to a press release issued by 39 Assam Rifles, on the evening of October 22, residents of Lhangnom village found Yaikhom Maipaksana Meitei from Imphal East in a distressing situation after losing his money to theft thereby leaving him with no means to return home.

The locals immediately brought him to safety and called Assam Rifles, Kadamtala for assistance.

The Assam Rifles along with the Jiribam Police established Yaikhom Maipaksana Meitei's identity and promptly informed his family and local police station about his situation. Thereafter, the stranded man was safely sent home the next morning.


NPUI condemns

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IMPHAL, Oct 25 : The Naga Peoples' Union Imphal (NPUI) has strongly condemned the attack on Vertigrowth Private Limited office located at Poumai Colony, Kairang Road on October 23 by armed miscreants and the subsequent demand for Rs 15 lakh in ransom the next day.

On October 23, around ten armed miscreants dressed in black allegedly intruded the office premises of Vertigrowth Private Limited at 11:30 pm and looted personal phones, wallet, cars etc while making "false allegations" against the office, said a statement jointly issued by M Ngaranmi, president NPUI and Pantijai Newmei, general secretary, NPUI.

Stating that the miscreants were intoxicated and assaulted the staff at gunpoint, NPUI added that altogether they stole one Maruti Suzuki Brezza, one Maruti Suzuki Swift, 21 personal phones, one laptop and one wallet containing driving license, residential certificate and Rs 5000 in cash.

In addition, a phone call was reportedly made to the caretaker of the office building the next day around 10.30 am demanding a ransom of Rs 15 lakh, to be paid on the same day at 3 pm.

Strongly condemning the incident, NPUI has appealed to the concerned authority of the State and respective leaders of communities to apprehend the culprits and book them at the earliest as per the law of the land.
The wage gap between permanent and temporary workers has widened to a fresh record high, with the number of temporary workers also rising to a new record.

Statistics Korea said Tuesday the average monthly salary of a permanent staffer in June to August of this year was W3.48 million, while the figure stood at W1.88 million for a temporary worker (US$1=W1,433).

The pay gap between permanent and temporary workers has set one new record after another over the past five years, increasing from W1.37 million in 2018 to W1.44 million in 2019, W1.52 million in 2020, W1.57 million in 2021 and W1.6 million this year.

A major reason is a decrease in the number of temporary positions in the service sector, which employs many young people, during the coronavirus pandemic.

But the number of temporary workers increased by 90,000 compared to 2020 to 8.16 million. The growth was attributed to an increase in the number of government-funded menial jobs for senior citizens.

By industry, the health and social service sector had the highest number of temporary employees at 1.39 million. By age group, 31.3 percent were over 60 and 21.1 percent were in their 50s.
Kriti Kharbanda, the accomplished Bollywood actress, recently took to her social media to commemorate a significant milestone in her career  the fourth anniversary of Housefull 4. In a heartfelt post, she conveyed her gratitude to the entire team for the extraordinary journey she had the privilege of being a part of.

With the hashtag #4yearsofhousefull4, Kriti Kharbanda expressed her feelings, saying, A journey like no other! An experience like no other! An opportunity like no other! Big big thank u to the entire team for making me a part of a film Ive followed since the very beginning. From being a fan of the franchise to actually starring in one, this has been one hell of a ride.

Housefull 4 marked the fourth installment of the renowned Housefull franchise, celebrated for its rib-tickling humor, eccentric characters, and a star-studded cast. Kriti Kharbanda stood alongside an ensemble of celebrated actors in the film, including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and other notable talents. Her performance garnered widespread acclaim, and her on-screen chemistry with her co-stars contributed to the movies charm.

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This heartfelt tribute by Kriti Kharbanda serves as a reminder of the remarkable journey that Housefull 4 has been for her and the enduring impact of this beloved franchise in the world of Indian cinema.
American actor Richard Roundtree, renowned for his portrayal of detective John Shaft in the action thriller Gordon Parks, passed away on Tuesday after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 81, as reported by Variety.

His manager of over three decades, Patrick McMinn, announced his demise and reflected on the significant impact Roundtree made in the film industry, particularly as a trailblazing African American leading man.

Roundtrees journey in film began as a leading man, with his debut in the iconic Shaft at the age of 28. This movie not only served as a breakout blockbuster but also set the stage for a prosperous era of Blaxploitation filmmaking. It highlighted Hollywoods historical oversight of Black talent and its potential to connect with diverse audiences.

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Within two years, two sequels followed  Shafts Big Score and Shaft in Africa. Roundtrees return to the world of Shaft occurred in the 2000 remake by John Singleton, featuring Samuel L. Jackson as a detective named John Shaft, intended to be Roundtrees nephew. Both actors reprised their roles in Tim Storys comical adaptation in 2019.

Born on July 9, 1942, in Rochester, New York, Roundtree briefly attended Southern Illinois University before venturing into a modeling career. He later joined the Negro Ensemble Company in the late 1960s, kickstarting his acting journey with stage performances in New York.

Over more than five decades, Roundtree made significant contributions to the film world. His legendary portrayal of Shaft, along with his extensive involvement in genre cinema, left an indelible mark. His captivating screen presence graced various films, including Se7en, Brick, and Speed Racer.

He also had a role in Moving On, a comedy alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and subsequently hit theaters last summer.

Richard Roundtree was married twice in his lifetime, first to Mary Jane Grant from 1963 to 1973, and later to Karen M. Cierna from 1980 to 1998. He is survived by his four daughters  Nicole, Tayler, Morgan, and Kelli Roundtree  along with his son, James.
Paris Hilton, a well-known figure in the world of social media and reality TV, became a mother for the first time earlier this year, welcoming her son, Phoenix, with her husband, Carter Reum, a venture capitalist. In a recent Instagram post, she shared some special moments from Phoenixs first visit to New York.

The photos she posted depicted a heartwarming scene. Paris was seated on a white couch, cradling her adorable baby, Phoenix, who gazed curiously at the camera. Her caption read, My precious angel baby Phoenixs first time in NYC.

However, the joyous occasion took a sour turn when some internet users began to criticize the appearance of eight-month-old Phoenix and the size of his head. Unfazed, Paris Hilton, protective and resolute, addressed the negative comments on her Instagram story.

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In a heartfelt message, she declared these comments as unacceptable. She vehemently defended her son, emphasizing that Phoenix is perfectly healthy. The hurtful remarks clearly affected her deeply, and she expressed her feelings saying, This hurts my heart more deeply than words can describe.

Being no stranger to life in the spotlight, Paris acknowledged that comments and opinions are par for the course. However, she made it crystal clear that targeting her child or any other child was beyond the pale. She explained that she has put in considerable effort to create a space on her social media that stands for love, respect, and acceptance, and she expects the same courtesy in return.

Addressing the contradictory expectations placed on her as a mother in the public eye, she stated, If I dont post my baby, people assume Im not a great mother, and if I do post him, there are some people who are cruel and hateful. Paris Hilton proudly identified herself as a working mom and reiterated that her baby, Phoenix, is indeed perfectly healthy, adorable, and angelic.

She openly shared her long-standing dream of becoming a mother, emphasizing that Phoenix is her world and the most profound blessing in her life. Every day with him is a poignant reminder of what truly matters to her.

Expressing disbelief at the cruelty aimed at such innocence, she concluded her message by expressing hope that people can treat one another with more kindness and empathy. Paris Hiltons response to the negative comments not only served to protect her son but also carried a broader message of compassion and understanding in the digital age.
A high-level committee for social sciences, constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to revise the school curriculum, has recommended the use of Bharat in place of India in text books.

The chairman CI Isaac said that the committee has suggested adding classical history rather than ancient history in the textbooks. The committee is one of the 25 groups established by the NCERT in 2021 to develop position papers on a variety of disciplines and issues.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) established a high-level committee on social sciences to review the school curriculum. According to the committee chairperson, the committee has recommended substituting the name India for Bharat in textbooks and adding classical History in place of ancient History.

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According to Isaac, the seven-member committees unanimous suggestion was acknowledged in the final position paper on social sciences, a crucial guide that lays the groundwork for the creation of new NCERT textbooks.

The Constitutions Article 1(1) declares that India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States.

The name Bharat is ancient. According to Isaac, the term Bharat is used in books as old as the 7,000-year-old Vishnu Purana.

It wasnt until the founding of the East India Company and the Plassey battle in 1757 that the term India became widely used, he stated. Thus, according to Isaac, the committee has unanimously recommended that the term Bharat be used in textbooks for students in all subject areas.

The official name Bharat emerged when the President of India was invited to the G20 as President of Bharat, rather than President of India, by the government.

Later, at the summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modis nameplate read Bharat rather than India.

Isaac went on to say that the committee, one of the 25 established by the NCERT in 2021 to draught position papers on a range of topics and themes, has additionally suggested that classical history be included in textbooks rather than ancient history.

According to him, the British split Indian history into three periods: ancient, medieval, and modern. These periods depicted India as being in the dark, uninformed of advancements in science and technology. However, he pointed out that Aryabhattas work on the solar system model is just one of many examples of Indias accomplishments during that era.
In a decision to protect farmers from rising fertilisers prices abroad, the Central Government on Wednesday approved revised Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers for Rabi Season, 2023-24, applicable from 1st October, 2023 to 31st March, 2024.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Briefing newspersons, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Government is committed not to allow rising fertilisers prices in international market to impact farmers in the country.

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The new rates will involve an expenditure of Rs 22,303 crore during the Rabi season. Since 2021, the government has fixed the rates in a way as they do not come under any impact from international prices, he said.

He said the farmer-friendly government has helped the farmers earlier also. Neither any shortages were allowed to take place in fertilisers or urea, nor any increase was allowed in the domestic prices, he said.

To ensure the availability of fertilisers to farmers at subsidized, affordable and reasonable prices, DAP will be sold with an additional subsidy of Rs 45 per tonne, and its old rate of Rs 1350 per bag will continue. NPK will be sold at Rs 1470 per bag and SSPs old rate Rs 500 will continue.

Thakur said not a Rupee more will be payable by the farmers. MOPs rate will be lowered from its present rate of Rs 1700 to Rs 1655 per bag.

Thakur said freight subsidy will continue on SSP. The Government under PM Modi has one again taken decisions for the welfare of farmers to keep cost under control, stable urea prices, and to ensure production goes up.

The Government has been making available 25 grades of P&K fertilisers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertiliser manufacturers and importers.

The subsidy on P&K fertilisers is governed by NBS Scheme effective from 1st April, 2010. The subsidy is provided to fertiliser companies as per approved and notified rates so that fertilizers are made available to farmers at affordable prices.

Mr Thakur said the government, in another decision to benefit the farmers, approved inclusion of Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project of Uttarakhand under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP) of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

He said the decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister, which approved a Central support of Rs 1,557.18 crore to Uttarakhand for completion of the project, with an estimated cost of Rs 2,584.10 crore by March, 2028.

The project envisages construction of a dam near Jamrani village across river Gola, a tributary of river Ram Ganga, in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The dam will feed the existing Gola barrage, through its 40.5 km length of canal system and 244 km long canal system, which was completed in 1981.

The project will benefit farmers as it envisages additional irrigation of 57,065 hectares of land (9,458 hectares in Uttarakhand and 47,607 hectares in Uttar Pradesh) in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand, and Rampur and Bareilly districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from construction of two new feeder canals, 207 km of existing canals are to be renovated and 278 km pucca field channels are also to be taken up under the project. In addition, the project also envisages hydro power generation of 14 MW, as well as provision of 42.70 million cubic metre (MCM) of drinking water to Haldwani and nearby areas benefiting more than 10.65 lakh population.

A substantial part of irrigation benefits of the project will flow to the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, and cost/benefit sharing between the two States is to be done as per an MoU signed in 2017. However, drinking water and power benefits shall be available entirely to Uttarakhand.
The central government Wednesday approved the inclusion of Uttarakhands Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP). The decision was taken during a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a press briefing, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the Centre will provide Rs 1,557 crore to Uttarakhand for completion of the Jamrani Dam project. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 2,584 crore and it is scheduled to be completed by March 2028.

What is the Jamrani Dam project?

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According to a government release, the Jamrani Dam project envisages construction of a dam near Jamrani village across river Gola, a tributary of river Ram Ganga, in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The dam would feed the existing Gola barrage, through its 40.5 km length of canal system and 244 km long canal system, which was completed in 1981.

In addition to this, the dam will provide irrigation water for 57,065 hectare (9,458 ha in Uttarakhand and 47,607 ha in Uttar Pradesh) in Nainital & Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand, and Rampur & Bareilly districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from construction of two new feeder canals, 207 km of existing canals are to be renovated and 278 km pucca field channels are also to be taken up under the project.

In addition, the project also envisages hydro power generation of 14 MW, as well as provision of 42.70 million cubic metre (MCM) of drinking water to Haldwani and nearby areas benefitting more than 10.65 lakh population.

While both Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh will get the irrigation benefits of the project, drinking water and power benefits will be available entirely to Uttarakhand.
A month after their suspension, India will partially resume some visa services for Canadian nationals from October 26, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said on Wednesday. India last month suspended the visa services citing security concerns amid a massive diplomatic row over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen designated terrorist by New Delhi.

The Indian High Commission said that it will resume services for entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa for now and further decisions will be announced after evaluating the situation.

After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services for the following categories with effect from october 26, 2023: Entry Visa, Business Visa, Medical Visa and Conference Visa the India High Commission in Canada said in a press release.

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The development comes days after Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India is willing to resume visa services for Canadians and a decision will be taken in this regard as soon as New Delhi notices improvement in the safety of its diplomats in Indian missions across Canada.

Earlier on September 21, India had suspended its visa services in Canada and asked the North American nation to have parity in the diplomatic strength between New Delhi and Ottawa, alleging security threats to its diplomats and the interference of Canadian diplomatic in the country internal affairs amid escalating tensions over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The diplomatic row erupted after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged New Delhis role in the extra judicial killing of Nijjar. The Khalistani terrorist was gunned down by two masked men in the parking lot of a Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

India rubbished the Canadian prime ministers allegations, terming them absurd and politically motivated. It also asked the Canadian PM to provide specific evidence backing his claim.

Ottawa failed to give India any such information but Trudeaus allegations snowballed into a major diplomatic row with India threatening to revoke diplomatic immunity of all but 21 Canadian diplomats.

Earlier this month, Canada recalled 41 diplomats but cried foul and accused India of violating the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations.

However, Jaishankar rejected Canadian allegations and said that the clause of Parity was very much provided for in the Vienna Convention. The foreign minister said that India was forced to invoke the parity clause after continuous interference by Canadian diplomats in the countrys internal affairs.
The Ministry of Justice wants to ban repeat sex offenders from living near schools -- a rule modeled on the so-called Jessica's Law in the U.S.

Briefing President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday, the ministry said it plans to submit a bill to the National Assembly in May.

The ban would apply to repeat offenders and those convicted of sexual assault against children under 13. They would not be allowed to live within 500 m of a school or daycare center.

The ministry said the bill will also include other restrictions, such as preventing the offenders from going out at night and contacting any children and teenagers.

The proposal follows growing demand for restrictions on where repeat sex offenders can live after reports that a notorious serial rapist was moving back into his old neighborhood in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province in December 2020.

Lawmakers here have proposed similar bans in the past, but none have so far passed the National Assembly.

In the U.S., more than 30 states have implemented versions of Jessica's Law, named after a young girl murdered by a repeat sex offender in 2005.
Congress MLA Uma Thomas has come down heavily on the state police for granting bail to Malayalam actor Vinayakan, who created ruckus at Ernakulam North Police Station on Tuesday evening.

In a hard-hitting Fcaebook post on Tuesday night, Uma Thomas has alleged that the actor was released quickly due to his affiliations with the CPI-M.

We all have been watching drunk Vinayakans antics on media. He was abusing police officers including the SHO on duty at Ernakulam North Station, Uma Thomas said.

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She asked whether it was a privilege of being a comrade to be released on bail by the police station after being booked with weak charges despite behaving so badly at the station and obstructing the duty of the police officers.

Uma Thomas also asked whether Vinayakan was released following the instructions received from the Cliff House. Cliff House is the official residence of Kerala Chief Minister.

Uma Thomas also said that such acts would demoralise the police officers who work with dignity. She accused the Kerala police of imposing only bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code against Vinayakan, despite his alleged misconduct.

However, Kochi DCP Sasidharan refuted these allegations, asserting that the police had charged Vinayakan with sections that could result in a punishment of up to three years.

Vinayakan allegedly caused a commotion at Ernakulam Town North police station on Tuesday evening, where he was summoned by the police over a dispute with his wife at his apartment.
Premshankar Verma, a BJP candidate from the Seoni-Malwa Assembly constituency of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, was booked for a violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) on Tuesday.

It was alleged that Verma, a sitting ruling party MLA from the Seoni-Malwa segment, held a rally in a temple without seeking permission from the authorities concerned.

He was booked on the basis of a complaint filed by Nationalist Bharat Party candidate Narendra Raghuvanshi, who also posted a video of the rally on social media platform X.

We received a complaint alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct at the Shri Ram Janaki temple by the BJP candidate from Seoni Malwa, Premshankar Verma. Our Static Surveillance Team (SST) team examined the video and determined that the election model code had, indeed, been violated, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Akanksha Chaturvedi told ANI.

This is the first case of violation of the model code registered in the district.

Verma was also booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to deliberate disobedience of an order given by a public servant.

Madhya Pradesh will poll for the Assembly in a single phase on November 17 and the counting will take place on December 3.

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For the second consecutive year, two factions of the Shiv Sena held separate Dussehra rallies in different parts of Mumbai. During these gatherings, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former CM Uddhav Thackeray engaged in a heated exchange of words.

Uddhav Thackeray, a prominent leader of the Shiv Sena, launched a blistering verbal assault on Shinde. He used phrases like Khokasur and General Dyer to describe Shinde, drawing a historical parallel to General Reginald Dyer, who ordered the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Punjab, during the British rule in India.

The Thackeray faction alleges that Shinde, who defected from their side in 2022, accepted substantial sums of money, or khokhas, to switch loyalties.

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Drawing upon mythology and history, Uddhav Thackeray likened Shindes actions to those of the egoistic Raavan, a character from Hindu mythology. He went on to say, Raavan too was a Shiv Bhakt. But Ram had to kill him as he had become egoistic Khokasur. This comparison suggests that, in Thackerays view, Shindes actions have led to his downfall.

Thackeray did not stop there. He accused Shindes faction of theft, claiming, They are scared thats why they have stolen the bow and arrow as well This reference to the bow and arrow is symbolic, as it is often associated with the epic hero Lord Rama. Thackerays statement implies that Shindes faction is attempting to appropriate the symbol of valor and righteousness.

The reference to Lathicharge in Jalna like General Dyer points to an incident in Jalna where police used force, and Thackeray implies that Shindes actions were akin to the brutality of General Dyer. General Dyers name is infamous for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where unarmed Indians were killed.

Thackerays passionate rhetoric continued with questions about the use of police force during Maratha agitations. He challenged, Maratha agitation was there when I was the CM too. Did the police use any brutality? Who is the Dyer of Jalna? These questions indicate that Thackeray is questioning the tactics employed by Shindes administration and seeking accountability.

In summary, the Dussehra rallies of the Shiv Sena in Mumbai became the platform for a fiery exchange of words between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former CM Uddhav Thackeray. The use of metaphors, historical references, and pointed questions underscore the intense rivalry between the two factions within the party.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over an accident near Lakhanpur on the Dharchula-Lipulekh Road on Tuesday morning.

Six people were feared dead after their car skidded off the road and rolled approximately 500 metres down a gorge on Tuesday morning.

According to sources, a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) arrived at the scene and launched a rescue operation to look for the missing occupants of the vehicle.

The rescue operation was suspended as the evening set in and will resume on Wednesday morning.

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According to sources, owing to the steep gorge through which the car went down, the rescue personnel couldnt reach the missing occupants on Tuesday.

Further reports are awaited.
A group of 13 pilgrims from India encountered an unfortunate accident during their journey in Nepal. Their jeep skidded off the road and plummeted approximately 20 meters in Makaibari, Indrasarobar Rural Municipality-5, Makwanpur district. This incident occurred on a Tuesday morning.

All the injured individuals hail from India, and they were swiftly transported to Kathmandu for necessary medical care, as informed by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Laxmi Bhandari. The driver of the vehicle has been apprehended by the authorities. The jeep had been en route to Kathmandu from Birgunj.

The vehicle, carrying 12 Indian pilgrims along with a Nepali driver, overturned when it was about 25 kilometers west of Kathmandu. The accident transpired near the Matatirtha area, situated in Makawanpur district. The jeep had been journeying from Birgunj, a town in southern Nepal.

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The injured passengers were promptly conveyed to Kathmandu to receive the required medical attention. Authorities have detained the 25-year-old driver, Anil Kumar Sah, for further investigation.

The Indian nationals had embarked on a pilgrimage tour of the Kathmandu Valley, coinciding with the Hindu festival Vijaya Dashami.

This unfortunate incident is not an isolated one. In a previous occurrence that took place in August of the same year, six Indian pilgrims lost their lives in a road accident in Nepals Bara district. The bus, which was carrying Indian pilgrims and en route to Janakpur from Kathmandu, met with a mishap near Churiamai in Bara.

According to the local police, the bus overturned and plunged approximately 50 meters down a road at a river bank south of Churiamai Temple in Simara Sub-Metropolitan City-22, along the East-West Highway. This unfortunate event occurred at around 2 am.

The police were able to identify the deceased Indian nationals as originating from Indias Rajasthan State. Tragically, a Nepali citizen also lost their life in this tragic accident, as stated by the police authorities.
Despite India raising its objections, Sri Lanka on Wednesday allowed Chinese Survey and Research Vessel Shi Yan 6 to dock at Colombo port, raising serious security concerns in New Delhi.

Sri Lankan authorities, according to reports, have described the docking of Shi Yan as a maritime survey with the Island nations National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) in the countrys Exclusive Economic Zone.

This is not the first such instance when Sri Lanka allowed a Chinese ship to dock at its ports. Earlier last year, Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship Yuan Wang 5 had docked at Hambantota port.

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Sri Lankas decision had triggered sharp reactions from India, with New Delhi raising security concerns over the docking of the vessel.

While the Chinese claimed it was a research vessel, the spy ship can map the ocean bed which is critical to anti-submarine operations of the Chinese Navy. Similarly, Shi Yan 6 can also map the ocean bed to help Chinese in their operations in the Indian Ocean region.

In August 2022, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said that he would emphasize the government to carefully monitor any development having a bearing on Indias security interests and to take necessary measures.

Ive seen reports of a Chinese ship there. Im not sure whether it is a warship or not. I will only say that having seen these reports, I would emphasize the government carefully monitors any development having a bearing on Indias security interests and takes all necessary measures to defend them, Bagchi had said.
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday sought to clarify his remarks that Hamas attack didnt happen in a vacuum and said that he spoke of the grievances of Palestinian people and his words were not justifying acts of terror by Hamas.

Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday, Guterres said while nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians but added that it was important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

His remarks triggered a massive outrage with angry Israel demanding the UN Chiefs resignation for what they call was justifying the terrorist attack by Hamas militants on Israel.

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Responding to the criticism, the UN Secretary General said that he was shocked by misrepresentations of his remarks and clarified that his words were not justifying acts of terror by Hamas and he had condemned the horrifying acts of terror by Hamas in Israel.

Indeed, I spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian people. In doing so, I clearly stated, and I quote: But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, the UN chief added.

Disgrace to UN he didnt retract his words: Israel once again demands UN chiefs resignation

Meanwhile, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, has reacted angrily to Guterress clarification remarks and once again demanded his resignation.

It is a disgrace to the UN that the Secretary-General does not retract his words and is not even able to apologize for what he said yesterday. He must resign, said Erdan.

Erdan accused the UN chief of blaming Israel for Hamass brutal October 7 attack, saying he distorts and twists reality.

Every person understands very well that the meaning of his words is that Israel has guilt for the actions of Hamas or, at the very least, it show his understanding for the background leading up to the massacre.

A secretary general who does not understand that the murder of innocents can never be understood by any background cannot be secretary general, he added.

In response to the UN Chiefs remarks, Israel said it will not issue visas to key UN officials.

More than 1,400 people were brutally murdered in the brutal October 7 attack by the militants of Palestinian Islamic militant outfit Hamas.

The militants invaded Israel under the cover of thousands of rocket barrages and rampage through Israeli communities near the Gaza border, brutally murdering babies, their mothers and fathers.

The Hamas militants also kidnapped more than 210 people, including foreign nationals.
Israel-Hamas war latest update: As pressure mounts on Israel from western allies to delay the ground assault in Gaza, Israeli Defence Forces have said they are ready to launch a full-scale attack on Hamas and delaying it would not be ideal in achieving the goals. The IDF statement comes after reports claimed that American administration is putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay the ground assault in order to secure releases of more hostages.

However, according to local media reports, the Israel Defense Forces are of the view that the military must begin its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip sooner rather than later in order to attain the governments stated objectives in the war against the Hamas terror group.

Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanese militant outfit Hezbollah has met with top representative of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Beirut. Nasrallah, who has been keeping a low profile ever since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, held a meeting with Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh. A picture of their meeting was shared by EyesOnSouth, an independent Telegram Channel that reports on Palestine and the Resistance Axis -Geopolitics with a focus on Global South. This was the first time they were seen together since the conflict started. Sayyed Nasrallah received PIJs leader Ziad Nakhaleh and deputy to Hamas political bureau Saleh al Arouri. Among other topics, discussions regarding the appropriate measures that Resistance Axis members must take to reach a definite victory in Gaza and Palestine took place, the EyesOnSouth said. Hezbollah has pledged its support to Hamas. The Lebanese militant group, backed by Iran, has been launching missile attack in northern Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The meeting between the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas comes amid fears of the conflict spilling into a wider, multi-front war. Israel is surrounded by Hamas-controlled Gaza in the south, Lebanon in the north, Syria in northeast, Jordan in east and southeast and Egypt in southwest. If the war escalates into a wider conflict, Hezbollah in the north and Syria in the northeast are the likely fronts where Israel may have to fight it. While Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned Hezbollah not to join the battle, the US has moved its aircraft carrier, battle ships and fighter jets in the Mediterranean near Israel in order to provide support to the Jewish state if war breaks out on these fronts. Earlier this week, Pentagon said it is sending its THAAD missile defence system to the Middle East in view of attacks on American assets by Iran and its proxies. Moreover, Israel has also issued a threat to Israel and the US that the region will go out of control if Israel goes ahead with its planned ground assault in the Gaza Strip.

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Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Indias Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, Ambassador R. Ravindra on Wednesday emphasized New Delhis actions to send humanitarian contributions to civilians in the Gaza Strip, saying that it has sent 38 tons of food and critical medical equipment to the region.

Ravindra made the statement while representing India at the United Nations Security Council Open-debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Thanking the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the open debate on the latest chapter of hostilities in West Asia, he said India was deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation and large-scale loss of civilians in the ongoing conflict.

The mounting humanitarian crisis is equally alarming, he said.

India has sent 38 tons of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment, to the people of Palestine. We also urge the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations, including through de-escalation and issuing violence, Ravindra added.

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The escalation of our utilities in the region has only exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation, he said, adding, It has once again underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire.

The terror attacks that happened on October 7 in Israel were shocking and India condemned them unequivocally, the deputy permanent envoy to the UN noted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to convey his condolences over the loss of lives and prayers for the innocent victims and their families.

We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks, Ravindra added.

We have also expressed deep shock at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Hali hospital in Gaza, where several hundreds of civilian casualties have occurred and thousands injured. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured, Indias deputy permanent envoy to the world body added.

PM Modi had also said those involved in the attack must be held responsible, Ravindra added, noting that the civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. All parties must protect civilians, especially women and children.

The Unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed. We welcome the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza, he added.

Also reaffirming Indias help for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, he said the same can lead to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations. We also continue to support the Palestinian people through our bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, womens empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology, Ravindra said.

He added India was also supporting grassroots Palestinian institutions in their development initiatives.

In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, Indias deputy permanent envoy to the UN said.

He stated that the current escalation of the conflict has once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of credible, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

Every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks. We welcome all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy, he said.

Ravindra concluded his statement by reaffirming Indias firm commitment to achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Light rain early. A mix of sun and clouds by afternoon. High near 50F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 35F. Winds light and variable.
Behboudi was released Oct. 18. Behboudi is part of the Shi'ite Hazara minority and had moved to France as a refugee in 2015 where he set up the news site Guiti with other exiled Afghans. Speaking of his experiences in custody, Behboudi said, "I felt kidnapped."

The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, which provided legal support and campaigned to free Behboudi, described the court decision as a "huge relief." "It is the end of a painful ordeal and of constant worry for more than nine months," said Christophe Deloire, RSF's secretary general.

The Taliban arrested Behboudi outside Kabul University in January while the reporter was working on a story about how female students are banned from higher education. He was held on charges of espionage and illegal support of foreigners until last week, when a Kabul court threw out all charges. The journalist said that neither his French passport nor his media credentials was enough to prevent him from being arrested.

Speaking at a news conference in the French capital, Paris, on Monday, the newly released Mortaza Behboudi said he didn't think he would make it out of custody alive.

An Afghan-French journalist who spent 284 days imprisoned in Afghanistan has recalled how he was beaten, nearly choked, and interrogated.

The journalist was kept in cells that measured two to three square meters, sharing the space with a dozen other detainees. Unable to see daylight, he said he soon lost track of time and was constantly harassed. He says the guards also beat him.

In one harrowing episode that Behboudi recalled to a French media outlet, the journalist said that Islamic State militants in his shared cell tried to choke him. A guard intervened and moved the journalist.

The Sunni Islamic State group for years has targeted predominantly Shi'ite Hazaras and other religious minorities. Spokesmen for the Taliban did not respond to VOA's requests for comment sent via messaging app.

A recent report by the UN mission in Afghanistan has said prisoners are subject to mistreatment and urged the authorities to act. The Taliban have issued directives on detainees' rights, and the interior ministry said that an internal investigation found evidence of mistreatment at its detention centers and that it was working to address the issue.

Six months into his imprisonment, Behboudi was moved to a new prison in Kabul where he says conditions improved. It was at that point that he learned the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders had provided him with a lawyer.

Now back in France and reunited with his family, Behboudi said he wanted to "move on." When the journalist traveled to Afghanistan at the start of 2023, he had planned to report on restrictions to women including on access to university and most higher education.

As well as education restrictions, women are currently blocked from being in parks, funfairs, and gyms, and cannot travel without a close male relative. Many are unable to work. More than 80 percent of women who worked in media before the Taliban takeover no longer are in the profession, according to RSF data.

Afghanistan ranks as the worst performing country globally for the status of women, according to the Women, Peace and Security Index released by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

Behboudi said he felt fortunate to be released but that other Afghan journalists are not so lucky. Under the Taliban, "Everything is censored these days," Behboudi said. "If I take photo on the street, I risk being arrested... There is no longer freedom of expression, there is no longer freedom of the press in Afghanistan."

The nonprofit Afghanistan Journalists' Support Organization welcomed Behboudi's release. "The latest development underscores two critical points," the organization said in a statement on his release. "The unity and collaborative efforts of national and international professional bodies in supporting Afghan journalists can prove to be a powerful force," the statement read, adding that Behboudi's case "highlights the vital role played by international journalist support organizations."
Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: House Republicans on Tuesday nominated Tom Emmer of Minnasota to be speaker but within hours of his nomination, he dropped out of the running.
China has ousted its defense minister, the second high-level firing of a top official in months. No explanation was given for Li Shangfu's removal, and Beijing has yet to name a replacement for him.

The removal of Li, 65, who is the target of sanctions by the United States, comes seven months after he was appointed and could help Washington and Beijing resume high-level military-to-military talks.

According to China's state media, Li was removed at a meeting Tuesday of China's top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. In addition to Li, former foreign minister Qin Gang was also removed from his only remaining position as a state councilor.

The removals of two top officials in relatively quick succession comes less than a year after China's leader Xi Jinping secured a norm-breaking third term in office and has raised questions about his leadership.

China's political system is extremely opaque and both Li and Qin's ousters followed a similar pattern leading to rampant speculation about Xi's grasp on power and the reasons for their ousting.
Thirty-three U.S. states are suing Meta Platforms Inc., accusing it of damaging young people's mental health through the addictive nature of their social media platforms.

The suit filed Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, alleges Meta knowingly installed addictive features on its social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook, and has collected data on children younger than 13, without their parents' consent, violating federal law.

"Research has shown that young people's use of Meta's social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes," the complaint says.

The filing comes after Meta's own research in 2021 found that the company was aware of the damage Instagram can do to teenagers, especially girls.

In Meta's 2021 study, 13.5 percent of teen girls said Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17 percent of teen girls said it makes eating disorders worse.
Electric two-wheeler sales have been gaining traction in recent times, with the likes of Ola, TVS Motor and Ather Energy seeing strong sales growth. So far in 2023, over 6.6 lakh electric two-wheelers have been sold, according to the government's Vahan website.

Now a new startup based out of Belagavi in Karnataka is looking to enter the increasingly crowded market. With a claimed range of up to 280km, it hopes the scooter will find many buyers.

Rivot Motors was founded by Ajit Patil, who was earlier working in the software industry. He had bought an electric scooter back in 2009. But it had to be regularly repaired and that eventually gave him the idea to build an electric two-wheeler himself.

"The e-scooter I had bought had so many issues, I had to keep fixing it. This went on for four-five years before it gave up. In 2016, I started seeing lots of things happening around EVs, and by then I had gathered hands-on and theoretical knowledge around electric two-wheelers. After doing more research for around two years, I decided to form a company in 2018," Patil said.

The outcome is this new scooter, Rivot NX100. He says the issues he had faced in the earlier scooter helped him in developing this scooter. The scooter will be available in five variants. The base variant will get a battery pack of 1,920Wh, and will have a claimed range of 100km. Other variants will get bigger battery packs of 3,840Wh and 5,760Wh, with a claimed range of 200km and 280km respectively. Its worth noting that this range hasn't been independently tested and certified yet.

In comparison, the Ola S1 Pro second generation has a certified range of 195km. The Ather 450X with the 3.7 kWh battery pack gets a certified range of around 150km. TVS IQube has a range of 100-145km.

According to Patil, the NX100 will be the first electric scooter in the market, with an upgradable range, wherein someone using the lower variant could just upgrade the battery pack, rather than opt for the higher variant scooter. Further, the scooters will get retractable charging cable within the scooter itself. Also, the scooters will get an auxiliary power unit, which will kick in if the batteries on-board run out of juice and can be handy in emergency situations.

"It will be a last resort battery pack, like a power bank and will have just enough juice to take you home or office," said Patil.

The NX100 scooter was unveiled this week and eager customers can pre-book the scooter for a token amount of Rs 499. Deliveries for the scooter are expected to begin by middle of 2024 and prices will range between Rs 89,000 for the base variant, going up to Rs 1.59 lakh for the top spec variant. The company has identified 30 cities across India where it aims to set up dealerships.

Patil said the scooter has been designed and developed in-house and will be produced at a facility that it has identified in Belagavi. They could also approach contract manufacturers going ahead. The company hopes to produce 10,000 scooters in its first full year.
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is the executive producer for a movie featuring his stunt double. David Holmes was paralysed while practising a stunt for the penultimate Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Holmes working in a scene that involved an explosion, which left him paralysed from the chest down. Holmes, who had been Radcliffe's stunt double since 14, right from the first movie, had formed a bond with the actor.



David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived is described as a coming-of-age story, a Vulture report reads. Holmes is a trained gymnast. Holmes and Radcliffe, in 2020, began a podcast 'Cunning Stunts'. When Holmes met with the accident in 2009, Radcliffe hosted a charity auction to raise money for his medical bills. Radcliffe and fellow actor Tom Felton would visit Holmes in the hospital.

In a 2014 interview with The Mirror, Radcliffe talked about the bond he shared with Holmes and said, And I would hate for people to just see me and Dave and go, Oh, theres Daniel Radcliffe with a person in a wheelchair because I would never, even for a moment, want them to assume that Dave was anything except for an incredibly important person in my life.

The movie features behind-the-scenes footage of Holmess stunt work and interviews with Radcliffe, other close friends, family members and former crew. The movie is directed by Dan Hartley. The movie premiers on HBO and Max on November 15, at 9 p.m.

I think theres a myth around stuntmen that they are just superhuman in some way. When the public sees something really painful or horrible, they think it was a visual effect or that theres some clever, safe way of doing it. Often thats not the case, Radcliffe told Variety about the podcast.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor had recently come under the scanner for making a remark that had several people on social media calling it a 'red flag' and saying that it reeked of toxic masculinity. Alia Bhatt, in an interview, had said that her husband Ranbir Kapoor doesn't like it when she wears lipsticks and tells her to wipe it off.



Kapoor, at a recent interaction with fans, referred to a piece written about him on toxic masculinity and said, Recently, I was reading some article about being toxic and something relating to some statement I made and I understand this. And I am on the side of the people who are fighting for the toxic masculinity, if they use me as the face of it, its fine because their fight is bigger than just me feeling sad about them having an opinion about what I said. I look at a larger picture.

On dealing with negativity on social media, he said, Hey, I'm not on social media so I dont have the need to deal with it which is a great thing. But I feel negativity is very important especially if you are an artist and if you have some work out there I think both need to exist because then that creates a balance.

The couple got married in 2022 and have a daughter. In another interview, Bhatt said that Kapoor doesn't like it when she raises her voice. I have to try very hard to control my anger because my husband does not like when my voice goes above this decibel. Because he thinks its not fair and its important to be kind even when you are unhappy, she told Vice.



The 'lipstick' isn't the only 'insensitive' remark Kapoor has made. While promoting the movie Brahmastra, which also stars Bhatt, the latter's baby bump was showing. Kapoor, addressing the media said, I can see somebody has phaeloed (spread out), looking pointedly at her baby bump. Alia can be seen visibly shocked in the video.

The actor later apologised and said, I spoke to Alia about it and she really laughed it off and she didnt mind it. But I do have a bad sense of humour and sometimes it falls flat on my own face. So I am sorry if I have hurt anyone with it.
India, on Wednesday, said it will resume visa services for select categories in Canada, suspended amid the diplomatic row between the two countries, from Thursday.

In a post on X, the High Commission of India in Canada said that services for entry visa, business visa, medical visa, and conference visa will resume from October 26.

An official communique stated that the high commission in Canada and its consulates general were "constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations."

After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services for the following categories with effect from October 26, 2023:

(a) Entry visa,

(b) Business visa

(c)Medical visa, and

(d) Conference visa.

The development comes days after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India is looking at resuming visa services for Canadians "very soon" if it sees progress in the safety of its diplomats in Canada.

Emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulates General as it is being done currently the statement read. Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation, it added.

The relations between India and Canada took a hit after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged on September 18 that there was a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. A few days later, India announced that it is temporarily suspending the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.
Will India designate Hamas a terrorist organisation? Israel has asked India to go a step further in its fight against terrorism by proscribing the militant group as a terrorist outfit.

At a time when New Delhi is doing a fine balancing act in condemning all forms of terror as well as supporting humanitarian outreach towards Palestinians in Gazawhere the Hamas has a stranglehold and support basethe decision of whether or not to add Hamas to its long list of banned terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda, ISIS , Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed is a question that will be handled by the security brass taking into consideration national security interests.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Israels ambassador to India Naor Gilon said Israel would like India to declare Hamas as a terrorist organization.

On whether the issue has been taken up with the Indian government after the October 7 attack in Israel, Gilon said, We spoke to the relevant authorities here. It is not the first time we are speaking about it. I think it is important because of the shared war on terror.

He, however, added that it is not an issue where Israel is putting any pressure, but a dialogue that is continuing as part of a common concern in the counter terrorism efforts.

Asked if the Israel - Hamas war will escalate into a wider conflict in the Middle East region, Gilon said, It is not a decision of Israel whether it will go into a wider conflict.

The focus is to destroy Hamas and get the hostages freed, he said as ground offensive in Gaza remains a strong possibility.

Gilon expressed concern over Turkeys support to Hamas and called it very unfortunate.

There are two countries who are being very supportive in the region to Hamas, Turkey lately and Qatar being another one.

The ambassador said the main concept which Israel failed to assess ahead of the Hamas terror attack was whether the Hamas political leadership had an interest in the well being of its own population.

The failure was in the approach of having the military go hand in hand with efforts to improve the conditions in Gaza where many of them came to work in Israel and created relative prosperity in Gaza before the attack, he said.

I think that this was a mistaken concept because Hamas cares nothing about these elements. As I like to say, we went to sleep on Friday evening with Hamas as a neighbour, and we woke up Saturday morning with ISIS as the neighbour. So it became from a so called pragmatic terror organization controlling Gaza into a murderous, vicious terror organization that has nothing moderate, Gilon said, adding that Israel is fighting a war of survival.

It is a war of being able to survive in the Middle East. We live in a very tough neighbourhood, in the Middle East. If you are perceived as weak, your life is going to be miserable.

But it is important to go beyond Israel in the global fight against terror, said Gilon who thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being among the first world leaders to condemn the terror attack.

India is a very important moral voice in the world and an an important country for us and with us.
The Dusshera rallies organised by the Shiv Sena factions on Tuesday witnessed a showdown between the leaders who traded barbs at each other over "power hunger".

Shiv Sena chief and Maharastra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, at his party's rally in Azad Maidan, took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, stating he back-stabbed Bal Thackeray by committing dishonesty with his ideological legacy. "You have buried the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray by going with Congress and Samajwadis for power. Balasaheb had given 'Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai' slogan from 'Shivtirth' (Shivaji Park ground) but slogans like 'Garv se kaho hum Congressi and Samajwadi hai' are being given from that venue," Shinde said.



Adding that he won't be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even "hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)", Shinde said Uddhav Thackeray nurtured the ambition to become the CM since 2004 but things didn't work out.



"It was his (Uddhav's) wish to become the CM since 2004 but the 'jugaad' didn't work out. He pretended that he was never interested in the post. It was said publicly that he accepted the responsibility (after the 2019 assembly elections) on the advice of Sharad Pawar. But the fact is that two persons were sent to Pawar to recommend his (Uddhav's) name for the post," he said.



In a jibe at Uddhav, he said, "Those who claim to have blood relations with Balasaheb have suppressed his thoughts". Terming Uddhav Thackray and his son Aaditya as "one full, one half", Shinde said he won't be surprised if they merge their faction with Congress.



Uddhav, speaking at his party's annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, hit out at Shinde for "attempts to steal the Shiv Sena."



"The BJP or (its predecessor) Jana Sangh played no role in any struggle including that for the country's freedom, Marathwada liberation struggle or the Samyukta (united) Maharashtra movement, the former chief minister claimed. Attempts were being made to steal the Shiv Sena," he said.

He also promised to hit back at the rival Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the elections. "After we come to power, we will hang upside down those who are harassing us."



Attacking the BJP, Thackeray said his party's Hindutva was nationalism. Slamming the Shinde government over the lathi charge at Maratha protestors in Jalna last month, Thackeray said the Marathas were agitating for quota even when he was chief minister, but he never gave such orders." Who was the General Dyer' who ordered lathi-charge in Jalna?" he asked.



Shinde also hit out to Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar over the delay in disqualifying rebel MLAs of the Shiv Sena.



"If the speaker did not heed the Supreme Court's direction (to hear disqualification petitions expeditiously), the people would be watching if an apex court exists in the country or not," he said.



Thackeray also dared the Shinde-led government to hold elections and let people decide whether the rebel MLAs were "qualified or disqualified". Thackeray said he was proud of his family. ...a doctor's son becomes a doctor. We are preserving the legacy of our family... Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud is also preserving the legacy of his family," he said.



Targeting the Maharashtra government over the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, he asked who will benefit from it. The high-speed train project was being executed "so that traitors can quickly flee to Gujarat, he quipped, and alleged that attempts were being made to "loot Mumbai." All good investments were being diverted from Maharashtra to Gujarat and other states, Thackeray claimed.



Uddhav faction also burned the effigies of Ravan and a demon dubbed as 'khokasur', after Thackeray-led Sena has often accused the MLAs of the Shinde group of taking `khokas' (crores of rupees) to switch loyalties which led to the collapse of the Thackeray government in June last year.


The education department in Uttar Pradesh has served notices to all madrasas saying that those running without recognition be immediately shut down or should pay a fine of Rs 10,000 every day. The move has been decried as illegal.



The notice says that madrasas, which are recognised must make the relevant documents available to the department within three days. Some of the madrasas have been told that inspections have revealed that they are running without recognition and are thus liable to a fine of up to one lakh rupees besides the everyday fine.

A reference is made in the notices to a provision under the Right to Education Act which reads, No school, other than a school established, owned and controlled by the appropriate government or the local authority, shall after the commencement of this act, be established or function, without obtaining a certificate of recognition from such authority, by making an application in such form and manner, as may be prescribed.

Madarsa managers and others have objected to the principle that madrasas fall under the Ministry of Minority Affairs and thus the education department has no role to play in governing them.

Iftiqar Ahmed Javed chairperson of the states Madarsa Shiksha Parishad said, The states notification of 2004 and the rules of 2016 make it clear that no department other than that of minority welfare has the right to inspect or serve any kind of notices to madarsas. It is often brought to our notice that staff of the local education department conducts inspections of madrasas clearly violating the limits of the departments power.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, who works extensively on the cause of Pasmanada Muslims (the most marginalised among the Muslims) said, The government is deliberately not offering recognition to madrasas. Its decisions are illegal.

There are over 25,000 madrasas in UP. More than two-thirds of these are recognised. The rest are only affiliated with the states Madarsa Board. In November 2022, a survey found that 8,500 madrasas, that were not recognised by the state government are operational. The UP Board of Madrasa Education was established in 2017 to check irregularities in the madrasas' functioning in the state.
The recommendation of an NCERT panel to replace India with Bharat in school textbooks has drawn flak from opposition parties with Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar questioning why the government was confusing the minds of people.

You can't change the history of India, the deputy chief minister said, alleging that the stand taken by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was anti-India and anti-Bharat.

"Why are we saying the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service? In our passports, we have the Republic of India... I think something wrong has happened to this government... Why are they confusing the minds of Indians?... Whatever stand they have taken is completely anti-people, anti-India, and anti-Bharat, Shivakumar told news agency ANI.

The Congress leader further alleged that the NCERT was being forced to take such decisions by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

The DMK also hit out at the move, saying the government was taking such move only because the opposition alliance had named their alliance as INDIA.

"The government is changing the name only because the opposition alliance had named their alliance as INDIA. It is not even India. They want to change and name as Bharat. Cheap and illogical things are in the minds of the Modi government...This is out of fear...How can NCERT do that without amending the Constitution?, DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan said.

The high-level committee, constituted by the NCERT to revise the school curriculum has recommended that India be replaced with Bharat in school text books. It also recommended introducing classical history instead of ancient history, according to committee chairperson C.I. Isaac.

NCERT chairman Dinesh Saklani, however, said no decision has been taken yet on the panel's recommendations.

"The committee has unanimously recommended that the name 'Bharat' should be used in the textbooks for students across classes. We have also recommended introducing classical history instead of ancient history in the textbooks," Isaac told news agency PTI.

The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.

Other members of the committee include ICHR Chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of the Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who teaches sociology in a Haryana government school.
The South Korean government is watching closely for any further defection attempts as severe food shortages continue to plague the repressive North.

The four -- a couple in their 30s, their child and a woman in her 50s who is presumed to be the child's grandmother -- blamed hunger and the struggle to survive in North Korea for their decision to flee.

Four North Koreans defected to South Korea on Tuesday after crossing the eastern maritime border near Sokcho, Gangwon Province in a small wooden boat.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said unusual movements by the North Korean Navy were observed in waters north of the Northern Limit Line at 4:00 a.m., and an hour and a half later radar detected an unknown object approaching the South Korean coast. At 6:30 a.m. it was clear that it was approaching steadily without signaling.

At around 7:10 a.m., a South Korean fisherman who was working nearby saw the boat, whose shape struck him as highly unusual, and reported it to the Coast Guard. Only then did the military decide to dispatch patrol aircraft and speedboats to the scene.

It caught up with the 7.5-meter-long wooden boat approximately 11 km east of Sokcho and about 45 km south of the NLL 50 minutes later.

A military source said the family "told us that they had a hard time making a living in North Korea and came here to survive." One of the North Koreans reportedly made polite conversation with the fisherman while waiting for the Coast Guard to arrive.

Despite the South Korean military's claims that it detected the boat long before the fisherman reported it, the latest incident raises questions about lapses in vigilance on the frontline.
Researchers from the Universities of Surrey and Swansea have declared the feasibility of low-cost, lightweight solar panels that can generate power in space. The implications of this research are profound, potentially paving the way for the establishment of commercially viable solar farms in space.

This study, the first of its kind, observed a satellite over a span of six years, meticulously examining how the panels generated energy and withstood the relentless bombardment of solar radiation during over 30,000 orbits.

Professor Craig Underwood, Emeritus Professor of Spacecraft Engineering at the Surrey Space Centre, expressed his excitement about the unexpected longevity of the mission, remarking, "We are very pleased that a mission designed to last one year is still working after six. These detailed data show the panels have resisted radiation and their thin-film structure has not deteriorated in the harsh thermal and vacuum conditions of space. This ultra-low mass solar cell technology could lead to large, low-cost solar power stations deployed in space, bringing clean energy back to Earth  and now we have the first evidence that the technology works reliably in orbit."

The breakthrough was made possible through the collaboration between the University of Swansea's Centre for Solar Energy Research and the University of Surrey. Scientists from Swansea developed new solar cells using cadmium telluride, resulting in panels that cover a larger surface area, are incredibly lightweight, and offer significantly greater power output compared to current technology. Additionally, these advanced solar cells can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

The University of Surrey played a crucial role in the research by designing instruments that measured the performance of the solar panels while in orbit. The satellite itself, a testament to the ingenuity and expertise of the Surrey Space Centre, was constructed in partnership with a team of aspiring engineers from the Algerian Space Agency (ASAL).

Dr. Dan Lamb from the University of Swansea highlighted the significance of this successful flight test, stating, "The successful flight test of this novel thin film solar cell payload has leveraged funding opportunities to further develop this technology. Large area solar arrays for space applications are a rapidly expanding market, and demonstrations such as this help to build on the UK's world-class reputation for space technology."

This research opens up new horizons for harnessing solar energy beyond the confines of our planet. With the potential for large-scale, cost-effective solar power stations in space, the dream of bringing clean energy back to Earth is inching closer to becoming a reality.

Despite a slight decrease in power output efficiency over time, the researchers remain confident that their findings demonstrate the viability of solar power satellites and their potential for commercial success.
A day after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked that the attack by Hamas on Israel "did not happen in a vacuum", Tel Aviv has struck back at the organisation by announcing that it would deny visas to UN officials.

Israels ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said the move follows the remarks by Guterres that "appeared to justify Hamass brutal assault on Israel."



"Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives," Erdan was quoted by The Times of Israel. "We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson," he added.



Guterres made the remarks on Tuesday at the UN Security Council meeting. "It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," Guterres said.



The comments had irked Israel which asked Guterres to resign. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a meeting with Guterres, and Minister Benny Gantz labelled the UN chief a "terror apologist."



After the remarks courted controversy, Guterres walked back on his remarks. He took to X to post on Wednesday: "The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."



The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas.



Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 25, 2023

Attack from Syria

The Israel Defense Forces says it struck several Syrian military targets after rockets were fired from Syria toward Israeli communities in the Golan Heights. The IDF says fighter jets hit "military infrastructure" and mortar launching sites.



According to the Syrian state news agency (SANA), the attacks killed eight soldiers and wounded seven more. Citing a military source, SANA said Israel's "aerial aggression" targeted a number of military positions near the southwestern city of Deraa. The strike also caused material damage, it reported.



Meanwhile, over 80 people were killed in overnight strikes on Gaza, claimed Hamas. The statement by the militant group said "more than 80 people were martyred and hundreds wounded in massacres committed by the occupation raids" overnight.



Three Palestinians were also killed in West Bank after an overnight raid. According to the IDF, the armed Palestinians "fired and hurled explosive devices" at its forces in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank. Following this, the forces retaliated striking them with a drone.


The Israeli Air Forces on Wednesday said it took out top Hamas commander Taysir Mubasher in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Mubasher was the commander of Hamass North Khan Younis Battalion.

A statement by the IDF said Mubasher previously served as head of Hamass naval forces and also held several positions related to the terror groups weapon manufacturing. "Mubasher has extensive experience in the military and as a commander, directing terror attacks, and he is considered close to Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamass military wing," the IDF statement read.



The operation was carried out jointly by the IDF and Shin Bet security agency using intelligence information from the Amman and the Shin Bet.



Mubasher was reportedly the brain behind the deadly 2002 attack at the Atzmona pre-military academy in Gush Katif. Five of the academy's students died in the attack and several were injured.



He was adept at manufacturing explosive devices and provided the explosives that tore through the IDF post in Gush Katif in 2004 which killed an IDF soldier a injured several more. Mubasher also directed the terror attack on the Vered Post in 2003, and was involved in the infiltration into Zikim beaches during Operation "Protective Edge', reported Israeli media.



During the war, about 300 rockets and mortar bombs were fired from the northern Khan Yunis area towards Israel, the IDF added.



Besides Mubasher, the air raids also struck hundreds of Hamas military and government targets on Tuesday. The targets included tunnel shafts, military headquarters, ammunition depots, and mortar bomb and anti-tank missile launching positions.



The IDF also attacked infrastructures that make it difficult for Gaza residents to evacuate to the south of Gaza, such as Hamas blockades. The military headquarters responsible for the imprisonment of Hamas opponents were also attacked.



A total of 704 Palestinians, including 305 children, were killed on Tuesday, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said.
NEW DELHI, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK, awarded the 2023 Faraday Medal to Stanford University Professor Emeritus and Celesta Capital Advisor Arogyaswami Paulraj. Awarded at a ceremony in London this past weekend, Dr. Paulraj became the 100th recipient of the medal, with his citation reading, 'For the invention, advancement, and commercialization of MIMO Wireless'. The Faraday Medal is one of the world's most prestigious awards for engineers and scientists who advance technologies with global impact.



MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) wireless technology powers 4G, 5G mobile, and WiFi networks, with far-reaching impacts, including the revolution of high-speed wireless access, connecting 6.5 billion smartphone users and another 12 billion personal and machine-type devices to the internet. The ubiquitous broadband wireless connection to the internet would not be possible without MIMO. According to mobile and WiFi industry groups, the global economic value of MIMO-powered wireless networks was US $7.6 trillion in 2022.



MIMO uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver in a wireless link, along with signal encoding at the transmitter and decoding at the receiver, to boost wireless data rates. Thousands of researchers and engineers in the US, China, and Europe advanced MIMO, noted by more than 400,000 research publications and 450,000 patents.



First awarded in 1922 to Oliver Heaviside, the Faraday Medal is the longest-standing global recognition in science and technology. Named after Michael Faraday, the father of electromagnetism, early medalists included J.J. Thompson (discovery of the electron) and E. Rutherford (discovery of the atomic nucleus). More technology-focused winners include V. Zworykin (television) and R. N. Noyce (semiconductors). In recent years, the award has also recognized business leaders, and honored Wipro founder Mr. Azim Premji from India.



Commenting on the honor, Dr. Paulraj said, "I am extremely honored to be awarded with the IET Faraday Medal. I believe digital access is truly an equalizer in terms of opportunity creation, and with 5G, India clearly has the potential to enter and succeed in deep technology industries. Since almost all the value addition in these industries comes from innovation and IP ownership, the industry has many barriers to entry. Going forward, India must thoroughly understand all the industry dynamics to frame a successful path."



From a Naval officer to a Stanford professor



Currently an emeritus professor at Stanford, Dr. Paulraj has received many global honors for his contributions to MIMO technology. He serves as a Senior Advisor to Celesta Capital, a Silicon Valley-headquartered venture capital firm focused on deep tech within the IndiaUS corridor. Dr. Paulraj serves on several advisory committees across the India and US R&D ecosystem, including serving as the Fabless Committee Chair with the Indian Semiconductor Mission.



Born in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India, in 1944, Paulraj joined the Indian Navy at age 16 and was commissioned in 1965. He served for 25 years before moving to Stanford University. His contributions from that period included well-known mathematical breakthroughs for signal estimation and high-resolution parameter estimation. He also led two successful projects in India to develop anti-submarine sonar systems. Notably, the APSOH sonar, developed between 1977 and 1983, was perhaps the world's most advanced sonar system and India's most successful military technology achievement from that period.



Dr. Paulraj also founded/cofounded three national laboratories in India, spanning AI and robotics, military electronics, and high-performance computing. But circumstances led him to leave India in 1991 and join Stanford University. Dr. Paulraj invented the MIMO technique in 1992, while working on a DARPA project for US defense.



About Celesta Capital



Celesta Capital is a global multi-stage deep tech venture capital firm. Led by technology industry veterans with decades of investment and operations experience, Celesta has a passion and proven track record for building and scaling global businesses. Founded in 2013, Celesta has over $1B USD in assets under management and a portfolio of more than 100 early-stage technology investments. Learn more at http://celesta.vc.



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2255788/DrPaulrajFaraday_Medal.jpg



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PWR
KOLKATA, India, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Suborno Bose, Founder and Chief Mentor of IIHM Hotel School and Chairman of Indismart Group, delivered the keynote address on 'Prospects of Development of Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage in SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Countries' at the historic 25th UNWTO General Assembly held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.



Dr. Bose emphasized the importance of ecological, social, and economic sustainability as key factors for sustainable tourism development. He also discussed the role of skill development and education in creating a positive impact on society and the environment.



In a blitz meeting with H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, UNWTO, Dr. Bose discussed the importance of Sustainable Hospitality and how educational institutions play a pivotal part in promoting sustainability. H.E. Pololikashvili unveiled the commemorative Chef Coat of the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad, with Dr. Bose as a symbol of solidarity with the global Hospitality and Tourism community.



During his visit to Samarkand for the session, Dr. Bose met H.E. Mr Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister Ecology, Environmental Protection & Climate Change Republic of Uzbekistan, and discussed the bilateral association with Uzbekistan for the development of a sustainable sphere of growth for Tourism and Hospitality.



The session was attended by prominent scholars, researchers, community leaders, policy and decision-makers, and industry experts from the participating countries of UNWTO. Dr. Bose's speech was well-received by the audience, who appreciated his insights on sustainable tourism development.



Dr. Suborno Bose is a first-generation entrepreneur and global thought leader in the hospitality industry. He holds the position of Chairman at the International Hospitality Council and is the force behind the IIHM International Young Chef Olympiad. Dr. Bose has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Economic Times Most Promising Business Leader Award.



Dr. Bose's keynote was a call to action for all stakeholders in the tourism industry to work towards sustainable tourism development. He emphasized that sustainable tourism is not just about environmental conservation but also about creating economic opportunities for local communities while preserving their cultural heritage.



In conclusion, Dr. Suborno Bose's keynote address during the historic UNWTO 25th General Assembly was an event that highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism development in SCO countries. His insights on ecological, social, and economic sustainability will go a long way in shaping the future of tourism in these countries.



About IIHM



IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management) is one of the largest chains of premier hospitality and hotel management schools across India that started its journey in 1994 at Kolkata. IIHM is a part of Indismart Group, the conglomerate that operates the Indismart Hotels. IIHM campuses are located across eleven National and International cities with the associate institute IAM-IHM located in Kolkata, and Guwahati.



IIHM has campuses in Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bangkok, Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and Singapore (opening soon). Students passing out of the group are awarded International Degree from the University of West London and are equipped with global hospitality skills that enable easy placements in any hospitality brand across the world. IIHM is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and global placements. Real-time experience is the key to success in IIHM's learning experience which includes working in own training hotels and resorts attached to the campuses.



IIHM is a Founding Institutional member of the (IHC) International Hospitality Council, London. It offers discerning students excellent opportunities to be a global partner of the University of West London. Following a truly international curriculum, IIHM offers a BSc (Hons) in International Hospitality Management from the University of West London, UK. Students are also awarded UGC approved Indian Degrees. IIHM students also have the option of completing their final year in the UK, Switzerland, Germany or Canada, after completing and performing well in the first two years in India.



The institute has bagged several prestigious awards in the past 30 years. The list includes the Best Education Brand Award from Economic Times six times including 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and recently in 2023. "Most Valuable Hospitality Education Brand 2023" by Zee 24ghanta. Awarded "Best Hospitality Education Brand 2020" & 2022, "Best Global Hospitality Education Brand 2023" by Zee Education Excellence Award. It was also featured in Forbes Magazine as Great Indian Institute and Great Place to Study consecutively in the year 2018 - 2019 and 2019 - 2020. IIHM was also awarded as one among the World's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2015-16 by URS International (IMEA - Process Reviewer PriceWaterhouseCoopers PL) and also received the Best Institute in Hospitality Education Award by ASSOCHAM consecutively for 5 years. With it presence felt internationally and having alumni across almost all continents of the world.



Media Contact:

Abdullah Ahmed,

COO, IIHM Hotel School Group

T: +91-(0)11-43204700

E: Abdullah.ahmed@iihm.ac.in



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256065/IIHM.jpg



Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1572818/IIHM_Logo.jpg



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
Kochi, Oct 24 (PTI) Kerala police on Tuesday arrested 'Jailer' actor Vinayakan for allegedly raising a ruckus at a police station here in an inebriated state.



The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station in the evening, where he was summoned by the police after he allegedly created some issues at his apartment.



He was arrested for making trouble at the police station, a senior police officer said.



"He has been taken to a nearby hospital for the necessary medical examination," the officer added.
*Civilian casualties in ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict matter of serious, continuing concern: India tells UN Security Council.



India says it will treat Pakistan's reference to Kashmir at UNSC meeting on Israel-Gaza situation with contempt it deserves.



President Joe Biden honours two Indian-American scientists with America's highest scientific awards.



China said the US is disruptor of peace in response to Pentagon report on China's military buildup.



Republicans nominate Mike Johnson for House speaker after Tom Emmer's withdrawal, desperate to end chaos.



Stories on political developments in Pakistan. *
Crews worked through the night clearing the wreckage of more than 150 vehicles involved in a series of crashes on Interstate 55 near New Orleans caused by a super fog of marsh fire smoke and dense fog that killed at least seven people and injured another 25
Massachusetts GOP couple agree to state's largest settlement after campaign finance investigation

The Massachusetts Attorney Generals office announced settlements totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars Tuesday with a Republican couple and others after investigators found evidence of campaign finance violations
The Ministry of Justice plans to introduce a draconian Korean version of Jessica's Law, a U.S. statute that requires released child sex offenders to wear electronic tracking devices and bans them from living less than around 600 m from schools and parks.

The Korean version would require child sex offenders who served more than 10 years behind bars or committed more than three offences to wear ankle bracelets and live in designated facilities.

They will have to live in public facilities designated by the Justice Ministry and must get permission if they want to stay anywhere else for more than a day. If they stray without permission, they face up to three years behind bars or a fine of up to W30 million (US$1=W1,343).

One lawyer said, "It will be tantamount to being locked up again."

A judge will decide how long a child sex offender has to live in the designated facility. Rapists are currently required to wear electronic tracking devices for three to 20 years.




A strike by auto workers against General Motors is expected to cut pretax earnings by $800 million this year, and another $200 million per week after that, the companys chief financial officer said.

And those figures include only factories that are on strike now, so if more plants are added by the United Auto Workers union, the losses will pile up further, CFO Paul Jacobson told reporters.

The strike is already taking a toll, and shortly after the conference call the UAW expanded the strike to Arlington, Texas, one of GMs most profitable plants. Five thousand workers walked off their jobs at the factory which makes SUVs.

Shares of General Motors Co. are down more than 13% this year, touching lows Tuesday that havent been seen since the pandemic when the companys sales growth tumbled almost 11% in 2020.

GM on Tuesday posted net income of more than $3 billion from July through September, down 7% from the same period last year due to lost production from the strike, and also increased warranty costs, Jacobson said. The company also withdrew its previous full-year pretax earnings estimates, citing uncertainty over the length of the strike and how many factories would be shut down

However, excluding one-time items, GM said made $2.28 per share, handily beating Wall Street estimates of $1.87. Revenue of $44.13 billion rose 5.4% and also exceeded estimates of $42.48 billion, according to data provider FactSet.

The UAW has been on strike since Sept. 15  nearly six weeks  against GM and its Detroit competitors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis. The union had spared factories that make GMs most profitable vehicles, pickup trucks and large SUVs, from its targeted strikes. Yet the UAW is demonstrating this week that risks to those money-making facilities can rise the longer the strike goes on.

On Monday, the union shut down Stellantis huge Ram pickup truck plant north of Detroit in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Two weeks ago workers walked off their jobs at Fords largest and most profitable plant, one that makes pickups and big SUVs in Louisville, Kentucky. So far only 28% of the unions 146,000 members at the Detroit Three are on strike.

Jacobson said the third-quarter strike loss was $200 million, since the walkouts were only in effect the final two weeks of the period. He predicted another $600 million of losses from October through December.

In a note to shareholders, CEO Mary Barra said GM has made a record offer to the union that will raise top factory pay to $40.39 per hour, or roughly $84,000 per year in four years. She indicated that the company is nearing how much its willing to pay.

Its an offer that rewards our team members but does not put our company and their jobs at risk, Barra wrote. Accepting unsustainably high costs would put our future and GM team member jobs at risk, and jeopardizing our future is something I will not do.

Union President Shawn Fain says the companies are making billions and paying millions to CEOs, so they can afford to pay workers more.

Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said investors are concerned about the financial hit from a longer strike, GM slowing electric vehicle production, and whether it can squeeze out more cost cuts to offset a deal with the union.

Our concern is generally making sure the automakers have that flexibility to be able to navigate through a cyclical downturn, he said Tuesday.

Jacobson said many have expressed concerns about GM taking on higher labor costs, but the company has planned for it by cutting in other areas. For example, GMs annual fixed costs will be $2 billion lower than 2022 by the end of 2024, Jacobson said. The company also is slowing electric vehicle production to adjust to slower short-term growth in demand.

Last week GM announced that its postponing production at one Michigan electric pickup truck factory from this year until late 2025 to keep manufacturing in line with demand. That decision will save the company $1.5 billion next year, Jacobson said.

Barra said the transition to EVs will be a bit bumpy at times, but GM is prepared to react with agility. As an example, she cited the companys plan to resurrect the Chevrolet Bolt small EV, which the company was to stop making at the end of this year. Now, the company will take the attributes of the current Bolt and add new battery and other technology to roll out a new vehicle in 2025. It will require a lot less capital to make the new version, she said, while leveraging the strong customer enthusiasm we have for the Bolt EV.

GM is sticking with plans to increase manufacturing capacity to 1 million EVs per year in North America by the end of 2025, he said. But earlier guidance of building 400,000 EVs in North America through the middle of next year have been scrapped. Jacobson said GM still expects to start turning low-to-mid single-digit profit margins on electric vehicles in 2025.

Demand for vehicles and prices remained strong through the third quarter, which helped keep GMs profit high. The companys U.S. sales rose 21%, and Jacobson said the average U.S. selling price for GM vehicles was $50,750, down only slightly from the previous quarter.

So far the consumer has held up remarkably well for us, as evidenced by the average transaction prices, Jacobson said. They continue to hang in and I think exceeded most expectations that were set at the beginning of the year.

Jessica Caldwell, head of insights for the Edmunds.com auto site, said GMs sales numbers looked good on the surface, but that could change in the next few months. As cold weather arrives, those in the market are usually looking for larger four-wheel-drive vehicles. But she said a lingering strike could close plants, cut production of those lucrative vehicles and be harbingers of sales declines during an important stretch of the calendar ahead.

(AP)




China has replaced Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu, who has been out of public view for almost two months, state media reported Tuesday. No further information was given.

Li is the second senior Chinese official to disappear this year, following former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was removed from office in July with no explanation offered.

Li, who became defense minister during a Cabinet reshuffle in March, hasnt been seen since giving a speech on Aug. 29. There is no indication that the disappearances of Qin and Li signal a change in Chinas foreign or defense policies, although they have raised questions about the resilience of president and ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinpings circle of power.

Xi has a reputation for valuing loyalty above all and has relentlessly attacked corruption in public and private, sometimes in what has been seen as a method of eliminating political rivals and shoring up his political position amid a deteriorating economy and rising tensions with U.S. over trade, technology and Taiwan.

Li is under U.S. sanctions related to his overseeing weapon purchases from Russia that bar him from entering the country. China has since cut off contacts with the U.S. military, mainly in protest over U.S. arm sales to Taiwan, but also strongly implying that Washington must lift the measures against Li, which Beijing refuses to publicly recognize.

The announcement from state broadcaster CCTV said that both Li and Qin had been removed from the State Council, Chinas Cabinet and the center of government power. That virtually assures the end of their political careers, although it remains unclear whether they will face prosecution or other legal sanctions.

CCTV also announced Lan Foans new appointment as finance minister, and Yin Hejun as science and technology minister.

Chinas political and legal systems remain highly opaque, fueling lively discussion of possible corruption, personal foibles or fallings-out with other powerful figures leading to the downfall of top officials.

Along with dealing with what appear to be internal political issues, the ruling party is struggling to revive an economy that has been severely impacted by the draconian zero-Covid measures, an aging population, high unemployment among college graduates and a movement of many of its wealthiest and best educated to more liberal societies abroad.

Having had his ideology, known as Xi Jinping Thought, enshrined in the party constitution and with the abolishment of presidential term limits, Xi has structured the system so that he may stay in power for the rest of his life. The 70-year-old also heads the party and state committees overseeing the Peoples Liberation Army, the worlds largest standing military with more than 2 million personnel on active duty.

(AP)




For as long as Jake Price has been a teacher, Wolfram Alpha  a website that solves algebraic problems online  has threatened to make algebra homework obsolete.

Teachers learned to work around and with it, said Price, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science at the University of Puget Sound. But now, they have a new homework helper to contend with: generative artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT.

Price doesnt see ChatGPT as a threat, and hes not alone. Some math professors believe artificial intelligence, when used correctly, could help strengthen math instruction. And its arriving at a time when math scores are at a historic low and educators are questioning if math should be taught differently.

Artificial intelligence can serve as a tutor, giving a student who is struggling with a problem immediate feedback. It can help a teacher plan math lessons, or write math problems geared toward different levels of instruction. It can show new computer programmers sample code, allowing them to skip over the chore of learning to write basic code.

As schools across the country debate banning AI chatbots, some math and computer science teachers are embracing them as just another tool.

Math has always been evolving as technology evolves, said Price. A hundred years ago, people were using slide rules and doing all of their multiplication with logarithmic tables. Then, along came calculators.

Price makes sure students have the skills to solve problems on their own. Then, he discusses the limitations of the technologies they might be tempted to use when they get home.

Computers are really good at doing tedious things, Price said. We dont have to do all the tedious stuff. We can let the computer do it. And then we can interpret the answer and think about what it tells us about the decisions we need to make.

He wants his students to enjoy looking for patterns, seeing how different methods can give different or the same answers and how to interpret those answers to help make decisions.

Min Sun, a University of Washington education professor, thinks students should use chatbots like personal tutors. If students dont understand a mathematical operation, they can ask ChatGPT to explain it and give examples.

She wants teachers to use ChatGPT as their own assistant: to plan math lessons, give students feedback and communicate with parents.

Teachers can also ask ChatGPT to recommend different levels of math problems for students with different mastery of the concept, she said. This is particularly helpful for teachers who are new to the profession or have students with diverse needs, Sun said.

It gives you some initial ideas and possible problem areas for students so I can get myself more prepared before walking into the classroom, Sun said.

A year ago, if you asked Daniel Zingaro how he assesses his introductory computer science students, he would say: We ask them to write code.

But if you ask him today, the answer would be more complex, said Zingaro, an associate professor at the University of Toronto.

Zingaro and Leo Porter, a computer science professor at University of California San Diego, authored the book Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming with GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT. They believe artificial intelligence will allow introductory computer science classes to tackle big-picture concepts.

A lot of beginner students get stuck writing simple code, Porter and Zingaro said. They never move on to more advanced questions  and many still cant write simple code after they complete the course.

Its not just uninteresting, it is frustrating, Porter said. They are trying to build something and they forgot a semicolon and theyll lose three hours trying to find that missing semicolon or some other bit of syntax that prevents a code from running properly.

Chatbots dont make those mistakes, and allow computer science professors to spend more time teaching higher-level skills.

The professors now ask their students to take a big problem and break it down to smaller questions or tasks the code needs to do. They also ask students to test and debug code once its written.

If we think bigger picture about what we want our students to do, we want them to write software that is meaningful to them, Porter said.

Magdalena Balazinska, director of the University of Washingtons Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, embraces the progress artificial intelligence has made.

With the support of AI, human software engineers get to focus on the most interesting part of computer science: answering big software design questions, Balazinska said. AI allows humans to focus on the creative work.

Not all professors in the field think artificial intelligence should be integrated into the curriculum. But Zingaro and Porter argue that reading a lot of code generated by artificial intelligence doesnt feel like cheating. Rather, its how a student is going to learn.

I think a lot of programmers read a lot of code, just like how I believe the best writers read a lot of writing, Zingaro said. I think that is a very powerful way to learn.

(AP)




China announced plans on Wednesday to send a new telescope to probe deep into the universe as it prepared to launch the countrys next, three-member crew for its orbiting space station.

The telescope, dubbed Xuntian, will be installed by Chinas Tiangong space station and will co-orbit with it, according to a statement from Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the Chinese Manned Space Agency.

No timeframe was given for the installation. State broadcaster CCTV said the telescope would enable surveys and mapping of the sky.

China has researched the movement of stars and planets for thousands of years while in modern times, it has pushed to become a leader in space exploration and science.

The announcement came on the eve of the flight by three astronauts  Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin  who will replace a crew that has been on the station for six months.

The launch is expected for late morning on Thursday. Tang is a veteran who led a 2021 space mission for three months.

China has made majors advance in its burgeoning space power and says it plans to send a crewed mission to the moon by the end of the decade while also pursuing other ambitions in space.

The program largely comes in competition with the United States but also seeks to draw in support from nations in Europe, Southeast Asia, South America and elsewhere.

China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the control of the program by the Peoples Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party.

Chinas first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to put a person into space using its own resources.

American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China for the time being. China has broken out in some areas, however, bringing samples back from the lunar surface for the first time in decades and landing a rover on the less explored far side of the moon.

Meanwhile, the U.S. aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025 as part of a renewed commitment to crewed missions, aided by private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In addition to their lunar programs, the two countries have also separately landed rovers on Mars, and China plans to follow the U.S. in landing a spacecraft on an asteroid.

The new crew of the station will also need to conduct maintenance on its solar panels that have been hit by debris flying within the solar system, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

A large amount of those particles were created by China in the destruction of one of its own satellites by a missile it fired in 2007, in what was seen as a sign of strength against its competitors in the U.S. and its allies.

(AP)




Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday during a speech at the parliament that Hamas cannot be described as a terror group since its members were merely defending their land in their murderous assault against Israel.

Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation group, mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people, he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith.

He received a standing ovation for his words.

Erdogan also described Israels action in Gaza as one of the bloodiest, most disgusting and most savage attack in history.

We have no problem with the Israeli state, but we never have, and never will, accept the atrocities committed by Israel and the fact that it acts as an organization rather than a state, he said.

He also said he is canceling his trip to Israel due to the inhumane war.





Viagra is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. It works by increasing blood flow to the penis, allowing men to achieve and maintain an erection. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently advocated the use of Viagra, calling it a savior for men and calling for the use of Viagra to solve erection problems. He also called for the dissemination of information about Viagra and how to use it safely.



Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat released the following statement in response:

Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish Presidents harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas is a despicable terrorist organization worse than ISIS that brutally and intentionally murders babies, children, women and the elderly, takes civilians hostage and uses its own people as human shields. Even the Turkish presidents attempt to defend the terrorist organization and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen and the unequivocal fact: Hamas = ISIS

Erdogans comments drew a swift rebuke from Italys Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation. He urged Italys foreign minister to lodge a formal protest with Ankara.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




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Many Israeli-Arabs have expressed support for the Hamas massacre, including popular Israeli-Arab actress Maisa Abd Elhadi, who was arrested on Tuesday for her posts expressing support for Hamas.

Abd Elhadi mocked an elderly Israeli woman who was taken captive by Hamas by posting photos of her with laughing emojis. She also posted a photo of Hamas terrorists breaching Israels security fence, writing: Lets go, Berlin style.

Arab-Israeli activist Yospeh Haddad wrote: The actress Maisa Abd Elhadi, a resident of Nazareth, uploaded a post supporting terrorism, belittling and humiliating an elderly captive. She is now in custody. This is how you should act against hypocrites who support terrorism!

Mako reported that in the wake of her posts, Abd Elhadi was also thrown out of the acting agency that represented her.

Additionally, Israels Education Ministry on Tuesday began disciplinary proceedings against 30 educational employees who posted material supporting the Hamas massacre.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




During his brutal slaughter of civilians, a Hamas terrorist called his father to sickeningly brag that he had killed 10 Jews, audio released by the IDF shows.

The audio and a transcription of the animals call was released Tuesday. The call itself was made using the cellphone of an Israeli woman who the Hamas terrorist had killed just moments earlier in Kibbutz Mefalsim.

Open my WhatsApp now and youll see all those killed, the terrorist is hear telling his father. Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!

The terrorist asked to video call his family so that he could show them the gory brutality he had just wrought on innocent lives as his father could be heard weeping from bloodcurdling joy.

Dad, ten with my own hands! the Hamas miscrean said. Their blood is on my hands.

Oh my son, God bless you! his father responds.

The terrorists brother and mother also join the call, with his mother saying, I wish I was with you.

Mom, your son is a hero, the terrorist replied. Kill, kill, kill!

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




An unbelievably disturbing phenomenon is currently taking place in Berlin, Germany, with Jewish homes, buildings, and institutions marked with Magen Dovid symbols, media outlets are reporting.

Jewish residents of Berlin, the city where the Final Solution was planned by the Nazis, report that they are living in utter fear of the six million Muslims living in Germany  to the point where some are even afraid to leave their homes or send their children to school or kindergarten. Those who are leaving their homes are afraid to wear Jewish symbols or use Uber out of fear of having an Arab driver.

A Jewish woman who found a Magen Dovid sprayed on her house first looked at neighboring houses to see if they were similarly defaced. When she realized that only her home was targeted, she called the police. Evidence of dozens of similar cases can be found on German social media, with many users commening that the phenomenon is reminiscent of the Third Reich era.

Felix Klein, Germanys anti-Semitism commissioner, told The Guardian that Germany is at risk of reverting to its most horrific times.

People are shocked to hear news of houses where Jews live being marked with a Star of David, he said. Because that, of course, rings a bell and brings us back to the most horrific times we had in this country.

Israels Channel 12 correspondent in Germany, Antonia, Yamin reported that shes stopped using Uber because most of the drivers are Arabs and shes afraid to answer the simple question of Where are you from?

Anna Staroselski, 27, head of the German Union of Jewish Students, told WSJ that she changed her name on Uber and other apps so she wouldnt be identified as a Jew.

I have never been so afraid in my life, she said.

The report also quoted Mirna Funk, a 42-year-old resident of Berlin: I havent left my home in days, and my daughter isnt going to school.

We have a huge Muslim community, and they have never, ever marched against Islamism, she said. Where are the mass rallies against the radical Islamist Hamas, where is the outcry?

Last week, the Kahal Adass shul in central Berlin was firebombed.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday morning that Iran provided direct assistance to Hamas in its murderous and depraved assault of Israel on October 7th.

Iran directly assisted Hamas before the war with training, the supply of weapons, funding, and technological know-how, Hagari said.

Even at this moment, Iranian assistance in intelligence, incitement on social media, and the goading of worldwide instigation against Israel continues.

Hagaris comments confirm a report by The Wall Street Journal a day after the attack.

On the same day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US hadnt seen evidence of Irans involvement in the attack.

Hamas is not the only terror entity being aided by the Islamic Republic, which is also behind the increased attacks by the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon against Israel. Additionally, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen fired five cruise missiles at Israel last week, four of which were intercepted by the USS Carney guided missile destroyer, operating in the northern Red Sea.

The Wall Street Journal revealed on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia intercepted the fifth missile in the attack, which also included the launching of 30 drones toward Israel.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Charter flights carrying Chinese group tourists to Jeju Island will resume in November for the first time in six years and 10 months, bringing a massive expected boost to the resort island.

China's West Air will start operating charter flights between Zhengzhou and Jeju twice weekly on Nov. 3. Currently, the Chinese low-cost airline is recruiting customers for three- and four-night group tours to Jeju.

Zhengzhou has a population of over 13 million and is the gateway to the central province of Henan with its population of about 100 million.

Next are charter flights from Hefei (twice a week) and Fuzhou (twice a week), also in November, and the following month charter flights will resume form Chongqing, the most populous city in China, Chengdu, Changsha, Guangzhou, Qingdao, and Wuhan.




The Wall Street Journal revealed on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia intercepted one of five Iranian-provided cruise missiles fired by the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel last week in an attack that was more significant than described by the Pentagon at the time.

The USS Carney guided missile destroyer, operating in the northern Red Sea, intercepted the other four missiles, which have a range of over 2,000 kilometers (about 1,240 miles), according to the Pentagon, enabling them to reach Israel. In the same attack, the Houthis also fired about 30 drones toward Israel.

The WSJ article, entitled Iranian-Backed Militias Mount New Wave of Attacks as U.S. Supports Israel also reported on the 13 drone and rocket attacks against US bases in Iraq and southeast Syria that occurred between Oct. 17 and Oct. 24.

In response, the Pentagon has rushed almost a dozen air defense systems to countries across the Middle East.

The United States does not seek conflict with Iran; we do not want this war to widen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday at a meeting at the UN. But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake, we will defend our people, we will defend our security, swiftly and decisively.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




A Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday discussed the disgust of Jewish donors toward their alma mater in the wake of the lack of unequivocal condemnations of the barbarous Hamas assault on Israel and the pro-Hamas protests on campuses.

The report states: David Magerman was in Israel celebrating a holiday by dancing with a Torah in a synagogue when Hamas attacked the country earlier this month. When his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, put out a statement a few days later that called the assault horrific but didnt explicitly condemn Hamas, he was incensed.

Magerman, a hedge-fund veteran turned venture capitalist who has donated millions to the school, has since cut his ties with Penn. I was just pushed over the edge by the equivocation of the response, he said.

The pullback could dent the finances of some universities that rely on big givers to fill their coffers. People giving $1 million or more made up less than 1% of donors but 57% of total donations across surveyed U.S. universities, according to a study by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education covering the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022.

According to the report, which also briefly discusses Harvard, Penn faces perhaps the biggest donor revolt.

Alumnus Marc Rowan, the chief executive of Apollo Global Management who has donated over $50 million to Penn, told WSJ that he wont donate more unless University President Liz Magill steps down, saying that her weak response to the Hamas assault stands in sharp contrast to the universitys strong condemnations of the killing of George Floyd and the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe vs. Wade. He was especially disturbed by the fact that she chose to write about her dog on Instagram the weekend of the attack.

Many other donors have also curtailed or are rethinking their donations to Penn, with some having done so even prior to October 7 due to the increasingly progressive groupthink on college campuses.

I have long been dismayed at the drift away from true freedom of thought, expression and speech at our best universities, very much including my beloved alma mater Penn, hedge fund manager Cliff Asness wrote to Magill on Oct. 16. I do not like making something like this about moneybut it appears to be one of the only paths that has any hope of mattering.

Scott Shay, the former chairman of Signature Bank, stopped donating to Northwestern University in 2020 after researching a book on antisemitic conspiracy theories on campus, and now donates to Hillel and Chabad organizations at the university instead.

Shay said that in the wake of the Hamas assault, more donors are following in his footsteps.

Ive heard from four people within the last hour, Shay said Friday.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




The White House said Tuesday that prudent contingency planning is underway to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the Israel-Hamas war spreads into a broad regional conflict.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed there are currently no active efforts to evacuate Americans from the region beyond charter flights the U.S government began operating earlier this month out of Israel.

It would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didnt have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities, Kirby said. And certainly evacuations are one of those things.

The White House addressed the contingency plans amid growing concerns that the 18-day-old Israel-Hamas war could further escalate. The U.S. has advised Israel that postponing a possible ground invasion of Gaza could be helpful as the U.S. and other partners in the region try to secure the release of more than 200 hostages who were captured in the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli soil. The contingency planning was first reported by The Washington Post.

The Israelis are making their own decisions, Biden said Tuesday night when asked whether he has asked Israel to hold off on its expected ground offensive.

President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday about the deteriorating situation. It was the two leaders first interaction since before the Hamas attack on Israel.

Biden and the crown prince spoke about efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas, according to the White House. Biden administration officials have repeatedly warned Iran not to become involved in the conflict. U.S. forces in the region over the last few days have come under repeated attacks that the Pentagon has said were likely endorsed by Iran, which is the chief sponsor of Hamas, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, as well as militant groups in Iraq and Yemen.

The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding, the White House added.

At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.

What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran, said Ryder, the Pentagons press secretary.

He added that the U.S. wont hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.

Biden said last week he believed that Hamas was motivated to attack Israel in part by a desire to stop that country from normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.

One of the reasons  why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis, Biden said at a campaign fundraiser. The U.S. president said he thinks Hamas militants launched their deadly assault on Oct. 7 because guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel and were near being able to formally do so.

An agreement, which the White House says it continues to pursue, would be a feat of diplomacy that could have enabled broader recognition of Israel by other Arab and Muslim-majority nations that have largely opposed Israel since its creation 75 years ago in a territory where Palestinians have long resided.

But talks were interrupted after Hamas stormed from Gaza Strip where Palestinians live into nearby Israeli towns.

Israel sealed off Gaza in response, and Biden told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that humanitarian aid into the territory wasnt arriving fast enough.

(AP)




The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah terror group held talks on Wednesday in Beirut with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures in a key meeting of three top anti-Israel terrorist groups amid the war raging in Gaza.

In neighboring Syria, meanwhile, state media said an Israeli airstrike hit the international airport in the northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday, damaging its runway and putting it out of service.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported strike.

Following the meeting in Lebanon, a brief statement said Hezbollahs leader Hassan Nasrallah agreed with Hamas Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihads leader Ziad al-Nakhleh on the next steps that the three  along with other Iran-backed terrorists  should take at this sensitive stage in the Middle East.

Their goal, according to the statement carried on Hezbollah-run and Lebanese state media, was to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and halt Israels treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank.

No other details were provided.

Nasrallah has yet to publicly speak about the war in Gaza and clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border. However, other Hezbollah top terrorists have warned Israel against its planned ground invasion into Gaza.

Israeli officials have said they would retaliate aggressively in case of a cross-border attack by Hezbollah from Lebanon.

We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state (will be) devastating, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while visiting Israeli troops along the border with Lebanon on Sunday.

Lebanons cash-strapped caretaker government, along regional and international figures, has been scrambling to keep the country out of the war.

Hezbollah and Israel fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a tense stalemate. Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

In its report on the airstrike on Syrias Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency cited an unnamed military official as saying the strike came from the west, over the Mediterranean Sea near the coastal city of Lattakia. The report did not mention any casualties.

If confirmed, the attack would be the fourth time Israel has targeted the airport in Aleppo, Syrias largest city and financial hub, since the onset of the latest Hamas-Israel war.

The first attack took place on Oct. 12, when Israeli missiles struck international airports in both Aleppo and Syrias capital of Damascus, putting them both out of commission. The Aleppo airport was later repaired.

Israel targets airports and sea ports in government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to terrorists backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah.

Israel has carried out hundreds of such strikes in recent years, including on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations.

(AP)




On Monday, United Hatzalah delivered five ambulances to the IDF medical corps in response to an urgent request from the army.

Since the early hours of the October 7th attack, United Hatzalahs medical teams have worked tirelessly in close collaboration with the IDF medical corps and the 669 search and rescue unit, performing rescues under heavy fire from Hamas terrorists and swiftly transporting hundreds of severely injured patients to hospitals by both ambulance and helicopter.

The influx of terrorists infiltrating Israeli territory and the resulting high number of injured individuals also prompted United Hatzalah to provide additional medical supplies and protective equipment to IDF teams on the ground.

In preparation for the continuation of the war, the IDF recently approached United Hatzalah to request five ambulances. On Monday, the organization brought five fully-equipped ambulances to a military base, handing over the keys to the IDF medical corps.

Dovie Maisel, VP of Operations of United Hatzalah, said, Israel is at war. United Hatzalah has been a significant component of the war effort through its medical response since the early hours of October 7th, in close cooperation with the IDF. This delivery of ambulances is another layer of our contribution, and we will continue to do whatever is necessary to assist the country.

Eli Beer, President and Founder of United Hatzalah, added, United Hatzalah is actively supporting the IDF not only with medical supplies, equipment, defibrillators, and monitors but also by providing ambulances. On Monday, we proudly delivered five ambulances to the IDF. These vehicles will be deployed to the front lines to treat soldiers engaged in combat as they defend our homeland. Our best wishes go out to our soldiers. United Hatzalah will acquire additional ambulances to replace those delivered to the army and will continue its lifesaving operations throughout Israel during this ongoing conflict and beyond.

Since the beginning of the war, United Hatzalah medical teams have treated over 3,000 soldiers and civilians and provided more than 900 soldiers, civilians, and volunteers with psychological first aid. The organization also delivered over 30 tons of medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the IDF and residents of southern Israel.




New York City has witnessed a troubling uptick in hate crimes following Hamas attack on Israel earlier this month, with nearly 60% of these despicable acts have been directed at the citys Jewish community.

Since October 9, a total of 51 hate crimes have been reported in the city. Out of these incidents, 30 have been specifically targeted against Jewish victims, as revealed by NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny during a press briefing. This alarming statistic represents a stark increase compared to the same period in 2022 when only six anti-Jewish incidents were reported.

Despite reports of hate crimes generally showing a decrease in 2023 compared to the previous year, the numbers have been on the rise in the wake of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Kenny stated, So for lack of a better term, we are seeing an increase in our decrease. Hate crime is still down, but since the incident in Gaza, theres been an uptick.

The recent acts of anti-Semitism have largely been characterized by incidents related to graffiti, criminal mischief, and aggravated harassment. Additionally, there have been a few reported assaults, with Kenny noting that Were seeing a lot of people getting slapped and getting pushed.

Hate crimes have surged in Jewish communities, particularly in south Brooklyn and Forest Hills, Queens, with Kenny pointing out that many of these incidents appear to be random encounters rather than planned attacks. He stated, A lot of the hateful acts seem to be chance encounters with people going through their day, and they happen to come across someone that feels the need to say something or attack.

Additionally, the ADL Center for Extremism reported a nearly 1000% increase in violent messages mentioning Jews and/or Israel on Telegram. Also, the group said that it counted 312 antisemitic incidents in the US between October 7 and October 23, representing an almost 400% spike in comparison to the same period last year.

The NYPDs press briefing coincided with the announcement of an arrest in a recent antisemitic attack within the citys subway system. Christopher N DAguiar, 28, was charged with assault as a hate crime, aggravated harassment, assault, and harassment. He was accused of assaulting a 29-year-old woman at the 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue station on October 14, exactly a week after the Hamas attack. When questioned about the motive, the alleged attacker reportedly stated, you are Jewish before fleeing the scene.

Earlier that same week, an incident occurred at Columbia University, where a student, Maxwell Friedman, 19, was charged with hate crimes for allegedly striking a 24-year-old man with a wooden stick. This assault occurred after the victim confronted Friedman for tearing down flyers related to Israelis killed or kidnapped by Hamas.

In addition to these incidents, other antisemitic acts have included the defacement of the Jewish-owned 2nd Avenue Deli on the Upper East Side with a swastika, similar vandalism across the street, and the scrawling of the hateful message, Kill the Jews, at the 34th Street-Herald Square station.

The rise in reporting hate crimes is attributed to increased interactions between law enforcement and the Jewish community amid heightened tensions. Kenny emphasized the importance of community involvement, stating, Our message to them was, If you see something, say something. So, a lot of the calls were getting are 911 calls for suspicious vehicles or suspicious people. We go and investigate each one of those individually. He further added, Sometimes they do lead to a report being taken, which can be deemed a hate crime, and thats showing our increase.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has given its approval for Jack Lew to assume the role of U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Twelve committee members voted in favor of Lews nomination, while nine voted against it. Notably, Rand Paul, a Republican, aligned with Democrats in supporting Lews nomination.

The next step involves bringing the nomination before the entire Senate for a comprehensive vote, which is anticipated to take place in the coming days.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Israel has acceded to a request made by the United States to temporarily postpone its planned ground incursion into Gaza. This delay is aimed at allowing Washington additional time to deploy extra air defense systems to safeguard its personnel in the region, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing information from both U.S. and Israeli officials.

The Pentagon is currently expediting the deployment of approximately twelve air defense systems to protect troops stationed in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates against potential missile threats. In recent events, Iran-backed proxies have carried out no fewer than 13 attacks since the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza. These attacks have resulted in minor injuries to at least two dozen troops in Syria and 10 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, according to U.S. officials.

The United States has effectively persuaded Israel to postpone its invasion of Gaza until the deployment of these crucial defense systems is completed. This deployment is anticipated to be finalized as early as later this week, according to the WSJ report.

However, the U.S. request is not the sole consideration guiding Israels decision-making regarding a potential ground incursion. Israel is also taking into account its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Gazas civilian population and diplomatic initiatives aimed at securing the release of more hostages, as explained by officials cited in The Wall Street Journal.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
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How can one choose his shirt from a pile of different types of clothing and not transgress borer on Shabbos?

What does one do if there is a power outage on Shabbos?

Can someone put food in the oven on Shabbos?

These and numerous other questions are impossible to answer unless one has a thorough knowledge of the laws of Shabbos. Shabbos comes about once a week, so if a person is not well-versed in its intricacies, then it is inevitable that transgressions will take place. It is wonderful to read one of the many books that give basic laws, but to really understand the halachos and know how to apply them, it is essential to learn Hilchos Shabbos with the background discussion of the Gemara and commentators.

What is the challenge we face? It takes several years for a full-time advanced Torah learner to cover the laws of Shabbos in depth, so how can a working man, or one with less advanced skills, begin this seemingly daunting task?

Now there is a solution. World famous Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav HaGaon Yitzchak Berkovits shlita used his vast knowledge to arrange all the Gemaras with the commentators on each area of Hilchos Shabbos and presented it in the form of source sheets that cover material from the Gemara until practical halacha. This enables one to cover main opinions in each topic and gain a deep understanding of the halacha.

According to Rabbi Berkovits: Learning Hilchos Shabbos from the traditional sources could be quite confusing or complicated. Studying them in a very organized way gives you the clarity, the clarity to understand them in the first place and the clarity to retain the information.

This was done for full-time Torah learners who have advanced Hebrew skills and can devote many hours each day to learn. What about busy working Bnei Torah who have limited time to learn but want to properly master Hilchos Shabbos? Or people who are still building up their Gemara skills but want to learn the Gemara sugyas and Halacha?

Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen, a close talmid of Rav Berkovits who spent eight years as a Rosh Chaburah in Rav Berkovitss famous Jerusalem Kollel, with the Ravs haskama, took on the monumental task of adapting the Hebrew sheets into English. The material is written with care and with great clarity, as well as including the various opinions in the contemporary practical halacha.

For the past several years, Rabbi Gefen has been teaching this material to Torah learners throughout the world, on all levels of learning, and of all ages now as the founder of KinyanHilchosShabbos.com. Participants in each online chabura receive source sheets with explanations both in Hebrew and English, participate in a weekly Zoom shiur and ask questions by phone and email. Many have also successfully gained Smicha through thoroughly learning the material.

I would love to sit in Yeshiva half a day, but I have different hours. Says Dr. Eric Leibowitz who is a dentist in Brooklyn. Learning Hilchos Shabbos in Rabbi Gefens online chabura allowed for the flexibility I needed. Id always do Daf Yomi for many years, but always off and on. I was looking for something with some structure and with an end goal. This program enabled me to not only learn, but to retain what I learned in a structured way and the tests were very helpful. I felt like I accomplished something, I made a kinyan on something.

Over one thousand past and present participants in our online programs come from five continents and range from working Bnei Torah to full-time Kollel avreichim from Yerushalayim and Lakewood, as well as people who are still developing their Gemara skills, says Rabbi Dr. Yakov Pesah, director of the program and also a musmach of Rabbi Berkovits. Our vision is to enable Bnei Torah to learn halacha in a structured way and make it doable for any motivated person.

The program includes a weekly Zoom shiur which is recorded and can be reviewed later, tests on the material covered to enable the individual to evaluate their understanding of the material, and availability by email or phone for questions, clarifications, or further discussions.

Rabbi Gefen ran the Hilchos Shabbos program for our Kollel in Johannesburg. We achieved tremendous clarity on Hilchos Shabbos both in sugyas and in psak which is what you want when you learn Halacha. Says Rabbi Micha Kaplan who is an avrech in the Maharsha Community Kollel in Johannesburg and the Menahel of the Maharsha Boys High School.

The program includes the option of Smicha which is a wonderful source of pride for the individuals family. But its greatest benefit is that it will ensure that a person can lead his family to observing the laws of Shabbos with all their details.

Shlomo Gross who is originally from London and is a lawyer in Yerushalayim shares his experience: For people like me who are working full-time, this program was ideal. I benchmarked the Hilchos Shabbat coourse against the syllabus required for the Smicha exams of the Rabbanut and found that it was at least as comprehensive The Hilchos Shabbat Smicha course transported my learning to a completely different level.

Rabbi Berkovits adds: Theres a mitzva of Zachor es yom HaShabbos lkadsho  that mitzva is to remember Shabbos all the time. There is nothing like being involved in Hilchos Shabbos the whole week  your whole week is different and your Shabbos is different.

The new cycle of the Kinyhan Hilchos Shabbos program is starting on October 29th. For more information, tuition, and to receive an application visit KinyanHilchosShabbos.com.
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Chana Maskalatchi became, in one moment, an orphan, a widow, and a bereaved mother- the missile that struck her fathers home in Netivot killed her father Rabbi Rafael Fahimi, her husband Rabbi Netanel Maskalatchi, and her son, 12-year-old Rafael Meir Maskalatchi* The anguish and pain are incomprehensible- its not possible to process a tragedy like this one* At home are left five devastated children who were witnesses to the terrifying scene* A special fund was set up to help and assist them; the public is invited to participate

HELP THEM NOW>>>

It happened on Simchas Torah, when about 50 warning sirens within a matter of hours terrified the residents of Netivot. An unceasing barrage of missiles was shot towards the city- and one of them caused an unspeakable tragedy.

A missile struck the Fahimi familys home. The homeowner, Rabbi Rafael Fahimi, was killed on the spot, together with his guests- his son-in-law Rabbi Netanel Maskalatchi, a respected avreich in the kollel of Rav Abergel, and his grandson, twelve-year-old Rafael Meir Maskalatchi.

Rabbi Rafaels daughter, Chana Maskalatchi, was instantly orphaned from her father, widowed, and bereaved of her son.

Her world was destroyed.

The media did not even publicize the story and almost no one even spoke about the details for one simple reason: the incident took place simultaneously with the terrible slaughter in the South in which an additional 1,500 people were killed and hundreds were taken as captives into Gaza.

The country was in a state of panic. The media outlets didnt manage to report what was happening since the number of incidents was so vast. Complete villages were taken over by Hamas, and the story about the missile falling and killing three family members in Netivot wasnt even reported in the news.

But as far as Chana Maskalatchi was concerned, this was the central incident of Simchas Torah; this was the most significant incident of her entire life. She was struck with a triple tragedy- her entire world was devastated in an instant.

HELP THEM NOW>>>

Friends and relatives of the family are trying to encourage and console, but its an impossible task: How is it possible to comfort a mother who has lost a son? How is it possible to comfort a daughter whose father was killed before her very eyes? How is it possible to comfort a wife who lost her husband, who was killed by a falling missile while she stood next to him? How is it possible to comfort a woman who was struck with all these three tragedies at once, while the five children who are left are all trembling and emotionally and mentally distraught after they were underneath the rubble and lightly wounded when the missile fell?

She herself sat shivah for her father, her husband, and her son at the same time.

The tragedy is incomprehensible. Its impossible to understand the depth of the pain and anguish.

Family members emphasize that the Maskletchi familys financial situation is far from good. They are scheduled to receive reparation payments from the government, but from the nature of things and with the ongoing war and the heavy loss of human life, with so many casualties from the terror, it is expected that a long time will pass until the government funds actually reach them.

Its been a long time that the family has been really struggling financially, explains one of the relatives. HaRav Netanel was an avreich, a tzaddik with outstanding yiras Shamayim. He was a tremendous masmid who didnt leave his Gemara for a moment. Nevertheless, the financial situation forced him this last year to go out to work in an attempt to achieve financial stability. They were helped a lot by the grandfather Rabbi Rafael Hyd.

They need help urgently and immediately. The kids are experiencing tremendous trauma, the widow-orphan-bereaved mother naturally needs tons of support to help her recover emotionally and physically- she really needs Am Yisrael to stand by her side at the most difficult moments in her life. We must help her- theres just no other alternative!

HELP THEM NOW>>>
Chinas President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sacked the countrys Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public since early September, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak.

Xi signed a presidential decree to remove Li as Chinas state councilor and defense minister.

Li, 65, was also removed from Xi-led Central Military Commission, where he served as one of its six members.

Xis decisions were approved by 175 members of the Standing Committee of National Peoples Congress.

Li was last seen in late August when he addressed a China-Africa security forum in Beijing.

Possibility of corruption behind Lis sacking have not been ruled out.

Xi also removed former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, 57, as state councilor, who was also off the public radar for over a month before being sacked in July.

Reports claimed extra-marital affair behind Qins removal.

In China, the post of state councilor is a rank above Cabinet minister.

Sudden disappearance and sacking of top officials under Xis unprecedented third term as president has also been called as leadership shock.

Beijing has given no official reason for sacking of Chinas top two faces.

In March, the Communist Partys National Party Congress endorsed Xi's new Cabinet of 26 departments.

It is not known if there is any connection between the two officials losing their posts, given the similarity between their disappearing from public view and then being sacked.???????

Before being picked up as Chinas defense chief, Li was sanctioned by the US for leading Beijings defense cooperation with Russia.

Washington refused to lift sanctions, while Beijing resisted any high-level communication with Pentagon until the US waived off the restrictions.




Franz Kafka is known for his precise and enthralling writing style. His literary works go beyond published works into letters and diaries that provide insight into his enigmatic persona. Testimonials, studies and new discoveries  Kafkas essence continues to fascinate readers and leave a lasting impact a century after his death.

Because of his frequent appearances in news articles, Franz Kafka is often considered the most iconic writer of the 20th century. Visiting Prague offers a unique opportunity to delve into Kafkas world and vision. The Franz Kafka Museum is a marvel for admirers of the author, offering insights into his life, socio-historical context and the city he lived in. Explore first editions of his works, along with a wealth of documents, photographs and audiovisual materials, presented in a meticulously designed exhibition.

About a 10-minute walk from the museum, youll find the impressive Prague Castle in the Hradcany neighborhood on the left bank of the Vltava River. Inside the castle grounds, youll discover palaces, churches and the cathedral as well as a charming little street called Zlata ulicka, also known as Golden Lane. One of the houses on this street  number 22  is where Kafka lived in 1916 and 1917. Although the house was renovated in 1955, it still retains the humble character and low ceilings of the authors abode a few years before his death.

Tram 22 is the ideal way to explore this area of the Czech capital. To save money and time, purchase a transportation card from the Prague tourist office, as well a visitor pass that gives you direct entry to over 60 places of interest, guided tours and boat trips around the city.

Tram 22 was given its number in honor of Franz Kafka's home at 22 Zlata ulicka in Prague. Dalibor Kotek (Alamy / CORDON PRESS)

The neighborhood adjacent to Prague Castle is the place about which Jan Neruda wrote his most famous book of short stories. In 1895, the city named a street there after him  Nerudova  undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Prague. It had been four years since he passed away, and the city decided to honor his childhood home on this street. Prior to 1770, houses in Prague were distinguished by their signs, and Nerudas home was known as the Two Suns. The author drew inspiration from the innumerable anecdotes and snatches of gossip he heard in his fathers grocery store to write Tales of the Lesser Quarter, a collection of short stories published in 1877.

Hispanic-Czech fusion

In this same charming Prague neighborhood, youll find a cozy restaurant called El Centro (Maltezske 293/9, Mala Strana, 118 00). Opened in 1999, it was the first restaurant with Spanish and Central American cuisine in the city. Its run by Radek Neruda and his wife Norma, a Czech and Guatemalan duo with an interesting personal story. Their restaurant offers a delightful selection of tapas, paellas, Latin American delicacies and a carefully curated selection of Spanish wines. Its the perfect spot to rest, recharge and enjoy delicious food.

The Kafka Statue by David Cerny is modern sculpture of Franz Kafka's head in Prague. Marc Bruxelle (Alamy / CORDON PRESS)

This Hispanic-Czech fusion restaurant is notable because its also surrounded by weighty literary tradition. Nearby is the Czech Literary Center (Ceske literarni centrum), where Katerina Chromkova promotes Czech writers in other countries. The Prague Cervantes Institute occupies a beautiful and imposing building where its director, novelist Gonzalo Manglano, connects local literature with works in the Spanish language.

The city is a thriving literary hub, hosting various events and offering scholarships for writing and translation through the Czech Literary Center. Initiatives like Encounters with Literature promote Hispanic literature and its authors to the Czech public and publishing industry. This focus on the literary world is not surprising in a country that loves radio dramas, reflecting the Czech Republics enthusiasm for literature.

On the corner of Dusni and Vezenska streets, in the heart of the ancient Jewish Quarter, stands a monument honoring Kafka created by sculptor Jaroslav Rona and unveiled in 2003. Another famous writer, Jaroslav Hasek, best known for his four-part humorous novel, The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Svejk During the World War (1920-1923), is also honored in various places around Prague. Known for his bohemian lifestyle and anarchist leanings, Hasek fought with the Austrians in World War I and later as a mercenary in the Russian Army. Josef Landas iIllustrations of the fictional character of Svejk can be found in several Prague cafes.

'Literary Prague,' illustration by Jalcalara (Juan Alcala Lara). JALCALARA

Some of Landas illustrations adorn the U Brejsku cafe, a place both Hasek and Kafka frequented. A colossal sculpture of Kafkas head sits on the outskirts of Quadrio shopping center. Designed by David Cerny and installed in 2014, the 24-ton, stainless-steel sculpture has 42 movable sections that rotate independently, creating a mesmerizing facial effect.

Bothsek and Kafka also frequented literary cafes like the Louvre, a charming establishment that has maintained its beauty since it opened in 1902. Inside, you can find images and information commemorating visits by Kafka and other writers, including Karel Capek, who coined the term robot in one of his science fiction plays. Albert Einstein even paid a visit once. The restaurant is highly recommended for its Czech cuisine, particularly the delicious roast pork with pasta, a dish that truly represents local flavors.

Equally impressive is the elegant Slavia cafe, open since 1884. Its walls are adorned with photographs of renowned writers, especially former president and playwright, Vaclav Havel. During the post-Soviet collapse of the 1990s, Havel played a crucial role in saving the establishment after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Another notable spot is U zlateho tygra (The Golden Tiger), where Bohumil Hrabal would often spend entire days. Finding a seat can be challenging in this popular tavern housed in a 14th-century building that features a Gothic portal and painting dedicated to the 20th-century Czech writer.

Cracking Art's yellow penguins line the Vltava River at the Kampa Museum in Prague. Jim Monk (Alamy / CORDON PRESS)

For more literary exploration, check out museums like the National Gallery of Prague, the DOX Center for Contemporary Art, the Kampa Museum, the Kunsthalle Praha, and the recently opened Museum of Literature. And of course, you cant miss all the places associated with Kafka, from his burial site at the immense Olsanske hrbitovy Cemetery to his birthplace near Staromestske namesti Square.

Attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague is the renowned 15th-century astronomical clock, a ubiquitous sight (in miniature) in every souvenir shop. Every hour, figures of the 12 Biblical apostles spring into motion, drawing huge crowds of fascinated tourists. Surrounding the clock, four allegorical figures symbolize Vanity, Greed, Death and Lust, encapsulating large parts of our shared human experience.

Toni Montesinos is a Spanish author and literary critic.

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US energy giants are locked in an arms race to secure more oil despite official warnings that demand for fossil fuels will peak by 2030.

Chevron this week struck a 43bn deal to buy rival Hess in a move that will give it access to one of the biggest oil facilities in the world off the coast of Guyana.

That came just two weeks after Exxon Mobil agreed to spend 54bn on the takeover of Pioneer Natural Resources, the largest operator in the worlds most prolific oilfield, the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.

The moves are a sign of confidence among the US supermajors that fossil fuels are here to stay  even as politicians and other industry players around the globe promote cleaner energy sources.

Speaking at a conference dubbed Davos in the desert in Riyadh yesterday, Saudi Arabias energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud said: I dont think Exxon would merge with Pioneer for charity purposes or Chevron with Hess without having a reason. The reason is very simple. Hydrocarbons are here to stay.

Saudi Arabias energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud (pictured spoke at a conference dubbed Davos in the desert in Riyadh

Big oil has had its confidence buoyed by the soaring price of crude in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and recent trouble in the Middle East.

Brent crude was last night trading at around $90 per barrel.

The deals are also a throwback to the mega-mergers of the late 1990s and early 2000s  such as BP-Amoco, Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Texaco  which formed the modern day giants.

Andrew Monk, chief executive at broker VSA Capital, said: The race for more oil is on in the US, no doubt about it. It could just be the start.

By no means are Exxon or Chevron done. Theres plenty of mid-market operators in the US ripe for consolidation.

The merger and acquisition boom in the US has been fuelled by the huge profits oil majors have generated in recent years which have left them sitting on large piles of cash.

A total of 208bn deals have taken place globally this year, up 49pc compared with the same period last year and the highest year-to-date total since 2014.

Big oil has had its confidence buoyed by the soaring price of crude in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and recent trouble in the Middle East

But it comes amid an uncertain future for the industry, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicting global demand for oil, natural gas and coal will peak at 2030  partly driven by policies that countries have already adopted to promote cleaner forms of energy and transportation. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said: The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and its unstoppable.

Its not a question of if, its just a matter of how soon  and the sooner the better for all of us. But while the oil and gas industry does not dispute the IEAs findings, they say there is still plenty of room for fossil fuels in the future.

Clint Oswald, oil analyst at Bernstein, said: Yes demand will peak in 2030.

But does this mean the end for fossil fuels. Absolutely not. The IEA says in its report the share of fossil fuels, which has been stuck for decades at around 80pc, declines to 73pc by 2030.

Thats still a lot of fossil fuels being used.

The reality is that clean energy has not been scaled up enough to substitute for fossil fuels.

So there is decades left for oil and gas.

The question is whether the boom in the US could spark a wave of merger and acquisition activity across Europe as well.

Like Chevron and Exxon Mobil, UK giants Shell and BP are also sitting on huge cash piles.

But unlike their American cousins, the European sector is under pressure from ESG investors and governments, which make it difficult for oil majors to engage in large scale buyouts.

At the same time, Frances Total Energies and Italys Eni are restricted by national pressures. Eni is 30pc owned by the Italian government while Total, though no longer state-owned, remains close to the French government.

As a result, European energy majors are increasing investments in renewable energy at a faster pace.

Monk said: The climate is very different here.

European players have their hands tied by regulation and a political climate which has turned its back on big oil.
ScS is set to be the latest firm to leave the stock market in London after agreeing a near 100m takeover by an Italian furniture retailer.

ScS is set to be the latest firm to leave the stock market in London after agreeing a near 100m takeover by an Italian furniture retailer

ScS shares soared 60.4pc, or 102p, to 271p.

The proposed deal sees Poltronesofa enter the UK market for the first time, adding to its existing European operations across Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Cyprus and Malta.

The group has around 300 shops in total across Europe.

ScS has 100 stores in the UK and a website offering, as well as the recently bought Snug brand.

Alan Smith, non-executive chairman of ScS, said: The board believes Poltronesofa will bring significant benefits to ScS through its broad industry expertise.

Poltronesofa said the deal fits in with its aims to continue growing across Europe.

Chief executive Renzo Ricci said the deal will help ScS realise its full growth potential.
Thomson Reuters, the City of Houston and the Mayors Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence form partnership to facilitate new municipal campaigns to prevent and detect trafficking, and support victims in cities and communities across the U.S.

Anti-trafficking toolkits can save city authorities years of planning, enabling them to swiftly implement campaigns

City of Houstons anti-trafficking resources have already been leveraged by 18 cities and 11 nations

Toronto, October 24, 2023  Thomson Reuters (NYSE/TSX: TRI), a global content and technology company, and the City of Houston today announced a partnership to launch a new global online resource center to combat human trafficking. Thomson Reuters will take stewardship of the City of Houstons world-class anti-trafficking toolkits and make them readily accessible online to cities and other public authorities. Through these step-by-step guides, municipal authorities can quickly mobilise anti-trafficking campaigns which may otherwise take years of planning, as well as saving them money and other public resources.

An increase in the numbers of individuals at risk, stretched public resources and more sophisticated criminal networks have contributed to a rise in human trafficking, which has a tragic impact on communities across the U.S. and internationally. In 2022 there were an estimated 19,000 reports of child sex trafficking in the U.S made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children[1].

Public awareness campaigns play a critical role in tackling human trafficking and the City of Houstons campaigns are recognized as models of best practice. Under the leadership of Mayor Sylvester Turner, the Mayors Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence documented their approach to creating anti-trafficking campaigns. Through these insights they developed a suite of tools and resources for local, national and international organizations and agencies to launch anti-trafficking responses that can be readily contextualized to any community. This helps to create a network of cities running anti-trafficking campaigns, driving a year-round response to help meet the challenges that trafficking poses.

The new Thomson Reuters global online human trafficking resource center will house the toolkits online, with a commitment to keeping the materials up to date and making additional resources available. There are a total of nine toolkits, and the first available on the resource center are:

Large scale public events toolkit: Large scale sporting events are typical heat moments for trafficking due to the influx of visitors and temporary workers. The topics of the tools range from how to vet volunteers, to how to engage sectors including restaurants and transport companies to help spot victims.

Large scale sporting events are typical heat moments for trafficking due to the influx of visitors and temporary workers. The topics of the tools range from how to vet volunteers, to how to engage sectors including restaurants and transport companies to help spot victims. Watch for Traffick Media Campaign toolkit: Public awareness and education is key in helping to spot trafficking. The tools include guidance on how authorities can raise awareness about human trafficking through ready-made advertising for television, radio, billboards, bus, and taxis.

Public awareness and education is key in helping to spot trafficking. The tools include guidance on how authorities can raise awareness about human trafficking through ready-made advertising for television, radio, billboards, bus, and taxis. Anti-luring Social Media Awareness campaign toolkit: This toolkit has 24 plug-and-play social media posts targeted to youth ages 13-22 and caregivers ages 35-55.

Upcoming toolkits include how to manage trafficking risks during emergency disasters and tackling trafficking in illicit massage businesses. The toolkits will be available online at: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/institute/human-trafficking-toolkits.html

Commenting on the partnership, Mayor Turner said Over the last eight years, our efforts have focused on ensuring that the locally accomplished mitigating work was shared nationally and globally through immersion programs that welcomed US municipalities and foreign governments to Houston, as well as international forums where we were invited to showcase our model. Because of these strategic actions, we successfully replicated aspects of this model in 18 US cities and 11 nations. I am confident that the impactful work and anti-trafficking legacy will continue.

We are proud to continue the legacy of Mayor Turner where, under his leadership, the City of Houston became a model for mobilizing municipalities to counter human trafficking said Heather Fischer, Senior Advisor for Human Rights Crimes at Thomson Reuters.

She added, We are committed to continuing to expand the eco-system of information, technology and subject matter expertise we offer to support efforts to identify human trafficking networks, facilitate prosecution, and help victims and survivors.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters (NYSE/TSX: TRI) (TR) informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. The company serves professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Its products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is a world leading provider of trusted journalism and news. For more information, visit tr.com.

City of Houston

The Mayors Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence, led by Minal Patel Davis, is the first municipal-level office of its kind in the United States focused on local policy-driven efforts against human trafficking and domestic violence. Our office believes in reflective governance and works in collaboration with a broad array of stakeholders and public private partnerships to pursue additional avenues for economic security, gender equity dialogues, addressing service deserts and shifting cultural attitudes to end human trafficking and domestic violence.

[1] National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 2022 data

CONTACTS

MEDIA

Samina Ansari

Director, Communications

Samina.ansari@thomsonreuters.com
StockNews.com cut shares of Chunghwa Telecom (NYSE:CHT  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

Chunghwa Telecom Stock Performance

NYSE:CHT opened at $35.89 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $38.26. The company has a market cap of $27.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.72 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Chunghwa Telecom has a 52 week low of $33.20 and a 52 week high of $41.58.

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Chunghwa Telecom (NYSE:CHT  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Chunghwa Telecom had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 16.94%. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chunghwa Telecom

About Chunghwa Telecom

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Chunghwa Telecom by 11.2% during the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 22,545 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $882,000 after buying an additional 2,274 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC lifted its position in Chunghwa Telecom by 62.3% during the 1st quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 9,583 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $375,000 after acquiring an additional 3,678 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its position in Chunghwa Telecom by 66.6% during the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 82,649 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,232,000 after buying an additional 33,031 shares during the last quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Chunghwa Telecom by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,890 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $486,000 after buying an additional 1,159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC increased its position in Chunghwa Telecom by 39.9% during the 1st quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 23,292 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $911,000 after purchasing an additional 6,644 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.16% of the companys stock.

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Chunghwa Telecom Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunication services in Taiwan and internationally. It operates through Consumer Business, Enterprise Business, International Business, and Others segments. The company offers local long distance services comprising of local calls, cloud switchboard, and value-added local calls.

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StockNews.com cut shares of AMREP (NYSE:AXR  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Saturday morning.

AMREP Stock Performance

NYSE:AXR opened at $16.71 on Friday. AMREP has a fifty-two week low of $10.55 and a fifty-two week high of $19.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.06 million, a P/E ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 1.01. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $16.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.39.

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AMREP (NYSE:AXR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 13th. The business services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. AMREP had a net margin of 45.30% and a return on equity of 20.83%. The firm had revenue of $10.29 million for the quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling

Institutional Trading of AMREP

In other AMREP news, Director Robert Robotti bought 1,892 shares of AMREP stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.48 per share, with a total value of $31,180.16. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 322,683 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,317,815.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Insiders bought 21,117 shares of company stock valued at $346,750 over the last quarter. 37.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new position in AMREP during the first quarter valued at $1,655,000. EA Series Trust acquired a new position in shares of AMREP in the second quarter valued at approximately $527,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AMREP by 17.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 174,387 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,967,000 after purchasing an additional 25,857 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp purchased a new position in AMREP in the second quarter valued at $198,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in AMREP by 33.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,850 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $482,000 after acquiring an additional 6,757 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.84% of the companys stock.

AMREP Company Profile

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AMREP Corporation, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the real estate business. The company operates through two segments, Land Development and Homebuilding. It sells developed and undeveloped lots to homebuilders, commercial and industrial property developers, and others. In addition, the company owns mineral interests covering an area of approximately 55,000 surface acres of land in Sandoval County, New Mexico; and owns oil, gas, and minerals and mineral interests covering an area of approximately 147 surface acres of land in Brighton, Colorado.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Callon Petroleum (NYSE:CPE  Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

CPE has been the subject of several other research reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Callon Petroleum in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Callon Petroleum from $59.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, September 18th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Callon Petroleum from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 18th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Callon Petroleum from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 16th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price target on Callon Petroleum from $51.00 to $48.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $51.00.

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Callon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of CPE opened at $38.82 on Friday. Callon Petroleum has a fifty-two week low of $28.91 and a fifty-two week high of $50.19. The company has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 2.70. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22.

Callon Petroleum (NYSE:CPE  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The oil and natural gas company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.21. Callon Petroleum had a net margin of 35.11% and a return on equity of 21.41%. The business had revenue of $562.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $561.08 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.68 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 38.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Callon Petroleum will post 7.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Callon Petroleum by 22.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,610,084 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $231,419,000 after buying an additional 1,210,001 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Callon Petroleum by 54.8% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,754,939 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $92,124,000 after acquiring an additional 975,132 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP bought a new position in Callon Petroleum during the second quarter worth $31,528,000. Boston Trust Walden Corp acquired a new position in Callon Petroleum in the third quarter worth $27,941,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Callon Petroleum by 8.1% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,754,834 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $307,032,000 after purchasing an additional 653,727 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.79% of the companys stock.

Callon Petroleum Company Profile

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Callon Petroleum Company, an independent oil and natural gas company, focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in West Texas. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on PHG. TheStreet upgraded Koninklijke Philips from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Koninklijke Philips to 19.00 ($20.21) in a report on Friday, July 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Koninklijke Philips in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Koninklijke Philips has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $16.10.

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Koninklijke Philips Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE PHG opened at $18.81 on Friday. Koninklijke Philips has a 52 week low of $11.75 and a 52 week high of $23.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.04 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 1.20. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $20.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.55.

Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Sunday, July 23rd. The technology company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.08. Koninklijke Philips had a positive return on equity of 11.92% and a negative net margin of 10.84%. The company had revenue of $4.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.15 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Koninklijke Philips will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHG. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 166.7% in the 3rd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,600 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 28.7% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 496 shares in the last quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC acquired a new position in Koninklijke Philips in the 2nd quarter valued at $43,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 31.6% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,268 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 545 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 47.8% in the 1st quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 3,016 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 975 shares in the last quarter. 6.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Koninklijke Philips Company Profile

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Koninklijke Philips N.V. operates as a health technology company in North America, the Greater China, and internationally. It operates through Diagnosis & Treatment Businesses, Connected Care Businesses, and Personal Health Businesses segments. The company provides diagnostic imaging solutions, includes magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray systems, and computed tomography (CT) systems and software comprising detector-based spectral CT solutions, as well as molecular and hybrid imaging solutions for nuclear medicine; echography solutions focused on diagnosis, treatment planning and guidance for cardiology, general imaging, obstetrics/gynecology, and point-of-care applications; integrated interventional systems, and interventional diagnostic and therapeutic devices to treat coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease; proprietary software to enable diagnostics and intervention; and enterprise diagnostic informatics products and services.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of WEX (NYSE:WEX  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of WEX from $200.00 to $225.00 in a report on Monday, July 31st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of WEX from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on shares of WEX from $195.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of WEX from $218.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 22nd. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of WEX from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $240.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, WEX currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $220.62.

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WEX Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:WEX opened at $186.74 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $192.34 and a 200-day moving average of $185.49. The company has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a PE ratio of 39.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. WEX has a 52-week low of $144.04 and a 52-week high of $204.05.

WEX (NYSE:WEX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The business services provider reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.07 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $621.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $620.63 million. WEX had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 8.42%. On average, equities analysts predict that WEX will post 12.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at WEX

In other news, insider Melanie J. Tinto sold 4,601 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.74, for a total transaction of $840,786.74. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 7,051 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,288,499.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.22, for a total transaction of $196,220.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 8,070 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,583,495.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Melanie J. Tinto sold 4,601 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.74, for a total transaction of $840,786.74. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,051 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,288,499.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,357 shares of company stock valued at $1,181,161 in the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WEX

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WEX in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in WEX in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in WEX in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. purchased a new stake in WEX in the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in WEX in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.47% of the companys stock.

WEX Company Profile

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WEX Inc operates a commerce platform in the United States and internationally. The Fleet Solutions segment offers fleet vehicle payment solutions, transaction processing, and information management services. It also provides account and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; account management; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions; and ancillary services and tools to fleets to manage expenses and capital requirements.

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Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP  Get Free Report) and Budweiser Brewing Company APAC (OTCMKTS:BDWBF  Get Free Report) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Molson Coors Beverage and Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Molson Coors Beverage 3 7 4 0 2.07 Budweiser Brewing Company APAC 0 0 0 0 N/A

Molson Coors Beverage presently has a consensus price target of $65.19, indicating a potential upside of 11.79%. Given Molson Coors Beverages higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Molson Coors Beverage is more favorable than Budweiser Brewing Company APAC.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Valuation and Earnings

74.0% of Molson Coors Beverage shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.4% of Molson Coors Beverage shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

This table compares Molson Coors Beverage and Budweiser Brewing Company APACs revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Molson Coors Beverage $12.81 billion 0.98 -$175.30 million $0.16 364.44 Budweiser Brewing Company APAC N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Budweiser Brewing Company APAC has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Molson Coors Beverage.

Profitability

This table compares Molson Coors Beverage and Budweiser Brewing Company APACs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Molson Coors Beverage 0.31% 8.17% 4.08% Budweiser Brewing Company APAC N/A N/A N/A

Summary

Molson Coors Beverage beats Budweiser Brewing Company APAC on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Molson Coors Beverage

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Molson Coors Beverage Company manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brands in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers flavored malt beverages including hard seltzers, craft, and ready to drink beverages. It provides its products under Aspall Cider, Blue Moon, Coors Original, Hop Valley brands, Leinenkugel's, Miller Genuine Draft, Molson Ultra, Sharp's, Staropramen, and Vizzy Hard Seltzer above premier brands; Bergenbier, Borsodi, Carling, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Jelen, Kamenitza, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian Lager, Molson Dry, Molson Export, and Niksicko, Ozujsko under the premium brands; and Branik, Icehouse, Keystone, Miller High Life, Milwaukee's Best, and Steel Reserve under the economy brands. The company was formerly known as Molson Coors Brewing Company and changed its name to Molson Coors Beverage Company in January 2020. Molson Coors Beverage Company was founded in 1774 and is headquartered in Golden, Colorado.

About Budweiser Brewing Company APAC

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Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited, an investment holding company, produces, imports, markets, distributes, and sells beer and other non-beer beverages primarily in China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, and the other Asia Pacific regions. The company offers a portfolio of beer brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, Hoegaarden, Cass, and Harbin. It also offers ready-to-drink products, energy drinks, and spirits. The company was founded in 1876 and is based in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited is a subsidiary of AB InBev Brewing Company (APAC) Limited.

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Kongsberg Gruppen ASA (OTCMKTS:NSKFF  Get Free Report) is one of 89 public companies in the Aerospace & Defense industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Kongsberg Gruppen ASA to similar businesses based on the strength of its risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Kongsberg Gruppen ASA and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Kongsberg Gruppen ASA N/A N/A N/A Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Competitors 0.40% -2.60% 0.44%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Kongsberg Gruppen ASA and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Kongsberg Gruppen ASA N/A N/A 4.32 Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Competitors $4.95 billion $63.16 million 1,120.22

Dividends

Kongsberg Gruppen ASAs peers have higher revenue and earnings than Kongsberg Gruppen ASA. Kongsberg Gruppen ASA is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA pays an annual dividend of $3.19 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.3%. Kongsberg Gruppen ASA pays out 31.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Aerospace & Defense companies pay a dividend yield of 2.7% and pay out 119.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Kongsberg Gruppen ASA is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

15.9% of Kongsberg Gruppen ASA shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 38.2% of shares of all Aerospace & Defense companies are owned by institutional investors. 24.5% of shares of all Aerospace & Defense companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Kongsberg Gruppen ASA and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Kongsberg Gruppen ASA 0 0 2 0 3.00 Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Competitors 442 2088 2771 31 2.45

As a group, Aerospace & Defense companies have a potential upside of 17.98%. Given Kongsberg Gruppen ASAs peers higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Kongsberg Gruppen ASA has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Summary

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA peers beat Kongsberg Gruppen ASA on 8 of the 13 factors compared.

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, together with its subsidiaries, provides high-tech systems and solutions primarily to customers in the maritime and defense markets. The company operates through three segments: Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, and Other. The Kongsberg Maritime segment offers solutions and systems for bridge and control systems, which include dynamic positioning, propulsion control, and navigation, as well as automation systems; energy solutions and ship design services; and propellers, thrusters, water jet systems, and systems for offshore manoeuvring of maritime vessels. This segment also provides winches for mooring, anchor handling, and special systems for offshore vessels, tugs, marine vessels, and various other classes of vessel, as well as cranes; hydroacoustics; autonomous underwater vessels and solutions for autonomous maritime vessels; and products related to fisheries, systems for underwater mapping, and sensors and solutions for specialist vessels. The Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace segment offers various systems and services to the defense industry. It provides air defense and combat systems, sonars, and navigation for marine vessels and submarines, as well as integrated command and control systems; remote tower solutions for airports; remote control weapon stations for land-based vehicles and marine vessels; products for military tactical communication; naval strike and air-to-surface missiles; and lightweight composite and titanium components for F-35 combat aircraft. This segment also offers components and services to the space industry, as well as port monitoring systems; and maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. The Other segment focuses on digitalization within the oil and gas, wind, and merchant marine markets. It operates primarily in Norway, Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Kongsberg Gruppen ASA was founded in 1814 and is headquartered in Kongsberg, Norway.

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Making fine art more approachable for young people through appealing educational activities is not a novel concept. This may be why the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam decided to celebrate its 50th anniversary by teaming up with Pokemon, the iconic video game series and a symbol of Japanese pop culture. The Dutch gallery devised a unique way to explore its collection of the painters works by creating a scavenger hunt for six imitation Van Gogh pieces with Pokemon characters like Pikachu, baby Munchlax and sleepy Snorlax. Visitors who completed the scavenger hunt would get a special edition Pikachu card. But large crowds and safety concerns forced the museum to scrap the promo card giveaway earlier than expected on October 13. The card will now be only available on the Nintendos official Pokemon Center website for the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States until a new batch is shipped to the museum store in 2024.

The Pokemon Adventure began on September 28 when the Van Gogh Museum welcomed Pikachu, Munchlax and Snorlax in an effort to connect with new generations, says museum director Emilie Gordenker. The promotional event was designed to appeal to kids and adults alike. One illustration showed Snorlax and Munchlax occupying the painters Bedroom in Arles, and a smiling Pikachu wearing a felt hat (looking very much like Van Goghs famous self-portrait) was the coveted prize. Pokemon and Super Mario are the two most popular video game franchises in the world, so its no wonder the limited-edition card giveaway caused such a frenzy.

Van Gogh's 'Bedroom in Arles' with Pokemon characters.

On September 29, the museum store was crowded with people hoping to get the free card. The cards quickly began to show up in online markets, and resellers outside the store scalped them for hundreds of dollars. Fences were installed to keep resellers away, and the museum announced that the precious card could also be obtained at official Pokemon stores. Both measures seemed to have little effect. According to its annual report, the Van Gogh Museum received 1.3 million visitors in 2022. On October 13, the museum decided to halt the Pikachu card giveaway for security reasons, and said less than 100,000 cards had been distributed. In a terse statement on its website, the museum announced: The Van Gogh Museum and The Pokemon Company International take the safety and security of visitors and staff very seriously. Recently, a small group of individuals has created an undesirable situation that has led us to take the difficult decision to remove the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card from the museum.

Pikachu skyrockets on the internet

The Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat cards began appearing on auction and ecommerce sites like eBay and Marktplaats (a classified advertising site based in the Netherlands) in early October, with prices ranging up to $265 (250). Selling individual cards and entire collections is nothing new. In 2022, a rare Pikachu Illustrator card drawn by Atsuko Nishida (the characters original creator) and featuring Pikachu holding a paintbrush, was sold to YouTuber and professional wrestler Logan Paul for a whopping $5,275,000. The transaction was certified as a Guinness World Record.

Pokemon Adventure at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

The museums Pokemon Adventure will run until January 7 and other Pokemon merchandise will be available at the museums online and onsite stores. Illustrators Naoyo Kimura, Sowsow and Tomokazu Komiya created the imitation Van Goghs with the Pokemon characters. The Rijksmuseum in the Dutch capital is also targeting younger audiences, and has teamed up with Disney Benelux and telecommunications company KPN for an annual family event in October that has gone smoothly, unlike the experience of the nearby Van Gogh Museum. The Rijksmuseum exhibit includes a self-guided tour featuring Mickey Mouse, drawing classes and craft workshops. Theres also a hunt for artwork that could have inspired Walt Disney, like the centaurs in Fantasia and Hercules, and items like Mrs. Potts porcelain teapots in Beauty and the Beast. There is even a figurine resembling Rafiki, the wise baboon from The Lion King. On October 16, the Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100th anniversary.

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Deluxe (NYSE:DLX  Get Free Report) is one of 2 public companies in the Blankbooks, looseleaf binders, & bookbinding & related work industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Deluxe to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, risk and dividends.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Deluxe and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Deluxe $2.24 billion $65.39 million 14.50 Deluxe Competitors $2.09 billion $26.10 million -1.04

Deluxe has higher revenue and earnings than its peers. Deluxe is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Risk and Volatility

Dividends

Deluxe has a beta of 1.58, meaning that its share price is 58% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Deluxes peers have a beta of 1.70, meaning that their average share price is 70% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Deluxe pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.8%. Deluxe pays out 99.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, Blankbooks, looseleaf binders, & bookbinding & related work companies pay a dividend yield of 6.7% and pay out 164.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Deluxe is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

85.0% of Deluxe shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 83.0% of shares of all Blankbooks, looseleaf binders, & bookbinding & related work companies are held by institutional investors. 3.0% of Deluxe shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.2% of shares of all Blankbooks, looseleaf binders, & bookbinding & related work companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Deluxe and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Deluxe 0 0 1 0 3.00 Deluxe Competitors 1 27 60 0 2.67

Deluxe currently has a consensus target price of $30.50, suggesting a potential upside of 73.89%. As a group, Blankbooks, looseleaf binders, & bookbinding & related work companies have a potential upside of 40.70%. Given Deluxes stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Deluxe is more favorable than its peers.

Profitability

This table compares Deluxe and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Deluxe 2.37% 24.46% 4.97% Deluxe Competitors 0.46% 18.40% 4.26%

Summary

Deluxe beats its peers on 12 of the 14 factors compared.

Deluxe Company Profile

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Deluxe Corporation provides technology-enabled solutions to enterprises, small businesses, and financial institutions in the United States, Canada, Australia, South America, and Europe. It operates through four segments: Payments, Data Solutions, Promotional Solutions, and Checks. The company provides treasury management solutions, including remittance and lockbox processing, remote deposit capture, receivables management, payment processing, and paperless treasury management solutions, as well as payment exchange, and fraud and security services; data-driven marketing solutions and hosted solutions, such as digital engagement, logo design, financial institution profitability reporting, and business incorporation services, as well as web hosting and design services. It also offers business forms, accessories, advertising specialties, promotional apparel, and retail packaging services; and printed personal and business checks. The company was formerly known as Deluxe Check Printers, Incorporated and changed its name to Deluxe Corporation in 1988. Deluxe Corporation was founded in 1915 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. (OTCMKTS:IDEXY  Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the six brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas lowered Industria de Diseno Textil from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 25th. Bank of America upgraded Industria de Diseno Textil from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 5th.

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View Our Latest Research Report on IDEXY

Industria de Diseno Textil Stock Performance

Industria de Diseno Textil Cuts Dividend

IDEXY opened at $18.15 on Wednesday. Industria de Diseno Textil has a 1-year low of $11.03 and a 1-year high of $19.81. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $18.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.20.

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 1st will be given a dividend of $0.2271 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 31st. Industria de Diseno Textils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.84%.

Industria de Diseno Textil Company Profile

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Industria de Diseno Textil, SA engages in the retail and online distribution of clothing, footwear, accessories, and household textile products through various retail concepts. The company sells its products under the Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Zara Home brands.

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Shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:BHLB  Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of Reduce by the three ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and two have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $27.67.

BHLB has been the subject of several recent research reports. Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a sell rating on shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in a research report on Tuesday, September 12th. StockNews.com raised Berkshire Hills Bancorp from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, October 20th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp from $23.00 to $22.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp from a c rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, July 20th.

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View Our Latest Analysis on Berkshire Hills Bancorp

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Stock Down 2.7 %

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Announces Dividend

Berkshire Hills Bancorp stock opened at $18.48 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. Berkshire Hills Bancorp has a 1-year low of $18.07 and a 1-year high of $31.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $813.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.97 and a beta of 0.98.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 17th were paid a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 16th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.90%. Berkshire Hills Bancorps dividend payout ratio is currently 31.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Berkshire Hills Bancorp

In other Berkshire Hills Bancorp news, Director Mary Anne Callahan acquired 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $19.84 per share, with a total value of $198,400.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 10,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $198,400. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Berkshire Hills Bancorp

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth approximately $552,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at $57,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp during the 1st quarter valued at $57,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Berkshire Hills Bancorp by 304.1% in the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,538 shares of the savings and loans companys stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 1,910 shares during the period. 82.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Berkshire Bank that provides various banking products and services. It offers various deposit accounts, including demand deposit, interest-bearing checking, regular savings, money market savings, time certificates of deposit, and retirement deposit accounts; and loans, such as commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, consumer, and residential mortgage loans.

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BCE Inc. (TSE:BCE  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BCE) has earned an average recommendation of Hold from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$59.59.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on BCE shares. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded BCE from a hold rating to a buy rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from C$56.00 to C$54.00 in a research report on Tuesday. National Bankshares raised shares of BCE from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and set a C$60.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 24th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of BCE from C$67.00 to C$60.00 in a research note on Friday, August 4th. National Bank Financial raised shares of BCE from a sector perform overweight rating to an outperform overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of BCE from C$62.00 to C$59.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th.

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BCE Stock Performance

BCE stock opened at C$51.55 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.16, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.43. The company has a market cap of C$47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 0.52. BCE has a fifty-two week low of C$49.57 and a fifty-two week high of C$65.66. The firms 50 day simple moving average is C$53.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$58.35.

BCE (TSE:BCE  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BCE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The company reported C$0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of C$0.79. The company had revenue of C$6.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$6.04 billion. BCE had a net margin of 10.06% and a return on equity of 11.16%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that BCE will post 3.3221865 EPS for the current year.

BCE Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, October 15th were given a $0.967 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $3.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.50%. BCEs dividend payout ratio is currently 153.57%.

BCE Company Profile

(Get Free Report

BCE Inc, a communications company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline, and Bell Media. The Bell Wireless segment offers integrated digital wireless voice and data communication products and services, as well as consumer electronics products.

Further Reading

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Tullow Oil (OTCMKTS:TUWLF  Get Free Report) is one of 364 public companies in the Oil & Gas E&P industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Tullow Oil to related companies based on the strength of its profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and risk.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

37.0% of Tullow Oil shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.3% of shares of all Oil & Gas E&P companies are held by institutional investors. 26.5% of shares of all Oil & Gas E&P 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.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Tullow Oil and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tullow Oil 0 0 0 0 N/A Tullow Oil Competitors 650 4119 7625 297 2.60

Dividends

As a group, Oil & Gas E&P companies have a potential upside of 72.27%. Given Tullow Oils peers higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Tullow Oil has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Tullow Oil pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 49.4%. Tullow Oil pays out -89.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Oil & Gas E&P companies pay a dividend yield of 11.8% and pay out 89.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Tullow Oil is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Tullow Oil and its peers revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Tullow Oil N/A N/A -1.81 Tullow Oil Competitors $818.07 million $216.71 million -50.04

Tullow Oils peers have higher revenue and earnings than Tullow Oil. Tullow Oil is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares Tullow Oil and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tullow Oil N/A N/A N/A Tullow Oil Competitors 180.79% 7.94% 3.83%

Summary

Tullow Oil peers beat Tullow Oil on 6 of the 10 factors compared.

Tullow Oil Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Tullow Oil plc engages in the oil and gas exploration, development, and production activities primarily in Africa and South America. Tullow Oil plc was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Shares of Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$132.58.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on BMO. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Bank of Montreal from C$121.50 to C$130.50 in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Bank of Montreal from C$125.00 to C$120.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. National Bankshares set a C$123.00 price objective on Bank of Montreal and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, September 22nd. Cormark cut their price objective on Bank of Montreal from C$132.00 to C$130.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on Bank of Montreal from C$131.00 to C$126.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th.

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Bank of Montreal Price Performance

Shares of TSE BMO opened at C$104.98 on Wednesday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$113.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$117.19. Bank of Montreal has a one year low of C$104.38 and a one year high of C$137.64. The company has a market capitalization of C$75.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.15.

Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 29th. The bank reported C$2.78 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$3.06 by C($0.28). Bank of Montreal had a net margin of 23.03% and a return on equity of 10.26%. The firm had revenue of C$7.93 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Bank of Montreal will post 13.0189349 EPS for the current year.

Bank of Montreal Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 30th will be given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 27th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.60%. Bank of Montreals payout ratio is 57.99%.

About Bank of Montreal

(Get Free Report

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.

Further Reading

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EVERTEC, Inc. (NYSE:EVTC  Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, October 19th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.05 per share by the business services provider on Friday, December 1st. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 27th.

EVERTEC has a payout ratio of 6.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect EVERTEC to earn $2.73 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.20 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 7.3%.

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EVERTEC Stock Up 1.6 %

NYSE:EVTC opened at $35.38 on Wednesday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $37.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.94. The company has a market capitalization of $2.29 billion, a PE ratio of 10.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 1.98. EVERTEC has a 1-year low of $30.17 and a 1-year high of $42.03.

Insider Buying and Selling

EVERTEC ( NYSE:EVTC Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The business services provider reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.61. EVERTEC had a net margin of 35.42% and a return on equity of 28.71%. The company had revenue of $167.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.43 million. On average, equities analysts predict that EVERTEC will post 2.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other EVERTEC news, COO Diego Viglianco sold 1,128 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.79, for a total transaction of $44,883.12. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 36,765 shares in the company, valued at $1,462,879.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, COO Diego Viglianco sold 1,128 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.79, for a total value of $44,883.12. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 36,765 shares in the company, valued at $1,462,879.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Paola Perez-Surillo sold 3,253 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.11, for a total transaction of $127,224.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 32,139 shares in the company, valued at $1,256,956.29. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of EVERTEC

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of EVERTEC by 274.8% during the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,132 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 830 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of EVERTEC by 36.1% during the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,838 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 488 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EVERTEC during the first quarter valued at about $154,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of EVERTEC in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $170,000. Finally, State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of EVERTEC by 66.7% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 5,604 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242 shares during the last quarter. 96.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on EVTC. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of EVERTEC in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of EVERTEC from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of EVERTEC from $36.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 27th.

View Our Latest Analysis on EVERTEC

EVERTEC Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

EVERTEC, Inc engages in transaction processing business in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through Payment Services  Puerto Rico & Caribbean; Payment Services  Latin America; Merchant Acquiring; and Business Solutions segments. It provides merchant acquiring services, which enable point of sales and e-commerce merchants to accept and process electronic methods of payment, such as debit, credit, prepaid, and electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.

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Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AMBC  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $11.31 and last traded at $11.32, with a volume of 32074 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $11.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on AMBC. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Ambac Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Compass Point raised shares of Ambac Financial Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $18.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 8th.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AMBC

Ambac Financial Group Stock Up 2.2 %

The businesss fifty day moving average price is $12.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $13.67. The company has a market capitalization of $524.57 million, a P/E ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.65.

Ambac Financial Group (NYSE:AMBC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.06) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $62.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.80 million. Ambac Financial Group had a net margin of 111.98% and a return on equity of 41.52%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ambac Financial Group, Inc. will post -0.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ambac Financial Group

In other news, CEO Claude Leblanc purchased 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.29 per share, with a total value of $33,225.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 502,416 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,677,108.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ambac Financial Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMBC. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in Ambac Financial Group by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 109,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,139,000 after purchasing an additional 8,500 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ambac Financial Group in the first quarter worth about $203,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Ambac Financial Group by 79.5% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 112,716 shares of the companys stock worth $1,077,000 after acquiring an additional 49,933 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ambac Financial Group by 55.4% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 24,566 shares of the companys stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 8,759 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its stake in shares of Ambac Financial Group by 14.1% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 39,919 shares of the companys stock worth $415,000 after acquiring an additional 4,922 shares during the last quarter. 81.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Ambac Financial Group

(Get Free Report)

Ambac Financial Group, Inc operates as a financial services holding company. It operates three businesses: Specialty Property and Casualty Insurance, Insurance Distribution, and Legacy Financial Guarantee (LFG) Insurance. The Specialty Property and Casualty Insurance business provides specialty property and casualty program insurance with a focus commercial and personal liability risks.

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LSV Asset Management boosted its stake in shares of Quanex Building Products Co. (NYSE:NX  Free Report) by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 949,328 shares of the construction companys stock after purchasing an additional 61,500 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management owned 2.88% of Quanex Building Products worth $25,489,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Quanex Building Products by 3.4% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 135,177 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,910,000 after buying an additional 4,449 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in Quanex Building Products by 12.3% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 17,400 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $467,000 after buying an additional 1,900 shares during the period. EA Series Trust bought a new stake in Quanex Building Products in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,908,000. SG Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Quanex Building Products in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,520,000. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in Quanex Building Products in the first quarter valued at approximately $246,000. 99.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Benchmark increased their target price on Quanex Building Products from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 6th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Quanex Building Products in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director William C. Griffiths sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.09, for a total transaction of $727,250.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 135,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,953,767.35. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Quanex Building Products news, Director William C. Griffiths sold 16,071 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.09, for a total value of $451,434.39. Following the sale, the director now owns 167,236 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,697,659.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director William C. Griffiths sold 25,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.09, for a total value of $727,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 135,915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,953,767.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 41,877 shares of company stock valued at $1,201,293 over the last 90 days. 2.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Quanex Building Products Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NX opened at $26.61 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $877.86 million, a P/E ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Quanex Building Products Co. has a 1-year low of $18.71 and a 1-year high of $29.63. The businesss 50 day moving average is $27.48 and its 200-day moving average is $25.30.

Quanex Building Products (NYSE:NX  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 31st. The construction company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $299.64 million for the quarter. Quanex Building Products had a return on equity of 17.28% and a net margin of 6.98%.

Quanex Building Products Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 14th. Quanex Building Productss dividend payout ratio is currently 13.22%.

About Quanex Building Products

(Free Report)

Quanex Building Products Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides components for the fenestration industry in the United States, Europe, Canada, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North American Fenestration, European Fenestration, and North American Cabinet Components.

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Baystate Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD  Free Report) by 1,583.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,408 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 2,265 shares during the period. Baystate Wealth Management LLCs holdings in SPDR Gold Shares were worth $429,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GLD. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in SPDR Gold Shares during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in SPDR Gold Shares by 781.8% during the first quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 194 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Old North State Trust LLC lifted its stake in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 225.4% in the first quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 550 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 381 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares in the first quarter valued at $36,000. 40.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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SPDR Gold Shares Price Performance

NYSEARCA:GLD opened at $182.95 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $176.92 and a 200-day moving average of $180.41. SPDR Gold Shares has a one year low of $150.57 and a one year high of $191.36.

SPDR Gold Shares Company Profile

SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares).

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Last August, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of zuranolone to specifically treat postpartum depression. Although another specific drug already existed  brexanolone  it required intravenous administration (and hospitalization), and its cost was considerably higher than an oral drug for home use, explains Lluisa Garcia Esteve, a psychiatrist at the perinatal mental health unit of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain. The expert is optimistic about the arrival of zuranolone, which has a shorter therapeutic effect, is administered orally and is much more affordable.

The recommended dose for the new medication is one 50mg pill every day for two weeks. According to e-lactancia.org, an online guide on the compatibility of breastfeeding with medications and other substances, it is also probably compatible with breastfeeding, due to its low risk.

For Garcia Esteve, it is good news that a new avenue of research has been opened into postpartum depression, apart from common depression, because, although it is a universal disorder, it had not been explored or researched enough as it was considered a womens issue, she says. Neither science, nor medicine, nor obstetrics, nor psychiatry have had enough interest, or investment, in this disorder (nor others that have to do with women) for us to have had treatments available much earlier.

Having drugs that provide immediate results  stopping postpartum depression from becoming prolonged and chronic  is also an advance and a type of prevention regarding the health complications that can occur if this dysfunctional state is maintained. And not only for the mother; also for the baby. We are preventing complications at a neurodevelopmental level, as well as problems in bonding, which we know is essential for the baby, explains the expert.

Liset Alvarez, perinatal psychologist and psychotherapist, adds that a mother with depression or anxiety is less able to tune in to the needs of the baby, so the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression is a pressing need to avoid harmful effects on the mental and physical health of both. In fact, a study from 2020 titled Trajectories of Maternal Postpartum Depressive Symptoms warned that, if untreated, this disorder can persist for up to three years after giving birth, with the negative effects it entails for both the mother and the baby.

More than a drug

The worldwide prevalence of postpartum depression is unknown. However, some studies, such as those included in the WHO guide for integration of perinatal mental health in maternal and child health services, indicate that anxiety and depression in the perinatal period could affect 1 in 10 women in high-income countries, and 1 in 5 in low- and middle-income countries.

Among the risk factors, Garcia Esteve includes having suffered anxiety and depression during pregnancy, having suffered a depressive episode prior to pregnancy, childhood trauma related to abuse, previous perinatal deaths, sexual abuse, or family history (mothers or sisters with postpartum depression, for example). All these factors must always be taken into account to be able to make a risk assessment for each mother.

There are always factors  internal or external to the mother  that trigger postpartum depression; hence the importance of better and greater prevention, as well as the training of health professionals. Estefania Jurado, a midwife at the Virgen de Valme University Hospital in Seville, Spain, states that maternal mental health is a problem that the health system usually overlooks: All care for mothers has been focused on the physical aspect, while the psychological aspect has been ignored. This absence is a transversal evil that affects the entire health system, from the lack of training of health professionals to the lack of assistance and specific programs.

For Garcia Esteve, prevention involves having support mechanisms in the perinatal stage. If we have a circuit in which already in pregnancy it is detected, assessed and referred to a trained professional, or a unit, to be able to follow up, to be able to intervene where possible, this is prevention. Alvarez, despite also seeing the emergence of this new drug as a very positive thing, agrees, pointing out that this absence of perinatal mechanisms can translate into excess medication, or put all the weight of the improvement on it.

The expert states that trained professionals and time are necessary. Without a public system that offers this help, and taking into account that in order to access private treatments, resources that are not always available are needed, this is where medication can take over the scene as the resource that apparently relieves the symptoms for less, says Alvarez.

For Garcia Esteve, it is not just about administering a drug  something that she considers absolutely necessary in some cases  but also about taking into account everything that can be done. Women have needed drugs that give us relief, that solve our pathologies and ailments, and this new medication is going to provide many benefits. Still, she emphasizes that we must not lose focus on the many other aspects that surround the mother and the baby, such as context, prevention, resources and other measures.

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Baystate Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (BATS:FLOT  Free Report) by 2,235.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,434 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 9,030 shares during the period. Baystate Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF were worth $479,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 17,845.3% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 13,189,239 shares of the companys stock valued at $664,606,000 after purchasing an additional 13,115,742 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its holdings in shares of iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 98,060.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 7,484,721 shares of the companys stock valued at $380,224,000 after buying an additional 7,477,096 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 13.5% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,322,667 shares of the companys stock valued at $368,989,000 after buying an additional 869,248 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,495,722 shares of the companys stock valued at $126,084,000 after buying an additional 484,663 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Providence Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth $39,542,000.

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iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF Price Performance

BATS:FLOT opened at $50.82 on Wednesday. iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF has a 1 year low of $50.76 and a 1 year high of $51.10. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $50.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.66.

iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF Increases Dividend

iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF Company Profile

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 3rd were given a $0.247 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 2nd. This is a positive change from iShares Floating Rate Bond ETFs previous dividend of $0.23.

(Free Report)

The iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a market value-weighted index of USD-denominated, investment-grade floating rate notes with maturities of 0-5 years. FLOT was launched on Jun 14, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Archford Capital Strategies LLC increased its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM  Free Report) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 12,872 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLCs holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $1,265,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of TSM. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter worth approximately $251,000. Moser Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter worth approximately $95,000. Values First Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 4.7% in the second quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 4,033 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $407,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter worth approximately $108,513,000. Finally, Nemes Rush Group LLC purchased a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. 16.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock Performance

Shares of TSM stock opened at $91.64 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $90.31 and a 200 day moving average of $93.63. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has a 52 week low of $59.43 and a 52 week high of $110.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $475.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.48, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 2.13, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Cuts Dividend

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( NYSE:TSM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 19th. The semiconductor company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.13. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 28.71% and a net margin of 41.42%. The company had revenue of $17.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.90 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.79 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be issued a $0.4724 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. This represents a $1.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TSM has been the subject of several research reports. Susquehanna cut their target price on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $135.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Monday, October 9th. Barclays assumed coverage on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday. They set an overweight rating and a $105.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, October 20th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Friday, October 20th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $116.67.

Read Our Latest Report on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

(Free Report)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the United States, and internationally. It provides complementary metal oxide silicon wafer fabrication processes to manufacture logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, and embedded memory semiconductors.

Further Reading

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Archford Capital Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF (BATS:IBMM  Free Report) by 77.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,512 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 10,682 shares during the quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLCs holdings in iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF were worth $632,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in IBMM. Parallel Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF during the first quarter worth about $142,000. Bank of New Hampshire raised its position in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF by 14.7% during the second quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 7,805 shares of the companys stock worth $201,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $206,000. Horan Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF by 87.2% in the 1st quarter. Horan Securities Inc. now owns 9,789 shares of the companys stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 4,561 shares during the period. Finally, Arrow Financial Corp increased its stake in iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Arrow Financial Corp now owns 10,002 shares of the companys stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF Stock Performance

Shares of IBMM stock opened at $25.72 on Wednesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $25.71 and its 200 day moving average is $25.72.

iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF Increases Dividend

iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF Profile

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.0391 per share. This is a positive change from iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETFs previous dividend of $0.04. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 2nd.

(Free Report)

The iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF (IBMM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P AMT-Free Municipal Series 2024 index. The fund tracks a market-value-weighted index of investment-grade AMT-Free municipal bonds that mature between January 1 and December 2, 2024. IBMM was launched on Mar 20, 2018 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Catalyst Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW  Free Report) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 2,276 shares of the medical research companys stock, valued at approximately $215,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 43,556 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $5,127,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 1.0% in the first quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,487 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,033,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Geller Advisors LLC lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 6.5% in the first quarter. Geller Advisors LLC now owns 1,965 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 5,015 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $415,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, Rockland Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 8,639 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $715,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. 79.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer raised Edwards Lifesciences from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $90.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $96.00 price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $110.00 to $94.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. Leerink Partnrs reiterated a market perform rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $88.00 to $83.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $90.71.

Edwards Lifesciences Stock Performance

Shares of EW stock opened at $70.00 on Wednesday. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a fifty-two week low of $66.66 and a fifty-two week high of $94.87. The stocks 50-day moving average is $73.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 3.15 and a quick ratio of 2.30. The firm has a market cap of $42.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.19, a PEG ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 1.05.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The medical research company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.51 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 24.56% and a return on equity of 25.43%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.63 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Larry L. Wood sold 8,660 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total value of $606,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 213,794 shares in the company, valued at $14,965,580. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider Larry L. Wood sold 8,660 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total value of $606,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 213,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,965,580. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael A. Mussallem sold 29,350 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.87, for a total value of $2,344,184.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 54,252 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,333,107.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 184,359 shares of company stock worth $13,817,172. 1.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Edwards Lifesciences

(Free Report)

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease, and critical care and surgical monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of heart valves; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases.

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Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. (NYSE:NUV  Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Monday, October 23rd, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be given a dividend of 0.029 per share by the closed-end fund on Friday, December 1st. This represents a $0.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.38%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th.

Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Stock Down 0.6 %

NUV traded down $0.05 on Wednesday, hitting $7.94. The companys stock had a trading volume of 49,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 376,616. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $8.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.58. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund has a 12 month low of $7.92 and a 12 month high of $9.34.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,470,308 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $38,445,000 after purchasing an additional 85,730 shares during the period. UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 15.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,386,917 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $32,447,000 after purchasing an additional 450,637 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,276,643 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $11,247,000 after purchasing an additional 79,048 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 832,832 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $7,246,000 after purchasing an additional 38,772 shares during the period. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 16.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 825,791 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $7,184,000 after buying an additional 114,405 shares in the last quarter. 18.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Nuveen Municipal Value Fund

Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund also invests some portion of its portfolio in derivative instruments.

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Howard Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (NYSEARCA:PCY  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 13,009 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $254,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $861,000. Crabel Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 33.8% during the 1st quarter. Crabel Capital Management LLC now owns 18,300 shares of the companys stock worth $351,000 after acquiring an additional 4,627 shares during the period. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,613,482 shares of the companys stock worth $69,307,000 after acquiring an additional 139,841 shares during the period. AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 48.9% during the 2nd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,933 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 635 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 127.6% during the 2nd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 110,566 shares of the companys stock worth $2,155,000 after acquiring an additional 61,981 shares during the period.

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Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of PCY stock traded down $0.12 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $17.65. 29,370 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 897,711. Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF has a 1 year low of $16.78 and a 1 year high of $20.31. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $18.51 and a 200 day moving average of $18.97.

Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Profile

The Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (PCY) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund tracks a tier-weighted index of US-dollar-denominated sovereign debt in emerging markets with at least 3 years to maturity. PCY was launched on Oct 11, 2007 and is managed by Invesco.

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Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.70 by $0.04, MarketWatch Earnings reports. Novartis had a return on equity of 25.12% and a net margin of 14.76%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.58 EPS.

Novartis Stock Up 0.2 %

NVS opened at $94.91 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.05. The company has a market capitalization of $201.17 billion, a PE ratio of 26.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.53. The stocks fifty day moving average is $99.85 and its 200-day moving average is $100.47. Novartis has a one year low of $77.84 and a one year high of $105.61.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Novartis in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Novartis from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, September 25th. Finally, HSBC began coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $82.33.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NVS. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Novartis by 10.7% during the second quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 31,928 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,222,000 after purchasing an additional 3,088 shares during the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV boosted its stake in shares of Novartis by 194.1% during the 2nd quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 400 shares of the companys stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Novartis by 24.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 32,207 shares of the companys stock worth $3,250,000 after acquiring an additional 6,328 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the second quarter worth $6,256,000. 7.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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Wambolt & Associates LLC decreased its holdings in Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF  Free Report) (TSE:SLF) by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 24,116 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 344 shares during the quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLCs holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $1,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of SLF. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Sun Life Financial by 2.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 31,331 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,749,000 after buying an additional 614 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 1.1% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 24,648 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,376,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 3.5% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 34,234 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. lifted its position in shares of Sun Life Financial by 9.4% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 14,075 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $786,000 after purchasing an additional 1,207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Sun Life Financial during the 1st quarter worth $67,000. 44.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Sun Life Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SLF traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $45.70. The stock had a trading volume of 29,516 shares, compared to its average volume of 510,321. The companys 50 day moving average is $48.49 and its 200-day moving average is $49.52. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.48 and a 12-month high of $53.21. The company has a market cap of $29.21 billion, a PE ratio of 12.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.01.

Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend

Sun Life Financial ( NYSE:SLF Get Free Report ) (TSE:SLF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.17. Sun Life Financial had a return on equity of 15.10% and a net margin of 7.28%. The firm had revenue of $5.71 billion during the quarter. On average, equities research analysts predict that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 4.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 30th were issued a dividend of $0.566 per share. This represents a $2.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.95%. This is a positive change from Sun Life Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 29th. Sun Life Financials payout ratio is currently 62.36%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on SLF. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Sun Life Financial in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of Sun Life Financial from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 10th.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on SLF

About Sun Life Financial

(Free Report)

Sun Life Financial Inc, a financial services company, provides savings, retirement, and pension products worldwide. It offers term and permanent life, as well as personal health, dental, critical illness, long-term care, and disability insurance products. The company provides financial advice, asset management, and investments related products.

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Dover (NYSE:DOV  Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by research analysts at Oppenheimer from $177.00 to $175.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the industrial products companys stock. Oppenheimers target price indicates a potential upside of 32.25% from the companys current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Dover from $152.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, October 9th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Dover from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dover from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.54.

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Dover Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of DOV stock opened at $132.33 on Wednesday. Dover has a 1-year low of $125.53 and a 1-year high of $160.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $141.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $142.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.51 billion, a PE ratio of 18.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.33.

Dover (NYSE:DOV  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.15 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.23 billion. Dover had a return on equity of 27.33% and a net margin of 12.04%. Dovers quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.26 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Dover will post 8.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Dover

In related news, CFO Brad M. Cerepak sold 4,631 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total value of $657,602.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 49,938 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,091,196. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its holdings in shares of Dover by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,229 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $187,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. First Commonwealth Financial Corp PA grew its holdings in shares of Dover by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. First Commonwealth Financial Corp PA now owns 3,176 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $430,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dover by 2.3% during the first quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 3,715 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $583,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank boosted its position in shares of Dover by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 6,605 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,004,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Caprock Group LLC increased its stake in Dover by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 2,111 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. 83.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dover Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Dover Corporation provides equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services worldwide. The company's Engineered Products segment provides various equipment, component, software, solution, and services that are used in aftermarket vehicle service, solid waste handling, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, industrial winch and hoist, and fluid dispensing end-market.

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Auto Trader Group plc (OTCMKTS:ATDRY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 45,600 shares, a decrease of 71.3% from the September 30th total of 158,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 193,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Auto Trader Group Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:ATDRY remained flat at $1.80 during mid-day trading on Wednesday. 165,466 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 91,575. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Auto Trader Group has a 12 month low of $1.38 and a 12 month high of $2.09.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Auto Trader Group from GBX 700 ($8.58) to GBX 720 ($8.82) in a research report on Tuesday, August 1st. Barclays lowered their price target on Auto Trader Group from GBX 725 ($8.88) to GBX 710 ($8.70) in a report on Tuesday, October 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Auto Trader Group from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 25th.

Auto Trader Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Auto Trader Group plc operates in the digital automotive marketplace in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company provides vehicle advertisement on its websites for private sellers, as well as insurance and loan financing products to consumers; and display advertising on its websites for manufacturers and their advertising agencies.

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Bolivian security forces fire tear gas at protesters carrying the coffins of those killed during the 2019 massacres. Marco Bello (Reuters)

Bolivian prosecutors have formally charged former president Jeanine Anez, three of her ministers and dozens of military chiefs, including former commanders of the three branches of the Armed Forces, over the Sacaba and Senkata massacres, and have requested the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for her and all the other defendants. These massacres, in which 20 people died, occurred in the regions of Cochabamba and La Paz in November 2019, during the interim government that Anez led after the overthrow of Evo Morales.

The Attorney General, Juan Lanchipa, stated at a press conference that Anez ordered the military and police repression of the protests against her government in breach of the principles of necessity, proportionality, discrimination, and rationality that state actions must follow in the face of a threat to public order. The accusation states that weapons and munitions of war, armored mechanized vehicles, as well as helicopters and airplanes were used against unarmed civilian demonstrators. Lanchipa explained that the prosecution has evidence that Anez was in contact with the military and police command at the time of the operations, and therefore presumes that she was in control of them. Government ministers Arturo Murillo, Luis Fernando Lopez and Victor Hugo Zamora, as well as the military officers in charge of the repression, also face the same charges. Under Bolivian judicial terminology, this charge is that of genocide, which is equivalent to massacre and is punishable with the maximum penalty allowed by the countrys legal system.

Anez, who is already in prison over another case, posted on a social network that she stands accused of genocide as if she were Hitler, Hamas, or the dictatorships they applaud. Genocide is killing people with hunger and drugs, mercury poisoning or fires, fencing cities, prohibiting the passage of oxygen and food. She also pointed out that there is not and there will not be justice without a trial of responsibilities, without Evo Morales before the corresponding court, which will determine the truth. The revenge of the MAS [Movement for Socialism, the ruling party of which Morales is leader] is pure dictatorship.

The accusation against Anez is being processed as an ordinary trial, that is to say, it does not respect her right to a so-called trial of responsibilities in the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), as a former president of the country and with the authorization of two-thirds of the Senate. For this reason, Anez has decided not to testify before the commission of prosecutors that prepared the indictment and will instead present her case before international judicial bodies. According to Attorney General Lanchipa, the choice of the ordinary procedure is justified because Anez did not follow the thread of constitutional succession upon assuming power. Another former minister under Anez, Jerjes Justiniano, who is in exile in the United States, noted that, at the time, Lanchipa recognized Anez as the legitimate president of Bolivia.

Jeanine Anez and her minister of government, Arturo Murillo, in November 2019. Juan Karita (AP)

Anez, who was then the second vice-president of the Senate, took over in a controversial manner after the resignation of Morales and his natural successors in November 2019. She governed until the November 2020 elections, which were won by Bolivias current president, Luis Arce. According to the Constitution, the prosecution of former presidents for crimes committed during the performing of their duties must be carried out according to a special protocol, before the highest court, and authorized by a two-thirds majority of members of the Legislative Assembly. Since the accusing party, MAS, lacks such a majority, it has circumvented this obstacle in two ways: first, it accused Anez of crimes committed prior to her inauguration as president, in a case known as Coup II, which resulted in the conviction of the former president to 10 years in prison, which she is currently serving. And, secondly, MAS made use of the authorization that the TSJ gave at the beginning of the year to prosecute Anez as an ordinary citizen even for events that took place during her administration, after a judge accepted a lawsuit from the victims of the massacres. The judge based his decision on the fact that the accused did not have presidential credentials and, therefore, in his view, could not be legally considered as such.

Anezs defense considers the proceedings to be illegal and notes that even Luis Garcia Meza, the former military dictator convicted of human rights violations in Bolivia in 1993, was afforded a trial of responsibilities. They are also confident that, at some point, international bodies will demand that the Bolivian state annul all proceedings against the former president.

In April, Minister of Justice Ivan Lima justified the TSJs authorization to pursue an ordinary prosecution. Faced with the imposture and hypocritical attitude of [parliamentary opposition leaders] Carlos Mesa and Luis Fernando Camacho in telling the media that a two-thirds majority was going to provide congressional authorization [for the trial], which they have not done during all this time and have been systematically blocking, we had no choice but to seek justice for the victims [in an ordinary trial], he stated.

On November 15, 2019, in Sacaba, a town near Cochabamba, a column of coca growers trying to reach the latter city was stopped by a combined police and army force. Ten farmers were killed and dozens were shot and wounded. The government claimed that they were armed and had shot at each other. On November 19, joint forces temporarily broke the neighborhood blockade of the Senkata gas and gasoline storage plant in El Alto, to deliver tanker trucks carrying gasoline to the neighboring city of La Paz, which lacked fuel. In response, the protesters tore down the plants outer wall. Ten residents were killed by gunfire. The government at the time accused them of attempting to blow up the facility. Anez declared shortly afterwards that the lives of more than 250,000 Altenos were put at risk... The tragedy would have reached devastating dimensions.

In August 2021, the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights  invited to Bolivia to evaluate the 2019 crisis  qualified the events in Sacaba and Senkata as massacres, affirmed that there was never any risk that the Senkata plant would explode and established that during the repressive actions extrajudicial executions took place.

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McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ  Free Report) by 25.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,690 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,367 shares during the period. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc.s holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF were worth $1,700,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $150,000. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 44,610 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,226,000 after purchasing an additional 2,226 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 5,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $271,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its position in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 23.7% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,463 shares of the companys stock worth $173,000 after acquiring an additional 663 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 44.5% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,505 shares of the companys stock worth $432,000 after acquiring an additional 2,618 shares in the last quarter.

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Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Stock Down 1.1 %

NYSEARCA:SPHQ traded down $0.56 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $49.35. The company had a trading volume of 137,674 shares, compared to its average volume of 709,469. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $50.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.87. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF has a 52-week low of $41.79 and a 52-week high of $52.83. The company has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a PE ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 0.94.

Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Profile

The Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large-cap stocks selected by return on equity, changes in net operating assets and financial leverage. Stocks are weighted by these quality factors, scaled by market cap.

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Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 360,056 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock, valued at approximately $95,105,000. Bank of Montreal Can owned 0.13% of Becton, Dickinson and Company at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Nemes Rush Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter worth $115,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 40.2% during the second quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,979 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $787,000 after purchasing an additional 854 shares during the period. New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter valued at $202,000. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.2% during the second quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,692 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the period. Finally, Flossbach Von Storch AG lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.6% during the second quarter. Flossbach Von Storch AG now owns 235,095 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $62,067,000 after purchasing an additional 10,320 shares during the period. 86.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.48, for a total value of $125,986.32. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 3,444 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $945,309.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.48, for a total value of $125,986.32. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 3,444 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $945,309.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.13, for a total transaction of $360,269.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,157 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,429,159.41. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 5,581 shares of company stock valued at $1,551,429. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $259.21 on Wednesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $217.70 and a 12-month high of $287.32. The stock has a market cap of $75.20 billion, a PE ratio of 47.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company has a 50-day moving average of $266.88 and a 200 day moving average of $262.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.73% and a return on equity of 13.24%. The company had revenue of $4.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.66 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Companys revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on BDX. Raymond James decreased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $304.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $284.00 to $303.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $282.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Monday, October 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $286.00.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Becton, Dickinson and Company

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

(Free Report)

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company's BD Medical segment provides peripheral intravenous (IV) and advanced peripheral catheters, central lines, acute dialysis catheters, vascular care and preparation products, needle-free IV connectors and extensions sets, closed-system drug transfer devices, hazardous drug detections, hypodermic syringes and needles, anesthesia needles and trays, enteral syringes, and sharps disposal systems; IV medication and infusion therapy delivery systems, medication compounding workflow systems, automated medication dispensing and supply management systems, and medication inventory optimization and tracking systems; syringes, pen needles, and other products for diabetes; and prefillable drug delivery systems.

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Invesco (NYSE:IVZ  Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $15.50 to $14.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the asset managers stock. The Goldman Sachs Groups price target indicates a potential upside of 10.94% from the companys current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Invesco in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Invesco in a report on Monday, July 10th. They set a market perform rating and a $21.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Invesco from $17.00 to $19.00 in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of Invesco from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Invesco from $19.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $16.70.

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Read Our Latest Stock Report on Invesco

Invesco Stock Down 3.1 %

IVZ stock traded down $0.41 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $12.62. The company had a trading volume of 605,258 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,598,894. The company has a market capitalization of $5.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.95, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.40. Invesco has a 52 week low of $12.49 and a 52 week high of $20.56. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 5.15 and a quick ratio of 5.15.

Invesco (NYSE:IVZ  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The asset manager reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.35. Invesco had a net margin of 15.29% and a return on equity of 7.54%. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.09 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.34 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Invesco will post 1.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Invesco

In related news, major shareholder Invesco Realty, Inc. acquired 796,323 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $25.12 per share, for a total transaction of $20,003,633.76. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 1,052,487 shares in the company, valued at $26,438,473.44. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IVZ. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in shares of Invesco by 16.8% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 102,118 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $2,355,000 after purchasing an additional 14,711 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in shares of Invesco by 6.6% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 45,665 shares of the asset managers stock worth $1,053,000 after buying an additional 2,827 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 64,802 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $1,494,000 after acquiring an additional 3,241 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC grew its position in Invesco by 85.7% during the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 47,718 shares of the asset managers stock worth $1,100,000 after acquiring an additional 22,027 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC bought a new stake in Invesco during the 1st quarter worth $273,000. 66.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Invesco Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Invesco Ltd. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm provides its services to retail clients, institutional clients, high-net worth clients, public entities, corporations, unions, non-profit organizations, endowments, foundations, pension funds, financial institutions, and sovereign wealth funds.

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Steel Peak Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Free Report) by 0.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 206,515 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 320 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF comprises about 1.2% of Steel Peak Wealth Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Steel Peak Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $19,704,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Prosperity Planning Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Prosperity Planning Inc. now owns 2,378 shares of the companys stock worth $227,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC now owns 36,136 shares of the companys stock worth $3,385,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Benedetti & Gucer Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.0% during the first quarter. Benedetti & Gucer Inc. now owns 12,114 shares of the companys stock worth $1,135,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 0.3% during the second quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 46,751 shares of the companys stock worth $4,461,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Montecito Bank & Trust boosted its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 2.8% during the first quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 4,476 shares of the companys stock valued at $419,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Performance

Shares of EFG stock traded up $0.68 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $84.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,207,444 shares. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $88.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $92.70. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $67.58 and a 52 week high of $85.81. The company has a market cap of $11.30 billion, a PE ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.89.

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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Barry Investment Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (NYSEARCA:VT  Free Report) by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 76,430 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 4,494 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Total World Stock ETF makes up 2.5% of Barry Investment Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Barry Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Vanguard Total World Stock ETF were worth $7,412,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VT. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vanguard Total World Stock ETF by 681,735.5% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 251,713,227 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $21,695,163,000 after purchasing an additional 251,676,310 shares during the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its holdings in Vanguard Total World Stock ETF by 94,998.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 153,374,063 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $14,874,217,000 after acquiring an additional 153,212,783 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in shares of Vanguard Total World Stock ETF by 7,226.7% in the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 1,034,750 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $89,185,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020,627 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in Vanguard Total World Stock ETF by 89.9% during the first quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,193,769 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $109,932,000 after purchasing an additional 565,067 shares during the period. Finally, Simplicity Solutions LLC grew its stake in Vanguard Total World Stock ETF by 11,798.8% during the first quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 566,144 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $52,136,000 after purchasing an additional 561,386 shares during the period.

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Vanguard Total World Stock ETF Stock Down 0.7 %

VT traded down $0.65 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $90.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 661,112 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,753,489. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.20 and a beta of 0.94. Vanguard Total World Stock ETF has a twelve month low of $81.08 and a twelve month high of $100.72. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $94.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $95.22.

Vanguard Total World Stock ETF Company Profile

Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company. The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Global All Cap Index, which covers both well-established and still-developing markets. The Fund invests in both foreign and the United States stocks. The fund offers three classes of shares: Investor Shares, Institutional Shares, and ETF Shares.

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Equity Investment Corp lessened its stake in shares of PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL  Free Report) by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,387,134 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 35,923 shares during the period. Equity Investment Corp owned 0.19% of PPL worth $36,704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in PPL by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 60,166,843 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,672,037,000 after buying an additional 195,849 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of PPL by 4.8% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,759,744 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,229,596,000 after purchasing an additional 1,971,238 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of PPL by 1.0% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 13,015,502 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $361,701,000 after purchasing an additional 129,373 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of PPL by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 12,884,134 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $367,969,000 after purchasing an additional 775,294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its stake in PPL by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 12,044,189 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $334,708,000 after purchasing an additional 139,500 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.09% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Barclays dropped their price target on PPL from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating on shares of PPL in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of PPL from $29.00 to $28.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. TheStreet downgraded shares of PPL from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on PPL in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a neutral rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PPL has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $29.88.

PPL Price Performance

NYSE PPL traded down $0.04 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $24.10. 1,186,030 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,244,217. PPL Co. has a 1-year low of $22.20 and a 1-year high of $31.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.09. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $24.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.29. The company has a market cap of $17.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.79.

PPL (NYSE:PPL  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.03). PPL had a return on equity of 7.75% and a net margin of 8.79%. The company had revenue of $1.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that PPL Co. will post 1.58 EPS for the current year.

PPL Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 8th were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 7th. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.98%. PPLs dividend payout ratio is 92.31%.

About PPL

(Free Report)

PPL Corporation, an energy company, focuses on providing electricity and natural gas to approximately 3.5 million customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Kentucky Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Rhode Island Regulated. The company delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Rhode Island; delivers natural gas to customers in Kentucky and Rhode Island; and generates electricity from power plants in Kentucky.

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Wealth Alliance boosted its position in shares of Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB  Free Report) (TSE:ENB) by 4.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,258 shares of the pipeline companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,360 shares during the period. Wealth Alliances holdings in Enbridge were worth $1,161,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Enbridge by 3.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 69,181,872 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $3,188,593,000 after acquiring an additional 2,491,924 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Enbridge by 109,143.5% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 48,468,082 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $1,895,102,000 after purchasing an additional 48,423,715 shares in the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in Enbridge by 12.2% during the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 27,381,482 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $1,044,604,000 after purchasing an additional 2,978,359 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Enbridge by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 19,503,737 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $761,051,000 after purchasing an additional 544,018 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Enbridge during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $723,255,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 48.29% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ENB. TD Securities dropped their price target on shares of Enbridge from $62.00 to $58.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Enbridge in a research report on Friday, September 8th. They issued a market perform rating for the company. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Enbridge from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. National Bank Financial initiated coverage on Enbridge in a research note on Monday, September 11th. They issued a sector perform rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Enbridge in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $56.17.

Enbridge Trading Up 0.0 %

NYSE ENB opened at $32.14 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.64. Enbridge Inc. has a one year low of $31.03 and a one year high of $42.12. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.31 billion, a PE ratio of 22.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.85.

Enbridge (NYSE:ENB  Get Free Report) (TSE:ENB) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 4th. The pipeline company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.51. The firm had revenue of $7.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.49 billion. Enbridge had a net margin of 8.58% and a return on equity of 10.20%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Enbridge Inc. will post 2.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Enbridge Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th were given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Enbridges previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.34%. Enbridges dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 187.86%.

Enbridge Company Profile

(Free Report)

Enbridge Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company. The company operates through five segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services. The Liquids Pipelines segment operates pipelines and related terminals to transport various grades of crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons in Canada and the United States.

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MONECO Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX  Free Report) by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,415 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 542 shares during the period. MONECO Advisors LLCs holdings in Chevron were worth $1,324,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Emerald Advisors LLC grew its stake in Chevron by 32.9% in the 2nd quarter. Emerald Advisors LLC now owns 2,675 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $421,000 after acquiring an additional 662 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. Texas bought a new position in Chevron in the 2nd quarter worth about $270,000. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Chevron by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 55,225 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $8,690,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Chevron by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC now owns 24,534 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $3,859,000 after purchasing an additional 776 shares during the period. Finally, Catalyst Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Chevron by 15.6% in the 2nd quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 8,077 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,271,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087 shares during the period. 68.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Chevron

In related news, CFO Pierre R. Breber sold 25,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.00, for a total transaction of $4,100,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,021 shares in the company, valued at $987,444. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Chevron news, VP Jeff B. Gustavson sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.88, for a total transaction of $603,300.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,718 shares of the companys stock, valued at $276,391.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Pierre R. Breber sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.00, for a total transaction of $4,100,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,021 shares in the company, valued at $987,444. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Chevron in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. They issued a market perform rating and a $184.00 price target for the company. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Chevron from $209.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, September 18th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Chevron from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $190.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Chevron from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the company from $166.00 to $187.00 in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Chevron from $180.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chevron currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $190.11.

Read Our Latest Research Report on CVX

Chevron Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CVX traded down $0.67 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $155.98. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,755,975 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,986,936. The firm has a market capitalization of $291.25 billion, a PE ratio of 9.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.14. Chevron Co. has a twelve month low of $149.74 and a twelve month high of $189.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $164.39 and a 200 day moving average of $161.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 28th. The oil and gas company reported $3.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.95 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $48.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48 billion. Chevron had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.82 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Chevron Co. will post 13.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chevron Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 11th. Investors of record on Friday, August 18th were given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 17th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.87%. Chevrons dividend payout ratio is presently 38.30%.

Chevron Company Profile

(Free Report)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the integrated energy and chemicals operations in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved in the exploration, development, production, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas; liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and processing, transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as a gas-to-liquids plant.

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MONECO Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 2.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,729 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. MONECO Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,280,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Silicon Valley Capital Partners purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth $25,000. Bogart Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% during the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Laffer Tengler Investments purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth $33,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 156.4% during the first quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 100 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter worth $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.38% of the companys stock.

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Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 0.5 %

LLY stock traded down $3.15 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $589.28. 391,574 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,025,348. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $567.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $484.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $559.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 82.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 0.33. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $309.20 and a 1 year high of $629.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63.

Insider Activity

Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $8.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.58 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 22.01% and a return on equity of 65.00%. The businesss revenue was up 28.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.25 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 6.65 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $528.13, for a total value of $1,584,390.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,696,849 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $53,181,026,862.37. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $546.51, for a total transaction of $327,906.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,378 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,939,130.78. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $528.13, for a total transaction of $1,584,390.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 100,696,849 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $53,181,026,862.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 907,655 shares of company stock valued at $21,078,714,805. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $640.00 to $673.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $615.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $510.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $470.00 to $620.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 5th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $555.83.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Eli Lilly and Company

About Eli Lilly and Company

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes.

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Perigon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V  Free Report) by 21.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 89,055 shares of the credit-card processors stock after purchasing an additional 15,445 shares during the quarter. Visa makes up about 0.8% of Perigon Wealth Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Perigon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Visa were worth $21,149,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its stake in Visa by 107,990.7% in the second quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 1,998,628,576 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $474,634,314,000 after purchasing an additional 1,996,779,546 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Visa by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,897,112 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $16,435,339,000 after acquiring an additional 2,572,159 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in shares of Visa by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 51,122,866 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $10,621,287,000 after acquiring an additional 5,864,340 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Visa by 116,608.6% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 24,504,130 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $5,090,978,000 after acquiring an additional 24,483,134 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Visa during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,067,232,000. 81.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Visa

In related news, CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 8,150 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.47, for a total transaction of $2,016,880.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 8,150 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.47, for a total transaction of $2,016,880.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rajat Taneja sold 15,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.01, for a total value of $3,950,158.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 232,112 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,030,321.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 40,250 shares of company stock worth $9,879,039. Insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock.

Visa Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of V stock opened at $234.81 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $437.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.96. Visa Inc. has a twelve month low of $190.72 and a twelve month high of $250.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $239.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $234.90.

Visa (NYSE:V  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The credit-card processor reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.10. Visa had a return on equity of 49.42% and a net margin of 51.94%. The firm had revenue of $8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.56 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.93 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Visa Inc. will post 8.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on V shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Visa from $265.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Visa from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Raymond James lifted their price target on Visa from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Visa from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Visa from $273.00 to $275.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $276.43.

View Our Latest Research Report on Visa

Visa Company Profile

(Free Report)

Visa Inc operates as a payments technology company worldwide. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, click to pay; Visa Direct, a real-time payments network; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral B2B cross-border payments network; Visa Treasury as a Service, a cross-border consumer payments business; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding V? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Visa Inc. (NYSE:V  Free Report).

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Antony Blinken, U.S secretary of state, speaks before the U.N. Security Council in New York on Tuesday. EDUARDO MUNOZ (EFE)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Tuesday of the risk that the war in Gaza could lead to a regional conflict if Americans became a target. The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen, he said before the U.N. Security Council.

Blinken reminded the international organizations highest executive body  which is in charge of ensuring global peace and security  that Iran supports Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels of Yemen and other militias in the region, and that some of these groups recently attacked U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria. If Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: we will defend our people, we will defend our security  swiftly and decisively, warned Blinken.

The message from Blinken  whose appearance at the U.N. Security Council was announced with just a few hours of notice  is not new. It is part of the waiting game that Washington is trying to play, as Israel prepares a ground offensive in Gaza. The United States is concerned that the Gaza conflict will spread throughout the region, but it is also worried about the fate of the dozen Americans  some with dual Israeli nationality  who were taken hostage by Hamas.

On Tuesday, Blinken reminded the U.N. Security Council that 35 U.N. staff members had been killed in the conflict, and said that greater effort must be taken to prevent further loss of civilian life. Lets not forget that among the more than 1,400 people Hamas killed on October 7 were citizens from more than 30 U.N. member states, including many of the members around this very table, he said. The victims included at least 33 American citizens. Every one of us has a stake, every one of us has a responsibility, in defeating terrorism.

All acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable, he continued. We cannot give up on peace [...] We stand at a crossroads. Two paths lie before us. The difference between them could not be more stark. One is the path offered by Hamas. We know where it leads: death, destruction, suffering, darkness. The other is the path toward greater peace, greater stability, greater opportunity, greater normalization and integration [...] a path toward Palestinians realizing their legitimate right to self-determination and a state of their own. He added, however, that time for the two-state solution was running out.

His statements come as the U.S. finalizes a resolution on the Gaza crisis to present to the U.N. General Assembly, which is below the Security Council in rank, as its decisions are non-binding. This resolution is set to be presented on Thursday.

The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden also believes that aid to Gaza is not arriving quickly enough. In view of this, Blinken asked the Security Council on Tuesday to consider humanitarian pauses to allow food, water, medicine, and other essential humanitarian assistance to flow into Gaza. But he said these pauses should be carried out without benefiting Hamas or any other terrorist group such as Islamic Jihad, which also operates in Gaza. We know Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, he said. Hamas must avoid using them as human shields.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, also spoke in similar terms on Tuesday, saying he was in favor of humanitarian pauses, but not a ceasefire. A ceasefire right now will only benefit Hamas, he said.

Blinkens request comes just a week after the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, vetoed a draft resolution presented by Brazil that  in addition to condemning the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7  called for humanitarian pauses to help Gazans suffering due to the Israeli armys siege. There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting civilian lives, Blinken said on Tuesday. A civilian is a civilian is a civilian.

Israel calls for UN secretary general to resign

The U.N. is in a difficult situation, as any resolution in the Security Council can be vetoed by one of its five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Thats what happened last week when the U.S. vetoed Brazils resolution on humanitarian pauses, and it is what Russia does with any proposal on the war in Ukraine.

The difficulty of the U.N.s situation was again brought to light on Tuesday, when U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was lambasted by Israel for speaking in support of Palestine. While he condemned the horrifying and unprecedented Hamas attack in Israel, Gueterres said: It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.

Israels ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan called for Guterress resignation following the speech. I call on him to resign immediately. There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words, he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Its truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views.

Following the speech, the Israeli Foreign Ministry canceled the bilateral meeting scheduled with Guterres. The U.N. secretary general was also scheduled to meet with family members of the Israeli hostages, who attended the Security Council meeting.

According to Israels permanent mission to the U.N., the relatives were also scheduled to meet with the mayor of New York, Eric Adams  who last week traveled to Israel and has participated in several pro-Israel demonstrations  as well as with Jewish leaders of the city.

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Gratus Capital LLC cut its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,421 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 53 shares during the period. Gratus Capital LLCs holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $3,858,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich raised its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 103,194.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 72,134,735 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $18,045,225,000 after acquiring an additional 72,064,901 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 22,309,285 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $5,431,195,000 after acquiring an additional 997,389 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 106,553.0% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,185,211 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,582,902,000 after acquiring an additional 7,178,474 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,902,872 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,236,063,000 after acquiring an additional 326,412 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 12.1% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,611,731 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,363,875,000 after acquiring an additional 607,321 shares during the last quarter. 79.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on ITW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $265.00 to $255.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $250.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Monday, October 9th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $236.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $256.00 to $258.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Illinois Tool Works in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $238.25.

Illinois Tool Works Price Performance

ITW stock traded down $1.54 on Wednesday, reaching $221.52. The company had a trading volume of 74,591 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,073,048. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.03 and a 1 year high of $264.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.59. The companys fifty day moving average is $235.80 and its 200 day moving average is $238.35. The company has a market cap of $66.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.06, a PEG ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 1.15.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $2.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.09. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 94.14% and a net margin of 19.30%. The firm had revenue of $4.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.35 EPS. Illinois Tool Workss revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 9.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 29th were paid a dividend of $1.40 per share. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 28th. This is a positive change from Illinois Tool Workss previous quarterly dividend of $1.31. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio is currently 55.39%.

Illinois Tool Works Profile

(Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.

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Eagle Strategies LLC lowered its position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF  Free Report) by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,378 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 634 shares during the period. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF comprises about 0.8% of Eagle Strategies LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Eagle Strategies LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $3,406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of IWF. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P boosted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 34.1% during the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 26,203 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $7,275,000 after acquiring an additional 6,665 shares during the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the first quarter worth about $42,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 6,211 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,724,000 after acquiring an additional 644 shares during the period. West Michigan Advisors LLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 7,595 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,109,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,422,000.

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iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Stock Performance

Shares of IWF traded down $2.65 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $264.94. The stock had a trading volume of 155,696 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,358,025. The business has a fifty day moving average of $272.97 and a 200 day moving average of $266.76. The firm has a market cap of $67.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.14 and a beta of 1.08. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a 12 month low of $207.91 and a 12 month high of $286.96.

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Company Profile

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.

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The conflict in Gaza is inflaming relations between the United Nations and Israel. The countrys authorities announced Wednesday that they will refuse visas to representatives of the international organization in retaliation for remarks made the day before by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Israels ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called for Guterres resignation after he proclaimed on Tuesday that Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum but after Palestinians have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

Israels permanent representative to the organization said that because of these words, his government will not give visas to U.N. representatives. Erdan confirmed that the visa denial has already been put into practice with U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. Its time we teach them a lesson, the Israeli diplomat said.

Far from retracting his statements, Guterres on Wednesday reaffirmed them in a statement and subsequently in an impromptu appearance before the Security Council. The U.N. chief said he was shocked at the misinterpretations of his statement on Tuesday, denounced the clear violations of international law in Gaza, and reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to remedy epic suffering. Guterres restated, word for word, the address he gave on Tuesday.

The U.N. secretary general on Tuesday opened a session of the Security Council devoted to the situation in the Middle East, delivering a speech in which he condemned Hamas attack on October 7 but also talked about the roots of the conflict: It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.

The Israeli ambassador posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) asking for Guterres resignation. I call on him to resign immediately. There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people.

In the communique issued minutes before the Council meeting on Wednesday, where Guterres did not mention either Israels request for his resignation or its decision to block visas for U.N. staff, the secretary-general expressed his surprise at the Israeli reaction: I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement  as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false. It was the opposite.

Guterres said on Wednesday that in his statement to the Security Council he had condemned unequivocally the Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people: Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets [] I believe it is necessary to set the record straight  especially out of respect for the victims and their families.

In his speech on Wednesday, Guterres raised the political stakes, and probably the diplomatic crisis with Israel, by advocating a two-state solution as a possible way out of the war. Far from giving in to the pressure, Guterres insisted on international law as a safeguard and recalled that the first rule of any conflict, the protection of civilians, cannot mean using them as human shields or having more than a million people evacuate to the south, and then continue bombing the south.

The diplomatic spat, which threatens to escalate after Guterres show of firmness, could undermine the bodys tenuous credibility as an arbiter of conflicts and guarantor of international legality, since it has not been able to respond to the war in a unified manner.

Israel, created out of a United Nations decision  the partition of Palestine, under British mandate, in 1947  rarely complies with the resolutions that affect it issued by the Security Council, where the U.S. veto generally protects it from the consequences of almost unanimous international condemnations. Israels withering reaction, demanding the resignation of the secretary general and limiting visas to U.N. officials, has galvanized the Israeli political class, accustomed to pointing the finger at the United Nations when it comes to looking for an external culprit.

Gilad Erdan, one of the most extremist leaders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Likud party, has often clashed in undiplomatic ways with the U.N.s decisions, and in particular with those of its secretary general. In addition to Erdan, the Israeli foreign minister refused to meet with him and with families of hostages captured by Hamas. Speaking from Jerusalem, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, a member of the opposition who has joined the national unity government, described Guterres as a terror apologist.

In his address, Guterres recalled the suffocating occupation, for 56 years, the elephant in the room of the long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Hours later, faced with a growing cascade of invective from Israel, the U.N.s top representative specified through the social network X that the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the atrocious attack by Hamas, an attack that also cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people (with the absolute blockade and bombardment of the Gaza Strip).

Antonio Guterres criticized Hamas actions against the civilian population on Tuesday after meeting with relatives of hostages captured by the Islamic group and reiterated his call for their release, in a brief message on his X account: After meeting with families whose loved ones have been taken hostage, I reaffirm my call for the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages held in Gaza. Nothing can justify the killing, wounding, and abducting of civilians by Hamas.

The words by Guterres that bothered Israel in particular were uttered at the beginning of the Security Council session, when he pointed out that the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 did not happen in a vacuum but followed 56 years of occupation. Ambassador Erdan considered these statements a justification for the attacks against Israeli civilians. His statement that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder. Its really unfathomable. Its truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views. A tragedy! he said on X.
Text in which the author defends ideas and reaches conclusions based on his / her interpretation of facts and data

Its not the lack of self-love that kills them. Women who die during cosmetic surgeries are killed by medical negligence and a lack of regulation in the face of an issue that seems to be becoming a public health problem in Latin America.

Silvina Luna in Argentina. Arelis Cabeza in Colombia. Jacqueline Roman in the Dominican Republic. Liliana Gastelum in Mexico. Liliana Sarasua in Peru. The list of women who have died after undergoing a cosmetic procedure would not fit in this column  not even in the print edition of a newspaper  but their cases perfectly illustrate the problem that the region is facing.

Only in Colombia, one of the main destinations in the world for this type of procedures, mortality associated with cosmetic surgeries increased by 130% between 2015 and 2016, according to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. There is no more official data available after that date. Which is also an important part of the problem: there is no clear view of the situation to guide governments in designing public policies to address this phenomenon.

This information gap is filled by reflections that, although necessary, are not a public problem. It was the lack of self-love, of self-esteem, someone always remarks when the fateful consequences of a cosmetic surgery performed by unethical and unregulated doctors go viral.

Women, especially in Latin America, are constantly bombarded with messages that sentence us to fit into a curvaceous mold; to be just another consumer product. However, we can also be independent when deciding how we want to look. Now, a question arises: is it more important to point our morally superior finger at those who decide to alter their appearance than to put a stop to clandestine clinics or surgeons that are questioned for their bad practices?

At the beginning of October, the Colombian justice system sentenced six doctors who performed cosmetic surgeries without the necessary academic training to seven years in prison. The court stated that these doctors provided false information to validate their qualifications before the Colombian Ministry of Education.

Francisco Sales Puccini, his brother Carlos Elias Sales Puccini, Juan Pablo Robles, Ronald Ricardo Ramos, Jorge Nempeque and Oscar Sandoval obtained a degree in plastic surgery at the Veiga de Almeida University, in Brazil. According to the certificate of migratory movements issued by Colombia Migration and provided as evidence in the criminal process, some of these doctors spent less than 30 days studying in that country. Regardless, the Colombian Ministry approved their studies as a formal medical specialty.

What is more alarming is that the cloud of suspicion not only hangs over them. Their names were exposed after a journalistic investigation that identified a list of at least 42 doctors with express degrees in cosmetic surgery. Of that number, only six have been convicted and another 11 are on trial. But what about the others? Why has justice taken more than seven years to investigate them?

Even worse; those 42 so-called surgeons are just a bunch of amateur, phony quacks, but behind them there are more that still go unnoticed while they keep operating with impunity, believing that justice will never reach them.

Three problems must be addressed here. The first is the lack of government control. People usually report the existence of clandestine establishments where they perform medical or surgical procedures for aesthetic purposes, without this leading to any concrete action; they shut down the place and, within a week, they reopen with a new name and a new facade.

The second is the lack of legislation. Today, the legal vacuum is so vast that a generalist physician can perform liposuction or buttock augmentation procedures without being penalized for this, as there is no law that sanctions it. The third problem is that the patients can be careless. He had a lot of followers on Instagram or an influencer recommended him are common explanations among the victims of questionable doctors.

Despite this, patients are the weakest link in the chain. I am a journalist; I researched the doctor who performed my breast surgery before going to his operating room. Still, I was deceived by a diploma validated by the Colombian Ministry of Education. Self-care and prevention aside, one cannot expect every person who goes to a health service to have detective skills to be able to trust and come out of a procedure alive. Guaranteeing these minimum conditions, such as certifying the proper academic training of a doctor, is the responsibility of the government, not the patient.

Better not to have surgery at all is not an effective response, either. We are free to modify our appearance under safe conditions. For this, political will is urgently needed to address this matter as a public health issue, not through the lens of personal prejudices or opinions about womens bodily autonomy.

Let this unprecedented sentence in Colombia be an opportunity to remember that this is a phenomenon that transcends borders, and that, while we discuss whether this is a matter of self-esteem or vanity, there are hundreds of people at risk in clandestine operating rooms.

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An Irish animal rescue is warning people against forcing their dogs into Halloween costumes.

PAWS - which has rescued, vaccinated, neutered and rehomed thousands of Irish dogs since 1997 - has advised against the practice, which they state can be "downright terrifying" for pets.

According to the charity, costumes can restrict a dog's natural movement and create "a truly scary experience", especially if there are trailing loose parts they can't escape from.

They suggest trying a festive bandana or bow on their collar instead.

However, a post on their webpage states: "If they are the type of dog that does not mind costumes, be sure they are fitted correctly and there are no dangly parts or restrictive parts that could get caught or cause injury to your pet."

They are also reminding pet owners to keep an eye out for animals in need at this time of year, as many are found lost or straying at Halloween.

Owners are also advised to keep dogs away from open front doors and trick or treaters, and to ensure their ID tag and microchip details are all up to date.

If you see an animal in discomfort, ring An Garda Siochana or the ISPCA cruelty helpline at 1890 515515.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien, has today welcomed the positive signs that strong momentum in housebuilding is continuing as evidenced in the new home completions figures for Q3 2023, published by the CSO this morning.

The publication showed that 8,452 new homes were completed in Quarter 3 of this year. This is an increase of 14.4% on the same three months of 2022 (7,388 units).

Overall a record 22,469 homes have been completed in the first nine months of 2023 so far - an 8.9 % increase on the same period in 2022 and the highest number of completions recorded for the first three quarters of any year since the CSO data series began in 2011.

Todays information also shows:

Apartment completions rose 47.3% in the 12 months to Q3 2023

There was a 36.7% rise in completions in Dublin

Significant rises also in the Midlands (25.9%), Border (14.9%) and Mid-West (13.8%) regions

 22,469 new homes have been completed in the first nine months of the year.



Almost 9% more than same period last year & highest 9 month period since record began.



 8,452 homes were completed between Jul - Sep, a 14.4% increase on last year.#HousingForAll is working. pic.twitter.com/cNIqaclqAj  Fianna Fail (@fiannafailparty) October 25, 2023

Minister O'Brien said:

Supply is central to dealing with all the key challenges in housing. All the key indicators are tending upwards. The number of planning permissions for the first nine months of this year were up.

In the same period, the number of new build homes commenced was almost 24,000 homes - a 14.3% increase on the same period last year. And now, todays CSO figures on completions show supply is increasing and that we are going in the right direction.

Our housing target for 2023 is 29,000 new homes and todays news strongly signals that we will meet this target  if not exceed it.

I also note that earlier this week that it was reported that the Construction Industry Federation were indicating that next year we could witness the biggest amount of housebuilding since the Celtic tiger era.

All of this momentum is welcome but we are not complacent. I have always said that there is no one single magic bullet to solve the housing crisis but rather a variety of complementary initiatives and reforms.

Whether its planning reforms, new supports for prospective home buyers, cost rental and other initiatives for tenants or incentives to encourage more construction, this Government is leaving no stone unturned to deliver on our targets under Housing for All.

The CSO data can be accessed here
GARDAI have seized dozens of scrambler bikes as part of major ongoing operations targeting dangerous driving in Limerick.

A planned operation targeting dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour incidents associated with the use of scrambler bikes and other off-road vehicles, took place earlier today, and on October 24.

Coordinated by Limerick City South (Roxboro Road) and Limerick City North (Henry Street) Community engagement Functional areas, the operation led to a total of 21 searches in various locations across Limerick city.

As a result of the operation, 44 scrambler bikes and off-road vehicles were seized, and five individuals have been arrested for suspected endangerment and dangerous driving.

The operation involved 30 members of Gardai, with additional support from the Armed Response Unit (ASU).

Superintendent Andrew Lacey, Henry Street Garda Station, said: "Gardai in Limerick welcome the new search and seizure powers under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 which have given us the capacity to carry out this targeted operation to confront a growing problem in the City. Through our various interactions in JPCs and local community meetings we received a clear message that this behaviour is causing fear, intimidation and distress across the City."

Mr Lacey added: "We are acutely aware of the problem ourselves and can correlate the use of scramblers and e scooters to criminal activities with a number of detections in the Sale and Supply of drugs in recent months. With the new powers in place, we plan to continue with these operations if those responsible continue to break the law, cause harm to communities or have a detrimental effect on business and traders in the city centre."
The Taoiseach has downplayed suggestions of a Cabinet row over revised plans to accommodate Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.

Leo Varadkar was responding to claims of discord between ministers on proposals for placing a three-month limit on the period the state would be obliged to provide accommodation for people fleeing the war.

The Government is looking at moving from the current open-ended arrangements amid concerns the state will have no accommodation left for new Ukrainian arrivals next year.

In the Dail on Wednesday, Aontu leader Peadar Toibin asked the Taoiseach to respond to claims of a ferocious row at the Cabinet table related to suspicions the plan was a politically motivated attempt to push the responsibility for housing Ukrainians from the Department for Integration to the Department for Housing.

Mr Toibin suggested cracks were appearing in the coalition as he asked Mr Varadkar whether the disagreement was a cosmetic row about shifting the difficulties from one department to another.

The Department for Integration is currently held by the Greens while Fianna Fail holds the housing portfolio.

Mr Toibin asked Fine Gael leader Mr Varadkar whether the alleged disagreement was evidence of parties making sure they were not holding this political hot potato come the next election, or an actual effort to make the system for housing refugees more sustainable.

The Taoiseach countered suggestions of a Cabinet bust-up.

I can say that rows in Government are much exaggerated, he said.

But he said the wider issue was a serious one.

Mr Varadkar said he was very proud of Irelands efforts to house around 100,000 Ukrainians since the war broke out, with 20,000 international protection applicants arriving from elsewhere in the world during the same period.

But he said it was becoming increasingly apparent that while there was no limit to the compassion of the Irish people there was a limit to state capacity.

We just dont know if we would be able to provide accommodation and all those additional supports if a further 30,000 to 50,000 people arrived over the course of the next year and based on current numbers it wouldnt be too far off that, said the Taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar also raised the issue of secondary movements of Ukrainian refugees who initially settled in one safe country before then deciding to move again to Ireland.

He acknowledged one factor was the attractive supports and benefits offered in Ireland.

And thats why we have to review the situation and were doing that at the moment and the overall intention would be to bring the offering we have more in line with other western European countries and that work is under way, he said.

There is no Government decision or agreement on it, but that work is under way at the moment.

The Government has increasingly struggled to find suitable accommodation for arriving refugees, amid a shortage of private and public housing stock and record high numbers of homeless people in the state.

The new proposals would see an end to the offer of indefinite stays at state-provided accommodation.

An initial 90-day stay at state accommodation centres would instead be offered.

After the three months, Ukrainian refugees would have to find a place to live in the private sector.

Under these proposals, it is understood that children would receive education during the 90 days at the centres and would not attend local schools until after this period.

Fiona Hurley, chief executive of migrant and refugee centre Nasc, told the PA news agency the organisation is very worried about more people facing homelessness.

The war in Ukraine is still ongoing and were likely to see an increase in numbers forced to leave over the winter as conditions deteriorate further, she said.

We understand that the Irish Government is under significant pressure but it is simply not feasible to just withdraw all state accommodation supports after a defined period and not have any follow-up plan for where people will live.

This issue is too important to be used as a political football, and everyone needs to work together to find practical solutions for beneficiaries of temporary protection in Ireland.

A spokesperson from the Department for Children said: More than 90,000 people who have fled the war in Ukraine are now living in Ireland, including more than 70,000 people who are in state-provided accommodation.

Ireland continues to keep its approach to supporting people arriving from Ukraine under ongoing review.

This ongoing review takes account of the need to shift from an emergency response towards a more sustainable medium-term approach, as well as the approach being adopted in other European Union member states.

No decision has been taken on a change to the current approach.
Empowering Business Together was the theme of the LEO Midwest conference for female entrepreneurs who took part in Irelands National Womens Enterprise day at the Clayton Hotel Limerick on Thursday, 19th October. This event is a flagship event for the Local Enterprises Offices around the Country. The focus of the full day programme was on female entrepreneurship and attracted extensive media attention. Across the conference, 140 attendees networked, engaged with leading industry experts and acquired valuable knowledge about the extensive range of supports available from LEO.

FURTHER INFORMATION HERE

PIC: l/r Deirdre Keating, SEDO LEO Clare, Ciana Campbell MC, Panelists: Clare Bannon, Founder & Director Indigo Clare, Eliza & Evie Ward, Founders Nutshed Nenagh, Aoife Lenihan MD Cara Motorhomes Limerick, Mayor of Limerick City & County Gerald Mitchell, Keynote Speaker: Fiona OCarroll, Mary Ryan SEDO, LEO Tipperary, Mike Cantwell, Head of Enterprise LEO Limerick, Ciara Farrell, SEDO LEO Limerick

There was a massive demand for tickets for this event  and participants saw it as both an opportunity to network and take time out to refresh and get motivated.  said Mary Ryan, Senior Enterprise Development Officer, LEO Tipperary Being an entrepreneur, an owner and employer can be lonely  this day empowers businesses by reminding them that they are all on a similar journey and can share knowledge to overcome challenges. Businesses often tell us they dont have time  and then thank us when they do take the time out to reflect and get inspired The LEOs are uniquely positioned to support the SME sector with grant supports, individual business mentoring and training for eligible businesses.

PIC: l/r: Evie & Eliza Ward, Mary Ryan Senior Enterprise Development Officer, LEO Tipperary

Ciana Campbell, former RTE broadcaster and award-winning journalist was MC and the keynote speaker was Fiona OCarroll a leader in business growth and mindset who spoke about the importance of building a peer network, how to continuously grow and develop core business skills.

PIC: Back row l/r:Ciana Campbell MC, Ciara Farrell, SEDO LEO Limerick, Clare Bannon, Indigo Clare, Mary Ryan SEDO, LEO Tipperary. Front row l/r: Evie Ward, Fiona OCarroll Keynote Speaker, Aoife Lenihan, MD Cara Motorhomes Limerick, Eliza Ward Nutshed Nenagh

Reinforcing the importance of LEO was a panel of expert speakers who outlined their entrepreneurial journey and the role that LEO has played in their development. The panel included Evie & Eliza Ward Nutshed, Nenagh; Aoife Lenihan, MD Cara Motorhomes Limerick and Claire Bannon Founder and Director of Indigo based in Clare - all spoke about issues affecting women in business and the importance of achieving a good work and homelife balance - the trending hashtag was #empoweringbusinesstogether.

PIC: l/r: Elaine Cullinan Economic Officer, Tipperary County Council, Celine Kinnane, LEO Tipp, Ita Horan LEO Tipp, Frankie Daly Arrabawn Co-op, Mary Ryan LEO Tipp, Madeline Ryan LEO Tipp

PIC: Panelist Discussion

PIC: Leah ODonoghue, Graphic Harvester capturing key moments from the day.

LEO, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland co-ordinate cohesive development for SMEs and micro enterprises. LEO Tipperary provides a First Stop Shop, ranging from advice on setting up a business, through to the provision of support and grants for feasibility studies, provision of financial support for the establishment of new businesses or expansion of existing ones and the provision of training and mentoring. Female entrepreneurs who possess a budding idea or wish to expand their existing business were strongly encouraged, throughout the event, to utilise the vital expertise of LEO.

PIC: Tipperary Business women captured

FURTHER INFORMATION - HERE

*SPONSORED CONTENT
[October 25, 2023] Marc Jourlait Joins Cathay Capital as Operating Partner and Innovative Motion Technologies Executive Chairman Tweet

Veteran Operator Joins IMT Board to Drive Strategic Growth and Value Creation Program NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cathay Capital Private Equity, a leading international investment firm, today announced the appointment of Marc Jourlait as Operating Partner of Cathay Capital and Executive Chairman of Cathay portfolio company Innovative Motion Technologies (IMT), a Germantown, Wisconsin-based industrial technology platform specializing in interface and control solutions serving a variety of end markets and sales channels. IMT is the parent platform of Raffel Systems and Micro-Air, two renowned brands. Since 1982, Raffel Systems has been the industry innovator in developing electronic motion controls, comfort-oriented systems, and innovative charging solutions for multiple end markets, including motion furniture, industrial, healthcare, bedding, hospitality and retail end-market applications. Since 1983, Micro-Air has been a leading designer and manufacturer of total control solutions focused on energy-efficient and reliable environmental control interfaces, primarily serving the after-market RV, marine and HVAC industries. Both brands are deeply respected for their heritage, innovation, quality, and customer service. Jourlait joins the company as it continues its growth trajectory in capturing market share in the motion technology and interface solutions sector. In his new role, he will support IMT's existing Management as the Company accelerates its organic growth across end markets, while also deepening its add-on acquisition program following the successful integration of Micro-Air, acquired by IMT in late 2021. Jourlait will steer the Company's strategic planning process, advise IMT's Management and Board on strategic initiatives, while supporting the evaluation of and integration of add-on acquisitions for the Compay.



Mark Woods, Partner and Head of North American Private Equity at Cathay Capital, expressed, "The inclusion of Marc in IMT's journey is a major milestone as we look to build off the significant momentum and growth IMT has experienced. Marc is an accomplished and seasoned operating executive with a world-class approach to the private equity operating partner role. The Cathay Capital team looks forward to working with Marc as he partners with IMT's existing Management to help drive the next stage of growth in the platform. As we deepen value creation at our portfolio companies, proven operating partners like Marc have enhanced our ability to support management teams and drive scale within our portfolio." Jourlait has a proven track record of executing successful PE assignments driving growth, integrating M&A and leading value-creation agendas. He serves as operating partner, board member and Chairman for portfolio companies of the Riverside Company and Oaktree Capital Management. He has also served as CEO of Kodak Alaris, Deputy CEO of Navico, and General Manager of Bose Europe. He has accumulated over three decades of experience, previously holding leadership roles in global giants like Apple, HP, Seagate, and Technicolor.

Marc Jourlait commented, "Joining IMT's Board at this juncture is both an honor and an exciting challenge. With a robust foundation in place and a strong Management team led by CEO Rich Weeden, I look forward to championing IMT's next phase of organic and inorganic growth and help drive significant value creation alongside the Cathay Capital team." About Cathay Capital

Cathay Capital is a global private equity and venture capital investment firm supporting companies throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The firm helps middle-market companies and startups navigate the opportunities for growth, international expansion, and sustainable transformation. Cathay is the partner of choice for companies aspiring to lead markets and make a positive impact. Its platform connects people with global reach and local expertise  from investors and entrepreneurs to management teams and leading corporations  to share knowledge, the tools to scale and to transform businesses. Founded in 2007 with a strong entrepreneurial heritage, Cathay Capital now manages more than $5.5 billion in assets. It has made over 280 investments in verticals including healthcare, technology, and consumer from offices in Paris, New York, San Francisco, Munich, Berlin, Madrid, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Singapore. About Innovative Motion Technologies

Innovative Motion Technologies (IMT) is a global industrial technology platform and industry-leading designer and supplier of unique interface and controls solutions across a diversified set of market applications. Product lines include motion controls, environmental control solutions, energy efficiency, comfort and massage systems, and power charging. IMT serves a variety of aftermarket and OEM end markets, including motion furniture, marine, industrial, healthcare, HVAC, RV, bedding, hospitality and retail end-market applications. For more information about Innovative Motion Technologies, please visit https://imtbrands.com. Media Contact: Mary Magnani, CodePR

marym@codepr.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marc-jourlait-joins-cathay-capital-as-operating-partner-and-innovative-motion-technologies-executive-chairman-301966641.html SOURCE Cathay Capital

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[October 25, 2023] Trip.Biz Sets New Milestones in Global Business Travel at Global Partner Conference Tweet

Empowering Intelligent and Efficient Business Travel through Innovation and Collaboration SINGAPORE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.com Group's Global Partner Summit and Trip.Biz Partner Conference, held on October 24, 2023, marked a significant milestone in the company's pursuit of globalization. Under the theme "Persisting in Boundless Exploration," the event emphasized Trip.Biz's commitment to becoming a global frontrunner in the business travel industry. During the conference, Trip.com Group COO Xiong Xing attended the launch ceremony of the "Global Impact Plan" and emphasized Trip.Biz's commitment to bringing a unique perspective to the international TMC industry. The Road to Globalization: Growth from the Ground Up Steven Zhang, the VP of Trip.com Group and CEO of Trip.Biz, presented the comprehensive "Global Impact Plan," which comprises three key components: the "Global Partner Growth Program," the "Global Business Travel Service System," and "Digitalization Practices." He highlighted Trip.Biz's dedication to exploring new countries and regions, helping global partners achieve globalization and digitalization. Trip.Biz has consistently strived for excellence in technology innovation, smart services, financial management, and global resources. Tech Innovation: Reshaping the Value of Global Business Travel Tao Song, CTO and General Manager of International Business at Trip.Biz, showcased the commitment to exploring and applying cutting-edge technology. Trip.Biz's "Automated Processing System" and "Mobile Solutions" are now at the forefront of the world's TMC industry. This year, Trip.Biz has implemented over 120 technology improvements. Trip.Biz also developed the "Gear Project" - an AI-based industry think tank that elevates professionalism and fosters a tech-driven service mindset within the TMC industry. Smart Service: Discovering Best Practices in Global Smart Services



Trip.Biz has established international service sites across Greater China, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Europe. After extensive testing and improvement, international service quality has surged by 80%, with the international service defect rate reduced to an impressive 0.034%. Integrating AI technology, Trip.Biz introduces Smart Calling, Smart Online Manager, and Smart Email Generator. These innovative tools enable accurate responses to enterprise needs within 1 second, boasting a remarkable 99% accuracy rate.

Financial Management: Digitalizing Corporate Travel Management Trip.Biz Global Payment Solutions has expanded its coverage to include four major business travel scenarios and offers a range of diversified corporate account payment methods, including UATP, BTA, and VCC payments. Now, more than 88% of Trip.Biz's total transaction volume is made through corporate account payments, ensuring clarity and convenience for businesses through integrated reconciliation and settlements. Global Resources: Jointly Spearheading Global Business Travel Advancement Trip.Biz brought together industry experts to discuss global collaboration and development in the panel discussion. The guests emphasized the significance of deep cooperation to maximize the synergistic effect. Trip.Biz currently offers international flights covering 147 countries and continues to pursue TMC IATA accreditation in 27 countries and regions. The business travel hotel network spans over 230 countries and regions, with partnerships established with nearly 2.4 million hotels worldwide. The international ride-hailing services cover over 60 countries and more than 600 cities. Global Partner Growth Program: Empowering Multi-Win Cooperation Trip.Biz's global development has been closely intertwined with the support and collaboration of numerous partners. In light of this, Violet Zong, the CMO of Trip.Biz, launched and provided an in-depth explanation of the "Global Partner Growth Program". The program encompasses multiple initiatives aimed at empowering global partners to thrive and succeed. One of Trip.Biz's key business partners, Unilever, actively participated in the conference. Vijay V Kulkarni, the Asia Pacific Travel & Expenses Manager at Unilever Limited, shared insights on how Unilever is actively pursuing strategic transformation while successfully implementing global travel management solutions. He highlighted the significance of cutting-edge technology and partners with a strong service mindset in unlocking new opportunities. He expressed confidence in Trip.Biz's ability to deliver the desired results, given their unique combination of capabilities. In the future, Trip.Biz is dedicated to leveraging digital capabilities, technological innovation, and an unwavering service mindset to enhance business travel management. This commitment supports global partners in improving efficiency and unlocking greater business potential. For more information about Trip.Biz offerings, please visit https://www.trip.biz/index/en. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tripbiz-sets-new-milestones-in-global-business-travel-at-global-partner-conference-301967315.html SOURCE Trip.Biz

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Educational exposure of ideas, assumptions or hypotheses, based on proven facts" (which need not be strictly current affairs) Value in judgments are excluded, and the text comes close to an opinion article, without judging or making forecasts , just formulating hypotheses, giving motivated explanations and bringing together a variety of data

A man with the bodies of victims of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza during a funeral in Khan Younis on Tuesday. MOHAMMED SALEM (REUTERS)

The Jewish philosopher Leo Strauss coined the idea that when someone draws a comparison to Hitler in an argument, it means they have already lost it. Since the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel and the response with massive bombings against Gaza, comparisons have multiplied. During the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hamas are the new Nazis. He also maintained that Israeli children had to hide in attics like Anne Frank. Previously, he had compared the crimes of the Palestinian Islamist militia with Babi Yar, the extermination of the Jews of Kyiv by the Nazis, who murdered 33,771 people in a ravine near the Ukrainian capital on September 29 and 30, 1941.

Likewise, there have been numerous comparisons of Israel with the Nazis, in demonstrations, on social media and by world leaders. The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on October 10 on his X (formerly Twitter) account that Gaza is today as destroyed or even more so as the Warsaw ghetto and that following the Jewish and socialist uprising, that concentration camp was destroyed by Nazi barbarism.

What is happening in the Middle East is so serious, so horrible, the human cost is so horrifying  Gaza authorities maintain that 750 Palestinians have died under bombardment on the Strip in the last 24 hours alone  ; the Hamas barbarity of October 7 demonstrated such a profound dehumanization of its victims, that any comparison with the Holocaust is not only misleading, but seems to minimize the current horror.

The Holocaust is a crime that does not allow comparison, but unfortunately it is not the only genocide that the 20th century or the 21st century have known. In their murderous raid, Hamas militants shot men, women and children, the vast majority of them civilians, murdering people just for being Jewish, just for being born. It is a crime against humanity. Why do we have to bring up the Holocaust?

The Shoah represented the first and only attempt to industrially murder an entire human group, the Jews, and it was the culmination of a project, Nazism, based on racism and crime. Historian and BBC journalist Laurence Rees ended his 2018 book The Holocaust by asking precisely this question: Is the Holocaust a unique event in history? His conclusion was clear. In recent times I have come to agree with the late Professor David Cesarini who, in a conversation we had a few years ago, put it very eloquently: Never before in history has a leader decided that, in a limited space of time, an ethnic or religious group had to be completely eliminated and that all the necessary equipment to carry out this goal would be created. That is unprecedented.

An Israeli soldier this Tuesday in front of the remains of victims of the Hamas attack on October 7. ABIR SULTAN (EFE)

The Babi Yar massacre, which Netanyahu has cited  the Israeli politician has already manipulated history and the Holocaust on other occasions  is a clear example: for the first time it was not a massive reprisal against civilians, nor a shooting of Jews in the open air as had taken place in Poland and Russia since the beginning of World War II, Nazis wanting to systematically exterminate all the Jews of Kyiv. The death camps, like Auschwitz or Treblinka, were also unique: killing factories equipped with gas chambers.

The Holocaust is a unique crime, but it also represents a lesson in how far human violence against human beings can go when a process of dehumanization is set in motion, when it is considered that the other does not deserve to live just because he or she exists.

Several jurists  including the former president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Lord Neuberger, and the lawyer and writer Philippe Sands  published a letter in the Financial Times in which they expressed their horror at what that was happening as Jews, with family and friends directly affected by the tragedy that has befallen Israel. They considered that Hamas had committed crimes against humanity and war crimes by violating the Geneva conventions and that Israel had the right to defend itself, but they also showed their significant concern about the response of the Jewish state  more than 2,300 children have died under bombs since the beginning of the offensive. In these times of pain and terror, the notion that there are laws that we must all live by is challenging but essential. Jewish history teaches us that we cannot give up on them, the article ended. The Holocaust is unique and therefore also represents a lesson: the abyss exists, and it has no bottom.
[October 24, 2023] Perfect Corp. Reports Unaudited Financial Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 Tweet

Perfect Corp. (NYSE: PERF) ("Perfect" or the "Company"), a global leader in providing augmented reality ("AR") and artificial intelligence ("AI") Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") solutions to beauty and fashion industries, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Highlights for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 Total revenues grew to $14.5 million, up 13.2% year over year, primarily due to strong growth momentum in AR/AI cloud solutions and subscription revenues.

grew to $14.5 million, up 13.2% year over year, primarily due to strong growth momentum in AR/AI cloud solutions and subscription revenues. Gross profit grew from $11.0 million in the third quarter of 2022 to $11.8 million in the same period of 2023.

grew from $11.0 million in the third quarter of 2022 to $11.8 million in the same period of 2023. Net Income was $3.5 million, compared to a net income of $1.6 million in the same period of 2022.

was $3.5 million, compared to a net income of $1.6 million in the same period of 2022. Adjusted net income (non-IFRS) 1 was $2.7 million, compared to adjusted net income (non-IFRS) of $2.3 million in the same period of 2022.

was $2.7 million, compared to adjusted net income (non-IFRS) of $2.3 million in the same period of 2022. The Company had 169 Key Customers 2 as of September 30, 2023, compared with 163 Key Customers as of June 30, 2023.

as of September 30, 2023, compared with 163 Key Customers as of June 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2023, the Company's customer base included 627 brand clients, with over 678,000 digital stock keeping units ("SKUs") for makeup, haircare, skincare, eyewear, and jewelry products, compared with 601 brand clients and over 655,000 digital SKUs as of June 30, 2023. Ms. Alice H. Chang, the Founder, Chairwoman, and Chief Executive Officer of Perfect, commented, "In the third quarter, our robust performance continued, underscoring the continuous top line revenue growth momentum of 13.2% year over year and our dedication to operational efficiency has led to an increase in gross profit and positive bottom line earnings. The strong demand for our AR/AI cloud solutions and mobile app subscription affirms the effectiveness of our strategic initiatives and our continuous investment in talent acquisition and technology innovation. We are also thrilled to report significant progress in our skincare solutions, where we've accelerated market adoption. Furthermore, we believe that our unwavering dedication to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to pioneer innovative, state-of-the-art features positions us with confidence for sustained and prosperous growth." Financial Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 Revenue Total revenue was $14.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, up by 13.2% from $12.9 million in the same period of 2022. AR/AI cloud solutions and subscription revenue increased to $11.4 million, representing 78.3% of total revenue, compared to $9.1 million in the same period of 2022. The 24.8% year-over-year increase was mainly due to robust demand for the Company's online virtual product try-on and skincare solutions from brand customers and strong growth momentum in its mobile beauty app subscriptions. The Company's mobile beauty app active subscribers grew by 62.5% year over year, reaching a record high of over 835,000 active subscribers at the end of the third quarter of 2023. This increase reflected elevated interests in the Company's mobile beauty app services from customers.

Licensing revenue, which is mostly generated from traditional offline services, decreased by 13.6% from $3.3 million in the same period of 2022 to $2.8 million, representing 19.5% of our total revenue, compared with 25.5% of total revenue in the second quarter of 2022. This indicates a comparatively lower demand for in-store services in contrast to online services from brands.

Advertisement revenue was $0.3 million, compared to $0.4 million in the same period of 2022. This change aligns with the Company's strategic emphasis on providing AR- and AI-SaaS solutions to customers, and allocating less resources to advertising services. Gross Profit Gross profit increased by 7.8% year-over-year to $11.8 million (or 81.2% gross margin) in the third quarter of 2023 from $11.0 million (or 85.3% gross margin) in the same period of 2022. This change in gross margin primarily stemmed from higher platform fees paid to third-party digital distribution platforms Apple and Google, which can be attributed to the Company's expanding subscriptions for its mobile beauty app. Total Operating Expenses Total operating expenses increased by 13.3% to $12.7 million for the three months ended September 30,2023, from $11.2 million in the same period of 2022. Sales and marketing ("S&M") expenses were $6.4 million, representing 44.3% of our total revenue, compared to $6.1 million and 47.8% of total revenue during the same period last year. The 4.9% year-over-year change was primarily due to increases in marketing and user acquisition costs.

Research and development ("R&D") expenses were $3.0 million, representing 20.9% of total revenue, compared to $2.6 million and 19.9% of total revenue during the same period last year. The 18.9% year-over-year change was resulted from an increase in R&D talent acquisition expenses.

General and administrative ("G&A") expenses were $3.2 million, representing 21.8% of total revenue, compared to $2.5 million and 19.3% of total revenue during the same period last year. The 28.1% year-over-year change was primarily due to an increase in public company-related costs. Net Income Net Income was $3.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to a net income of $1.6 million during the same period of 2022, showing a 126.7% year-over-year increase in our bottom line. Adjusted Net Income (Non-IFRS) Adjusted net income was $2.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to adjusted net income of $2.3 million in the same period of 2022. Liquidity As of September 30, 2023, the Company held $115.0 million in cash and cash equivalents (or $201.3 million when including 6-month time deposits of $86.3 million, which are classified as current financial assets at amortized cost under IFRS), compared to $37.2 million as of June 30, 2023 (or $198.0 million when including time deposits). Business Outlook Taking into account the recent advancements of products powered by AI and AR technology, the growing demand for the Company's enterprise SaaS solutions, and the strong momentum in the Company's mobile beauty app subscriptions, Perfect Corp. reiterates its 2023 full-year revenue outlook: The Company's total revenue year-over-year growth rate is expected to range from 11.5% to 14.5% compared to 2022. Note that this forecast is based on the Company's current assessment of the market and operational conditions, and that these factors are subject to change. Conference Call Information The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 7 a.m. Eastern Time on October 25, 2023 (7 p.m. Taipei Time on October 25, 2023) to discuss the financial results. For participants who wish to join the call, please complete online registration using the link provided below in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a participant dial-in number and a unique access PIN, which can be used to join the conference call. Registration Link: https://registrations.events/direct/Q4E61441 A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.perfectcorp.com. About Perfect Corp Founded in 2015, Perfect Corp. is a Beautiful AI Company and global leader in enterprise SaaS solutions for beauty, fashion, and skincare brands. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Generative AI, realtime facial and hand 3D augmented reality (AR) rendering and cloud solutions. Perfect empowers beauty, skincare, fashion brands and retailers by providing consumers with an enjoyable, personalized, and convenient omnichannel shopping experience through product try-ons and skin diagnostics. In addition, Perfect also operates a family of YouCam consumer apps for photo, video and camera users, centered on unleashing creativity with AI-driven features for creation, beautification and enhancement. With the help of technologies, Perfect helps brands elevate customer engagement, increase conversion rates, and propel sales growth. Throughout this journey, Perfect maintains its unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and fulfilling social responsibilities. For more information, visit https://ir.perfectcorp.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Perfect. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "target," "seek" or the negative or plural of these words, or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events or prospects, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including strategies or plans, are also forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on Perfect's reasonable expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Perfect's control. Forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Perfect to predict these events or how they may affect Perfect. In addition, risks and uncertainties are described in Perfect's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings may identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Perfect cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this communication will prove to be accurate. There may be additional risks that Perfect presently does not know or that Perfect currently does not believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by Perfect, its directors, officers or employees or any other person that Perfect will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. Except as required by applicable law, Perfect does not have any duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere after the date of this communication. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the views of Perfect as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures This press release and accompanying tables contain certain non-IFRS financial measures, including adjusted net income, as supplemental metrics in reviewing and assessing Perfect's operating performance and formulating its business plan. Perfect defined these non-IFRS financial measures as follows: Adjusted net income (loss) is defined as net income (loss) excluding one-off transaction costs3, non-cash equity-based compensation, non-cash valuation (gain)/loss of financial liabilities, and foreign exchange (gain)/loss. For a reconciliation of adjusted net income (loss) to net income (loss), see the reconciliation table included elsewhere in this press release. Non-IFRS financial measures are not defined under IFRS and are not presented in accordance with IFRS. Non-IFRS financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, which possibly do not reflect all items of expense that affect our operations. Share-based compensation expenses have been and may continue to be incurred in our business and are not reflected in the presentation of the non-IFRS financial measures. In addition, the non-IFRS financial measures Perfect uses may differ from the non-IFRS measures used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited. The presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. The items excluded from our adjusted net income are not driven by core results of operations and render comparison of IFRS financial measures with prior periods less meaningful. We believe adjusted net income provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our results of operations, as well as providing a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our business performance. Moreover, such non-IFRS measures are used by our management internally to make operating decisions, including those related to operating expenses, evaluate performance, and perform strategic planning and annual budgeting.







PERFECT CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS DECEMBER 31, 2022 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars) December 31,

2022 September 30,

2023 Assets Amount Amount Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 162,616 $ 114,969 Current financial assets at amortized cost 30,000 86,300 Current contract assets 3,660 3,116 Accounts receivable 7,756 6,641 Other receivables 314 1,274 Current income tax assets 77 193 Inventories 45 33 Other current assets 4,705 3,863 Total current assets 209,173 216,389 Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 289 312 Right-of-use assets 323 739 Intangible assets 119 96 Deferred income tax assets 244 216 Guarantee deposits paid 125 139 Total non-current assets 1,100 1,502 Total assets $ 210,273 $ 217,891

PERFECT CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (continued) DECEMBER 31, 2022 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars) December 31,

2022 September 30,

2023 Liabilities and Equity Amount Amount Current liabilities Current contract liabilities $ 13,024 $ 15,926 Other payables 9,308 9,703 Other payables - related parties 63 49 Current tax liabilities 155 - Current provisions 1,855 2,304 Current lease liabilities 251 406 Other current liabilities 261 131 Total current liabilities 24,917 28,519 Non-current liabilities Non-current financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss 3,207 1,355 Non-current lease liabilities 87 361 Net defined benefit liability, non-current 73 75 Guarantee deposits received 25 25 Total non-current liabilities 3,392 1,816 Total liabilities 28,309 30,335 Equity Capital stock Perfect Class A Ordinary Shares, $0.1 (in dollars) par value 10,147 10,147 Perfect Class B Ordinary Shares, $0.1 (in dollars) par value 1,679 1,679 Capital surplus Capital surplus 556,429 559,104 Retained earnings Accumulated deficit (385,884 ) (381,868 ) Other equity interest Other equity interest (407 ) (631 ) Treasury shares - (875 ) Total equity 181,964 187,556 Total liabilities and equity $ 210,273 $ 217,891 PERFECT CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE THREE MONTHS AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 AND 2023 (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars) Three months ended September 30 Nine months ended September 30 2022 2023 2022 2023 Items Amount Amount Amount Amount Revenue $ 12,850 $ 14,549 $ 36,229 $ 39,381 Cost of sales and services (1,886 ) (2,729 ) (5,168 ) (7,753 ) Gross profit 10,964 11,820 31,061 31,628 Operating expenses Sales and marketing expenses (6,141 ) (6,444 ) (18,228 ) (19,029 ) General and administrative expenses (2,477 ) (3,172 ) (7,177 ) (8,599 ) Research and development expenses (2,552 ) (3,035 ) (7,910 ) (8,431 ) Total operating expenses (11,170 ) (12,651 ) (33,315 ) (36,059 ) Operating loss (206 ) (831 ) (2,254 ) (4,431 ) Non-operating income and expenses Interest income 442 2,335 620 6,944 Other income 1 11 12 18 Other gains and losses 1,360 2,034 30,337 1,575 Finance costs (1 ) (5 ) (6 ) (10 ) Total non-operating income and expenses 1,802 4,375 30,963 8,527 Income before income tax 1,596 3,544 28,709 4,096 Income tax expense (40 ) (17 ) (201 ) (80 ) Net income $ 1,556 $ 3,527 $ 28,508 $ 4,016 Other comprehensive loss Components of other comprehensive loss that will not be reclassified to profit or loss Credit risk changes in financial instrument - Preferred shares $ - $ - $ (7 ) $ - Components of other comprehensive loss that will be reclassified to profit or loss Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations (952 ) (56 ) (1,953 ) (224 ) Other comprehensive loss, net $ (952 ) $ (56 ) $ (1,960 ) $ (224 ) Total comprehensive income $ 604 $ 3,471 $ 26,548 $ 3,792 Net income, attributable to: Shareholders of the parent $ 1,556 $ 3,527 $ 28,508 $ 4,016 Total comprehensive income attributable to: Shareholders of the parent $ 604 $ 3,471 $ 26,548 $ 3,792 Earnings per share (in dollars) Basic earnings per share of Class A and Class B Ordinary Shares $ 0.025 $ 0.030 $ 0.494 $ 0.034 Diluted earnings per share of Class A and Class B Ordinary Shares $ 0.015 $ 0.030 $ 0.001 $ 0.034 PERFECT CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED RECONCILIATION OF NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES - ADJUSTED NET INCOME CALCULATION FOR THE THREE MONTHS AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 AND 2023 (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars) Three months ended September 30 Nine months ended September 30 2022 2023 2022 2023 Items Amount Amount Amount Amount Net Income $ 1,556 $ 3,527 $ 28,508 $ 4,016 One-off Transaction Costs 1,491 - 4,316 33 Non-Cash Equity-Based Compensation 574 1,234 1,580 2,675 Non-Cash Valuation Gain of financial liabilities - (2,096 ) (28,374 ) (1,852 ) Foreign Exchange (Gain)/Loss (1,360 ) 62 (1,963 ) 277 Adjusted Net Income $ 2,261 $ 2,727 $ 4,067 $ 5,149 Category: Investor Relations __________________________

1 Adjusted net income (loss) is a non-IFRS financial measure. See the "Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section of this communication for the definition of such non-IFRS measure.

2 Key Customers refers to the Company's brand customers who contributed revenue of more than $50,000 in the trailing 12 months ended on the measurement date.

3 The one-off transaction cost in the third quarter of 2022 included professional services expenditures that the Company incurred in connection with the de-SPAC transaction. No such cost incurred in the same period of 2023. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024695384/en/

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[October 24, 2023] Runa Expands its Global Digital Value Payout Network, Now Supporting Growth of Gig, Disbursements, and Crypto Platforms Tweet

Runa's mass payout capabilities expand to over 40 countries, enabling instant crypto disbursements, affiliate and gig worker payouts in Asia, the US, Latin America, Europe, and Africa LAS VEGAS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Runa, the digital value infrastructure for instant global B2C payments, today announced a record expansion during 2023, following the launch of its latest, first-of-its-kind payment rail that unlocks all forms of digital value earlier this year. Over the past year, the company has diversified its customer base and introduced over 1,500 new payout types. Runa's digital value network now includes over 3,500 payouts in more than 40 countries and 25 currencies, enabling fee-free, instant global B2C payouts reaching over 2 billion consumers globally. "Runa's phenomenal growth around the world throughout 2023 demonstrates that businesses and consumers are hungry for better ways to use, store, and transfer the digital value they possess," said Aron Alexander, CEO and Founder of Runa. "Existing credit card rails, payment solutions, and digital wallets are not flexible enough to accommodate many modern use cases, and people cannot use their digital stored-value assets how and when they would like. We look forward to further expanding our solutions that unlock the full potential of digital value and provide a secure and efficient digital value infrastructure to businesses and merchants worldwide." Runa now powers a range of global platform busnesses, with new use cases launched in 2023 including gig economy payments, rebates, affiliate disbursements and crypto cashout. Unlocking new uses for digital value equips merchants and software businesses with a straightforward means of growing sales and bolstering customer relationships.



Singapore, where 7 in 10 consumers describe themselves as loyalty program enthusiasts, is prominent among the new markets where Runa launched in 2023. Singapore is a highly digitized society where almost all businesses conduct cross-border operations, and these factors, coupled with Singaporeans' high levels of engagement with loyalty programs, made its market an ideal fit for Runa's offering. Runa has already released 121 payout types in Singapore, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences. Key partnerships include Grab, 7 Eleven, Best Denki, Food Panda, IKEA, Paris Baguette, Qoo10, Zalora, Tada, and more. Founded as WeGift in 2016, Runa leverages the closed-loop prepaid and stored value ecosystem once used primarily for gift card processing to offer an all-encompassing digital payment network for all categories of digital assets. Runa's digital value infrastructure serves as a seamless and cost-effective mechanism for businesses to facilitate instant payouts to customers and employees. This expansive global digital value network enhances the liquidity of a wide array of digital assets by unifying various payment methods, currency issuers, merchant connectivity, stored value processors, and technology providers on a singular, cohesive software layer.

Visit runa.io to explore the website and learn about Runa's solutions. About Runa Runa is a digital value payments infrastructure and network that enables people to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly. The Runa network reaches more than 2 billion people and connects merchants, organizations, and individuals for fast, affordable, and data-rich payouts in more than 40 countries and 25 currencies. Organizations of all types rely on Runa's infrastructure to power the movement of digital value and better serve their constituents. Runa provides direct connections to its network partners, enabling value to move more efficiently and economically than legacy solutions. Thousands of the world's top brands use Runa to reward, incentivize, and disburse funds. Runa is headquartered in London with a globally distributed team. Our investors include Element Ventures, CommerzVentures, Clocktower Ventures, Volution Capital, AlbionVC, and SAP. For more information, visit runa.io. Media contact:

Ben Crome

Headline Media

[email protected]

UK: +44 7481 249328 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/runa-expands-its-global-digital-value-payout-network-now-supporting-growth-of-gig-disbursements-and-crypto-platforms-301966095.html SOURCE Runa

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[October 24, 2023] BLUETTI Launches EP760 Home Energy Storage Solution for Lower Electricity Cost Tweet

SYDNEY, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BLUETTI, a leading clean energy storage brand, will introduce its latest EP760 home backup power system in Australia on October 25th. This innovation ensures continuous home heating and lighting during power outages without high energy bills. Cost-Effective Energy Management Compatible with various solar panels, the EP760 system stores solar energy at an impressive 9,000W maximum rate. This stored energy serves as a dependable power source during nighttime or unexpected outages. Even without solar systems, the EP760 features a smart peak load shifting function, enabling users to charge during low-demand hours and discharge during peak times, effectively minimizing energy expenses. Excellent Capacity Featuring a 7,600W pure sine wave output, the EP760 could power all household appliances from refrigerators to power tools, and even electric vehicles. In modular design, the EP760 provides customizable energy storage.By combining the EP760 with two to four B500 battery packs, users can achieve an energy storage system ranging from 9,920Wh to 19,840Wh. This extensive capacity ensures a sufficient power supply during extended outages. Moreover, its responsive UPS feature allows a swift changeover in 10ms to keep the house running uninterruptedly.



Versatile Application Designed to adapt to diverse environments, the IP65-rated EP760 is water and dust resistant. Operating under 50 decibels, it easily fits into homes, cabins, and sheds. Its compact design allows vertical stacking, optimizing space usage. The internal self-heating function enables smooth operation even in temperatures as low as -20C, making it suitable for frigid regions.

Durable and Safe Safety and longevity are paramount to BLUETTI. The EP760 features reliable lithium iron phosphate batteries, known for their endurance of over 3,500 life cyclesequivalent to a decade of use. With a 10-year warranty and local service teams, BLUETTI ensures worry-free operation and support. Availability and Price The EP760 will be available on October 25th with a debut price of A$9,599. This powerful energy storage system will help everyone manage their power consumption more efficiently. About BLUETTI BLUETTI has been committed to promoting sustainability and green energy solutions since its inception. By offering eco-friendly energy storage solutions for both indoor and outdoor use, BLUETTI aims to provide exceptional experiences for our homes while also contributing to a sustainable future for our planet. This commitment to sustainable energy has helped BLUETTI expand its reach to over 100 countries and gain the trust of millions of customers worldwide. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bluetti-launches-ep760-home-energy-storage-solution-for-lower-electricity-cost-301964259.html SOURCE BLUETTI ENERGY PTY LTD

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[October 24, 2023] HESS INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Hess Corporation - HES Tweet

Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) to Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Hess will receive 1.0250 shares of Chevron for each share of Hess that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Maaging Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-hes/ to learn more.



To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024816907/en/

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[October 24, 2023] Vestas Inaugurates a New Seoul Office in South Korea Tweet

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Offshore wind is a growing sector in South Korea, and wind energy will play a significant role in South Korea's efforts to address climate change and enhance energy security. As a leader in sustainable energy solutions, Vestas is ready to collaborate with South Korea's as a vital partner in its climate initiatives. To further bolster our presence and expedite our contributions, Vestas has established a new office in Seoul, consolidating our APAC headquarters. This step signifies our dedication to strengthening our footprint in the region and continuing to serve our valued customers and partners with excellence. On October 24, 2023, Vestas hosted an office opening ceremony, where distinguished guests were invited to visit the new office. Among the attendees were Cheol-won Kang, Vice Mayor of Seoul, Svend Olling, Ambassador of Denmark to the Republic of Korea, and other industry stakeholders. This event served as an opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to supporting the introduction of offshore wind energy in South Korea. "The transition to clean energy is gaining traction in the APAC region. Major markets in the region have already set forth plans for achieving carbon neutrality and renewable energy targets. As a leader in sustainable energy solutions, we are dedicated to playing a pivotal role in facilitating the region's energy transition. Our APAC leadership team will continue to spearhead efforts to assist our customers and driving the business forward from the new APAC headquarters," stated Purvin Patel, APAC President. "I look forward to the establishment of Vestas' APAC headquarters in Seoul leading to business success and serving as a catalyst for promoting investment in renewable energy industry in Seoul. The city of Seoul will contiue to provide support with great interest," remarked Cheol-won Kang, Vice Mayor of Seoul.



"Leveraging its strong industrial foundation and advanced economy, South Korea has the potential to emerge as a prominent hub for wind energy and a leader in the transition to cleaner energy in the APAC region. Together with our customers and partners, we are ready to support South Korea's climate goals and contribute to the sustainable growth of the wind industry in the country," added Srdan Cenic, VP Offshore Sales APAC & General Manager Korea. For media inquiries, please contact:

Megumi Sakuma

Marketing & Communications Manager

Vestas Asia Pacific

[email protected]

Tel: +81 90 6723 5325

About Vestas

Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 169 GW of wind turbines in 88 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 149 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 29,000 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images. We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas

www.linkedin.com/company/vestas

www.facebook.com/vestas

www.instagram.com/vestas

www.youtube.com/vestas View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/vestas-inaugurates-a-new-seoul-office-in-south-korea-301966612.html SOURCE Vestas Asia Pacific

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[October 24, 2023] HKUST Launches Student Recruitment Campaign in South Korea Tweet

HONG KONG, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), ranked No. 2 worldwide in Times Higher Education's Young University Rankings 2023, will run recruitment activities in South Korea, including an admission talk coming Saturday in Seoul for students and parents to learn about the University. Details of Admission Talk

Date: October 28, 2023

Time: 11:00am-12:00nn

Venue: 3/F, JustCo Tower, 431 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Registration: https://ust.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aUYHawQtVO6HgHA Korean students have long favored HKUST as a top destination for pursuing their university degrees, comprising the largest portion of the University's international student body with nearly 500 students. One of these Korean students is PARK Jungjin, who was admitted to HKUST in 2014 and is currently a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering. He has remained with HKUST since it provided ample support for him to co-foundhis own start-up company, VisionARi. The company originated from his MPhil research on developing augmented reality (AR) teaching materials. Jungjin admires HKUST's dedication to fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among its students. As of September 2023, HKUST members have founded 1,747 active start-ups, including 9 Unicorns and 13 exits, generating economic impact worth over KRW 6.8 trillion.



Another Korean student, HAN Gyungchae, is a third-year undergraduate student in Computer Science and Engineering  one of HKUST's prestigious programs ranked top in Hong Kong. Applying the expertise and skills he learnt at HKUST, He is currently interning as a data scientist at "A Twosome Place", a well-known cafe franchise in Korea. HKUST graduates have constantly been ranked among the top 30 best employees worldwide for the past decade. Taking the 2022 batch of Korean graduates for example, they secured jobs at internationally renowned corporations such as JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and others with an average monthly income amounting to KRW 5,391,672. Gyungchae will share his experience and the career support at HKUST during the admission talk. HKUST is the first university in Hong Kong to utilize generative AI technology in courses and establish best practices. It offers a novel academic framework "Major + X" for students to simultaneously pursue traditional programs and emerging hot topics such as AI. The upcoming admission talk will introduce more innovative teaching measures at HKUST.

Korean students interested to apply to HKUST for 2024 admissions can visit the University's official webpage to submit applications. Early round applications are open now until November 21 and offers will be announced in late December. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/hkust-launches-student-recruitment-campaign-in-south-korea-301965596.html SOURCE The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

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[October 24, 2023] SUNRATE and Sabre sign agreement to elevate the business payments experience in the Asia-Pacific region Tweet

SINGAPORE, Oct. 24, 2023 /CNW/ -- SUNRATE, the intelligent global payment and treasury management platform, and Sabre, a leading provider of software and technology that powers the global travel industry, announced at Travel Tech Asia 2023 a new agreement that will help improve and automate the business payments experience for travel companies in the region. As part of the agreement, SUNRATE's virtual commercial cards (VCCs) will be integrated with Sabre's Virtual Payments. This means that stakeholders such as Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and Travel Management Companies (TMCs) on Sabre's platform, are now able to use SUNRATE's VCCs for their business payments needs, such as payment to airlines, hotels and suppliers worldwide. Additionally, travel stakeholders are also able to scale and expand in the Asia-Pacific region seamlessly, given that SUNRATE VCCs allow the settlement of card spends in more than 15 currencies. Shawn Qin, Head of Card Business, SUNRATE said, "For the past year, SUNRATE has been revolutionising travel B2B payments with a series of announcements such as our strategic partnership with Agoda and the launch of new VCCs with Mastercard and Visa network. We remain committed to continuously innovate our online travel solution offerings and this partnership with Sabre puts us firmly on track to be the one-stop B2B partner for the travel industry." "We are pleased to partner with SUNRATE to enhance the payment experience of our B2B customers, expanding our virtual card offering in such an important maket like APAC," said Celia Pereiro, vice president of Sabre Virtual Payments at Sabre. "At Sabre we are determined to meet the evolving needs of our customers in the travel industry, and investing in our virtual payments business has been a key part of that. We are now taking Sabre Virtual Payments to the next level with new partners and enhanced cutting-edge capabilities that automate the payment process and makes it more secure, efficient and easy. This agreement is another step towards our vision to create an open and independent payments ecosystem for the entire travel industry."



SUNRATE is the principal member of both Mastercard & Visa network and is certified to the international financial data security standard: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1. About SUNRATE

SUNRATE is an intelligent global payment and treasury management platform for businesses worldwide. Since its inception in 2016, SUNRATE is recognised as a leading solution provider and has enabled companies to operate and scale both locally and globally in 190+ countries and regions with its cutting-edge proprietary platform, extensive global network, and robust APIs. With its global headquarters in Singapore and offices in Hong Kong, Jakarta, London and Shanghai, SUNRATE partners with the top global financial institutions, such as Citibank, Standard Chartered, Barclays and is the principal member of both Mastercard and Visa. To learn more about SUNRATE, visit https://www.sunrate.com/. About Sabre Corporation Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveller experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.sabre.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sunrate-and-sabre-sign-agreement-to-elevate-the-business-payments-experience-in-the-asia-pacific-region-301960180.html SOURCE Sunrate

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[October 24, 2023] Azul State of Java Survey & Report 2023: 82% of Businesses Using Java Today are Concerned with Oracle's Fourth Major Change to their Licensing/Pricing Policies and 72% are Exploring Java Alternatives Tweet

Organizations indicate Java is the backbone of most of their applications, with higher-performance Java implementations playing a critical role in cloud cost optimization

80% of respondents report being affected by Log4Shell, emphasizing the ongoing threat of security vulnerabilities in Java applications SINGAPORE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Azul , the only company 100% focused on Java, released its first annual Azul State of Java Survey & Report today, an authoritative guide to understanding the current pulse, trajectory and sentiments surrounding Java. The report includes responses from more than 2,000 Java users globally to unveil unparalleled insights into how Java holds its ground in today's dynamic technology environment and its impact on enterprises large and small. Areas explored in the survey include Java adoption trends, the effect of Oracle's latest Java pricing change; the migration of Java apps to the cloud and how companies are optimizing cloud costs; as well as security considerations for common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). Of all the businesses surveyed for this report, an overwhelming 98% use Java in their software applications or infrastructure, and 57% of those organizations indicate that Java is the backbone of most of their applications. When including Java-based frameworks, libraries and other languages that use the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the data shows that Java continues to play a fundamental role in today's enterprises. Oracle Java's Licensing Changes Have Enterprises Looking Elsewhere More than 8 out of 10 respondents (82%) using Oracle Java said they are concerned about the new Java SE Universal subscription pricing introduced in January The fourth major licensing/pricing change in four years, the cost of Oracle Java changed from being based on the number of processors used by Java applications to the total number of employees and contractors in the organization. More than 7 out of 10 (72%) respondents said they were considering open source alternatives such OpenJDK, and of those who were not, 14% said it didn't occur to them that they could. While Oracle remains a strong player in the Java market with 42% of respondents indicating they still use at least one instance of Oracle Java, 74% of those organizations stated they also use a JDK from at least one OpenJDK provider. About 60% of companies have chosen an OpenJDK distribution over Oracle Java SE. "As with most universities, we are always looking for efficiency from our IT vendor relationships, not just by lowering costs, but also by eliminating uncertainty and distractions. Supporting so many departments and managing a wide range of vendor relationships means I can't afford to worry about unexpected headaches such as price increases and audits," said Emiliano Fisanotti, vendo management specialist and University Software Licensing Community executive member, The University of Sydney. "With Azul we found a trusted partner who was easy to work with and provided a secure, drop-in replacement for Oracle Java."



Other key findings of the State of Java Survey & Report 2023 include: Java Plays a Critical Role in Cloud Cost Optimization

90% of respondents are using Java in a cloud environment: public (48%), private (47%) or hybrid (40%). The cloud landscape is rapidly transforming, with organizations continuing their advance to the cloud for scalability, flexibility, productivity, and agility  yet cost and security remain two of the leading challenges. In a telltale sign of overprovisioning cloud resources, nearly 70% of companies say they are paying for cloud capacity that they are not using. As would be expected in uncertain economic times, the majority of companies (95%) have taken steps to lower their cloud costs in the past year. To reduce public cloud costs, 46% of businesses are taking advantage of a high-performance Java platform to use cloud resources more efficiently. "Enterprises often don't use all the cloud computing they pay for due to the over-provisioning of virtual servers required to accommodate spikes in demand from ultra high-performing applications and those where end-user experience is paramount. But this creates challenges for IT teams facing a difficult budget environment that requires more efficient use of resources," said Jevin Jensen, research vice president, Intelligent CloudOps, IDC. "Running Java applications and infrastructure with a faster and more efficient JVM can provide superior performance, consistency, and the capacity to address these challenges, gaining tangible business results today." Log4Shell Vulnerability Had Widespread Security Impact on Organizations The widespread impact of a single compromised Java-based logging library (Log4j) emphasizes the ongoing threat of security vulnerabilities in Java applications. Almost 80% of respondents reported being affected by Log4Shell, which the Department of Homeland Security called "one of the most serious software vulnerabilities in history." Nearly half were impacted by the extra time required of their engineering teams to address this vulnerability, and 30% were impacted by attempts to exploit the vulnerability. Third-party and open-source applications and libraries are the most concerning sources of CVEs  nearly two out three survey respondents say exactly that, with 57% listing open-source libraries and applications as the most concerning sources of CVEs, and 51% specifying that third-party libraries and applications are the most concerning sources of CVEs. "As the State of Java Survey & Report data reveals, Java's enduring prominence and role in enabling enterprises to thrive is undeniable, and high-performance JVMs are playing a pivotal role in meeting application service levels and cloud cost optimization. The choices businesses make around Java directly impact their operational efficiency and the bottom line," said Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO at Azul. "Concerns raised over Oracle's recent Java licensing and pricing changes also highlight a need for stability and trust in the technology partnerships that businesses form with their strategic vendors. Our sole focus is to champion this trust, ensuring that organizations of all sizes can continue to innovate, optimize and grow with the best Java solutions and strategies." To access the full Azul State of Java Survey & Report 2023, click here. About the Report The report data was compiled from Java professionals and those that use or deploy Java-based applications and infrastructure at all seniority levels. Participants from companies of all sizes were invited to take part in a survey on their company's use of specific computer languages. 98% of the companies surveyed indicated they had responsibility for Java. A total of 2,062 qualified participants from six continents completed the survey. Dimensional Research, a leading market research firm, administered the electronic survey. Some participants were offered token compensation for their participation. About Azul Systems Inc. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Azul provides the Java platform for the modern cloud enterprise. Azul is the only company 100% focused on Java. Millions of Java developers, hundreds of millions of devices and the world's most highly regarded businesses trust Azul to power their applications with exceptional capabilities, performance, security, value and success. Azul customers include 27% of the Fortune 100, 50% of Forbes top-10 World's Most Valuable Brands, all 10 of the world's top-10 financial trading companies and leading brands like Avaya, Bazaarvoice, BMW, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Telekom, LG, Mastercard, Mizuho, Priceline, Salesforce, Software AG and Workday. Learn more at azul.com and follow us @azulsystems . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/azul-state-of-java-survey--report-2023-82-of-businesses-using-java-today-are-concerned-with-oracles-fourth-major-change-to-their-licensingpricing-policies-and-72-are-exploring-java-alternatives-301965584.html SOURCE Azul

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[October 24, 2023] TECNO launches 'Portrait for Everyone' Short Film to Celebrate its Distinguished Multi-Skin Tone Imaging Technology Tweet

Produced by BBC StoryWorks, the captivating short film focuses on TECNO's new Universal Tone technology that Capture Everyone's Brilliance and Beauty in One Picture LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative technology brand TECNO worked with BBC StoryWorks, BBC Studios' commercial content division, to present 'Portrait for Everyone', a compelling short film showcasing how TECNO Universal Tone technology revolutionizes multi-skin tone imaging to properly represent everyone in one picture. The new short film highlights the power of this advanced technology to deliver a more inclusive smartphone imaging experience, featuring insightful storytelling from the esteemed professors who partnered with TECNO to develop Universal Tone. TECNO Universal Tone is a most advanced AI-Powered multi-skin tone imaging technology that has been developed to meticulously understand and capture the beauty of the world's diverse range of skin tones. Jack Guo, General Manager of TECNO, said: "From this thrilling film, we want to convey our mission behind Universal Tone, which is to redefine portrait photography, making it a truly inclusive and emotional experience. We aim to ensure that every individual, regardless of skin tone, feels seen and included through the lens of our technology." Shining the spotlight on the major challenges of portrait imaging, 'Portrait for Everyone' reveals how Universal Tone combines three powerful engines  Multi-Skin Tone Restoration Engine, Local-Tuning Engine, and AI-Powered Computational Portrait Engine  to address these hurdles with precision and finesse. Foryears, overexposed or desaturated images have failed to depict the true beauty of skin tone diversity, while AI promises much but is often trained with historically biased data. TECNO partnered with Dr Kaida Xiao, associate professor in Colour and Imaging Science of University of Leeds and TECNO Technical Advisor, to create a better solution through creating a more inclusive color card.



"TECNO and I embarked to explore the potential of technology to better reflect a variety of skin tones," Dr Kaida Xiao stated in this film. "With the help of unbiased data, we could help integrate more advanced AI into TECNO's camera system, specifically trained to capture the beauty of diverse skin tones."

'Portrait for Everyone' explores how portraits are not just visual; they are deeply emotional, resonating profoundly with people's confidence in the psychological aspect. Therefore, creating technologies where everyone feels seen is vitally important. Professor of Psychological and Behavioral Science, Dr. Thomas Curran eloquently notes, "Our confidence and self-worth aren't solely shaped by individual reflections, but also by how we perceive ourselves within a community. Authenticity in images helps maintain this delicate balance, grounding us in reality." Universal Tone embodies TECNO's in-depth knowledge of global users' demands and caters to the aesthetic preferences of consumers in different regions. Besides personal elements, the technology also ensures users' portraits are perfectly in tune with the world around them, with images fully tailored to the local environments, lighting conditions, geomorphological landscape, color temperature and more, achieving perfect harmony between people and their surroundings. Jack Qiu, Shaw Foundation Professor of Media Technology at Nanyang Technological University, and TECNO's Advisor on Asian Skin Tone and Portrait Aesthetic, said: "By enriching the imaging capabilities of TECNO's camera from this specific cultural dimension, we hope to add layers of emotional and aesthetic richness to every shot, making each one a mirror that reflects and respects its origin." Every face tells a story, every culture has its own canvas. TECNO is missioned to ensure every story is heard and every canvas celebrated. The 'Portrait for Everyone' underlines TECNO's dedication to inclusivity, customer-centricity, and a globalized strategy that caters to diverse requirements and preferences of consumers. As it charts the limitless horizons of technology, TECNO extends an open invitation to all, encouraging consumers to harness the power of Universal Tone for a future where the authentic self shines brightly and boldly. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tecno-launches-portrait-for-everyone-short-film-to-celebrate-its-distinguished-multi-skin-tone-imaging-technology-301966642.html SOURCE TECNO MOBILE LIMITED

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[October 24, 2023] UIPATH SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against UiPath Inc. - PATH Tweet

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until November 6, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against UiPath Inc. (NYSE: PATH), if they purchased the Companys shares between April 21, 2021 and March 30, 2022, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help UiPath investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-path or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit UiPath and certain of its executves are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.



On March 30, 2022, the Company, a global provider of robotic process automation software, announced its financial results for the quarter and year ended January 31, 2022, disclosing disappointing earned revenues results as well as guidance for ARR (annualized renewal run-rate, an important indicator of the Companys success) and revenue that were substantially below consensus analysts expectations, indicating that the declining growth trends adversely impacting the Company were expected to continue. On this news, shares of UiPath fell $7.45, or more than 25%, to close at $21.59 per share on March 31, 2022.

The case is Gera v. UiPath, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-7908. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.



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La Rioja, Spain, is a small community (with 323,465 inhabitants, according to the National Statistics Institute, INE), but it has a vast paleontological heritage that extends over 170 sites, which have nearly 11,000 dinosaur footprints, as well as different bone sediments.

The most recent discovery located fossil remains belonging to dinosaur species that knew how to swim or were at least able to swim through large volumes of water. University of La Rioja researcher Pablo Navarro has identified 27 footprints (ichnites) of this kind of dinosaurbipedal, non-avian (ancestor of birds) and tridactyl (three-toed)which inhabited La Rioja over 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.

They are ichnites with special morphologies, since they belong to dinosaurs that were swimming, not walking, which is the most common behavior in the footprints that we see in La Rioja and in other parts of the planet, says Navarro of this discovery in Laguna de Cameros. The tracks are of variable length (from 8.5 to 29.2 centimeters, or 3.3 inches to 11.5 inches) and the dimensions change depending on the animals posture and movements when it touched the bottom of the water. At the site, larger and smaller marks have been found, which could correspond to different species or to adult and young dinosaurs of the same species, Navarro explains.

The researcher attributes the footprints to spinosaurids (bipedal predators) that were trying to get over the water flow. According to Navarro, the dinosaurs could use different techniques to swim. The study of the ichnites (footprints) suggests that the animals body floated partially or completely. For this reason, in the first case, the footprints are elongated, while in the second, they more clearly show the tips of the toes that the dinosaurs used to balance their gait and keep moving forward.

Evidence of dinosaurs found in La Rioja, Spain. Urioja

Navarro explains that there was already evidence in La Rioja of this aquatic ability of dinosaurs specifically at the Virgen del Campo site, in Enciso, a town located 24 kilometers from Laguna de Cameros but in another Ebro river valley and separated by a mountain range. According to the University of La Rioja paleontologist, there are only a dozen sites of ichnites of swimming dinosaurs in the world.

The Laguna de Cameros site was discovered in 2020 by Jorge Tierno, a resident of this small town with a population of just over 100 inhabitants. Scientists from the universities of La Rioja, Complutense (Madrid), Pais Vasco, Nacional de Rio Negro (Argentina) and Cantabria, as well as the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, were also involved in this research.

We found 27 footprints and there is no other evidence. They are on a cliff, in an area that is not very accessible, explains Navarro. In another town in La Rioja, Igea, Navarro also identified footprints of theropods that could run at 45 kilometers (28 miles) per hour, one of the highest speeds recorded for this type of dinosaur.

The most complete bone remains of the spinosaurid dinosaur in Europe were also found in this area of La Rioja. The animal had enormous dimensions; it was 8 meters (26 feet) long and 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall and weighed close to a ton and a half. The dinosaur lived in the mountains of what is now La Rioja 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.

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[October 25, 2023] CoinEx and SlowMist Join Forces to Strengthen Crypto Security Tweet

HONG KONG, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinEx, a global cryptocurrency exchange serving over 5 million users worldwide, today announced a new strategic alliance with SlowMist, a premier and reputable blockchain security provider, further to strengthen the platform's security infrastructure and protections. This collaboration builds on CoinEx's ethos of prioritizing security and user interests while enabling hassle-free crypto trading since its inception in 2017. Elevating Existing Security Infrastructure By integrating SlowMist's capabilities and expertise in blockchain threat intelligence with CoinEx's crypto trading platform, this partnership aims to create robust safeguards for user assets. CoinEx and SlowMist will be focusing especially on AML (Anti-money laundering) for now. Also, this partnership enables CoinEx to tap industry-leading capabilities in tracing, asset tracking, and knowledge sharing to enhance security practices. Most importantly, to continue demonstrating CoinEx's unwavering commitment to user interests and user-centric values. Building Comprehensive Security Services and Innovative Products Founded in 2018 by industry veterans, SlowMist offers a comprehensive suite of security services including AML (Anti-money laundering) software, audits, monitoring, threa intelligence, and consulting. The company has safeguarded major platforms by identifying risks and providing tailored solutions. SlowMist also developed innovative blockchain security products and has discovered and disclosed many critical vulnerabilities to raise awareness across the ecosystem. SlowMist's specialized expertise will reinforce CoinEx's defenses and enable seamless, secure crypto trading.



Underscoring CoinEx's Commitment to Platform Security The collaboration represents the latest move in CoinEx's unrelenting efforts to evaluate and upgrade security protocols. With SlowMist's guidance, CoinEx will be implementing AML (Anti-money laundering) software as the paramount focus right now alongside rigorous security audits, real-time threat monitoring, and 24/7 incident response. This empowers the exchange to constantly enhance protections in line with evolving risks. As a result, users can seize opportunities in crypto with complete assurance.

By collaborating with allies like SlowMist, CoinEx is constructing a more secure and reliable ecosystem for a seamless crypto trading experience. Together, the partnership is contributing to the industry's sustainable growth so users across the world can explore the Web3 scene freely. While CoinEx offers 700+ coins and tokens and 1,100+ trading pairs with 100% reserve, this strategic alliance exemplifies CoinEx's commitment to upholding security and usability as its core values. By providing a premier platform protected by industry-leading security protocols, CoinEx strives to realize its vision of making crypto accessible for all. About CoinEx Established in 2017, CoinEx is a global cryptocurrency exchange committed to making trading easier. The platform provides a range of services, including spot and margin trading, futures, swaps, automated market maker (AMM), and financial management services for over 5 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Founded with the initial intention of creating an equal and respectful cryptocurrency environment, CoinEx is dedicated to dismantling traditional finance barriers by offering easy-to-use products and services to make crypto trading accessible for everyone. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coinex-and-slowmist-join-forces-to-strengthen-crypto-security-301966779.html SOURCE CoinEx Global Limited

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[October 25, 2023] Viridi Expands Global Presence with Launch of MENA Subsidiary Tweet

Viridi, a developer of innovative battery technology that can be safely installed and operated in nearly any environment or location, is expanding its global presence through the launch of Viridi MENA. This subsidiary, headquartered in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, will work with partners in the region to manufacture and deploy Viridi's unique fail-safe lithium-ion battery energy storage systems throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Eng.Nabelah Al-Tunisi, a distinguished figure in the regional energy industry who is renowned for her previous role as Chief Engineer at Saudi Aramco, will lead Viridi MENA as company president. According to the Middle East Institute, MENA countries are ambitiously aiming to generate between 15% - 50% of their power from renewable energy sources by 2030. To meet the burgeoning energy demand, the region anticipates the installation of an estimated 92 GW of new power generation capacity by 2025, a substantial 27% increase over the 2018 capacity levels. MENA remains well-positioned to harness its competitive advantages, including abundant renewable energy resources, cost-effective procurement options, and readily available financing, to scale up the deployment of energy storage solutions. "Viridi's battery architecture and safety outcomes stand apart from all other solutions currently offered in the energy storage sector," said Al-Tunisi. "In addition to being one of the safest and most reliable storage technologies available, Viridi's distributed energy storage systems are affordable, versatile, and scalable, making it the perfect solution for helping the region achieve its renewable energy commitments. I look forward to makin a significant contribution to Viridi's growth and success by helping to bring this solution to the global marketplace."



Al-Tunisi brings with her an impressive career spanning 32 years at Saudi Aramco, one of the world's largest energy conglomerates. Her role as Chief Engineer of Engineering at Saudi Aramco involved providing invaluable guidance and insights into the direction of projects, operations, and strategic planning for the company. Prior to her appointment as Chief Engineer, she served Saudi Aramco as the General Manager of Northern Area Project Management, where she successfully executed multiple mega projects and managed a $40 billion capital program. "Governments throughout the MENA region have set ambitious renewable energy targets, and the expansion of energy storage capacity, characterized by safety and reliability, is the linchpin to achieving this transition," said Viridi CEO Jon M. Williams. "Nabelah is exceptionally well-suited to guide Viridi through these challenges, and I am confident that her unparalleled expertise and extensive industry relationships make her an asset to our team and to our partners in today's global marketplace."

IMAGE: Eng.Nabelah Al-Tunisi, President of Viridi MENA About Viridi Viridi designs and builds battery systems that redefine energy storage and powering the transition to renewable energy. Its innovative, fail-safe battery systems, developed from materials used for aerospace and military applications, bring on-demand, affordable power wherever it is needed, replacing applications that have been historically dominated by fossil fuel energy sources. Viridi brings point-of-use energy storage that is safe, reliable, scalable, and affordable for use in industrial, medical, commercial, municipal, and residential building applications. The company's 42-acre campus, a former GM manufacturing facility, is bringing green jobs and workforce training opportunities to one of the nation's most impoverished zip codes while also serving as a model of how adaptive reuse projects can spur the economy and revitalize communities. Learn more at: www.viridiparente.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024035875/en/

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[October 25, 2023] Cloud Artificial Intelligence Market to Reach $887 Billion, by 2032 at 35.8% CAGR: Allied Market Research Tweet

The global cloud artificial intelligence is growing rapidly due to an increasing availability of cloud-based AI services, the growing usage of mobile devices, and the surge in technological advancements. NEW CASTLE, Del., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Cloud Artificial Intelligence Market by Component (Solution and Service), Technology (Deep Learning, Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Others) and Industry Vertical (BFSI, Retail and E-commerce, Healthcare, Automotive & Transportation, Government and Defense and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032". According to the report, the Cloud artificial intelligence industry generated $42.7 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $887 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 35.8% from 2023 to 2032. Cloud artificial intelligence offers technology solutions for every stage of the AI lifecycle, encompassing the development of features, models, and applications, their deployment, ongoing maintenance, and internal distribution within an organization. AI platforms form a comprehensive category of technologies that assist in all facets of the AI lifecycle. Additionally, users have the flexibility to operate cloud artificial intelligence solutions on their preferred infrastructure, whether it's on-premises, in a private cloud, a hybrid cloud, or a public cloud. Users are responsible for managing the infrastructure, ensuring scalability, elasticity, reliability, and security within their chosen environment. Prime determinants of growth The increasing availability of cloud-based AI services, the growing usage of mobile devices, and the surge in technological advancements are the major factors that drive the growth of the global cloud artificial intelligence market. However, data privacy, security concerns and costs and budget constraints hamper the growth of the market. Furthermore, the rise in integration of industry 4.0, creates opportunities for Cloud Artificial Intelligence solutions to optimize business operations. Download Sample Pages: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/9729 Report coverage & details:







Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $42.7 Billion Market Size in 2032 $887 Billion CAGR 35.8 % No. of Pages in Report 289 Segments covered Component, Technology, Industry Vertical and Region. Drivers The increasing availability of cloud-based AI services. The growing usage of mobile devices. The surge in technological advancements. Opportunities The rise in integration of industry 4.0 Restraints Data privacy and security concerns Costs and budget constraints

Covid-19 Scenario The cloud artificial intelligence market witnessed stable growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to the dramatically increased dependence on digital devices. The surge in online presence of people during the period of COVID-19-induced lockdowns and social distancing policies fueled the need for cloud artificial intelligence solutions.

In addition, with the majority of the population confined in homes during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses needed to optimize their business operations and offerings to maximize their revenue opportunities while optimizing their operations to support the rapidly evolving business environment post the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Buy this Complete Report (289 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/cloud-artificial-intelligence-market/purchase-options The solution segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on component, the solution segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-third of the cloud artificial intelligence market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the high level of security and cost efficiency provided by the cloud AI solutions. However, the service segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 38.3% from 2023 to 2032, as businesses intending to implement cloud artificial intelligence technologies find cloud computing's benefits, such as scalability, flexibility, and lower infrastructure costs, compelling. The deep learning segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on technology, the deep learning segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing for more than two-fifths of the cloud artificial intelligence market revenue, owing to growth in the usage of deep learning solutions in several industries. However, the others segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 41.3% from 2023 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. It provides several advantages such as reducing costs, supporting business, and effectively controlling the business environment in the organization. The IT and telecommunications segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on industry vertical, the IT and telecommunications segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for around one-fourth of the cloud artificial intelligence market revenue, owing to the adoption of cloud artificial intelligence tools has become an integral part of these organizations to sustain in the competitive market. However, the automotive and transportation segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 43.0% from 2023 to 2032. The rise in adoption of IoT devices in these organizations is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the market. North America region to maintain its dominance by 2032 Based on region, the North America segment held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the cloud artificial intelligence market revenue. The increase in the usage of cloud artificial intelligence solutions in businesses to improve productivity and the customer experience is anticipated to propel the growth of the market in this region. However, the Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 41.5% from 2023 to 2032 and is likely to enhance the market growth during the forecast period, owing to an increase in penetration of digitalization and higher adoption of cloud-based solutions. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/9729 Leading Market Players: - Google LLC

IBM Corporation

Intel Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

NVIDIA Corporation

Apple Inc.

Salesforce.com Inc.,

Amazon Web Services Inc.

Infosys Limited

QlikTech International AB The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the cloud artificial intelligence market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different countries. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Trending Reports in ICT & Media Industry: Ambient Intelligence Market Size is Expected to Reach $185.5 Billion by 2032 Cloud Artificial Intelligence Market Size Expected to Reach $887 Billion by 2032 Facial Recognition Market Size is Expected to Reach $24.3 Billion by 2032 Password Management Market Size is Expected to Reach $15.2 Billion by 2032 Enterprise Agile Transformation Services Market Size is Expected to Reach $142 Billion by 2032 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa

1209 Orange Street,

Corporation Trust Center,

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Delaware 19801 USA.

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[email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloud-artificial-intelligence-market-to-reach-887-billion-by-2032-at-35-8-cagr-allied-market-research-301966891.html SOURCE Allied Market Research

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[October 25, 2023] FUTURE INVESTMENT INITIATIVE INSTITUTE TO ADDRESS GLOBAL AI RISKS BY BRINGING EAST, WEST AND GLOBAL SOUTH TOGETHER FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION Tweet

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia , Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ -- The FII Institute, a global non-profit foundation dedicated to tackling global issues by convening global leaders from private and public sectors, has today resolved to tackle AI risks in the form of a Resolution on AI and Humanity. At the Future Investment Initiative summit underway in Riyadh (24 -26 October) 6,000 leaders, investors and innovators from east, west and Global are taking part in over 200 panels and discussions designed to tackle the big issues facing humanity, including the acceleration of AI and related technologies. With global concerns running ahead of government and private sector action on governance and regulation of AI, and with notable industry leaders themselves expressing disquiet, an urgent need for immediate and robust global action has been identified at FII. Threats identified include: The erosion of information reliability and security and potential malign impact on elections (4Bn people are due to vote in elections in 2024);

Lowering of barriers to creation of chemical and bio weapons (for example an AI system recently generated 40,000 candidate chemical warfare agents);

Global cyberattacks are increasing, in 2022 by 38%. A unified and inclusive governance regime for AI is urgently needed. It has been identified that until there is global alignment on AI development and regulation, risks will remain./p>



Deeper policy collaboration between industry and government, fostering transparency & accountability, as well as reporting mechanism for failures and risks;

between industry and government, fostering transparency & accountability, as well as reporting mechanism for failures and risks; A unified global and inclusive AI governance regime , including appropriate representation of emerging markets;

, including appropriate representation of emerging markets; Active investment in skills development and social safety nets to ensure just transition for workers displaced by AI (automation will displace between 400 and 800 million jobs by 2030)

to ensure just transition for workers displaced by AI (automation will displace between 400 and 800 million jobs by 2030) Establishment of adequate global response capability to address risks;

to address risks; Greater commitment, transparency, and accountability by AI companies , reducing AI risks by focusing on security and by adopting a safety-level based approach for the development of future AI models;

, reducing AI risks by focusing on security and by adopting a safety-level based approach for the development of future AI models; Need for a shared vision of the positive future that can be enabled by this technology. FII will establish an AI Coalition, bringing together investors, corporations, government leaders and academics from developed and emerging markets to engage in a frank and candid dialogue on the critical issue of AI alignment.

The FII7 summit takes place a month after AI issues were addressed at the G20 summit in New Delhi and at UNGA in New York. It takes place one week before the UK hosts an AI safety summit at the UK home of codebreaking and computing, Bletchley Park. This positions FII's deliberations on AI within a live ongoing global conversation. Richard Attias, CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Institute: "It is absurd that tech companies and governance mechanisms in China, the US, EU, UK and Global South are so divergent on the threats and opportunities. The AI market is projected to reach up to $1.8Tn. AI stands poised to resolve some of our toughest challenges. But it can also create major global risks if we don't urgently align AI with the needs of humanity. AI is about to transform global societies and economies and the world needs to get to grips with this quickly." About FII Institute The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute is a global nonprofit foundation driven by data with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Global and inclusive, we foster great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions in four critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1811613/FII_Institute_Logo.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257092/FII_AI_Resolution_Summit.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/future-investment-initiative-institute-to-address-global-ai-risks-by-bringing-east-west-and-global-south-together-for-collective-action-301966916.html SOURCE Future Investment Initiative Institute

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[October 25, 2023] FUTURE INVESTMENT INITIATIVE INSTITUTE RESOLVES TO REMOVE 5.4 TRILLION INVESTMENT GAP IN EMERGING MARKETS Tweet

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ -- At the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh today, a global summit, leaders and investors have today resolved to tackle ESG shortcomings in the form of a Resolution to Increase ESG Investment in Emerging Markets The Resolution to Increase ESG Investment in Emerging Markets, will see the FII Institute convening leaders and investors from the west, east and Global South to take collective action on inequities in current ESG frameworks. Emerging markets are home to 86% of the world's population and responsible for 58% of global GDP, yet they receive less than 10% of all ESG investments. As the growth engine of the future this is far from the scale necessary for sustainable growth and insufficient to meet the $2.5 to $3.7 trillion annual investment gap needed to address the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries. Recognising current limitations of ESG data tools, the Resolution calls for: Commitment by FII Institute partners to implemnt an inclusive ESG methodology with the goal of increasing AUM in Emerging Markets to 30 per cent of global sustainability portfolios by 2030;

Urgent adoption of international sustainability disclosure standards across emerging and developed markets;

Recognition of the forthcoming roll-out of the International Sustainability Standards Board IFRS-1 and IFRS-2 as crucial steps that will improve ESG inclusiveness and data quality;

market participants to report and provide the data the world needs to make better and more efficient investment choices.



Richard Attias, CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Institute said:

"A bias at the centre of the world's most dominant ESG ratings is taking $trillions away from developing markets, which are the growth engines of the global economy. Existing ESG data tools discriminate against tme in favour of developed markets. If they are to ever fulfil their original purpose of powering a more sustainable future, we need widespread adoption of inclusivity, so ESG truly benefits every country, every region, and the entire world." About FII Institute The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute is a global nonprofit foundation driven by data with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Global and inclusive, we foster great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions in four critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257115/ESG_Resolution_PR.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1811613/4361794/FII_Institute_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/future-investment-initiative-institute-resolves-to-remove-5-4-trillion-investment-gap-in-emerging-markets-301966952.html SOURCE Future Investment Initiative Institute

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[October 25, 2023] IndusInd Bank announces strategic collaboration with Viamericas for its newly re-launched Indus Fast Remit (IFR) platform Tweet

The collaboration allows seamless inward remittance services from USA to India for NRIs residing in USA, where Viamericas Corporation is a licensed Money Services Business (MSB)

to for NRIs residing in USA, where Viamericas Corporation is a licensed Money Services Business (MSB) Digital inward remittance services will be offered on Bank's IFR platform through Viamericas under the Rupee Drawing Arrangement (RDA) scheme of RBI

The collaboration will offer NRIs to transfer money to their beneficiaries in India , through the trusted Indus Fast Remit platform MUMBAI, India, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IndusInd Bank today announced a strategic collaboration with Viamericas Corporation to offer digital inward remittance services to Non Resident Indians (NRIs) in the USA through IndusInd Bank 'Indus Fast Remit', a remittance service platform. This collaboration enables NRIs to benefit from highly competitive exchange rates for digital inward remittances to India. The Indus Fast Remit platform will allow NRIs to book remittance transactions through auto debit payment mode (Automated clearing House - ACH) as well as transfer funds through the overseas Bank account. Viamericas Corporation will use its existing IndusInd Bank Vostro relationship to credit the beneficiary account in India using the RDA scheme of RBI. IndusInd Bank's digital remittance platform will provide customers with complete transparency into the status of payment requests, the exact INR amount to be received by the beneficiary and the expected time for delivery of funds. Existing IndusInd Bank customers will also benefit from the convenience of initiating payment requests using a single sign-on facility through the Bank's Internet banking platform, without visiting bank branches or going through the hassle of paperwork. Speaking about the collaboration, Mr. Soumitra Sen, Head - Consumer Banking and Marketing, IndusInd Bank, said, "IndusInd Bank's engagement with Viamericas is designed to achieve strategic outcomes that support our vision of being the preferred Bank for Indian diaspora by providing relevant financial and banking solutions. We believe this initiative will offer a much simpler and more efficient remittance experience to NRIs. We are confident that this collaboration will act as one of the major contributing factors towards the evolution of cros-border payments. With changes in lifestyle, we have observed a substantial change in banking expectations of customers and we as a Bank are poised to deliver a rich banking experience that our customers demand."



"We welcome the launch of this collaboration with IndusInd Bank as an excellent way for NRIs living in the United States to send money back home to India," said Paul Dwyer, CEO, Viamericas Corporation."Engaging with IndusInd Bank has been a great opportunity to increase our presence in this market while facilitating IndusInd's ability to provide additional financial and banking services to their current and future customers." Indus Fast Remit is a digital platform facilitating remittances to India especially by Non Resident Indians (NRI). The users of Indus Fast Remit will have access to Exchange Houses/Money Transfer Companies offering competitive rates with a single sign on and an end-to-end digital journey. The remittance service will be offered through the licensed overseas Exchange Houses/Money Transfer Companies and the amount will be transferred to the beneficiary's account in India under RBI's Rupee Drawing Arrangement (RDA) Scheme.

About IndusInd Bank IndusInd Bank Limited commenced its operations in 1994 catering to the needs of consumer and corporate customers. Since its inception, the Bank has redefined the banking experience for its customers including various government entities, PSUs, retail and large corporations. As on September 30, 2023, IndusInd Bank has a customer base of approx. 37 million, with 2631 Branches/Banking Outlets and 2903 ATMs spread across geographical locations of the country and covering 1,43,000 villages. The Bank has representative offices in London, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Bank believes in driving its business through technology that supports multi-channel delivery capabilities. It enjoys clearing bank status for both major stock exchanges BSE and NSE and settlement bank status for NCDEX. It is an also an empaneled banker for MCX. RATINGS Domestic Ratings: CRISIL AA + for Infrastructure Bonds program/Tier 2 Bonds

CRISIL AA for Additional Tier 1 Bonds program

CRISIL A1+ for certificate of deposit program / short term FD program

IND AA+ for Senior bonds program/Tier 2 Bonds by India Ratings and Research

IND AA for Additional Tier 1 Bonds program by India Ratings and Research

CARE A1+ for Certificate of Deposits International Ratings: Ba1 for Senior Unsecured MTN programme by Moody's Investors Service Visit us at https://www.indusind.com/

Twitter: @MyIndusIndBank

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialIndusIndBankPage

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indusind_bank/ About Viamericas Corporation Viamericas is a licensed money transmitter offering international money transfer services across the United States. The online platform allows customers to safely, easily and affordably send money 24/7 from the U.S. to India. Viamericas is headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, with a regional offices in Los Angeles and operational centres in Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines. Founded in 1999, Viamericas has helped families achieve their financial goals for over two decades by providing international payment services at a great value so customers keep more of their earnings for themselves. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/indusind-bank-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-viamericas-for-its-newly-re-launched-indus-fast-remit-ifr-platform-301967008.html

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[October 25, 2023] Copperleaf to Host Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results Conference Call Tweet

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Copperleaf Technologies Inc. (TSX: CPLF) ("Copperleaf" or the "Company"), a provider of enterprise decision analytics software solutions to companies managing critical infrastructure, announced today that it will report its financial results for the third quarter of 2023 on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 after market close. The Company will also hold a conference call to discuss its financial results on the same day at 5pm ET. Paul Sakrzewski, Chief Executive Officer and Chris Allen, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer session.



Q3 2023 Financial Results Conference Call Details: Date: November 8, 2023

Time: 5pm ET Conference ID: 96038919 Dial-In Number: 416-764-8659 or 1-888-664-6392 Webcast: https://app.webinar.net/MXGV4yL7Z5x Replay: 416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541 (Available until November 15, 2023) Replay Entry Code: 038919# About Copperleaf: Copperleaf (TSX:CPLF) provides enterprise decision analytics software solutions to companies managing critical infrastructure. We leverage operational and financial data to empower our clients to make investment decisions that deliver the highest business value. What sets us apart is our industry-leading products and our commitment to providing extraordinary experiences, shaped by people who care deeply and partnerships that stand the test of time. Copperleaf is actively involved in shaping and implementing global industry standards and sustainability principles through our participation in the United Nations Global Compact, the Institute of Asset Management, and other organizations. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, our solutions are distributed and supported by regional staff and partners worldwide. Together, we are transforming how the world sees value. For more details, visit https://www.copperleaf.com/ Source: Copperleaf Technologies Inc. CPLF-IR SOURCE Copperleaf Technologies Inc.

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[October 25, 2023] SMBC Opens Representative Office in Washington D.C. as Growth in U.S. Deepens Tweet

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), a member of SMBC Group, today announced the opening of a representative office in Washington, D.C. to deepen ties with key stakeholders in the nation's capital as the bank continues to expand its support of the U.S. economy. The debut of the bank's representative office coincides with recent key hires, including Randy Ross as Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, and Althea Pieters as Head of Regulatory Strategy. Mr. Ross and Ms. Pieters bring years of experience both in government and in representing the financial services sector to strengthen SMBC's relationships with regulators, industry groups, and lawmakers. "Today, we are excited to mark the continued expansion of our U.S. operations by announcing the opening of our Washington D.C. Office and a best-in-class team to run it," said Hiro Otsuka, Chief Executive Officer of SMBC Americas Division and President and CEO of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc. "As one of the largest foreign banks in the United States, it is crucial for us to maintain our focus on the evolving regulatory and public policy environment with a team on the ground." Prior to joining SMBC, Mr. Ross was Head of U.S. Public Policy for Credit Suisse, where he led the firm's Washington D.C. Office. Before that, he managed Nomura's Washington D.C. operations and served as the Financial Servces Committee Designee and Legislative Director to U.S. Congressman Gary Miller.



Ms. Pieters previously served as the Head of U.S. Regulatory Policy at Credit Suisse. Before that, she held several key roles at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and as a Foreign Banking Expert for the European Central Bank. Mr. Ross and Ms. Pieters, both Managing Directors, will be joined in SMBC's D.C. Office by Kazuhiro Yoshimi, Executive Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, and Kevin Parker, Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs. The D.C. Office will be fully operational in October 2023.

About SMBC Group

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 86,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization's extensive global network. The Group's operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit www.smbcgroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025688475/en/

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[October 25, 2023] AALCO Continue to Voice the Interests of Asian-African Countries at Global Level Tweet

BALI, Indonesia, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia will continue to encourage Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) to be the organization to voice the interests of Asian and African countries in the international level. A series of discussions as part of the 61st Annual Session of AALCO activities have resulted in several recommendations and positive responses from the attending delegates. Some main discussion agenda during the 5-day annual meeting of AALCO highlighted the issues relating to asset recovery, Law of the Sea that include illegal fishing, violations of international law in Palestine, environmental and sustainable development issues, the sea-level rise under the agenda of International Law Commission (ILC), International Trade and Investment Law, and Legal Issues in Outer Space. In the session that discussed asset recovery, Indonesian delegate drew positive support for the establishment of Asset Recovery Expert Forum. Indonesia's proposal was mostly welcomed by Asian-African countries which viewed the recovery of assets resulting from criminal activities requires a complex process. Asian-African countries ill further discuss the working mechanism of the Expert Forum. At the initial stage, AALCO member states will establish a contact group that consists of representatives from member states, either government officials, practitioners, or academics.



The contact group will arrange informal meetings, whether virtually or face-to-face, to discuss common issues on asset recovery. "We are certain that this group of experts can generate solutions to the asset recovery issues," said Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yasonna H. Laoly. Discussions over illegal fishing was also another key issue for Indonesia as Indonesia proposed to include illegal fishing as Transnational Organized Crime (TOC). The member states put concern on the issue reiterated by Indonesian delegate, given the fact that illegal fishing has huge impact on the fish stock, the environment, as well as social and economic aspects of a country. Further discussion is required related to the issue of establishing an international law which will constitute illegal fishing as a serious criminal act.

Other agenda of concern for Indonesian delegate is the environment and sustainable development. Indonesia emphasized the importance of implementing a balance approach between environmental interests of the advanced economies and the development state in the developing economies, in establishing the international law instruments. Indonesia stood with other AALCO member states which are mostly developing economies currently undergoing their development process. Exhibition and Panel Discussion On the side lines of the event, the 61st Annual Session of AALCO also presented around 70 booths that exhibited the best products from Balinese small and medium businesses. There were also side events in the forms of panel discussions that featured eminent local and international speakers. The series of discussions highlighted topics on business forum, asset recovery, humanitarian law, and Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). "Through a series of activities at the 61st Annual Session of AALCO, we expect to encourage all stakeholders to put more concern on any global issues and prepare Indonesia to be able to have bigger influence that can inspire Asian-African communities in particular and the international communities," Yasonna said. Further information about AALCO and the organizing of The 61st Annual Session of AALCO is available at: https://www.aalco.int/. About AALCO Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), or initially called Asian Legal Consultative Committee (ALCC), was established on November 15, 1956. The organization was a concrete result of Asia  Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955. Seven Asian countries, namely Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Iraq, Japan and Egyptian Arab Republic and Syrian Arab Republic, are among the AALCO's founding countries. In April 1958, in order to accommodate African countries joining to be the organization members, Asian Legal Consultative Committee changed its name into Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC). At 40th Annual Session held in the Headquarter of AALCC in New Delhi in 2001, the organization name was again changed into Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO). On the first days, AALCO served as an Ad-Hoc Committee with term of office for five years. The five-year term was then extended for four times up to 1981, before at a session in Colombo, AALCO was determined to be a permanent organization. For further information, please contact: Hadaris Samulia Has

0816-765-911

Coordinator for Working Group of Media and Publication.

Phone: +6221 525 3004

Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aalco-continue-to-voice-the-interests-of-asian-african-countries-at-global-level-301967292.html SOURCE Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia

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[October 25, 2023] North China Electric Power University's Innovative Solutions for Fukushima Radioactive Water Crisis Tweet

Chinese researchers are exploring advanced porous nanomaterials and technologies that can reduce radionuclide discharge into the environment NANJING, China, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Japan's recent announcement of its plan to release more than 1.2 million tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean has triggered global environmental concerns. The radioactive water in question was generated by the cooling process employed to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident. The water is still reported to carry hazardous radioactive materials or radionuclides, which pose significant threat to ecosystems and human health globally. Researchers are now exploring advanced nanomaterials like porous organic polymers (POPs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) for radionuclide removal from the environment. These materials possess a high specific surface area, abundant pore structures, exceptional stability, and design flexibility, making them promising candidates for radionuclide removal. Taking this forward, a research team led by Professor Xiangke Wang from North China Electric Power University, Beijing, P. R. China is at the forefront of these efforts to design nanomaterials and technologies that can remove radionuclides from the environment. In their recent review article published in the journal Eco-Environment & Health, they shed light on this emerging research, higher requirements for nanomaterial design, and the implementation of strategies and strengthened cooperation required to mitigate any harm caused to aquatic and land ecosystems. Speaking about the motivation behind their extensive review, Prof. Wang says, "We intend to create high-performance porous materials and technologies for the efficient removal of radionuclides from practical environments."



Of the various technologies being explored, electrocatalysis has emerged as a next-generation solution that offers a continuous extraction of radionuclides through reduction or oxidation using electric fields. It is considered a promising approach for sewage treatment owing to its controllability, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. This technology has also been shown to effectively extract uranium from seawater, thereby highlighting its promise. Adsorption also stands out due to its low cost, simplicity, and practicality. Additionally, adsorption-photocatalysis systems have emerged as a viable approach for selective and efficient radionuclide removal. Photocatalytic technology activates catalysts through light field resources, offering an eco-friendly, low-cost, and efficient solution. Looking ahead, Prof. Wang hopes that this research will attract the interest of a wide range of researchers and raise concerns about material design and technology improvement for radionuclide removal. "The ultimate goal is to apply these nanomaterials and technologies in real-world environmental conditions to promote sustainable development and safeguard our planet from the threats of radioactive contamination" Prof. Wang concludes.

Reference Title of original paper: Advanced porous materials and emerging technologies for radionuclides removal from Fukushima radioactive water Journal: Eco-Environment & Health DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eehl.2023.09.001 Contact:

Xiaoyan Tang

025-85471399

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-china-electric-power-universitys-innovative-solutions-for-fukushima-radioactive-water-crisis-301966706.html SOURCE North China Electric Power University

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In March 2021, a digital painting by an artist called Beeple was auctioned at Christies for more than $60 million. Beeple posted a video watching the auction in real time from the living room of his home in South Carolina. Its an absolutely ridiculous amount, he noted, when the bidding reached $14 million. By the end of the auction, he threw up his hands and shouted with joy. I think this shows that digital art is here to stay, he laughed.

But things havent exactly worked out like this.

That sale was Christies first auction of an NFT. An NFT  a non-fungible token  is a technology that allows us to establish who is the sole owner of a digital artwork. Its a model based on blockchain: different servers maintain the same chain of data, preventing it from being modified. Thus, an NFT is an everlasting signature that links a work to an owner. Its recorded on computers in various places around the world.

The auction of Beeples work was also the beginning of a unique (and short-lived) period of enthusiasm for NFTs. They became so popular that they actually created a sense of scarcity in the digital art sector. I knew almost nothing about NFTs until four months before the big sale at Christies, Beeple stated in an interview. But I also saw that this wasnt a new moment. There were other [times] when something wasnt considered art and then, suddenly, it was.

And whats the difference between being art and not being art? Scarcity, or the ability to collect. NFTs came to fill that gap. And, when theres scarcity, capital sees an investment opportunity with the possibility of high returns.

That milestone made NFT become a commonly-used word. And it created a sense of debauchery, which subsequently led to a bubble. Today, NFTs have disappeared from the headlines. However, in various corners of the internet, there are people confidently awaiting their return. Even more so on days like this past Tuesday, when the price of Bitcoin hit $32,000  a value that hadnt been reached for more than a year.

In August, Beeple tweeted a photo describing the burst bubble. Its titled NFT Market, with an image of a mountain of yellow Lamborghinis in the scrapyard. The reference to Lambos is a recurring joke in this digital world. The bear market has eliminated a lot of harmful projects, explains digital artist Sohobiit. Like others interviewed for this article, she prefers to identify herself publicly only by her well-known digital nickname. When I entered [the NFT market] in 2020, there were projects that had multi-year roadmaps but there were some that couldnt have been completed in 40 lifetimes.

Hence, the question on everyones lips  When are you getting the Lamborghini?  was almost always left unanswered. Lambos were the pinnacle of that brief era. Few got their hands on one.

Apart from the most harmful projects, other legitimate ones also teetered dangerously. Many NFT projects have had to abandon their dreams, because we (the NFT traders) need to eat. Theres hope that things will get better, but we cant just make a living from a hobby, Sohobiit sighs. As with all types of speculation, there are those who made a profit, those who broke even, and those who lost money. A new study confirms that the majority of NFTs have lost almost all their value: 69,795 of 73,257 NFT collections have a capitalization of 0 Ether (Ethereum being the most-used cryptocurrency for NFTs), leaving 95% of those who own collections of NFTs with worthless investments.

Timeline of Google searches for "NFT" over the past five years. The first peak is March 2021, which includes the sale of Beeple and of Jack Dorsey's first tweet. Then it went even much higher. Now it has fallen off.

Another emblematic example is the NFT of the first tweet of Jack Dorsey, who then ran Twitter (now X). In March 2021, the tweet  along with Beeples work  was a major example of the arrival of NFTs. Dorsey sold it for almost $3 million. A year later, its owner wanted to resell it, but nobody wanted it. Today, the best offer it can get is around $1,300. Clearly, no investor is willing to pay millions for that first tweet. Of course, theres some nuance to this story: the owner  crypto entrepreneur Sina Estavi  has chosen not to sell for the moment, given that were in a bear market. The most valuable NFTs have lost a lot of value, but that doesnt mean that they wont be lucrative in the future.

Undoubtedly, however, theres a big slowdown. And the future is difficult to predict. Empirically, the number of transactions has been decreasing, says professor Carlos Baquero, from the University of Porto (Portugal). I think there were two types of markets. The most prominent was focused on collections and profile pictures  owning these NFTs implied status and granted [owners] access to some communities. There was probably a lot of speculation  as well as high expectations  around these assets. Then, there was a second market, a much smaller market, focused on single-edition pieces. In this case, some of the buyers probably bought for esthetic reasons, but there were also expectations of an increase in value. And the values were highly inflated, he notes.

A good example is the first major Hispanic NFT project, from a YouTuber named WillyRex. The most coveted single piece from that collection sold for around $15,000. Its owner  a Latin American businessman who identifies himself as Santiago on his X account  has no intention of selling. I have the most important [NFT] of all, the only copy that exists. Ill keep it forever. The value that other people believe it has doesnt matter to me, he tells EL PAIS.

If I had had enough money I would have bought it, sighs Valenti Gamez, a 30-year-old Spanish software developer, who owns other, much cheaper pieces from the WillyRex collection. Its like having a painting in your house thats by an artist you like. For me, its very similar on a digital level. NFTs allow you to identify whos the owner of that painting. And I can sell it at any time, he adds.

Today, X is full of people joking about NFTs. What once seemed like an irresistible investment has become (for now) a bunch of pixels being given away. But theres always the chance that the bear market may change. If a bull market were to arise, perhaps new NFTs could end up selling for a lot of money. Im not sure if therell be expensive NFTs again when [cryptocurrencies] like Bitcoin and Ethereum go up, says Gamez. I dont have a crystal ball. The only thing I do know is that the technology that allows for digital property [will remain as such]. And there are many companies that are committed to [NFTs] and willing to invest in creating related products, he affirms, referring to video game companies or clothing brands.

Gamez has created a Discord server (a messaging app similar to Slack) for all confirmed WillyRex NFT buyers. WillyRex himself even joined. This server is now an example of the original idea of NFTs, which was to have extra benefits accompany your purchase. The most famous NFT collections in 2021 were the CryptoPunks and the Bored Apes (their prices havent fallen that much), which are types of clubs where everyone  from hackers to the rich and famous  meet via digital avatars.

Users like Gamez  who believe in technology and have invested carefully according to their criteria  arent suffering financially in a declining market, as they didnt use all their money on NFTs. But along with notable projects, there were others that have grown without meaning. Ive followed projects that opted for technology to build a serious model. And others that have opted to create a community of day-trading, of investment, of trying to get a Lamborghini. There are people whove promised things that they havent fulfilled, Gamez emphasizes.

The fear of bubbles bursting weighs on buyers and sellers alike, as they wonder if theyre being left out of a unique investment. In Spain, for example, Sons of Bitcoin raised more than $30,000 to become an NFT community oriented towards the creation of events/hangouts/activities. But after the money was raised, nothing happened. They havent published anything for six months. They were saying that they were going to start a clothing or merchandising brand and now they say that they dont want to advertise it, laments AlbertNFT. I lost [money] from buying into this NFT, he complained on Discord, referring to his bad experience with Sons of Bitcoin.

That feeling of community is important to David Mancebo, whos in a Discord channel with WillyRex after having paid $25 for a digital piece from one of his NFT series. During the first few months I was offered [$500-$600], but I didnt sell it, he explains. [Having the piece] gives me access to a Discord channel (the same one that Gamez and Santiago are in) where WillyRex is active. If it never ends up taking off, then at least having been in the group will have been cool, he shrugs.

For this same reason, a user who goes by the name NFtOasis  a 28-year-old from the Canary Islands (Spain)  also remains attentive: Were seeing a cleanup within the NFT market. [In the past], collections came out every day and they contributed nothing. Now, though, collections have come out which not only offer beautiful images, but they also have real utility. As the owner of the collection, you get benefits. Its because of these collections that I choose to hold on to my NFTs, he explains. That real utility is that the NFT is linked to benefits such as product subscriptions, membership in communities, as well as the option to attend events in the real world.

Will NFTs make a comeback?

The most widespread belief is that the return of NFTs will depend, in part, on Bitcoin and Ethereum rising again. This happens in spurts. If Bitcoin goes back to $32,000, well, youll see all the people [going for NFTs] again and if it goes down to $20,000, you wont. Thats the story, AlbertNFT summarizes. However, while cryptocurrencies are gaining in value, it remains to be seen if the NFTs will follow the trend. At the moment, the clearly bullish cycle is oriented towards artificial intelligence. A lot of people have switched [from NFTs and crypto] to AI. Thats the trend, the fashion. Yesterday, they were talking about Bitcoin. Today, its all about AI. We have to take advantage of it, he adds.

A second reason why NFTs could become popular again has to do with ease of use. The purchase of crypto  the ownership of a digital wallet and the intricate transactions required  are still far from the knowledge of the average user: Until now, it was a pain for users, Gamez acknowledges. But now, there are starting to be easier ways to [deal with NFTs]. Sometimes, you dont need a wallet  your email and password is enough. A year ago, this was unthinkable. You almost had to be a hacker.

The variety of uses that an NFT can have also works in its favor. The NFT market is undergoing a correction, points out Hongzhou Chen, a researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Its essential to consider the transformative potential of this technology in decentralized and centralized models. Due to the uncertainty of todays world, decentralized systems could have enormous potential amid the cracks of great powers. Its too early to predict the end of this type of technology, he cautions.

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[October 25, 2023] Dispo Launches B2B Platform Providing Customized European Vacations at Net Rates Tweet

The company introduces new tour packages for travel sellers NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dispo, a leading travel technology company, announced today the launch of its new B2B wholesale tour packages available to travel agencies and tour operators in Europe. The wholesale packages provide turnkey European tours at competitive rates to travel professionals looking to expand their offerings to clients. "We are thrilled to launch this new platform that makes it easier than ever for travel professionals to access high-quality and customizable European tour packages for their clients," said Oskars Lusis, the founder of Dispo. "With over 65 packages covering the most popular destinations across Europe, we've carefully crafted an incredible lineup of itineraries that deliver seamless and memorable travel experiences." Established in 2013 and headquartered in Riga, Latvia, Dispo provides ground transportation management solutions and digital distribution tools to transportation companies worldwide. Its new B2B wholesale tour packages leverage the company's decade of experience as an inbound tour operator in Europe. The wholesale tour packages feature a wide selection of regular guided tours, as well as private and custom tours, throughout top destinations across Europe. Packages range from four to 72 passengers and include transportation,accommodations, tour guides and sightseeing activities. Sample itineraries cover popular spots like London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin and more.



In addition to regularly scheduled small group tours, Dispo also offers special interest tours focused on food and wine, history and culture, luxury vacations, faith-based travel, student trips and more. Customized private tours are arranged according to each travel professional's unique requirements. Dispo's multilingual tour guides and leaders allow packages to be conducted in English, Chinese, German, Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. The company can accommodate any group size and specializes in creating customized vacations tailored to each traveler's specific interests and budget.

The new B2B platform provides travel professionals access to net rates, along with support services that make booking, planning and managing tours seamless and hassle-free. Dispo handles all of the operational details, enabling agencies to focus on sales and service. The wholesale tour packages are ideal for travel agents looking to expand their European tour offerings, as well as online travel agents seeking differentiated inventory that caters to diverse traveler types. Packages can also be purchased by individuals and groups seeking affordable guided vacations requiring minimal planning. "By partnering with Dispo for European tours, travel sellers can provide their customers with exceptional and unique travel experiences without the headaches of arranging all the details," Lusis said. "We handle everything behind the scenes so agents can deliver personalized vacations focusing on service and advising their clients." Dispo's B2B tour packages provide the opportunity for travel professionals to grow their businesses and bottom lines. With Dispo handling the logistics, partners can focus on selling tours to new and existing clients. For more information on Dispo's new wholesale tour packages, visit dispo.travel/tours-wholesale. Contact:

Oskars Lusis

367500@email4pr.com

+371 28558728 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dispo-launches-b2b-platform-providing-customized-european-vacations-at-net-rates-301966708.html SOURCE Dispo Travel

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[October 25, 2023] Catch+Release Unveils Innovative Creator Community, Revolutionizing Content Licensing and Collaboration Tweet

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catch+Release , the content licensing marketplace, is proud to announce the launch of its groundbreaking Creator Community . This marks a new era in content licensing, offering a dynamic space where creators can monetize their work and brands can discover and license captivating content.

The Catch+Release Creator Community Anyone can join the Creator Community and start uploading content for brands to discover and license. Joining is free and when a creator connects their social media accounts to Catch+Release, their content automatically syncs to the marketplace and is then searchable through AI-powered technology. Creators always have the option to either accept or decline any license opportunity, and they are paid every time their content is used with the necessary permissions granted from both IP owner and models. "Creators want to spend their time making the content they love, not hustling to find deals, doing spec work, or making sponsored content. We built the Community to give creators an effortless way to get paid fairly for content theyve already made," shares Lauren Kostka, Senior Product Manager at Catch+Release. And its not just about making money. Creators really care about how their content is used. Unlike stock marketplaces, creators can review every licensing opportunity and decide if they want to accept it. When creators and brands wish to connect, the community makes this familiar and trustworthy. Brands trust content from the Creator Community, because the creators have an established relationship with Catch+Release. In turn, its a highly efficient way to find best fit content that is licensable. Its also a great way for creators to make their content instantly visible to brands who will use the content across social, digital, and various campaigns . "The team at Catch+Release are great creative partners. They always understand the type of content were looking for and they know where to find it. When it comes to licensing, they're fast, efficient, and have really streamlined the whole process, says the team at Camp+King advertising agency. Creator content brings a level of authenticity to the work thats difficult to capture by other means. It makes work more relatable and that realness resonates with audiences." Moreover, Catch+Release's AI-powered search engine provides an intuitiveway to discover content within the Creator Community. Users can find content based on colors, emotions, seasonal events, and more. Creators dont have to spend time writing detailed captions or tags to get discovered by a brand. This built-in search capability analyzes photos and videos so that even without a specific brief, anyone searching for content can find what they need.



Joining the Community Is Simple: Add your content: Create your profile and add content by connecting your Instagram, TikTok or Youtube account, or upload from your camera roll

Create your profile and add content by connecting your Instagram, TikTok or Youtube account, or upload from your camera roll Set it and forget it: Optionally set your social accounts to continue to import your content going forward

Optionally set your social accounts to continue to import your content going forward Get discovered: As soon as you add content, it becomes available for brands to discover and request to license using AI-powered search, without the need for tagging or writing descriptions

As soon as you add content, it becomes available for brands to discover and request to license using AI-powered search, without the need for tagging or writing descriptions Maintain control: Review and action on licensing opportunities on your dashboard. You decide whether to accept every offer. Catch+Releases Support for Creators

For over a decade, Catch+Release has worked alongside thousands of creators. This vibrant community includes professional filmmakers, photographers, small businesses, studios, hobbyists, renowned artists, and everyday people sharing content online. As a trusted resource for brands and marketers, Catch+Release has revolutionized how brands access and utilize existing content for their campaigns while also supporting talented creators across the globe to continue doing what they love and providing opportunities to make an income. Monicque Silva , a creator based in Sydney, Australia, shares her enthusiasm for Catch+Release and the Creator Community: Working with Catch+Release was a seamless experience. As an avid creator, Ive been approached by multiple companies that promised to take my content to new heights, but I was always left disappointed. I decided to take a chance with Catch+Release and never looked back  theyre incredible. The team was so comforting, addressed my concerns, and were empathetic about my prior experiences with other companies. They were reassuring and understanding, and most importantly, delivered on their promise by licensing my content. They truly care about creators. I cant wait for the opportunity to work with Catch+Release again! The Catch+Release Community comes on the heels of the company's recent unveiling of a groundbreaking suite of features designed to revolutionize how prominent brands access fresh, pertinent content from creators across the globe. Every day, this wealth of creative resources grows, thanks to the contributions of creators. "The Catch+Release Creator Community represents a significant leap forward in the world of content licensing," says Jim McCollum, Chief Technology Officer at Catch+Release. "Our platform not only facilitates the monetization of content for creators but also simplifies the process for brands and creatives seeking high-quality content. We're excited to provide a central hub that connects creators and brands so they can tell their stories in this unique way. Additional Resources:

Join Catch+Release Creator Community

Catch+Release AI Search Engine

Catch+Release Featured Galleries About Catch+Release

Catch+Release is a content licensing marketplace for brands and creators. Marketers have peace of mind knowing that they can curate and license content within budget and on time. Brands should take creative risks, not legal ones. Catch+Release helps you find the gems to tell your story by curating from the most unlikely places. World-leading brands, including Meta, Amazon, Uber, Disney, Nike, and ESPN, bring high-performing campaigns to market with content sourced and licensed by Catch+Release. Submit your own content and get paid to do what you love. Catch+Release is backed by Accel, Cervin, Stagwell, HarborVest Partners, Rich Kleiman and Kevin Durants 35V, Nick Mehta, Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Visit www.catchandrelease.com or LinkedIn , Instagram , and TikTok . Media Contact

Elena Lopez

Jmac PR for Catch+Release

[email protected]





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[October 25, 2023] Presence, a Leading Provider of Teletherapy for PreK-12 Schools, Delivers More than 6 Million Sessions to Students Tweet

Amid staffing shortages and rising special education and mental health needs, demand for teletherapy in public schools grows NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Presence, a premier solution for PreK12 remote evaluation and teletherapy services, has delivered more than 6 million teletherapy sessions to students across the nation in the last decade. In the most recent school year, Presence saw a 190% increase in demand for behavioral and mental health services. The proliferation of teletherapy reflects the rising need for special education and mental health services among public schools. The number of students receiving IDEA services in the United States increased by nearly a million students in the last decade, making up 15% of all public school enrollments according to the National Center for Education Statistics . The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 19% growth in demand for speech language pathologists and 12% growth in demand for occupational therapists over the next decade. Likewise, more than two-thirds of public schools have reported large increases in students seeking mental health services in the last several yars.



"With rising student needs and staffing shortages, schools need partners with experience and expertise in supporting their special education and counseling programs," said Presence CEO Kate Eberle Walker. "The pandemic brought new openness to teletherapy services, but not all remote services are equally impactful. We know from providing these services since 2009 that hybrid programs require deep partnerships with schools and clinical specialization in telepractice. This excellence in service only comes with practice, and the depth of our experience from these 6 million sessions is unmatched." The Presence therapy platform is designed by clinicians, for clinicians, with the goal of enhancing human connection between a therapist and their student in every session. Some of the clinicians in the Presence network, who have been with Presence for over a decade, have individually delivered over 10,000 teletherapy sessions to students with diverse needs. Now, more than 2,000 clinicians across multiple disciplines, including speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists and mental health professionals, utilize Presence's online platform to support the full spectrum of their workfrom case management to planning to therapy delivery to documentation. The platform has thousands of digital learning resources, games and activities, including materials from well-known therapy content publishers and a breadth of curated assessments from marquee test publishers.

Since Presence was founded in 2009, nearly 10,000 schools in 47 states have partnered with Presence to expand their clinical capacity and serve more students. By using Presence's network of clinicians to provide secure, efficient, and engaging online therapy solutions, schools have been able to reduce heavy caseloads and help more students reach their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and mental health goals. "It's been very inspiring to see how student engagement has improved with Presence and the offering of teletherapy," said Dr. Vangie Akridge, director of special education for California Pacific Charter Schools-Virtual in Newport Beach, Calif. "Because of the robust selection of games, activities, and tools provided in the platform, our clinicians are seeing students grow their confidence, engagement, and skills in areas such as self-advocacy and self-esteem. Even parents are more engaged in the work we are doing with their children. We get positive feedback from excited parents all the time expressing how they see their child has improved communicating their feelings, regulating their emotions, and socially interacting." Today's announcement signals Presence's continued momentum. Recently, the company hired a new Chief Financial Officer, which resulted in Presence achieving majority-female leadership positions across its executive team. Presence also received national recognition for its innovative online platform. Its platform was named "Best Assistive Technology" in the 7th Annual Tech Edvocate Awards, and received two awards in the 2023 Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence . About Presence

Inspired to drive solutions for the national shortage of school clinicians, Presence is unlocking the potential of schools and clinicians by removing traditional barriers to success through an elevated approach to teletherapy. As a trusted leader since 2009, Presence is innovating how schools assess and address student special education and mental health needs. By equipping the largest network of teletherapy providers with award-winning technology and end-to-end clinical support, Presence is meeting the needs of schools, students, and clinicians todaywherever they are. With 6 million remote evaluations and teletherapy sessions conducted throughout the U.S., schools and clinicians trust the experience and expertise of Presence, a pioneer in school-based teletherapy. Presence is teletherapy, elevated. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/presence-a-leading-provider-of-teletherapy-for-prek-12-schools-delivers-more-than-6-million-sessions-to-students-301966904.html SOURCE Presence

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[October 25, 2023] SiebenCarey Renews Major Sponsorship of Popular Twin Cities Event - Sam's Christmas Village and Light Tour Tweet

Emphasizing family fun and its commitment to military families, SiebenCarey Personal Injury Law announced this week that it will renew its Platinum Sponsorship of Sam's Christmas Village and Light Tour for a third holiday season in a row. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025271162/en/



Emphasizing family fun and its commitment to military families, SiebenCarey Personal Injury Law announced this week it will renew its Platinum Sponsorship of Sam's Christmas Village and Light Tour in Somerset, Wisconsin, for a third holiday season in a row. (Photo: Business Wire)

Sam's is nestled in a pine forest along the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin, and boasts dozens of seasonal displays lit by more than 12 million holiday lights. This year, Sam's management has upped the "wow factor" with a new 60-foot-long LED American flag in addition to North America's largest 50-foot, light-up Santa. "We are delighted to again be the Platinum Sponsor of Sam's for the 2023 season," said Paul Downes, SiebenCarey Partner. "Each year, Sam's brings holiday cheer to families across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and SiebenCarey is honored to be a part of this tradition. We are especially grateful for Sam's support of our military members and their families." "SiebenCarey has been a loyal partner in helping us bring the joy of Sam's Christmas Village and Light Tour to thousands of people. Their support helps us make Sam's bigger and better every year, and we are so thankful they are continuing their sponsorship," added Kelly Montpetit, Director of Operations at Sam's Christmas Village. In addition to the dazzling light show, Sam's also boasts a traditional Christmas market, visits with Santa and the reindeer, optional s'mores cabins, a sledding hill, two restaurants with hearty food and craft beverages, and "all the holiday spirit you can handle," said Downes. The Village is open every night (except Christmas Eve) from Thanksgiving to New Year's. There are drive-through and walk-through options, as well as discounted tickets for military members. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://samschristmasvillage.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025271162/en/

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[October 25, 2023] Warframe Creator Digital Extremes Appoints Studio Veteran Steve Sinclair as Company CEO Tweet

James Schmalz, founder of Digital Extremes, today announced his intention to step down as CEO of the company. Chief Creative Officer and 24-year studio veteran Steve Sinclair will assume CEO duties effective immediately. James will remain on the board of directors, contributing insight and guidance. The moves take place as the Canadian studio prepares to celebrate 30 years of operation. "It's been a long journey from Epic Pinball to Soulframe," remarked Schmalz as he reflected on three decades of leadership. "I feel immensely privileged to have been able to play my part in shaping our industry; building our stellar team has been a fulfilling life work. I feel in Steve we have the ideal leader to take us and our growing community of players into a new era and can't wait to see what can be accomplished under his leadership." Sinclair previously led development on Warframe, a sprawling live-service space epic with a community of more than 75 million registered users. The award-winning game recently celebrated its 0th anniversary on the market. Sinclair is presently leading development on Soulframe alongside Creative Director Geoff Crookes.



"I'd like to join the rest of the DE team and our community in thanking James for all he's done. James saying 'yes' to Warframe in 2012 and boldly committing to making it work changed the trajectory of our company. James believed - and continues to believe - in our team when no one else would, and established one of the most community-oriented and player-focused studios in the world," commented Sinclair. "Making great games with a team that values a culture of positivity, dignity, and high performance is our goal. I'm humbled and nervous to lead this amazing company; for now I'll throw my 'Lunaro 2' notes in the trash so we can remain focused on our commitment to surprise and delight audiences around the world." About Digital Extremes

Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world's top independent video game development studios. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games' multi-million unit selling Unreal franchise, including Unreal and Unreal Tournament, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector, BioShock for the PlayStation3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness II. The studio reached critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game, Warframe, supporting a global community of 75+ million registered players across all major core gaming platforms. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit www.digitalextremes.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025662329/en/

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[October 25, 2023] Gemspring Capital-Backed Security 101 Acquires Advance Security Integration Tweet

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Security 101, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital and a national provider of full-service commercial security solutions, announced today that it has acquired Advance Security Integration ("ASI"), one of the largest franchisees under the Security 101 brand umbrella. Based in Southington, Connecticut, ASI's established foothold and dedication to high-quality security service in the New England market made it a clear strategic partner for Security 101. This acquisition will enhance Security 101's presence in the region and further harmonize the combined expertise of both businesses. Greg Daly, CEO of Security 101, commented, "Jerry Brocki and the entire team at ASI have long demonstrated their dedication to excellence and the Security 101 brand. Their stellar reputation in the New England market is hard earned, well deserved and unquestioned. Under Jerry's leadership, ASI has always showcased a strong alignment with our core values and commitment to providing a world-class customer experience. We couldn't be more thrilled to bring such a great team further into the fold." Jerry Brocki, President of Advance Security Integration, added, "Having been a franchisee for Security 101 for almost 15 years, our team has always had a deep respect for the brand and its ethos. Thi acquisition isn't just a combination of two companies, but a fusion of shared values and visions. We're excited for this next chapter and are confident our clients in New England will continue to receive the exceptional security service they've grown to expect, now backed by a national powerhouse."



About Security101

Security 101 is a national provider of integrated security solutions to a diversified set of commercial customers across multiple end markets, including healthcare, education, financial, and government, among others. The company delivers a full-service offering of security services and products including the design, installation, and maintenance of access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, visitor management, and managed service solutions. Founded in 2005 and based in West Palm Beach, FL, Security 101 has over 50 locations in the U.S. For more information, visit www.security101.com. About Gemspring Capital

Gemspring Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm with $3.5 billion of capital under management, provides flexible capital solutions to middle market companies. Gemspring partners with talented management teams and takes a partnership approach to helping drive revenue growth, value creation, and sustainable competitive advantages. Target companies have up to $500 million in revenue and are in the aerospace & defense, business services, consumer, financial and insurance services, healthcare services, industrial services, software and tech-enabled services, or specialty manufacturing sectors. For more information, visit www.gemspring.com.

Media Contact Alex Shakibnia, [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gemspring-capital-backed-security-101-acquires-advance-security-integration-301967392.html SOURCE Gemspring Capital

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[October 25, 2023] Weebit Nano's ReRAM IP awarded Embedded Solution Product of the Year in The Electronic Industry Awards Tweet

HOD HASHARON, Israel, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weebit Nano Limited (ASX:WBT), a leading developer of advanced memory technologies for the global semiconductor industry, is proud to announce that its Weebit ReRAM IP has been awarded the Embedded Solution Product of the Year Award in the Electronics Industry Awards 2023. The annual awards ceremony took place last week in London. Weebit ReRAM is a non-volatile memory (NVM) technology designed to be the successor to flash memory for a broad array of applications. It enables semiconductor memory elements to be much faster, lower cost, more reliable and more energy efficient than those using flash or other emerging NVMs. The annual Electronics Industry Awards, organized by Datateam Business Media, acknowledge the most innovative products, projects, individuals and companies from across the electronics sector. Winning this award provides an independent stamp of approval, as winners are voted for and decided by the semiconductor industry  electronics and systems designers and others in the engineering community  via the awards website. Coby Hanoch, CEO of Weebit Nano, said: Were honored that our ReRAM IP has been recognized in this years Electronics Industry Awards by our peers in the semiconductor industry, many of whom are potential users of ur technology. Its now well understood that embedded flash memory has reached its limits, and the industry needs a new NVM. Weebit ReRAM has significant advantages over other NVMs, translating to lower cost and lower risk for customers. This technology excellence is backed up by Weebits unique combination of analog and digital design, process and device expertise, all of which enable us to continue to innovate rapidly and stay ahead of the competition.



About Weebit Nano Limited Weebit Nano Ltd. is a leading developer of advanced semiconductor memory technology. The companys ground-breaking Resistive RAM (ReRAM) addresses the growing need for significantly higher performance and lower power memory solutions in a range of new electronic products such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smartphones, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G communications and artificial intelligence. Weebit ReRAM allows semiconductor memory elements to be significantly faster, less expensive, more reliable and more energy efficient than those using existing Flash memory solutions. As it is based on fab-friendly materials, the technology can be quickly and easily integrated with existing flows and processes, without the need for special equipment or large investments. See www.weebit-nano.com and follow us on https://twitter.com/WeebitNano.

Weebit Nano and the Weebit Nano logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Weebit Nano Ltd. in the United States and other countries. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.



Weebit Nano Investors

Eric Kuret, Automic Group

P: +61 417 311 335

E: [email protected] Weebit Nano Media  Australia

Tristan Everett, Automic Group

P: +61 403 789 096

E: [email protected] Weebit Nano Media  US

Jen Bernier-Santarini, Weebit Nano

P: +1 650-336-4222

E: [email protected]



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[October 25, 2023] Amazon hires Azul to speed up deliveries in the North of Brazil Tweet

With the new project, customers from the region can now receive their packages via air transport within two days SAO PAULO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon and Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras signed an agreement to strengthen the package delivery capacity in the North region of Brazil. Thanks to this project with the largest company in terms of number of commercial flights and cities served in the national territory, Amazon consumers in local metropolis like Manaus and Belem, for example, will start to receive orders transported on Azul planes within two days, and in Macapa, in up to three. With the continued growth of e-commerce, according to the survey carried out by the real estate consulting firm Cushman & Wakefield, one of the trends for the Brazilian logistics market in the coming months is the focus on delivery in the shortest time and cost possible. This requires companies to strategically redesign their operations and includes investments not only in warehouses, but also in the entire logistics network. Keeping in mind the objective of offering the best shopping experience to its customers, while preserving the safety and health of its associates, innovation can be seen in all processes of Amazon's operation in Brazil. The company strengthens its network in the country through a network of people, facilities, trucks, logistical partners, air transport, vans, motorcycles, and several other connections, which allow fast and efficient deliveries to its consumers. 'At Amazon, we seek to provide the best experience to customers from the North to the South of the country, preserving the safety and well-being of all people involved in the operation and delivery of packages. These are also important values for Azul, and we understand tat having the services of the company with the largest number of flights in Brazil is another important step in our business strategy. We want to guarantee deliveries with the best possible performance and schedule', explained Alex Cristiano de Paula, Amazon's Head of Air Transport in Brazil.



Amazon serves 100% of the municipal districts in Brazil through the combination of its operation and third-party partners. There are thousands of associates in 12 Fulfillment Centers and 12 Delivery Stations throughout the country, in addition to the 1,400 corporate employees. The project with Azul Cargo has airlines that will transport packages from the Amazon Fulfillment Center, in Cajamar (SP), to cities in the North region. "Azul is the most punctual airline in the world, and we will work with the same efficiency to deliver Amazon packages in the northern region of the country, with agility, quality and low cost", highlighted Izabel Reis, Director of Azul Cargo.

The services offered by Azul Cargo, the biggest cargo company in Brazil, cover 300 routes to more than 150 Brazilian destinations from a fleet of around 160 aircrafts. Amazon now takes advantage of this breadth and connectivity of air networks to further optimize its deliveries in the country. In addition, Azul Cargo's seven own aircrafts cover national routes with higher demand and all the safety and speed that the market demands. About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession over competition focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term vision. Amazon strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, the world's best employer, and the safest place to work in the world. Consumer Reviews, 1-Click Purchase, Personalized Recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios and The Pledge Climate are some of Amazon's pioneering actions. For more information, amazon.com.br/imprensa or contact us at [email protected]. About Azul Cargo Express

Azul Cargo Express, the logistics unit of Azul Linhas Aereas, has its business model in express orders and cargo shipments, taking advantage of the capacity of Azul's airways routes. Today, the Azul Cargo Express network has more than 270 stores in Brazil and abroad, offering a "door-to-door" service to more than 4,200 Brazilian municipalities, in addition to the entire territory of the USA and Portugal. The services offered comprise critical parcels, B2C distribution for e-commerce, parcels with economical rates and palletized cargo in the global market. Learn more at www.azulcargoexpress.com.br. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amazon-hires-azul-to-speed-up-deliveries-in-the-north-of-brazil-301967442.html SOURCE Azul

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Eyes On Learning, ASU's College of Health Solutions, and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Illuminate Pediatric Eye Care Crisis in Arizona

In a collaborative effort to bring a pressing issue to the forefront, Eyes On Learning, in partnership with the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University (ASU) and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, just released a comprehensive report titled Closing the Gap in Pediatric Eye Care: A Network Adequacy Study. This illuminating study, led by esteemed ASU Professors Dr. Swapna Reddy and Dr. Rizwana Biviji, identifies critical challenges facing children's eye care services in Arizona.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025004923/en/





New report--Closing the Gap in Pediatric Eye Care: A Network Adequacy Study--discusses the critical nature of children's vision health and the coordination of services needed for equitable access to eye care. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Key Findings:

Insurance Limitations : Shockingly, 74% of eye care practices in Arizona do not serve children covered by AHCCCS, the state's Medicaid insurance plan.

: Shockingly, 74% of eye care practices in Arizona do not serve children covered by AHCCCS, the state's Medicaid insurance plan. Provider Scarcity : Among the 703 eye care practices in Arizona, only about 41% provide services to children ages 5 years or younger, and 61% serve children ages 18 or younger.

: Among the 703 eye care practices in Arizona, only about 41% provide services to children ages 5 years or younger, and 61% serve children ages 18 or younger. Rural Deserts : Four rural counties-Apache, Cochise, Gila, and Santa Cruz-are plagued by an alarming lack of eye care providers that serve children.

: Four rural counties-Apache, Cochise, Gila, and Santa Cruz-are plagued by an alarming lack of eye care providers that serve children. Access Awareness: Surprisingly, more than 90% of eye care practices that serve children do not require referrals from primary care providers, making access easier than many realize.

Why This Matters: Vision problems are a silent crisis among children. Untreated vision problems can have detrimental lasting academic and personal consequences. As Arizona moves toward mandatory vision screening in public schools, it's expected that at least 25-30% of screened children will be identified with vision problems-and they are the most inexpensive to treat with proper follow-up.

"Our mission is to ensure every child in Arizona has access to quality eye care. This study underscores the disparities and challenges we must overcome to make this a reality," said Karen Woodhouse, director of Eyes On Learning.

"This study serves as a crucial call to action for improving children's access to essential eye care," said Dr. Rizwana Biviji, professor, ASU College of Health Solutions. "It provides a roadmap for addressing disparities in pediatric eye care."

Findings from this study will be unveiled at the Children's Vision Health Forum on October 26, 2023 where Dr. Sandra Block, President of the World Council of Optometry, will provide the keynote. For more information visit this link: Children's Vision Forum.

About Eyes On Learning

Eyes On Learning is dedicated to making sure that children with vision problems are identified early and that they receive eye exams and follow-up treatment to achieve improved vision health. For more information: eyesonlearning.org

About ASU's College of Health Solutions

The College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, established in 2012, translates health research and discovery into practice and prepares tomorrow's leaders to address the challenges facing people and communities to stay healthy, improve their health, and manage chronic disease. For more information: chs.asu.edu

About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $711 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations. For more information: pipertrust.org

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025004923/en/
[October 25, 2023] Utah Education and Telehealth Network Signs Master Service Agreement That Streamlines Procurement of YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform for Institutions Tweet

The Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), a facilitating consortium that purchases on behalf of Utah's higher education institutions, has signed a master service agreement that enables institutions to purchase YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform at a predictable cost and through a simplified process. YuJa Panorama will help provide a more inclusive learning environment at institutions throughout the state. UETN was seeking to license a comprehensive, efficient and user-friendly accessibility software that seamlessly integrates into its learning management system, Canvas. The organization outlined in its request for proposal that the platform must be fully accessible and compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, and alternative input devices and that it should support a range of file formats with the ability to convert files into accessible alternative formats. In addition, UETN wanted detailed reports on accessibility issues and trends, along with the ability to check the accessibility of all content and provide feedback on how to make content accessible to all learners, and the ability to remediate inaccessible content. YuJa Panorama integrates directly with Canvas. It provides an accessibility gauge and enables content creators to pinpoint and correct issues as content is created. In addition, instructors will benefit from the automatic generation of accessible versions of all uploaded documens, comprehensive reports at the course, instructor, and institution levels, and other tools that help build accessibility into course creation. YuJa Panorama also provides users with an LTI app and customized website accessibility profiles that can be applied to both internal and external web pages.



"YuJa serves institutions of all sizes with an all-in-one accessibility platform that integrates accessibility into the creation process, so instructors can focus on teaching with confidence that students can use content in a way that meets their individual needs," said Nathan Arora, Chief Business Officer at YuJa, Inc. "Now, UETN institutions have the opportunity to boost accessibility of course content without a protracted procurement process. We're excited for institutions to see the full advantages of using the YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform." ABOUT THE UTAH EDUCATION AND TELEHEALTH NETWORK

Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) is facilitating consortium that purchases on behalf of its higher education institutions. One of the nation's premier education networks, UTEN brings together two well-established organizations that provide critical statewide services to Utah: The Utah Education Network (UEN) and the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN). An innovator in broadband and broadcast delivery of statewide educational and telehealth resources, UETN's robust network connects all Utah school districts, schools, and higher education institutions to quality educational resources. Providing network, application and support services to more than 1,500 schools, colleges and libraries, UETN also serves hospitals, clinics and health departments in urban, suburban and rural areas of the state. ABOUT YUJA, INC. YuJa is a leader in ed-tech solutions. Our platforms provide organizations of all sizes with the tools to educate, engage, inspire and collaborate. We serve learning enterprises within all sectors, including higher-ed, K-12, government, healthcare, non-profit and corporate. We have legal headquarters in Delaware with primary U.S. offices in Silicon Valley, California, and Canadian offices in Toronto. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025551670/en/

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Turkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday continued joint exercises in Northern Cyprus, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The naval part of the Martyr Ensign Caner Gonyeli-2023 Search and Rescue Invitation Exercise started with the participation of civilian and military elements.

The two-day drill started on Tuesday with the land phase.

The aim of the exercise is to protect the rights and interests of Turkiye and the TRNC in the Search and Rescue (SAR) area in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It also aims to assist in the official registration and strengthening of the sovereignty of the TRNC, and to draw public attention to the value that is given to search and rescue activities and to SAR region boundaries.

Thirteen military representatives from six countries  Azerbaijan, Djibouti, Kosovo, Qatar, Libya, and Pakistan  are attending the naval phase of the exercise as observers.

The sea phase of the exercise will end after the search and rescue activity, which will be carried out within the scope of a generic scenario, outside the territorial waters of the TRNC and in the Turkish Search and Rescue Region, off the coast of Famagusta.

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Turkiye fully supports a two-state solution on the island based on sovereign equality and equal international status between its two states.
Former attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump, Michael Cohen attends the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in New York, October 24, 2023.

In a courtroom showdown five years in the making, Donald Trumps fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen testified Tuesday that he worked to boost the supposed value of the former presidents assets to whatever number Trump told us to.

It was a fraught face-to-face encounter between Trump and the now-disbarred lawyer who once pledged to take a bullet for him. Cohen eventually ended up in prison and became a prominent witness against his former boss in venues from courthouses to Congress. Now, Cohen is a key figure in New York Attorney General Letitia James lawsuit alleging that Trump and his company duped banks, insurers and others by giving them financial statements that inflated his wealth.

I was tasked by Mr. Trump to increase the total assets, based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected, Cohen testified, saying that he and former Trump Organization finance chief Allen Weisselberg labored to reverse-engineer the various different asset classes, increase those assets, in order to achieve a number that Mr. Trump had tasked us.

Asked what that number was, Cohen replied: Whatever number Trump told us to. Trump denies James allegations. Outside court, he dismissed Cohens account as the words of a proven liar who pleaded guilty to tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations. Im not worried at all about his testimony, Trump said, adding: Hes not a credible witness.

The former president and Republican 2024 front-runner voluntarily came to court for the highly anticipated testimony, attending the Manhattan trial for a sixth day this month. Cohen has said he hadnt seen Trump for five years until now.

Heck of a reunion, Cohen said during the court break. Earlier, he had insisted outside court that this is not about Donald Trump vs. Michael Cohen or Michael Cohen vs. Donald Trump. This is about accountability, plain and simple.

As Cohen testified, Trump at times whispered to his lawyers. At other points, the former president hunched forward in his seat, watching intently, or leaned back with crossed arms. Cohen, meanwhile, looked away from his former employer, keeping his eyes on state lawyer Colleen Faherty.

Trump, Cohen said, would summon him and Weisselberg and say, for example: Im actually not worth four and a half billion dollars. Im really worth more of six.

Cohen said he and the finance chief would then inflate the value of Trump properties by pegging them to comparable real estate that was actually different  brand-new developments with higher ceilings, more sweeping views and no rent regulation, for instance.

Drawing emphatic head-shaking from Trump, Cohen said Weisselberg indicated that he spoke to Donald Trump Jr. and siblings Eric and Ivanka Trump before preparing their fathers financial statements. The two sons are defendants in the lawsuit and deny wrongdoing. An appeals court dismissed Ivanka Trump from the case in June.

Judge Arthur Engoron already has ruled that Trump and his company committed fraud. The trial involves remaining claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying business records. Trump says his assets were actually undervalued, and he maintains that disclaimers on his financial statements essentially told recipients to check the numbers out for themselves.

He has derided the case as a sham, a scam and a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time. The ex-president argues that the case is part of an effort by James and other Democrats to drag down his campaign.

Cohen spent a decade as Trumps fiercely loyal personal lawyer before famously breaking with him in 2018 amid a federal investigation that sent Cohen to federal prison. He is also a major prosecution witness in Trumps separate Manhattan hush-money criminal case, scheduled for trial next spring.

James has credited Cohen as the impetus for her civil investigation, which led to the fraud lawsuit and trial. She cited Cohens testimony to Congress in 2019 that Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits.

Earlier this month, Trump dropped a $500 million lawsuit that accused Cohen of spreading falsehoods, causing vast reputational harm and breaking a confidentiality agreement for talking publicly about the hush-money payments. A Trump spokesperson said the former president was only pausing the lawsuit, while campaigning and fighting four criminal cases, and would refile later.

Cohen took the stand after William Kelly, an attorney for Trumps longtime former accounting firm, Mazars USA. The firm cut ties with Trump last year after James office questioned the reliability of his financial statements.

Kelly said that the firms decision was based on the attorney generals lawsuit and on Mazars own investigation, which suggested that Weisselberg had provided compromised financial statements. Mazars said it hadnt found any material discrepancies in the statements as a whole, however.

Defense lawyer Jesus M. Suarez suggested that the accounting firm abandoned its longtime clients to get in the attorney generals good graces and head off potential legal problems. But Kelly insisted there was no currying favor.

It was being a good corporate citizen and explaining what we do, he said. Trumps attorneys sought to delay the trial Tuesday, arguing that coronavirus cases in James office put the former presidents health at risk. The attorney generals office, in a statement, said it had taken all steps to notify the relevant parties and had followed health guidance.

Trump later complained outside court that what they did with COVID in the courtroom was a disgrace, but he and the attorneys at the defense table with him didnt don masks.

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[October 25, 2023] Highwing and Ferro Partner to Modernize Middle and Large Market Commercial Submissions Tweet

DENVER, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Highwing, commercial insurances first marketing platform, today announced a partnership with Ferro, the leading intake and insured engagement platform in insurance. This new partnership will enable Highwing and Ferro to deliver a single sign-on enabled access point for Brokers to engage insureds, collect information, organize data, and digitally submit to multiple markets, quickly and efficiently. Highwing is driving the future of commercial insurance by streamlining the process of digitally connecting brokers and carriers in middle and large market insurance. This partnership will help realize its vision of creating a single pane of glass for commercial submissions to simplify the insurance buying process for insureds and digitize the relationship they have with their brokers, all while reducing the timeframe to return quotes to insureds. Project Ferro is leading the way in creating next generation technology to capture digital exposure information from insureds, said Jim McKenney, CEO of Highwing. We are excited to integrate their capabilities in our industry-first marketing platform to provide a full end-to-end digital solution for our clients. Ferro and Highwing share a common vision of modernizing commercial insurance, with a focus on creating efficiency for brokers and carriers to create additional value for insureds. We are thrilled to partner with Highwing as, together, we seek to completely streamline the broker desk by providing a direct link from the insured to the broker to the insurance company and back again, in the middle and large commercial space like never before. said Chris Senkbile, CEO and Co-Founder Ferro. Highwing touts an impressive roster of clients, working with five of the top ten insurance providers and 13 of the Top 60 brokers, providing transparency into submissions and speeding up the marketing process. The companys intelligent operating system design eliminates redundancy, which streamlies transactions to increase efficiency and profitability for users.



About Highwing

Highwing is the leader in open connectivity for commercial insurance, bringing brokers and carriers together for efficient, streamlined, and transparent workflows. Highwings platform and extensive data model enables brokers and carriers to market, quote, and bind policies faster, write and retain more profitable business, track insights, improve communication, and speed up innovation through its Broker Operating System, robust API capabilities, and Marketing Insights. Born from brokerage, Highwing is steeped in industry expertise, speaks broker and carrier, and works with clients eye-to-eye to change the commercial insurance industry. About Ferro

Ferro solves the first mile or "intake" problem for commercial insurance admins across the distribution channel. By offering an insured-centric and collaborative platform, we turn insured data to life for the benefit of the insured, broker, and insurer. In the industry buzz of "quote/bind/issue" solutions, underwriting data acquisition is often forgotten. With Ferro, the hassle of constantly tracking down insured information becomes a thing of the past. For more information, visit www.projectferro.com. You can also follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

Contact:

Erik Mitisek

Founder & President

[email protected]

(720) 792-4020 Chris Senkbile

Co-Founder and CEO

[email protected]

(402) 320-9266 Find Highwing:

Web: www.Highwing.io

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/highwing

X: https://twitter.com/HighwingIO Find Ferro:

Web: https://www.projectferro.com

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-ferro

X: https://twitter.com/ProjectFerro



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[October 25, 2023] National Safety Council Hosts Second Annual Safety Innovation Challenge Tweet

Leading-edge companies from around the world convened to present new solutions for most common workplace injury NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its commitment to safety innovation, the National Safety Council convened six leading technology providers from around the globe to showcase their cutting-edge safety solutions during the second annual Safety Innovation Challenge. Hosted in collaboration with Safetytech Accelerator, the challenge builds on the tremendous progress made by the Council's MSD Solutions Lab  a groundbreaking program established in 2021 with funding from Amazon  to help organizations of all sizes prevent musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs. "MSDs aren't isolated to high-risk industries. They're complex, multi-faceted injuries that can occur on any job, which is why increasing awareness of potential hazards, and how these can be addressed using next-generation technology, is a key pillar of the MSD Solutions Lab to promote safer outcomes for all," said Paul Vincent, executive vice president of workplace practice at NSC. "The Safety Innovation Challenge represents an important step forward in this effort, and one we are proud to advance by connecting employers with proven, scalable solutions aimed at mitigating the top sources of MSD injuries." According to the World Health Organization, MSDs are the most common workplace injury and represent the leading cause of worker disability, involuntary retirement and limitations to gainful employment. With upper-body MSDs accounting for nearly a third of all workplace MSDs, NSC teamed with Safetytech Accelerator to initially identify more than 50 companies with upper extremity-focused MSD solutions for this year's challenge. Proposed technologies ranged from exosuits to visual analytics, and the top six innovations were selected as semi-finalists to present their cutting-edge products to more than 5,000 business leaders and safety experts at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo in New Orleans. The 2023 Safety Innovation Challenge semi-finalists include: 3MotionAI: Founded in 2008, the Canada -based company uses motion-sensing software to help organizations chart worker movements and develop customized recommendations and exercises to mitigate their MSD risk. The company's biomechanics assessment may be conducted through a mobile device, allowing employers to forego costly ergonomic consultations traditionally conducted in laboratory settings.

Founded in 2008, the -based company uses motion-sensing software to help organizations chart worker movements and develop customized recommendations and exercises to mitigate their MSD risk. The company's biomechanics assessment may be conducted through a mobile device, allowing employers to forego costly ergonomic consultations traditionally conducted in laboratory settings. Bioservo: The company's IronHand glove is an exoskeleton specifically designed to reduce MSD hand injuries by enabling workers to use les grip force when performing repetitive tasks. The technology works in tandem with Bioservo's AI-enabled platform to adapt the glove's configurations based on the operator's unique needs and preferences, including joint locking tendencies, sensitivity and external forces. The company is also one of the first to offer its motor-powered technology in women's sizes.

The company's glove is an exoskeleton specifically designed to reduce MSD hand injuries by enabling workers to use les grip force when performing repetitive tasks. The technology works in tandem with Bioservo's AI-enabled platform to adapt the glove's configurations based on the operator's unique needs and preferences, including joint locking tendencies, sensitivity and external forces. The company is also one of the first to offer its motor-powered technology in women's sizes. Feraru Dynamics: The company's patented technology mitigates Hand-Arm-Vibration Syndrome, or HAVS, using a pre-assembled sensing and control unit to provide real-time haptics to wearers. Feraru also provides employers with an HAV-Sentry Dashboard, a secure, cloud-based platform designed to help managers visualize data, monitor grip strength and exposure trends, and compile assessment reports.

The company's patented technology mitigates Hand-Arm-Vibration Syndrome, or HAVS, using a pre-assembled sensing and control unit to provide real-time haptics to wearers. Feraru also provides employers with an HAV-Sentry Dashboard, a secure, cloud-based platform designed to help managers visualize data, monitor grip strength and exposure trends, and compile assessment reports. Hilti: The Hilti EXO-S Exoskeleton builds on the company's nearly three decades of experience developing innovative safety technologies in the construction industry to address one of the most common limitations workers across a range of sectors cite with traditional exosuits: wearer comfort. In addition to being the lightest exosuit on the market, the Hilti EXO-S' passive, motor-free design provides employees with dynamic support to alleviate shoulder and arm strain during overhead work.

The builds on the company's nearly three decades of experience developing innovative safety technologies in the construction industry to address one of the most common limitations workers across a range of sectors cite with traditional exosuits: wearer comfort. In addition to being the lightest exosuit on the market, the Hilti EXO-S' passive, motor-free design provides employees with dynamic support to alleviate shoulder and arm strain during overhead work. LifeBooster: The Canada -based company integrates Internet-of-Things technology into straps and pocketed shirts, which are designed to be worn as a comfortable, breathable base layer, or clipped onto workers' existing work attire. In addition to seamlessly aggregating data on worker posture, muscle strain, upper-body movements, and environmental factors affecting MSD risk, such as relative humidity, LifeBooster's technology helps employers quantify the impacts of safety interventions on workers' wellbeing and organizations' bottom line.

The -based company integrates Internet-of-Things technology into straps and pocketed shirts, which are designed to be worn as a comfortable, breathable base layer, or clipped onto workers' existing work attire. In addition to seamlessly aggregating data on worker posture, muscle strain, upper-body movements, and environmental factors affecting MSD risk, such as relative humidity, LifeBooster's technology helps employers quantify the impacts of safety interventions on workers' wellbeing and organizations' bottom line. Reactec: Based in the United Kingdom , the company's R-Link smart watch protects workers from HAV exposure by alerting the wearer when their personalized exposure thresholds have been exceeded. The watch's unique haptic system was also thoughtfully adapted to notify workers with vision and hearing impairments.



Reed Hanoun , founder and CEO, 3MotionAI. "Events like the Safety Innovation Challenge are crucial to democratizing knowledge and access to safety technology like ours, and we are proud to participate in this year's challenge to be part of the solution in addressing upper-extremity MSDs." "Last year's inaugural challenge focused specifically on uncovering solutions to MSDs caused by manual material handling, and the positive feedback we received from the safety community following the event was overwhelming," said Nadia Echchihab, Head of Innovation programs, Safetytech Accelerator. "However, injury prevention is not a one-size-fits-all approach. This year's finalists, who represent among the best in safety innovation, understand the nuances that today's employers face in minimizing MSD risk, while delivering cutting-edge products that are both impactful and practical for modern workplaces."

During the 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, each semi-finalist had an opportunity to showcase their unique products to reducing the risk of injury associated with HAVS, repetitive upper body movements, or overhead work at the Safety Technology Pavilion. At the pavilion, attendees voted on their favorite technology and the top three, including Feraru, 3MotionAI and Bioservo, were selected as finalists to present live during the conference's closing keynote session in front of judges from major global organizations and ergonomics experts. Several of these solutions will also have the opportunity to be piloted by the nation's leading employers. "Innovation and collaboration drive safety forward," said Carla Gunnin, director of Global Governance and External Affairs for workplace health and safety at Amazon. "This is precisely what the National Safety Council annual Safety Innovation Challenge is all about, and we are honored to support their ongoing work to convene the industry's brightest minds and best resources to help organizations implement solutions, assess data and measure progress." The Safety Innovation Challenge is one of several initiatives led by the National Safety Council to achieve its goal of preventing MSDs before they start. To learn more about these efforts, visit nsc.org/msd. About the National Safety Council

The National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit safety advocate  and has been for 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives. About Safetytech Accelerator

Safetytech Accelerator, established by Lloyd's Register, is the first fully dedicated technology accelerator focused on advancing innovation in safety critical industries, with a mission to make the world safer, more resilient, and more sustainable through wider adoption of technology. Connect with NSC:

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[October 25, 2023] WHEEL PROS ANNOUNCES REBRANDING TO HOONIGAN Tweet

Hoonigan unveils a fresh identity, reflecting a strategic evolution in the company's vision and focus DENVER, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wheel Pros, a leading provider of aftermarket vehicle enhancements, announced today it is rebranding to Hoonigan (collectively, the "Company"), effective immediately. The new name embraces the spirit of automotive culture and signifies the Company's dedication to expanding its impact and fostering passion in the industry. As Hoonigan, the Company intends to honor and build upon Block's important legacy of leading a trailblazing community driven by a passion for motorsports and the enthusiast community. Hoonigan's new vision statement  "We provide the passion that keeps dreams in motion" As Hoonigan, the Company aims to connect with a broader audience of automotive enthusiasts, acknowledging that the industry's landscape has evolved since its inception. Hoonigan was originally the brainchild of Ken Block, a visionary and pioneer in the racing world. As Hoonigan, the Company intends to honor and build upon Block's important legacy of leading a trailblazing community driven by a passion for motorsports and the enthusiast community. Hoonigan's new vision statement  "We provide the passion that keeps dreams in motion"  signifies a worldwide initiative to bring enhancements to a broad range of consumers, from track enthusiasts to offroad adventurers, as well as the casual commuter and everything in between. "We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey as Hoonigan," said Randy White, CEO of Hoonigan. "This rebranding represents our commitment to not only embracing the rich heritage of automotive culture but also expanding our horizons to welcome a growing community of enthusiasts. We look forward to creating meaningful connections, supporting creativity, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the automotive industry." The Hoonigan brand is already synonymous with some of the industry's most unique vehicles and trendsetting media in the automotive ecosystem. This rebranding brings closer integration with the Company's parent organization and its unwavering commitment to quality and innovation. With a focus on producing top-of-the-line aftermaret products, Hoonigan will continue developing innovative technologies across its collection of wheels, tires, suspension, lighting, accessories, and more. Hoonigan aims to empower enthusiasts to express their unique style and pursue their automotive vision by constantly exploring new design possibilities.



The transition from Wheel Pros to Hoonigan will be seamless for customers and business partners, as the Company will continue to provide the same exceptional service, quality products, and steadfast dedication to customersatisfaction. The official website and social media channels have been updated to reflect the new brand identity. The Wheel Pros name will remain within the Hoonigan brand family as the Company's wholesaler channel and will continue to serve the Company's retailers and dealers. The Company's subsidiary brands, including throtl and 4 Wheel Parts, will maintain their ongoing operations within their established e-commerce and retail sales channels, preserving the continuity of their services. About Hoonigan

Hoonigan serves the automotive enthusiast industry with entertaining content and a wide selection of vehicle enhancements from its portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Fuel Off-Road, American Racing, KMC, Morimoto, TeraFlex, Rotiform, and Black Rhino. Utilizing its expanding global network of distribution centers spanning North America, Australia, and Europe, Hoonigan serves over 16,500 retailers. It has a growing e-commerce presence to provide enthusiast consumers with access to a variety of aftermarket enhancements including wheels, suspension, lighting, and accessories. More information is available at www.hoonigan.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wheel-pros-announces-rebranding-to-hoonigan-301967426.html SOURCE Hoonigan

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[October 25, 2023] altafiber Continues Geographic Expansion With New Fiber Build to 65,000 Addresses in Multiple Counties Beyond Traditional Footprint Tweet

altafiber is excited to announce the deployment of its cutting-edge 10-Gig XGS-PON fiber network to approximately 65,000 addresses in the following communities starting in 2024. Clark County, Ohio City of New Carlisle Clinton County, Ohio Village of Blanchester

Village of Sabina Delaware County, Ohio Concord Township

Liberty Township Fayette County, Ohio Village of Jeffersonville Madison County, Ohio Village of Mt. Sterling

Village of West Jefferson Montgomery County, Ohio City of Trotwood

City of West Carrollton

City of Germantown

City of Miamisburg Dearborn County, Indiana City of Aurora In addition to previously announced public-private partnerships covering over 160,000 addresses, this announcement continues altafiber's opportunistic edge-out strategy as it delivers on its mission to provide individuals and businesses with the fastest, most reliable, future-proof fiber network. Access to reliable high-speed Internet is an essential service for residents and businesses to address hybrid work, virtual learning, telemedicine and many other essential daily activities. As the leading supplier o fiber-based services in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altafiber has invested more than $1.5 billion into its fiber network to date, reaching approximately 730,000 addresses. altafiber also plans to expand its multi-gigabit fiber network to approximately 400,000 homes outside of its incumbent territories, including new markets in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.



altafiber has a long history and progressive experience in providing and managing large and complex wireline and wireless projects. The company in 2014 became the first Internet Service Provider in Greater Cincinnati to offer 1 gigabit Internet, and in 2021 became the first Internet Service Provider to introduce 2 gigabit speeds in that market. "altafiber is committed to increasing digital equity and creating new economic development opportunities through access to gigabit Internet," said Jason Praeter, President - Consumer & Small Business at altafiber. "We are incredibly excited to enter these new geographies and look forward to delivering an outstanding customer experience while becoming fully engaged in these great communities."

Please click this link for more information about this partnership. About altafiber Cincinnati Bell is now doing business as "altafiber" in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The Company delivers integrated communications solutions to residential and business customers over its fiber-optic network including high-speed internet, video, voice and data. The Company also provides service in Hawai'i under the brand Hawaiian Telcom. In addition, the Company's enterprise customers across the United States and Canada rely on CBTS and OnX, wholly-owned subsidiaries, for efficient, scalable office communications systems and end-to-end IT solutions. For more information, please visit www.altafiber.com. The information on the Company's website is not incorporated by reference in this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025819569/en/

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[October 25, 2023] CentML Secures $27 Million Funding to Realize its Vision in AI Model Optimization Tweet

Round led by Gradient Ventures, backed by Radical Ventures and NVIDIA TORONTO and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - CentML , a software platform that dramatically improves the performance and cost of deploying ML models, today announced the completion of a $27 million seed round. The round was led by Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused venture fund, with participation from Radical Ventures, NVIDIA, Deloitte Ventures, and Thomson Reuters Ventures. As AI and ML adoption escalates, so does the demand for computing resources, highligting the need for innovative solutions like CentML, which optimizes AI model performance in a cost-constrained environment.



"One of the essential challenges of AI today is achieving models that are fast and cost effective to be viable at scale. CentML solves this problem," said Gennady Pekhimenko, CEO of CentML. "Our technology can speed up inference and training by as much as 8x which has profound impact for our customers." CentML's software platform allows its clients to optimize and deploy ML models with ease. Unlike existing solutions, it provides state-of-the-art performance with no reduction in model accuracy while requiring little to no effort for engineers to adopt it. In one instance, CentML optimized the Llama 2 model to work 3x faster on the previous generation of GPUs, reducing the cost by 60%.

"AI adoption creates demand for compute in new forms and scale unlike previous technology platforms. CentML's ability to accelerate models, orchestrate workloads and optimize performance expands the frontier of AI model growth in the near- and long-term," said Zach Bratun-Glennon, General Partner at Gradient Ventures. "We are excited to be supporting Gennady and his team throughout their journey." "The proliferation of generative AI is creating a new base of developers, researchers, and scientists seeking to use accelerated computing for a host of capabilities," said Vinod Grover, Senior Distinguished Engineer and Director of CUDA and Compiler Software at NVIDIA. "CentML's work to optimize AI and ML models on GPUs in the most efficient way possible is helping to create a faster, easier experience for these individuals." To get started with CentML, sign up here . About CentML

Founded in 2022 under the leadership of CEO Gennady Pekhimenko, a world-renowned expert in ML systems and a team of co-founders with expertise honed at companies like Amazon, Google, NVIDIA, and IBM. CentML through its software platform allows clients to optimize AI models for peak performance and cost-efficiency. Within its platform, users can fine-tune algorithms, pinpoint inefficiencies, and access real-time analytics. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/centml-secures-27-million-funding-to-realize-its-vision-in-ai-model-optimization-301964744.html SOURCE CentML

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[October 25, 2023] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Central States Indemnity Co. of Omaha and CSI Life Insurance Company Tweet

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of "aa-" (Superior) of Central States Indemnity Co. of Omaha (CSI), and its subsidiary, CSI Life Insurance Company (CSI Life). The outlook of the Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Both companies are domiciled in Omaha, NE. The ratings reflect CSI and CSI Life's balance sheet strengths, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as their adequate operating performances, limited business profiles and appropriate enterprise risk managements. Additionally, CSI and CSI Life benefit from their very conservative underwriting leverages, strong liquidity positions and the implicit support from their ultimate parent, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) [NYSE: BRK A and BRK B]. CSI is a specialty insurance company, which provides credit card credit insurance and has fronting agreements with multiple insurers, in the aerospace and agricultural lines of business in several states. These positive rating factors are offset by CSI's elevated common stock leverage. CSI currently writes more non-credit insurance premiums on a gross basis compared with its long-standing credit insurance business. The vast majority of gross premiums written are related to long-term fronting arrangements. The rating affirmations of CSI Life reflect its synergies with CSI. The ratings also reflect CSI Life's strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and the explicit support provided by CS, as well as the implicit support from Berkshire. Offsetting rating factors include CSI Life's limited business profile and lack of product diversification.



This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025465094/en/

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[October 25, 2023] Elliptic Labs Launching AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform on New Snapdragon X Elite at Snapdragon Summit 2023 Tweet

Elliptic Labs (OSE: ELABS), a global AI software company and the world leader in AI Virtual Smart Sensors currently deployed in over 500 million devices, is launching its AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform on the new Snapdragon X Elite Compute Platform at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.'s Snapdragon Summit 2023 in Maui. This launch signifies a new era in PC compute and AI capabilities, highlighting Elliptic Labs' next generation AI software-based user experiences leveraging Qualcomm Technologies' expertise in superior compute and AI performance on ultra-low power devices. The all-new Snapdragon X Elite has been designed to bring next-generation AI performance to new laptop designs. The Snapdragon X Elite unlocks even more potential for AI running on the device. By utilizing the Qualcomm Sensing Hub, Elliptic Labs' AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform will run faster, with greater power efficiency, and more seamlessly than ever before. The new Snapdragon X Elite also allows our AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform to be always sensing, even with the host CPU in deep sleep. While the AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform will utilize the Qualcomm Sensing Hub on Snapdragon X Elite for sate-of-the-art performance, customers can also leverage Elliptic Labs' expertise in AI/ML, ultrasound, and sensor fusion to deliver AI Virtual Smart Sensors. These AI Virtual Smart Sensors are software-based and deliver critical experiences like Human Presence Detection (HPD), automated external display identification, location, and configuration, and seamless device-to-device connection for frictionless user experience.



The AI Virtual Human Presence Sensor offers HPD functionality, allowing the PC powered by Snapdragon X Elite to detect when a user is present and automatically turn off or on, saving significant power while increasing security and privacy. The AI Virtual Position Sensor offers the capability to detect the location and automatic configuration of an external display, making the user's experience seamless when moving between different places. Both the AI Virtual Human Presence Sensor and AI Virtual Position Sensor will be demonstrated at Snapdragon Summit 2023. "Elliptic Labs and Qualcomm Technologies have collaborated in the past to bring to market some of the most innovative, industry-defining smartphone designs," said Laila Danielsen, CEO of Elliptic Labs. "It is with this shared history of groundbreaking innovation that Elliptic Labs introduces our AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform for use with Snapdragon X Elite powered laptops. The exciting, market-redefining Qualcomm Hexagon NPU on the new Snapdragon X Elite processor will enable Elliptic Labs to further extend our AI Virtual Smart Sensors' capabilities, features, and reach. Our shared OEM customers, and subsequently the end-user, will be the biggest benefactors of this collaboration, where together, we will deliver devices that are greener, smarter, and more human-friendly."

"This collaboration with Elliptic Labs demonstrates the value and power that separate Snapdragon X Elite from the competition," said Nitin Kumar, Senior Director of Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Building on this strong collaboration, our combined efforts will showcase the enhanced AI capabilities, unprecedented connectivity, and broad ecosystem support the Snapdragon X Elite platform offers. With Snapdragon at the core, we will continue to deliver groundbreaking designs and user experiences on upcoming Snapdragon X Elite powered laptops." AI Virtual Smart Sensor, AI Virtual Human Presence Sensor, and AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform are trademarks of Elliptic Labs. Snapdragon, Qualcomm and Hexagon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon, Qualcomm Sensing Hub and Qualcomm Hexagon are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. 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/20231025835560/en/

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[October 25, 2023] Alicia Hawkins, an industry analytics leader, joins Quick Custom Intelligence Tweet

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading name in the field of business intelligence solutions, is delighted to announce the appointment of Alicia Hawkins as the company's new Gaming Business Intelligence Manager. With a remarkable 14-year track record in the gaming industry, Alicia brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and innovative insights to the very dynamic QCI team. Alicia Hawkins commented, "QCI beautifully bridges technology with business operations, and as customers gain a passion for data-driven decision making and leverage data for business optimization, I have the privilege of embarking on this journey with them. I am excited to join the exceptional leadership team at QCI as the Gaming Business Intelligence Manager." About Alicia Hawkins

Alicia Hawkins, an Ivy League trained data analytics leader with 14 years of experience, is a highly dedicated professional with a strong commitment to driving business improvement through data-driven strategies. Alicia's illustrious gaming career commenced in tribal gaming, where she specialized in slot operations analysis. Her strategic acumen significantly contributed to revenue growth and enhanced customer experiences. Subsequently, she joined Boyd Corporate, where her responsibilities encompassed database management and data quality control. Her meticulous attention to detail ensured that the organization had dependable data for informed decision-making. In her most recent role at Everi Holding Inc., Alicia further honed her analytical skills and solidified her reputation as a professional adept at bridging technology with gaming operations. She collaborated with a variety of gaming establishments to deliver data-driven solutions, earning recognition as a key player in the industry. Alicia' comprehensive skill set spans database management, slot operations analysis, and data quality assurance, complemented by her outstanding abilities in vendor relations and problem-solving. Alicia has a Bachelor of Science in Data Science from Cornell University.



Dr. Ralph Thomas, CEO of Quick Custom Intelligence, expressed his enthusiasm for Alicia's arrival, stating, "We're eager to see the impact Alicia will have at Quick Custom Intelligence. She will play a pivotal role in the successful rollout of our new product offerings. Alicia will ensure data integrity and will lead in educating users on effective software utilization. Her hands-on experience will serve as the foundation for the guidance she provides, enabling our clients to make well-informed, data-driven decisions. Quick Custom Intelligence is confident that Alicia Hawkins will bring a new level of expertise and innovation to the gaming business intelligence landscape. Her addition to the team underscores our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions and unparalleled support to our clients in the gaming industry." ABOUT QCI

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) has pioneered the revolutionary QCI AGI Platform, an artificial intelligence platform that seamlessly integrates player development, marketing, and gaming operations with powerful, real-time tools designed specifically for the gaming and hospitality industries. Our advanced, highly configurable software is deployed in over 150 casino resorts across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Latin America, and The Bahamas. The QCI AGI Platform, which manages more than $24 billion in annual gross gaming revenue, stands as a best-in-class solution, whether on-premises, hybrid, or cloud-based, enabling fully coordinated activities across all aspects of gaming or hospitality operations. QCI's data-driven, AI-powered software propels swift, informed decision-making vital in the ever-changing casino industry, assisting casinos in optimizing resources and profits, crafting effective marketing campaigns, and enhancing customer loyalty. QCI was co-founded by Dr. Ralph Thomas and Mr. Andrew Cardno and is based in San Diego, with additional offices in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas, and Tulsa. Main phone number: (858) 299.5715. Visit us at www.quickcustomintelligence.com.

About Dr. Ralph Thomas

Dr. Ralph Thomas is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Quick Custom Intelligence. Ralph is a product visionary in applied analytics and the founder of two companies that deliver solutions in casino gaming, education, and adult learning. As a gaming industry veteran, Dr. Thomas has substantial experience implementing analytics into single and multi-property gaming companies to drive tangible and measurable gains to the bottom line and has built business intelligence tools for multibillion-dollar casinos. Dr. Thomas is co-author of seven books and over 80 articles on applied analytics and data science in gaming, an inventor on dozens of patents, and understands gaming from raw data up through casino operations, giving him a unique, 360-degree view of the industry. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alicia-hawkins-an-industry-analytics-leader-joins-quick-custom-intelligence-301967837.html SOURCE Quick Custom Intelligence

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[October 25, 2023] DigiKey Launches Season 1 of MedTech Beyond Video Series Tweet

New video series explores the evolving landscape of medical devices THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DigiKey, a leading global commerce distributor offering the largest selection of technical components and automation products in stock for immediate shipment, announced the launch of its new MedTech Beyond video series. Sponsored by NXP Semiconductors and RECOM Power, the three-part video series dives into how medical devices are evolving and allowing for faster and more accurate diagnosis and treatment. From wearables to immersive tech and AI-powered innovations, the series explores how medical technology is creating opportunities to live longer, more fulfilling lives. "As healthcare needs and technology both rapidly advance, DigiKey is proud to support the needed technology advancements," said Josh Mickolio, supplier business development manager  wireless and IoT for DigiKey. "Medtech advancements are enhancing every aspect of healthcare and ultimately leading to longer, more fulfilling lives." "Our power supplies play a pivotal role in enabling cutting-edge medical devices to operate flawlessly, ensuring precision and reliability," said Chris Wolf, president, RECOM Power. "At RECOM, we take pride in contributing to the advancement of medical technology, and we remain dedicated to powering a healthier and more connected world." "An important change in the medtech landscape is the 'scale' of care, as we see an increased need to manage healthcarein the home," said Luca Difalco, senior vice president, global sales offerings for NXP Semiconductors. "Our technology enables the democratization of health monitoring and diagnostics while helping to ensure the security of the data and device. The ability to offer advanced quality, long product lifecycles and a wide portfolio of offerings positions NXP well to help advance the medtech industry."



The first of three videos in the series, "Holistic Health," is now live on DigiKey's website, and investigates the evolution of tech-assisted personal wellness and patient care. Personal wellness tech is no longer limited to counting steps. A new generation of patient care and personalized medical devices are using the latest technology to provide a better patient experience and a more holistic look at daily health. The second video, "Engineering Better Health Outcomes," explores how innovation happens behind the scenes with industry leaders. Given the critical importance of patient safety and security, medical device engineers, designers and supply chains face more pressure than most.

The third and final video in the first season of the series, "Curing Tomorrow," examines the big thinkers investigating the next medtech breakthrough. From AI-powered diagnostics to predictive analytics, investigate how today's innovations are helping diagnose and treat the diseases of tomorrow. To learn more about the video series and how DigiKey is supporting the rapidly evolving medtech sector, visit the DigiKey website. About RECOM Power

Based in Austria, RECOM Power is a leading power supply manufacturer boasting over four decades of industry expertise in developing and manufacturing cutting-edge power converter technology, encompassing both standard and customized solutions. At RECOM, they pride themselves on offering a comprehensive range of products to cater to the diverse needs of the global customer base. This encompassing collection spans DC/DC converters, AC/DC power supplies, and an array of switching regulators. Anchored in their commitment to excellence, RECOM places paramount importance on unwavering quality and dependability, backed by their decades of experience and dedication to innovation. About DigiKey

DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is recognized as the global leader and continuous innovator in the cutting-edge commerce distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide. We get technical by providing more than 17.2 million components from over 2,800 quality name-brand manufacturers with an industry-leading breadth and depth of product in stock and available for immediate shipment. DigiKey also supports engineers, designers, builders and procurement professionals with a wealth of digital solutions, frictionless interactions and tools to make their jobs more efficient. Additional information can be found at digikey.com and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. Editorial Contact

Megan Derkey

Bellmont Partners

+1 612-255-1115

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digikey-launches-season-1-of-medtech-beyond-video-series-301967892.html SOURCE DigiKey

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[October 25, 2023] OmniTRAX Meets with Tri-County Community in South Branch Valley Railroad Forum Tweet

Hampshire County Commission meeting is latest community discussion to address the operational safety and viability of eastern panhandle railroad ROMNEY, W.Va., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Members from OmniTRAX, a comprehensive supply-chain and logistics solutions provider, joined representatives from West Virginia's Department of Transportation, state delegates, local and county leadership, and community members from Grant County, Hardy County, and Hampshire County to discuss OmniTRAX's proposed operation of the South Branch Valley Railroad (SBVR).



"OmniTRAX values the communities we serve, and we are proud of the local reputations that we have earned as true community partners," said OmniTRAX President and COO Sergio Sabatini. "We thank the Hampshire Commissioners for the opportunity to attend last night's forum and we thank the Tri-County community members in attendance for their thoughtful questions."

The meeting is the latest forum in OmniTRAX's local engagement within the Tri-County area. To fully understand the challenges facing the South Branch Valley Railroad, OmniTRAX has held extensive meetings with West Virginia State Rail Authority, West Virginia Department of Transportation, Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, economic development officials from the Tri-County area, state leaders, and all current customers of the South Branch Valley Railroad. "The SBVR is important to the passengers and freight customers it serves as well as the local communities along the line. To ensure operational safety and long-term viability, it needs immediate attention and capital investment and OmniTRAX provides a strong solution to those needs," said OmniTRAX Vice President of Operations Stacey Posey. "We are excited about what we can achieve together by operating the SBVR and we are committed to earning the trust of the Tri-County region." About OmniTRAX, Inc. As one of North America's largest and fastest growing private railroad and transportation management companies, OmniTRAX's core capabilities range from providing transportation and supply chain management services to railroad and port companies, to providing intermodal and industrial switching operations to railroads, ports and a diverse group of industrial companies. Through its affiliation with The Broe Group and its portfolio of managed companies, OmniTRAX also has the unique capability of offering specialized industrial development and real estate solutions, both on and off the rail network managed by OmniTRAX. For more information visit omnitrax.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omnitrax-meets-with-tri-county-community-in-south-branch-valley-railroad-forum-301967950.html SOURCE OmniTRAX

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House Republicans have settled into chaos. Just hours after nominating Tom Emmer as candidate to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker, the hard wing of the party, under the long shadow of Donald Trump, has forced him to withdraw his candidacy. The commitments of the rest of the candidates to support the winner in the internal votes have been of no use. The most extremists are not willing to accept the decision of the majority if they do not like it.

Thus, three weeks after the victory of the vote to oust McCarthy, the House of Representatives is still without a Speaker, with legislative activity paralyzed and at a dead end. The Republicans have 221 congressmen and 217 votes are needed to guarantee their election, so a handful of them are enough to impose their veto.

The permanent drama in which the Republicans have found themselves shows a deeply divided group within a poisoned atmosphere. The radical wing of the party is taking revenge for the rejection of its candidate, Jim Jordan, who received the simultaneous backing of Donald Trump and McCarthy himself, the two people with the greatest leadership within the party, but who was rejected by moderate GOP members of Congress.

Among this group, there was unease about the way Jordans candidacy had broken through. In a first internal caucus vote to find McCarthys successor, the winner had been Steve Scalise, but Jordans supporters made it clear, in what moderates consider a stab in the back, that they would not bow to the majority decision and would block his nomination, so he threw in the towel before voting began.

Then the nominee was Jordan, but after the third consecutive lost vote, Republicans voted on Friday to withdraw his nomination and go back to square one in search of an alternative. Over the weekend, nine congressmen expressed interest in running for the position, although one did not formalize his candidacy and another withdrew at the last minute. This Tuesday, the parliamentary group met behind closed doors and, after several rounds of voting in which the candidates with the least support were left out, the chosen one was Emmer, who obtained 117 votes among the 221 members of his group, to the 97 of the ultra-conservative Mike Johnson.

Then, however, the nominee found that there was no way to convince members of the radical wing of the parliamentary group to support him. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump attacked him from his social networks and said that his election would be a tragic mistake.

I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them, Trump wrote on his network Truth, accusing him of being a Republican in name only (RINO). He is totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters. I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure? Has he only changed because thats what it takes to win? The Republican Party cannot take that chance, because thats not where the America First Voters are. Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake! he added.

With members of Congress as loyal to Trump as Marjorie Taylor Greene or Matt Gaetz and a large part of the most radical members of the group, the chances of Emmer being elected by the floor with Trump against him were nonexistent. Thus, he decided to withdraw his candidacy, as Steve Scalise, the first Republican nominee, did at the time.

With the stalemate, the House is paralyzed when it has yet to vote on a $105 billion package requested by President Joe Biden, with aid destined mainly for Ukraine, but also for Israel, humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip and to reinforce control of the border with Mexico. To move forward, it needs the approval of both the Democrat controlled Senate and the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Republican radicals also oppose the Democrats proposal to temporarily grant limited powers to Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry, who took the speakers gavel upon McCarthys departure by designation of McCarthy himself. The idea would be that the House could resume functioning, even though it has no permanent speaker. With this, it could avoid the partial government shutdown when, in less than a months time, the budget extension approved a few weeks ago expires. It could also process the aid package for Ukraine and Israel.

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[October 25, 2023] Farmers Edge Announces Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results Release Date Tweet

Farmers Edge Inc. ("Farmers Edge" or the "Company") (TSX: FDGE) announced today that the Company's third quarter 2023 financial results will be released after market close on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. At that time, the financial results and related materials will be posted on the Farmers Edge Investor Relations website at https://farmersedge.ca/investor-relations/reports-and-filings/. Farmers Edge will hold a live audio webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 9, 2023, to discuss the Company's financial results and business highlights. All interested parties are invited to listen to the live audio webcast at https://www.gowebcasting.com/12696. Following the event, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Farmers Edge Investor Relations website.



About Farmers Edge Farmers Edge is a global leader in digital agriculture, revolutionizing the industry with a broad portfolio of proprietary technological innovations, spanning hardware, software, and services. Powered by a unique combination of connected field sensors, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and agronomic expertise, the Company's digital platform turns data into actions and intelligent insights, delivering value to all stakeholders of the agricultural ecosystem. Farmers Edge disruptive technologies accelerate digital adoption on the farm and beyond, protecting our global resources and ensuring sustainable food production for a rapidly growing population. For more information on Farmers Edge, please visit www.farmersedge.ca. Additional information relating to the Company, including all public filings, is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025706576/en/

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[October 25, 2023] Demand for Sustainable Raw Materials Could Exceed Supply by as Much as 133 Million Tons by 2030 Tweet

New Report from BCG, Textile Exchange, and Quantis Finds That Fashion and Apparel Brands Can Seize an Average 6% Net Profit Increase by Closing the Raw-Materials Gap LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The fashion and apparel industry is under pressure. More than 85% of leading brands (by sales) have publicly declared decarbonization targets for their supply chains. In addition, more than 35 new pieces of sustainability-linked legislation are forecasted to go into effect around the world in the next two to four years, targeting import restrictions, product design guidelines, labeling requirements, and more. Given that raw materials can constitute as much as two-thirds of a fashion and apparel brand's climate impact, securing access to sustainable materials is essential. However, demand for low-climate-impact ("preferred") raw materials could exceed supply by as much as 133 million tons by 2030. These are among the findings of a new report released today by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in collaboration with Textile Exchange and Quantis. Titled Sustainable Raw Materials Will Drive Profitability for Fashion and Apparel Brands, the report says that brands must act today to significantly increase the share of preferred raw materials in their portfolio. Brands that succeed will be positioned to capture an average net profit increase of 6% over a five-year period, based on the report's model. In fact, at the high end of the range in the model, a fashion brand with $1 billion in annual revenues has the potential to tap a cumulative opportunity of approximately $100 million over five years. "Fashion and apparel brands face a two-part challenge: they must double down on driving carbon reduction while preparing for upcoming regulations," said Jocelyn Wilkinson, a BCG partner and a coauthor of the report. "Success on both counts relies on a robust strategy for preferred raw materialsone that helps brands lock in a supply of sustainable materials for the future. Putting that strategy into immediate action promises to pay off." Sustainability-Linked Regulations on the Rise The pending regulations have greater depth and breadth than the fashion and apparel industry has seen before, and many brands may struggle to adapt. Based on a review of luxury brands, the report estimates that just 15% currently comply with all the guidelines of a flagship sustainability-linked regulation (in this case, the 2015 UK Modern Slavery Act). Failre to comply poses a real threat to a brand's bottom line. Products may be denied entry to markets until brands can satisfy new requirements and labeling lawsplacing up to 8% of their earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) at risk.



The Growing Materials Gap Despite the growing number of pledges and decarbonization targets across the fashion and apparel industry, Tier 4 suppliers have yet to receive a strong enough signal that brands will commit to and invest in preferred raw materials. Consequently, raw-materials producers, farmers, and growers lack the incentive to take on the risks associated with increasing the supply.

The report projects that just 19% of materials produced in 2030 will be preferred, given the current lack of economies of scale. Without proper investment, the demand-and-supply gap for preferred raw materials will rise to as much as 133 million tons by the end of the decadeequal to more than six times India's production of these materials in 2021. "Fashion and apparel brands need to take immediate action to invest in the supply of preferred raw materials, thereby securing resources and transforming their business models for a sustainable future," said Philipp Meister, global lead for fashion and sporting goods at Quantis and a coauthor of the report. "This will require brands to rethink product portfolios, strengthen supplier relationships, and build company-wide engagementall of which could take years." The Materials Manifesto The report outlines six principles for brands looking to create a robust materials strategy: Invest in and embed full traceability to de-risk supply chains and fully understand materials' impacts. Use a science-backed approach to strengthen decision making and satisfy stakeholders. Diversify the materials portfolio to spread risks and future-proof operations. Build a business case that leads to a triple winfor brands, for suppliers, and for nature. Strengthen supply chain relationshipsthey will make or break brands going forward. Ensure that knowledge, tools, and incentives are engrained throughout the company. "In the face of the climate crisis, the policy landscape, and investor and consumer scrutiny, fashion and apparel brands cannot afford to underinvest in their raw-materials strategies any longer," said Beth Jensen, director of climate+ impact at Textile Exchange and a coauthor of the report. "Brands must act boldly now to invest in the supply chain relationships that will enable achievement of their climate goals by 2030a key milestone year that is rapidly approaching." Download the publication here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/driving-profitability-with-raw-materials-in-fashion Media Contact:

Eric Gregoire

+1 617 850 3783

[email protected] About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place. About Textile Exchange

Textile Exchange is a global non-profit driving beneficial impacts on climate and nature across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. It guides a growing community of brands, manufacturers, and farmers towards more purposeful production from the very start of the supply chain. Its goal is to help the industry to achieve a 45% reduction in the emissions that come from producing fibers and raw materials by 2030. To get there, it is keeping its focus holistic and interconnected, accelerating the adoption of practices that improve the state of our water, soil health, and biodiversity too. For real change to happen, everyone needs a clear path to beneficial impact. That's why Textile Exchange believes that approachable, step-by-step instruction paired with collective action can change the system to make preferred materials and fibers an accessible default, mobilizing leaders through attainable strategies, proven solutions, and a driven community. At Textile Exchange, materials matter. To learn more, visit textileexchange.org About Quantis

Quantis is a global sustainability consultancy pioneering approaches to solve critical environmental challenges. The group partners with leading organizations who are serious about reducing their environmental impacts to future-proof their businesses and prosper in a new planetary economy. Quantis' unique approach combines deep environmental expertise, strategic business knowledge, and enterprise transformation skills to help organizations shape policies, practices and business models that align with the planet's capacity while building resilience, unlocking innovation, and optimizing performance. With offices in the US, France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy and clients around the world, Quantis is a key partner in inspiring sustainable change on a global scale. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/demand-for-sustainable-raw-materials-could-exceed-supply-by-as-much-as-133-million-tons-by-2030-301967696.html SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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Sorry . . . I still don't buy it.

TKC would gladly have dinner with Stalin . . . In his current condition if somebody paid me enough money.

Accordingly . . .



Very much like Argentine cow carcass served up for the middle-classes . . . Something about this doesn't smell right.

Nevertheless . . . Here's the cover story for the best publicity stunt ever dreamed up by the Kansas City Chiefs . . .



"DailyMail.com spotted the new couple arriving at Argentine steakhouse Piropos in his Rolls Royce Monday night where they dined for two hours The restaurant usually closes at 9pm but stayed open late to accommodate the celebrity couple, who were seen holding hands as they left. The pair partied at Travis' home following the Chiefs' victory against the LA Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday night and slept in on Monday."



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce cap off Chiefs' winning weekend with dinner date Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce kept the Chiefs' victory lap rolling Monday night with an intimate dinner date in Kansas City.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoy a romantic dinner in Kansas City DailyMail.com spotted the new couple arriving at Argentine steakhouse Piropos in his Rolls Royce Monday night where they stayed for two hours.

Developing . . .
Even on a soggy day . . . There's still a lot of crime reporting, alleged misdeeds, court cases & police action to consider.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

KC man sentenced for illegal drug trafficking, firearms after ATV crash A Kansas City man who was injured in an ATV crash was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine.

Overland Park Police Board directors, attorney upset with ruling by Johnson County DA Steve Howe The current Board of Directors of the Overland Park Police Officer's Foundation and their attorney are upset by JoCo District Attorney Steve Howe's decision not to charge former board members.

Missouri justice advocates will tour the state to call attention to civil rights abuses in prisons At least 105 people have died behind bars in Missouri so far this year. Beginning next month, the Missouri Justice Coalition is going around the state - including a stop in Kansas City - to focus on prison conditions and outline the case for reform.

Des Moines man found guilty in 2021 killing of Prairie Village man A Des Moines, Iowa, man has been found guilty in the 2021 death of a Prairie Village man at an apartment complex.

Missouri militia member indicted following last month's escape from Phelps County Jail A Warsaw, Missouri man who escaped Phelps County Jail last month was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday.

Woman still recovering after car rams into Liberty home during police chase Nichole McClellan and her family spent most the last two days together as they help her mother, Erin Harms, recover from a broken sternum, ribs and other injuries.

Six indicted by grand jury in $240K Covid-19 fraud conspiracy case in Kansas City Among the six indicted are three Kansas City, Missouri residents.

Developing . . .
A local baller confronts SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS whilst preliminary info against him seems damaging and at least important enough to mention.



Here's the highlight from quite a few local news reports . . .



"Dispatch audio KMBC 9 News has obtained explains what happened Monday afternoon.



" 'Justyn Ross is dragging her through the house and has torn up the house and he does have a firearm inside the residence'.



"The information came from Ross ex-girlfriend who appeared in court in person Tuesday afternoon.



" 'He also broke her cell phone. Shes currently calling from a neighbors phone,' the dispatch audio states."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Attorney discusses Justyn Ross' case and what's next for the Chiefs wide receiver after first appearance Justyn Ross is accused of domestic battery and criminal damage to property of less than $1000.

Chiefs WR Justyn Ross appears in court, pleads not guilty to domestic violence, criminal damage charges Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross appeared in Johnson County court Tuesday afternoon where he pleaded not guilty to two charges related to an alleged domestic violence incident.

Developing . . .


This was probably the most important day in Kansas City radio and something unprecedented.



We talked about it Monday but here's the basics of the news conversation . . .



Kansas City talker Pete Mundo shares interviews with the wife of former KCPD detective Eric DeValkenaere and his dad as they attempt to rally support for a pardon that would overturn a conviction and denied appeal for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.



Take a listen via www.TonysKansasCity.com embeds . . .

More deets . . .

Convicted ex-KCPD officer Eric DeValkenaere's attorneys ask Missouri Gov. Mike Parson for pardon Convicted former Kansas City, Missouri, Police Det. Eric DeValkenaere's attorneys have asked Missouri Gov. Mike Parson for a pardon, the governor's office confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Ex-KCPD detective DeValkenaere's wife calls for governor to pardon Missouri Gov. Parson's office now has a clemency packet advocating for him to pardon former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere.

Former Kansas City Police officer convicted of killing Black man asks for the governor's pardon A week after his conviction was upheld, the family of Eric DeValkenaere informally filed a clemency request with Gov. Mike Parson. DeValkenaere was convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb in 2019.

Family of former Kansas City police detective Eric Devalkenaere requests clemency from governor's office The family of former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere is asking Missouri Governor Mike Parson for clemency.

Developing . . .
The Toronto Police Service is asking for the publics help with a threat investigation in the city.

On, Oct. 18, at around 12:49 p.m., police responded to a call for a person with a knife in the Carlaw Avenue and Gerrard Street area, police said in a press release.

It is alleged that two men approached a group of youths during school hours at Oasis Alternative Secondary School and one of the men pulled out a knife and threatened the group.

Police said no one was hurt during the incident.

Police described the first suspect as a man, standing 5-foot 3 with a slim build, brown and grey short hair, and short stubble with a light brown complexion.

Police stated he was wearing light colours, and had a red drawstring bag.

The second suspect has been described as being 5-foot 6 with a muscular build.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at 222tips.com.
Education workers of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have voted 80 per cent in favour of a new four-year agreement with the Council of Trustees Associations and the Ontario government.

The term of the Education Worker Central Agreement for ETFOs 3,500 education worker members is from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2026.

ETFO President Karen Brown said in a media release Monday, Oct. 23 that members showed their support for a four-year central agreement that addresses many of their key bargaining goals, including salary increases, maintaining funding for current benefit levels, paid professional learning, job security and a Supports for Students Fund that protects special education roles in our schools.

Brown added the agreement includes a mechanism to ensure members receive a Bill 124 financial remedy.

Brown said the negotiations were prolonged and difficult, but ETFO stood firm, refusing to accept contract strips and will continue to do the same as they negotiate a central agreement for ETFOs 80,000 teacher and occasional teacher members.

Under ETFOs double majority ratification vote process, a majority of ETFO education worker locals must also vote to accept the agreement for ratification to occur.

ETFO locals representing members who are education workers will now work with their respective school boards to negotiate local collective agreements.

ETFO represents approximately 3,500 designated early childhood educators, education support personnel and professional support personnel, as well as 80,000 public elementary teachers and occasional teachers.

Details about ETFO collective bargaining and bargaining dates are available at etfocb.ca.
Fairbank Village BIA is hosting its annual Pumpkin Giveaway and Family Event with the help of local businesses.

Kids and families are invited to attend for the free family event on Oct. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Hartley Avenue and Eglinton Avenue West.

There will be free giveaways including pumpkins, trick or treat bags and hot dogs. For the kids, there will be face painting, a jumping castle and a trick-or-treat activity at participating businesses.

Last year, the event had over 800 attendees.

The event is an opportunity to give back to the community and encourage residents to visit and discover new and existing Fairbank Village BIA businesses, the BIA said in a news release.

Now in our eighth year, weve built it up into an event that families and kids in the community look forward to every year, said Enzo Torrone, Fairbank Village BIA chair.

The pumpkin giveaway will be happening outdoors at the corner of Hartley Avenue and Eglinton Avenue West on Oct. 27 at 5 p.m.

Everything is free while supplies last.

Visit fairbankvillage.ca for more information.
Toronto police have located a missing teen.

Police were asking for public's help in locating the 14-year-old youth earlier this week.

On Oct. 26, police said the teen has been located.

Editor's note: This news article was updated at 11:09 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, to state the missing person was found.
A pilot named Joseph David Emerson was arrested Sunday afternoon in Portland after attempting to shut down the engines of a plane in mid-flight. On Tuesday, his first statements after his arrest were made public. The 44-year-old pilot, who was off duty at the time, told authorities he had taken psychedelic mushrooms. The affidavit filed alongside a federal complaint against Emerson also states that, after being subdued and taken to the back of the place, Emerson turned towards an emergency exit door and tried to grab the handle before being stopped by flight attendants. The Horizon Air flight made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon. Emerson now faces a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew, in addition to numerous state charges that include 83 felony counts of attempted murder.

Emerson has been suspended indefinitely. Alaska Airlines says it is considering its options with lawyers. The pilot told federal authorities that he will not put up any obstacles in the legal process against him. On Tuesday afternoon, he was formally charged and appeared in a light blue prison uniform, with his hands cuffed behind his back and his head shaved.

The report from federal aviation authorities states that Emerson had symptoms of depression six months ago. As treatment, he began taking psychedelic mushrooms, an alternative therapy that has become popular in several cities on the West Coast of the United States. Psilocybin is illegal in most of the country, but states like Oregon have recently legalized it. A few days ago, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, vetoed legislation that sought to decriminalize the possession of this type of psychedelics, which received approval from health regulators in 2018 for their use in some therapies.

Alaska Airlines  the owner of Horizon Air airline, where the incident occurred  said that Emerson approached the gate minutes before they closed to request a seat on flight 2059. At no time during the check-in or boarding process did our Gate Agents or flight crew observe any signs of impairment that would have led them to prevent Emerson from flying, Alaska Airlines said in a statement released Tuesday.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, is shown in the background at his first appearance before judicial authorities. HANDOUT (via REUTERS)

According to U.S. aeronautical authorities, Emerson was sitting in the cockpits jump seat behind the captain and first officer of the plane, which was making the journey between Everett, north of Seattle, and San Francisco. The pilots said that their colleague seemed fine as the flight began and chatted about mundane topics such as the weather and the plane they were traveling on.

Minutes after takeoff, when the plane was flying over the city of Astoria, Oregon, Emerson took off his headphones and threw them at the controls. Im not ok, he said, according to the pilots testimony. Emerson then attempted to pull the fire extinguisher handles that serve as a firewall, shutting off the valves in the wings that bring fuel to the engine. The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident, said Alaska Airlines.

Emerson told authorities that he acted that way because he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up. One of the pilots struggled with him and grabbed his wrists, until Emerson calmed down. After the incident, Emerson was removed from the cockpit and taken to the back of the plane. The crew cuffed him and put him in one of the seats reserved for staff. On Tuesday, the airline stated that while seated at the back, when the plane was already making an emergency descent to Portland, Emerson tried to open the emergency exit, according to one of the flight attendants.

Emerson testified during his arrest that he had not slept in more than 40 hours and thought he was having a nervous breakdown. He told authorities that when he was in the cockpit, he thought that the pilots were not paying attention to the flight. At all times, Emerson cooperated with authorities and waived his right to an attorney.

Alaska Airlines recalled that the Federal Department of Transportation has a policy to prevent substance abuse of all air personnel. This involves random testing before or and after a flight, as well as reasonable suspicion testing of on-duty pilots and flight attendants. The airline said it has a zero-tolerance policy for any substance abuse. Emerson, however, was off duty, so he was not subject to drug testing.

Emerson was a resident of Pleasant Hill, a city east of San Francisco. The pilots neighbors were surprised after learning of the events. In his neighborhood, he is known as a family man and the father of two children. For five years, he had been teaching flight lessons as a certified instructor of the NRI Flying Club. [He]s a completely by-the-book, normal guy, Adam Silverthorne, the president of the NRI Flying Club, told the San Francisco Chronicle. I dont know whats going on in his life.

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Toronto police have identified a suspect in a voyeurism investigation that officers allege took place over a four-month span and involved seven incidents.

Between July and October of this year, the University of Toronto Campus Safety received reports of voyeurism in the Spadina Avenue and Willcocks Street area, say police. Toronto police took over the investigation and, in collaboration with the University of Toronto Campus Safety, are now investigating seven incidents in total, add police.

Its alleged that a man loitered inside womens washrooms and gender-neutral showers and, in some instances, he placed a cellphone underneath stalls to record victims, police say.

The alleged victims range from 14 to 21 years old, add police.

The suspect is described as between five-foot-two and five-foot-seven with short, black hair and a medium build. On occasion, he was wearing a white and grey hoodie, black pants and dark-coloured Crocs, say police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5200.


Breast cancer affects one in eight women from all walks of life, regardless of their race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

As a radiologist in Scarborough, I believe that breast cancer screening tailored for each individual is crucial to early detection and saving lives.

In Scarborough, we understand cultural beliefs, language and socioeconomic factors can create obstacles to accessing health care services. It is imperative to break down these barriers and ensure that everyone who identifies as a woman, regardless of their background, can undergo regular breast cancer screening.

The most significant challenges we face include dispelling myths and addressing a general lack of information about breast cancer. Cultural taboos and fear often deter women from seeking timely medical attention.

To help combat this, specially trained breast health navigators help arrange appointments and support patients to be fully informed at every step of their care, including complex cases requiring multiple tests and consults, or those who need to be connected to surgical services or cancer care treatment and support.

Navigators are also helpful for patients who are new to Scarborough and may not be as familiar with the system or how to advocate for themselves within it. I am so proud of my breast health navigator colleagues, who really take the time to get to know their patients.

Fifteen per cent of Scarborough residents do not have a primary care provider  that amounts to nearly 100,000 people. That is why we have worked hard to be able to offer breast cancer screening without a physician referral for women aged 50 to 74; each of Scarboroughs three hospitals are designated Ontario Breast Screening Program sites, an Ontario Health initiative that permits trusted providers to screen without referrals.

Women are also more likely to access care when they discover that they can communicate in their first language through our interpretation services. With interpretation support in more than 200 languages, we eliminate misunderstandings and address fears that prevent women from seeking mammograms or clinical breast examinations.

Breast cancer screening is not a one-size-fits-all solution; our local demographics have given us tremendous experience in delivering on that understanding. My colleagues are setting an example for Canada by meeting the unique needs of each individual.

By working together, we can empower women to take control of their health and reduce the impact of breast cancer on their lives. Join us on Oct. 28 at Centenary Hospital for a Breast Health Workshop, hosted in partnership with The Olive Branch of Hope, Black Physicians' Association of Ontario (BPAO) and TAIBU Community Health Centre.

Scarborough Health Network technologist Shirley Murphy performs a mammogram, a key tool in cancer detection that provides an X-ray picture of the breast. Mammograms can be used to check for breast cancer in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease. (Scarborough Health Network photo)

To book a mammogram at any of Scarborough Health Networks clinics, call 416-431-8167.

Dr. Janice Nazareno is the lead for breast imaging in Scarborough Health Networks diagnostic imaging department, as well as being an adjunct lecturer with the University of Toronto.
After weeks of chaos, infighting, threats, and round after round of voting, the House of Representatives has finally elected Rep. Mike Johnson from Louisiana as its new speaker. Johnson is a hard-right conservative and evangelical Christian who led the Republican conferences legal efforts to try to overturn Joe Bidens victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. His election marks a clear shift to the right by Republicans, further complicating the dynamics of an already polarized Congress.

During Wednesdays vote, there was not a single defection. The Republican conference finally closed ranks 22 days after the ouster of former speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was removed from the post through a motion to vacate filed by hardliner Rep. Matt Gaetz. Thus, Johnson managed to clear the fateful 217-vote threshold to get elected in just one full House vote, putting an end to three weeks of chaos that left the chamber paralyzed. His election puts him second in line to the presidency, only after vice president Kamala Harris.

Johnsons election unblocks legislative activity at a crucial time, both internationally and domestically. President Biden has asked Congress to approve an aid package of more than $105 billion primarily for Ukraine and Israel. At the same time, the federal government is staring down at another possible shutdown next month when the stopgap measure to keep it funded expires.

On the House floor, Republicans could hardly contain their euphoria during Wednesdays ballot. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the Republican chair, presented Johnsons nomination: Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as speaker of the Peoples House, she said confidently. She defined Johnson as a man of deep faith, a friend to all and enemy to none, strong, tough and fair. Johnson also had the support of former president Donald Trump, who just the day before had torpedoed Tom Emmers bid for speaker.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar, who introduced his caucus candidate, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, said that this speaker election for Republicans has been about who can appease Donald Trump. In his view, Republicans have not stopped until finding the person who can pass their litmus test of extremism to oppose marriage equality, enact a nationwide ban on abortion without exceptions, gut Social Security and Medicare, and support overturning a free and fair election. Johnson voted against the law protecting same-sex marriages and is a supporter of restricting abortion nationwide.

Jeffries offered to work together with the Republicans but said he would draw a blue line (the color of the Democratic Party) against extremism. In his speech on the floor, he stressed that nothing will change the fact that Biden won the 2020 elections. The president himself, asked at a press conference at the White House on Wednesday whether he was worried that an electoral denier would lead the House of Representatives before the 2024 presidential elections, assured that he was not, just as he was not worried in 2020. He recalled that those who wanted to overturn the result lost all the lawsuits they filed. I understand the Constitution, he said.

Johnson was the fourth candidate the Republican conference chose during countless rounds of internal voting. In the first ballot, the winner had been Steve Scalise, but numerous hardline Republicans made it clear that they would block his bid, so he resigned immediately. Then the appointee became hardliner Jim Jordan, who had the support of both Trump and McCarthy himself. Despite receiving threats and other forms of pressure to support Jordans candidacy, moderate Republicans remained firm in their opposition to his election, making Jordan lose three full House votes. After the third defeat, the Republican conference decided on Friday to scrap his nomination and go back to square one.

Over the weekend, nine representatives expressed their interest in running for the post. The chosen one was Tom Emmer, who got 117 votes among the 221 members of his group. Like Scalise, he found there was no way to convince members of the radical wing of his conference to support him, especially after Trump attacked him and said electing him would be a tragic mistake. Emmer threw in the towel just hours after being nominated.

During Wednesdays vote, Republicans have especially cheered for the defenestrated candidates (Scalise, Jordan and Emmer), all of whom gave Johnson their yeses.

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Creating climate scholars By Katie Straub

Photo by Dirk Rohrbach.

During a Yukon River float trip in summer 2023, UAF climate scholars enjoy an evening fire at their campsite on a sandbar.

Photo by Seth Danielson.

Rachel Heimke enjoys the ride on the research vessel Nanuq in Resurrection Bay as part of her field course in marine research techniques at UAF.

The boat moved slowly through the water, allowing for a well-deserved break in the day.

Rachel Heimke and her parents, David and Jill, were off the coast of California on a two-year sailing journey that would take them from Homer, Alaska, to Australia. The swell gently rocked the 37-foot vessel, and fresh, salty air surrounded them.

Just shy of her seventh birthday, Heimke daydreamed about what she and her parents might do to celebrate. In the distance, she noticed a humpback whale surface. They kept a lookout as the whale swam closer.

Its right there! Heimke said. The whale surfaced again, this time right next to the boat, its exhale blow close enough to sprinkle spray down on them. As it dove under their boat, Heimke laughed with her parents, feeling like 7 would be a pretty good year.

Fast forward 10 years. Heimke found herself on the cusp of a new chapter  selecting a college that could nurture her desire to protect the ocean and address climate change. Her search led her to UAF and its groundbreaking Climate Scholars Program.

I desperately didnt want to go to UAF because this is where my dad went, Heimke joked. But UAF has a really good ocean sciences program, and they have the Climate Scholars Program, and thats ultimately why I chose UAF. No other universities had a program like this, where I could combine my love of the ocean with my passion for climate change.

Building on an idea

UAF photo by Leif VanCise.

Alexander Hirsch

While Heimke was in high school contemplating her future, UAF Honors College Director Alex Hirsch was developing what would become the Climate Scholars Program at UAF.

The program responded to Honors College students who wanted to not only earn a degree but also contribute to a better future.

Of all the challenges facing humanity and the world, I think rapid environmental change is the challenge that most concerns todays students, Hirsch said.

As Americas Arctic University, UAF is well-known for its climate research, but Hirsch felt there was a lack of focus on the topic at the undergraduate level. Hirsch, a political science professor and UAFs associate vice chancellor for student experience, believed he could help build a program to coordinate that effort across disciplines.

It was exciting to establish a program here that engages students in a way that provides them not only with information but also with a set of unique experiences, Hirsch said.

The program has attracted students from around the country. There are now nearly 300 scholars earning degrees from physics to poetry while focusing on climate resilience and adaptation.

The UAF Climate Scholars Program is the first of its kind in the nation. It connects undergraduate students across disciplines and provides opportunities for experiential learning. Bringing together arts, humanities and science  with the chance to work alongside climate experts  empowers students to take something that feels big and overwhelming and make positive change.

What binds all these students together is their common interest in rapid environmental change, climate resilience and climate adaptation, Hirsch said. Our climate scholars are keenly aware of the transgenerational responsibility that theyve unfairly been burdened with and are very anxious to not just learn about the drivers of climate change but to do something about it. And what we try to do is empower students to both witness and make positive change through experiential learning intensives.

Photo by Dirk Rohrbach.

From left, Elliott Lewandowski, Sam Nelson, instructor Jody Potts-Joseph, Seneca Roach, Lydia Andriesen and Shannon Williams raft up to chat on the Yukon River during the climate scholars summer 2023 float. Photo by Dirk Rohrbach.

Lydia Andriesen (left), a junior in the mechanical engineering program, and Elliott Lewandowski, a sophomore in electrical engineering, are framed by a rainbow on the Climate Scholars Programs Yukon River float trip in summer 2023.

Learning by experience

In summer 2023, 15 climate scholars canoed the Yukon River from Eagle to Circle with Bathsheba Demuth. Her award-winning 2019 book, Floating Coasts, is an environmental history of the Bering Strait.

The Brown University history professor, who as a young woman lived for three years in Old Crow, Canada, was inspired by the model at UAF. She wanted to be part of the experience.

On the trip, Demuth shared history with the students and talked with people along the river, some of whom have thousands of years of ancestry in the region. She acknowledged their wisdom, accumulated through generations, about how the land has changed. The group explored food security and sovereignty issues, such as how poor salmon runs in recent years have eliminated an important local source of food.

Its one thing to read about that, or to have someone come and give a presentation about that in your classroom at UAF, Hirsch said. But to actually go with someone who has this kind of expertise, who is now writing a book about the Yukon River, and then to meet the people who are impacted by it  its just different.

Other hands-on experiences have included NASAs eclipse-tracking balloon project, studies at the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research site, and a community-based listening and healing arts project involving the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Heimke, now a senior fisheries and marine sciences major, said that learning through experiences has helped make her education at UAF positive and rewarding.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Heimke.

Rachel Heimke meets U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Washington, D.C., in January. Photo by Kristin Timm.

UAF climate scholars meets with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and others in Washington, D.C., to discuss climate change and policy. At left, from left, are Julie-Anne Brown, Rachel Heimke, River Schumann, Aksiin Storer, Laci Andrews and Ashley Carlin. At right are Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and a Department of Transportation staff member.

In January, she traveled to Washington, D.C., for a weeklong trip and met with government agency personnel and policymakers, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

I have a picture of me standing quite awkwardly next to him in awe, Heimke said.

Heimke found herself inspired by the people she met who work in areas of education, communication and policy.

I came away thinking that while science is necessary and needed, its impact is limited without communication, she said. I want to create change by communicating science  to both the public and policymakers. I've encountered a lot of need for it in my degree, and I'm excited to pursue that career path.

Holding onto passion

In a recent Climate Scholars Program advisory council meeting, Hirsch and Linda Schandelmeier 71, a UAF alum, advisory member and donor, discussed the crucial skills the program inspires in students  ranging from data analytics to environmental ethics. Schandelmeier pinpointed an often-overlooked yet essential trait: passion.

Linda explained that passion is actually a skill  which I found really interesting, Hirsch said, because of course all of our students are deeply passionate, and you can see Rachels passion when she speaks about what she loves and cares about, and all of our students have that passion in their hearts. Theyre driven by it and its beautiful and its what makes our program work. Its the driver of everything.

And, Hirsch added, passion can be learned.

Its a skill to know how to be informed by your passion and how to hold onto it, Hirsch said. Students feel hopeful, but they dont know what to do with their hope. What can one little person do? This is a global problem. And we try through our program to make it personal and make it feel like something that you can engage with at a local level and start where you are. I think its something that is effective for students in terms of managing their climate anxiety and sometimes their climate grief.

Hirsch said the Climate Scholars Program emphasizes the significance of effective communication in addressing climate issues.

As a student in the program, Heimke said learning these skills can help transcend political polarization and lead to understanding and positive outcomes.

You want to treat people like theyre human and find out whats most important to them, she said. Ask them questions and then bring climate into that. Because theres a very good chance that whats near and dear to their heart is being affected by climate change in some way.

Photo courtesy of John Davies.

John Davies 70, 75 and Linda Schandelmeier 71 enjoy a summer day in Fairbanks. They established the John Davies and Linda Schandelmeier Climate Scholars Scholarship in 2021 out of gratitude for the impact UAF had on their lives and to support students enrolled in the program.

Investing in the future

The success of the Climate Scholars Program is a testament to the commitment of its students and supporters.

Donors like Schandelmeier and her husband, John Davies 70, 75, have recognized the importance of addressing climate change and have invested in scholarships for the program. Their generosity enables students like Heimke to pursue their passion and make a difference.

I believe that the incredible students in this program will become leaders in developing innovative solutions to address climate change, Schandelmeier said. They are motivated and driven to create the change our world needs right now. I feel like I am doing a small part to address the climate crisis and am grateful that we have teachers and students who are doing real work to that end.

Davies said he and Schandelmeier feel energized and grateful for students who are enthusiastically motivated to address climate warming problems and find kindred spirits.

We are excited to be able to help support students who are also focused on a wide range of climate issues, including food security, because we see these students as future game-changers in addressing this existential threat to our world, he said.

Davies hopes that as more people are aware of the program, they will add their support. It feels good to be able to give back to a school that has given so much to us, he said.

Photo by Dirk Rohrbach.

UAF climate scholars and instructors float the Yukon River between Eagle and Circle in summer 2023.

Heimke said she has received an honors scholarship every year at UAF.

There are no words to describe how much that helps, she said. Just being able to pay for college is difficult. I was able to do a study away program this summer that I paid out of my own pocket for, so scholarships have been really, really helpful.

Additionally, funding from the Climate Scholars Program allowed her to attend the Arctic Encounters symposium in Anchorage in March, where she met with leaders in Arctic science and policy, including Alaskas U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

I never would have been able to attend that symposium had I not been given support through this program. So that was really incredible, she said.

Hirsch gets emotional when he thinks about the generosity of donors like Schandelmeier and Davies. Its awe-inspiring. Gratitude is not the right word  its like shock that what were doing is inspiring people who care so much about students to give back in this way. Its pretty amazing.

Measures of success

As the Climate Scholars Program continues to grow, the university is expecting to reach 1,000 students and expand to include graduate students. Hirsch said breaking down the silos between research and education could create a network of passionate, informed and skilled individuals driving positive change for the environment and the world.

Photo by Jocelyn Curry.

Rachel Heimke collects water samples near a tidewater glacier in 2023 for her climate scholars capstone project on ocean acidification.

We want to engage with as many students as we can who care about this, who are inspired by this model that we have created, said Hirsch. And so, for now, we have the door open to people who are interested and see this as one reason why UAF is so special.

Hirsch believes that transforming students lives with tools, knowledge and experience is the measure of success.

I think success for the program is about the success of the students, added Hirsch. And the success for the students is about feeling like they have the skills they need and the opportunities they need in order to make a meaningful difference.

This summer, Heimke completed a summer course in marine research techniques as part of her degree program. Once again, she found herself on the ocean, witnessing humpback whales and a pod of orcas.

I was captivated learning how oceanographic research is conducted, said Heimke. I did my own little project on ocean acidification near a tidewater glacier to tie together my passions for both the ocean and climate change.

Her samples still need to be run in a special lab, so she doesnt have results yet, but she plans to use that data for her capstone project for the Climate Scholars Program.

I feel great about my decision to attend UAF, she said, after reflecting on her initial hesitancy to attend the same school as her father. I have really enjoyed my time here and am sad that I only have one year left.
By Jeff Murphy, October 25, 2023





University of Central Missouri employees are among 20 indvidiuals under age 40 who are recognized in a publication produced by the Warrensburg Star-Journal to celebrate outstanding young people in this area.



WARRENSBURG, MO  The contributions five University of Central Missouri employees have made to their community through their work and service were celebrated in the 2023 edition of 20 Under 40, a special section in the Warrensburg Star-Journal, a community newspaper serving readers throughout Johnson County, Missouri.



Released on Oct. 20 in print and online, this is the third consecutive year the Star-Journal has published this special section as a way to honor young people who contribute to the county in many ways. Twenty individuals who are under age 40 are recognized for their efforts in areas that include business, education, civic involvement and community service. Selections were made on the basis of nominations from the community and the Star-Journal staff. Members of the publications newsroom narrowed the field of nominees to create a publication chock full of stories about young adults who are helping to create a bright future for this area.



UCM employees who were recognized include individuals who have multiple professional responsibilities at businesses or organizations off campus. University honorees are Tyler Habiger, director of annual giving at the UCM Alumni Foundation; Joe Jennings, administrative sergeant at the UCM Department of Public Safety; Rebekah Mauschbaugh, communication and events library assistant at UCM and co-owner of Lamplight Bookstore in Warrensburg; Courtney Swoboda, director of Military and Veteran Services; and Lindsay Tegtmeier, an adjunct professor at UCM who also serves as an agent at State Farm.



Individuals who want to learn more about these 20 Under 40 honorees and other area residents who are featured in the publication can do so by visiting the Star-Journals website at warrensburgstarjournal.com.



This Warrensburg Star-Journal group photo taken outside the UCM Ward Edwards Building features many of the individuals who were recognized in the newspaper's "20 Under 40" publication for 2023. This includes five university employees, Tyler Habiger, Joe Jennings, Rebekah Mauschbaugh, Courtney Swoboda, and Lindsay Tegtmeier,
By Jeff Murphy, October 25, 2023





Capt. Dan Othic recently was recognized with an award named for a former FBI Director and Kansas City Police Chief.



WARRENSBURG, MO  More than 25 years of dedication to public service has led to regional recognition for Capt. Dan Othic, a longtime officer with the University of Central Missouris Department of Public Safety. He was recently honored as recipient of the Clarence M. Kelley Meritorious Service Award.



The award presentation was made at the Lake of the Ozarks during the fall 2023 meeting of the Kansas/Western Missouri Chapter of the FBI, National Academy Associates. The award has been presented annually since 2001, honoring a chapter member from Kansas during the spring Re-Trainer program and a Missouri member during the chapters fall Re-Trainer. Award winners are individuals who show dedication to an exemplary career in law enforcement.



A UCM alumnus, Othic graduated from UCM with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1996 and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration in 2006. He began his professional career in law enforcement in 1997 as a member of the Clinton, Missouri Police Department, then joined UCMs Department of Public Safety in July 1998. He is currently serving as Assistant Director in Public Safety for Police Operations.



In speaking about the award, Othic said, I am proud to be a member of the worlds strongest law enforcement leadership association. I am truly honored to be included on the list of great law enforcement leaders in our region who have received this award.



The award is named for a Missourian who left a legacy in law enforcement, not only in this state and region, but across the nation. Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1911, Clarence Kelley was an alumnus of both the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri. He served in the United States Navy from 1944-1946, and was granted military leave from the FBI. Kelley was initially signed to the Kansas City office, where his performance led to his promotion as Field Supervisor. His career took him to FBI posts as a Special Agent in Houston, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and San Francisco, California, then to the Training and Inspection Division of FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he became an Inspector. He was later re-assigned to the Birmingham, Alabama office as Special Agent in Charge, and reassigned to the Memphis, Tennessee office with the same professional title in 1960. Kelley served there until his retirement from the FBI in 1961, when he became Chief of Police in Kansas City. In 1973, he was nominated for the FBI Directors post by President Richard M. Nixon, and sworn into office, where he served until announcing his retirement in 1977.

UCM's Student Government Association once honored Kelley as recipient of the James C. Kirkpatrick Excellence in Governance Award.
Ukraine expects Germany to provide an additional Patriot air defense system and increase funding for defense assistance as part of Germany's budget planning for 2024.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said this during a press conference at the Sixth German-Ukrainian Economic Forum, commenting on the results of a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

"We touched upon several extremely important topics. In particular, the supply of weapons for Ukraine. Most of all, we need air defense systems to protect our energy facilities, civilian infrastructure, sea and river ports. We expect to receive an additional Patriot system from Germany," he said.

Shmyhal emphasized that Germany is one of the leaders in support in terms of supplying air defense systems. According to him, Ukraine is currently using IRIS-T and Gepard, "which have proven themselves to be of high quality and protect our airspace, our sky."

"We need and hope to increase funding for defense assistance as part of Germany's budget planning for 2024," Shmyhal added.

As reported, the Sixth German-Ukrainian Economic Forum has started in Berlin, bringing together more than 500 representatives of politics and business. The forum is held under the slogan 'Recovery, Smart Growth and Security'.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 25, 2023 - 18:32 | World, All, Japan

The Japanese and Philippine governments are considering negotiations on a new bilateral treaty to boost security cooperation and facilitate joint drills, diplomatic sources said Wednesday, amid China's growing military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.

During their scheduled early November summit in the Philippines, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are expected to greenlight negotiations for a "reciprocal access agreement," facilitating the presence of visiting forces, according to sources.

It would be Japan's first RAA with a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the third following the agreements with Australia and Britain that took effect earlier this year, respectively.

Negotiators from both sides are set to delve into the intricacies of the treaty by the end of this year, aiming to sign it as early as next year, according to the sources.

At the summit, Kishida and Marcos are expected to pledge to step up joint military exercises by the two nations, in a move that would further promote trilateral security cooperation also involving the United States.

In the face of China's territorial claims in the East and South China seas, Japan and the Philippines aim to enhance deterrence through regular joint training exercises with the United States, the sources said.

RAAs are intended to facilitate transfers of defense personnel between countries for training and disaster relief operations while relaxing restrictions on the transportation of weapons and supplies.

Japan has conducted similar defense cooperation with the United States under the Status of Forces Agreement signed in 1960.

Japan and the Philippines agreed in April last year, when their foreign and defense ministers met, to "start considering ways to further enhance and facilitate" defense cooperation, including frameworks for reciprocal visits and logistical support.

The two governments have already signed a memorandum to simplify necessary procedures to dispatch defense personnel to each other's country for disaster relief activities and humanitarian assistance.

Kishida and Marcos will also likely talk about Japan's delivery of defense equipment to the Philippines under a framework of official security assistance set up in April this year, the sources said.

Among other issues, additional provision of large patrol vessels from Japan to the Philippine Coast Guard may be brought up at the summit, said the sources. Tokyo gave Manila two such vessels last year.

During his visit, Kishida also plans to address Philippine legislators to call for stronger bilateral ties, the sources said.

Related coverage:

Philippines, China trade blame over ship collision in South China Sea

Japan's top diplomat to visit, promote ties with 4 ASEAN states

Japan, eight ASEAN nations to bolster cybersecurity collaboration
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel discussed a range of issues, including Ukraines defense needs, European integration and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian speaker said this in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports.

An important meeting and an important conversation with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel. I thank for all the assistance the Czech Republic has provided and continues to provide: military, financial and humanitarian. And at todays meeting, I heard confirmation that the Czech Republic will continue to stand with Ukraine," Stefanchuk noted.

According to him, they discussed the situation on the battlefield, Ukraines defense needs, and the current situation in Ukraines energy sector.

"The European integration is also in the focus of our attention. I thank the Czech Republic for its readiness to help Ukraine on its way to membership in the European Union. I told that the Ukrainian Parliament has adopted all the legislative acts necessary to implement the European Commissions. recommendations. The Euro-Atlantic integration is another important topic. I emphasized that next year, at the Washington Summit, Ukraine seeks to receive an invitation to join the Alliance and a clear understanding of a timeline for membership, the Ukrainian speaker said.

Stefanchuk also emphasized that the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula was also discussed.

As reported by Ukrinform, Ruslan Stefanchuk and the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation are in the Czech Republic on an official visit. On October 24, the second parliamentary summit of the International Crimea Platform was held in Prague. Almost 70 delegations from the parliaments of different countries took part in the event.

Photo: Facebook / Ruslan Stefanchuk

needs with Czech president
The supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine was the main topic of negotiations between the Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and Denmark, Rustem Umerov and Troels Lund Poulsen, in Kyiv.

"I thank Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Denmark Troels Lund Poulsen for fruitful and constructive negotiations and a frank conversation in Kyiv. The key issue is speeding up the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine," Umerov posted on Facebook.

The ministers also discussed the demining of liberated territories, professional training of Ukrainian military, cooperation on implementing IT in the Ukrainian army, and the provision of additional assistance.

Read also: Defense Minister Umerov meets with G7 envoys

Umerov emphasized that Denmark is one of the countries leading the international coalition's efforts to train pilots and support staff, maintain aircraft and supply F-16s to Ukraine

As reported, Denmark will send 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with Minister of Defense of Denmark Troels Lund Poulsen and thanked for 12 military aid packages that strengthen Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield.

Photo: Facebook / Rustem Umerov
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exposed a Russian intelligence effort aimed to recruit Ukrainian teenagers tasking them with committing anti-Semitic acts in various regions of Ukraine.

Thats according to the SBU press center, Ukrinform reports.

"The Security Service exposed new attempts by the Russian special services to destabilize the domestic situation in Ukraine and compromise our country in the international arena. By recruiting underage Ukrainian youths, Russian intelligence tried to incite anti-Semitic sentiments in Zhytomyr region, as well as in Dnipro, Lviv, and Vinnytsia," the report reads.

Russian intelligence recruited Ukrainian teenagers for anti-Semitic provocations / Photo: SBU

The group included 13-17-year-old students from local schools. For their remote recruitment, Russian intelligence operatives set up a radical right-wing Telegram channel with youths being their target audience.

Media files obtained in this way were circulated by the Russian special services in foreign media as fake publications to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community.

In Zhytomyr region, law enforcement exposed a 15-year-old schoolboy from the city of Radomyshl, who had long been brainwashed by operatives from the aggressor state via the internet.

Russian spies demanded that the young man put anti-Semitic inscriptions on one of the memorial signs set up the region.

According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, in August 2023 he desecrated the monuments at several cemeteries. He also drew Nazi symbols on the steles commemorating fighters against Nazism.

"He also desecrated the memorial complex dedicated to Jewish children executed in World War 2: he spray-painted a swastika and offensive inscriptions. The house of a local resident, an ethnic Jew, was also vandalized with similar symbols," the report reads.

The teenager took pictures of the results of his actions before sending them to the chat admin for further publication.

In Dnipro, Lviv and Vinnytsia, local members of the Russian-controlled Telegram channel were also exposed. They turned out to be four schoolchildren from local educational facilities.

The operatives documented Russian intelligence operatives calls to their targets in which they incited them to commit acts of vandalism at the memorials of Holocaust victims.

Currently, all of the exposed facts are being investigated under three articles of the Criminal Code, including production and distribution of communist or Nazi symbols and propaganda, as well as promoting the cult of violence and intolerance.

The SBU calls on parents to remain vigilant in order to protect their children from malign influence of Russian intelligence agencies.

As reported by Ukrinform, the police detained in Kyiv region this September two local women who had desecrated the graves of Ukrainian defenders on the Alley of Glory.
Germany will allocate an additional EUR 195 million for the needs of Ukraines energy companies ahead of the winter period.

The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany reports this on its website, Ukrinform saw.

It is noted that during the negotiations held on Wednesday in Berlin with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, the head of the German ministry, Svenja Schultze, assured that the German government will continue to support Ukraine in protecting critical energy infrastructure and ensuring economic recovery.

"In particular, Schulze vowed an additional EUR 195 million for energy supply and the survival of companies in Ukraine," the press release states.

In general, the support from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development to Ukraine since the invasion has amounted to about EUR 1.2 billion.

"Heating and electricity are key to peoples sustainability in Ukraine, especially with the winter looming. That is why we are increasing our support for Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government has committed to work toward reconstruction, which will make the country more stable and bring it closer to the European Union. We will actively support you in this," Schulze said.

About half of the additional funds should be used to protect the energy infrastructure shortly before the onset of winter, to restore the war-damaged Ukrainian power system, and at the same time to ensure the use of energy-efficient technology and renewables. For this purpose, support will be provided to the Ukrainian electricity supplier Ukrenergo.

The Green for Growth Fund will also be replenished through the KfW bank. This will provide much-needed financial support to local businesses, particularly in the agricultural sector.

As reported, Vice PM Oleksandr Kubrakov took part in the 6th German-Ukrainian business forum in Berlin.

Photo: bmz.de
Ukraine has started negotiations with Moldova and Romania regarding the creation of a "green corridor" between the border crossing points "Reni (Ukraine)  Giurgiulesti (Moldova)  Galati (Romania)" to speed up the movement of goods and the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.

As the press service of the Ministry of Restoration reports, this became the key topic of the negotiations with the participation of Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Serhiy Derkach, State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova Mircea Pascaluta and State Secretary of Transport and Infrastructure of Romania Ionel Scriosteanu.

"The proposal to introduce a green corridor includes a series of measures for all three countries. First of all, it is about joint control between Ukraine and Moldova and coordinated control between Moldova and Romania. Thanks to this decision, we will be able to reduce the number of stops for trucks and, accordingly, speed up control. Globally, this decision will allow solving the issue of complex development of infrastructure on the UkraineMoldovaRomania border," Derkach emphasized.

These border crossing points are located next to each other and are strategic for goods moving by vehicles to ports, particularly Galati, Romania.

"To create a green corridor, in addition to the introduction of joint control, a number of decisions are needed, in particular, the development of the Reni border crossing point. In this case, representatives of the controlling authorities of Moldova will be able to carry out all the necessary procedures on exit from Ukraine," the Ministry of Restoration noted.

In addition, the Ministry added, the plan for launching the "green corridor" includes reconstruction of the ReniGalati road and its expansion from two to four lanes; additional technical equipment for border crossing points. All these measures are possible if the decisions are supported by all three parties.

As reported, the ReniGiurgiulesti border crossing point allows about 50 trucks to pass through per day. Instead, it is one of the key road crossing points leading to Romanian ports. The key objective of the development of the infrastructure of this point and the "green corridor" is to increase the actual throughput capacity at least fivefold.

Photos: Ministry of Restoration
European Parliament members took the initiative to hand over to Ukraine weapons and military equipment seized in Libya.

This is reported by Politico, Ukrinform saw.

It is noted that the Dutch liberal lawmaker Bart Groothuis called on the members of the European Parliament to sign the corresponding letter by the end of the working day on October 26.

We call upon you to transfer the seized vehicles of the IRINI operation, and similar military equipment or ammunition from this or other EU operations, to Ukraine, the letter said.

This is about t 146 vehicles confiscated last year in two operations by the EUs IRINI naval mission as part of efforts to enforce a UN arms embargo on Libya.

At the same time, Groothuis referred to U.S. plans to send seized Iranian munitions to Ukraine and sees an opportunity for Europe to do the same.

"Because the U.S. is doing it, so why cant we? Its all about political will," he said.

According to him, Libya is actively lobbying at the UN for the return of this military equipment, which would be "the worst possible solution."

Today, the letter was signed by the head of the parliamentary subcommittee on defense Natalie Loiseau (France), and MEP Guy Verhofstadt (Belgium).

On Friday, October 27, the letter is expected to be sent to member states of the Political and Security Committee of the EU Council and the Committee of the European Peace Facility, which is responsible for extrabudgetary funding for Ukraine. A copy of the appeal will also be forwarded to the commander of the IRINI naval mission.

As reported by Ukrinform, EU leaders at the October 26-27 summit in Brussels will discuss, among other things, the acceleration of military support to Ukraine and the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine recovery.

Photo: minre.gov.ua
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov met with the delegation of the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Denmark, led by the Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen.

Thats according to the NSDC press service, Ukrinform reports.

It is noted that at the meeting with the delegation, Danilov emphasized that the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity is the most important goal, and that the Ukrainian people will fight for this with full determination.

"Ukrainians have proven their readiness to fight for their rights and values, and we are grateful to our allies for their help, in particular to Denmark," the NSDC secretary emphasized.

Read also: Zelensky meets with Danish Defense Minister

He also emphasized that it is important for Ukraine to regain the status of a maritime state.

"Denmark is a maritime state, and we would like Ukraine to regain this status as well. For us, this is not only a challenge, but also a must for survival," Danilov noted.

As reported, on his part, Troels Lund Poulsen assured Danilov that Denmark will retain unwavering support for Ukraine and will always help Ukrainians in their fight for democracy and freedom.

First Deputy Secretary of the NSDC, Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak, the head of the NSDC Office Andriy Ziuz, and chiefs of the Councils departments also took part in the event.

As reported, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov discussed the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and Chairman of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milos Vystrcil signed the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between Parliaments.

"We conclude our meeting today with signing a memorandum of understanding and cooperation. This is the result of our six-month preparation," Vystrcil told a joint briefing with Stefanchuk in Prague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Vystrcil, in this way, the Senate of the Czech Republic confirms further support for Ukraine in three areas: support in the fight against the Russian aggressor, mutual cooperation on Ukraine's path to the EU and NATO, and support for the future.

"When the war ends, our support will not end. On the contrary, after the end of the war, Ukraine and the Czech Republic will actively work on the renewal and reconstruction of Ukraine. Cooperation in the cultural, scientific and technical spheres will continue to deepen. This is in the interests of both the Czech Senate and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," the Speaker added.

Stefanchuk underscored that the memorandum would guarantee cooperation between the two countries for many years.

As reported, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation are on an official visit to the Czech Republic. On October 24, the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform took place in Prague. Almost 70 delegations from the parliaments of world countries took part in the event.

Photos: Vadym Sarakhman, press service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Andriy Sybiha, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, met with a delegation from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland and Charge d'Affaires a.i. of Switzerland in Ukraine Peter Hafner.

According to the presidents press service, particular attention was given to the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the cooperation with Switzerland in its practical implementation.

Sybiha expressed gratitude to Switzerland for its support of Ukraine from the very beginning of the Russian invasion. He praised Swiss assistance in areas such as addressing the humanitarian consequences of the war, demining, and recovery.

The deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine spoke about Ukraine's expectations for the third meeting on the implementation of the Peace Formula at the level of national security and foreign policy advisors, scheduled to take place in Malta in the coming days.

Sybiha also discussed with the Swiss delegation ways to involve Switzerland's expertise and support in the work conducted at various levels within the framework of the Peace Formula implementation, including the activities of working groups at the ambassadorial level in Kyiv and preparations for the Global Peace Summit.

As reported by Ukrinform, the third peace summit on Ukraine with the leaders of the Global South countries will take place in Malta on October 28-29.

Photo: Presidents Office
The United Kingdom is a key partner of Ukraine country in the implementation of a system of transition of Ukrainian veterans from military service to civilian life.

This was stated by Minister for Veterans Affairs Yulia Laputina, who held a working meeting with a representative of the UK Embassy in Ukraine Dominic-Haydn Braithwaite, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Government website.

Cooperation with the UK government is among the key ones to the implementation of a system of transition from military service to civilian life. The Ministry for Veterans Affairs is open to cooperation with all our international partners in the projects for the implementation of a new veterans policy, which provides a transparent approach to the needs of every defender, Laputina said.

The parties discussed the possibilities of coordinating international support in the reintegration of veterans and their families. On the meetings top agenda was the development of a model of cooperation, which should simplify for Ukraine's international partners their understanding of the countrys key needs in support of veterans. The main outcome is the interest of the UK Embassy in Ukraine in creating an effective system of international support for veterans policy in Ukraine, which is being implemented by Ministry of Veterans.

It is noted that during the discussion, Braithwaite stressed the need to create a project office to develop cluster approaches to financing and implementing projects. As a co-chairman of the sectoral working group on the part of development partners, he proposed his assistance in communication with foreign partners who declared their willingness to support the governments veterans policy.

According to Ukrinform, the Ministry for Veterans Affairs is dealing with standardization of services for veterans and setting up a register of their providers.
The Shikoku Shimbun - Oct 25, 2023 - 16:19 | All, Japan

Two members of STU48, an all-girl idol group based in the Setouchi region of western Japan, recently visited a shop in Tokyo's Shimbashi district that promotes food and other items related to Kagawa and Ehime prefectures.

Anna Kawamata, 20, originally from Ayagawa, Kagawa, and Rika Muneyuki, 23, from Imabari, Ehime, visited the Setouchi Shunsaikan promotional shop on Oct. 6 as part of a PR drive for the Setouchi region. During their time there, the pair had afternoon tea and perused craft goods and specialty merchandise.

The afternoon tea set at the shop's Kaorihime restaurant features a number of different cakes and sweets in the hope of attracting more female customers and the younger generation to the venue.

The items on the menu are partly made from ingredients produced in Kagawa and Ehime, and served with drinks such as mikan citrus juice, olive tea and Takasecha, a prominent tea product in Kagawa.

"It's so sweet," Kawamata said as she tasted a chocolate macaron mixed with olive tea leaves. "Olive tea is easy to drink and goes well with sweets."

After biting into a deep-fried-fish-paste sandwich called Jako katsusando, Muneyuki said, "This is delicious, all the more so thanks to this karashi mustard."

Kawamata and Muneyuki later promoted their prefectures and the promotional shop on social media, including X, formerly known as Twitter, based on the day's visit.

The Shikoku Shimbun

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 25, 2023 - 22:30 | World, All

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Wednesday for stronger Sino-U.S. cooperation in addressing climate change and promoting green development in his talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, amid expectations of a bilateral summit next month.

Xi said China and the United States have "great potential for cooperation" in these areas and expressed hope that the governor's China visit will play a positive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, the ministry said.

China's policy toward the United States is consistent, which is "mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," Xi added, according to the ministry.

His remarks came as the world's two largest economies explore holding a summit in mid-November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in San Francisco, despite persistent tensions in bilateral relations over economic and diplomatic issues almost across the board.

Newsom extended a "warm welcome" for the APEC summit to be hosted by the Californian city during his talks with Xi, according to his office, but did not clarify at a press conference whether the Chinese leader has signaled his intention to attend the gathering.

The governor told reporters he had an opportunity to "focus more deeply and substantively on the issue of climate change and low-carbon green growth" during his talks with Xi and emphasized the importance of subnational engagement.

Newsom also met with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who will make a three-day visit to the United States from Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Xi said in a message to a U.S. nonprofit organization and advisory body that Beijing is willing to work with Washington to manage differences and jointly tackle global challenges, the ministry said.

Xi said China-U.S. relations are "crucial to world peace" and "the destiny of mankind" in a congratulatory message sent to an annual gala dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

About 400 people including Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng and Henry Kissinger, former U.S. secretary of state and national security adviser, attended the event, according to the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

During his U.S. trip, Wang is expected to lay the groundwork for the envisaged summit between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden through meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior U.S. officials.

Related coverage:

China's top diplomat to visit Washington for 3 days from Oct. 26

China's Xi Jinping vows to pursue high-quality, green development at forum

Xi shows eagerness to improve Sino-U.S. ties in talks with lawmakers
Empowering the Justice System: Unveiling the Digitalization Project for International Legal Cooperation in Uzbekistan

On 20 October 2023, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the UNODC, together with the Prosecutor Generals Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the US Embassy in Uzbekistan, hosted the launch ceremony of the Digitalization of International Legal Cooperation Processes in Uzbekistan Project.

The event was attended by representatives from the Prosecutor Generals Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Law Enforcement Academy, US Embassy in Uzbekistan, INL Uzbekistan, and the UNODC.

The launch ceremony provided a valuable opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss potential collaborations within the project. This initiative aims to enhance the technical capabilities of the Prosecutor Generals Office of Uzbekistan by developing and implementing technical and policy tools, as well as improving the knowledge and skills of personnel in managing international judicial cooperation requests using digital solutions. Additionally, the event served as a platform for outlining plans and setting preliminary goals for the successful implementation of activities in both the short and long term.

During the ceremony, discussions were held on the goals, objectives, and plans of the project until the end of the year. Experts, donors, and partners shared their views on the challenges and solutions related to the successful implementation of activities in the short and long term.

The event helped identify practical issues related to the development of systems for the digital transmission of judicial cooperation requests and the establishment of a smart database on international cooperation in criminal matters. This database will effectively collect and analyze relevant data, enabling the identification of challenges and trends in the field.

Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia, stated, The Digitalization project aims to enhance cooperation and coordination among actors in the criminal justice system by expediting the mutual legal assistance process through secure digital transmission of cooperation requests between central authorities. By establishing a secure electronic means of communication and implementing a smart database with an analytical module, the project aims to become the driving force for cooperation among central authorities at both regional and international levels. I am confident that this initiative will ensure the high efficiency and speed of the mutual legal assistance process, significantly contribute to security and trust for cross-border cooperation to combat organized crime and enhance the knowledge and skills of the Uzbek central authority staff through targeted training programs.

Ms. Svetlana Artykova, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, expressed her gratitude to the US Government, INL Office in Uzbekistan, and UNODC for their support of this important project. She emphasized that the project aligns perfectly with the efforts of the Government of Uzbekistan to deepen its integration into the global economy and combat illegal economic activities within the country. It will serve as an essential element of international cooperation in criminal matters at the regional level.

The launch ceremony raised awareness among all involved actors about possible collaborations within the project, and facilitated discussions on the timely and effective implementation of related activities. These activities are aimed at developing systems for the digital transmission of judicial cooperation requests and establishing a smart database on international cooperation in criminal matters to collect and analyze relevant data efficiently.

One of the key outcomes of the event was the development of a series of recommendations and suggestions aimed at enhancing the implementation of the project and collaboration with all involved stakeholders.
Joint UNODC and OSCE Advanced Training of Trainers Focuses on Addressing Cross-Border Travel of Suspected Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Criminals

From October 5 to 13, 2023, Tashkent, Uzbekistan hosted the Train-the-Trainer course on addressing cross-border challenges related to the identification of suspected foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and criminals. The event was co-organized by OSCE and UNODC as part of the project Enhancing Border Management and Security in Response to Terrorism Threats in Central Asia, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany. The project aims to support Central Asian states in enhancing effective border security, an integral part of comprehensive national counter-terrorism strategies. Additionally, the project focuses on building the capacity of relevant national agencies to detect, prevent, and investigate the cross-border movement of terrorists.

The seven-day training course was jointly conducted by the OSCEs Transnational Threats Department Border Security and Management Unit and UNODCs Terrorism Prevention Branch. It was attended by twenty mid-to senior-level officers from border and customs services of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who are the members of the first OSCE-led National Mobile Training Team on the identification of suspected FTFs/criminals at the borders.

Dennis Cosgrove, Head of the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Secretariat, stated, This training is part of the OSCE response to the implications of Afghanistan and aimed to contribute to Uzbekistans efforts to address transnational cross-border challenges in the region.

Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia, expressed her belief that the seven-day "Training of Trainers" workshop will be an important contribution to further strengthening the national capacity of the border guards and customs officers. She also expressed her hope that the training will be institutionalized in the region, allowing for the sharing of knowledge, information, and skill sets among peers in different countries.

The event included contributions from experts of the OSCE-led Mobile Training Team, as well as international experts from INTERPOL, UNHCR, UNOCT, and UNODC. The participants were equipped with the skills needed to identify and prevent the movement of foreign terrorist fighters, cross-border crimes, and victims of such crimes. They received training on identity management, crisis management, combating small arms and light weapons, and combating trafficking in human beings.

The participants praised the high quality of the event and emphasized the importance of continuing expert discussions and information sharing in this area. They particularly valued the practical exercises focused on identifying forged documents. Following the training, the participants expressed both readiness and enthusiasm to share the gained knowledge with their colleagues. This commitment is specifically directed toward fostering continuous collaboration and enhancing expertise in addressing cross-border challenges related to identifying suspected Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) and criminals.
Economy has been put on the revival track while State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will take immediate practical and result-oriented steps in consultation with Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) to further strengthen the economy and facilitate the business community, said Waqas Kashif Bajwa Chief Manager SBP Faisalabad

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2023) Economy has been put on the revival track while State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will take immediate practical and result-oriented steps in consultation with Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) to further strengthen the economy and facilitate the business community, said Waqas Kashif Bajwa Chief Manager SBP Faisalabad.

Addressing a meeting at FCCI, he said that the bank-related complaints are resolved expeditiously while the office of Banking Ombudsman is also operational in Faisalabad. However, industrial and commercial sectors must be given awareness about this institution so that they could avail from its presence.

He said that Islamic banks are earning more profit as compared to the conventional banks. "However, the market forces may play its role in equitable distribution of profit after all banks are switched over to the Islamic banking by the year 2027", he said and added that the SBP has fined many banks on unethical practices and its amount has been deposited in the charity head.

He said that the SBP is encouraging Islamic banking and in this connection, he could arrange a meeting of Sharia experts with FCCI members in order to dispel their apprehensions.

He stressed the need to enhance linkages and connectivity with the business community and said that FCCI is the right forum to cultivate cordial relations between SBP and business community.

Regarding delayed opening of LCs, he requested President FCCI to pinpoint a specific case so that the action could be initiated instantly. The complaints beyond their mandate could be forwarded to the head office for necessary action, he opined.

President FCCI Dr. Khurram Tariq explained in detail the prevailing economic situation and said that improvement is imminent which is expected to be consolidated in the second half of 2024.

He said that smuggling has been plugged which would generate economic activity within the country. The balance of payment is also expected to further improve, he said and added that marked difference in gas prices between Punjab and Sindh would also be trimmed to minimum.

He said that the SBP should focus on the early refund of DLTL cases. Due to the shortage of dollars, the government has banned unnecessary imports which may trigger smuggling, he said and added that the government must tackle this issue in a holistic manner.

Dr. Khurram Tariq said that 'we are spending $6-7bn on the import of palm oil while the government is encouraging its local substitute in the form of canola in addition to incentivizing cultivation of palm along the 1100 kilometers long coastal belt'.

Similarly, we are importing huge quantities of pulses to meet our domestic needs, he said and added that the government has planned to produce these commodities locally which would give a cushion of another $3-5bn.

He calculated all these savings and said that enhanced cotton production will also help the textile sector to earn additional foreign exchange to the tune of $5-6bn.

He was optimistic that these steps would play a key role in stabilizing the national economy.

The President FCCI said that positive changes in the economy are imperative for our survival but in this connection good governance coupled with stringent measures are also required.

He stressed the need to maintain strategic balance and said that 'we harvested a bumper cotton crop this year but the cotton growers are worried as they are not getting an appropriate price for their produce'.

He said that the government had assured to lift cotton price at Rs.8500 per maund but its price in local market is less than it. He said, "We should purchase the cotton crop at the agreed rate to restore confidence of the farming community. However, in later phases the market forces may be allowed to play their role in determining the actual price of cotton.

About industrial production, he said that consumption of electricity is the basic yardstick to measure productive activities.

He said that Faisalabad is consuming 1500-MW of electricity which has now dwindled to 700-MW which clearly indicates our prevailing situation.

He strongly contradicted the notion that textile sector is demanding subsidies and said that the FESCO and GEPCO are bearing Rs.150 billion burden of other inefficient Discos.

He said, "Our demand is very clear and loud that cross subsidy should be eliminated." He said that currently Pakistan has 24.2 million acre irrigable land and the government has decided to bring 9.1 million additional state land under plough exclusively for corporate farming.

It is expected to generate additional production of 15-30%, he said and added that 'we must establish forward integrated industries to ensure reasonable prices to the growers'.

Ms. Qurrat-ul-Ain Deputy Chief Manager SBP and others were also present during this meeting.
(@FahadShabbir)

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) imposed fines of over Rs.83.157 million on four commercial banks during July- September 2023 on the charges of violation of regulatory instructions pertaining to foreign exchange, general banking operations and customers' due diligence

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2023) State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) imposed fines of over Rs.83.157 million on four commercial banks during July- September 2023 on the charges of violation of regulatory instructions pertaining to foreign exchange, general banking operations and customers' due diligence.

The banks were also advised to ensure meticulous compliance with the regulatory instructions and improve and strengthen their systems and controls to avoid recurrence of violations, the central bank said on Wednesday in details released by Banking Supervision Department-1 about significant enforcement actions taken during the Quarter ended September 30, 2023.

The central bank imposed a penalty of Rs.26.5 million on United Bank Limited for violation of regulatory instructions pertaining to foreign exchange (FX) and general banking operations. In addition to penal action, the bank has been advised to strengthen its controls and ensure meticulous compliance with the regulatory instructions.

The Bank of Punjab received a penalty of Rs.

21.569 million for violation of regulatory instructions pertaining to General Banking Operations (GBO) while it was also advised to strengthen its systems and controls to avoid the recurrence of regulatory violations.

The SBP imposed a fine of Rs.18.51 million on JS Bank Limited for violating regulatory instructions pertaining to customers' due diligence/ Know your customers (CDD/KYC), FX and GBO. The bank has been advised as well to strengthen its systems and controls to avoid the recurrence of regulatory violations.

The banking regulator also imposed a penalty of Rs.16.578 million on Allied Bank Limited for violation of regulatory instructions pertaining to GBO while the bank has been advised to improve its internal processes in order to avoid violations in future.

The SBP clarified that penal actions were based on deficiencies in the compliance of regulatory instructions and they do not constitute a comment on the financial soundness of the penalized banking entities.
(@FahadShabbir)

ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2023) Australia said on Wednesday that the humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip is "not enough," calling for safe passage for civilians in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Expressing concern over "dire humanitarian situation" of Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the human suffering in Gaza is "widespread."

"We have consistently called for safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and safe passage for civilians," Wong said on X, adding: "There has been access in recent days but nowhere near enough."

She said Australia "calls for humanitarian pauses on hostilities so that food, water, medicine, and other essential assistance can reach people in desperate need, and civilian can get to safety.

"

Meanwhile, an Australian senator revealed that Canberra had approved 322 weapon permits to Israel in the last six years.

"The truth is just like with the exports to Israel, the Australian Government won't tell the public what the permits were actually for and don't track what is done with weapons sent from Australia into these countries where we know horrific human rights abuses are occurring," Greens Senator David Shoebridge said on X.

"The Australian government should be promoting peace, not fueling war," he added.
The Kyoto Shimbun - Oct 25, 2023 - 16:20 | All, Japan, Arts

Kyoto Prefecture-based pen artist Tomoaki Murayama recently visited an elementary school in Nantan, a city northwest of the prefectural capital Kyoto, to talk about his works. Pupils were in awe of the 34-year-old's detailed drawing of animals and plants.

Murayama, who is based in Nantan, is well known for his artwork in which he uses just a pen to create detailed drawings of animal fur with rich texture renderings. He has well over 70,000 followers on Instagram. He visited Tonoda Elementary School on Oct. 6 at the invitation of the school.

During a class for older pupils, Murayama showed a tanuki raccoon dog made of fiber-reinforced plastic whose fur he had created. He also showed a salamander that appeared almost alive. The artist conveyed to the pupils that drawing lines sparsely in layers can recreate the texture of an animal's coat.

A sixth-grade girl who participated in a flower drawing workshop marveled at Murayama's fine detail work. "It was fun learning that you can express softness by how you draw lines," the 12-year-old said.

Murayama said, "People say the area where I live has nothing at all, but I never get bored with seeing deer and other animals. I want children to examine what this area has to offer and find joy in drawing."

The Kyoto Shimbun

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The Sudanese army and paramilitaries -- at war with each other for six months -- said Wednesday they had accepted an invitation to resume US- and Saudi-brokered negotiations

Wad Madani, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2023) The Sudanese army and paramilitaries -- at war with each other for six months -- said Wednesday they had accepted an invitation to resume US- and Saudi-brokered negotiations.

Since April, the war between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the Rapid Support Forces, has killed more than 9,000 people and displaced over 5.6 million.

Previous mediation attempts have only yielded brief truces, and even those were systematically violated.

In a statement, the army said it had accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia and the United States to travel to the Saudi city of Jeddah "out of a belief by the armed forces that negotiations is one of the means that may end the conflict".

The RSF later said their delegation "arrived in Jeddah today", in hopes of "reaching a solution that will stop the war and end the suffering of our people."

But the army also said that "the resumption of negotiations does not mean a halt of the national battle of dignity, for the defeat of the rebel militia," in reference to the RSF, which said "our brave forces maintain full control on the battlefield".

Before the first round of the Jeddah talks were suspended, mediators had grown increasingly frustrated with both sides' reluctance to work towards a sustained truce.

Experts believed that Burhan and Daglo had opted for a war of attrition instead, hoping to extract greater concessions at the negotiating table later.

US officials said the talks would resume Thursday and aim for a ceasefire but that it was premature to discuss a lasting political solution.

"The new round will focus on ensuring unhindered humanitarian access and achieving ceasefires and other confidence-building measures," a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.

Another official told reporters that the United States hoped for a "constructive spirit" in the talks, saying, "there is no acceptable military solution to this conflict."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who helped mediate at the start of the crisis, finalised details on the talks on a recent visit to Saudi Arabia as part of a trip largely devoted to the Israel-Hamas war, US officials said.

Also participating in the Jeddah talks will be representatives of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African regional bloc led by close US partner Kenya.
(@FahadShabbir)

Gaza Strip, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2023) A UN agency warned dwindling fuel supplies could force it to stop aid operations in war-riven Gaza on Wednesday, as calls mounted for a humanitarian "pause" in fighting.

After 18 days of withering Israeli air strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of the Palestinian territory, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned operations were at breaking point.

"If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip," said the UN agency, which provides aid to 600,000 displaced Gazans.
Health Literacy Program Featuring State Experts set for Oct. 30 on USM Hattiesburg Campus

Wed, 10/25/2023 - 03:47pm | By: David Tisdale

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) College of Arts and Sciences and School of Media and Communication will host a panel discussion/presentation that will include leaders in healthcare and research from across the state, titled Health Literacy Monday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m.  12:30 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center, rooms 218 A/B on the Hattiesburg campus. Admission is free and the members of the university and local communities are invited, particularly students and faculty from programs in health, communications, and the sciences.

The sponsors for this event include the USM College of Arts and Sciences and the USM Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Dr. Jae-Hwa Shin, professor of public relations and Strategic Communication Program lead in the School of Media and Communication, will serve as moderator for the panel discussion.

This panel will discuss health literacy defined as the ability to understand the degree to which individuals can find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others, or the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to meet those goals. Further, health literacy involves the use of plain language, using your audiences preferred language and communication channels, and using culturally and linguistically appropriate language.

The panel will also place emphasis on context of health literacy, particularly the norms, practices and working environments of the people involved. Some questions which will be addressed include, What are some social determinants associated with health literacy? Is health education a prominent priority among K-12 educators and the state's educational leadership in Mississippi? Are health literacy-based health information websites routinely integrated into the curriculum for public high school students across the state? Do you anticipate variations in research findings when comparing different Mississippi counties, urban areas, and rural regions if a standardized health literacy test were to be administered? Do you have experience indicating that eight out of ten Mississippi residents frequently struggle to understand the instructions for taking prescribed medication from a pharmacy? How can strategic communication serve as the cornerstone for tailoring health materials to cater to the unique needs of specific patient and caregiver groups, such as pregnant women, new mothers, patients recently diagnosed with conditions like cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and their caregivers? Is it feasible to employ strategic communication, along with new media and technologies like AI, to customize health literacy materials for vulnerable populations?

With health literacy directly related to health outcomes, the panel will provide insights into what progress has been made and what more can be done in this area, said Dr. Shin. It is important to understand and take action on health literacy, especially in underserved Mississippi communities and to understand the connections between low health literacy statistics and outcomes, Dr. Shin continued. The impact of health literacy is so significant to health disparities or equity, and thus health outcomes. Accordingly, health literacy should be properly addressed even before health disparities or equity is discussed.

Panelists and their presentations include:

Dr. Daniel Edney, Officer, Mississippi State Department of Health: Current State of Health Literacy in Mississippi

Dr. Robert Logan, former Senior Scientist, National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health: Health Literacys Evidence Base for the Quadruple Aim

Dr. Alex Flynt, Program Director, Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS-INBRE) & USM Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences: MS-INBRE: Building a Pipeline of Mississippi Students for Biomedical Careers

Dr. David Buys, State Health Scientist & Associate Professor, Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi State University: Considering Unconventional Approaches to Improving Health Literacy: A Case Study on Film

Dr. Jennifer Lemacks, Director, Mississippi INBRE Community Engagement and Training Core & Professor and Associate Dean for Research, USM School of Health Professions, College of Nursing and Health Professionals: Lessons for Health Literacy through Tele-Nutrition Center

Dr. Shin further noted that USM is working to enhance health literacy and equity through interdisciplinary research, strategic communication, and community engagement practices. This panel discussion is one of our efforts to make that happen, she said.

For more information on this event, contact Dr. Shin; learn more about the USM School of Media and Communication.
USMs Phillips Receives Fulbright Award to Conduct Research in Chile at University of Santiago USACH

Wed, 10/25/2023 - 10:17am | By: Ivonne Kawas

Dr. Nicole M. Phillips

A University of Southern Mississippi (USM) faculty member has received a prestigious Fulbright Specialist Program award to exchange knowledge and conduct research within biology education in Chile at the University of Santiago USACH.

Dr. Nicole M. Phillips, associate professor of biology in the School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, will complete a project at the University of Santiago USACH in Chile that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within biology education.

One of my favorite aspects of research is developing projects that are only possible through collaborations across disciplines. For this project, we will combine my knowledge of shark population genetics, ecology, climate change, and conservation with USCH researchers expertise in bioinformatics, biochemistry, and evolution to pursue novel research that may not otherwise be possible working independently, said Dr. Phillips. We hope that this program will build a long-lasting collaborative relationship between USM and USCH, facilitating novel research opportunities and future exchanges between our institutions.

Dr. Phillips is one of more than 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Phillips highlights that during this visit to USCH, faculty and graduate students, members of the universitys Laboratory of Genomics, Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, will share their current lines of research. Together, they will discuss conservation implications and potential impacts of climate change. She is scheduled to make the trip before years end.

The main objective of the project is to transfer knowledge and skills to faculty and graduate students at USCH that will support the integration of molecular data into the conservation of marine species and ecosystems, said Dr. Phillips. I will also give seminars on my research, which focuses on using molecular tools to support conservation and management of aquatic species. Additionally, I will host a workshop to provide training on the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) technology to study species of conservation concern.

Dr. Phillips research aims to address challenges in threatened species conservation through the application of novel and advanced molecular tools. It focuses on imperiled sharks and rays while also working across a diversity of aquatic fauna in freshwater and marine systems including fishes, turtles, amphibians, and mammals.

Most notably, during her career, Dr. Phillips has pioneered the use of historic DNA to in conservation genetic studies of highly threatened sawfishes and has developed an internationally recognized research program that leverages eDNA technology to study threatened marine species. At USM, her lab develops and uses novel eDNA tools to study the distribution, abundance, habitat use, seasonal migration patterns, and temporal declines in a wide range of taxa on a global scale.

USM's Dr. Nichole Phillips engaging in eDNA Training in Indonesia

Over the last five years, Dr. Phillips has also engaged in research and conservation activities on an international scale, including countries like Panama, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Indonesia. Additionally, she co-teaches a study abroad course on Tropical Ecology in Belize.

Dr. Phillips is committed to fostering the next generation of female scientists. A testament to this dedication is that Annmarie Fearing, a PhD student under her mentorship, has also been granted a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to conduct sawfish research in Brazil in 2024.

I am very passionate about mentoring and empowering women in science, and the majority of my lab at USM is female, said Dr. Phillips. I strive to show them by example that we [women] can tear down the barriers we face in STEM to achieve our goals and aspirations.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbrighters address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 88 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 39 who have served as a head of state or government.
By Donican Lam, KYODO NEWS - Oct 25, 2023 - 12:03 | All, Feature

While Rakuten Viber may be a small player in Japan, its popularity has soared in the Philippines where it has become one of the country's most popular messaging apps, making the southeast Asian nation a prime launching pad for new features along the company's path to becoming a "super app."

The Japanese-owned cross-platform app's strong presence in the Philippines -- where it has a user penetration of 71 percent -- can be attributed to the country's cultural dynamics that see a significant number of Filipinos seeking job opportunities abroad, according to Viber CEO Ofir Eyal.

"The Philippines, often dubbed the 'text capital of the world,' boasts a deep-rooted culture of text communication that smoothly transitioned to Viber. This shift solidified Viber as a primary means of connecting with friends and family, even those residing overseas," said Eyal.

Viber was launched in 2010 by a group of Israeli friends who wanted to find a solution to expensive international phone calls. Originally registered in Cyprus, the application which functions across mobile and PC operating systems allows users to call and send messages for free, as well as make cheap calls to non-Viber users.

Japanese tech conglomerate Rakuten Group Inc. purchased it for $900 million in 2014 to expand its e-commerce business. It has since rolled out a range of features on the app including end-to-end encryption, group calls and an API for chatbots.

In Japan, Viber trails far behind Line which dominates the messaging app market with an 83.7 percent smartphone user penetration, according to a January survey by Japanese telecommunications firm NTT Docomo Inc.'s Mobile Society Research Institute.

Despite lagging in Japan, as of 2023 Viber has surpassed 1.4 billion downloads worldwide, with more than 250 million monthly active users. The app is a popular choice in some Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, where it is said to be installed on 98 percent of smartphones.

During a visit to Ukraine on Sept. 9, Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said his company is committed to blocking fake news and Russian propaganda on Viber, adding that he is "cooperating with the Ukrainian government and telecommunication companies in reconstruction."

While Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, both owned by U.S. tech giant Meta Platforms Inc., command high user penetration around the world, Viber has eclipsed the latter in the Philippines, a September 2021 survey by local public opinion polling body Pulse Asia Research Inc. showed.

Users in the Philippines say they prefer Viber to other rival apps for its ease of use, security, and versatile range of features, including stickers, games and public chats.

Users also have the ability to set a self-destruct timer for each message in a chat, as well as make purchases within the app, while businesses can create a public profile to interact directly with customers.

Thea Balinas, a 25-year-old law student in Manila, said she uses Viber for career-related communications and to purchase products, while Jessica Galang, 31, said she uses it a few times a week to order food and drinks.

Online business owner Rhona Bigalan, 29, who started using the app in 2019 to communicate with her colleagues and clients, said she prefers it because "it has advanced features (such as) secure and customized messages, and can make calls locally or internationally."

In addition to being vital to the Philippines' large diaspora, Viber's growth in the country can also be attributed to the prominence of micro-businesses -- those with between one to nine staff -- which, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, comprised 90.5 percent of all registered enterprises in 2021.

With the emergence of e-commerce platforms, mobile app services, and online marketplaces that simplify the process of establishing budding Filipino businesses, the country was an easy choice for Rakuten Viber to debut its new suite of tools for small and micro businesses earlier this month.

"The pandemic led to a surge in Viber's use as a versatile conversational-commerce tool for businesses. Micro-businesses found Viber's features like Communities and Channels invaluable for engaging with customers," said Eyal.

Conversational commerce, which refers to the use of a messaging app or other tools to directly market products and services to a consumer, surged by 83 percent in the Philippines in 2022, compared to 17 percent globally, according to the firm.

After rolling out Viber business products for large enterprises, the company said it recorded 16 percent growth in business message accounts created, and a 603 percent increase in transactional messages in 2022.

Nene Tamayo, who opened Nene Prime Foods in 2014 to sell gourmet "bangus" milkfish in jars and other Filipino specialties, was an early tester of Viber's new tools now available for small businesses.

"Now, customers can find my business when they search for Filipino food and reach out directly over one-to-one chats," said Tamayo.

Rakuten Viber is also aiming to launch its payment service Viber Pay, currently only available in Germany and Greece, in the Philippines next year, the firm said, moving it one step closer to its goal of becoming a global "super app."

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Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, the president's son, registered on Wednesday for next year's presidential election, setting the stage for a three-way race the former military commander is tipped to win.

Nearly 205 million Indonesians, a third of them younger than 30, are eligible to vote in presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 14 in the world's third-largest democracy.

Thousands of cheering supporters met Prabowo, 72, and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of outgoing President Joko Widodo, as they handed their credentials and manifesto to election officials in the capital, Jakarta.

"We're ready to go forward with our programs, visions to continue development so that Indonesia can be an advanced and prosperous country," Prabowo said.

He is contesting the presidency for the third time after narrowly losing in 2014 and 2019 to Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, who can not run again because of term limits.

A former special forces chief, Prabowo has a narrow lead in opinion surveys over the two other contenders: former provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.

A survey by pollster Indikator Politik released last week showed 37% of 4,300 respondents backed Prabowo, while Ganjar had 35% and Anies had 22%. Nearly 7% were undecided, the survey, taken from Oct. 2 to 10, showed.

Prabowo, in an 88-page manifesto, pledged to push ahead with construction of a new capital city on the island of Borneo and to develop mineral processing industries, among Jokowi's key policies.

He also promised to restrict entry of foreign workers, eradicate extreme poverty within the two years and decommission coal power plants and accelerate decarbonization. He also said he would increase the defense budget and modernize military hardware. He did not provide details.

His platform includes raising the threshold for non-taxable income and lowering income tax and boosting to 23% the ratio of state revenue to gross domestic product.

He also said he hoped to significantly raise the palm oil component in biodiesel and bioethanol in fuel by 2029.

Courting young voters

Prabowo and Gibran, 36, signed up on the last day for registration following days of political maneuvring and public outrage over a last-minute court decision on eligibility that allowed Jokowi's son, a relative newcomer to politics, to run.

Prabowo's decision to partner with Gibran could attract some of the president's significant support base, analysts say.

But activists and analysts have raised concern over what they see as Jokowi's attempts to build a political dynasty to retain influence after leaving office.

Analysts say Prabowo, who was previously saddled with a murky human rights record, has cultivated a more charismatic and statesmanlike image, than one of fiery, pious nationalist, to appeal to younger voters.

Earlier on Wednesday, Gibran, who is mayor of Surakarta city, said their ticket would introduce loans for digital start-ups and keep developing the green economy.

"We all believe that the existing programs have brought Indonesia to the gate of advancement," he told a stadium packed with supporters. "Our duty is to continue and perfect programs related to youth, millennial generation, Gen Z."
Student activists in the U.S. have long championed both the Israeli and Palestinian causes.

Amid the war between Israel and Hamas, many students report feeling threatened for their opinions. Activists claim to have been doxed (when your identity is unwillingly leaked to the public) and threatened online.

Douglas Belkin and Melissa Korn speak to students affected for the Wall Street Journal. (October 2023)
Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te responded Tuesday to China's probe of the Taiwan-funded giant Foxconn over the weekend, saying Beijing should "cherish" Taiwanese companies and refrain from pressuring them during the run-up to Januarys election.

Chinese tax and natural resources authorities in multiple provinces searched Foxconn's facilities on Sunday, as first reported by China's state-owned Global Times.

The news came at a sensitive moment because Foxconns founder, Terry Gou, is expected to qualify to run in Taiwan's January 2024 presidential elections as an independent candidate. Taiwan is a self-governing island that China claims as its own territory.

Foxconn, among the worlds largest contract manufacturers, doesnt make anything under its own name. Apple is a key client of the company, which is registered as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. and employs hundreds of thousands of people in its operations throughout China.

Chinese authorities did not disclose the content or results of the inspections at Foxconn.

Many analysts see China's probe as an attempt to intervene in Taiwan's elections by forcing Gou out of the upcoming elections for fear that he will drain votes away from pro-Beijing candidates with a better chance of winning.

In the past, Gou has blamed hostility toward China by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the rising tensions between the two countries.

The Global Times quoted unnamed experts saying Gou's candidacy will benefit Lai, who is also running for president and is deemed a secessionist by Beijing.

The English-language report went on to cite experts, saying that if the secessionists who seek Taiwan independence win the elections, that would be a huge disaster to the peace and stability of the region.

Since the DPP's Tsai Ing-wen took office as the island nation's president in 2016, Beijing has taken increasingly aggressive actions, including sending fighter jets and aircraft carriers near the island.

Foxconn, which has its headquarters in Taiwan, issued a statement on Sunday saying complying with the law was one of its "basic principles." It promised to actively cooperate with the relevant units on the related work and operations."

Gou, a billionaire, handed over the management rights at Foxconn four years ago. His presidential campaign spokesman, Huang Shih-hsiu, told VOA Mandarin, "The tax probe Foxconn faces in China has nothing to do with us."

Lai, speaking at a news conference in Taipei on Tuesday, responded to the Foxconn investigation by saying China should "cherish and treasure" Taiwanese companies that are helping it to develop economically.

"During an election, China does not need to put pressure on Taiwanese companies," said Lai, the frontrunner, adding that if Taiwanese companies lose confidence in China, they will move production elsewhere.

Gou officially announced his candidacy on August 28. The next day, Wang Zaixi, former deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of China, publicly said Gous candidacy would further divide the parties opposing the DPP, which could eventually "let Lai Ching-te take advantage."

Gou must gather close to 300,000 voter signatures by November 2 to qualify as an independent candidate, according to election regulations. The Central Election Commission will review the signatures and announce the results by Nov. 14.

Liang Shu-yuan, assistant research fellow with the Division of Chinese Politics, Military and Warfighting Concepts at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, believes that China has repeatedly made clear its dissatisfaction with Gou and is using the Foxconn investigations to "suppress" Gou.

Liang told VOA Mandarin, "Imposing punitive measures such as fines to collapse [Foxconn] is never a positive development for the Chinese government. If the probe has a limited economic impact, we can view it as sending a clear political message: They [China] don't want Terry Gou to keep running."

China has a history of attempting to influence Taiwan's politics by cracking down on Taiwanese businessmen.

In November 2021, Chinese authorities fined the Taiwan-funded Far East Group 474 million yuan, or $64.8 million, and reclaimed idle construction land in five provinces and cities, accusing the company of illegal and irregular behaviors.

Zhu Fenglian, then-spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters that Taiwanese businesspeople shouldnt donate to "Taiwan independence die-hards," indicating that Far East Group was punished for donating $2.09 million to the DPP in the 2020 regional elections.

Analysts say China's tactic may backfire when applied to Gou.

Titus Zhijie Chen, an associate professor of political science at Sun Yat-sen University in Taipei, believes that Taiwanese businesspeople must yield to Beijing due to their economic interests in China. But because Taiwanese voters lack that financial motive, they cant be coerced. Chen said that in previous elections Taiwanese voters used their votes to send China a message.

Other observers say the probe appears to be a warning from Beijing to Foxconn to dissuade it from leaving China.

On Sept. 17, V. Lee, who heads Foxconns operations in India, said on Facebook that Foxconn planned to double its workforce and investment in India by next year, according to Reuters.

Foxconn, which has an iPhone factory in the state of Tamil Nadu that employs 40,000 people, will invest $600 million in two projects in the state of Karnataka for making casing components for iPhones and chip-making equipment.

Liang said that faced with post-pandemic economic weakness and high unemployment, the Chinese government understands that if Foxconn leaves China, other companies might not be able to employ such a vast workforce.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
The removal of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is a sign of growing turbulence in Chinas political system under the leadership of Xi Jinping, some analysts say. They also say his removal Tuesday and that of another top-level official in recent months just as Xi begins a norm-breaking third term in office may only be the beginning of an emerging trend.

The Chinese Communist Party used to have some kind of check and balance in their system, [but since Xi began his third term,] no one can play that function and everything depends on Xis own will, said Alfred Wu, an expert on Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore (in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy).

Wu added that the lack of checks and balances in the Chinese political system may lead to a trend of abrupt removals of top-level officials. This might be the pattern that would persist throughout Xis third term and it might even get worse, he told VOA by phone.

Li disappeared from public view on August 29 after delivering a speech at the China-Africa Peace and Security Conference in Beijing. Some media reports suggest he may be under investigation for corruption related to the procurement and development of equipment.

It also follows the removal of Qin Gang as Chinas foreign minister in July. He too suddenly disappeared from public view prior to his ousting. On Tuesday, the standing committee of Chinas rubber-stamp parliament removed Qin from his only remaining government position as state councilor. In neither case did the Chinese government provide an official explanation for its action.

Some analysts see the lack of explanation for Qin and Lis removal as highly unusual.

Normally when these things happen, you know, there is usually a statement about corruption charges or some other criminal activity that leads to this kind of removal, Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, told VOA by phone.

While some media reports have suggested Lis removal is related to corruption, Wilder said the incident may also reflect Xis displeasure toward the Chinese military. There are other possibilities, one of which may be that if it's true  and the New York Times reported this  Xi Jinping was very upset with the balloon incident, he added.

Since authorities have yet to name Lis successor, his removal leaves China, which has the worlds largest military, without a defense minister. Since the Chinese defense minister doesnt command and direct the military during combat, analysts say this this will have a limited effect on the combat readiness of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army.

Chinese defense ministers are mainly in charge of military diplomacy, so Lis removal wont have much impact on the Chinese military, Lin Ying-yu, a China military expert at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told VOA by phone.

While the absence of a new defense minister may have minimal impact on the operation of the Chinese military, Rorry Daniels, managing director of Asia Society Policy Institute, or ASPI, says the successive removal of Li and Qin, who were both hand-picked by Xi, may remind other Chinese officials that no one is safe from being purged in the current political system.

Its clear that there are some areas of real risk inside the Chinese system and I imagine this will lead to a sense that no one is sacred and everyone has a target on their back among other Chinese officials, Daniels told VOA in a phone interview.

She said the chilling effect extending from Li and Qins removal might create obstacles for policymaking in China. In this type of environment, its very difficult to make any policy if officials are always looking behind their backs at what might be coming for them, she said.

Lis removal comes days before China hosts the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a multilateral dialogue where defense officials from different countries meet and discuss joint military strategy. U.S. defense officials confirmed that a delegation from the Pentagon was invited and will attend the forum.

Wu in Singapore said that since the U.S. will likely not send a top-level delegation to attend the forum, he thinks the absence of a new Chinese defense minister wont have much impact on Beijing and Washingtons bilateral military engagement during the conference.

China and the U.S. would already have some workarounds to continue the military-related dialogue and engagement, he told VOA.

And since Li was sanctioned by the U.S. government, which hindered his engagement with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin during his time as the Chinese defense minister, Wilder from Georgetown University predicted that his removal might make military-to-military interaction between Beijing and Washington easier.

I would expect that whomever Xi Jinping picks as the next defense minister will not have these kinds of sanctions on them, he told VOA, adding that this is a positive development from the U.S. perspective.

As the U.S. and China pave the way for a potential meeting between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden at the APEC leaders summit in San Francisco in November, Daniels from ASPI said Washington would hope that the meeting could generate some concrete outcomes for lower-level officials to follow up on.

Theres a range of options that could come out of the meeting [between Xi and Biden,] and whether or not it will be successful depends partially on the yardstick by which we are measuring success, she told VOA.

In her view, a successful outcome may be for both sides to have the room they need to create an agreement that is durable and able to be followed up on by officials and interested parties on both sides.

VOA Mandarin service reporter Adam Xu contributed to this report.
Australia is sending two military aircraft and an unspecified number of troops to the Middle East in case more of its citizens need to leave the conflict zone.

The Canberra government fears the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas could escalate and cause violence in other Middle Eastern countries.



Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said that for security reasons, he would not confirm exactly where the military planes and troops would be stationed.



Marles said there were 79 Australian citizens in Gaza, the coastal enclave that has been under Israeli bombardment since attacks on Israeli communities by Hamas militants.

The Canberra government has already organized several repatriation flights to help its citizens leave Israel, although further evacuation flights have not been scheduled.

Marles said there are still a "significant" number of Australians in the Middle East.

He told local media Wednesday that the military deployment would help with evacuations if the conflict between Israel and Hamas spreads.

The point of this is to provide to Australian populations who are in the Middle East if this gets worse, in essence," he said. "It is a volatile situation. We are very much hoping it does not. We hope that this is confined to Israel and Gaza. We want to make sure that we are prepared if matters do get worse.

Australia has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1949. In Canberra, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said Australia has a warm and close relationship with Israel.

Politically, Canberra is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist within internationally recognized borders.

Authorities in Canberra have updated the nations travel advice since the violence started in early October.

They are urging Australian citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories overall due to the volatile security situation.

Similar advice is in place for Egypt.

Australians are urged not to travel to Lebanon. In Jordan, they are advised by authorities to exercise a high degree of cautionoverall due to the threat of terrorist attack.


With an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza looming, President Joe Biden is facing the challenges of balancing unwavering support for Americas closest ally in the Middle East with international demands for more robust protection for civilians in Gaza. He must also try to avoid a broader war in the Middle East.

Biden and his senior aides have been advising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government to consider the long-term impact of a strategy that calls for mighty vengeance on Hamas.

The president left Tel Aviv confident that he had the opportunity to be candid and forthright with Prime Minister Netanyahu privately and with the war Cabinet writ large, John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said Tuesday during a White House press briefing.

He had the opportunity to ask them the hard questions that he wants them to be asking themselves before they start some sort of major ground offensive, he added.

Biden has since spoken several times with Netanyahu, part of the administrations push to buy more time to secure the release of hostages, the extraction of several hundred Palestinian Americans trapped in Gaza and delivery of much-needed basic supplies for civilians fleeing Israeli airstrikes.

A few dozen trucks have been allowed to pass through the Rafah Border Crossing with relief supplies to be distributed by U.N. agencies, in a deal that Bident facilitated between the governments of Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

So far, four hostages  two Americans and two Israelis  have been released from among the more than 200 people that Israeli officials say were abducted by Hamas during its coordinated attacks on Israeli soil on Oct. 7 that killed at least 1,400 people.

The militant group that controls the Gaza Strip cited Israels decadeslong occupation of the West Bank, Israeli police raids on al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and the detention of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails as motivation for its attack.

Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7 have killed more than 5,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, and has displaced more than a million people as they abide by Israeli evacuation orders.

Biden administration officials also want more time to prepare for attacks on U.S. interests in the region from Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen, which are likely to intensify once Israel begins its ground invasion.

Even with additional U.S. military assets deployed to the region, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder on Tuesday said at least 13 drone and rocket attacks have been launched against American forces in Iraq and Syria. However, officials say there is no indication of any state or nonstate actors preparing to escalate the conflict imminently.

Staunch support for Israel

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a forceful defense of Israel's military actions. Describing Hamas atrocities, he urged council members to condemn the organization that Washington designated in 1997 as a foreign terrorist group.

Where's the outrage? Where's the revulsion? Where's the rejection? Where's the explicit condemnation of these horrors? Blinken implored.

Blinken repeated calls to protect civilian lives, issuing the administrations strongest urging to Israel so far to take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.

It means food, medicine and water and other assistance must flow into Gaza and to the areas people need them, he said. It means civilians must be able to get out of harm's way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes."

Kirby clarified that a humanitarian pause is different from a cease-fire, which the administration believes will only benefit Hamas at this point.

He and other officials have been reluctant to characterize whether Israel has violated the laws of war or to determine whether the Netanyahu war Cabinet has clear and achievable military goals for its ground invasion and post-war agenda. The administration will not dictate operational steps and has not set any red lines for Israel, he said.

Meanwhile, domestic support is mixed.

A group of Republican senators has introduced a bill to redirect aid funds for Gaza to replenish Israeli's defensive Iron Dome system. Meanwhile progressive members of Congress are increasing pressure on Biden to call for a cease-fire.

The majority of Americans are on the Israeli side. That may not continue if things get worse, Steven Spiegel, director of the Center for Middle East Development at the University of California, Los Angeles, told VOA.

Josh Paul, who until last week was the director of congressional and public affairs at the State Departments bureau that handles arms transfers and security assistance to foreign governments, resigned in protest over an administration policy that he said amounts to a green light for Israeli retaliation regardless of the toll on civilians.

There's actually a Conventional Arms Transfer Policy that guides these decisions, which says that arms shall not be transferred when there is a more likely than not risk that they will be used to commit human rights violations, Paul told VOA.

As the Israeli operation in Gaza started with massive bombardments, we could already see hundreds and then thousands of Palestinian civilians dying. And yet there was no policy debate or questions about whether we were going to pause and take into account our regular policies and legal requirements, he said.

Criticism at the UN

At the United Nations, where many member states support the Palestinian cause even as they express condemnation against Hamas actions, parallels have been drawn between the Russian invasion of parts of Ukraine and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, said Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group.



Similarly, some diplomats, including Arab diplomats, have been highlighting what they see as double standards over the protection of civilians, he told VOA. They've been asking pretty pointedly, why Palestinian civilians don't deserve the same protection as Ukrainian civilians.

Gowan noted that following a U.S. veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution to condemn violence against civilians and allow delivery of aid that did not include Israels right to self-defense, the administration has been negotiating in good faith as it drafts a new resolution that underlines that right.

He attributed Washingtons willingness to seek compromise as part of its effort to compete against China and Russia for the goodwill of countries of the Global South.

While the No. 1 U.S. priority is to defend Israel, he said, a breakdown over Palestine can unravel a lot of the work Washington has done to build better relations.

Carla Babb and Cindy Saine contributed to this report.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday warned Iran that the United States would respond "decisively" to any attack by its proxies, as tensions rise with the Israel-Hamas war.

"The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake. We will defend our people, we will defend our security  swiftly and decisively," Blinken told a U.N. Security Council session.

The United States has accused Iran of assisting a renewal of attacks on U.S. forces based in Iraq as part of a coalition against the Islamic State group.

Iran's clerical leadership supports Hamas, which carried out a bloody assault on October 7 inside Israel, which has responded with massive retaliation. Iran also has a close relationship with Lebanon's Shiite militia Hezbollah, which has had repeated conflicts with Israel.

The United States, the top diplomatic backer of Israel, last week vetoed a draft resolution on the conflict, saying it should have explicitly defended Israel's right to self-defense.

The United States has put forward a new resolution seen by AFP that would voice sympathy for both Israeli and Palestinian casualties and defend "the inherent right of all states to individual and collective self-defense" while complying with obligations under international law.

The new resolution "incorporates substantive feedback that we received from fellow Council members over recent days," Blinken said.

Sharing graphic accounts of Hamas militants killing children and other civilians, Blinken asked, "Where's the outrage? Where's the revulsion? Where's the rejection? Where's the explicit condemnation of these horrors?

"We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such harm from repeating itself. No member of this Council  no nation in this entire body  could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people," Blinken said.
Canada is on the brink of fulfilling its commitment to accept 40,000 Afghans before the end of this year.

The pledge, made by Ottawa in August 2021 when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, was driven by concerns for the safety of Afghans who had collaborated with Canadian programs and the former Afghan government.

In the past two years, Canada has successfully assisted the resettlement of at least 39,730 Afghans, as reported by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

More than half of these refugees have been admitted under a humanitarian program specifically tailored for human rights activists, journalists, religious and ethnic minority groups, and LGBTI individuals.

An additional 12,000 Afghans, who had worked for the Canadian government in Afghanistan before 2021, found safety in Canada through a special immigration visa program.

Canadas Afghan resettlement commitment is one of the largest on a per capita basis in the world and is second only to that of the United States in overall numbers, Mary Rose Sabater, IRCCs communication adviser, told VOA.

Among those resettled across Canada, at least 17,000 are women, many of whom are former government employees, lawmakers and civil society activists.

Afghan women have been disproportionately affected by the Taliban's rule, which is often referred to as the world's only gender-apartheid system, denying them fundamental rights such as education and employment.

Even after reaching the commitment of 40,000 Afghan refugees this year, Canada intends to maintain its flexibility in providing shelter to at-risk Afghans in the future.

Afghans may also be eligible for regular immigration programs, including economic, family reunification and refugee resettlement programs  they may be referred for resettlement by the United Nations Refugee Agency and other organizations. Canadians can also continue to privately sponsor Afghan refugees, Sabater said.

Canadas government has earmarked approximately $615 million ($844.3 million Canadian) in resettlement services for the Afghan refugees including a 12-month income support program that pays for accommodation, food and health care.



Permanent residents

One distinctive aspect of Canada's approach is the ease with which Afghans become permanent legal residents upon their arrival.

Canada processes refugees overseas before admitting them to Canada, said Sabater.

After residing in Canada for five years, of which three must be spent within the country, these permanent residents will be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

In contrast, the United States is currently navigating legislative hurdles to approve the Afghan Adjustment Act, which is expected to establish legal pathways for long-term residence and naturalization of tens of thousands of Afghans who entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole in 2021.

While the act is mired in Congressional debates, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently extended the parole deadline until May 2025.

The U.S. military airlifted 124,000 individuals out of Kabul in August 2021 of which at least 77,000 were offered a temporary humanitarian parole in the United States.

After reviewing the country conditions in Afghanistan and consulting with interagency partners, Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas determined that an 18-month TPS [temporary parole status] extension and redesignation is warranted because conditions, including armed conflict, that support Afghanistans TPS designation are ongoing, the DHS said in a statement.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 25, 2023 - 21:15 | World, All

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee outlined plans to bolster the city's birth rate amid the dwindling number of children and enhance patriotic education under Beijing's "one country, two systems" principle, in his annual policy address Wednesday.

In a speech at the Legislative Council, Lee announced his vision of boosting the birth rate in the semiautonomous region by rolling out financial incentives to new parents, such as a HK$20,000 ($2,555) handout and raising tax deductions.

Hong Kong has seen a steady decline in its birth rate, or births per woman, over the past decade, according to figures from a survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department between 1991 and 2021, and it dropped to a record low of 0.9 in 2022.

Lee also vowed to introduce new housing policies to increase chances for families with newborns to purchase subsidized flats as well as to reduce the waiting time for public housing.

In terms of educational policies, Lee pointed to enhancing patriotic education as a top priority, saying that the government will establish a Chinese culture promotion office, which will be tasked with launching programs that promote Chinese culture and history.

He also revealed plans to set up a memorial museum to deepen understanding of Chinese history and enhance patriotism by converting an existing museum in 2024.

The new Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defense will focus on the history of the second Sino-Japanese War to "cultivate a stronger sense of national esteem and patriotism," he added.

The government will also collaborate with Shenzhen city government to organize exhibitions to showcase the joint efforts by Hong Kong and Shenzhen to fight against the Japanese during the war.

Related coverage:

Candidate registration begins for Hong Kong district election

China kicks off infrastructure forum to mark 10-yr achievements
The United States is providing up to $150 million in additional military aid for Ukraine in a package expected as soon as Wednesday, three U.S. military officials tell VOA, a week after Ukraine used its newest weapon from the United States to pummel Russian military targets deep into Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine.

The package includes more GMLRS rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), TOW anti-tank missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and 155 mm rounds, according to two of the officials who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity to discuss the package prior to its announcement.

The availability of 155 mm rounds has raised concerns in recent days as U.S. partners Ukraine and Israel both need them to fight their wars, one against Russias invasion, the other against Palestinian militant group Hamas, who killed hundreds of Israelis and kidnapped dozens more in a brazen terrorist attack on October 7.

Washington has said it is able to support Tel Avivs and Kyivs military needs.

The U.S. withdrew some 155 mm rounds from its war reserves stockpile in Israel to replenish U.S. stockpiles in Europe earlier this year, but after October 7, much of those rounds were redirected back to Israel to provide to the Israel Defense Forces, according to a senior defense official.

Yes, 155 [mm rounds] is an area that both have in common. But broadly speaking, that's just one small area, and we don't assess right now that we're going to have any problems providing them with both, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday.

Ukraine launched ATACMS at Russian forces last week after the United States secretly provided a small number of the long-range ballistic missiles to Ukraine in recent days. The ATACMS provided to Ukraine have a maximum range of about 170 kilometers (106 miles), nearly twice as far as the other HIMARS artillery rockets in Ukraines arsenal and have allowed Ukraine to reach deeper into Russian-controlled territory.

Ukraine said last week that it destroyed at least nine Russian helicopters, an anti-aircraft launcher and an ammunitions depot in Berdiansk and Luhansk during attacks in which ATACMS are thought to have been used against Russian positions.

"Our agreements with President [Joe] Biden are being implemented, and they are being implemented very accurately. ATACMS have proven themselves," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following the attacks.

The package expected Wednesday marks the 49th time that the U.S. has used the presidential drawdown authority to provide Ukraines miliary with equipment from U.S. stockpiles.

The U.S. has provided about $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russias unprovoked invasion in February 2022.

The Pentagon still has about $5 billion of congressionally approved funding for Ukrainian military aid, after the Pentagon discovered in June that it had overestimated the value of weapons shipped to Ukraine by about $6 billion.

When calculating its aid package estimates, the Defense Department was counting the cost incurred to replace the weapons given to Ukraine, while it should have been totaling the cost of the systems actually sent, officials told VOA at the time the error was found.

The Pentagon continues to dip into its aid arsenal despite Congress excluding new aid for Ukraine in a stopgap spending bill passed last month to prevent a government shutdown.

Soon after the stopgap spending bill passed, the House ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position as speaker.

The House has yet to vote in a new speaker, and new aid for Ukraine could hinge on who is selected.
On October 23, Canadas Foreign Ministry said it had discovered a disinformation campaign, likely tied to China, aimed at discrediting dozens of Canadian politicians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.



The ministry said the campaign took place in August and September. It used new and hijacked social media accounts to bulk-post messages targeting Canadian politicians.

A Chinese Embassy in Canada spokesperson dismissed Canadas accusation as baseless.



Canada was a downright liar and disseminator of false information Beijing has never meddled in another nations domestic affairs.



That is false.



The Canadian government's report is based on an investigation conducted by its Rapid Response Mechanism cyber intelligence unit in cooperation with the social media platforms.



The investigation exposed Chinas disinformation campaign dubbed Spamouflage  for its tactic of using a network of new or hijacked social media accounts that posts and increases the number of propaganda messages across multiple social media platforms  including Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Medium, Reddit, TikTok, and LinkedIn.



Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Canada is part of the Rapid Response Mechanism set up by G7 countries in 2018 to identify and respond to diverse and evolving foreign threats to democracy.



Beginning in early August 2023, a bot network left thousands of comments in English and French on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts of MPs, claiming a critic of the Chinese Communist Party in Canada had accused the various MPs of criminal and ethical violations, RRM Canada reported.

The bot network was likely part of the network previously identified by the United States Department of Justice and others and known as Spamouflage, which technology companies and threat intelligence experts have connected to China. In Canada, its goal was to discredit at least 50 targeted MPs and silence criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, confirmed to Polygraph.info that the company was in touch with the Canadian government about this campaign, much of which was disabled by our automated systems working to find spam and other violations.

Canadas Toronto Star news site reported it had independently verified that most of the comments were posted during Chinese business hours and that many of the comments had grammatical and punctuation errors or used uncommon phrases.



Albert Zhang, an analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute specializing in foreign cyber interference, told the Toronto Star that the campaign is aimed to undermine Canadian public trust in their government.

While the Chinese Embassy in Canada claims that Beijing has never meddled in another nations domestic affairs, China has in fact repeatedly conducted online disinformation campaigns to swing public opinion abroad.



The RRM Canada report noted that the bot network involved in the Spamouflage campaign was also linked to spreading the false claim that the Hawaiian wildfires earlier this year were caused by a U.S. weather weapon test, as well as disinformation about Japans release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was destroyed in a 2011 earthquake. Polygraph.info has reported on both of those disinformation campaigns.

Meta also told Polygraph.info that it has reported a total of seven covert influence operations from China since 2017, with over half disrupted in the last year.



A Chinese group identified as Dragonbridge has run a series of fake social media grassroots campaigns to influence U.S. public opinion, cybersecurity firm Mandiant reported in 2022. The Chinese government spent millions of dollars on the Dragonbridge disinformation campaigns, including cross-platform posts designed to demoralize voters and sabotage the November 2022 U.S. midterm elections, Mandiant said.



Microsoft reported in September that a network of Chinese-controlled social media accounts was seeking to influence U.S. voters by using artificial intelligence. According to Microsoft, the campaign to create politically charged content in English and mimic U.S. voters began in March of this year.



Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank and author of Beijings Global Media Offensive, wrote that Beijing has attempted to intervene in elections through coordinated information and disinformation campaigns designed to promote candidates sympathetic to the Chinese government and its actions.



It has done so in Australia, New Zealand and, most notably, Taiwan.



On September 28, the U.S. State Department released a report detailing how China is seeking to reshape the global information environment through manipulating information.



Beijing uses false or biased information to promote positive views of the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). At the same time, the PRC suppresses critical information that contradicts its desired narratives on issues such as Taiwan, its human rights practices, the South China Sea, its domestic economy, and international economic engagement, the report said.
On October 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov credited Iran with having a responsible Gulf and the Middle East policy, aimed at sustaining peace and stability.

Speaking at a press conference following his visit to North Korea, Lavrov, claimed:

With regard to Gaza, there is a serious risk of that crisis growing into a regional conflict the Iranian authorities have taken a responsible and balanced stand and have called for preventing the conflict from spreading throughout the region, to neighboring states."

That is false.

Irans deeply rooted support for Hamas remains the main source of instability in the region.

The Iranian regime celebrated the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which together with the Israeli response has sparked a humanitarian crisis that the United Nations said could have catastrophic consequences for the region. Some reports have suggested that Iran aided Hamas in planning the attack. The U.S. however maintains there is no evidence of Irans direct involvement.

Hamas fighters entered Israeli towns and kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages, including foreign citizens.

The United States, Israel, Egypt, the European Union, Japan and others have designated Hamas a terrorist organization.

On October 14, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Qatar. According to Reuters, they discussed the Palestinian group's attack on Israel "and agreed to continue cooperation" to achieve Hamas' objectives. During the meeting, Iran's foreign minister called the attack on Israel a "historic victory."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABCs This Week show on October 8 that while the U.S. did not have direct evidence that Iran was behind the attack, Iran's long-standing support for Hamas was clear:

So, theres a long relationship between Iran and Hamas. In fact, Hamas wouldnt be Hamas without the support that its gotten over many years from Iran. We havent yet seen direct evidence that Iran was behind this particular attack or involved, but the support over many years is clear.

The U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan also said the U.S. intelligence community has no evidence directly linking the October 7 attack with Iran.

But as I stand here today, while Iran plays this broad role  sustained, deep and dark role in providing all of this support and capabilities to Hamas  in terms of this particular gruesome attack on October 7, we dont currently have that information, Sullivan told reporters at the White House press conference on October 24.

Yet Iranian legislative, executive, and military authorities celebrated October 7, the day of Hamas attack on Israel.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani congratulated Hamas, saying the operation had created a new page in the arena of resistance and armed action against the occupiers in the occupied territories."

The same day, the Iranian Majlis (parliament) declared support for the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, using Hamas code name for the attack on Israel.

Major General Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a statement saying: We declare our support for the Al-Aqsa Storm operation, and we are confident that the Resistance Front also supports it.

Likewise, Iranian government spokesperson Ali Bahadori Jahromi called Hamas' attack on Israel "the powerful response of the Palestinian youth to the military actions of the Zionist regime."

The Iranian regimes deeply rooted support for Hamas remains the main source of instability in the region.

In 2012, Hamas Politburo member Izzat al-Risheq said that Tehran was the main sponsor of the Gaza Strips Hamas-controlled administration. In May 2021, the Telegraph reported that Hamas officials received some $22 million during a 2006 visit to Tehran.

The British newspaper cited a senior Hamas official claiming that General Qassem Soleimani, the then-commander of the IRGCs elite Quds Force, had agreed that Iran would transfer an even larger sum.

Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.

The Telegraph also quoted a Hamas representative in Lebanon as saying that Iran is the only country that supports the resistance with money and weapons.

In March 2014, Israeli commandos intercepted a Panama-flagged container ship in the Red Sea that was carrying 40 Syrian-made M-302 artillery rockets, mortar shells. Israel said the weapons were intended for terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. In June 2014, United Nations experts confirmed the Iranian origin of the cargo.

In August 2014, CBS News quoted a senior Iranian official, Mohsen Rezaei, as saying that Palestinian resistance missiles are the blessings of Iran's transfer of technology.

In 2021, Hamas leader Haniyeh told Russias TASS state news agency that Irans aid is a pillar of his organizations Palestine resistance project.

Our relations with Iran is strategic and constitute a very important pillar of the resistance project. It is no secret that Iran provides political, material, military, and technical support to the resistance in Palestine.

Hamas seeks the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state.
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Future congressional funding uncertain, as the U.S. provides previously approved military aid to Ukraine. Debris from Russian drone downs power lines near Ukrainian nuclear plant leaving thousands without power. Reports of Ukrainian attempted assassination on leader of Russian military.
Hes a proud Palestinian-Canadian who was born and raised in the Gaza Strips Jabalia refugee camp. Hes a Harvard-trained fertility specialist  the first Palestinian doctor to work in an Israeli hospital. He has been nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Its hard to overstate Izzeldin Abuelaishs influence as a professor, author and fierce activist.

But before all else, hes a family man. Three of his daughters and a niece were killed nearly 15 years ago when an Israeli tank blasted away his Gaza home, just four months after his wife succumbed to leukemia.

He has turned his anguish not into hatred but a message for peace.

He wants the world to know that from the cinders of death and devastation, theres a glimmer of hope for a future where no child, whether Palestinian or Israeli, has to die.

By Friday, January 16, 2009, the Gaza War was in its waning days. As the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, were drawing their ground invasion to a close, all of Gaza held on for a cease-fire that wouldnt come until the weekend.

Abuelaish witnessed the bloodshed firsthand as the barrage of bombs and missiles dragged on for three weeks straight.

He thought the worst had passed.

Two days prior, a tank rolled up to his apartment building. He watched from his window as it readied its cannon in his direction, though no combatants were anywhere to be seen.

In a panic, he phoned one of his Israeli friends, a TV anchor, who in turn pulled some strings to get the tank to back off.

I thought we were safe. There was nowhere else to go. We stayed home, and nothing happened. Then two days later, on Friday, [the IDF] shelled my house, Abuelaish told VOA.

We were there waiting for a cease-fire, a negotiation. But human lives are not a matter of negotiation. We were waiting in line for who would be killed next.

Abuelaish remembers that horrific day as if it were yesterday, right down to the minute.

It was a quarter to 5 in the evening when his home was torn apart as if by a thunderclap. He rushed to his room to find his daughters struck dead, their bodies violently disfigured. His niece, too, was slain in the attack.

These are my lovely, beautiful daughters, and I couldnt recognize them, he said in choked desolation. I couldnt recognize them. My daughter Mayar was decapitated. In that moment, I lost faith in humanity.

Abuelaish described the scene in graphic detail. His daughters school journals and textbooks were streaked with blood pouring from fresh wounds.

I see in my daughters every child, every girl, every human being. I am not free as long as others are not. I am not safe as long as others are not. We live in a world where we are all potential victims.

It was that belief in equality that inspired Abuelaishs activism. He published a memoir in 2010 called I Shall Not Hate and went on to create the Daughters for Life Foundation, a charity to help young women in the Middle East afford college.

Now a Canadian citizen, for over a decade he has taught lecture halls of aspiring doctors at the University of Toronto. Few people know the transformative power of an education better than Abuelaish, who made the most of refugee camp schooling before going on to some of the worlds finest universities.

He tried unsuccessfully to sue over the 2009 shelling, working his way up to Israels Supreme Court before his case was rejected two years ago. The IDF admitted the deaths were an accident, or collateral damage as they put it, but Abuelaish still hasnt received the apology he had asked for time and again.

At least once or twice a year, he visits Gaza. The first thing he does there is go to his daughters graves to speak to them.

Hes confident his girls are out there somewhere, listening intently to each word. They are only farther away from me now, he said.

He never had the chance to say goodbye to them. His daughters couldnt even be laid to rest in the same plot as their mother because the graveyard shes buried in is under the strict command of the IDF.

Today, Abuelaish said hes losing faith in humanity all over again as the death toll in Gaza spirals and the familiar roar of Israeli airstrikes and missiles returns. A number of his family members have perished in the last two weeks.

After Hamas unleashed the deadliest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, butchering everyone from infants to the elderly with callous indifference, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a mighty vengeance.

Everyday Palestinians have had to bear the brunt of the IDFs counteroffensive.

More than 2,000 Gazan children have reportedly been killed and 1.4 million Palestinians have fled their homes since the war broke out.

All Abuelaish ever wanted is peace.

And the only path toward that, he insisted, is in recognizing that all humankind is deserving of the same reverence and goodwill, that no identity is superior to the next and that the law must view each person equally.

Palestinians and Israelis, were all in the same boat, Abuelaish said. We have to reach the shore together safely, peacefully.

I think its fair to say that there wont be reconciliation between [Israelis and Palestinians] without Abuelaishs perspective gaining serious ground, said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Its ultimately about human beings treating each other as human beings.

The world has a long way to go before that happens. The U.S. is no exception.

The FBI released data days ago finding that hate crimes surged to all-time highs last year and the year before that. On Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement across the nation of swelling Islamophobia and antisemitism. Police in New York City and Los Angeles are already recording dramatic upticks in attacks against Jewish and Muslim residents.

Earlier this month, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy named Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed to death in his home by a racist landlord outside Chicago, according to the local sheriffs office.

The poison of hate is spreading everywhere, Abuelaish said.

In the run-up to the apparent hate crime, bigotry has been on the rise across America because of people who should know better, said Maya Berry, the executive director of the American Arab Institute.

One day before Al-Fayoume was slaughtered, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for president, called all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip antisemitic and pledged to turn them away as refugees.



At times like this, Berry said, we need our elected officials, we need our leaders, we need our civil society organizations and we need our media to not fan the flames of hatred.

There has been, I think, a very unfortunate and morally bankrupt civil discourse thats taken hold here, Berry added. If its not checked and if its not stopped, its absolutely putting communities at risk.

As a doctor, hatred never occurred to Abuelaish as a real option.

When I deliver babies, I dont discriminate between Muslim, Jewish and Christian. And with all my God-given skills, Ill always advocate for their safety, security and freedom.
Hong Kongs leader says the semi-autonomous city will pass its own internal security law next year, four years after Beijing imposed its set of draconian laws on the financial hub.

Chief Executive John Lee announced the plan Wednesday during his annual policy address before the legislature.

Hong Kong was engulfed by massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 that often turned into violent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces. Beijing responded the next year by imposing a sweeping national security law under which anyone in Hong Kong believed to be carrying out terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power or collusion with foreign forces could be tried and face life in prison if convicted.

Hong Kongs constitution, known as the Basic Law, requires lawmakers to pass its own national security laws criminalizing such acts as treason and espionage.

External forces continue to meddle in Hong Kong affairs, Lee told lawmakers.

Lee also announced a plan to revive the citys struggling property sector by cutting in half a transaction tax known as the stamp duty for residents and non-citizens buying their second home. Housing prices in Hong Kong have fallen significantly in recent years as scores of citizens have fled due to a crackdown on pro-democracy activists stemming from the Beijing-imposed national security law, coupled with strict COVID-19 mandates.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.
India has decided to resume visa services for Canadians after suspending them in September amid recent frosty diplomatic relations, Indias High Commission in Ottawa announced Wednesday.

Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar earlier promised to reopen visa offerings if Canada addressed security threats that New Delhi claimed its diplomats were facing.

In Wednesdays press release, Indias High Commission in Ottawa promised to allow Canadians to apply for entry, business, medical and conference visas after a considered review of the security situation found that Canada has made progress in improving the security situation.

Ottawa has long affirmed its commitment to the safety of foreign diplomats. India did not identify specific threats to its ambassadors.

The development comes in the weekslong fallout of what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations of Indian involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an Indian expatriate living in suburban Vancouver. India has denied any role in the killing.

Since Trudeau leveled that accusation, the two nations have ousted each others top diplomats. In early October, India issued an advisory to its citizens, including students studying abroad, to exercise utmost caution when in Canada.
Latest Developments:

Hezbollah leader hosts talks with Hamas, Islamic Jihad senior leaders.

U.S. rejects calls for immediate cease-fire, saying that would only benefit Hamas.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians in the initial Hamas attack on October 7.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza had reached at least 6,546 people, the majority women and children.

Even as war rages between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden voiced support Wednesday for what now seems like a distant goal  the long-sought U.S. wish for separate, autonomous Israeli and Palestinian states.

Biden said at a White House news conference that "the aspirations of Palestinians cannot be ignored. Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity and peace."

The U.S. leader said he is alarmed by "extremist settlers" attacking Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He called it "pouring gasoline on fire," and said the settlers are "attacking Palestinians in places they're entitled to be."

Biden also expressed concern for the safety of more than 200 hostages, some of them believed to be Americans, captured by Hamas during its shock October 7 attack on Israel.

"Obviously they're in jeopardy," Biden said. "If we can get them out, we should."

Hamas has released four hostages in recent days, an American woman and her daughter and two elderly Israeli women. But the State Department warned in a statement of how difficult the release of more will be.

"You can imagine how complicated it is," the statement said. "We're dealing with Israel, Egypt, and Hamas, and we're not talking directly to Hamas. Egypt can send messages to Hamas. Qatar can send messages to Hamas. But you can imagine how difficult every little thing is. Every bit of this is complicated.

"It's like unlocking a puzzle where you unlock a layer that can unlock one little piece of it," the State Department added. "And then another obstacle pops up, and you've got to go figure out with all the parties, how to unlock that piece."

Israel says that in the initial shock attack on October 7, Hamas killed about 1,400 Israelis.

The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said the death toll in Gaza had reached at least 6,546 people, the majority of them women and children.

But Biden said he has "no confidence in the Hamas death toll."

"I have no notion that Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed," Biden said. "I'm sure innocents have been killed. And that's the price of waging a war."

The Israeli military said Wednesday it carried out airstrikes targeting Hamas militant sites in the Gaza Strip, as well as strikes against military sites in Syria.

The military said the targets of the Gaza strikes included Hamas tunnels, munitions warehouses and missile launching stations.

Syrian state media said Israeli attacks killed eight Syrian soldiers and wounded seven others in Daraa province.

Israel's military said its jets conducted the strikes in response to rockets being launched from Syria toward Israel.

The cross-border attacks come amid worries that the Israel-Hamas war could spiral into a larger regional conflict.

Israel has warned Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon not to join the war.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hosted senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders for talks on Wednesday. A statement said the leaders discussed what to do to achieve victory "for the resistance in Gaza."

The U.N. Palestinian refugee relief agency has warned that if it does not receive urgent shipments of fuel, it could be forced to halt its operations in Gaza within hours.

Several rounds of aid deliveries have reached Gaza from Egypt this week, but officials described the quantity as vastly insufficient to meet the needs of the Palestinians living with dire shortages of food, water and medicine. The deliveries have not included any fuel.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said nearly 600,000 people were sheltering in 150 of its facilities in Gaza after fleeing their homes.

"Our shelters are four times over their capacities  many people are sleeping in the streets as current facilities are overwhelmed," UNRWA said on X.

With the death toll mounting in Gaza, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Tuesday for a cease-fire in Gaza, although he also condemned the Hamas attack on Israel.

Israel rejected Guterres' cease-fire demand and called for his resignation after he said the Hamas attack on Israel did not occur in a vacuum, because "the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation" by Israel.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also rejected an immediate cease-fire, saying it would only benefit Hamas militants. However, Kirby did not rule out a humanitarian pause to allow more aid to be moved into Gaza to assist hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

With Israel planning a ground assault into Gaza, Kirby warned of more bloodshed and civilian casualties to come.

"This is war. It is combat. It is bloody. It is ugly, and it's going to be messy," he told reporters at the White House. "And innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward. I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn't going to happen."

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Another Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives may seek a floor vote Wednesday to try to become the chambers next speaker, after lawmakers struggled for three weeks to fill one of the top leadership roles in the U.S. government.

Republicans meeting in a closed-door session late Tuesday picked Representative Mike Johnson as their latest House speaker candidate, and the fourth since Representative Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the job.

Johnson is a lawmaker from the state of Louisiana who rallied Republicans around former President Donald Trumps legal effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

He received 128 votes Tuesday night to beat other candidates. McCarthy, who was not a declared candidate, came in second place with 43 votes.

It was unclear if Johnson would be able to muster the support of most of the Republicans in the House, something the three previous candidates to replace McCarthy have been unable to do.

Republicans hold a slim 221-212 majority, and with Democrats united behind House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, any Republican candidate can only lose a few Republican votes and still achieve the simple majority threshold to win the speaker role.

Republicans moved on to Johnson after another candidate, Representative Tom Emmer, withdrew his candidacy earlier Tuesday.

Emmer had outlasted eight other candidates in rounds of secret balloting. The 62-year-old Emmer has served as majority whip, one of the top leadership posts in the House Republican Conference, since earlier this year.

Former President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform early Tuesday afternoon that he did not know Emmer well and referred to him as a RINO  a term meaning Republican in Name Only.

"The Republican Party cannot take that chance, because that's not where the America First Voters are. Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!" Trump posted.

As many as 20 Republican House lawmakers said they would not vote for Emmer, leading to his withdrawal.

The role of speaker of the House has been vacant since October 3 when eight Republicans joined with all 212 House Democrats to make McCarthy the first-ever speaker to be removed from his position.

A right-wing faction of the Republican Party was displeased with McCarthy for passing a short-term measure funding the government to keep it open past a September 30 deadline with Democratic legislators help.

Since McCarthy's ouster, House Republicans have been unsuccessful in coalescing around a replacement. They first nominated Representative Steve Scalise of the southern state of Louisiana, who was not able to secure the needed votes.

The Republican caucus next gave its nod to Representative Jim Jordan of the Midwestern state of Ohio. Jordan is a conservative firebrand and staunch supporter of Trump.

But Jordan also failed to gain a 217-vote majority in the House, falling well short on a first vote in the full House and then losing ground on two subsequent ballots.

The Republican infighting has left the role of speaker unfilled, leaving the House unable to respond to crucial budget matters. A Nov. 17 deadline looms for budget issues to be resolved or a partial government shutdown will go into effect.

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is second in the line of presidential succession.
The chief justice of Kenya has sent a proposal to parliament that calls for removing the death penalty for the crimes of murder, violent theft and treason, saying the proposed changes aim to put the countrys laws more in line with international human rights standards.

Kenya's Chief Justice Martha Koome is seeking changes to certain laws drafted in 1930, before Kenya gained independence, that seek harsher penalties for capital offenders.

Senator Samson Cherargei, a ruling party member of parliament, said he supports the proposed change to the death penalty.

"The right to life is very critical in our constitution and should not be taken in any format, even legally or illegally, he said.

Bob Mkangi, a constitutional lawyer, said Kenyan laws need to change so that they reflect reality.

"For instance, he said, the death penalty  is there in our law books. But as Kenyans are aware, we sort of have a silent moratorium on the issue, because even those who have been condemned to death, no one has ever been hanged since the mid or late '80s.

The judiciary also advocates changing the life sentence penalty to a maximum of 30 years. Some lawmakers, including Cherargei, are opposed to reducing the length of life sentences.

Congested prisons have long been a problem in Kenya, and legal experts say correctional facilities are filled with inmates convicted of petty crimes who have become a burden to taxpayers.

Prisons should be correctional and rehabilitation facilities and not just a place to house and punish offenders, Mkangi said.

"There are alternatives for dealing with some of these offenses, he said. Not everyone needs to be locked up, which again has a cost implication for the taxpayer.

Mkangi said that because the criminal justice systems philosophy is correction and rehabilitation, it doesnt make sense to sentence someone to life in prison.

How can you say you're rehabilitating someone if you say they will be condemned to death, or they will be condemned custodially forever?" he said.

Kenyas judiciary also aims to revise legal codes to safeguard intersex individuals within the criminal justice system; transfer the burden of proof in cases of incitement to violence and disobedience from the defendant to the prosecution; and abolish some minor offenses.
GFH Financial Group has signed a deal to acquire a leading food services and logistics business in Saudi Arabia, which has an enterprise value of SR500 million ($133.29 million). The announcement was made at the 7th edition of the Future Investment Initiative today in Riyadh.

The company, which has demonstrated strong financial performance and maintained robust results through multiple business cycles, boasts cross-country state-of-the-art integrated warehousing and supply chain operations, an extensive premium product portfolio, and a diverse base of 1000+ blue-chip customers including renowned Horeca players and retail brands in the kingdom. Furthermore, it enjoys long-standing relationships with 200 international aggregators and producers.

Commenting, Razi Al Merbati, CEO of GFH Capital, said: This transaction will come in line with GFHs strategy to invest in priority sectors aligned with the Saudi Vision 2030. This includes building the groups presence in complementary sectors with a positive impact on the local economy that also benefit from the countrys economic growth and demographic tailwinds.

Expanding portfolio

With a strong pipeline of cross-sector opportunities in place, we are focused on expanding our portfolio of unique, income-yielding assets in defensive sectors, including the consumer and logistics industries, some of the fastest growing in the kingdom today.

Hammad Younas, Chief Investment Officer  Private Equity at GFH, said: Already a leading player in the fast-growing Saudi consumer and logistics market, which is the largest in the region, we see strong opportunities for the companys further expansion resulting from sweeping economic and social transformation and the rapidly changing domestic landscape fueling all-time high consumer and investor confidence.

Once acquired, we look forward to working with the exceptional management team of the company to add value to the business and support the growth of the sector through multiple organic and inorganic growth strategies including geographic and portfolio expansion, vertical integration, enhancing of warehousing and logistical capacity, and the realisation of cost efficiencies throughout the value chain.

Strong brand

CEO of the company, Shafqat Khan, said: We have built a strong brand in the KSA market with a large and well-diversified satisfied customer base coupled with a successful track record of longstanding global relationships. With the support of GFH as our partner, we aim to invite our foreign suppliers to set up facilities in KSA, wherever possible.

Through this, the company will enter a new phase of growth and strengthen its market positioning further. This milestone for the company also dovetails well with the enhanced dynamics of the KSA market under Saudi Vision 2030. The dedication of our team, focus on quality service delivery and agility have been the anchor driving forces of our business, and through this upcoming partnership with GFH, we look forward to further augmenting innovative offerings for our customers by leveraging technology combined with an extensive international network and strategic expansion of our existing customer-oriented logistical infrastructure, adding significant value to the business.--TradeArabia News Service
By Yuki Yamaguchi, KYODO NEWS - Oct 25, 2023 - 21:34 | All, Japan

Next-generation electric vehicles, flying cars and futuristic robots went on display at the rebranded Tokyo auto show on Wednesday, as automakers joined hands with wide-ranging industries to shine a light on the future of transportation.

The Japan Mobility Show, which opened to the media for a two-day run, features advanced transport technologies ranging from delivery machines to drones and robots. The event has evolved from the biennial Tokyo Motor Show and is being held for the first time in four years after a pandemic-induced hiatus.

With a shift to battery-driven vehicles accelerating worldwide, the show comes at a crucial time for Japanese automakers as they seek to catch up with overseas rivals such as Tesla Inc. in the development of EVs.

A record 475 companies are participating, with Chinese EV giant BYD Co. taking part for the first time. The event will be open to the public from Saturday to Nov. 5.

Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest automaker by volume, unveiled the LF-ZC, a concept model for a next-generation EV under the Lexus brand set for release in 2026. The car is made with next-generation vehicle architecture and state-of-the-art software, the company said.

The new EV has a range of 1,000 kilometers, about double that of RZ, an all-electric model under the Lexus brand currently on sale, while the new software adjusts car characteristics such as acceleration and handling to the driver's preferences, according to the company.

"We are making battery EVs like only a true carmaker can," Toyota President Koji Sato told reporters.

The pioneer in gasoline-electric hybrid cars was once seen as reluctant to embrace all-electric vehicles but is now channeling more resources into EVs under Sato, who has been helming Toyota since April, to increase its green car lineup.

Having sold only 24,000 EVs in 2022, Toyota has pledged to increase the number to 1.5 million in 2026.

Honda Motor Co. showcased the Cruise Origin, a self-driving EV jointly developed with General Motors Co. and its Cruise LLC subsidiary.

The vehicle, without a driver's seat or steering wheel, will be used for a driverless taxi service to be launched by the three companies in Tokyo in 2026.

Nissan Motor Co. unveiled an all-electric luxury minivan concept. The Nissan Hyper Tourer is designed to run on all-solid-state batteries and is equipped with fully autonomous driving technology.

The vehicle's AI system can monitor the driver's biometric signs and automatically change air conditioning and lighting to fit their mood. When in self-driving mode, its front seats can swivel 360 degrees to allow front and rear seat passengers to have face-to-face interactions.

Unlike many of its Japanese rivals that focused on concept cars, BYD displayed existing EV models that it has already launched inside and outside Japan to offer customers more realistic choices.

The first Chinese carmaker to join the Tokyo auto show exhibited the U8 luxury sport utility vehicle under the high-end Yangwang brand. It also showed the ATTO3 SUV and the Dolphin compact car as well as the Seal sedan, which it plans to sell in Japan next spring.

"We have various vehicles from family cars to premium cars," Liu Xueliang, head of the Japan unit of the Chinese company, said. "We hope to offer a wide range of e-mobility options."

Since BYD entered the Japanese passenger car market earlier this year, it has received 1,300 orders and aims to bring the number to 2,000 by yearend, Atsuki Tofukuji, president of BYD Auto Japan Inc., a BYD unit in charge of auto sales in Japan, said in an interview.

"The Japan Mobility Show is a great chance for us to appeal to customers who don't know about us," Tofukuji said. "We can already show them our latest technologies with our existing cars, so we don't really need concept models. That's our strength."

Transport technologies outside of cars also drew attention at this year's show.





Subaru Corp. unveiled the Subaru Air Mobility concept, a flying car under development. The vehicle, which is 6 meters in length and 4.5 meters in width, can be used for transportation in remote areas, President Atsushi Osaki said.

"This is a concept model that shows the future of freer transportation," Osaki said.

"This is a great chance for our aerospace unit and auto unit to work together. We are very excited," he added, without specifying the timing of commercialization.

Suzuki Motor Corp., which has partnered with domestic air mobility venture SkyDrive Inc. to produce flying cars, exhibited a model of the vehicle it plans to start producing next spring.

Sansei Technologies Inc., a maker of roller coasters, displayed SR-02, a four-legged robot that can walk around like an elephant carrying up to four people on top.

The robot, which is about 3.6 meters in length and about 2.1 meters in height, will serve as an amusement park attraction, the company said.

Related coverage:

AI, virtual reality take center stage at Japan's annual electronics show
On October 18, Russias RT state broadcaster quoted Russian Senator Sergey Tsekov, calling on Russians abroad to return home, citing the purportedly high level of safety in the country:

A normal person should understand that Russia is now the safest country in the world to live. At least among European countries. We need to explain that everything is fine with us. I think they will return, and many are returning.

That is false.

Human trafficking forced labor and other forms of modern slavery flourish in Russia disproportionally affecting women and children, a joint report by three rights groups in October 2023 said.

When considering life expectancy and murder rates, Russia is not safer than its European neighbors.

In 2021, Russia had a homicide rate of 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Europe's homicide rate is 2 per 100,000 people.

Compared to the rest of Europe, Russia has a life expectancy of 72.72 years, which is just slightly better than Kosovo, which has the worst life expectancy in Europe at 72.15 years.

The call for Russians to return home is a response to the countrys brain drain, which was already occurring before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has greatly exacerbated emigration.

In March, The Economist reported that over the last three years, Russia lost 2 million more people compared to its average annual rates.

Share America, the U.S. State Departments platform for sharing American perspectives and culture with the world, reported in August that [a]bout 1 million Russians have left [Russia] since 2022, including an estimated 100,000 IT specialists who comprise 10% of the technology sector.

Apart from the brain drain, Russia is expected to experience a more general demographic decline by 2036, with pessimistic projections showing a Russian population of 134,000,000 people by 2036, down from its current population of 146,000,000.

Tsekovs false claim about the level of safety inside Russia appears to be aimed at reversing the countrys brain drain and broader demographic decline.

While appealing for Russians abroad to return home, he added a caveat, saying that any Russian who supported Ukraine's war effort should be punished:

There are also those who have talked themselves into decent court sentences. They will need to be detained and tried. Those who helped the armed forces of Ukraine. They need to be punished. They should receive a significant punishment for this.

The idea that the invitation to return home should not be extended to Russian emigrants who oppose the government seems to be supported by Russia's leadership. For instance, Vyacheslav Volodin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin who is chairman of the State Duma, the lower chamber of the country's parliament, portrayed Russian citizens who support Ukraine as traitors by nature.

Such rhetoric is backed by Russias record of punishing dissidents. There are currently at least 558 political prisoners in Russia, the Memorial Human Rights Defense Center reported in April 2023. They include Putins political opponents Alexey Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza, both of whom were arrested after returning to Russia from abroad and sentenced to long prison terms based on their political views.

Russia has also detained journalists, including Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S.-Russian dual citizen working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, whose detention was just extended for failing to register as a foreign agent.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved the nomination of Jacob Lew to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel.

The Senate could vote on Lews confirmation as early as next week. Its expected to move on the nomination quickly, given the critical nature of U.S.-Israeli ties amid Israel's raging conflict with Hamas.

Lew was approved by the committee Wednesday on a 12-9 vote, with all Republicans except for Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voting against him.

Lew, who previously served in the Obama administration as treasury secretary and budget director, was nominated for the ambassador position last month by President Joe Biden. Former Israel ambassador Tom Nide left the position in July.

While stating that he would ensure that Israel has all the resources it needs to defend itself following the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas, Lew has also said he would look into the humanitarian crisis facing civilians in Gaza.

Lew enjoys support from Democrats who praise his government experience as enough qualification for him to have the job.

Republicans have concerns over his ability to deal with Iran, a key supporter of Hamas. Lew played a key role in negotiating the 2015 deal that eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran accepting limits on its nuclear program.

Former President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018.

In a hearing last week, Republican Senator Jim Risch voiced concern that Lew was giving backhanded support to Iran.

Lew refuted this and has described the Iranian government as an "evil, malign government."

Some information in this report was taken from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Talks between Sudans warring factions will resume Thursday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a focus on securing access for humanitarian aid to reach beleaguered civilians, according to senior U.S. State Department officials.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have brokered multiple cease-fires between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at talks in Jeddah since May, but fighting has continued in Khartoum and elsewhere, with each side accusing the other of cease-fire violations.

The U.S. adjourned the talks on June 21.

"The new round will focus on ensuring unhindered humanitarian access, achieving cease-fires, and other confidence-building measures to create conditions for the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance," a senior official said.

The official emphasized that Thursday's talks will not tackle political matters, as both belligerents have been clearly informed that "there is no acceptable military solution to this conflict."

The SAF and RSF have been fighting each other since April 15, triggering a humanitarian crisis in Sudan and in neighboring countries.

Senior U.S. officials have stated that both sides, by choosing to pursue conflicts that involve indiscriminate artillery and drone strikes causing civilian casualties, have demonstrated their unsuitability for governance in post-conflict Sudan.

Sudan's neighbors in the Horn of Africa are playing a role in the latest negotiations as the regional bloc IGAD, or Intergovernmental Authority on Development, will facilitate the resumed talks.

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, a former foreign minister of Ethiopia, will take part in the talks for the African Union.

"We've been in constant communication with our colleagues from IGAD, as well as the African Union. They are in agreement that relaunching Jeddah is essential," another senior State Department official told reporters in a phone briefing.

IGAD is one of the regional economic communities recognized by the African Union. It has eight members: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

Sudanese civilians need access to the essentials of life, which include food, shelter, medicine and security, says Alex Rondos, senior adviser for United States Institute of Peace's Africa Center.

"The toughest and boldest decision for Sudan is whether an external force will be needed to protect supply routes, logistics centers and critical infrastructure," Rondos wrote in a recent Peace Institute publication.

Sudan has become the largest internal displacement crisis in the world. An estimated 5.6 million people have been displaced within and outside Sudan after more than six months of fighting, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Taliban are pushing back against persistent global criticism of their Islamic governance in Afghanistan, claiming their supreme leader's decrees, including a general amnesty, have promoted national reconciliation and put the war-torn country on the path to stability.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, Wednesday posted a 40-minute promotional video documentary on social media, showcasing some of the decrees and touting their "good" outcomes more than two years into their male-only government, known as the Islamic Emirate.

However, the video did not discuss several other decrees issued by reclusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, that placed an indefinite ban on Afghan girls' education beyond the sixth grade and barred most women from workplaces, including the United Nations and other aid groups.

"The general amnesty has reunited Afghans," Mujahid wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the video. He referred to the decree that reclusive Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada first issued after the then-insurgent group reclaimed power from a U.S.-backed government in August 2021.

The amnesty covered all members and politicians associated with the ousted Afghan government and individuals who worked for the U.S.-led Western troops during their presence in Afghanistan for almost two decades.

While appearing in the documentary, Mujahid said that the amnesty decree was being enforced "effectively and seriously" nationwide by Taliban authorities, saying those found guilty of breaching it in "a few instances" were brought to justice and jailed.

Mujahid's social media post came a day after a senior U.N. diplomat renewed allegations the Taliban's "repressive policies and practices" were responsible for a deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan.

"There is a culture of impunity for torture and inhumane treatment in detention centers, as well as for human rights violations against former government officials and military personnel, despite promises made to the contrary," Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur on the situation of Afghan human rights, told a U.N. meeting in New York on Tuesday.

Last August, a U.N. report accused Taliban fighters of committing more than 200 extrajudicial killings since taking power despite the general amnesty. It documented at least 800 alleged offenses, including arbitrary arrests and detention, ill-treatment, torture, and enforced disappearances of former Afghan officials and security personnel.

The Taliban at the time rejected the U.N. findings, declaring them unfounded and propaganda to malign their administration.

While speaking Tuesday, the U.S. representative told the U.N. meeting that the Taliban continue to issue edicts targeting women and girls, human rights defenders, women's rights activists, journalists, former government officials, and other vulnerable Afghan groups, including religious minorities.

"Until the Taliban honors their word to respect the human rights of all Afghans, the international community must monitor the situation in Afghanistan with vigilance and hold the Taliban accountable," said David Johnson, U.S. senior advisor for South and Central Asia.

Taliban officials have repeatedly rejected criticism of their policies, saying they are aligned with Afghan culture and Islamic law.

The Taliban documentary hailed Akhundzada's decree on women's rights, saying it prohibited forced marriages of women and ensured their right to inheritance, dowry, and fair treatment, among other rights, within Islamic law, or Sharia.

The video also highlighted "among others, the decree outlawing poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, which is known as the world's largest producer of narcotics.

"Now we believe that we do not have even one percent of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. God willing, in the coming days, we will have an Afghanistan free of drug cultivation and smuggling," Mujahid said.

Recent media reports and satellite images backed by the U.N. and the U.S. have concluded that annual poppy cultivation "significantly" decreased in the country. However, critics remain skeptical about whether the gains are sustainable, noting that de facto Afghan authorities have not yet provided an alternative livelihood program for farmers affected by the ban in the impoverished nation.

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crimes, in its report last month, revealed that Afghanistan had become the world's fastest-growing producer of methamphetamine. It noted that the highly addictive stimulant is mainly made from legally available substances or extracted from the ephedra plant, which grows in the wild.



The Taliban documentary commentator echoed its government's assertions that Akhundzada's decrees "are based on the demands of a healthy and Islamic society and raised the hopes of Afghans for a better future."



No foreign government has recognized the Taliban government over human rights concerns and their treatment of Afghan women.
Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.

Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about "a person who's very partisan sitting alongside" the judge.

Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at "you and Cohen."

But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk.

"I think she's very biased against us. I think we've made that clear," Trump said.

Engoron on October 3 ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction issued after Trump maligned the clerk on social media.

The judge ordered Trump to take down the post and Trump did, which the former president noted in court on Wednesday. But that post lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a $5,000 fine for Trump last Friday.

Three of Trump's attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and reiterated Trump's claim that the clerk was biased.

Earlier Wednesday, Cohen returned to the witness stand as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of Trumps one-time personal attorney-turned-adversary.

With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018.

Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trump's White House  Cohen insisted he never sought one  and asked whether he had "significant animosity" toward Trump.

"Do I have animosity toward him? Yes, I do," Cohen replied.

"You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven't you?" Habba asked.

After a long pause, Cohen said, "Yes."

Cohen worked as Trump's lawyer and fixer for many years before Cohen's 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and prison sentence for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trump's campaign.

The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the women's stories were false.

Cohen is now a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican 2024 presidential candidate for partisan reasons.

During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump's company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer's holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set "arbitrarily."

In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application lies. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes and sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.

Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted in open court to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door.

Outside of the court, Trump said the trial was "very unfair" and a "pure political witch hunt." Nonetheless, he said, "We're happy with the way it's going."

"We have the facts on our side," Trump said. He's expected to testify later in the trial but meanwhile has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings.

Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. That case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.
The UK Space Agency and a U.S. spaceflight services company have signed an initial agreement as they bid to send British astronauts into orbit for two weeks, the agency said Wednesday.

The memorandum of understanding with Houston-based Axiom Space sets out plans for a flight that would see British astronauts conduct a two-week mission in space.

"On this future flight, the UK astronauts would launch to space, spending up to two weeks on orbit to carry out scientific research, demonstrate new technologies, and participate in education and outreach activities," the agency said.

Axiom was founded by its chief executive Michael Suffredini, who served as NASA's International Space Station (ISS) program manager from 2005 to 2015.

It has sent two crewed missions into orbit with SpaceX rockets in April 2022 and in May this year.

The first mission carried an astronaut and three "investors" with the crew spending 17 days in orbit.

The second mission carried a crew of four and lasted 10 days.

Axiom says it is working on what will become the first-ever commercial space station.

The mission with the UK would be commercially sponsored and supported by the European Space Agency.

It would build on the UK government's space strategy which identifies five technologies as critical: artificial intelligence, engineering biology, telecommunications, semiconductors and quantum technologies.

"With this agreement as the initial foundation, we will build a comprehensive mission plan in support of the UK's national and agency objectives to advance its capabilities in space exploration and discovery," Suffredini said.

Helen Sharman from Sheffield became the first Briton in space in 1991 when she went into orbit aboard a Soviet Soyuz TM-12 space capsule.
Officials in Ukraines Kherson region said Wednesday a Russian aerial attack destroyed a house in the city of Beryslav, killing one person.

Ukraines air force said air defenses shot down 11 drones that Russia launched overnight.

In western Ukraine, officials said a Russian drone attack damaged buildings near a nuclear power plant.

Ukraines energy ministry said on Telegram that the Russian attack happened near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant, damaging windows in nearby buildings and power lines in the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged Tuesday to reclaim areas of Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces.

Ukraine will reclaim its territory and its people, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. We will not leave anyone to the occupiers. We are using every means to ensure that this war ends with the defeat of the occupiers.

He also said that despite doubts from many in the world, Ukraine has shown that it can prevail, despite all the challenges, especially in the Black Sea region.

In other news, Russia says it has successfully tested its ability to deal a large-scale nuclear response to an enemy nation, if provoked with a nuclear attack first.

The tasks planned in the course of the training exercise were fully accomplished, a Kremlin announcement said of the ballistic missiles that were test-launched by land, sea and air.

The show of military strength comes hours after Moscows upper parliament voted to repeal a 23-year-old treaty that banned nuclear testing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his cabinet have repeatedly refused to discuss arms control with the U.S., citing hostile foreign policy.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip had reached an "unprecedented point," as Israel stepped up its calls for the U.N. chief to resign over comments a day earlier.

"The U.N. Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, by far the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza, warned that unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately, UNRWA will be forced to halt operations tonight," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

He said hospitals are shutting down because of a lack of fuel, water, medical supplies and personnel. Fuel is also being "severely rationed" and used to run select critical facilities.

The U.N. has 400,000 liters of fuel that has been waiting for days to cross from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing into Gaza. So far, Israel has not given the security guarantees necessary to safely deliver it, arguing that Hamas is hoarding large quantities of fuel, and it accuses Hamas of planning to divert at least some of any new deliveries for military purposes.

Food is also running short.

"The World Food Program estimates that current supplies of essential food in Gaza are sufficient for about 12 days," Dujarric said. "However, at shops, the available stock is expected to last for only five days."

He said the water situation is also grave, with people drinking well water, which the U.N. says is high in salt and poses health risks.

About 2.2 million people live in the Gaza Strip, and the United Nations estimates more than 1.4 million of them have been displaced by the hostilities that erupted following Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 terror attack on Israeli towns and cities.

Since then, Israel has been bombing Hamas targets in Gaza and has put the Hamas-controlled territory under siege. After two weeks of international negotiations, limited water, food and medical supplies were allowed into Gaza on Saturday.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a Security Council meeting on Tuesday that the relief so far is "a drop of aid in an ocean of need."

Security Council still stalled

For the second time in a week, the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution calling for some kind of halt to the hostilities to assist aid deliveries. Last week, two separate attempts to get a resolution offering relief to Gazans failed  one due to a veto by the United States.

On Wednesday, geopolitical divisions were on display in the council as Russia and China used their vetoes to block a U.S.-drafted resolution that called for humanitarian pauses and affirmed the right of states to defend themselves against terrorism, among other provisions.

Russia put forward an alternative draft that failed to win the necessary support.

Malta, speaking for the 10 elected members of the 15-nation council, said their group would begin working immediately on another text in hopes of finding a compromise.

Israel has rejected the idea of a cease-fire with Hamas, saying the only response is the "total destruction" of the group.

While the Security Council returns to negotiations, the General Assembly will take up the issue in a special emergency session on Thursday.

Jordan, as head of the Arab Group of nations at the U.N., has drafted a resolution seeking an immediate cease-fire as well as the immediate and continuous provision of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, and rejecting "any attempts at forced transfer of the Palestinian population."

Many Arab countries are concerned that Israel's evacuation order to more than a million Gazans is an attempt to forcibly transfer them from their land. While General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they do carry the moral weight of the international community.

Diplomatic spat

Meanwhile, Israel says it is reassessing its relations with the United Nations after it was outraged by remarks the U.N. chief made in the Security Council on Tuesday.

Guterres, who has repeatedly and strongly condemned Hamas' terror attack and called for the immediate release of the more than 200 hostages the militants hold, said it is important to recognize that the attack "did not happen in a vacuum."

"The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," he said, adding that their land has been "steadily devoured" by settlements and plagued by violence.

He said that Palestinian grievances "cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas" but added that the terror attack cannot "justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Israel's foreign minister canceled a meeting Tuesday with the U.N. chief in protest, and his U.N. envoy went further, calling for Guterres to resign and saying Israel would have to reassess its relations with the United Nations. It has since threatened to stop issuing visas for U.N. personnel.

On Wednesday, Guterres addressed the diplomatic flap.

"I am shocked by the misinterpretations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council  as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas," he told reporters. "This is false. It was the opposite."

Israel's envoy doubled down on his calls for Guterres to resign.

"It is a disgrace to the U.N. that the secretary-general does not retract his words and is not even able to apologize for what he said yesterday," Gilad Erdan said in a statement. "He must resign."

Guterres' spokesperson said the U.N. chief "has absolutely no comment on his calls for his resignation."
Fears that Hamas deadly terror attack on Israel could help spark a wider conflict or even terror attacks in the United States have yet to materialize into actual threats, according to U.S. officials, but that has not stopped concerns from spreading.

The focus on the potential threat has grown in recent days following the appearance online of an apparent Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, memo warning that operatives with links to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad or Hezbollah might try to enter the U.S. along its southern border.

The U.S. has designated all three groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Individuals inspired by or reacting to the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border, according to the memo, first obtained by The Daily Caller.

The document, from the CBPs San Diego field office, further warns, Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the U.S. to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico.

It then shows insignias associated with each of the groups and suggests questions that could help identify a foreign fighter.

CBP declined to confirm the authenticity of the memo but, in a statement to VOA, downplayed the threat.

CBP has seen no indication of Hamas-directed foreign fighters seeking to make entry into the United States, a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said CBP provides frontline personnel a wide range of context for situational awareness in order to ensure they remain vigilant in fulfillment of our homeland and border security missions.

Situational awareness briefs are not threat assessments, the spokesperson said.

Concerns that the Hamas terror attack and Israels subsequent military response could spill over into U.S. streets spiked earlier this month when a former Hamas leader called for a day of rage, urging Muslims "to join in the fight" and deliver a "message of anger" in support of the militant groups fight against Israel.

Police departments in New York, Los Angeles and Washington heightened security as a precaution. And the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hosted a call for almost 4,000 law enforcement agencies across the country to review the security environment and share additional resources.

Despite the concerns, a homeland security official said at the time that the department had no specific credible intelligence indicating any potential threat to the homeland at this time."

"If any information is developed that would require that we adjust our security posture to protect the homeland, we are, of course, prepared to do that," the official said.

DHS threat assessments have also warned, repeatedly, that the biggest danger is homegrown, not foreign, and "marked by lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning."

Officials expressed concern that the volume of videos and propaganda flooding social media could serve as an accelerant.

Some U.S. lawmakers have been raising concerns about the potential for terrorists to use the border with Mexico as a gateway into the U.S.

The number of individuals with derogatory information in terrorist screening databases illegally crossing the southwest border has also skyrocketed during the Biden Administration, the Republican chairmen of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Homeland Security committees wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month. The letter warned of an elevated national security risk.

CBP officials maintain that encounters of known and suspected terrorists at our borders are very uncommon.

But a spike in migration across the Americas has raised the stakes.

We obviously are concerned that with that increase, you might have an increase in people who might come over with malign intentions, including potential terrorists, the DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis told an audience in Washington last month.

Kenneth Wainstein said the department was working closely with the FBI to better identify anyone potentially affiliated with terror groups. The departments various entities have "significantly ramped up their operations to ensure that we're identifying any such bad actors before they come across," he said.

More recently, DHS officials said there have not been any signs that terror groups are seeking to exploit migration patterns.

We just haven't seen information at all that would suggest that at this stage, an official said earlier this month, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Still, other eyes are also keeping watch, especially when it comes to Hezbollah, an Iranian-linked group known to operate in Central and South America.

The U.S. is "watching very, very closely," the commander of U.S. Southern Command said during a forum in Washington earlier this month.

"Working with our partner nations, obviously they're concerned, too," Gen. Laura Richardson said in response to a question from VOA.
Republican Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, ending lawmakers 22-day struggle to pick one of the top leadership positions in the U.S. government.

Johnson, 51, a three-term congressman and lower-level member of Republican leadership, won 220-209. He is now second in the presidential line of succession.

All 209 present House Democrats voted for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Johnson, from the Southern state of Louisiana, rallied Republicans around former President Donald Trumps effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In his first speech as speaker, Johnson emphasized his Christian faith, saying, I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today, to use the gifts that God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great country, and they deserve it. And to ensure that our republic remains standing as the great beacon of light and hope and freedom in a world that desperately needs it.

In her floor speech nominating Johnson, Representative Elise Stefanik said Johnson is a man of deep faith. Mike epitomizes what it means to be a servant leader. A deeply respected constitutional lawyer, Mike has dedicated his life to preserving America's great principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

President Joe Biden congratulated Johnson in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

As I said when this process began, whoever the speaker is, I will seek to work with them in good faith on behalf of the American people, Biden said.

Thats a principle I have always held to, and that Ive acted on  delivering major bipartisan legislation on infrastructure, outcompeting China, gun reform and veterans care.

Johnson secured the Republican conferences nomination late Tuesday after Representative Tom Emmer withdrew his candidacy earlier in the day. Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform early Tuesday afternoon that he did not know Emmer well and referred to him as a RINO  a term meaning Republican in Name Only.

Johnson received Trumps endorsement Wednesday morning.

"Mike Johnson's doing very well. He was a tremendous congressman, respected by everybody. I hear it looks like it's really good. I haven't had one negative comment about him. Everybody likes him, and he's respected by all, Trump told reporters.

The role of speaker has been vacant since October 3, when eight Republicans joined with all 212 House Democrats to make Kevin McCarthy the first speaker to be removed from the position.

A right-wing faction of the Republican Party was displeased with McCarthy for passing a short-term measure funding the government to keep it open past a September 30 deadline with Democratic legislators help.

There's been a lot of internal turmoil within the Republican conference for really the last decade or so, Casey Burgat, director of legislative affairs and a professor at George Washington University, told VOA.

"It's been slowly becoming more exposed in more public ways. And this really hit the head when ... it was necessary to fund the government, and Speaker McCarthy couldn't find enough votes within his own conference.

Since McCarthy's ouster, House Republicans had been unable to coalesce around a replacement. They first nominated Representative Steve Scalise of the Southern state of Louisiana, but he was unable to secure the needed votes.

The Republican caucus next gave its nod to Representative Jim Jordan of the Midwestern state of Ohio. Jordan is a conservative firebrand and staunch Trump supporter.

Jordan also failed to gain a 217-vote majority in the House, falling well short on a first vote and then losing ground on two subsequent ballots.

The weeks of Republican infighting left the House unable to respond to crucial budget matters. A November 17 deadline looms for budget issues to be resolved or a partial government shutdown will go into effect.

U.S. lawmakers must also consider the White Houses supplemental request for $61 billion in aid to Ukraine and $14 billion in aid for Israel.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 25, 2023 - 09:50 | All

Episode 17: Don't come to Shibuya for Halloween!

What are you getting dressed up as for Halloween?

Three Kyodo News journalists  Yamaguchi-san, Eduardo and Su-san  talk about a recent press conference by the mayor of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, during which he implored people to stay away from the area on Halloween to avoid overcrowding and a potential catastrophe. Listen as they discuss their own experiences with fall festivities and brainstorm unique costume ideas.

Article mentioned in the podcast:

Tokyo's Shibuya mayor says "Don't come" for Halloween

Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.

More Podcast episodes:

Podcast [English World] Episode 16: The Johnnys controversy

Podcast [English World] Episode 15: School trips

Podcast [English World] Episode 14: Asakusa Samba Carnival
The United States is trying to rein in some of the outrage that inflamed tensions and sparked protests around the world following last week's explosion at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.

Much of the anger has focused on Israel, with many protesters following the lead of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which accuses Israel of carrying out an airstrike, calling the incident a "genocidal massacre."

But the U.S. has been pushing back, publicly sharing its initial intelligence assessments while also sharing more detailed findings with key governments.

"We have gone out and shared analysis with a lot of our partners around the world," a senior U.S. intelligence official told reporters late Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the incident.

"Thus far it's been fairly robust in terms of what we've been able to provide," the official added. "I suspect we will be updating it and sending additional information out as we move forward."

It is unclear, at this point, how much of an impact the intelligence sharing is having.

Jordan and Egypt last week called off a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Amman, blaming Israel for the blast. And the explosion continues to be featured prominently at pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world.

"One of the things that our diplomats have asked  is that the intelligence community do more to lay out our thinking," the senior official said.

And it is not just U.S. diplomats.

"There has been intense interest in the hospital explosion and conflicting accounts about what happened," a second senior U.S. official told VOA. "The U.S. government has worked to be able to share as much information as we could in the interest of transparency."

The tactic of declassifying and sharing this type of sensitive intelligence is increasingly part of the U.S. playbook.

U.S. officials used it most notably in the lead-up to Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, however, the U.S. has used what the White House calls "strategic downgrades" to counter Chinese claims about a spy balloon that traversed much of the United States and to defuse a potential crisis in Mali.

And in the case of last week's explosion at the Ahli Arab Hospital, U.S. intelligence officials believe there is compelling evidence to exonerate Israel.

Based on information culled from a variety of sources, including satellite imagery, data on missile activity and intercepted communications, as well as publicly available video and images, U.S. intelligence officials have concluded with "high confidence" that Israel was not responsible for the hospital explosion.

"There are two primary reasons," said a second U.S. intelligence official, who like the other officials, spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"The first is what we see when we look at the blast effects," the official said. "The damage at the hospital is consistent with what we would expect to see from a rocket and inconsistent with the larger craters and broader blast effects that we would expect to see were this an airdrop munition or an artillery round.

"The detonation of the warhead resulted in only light structural damage at the hospital," the official continued. "There was no observable damage to the main hospital building, no large impact craters, only light damage to the roofs of the two structures near the main hospital building. And both of them remained intact."

The second reason for high confidence that Israel was not involved, according to the official, comes from videos that captured the launch and explosion, from four different angles.

Based on two of the videos, U.S. intelligence determined the rocket was launched from within the Gaza Strip, traveling in a northeasterly direction.

Then, about 10 seconds into the rocket's flight, the motor starts having trouble and becomes unstable.

"We can tell that in part based on the fluctuating intensity of the rocket's plume," the official said.

Five seconds later, the videos show a flash  "our assessment is that that is the rocket motor failing," the official said, and five seconds after that, one object hit the ground followed by a second, a few seconds later, resulting in a large explosion.

"Our conclusion is that there was a catastrophic motor failure that likely occurred which separated the motor and the warhead," the official said. "The warhead landed in the hospital compound."

Gaza's health ministry said the explosion killed about 500 people. But U.S. officials told VOA news last week that they assessed the number of deaths was likely between 100 and 300, with the actual death toll likely on the lower end of the scale.

Officials late Tuesday said getting a more accurate count will likely be difficult and cast doubt on the ability of Hamas authorities to keep track of casualties given that they themselves "are struggling to function at this point in time."

U.S. intelligence officials likewise pushed back on some theories, popular on social media, that seek to blame Israel for a Palestinian rocket falling in Gaza, including claims that the rocket was shot down by Israel's Iron Dome defense system.

"Our understanding is that the Iron Dome would not intercept a rocket that was still burning," the U.S. intelligence official said. "Their SOPs [standard operating procedures] are that they would have to calculate where it's likely to go. And until that rocket has finished burning through its propellant, it's not going to be clear exactly how far it's going to go."

And the officials backed up Israeli claims that the failure rate for Hamas rockets is high. Israel in recent days has said that on Oct. 21 alone, as many as one in five Hamas rockets failed, hitting Gaza instead of targets in Israel.

One area in which U.S. intelligence is still trying to get clarity is the question of who fired the rocket that ended up striking the Ahli Arab Hospital.

The current U.S. assessment points to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian militant group, as the most likely culprit. But officials say they have "low confidence" in the finding because it is based, in part, on an intercepted communication between other militants thought to be part of Hamas.

"They themselves are speculating about who's responsible," the U.S. intelligence official said, adding the audio examined by U.S. intelligence is different than audio circulated by Israeli officials last week, which has been subject to criticism.

"There is additional audio that was passed to us by the Israelis that has been carefully vetted and determined to be authentic communications of Palestinian militants.  The language patterns have been evaluated and determined to be authentic," according to the official.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad has denied it launched the rocket that fell on the Ahli Arab Hospital.

But U.S. officials counter that, using geolocation techniques and other data, they are confident the rocket that caused the damage was fired from Gaza and suffered a catastrophic failure, causing the warhead to land by the hospital.

Still, they say if new information comes to light, they will examine it closely.

"This issue is not closed for us," said the senior U.S. intelligence official. "If we get additional information that would point in a different direction, we would report that out, as well."


Here are some key facts about Representative Mike Johnson, the Republican lawmaker from Louisianas Fourth District who was elected Wednesday as the new speaker of the House of Representatives:

Johnson is a constitutional lawyer who began his career as a college professor before going on to become a conservative media pundit.

After serving for two years in Louisianas state legislature, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017, the year Donald Trump was sworn in as president.

Throughout his congressional career, Johnson, who has served as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference and deputy whip for his party, has made a name for himself as one of Trumps most loyal supporters.

In the run-up to January 6, 2021, the day the Capitol was ransacked by an armed mob of election deniers, Johnson fueled unfounded conspiracy theories alleging a rigged election.

He joined other hard-right lawmakers in voting against certifying the results of the 2020 election.

Trump endorsed Johnson for speaker in a recent post on X, writing, In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST!

Representative Kevin Hern of Oklahoma dropped out of the race for speaker on Tuesday evening and offered his support to Johnson.

I want everyone to know this race has gotten to the point where its gotten crazy, he said. This is more about people right now than it should be. This should be about America and Americas greatness. For that, I stepped aside and threw all my support behind Mike Johnson. I think hed make a great speaker.

Johnson announced his bid in a post on X. He said that he had not considered running until several colleagues encouraged him to.

In Johnson, the hard-right lawmakers who ousted Representative Kevin McCarthy of California have their compromise after Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise's bids failed  and the rest of the House has a leader, ending weeks of deadlock.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China is willing to cooperate with the United States as both sides manage their differences and work together to respond to global challenges, according to Chinese state media.

Whether or not the United States and China could establish the "right" way of getting along would be crucial to the world, Xi said in a letter delivered at an annual dinner of the New York-headquartered National Committee on United States-China Relations.

Xi's call for more stable bilateral ties, which he says should be built on the principles of "mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation", comes before a key visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington later this week.

The trip from Thursday through Saturday by the top Chinese diplomat will be the highest-level in-person engagement ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi in San Francisco at the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Several top U.S. officials, including U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing this summer.

Washington's top priority has been to ensure the intense competition between the world's two biggest economies and their disagreements over a host of issues from trade to Taiwan and the South China Sea does not veer into conflict.

"Chinese observers believe the visit (by Wang) will pave the way for a possible meeting between the heads of the two states but added that Washington needs to make concrete efforts to address Beijing's concerns and show its sincerity," China's state-controlled Global Times wrote in a commentary.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged Tuesday to reclaim areas of Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces.

Ukraine will reclaim its territory and its people, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. We will not leave anyone to the occupiers. We are using every means to ensure that this war ends with the defeat of the occupiers.

He also said that despite doubts from many in the world, Ukraine has shown that it can prevail, despite all the challenges, especially in the Black Sea region."

Early Tuesday, Russias defense ministry said it destroyed three Ukrainian boats in the northern part of the Black Sea.

Russia also said it conducted an anti-sabotage operation near the Sevastopol port, which is home to its Black Sea fleet.

Ukraine said Tuesday that Russian attacks in two parts of the country wounded at least eight people.

In the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, Russian airstrikes and artillery fire wounded four people and damaged several houses, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on social media.

Klymenko also said a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine injured four people.

Ukraines air force said its defenses downed six drones that Russian launched from Crimea.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters


Zimbabwe's vice president on Wednesday said the country has lost more than $150 billion due to sanctions imposed by the European Union and countries such as the United States following reports of election rigging and human rights abuses in the early 2000s.

Speaking to protesters rallying against the sanctions, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said the measures were also hurting the entire southern Africa region.

He called the sanctions an albatross around Zimbabwe's neck, as they include financial restrictions that isolate Zimbabwe from global access to capital.

"Since 2001, we estimate that Zimbabwe has lost or missed over $150 billion through frozen assets, trade embargos, export and investment restrictions from potential bilateral support, development loans, IMF and World Bank balance of payments support and commercial loans, Chiwenga said, calling the sanctions heinous and illegal.

Stevenson Dhlamini, an economics professor at National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, said the figure of $150 billion is consistent with what the Zimbabwean government has been saying over the years.

The cumulative effect of the sanctions by the U.S., EU and the U.K. do have a cumulative impact that could be to that level, Dhlamini said.

Not everyone agrees.

Prosper Chitambara, senior economist with the Labor and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe, said multiple factors have affected the countrys economy, not just the sanctions.

How do you then separate the effects of sanctions, say, from the effects of corruption, or from the effects of external shocks or climate-induced shocks? he said, Coming up with a number is a very difficult and tedious exercise to do.

After the protest, which attracted mainly civil servants and ruling Zanu PF supporters, Chiwenga vowed that Zimbabwes economy will prevail over the sanctions.

Sanctions are really hurting Zimbabweans, he said. By now, we could have gone far in terms of our economic growth. Our sin is that we took land [from white commercial farmers] and gave it to our people. Nothing else. The rest they are talking about is nonsense.

But we think outside the box, he said. So, sanctions or no sanctions, Zimbabwe will prosper.

Hopes of lifting the sanctions were dashed after many observer missions to Zimbabwes August 23 general election, including the Southern African Development Community, said the polls were not credible.
By James Gamble via SWNS

Cocaine addiction alters how people perceive rewards and make it more difficult to learn from mistakes, reveals a new study.

Scientists analyzing the brains of addicts found the drug disrupts the dopamine neurons that govern how we perceive and learn from rewards.

And though cocaine addicts maintain similar expectations of rewards, their dopamine neurons send out far weaker signals when these rewards are actually received.

It is hoped the study, from researchers based in the United States, can be used to inform and improve current addiction treatment.

It is already well-documented that cocaine addiction can impact multiple aspects of dopamine signaling in the brains of both humans and animals.

However, it is as yet unclear whether certain paths of the dopamine signaling pathway are more important than others.

Rather than errors in dopamine signaling, addictive behavior is believed to be due to disruptions to 'reward prediction error' - a system that calibrates future expectations based on past experiences by comparing expected rewards with actual rewards as encoded by dopamine neurons in the brain.

Few studies have thus far been able to accurately demonstrate the impact of cocaine use on reward prediction error in humans.

The research team, from Rutgers University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States, used fMRI scanning to examine neural activity in the brains of cocaine addicts and healthy control subjects whilst each performed a simple decision-making task.

The task involved choosing between a 'safe' monetary reward or gambling on a 'risky' reward, which carried a chance of being either much higher or lower in value than the safe option.

The research team compared brain activity during two phases of prediction error calculation: the expected phase, while participants were making their decision and anticipating the resulting reward; and the actual reward phase, when participants were presented with the outcome of their decision.

The scientists found that those with cocaine addiction displayed reduced prediction error responses, which was consistent with studies on animals.

The study, published in the journal Neuron, also discovered that though signals of reward expectation were similar for both groups, the signal for received reward was weaker for those with cocaine addiction.

This weakened reward signal was visible in the ventral striatum - the brain region where prediction error is processed - and reduced activity was also visible in the orbitofrontal cortex - a brain region involved in integrating the prediction error signal to inform future behavior.

Neuroscientist and addiction expert Dr Rita Goldstein, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says the research supports the perception of addiction as a disorder instead of a choice or weakness.

"Our results support the medical model of addiction as a disorder of the brain that deserves treatment, Dr Goldstein explains.

Addiction is a disorder and not a choice or a moral weakness.

Dr Anna Konova, a neuroscientist at Rutgers University, added: "If youre not tracking the reward signal appropriately, it makes it much harder to disengage from something thats no longer rewarding.

"We found evidence that people with chronic cocaine addiction have reduced prediction error responses, and this difference seems to be caused by differences in the subjective perception of received reward.

"The reduced reward signal seems to propagate to other regions of the brain that would receive this information to then update your expectations for the next time you encounter this same situation."

The researchers additionally demonstrated that people with addiction were more likely to gamble with riskier options when compared to those who weren't addicted.

They further showed that this risk tolerance was more apparent in those who had begun using cocaine at an earlier age - pointing towards potential predisposing factors for developing addiction.

The American researchers hope their study can help inform and improve addiction treatments going forward.

Our findings suggest that interventions that boost the perception of received rewards might be a valuable component of addiction treatment, Dr Goldstein said.

"Understanding the brain mechanisms behind addiction is also extremely valuable for the public and for the person experiencing addiction."

The research team will next endeavor to understand how dysregulation of reward signaling changes during different stages of addiction and recovery, and whether reward perception is involved in other types of substance disorder, such as in addiction to opioids like heroin.

Dr. Goldstein added: We want to understand how this signal changes through the progression of recovery, or as a function of different stages of addiction to understand whether its really driven by chronic cocaine exposure or something that comes on earlier, maybe even before you start substance use."
Olivia Colman and Dev Patel are set to star in the horror romance, 'Wicker'.

The Oscar winner, 49, will play a "smelly" fisherwoman and the 'Slumdog Millionaire' star will portray the husband she has made for herself out of wicker, Variety reports.

The indie film - which will be directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson - is based on the tome 'The Wicker Husband' by Ursula Willis-Jones.

The premise is: "On the outskirts of a village by the sea, lives of a Fisherwoman (Coleman); smelly, single and perpetually ridiculed. One day, fed up with her stuff, and small-minded neighbours, she commissions herself a husband to be made from wicker (Patel). In an otherwise conservative town, this unconventional romance sparks outrage, jealousy, and chaos."

Olivia's upcoming movies include 'Wonka' and 'Paddington in Peru'.

It was just confirmed that the latter is heading to UK cinemas on November 8, 2024.

The third movie of the film franchise will hit the nation more than two months ahead of the US, when the motion picture will be in cinemas from January 17.

StudioCanal confirmed the exciting news on X, posting: "How marvellous!

We can finally reveal that @PaddingtonBear's latest feature film, Paddington in Peru, will be coming to the big screen on November 8th 2024. #PaddingtonInPeru (sic)"

The post was accompanied by a 14-second clip of Paddington wiping marmalade off the screen to reveal the UK release date of the movie.

It read: "In cinemas November 8 2024".

Ben Whishaw, 42, will reprise his role as the titular bear's voice, and Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin will also reprise their roles in the third movie.

But Sally Hawkins won't be back as Mrs Brown, with Emily Mortimer taking her place.

Along with Olivia, Antonio Banderas is also joining the franchise for the first time.
The Minnesota State patrol says three people are injured following a two-vehicle crash in New London. The crash took place at the intersection of Highway 9 and County Road 40. An SUV driven by Elizabeth Meyer, 18, of Willmar, was traveling eastbound on County Road 40 when she was struck by a pickup truck. Meyer and one of her two passengers were taken to the hospital in Willmar with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck, a 16-year-old boy, was also injured in the crash
Its a whole new era for the artist formerly known as Winter House. This show started as a winter trip for the cast of Summer House with a little bit of Southern Charms de-toppling the patriarchy thrown in. This season, we have a cast from across the Bravo diaspora. The only people returning are my imaginary husband, Kyle McGill Cooke, and my imaginary sister-wife, Amanda Batula. Kory Keefer has also returned to fuckboy himself all over a whole new location. Yes, there will be an appearance by Tom Schwartz right in the middle of the #Scandoval maelstrom, but thats about it for returning victors.

Instead, we get an amalgamation of cast from Below Deck, Family Karma, and the underrated Summer House: Marthas Vineyard. I think this is a great idea. No one in the house is really bogged down with too much drama from previous seasons of this show or their own show. I hope they have time to get to know one another and see where the chemistry lies. Also, the cast of Below Deck, specifically, is used to being together for only a few weeks, quickly forming bonds and, even more important, quickly forming relationships. If you wanted a cast that was going to engage in the three Fs of reality television  fighting, fucking, and falling over  then this is it.

Were also in a new house in a new state. Instead of Kyles native Stowe, Vermont, were in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Quick, someone tell Malia White that marijuana is legal here, so she shouldnt call the cops on anyone and have them fired. #JusticeForHannah.

Three couples land in the house immediately. Malia and Katie Flood not only work on the same yacht, they also share an apartment and are best friends. They tell us its like a relationship without the sex, which, really, is most relationships. (ZING!) Then we get Danielle Olivera and her friend, Casey Craig. Casey is the only Bravo newbie of the whole cast, and all we know about her so far is that she works in crypto. Danger! Danger! Please avoid at all costs! Its giving me major Jess from last season vibes, and I do not like it at all.

The final couple is Kyle and Amand  no wait. Its Kyle and Kory. Has Bravo been reading my Wattpad slash fiction about these two? Is this a gift just for me? I would join whatever sex cult these two are leading, no matter what the initiation is. Its probably arriving in a house that you are going to share with a dozen others, immediately shotgunning a Loverboy, getting it all over the counter, and then throwing your empty cans across the room as if they have never even thought about ants or keeping something clean for the rest of the people to enjoy.

The next couple to arrive is Brian Benni and Alex Propson. They are from Family Karma and Below Deck Sailing Yacht, respectfully, and I dont watch either of those shows, also respectfully. Im sorry, but I cant watch every single program on Bravo. Dont you dare tell Andy. The last to arrive is Jordan Emanuel from the aforementioned Marthas Vineyard edition of Summer House. She reminds me of Michael Jordan in that whenever anyone shoots their shot with her, she always manages to block it.

The rest of the episode unfolds in the usual manner for this show. Everyone arrives, picks rooms, someone is disappointed, mostly everyone is happy, and then they just start drinking immediately until Kyle starts peeing on every surface on the back deck to make sure that everyone knows that he is the OG, and even if it is not his home state, this is still his territory.

The biggest difference this season is that there was no shanty town of Amazon boxes waiting on the front porch for the guests on their arrival. Oh, the boxes were still there; this time they just hid them all in front of the garage door rather than on the front porch. So much easier to load you in with, my dear.

As the partying starts, Brian gets his bestie Alex to give the toast that he always gives when he meets new people. Heres to condoms and rattlesnakes, two things I dont fuck with, he says. What is the opposite of a panty dropper, because that is what this line is? Is it a wedgie? Is it a thong mustache? What do we call something that could zap all of the moisture out of all the women in the immediate vicinity? Is it an air fryer? Im at a loss.

What this episode is all about is who is attracted to whom. When Danielle first meets Alex, she says, Do I like this well-conditioned-hair man? I have two eyes [pregnant pause] and a vagina. Girl, lets hope that pause isnt too damn pregnant, okay? Oh, yes! Danielle is single now. I guess we all knew that she broke out with her ex, Robert, as of the last Summer House reunion, but its official, and she says he put the kibosh on any sort of reconciliation. Good. Im ready to see Danielle latch onto someone here for the fame and followers and keep leaning into her main-character energy, especially since Lindsay Hubbard isnt around to fuck with her mojo.

Both Katie and Malia say that they are into Kory but also not that he has fuckboy written all over him. I am crushed by this accuracy because even if Kory had fuckboy tattooed across his ample and defined chest, he still couldnt be any more of a fuckboy than he already is. Im glad they both see that. He explains his relationship with Sam from Summer House as not having a label on it and not too serious, even though Sams good friend Danielle is at the other end of the table saying, Cough bullshit, under her breath.

Brian, my namesake and fellow slut, says, Alex and I have the same type, which is anyone. Well, thats not entirely true because they are both going after Jordan. She says they didnt come in hot, they came in scorching, just like a case of herpes you cant get rid of. Alex gets Jordan in the hot tub and floats over to get a kiss, and as hes about to connect, she turns her face away and says, No, no, no, no, as he hovers in midair with only his rejection keeping him buoyant over the gushing jets.

After Jordan shoots him down, he goes to bed, but now its Brians turn. He tries to get Jordan to walk him down to their bedrooms and kind of leans in for a kiss, and Jordan is just like, Helllllllll to the no. To the no, no, no. The next morning, neither of them remembered that they even tried it because they were so drunk. Well, I believe that about Alex; I think that Brian is just trying to save what little face he has left.

Jordan certainly remembers, though, and when the group divides along gender lines to go tubing, she tells the rest of the girls that both, yes both, of them tried to be the Pippen to her Jordan. (Speaking of which, why did no one invite Larsa Pippen and her much younger boyfriend, the other Jordan?) Tubing is a cute little lark, but Alex gets nice and flirty with Danielle, talking about how he is intimidated by her boss bitch energy and how he likes that. Her response: Why dont you stick to one girl at a time. I thought this season was going to be all new: new people, new house, new romances, new fights. But instead, its the tale as old as time, familiar ways to watch asshole men embarrass themselves. Luckily, we have Tom Schwartz to save us from all of that, or at least distract us with some Sandoval tea that is so stale at this point that Kyle wouldnt even turn it into Loverboy. Welcome to the new era, same as the old one, I guess.
JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

The spaceship will carry three astronauts -- Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin -- to carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission. Tang Hongbo will be the commander, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, at a press conference.

Shenzhou-17 is the 30th flight mission of China's manned space program, and the 12th manned mission of the program.

The crew will stay in orbit for about six months.

The launch will use a Long March-2F carrier rocket, which will be filled with propellant soon, Lin said.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-17 spaceship will perform a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft, Lin said.

The Shenzhou-17 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in April next year.

During their stay, they will witness the arrival of the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship and Tianzhou-7 cargo craft, Lin said.

The space station combination is now in a stable status with all equipment functioning well. Product qualities of the Shenzhou-17 spaceship and the Long March-2F carrier rocket are under control, Lin added.

The Shenzhou-17 crew is in good condition, while the ground system facilities are in stable operation. All preparations for the launch have been completed, Lin said.

The Shenzhou-16 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site on Oct. 31, after completing the in-orbit work handover to the Shenzhou-17 crew, Lin said. 
BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday that China welcomes more high-quality Russian products into the Chinese market and supports enterprises from China and Russia in deepening cooperation on automobile manufacturing.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States. 
Italian prime minister set to open Rome show.

Italy will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of British fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien with a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome.

The exhibition, titled J. R. R. Tolkien 1973  2023 Man, Professor, Author, will be opened by Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, who is a devoted fan of Tolkien's most famous novel The Lord of the Rings, reports Corriere della Sera.

Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, who was strongly in favour of hosting the exhibit, confirmed that the show will open on 15 November, Artribune reports.

The exhibition will comprise more than 150 works including photographs, documents, letters and virtual reconstructions of the first editions of the books from which the blockbuster fantasy trilogy by director Peter Jackson is based.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973)

The exhibition is curated by Oronzo Cilli, member of the British Tolkien Society and president of the Italian Tolkien Association, and produced by Alessandro Nicosia.

This is the first exhibition in Italy on Tolkien. Many were held in Oxford, in Paris, but there was no such event in Italy", Nicosia told Artribune.

Minister Sangiuliano was very keen on this exhibition, especially on the 50th anniversary of the death of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien" - Nicosia said - "In this regard, there was a need for a prestigious venue and the Galleria Nazionale was available and supportive of the project."

"The exhibition will be composed of a scientific part (with books, letters and documents) and a multimedia part which will showcase Tolkien's plans in a spectacular way, as well as presenting everything that revolves around the fantasy world created by the British writer" - Nicosia told Artribune - "Finally, it will be possible to immerse yourself in the world of Middle-earth thanks to the reproduction (in loop) of the full version of The Lord of the Rings".
Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Colombia Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with President of the Republic of Colombia Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in Beijing on Wednesday.

Zhao said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Colombia relations have been moving forward steadily regardless of changes in the international situation.

China always views bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work with Colombia to push for the sustained and in-depth development of bilateral relations, Zhao said.

The NPC is willing to work with the Colombian Congress to enhance the exchange of experience on state governance with a view to providing a legal guarantee for the development of bilateral relations and promoting practical cooperation, he said.

China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Colombia on international affairs to firmly safeguard the common interests of developing countries, Zhao added.

Noting that Colombia and China enjoy a profound, longstanding friendship, and that their bilateral cooperation is highly complementary, Petro said that Colombia is willing to deepen cooperation with China in various fields and open up a new future for the development of bilateral relations.

Colombia supports a series of important initiatives put forward by China and is willing to work with China to tackle global challenges such as climate change, he added. 

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Colombia Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)
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The chaos of October has brought the House GOP back to where it began: Some guy is once again Speaker of the House. His name is, for now, Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, not that it matters. If Donald Trump tells him to change it, as when Trump ordered Republican Party chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel to drop the Romney from her moniker, Mike Johnson will become Speaker Sammy Skeever or Mike Maloney.

Unlike previous Speaker candidates in recent weeks, such as Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, Johnson has gone to the trouble of acquiring some actual policies to inform his cultural reaction. Not that the policies matter, either. No one, least of all Republicans, thinks that the GOP is capable of legislating. If all goes well, the party that has organized itself around Trumps voluble lies and seething rage will keep the government open and fund whatever the White House and Senate work out. If all doesnt go well, the House GOP, having recommitted itself to lawlessness and deceit, will precipitate another existential crisis for American democracy.

More than anything, the great GOP Speaker fiasco of 2023 has been a lengthy tribute to the godlike supremacy of the MAGA king.  MAGA is ascendant, far right radical Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida told podcaster Steve Bannon. In that, it mirrors the degrading GOP presidential primary, in which candidates run, sort of, for an office that has already been assigned. Trump, after all, has already picked the partys presidential nominee. He more or less picked the Speaker, too.

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When Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota made a dash for the Speakers chalice three weeks into the jungle trek, Trump took a few seconds from a busy day trying to stay out of jail to destroy Emmers political life. It was quick, vicious work, like watching a hound seize a gopher and instantly snap its neck. Emmer meekly withdrew.

What ultimately matters is that Trump has an obedient Speaker who supported Trumps attempted coup after he lost the 2020 election by seven million votes. Johnson, or his replacement if Johnson doesnt last, must be poised to perform a similar duty if Trump fails again in 2024. Anyone unwilling to overthrow the republic and keep Trump out of jail is a MAGA enemy. They must be purged.

Representative Jim Jordan, the demagogue from Ohio, showed the way even in defeat. With the support of MAGA thugs who threatened holdouts on Jordans behalf, Jordan reached 200 votes  more than a dozen shy of what he needed - in the GOP conference before faltering in his own quest for the Speakership. Some claimed the threats backfired. Its an encouraging story, suggesting the ever-shrinking minority of small r republicans in the GOP conference had found a backbone. For some, it was no doubt true. But in a secret vote, with no death threats to focus their minds, GOP House members abandoned Jordan en masse. It seems the threats worked pretty well after all.  Hang Mike Pence isnt just a MAGA slogan; its the template for intraparty politicking.

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Every Republican action now is shaped by Trumpism and the political desperation and cultural panic that birther-ed it. The entire GOP presidential field flits in and out of Trumps giant shadow. The new Speaker will have to pledge fealty to the full panoply of Trumpist depravity. As Trumps legal peril comes increasingly into focus  crimes, already well documented, are now being admitted by various Trump thugs  the job of servicing the MAGA king will grow more complex and demanding.

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Under Republican leadership, the House of Representatives has been a reactionary backwater that periodically shuts down in fits of rage. The Speakers contest has been another giant step into political degeneracy. Still, the party is not technically dysfunctional. The GOP House is only an embarrassment if you are under the mistaken impression that House Republicans are there to serve the national interest. Emphatically, they are not. They are there to serve the MAGA lord, whose personal goals are dependent on the success of his authoritarian goals. And, truly, by that measure, House Republicans are not doing such a bad job.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

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 At Least Jim Jordan Wont Be House Speaker: Jonathan Bernstein

 The House, Not the Constitution, Made Speaker Mess: Noah Feldman

 House Speaker Chaos Is a Warning Sign for US Politics: Editorial

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Francis Wilkinson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US politics and policy. Previously, he was executive editor for the Week and a writer for Rolling Stone.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
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GARDNER, Mass.  Police in Massachusetts were searching a large area of woods on Tuesday for a man in connection with the shooting death of his wife, who was found in their home on Sunday. Police were focused on 400 acres (160 hectares) after a hunter found a car in the area belonging to Aaron Pennington, 33 of Gardner. They were searching an area known as Camp Collier, a land trust used by Boy Scouts and church groups for getaways, Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said at a news conference near the woods Tuesday.

Police said they consider Pennington to be armed and dangerous. When his car was found, unoccupied, the city about 15 miles from the New Hampshire State line temporarily issued a shelter-in-place order for a neighborhood near the woods.

Were asking anyone with trail cams, any hunters, any people with video cameras at their houses, please, give it to the police ... were asking the public for all their help, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said at the news conference.

Penningtons wife, Breanne Pennington, 30, was found dead in their Gardner home on Sunday. City property records show Aaron Pennington has owned the home since June 2022.

The couple had four children, who were in the custody of the state, Early said.

The Associated Press left messages via social media with two possible relatives of Aaron Pennington; they werent immediately returned.
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Israeli airstrikes are devastating parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighborhoods in shambles. A strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday killed several family members of one of Al Jazeera TVs journalists, Wael Dahdouh. Strikes elsewhere destroyed homes and businesses and left many digging through the debris. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The U.N. warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the blockaded territory. And the U.N. Security Council failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war, rejecting rival resolutions by the United States and Russia.

Health care facilities are doing their best to treat the wounded, but with supplies that are becoming scarce.

The war, in its 19th day, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 others wounded. In the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.

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The Associated Press couldnt independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to Israeli officials, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. Israels military on Wednesday raised the number of remaining hostages in Gaza to 222 people, including foreigners believed captured by Hamas during the incursion. Four hostages have been released.

U.S. and other officials fear the fighting could spill over into a wider regional conflict.

Currently:

Heres whats happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war:

ROME  Relatives of Israelis held hostage by Hamas met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Wednesday to speak about their anguish and raise awareness for their loved ones plight in Gaza.

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Nadav Kipnis parents, Evyatar and Lilich Kipnis, were found dead days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. His cousin is being held captive.

None of them deserved to be treated in such horrible ways. We have to spread the message of anything that can help. Its what my parents would have wanted, Kipnis said.

Ilan Regevs two children, 21-year-old Maya and 18-year-old Itay, were kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival.

Hamas has said it seeks the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for the captives.

Give them everything, 4,000, 5,000 prisoners in Israel. I dont care, these are children, babies, bring them back, Regev said.

Since the militants bloody attack more than two weeks ago, Meloni has traveled to Israel and visited Romes main synagogue, where she pledged to defend Jewish citizens against every form of antisemitism.

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DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  An Israeli strike on Wednesday killed the wife, son and young daughter of Al Jazeera Arabics bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Dahdouh.

Footage aired on the Qatar-based TV network showed the veteran journalist, still wearing his blue body armor marked press, weeping over his sons corpse on a hospital floor.

They take vengeance on us through our children? he sobbed.

Another son, Yehia, was seriously wounded, and Dahdouhs grandson was also declared dead two hours later, the network reported. Other relatives survived the Israeli strike, including a toddler granddaughter.

This is a series of targeted attacks on children, women and civilians, Dahdouh, looking stunned, told Al Jazeera as he left the hospital.

The media network released a statement condemning what it called an indiscriminate assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The camp is south of the area Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate.

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In Gaza, Al Jazeeras Youmna Elsayed told the network: Its heartbreaking to be reporting about Waels family and to see how broken he is.

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. Security Council has failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, rejecting rival United States and Russian resolutions.

The U.S. resolution would have reaffirmed Israels right to self-defense, urged respect for international laws  especially protection of civilians  and called for humanitarian pauses to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza. Wednesdays vote in the 15-member council was 10 countries in favor, 3 against and 2 abstentions. The resolution was not adopted because both Russia and China cast vetoes.

The Russian resolution would have called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, and unequivocally condemned Hamas Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Gaza. The vote was 4 in favor, 2 against and 9 abstentions. The resolution wasnt adopted because it failed to get the minimum nine yes votes.

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The council is charged under the U.N. Charter with maintaining international peace and security. But Wednesdays rejections, following its rejections last week of a Russian resolution and a Brazilian proposal, leave the Security Council divided and paralyzed in taking action on the Israeli-Hamas war.

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Maltas U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier told reporters before the vote that if both resolutions failed, she would attempt to draft a compromise resolution.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of submitting its text with no consultations in bad faith. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the U.S. draft a politicized proposal to shore up Israel.

BAGHDAD  An Iranian backed group in Iraq claimed responsibility for an attack on a military base housing U.S. forces in eastern Syria on Wednesday, as a string of attacks targeting U.S. military facilities in Iraq and Syria persist.

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The Islamic Resistance group in Iraq, an umbrella organization for several Iran-backed militias, said in a statement that it had struck the Kharab al-Jir base in the northeastern Hassakeh province with rockets. It said it hit its target, without making any mention of casualties.

Washington did not immediately comment on the attack. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, urged Sudani to pursue those behind the attacks and fulfill Iraqs commitment to maintain the security at these installations, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement Tuesday.

The past week has seen a spate of more than a dozen attacks on U.S. military facilities in Iraq in Syria, most of them claimed by the same group, which has said it is retaliating against Americas backing of Israel in its war with Hamas.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Wednesday said there is no going back to the status quo in Israel and the region following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, Biden said during a news conference at the White House with the Prime Minister of Australia. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution.

Biden said again that he believed Israeli had the right  the responsibility  to respond to the attack. The anger, the hurt, the sense of outrage that the Israeli people are feeling following the attack is completely understandable, he said.

But he also decried the attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and said it must stop and stop now, and he said he remained focused on humanitarian aid into Gaza.

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday killed at least 26 people and injured more than 100, Hamas Interior Ministry said.

Bodies of dead men and women were scattered in streets that had relatively little damage while a block of buildings lay in ruins with people searching for survivors.

Two wounded young boys embraced each other and appeared to be crying as a first responder and three other men carried them to safety on a stretcher.

A man with blood running from his scalp into his eye and down his cheek looked stunned as he sat on what remained of a sofa propped in the rubble, while a girl, who was also wounded, hugged him.

PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron is promoting, with little success so far, the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas.

He pitched the idea during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.

Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didnt publicly address the issue.

The first response to the devastating Israel-Hamas war is the fight against terrorism, Macron said Wednesday after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The right response is to cooperate, to draw lessons from the international coalition against the Islamic State group that intervened in Iraq and Syria, he added.

Macron first proposed the idea Tuesday after his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioning a regional and international coalition against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu did not specifically comment on the proposal.

JERUSALEM  The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is acknowledging an Iraqi militias threat to target U.S. military bases in the Mideast nation over the Israeli airstrikes targeting the Gaza Strip in its war on Hamas.

In a statement to American citizens, the embassy identified the threat as coming from Awliya Waad al-Haq, or The True Promise Brigades. That group, believed allied with Iran, has claimed an attack previously on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

As a result, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is limiting its activity on U.S. military bases to essential and official events only, the embassy said in an alert.

JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will be held accountable for the bloody Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas militants, but that will only come after Israels war against the Islamic militant group.

In a nationally televised address Wednesday night, Netanyahu said he was busy plotting a ground invasion of Gaza, though he refused to say when that might happen. He also expressed sorrow over the attack, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis and saw over 200 others taken captive in Gaza.

Oct. 7 is a black day in our history, he said. We will get to the bottom of what happened on the southern border around Gaza. This debacle will be investigated. Everyone will have to give answers, including me.

CAIRO  French President Emmanuel Macron said France is going to send a Navy ship to bring aid to hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The ship will leave the French military port of Toulon, in the Mediterranean Sea, within 48 hours, he said. He didnt provide further details.

In addition, a French plane will arrive in Egypt on Thursday to deliver medical equipment via a convoy to Gaza. Others will follow, Macron said, adding that France wants to provide Gazas civilian population access to medicine and medical care.

Macrons visit to Egypt comes as part of a two-day tour to the Middle East that started with a visit to Israel meant to show Frances support and solidarity following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The trip included a stop in Ramallah, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and another stop Wednesday morning in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II.

Macron in Egypt said, Theres no double standard  international law applies to everyone.

All victims deserve our compassion, our commitment toward a fair and sustainable peace in the Middle East, he added.
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MEXICO CITY  A local security secretary and 12 police officers were shot dead in Guerrero state Monday, authorities said, the worst episode in a day of violence across southwestern Mexico that killed at least 19 people. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Another person was slain in the Guerrero state capital and five people, including a police officer, were killed in the neighboring state of Michoacan, officials said.

Eleven people were initially reported killed in the attack in El Papayo, which is in the Guerrero township of Coyuca de Benitez on the Pacific Coast. Hours later, the state prosecutors office said two more police officers had died.

The secretary for security of Coyuca de Benitez was among those slain, said Gabriel Hernandez Mendoza, state deputy prosecutor for investigations. He gave no further details.

Rigoberto Acosta Gonzalez, an academic and community leader, was reported shot to death in Chilpancingo, the Guerrero state capital 60 miles (95 kilometers) northeast of Coyuca de Benitez.

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In Michoacan, north of Guerrero, at least five people, including a police officer, were fatally shot and two others were injured, the office of the states attorney general said on X, formerly Twitter.

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Officials are finding themselves increasingly endangered in the region, where several powerful drug cartels continue to fight for control. According to figures from Common Cause, 341 police officers have been killed in Mexico so far this year. In 2022, at least 403 were slain.

In the Michoacan incident, the bodies of the five slain people were found on a highway in the township of Tacambaro after an attack targeted the mayors brother. The state prosecutors office did not say if the mayors brother was among the wounded.

A video of the attack circulating on social media appeared to show heavy gunfire, followed by at least five armed men running to board a pickup truck.

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Despite the government sending more than 2,000 National Guard troops and military personnel last month, Michoacan remains one of the deadliest states in Mexico, according to the national security department.

Several criminal groups are known to operate in the region, including the powerful Jalisco New Generation cartel, the Familia Michoacana, the Viagras and the Knights Templar.

Gun violence has also spilled over into neighboring areas. On Sunday, a shootout at an illegal horse race killed five people and wounded five others in Queretaro, a central state on the northeastern border of Michoacan.
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BEIRUT  Lebanons caretaker prime minister Tuesday visited troops deployed near the border with Israel and U.N. peacekeepers, as Saudi Arabia evacuated the families of diplomatic staff because of ongoing clashes between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The Saudi move comes amid rising tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah members have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops daily for two weeks.

There was no official announcement from Saudi authorities, but the move came days after Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations said the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed Bukhari, the military attache and other staff members were not with the 65 people leaving Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon.

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The visit by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati to the tense southern province was his first since clashes erupted along the border following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7. It also came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops along the border on Sunday.

Mikati and international governments have been scrambling to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding to Lebanon, where the powerful Hezbollah group warned Israel about a ground incursion into the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassem said the group is in the heart of the war to defend Gaza and confront the occupation.

Its finger is on the trigger to whatever extent it deems necessary for the confrontation, Kassem tweeted.

Clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military thus far have been mostly limited to several towns along the border.

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Journalists from Hezbollahs Al-Manar television reported that an Israeli helicopter attack struck an empty position near the border town of Houla, after a missile fired from Lebanon hit an Israeli military position. The Israeli military said the anti-missile attack hit a position in Manara with no casualties. They added that they struck a group of militants in Mount Dov, a disputed territory known as Shebaa Farms in Lebanon, where the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Israel meet.

Meanwhile, Lebanons top Druze political leader Walid Jumblatt, said that he along with Mikati and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri, who is Lebanons parliamentary speaker, are in agreement that the war shouldnt further expand into the tiny Mediterranean country. Jumblatt said that he held calls with top Hezbollah security officials on the matter.

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But the matter is not up to Hezbollah alone ... Israel could have hostile intentions, Jumblatt said after meeting with Druze religious officials and clergymen in Beirut. We must expect the worst.

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Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate. Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has around 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel on Tuesday, where he reaffirmed calls to prevent the war from expanding into Lebanon and the wider Arab world, and called for a decisive political process with the Palestinians for a viable peace.

Macron warned Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups against opening a new front in the ongoing war, and that Paris had expressed those concerns in direct communication with Hezbollah.

To do so would be to open the door to a regional inferno from which everyone would come out the loser, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
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MEXICO CITY  The Mexican government sent 300 National Guard troopers to bolster the southern state of Guerrero on Tuesday, where a local police chief and 12 officers were shot dead in a brutal ambush the day before. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight It was just one of three attacks Monday in an increasingly violent region of the country.

Announcing the reinforcements in his morning news conference, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador mourned the victims and called the attack practically an ambush.

Guerreros attorney general launched an investigation Monday after the 13 bodies were found on a highway in El Papayo, which is in the Guerrero township of Coyuca de Benitez on the Pacific coast. Two more people were injured in the attack.

Some bodies were found handcuffed, face down on the ground, according to local reports, which could suggest the attackers ambushed and captured the police officers before killing them.

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Authorities did not provide any more details about the attack or those responsible.

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At least six more people were killed Monday in two other attacks in Mexicos southwest, a region where escalating gang conflicts are pushing a surge of violence.

Earlier this year, two police officers and three civilians were killed in an attack attributed to the Familia Michoacana cartel. Then in August, a leader of the rival Arreola gang was assassinated. Since then people in the region have complained increasingly about little official security against gangs.

According to figures from Common Cause, 341 police officers have been killed in Mexico so far this year. In 2022, at least 403 were slain.
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STOCKHOLM  The damage to a telecommunications cable running under the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Estonia was purposeful, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday but declined to be drawn on the details. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight We will not be more precise than that as of today, Kristersson said at a press conference, after Swedish divers had investigated the seabed.

A spokesman for the Swedish Navy, Jimmie Adamsson, told Swedish public broadcaster SVT that we see seabed tracks nearby, but we dont know if its deliberate or an accident.

On Oct. 17, Sweden reported damage to an undersea telecommunications cable that authorities believe occurred at the same time as damage to an undersea gas pipeline and telecom cable between Finland and Estonia. Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said at the time that the cause of the damage was unclear, adding that it was not a total cable break but a partial damage.

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the press conference Tuesday with Kristersson that member countries have tens of thousands of kilometers of internet cables, of gas pipelines over power cables, all the oil pipelines crossing the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and of course, these types of undersea critical infrastructure is vulnerable.

The military alliance was working closely with the private sector, Stoltenberg said, because most of this critical infrastructure is owned by private companies, operated by private companies.

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In June, NATO launched a new center for protecting undersea pipelines and cables following the still-unsolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in early 2022, amid concern Russia is mapping vital Western infrastructure for energy and the internet in waters around Europe.

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On Oct. 8, Finnish and Estonian gas system operators said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector pipeline  between Estonia and Finland  after which they shut down the gas flow. Two days later, the Finnish government said there was damage both to the gas pipeline and to a telecommunications cable between the two NATO countries.

We havent any final conclusion on or assessment about exactly who is behind (the damage on the Sweden-Estonia cable) or whether this was intentional or not. But the NATO, together with Finland, Estonia and Sweden, are working to establish the facts. Before they are established, Im not going to (go into) any details, Stoltenberg said.

Estonia has said that the disruption to the Swedish-owned cable was just off the northern part of the Baltic country.

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Last week, Finlands National Bureau of Investigation - a unit of Finnish police known by its acronym NBI - said the damage on the Balticconnector pipeline in the Gulf of Finland had been caused by an external mechanical force and not by an explosion.

NBI said it has now focused its investigation on checking the role of a Hong Kong-flagged container vessel, saying its movements coincided with the pipeline damage. The agency said it was also probing an extremely heavy object that was found on the seabed.
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BERLIN  The German Cabinet approved legislation Wednesday that is intended to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers as Chancellor Olaf Scholz seeks to defuse migration as a political problem. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The draft legislation, which would need parliamentary approval to take effect, foresees increasing the maximum length of pre-deportation custody from 10 days to 28 and specifically facilitating the deportation of people who are members of a criminal organization.

It also would authorize residential searches for documentation that enables officials to firmly establish a persons identity, as well as remove authorities obligation to give advance notice of deportations in some cases.

Germanys shelters for migrants and refugees have been filling up in recent months as significant numbers of asylum-seekers add to more than 1 million Ukrainians who have arrived since the start of Russias war in their homeland.

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Scholz has signaled a new desire to take charge of migration issues following regional elections on Oct. 8 in which voters punished his quarrelsome three-party coalition.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser first announced the new legislation two weeks ago. Scholz said last week that Germany needs to start deporting on a large scale migrants who arent entitled to stay.

To protect the fundamental right to asylum, we must significantly limit irregular migration, Faeser said Wednesday. Those who have no right to stay must leave our country again.

She said Germany has deported about 27% more people this year so far than a year earlier, but there is a significant need for action.

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The majority of rejected asylum-seekers in Germany still have at least temporary permission to stay for reasons that can include illness, a child with residency status or a lack of ID.

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It remains to be seen how much difference the new rules will make. Deportations can fail for a variety of reasons, including those the legislation addresses but also a lack of cooperation by migrants home countries. Germany is trying to strike agreements with various nations to address that problem while also creating opportunities for legal immigration.

Faeser said she also wants to increase the minimum and maximum sentences for people who smuggle migrants, and hopes the Cabinet can approve those changes in early November.

She said she plans to extend by at least 20 days checks on Germanys borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. The government notified the European Commission on Oct. 16 of border checks lasting an initial 10 days.

___

Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Noting that China-U.S. relations are the most important bilateral relations in the world today, Han said that despite some ups and downs, cooperation has always been the mainstream, and the relations have recently begun to stabilize.

He called on the Chinese and U.S. governments, and people from all walks of life and localities, to step up communication, exchanges and cooperation to jointly promote the sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations.

The cooperation between Shanghai and California is a good example of sub-national exchanges between China and the United States, and has huge potential for future development, Han said, expressing the hope that Newsom's visit will inject positive energy into promoting bilateral exchanges and cooperation and improving China-U.S. relations.

For his part, Newsom said that China's development achievements, especially in the field of new energy, are impressive.

U.S.-China cooperation is not a zero-sum game, Newsom said, expressing his willingness to use this visit to further promote closer exchanges and cooperation between California and China in such fields as economy, trade, climate change and people-to-people exchanges, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples. 

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
She says Timberlake ended the relationship via text message, which left her devastated. I was described as a harlot whod broken the heart of Americas golden boy, she writes. The truth: I was comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood. Her fling with Colin Farrell Following her breakup with Timberlake, Spears pursued Irish actor Colin Farrell. After crashing his set one day, Spears describes their two-week fling. Brawl is the only word for it  we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight.

They attended the premiere of Farrells film, The Recruit, in 2003, but Spears admits she had not yet moved past her relationship with Timberlake. Britney Spears and Colin Farrell at the premiere of The Recruit in 2003. Credit: Getty As I had before when Id felt too attached to a man, I tried to convince myself in every way that it was not a big deal, that we were just having fun, that in this case I was vulnerable because I wasnt over Justin yet, Spears writes. Her relationship with drugs and alcohol Spears drinking and partying were a regular target for the tabloids throughout the mid-2000s, resulting in some of the most notorious paparazzi shots to date, including her night out with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

However, she says most of the stories in the media were false. It was never as wild as the press made it out to be. There was a time when I never went out at all. Loading Do you know what Paris and I did that supposedly crazy night everyone made such a big deal about, when we went out with Lindsay Lohan? We got drunk. Thats it! Spears says she didnt have a drinking problem and hard drugs never appealed to her. However, she recounts her use of Adderall, an ADHD medication. Adderall made me high, yes, but what I found far more appealing was that it gave me a few hours of feeling less depressed, she writes.

The infamous Diane Sawyer interview Amid the media frenzy following Spears and Timberlakes split, Spears says she felt forced by her father and management to participate in what would become one of the pop stars most infamous interviews. Britney Spears speaking to Diane Sawyer in a 2003 interview. Credit: ABC Speaking with Diane Sawyer in 2003, Spears was grilled about what she supposedly did to Timberlake to cause him so much pain, and was hit with 100 per cent embarrassing questions that she had not been informed of ahead of time. I shouldnt have been forced to speak on national TV, forced to cry in front of this stranger, a woman who was relentlessly going after me with harsh question after harsh question.

That interview was a breaking point for me internally. She felt gaslit into going to rehab Spears was admitted to a rehabilitation centre in 2019 after it was discovered she had been taking over-the-counter energy supplements to help her maintain energy while performing. She says her stint there had not been entirely voluntary, since her father, Jamie, had  she claims  blackmailed her into going. My father said that if I didnt go, then Id have to go to court, and Id be embarrassed, Spears writes, claiming he also threatened to make her look like an idiot.

They forced me to go, she writes. They kept me locked up against my will for months. She recalls the moment Jamie told her she no longer had any control, claiming that he said: I call the shots  Im Britney Spears now. Spears father has not commented on her account in her memoir; however, he defended the conservatorship to Britains Daily Mail last year, arguing that the arrangement had potentially saved her life. Britney Spears and her sister, Jamie Lynn, at the Teen Choice Awards in 2002. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images/FOX While in rehab, Spears claims she was constantly watched and had a strict 9pm bedtime. However, it was there she says she became aware of her fans #FreeBritney movement, which set in motion the process that would eventually end her conservatorship.
A man charged with murdering notorious crime figure Gavin Capable Preston is set to be extradited to Victoria from NSW on Thursday.

Jaeden Tito, a 22-year-old roofer with no known criminal history, appeared in the Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday afternoon after being arrested in an early morning police raid in Sydneys outer south-western suburb of Bradbury. No plea was recorded during the proceeding.

Tito is accused of gunning down Preston in broad daylight at a crowded Keilor cafe in Melbournes west on September 9.

Outside the hearing, Titos lawyer told Nine News his client understood the seriousness of the charges. Of course his family supports him, he said.
Shark fishing along Perths coastline will be banned after campaigners against the practice put pressure on the state government.

Shark Safety campaigner Lisa Hills said while it was a great start, the majority of the states coast including major tourism destinations was still not protected.

Shark fishing has been banned within 800 metres of any Perth beach.

Fisheries Minister Don Punch has approved restrictions to prohibit the use of wire trace, which is essential to landing sharks, within 800 metres of the shore at all Perth metropolitan beaches.

The new restrictions under the Fish Resources Management Act will come into effect on November 3, banning shark fishing from Tims Thicket Beach south of Mandurah, to 5 kilometres north of Two Rocks Marina, including in the Swan Canning Estuary.
In a statement released on social media, Wong said there has been more aid access in recent days, but nowhere near enough. We call for humanitarian pauses on hostilities, so food, water, medicine and other essential assistance can reach people in desperate need, and so civilians can get to safety, she said. Palestinian children injured in Israeli air raids arrive at Nasser Medical Hospital in Gaza. Credit: Getty The way Israel exercises its right to defend itself matters. It matters to civilians throughout the region, and it matters to Israels ongoing security. Innocent Palestinian civilians should not suffer because of the outrages perpetrated by Hamas. Later, Wong posted an update on the evacuation of eight Australians from the West Bank, and repeated her call for humanitarian pauses. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, she wrote.

Maimon, who addressed the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, said Israel was not obliged to provide humanitarian assistance under international law. He said it only had to allow the passage of humanitarian aid, as we are doing for the last few days. The ambassador said Israel would not stop its military actions until it had destroyed Hamas. Maimon said the legitimacy of Israels actions could not be measured by comparing civilian death tolls, which stood at about 1400 Israelis and 5791 Palestinians on Wednesday. I am also upset that since October 7, the focus at the moment is on the other side. People are trying to suggest that [there is] some sort of moral equivalence. There is no moral equivalence, he said, emphasising that: we were attacked. Our people were slaughtered. We did not ask for this war. The Palestinian Authoritys representative in Australia, Izzat Abdulhadi, responded that Maimons claims that Israel abided by international law were really a joke. United Nations agencies earlier said they were pleading on our knees for emergency aid to be let into Gaza unimpeded, claiming more than 20 times the current deliveries were needed to support the narrow strips 2.3 million people.

Loading The US and Russia have put rival plans to the UN Security Council for addressing shortages of food, water, medical supplies and electricity in Gaza. Blinken said that humanitarian pauses must be considered to get aid into the enclave  a call repeated by Canada and New Zealand as the European Union mulled its response but is expected to do the same. Russia instead called for a ceasefire  an idea backed by Arab states that the US has rejected on the grounds it would only benefit Hamas. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres used a Security Council appearance to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, but his remarks on the conflict have prompted fury from Israeli leaders who called for his resignation. The federal parliaments Friends of Palestine group  co-chaired by Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou, Nationals whip Mark Coulton and Greens senator Janet Rice  on Wednesday echoed calls for a ceasefire and said: Israels attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza are in breach of international humanitarian law.

Maimon praised the federal governments response to the war, despite the opposition criticising Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Wong for not visiting Tel Aviv. The ambassador said Israel had not asked for any military or additional assistance from Australia. Palestinians inspect the damage of a destroyed house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Credit: AP Bipartisan political support for Israel is firm and the bipartisan political solidarity with Israel in its darkest moment is beyond doubt, Maimon said. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham acknowledged the US was considering humanitarian pauses, but said guaranteeing humanitarian aid for innocent civilians was not just an exclusive matter for Israel. Israel is dealing with a very complex situation and Australias support for the disablement and removal of Hamas from a position of power must not waiver, he said.

Loading The federal government also sent two extra aircraft and defence personnel to the Middle East to support Australians in the region as 79 Australians, permanent residents and their families remain stranded in Gaza and unable to exit through Egypt. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it had come too late, but we support the governments decision ultimately. Albanese has continued urging humanitarian help during his four-day visit to Washington, and was cautious when asked about French President Emmanuel Macrons idea for a global coalition to fight Hamas. Its important that we avoid spillover on this issue, which would be bad for Israel, bad for the region, Albanese said.
NEW DELHI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed, and four others injured after a goods truck veered off the road and toppled onto a group of devotees participating in a religious procession for the idol immersion during the Durga Puja festival in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, police said Wednesday.

The accident took place Tuesday night in Jamshedpur city of East Singhbhum, about 126 km southeast of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

"Last night a goods truck while negotiating a slope at the Bodhanwala Ghat here toppled on a group of devotees who were walking in procession to immerse an idol. Six people were injured on the spot and immediately removed to the hospital. However, doctors there declared two dead on arrival and admitted four others," a police official said. "The condition of two of the injured is stated to be critical."

The local administration had urged devotees to observe caution during the immersion of idols on Durga Puja.

Reports said over 200 community processions were seen in the city to immerse idols and a huge crowd had thronged the roads to witness the gatherings.

Security arrangements along the banks were made to prevent drowning incidents and authorities had pressed into service drones to monitor the activities during processions and idol immersions. 
BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday made public an investigation report concerning a major fire that occurred in a Beijing hospital earlier this year, killing 29 people and injuring 42.

The fire broke out in Beijing Changfeng Hospital on April 18, resulting in a direct economic loss of 38.32 million yuan (about 5.34 million U.S. dollars), according to the report, which was approved by a State Council executive meeting.

The investigation team identified the fire as a major production safety accident, and said the hospital had carried out renovation work in violation of laws and regulations. The local Party committee and relevant government departments were also found to have failed to fulfill their duties.

The hospital failed to oversee construction safety, eliminate fire hazards, and respond to the accident effectively, according to the team.

The investigation showed that the fire was caused by sparks from a construction project that ignited volatiles produced by combustible paint.

Following the fire, the Beijing municipal government on April 21 designated an investigation team to look into the accident, and the State Council supervised the investigation process.

The team urged medical and health institutions to improve their safety management, plug loopholes in safety supervision and construction project management, and build up their emergency disposal capacities. 
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nguyen to visit Weber State

October 25, 2023

OGDEN, Utah  Award-winning and bestselling author Viet Thanh Nguyen will deliver a public reading Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater. A reception in his honor will be held at 6:30 p.m.

Nguyen will also hold a reading Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Monarch, located at 455 25th St. in Ogden.

Both events are hosted by the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities Hurst Artist-in-Residence program and are free to the public.

Nguyen may be best known for his debut novel, The Sympathizer, a New York Times bestseller and multiple award-winning book, including the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He is the Aerol Arnold Chair of English, and a professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity, and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California.

Nguyens other works include the short story collection, The Refugees, and The Committed, a sequel to The Sympathizer. The Sympathizer is currently being made into an HBO miniseries co-produced by Robert Downey Jr.

During his visit to campus Nov. 1315, Nguyen will also meet with students and discuss his new memoir, A Man of Two Faces.

Viet Thanh Nguyen has emerged as one the literary worlds most prominent public intellectuals in the United States and beyond said Michael Wutz, English professor at Weber State University. If most readers know him for his debut novel The Sympathizer, he has since released an equally astonishing cluster of works that have remapped the American literary imagination in the same way they have helped reframe global discussions about what it means to be an immigrant. Erudite, empathetic, and profoundly personal and public at the same time, his work reminds us to put the human at the center of the humanities and to recognize the plight of refugees the world over, as they search for stability and security, home and peace.

Hosted by the Lindquist College, Nguyens visit is funded through the generosity of an endowment from Dean and Carol Hurst. Each year, the Hurst Artist-in-Residence program offers students an opportunity to learn from and work with a prominent figure from different artistic disciplines.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the inauguration of the National Data Administration in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang highlighted the role of data in empowering economic and social development when attending the inauguration of the National Data Administration in Beijing on Wednesday.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said efforts need to be made to advance the planning and construction of a digital China, digital economy and digital society.

The country should advance the construction of fundamental data-related institutions and coordinate the integration, sharing, development and utilization of data resources to empower economic and social development, Ding said.

It is necessary to balance development and security and give full play to the roles of data as a basic resource and an innovation engine, he said.

China should promote the deep integration of the digital and real economies to provide strong support for the construction of a new development paradigm, for the establishment of a modern economic system, and for forging new national competitive advantages, Ding said. 
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

More clouds than sun, but still some sun from time to time; dry and seasonable. .

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy and not as cold; lows remaining above freezing. Don't forget to turn back the clocks one hour before bed.
Saudi-listed Acwa Power, the worlds largest private water desalination company and a leader in energy transition and first mover into green hydrogen, has announced that it has signed seven co-operation agreements with Chinese firms for solar, green hydrogen and water desalination projects.

The agreements were inked at the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing with the following key entities;

*State Power Investment Corporation, one of the largest state-owned power generators in China;

*Beijing headquartered Bank of China;

*Civil engineering firm Power China Group;

*Power and infrastructure solutions provider Energy China Group and

*Solar panel manufacturer Jinko Solar.

These deals reaffirm Acwa Powers commitment to collaborative sustainable development by leveraging its ongoing partnership with Chinese investors, financiers, EPC contractors and material suppliers said the company in a statement.

During his keynote speech, Founder and Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan said: "Acwa Powers journey with China has been one of genuine friendship and fruitful cooperation, going back years and across geographies."

"Over the years, we have nurtured strong relationships with key Chinese partners, which have enabled us to drive transformative projects in the fields of renewables, green hydrogen, and water desalination. The agreements signed today further advance our common interest of developing projects that support positive climate ambitions," he added.

"Looking to the future, we see significant potential for continued collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative, aligning seamlessly with the goals of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030," remarked Abunayyan.

"We are dedicated to nurturing this enduring partnership. Acwa Power is resolute in our commitment to the Chinese market and we recognise the critical role we play in the global clean energy landscape," he stated.

According to him, Acwa Power has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Chinese firms, collaborating on pivotal projects both within Saudi Arabia and in other markets.

"Our association with China began in 2009 with the establishment of a Beijing office. Since then, Chinese investors and financiers have contributed a total of $10 billion across Acwa Power's global project portfolio," he noted.

"A number of Chinese EPC contractors, material suppliers, and financiers have participated in 47 projects and signed contracts worth more than $30 billion, covering landmark renewable, green hydrogen and seawater desalination projects worldwide," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A Buddhist gilt bronze figurine of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is displayed at a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra, Oct. 25, 2023. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

CANBERRA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects was held Wednesday in Australian capital Canberra.

The ceremony, held in the Chinese embassy in Australia, witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government.

The trio includes a Hyphalosaurus fossil, part of the Jehol Biota ecosystem of northeast China between 133 million and 120 million years ago, a Buddhist gilt bronze figurine of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and a polychrome horse and rider figurine. Both of the latter two objects are from China's ancient times close to or during the Tang Dynasty.

There is also a sacrificial bronze wine vessel of Zun with features indicating craftsmanship of the Ming and Qing dynasties, donated by the National Gallery of Australia.

What's more, there is an object donated by John MacDonald, an Australian from Melbourne. It is a hairpin with a jade inlaid from the Qing Dynasty.

"Today's ceremony is a grand event for the cultural exchanges between China and Australia. As you can see, we gather here for the four cultural objects and one fossil in front of us, all of them are returned or donated by the Australian government, the National Gallery of Australia, and even by local Australian friend," Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian addressed the ceremony before signing the handover documents with Australian Minister for the Arts Tony Burke.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your invaluable contributions in this regard."

It is not the first time for the Australian government to return Chinese cultural objects. In 2015, the Australian side returned a Qing Dynasty Avalokiteshvara statue to China.

"We are very pleased to see the National Gallery of Australia has also joined our endeavor by donating a sacrificial bronze Zun for the first time. We hope this will become a new starting point for our future cooperation," Xiao said.

Xiao believed that, through joint efforts of the two sides, the relations between China and Australia will further improve and develop. In this process, cultural and artistic exchanges will definitely play an important role.

"Cultural exchange is not an exchange of what we have. It's an exchange and acknowledgment of who we are," Burke, in his speech, expressed his "deepest respect and I would say love of Chinese culture for a very long time."

The Australian minister introduced every object in detail, saying that Australians have a very strong view about returning stolen works. "I'm very proud while the items that are being returned today were stolen probably last century," he said that from the day they arrived and were seized by border force and authorities in Australia, the work could be done is leading to their return. "Australia does not believe that works like these should be anything other than returned."

"When we sign the documents, it's not Australia giving China or anything, (but) simply China taking something to which China was always entitled, which should never have been stolen," said Burke.

Nick Mitzevich, director of the National Gallery of Australia, said at the ceremony that the Gallery is looking forward to continuing to build stronger ties with the Chinese side. 

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian (L) signs handover documents with Australian Minister for the Arts Tony Burke at a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra, Oct. 25, 2023. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

A polychrome horse and rider figurine is displayed at a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra, Oct. 25, 2023. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

A Hyphalosaurus fossil, part of the Jehol Biota ecosystem of northeast China between 133 million and 120 million years ago, is displayed at a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra, Oct. 25, 2023. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

A hairpin with a jade inlaid from the Qing Dynasty is displayed at a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra, Oct. 25, 2023. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

A sacrificial bronze wine vessel of Zun with features indicating craftsmanship of the Ming and Qing dynasties is displayed at a handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra, Oct. 25, 2023. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Oct. 25, 2023 shows the handover ceremony for the repatriation of Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese embassy in Australian capital Canberra. The ceremony witnessed five objects back to China. Among them, three are returned by the Australian government. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)
JACKSON TWP., Pa. - When Hamas fighters attacked the Nova music festival outside the kibbutz Re'im on Oct. 7, more than 260 people were killed, including 23-year-old Ilay Nachman.

While he was an Israeli native, Nachman spent the summer of 2022 as a counselor at Camp Pinemere in Jackson Township, Monroe County. We spoke with the executive director Eytan Graubart on the phone, who said he learned something was wrong the day of the attack when friends started texting him photos.

"One of them was a snapshot of sort of an online social media picture of Ilay that said, 'has anyone seen Ilay?'" said Graubart.

Graubart tried to do what he could to gather information from the United States, but in less than 24 hours he learned the bad news.

"On Sunday morning I woke up, and I had a text from one of our other staff in Israel letting me know that they had found Ilay's body at the music festival," said Graubart.

Now Graubart is mourning Nachman's loss with the entire Camp Pinemere community.

"I've never met anyone who smiled as big as Ilay, who laughed as hard as Ilay did, and understood what it meant to be a lighthearted kid," said Graubart.

He was a kid who taught campers on the ropes course, and on the lake. Graubart said his impact has been felt by current and former campers all over the world.

"We're hearing from alumni now who feel as though they lost someone because they continue to keep up with our greater Pinemere community," said Graubart.

It's a community that is coming together to remember a talented counselor, and a loving friend.
A jury has found a Hunterdon County, New Jersey man guilty of assaulting a girl when she was 11 years old.

Jose V. Jarquin-Jarquin, 43, of High Bridge, was convicted of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to a news release from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office.

The victim disclosed to friends and a school counselor that Jarquin-Jarquin had sexually assaulted her, which prompted an investigation that ultimately led to his arrest, the prosecutor's office said.

The prosecutor's office says Jarquin-Jarquin faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in state prison with 25 years of parole ineligibility and a potential maximum term of life imprisonment pursuant to the Jessica Lunsford Act.

He will also be subject to Megans Law Registration, an Avenel Evaluation, and Parole Supervision for Life, according to the prosecutor's office.
A long-lost couple, interrupted by the Korean War, has been reunited decades after they met.

Claude and Marita spent just four weekends together in 1953. That was right before Claude was sent to Germany to fight in the war.

They would not speak again until 2009 when Claude found Marita's phone number. They made an effort to chat regularly and would send each other pictures of their families.

Fast forward to this past Monday, Claude's living community and Marita's apartment complex company were able to make the reunion happen in Washington state.

Both were grateful for this day to be able to happen. Claude and Marita had plenty of topics to talk about.

Their spouses have passed, they have grandchildren, and Marita survived brain and lung cancer.

Claude recalls the weekends back in 1953 that they were together in Pennsylvania. Marita said he was tall, handsome, and a good dancer.

Now, could this long lost couple tie the knot. That answer is no. They have mutually decided to just be friends.
NEW DELHI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Delhi's local environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said the air quality index (AQI) in the Indian capital territory will fluctuate in the coming days and was likely to worsen after Oct. 30.

"Two days back, the AQI level in Delhi was above 300 (very poor category). A decrease in the AQI level has been recorded and it has come below 300. I think that in the days to come, this will keep fluctuating. It is estimated that after Oct. 30 this is likely to increase," Rai said.

After remaining in the very poor category for several days, Delhi's air quality Wednesday entered into the poor category with the AQI settling at 241 at 2:00 p.m. local time as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The minister said to curb the PM 2.5 pollution, they are going to kickstart a public awareness campaign namely - Red Light On, Vehicle Off - from Thursday.

Rai added that several instances of firecracker burning were also reported from parts of Delhi on the occasion of Dussehra festival on Tuesday. He urged the neighboring states to ban firecrackers during the upcoming Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

Delhi is deemed one of the most polluted cities of the world.

Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the capital city, along with rampant construction. For the past many years, every year ahead of winter the air quality in Delhi has become hazardous.

Officials in Delhi blame the stubble burning in neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana for the increasing pollution.

Last week authorities enforced Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan measures to curb the rising pollution. It entails hiking the parking charges for private vehicles. The move is aimed at discouraging people from using their private vehicles in the city and motivating them to use public transport like buses running on compressed natural gas and the metro trains for daily commuting. 
BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved full coverage in its educational assistance for students from families struggling with economic hardship throughout all educational stages and in all public and private schools, a Ministry of Education (MOE) official said on Wednesday.

Preliminary statistics showed that in 2022, China's educational assistance fund nationwide totaled 292.27 billion yuan (about 40.71 billion U.S. dollars), benefiting 161 million students, MOE official Ma Jiabin said at a press conference.

To ensure access to compulsory education for all school-age students, China has launched targeted campaigns to reduce the number of dropouts and has ramped up its relief efforts. More children with disabilities have been included in the country's support system for special education, with increased per-capita public expenditure for special education students, said Ma.

Ma also said the country will make further efforts to ensure equal educational opportunities for eligible rural students in urban areas and make educational aid more precise. 
Sweeping the city clean: Anti-poor plans for urban renewal

In his poem about Eloff Street in Johannesburg, Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali reflected on the living conditions for a black person in the city at that time.

He wrote:

Clean! Clean of what?

The renowned South African poet raised the question in his poem published in the 1971 collection of poems Sounds of a Cowhide Drum.

The city was not planned and developed with black people in mind. Development was based on systems that sought to discriminate, to segregate and marginalise people, mainly along racial and class lines, with black people bearing the brunt of it.

With the transition from the apartheid government, black people who had previously been denied free access to the city migrated there, largely from the rural areas, in search of better opportunities.

It is such circumstances that resulted in the massive exodus of white people from inner-city suburbs of Johannesburg. Hillbrow is an exceptional example of that massive exodus. In 1994, the suburb had a white population of 95%. By 1998, it now had a black population of 85%.

The political transition from apartheid was responsible for a lot of dramatic changes. An influx of people into the city, whose presence had not been planned for, created challenges of urban and population growth under limited resources, infrastructure and opportunities.

Frustrations over unrealised dreams and factors such as poverty, unemployment and the HIV/Aids pandemic were responsible for the degeneration of the city.

One of the strategies for city regeneration which emerged in response to increased crime, homelessness, substance abuse, prostitution and building hijackings, was Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).

BIDs were a popular urban-regeneration model in countries such as Canada and the US, dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, respectively. This model was adapted to the South African context as City Improvement Districts (CIDs) in the 1990s.

CIDs are developed out of self-funded public-private partnerships aimed at providing supplementary services to those provided by regulatory authorities. The partnerships include property developers and owners as well as local businesses.

The partnerships work to fund services such as street cleaning; infrastructure development and maintenance; safety and security and refuse removal, to mention but a few.

Fourteen inner-city CIDs have been developed in Johannesburg, including Braamfontein, Bank City, Fashion District, Yeoville, Maboneng and Constitutional Hill. CIDs in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg include areas such as Sandton, Randburg and Illovo.

The socio-economic implications of the expansion of CIDs are twofold. On one hand, it results in improvements in the conditions in the city, with refurbished infrastructure and safe, clean neighbourhoods. It also results in positive economic growth and development through tourism and foreign and local business investment.

On the other hand, CIDs can drive change similar to gentrification, where property developers interests are served resulting in increased rates and rents, which ultimately forces poor people out.

In a country such as South Africa, with high rates of structural and urban inequality, CIDs can be a case of history repeating itself.

One is inclined to think and expect that in the inclusive and democratic South Africa, development strategies would seek to include, uplift and empower disadvantaged and marginalised people. However, in the quest to develop the ideal city, largely a Euro-American in concept, poor black communities, who do not fit the criteria of this vision, are left out in the cold.

What CIDs have done in the name of cleaning up is sweeping away and closing out poor black communities which have been implicated in a similar history, albeit under violent circumstances.

Following a similar pattern of spatial segregation and exclusion to that of the apartheid era, the development of CIDs in Johannesburg has resulted in secluded islands and urban enclaves.

The little pockets of affluence in Johannesburg are surrounded by seas of decay. While those living in the CIDs might enjoy the privileges of living in a well-maintained, clean and safe place, the surrounding areas are often informal settlements or homeless people occupying abandoned buildings and rundown, poorly maintained properties.

These conditions pose enormous threats, to not only safety and security, but to the aesthetic of the kind of city being developed. Responding to the Johannesburg building fire incident in August 2023, the citys spokesperson made the point that Johannesburg did have world-class African citizens. This claim highlights the long-standing tension between the vision of world-class cities and the complex realities of the South African urban poor.

As I reiterate Mtshalis question, Clean! clean of what? I am reminded of the cruel and harsh realities of the poor black population, where people find themselves in an endless cycle of discrimination, exclusion and segregation.

The thought-provoking question is not just about the general and literal sense of keeping cities clean and safe but alludes to deep, underlying and unaddressed structural issues. These underlying issues are embedded in the history of our nation and, unless looked at from a critical perspective, their solutions will always be superficial and lead to the creation of more challenges.

Nozipho Marere is a research intern at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies and a Masters student for Urban Studies at Wits University. This article was first published in the Mail&Guardian.
CAIRO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Every participant of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was proposed by China ten years ago, is a winner, Alaa Thabet, editor-in-chief of Egypt's top daily Al-Ahram Newspaper, told Xinhua recently.

The BRI has enhanced global development and trade over the past decade, creating more infrastructure projects, services, industrial zones, and free zones for trade exchange, "so everyone participating in the initiative is a winner," said the editor-in-chief.

"The BRI has led to the construction of massive infrastructure projects across continents, including roads, railways, ports, and energy pipelines," said Thabet.

"This has facilitated trade, connectivity, and economic development among BRI participating countries, especially in Asia and Africa," said the renowned Egyptian editor.

The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held on Oct. 17-18 in Beijing was an important event that highlighted the achievements made by the initiative in the past decade and set the course for the coming years, he said.

He added that all BRI countries will benefit and achieve growth in trade as "the initiative opens new markets for them and encourages their products to access global markets."

"Through my follow-up of the BRI goals and projects, I am confident of the merit of the initiative and its ability to achieve broad interests for a large number of countries," Thabet said.

Thabet recommended conducting comprehensive assessment of the impacts of BRI projects before their implementation so as to "help ensure that the projects are sustainable and they meet the needs of all the parties involved," he said.

Among many joint projects in Egypt under the BRI, the construction of a huge business district is about to finish in Egypt's New Administrative Capital. There are 20 towers in the district including the 385-meter-high Iconic Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Africa.

Thabet said that the BRI has increased trade and investment between China and Egypt, improved the standard of living and created jobs for Egyptians.

"The BRI has also contributed to improving Egypt's infrastructure, including roads, railways and ports," said the senior Egyptian columnist.

Egypt and China can cooperate on energy projects such as solar and wind energy, manufacturing and technological industries, as well as services like tourism, healthcare, and education, according to the editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram.

"I believe that BRI cooperation will be an important opportunity for both countries to promote common development," the senior Egyptian editor said, expecting further cooperation between Cairo and Beijing under the BRI.

He stressed that the BRI represents "a far-reaching qualitative shift in global geopolitics, economics, and infrastructure investment over the past decade," describing its importance and impact as "great and multifaceted."

"In brief, the BRI has had a profound impact on the development of global infrastructure, trade, and economic growth over the past decade," Thabet told Xinhua.

"As it enters its second decade, I believe that the BRI is a positive force for global development," he concluded. 
Blue Chip Partners LLC grew its position in Vanguard Value ETF (NYSEARCA:VTV  Free Report) by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,755 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the period. Blue Chip Partners LLCs holdings in Vanguard Value ETF were worth $391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Alliance raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 15.9% in the second quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 8,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,197,000 after purchasing an additional 1,157 shares during the last quarter. Aspen Wealth Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 1.0% in the second quarter. Aspen Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 66,381 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,433,000 after purchasing an additional 642 shares during the last quarter. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 2.1% in the second quarter. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,381 shares of the companys stock valued at $907,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 1.6% in the second quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 104,943 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,445,000 after purchasing an additional 1,647 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FFT Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard Value ETF by 0.8% in the second quarter. FFT Wealth Management LLC now owns 539,054 shares of the companys stock valued at $76,600,000 after purchasing an additional 4,160 shares during the last quarter.

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Vanguard Value ETF Price Performance

Shares of VTV stock traded up $1.33 on Tuesday, hitting $135.26. The stock had a trading volume of 1,477,654 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,254,174. The business has a 50 day moving average of $140.37 and a 200 day moving average of $140.65. The stock has a market cap of $94.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 0.89. Vanguard Value ETF has a 12-month low of $130.89 and a 12-month high of $147.73.

Vanguard Value ETF Company Profile

Vanguard Value ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Value Index Fund, which employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Prime Market Value Index (the Index). The Index is a diversified index of value stocks of predominantly large United States companies.

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Shares of Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:COLD  Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $34.79.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $38.00 price objective on shares of Americold Realty Trust in a report on Monday, October 9th. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of Americold Realty Trust from $37.00 to $35.00 in a report on Monday, October 9th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Americold Realty Trust from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 25th.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Americold Realty Trust Trading Up 1.0 %

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 29,112 shares of the companys stock worth $828,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 12.0% in the 1st quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,654 shares of the companys stock worth $132,000 after purchasing an additional 498 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 118,006 shares of the companys stock worth $3,812,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 155.1% in the 2nd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 824 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 29,693 shares of the companys stock worth $851,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. 98.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Shares of COLD opened at $26.16 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -62.29, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.18. Americold Realty Trust has a fifty-two week low of $22.16 and a fifty-two week high of $33.90. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $30.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.83.

Americold Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 29th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 28th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. Americold Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -209.52%.

Americold Realty Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Americold is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics real estate and value added services. Focused on the ownership, operation, acquisition and development of temperature-controlled warehouses, Americold owns and/or operates 242 temperature-controlled warehouses, with approximately 1.5 billion refrigerated cubic feet of storage, in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America.

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Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in shares of Truist Financial Co. (NYSE:TFC  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,917,466 shares of the insurance providers stock, valued at approximately $124,987,000. Bank of Montreal Can owned approximately 0.29% of Truist Financial as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in Truist Financial during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Truist Financial during the first quarter valued at $26,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Truist Financial during the first quarter valued at $31,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Truist Financial during the first quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, MRP Capital Investments LLC purchased a new position in Truist Financial during the first quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.11% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. HSBC assumed coverage on Truist Financial in a research note on Thursday, September 7th. They set a hold rating and a $29.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of Truist Financial in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Truist Financial from $41.00 to $40.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 3rd. Barclays reduced their price objective on Truist Financial from $44.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Truist Financial from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Truist Financial has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $37.76.

Truist Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:TFC opened at $27.56 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Truist Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $25.56 and a 12-month high of $53.34. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $28.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.05.

Truist Financial (NYSE:TFC  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 19th. The insurance provider reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.82 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.70 billion. Truist Financial had a return on equity of 10.74% and a net margin of 17.59%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.24 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Truist Financial Co. will post 3.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Truist Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. Truist Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 52.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Truist Financial

In other news, CEO William H. Rogers, Jr. purchased 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, October 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $28.05 per share, for a total transaction of $280,500.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 412,924 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,582,518.20. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Truist Financial Company Profile

(Free Report)

Truist Financial Corporation, a holding company, provides banking and trust services in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company operates through three segments: Consumer Banking and Wealth, Corporate and Commercial Banking, and Insurance Holdings. Its deposit products include noninterest-bearing checking, interest-bearing checking, savings, and money market deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts.

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Baystate Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Free Report) by 321.4% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,184 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after purchasing an additional 903 shares during the quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $313,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98,105.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 6,929,375 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,829,424,000 after buying an additional 6,922,319 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 25,185.5% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,492,216 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $18,147,000 after buying an additional 4,474,450 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 95,813.8% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,045,643 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,028,807,000 after buying an additional 4,041,425 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $697,398,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 23,794,080 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $5,889,987,000 after acquiring an additional 1,281,866 shares in the last quarter. 86.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.48, for a total value of $125,986.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 3,444 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $945,309.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 848 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.66, for a total value of $238,847.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,608 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,086,109.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.48, for a total transaction of $125,986.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 3,444 shares of the companys stock, valued at $945,309.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,581 shares of company stock valued at $1,551,429. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Raymond James dropped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $304.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 4th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $284.00 to $303.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $286.00.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BDX

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $259.21 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.20 billion, a PE ratio of 47.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.58. The firms 50 day moving average is $266.88 and its 200 day moving average is $262.13. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $217.70 and a 12 month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.84 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.73% and a return on equity of 13.24%. Becton, Dickinson and Companys revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.66 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current year.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

(Free Report)

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company's BD Medical segment provides peripheral intravenous (IV) and advanced peripheral catheters, central lines, acute dialysis catheters, vascular care and preparation products, needle-free IV connectors and extensions sets, closed-system drug transfer devices, hazardous drug detections, hypodermic syringes and needles, anesthesia needles and trays, enteral syringes, and sharps disposal systems; IV medication and infusion therapy delivery systems, medication compounding workflow systems, automated medication dispensing and supply management systems, and medication inventory optimization and tracking systems; syringes, pen needles, and other products for diabetes; and prefillable drug delivery systems.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Free Report).

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Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE:CDE  Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 4.6% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $2.42 and last traded at $2.49. Approximately 1,110,796 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 5,589,166 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.61.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CDE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Coeur Mining from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $4.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, September 22nd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Coeur Mining in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Coeur Mining from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $3.75 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, July 24th. National Bank Financial initiated coverage on shares of Coeur Mining in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. They issued an outperform rating and a $4.25 target price for the company. Finally, 58.com reaffirmed an initiates rating on shares of Coeur Mining in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $3.81.

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Coeur Mining Stock Performance

The companys 50 day moving average price is $2.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Coeur Mining (NYSE:CDE  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 9th. The basic materials company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by ($0.01). Coeur Mining had a negative return on equity of 12.66% and a negative net margin of 8.64%. The business had revenue of $177.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $220.04 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.05) EPS. The companys revenue was down 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Coeur Mining, Inc. will post -0.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Coeur Mining by 141.6% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 76,253 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $169,000 after buying an additional 44,690 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Coeur Mining during the 3rd quarter valued at $63,000. Clean Yield Group lifted its stake in shares of Coeur Mining by 267.6% during the 3rd quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 62,500 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $146,000 after buying an additional 45,500 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in shares of Coeur Mining by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 730,548 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,505,000 after buying an additional 40,314 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Salem Investment Counselors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Coeur Mining during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,084,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.55% of the companys stock.

Coeur Mining Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Coeur Mining, Inc explores for precious metals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. The company holds 100% interests in the Palmarejo gold and silver mine covering an area of approximately 67,279 net acres located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico; the Rochester silver and gold mine that covers an area of approximately 43,441net acres situated in northwestern Nevada; the Kensington gold mine comprising 3,972 net acres located to the north of Juneau, Alaska; the Wharf gold mine covering an area of approximately 3,243 net acres situated in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota; and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine comprising 97,298 net acres located in northern British Columbia, Canada.

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MTY Food Group (OTCMKTS:MTYFF  Get Free Report) is one of 84 public companies in the Restaurants industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare MTY Food Group to related businesses based on the strength of its valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, dividends, risk and institutional ownership.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

25.1% of MTY Food Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 40.0% of shares of all Restaurants companies are owned by institutional investors. 29.9% of shares of all Restaurants companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

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Profitability

This table compares MTY Food Group and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets MTY Food Group N/A N/A N/A MTY Food Group Competitors 8.62% -13.01% 2.81%

Dividends

Analyst Ratings

MTY Food Group pays an annual dividend of $0.33 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. MTY Food Group pays out 23.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Restaurants companies pay a dividend yield of 2.0% and pay out 142.5% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for MTY Food Group and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score MTY Food Group 0 0 1 0 3.00 MTY Food Group Competitors 458 1840 2555 18 2.44

MTY Food Group currently has a consensus target price of $57.30, indicating a potential upside of 48.25%. As a group, Restaurants companies have a potential upside of 20.09%. Given MTY Food Groups stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe MTY Food Group is more favorable than its rivals.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares MTY Food Group and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio MTY Food Group N/A N/A 27.41 MTY Food Group Competitors $1.53 billion $63.54 million 736.29

MTY Food Groups rivals have higher revenue and earnings than MTY Food Group. MTY Food Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Summary

MTY Food Group rivals beat MTY Food Group on 8 of the 13 factors compared.

About MTY Food Group

(Get Free Report)

MTY Food Group Inc. operates and franchises quick-service, fast-casual, and casual dining restaurants in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It also sells retail products under a multitude of banners. The company was formerly known as iNsu Innovations Group Inc. and changed its name to MTY Food Group Inc. in July 2003. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Canada.

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LSV Asset Management raised its position in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV  Free Report) by 4.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 137,572 shares of the insurance providers stock after acquiring an additional 6,100 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned approximately 0.06% of Travelers Companies worth $23,891,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TRV. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Travelers Companies by 569.0% in the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,579,476 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $60,732,000 after acquiring an additional 2,193,923 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $239,875,000. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. lifted its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 17,864.0% during the 1st quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 698,799 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $119,781,000 after buying an additional 694,909 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 19.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,284,693 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $615,847,000 after buying an additional 539,294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 1,880.1% during the 1st quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 276,675 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $47,425,000 after buying an additional 292,218 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.12% of the companys stock.

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Travelers Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:TRV opened at $157.89 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $157.33 and a fifty-two week high of $194.51. The stock has a market cap of $36.06 billion, a PE ratio of 17.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.59. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $163.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $170.64.

Travelers Companies Dividend Announcement

Travelers Companies ( NYSE:TRV Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 18th. The insurance provider reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.93 by ($0.98). Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 10.41% and a net margin of 5.45%. The company had revenue of $10.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.42 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.20 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 11.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. They set a hold rating and a $186.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from C$183.00 to C$185.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $181.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $183.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $180.00 to $176.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $193.38.

Check Out Our Latest Report on TRV

Travelers Companies Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance.

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LSV Asset Management decreased its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 25.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 190,800 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 65,600 shares during the period. LSV Asset Managements holdings in EOG Resources were worth $21,835,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in EOG Resources by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 186,635 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $21,359,000 after purchasing an additional 10,969 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in EOG Resources by 18.2% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 65,998 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $7,565,000 after purchasing an additional 10,154 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in EOG Resources by 41.9% in the 2nd quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 4,659 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $533,000 after purchasing an additional 1,376 shares during the period. Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in EOG Resources by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 7,112 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $815,000 after purchasing an additional 438 shares during the period. Finally, Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in EOG Resources by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. now owns 46,478 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $5,319,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.21% of the companys stock.

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EOG Resources Stock Performance

EOG opened at $129.94 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The companys fifty day moving average price is $129.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $121.62. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.52 and a 1-year high of $150.88. The company has a market cap of $75.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.76, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.55.

EOG Resources Dividend Announcement

EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The energy exploration company reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.21. EOG Resources had a net margin of 33.58% and a return on equity of 28.52%. The firm had revenue of $5.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.74 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 17th will be issued a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 16th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.54%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 22.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on EOG shares. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $156.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 14th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $164.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $115.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, September 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $149.17.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on EOG Resources

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 4,551 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.76, for a total transaction of $595,088.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 145,259 shares in the company, valued at $18,994,066.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About EOG Resources

(Free Report)

EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company.

Further Reading

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Shares of Packaging Co. of America (NYSE:PKG  Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of Hold from the five brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $137.00.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on PKG shares. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $145.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $156.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $122.00 to $137.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 27th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $137.00 to $132.00 in a research report on Friday, June 30th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $148.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, October 13th.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on Packaging Co. of America

Packaging Co. of America Trading Up 3.0 %

PKG opened at $148.93 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.74, a PEG ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.88. Packaging Co. of America has a fifty-two week low of $112.00 and a fifty-two week high of $158.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 3.35 and a quick ratio of 2.10. The companys 50 day moving average price is $149.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $141.07.

Packaging Co. of America (NYSE:PKG  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.99 billion. Packaging Co. of America had a net margin of 10.79% and a return on equity of 23.30%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.83 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Packaging Co. of America will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Packaging Co. of America Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 25th were paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 22nd. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. Packaging Co. of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Packaging Co. of America

In other Packaging Co. of America news, SVP Bruce A. Ridley sold 3,493 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.22, for a total transaction of $542,183.46. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 14,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,178,357.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Packaging Co. of America news, SVP Bruce A. Ridley sold 3,493 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.22, for a total transaction of $542,183.46. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 14,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,178,357.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Donald R. Shirley sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.14, for a total transaction of $780,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 22,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,586,067.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 23,493 shares of company stock worth $3,615,483. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Packaging Co. of America

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. ETF Managers Group LLC grew its position in Packaging Co. of America by 1.5% during the first quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC now owns 4,709 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $654,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. State of Wyoming grew its position in Packaging Co. of America by 33.3% during the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 284 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. DT Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Packaging Co. of America by 0.9% during the second quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 7,998 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,057,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. JGP Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Packaging Co. of America by 0.9% during the third quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,316 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,277,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. grew its position in Packaging Co. of America by 1.3% during the first quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 6,246 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $975,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.53% of the companys stock.

Packaging Co. of America Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Packaging Corporation of America manufactures and sells containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States. The company operates through Packaging and Paper segments. The Packaging segment offers various containerboard and corrugated packaging products, such as conventional shipping containers used to protect and transport manufactured goods; multi-color boxes and displays that help to merchandise the packaged product in retail locations; and honeycomb protective packaging products, as well as packaging for meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products.

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URUMQI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Medical assistance teams sent to China's Xinjiang and Tibet have significantly elevated local healthcare services over the years, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday.

In 2015, China initiated a national program of sending teams of medical and education personnel to offer support to Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Since then, more than 3,100 high-caliber personnel from provinces relatively advanced in the medical sector have been dispatched to these two regions as members of assistance teams, Xing Ruoqi, an NHC official, told a press conference held in Kashgar, Xinjiang.

These personnel, encompassing medical practitioners and managers, have provided guidance to over 1,000 local medical teams and trained more than 7,600 medical personnel, Xing said.

As part of the program, over 4,300 healthcare professionals from the assisted hospitals have received education and training in regions with relatively advanced medical resources.

Management capacities are also an integral part of the assistance, said Xing, adding that new medical services models, such as multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment, have been implemented at these hospitals. 
Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW  Get Free Report) and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO  Get Free Report) are both mid-cap real estate companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, dividends and risk.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

76.5% of Medical Properties Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.9% of Vornado Realty Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.2% of Medical Properties Trust shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 8.0% of Vornado Realty Trust shares are owned 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.

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Dividends

Medical Properties Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 12.8%. Vornado Realty Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.90 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.4%. Medical Properties Trust pays out 545.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Vornado Realty Trust pays out -39.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Medical Properties Trust 4 4 3 0 1.91 Vornado Realty Trust 5 7 0 0 1.58

This is a summary of current ratings for Medical Properties Trust and Vornado Realty Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.

Medical Properties Trust currently has a consensus price target of $9.46, suggesting a potential upside of 101.24%. Vornado Realty Trust has a consensus price target of $20.36, suggesting a potential upside of 0.46%. Given Medical Properties Trusts stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Medical Properties Trust is more favorable than Vornado Realty Trust.

Risk & Volatility

Medical Properties Trust has a beta of 1.08, suggesting that its share price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Vornado Realty Trust has a beta of 1.45, suggesting that its share price is 45% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Medical Properties Trust and Vornado Realty Trusts revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Medical Properties Trust $1.54 billion 1.82 $902.60 million $0.11 42.73 Vornado Realty Trust $1.80 billion 2.15 -$346.50 million ($2.26) -8.97

Medical Properties Trust has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Vornado Realty Trust. Vornado Realty Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Medical Properties Trust, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Medical Properties Trust and Vornado Realty Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Medical Properties Trust 5.07% 0.84% 0.37% Vornado Realty Trust -20.40% 2.40% 0.72%

Summary

Medical Properties Trust beats Vornado Realty Trust on 9 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Medical Properties Trust

(Get Free Report)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world's largest owners of hospital real estate with 444 facilities and approximately 44,000 licensed beds in ten countries and across four continents. MPT's financing model facilitates acquisitions and recapitalizations and allows operators of hospitals to unlock the value of their real estate assets to fund facility improvements, technology upgrades and other investments in operations.

About Vornado Realty Trust

(Get Free Report)

Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum.

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Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPR  Get Free Report) shares rose 3.1% on Monday . The company traded as high as $22.34 and last traded at $22.09. Approximately 559,871 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 3,095,827 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.43.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on SPR. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Spirit AeroSystems from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $16.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Spirit AeroSystems from $37.00 to $32.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Barclays dropped their price objective on Spirit AeroSystems from $40.00 to $30.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a research note on Tuesday, October 3rd. Finally, Melius cut shares of Spirit AeroSystems from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $23.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, September 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $28.20.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems Stock Up 1.0 %

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $18.67 and a 200 day moving average of $24.78. The firm has a market cap of $2.33 billion, a PE ratio of -2.71 and a beta of 1.74.

Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The aerospace company reported ($1.46) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.79) by ($0.67). The firm had revenue of $1.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.31 billion. Spirit AeroSystemss revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($1.21) earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. will post -3.62 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spirit AeroSystems

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SPR. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 102,283 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $2,997,000 after buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 6.1% in the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 7,000 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $341,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 0.8% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 52,370 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,148,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 141,263 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $4,139,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the period. Finally, Mystic Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. now owns 38,116 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,113,000 after purchasing an additional 533 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.05% of the companys stock.

About Spirit AeroSystems

(Get Free Report)

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, nacelles, struts/pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats flight control surfaces, wing structures, and fully functional and tested wing systems.

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Steel Peak Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC  Free Report) by 36.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 103,016 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 58,664 shares during the period. Steel Peak Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $2,956,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Bank of America by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC now owns 39,526 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,309,000 after buying an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Bank of America by 1.1% during the second quarter. Horizon Wealth Management LLC now owns 28,347 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $813,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the last quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC raised its position in Bank of America by 45.7% during the second quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 1,036 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Godsey & Gibb Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Bank of America by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 4,508 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $129,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fort Point Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Fort Point Capital Partners LLC now owns 15,918 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $656,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the period. 68.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Bank of America news, insider James P. Demare sold 75,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.53, for a total value of $2,364,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 185,108 shares in the company, valued at $5,836,455.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Bank of America Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE:BAC traded down $0.07 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $25.40. The companys stock had a trading volume of 9,873,419 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,067,168. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Bank of America Co. has a 1 year low of $25.18 and a 1 year high of $38.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $27.84 and a 200-day moving average of $28.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $201.84 billion, a PE ratio of 7.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.36.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $25.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.13 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 18.69% and a return on equity of 12.08%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.81 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Bank of America Co. will post 3.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 30th. Bank of Americas payout ratio is 26.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on BAC. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Bank of America from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Bank of America in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Bank of America from $34.00 to $32.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 3rd. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $35.37.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Bank of America

Bank of America Profile

(Free Report)

Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional and money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit and IRAs, noninterest-and interest-bearing checking accounts, and investment accounts and products; and credit and debit cards, residential mortgages, and home equity loans, as well as direct and indirect loans, such as automotive, recreational vehicle, and consumer personal loans.

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Steel Peak Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA  Free Report) by 1.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,597 shares of the aircraft producers stock after buying an additional 462 shares during the quarter. Steel Peak Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Boeing were worth $6,038,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. raised its position in Boeing by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. now owns 1,791 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $380,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. LifePro Asset Management boosted its holdings in Boeing by 5.8% in the second quarter. LifePro Asset Management now owns 3,244 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $685,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Investment Management of Virginia LLC acquired a new stake in Boeing in the first quarter worth about $216,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Boeing during the 2nd quarter worth about $131,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its position in Boeing by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 871,650 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $184,058,000 after purchasing an additional 16,491 shares during the period. 61.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on BA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Boeing from $225.00 to $245.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Boeing in a report on Wednesday, September 27th. They set a hold rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Boeing from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, August 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Boeing from $270.00 to $230.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 3rd. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Boeing from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a report on Tuesday, August 15th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Boeing currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $246.00.

Boeing Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BA traded down $3.72 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $178.64. 5,329,344 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,596,390. The Boeing Company has a 1-year low of $132.21 and a 1-year high of $243.10. The stock has a market cap of $107.47 billion, a P/E ratio of -24.35 and a beta of 1.45. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $204.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $210.17.

Boeing (NYSE:BA  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The aircraft producer reported ($0.82) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.99) by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $19.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $18.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.37) earnings per share. Boeings revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Boeing Company will post -4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Boeing news, Director Steven M. Mollenkopf purchased 850 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $237.00 per share, for a total transaction of $201,450.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,767 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $892,779. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Steven M. Mollenkopf purchased 850 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was bought at an average price of $237.00 per share, for a total transaction of $201,450.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,767 shares in the company, valued at approximately $892,779. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Theodore Colbert III sold 8,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.37, for a total value of $2,026,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 59,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,124,614.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Boeing

(Free Report)

The Boeing Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, sells, services, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight and launch systems, and services worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Gold Resource (NYSEAMERICAN:GORO  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Sunday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the basic materials companys stock.

Separately, HC Wainwright reiterated a buy rating and set a $3.25 target price on shares of Gold Resource in a research note on Friday, July 28th.

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Read Our Latest Stock Report on GORO

Gold Resource Stock Performance

NYSEAMERICAN:GORO opened at $0.42 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $37.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.00 and a beta of 1.52. Gold Resource has a twelve month low of $0.38 and a twelve month high of $1.80.

Gold Resource (NYSEAMERICAN:GORO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The basic materials company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $24.81 million for the quarter. Gold Resource had a negative return on equity of 16.74% and a negative net margin of 16.59%. Research analysts forecast that Gold Resource will post -0.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gold Resource

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GORO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Gold Resource by 57.9% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 76,359 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $171,000 after buying an additional 27,989 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Gold Resource by 59.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 282,877 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $634,000 after purchasing an additional 105,048 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Gold Resource by 22.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,054,741 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $9,083,000 after purchasing an additional 746,896 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Gold Resource by 89.3% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 48,406 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $109,000 after purchasing an additional 22,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in Gold Resource by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 190,511 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $427,000 after purchasing an additional 19,296 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 22.61% of the companys stock.

About Gold Resource

(Get Free Report)

Gold Resource Corporation engages in the exploration, development, and production of gold and silver projects in Mexico and the United States. The company explores for copper, lead, and zinc deposits. Its principal asset is the 100% owned Back Forty project covering approximately 1,304 hectares located in Menominee county, Michigan.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of New Concept Energy (NYSE:GBR  Free Report) in a research report report published on Sunday. The firm issued a sell rating on the stock.

Separately, TheStreet cut New Concept Energy from a c rating to a d rating in a report on Tuesday, August 8th.

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View Our Latest Stock Report on New Concept Energy

New Concept Energy Stock Performance

Shares of GBR stock opened at $1.13 on Friday. New Concept Energy has a 1-year low of $0.91 and a 1-year high of $1.51. The business has a 50-day moving average of $1.15 and a 200 day moving average of $1.12.

New Concept Energy (NYSE:GBR  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 7th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $0.04 million for the quarter. New Concept Energy had a net margin of 24.50% and a return on equity of 1.07%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On New Concept Energy

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in GBR. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of New Concept Energy by 129.4% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 24,068 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 13,576 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of New Concept Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of New Concept Energy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $95,000.

New Concept Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

New Concept Energy, Inc engages in real estate rental business. The company owns approximately 190 acres of land located in Parkersburg West Virginia. It also provides advisory and management services for an independent oil and gas company. The company was formerly known as CabelTel International Corporation and changed its name to New Concept Energy, Inc in May 2008.

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Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U  Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Hold from the nineteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $42.65.

U has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer reiterated a market perform rating on shares of Unity Software in a research note on Friday, September 15th. JMP Securities initiated coverage on shares of Unity Software in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. They issued a market perform rating on the stock. Wedbush reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Unity Software in a research note on Friday, October 6th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Unity Software from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a buy rating and issued a $49.00 target price on shares of Unity Software in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unity Software

In other Unity Software news, CFO Luis Felipe Visoso sold 3,186 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.50, for a total value of $100,359.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 710,075 shares in the company, valued at $22,367,362.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In other news, CEO John S. Riccitiello sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $80,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,211,394 shares of the companys stock, valued at $128,455,760. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, CFO Luis Felipe Visoso sold 3,186 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.50, for a total transaction of $100,359.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 710,075 shares of the companys stock, valued at $22,367,362.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 501,250 shares of company stock worth $19,249,439. Company insiders own 9.00% of the companys stock.

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unity Software by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,022,372 shares of the companys stock worth $606,053,000 after buying an additional 552,115 shares in the last quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Unity Software by 12.2% in the 1st quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 12,307,660 shares of the companys stock worth $399,260,000 after buying an additional 1,335,347 shares in the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its stake in shares of Unity Software by 71,678.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 11,384,703 shares of the companys stock worth $494,324,000 after buying an additional 11,368,842 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unity Software by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 8,191,675 shares of the companys stock worth $355,683,000 after buying an additional 147,552 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unity Software by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 7,399,908 shares of the companys stock worth $235,391,000 after buying an additional 975,221 shares in the last quarter. 64.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unity Software Trading Up 4.1 %

NYSE:U opened at $27.45 on Wednesday. Unity Software has a one year low of $21.22 and a one year high of $50.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 2.46. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $32.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.68.

Unity Software (NYSE:U  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.30) by $0.04. Unity Software had a negative net margin of 54.46% and a negative return on equity of 19.44%. The business had revenue of $533.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $514.80 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Unity Software will post -0.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unity Software Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Unity Software Inc operates a real-time 3D development platform. Its platform provides software solutions to create, run, and monetize interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content for mobile phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and virtual reality devices. The company offers its solutions directly through its online store and field sales operations in North America, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea, as well as indirectly through independent distributors and resellers worldwide.

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Wealth Alliance lessened its position in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 11.1% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 17,474 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,189 shares during the quarter. Wealth Alliances holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $990,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Charles Schwab during the second quarter valued at $222,000. Archford Capital Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 23,916 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,592,000 after buying an additional 1,112 shares during the last quarter. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 72.8% in the second quarter. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. now owns 26,094 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,479,000 after buying an additional 10,995 shares during the period. Hudson Canyon Capital Management raised its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 8.1% during the second quarter. Hudson Canyon Capital Management now owns 30,322 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,719,000 after acquiring an additional 2,276 shares during the last quarter. Finally, San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Charles Schwab in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,824,000. 81.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on SCHW shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Charles Schwab in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Citigroup increased their price objective on Charles Schwab from $65.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Charles Schwab from $92.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $64.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Charles Schwab has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $69.91.

Charles Schwab Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of Charles Schwab stock opened at $49.83 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.93. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 52-week low of $45.00 and a 52-week high of $86.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $55.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.06.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.62 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 30.14% and a return on equity of 24.86%. The companys revenue was down 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.17 EPS for the current year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 9th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.01%. Charles Schwabs payout ratio is 33.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Charles Schwab news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 3,792 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.31, for a total value of $217,319.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 44,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,563,189.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Charles Schwab news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 3,792 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.31, for a total value of $217,319.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 44,725 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,563,189.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles A. Ruffel acquired 833 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $60.55 per share, for a total transaction of $50,438.15. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,386 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $205,022.30. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will help evacuate South Americans stranded in the Middle East by the Gaza crisis, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Tuesday.

During his weekly program "Talk with the President," Lula said he has spoken with Air Force commander Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno about the operation to bring home residents from other parts of South America trapped by the crisis.

"I told Damasceno: if when we finish bringing back Brazilians, there are men and women from Latin America, from South America, who cannot return to our continent, we will be supportive and we will bring those people back also. That is Brazil's role in the world," he said.

To date, the Brazilian Air Force has brought back to Brazil 1,413 people and 53 pets aboard eight flights.

Some 30 Brazilians in the Gaza Strip, who must leave the area through the border with Egypt, are still waiting to be rescued, but the operation has been delayed due to an "impasse" between the authorities.

Lula said he will continue to press for a negotiated end to the crisis. 
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping Tuesday stressed rallying individuals in the private sector around the Party more closely and breaking new ground in the work of federations of industry and commerce.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) on its 70th founding anniversary.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended greetings to officials and staff members of all levels of industrial and commerce federations and individuals in the private sector across the country.

Commending their work over the past 70 years, Xi said federations of industry and commerce have made important contributions to the development of the People's Republic of China, the advancement of reform and opening up, and the great endeavors of the new era.

In the letter, Xi urged efforts to facilitate the healthy development of the non-public sector and those working in it, and promote high-quality development of the private sector.

Xi called on individuals in the private sector to fully apply the new development philosophy and promote entrepreneurship, to contribute to building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

A gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ACFIC was held in Beijing on Tuesday. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attended the event and made a speech.

Wang said that in the letter, Xi expressed expectations and set forth clear requirements for people in the non-public sector, which has provided the fundamental guideline for conducting relevant work in the new era and promoting the healthy development of the non-public economy.

Wang urged efforts to promote the high-quality development of the private sector.

Federations of industry and commerce should guide private enterprises in fully and faithfully applying the new development philosophy on all fronts, actively engaging in creating a new pattern of development, focusing on their main business, and bolstering the development of the real economy, Wang said.

Wang also stressed the need for guiding those in the private sector to pursue a people-centered philosophy of development.

Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, read out Xi's letter at the gathering.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attends a gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and makes a speech in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

(Source: Xinhua)


China's Rural Revitalization Strategy has offered a broad stage, on which young people can strive and create a promising future in the countryside.

Jiang Lijuan (left) and Chen Yujia [Women of China/Zhang Jiamin]



In recent years, many young Chinese have returned to their hometowns to promote rural revitalization, and to lead locals in striving for better lives. These young people are dream-chasing trailblazers in rural areas  in the new era. They have created their own businesses in their hometowns, and they have made their dreams come true. Jiang Lijuan and Chen Yujia are two of those young Chinese.

Jiang is secretary of the general Party branch, village committee director and women's federation president of Xiajiang, a village in Chun'an, a county in East China's Zhejiang Province.

"I am a native of Xiajiang. Studying hard and walking out of the village was my dream when I was a student. After my graduation from university, I became a white-collar worker, embracing an urban life. But I always kept my hometown in mind. So, I returned to Xiajiang and opened a family hotel. I feel a strong sense of happiness as I accompany and take good care of my family while working in my hometown," Jiang says.

Since witnessing Jiang's prosperous business, many of the villagers have followed in her footsteps, and played their parts in developing rural tourism. Jiang has offered concrete guidance to the villagers, and she has helped them attain a sense of happiness as they have worked together to develop their village.

Given their concerted efforts, Xiajiang was named a national beautiful and leisure village in 2018.



In recognition of her efforts, Jiang was elected a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and also a delegate to the 13th National Women's Congress of China.

"Xiajiang is the place where our dream begins. With a grateful heart, a striving spirit and solid work, I will do my utmost to build a beautiful countryside, and to create a charming landscape. I hope I can tell the story of Xiajiang Village well, and help more young people understand the vast countryside has fertile ground for entrepreneurship, and they can pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in rural areas," Jiang says.





Chen, meanwhile, is sales manager at Xuanwu Lake Rice Professional Cooperative, in Ning'an, a city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

"I was born in Shangguandi, a village in Ning'an. I have a deep affection for this black-soil land. When I was young, I watched my mother work hard in the fields, and I realized that being a farmer required a lot of hard work. I became a teacher after my graduation from university. When I found the high-quality rice in my hometown could not sell at a good price, I decided to resign and return to my hometown to help the villagers sell rice," Chen says.



"I have worked hard, and I have adopted creative measures to promote and sell our rice. For example, we organized an online harvest festival, on livestreaming platforms, to increase the reputation of our rice. With the support of local women's federations, I have participated in a women's food production and conservation campaign, and I have lead local women in advancing rural revitalization," Chen adds.

Shangguandi has become one of the top 10 beautiful villages of China. Chen has been named a National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetter and a National Most Beautiful Woman Striver.



"As a delegate to the 13th National Women's Congress, I will lead our villagers in developing the rice and tourism industries, and I will also lead women in fully advancing rural revitalization, and in realizing our value in life," Chen says.

Photos Supplied by Zhejiang Women's Federation, Heilongjiang Women's Federation and Interviewees

(Women of China)
JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

The spaceship will carry three astronauts -- Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin -- to carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission. Tang Hongbo will be the commander, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, at a press conference.

Shenzhou-17 is the 30th flight mission of China's manned space program, and the 12th manned mission of the program.

The crew will stay in orbit for about six months.

The launch will use a Long March-2F carrier rocket, which will be filled with propellant soon, Lin said. 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that while the United States does not seek conflict with Iran, it will act to defend itself swiftly and decisively against attacks by Iran or its proxies.
The dome of the U.S. Capitol is reflected in a window on Capitol Hill in Washington, on April 20. House Republicans will meet on October 24 to pick a new speaker nominee from a crowded field.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is seen outside a House Republican Conference speaker election meeting in Longworth Building on October 24.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, reads out a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping at an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to follow the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and work with other countries in the region to build an Asian homeland of peace, tranquility, prosperity, beauty and friendly coexistence, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday.

Xi made the remarks in a message sent to an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy.

This photo shows a session of an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Xi pointed out the basic policy of China's neighborhood diplomacy is to pursue friendship and partnership with its neighbors, and to build an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood.

Over the past decade, China has actively practiced the above-mentioned principle, and developed friendly and cooperative relations with its neighbors in an all-round way. The two sides have continuously enhanced political mutual trust and deepened convergence of interests, thus opening up a bright pathway of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, said Xi.

This photo taken on May 5, 2023 shows the venue for the First Hunan (Huaihua) RCEP Economic and Trade Expo in Huaihua City, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Yu Chunsheng)

He went on to point out that in the new era, China will lend new meaning to the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, promote the Asian values of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration, and provide new impetus to regional unity, openness and progress.

"We will promote new development of the concepts of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, so that Chinese modernization will bring more benefits to our neighbors," Xi said, adding that China will work to jointly advance Asia's modernization process, and make sure China's high-quality development and a sound neighborhood environment will reinforce and complement each other.

In 2022, China's trade in goods with neighboring countries exceeded 2.17 trillion U.S. dollars, up 78 percent from 2012. China took the lead in ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), enabling and enhancing regional economic integration.

The fruitful cooperation has spurred economic growth, improved people's lives in different countries and injected strong impetus into economic recovery in the region, said participants attending the international symposium.

Passengers take selfies in a carriage of a high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train running on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, Oct. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

The four core concepts that China's neighborhood diplomacy rests on are not empty words, but the guiding philosophy that has played a big role in fostering friendly relations between China and regional countries and shaping world dynamics, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol at the symposium.

Addressing the symposium, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said that China will work with regional countries to make Asia a demonstration zone for the Belt and Road cooperation, and a pilot zone for implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

China is committed to deepening friendly cooperation with regional countries guided by the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and contributing more wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future in Asia and for humanity, Wang said.

This photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows booths of South Korean enterprises at the third China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Austin Ong, research director of the Integrated Development Studies Institute, a think tank in the Philippines, said Xi reaffirmed China's goodwill to neighboring countries and desire for more high-quality cooperation in the future, expressing confidence that China's modernization drive will bring long-term benefits to neighboring countries and boost the existing good neighborliness.

China's neighborhood diplomacy that underscores peace and prosperity resonates in its surrounding countries, which are mainly developing ones. The development of China and that of neighboring countries can complement and reinforce each other, said K. K. Yoganaadan, charge d'affaires of the Sri Lankan Embassy in China. 
The victimisation of a London Underground driver for leading a chant of Free, Free Palestine has led to an outpouring of opposition. An online petition through the platform Organise has gathered over 70,000 signatures against threatened disciplinary action and to uphold the right to free speech.

The unnamed driver used his PA system Saturday to engage with passengers onboard a Central Line train travelling to the demonstration in the capital where 300,000 turned out to oppose Israels genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

A short video posted on Twitter/X went viral with millions viewing the clip. The driver is heard on the PA starting his message to all those who are facing de-humanisation and the oppression of the ongoing occupation I feel part of it although I cant be there.

He then repeated, Free, free with passengers chanting back Palestine and No justice, eliciting the reply No peace. He followed this with a short message, Hope you all have a blessed day today and look after yourselves and keep all those people in your prayers.

For the authorities this exchange, a snapshot of genuine public opinion, rather than the pro-Israel propaganda of the media and the government, was an unpardonable offence.

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed Monday that the driver had been identified and suspended. Glynn Barton, TfL's chief operating officer, said, 'A driver has now been identified and suspended whilst we continue to fully investigate the incident in line with our policies and procedures.'

The driver could face dismissal, but the reprisals do not stop there. TfL immediately referred what it called an incident to the British Transport Police (BTP). Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan confirmed, BTP are working with Transport for London and investigating the matter, as indicated by a X/Twitter posting at 4.29pm Saturday. The posting was viewed 1.4 million times with 1,295 replies mostly opposing police involvement. One asked, Is saying Free Palestine a crime now? So much for freedom of speech.

This witch-hunt takes place as Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman has demanded a police crackdown to criminalise mass protests throughout the UK against the Sunak governments backing of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of workers and youth have defied Bravermans threats to make waving the Palestine flag illegal and tantamount to supporting terrorism, and her branding as anti-Semitic the chant From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

The hysteria over the train drivers comments places him at the centre of this police-state clampdown. The ruling class fears that the courageous act of a single worker can ignite broader opposition within the working class.

The Guardian has not raised any objection to the frontal assault on democratic rights, but instead faithfully echoed lying claims that the defence of the Palestinians incites anti-Semitism. Its article on October 23 noted without comment, The security minister, Tom Tugendhat, wrote on X: Londons tubes are for everyone. Many will find this intimidating. @MayorofLondon has a duty to help all Londoners feel safe.

It reported that the Israeli embassy, no less, wrote, It is deeply troubling to see such intolerance on Londons tubes public transport should be a place of safety and inclusivity for all and Conservative minister for London, Paul Scully demanding Tube staff focus on the day job.

The reality is that the protests in London and throughout the world have involved major contingents of Jewish people and, in France, the US and Germany, Jews are among those arrested by governments backing war crimes.

The defence of the victimised London Underground driver requires the independent mobilisation of rank-and-file rail and transport workers and the entire working class.

In contrast to the Organise petition, there has been no public appeal issued by either the train drivers union ASLEF or the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union to oppose the victimisation and mobilise against the dangerous precedent set by the combined employer-state witch-hunt.

Instead, the Guardian quotes Finn Brennan, a full-time organiser on London Underground for ASLEF, stating meekly, The involvement of the police in this matter is a ridiculous overreaction to something that should clearly be dealt with internally by Transport for London in line with normal procedures.

Normal procedures means the inevitable victimisation of the driver, who may possibly lose his job, even if a criminal prosecution doesnt take place.

Even when the union bureaucrats feel obliged to mount a platform as they did on Saturday in London and speak on Gaza, this is to spike anti-government opposition. Both ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan and RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Eddie Dempsey passed over in silence the open letter by Palestinians trade unions for their counterparts around the world to paralyse the Israeli war machine.

No word passed their lips to denounce Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers writ threatening members with expulsion if they so much as join a protest. Dempsey stated instead, We must bring pressure to bear on the politicians.

The only pressure being brought to bear is against workers and youth, to proscribe any practical action against the British government and its direct support for the Israeli state. The RMT has allowed its members in the Royal Auxiliary Fleet to be dispatched to the Middle East as part of the Royal Navy build up alongside US warships to enforce the blockade of Gaza and threaten war against Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

The defence of Palestinians and opposition to a devastating conflict in the Middle East requires an independent political intervention by the working class. Workers must reject any attempt by the employers to punish workers for taking a stand against war crimes and genocide against defenceless civilians by the Israeli war machine and its imperialist backers.

They have no right whatsoever to dictate how workers think and express themselves politically, especially when they are opposing such an appalling crime. All disciplinary action should be dropped, whatever code of conduct is cited by TfL. This is a case of class injustice which needs to be overturned through collective struggle.

The worlds media is saturated with pro-Israeli propaganda. Every major party, Labour above all, has lined up behind Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces. Major public buildings either fly the Israeli flag or are lit up in blue and white. It is the organisers of this propaganda barrage, Sunak and Starmer at the head of the list, who should face criminal prosecution and the loss of their jobs, not workers bravely opposing them.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to issue lying clarifications to his endorsement of Israeli war crimes, responding to a crisis centred on the partys Muslim representatives and constituency.

On October 11, Starmer told LBCs Nick Ferrari, Israel does have that right, must have that right, to defend herself, and Hamas bears responsibility. Ferrari asked, A siege is appropriate? Cutting off power, cutting off water, Sir Keir?, to which the Labour leader responded, I think Israel does have that right

British Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tells LBC radio he supports Israel's collective punishment against 2.3 million civilians in Gaza [Photo: LBC radio screenshot]

The comments triggered an explosion of outrage, with several councillors in heavily Muslim areas deciding it was no longer tenable to continue their careers in the Labour Party. Up to now, 23 have resigned and are serving as independents.

Several joined over 8,000 Muslimsincluding imams, doctors and other professionalsin signing an open letter to Starmer declaring, Your consistent defence of Israels actions, often with limited regard for the humanitarian plight of the Palestinians, has left many members of the Muslim community feeling unheard and unrepresented If these concerns are not adequately addressed, your position as the Leader of the Labour Party will become untenable for the Muslim community.

This is a tame version of the sentiment among Muslims in the UK, 86 percent of whom have voted for Labour in the last general election, 2019, and who make up a majority of 14 constituencies and large proportions of many more.

Amid this escalating crisis, on October 14, three days after his LBC interview, Starmer published a personal statement including the line, We call on all parties to act in line with international law, including allowing humanitarian access of food, water, electricity and medicines to Gaza and ensuring safe humanitarian corridors in Gaza for those fleeing violence.

He did not mention that the author of the violence and blockade of humanitarian support was Israel. The majority of the statement was dedicated to reaffirming Israel has the right, indeed the duty, to defend herself  Responsibility for what has happened sits with the terrorists of Hamas

Declaring support for humanitarian access is, of course, not the same as demanding the siege and collective punishment of Gaza is ended, let alone the bombing of civilians; in practice it has amounted to touting the delivery of a few dozen lorries worth of food and watera miniscule fraction of the populations needsto justify support for an ongoing campaign of mass murder and ethnic cleansing.

On October 17, 40 legal academics sent another open letter to Starmer, his Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy noting that Starmers statement did nothing to rescind your tacit approval of Israels collective punishment of the population of Gaza. The letter adds that on October 15, Lammy was reminded of the illegality of forcible population transfers and asked whether he nonetheless supported Israels actions, responding Its not a yes or a no. This is a war situation.

The signatories requested that the party immediately issue a public and detailed clarification of Labours legal position on collective punishment and on the forcible transfer of civilians. We request that you confirm that you and your party oppose the commission of war crimes, wherever and whenever they may occur.

Even Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi has accused Labour of applying a harsher standard to Muslims, treating them as if they dont matter and failing to respond to anti-Muslim racism being experienced by its members.

On Wednesday last week, in another poorly received attempt to soothe tensions, Starmer sent a letter to Labour councillors saying, this is a terrifying and distressing time for everyoneIsraeli, Palestinian, Muslim and Jew. He told Parliament during Prime Ministers Question time that food, fuel and water must get into Gaza immediately, while continuing to support Israels bombing campaign and holding Hamas responsible for every death and maiming.

His spokesperson claimed that in the interview with Ferrari, If you listen to the tape it was one of those things where there was overlapping questions and answers based on what had been said before, which was the specific question beforehand about Israel having the right to defend itself.

This line was repeated by Shadow International Development Minister Lisa Nandy on Sunday, who told the BBC she understood why people in the Muslim community heard those words and felt very concerned, and Im glad that weve clarified that, adding, We cant apologise for holding a position that weve never held and repeatedly refusing to comment on whether the Israeli siege constitutes a war crime.

On Monday, Starmer posted on X/Twitter that he told a meeting at an Islamic centre in Wales it is not and has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines. International law must be followed.

No one believes this stomach-turning attempt to save face. Starmer, a former Doughty Street lawyer, is covering himself against both political fallout and possible future prosecution, having gone even further than Tory leader Rishi Sunak in cheering Israels genocide against Gaza. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians has already raised the possibility of pursuing charges. But his attempt to perfume the stench pouring off Labour will do nothing to convince millions of disgusted workers and youth, not only Muslims, to vote for the party at the next election.

The Labour leader is joined in his damage limitation exercise by the official gatekeepers of left and Muslim opinion in the party. The Labour Muslim Network told the Guardian this week, Theres been a huge amount of damage done to relations over this, but there is still a chance to rebuild trust and reassure communities that Labour is still a safe place for us.

Labour has never been and can never be a safe space for solidarity with the Palestinians. This is underscored by the fact that Starmers defender Lisa Nandy was made chair of the Labour Friends of Palestine group in 2018.

But the prize for political cynicism goes, once again, to the Labour left. With hundreds of thousands on the streets every week demanding action to oppose Israels war, chair of the Socialist Campaign Group (SCG) of Labour MPs Richard Burgon has tabled an ineffectual early day motion endorsing various aid agencies calls for an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities.

The Socialist Campaign Group's Early Day Motion, stating only its deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of Gaza [Photo: parliament.uk]

The wording, which only goes as far as expressing deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of Gaza, is so weak it can be supported by Tory MPs Sir Peter Bottomley and Crispin Blunt, along with 24 members of the Scottish National Party, three from Plaid Cymru, two from Alba and one from the Green Party. Yet just 37 of Labours 199 MPs have signed.

Among them are former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, his shadow home secretary Diane Abbottboth suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Partyand former chancellor John McDonnell, who have jumped at the opportunity to make a show of opposition without directly challenging Israels key enablers in the UKSunak and Starmer.

Whether nominally left or right, the entire Labour Party is being discredited beyond repair in the eyes of millions. It is a war crime, genocide-supporting party which the SCG have spent the years since Starmers takeover desperately trying to remain members of. The consequences of their capitulation before the Blairite left antisemitism witch-hunt are now clear for all to see.
Despite attempts by the government, authorities and media to criminalise all protests against the genocide in Gaza and defame them as antisemitic, numerous rallies and demonstrations continue to take place throughout Germany.

In Berlin alone, over 5,000 people joined a protest march from Kreuzberg to Neukolln last Saturday. The police deployed a large contingent of 900 officers and stopped the demonstration temporarily.

On the same day, 1,300 people gathered in Stuttgart, 400 each in Mannheim and Karlsruhe. One thousand people demonstrated in Munster, 500 in Saarbrucken and 300 in Cologne. In Hamburg, a general ban was imposed on pro-Palestine demonstrations and a demonstration with 300 participants was broken up by the police. Violators of the ban face a fine of up to 500.

Demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians in Dusseldorf

The largest gathering took place in Dusseldorf, where almost 10,000 people demonstrated their solidarity with the Palestinians. There was a strong police presence at the protest, but it proceeded peacefully. The protest march against the genocide in Gaza took three hours to move from the main railway station via the Konigsallee boulevard to the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament.

The protest was international. On banners and many self-made posters, in German and English, participants demanded an immediate halt to the murder of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip. Bombing innocent children is not self-defence, read one of the posters. Demonstrators spoke out against genocide, antisemitism and violence and for peace and justice.

Several placards pointed out the complicity of the other Arab states and especially the German government, Germany financesIsrael bombs! they proclaimed.

Demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians in Dusseldorf on October 21

Doctors and healthcare workers from a total of 10 specialist professional and medical associations expressed their solidarity with their colleagues in Gaza, more than two dozen of whom have already fallen victim to bombings. History has taught us not to side with the aggressor, they wrote in a statement distributed at the demonstration. We urgently demand safe routes and corridors for our medical teams to reach Gaza and provide the necessary treatment and care for the injured of our people.

Over 2,000 people also gathered in Frankfurt. This was preceded by an attempt by the city government and the Hesse state Interior Ministry to ban the demonstration. The organisers took legal action against this and their right to protest was upheld in two courts.

Nevertheless, the demonstration was only allowed to take place under strict conditions. Among other things, the organisers had to provide more than 60 stewards, and Israels right to exist could not be questioned. In addition, a large police force surrounded the demonstration and repeatedly pulled out individual participants holding critical signs.

Demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians in Frankfurt on October 21

All speakers at the rally explicitly condemned antisemitism and any form of discrimination and violence against individual population groups.

WSWS reporters spoke to multiple demonstrators.

Aliya condemned the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and the demonisation of any criticism of this: An entire people is being massacred right now; children are being killed. And if we raise our voices, it is immediately considered antisemitism or anti-Israel. Although in Germany they always brag that We have freedom of speech here.

But freedom of expression only applied if you speak out in favour of Ukraine or Israel, Aliya said. But as soon as we say, Stop the war in Palestine, they say, No, you are antisemitic. So unfortunately, we dont have freedom of expression, she said.

She supported the perspective of an international workers struggle: I think thats great. So that means both Israelis and Palestinians who want peace then get together and fight against injustice. That would be optimal for me.

Aliya concluded, So if the Israeli people and the Palestinian people say, We can live together in harmony and right now the two governments are causing the war, then I would say, Raise your voice, fight against your governments and really try to live together peacefully. I think that would be the optimal solution.

She went on to condemn the policies of the imperialist powers and other Arab countries that continue to fuel the conflict. If they stopped being supplied with weapons, or even money, I dont think the war would last that long.

She said she welcomed a united struggle by workers here in Germany and thought this was realistic, Because there are already a lot of usregardless of whether we are Germans with a migration background or just Germans. If we were to stick together ourselves, I believe that a huge movement would emerge.

This government has really made a fatal mistake, she added. Foreign Minister Baerbock has declared war on Putin [in the Council of Europe] and unilaterally supports Israel. She does not stand for peace but has assured unconditional support for Israel.

Aliya thought that Germany, or rather the government, is in a war mood right now. And I think thats fatal because most German citizensthats Germans with an immigrant background as well as othersdont want war. They actually just want to live in peace and that should be respected. In my opinion, this current government is not speaking on behalf of the people.

Speaking at the demonstration, Mohamed warned that the war in Gaza could escalate into a war in the whole region, And thats exactly why we want this to be stopped as early as possible. Its mainly people who havent done anything, who are just people on both sideschildren and elderly peoplewho are being sacrificed in the war.

He agreed that the escalation of the war on Gaza could only be stopped through the unity of the international working class: articles from the WSWS should be spread as widely as possible and come to as many people as possible, because this really creates freedom, justice and also in the end as few murders as possible.

Mark and Vanessa at the pro-Palestine demonstration in Frankfurt, October 21

Mark and Vanessa had travelled to Frankfurt from Duisburg for the international book fair and then joined the rally there. The calls for unreserved solidarity with Israel also harm the Palestinians here in Germany above all, and also of course in the Middle East, Mark said.

If you declare solidarity with Israel at this time, it means you are on the side of child murderers and a right-wing government, Vanessa added. We can stand in solidarity with Jewish people, but not necessarily with a state that spreads this kind of terror.

Mark also saw the governments Middle East policy as reflecting Germanys broader imperialist aspirations. Referencing the call by Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz for a new era in foreign policy, Mark said, Germany would like to have a bigger place in the sun, militarily, in NATO and in the world. He was against this. I dont want us to spend hundreds of billions on weapons all over the world. People here and all over the world lack everything and yet we keep spending money on weapons.

He concluded that there were interests behind this, not least, definitely Western interests. The US, for example, is in the process of losing the dominance it currently has. The zenith of American hegemony has passed.

He also condemned the increasing restriction of democratic rights: You can see that a lot of demonstrations have been banned in the last two weeks. Pro-Palestine demonstrations, of course, but also many other demonstrations, anti-racism demonstrations. And that is a dangerous development for democracy in Germany. Of course, this must not be allowed to happen.
The number of schools and hospitals in the UK found to have been built with dangerous reinforced aerated concrete (RAAC), which poses a critical risk to life, is rising.

RAAC is a lightweight, cheap concrete used widely between the 1950s and 1980s in public buildings including schools, universities, hospitals and housing, on flat roofs, walls and floors. It is susceptible to failure after contact with water and has a limited lifespan of 30 years, after which it can collapse without warning.

Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC), close-up view [Photo by Marco Bernardini, own work / CC BY-SA 3.0

In 1982, RAAC production in the UK ceased amid safety concerns. However, there was no attempt to ascertain which buildings contained it or monitor and replace it. Despite warnings from building experts and roof collapses in schools, successive governments, Labour and Conservative, tried to ignore a life-threatening catastrophe waiting to happen because of the enormous costs remedial work would entail.

RAAC is just one deadly problem plaguing schools. Equally dangerous are system-built classroom blocks, while exposure to asbestos has killed tens of 1,000s from mesothelioma. System-built blocks are made of concrete, steel and timber, rather than brick and stone, with a similar design life to RAAC, used in construction between 1940 and 1980. The Department for Education (DfE) identified 13,000 such blocks in schools, but of concern regarding liability to collapse are 3,600 with concrete or timber frames.

Schools Week revealed that according to the National Audit Office, the DfE had not yet engaged specialists to carry out invasive inspections, despite agreeing a scheme to assess 200 schools last year.

The funding for the remedial work to make schools and public building safe conflicts with the Conservative government and Labour oppositions commitment to NATOs expanding wars in the Ukraine and the Middle East, for which no expense is spared.

Last week, the Department of Health and Social Care published a list of 42 hospitals confirmed to contain RAAC, up from its previous figure of 18. The list of schools and colleges found with RAAC rose to 214, an increase of 41 from the previous tally on September 19.

On the eve of schools reopening in September, the government was forced to close more than 100 found to have RAAC after an incident during the holidays involving structural collapse.

In May, National Health Service (NHS) Trusts received instructions from the government to assess their buildings for the presence of RAAC. As the list of hospitals confirmed to be affected grew, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers representing NHS Trusts in England, said, This old concrete puts patients and staff at risk and the picture is getting worse. The trusts were doing 'everything they can, at huge cost, to keep patients safe.

The BBC reported that seven of the trusts most at risk will not have their RAAC replaced until 2030, while other hospitals will have to wait 12 years.

Hartley said, The RAAC problem is a symptom of a far bigger and long-running one. The NHS has a 10 billion-plus backlog of repairs.

Decades of funding cuts have decimated the NHS, education and support services, to pay for the multi-hundred billion pound bank and pandemic bailouts, and a burgeoning defence budget which alone has soared over 5 billion annually.

In England the list of hospitals built using RAAC includes four in London, 11 in the North West, seven in the North East and Yorkshire, three in the Midlands, eight in the East of England and nine in the South East.

In Scotland, 254 hospital buildings are being investigated while RAAC was found in two hospitals in Wales. The Welsh government declared a major incident at Withybush Hospital in Pembrokeshire, closing three wards with RAAC in September.

Last week, a school in Wakefield closed after a survey revealed RAAC. St Thomas a Becket will remain shut and teach online, opening only to year 11 pupils from November 1. The academy was not on the list of schools with RAAC published by the DfE.

The DfE list includes a further three schools confirmed with RAAC which was not present after initial tests, placing a question mark over the efficacy of the initial testing conducted. The schools are Brandhall Primary in Sandwell, Cockermouth School in Cumberland and The Appleton School in Essex.

Government website gov.uk listing the Education settings with confirmed RAAC and mitigations in place indicates that most of the schools and colleges are now teaching face-to-face, with 12 combining face-face teaching and remote learning.

The government does not specify the nature of the mitigations, but comments to parliament by DfE Under Secretary of State Baroness Barran indicate a shoddy, patch-up job. As well as using portacabins as temporary classrooms for an unspecified time, she suggested semi-permanent timber be secured beneath areas with RAAC that could last for up to 10 years.

Across Scotland, 16 local authorities reported schools with RAAC, while surveys are planned in 120 schools in Northern Ireland. In Wales, a school in Conwy County, one in Denbighshire and two on the Isle of Anglesey closed due to RAAC.

Essex is the worst hit county in England, with 70 confirmed cases, an increase of eight since the last count. Interviewed in Clacton, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak blustered, Were already investing record sums into our schools, particularly to help our pupils catch up from the lost learning from Covid. Were in the midst at the moment of the biggest ever tutoring programme that this country has ever seen which weve invested 5 billion to provide millions of tutoring hours particularly for our most disadvantaged children who suffered enormously as a result of the lost learning during Covid.

This feigned concern for disadvantaged children is belied by further funding cuts schools face due to an DfE error in forecasting pupil numbers. James Saunders, head of an Essex school which will receive 50,000 less than expected, told the Guardian, The impact of not just this error, but other funding shortfalls and cuts is that education is in danger of becoming reduced to a barebones boilerplate model or basic schooling.

Heads face losing teaching assistants, who work with SEND pupils (special educational needs and disabilities) as well as with the COVID catch-up program.

Tytherington secondary school in Macclesfield, facing a shortfall of 44,000, may abandon appointments for pastoral care workers tasked with improving attendancea stated government priorityand SEND provision.

Farnborough College of Technology is one of six colleges (post 16 education) on the governments list found with RAAC. With 3,600 students on role, remedial work at the college is expected to cost 800,000 to be funded by the DfE. The college, however, estimates the complete RAAC replacement project at millions of pounds, indicating the massive shortfall in investment needed to remove and replace RAAC across the whole school estate.

Building work underway at one of the affected schools, Abbey Lane Primary in Sheffield, England, September 1, 2023

Abbey Lane Primary School in Sheffield learned this week that the government has reneged on its promise to pay 620,000 to remove and replace RAAC found on its roof.

The response of the National Education Union, ASCL, NAHT, GMB, UNISON, Unite and Community unions to the RAAC scandal was summed up by Trades Union Congress General Secretary Paul Nowaks futile appeal to the Sunak government to commit to a programme of capital investment that repairs and rebuilds our public estate. For its part the Labour Party has made clear it has no magic money tree to spend on health or education.

The education unions will do nothing to ensure the safety of their members and their pupils. Throughout the pandemic they have acted as a second arm of government, enforcing the precipitous reopening of schools before the COVID virus was suppressed, so schools could act as holding pens while parents resumed profit making for the corporations. No mitigations are in place, so the virus has free reign to spread and mutate.

Contact the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (UK) and NHS FightBack today.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to continue to enhance political mutual trust with Kyrgyzstan, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and seek more convergence points of common interests for mutual achievement and common development, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday.

China-Kyrgyzstan relations have maintained high-level development in recent years, said Li during his meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov.

During their meeting in May, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov drew a new blueprint for the development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations and defined new tasks for promoting bilateral cooperation, Li said.

China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to translate the important consensus reached by the two heads of state into concrete actions, push for new achievements in bilateral cooperation in various fields, and continuously improve the well-being of the two peoples, Li added.

The Chinese premier said both sides should well implement their medium- and long-term economic cooperation and trade exchange plan, and expand the trade scale and optimize their trade structure.

China and Kyrgyzstan should speed up the construction of key projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway as well as port cooperation to enhance interconnectivity, Li said.

The two countries should also expand cooperation in emerging industries such as advanced manufacturing, digital economy, new energy vehicles, smart agriculture, and clean energy to foster new growth drivers, he said.

The two sides should also deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges in areas including medical care, education, and tourism to promote connectivity between the two peoples, he added.

Li said that China stands ready to strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, implement the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, promote the building of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, carry forward the Shanghai Spirit under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to inject more certainty and positive energy into regional stable development and contribute to world peace, security and development. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov jointly unveil the nameplate of the China Cultural Center in Bishkek after their meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
David North speaks at the University of Michigan on October 24, 2023.

On Tuesday, over 150 people attended a lecture by David North, national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party in the United States, at the University of Michigan. The meeting, called to mark the centenary of the founding of the Left Opposition by Leon Trotsky in 1923, also addressed the imperialist wars in Gaza and Ukraine. A full report of the meeting will be published later today.
A maritime collision on Sunday in the South China Sea involving Chinese and Philippine vessels has all the hallmarks of a provocation hatched in Manila and Washington to blacken Beijings name.

The incident revolves around a longstanding dispute over control of the Second Thomas Shoala coral reef barely above sea level at low tide. To assert its claims, the Philippines has stationed a unit of Marines on a derelict World War II era US warship, BRP Sierra Madre, that was deliberately grounded on the reef in 1999.

BRP Sierra Madre [AP Photo/Aaron Favila]

China continues to insist that the shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, is its territory and claims that the Philippines had agreed to remove the warship from the reef. In August, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared that he was unaware that such a deal existed, adding that even if it did, he was now rescinding it.

Chinese coast guard and other vessels have been deployed to the waters to block Philippine efforts to reach the reef. In August, the Chinese ships used water cannon to harass and prevent Philippine boats attempting to reach the BRP Sierra Madre.

On Sunday, four Philippine vessels apparently attempted to breach the blockade, resulting in at least two collisions with Chinese ships. According to Manila, a Chinese coastguard vessel cut in front of the bow of a small wooden ship, causing it to hit its side. A Chinese maritime militia boat later bumped a Philippine coastguard vessel. No one was injured.

The incident was rapidly seized on by the Philippine government and media to denounce China. What happened yesterday was a serious and egregious violation of international law, Philippine defence secretary Gilbert Teodoro declared, branding the maritime confrontation an escalation of Chinas expansionist and aggressive action.

Philippine President Marcos convened an emergency meeting with top military and security officials to discuss a response. An official of the Chinese embassy was summoned to receive a strongly-worded protest. A statement from the presidential press office blamed the collisions on dangerous, illegal, and reckless manoeuvres by vessels of the China Coast Guard and declared that the matter was being taken seriously at the highest level of government.

The Chinese embassy responded by lodging a protest with the Philippine foreign ministry, claiming the shoal as Chinese territory and urging Manila to tow away the illegally grounded warship as soon as possible and abandon control of the shoal. China also accused the Philippines not only of seeking to resupply its Marine contingent, but of transporting building materials to construct a more permanent presence.

Significantly, the incident was quickly seized upon by the US State Department, which issued a press statement on Sunday (US time) declaring that the United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of Chinas dangerous and unlawful actions.

Ominously, the statement reaffirmed that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraftincluding those of its Coast Guardanywhere in the South China Sea. Article IV declares that an armed attack in the Pacific on either country would mean that each would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes.

In the context of the Biden administrations escalating preparations for war with China, the statement is a menacing military threat. Washington is already fuelling tensions with Beijing over Taiwan by strengthening diplomatic and military ties with Taipei even while claiming to adhere to the One China policy that acknowledges the island as part of China. Now the US is threatening to transform an incident involving Chinese and Philippine coastguards into the pretext for military conflict.

There is no doubt that Washington had a hand in Sundays maritime incident. In comments cited in the Financial Times, John Bradford, executive director at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies, noted that a sizeable chunk of the DC policy elite are directly or indirectly egging the Philippines on as a part of the effort to stand up to Chinas so-called unlawful aggression.

The timing of the Philippine attempt to run the Chinese blockade is also significant. It came on the eve of three days of talks in Beijing with Southeast Asian countries over a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea aimed at easing tensions over conflicting territorial claims. The furore over the Second Thomas Shoal will no doubt poison the atmosphere, making any agreement difficult to reach.

The incident also comes ahead of a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington, beginning tomorrow, to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Ostensibly, the Biden administration is seeking to ease tensions with China and foster collaboration. In reality, Blinken and other top officials used a trip to Beijing in June to lay down a series of ultimatums to China, and will do so again this week.

Over the past decade, beginning with the Obama administration, the US has transformed longstanding territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea from a relatively minor regional issue into a dangerous flashpoint for war with China. US warships and warplanes have engaged in escalating provocations by entering Chinese-claimed waters and airspace in the name of freedom of navigation. The South China Sea is directly adjacent to sensitive military bases on the Chinese mainland that would be obvious targets in any US conflict with China.

The US has also strengthened its military presence in the Philippines next to the South China Sea and encouraged the Marcos administration to take a more aggressive stance towards Beijing. In February, it was announced that Manila would provide Washington with access to four additional basing locations in the Philippines under the auspices of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). One of the four bases is on the westernmost fringes of Palawan, as close as possible to the disputed Spratly Islands.

Washingtons provocations and military build-up in the Indo-Pacific are taking place even as it intensifies the NATO war in Ukraine against Russia and backs Israel to the hilt in its genocidal onslaught on Palestinian people in Gaza, threatening a wider war in the Middle East. In its reckless determination to maintain its global hegemony at any cost, US imperialism is plunging humanity towards a catastrophic global conflict between nuclear-armed powers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron before their talks in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.(AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)

Yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Israel to brazenly solidarize himself with the genocidal war the Israeli state is waging on the Palestinians in Gaza. At his joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he gave an open-ended pledge of French military support to Netanyahus government.

As Macron spoke, over 7,000 Palestinians had been killed and a quarter of Gazas buildings leveled, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wage a genocidal war on the Palestinians to punish them for their October 6-7 uprising against the illegal, 16-year Israeli blockade of Gaza. After closed-door talks with Netanyahu, Macron came out before the cameras to pledge his solidarity and friendship with this bloody onslaught.

Macron then called to involve France and its NATO allies in a massive escalation across the Middle East. He proposed that the international coalition against the Islamic State, which we used for our operations in Iraq and Syria, also fight Hamas. He warned Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Iranian regime and Houthi militias in Yemen that if they attempted any operations in support of Gaza, it would lead to a regional conflagration.

What Macron was proposing is a neocolonial war waged by a coalition of all the major NATO imperialist powers not only on Gaza, but across the entire Middle East. The United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Turkey, Canada, Australia and Denmark all joined this coalition. It bombed cities, civilian targets and Islamic State (IS) militia units in the context of NATOs war for regime change in Syria, and to protect the neocolonial Iraqi puppet regime set up during the 2003-2011 US-led occupation of Iraq.

Macrons utterly reckless remarks amount to a pledge that NATO would join in a full-scale war across the entire Middle East. With NATO already at war with Russia in Ukraine, this could rapidly trigger a direct military clash on a global scale between the NATO alliance, on the one hand, and Iran, Russia and China on the other.

As Macron spoke, there were mounting exchanges of fire between Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and IDF troops in northern Israel, and villages on both sides of the border were being evacuated. Its second-in-command, Naim Qassem, said Hezbollah is fully ready and will not allow threats from the US government, which has sent two aircraft carrier battle groups to the region, to deter it. The IDF have also launched air strikes on targets in Syria, which hosts Russian and Iranian military forces.

Last week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a continued escalation of the genocidal Israeli war with Gaza could provoke a broader entry of countries across the Middle East into the war. He said, If the crimes of the Zionist [Israeli] regime continue, Muslims and resistance forces will become impatient, and no one can stop them  The bombardment of Gaza must stop immediately.

Yesterday, at the United Nations, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged that US forces would intervene swiftly and decisively against any Iranian military action to support Hamas. US officials including US Senator Lindsay Graham have threatened air strikes on Irans oil industry. This directly raises the prospect of a NATO clash with Russia and with China, which in 2021 signed a treaty pledging mutual military assistance with Iran, now a key source of oil and gas for China.

At the press conference with Macron, Netanyahu threatened to wage war against an axis of evil involving Hamas, Iran and the Houthis as well as Hezbollah. Saying there would be horrible consequences and that devastation against Hezbollah will be unimaginable if it intervenes against an IDF ground invasion of Gaza, he indicated that the IDF would provoke mass Lebanese civilian casualties: Because (Hezbollah) are embedding themselves in the civilian population like Hamas, we will have to take action against them.

The Macron government and the NATO imperialist powers as a whole are backing a war waged by genocidal methods of collective punishment against populations across the entire Near East. It is the end product of over 30 years of neocolonial wars in the region by the NATO powers, since the first Gulf War against Iraq and the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The relentless aggression waged by the NATO imperialist powers is plunging the world into a third world war, after the two world wars of the 20th century.

Macron lied shamelessly, presenting the support of his government and of the NATO alliance for military escalation across the Middle East as a war for democracy against terrorism. He said, The struggle must be waged without mercy, but not without rules. We are democracies waging war on terrorists, democracies who respect the laws of war and who ensure humanitarian access. We are democracies who do not target civilians, either in Gaza or anywhere else.

While advocating a military and implacable response against Gaza, Macron claimed he wanted a decisive relaunch of a political process with the Palestinians in order to grant the Palestinian people a territory and a state.

In reality, Macron applauded a war waged on an oppressed, largely defenseless population of Gaza implicating the IDF in a string of crimes against humanity. Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007 in defiance of UN rulings that its blockade was illegal, and, in the first two weeks of the conflict, blocked all water, food, and fuel to the impoverished enclave. The Israeli bombing of the Ahli Arab hospital last week, which cost hundreds of civilian lives, exposes the barbaric character of the war on Gaza.

Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that two-thirds of Gazas 72 health facilities, including 12 of its 35 hospitals, had completely ceased treatment due to lack of power. Most of the remaining facilities, including hospitals where premature babies will die if power is cut to their incubators, have at most a day of electricity remaining.

Macron himself briefly acknowledged this reality, claiming that he and Netanyahu spoke for a long time  about re-establishing the electrical supply in hospitals, without it being possible for it to be used to wage war.

Such statements only make clear, however, that the French government is perfectly aware, as it endorses Netanyahu, that he is waging war on civilians and committing crimes against humanity. As Macron insists that the IDF respects the laws of war and grants humanitarian access to Gaza, he is in fact deliberately lying to the people of France and the world.

Macrons claim that he is seeking an Israeli-Palestinian peace by endorsing Netanyahuwho has issued an illegal order to over 1.1 million inhabitants of Gaza to leave their homesis obscene. In reality, he is defending an attempt to solve the Palestinian issue by methods of genocide and ethnic cleansing that fascist governments of 20th century Europe would have understood easily.

This has provoked a wave of demonstrations across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and internationally against the Gaza war. Stopping the horrific onslaught against Gaza and averting the imperialist powers downward spiral into World War III requires the mobilization of the international working class in a struggle against imperialist war and the capitalist system.

In this, there can be no political compromises with Macron, a banker who is widely despised as the president of the rich. As he revealed by sending his riot police to assault mass protests and strikes against his overwhelmingly unpopular pension cuts this spring, the Macron government rules openly and consciously against the people. In order to end the constant diversion of social wealth to war spending and halting a catastrophic global war, there is no other way than to build a movement in the working class to bring down his government.
Palestinian health ministry officials reported Tuesday that 704 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes over the preceding 24 hours, making it the deadliest day since Israels bombardment of Gaza began over two weeks ago. The grim statistic coincided with statements by representatives of American and French imperialism underscoring their support for the savage slaughter of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Conditions in the enclave are worsening by the hour. Hospitals are being forced to reduce services due to a lack of fuel, which Israeli authorities are preventing from entering Gaza via the Rafah border crossing from Egypt. Even the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA) reported that its operations in Gaza may have to be suspended within 24 hours if fuel supplies fail to arrive.

We are hosting 600,000 people in over 160 underground facilities, including schools, medical facilities, and other buildings like warehouses  Were so stretched that we have to open warehouses to receive the displaced, said UNRWA director of communications Juliette Touma. Supplies are also running out, so we will not be able to give any supplies to [Palestinians in Gaza]. We will not be able to do very simple things like start our fleet of cars or turn on the trucks and go pick up those supplies that are coming in from the borders.

The World Health Organization called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire Tuesday to allow for fuel shipments to reach Gaza. Six hospitals across Gaza have shut entirely due to a lack of fuel, the WHO said, and the al-Shifa Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital and the Turkish Friendship Hospital are struggling to maintain critical services. Unless vital fuel and additional health supplies are urgently delivered into Gaza, thousands of vulnerable patients risk death or medical complications as critical services shut down due to lack of power, the WHO warned.

The Israeli government reiterated yesterday its bitter opposition to any fuel shipments entering Gaza. Only eight trucks passed through the Rafah crossing late in the evening, five carrying water, two food, and one carrying medical supplies for 2.3 million people. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari asserted without providing any evidence that Hamas uses it [fuel] for its operational needs.

The Israeli military continued its indiscriminate bombing campaign throughout the day. It struck several targets in the south of the Gaza Strip, where Israeli government officials ordered over a million people to flee almost two weeks ago to ostensibly be safe from attacks. One air strike flattened a residential building in Khan Younis with dozens of casualties. Later in the day, a Gaza health ministry spokesman said that 50 people had been killed in air strikes within an hour.

Late in the evening, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported an air strike in the vicinity of its headquarters and the al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis, where some 4,000 civilians are sheltering from Israeli bombs. Initial reports indicated extensive damage and numerous injuries.

The ability of the far-right Netanyahu government, which is deeply unpopular within Israel, to resort to such brutal methods of collective punishment is due above all to the unconditional support it enjoys from the imperialist powers, first and foremost the United States. White House spokesman John Kirby emphasized Washingtons endorsement of the onslaught on Gaza, telling a Tuesday press conference, This is war. It is combat. It is bloody. It is ugly, and its going to be messy. And innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward.

French President Emmanuel Macron became the latest leader from one of the major imperialist powers to visit Israel, appearing alongside Netanyahu at a Tuesday press conference to declare his unflinching solidarity with the genocide against the Palestinians. Macron proposed extending the international coalition formed to fight the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria and Iraq in 2014 to include Hamas. Countries fighting ISIS should also fight against Hamas, he said. An Elysee Palace official later added that France is available to beef up what we are doing in the coalition against ISIS. We are available to include Hamas in [being targeted by] the coalition against ISIS depending on what Israel will ask us to deliver.

The comparison of the present war with the multi-national operations against ISIS is revealing, since the savage US-led war in Syria and Iraq led to the indiscriminate killing of tens of thousands of civilians. The liberation of cities like Mosul and Raqqa from ISIS control was achieved through their virtual destruction.

The prospect of direct US and French involvement underscores how the Israeli regimes war on Gaza is rapidly evolving into a region-wide conflict, or more accurately the Middle East front in a global war. The Biden administration has already dispatched two aircraft carrier battle groups to the region with over 15,000 personnel, while making direct threats against Iran.

On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that American bases in Syria and Iraq came under attack 10 times between October 17 and 24. A report from NBC News later in the day revealed that two dozen US soldiers were injured in the attacks. Taking direct aim at Tehran, Ryder remarked menacingly, We know that the groups [that] conduct these attacks are supported by the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime. What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran. We are preparing for this escalation both in terms of defending our forces and responding decisively.

At a UN Security Council debate, US secretary of State Anthony Blinken also took aim at Iran, accusing it of supporting Hamas, Hizbollah, and the Hauthis for years. Referring to the attacks on US bases, he added ominously, If Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security  swiftly and decisively.

The UN Security Council debate also underlined the strident rejection by Israel and its imperialist allies of any recognition of the oppression suffered by the Palestinians over the past three-quarters of a century. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made some remarks that in previous conflicts in the Middle East would have been more or less widely accepted. It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum, he said. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.

Israels UN envoy Gilad Erdan responded by demanding Guterres resignation, calling his remarks shocking, while Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a planned meeting with the UN head. Opposition leader Benny Gantz, who was brought into the war cabinet by Netanyahu, labelled Guterres a terror apologist.

The looming threat of a regional expansion of the war and the Israeli regimes brutal collective punishment of the Palestinian population can only be stopped by the development of a mass anti-war movement in the international working class. Workers around the world must demand an end to military aid for Israel and the massive military spending packages demanded by Biden and his European imperialist allies. Workers in Israel must fight for an end to the oppression of the Palestinians, which is the only way to oppose the Zionist regimes attacks on the democratic and social rights of Israeli workers. Arab and Jewish workers must be unified across the region under the banner of a socialist program to put an end to imperialist domination, ethnic and religious divisions, and war.
The Socialist Equality Party (UK) will be hosting three public meetings opposing Israels war on Gaza this November: in London on November 9, Bradford on November 2, and Inverness on November 11. We encourage all our supporters to publicise the meetings and make plans to attend. Registration for London is available here, for Bradford here, and for Inverness here.

Below is the text of the leaflet SEP members will distribute at university campuses across the three cities in the coming weeks and at demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza across the country.

***

Israels genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza is an historic crime, perpetrated by the Netanyahu regime and its imperialist accomplices led by the US and Britain.

Millions are opposing the horrific assault being carried out by Israel in protests throughout the world, including hundreds of thousands in the UK. These demonstrations have united people of different nationalities and faiths, including large numbers of Jewish people, and are overwhelmingly young. An entire generation is being politicised.

They are taking a stand not only against the Zionist regime, but its imperialist backers in the Biden administration and the Sunak government and their propagandists in the BBC, Guardian and the rest of the mass media. Standing fully behind the war criminals in Jerusalem, Washington and London is the Labour Party, whose leader Sir Keir Starmer is an accomplice to mass murder, despised by workers and youth.

The eruption of mass anti-imperialist sentiment must now be armed with the political perspective necessary for victory.

The United Nations and human rights groups will only issue appeals for a ceasefire that will be ignored by Israel and its backers. The Arab and Muslim states, above all Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have demonstrated that they will do nothing that threatens their decades of collusion with US imperialism and the normalisation of relations with Israel, even if the Palestinians face extermination.

This gives the US and its NATO allies free rein to prepare a broader conflict in the entire region targeting Iran, Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The American and European ruling class views the conflict in the Middle East as one front of a global war that includes the conflict with Russia in Ukraine and preparations for war against China.

The only force that can defend the Palestinians and put an end to the global eruption of imperialist violence is the international working class. The mass movement in support of the Palestinians comes amid a global strike wave by workers in every part of the world and in every industryincluding strikes in the UK by more than two million workers in the last year.

The ruling class is waging war on two fronts: for a global redivision of the world and an internal war against the working class. Every penny of the hundreds of billions spent on war in Gaza and Ukraine will be clawed out of the backs of workers in the UK, Europe and America. And opposition to Israels genocide or the destruction of jobs, wages and conditions will be met with state repression, while the trade union leaders urge calm and reliance on the election of Starmer and his gang of pro-big business warmongers.

The Socialist Equality Party and our co-thinkers in the International Committee of the Fourth International call for the mobilisation of the working class to stop the genocide in Gaza and the broader war policy of the ruling elite. We call on workers to take industrial action to deprive Israel of all resources for use in its filthy war, above all a block by dockworkers, airport and transit workers of the weapons being used to rain down death and destruction on Gaza.

Our aim is to build a mass movement of the working class and youth to end capitalism and build a socialist world free of class oppression and war. Make plans to attend to discuss these essential questions.
The US, South Korea and Japan on Sunday held their first trilateral air force drill. These exercises are part of Washington-led efforts to increase cooperation between the three militaries. Even as it threatens to unleash a broader war throughout the Middle East while backing Israels genocidal destruction of Gaza, the US is making clear that there will be no let-up in the plans for war against China.

Fighter aircraft from the US, Japan and South Korea conduct a trilateral escort flight of a US B-52H bomber in the Indo-Pacific region, Oct. 22, 2023 [Photo: Air Force Senior Airman Karrla Parra]

Sundays exercise took place south of the Korean Peninsula involving both a US B-52H strategic bomber and fighter jets from the three countries. The B-52 is capable of carrying nuclear payloads as well as various types of conventional weaponry. The bomber previously landed at a South Korean airbase on October 17 while conducting fly-overs of the peninsula alongside South Korean aircraft. It was the first time a B-52 has landed in South Korea.

The three sides claim that such shows of force are necessary to deter a supposed attack from North Korea. The South Korean Air Force stated, This exercise was designed to follow through on the defense agreements discussed in the Camp David summit in August and expand the three countries response capabilities against North Koreas advancing nuclear and missile threats.

In reality, the exercise is another orchestrated provocation, staged on Chinas doorstep and meant to threaten Beijing. Such drills are increasing following the April summit between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, where the two leaders pledged to increase the presence and visibility of US strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula while increasing joint cooperation over the potential use of US nuclear weapons.

In addition to the recent B-52 visit, the US also dispatched the USS Kentucky, an Ohio-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine, to South Korea in Julythe first time in four decades a submarine of this class had visited the country. More recently, Washington deployed the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to the Indo-Pacific region, joining the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in the region. The latter recently conducted joint drills with South Korea and Japan while docking at Busan for five days.

These provocative moves take place as the US surges its forces into the Middle East to back the Israeli genocide of Palestinians, threatening a much larger conflict against Iran. In increasing its military presence in East Asia, Washington is preparing for a war with China, which it regards as the chief threat to its global hegemony.

The global character of the US war plans was made clear in Bidens recent demand for $US105 billion to fund not only the US proxy war in Ukraine against Russia and to arm Israel, but also to increase military aid for Taiwan, further challenging the One China policy. This is a red line for Beijing, which is unwilling to allow the island to become a base for future US war operations.

Seoul and Tokyo are not hesitating to back Washingtons war drive. Seoul in particular has seized on Hamass surprise attack on Israel to claim that North Korea is preparing a similar assault on the South, thereby justifying the further military build-up in East Asia and cooperation with Japan.

The US has been pressing Japan and South Korea to overcome historical tension stemming from Japans brutal colonization of Korea between 1910 and 1945. Their close military collaboration is essential to Washingtons preparations for war with China. Earlier this year, Seoul normalized an intelligence sharing agreement with Tokyo. Yoon also essentially declared that Seoul would no longer pursue legal claims against Japan for the latters past crimes in Korea. This has led to the improved relations and military collaboration.

This cooperation was taken to another level during Washingtons war planning summit in August at Camp David, attended by both Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Establishing what is essentially a trilateral alliance, they pledged to increase their number of joint war games, consolidate supply chains and further expand military intelligence sharing.

The three countries recently established a three-way hotline, another pledge coming out of the summit. Citing a senior government official in Seoul, South Koreas Yonhap News Agency reported the hotline was completed on October 16.

A US National Security Council spokesperson stated the previous week that the hotline would provide regular, timely and redundant access to secure lines of voice and video communication. In addition, the line will also ensure secure connectivity between other senior members of government, including our respective national security advisers.

Japan is also using the pretext of a North Korean threat and alleged Chinese assertiveness to justify remilitarization and further undermine constitutional bans on maintaining a military. In December Japan announced that it was effectively doubling its military budget by 2027.

Japan is expanding the capabilities of its armed forces. Tokyo recently announced that it would increase the presence of its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in Kyushu, which includes establishing an F-35B fighter jet air base and a surface-to-ship missile unit. The units are scheduled to be established in the 2024 fiscal year, beginning next April.

The units cover the Ryukyu (or Nansei) Island chain that runs from Kyushu down through Okinawa Prefecture towards Taiwan, which a senior Defense Ministry official called a single theater of operations. The proximity of the southernmost islands to Taiwan is exploited by Tokyo to justify military build-up in that area and its integration into US war plans against Chinaall in the name of self-defense.

Tokyo is planning to acquire cruise missiles in fiscal year 2025, a year earlier than previously scheduled. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara made the announcement while meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month in Washington. Tokyo will purchase 200 Tomahawk Block-4 missiles from the US between 2025 and 2027. It will then purchase an additional 200 Tomahawk Block-5 variant giving Japan the ability to strike targets in China and North Korea.

The advanced preparations for war against China by the US and its allies only underscore the fact that American imperialism will stop at nothing to maintain its world dominance even as it hurtles towards a catastrophic global conflict between nuclear-armed powers.
Protests against Israels genocidal onslaught on the Palestinians in Gazaand the complicity of the imperialist powershave been building across Canada, as around the world, for the past two weeks. Last weekend saw the largest demonstrations yet, with over 4,000 mainly young people protesting in Toronto on Saturday and a mobilization of like size in Montreal the next day.

A significant feature of the protests has been condemnation of the Biden administration and the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal government. Washington has rushed billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, deployed two additional aircraft-carrier battle groups to the region and repeatedly threatened Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah with devastating consequences if they try to halt Gazas destruction. Ottawa, for its part, has given full-throated support to Israeli war crimes. These include depriving Gazas 2.3 million citizens of all food, water and energy, ordering mass civilian evacuations, and targeting hospitals and other public infrastructure.

Part of the Oct. 21 Toronto demonstration denouncing the Canadian-US backed Israeli onslaught on Gaza's Palestinians

Under these conditions, a coalition of trade unions, social justice groups and faith-based organizations have stepped forward with an appeal for a ceasefire. Endorsed by some dozen major union bodiesincluding Unifor, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Montreal labour councils of the Quebec Federation of Labour and the Confederation of National Trade Unionsthe mealy-mouthed October 21 statement is aimed at confining the mounting opposition to the imperialist-backed onslaught on the Palestinian people to futile appeals to the Liberal government to press for a ceasefire.

The statement begins by deploring, in a detached and supposedly neutral tone, the violence in Israel-Palestine and its escalation towards an all-out war, thereby suggesting that Hamas and the Israeli state are equally responsible for the genocidal violence now being visited upon the Palestinians of Gaza. In this vein, the unions declare, Since October 7, thousands have been killed following Hamas attack and the Israeli governments response.

The statement manages to mention the bombing of the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza in which hundreds perished without naming Israel as the perpetratora clear concession to the vile war propaganda being churned out by the Netanyahu regime and its western allies that blames a supposed misdirected Islamic Jihad rocket for the war crime.

One would have no inkling from the statement that Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for the past 17 years, turning it into an open-air prison, let alone systematically oppressed the Palestinians for three-quarters of a century since over a million were ethnically-cleansed to make way for the establishment of the Israeli state. To condemn violence on both sides under these conditions is to cover-up for and side with the oppressor. Hamas October 7 attack was a mass uprising by an oppressed people, an uprising the far-right Netanyahu government has responded toin wanton disregard for international lawwith acts of savagery and collective punishment akin to those perpetrated by the Nazi regime.

The unions distorted portrayal of the conflict is inseparable from their close political alliance with the Trudeau Liberal government, which they helped elect in 2015. The governmental alliance between the Canadian Labour Congress-sponsored New Democrats (NDP) and the minority Liberals, formed to strengthen the government as Canada joined the US-led war on Russia, has bound the unions even more tightly to the pro-war Trudeau government.

This becomes even clearer when one examines the timid demands the statement advances. Tellingly, several of these demands are framed as endorsements of what the pro-war Trudeau government is already doing.

The statements signatories humbly call on the government of Canada to take these steps:

Call for an immediate ceasefire of hostilities in Israel-Palestine.

Call for an end to the blockade of Gaza and for the restoration of humanitarian aid and access to the basic necessities of life.

We endorse the Canadian governments call for humanitarian aid to Gaza and the safe return of hostages.

Strikingly, the union-endorsed statement contains not a single word of criticism of the Trudeau government or Canadian imperialism.

No mention is made of the fact that Trudeau and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly have repeatedly justified the criminal actions of the Israeli state, including the siege of Gaza, by saying Israel has a right and a duty to defend itself.

Nor is there any reference to Ottawas efforts, second in recent years only to that of the US, to shield Israel from all criticism at the United Nations for its systematic oppression of the Palestinians; or to the burgeoning ties between the Canadian Armed Forces and the Israeli Defence Forces.

Canadas steadfast support for Israel is cemented by its more than three-quarter-century old and ever-expanding military-strategic partnership with the United States. For Ottawa, like Washington, Israel serves as a garrison state in the Middle East to advance the interests of American and Canadian imperialism.

More broadly, the Trudeau government, with the full support of its trade union and New Democratic Party allies, has vastly expanded military spending and positioned Canada as a major player in the US-led war on Russia in Ukraine and its military-strategic offensive against China.

Over the weekend, while protesters took to the streets in cities across Canada to oppose Israels onslaught on Gaza, the Trudeau government took further steps to demonstrate its full support. On Saturday, Defence Minister Bill Blair announced that an independent investigation by the Canadian military had determined with a high degree of confidence that Israel was not responsible for the bombing of the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. The next day, Trudeau issued a joint statement with the United States, which for decades has armed Israel to the teeth, and the European imperialist powers that reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism.

One must either be a political know-nothing or engaged in deliberate deception to believe that demands for a peaceful solution to the conflict can be addressed to such a government. In the case of the union leaderships, who have decades of experience in smothering working class opposition to the ruling elites policies of austerity and war, the latter is true. They are determined to corral the growing opposition among workers and young people to the Zionist states war on Gaza behind pathetic appeals to the progressive Liberal government, so as to prevent them from turning to a socialist program to overcome the national, religious and ethnic divisions intentionally stoked by imperialism in the Middle East.

The release of the union-backed statement calling for a ceasefire came the day after 33 MPs, including 23 from the Liberal caucus, eight NDP MPs, and two Greens had made a similar appeal to Trudeau in an open letter. It declared, Canada has long been a voice for peace. The longer this conflict goes on, the more innocent civilians will pay with their lives. We demand that Canada join the growing international call for an immediate ceasefire.

Even this meek appeal that sought to revive the fraudulent image of Canadian imperialism as a peacekeeper was too much for the right-wing Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois, none of whose MPs signed their names to it. On Monday, the Bloc shifted its position and issued its own call for a ceasefire. But it stressed that any halt to the fighting should only be temporary, to allow for aid deliveries, i.e., Israel must have Canadas support in launching a scorched earth ground invasion at a time of its choosing.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party provides the parliamentary votes necessary to secure Trudeau his governing majority, issued his own letter Monday to the Prime Minister calling on the government to push for a ceasefire. In even more tempered language than the union bureaucrats, Singh wrote, I am asking for an urgent meeting between us to discuss how we can work together to end the bloodshed with a ceasefire, get Canadians out of the region, ensure the safe return of all hostages, and insist that international law be respected. Underscoring his partys firm backing for the Israeli regimes onslaught, he began his letter with a sharp denunciation of Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, suggesting that this was the origin of the conflict.

The NDPs bitter hostility to any genuine support for the oppressed Palestinian people was glaringly exposed by the fate of Sarah Jama, an NDP member of the Ontario legislature. On October 10, Jama issued a statement calling for an end to all occupation of Palestinian land and an immediate ceasefire. The statement prompted a torrent of criticism and abuse from the hard-right Tory government led by Doug Ford, the corporate-controlled media, and the Ontario NDP leadership. They were outraged at Jamas refusal to toe the line by denouncing the Hamas attack as a terrorist operation.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles announced Monday that Jama had been kicked out of the NDP caucus. With breathtaking cynicism, Stiles accused Jama of having created an unsafe work environment for staff members, because pro-Israeli elements whipped up the Ford government and the likes of the Toronto Sun have made threatening phone calls to NDP offices. Needless to say, Stiles statement had nothing to say about the massive loss of life and growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, all of which is being facilitated by the support her party is extending to the Trudeau Liberal government.

The NDP booted Jama from its caucus on the same day the Ford government passed a sweeping motion of censure against her in the provincial legislature. As a result, Jama is now forbidden from speaking in the chamber unless and until she apologizes to the provincial parliament and retracts her initial October 10 statement defending the Palestinian people.
Over the past fortnight thousands of people in New Zealand have joined the global protests against the Israeli governments genocidal bombing of Gaza.

More than 5,700 people, including 2,360 children, have been killed and tens of thousands injured since the Zionist regime began its bombardment and cut off virtually all water, food and fuel supplies to the 2.3 million people trapped in the city.

New Zealands caretaker Labour Party government, which suffered a crushing defeat in the October 14 election, and the incoming National Party government have refused to condemn these war crimes. Both parties have echoed the United States and other imperialist powers in supporting Israels right to defend itself, a fraudulent pretext for mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing.

There is growing outrage among ordinary workers and young people. Palestinian solidarity groups have organised protests in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Whanganui, New Plymouth, Nelson and other towns. More are planned this weekend. These events have received very limited coverage in the corporate media and some have not been reported at all.

Auckland protest in support of Palestine, October 14. [Photo: Instagram, muslimsofauckland]

The largest protest took place in Auckland on October 21, with around 5,000 people rallying in Aotea Square and marching to the US Consulate. Many waved Palestinian flags and placards with slogans such as Genocide is not self defence and Stop the occupation.

Zaena, a young worker who attended the Auckland protest and an earlier vigil for victims of Israels bombing of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, spoke with the World Socialist Web Site. She said her father, who is from Jordan, had often spoken to her about the occupation of Palestine, and she had recently researched it herself. She called the New Zealand governments statement that Israel was defending itself appalling and factually incorrect.

Theyre being totally complacent about war crimes, and I think thats why a lot of us young people are really angry about it. What was taking place in Gaza was genocide, she said. Were seeing it live on our phones. If you want to see it, you can see it.

Zaena

Zaena described the New Zealand media coverage as very biased. I understand that unfortunately there has been Israeli loss of life, and thats horrible. But they are not painting the full picture for Kiwis. Thats why a lot of people unfortunately think that this is a fair war, or a two-sided war, or that this is a terrorist attack from the Palestinian side.

I think there are Zionists that are really, really pushing for this ethnic cleansing, and New Zealands media, whether on purpose or not, they are feeding into it and its really disturbing. She added that the actions of the Israeli military would lead to more civilian casualties on both sides.

Zaena agreed with the call by the WSWS for ordinary people in Israel to stand against the war and mentioned that theres protests from Jews in Israel that are fighting for the same thing were fighting for. She also praised the organisation Jewish Voice for Peace and said the international medias depiction of pro-Palestine protests as antisemitic just feels like a lot of propaganda, to be honest. Being anti apartheid and anti Zionism does not equal antisemitism.

Saed, who is from Palestine and moved to New Zealand seven years ago, attended the protest in Nelson last Saturday. He told the WSWS he grew up in Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem, and was worried about his family there because the situation is very scary now. He said Israel plans to kick everyone out from Gaza to Egypt and from West Bank to Jordan, after they finish bombing Gaza.

The western media is talking more about Israel. They forget to talk about Palestinian people: they have lived under occupation at least 75 years now. And the media didnt see before October 7 what happened every day in the West Bank, in Jerusalem, everywhere in Palestine, how the system is and how Israel is stealing land with settlements and killing.

Protest in Nelson in support of Palestine, October 21 [Photo by Supplied]

Saed said the attacks in Gaza are killing only civilians. Israel was declaring that everything they destroy is a Hamas target, including hospitals and mosques. Meanwhile civilians ordered by Israel to relocate to the south of Gaza are still being bombed. We cant be silent when we see what is happening there. We cant keep our eyes closed to the occupation and what they are doing.

Saed denounced Israels lies that a Palestinian militant group was responsible for the bombing of Al Ahli Hospital, where as many as 500 people died. Today on Al Jazeera there was an interview with an Israeli military man. They asked him: Okay, you say Hamas did it, are you happy to send people from overseas to check, to find what happened at the hospital? They said no. Saed said Israel dont care about anything because they have cover from America, England, Italy, France, Germany.

In the occupied West Bank, Saed explained, Israeli forces come any time without telling you what they are doing. We live similarly to Gaza. You have a big wall around you, like in a prison. It is hard for people to go from Bethlehem to Ramallah or different cities because they lock all the exits.

Zionist settlers go into villages around the West Bank, they start shooting people, then the trees, then the house. They have support from the Israeli government and they have support from the military. They can do anything.

During the past two weeks, Saed explained, Israeli forces have arrested around 150 Palestinians a day in the West Bank, and 95 people have been killed. Before moving to New Zealand, Saed had been imprisoned for 18 months because I was protesting against Israel and for freedom during the war in 2011 against Gaza.

He urged the New Zealand government to call for an end to the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, to say the right thing, not to be supporting Israel or America. Use your humanity.

Sarah at the protest in Hamilton on October 21

Sarah, a registered nurse who attended a protest in Hamilton on October 21, told the WSWS: The protest was amazing. There was a lot of support out there and I was really pleased to see it.

She said the way the conflict had been misrepresented infuriates me to my very core and blamed the media for the misrepresentation, the bias, the lack of context that people have about the history of Israels colonisation of Palestine. If you cant stand against genocide and oppression, whatever can you stand for?

She said the New Zealand media was spending a majority of the time on the people with the least amount of victims, and the ones that are causing the harm. Noting that Washington had refused to call for a ceasefire, Sarah said: Theres no humanity behind that, that is all just greed.

She added that unfortunately, our government is tied up on the US side, which means if we are ever going to go to war over this, were on the wrong side, unless we stand up and say something. She supported calls for a ceasefire, but added, its not enough. We need to kick out the Israeli embassy. We need to say that crimes against humanity should never be accepted.

Suzanne, from Rangiora, attended two protests in Christchurch on October 14 and 21, which received negligible media coverage. At the first there were around 200 people. The second drew a crowd of 1,000 or more.

Suzanne denounced the Labour and National Party leaders as cowards for remaining silent on Israels war crimes. Both parties were scared to stand up and say what they know to be the truth, because of their political relations and economic relations with the United States, primarily, she said.

Protesters marching in Christchurch on October 21 in support of Palestine [Photo: X/Twitter @UnPressed]

For decades and decades this has been going on, this quiet, slow, hidden incremental ethnic cleansing and genocide. The building of a Zionist apartheid state, with actual pass laws just like they had in South Africa, and with daily and nightly terror going on, and people being killed and children being dragged through the street and thrown in the back of an IDF vehicle and sent to prison for the slightest thing.

And yet when there is an attack by Hamas, the mass media put out this propaganda about how it was an unprovoked attack, and the sycophantic government leaders all jump on the Israel has the right to self-defence bandwagon. Its just shameful. History didnt just start on October the 7th and it wasnt an unprovoked attack.

Suzanne added that the sheer scale of the protests around the world is giving me hope at the moment. She said people were horrified by the level of atrocities and war crimes that Israel is now perpetrating, and were increasingly able to see through government propaganda and lies thanks to independent reporting.
The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, which is investigating unlawful killings by British soldiers, has heard evidence of war crimes and the deletion of evidence relating to these crimes and their whitewashing through internal inquiries.

The inquiry opened October 9 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London into alleged extra-judicial killings by the Special Air Service (SAS) in Afghanistan. The SAS is the main special forces unit of the British Army.

British soldiers storm a building in Afghanistan, 2007 [Photo by Defence Imagery / Flickr / CC BY-NC 4.0

In his opening statement chairman and presiding judge, Lord Justice Haddon Cave, said, The allegations are extremely grave. They were first, that numerous extra-judicial killings were carried out by British Special Forces in Afghanistan during the period mid-2010 to mid-2013; second, that these were covered up at all levels over the past decade; third, that the five-year inquiry carried out by the Royal Military Police was not fit for purpose.

As part of British military support for the US-led occupation of Afghanistan (2001-2021), the SASlike the elite special forces of the US and other NATO powerscarried out hundreds of deliberate detention operations (DDOs) or night raids. These resulted in scores of unlawful killings and were predominantly carried out in rural areas of Helmand province. They were intended to terrorize and pacify the Afghan population as an insurgency developed across the country against the corrupt US-puppet regime of Hamid Karzai.

The inquiry is focussing on 54 alleged killings of Afghan civilians during DDOs by UK special forces between 2010 and 2013, including:

November 30, 2010 Mohammed Ibrahim was killed in an SAS raid. Ibrahims family insist he was an innocent civilian who worked as an Afghan government official between 2001 and 2007.

Mohammed Ibrahim was killed in an SAS raid. Ibrahims family insist he was an innocent civilian who worked as an Afghan government official between 2001 and 2007. February 7, 2011 Nine men were killed in their beds during a raid in Makati Dashta in northern Helmand. Families of the victims say the men were shot most likely while asleep. The killings are believed to have occurred as several families gathered before a wake. The SAS said they had fired in self-defence having been fired upon.

Nine men were killed in their beds during a raid in Makati Dashta in northern Helmand. Families of the victims say the men were shot most likely while asleep. The killings are believed to have occurred as several families gathered before a wake. The SAS said they had fired in self-defence having been fired upon. February 9, 2011 Eight Afghans were killed in a guesthouse during a DDO carried out by special forces in Khanano, in the Musa Qala district of northern Helmand. Family members insist they were innocent civilians and have suggested that fatal injuries sustained by the men, and the positions in which they were found, indicate they were shot by trained soldiers who were facing them. Some of the victims still had their hands bound.

Eight Afghans were killed in a guesthouse during a DDO carried out by special forces in Khanano, in the Musa Qala district of northern Helmand. Family members insist they were innocent civilians and have suggested that fatal injuries sustained by the men, and the positions in which they were found, indicate they were shot by trained soldiers who were facing them. Some of the victims still had their hands bound. February 16, 2011 Four Afghan civilians including a respected local elder were killed during a night raid in Gawahargin, a village in the Nawa District of southern Helmand. Although special forces assert that they fired in self-defence (when the victims produced a hand grenade from behind a curtain or an AK-47 assault rifle) the families insist that all four deceased were innocent civilians, had no association with the Taliban and that there were no weapons in the home. Following this incident, an Afghan military partner unit apparently made it known that they no longer wished to collaborate with UK forces.

Four Afghan civilians including a respected local elder were killed during a night raid in Gawahargin, a village in the Nawa District of southern Helmand. Although special forces assert that they fired in self-defence (when the victims produced a hand grenade from behind a curtain or an AK-47 assault rifle) the families insist that all four deceased were innocent civilians, had no association with the Taliban and that there were no weapons in the home. Following this incident, an Afghan military partner unit apparently made it known that they no longer wished to collaborate with UK forces. October 18, 2012 four teenagers were killed during a DDO in the village of Loi Bagh, in central Helmand. The SAS say they found weapons during a subsequent search of the property. The family insists all the deceased were innocent civilians, had nothing to do with the Taliban, and that there were no weapons.

four teenagers were killed during a DDO in the village of Loi Bagh, in central Helmand. The SAS say they found weapons during a subsequent search of the property. The family insists all the deceased were innocent civilians, had nothing to do with the Taliban, and that there were no weapons. August 7, 2012The SAS killed Hussain Uzbakzai, his wife Ruqquia Haleem, and severely injured their two children Imran and Bilal while they slept during a raids on the village of Shesh Aba, in Nimruz province.

Holding the inquiry was forced out of the government following a July 2022 broadcast of an episode of the BBC Panorama documentary series, SAS Death Squads Exposed: A British War Crime? It contained interviews and evidence based on official files from police investigations and a four-year probe showing that one SAS unit in Helmand province had killed 54 people in suspicious circumstances between 2010 and 2011. The units tour of duty resulted in a total Afghan death toll more than double that number. None of the units members sustained any injuries in the raids, indicating they had faced no threats to their own safety.

The government denounced the BBC for engaging in irresponsible, incorrect journalism. But within 24 hours it was forced to initiate a fresh investigation into the allegations, in which the BBC and other organisations were asked to share information, and which led to the announcement of a statutory inquiry.

The inquiry proceedings substantiated allegations that UK special forces had an unstated policy of executing fighting age Afghan males, whether they posed a threat or not. This was detailed by lead counsel Oliver Glasgow KC, who cited an internal letter written in March 2011 by a senior military figure [name redacted], which read:

During these operations it was said that all fighting age males are killed on target regardless of the threat they posed, this included those not holding weapons. It was also indicated that fighting age males were being executed on target inside compounds, using a variety of methods after they had been restrained. In one case it was mentioned that a pillow was put over the head of an individual before being killed with a pistol. It was implied that photos would be taken of the deceased alongside weapons that the fighting age male may not have had in their possession when they were killed. The conversation implied that the intention of regular operations was to pacify areas in Helmand by destroying all the medium and low level Taliban Command chain and facilitators, using any means possible.

UK special forces were also accused of planting weapons on their victims.

Allegations of cover-ups of illegal activity and inadequate investigations by the Royal Military Police (RMP) are also being examined. Two RMP investigations, Operation Cestro and Operation Northmoor, are expected to be scrutinised.

Operation Northmoor was set up in 2014 to begin examining what became of 675 allegations of detainee abuse by UK armed forces. Northmoor eventually involved over 120 military police officers. Its detectives investigated evidence that one SAS squadron had killed dozens of unarmed Afghan detainees and civilians.

Operation Cestro investigated the killing of four young Afghans in Helmand in October 2012 by a member of the SAS. The RMP referred three soldiers to the Service Prosecuting Authorityincluding the shooter on four counts of murder. Neither investigation resulted in any prosecutions.

The current inquiry intends to examine whether the conclusion to Operation Northmoor [there is no cogent or tangible evidence to prove or support that unlawful killing took place.] was correct. It would be necessary to scrutinise the way in which Operation Northmoor was handled, both by those in charge as well as by those who carried out the investigation itself.

The inquiry was told that in December 2016, when RMP officials attempted to collect data from UK Special Forces headquarters intended for Operation Northmoor, they were told this data had been deleted. According to inquiry transcripts, the senior investigating officer recorded the following entry in his policy log: It appears that [UK Special Forces headquarters] have deleted material from the preserved ITS1 server. That deletion process has been conducted in such a way that it is irreversible and impossible to determine what has been deleted. This is in direct disobeyance to our demands to preserve the data in its entirety.

Glasgow said, Accordingly, after nearly 15 months of negotiations to recover the entire data set from the UK special forces server, the SIO [senior investigating officer] was instructed not to take any steps to secure what was promised and not to investigate why it was that [the UK special forces headquarters] had permitted data to be deleted.

Inquiry officials have said that the judge and his legal staff have no plans to visit Afghanistan. Iain Overton, executive director for Action on Armed Violence, who has been involved in investigating the allegations, said, The inquiry failing to go to Afghanistan is like a homicide unit not visiting the murder scene, noting that journalists had been able to visit since the Taliban takeover.

Whatever is revealed by the inquiry, commissioned by then Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Defence Minister Andrew Murrison, it will protect the guilty. The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan is operating within the legal framework provided by the Inquiries Act 2005, which states that one of its principles is that It is not part of the Inquirys function to determine civil or criminal liability of named individuals or organisations.
On Tuesday, former Trump coup lawyer Jenna Ellis became the third lawyer to plead guilty in the ongoing Georgia criminal case led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Ellis, Donald Trump and 17 others were indicted just over two months ago for their actions in attempting to overthrow the presidential election in Georgia following Trumps 2020 defeat.

Members of ex-President Donald Trump's legal team, including Sidney Powell, left, and Jenna Ellis, center, speak during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters, Thursday November 19, 2020, in Washington. [AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin]

As was the case with coup lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, Ellis has agreed to testify against her fellow co-defendants, which include her mentor, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.



Potentially facing a multi-year prison sentence, Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty to one charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, a felony. Ellis, like Chesebro and Powell, will not spend a single day in jail despite her leading role in conspiring for months with Trump and his inner circle to overturn the election and enable Trump to remain in power as de facto dictator. She was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the state of Georgia and also perform 100 hours of community service. She was, moreover, ordered to submit a letter of apology to the state, which she has already written.



Like Chesebro and Powell, Ellis was facing a felony charge under Georgias RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law. Ellis was also charged with solicitation of violation of oath by public officers. This charge is related to a December 3, 2020 Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee meeting in which Ellis, Giuliani and Trump coup lawyer John Eastman argued that the state legislature could appoint its own slate of presidential electors.



In contrast to Powell and Chesebro, Ellis volunteered to give a statement to the court. Appealing to far-right supporters who, prior to her agreeing to a plea deal, donated over $200,000 to her legal defense on the Christian fundraising site Give Send Go, Ellis said, As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously, and I endeavor to be a person of sound moral and ethical character in all of my dealings.

Powell, Ellis, Chesebro and Hall have all pleaded guilty and agreed to turn state's witness.

While Ellis remains a loyal Republican operative, prior to her plea deal she went public with her anger over Trumps refusal to pay the mounting legal bills of his lawyer co-conspirators. This past August on Twitter/X, Ellis posted, I was reliably informed Trump isnt funding any of us who are indicted.



Responding to Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Chairman Matt Schlapp, Ellis added, Would this change if he became the [Republican Party presidential] nominee? Why then, not now? I totally agree this has become a bigger principle than just one man. So why isnt MAGA, Inc. funding everyones defense?



In court on Tuesday, Ellis posed as a doe-eyed babe who was led astray by more senior lawyers with many more years of experience than I. She said, What I did not do, but should have done, your honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were, in fact, true. In the frenetic pace of attempting to raise challenges to the election in several states including Georgia, I failed to do my due diligence, Ellis confessed.



This, of course, is a fraud. Ellis, along with her fellow conspirators, including Trump and other top Republican officials, knew full well that their claims of widespread voting irregularities and a stolen election were false.

In an interview this past summer on Newsmax, Giuliani noted the close relationship he had with Ellis and the pivotal role she played in the failed coup. She was my number two, he said. She was excellent, and she was firmly convinced ... she was the one who recommended Professor Eastman.



Giuliani added, There is no one who was more zealous about the fact that this was a stolen election than Jenna Ellis, and I think that anyone on that team would testify to that. Giuliani said he would find it very, very hard to believe that Ellis would ever flip on Trump.



As Giulianis number two, she traveled the country with him in November and December 2020, lobbying Republican politicians from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin and New Mexico, in-person and over the phone, to take matters into their own hands and appoint their own, illegitimate electors.



Elliss testimony before the House Select Committee on January 6 sheds further light on the close relationship she had with Trumps inner circle. In addition to coordinating with the White House while operating out of the Willard Hotel, Ellis exchanged over 350 text messages with Trumps last White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, in the lead-up to the attempted coup of January 6, 2021.



Investigators for the now-defunct Select Committee questioned Ellis on her relationship with then-Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano, who, alongside Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Scott Perry, spearheaded the effort to overturn the Electoral College vote in Pennsylvania.



The committee questioned Ellis about several emails exchanged between her, Mastriano and several others Republican officials about reaching out to Dominion Voting Systems for access to machines and to acquire ballot images.



In over 66 pages of testimony, Ellis repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination and refused to answer a majority of the questions asked of her. This included whether or not she was asked to speak at Trumps rally at the Ellipse on January 6, her emails with Mastriano and the nature of her activities at the Willard Hotel.



When the efforts of Giuliani and Ellis to lobby state legislatures failed, they turned their pressure campaign toward then-Vice President Mike Pence. On December 31, 2020, less than a week before the attack on Congress, Mark Meadows forwarded to Pence a memorandum authored by Ellis in which she outlined how Pence could overturn the election on January 6 by not accepting the Electoral College slates from six states that Trump had lost.



In a separate January 5 memorandum that was forwarded to Pence from the White House, Ellis argued that Pence could ignore certain provisions in the Electoral Count Act because they were allegedly unconstitutional. Ellis argued that Pence should simply halt the certification on January 6 as soon as he began counting Arizonas Electoral College votes, at which point he would unilaterally declare that the state had failed to meet the legal standard for certifying electors.



Ellis now claims that her directives to Pence were nothing more than legal ruminations. But in an interview published on January 4, 2021, 48 hours before the attack on Congress, Ellis declared:

What Mike Pence could do, and what he should do, in fact, is to direct a question back to the state legislatures when there are two competing slates of delegates from these six states. He can ask that question to the states and say, well, state legislators, you know, I have an oath to the Constitution to uphold the Constitution as written in Article II Section 1.2, which says the state legislatures direct the manner in which electoral delegates are selected.



This is the exact same legal reasoning employed by far-right conspirator Virginia Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in her dozens of emails to Republican legislators in the same swing states, won by Joe Biden, where Ellis was imploring Pence to reject the legitimate Electoral College slates.
RAMALLAH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least three Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others injured when an Israeli reconnaissance plane bombed the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Palestinian security and medical sources said on Wednesday.

"The bodies of three young men, together with 20 injuries, some in critical conditions, were transferred to the Jenin hospital as a result of an attack by an Israeli reconnaissance plane," Wissam Bakr, director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, told Xinhua.

Palestinian witnesses said that a large number of Israeli forces stormed the city of Jenin, the surroundings of the camp, and the town of Burqin, amid armed clashes with Palestinian militants.

According to locals, a huge explosion was heard resulting from the launch of a missile from an Israeli reconnaissance plane, near the camp cemetery, which led to a number of young men being killed or wounded.

Armed Palestinian factions said that their members clashed with Israeli forces and targeted them with gunfire and homemade explosive devices.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the drone strike was carried out after "armed terrorists" fired and threw explosives at Israeli forces operating in the Jenin refugee camp. No Israeli personnel were injured in the clashes. 
Ekrem the Communist, the first play staged by the Theatre Factory (Fabrika Tiyatro), premiered in Istanbul on September 29. Actor Emin Senturk Suljic gives a one-man performance in the play written and directed by young playwright and director Harun Yaylaoglu. Reporters from the World Socialist Web Site recently conducted interviews with Yaylaoglu and Suljic.

WSWS: Can you tell us about the play, Ekrem the Communist? What processes impelled you to write this play?

Harun Yaylaoglu: To be honest, there is no simple answer to that. As a playwright, I think I have a responsibility to society, to the world I live in. Last year, when Will Lehman was running for president of the United Auto Workers [UAW] in the US and his main perspective was to eliminate the union bureaucracy, I had an idea for a play.

Then I intertwined Lehmans campaign with the wave of metal strikes in Turkey in May 2015, the so-called Metal Storm. I experienced it firsthand. I led Ekrem, who was living a lumpen life, to political enlightenment through the strikes. But as a writer, I cant say that I fictionalized everything. Some things flowed naturally into this, and the writing process led to the inclusion of current issues in the play, such as the 2015 general elections in Turkey and the Ankara train station massacre on October 10 that year. Ekrem is a character who announces his candidacy for the union presidencywith his own limitationsunder conditions where political parties and trade unions try to subordinate the masses to the parliamentary system.

Harun Yaylaoglu, the writer and director of the Ekrem the Communist (Photo-Fabrika Tiyatro)

WSWS: Ekrem appears as a narrator speaking directly to the audience.

HY: Thats very true and thats what were trying to do. The biggest challenge I faced when writing Ekrem was how to approach this subject. I approached Ekrem as a storyteller, which I had never tried before.

WSWS: Are there any parallels between Ekrems stories and your life?

HY: Yes, there are. The neighborhood where Ekrem was born was the same where I grew up. Like Ekrem, my father had a car repair shop. I can say that this story is more similar to my brothers. But while my brother continued to work as a car mechanic, Ekrem found himself at TOFAS [Fiat] auto plant in Bursa as a worker.

What I recounted after that is mostly what I saw or heard during the Metal Storm period. Of course, I cannot say that everything happened. But, for example, the scene of the convoy of Renault workers supporting the striking TOFAS workers happened in front of my eyes. So, yes, there are parallels.

WSWS: If we go back to Ekrem, he first appears as a character who is far from class consciousness. And when he first enters the factory, he catches the eye of the trade union officials, and they want to make a scab out of him. How did you come up with that idea?

HY: Ekrem is actually a proletarianized petty bourgeois. The TOFAS is an interesting factory in many ways. In a way, it is the place where the biggest trade union in Turkey, the right-wing-led Turk Metal, was largely founded. It is said there is a considerable rural population among its workers. Many of my friends also found work there. To come back to your question, this is exactly what my father, or my family in general, went through: from a petty bourgeois life, we became a working class family. This also has its place in the play.

As for the question of strikebreaking, unfortunately, that was one of the things we heard during the strike wave. Of course, although I fictionalized it to make it interesting while writing, these are issues that exist in the class struggle.

WSWS: In the play you have a serious attitude especially towards trade unions and you explain them in an ironic way, what do you think about the trade unions?

HY: As a long-time reader of the WSWS, and as a youth who read the writings of all publications during the Metal Storm period in 2015, I focused on the writings of Halil Celik and the group he led, which was then called Toplumsal Esitlik [Social Equality]. Above all, as I pointed out in the play, unions like the DISK confederation, which presented itself as revolutionary, have advanced almost nothing to workers. They caused the dismissal of dozens of workers and left them to their fate. All this increased my anger against the trade union apparatus.

Then, through unique works such as Why are trade unions hostile to socialism? by David North, I gained knowledge and perspective on the nature of trade unions and their place in the history of the class struggle. I think all this happened at some point through a sharpened, combined development of my creativity and my understanding of the world.

WSWS: The play ends with Ekrem announcing his campaign for the union presidency and referring to the Ankara train station massacre. What was your reason for bringing up the Ankara massacre?

Actor Emin Senturk Suljic during the play [Photo-Fabrika Tiyatro]

HY: As I mentioned before, while we were trying to tell the story of Metal Storm, other relevant events inevitably found their way into the play. I think the main reason why the unions and the left sabotaged the Metal Storm was their fear of a class movement that would get out of their control. If you remember, this was a year in which the Erdogan regime accelerated its authoritarianism. The general elections were held just one month after the strike wave.

When the June elections failed to produce a government, the famous wave of terror that lasted until the November elections was unleashed. Inevitably, I found myself writing a play about these issues. In my opinion, the Ankara massacre literally mirrored the imperialist war in the Middle East in Turkey. At the same time, it was also used to suppress a movement of the working class. There seems to be a connection between this and the authoritarianism of the Erdogan government.

WSWS: Your play raises important social and political issues. This is very different from the prevailing understanding in the field of cinema and theatre. What is the main difference in your approach?

HY: I think it is all about the way we perceive the world. I have to stress that this is a very dynamic process. However, as someone who studied playwriting, I can say that we were told for four years at university that there was a clear distinction between art and politics. I think that dozens of talented people are wasted. In the end, these writers experience a crisis, think they lack talent and give up writing. I was one of them, but somehow my political attitude and my deep concentration on art brought me back to the odyssey of writing. It was at this point that I began to write plays about the main problems of the world, such as freedom of expression, the rise of fascism, the rights of refugees, the WikiLeaks revelations and Julian Assange and the drive to authoritarianism, etc.

WSWS: Ekrem the Communist is also your directorial debut. What are your next plans as a director?

HY: Actually, I think that writing and directing are things that support each other. There is a crisis in artistic production in Turkey and internationally. But in this time of crisis, there will also be the rise of new artists. I would say that I see myself thereor want to see myself there. I think we can find our originality and creativity in the objective world. I try to emphasize this intersection between our subjective consciousness and the objective world. A writer or a director cannot produce a real work of art without thinking about the problems of the world in which he or she lives. I can say that an artist must have the ability to perceive the problems of his or her time and the courage to convey them.

WSWS: After the premiere, you announced that you would be starting your second play.

HY: Yes. Our second play, Lupin: A Spectre is Haunting the Middle East. Lupin, as its name suggests, is in a way an adaptation of Arsene Lupin [the central figure in a series of short stories by French writer Maurice Leblanc, first introduced in 1905, about a thief and master of disguise. The character later appeared in various stage, film and television adaptations].

But our Lupin is not a bank robber. He lives in the Middle East and tells the story of the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR by the Stalinists. Starting with the US invasion of Iraq, all the societies invaded and ruined by the US are presented here as a kind of image of the Middle East. Our Lupin, in disguise, infiltrates the Pentagon and exposes war crimes ...

The Theatre Factory will not retreat from its aesthetic concerns in any of the issues it deals with and will continue to address the fundamental problems that affect this world.

***

WSWS: What made you take on the main character in a working class story such as Ekrem the Communist?

Emin Senturk Suljic: The field of culture and art has been subjected to oppression many times in the past, and also today. There have been attempts to silence it, to close it down. We had colleagues (tutors, drama teachers) who went into exile, even to prison... In short, in the past there were revolutionary theatres, filmmakers and writers. When we came to the present day, in such a crisis it was necessary to say we exist, and we will exist... That was our starting point as the Theatre Factory.

I am on the side that stands against postmodernism and refuses to make a theatre that is determined by the bosses and the well-heeled. Neo-liberal policies have created a gap between art and profit concerns. I come from the tradition of troupe theatre, which prioritizes collective artistic production. Many actors and many artists have come out of this tradition.

Under these circumstances, a revolutionary attitude and a revolutionary theatre were necessary. Being a part of a working class story, Ekrem the Communist, is enjoyable and exciting at the same time. It is a relevant story in todays conjuncture.

My professors had a very nice saying, let me end with it: Theatre has a matter, and we are obliged to tell these matters. With solidarity.
Mass opposition to Israels criminal bombardment of Gaza is growing in Australia as part of a wave of global opposition among workers and youth.

Protests over the weekend were trice as large as those a week before. At the same time, the Australian political and media establishment, headed by the federal Labor government, continues to give unconditional support to the unfolding genocide in Gaza.

A section of the Melbourne rally on October 22, 2023

The Socialist Equality Party is holding a public meeting to discuss how to take forward the fight to stop the genocide and end war, above all through the mobilisation of the working class.

The meeting will be on Sunday, November 5 at 4 p.m. (AEDT) in Community Room 1, Bryan Brown Theatre, 80 Rickard Rd, Bankstown, New South Wales (NSW). For those unable to attend in person, the event will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Reserve your seat now!

****

At protests in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, the WSWS spoke to numbers of demonstrators.

In Sydney, Adrian, a lawyer, said that he had been reading the WSWS for a number of years. I have a strong stance against oppression and US imperialism. Whats happening in Gaza right now is a complete atrocity and a violation of all human rights. Were witnessing genocide play out before our eyes.

Adrian

Adrian said all the capitalist governments are lining up behind this war because they have their own geopolitical interests in the area. Theyre invested in maintaining their presence in the Middle East and Israel is a proxy state for the US. Their capitalist interests align with the genocide of Palestinians. Its an expansion of US imperialism.

Its double standards. They talk about Israelis right to defend themselves, when theyre in fact the oppressor in the situation. Yet if you draw parallels to the Ukrainian and Russian situation, they completely change their tune.

There are capitalist interests fuelling this world conflict. The US has created a front in the Ukraine and Russia that they've been building for decades now, and they need to bolster that war effort.

Its completely reckless. Were witnessing proxy wars that are playing out. World leaders have been talking about potentially using nuclear weapons in the Ukraine and Russian fighting that could obviously instigate World War 3. Thats part of the reason why I'm here today as well. The real solution is to have an independent movement of the working class because we need the working class to unite against this.

Adinda, a 21-year-old worker also at the Sydney rally, said: I am here because were not just fighting for Palestine, were fighting for human rights, humanity, the lives of young children.

Asked why she thought all the capitalist governments line up behind Israel, she said: Because they are all scared. Theyre scared of community banding together and realising that in order to remove systematic oppression we need to dismantle the whole system itself, and they are scared of that change. But it will happen, you can hear it. You can hear it coming from the underground, from all areas.

The WSWS spoke to Djemil in Melbourne, who explained: I have relatives in Palestinethey cant marry from the same city, they cant travel. When their kids go to school they get stopped at the checkpoints, the settlers spray faeces on their houses every day, many things like that you most probably have never heard of. All this for over 50 years. If its not racist or genocidal, what is it? Gaza is not even an open-air prison camp, its a concentration camp.

He added: Everyone can work to stop war, thats why we are here. Every person can do it, everybody is marching, all over the world. Peace for everyone, everybody wants to live in peace, regardless of race and religion.

Mohamed

Mohamed said: Im here to support Palestine because of what is going on, the genocide. Im against killing, the targeting of civilians. There must be a lot of reasons that the US government supports Israel, including ensuring strategic control of the Middle East. The rest of the countries that support this are aligned with the US. This has been going on for 75 years.

In Brisbane Maya and Alannah, originally from Gaza, declared their support for freedom for Julian Assange for exposing the war crimes of the US and its allies in the last US-led onslaught on Afghanistan and Iraq.

Free Julian Assange! Alannah declared. Freedom for the truth. Freedom for liberation and freedom for justice! And human rights, true human rights, not propaganda and the false narrative that is being pushed against us and shoved down our throats. Rather, freedom for the people who speak the truth and the whistle-blowers out there who really are standing up for the people in need and the people who deserve to have their voices heard.

Maya added: All human lives matter. If a life matters for one nationality, it should matter for all nationalities. All religions, all faiths stand together for humanity. The state of Israel is not the state of Israel, its the state of Zionism.

Alannah commented again, Julian Assange spoke up against the false perspectives and showed the truth with evidence and hard-core facts, and wasnt afraid to stand up to the tyranny, the oligarchy, the forced oppression, the occupation that is occurring in multiple countries around the world.

Maya added that the university building from where her mother had graduated with a nursing degree was now in rubble as the result of an Israeli bombing, along with the bodies of the next generation of female students.

Seta, a teacher, originally from the Pacific, said: Ive come today because the human rights of everyday people are being violated in Gaza by Israel. We have got to show restraint and humanity. There must be a line drawn somewhere, where we say to ourselves, as a collective, that we are not going to stand by and watch this happen.

I think its complicated because several actors and groups are complicit in this. Its about dialogue and talking with each other, instead of putting capitalist interests first. Capitalist interests serve the elite, they do not serve the average person on the ground whos being denied, at this moment, water, fuel, electricity and so on, and basic humanitarian rights.

If Joe Biden has got $100 billion that he can put toward war, surely, hes got that much money he can put toward aid, toward a peace process, toward a treaty-making process to make an agreement and so on. Why not channel that money into diplomacy? Why into weapons and military support? I dont understand.

Charlotte, a young worker, said she had studied the history of the conflict. She said it went back to World War I when the imperialist powers of Britain and France drew the arbitrary borders of all the states in the Middle East.

They came in and carved it up as suited their needs. They established the state of Israel later as a proxy for the West in the Middle East. Joe Biden even said so himself in a speech in the 1980s when he stated that it was cheaper to send $3 billion to Israel as an investment rather than for the US to go and set up its own country.

Its an open-air prison. The same people who are calling the Palestinians terrorists for fighting for their freedom are the same people who would have called Nelson Mandela a terrorist. Every single anti-colonial struggle has been labelled as terrorist.

Charlotte said the Albanese governments unconditional support for the Israeli bombardment was not what many people voted for. But it was on a par with what the Labor Party had done for many years.

Thats classic Labor. All these parties stand for capitalism and for imperialism and they always have. Theyve shown that in their actions for many years. So, theres no surprises. Im not disappointed because I didnt have any expectations to begin with.

It suits the Western needs to have a military base and an ally smack bang in the middle of all the oil countries of the world. Its about capitalism and its about hegemony.

Asked about the global struggle of the working class, Charlotte commented, The struggle for Palestine is ultimately a struggle of people, of workers. The people of Palestine are the symbol for workers, even in Western countries and Arab countries, everywhere.

What is freedom if you cant eat? We like to have these words of freedom and international laws  but they dont represent most people because most people are struggling. Colonialism hasnt ended as far as Im concerned. There is continued oppression.

In the working-class city of Newcastle in regional New South Wales there was a vigil last Thursday. Adam, who is training to be a civil engineer, told the WSWS: Im here today to let the Palestinian people know theyre not alone and someday you will be free. People are more aware about this nowin the Middle East, even places like Australia and the US.

Growing up, I was six years old for my first demonstration. Going out from school, we were calling for Muhammad al-Durraha very young Palestinian kid who was killed by the Israelis. I remember myself and my school friends joining adults in a march, it was very inspiring. From that day, you can imagine how the Palestinian cause is instilled in my heart.

I think most governments follow the US because their interests are aligned with the US and the US interests are aligned with Israel. Israel serves a purpose for them. Like Biden said, if Israel didnt exist, we would have to create it.

Israel has been doing this for almost 80 yearskilling women and childrenits an apartheid system. But nothing happens. Even when US citizens are killed in Palestine, nothing happened. When the activist and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a US citizen, was killed the news said the same liesit was done by the Palestinians. But then the video analysis showed that it was Israel, they had to admit it!

The Israeli officials called Palestinian people animals they said, were fighting human animals, on TV. That is the same sort of thing Hitler would have said.
The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has signed a $3 billion international syndicated facility agreement with four leading regional banks - Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC, Kuwait Finance House, Mashreq Bank and Saudi National Bank.

This landmark signing occurred amid Riyadh's prominent global economic event, the Future Investment Initiative.

The financing agreement has a tenure of five years and requires no guarantees from the SEC, said a statement from the company.

Announcing the deal, CEO Engineer Khaled Al-Gnoon said: "The financing comes in line with our ambitious investment strategy aimed at injecting approximately SAR500 billion in our expansion plans in the electricity sector, and CapEx spend by 2030 to provide exceptional electricity services to subscribers, this as well as boosting the growth of the company's regulated asset base, a move anticipated to fortify its financial position and prospects for revenue growth."

"Our investments primarily focus on building smart grids, integrating renewable energy projects, and improving the grid reliability, altogether will provide the essential infrastructure for the transmission and distribution grids to further boost electricity generation efficiency levels and achieve optimal electricity production, in line with the goals of Vision 2030," he stated.

"Furthermore, these investments translate into a myriad of environmental and societal co-benefits, affirming the designation of many of these investments as green and eco-friendly ventures," he added.

According to him, SEC's key objective was to create a diversified portfolio, encompassing continuing to invest in energy production and progress in the liquid displacement programme, in alignment with the kingdom's ambitious energy transition plans.

"We continue to further leverage the company's multi-decade expertise in the electricity sector and its substantial asset base to unlock additional growth opportunities from new business segments, such as fibre optics telecom and ICT services, energy services and solutions, and the provision of the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles, among others," explained Al Gnoon.

In another development, SEC said it has secured the go-ahead from Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) to begin the execution of expansion of Rabigh Power Plant by adding 1.2 GW combined-cycle units.

SPCC said this comes as part of it mandate to continuously evaluate expansions and upgrades opportunities of existing projects to enhance generation capacity, meet electrical system needs, and ensure reliability of power supply.

"The company's robust financial profile and well-balanced capital structure, supported by favourable regulatory and financial reforms implemented in the electricity sector, optimally position it to successfully fund future growth plans and enhance returns for its shareholders," added Al-Gnoon.-TradeArabia News Service
XI'AN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- About 300 guests from home and abroad shared their views on promoting cultural inheritance and development at the Silk Road (Xi'an) International Communication Forum on Wednesday in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Zhao Yide, Party chief of Shaanxi, said as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and an important base for China's westward opening up, Shaanxi is deeply integrated into the Belt and Road cooperation.

"I hope that the Chinese and foreign media will publicize Shaanxi and promote its exchanges and cooperation in various fields with the rest of the world," Zhao added.

Speaking at the event, Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, said this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As participants, witnesses, and storytellers of the BRI, the media shoulder the responsibility of sharing the BRI stories with the world.

The two-day event, including dialogues and cultural exchange activities, was sponsored by Xinhua News Agency, the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the People's Government of Shaanxi Province. 
HONG KONG, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will implement a raft of measures to encourage childbearing amid a low birth rate, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said Wednesday.

A one-off cash bonus of 20,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 2,556 U.S. dollars) will be provided for each baby born on Wednesday or after in Hong Kong to a parent who is a Hong Kong permanent resident, and this measure will last for three years, Lee said in a policy address.

Other incentives include a 20-percent rise in deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents, and priority arrangement for subsidized sale flat and public rental housing allocation.

Hong Kong's birth rate remains at its lowest level. The average parity of local couples dropped to a record low of 0.9 in 2022.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has among the longest life expectancies in the world. The proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and above will increase from 20 percent of Hong Kong's population to nearly one-third by the end of the next decade. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.82 Hong Kong dollars) 
DAMASCUS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli missile attack hit the Aleppo International Airport in northern Syria on Wednesday, inflicting damage on the facility, the pro-government Sham FM reported.

The attack is the fourth this month to hit the airport.

Earlier on the day, an Israeli missile attacked on a Syrian military installation in the southern province of Daraa, killing eight Syrian soldiers and injuring seven others.

This comes amid growing tension in the region against the backdrop of the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Since Oct. 7, when the Israeli campaign against Gaza started, Israel attacked the Aleppo airport four times and the Damascus airport twice.

Aleppo airport was previously hit on Oct. 12, 14, and 22, and was due to open after repairs following the last strike.

Syria has vehemently condemned the Israeli attacks. 
When Martin Scorsese decided that he would travel to Oklahoma to shoot Killers of the Flower Moon, he called on a number of his most trusted partners, including editor Thelma Schoonmaker , cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, and composer Robbie Robertson. Yet for the pivotal role of production designer, Scorsese chose a collaborator with whom he had never worked before: Jack Fisk.

A quick look at Fisks filmography makes it obvious why the greatest living American director would choose him to design Killers; for 50 years, Fisk has been creating historically accurate, visually poetic, and quintessentially American sets for master filmmakers including Brian DePalma, Terrence Malick , Paul Thomas Anderson, and David Lynch.

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Fisk began his career working in exploitation pictures for producers like Roger and Gene Corman and quickly gained a reputation for creating atmospheric, expressive sets on a budget; his work on Stephanie Rothmans thriller Terminal Island is particularly impressive in its triumph over limited resources. That film came out in 1973, a pivotal year for Fisk in which he also designed two cult classics (Messiah of Evil and Jonathan Kaplans The Slams) as well as his first movie for Terrence Malick (Badlands), the director with whom he would come to be associated more than any other.

Badlands established some of Fisks key strengths, most notably his skill at handling location work  no production designer in the history of film has been better at exteriors, whether hes making the most of a preexisting locale (as in his Winkies diner set for Mulholland Drive) or building an entirely new town. His knack for exteriors reaches its apotheosis in Killers of the Flower Moon, a Western that is simultaneously expansive and claustrophobic; the greatness of Fisks work lies in his ability to manifest the characters many contradictions in the landscape and buildings as he creates an epic tale of an Eden destroyed by greed and corruption.

While Killers of the Flower Moon may be Fisks finest work to date, its far from his only masterpiece. While Fisk is known to be choosy and doesnt have as many credits on his resume as other top designers, his ratio of classics is astonishingly high. Below are seven of Fisks most memorable sets from seven of his most iconic movies, all of them collaborations between Fisk and some of the most notable directors in film history.

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Aaron Sorkin , the writer behind  The West Wing  and The Social Network, has dropped CAA and returned to WME following the uproar over top agent Maha Dakhils social media posts about the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

He said, Maha isnt an antisemite, shes just wrong. Shes a great agent and Im very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. Im excited to be returning to WME. Sorkin left WME in 2017.

Dakhil came under fire on Thursday after she posted a series of Instagram Stories that many felt were antisemitic. The first, a repost from the group Free Palestine, read, Youre currently learning who supports genocide.

Dakhil added her own caption in her Story and wrote, Thats the line for me. She also shared a second post that read, Whats more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening. Both posts were eventually deleted from her account.

The agent released a statement soon after deleting the Stories. She explained, I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram story, which used hurtful language. Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak. I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace.

Dakhil continued, Im so grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the implications and further educated me. I immediately took the repost down. Im sorry for the pain I have caused.

On Sunday Dakhil stepped away from her role as Co-Head of Motion Pictures at the agency and resigned from CAAs internal Agency Board.

Her clients include Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, and more.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the story.

The post Aaron Sorkin Leaves CAA, Returns to WME Over Maha Dakhils Israel-Palestine Posts appeared first on TheWrap.
Following musical sequences in her latest doc Vika!, Polish director Agnieszka Zwiefka will turn to animation for an upcoming project under the working title Runa.

What can I say? I really like fusion cuisine, she laughs.

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I like hybrid films, because this division between documentary and fiction is completely pointless. I see documentary as a very capacious bag. There is room for everything.

Partially animated Runa, produced by Chilli Productions (Poland), Real Lava (Denmark) and Ma.ja.de (Germany)  with ARTE and SWR also on board  introduces a Kurdish girl who needs to care for her siblings after their mother dies on the Polish-Belarusian border.

There is always strength in my characters and shes probably the strongest one yet, says Zwiefka, opening up about the films visual style developed by Yellow Tapir Films and Marcin Podolec.

Our reference was Persepolis. These black and white forms, almost childlike drawings that, in this case, are coming straight from Runas sketchbook. She would draw things that were really frightening. A girl on the edge of a precipice, ominous trees swallowing people, faces stretched in a silent scream.

While taking on the same tragic events as Agnieszka Holland in controversial Green Border, Zwiefka is not worried about eliciting the same response.

All we can do is continue making films as honestly as we can, because anyone can be judged. Sometimes inappropriately, superficially or because of a controversial topic, and we have plenty of those in Poland right now, she notes.

Runa

Its a different film, because it doesnt talk about activists or rescue operations. Its about one girl. Then again, I hope that when people watch it they will see more in her, even if they are against accepting refugees.

Before taking that on, Zwiefka turns to a lighter topic in Vika! about Polands oldest DJ, now well in her 80s and partying like there is no tomorrow.

Its an ode to joyful old age. Women seem to accept the fact that once you reach a certain age, you become invisible. When I turned 30, it seemed the world had ended. But you can grow old on your own terms. Thats what Vika! is all about.

Although her protagonist isnt exactly shy, she still took some convincing.

Runa

She likes attention, but only to a certain extent. When I reached out to her, I made it clear she would have to open up, that it would be a vivisection of privacy. She chased me away, she admits.

I wanted to go beyond the stage. What lies beneath the mask of this colorful bird? After a year, she understood that showing her loneliness and pain could actually help other seniors. And she is an activist. She wants her actions to have an impact on people.

Despite the honesty, Vika!  produced by Katarzyna Slesicka and Anna Stylinska, and sold by Deckert Distribution  is the only feel-good doc in Zwiefkas career, she observes.

That was the goal: for people to leave this film feeling just as elated as they do when they are leaving her party. Thinking: Maybe how I age is up to me? We wanted to give them hope and show that old age can be beautiful. These bodies have various defects and wrinkles, but I show them like its Sorrentinos Youth. To me, she is beautiful. And she looks better in a swimsuit than some teenagers!

Echoing her previous effort The Queen of Silence about a Roma girl with a soft spot for Bollywood, Zwiefka created musical sequences in the film.

Vika lives in the world of music, its the language in which she expresses herself best. I Will Survive is her message. There is no party without it, says the director.

When The Queen of Silence came out, I kept hearing it wasnt a real documentary. Whats the deal with all that dancing? I dont hear that anymore. For me, a film is about seduction. You dont lay all the cards on the table, you have to surprise your partner. Or your viewer.

There is a need for feel-good documentaries, she says.

As documentary filmmakers, we usually talk about traumas and I know how much these films cost. We get hit by the same gun as our characters. And yet we dont talk about needing psychological support afterwards. We are supposed to deal with it ourselves.

These [lighter] films are the most difficult to make, because there are no spectacular breakthroughs, tragedies or wars. There is just everyday life. But we need them, because they are like a balm for our body.

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TikTok has announced its first-ever live global music event for fans, with a lineup that includes Cardi B , Niall Horan , Anitta and Charlie Puth.

The social media platform is set to host In the Mix at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on December 10. In addition to the headliners, TikTok is planning to highlight musicians from its emerging artist program Elevate with performances from Kaliii, Isabel LaRosa, Sam Barber and Lu Kala. While at the fest, attendees can also experience TikToks For You feed in person, with activities inspired by what you see as you scroll on the app.

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For those unable to swing a trip to Arizona, TikTok will broadcast the event with appearances from creators and featuring highlights that look back on trends throughout the year.

With its first foray into the live concert space, TikTok has continued to expand into areas beyond the app, most recently in the streaming space. Last week, Bytedance, TikToks parent company, launched TikTok Music in Australia, Mexico and Singapore following a beta rollout in July. Last month, TikTok partnered with Billboard for its inaugural TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart.

No other platform mixes music, creativity and community like TikTok. With In The Mix, our goal is to bring the For You feed to life for fans at the venue and on TikTok, says Paul Hourican, TikToks global head of music partnerships and programming. Our vision is to create a show that is reimagined for the TikTok era and our music-loving global community.

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Indie feature Chicken For Linda!, directed by Chiara Malta and Sebastien Laudenbach, claimed the grand prize and audience award for the sixth edition of the Animation Is Film Festival, which wrapped last weekend in Hollywood.

Also announced on Wednesday, Robot Dreams, which will be released by Neon, took home the special jury prize. For the shorts section, Letter to a Pig won the Grand Prize and Wild Summon earned the Special Jury Prize.

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From indie distributor GKIDS, Chicken for Linda! tells the story of Paulette, who feels guilty after unjustly punishing her daughter Linda. When her daughter then asks for a meal of chicken, the request quickly leads to an outrageous series of events.

With Chicken for Linda, Sebastien Laudenbach and Chiara Malta honor the challenges and rewards of being a single parent in a hectic world, employing a visually original artistic style through which lively brush strokes and daubs of color bring relatable human characters  and one very flustered chicken  to vibrant life, said the jury in a released statement.

Of Robot Dreams, the jury said, In a poignant mix of humor and pathos, director Pablo Berger adapts Sara Varons graphic novel, showing how people and places shape our lives, while paying homage to New York City in the 1980s. That he conveys this through pantomime and animation, without using dialogue, is all the more remarkable.

In Tal Kantors Letter to a Pig, a Holocaust survivor writes a thank-you note to a pig that saved his life. After his testimony in a classroom, a young student dreams a tragic version of his story. Utilizing a unique blend of hand-drawn animation, paint on paper and footage segments, Tal Kantor has crafted an extraordinary portrait of trauma and how its aftermath can span generations, said the shorts jury in a statement. It is, in a word: genius.

Wild Summon follows the life cycle of the wild salmon in human form. Said the jury, Karni Arieli and Saul Freeds Wild Summon is a provocative and creative reimagining of a nature documentary that left us speechless.

AIF opened with The Boy and the Heron and its closing night film was Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget; both were not eligible for juried or audience prizes.

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It's been 60 years since Doctor Who first premiered on British television, and the storied science-fiction franchise is marking the occasion with a trio of new specials featuring the return of fan-favorite star David Tennant. Having previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor, Tennant is back as the Fourteenth Doctor in the new trailer for the first of three specials overseen by returning showrunner Russell T Davies.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials | Official Trailer | Disney+

Disney Plus/YouTube David Tennant in new 'Doctor Who' special

Tennant's original run as the Tenth Doctor ended with a similar series of specials, which bid farewell to his incarnation of the time-traveling alien to make room for Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor (though Tennant returned to the role exactly a decade ago to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary alongside Smith in "The Day of the Doctor"). Now that he's back again, Tennant's character has to make up for one of his greatest failures: Wiping the mind of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), including all the space-faring adventures that freed her from the banalities of her life, in order to protect her from knowledge that would destroy her.

Now that she's back, her knowledge will prove useful, as she seems to recognize the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) from his battle with the Doctor long, long ago. Donna gets to stand alongside the Doctor again  but it might have a cost.

"I don't know if I can save your life this time," the Fourteenth Doctor warns her in the new trailer.

Tennant's return will only last through these specials, however. When the new season begins in 2024, he will officially be replaced by Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Barbie) as the Fifteenth Doctor.

The first of the three Tennant-Davies specials is titled "The Star Beast," and will premiere Nov. 25 on the BBC in the U.K. and Ireland and on Disney+ everywhere else. "Wild Blue Yonder" follows on Dec. 2, and "The Giggle" on Dec. 9.

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The former president reportedly threw his hands up, said "I'm leaving," and abruptly exited the courtroom on Wednesday after a judge denied his request to throw out his civil fraud case

AP Photo/Seth Wenig Former President Donald Trump motions as he returns to the courtroom.

Donald Trump stormed out of his civil fraud trial on Wednesday to courtroom gasps, moments after his former attorney Michael Cohen backtracked on earlier testimony about whether he had lied to Congress.

Elizabeth Williams via AP In this courtroom sketch, Judge Arthur Engoron questions former President Donald Trump on the witness stand in New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York. Engoron has fined Trump $10,000, saying that Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers

CNN reports that Cohen appeared to offer inconsistent testimonies this week about whether Trump directed him or former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to inflate numbers on his personal financial statements.

When Cohen ultimately stated that Trump never directly instructed him to inflate the value of his assets, Trump's lawyers asked for the judge to issue a directed verdict in Trump's favor on the grounds that their case had just been proved. The judge denied the motion.

At that point, various outlets report, the former president threw up his hands, said, "I'm leaving," and walked out of the courtroom trailed by Secret Service agents as members of the courtroom gasped.

One NBC News reporter described the situation on X by writing that Secret Service agents were "chasing after him" when he left the court, in a move that was described as "completely unexpected and surprising to his own attorneys."

Once outside, Trump told reporters, The witness just admitted that we won the trial. And the judge should end this trial immediately.



Related: Michael Cohen Slams Trump in First Post-Sentencing Interview: 'The Man Doesn't Tell the Truth'

Earlier in the day, Trump was fined $10,000 by the judge in the case for violating a gag order during a break in the hearing when he spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.

This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him  perhaps even much more partisan than he is," Trump said at the time  a remark the judge said was likely in reference to a clerk (which Trump disputed).

Related: The Cases Against Trump: What to Know About the Various Investigations Surrounding the 45th U.S. President

Spencer Platt/Getty Michael Cohen

Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison in late 2018 after telling authorities he helped coordinate hush payments to a number of women on Trump's behalf, including to Stormy Daniels, in an effort to keep the president's past alleged affairs quiet ahead of the election.

The president's longtime lawyer, who represented Trump from 2006 until 2018, also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Russian real estate project the president was working to complete during his 2016 campaign. Trump's 2016 election bid has been investigated for alleged ties to Russian interference, which critics claim helped the president win the historic, shocking election.

Trump's Wednesday appearance in court comes as part of a fraud case brought against him and and senior executives at his company by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The lawsuit alleges that the former president  with the help of his adult children and the executives mentioned in the filing  falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars in an effort to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms and to obtain other economic and tax benefits.

James' office said in a press release that "from 2011-2021, Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual Statements of Financial Condition to defraud financial institutions."

Dee Delgado/Getty New York Attorney General Letitia James

The Trumps have argued that James' investigation is politically motivated, which she has repeatedly denied.

In a press conference, James said she seeks to make Trump pay $250 million in fines, ban the family from operating any New York businesses in the future, and ban the former president and the Trump Organization from buying commercial real estate in New York for five years.



Related: Georgia's Criminal Case Against Donald Trump Is the 'Most Compelling' One Yet, Ethics Lawyer Says

Since leaving office in 2021, the former president has been mired in a number of legal issues and investigations on various fronts, including into his political conduct and business affairs.

Four of those investigations have led to indictments  the first one making him the only U.S. president to face criminal charges, and the next two further distinguishing him as the only president to face federal charges.



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Read the original article on People.
Frances Musee Grevin took Dwayne Johnsons comments and social media outcry over the stars botched wax figure to heart. Within 24 hours, his figure was updated by artists who gave it a slightly darker skin tone with meticulous strokes of oil painting. Johnsons suburban dad-esque outfit, however, has remained.

We found his reaction rather friendly when addressing the fact that his figure was indeed whiter than it should have been, said Veronique Berecz, the museums head of PR who has been at the iconic museum for over four decades and worked closely with the likes of Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage and Donald Sutherland on their wax figures.

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Unfortunately, we didnt get to meet Dwayne Johnson so we used several photos  but as it turns out, pictures can be very tricky because the nuances of skin tones can differ depending on the lighting on photos, she said. Every time, the sculptor has to determine the exact face and body shapes, the volumes and its always a very complicated challenge if we havent met the person.

Berecz revealed that Johnsons figure required special treatment from the museum from the get-go. We conducted a casting of models based on his body measurements, and that wasnt a small undertaking because we had to find a man who had roughly the same body type as Dwayne Johnson  a height of 65 with those huge muscles  and we found our model in a bodybuilding club! Berecz said.

Asked about her thoughts on accusations of the museum whitewashing Johnsons figure, she said it didnt cross anyones minds. This has nothing do with it  we just made an honest mistake based on the photos we looked at, she said. After we saw all these reactions on different blogs and social networks, we changed it immediately.

Johnsons wax figure made his debut at the Grevin Museum a week ago after the Fast & Furious actor won the inaugural Grevin Awards by a landslide. The prize is voted on by fans who choose their favorite pop culture icon for the museum to immortalize in wax.

But as reported by Today, the light-skinned wax figure sparked uproar among Johnsons fans and drew comparisons to Mr. Clean. It took a video from comedian James Andre Jefferson Jr. comparing him to David Beckham to prompt a reaction from Johnson, who announced on Instagram that his team would be reaching out to the Paris museum.

You know Black ass Samoan The Rock? Thats how Paris thinks he looks, Jefferson Jr. says in the video. They turned The Rock into a pebble! it looks like The Rock has never seen the sun a day in his life You make the rock look like he David Beckham. It looks like The Rock is going to be a part of the royal family. Did yall even Google him?

Along with reposting Jefferson Jr.s video, Johnson wrote on Instagram that he wanted the Grevin to work on updating my wax figure here with some important details and improvements  starting with my skin color. However, Johnson didnt seem too miffed about it, saying hed stop by the museum for a drink the next time hes in Paris.

See the updated version of Johnsons figure below.

Veronique Berecz adjusts Johnsons wax figure at the Musee Grevin in Paris.

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New Philippines anime franchise Solemn Vow has set several partnerships across the Southeast Asian region.

Conceptualized as an anime series with a strategy for spinoffs into manga, games, music and merchandise, the franchise, created by Lawrence Panganiban, has formed partnerships with Philippines-based Enigma Kai and media startup Fire and Ice, and Singapore-based companies Anito Studios and Silver Media, in collaboration with Japanese animation giant Toei Animation Philippines, which will handle production. Veteran music producer Alexander Lim will be consulting on the opening theme for the series.

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The 13-episode anime series built around a fictional universe of magic and mystical creatures follows super powered spouses, Cef and Lia, who try to fix their marriage after the death of their young son. But their struggles worsen as their mercenary work leads them to a war between two tropical island nations, unleashing a serpent god that may destroy the world.

Panganiban, said: Solemn Vow is a story that is inspired by the myths and legends of the Philippines, it will be told through the popular Japanese art form  anime, and it will be made for global audiences. Our dream is to bring the best of Philippine creativity to the world and we are excited to collaborate with the best partners to help us fulfill this vision.

The partnerships were signed during the annual SEE Cebu conference and revealed at TIFFCOM, the market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival. The series is in advanced development and a teaser will be unveiled at Content Tokyo 2024.

Liza Dino, CEO of Fire and Ice, said: This franchise is poised to take the animation world by storm. With a rich history of animation talent in the service industry, its time we showcase our homegrown content on a global scale. Solemn Vow is not just a project; it has the elements needed to become a globally viable franchise. Partnering with passionate experts in the audiovisual industry, we aim to transform it into its best version. This journey is a thrilling narrative of creativity, ambition and innovation.

Nestor Palabrica, VP of Toei Animation Philippines, added: We are happy to announce that we will be handling the in-betweens and digital ink and paint for Solemn Vow. We hope that you can join us in supporting this project as we embark on this exciting journey on Solemn Vow.'

Lim, who is also the senior A&R of Visayas and Mindanao for Warner Music Philippines, said: I am happy to lend my expertise as a key consultant for the opening song of Solemn Vow. Looking forward to an exciting collaboration.

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DAKAR, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The first edition of the International Forum on Space Dialogue opened Tuesday in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, under the aegis of the African Union and the European Union.

"As a fundamental pillar of human development, the space sector presents new economic, scientific, technological and military challenges," Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba said at the opening ceremony.

"The African space industry is valued at more than 20 billion U.S. dollars and employs more than 18,000 people," said Tidiane Ouattara, representative of the commissioner responsible for education, science, technology and innovation of the African Union Commission.

Ouattara said African states launched 45 satellites this year, a number which, according to him, will reach 165 by 2027.

The three-day forum will serve as a platform for key space stakeholders from Africa and Europe to exchange knowledge and collaborate on significant projects in various critical areas of shared interest, organizers said. 
Sociology professor explores the depths of human experience in 'About Face' opening in November

Mala Noche by James Tucker

PORTSMOUTH  The New Hampshire Art Association announce the opening of About Face, on at the State Street Gallery.

James Tucker, a former sociology professor turned artist, invites the public to "About Face," where he explores the intricate world of human emotions, vulnerability, and the enigmatic expressions of the human face. Drawing inspiration from his three-decade career as a sociology professor, specializing in mental illness and suicide, James Tucker's art delves into the complexities of the human psyche and the emotions that we often struggle to express. While his academic work focused on words and theories, Tucker's transition to painting allowed him to transcend the limitations of language.

Split Decision by James Tucker

"I found that words can only do so much. Words, for example, cannot fully capture the most visible and expressive part of a person - the face - and the internal and external struggles that facial expressions reveal," Tucker explains. "By turning to painting, I found that I can investigate the human face and its various expressions in a deeper and often abstract way as I experiment with different compositions, colors, and textures," he adds.

James Tucker was born and raised in California, educated in Virginia, and currently works as an artist in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was trained as a sociologist, having received a PhD at the University of Virginia in 1992 and taught for almost thirty years at the University of New Hampshire. During his academic career, he conducted extensive research and published books and journal articles on topics related to conflict, mental illness, and suicide. Prior to his painting career, he also made his mark in the world of film, directing and editing several short documentary films, including "The Nice Man Cometh" in 2004.

His exhibition will be held in the South Gallery of the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery from Nov. 1-28. The NHAA is hosting a reception on Friday, Nov. 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of the Art Around Town First Friday art walk in Portsmouth, N.H. Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery at 136 State St., in Portsmouth, N.H. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Visit www.nhartassociation.org or call 603-431-4230 for more information.

November at the Franklin Gallery

Three Generations by Diane Lent

ROCHESTER  The Franklin Gallery at RiverStones Custom Framing, 33 North Main Street in Rochester, will host an exhibit during the month of November featuring the work of local Maine artist Diane Lent. A reception will be held on Friday, Nov. 3, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend and meet the artist and view her work. Light refreshments will be served.

Lent has always been an artist, doing her first portrait of James Taylor when she was only 14. She graduated from Keene State College as an art major with a minor in theatre and is currently a full-time artist specializing in portraits of all types. Even when I had a day job, I have always found the time and energy to create, says Lent. She has done extensive commissioned freelance work from photographs of people, places, pets, and homes ordered from all over the country since 1977.

She works in Sumi ink with a splash of color or in oil with lots of color. With these methods I capture memories, she says. I work from photographs, sometimes many photographs to create a finished piece. I love the Sumi ink and the watercolor because the work progresses on two levels. One is the realism of the subject, the other is the abstraction of what the water does on the page. The water, ink and color have their own story to tell which often to me, is more interesting than the story the subject of the painting is telling. The oil is all about color and light with no black at all, inspired by the impressionist Monet.

She has exhibited her work throughout New England and has also been involved with costume design for theatres in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire, including the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth. She was one five home portrait artists featured in Downeast Magazine fall 2022 real estate issue. Her work is currently on exhibit at the Norway Bank in Kennebunk and at the Dr Frank Vineyard in the Finger Lakes of New York.

RiverStones Custom Framing and the Franklin Gallery are open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. For information about this exhibit and other RiverStones events and services, call 603-812-1488, or send an e-mail to riverstonescustomframing@gmail.com.

Sole City Dance presents 'The Nutcracker'

ROCHESTER  This classic holiday tale performed by Sole City Dance has become a regional favorite! This soaring story, framed by Tchaikovskys legendary score, captures the wonder and expectation of the night before Christmas when a mysterious gift sparks an extraordinary journey. Follow Clara as she embarks on an adventure filled with colorful characters, majestic scenery, and breathtaking costumes. Youll find your heart dancing as Clara and the Nutcracker Prince overcome obstacles on their way to the Land of Sweets.

From the captivating dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to the iconic snow scene, this delightful holiday classic continues to enthrall audiences of all ages. Whether you're seeing it for the first time or it's an annual treat, start your holiday season in grand style with the ones you love.

Performances will be: Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec, 1 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester.

Tickets are $26 Adults, $22 Seniors/Students and can be purchased at: https://1908.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/15814.

The Kittery Art Association presents Natural Wonders

KITTERY, Maine  Leonardo da Vinci wrote that nature is the source of all true knowledge. While this is true, it is also sometimes a source of magic and mystery. Join us for Natural Wonders, on view at the Kittery Art Association from Nov. 2 through Nov. 26, with an Opening Reception on Sunday, Nov. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information visit www.kitteryartassociation.org, contact KAA at info@kitteryartassociation.org or call 207-451-9384.

Guitarist Bokyung Byun at PMAC

Bokyung Byun

PORTSMOUTH  Acclaimed Korean guitarist Bokyung Byun will perform at PMAC in a concert originally scheduled before the pandemic -- and before she won the grand prize at the most prestigious guitar competition in the world, the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, in 2021. Dont miss the chance to hear Bokyung perform in the intimate setting of Portsmouth Music and Arts Centers Haas Gallery on Nov. 3, from 7 to 8 p.m.; a special Friday performance of PMAC's free Guitar Sundays series.

A true trailblazer, Ms. Byun also holds the distinction of being the first female winner of the prestigious JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, where Falletta herself described Byuns performance as "stunning, showcasing her gorgeous tone, immaculate technique, and sophisticated musicianship." She also holds first-prize finishes at the Frances Walton Competition, the Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition, and the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition.

Learn more at www.pmaconline.org/events-current/.

Unity of Sound Festival at PMAC

PORTSMOUTH  Join PMAC on Nov. 4, from 1 to 5 p.m., for a celebration of music and community, featuring performances by 15 of PMACs Adult Music Ensembles: Alt Rock Band, Band of Hope, Bluegrass Ensemble, Brewery Lane Big Band, Classic Rock Band, Flute Choir, Noon Tunes Fiddle Ensemble, Jazz Pioneers, New Horizons Band, New Horizons Beginner Band, New Horizons Strings Orchestra, Roots, Rock, Blues and Beyond, Saxophone Ensemble, Ukulele Ensemble, and Ukulele Circle Jam.The cost is $10 or $25/familyAttendees are welcome to come and go freely (just show your wristband to get back in). Snacks will be available for purchase. All ticket proceeds support free and reduced tuition for students ages 65-plus, part of PMAC's Creative Aging program that helps combat loneliness by supporting older adults in leading healthy, vibrant, and creative lives.

Learn more at www.pmaconline.org/events/unity-of-sound/.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exhibits, galleries, theater and more: Seacoast arts and culture news
Whether youre picking up a pizza or talking about tacos, theres no shortage of dining options in Louisville to fit any mood. That is unless youre craving a chain without a nearby location. With that in mind, heres a list of eateries we wish would launch in Louisville, as determined by a few of us at the Courier Journal.

What are other spots youd like to have in the area? Let us know at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

In-n-out.com; Nearest Location: Tucson, Arizona

In-N-Out Burger is a popular California-base chain.

As the California staple celebrates its 75th anniversary, residents of only a handful of states can get their hands on a Double Double, or other popular options, from In-N-Out. The famous burger chain is also known for preparing orders with fresh ingredients.

Deltaco.com; Nearest Location: Circleville, Ohio

Del Taco is a Texas-based chain.

This California-founded chain with nearly 600 locations has not yet made it to Kentucky. Del Taco is the place to go for tortas, burritos, and quesadillas as well as burgers, loaded fries, and doughnut bites.

Whataburger.com; Nearest location: Gallatin, Tennessee

Whataburger is a popular burger chain.

Where in the world is Whataburger? Not Louisville. Or Kentucky. The 70-year-old chain has more than 700 locations in Texas and dozens across a few other states. Whataburger is known for its orange-and-white striped design and for that Fancy Ketchup.

Timhortons.com; Nearest Location: Ashland, Kentucky

Tim Hortons, a doughnut and coffee chain, has expanded beyond Canada.

Its like Canada in a cup. Tim Hortons, a beloved stop for doughnuts and coffee, has been expanding beyond Canada for years, with help from fans such as Justin Bieber. If youre up for a drive, there are locations in Ashland, Kentucky, and in Ohio.

Shakeshack.com; Nearest Location: Lexington, Kentucky

Shake Shack

What are we to do without this other popular burger chain? We could just shake it off. Luckily, Shake Shack isnt too far away. The joint is known for its gourmet take on fast-food burgers and frozen custard.

Jenis.com; Nearest Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Jeni's Ice Cream was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

Founded in Columbus, Ohio, Jenis Ice Cream opened its first store in 2002. The ice cream empire offers unique flavors such as Brambleberry Crisp, Brown Butter Almond Brittle, and Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks.

Portillos.com; nearest location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Portillo's, a Chicago-based chain, is known for hot dogs, Italian beef and burgers.

You no longer have to venture all the way to Chicago for the quintessential Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef and burgers served at Portillos. The chain might be slightly out of reach for Louisville residents, but it has locations in Illinois, Indiana, Arizona, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 7 restaurants we wish we had in Louisville: In-N-Out Burger, Del Taco
The list of directors who get to do exactly what they want onscreen is not long. Even big-budget, A-list directors not named Scorsese or Nolan must work within commercial IP (Napoleon, Joker, Logan, Indiana Jones, et al).

Alexander Payne is different. For one, his budgets have never exceeded eight figures or even close (His biggest, the 2017 Downsizing, was around $70 million.) For another, this final-cut pro is always nurturing multiple projects in various stages of completion. Payne has so many knocking around in his head that during our Zoom interview he has to keep reminding himself which film hes discussing.

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The state of his development slate is undisciplined, he said. When I have the time to sit down and work on it and make the time. You get these questions, like: What is your daily writing routine? Well, none. I have to say: Im directing now, or Im editing now. I have to tell myself, Oh, Im writing now.'

 The Holdovers  gestated for years. Its financier, Miramax, sold the finished film a year ago out of the market at the Toronto International Film Festival; it went to Focus Features for $30 million in a bidding war. A year later, the heart-tugging Christmas movie was runner-up at TIFF for the Peoples Choice Award and its likely to score some Oscar nominations. Payne has been nominated three times for Best Director and won twice for Adapted Screenplay (Sideways and The Descendants), but this was the feature-screenwriting debut of sitcom veteran David Hemingson.

Paynes lead actors usually land nominations, although Paul Giamatti was robbed for Sideways. Twenty years later, Academy voters have a chance to remedy that with a superb Giamatti as a hidebound prep school professor in The Holdovers, playing against rookie Dominic Sessa as a rebellious student, and wily veteran DaVine Joy Randolph as the school cook who buffers their pain while dealing with the loss of her soldier son in Vietnam.

The Holdovers Seacia Pavao/Focus Features

The Holdovers began at the 2011 Telluride Film Festival, where Payne checked out the classic 1935 Marcel Pagnol movie Merlusse. Payne held on to the idea of a lonely student and his curmudgeon teacher left behind at the school at Christmas. It was stealable, he said. Kids who have nowhere to go over Christmas break. And then the very disliked teacher taking care of him who has a wonky eye. Even in the French movie, he has a wonky eye. So thats the setup I took. And I didnt know what the hell the story was going to be.

Somehow, the movie taps into a large and hidden demo: Christmas orphans. Neglected people over the holidays never stops during life, Payne said. They always say that a very large percentage of suicides happen between Christmas and New Years.

The premise stayed on a back burner until about five years ago, when Payne came across a pilot by Hemingson set at an East Coast elite boarding school. I just called the guy up, he said. And I said, Ive never heard of you. I like your pilot. I dont want to do it. But would you consider writing a feature based on an idea I have set in that same milieu? And he agreed. And thats how miraculously it came about.

Payne collaborated with other writers on his eight prior features; only on Nebraska did he also not take a shared writing credit. Nebraska reached me as a script, he said. I did some rewriting and I got under the hood and tinkered. But thats a Bob Nelson script. This was my first experience directing a writer.

Payne not only wanted Hemingson to execute his ideas, he said, but also bring stuff I never could have thought of, like Mary, the cook character [DaVine Joy Randolph]. I hadnt thought of her. But that was organic: Oh, here are these boys stuck over Christmas break? Well, whos cooking for them? Well, this person, who is she? What would be interesting and poignant to add to her character? Thats how she came about. Thats what you want from your collaborators  a whole bunch of stuff you never could have thought of or arent capable of. So the word director, not creator, applies. Youre directing the creativity of others.

The film is set in 1970, when Payne was nine. For practical reasons, the screenwriter and I couldnt let it be a contemporary film, because there are no more single-sex boarding schools, said Payne. We wanted an all-boys [school], so it had to be a period film. Not the 1950s. Thats Peter Weir territory. And then our Ouija board stuck on 1970. Yeah, just a neat period. And then it had some political winds blowing through it that gives the screenwriter more to chew on.

As a director, Payne had fun emulating the shooting styles of the period, from zooms to dissolves. I dont know, man, when it came time to directing it, wouldnt it be fun now to make this not just be set in the 70s but make it feel as though it had been shot in the 70s? I have dissolves in all the films. Even in my contemporary movies, Kevin Tent the editor and I love dissolves. And I like zooms, when well-deployed. And wipes? I still like wipes.

The Holdovers Focus Features

Paynes films are known for being emotional, but he uses a documentary approach. I use that word myself, he said. The screenplay? Does it track as a story that could actually happen in real life? Is it as free of contrivance as possible? Then, in casting, having not just professional actors, but non-professional actors and non-actors, people off the street. And certainly in production design. I always think about my movies the same way that my restaurant father told me to think about a restaurant: There are three keys to a successful restaurant: Location, location and location.'

Payne is proud that The Holdovers is 100 percent location. Im trying to capture Nebraska, or Honolulu in that upper class [The Descendants] or Massachusetts in general and the world of private schools in particular, he said. Just that Ive somehow got the rhythms right, so that people from those different worlds can see the movie and say, Yeah, he more or less got it right. Its still a movie. But I can talk about having the patina of reality in my films.

To construct the fictitious Barton Academy, Payne and Tent knit together five different school locations (Groton, Deerfield, Northfield Mount Hermon, St. George, and public school Fair Haven). When I did Nebraska 10 years ago, that fictitious town of Hawthorne, Nebraska was constructed of seven different small towns in northeastern Nebraska, Payne said. Here, this one has the good cafeteria. This one has a good gymnasium. This one has a good exterior. Whatever it is, you put it all together.

As the movies start-date loomed, Payne worried that he hadnt found the obnoxious, entitled, bereft prep school guy whose newly married mother and stepfather leave him behind for their holiday honeymoon. The New York-based casting director went through some 800 submissions. We didnt find this character, said Payne. Finally, we got around to something we were going to do anyway, even out of politeness. I always try to cast in the locations where were shooting. And so we called up the drama departments of the schools and talked to the drama teachers: Oh, yes, we have some students who would be be happy to audition for your movie! And there he was. [He needed to be] believable, interesting, able, and ultimately, possess a face of someone whom you would like to see cured, helped, if not saved, by the story that this movie is telling. Finding him, and at the last minute  because if you didnt nail that part, then the movie is going to suck or you cant make the movie  was a minor miracle.

Sessa gets the audience to root for him, from the way he stands up to Giamatti to how he dissembles when a young girl asks if hes looking down her shirt. And just to see someone who had never been in front of a camera before, said Payne, being able to do it and hold his own with Paul Giamatti and have great comfort in front of the camera, was something to watch.

Not unlike the wine maven he portrayed in Sideways, Giamatti plays an isolated man who masks his insecurity with wit. Theyre certainly cousin characters, said Payne. We have a good shared sensibility and a strong sense that were making the same movie together. I felt that 20 years ago with Sideways and I felt it again now. And for me as a director, and with these screenplays, hes somehow the perfect vessel of tone. He can do comic things dramatically, and dramatic things with great comic panache. And were I to make movies quickly enough to have an alter ego actor as have many great directors, it would be him.

The movies most entertaining scenes pit the professor against the student. One thing that the movie has in common with Sideways is that Paul is a phenomenal lead and also a phenomenal team player, said Payne. The friendship that he was able to forge on screen with Thomas Haden Church 20 years ago  they were two disparate human beings as actors and then two disparate characters. Thats fine work by both actors to find that and make that work. Same thing here, too. Heres Mister Experienced with Mr. Fresh-Off-the-Boat actor and Dominics got the chops, as untrained as he is, but Paul  this sounds corny  is a generous actor in that he, when youre looking at him, what he gives you is 100 percent real. It makes his interlocutor feel realer and theres good chemistry between the two.

Sideways Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection

Next up: Payne wants to shoot a Paris-based film, in French. Its based on an article in Vanity Fair about five years ago about rival antique chair dealers. That script is maybe 65 percent of the way there. I was working with a French screenwriting team, they do Jacques Audiard movies. And they wrote it in French, did a couple of drafts that I had translated in English, and Jim Taylor and I have been doing some work on it. And then were going to get it towards some [state] directable by me.

Payne is also developing an 1880s Nebraska Western with Hemingson, who likes Westerns more than Taylor. Its gonna take a minute, these things take a long time, said Payne. But he shares my zeal.

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JL_23CROP_creditDustinAksland - Credit: Dustin Aksland

Grandaddy return from an over half-decade recording hiatus with Watercooler, the first single from the indie rockers upcoming album Blu Wav.

The album gets its name from combining the genres bluegrass and new wave, with those two sounds clashing somehow seamlessly on the introductory track, which was accompanied by a typically (for the band) lo-fi and strange karaoke video:

More from Rolling Stone

Most of my relationships have involved girls who worked in office settings, frontman Jason Lytle said of Watercooler in a statement. This song is about the end of one, or perhaps a few, of those relationships. Listeners will also notice the pedal steel on this track and eventually on many others from the forthcoming new album. Its a first for Grandaddy, and I couldnt be more thrilled about this fact.

The albums origin story comes from Lytles drive through the Nevada desert after Patti Pages Tennessee Waltz came on the radio, seeding the idea of merging bluegrass and country waltzes with Grandaddys synth-heavy, densely orchestrated indie rock stylings theyve established over their 30-year career. Seven of Blu Wavs tracks are waltzes, with Lytle promising, Theres an inordinate amount of pedal steel.

Blu Wav  out February 16, 2024, on Dangerbird Records and available to preorder now  marks Grandaddys first album since 2017s Last Place and only their second album since 2006s Just Like the Fambly Cat. In recent years, Lytle and company  Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Tim Dryden, and the late Kevin Garcia, who died in 2017  have been celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their landmark albums The Sophtware Slump and Sumday with extensive deluxe reissues.

Blu Wav Track List

1. Blu Wav

2. Cabin in My Mind

3. Long as Im Not the One

4. Youre Going to Be Fine and Im Going to Hell

5. Watercooler

6. Lets Put this Pinto on the Moon

7. On a Train or Bus

8. Jukebox App

9. Yeehaw Ai in the Year 2025

10. Ducky, Boris and Dart

11. East Yosemite

12. Nothin to Lose

13. Blu Wav Buh Bye

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A documentary exploring the life and career of Shyne is officially in the works.

Andscape, the Black-led multimedia brand from Disney & ESPN, has begun production on The Honorable: Shyne. ColorCreative, a management company dedicated to supporting diverse creators, is leading production for the project.

Executive producers of the feature are DJ Khaled , Talitha Watkins, Carolina Groppa, Ameer Collier, Raina Kelley, and James Shani. The film is directed by Marcus A. Clarke.

Set to debut on Hulu September 2024, the documentary chronicles the life of Moses Michael Levi Barrow from a humble immigrant teenager to his role today as a prominent politician. This includes untold revelations of his life-changing night outside Club New York and unpacks his emotional journey navigating his devastating incarceration.

As described in a statement, The Honorable: Shyne makes use of exclusive interviews, archival footage, and time-period recreations to examine how growing up in the golden era of Hip-Hop influenced not only Shynes artistry, but his perspective.

Additionally, it delves into how the environmental realities of street life in Brooklyn shaped and contributed to his life choices, taking the former Bad Boy artist and Diddy protege to his current position as Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives, and Leader of The Belize United Democratic Party.

Shyne and Sean Diddy Combs perform onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

I intend for this film to immerse audiences in Shynes remarkable journey of transformation, as he transitions from a Brooklyn rapper to a prominent diplomat in Belize. It captures his profound process of self-discovery, marked by redemption, ultimately guiding him toward a life dedicated to public service, explained Clarke.

The world has waited patiently to hear Shynes story, so its truly a privilege for me to collaborate with ColorCreative and Andscape to bring this film to life.

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The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening hurricane-force winds and potentially catastrophic storm surge before Hurricane Otis made landfall Wednesday morning

NOAA via AP A satellite image provided by NOAA showing Hurricane Otis on Oct. 24, 2023

Hurricane Otis has crashed into the southern coast of Mexico after strengthening from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours, catching many forecasters by surprise.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Otis made landfall early Wednesday morning near Acapulco, which is home to more than 1 million people, with maximum sustained winds of approximately 165 mph.

Otis was categorized as a tropical storm on Sunday but began rapidly strengthening less than 24 hours before slamming into Mexico, according to the NHC. By about 10:45 p.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, the storm was a full-blown Category 5 monster.

Related: 7 People Dead, Over 25 Injured from Pileup Involving 158 Vehicles amid 'Super Fog' on Louisiana Highway

The NHC described Otis rapid intensification as a nightmare scenario for southern Mexico. They warned of life-threatening hurricane-force winds and potentially catastrophic storm surge that could lead to life-threatening coastal flooding.

This is an extremely serious situation for the Acapulco metropolitan area, the NHC said in an update late Tuesday night.

FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP via Getty Beach in Acapulco, Mexico, ahead of Hurricane Otis' landfall

Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist in the atmospheric science department at Colorado State University, told CNN that Otis is the fastest intensifying hurricane in a 12-hour period in Eastern Pacific history.



Otis is the first hurricane on record to hit this portion of Mexico at this intensity. The storm tops Hurricane Patricia, which hit the area in 2015 as a Category 4 storm.

Patricia made landfall with winds of 150 mph, but unlike Otis, hit low-population areas, CNN reported.

By 7 a.m., Eastern Time, on Wednesday, Otis had been downgraded to a Category 2 storm with maximum wind speeds of 110 mph, according to the NHC.

FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP via Getty Police officer guards beach in Acapulco, Mexico, ahead of Hurricane Otis

Related: Nurse Struck by Lightning in Boston Released from Hospital After 40 Days: We Are Blessed

Otis is expected to continue rapidly weakening as it moves farther inland, and forecasters expect it to dissipate over southern Mexico on Wednesday night.

Related: Search Ends for 9-Month-Old Boy Swept Away by Pennsylvania Flood that Killed His Sister and Mom

By the end of the storm, Otis is expected to drop between 8 to 16 inches of rain, with some areas receiving as much as 20 inches, across Guerrero and the western coastal sections of Oaxaca on Thursday.

Flash and urban flooding are still of concern, as are mudslides in higher terrains. Life-threatening rip currents and surf are expected to last through Thursday.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
On November 13, 2022, Bryan Kohberger claimed the lives of four University of Idaho students. They were found lifeless in their off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. Just two days later, law enforcement officially confirmed the use of a sharp-edged weapon, resembling a knife, in these homicides.

The coroners report suggests that Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kaylee Goncalves, the unfortunate victims, were attacked while asleep with a knife. In subsequent investigations, law enforcement made a significant breakthrough. They actively pursued a white Hyundai Elantra, which witnesses had seen near the crime scene at the time of the murders. This development underscored the ongoing commitment to crack the case.

Almost a month into the investigation, law enforcement announced the arrest of Bryan Kohberger in Albrightsville, PA, for these murders. He faced charges of burglary and four counts of first-degree murder.

However, the trial, originally scheduled for October 2, 2023, faced unexpected delays, leaving the case on a limbo.

What is Bryan Kohbergers trial date?

Bryan Kohberger postponed his trial by waiving his right to a speedy trial during his appearance in Latah County Court. The Idaho state law mandates that criminal defendants receive a trial within six months, unless they willingly waive this right, allowing more time for defense preparation.



Kohbergers lead public defender, Anne Taylor, explained that the original trial date of October 2 didnt give the defense sufficient preparation time. This led to the waiver of the speedy trial right and an extension of legal proceedings. The attorney cited unpreparedness as a reason. This casted uncertainty on the trials rescheduling. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Bill Thompson expressed his intent to pursue the death penalty, and called the postponement a smart move.



While acknowledging her lack of trial preparedness, the attorney unveiled her legal strategy. This may include plans to challenge the death penalty. These decisions add layers of complexity to the ongoing legal proceedings.

Kohberger will make a court appearance on October 26 for a hearing related to the defenses challenging legal motion seeking the dismissal of the indictment.

The post Idaho Murders Update: When Is the Bryan Kohberger Trial? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Popular drama The Worst of Evil aired its finale episodes 10, 11 & 12, on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 4 p.m. KST on Disney Plus. The series sought maximum action and emotions in the final three episodes, leading to an intense, heartbreaking climax. It follows the story of police detective Park Jun-Mo (Ji Chang-Wook) as he goes undercover in a drug cartel. He aims to take down its mafia boss Jung Gi-Cheol (Wi Ha-Joon), but is unaware of the consequences.

In The Worst of Evil finale (episode 12), Jun-Mo finally succeeds in the investigation. But, it comes with a heavy price. Not only does he kill mafia boss Jung Gi-Cheol, but he also separates from his wife Eui-Jung (Im Se-Mi). The K-drama ended on a bittersweet note, with Jun-Mo losing everything.

The Worst of Evil episode 12 ending focuses on Ji Chang-Wook & Wi Ha-Joons final showdown

Episode 12 starts with Seo Jong-Ryul shooting Seok Do-Hyung dead. Meanwhile, police officer Hwang Min-Goo arrests Jung Gi-Cheol, owing to Choi Jung-Bae and Hong Hee-Sungs information. While they are on their way, Park Jun-Mo arrives at the scene, wrecks the officers car and saves Gi-Cheul.

Jun-Mo, however, is oblivious to the fact that Do-Hyung is dead. Moreover, prosecutor Cho also lies to him that Do-Hyung has survived when thats not the case. He only encourages Jun-Mo to complete the investigation as they are close to achieving the outcome. Later on, Gi-Cheol and Jun-Mo have an in-depth conversation about their lives.

But this is the very last normal conversation the two have as things take an ugly turn soon afterwards. As Hwang Min-Good recovers in the hospital, he sends an arrest warrant for a man named Seung-Ho. Meanwhile, Lee Hae-Ryeon (BIBI) tests the drugs that Choi Jung-Bae and Hong Hee-Sung give her. She gives them the delivery address to Japan, placing her trust in Jun-Mo.

Her trust soon breaks after Hwang Min-Goo finds out Jun-Mos identity, informing her of the same. She is shocked to learn that Jun-Mo is married and is a cop. When she confronts the latter, his silence gives her all the answers. She proceeds to stab the police officer to death.

The Worst of Evil ends on a bittersweet note

Jun-Mo reveals his identity, handcuffing Gi-Cheol as the drugs are handed over. Gi-Cheol stands shocked at the revelation. But when Jun-Mo knowingly leaves the keys to the handcuffs as well as the car key, Gi-Cheol escapes. Jun-Mo confronts the members of the drug cartel, leading to their arrest.

Jun-Mo and his wife Eui-Jong learn of Do-Hyungs death and visit his grave. When they return home, they find Gi-Cheul looking at their picture, holding a gun, and ready to shoot. Jun-Mo takes out his gun as well. Gi-Cheul is shocked by the betrayal and asks them if they are ever genuine to him. Before he can proceed to shoot himself, Jun-Mo shoots at him, killing Gi-Cheol.

Jun-Mo and Eui-Jung receive a promotion. However, they leave separately, indicating that its all over between them. Jun-Mo visits Gi-Cheuls grave, lights a cigarette, and places it as well as his wedding ring. Although Jun-Mo risked his life and succeeded in the investigation, he lost his wife as well as Gi-Cheol.

Will there be Worst of the Evil season 2?

Although the K-drama had a bittersweet ending, it marked a thorough completion of the storyline. The characters in the series received their closure, whether it be good or bad. Gi-Cheol dies, Jun Mo and Eui-Jung arent together and the drug cartel is exposed. It doesnt look like more storylines can come up.

The Worst of Evil achieved tremendous success in terms of its storyline, casting and the action element. A second season isnt out of the question if the director and creators come up with a brand-new storyline. Viewers will have to stay tuned for the updates.

All episodes of The Worst of Evil are available to stream on Disney Plus.

Starring Ji Chang-Wook and Wi Ha-Joon, The Worst of Evil is nearing its close. The final set of episodes, which

K-Drama Varsha Narayanan 6 hours ago

The Worst of Evil aired two episodes on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, and documented intense drama, action, and emotion. The

K-Drama Varsha Narayanan 1 week ago

The Worst of Evil: How Many Episodes

Viewers of The Worst of Evil Season 1 are wondering how many episodes are in the series and when each

Guides Disheeta Maheshwari 1 week ago

The post Ji Chang Wooks Worst of the Evil Ending Explained & Spoilers: What Happened at the End? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
A New York City judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss all charges against actor Jonathan Majors in connection with a March domestic dispute that briefly sent his career into freefall.

The defense has argued that prosecutor lack evidence to support the misdemeanor assault and harassment charges against Majors and had violated the Speedy Trial Act.

I am denying the defenses motion to dismiss, Judge Michael Gaffey said, noting that the prosecution has only been going on for 71 days.

Majors, who appeared on a remote link, did not speak during the 10-minute hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court.

The ruling paves the way for Majors to stand trial on Nov. 29 and grants a new protection order for his alleged vicim and ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in connection with the March 25 dispute.

Prosecutors say that during a car ride, Jabbari tried to grab Majors phone after she saw a message that read, wish I was kissing you right now. In response, Majors grabbed her arm, placed it behind her body, and used his right hand to twist her right arm and finger during the altercation, a criminal complaint states. Majors also allegedly hit Jabbari across her right arm and caused a laceration before he pushed her into a car with both hands.

Prosecutors Tease London Incident Connected to Jonathan Majors Case

Despite vehement denials from Majors, the allegations sparked immediate outrage in Hollywood. Soon after his arrest, he was dropped from his management, PR firm, and a number of upcoming productions and campaign. In June, Rolling Stone published a bombshell report alleging Majors displayed abusive behavior toward crew members, former romantic partners, and his Yale School of Drama classmates.

Since then, Majors legal team has gone to great lengths to try to prove his innocence in the court of public opinion. In June, Majors filed a domestic violence NYPD complaint against his accuser in which he insisted that he was the one who was assaulted that night.

The actors legal team also released a surveillance video of Gabbari allegedly at a club after the alleged assault and text messages that the defense attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said provided context and cleared Majors of the attack.

Chaudhry previously told The Daily Beast that Majors was the true victim of the assault and that when her client showed responding officers his injuries that night, they taunted him. (She has not provided any further details into this alleged officer-related incident, and the District Attorneys office previously denied comment.)

None of the white officers present investigated the assault of Mr. Majors. Worse, the District Attorney has not indicated any intention to pursue charges against the woman or even investigate the truth, the lawyer stated in a June statement. This glaring double standard between the treatment of Jonathan Majors, a Black man weighing 200 lbs, and his accuser, highlights the racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system.

Prior to Wednesdays hearing, news reports surfaced that Jabbari may face charges in connection with the domestic dispute and is expected to voluntarily report to the New York City Police Department to receive a desk appearance ticket. In June, The New York Times and Insider also reported that police had evidence that suggested Jabbari was the one who attacked Majors.

The Manhattan District Attorneys Office previously said in an Oct. 13 motion that if police did decide to charge Jabbari, it would decline to prosecute those charges. The motion also revealed prosecutors have obtained a London Metropolitan Police report about a Sept. 2022 incident they say is relevant to their case. Details of the incident are not immediately clear.

A thorough investigation was conducted into the facts of this case and, in doing so, the People have chosen to prosecute Jonathan Majors, prosecutors said in a motion. Simply because defense counsel does not agree with the Peoples use of prosecutorial discretion, it does not follow that an investigation was not conducted.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Apple Studios might have discriminated against Brent Sexton when it pulled an offer for him to star in Manhunt after he refused the COVID-19 vaccine due to potential health complications, a judge has ruled.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Linfield declined Apples move to dismiss the lawsuit on free speech grounds, finding that the companys mandatory vaccination policy may have been unconstitutional. The order issued on Oct. 19 marks one of the few rulings advancing a lawsuit from an actor who took issue with a studios refusal to provide accommodations for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

There is a significant difference between the government using its police power to require vaccinations and a company implementing a policy that required vaccinations (without any alternative, and of its own volition) as a condition of employment, stated the order.

Sexton last year accepted a role to play Andrew Johnson in Manhunt, a miniseries following the governments search for John Wilkes Booth after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. He was to be paid $85,000, plus incentives, per episode, with a seven-episode minimum, according to the complaint.

At the time, Apple didnt require employees at corporate headquarters or retail stores to get the vaccine, allowing them to get daily or weekly tests. Apple Studios, however, was among the majority of studios in Hollywood that implemented vaccine mandates for a productions main actors, as well as key crewmembers who work closely with them in the highest-risk areas of the set. Sextons deal on the show fell apart after he refused to get immunized, citing a prior health condition that his doctor said makes it dangerous for him to receive the vaccine. He sued after Apple refused to provide accommodations, arguing the companys vaccine policy is unconstitutional.

In his ruling, Linfield found that dismissal of the case is not warranted under Californias anti-SLAAP statute, which is intended to protect free speech against frivolous lawsuits. He noted that Sextons offer to star in Manhunt was withdrawn last year when the context of the pandemic was quite different compared to 2021.

In March 2022, it might not have been either necessary or reasonable for a company to implement (without any alternative and without a government requirement) a vaccinate-to-work policy, the judge wrote.

A key factor in advancing the lawsuit was Sextons medical condition preventing him from getting the vaccine, according to the order. Linfield said that whether the mandatory vaccine policy is an illegal violation of privacy as applied to the actor is a mixed question of law and fact.

In a letter accompanying Sextons request for medical accommodations, his doctor wrote that his medical recommendation is that it would be too dangerous for our patient to be vaccinated since it is a medical fact that two of the major side effects of Covid-19 vaccines are thrombocytopenia and blood clots. He added, The patient is already suffering from both issues, and any good doctor would agree that vaccinating him would indeed be a great risk to his life.

Additionally, Linfield stressed evidence from Sexton demonstrating that he likely would have been able to safely work on the set of the production had he undergone daily testing for COVID-19.

Defendant argues that Plaintiff would not have been able to adequately perform his performance duties in the historical role of President Andrew Johnson while wearing a mask, the order stated. The Court agrees and assumes that Plaintiff also agrees. Of course, this is a straw-man argument; no one is suggesting that Plaintiff, in the role of Andrew Johnson, should appear wearing a mask.

Apple didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mandatory vaccine mandates led to numerous lawsuits from actors who were denied exemptions, including long-running General Hospital actor Ingo Rademacher and former 911 mainstay Rockmond Dunbar. Unlike Sexton, who cited a medical reason in refusing vaccine, Rademacher took issue with ABCs refusal to provide him a religious exemption. In June, his lawsuit was dismissed.

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China-Russia cooperation is not targeted at any third party, nor will it be disturbed by any third party, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday.

The two sides carry out bilateral cooperation with an aim to benefit their people, promote global development, and uphold fairness and justice, Li said when meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States.

Li said the recent meeting between President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Beijing has charted a new blueprint and opened up a new vision for the advancement of China-Russia relations.

China is willing to work with Russia to follow the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously deepen cooperation in various fields and push forward the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, he added.

China, Li said, is willing to further align its development strategies with Russia, promote synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), maintain the growth momentum of cooperation on trade and investment, deepen cooperation in the field of energy, and enhance connectivity and trade liberalization and facilitation.

China welcomes more high-quality Russian products into the Chinese market and supports enterprises from China and Russia in deepening cooperation on automobile manufacturing, the premier said.

The two sides should jointly make the China-Russia years of culture a success and expand exchanges in education, regions and other fields, he added.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Russia within the SCO framework, promote in-depth cooperation in the industrial and supply chains, expand cooperation in industrial manufacturing, green development and digital economy, and provide new driving forces for regional economic growth, Li said.

For his part, Mishustin congratulated China on successfully hosting the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, saying that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is at an unprecedented high level.

Russia is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, support each other in safeguarding core interests, promote the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the EEU, and expand cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, energy and connectivity, he said.

Mishustin added that Russia stands ready to make a success of the Russia-China years of culture, deepen cooperation within the SCO, BRICS and other multilateral mechanisms, and promote the multi-polarization of the world. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
The couple was honored at the American Ballet Theatre's annual event

Michael Loccisano/Getty Katie Couric and John Molner attend the 2023 American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater on October 24, 2023 in New York City

Katie Couric and John Molner are showing off their support for the performing arts.

The couple arrived at the 2023 American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala on Tuesday evening at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Couric, 66, dazzled in a ballgown with a belted cinched waist. The strapless formal gown included an ombre effect of watercolored abstract florals that began on the bodice and slowly faded out into a light mauve that reached the floor of her gown.

She accessorized the colorful gown with a pair of silver platform heels, silver rings, a gold cuff, and gold drop earrings that featured flower designs.

Michael Loccisano/Getty : Katie Couric attends the 2023 American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on October 24, 2023 in New York City.

Her husband, 60, went for a sleek look in a navy blue suit with a white button-down and a deep navy blue tie.

Couric, Molner and The Shubert Foundation are the guests of honor at this years American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Katie Couric and John Molner attend the 2023 American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on October 24, 2023 in New York City.

Related: Who Is Katie Couric's Husband? All About John Molner

This annual one-night-only program features performances from the American Ballet Theatre's principal dancers, according to the organization. The performances were choreographed by renowned choreographers Harald Lander, Kenneth MacMillan and Antony Tudor. The night also includes a performance choreographed by an ABT principal dancer, James Whiteside.

Related: Katie Couric Celebrates Husband John Molner's 60th Birthday with Party  Including a Magician!

Couric met her second husband Molner in 2012 after a mutual friend set them up. The two got engaged in 2013 and married in an intimate backyard ceremony the following year.

On the couple's eighth wedding anniversary in 2022, Couric was diagnosed with breast cancer. She later revealed the diagnosis in a personal essay published that September. The renowned journalist also shared that Molner "had a tumor the size of a coconut on his liver" removed just a few months before their 2014 wedding.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I just feel super lucky that it was diagnosed when it was," Couric said on the Today show. She had a lumpectomy to remove an olive-sized tumor in July and began radiation in September 2022.

Molner opened up in an interview with Katie Couric Media about seeing Couric publicly discuss her cancer diagnosis and writing her 2021 memoir Going There.

"I do think of myself as a private person. But Katie's a public figure, and she likes to share her life. I did have some concerns about what she was going to share," Molner said. "But I also thought that for her to write an important book, she had to be willing to be authentic about her journey. And that's what she's done. There's no point in writing a book like this unless you're ready to be honest with yourself. And I think she absolutely did that."



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Martin Scorsese, who is still directing at 80, cant relate to Quentin Tarantino.

The latter has long vowed to retire after making his 10th film, while Scorsese is currently celebrating his 26th, Killers of the Flower Moon. When told in a recent interview that he must just be built differently than Tarantino, the New Yorker replied bluntly: I am.

But hes a writer, Scorsese told The Associated Press. He writes his own, you know, its a different thing. I come up with stories, I get attracted to stories through other people. All different means. Different means, different ways. So I think its a different process.

Scorsese is certainly involved in every stage of the filmmaking process, but rued lacking the writerly talent and command of language as displayed by Tarantino  who has penned or co-written every single film hes ever directed since Reservoir Dogs (1992).

I respect writers and I wish I could, Scorsese told AP. I wish I could just be in a room, and create these novels. Not films, novels, you know? Long stories. I just read the great Italian novel, I Promessi Sposi, or The Betrothed, by [Alessandro] Manzoni.

The 1827 novel mines the flaws in man-made legal systems and the illusory nature of political power. Historian Umberto Eco reportedly once joked it should be banned  because the joy of reading it could only be matched by giddily rediscovering it in secret.

Scorsese has certainly explored similar themes before and has now targeted the American justice system in Flower Moon, which is adapted from a David Grann novel about the Osage Nation murders in 1920s Oklahoma after oil is discovered on their land.

Scorsese and Tarantino have long respected each other as fellow auteurs.

Scorsese and Tarantino have long respected each other as fellow auteurs.

If I hold out and hold up, Ill find a way to try to make something of it on film, but I have to be curious about the subject, Scorsese told AP. My curiosity is still there. I couldnt speak for Quentin Tarantino or others who are able to create this work in their world.

While Tarantino fans are already mourning the end of an era, his possible final directorial effort, The Movie Critic, appears worthy of his filmography. In an ironic twist, it regards a real-life film critic who reminded Tarantino of Scorseses protagonist in 1976s Taxi Driver.

Think about Travis diary entries, Tarantino told Deadline earlier this year of the

Taxi Driver character played by Robert DeNiro. I think he was a very good critic. He was as cynical as hell. His reviews were a cross between early Howard Stern and what Travis Bickle might be if he were a film critic.

Killers of the Flower Moon is now in theaters; The Movie Critic is in pre-production.

Related...
A classic Reuben comes with pastrami and Swiss cheese along with Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut at Palmer's Deli.

Whether you want a giant mouthful of bread and meat on a hoagie, a toasted adult grilled cheese, an Italian favorite with some heat, or a classic like a Reuben, Des Moines has its share of go-to restaurants, delis and grocery stores for sandwiches. Here, a look at seven of the solid standbys across the metro that really specialize in sandwiches.

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli

B&B Market offers the Dad's Killer sandwich from its storefront in south Des Moines.

This south side deli and grocery store, known for its killer deli, originally opened in 1922 by the Brooks family  Archie and his brother John. While the burgers and the breaded pork tenderloins are exceptional here, go for one of the so-called Killer Sandwiches. In the 1980s, the deli started, offering sandwiches, and earned its Killer Sandwiches nickname when a worker came in and requested a Killer Sandwich. A legend was born. Your best option is the famous Dads Killer sandwich with its stack of roast beef, turkey breast, smoked ham, corned beef, pepper cheese, Swiss cheese, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, Kosher pickles, mustard, Miracle Whip, and Tuscan Italian dressing on a soft Italian hoagie roll. It comes in at one pound, five ounces.

Location: 2001 SE Sixth St., Des Moines

Contact: 515-243-7607 or bbgrocerymeatdeli.com

Hours: Open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More: Looking for a great breaded pork tenderloin sandwich? We have a list of the tops in Iowa.

Graziano Brothers

The Knuckle Sandwich at Graziano Bros. features coppa, hot soppressata, pepperoni, hot pepper cheese, sliced pepperoncinis, and Italian dressing, all on a hoagie roll.

Typically, a knuckle sandwich refers to a punch in the mouth, and at Graziano Brothers, the actual sandwich actually is just that. This Italian grocery store on the southside of Des Moines is probably best known for its blends of Italian sausages, but in the back next to the butcher case sits the deli. Customers pass by shelves of Ginos tomato sauces, dry pastas, fresh breads and jars of peppers and capers to get to the deli, where sandwiches range from the Luigi, named for co-founder Luigi Graziano  who opened the store with his brother Francesco in 1912, with mortadella, sharp provolone, and pesto mayo  as well as the Badabing with a combination of Italian turkey, salami, mortadella, roasted peppers, provolone, and sundried tomato spread. But perhaps the best-known sandwich is the Knuckle with coppa, hot soppressata, pepperoni, hot pepper cheese, sliced pepperoncinis, and Italian dressing, all on a hoagie roll.

Location: 1601 S. Union St., Des Moines

Contact: 515-244-7103 or grazianobrothers.com

Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More: Where to find great coffee shops in the Des Moines area

Hansens Manhattan Deli

Find the Ultimate Grinder, filled with homemade Italian sausage, pepperoni, capicola and topped with melted provolone cheese at Hansen's Manhattan Deli in Des Moines, Oct. 19, 2023.

Hansen's Manhattan Deli on Ingersoll Avenue has been a Des Moines staple for 41 years, and for good reason. Dig into sandwiches with generous amounts of meat of all kinds, from homemade Italian sausage with the perfect, mild spice in the Thursday special the Ultimate Grinder, to lots of salami in the warm sub sandwich the Bambino. Enjoy vegetarian options, hoagies and classic deli sides including macaroni and potato salad. You can dine inside the modest deli and take note of the numerous Seinfeld or New York-themed wall decor, or take it to go. There is parking available for customers behind the deli off 37th street in Des Moines.

Location: 3705 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines

Contact: 515-274-1208 or hansensmanhattandeli.com

Hours: Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on Sundays.

More: Love a good burger? Here's where to find some of the best in the Des Moines metro

Maccabees Kosher Deli

Salami and turkey make up the sandwich Zaidy's Feast with housemade focaccia bread and a spicy pickle at Maccabee's Kosher Deli in Des Moines, Oct. 19, 2023.

Expect friendly service and Jewish cuisine at this kosher deli near Waveland Cafe in Des Moines. The deli, operated under the supervision of Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, offers build-your-own sandwich with options such as pastrami, roast beef, corned beef, smoked turkey, salami and more, or try a specialty sandwich like Zaidys Feast, which boasts 1/3 pound of turkey and salami with your choice of condiments and rye, challah or focaccia bread. Add to your meal with matzah ball soup and sides such as potato latkes and pasta salad, or treat yourself to some dessert  you cant go wrong with rugelach, the flaky pastry with fruit or a chocolate filing thats about as sweet as Mexican sweet bread. Essentially, light enough to enjoy at any time of the day. Dine inside the no-frills deli that also sells various Jewish products or take your food to go.

Location: 1150 Polk Blvd. in Des Moines

Contact: maccabeeskosherdeli.com or 515-277-1718

Hours: Open Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday closed. Tuesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday closed.

More: Want in on a secret? Here's where to find hidden speakeasy bars in Des Moines

Palmers Deli & Market

The Beef Eater at Palmer's Deli features steamed roast beef and pastrami with cream cheese on a ciabatta roll.

Carol and Gayle Palmer opened their first Palmers Deli & Market in Urbandale in 1989 and went on to open locations in West Des Moines, Ingersoll Avenue and downtown Des Moines. This full deli starts with a queue for ordering sandwiches and that then snakes along through soups including Wisconsin cheese and Italian meatball, salads, and deli favorites such as new potato salad and crunchy cabbage Waldorf. Try the Reuben, a classic deli option with corned beef, pastrami or turkey, as well as sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing on marbled rye and toasted, or the Beef Eater with steamed roast beef and pastrami with cream cheese on ciabatta. Request a pickle on the side for a garlicy accompaniment. Always add a Magic Bar or Scotcheroo to your order.

Locations: 4949 Westown Pkwy. #180, West Des Moines; 2843 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines; 3719 86th St., Urbandale; and 655 Walnut St., 219, Des Moines

Contact: palmersdeliandmarket.com

Hours: Vary by location

More: 21 great brunches to try in the Des Moines area right now, including Early Bird, Eatery A

Pickermans Soup & Sandwich

When in West Des Moines, stop by Pickermans for sandwiches such as the popular That's Italian with roasted bell peppers with melted provolone cheese on top of prosciutto, cured salami and Black Forest ham with Italian dressing, or the Ultimate Pastrami sandwich stacked with 12 ounces of pastrami on marble rye. Add a cup of ham and bean or cheeseburger cheddar soup on the side or grab a potato salad for your to-go order.

Location: 6750 Westown Pkwy., West Des Moines

Contact: pickermansdeli.com or 515-440-1856

Hours: Open from 9:230 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

South Union Bread Cafe

Before anything else, George Formaro is a baker, plying his flours and yeasts into loaves of bread. In 1996, he started baking his bread and selling his sandwiches at South Union Bread Cafe in downtown Des Moines, sandwiched between his Italian restaurant Centro and the Temple. The Union comes with capicola, salami, pepperoni, and provolone, with sauteed bell pepper and onion toasted on flatbread, while the hot cheese melt is a grown up grilled cheese with pepper jack cheese, Swiss cheese, and mozzarella with banana pepper rings on focaccia.

Location: 1007 Locust St., Des Moines

Contact: southunionbreadcafe.com

Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More: The 10 essential Italian restaurants in the Des Moines metro

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The best places to order a sandwich at Des Moines delis, grocery stores
Q-Tip, photo by Nabil Elderkin and courtesy of Boneau/Bryan-Brown

Q-Tip has joined the team behind Ali, a forthcoming musical about Muhammad Ali, as music producer, co-lyricist, and cast album producer. The A Tribe Called Quest co-founder will work alongside writer and director Clint Dyer (Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical) and composer Teddy Abrams. Dyer told Deadline, Well use [Q-Tips] hip-hop beats, and his talents will be used in other areas as well. This shows covering a lot of areas of music and well exhaust all of Q-Tips knowledge. He added that Q-Tips next albumperhaps one of the three he promised in 2020will be a rocknroll record.

Lead producer Richard Willis told Deadline the show will combine spoken word, verse, classical music, poetry, rap and hip-hop. Saxophonist Casey Benjamin, sometime member of the Robert Glasper Experiment, is on board as associate music producer. The show is set to premiere in Louisville, Kentucky, next fall before moving to Broadway, likely in 2025, according to Deadline.

*We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service*

A Tribe Called Quests sixth (and final) album was a rumor for 18 years. Its here, and against many odds, it reinvigorates the groups discography without resting on nostalgia.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
Getty Images

Some queer Swifties have come together to raise money for two important causes: LGBTQ+ youth and embarrassing Matty Healy.

Earlier this month, Healys band The 1975 was pictured holding an oversized check to the San Diego LGBT Center for $500. However, in a follow-up tweet, the bands Twitter admitted that the donation was in the band's name but was from the San Diego venue Pechanga Arena, though the bands name was written on the fake check.

The photo was quickly lambasted on social media by queer Swifties, who criticized the bands photo-op while (not even!) donating a paltry amount. Seeing a well-known band do a photo opp with one of those giant checks for only $500 was comical, but also a bit insulting, Marki, a member of the Gaylor community told Teen Vogue. Marki and other Gaylors decided to then out-fundraise the band. It was an opportunity to harness the Gaylor community's frustration [with Healy] into something positive.

The Plop and the Plight of Being a Queer Taylor Swift Fan

Amid the online discourse, Im clinging to a tantalizing bit of Eras Tour choreography.

Swifties have had a number of issues with Healy, who was previously dating the pop star, and started a not-insignificant number of controversies around the time of their courtship. In July, while doing a show as part of a music festival in Malaysia, Healy criticized the Malaysian governments anti-LGBTQ+ laws and proceeded to kiss his male bandmate on stage, which not only forced his bands show to end early but resulted in the entire festival being canceled. Before that, he made racist comments about Ice Spice and talked about masturbating to porn on a site that fetishizes extreme degradation of Black women.

The fundraiser, started by another Swiftie named Bre, has raised over $5,000 as of this writing, making the Swifties donation more than 10 times the amount donated in The 1975s name.

Come together to outdo the 1975s disrespectful donation, the page reads. Our community deserves more than pr pocket-change from multi-millionaires.

Gaylors are a small but fierce part of the Swiftie community. According to a report from Graphika, a company that maps the worlds online communities, they represent around 9% of the total Taylor Swift fanbase.

Get the best of whats queer. Sign up for Thems weekly newsletter here.

Originally Appeared on them.
Director Shawn Levy and the creative team behind Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See took part in a panel conversation on Tuesday, where they discussed how the project became more timely than they ever imagined.

The show is adapted from the Pulitzer-winning World War II novel by Anthony Doerr , which follows a blind French girl who takes refuge in Saint-Malo after Paris is invaded by Nazi Germany and a German boy who is recruited to join the Nazi army because of his skills in radio technology, also leading him to Saint-Malo.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Levy told the crowd at a Los Angeles special screening that he first read and fell in the love with the book as a fan and had no plans of working on an adaptation, especially because the novels rights belonged to someone else at the time, who planned to make it into a film rather than a series. After those rights lapsed, the producers began a long courtship with the author, as Levy explained, The whole pitch was we dont want to shrink it, we want to do justice to it as a four-part limited series.

Levy, joined on the post-screening panel by executive producer Dan Levine, writer and EP Steven Knight, production designer Simon Elliott, cinematographer Tobias Schliessler, editor Dean Zimmerman and casting director Lucy Bevan, also discussed how they launched a global casting search to find a blind actress to play their lead (eventually landing on newcomer Aria Mia Loberti) and how Russias invasion of Ukraine impacted the project as they shot in Budapest. The director said they were watching the invasion in real time and making changes to the script because we couldnt ignore the topicality.

It was quite extraordinary because you sort of realize that this isnt history, this is human beings, this is what humanity does to itself, Knight added. We all felt it was important that that was reflected somehow within the scripts and within the performances, but its horrible how a story like this can become relevant almost overnight and topical almost overnight.  A generation is coming through now for whom the second World War feels like ancient history, and something like the invasion of Ukraine, I think, points out the fact that this is what human beings do to each other sometimes.

He continued, Its very important that, as writers and artists, we reflect the fact that human beings also respond with magnificence and with beauty and love and tenderness. Thats what for me, personally, I hope this thing  all of the hardships that everyone went through to make this, everyone did such a fantastic job to make this real  is the message, hopefully self evident, that in the end human beings will prevail. And nothing made that more poignant than exactly those events in Ukraine.

Levy also noted a scene where Lobertis character and her father, played by Mark Ruffalo, join a group leaving Paris by foot after the Nazi invasion, and as we were filming that scene, that exodus scene, and we had Ukrainian refugees who had come west to Hungary to escape an invading neighbor from the east, just like Germany into Paris, who were playing Parisian refugees walking west to escape an invader from the east. True story. And so in that sequence where Daniel (Ruffalo) and Marie (Loberti) talk, we had Ukrainian refugees as extras amongst our Parisian refugees.

On a lighter note, the panel also joked about Ruffalo, playing a father who constructs models of the city to teach his daughter how to navigate on her own, while being a craftsman himself.

Its your worst fear when an actor knows the names of tools, teased Elliott. He came and saw the model and had a session with our prop master so that when it came to shooting the scene, we had the tools there and he knew how to handle them. Obviously, is the scene is all the better for it, noting Ruffalo himself worked on a few roofs that made the final model.

All the Light We Cannot See starts streaming Nov. 2 on Netflix.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.
Police say the vehicle did not stop at the scene of the collision, where the officer was directing school traffic

Santiago Felipe/Getty

A vehicle registered to Kathryn Dennis was involved in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, on Oct. 20, PEOPLE has confirmed.

A 2022 Ford SUV registered in the name of the former Southern Charm star, 32, struck a school resource officer directing traffic in front of Whitesville Elementary School on Gaillard Road, near Chavis Lane, around 7:18 a.m, Lance Corporal Nick Pye of the South Carolina Highway Patrol told PEOPLE. The injured officer received medical attention on site.

The Ford SUV "did not stop at the scene of the collision," Pye said, confirming that the vehicle was later located at Dennis's address.

As of Tuesday, the incident was under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which did not reveal who was driving the car.

PEOPLE has made multiple attempts to reach Dennis about the incident, without success. However, a knowledgeable source has also confirmed to PEOPLE that Southern Charm star was involved in the alleged incident.

Related: 'Southern Charm' Star Kathryn Dennis Is 'Focusing On Building a Better Life' with Her Kids

Bravo fans first came to know Dennis when the Charleston-set reality series debuted in 2014. She met Thomas Ravenel during season 1, and by the end of that year's filming they were expecting daughter Kensington Calhoun, now 9. The next year, they welcomed son Saint Julien in November 2015.

Dennis's time on the show was dominated by her combustible on-and-off relationship with Ravenel, now 61, leading to many allegations on his part about her sobriety and fitness as a mother. They struggled for years to settle a protracted custody battle, finally doing so in 2019, and have continued to work on their dynamic as co-parents after the fallout of their romantic relationship.

PEOPLE confirmed in January that Dennis would be leaving Southern Charm after eight seasons.



Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Dennis began this year on a hopeful note, posting on Instagram: "I don't know about you but I'm feeling 2023 ~ my New Year's resolution is to have more hope and channel my grace "

In September, she dedicated another Instagram post to her kids, writing, When I am with you I feel so alive again even when you cant see me or hear me I am always thinking of you..know that our love connects us by an invisible string, always. I know that we will make it through these tough times and they wont last forever.  sending strength to all of the coparents out there."

She continued, "No matter the situation being without your children is the most difficult pain you must carry each and every day you are without them. Its so unnatural and such a drawn out devastation. We need each others love and supportheres to hope for the future "



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Read the original article on People.
There are several unique Airbnbs in Ohio.

Whether you're looking to roast chestnuts in a cozy cottage or build snowmen outside a luxury yurt, these unique Airbnbs in Ohio could be the perfect getaway destination this holiday season.

We rounded up 10 of the most unique and highly rated Airbnb stays in the state. Take a look below and start planning your trip.

Modernized postal cottage in Amish country

This Airbnb was Parkman, Ohio's post office until 2018.

Tucked in an Amish community in Northeast Ohio, vacationers can travel back in time with this old postal cottage from the 1840s. The building served as Parkman, Ohio's post office until 2018, when it was renovated to include modern amenities, a kitchenette, two bedrooms and one bathroom.

Rated 4.99/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $100 per night.

Can host up to three guests.

Boho dream: The Hummingbird Luxury Yurt

Glamp the holidays away in this luxury yurt nestled in Logan, Ohio's Hocking Hills. The 20-foot, boho-style space offers an open-floor concept with a queen bed, kitchenette and large bathroom with a glass enclosed shower. Guests can also enjoy the private hot tub and fire pit located just steps away from the main unit.

Rated 4.94/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $260 per night.

Can host up to two guests.

Groovy fun house outside Cleveland

About 30 miles outside of Cleveland resides this groovy Magical Barn, complete with a saloon bar, turquoise-tiled staircase, eclectic interior design, stage, loft bed and clawfoot bathtub. This two-bedroom, two-bathroom oasis is officially dubbed the "Bocks Jukejoint" by hosts Stefan and Stacey.

Rated 4.98/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $266 per night.

Can host up to four guests.

Monolithic dome house is the ultimate hibernation spot

Hibernate the holidays away in this state-of-the art monolithic dome house located in Bainbridge. The curved structure, dubbed The Earthstar Lodge, is tucked inside the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, the Arc of Appalachias oldest and largest preserve. The main space features one bedroom with a king bed, one bath, a full kitchen and spacious living area.

Rated 4.8/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $155 per night.

Can host up to two guests.

Sleep among the trees in this tiny home treehouse

Those looking for serenity in the woods for a weekend can look no further than this treehouse tiny home in Millersburg. The 20-foot shipping container home named Otium features a modern interior with a fireplace, queen bed and stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. The outdoor patio includes a soaking tub, shower, lounge seats and chairs around a natural gas fire pit.

Rated 4.85/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $192 per night.

Can host up to two guests.

The Triangle: A-Frame cabin offers a cozy getaway

This 400-square-foot cabin nestled in the heart of Amish country is perfect for a cozy retreat.

Located in West Farmington in the heart of Amish country, this 400-square-foot A-frame cabin is perfect for a cozy retreat. Details like a wood-burning stove, exposed beams and a patio lit up with twinkling lights help create a warm, charming atmosphere.

Nearby, visitors can explore Amish country, the Western Reserve Greenway bike trail, antique stores, Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park, Holden Arboretum, Burton Village, Welshfield Inn and Mosquito Lake.

Rated 4.9/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $107 per night.

Can host up to four guests.

Winery loft in Hocking Hills

The 1,200-square-foot loft features a king-sized bed, fully equipped kitchen and a living room with a flat-screen TV.

Nestled on Le Petit Chevalier Vineyards and Farm Winery in Creola, this luxury loft sits on the second floor of the main winery, with two private balconies offering panoramic views of the vineyard, a private entrance and personal parking spot. The 1,200-square-foot space features a king-sized bed, fully equipped kitchen and living room area with a flat-screen TV.

Rated 5/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $170 per night.

Can host up to four guests.

Go back in time with this vintage, fully-renovated camper

Cruise into the new year with this fully-renovated, 70s-style camper, perfect for vacationers who want to be immersed in nature this holiday season. Hosted on a campground in Coshocton, the luxury camper features two twin beds, a dining table that converts into a full size bed and a bathroom. The bathhouse is just steps away in the campground, and offers a shower, washers and dryers.

The campground also features a large shelter, playground for kids, craft activities on weekends, a movie night every Friday and wagon train rides every Saturday.

Rated 4.96/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $120 per night.

Can host up to four guests.

Shipping container turned into a luxury getaway

Along the Tuscarawas River, you'll find this unique, renovated shipping container, complete with a mini kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room and an eclectic collection of vintage decor. Outside, there's a furnished patio, fire pit and hot tub.

Rated 4.95/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $156 per night.

Can host up to four guests.

Rainbow house near downtown Columbus

This Instagram-worthy Airbnb is located in Columbus, Ohio.

Looking for an Instagram-worthy destination to enjoy this holiday season? Search no further than the Vivid Columbus, where every room has a different color and theme. With three bedrooms, a living and dining room, kitchen and laundry room, there's plenty of space to accommodate a family or group of friends.

The downstairs features a pink living room with a six-foot pink velvet throne. Upstairs you'll find the royal purple bedroom, Bohemian princess yellow room, gothic red room and orange bathroom.

Rated 5/5 stars by reviewers.

Stay here for $259 per night.

Can host up to six guests.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 10 wild Ohio Airbnb stays, from a winery to a shipping container
Halloween is less than a week away, with many spooky celebrations happening all over Johnson County, from trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 to family-friendly fun leading up to the spooky occasion.

Here is the schedule for trick-or-treating in Johnson County as well as additional Halloween events:

Movie Night at the Coralville Library

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, the Coralville Library hosting a free screening of Young Frankenstein," a PG film following the American grandson of an infamous scientist struggles to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe.

People walk past a decorated house during Halloween trick-or-treating, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Iowa City, Iowa.

HalloWEEKEND at the Iowa Children's Museum

The Iowa Children's Museum hosts a weekend of not-too-scary Halloween activities that kids of all ages will enjoy. Bats, spiders, pumpkins, and more will take over the exhibits during the spooky season, and families can check out special Halloween activities on Oct. 28, 29, and 31. All activities are included with museum admission.

Halloween Photos Paige Prior Photography

In North Liberty, Children Pre-K and under are invited to come in costume for a complimentary keepsake photo with Paige Prior Photography, followed by a storytime in the library. Paige will be set up with a festive photo op in the Learning Center from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 27. Storytime will take place in the Library Meeting Rooms during its regularly scheduled time, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Trick-or-Treat with HyVee

Hy-Vees annual Trick-Or-Treat party with cookie decorating, coloring, and pumpkin decorating will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Dont forget to wear your costumes.

A jack-o'-lantern is seen on a table with candy during Halloween trick-or-treating, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Iowa City, Iowa.

Johnson County Trick-or-Treating times and dates:

Iowa City: 5:30 - 8 p.m. on Oct. 31

Coralville: 5:30 - 8 p.m. on Oct. 31

North Liberty: 5:00 - 8 p.m. on Oct. 31

Hills: 6:00 - 8 p.m. on Oct. 31

Oxford: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Oct.31

Solon: 5:00 - 7 p.m. on Oct. 31

Swisher: 5:30 - 8 p.m. on Oct. 31

Tiffin: 5:00 - 7 p.m. on Oct. 31

University Heights: 5:30 - 8 p.m. on Oct. 31

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Get into the Halloween spirit with these Johnson County celebrations
One of Halloween's greatest assets is its chilling autumnal atmosphere. With picturesque houses, sprawling lawns, and wide streets, John Carpenter's 1978 film feels as though it exists in any affluent suburb in the United States, which is part of why its terror feels so universal. Despite taking place in Haddonfield, Ill., Halloween was actually shot in California, primarily in South Pasadena and Hollywood, as well as a smattering of other nearby towns.

Here are the many places where Halloween was filmed nearly 50 years ago.

South Pasadena, Calif.

The majority of Halloween's daytime photography was shot in South Pasadena, Calif., just east of downtown Los Angeles and, predictably, south of Pasadena, the home of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade. The town makes a convincing stand-in for other areas of the country because its dense suburban trees help block out the L.A. sunshine  and there are several neighborhoods with very few palm trees to give away its coastal geography, which is a rarity in Southern California. However, since the film was shot over four weeks in the spring, the production team had to provide their own autumn leaves to scatter around each location.

The most iconic setting, the Myers house, lies at the heart of the town's charming Mission West Historic District. At the time of filming, the property required very little alteration to serve its purpose; built in the style of New England saltbox homes in the 19th century, it already had visible signs of wear when the location team stumbled upon it. Under threat of demolition in the years after Halloween, the house was transplanted down the street from its original location, so it now sits alone next to the Metro Gold Line train tracks. Though the structure itself is unmarked, there's a gallery out back where visitors can purchase Halloween-themed art pieces.

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Compass International Pictures

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Wesley Stenzel

Across the street from the Myers residence's current site lies the store where Michael acquires his mask and knife. In 1978, the blocky brick building was home to a frame shop that stood in for a hardware store; now, the building houses a couple of restaurants.

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Compass International Pictures

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Wesley Stenzel

A few blocks southeast, John Carpenter and co. shot the exterior of the Strode home, where Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) begins her neighborhood strolls. The house was chosen due to the convenience of its proximity to the other South Pasadena locations. The most recent homeowners are aware of the house's pop culture history  they have a small commemorative sign explaining the spot's role in the movie and even offer a few prop pumpkins so visitors can recreate the image of Laurie sitting in the yard as she waits for Annie (Nancy Kyes) to pick her up. The property was listed for sale in September 2023 for $1.8 million, meaning a lucky (and loaded) fan could soon call the Strode house home.

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Compass International Pictures

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Wesley Stenzel

Most of the scenes where the characters walk around Haddonfield were also filmed in the residential areas of South Pasadena, including the chilling shot where Michael disappears behind a large hedge near Annie's house. The greenery now bears a sign that says "Welcome to Haddonfield." These walking sequences have a creepy sense of isolation, as they never include any passers-by; since the film was made on a tight budget of around $300,000, barely any extras appear.

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Compass International Pictures

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Wesley Stenzel

Hollywood, Calif.

The two most important locations in the movie, however, were filmed on Orange Grove Avenue in West Hollywood, just north of Sunset Boulevard. These are the homes of Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) and Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), where most of Halloween's nighttime scenes take place. Two houses across the street from one another serve as the exteriors for the Doyle and Wallace homes, while two other properties on the same block were used for interior shots. The inside of the Strode residence was also filmed at a house on the same street. Despite looking massive in person, the production team stated that they didn't intend for the estates to communicate outlandish affluence  they just needed large sets so they could fit the crew and their equipment inside.

Additionally, the nighttime scene where Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) and Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) drive toward the Smith's Grove sanitarium was filmed in the Hollywood Hills, though the facility's exterior was shot in Altadena, Calif.

Alhambra, Calif.

For the scene where Tommy Doyle drops his pumpkin while Michael Myers observes him at school, the production team used Garfield Elementary in Alhambra, Calif., just a few minutes away from the South Pasadena locations. The school's chain link fence has since been replaced with more robust metal bars, plus a new playground where the grassy courtyard once stood. Its lack of indoor hallways is one of the few visual clues that the movie was filmed in California  Illinois kids wouldn't walk from classroom to classroom in the snow  but it nonetheless adds to the overall tension, as it makes the setting feel more vulnerable to unwelcome outside visitors.

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Compass International Pictures

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Wesley Stenzel

Sierra Madre, Calif.

Upon his arrival at Haddonfield, Dr. Loomis visits a cemetery to discover that Michael's sister's grave has been desecrated. This scene was filmed at the Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery just east of Pasadena. The long-take sequence follows Loomis and a companion from the edge of the graveyard to the center, where they stop in front of a large tombstone that reads "Sinclair"  the resting place of John and Minnesota Sinclair, which is still easy to find today.

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Compass International Pictures

Halloween 1978 Filming Locations

Wesley Stenzel

City of Industry, Calif.

In a very brief scene, Dr. Loomis makes a call at a phone booth 73 miles outside of Haddonfield and finds an abandoned truck. With rolling hills and no major buildings in sight, the location certainly looks distant from the rest of the film's locations  but it's actually only a mere 23 miles away from South Pasadena.

Related content:
CAIRO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egypt is playing a positive role to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Sisi made his remarks during an inspection of the Third Field Army's Fourth Armoured Division in Suez province on the 50th anniversary of the October War victory, according to state-run Nile TV.

Egypt has taken an active role in aid access for Gazans through the Rafah border crossing, the only crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Sisi said, adding that Egypt is in the process of brokering a cease-fire in a way that can help address the lack of electricity, and many other services in the besieged coastal enclave.

He reiterated the importance of the two-state solution and settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict via diplomatic means, which he put forward at the Cairo Summit for Peace last weekend.

He affirmed Egypt has considerable military capabilities, noting that "the power must be only for self-defense, and should be reasonably, wisely, and maturely used."

During the tour, the Egyptian president inspected scores of warplanes and tanks, according to Nile TV. 
The last two VFX Oscar winners  Avatar: The Way of Water and Dune  were late-season juggernauts. The same was anticipated for Dune: Part Two (originally scheduled for a November 3 release). But since Warner Bros. pushed back Denis Villeneuves sci-fi epic to March 15, 2024, because of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, that opens up a void.

Now, the spotlight is on other Oscar hopefuls that wouldve been overshadowed: Wonka (December 15, Warner Bros.), The Marvels (November 10, Marvel/Disney), Napoleon (November 22, Apple TV+/Sony Pictures), Poor Things (December 8, Searchlight), and Rebel Moon (December 22, Netflix).

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Director Paul King (Paddington) transforms Wonka into the origin story of Roald Dahls famed chocolatier (with Dune star Timothee Chalamet in the title role), which now becomes the most prestigious late-season VFX contender. Its a musical companion piece to the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, with Wonka struggling to start his own chocolate shop with his magic touch and secret weapon: Hugh Grants Oompa Loompa.

It appears to take place in the 30s and has a definite Harry Potter vibe. The VFX from Framestore evokes a sense of the magical for Wonkas experimental inventions and secret ingredients, including his candys ability to make people float. Its most complex work was shrinking Grant down to a miniscule size as a fully CG character; a very advanced facial animation setup was used instead of any deep fake trickery. Other effects included creating gallons of practical and digital chocolate as well as providing a digital giraffe, flamingos, crowds, and fantastical environments. The film looks nostalgically charming, but its hard to predict how much of a serious Oscar contender it will be.

The Marvels, the sequel to Captain Marvel, finds Brie Larsons superhero teaming up with Teyona Parris WandaVision character, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) from Ms. Marvel to stop a wormhole linked to the Kree. Judging from the trailer, the VFX leans heavily into trippy CG with lots of characters and refracted light effects from ILM, Weta FX, Rise FX, Rising Sun Pictures, and Sony Pictures Imageworks. Marvel, much maligned for its VFX and now unionized, has a much better shot at a nomination with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Rebel Moon Clay Enos/Netflix

Ridley Scotts Napoleon, which has Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) fighting wars abroad and at home with Empress Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), offers six legendary battles (each with their own geometric pattern), with VFX from MPC, ILM, and half a dozen other companies.

Lorgos Lanthimos Poor Things is a subversive Frankenstein gender-bender, starring Emma Stone as a re-animated Victorian free spirit. It touts plenty of retro-looking VFX (Union VFX and Absolute Post), from painted backdrops to rear screen projection to LED screens for the cruise ship sea and sky.

Rebel Moon, Zack Snyders sci-fi space opera about a colony on the edge of a galaxy at war with a tyrannical ruling force, began as a Star Wars pitch with future-retro nods to Akira Kurosawa and Heavy Metal magazine. The CG characters include a hybrid human/spider creature and a mechanical knight (voiced by Anthony Hopkins). The VFX is from half a dozen companies, led by Framestore and Weta.

However, its come down to an Oscar race between Gareth Edwards AI sci-fi thriller The Creator (20th Century/Disney) and Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer (Universal). Edwards offers a streamlined paradigm shift with his gritty indie/blockbuster hybrid, shooting the film in 80 locations in Southeast Asia with the lightweight Sony FX3 prouse camera and then reverse-engineering the naturalistic VFX from ILM in post. The result was an $80 million film that looked like $200 million. The film offers imaginative robots with an 80s Sony/Nintendo vibe (especially simulants that resemble humans). ILM placed the CG parts over the actors while retaining their performances, and helped design and create the set extensions.

For Oppenheimer, Oscar-winning production VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson (Tenet) collaborated closely with Oscar-winning SFX supervisor Scott Fisher (Tenet, Interstellar) to shoot lab experiments in aquarium tanks for the simulated liquids and other materials during the quantum physics sequences. Everything was shot in camera (including 65mm IMAX) and then manipulated, layered, and composited in the computer. Same for the atomic blast, which was a series of large and small practical explosions treated and composited in the computer. Although this would be considered supporting VFX, theres not a single shot derived from CG simulation. The work serves as a stunning old-school approach to the current CG fatigue and could very well win the Oscar.

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For seven months, the family of indigenous woman Mika Westwolf has waited for answers about the deadly hit-and-run in Montana that stole the 22-year-old's life

Flathead County Detention Center; Mika Matters Sunny White and Mika Westwolf

A Montana mother of two is facing charges after allegedly hitting a Native American woman and fleeing the scene in a deadly hit-and-run, say authorities.

Sunny Kathrinne White, 28, was arrested Saturday and charged with five felonies including vehicular homicide while under the influence in connection with the death of Mika Josephine Westwolf, 22, in March 2023, according to charging documents obtained by PEOPLE.

White is also charged with accidents involving another person or deceased person, two counts of criminal child endangerment, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

Whites two children, Aryan, 4, and Nation, 2, were in the car with her at the time of the accident, the Missoulian reports.

The fatal accident took place on March 31. Westwolf was walking home on Highway 93 near White Coyote Road outside of Arlee at 4:15 a.m. when she was struck, according to the affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. Tribal Police Officer T.J. Haynes was driving on Highway 93 north of Arlee when he saw vehicle debris in the road and a body lying next to the fog line.



Related: Family of Washington State Woman Killed in Hit and Run Seek Justice: You Need to Turn Yourself In

The victim was later identified as Westwolf, who was a member of the Blackfeet tribe.



Evidence from the scene indicates that Westwolf was walking in the northbound lane of travel near the fog line when she was struck by the suspect vehicle, the affidavit states.

Westwolf was hit head-on. She died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries.

At 5:23 a.m., a deputy with the Lake County Sheriffs Office saw a gold 2008 Cadillac Escalade with damage on the front and a missing passenger side mirror parked outside of Polson, according to the affidavit.

The damage to the Escalade allegedly matched the description of the vehicle debris found at the scene, the affidavit alleges.

The deputy saw a woman, later identified as White, taking items out of the Escalade and putting them into another vehicle. White allegedly told the deputy that her SUV was overheating and she had called a friend to help her, the affidavit states.

White allegedly said she hit a deer but didnt remember where it happened, according to the affidavit.

White claimed she was passing a bottle back to her baby and didnt see the deer," per the affidavit.

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She told the deputy that she was driving from Kalispell to Butte for the weekend with her children. She denied using alcohol and said she hadnt used methamphetamine or fentanyl in a week, the affidavit states.

The deputy believed the defendant may have been under the influence of opiates, according to the affidavit, and White was allegedly "shaky on her feet" and "nodded off and fell in and out of sleep" in the back of the deputy's vehicle when he took her to the hospital for a blood draw.

She refused to provide a blood sample, so the deputy had to obtain a search warrant for the blood, which was collected more than four hours after the crash, the affidavit states.

Police obtained a search warrant for Whites vehicle and allegedly found "a small makeup tube with methamphetamine inside," five syringes and two unopened packages of Narcan inside, the affidavit states. Whites blood sample also allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl.

As police continue to investigate, Westwolfs family and friends continue to mourn her loss. Her family started the "Mika Matters" movement to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

According to KRTV, the family released a statement on Friday, saying, "As we mark seven months since Mika's tragic passing, it is essential to acknowledge that this arrest is just the beginning of the journey towards justice.

The fight to seek accountability, raise awareness, and protect the lives of Indigenous people and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives remains an ongoing battle.

Our hearts go out to the families who are still searching for their loved ones, and we remain deeply saddened by the fact that Native Americans continue to go missing at an alarming rate. The urgency to address this issue has never been greater."

White was arrested on an extra-jurisdictional warrant and was held over the weekend on a $200,000 bond, according to jail records.

She bonded out of jail on Sunday.

Lake County Attorney James Lapotka told PEOPLE, "I would like to thank the Montana Highway Patrol, the Flathead Tribal Police, and the Lake County Sheriffs Office for their hard work investigating this complex case."

It is unclear whether White has retained an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

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There's something for every type of hiker in the Bay Area.

Kevin Thrash / Getty Images

When you think of San Francisco, the iconic classics of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Fisherman's Wharf might immediately come to mind. But there's far more to the Bay Area than just these sights, and if you're interested in exploring on foot, you'll actually find you're in a hiker's paradise. In and around San Francisco are hiking trails suitable for all skill levels and interests, from birders to history buffs to small children. Whether you're an experienced hiker in search of a challenge or simply in the mood for a sightseeing stroll, there are plenty of options within or just a short journey from the heart of the Bay Area.

Now, a little housekeeping: As with all outdoor excursions, be sure to be mindful of the rules and regulations within each park. Note that several trails on this list can get quite windy, especially the ones at higher elevations, so prepare for some gusts. Also, keep in mind that the busier trails tend to have packed parking lots on the weekends, so consider going earlier in the day or during the week, if possible.

Without further ado, here are our picks for the best trails in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Batteries to Bluffs Trail

Jill Schneider / Getty Images

The Presidio, a nearly 1,000-acre park, offers unsurpassed, postcard-worthy views of the Golden Gate Bridge and is a must-see for both tourists and locals alike. The famous Batteries to Bluff Trail is shortjust 0.7 miles longbut scenic, winding along the hilly coast with a breathtaking view of the bridge. Taking the extension down to Marshall Beach is worth the trip, as you can stroll across the sand with the water at your feet and the Golden Gate Bridge towering above you in the distance. If there's any one location that best represents the beauty of San Francisco, this might be it.

Lands End Trail

m-kojot / Getty Images

In the Sutro District of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, you'll find the easy-to-moderate four-mile Lands End Trail. There are plenty of sights to keep you entertained, including the Sutro Baths, the USS San Francisco Memorial, the Eagle Point Overlook (with resplendent views of the Golden Gate Bridge), and Mile Rock Beach. If you want to extend your hike and hit two excellent trails in one go, you can combine Lands End with the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

Tomales Point Trail

AlessandraRC / Getty Images

No list of California hiking trails would be complete without a trek with quintessential views of the Pacific Ocean from coastal bluffs. Tomales Point Trail is the one for San Francisco. You have a few different options in terms of distance: from the trailhead to Windy Gap is about two miles round-trip, but if you're willing to extend your journey, Pierce Point Ranch is about six miles round-trip. Pierce Point was once a dairy ranch in the late 1800s but is now used to house park employees. And if you want to go even farther, you can get all the way out to Tomales Point itself, which is a 9.5-mile round-trip journey. As with any trail along coastal bluffs, be sure to stay on the designated path, as the cliffs are notoriously unstable.

Juniper Trail

A simple but spectacular two-mile ascent to the 3,849-foot summit of Mount Diablo yields an epic view of mountains and valleys as far as the eye can see. This is a moderately difficult hike, thanks both to steepness and a gravel-packed trail that can get a tad slippery in some areas. Prepare for a windy atmosphere and, in the colder months, some snowfall. If you think the two-mile hike is a bit too short, you can start farther down the mountain to elongate the trek.

Bernal Heights Park Trail

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This hilltop park has multiple short trails (the longest is about a mile) that are perfectly suited for casual walkers or tourists in search of an Instagrammable, 360-degree view of the city. In the warmer months, the paths are lined with purple wildflowers. If you have a dog in tow, this is a great opportunity to get them out of your car and show them some sights.

French, Bridle, and Stream Trail Loop

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park contains, as you might've guessed, plenty of towering redwoods, and it's mercifully free from the throngs of tourists you'll find at Muir Woods. (That said, you won't likely find complete solitude here, especially on weekends!) There are a few different trails at the park, but the most popular is actually a combination of three that forms one 7.3-mile loop of moderate difficulty.

Quicksilver History Loop

Nature itself is awe-inspiring, but we're also keen on hikes that can transport you back in timein this case, to the 19th century, to be exact. On this eight-mile loop with picturesque mountain views, you'll journey to several long-abandoned mining sites, where you can wander through the ruins and learn about the quicksilver mining history from historical placards. Don't miss a stop at the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum for additional context, too.

Muir Woods

wayfarerlife photography / Getty Images

Muir Woods National Monument is a must-visitwhich is why there are always so many people here. The site contains an abundance of trails, ranging from accessible walkways to more challenging switchbacks through the trees. Whatever route you take, there may be no better place on earth to feast your eyes on the magnificent redwood trees that have truly sprouted up everywhere. The easier trails are the most crowded ones, but if you're willing to walk a bit more, you can find some trails where you'll be able to enjoy the sounds of the forest.

Tennessee Valley Trail

luriete / Getty Images

Located in the Marin Headlands, this underrated, easy 3.6-mile out-and-back trail is lined with abundant wildflowers and rewards you with a beach view at the end of the journey. It's also a birder's paradise, with everything from songbirds to eagles spotted along the route. We recommend allowing for some extra time to explore the beach and observe the crabs. The earlier you get started with your hike the better, as the trail can get a tad busy in the afternoons.

Dipsea, Steep Ravine, and Matt Davis Trail Loop

Ridge Walker / 500px / Getty Images

There are many trails in Mount Tamalpais State Park, but this moderately difficult 6.6-mile route combines three that hit most of the highlights. The journey begins at Stinson Beach and includes stints over rolling hills, through lush redwood forests, and past a couple of waterfalls. Along the way, youre treated to views of Pt. Reyes and the Pacific Ocean.

Devil's Slide Trail

SvetlanaSF / Getty Images

If you're in search of Pacific Ocean vistas accessed with minimal effort, Devil's Slide is the hike for you. Despite the sinister name, this is an easy 2.6-mile out-and-back paved trail with superb coastal views and plenty of convenient amenities, such as bathrooms, benches, and water fountains. This one is great for kids and dogs, as long as you keep them on a leash (the dogs, that is, but maybe the kids, too).

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Florida officials dismantled an organized retail crime ring responsible for more than $20 million in losses this year.

Authorities arrested 14 suspects as part of a racketeering investigation, state attorney general Ashley Moody announced Monday. Operation On the Fence uncovered the crime ring which targeted over 20 retailers, including Walmart, Dicks Sporting Goods, Target, Macys, Costco, Publix, Home Depot and Lowes, among others.

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In Florida, we are fighting back against organized retail theft. We will not allow this crime, occurring rampantly in other parts of our country, to wreak havoc on our consumers and businesses, Moody said at a press conference. Thanks to great collaborative efforts between my Office of Statewide Prosecution and our amazing law enforcement partners, this massive criminal enterprise, which caused more than $20 million in losses, is out of business.

Moody credited the collaboration between law enforcement agencies including the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office, the Broward Sheriffs Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Coral Springs Police Department and the Pembroke Pines Police Department.

The suspects brought stolen merchandise to a primary distributor named Arland Cata, who purchased roughly $1 million worth of goods for 5 percent to 10 percent of their retail value. Cata then sold the items to a higher-level distributor, Joshua Markell, who owned an Amazon storefront called Hollywoodseller. In the past year the store has netted more than $5 million in profits, shipping over 100,000 items to Amazon for sale on Hollywoodseller. When officers arrested the suspects, they seized over 4,800 items worth $1.2 million that Markell targeted for sale on Amazon.

Moodys office has charged Markell and 13 others with racketeering, organized retail theft, grand theft, dealing in stolen property and other conspiracy charges.

Retail criminals are not only becoming more sophisticated in their efforts to fence stolen goods, but more brazen in their attempts to obtain them.

Officials in New York locked down a Long Island shopping mall after a shoplifter fired a gun and fled the scene pantsless Monday morning. The incident took place at a Clique clothing store located on the second floor of Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream village, where a man was seen layering stolen clothing on top of what he was wearing before exiting the store without paying.

A store security guard approached the suspect before the two engaged in a struggle that ended in the suspect deploying a weapon, police said in a statement. The shot went into the ground, and no one was injured. The suspect then fled the scene and ran to a parking garage where he took off in a red SUV, while stripping off the clothing he had stolen from Clique. Police are still searching for the suspect.

In Virginia Beach, a shoplifting suspect also fired a gun at a police officer while attempting to flee the scene of a crime outside of a Kohls store.

On Friday evening police were dispatched to the Kohls at the Pembroke Mall after receiving a call from a loss prevention officer who saw a repeat shoplifter return to the store to steal more merchandise. A police officer tailed the suspect in a patrol car after he fled on foot, and the suspect opened fire on the officer, striking the car.

Backup arrived shortly after and police were able to apprehend the suspect, 24-year-old Tyler Davis, without incident. Police said he was accompanied by 26-year-old Hayley Fernandez and 22-year-old Jaclyn Anderson, who were arrested on an outstanding felony warrant and drug possession, respectively, and charged with conspiracy to commit grand larceny. Davis, who stole merchandise worth nearly $2,000 that day, was charged with attempted aggravated murder, use of a firearm by a violent felon, conspiracy to commit grand larceny and grand larceny.

This incident underscores the commitment of our officers to serve and protect this community, as well as the fact there is no such thing as a routine call, Police Chief Paul Neudigate said in a statement. We are incredibly grateful that our officer was not killed or injured, and we ask the community and the rest of our criminal justice system to send the message that attacks on law enforcement will not be tolerated.

In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser aims to tackle rising threats to both retail and public safety with the Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now), which would give law enforcement more tools to hold criminals to account. Announced Monday, the proposed law would amend provisions of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Amendment Act to support D.C. area communities and the Metropolitan Police Departments (MPD) ability to hire and retain officers to fight retail crime.

This legislation reflects what our community is telling us: they want appropriate accountability for those who choose to commit crimes and inflict fear in our neighborhoods, Bowser said. At a time when were dealing with historically low staffing levels at MPD, were making common-sense changes that recognize the day-to-day operational challenges our officers experience and that will better support safe and effective policing.

The law includes a provision to create new penalties for organized retail theft, like establishing a new crime classification for directing organized retail theft. It will also reinstate a law that makes it illegal to wear a mask for the purpose of committing a crime, intimidating, threatening, or causing fear in others. ACT Now aims to stop people from gathering to buy, sell or use illegal drugs and limit public loitering by reinstating the MPD chiefs ability to declare drug-free zones for 120 hours.

The proposed legislation also clarifies and updates several existing policies to better align policies with the day-to-day realities of safe and effective policing, the mayors office said in a statement. The law would clarify the distinction between a serious use of force and incidental contact with the neck, along with ensuring that officers are able to review their body camera footage before writing their initial police reports in certain circumstances, among other rules.

This legislation is critical for the public safety of the District of Columbia, Acting Chief Pamela Smith said. The legislation is responsive to what we are hearing from community and takes important steps forward in clarifying existing legislative language to ensure our officers are able to fully perform their duties.

Bowser is also calling for City Council to move forward with her Safer Stronger Amendment Act, first introduced in May 2023, which would introduce stricter penalties for violent crimes.

Retail crime is getting more attention from industry groups serving U.S. merchant interests. The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) have organized more than 80 store walks since September to confront the rising tide of shoplifting and other aspects of Americas $95 billion retail crime problem.

Retailers are committed to doing everything they can to tackle retail crime and its impact on communities. Its a complex issue that requires a multifaceted, strategic response. Building relationships and collaborating with local prosecutors is just one, albeit very important component to that response, said RILA senior EVP of retail operations Lisa LaBruno, in a statement. Were thrilled that such a large group of prosecutors serving cities and towns large and small signed up to participate and share in our commitment to keeping communities safe.

Julie Giblin, vice president loss prevention for Ulta Beauty, added that retailers must work together with DA Offices, law enforcement, landlords, other retailers, solution providers and industry organizations to share learnings and insights to create change and progress. We appreciate the various District Attorneys for taking the time to engage with our loss prevention and store associates, learn about our crime mitigation strategies and discuss best practices that can aid criminal case prosecutions.

Additional reporting by Jessica Binns.

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A resurfaced news story from 2019 has been going viral on TikTok  and it's about a 20-year-old man who died after eating five-day-old pasta. TikTokers are expressing shock and medical experts are weighing in to explain the truth behind how this can happen:

BuzzFeed spoke to Dr. Joe, who is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, to learn more. He explained that "Fried Rice Syndrome" is a type of food poisoning caused by the Bacillus cereus bacterium. "This bacteria is commonly found in foods that have been sitting at room temperature for extended periods. In dishes like fried rice, the bacteria can produce toxins as the food cools down, leading to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps," he explained.

Akiko Aoki / Getty Images, @drjoe_md / tiktok.com

If you get Fried Rice Syndrome, Dr. Joe said the onset of symptoms will happen a few hours after you ingest the food and you could be sick for up to 24 hours. If you develop symptoms, you should seek medical attention right away. And although death is rare, Dr. Joe said it is not unheard of.

So, is there a specific kind of pasta or rice people need to be aware of? According to Dr. Joe, the issue is not specific to any type of pasta or rice but rather how the food is stored. "Bacillus cereus can grow in various starchy foods, not just fried rice. This can include whole wheat and veggie noodles if they are improperly stored."

Valeriy_g / Getty Images/iStockphoto

This means you need to be aware of the time and temperature at which the food is stored, rather than the specific ingredients. The US Department of Agriculture suggests storing dry goods in a cool, clean dry place away from extreme heat or cold.

Fcafotodigital / Getty Images

You also need to avoid eating prepared food that has been left out at room temperature for over two hours. Bacillus cereus bacterium grows best in a temperature range of 39F (4C) to 118F (48C). "As a general rule of thumb, all perishable foods should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours. In hot weather (above 90F), this time reduces to just one hour," Dr. Joe concluded.

Monica Bertolazzi / Getty Images

TL;DR: You can get very sick and potentially die from cooked pasta or rice that has been left out for more than two hours  this is due to the bacillus cereus bacterium. You should also always store your dry goods in a cool, dry place to prevent the bacteria from growing on unprepared food.

You can follow Dr. Joe on TikTok and Instagram for more medical information!
It's the 90th anniversary of an object that proved natural forms can still be rational and modern.

Welcome to Legacy, an ongoing column by Sami Reiss of Snake covering all-time design.



Ed Be and Jared Blake remember when they started selling Alvar Aaltos work in their New York furniture store, Lichen, in 2020. Soon after, as they began manufacturing their own piecesamong them a sharp pivot cabinet and a great minimal dining tablethe famous Finnish architects oeuvre loomed larger.

"If you try to do anything furniture-related with simplicity and grace, youre going to run into Aalto and [Donald] Judd," says Blake. "Its like trying to make a new kind of water. How much can you really do?"

The 60 is a multiuse object: a stool, a side table, sometimes a desk, and, when placed together, says Ed Be of Lichen, a

Regarding Aaltos Stool 60, currently celebrating 90 years in continuous production under Artek, the company Aalto founded, the answer is not a lot.



Today, as when Artek started producing them in the 1930s, 60 stools are essential decor. Theyre infinitely stackable and sturdy, and have multiple uses, whether as a chair or a side table. Vintage pieces develop nice, yellowed patina if exposed to the sun; the new models can, too, over time. Old 60s generally auction for less than $1,000, while new productions ask upwards of $400. When they were first produced, they were modestly priced, which made them a fixture across Finland.

Sean Sullivan, a 35-year-old creative consultant who moved from the U.S. to Helsinki in 2020, sees Artek at every turn. "Jean Sibelius, Aalto and a couple of dudes from their wars," he says, "are on their national Rushmore." (Helsinkis airport is known to have held flights for the architect when he ran late, and his face appeared on the countrys 50-mark bill from around 1986 through 2002.) In Finland, Artek is almost a birthright: a daycare on Sullivans route has "tables and the mini 66 chairs everywhere," he says. "Youre literally born into sitting on Artek furniture."

The 60s patented bent leg is, Lichens Jared Blake says, what people buy when they buy the 60. It is unchanged in the stools 90 years of production. These particular legs are for the Villi, an iteration developed for the 90th anniversary that celebrates natural marks like the knot pictured here.

If Artek is Finlands national brand par excellence, abroad its a standard bearer of restrained, functional design. Made from curved, minimal birchwood, its productslike the 153 bench, a minimal masterpiece, and the 42 and 401 armchairs with their familiar, pared-down silhouettesform the grammar for a thick thread of midcentury-modern style.

One of the best things about decades-old objects like these are the enduring philosophical statements that come with the work. Through his designed items and buildingsand through books and speeches (and love letters to his wife, Aino, it turns out)Aalto advanced the idea that natural forms and shapes could nonetheless be rational and modern. The 60 is the most visible example of this theory in practice. Its simple, functional, and made out of affordable, abundant materials. Its a technological and ideological achievement and, whats more, its beautiful.

Fashion house Comme des Garcons take on the 60 exemplifies fashions reverence for the simple, perfect stool. This polka dot pattern, produced in 2012, was initially released in a numbered edition of 200.

See the full story on Dwell.com: Alvar Aaltos Stool 60 Is EverywhereBut It Has Always Stood on Its Own

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The growing interest in biomaterials in the apparel and home goods industries is fueling the growth of companies creating alternatives to synthetic materials.

This week, MycoWorks, which produces natural leather alternative, Reishi, cut the ribbon on its first full-scale facility in Union, South Carolina. The plant works with Fine Mycelium, a proprietary construction of the root-like fungal threads found in mycelium. MycoWorks then transforms mycelium into its Reishi product, a made-to-order natural leather alternative that is used by such brands as Hermes and Ligne Roset. The plant-based leather market is closing in on $97 billion by 2027, according to research from MarketsandMarkets.

More from Sourcing Journal

The 136,000-square-foot factory is the largest mycelium production facility in the world and will employ nearly 400 workers at full capacity. To date, the plant has around 150 employees. MycoWorks received a $30 million allocation from the federal governments New Markets Tax Credits program, which it was awarded on the basis of bringing high-quality jobs to Union County in Upstate South Carolina.

At MycoWorks we believe our success comes from the creativity and expertise of our team, said Doug Hardesty, chief operating officer. Our outreach to the region is critical to our success. Our partnerships with the Upstate educational ecosystem and the leadership in South Carolina will enable us to bring continued training and high quality jobs.

This summer, Stockholm-based brand Deadwood Studios debuted the first ready-to-wear garments made with MycoWorks Reishi at Copenhagen Fashion Week. The collection includes four made-to-order pieces, including a statement coat, vest, jacket and bag.

On Tuesday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster joined MycoWorks Chief of Culture Sophia Wang, COO Doug Hardesty and CEO Matthew Scullin to celebrate the opening of the biomaterials companys Fine Mycelium factory in Union, S.C with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Biomaterials startup Gozen also received an infusion of cash in the form of $3.3 million in seed funding to accelerate the development and scaling of its biomaterial product Lunaform. The funds came from investors such as Happiness Capital (lead investor), Accelr8, Astor Management and SOSV.

Lunaform is a leather alternative produced by microorganisms during a fermentation process, which creates a material that is naturally strong and flexible since it isnt assembled in layers like some composite plant-based leathers. The production process takes 10 days and doesnt require tanning.

With this funding, Gozen plans to open a new facility in Turkey, aiming for an annual production capacity of more than 1 million square feet of the material.

At Gozen, we produce advanced biomaterials with the potential to unlock circular design, said Ece Gozen, founder and CEO of Gozen. With this investment, weve shown that we have a path to delivering on that potential at scale.

At the most recent Paris Fashion Week, Balenciaga became the first brand to use Gozens material with the debut of its Lunaform Maxi Bathrobe Coat during the spring/summer 2024 runway show.

There is a lot of competition now in animal free leather, said Po Bonson, managing director SOSV IndieBio. But I believed that Gozens approach could surpass all others in both performance and economics, and weve already demonstrated this by launching our first commercial product  at Fashion Week, no less. Weve accomplished in months what its taken others years to do.

Click here to read the full article.
A burglar shot and killed a dog during a home invasion in Virginia, Minnesota. Police arrested and charged the suspect, plus an accomplice, with multiple felonies.

Dog shot and killed by burglar

According to Northern News Now, 24-year-old Dakota Jakob Sandberg and 25-year-old Heather Ann Nappa broken into a home on 15th Street North in the early morning hours of Oct. 20. The homeowner was sleeping with a dog on her bed. The bedroom door was open. When the dog heard the intruders enter, the dog jumped off the bed and barked.

Sandberg and Nappa, wearing ski masks and black clothing, approached the bedroom. Sandberg later claimed that the dog jumped on him and tried to bite him. So, he allegedly shot the pup with a 9 mm handgun. Then, Sandberg shone a flashlight in the homeowners face. Sandberg and Nappa held the homeowner at gunpoint. They demanded money and stuff. The homeowner was somehow able to force the bedroom door closed. The pair left.

At around 4 a.m., the homeowner called the police to report that her dog had been shot. Before officers arrived, the dog died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Suspects arrested, one charged with animal cruelty

The homeowner told police she recognized Nappas voice. Police learned that the homeowner knew Nappa, and let her stay in the home previously, but had since rescinded that privilege.

During their investigation, police found 9mm rounds and a flashlight a few blocks from the home. By pinging Nappas phone, authorities found Nappa at her home in Ely. Officers located Sandberg at a different address in Virginia.

According to a criminal complaint, Nappa said the homeowner owed her money. The homeowner was going to give Nappa the money, but Nappa didnt want to collect it alone because she feared it was a setup. Apparently, Nappa and Sandberg met at a Short Stop in Virginia. Nappa allegedly complained that the homeowner robbed her and Sandberg joked that they should recoup the money. In a text message, Nappa later detailed how they would get the money and agreed to let Sandberg keep the funds. Then, she picked him up and they drove to the homeowners residence. Nappa told police she didnt know that Sandberg had a gun.

Sandberg faces charges for first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, and animal cruelty. Nappa faces charges for aiding and abetting to first-degree burglary and aiding and abetting to second-degree assault. They could go to jail for up to 20 years.

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Time to add Spanish to your Duolingo lineup.

Craig Hastings/Getty Images

Some 17.3 million Americans self-identified as digital nomads in 2023, according to a survey by MBO Partners. And if you want to join them in their live and work anywhere lifestyle, then the travel booking website Omio has some suggestions.

Omio shared new research revealing the cheapest places for Americans to work abroad. It came to its conclusion after analyzing several key factors, including the cost of living index, rent index, safety index, mobility, internet speeds, and the cost of visas in various nations, using data via numbeo.com, Investopedia, Speedtest.net, and more. After looking at the data, the research team found that Colombia is indeed the cheapest place for Americans to work abroad as digital nomads.

Colombia ranked in the No. 1 spot thanks to its high number of coworking spaces, fast internet speeds, low cost of living, and the availability of a digital nomad visa. However, the one note the team added is that the visa, which allows you to live and work in the country for up to 24 months, will cost you more than $600. Those looking to obtain a digital nomad visa in Colombia must also show proof of an income of at least 3 legal minimum wages during the last 3 months, according to Colombias tourism office. (Its critical to note that the digital nomad visa is not the same as a work visa. It does not allow you to work in Colombia, but rather, you must make an income elsewhere.)

And theres one more reason you may want to consider moving to Colombia for a few years: its super cool. And were not the only ones saying that. In Time Outs 2023 Coolest Neighborhoods survey, the publications readers named Laureles, a neighborhood in the middle of Medellin, as the coolest neighborhood on Earth. The laid-back but still quintessentially Colombian patch of this animated city is a renowned nightlife hotspot  but also a place to flock to for great parks, coffee, and yoga studios, Time Out shared about the neighborhood.

As for who else made the top 10 best places for digital nomads, Omio named Sri Lanka in second, followed by Turkey, Bali, Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia, Ecuador, Vietnam, and Namibia. Of course, if youre going to be a digital nomad, you could always choose to spend a few months in each of these destinations, right?

Related: The Secret to Working From Anywhere, According to Digital Nomads

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Experts are warning that yellow fever  which hasnt had a major outbreak in the U.S. since 1905  could make a comeback. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Getty Image) (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Getty Image)

When you think of yellow fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses, which are diseases that spread to people when theyre bitten by an infected mosquito, you probably assume they dont happen often in the U.S.  and you would be right.

While these diseases are more common in other places of the world, particularly Africa and South America, they are starting to rise in the U.S. In June, for example, malaria was detected in the U.S. for the first time in 20 years. More recently, the first locally acquired case of dengue virus was detected in California.

Experts are now concerned that yellow fever  which hasnt had a major outbreak in the U.S. since 1905, when it killed 900 people in New Orleans  could make a comeback as well.

Whats happening

Baylor College of Medicine recently issued a release stating that cases of mosquito-transmitted virus infections are increasing, especially in the Southern states  which could cause a reemergence of yellow fever.

Infectious disease experts at both Baylor and Stanford School of Medicine published a piece in the New England Journal of Medicine warning about yellow fever and urging that it be prioritized in national pandemic preparedness planning.

Experts say that climate change is playing a role in the uptick of these mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S. The threat of yellow fever developing in America is closely linked to rising temperatures and climate change, Dr. Sarah Park, medical director at Karius, tells Yahoo Life. Mosquitos love warm, wet weather.

Do I need to worry?

As with many diseases, the seriousness of yellow fever depends on the individual case. However, theres less need to worry now than there was during the last U.S. outbreak more than a hundred years ago.

Yellow fever can be deadly, but most people have no symptoms or mild symptoms and completely recover, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mortality rate in modern times is low, thanks to modern medicine and a vaccine that reduces the risk of serious disease, Dr. Linda Yancey, infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, tells Yahoo Life.

The yellow fever vaccine, which has been available for 80 years, isnt part of standard immunizations in the U.S. and is mainly administered when people are traveling to a place that has active cases, such as Africa or South America, explains Yancey.

That doesnt necessarily mean the U.S. is or will be 100 percent safe, however. We are seeing an uptick in several mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., including malaria and dengue fever, Yancey says. If those can come back, then there is no reason that yellow fever could not come back as well.

Outbreaks are historically most likely to hit the South, according to Park, along ports such as New Orleans; Galveston, Texas; and along the Mississippi River.

However, as Park points out, The spread of mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S. is very limited because we all tend to sleep indoors with air conditioning and there are no native nonhuman primate populations, meaning mosquitos have less opportunity to bite people or animals that can act as hosts.

What can I do about it?

First and foremost, get the vaccine, if youre traveling to an area where theres yellow fever. (The CDC has yellow fever maps that can help pinpoint the specifics, too.) The yellow fever vaccine is safe and offers lifelong immunity against the disease, Park says. Currently, the vaccine is recommended for people who are age 9 months or older and traveling to or living in areas at risk for yellow fever virus in Africa and South America. She adds that getting the vaccine may be a requirement to enter certain countries.

According to Yancey, your best bet otherwise is to avoid or fend off mosquitos whenever possible. If youll be outside in an area with mosquitos, she says, you can use repellents such as Deet, picaridin or permethrin, the latter of which is applied to clothing.

Treating clothes with permethrin is a great strategy, says Yancey, because it can last through several wash cycles, and for little kids because they dont tend to like the feel of repellents on their skin.

Park also recommends wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants; sleeping under a mosquito net if screened rooms arent available; staying in air-conditioned spaces when you can; and staying informed. Before traveling, check the CDC or WHO websites for updates on yellow fever risk in the intended destination, she says.

Knowing the symptoms of yellow fever also cant hurt. The telltale sign is yellow eyes and skin, Yancey says, which is the result of the virus attacking the liver.

The signs may look different at first, however. Park says the initial symptoms include fever, chills, a severe headache, back pain, body aches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

Most people improve after this initial phase, she says. However, roughly 15 percent of patients can enter a more toxic phase within 24 hours. At that point, she says, you may notice a high fever, jaundice, bleeding, abdominal pain, shock and even organ dysfunction.

If you notice these signs, both Yancey and Park urge you to seek medical attention immediately. Early detection and supportive care can make a significant difference in outcomes, Park says, advising patients to let their doctor know if theyve traveled (and to where) in the two weeks prior to the symptoms starting.

The main takeaway

Experts say awareness, protecting yourself from being bitten by mosquitoes and getting the vaccine if traveling to countries at risk of yellow fever virus is key.

The disease is something that should be on the radar of public health so that we are ready to act if there is an outbreak, but it is going to be fairly easy to contain if there is, Yancey says. Yellow fever is very uncommon in the U.S., but there are other vaccine-preventable viruses that are.
GUANGZHOU, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A hospital in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen said Wednesday that its doctors have successfully completed an innovative targeted therapy for liver cancer, achieving a new breakthrough in the field.

With the support of an organ maintenance system, doctors of the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, ensured that high-concentration chemotherapy drugs only targeted the cancerous part of a patient's liver, leaving the healthy part of the liver and the whole body unaffected.

The patient in the case is a 55-year-old with advanced-stage liver cancer, with a relatively large tumor located in the right lobe of the liver.

In response to the situation, the hospital's team collaborated with Professor He Xiaoshun's team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, applying for the first time the "organ-targeted therapy" proposed by He's team.

According to He, during surgery, after separating the left and right lobes of the liver, the doctors immediately inserted a catheter into the cancerous part of the right lobe and connected it to a perfusion device.

Using the "multi-organ maintenance system" developed independently by He's team, the doctors maintained the blood supply and vitality of the right lobe, effectively keeping the right lobe's blood in "extracorporeal circulation." The chemotherapy drugs were continuously infused for two hours to deactivate the tumor tissue.

Subsequently, in mid-October, the patient successfully underwent a right hepatectomy, and the tumor markers for liver cancer decreased by nearly 90 percent after chemotherapy. A pathological examination showed that there were no live tumor cells in the right lobe of the liver.

Currently, the liver function and the overall condition of the patient have significantly improved.

He noted that the patient did not experience common side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea, vomiting and hair loss, indicating that the technique may offer promising new methods in cancer chemotherapy. 
An Ivy League student with a heart condition died after she drank Panera Breads Charged Lemonade, a large cup of which contains more caffeine than cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, according to a lawsuit.

The legal complaint, which was filed Monday morning in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and was first obtained by NBC News, calls the beverage a dangerous energy drink and argues that Panera failed to appropriately warn consumers about its ingredients.

The suit was filed on behalf of the parents of Sarah Katz, 21, a University of Pennsylvania student who had taught CPR in underserved communities and had been a research assistant at a childrens hospital. Katz had a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1 and avoided energy drinks at the recommendation of her doctors, according to the filing.

Sarah Katz. (Courtesy Katz family)

In a statement Monday afternoon, a Panera spokesperson said: We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.

Katz bought a Charged Lemonade from a Panera Bread restaurant in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2022, according to the suit. She went into cardiac arrest hours later, said her roommate and close friend, Victoria Rose Conroy.

She was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe, Conroy said. I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole.

The Charged Lemonade was offered side-by-side with all of Paneras non-caffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks and was advertised as a plant-based and clean beverage that contained as much caffeine as the restaurants dark roast coffee, according to photos of both the menu and beverage dispensers in the store, which were included in the wrongful death lawsuit.

But at 390 milligrams, the large Charged Lemonade has more caffeine than any size of Paneras dark roast coffee, the complaint says  numbers that the nutrition facts on Paneras website confirm. It also has guarana extract, another stimulant, as well as the equivalent of nearly 30 teaspoons of sugar, the complaint continues, adding that 390 milligrams of caffeine is higher than the caffeine content of standard cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined. Katz had gotten the large cup, which is 30 fluid ounces, according to the attorney representing her family.

I think everyone thinks lemonade is safe. And really, this isnt lemonade at all. Its an energy drink that has lemon flavor, said Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the Philadelphia-based law firm Kline & Specter, PC. It should have an adequate warning.

The lawsuit alleges the Charged Lemonade is defective in design because it is a dangerous energy drink.

These unregulated beverages include no warning of any potentially dangerous effects, even the life-threatening effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and/or brain function, it says.

Conroy described Katz as an excellent student and the most involved and passionate person Ive ever met, someone who would smile and wave to everyone on campus. She was careful to tell people that she could not consume energy drinks and made other modifications for her health condition, but she never let it stop her from achieving the things that she wanted to do, Conroy said.

Katz was diagnosed with long QT syndrome at age 5, Crawford said. The American Heart Association describes long QT as a disorder of the hearts electrical system that can cause abnormal heart rhythms as a result of exercise or stress; it can be well-managed with medication.

In addition to medication, Katzs condition was controlled by regular doctor visits, where everything was always normal, Crawford said.

About 1 in 2,000 people have congenital long QT syndrome, with some showing no symptoms and others fainting or experiencing heart palpitations in response to triggers such as exercise or being startled, said Dr. Charles Berul, an electrophysiologist at Childrens National Hospital in Washington.

Berul, who did not treat Katz and is not involved in the lawsuit, said caffeine is allowable in moderation for long QT patients.

We tell people not to worry, its fine to have a Coke or a small coffee each day, said Berul, who is on the board of trustees of the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation, an advocacy organization for those with heart rhythm abnormalities.

Panera Charged Lemonade (Smith Collection / Gado via Getty Images)

But some of the smaller studies have shown that energy drinks, drinks that have caffeine plus other ingredients like taurine, other things, might be a little riskier, Berul said.

The lawsuit says Katz bought an Unlimited Sip Club membership from Panera, which allows customers to pay a monthly fee for unlimited drinks, about a week and a half before she died. Conroy said Katz had bought at least one other Charged Lemonade in the days before her cardiac arrest.

Victoria Rose Conroy, left, and Sarah Katz (Courtesy Victoria Rose Conroy)

On the day of her death, Katz bought a Charged Lemonade and collapsed several hours later at a birthday gathering for a friend at a restaurant, Conroy said. Emergency personnel took her to the hospital, where she went into cardiac arrest again, this time fatally, the lawsuit says.

She was taken from us so soon, and she shouldnt have been, Conroy said. She had so much more to give.

A medical examiners report that Crawford shared with NBC News showed that Katzs cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia due to long QT syndrome. The report does not mention the beverage as a contributing factor but notes that she had no drugs in her system other than what the hospital used to try to resuscitate her.

A potential risk to other populations

Caffeine can have health consequences for people beyond those with long QT syndrome and other heart disorders. Large amounts can also pose risks to people with other underlying conditions, as well as to pregnant or breastfeeding people and to children, the Food and Drug Administration says.

According to Paneras website, the caffeine content of its Charged Lemonade ranges from 260 milligrams in the regular size to 390 milligrams in the large, 30-ounce size, while the caffeine content of its dark roast coffee ranges from 161 milligrams in a small cup to 268 milligrams in a large cup, which is 20 fluid ounces.

Paneras Charged Lemonade has attracted attention on social media. In December, a customer who said she did not know how caffeinated the drink was shared a viral TikTok video of herself after she had consumed free refills of the mango yuzu Charged Lemonade and captioned the video, this drink should come with a warning because its delicious and will lead to my cardiac arrest.

On its website, Panera refers to its Charged Lemonades as the ultimate energy drink, although the lawsuit alleges that it was not advertised as such in-store at the time of Katzs death. It is not clear how long that description has been used on the site.

If youre going to market it that way and know its energy drink, how can you not market it that way in the actual store? Crawford said. The reasonable consumer is not going to go onto the website to compare it to see whether or not theres any additional information.

Katzs parents, who declined to speak about the lawsuit, are desperate for people to understand exactly what is in Paneras Charged Lemonade before they buy it, Crawford said.

That has become their most important thing, is making the public aware of these dangers to make sure that it doesnt happen to someone else, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
On Oct. 13 Idaho fisherman Matt Hosking pulled a hefty coho salmon from the Clearwater River, which joins the Snake River near Hoskings hometown of Lewiston. The coho has since been accepted as a new state record, according to a recent press release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Hoskings coho weighed 11.78 pounds, which breaks the previous state record by a narrow margin of less than half an ounce (or .48 ounces to be exact).

Hosking knew he had a potential record on his hands as soon as he landed the nearly 33-inch coho. So, he kept the salmon and brought it to a local grocery store, where it was weighed on a certified scale.

Hosking's fish measured 32.7 inches long and weighed 11.78 pounds.

Harvesting the fish made it eligible for a certified weight record, as opposed to a catch-and-release record, which would have been judged entirely by length. But a quick look at Idahos fishing records shows that Hoskings fish would have broken either record. The current catch-and-release record for coho is 30 inches; Hoskings salmon measured 32.7 inches long.

The agency points out that 2023 has been a good year for coho salmon returns in Idaho. These anadromous fish were declared extinct in the state in 1985, primarily because of a large dam that was built near Lewiston and cut off access to their spawning grounds. In 1994, the Nez Perce Tribe began restoring the fishery with the aid of hatcheries. Coho runs have rebounded somewhat since then, and 2023 marks the third year in a row that more than 15,000 adult coho have returned to the Snake River Basin from the Pacific Ocean.

Read Next: B.C. Angler Releases 105-Pound Chinook Salmon That Couldve Been a World Record

A small fraction of those fish are pushing 11 pounds, however. IDFGs Clearwater Region Fishery Manager Joe DuPont says coho salmon of this size are rare.

There are bigger coho out there, but not many, DuPont explained in the press release. Based on the 2,400 coho we have trapped at Lower Granite Dam this year, only two would surpass the size of this fish.
A side-by-side comparison of a Neanderthal and human skull

Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans initially interbred 250,000 years ago, a date that is far earlier than previously thought, a new study suggests.

Until now, Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans ( Homo sapiens ) were believed to have first interbred earlier than 75,000 years ago, according to a 2016 genetic analysis in the journal Nature . However, a new analysis, published Oct. 13 in the journal Current Biology , has revealed that one group of Homo sapiens from Africa interbred with Neanderthals in Eurasia around 250,000 years ago.

This group of humans died out, but left a genetic footprint in the DNA of Neanderthals that descended from this interbreeding event  with 6% of the genome of a Neanderthal discovered in Siberia containing human DNA. Some sub-Saharan populations of anatomically modern humans also inherited Neanderthal DNA when groups of humans who had interbred with Neanderthals migrated back into Africa.

"The enhanced understanding derived from this research will enable us to annotate Neanderthal DNA in modern human genomes, as well as the reverse process, with greater accuracy," Michael Dannemann , an associate professor of evolutionary and population genomics at the University of Tartu in Estonia who was not involved in the research, told Live Science in an email.

This will help scientists predict how interbreeding events impacted the physical characteristics of both groups and improve our understanding of the migration patterns and interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals, he said.

Related: Scientists finally solve mystery of why Europeans have less Neanderthal DNA than East Asians

In 2020, the idea that most modern human-Neanderthal interbreeding happened in Eurasia was contested by a study in the journal Cell that found Neanderthal DNA in human genomes in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the origin of this DNA was unknown and the analysis was limited to populations with mainly Niger-Congo-related ancestry.

In the new study, the authors compared the genome of the 122,000-year-old " Altai Neanderthal " from Siberia with those of 180 people from 12 modern sub-Saharan Africa populations. They then developed a statistical tool to uncover the origins of the Neanderthal DNA in the modern human genome.

The statistical analysis looked at genes shared by both humans and Neanderthals and tried to determine whether certain alleles, or genetic variants looked like they were of a Neanderthal origin but found their way into modern humans or vice versa, said Alexander Platt , study co-author and senior research scientist in the Department of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania, told Live Science.

The authors found that all of the studied sub-Saharan genomes contained Neanderthal DNA, which mainly came from this 250,000-year-old human-Neanderthal interbreeding event. Some sub-Saharan populations also had Neanderthal DNA in up to 1.5% of their genomes, which was inherited from humans who had migrated back into Africa.

In addition, the authors found that most of the human DNA in the Neanderthal genome was in non-coding regions (meaning DNA that does not code for proteins) implying that human genes had been selected against during Neanderthal evolution. What's more, Neanderthal DNA was missing in the human genomes at the same place.

"That means that neither one [region of DNA] is particularly better than the other, they're just bad matches for the rest of the genome," Fernando Villanea , a population geneticist at the University of Colorado Boulder who was not involved in the research, told Live Science. "I think that was really cool, walking away from this idea of, oh, the Neanderthals are inferior in some way, to this idea that we're just two different species and we evolve for different things in our genomes," he said.

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The authors hope the current findings will help answer other questions about human evolution.

"It'd be really cool to learn more about the genome of that population that existed 250,000 years ago," and compare it to the genomes of modern humans, Sarah Tishkoff , senior study author and professor in genetics and biology at the University of Pennsylvania, told Live Science. "Maybe that'll tell us something interesting about human evolutionary history or adaptation."

Editor's note: Updated at 3 p.m. EDT to note that the Altai Neanderthal is from Siberia, not Croatia.
Ukraine has long had rich culinary traditions, but many Americans are unfamiliar with the Eastern European countrys foodways. One of the United States best chefs is hoping to change that, though.

Johnny Clark, the chef behind Chicagos Parachute (alongside Beverly Kim), opened on Tuesday the Ukrainian spot Anelya. Named for his grandmother, the restaurant is an homage to both her and the country she inhabited. Thats evident in the menu as well as the design, with Anelyas tile pattern coming from the floor of Clarks grandmothers childhood home in the city of Kharkiv.

More from Robb Report

Sunflower-seed hummus

I have such a strong desire to share a unique culture that I feel has been underrepresented throughout the world, Clark said in a statement. Ill be cooking traditionally inspired Ukrainian dishes with a modern approach. I want to tap into all the new and exciting things happening in the Ukrainian culinary scene.

To start, diners will be presented with a custom Zakusky tower rolled straight to their table, featuring small plates like sunflower-seed hummus, trout-roe tart, and biber dolmas with beef and Cahokia rice. Main dishes follow, with classics such as varenyky (similar to pierogis or ravioli) receiving a twist via fillings like saffron, potato, and jowl bacon. Holubtsi (stuffed cabbage) contain preserved tomato, spaghetti squash, and blank lentils, while Anelyas borscht pairs duck, smoked pears, and cultured cream with the beet broth.

Larger fish and meat options include barbecued chicken thighs with kefir and green ajika, as well as sturgeon steak with caramelized onions, honey, and fish sauce. To round out the evening, Anelya offers simple desserts like plums with spiced wine, walnuts, sweet cream, and ganache, as well as Ukrainian Kyiv cake, featuring merengue, gianduja, and hazelnuts.

Lokshyna with farmers cheese and braised rabbit

As far as drinks are concerned, the wine list will spotlight bottles from only Eastern European states. Cocktails, meanwhile, are inspired by Ukrainian folk heroes: A shaken horseradish Martini, for example, is named after Taras Shevchenko, a 19th-century poet, writer, and political figure.

Last year, to bring attention to Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, Clark hosted pop-up dinners spotlighting Ukrainian cuisine at his and Kims since-closed Wherewithall. Anelya is making that project permanent, and bringing a new home for Ukrainian culture to the Windy City.

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Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts boasts an impressive portfolio of more than 30 iconic properties on multiple continents, and the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal debuted as their first location in Mexico. Riding on the energy of the successful programming in 2022, the return of The Festival of Flavors has already produced two magical weekends earlier this year. Lucky for us there is still one more jet set opportunity before the new year to experience the gastronomic brilliance! The culinary weekends series invites some of the worlds most acclaimed Michelin star-honored chefs, each of whom have deep roots in Mexican flavors and culinary traditions. Executive Chef Gustavo Pinet along with the resorts impressive culinary team collaborate with each guest chef to create an intimate three-day culinary extravaganza. From November 9-12, 2023, Chef Enrique Casarrubias is welcomed; only the second Mexican Chef ever to obtain a Michelin star in France. Chef Casarrubias joins from his esteemed restaurant Oxte, just steps from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. He mixes traditional flavors from his childhood growing up in Mexico with French techniques resulting in an inspiring flavor palate that will have you ready for your next sip of wine or agave-based spirit.

Arriving to the Festival of Flavors has never been easier! Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal and Aero, the luxury, semi-private award-winning jet service announced the Aero x Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos: Elevate Your Experience package. Guests will enjoy a nonstop flight on Aeros 16-seat designer jets from Dallas or Los Angeles to the oceanfront Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal resort, situated on Cabo San Lucas most coveted parcel of land. The Aero x Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal partnership is designed to minimize travel time while elevating the flight experience, and harmoniously delivering guests to the exclusive haven of luxury in Los Cabos. Departing from Aeros private lounges on beautifully designed jets before arriving through the Dos Mares tunnel, Mexico's only privately-owned tunnel, transforms the travel experience as you arrive to the resort in class and style. There is no better way to attend the Festival of Flavors. Prepare yourself for a transitory escape to the beauty, heritage, wellness, and world-class cuisine of this magical property.

Aero, semi-private & award-winning jet service to Los Cabos, Mexico. Courtesy of Aero

Upon landing in Los Cabos, you will be met by a chauffeur and transported to the award-winning resort. The property features a Forbes Five-Star award-winning spa, acclaimed cliff-side dining and private destination-inspired excursions, sunset yacht cruises, and much more. Tom Puntel, Director of Sales and Marketing of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, says, This new partnership with Aero is a testament to the level of service and experience we provide our guests, curating a seamless and opulent journey and stay from start to finish. Aero offers a zen-like travel journey with its dedicated concierge team and crowd-free private terminals. Each spacious jet includes 16 oversized seats outfitted in Italian leather, equipped with a window and direct aisle access to maximize personal space. Aero reaches new heights of relaxation with ample leg room and the ability to recline comfortably in every seat. Aeros culinary programincluding a premium open barfeatures seasonal menus from Erewhon on Los Angeles flights and Sadelles on Dallas flights.

Guests and travelers can reserve a spot for one or all of the Festival of Flavors culinary weekends by calling Toll Free 866-623-3053 or by booking the Festival of Flavors Package online which includes a three-night minimum, $200 food and beverage credit per bedroom towards Culinary Events, luxury private roundtrip airport and access to the Welcome Cocktail Reception. For more information on the resort and the 2023 Festival of Flavors culinary weekend schedule, please visit www.waldorfastorialoscabospedregal.com

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal's Pool. Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

The propertys signature restaurant, Don Manuels, recently went through a redesign and re-opened with the debut of TRAVESIA, a nine-course tasting menu all surrounding the beloved taco, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal will continue to build upon its roster of world-class gastronomic and authentic Mexican offerings with the debut of The Wine Cellar at Don Manuels and expansion of the resorts Private Pedregal Collection of wines.

The Wine Cellar at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal: Designed by Paul Duesing Partners and curated by the resorts Wine Director Jhonatan Adame, The Wine Cellar at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is home to the second-largest wine collection in all of Mexico. Filled with over 3,500 bottles and 450 labels  divided into both New and Old World wine  the cellar maintains independent temperatures for both red and white varieties, exclusively customized for the resort, alongside a unique anti-fogging system unlike any other in the world. Ideal for wine connoisseurs and culinary tastemakers, the resorts impressive collection is also available for private tastings and wine-paired dinners.

Private Pedregal Collection: In partnership with leading Mexican winery Don Leo, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal will expand its Private Pedregal Collection of exclusive wines with the addition of three new varietals including a Rose, Pinot Noir, and a Red Blend. Led by Wine Director Jhonatan Adame, these new varietals will join the existing two wines in the Private Pedregal Collection that the property previously created in partnership with Roganto, one of Mexicos most awarded and recognized boutique wineries. Making their debut later this year are two more special varietals from Italy, created exclusively for the resort with BORTOLOMIOL, producers of Prosecco Superiore DOCG in the famed village of Valdobbiadene.

Private romantic dinning option at the Casa Bella Vista. Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

Below is a preview of two upcoming Festival of Flavors weekends in 2024 as the award-winning Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal continues to build upon its roster of world-class gastronomic and authentic Mexican offerings. The legendary lineup of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurant-honored Chefs and Michelin star-honored chefs for the annual Festival of Flavors does not not disappoint!

Michael Mina and Adam Sobel (February 15  18, 2024): Celebrity Chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Michael Mina is known for his award-winning 45 restaurants/operations around the world, including the Michelin-starred MICHAEL MINA, Chef Minas flagship restaurant in the heart of San Francisco, which represents the culmination of his core culinary philosophies, Middle Eastern heritage, lauded chronicles as a chef and restaurateur, and personal character. Chef Mina will bring his love of the American steakhouse experience to Cabo featuring classic Americana infused with his arsenal of world flavors and dramatic flair.

Jaime Pesaque (May 23  26, 2024): Jaime Pesaque was born and raised in Peru, with training in Europe and apprenticed at Michelin Star Restaurants throughout Italy and Spain, including El Celler de Can Roca. Following his trainings he came back to Peru, where he opened his flagship restaurant, Mayta, a contemporary Peruvian cuisine restaurant and pisco bar in Lima, Peru, where the traceability of native products is always eagerly sought, thus combining culinary techniques contemporary with local products to create sophisticated and modern dishes. Mayta is ranked as #47 on the 2023 Worlds Best Restaurant List.
Clearly you aint from around here.

FLORIDA'S WILDEST ANIMAL RESCUE

After more than three years on the lam, a Florida tortoise is finally back home with her family.

Ty the 60-pound sulcata tortoise arrived at Florida's Wildest Animal Refuge Saturday after officers from Putnam County Sheriff's Office found her attempting to cross a busy road in Interlachen.

CLEARLY YOU AINT FROM AROUND HERE, the sheriffs office joked on Facebook alongside photos of the large reptile, noting that it likes people and head pats and was likely someones pet.

According to wildlife experts at Floridas Wildest Animal Refuge who agreed to take our large friend, these tortoises are known escape artists and can dig out of their enclosures, the post notes.

The sheriffs office asked for help identifying the tortoises owner as well as its gender, as they did not ask to look up his shell.

On Sunday, Florida's Wildest Animal Refuge revealed that the tortoise's owner had come forward thanks to the sheriff's offices original Facebook post.

A truly unbelievable story, it just goes to show you to never give up hope! the refuge wrote on Facebook. Yesterday, Putnam County Sheriff's Office brought us a sulcata tortoise that was found in town. After the post was shared hundreds of times, one of our followers sent us a post from April 2020 of a sulcata tortoise that looked similar, that went missing from the same area!

The tortoise, who turned out to be a female named Ty, had been missing for three and a half years. She was found five miles away from where she got free of her familys yard in nearby Hawthorne. And escape artist indeed!

She is in a little bit of rough shape from spending so many cold winters here without heat, but she will be okay, and we recommended a trip to the vet, the post continued. What a happy ending! We are so happy we were able to assist in reuniting her with her family!

Welcome home, Ty!



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Read the original article on Southern Living.
For parents who plan on dining at a particular North Georgia restaurant, take note: that kid's meal could cost you a lot extra. According to a menu shared on Reddit this week, Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, a restaurant in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has been hitting unsuspecting parents with a fee if their kids are unruly. The extra "bad parenting" fee is listed on the menu as "Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent."

Unfortunately for diners, the restaurant doesn't provide details on what they consider to be bad parenting. On top of that, there isn't any information on how much the fee will cost you. But thanks to a Google review posted a week ago, we know that the fee could be up to $50. Ironically, a quick glance at the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant menu shows that the $50 fee is far pricier than anything on offer there.

"The owner came out and told me he was adding $50 to my bill because of my childrens behavior. My kids watched a tablet until the food arrived, ate their food and my wife took them outside while I waited and paid the bill," the review read.

Redditors also seem to be in consensus that the bad-parenting fee along with other extras (share charge, included gratuity) is a bit much.

"If I read this at a restaurant I would probably leave. Charge for unruly kids and a 'share charge $3' like who cares if I wanna share my food once I pay for it?" one person wrote.

Unruly children at restaurants have been in the news a few times recently. A spot in Singapore charges a "screaming children surcharge," and a New Jersey Italian restaurant completely banned children under 10 due to "crazy messes" and "noise levels."

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MILAN  Saks Potts nabbed the annual Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize, which is designed as Denmarks answer to the LVMH Prize that is aimed at supporting the most promising fashion talents in Scandinavia with their local and international growth.

The brand, founded by Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts in 2014, beat two other finalists, Forza Collective and Heliot Emil. All boasting different approaches to fashion, the finalists were revealed during Copenhagen Fashion Week in August and selected by a panel of industry experts, who assessed entries based on criteria such as design talent, sustainable credentials and business strategy.

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We are so honored and grateful It means a lot to us, said Saks at the award ceremony held at Designmuseum Denmark in Copenhagen on Tuesday evening.

We started this company when we were just 19 and 20 years old, and we grew up with it. It feels good to win after nine years. We have managed to build a brand that is much bigger than our business, by leveraging our community and by thinking internationally from the very beginning, added Potts.

As winners of the prize, which was formerly known as the Magasin du Nord Fashion Prize and counts the support of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the designers received a cash award of 300,000 Danish krona (or 40,000 euros) and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Anne Sofie Madsen, Cecilie Bahnsen, Mark Kenly Domino Tan, A. Roege Hove and, most recently, Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen.

In addition, Saks Potts will benefit from the strategic partnership forged last year between the Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize and Copenhagen Fashion Week, which will provide the brand with visibility and inclusion in all the official activities and opportunities at the citys fashion week for the equivalent of 250,000 Danish krona (or 33,500 euros).

One of the biggest novelties of the 2023 edition of the prize was the tweak in its format aimed at welcoming more established brands and experienced designers who have demonstrated their entrepreneurial and innovative skills, in addition to up-and-coming talents.

The move was intended to identify designers with not only talent to burn, but also the commercial potential to build a global fashion business, said the prizes founder Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg.

This reflects our commitment to recognizing not just talent but the potential to shape global fashion. Our mission is clear  empowering the next generation of Danish fashion entrepreneurs. This years winner, Saks Potts, demonstrates remarkable growth with a clear vision of every business aspect and possesses the essential skills for success in todays fashion world, added Wedell-Wedellsborg.

Saks Potts cofounders Barbara Potts and Cathrine Saks with Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg.

Copenhagen Fashion Weeks chief executive officer Cecilie Thorsmark echoed that the winning duo is truly representative of Danish fashion.

Saks Potts has flourished with their signature aesthetic and global community, reflecting the pillars of entrepreneurship, fashion innovation and creativity, said Thorsmark. They have put their brand and Danish fashion on the map for the last decade. This is a big achievement that deserves recognition and celebration, but also an obligation to push themselves in sustainability and inspire new industry standards.

To this end, in May the brand appointed Josefine Laigaard its first CEO. This was really the first step of how to further internationalize our label and really commercialize the potential that is in our brand, Saks told WWD. Because Barbara and I started when we were [young], we didnt have any real industry experience to gain from at the start and we learned everything ourselves. And to be honest, we maybe also missed some commercial skills to really grow this business. So for sure we have made a really nice strategy plan for the next couple of years.

As part of that, a big thing that we want to spend the money we have won on will be going through all the sustainability aspects of our whole company, continued Saks, revealing plans to initiate a partnership with sustainability experts and work hard on trying to get the Butterfly Mark certification from Positive Luxury within the next year.

Additionally, the designers look to boost the distribution footprint, which currently counts a Saks Potts store in Copenhagen, the brands e-commerce and a network of 50 wholesale partners, including the likes of Matchesfashion, Selfridges and Ssense, to name a few.

Asked to imagine the company in the next decade, Potts said the biggest dream is to create a luxury house out of Copenhagen, like you see in the South of Europe, so really build a truly global fashion brand.

Saks Potts fall 2023.

The Wessel & Vett prize and foundation aim to support them in that journey, and might be actively involved, too.

Spearheaded by the Wessel & Vett Foundation, the award also celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. To mark the opening of a new decade, the Wessel & Vett Foundation boosted its commitment in actively supporting local talents as it quietly revealed its first investment in a brand, namely in the two-time winner of the prize Cecilie Bahnsen.

The value of the investment was not disclosed, but the founder and creative director of the acclaimed Danish label confirmed she had self-financed the development of her brand until last year, when it was decided to let in a small circle of investors to support the execution of the brands growth strategy.

It was a natural decision to contact the Wessel & Vett Foundation, which has closely followed the brands development over the years, added Bahnsen, revealing that this friends and family investment round was closed in May 2023.

It is understood that the investment will support the development of the brand across different axes, including expansion of product categories; growth of the distribution footprint (especially in the U.S., Japan, China and South Korea where the brand is resonating particularly well); boost of the direct-to-consumer and e-commerce channels, and enhancement of the firms sustainable aspects.

Conversely, expansion of product categories is not in Saks Potts plans for the moment, as the duo is committed to a less-but-better approach.

This is in sync with the evolution of the brand through the years, with its collections increasingly heightening the attention to quality, craftsmanship and dedication to long-lasting designs via the concept of The Closet, meaning styles that could become forever favorites and stand the test of time.

Saks and Potts based their presentation on this approach in front of the prizes jury, which included Wedell-Wedellsborg and Thorsmark, in addition to the likes of Nicolaj Reffstrup, cofounder and CEO of Ganni; Silas Adler, creative director and founder of Danish brand Soulland; Olya Kuryshchuk, founder and editor in chief of 1 Granary, and Saam Emme, fashion director of 247, among others.

Saks Potts cofounders Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts in front of the jury.

For the occasion, the designers built a light table to array the essential items and display our clothes in a different way rather than just a rack, said Potts. Flanking the showcase, they also presented a 600-page tome retracing their brands history and including images and fabric swatches.

Saks and Potts met in kindergarten and founded the brand while pursuing degrees in fashion design and tailoring and art history, respectively. Tired of the minimalistic jackets that blanketed Copenhagens bike paths and metro stops, and passionate about fashion since a young age, they looked to shake up the local fashion scene with a range of gumball-colored, fur-trimmed jackets that were equally ladylike and irreverent.

Saks Potts RTW Fall 2019

Their luxury label of playful fur coats, clothing and accessories has been worn by the likes of Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga and Rosalia, and further fueled the growing contingent of Copenhagens Scandi 2.0 wave of talent creating bright, whimsical designs that challenged Scandinavias reputation for bleak minimalism.

The duos hometown and its functional attitude still permeate Saks Potts fashion, as the duo praised Copenhagens vibrant vibe across design, architecture, food and all-around lifestyle, which converge in practical designs from the brand. Cue the bestselling Ada jacket rich in zippers, pockets and even a ring to carry Airpods easily and without the need of a bag.

Backstage at Saks Potts RTW Spring 2022.

Another big focus fashion-wise is longevity. We really want to try and convince the fashion customer to consume more like they did in the 50s, when they actually bought less fashion products, but of much higher quality and repaired the styles if they broke and really care for the styles, said Saks.

The approach informs also the textures in the collections, as the designers mentioned they favor heritage fabrics like Thomas Mason for its cotton shirts and 100 Harris Street wool for its durability.

I think its not really a trend we see among a lot of other newer fashion brands to use these heritage fabrics, but for us is super nice, said Saks, adding that archival items from the 90s and the early 2000s are also part of the inspirations behind their collections.

Backstage at Saks Potts RTW Spring 2022.

Something that hasnt changed over the past decade is our values: we had the same ones since Day One and they are our whole brand, said Potts, underscoring the importance of authenticity. The brand is very personal Its about our life and us. So we really aim to be authentic in everything we do, from product to storytelling.

Female empowerment is another pillar intertwined in both their history and thinking behind their designs, which target a confident, intelligent but also creative person, young and old, someone who just really wants to express herself, said Potts.

We are two women and it was quite difficult to be taken seriously, especially in the beginning, she said. Saks pointed as examples to contractual negotiations with more established firms and moving around in those male-dominated sections, like going to the bank.

Many times we had Barbaras father with us just to have some kind of male support because as two young girls people dont really take you that seriously, and it was quite a struggle, recalled Saks.

Moments of the Saks Potts presentation.

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Signaling the importance of the key Asian market for the Salvatore Ferragamo Group, the Florence-based company revealed on Wednesday it will become the sole shareholder of the three Greater China joint ventures established with entrepreneur Peter K.C. Woo.

Ferragamos board has approved the purchase of minority stakes held by Woos Imaginex Holdings Limited and Imaginex Overseas Limited for a total of $42 million.

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Chairman Leonardo Ferragamo said the acquisition concludes an extraordinary path of alliance and development conducted, together with Peter Woo , over the last 35 years, which has allowed the group to be among the first Italian luxury brands to establish itself in this important market.

He concluded that with the consolidation of the equity interests, having reached an efficient size and organization, we will be able, with increased intensity, to continue to strengthen our presence in these markets, continuing to count on the alliance of Peter Woo, who remains a shareholder and director of our company.

The Woo family, who among other interests also owns the Lane Crawford Joyce Group, has been a partner of Ferragamo in Greater China for more than 20 years and helped distribute the brand in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao.

Ferragamo and its subsidiary Ferragamo Hong Kong purchased the minority interests held by Imaginex Holdings Limited and Imaginex Overseas Limited in the three joint ventures  Ferragamo Moda (Shanghai) Co. Limited (FMS), Ferragamo Retail Macao Limited (FRM) and Ferrimag Limited (FIM)  incorporated to distribute the brands products in the Greater China area.

The equity interests involved in the purchase are equal to 25 percent of FMS and FIM and 24.8 percent of FRM, resulting in Ferragamo and FHK becoming the sole shareholders.

The payment will be settled from available cash resources at the same time as the transfer of the equity interests and will take place within Nov. 9.

Chief executive officer and general manager Marco Gobbetti said the conclusion of the transaction will strengthen Ferragamos presence in the Greater China area, one of the most relevant markets for the group, at a very important time for the brands relaunch.

Last week, commenting on the companys performance in the first nine months of 2023, Gobbetti said that the firms midterm ambition is confirmed. In May last year, the executive said he was aiming to double Ferragamos sales in four to five years.

In line with this plan, Ferragamo is consolidating and relaunching its presence in the Greater China area, which represents an extremely relevant market with very high growth potential for the company.

As reported, in the period ended Sept. 30, sales were down 8.3 percent to 844.2 million euros compared with 920.7 million euros in the first nine months of 2022, partly impacted by a negative perimeter effect both at retail and at wholesale.

Revenues in Asia Pacific, Ferragamos biggest market, fell 16.4 percent to 264 million euros, accounting for 32.3 percent of the total. Chinese spending is still below pre-COVID[-19], said Gobbetti last week, while noting he had seen a bit of travel to Japan but very limited intra-Asia and extremely limited to Europe, leveraging domestic consumption. Local spending in China softened in the third quarter compared with the second quarter, and uncertain demand in the summer was reported.

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For more than 25 years, Alberto Avila has been making careteros, or paper mache masks, perpetuating a tradition of Indigenous communities in Ecuador. Typically worn by tribal leaders, the masks are used widely in local festivities. As Avila explains, each mask is intended to reflect whats inside its creatorhis first took the form of a devil, a character he identified with at the time, but hes tranquil, nowadays, and has made more playful versions lately.

Avila welcomes travelers into his studio in Quito, where they, too, can make masks to take home. The result is more than a typical souvenir, he says. Its not just an object that you bought." But in addition to receiving a personalized and authentic cultural experience, Avila's guests are helping to preserve an endangered craft. Indigenous communities have lost a lot since industrialization, Avila says. Handiwork skills are being lost, materials are being lost, and quality is deteriorating. Everything's being replaced by plastic.

Travelers provide a new demand for artisanal goods. Caretero-making with Avila is just one of a collection of hands-on activities bookable through Art Hotels Ecuadors Art Experiences Travel program, which joins a wider effort to harness tourism to help keep cultural traditions alive. Artisans get paid for their time; guests get one-of-a-kind souvenirs; crafts are put in a spotlight. A number of organizations, such as the American Craft Council in the US and the Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) in the UK, believe these heritage art forms represent the soul of destinations. We believe that this body of tacit knowledge, skills, and practices is as much a part of our culture as our monuments, building and museum collections, says Daniel Carpenter, HCA's executive director.

From Scotland to Japan, we look at five destinations tapping into travelers appetite for crafts with a sense of placeand inviting visitors to help preserve them.

Sim Canetty-Clarke/The Fife Arms

Sim Canetty-Clarke/The Fife Arms

The Scottish Highlands

Since 2017, the HCA has published the biennial Red List of Endangered Crafts, which ranks traditional crafts by the likelihood that they will survive to the next generation. Among the dozens of British traditions listed as critically endangered are wooden fishing net making, hand paper making, and sporran (pouch) making. Last year the The Fife Arms hotel in the Scottish Highlands selected three makers of those specialist crafts to sell their products in person and online; they also offer one-of-a-kind experiences to guests, such as the chance to design a custom dress sporran.

Monty Lewis is one of just five craftspeople in the UK who still makes traditional dress sporrans using goat hide and horsehair. Many larger scale sporran makers have lost out to manufacturing going abroad [and] more competitive prices overseas, he explains. Hotel guests can book an in-person or virtual appointment with Lewis to create their bespoke sporran. There is always a nod to the heritage of the owner or references that are personal to them, he says of the design, with the idea that the sporran would be an heirloom piece to be passed down through the generations."

Dario Garofalo/The Place of Wonders Foundation

Dario Garofalo

Florence, Italy

The Place of Wonders was founded in 2023 with the mission to preserve, protect, and promote vanishing Italian craft traditions. The project allows guests of The Place Firenze to visit exclusive local workshops, and thus support scholarships for aspiring craftspeople to study at Le Arti Orafe, one of Europes finest craft schools. We unlock doors which are usually closed to the public, says Claudio Meli, The Place Firenzes general manager.

Options include visiting Bianco Bianchis scagliola workshop where guests can watch Bianchis descendants at work, and try their own hand at creating scagliola, inlaid decorative surfaces. Each experience is selected to emphasize the hard work, skill, love and dedication that happen in artisans workshops, says Michela Canzi, The Place of Wonders director. The hope is that, as well as supporting artisans, these experiences will lead to a deeper appreciation of their work. Were trying to educate travelers that in a world of globalization we need to give proper value to unique pieces made by talented hands and brains, says Meli.

Visit Kanazawa

Kanazawa, Japan

On the western coast of Honshu, Kanazawa retains old-Japan charm, with a rich artisan heritage from which some countrys most treasured traditional crafts, such as kinpaku (gold leaf production), have emergedKyotos famed Kinkakuji Temple, for example, is covered in gold leaf from Kanazawa. In 2009, Kanazawa was designated by UNESCO as a city of Crafts and Folk Art, but an aging population and declining birthrate mean there is a diminishing number of people keeping those crafts alive.

Visitors can help perpetuate traditions by participating in hands-on workshops with master artisans. Visit Kanazawa offers a fully customizable program, which includes visits to workshops that are not typically open to the public, including those of ceramic and gold leaf makers, embroiderers and silk dyers. The experience proves that traditional crafts can still be a viable way to earn a living. For instance, during one of these tours, a kaga yuzen (silk dye) artist sold a luxury kimono worth millions of yen to a visitor.

Penang, Malaysia

Wayang kulit is an ancient form of Southeast Asian pupper theater where vibrantly colored characters made from goat skin cast shadows on a screen. Accompanied by a gamelan (orchestra) of percussion instruments, the art form immerses audiences in rich narratives that can last all night. Declining popularity and a lack of interest from younger generations has endangered wayang kulitbut masters of the crafts, like Mohd Jufry, are committed to its preservation. Through the travel platform Vacation with an Artist (VAWAA), travelers can book five-day-long apprenticeships with Jufry in which they delve into the craft and hone their puppeteering skills.

VAWAA offers mini-apprenticeships around the world, from Cherokee basket weaving in South Carolina to Zapotec weaving and dying in Oaxaca. Founder Geetika Agrawal grew up in India, immersed in the world of heritage crafts, and says shes always found exploring traditional crafts a great way to understand a place. These art forms are a tangible link to the past, representing the traditions, beliefs, and values of a particular community, Agrawal says.

Shisa Brand

Faroe Islands

A traditional Faroe Islands saying, ull er Froya gull (wool is Faroese gold), encapsulates a centuries-long way of life in a place where people have long made a living from the fiber. But with 20th-century modernization, it has become cheaper for the Faroese to import foreign wool rather than work with it themselves. Now, the majority of wool shorn from Faroese sheep is thrown away and burnedand the country risks losing an integral part of its heritage.

As the owner and designer of Shisha Brand, Sissal Kristiansens mission is to preserve traditions and raise awareness of the importance of wool and knitting in Faroese culture. In 2021 she launched The Wool Islands documentary film to celebrate wool and advocate for its decreased waste. Her documentary has been playing in-flight on Atlantic Airways over the summer, a period during which sales of her hand-knitted Faroese wool garments increased 95 percent. Tourism is helping, she says, adding that when Faroese people see how much tourists are interested in Faroese wool, they better appreciate its value. Visitors can immerse themselves in Faroese wool heritage with a new tour package launching next year. Wool in the North is part of a North Atlantic-wide project to develop sustainable rural tourism through travel experiences such as farm visits and hands-on workshops. The project will later expand to Iceland, Norway, and Greenland.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
VIENTIANE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government is committed to achieving zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet needs for family planning, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices.

Laos' Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune made the remarks at the National Conference on Population and Development held in Lao capital Vientiane from Monday to Tuesday, attended by UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative Bakhtiyor Kadyrov, according to Socio-Economic News report on Wednesday.

At the meeting, Kikeo said the Lao government is committed to establishing a national coordination committee on population and development, and developing a multi-sectoral roadmap to accelerate the implementation of the National Population and Development Policy, the National Plan of Action on Violence against Women and Violence against Children and the National Adolescent and Youth Development Strategy, applying a whole-of-government approach.

"We commit ourselves to strengthening the population data governance system and national monitoring frameworks for socio-economic development by prioritizing and ensuring the use of the 2025 Population and Housing Census and Lao Social Indicator Survey III to inform the 10th NSEDP for 2026-2030," he said.

The government strongly reaffirms the commitments, with other countries, to fully implement the existing national and sub-national population development plans, policies and strategies that align with the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"We are truly encouraged by the country's leadership commitment and the headways in adopting progressive policies, strategies and programs for accelerating the implementation of the ICPD PoA and achieving progress towards SDGs, which also require concerted efforts and support from all development partners to scale up," Kadyrov said. 
Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Thanks to Tyler Perry , a Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, woman will soon be living in a new five-bedroom home with a pool. According to TMZ, the media mogul is funding an abode for Josephine Wright, a 93-year-old battling a property development company that is suing her over land thats been in her family since the Civil War. Wright told USA Today that the Bailey Point Investment Group has been relentless in their efforts to obtain the property: The harassment has been very stressful, she said. Im hoping the outcome of this will be that these people will leave us alone and let me keep my property for the sanctuary of my family. This has always been a sanctuary.

Though the legal dispute between Wright and the developers is still playing out, Perry has made his support for the family known since this summer. In June, the actor, producer, and playwright pledged to help Wright in her fight to fend off the developers, who are allegedly trying to obtain the South Carolina residents plot to continue the construction of their residential subdivision. He broadcasted Wrights plight to his 7.5 million Instagram followers with a news clip of her story alongside the caption: Ive pretty much been a fighter all my life said 93 year old Josephine Wright. Well, that makes two of us. Ms. Wright, please tell where to show up and what you need to help you fight.

Perry reportedly contacted the Wright family in August to get the building process for a new home on the property started. His help comes just in time too: A tree fell on Wrights current house in September, creating two holes in the roof.

The modular home will be built off-site and then transferred to an open piece of Wrights 1.8-acre estate. Work on the dwelling is set to begin in a few weeks, once all permits are secured. Blueprints of the home-to-be recently obtained by TMZ show an office and lots of spaces built for leisure activities, including a game room, a great room, an optional media room, and, of course, a porch, a signature feature of southern homes.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Tyler Perry for his generous contribution towards helping Grandma Josephine build her new home, Charise Graves, one of Wrights granddaughters, wrote on the familys GoFundMe page.

See the video.

A number of other celebs, including rapper Meek Mill, commented on the post, with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving pledging $10,000 and over $64,000, respectively, to aid in Wrights fight.

Perry also donated $2.75 million earlier this year to help seniors in Atlanta at risk of losing their homes. He reportedly covered the back property taxes for 300 residents, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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Keep an eye on 14-year-old Heman Bekele.

3M

A teenager from Annandale, Virginia, has been named "America's Top Young Scientist" for developing a bar of soap that could be used to help treat skin cancer.

Heman Bekele, 14, won the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge after setting himself apart from the nine other finalists with his compound-based Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS). In addition to the prestigious title, the ninth grader will receive a hefty $25,000 cash prize.

In a two-minute video submission, Bekele pitched his idea for a cancer-fighting soap that costs less than $10 per bar. The soap, he explained, would be made with compounds that could reactivate dendritic cells, the cells that guard human skin, enabling them to fight cancer.

"Curing cancer, one bar of soap at a time, Bekele said. I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas.

Bekele told The Washington Post that the soap was inspired by his early childhood in Ethiopia.

There, I always saw people who were constantly working under the hot sun, Bekele, who moved to the United States at age 4, told the newspaper. He said that as he started thinking about ideas for the competition, he wondered how many of those people were aware of the risk of sun exposure.

I wanted to make my idea something that not only was great in terms of science but also could be accessible to as many people as possible, Bekele told the Post.

3M

His mentor, 3M product engineering specialist Deborah Isabelle, has connected him with other scientists to help him move forward with his plans, which ultimately require FDA approval.

At the 3M global headquarters in Saint Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month, Bekele told the judging panel he hopes to turn the soap into a symbol of hope, accessibility and a world where skin cancer treatment is within reach for all.

Over the next five years, he hopes to refine his invention and create a nonprofit organization that will distribute it to communities in need.

Well done, Heman!



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There are just a few silvery gray scales on a long tail, sticking out tentatively from high grass, but its the most extraordinary sight on a game drive: a pangolin, the worlds most traffickedand so, endangeredmammal. Theyre solitary, and mostly nocturnal, too, so spying ones a rarity in the bush, but Im standing just feet away, moving slowly so as not to startle. This spot resoundingly banishes any concerns that the Klaserie reserves stock of game might pale in comparison with Sabi Sands, its neighbor and the default destination for a luxe safari in South Africa. Ive come to this corner of the country to see Kateka, a pioneering new lodge in the reserve. It aims to upend several assumptions about safari, beyond just locationand offered Robb Report the world exclusive preview before its opening this month.

With just eight rooms spread across six villas, Katekas certainly on trendweve already told you about the rise in buyout-ready micro camps like this in the safari sphere. But its also determined to disrupt three other aspects of the sector, at least per owner Joel Ospovat: design, destination and decompressing. Hes a South African born real estate developer based in Austin, Texas, whod long visited Richard Bransons Ulusaba nearby before identifying what he believes are gaps in the market.

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The lodge allows you embrace the bush atmosphere without sacrificing relaxation.

That whole part of the world has evolved, and Sabi Sands has become like a zoo, but there is solitude here, he tells Robb Report, keen to stress the difference between Kateka and so many rival properties whose decor might best be described as cod colonial Karen Blixen. And no one had done a real wellness and fitness place, or European chic in the bush.

Ospovat worked so closely with the interiors team that hes handled much of the work himself, whether picking the graphic-driven wall art or the color of the poolside umbrellas (bright yellow). It was Utahs Amangiri that formed the closest template, he says, with the modernist buildings both embedded in, and open to, the landscapethere are no bog standard thatched huts here. Balustrades are glass, bathrooms are swathed in rippled black marble and the lobby seating is a pair of burnt orange, squishy Togo chairs which gives it a glossy sheen. Hes focused on more than fripperies, though: there are three Internet carriers here, for a double back up and blazing speeds, as well as cell service across the property, a rarity even at the toniest lodges.

The decor is Euro chic and avoids the safari cliches.

The second element is decompressing. Cami and John Goff, the Canyon Ranch chairman, are backers of the project, so no wonder the custom-built spas a standout.



Ospovat hopes to encourage guests to think of his property as wellness in the wilderness. Theres everything from a full F45 gym to a Himalayan salt-lined infrared sauna and a beauty salon onsite. Guests who book a wellness package at Katekas three-bedroom villa, its largest, can opt to have a therapist be on call like a beauty butler. The emphasis on wellness, though, is more than simply a chance to keep off the post-safari weight gain (freshman 15 has nothing on a few days eating lavishly in the bush). Rather, its trying to pivot from the FOMO-powered breakneck scheduling typical on a trip like this, where guests hopscotch between lodges before flopping for a few days at the beach. Instead, Ospovat hopes, he can persuade people to extend their stay and relax in the bush  call it slow safari.

Im a linger longer girl, says Sandy Cunningham, a Robb Report Travel Master who runs Uncharted, Ive done the whole moving around every three days, and spending a week in the wilderness with wellness is a real sweet spot.

Styling at Kateka

Cunningham notes the 60,000-acre Klaserie reserve was a hunting compound for some time, which tarnished its reputation and stock of wildlife both.

The Klaserie was the ugly stepchild in the middle of everyone when there was still hunting, but now its embracing the conservation ethos, she says. And it has to start somewhere.

My sightings in just two days surpassed any expectations: not just that pangolin, but also a cheetah sunning itself lazily in the late afternoon sun and also several prides of lions, including one circling the fresh carcass of a giraffe it had managed to bring down. Theres scant few lodges, though, unlike the densely built Sabi Sands (home to Bransons Ulusaba, among others) which means the viewing is more private and less produced.

Instead of driving like you do in Sabi from one well know leopard to another one, probably with its own Instagram page, you have an interactive experience to help track and find the animals, Ospovat says, And Ive not ever been there when I havent seen all the big five, though you might have to drive a little longer to see them.

Want to spend the day by the pool? No problem. No FOMO.

Ospovat isnt quite the disruptor he claims. Katekawhich means to be blessed in the local languagecertainly has much in common with some existing lodges: The focus on contemporary design and wellness, for instance, is a signature of Cheetah Plains, while off-track safari is the selling point of Mozambiques re-emerging industry, also championed by a wealthy benefactor. What sets this spot apart, though, is the combination of all three, as well as his engaged involvement: Ospovat is single-minded in making it a success, tweaking elements and replacing ideas with a ruthless enthusiasm. Hes currently focused on the final missing element: Katekas own airstrip. At time of opening, its a short drive from the Hoedspruit airport, but Ospovat knows that his peers  and so, customers  will want to touch down onsite.

Its a 4,200-foot runway, so well be able to get anything in and out of there, he says.

Just as long as the jets dont drive the pangolins away.

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Are big cities losing their allure with younger folks? The places Gen Zers are moving to may surprise you.

Its no secret that migration patterns in the U.S. have shifted in recent years, largely due to the pandemic, the rise of remote work, and an astronomical surge in housing prices and mortgage rates. Faced with a lack of supply and affordability, people have begun to rethink where they call home. And while bustling metros may have been great for those who are now in their 30s and 40s, Americas youngest generation is shying away from historically expensive urban hubs. However, theres more to it than just saving money.

More from Robb Report

South Dakota had the most Gen Z newcomers in 2021.

Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to simpler living in their housing choices, Emilia Mann, a senior analyst at StorageCafe, explained to Insider. Unlike millennials, who often gravitate to D.C., Washington, and Illinois, Gen Zers tend to favor states with lower population density, from the mountainous terrains of Montana and Idaho to the plains of Kansas and Nebraska.

According to a new StorageCafe report, which studied those between the ages of 18-23, a whopping 20,703 young Americans migrated to the suburbs of South Dakota in 2021 and represented 16 percent of the states total move-ins. If youre curious, the average home value here is $213,472, while the average rent clocks in at $1,096. North Dakota was the next most popular state among Gen Zers, with 15 percent of newcomers falling into the 18-23 range, while Idaho followed, also with 15 percent.

Gen Zers are moving away from big cities to states like Utah which has more space and more affordability.

Iowa and Kansas rounded out the top five with Gen Zers, making up 14 percent of all newcomers, with Wisconsin, Utah, and Montana following suit. Nebraska, known for its vast prairies and spacious farmland, had its Gen Z population grow by 13 percent in 2021, and it was the same for Indiana, which just managed to crack the top 10.

Millennials really normalized the trend of career mobility and relocation, Sean Lyons, a business professor at the University of Guelph, told Newsweek. For Gen Z, relocating might be viewed as relatively normal.

Check out the full list below.

Rank State Gen Z Total Percentage of Move-Ins Number of Gen Zers Who Moved to State in 2021 South Dakota 16% 20,703 North Dakota 15% 19,555 Idaho 15% 41,351 Iowa 14% 58,515 Kansas 14% 59,638 Wisconsin 14% 93,323 Utah 14% 61,652 Montana 14% 18,975 Nebraska 13% 31,092 Indiana 13% 109,271

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden said he issued a stark warning to Iran's ayatollah that the U.S. would respond if his nation attempts to harm American troops in the region.

Biden disassociated drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria that have injured at least two dozen Americans from Hamas' attack on Israel this month at a Wednesday news conference.

American troops have been in the region for decades, fighting ISIS, and working to prevent the terror group's reemergence, the U.S. president said.

"My warning to the ayatollah was that if they continued to move against those troops, we will respond and he should be prepared," Biden said at a Rose Garden news conference. "It has nothing to do with Israel."

The U.S. does not have formal diplomatic relations with Iran, and it was not immediately clear how the president communicated the warning.

The Pentagon says that the U.S. and coalition forces were attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and at least three separate times in Syria by a mix of drones and rockets. The U.S. has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region to deter hostile actors from striking.

U.S. military officials have warned of a widening this war in the region and did so again this week.

President Joe Biden speaks as he welcomes Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) ORG XMIT: DCJM211

"What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran," Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a briefing on Tuesday.

Biden has repeatedly warned Iranian proxy groups such as Hezbollah, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist organization, not to use the war between Israel and Hamas as cover to launch attacks. He has told Iran in particular to "be careful" and "don't" expand the conflict.

US President Joe Biden welcomes Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an official arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on October 25, 2023. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_33Z42BU.jpg

Biden said at a Wednesday news conference alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is in the U.S. on an official state visit, that his administration is doing everything in its power to prevent a wider war. But he would not hesitate to protect American troops if he found them in harm's way.

The president also provided an update on the 10 unaccounted for Americans who the U.S. has said may be hostages of Hamas and foreign nationals who are trapped in Gaza.

A total of four hostages have been released by Hamas, including two Americans, since the start of the war that began on Oct. 7 when the militant group that governs the Gaza Strip launched a surprise attack on Israel.

Israel says more than 1,400 people have been killed inside their territory, of which 33 are Americans. Hamas is holding roughly 220 people hostage. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says its death toll has risen to at least 6,546 people. The numbers have not been independently verified.

Biden said Wednesday that he has "no notion" that Hamas is "telling the truth" about its death toll.

"I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's a price of waging a war," he said. "I think the Israelis should be incredibly careful to be sure that they're focusing on going after the folks that are propagating this war against Israel. And it's against their interest when that doesn't happen. But I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using."

President Joe Biden and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walk off after holding a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ORG XMIT: DCMC219

A ground invasion into the Gaza Strip has been expected for days but not carried out. At his news conference on Wednesday, Biden said he did not demand a delay by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until hostages are safely released when the pair spoke.

"What I have indicated to him, is that if that's possible  to get these folks out safely  that's what he should do. It's their decision. But I did not demand it," Biden said.

Biden traveled to Tel Aviv last week to meet to with Netanyahu. He announced as he returned to the U.S. that he has secured a deal for humanitarian aid to be delivered through Gaza's border with Egypt to Palestinian people.

His administration has steadfastly supported Israel in the conflict while asking the U.S. ally to follow international law and protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza during the combat.

The U.S. has opposed calls for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the war but indicated Tuesday that it could back a temporary "pause" to allow aid to reach Gaza more quickly. The White House said Tuesday viewed the two duration, scope and size.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that "humanitarian pauses must be considered" at a United Nations Security Council meeting.

Biden has requested $10 billion in emergency funding from Congress for humanitarian assistance for Israel, Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden warns Iran: Don't attack US troops as Israel-Hamas war continues
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 24: Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks during an event to mark the 20th anniversary of PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) at the United States Institute of Peace on February 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. The George W. Bush Institute hosted the event to mark the anniversary of the initiative, established by former U.S. George W. Bush in 2003, to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Alex Wong via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The institute founded by President George W. Bush issued an urgent call Wednesday for Congress to renew the global AIDS program known as PEPFAR, a centerpiece of Bushs foreign policy legacy that has become a victim of abortion politics on Capitol Hill.

PEPFAR  the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief  has saved an estimated 25 million lives since Bush founded it 20 years ago. The $6.9 billion program, which Congress has previously reauthorized every five years, has long had bipartisan support and is often cited as a powerful example of Americas moral leadership in the world.

But it faces an uncertain future. The legislation authorizing the program lapsed Sept. 30 after some House Republicans claimed, without evidence, that the Biden administration was using it to promote abortion overseas. Those Republicans want to attach abortion-related restrictions to PEPFAR that would doom its reauthorization in the Democratic-controlled Senate.Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

The Bush Institute, which is nonpartisan, has thus far been reluctant to step into the debate.

But in a bipartisan letter signed by more than 30 retired ambassadors, foreign policy luminaries and organizations  including the Carter Center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter  the institute pleaded with Congress to reauthorize the program. It argued that in addition to saving lives, PEPFAR was countering the rising influence of Russia and China and burnishing Americas reputation as a global leader.

PEPFAR is a model of United States leadership and a source of great national pride, the letter said. It is one of the most successful international development programs since World War II. Abandoning it abruptly now would send a bleak message, suggesting we are no longer able to set aside our politics for the betterment of democracies and the world.

For now, at least, PEPFAR is continuing to operate. But advocates fear that, without the underlying authorization, the program will be subject to budget cuts or even elimination in the future. And they say the program is weaker without the bipartisan imprimatur of Congress.

The classic conservative talking point is that we dont want to fund programs that arent authorized, said Keifer Buckingham, the advocacy director at the Open Society Foundations and a longtime PEPFAR supporter. She added, Its also fair to say that in global health and global health politics, optics matter.

Bush himself did not sign the institutes letter; people close to him have said he is trying to use his voice judiciously. The lead individual signer was Dr. Deborah Birx , a senior fellow at the Bush Institute who ran PEPFAR under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and also served as Trumps coronavirus response coordinator.

In an interview Wednesday, Birx called on President Joe Biden or his advisers to take a more aggressive role in getting PEPFAR reauthorized. She suggested they convene a small group of House and Senate lawmakers to say this is personally important to him and to impress upon Congress the importance of demonstrating to the world how we work together to illustrate our compassion for others.

Someone has to step in and take a leadership role, she said, adding, In the end, if reauthorization doesnt happen, its because the current administration didnt prioritize it and didnt compromise and find a path forward.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Bush has made no secret that he wants the program reauthorized. Over the summer, he discussed its future with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, over lunch at the Bush family compound in Maine. In mid-September, he published an opinion piece in The Washington Post urging Congress to save it.

At that time, PEPFARs supporters on Capitol Hill thought they were making progress toward breaking the logjam. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who is a leading proponent of the program, said in an interview then that she was working with a first-term Republican, Rep. John James of Michigan, on a bipartisan reauthorization bill.

But the effort was put on hold last month in the face of a possible government shutdown, and it remained stalled while House Republicans wrangled over who would be the next speaker. Birx said she remained hopeful that the program could be reauthorized by Dec. 1, which is World AIDS Day.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN)  A parked car outside of a restaurant in Tennessee prompted multiple businesses to evacuate, and a major intersection to close early Tuesday morning.

First responders were dispatched to the First Watch restaurant in Murfreesboro at around 9:30 a.m., responding to reports of what onlookers described as a possible bomb attached to the vehicle.

Nearby buildings were evacuated, and several schools were placed on lockdown as investigators assessed the scene. Authorities reported the call resulted in a massive response from local, state and federal agencies.

Researchers in Tennessee study how to stop phantom traffic jams

Leslie Huggins, who was evacuated from a nearby building, told Nexstars WKRN that officials told us there was a bomb threat and basically screamed at us to get out amid the investigation.

A section of road and a major intersection near the restaurant were also closed off as a precaution for nearly two hours.

(Courtesy: Murfreesboro Police Department)

(Courtesy: Murfreesboro Police Department)

(Courtesy: Aliyah Patton)

Murfreesboro police later cleared the scene after discovering that the suspicious device on the vehicle was actually a rubber bumper attached to the passenger side of the car with duct tape and wires.

The cars owner allegedly told police he attached the rubber bumper to his vehicle  connecting the wires to a suction cup attached to the inside door handle  to prevent dents.

We had a massive, massive response to this location to find out it was a man who was trying to prevent his car from being dented, Larry Flowers, Murfreesboros public safety public information officer, said.

$13,000 in hair stolen from Tennessee store

Flowers added that the car owner was across the street from the parking lot the entire time his vehicle was being investigated, standing with other evacuees. He only learned his car was involved after eventually answering a call from authorities.

Since there was no intent to cause harm, authorities said the man will not be charged.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
DOVER  A Webb Place office building could be demolished to make way for a Chase Bank and drive-up ATM, plans filed with the city show.

The proposal calls for the commercial space at 1-3 Webb Place to be razed and replaced with a roughly 3,300-square-foot bank building and 28 on-site parking spaces. The bank, which would have frontage on Webb Place and on busy Central Avenue, would have a bike rack located at its front entrance.

City property records show the existing, 6,444-square-foot commercial building at 1-3 Webb Place was built in 1970 and was last valued at $1,320,400. The property is owned by Michigan-based company Dover Retail Management LLC.

A proposal is calling for a 3,300-square-foot Chase Bank to be built at 1-3 Webb Place in Dover.

The proposal is in the process of being assessed by Dovers Technical Review Committee. The plan will be heard by the committee next on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall.

More: Northeast Credit Union to transform old Measured Progress site in Dover

According to the banking company, there are over 4,700 Chase Bank branches nationwide, including five in New Hampshire, and 15,000-plus ATMs.

The site presently has a one-floor commercial building thats used as office spaces and personal service uses, reads a project description from Stonefield Engineering & Design.

The existing full-movement driveway on Webb Place would be maintained and improved upon redevelopment, and one additional right-in/right-out driveway is proposed on Webb Place along the southerly property extent, the description adds.

Project documents from Stonefield note the ATM will be open 24 hours per day, if the plan is approved. The proposal includes less parking than when it was introduced this summer, at the suggestion of the Technical Review Committee.

A traffic study provided by Stonefield found that the proposed bank would bring more vehicles to the Webb Place site at all hours throughout the week.

It is important to note that as the proposed development is located adjacent to the signalized intersection of Central Avenue and Webb Place, motorists exiting the site to return to Central Avenue and connecting thoroughfares would complete their turning movements under a protected signal phase, thereby improving safety of access, the traffic and parking assessment report states.

The application will also require a conditional use permit from the Dover Planning Board, per project records.

The proposal was first heard by the Technical Review Committee on Aug. 31.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Chase Bank looking to expand into Dover NH
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Incomplete homicide autopsy reports have continued to pile up in Mississippi - despite tough-on-crime talk by state leaders ahead of the Nov. 7 general election.

Police officers and prosecutors rely on medical examiners' autopsy reports to investigate violent crimes and hold perpetrators accountable. Families look to the reports to make sense of a loved one's death. Without death certificates, families often have to wait to collect insurance and settle the deceased's affairs.

Delays in completing autopsies of the dead remain an ongoing problem.

The National Association of Medical Examiners, the office that accredits U.S. death investigations offices, dictates that 90% of autopsy reports should be returned within 60 to 90 days. Homicide autopsies in Mississippi continue to lag behind national standards as crime has remained a flashpoint in the state legislature and campaign trail.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves , who is running for reelection, makes a point of his commitment to law enforcement in public speeches and on the campaign trail.

"In Mississippi, we choose to fund the police. We choose to back the blue," Reeves said in his annual State of the State speech in January. "That's exactly what Mississippi has done, and that's exactly what Mississippi will continue to do."

In 2022, an AP analysis based on state data and documents found that Mississippi's system has long violated national standards for death investigations, accruing a severe backlog of autopsies and reports. Moreover, Mississippi has the highest homicide mortality rate in the country, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell has called the backlog "unacceptable" and said he'd instituted a policy requiring all autopsy reports to be completed within 90 days.

Tindell, a former judge who was appointed commissioner in 2020 by Reeves, said in August that his office had completed a "decade-old autopsy backlog in record time."

But records obtained by The Associated Press show that as of Oct. 1 of this year, Mississippi had 51 homicide autopsy reports that were incomplete for longer than 60 days; and 45 autopsies pending after more than 90 days. Three other autopsy reports for 2023 took over 90 days to complete.

Democrat Brandon Presley , Reeves' opponent for governor in next month's general election, has implied Tindell should never have been appointed."It's not rocket science to want someone who has worn a badge to run the state's largest law enforcement agency," Presley said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "Unlike Tate Reeves, I'll have professionals running agencies, not cronies."

Tindell responded on the same social media platform by saying Presley "isn't just attacking me  He's attacking law & order."

Tindell's spokesperson did not respond to an emailed list of questions or phone messages. But Tindell has said the state forensics laboratory and medical examiner's office suffered from a lack of funding.

At a campaign event Monday, Reeves said the backlog reached back as far as 2009 and that it shouldn't be blamed on Tindell.

Jody Owens, district attorney for Hinds County, the largest county in Mississippi, said autopsy reports for homicides in his jurisdiction were still rarely done within a 90-day window.

"That's just not where we are," the Democrat prosecutor said. "We are nowhere near 90 days. We have autopsies that have still been pending, sometimes for years."

Delayed autopsy reports create bureaucratic hurdles for prosecutors and defense attorneys. Reports can help determine whether a death was an accident, a suicide or a homicide. They can shed light on whether a person accused of murder acted in self-defense, with stark implications for both the accuser and the accused.

"You can't make a (plea) offer without an autopsy report because it establishes the manner and cause of death. Without having that, you really can't move a case," Owens said. "States like Mississippi are safest when autopsy reports are completed within 90 days. It not only protects the defendant's rights, but also the state's obligation to give victims their day in court."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Delayed homicide autopsies pile up in MS despite tough-on-crime-talk
BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A vice mayor of Beijing has been handed a punishment for neglecting his duties and failing to fulfill his responsibilities in a hospital fire in April that killed 29 people.

Jin Wei, also a standing committee member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee, was given a warning by the National Supervisory Commission (NSC), an official statement said on Wednesday.

According to an investigation launched by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the NSC, Jin, as the vice mayor in charge of health work, failed to fully implement the CPC Central Committee's instructions and requirements on work safety, and failed to pay sufficient attention to safety hazards at medical facilities in Beijing.

On the same day, it was announced that 41 public servants, including the heads of the CPC committee of Fengtai District and the district government, would receive due penalties for their acts of dereliction of duties in the fire.

Also, Chinese public security organs have launched a probe into 20 persons involved in the incident, including the president of the hospital. Procuratorial organs have approved the arrest of 19 of them. 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate far behind Donald Trump in the polls, seemed to suggest that the former president's abilities were on the decline in remarks he made while campaigning in New Hampshire Tuesday, Mediaite reports. With him at his side, DeSantis said that New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu was right in saying that retail politics are about "being able to answer questions."

"And what Donald Trump does now, he is wedded to the teleprompter. He cant get off that teleprompter, any time he does, he says things like Dont vote. Hes telling people not to vote like we have all the votes we need. Really? Wait a minute, you lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016. You dont have all the votes you need, DeSantis said. "And so I think that its just shown this is a different Donald Trump than 2015 and 16. Lost the zip on his fastball, has a sense of entitlement  all this stuff  doesnt think he has to go through and earn it like other candidates, and thats just not going to fly in Iowa and New Hampshire."

DeSantis went on to advocate for elevating a candidate who can win the general election, arguing that there are too many people who aren't going to vote in Trump's favor and naming third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a "another wrinkle" in the race. He also lamented Trump's handling of the early COVID-19 pandemic and how he "created" and "elevated" former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci. The voters who are still frustrated with the government's COVID-19 response, "I think they may default to Kennedy," DeSantis concluded. "So I think he will hurt Trump way more than he would hurt any other candidate. And that makes it even a tougher uphill battle."

This is a different Donald Trump from 2016. pic.twitter.com/ygyFCIsbq2  Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) October 24, 2023
Former middle school reading teacher Cassidy Kraus faces up to 33 years in prison if convicted of the charges

Carroll County Sheriffas Office Cassidy Sue Kraus

A former Iowa teacher was arrested and charged with sexually abusing at least three students and sending them obscene materials, according to authorities.

Cassidy Sue Kraus, 24, of Westside, was arrested on Friday and charged with sexual abuse in the third degree, a Class C felony, two counts of lascivious acts with a child, which are also Class C felonies, and three counts of dissemination of obscene materials to a minor, which are serious misdemeanors, the Carroll County Sheriffs Office said in a release.

It is alleged that while employed as a teacher at the IKM Manning School, Krause engaged in multiple sexually oriented acts with three different students, the youngest of which being 13, the press release states.

Related: Teacher Accused of Raping Boy Claims in Recording She's Pregnant with a Victim's Child: Prosecutors

Kraus resigned in lieu of being fired in August, KCIM reports.

She is listed as married on Facebook. According to The Knot.com, she and her husband wed on July 1 in Arcadia.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

She posted a $10,000 bond on Saturday and was released from jail.

It is unclear whether she has retained an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

She is scheduled to return to court on Thursday.

She faces up to 33 years in prison if convicted.

The IKM Community School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

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Read the original article on People.
The Bureau of Land Management has approved a plan to close hundreds of miles of off-road driving trails outside Moab, Utah , capping a yearslong fight between environmental groups, off-roaders, and the federal government over trail access in the region. The new plan will shutter 317 miles of OHV routes across the spectacular Labyrinth Canyon and Gemini Bridges area just west of Moab, including a handful used during the annual Easter Jeep Safari event, to protect the sensitive desert landscape. With the closures scheduled to take effect this Saturday, October 28, the off-road community is in an uproar and gearing up for a protracted legal battle to keep the trails open as long as possible.

The BLM's decision , announced at the end of September after a long and contentious public comment period, stems from a 2008 lawsuit filed by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance against the BLM for improperly managing public access to federal lands in Utah. As part of a 2017 settlement, the BLM has to revise and enforce new travel plans for 11 areas with an eye on protecting wildlife habitats, sensitive ecosystems, and cultural resources. But few places hold the significance Moab does for off-roaders, who claim the new Labyrinth/Gemini plan is overly restrictive and could have huge economic consequences in an region that depends on tourism.

"The new plan provides predictability and clarity for users, minimizes user conflicts and damage to natural and cultural resources, meets access needs, increases public safety, and addresses law enforcement issues within the area," reads a BLM press release .

Currently, there are 1,057 miles of drivable "off-highway" routeseverything from dirt roads to rough two-tracks to extreme rock-crawling trailsacross the 300,000-acre area, and another 71 miles open to smaller motorized vehicles. The BLM plan, which is a blend of a number of scenarios it publicly considered, would shift that balance dramatically.

In addition to closing 317 miles of roads and trails to all motor vehicles, it would also block trucks from another 18 miles, leaving just 712 miles of OHV routes remaining. That's a full third gone, everything highlighted in red on the map below.

Among the better-known trails slated for closure are Hey Joe Canyon and Day Canyon Point, both of which are Easter Jeep Safari spots; Ten Mile Canyon, a popular side-by-side trail; Mineral Bottom Road, which leads to a series of beautiful dispersed campsites at the edge of Canyonlands National Park; and a number of lookouts over the Green River along Labyrinth Canyon. The BLM points out the plan still keeps over 90% of Easter Jeep trails open, but many off-road advocacy groups see it as a disaster that will start pushing them out of Moab entirely.

"Theres no other way to say this. This travel plan is the worst defeat motorized recreation has suffered in decades. SUWA won. Moab is lost. Almost every major trail west of Moab is closed," Patrick McKay of Colorado Off-Road Trail Defenders wrote on Facebook . The Blue Ribbon Coalition, a national group dedicated to preserving trail access, called it "the worst plan possible for public access to the area" in a lengthy blog post laying out its own plan to fight back with legal challenges, aggressive lobbying, and community involvement. It also points out that its not just off-roaders who will suffer, as a number of campsites, mountain bike trails, and access roads to hiking trailheads will be closed.

There was a decent amount of route density in the Labyrinth Rims and Gemini Bridges area to where there was a good balance of all recreation uses, Blue Ribbon Coalition President Ben Burr told The Salt Lake Tribune . Now, theyve tilted in favor of hurting a lot of recreation users.

Environmental groups including the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance say the plan is necessary to protect the delicate ecosystem, especially the sensitive riparian zones along the Green River, which have deteriorated as off-road recreation increased in the last decade. The new map will close nearly half of all legal water crossings in the area and significantly reduce the number of trails that get within 100 yards of a stream or river. This is an opportunity for the BLM to finally get it right, to balance management and to actually protect the river corridor and those side canyons, SUWA attorney Laura Peterson said to Deseret News . Right now, another activist told the paper, it's basically a "free-for-all."

The BLM released its decision on September 28, starting a 30-day countdown for the closures to legally take effect after this Saturday. It's unclear how and when the BLM might start enforcement, though unless the planned legal challenges produces a stay, you can expect access to start being restricted with physical barricades or other means before long.

This is only the third of 11 areas whose general access and off-road vehicle use will be reworked by the BLM as part of the 2017 settlement. Still left to modify include the Henry Mountains Travel Management Area, Trail Canyon, San Rafael Swell, and more. The regions in question make up more than 6 million acres of BLM-managed land across southern and eastern Utah.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom is braving the international spotlight this week on his debut official visit to China. He wants to secure cooperation from China on climate change  and avoid triggering any hot-button flare-ups.

But diplomacy is fraught and even more so in China at a time of high bilateral tensions. So weve put together a handy cheat sheet of key dos and donts aimed to help the Democratic governor navigate that minefield, with input from a hand-picked group of veteran China-watchers.

Dont order the hallucinogenic mushrooms that ended up on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen s dinner plate in Beijing in July.

Do express concern and solidarity over the apparently deliberate attack on the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco earlier this month

Dont bow. Conservative media pilloried Yellen for a trio of quick bows to one of her Chinese hosts in July.

Do get a firm RSVP on whether Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping will meet with President Joe Biden at the APEC meeting in San Francisco next month

Dont mention former Foreign Minister Qin Gang and former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who have both disappeared for reasons unexplained in recent months.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus:

Do Take the high-speed train and eat stinky tofu.

Dont Be arrogant. (The Chinese can smell that from 15 miles away.)

Wuer Kaixi, a prominent student protest leader of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Beijings Tiananmen Square that ended with a massacre of thousands of demonstrators:

Do Go to Tiananmen Square.

Dont Go with a smiling CCP official.

Zack Cooper, former assistant to the deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism at the National Security Council:

Do Listen to what the U.S. business community has to say. I think a lot of them are going to be expressing a pretty high degree of frustration with some of the policies that Beijing is putting forward recently.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.):

Dont Engage with Chinese firms involved in renewable energy that are using forced labor.

Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.):

Dont Sidestep human rights concerns.

Yaqiu Wang, research director for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan at the nonprofit human rights organization Freedom House:

Do Explain to Chinese officials that they need to respect human rights in addressing climate change, because not only is it the right thing to do, but also the effective thing to do.

Dont Utter the phrase win-win: win-win cooperation, win-win solution, win-win opportunities, or win-win whatever. Not because win-win is bad, but because it is the Chinese governments systemic word-salad effort that aims to undermine human rights.

Melissa Chan, China affairs journalist and former Beijing-based foreign correspondent:

Do Speak up on behalf of your constituent David Lin who has been unlawfully imprisoned in China.

Jason Hsu, former legislator-at-large for Taiwans opposition KMT, or nationalist party, and an Edward Mason fellow at Harvard Kennedy School:

Dont Get all sucked in by Chinas charm offensive in a way that U.S. business becomes even more dependent on China. Taiwans tech supply chain is telling us that its easy to get into China and hard to get out.

Samuel Chu, president of the pro-democracy group The Campaign for Hong Kong:

Do Inquire about any bounty for reporting my whereabouts in California as one of Hong Kongs National Security Law fugitives.

Dont Leave Hong Kong without eating some fish balls.

Do read up on our POLITICO China Watcher and California Climate newsletters for up-to-the-minute news and analysis that matters!


Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Hamas "liberators" and condemned the West for not stopping Israel's assault on Gaza.

Turkey's president said on Wednesday he was abandoning plans to go to Israel, vowing "we will not go".

Referring to a past meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, he said: I shook this mans hand, we had good intentions but he abused us.

His fiery speech was made in front of Turkish lawmakers, who chanted down with Israel and Allah Abkar (God is great).

Relations could have been different but that will no longer happen, unfortunately, added the Turkish president.

Erdogan condemned Israel, claiming you will not find any other state whose army behaves with such inhumanity.

Since Hamas's surprise attack against southern Israel on 7 October, which killed 1,400 people, Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip and laid siege to its population.

Some 5,800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Hamas-controlled health authorities.

Erdogan claimed the militant Palestinian group were not terrorists, but liberators who protect their land.

Hamas is not a terrorist group, it is a group of liberators who protect their land, he said.

Turkey's leader then attacked "Western powers [who] shed tears for Israel and do nothing else", blasting their "incapacity to stop Israel".

That those who mobilised the world in favour of Ukraine did not speak out against the massacres in Gaza is the most blatant sign of their hypocrisy, he claimed.

As long as innocent people continue to die in Gaza, no ship or plane sent to our region will bring peace.

The Turkish president called for an "independent Palestine", proposing that Turkey act as a "guarantor" of any future agreement.

On Tuesday, Erdogan accused the United Nations Security Council of having "aggravated the crisis" in the Gaza Strip through its "biased" attitude.

He claimed the international organisation's handling of the crisis had significantly damaged is reputation, saying it was "unable to ensure a ceasefire as quickly as possible and take measures to avoid civilian casualties."

Having called for restraint in the immediate aftermath of Hamas' massacre and Israel's retaliation in Gaza, the Turkish president has struck more of a confrontational tone towards Israel.

He denounced an alleged "genocide" after a strike last week that hit a hospital in Gaza, which sparked protests in Turkey and around the world.

Erdogan immediately attributed the strike to Israel, though it is not clear what happened. The British, French and American governments have since stated that their intelligence agencies believe it was caused by an outgoing rocket fired by Islamic Jihad into Israel, which malfunctioned and fell to the ground.

The leader of Turkey's AK party plans to attend a protest "in support of Palestine" in Istanbul.
A hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear that charged at them near the den it was digging in Montana, officials said.

The close encounter happened Saturday, Oct. 21, in the Gravelly Range, about 45 miles northwest of West Yellowstone, according to a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks news release.

The hunter acted in self-defense and was not hurt, officials said. The adult female grizzly did not have a known history of conflict with humans and was in good body condition, officials said.

The bear was likely preparing the den for hibernation. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating.

Other grizzly deaths

Three other grizzlies were killed in similar incidents near Yellowstone National Park in the last two months, McClatchy News previously reported.

Just under a month ago on Sept. 27, a hunter shot and killed a charging grizzly defending its kill near Gardiner, about 50 miles east of Gravelly Range, McClatchy News reported.

In a similar incident on Aug. 30, a pair of fishermen were walking through thick vegetation along a creek in nearby Tom Miner Basin when they stumbled into a male grizzlys path before the bear charged, McClatchy News reported. One of the anglers shot and killed the bear.

Four days before that, about 250 miles northwest, two hunters surprised a mama grizzly bear and her cub while they were out scouting for the upcoming hunting season in a dense section of the Flathead National Forest, McClatchy News reported. They came within 15 feet of the mom and cub, and shot and killed the mom when she charged.

Bear safety tips

Montana is bear country, officials said in the release. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year.

Bears are more active in late summer and autumn, as they eat as much as they can to prepare for their winter hibernation  which also overlaps with hunting season and other fall activities, officials said.

To avoid negative bear encounters, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks experts advise people outdoors in bear country to:

Carry bear spray, and have it out and ready to use at the first sight of a bear.

Travel in groups, and make a lot of noise to alert bears to your presence.

Stay far away from animal carcasses that attract bears.

Follow food storage orders from local land management agencies.

Never approach any bear you encounter, and leave the area when its safe.

Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other smelly items that attract bears in a secure building where bears cant access them. Keep garbage locked away until the day its collected, or use certified bear-resistant garbage containers.

Dont feed wildlife  ever. Its illegal to feed bears in Montana. Bears that become conditioned to human food lose their instinctual foraging behavior and become a threat to peoples safety.

Hunters and anglers that hunt and fish in areas with grizzlies  including locations west of Billings  should take these extra precautions:

Be extra cautious around creeks and areas with limited visibility, such as dense forests and areas with thick vegetation. Be mindful of bear signs.

Hunt or fish with a group of people and make localized noise to avoid sneaking up on bears.

Keep in mind that elk calls and cover scents  which cut down on the smell of humans  can attract bears.

Bring the right equipment and the proper amount of people youll need to be able to field dress successfully hunted game and remove the meat from the area as quickly as possible.

Hang any meat you have to leave behind at least 10 feet off the ground and 150 yards from the gut pile. Make sure its viewable from at least 200 yards away.

When you come back for the remaining meat, examine it for any signs of disturbance using binoculars. If it has been touched or if a bear is in the area, leave and call Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Grizzly bears are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, officials said.

Third grizzly killed in self-defense in one month outside Yellowstone, officials say

Spooked grizzly charges anglers in Montana wilderness. One of the fishermen had a gun

Hunters kill bear after surprising her and cub, officials say. One of them is shot too
A day after Hurricane Otis roared ashore in Acapulco, unleashing massive rains, the resort city of nearly one million still remains almost entirely cut off with the death toll uncertain.

Otis slammed into Mexico on Wednesday morning as the strongest storm to land on the countrys west coast, descending the city into chaos, setting off looting and leaving destruction and power outages in its wake.

The images and accounts were of extensive devastation, toppled trees and power lines lying in brown floodwaters that in some areas extended for miles.

Many of the once sleek beachfront hotels in Acapulco looked like shattered hulks a day after the Category 5 storm blew out hundreds  and possibly thousands  of windows.

Otis went from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in only 12 hours  the fastest rate ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The storm had lost strength by Wednesday afternoon and was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved past the Guerrero state. But soon after a 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook a resort town just 120 miles north of Acapulco.

Key Points

Acapulco still mostly inaccessible after havoc wreaked by Hurricane Otis

Survivors describe horror as Acapulco residents left in flooded and windblown chaos

Hurricane Otis makes landfall near Acapulco

Why did Hurricane Otis grow so quickly?

Hurricane Otis path tracker: Where will the storm hit next?

14:00 , Martha Mchardy

Heavy rain from Otis will continue to impact areas of southwest Mexico across Guerrero and Oaxaca states, and may also cause life-threatening coastal flooding through Thursday, NHC said.

Martha McHardy reports:

Hurricane Otis path tracker: Where will the storm hit next?

Is it safe to travel amid Hurricane Otis?

13:30 , Martha Mchardy

After Hurricane Otis escalated into a Category 5 storm last night (24 October), concerns over the safety of travel to Mexico and the risk of further natural disasters have risen.

Hurricane conditions made a powerful landfall in Acapulco on Mexicos Pacific coastline on Wednesday morning and sustained 165-mph winds are expected to sweep the south coast between San Jose del Progreso and San Jeronimo de Juarez on 25 October.

The general directorate of tourist services, Angeles Verdes, said: Safety is our top priority, and currently, travel to certain regions of Mexico may be risky due to adverse weather conditions and affected infrastructure.

The recommendation from Angeles Verdes is that you reconsider your trip or stay informed about the situation in Mexico before making a decision. It is important to check the warnings and recommendations of local authorities and civil protection to ensure your safety during your stay.

Mexico is a beautiful country with a lot to offer visitors, but in situations like this, it is essential to prioritize safety. For when you postpone your trip, we will be here to help you with future experiences in Mexico when conditions are safer.

Is it safe to travel to Mexico right now?

Watch: Hurricane Otis makes landfall as 165mph winds hit Mexico

13:00 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Heres why

12:30 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico early on Wednesday as the strongest ever storm to make landfall on the countrys west coast.

Otis went from a Category 1 to Category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours  the fastest rate ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The storm made landfall near Acapulco and is moving north-northwest through the country.

As global temperatures increase and sea levels rise, tropical cyclones - the catch-all term for hurricanes and typhoons - are expected to become more powerful and destructive, scientists say.

The ocean hit record high temperatures this year, driving marine heatwaves around the world. This heat is being caused by a fossil-fuel driven climate crisis with El Nino, a cyclical weather pattern, layered on top.

Louise Boyle reports:

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Heres why

Watch: Infrared satellite shows extremely dangerous Hurricane Otis make landfall in Mexico

12:00 , Martha Mchardy

Watch: Hurricane Otis winds blast through Acapulco hospital after storm makes landfall in Mexico

11:30 , Martha Mchardy

Why did Hurricane Otis rapidly intensify into a Category 5 overnight?

11:00 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico early on Wednesday as the strongest-ever storm to make landfall on the countrys west coast.

Otis went from a Category 1 to Category 5 hurricane in only 12 hours  the fastest rate ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the eye of Otis made landfall close to the resort town of Acapulco around 12.25am local time with winds of 165mph. Forecasters described it as a nightmare scenario for southern Mexico.

The storm is tracking north through the country and is expected to dump five to 10 inches (13-25cm) of rain on Guerrero state with as much as 15 inches (38cm) possible in some areas. That raised the possibility of mudslides and flashfloods in Guerreros steep mountainous terrain.

Martha McHardy reports:

Why did Hurricane Otis rapidly intensify into a Category 5 overnight?

Residents express anger as stores looted and rescue efforts remain slow

10:29 , Stuti Mishra

With assessment of damages and loss of life still unknown from Hurricane Ortis, there seemed to be a widespread frustration with authorities in Acapulco which has been left completely devastated after the storm.

While some 10,000 military troops were deployed to the area, they lacked the tools to clean tons of mud and fallen trees from the streets, the Associated Press reported.

Hundreds of trucks from the government electricity company arrived in Acapulco early on Wednesday, but seemed at a loss as to how to restore power, with downed electricity lines lying in feet of mud and water.

Pablo Navarro, an auto parts worker who was lodged in temporary accommodations at a beach front hotel, told the agency that he stood outside a discount grocery and household goods store near the hotel zone, as hundreds of people wrestled everything from packs of hot dogs and toilet paper to flat screen TVs out of the muddy store, struggling to push loaded metal shopping carts onto the mud-choked streets outside.

"This is out of control," he said.

Isabel de la Cruz, a resident of Acapulco, tried to move a shopping cart loaded with diapers, instant noodles and toilet paper through the mud.

She viewed what she took as a chance to help her family after she lost the tin roof of her home and her family's important documents in the hurricane.

"When is the government ever going to look after the common people?" she said.

Inside one store, National Guard officers allowed looters to take perishable items like food, but made futile efforts to prevent people from taking appliances, even as people outside loaded refrigerators on top of taxis.

Death toll from Hurricane Ortis still unknown

09:29 , Stuti Mishra

A day after Hurricane Ortis made landfall in Mexico's Acapulco, unleashing heavy rains and leaving residents without electricity or internet service, the death toll still remains uncertain.

It took nearly all day Wednesday for authorities to partially reopen the main highway connecting Acapulco to the state capital Chilpancingo and Mexico City. The vital ground link allowed dozens of emergency vehicles, personnel and trucks carrying supplies to reach the battered port.

Acapulco's commercial and military airports were still too badly damaged to resume flights.

On Wednesday night the city plunged into darkness. There was no phone service, but some people were able to use satellite phones loaned by the Red Cross to let family members know they were OK.

'We laid down on the floor': Survivors describe horror as Acapulco residents left in flooded and windblown chaos

08:29 , Stuti Mishra

A day after Hurricane Otis roared ashore in Acapulco, unleashing massive floods and setting off looting, the resort city of nearly one million descended into chaos.

The early images and accounts were of extensive devastation, toppled trees and power lines lying in brown floodwaters that in some areas extended for miles.

Jakob Sauczuk was staying with a group of friends at a beachfront hotel when Otis hit. "We laid down on the floor, and some between beds," Mr Sauczuk said. "We prayed a lot."

One of his friends showed reporters photos of the windowless, shattered rooms in the hotel. It looked as if someone had put clothes, beds and furniture in a blender, leaving a shredded mass.

Mr Sauczuk complained that his group was given no warning, nor were offered safer shelter, by the hotel.

Pablo Navarro, an auto parts worker who was lodged in temporary accommodations at a beach front hotel, thought he might die in his 13th story hotel room.

"I took shelter in the bathroom, and thankfully the door held," said Navarro. "But there were some room where the wind blew out the windows and the doors."

Why did Hurricane Otis grow so quickly?

07:13 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Otis tore across Mexico's southern Pacific coast as a powerful and dangerous Category 5 hurricane on Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, meaning its wind speed were by 35mph (46kph) in 24 hours.

Its rapid intensification left officials blindsided.

Here's how the hurricane intensified so quickly and how record-breaking ocean temperatures are fuelling stronger and more destructive cyclones in general.

Martha McHardy reports:

Why did Hurricane Otis rapidly intensify into a Category 5 overnight?

Acapulco still mostly inaccessible after havoc wreaked by Hurricane Otis

06:42 , Stuti Mishra

The town of Acapulco remained almost inaccessible by roads Wednesday night as officials continue to assess the damage from Hurricane Otis.

Little is known about possible deaths or the full extent of the damage as experts are calling Otis the strongest storm in history to make landfall along the Eastern Pacific Coast.

Many of the once sleek beachfront hotels looked like toothless shattered hulks, after Hurricane Otis blew out hundreds - and possibly thousands - of hotel windows.

Choked with mud and debris, with no electricity or internet service, the Pacific coast resorts descended into chaos after the storm, as thousands engaged in massive looting.

Diamond Zone, an oceanfront area replete with hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions, looked to be mostly underwater in drone footage that Foro TV posted online on Wednesday afternoon, with boulevards and bridges completely hidden by an enormous lake of brown water.

Large buildings had their walls and roofs partially or completely ripped off.

Dislodged solar panels, cars and debris littered the lobby of one severely damaged hotel. People wandered up to their waists in water in some areas, while on other less-flooded streets soldiers shovelled rubble and fallen palm fronds from the pavement.

While much of the city was in the dark and without phone service, some people were able to use satellite phones loaned by the Red Cross to let family members know they were OK.

In photos: Hurricane Otis flattens buildings and resort and unleashes massive flooding

06:08 , Stuti Mishra

A view shows street stalls damaged by Hurricane Otis near the entrance to Acapulco, in the Mexican state of Guerrero (REUTERS)

A view shows vehicles trapped by the landslide on parts of the route to Acapulco after Hurricane Otis hit, in the Mexican state of Guerrero (REUTERS)

A general view of the damaged beach resort following Hurricane Otis (via REUTERS)

A general view of a damaged PEMEX gas station on a road after Hurricane Otis hit, near Acapulco (REUTERS)

Rescue efforts hampered by unaccessible roads

05:00 , Louise Boyle

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that rescue efforts and repair convoys were being hampered by the lack of access. Roads were covered in debris and bridges had collapsed in places after Hurricane Otis.

Flights had been grounded and officials were struggling to access the area as the local military airport had also sustained damage.

The storm moved inland on Wednesday bringing powerful winds and heavy rains across the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Otis is expected to begin to dissipate when it slams into Mexicos mountain range later tonight.

Footage of Acapulco shows aftermath of Otis

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Otis took many forecasters by surprise

02:00 , Martha McHardy

Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico early on Wednesday as the strongest-ever storm to make landfall on the countrys west coast.

Otis went from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in only 12 hours  the fastest rate ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The National Hurricane Center considers a storm to rapidly intensify if it increases wind speed by 35mph (46kph) in 24 hours.

While it is still too early to say what impact the climate crisis had on this individual weather event, record-breaking ocean temperatures are fuelling stronger and more destructive cyclones in general.

Heat in the ocean supercharges hurricanes with more moisture and stronger winds. This heat is being caused by a fossil-fuel-driven climate crisis with El Nino, a cyclical weather pattern, layered on top.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that the climate crisiss impact on hurricane power is like adding fuel to a fire.

Sea level rise is compounding the danger. Since the late 19th century, global sea level has risen by eight inches  threatening coastal communities and increasing flooding risk when storms push water inland.

Rising sea levels can also wipe out natural coastal defences which act as buffers to hurricanes such as marshy wetlands and swamps.

In Photos: Landslides threaten Acapulco area after storm

01:00 , Ariana Baio

Workers clear a blocked highway after the passing of Hurricane Otis near Acapulco, Mexico, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 (AP)

A man crosses a highway blocked by a landslide triggered by Hurricane Otis near Acapulco, Mexico, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 (AP)

People get help crossing a highway blocked by a landslide triggered by Hurricane Otis near Acapulco, Mexico, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 (AP)

Satellite footage shows lightning strikes in eye of Hurricane Otis

Thursday 26 October 2023 00:15 , Ariana Baio

SATELLITE SPOTLIGHT: @NOAA's #GOES18  caught an incredible display of eye wall #lightning as Hurricane #Otis rapidly strengthened yesterday evening. According to @NHC_Atlantic, Otis was the strongest Eastern Pacific hurricane to make landfall in the satellite era. #Acapulco pic.twitter.com/auThP6ueUO  NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) October 25, 2023

Acapulco cut off by Cat-5 Hurricane Otis which caught forecasters by surprise

Wednesday 25 October 2023 23:00 , Louise Boyle

A nightmare scenario struck shortly after midnight in the coastal city of Acapulco on Wednesday.

Hurricane Otis roared ashore in southern Mexico, the strongest-ever storm to make landfall on the countrys west coast.

The hurricane underwent explosive intensification from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just 12 hours in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, catching forecasters by surprise. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) described it as a nightmare scenario for the region.

The storm made landfall with 165mph winds and torrential rain of up to 15 inches in places.

Read more here:

Acapulco cut off by Cat-5 Hurricane Otis which caught forecasters by surprise

Earthquake detected in resort city hours after Otis

Wednesday 25 October 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake was detected in the resort city of Zihuatanejo  just 120 miles north of Acapulco  hours after Otis caused massive destruction to the southern part of Mexicos Pacific coast.

A preliminary evaluation of the area was conducted by state and municipal personnel in the area, the Mexican civil protection coordination agency said.

Residents were not warned of the earthquake because the seismic system used to warn people was unable to operate.

SkyAlerts  the early earthquake-warning service, said damage left behind from Otis had left their infrastructure temporarily inoperative.

Actualizacion del sismo de Zihuatanejo:

SSN ajusta magnitud de 5.0 a 4.4 con epicentro a 28 km al suroeste de Zihuatanejo, #Guerrero.



La conectividad de @REDSkyAlert es limitada en Guerrero por el devastador paso de #Otis. Por lluvias y vientos, la afectacion en la red es desde pic.twitter.com/vVUNnKoqjx  SkyAlert (@SkyAlertMx) October 25, 2023

Otis now a tropical storm

Wednesday 25 October 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

The Category 5 hurricane that lashed through parts of Mexicos Pacific coast was downgraded to a tropical storm, just hours after it made landfall.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said maximum wind speeds were around 60 mph on Wednesday afternoon.

It was located around 130 miles North / North-West of Acapulco.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Punta Maldonado and Acapulco.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, the NHC wrote.

After Hurricane Otis landslides threaten residents

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Residents of Acapulco were unable to leave the town on Wednesday after rains brought by Hurricane Otis caused landslides on the highway.

The Secretary of Infrastructure for the Mexican state of Guerrero said on Twitter that a section of the Acapulco Highway, Chilpancingo faced total closure due to the landslides.

There are no alternative routes to leave the area, meaning residents will have to remain at their homes until the landslides are cleared.

They urged people to take precautionary measures.

In Oceania: A powerful cyclone made landfall in Vanuatu

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:05 , Ariana Baio

A tropical cyclone that picked up strength made landfall on the island nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday.

The cyclone, named Lola, had the power equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane when it hit the country. The Vanuatu Meteorology Department said the cyclones wind speeds were over 100 mph with gusts over 115 mph.

Vanuatu Red Cross spokesperson Shirley Johnson told AccuWeather they were expecting to have major, major damage.

I am afraid we wont have enough relief in time to save the people, Ms Johnson said.

Half a million Guerrero residents without power

Wednesday 25 October 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

After Hurricane Otis pummeled parts of Mexico on Wednesday, over a third of electric customers in Guerrero were left without power.

Comision Federal de Electricidad, the state-owned Mexican electrical provider company, said more than 504,000 residents woke up without power but they managed to restore 40 per cent of its customers.

A team of 846 electrical workers, 96 cranes, 347 vehicles, 26 emergency plants and 1 helicopter assisted in the companys quick response to the power outages.

Where will Hurricane Otis hit next?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:30 , Martha McHardy

Hurricane Otis made landfall close to Acapulco, Mexico in the early hours of Wednesday after rapidly intensifying from a Category 1 to Category 5 storm in just 12 hours.

The hurricane had weakened to a Cat-2 and was moving inland by Wednesday afternoon. The storm is now around 100 miles northwest of Acapulco.

It is expected to lose even more power as it hits Guerrero states steep mountains, before dissipating on Wednesday night.

The Mexican government discontinued a hurricane warning for Acapulco but issued a tropical storm warning for Punta Maldonado, around 100 miles to the south.

Read more here:

Hurricane Otis path tracker: Where will the storm hit next?

Watch: Hurricane Otis makes landfall as 165mph winds hit Mexico

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:10 , Martha Mchardy

No immediate reports of fatalities from Hurricane Otis

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:45 , Martha Mchardy

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there were no immediate reports of fatalities from Hurricane Otis, but cautioned that authorities were struggling to get updates.

The hurricane is still affecting the area and communications are completely down, he told reporters at a regular government press conference.

In pictures: Destruction caused by Hurricane Otis

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy

Winds of up to 165mph are battering the Mexican city of Acapulco (Sourced)

Winds of 165mph destroyed the Galerias shopping center in Acapulco (Sourced)

Authorities warned of catastrophic damage cased by Hurricane Otis (Sourced)

More than 500,00 people left without electricity as Hurricane Otis rips through Acapulco

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:12 , Martha Mchardy

Mexicos Comision Federal de Electricidad said that half a million customers had lost power during Hurricane Otis but that Wednesday morning, around 200,000 were reconnected.

The company said that they would begin work restoring those who were still cut off once the weather conditions improved.

Mapped: Path of Hurricane Otis

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:10 , Martha Mchardy

Why did Hurricane Otis grow so quickly?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:50 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis is tracking north through the country and is expected to dump five to 10 inches (13-25cm) of rain on Guerrero state with as much as 15 inches (38cm) possible in some areas. That raised the possibility of mudslides and flashfloods in Guerreros steep mountainous terrain.

The National Hurricane Center considers a storm to rapidly intensify if it increases wind speed by 35mph (46kph) in 24 hours.

While it is still too early to say what impact the climate crisis had on this individual weather event, record-breaking ocean temperatures are fuelling stronger and more destructive cyclones in general.

Martha McHardy reports:

Why did Hurricane Otis grow so quickly?

Otis likely to dissipate tonight

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:45 , Louise Boyle

Otis is tracking to move farther inland and is now about 100 miles northwest of Acapulco. It will continue to move across southern Mexico through Wednesday night.

Heavy rainfall and flash flooding continues in the region. Winds have dropped to 80mph with higher gusts. Rapid weakening is expected when the system hits the mountains of Mexico. Otis will likely dissipate tonight.

The Mexican government has discontinued the Hurricane Warning west of Acapulco, and changed the Hurricane Warning from Acapulco to Punta Maldonado to a Tropical Storm Warning.

Hurricane Otis now a Category 2 hurricane

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:43 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.

The storm was expected to continue losing strength as it traveled inland before dissipating over southern Mexico on Wednesday night.

It made landfall as a Category 5 storm shortly after midnight, but was soon downgraded to a Category 4 storm.

It has now been downgraded to a Category 2, with sustained winds of 110mph, down from 165mph.

The National Hurricane Center uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to determine storm categories.

This rates storms based on the severity of their wind speed in a one to five rating, but does not take into account rainfall or flooding.

Heavy rain is expected across southern Mexico through Thursday, with risk of flooding and landslides.

Otis causes power outages, extensive building damage and flooding

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:36 , Martha Mchardy

Power outages, extensive building damage and flooding have been reported in the Acapulco area after Hurricane Otis made landfall early on Wednesday.

Much of the city was plunged into darkness overnight on Wednesday, with power outages reported across the city, while homes and shopping centers have been destroyed by powerful winds.

The governor of Acapulco, Evelyn Salgado Pineda, said authorities are working to restore telephone lines as soon as possible.

We continue at #Acapulco , where effects on mobile communication are reported. However, we are already coordinating to restore telephone lines as soon as possible, she said in a post on X.

During the day, I will be #EnTerritorio , attentive to the needs of our people. I ask you to remain calm, avoid spreading rumors and continue to pay attention to official information. I will keep you informed at all times, she added.

Seguimos en #Acapulco, donde se reportan afectaciones en la comunicacion movil. Sin embargo, ya estamos en coordinacion para restablecer las lineas de telefonia lo antes posible. (1/3)  Evelyn Salgado Pineda (@EvelynSalgadoP) October 25, 2023

Hurricane Otiss intensification is unprecedented

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

In one of the most rapid intensifications in hurricane modern history, Otis managed to increase by approximately 110 miles per hour within 24 hours.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) considers rapid intensification when a storm increases by 35 mph in 24 hours.

Over the last 20 years, hurricanes in the Atlantic have been twice as likely to rapidly intensify compared to the later half of the 20th century.

The National Hurricane Center called the situation with Otis a nightmare scenario for southern Mexico where residents were unprepared for the extremely strong storm.

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:10 , Ariana Baio

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico said he was considering travelling to Acapulco later today so long as the conditions allow it.

Mr Lopez hosted a press conference on Wednesday afternoon in which he addressed the current conditions of Hurricane Otis calling its sudden intensification atypical.

Conferencia de prensa matutina, desde Palacio Nacional https://t.co/o2RfzF75yX  Andres Manuel (@lopezobrador_) October 25, 2023

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Heres why

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:50 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico early on Wednesday as the strongest ever storm to make landfall on the countrys west coast.

Otis went from a Category 1 to Category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours  the fastest rate ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

As global temperatures increase and sea levels rise, tropical cyclones - the catch-all term for hurricanes and typhoons - are expected to become more powerful and destructive, scientists say.

Louise Boyle reports:

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Heres why

Watch as 165mph winds hit Mexico as Hurricane Otis makes landfall

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:30 , Martha Mchardy

Watch as Hurricane Otis plunges 1 million people into total darkness

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:10 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis plunged one million people into total darkness in the Mexican city of Acapulco.

Power outages have been reported in parts of Guerrero state, where Otis made landfall as a Category 5 storm early on Wednesday.

Mexicos national civil protection agency said in a tweet that parts of Guerrero state were already seeing power cuts as the storm came ashore, and it warned residents in the area to remain calm and seek shelter until authorities confirmed that the danger had passed.

The hurricane is expected to cause catastrophic damage, bringing at least 15 inches of rain and 165mph winds to Acapulco.

Acapulco, a city of 1 million people, has now been plunged into almost total darkness as Category 5 Hurricane Otis makes landfall. pic.twitter.com/tkQyEQjeg6  Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) October 25, 2023

Hurricane Otis destroys Galerias shopping center in Acapulco

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:50 , Martha Mchardy

Before and after pictures show the damage caused to the Galerias shopping center in Acapulco by Hurricane Otis.

The hurricane, which made landfall as a Category 5 storm, is expected to cause catastrophic damage, bringing at least 15 inches of rain and 165mph winds to Acapulco.

Acapulco Mayor Abelina Lopez warned that the city  which is home to roughly 800,000 people  is on maximum alert as she urged residents to hunker down at home or move to the citys shelters.

Watch: Infrared satellite shows extremely dangerous Hurricane Otis make landfall in Mexico

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:30 , Martha Mchardy

Do not travel to Mexico, general directorate of tourist services warns amid Hurricane Otis

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:10 , Martha Mchardy

Mexicos general directorate of tourist services Angeles Verdes has warned people not to travel to the country as Hurricane Otis brings strong winds and heavy rainfall to the country.

The directorate warned travel to Mexico is risky after the National Hurricane Center said Otis could bring catastrophic damage to the country.

Safety is our top priority, and currently, travel to certain regions of Mexico may be risky due to adverse weather conditions and affected infrastructure, the directorate said in a statement.

The recommendation from Angeles Verdes is that you reconsider your trip or stay informed about the situation in Mexico before making a decision. It is important to check the warnings and recommendations of local authorities and civil protection to ensure your safety during your stay.

Mexico is a beautiful country with a lot to offer visitors, but in situations like this, it is essential to prioritize safety. For when you postpone your trip, we will be here to help you with future experiences in Mexico when conditions are safer.

Flights cancelled amid Hurricane Otis

Wednesday 25 October 2023 13:50 , Martha Mchardy

Almost all arrivals and departures from Acapulco International Airport were cancelled or delayed this morning as a result of strong winds brought by Hurricane Otis.

Most of the routes, according to Flightradar24, were directs to other Mexican cities, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Tijuana on carriers including AeroMexico, Viva Aerobus.

However, airports in Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara and Tijuana appear to be running scheduled flights as usual, and afternoon flights from Acapulco are still scheduled to run.

Hurricane Otis path: Where will the storm hit?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 13:30 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis made landfall close to Acapulco in Mexico early on Wednesday, after suddenly forming and strengthening off the coast.

Otis strengthened from a tropical storm into a major hurricane before it slammed into Mexicos coast at around 12.25am local time with sustained winds of 165 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

It was originally classed as a Category 5 hurricane, but has since been downgraded to Category 4.

The hurricane is now expected to continue to weaken quickly as it heads inland through Guerrero states steep mountains, before it dissipates on Wednesday night.

Hurricane Otis path: Where will the storm hit?

Hurricane Otis brings strong winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Southern Mexico

Wednesday 25 October 2023 13:10 , Martha Mchardy

Southern Mexico is being battered by strong winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding after Storm Otis made landfall in Acapulco, the National Hurricane Center said.

Up to 15 inches of rain is expected to fall on Wednesday, raising the threat of landslides and floods, as winds of up to 165mph batter Acapulco.

Strong Winds Continuing to Spread Inland Over Southern Mexico. Heavy Rainfall and Flash Flooding Occurring Over Portions Of Southern Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said in a tweet.

Hurricane #Otis Advisory 13A: Strong Winds Continuing to Spread Inland Over Southern Mexico. Heavy Rainfall and Flash Flooding Occurring Over Portions Of Southern Mexico. https://t.co/Oy8uoeSibM  NHC Eastern Pacific (@NHC_Pacific) October 25, 2023

What is a Category 4 hurricane?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:52 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis has been weakened to a Category 4 storm, the National Hurricane Center said.

It made landfall in Acapulco as a Category 5 storm, with authorities warning of extremely destructive winds  and catastrophic damage, but it is now expected to weaken.

The National Hurricane Center uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to determine storm categories, which rates storms based on the severity of their wind speed in a one to five rating, but does not take into account rainfall or flooding.

A Category 4 storm is classed as a storm with sustained winds of 130mph-156mph, while a Category 5 storm is a storm with sustained winds of 157mph or higher.

According to the National hurricane center, in a Category 4 storm, catastrophic damage will occur from winds, including severe damage to buildings, such as losing roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed, the center says. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas, with power outages lasting weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Meanwhile, a Category 5 storm will also cause similar catastrophic damage, but a higher percentage of homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse.

Latest pictures as Otis makes landfall in Acapulco

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:20 , Martha Mchardy

Members of the federal forces chat as they keep watch at a beach as Hurricane Otis barrels towards Acapulco, Mexico (REUTERS)

Tourists sit on the beach in Acapulco, Mexico (AP)

People stand on a beach as Hurricane Otis barrels towards Acapulco (REUTERS)

Hurricane Otis now a Category 4 storm

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:00 , Martha Mchardy

Hurricane Otis has been weakened to a Category 4 storm, the National Hurricane Center said.

It was previously graded as a Category 5 storm, with authorities warning of extremely destructive winds  and catastrophic damage as Otis made landfall in Acapulco.

The hurricane is now expected to continue to weaken quickly in Guerrero states steep mountains.

Otis was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north northwest of Acapulco with its maximum sustained winds decreasing to 130 mph (215 kph) and moving at 10 mph (17 kph). The center of Otis is expected to move farther inland over southern Mexico through Wednesday night.
Japan's government has asked a court to dissolve the country's branch of the Unification Church in the continuing fall-out from the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe last year.



The fringe church, whose members are known as "Moonies" after its founder Sun Myung Moon , has divided opinion for decades. For some, the group is "unfairly maligned", said the Financial Times last July after Abe's death, but for others it is a "cult that has used its spiritual hold over followers to enrich the religion's founding family".



Abe's suspected killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, told police he was motivated by the former PM's alleged links to the church, which he said "bankrupted his mother", the BBC reported, casting an intense spotlight on the Moonies.



A government investigation has since concluded that the group pressured followers to make large donations, violating the country's 1951 Religious Corporations Act.



Under this law, a faith-based organisation can be dissolved if its actions are "clearly recognised as being substantially detrimental to public welfare", the BBC said. However, the government can only make sure it "will lose its tax benefits", and does not have the power to stop the Unification Church operating altogether.



If the Tokyo District Court finds for the government, it would mean Unification is the first church in Japan to "lose its legal status under a civil code violation", said Al Jazeera. The church has survived hundreds of civil lawsuits in the past and, although it has "acknowledged excessive donations", it "says the problem has been mitigated for more than a decade" and recently pledged further reforms.



The church says it was unfairly vilified over Abe's death, and that the government's move impinges on religious freedom for Japanese people and "hurts its image", added The Japan Times.



Involving "hearings and appeals from both sides", the case could "take months or possibly years", said the Tokyo-based newspaper.



Ultimately, the Moonies' power could be diminished significantly, Professor Yoshihide Sakurai, an expert on cult issues, told the BBC. It is likely the public will become wary of them, and it will be considered scandalous for politicians to interact with the church, he said.



Others fear it could have the opposite effect, pushing the church's activities "underground". There is a call, instead, for better public education, as religious studies is no longer taught in Japan's schools.



"We need religious education in schools," Toshiyuki Tachikake, a professor at Osaka University, told CNN. "Giving someone a broad understanding of different religions and their teachings allows them to make an informed decision on whether they want to join a certain group if a recruiter ever approached them," he said.

This article first appeared in The Weeks Global Digest newsletter. Sign up for a preview of the international news agenda, sent to your inbox every Monday.
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said that the government is committed to eradicating polio from the country by strengthening vaccination coverage.

"We must leave no room for the virus to spread and reach every child with the vaccine before the virus has a chance to change their lives permanently," the prime minister said while addressing a ceremony to mark World Polio Day on Tuesday.

He said that Pakistan has come a long way and polio eradication efforts remain crucial as the country cannot be the reason to hold the world back.

Acknowledging the role and sacrifices of the polio workers and the security personnel guarding them, Kakar said that they have paid the highest price for the cause.

"The frontline health workers are the heroes of Pakistan, who are working in challenging environments, facing social barriers and even threats to their safety without ever losing their dedication," he added.

Vowing to resist the individuals propagating against the polio vaccination, the prime minister said that the government would achieve the dream of a polio-free Pakistan by carrying forward the journey with unshakeable commitment. 
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), the latest GOP nominee for Speaker, on Wednesday as appearing to be an extreme right-wing ideologue based on his legislative track record.

I dont know Mike Johnson well. Based on his track record, he appears to be an extreme right-wing ideologue, Jeffries said in an interview on CNN This Morning.

Jeffries attacked Johnson for his positions on abortion access, Social Security and Medicare. He also attacked Johnson for his role in supporting then-President Trumps efforts to remain in power in 2020.

Johnson was the first of more than 100 Republican signatories listed on a 2020 amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit that aimed to overturn the presidential election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Johnson also voted with nearly two-thirds of his conference not to certify the 2020 election in Arizona and Pennsylvania on Jan. 6, 2021.

Mike Johnson wants to criminalize abortion care and impose a nationwide ban. Mike Johnson was one of the chief architects of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Mike Johnson also wants to end Social Security and Medicare as we know it. Those are extreme views, Jeffries said. And House Democrats will push back aggressively against that.

Jeffries said, however, that Democrats would be willing to work in a bipartisan way with Johnson, if he wins.

However, at the same period of time, weve said from the very beginning of this Congress  and demonstrated  that we are ready, willing and able to find common ground with our Republican colleagues in order to advance bipartisan solutions to solve problems for hardworking American taxpayers, Jeffries said.

And all Mike Johnson will need to do is to meet us in a bipartisan way in that fashion, and well be able to work together whenever and wherever possible, he added.

Johnson is the fourth nominee the House GOP has put forward for Speaker in the past three weeks.

Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) were the previous nominees. Jordan failed to win 217 votes in three attempts on the floor, while Scalise and Emmer dropped out before going to floor votes due to an expected lack of support.

Jeffries used similar arguments to attack Jordan when he was tapped as Speaker-designee, calling him a a clear and present danger to our democracy.

He wants to end Social Security as we know it, he wants to end Medicare as we know it, doesnt believe that President Biden was elected in 2020. Thats disrespectful to the American people.  Jim Jordan wants to impose a nationwide abortion ban, and he is the poster child for MAGA extremism, he said at the time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The death of Breanne Pennington in Gardner over the weekend marks the citys first homicide in over three years.

Pennington, 30, was found dead inside her Cherry Street home shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday, and her husband, Aaron Pennington, was still being sought Wednesday morning by law enforcement officials in connection with the case.

The most recent homicide was also between a couple, according to the victim's family. Here is a look at the three most recent homicides in Gardner, plus two unsolved cases from the 1970s and 1980s.

Live Updates on Wednesday: Police still search Camp Collier woods for Gardner murder suspect: What we know

Breanne Pennington

What court records say: Breanne Pennington, slain Gardner woman, planned to move to Texas with kids

2020: Murder-suicide at Wakefield Place

In August 2020, two Gardner residents, Migdalia Perez and Jose Muniz Badillo, were found dead outside a third-floor apartment at Wakefield Place in what police said was a murder-suicide. Officials said Badillo, who lived on Prospect Street, killed Perez and then killed himself in the hallway of the Central Street apartment, where Perez had been staying at the time.

Witnesses reported hearing an argument between the two before the shooting. Perez had requested and was denied a restraining order against Badillo two days before her death, according to a 2020 article by Boston25.

From the archives: Gardner murder-suicide victims identified

2017: Death of Randy Vaillancourt on Nicholas Street

In December 2017, the death of Randy Vaillancourt, 56, was ruled a homicide after his body was discovered by police while they were conducting a well-being check at his apartment on Nicholas Street.

Police discuss crime in Gardner: Do high-profile incidents tell the whole story?

An autopsy found that Vaillancourt died from blunt-force trauma. Matthew Vanier, 33, of Gardner was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery in connection with the slaying.

This case is still ongoing. Vanier's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 23.

From the archives: Gardner man was murdered

2016: Death of Christopher Starkweather on Waterford Street

In January 2016, 23-year-old Christopher Starkweather was stabbed to death on Waterford Street in a drug-related incident.

Family of stabbing victim Christopher Starkweather listen Wednesday during the arraignment in Gardner District Court of Francis Arbolay, who is charged with murder. T&G Staff/Christine Hochkeppel

Francis O. Arbolay of 198 Pine St. was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to five to eight years in state prison in 2018. According to court records, Starkweather attempted to rob Arbolay of crack cocaine he was selling by passing off a $5 bill as a $100 bill during a pre-arranged drug transaction.

1983: Kathleen Daneault murdered by serial killer

On Nov. 18, 1983, the body of 25-year-old Kathleen Daneault of Gardner was discovered on a dirt path near the former Mahaki Restaurant. Officials said Daneault, a single parent of a 6-year-old boy, had been strangled to death.

Kathleen M. Daneault and her son, Jason.

Three decades later, law enforcement officials said that DNA evidence identified Edward M. Mayrand Jr. as the killer. Mayrand, a convicted murderer who died in prison in 2011, was also named as the killer of a New Hampshire woman, Judith Whitney, who was found strangled to death in 1987.

According to officials, Mayrands DNA was found on the ligature that was used to strangle Daneault.

1973: Unsolved murder of Mark Twohey

In February 1973, the body of 19-year-old Mark Twohey was found off Raymond Street in Gardner. Twohey had been stabbed to death and had been missing for about two weeks after he disappeared after attending a dance at the Polish American Citizens Club, which is on the other side of the city.

His homicide remains unsolved.

1965: Unsolved murder of Patricia M. Joyce

Patricia M. Joyce of Gardner was reported missing on July 5, 1965, by her mother, according to Worcester County DA's Office list of unsolved cases. Joyces employer had called looking for her because she was late to work.

Later that day, police "received a phone call stating that the body of a female had been found in a wooded area off a foot path which goes between Park Street and the Heywood Street Extension in Gardner." The body was later identified as Joyce's.

Her case remains unsolved.

2023: Attempted murder charge

Last month, police charged a Gardner man with attempted murder after a shooting inside a local liquor store. Officials said James Wilson allegedly opened fire just inside the doorway of Gardner Spirits on East Broadway at around 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23. Police, firefighters and medical workers used life-saving measures to save an adult male who was shot, according to police.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Murders in Gardner, MA: A list of recent and unsolved cases
We see sandy-colored rock ruins of old structures in the desert against a blue sky.

A unique method of obtaining underground water enabled the Garamantes to thrive in the Sahara more than 2,000 years ago, long after the region became a desert. But their demise is a cautionary tale for modern regions, like California, that rely heavily on ancient groundwater for their modern supply.

"They were lucky to have this world-class aquifer," Frank Schwartz , a hydrogeologist at The Ohio State University, told Live Science. "But it was a non-sustainable system, and it eventually ran out."

Schwartz, who studies the hydrogeology of ancient civilizations, described the rise and fall of the Garamantes on Oct. 16 at the Geological Society of America's annual conference in Pittsburgh.

Historians once thought the Garamantian kingdom was a minor power in the Fezzan region of North Africa  now in southwestern Libya  until it was subdued by the expanding Roman Empire in the first century.

Related: Plantation slavery was invented on this tiny African island, according to archaeologists

But since the 1960s, archaeology has revealed that the kingdom was larger and more powerful than previously thought, with several cities fed by water transported by gravity in underground tunnels, or foggaras, from an ancient aquifer in the sandstone rocks of the nearby highlands  a major feat of ancient engineering.

"This was the first society that grew up in Africa without a river," Schwartz said. "In Egypt, they had the Nile flooding every year . But here there was no river, nothing."

Saharan kingdom

An illustration showing the cross section of a typical qanat.

Schwartz said the Garamantes descended from Neolithic cattle herders who lived in the region between 7,000 and 5,000 years ago, during the last " Green Sahara " phase  a relatively wet phase of the Saharan climate that occurs roughly every 23,000 years and is caused by changes in Earth's rotational axis.

But the climate changed and the Sahara became"hyper-arid" by the time the Garamantian kingdom arose in about 400 B.C., he said.

Archaeologists think the Garamantes extracted groundwater with different technologies at different times, including "shadoof" wells, in which water is lifted in a bucket using a counterbalanced lever, and "dalw" wells, in which water is lifted in a leather bag by harnessed animals.

But the greatest innovation was the foggaras, which carried water to the Garamantian cities.

Schwartz said the technology had originated in Persia , where the tunnels were known as qanats, and was probably transmitted to the Garamantes by traders on desert caravans. But most Persian qanats drained aquifers that were replenished each year from melting snow  something not seen in the Fezzan.

Instead, the Garamantian foggaras tapped an ancient subterranean aquifer that had formed in the nearby sandstone highlands tens of millions of years earlier and had been "topped up" during the Green Sahara phases.

Schwartz notes it was only a matter of good luck  "serendipity"  that the Garamantes lived near the aquifer and that the foggaras functioned at all. "This shouldn't have worked here," he said. But luckily, it did, and the water from the foggaras enabled the Garamantes to establish a powerful kingdom in the middle of a desert.

Digging for water

Archaeologists have now identified more than 460 miles (750 kilometers) of foggaras in the Fezzan region, and they were probably dug by people enslaved by the Garamantians, Schwartz said. Some of the longest foggaras are more than 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) long and cut through sand, gravel and solid sandstone; vertical access shafts descend to the underground tunnels roughly every 16 to 33 feet (5 to 10 meters).

Andrew Wilson , a professor of archaeology of the Roman Empire at the University of Oxford who wasn't involved in the presentation, said one of the oldest foggaras has been dated from organic matter in its mud-brick shaft lining to between 391 B.C. and 206 B.C. but many were younger.

Related: 'Christ' tattoo discovered on 1,300-year-old body in Sudan

Wilson told Live Science in an email that it wasn't clear how much water the foggaras extracted from the ancient aquifer and to what extent the aquifer was replenished by the region's occasional rains.

But there were "signs of stress" that reflected a falling water table, such as a deepening and extending of the foggaras, he said. But such measures could not compensate for the aquifer's overuse: "Ultimately the foggaras failed after several centuries."

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The water level of the aquifer eventually fell below the levels that it could feed into the foggaras, leading to a decline in the Garamantian kingdom after about A.D. 100, Schwartz said. But the region's underground water is still being exploited by Libya's Great Man-Made River Project , which began in the 1980s and now supplies water to farmland and millions of people in the north of the country, he said.

The demise of the Garamantes illustrates the dangers of exploiting ancient supplies of groundwater, as is now being done in California and much of Iran , Schwartz noted.

"The Garamantes had serendipity for a while, but it was not sustainable," he said.
Rep. Mike Johnson won the race for House Speaker Wednesday, ending three weeks of Republican chaos that brought governance to a halt.

The Louisiana hardliner won by a 220-209 vote with all Republican voting for Johnson and factions ranging from far right-wingers to moderates getting behind him. With Johnson in charge, a top priority would be getting aid to Israel as it faces a war with Hamas following a brutal Oct. 7 terror attack.

All Democrats present voted for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as expected.

The previously little-known Johnson succeeds ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy who was ousted three weeks ago in a revolt by a small group of MAGA right-wingers led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida).

Johnson was the fourth GOP leader to try his luck after Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) withdrew his bid amid opposition from former President Donald Trump just a couple of hours after he defeated Johnson on Tuesday.

Rep. Steve Scalise , the No. 2 House GOP leader, and Rep. Jim Jordan, a prominent MAGA extremist, both crashed and burned earlier amid fierce opposition from various factions in the House GOP.

Trump said he supports Johnson after denouncing Emmer as a Republican in name only.

Go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & get it done, fast! Trump wrote on his social media site.

All eyes were on a small group of GOP moderates who torpedoed Jordans bid, claiming he was too extreme to lead the Republican-led House.

The dozen or so members, including lawmakers from suburban swing districts in the New York area, were angry that MAGA hardliners removed McCarthy and killed bids of Scalise and Emmer, who were both the most-senior leaders in the party.

But they united to back Johnson.

During the three weeks without a speaker, Congress was unable to pass any bills or handle any legislative business.

On top of aid to Israel, Democrats also want to send billions to embattled Ukraine, assistance that Johnson has opposed.

Johnson will also need to figure out a way to work with the White House and the Democratic-led Senate to keep the government open after a Thanksgiving deadline.

McCarthy was ousted in large part because he agreed to a compromise with Democrats to avert a government shutdown.

Johnson has a mild-mannered demeanor but is ideologically similar to the firebrand Jordan.

He is a staunch opponent of abortion rights and gay marriage and voted to refuse to certify President Bidens win in the 2020 election.

Johnson, a former law professor, was first elected in 2016 to a very deep-red district that includes the city of Shreveport and a sprawling swath of northwest Louisiana bordering Texas and Arkansas. He last won reelection by a more that 2-1 margin in 2020 and ran unopposed in 2022.

He was vice chairman of the Republican Study Conference, a major GOP House faction, but has never held a top position in Republican leadership.

Scalise remains No. 2 House leader for now, meaning the top two spots would be occupied by lawmakers from Louisiana, although they hail from opposite ends of the Bayou State.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  An off-duty pilot who allegedly tried to bring down a commercial flight from Washington to California on Sunday engaged in casual conversation prior to losing it, according to court documents.

The documents, released Tuesday, recounted the moments leading up to the incident.

Horizon Airlines Flight 2059 was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday evening after a credible threat to an authorized occupant on board.

Authorities said an off-duty pilot, identified as 44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson, was sitting in the planes jump seat and allegedly attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines by pulling the fire handles in the cockpit.

Its common for off-duty pilots to ride in the jump seat on their way to commute to or from work, or to major air travel hubs.

Before the incident, though, the on-duty pilots reported zero indication of anything wrong with Emerson, a commercial pilot with Alaska Airlines. (Alaska Airlines owns Horizon Airlines, a regional carrier.) Earlier in the flight, he engaged them in casual conversation about the weather and his career with Alaska Airlines.

But court documents indicate that Emerson later in the flight abruptly threw his headset across the cockpit and declared Im not OK, one of the pilots told authorities. He then grabbed the fire handles, which shut off fuel to the engine, according to court documents.

Alaska Airlines plane diverted to Portland Airport after credible threat

The two pilots in the cockpit with Emerson were reportedly able to subdue him and declare an inflight emergency. Emerson initially resisted their efforts, physically engaging with one pilot for 25 to 30 seconds before settling down, documents state. He was then asked to leave the cockpit.

Documents also cite the testimony of flight attendants who received a message that Emerson was losing it and needed to get out of the cockpit.

One of the pilots estimated that a total of 90 seconds elapsed between Emerson saying he was not OK and leaving the cockpit.

Emerson was seen peacefully walking to the back of the aircraft after leaving the cockpit. Documents then state that he told a flight attendant hed just been kicked out of the flight deck. He then said, You need to cuff me right now or its going to be bad.

Flight attendants sat him in a seat at the back of the aircraft and placed cuffs on his wrists. During the planes emergency descent into Portland, Emerson turned toward an emergency exit door and tried to grab the handle, the documents say.

Flight attendants were able to stop him from opening the door and engaged him in conversation to prevent him from trying to grab the door handle again, documents state. Another flight attendant said Emerson made statements that included, I messed everything up and that he tried to kill everybody.

A flight attendant saw Emerson take his phone out and begin texting. He was also heard saying he had put 84 peoples lives at risk, his own included.

Once the plane landed in Portland, Emerson was arrested.

23-mj-185-Emerson-Complaint-CERTIFIEDDownload

During an interview with officers, documents state that Emerson believed he was having a nervous breakdown and that he had not slept in 40 hours. He also admitted to feeling dehydrated and tired. During his interview with police, Emerson admitted to trying to pull the emergency shutoff handles.

I didnt feel OK, he reportedly said. It seemed like the pilots werent paying attention to what was going on. They didnt  it didnt seem right.

He also told officers he pulled the handles because he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up. He denied taking any medications but said he became depressed six months ago.

It was not immediately clear from the court document if Emerson was high on mushrooms when he was on the plane, but an FBI agent wrote in the probable cause affidavit that the pilot spoke with police about the use of psychedelic mushrooms and said it was his first-time taking mushrooms.

When asked whether Emerson took psychedelic mushrooms right before the flight, Kevin Sonoff, the spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon, said that was still under investigation.

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At the Port of Portland police department, Emerson said he would waive his right to an attorney. Im admitting to what I did, he said according to documents. Im not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys.

A criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Oregon states Emerson has been charged in federal court with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Emerson was to remain in state custody pending an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland, the U.S. attorneys office said in a news release.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
FORT LAUDERDALE  A California man was sentenced to one year in federal prison for cyberstalking the father of a student killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

James Catalano, 62, sent more than 200 messages to Fred Guttenberg between December 2021 and July 2022. Guttenberg's 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was one of 17 people killed in the Parkland high school.

Guttenberg became a public-facing advocate for gun reform in the wake of his daughter's murder. According to investigators, he began receiving vile messages submitted anonymously through the contact page of his website in December 2021.

In this photo Oct. 13, 2022, Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter, Jaime, was killed in the 2018 shootings, awaits a verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. Cruz, who plead guilty to 17 counts of premeditated murder in the 2018 shootings, is the most lethal mass shooter to stand trial in the U.S. He was previously sentenced to 17 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for 17 additional counts of attempted murder for the students he injured that day. Cruz was sentence to life in prison.

The sender fixated on Jaime, the manner of her death, her pain and suffering as she was murdered and her father's work against gun violence.

"Just got my concealed carry permit," one message read. "Wish (Jaime) was alive so I could show it to her. But, damn  she got slaughtered and is now in hell. CELEBRATE."

In others, Catalano lauded Donald Trump and cursed Joe Biden. Several appeared to reference Guttenberg's posts on social media, like one where the activist called Sen. Marco Rubio a "waste" for his failure to promote gun-safety legislation.

"Actually, your daughter was the human waste," Catalano messaged Guttenberg the next day. "And now she's buried."

'Stop listening to the liars': Parkland dad's book examines NRA's grip on America

Investigators tracked the sender's IP addresses to Catalano's home and work. While executing a search warrant, they found one of his devices opened to Guttenberg's website, a "message sent" confirmation on the screen.

During an interview with law enforcement in July 2022, Catalano said he believed Guttenberg "was using his dead daughter to push his political agenda." Catalano said he wanted to put the grieving father "in check."

Guttenberg, identified only in court records as F.G., confirmed he was the victim of the harassment in a statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday afternoon.

Following an extended period of harassment & threat directed at me, last year the FBI made an arrest & successfully prosecuted leading to imprisonment, Guttenberg wrote. Because of this case, there is additional precedent to prosecute online harassment. Dont do it.

Though Catalona faced a maximum penalty of five years, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola Jr. sentenced him to just one year in prison, eight months short of the penalty prosecutors recommended.

Catalona will remain on supervised release for three years after his prison sentence ends. He must also pay a $100 fine and participate in various treatments related to anger management and mental health.

His Miami-based attorney Marc Seitles declined to comment.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man who cyberstalked father of Parkland shooting victim sentenced to prison
Donald Trump s legal dream team is dropping like flies.

Jenna Ellis , Trumps former senior legal adviser, has now pleaded guilty to one count in case to overturn the 2020 election results. Ellis, the second attorney to flip on Trump is a devout Christian popular with his evangelical fanbase. Her plea should be a wake up call to MAGA voters. But it probably wont be.

Ellis, a Colorado-based lawyer, pleaded guilty Monday to one felony charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writing in Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia. Ellis agreed to serve five years probation, pay $5,000 in restitution, and complete 100 hours of community service. She also had to write an apology letter to the state and testify at all legal proceedings involving the other people who were charged.

This is just a few days after another of Trumps attorneys, Sidney Powell, also pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the Georgia election interference case against Trump. Powell was originally charged with seven felony charges and ended up pleading guilty to six misdemeanors. She was sentenced to six years of probation, a $6,000 fine and $2,700 in restitution and had to write an apology letter.

Ellis slow decline started earlier this year. In March, a Colorado judge censured her for misconduct. Ellis admitted that several statements she made after the 2020 election, specifically about the presidential election being stolen, were misrepresentations. She wound up admitting to 10 such misrepresentations, including that the 2020 election was stolen.

In an emotional statement to the judge in Georgia, Ellis blamed more experienced attorneys for giving her false information and claims that if shed done more of the work herself, she would not have represented Trump and challenged the election results.

In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, I believed that challenging the results on behalf of president trump should be pursued in a just and legal way, Ellis said. What I did not do, but should have done was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true. In the frenetic pace in attempting to raise challenges in several states including Georgia I failed to do my due diligence.

Ellis statement is a load of baloney and demonstrates just how Trumps election conspiracies spread. Challenges to election procedures and counts were found to be lacking in multiple courts for years. Ellis had plenty of time to discover that the attorneys she claimed to rely on had given her bad information.

The fact is, Ellis stood firmly on Trumps side, believing him and claiming the election results were fraudulent, happily spreading conspiracy theories to this end, until this exact moment. Then, when shes about to face real consequences, she passed the buck, blamed others, and showed little actual remorse. Shes as bad as Trump.

As bizarre and infuriating as this is, Ellis statement doesnt change reality: The 2020 election results stand. MAGA voters should see this now. But they probably wont. The evangelical community that found camaraderie in Ellis Christian faith, should see this. But it wont, either. Ellis, whose social media bio reads A servant of Jesus Christ, regularly posted Bible verses on X, formerly Twitter, when people would call her out for her election claims.

Important thread. 



Also. Its amazing to me that the most hate I get is from the BIBLE verses I post. That tells me people hate that they are being confronted with Truth  God is calling you to repentance and salvation.



Seek Him. https://t.co/OCpaAXHPBy  Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) February 5, 2021

Claims of election conspiracy or fraud now runs so deep in the MAGA fanbase, its become a part of the DNA. Instead of supporting a one-time president who appointed a few solid Supreme Court Justices, or who upheld religious liberty, or even who liked to talk tough on Twitter, theyve become a group of people who so vigorously believe Trump won the election, they cant see the truth of the matter right in front of their faces  guilty lawyers and all.

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Maria Corina Machado, a former center-right member of Venezuelas legislature, won the presidential primary to lead the opposition in the countrys upcoming presidential election.

However, its unclear whether the 56-year-old activist and longtime government critic will actually be able to run for president given that President Nicolas Maduros government has barred her from next years race. But the U.S. has threatened to roll back sanction reliefs if Maduro does not restore democratic norms and lift such bans on opposition figures.

Once one of the most prolific opposition voices in Venezuelan politics, Machado has gone more or less unnoticed in recent years, notes Spanish newspaper El Pais. While she was disqualified from holding office, Machado also distanced herself from the failed opposition government of Juan Guaido, saying that participation in the electoral process to bolster Guaido legitimized Chavismo, the paper wrote. Machados nomination has already accelerated rifts within the opposition, with other leaders refusing to congratulate her because her party does not officially align with the Unitary Platform that promotes dialogue with the current Venezuelan government. A candidate has been chosen, [but] the leadership of the opposition is something else, said the head of the Unitary Platform after Machados nomination.

But Latin American leaders are calling for Venezuelas opposition to unite behind Machado, warning that failing to do so will only benefit Maduro. There cant be a negotiating table without Machado, former Colombian President Andres Pastrana told NTN24, adding that other opposition leaders in Venezuela dont have political legitimacy after years of failing to withstand attacks by Maduro. We dont have time for dissidents right now, said former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, cautioning the opposition to prioritize Machados physical safety because since she is not someone that can be intimidated, they could possibly harm her in whatever way they have in their reach.

The White House wants to deepen the dialogue with Caracas now that Machado is nominated, Voice of America reports. The two countries recently agreed to have oil sanctions on Venezuela potentially lifted so long as Maduro agreed to free and fair elections, with the White House specifically asking for Machados disqualification to be resolved. While Maduro has welcomed a new era of relations with the U.S., his government has also pushed back against lifting Machados ban on running for office, particularly as multiple polls show strong support for her. Venezuela does not accept pressure or blackmail, or bribes, or interference from any power or country, said Maduros chief negotiator with the U.S.
Rita was an overachiever as a kid: Her school placed her in a gifted and talented program at 5, and she competed on the national level with her swim team starting in elementary school. But when she entered junior high school, she suddenly couldnt focus. Everything was boring, Rita, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told The Daily Beast. Years later, in the early 1990s, she dropped out of college and started bartending in Phoenix, Arizona. Thats when a coworker offered her methand everything changed.

When she tried it, Rita didnt get high. Instead, for the first time in a very long time, she could focus. All my problems were solved, she recalled. I felt like I did when I was a kid. Like I could do things again.

She began using small amounts of meth daily and was quickly promoted to manager at the bar where she worked. For the first time I was really excelling, and I felt that my parents were proud of me, which Id always wanted them to be, she said. But things quickly devolved again when police pulled her over for a traffic violation and found drugs in her car. She was arrested for possession. After that, she was in and out of jail for a year.

After years of turmoil, she finally found an explanation for her focus issuesand for why meth seemed to ease those symptoms. In the 2000s, with the help of newly-available search engines, she learned that people with ADHD react to the drug differently. At first, Rita was skeptical about the idea that she might have it; she was not a hyper person per se. But as she began to understand the different ADHD subtypes, things started to click. It took a long time to find a doctor who would listen to her because of her drug history, but she was eventually diagnosed with the disorder.

Virtual Reality Could Completely Transform Mental Healthif Were Ready

Having ADHD can come with all kinds of costs, especially when it goes untreated. Mark Willenbring, a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction at Alltyr Clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota, told The Daily Beast that people who go untreated can have poor life trajectories. They are less likely to get married. Theyre less likely to have a successful marriage. They dont do as well in employment. Theyre also more likely to develop addictions.

And while more and more adults are starting to understand what ADHD is and if they might have it, there are not enough resources to help them all. The sudden high demand for ADHD evaluation and treatment means longer wait times for diagnosis. And even those who have a prescription for ADHD medication might be unable to access it due to shortages. In October 2022, the FDA officially announced a shortage of Adderall, one of the most prescribed drugs to treat ADHD. The shortage is ongoing and its affecting other ADHD medications as well. Some patients are driving for hours to find pharmacies with medication available, while others are simply going without. These adults who are in medical limbo could also be at risk for meth dependence. At the same time, the Biden administration plans to further restrict access to these medications due to fears that telehealth services make it too easy for patients to access addictive drugs.

Garrett Reuscher, a licensed social worker in New York who counsels people who use drugs, told The Daily Beast hes started getting questions from clients who have ADHD but have never tried meth before, saying theyre inquiring about safer meth use, inquiring about the effects, [saying] I cant get my medication. I need to find something to help me function.

He explains that illegal meth is unsafe and recommends other options, but tells clients that, if they do try meth, they should use harm reduction measures like keeping their doses low and testing their supply for fentanyl.

Meth, just like many ADHD medications, is an amphetamine as well as a central nervous system stimulant; it helps correct the dopamine imbalance that makes it difficult for people with ADHD to focus. It is so effective for ADHD, there is a legal, pill form of meth that is FDA-approved for ADHD treatment, though its rarely prescribed.

And without a doctors supervision, meth can be extremely dangerous. Meth-related overdose deaths have risen exponentially in the U.S. over the last decade, taking more than 30,000 lives in 2021. The majority of these deaths also involved fentanyl, a potentially deadly synthetic opioid that has increasingly contaminated street meth.

For a long time, meth was the only way Rita could find to address focus issues. Now, with the nationwide ADHD medication shortage, others like her are beginning to turn to the illegal street drug to treat their disordersto devastating consequences.

The Daily Beast spoke to people all over the planet who started using meth to help them with tasks at work, school and in their household, but who slowly became addicted to it over time. This included people in West Virginia, Missouri, Arizona, all the way to Poland and Australia, who found that meth helped with their ADHD symptoms, often before they understood those symptoms were part of a diagnosable condition.

(Their names have been changed to protect their privacy)

Brianna, a woman in her forties who works as a massage therapist in Las Vegas, told The Daily Beast she remembers that growing up, she could never get straight As. It would just be like Bs and Cs and I couldn't understand how anybody got straight As if I was trying my hardest, you know? Then, in college, she started using meth and began getting straight As, too. Twenty years later, she still buys about a gram a week to focus at workalthough she is constantly afraid of random drug testing.

Clarissa, a phlebotomist in her late thirties, tried meth for the first time at 16 when her best friends brother sold it to her instead of cocaine by accident. It was way better than cocaine, she told The Daily Beast. I was like, really focused. When normally Im all over the place.

Clarissa, and others like her, met drug dealers through work and school when they were youngand their drug networks have only grown as theyve gotten older and used more. For many of them, buying meth is as simple as sending a text.

This Startup Wants to Use Magic Mushrooms to End Alcoholism

Willenbring says hes encountered patients with similar stories for decades. Some came to him because of a court order, while others came to him voluntarily. He found that many of the patients he saw with a meth dependence were in fact using it to treat undiagnosed ADHD. They didnt escalate their dose, they never got psychotic, he said. Some of these patients never used it to get high, ever.

Many people with ADHD who turn to using meth are often surprised to hear that people without ADHD are more likely to get high off of amphetamines, even at relatively small doses. Jessica said shed watch her friends stay up for days without eating while on meth and think, That doesnt look like it feels good, why are you doing that?

At larger doses, though, meth can get anyone high. Its also more intoxicating and dangerous when its smoked or injected than when taken orally or snorted. When Jessica first started using meth, she had rules: she didnt ever smoke or inject it. But when she became addicted, she started using a lot more and smoking it as well. After one days-long binge, she experienced psychosis and was arrested.

For many people with ADHD, to be able to receive a diagnosis and treatment is life-changingwhich is why many of the people who spoke with The Daily Beast wished theyd had access to better mental health care and legal medications before finding meth.

Jessica, who started taking meth as a young mother to help with chores, says she now regrets finding meth, even though it helped her in some ways. But understanding her condition has helped her forgive herself; shes realized many of her problems stemmed from ADHD, not just her addiction. You cant solve anything if you just blame it all on drugs, she said.

Rita says that when she realized she had ADHD, her immediate reaction was anger. Ive never been successful, she said. I wasnt able to keep jobs. I missed out on maybe even a college education, or making something of myself. If I had known that at a younger age, I could have gone to a doctor and I could have gotten prescribed something. Meth did help her at first, but she now regrets ever trying it. It needs to be illegal, really.

For users who want to start legal treatment, there are a host of barriers. Brianna, the massage therapist, quickly realized she would have to submit to drug testing in order to get treatment because of her meth history, so she gave up on the idea pretty quickly. She didnt want to stop using meth, even temporarily, because it makes it possible to do her job.

I would go to doctors and tell them, Hey, I think this [ADHD] is my problem. And they would say, No, its because you're a drug addict and thats why you feel like this, she said. She did eventually find a doctor who diagnosed her and prescribed her Adderall, which has helped her cut down on meth, though she hasnt managed to quit.

When Willenbring encounters patients like Rita, he will try to treat their ADHD and their meth addiction at the same time. He monitors them closely, and even drug-tests some of them regularly. He prescribes medications that are less likely to become addictive, either because they have slow release formulas or because they are not stimulants. However, many psychiatrists who refuse to even evaluate patients for ADHD if they have an active meth habit.

Most doctors wouldnt prescribe it, wouldnt do things the way I do, he said. I think theyre wrong. Its a moral judgment. Im not a cop, I'm a doctor. I treat patients. That said, Im pretty careful so I dont get hauled up before the medical board.

Many of the people who spoke to The Daily Beast first encountered meth in the 1990s and 2000s, when ADHD was still newer to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disordersthe official list of mental conditions in the U.S.and therefore less frequently diagnosed. Now a new problem is emerging: an unprecedented number of adults are realizing they might have ADHD.

Jessica, who first started using meth to help with the burdens of motherhood, quit the drug five years ago. She was diagnosed with ADHD, but her Medicaid doesnt cover treatment, so shes saving up for it. Without meth or any kind of medication, a lot of times the household chores dont get done. But shes not as ashamed as she was when she thought she needed meth to function. I'm not just a broken person with a secret, you know? I dont feel like Im less than everybody else anymore.

It was a long and painful road for her to get to this placeand one that is hard to follow. Jessica is one of a small fraction who managed to quit. Without better resources, others could find themselves with a meth dependence on top of an already impairing condition.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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NEOM, the smart and sustainable regional development in northwest Saudi Arabia, and Pony.ai, a leading autonomous driving company, will establish a joint venture to develop, manufacture and deliver autonomous vehicles and smart vehicle infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

NEOM has also announced an investment of $100 million, through the NEOM Investment Fund (NIF), into Pony.ai..

The far-reaching and industry-transforming joint venture will include a local state-of-the-art autonomous vehicle manufacturing and R&D facility. NEOM is an ideal strategic industrial location for the development of Pony.ais autonomous vehicle technology within the region, said a statement.

Majid Mufti, CEO of NIF, said: "This investment aligns with the ambitious plans announced by NEOM to achieve autonomous transportation solutions for the region. Pony.ais autonomous driving technology is already available today and we are excited to be able to utilize it in NEOM in the near future.

Terry Wong, Executive Director, Land Mobility, NEOM, said: "The investment in Pony.ai is an essential part of our ambitious plans to build a smart, zero-emission, autonomous multi-modal transport system, connecting people and communities across NEOM, while incubating new technologies for the benefit of the world. With this investment, we are moving ever closer towards a new future for commuters and travelers  one that is safer, more convenient, and more sustainable.

Dr. James Peng, co-founder and CEO at Pony.ai, added: We are delighted to partner with NEOM, to combine Pony.ai's world-class autonomous driving technology and operations experience with NEOMs vision to be the the land of the future, where the greatest minds and best talents are empowered to embody pioneering ideas to develop, manufacture and deliver autonomous mobility services and vehicles to the region. As a leading global autonomous driving technology company, this major regional expansion for Pony.ai is a milestone for our global aspirations and our vision of autonomous mobility everywhere and will advance the development of the global AV industry into a new stage.

NEOM's unique regional development provides a global living lab for advancing autonomous mobility as a key part of its multi-modal sustainable transport system, powered by 100% renewable energy. Being built from the ground up, without the challenge of existing infrastructure, NEOM offers the ideal environment for refining and implementing cutting-edge autonomous mobility solutions on land, sea and air  and builds on its previous investments in eVTOL and electric seaglider technologies.

Pony.ai is the first to operate fully driverless vehicles in both Beijing and Guangzhou and is among the first in China to obtain licences to operate fully driverless vehicles in all four Tier-1 cities in China (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen).  TradeArabia News Service
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, met with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said California has maintained friendly and cooperative relations with China for a long time. Newsom's visit to China can be described as an ice-breaking trip to consolidate the foundation, sow hope, and open up the future.

"Time and facts will prove that this visit is in line with the wishes of California people, the interests of the U.S. people, and the expectations of the international community," said Wang.

Wang said the interests of China and the United States are closely intertwined. It is hoped that California will continue to take the lead in sub-national cooperation between China and the United States and play a constructive role in promoting the United States to view China's development and revitalization in an objective and friendly way and return to a rational and pragmatic policy toward China.

Newsom said his trip to China is for peace, cooperation, and friendship. As the first U.S. governor to visit China in the last four years, he hopes this trip will open a new chapter for sub-national exchanges and cooperation between the United States and China.

No matter how the situation changes, California will continue to be a reliable partner of China and stands ready to strengthen cooperation in climate change, innovation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and other fields to promote mutual development and prosperity, Newsom added. 

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
House Republicans elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the next speaker of the House, 22 days after the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Mr Johnson, the former deputy whip, won 220 votes on the floor after House Republicans coalesced around him on Tuesday evening. His ascent came after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out a mere four hours after the House Republican conference nominated him to be speaker.

Republicans from all factions of the conference cheered Mr Johnson and whistled on the floor, chanting his name.

Who is Mike Johnson?

Mr Johnson was first elected to Congress in 2016. For two years he was chair of the Republican Study Committee and in 2021 year became the vice chair of the House Republican Conference. Mr Johnson is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and serves on the Judiciary Committee.

A former attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, Mr Johnson is considered an arch-social conservative staunchly opposed to abortion. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation that would have made it illegal to transport a person under the age of 18 across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental notification.

He is also an ardent opponent of LGBT+ rights. Rep Angie Craig (D-MN), the first openly gay mother in Congress, said Happy anniversary to my wife, before casting her vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during the House vote to elect Mr Johnson speaker on Wednesday (25 October).

In December 2020, Mr Johnson, a lawyer by trade, filed an amicus brief on behalf of himself and 125 other House Republicans for a lawsuit filed by Texas to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Despite his hard-right bent, many Republicans from swing districts cast their vote for him on the floor enthusiastically.

Prior to joining Congress, Mr Johnson may be remembered for proposing a controversial bill in Louisiana that could have allowed the state to withhold a bevy of state benefits from a person based on their views on the institution of marriage.

How did he become the GOP nominee?

The Louisiana congressman was picked by his party on Tuesday night, just hours after Mr Emmer abruptly pulled out.

The vote came 22 days after the ouster of Mr McCarthy after Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate the chair, which triggered a non-confidence vote. That in turn triggered a three-week frenzy to find a new speaker.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan then faced off to become the nominee, but as soon as Mr Scalise beat Mr Jordan, arch-conservatives rebelled and pledged to oppose Mr Scalise on the floor, which led to him removing himself from the running.

In response, Republicans nominated Mr Jordan, who failed after three votes last week before Republicans voted in a secret ballot to drop him.

Mr Johnson became the fourth GOP nominee after Mr Emmer dropped out of the race. Mr Emmers speaker bid lasted only four hours before he dropped out in the face of steadfast opposition from Donald Trump allies. The former president attacked Mr Emmer as a Globalist RINO in a Truth Social post.

I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGAMAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! he wrote.

I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure? Has he only changed because thats what it takes to win?

The Republican Party cannot take that chance, because thats not where the America First Voters are. Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!

Mr Trump then later tried to claim credit for killing Mr Emmers bid, posting a link to an article by Politico, titled I killed him: How Trump torpedoed Tom Emmers speaker bid.

Hes done. Its over. I killed him, Mr Trump allegedly told an ally, per the report.

What about the 2020 question?

Simply put, Mike Johnson was Donald Trumps man on Capitol Hill  until he wasnt.

Then a second-term congressman, he led the effort to garner signatures from his fellow House Republicans for a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the election results in several swing states based on the false claims of voter fraud alleged by the Trump campaign after Mr Trumps defeat to Joe Biden. The lawsuit died before being heard by the Supreme Court, as the justices ruled that Texas had no standing to interfere in the election processes of other states.

But Mr Johnson also called for Mr Trump to concede once his legal options were exhausted  a key choice that may endear him to those Republicans who have refused to play along with the lies told by the former president about the 2020 election. As a result, the bridge between the two factions in the House GOP was found through Mr Johnson.

In a discussion with Robert Doar of the American Enterprise Institute in December 2020, he urged Mr Trump to do just that, though only after attempting every legal method to change the results of the election or require audits of the vote. Fighting voter fraud, he said at the time, was important even if this current election is not capable of being overturned now, and noted that its probably not.

Thats the reality, he added.

Mr Doar then interrupted him.

He has exhausted his legal remedies, and hes not winning, said the AEI president, who then asked if Mr Trump should concede the election  which the president was adamantly refusing to do.

He has to do that, Mr Johnson responded. Theres no question about that.
Amid one of the worst economic and political crises since the late Fidel Castro turned Cuba into a communist country over sixty years ago, the island has lost almost 4 percent of its population in the past two years.

These Cubans are now in the United States.

Nearly 425,000 Cubans have come in the past two fiscal years, according to the latest U.S. border numbers, a migration crisis of historic proportions that underscores the challenges the Biden administration faces in trying to contain the displacement set in motion by authoritarian governments and political upheavals in the Western Hemisphere.

The population of Cuba stood at 11,113,215 by the end of December 2021, according to Cuban government statistics. The alarming wave of migration over the past two years is akin to a scenario where all the residents of the central province of Cienfuegos packed up and abandoned the island.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 200,287 encounters with Cubans at U.S. borders nationwide in fiscal year 2023, which ended in September. In fiscal year 2022, CBP had reported another 224,607 encounters with Cuban nationals.

While the number of Cuban migrants has soared to levels only compared to the exodus unleashed by the revolution led by Castro in 1959, migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti have also reached record levels. In the past two fiscal years, just over a million people from those three countries (1,048,140) also reached U.S. borders. Most were able to stay.

A major earthquake, the murder of President Jovenel Moise, gang blockades and violence, and a wave of kidnappings have deteriorated living conditions in Haiti. In Cuba and Venezuela, insufficient healthcare, food shortages, frequent power blackouts, and repressive governments have sparked a mass exodus out of the two countries. Along with the rest of the region, they have also struggled to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and health aftermath.

Venezuela alone is the source of the largest displacement of people in the history of the Western Hemisphere, with over seven million people fleeing the humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

Some of the people reflected in the U.S. border data have come legally as beneficiaries of the Biden administration parole programs that allow citizens from the four countries to come here for a two-year period as long as they pass health and background checks, among other requirements. Over 241,000 people have arrived in the United States in the last fiscal year using these programs, including over 50,000 Cubans, more than 85,000 Haitians, over 38,000 Nicaraguans, and over 66,000 Venezuelans.

Most are coming to the United States through the Miami airport, the federal data shows.

But those coming through the Biden parole program still make up a fraction of the total number of migrants coming from those four countries, which is at historic levels.

The end-of-year border figures also show that tough policies embraced by the Biden administration, such as resuming deportations to some of these countries in turmoil, have yet to make a significant impact.

In response to a federal lawsuit challenging the parole programs, the Department of Homeland Security has argued that the significant increase of migrants from these four countries has at times strained DHSs operational capacity at the southwest border during the last two years.

This increase has been especially challenging because it is difficult for DHS to remove [them] to their home countries, DHS wrote.

Homeland Security has defended the new parole program as a way to get Mexico to accept returned nationals of these four countries at the border. The agency warned that if a judge ends the program, Mexico would almost certainly stop accepting these deportees. In its attempt to curb irregular migration, Homeland Security took other controversial steps and resumed direct deportation flights to Cuba and Venezuela.

For the first time, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is able to repatriate Venezuelan nationals back to their home country for those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States, ICE Deputy Director and Senior Official Patrick J. Lechleitner said Tuesday. This is a tremendous step forward in the agencys ability to strengthen consequences for migrants who cross our border unlawfully.

The Biden administration is also working diplomatically to address some of the root causes of this unprecedented wave of migrants coming from those four countries.

U.S officials conducted secret negotiations that recently ended with a deal to partially lift U.S. sanctions on Venezuela in exchange for commitments by the government of Nicolas Maduro to allow free and fair elections in Venezuela.

The U.S. government actively worked to get approval for a U.N. resolution it drafted to authorize a one-year deployment of a multinational armed force to Haiti, with the hope of controlling the spiraling gang violence that is worsening the humanitarian crisis in the Caribbean nation.

Administration officials are also set to meet with their Cuban counterparts in Havana on Nov. 14 to discuss the implementation of the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords, a series of bilateral agreements that date back to 1984, a State Department spokesperson said.

These talks, held twice a year, are consistent with our interest in fostering family reunification and promoting greater respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba, the spokesperson said.

Ensuring safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration between Cuba and the United States remains a primary objective of the United States, the official said.

In a recent gathering of Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Mexico hosted by the Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Cubas handpicked president Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed U.S. sanctions for the migration crisis, though experts mention the countrys failing economic policies and increased repression of critics as playing a major role. The participating countries, which included Haiti, Venezuela, and Honduras, issued a joint statement that, among other things, proposed a dialogue between Cuba and the United States as soon as possible about their bilateral relationship.

Biden is also hosting a larger gathering of countries from across the Western Hemisphere to a summit early next month in Washington D.C., that is focused on eradicating the root causes of migration as well as fostering economic development in the region.

The International Organization for Migration said last month that regional action is essential as unprecedented numbers of migrants are moving through Mexico and Central America.

The challenges of migration are too vast for any nation in the Americas to tackle alone, said Marcelo Pisani, IOMs Regional Director for South America.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced in Charlotte Tuesday that his office has joined a lawsuit against social media giant Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram.

The lawsuit  filed by 33 attorneys general from across the country  alleges that the company has knowingly exploited young users, collected data from them without their parents consent and misled the public about risks. Other attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their own states, according to Steins office.

Meta doesnt see young kids as children to be protected, Stein, a Democrat running for governor, told The Charlotte Observer. They see them as dollar signs to be exploited, and they have been doing just that  making money harming Americas young people.

The lawsuit comes after about two years of investigation by the attorneys general, he said.

It required a great deal of discovery to get documents, to review what their internal policies were, what their knowledge about the harms were, to interview a number of whistleblowers and other important witnesses, he said. Its a very comprehensive investigation.

Whats alleged?

The complaint, filed Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Meta has attracted young users with addictive features.

Its business model is based on maximizing the time that young users spend on its social media platforms, one section of the 228-page complaint says. Meta targets young users and incentivizes its employees to develop ways to increase the time that young users spend on its platforms. The more time young users spend on Instagram and Facebook, the more Meta earns by selling advertising targeted to those users.

Features like an infinite scroll on Instagram, push notifications and ephemeral stories have kept kids hooked, the complaint says.

The apps algorithms push young users back to psychologically and emotionally gripping content, including some tied to eating disorders, violence, body image issues and bullying, it alleges.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced Oct. 24 that his office joined a lawsuit against social media company Meta.

And, the complaint says, Meta has flouted the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act by unlawfully collecting the personal data of its youngest users without their parents permission.

In an emailed statement, Meta said it shared goals with the attorneys general, adding that the company is disappointed the lawsuit was filed.

We share the attorneys generals commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families, a company spokesperson wrote. Were disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.

What could change

The attorneys general are asking the court for injunctive and monetary relief.

We want changes made to the apps so that theyre not addictive, and they dont harm young people across the country, Stein told The Observer. We want much more transparency to parents about how their children are using the platform, and what risks there are to that use. We want civil penalties to punish Meta for its indifference, and to deter it and other companies from doing this in the future.

Stein spelled out some long-term goals as well.

In terms of where I would like this country to be in five years, is for there to be uniform rules that protect young people, that apply to all social media platforms, he said.

Those could be nationwide regulations on what data social media companies are allowed to collect and how they are allowed to operate, he said.

Stein and other attorneys general are still investigating TikTok for similar allegations, according to a news release. States have pushed for more documents and information after TikTok failed to adequately respond to their initial discovery requests, the release said.
The off-duty pilot accused of trying to bring down an Alaska Airlines flight told investigators that he took psychedelic mushrooms 48 hours before the incident, that he had been depressed and that he believed he was experiencing a mental breakdown, authorities said.

The off-duty pilot  Joseph Emerson , 44, of California  has been charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder, and the FBI is investigating whether he was under the influence when he tried to shut down the plane's engines while he was sitting in the cockpit of Sunday's flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, officials told NBC News.

An attorney for Emerson entered a plea of not guilty related to the attempted murder charges Tuesday afternoon.

Joseph Emerson is a caring father, a loving husband, and a skilled aviator who is supported and loved by a vast network of friends, family, and colleagues. He would never intentionally hurt another person. Joe was not under the influence of any intoxicants when he boarded that flight. We will pursue a diligent investigation into all the facts and circumstances surrounding the events and request that you respect the familys privacy," an attorney for Emerson told NBC News.

Emerson also said he had not slept in about 40 hours and indicated his depression may have been boosted by the recent death of a friend, investigators who interviewed him said in an Oregon criminal complaint charging him.

"Emerson indicated he was in mental crisis and had not slept in over 40 hours and requested medical attention," the Oregon filing says.

The Oregon complaint, filed Tuesday, added details  among them that Emerson said he took mushrooms two days before the flight  to the backstory initially sketched out by a federal complaint filed Sunday.

The state case includes 83 counts of second-degree attempted murder and one count of endangering an aircraft; the federal case includes one count of interfering with a flight crew or flight attendants, as summarized by NBC News affiliate KGW of Portland, Oregon.

Emerson denied to investigators he had taken any medications before he got on the flight but spoke about becoming depressed six months ago and said it was his first time taking mushrooms, the federal complaint says.

"I didn't feel OK," Emerson said, telling investigators that he was tired and dehydrated, according to the federal complaint. "It seemed like the pilots weren't paying attention to what was going on."

"I pulled both emergency shut off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up," he added.

Joseph Emerson. (Joe Emerson / via Facebook)

The psychoactive experience associated with the psychedelic mushrooms is said to normally last four to six hours, sometimes eight, but it often depends on dosage, according to experts.

A psychedelic drug researcher, Dr. Charles Grob, the director of child and adolescent psychiatry at HarborUCLA Medical Center, said it was possible the effects of psilocybin could last for days after ingestion under certain conditions.

"I wouldn't doubt that psilocybin mushrooms could have had residual effects even 48 hours after ingestion, especially if he took a large dose and was without any effective supervision, preparation, oversight or follow-up integration," Grob said.

Emerson is being held in an Oregon jail on 167 charges, including the 83 counts of attempted murder. The judge in the case said a custody hearing would be held separately within five days, and Emerson will remain in jail for now.

He was also expected to make his first appearance in federal court later this week.

'I am not OK'

Emerson had been sitting in a flight deck jump seat in the cockpit, which is permitted for pilots who may be commuting between airports.

The federal complaint alleges that Emerson was engaging in "casual conversation" with the other pilots, discussing the weather and his career with Alaska Airlines, when he tried to grab two red handles that activate a fire suppression system. Activation includes cutting power, according to the filing. Emerson threw his headset across the cockpit and told the pilots "I am not OK" as he reached for the handles, the federal complaint said.

Pilot Alan Koziol said a flight screen indicated a fire suppression system was activated, according to the state criminal complaint, but it appeared that the engines had not been cut off. That would have resulted in the planes gliding and descending, the other pilot, Emil Riemer, told investigators, according to the state filing.

Riemer said that the plane was seconds away from being a glider but that Emerson was not able to pull the handles all the way down before the pair intervened, according to the state complaint.

Experts say the ability to quickly turn off an engine may be crucial in emergency situations, such as fires.

One of the pilots grabbed Emerson's wrists, while the other declared an in-flight emergency, according to the federal document. Emerson had to be "wrestled with" for several seconds until he settled down, the pilots told investigators, the federal complaint says.

Emerson was then forced out of the cockpit, and the other pilots secured the cockpit door, it says.

Flight attendants told investigators that after they were alerted to an issue up front, they went to bring Emerson to the back, the federal filing says.

Emerson said, "You need to cuff me right now or it's going to be bad," according to the flight attendants' account in the federal filing.

Flex handcuffs were placed around Emerson's wrists, it said. While he was seated at the back of the plane, he tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit but was stopped by a flight attendant who placed her hands on top of his, the federal complaint says.

A flight attendant said Emerson made comments like "I messed everything up" and acknowledged that he put people's lives at risk, according to the federal filing.

'I may eye contact with him'

There were 83 passengers on board Flight 2059, the state complaint said. Some on the flight, operated by Alaska Airlines subsidiary Horizon Air, lauded the crew's quick actions and ability to stop Emerson.

"I made eye contact with him," Aubrey Gavello said, after Emerson was booted from the cockpit and walked to the back of the plane. "It was, like, one of those soul-chilling, dead in the eyes, just calm and just kind of like he was taking in everyone around him."

About 35 minutes after takeoff, a flight attendant "frantically" alerted passengers over the loudspeaker that "we have a situation" and that the pilots needed to land the plane, Gavello said.

No details were given; Gavello said it sounded like a medical-related emergency.

Gavello said she saw the flight attendant and a man, who at the time no one knew was an off-duty pilot, walking from the cockpit to the back of the plane.

She said that the man was in zip ties and that the flight attendant was "trying to calm him down, saying that we were going to get him on the ground and everything was going to be OK."

The man remained seated in the back, Gavello said, and the flight attendant informed the cabin that "I just want to let everyone know they're safe" and reassured the passengers that the plane was not having mechanical issues.

"Her second announcement calmed everyone down," Gavello said, "and then we landed."

The plane made an emergency stop in Portland, where police were waiting to board it and escort Emerson off.

Gavello's boyfriend, Alex Wood, who said he had slept through the ordeal and woke up only when they were landing, had no clue that it was an Alaska Airlines employee who was accused of putting lives in peril and learned more details only when he saw news reports Monday morning.

"It's very scary to know that that person was allowed in the cockpit, in the jump seat, where he was sitting," Wood said.

Gavello said: "I thought I was being dramatic, because I got off the plane and my boyfriend and I weren't sitting together, and I was, like, shaking, and he was asleep the whole time, so he didn't know. And I was like, Am I being so dramatic, or was that really traumatizing?'"

The investigation

Alaska Airlines said it was "grateful for the professional handling of the situation" by the flight crew. The FBI also said it was investigating with support from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Emerson was initially employed by Horizon Air in 2001, and he has also worked for Alaska Airlines and Virgin America.

A review of his mental state will be part of the investigation, aviation analysts said.

Pilots over 40 must undergo medical evaluations every six months and disclose whether they are having mental health issues or taking medications. But full mental health evaluations are not part of a pilots physical exams, according to the FAA. Emersons last physical was in September.

Emerson lives with his wife and young children in the San Francisco Bay Area community of Pleasant Hill, where a neighbor said he was surprised by the allegations.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
At first he was interested primarily in talking about the weather. Then, just about midroute from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco International Airport, Joseph David Emerson, an off-duty pilot sitting in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines plane, threw his headset.

Im not OK, he said, according to the FBI and other authorities. He then reached for the red handles on the fire suppression system and nearly shut off the engines. On Monday, federal prosecutors charged the individual with endangering an aircraft and attempted murder and reckless endangerment of all 83 people on board.

As the terrifying incident spread across social media Monday and Tuesday morning, thats pretty much all the public knew. This led to lots of speculation about what was going on with the father of two, who was described as nice by neighbors. Was it an act of terrorism, connected to global events? Some kind of professional retribution? Was he severely depressed, like the pilot who took down a flight in 2015 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, Germany, killing 150 passengers on board?

On Tuesday afternoon, shortly before Emerson was arraigned in Portland, Oregon, we got a hint of an answer  and many more questions: Soon after authorities led Emerson off the plane, his wrists bound in zip ties, he told police that had gone without sleeping for 40 hours and had recently tried psychedelic mushrooms for the first time.

He said that in the cockpit, he was having a nervous breakdown, during which he felt like he was dreaming and just wanted to wake up, according to charging documents. How does an off-duty pilot, tripping on shrooms, end up in the cockpit? How could he possibly have thought this was a good idea?

We do not know at this point. Here is what we do know.

Cockpits on commercial airlines in the United States have a seat for the captain (aka the pilot) on the left and the first officer (aka the co-pilot) on the right. Cockpits also have one, or sometimes several, highly compact fold-out jump seats that can accommodate additional people. Typically, these jump seats remain unoccupied, Shanes Rogers-Mauro, the chairman of the Health, Safety and Security Committee for the Transport Workers AFL-CIO, explained to me.

A chipper pilot for Norwegian airlines shows off what one looks like here:

The rules are quite strict about who can use them. As a flight attendant, Rogers-Mauro can sit in one of the jump seats located in the cabinbut not in the cockpitif hes commuting somewhere. Official inspectors who work for the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense, or the National Transportation Safety Board are permitted to take a jump seat, according to detailed federal regulations that the FAA shared with me.

Pilotsincluding those from other airlinesmay also be able to. (This particular Alaska Airlines flight, it seems, was being operated by a partner airline, Horizon. Emerson worked for Alaska.)

Getting access to a jump seat isnt quite as easy as saying, Hey, Im a pilot too, give me a ride!as Leonard DiCaprios character Frank Abagnale did in Catch Me If You Can. In that movie and the real-life tale it was based on, by pretending to be a pilot, Abagnale hitched his way across the world on jump seat after jump seat.

Nowadays, airlines have a secure way to check pilots credentials. In this case, Emerson, 44, was not an imposter. He was a pilot licensed by the FAA whod worked in aviation for two decades.

And, according to court documents, when he first showed up for the flight, there were no signs of anything unusual. Ultimately, the decision to let someone into the cockpit falls on the pilot in command of an aircraft, according to the FAA. That person has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight. In theory, they have additional checks backing them up along the way. The Air Line Pilots Association, International, the union representing airline pilots, told me that U.S. pilots are continuously evaluated throughout their careers through training, medical exams, crew resource management, and other programs and audits. The Seattle Times reported that Alaska said that throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications  and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked.

Emerson told a police officer that around six months ago he became depressed and that his best friend recently died, but that certainly does not explain his decision to trip on mushrooms and then go get himself a seat in the cockpit. According to the Seattle Times reading of the court documents, hed consumed the mushrooms 48 hours earlier. We dont know where he got them from or who, if anyone, advised him how long the experience would last. Emerson lives in Pleasant Hill, California, a 20-minute or so drive from Oakland, where magic mushrooms are sold over the counter. In Washington State, where he boarded the flight, psilocybin is becoming increasingly legal as a means of treating depression and other mental woes.

As a pilot, Emerson is prohibited from taking a number of medications, including most antidepressants. He is also prohibited from using federally banned substancesregardless of whether they are legal in a specific state. This includes marijuana and psilocybin, the primary hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms. (His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.)

Emerson nearly killed a lot of peoplesomething he seemed to realize by the time he was restrained and seated in the back of the plane. A flight attendant told investigators that Emerson said he messed everything up and that he tried to kill everybody, according to an FBI agents statement obtained by the Seattle Times.

Fortunately, the crew responded quickly. After he reached for the fire suppression systems handles, one pilot promptly grabbed Emersons wrist while the other declared an inflight emergency. Court documents state that within 30 seconds of the pilot attempting to stop him, Emerson had settled downand he followed the pilots orders to leave the cockpit. Interviews with passengers, aired on local news, suggest that the crew subdued him so quickly and calmly that few passengers ever suspected their life had just been in danger.

Had Emerson succeeded in pulling the levers on the fire suppression system, he would have turned off the engines. The reason for this is simple. If theres a blaze on board, you dont want fuel continuing to flow, industry analyst Seth Miller of PaxEx.aero told me.

If both engines no longer have fuel, you have a glider, he said. Thats not impossible to land, but its a very dangerous situation.
(NEXSTAR)  A run of bagged collard greens sold at Kroger grocery stores in several states are being recalled over concerns of a possible listeria contamination. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and even fatal illness in children and the elderly.

The recalled items were manufactured by Baker Farms, a Georgia-based grower, and sold at Kroger stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to the companys announcement.

Sad: Sears reopened a store in California and shoppers have thoughts

The affected 16-ounce bags of Kroger Collard Greens contain:

UPC code: 11110-18171

Best-by date: 10-16-2023

Production code: 110093-387

Parts of Illinois, Indiana and Missouri should also be advised of the recall, Baker Farms said in its announcement.

If you have the recalled items you should throw it away immediately or return it to your local Kroger store for a full refund.

How safe and secure are cockpits?

Literia infections, known as listeriosis, can cause symptoms like high fever, diarrhea, headache and abdominal pain. There have been no reports of illness so far, Baker Farms says.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Kroger from 8 a.m. to midnight Mondays-Fridays or 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays at (800) 632-6900.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Under proposed legislation, race-based criteria for college scholarships, grants and loan programs would be eliminated.

Two Republican lawmakers are seeking to eliminate race-based criteria for college scholarships, grants and loan programs under a draft bill released Monday.

Rep. Nik Rettinger, R-Mukwonago, and Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, proposed race-based financial aid programs funded with state money be open to all students with financial need. Neither immediately returned a request for comment Monday but said in a bill memo they "want to be sure that (low-income students) have just as much opportunity to attend college as any other student."

The bill comes just a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court restricted the use of race in college admissions decisions. The ruling said nothing about scholarships but some states and institutions have broadly interpreted the decision to cover financial aid programs, too.

Within hours of the ruling, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said legislation would be introduced to "correct the discriminatory laws on the books."

A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signaled he would likely veto the bill.

"Gov. Evers has full confidence that the UW and other state agencies are perfectly capable of adhering to U.S. Supreme Court decisions without the unsolicited help of Republicans in the Legislature whove shown they neither understand nor appreciate higher education in Wisconsin," spokesperson Britt Cudaback said.

The bill calls for opening eligibility of minority undergraduate retention grants to all students with financial need.

Currently, the grants provide scholarships ranging from $250 to $2,500 to Black, Native American, Hispanic or Southeast Asian students to attend technical colleges, private nonprofit colleges and tribal colleges. A similar program exists for students of color attending University of Wisconsin system schools.

Students of color are more likely to drop out and less likely to graduate than their white peers, according to UW system data and a host of research studies.

The bill would also prevent the state Technical College System from awarding grants to technical colleges for purposes specific to helping students of color, such as counseling, tutoring services or internship programs. The grants could be awarded if programs benefit all low-income students.

Eligibility of the minority teacher loan program would expand to all low-income students, under the bill. The program currently allows students of color to receive loans of up to $10,000 annually for no more than three years. The state forgives a quarter of the loan every year the student works as a teacher in a discipline with teacher shortages and at a school where at least 40% of students are students of color.

The bill also calls for striking minority enrollment expectations for the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University School of Dentistry. Currently, both institutions receive some state funding on the condition they "make every effort" to have at least 5% of their total enrollment be students of color.

More broadly, the bill would modify laws requiring the University of Wisconsin system and state Technical College System to develop plans on recruitment and retention of students of color to focus on all low-income students.

The Higher Educational Aids Board, which administers many of the programs Republicans want to change, did not return a request for comment Monday. The UW system and Technical College System said they are reviewing the bill.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyMeyerhofer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin bill calls for ending race-based college scholarship programs
WASHINGTON  Tackling big issues was always going to be difficult in a divided government. But without a speaker, its impossible.

Congress has three-and-a-half weeks to fund the government or cause another damaging shutdown. But without a speaker, the House is frozen, unable to conduct business as their to-do list piles up and other key deadlines approach.

And 21 days after House Republicans threw out their last speaker, they're no closer to replacing him. On Tuesday, their third nominee to replace him, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, announced within hours of winning the nomination that he was dropping out.

Follow live updates on the speaker race

Were wasting time. Were burning daylight. This has set us back on the approps process, so were moving up against the Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chair of the powerful Rules Committee, which decides which bills get votes in the House. I dont think well shut down, but I do think weve wasted a lot of time where we could put bills on the floor and made progress.

The Senate, meanwhile, unlocked a path forward Tuesday to vote on three funding bills, but it can't avoid a shutdown on its own.

The Biden administration has also sent Congress a request for a $105 billion package that includes aid to Israel amid an escalating war in the Middle East, new funding for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russias war, international proposals aimed at containing Chinas influence and additional funding to bolster U.S. border security.

The Senate will act probably this week on the presidents proposal. We need to be in a position to deal with that," Cole said in an interview on Tuesday. "And if we dont like what we see  and I suspect from what Im hearing, therell be things we dont like  be in a position to reshape and send back a different package and do the normal congressional ping-pong until we get to an agreement. We cant do that without a speaker. We have friends around the world that have serious challenges, and we have our own domestic economy. We need to step up.

Beyond the government funding and aid for foreign allies, Congress must pass a new farm bill, reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration and pass a National Defense Authorization Act in order to prevent major disruptions in daily life for Americans.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the Emmer opponents, said he wants a speaker candidate who will advance conservatism, and oppose earmarks and supplementals.

This countrys in trouble financially, ladies and gentlemen, he said, calling for a speaker thats going to be a standard bearer  not just talk, theyre going to do it  use the office for speaker to advance that.

The chaos has produced mistrust and fresh grudges all over the House GOP, which some fear will further complicate the narrow majoritys task of governing once it elects a new speaker.

Were not getting the Israel stuff. Done. Were not getting appropriations bills done. And we need to move forward, said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who represents a swing district based in Omaha. Theres bad blood.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said House Republicans, by failing to elect a speaker, are putting themselves in a very weak position to win concessions in the funding fight from a Senate and White House run by Democrats.

What it means is that the appropriations process will probably have more input from Democrats  because Democrats do control the Senate and they control the presidency  than if the House actually had their leadership team put together and could negotiate in good faith, Rounds said, noting that the House is running out of time to play a significant role in the process.

Many Republicans are furious that a band of eight rebels took out former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who helped many of them get elected and capture the majority. And allies of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., believe he was mistreated after winning the nomination and being forced to drop out.

Right-wing lawmakers feel aggrieved at being labeled bullies for trying to pressure members to vote for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the subsequent nominee, who was forced out by centrist and institutionalist defections.

We have two parties within a party right now, Bacon said. We have the Reagan conservatives. We have a populist wing. And they dont agree on some issues. And we only have a four-seat majority. Thats what makes it so hard.

Democrats, who are unified behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker, say the GOP mess has real-world consequences.

"These are dangerous times. And the dysfunction of the Republican conference was tolerable for a few days, but now we're going into weeks. And the world is on fire. And we are fast approaching the deadline where the government might shut down if we don't do something," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the ranking member of the Rules Committee. "And so enough of the bulls---. They've got to come together and figure out a pathway forward."

McGovern and other Democrats say they'd favor a bipartisan path forward and would support a Republican for speaker if they commit to changing the way the House works by saying no to far-right demands and bringing bipartisan legislation to a vote.

I am proud to be part of Team Normal. But theyre Team Out Of Their F---ing Minds. And Ive never seen anything like this before," McGovern said. "Its embarrassing for this country, and they should all be ashamed of themselves.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A 76-year-old retired priest is accused of molesting a teenager with cancer at an Ohio home, police told news outlets.

Luis Jesus Barajas, a Colombian national, had been staying with families in Lorain County for several months, and when the teens family heard about the retired priest, they reached out for his help, the Westlake Police Department said in Oct. 24 news release.

Barajas had been carrying out spiritual ceremonies by visiting families in the area, WOIO reported.

Barajas was driven to a home in Westlake to bless the 15-year-old girl, who is going through chemotherapy, Cleveland.com reported.

But as Barajas carried out the blessing, witnesses told investigators his movements were unconventional compared to past blessings they had seen, police said.

He tried to hide what he was doing using blankets and clothing, police said, but witnesses saw enough to know it was inappropriate, adding that his touching made several uncomfortable.

Following the blessing, a witness learned Barajas had been accused of sexually assaulting children in the past, and they called Westlake police on Oct. 20, the department said.

Police launched an investigation and Barajas was arrested at an Elyria home on Oct. 23 on a charge of gross sexual imposition, according to the release.

Investigators learned that Mr. Barajas had supposedly been ordained a Catholic Priest in 1982, police said, but he was sent back to Colombia in 1989 after he had been accused of sexual misconduct with children in the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Westlake is a suburb of Cleveland, roughly 15 miles west of the citys downtown.

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SANTIAGO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chile's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only enrich China-Chile relations, but also make Chile an important pivot for BRI cooperation between China and Latin America, said Chinese Ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao.

China-Latin America relations were also deepened under the initiative, and friendly cooperation across the Pacific Ocean has become wider, the Chinese diplomat said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The Chilean government has actively promoted the integration and connectivity of Latin America with a pragmatic, open and diversified foreign policy, and is committed to building Chile into a gateway connecting Latin America with the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

The initiative proposed by China is highly in line with Chile's development model transformation and industrial upgrading, and will help Chile create development highlights such as clean energy and digital economy, he added.

"The global network of partnerships is a valuable asset of Belt and Road cooperation and a strong foundation for implementing the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind," he said.

Two-way trade between China and Latin America recorded 485.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, and China continues to be the second-largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment in Latin America, according to the diplomat.

The special loans program for China-Latin America infrastructure construction, the preferential loans program and the China-Latin America cooperation funds program run well, he said.

More Latin American countries have joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRICS New Development Bank, and the financing between China and Latin America has become more diversified, he added.

Exchanges of political parties, media, think tanks and youths between China and Latin America have been deepened, and so have been people-to-people exchanges.

In the future, China and Latin America need to better meet each other's development needs, and enhance their complementarity, so as to jointly enhance economic competitiveness, he said.

China and Latin America should further align their infrastructure development plans and jointly build more transnational transportation infrastructure, digital infrastructure and economic corridors, Niu suggested.

They should also strengthen cooperation in green energy and green finance, and encourage enterprises to participate in Belt and Road cooperation, he added.

The two sides should also improve the trade and investment structure, enhance the international competitiveness of respective industries, jointly promote economic globalization and regional economic integration, he said.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has become an important platform for participants to deepen exchanges, enhance mutual trust and strengthen exchanges, he added. 
Robotaxi oversight is now a priority at Los Angeles City Hall.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez told Waymo and Cruise that their robotaxis are not welcome.

"The purpose of this press event is to send a very clear message about robot taxis, and say that they do not belong in the city of Los Angeles," said Soto-Martinez. The councilmember added, "We understand that they pose a threat to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and risk putting countless of workers out of work. Let me be clear, the city of Los Angeles should not be a test subject for the tech industry."

Statewide agencies, including the DMV and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), are responsible for regulating autonomous vehicles (AVs) in California. Yet, the battle over robotaxis largely has centered around San Francisco, near Waymo's and Cruise's headquarters. As these companies expand, the proverbial battleground is expanding, too, and that's evidenced by several new statements from LA lawmakers.

During the Wednesday briefing, Soto-Martinez announced a motion with support from Councilmember Imelda Padilla . The motion calls for LA's city attorney to join San Franciscos robotaxi lawsuit against the California Public Utilities Commission. A key point of the lawsuit is to push the CPUC to create new incident reporting rules for robotaxi companies.

Soto-Martinez cited incidents involving Waymo and Cruise AVs at the briefing, including an October 2 crash that led the DMV to suspend Cruise's permit.

"Don't let their slogan, 'don't be evil,' fool you," said Soto-Martinez, referencing Waymo's owner. "Google's robotaxi company is not one of the good guys. It's just another big tech firm trying to put profit over people."

Councilmember Padilla spoke briefly at the podium. "This has everything to do with making sure that the streets of Los Angeles are safe, and we just don't have that promise yet from this sort of technology," said Padilla. "It's also about making sure that we protect jobs, and we just don't have that promise yet from this industry," the councilmember added.

Cruise spokesperson Hannah Lindow told TechCrunch that the company "has driven more than 5M driverless miles significantly outperforming the human ridehail benchmark for safety." Lindow also pointed to a white paper, saying it showed that Cruise's EVs were involved in fewer collisions "when benchmarked against human ridehail drivers in a comparable driving environment."

Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli sent TechCrunch a statement that said the company "prioritizes working transparently with policymakers." The statement added that Waymo's goal is to improve road safety and support the "regions transportation, equity and sustainability goals." It ends noting, "Based on many productive conversations weve had with city leaders, were confident we can work together to do that."

During the Q&A that followed, TechCrunch asked if any constituents had raised specific concerns about robotaxis. Soto-Martinez replied that he "would have to check," adding, "I know they voted for someone to lead on these values."

Teamsters leaders, including the labor union's vice president at-large Chris Griswold, also attended the briefing. Soto-Martinez did not say who first approached whom about robotaxis when asked by TechCrunch.

Companies including Waymo and Cruise have operated in LA for years. Waymo began mapping the city in 2019 and started testing robotaxi rides with its employees in Santa Monica around early 2023. When TechCrunch asked why the union is so focused on AVs now, Griswold said, "It's being rolled out right now and we're not sure that safety has been really addressed." He added, "Also, you have to go back to the human aspect of losing jobs." That last bit explains why Teamsters is involved.

Griswold told TechCrunch, "We see that these companies will want to take it to the next level to start doing delivery, maybe sanitation. And these are all good middle-class jobs that are going to be lost." Griswold said the union would "attack" the issue "everywhere in the United States," including in Texas and Arizona, where robotaxi companies also operate.

Just two LA lawmakers were present at the conference on Wednesday. Yet by the elevators, Councilmember Nithya Raman told TechCrunch that she "has questions about them," referring to AVs. She added, "We're working with the DOT to figure out how to better regulate them."

Last week, two other LA councilmembers  Traci Park and Bob Blumenfield  backed a motion calling for more reporting on the council's ability to regulate AVs. A total of 15 councilmembers represent the city of LA's nearly 4 million residents.

Updated on Oct 26 with a comment from Cruise.
Following weeks of infighting, the Republican Party found a resolution and elected Louisiana lawmaker Mike Johnson as the U.S. House Speaker Wednesday.

Johnson, who was the No. 5 Republican in the chamber, won the speakership 220-209. Hours of closed-door meetings, four votes, and negotiations tipped the entire conference in his favor. Even the holdouts who were against U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan's election flipped to support Johnson, despite Louisiana Republican's involvement in overturning the 2020 elections. Among South Carolina's congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., was the only person to vote for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The rest of the Republican delegation, Congressmen William Timmons, Ralph Norman, Jeff Duncan, Joe Wilson, Russell Fry and Congresswoman Nancy Mace, voted for Johnson.

Here's what they said:

Third Congressional District Congressman Jeff Duncan:

I am proud to have cast my ballot for the 56th Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, Duncan said in a press statement. Congressman Mike Johnson is the most conservative Speaker that we have seen in our lifetime.

Duncan said Johnson was a constitutional scholar. "As some states attempted to violate their own state Constitutions to unlawfully challenge election procedures in 2020, Mike personally led an amicus brief to the Supreme Court  which I joined  challenging these actions. His Constitutional analysis was not only praised by President Trump but also has been affirmed in countless Courts," he continued.

Duncan said he and Johnson have been aligned when it came to "commonsense, America-first policies that restore this country to what the Founders intended," the South Carolina lawmakers continued. "Together, we have supported medical freedom from forced COVID vaccines, demanded Congress balance the Federal budget, defunded any type of event that includes sexually-oriented material for children, bolstered religious liberty, cut taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood, and championed Second Amendment Rights.

Mr. Speaker, lets get the House back to work for the American people!

Fourth Congressional District Congressman William Timmons:

"Today I will be casting my vote for Rep. Mike Johnson as our next Speaker of the House," Timmons said on X, , formerly known as Twitter. "Mike is a servant leader, a principled conservative, and a trusted friend. Lets get Mike across the finish line today and get back to work!"

Today I will be casting my vote for @RepMikeJohnson as our next Speaker of the House. Mike is a servant leader, a principled conservative, and a trusted friend.



Lets get Mike across the finish line today and get back to work!  Congressman William Timmons (@RepTimmons) October 25, 2023

Fifth Congressional District Congressman Ralph Norman:

"Congratulations to our new Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson! We have a lot of work on the horizon, but our conference is finally united and the House is in great hands moving forward. Let's go!!"

First Congressional District Congresswoman Nancy Mace:

"The American people fought back against the Washington establishment when 8 of us in Congress forced the Speaker to vacate the office  so we could find a reform-minded agent of change. We told everyone America needed a Speaker who would represent their interests, not Washingtons," Mace said on Twitter/X. "While we wont always see eye-to-eye on everything with Mike Johnson, we achieved our goal  the American people can be proud of their Speaker."

Today I will be casting my vote for @RepMikeJohnson as our next Speaker of the House. Mike is a servant leader, a principled conservative, and a trusted friend.



Lets get Mike across the finish line today and get back to work!  Congressman William Timmons (@RepTimmons) October 25, 2023

Seventh Congressional District Congressman Russell Fry:

"I have no doubt in Speaker Johnson's ability to unify and lead House GOP as we fight to secure our border, restore fiscal sanity to Washington, and make sure this administration is working for you."

Devyani Chhetri covers SC politics for The News. Reach her via email at dchhetri@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Speaker: SC Republicans pick Mike Johnson, who denied 2020 elections
The Scholastic Book Fair will discontinue its separate selection of books on race and gender following criticism that segregating the titles caters to the right-wing censorship that is spreading across the country.

I want to apologize on behalf of Scholastic, Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing, said in a recent statement. Even if the decision was made with good intention, we understand now that it was a mistake to segregate diverse books in an elective case. We sincerely apologize to every author, illustrator, licensor, educator, librarian, parent, and reader who was hurt by our action.

Earlier this month, the renowned publishing company announced a new, separate catalog called Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice, which would feature 64 titles on race and gender that elementary schools could choose to include or exclude from their book fairs. The catalog included a childrens biography of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, stories about same-sex families and books about basic history, such as I Am Ruby Bridges, about the first Black child to integrate an all-white school in Louisiana.

The catalog sparked backlash from critics who argued that creating a separate section for these books would exclude books from diverse authors, since schools would be allowed to opt out of having them at their book fairs.

PEN America, a free speech group and partner of Scholastic, asserted that the separate catalog accommodates the nefarious laws and local pressures and makes them an accessory to government censorship.

According to Scholastic, more than 30 states have introduced or enacted legislation aiming to ban certain books in schools, specifically ones that include LGBTQ topics and racial diversity. Book bans surged in 2022, and a recent report from PEN America found that school book bans and restrictions in the U.S. rose by 33% in the last school year.

The bans have led to clashes between proponents, who say that books which explore race and LGBTQ themes contain inappropriate language and are an attempt to indoctrinate children, and opponents who believe that such bans are an act of censorship. According to The New York Times, Scholastic had signed an open letter opposing state laws that ban books in schools.

Scholastic clarified in a statement that the catalog doesnt place all diverse books into one selection and explained that the separate collection was intended to ensure kids can access books that are targeted by book bans across the country.

Because Scholastic Book Fairs are invited into schools, where books can be purchased by kids on their own, these laws create an almost impossible dilemma: back away from these titles or risk making teachers, librarians, and volunteers vulnerable to being fired, sued, or prosecuted, Scholastic said in its statement.

We dont pretend this solution is perfect  but the other option would be to not offer these books at all  which is not something wed consider.

PEN America acknowledged that legislators and those advocating for book bans are the ones placing Scholastic and other publishers in an impossible bind when it comes to the distribution of a diverse range of books. But the group still urged Scholastic to find alternative solutions to ensure access to books targeted by bans.

Sequestering books on these topics risks depriving students and families of books that speak to them, PEN America wrote in its statement. It will deny the opportunity for all students to encounter diverse stories that increase empathy, understanding, and reflect the range of human experiences and identities which are essential underpinnings of a pluralistic, democratic society.

Red Wine & Blue, a political group of liberal moms, created a petition against the separate book selection, which garnered more than 8,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

By separating these books into their own collection for opt-in, Scholastic is sending a message that the books are problematic and should be avoided, the petition said. Theyre taking the most extreme policies from the most extreme state [legislatures] and applying them to everyone.

In its latest statement, Scholastic apologized for the harm caused by its separate catalog and declared that it will be discontinued starting in January, when Scholastics next book fair season begins. It also pledged to redouble our efforts to combat the laws restricting childrens access to books.

Scholastic recognized that, as difficult a bind as this pernicious legislation created, the right answer was not to become an accessory to censorship, Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN Americas free expression and education program, said in a statement sent to HuffPost. Scholastic is an essential source of knowledge and a delight for countless children. We are glad to see them champion the freedom to read.

Related...
Leading Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were critical of the United States response to a series of coups in West Africa since President Biden took office, during a hearing on Tuesday.

There has been a wave of coups in the region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, Gabon, and Mali. Although the U.S. government initially refused to label the military takeovers in Niger and Gabon coups, it has deemed both a coup this month.

But senators including committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said it was clear that the U.S. government needed a critical evaluation of its policies on handling coups.

I would just argue the fact that we dont have a consistent response to those who participate in coups has led to the view that you can commit a coup and still remain a relationship with the United States, Cardin said.

In countries like Niger, where the United States has large military bases, the coup designation posed tricky questions about military ties with the new junta, likely contributing to the delay. And in places like Gabon, the US halted non-humanitarian aid even before officially acknowledging the coup.

Cardin said the U.S. must stop sending mixed messages and take a principal stance when coups occur.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) also called out Americas intelligence failure in the region, noting that several US-trained military officials took part in the coup efforts, including in Niger, where American provided weapons and gear were used as well.

Appearing before the committee, Molly Phee, the State Departments assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, admitted that those links were concerning, but said was not representative of the Department of Defenses training program, which has trained thousands of foreign soldiers.

I want to say that we all share the disappointment that military leaders with whom we have worked would make a decision to support a coup, Phee said. Generally speaking, they have positive results. Its certainly something we can review.

Several senators expressed concern over the delay in recognizing the coups in Niger and Gabon, and asked why the US was not hitting the new leaders with sanctions, as the European Union has done in Niger.

Some of us think [the delay] may have shown the military authorities that the consequences of a coup are not going to be felt, Cardin said. They look at the fact that we have not imposed sanctions on any of the individuals involved in coups. To me, its giving the wrong signals that the consequences wont be there.

Phee said U.S. allies in the region have asked to delay sanctions as they try to restore Nigers democracy on their own.

Our friends and partners in ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) all asked us to delay making our formal assessment because they were fully committed to trying to restore President Bazoum to power, and they thought that our statement would derail their efforts, Phee answered. We were trying to support the subregion in its efforts to promote democracy and the restoration of democracy.

The official U.S. designation of a coup triggers the application of Section 7008, which bars direct aid to governments in countries where the duly elected head of government is deposed by a military coup detat or decree.

However, in some cases the U.S. has sought to continue varying levels of humanitarian aid or, in the case of Mali, ongoing support for law enforcement. But Phee said the State Department had learned from that experience.

We have adjusted our policy because what we did in Mali didnt work, Phee said. So, what we are doing now in Niger and Gabon, we are applying 7008 but also incorporating other US government assistance and cooperation so theres an across-the-board suspension.

We believe we were making a very positive impact in Niger, but we have suspended those activities because of the coup, and we have told the authorities that our partnership was making a difference and if theyd like to resume that partnership, they need to make changes, Phee added.

Another challenge facing Americas present in West Africa is vacancies of ambassador posts, due largely to a hold from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

According to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), In Africa alone there are 11 vacant ambassador posts.

When we are not there, we cannot compete with China and Russia, Shaheen said, asking Phee to assess the impact of the vacancies.

When we are missing that voice, we are diminished in all of our efforts, Phee said.

I ask you to support the administrations budget requests and confirm ambassadors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., speaks during a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 11, 2021, on climate change.

Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that took place Sunday afternoon near the Mississippi home of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith .

The senator and her family were not home at the time of the incident.

An incident involving a shooting occurred near the home of Sen. Hyde-Smith early Sunday afternoon," the senator's office said in a statement. "The senator and her family were not harmed. Sen. Hyde-Smith is grateful for the concern shown by many and the good work of federal, state and local law enforcement.

It is unclear whether the shooting was intentional or if Hyde-Smith was a target.

A statement from my office: pic.twitter.com/uSDVFentaB  U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (@SenHydeSmith) October 23, 2023

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation also issued a statement, and asked anyone who may know about the shooting to contact authorities.

"The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, along with federal and local law enforcement agencies, are investigating a shooting that occurred around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, near the home of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Lincoln County," the statement reads. "No injuries have been reported. Anyone with any information, please contact MBI at MBITIPS@dps.ms.gov. Due to this being an open and ongoing investigation, no further comment will be made by MBI at this time."

The story was first reported by the Daily Leader, who said Hyde-Smith and her family were on their way to their home in Brookhaven after attending church when the incident occurred.

U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that the agency has joined in the investigation since it is charged with protecting members of Congress.

We are working with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office on this case to figure out exactly what happened, while we coordinate with the Senators Office to ensure her safety, a Capitol Police spokesperson told the Clarion Ledger.

Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, was appointed to the office in 2018 after Sen. Thad Cochran announced he would step down before the end of his term expired. Hyde-Smith went on to win in the general election later that year.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Do you have information regarding this shooting? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith MS house shooting under investigation
The Sioux Falls City Council and Minnehaha County Commission have approved new regulations for short-term rental properties on apps like Airbnb or Vrbo in some parts of the county.

A map of the joint jurisdictional area shared by Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County. Land within the blue polygon but outside the yellow polygon is part of the joint jurisdictional area.

The ordinance, which passed the commission 4-0 and the council 8-0 on Tuesday evening, would only apply to homes within the "joint jurisdictional area," an area of county land around Sioux Falls city limits that is expected to one day be annexed into the city.

In expectation of that, many ordinances within the JJA are aimed at being closer to those of the city than the county.

The newly-passed rules require short-term rentals in the area to have an occupancy limit of three people per bedroom, and to have one parking space per bedroom. The home needs to be registered with the state, and the contact information for the owner must to be on file with the city's Planning and Development Services Department.

The definition of a short-term rental was also updated to "A dwelling or portion thereof, or a mobile or manufactured home or portion thereof, that is rented, leased, or furnished to the public on a daily or weekly basis for more than fourteen (14) days in a calendar year and is not occupied by an owner or manager during the time of rental."

As for getting properties in line with the new rules, it's not likely to be a big lift. County officials have said there are only three properties in the area that currently meet those standards, which are registered as bed and breakfasts.

And it doesn't change anything for short-term rental properties in Sioux Falls, though at a Tuesday informational meeting Councilor Rich Merkouris proposed some changes to the city's rental ordinance that could affect them.

Should his updates be adopted by the council, such homes in city limits would now be referred to as "vacation home establishments," and would be defined as "Any home, cabin or similar building that is rented, leased, or furnished in its entirety to the public on a daily or weekly basis for more than 14 days in a calendar year and is not occupied by an owner or manager during the time of rental. This term does not include a bed and breakfast establishment as defined in city ordinance  160.005."

Their permits could also be suspended if they had two health, nuisance or other violations that resulted in a citation or a fine within the prior year.

Vacation home establishments would be exempted from another update to the rental ordinance that was proposed by Merkouris, which would require a residential rental permit applicant to attend a minimum of two hours of landlord training, unless they are already licensed as a broker, broker associate, property manager or residential rental agent with the South Dakota Real Estate Commission.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Short-term rentals now face new regulations in some parts of Minnehaha County
Donald Trumps first turn on the witness stand during the multiple criminal and civil cases against him arrived on 25 October, when the former president was called to testify about his comments outside the courtroom during his fraud trial in New York.

He was fined $10,000 after the judge presiding over the case found that the former president violated the cases gag order, again, with disparaging comments about his chief clerk steps away from the courtrooms doors in lower Manhattan.

Mr Trump was called to the witness stand by Judge Arthur Engoron to testify about statements he gave to reporters on 25 October, in which he criticised a very partisan judge and a person whos very partisan sitting alongside of him, what the judge determined was a comment aimed at his chief clerk.

The former president and his attorneys argued that Mr Trump was referring to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer who was testifying against him.

To whom were you referring when you said the person sitting alongside? the judge asked Mr Trump after he was sworn into court at the witness stand.

You, and Cohen, Mr Trump said.

The judge determined that Mr Trump is not credible and fined him $10,000 for what is now Mr Trumps second violation of the order.

Dont do it again or it will be worse, the judge said.

Issued on 3 October, the judges gag order prevents all parties in the case from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about members of the courts staff after Mr Trump posted false statements on his Truth Social about the judges chief clerk who sits beside him.

Outside the courtroom during a brief trial break on Wednesday, Mr Trump told reporters: If we had a jury it would have been fair, at least  even if it was a somewhat negative jury  because no negative jury would vote against me. But this judge will. Because this judge is a very partisan judge, with a person whos very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

Judge Engoron asked Mr Trump whether those comments were directed to his chief clerk Allison Greenfield. Earlier this month, the former president and frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination posted false statements and a photo of Ms Greenfield on his Truth Social account. The judge then ordered him to delete it.

Last week, the judge fined him $5,000 for violating a subsequent gag order, after a version of the post was discovered on a Trump website.

I think she is a very biased  We put up a picture and you didnt want that up. I think we got if off our website, Mr Trump said from the witness stand on Wednesday.

We have so many different sites  I believe it was one of the political groups, one of the PACs, he added.

Attorneys for the former president in his closely watched trial spent two days trying to undermine testimony Cohens testimony by depicting him as a serial opportunist who exploited his connections to the former president for his own wealth and fame.

Cohen, a star witness in a trial stemming from a multi-million dollar lawsuit threatening Mr Trumps business empire, previously testified that he was instructed to reverse engineer his former employers statements of financial condition to reflect his target number for his arbitrarily determined net worth.

Asked by counsel for the attorney generals office on 24 October what that number was, Cohen replied: Whatever number Mr Trump told us to.

Questions from Mr Trumps attorney Alina Habba, who paced in front of the courtroom as she directed dozens of queries to Cohen, appeared to argue that Cohen leveraged his connections to Mr Trump to avoid harsher criminal penalties in his own court cases.

After Judge Engoron denied an attempt from Mr Trumps attorneys to render a verdict in favour of Mr Trump, following serveral hours of cross examination from Ms Habba, the former president tossed his hands in frustration and left the courtroom.

Mr Trumps attorneys argued that Cohens credibility has blown the attorney generals case apart, an argument that Judge Engoron vehemently rejected.

Absolutely not, the judge said. This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place.

He said that no way, no how is this case being dismissed, and that theres enough evidence in the case to fill a courtroom.

This is a developing story
Trump loses final bid to stop Colorado case that could see him barred from ballot

Donald Trump has lost his final bid to stop a Colorado lawsuit that could see him kicked off the ballot for the 2024 presidential election.

A judge in the state has ruled that the lawsuit brought to block the one-term president from the ballot next year can go ahead next week.

Mr Trump had asked for the lawsuit, which was filed on 22 September by Republican and unaffiliated voters represented by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, to be dismissed.

Similar cases have been filed around the US, including in Michigan and Minnesota, where oral arguments will take place on 2 November.

In the lawsuit, the advocacy group states that Mr Trump incited an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6 with their lawyers arguing that his actions on that day were a violation of the Constitutions 14th Amendment.

That amendment was introduced after the US Civil War and states no one can run for public office if they engaged in an insurrection or rebellion.

Colorado District Judge Sarah Wallace called the legal questions surrounding the 14th Amendment pivotal in her ruling and stated that it is best reserved for trial, which is set to begin on 30 October.

Donald Trump speaks at his rally before the storming of the Capitol by a mob of his supporters (Getty Images)

The lawsuit has been brought against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold who has said she is hopeful that this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trumps eligibility as a candidate for office.

It is yet another legal headache for Mr Trump who is the first and only former or sitting president to be criminally charged, faces a total of 91 felony counts across his four criminal indictments by state and federal prosecutors.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has charged him with four criminal counts over his efforts to stay in power after the 2020 election. These include a conspiracy to violate civil rights, a conspiracy to defraud the government, the corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding and a conspiracy to carry out such obstruction.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a 4 March trial date, the day before the Super Tuesday primaries.

Mr Trump also faces 40 federal felony charges with Mr Smith accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving the White House. That case is expected to go to trial in May 2024.

In Fulton County, Georgia, Mr Trump and 18 associates have been charged with trying to subvert the 2020 election results in the state in a sprawling Rico case. Mr Trump faces 13 felony charges.

Three defendants, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, have entered guilty pleas in return for helping prosecutors. No trial date has yet been set for the remaining 16 defendants.

Mr Trump has also been accused in New York City of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election. Mr Trump was indicted in March and is expected to go to trial on 25 March 2024.

He has pleaded not guilty to every charge in each case and has accused prosecutors of election interference and an attempt to derail his 2024 run for a second term in the Oval Office.
AMMAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- King Abdullah II of Jordan on Wednesday said stopping the conflict in Gaza is an absolute necessity, during his meeting with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in Jordan's capital Amman, according to a statement by Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court.

The two leaders looked into international efforts in pursuit of an end to the cycle of violence, while reaching a political horizon that ends the Israeli-Hamas conflict, guarantees security, and achieves just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

Warning deteriorations and regional repercussions of the escalation in Gaza, the king called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop the attacks, protect civilians, and end the siege on the strip.

The Jordanian leader reiterated his rejection of any attempts to displace or internally displace the Palestinians in Gaza.

He also warned of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the enclave, highlighting the importance of securing the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Macron arrived in Amman after holding talks on Tuesday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. 
BOO!

Explore readers, I'm sure you're aware that next Tuesday is Halloween.

And there's plenty to do leading up to the spooky celebration this weekend. Let Explore help you out with some festive suggestions below.

Haunted Tents

Family-friendly, free and raising funds for a good cause is reason enough for a fun scare.

The public is welcome to the Haunted Tents at 1022 S. 37th Ave. to experience 341 feet of haunted mazes and 14 different displays within. Theres something to delight and scare everyone.

The Haunted Tents are open today through Tuesday,Oct. 25-31, 2023, from noon-4 p.m. and 6:30-11 p.m. The displays and maze will also be open from noon-4 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m. Nov. 1.

Viewing the Haunted Tents is free and cash donations are accepted, with part of the proceeds donated to Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington.

Due to vandalism during last years Halloween, no foreign objects longer than a foot will be allowed into the Haunted Tents.

Live Music

Pocket Vinyl brings their unique live show to Bearded Monkey Music, 1802 W. Nob Hill Blvd., and local performers Fonozis, Subtle Jabs, Nice Bear and Jackson Reese will share the stage from 7-10 p.m. Friday.

Pocket Vinyl is made up of duo Elizabeth Jancewicz and Eric Stevenson. While Stevenson plays the piano, Jancewicz creates a live, new painting for every show. Pocket Vinyl will also share tales from their new graphic novel, How to Completely Lose Your Mind, that details their 2019 tour when they attempted to break a world record as the fastest to play a concert in each of the 50 United States.

General admission tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at yhne.ws/pocketvinyl.

'Nightmare Before Christmas' Halloween Bash

Lace up your skates, sport your best character costume and be ready to sing along with your favorite song at Skatelands Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween Bash.

Skateland, 2506 Old Town Road in Union Gap, is hosting two bashes on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. and 7-10 p.m.

The movie The Nightmare Before Christmas will play on the big screen while guests skate and sing along. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their best Jack and Sally costumes for a chance to win prizes. Prizes will also be awarded for best costume, mummy wrap and scariest scream contests.

Skateland will have themed drink and food specials for sale such as Jacks bubbling brew.

Tickets for the afternoon session cost $9.95; it's $10.95 for the evening session. Purchase in advance at www.skatelanduniongap.com.

Yakima Valley Bigfoot Con 2023

Legends Casino Hotel, 580 Fort Road in Toppenish, will host Bigfoot enthusiasts from the Yakima Valley, Washington state and the Pacific Northwest from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

Yakima Valley Bigfoot Con 2023 invites interested guests to learn about the history of Yakamas Kwiikwiyai, also known as the Whistler, from local residents.

Speakers include Mel Skahan, Barb Shoupe, Henry Franzoni and other researchers and explorers, who will share their experiences and encounters in Washington and Oregon.

There will also be special viewings of A Flash of Beauty: Paranormal Bigfoot from Resonance Productions and Native Bigfoot from Bilco Productions.

Both days will feature vendors with Bigfoot merchandise, Native American artwork and handmade crafts for sale.

General admission tickets cost $40 and includes admission for Saturday and a swag bag. VIP tickets cost $75 and include admission for both days, swag bag, select seating, commemorative T-shirt and an exclusive handcrafted Bigfoot gift.

For more information and to purchase, visit yakima.org or legendscasino.com.

Fall Wreath Workshop

Create your own decorative fall-inspired wreath with help from Canyon Blooms Petals for Patients from noon-2 p.m. Sunday at Single Hill Brewing Co., 102 N. Naches Ave.

Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased at yhne.ws/fallwreath. Each ticket includes a drink, charcuterie cup and all the supplies needed to create a wreath.

A portion of the ticket price goes toward Petals for Patients, bringing fresh, locally grown flowers to local hospice patients, women in local abuse centers, residents in long-term nursing care facilities and others in need.
Aromatherapist Emma Arkell poses in a 2015 portrait with one of the natural remedies for the skin and body she makes near Winchester, England. Evidence is growing that gender equity is not just politically correct window-dressing, but good business.
Jasper Kenzo Sundeen's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
Santiago Ochoa's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
Former Walla Walla guard going to prison in 2nd WA officer sentencing set this month
A Jordanian entrepreneur has voiced his welcome to the win-win cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








CAIRO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit denounced Israel's recent condemnation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the AL said in a statement on Wednesday.

"It is an attempt of moral and political blackmail," Aboul-Gheit made the remarks before his return to Cairo following his participation in the UN Security Council (UNSC) session in New York, which was dedicated to discussing the developments in Gaza.

He emphasized that Guterres, in his address to the UNSC, expressed a principled and morally sound stance in line with his responsibilities as the head of the UN.

He agreed with Guterres's assertion that "at a critical moment like this, the principles must be unequivocal, especially in safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of civilians."

The pan-Arab body chair added that the "disgraceful attack" against Guterres seeks to "silence any voice that articulates the glaring truth."

On Tuesday, the UN chief highlighted that "the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence."

Israeli officials called on him to resign.

Aboul-Gheit called upon all parties to rally behind Guterres in the face of the "unjust aggression from Israel," which "aimed to silence his voice and subject him to blackmail." 
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
This undated photo shows Jiang Xinlin, one of the three taikonauts who will carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission. (Xinhua)

JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The orbiting Tiangong space station will this week welcome its new residents, with rookie taikonaut Jiang Xinlin set to check in for a six-month stay alongside two other crew members.

"I am very much looking forward to the space travel, to enjoying the fun in zero gravity and exploring the wonders of the vast universe," the 35-year-old said in a pre-flight interview.

China is set to launch the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship on Thursday, sending taikonauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin to its space station to conduct various space science and application payload tests and experiments.

Like many of his predecessors, Jiang is a pilot-turned-taikonaut. But before reaching beyond the sky, he was also a ground-force tank driver.

Following his high school graduation in 2006, Jiang enrolled in an armored engineering institute of the People's Liberation Army. Training in harsh environments honed his operational skills and physical strength.

Controlling a heavy tank on the ground is similar to the underwater training that taikonauts undertake, with both requiring upper body strength, Jiang said.

The Air Force began recruiting pilots from military schools four years later, and Jiang was selected to become a fighter pilot trainee by the Aviation University of the Air Force, where he soon proved his extraordinary courage and skill.

Jiang won fame at the university by executing a safe emergency brake maneuver when he realized his engine speed indicator was abnormal just as he was beginning to take off. The beginner pilot did not hesitate and throttled down the engine decisively, opened the decelerating umbrella, braked to decelerate, and completed a smooth stop on the runway.

This photo taken on Oct. 19, 2023 shows the combination of the Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket preparing to be transferred to the launching area of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)

Years of hard work led Jiang to become increasingly fascinated by flight and cultivated his dream of soaring higher. In 2018, when China began recruiting its third group of taikonauts, Jiang applied for the selection.

He stood out and joined the taikonaut candidate pool in September 2020. Jiang has since received training that is much tougher than that undertaken by pilots.

He said that one of the most challenging exercises was sitting in the rotating chair, which is used for balance training to help reduce the effects of zero gravity on the human body in space. Jiang did not do very well at first, often feeling dizzy and sick, so he voluntarily undertook extra practice for several more weeks to improve his performance.

He excelled in field survival training and made significant efforts after being slated to join the upcoming Shenzhou-17 mission. His training tips and study of body language won recognition from his crewmates.

Chinese taikonauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin for the upcoming Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission meet the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Born in a rural part of central China's Henan Province in 1988, Jiang has faced challenges since childhood. When he was young, he and his elder brother worked after-school jobs to lighten the burden on his parents.

Calm, candid and modest, the taikonaut said at a press conference on Wednesday that achieving his space dream is an "incredible honor," and that the country's development in the new era has provided him with the precious opportunity to showcase his skills.

He said he will cherish this opportunity to fly into space and fulfill his duty. 
Firme timisene la Topul National al Firmelor

La realizarea clasamentului Topului National al Firmelor 2023 au fost analizate 846.452 de bilanturi financiar-contabile ale companiilor active in Romania. Dintre acestea, 327.867 de bilanturi au intrat in competitia pentru primele 10 pozitii in clasamentul national, in conformitate cu metodologia de realizare [citeste mai departe]
With his work appearing in prestigious scholarly publications as well as respected consumer outlets like Scientific American, Brett Frischmann, JD, is a prolific author and researcher who is leading the charge in vital and thought-provoking conversations about how communities share, develop and govern information in todays digital age.

Professor Frischmann, a respected thought leader on intellectual property and internet law, examines the consequences that come with societys increasing reliance on technology. Joining the University in 2017 as the Charles Widger Endowed University Professor in Law, Business and Economics, Professor Frischmann has focused the bulk of his research on three overlapping areas: infrastructure, knowledge commons, and the relationships between the techno-social world and humanity.

His most recent book, Re-Engineering Humanity, focuses on societys embrace of big data, predictive analytics and smart environmentsand individuals willingness to hand over personal information, privacy and control to the small group of people and companies providing and regulating that technology.

Were on a slippery slope toward a world in which more and more of our lives, of who we are and who we can beas individuals and collectivelyis managed and governed by supposedly smart techno-social systems, Professor Frischmann says.

Have you entered into a contract that you didnt bother reading? Of course you have; we all have, he says. The contracts and, more importantly, the human-computer interface through which theyre presented, are designed so that theres no point in reading the fine print, much less stopping and thinking about the legal relationships youre forming or whether the third parties lurking in the background are trustworthy.

Using their interdisciplinary expertise, Professor Frischmann and co-author Evan Selinger provide a practical framework for assessing and negotiating the often intricate and hidden tradeoffs of smart technology.
The world premiere of a movie based on the life of 19th-century physician Ignac Semmelweis took place at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York on Monday evening, the anniversary of the 1956 uprising.

Director Lajos Koltai said he did not want to make a scientific film but wanted to present the man Semmelweis who followed his own path and achieved his goal.



Culture and Innovation Minister Janos Csak told the state media that Semmelweiss journey sets an example. Despite malice and attacks he followed his vision and is remembered as the saviour of mothers.



Csak said it can be said about Semmelweis that he saved the lives of millions of people just as Katalin Kariko, who received the Nobel Prize recently.



Csaba Kael, president of the National Film Institute and government commissioner for the motion picture industry, said the movie offers an excellent opportunity to present a Hungarian talent to the world and tell his story.



Ambassadors from more than 20 countries attended the premiere.



Produced with support from the National Film Institute, the historical drama treats the life and work of Hungarian obstetrician Ignac Semmelweis who, confronting conventional theories, strove to eradicate puerperal fever, one of the most destructive diseases in the 19th century. Semmelweis is portrayed by actor Miklos H. Vecsei.



The Hungarian-language movie will also be shown at the Hungarian Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 27, and will be shown in Hungarian cinemas from November 30.
New Delhi: Actor Ranbir Kapoor recently at a fan's event shared a major update about the upcoming sci-fi action film 'Brahmastra 2'. A clip from the fans event was shared on Reddit in which he stated that 'Brahmastra 2' is "heavy into writing."

Ranbir said, "Brahmastra Part 2 is heavy into writing. We are working on it all the time. It's just last week that Ayan narrated the film to me and he has gone 10 times bigger than Part 1 - his idea, his thought, the character. He is working on War 2 right now. So the plan is to finish War 2 by mid-next year and we start shooting hopefully by the end of next year or the beginning of 2025."

The 'Barfi' actor also addressed the criticism the makers faced for the "missing chemistry" between Shiva and Isha (Ranbir - Alia's characters) in the first film.

He added, "But definitely a lot of work has already been happening on the film. We understood the kind of criticism for the film, what worked for it and what didn't. So we have put everything into consideration, the dialogue and comments on Shiva and Isha's missing chemistry. A lot of criticism was constructive and we have taken that into our stride and we are trying to understand that and go beyond that."

'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' is the first part of the planned trilogy in the Astraverse by Ayan Mukerji. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni.

The storyline of Brahmastra follows Shiva, a DJ, who learns about his strange connection with the element of fire. He also holds the power to awaken the Brahmastra, a supernatural weapon that is said to be able to destroy the universe, capable of destroying creation and vanquishing all beings.

On the other hand, Junoon, the queen of dark forces, is also on a quest to get hold of the Brahmastra.

Shah Rukh Khan had a cameo in the first part. If reports are to be believed, the second part will feature Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. It will be interesting to see how the Astraverse develops in the sequel to 'Brahmastra' and beyond. Earlier, Ayan Mukerji announced the release dates of his upcoming sci-fi films 'Brahmastra: Part 2' and 'Brahmastra: Part 3'.

'Brahmastra: Part Two - Dev' will hit the theatres in December 2026, whereas 'Part Three' will be released in the theatres exactly a year after the second part, in December 2027.

Meanwhile, Ranbir will be next seen in the upcoming action thriller film 'Animal' which is all set to hit the theatres on December 1.

Helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film also stars Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles.
Acting Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Antonio Pedro speaks at an event marking the UN Day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations missions in Ethiopia, the African Union (AU) and the diplomatic corps on Tuesday celebrated the United Nations (UN) Day with a call for determination to heal division, ensure justice and build a better world.

The UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN charter. This year's edition of the UN Day was commemorated under the theme "The Frontlines of Climate Action."

Acting Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Antonio Pedro said during the commemoration event in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, that the UN is tasked to help the world build peace, sustainable development and human rights for all.

"The Charter of the United Nations points that we should expand opportunities, ensure justice and equality, leave no one behind and provide life-saving relief to those in need," Pedro said.

According to the UN, the annual UN Day celebration offers the opportunity to amplify the common agenda and reaffirm the purposes and principles of the UN Charter that have guided the organization for the past 78 years.

Delivering the AU Commission Chairperson's message on the UN day, Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission Monique Nsanzabaganwa highlighted the need to bring about equality, freedom and justice for all.

"We must ensure the freedom of women and girls, develop humanity and to end war and conflict between nations, create opportunities for all to live a quality life and build resilience to climate change and achieve sustainable development," she said.

Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs Misganu Arega on his part said the various UN decision-making processes should amplify the voices and respect the legitimate interests of Africa and other developing countries.

"Ethiopia, as a founding member of the UN, reiterates its call for meaningful and urgent reforms of the current global architecture," Arega said. 

Security guards of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) hoist a UN flag to mark the UN Day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission Monique Nsanzabaganwa speaks at an event marking the UN Day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Security guards of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) participate in an event marking the UN Day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)
Kashmir is witnessing a revival of cinema art and theatre after almost three decades. Once a hub for film production, the Jammu and Kashmir administration this year allowed more than 200 filmmakers to shoot across the Union territory. Now, Srinagar is hosting an International Film Festival where more than 30 films from around 16 countries will be showcased to the locals.

The International Film Festival of Srinagar (TIFFS) has brought many filmmakers from Bollywood, the South Indian Film Industry and many more together on one platform. The festival provides a great opportunity for the filmgoers of the valley to watch international cinema and interact with the filmmakers. There were more than 200 entries from 37 countries and the jury decided to keep 30 films for the screening from around 17 countries. The best films among them will be awarded. Countries like Argentina, Cuba, Russia and the UK are participating in the fest.

Rakesh Roshan Bhat, Festival Director, TIFFS, said "All the cities across the world have their own film festivals, like the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto, Shanghai and Melbourne. We would have never known the city of Cannes if there was no film festival there. Film festivals give a new image to a city. It's seen as a sign of progress, and it's also seen as an art-welcoming place. The Jammu and Kashmir image needed to be changed and that's why we have started this festival here."

Bollywood Film director B Subhash who has directed blockbuster films like Dance Dance and Disco Dancer was the chief guest for the festival. He said that Kashmir has always been a favourite destination for filmmakers and the government needs to promote it further.

"When I was told that they are hosting a festival in Srinagar, I was very happy. It will benefit the valley a lot. All the films during the 60's, 70's and 80's were shot in the Valley. The government should provide subsidies so that more filmmakers come here. I am seeing a great response. The last time I was here was in 1984 and now Kashmir has become modern, and I will promote it once again among the filmmakers," he said.

The local filmmakers and filmgoers came in huge numbers to watch the films and interact with the filmmakers. They said that such events would inspire the younger generation towards the film world.

The two-day event will conclude on October 26th. The people associated with art culture and films said it's a big boost to Kashmir film tourism and will help in getting Jammu Kashmir back on the art& culture track.
New Delhi: Indias Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, Ambassador R. Ravindra, on Wednesday, highlighted Indias efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilians in Gaza, who are suffering from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. He made the statement while representing India at the United Nations Security Council Open-debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

He thanked the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for holding the open debate on the latest round of violence in West Asia, and expressed Indias deep concern over the worsening security situation and the massive loss of civilian lives in the conflict. He said that India was equally alarmed by the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

India has sent 38 tons of humanitarian goods, including medicines and equipment, to the people of Palestine. We also urge the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for peace and for restarting direct negotiations, including through de-escalation and issuing violence, Ravindra said.

He said that the escalation of hostilities in the region had only worsened the dire humanitarian situation, and had once again exposed the fragility of the ceasefire.

Indias Solidarity With Israel And Palestine

Ravindra also condemned the terror attacks that took place on October 7 in Israel, which killed more than 1,400 people. He said that India was shocked by these attacks and denounced them unequivocally. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to convey his condolences over the loss of lives and prayers for the innocent victims and their families.

We stood in solidarity with Israel at their moment of crisis when they were facing these terror attacks, Ravindra said. He also expressed deep shock at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Hali hospital in Gaza, where hundreds of civilians were killed and thousands injured. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.

He said that PM Modi had also said that those involved in the attack must be held responsible, and noted that the civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict were a matter of serious and continuing concern. He urged all parties to protect civilians, especially women and children.

The unfolding humanitarian crisis needs to be addressed. We welcome the efforts of the international community for de-escalation and delivery of humanitarian goods to the people of Gaza, he said.

Indias Support For A Two-State Solution

Ravindra also reaffirmed Indias support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, which he said could lead to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders, side by side in peace with Israel, taking into account the legitimate security concerns of Israel.

Towards this, we reiterate the need for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations. We also continue to support the Palestinian people through our bilateral development partnership, which covers a wide range of sectors including health, education, womens empowerment, entrepreneurship and information technology, Ravindra said.

He added that India was also supporting grassroots Palestinian institutions in their development initiatives. "In these challenging times, India will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, Indias deputy permanent envoy to the UN said.

He stated that the current escalation of the conflict had once again underscored the need for immediate resumption of credible, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Every effort must be made to create conducive conditions for the resumption of these talks. We welcome all efforts of regional and global players aimed towards restoring normalcy, he said.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai today claimed that petrol bombs were hurled at Raj Bhavan today. The BJP leader also alleged that the DMK is behind the attacks. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has been at the loggerheads with the DMK government over various issues including the passing of many legislations. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Annamalai said that it was the same person who earlier attacked the BJP office.

"Petrol bombs were hurled at Raj Bhavan today, reflects the true law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. While DMK is busy diverting the attention of people to insignificant matters of interest, criminals have taken the streets. Incidentally, it is the same person who attacked @BJP4TamilNadu Headquarters in Chennai in Feb 2022 is held responsible for the attack on Raj Bhavan today," said Annamalai.

Petrol bombs were hurled at Raj Bhavan today, reflects the true law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. While DMK is busy diverting the attention of people to insignificant matters of interest, criminals have taken the streets.



Incidentally, it is the same person who attacked  K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 25, 2023

The state BJP president further said that CM MK Stalin will now make another excuse. "These continuous attack only leaves one to think that the DMK government is sponsoring these attacks. Thiru MK Stalin will now be preparing for the next diversion, as he always does," said Annamalai.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: A petrol bomb was hurled outside Raj Bhavan today in Chennai. A complaint has been lodged in Guindy police station.



Further details awaited. pic.twitter.com/irbfkZ3sYL October 25, 2023

Prem Anand Sinha, Additional Commissioner of Police said that one person has been arrested. "Around 3 pm, an unidentified person tried to throw some bottles of petrol outside Raj Bhavan near barricades. As soon as this was noticed by the security personnel present there, they surrounded him, confiscated other bottles from his hand and immediately handed him over to the patrol vehicle and took him to the police station. There is no damage or injury to anyone. It seems that he was drunk....The person has been identified as a history-sheeter named K Vinod and he's a habitual offender...6-7 cases are already there against him. Further probe underway," said Sinha.

On the other hand, the tussle between the DMK government and the Raj Bhavan has entered another day today. Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy today criticised Governor Ravi on his refusal to sign the doctorate award documents of freedom fighter N Sankaraiah. Ponmudy said that if the Governor is interested in the welfare of the freedom fighters, he should approve the proposal.
Lebanon's ambassador to India Dr Rabie Narsh has termed the ongoing situation in West Asia as 'tense' & 'volatile'. In an exclusive interview with Sidhant Sibal, Dr Rabie Narsh said that the situation in the region is like a race between diplomacy and war. He hoped that diplomacy would win this race. Over 1400 Israelis and 5,000 plus Palestinians have died in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that started earlier this month putting the region on tenterhooks. Diplomatic efforts are on, including those led by the US and Egypt to de-escalate the situation but so far the situation remains concerning.

Asked about the Lebanon-Israel border situation, the ambassador said, "We are we have always been calling for a peaceful solution to the conflict. We have experienced war and we know what war means. We know the devastating repercussions of any war. It's not a cakewalk, and the Israeli side should know the same because it will impact not only Lebanon but will affect all the regions and would affect Israel badly." The concerns remain for Lebanon as several countries have asked its nationals to leave the country.

He welcomed India's stance on the ongoing situation, explaining, that India has always been calling for a two-state solution. He said that since India has a historic friendship with the Arab world and Palestine and a strong relation with Israel, they are uniquely placed to play a greater role in this conflict.

Q. What does Lebanon make of the ongoing situation? We have seen the attack by Hamas and then the retaliation by Israel. So what's your government's position on the development?

Dr Rabie Narsh: The situation is really worrisome and quite tense. But let's put things in the right context. The situation did not start on October the seventh with the Hamas attack. The situation started a long time before that. It started with the occupation of the of Israel to the Palestinian lands and with the putting of 2.5 million Palestinians in the biggest open prison in the world. We are calling for peace. We have always called for a peaceful solution to the problem, but it is the other part, it is Israel who refused and kept on refusing all peace initiatives. Lebanon's position is very well known. We are against escalation, against war, against attacking civilians, but we have to be firm and we have to see the root cause of the situation, which is the occupation, the Israeli occupation of the Arab lands.

Q. Will you term the attack by Hamas a terror attack? Will you condemn the attack?

Dr Rabie Narsh: It's not about condemning, if you want to condemn, of course, we condemn all civilian casualties, we condemn the killing of civilians. But let's be fair and condemn, I assume, you condemn Israel's attack on civilians as well. Israel's occupation is the cause, and what all Palestinians and every act of resistance is the retaliation, is the reaction. So yes, I condemn the civilian killing, but in this sense, I condemn in the strongest terms, Israel's ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip. I condemn the carpet bombing, the levelling of whole villages and whole neighbourhoods to the ground, of bombing hospitals. You have seen the bombing of al-Ahli Hospital, and several schools and the targeting of civilian infrastructures. Yes, of course, we do condemn this.

Q. How is Lebanon reaching out to the people of Palestine? Are you sending some kind of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza?

Dr Rabie Narsh: Notwithstanding the dire economic situation that Lebanon currently is going through, we would have sent aid. But how could we do that since we have no direct channel and Israel has completely sealed off the Palestinian territories? So, not to my knowledge that we are sending some humanitarian aid but of course we are contributors to international agencies like UNRWA, who helped the Palestinian refugees. The Arab societies are so interrelated. They have relatives everywhere. When an attack happens on the Palestinians, maybe the Arabs in Algeria, they feel hurt. I mean, like here in India, you know, we are one country, so if something happened to the in South India, here in North India, you feel sorry for that and you feel like you are concerned. So that's what I mean, the attack of Israel, of course, concerned us.

Q. Your country, it looks like will be impacted, we have seen several advisories. How do you see this situation?

Dr Rabie Narsh: This is only normal in times of war, in terms of words, we see all the foreign embassies, they call for nationals to be careful or to leave that country or not to visit that country, which is being attacked or under the threat of being attacked. The foreign ambassadors in Lebanon, they know well that Israel is a real threat and when they say we might attack Lebanon, they can because we have been subjected to Israeli attacks for a long time. Many times they bombed Lebanon. So Israeli aggression is quite a fact.

Q. Now, Israel has said that Hezbollah is firing into Israeli territory. They have also said that there could be a second Israel-Lebanon War. What do you make out of these comments?

Dr Rabie Narsh: It's not true that Hezbollah has initiated any attack against Israel. Hezbollah has been in defensive mode. Of course, there are some exchanges of fires. Hezbollah mainly attacks Israeli posts but that too on the occupied territories of Lebanon. I mean, there are talks to keep the situation under control and not to get spread into an all-out war.

Q. Do you think that the situation can escalate very fast?

Dr Rabie Narsh: Given the fact that our neighbour, the occupying force of Israel, is armed to the teeth, they have weapons of mass destruction, they have nuclear weapons, and they have the intention of aggression. Given these facts, we are afraid that the situation might escalate, but no one knows what is the threshold, the trigger point of an all-out war. So we're afraid of the escalation of the situation in Gaza and the number of casualties. It's beyond imagination. So far, more than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed. Half of them are children and women. No one can guarantee that the situation will not escalate. But as I said, the initiatives and the talks are there and hopefully, things will abate and the situation will be controlled.

Q. How big is the ongoing development for the Arab capitals?

Dr Rabie Narsh: Everybody is concerned. The Arab world calls for peace. The 22 Arab states in their Beirut meeting, the Arab League summit in 2002, put on the table a peace initiative called the Beirut peace initiative. They collectively said that they are ready to recognize Israel and have a normal relationship with Israel, a diplomatic relationship with Israel, but in return, Israel should return all Palestinian land and keep respecting the right of return of Palestinians to their lands. So, this was unprecedented. This was a historic move, a historic initiative from the Arab world, the Arab states, but unfortunately, it has been refused by Israel. Since then, every year, this initiative has been put on the table again, and Israel refuses again and again. The only solution that the whole world focuses on and agrees on is the two-state solution. There's only one state that refuses this solution, which is Israel. They keep disrupting this initiative. Palestinians have no state and no place, I mean, no sovereign state, that is the problem.
New Delhi: As anticipation builds, farmers across the country eagerly await the 15th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Recent reports suggest that the 15th installment is expected to be disbursed in the final week of November, following the release of the 14th installment earlier this year in July.

What Is PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana?

This crucial financial assistance program, initiated in February 2019, offers eligible farmers a stipend of Rs 2,000 every four months, culminating in an annual sum of Rs 6,000. (Also Read: From 150 Rejections To Building Rs 64,000 Crore Empire: Meet The Man Whose Father Is Often Called 'Third Son' Of Dhirubhai Ambani)

PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana: Money Transfer

The monetary aid is disbursed in three installments annually, during the periods of April-July, August-November, and December-March, directly transferred to the beneficiaries' registered bank accounts. (Also Read: Rs 6,000 Crore Mega-Mansion Owned By THIS Billionaire Is India's Second Tallest Building - In Pics)

With the total sum distributed under the PM-KISAN scheme reaching an impressive Rs 2.50 lakh crore, the impact of this critical support continues to resonate across the farming community.

PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana: How To Check Beneficiary Status?

For farmers seeking to ascertain their beneficiary status and access the scheme's benefits, a straightforward process is outlined.

By visiting the official website, pmkisan.gov.in, and navigating to the 'Know Your Status' tab, beneficiaries can input their registration number and the requisite captcha code to retrieve their current beneficiary status promptly.

PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana: Check Your Name In Beneficiary List

Additionally, to ensure inclusion in the beneficiary list, farmers can follow a simple four-step process.

Starting with a visit to the PM Kisan official website, www.pmkisan.gov.in, users can select the 'Beneficiary list' tab, followed by choosing specific details such as the state, district, sub-district, block, and village from the dropdown menu.

By clicking on the 'Get report' tab, individuals can access the comprehensive beneficiary list, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all stakeholders involved.
New Delhi: This festive season of Diwali could be a golden opportunity for you to light up your finances with a side income business idea. The business idea that's perfect for homemakers, requires minimal investment but can give you a good profit during festivities.

You can transform your home into a thriving business hub, where you craft and create, adding to your financial well-being. With minimal investment, you can kick-start this side business during diwali. The business idea we are talking about today is Personalized Diwali Gifts or Gift Hampers.

Diwali Business Idea: Personalized Diwali Gifts or Gift Hampers Basket

Whether you are catering to connoisseur of sweets, a crafts enthusiast, or a creative genius --the possibilities for Personalized Diwali Gifts or Gift Hampers Basket are endless. In urban markets, the demand for Personalized Diwali Gifts or Gift Hampers Basket are galore and people are ready to pay a handsome amount for a well-crafted Diwali Hamper --that is both aesthetic in looks and has a good content inside.

Diwali Business Idea: Investment For Personalized Diwali Gifts or Gift Hampers Basket

You can initiate this business with a very little investment --around Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 -- depending on the clientele needs. The more the demand in craft and content, the more you can charge. This Gift Hampers Basket can be custom-made for the clients or you can have sample hampers with quirky items of your choice and present it to your client. Items required for the Gift Hampers Basket depends on the choice of your clients --it can range from high end packaging to basic packaging that includes box ribbon, wrapping paper, local art and craft items, decorative materials. You can give wings to your imagination by adding high end designs like jewelry pieces, frills, flowers etc.

You can charge your customers on the basis of the Hamper --a high end luxury hamper would fetch a higher price while a basic hamper will fetch a lower price. Additionally, if you provide the content inside the hamper, you can also charge a premium for the same.

This Diwali, let your entrepreneurial spirit fly high as you kickstart your side income venture from the comfort of your home. With minimal investment and a dash of creativity, homemakers can make this festive season not only brighter but also more prosperous.

(Disclaimer: This article is for sole information purpose and for readers' project identification. The earning calculator is also mostly based on assumptive figures to give an example of certain type. The Zee News article does not intend to give any financial advice of any sorts. For initiating any venture, you must do your own due diligence and market research.)
New Delhi: 'Jailer' actor Vinayakan was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly creating a ruckus at a police station here in an inebriated state, officials said.

The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station in the evening, where he was summoned by the police over a dispute with his wife at his apartment.

He was arrested for making trouble at the police station, a senior police officer said. The actor was then taken to a nearby hospital for necessary medical examination, the officer said. Police later let him off on bail after due procedure.

Meanwhile, Vinayakan, while leaving with the police from the hospital after his medical examination, told media persons that he was unaware why he was arrested.

When asked about the reason for his arrest, the actor said, "I came to file a complaint. Please ask the police why I was brought here (hospital)." A police official accompanying the actor to the hospital told reporters that he was arrested for creating a ruckus at the police station in an inebriated state.

The official also said that earlier in the day, police were called to Vinayakan's apartment by the actor to resolve some issues with his wife.
New Delhi: Bengaluru, often hailed as the Silicon Valley of India, is renowned for its techie populace, where conversations commonly revolve around intricate coding, algorithms, and the latest startups. A delightful twist of fate led Bengaluru local Raghav Dua to an extraordinary experience during a routine Uber Moto ride.

This encounter unveiled the captivating story of an ex-Google employee turned rideshare driver. Dua's chance encounter unfolded as he hailed an Uber Moto to navigate the bustling streets of Bengaluru. (Also Read: Rs 6,000 Crore Mega-Mansion Owned By THIS Billionaire Is India's Second Tallest Building - In Pics)

What transpired next left him pleasantly stunned, as the person behind the handlebar unveiled himself as a former Google employee. (Also Read: From 150 Rejections To Building Rs 64,000 Crore Empire: Meet The Man Whose Father Is Often Called 'Third Son' Of Dhirubhai Ambani)

Although the driver's identity remains undisclosed, it was revealed that he had recently relocated to Bengaluru, using the Uber stint as an avenue to explore the city's vibrant spirit.

Sharing his amazement on the microblogging platform X, Dua's post quickly gained traction, resonating with others who have encountered the extraordinary amidst Bengaluru's bustling tech scene. Comments poured in, echoing the sentiment of intrigue and wonder, with one user expressing, "That's truly fascinating! I hope you had an interesting conversation during your ride!" Another individual shared a similar experience, while a third humorously quipped, "In Bengaluru, if you throw a stone in the air, it will either hit a bird or a software engineer."

The viral post stands testament to Bengaluru's distinct charm, where even everyday encounters carry the enchanting aura of the city's tech-savvy soul. As the tale continues to resonate within the online community, it serves as a delightful testament to the tech-driven vibrancy that defines Bengaluru's cultural fabric.
New Delhi: US President Joe Biden has said that Israel can make its own decisions on whether to launch a ground invasion of Gaza, as the US supports its ally amid reports of an impending attack. Biden made the remark on Tuesday when he was asked by a reporter while taking a photo with the visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Are you urging Israel to delay its ground invasion? the reporter asked. The Israelis can make their own decisions, Biden replied.

What Is The Situation In Gaza?

The latest conflict was sparked by unprecedented attacks by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people. Israel has responded with a massive counter-offensive against the Islamic terrorist group that has controlled Gaza since 2007. Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant outlined Israels plan to change the security regime in Gaza-- meaning Hamas removal-- and said the plan had three stages.

Gallant said that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) were in the first stage of the plan, carrying out aerial strikes. The next stage would be a ground incursion, followed by the final stage of changing the security regime in Gaza, he said.

More than 5,000 Palestinians have died so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women, as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 16,000 injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

What Is The US Doing?

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters that the US would continue to ensure that Israel had the tools and capabilities it needed to defend itself. Were going to continue to try to get that humanitarian assistance in, and were going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately, he said.

He also said that a ceasefire right now would only benefit Hamas, and that he was not going to speculate on the future. We have and will continue to talk to our Israeli counterparts about the importance of avoiding and minimizing civilian casualties and respecting innocent life and trying to prevent collateral damage as they go after legitimate Hamas targets, he added.

He acknowledged that war was brutal and messy, and that innocent civilians would be hurt. That doesnt make it right, it doesnt make it dismissible, it doesnt mean that we arent going to still express concerns about that and do everything we can to help the Israelis do everything they can to minimize it, but thats unfortunately the nature of conflict, he said.
TEL AVIV: In a significant development, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has said that they are prepared to launch the much-anticipated ground offensive to dismantle the Palestinian terror group Hamas and their strongholds in Gaza, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post. At a briefing held at the country's southern border, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, left no room for ambiguity, stating, "I want to be clear, we are ready to invade." He went on to explain that the IDF was currently assessing the precise timing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza, in coordination with the nation's political leadership.

IDF Explains On Delay In Gaza Ground Invasion

Addressing the delay in responding to Hamas terror attacks on October 7, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi highlighted the strategic reasoning behind it. He emphasized, "At this stage, there are tactical and strategic factors which are allowing us more time to improve and to exploit every minute to be more ready." He stressed that every passing minute was used to target the enemy, eliminating fighters, commanders, and infrastructure, and gathering valuable intelligence for future actions. "We are keeping him in tension," Halevi noted, explaining that the longer Hamas waited, the more pressure it would face.

In a wide-scale operation to dismantle Hamas' terrorist capabilities, the IDF struck over 400 terrorist targets in the past 24hrs:



Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets toward Israel.

A Hamas operational tunnel shaft allowing terrorists to infiltrate Israel through the  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

IAF Continues To Pound Hamas Positions In Gaza

On a separate front, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) revealed its successful counterterrorism operation, guided by the Shin Bet intelligence agency. The IAF thwarted several terrorists belonging to the Hamas organization. Among those targeted were Abd al-Rahman, deputy commander of the Nuzirat Battalion, who participated in a lethal raid on Kibbutz Bari, as well as Khalil Mahjaz, deputy commander of the Shati Battalion, and Khalil Tethari, deputy commander of the Sheik Radwan Battalion.

IDF Warns Hamas

In a sharp warning to Hamas, which now has around 220 hostages according to Israel, the Israel Defence Forces said: "If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area." "The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality," it said, sharing contact details for anyone with information to come forward.

As part of the extensive efforts to free the Israeli and foreign national hostages held by Hamas terrorists the IDF asks the residents of Gaza: https://t.co/5ama3BwREj  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

We Will Crush Hamas: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left no doubt about Israel's objective. He affirmed that the sole mission was to dismantle Hamas, vowing to persist until the task is accomplished. "With the fighters in the field, we have only one task -- to crush Hamas, and we will not stop until we complete the task," the Israeli PM declared.

In the midst of escalating tensions, alarm sirens were reported in Netiv Ha'asara, a kibbutz just north of Gaza. Similar incidents had been earlier recorded in Zikim and Karmia. While many residents chose to evacuate, those who remained were advised to stay indoors and secure their homes.

This development marks a critical moment in the ongoing situation between Israel and Hamas, as both sides remain on high alert.
BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China-Russia cooperation is not targeted at any third party, nor will it be disturbed by any third party, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday.

The two sides carry out bilateral cooperation with an aim to benefit their people, promote global development, and uphold fairness and justice, Li said when meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States. 
The 2024 Suzuki Swift was recently revealed in a set of images. The hatchback has now made its first public appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Swift is an important name for the Japanese manufacturer in a slew of markets, like India, South America, and Japan, as well. The current-gen model has now turned over half a decade old. Therefore, it needed a major overhaul. With the new 2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift showcased, it is evident that the carmaker has changed the car to a high extent. Nevertheless, it retains the essential Swift creds.

2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift: Design

The Swift concept dons a shade of blue with a blacked-out roof. It gets the typical Swift stance with a flat window line, merging neatly with the bonnet, and a flat roof that tapers down towards the rear. The design is all-new and makes the Swift look fresh and more sharper. The front-end gets swept back headlamps with a new bumper. The car appears to be longer this time, and it gets the rear door handles in their regular position. The tail lamps design feels familiar, but the rear bumper is altered for increased sportiness.

2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift: Cabin

The dashboard layout is all-new, however, it features bits and pieces from other Maruti Suzuki models. The dashboard is finished in dual-tone white and black shades. A free-standing 9-inch touchscreen infotainment unit is visible. The steering wheels and instrument binnacle are borrowed from the Baleno it seems. On the whole, the dashboard design looks busy. As for space, the new-gen Maruti Suzuki Swift will likely get a longer wheelbase for increased legroom and knee room. The model showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show also gets ADAS.

2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift: Features

The feature list on the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift will be longer than ever. It might include a new JBL powered sound system, wireless phone charger, wireless Android Auto & Apple Carplay, ventilated front seats, 360-degree parking camera, and an electric sunroof.

2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift: Powertrains

The outgoing 1.2L NA petrol will be carried over for the 2024 Swift with peak power and torque output of 90 PS and 113 Nm, respectively. Furthermore, there could be a hybrid power plant on offer. Nevertheless, the new Swift will be more frugal than the model it will replace.

2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift: Price & Launch Date

Expected to launch in the Indian market by early next year, the 2024 Swift will boast a slightly increased price tag. In all likelihood, the prices could start from Rs 6.5 lakh and go up to Rs 10 lakh.
The proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) at a rapid pace in India signifies a substantial step towards greener and more sustainable transportation. However, the establishment of a robust and extensive charging infrastructure is a prerequisite for its sustained success. As of August 8, 2023, there are over 2.8 million registered electric vehicles (EVs)28,30,565 unitsnavigating Indian roads.

As the country combats its growing environmental concerns and has the resolve to mitigate its carbon footprint, the accompanying infrastructure must evolve rapidly. In a country where approximately 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the transportation sector, addressing this charging infrastructure deficit is not a choice but a necessity. These necessities deep dive into the pressing need to develop essential charging infrastructure requirements for mass EV integration in India.

Present Status of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in India

Over the past decade, India's electric vehicle (EV) landscape has witnessed significant evolution. As of March 21, 2023, data from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) indicates that India now hosts a noteworthy 6586 operational public charging stations (PCS), including 419 strategically positioned along national highways.

Despite advancements, challenges persist in India's EV landscape. Accessibility gaps exist in smaller towns and rural areas, and issues like compatibility, range anxiety, and charging times need attention. Peak-time congestion at urban charging stations is a pressing concern, with roughly 400 EVs per charger. With 2.8 million electric vehicles on Indian roads, it's evident that significant charging infrastructure development is needed to meet rising demand and ensure convenient access for all EV users.

Key Drivers for Rapid EV Advancement

The key drivers for rapid EV advancement are robust charging infrastructure, location strategy, technical requirements, integration with renewable energy, and government support and policies, as per Maj Prashant Veer Singh, Mentor and Co-founder at ARC Electric

Flexible Charging Infrastructure Deployment

For successful mass electric vehicle (EV) integration in India, a flexible approach to charging infrastructure is indispensable. Adapting charging station types to specific needs is key. Busy urban areas require fast-charging stations to accommodate rapid top-ups, while highways necessitate ultra-fast options for long journeys. Public charging stations, strategically located, ensure convenience for urban residents and tourists alike. A versatile deployment strategy aligned with local demands fosters broader EV adoption and sustainability.

Home Charging Solutions

The availability of home charging options is crucial to supplementing the network of public charging stations. A significant number of EV owners prefer the convenience of charging their vehicles at home, primarily at night when vehicles are not in use. Hence, it is imperative to promote the installation of home charging stations, especially in multistory apartments, through Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs). Government policies can play a pivotal role in stimulating the growth of residential charging infrastructure through policies, subsidies, and tax incentives."

Technical Requirements

Electric vehicle (EV) integration demands a meticulous focus on technical details. EVs vary significantly in plug types, voltage requirements, and battery compatibility. India must establish a versatile charging network to accommodate these diverse needs and also work towards standardization. Exploring international standards like CCS2, TESLA, and CHAdeMO can enhance interoperability, facilitating seamless charging experiences. Addressing the intricate technical aspects will ensure convenience and accessibility for all EV users.

Technological Advances in Energy Sources

The evolution of energy sources for electric vehicles (EVs) has been remarkable. In the 1990s, nickel-metal hydride batteries represented an improvement over lead-acid ones, albeit with limited range. However, a pivotal moment arrived in the early 2000s with lithium-ion batteries, making EVs more practical and poised for mass adoption. This voyage of energy source evolution continues, with ongoing research into technologies such as solid-state batteries and hydrogen fuel cells promising further advancements for the future of EVs.

Integration of renewable energy

To proliferate EVs in remote areas and to maximize environmental benefits, it is vital to integrate renewable energy sources into the charging infrastructure. Solar panels and wind turbines can be used to generate clean energy for charging stations and also in areas where the electric supply is irregular, reducing the carbon footprint.

Government Support and Policies

Government initiatives, such as FAME I and II, are driving the expansion of EV charging infrastructure in India. Under FAME II, 2636 charging stations in 62 cities across 24 states and UTs have been approved by the Department of Heavy Industries. These efforts are contributing to the growth of the EV charging network and supporting India's green mobility goals, making electric vehicles more accessible. However, to accelerate EV charging infrastructure development and achieve mass integration, private collaboration and investment are also crucial.

Investment and Funding

India's EV charging infrastructure is witnessing substantial investments from companies such as GLIDA, which plans to invest Rs 100 crore by March 2024. Similarly, Servotech Power Systems and EMCOR Power Solutions have entered into an agreement to develop 1,000 EV charging stations at various locations in India. The government has allocated INR 1,000 crore from the FAME II budget to bolster charging infrastructure. Furthermore, companies like ARC Electric, AMO Mobility, and Ather Energy are actively investing in promoting EVs, which will directly and indirectly contribute to the improvement of India's infrastructure towards EVs. These investments underscore the critical role played by both public and private entities in shaping India's EV ecosystem. However, more substantial investments are imperative to establish a robust charging network capable of supporting the growing adoption of EVs.

In conclusion, the journey towards mass electric vehicle (EV) integration in India is both promising and challenging. It underscores the indispensable role the charging infrastructure plays in electrifying the nation's future and propelling India toward a sustainable and eco-conscious era of transportation. While the country has witnessed remarkable growth in EV adoption and charging infrastructure, there are pressing issues to address. The need for essential charging infrastructure requirements has never been more critical. With concerted efforts, India can electrify its future and reduce its carbon footprint, achieving a cleaner and greener mode of mobility for all. To support the scale and reach of EVs, democratizing and seamlessly integrating private-public charging infrastructure using a common database, a mobile app for locating, booking, and charging, and the availability of long-range vehicles is essential.

(Views expressed by experts in the articles are their own, Zee News does not confirm or endorse the same.)
Bisrakh Village located approximately 33 kilometers east of New Delhi, in the Noida district of Uttar Pradesh is home to around 5,500 people. While it shares similarities with other villages in the area, there is a distinctive aspect to Bisrakhthe villagers here follow a unique tradition of worshiping Ravan. This quaint village, steeped in history and folklore, has become a pilgrimage site for those intrigued by the enigmatic tales surrounding the demon king's origins.

Bisrakh Village: History

Bisrakh's historical significance dates back centuries, with its name often linked to the great sage Vishrava, Ravana's father. According to local legends, Vishrava performed intense penance in Bisrakh, earning the favor of Lord Shiva. It is believed that Ravana was born to Vishrava and his wife Kaikesi in this sacred land. As a result, Bisrakh has become a place of reverence for those seeking to understand the roots of one of the most compelling characters in Hindu mythology.

How Bisrakh Celebrates Dussehra?

In Bisrakh, the celebration of Dussehra takes a unique turn, distinct from the conventional Ramlila and the burning of Ravana's effigy. The villagers do not organize Ramlila or burn the effigy of King Ravana. They strongly believe that such actions may anger Lord Shiva, as Ravana was a devoted follower of the deity. There are several stories from locals which led them to stop celebrating Dusshera. A woman shared a chilling tale of two individuals in her family who passed away the day after Dussehra because they had burned the effigy of Ravana. This has led the villagers to avoid these traditional practices to prevent any potential misfortune. These stories underscore the deeply ingrained belief in the village that deviating from their customary celebration could potentially unleash the wrath of the divine forces they hold sacred.

Mythological Legends

The mythological connection to Ravana adds an intriguing layer to Bisrakh's identity. Legend has it that Ravana was not only a formidable demon but also a highly learned scholar and a devout follower of Lord Shiva. His birthplace, Bisrakh, is believed to have played a crucial role in shaping his destiny. While Ravana's actions in the Ramayana are often viewed as villainous, the stories of his devotion to Lord Shiva and his unparalleled knowledge showcase the complexity of his character.

Preservation Efforts

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to preserve and promote the historical and cultural significance of Bisrakh Village. Efforts have been made to conserve the ancient temples and structures, ensuring that future generations can continue to explore the rich heritage of the region. Additionally, initiatives to document and share the local folklore and legends are underway, contributing to a deeper understanding of the village's role in Indian mythology.
New Delhi: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The FATF currently has 39 member jurisdictions and two regional organizations that associate themselves with the FATF's work. The FATF's 40 Recommendations set out the international standards that aim to prevent these crimes and promote the development of effective systems to combat them. FATF Recommendations are recognized as the global standard for preventing and combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

How FATF Works?

The FATF works closely with its members and other international organizations to promote cooperation and coordination in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. The FATF also reviews the effectiveness of national anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regimes and provides technical assistance to countries to help them implement the FATF's standards.

India isnt messing around. New Delhi is reportedly planning to move FATF (Financial Action Task Force) against Canada's soft stand towards terror elements.https://t.co/amz04Z3X0a October 24, 2023

India Plans To Move FATF Against Canada

India has also accused Canada of having a soft stand towards terror elements, especially those related to the Khalistan movement, which seeks to create a separate Sikh state in India. India has claimed that it has shared evidence with Canada multiple times in the past about the funding and activities of Khalistani groups operating from Canadian soil, but Canada has not taken any action against them, citing freedom of speech and expression.

India has reportedly decided to lodge a formal complaint against Canada in the FATF and submit a dossier containing all the evidence so far. India's move is aimed at putting pressure on Canada to act against the Khalistani elements and to expose Canada's role in supporting terrorism. India may also file a complaint against some Canadian diplomats for interfering in India's internal affairs.

India's complaint could lead to Canada being placed on the FATF's "grey list", which would have adverse consequences for its economy and reputation. However, sending Canada to the "grey list" may not be easy, as it would require the consensus of all FATF members, some of whom may have close ties with Canada. Moreover, Canada may also challenge India's evidence and accuse it of using the FATF as a tool for settling political disputes.

FATF's Action Against Pakistan

Pakistan has been on the FATF's "grey list" since June 2018, which means that it has strategic deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime and is subject to increased monitoring and reporting by the FATF. The FATF has given Pakistan a list of 27 action items to address these deficiencies.

According to the latest FATF plenary meeting held in October 2021, Pakistan has successfully completed 26 out of the 27 action items and has made significant progress in improving its AML/CFT regime. The FATF has decided to remove Pakistan from the "grey list" and no longer subject it to increased monitoring.

However, the FATF has also urged Pakistan to continue to work on the remaining action item, which is to demonstrate that terror financing investigations and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups.
New Delhi: Internationally renowned directors Mani Ratnam and Luca Guadagnino will be honoured with the Excellence in Cinema Award in Mumbai on Friday, October 27. The award honours individuals who have made outstanding, long-lasting contributions to the world of film and cinema. Previous recipients include Darren Aronofsky, Sharmila Tagore, Fernando Meirelles, and Chen Kaige.

With a career spanning four decades, Mani Ratnam is one of the most celebrated, well-known, and respected directors from South Asia. Over the decades, his cinema has explored different themes, from the classic love story to political drama to human drama. Mani Ratnam's films have layered characters and complex themes that are deeply rooted in a cultural and social context. His most notable movies include Mouna Ragam (1986), Nayakan (1987), Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), Iruvar (1997), Alaipayuthey (2000), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Guru (2007), and Ponniyin Selvan (1 & 2). Mani Ratnam is one of the greats, and his cinema continues to be relevant and a conversation starter.

Luca Guadagnino is the auteur filmmaker behind some of the most visceral and visually stunning films of the last two decades, including the Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-nominated films I Am Love (2009), A Bigger Splash (2015), the Academy Award-winning film Call Me By Your Name (2017), Suspiria (2018), and the feature documentary Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams (2020). Bones and All (2022) won Guadagnino the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival 2022. Guadagnino made his TV debut with the HBO drama series We Are Who We Are (2020), which he created, directed, wrote, and produced. His film Challengers starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh OConnor, will be released in April 2024, and he is currently in post-production for his next feature based on William S. Burroughs novel Queer.

Commenting on this, Anupama Chopra, Festival Director, Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, said, It's a privilege to award these formidable artists. They have redefined and expanded our ideas of what cinema can be. We look forward to having them at Jio MAMI."

One of the key highlights of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival this year is going to be the masterclasses by these two veterans. India loves their work, and they are an inspiration for established as well as budding filmmakers across the world.
TEL AVIV: The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that Iran directly aided the Palestinian terror group Hamas before the October 7 attack on the Israeli border areas in which several people were killed and hundreds of others were kidnapped. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how.

Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel continues, the top ranking IDF official said that while addresing a press conference. It may be noted that Iran has acknowledged providing finance, training and supplying weapons to Hamas but has flatly denied a role in the attack on Israel.

Interestingly, the IDF on Tuesday said that its ground personnel massing on the southern border were ready to 'invade' Gaza, according to The Jerusalem Post. Briefing reporters at the country's southern border, IDF Chief-of-Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, "I want to be clear, we are ready to invade." He added that the IDF was in the process of deciding on the 'exact timing' of the ground invasion of Gaza in coordination with the country's political echelons.

Won't Stop Until We Crush Hamas: Netanyahu

Clearing the air on Israel's much-anticipated Gaza ground attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared on X that Israel has only one task at hand, which is to crush Hamas and it won't stop till the objective is accomplished. "With the fighters in the field, we have only one task -- to crush Hamas, and we will not stop until we complete the task," the Israeli PM stated.

Israeli Navy Prevents Hamas Sea Infiltration

In another critical development, the Israeli Navy successfully thwarted an infiltration attempt by a group of Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip into Israel via the sea on Tuesday evening, as reported by The Israel Times. The exact number of Hamas divers involved was not specified by the IDF. Nonetheless, estimates suggest it could have been between five to eight individuals.

This infiltration attempt raised alarms in the border communities of Zikim and Karmia, which have undergone evacuation following Hamas's October 7 assault on southern Israel. Essential personnel and local security teams are the only residents remaining in the area, which has been designated a closed military zone.

The IDF promptly responded by deploying a fighter jet, which carried out an airstrike on a compound believed to be the launching point for the terrorists.

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that the Navy forces, including naval commandos, were actively searching for any additional members of the terrorist cell in the sea. Their detection of the Hamas cell entering the sea from a tunnel originating from Gaza City's coast led to their elimination.

Hamas has claimed responsibility for the sea-borne attack attempt, stating that its members clashed with Israeli forces after allegedly infiltrating Israel. Subsequently, another infiltration warning sounded in Zikim, Karmia, and Netiv Ha'asara, but the IDF Home Front Command declared the incident over shortly afterwards, giving an all-clear signal.

This incident reflects the Israeli Navy's success in preventing multiple infiltration attempts via the sea, both during and following Hamas's October 7 invasion of southern Israel. It underscores the ongoing security challenges in the region.
New Delhi: The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, held a secret meeting with the top chiefs of Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday. The Israeli newspaper shared an image from social media X that showed Nasrallah with Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala. The image was accompanied by a tweet that said: Among other topics, discussions regarding the appropriate measures that Resistance Axis members must take to reach a definite victory in Gaza and Palestine took place.

The Axis of Resistance is a term used for a regional network of militias allied with Iran, Palestinian militants, Syria, Lebanons Hezbollah and other factions, according to the New York Times.

The Attacks From Lebanon

The meeting came after a series of attacks from Lebanon toward Israeli territory by Hezbollah and other terrorist cells. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that they struck a terrorist cell that tried to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon in the area of Har Dov, according to TPS, Israels independent news agency. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday that Iran directly helped Hamas before the October 7 attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people.

Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how, Hagari said in a press conference. He also said that Iran continued to assist Hamas with intelligence and online incitement against Israel, as quoted by the Times of Israel.

Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that the fight against Israel could spread to other fronts if Israel did not stop its bombardment of Gaza. Time is running out very fast, Amir-Abdollahian said in a live televised interview with Iranian state television. If the war crimes against the Palestinians are not immediately stopped, other multiple fronts will open and this is inevitable, the NYT reported.

The Response From Israel And US

Meanwhile, a Times of Israel report on Tuesday said that Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reaffirmed Beiruts commitment to a United Nations resolution that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, as cross-border fire along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel from Gaza, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel from Lebanons border with Israel, firing rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli towns and army positions and shooting at troops on a near-daily basis.

The IDF has responded by hitting the terror groups cells and posts in southern Lebanon, the Times of Israel said. IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the military had carried out strikes to eliminate 20 Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli daily said on October 23. IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Sunday that Hezbollah was playing a very dangerous game and escalating the situation.

He said that Hezbollah was dragging Lebanon into war. The US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin called for Hezbollah to stop its attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel, according to a readout of a call released Wednesday between him and Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, Al Arabiya reported. Austin also ordered the deployment of two US aircraft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean and the augmentation of fighter jets, the daily reported.
Beijing: As the diplomatic tensions continue with India over allegations related to the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, China has called on Canada to uphold the principles of "facts and truth" and cease disseminating what it refers to as "China-related lies."

Chinese Foreign Ministry Responds To Canada

Addressing the media in Beijing, Mao Ning, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, expressed concern that such misinformation could further strain the relationship between the two nations.

Canada Accuses China Of Spreading Disinformation

The Chinese response comes in the wake of accusations by Canada's Foreign Minister, Melanie Jolly, who suggested that an organization linked to China was responsible for spreading disinformation about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, senior officials, and Members of Parliament through online comments and "deepfake" videos.

China Rubbishes Canada's Claims

Mao Ning vehemently denied these allegations, stating, "The so-called statement by Canada's foreign ministry misrepresents facts and is very misleading, which makes trumped-up charges against China." She went on to emphasize China's strong condemnation of the Canadian Foreign Minister's statement, calling it deeply regrettable.

Canada Lacks Evidence: China

Furthermore, Mao Ning pointed out that Canada has accused China of disseminating disinformation against Canadian politicians on numerous occasions but has not presented any concrete evidence to support these claims. "It is the Canadian side that has been producing and spreading disinformation. We urge the Canadian side to respect facts and truth, stop spreading China-related lies, and stop words and deeds that would poison the atmosphere of China-Canada relations and damage bilateral relations," she added.

Mao Ning accused Canada of fabricating falsehoods about China's actions in Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong to tarnish its reputation. She urged Canada to "respect facts and truth, stop spreading China-related lies, and cease actions that could harm China-Canada relations and bilateral cooperation."
New York: In a strongly worded message, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has delivered a significant warning to Iran, vowing that the United States would respond with unwavering determination if Iran or its proxies were to attack American personnel. This comes as the Joe Biden administration works to prevent Iran from becoming involved in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Blinken addressed the United Nations Security Council, making it clear that the United States aims to avoid conflict with Iran and does not desire an escalation of the conflict. However, he emphasized that any attack by Iran or its proxies on US personnel would prompt an immediate and decisive response.

He also called upon other nations, including Russia and China, who are part of the 15-member Security Council, to dissuade Iran from opening a new front against Israel or attacking its allies. Furthermore, he stressed the need to hold Iran accountable should such actions occur.

Hamas Vs LeT

In his address, Blinken drew a parallel between the actions of Hamas in Israel and the Pakistan-based terror organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. He underscored that all acts of terrorism, whether targeting people in different parts of the world, are "unlawful and unjustifiable."

The Secretary of State stressed the Security Council's duty to condemn nations providing support to terrorist groups in the form of arming, funding, or training. This appeal was notably referencing the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulting in the loss of 166 lives, including six Americans.

Humanitarian Pauses In Gaza War

Blinken also called for "humanitarian pauses" in the Gaza conflict to protect Palestinian civilians. This falls short of a ceasefire, which the US has refrained from endorsing, in order to ensure Israel's right to respond to the October 7 attack on Hamas.

He criticized the international community for failing to explicitly condemn the October 7 Hamas attack, highlighting the importance of world leaders acknowledging the right and responsibility to respond to terror attacks against their citizens.

Israel's Call For UN Chiefs Resignation

In a separate development, Israel has demanded the resignation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres following his comments regarding the Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza. The Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, deemed Guterres "unfit" to lead the UN and called for his resignation.

This demand came after Guterres stated that the attacks by Hamas could not justify the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people," citing the decades of occupation, settlement expansion, and violence endured by the Palestinian population.

Humanitarian Crisis In Gaza

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported a dire situation, with over 5,000 Palestinians killed, including a significant number of children, women, journalists, medical workers, and first responders. Additionally, over 15,000 people have been injured, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian crisis in the region.
YAOUNDE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Armed bandits have abducted about 50 people in less than three days in Cameroon's North region, local security sources said Wednesday.

The bandits ambushed and kidnapped roughly 20 people in Touboro locality of the region Tuesday, barely 48 hours after they kidnapped 30 others in the same locality, several security officials told Xinhua.

On Tuesday night, a security official in the region told Xinhua that searches were underway to find the whereabouts of the hostages.

Media outlets in the region reported that people were beginning to pack their belongings and escape from the locality, which has become notorious for abductions.

Since 2021, Cameroon's North region, which shares a porous border with the conflict-torn Central African Republic, has been at the center of violent kidnappings by heavily armed bandits who target children and people traveling on highways for ransom. 
TEHRAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said on Wednesday the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states have ample capacities for economic cooperation, according to a statement published on the website of Mokhber's office.

He made the remarks in an address to reporters before leaving Tehran for Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek to attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States.

He said the SCO was a successful model of strategic regional cooperation, stressing Iran's numerous capacities in the industry, agriculture, modern technologies and energy sectors.

Mokhber expressed hope that Iran would be able to reach bilateral agreements on cooperation and partnership with the SCO member states during the meeting.

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji, who accompanies the first vice president on the trip, said on Wednesday that his ministry's agenda during the visit will be preparing the ground for supplying petrochemicals and other products to the SCO members, according to Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry.

He stressed that among other issues, he would discuss exporting Iran's technical and engineering services, making investments in the oil and gas sector and constructing energy transfer pipelines, especially for gas transit from Iran to Central Asian states.

The value of the trade between Iran and the SCO members reached 21.73 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year, from March 21 to Sept. 22, indicating a 10 percent year-on-year growth, said the spokesman of the Trade Promotion Commission of Iran's House of Industry, Mine and Trade Rouhollah Latifi on Wednesday, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Iran's full SCO membership was approved at the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO held via a video conference in July. 
India's ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region reached $2.68 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23, and over $774.5 million in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (2023-24).

According to a recent report by the Research & Promotion Department of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the total RMG exports from India to GCC countries was reported to be $1.83 billion on year 2022-23 and over $541 million up to July 2023.

To capitalise on the growing RMG export market to the MEA region, the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) is hosting a prestigious B2B trade show called 'Brands of India' at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Halls 6 & 7 from November 27 to 29, 2023.

Largest importer

The UAE was the largest importer of Indian RMG in the MEA region in 2022-23, with imports valued at $1.21 billion. During the first seven months of 2023-24, UAE imports of Indian RMG reached $368.78 million.

Supported by the Embassy of India, the Dubai Textile Merchants Association (TEXMAS), Dubai Chamber International, and Readymade Garments Merchants Group Dubai, 'Brands of India' is set to be India's largest apparel brands show in the Middle East. The trade show will bring together over 350 top Indian apparel brands, showcasing a diverse array of collections encompassing Indian ethnic wear, Western wear, and Fusion Wear across Men's wear, Women's wear, and Kid's wear categories.

'Brands of India' has been meticulously designed to serve as the primary destination for wholesalers, retailers, distributors, importers, and departmental chains from the Middle East and Africa region to conveniently connect with leading Indian apparel brands. The trade show will feature over 350 brands in Men's wear, Women's wear, and Kid's wear occupying 255 stalls and spread across 70,000 sq ft area at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Renowned brands such as Louis Philippe, BIBA, Soch, Stori, Cover Story, Sin, Ancestry, Indifusion, Touch, Dollar, Gini and Jony, Rachna Udyog, Siyaram, A-La Mode, Nostrum, Body Mark, and many others are participating in the show.

Timely and important

Rajesh Masand, President of CMAI, said: The 'Brands of India' trade show is a timely and important initiative for the Indian apparel industry. The Middle East & Africa are key export markets for our products, and this event will provide a unique platform for Indian brands to showcase their latest collections to a global audience of buyers. We are confident that the show will be a success and will help to further boost India's RMG exports to the region.

Jayesh Shah, Vice President of CMAI, says: The 'Brands of India' trade show is a testament to the growing strength and vitality of the Indian apparel industry. We are excited to bring together over 350 top Indian apparel brands under one roof to showcase their diverse and innovative collections to the world. The show is expected to attract a large number of buyers from the MEA region, and we are confident that it will generate significant business opportunities for Indian brands. We are also grateful for the support of the Embassy of India and the Dubai Textile Merchants Association in making this event possible.

Indian apparel brands have attained competitive pricing while adhering to international quality standards. However, currently, a majority of India's apparel exports are produced under the labels of buyers. Hence, there was a pressing need to establish a platform for the robust promotion of Indian apparel brands in the global marketplace. Aligned with the Government of India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives, the Brands of India show by CMAI represents a significant stride in offering the initial platform for both National and Regional apparel brands to venture into international opportunities, Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor, CMAI, further added.

Immersive experience

'Brands of India' promises an immersive experience where visitors can connect with Indian apparel brands and manufacturers, fostering new business relationships and exploring potential collaborations for mutual growth.

The strategic choice of Dubai as the tradeshow's location is purposeful, leveraging the city's global reputation for exceptional infrastructure, connectivity, free trade zones, and business-friendly policies, making it the optimal epicentre for international trade.

Some selected overseas buyers will be provided with privilege facilities such as one-night complimentary hotel stay, pre-fixed one-on-one meetings with participants of interest in Men's wear, Women's wear and Kids wear - casuals, ethnic and western formals, Arabic interpreter on request, access to on-site VIP lounge, and much more.

Some of the leading names to visit the Brands of India show include Lulu Group, Landmark Group, Apparel Group, Yellow Flower Group, Snow White Garments, BMA International, City Centre & Bait Awladona Co. (Kuwait) to name a few.--TradeArabia News Service
The 19th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival (CWICF) is being held in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province.

Over 2,200 domestic and international guests and acrobats from 31 countries and regions gather under one roof, making this year's festival the largest ever.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
SYDNEY, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A shooting in Australia's Sydney left a man suffering minor injury on Wednesday.

At about 4:10 p.m. local time, emergency services were called to Upper Pitt Street at Kirribilli - a harborside suburb on Sydney's north shore, after receiving multiple reports of shots being fired.

Upon arrival, officers found a man with a minor leg injury.

He is believed to be in his 30s and declined medical assistance.

New South Wales Police Force said that the cause of the man's injury remains unclear.

An investigation has commenced with a crime scene established.

The incident aroused safety concerns among local communities, as the suburb is packed with residential buildings and schools.

Both the Australian governor-general's residence Admiralty House and the prime minister's residence Kirribilli House are located several hundred meters away from the shooting scene. 
Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, meets with leading members of the Buddhist Association of China on its 70th anniversary in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning has called on the country's Buddhist community to contribute to realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remarks when meeting with leading members of the Buddhist Association of China (BAC) on Wednesday.

Wang congratulated the BAC on its 70th anniversary and extended greetings to all Buddhists and Buddhism believers in the country.

Since its founding, the BAC has played an active role in China's socialist modernization drive and contributed wisdom and strength to the prosperity of the country and rejuvenation of the nation, Wang said.

He stressed efforts to further adapt Buddhism to the Chinese context and promote friendly Buddhism exchanges with other countries. 

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, takes a group photo with leading members of the Buddhist Association of China on its 70th anniversary in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Gavin Newsom, governor of the U.S. state of California, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Noting that China and the United States, as the world's two largest economies, account for more than a third of the global economy and nearly a quarter of the world's population, and bilateral trade accounts for about a fifth of the global total, Xi said the interests of both sides are closely intertwined.

Xi said that the achievements of China-U.S. relations have not come easily and should be cherished all the more.

China's policy toward the United States is consistent, which is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Xi said, adding that China will continue to work in this direction and hopes that the United States will work with China in the same direction. 
BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday that China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to give full play to industrial complementarity and expand the scope and scale of economic and trade cooperation with a focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

In his meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Li said Kyrgyzstan is an important neighbor of China, adding that in May, President Xi Jinping and President Japarov lifted bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and jointly announced the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good neighborliness and shared prosperity, which, as a milestone in the history of bilateral relations, has charted the course for the development of bilateral relations and cooperation.

Li said China stands ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote greater development of bilateral cooperation in all areas, and build a stronger, more dynamic and effective community of a shared future with Kyrgyzstan to better benefit their people.

The Chinese side, Li said, is willing to deepen political mutual trust with the Kyrgyz side, always firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interest, further align their development strategies, deepen the integration of economic benefits, and continue to improve the quality and efficiency of bilateral cooperation.

Li also called on both sides to maintain the stability of the industrial and supply chains, build a multi-dimensional connectivity paradigm, and work for an early start of the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

He expects the two sides to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges on areas including tourism, women, youth and at the sub-national level, to promote the mutual understanding and amity between their people.

Li also called on the two countries to continue to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation, so as to jointly safeguard a secure and stable development environment.

The Chinese side is willing to reinforce communication and coordination with the Kyrgyz side on regional and international affairs, speed up the implementation of the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, closely coordinate within such multilateral mechanisms as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and safeguard the common interest of developing countries and international equity and justice, he added. 
BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- About 300 agricultural scientists and representatives from around the world convened in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday to attend the International Conference on Dryland Agriculture. The purpose of the conference was to promote science and technology in building a resilient dryland ecosystem and ensuring food security.

The conference, held by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, aims to enhance the global research and innovation in dryland agriculture.

Wu Kongming, president of the CAAS, said the sustainable development of dryland agriculture is crucial for ensuring global food and nutritional security, protecting the ecological environment, eradicating poverty, and improving people's livelihoods.

The CAAS and relevant scientific research institutions have developed planting models and technical equipment suitable for dryland, improving the efficiency of precipitation utilization in arid areas of northern China by seven percentage points, according to Wu.

Statistics show that dryland accounts for more than 80 percent of the world's arable land, covering more than 100 countries. Dryland agriculture provides 60 percent of the world's crops and supports 50 percent of livestock production.

Wu mentioned that currently global agriculture faces many challenges, such as climate change, intensified natural disasters, degradation of soil and water resources, rigid growth in food demand and a huge population suffering from hunger and malnutrition.

He said the CAAS has established cooperative relationships with over 100 countries and regions, as well as international organizations, and will work closely with its domestic and foreign counterparts to promote the sustainable development of dryland agriculture. 
The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 5,791, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Tuesday.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




















BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to continue to enhance political mutual trust with Kyrgyzstan, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, seek more points of common interest for mutual achievement and common development, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday.

Li made the remarks during his meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov. 
GAZA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Hamas-run Health Ministry on Tuesday warned of the possible outbreak of a major epidemic wave in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing Israeli airstrikes and siege on the Palestinian enclave.

Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said in a press statement that up to 3,150 cases of diseases were recorded in a single day after the outbreak of Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, with the most of them reported among children. The diseases included diarrhea, food poisoning, skin symptoms, scabies, and bronchial infections.

Due to overcrowding in shelter facilities, a lack of clean water, and poor personal hygiene, epidemic diseases have become increasingly prevalent, he said.

To prevent the spread of diseases, he called on the international community to provide immediate assistance and restore basic services in Gaza, including water, electricity, and sanitation.

Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, where they seized a large number of hostages. To respond, Israel launched massive airstrikes and punitive measures, including a siege on the enclave with supplies of water, electricity, fuel, and other necessities being cut off.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has so far killed nearly 5,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and more than 1,400 people in Israel. 
GlassPoint, a leader in decarbonising industrial process heat, on Wednesday (Oct 25) announced that it it will build a solar manufacturing facility and technology showcase in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA).

At full capacity, the factory will produce enough renewable energy solutions annually to generate 5,000 tons of solar steam each day, enough to offset four million MMBtus of gas and reduce carbon emissions by 200,000 tons each year, said a statement.

Products manufactured in the facility will be used for projects in the metals & mining, building materials and additional industrial sectors.

Last year, GlassPoint signed an MoU with the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) to develop the worlds largest solar process steam plant. The manufacturing facility will also support technology exports throughout the region, while helping to further diversify the Kingdoms economy and deepen its leadership as a technology export hub.

Under the partnership, MISA will provide support and advisory. GlassPoint will provide technology and operational expertise - from deploying the only solution proven at scale to decarbonise industrial heat.

Khalid Al-Falih, the Minister of Investment, stated: Saudi Arabia is committed to leading the region in economic development as well as sustainability. Our partnership with GlassPoint demonstrates important progress in doing both, while also diversifying our economy, strengthening supply chains and deepening high-tech leadership.

Asaad H Aljomoai, MD, Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, stated: MISAs partnership with GlassPoint will deepen the Kingdoms leadership in climate technology across the region. The new factory will play an important role in building some of the largest solar thermal projects in the world and also will create a new export market to advance renewable energy projects beyond our borders.

Rod MacGregor, CEO and founder of GlassPoint, stated: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has set a goal to generate 50% of its power from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2060. With support from MISA, GlassPoints new facilities will help deploy renewable energy across the Kingdom to help meet these targets. By helping decarbonise the industrial sector, we will improve the climate impact of hard-to-abate industries across the region and help meet rising demand for low-carbon materials.

The partnership is part of MISAs Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, which aims to attract strategic supply chains to Saudi Arabia and expand the Kingdoms market share in sectors essential to combating climate change. The agreement also represents progress towards achieving Saudi Vision 2030  a transformational plan that aims to diversify the countrys economy, society, and culture - as well as goals set out in the Saudi Green Initiative to create a greener future for all.

The news comes on the heels of GlassPoints recent funding round led by 300PPM to meet growing demand for proven solutions to decarbonise industrial process heat. The company recently added a slate of seasoned leadership to its board and opened a solar technology center in Stuttgart, Germany, to expand its innovation leadership.

GlassPoint is a leader in decarbonising the $444 billion industrial process heat market. By focusing on reducing emissions associated with the production of materials essential to the energy transition, GlassPoint is making a substantial impact on combating climate change. The company builds, owns and operates large-scale solar steam facilities to reduce carbon emissions in hard-to-abate industries such as mining and metals, chemicals, construction materials, desalination and more.

GlassPoint is the only solution proven at scale to reduce carbon emissions from industrial process heat and has built more than half of the industrial solar steam capacity in the world, the statement said. -TradeArabia News Service
by Xinhua writer Yuan Quan

JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The orbiting Tiangong space station will this week welcome its new residents, with rookie taikonaut Jiang Xinlin set to check in for a six-month stay alongside two other crew members.

"I am very much looking forward to the space travel, to enjoying the fun in zero gravity and exploring the wonders of the vast universe," the 35-year-old said in a pre-flight interview.

China is set to launch the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship on Thursday, sending taikonauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin to its space station to conduct various space science and application payload tests and experiments.

Like many of his predecessors, Jiang is a pilot-turned-taikonaut. But before reaching beyond the sky, he was also a ground-force tank driver.

Following his high school graduation in 2006, Jiang enrolled in an armored engineering institute of the People's Liberation Army. Training in harsh environments honed his operational skills and physical strength.

Controlling a heavy tank on the ground is similar to the underwater training that taikonauts undertake, with both requiring upper body strength, Jiang said.

The Air Force began recruiting pilots from military schools four years later, and Jiang was selected to become a fighter pilot trainee by the Aviation University of the Air Force, where he soon proved his extraordinary courage and skill.

Jiang won fame at the university by executing a safe emergency brake maneuver when he realized his engine speed indicator was abnormal just as he was beginning to take off. The beginner pilot did not hesitate and throttled down the engine decisively, opened the decelerating umbrella, braked to decelerate, and completed a smooth stop on the runway.

Years of hard work led Jiang to become increasingly fascinated by flight and cultivated his dream of soaring higher. In 2018, when China began recruiting its third group of taikonauts, Jiang applied for the selection.

He stood out and joined the taikonaut candidate pool in September 2020. Jiang has since received training that is much tougher than that undertaken by pilots.

He said that one of the most challenging exercises was sitting in the rotating chair, which is used for balance training to help reduce the effects of zero gravity on the human body in space. Jiang did not do very well at first, often feeling dizzy and sick, so he voluntarily undertook extra practice for several more weeks to improve his performance.

He excelled in field survival training and made significant efforts after being slated to join the upcoming Shenzhou-17 mission. His training tips and study of body language won recognition from his crewmates.

Born in a rural part of central China's Henan Province in 1988, Jiang has faced challenges since childhood. When he was young, he and his elder brother worked after-school jobs to lighten the burden on his parents.

Calm, candid and modest, the taikonaut said at a press conference on Wednesday that achieving his space dream is an "incredible honor," and that the country's development in the new era has provided him with the precious opportunity to showcase his skills.

He said he will cherish this opportunity to fly into space and fulfill his duty. 
CHONGQING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on art, design and manufacturing in Italy opened Wednesday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The exhibition, "The Source of Wisdom: Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Dante, and Italian Design and Manufacturing," features nearly 300 artworks and documents, including oil paintings, posters and magazines.

It is jointly held by the cultural center of the Italian Embassy in China, the Consulate General of the Republic of Italy in Chongqing, and the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

One part of the exhibition shows how Italian designers and artists in the 1900s drew inspiration from the works of Renaissance maestros such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello Sanzio and Dante Alighieri.

The other part features the works of young Italian artists in the early 1900s, showing the origin of Italian manufacturing and urban development.

A powerhouse in art design and fashion, Italy boasts a long history of design and artistic tradition. 
* China will launch the Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

* Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin will carry out the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission, with Tang Hongbo as the commander.

JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin will carry out the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission, with Tang Hongbo as the commander, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

The Shenzhou-17 crew has the youngest lineup since the construction of China's Tiangong space station started. It is also the first spaceflight team to consist of one veteran from China's second batch of astronauts and two space rookies from the third batch of astronauts.

The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship will be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, said at a press conference.

Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin for the upcoming Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission meet the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

After joining the second batch of Chinese astronauts in 2010, Tang Hongbo flew to space for the first time in the three-month Shenzhou-12 mission in June 2021, the first crewed mission for China's space station construction. He received a third-class medal and the honorary title "heroic astronaut" in November 2021.

As the commander of the Shenzhou-17 mission, Tang Hongbo will be the first astronaut to return to China's space station. He also set a new record for the shortest interval between two spaceflight missions by Chinese astronauts.

To return to the space station, Tang Hongbo completed his physical recovery and mental adjustment as quickly as possible, and underwent learning and training for the new mission at the same time. He was selected as a member of the Shenzhou-17 mission within a year of returning to Earth.

"I'm staying true to my mission to do a spaceflight for my country," he said at the press conference. "It never changes, and I have never slacked off."

The commander said he shared his flying experience without reservation and gave a rule of thumb to his crewmates: to err is human and therefore following the handbook closely is always the golden rule.

This undated photo shows Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin who will carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission. Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin will carry out the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission, and Tang Hongbo will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Wednesday. (Xinhua)

Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin are newcomers to space. They joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020.

Born in December 1989, Tang Shengjie is currently the youngest Chinese astronaut to carry out a space mission. He served in China's Air Force as a first-class pilot.

Born in a small village in northwest China's Gansu Province, he had to walk a long distance to school along a mountain road every day since he was six years old, and did so for eight years.

After graduating from high school, he entered China's Aviation University of Air Force and became a fighter pilot. In his nearly 13 years of service, he flew six types of aircraft.

From a young age, Tang Shengjie showed considerable hands-on ability. Villagers often asked him to repair their broken electrical appliances. These days, he has a particular talent for the professional skills training needed by astronauts. Every time there was an operational course, Tang Shengjie would feel very excited.

He enjoys photography very much, and is looking forward to watching beautiful planets from a different perspective in space and recording the wonders of the universe.

Like many of his predecessors, Jiang, born in February 1988, is a pilot-turned-astronaut. However, before venturing into the sky, he drove tanks. The control of a tank on the ground is quite similar to the underwater training for astronauts, as they both require upper-body strength, said Jiang.

He won fame at the university by executing a safe emergency brake maneuver when he realized his engine speed indicator was abnormal just as he was beginning to take off. The beginner pilot did not hesitate and throttled down the engine decisively, opened the decelerating umbrella, braked to decelerate, and completed a smooth stop on the runway.

Through years of hard work, Jiang became increasingly fascinated with flying and cultivated his dream of soaring higher. After being selected for the Shenzhou-17 crew, he focused on making the training more efficient and innovating with his team members. For instance, he studied body language and provided the crew with training tips to help improve their teamwork.

At Wednesday's press conference, Jiang said that achieving his space dream is an "incredible honor" and that the country's development in the new era has provided him with the precious opportunity to showcase his skills.

The trio will stay in orbit for about six months, Lin said at the press conference.

This photo taken on Oct. 19, 2023 shows the combination of the Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket being transferred to the launching area of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)

According to Lin, the Shenzhou-17 crew will perform various in-orbit space science and application payload tests and experiments. They will carry out extravehicular activities (EVAs), install extravehicular payloads and conduct space station maintenance and other tasks.

The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will perform extravehicular experimental maintenance for the first time, which is a very challenging task as the space station's solar wings have been hit by tiny space particles several times, causing minor damage, Lin added.

"I am confident in, committed to and capable of accomplishing the Shenzhou-17 mission with my two crew mates," said Tang Hongbo at Wednesday's press conference.

(Video reporters: Mei Yuanlong, Ruan Shuai, Jiang Sai, Peng Yuan, Ye Ziyan, Zhang Sheng; Video editors: Yu Jiaming, Jia Xiaotong, Zhang Yuhong, Liu Ruoshi, Wei Yin, Lin Lin) 
TOKYO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan's environment ministry has announced that it plans to provide emergency support to local governments over the recent surge in bear attacks on people.

The aid will be provided mainly to the northern prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Akita, where such incidents have happened frequently, to cover bear habitat surveys and subsidize the cost of implementing safety measures, the ministry told a press conference Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the number of people attacked by bears has been increasing at an unprecedented pace this fiscal year through next March, reaching 109 as of the end of September.

Calling the spike in the appearance of bears "an extraordinary situation," the ministry warned that due to the poor acorn crops this year, bears may wander near human residential houses until around December, when the animals go into hibernation. 
TOKYO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The China Film Week of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has concluded, with the Golden Crane Awards ceremony held in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Among the 13 films shown during the event, Lost in the Stars won the Golden Crane Award for the best film and Manifesto for the jury prize. Manifesto's director Hou Yong snatched the best director award while Chinese actor Liu Ye and actress Ni Ni won the best actor and actress awards, respectively.

Wu Jianghao, Chinese ambassador to Japan, said at the closing ceremony that using movies as a bridge can deepen mutual understanding between the people of the two countries and thus promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, the ambassador said, calling for taking this opportunity to revisit the original intention of signing the treaty, cement the foundation of friendship, and jointly push for the steady and lasting development of bilateral relations.

Japanese director Yojiro Takita, actress Youki Kudoh and other Japanese film industry figures attended the closing ceremony and served as the award-presenting guests.

Komaki Kurihara, vice president of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, said in her speech that she sincerely hopes that the film exchanges between Japan and China will enjoy rapid development in the future.

The 36th Tokyo International Film Festival will be held through Nov. 1. As part of the festival, the China Film Week was held on Oct. 17-24. 
BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov said Wednesday that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China on issues concerning China's core interests and backs China-proposed major initiatives.

Japarov made the remarks during a meeting here with visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang. He said that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China on issues involving China's core interests such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong, supports the Global Security Initiative and other major initiatives, and is willing to work with China to combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as transnational organized crimes. 
JIUQUAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will perform various in-orbit space science and application payload tests and experiments, a senior official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference on Wednesday.

They will carry out extravehicular activities (EVAs), install extravehicular payloads and conduct space station maintenance and other tasks, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:14 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will do extravehicular experimental maintenance for the first time, which is a very challenging task, Lin added.

With space debris increasing, their impact on long-term operating spacecraft is inevitable, Lin said. "Through preliminary inspections, we have found that the solar wings of the space station had been hit by tiny space particles several times, causing minor damages."

"Of course, we already took this into consideration in the design stage. At present, all functionality and performance indicators of the space station meet requirements," he added.

Lin said extravehicular experimental maintenance is geared towards the long-term operation of the space station and the verification of its technical capabilities.

The astronauts will also continue to assess the functioning and performance of the space station and test the coordination and compatibility of ground support centers in performing space station operation and management tasks, to further enhance the operating efficiency and fault correction capability of the space station, he said.

Lin confirmed that the space station is currently well supplied, even though only one Tianzhou cargo mission was launched this year.

"The supplies can support not only the astronauts' planned stay, maintenance and upgrading of the platform and large-scale in-orbit experimental tasks, but are also sufficient for an extra three-month astronaut stay in case of an emergency," Lin said.

The cargo cabin of the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, launched in May this year, was improved with its loading space and loading weight up by 24.3 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively, compared with its predecessors, he added.

A supplies information system connecting the ground and the space station has been established, which can realize accurate replenishment.

"We have developed the model based on the designed lifespan and use of the supplies. With the accumulation of in-orbit data during the space station construction, the model has become more and more accurate, which helps estimate subsequent needs precisely and replenish exactly what is needed," Lin said.

"Our strategy has always been to save enough for a rainy day," he added.

According to Lin, the Tianzhou-7 cargo craft that will be launched will carry supplies sufficient for the crews of the Shenzhou-17 and Shenzhou-18 missions to perform their in-orbit tasks.

The Shenzhou-17 crew consisting of Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, will take over from the in-orbit Shenzhou-16 crew, and will spend about six months on the space station, Lin said.

According to the official, the Shenzhou-16 mission has progressed smoothly. Its crew has carried out a total of 70 space experiments in areas such as aerospace medicine, life ecology, biotechnology, materials science, fluid physics and others, as well as eight research efforts on human-factors engineering.

The Shenzhou-16 crew also once performed an EVA, delivered a lecture from the space station, and assisted with the separation of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft from the space station combination during their stay in orbit, he added. 
BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Wednesday criticized a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Defense for its disregard of facts and distortion of China's national defense policy and military strategy.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the U.S. 2023 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, saying that the report hypes up the baseless "China's military threat."

He stressed that China is committed to peaceful development and pursues a defensive national defense policy. China's military development "targets no specific countries or objectives" and is "legitimate, legal, reasonable and moderate," Wu said.

On military-to-military relations between China and the United States, Wu said the U.S. side is singlehandedly responsible for the current difficulties and barriers facing the two militaries.

The spokesperson urged the U.S. side to stop fabricating stories, correct its wrong perception of China, and promote healthy and stable development of the relations between the two countries and their militaries with sincerity and concrete actions. 
GAZA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Three family members of Wael Al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera Arabic's bureau chief in Gaza, were killed by an Israeli airstrike, Palestinian security and medical sources said on Wednesday.

An Israeli raid on two houses in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed several people, including the wife, son, and daughter of Al-Dahdouh, said local medical sources.

Despite being forced to relocate to the southern part of the Gaza Strip in search of safety, the Al-Dahdouh family was targeted, according to a statement released by the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior in Gaza. The relocation followed Israel's evacuation call ordering some 1 million people to move to the southern part of the besieged enclave on Oct. 13.

Footage on Al Jazeera English news channel shows Al-Dahdouh entering a hospital to see his killed family members.

In a statement released on social platform X, Al Jazeera confirmed the death of Al-Dahdouh's family members and extended condolence.

"The Al Jazeera Media Network extends its sincere condolences and sympathy to our colleague Weal Al-Dahdouh on the loss of his family in an Israeli airstrike," the statement said.

"Al Jazeera is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our colleagues in Gaza and hold the Israeli authorities responsible for their security," it added.

According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, 24 journalists have been killed, some with their families, and dozens more have been wounded since the beginning of the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, to which Israel responded with massive airstrikes and punitive measures, including a siege on the enclave with supplies of water, electricity, fuel, and other necessities being cut off.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has so far killed more than 6,500 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and more than 1,400 people in Israel. 
A ceremony to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fight in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea is held at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Oct. 25, 2023. Kang Yun Sok, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), and Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun, together with the representatives from the DPRK and China, attended the ceremony. (Chinese embassy in the DPRK/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fight in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea was held on Wednesday in Pyongyang at the Friendship Tower.

Kang Yun Sok, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), and Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun, together with the representatives from the DPRK and China, attended the ceremony.

After solemnly performing national anthems of China and DPRK, wreaths were placed at the base of the Friendship Tower. Written on the ribbons of the wreaths were letters reading "Martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers will Be Immortal" and "In honor of Martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers".

In his high appraisal of the historical significance of the entry of CPV into the Korean front, Kang said that the ruling party, the government and the people of the DPRK will never forget the heroic feats of the CPV, the outstanding sons and daughters of the Chinese people, who made tremendous sacrifice and indelible contribution in the victory of the Fatherland Liberation War of the DPRK and in defense of the revolutionary causes of the two countries.

Ambassador Wang said that the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, built in person and nurtured with special care by the older generations of the Chinese and DPRK leaders, is cemented with the blood shed by the armed forces and the people of the two countries in the arduous war.

Wang expressed his confidence that the two countries will inherit the invaluable friendship and keep pushing the bilateral ties forward in pursuit of their shared prosperity.

On the same day, ceremonies to mark the anniversary were also held at CPV cemeteries in Hoichang, Anju and Kaesong of the DPRK.

In parallel with the commemorating events, the DPRK's leading newspapers on Wednesday published articles dedicated to the special occasion. 

A ceremony to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fight in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea is held at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Oct. 25, 2023. Kang Yun Sok, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), and Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun, together with the representatives from the DPRK and China, attended the ceremony. (Chinese embassy in the DPRK/Handout via Xinhua)
Industry leaders have been told achieving environmental targets in ocean freight shipping requires major efforts and investments.

The reminder came during the annual Xeneta Summit taking place in Amsterdam, which sees key industry figures come together to discuss the major issues facing ocean freight shipping.

Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive of Hapag Lloyd  one of the worlds most powerful shipping liner companies, delivered a keynote speech to delegates during which he emphasised the necessity for the industry to further step up their efforts.

Volatile and cyclical

He said: Shipping remains the most cost-effective and eco-friendly mode of transport, but the industry is highly volatile and cyclical.

After some exceptional years, we have returned to rougher seas, with low freight rates and imbalances between supply and demand impending.

Aspects such as maintaining a competitive cost position, making sensible investments for better market access, and delivering high quality will become even more important.

And so will decarbonisation  despite rising funding costs and the question of alternative fuel availability, the sector must prioritise cleaner practices and lower-emission transport solutions. This will require we invest in and form partnerships to help scale up especially the production of green fuels.

After all, sustainability is a collective task and together we can move faster than alone.

Current market unsustainable

This years summit follows the release of Xenetas Ocean Freight Shipping Outlook 2024 which branded the current market as unsustainable.

Combined with the impending introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and more stringent application of the IMOs Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) in 2024, it is unsurprising the green agenda topped the bill during the Xeneta Summit.

Patrik Berglund, Xeneta Chief Executive, told delegates he believes carbon emissions targets are unrealistic in the current financial climate.

He said: In the decade prior to Covid-19 ocean shipping liners hardly made any money and there was massive consolidation in the industry. Then during the pandemic, they made a fortune in the space of a couple of years.

Now were asking them to risk all that financial security by investing vast sums of money on the infrastructure needed to achieve carbon emissions targets.

Colossal risk

History tells us that is a colossal risk to take on when you consider there are absolutely no guarantees the currently unsustainable market will turn in the favour of the ocean shipping liners.

Berglund echoed comments made by Jansen regarding collective responsibility and warned shippers they will have to pay their way if they want a greener future.

He said: Currently, shippers are saying they are going to pay so little to transport their goods around the world that the ocean shipping liner companies will lose money. Then in the next breath they are asking those same companies to invest staggering sums of money on new, climate-friendly vessels.

Unfortunately, the harsh reality of business will always prevail and environmental responsibilities will be cast aside in favour of financial sustainability.

Everyone has good intentions when it comes to protecting the environment, but no one is prepared to pick up the bill. Without a change in attitudes the carbon emissions targets are doomed to failure.

Index-based pricing

Xeneta is the worlds leading ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and analytics platform and delegates at the summit discussed ways for the industry to move forward, including the introduction of index-based pricing.

Berglund added: Index-based pricing instruments could provide greater transparency and fairness from a shipper perspective and hedge some of the risk from an ocean shipping liner perspective, so they feel more able to invest in the future.--TradeArabia News Service
Palestinians walk amid the rubble of destroyed buildings after Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Oct. 25, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

The number of internally displaced people is now estimated at more than 1.4 million, including nearly 590,000 people sheltering in UNRWA-designated shelters.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached an unprecedented point.

The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, which is by far the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza, warned that the agency will be forced to halt all operations by Wednesday night unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately.

Hospitals are shutting down as they lack fuel, water, medical supplies and personnel. Fuel is being severely rationed for a select number of critical facilities. The backup generators are not designed for continuous operation and could break, said OCHA.

UN personnel visited hospitals on Tuesday. In one hospital, they noted hundreds of wounded men, women and children. Many of them were unconscious, with open wounds - lying on beds, stretchers and on the floor - with limited medical attendance. In the yard, there was a tent with tens of dead bodies, including children. Many of the dead are kept there because the morgues are full, it said.

A Palestinian boy walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings after Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Oct. 25, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Food stocks are running out. The World Food Programme estimates that current supplies of essential food in Gaza are sufficient for about 12 days. However, at shops, the available stock is expected to last for only five days, said OCHA.

People are resorting to drinking well water, which is extremely high in salt and poses immediate health risks. Health partners have also detected cases of chickenpox, scabies and diarrhea due to poor sanitation conditions and consumption of water from unsafe sources, it said.

The number of internally displaced people is now estimated at more than 1.4 million, including nearly 590,000 people sheltering in UNRWA-designated shelters. More than 15 percent of the displaced are estimated to have disabilities, yet most shelters are not adequately equipped for their needs, it said.

Local authorities report that more than 40 percent of all housing units in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged, said OCHA. 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached an unprecedented point.

The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, which is by far the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza, warned that the agency will be forced to halt all operations by Wednesday night unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately.

Hospitals are shutting down as they lack fuel, water, medical supplies and personnel. Fuel is being severely rationed for a select number of critical facilities. The backup generators are not designed for continuous operation and could break, said OCHA.

UN personnel visited hospitals on Tuesday. In one hospital, they noted hundreds of wounded men, women and children. Many of them were unconscious, with open wounds - lying on beds, stretchers and on the floor - with limited medical attendance. In the yard, there was a tent with tens of dead bodies, including children. Many of the dead are kept there because the morgues are full, it said.

Food stocks are running out. The World Food Programme estimates that current supplies of essential food in Gaza are sufficient for about 12 days. However, at shops, the available stock is expected to last for only five days, said OCHA.

People are resorting to drinking well water, which is extremely high in salt and poses immediate health risks. Health partners have also detected cases of chickenpox, scabies and diarrhea due to poor sanitation conditions and consumption of water from unsafe sources, it said.

The number of internally displaced people is now estimated at more than 1.4 million, including nearly 590,000 people sheltering in UNRWA-designated shelters. More than 15 percent of the displaced are estimated to have disabilities, yet most shelters are not adequately equipped for their needs, it said.

Local authorities report that more than 40 percent of all housing units in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged, said OCHA. 
JERUSALEM, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel allocated a total of 400 million shekels (98.38 million U.S. dollars) to empower hi-tech startups during its ongoing conflict with Hamas, the state's Finance Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Last week, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) allocated 100 million shekels to support the newly established hi-tech companies, and now Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has decided to quadruple the amount.

The move aims to fortify Israel's hi-tech sector during a period of uncertainty, providing vital support to startups facing difficulties in raising capital from their existing investors during the current conflict, according to the statement.

It noted that this is the first in a series of further short- and long-term provisions the ministry is working on with the IIA while maintaining continuous collaboration and coordination with the hi-tech industry.

Last week, the IIA approved a series of relief and supportive measures for hi-tech companies to help them deal with the difficulties that have arisen since the outbreak of the conflict with Hamas.

In a survey issued by the IIA on Monday, over 80 percent of the Israeli hi-tech companies that took part in the survey reported that they were harmed by the ongoing conflict. 
Palestinians transfer an injured man after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

GAZA/BEIRUT, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement.

Over the past two days, Israel has intensified airstrikes and artillery shelling against the Gaza Strip, said Palestinian security sources and local eyewitnesses. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday Israel's aerial bombardment and artillery shellings have increased three-fold compared to previous days.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it identified at least two Hamas "terrorists" that attempted to infiltrate Israeli territory in the area of Zikim via the sea, after Hamas armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades said its fighters had infiltrated Israel's Zikim base in Ashkelon and clashed with its forces.

On Wednesday morning, the IDF said on social media platform X that its extensive attacks on Gaza during the past day had eliminated Hamas operatives and infrastructure, including tunnel shafts, military headquarters, munitions warehouses and mortar bomb and anti-tank missile launchers.

The Israeli airstrikes and punitive measures, including a siege on the enclave with supplies of water, electricity, fuel, and other necessities being cut off, were triggered by a large-scale Hamas attack on Israeli military targets and towns on Oct. 7, which has so far killed at least 1,400 people in Israel.

On Wednesday, 10 Palestinians were killed in an aircraft bombardment on "the only bakery" in the al-Mughazi refugee camp in central Gaza, which also destroyed several surrounding houses, said Salama Maarouf, head of the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, said only four of the 24 bakeries it contracted still supply bread for shelters, warning that most of the remaining ones might close soon due to fuel shortages.

Hamas media office said that Israel had bombed Gaza with more than 12,000 tons of explosives, equals to dropping 33 tons per square km, leading to the damages of more than 183,000 housing units, or 50 percent of all housing in Gaza.

Salama Maarouf said during a press conference that one person out of every 100 citizens in the Palestinian enclave was either killed or injured in Israel's continuous attacks, and about 1,400,000 people, or 70 percent of Gaza's population, have been internally displaced, many of whom seek refuge in 222 shelter centers.

Also on Tuesday, a Palestinian spokesman warned of a "total collapse" of the health system in Gaza due to power outage and the exhaustion of fuel needed to operate generators in hospitals.

Ashraf Al-Qudra, spokesman for the Gaza-based Health Ministry, told a press conference that Israeli attacks had so far killed 65 medical staff, destroyed 25 ambulances, and made 12 hospitals and 32 health centers in the Palestinian enclave inoperable.

Al-Qudra said Gaza faces a possible outbreak of infections, as 3,150 cases of diseases, ranging from diarrhea, food poisoning, scabies and bronchial infections were reported in a day since the ongoing conflict, with most of them reported among children, due to the lack of clean water and poor sanitation in shelter facilities.

At the same time, the Israeli army continued to threaten a ground invasion into Gaza, raising fears of prolonging the round of fighting and the possibility of expanding the escalation into a regional war.

IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi said Tuesday the troops are honing tactical preparedness while awaiting a joint decision from "the political level regarding the essence and timing of the next stage."

Speaking to a Security Council open debate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that the protection of civilians holds paramount importance in any armed conflicts, urging relevant parties to refrain from "using them as human shields" or ordering millions "to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself."

Guterres voiced deep concern over "the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza," repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Tensions are also growing along the Israeli-Lebanese border and in Syria. In southern Lebanon, three Hezbollah fighters were killed on Wednesday evening by the Israeli army on the border, raising the total number of Hezbollah deaths to 44 since the fighting broke out, the Lebanese Shiite military group said in a statement.

Hezbollah said it had attacked the Israeli "Branit" barracks with missiles and artillery shells, and a military target near the Hadab Al-Bustan site in the western sector of the border with occupied Palestine and two Israeli sites of Hanita and Al-Bahri with guided missiles, destroying their equipment.

In Syria, the Aleppo International Airport in the north was damaged in an Israeli missile attack on Wednesday, hours after another missile launched from the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights killed eight Syrian military personnel in the southern province of Daraa, the Syrian army said. 

Palestinians conduct rescue work at destroyed buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians are seen after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians are seen on a street after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians conduct rescue work at destroyed buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians are seen on a street after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians transfer an injured man after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Oct. 25, 2023 shows a temporary shelter for displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A displaced Palestinian boy is seen in a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A displaced Palestinian girl is seen in a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A displaced Palestinian girl is seen in a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Displaced Palestinian children are seen in a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Oct. 25, 2023 shows a temporary shelter for displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A displaced Palestinian boy is seen in a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A displaced Palestinian girl is seen in a temporary shelter in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 25, 2023. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,546, said the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 17,439 Palestinians were wounded in the coastal enclave, the ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
Ren Weidong (C), deputy editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, attends the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII7) forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2023. The forum kicked off on Tuesday in Riyadh under the theme "The New Compass." (Xinhua/Wu Zhongmin)

RIYADH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 7th Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference kicked off on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, with Xinhua News Agency participating as the event's media partner.

Xinhua's Deputy Editor-in-Chief Ren Weidong attended the opening ceremony of the conference.

Dubbed "Davos in the Desert," the FII conference is the largest international investment and innovation forum in the Middle East, attracting a large number of political and business leaders every year.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, FII Institute CEO Richard Attias said the future of human values is a topic of profound importance, especially as the world stands at the threshold of a new era.

He said that work should continue at an accelerated pace on emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, and building strong ethical frameworks for technological use to safeguard human rights and dignity as well as to ensure transparency.

The three-day event this year brings together 6,000 participants from more than 90 countries and regions, and 500 local and international speakers from different sectors, said Attias.

About 300 Chinese delegates attended this year's event, doubling the number of last year, he said.

A man reads a magazine at the exhibition stand of Xinhua News Agency during the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII7) forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2023. The forum kicked off on Tuesday in Riyadh under the theme "The New Compass." (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
LIMA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and dozens injured after two passenger buses collided head-on in early morning Wednesday in the southern Peruvian department of Cusco, authorities said.

The accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. local time at kilometer 60 of the Espinar-Cusco roadway in Espinar province, the Superintendence of Ground Transportation of People, Cargo and Goods (Sutran) said in a statement.

One of the buses was traveling the Cusco-Arequipa route and the other was going in the opposite direction when they collided head on.

Both bus operators were registered in the National System of Ground Transportation and have Compulsory Traffic Accident Insurance, according to Sutran.

Cusco health authorities said regional hospital personnel were attending to the many injured.

Radio Programas del Peru added that due to the high number of injured victims, the Espinar Fire Brigade requested backup from police and even local residents.

Authorities said they have launched an investigation to determine the causes of the accident. 
MAPUTO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique will import chickens from Brazil and Turkey to ease a shortage of supply following a ban on poultry products from neighboring South Africa, which is facing an avian influenza outbreak.

Mozambican importers are authorized to buy around 4,000 metric tons of chickens from these two countries and the products are expected to arrive in about a month, said Americo Conceicao, national director of livestock development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tuesday.

Local producers can also import hatching eggs from Brazil and Turkey to guarantee the production process, Conceicao added.

Prices of chickens and eggs have gone up in Mozambique since the government suspended poultry imports last week from South Africa, where avian flu, caused by the H5N8, H5N1, H5N2 and H7 strains, was detected in its Gauteng, North West, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State, Kwazulu Natal and Eastern Cape provinces. 
TUNIS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian government announced Tuesday a series of measures to support Palestinian students in Tunisian colleges through a difficult time for their country.

"Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Moncef Boukthir decided to grant Palestinian students who are registered in the various public establishments of higher education in our country, for the 2023-2024 academic year, accommodation in hostels and university cities," said a statement by his ministry.

The ministry also decided to extend university scholarships to students enrolled in professional master's programs, said the statement, adding that Tunisian universities are directed to monitor and provide the necessary psychological support for Palestinian students.

The ministry reiterated its call for people from the educational sector to donate for the brotherly Palestinian people, including students, in coordination with the Tunisian Red Crescent.

Israel have launched massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip after a surprising Hamas attack on Israeli military targets and towns on Oct. 7. Since then, the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has killed nearly 5,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and more than 1,400 people in Israel. 
CAPE TOWN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- South Africa called on BRICS countries to make joint efforts to achieve a sustainable recovery in the tourism industry during a high-level meeting held on Tuesday in Cape Town, the country's legislative capital.

"It is an opportunity for BRICS members to reach a consensus on key policy priorities for a more just and sustainable tourism recovery," said South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille during the opening session of the BRICS Tourism Ministers Meeting. The meeting, themed "Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Recovery," is scheduled to run until Thursday.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. During the group's summit held in August in South Africa, BRICS leaders agreed to invite six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join the group. Their full membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

In her speech, De Lille noted that in the declaration of the BRICS summit held in August, BRICS heads of state acknowledged the urgent need for recovery in the tourism industry and the importance of increasing mutual tourist flows.

"We are here today to agree on a way forward and an action plan," De Lille said. "This is reason enough for BRICS tourism ministers and countries to come together and collaborate to grow our sectors and economies."

Citing the United Nations World Tourism Organization, De Lille said that international arrivals could reach 80 to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

"This recovery provides an opportunity to implement transformational shifts as the travel and tourism sector creates a more resilient and inclusive future," she said.

The South African tourism minister also called on BRICS members to align tourism strategies with the six lines of action, which include public health, social inclusion, biodiversity conservation, combating climate change, ensuring a circular economy that empowers all, and a commitment to fair and transparent governance and finance.

"Our collective recovery of tourism must be measured beyond economic impacts," she stressed. "A fairer development model is called for." 
KHARTOUM, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Wednesday announced that their delegations had arrived in Saudi Arabia's port city of Jeddah to resume a new round of negotiations.

"Based on the SAF's belief that negotiation is one of the means that may end the war, we accepted the invitation to go to Jeddah to complete what was previously agreed upon, which is the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration, to facilitate the humanitarian work and the return of our citizens and normal life to the cities where the rebels wreaked havoc looting, burning, random bombing and raping," the SAF said in a statement, stressing that the resumption of talks does not mean the cessation of armed confrontations against the RSF.

The RSF, for its part, said in a statement on Wednesday that "in response to the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America to resume negotiations, our negotiating delegation arrived in Jeddah today."

"We hope that the other party will show credibility, realism, and the will to reach a solution that will stop the war and end the suffering of our people," the statement said.

The RSF further expressed willingness to reach a peaceful settlement for the conflict and achieve the aspirations of the Sudanese people in building the Sudanese state on new foundations and rebuilding one professional national army.

The Jeddah peace talks were suspended in July over fundamental differences between the Sudanese warring parties.

Since May 6, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been patronizing negotiations between the Sudanese warring parties in Jeddah. Several truces have been reached and breached since then, with the two sides accusing each other of violating them.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry.

According to the UN International Organization for Migration, nearly 5.8 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan due to the prolonged conflict between the SAF and the RSF. 
G42, the leading UAE-based technology group, announced the establishment of a new dynamic entity, called Core42, at Gitex Global 2023 in Dubai. Core42, the result of the merger of three of G42s existing businesses, G42 Cloud, Inception, and Injazat, will focus on the delivery of national-scale enterprise AI solutions and services.

The establishment of Core42, which will be led by G42s Group CTO Kiril Evtimov, is poised to play a unique role in the technology landscape by providing a holistic platform capable of delivering on UAEs digital transformation agenda and leading the export of ICT innovation to international enterprises and governments.

Following the announcement, Core42 entered into strategic partnerships with Arcanna.AI, a pioneering provider of decision intelligence for cybersecurity, Hader Security & Communications Systems, an Abu Dhabi-based systems integrator, and the UAEs Artificial Intelligence Office.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hader Security & Communications Systems, an Abu Dhabi-based systems integrator, was aimed at equipping critical entities with advanced safety and security systems. The agreement was formalised at Gitex Global by Mohamad Tabbara, CEO of Hader, and Ihsan Anabtawi, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Core42.

Over the next three years, the efforts of this partnership will focus on exploring key solutions and opportunities to provide digital solutions for mission-critical sectors and infrastructure such as public services and oil and gas.

Under the agreement, both parties will work cohesively to provide their customers with an array of services that include telecommunication systems equipment installation and maintenance, VAaaS (Video Analytics as a Service), PCaaS (PC as a service), development of public safety systems and retail sale of alarm and surveillance apparatuses and equipment.

The MoU with UAEs Artificial Intelligence Office, an Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications organisation, hoped to drive a robust Emiratisation AI programme. This initiative encompasses comprehensive training programmes designed to strengthen collaboration structures within technical fields and promote the development of national talent in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence and coding.

The MoU was signed by Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Kiril Evtimov.

The partnership between Arcanna.AI and Core42, aimed at achieving the next-generation AI cybersecurity synergy. Arcanna.AI said that this collaboration signifies a remarkable leap forward in the integration of advanced AI technology into SOC operations.

Core42s approach to security is more advanced than traditional SOCs which are designed for specific needs with limited use-cases, it added.

Through Core42s Cyber Fusion Centre, it provides a predictive and proactive approach to prevent security threats from happening at all. The integration of Arcanna.AI into Core42's SOC operations underscores their commitment to advancing SOC capabilities further and their unwavering belief in the power of AI-human collaboration.

Cristian Ruta, COO of Arcanna.AI, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "It's a tremendous privilege to unite with Core42. This underlines the paramount importance Core42 places on its SOC operations, business efficiency, and precision."

Anabtawi, said: By combining the expertise of our skilled security analysts and engineers with cutting-edge applications like Arcanna.AI, Core42 offers customers a comprehensive perspective on cybersecurity, enabling them to navigate their businesses with heightened awareness, security, and efficiency.  TradeArabia News Service
VIENTIANE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to enhance their partnership in the field of culture and the arts, aiming to promote the role of ASEAN culture and the arts for inclusion and sustainability.

According to the Lao national TV report on Wednesday, the topic is under discussion by ASEAN delegates at the 19th Meeting of Senior Officials Responsible for Culture and Arts and related meetings with dialogue partners from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The meeting was held in Vangvieng district of Laos' Vientiane province under the theme "Promoting the Role of ASEAN Culture and the Arts in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic for Sustainable Development".

Among those attending the meeting are the Deputy Governor of Vientiane province Daoheuang Nanthavong, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Social-Cultural Community Ekkaphab Phanthavong, and ambassadors of ASEAN member states, Timor Leste and ASEAN Plus Three countries.

Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket said, "We are aware that culture and the arts is an important sector under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Pillar as a crucial driver of economic growth and sustainable development, as well as in forging closer friendship and cooperation, not only within ASEAN but beyond.."

"The sector plays a strong role in implementing and realizing the ASEAN Strategic Plan for Culture and Arts 2016-2025 and the ASCC Blueprint 2025," she told the meeting.

ASEAN has a unique identity, cultural and arts diversity, traditions, languages and religions. Even though there are differences, the people of ASEAN live together peacefully and harmoniously, fostering mutual assistance and people-to-people links through effective and efficient ASEAN cooperation, especially in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and best practices of traditions in order to achieve the sustainable development and prosperity of each ASEAN nation.

Suanesavanh said Laos acknowledges the significant role of ASEAN culture and arts in promoting inclusion and sustainability.

"We therefore will include culture and the arts as one of the ASCC priorities and key deliverables during Laos' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024."

In conjunction with its rotating ASEAN chairmanship next year, Laos is rolling out the Visit Laos Year 2024 tourism campaign, centered on a variety of tourism events throughout the year. 
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had over 300 flights canceled in the last 10 days due to the shortage of fuel and a financial crunch, a spokesperson of PIA said on Wednesday.

The fuel shortage arose after the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) cut the fuel supply to PIA over unpaid dues, Abdullah Hafeez Khan, the spokesperson of the national carrier, told Xinhua.

A total of 51 flights were canceled on Tuesday alone, including 27 on domestic routes, said the spokesperson.

"We are in a crisis," Muhammad Aamir Memon, PIA's General Manager Brand, told Xinhua. 
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The decade-old Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China has become a catalyst for regional and global economic growth and property, Cambodian experts said here on Wednesday.

Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center, said the BRI is not just a framework for infrastructure development, it's a catalyst for economic progress and prosperity.

"It has been a catalyst for economic growth, cultural exchange, and diplomatic collaboration on a global scale," he said at the second Phnom Penh Forum, hosted by the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, a think tank under the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

"It is a vision for a better-connected world," he added.

Chandarith said the BRI is not just an infrastructure project, it's a testament to the power of international cooperation, connectivity, and shared aspirations.

"It has ushered in an era of economic growth, promoting trade, investment, and infrastructure development," he said. "The initiative's cultural exchange programs and diplomatic collaborations have nurtured an atmosphere of shared humanity, mutual respect, and intercultural dialogue."

The BRI consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It was initiated by China in 2013 to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Chandarith said the BRI's infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, railways, ports, airports, and telecommunications systems have not only bridged regional gaps, but also improved transportation efficiency and facilitated the flow of goods and services.

He added that the initiative has promoted economic integration among participating countries, striving to break down trade barriers, streamline customs procedures, and create a more open and inclusive trading environment.

"The BRI has created opportunities for businesses, stimulated economic growth, and encouraged cross-border trade," he said. "It has become a symbol of unity, inclusivity, and shared prosperity."

For Cambodia, the expert said the BRI has brought forth infrastructure development projects that have improved transportation networks, attracted foreign investment, and boosted trade.

"These developments have the potential to spur economic diversification, create jobs, and alleviate poverty, empowering communities and improving the quality of life for millions of people," he said.

Chandarith said thanks to the BRI, Cambodia has also seen the establishment of two significant airports, namely the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and the new Phnom Penh International Airport, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, and the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, which are transforming the economic landscape of the Southeast Asian country.

"The two new international airports are pivotal in improving air connectivity, not only facilitating tourism but also enabling smoother trade and business interactions," he said. "Furthermore, the establishment of special economic zones and industrial parks are encouraging foreign investment and industrial development."

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said the BRI has provided enormous opportunities for international cooperation, contributing to sustainable and high-quality development in countries along the Belt and Road in the areas of transport infrastructure, renewable energy, green finance, digital connectivity, and healthcare, among others.

"The BRI has opened new doors of opportunities, infrastructure development, innovation, and connectivity through digital and technological cooperation, and creating job opportunities for youths of the region," he said at the forum.

"For Cambodia, BRI projects have not created a debt trap at all because most of the projects here have been developed under the form of Build-Operate-Transfer," he said. "Moreover, Cambodia's total public debt is still far below the threshold of 40 percent." 
NEW DELHI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- India on Wednesday announced the resumption of visa services in Canada, said an official source in India's Ministry of External Affairs.

An official announcement in this regard by the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said that the decision was taken "after a considered view of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard."

The resumption of selected visa services by India in Canada would begin with effect from Thursday.

Over a month ago, India suspended visa services to Canadian nationals because of the "safety and security considerations" of the Indian diplomats in Canada.

The two countries had been engaged in a diplomatic row for the past few weeks after the Canadian government blamed India for the killing of a religious leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. 
VIENTIANE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Lao National Assembly's ninth legislature will convene for its sixth ordinary session from Oct. 31 to Nov. 21 to discuss and seek solutions to ongoing problems that are hindering the country's development.

During the session, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will report on the progress made under the National Socio-economic Development Plan for 2021-2025, outline the plan of work for the next two years until the end of 2025, summarize the work done in 2023, and inform members of the plan for 2024, Lao national radio on Wednesday quoted Secretary of the National Assembly Pingkham Lasasima as telling a press conference on Tuesday.

Assembly members will also hear a report on the government's budget plans for 2021 to 2025, the budget planned to the end of 2025, the implementation of the budget in 2023, and the budget for 2024.

There will also be a summary of the attempts made to address the country's dire financial situation under the National Agenda for 2021-23, which was devised to find solutions to economic and financial issues.

Another report will be presented on the work undertaken to tackle the drug problem under the National Agenda for 2021-23 aimed at suppressing the drug trade.

The State Audit Organization and the State Inspection Authority will report on their work plans for 2021 to 2025, with summaries of the achievements made in 2023 and the plans for 2024 to be delivered.

The People's Supreme Court and Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor of Laos will also present reports on their plans for 2021 to 2025, their work plan until the end of 2025, work accomplished in 2023, and the plan of work for 2024.

Members will debate two new laws on special economic zones and public health, and will consider amendments to laws on treatment, accounting, debt repayment, the judicial process, and the monitoring of the National Assembly and Provincial People's Councils.

The National Assembly will report on its work plan for 2021 to 2025, plans for fulfillment by the end of 2025, the implementation of plans in 2023, and the plan of work for 2024.

Assembly members will comment on the progress made by the government in the socio-economic development, budget, and finance plans for 2021 to 2025. 
KABUL, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 50,000 Afghan refugees have returned from Iran to their homeland Afghanistan in the past month, reported the state-run news agency Bakhtar on Wednesday.

In the past month, a total of 57,382 Afghan refugees have returned after years of stay in neighboring Iran, the report said.

A few days ago more than 5,100 Afghan refugees returned from neighboring Pakistan.

More than 2.5 million Afghan refugees have been living in Pakistan, and the same number in Iran, who were people fleeing foreign invasions and conflicts in Afghanistan over the past four decades.

Reportedly, more than 200,000 Afghan refugees have returned from Pakistan and Iran in the past year. 
VLADIVOSTOK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia have resumed sea passenger transport linking Japan after a long break, local media reported Wednesday.

The Russian shipping company Vostok Tour was approved to launch liner ships between Vladivostok and the Japanese port of Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture this week.

The first boat Pleyona departed for Japan on Monday, carrying only a few passengers. Liner ships will be operated once a week, the company said. And the ship can accommodate up to 43 passengers.

Vostok Tour said that they had never operated sea passenger liner ships from Vladivostok to Japan. A South Korean company used to travel from Vladivostok to the Japanese city of Sakaiminato until 2020. 
BERLIN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Faced with a steep increase in the number of migrants and refugees arriving in the country, the German government approved a draft law on Wednesday which aims to accelerate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers.

In order to give authorities more time to prepare for deportations, the maximum duration of pre-deportation custody is to be increased from 10 days to 28 days. The draft law still needs to be approved by the lower house of the German Parliament (Bundestag).

"With this bill, we are ensuring that people without the right to stay have to leave our country more quickly," Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said. "In this way, we are strengthening society's support for the admission of refugees to Germany."

The deportation of members of criminal organizations is to be made significantly easier, according to the Ministry of the Interior (BMI).

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has vowed to take tougher action on irregular migration. "We must finally deport on a large scale those who have no right to stay in Germany," he told the German magazine Spiegel recently.

Last week, Germany notified the European Commission that temporary border checks will be carried out at the country's borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland to combat human smuggling and to restrict irregular migration.

By the beginning of October, the Federal Police had already detected around 98,000 unauthorized entries into Germany, 6,000 more than in the whole of last year.

"Smuggling is thought to account for one in four illegal entries by third-country nationals into Germany," the BMI said. 
KIEV, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has launched talks with Moldova and Romania over establishing a "green corridor" for grain exports, the Ukrainian Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development said Wednesday.

The projected "green corridor" would link the road border crossing points of Ukraine's Reni, Moldova's Giurgiulesti and Romania's Galati on the way from Ukraine to the seaports in Romania.

The "green corridor" envisages the facilitation of border crossing procedures and the reconstruction of the Reni-Galati highway.

According to the Ukrainian government's plan, the creation of the corridor would increase the capacity of the Reni-Giurgiulesti border crossing from 50 trucks to 250 trucks per day. 
Chinese ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) in New York, the United States, on Oct. 24, 2023. The United States and China must find a way to get along for the benefit of all, Chinese ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

NEW YORK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China must find a way to get along for the benefit of all, Chinese ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said here on Tuesday.

"Going forward, we need to find a right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era," said Xie at the Gala Dinner 2023 of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. "We will be celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic ties next year. The China-U.S. relationship will continue to be the most important bilateral relationship in the world."

"It is China's consistent belief that our two countries should be partners, not rivals; that we should pursue win-win outcomes, not zero-sum game; and that we should together stabilize and improve this relationship, not allow it to slide into conflict or confrontation," he said.

The three principles outlined by President Xi Jinping, namely, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, "represent our long-term and fundamental approach to China-U.S. relations and provide a guideline for exploring the path forward," said Xie.

The ambassador noted that while a lot has changed, the historical logic underlying the growth of the China-U.S. relationship has not: "The importance of the relationship for our respective development and world prosperity is not to be underestimated, the aspiration of our peoples for peace and friendship is not to be dismissed, and the efforts of generations of peoples and our extensive common interests are not to be denied."

"At present, stabilizing China-U.S. relations is a common expectation," he said, adding that positive signs of a more stable China-U.S. relationship have been welcomed by various communities in both countries and the international community.

Recently, the two countries have had a series of high-level interactions. China has resumed group tours to the United States; direct flights will increase to 48 every week; and dialogue and exchanges between think tanks, provinces and states, and the legislature are on the rise, Xie noted.

"More high-level interactions are on the way. In two days, Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the United States. We hope the U.S. side will work with China in the same direction, shorten the negative list, expand the positive agenda, and bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of sound and stable growth," he said.

"If we can learn anything from the ups and downs in China-U.S. relations over the past few years, it is that conflict between China and the United States should never be allowed, decoupling will never work, Cold-War confrontation will lead nowhere, reversing the downward spiral is a shared wish, and messing up this relationship serves no one's interest," said Xie.

Meanwhile, difficulties and challenges remain, said the ambassador. "But to our encouragement, supporters of exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States are never absent. Friends from the U.S. business and strategic communities have been visiting China, calling for seizing China's opportunities and further tapping its market."

"I am more convinced that the hope and foundation of the China-U.S. relationship lie in the people, and its future lies in the youths. It is the warmhearted, hardworking and open-minded American people, just like those of Iowa, who define what America truly is," said Xie, citing his recent trip to Muscatine, the city President Xi visited in 1985.

"The growth of China-U.S. relations could not be achieved without the strategic guidance of our leaders. Nor will it be achieved without the participation and support by people from various communities in both countries," he said.

"I count on the National Committee (on U.S.-China Relations) and all our friends here to continue playing a leading role in restoring China-U.S. relations back to the right track," Xie said. "Together, let us explore a path of win-win cooperation between China and the United States for the benefits of both peoples and the world." 

Chinese ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) in New York, the United States, on Oct. 24, 2023. The United States and China must find a way to get along for the benefit of all, Chinese ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Rui)
Obviously NO ASSISTANCE FOR UKRAINE doesn't mean no assistance for Israel - quite contrary for or in case of Mike Johnson....issue paradox enough to classify Johnson's attempt to sicken Ukrainian population with idea to redirect one toward unlikely WW2 issues rather than its needs of today.... through resentments for which people like Johnsons are responsible not Jews....

rather in gradual competition with one another rather than as ally.

. This main stream media's government illustration for Mike Johnson sake was/is related to my previous post Titled as "Visit to father on October 22nd 2023" which currently is on draft due to additional material which needs to be uploaded to one. Next to terrorist blunder related to my case, Johnson could also well be a neonazi whose believes are in line with McCarthysms' mental sickening of the ally countries through involvement of PARADOX issues pertaining to WW2 raher than today - and for which a nazi belief of today in 2023 is to see itself

(set after extensive torture procedures and brainwashed infront of laptop on how to see whatever mainstream media will depict to public as in the future)

who also was involved in genocide against me on behalf of US Government. US Government which engaged in acts of terrorism since my early age despite my being Slovenian native with absolutely no connection other than being hijacked/trafficked also to US and from there at US Government needs through locations important to US espionage. US Government never ever bothered to ratify me its terrorism apart from king Charles who begun to hurry via Wikipedia founders on issue of the right to existence and the right to self termination and haveupon my obtaining US Citizenship in 2000 accommodated Russo Serbian Slovenian state best to its TERRORIST abilities. Mike Johnson was heavily involved in my case, but not as much as Kevin McCarthy. US Government introduced one to me for his future house speaker role sake through set of pictures of which screenshots I took - every one of these pictures was involved in MK Ultra torture

(played a good one, but understood me not about his good vs evil)

LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVIN FREKING

Updated Wed, October 25, 2023 at 4:59 AM GMT+26 min read







WASHINGTON (AP)  Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for House speaker late Tuesday, hours after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer , abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump and hardline GOP lawmakers.

Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee after Emmer and the others fell short in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy 's ouster as GOP factions jockey for power.

Refusing to unify, far-right members wont accept a more traditional speaker and moderate conservatives dont want a hardliner. During private balloting, Johnson won a majority, but ahead of an expected House floor vote Wednesday the nominee will need almost all Republicans to win the gavel.

Mike! Mike! Mike! lawmakers chanted at a press conference afterward, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Three weeks on, the Republicans have been frittering away their majority status  a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on. Pretty sad commentary on governance right now, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try well get this thing right.

After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans. He said later at the Capitol that Trump's opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference, he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. We'll get it done.

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his un-endorsement must have had an impact on Emmers bid.

He wasnt MAGA," said Trump, the party's front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson, who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday morning's internal ballots.

A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trumps legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would giving Louisianans two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Majority Leader Steve Scalise , who was rejected by hardliners in his own bid as speaker.

But hardliners swiftly resisted Johnson's bid and a new list of candidates emerged. Among them was Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally who ran third on the morning ballot, and a few others.

In the end, Johnson won 128 votes on the evening ballot, more than any other candidate. McCarthy, who was not on the ballot, won a surprising 43 votes.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hardline Rep. Jim Jordan in a new leadership role.

It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but many said it would not fly.

I think sometimes its good to have fresh ideas and fresh people, said Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.

While Emmer won a simple majority in a morning roll call behind closed doors  117 votes  he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speakers vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Having rejected the top replacements, Scalise and the Trump-backed Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Were in the same cul-de-sac, said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Yet Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the hardliners, said, This is what democracy looks like.

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid  to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Coming in a steady second in the morning balloting, Johnson offered his full support to Emmer. Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Donalds and Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader and former McDonalds franchise owner who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthy's ouster, has said several of those who were running  Hern, Donalds or Johnson  would make a phenomenal choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many hardliners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans  and Democrats  would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.

__

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
The final round of the Global IT Challenge (GITC) for Youth with Disabilities 2023 competition has kicked off at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).

This competition, being held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region, has attracted over 500 participants representing 18 countries, with participants from 16 countries present in person and two countries participating virtually through video conferencing.

Participants from diverse corners of the globe have converged in Abu Dhabi to vie for top honours in six competitive categories. Organised by the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Korea) and LG Electronics, this competition is a testament to the growing importance of inclusion and innovation in the field of IT. The culmination of this extraordinary challenge will see student champions celebrated in an awards ceremony set for Friday, October 27.

Harnessing potential

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the challenge, Abdulla AlHumaidan, Secretary-General of Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination said: The UAE places great emphasis on all its citizens, particularly those with disabilities, to ensure their empowerment and integration into society, harnessing their potential for work and development. Further the Federal Law No 29 of 2006 was enacted to secure their rights in various areas, including healthcare, education, employment and social aspects.

Additionally, a national policy was launched to empower them and ensure their equal participation in an inclusive society. The policy also aims to protect them from harm, reflecting the comprehensive strategy for people of determination in Abu Dhabi 2020-2024 with the aim of making the emirate an inclusive, accessible and enabling city for people with disabilities.

Hosting this competition in Abu Dhabi for the first time complements the successes achieved in the care and rehabilitation of various categories of people with disabilities, to allow them to create a serious, active, and productive model with their peers outside this category. This model aligns with the comprehensive renaissance that the country is experiencing and raises our country's status to place it among the advanced countries in providing comprehensive care and services to its citizens, reflecting cultural advancement and development, he said.

Captivating competitions

The Grand Finale of GITC 2023 spans two exhilarating days, from October 25 to 26, featuring a series of captivating competitions. The first day showcases two prominent contests: eCreative Smart Car, assessing participants' skills in self-driving car programming using the Scratch program, and eContent, where participants creatively create and edit videos on specific topics.

The second day presents four more challenges: eToolPpt evaluates presentation slide creation and editing skills, etool Excel assesses proficiency in data functions, calculations, and editing under specific conditions, eLifeMap measures the ability to use the internet to address everyday life challenges, and eCreativeIOT assesses the ability to improve the lives of people with disabilities through IT or innovative ideas.

At the Opening Ceremony, In-kyu Kim, Chair of GITC Organising Committee, said: The GITC and its side events provide an opportunity for each of us to expand our knowledge and experience as well as reach beyond the borders and barriers in our lives. This year we have young people representing Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the Republic of Korea.

Innovation and Inclusion Forum

The global challenge is accompanied by the Innovation and Inclusion Forum (INI): As a strong addition to the event in this edition, it is held on the second day (October 26). Focusing on "Digital Inclusion and Human Rights," the forum provides a platform for constructive dialogue and collective thinking among government officials, experts, and representatives from different countries. The forum highlights the importance of bridging the digital gap, especially in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and ensuring the fair participation of individuals with disabilities in the digital age.

It holds three main sessions: the first is a panel discussion that delves deeply into the details of digital inclusion and human rights, the second is a thought session that focuses on the milestones and achievements accomplished during the challenge, while the third session discusses future pathways and strategies for digital inclusion and empowerment.

The main goal of the Innovation and Inclusion Forum is to explore and investigate matters related to inclusive information technology policies and programs. In the context of the global forum, special attention is given to understanding and addressing considerations specific to the UAE and the wider Arab world. It is expected that the dialogue will integrate emerging technologies, highlighting the multiple opportunities it offers to people with disabilities.

GITC 2023 goes beyond competitions as coinciding with the event, the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination is organising an exhibition, a first in GITC's history. This exhibition aims to highlight various applied practices and local experiences in technology and artificial intelligence. It provides a platform to showcase the products and projects of people of determination, furthering their integration into society.--TradeArabia News Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- To deepen agricultural cooperation with China, the United States should stop politicizing economic issues or overstretching the concept of security, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng has said, in response to Arkansas' recent order requiring Chinese company Syngenta to sell farmland in the state.

At the China-U.S. Sustainable Agricultural Trade Forum & Contract Signing Ceremony held in Des Moines, the capital of Iowa on Monday, the Chinese ambassador pointed out that recently, a top international agriculture company was ordered by a U.S. state to sell the farmland it had owned for 35 years.

The company has employed 4,000 Americans, and has been serving American farmers with advanced agritech across over 40 states. Annually it provides a salary of about 510 million U.S. dollars and purchases 2 billion dollars worth of goods and services. Over the past 53 years of its operation in the United States, never has it posed any national security risk. But now, it is subject to unreasonable suppression simply because it was bought by a Chinese company six years ago, Xie said.

"Just imagine: if such discrimination and unfair treatment happens to an American company investing elsewhere, which risks getting kicked out anytime in disregard of the contract, how would the U.S. government and people feel? Is there any basic respect for the spirit of contract, market rules and fair play?" Xie asked.

The Chinese ambassador noted that China and the United States are facing serious difficulties and challenges in bilateral relations. "To deepen agricultural cooperation, we need to say no to attempts to politicize economic issues or overstretch the concept of security."

Xie said that about 800 million people around the world are still living in hunger, and global food security is facing grave and complex challenges.

"Agricultural cooperation between us will not only bring more food choices to our peoples' tables and more income into farmers' pockets, but also enable us to combat common challenges such as global food security with advanced agritech for the benefit of the entire humanity," he said. 
Description

Join us for the Break Free Gala on Wednesday, October 25th at the Sanctuary on Roosevelt Island. The evening opens with mocktail hour from 6  7pm.

The Break Free Gala celebrates and uplifts anyone who walks the road of recovery. With motivational speakers, a runway show, a silent auction, an award ceremony, and networking opportunities, this is an evening for anyone passionate about mental health and recovery awareness.

The breathtaking views of the New York City skyline will serve as the perfect backdrop for this unforgettable event.  Get ready to mingle with fashion enthusiasts, industry insiders, and influencers as we celebrate creativity, diversity, and unity.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to witness the magic of fashion while supporting a great cause! 

There will be a mocktail hour with a grazing table. This event will be structured on a schedule so PLEASE be on time and ARRIVE EARLY SO THAT YOU CAN WALK THE RED CARPET.

The theme of this year's gala is "Walk Your Talk," we will be celebrating those who recover out loud and walk their talk each and every day. As with any Break Free event, fashion will be front and center. The dress code for this event is creative black tie also known as Hollywood black tie. Creative black tie is a creative twist on the black tie dress code injected with bolder colors and textures instead of sticking to just traditional all-black ensembles.

Guests are invited to dress as avant-garde as they desire and to enjoy a runway presentation by Break Free founder, Alexandra Nyman of the fashion house LadyCat, as well as runway shows by Claire Comai of Rehab Studios and more. At the conclusion of the runway show, the models will then fan out and into a live mannequin showroom, where all guests are encouraged to interact with them and hear their stories of recovery.
In this article, we will take a look at the 10 best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy. To see more such companies, go directly to 5 Best Dialysis and Kidney Disease Stocks to Buy.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, millions of people die every year due to kidney failures because they do not receive affordable treatment. The Global Burden of Disease, which provides comprehensive detail on mortality and disability throughout countries, stated that in 2017, around 1.2 million people died because of chronic kidney failures. The study also described that since 1990, the percentage of people needing dialysis has jumped to 40% as of 2020. The foundation also analyzed that China will lose approximately $558 billion through the next decade due to impacts on death and disability because of heart failure and kidney disease. In the US alone, the need for kidney organ donors is estimated to rise 8% annually from 2018. And by the year of 2040, chronic kidney disease is set to be the 5th global reason of deaths.

The International Society of Nephrology, an international organization dedicated to enhancing global kidney health, said that in 2023, roughly 850 million people around the world are suffering from chronic kidney disease. In many nations, kidney failure treatments or dialysis are not publicly financed. Dialysis usually has two types: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Dialysis costs more than $25,000 per year, according to the International Society of Nephrology.

"Chronic kidney disease has emerged as one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and it is one of a small number of non-communicable diseases that have shown an increase in associated deaths over the past 2 decades," according to the US National Institute of Healths National Library of Medicine.

Healthcare organizations have been investing in kidney and dialysis treatments over the years. Some of the notable names in the dialysis industry are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI), and others.

Story continues

Kidney diseases are expected to gradually rise overtime and firms have been allocating their capital spending towards technological advancements for the treatment of chronic kidney diseases and dialysis. We decided to take a look at some of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy in the healthcare sector. Some other major stocks that will appear later in our article are Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM), Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY), and others. You can also read 12 Best Health Insurance Stocks to Buy and 12 Cheap Healthcare Stocks to Buy in 2023 for even more healthcare stocks.

Looking ahead, the wearable artificial kidney and implantable bioartificial kidney each have a potential to be the leading treatment for chronic kidney diseases and dialysis.

"They are expected to contribute to higher toxin clearance with more cardiovascular stability as well as improved quality of life," the National Library of Medicine reported. In the US alone, there are roughly 750,000 patients suffering from end-stage renal disease, while 2.6 million people receive renal replacement therapy around the world.

In 2022, the end stage renal disease sector was valued at around $114 billion and it is expected to reach more than $183.9 billion by 2032, according to Global Market Insights. In September 2023, 17 patient advocacy organizations created the Global Patient Alliance for Kidney Health to form policies that enhance reach to screening and early treatment of chronic kidney disease, Bloomberg reported.

Best Dialysis and Kidney Disease Stocks to Buy

Photo by martha-dominguez-de-gouveia on Unsplash

Pharmaceutical companies globally are carrying out trials on kidney diseases' treatments. The Wall Street Journal reported that Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s Ozempic drug demonstrated success in its trial for kidney failure in patients suffering from diabetes. In terms of global revenue in the kidney and dialysis sector, North America had the highest revenue share of 42% in 2022, while Europe is poised to grow at a revenue share of 23.7% from 2023-2032. In products category, the hemodialysis equipment segment had a market share of 32% with leading the market and is rising at the highest compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2032. The dialysis centers & hospitals segment maintained the highest share in end-users. IBIS World reported that dialysis centers in the US generated revenue of about $36 billion this year which jumped at a compound annual growth rate of 2.4% over the last five years.

Our Methodology

Following a thorough analysis of the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, we compiled our list of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy and filtered the companies that had a notable presence in the dialysis and kidney disease sector. We then picked the top 30 kidney disease and dialysis stocks and then ranked them according to their market capitalization with more than $65 billion. The hedge fund sentiment for each stock was extracted from Insider Monkeys database as of second quarter of 2023, encompassing 910 top-tier hedge funds. We then ranked the stocks in ascending order of the number of hedge fund investors.

Best Dialysis and Kidney Disease Stocks to Buy

10. Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q2 2023: 55

Market Capitalization: $75.6 Billion

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in New Jersey, Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) ranks 10th in our list of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy. With a market capitalization of $75.6 billion, Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) provides comprehensive plans for creating, restoring, and retaining the patients' arteriovenous. Arteriovenous is termed as a lifeline for hemodialysis patients. Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) also recently received clearance for its Aspirex mechanical aspiration thrombectomy system to eliminate acute emboli and thrombi for hemodialysis access of arteriovenous grafts. It posted fiscal Q3 EPS of $2.96 that came ahead of analysts' forecast of $2.89.

During Q2 2023, 55 out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkeys database had held a stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX). Out of these, the firms largest shareholder is David Blood and Al Gore's Generation Investment Management since it owns 1.9 million shares that are worth $501.8 million.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) joins The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI), Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) in our list of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy.

9. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q2 2023: 62

Market Capitalization: $160.4 Billion

Founded in 1888 and headquartered in Illinois, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) ranks 9th in our list of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy. With a market capitalization of $160.4 billion, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) provides therapeutic nutrition for patients on dialysis stage 5 of chronic kidney disease. The company reported second quarter EPS of $1.08 that beat analysts' expectations of $1.05.

As of June 2023, 62 out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkeys research were Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)'s investors. Ric Dillon's Diamond Hill Capital is the largest shareholder among these because of its $553 million stake.

8. Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q2 2023: 63

Market Capitalization: $96.2 Billion

Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) is an Ireland-based company which was incorporated in 1949. With a market capitalization of $96.2 billion, Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) recently collaborated with DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) to launch Mozarc Medical, an independent new firm to enhance kidney health and patient-centered technology solutions. It posted a 6% revenue growth in fiscal Q1 and EPS of $0.593.

During 2023s second quarter, 63 out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkeys research had invested in Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT). Jean-Marie Eveillard's First Eagle Investment Management is the firms biggest shareholder through a $484 million stake that comes with 5.5 million shares.

7. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q2 2023: 66

Market Capitalization: $65.2 Billion

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) provides healthcare service across the US. Founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) ranks 7th in our list of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy. The company provides treatment plans for patients suffering from renal failure. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) is the first company in Florida to carry out robotic live kidney donation and are approved by the United Network of Organ Sharing for kidney and liver transplantation. It posted Q2 consolidated revenue of $15.9 billion, up 7% from a year earlier and EPS of $4.21.

66 out of the 910 hedge funds researched by Insider Monkey had invested in the firm as of Q2 2023. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)s largest hedge fund investor is Jean-Marie Eveillard's First Eagle Investment Management since it owns 4.6 million shares that are worth $1.4 billion.

6. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q2 2023: 66

Market Capitalization: $119.8 Billion

Founded in 1887 and headquartered in New York, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) provides different treatment plans for kidney failures including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. With a market capitalization of around $120 billion, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) ranks 6th in our list of the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy. In the second quarter, it reported EPS of $1.93 and revenue of $154 million.

By the end of this years second quarter, 66 out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkeys research were Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)s investors. Richard S. Pzena's Pzena Investment Management is the largest shareholder among these since it owns 4.3 million shares that are worth $277 million.

Along with The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI), Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) is one of the top dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy according to hedge funds.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Dialysis and Kidney Disease Stocks to Buy.

Suggested articles:

Disclosure: None. 10 Best Dialysis and Kidney Disease Stocks to Buy is originally published on Insider Monkey.
In this article, we are going to discuss the 30 drunkest countries in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global alcohol industry, the rise of alcohol-free culture, and the CSR initiative by an industry giant, and go directly to 10 Drunkest Countries in the World.

Alcohol is so commonly discussed in terms of its negative effects that it is often seen as being wholly detrimental. As a result, the personally functional and socially integrative uses of alcohol tend to be overlooked. The vast majority of drinkers around the world are occasional and moderate  normal drinkers who experience no harm from their own consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Thus, relatively small minorities fall into the class of heavy, excessive, or problem-drinkers, including alcoholics. Nevertheless, problem-drinkers invoke so much trouble for themselves, their families, their employers, their occupational or social associates, and their communities and society that alcohol problems are major and costly causes of disorder and suffering.

The Global Alcohol Industry:

In 2019, the global alcohol consumption, measured in liters of pure alcohol per person of 15 years of age or older, was 5.5 liters, which is a 4.7% relative decrease from 5.7 liters in 2010. As we mentioned in our article  25 Largest Alcohol Companies in the World in 2023  the global alcoholic beverages market size was valued at $1.62 trillion in 2021, and the market is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2031, with a CAGR of 2.2% during the forecast period.

The market is likely to be driven by the increasing global young-adult demographic, coupled with high disposable income and consumer demand for premium/super-premium products. Globally, beer drives the market for alcoholic beverages. Regionally, North America and Asia-Pacific are expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

The Rise of Alcohol-Free Culture:

The global low and no-alcohol consumer trend is a significant shift in the drinks industry, driven by increasingly health-conscious consumers seeking alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages. Millennials and Generation Z are the main insurgents, driving a transformation in choice and demanding more from their drinks. These younger generations are adopting a healthier lifestyle and reaping the benefits of going alcohol-free  but they're not the only ones.

Story continues

From fitness fans and healthy lifestylers to a renaissance in older living, knowing what you're putting into your body is now a key priority. As we mentioned in our article  Gen Z's 25 Favorite Brands in 2023  these young consumers are also a more health-conscious generation and a growing share of them is outright turning away from alcohol. In 2022, 38% of Gen Z were buying more non-alcoholic beverages than in the previous year.

Several industry players have realized that the no-alcohol trend is here to stay and are coming up with innovative solutions to keep their current consumer base engaged, along with attracting a new generation of drinkers. Owned by Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO), the iconic Captain Morgan rum brand unveiled Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% in August, an alcohol-free alternative to the famous Original Spiced Gold, offering a deliciously spiced flavor profile.

Following the successful launch of Guinness 0.0%, Tanqueray 0.0%, and Gordons 0.0% over the past few years, Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% brings further choice to the market as the latest brand, and first dark spirit, to join Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO)s alcohol-free portfolio. With 22.9 million cases sold worldwide in 2022, Captain Morgan is counted among the Most Popular Spirits in the World.

Warren Buffett initiated a position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) in the first quarter of 2023 with 227,750 shares worth $39.510 million and his position in the company remained unchanged in the second quarter. In Q2, Diageo represented 0.1% of Berkshire Hathaways portfolio. The most prominent stakeholder in the company in Q2 was Markel Gayner Asset Management with 1.35 million shares, worth $234.23 million.

Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative:

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is the Largest Beer Producer in the World and the company launched its Global Smart Drinking Goals initiative in order to make a tangible contribution to the reduction of harmful use of alcohol globally.

As part of the initiative, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) has committed to investing at least $1 billion across its markets in dedicated social marketing campaigns and programs to influence social norms and individual behaviors to reduce harmful use of alcohol. Another goal is to ensure that low- or no-alcohol beer products make up at least 20% of the global beer volume of the company by 2025, and it is already investing $34 million in upgrading some of its Belgian breweries, which will help expand its non-alcoholic beer portfolio.

The beer behemoth has been facing some headwinds in the American market after the recent controversy regarding its best-selling brand Bud Light, which resulted in the iconic brand losing its crown as the Top-Selling Beer in America after nearly two decades.

As we mentioned in our article  Top 20 Wine Producing Countries in the World  Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) shares havent gone anywhere in recent years, and it lost around 40% of its value over the last 5 years. It is a highly leveraged company and the rising interest rates arent helping the stock either. Nevertheless, billionaire Bill Gates portfolio managers decided to initiate a $96 million position in the firm during the second quarter.

With that said, here are the Countries that Drink the Most Alcohol.

30 Drunkest Countries in the World

Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash

Methodology:

To collect information for this article, we have referred to The Global Health Observatory of the World Health Organization, looking for Countries that Consume the Most Alcohol. The following countries have been ranked by their per capita consumption of pure alcohol for people aged 15 and over in 2019.

One thing to keep in mind is that just because the people in these countries generally consume higher levels of alcohol, it doesnt necessarily mean that theyre drunkards. Alcohol is simply an essential part of many cultures around the world and alcoholic beverages play a significant role in important events and celebrations, since they can be associated with many festivals and rituals.

If youre also interested to read about which cities consume the most alcohol in the U.S., here are the Drunkest Cities in America in 2023.

30. Montenegro

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.34 liters

Young people in Montenegro live in an environment where alcohol is a part of everyday life  of cultural, religious, and social customs. Aside from the wine that the Balkan country is famous for, Rakija is also a popular traditional drink in Montenegro.

29. Tanzania

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.36 liters

Alcohol use is a significant problem among young people in northern Tanzania. Factors that contribute to alcohol abuse include the abundance of home brewers, lifestyles that are dominated by social pressures, and traditional expectations such as the excessive consumption of alcohol at weddings, funerals, and other distinct occasions.

Tanzania ranks among the African Countries with the Most Alcohol Consumption.

28. Switzerland

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.4 liters

Drinking alcohol is common in Switzerland, especially in social contexts and as a way to unwind over the weekend. It is estimated that beer, as well as wine, make up around 80% of alcohol consumption in Switzerland. The majority of Swiss wines are consumed domestically and only a small percentage is exported.

27. Russia

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.42 liters

It shouldnt come as a surprise that Russia ranks among the list of Drunkest Countries, considering that drinking is a pervasive, socially acceptable behavior in Russian society and a major source of revenue for the government.

Since 2011, Russia has taken an active role in implementing the recommendations of the EAPA to reduce the harmful use of alcohol by further increasing excise taxes, raising the minimum unit price of alcohol, and substantially reducing the availability of retail alcohol.

Russia also ranks among the Top Countries for Vodka Consumption.

26. Portugal

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.45 liters

In the E.U., drinking every day is most frequent in Portugal, with about 20.7% of the population consuming alcohol daily. The Portuguese government decided to raise alcohol taxes by 4% last year, however, the countrys all-important wine industry was given a tax break.

With an average wine consumption of 6.04 liters per capita, Portugal sits among the Top Wine Drinking Countries in the World.

25. Slovakia

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.48 liters

Drinking is very much a part of Slovak culture and some form of alcohol is usually present at any social occasion. The standard shot glass size in the Central European country is 50 ml, while it is usually around 44 ml around the world. Slovakia ranks among the Drunkest Countries per Capita.

24. Cook Islands

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.56 liters

The Cook Islands are not only notable for their mesmerizing beaches, but also for their high alcohol consumption. Cook Islanders are fond of spirits, particularly rum, which accounts for more than half of the overall alcohol consumption. Moreover, the heavy influx of tourists also leads to the high levels of alcohol consumed in the beautiful island country.

23. Hungary

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.6 liters

Hungary is among the Countries with the Highest Rates of Alcoholism in the World. Along with palinka  a high-alcohol fruit brandy  vodka is also a popular spirit in the Central European country. According to Eurostat, Hungary has the cheapest prices of alcohol for any country in the European Union.

22. United Kingdom

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.82 liters

Compared to other European countries, the U.K. is near the average in terms of overall alcohol consumption. However, it is consistently among the highest for binge drinking. This reflects the fact that, on average, drinking in the United Kingdom tends to involve more drunkenness than elsewhere.

21. Belarus

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.9 liters

Despite the large number of government policy initiatives that authorities claimed were controlling the problem, alcohol consumption in Belarus grew rapidly up to 2010, when it reached the highest level in the world. The Eastern European country increased the excise tax on alcohol last year to curb its high alcohol use.

20. Spain

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.91 liters

Alcohol has always been an important part of Spanish culture and Spanish wine and sangria are especially admired all over the world. Beer is the Spaniards favorite tipple though, consumed by over 50% of the population.

Spain is counted among the Top Beer Producing Countries in the World.

19. Slovenia

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 10.98 liters

While Slovenians love beer and wine, theres really only one national drink  Schnapps. Called Zganje in the local language, making this liquor is also a national pastime, and although you can find factory-made bottles of Schnapps in liquor stores and supermarkets, its the locally made Zganje brewed in someones garage thats usually the best.

Slovenia is counted among the Top 20 Alcohol Drinking Countries.

18. Andorra

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.05 liters

Andorra has one of the lowest tax rates on food and alcohol. The tax on food is just 1%, while the alcohol tax is 4.5%. In neighboring Spain, most taxes start from 20%, and thats why many people come from France and Spain to Andorra just to stock their fridges by buying fish, meat, groceries, and alcohol.

17. Estonia

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.26 liters

Prices of goods and services increased rapidly in Estonia last year while the rise in alcohol prices was significantly less. The prices of beer and grape wine rose slightly but the price of hard alcohol remained at the 2021 level or cheaper. The incomes of the Estonian people continued to grow in 2022 and so alcohol became even more accessible.

16. France

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.3 liters

Recognized all over the world for its savoir-faire regarding food and drink, France has a long history of alcohol production and consumption. Wine is deeply embedded in the French culture and identity of the people. There are vineyards scattered throughout the country, responsible for producing 7-8 billion bottles of wine a year.

15. Moldova

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.36 liters

The wine culture is very strong in the Republic of Moldova and the wine industry employs almost 10% of the national workforce, with the income generated from viticulture forming 15% of the annual national budget. Up to 70% of alcohol consumed in the country is homemade wine.

Moldova ranks among Countries that Drink the Most in Europe.

14. Laos

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.52 liters

Laos has many ethnic groups and each has its own traditions and culture, but alcohol plays an important role throughout Lao society. There is a rule in the Southeast Asian country, especially in the villages of different ethnic groups, that you cannot drink less. While women may retire after drinking a few shots and enjoy the party with food, for men, it is not acceptable. You have to drink as much as you can, and sometimes, even more than you can.

13. Luxembourg

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.53 liters

Since alcohol is relatively cheaper in Luxembourg, a large number of Belgians travel regularly to their neighboring country to buy their favorite tipples. The country is also famous for its high quality wine, about two-thirds of which is consumed domestically.

12. Poland

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.63 liters

Vodka is deeply embedded in Polish culture, so much so that there is even a growing debate between Russian and Polish people as to who invented the popular spirit. Poland is the largest market for vodka in the E.U., representing over 35% sales in the region. With over 20% of the vodka market share in the country, the Zubrowka brand remains the market leader.

Poland is among the Countries that Drink the Most Alcohol in 2023.

11. Ireland

Alcohol Consumption per Capita: 11.7 liters

Ireland is a nation with a love for alcohol and the Irish prefer to spend their time in pubs rather than casual cafes and restaurants. The country produces some of the finest stouts or whiskeys than anywhere else in the world. In fact, the Emerald Isle is home to Guinness  one of the Most Consumed Beer Brands in the World.

Click to continue reading and see the 10 Drunkest Countries in the World.

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Disclosure: None. 30 Drunkest Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
AirAsia changes name to Capital A as it grows beyond an airline

(Reuters) - Capital A Berhad, the parent of AirAsia, is planning to raise more than $1 billion in debt and equity, and will list some of its businesses through a blank-cheque company, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes has agreed to a deal with Aetherium Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company, and plans to list several businesses through it next year, the FT reported, citing two people familiar with the deal.

This includes a new business extending the AirAsia brand to companies hoping to start airline franchises in developing countries, the report said.

The group has been evaluating fundraising options for a planned U.S. listing after it was hit by pandemic travel restrictions in Asia, leading Bursa Malaysia Securities to classify it as a PN17 company, or financially distressed, last year.

The potential fundraising also includes a $150 million loan from Bangkok Bank this month, FT said.

Capital A and Aetherium Acquisition did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Alfen is 48.43 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Alfen is estimated to be 35% undervalued based on current share price of 31.53

Analyst price target for ALFEN is 64.67, which is 34% above our fair value estimate

Does the October share price for Alfen N.V. (AMS:ALFEN) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Alfen

The Method

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 24.8m 31.8m 33.4m 47.9m 54.8m 60.4m 64.9m 68.4m 71.0m 73.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x6 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 14.51% Est @ 10.32% Est @ 7.38% Est @ 5.33% Est @ 3.89% Est @ 2.88% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.3% 23.4 28.1 27.8 37.5 40.3 41.9 42.3 41.9 40.9 39.6

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 364m

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The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.5%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 73m (1 + 0.5%)  (6.3% 0.5%) = 1.3b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 1.3b ( 1 + 6.3%)10= 688m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is 1.1b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 31.5, the company appears quite good value at a 35% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Alfen as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.157. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Alfen

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Electrical industry.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Dutch market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Alfen, we've put together three additional items you should further examine:

Risks: For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Alfen (2 can't be ignored) you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does ALFEN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Dutch stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
(Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc. shares tumbled 9.5%, the most since March 2020, after the Google parent reported a smaller than expected profit in cloud computing, raising concerns about its position in a market critical to its future.

Most Read from Bloomberg

As Googles dominant search business matures, investors are looking to the cloud unit to take the lead on growth. The unit reported operating income of $266 million, missing estimates of $434 million.

Google has long trailed Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in the market for cloud computing, in which companies sell space on their servers and software to enterprise clients. Google Cloud, which reported a profit for the first time earlier this year, has been attracting business from artificial intelligence startups. But its momentum fell short of expectations in the most recent quarter, prompting some concern that the gap between Google and its rivals is widening.

Cloud computing is a much lumpier business than advertising, and one where Google is facing stiff competition, said Max Willens, an analyst with Insider Intelligence. While the traction it has among AI startups may bear fruit in the long run, it is not currently helping Google Cloud enough to satisfy investors.

Before Wednesdays drop, the shares had gained 57% this year.

Alphabet President Ruth Porat said in a press interview that the units sales had been affected by some customers cost-cutting. Porat is still acting as the companys chief financial officer while Alphabet searches for her replacement following her promotion.

Read More: Microsoft Sales Top Estimates as Cloud Growth Picks Up Steam

The results marred an otherwise healthy report. Third-quarter sales, excluding partner payouts, were $64 billion, Alphabet said in a filing Tuesday. Analysts had predicted $63 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Net income was $1.55 per share, compared with Wall Streets $1.45-per-share estimate.

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The company posted $44 billion in search advertising, beating the average analyst projection for $43.2 billion.

The company was pleased with its advertising revenue growth after a period of historic volatility, Porat said on an investor call after the results.

The market for search  which Google dominates  is facing new threats from the rise of generative AI chatbots. Those are programs that answer users questions in a more conversational fashion when given a prompt. Companies including Microsoft, which backs Open AI Inc.s ChatGPT, are challenging Googles search lead with the new technology.

The company has raced to weave generative AI technology into its own products, but some in Silicon Valley say the tech giant has been too slow to detect the shift in the market, creating an opening for its rivals.

Porat and Alphabet Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said that they would continue to find ways to operate more efficiently, with Porat noting that the company would maintain a slower pace of headcount growth. The goal of those efforts is to free up as much room as possible to invest in opportunities such as artificial intelligence.

Well do everything that is needed to make sure we have the leading AI models and infrastructure in the world, bar none, Pichai told investors on a call.

Googles ongoing trial with the US Department of Justice over the alleged abuse of its search market power is also weighing on Wall Streets enthusiasm, said Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, a senior analyst with Insider Intelligence. Any outcome should influence investor confidence in the longevity of the Google business model.

YouTube reported $8 billion in revenue, compared with analysts average estimate of $7.8 billion. The unit has been a drag on Alphabets performance in recent quarters, but the results indicated that it is benefiting from the broader recovery in digital advertising spending.

Alphabets Other Bets  the companys moonshot unit that includes the self-driving car effort Waymo and the life sciences unit Verily  brought in $297 million in revenue while losing $1.2 billion, in line with analysts projections.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
SINGAPORE, October 25, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a-" (Excellent) of Labuan Reinsurance (L) Ltd (Labuan Re) (Malaysia). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Labuan Res balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Labuan Res balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which is at the strongest level at year-end 2022. The company adopts a prudent capital management approach to support risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level over the medium term, along with an appropriate regulatory solvency position. AM Best views the company as having a moderate risk investment strategy with investment assets predominantly held in cash, deposits and high quality fixed-income instruments, albeit with a modest exposure to equities. Partially offsetting balance sheet strength factors include Labuan Res exposure to natural catastrophe risks relative to the size of its capital base, which emanates from its regional reinsurance operations and international operations through its participation in Lloyds syndicates.

AM Best views Labuan Res operating performance as adequate, with its overall earnings historically supported by robust investment returns. The company recorded an elevated average combined ratio of 105.6% over a five-year period between 2018 and 2022, primarily due to catastrophe-related losses. However, following remedial actions taken by management, the companys underwriting performance improved in 2021 and 2022. Prospectively, AM Best expects an adequate level of operating performance to be maintained and underpinned by positive underwriting results and investment income, despite short-term volatility driven by unrealised fair value investment losses in recent periods.

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AM Best assesses Labuan Res business profile as neutral given its position as a well-established regional non-life reinsurer. In addition, the companys business profile continues to benefit from portfolio diversification through its participation as a corporate member in Lloyds syndicates. Labuan Res gross written premium has limited growth in recent years, partially due to a planned reduction in its participation in Lloyds business. However, AM Best expects the company to record moderate growth over the medium term, driven by product initiatives and its positioning in a generally hard reinsurance market. AM Best views the companys ERM approach as appropriate given the current size and complexity of its operations.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025755404/en/

Contacts

Yi Ding

Senior Financial Analyst

+65 6303 5021

yi.ding@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Michael Dunckley, CFA

Associate Director, Analytics

+44 20 7397 0312

michael.dunckley@ambest.com

Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 882 2318

al.slavin@ambest.com
OLDWICK, N.J., October 25, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of "aa-" (Superior) of Central States Indemnity Co. of Omaha (CSI), and its subsidiary, CSI Life Insurance Company (CSI Life). The outlook of the Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Both companies are domiciled in Omaha, NE.

The ratings reflect CSI and CSI Lifes balance sheet strengths, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as their adequate operating performances, limited business profiles and appropriate enterprise risk managements.

Additionally, CSI and CSI Life benefit from their very conservative underwriting leverages, strong liquidity positions and the implicit support from their ultimate parent, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) [NYSE: BRK A and BRK B]. CSI is a specialty insurance company, which provides credit card credit insurance and has fronting agreements with multiple insurers, in the aerospace and agricultural lines of business in several states.

These positive rating factors are offset by CSIs elevated common stock leverage. CSI currently writes more non-credit insurance premiums on a gross basis compared with its long-standing credit insurance business. The vast majority of gross premiums written are related to long-term fronting arrangements.

The rating affirmations of CSI Life reflect its synergies with CSI. The ratings also reflect CSI Lifes strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and the explicit support provided by CSI, as well as the implicit support from Berkshire. Offsetting rating factors include CSI Lifes limited business profile and lack of product diversification.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025465094/en/

Story continues

Contacts

Guilherme Monteiro Simoes, CFA

Senior Financial Analyst

+1 908 882 2317

guy.simoes@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Gregory Dickerson

Director

+1 908 882 1737

gregory.dickerson@ambest.com

Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 882 2318

al.slavin@ambest.com
(Bloomberg) -- More than two-thirds of Amazon.com Inc. US warehouse workers surveyed by researchers reported that they took unpaid time off to recover from pain or exhaustion sustained on the job.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The new national study, published Wednesday by the University of Illinois Chicagos Center for Urban Economic Development, found that 69% of workers surveyed stayed home without pay to recover, including 34% who did so three or more times.

The data suggest injury and pain at Amazon are far more widespread than previously known, said Beth Gutelius, research director at the center and a leading expert on logistics and warehouse work.

The report is based on a 98-question online survey that gathered responses from 1,484 warehouse workers in 451 facilities across 42 states, the researchers said. It was conducted between April and August and measured the percentage of workers who took time off during the previous month. Amazon employs hundreds of thousands of warehouse workers in the US.

Researchers found their subjects using ads on Meta Platforms Inc. apps, targeting people who listed Amazon as their employer or lived in areas where the company operates. The project received funding from the Ford Foundation, Oxfam America and the pro-labor nonprofit National Employment Law Project.

Amazon spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel said the report was not a study  its a survey done on social media, by groups with an ulterior motive. She recommended that people read the safety data Amazon submits each year to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which shows that rates in our buildings have improved significantly, and were slightly above the average in some areas and slightly below the average in others.

Story continues

Lynch Vogel acknowledged there is work to be done but that worker safety is a top priority and that Amazon continues to invest in safety throughout its operations.

The report, the broadest academic survey of Amazon workers to date, adds to the growing scrutiny of the companys sprawling logistics operation. Amazon is the second-largest private-sector employer behind Walmart Inc., and employs about 29% of the countrys warehousing workers, the researchers estimate. That gives the company outsize influence over the industrys working conditions and compensation.

Critics say Amazon pushes employees to work too hard and too quickly, leading to avoidable injuries. Workplace safety regulators in Amazons home state of Washington allege a direct connection between employee monitoring and discipline and musculoskeletal disorders suffered by its workers. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, meanwhile, has cited Amazon for exposing workers to ergonomic risks at several facilities across the country.

Amazon says the regulators allegations are inaccurate and is challenging them, including during weeks of hearings held recently on the Washington state citations. The company says its investments in worker safety, including a push to automate repetitive and arduous tasks, are helping reduce the injury rate.

Gutelius and co-author Sanjay Pinto say 63% of workers acknowledged that Amazon has made safety a high priority. But many suffer injuries anyway, and workers who say they have trouble keeping up are more likely to be hurt on the job, according to Gutelius.

The harder it is for a worker to maintain the pace of work, the more likely it is that they are injured, she said.

Employees also suffered work-related mental health issues. More than half of those surveyed reported feeling burned out. The portion of workers reporting burnout increases with job tenure, the researchers say.

The researchers excluded results that didnt take the questions seriously or appeared to feign employment with Amazon. Managers and drivers were also excluded. Responses were weighted to align demographically with Amazons own published statistics on the racial and gender breakdowns of its workforce.

Overall, 41% of workers reported being injured while working at an Amazon warehouse. The share rises to 51% for people who have worked at the company for more than three years.

They are taking some steps, but tinkering around the margins isnt going to work, Pinto said of Amazons attempts to reduce injuries within its ranks. Theres something fundamental about the system that needs to change.

(Updates with Amazon comment, details on project funders, starting in the fifth paragraph. A previous version of this story was corrected to remove Princeton as a study funder in penultimate paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Saudi Arabia has demonstrated how a hydrocarbon economy can evolve and the kingdom aims to be a global model in transition, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman AlSaud, Minister of Energy for Saudi Arabia, said at a key conference at the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII7) in Riyadh.

Addressing the special Energy Summit, he said: The kingdom has demonstrated not just a transition, but an aspiration to be a model for how a hydrocarbon economy can evolve. We're aiming for the trilemma: energy security, affordability, and economic growth.

"On the sustainability front, our commitment to the Paris Agreement is unwavering. We not only signed it, but meticulously negotiated every detail. Execution of these commitments isn't optional; it's obligatory, he asserted.

The seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII7), which opened on Tuesday (October 24), saw a firm focus on how the global community can successfully navigate the emerging new norms of relations amidst instability, climate concerns and social inequality.

About 6,000 leaders, investors and innovators from around the globe are taking part in over 200 panels and discussions designed to tackle the biggest issues facing humanitys health, prosperity and survival at the forum.

Challenges into opportunities

Leading a panel of changemakers, that included Jamie Dimon, Chairman & CEO, JP Morgan Chase & Co and Laurence D Fink, Chairman & CEO, BlackRock, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Governor for Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, outlined a course through these unmapped waters, and how to convert challenges into opportunities for growth, impact, and resilience, particularly in relation to the Kingdoms renewable energy ambitions.

Al-Rumayyan said: What we are doing in KSA is a good model for the world. By 2030, we want 50 per cent of our power generation to be based on renewable energy and the other 50 per cent will be based on gas which emits less than liquid. We have to invest more in renewable energy. If you look at the targets, by 2045, $283 trillion that need to be invested cumulatively from 2020

Ray Dalio, Founder, CIO Mentor & Member of the Board, Bridgewater Associates, LP said: What we see today and as we go into US elections which are going to be over irreconcilable differences over wealth and power. Look at geopolitical issues and climate issues. Climate issue will cost us $5-10 trillion a year in world GDP. It must be addressed.

Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JP Morgan said: Fiscal spending is higher than it's ever been in peacetime, by a significant margin. A 25 basis-point rate hike won't make much of a difference, but a 100 basis-point shift across the yield curve would. What we see today resembles the 1970sa lot of spending. Governments are pushing for ESG, but without implementing carbon taxes or a rational strategy.

Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, added: The new mission of the World Bank is to focus not just on eradicating poverty and sharing prosperity, but on [ensuring] a liveable planet and addressing the worlds intertwined crises and challenges.

Richard Attias, CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Institute, said: The future of values for humanity is a future that embraces empathy, inclusivity, tolerance, knowledge, ethics and peace. It is a future where we recognize our shared responsibility to care for our planet and each other. - OGN/TradeArabia News Service
Amedisys (AMED) reported $556.24 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2023, representing a year-over-year decline of 0.3%. EPS of $0.98 for the same period compares to $1.15 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $561.78 million, representing a surprise of -0.99%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -9.26%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.08.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Amedisys performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Net Service Revenue- Hospice : $200.20 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $202.59 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.8%.

Net Service Revenue- Home health : $351.60 million versus $351.50 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.3% change.

Net Service Revenue- High Acuity Care : $4.40 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $7.83 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -20%.

Net Service Revenue- Hospice- Medicare : $188.90 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $190.63 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.6%.

Net Service Revenue- Home health- Non-Medicare : $133.70 million compared to the $121 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.5% year over year.

Net Service Revenue- Hospice- Non-Medicare : $11.30 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $12 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.7%.

Net Service Revenue- Home health- Medicare: $217.90 million compared to the $225.31 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -2% year over year.

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View all Key Company Metrics for Amedisys here>>>



Shares of Amedisys have returned -1.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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Amedisys, Inc. (AMED) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research
An increase in labor strikes over the past several months paired with a stabilized labor market has influenced Americans perceptions of their jobs.

A recent study unveils current trends related to U.S. jobs and labor  Americans report having more bargaining power, asking for higher compensation and sometimes leaving their jobs for other lines of work.

Morning Consult, a nonpartisan survey research company, analyzed the state of the U.S. labor market and surveyed a nationally representative sample of workers to gauge worker leverage, job satisfaction and security.

Here are some key takeaways:

In 2023, workers report having more bargaining power, with a rising share saying their employer would increase their salary if asked.

Employees say they feel their leverage is higher, especially among union workers.

In-demand industries are seeing a rising share of workers applying for new roles.

Union members are more likely to ask for higher compensation in the past year and are more likely to be applying for new job.

Workers say they have more bargaining power

Workers are confident in their ability to get a pay raise, according to surveyed data. These positive feelings of worker leverage are especially high among union members.

More than half of all adults surveyed said that if they asked their employer for a raise, they would probably get one. When asked the same question, three-fourths of union members said said they would get a raise if they asked.

We are seeing an increase in the share of workers who are thinking positively about their own bargaining power, said Jesse Wheeler, senior economist at Morning Consult. I think it speaks to the longevity of the strength of the labor market.

The longer the labor market has been strong, the longer people feel secure in their jobs ... so they might feel more confident to ask for more pay.

In that same vein, union members were much more likely to have asked for a raise in the past year compared with nonunion workers. As major strikes have popped up across the U.S., these positive feelings towards worker leverage are leading to union workers taking action.

Story continues

Feelings of leverage and bargaining power vary by age group: Working adults ages 35 to 44 were the most confident in getting a raise after asking for one.

Americans are searching for jobs more frequently now

Job search activity is on the rise this year, according to Morning Consult data. "This can be generally viewed as a sign of labor market strength, as job switchers are rewarded with higher pay in a tight labor market," according to the report.

Operators Norma Morin, left, and Kossiwa Eggenam complete door assembly for dishwashers on the new assembly line inside the dishwasher plant at GE Appliances headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. A survey from Morning Consult showed a majority of U.S. workers felt secure in asking for a raise and looking for a different job in October 2023.

People working in construction are increasingly looking for other jobs, along with tech workers.

Wheeler said the pandemic caused a huge disruption in the way Americans lived and worked. Once workers routines were upended, whether through layoffs, furloughs or something else, people started to rethink what their jobs were, leading to career switches and job changes.

Worker satisfaction is higher for those represented by a union

Union workers tend to report being more satisfied with their benefits, such as paid time off and compensation, compared with nonunion workers.

September jobs report: Jobs report shows payrolls grew by 336K jobs while unemployment held at 3.8%

What to know about labor movements: Auto, healthcare and restaurant workers striking.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Workers feel more confident asking for raise, job hunting, survey says
A Foxconn shareholder poses for photos after the annual shareholder meeting in New Taipei City

By Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr

BEIJING (Reuters) -Taiwanese companies should assume their social responsibilities and play a "positive role" in promoting the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, China's government said on Wednesday, amid a probe into major Apple supplier Foxconn.

China's tax and land use investigations into Foxconn's operations there have been seized on by the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president, Lai Ching-te, as an example of Chinese election interference and placing undue pressure on Taiwanese corporates who have invested billions into China.

The Chinese government has not officially confirmed the investigations, first reported by nationalistic, state-backed tabloid the Global Times on Sunday. China claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Asked about the investigation at a routine news conference in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, did not confirm the probe or refer to Foxconn.

"Relevant mainland departments treat all enterprises equally in accordance with the law and regulations, and it is a normal law enforcement act to carry out law-abiding investigations," she said.

China's policy of respecting, caring for and benefiting people from Taiwan will not change, and the government will as always support Taiwanese businessmen and companies to invest and create a good environment for their development, Zhu said.

She signalled China expected these companies to play a political role.

"While sharing development benefits and growth dividends on the mainland and achieving rapid development, Taiwan enterprises should also assume corresponding social responsibilities and play a positive role in promoting the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations."

Zhu did not elaborate.

On Tuesday, Taiwan Vice President Lai, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for president at January elections, hit out at China over its probe of Foxconn, saying Beijing should "cherish" Taiwanese companies and not put pressure on them during an election.

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China believes Lai, who is leading opinion polls, is a separatist bent on a formal declaration of independence. Lai says he will maintain the status quo with China, and has repeatedly offered talks which Beijing has rebuffed.

Zhu, in a step up of China's attacks against Lai, said he was "duping people" by both trying to "use weapons to seek independence" and also calling for dialogue.

"As pointed out by the media on the island, Lai Ching-te has now changing from a Taiwan independence maniac to a Taiwan independence liar," she said.

"This comment has hit the nail on the head and is appropriate. I believe that the majority of Taiwanese compatriots have a clear understanding of this."

Foxconn shares closed up 0.7% on Wednesday, rebounding after two straight days of falls. The broader Taipei index ended 0.3% higher.

(Reporting by Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr; Writing and additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln Feast and Sonali Paul)
Ampacimon

Seasoned Energy Policy Veteran to Lend Strategic Guidance as Ampacimon Expands its Product Portfolio and Grows Within the Highly Regulated U.S. Energy Market

GRACE-HOLLOGNE, Belgium and ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ampacimon, the leading provider of grid monitoring and analytics solutions for optimal operation of the worlds critical energy infrastructure, today announces the appointment of Neil Chatterjee, former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of the United States, to the companys Board of Directors.



Improving our energy infrastructure and promoting the wider adoption of clean energy is a national imperative, said Mr. Chatterjee. As an active advocate for Americas transition to clean energy, I look forward to lending my experience as Ampacimon expands its U.S. footprint. Innovative solutions like those developed by Ampacimon are at the heart of grid readiness as demand increases and clean energy becomes more ubiquitous.

Mr. Chatterjee currently serves as a senior advisor to the energy regulatory practice of a global law firm in Washington, D.C. Previously he served as FERC chairman from August 2017 to December 2017, and again from October 2018 to November 2020. Throughout these terms, he advanced a groundbreaking bipartisan commission policy statement encouraging power grid operators to incorporate state carbon pricing policies into their markets. He also advocated for landmark energy initiatives including improving power grid reliability and resilience, boosting renewable resources ability to compete in regional power markets, and the reduction of carbon emissions. He is known to be a policy reformer who can break down market barriers for the entrance of new innovative solutions, particularly for low-carbon technologies.

We are honored to welcome Neil to the Board at this critical crossroads of demand for cleaner, more efficient energy and the adoption of technical innovation in the grid, said Ampacimon board member Frederic Vassort. There are few people with Neils breadth of knowledge about Americas energy landscape. His insights into critical infrastructure issues, the shifting landscape of regulations, energy industry dynamics, and a future of efficient, clean, and safe power will help us meet the needs of utilities and their customers during this pivotal time.

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Prior to his position as FERC chairman, Mr. Chatterjee advised The Office of the Senate Majority Leader where he worked for the passage of major energy legislation. He has also served the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association where he worked in government relations.

Mr. Chatterjee concluded: Ampacimons unique solutions can increase grid capacity by as much as 40%, helping to alleviate the bottleneck to clean energy sources being brought online and improving the reliability and efficiency of our aging electrical infrastructure.

About Ampacimon

Ampacimon is a technology company founded in Belgium and Spain in 2010, offering Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) to transmission and distribution utilities. Through its proprietary measurement systems and advanced analytics, Ampacimon allows grid operators to maximize the use of their assets, optimize their maintenance, and prioritize investments. It offers data-driven solutions enabling grid operators to accelerate renewables integration and the energy transition. With offices in Belgium, Spain and the USA, Ampacimon has a global presence and systems in operations with all major grid operators in the world. For more information about Ampacimon, please visit: www.ampacimon.com

Contact:

media@ktcmarketingandpr.com




There are signs that preparations are under way for an anticipated summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden next month, analysts say, with more official exchanges between the two sides.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Washington from Thursday, potentially to firm up details of a meeting that has yet to be confirmed between the Chinese and US presidents at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco.

Wang is slated to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Tuesday said Wang would have in-depth exchanges on areas including bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

China's top diplomat is expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and national security adviser Jake Sullivan (right) in Washington this week. Photo: Reuters alt=China's top diplomat is expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and national security adviser Jake Sullivan (right) in Washington this week. Photo: Reuters>

Meanwhile, the China-US Economic Working Group held its first meeting by video link on Tuesday, which the Chinese finance ministry said was "in-depth, candid and constructive". A meeting of the new Financial Working Group will be held on Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury said.

The two working groups were set up in September to improve communication on economic and financial issues, following talks between Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing in July.

Analysts say an increase in official exchanges between the two powers - from their deputy foreign ministers to the economic and financial working groups and Wang's Washington trip - indicated preparations could be under way for a leaders' summit.

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Alfred Wu, associate professor at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said the recent contact suggested that Xi was likely to join the Apec meeting.

He pointed to this week's trip by Wang, China's top diplomat, and media reports that Vice-Premier He might also visit the US, saying "the Chinese side is trying to discuss with their US counterparts a potential meeting" between Xi and Biden.

Wu expected arrangements for a summit to top Wang's agenda when he meets Blinken and Sullivan, including details such as how the leaders will meet and the messages they plan to deliver.

Arrangements for a leaders' summit could top Wang Yi's agenda during talks in Washington. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Arrangements for a leaders' summit could top Wang Yi's agenda during talks in Washington. Photo: EPA-EFE>

Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said there was "some stabilisation of Sino-US ties, but whether that amounts to a thawing of bilateral ties remains to be seen".

Earlier this month Xi met a US delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Beijing. It was the first US congressional group to visit China in four years and many observers saw the meeting with Xi as a sign that he might travel to San Francisco for next month's Apec forum.

Xi's last trip to the US was in April 2017, when he visited then-president Donald Trump in Florida. Biden has not travelled to China as president.

China and the US have been at loggerheads over issues ranging from trade and technology to security and human rights. Tensions appeared to be easing when Xi and Biden met in person in Bali, Indonesia last November, but relations again deteriorated when the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February.

Sources familiar with the matter have told the Post that the US has invited China for the Apec meeting but there has been no invitation for a Xi-Biden summit as yet - they said that could happen if Wang and Blinken reach an agreement this week.

Beijing has yet to confirm whether Xi will attend the Apec forum, saying only that it will release information "formally in due course".

The non-committal approach gives Beijing more flexibility to pull out if needed, according to analysts.

"If Beijing wants to send a stronger message, they could also publicly say that the meeting did not take place because of some action from the other side that upset them," Chong from NUS said.

It could also be a way to play down public expectations and manage risks, according to a Chinese expert in US-China relations who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

While analysts saw a potential Xi-Biden summit as a way to help stabilise ties, they said it would be unlikely to yield a breakthrough.

"Since the US is entering the presidential campaign period, Biden wants to be seen as being able to negotiate with external stakeholders and able to maintain open lines of communication," Wu said. "At the same time, he cannot be viewed as being weak when handling China."

The Chinese academic said there were signs of a de-escalation in tensions in recent official exchanges, and that Wang's trip would be a "warm-up" to create the right atmosphere for a Xi-Biden summit.

If it does go ahead, positive outcomes are unlikely, according to Josef Mahoney, an international relations professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai.

"While these new meetings and others signal a softening in rhetoric and perhaps some cooperation in areas of mutual interest, the broader trend towards a cold war is still under way and by some accounts, already here," he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) ("ATEX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its Phase IV drill program has commenced at the Valeriano Project ("Valeriano" or the "Valeriano Project") located in Atacama Region, Chile.

HIGHLIGHTS:

TWO RIGS CURRENTLY OPERATING - Rigs set up to utilize existing drill holes (Figure 1). ATXD-24 is being completed from where it was suspended at the end of Phase III having intersected 670 metres of 0.84% Copper Equivalent "CuEq" (0.60% Cu, 0.24 g/t Au & 101 ppm Mo) from 1,173 metres, including 312 metres of 1.00% CuEq (0.73% Cu, 0.30 g/t Au and 77 ppm Mo) from 1,530 metres (Company news release July 13, 2023) in the Central Trend and;



A daughter hole, ATXD-12A, targeting the western trend, drilling out of historical hole VAL-12 which intersected 44.0 metres of 0.48 % CuEq (0.30% Cu, 0.16 g/t Au & 110 ppm Mo) from 1,012 metres (Table 1).

THIRD RIG MOBILIZING - Initial hole to target southern extension of Western Trend with a daughter hole out of ATXD-17 (1,160 metres of 0.78% CuEq (0.53% Cu, 0.28 g/t Au and 70 ppm Mo) including 550 metres of 1.03% CuEq (0.69% Cu, 0.39 g/t Au and 70 ppm Mo) (Company news release June 13, 2022).

PHASE IV TARGETING RECORD METERAGE SEASON AT VALERIANO - Full program considers 15,000 to 20,000 metres (Phase III - 12,513 metres) of diamond drilling with ability to expand the program subject to results.

BUILDING OFF PHASE III SUCCESS - Phase IV objectives are to further define and extend the High-Grade Porphyry Trends intersected in Phase II and III while also exploring beyond the currently defined dimensions of the mineralized corridor measuring approximately 1.0 X 1.0 kilometers which remains open in all directions.

"We are incredibly excited to be commencing our Phase IV drill program during what continues to be a transformative year for ATEX and the Valeriano Project," stated Raymond Jannas, President, and CEO of ATEX. "To date, we have completed the successful Phase III drill program, delivering multiple intersections of over a thousand metres of continuous mineralization above 0.4% copper, leading to the announcement of a significant 1.41 billion tonne1 Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate in September. Following on from this, we then announced the results of a PEA level metallurgical program demonstrating exceptional metal recoveries for the project and exceeding the recovery assumptions contemplated in the resource. Phase IV drilling is poised to build on this success and continue to further demonstrate the quality of the Valeriano Project."

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1MRE - 1.41 Billion Tonnes Grading 0.67% CuEq (0.50 % Cu, 0.20 g/t Au 0.91 g/t Ag and 64 g/t Mo) see Company news September 12, 2023

Figure 1. Initial Phase IV Drill Holes. (See Table 1 for notes on CuEq)



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6303/185128_5fcb2d6274491991_001full.jpg

Phase IV Initial Drill Holes

The first three holes contemplated for phase IV have been designed with the objective to further define and explore within the Central and Western High-Grade trends. The first hole anticipated to be completed in the program is the continuation of ATXD-24, which was suspended at the end of Phase III due to weather. This hole was paused while in high grade Early Porphyry ("EP") and is anticipated to continue for another 400 metres to test the eastern extent of the Central Trend at an elevation that has not yet been explored.

The second hole of the program is a daughter hole originating out of hole VAL-12 at a depth of 605 metres and drilling to the west. This hole is designed to test the western extent of the Western Trend and the mineralization in rock milled breccia, previously untested, to the west of the EP contact.

The third hole, which will commence upon the arrival of a third rig will be a daughter hole out of ATXD-17 planned to commence at a depth of 850 metres downhole and will be drilled to the west where it will test the upper extent of the Central trend and continue into the Western Trend.

Table 1. Summary Results for Phase IV Follow Up

Hole ID Year Drilled From To Interval Cu

% Au

g/t Ag

g/t Mo

g/t CuEq

In Situ1 CuEq % MRE2 CuEq % Met Recoveries3 VAL-12 2012 1,012.0 1,056.0 44.0 0.30 0.16 0.47 110 0.48 0.45 0.44 ATXD-17 2022 802.0 1,962.0 1,160.0 0.53 0.28 1.10 70 0.78 0.75 0.77 Inc. 1,280.0 1,830.0 550.0 0.69 0.39 1.30 70 1.03 0.98 1.02 ATXD-24 2023 1,173.0 1,842.4 669.4 0.60 0.24 0.93 101 0.84 0.81 0.81 Inc. 1,530.0 1,842.4 312.4 0.70 0.30 1.11 77 1.00 0.94 0.96

1CuEq reported in situ ) assuming 100% recovery for component metals see Company news June 13, 2022 for ATXD-17 & July 13 2023 for ATXD-24

2CuEq calculated using recoveries assumed in 2023 MRE (90% Cu, 70% Au, 80% Ag and 60% Mo) (US$3.15/lb Cu, US$1,800/oz Au, US$23/oz Ag and US$20/lb Mo) (See Company news Sept, 12 2023) using the following formula Copper Equivalent (CuEq) is calculated using the formula CuEq % = Cu % + (6481.488523 * Au g/t /10000) + (94.6503085864 * Ag g/t /10000) + (4.2328042328 * Mo g/t /10000)

3CuEq calculated using recoveries reported from metallurgical test work results reported in Company news Oct, 18 2023 (95% Cu, 94% Au, 89% Ag and 83% Mo) (US$3.15/lb Cu, US$1,800/oz Au, US$23/oz Ag and US$20/lb Mo) using the following formula (((Cu % * Cu US$/lb * 22.0462))+((Au Recovery / Cu Recovery * Au g/t)*(Au US$/oz / 31.1034768))+((Ag Recovery / Cu Recovery * Ag g/t)*(Ag US/oz / 31.1034768))+((Mo Recovery / Cu Recovery * Mo ppm / 10000) * Mo US$/lb / 22.0462))/(Cu US$/lb * 22.0462)

QUALIFIED PERSON

Mr. Ben Pullinger, P.Geo., registered with the Professional Geoscientists Ontario, is the Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, for the Valeriano Project. Mr. Pullinger is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is Senior Vice President Exploration and Business Development of ATEX. He has reviewed and approved the disclosure of the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

About ATEX

ATEX is exploring the Valeriano Copper Gold Project which is located within the emerging copper gold porphyry mineral belt linking the prolific El Indio High-Sulphidation Belt to the south with the Maricunga Gold Porphyry Belt to the north. This emerging belt, informally referred to as the Link Belt, hosts several copper gold porphyry deposits at various stages of development including, Filo del Sol (Filo Mining), Josemaria (Lundin Mining), Los Helados (NGEX Minerals/JX Nippon), La Fortuna (Teck Resources/Newmont) and El Encierro (Antofagasta/Barrick Gold).

Valeriano hosts a large copper gold porphyry resource: 1.41 billion tonnes at 0.67% CuEq (0.50% Cu, 0.20 g/t Au, 0.96 g/t Ag and 63.80 g/t Mo at a cut-off of 0.4% Cu), reported in September 2023, which includes a higher-grade core totaling 200 million tonnes at 0.84% CuEq (0.62% Cu, 0.29 g/t Au 1.25 g/t Ag and 55.7 g/t Mo at a cut off of 0.5% Cu).

For further information, please contact:

Raymond Jannas,

President and CEO

Email: rjannas@atexresources.com

Ben Pullinger,

Senior Vice President of Exploration and Business Development

Email: bpullinger@atexresources.com

or visit ATEX's website at www.atexresources.com

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including predictions, projections, and forecasts. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "expects" or "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements include, among others: plans for the evaluation of exploration properties including the Valeriano Copper Gold Project; the success of evaluation plans; the success of exploration activities; mine development prospects; potential for future metals production; changes in economic parameters and assumptions; all aspects related to the timing and extent of exploration activities including the Phase III drill program contemplated in this press release; timing of receipt of exploration results; the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities and mineralization; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the results of regulatory and permitting processes; future metals price; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; the results of economic and technical studies; delays in obtaining governmental and local approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration; timing of assay results; as well as those factors disclosed in ATEX's publicly filed documents.

Although ATEX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts

responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185128
A 70-year-old Atlanta woman who suffered third-degree burns after coffee spilled on her while in the drive-thru of a Dunkin' in Sugar Hill, Georgia, reached a $3 million settlement with the restaurant, the woman's law firm Morgan & Morgan said in a press statement. The law firm said that the lid was allegedly not secured on the coffee cup, causing the spill.

The woman, whose name has not been made public, was visiting a Dunkin' in Sugar Hill in February 2021 to purchase a cup of coffee, when the accident occurred, said Morgan & Morgan.

As a Dunkin' employee handed the woman her the coffee, the lid came off of the cup spilling the coffee onto her lap and burning her skin. She suffered second and third-degree burns to her thighs, groin and abdomen and required extensive skin grafts.

'I could have died there': Teen saves elderly neighbor using 'Stop The Bleed' training

Severe burns

America may run on Dunkin', but our client had to re-learn how to walk due to the severity of her burns, said the woman's attorney Benjamin Welch in a statement.

Welch said his client's burns were "so severe" that she spent weeks in the burn unit of a local hospital and that her life entirely changed after the incident, with her medical bills amounting to over $200,000.

"Walking still causes her pain, she cant go out in the sun, and she must apply creams and ointments to her burns several times a day," said Welch, adding that his client, who had retired from her position as a federal government employee shortly before the incident, continues to struggle with day-to-day activities.

The attorney added that the spill would never have happened if the drive-thru employee had properly secured the lid on the coffee cup.

Surprise! Ben Affleck seen working at Dunkin' drive-thru after viral memes

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Lawsuit and settlement

A spokesperson for Morgan & Morgan told USA TODAY that their client had filed a lawsuit against the Dunkin' franchisee, Golden Donuts, LLC, in the State Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Court records indicate that the tort case was filed on April 8, 2022.

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Golden Donuts eventually agreed to an out of court settlement of $3 million, said the spokesperson. Court records show that the suit was dismissed October 19 after an out of court settlement between the parties.

Dunkin' did not respond to USA TODAY's request for a comment and statement.

We hope this settlement sends a message to all restaurants and franchisees: this isnt complicated; train your employees properly and prioritize customer safety," said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan, in a statement.

'Productive talks': Ford, UAW close on tentative agreement, sources say

Surcharge? Service fee? Convenience fee? Why you are paying more to use your credit card

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dunkin' coffee burns lawsuit ends with $3 million for Georgia woman
MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Auxico Resources Canada Inc. (CSE: AUAG) (OTCQB: AUXIF) ("Auxico" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that one of its convertible debenture holders, Central America Nickel Inc. ("CAN"), has converted its debentures for a total consideration of $1,175,000, based on a previously announced acquisition of shares and debentures; for reference, please see the news release the Company issued on July 20, 2023. The debentures have been converted in accordance with their terms, into units, each comprised of one common share priced at $0.20 and one warrant, for a total issuance of 5,875,000 common shares and 5,875,000 warrants in the capital of Auxico; the warrants have a strike price of $0.25 for a period of 3 years from the date of issuance, until October 20, 2026. Following the conversions by the debenture holders by October 23, 2023 as the maturity date, Auxico now has 100,165,191 common shares outstanding.

Auxico Resources Canada Inc. (CNW Group/Auxico Resources Canada Inc.)

Pierre Gauthier, Chief Executive Officer of Auxico commented, "Central America Nickel's debenture conversion reflects a shared commitment to advance Auxico's operations, which serves the parallel purpose of meeting the increasing global demand for critical minerals across diversified projects and regions. Auxico's projects are a natural extension to CAN's current portfolio of mineral assets and its proprietary technologies for the processing and extraction of critical minerals, which follows on a track record of creating successful collaborations to unlock value for shareholders across both firms. The strategic alignment of visions and operations of Auxico and CAN are further solidified by the predominant shareholding position that CAN has taken, which synchronizes the projects execution and future of both companies."

CAN is a privately-held corporation based in Montreal, focused on the sourcing and processing of critical minerals and energy metals using patented and patent-pending technologies, in partnership with strategic partners. CAN has chosen to convert the debentures as a long-term investor, and in alignment with common interests of the two companies due to the strategic importance of rare earth and other critical minerals supply sources within Auxico's portfolio of mineral assets in Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Story continues

As a result of the debenture conversion, CAN now holds a total of 17,050,000 common shares, or 17.02% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Auxico. In addition, with this conversion, CAN now holds 13,275,000 warrants, and pending complete exercise of warrants, on a partially diluted basis CAN would hold a total of 30,325,000 common shares in the capital of Auxico. Based on the current share capital outstanding as of today's date, 30,325,000 common shares in the capital of Auxico would represent approximately 26.73% of Auxico's shareholding on a partially diluted basis.

About Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

Auxico Resources Canada Inc. ("Auxico") is a Canadian company that was founded in 2014 and based in Montreal, trading on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE) under symbol AUAG and on the OTCQB Market under symbol AUXIF. Auxico is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Additional information on Auxico can be found on the Company's website (www.auxicoresources.com) or on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under "Auxico Resources Canada Inc."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 signed.   signed. 



Pierre Gauthier Mark Billings CEO & President, Auxico Resources Canada Inc. Chairman, Auxico Resources Canada Inc. pg@auxicoresources.com mb@auxicoresources.com Cell: +1 514 299 0881 Cell: +1 514 296 1641

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The CSE 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 the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company 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 the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the planned studies, drill program and the development of the Minastyc, Massangana or El Bento/Monte Verde Projects, its sampling program, indications and other mining projects and prospects thereof, related to the Company's operations in Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and/or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various risk factors. These factors include, among others, uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors, and their potential effects, which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). Except as required by securities law, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise.

SOURCE Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2023/25/c2974.html
Do retirement benchmarks like retiring at age 65 still hold up? Or have rising costs, combined with changing conditions such as medical advances extending and improving lives, created new retirement expectations? And how do these expectations differ by gender?

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A survey by GOBankingRates finds that only 37% of both men and women think retiring around age 65 is financially possible for most Americans. But there are also lots of differences in how men and women look at retirement.



For example, the most common response among women for how much money theyll need in retirement is $250,001 to $500,000, whereas men are more likely to say $500,001 to $1 million than any other number. The survey also finds that women have generally saved less for retirement than men have so far, and women expect to spend less money in retirement, too.



However, times are changing, and the average retirement age and wage could look different in 10 years.

New Expectations for the Average Retirement Age

While many people still dream of retirement, the future might not involve as many full-stop retirements.

Im seeing more and more people, both men and women, plan on entering a semi-retirement, where they continue working past a traditional retirement age, such as 65, said Nicole Burdick, an LPL-affiliated financial advisor at Money Maven Financial. Semi-retirement looks like working less, earning less and, in exchange, having less stress and more time flexibility  perks typically reserved for retirement.

How To Go From Broke in Your 40s to a Millionaire in Your 50s: 8 Late Start Retirement Tips



In semi-retirement, she said, there might not be much activity in terms of wealth accumulation, but it can prolong drawing down your retirement savings.



Waiting to withdraw from retirement accounts decreases the chance of running out of money, which is particularly important for women, who will likely live longer, Burdick said. Semi-retirement also could enable them to wait to draw Social Security, which increases that income stream for the rest of their life.

Story continues

In many cases, though, a savings shortfall prompts extended working years.

I believe the average retirement age for both men and women will drift upwards over the next decade both by necessity and social change, said Chris Zeches, CFP and managing partner at Zeches Wealth Management. Additionally, I agree with the respondents in that I believe retiring at 65 is not financially feasible for most Americans. Most Americans are unfortunately not prepared for retirement and therefore they will need to keep working as long as possible.

Working longer also can be particularly important for women, who may have had career gaps due to having children. Plus, living longer can require more retirement savings for women.



Due to their longer life expectancy and wanting to maximize their retirement income, they may choose to review all of their planning options and consider working longer to take advantage of the additional income and savings capabilities for the long term during their retirement years, said Janet Fox, an LPL-affiliated financial advisor and president, ACH Investment Group, Inc.

New Expectations for the Average Retirement Portfolio and Wage

Related to working longer, many women also will likely increase their retirement portfolios over the next decade, according to experts.



The primary driver of women having less saved for retirement than men is the caregiver effect, as women are more likely to take time out of the workforce to care for their children or other family members, Burdick said. However, research also shows that women are more likely to opt into 401(k) plans, save at a higher rate and get better returns due to less frequent trading. These factors, combined with increased availability of paid family leave, access to affordable child care, and continued work towards closing the pay gap, will help women pass up their male counterparts for retirement savings.

Plus, more women likely will take control of their finances, which could lead to bigger retirement portfolios.

Historically speaking, it is common for men to manage the investments and rely on their ability to make more money, Burdick said. Women tend to manage the household budget and may be thinking more in terms of how much they think theyll be able to spend, already reigning in their expectations to be more conservative.

This is likely to change over the next 10 years as women become more engaged in their familys investments while also seeing a great transfer of generational wealth into their hands.



That said, many people, regardless of gender, still could struggle to grow their retirement portfolios.



Unfortunately, I do not believe these amounts saved for retirement are going to significantly change for two main reasons, Zeches said. First, we are a nation of spenders and not savers. It is going to be very hard for people to suddenly change a lifetime of spending habits. Secondly, the costs of goods and services continue to increase. These increases make it harder for people to save for the future.



However, over the next decade and into the future, I do believe we are going to see an increase in retirement assets for women based on more women working outside the house and more assets being passed into the womans name.

Will Women Close the Gap?

While sources of retirement income like Social Security might get more equal between genders as women close the pay gap, societal norms could still hold back retirement wage growth.



Burdick said, What Im seeing in my practice right now is female clients basing their decision on when to file for Social Security, not just around their financials, but also due to caregiving responsibilities  typically for a spouse or a parent. While the benefits may equalize, the payouts will likely remain lower as caregiving responsibilities lead them to file earlier than men.



Some, however, do have a more optimistic view.



During the next 10 years, the payouts during retirement for women will increase, Fox said. As more women re-enter the workforce and continue investing in their 401(k) plans as well as non-retirement investments, the income will increase. This trend should continue if the millennial and Gen Z generations continue investing as well.



Overall, while its hard to say exactly what will happen in 10 years, the trend at least seems to suggest that women will close some financial gaps with men. However, both genders need to be mindful when it comes to retirement planning amid increasing costs and longer life expectancies.

Good financial planning during your working years is critical, Fox said. A good plan takes into account income from all sources.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How the Average Retirement Age and Wage Will Change in 10 Years for Men vs. Women
Almajdouie Logistics has become the first logistics service provider in Saudi Arabia to adopt IRU RoadMasters goods transport programme.

Mohammed Ali Almajdouie , the CEO of Almajdouie Logistics, Umberto de Pretto, IRU Secretary General, signed a strategic partnership agreement in Riyadh that will enhance the efficiency of Almajdouie Logistics operations and ensure its drivers operate in line with international standards, the company said in a statement.

IRU RoadMasters helps mobility and logistics operators develop, strengthen and manage key workers, especially commercial drivers, with state-of-the-art training and assessment solutions.

It certifies professional drivers and provides companies with digital dashboards to monitor and manage drivers skills profiles.

Ali Almajdouie said: We are delighted to be the first company in Saudi Arabia to implement this leading programme for general cargo transport. This collaboration with IRU is a significant step forward for Almajdouie Logistics in our pursuit of operational excellence and ensuring our drivers adhere to global standards. IRU RoadMasters offers a state-of-the-art solution that will empower us to develop, strengthen, and efficiently manage our key workforce, particularly our commercial drivers."

The RoadMasters certification programme will equip Almajdouie Logistics with the necessary tools to monitor and enhance its drivers skills profile, further solidifying the company's commitment to providing high-quality logistics services.

de Pretto said: IRU is pleased to equip Almajdouie Logistics with the means to enhance driver skills and certify professionals, ultimately bolstering the company's operational efficiency and global competitiveness. We look forward to a successful collaboration and the positive impact it will bring to the industry. This partnership signifies our collective commitment to advancing the logistics and transport industry.

The IRU RoadMasters optimises commercial driver competencies and equips companies with the right data to make informed decisions and mitigate operational risks. It identifies and addresses gaps, while boosting recognition of high professional standards.

RoadMasters offers multiple advantages to logistics companies, helping them to select the right candidates for specific roles and provides structured data analysis for informed decision-making at various organisational levels.

It also enhances business efficiency by addressing skill gaps, reducing training costs through targeted instruction, managing risks, and ensuring compliance.

Moreover, The RoadMasters certification demonstrates a commitment to safety, fostering higher customer satisfaction and retention. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service
Chinese President Xi Jinping Getty Images

China approved a plan to adjust its budget and issue more sovereign debt, Bloomberg reported.

$137 billion in debt could be issued, while 2024's budget deficit could be increased, sources told Reuters.

This may help take the debt burden off of local governments, and revive the economy next year.

Chinese authorities have approved additional sovereign debt and a change to the 2023's state budget, efforts meant to provide added stimulus for the country's strained economy, Bloomberg reported.

While the plan's details have not been made public, China is set to approve around $137 billion in sovereign debt issuance, insiders told Reuters. Government advisors are also pushing for China to increase its 2024 budget deficit beyond the usual 3% of its GDP; by doing so, more government debt could be issued, helping to revive the economy.

Beijing has rarely modified its budget mid-year. Previous instances have only occurred in periods of strain, such as the 2008 crash and the 1990s Asian financial crisis.

Though the country showed surprising strength in the third quarter, these moves are meant to help boost growth into the next year. Economists predict that growth will slow to 4.5% in 2024, and challenges will persist.

Already, China has been pummeled by a collapsing property market, while lackluster spending and productivity trends have dashed this year's economic hopes. Capital flight out of the nation's markets has been rampant.

The emphasis on sovereign bonds could underline a changing policy approach, placing debt burdens more on the national government, as opposed to local authorities. Debt levels among regional governments have been a rampant issue, especially as their finances largely rely on China's crumbling real-estate sector.

Where the central government's debt-to-GDP ratio is 21%, local government's hold a much higher ratio at 76%, Reuters reported.

But while Beijing's turn to stimulus is a shift away from the state's long-standing opposition to increased debt, it may not be a sufficient enough solution, sources told the outlet.

Story continues

Instead, structural reforms should be implemented that encourage increased household spending, reduce investment reliance, and give private firms a helping hand.

"We need to make good preparations for next year and implement policies to stabilize growth. The foundation of economic recovery is not solid," an anonymous cabinet adviser told Reuters.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday urged big companies to deposit another $2 billion into U.S. community lenders to boost loans to minority and underserved businesses, and asked them to devote 15% of their procurement budgets to such firms.

The call by Vice President Kamala Harris comes after a coalition of 30 private-sector companies and foundations met a goal set last year to attract $1 billion in deposits to these institutions. That target is now being raised to $3 billion.

Chip maker Micron Technology, industrial gases producer Air Products and utility Xcel Energy have agreed to commit at least 15% of their contract spending to "small and underserved" firms, the Treasury Department said.

Alphabet Inc's Google will commit to spending at least $1 billion annually with "diverse-owned suppliers" in the United States, the Treasury said.

The department announced the commitments as part of its third annual Freedman's Bank Forum on Wednesday, which will discuss efforts to increase economic opportunities for communities of color.

"To bridge the financial disparities that hold so many of our communities back, we must continue to work together to combine the capacity of private sector with the reach and the scale that only the government can provide," Harris said in a statement. "When we do, we create the opportunity and prosperity for millions of Americans."

The Treasury had previously invested nearly $9 billion into Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and minority-owned banking firms to make more capital available to minority firms.

"In order for these minority owned banks and CDFIs to lend that money, they need deposits," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told reporters.

According to a Treasury fact sheet, the Office of Management and Budget also is setting a goal of awarding 13% of federal contract spending to "small, disadvantaged businesses" for fiscal 2024, which started on Oct. 1.

Story continues

The federal government buys about $650 billion worth of goods and services each year, making it the largest single purchaser in the country, the Treasury said.

The Internal Revenue Service will also aim to devote 19% of its procurement budget to small, historically disadvantaged businesses as it upgrades its technology, customer service and audit capabilities under a 10-year, $60 billion investment plan.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Sonali Paul)
US President Joe Biden (R) and China's President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali

The US government has ordered Nvidia to immediately stop selling AI computer chips to China after President Biden brought forward the ban.

Nvidia announced the restrictions on Tuesday, which it said will be effective immediately and limit the US tech giant from selling its most-prized chips to China, Russia and Iran.

The ban was previously expected to be introduced in mid-November but it has now been put in place early as a new round of trade talks begin between Washington and Beijing.

It comes ahead of President Xi Jinpings visit to the US next month.

Nvidia sought to downplay the chip ban in an update to investors on Tuesday, as it does not expect it to have a meaningful impact on its financial results given the strength of demand for the companys products worldwide.

Best known among consumers for its PC gaming graphics cards, Nvidia also designs computer chips for training AI software such as ChatGPT.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Soaring demand for its chips has driven Nvidias share price up by more than 200pc over the past year, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.

The ban will affect five of Nvidias chips.

Trade relations between the US and China have been growing increasingly tense in recent years as American officials sought to restrict Chinas access to advanced technologies.

Moves to block state-linked mobile phone equipment maker Huawei from US telephone networks in the late 2010s were followed by pressure from American officials on key allies, including the UK, to follow suit.

Earlier this year the Dutch government bowed to US demands to impose a computer chip trade embargo on China.

Dutch company ASML, which makes machines used for manufacturing the most advanced computer chips in the world, is now prohibited from selling the latest and most capable designs to China.

Ahead of the upcoming trade talks, Chinas finance ministry said it had expressed concerns to US officials about export curbs.

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Chris Williams is the former VP of HR at Microsoft dickcraft/Getty Images

Chris Williams is the former VP of HR at Microsoft.

He writes about the mistakes people often make in their careers.

Williams advises against asking for a raise, staying after a PIP, and other career-jeopardizing mistakes.

Chris Williams is the former VP of HR at Microsoft. In his more than 40 years in business and leadership, he's seen employees and leaders make the same ill-advised decisions, regardless of seniority.

Here are four career mistakes he says to avoid:

Mistake 1: Threatening to quit the company

Out of frustration, many employees issue an ultimatum and threaten to leave the company in an attempt to get a higher salary or a better role.

Williams explains that this rarely goes how the employee hopes. Surprising your manager with the threat may make you seem rash and irrational. If you've complained before, you seem to be throwing a long, extended tantrum. A manager may also see it as a resignation in disguise and assume you're on the way out anyway  no matter what they do.

Williams concludes that once you make the threat, you've already lost.

Read more: What actually happens when you threaten to quit over another job offer

Mistake 2: Asking for a raise

If you're asking for a raise, you're already starting from a position of weakness.

A raise shouldn't be a favor. Don't bring up market value, what other people are paid, or that you have a family to support.

Instead, Williams recommends treating the conversation like a value exchange. Figure out the value you generate for the company, such as the revenue you produce or the savings you create.

Read More: Here are 4 things I would never do as an employee

Mistake 3: Not making your boss your ally

Williams says that your boss is your best ally at work. You want someone on your side who will be in the room when decisions are made about layoffs, promotions, and raises.

You don't need to be your bosses best friend to gain their favor. But there are several keys to winning them over. Williams advises employees to speak up about their accomplishments in one-on-one meetings, look for tasks to knock off their boss' plate, and be supportive of their boss and team.

Story continues

Read more: Your boss is your most important ally at work. Here's how to win them over.

Mistake 4: Staying at a company once you've been placed on a PIP

If you get put on a PIP, you should immediately consider leaving your company. The shadow of a PIP will be a weight on your success if you stay at the same company.

Rarely is a PIP actually a plan to help you recover and improve your job performance, Williams writes. It's best to leave and start with a clean slate somewhere else.

Read more: You should leave a company right away if you get put on a PIP: 'Surviving it is like a sign on your back'

Read the original article on Business Insider
Remote work has been debated for the better part of three years. Should employees be given total flexibility in where they do their jobs or none at all? And are they more productive from home or less?

This fall, the debate was supposed to be settled after the pandemic was declared officially over. Many companies insisted that their workers return to the office and go back to the pre-COVID reality of packed cubicles and in-person meetings.

Stephen Schwarzman, the billionaire CEO of investment giant Blackstone, the worlds biggest commercial property owner, is squarely on the side of people returning to the office. But hes skeptical that it will ever return to how it once was because, in his words at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, they didnt work as hard, regardless of what they tell you, didnt have to wear work clothes, and saved time and money on their commutes. Translation: Many offices will continue to sit empty, and as a result companies will unload office space, knowing theyll need less of it in future.

Blackstone declined to comment for this article.

As for Blackstone, it was among the first companies to require employees to return to the office. Since June 2021, the companys employees have had to be at the office five days a week. At the outset, COVID was a bigger threat, so Blackstone spent $20 million installing precautions in its offices. The company even covered cab fare for employees to commute so they wouldnt have to take public transportation, Insider reported.

Even before, Blackstone was among the earliest major companies to reopen its offices after COVID lockdowns, giving employees the option to return as early as the summer of 2020. The decision caused some employees to balk at the idea of socializing with others when a vaccine was still unavailable.

Blackstone is the worlds biggest commercial property owner

Blackstone, which Schwarzman founded in 1985 with just $400,000, is the worlds largest commercial property owner. Commercial real estate faces real fundamental headwinds, president Jonathan Gray acknowledged on a July investor call. Despite Blackstones heavy investments in real estate, Gray said at the time that U.S. offices account for only about 2% of Blackstones real estate equity portfolio. That represents a significant reduction from 2007, when commercial real estate accounted for 61% of Blackstones overall holdings.

Story continues

At that point, Blackstone started to slowly wind down its office holdings. Since the pandemic, its had to write down the value of some office buildings that it still owns and defaulted on $562 million in Finnish bonds backed by a portfolio of office properties.

Because remote work is here to stay, Schwarzman believes companies will give up leases or not renew them when they expire. After that, those properties will not [be] survivable as economic entities, he said at the conference in Saudi Arabia.

Like most of Wall Streets biggest names and richest men, Schwarzman abides by a work-round-the-clock ethos, saying once in an interview with Bloomberg that he worked 18-hour days when starting out. In 2019, he published a book of management principles that hinted at the hypercompetitiveness that drives his work ethic. Never get complacentYour competition will defeat you if you are not constantly seeking ways to reinvent and improve yourself, he wrote.

Schwarzman is a big-time donor

Schwarzman, who has a net worth of around $30 billion, has been a longtime political donor. Earlier this year he made headlines for saying he wouldnt support former President Donald Trump in the current Republican primary. During the 2020 presidential race, he donated around $3 million to America First Action, a super PAC that supported Trumps reelection campaign. In the 2016 elections, Schwarzman had originally supported Jeb Bush, donating $100,000 to a super PAC that supported him. Once Trump won the nomination, however, Schwarzman backed Trumps campaign.

Over the years, Schwarzman has also thrown his huge fortune around in the art world as a donor. Hes a trustee of the Frick Collection and underwrote an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 2018; the main branch of the New York Public Library bears his name thanks to a $100 million donation in 2008. His donations have also extended to higher education. In 2015, Schwarzman donated $150 million to his alma mater, Yale University. Some of that money went toward building a performing arts center on campus. In 2019, he donated 150 million, or $188 million, to Oxford University for AI research, anticipating what has become a buzzy area of tech.

Correction, Oct. 24, 2023: This articles headline was updated after publication to reflect that Blackstone is the worlds largest commercial property owner.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, is behind a newly established cryptocurrency trading platform in Hong Kong that has announced its intention to apply for a licence in the city, according to sources familiar with the matter.

HKVAEX, which was established in December 2022 and launched its trading platform in February, was set up by Binance to pursue a crypto licence in Hong Kong, according to three industry insiders close to the company, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is private.

HKVAEX was created as a separate entity in Hong Kong under the company BX Services Limited. However, the companies share resources, the people said, and the exchange's website shows that it is using Binance servers for fetching content.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"HKVAEX is an independent virtual asset exchange platform based in Hong Kong," the company said in an email in response to questions about its relationship with Binance. "It's operated by a team of technology and seasoned professionals from the financial services sector, currently preparing to apply for the [Securities and Futures Commission's virtual asset trading platform] licence."

The logos of cryptocurrency exchanges HKVAEX and Binance. Photo: HKVAEX, Shutterstock alt=The logos of cryptocurrency exchanges HKVAEX and Binance. Photo: HKVAEX, Shutterstock>

A Binance representative said, "HKVAEX is not in the Binance Group of companies." The crypto giant defines "Binance group" in its terms of service as an "ecosystem centred around an online exchange for Digital Assets trading", and is distinct from "Binance Affiliates''.

Having an independent exchange in Hong Kong could allow the company to take advantage of the market, which is seeking a greater role in the global crypto industry, while Binance faces increasing legal scrutiny and liquidity issues overseas.

Story continues

Hong Kong's implementation this year of a new licensing scheme was meant to attract industry players by offering legal stability. Since announcing the scheme a year ago, many exchanges with connections to China have announced their intent to pursue a Hong Kong licence, but Binance, which was founded in Shanghai in 2017, has largely stayed silent on the issue.

HKVAEX is preparing to submit an application for Hong Kong's virtual asset licence, CEO Stanley Fung said in a video interview in July with the Hong Kong crypto YouTuber known as Leo.

The connection between the two exchanges was raised as early as April, when someone questioned HKVAEX on Twitter, now known as X. When asked about the tweet in a company-run group on the Telegram messenger app, a company representative said HKVAEX is independent, with its own tech team, but it "source[s] from global exchanges like Binance".

Yet both companies have jointly appeared in several events in Hong Kong this year. In March, Binance Academy, BNB Chain and HKVAEX collaborated with the University of Hong Kong's Blockchain Lab in a cryptocurrencies workshop. In April, a promotional offer for opening an HKVAEX account described Binance as a "partner".

In July, HKVAEX's Fung and Binance chief information security officer Nathan Swain also jointly spoke in a session at Cyberport's Web3 Connect event, according to a HKVAEX post on X. That same month, HKVAEX participated in a dinner party organised by Richard Teng, Binance head of regional markets, according to posts on X.

The companies' main websites, Binance.com and HKVAEX.hk, also share stark similarities, including shared code and the use of Binance's content delivery domain bnbstatic.com. The companies' terms of use have nearly identical templates, as well, suggesting the two may also be sharing legal resources.

While Binance co-founder and CEO Zhao Changpeng has talked up Hong Kong's new crypto regime and the potential of China's crypto market, the company has not publicly expressed an interest in getting its own virtual asset licence in the Asian finance hub. Industry observers previously told the Post that Binance would face many challenges in getting a licence itself given the headwinds it faces elsewhere.

Binance co-founder and CEO Zhao Changpeng speaks during a fireside chat with HashKey Capital CEO Deng Chao during the Hong Kong Web3 Festival at the Wan Chai Convention and Exhibition Centre on April 12, 2023. Photo: SCMP / Matt Haldane. alt=Binance co-founder and CEO Zhao Changpeng speaks during a fireside chat with HashKey Capital CEO Deng Chao during the Hong Kong Web3 Festival at the Wan Chai Convention and Exhibition Centre on April 12, 2023. Photo: SCMP / Matt Haldane.>

In June, the US Securities and Exchange Commission sued Binance and Zhao over allegations of artificially inflating its trading volumes, diverting customer funds and failing to restrict US customers from its global platform. The exchange was operating "a web of deception", the regulator claimed.

Amid legal hurdles, Binance has seen several key executives depart from the company and laid off a number of workers. The company exited multiple European markets including the Netherlands and Belgium. It withdrew a crypto licence application in Germany in July and just last month sold its operations in Russia.

This month, the company discontinued its Visa debit card in Europe, and its Binance.US affiliate halted US dollar withdrawals.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
BioSenic

REGULATED INFORMATION

Following the in-principle agreement reached with its main creditors in the context of ongoing equity raise process, the focus of BioSenic is now to proceed with fundraising, allowing to start its phase 3 international clinical trial with oral arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the first-line treatment of chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD).

Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, October 25, 2023, 7.00 am CEST 

BioSenic provides third quarter 2023 Business Update

Following the in-principle agreement reached with its main creditors in the context of ongoing equity raise process, the focus of BioSenic is now to proceed with fundraising, allowing to start its phase 3 international clinical trial with oral arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the first-line treatment of chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD).

Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, October 25, 2023, 7.00 am CEST  BIOSENIC (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BIOS), the innovative company addressing unmet medical needs in the areas of innate immunity, inflammation and organ/function repair, today provides its business update for the third quarter, ended 30 September 2023.

Key highlights

In July 2023, BioSenic obtained an agreement with Monument and Patronale for a standstill, postponing until Q4 any payment to these creditors.





In September 2023, new binding term sheets have been signed for the replacement of the Monument and Patronale bonds and loans, by new unsecured convertible bonds. New potential terms, subject to formal approval by the European Investment Bank, have also been formulated for the long-term extension of the existing loan financing with the European Investment Bank in the context of ongoing equity raise process. Implementation of the terms agreed with all three lenders is subject to the completion of an equity investment in the Company.





In August 2023, BioSenic announced the allowance of a new patent entitled Use of metal ions to potentiate the therapeutic effects of arsenic by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This patent (ZL202080040613.1) covers the use of its ATO platform in combination with metal ions like copper, allowing further further potential upon the use of arsenic to improve the treatment of autoimmune diseases, starting with cGvHD (the European Patent Office had granted a parallel wide patent protection in eight countries in Europe - EP3972613 - in April 2023).





Story continues

In September 2023, BioSenic published data in a peer-reviewed international journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, providing additional indications of its lead API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) arsenic trioxide (ATO) to treat systemic sclerosis (SSc). These results give ground to the proposed clinical relevance of ATO treatment in SSc, and more generally in autoimmune related pathologies.



In September 2023, BioSenic announced the completion of a post-hoc analysis of its phase 2 clinical trial of ATO, finding the most adapted scheme for administration of an efficient treatment for chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD). As a result, BioSenic will further use this 2-cycle treatment in its forthcoming phase 3 clinical trial. This involves the administration of a double four-week course, separated by a rest period, resulting in the use of two to four times more doses of ATO.





Financial highlights

Net cash at the end of September 2023 amounted to 0.39 million (1). Upon receipt of the two final instalments of 300,000 under the existing convertible bonds program with GTO15, BioSenic anticipates having sufficient cash to carry out its business objectives until the end of January 2024. BioSenic will continue to require additional financing over the last 2023 Quarter and therefore actively evaluates various options, including a significant fundraising operation.

Outlook for the remainder of 2023

BioSenic is involved in preliminary discussions with Pregene, and other potential partners, to reach an agreement for the global development and commercialization of proprietary ALLOB cells, derived from mesenchymal stem cells.

Since BioSenic has obtained new statistical analysis results from the past Bone Therapeutics JTA-004 Phase 3 clinical trial data, the therapeutic profile of JTA-004 has significantly changed. The results allow to specifically target patients severely affected by osteoarthritis, suggesting to proceed to a new, optimized phase 3 clinical study in this pathologyand possibly other indications. BioSenic is actively working on new intellectual property rules and new patent submissions related to a better use of the JTA-004 technology and improved versions.

The Medsenic (BioSenic's subsidiary) phase 2 clinical study with ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD has provided additional positive results, with new data related to the optimal duration of the treatment. The phase 3 study with oral ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD, for which Medsenic received positive pre-IND response from the FDA, is indeed anticipated to start in 2024. A previous phase 2a clinical trial for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had established safety for the patient and efficacy on the development of the autoimmune disease. Positive studies on preclinical models further give good grounds for a phase 2 clinical trial on systemic sclerosis (SSc). Phase 2b clinical trials for SLE and SSc are in the planning stage with the synopsis for both studies ready.

In 2024 BioSenic expects to use the proceeds of anticipated future fundraisings in priority for progressing the phase 3 clinical trial in cGvHD. As a result, it will only be possible to start the SLE and SSc phase 2b clinical trials if the BioSenic Group succeeds in concluding a strong partnership with a biopharmaceutical company or if it manages to successfully out-license some of its technology. The start of SLE and SSc phase 2 clinical trials is therefore not envisioned before 2025.

(1) Unaudited numbers

About BioSenic

BioSenic is a leading biotech company specializing in the development of clinical assets issued from: (i) the arsenic trioxide (ATO) platform (with key target indications including Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc)) and (ii), the development of innovative products to meet unmet needs in orthopedics.

Following a reverse merger in October 2022, BioSenic combined a strategic positionings and strengths to use, separately and combined, an entirely new arsenal of various anti-inflammatory and anti-autoimmune formulations using the immunomodulatory properties of ATO/oral ATO (OATO) with its innovative cell therapy platform and strong IP for tissue repair protection.

BioSenic is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.biosenic.com.

About BioSenic technology platforms

BioSenics technology is based on two main platforms:

1) The ATO platform, which has been successfully developed, has immunomodulatory properties with fundamental effects on the activated cells of the immune system. The first effect is the increase of the cell oxidative stress in activated B, T and other cells of the innate/adaptative immune system to the point they will enter a cell death program (apoptosis) and be eliminated. The second effect is potent immunomodulatory properties on several cytokines involved in inflammatory or autoimmune cell pathways, with return to homeostasis. One direct application is its use in onco-immunology to treat GvHD (Graft-versus-Host Disease) in its chronic, established stage. cGvHD is one of the most common and clinically significant complications affecting long-term survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). cGvHD is primarily mediated by the transplanted immune cells that can lead to severe multiorgan damage. BioSenic has been successful in a phase 2 trial with its intravenous formulation, which has orphan drug designation status by FDA and EMA. The Company is heading towards an international phase 3 confirmatory study, with its new, IP-protected, OATO formulation. Another selected target is moderate-to-severe forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), using the same oral formulation. ATO has shown good safety and significant clinical efficacy on several affected organs (skin, mucosae and the gastrointestinal tract) in an early phase 2a study. Systemic sclerosis is also part of the clinical pipeline of BioSenic. This serious chronic disease badly affects skin, lungs or vascularization, and has no actual current effective treatment. Preclinical studies on pertinent animal models are positive, giving good grounds to launch a phase 2 clinical protocol.





2) The allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform developed by BioSenic, with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), which can be stored at the point of use in hospitals. ALLOB represents a unique and proprietary approach to organ repair and specifically to bone regeneration, by turning undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells on the site of injury. ALLOB has recently been evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study in patients with high-risk tibial fractures, using its optimized production process, after a successful first safety and efficacy study (phase 1/2a) on fractured long bones, with late-delayed union. However, in June 2023, BioSenic decided to suspend its interventional trial on fracture healing using ALLOB, following negative results obtained for the primary endpoint in this exploratory phase 2b clinical trial, interpreted as a failure of a too early cell injection, just after fracture. BioSenic is now focusing on determining the best time to optimise the efficacy of ALLOB (choice between early or late treatment).





Note: Biosenic has reevaluated a previous important and years-long clinical development program. In March 2023, after the clinical identification of distinct OA subtypes, BioSenic delivered a new post-hoc analysis of its phase 3 JTA-004 trial on knee OA, demonstrating positive action on the most severely affected patient subpopulation. This new post-hoc analysis drastically changes the therapeutic profile of the combined components and allows for better patient targeting in future clinical developments. This leads to a next generation of JTA, off-the-shelf enhanced viscosupplement to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA), made of a unique combination of mammalian plasma proteins, derivatives of hyaluronic acid (a natural component of synovial fluid in the knee) and a third active component. JTA or some derivatives are intended to provide effective lubrication and protection to the cartilage of the arthritic joint and to alleviate osteoarthritic (OA) pain and inflammation.

The company, will nevertheless focus its present R&D and clinical activities on a selective, accelerated development of its autoimmune (ATO/OATO) platform.

For further information, please contact:

BioSenic SA

Francois Rieger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 (0)671 73 31 59

investorrelations@biosenic.com

International Media Enquiries:

IB Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Investor Enquiries:

Seitosei Actifin

Ghislaine Gasparetto

Tel: +33 (0)1 56 88 11 22

ggasparetto@actifin.fr

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

BIOSENIC (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BIOS), the innovative company addressing unmet medical needs in the areas of innate immunity, inflammation and organ/function repair, today provides its business update for the third quarter, ended 30 September 2023.

Key highlights

In July 2023, BioSenic obtained an agreement with Monument and Patronale for a standstill, postponing until Q4 any payment to these creditors.

In September 2023, new binding term sheets have been signed for the replacement of the Monument and Patronale bonds and loans, by new unsecured convertible bonds. New potential terms, subject to formal approval by the European Investment Bank, have also been formulated for the long-term extension of the existing loan financing with the European Investment Bank in the context of ongoing equity raise process. Implementation of the terms agreed with all three lenders is subject to the completion of an equity investment in the Company.

In August 2023, BioSenic announced the allowance of a new patent entitled Use of metal ions to potentiate the therapeutic effects of arsenic by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This patent (ZL202080040613.1) covers the use of its ATO platform in combination with metal ions like copper, allowing further further potential upon the use of arsenic to improve the treatment of autoimmune diseases, starting with cGvHD (the European Patent Office had granted a parallel wide patent protection in eight countries in Europe - EP3972613 - in April 2023).

In September 2023, BioSenic published data in a peer-reviewed international journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, providing additional indications of its lead API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) arsenic trioxide (ATO) to treat systemic sclerosis (SSc). These results give ground to the proposed clinical relevance of ATO treatment in SSc, and more generally in autoimmune related pathologies.

In September 2023, BioSenic announced the completion of a post-hoc analysis of its phase 2 clinical trial of ATO, finding the most adapted scheme for administration of an efficient treatment for chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease (cGvHD). As a result, BioSenic will further use this 2-cycle treatment in its forthcoming phase 3 clinical trial. This involves the administration of a double four-week course, separated by a rest period, resulting in the use of two to four times more doses of ATO.

Financial highlights

Net cash at the end of September 2023 amounted to 0.39 million (1) .

Upon receipt of the two final instalments of 300,000 under the existing convertible bonds program with GTO15, BioSenic anticipates having sufficient cash to carry out its business objectives until the end of January 2024. BioSenic will continue to require additional financing over the last 2023 Quarter and therefore actively evaluates various options, including a significant fundraising operation.

Outlook for the remainder of 2023

BioSenic is involved in preliminary discussions with Pregene, and other potential partners, to reach an agreement for the global development and commercialization of proprietary ALLOB cells, derived from mesenchymal stem cells.

Since BioSenic has obtained new statistical analysis results from the past Bone Therapeutics JTA-004 Phase 3 clinical trial data, the therapeutic profile of JTA-004 has significantly changed. The results allow to specifically target patients severely affected by osteoarthritis, suggesting to proceed to a new, optimized phase 3 clinical study in this pathologyand possibly other indications. BioSenic is actively working on new intellectual property rules and new patent submissions related to a better use of the JTA-004 technology and improved versions.

The Medsenic (BioSenic's subsidiary) phase 2 clinical study with ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD has provided additional positive results, with new data related to the optimal duration of the treatment. The phase 3 study with oral ATO in the first-line treatment of cGvHD, for which Medsenic received positive pre-IND response from the FDA, is indeed anticipated to start in 2024. A previous phase 2a clinical trial for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had established safety for the patient and efficacy on the development of the autoimmune disease. Positive studies on preclinical models further give good grounds for a phase 2 clinical trial on systemic sclerosis (SSc). Phase 2b clinical trials for SLE and SSc are in the planning stage with the synopsis for both studies ready.

In 2024 BioSenic expects to use the proceeds of anticipated future fundraisings in priority for progressing the phase 3 clinical trial in cGvHD. As a result, it will only be possible to start the SLE and SSc phase 2b clinical trials if the BioSenic Group succeeds in concluding a strong partnership with a biopharmaceutical company or if it manages to successfully out-license some of its technology. The start of SLE and SSc phase 2 clinical trials is therefore not envisioned before 2025.

(1) Unaudited numbers

About BioSenic

BioSenic is a leading biotech company specializing in the development of clinical assets issued from: (i) the arsenic trioxide (ATO) platform (with key target indications including Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc)) and (ii), the development of innovative products to meet unmet needs in orthopedics.

Following a reverse merger in October 2022, BioSenic combined a strategic positionings and strengths to use, separately and combined, an entirely new arsenal of various anti-inflammatory and anti-autoimmune formulations using the immunomodulatory properties of ATO/oral ATO (OATO) with its innovative cell therapy platform and strong IP for tissue repair protection.

BioSenic is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.biosenic.com .

About BioSenic technology platforms

BioSenics technology is based on two main platforms:

The ATO platform, which has been successfully developed, has immunomodulatory properties with fundamental effects on the activated cells of the immune system. The first effect is the increase of the cell oxidative stress in activated B, T and other cells of the innate/adaptative immune system to the point they will enter a cell death program (apoptosis) and be eliminated. The second effect is potent immunomodulatory properties on several cytokines involved in inflammatory or autoimmune cell pathways, with return to homeostasis. One direct application is its use in onco-immunology to treat GvHD (Graft-versus-Host Disease) in its chronic, established stage. cGvHD is one of the most common and clinically significant complications affecting long-term survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). cGvHD is primarily mediated by the transplanted immune cells that can lead to severe multiorgan damage. BioSenic has been successful in a phase 2 trial with its intravenous formulation, which has orphan drug designation status by FDA and EMA. The Company is heading towards an international phase 3 confirmatory study, with its new, IP-protected, OATO formulation. Another selected target is moderate-to-severe forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), using the same oral formulation. ATO has shown good safety and significant clinical efficacy on several affected organs (skin, mucosae and the gastrointestinal tract) in an early phase 2a study. Systemic sclerosis is also part of the clinical pipeline of BioSenic. This serious chronic disease badly affects skin, lungs or vascularization, and has no actual current effective treatment. Preclinical studies on pertinent animal models are positive, giving good grounds to launch a phase 2 clinical protocol. The allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform developed by BioSenic, with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), which can be stored at the point of use in hospitals. ALLOB represents a unique and proprietary approach to organ repair and specifically to bone regeneration, by turning undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells on the site of injury. ALLOB has recently been evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study in patients with high-risk tibial fractures, using its optimized production process, after a successful first safety and efficacy study (phase 1/2a) on fractured long bones, with late-delayed union. However, in June 2023, BioSenic decided to suspend its interventional trial on fracture healing using ALLOB, following negative results obtained for the primary endpoint in this exploratory phase 2b clinical trial, interpreted as a failure of a too early cell injection, just after fracture. BioSenic is now focusing on determining the best time to optimise the efficacy of ALLOB (choice between early or late treatment).

Note: Biosenic has reevaluated a previous important and years-long clinical development program. In March 2023, after the clinical identification of distinct OA subtypes, BioSenic delivered a new post-hoc analysis of its phase 3 JTA-004 trial on knee OA, demonstrating positive action on the most severely affected patient subpopulation. This new post-hoc analysis drastically changes the therapeutic profile of the combined components and allows for better patient targeting in future clinical developments. This leads to a next generation of JTA, off-the-shelf enhanced viscosupplement to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA), made of a unique combination of mammalian plasma proteins, derivatives of hyaluronic acid (a natural component of synovial fluid in the knee) and a third active component. JTA or some derivatives are intended to provide effective lubrication and protection to the cartilage of the arthritic joint and to alleviate osteoarthritic (OA) pain and inflammation.

The company, will nevertheless focus its present R&D and clinical activities on a selective, accelerated development of its autoimmune (ATO/OATO) platform.

For further information, please contact:

BioSenic SA

Francois Rieger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 (0)671 73 31 59

investorrelations@biosenic.com

International Media Enquiries:

IB Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Investor Enquiries:

Seitosei Actifin

Ghislaine Gasparetto

Tel: +33 (0)1 56 88 11 22

ggasparetto@actifin.fr

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.




Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy Scott Olson/Getty Images

Roche acquired a bowel-disease treatment from Roivant for over $7 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Roivant made $5 billion from the sale, after having only spent $15 million on development.

Pfizer originally passed it over to Roivant for free last December.

Roche's acquisition of a bowel-inflammation treatment delivered a massive windfall for presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's company Roivant, the Wall Street Journal reported.

And that came after Pfizer handed it over to Roivant for free.

Pfizer elected to out-license the drug 11 months ago to avoid research and development costs. But Roivant's expenses to develop the treatment, which targets an inflammatory protein called TL1A, amounted to just $15 million.

Now, Roivant will receive $5 billion in cash from the Roche deal.

For its part, Pfizer pointed out to the Journal that the deal with Roivant was part R&D prioritization and that Pfizer will still benefit from the 25% stake it retained as well as full rights to the drug outside the US and Japan.

In fact, Pfizer can expect around $1.4 billion from Roche's acquisition, which totals $7.1 billion for the treatment's developer, Telavant Holdings.

Responding to Insider's request for comment, Pfizer said, "We are very pleased with our TL1A/Telavant partnership, and we think shareholders were well served."

The company added that the deal freed up R&D capacity for other high-priority programs while still letting it retain royalties to US and Japan sales, in addition to the 25% stake and the rights outside the US and Japan.

"Taken together, this partnership allowed us to keep more than 50% of the total value of TL1A with zero incremental R&D spend," Pfizer said in a statement. "For a Phase 2 program, we feel that this is a very sound move for Pfizer shareholders. Finally, Pfizer currently retains 100% ownership of a next generation p40/TL1a bispecific candidate through [phase 1]; Roche has the option to enter into an agreement for global development of that asset with a 50/50 cost share and co-commercialization rights with Pfizer prior to [phase 2] (expected in 2025)."

Story continues

Though the treatment has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, anti-TL1A therapies sprang into popularity soon after Pfizer let go of its license.

Six days after the biotech giant announced its deal with Roivant on December 1, shares in rival company Prometheus Biosciences soared on positive studies for its own, similar drug, the Journal said. The company was later bought for $10.8 billion by Merck.

And just this month, a $1.5 billion collaboration between Sanofi and Teva Pharmaceuticals was announced for more TL1A treatment.

While the compound shows promise in treating things such as ulcerative colitis, its potential use in treating other health needs, such as in dermatology or gynecology, adds to the allure for big pharma.

"This is a $15 billion market just in the US, and that's just in [inflammatory bowel disease," Roche chief Teresa Graham told the Journal. "This molecule clearly has megablockbuster potential."

Read the original article on Business Insider
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bit Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTBT) ("Bit Digital" or the "Company"), a sustainable digital infrastructure platform for digital assets and cloud computing services, headquartered in New York, is pleased to announce that it has finalized an agreement with Soluna Computing, Inc ("Soluna") for 4.4 megawatts of incremental hosting capacity at Project Sophie in Kentucky to power its miners for an initial contract term of twelve months. The company will fill the capacity with existing miners from its fleet and expects the miners to be actively hashing by early-November, 2023.

Sam Tabar, Bit Digital's CEO, commented: "We are pleased to enter into this agreement and further diversify our hosting portfolio both geographically and across counterparties. We believe this contract is structured in such way to provide us with enhanced operational flexibility through the 'halving' scheduled for 2024."

About Bit Digital

Bit Digital, Inc. is a sustainable digital infrastructure platform for digital assets and cloud computing services headquartered in New York City. Our bitcoin mining operations are located in the US, Canada, and Iceland. The Company has also established a business line, Bit Digital AI, that offers specialized cloud-infrastructure services for artificial intelligence applications. For additional information, please contact ir@bit-digital.com or visit our website at www.bit-digital.com .

Investor Notice

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements described under "Risk Factors" in Item 3.D of our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. If any material risk was to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. In addition, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results in the future. Future changes in the network-wide mining difficulty rate or bitcoin hash rate may also materially affect the future performance of Bit Digital's production of bitcoin. Actual operating results will vary depending on many factors including network difficulty rate, total hash rate of the network, the operations of our facilities, the status of our miners, and other factors. See "Safe Harbor Statement" below.

Story continues

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of Bit Digital, Inc., and its subsidiary companies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," or similar expressions, involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov . All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bit-digital-inc-announces-new-hosting-location-301967751.html

SOURCE Bit Digital, Inc.
(Bloomberg) -- Canary Wharf Group, the developer of Londons dockland financial district, has received a fresh equity injection from its shareholders, as the area contends with high profile departures and a shift to working from home.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Brookfield and the Qatar Investment Authority have committed to a 300 million ($364 million) equity injection for the firm as well as a 100 million revolving credit facility, according to a press release from the firm on Wednesday.

Canary Wharf Group has a 350 million bond due in 2025, which has been trading at a discount since last year. The bond was changing hands for 89.1 pence on the pound at 1:43pm London time, after rising as much as 5.3 pence following the announcement.

The proceeds will be used to complete the strategic repositioning of Canary Wharf and build out additional residential and life sciences projects on the estate, the release said.

Canary Wharf has struggled since the pandemic led to a shift to flexible working, bringing in fewer workers to populate the desks of the large office blocks that dominate its skyline. HSBC, Europes largest bank, said it would quit its skyscraper in the district for a new location in central London, following a similar move by lawfirm Clifford Chance. For decades dominated by financial services firms, the area is intent on drawing in more residential and life-sciences tenants.

READ MORE: Canary Wharf Fights Back With Nightlife, Schools and Scientists

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Cruise Saudis CEO, Lars Clasen, was awarded Executive of the Year  Tourism at the Middle East Management Excellence Awards ceremony in Dubai on October 11.

Attended by C-suite level, senior management, digital and technology business department heads and marketing communications executive guests, the award night celebrated the regions most outstanding business leaders.

The Executive of the Year  Tourism award is designed to recognise a notable contribution to the success and growth of a company.

In collaboration with valued international partners, government and local entities, and a passionate team of visionaries, Lars Clasen has guided Cruise Saudis exponential initial growth phase and continues to oversee the building of an ambitious offshore and onshore cruise ecosystem, with the aim of positioning Saudi as a premier global cruise destination, said a statement.

Since its launch in 2021, Cruise Saudi has fully equipped three ports with the necessary infrastructure to welcome international cruise ships: Jeddah Islamic Port, Yanbu Commercial Port, and King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, welcoming more than 300,000 passengers to Saudis shores from 100+ nationalities by the end of its third season.

Cruise Saudi has ambitious plans to welcome 1.3 million cruise passengers to Saudi by sea by 2035, an ambition made possible by Saudis Vision 2030, and the government's own aim to welcome 100 million visitors to Saudi annually.

Notably, Cruise Saudi has also continued to implement training and development programmes in collaboration with local universities and international cruise lines, with more plans in the pipeline to equip the youth in Saudi with the skills and practical experience they require to become cruise industry specialists.

With 50,000 direct and indirect jobs projected to be created by 2035, and a current Saudization rate of 77% with plans to employ more Saudi locals in the coming years, Cruise Saudi is not only making an impact on the global cruise market, but also on the local economy.

With pioneering innovation, such as the launch of Cruise Saudis owned-cruise line Aroya Cruises, the first of its kind designed with Arabian preferences, a future forward mindset remains front and centre in the strategy for Cruise Saudis continued growth and success on the world cruising stage, said a statement.

Commenting on the win, Lars Clasen said Since joining Cruise Saudi in February last year, I am so proud to have seen the organisation make tremendous strides in putting Saudi on the map as a global cruise destination.

Winning this award is truly a team effort  and so I would like to accept this while recognising the collaboration and dedication of all who work at Cruise Saudi. We are about to start our fourth season  one that will continue to empower the local community, create jobs, and build on the incredible tourism landscape in Saudi by attracting more international visitors.  TradeArabia News Service
We recently passed an anniversary, of sorts  one year to the day since the stock market hit bottom. On October 12 of last year, the S&P 500 reached its trough; since then, the market trend has been upward despite some volatility and a recent pullback.

Brian Belski, chief investment strategist from BMO Capital, believes that were into a secular bull market now. Looking at a series of factors  general economic growth, the slowing pace of inflation, the stage of the Feds monetary policy, Belski comes down on the side of the bulls, writing, it has become increasingly clear over the past year that the economy has held up much better than expected while inflation has cooled closer to normal levels

This sets the stage for a bull market that can deliver further gains. As such, although nothing is set in stone, Belski gives an upbeat vision for the coming year. While there is certainly no perfect historical comparison that can be used to lay out the road map for stocks in the future, he says, we are confident that the secular bull market can continue to roll on, especially given the current fundamental states of US stocks and the economy.

With that promising outlook as background, the stock experts at BMO are pointing investors toward the names that are poised to do well in the year ahead; they see three specific equities as potential winners, with one boasting upside of more than 170%. We used the TipRanks Database to also find out what the rest of the Street makes of these choices. Lets check the details.

Coursera (COUR)

Well start in the world of online learning. Coursera operates an online platform for college level courses, connecting learners with the courses they need, whether for professional development, degree credit, or personal expansion. The companys catalog includes a wide range of studies and subjects, and Coursera can boast that it has over 129 million registered learners. It all points toward the companys goal, providing universal access to world-class higher education.

Story continues

Coursera doesnt operate in a vacuum, and it has working relationships with more than 300 leading university, business, and industry partners. Among the companys partners are such major names as Google, IBM, and the University of Michigan. Coursera is always looking to expand its course offerings, and new offerings include courses from Microsoft, DeepLearning.AI, and Amazon Web Services. Students new to online higher ed can start with a set of courses offered free of charge.

Ever since the COVID pandemic, online learning has been a big business. Coursera has leveraged that to achieve consistent quarter-over-quarter revenue growth for the past several years. In the last reported quarter, 2Q23, the companys top and bottom lines both beat the forecasts; revenue came in at $153.7 million, $7.5 million better than expected and up 23% year-over-year, and the GAAP EPS, while a loss of 21 cents per share, was 8 cents per share better than the estimates. The EPS loss marked a 38% improvement on the prior years Q2 result.

Coursera will report its 3Q23 numbers on October 26, and the Street is looking to see $158.3 million in revenue along with an EPS loss of 26 cents per share.

In coverage for BMO, analyst Jeffrey Silber notes Courseras steadily increasing revenues and sees more gains ahead. The 5-star analyst writes, We expect COURs robust revenue growth to continue through its flywheel approach and taking advantage of key secular drivers (upskilling, digital transformation, international). While the company is not yet profitable, it should get there over time given the scalable nature of its learning platform. Despite the rally in shares post 2Q23 results and some current risk to its Enterprise segment (slowing growth), we believe this stock will generate long-term benefits for investors.

Along with these views, Silber sets an Outperform (Buy) rating on the stock, and his $24 price target implies a one-year potential upside of 34%. (To watch Silbers track record, click here)

The Strong Buy consensus rating on COUR shares is based on 11 recent analyst reviews with a 9 to 2 breakdown in favor of Buys over Holds. The stock is selling for $17.89 and its $18.89 average price target suggests it will gain a modest 5.5% over the coming year. (See Coursera stock forecast)

PBF Energy (PBF)

Next on our list of BMO picks is an energy company, the aptly named PBF Energy. This New Jersey-based firm is one of the largest petroleum refiners in the US, an independent company in the industry and a leader in producing petroleum products from crude oil. PBF refines and distributes transportation fuels, heating oil, lubricating oils, and petrochemical feedstocks; the range of products are sent out through the companys logistic operations as unbranded fuels. PBFs network includes storage facilities, tanker trucks, and marine vessels, along with the Delaware Pipeline Company.

The heart of PBFs operation, however, is the refinery business. The company operates six refineries  Delaware City, DE; Paulsboro, NJ; Toledo, OH; New Orleans, LA; and Torrance and Martinez, both in CA. All together, these refineries can produce over 1 million barrels per day of petroleum derivatives.

Well see PBFs results from 3Q22 early next month; for now, we can look back at the firms 2Q23 results, which beat the Streets forecasts.

The company reported revenues of $9.16 billion, beating the forecast by $223.5 million  although the top line was down 35% year-over-year. The companys earnings result was posted as a non-GAAP EPS of $2.29 per diluted share; this result was less than one-fourth the year-ago value  but it was also 5 cents per share better than had been anticipated.

Even though the top and bottom lines fell y/y, PBF retained its confidence and maintained its reinstated dividend. The company had ceased payment during the COVID crisis, but resumed the quarterly dividend in November of last year. The last payment to go out was sent on August 31 at 20 cents per common share. The annualized payment of 80 cents per share gives a modest yield of 1.68%.

BMOs Phillip Jungwirth sees PBF as a solid player in its industry, and writes of the stock, Nobody has benefited more during the refining upcycle than PBF with elevated financial leverage incurred during COVID erased, while key PADD 1 and 5 markets have structurally improved from refinery closures and conversions, with more to come in California (Rodeo) and PADD 1 product inventories remaining tight. PBF has higher operating leverage to cracks, which have retraced recently, although its net cash position and discounted valuation supports a favorable risk/reward.

Jungwirth goes on to give the stock its Outperform (Buy) rating and a price target of $60 that indicates his confidence in a 26% upside for the year ahead. (To watch Jungwirths track record, click here)

The 9 recent reviews on this stock split to 4 Buys and 5 Holds, supporting a Moderate Buy consensus rating. With an average target price of $58.56 and a current trading price of $47.5, PBF boasts a 23% upside potential for the next 12 months. (See PBF stock forecast)

Prime Medicine (PRME)

Well wrap up this list in the medical sector, with Prime Medicine. This biotechnology company is working to take genetic medicines to the next level, using its Prime Editing gene editing technology to create new genetic therapies that target only the right edit at the right position within a gene. The goal is to create precision genetic medicines that are one-time curative therapeutic agents.

The companys approach has broad therapeutic applications, and in theory can repair some 90% of the known disease-causing genetic mutations across many different cell types and body organs. So far, Prime has created a portfolio of 18 genetic medicines. While none have reached the clinical trial stage as yet, a few are approaching that milestone.

Chief among these is PM359, a development candidate for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Prime is on track to initiate the investigational new drug- enabling studies before the end of this year, a key step toward beginning human clinical trials. The company is looking to complete its first IND filing next year, and anticipates additional filings in 2025.

The potential of the developmental pipeline informs Kostas Biliouris take on the stock. He writes for BMO, Our thesis is based on the fact that the characteristics of prime editing (high specificity/versatility) appear to be highly differentiated compared to other gene editing approaches, and can potentially offer superior/broader applicability. Despite Primes early-stage pipeline, we believe near-term partnerships and key catalysts in the gene editing space can drive upside, while mid-term derisking of Primes platform will fuel growth.

Looking ahead, Biliouris rates the shares as Outperform (Buy) and sets a $19 price target, pointing toward a one-year gain of 172%. (To watch Biliouris track record, click here)

Turning now to the rest of the Street, where the Strong Buy consensus rating here is based on 3 additional reviews that include 2 Buys and 1 Hold. The stock has a selling price of $6.99 and its $20.50 average target price implies a robust upside of 193% for the next year. (See PRME stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd (NYSE:CP) reported Q3 2023 revenues of $3.3 billion, a decrease from Q3 2022.

The company's diluted earnings per share (EPS) stood at $0.84, down from $0.96 in Q3 2022.

CPKC's operating ratio increased by 540 basis points to 64.9 percent from 59.5 percent in Q3 2022.

The company expects core adjusted combined diluted EPS to be flat to slightly positive versus 2022 core adjusted combined diluted EPS of $3.77.





Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd (NYSE:CP) released its third-quarter earnings report on October 25, 2023. Despite facing challenges due to a softer macro-economic environment and external labor disruptions, the company reported revenues of $3.3 billion. However, the reported diluted EPS decreased to $0.84 from $0.96 in Q3 2022.

Financial Performance and Challenges





The company's reported operating ratio (OR) increased by 540 basis points to 64.9 percent from 59.5 percent in Q3 2022. The core adjusted combined OR increased 190 basis points to 61.7 percent from 59.8 percent in Q3 2022. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-reportable train accident frequency declined nine percent to 1.30 from 1.43 in Q3 2022 on a combined basis. The FRA-reportable personal injury frequency declined 35 percent to 0.97 from 1.50 in Q3 2022 on a combined basis.

Financial Tables and Analysis





The company's financial statements reveal a net income of $780 million for the third quarter of 2023, a decrease from $891 million in the same period in 2022. The total revenues for the period stood at $3.3 billion, with freight revenues contributing $3.26 billion. The total operating expenses were $2.16 billion, with compensation and benefits being the largest expense at $598 million.

CPKC's balance sheet as of September 30, 2023, shows total assets of $80.997 billion and total liabilities of $38.742 billion. The company's shareholders' equity stood at $41.310 billion, indicating a strong financial position.

Story continues

Outlook and Guidance





CPKC has adjusted its near-term guidance due to economic headwinds and challenges, including the Port of Vancouver strike, which have weighed on volumes more than anticipated. The company now expects its core adjusted combined diluted EPS to be flat to slightly positive versus the 2022 core adjusted combined diluted EPS of $3.77.

Despite the near-term challenges, CPKC's enthusiasm for the combination and the long-term value it will produce remains unchanged. The company remains focused on executing its unique and undeniable growth opportunities.

About Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd (NYSE:CP)





With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of Mexico to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. The company provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent.

Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd for further details.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


CarbonFarm Technology closes its Seed Funding with significant investment.

Paris, France--(Newsfile Corp. - October 25, 2023) - CarbonFarm Technology, a distinguished French climate-tech startup known for its expertise in satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, is delighted to announce the successful completion of its seed funding round, raising 2.5 million.





CarbonFarm Technology

CarbonFarm Technology is on a mission to decarbonize rice farming, one of the most crucial sectors for global food security and emissions reduction. Over the past year, the company has rapidly expanded its operations, collaborating with industry leaders on transformative projects across key rice-producing regions in Vietnam, India, Spain, Portugal, and Ghana. This funding will empower CarbonFarm Technology to extend its reach and impact, particularly in Asia, Africa, and South America, where innovative agricultural practices can significantly impact the environment.

The company is enthusiastic about securing this funding, underscoring the growing recognition of CarbonFarm Technology's potential to decarbonize rice farming and bring innovative and equitable climate solutions to regions where they are most needed.

About the Company - CarbonFarm Technology

The company was co-founded in 2022 by Vassily Carantino, a visionary in the field of data science and sustainability, who now serves as the CEO, and James Hastwell, the company's CTO. Their dedication to creating innovative and equitable climate solutions is the driving force behind this groundbreaking venture.





CarbonFarm Technology

CarbonFarm Technology is committed to making regenerative agriculture sustainable for farmers. The company has already initiated Vietnam's first rice-based carbon project and is actively contributing as an MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) provider under the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) pioneering Article 6.2 carbon project in Ghana.

Story continues

For more information about CarbonFarm Technology, visit CarbonFarm Technology.

Media details:

Website URL: https://carbonfarm.tech/

Company name: CarbonFarm Technology

Contact person: Aparna Raturi

Contact email: aparna@carbonfarm.tech

Country: France

SOURCE: CarbonFarm Technology

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/184891
President Carter signed an anti-rebating bill in 1979. (Photo: Jim Allen/Freightwaves)

FreightWaves Classics is sponsored by Old Dominion Freight Line  Helping the World Keep Promises. Learn more here.

FreightWaves explores the archives of American Shippers nearly 70-year-old collection of shipping and maritime publications to showcase interesting freight stories of long ago.

In this weeks edition, from the July 1979 issue, FreightWaves looks at President Jimmy Carters signature on a bill that was long awaited by the Federal Maritime Commission but was considered a defeat for state and justice departments.

President shifts position to sign anti-rebating bill

President Carter on June 19 gave the Federal Maritime Commission something it has been wanting for a long time  his signature on an anti-rebating bill.

The Presidents action represents a major turn-about from last Fall when he pocket vetoed essentially the same legislation. The enactment of the new anti-rebating law, officially called the Shipping Act Amendments of 1979, also represents a major maritime policy defeat for both the State and Justice Departments whose opposition to the legislation is well known.

The Commission will now be armed with authority to deal with rebating and other malpractices in the U.S. foreign trades since the new law gives FMC power to suspend rates of ocean carriers who refuse to produce documents requested by the agency.

Daschbach Comments

FMC Chairman Richard J. Daschbach obviously was pleased by the Presidents decision:

I am very pleased and gratified by the action taken by President Carter and the Congress in enacting the new anti-rebating law, the FMC chairman said. I believe that this new law will prove invaluable in helping the Commission to restore stability and equity to U.S. ocean commerce, and that enactment of this law should help eliminate existing disparity in our ability to conduct anti-rebating investigations and when necessary, apply anti-rebating sanctions to U.S. and foreign flag carriers alike. The Commission will be developing rules promptly for the implementation of this valuable new law.

Story continues

Meanwhile, American Shipper has learned from a highly-reliable source that a group of American flag steamship lines have gathered evidence that hard cash rebating has been resumed by at least two foreign steamship lines. The group of U.S. carriers will turn this evidence over to FMC within one month for action under the new law.

Johnstons role

It is understood the Presidents Interagency Maritime Task Force Chairman William B. Johnston and Seafarers International Union (SIU) President Paul Hall played a major role (at the White House level) in the successful outcome of the legislation.

Although the bill had solid votes in both the Senate and House, most observers were caught by surprise over the Presidents signing of the bill. The bill passed both houses of Congress recently by a voice vote, which was essentially a repeat of last year, when the President vetoed the legislation upon the urging of the State and Justice Departments due to the fact that international discussions involving rebating were on the threshold at that time. (For coverage, see the December, 1978 issue of American Shipper, pages 12 and 13.)

Statutes provisions

Essentially the bill gives the Commission tariff suspension authority over carriers refusing to comply with subpoena or discovery requests issued by FMC in connection with a rebating investigation; substantially hikes civil penalties for violations of the statute; and requires certifications from U.S. and foreign lines forwarders, plus shippers attesting to company policies and efforts to outlaw rebating.

The new law increases malpractice penalties from $5,000 per violation to $25,000 maximum, tariff transgression fines from $1,000 per day to $5,000 per day. For rebating violations, the fines have been increased from $1,000 per day to a maximum of $25,000 per shipment. Furthermore, the statute slaps a maximum $50,000 fine per shipment on carriers continuing to transport freight under a suspended tariff.

The Presidents action also drew praise from House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee Chairman John M. Murphy (D-NY).

Murphy viewed the new law as an essential timber in the framework of legislation which we must build if we are to solve the problem and deficiencies of the 1916 Shipping Act and develop a coherent national maritime policy.

Continuing, Murphy said: The practice of rebating, where carriers offer secret kick-backs to attract more cargo for their ships, has been virtually impossible to curb when the wrongdoers are operators of foreign flag vessels. Since rebating transactions generally take place overseas, it is essential that documents providing evidence of these practices be made available to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). Unfortunately, foreign governments have seen fit to block their nationals from releasing this information.

For the first time, foreign flag ocean carriers will be required to comply with Commission subpoenas and discovery orders or face exclusion from our trades. We will see an end to the rank discrimination against U.S. flag carriers.

FreightWaves Classics articles look at various aspects of the transportation industrys history. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter!

Have a topic you want us to cover? Email bjaekel@freightwaves.com.

The post Carter signed polarizing anti-rebating bill into law in 1979 appeared first on FreightWaves.
South_agency / Getty Images

For the second time this month, the oil and gas industry has witnessed a major merger between two leading companies  this one involving Chevrons proposed buyout of Hess for $53 billion. That deal, announced on Oct. 23, followed ExxonMobils Oct. 11 announcement to acquire Pioneer Natural Resources for $59.5 billion.

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Im a Mechanic: Heres What I Drive and 3 Cars Id Never Own

Both deals are expected to bolster fossil fuel production, though its unclear exactly how that will impact gasoline prices for consumers.

Chevron and Exxon should add years of oil and gas production to their portfolios thanks to the buyouts, Reuters reported. Chevrons shale output is expected to increase by 40% to 1.3 million barrels per day, putting it neck and neck with Exxons projected shale output following its Pioneer buyout. Chevron should also see more production in less risky regions by bolstering its output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and by putting it into North Dakotas Bakken shale.

In addition, the Hess acquisition gives Chevron 30% ownership of more than 11 billion barrels-equivalent of recoverable resources in Guyana, Yahoo Finance reported. Guyana is on track to produce than 1 million barrels a day by 2026.

This combination positions Chevron to strengthen our long-term performance and further enhance our advantaged portfolio by adding world-class assets, Chevron chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said in a news release. Importantly, our two companies have similar values and cultures, with a focus on operating safely and with integrity, attracting and developing the best people, making positive contributions to our communities and delivering higher returns and lower carbon.

Also: Dont Buy a Car at a Dealership on This Day of the Week

Lower Carbon Claim: Legitimate?

The lower carbon claim could be open to question, considering that the Hess buyout means Chevron is doubling down on fossil fuel demand for years to come, as Yahoo Finance put it.

Story continues

With this deal, Chevron is betting on the failure of the Paris Climate Agreement, Mark van Baal  founder of Follow This, an activist shareholder group  told Yahoo Finance. Big Oil needs to change or Paris will fail.

Although the transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles is already taking place, it likely wont happen as quickly as some might have hoped, according to Wells Fargo senior energy analyst Roger Read.

Its going to be a lot longer, Read told Yahoo Finance. Its going to be a lot tougher. Its going to be a lot more expensive.

Hess CEO John Hess offered a similar take this week, telling CNBC on Monday that oil and gas are going to be needed for decades to come.

How Will Oil Industry Mergers Affect Gas Prices?

So how will all this affect prices at the pump? Thats hard to say. Typically, industry consolidation through mega-mergers leads to less competition, which can push prices higher. Thats why government regulators keep a close watch on mergers. But gas prices tend to be much more influenced by factors that can influence oil supplies, ranging from geopolitical tensions to the weather.

So far, there hasnt been much media focus on the Chevron-Hess deals potential impact on gas prices  and little on the internet detailing how M&A activity influences prices.

A 2004 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that oil industry mergers and increased market concentration generally led to higher wholesale gasoline prices during the latter half of the 1990s, although prices sometimes decreased.

Six of the eight mergers the GAO modeled resulted in wholesale price increases of about 2 cents per gallon, on average. Two of the mergers led to decreases of about 1 cent per gallon, on average.

For now, prices at the pump are trending lower. The average price for a gallon of gas was $3.541 as of Oct. 25, according to AAA. Thats down from $3.575 a week ago, $3.849 a month ago and $3.775 a year ago.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Chevrons $53 Billion Acquisition Will Create an Oil Industry Giant  Could Gas Prices Rise?
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  China announced plans on Wednesday to send a new telescope to probe deep into the universe as it prepared to launch the countrys next, three-member crew for its orbiting space station.

The telescope, dubbed Xuntian, will be installed by China's Tiangong space station and will co-orbit with it, according to a statement from Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the Chinese Manned Space Agency.

No timeframe was given for the installation. State broadcaster CCTV said the telescope would enable surveys and mapping of the sky.

China has researched the movement of stars and planets for thousands of years while in modern times, it has pushed to become a leader in space exploration and science.

The announcement came on the eve of the flight by three astronauts  Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin  who will replace a crew that has been on the station for six months.

The launch is expected for late morning on Thursday. Tang is a veteran who led a 2021 space mission for three months.

China has made majors advance in its burgeoning space power and says it plans to send a crewed mission to the moon by the end of the decade while also pursuing other ambitions in space.

The program largely comes in competition with the United States but also seeks to draw in support from nations in Europe, Southeast Asia, South America and elsewhere.

China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the control of the program by the Peoples Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party.

Chinas first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to put a person into space using its own resources.

American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China for the time being. China has broken out in some areas, however, bringing samples back from the lunar surface for the first time in decades and landing a rover on the less explored far side of the moon.

Story continues

Meanwhile, the U.S. aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025 as part of a renewed commitment to crewed missions, aided by private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In addition to their lunar programs, the two countries have also separately landed rovers on Mars, and China plans to follow the U.S. in landing a spacecraft on an asteroid.

The new crew of the station will also need to conduct maintenance on its solar panels that have been hit by debris flying within the solar system, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

A large amount of those particles were created by China in the destruction of one of its own satellites by a missile it fired in 2007, in what was seen as a sign of strength against its competitors in the U.S. and its allies.
China has called its investigation into Foxconn Technology Group a routine police matter, in its first official comments on the inquiry into Apple's most important contract manufacturing partner.

"The probes into whether companies are abiding by laws are normal law-enforcement activities, and in line with laws and regulations," said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, at a briefing on Wednesday.

Chinese state media reported over the weekend that regulators are conducting tax audits and reviewing land use by Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer and assembler of the vast majority of iPhones at factories on the mainland and India.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Zhu, however, hinted at the briefing that the Foxconn inquiry may involve aspects beyond the business realm. "While Taiwan businesses enjoy growth on the mainland, they should also assume corresponding social responsibilities and play a more active role in promoting peaceful development of cross-strait ties," she said.

A person walks down the stairs inside a building where Foxconn Technology Group's offices are located in Taipei on October 23, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=A person walks down the stairs inside a building where Foxconn Technology Group's offices are located in Taipei on October 23, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE>

China will "continue to support Taiwan businesses to invest and operate on the mainland", Zhu added.

Beijing usually does not explain the actions of its regulators, leaving companies with operations in the country guessing at the ultimate goals of the government, and there has been speculation that the Foxconn inquiry is politically motivated.

The Taiwanese company, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, said it will collaborate with authorities.

Story continues

Shares of Hon Hai and one of its listed units, Foxconn Industrial Internet Co, tumbled on the news, at one point losing about US$9 billion in value.

A woman walks past Foxconn Technology Group founder Terry Gou Tai-ming's presidential election campaign headquarters in Taipei on October 24, 2023. Photo: Reuters alt=A woman walks past Foxconn Technology Group founder Terry Gou Tai-ming's presidential election campaign headquarters in Taipei on October 24, 2023. Photo: Reuters>

Foxconn's billionaire founder, Terry Gou Tai-ming, resigned from the company's board last month, as he campaigns to become president of Taiwan.

Gou, who has not had a public engagement since Monday, previously dismissed claims he would be susceptible to Chinese pressure, if he won January's election. He trails the top three candidates in the polls.

China has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control eventually, by force if that is what it takes. Cross-strait relations have been so frosty in recent years that the government of Chinese leader Xi Jinping has severed high-level communications with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen over her refusal to say that the island, with a population of 23 million people, is part of China.

In a response to a separate question on Wednesday, Zhu said that Beijing is not intervening in Taiwan's elections, which will be held in January. Taiwan Vice-President William Lai Ching-te has been leading polls in the race to succeed Tsai, who must step down owing to term limits.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Midea Group, the world's biggest home appliances maker, has submitted plans to list its shares in Hong Kong after an initial public offering (IPO) which could be one of the biggest in recent history.

China International Capital Corporation and Bank of America have been appointed sponsors of the deal, according to a stock exchange filing. The initial public offering (IPO) could raise more than US$1 billion subject to changes in market conditions, sources familiar with the deal had previously told the Post.

The company, founded in Foshan in southern Guangdong, was launched in 1968 by tycoon He Xiangjian, whose family is worth US$22.9 billion according to Forbes. The group makes homewares, heating and ventilation devices as well as air-conditioning systems.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

It is the biggest home appliances maker by market value and annual revenue, according to Bloomberg data. Midea Group's board approved the H-share offering on September 18, the 10th anniversary of its stock listing in Shenzhen, according to a filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

A staff member works at a workshop of microwave oven factory of Midea Group, in Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province. Photo: Xinhua alt=A staff member works at a workshop of microwave oven factory of Midea Group, in Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province. Photo: Xinhua>

The listing is expected to take place in Hong Kong within 18 months of the shareholders' approval, with details about the number of shares and expected proceeds yet to be revealed.

"We think an H-share listing could help Midea attract more foreign investors as they could overcome the shareholding limits of the Stock Connect programme," said analysts at HSBC in a research note.

Story continues

"Moreover, with Midea's ambition to expand globally, a dual-listing would provide more flexibility when it comes to launching an employee incentive programme for its overseas workers," the report added.

The homeware maker first opened its overseas production plant in 2007 in Vietnam - it has since accelerated its global expansion plans. With more than 166,000 employees, it has more than 30 global production centres and presence in nearly 200 countries, including in the United States and in the Middle East.

If the IPO raises US$1 billion it would be the first billion-dollar IPO in Hong Kong since China Tourism Group Duty Free's US$2.3 billion deal in August 2022.

It comes as Hong Kong sees its most sluggish IPO environment in over a decade. Hong Kong IPO fundraising levels are heading for an 11-year low in 2023 after a 14 per cent drop in deal volumes and a 61 per cent plunge in deal value, over last year, according to Deloitte China.

So far the biggest deal has been the listing of Chinese baijiu distillery ZJLD, which raised US$676.4 million in April. Courier services start-up J&T Global Express raised some US$500 million in the second largest listing of the year.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Investors are nibbling on Chipotle (CMG).

Shares rose 3.8% in pre-market trading on Friday following better than expected earnings and same-store sales after the close of trading on Thursday. The company's ticker page on Yahoo Finance was among the most active.

Revenue grew 11% to $2.47 billion as same-store sales increased 5%, slightly higher than estimates of 4.37%. The company also posted a bottom-line beat, with adjusted earnings per share coming in at $11.36, compared to the $10.51 expected by analysts.

The quarter was boosted by the return of the Carne Asada in mid-September, a fan favorite in 2019. The limited-time offering laps the "lackluster performance of Garlic Guajillo" this time in 2022, Wedbush analyst Nick Setyan said in a note to clients. However, last year's Q3 featured same-store sale growth of 7.6%.

"The consumer is clearly under pressure with inflation over the past year," CFO Jack Hartung said on a call with analysts. "We continue to do well not just across our income levels, but with the lower income, they're holding up really well."

Operating margin for the quarter was slightly higher, up 16.0%. Digital sales made up 36.6% of total revenue, lower than last quarter's 38%.

Increasing food cost, including higher prices for beef and queso, were offset by price hikes taken last year. The company recently announced plans to raise menu prices again for the fourth time in two years.

While analysts speculated that Chipotle would wait to increase prices until Q4, CFO Jack Hartung confirmed to Yahoo Finance an increase of 3% was already taken in mid-October following the announcement.

Next April, Chipotle will be looking to bump costs again, when California's minimum wage moves up to $20 as a result of its FAST Act.

"We haven't decided where we will land ... but we are definitely going to pass this on," said Hartung, who estimated the increase could be in the mid-to-high single digits percentage wise.

Story continues

The earnings rundown

Here's what Chipotle reported, compared to Wall Street estimates per Bloomberg consensus data:

Net sales: $2.47 billion versus $2.47 billion expected

Adjusted EPS: $11.36 versus $10.51 expected

Same-store sales: 5.0% versus 4.37% expected

Operating margin: 16.0% versus 15.4% expected

Net addition of locations: 62 versus 67.14

The burrito chain's growth prospects remain intact. It's expecting restaurant sales growth in the mid- to high-single-digit range for Q4, per its guidance.

It's also liked among Wall Street, with 24 Buys, 10 Holds, and no Sells as of Thursday. Year to date, Chipotle shares are up around 32%, handily beating the S&P 500 (^GSPC)'s 8% gain.

It's considered a "top pick," based on the strength of its "fundamental story" with accelerating unit growth and margin expansion, according to a note from Deutsche Bank analyst Lauren Silberman.

"There is a scarcity value for a high quality, US-based company with a clean balance sheet, strong fundamentals, and upside to numbers," she said.

In Q3, Chipotle opened 62 restaurants, with 54 including its drive-thru feature Chipotlane. At the end of Q3, there were more than 3,300 total restaurants. Long term, it plans to operate 7,000 restaurants in North America.

In 2024, the company plans to open 285 to 315 new locations.



Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.

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
Think this will be your new healthcare provider? Not so fast. (Julie Gallant)

There was a time, in the misty, rose-hued past, when the three big drugstore chains looked poised to take over the American healthcare system.

Drug retailer CVS and health insurer Aetna announced a $69-billion merger. Walgreens made a $5.2-billion investment in primary care provider VillageMD and took a $330-million stake in home care provider CareCentrix, giving it control of both firms. Rite Aid wasn't as aggressive, but still built up its national footprint to 5,000 stores before cutting back to about 2,100.

The companies talked about evolving into one-stop medical providers so that "patients discharged from the hospital  will be able to stop at a health hub location to access services such as medication evaluations, home monitoring and use of durable medical equipment, as needed (according to the merger announcement by CVS and Aetna).

We're rightsizing the footprint and getting our expenses in the right place. We don't see the growth coming fast enough in certain markets.

Walgreens executive John Driscoll admits the company's healthcare ventures have been disappointing

The American Hospital Assn. issued an alarming report listing CVS and Walgreens among companies that had grabbed market share in "primary care, concierge medicine, virtual care, in-home medical services and elsewhere."

It seemed that this trend might continue, as the pharmacy chains exploited their networks of stores on virtually every American corner.

That wasn't so long ago. The CVS-Aetna merger was in 2017. Walgreens took over VillageMD in 2021 and CareCentrix just last year.

Now, however, their dream of playing a central role in a restructured nationwide healthcare system seems to be fading.

The pharmacy chains have discovered that taking a larger role in the healthcare system than simply dispensing prescriptions and selling over-the-counter products is more complicated and costlier than they expected.

"It has taken us longer than anticipated to realize the cost synergies across the combined assets," John P. Driscoll, the head of Walgreens' U.S. Healthcare division, told investment analysts at the company's fourth-quarter earnings conference call on Oct. 12.

Story continues

He said VillageMD would be focusing on "our highest opportunity markets"  evidently affluent urban areas  by shutting down in five markets and closing 60 VillageMD clinics over the coming year.

Read more: Column: A spineless Walgreens bows down to antiabortion crusaders

"We're rightsizing the footprint and getting our expenses in the right place," he said. "We don't see the growth coming fast enough in certain markets."

At CVS, executives paint the effort to remake the company into an integrated healthcare provider as very much a work in progress.

"If you think about what's happening in America relative to healthcare," Chief Executive Karen Sue Lynch told investment analysts at a Morgan Stanley healthcare conference in September, "it's ... very hard for people to access care."

She said the company's goal is "to make sure that people have seamless connected experiences across the spectrum of healthcare. And I would argue that the businesses that we're creating will enhance the value of consumer experience."

The tendency of the American healthcare system to confound promises and expectations was underscored in 2021. That's when billionaires Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos and Jamie Dimon had to admit that their plan to solve the system's problems, as if by sheer star power  well, to be fair, through "technology solutions"  had been obliterated.

The trio had announced their venture in 2018 to a blast of worldwide fanfare. If they couldn't succeed, it was said, no one could. The idea was that there was some magic bullet for reducing healthcare costs that had evaded everyone for years, but that they could discover.

Less than three years later, they had been subjected to a ritual mortification. Their joint venture, christened Haven, shut down. For all their efforts, primary care had not become easier for millions of Americans to access, insurance benefits were as opaque and arcane as ever, and prescription drug pricing was still a public scandal.

The drug chains' expansion strategies have exposed them to complexities in American healthcare  political controversies, Medicare regulations, issues of prescription drug pricing  that they had not faced in their core businesses, leading to a string of unpleasant surprises.

Read more: Column: CVS and Aetna say their huge merger will be great for consumers. Here's why you should be skeptical

Walgreens became embroiled in abortion politics in March, when it said it would not distribute or ship a drug used for medication abortions in at least 21 red states, including at least four where abortions were still legal.

The company made the announcement after a group of red state attorneys general threatened it with unspecified "consequences" for shipping the drug, mifepristone, the long-assumed legality of which had been challenged in federal court.

Walgreens' national footprint made it vulnerable to the threat  and to a backlash from blue states such as California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would stop the state from doing business with the company, or any other "that cowers to the extremists and puts womens lives at risk.

CVS ran into the buzz saw of Medicare politics in August, when a New York state judge blocked the transfer of 250,000 Medicare patients to Aetna's Medicare Advantage plan. The transfer was part of a contract worth $15 billion to Aetna over five years. Medicare Advantage plans provide more benefits to enrollees than traditional Medicare but have come under fire for costing the government too much for too scanty patient gains.

The company also disclosed a potential hit of $800 million to $1 billion in its 2024 operating income from a downgrade by government authorities in its Medicare quality rankings, known as "star ratings."

The move of CVS into the pharmacy benefit manager business through its $24-billion acquisition of the Caremark PBM in 2007 also may not have worked out as it expected.

Read more: Column: How 'price-cutting' middlemen are making crucial drugs vastly more expensive

PBMs originated as intermediaries to help health insurance plans process prescription claims, steer doctors and hospitals to the cheapest drug alternatives, and allow insurers to combine their customer bases for greater leverage in negotiations with drug manufacturers. Eventually they got blamed for driving up drug costs by extracting their own profits without producing sufficient discounts for their clients.

In August, Blue Shield of California rattled Caremark by cutting most of its ties with the PBM and turning over most of its responsibilities to four competitors, in a strategy aimed at cutting its prescription costs, which come to more than $600 billion annually, by as much as $500 million a year.

That was the second blow to Caremark in a year; in November managed care insurer Centene said it was turning pharmacy benefits for its 20 million enrollees over to Express Scripts starting next year, on a $35-billion contract.

The Blue Shield announcement drove the CVS stock price down by about 9%, a reaction that CEO Lynch called "overblown" at the Morgan Stanley conference. She also cast doubt on Blue Shield's assertion that the PBM change would save it $500 million. "We're not earning that kind of money on that account," she said.

As for Rite Aid, that chain has problems all its own. The firm filed for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 16, citing a crushing debt load and excessive rent for underperforming stores. The company subsequently announced plans to close 154 stores, including 31 in California.

Rite Aid is also facing a federal lawsuit accusing it of filling unlawful prescriptions, mostly for opioids. It isn't alone in being accused of complicity in the opioid crisis: In a 2022 legal settlement with state attorneys general, CVS agreed to pay as much as $4.9 billion over 10 years, Walgreens up to $5.52 billion over 15 years, and Walmart, which has become a major competitor in the pharmacy business, up to $2.74 billion within six years.

At this moment, it's clear that pharmacy services remain overwhelmingly the drivers of revenue and profit for the drugstore chains. At CVS last year, pharmacy services and other retail sales provided $14 billion in operating profit on $275.8 billion in revenue, versus $6 billion in operating profit on $91.4 billion in revenue from healthcare benefits.

At Walgreens, retail pharmacy sales provided $3.7 billion in operating profit on $110.3 billion in revenue in the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, while U.S. healthcare generated a loss of $556 million on $6.6 billion in revenue.

One other factor stands between the drugstore chains and their ambitions to cast a wider net over American healthcare: The presence of well-heeled rivals with ideas of their own. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, offers customers low-priced prescriptions and telehealth services, and has been opening walk-in clinics around the country.

Then there's Amazon, which may have felt burned by the failure of Haven, but acquired concierge care provider One Medical in February for $3.9 billion and offers its Amazon Prime members access to scores of generic medicines for a monthly fee.

The drugstore chains aren't signaling that they're giving up on their long-term goals  but warn investors that they may incur losses for years before the long term becomes the here and now.

They and their rivals in retailing and clinical services may well change the course of American healthcare in the future, but it should not be forgotten that they're all fundamentally in it for the money. Their promises of cheaper, more efficient and more effective healthcare for the average American should be treated with the all-purpose medicine of a healthy dose of skepticism.

Get the latest from Michael Hiltzik

Commentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Sign me up.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gulf Air, Bahrains national carrier, will extend its operations into China in January 2024 with flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai from Bahrain.

The move is part of the airlines calibrated growth strategy to strengthen its global network and to connect Bahrain with key global destinations under the national Economic Recovery Plan of Bahrain.

This strategic move also represents a significant step forward for Gulf Air to bolster its Asia-Pacific presence and support connectivity under the One Belt One Road initiative of China, the airline said.

The expansion plans were revealed at the Bahrain-China Investment Forum hosted by the Economic Development Board of Bahrain. The forum was part of a special delegation to the country led by Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce.

"We are excited by the opportunity to expand our presence in the Asia-Pacific region with new flights connecting Bahrain and the cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai in China," said Dr Jeffrey Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air Group Holding.

"China is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and a global tourism market. It is key to our strategy of calibrated network growth. These flights will offer greater choice and flexible travel experiences for passengers and create new pipelines for trade, tourism and collaboration, benefitting both nations.

China, known for its strong and vibrant cultural heritage and economic dynamism, is a popular destination for leisure and business travellers. Gulf Airs introduction of flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai will strengthen the bilateral trade and tourism relations of over 30 years, he said.

The schedule has been built to ensure convenient connections between China and destinations served by Gulf Air in the Middle East and Europe, and between these destinations and China.

The flights will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner and two cabins of service, a business class cabin featuring one of the most spacious premium seats and an economy class cabin with state-of-the-industry seats.

Goh remarked further said: We are confident these new flights will be appreciated by the international business community and those seeking exciting new leisure destinations and those simply looking to visit friends and family. We are equally confident that customers will enjoy our renowned Arabian hospitality on board.  TradeArabia News Service
D-ID, the Tel Aviv-based startup best known as the tech behind those viral videos of animated family photos, is bringing its AI video technology to a new mobile app, launching today. Originally available as a web platform, D-ID's Creative Reality Studio allows users to upload a still image and script and then turn that into an AI-generated video. The technology can be used to create digital representations of themselves, historical figures, fictional characters, presenters or brand ambassadors.

Early use cases the company had been targeting involved corporate training and education, internal and external communication from companies, and product marketing and sales, TechCrunch previously reported.

Now available on mobile, users will download the D-ID app from the App Store or Google Play and then create an account or log in, if already registered. On the selection screen, you can either pick a premade "digital person" that D-ID provides or upload an image from your phone's photo library. You'll then enter the text you want the digital person to say, choosing from 119 languages, as well as pick between male and female voice options. You can also choose the tone of the speech -- like cheerful, excited, friendly, hopeful, newscast, sad, shouting, terrified, unfriendly, whispering and others.

Image Credits: D-ID

To work, D-ID is leveraging a mix of proprietary and open source AI technologies to power its platforms, says D-ID CEO Gil Perry.

"At its core lies a foundational model capable of generating video frames based on audio input. All its products are powered by its robust API with the ability to render video at an industry-leading 100 FPS, four times faster than real-time rendering," he says.

"The core audience is AI enthusiasts, but it is relevant for anyone who wants to post videos featuring digital people, either versions of themselves or of anyone they can imagine - historical characters, fictional characters, ancestors, etc.," Perry says. "The app enables video generation on the go, reducing the cost of production at scale, and allows the flexibility to produce videos anywhere."

Story continues

Image Credits: D-ID

The videos can be up to 10 minutes in length and are subject to the same moderation policies as the web version -- meaning, the company is working to ensure the tech is not used for deepfakes that propagate misinformation and disinformation campaigns. The company has also pledged to respect copyright, adhere to AI regulations, and to not knowingly license its technology to what it calls "contentious areas," including political parties, pornography publishers, terrorist organizations, and guns or arms manufacturers.

Ahead of the mobile launch, the desktop version of Creative Reality Studio has seen 60,000 new sign-ups per day, with over 150 million videos already made using the platform, Perry tells us. In addition, the API for the service has more than 200,000 users.

With its arrival on mobile, D-ID is able to reach a broader market, including users who are mobile-first or mobile-only. This includes both existing users who are interested in using a leaner version of the studio for mobile devices as well as new users from the general public, including consumers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE1puUGZgUs?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent&w=640&h=360]

The new mobile service will be subscription-based, with plans starting at $5.99 per month. Users already subscribed to the desktop version can retain their existing plans. A 14-day free trial is also available.

Though headquartered in Tel Aviv, D-ID has employees in other markets around the work, allowing it to continue operations during the Israel-Hamas war.

"Our teams in Israel and around the world are working to ensure the highest level of support and service," says Perry. "It should be noted that our team in Ukraine is operating with extra diligence out of high solidarity with the situation in Israel," he adds.

Image Credits: D-ID

D-ID raised a $25 million Series B last year, following the launch of its Deep Nostalgia project and its spin-off, LiveStory. Those two projects involved animating historical photos of family members, with the latter adding audio. The videos went viral as people used the tech to create talking photos of long-lost loved ones or ancestors. Since then, D-ID has also been working to create a photorealistic interface for ChatGPT as well as its Creative Reality Studio software, as part of its broader AI development efforts.
In 2018, Dash In was a little-thought-of convenience store attached to Shell and Exxon gas stations in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

The industry had evolved from selling Twix and a fountain Pepsi to offering full, freshly prepared meals with companies like Wawa and Royal Farms at the forefront. The shift left smaller chains like Dash In behind.

But now the Maryland-based company is attempting to craft its own identity and compete with those industry giants. After completing a series of renovations over the past few years, Dash In is bringing a new look and menu to two new ground-up Delaware locations (more are likely on the way). Notably, they have ditched Shell and Exxon fuel and will instead offer Dash In-branded fuel in an attempt to make Dash In a household name.

"That's just how the business has evolved," said Mark Samuels, head of real estate for Dash In. "We've identified and realized from a guest perspective it's difficult for people to realize what a Dash In is when it has a Shell or Exxon logo in front of it."

Dash In along Middletown Warwick Road in Middletown.

Dash In opened the first of its new stores, using its third-generation layout, in Middletown on Friday. The store is at Middletown Warwick Road and Doc Levinson Drive. It is part of the Northside shopping center where a Target and Sprouts Farmers Market are planned.

The company is putting the finishing touches on a store across from the Wilmington Airport along the northbound lanes of Route 40 near New Castle. Located between Crown Motel and Price Toyota, the store is scheduled to open Nov. 30.

A third location has been proposed in Newark. It would replace the Rodeway Inn along Route 896 near the I-95 interchange. A Wawa with gas pumps is planned across the street.

The Dash In on Route 40 near New Castle.

DELAWARE C-STORES: Wawa, Royal Farms adding multiple Delaware locations

All but one of the nine existing Dash In locations in Delaware have been renovated or rebuilt since 2017. There are more than 50 Dash In stores on the East Coast. Samuels said the company plans to triple that number in the next decade.

Story continues

"It's all about scaling," Samuels said. "We have a very aggressive growth plan."

Delaware Online/The News Journal spoke with Samuels last week to find out why the company thinks it has what it takes to compete with the likes of Wawa and Royal Farms in Delaware.

The unifying identity

As part of its third-generation store format, Dash In has undertaken a rebranding. The new logo is shown here at the Dash In under construction on Route 40 near New Castle.

Dash In's parent company, The Wills Group, has a long history as a fuel marketer.

It was the first company in Maryland to distribute under the Texaco name and has since had long-standing partnerships with Shell and Exxon. Putting Dash In on the signs at its gas stations may not seem like a significant change, but the company is hoping it helps its name stick in your head.

The new Dash In icon at the Dash In on Route 40 near New Castle.

"Our competitors have kind of done the same in that regard," Samuels said.

A new logo also comes along with the third-generation stores. It is a white circle with an icon resembling a Google Maps pin at the top and "Dash In" in lowercase script.

A 'wholesome' menu

The kitchen area of the Dash In in Middletown.

Of greater consequence to travelers is what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

The new menu includes craft pizzas; grill-pressed burgers; and the chain's signature line of "stackadillas," a take on a quesadilla. Samuels described it as a "wholesome" menu, adding that all of the new location's food prep and production is occurring on-site.

That includes everything down to the baked goods.

The new stores will have a three-tier convection oven, in addition to fryers and griddles. Earlier locations have smaller Merrychef ovens, Samuels said.

"We are taking a different approach to food service," Samuels said.

The Splash In car wash

A Splash In car wash at the Dash In on Route 40 near New Castle.

The Wills Group launched a car wash brand called Splash in 2010.

It's an offering some convenience store companies don't have. Others that do "don't focus attention on it" as Dash In does, Samuels said.

The company now has more than 50 automatic car washes accompanying Dash In stores. They are a standard addition to new locations.

"We saw value in branding a very fragmented market," Samuels said.

Like knowing what stores, restaurants and developments are coming and going in Delaware? Join our Facebook group What's Going There in Delaware and subscribe for free to our What's Going There in Delaware newsletter.

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow him on X @holveck_brandon.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dash In adds two Delaware locations in new store style
A platter of Dave's Hot Chicken is pictured.

A new hot chicken franchise has announced its entry into the West Texas market, promising to spice up the region between Amarillo to Odessa, the company announced this week.

Dave's Hot Chicken, a company that started as street food business in Los Angeles in 2017, entered a multi-franchise agreement with Mickey Rogers and Daniel Stanton. The duo operate Cafe Venture Catering and nine Fuddruckers across Texas and New Mexico.

More: The Human Bean announces drive-thru opening for Lubbock location

"Mickey and Daniel are dedicated entrepreneurs who have truly embraced the concept. Their previous experience in the restaurant industry makes them highly qualified operators that will continue the brands growth in Texas," said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken. "Their passion and excitement are something that we look for in our franchisees, and we cant wait to see their success in bringing the Nashville-heat to the South."

The deal will add Dave's Hot Chicken locations to Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland and Odessa.

A Dave's Hot Chicken location in Missouri City, Texas is pictured.

We have been looking for a brand to diversify our portfolio and, after years of searching, Daves Hot Chicken was the perfect opportunity with a fan-favorite product and potential for growth, Rogers said. Daniel and I are actively exploring avenues to contribute to our local communities. Our dedication goes beyond our business goals as it extends to our commitment to introducing the flavors of Nashville-style heat while igniting a following in West Texas.

More: New owner of Urban Air Adventure Park announces expansion to Lubbock, Abilene

Dave's Hot Chicken specializes in hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from No Spice to Reaper." It also offers Kale Slaw, creamy Mac & Cheese and crispy Fries or Cheese Fries.

People can keep up with Dave's Hot Chicken at daveshotchicken.com and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Dave's Hot Chicken announces Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland expansion
Palmetto Publishings latest book offers unique perspective on military conflict

Rockets, Sand, and Amalgam

cover

Charleston, SC, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifelong dentist and Vietnam veteran, Robert L. Engelmeier, releases a unique military memoir this year. Offering readers a fresh perspective on how the Vietnam conflict unfolded, Rockets, Sand, and Amalgam explores what war is like from the rear of military service.

During times of conflict, ideally, every 7 soldiers stationed on the front lines have 10 support personnel in the rear. Dental pain and infections can diminish a soldiers ability to fight as an effective soldier, so the military employs dentists among its service members to handle dental emergencies and perform routine dental check-ups. Fresh out of dental school, author Robert L. Engelmeier was assigned to 483rd USAF Hospital at Cam Ranh Bay. Upon arrival in Vietnam, Engelmeier believed he had a competent understanding of his duty as a general dentist but felt that his training in war and conflict was severely lacking. Rockets, Sand, and Amalgam explores stories and incidents that happened close to the military action both in and beyond the dental chair. Throughout his memoir, Engelmeier pays incredible tribute to the brave American troops, his own dental patients, as they fought in Vietnam.

Rockets, Sand, and Amalgam will appeal to military veterans, dental professionals, and anyone who might be interested in learning about the lives of service personnel during Vietnam. This memoir showcases a fresh perspective that allows readers to feel immersed in an important time period.

Rockets, Sand, and Amalgam is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.

About the Author:

Robert L. Engelmeier graduated with his DMD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. During his career, he has been a professor, a graduate program director at the University of Texas at Houston, and a graduate program director and chair at the University of Pittsburgh. Today, he practices dental medicine as a Maxillofacial Prosthodontist. He is a veteran who served in Vietnam and a retired US Air Force colonel. He spent nine years as a member of the US Air Force Shooting Team.

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Attachment

CONTACT: Leah Joseph Palmetto Publishing publicity@palmettopublishing.com




NEW YORK  Michael Cohen faced Donald Trump for the first time in five years at his Manhattan fraud trial Tuesday  where he told a judge in hotly anticipated testimony that he ballooned his bosss net worth to whatever number he wanted and faced a grilling from the former presidents lawyers about his history of lies.

Trumps fixer-turned-foe, who used to say hed take a bullet for his boss, took the stand shortly after noon in state Attorney General Tish James case against Trump and his adult children and top company lieutenants as the trial entered its fourth week in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Attending his trial for a sixth time, Trump sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, looking directly at his former right-hand man once he took his seat in the witness box.

The once-devoted Trump loyalist testified that Trump ordered him to increase the value of his assets based on arbitrarily selected numbers when presented with a copy of Trumps 2011 financial statement. He told the court that his and convicted finance chief Allen Weisselbergs jobs were to reverse-engineer Trump Organization asset classes to reach figures Trump wanted.

I was tasked by Mr. Trump to increase the total assets, based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected, Cohen said, adding that he also worked on Trumps statements in 2012 through 2015.

When AG lawyer Colleen Faherty asked Cohen what he altered the values to, he said, Whatever Mr. Trump told us to.

Cohen said he was in a gang of four at the Trump Org  with execs Weisselberg, Rob Lieberman and Matthew Calamari  tasked with overseeing Trumps insurance decisions and risk projections. He said Trumps adult kids were in the know about his financial statements, providing data from various ventures they oversaw at the company.

I would come into the office, Cohen said, adding that Weisselberg would go with him if not already there. And the topic was the statement of financial condition. He would look at the total assets, and he would say, Im actually not worth $4.5 billion, Im really worth more  six. Okay. Then he would direct Allen and I to go back to Allens office and return after we achieved the desired goal.

Story continues

Cohen said that Trump netted favorable premiums from insurance companies by falsely assigning high values to his properties and low liabilities.

(Trump was) the only one who could accept them, Cohen said of the fraudulent numbers.

During a fiery cross-examination, Trump lawyer Alina Habba zeroed in on Cohens record of lying. On direct, he denied committing tax evasion despite pleading guilty to it.

You are admitting that you lied to Judge Pauley? Habba asked.

Ive already stated that, yes, Cohen replied.

During another portion of his testimony, Cohen told the court Trump lied about his net worth by billions to try to secure a loan to buy the NFL's Buffalo Bills in 2014 for $1 billion. In trying to broker the sale, Trump told Morgan Stanley he was worth more than $8 billion  when the AG says he was really worth $2.3 billion.

Cohen, who last saw Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2018 before he pleaded guilty and went to prison for paying off porn star Stormy Daniels and an assortment of unrelated crimes, was executive VP at the Trump Org and Trumps special counsel for a decade, becoming Trumps personal lawyer when he was elected president. Hes described himself overall as Trumps fixer.

Whatever issues he had, whatever created ire for him, he would bring it to me in order to resolve it, Cohen said shortly after taking the stand.

After serving as Trumps chief mouthpiece for a decade, Trumps fiercely protective pitbull lawyer changed his tune shortly after the feds raided his Manhattan residences in the spring of 2018.

In the ensuing months, he started spilling to authorities about how his boss ran his business and his presidential campaign. After previously lying for him under oath, Cohen that August told the feds he paid off women Trump slept with on his orders to silence them and secure him the White House, implicating the then-president as Individual-1.

The same summer, he began cooperating in special counsel Robert Muellers probe, later pleading guilty to lying to Congress about his dealings with the Kremlin and when negotiations to develop a Trump Hotel in Moscow stopped in 2016 as Trump sought the presidency.

Cohen served three years in custody for the hush money payoffs and other financial crimes in what late Manhattan federal court Judge William Pauley described as a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct.

Before he went upstate, his February 2019 testimony before the House Oversight Committee about Trumps habit of manipulating the value of his assets sparked James investigation, leading to the case now on trial. He was disbarred the same month.

Judge Arthur Engoron, in a pretrial ruling that stripped Trump, Weisselberg and their co-defendants of their New York business licenses, found they committed fraud by using the fraudulent calculations  off by billions  in banking agreements and loan applications from 2014 to the final year of Trumps presidency.

Trump is fighting the remaining six claims at the trial set to last through December and still stands to lose $250 million and the power to run a company in the state where he crafted the billionaire businessman image he sold to voters.

The trial is one of many legal woes facing the former president, including 91 felonies in four criminal cases and a slew of lawsuits. In a major blow, his former campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis flipped in his Georgia case Tuesday, admitting her role in the alleged sprawling effort to steal the 2020 election. She followed two other one-time Trump lawyers to flip this week, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro.

In more bad news for Trump, ABC reported later Tuesday that his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has been granted immunity in special counsel Jack Smiths case into Trump and his allies alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Outside the courtroom, a deflated sounding Trump lambasted his once-trusted consigliere as a disgraced felon and said he wasnt worried about his testimony.

I havent seen him in years, Trump said. You know his record. Its a horrible one. All you have to do is ask the Southern District of York.

Cohen heeded the judges words and didnt speak to reporters about his testimony, keeping it simple with a quip.

Heck of a reunion! Cohen said.

____
Joint Lab to serve as Regional Innovation Hub for Advancing Chip-on-Cell-based Next Generation Battery Systems

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dukosi Ltd, the technology company revolutionizing the performance, safety and sustainability of battery systems, and Suzhou Hengmei Electron Technology, Inc. ("Hengmei") today announced the Joint Development Laboratory at Hengmei's facility in Suzhou, China. The lab will accelerate the development and adoption of chip-on-cell-based solutions for more sustainable battery systems that will power the electric future.

Dukosi Logo

"Our shared commitment to driving innovation throughout the battery system value chain will allow us to offer future-proof technology to our customers," stated Eric Yang, CEO of Hengmei. "Dukosi's cell monitoring solution revolutionizes how battery-based systems are designed and paves the way towards on-cell sensing and processing. Whether electric vehicles, energy storage, or marine applications, the flexible and scalable solution is suitable for all our markets and will significantly reduce time-to-market due to its simple yet powerful architecture. Contributing to a sustainable battery supply chain is also a key objective at Hengmei. Dukosi's chip-on-cell solution provides 24/7 monitoring and data logging that helps maximize the utilization of batteries throughout its lifecycle, and lifetime traceability helps comply with regulatory requirements aimed at building a circular battery value chain."

"China has been at the forefront of electrification of transport and mobility with a well-established battery production ecosystem and 75%[1] of the world's battery cell manufacturing capacity," stated Joseph Notaro, vice president global sales and marketing at Dukosi. "Hengmei is already a leader in cell connection systems (CCS) and an important and progressive partner who is positioning themselves for growth into global markets. We are proud of our partnership and look forward to closer collaboration and achieving mutual business growth and success."

Story continues

The Joint Laboratory was opened on 25 October, 2023 in an official ceremony. Nat Edington, CEO of Dukosi, and Joseph Notaro, vice president global sales and marketing at Dukosi, were presented with a plaque by Hengmei's CEO Eric Yang, and the ceremony was attended by senior managers from across Hengmei businesses. Speaking at the event, Yang said, "At this great moment of the third energy revolution in human history, we are more confident than ever in taking the initiative to embrace changes, promote the development and application of new technologies and products with our partners in the global battery ecosystem, and make greater contributions to carbon neutrality."

About Dukosi

Dukosi develops revolutionary technologies that dramatically improve the performance, safety, and efficiency of battery systems, and enable a more sustainable battery value chain. The company provides a unique cell monitoring platform based on intelligent chip-on-cell technology and wireless near field communication for electric vehicles (EV), industrial transportation and stationary energy storage markets. Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Dukosi has a global footprint with locations in USA, Asia and Europe. For more information, please visit www.dukosi.com.

About Hengmei

Suzhou Hengmei Electron Technology, Inc. is a company committed to the research, development, production and sales of electronic control systems for new energy vehicles and energy storage. Our strategic positioning and competitive advantage lies in providing an integrated power battery electronic control solution. Our product portfolio includes battery management systems (BMS) (wireless and wired), flexible printed circuits (FPC), cell connection systems (CCS), battery disconnect units (BDU), and high and low voltage wiring harnesses. Our vision & mission is to make transportation safer and greener. Since our inception, we have been working towards achieving the goals of ecological and environmental protection through sustainable development. For more information, please visit www.sz-hm.cn

[1] China's battery supply chain tops BNEF ranking for third consecutive time; Canada close 2nd, US drops to 3rd - Green Car Congress

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/dukosi-and-suzhou-hengmei-electron-technology-inc-strengthen-partnership-and-establish-joint-development-laboratory-301964932.html

SOURCE DUKOSI LIMITED
First-of-its-kind index that benchmarks each country against an optimal innovation ecosystem

LONDON, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- There is urgent need for responsible innovation to tackle unprecedented geopolitical, environmental, socioeconomic challenges. Addressing these requires bold ideas and new ways of working. To help countries build the right enabling ecosystems for innovation, Economist Impact, an arm of The Economist Group, developed the Innovation Quotient, an independent research programme, supported by Philip Morris International, uniquely designed to foster innovation for socioeconomic progress.

Economist Impact's Groundbreaking "Innovation Quotient" Programme Offers Blueprint for Innovation for Progress

Economist Impact, with input from an advisory board of experts, identified 122 metrics that invigorate or impede a nation's efforts to accelerate innovation. The research also encompassed an in-depth survey of 4,000 innovators and business leaders worldwide. The result is a benchmarking tool that spans the top 40 countries (by real GDP) and five industries (EOG and utilities, financial services, manufacturing, technology/media/telecommunications, retail and consumer goods), capturing more than 90% of global economic activity.

The Innovation Quotient ranks Singapore first and Egypt last, yet no country received perfect marks. On the 100-point scale, Singapore scored just 61.5, indicating that even the country with the world's best ecosystem for innovation still has ample room to strengthen its policies and practices.

"The Innovation Quotient provides a moment to consider what we invent, how we bring it into the world and who it really benefitsall through the lens of rigorous research and enlightening data," said Andrew Staples, Editorial Director of Initiatives, Economist Impact.

The global average score is 51/100, and just 11 points separate the 10th-ranked country, Australia, from the bottom quartile, indicating that lagging countries can quickly leapfrog to the top by adopting innovation-enabling practices in five key areas.

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While the Innovation Quotient provides a snapshot of the environment for global innovation today, it is designed to serve as a blueprint for policy makers, government officials, business executives and thought leaders as they grapple with global, multidimensional challenges ranging from income inequality to the global energy crisis.

"With its explicit focus on socioeconomic progress, Economist Impact's Innovation Quotient redefines successful innovation enablement," said Vaibhav Sahgal, Economist Impact's Principal, New Globalisation and Project Director of the Innovation Quotient. "Innovation should move the world toward a more desirable future that serves the public interest, contributes to wellbeing and delivers on environmental, social and economic goals."

The Innovation Quotient research revealed several best practices which policy makers, business leaders and citizens can adopt to accelerate innovation for progress.

Top findings from the Innovation Quotient include:

Countries need to enable greater collaboration, alignment and inclusion

Enabling innovation requires engagement and co-ordinated action, where all participants have a seat at the table. Countries that score well overall, such as Singapore, Britain, Sweden, America and South Korea all have a mix of transparent governance and regulation, robust education, capacity building programmes and strong business operating environments that engage multiple stakeholders. National strategies can also help. South Korea's digital government strategy for 2021-25, for example, focuses on intelligent service design, data-driven administration, and inclusive digital infrastructure. Global action requires collective co-operation

Globalisation has enhanced interconnectedness and led to socioeconomic gains, but is now challenged by geopolitical tension and rising protectionism. The Innovation Quotient points to the need for a new model of globalisation that encourages the global exchange of information, technology and talent while also safeguarding intellectual property, securing supply chains and spurring collaboration to limit climate change. Foster the workforce of the future

Many economies are faced with ageing and shrinking populations. Demographics are inextricably linked to innovation potential due to their bearing on the workforce. Automation and shifts in production are also raising fundamental questions about the relevance of existing skills. Country performance on the Innovation Quotient emphasises the need to rethink labour and education policy, supporting the development of a skilled workforce through training and migration, and making education more affordable and accessible. Support innovation hubs that are responsive to local contexts

Geographic concentrations of firms, suppliers, incubators and academia create benefits that ripple across an interconnected system. The Innovation Quotient reveals that much work is needed to ensure that innovation hubs or clusters are responsive to local contexts to avoid creating high costs of living, unsustainable urban conditions and wealth gaps. People are the agents, adopters and benefactors

Performance on the Innovation Quotient across metrics of people-centricity (e.g. consumer protection, employee culture, recruitment strategy) suggests that this is an afterthought retrofitted into the innovation process, if at all. Policymakers have a responsibility to ensure that institutions are representative and accountable. Businesses and investors must consider environmental and socioeconomic aspects of decisions to reap long-term benefits. The top-ranking countries on these metrics  Japan (91.6), the US (90.2), and the UK (85.2)  have strong regulatory frameworks conducive to business growth and innovation while also levelling the playing field to allow for grassroots innovation.

The Innovation Quotient is presented as a standalone report and an interactive, online repository of data, analysis and recommendations. In the coming months, Economist Impact will publish new streams of data and analysis that highlight specific countries and industries. The research is the foundation of a larger global programme with mutually reinforcing components including regional summits, country-focused workshops and multimedia content spanning interactive data visualisations, articles, podcasts and videos to drive discussion around the data and insights revealed by the research. Economist Impact's findings are independent and do not necessarily reflect the views of the corporate supporter or consulted experts.

Notes for journalists:

Explore the Innovation Quotient index, report and related content at https://impact.economist.com/new-globalisation/innovation-quotient

Innovation Quotient Explained video: https://vimeo.com/876470963/838cc9e539?share=copy

About Economist Impact

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise.

Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.

(PRNewsfoto/The Economist Group)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/economist-impacts-groundbreaking-innovation-quotient-programme-offers-blueprint-for-innovation-for-progress-301966576.html

SOURCE Economist Impact
JAKARTA, Indonesia, October 25, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Editage, the flagship brand of Cactus Communications (CACTUS)  a science communication and technology company  has announced a partnership with IPB University, one of the top five most prestigious universities in Indonesia focused on agriculture research and application. This partnership, announced on 26 September 2023, is designed to support the universitys researchers with their publication needs. With this partnership, Editage also aims to assist IPB Universitys academic community including researchers, lecturers, and students with other future needs such as organising webinars, trainings, events, and more.

Commenting on the partnership, Abhishek Goel, CEO and Co-Founder, CACTUS, said, "We are excited to partner with IPB University to ensure a smooth research and publication process for its academic community. IPB University is one of the most esteemed universities in Indonesia and we are honoured that they have chosen our flagship brand Editage to support their research needs. This partnership truly demonstrates the trust that we have built among our audience over the years."

Juventius Jaya, Sales Manager - Indonesia, CACTUS, added, "This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission and strengthens our commitment to help the global research community be successful on their publication journey and gain visibility for their research. By providing access to Editages expert tools and services, we want to cater to the diverse needs of IPB Universitys researchers in the future and help them maximise research impact."

Prof. Dr. Anuraga Jayanegara, S.Pt., M.Sc., Director of Strategic Studies and Academic Reputation IPB University, said, "We are pleased that a globally reputed publication support company such as Editage is going to assist our researchers. This will hasten the publishing process for our professors and lecturers. We are also excited with the supports Editage will provide in training & webinar for our researcher. This partnership brings us a step closer to our goal of increasing world class scientific output from IPB University."

Story continues

Starting with language support services, the flagship CACTUS brand Editage has evolved and expanded to publication support, pre-submission checks, research impact creation, and many other unique solutions for authors and publishers globally.

To know more about the same, please visit: https://www.editage.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231023047853/en/

Contacts

Shirish Raut

CACTUS

Email: shirish.raut@cactusglobal.com

https://ipb.ac.id/

https://dkasra.ipb.ac.id/
Key Insights

The projected fair value for K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad is RM0.85 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad's RM1.02 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad's peers seem to be trading at a higher premium to fair value based onthe industry average of -215%

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad (KLSE:KSSC) as an investment opportunity by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

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A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM5.77m RM7.96m RM10.1m RM12.2m RM14.1m RM15.7m RM17.2m RM18.5m RM19.7m RM20.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 52.45% Est @ 37.78% Est @ 27.51% Est @ 20.32% Est @ 15.29% Est @ 11.77% Est @ 9.30% Est @ 7.58% Est @ 6.37% Est @ 5.52% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 13% RM5.1 RM6.2 RM7.0 RM7.4 RM7.5 RM7.4 RM7.1 RM6.8 RM6.3 RM5.9

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM67m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 13%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM21m (1 + 3.6%)  (13% 3.6%) = RM218m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM218m ( 1 + 13%)10= RM62m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM128m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM1.0, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 13%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.447. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad

Strength

No major strengths identified for KSSC.

Weakness

Current share price is above our estimate of fair value.

Shareholders have been diluted in the past year.

Opportunity

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine KSSC's earnings prospects.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad, we've compiled three essential factors you should look at:

Risks: We feel that you should assess the 3 warning signs for K. Seng Seng Corporation Berhad (1 is significant!) we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! Other Environmentally-Friendly Companies: Concerned about the environment and think consumers will buy eco-friendly products more and more? Browse through our interactive list of companies that are thinking about a greener future to discover some stocks you may not have thought of!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Ethan Allen Interiors Inc (NYSE:ETD) reported a strong gross margin of 61.1% and an adjusted operating margin of 12.1% for Q1 Fiscal 2024.

Net sales were impacted by flooding at the Vermont manufacturing plant and a slowing economy, resulting in consolidated net sales of $163.9 million.

The company paid a special cash dividend of $0.50 per share in August 2023, in addition to the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share.

As of September 30, 2023, the company had total cash and investments of $163.2 million and no debt.





On October 25, 2023, Ethan Allen Interiors Inc (NYSE:ETD) released its financial and operating results for the fiscal 2024 first quarter ended September 30, 2023. Despite challenges from major flooding at their Vermont manufacturing plant and a softening economy, the company was able to maintain strong operating margins.

Financial Performance





For the first quarter ended September 30, 2023, Ethan Allen reported consolidated net sales of $163.9 million, a decrease from the previous year due to the impact of flooding at their Vermont facility. Despite these challenges, the company maintained a strong gross margin of 61.1% and an adjusted operating margin of 12.1%. The company also continued to generate positive operating cash flow and reported total cash and investments of $163.2 million with no debt as of September 30, 2023.

We are pleased to report our financial and operating results for the fiscal 2024 first quarter ended September 30, 2023. Our first quarter consolidated net sales were impacted due to major flooding in our Vermont manufacturing plant and strong prior year results that benefited from delivery of pandemic related written order backlog. Also, as expected, the economy has slowed down. Despite these challenges, we were able to maintain a strong gross margin of 61.1% and an adjusted operating margin of 12.1%. We also continued to generate positive operating cash flow and as of September 30, 2023, we had total cash and investments of $163.2 million and no debt. We paid a special cash dividend of $0.50 per share during August 2023, in addition to our regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share. We are also pleased to announce that yesterday our Board approved our regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share, payable on November 22, 2023. - Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allens Chairman, President and CEO

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Company Initiatives and Dividends





During the quarter, Ethan Allen launched a major initiative of Interior Design Destination across its network of 174 design centers in North America. The company also paid a special cash dividend of $0.50 per share in August 2023, in addition to the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow





The company's cash and investments totaled $163.2 million at September 30, 2023, compared with $172.7 million at June 30, 2023. The decrease of $9.5 million was primarily due to $21.9 million in cash dividends paid and capital expenditures of $3.7 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by $16.7 million in cash generated from operating activities.

Looking Ahead





Despite the challenges of a slower economy and the reduction of consumer focus on the home, Ethan Allen remains cautiously optimistic about the future. The company continues to focus on constant reinvention and is excited to start the next phase of its journey.

Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Ethan Allen Interiors Inc for further details.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed a group of businesses that had been enlisted to help the bloc's flagship infrastructure programme, the Global Gateway.

The new business advisory board would "help us to work closer together and deliver faster on the green and digital transitions, boosting the economy of our partners and the EU", von der Leyen said.

But close inspection of the list of board members reveals that the EU has invited Chinese state-linked companies to advise it on how best to roll out Global Gateway - despite the EU's efforts to restrict Beijing's access to such projects.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

One company in particular is potentially embarrassing for von der Leyen, who has called for Europe to "de-risk" its ties with China.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has sought to "de-risk" the EU's ties to China. Photo: AFP alt=European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has sought to "de-risk" the EU's ties to China. Photo: AFP>

China Three Gorges (CTG), a state-owned enterprise, is the largest shareholder in Energias de Portugal SA (EDP) - which is among those companies that will advise the European Commission on "implementation of the Global Gateway strategy and scaling up of Global Gateway flagship" projects.

As EDP's biggest shareholder, CTG - which is controlled by the Chinese government's State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) - owns its largest voting rights.

SASAC "is an institution that is responsible for carrying out the obligations assigned by the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee", according to Datenna, a Dutch intelligence firm.

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Neither the EU nor EDP immediately responded to requests for comment.

Senior European officials have previously warned against Chinese firms' involvement in Global Gateway. In June, the commission's powerful former digital and competition chief Margrethe Vestager said it would be "mistake" for them to win any contracts, Devex, a global development news site, reported.

On the same day, Vestager announced she would leave her post to run for the presidency of the European Investment Bank (EIB), one of Global Gateway's chief financial backers.

The EIB, Devex reported, was warned against financing projects involving Chinese telecoms companies in 2020.

EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager during a news conference in Brussels in June. Photo: European Commission/dpa alt=EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager during a news conference in Brussels in June. Photo: European Commission/dpa>

EDP was among 60 members and observers on the Global Gateway business advisory group, unveiled "during a high-level side event on EU Global Gateway, which took place in the margin of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York", according to the EU news release last month.

The commission opened the process to applicants in March, with firms and associations seeking to join the board given a deadline in May.

A second company, the French satellite company Eutelsat, also retains Chinese investment.

As recently as last month, China's sovereign fund China Investment Corp was Eutelsat's fourth-largest investor, according to financial news portal Market Screener. It has since diluted its holdings but remains the company's eight-largest investor.

Still, it is the EDP case that will raise eyebrows the farthest.

CTG took a 22 per cent stake in EDP during the Portuguese government's fire-sale of public assets in 2011, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. According to Market Screener, it currently holds a 19.98 per cent stake, more than three times bigger than the second-largest shareholder.

Its holding hit the news in 2018 when it tried to take full control of the company, in a deal that would have cost CTG 9.1 billion (US$6.46 billion).

According to Datenna, the bid was rejected by other shareholders following "emerging suspicion among various government departments and organisations regarding the scale of Chinese investments in Europe in key industries".

On Tuesday, Hilde Vautmans, a Belgian member of the European Parliament from the centrist Renew Group, said that "influence of Chinese companies in Global Gateway is extremely concerning and totally runs against our ambition to de-risk from China".

"We can no longer be naive, because we know that Chinese companies take orders from and share information with China's Communist regime," she added.

Miriam Lexmann, a centre-right lawmaker with the European People's Party, said the EDP case was "perplexing, because Global Gateway was established to address Chinese influence, not further it".

"The purpose of Global Gateway is to provide a sustainable alternative to Chinese corrosive BRI-linked capital," she said, referring to China's Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure programme.

The news comes just ahead of the EU's first Global Gateway forum in Brussels, set for Wednesday and Thursday.

According to media reports, political leaders from 16 developing nations will attend: Armenia, Comoros, Namibia, Mauritania, Senegal, Somalia, Albania, Bangladesh, Cabo Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Rwanda and Serbia.

China Three Gorges Corp headquarters in Beijing. Photo: Handout alt=China Three Gorges Corp headquarters in Beijing. Photo: Handout>

China is not invited, and the EU has spurned Beijing's advances to partner on projects.

According to an article on the Chinese foreign ministry website, top envoy Wang Yi last week reiterated that China's BRI "can be aligned with the Global Gateway strategy proposed by the European Union, so as to leverage their respective strengths and form synergy to help developing countries speed up infrastructure development".

At an event in Brussels last month, Fu Cong, Beijing's ambassador to the EU, said he had "personally ... met with the special envoy of the EU on Central Asia, and she is very interested in having joint projects in Central Asian countries".

However the special envoy's office denied that such an exchange took place. An EU source said the Global Gateway "is based on the key principles of trusted connectivity: being sustainable, comprehensive, rules-based, human-centric and geographically adapted".

Cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative "is not excluded, but should be based on these principles", the source added.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
An investor sits in front of screens showing stock board information at a securities company in Hanoi, Vietnam

By Francesco Guarascio

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam is planning to relax its stock market settlement procedures for foreign investors, a critical measure to convince equity index managers to uprade the country to emerging market status and attract hundreds of millions of dollars of new investment, sources said.

Following a China model, Vietnam would allow brokers to vouch for foreign investors when they buy shares, a move that was seen as a progress by the FTSE index provider, and could lead to remove a regulatory hurdle that has hampered for years the upgrade of the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.

The bourse, the smallest among the main Southeast Asian economies, is now classified by both the MSCI and FTSE indices as a frontier market. That prevents many funds, investors and family offices from investing in companies listed there.

FTSE experts visited the country last week and were presented with details of the new plan to break the years-long deadlock, the people familiar with the talks said.

"Last week's meetings with FTSE were positive and could lead to a possible upgrade to the secondary emerging market status by September 2025," said Le Thi Le Hang, chief strategy officer at Vietnam's leading broker SSI, who is directly involved in the plans.

To meet that timeline, FTSE would need to announce the upgrade as early as September next year, six or twelve months before the actual promotion, according to its procedures on upgrades.

If upgraded, Vietnam would join the likes of Indonesia, Philippines, Qatar and China, moving up from the frontier index which it shares now with less advanced markets such as Sri Lanka and Kenya, and where it accounts for an unwieldy 38% of total capitalisation.

MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PIE

Under the new plan, Vietnam would adopt a mechanism to settle payments on shares transactions that could meet the key requirement from FTSE for the upgrade.

In advanced markets, investors settle transactions two days after they buy shares, but in Vietnam they are required to make the money available the same day, causing higher costs and risks to foreign investors.

Story continues

To bypass the hurdle, Vietnamese authorities and brokers are devising a mechanism similar to one used in China under which securities firms would guarantee for foreign funds' payments, effectively giving them credit for the two days until transactions are completed.

They would take some risks, but they stand to benefit from the new inflows, which SSI estimates could be around $800 million from passive funds alone, assuming Vietnam's weighting in the emerging market index at 1%.

Active funds are estimated to have five times more investments in the FTSE emerging market, which could lead to far bigger gains for the HCMC market, which has currently a $179 billion capitalisation.

FTSE and Vietnam's market regulator, the State Securities Commission, did not reply to requests for comment.

In its latest update on Vietnam issued last month, FTSE said that while progress on planned market reforms had remained slow, a recommitment to the work required had been made by government.

"In addition, the State Securities Commission (SSC) has demonstrated renewed energy in seeking a workable solution that would remove the need for pre-funding," FTSE said.

A simultaneous upgrade from managers at the much larger MSCI index is seen as out of the question at the moment because of MSCI's stricter requirements, the sources said.

Under Vietnamese rules, banks are not allowed to offer credit to foreigners, which has barred their involvement and has complicated talks over the upgrade.

The mechanism still needs to be finalised and go through a months-long trial period while existing regulations are tweaked, the sources said.

Foreign investors need also to be consulted. They have urged China to scrap the prefunding requirement, or at least allow banks to get involved to make trades easier to transact and attract more investors.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
The Federal Reserve Wednesday proposed lowering the fees banks can charge retailers for processing debit-card transactions, a victory for merchants who have long complained these "swipe fees" were too high and harmed consumers.

The move announced Wednesday is a potential blow to big banks that issue credit cards as well as giant credit-card companies Visa (V), Mastercard (MA), and American Express (AXP), which would take in less revenue if these fees go down.

These charges  also known as interchange fees  are paid by retailers, supermarkets, convenience stores, gasoline stations, and online merchants when consumers shop with their debit cards. Banks that issue the cards pocket the revenue made from the fees charged to the merchants.

Read more: Credit card fees explained: 8 types you should know

Credit cards are pictured in a wallet. REUTERS/Stelios Varias (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS) (Stelios Varias / Reuters)

The Fed gained more power over these fees in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

A section of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law called the Durbin amendment asked the Fed to cap these rates for banks with at least $10 billion in assets at a "reasonable and proportional" cost. In 2011, the regulator set the cap at $0.21 plus 0.05% of the transaction amount.

The central bank can lower the cap if it finds that the costs of processing payments decline but hasnt done so until now. The Fed is proposing cutting the cap to $0.144 plus 0.04% of the transaction amount. The Fed would increase the so-called fraud-prevention adjustment to $0.013 from $0.01.

Today the average debit card transaction is $50. The new proposed cap would total $0.177 on the average $50 transaction, down from $0.245 on the same transaction today.

Read more: 5 ways to dodge the $130 billion in fees and interest credit card companies rake in

Fed governor Michelle Bowman objected to the proposal, noting that consumers wont realize the savings while banks will see higher costs.

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman objected to the Fed's new 'swipe fees' proposal. (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images) (ERIC BARADAT via Getty Images)

"While the proposal suggests that it could result in benefits to consumers, I am concerned that the costs for consumers  through the form of increased costs for banking products and services  will be real, while the benefits to consumers  such as lower prices at merchants  may not be realized," Bowman said in a statement.

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The plan is the latest in a series of new rules the Fed and other banking regulators have proposed or finalized in recent months that will affect how financial institutions operate, ranging from how much capital banks should hold to how they calculate climate risks to new evaluations of how banks lend to low-income communities.

Read more: How does the Fed affect your credit card interest rate?

Some of these new rules have faced pushback from banks, especially the proposal that would force banks with more than $100 billion in assets to hold greater buffers in case of future losses. They argue they already have adequate capital and that the new requirements would curb lending and hurt the economy.

Several bank trade groups sent a letter to the Fed, the FDIC, and the OCC asking them to "re-propose" the rule, arguing that the initial proposal "relies on data and analyses that the agencies have not made available to the public." On Friday the Fed agreed to extend the comment period to Jan. 16, 2024 from Nov. 30 of this year.

Banks are also gearing up for a fight on swipe fees. Last week, nine major banking trade groups, including the American Bankers Association, sent Fed Chair Jay Powell a letter warning the central bank not to propose cutting the rates, setting the stage for the industry to challenge in court any final rule.

Todays proposal suggests a 90-day comment period and that any final rule would become effective "at least 60 days" after the final rule is published in the Federal Register.

The Fed envisions a periodic updating of the fee cap every two years where data would be collected in odd-numbered years by March 31, which would then go into effect July 1.

But it's not a foregone conclusion that the cap would continue to drop every two years, according to Fed officials. The cap level would depend on what happens to costs. Updates would try to capture changes in costs and keep the fees reasonable and proportional to the issuer's costs.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaking last week at a meeting of the Economic Club of New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Merchants have long argued that the Fed set interchange rates higher than what is "reasonable and proportional." They sued, but a federal appeals court sided with the Fed.

Despite the loss, retailers have continued to argue that the existing rates produce revenue to the card-issuing banks that significantly exceed the reasonable and proportional requirement in the law. The Supreme Court agreed last month to hear a case that would force the Fed to lower the swipe fees.

The banks argue any revamp needs to capture fraud and operational costs that the current regime excludes. They also say the Fed's most recent public assessment is based on 2019 data and does not justify any pricing changes.

Bowman, in her statement of objection to the new proposal, noted that larger issuers with the highest transaction volumes will have an advantage over smaller issuers.

She also said she worries that lowering interchange fees along with higher proposed capital requirements could pose risks to the health of certain banks and the overall US banking system.

Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
A South Side man is facing federal fraud charges alleging he swabbed his own cheek and instructed employees to make up names of children for hundreds of phony COVID-19 tests that were reimbursed through a taxpayer-subsidized program for low-income families.

Oscar Alvarado was charged with wire fraud in a 27-page criminal complaint made public in U.S. District Court this week. Records show he was arrested in Miami on Sept. 15 and was ordered held as a flight risk.

According to the complaint, Alvarado ran a COVID-19 testing site called the Center for COVID Care in the 6500 block of South Ashland Avenue in Englewood for more than two years ending in May.

Investigators said the site was never registered as a business with the state, though an online post under Alvarados name touted it as excellent, fast, friendly and professional, the complaint stated. Great people too! the review allegedly stated.

The complaint alleged Alvarado had a contract to provide tests to two labs that in total received more than $340 million in COVID-19 emergency funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

Records show Alvarado was paid a total of about $400,000 by one of the labs based on the tests he submitted, according to the complaint. The charges did not state how much Alvarado may have collected from the other lab.

Several of Alvarados former employees told federal investigators Alvarado paid them a fee for each test sample they collected. Though some of the tests were legitimate, Alvarado also orchestrated the collection of thousands of falsified tests for individuals who were never actually tested, according to the complaint.

Alvarado occasionally swabbed his own cheek or gums and submitted the sample under the name of a previous patient, and encouraged some of his employees to do the same, according to the complaint.

The charges alleged Alvarado also took advantage of more lax identification procedures for minors to submit hundreds of phony tests for children that do not exist, often listing drivers license numbers collected from adults on previous tests to create a fake parent or guardian.

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Records showed Alvarado submitted tests using the drivers license of one purported patient a total of 47 times in a little over a year, even though that person had never been to Alvarados testing site, according to the complaint.

Of those tests, 16 were for the adult patient, while the other 31 were for minor children the patient does not have, according to the complaint.

From May 2021 to January 2022, one lab processed more than 15,200 COVID tests from Alvarados facility, nearly half of which were attributed to patients who were represented to be minors at the time of the purported testing, the complaint stated.

Thousands of those purported minors used the same email address linked to Alvarado as their contact information, the complaint stated.

An attorney for Alvarado was not listed on the court docket as of Wednesday.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 24, 2023) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) ("Founders" or the "Company") announces auger geochemical survey results targeting historical artisanal mining tailings at the Antino Gold Project in southeastern Suriname, South America. The Company reports gold concentrations of up to 9.17 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) in the alluvial mining tailings. The preliminary survey outlines three large tailings areas that collectively cover >100,000 m2 with minimum thicknesses over 3.5 m. Ongoing work is underway to evaluate the full economic potential of the gold-rich tailings at Upper Antino and the much larger volume of tailings in the Buese area.

Highlights:

Froyo zone tailings up to 9.17 g/t Au with twenty samples averaging 3.35 g/t Au

Eclaire zone tailings up to 3.77 g/t Au and averaging 1.41 g/t Au (27 samples)

Donut zone tailings up to 1.56 g/t Au (31 samples)

>100,000 m 2 of historical tailings at Upper Antino with 3.5 m minimum thickness

Much larger historical tailings at Buese still to be sampled

Figure 1: Upper Antino area plan map showing auger sample locations and gold grades in historical tailings.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/185048_dd98eaaf8489784c_001full.jpg

Founders' CEO, Colin Padget, commented, "We are very pleased to find such high gold grades in the historical tailings. We potentially have our market cap or more in recoverable gold from this easily accessible material at Upper Antino, and the recognition that this represents less than 30% of the total tailings on the property, makes this a major find for Founders. Additionally, with the low gold recoveries attributed to artisanal mining, the gold concentrations we're seeing in the Upper Antino tailings are further evidence of large-scale, high-grade gold mineralization at Antino."

The auger survey consisted of 78 one-metre samples collected from depths of 1-3 metres over a portion of the main historical tailings' areas at Froyo, Eclaire, and Donut (see Figure 1). The tailings are largely homogenous piles of sub-2 mm material produced locally from a single mining area. They are mostly derived from high-grade saprolite or alluvial material that has been processed through a hammer mill and sluice system to recover gold. Records indicate that historical artisanal mining recovery was poor with estimated recoveries of only 20-30%. Minimum thicknesses were determined via trenching or locally from deeper auguring. The Upper Antino area tailings represent less than 30% of the total known tailings on the Property.

Story continues

Detailed surveying, sampling, and testing are planned to accurately determine the total overall volumes, grades, and recoverability of the contained gold.

Figure 2: Antino Gold Project Area Map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/185048_dd98eaaf8489784c_002full.jpg

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals is a Canadian exploration company operating in North and South America. The Company is focused on acquiring and advancing gold projects in the South American Guiana Shield. Its flagship project is the 20,000 ha Antino Gold Project in Suriname. Exploration work on the project includes, over 30,000 m of historical drilling, 35,000 gold-in-soil auger samples, property-wide aeromagnetic survey data, and a 2022 LiDAR survey. Antino is the most advanced gold exploration project in Suriname; within an area where historical surface/alluvial gold mining has produced over 500,000 gold ounces to date1.

1 2022 Technical Report - Antino Project; Suriname, South America. K. Raffle, BSc, P. Geo & Rock Lefrancois, BSc, P.Geo.

Quality Assurance and Control

Results from samples were analyzed at FILAB Suriname, a Bureau Veritas Certified Laboratory in Paramaribo, Suriname (a commercial certified laboratory under ISO 9001:2015). Samples are crushed to 75% passing 2.35 mm screen, riffle split (700 g) and pulverized to 85% passing 88 m. Samples were analyzed using a 50 g fire assay (50 g aliquot) with an Atomic Absorption (AA) finish. For samples that return assay values over 10.0 grams per tonne (g/t), another cut was taken from the original pulp and fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Founders Metals inserts blanks and certified reference standards in the sample sequence for quality control. External QA-QC checks are performed at ALS Global Laboratories (Geochemistry Division) in Vancouver, Canada (an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited facility). A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Drill intervals with visible gold are assayed using metallic screening. Rock chip samples from outcrop/bedrock are selective by nature and may not be representative of the mineralization hosted on the project.

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

Per: "Colin Padget"

Colin Padget

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

Founders Metals Contact Information

Dave Burwell, Manager, Investor Relations

Tel: 403 410 7907 | daveb@fdrmetals.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings and the future or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect ", "is expected ", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-Looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, other factors may cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management discussion and analysis. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

All material information on Founders Metals can be found at www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/185048
TAIPEI (Reuters) - After mastering making iPhones, Taiwan's Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn, wanted to turn his entrepreneurial skills elsewhere - to be the island's next president.

But three months out from the election, Gou, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $6.7 billion, has gone to ground.

He last appeared at a campaign event on Sunday night, the day a Chinese newspaper said authorities had begun a tax probe into Foxconn's operations in China, even though he stepped back from running the world's largest contract manufacturer four years ago.

He cancelled a Monday event without explanation and had no public arrangements for Tuesday or Wednesday, unusual given the previous frequency of his rallies.

The tax investigation was first reported by the state-backed, strongly nationalist Chinese tabloid the Global Times, but in its English version of the story it suggested what China was actually unhappy with was Gou running for president as an independent, a decision he announced in August.

That was because, the paper said, Gou would split the opposition vote and "in the end favour secessionist" Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te, making his victory more certain.

China claims Taiwan as its own and believes Lai, who leads opinion polls, is a separatist bent on a formal declaration of independence. Lai says he will maintain the status quo and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

Since the Global Times report came out, Gou's team has declined to comment, referring questions to Foxconn itself.

Gou, 72, has continued to post on his Facebook account, but not mentioned the probe.

Late on Tuesday, Gou posted about late Apple founder Steve Jobs, whom he called his idol, and how he "cherished" their relationship even with often tricky requests when it came to making iPhones.

"If I had thought of quitting because Steve Jobs was too picky and the tasks given by Apple were too difficult, and had given up on doing Apple orders, I would have probably lost a great opportunity to participate in Apple's innovation in the future," he wrote.

Story continues

"Think big, but don't lose sight of details - this is the personality trait I noticed in Jobs. This is the trait in recent years I have come to expect in myself and encourage in every colleague around me."

Foxconn said in a statement on Sunday legal compliance was a "fundamental principle" of its operations, and it would "actively cooperate with the relevant units on the related work and operations".

'TAIWAN'S CEO'

Gou has positioned himself as "Taiwan's CEO" saying he wants to unite a fractured opposition amid rising tensions with China, which he blames on the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) hostility to Beijing.

The DPP-led government has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing, but been rebuffed, and has blamed China for the tensions.

But Gou has languished in the polls and the two main opposition parties, the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, have instead been talking to each other about a possible joint ticket, though those talks have foundered.

Gou was not born wealthy. After graduating from university, he worked in a series of factory jobs, as Taiwan in the late 1960s and early 1970s began using its cheap labour force to churn out consumer goods for the rich Western world.

He founded Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, better known as Foxconn, in 1974 with 11 elderly workers and a $7,500 loan from his mother. He first made cheap plastic parts for black-and-white television sets for a Chicago TV manufacturer, before a major deal in 1980 making joystick connectors for Atari games consoles.

In 2000, Foxconn won an order to make Apple's redesigned iMacs, after making a variety of parts for the likes of U.S. personal computer vendor Dell.

Foxconn eventually became one of the world's largest private-sector employers with at times over a million workers assembling devices for global brands such as Sony Corp, Nintendo Co Ltd and Microsoft Corp.

Gou remains a lauded figure at Foxconn after stepping down as chairman in 2019, referred to reverentially as "the founder".

His connections reached as high as Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he met in 2014 in Beijing, and whom in 2017 he described as a great leader, Taiwan media reported.

Gou's parents were born in China and were of the generation that fled to Taiwan after the Communists won China's civil war in 1949, a year before Gou's birth on the island.

In an interview with the Communist Party's official People's Daily in 2018 to mark China's 40th anniversary of landmark economic reform, Gou said he was happy to have witnessed the changes.

Earlier this year, Gou vowed to start negotiations with China if he was elected president on the basis that both sides belong to one single China but each can interpret what that means.

Still, in August when announcing his run he struck a tougher tone when asked if his Foxconn shareholdings meant China could simply tell him what to do if he became president.

"I have never been under the control of the People's Republic of China," he said. "I don't follow their instructions."

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sonali Paul)
Sam Bankman-Fried. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

FTX is considering proposals from three bidders to relaunch the crypto exchange, Bloomberg reported.

An investment banker working with the company said it will make a decision by mid-December.

Selling or relaunching the platform could be key to reimbursing customers.

FTX, which dramatically imploded last November, is considering three bids to restart the crypto exchange, Bloomberg reported.

Kevin Cofsky, an investment banker working with FTX, said in a Delaware court hearing that the company will make a decision about how to proceed by mid-December, per Bloomberg.

He didn't disclose the names of any bidders, but said FTX is "engaging with multiple parties every day," according to the outlet.

Bloomberg reported that Cofsky told the judge that the options include selling the entire exchange, bringing in a partner to help restart it, or that FTX could relaunch the exchange itself.

This isn't the first time that FTX has spoken about restarting what was once one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, although the plans now appear more tangible.

John Ray III, the FTX CEO who took over to handle the bankruptcy process, first floated the idea in January  and speculation of FTX's restart saw its native crypto token jump 32%.

And in April, an FTX bankruptcy lawyer said the company could be relaunched as soon as the second quarter of 2024, CoinTelegraph reported. The legal team added that the crypto exchange had so far recovered $7.3 billion.

The FTX Debtors declined to comment when contacted by Insider.

Selling or relaunching FTX could be key to reimbursing customers who lost money after it shut down last year.

Its cofounder, Sam Bankman-Fried, has been on trial since October 3 for seven charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty.

His fellow cofounder, Nishad Singh, as well as other top executives Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges, and testified that they conspired with Bankman-Fried to siphon money from FTX customers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- The emerging markets-focused asset management firm Gemcorp Capital LLP is setting up a $1 billion fund to bring foreign investment into some of Saudi Arabias most ambitious projects.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The fund will target investments in projects which are aligned with Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmans plan to transform the Saudi economy away from reliance on oil, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

The partnership between Gemcorp and the kingdoms Ministry of Investment, will offer investment products including credit, equity and hybrid debt. Gemcorp will provide seed financing for the fund, while the ministry will allow access to potential opportunities.

Gemcorps announcement came on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative, an annual gathering of the worlds finance elite in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia is seeking to reassure investors that the kingdom remains an attractive investment destination despite the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Hitting targets for attracting foreign direct investment as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans plans to overhaul the Saudi economy has been a challenge. That plan envisages lifting foreign investment to 5.7% of economic output.

Yet most of the $19.3 billion foreign investment in 2021  the most since 2010  came from state oil company Saudi Aramco selling part of its pipeline unit, rather than going into new industries.

Read more: Wall Street Frets Over Mideast War as Riyadh Courts Investors

Saudi Arabia has recently become very attractive to global investors, and this fund will provide further investment support for key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and mining and minerals, Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabias minister of investment said in the statement.

Story continues

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
BALTIMORE, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kellanova, WK Kellogg Co, and Giant Food have teamed up to tackle the ongoing issue of hunger in the communities they serve. Kellanova is donating a truckload of snacks to the Maryland Food Bank in a community where Giant Food operates. WK Kellogg Co is donating $10,000 and Giant Food is matching the donation for a total of $20,000 to support these efforts.

Giant Food, Kellanova, and WK Kellogg Co Logo

"At Giant Food, fighting food insecurity in the communities we serve is one of our top priorities," said Dyani Hanrahan, Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations, Giant Food, and Maryland Food Bank Board Member. "For over four decades, Giant Food has been a proud partner of the Maryland Food Bank in their work to feed our neighbors. We are honored to collaborate with generous partners like Kellanova to support the Maryland Food Bank and the fight against food insecurity."

Food insecurity exists in every county in the United States.1 In 2021, 53 million Americans utilized food banks.1

"With 34 million people in America not knowing where their next meal will come from, the need to help feed and fulfill continues," said Colleen Callahan, Ahold Delhaize Team Lead at Kellanova. "Kellanova Better Days Promise is committed to feeding people in need, and we're proud to partner with Giant Food to support those facing hunger in our communities."

Kellanova's donation is part of its Better Days Promise strategy, which aims to create better days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030.

WK Kellogg Co is working to make eating well easy, and help people be healthier and happier, together.

"We believe in the power of community and are proud to support organizations in their effort to make a positive impact," said Mike Marchesani, Ahold Delhaize Sr. Director of Sales at WK Kellogg Co. "At the heart of our mission is a commitment to nourishing families and communities, and we are honored to partner with Food Giant as we collectively strive to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve."

Story continues

1 https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america

About Giant Food

Since opening its first location 87 years ago in Washington, D.C. in 1936, Giant has been an integral part of the communities and customers it serves. Giant is committed to being a Better Neighbor and has designated four main giving pillars that address local Food Insecurity, Military Support, Pediatric Cancer Research and Social Equality. Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 165 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 165 stores are 153 full-service pharmacies and 27 Starbucks locations. Giant fits all the ways today's busy customers want to shop - whether in store or online. With 162 Giant Pickup locations and delivery options available in all of its markets, customers have even more convenient options right at their fingertips to get the best products and prices, whenever and however they choose. For more information on Giant Food, visit giantfood.com.

About Kellanova

Kellanova (NYSE: K ) is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats, RXBAR, Eggo, MorningStar Farms, Special K, Coco Pops, and more, Kellanova's vision is to become the world's best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Kellanova generated an estimated $12.6 billion in net sales in 2022.

Kellanova is guided by our purpose to create better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. We are advancing sustainable and equitable access to food by addressing the intersection of hunger, sustainability, wellbeing, and equity, diversity & inclusion, with the ambition of creating Better Days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030. Visit www.Kellanova.com for more information.

About WK Kellogg Co

At WK Kellogg Co, we bring our best to everyone, every day through our trusted foods and brands. Our journey began in 1894, when our founder W.K. Kellogg reimagined the future of food with the creation of Corn Flakes, changing breakfast forever. Since then, we have embraced the same spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in everything we do, channeling our founder's passion and commitment to creating high quality and delicious products while fostering communities. Our iconic brand portfolio includes Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Froot Loops, Kashi, Special K, Raisin Bran, and Bear Naked. With a presence in the majority of households across North America, our brands play a key role in enhancing the lives of millions of consumers every day, promoting a strong sense of physical, emotional and societal wellbeing. Our beloved brand characters, including Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam, represent our deep connections with the consumers and communities we serve. For more information, visit www.wkkellogg.com.

Giant Food, Kellanova, and WK Kellogg Co Join Forces to Fight Food Insecurity

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/giant-food-kellanova-and-wk-kellogg-co-join-forces-to-fight-food-insecurity-301966900.html

SOURCE Giant Food
High-ranking members and directors of the World Association of Chinese Mass Media (WACMM) embarked on a mission of international collaboration as they visited Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Scarborough, Ontario --News Direct-- KISS PR Brand Story

Chengdu, Sichuan, China - October 24, 2023 - Manyu LiangShaoren Gou, Canada & World Report - High-ranking members and directors of the World Association of Chinese Mass Media (WACMM) embarked on a mission of international collaboration as they visited Zhongyuan Lianchuang International Trading Co. Ltd in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. This company is related to YUEMIN LLC in the United States. The symposium and dinner, hosted by Liujun Jiang, Chairman of the World Foundation of Chinese Mass Media (WFCMM) and Chairman of the American Chamber of International Industrial Investment, YUEMIN LLC, and Zhongyuan Lianchuang International Trading Co. Ltd, aimed to strengthen ties and stimulate cooperative efforts between these two influential entities.

Chairman Liujun Jiang expressed his warm welcome to the esteemed guests, emphasizing the significance of this gathering in enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation. He underscored the pivotal concept of "resource sharing, mutual assistance, and development," highlighting the potential for both the Association and the Foundation to progress faster and more effectively by working together.

The Chairman extended special appreciation to Chinese media representatives from around the world, recognizing their exceptional role in facilitating international economic exchanges through their deep insights into politics, economy, culture, and more. He also conveyed his expectations for the World Foundation of Chinese Mass Media to collaborate with entrepreneurial members from diverse countries who share corporate brand awareness, thereby promoting integrated development.

Mr. Jiang detailed the diverse business sectors of YUEMIN LLC, the American company he founded. These sectors encompass power, energy, and municipal infrastructure construction, international industrial fund investments, culture, media, international exhibitions, education technology, and international bulk trade of agricultural products. Subsidiaries and offices have been strategically positioned in North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and other locations, engaging in international import and export trade of agricultural products across 14 categories.

Story continues

Liujun JiangChairman of WFCMM

The symposium provided a platform for the media community to gain insights into YUEMIN LLC's business operations, laying the groundwork for potential global collaborations in international commodity trading and financial fund investments, among other fields.

Kent Wu, Vice Chairman of WACMM and Publisher of Las Vegas Chinese News, expressed his gratitude to Chairman Liujun Jiang for shedding light on YUEMIN LLC's endeavors. Wu praised the vital role of Chinese media in bridging economic exchanges between American companies and countries worldwide and assured the commitment of Chinese media outlets to provide reliable and effective information through professional journalism.

Kent Wu, Vice Chairman of WACMM

The World Association of Chinese Mass Media (WACMM) and the World Foundation of Chinese Mass Media (WFCMM) are both registered non-profit organizations. WACMM was established in Toronto in 1998 and has expanded its network to include over 160 Chinese media members across 60+ countries and regions worldwide. WFCMM, founded in Toronto in 2005, primarily unites global brand companies, maintains communication with the news media, promotes corporate products' market entry, and establishes corporate brands.

The gathering witnessed the participation of 20 guests from WACMM, representing 21 media companies from 14 countries and regions:

Las Vegas Chinese News, United States China Daily, United States Chinese Radio Seattle (1150AM), United States AACNTV, United States Seattle Chinese Radio (1540AM), United States Washington Chinese TV, United States Chinese American Post, United States Chinese Radio Vancouver, Canada Huayi Media News, Canada Panda Editorial, Venezuela Australia United Times Media Group, Australia Creek Reporter China, Greece Euro Chinese Daily, Romania QW Italy, Italy Japan-China Business News, Japan Nan Hua Times, Taiwan Macao Satellite TV Station, Macao Dolon TV, Kyrgyzstan Le Journal Madafrique-Chine, Madagascar Fiji Daily, Fiji Nanfei365, South Africa

These media companies play a vital role in facilitating communication and understanding within the global Chinese community while promoting economic exchanges between their home countries and the rest of the world.

Release ID: 782496

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/global-media-representatives-gather-in-chengdu-for-collaborative-symposium-870214158
Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone has mastered the art of building wealth. The CEO of Cardone Enterprises and Cardone Capital currently owns and operates seven privately held companies and a portfolio of over $4 billion in multifamily properties. Now, Cardone is breaking down his proven methods in his upcoming book, The Wealth Creation Formula.

Grant Cardone Says Passive Income Is the Key To Building Wealth: Heres His No. 1 Way To Get It

Read More: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases

Cardone gave GOBankingRates a sneak peek into what his formula entails, and what most people get wrong about building wealth.

Grant Cardones Wealth Creation Formula

The first step in Cardones formula is to find a job where you can excel and earn income, and then look for ways to earn more income within that company.

You dont go get a second job. You dont go sell stuff on the weekends, Cardone said. What you do is you figure out, if youre a receptionist, how do I attach myself to some of the flow of income within the company?

As your income increases, do not adjust your lifestyle.

Start storing money in order to make investments in a third, passive income flow, Cardone said. You shouldnt be buying a house, you shouldnt be buying a car, you shouldnt be paying off your debt right now. You shouldnt be chasing any of that.

All your attention should be on new income and starting to make new investments, he continued. In the beginning, what youre doing is youre improving the quality of your investments, not improving the quality of your life.

Keep saving money until you have enough to invest in income-producing assets, such as multifamily real estate properties, and use profits from those investments to buy more assets, until youre generating enough passive income to provide yourself with the lifestyle you desire.

The Big Mistake Most People Make

Cardone said that the biggest misstep many people make during the wealth-creation process is improving their lifestyle before building up their investment portfolio.

Story continues

People have the order incorrect, he said. You should improve the quality of your assets and investments first, and let those improve the quality of your life. Those investments, when they start paying off, that is what determines better clothes, a nice bag, a newer car.

Cardone has followed his own advice.

What most people do is they get a job, they reward themselves. I didnt do that, he said. What I did is I got a job, and I got good at the job, and then I got great at the job. And then when I got great at the job, people paid me more money. When they paid me more money, I went and bought assets that would pay me more money, that would give me more income, like real estate investments.

When my buddies were out buying BMWs and going on trips to Europe, I wasnt doing that, Cardone continued. I didnt improve the quality of my life, I improved the quality of my assets.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Grant Cardone Breaks Down His Foolproof Wealth Creation Formula: Most People Have It Incorrect
Peapack-Gladstone (PGC) reported $55.87 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2023, representing a year-over-year decline of 9.8%. EPS of $0.50 for the same period compares to $1.09 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $54.88 million, representing a surprise of +1.81%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -18.03%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.61.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Peapack-Gladstone performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Net interest margin : 2.3% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 2.2%.

Efficiency ratio : 67% versus 69.3% estimated by two analysts on average.

Total Non Interest Income : $19.35 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $18.91 million.

Net Interest Income: $36.52 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $35.45 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Peapack-Gladstone here>>>



Shares of Peapack-Gladstone have returned -6.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research
Vista Care will open a technology and telehealth support center in the former Nikki's Next 2 New location, as seen, Tuesday, October 24, in Sheboygan, Wis.

SHEBOYGAN  Vista Care, 708 Erie Ave., acquired a Wisconsin-based care organization and expanded telehealth services in an effort to broaden its support.

The Sheboygan-based organization, assisting individuals with intellectual, developmental, physical and behavioral health challenges, has footprints in Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota and Nevada.

It supports hundreds of individuals in the state, like in Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Winnebago counties. Several services include day, in-home and recovery and behavioral programs.

Vista Care expands reach with organization acquisition

Vista Care acquired Wisconsin-based Lori Knapp, Inc., another service provider for individuals with disabilities.

The organization will support more than 500 individuals across its service region with the addition, according to a news release.

More mental health services in schools: A $700,000 grant will broaden mental health resources in Sheboygan and Manitowoc schools

Lori Knapp, Inc., founded in 1971 by Don and Bette Knapp, offers services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like in-home and housing support. It has services across the state, including in Fond du Lac, La Crosse and Ashland counties.

Lori Knapp, Inc. has been committed to improving peoples lives for more than 50 years and is a wonderful addition to Vista Care, Liz Olive, Vista Care CEO, said in a news release. With a combined 80 years of experience supporting people in Wisconsin, I am confident we will continue to serve more people better while keeping them in our hearts and actions at all times.

Lori Knapp, Inc., will keep its name, employees will absorb into Vista Care and COO Tami Wedgeworth will continue her role and report to Vista Care COO Dave Sneddon, according to the news release.

Our mission has been to make a difference by helping the individuals make the most of their lives, Wedgeworth said in a news release. We are honored to now be a part of the Vista Care team, who has the same core values and will be helping us expand our mission across the state and continue Lori Knapps legacy.

Story continues

Using ARPA funds to expand tech, telehealth services

Vista Care will expand technology and telehealth services via a support center in the former Nikkis Next 2 New location at 1019 N. Eighth St., according to Hannah Frey, vice president and owner of Vista Care. The consignment shop is now at 804 N. Eighth St., near Mead Public Library.

The support center, supported by nearly $765,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, will help Vista Care expand services across its state programs, according to a news release. Vista Care is among 91 Wisconsin organizations to receive part of the $12.75 million award aimed at improving home and community services for individuals with Medicaid.

Frey said the support center could open next month.

Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Vista Care in Sheboygan acquires Lori Knapp, Inc., receives ARPA funds
When you buy shares in a company, it's worth keeping in mind the possibility that it could fail, and you could lose your money. But on the bright side, you can make far more than 100% on a really good stock. For example, the HiTech Group Australia Limited (ASX:HIT) share price has soared 136% in the last half decade. Most would be very happy with that. And in the last month, the share price has gained 12%.

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for HiTech Group Australia

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During five years of share price growth, HiTech Group Australia achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 13% per year. This EPS growth is lower than the 19% average annual increase in the share price. This suggests that market participants hold the company in higher regard, these days. And that's hardly shocking given the track record of growth.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

Dive deeper into HiTech Group Australia's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of HiTech Group Australia's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, HiTech Group Australia's TSR for the last 5 years was 217%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

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A Different Perspective

HiTech Group Australia's TSR for the year was broadly in line with the market average, at 4.4%. It has to be noted that the recent return falls short of the 26% shareholders have gained each year, over half a decade. Although the share price growth has slowed, the longer term story points to a business well worth watching. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for HiTech Group Australia that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Ford Motor Co. employs more hourly union workers than each of its crosstown rivals and its production arguably has been hit the hardest by the targeted UAW strike, industry observers note.

That's all according to plan.

UAW President Shawn Fain said last week, nine days after springing a surprise shutdown of a key Ford plant ... It wasnt just Ford who was going to get the message, it was Stellantis and General Motors as well. Im happy to report that in the past 24 hours, weve seen serious movement from both Stellantis and GM.

Not only did Ford submit the first economic offer to the UAW during earlier days of ongoing contract talks with Detroit Three automakers, but Fain noted the 120-year-old company had submitted a deal that was far more comprehensive than the others.

Despite having the best offer on the table, Ford watched as the UAW shut down its most profitable plant two weeks ago. The UAW went right for the jugular vein by targeting the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, where it builds the lucrative Super Duty pickup. Nearly 9,000 Ford employees walked off the job on Oct. 11.

This stunned industry observers.

In years past, as the strike deadline approached, the union would select a target company based on who had the best offer on several core issues and then take that deal to the other two in what became known as pattern bargaining. In 2019, GM endured a 40-day strike and the other Detroit automakers more or less fell in line afterward.

1st offer, best offer and in the spotlight

Based on what's happening this time, Ford has emerged as the de facto strike target, observers said.

"The Ford offer was first and best in a number of areas," Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and an expert on automotive labor, said Tuesday.

"Ford has effectively become the lead company or the target. Fain has said the others are watching," Shaiken said.

The GM offer continues to lag behind Ford's offer while GM also reported record revenue again this week, a UAW source not authorized to discuss negotiations said Tuesday afternoon.

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Still, UAW negotiators did gain traction with GM and Stellantis after the union called for the strike on Ford's Kentucky Truck.

Because of the style of public bargaining theyre doing, and now getting to this point, in order to wrap things up, the UAW has to get a pattern contract together," said Brian Rothenberg, a former UAW spokesman who is now a political consultant in Columbus, Ohio.

"To try to go for Ford, which has the largest American workforce, gives the UAW the ability to get that pattern. Thats why theyre moving so hard on Ford," Rothenberg said.

UAW strike targets continue

On Friday, Fain said Ford was the one company not making progress. On Monday, the UAW walked out on Stellantis at Sterling Heights Assembly, and Tuesday the UAW walked out on GM at Arlington Assembly. The strike keeps expanding.

The Detroit Three automakers employ more than 140,000 UAW members: about 57,000 at Ford, 46,000 at General Motors and 43,000 at Stellantis, which owns Jeep, Chrysler, Ram, Dodge and Fiat.

Ford made a decision to go all in with the UAW and on American manufacturing," Mark Truby, Ford global communications chief, told the Detroit Free Press on Monday. "We dont build F-Series trucks in Mexico; they come from Dearborn, Louisville, Ohio and Kansas City. The UAW leadership has decided that makes Ford a prime target in this strike. To use Mr. Fains favorite phrase, there is a pathetic irony in that approach.

While Ford has made the biggest commitment to the UAW, it doesn't appear the company has been rewarded for its very public commitments that include employing more UAW members than any competitor, promoting thousands ahead of schedule from part-time to full-time, using fewer temporary workers or improving bathrooms and lunch areas to make work settings more pleasant.

An estimated 45,500 members were striking the Detroit Three by Tuesday afternoon.

Losing $30 million a day catches everyone's attention

Industry observers have noticed that the UAW has hurt Ford more financially with production disruption since the targeted strikes began Sept. 15 with Michigan Assembly in Wayne, where it builds the Bronco and Ranger, and then expanding Sept. 19 to include Chicago Assembly, which builds the Explorer, Police Interceptor and Lincoln Aviator. The subsequent, have-no-mercy shutdown of Kentucky Truck stunned some in the industry because it had such a devastating financial impact, which included the production shutdown of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, too.

Losing roughly $30 million a day, as first reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal, is mind-numbing to investors, as well as company officials. The automaker has also had thousands of layoffs elsewhere due to the shutdowns, a handful as recently as Monday at the Sterling Axle Plant.

Ford has bet on the UAW and the UAW knows it.

"Ford has invested a lot in the UAW and, with the new regime led by Shawn Fain, that doesnt matter anymore. He doesn't care," said John McElroy, a veteran industry observer and host of "Autoline After Hours" webcast and podcast.

"Should it matter? From Fords point of view, yeah," he said. "Its accepted higher labor costs than its crosstown rivals because Bill Ford personally believes its good to have good relations with the union. Theyve always felt that was an advantage, not a disadvantage."

Bill Ford: Having faith in the UAW as a partner

But Fain mocked remarks Executive Chair Bill Ford made about teaming up with the UAW to take on nonunion companies. Fain lumped Bill Ford with all rich people and said the days of the UAW partnering with Ford or any other Detroit Three automaker are over, as workers fight for better wages globally.

"This is a brutally competitive industry and if youre not playing as a team together, there's no way you can win," McElroy said. "Ford has not moved any of its full-size trucks or SUVs to Mexico. Ford has gone out of its way to try and be (a better) partner. You expect some sort of reciprocity."

And GM waited awhile to come close to Ford's contract offer, McEloy noted.

Meanwhile, GM has plants in Canada and Mexico that build its Chevy Silverado. Stellantis has a plant in Mexico that builds its Ram Truck, while also threatening this year to move more of its Michigan operations to Mexico. Ford has chosen to build all of its bestselling F-Series trucks stateside. Ford has said the cost of employing nearly 10,000 more UAW workers has cost the company an estimated $1 billion.

A final push to the end

Emanuel Rosner, research analyst at Deutsche Bank, said in an investor note Monday that he estimated lost production costs during the strike for each automaker as $888 million for Ford, $802 million for GM and $399 million for Stellantis.

On Tuesday, GM cited an estimated a $200 million loss in third-quarter earnings, which included only two weeks of the strike.

Fain offered a glimmer of hope to Wall Street by saying on Friday toward the end of his remarks on Facebook that the hardest part of a strike is right before a deal when heres a push for that last mile," Rosner noted.

Pitting automakers against each other

These negotiations are unprecedented, Shaiken said.

"The three (automakers) are being treated at the bargaining table identically," he said, despite Ford coming to the table with a strong offer. "Ford is not just making the high-profit, full-size pickups exclusively here but theyve put a lot of money into the Rouge to do the F-150 and the F-150 Lightning. ... In a very real way, theyve put their money on where their mouth is, saying, 'Look, we have confidence in building in the U.S.' "

Stellantis makes the highest profits, Fain said. It had far fewer production workers on strike than Ford until this week.

Not only are GM and Stellantis building more vehicles in Mexico, but GM workers thought the Chevy Blazer would be built at Lordstown, Ohio, and production was moved out of the country, triggering the closure of the Lordstown plant, Shaiken said. Ford has also made bigger investments in domestic plants than the other two, Shaiken said.

Contract negotiations stress the family

Industry observers are curious to see what unfolds, especially with Ford having the most at stake with its huge workforce.

"There is no doubt that under Bill Fords leadership there has been a family relationship and a strong relationship between the UAW and his employees," Rothenberg said. "But its a mistake to look at this like its some kind of war."

More: For striking UAW workers, picket line feels different in the middle of the night

This is like having family fights over politics and everyone showing up at Thanksgiving dinner together, he said. "Youre still part of the family. If you were to talk to most Ford employees, they would say this is our opportunity to protect ourselves on future jobs through the EV transition and fight for those things when the industry is doing well. But theyd still view themselves as proud Ford employees."

Once this long strike is over, and strikes always end, things will be strong going forward, Rothenberg said. "If you're an investor, you have four years of certainty on your labor costs versus a CEO who might take Ambien at night and make stupid decisions, and you're at their whim."

More: Stellantis workers after 5 weeks on UAW strike: 'Enough is enough. Let's get it done.'

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Analysts: Hitting Ford hard moved GM, Stellantis to improve UAW offers
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. presented its 2022 Annual Report, showcasing the company's strong performance in a year which featured the most devastating storm in Ottawa's history and which tested the company's resilience like never before.

Hydro Ottawa presents 2022 Annual Report to City Council (CNW Group/Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.)

Board Chair, Jim Durrell, C.M., ICD.D, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Bryce Conrad, presented the company's 2022 results during the Annual General Meeting today before Ottawa City Council. They also provided an update on the company's ongoing work to enhance its emergency preparedness and response capabilities in the face of increasingly frequent and intense severe weather events, as well as on the recent labour disruption at the company.

Today's meeting also marked the conclusion of Mr. Durrell's tenure as Chair of the Board of Directors for Hydro Ottawa. During his 10 years as Chair, Mr. Durrell helped oversee the largest investment in the reliability and expansion of the local distribution grid in Hydro Ottawa's history, as well as significant growth and diversification across the company's business lines. Bernie Ashe, a well-known and respected local business leader and community builder, is set to assume the Board chairmanship for a four-year term.

Hydro Ottawa's core mandate remains unchanged: to provide a safe, reliable and affordable supply of electricity to approximately 359,000 residential and commercial customers that rely upon the company every day; and to ensure a more sustainable energy future for its community.

Quick Facts

Hydro Ottawa's 2022 consolidated net income was $39.7 million.

In accordance with the City Council-approved dividend policy, Hydro Ottawa's dividend payment to the City will be $20 million this year, which will be used by the City to fund municipal programs and services.

Despite the May 2022 Derecho storm and a major winter storm in December, Hydro Ottawa's service reliability remained best-in-class among its peers in Ontario. On average, Hydro Ottawa customers had power 99.55 per cent of the time.

The centerpiece of Hydro Ottawa's corporate strategy is a commitment to achieving net-zero operations by 2030, a first for any municipally-owned utility in Canada. In 2022, the company reached a key milestone in this journey, with the certification of its main office and two operational facilities to LEED Gold status, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement for green buildings.

Portage Power, Hydro Ottawa's renewable energy subsidiary, further strengthened its position as the largest municipally-owned producer of green power in Ontario through the acquisition of two run-of-the-river generating stations located on the Mississippi River just west of Ottawa. This increased its total generation capacity to 131 MW.

Hydro Ottawa powered up its newest and largest substation (Cambrian Municipal Transformer Station), delivering the project on time and within budget. Located next to the station on unused land is one of the largest pollinator meadows in Eastern Ontario, developed in partnership with the City of Ottawa, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

Envari, the company's energy and utility services business, had its strongest financial year on record. This was driven by partnerships on signature clean energy projects, such as zero-emission buses with the City of Ottawa and decarbonization opportunities with the Ottawa International Airport Authority, as well as the expanding range of value-added services which Envari offers to commercial, institutional, municipal and utility clients.

To help enable a smart and connected National Capital Region, Hydro Ottawa launched a new subsidiary, Hiboo Networks. Hiboo will provide fiber optic network solutions to businesses and institutions across Ottawa and Gatineau.

Hydro Ottawa achieved a 93 per cent overall customer satisfaction score, continuing the recent trend of high customer satisfaction. The company also maintained the highest e-billing participation rate among Ontario distribution utilities (62 per cent).

According to data published by the Ontario Energy Board, Hydro Ottawa had the lowest operating costs per customer among large distribution utilities in Ontario.

Hydro Ottawa's employee-driven charitable campaign raised more than $166,000 for the United Way of Eastern Ontario. In addition, $149,000 was raised for the Ottawa Food Bank, and the company was pleased to resume employee volunteering at community events such as Special Needs Day at the Capital Fair and the Help Santa Toy Parade.

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Quotes

"As the events of 2022 demonstrated, the foundation of Hydro Ottawa's business is our commitment to earning public trust by meeting the need for safe, reliable and affordable service, no matter what challenges come our way. Over the last 10 years, it's been my great honour to have collaborated with the company's management, employees and stakeholders in building upon this foundation by achieving best-in-class reliability, delivering value for our municipal shareholder and championing the transition to more sustainable energy solutions for our community. I'm proud of Hydro Ottawa's incredible track record and I'm confident that this legacy will continue to flourish under Bernie and Bryce's leadership."

- Jim Durrell, C.M., ICD.D, Chair, Board of Directors

"The lessons of 2022 have sharpened our focus on emergency preparedness and response, and adapting our operations and infrastructure. Together with our ongoing investments in clean energy and carbon reduction initiatives, these actions will advance the shift to a smarter energy future. In addition, I want to express my sincere thanks to Jim Durrell for the dedicated years of service and commitment to performance excellence which he brought to our Board. I also want to welcome our incoming Chair, Bernie Ashe, to the Hydro Ottawa family. I look forward to working with him in writing the next chapter in our story of sustainably powering the community which we are fortunate to serve."

- Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer

About Hydro Ottawa

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose core businesses are electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, and energy and utility services. As a leading partner in a smart energy future, Hydro Ottawa is committed to sustainability and reducing its impact on the environment in all aspects of its operations. It owns and operates three primary subsidiary companies: Hydro Ottawa Limited  a local distribution company that delivers electricity to more than 359,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman; Portage Power  the largest Ontario-based municipally-owned producer of green power with 131 megawatts of installed green generation capacity (enough to power 110,000 homes); and Envari  an energy solutions company offering products and services that help reduce energy consumption and costs for municipalities, industrial and commercial clients, and various local distribution companies.

SOURCE Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2023/25/c9709.html
HPQ Silicon Inc.

MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HPQ Silicon Inc. (HPQ or the Company) ( TSX-V: HPQ ) (OTCQB: HPQFF) (FRA: O08), a technology company specializing in green engineering of silica and silicon-based materials is pleased to inform its shareholders that its affiliate Company based in Lyon, France, NOVACIUM SAS ("Novacium") has acquired a family of patents [1] related to the surface treatment of carbon base materials from Dr. Alexander Zaderko [2].

Dr. Zaderko is a world-renowned researcher from the University of Kyiv in Ukraine with more than 20 years of experience in carbon functionalization for various applications, including energy and supercapacitors.

IMPROVING BATTERY PERFORMANCE OF SILICON-BASED ANODE MATERIALS

Silicon-based anodes have up to 10 times the energy density of a graphite-based anode, which is why Porsche, Mercedes and GM are betting on silicon-anode batteries [3].

While silicon-based anode materials hold great promise for batteries, they are known to suffer from significant degradation during charging and discharging cycles. To address this issue, a common approach is the application of a carbon coating. This carbon coating is widely used to mitigate some of the degradation, improving the overall performance and durability of silicon-based anodes [4].

In collaboration with Dr. Zaderko, Novacium's team of researchers have adapted and validated the substantial potential of Novacium surface treatments for carbon-based materials in battery applications.

Initial tests have shown significant performance improvements in silicon-based Li-ion batteries. These results indicate that the new surface treatment has a dual effect on battery properties: it reduces degradation by improving the interface with the electrolyte, enhancing cyclability (battery lifespan), and also reduces charging time.

POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Furthermore, initial test results with graphite anode materials alone (without silicon) suggest that the new surface treatment positively impacts the performance of graphite-based Li-ion batteries by enhancing the graphite-electrolyte interface."

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Our innovative approach aims to significantly improve the operation of lithium batteries, said Mr. Oleksiy NICHIPORUK, Novacium's Chief Technical Officer (CTO). We believe that the application of Novacium's patented surface treatments has the potential to transform and enhance the performance of Li-ion batteries, benefiting not only silicon-based anode materials but the entire battery market.

NOVACIUM'S SURFACE TREATMENT PROCESS AND HPQ'S BATTERY STRATEGY

HPQ is committed to providing custom silicon (Si)-based anode materials solutions to industry players. Our exclusive access to Novacium's new surface treatment further enhances our appeal to industry players.

THE MARKET FOR SILICON-BASED MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM BATTERIES IS EXPANDING

A major trend in the lithium battery industry is the introduction of small amounts (between 5% and 10%) of silicon oxide (SiOx) into graphite composite electrodes. This is due to the fact that pure graphite anodes have essentially achieved their maximum performance in terms of energy density [5].

This new reality is driving a surge in demand for silicon anode materials. As of 2023, this market is valued between US$1.1 billion [6] and US$2.7 billion [7]. Its growth prospects indicate a potential demand of 300,000 tons by 2030, estimated at US$15 billion [8], according to one source, and US$ 131.6 billion in 2033 according to another source [9].

It's important to highlight that silicon-based materials for Li-ion batteries currently make up a relatively small portion, accounting for less than 10%, of the global demand for graphite, which is primarily used in the manufacture of anode materials for Li-ion batteries. This graphite market is estimated to be worth US$25 billion in 2023 [10].

Novacium's new patented surface treatment, which also improves the performance of graphite-based Li-ion batteries commonly used in the industry, provides HPQ and Novacium with a unique opportunity to offer solutions tailored to both the short- and long-term needs of the battery industry, said Mr. Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO of HPQ Silicon Inc. and NOVACIUM SAS. Promising preliminary discussions have already started to take place with entities already under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with HPQ on the potential of this technology.

REFERENCES

[1] Under the terms of the Novacium SAS incorporation agreement, HPQ holds a worldwide license to commercialize Novacium SAS's inventions and IP. [2] Patents (US 10000382 et UA 110301) associated with the family WO 2016/072959, (METHOD FOR CARBON MATERIALS SURFACE MODIFICATION BY THE FLUOROCARBONS AND DERIVATIVES), held by Alexander ZADERKO, Vasyl PRUSOV et Vitaliy DIYUK, are in the process of being registered in the name of Novacium SAS.



Patents applications (DE 112017007450 et US 2020/198971) associated with the family WO 2018/194533, (METHOD FOR CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF FLUORINATED CARBONS WITH SULFUR-CONTAINING SUBSTANCE) held by Alexander ZADERKO, Vasyl PRUSOV et Vitaliy DIYUK, are in the process of being registered in the name of Novacium SAS.



Patents applications (CA 3 123 354, EP 198 365 16.5, JP 2021-534281, KR 10-2021-7021938, US 17/413,591, UA 123512) ) associated with the family WO 2020/121119, (THE PROCESS FOR OBTAINING OF FLUORALKYLATED CARBON QUANTUM DOTS), held by Alexander ZADERKO, are in the process of being registered in the name of Novacium SAS. [3] CNBC web article dated April 22 2023, entitled Why Porsche, Mercedes and GM are betting on silicon-anode batteries. Link to source [4] SiOx as a Potential Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries: Role of Carbon Coating, Doping, and Structural Modifications by Hyeon-Woo Yang and Sun-Jae Kim. Link to source [5] The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020 Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020, 4, 53875416 [6] QY Research, SNE Research, Shinhan Securities / NBM June 2023 Deck page 11 [7] The global silicon anode battery market is likely to be valued at US$ 2.7 billion in 2023. From Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. [8] QY Research, SNE Research, Shinhan Securities / NBM June 2023 Deck page 11 [9] According to Future Market Insights, the global silicon anode battery market is Estimated to Reach US$ 131.6 Billion by 2033. [10] Based on the analysis by Fact.MR, the global graphite market is valued to be US$ 25.9 billion in 2023 and it is expected to grow at a CAGR o 8,5% to reach US$ 58,6 billion by the end of 2023. Link to source

About NOVACIUM SAS



Novacium is green technology startup based in Lyon, France started in Q3 2022. It is the result of a partnership between three of Frances leading research engineers, Mr. Jed KRAIEM PhD, Novacium's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. Oleksiy NICHIPORUK PhD, Novacium's Chief Technical Officer (CTO), and Mr. Julien DEGOULANGE PhD, Novaciums Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), who wanted to start a new Research and Development company to develop their own technology in high added value fields connected to renewable energy, and HPQ Silicon Inc, a Canadian company, looking to expand the depth and reach of technical team in order to develop its silicon and new renewable energy projects.

About HPQ Silicon

HPQ Silicon Inc. ( TSX-V: HPQ ) is a Quebec-based TSX Venture Exchange Tier 1 Industrial Issuer.

HPQ is developing, with the support of world-class technology providers PyroGenesis Canada Inc. ( TSX: PYR ) ( NASDAQ: PYR ) and NOVACIUM SAS, new green processes crucial to make the critical materials needed to reach net zero emissions.

HPQ activities are centred around the following five (5) pillars:

1) Becoming a green low-cost (Capex and Opex) manufacturer of Fumed Silica using the FUMED SILICA REACTOR, a proprietary technology owned by HPQ being developed for HPQ by PyroGenesis. 2) Becoming a zero CO 2 low-cost (Capex and Opex) producer of High Purity Silicon (2N+ to 4N) using our PUREVAPTM Quartz Reduction Reactors (QRR), a proprietary technology owned by HPQ being developed for HPQ by PyroGenesis. 3) Becoming a producer of silicon-based anode materials for battery applications with the assistance of NOVACIUM SAS. 4) HPQ SILICON affiliate NOVACIUM SAS is developing a low carbon, chemical base on demand and high-pressure autonomous hydrogen production system. 5) Working to become the first producer of nano silicon materials from High Purity Silicon chunks using our proprietary PUREVAPTM Nano Silicon Reactor (NSiR), a technology owned by HPQ being developed for HPQ by PyroGenesis.

For more information, please visit HPQ Silicon web site .



Disclaimers:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's ongoing filings with the securitys regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This News Release is available on the company's CEO Verified Discussion Forum , a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.





Source: HPQ Silicon Inc.

For further information contact:

Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman, President, and CEO Tel +1 (514) 846-3271

Patrick Levasseur, Director Tel: +1 (514) 262-9239

Email: Info@hpqsilicon.com








(Bloomberg) -- PT Wijaya Karya won creditor approval to defer payment on its 331 billion rupiah ($21 million) bond due in December, giving the Indonesian state-owned builder some reprieve as it seeks to restructure its debts.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The company will redeem the series A 2020 rupiah-denominated bonds in 2025 instead, according to an exchange filing. But it still faces the prospect of paying up on 184 billion rupiah of Sharia-compliant notes that come due in December, after the builder said it failed to obtain an extension from the majority of investors.

The firm is one of Indonesias four-biggest listed construction firm, whose debt load has swelled under President Joko Widodos infrastructure building spree. In order to help it restructure and boost its capital, Wijaya Karya asked banks earlier this year to allow it to delay making payment on loans. Some lenders granted it a six-month payments standstill.

The nations state-owned builders will require significant recapitalization and reorganization to improve their cashflow and reduce debts to a sustainable level, Fitch Ratings wrote in a report in August.

Wijaya Karya is also slated to receive a capital injection of 6 trillion rupiah from the government early next year.

(Updates with additional details, context throughout)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Key Insights

Using the Dividend Discount Model, IVE Group fair value estimate is AU$3.42

IVE Group's AU$1.76 share price signals that it might be 49% undervalued

When compared to theindustry average discount to fair value of 50%, IVE Group's competitors seem to be trading at a greater discount

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of IVE Group Limited (ASX:IGL) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for IVE Group

Crunching The Numbers

We have to calculate the value of IVE Group slightly differently to other stocks because it is a media company. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.8%. Compared to the current share price of AU$1.8, the company appears quite good value at a 49% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

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Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

= AU$0.2 / (7.8%  2.0%)

= AU$3.4

dcf

Important Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at IVE Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.162. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for IVE Group

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Significant insider buying over the past 3 months.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Dividends are not covered by earnings and cashflows.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For IVE Group, there are three further items you should consider:

Risks: Take risks, for example - IVE Group has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit concerning) we think you should know about. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for IGL's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
SHANGRAO, China, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced its affiliate has signed the largest ever supply agreement with ACWA Power, to provide 3.8 GW N-type Tiger Neo modules for ACWA Power's two projects, the 1,581MWp Al KAHFAH and the 2,257MWp AR RASS 2, in Saudi Arabia.

Produced using N-type TOPCon technology and sophisticated manufacturing processes, the Tiger Neo solar modules deliver industry-leading efficiency along with reduced degradation and temperature coefficient, enhanced bifacial factor, and unparalleled yield per watt to reduce system lifetime energy cost.

This important supply agreement validates the Tiger Neo's performance, durability, and reliability advantage over conventional solar panels, as well as its competitiveness. Moreover, it demonstrates the confidence that utility-scale customers have in JinkoSolar's ability to deliver on its commitments.

"N-type TOPCon technology will help ensure our solar projects meet performance goals to provide clean and competitively priced energy for desalination and hydrogen production as well as to our customers across the Middle East," said Yunhe Lv, Executive VP of ACWA Power China. "We look forward to a much broader, higher level and strategic alliance with JinkoSolar in solar generation, energy storage and other renewable fields."

"ACWA Power continues to be the world's largest private water desalination company, and also a pioneer in green energy transition," said Robin Li, General Manager of JinkoSolar Middle East and North Africa ("MENA"). "We are excited to be expanding our MENA footprint and engaging in a more diversified and innovative cooperation with ACWA Power."

About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.

Story continues

JinkoSolar had 14 productions facilities globally, 24 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Indonesia, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, and global sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of June 30, 2023.

To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Stella Wang

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806

Email: pr@jinkosolar.com

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jinkosolar-signs-3-8-gw-supply-agreement-with-acwa-power-for-high-efficient-n-type-modules-301967126.html

SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
(Bloomberg) -- Citadel founder Ken Griffin rebuffed regulators critique of the so-called basis trade, saying their efforts are utterly beyond me.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Hedge funds and others who employ the strategy are helping to provide liquidity and fund the Treasury market efficiently, reducing costs for taxpayers, Griffin said Wednesday at the Robin Hood Investors Conference in New York, according to people familiar with the matter.

This is totally lost on Gary Gensler and totally lost on the Fed, Griffin said during a conversation with fellow billionaire Paul Tudor Jones.

Gensler, the Securities and Exchange Commission chair, and the central bank seem to be more consumed with this theory of systemic risk from this trade than from the fact that were saving tens of basis points in cost for the American taxpayer, which is billions of dollars a year by allowing this trade to exist, Griffin said.

US regulators are zeroing in on dangers posed by highly leveraged hedge fund wagers  particularly the basis trade, which uses leverage to profit from the price gap between Treasury futures and the underlying cash market  and considering options to rein in risks to the broader financial system, Bloomberg reported last week.

QuickTake: Whats the Basis Trade? Why Does It Worry Regulators?

The funding that prime brokerages provide to some hedge funds on a very generous basis is the biggest source of risk in the financial system, Gensler said last week.

Griffin, 55, also said Citadels hedge fund has a large basis portfolio that lost money in March 2020. He added that the losses, relative to the firms overall equity capital base, werent meaningful.

Story continues

Jones, who runs hedge fund Tudor Investment Corp., said his firms basis trade portfolio was in extreme duress in March 2020 and that the Feds entrance in the market bailed that particular book out. While it didnt affect the firms overall profit and loss, it was a huge stress, he said.

Read More: US Weighs Leaning on Banks to Curb Hedge Fund Leveraged Trading

Griffin also addressed his market-making business, Citadel Securities, saying that the largest risk it faces is when pricing correlations between assets go off the rails.

The firm uses its own balance sheet to facilitate trading across securities including stocks, bonds and rates and takes on an enormous amount of overnight risk as it seeks to provide liquidity to the markets, Griffin said. When you see repeated divestitures by market participants in the same direction day in and day out, that really puts a lot of pain into our portfolio.

Gensler has pointed to Citadel Securities dominance in equity markets as emblematic of a competitive problem in the industry. His staff presented proposals that would rework US market structure to move more trading into the open, onto public exchanges. Citadel Securities and other industry participants have warned those proposals could harm investors and dampen market liquidity.

On Politics

While 35% of Republicans are hard-core supporters of former President Donald Trump, Griffin said that 65% could be open to voting for other candidates, naming Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie.

Griffin, a prominent Republican donor, said he has been disappointed with some recent DeSantis policy decisions that resulted in the diminution of personal rights.

He called Haley, a former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, a rock star on the campaign trail and in debates.

Shes got the experience to be in the Oval Office, Griffin said. Shes one to really watch.

--With assistance from Katherine Doherty, Katherine Burton and Austin Weinstein.

(Updates with Tudor Investment Corp. in eighth paragraph, Citadel Securities in ninth, Republican candidates starting in 12th.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- KKR & Co. is nearing a deal to invest about $400 million in Malaysian sub-sea cable company OMS Group Sdn., people familiar with the matter said, in what could be the latest transaction in the digital infrastructure industry in Asia.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The US-based private equity giant is in advanced talks to buy a stake in OMS, which could be valued at about $1 billion in the deal, the people said. The fresh capital can help accelerate the sub-sea cable firms expansion plans and an agreement could be reached soon, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private.

OMS installs undersea cable for technology and telecommunications companies and has offices in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, according to its website.

Discussions could still be delayed or fall apart and details of a deal havent been finalized, the people said. A representative for KKR declined to comment, while a representative for OMS didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

Global investors have been eyeing assets including data centers, phone towers, fiber and submarine cable in Asia as increasing digitization in the region sparks demand for infrastructure. Earlier this year, PLDT Inc., based in the Philippines, agreed to sell a portfolio of telecommunications towers to a firm backed by KKR for over 12.1 billion pesos ($213 million). Data center companies including ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, which is backed by Temasek Holdings Pte, and Chinas GDS Holdings Ltd. are also seeking to raise funds by bringing in new global investors, Bloomberg News has reported.

OMS has done sub-sea cable installation and maintenance projects for the past three decades, including the Papua New Guinea National Submarine Fiber Cable Network and the South-East Japan Asia Japan Cable System 2, according to its website. Its fleet includes Cable Vigilance, a 5,448 gross tonnage cable-laying and repair ship.

Story continues

The Malaysian company had been weighing a listing in Kuala Lumpur as soon as this year in a deal that could have helped it raise as much as $300 million, Bloomberg News reported last year.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg Government) -- Rep. Mike Johnson is hardly a household name, even in Washington, D.C. But hell become more of one starting today.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The fourth-term Republican from Louisiana was elected speaker of the House this afternoon, after a long-running struggle to fill the job. Johnson will become the third-ranking official in American government, with vast power over every policy Congress touches.

Johnson was a key figure in pushing to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election  and his job new job could give him even more power over Congress role in certifying the results of the 2024 contest.

Most immediately hell have to find a way to navigate a government funding deadline on Nov. 17 and a push from the White House and many senators to provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel. In his address to the House, after taking the gavel, Johnson highlighted conservative goals but also the need for some compromise.

We have to sacrifice sometimes our preferences  because thats whats necessary in a legislative body  but we will defend our core principles to the end, he said.

Johnson has been more conservative than the man he replaces, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), particularly on social issues. Hes a vocal critic of abortion and same-sex marriage and spent his earlier legal career arguing against both. The Louisianian is the first Southern House speaker since Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in the late 90s, adding to the regions significant influence in the House GOP.

Here are some of the key things to know about Johnson:

Jan. 6 Role

Johnson recruited fellow Republicans to sign onto a longshot lawsuit aiming to throw out the results in four key swing states.

Story continues

The suit was dismissed by the US Supreme Court. Later, Johnson provided some of the legal rationale House Republicans used to object to the results in Arizona and Pennsylvania, according to The New York Times. They aimed to throw out millions of legitimate votes despite dozens of court cases and numerous investigations affirming the validity of the outcome.

When Johnson was asked about that effort Tuesday night he refused to talk about it and fellow Republicans drowned out a reporter with booing. Shut up! Shut up! shouted Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.).

Legal Background and a Podcast

Johnson, 51, is a lawyer who had a brief stint in the Louisiana state House of Representatives before winning a seat and moving to Congress in 2017. His western Louisiana district is largely rural and among the poorest in the nation.

Hes vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, a messaging role that makes him the House GOPs fifth-ranking lawmaker. He previously chaired the conservative Republican Study Committee, one of the largest caucuses in Congress, but has never led a congressional committee.

He hosts a podcast with his wife, Kelly, which they describe as thoughtful analysis of hot topics and current events from a Christian perspective.

A Figure of Trust Within the GOP

After three weeks of turmoil, fellow Republicans said Johnson won in part because of his lower profile. He doesnt have the same entrenched enemies as McCarthy or the previous three speaker nominees, according to members of all wings of the conference.

Right now, things are pretty raw, so we need someone who can get along with everyone, said Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.).

The word trust came up frequently in interviews with GOP lawmakers.

And fellow Republicans praised his policy chops  a contrast from McCarthy, who mostly thrived on personal relationships.

Hes a policy wonk, said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas).

A Johnson speakership means the top two House Republicans are from Louisiana, since Majority Leader Steve Scalise is also from the state.

A Focus on Social Issues

Social issues have been a key part of Johnsons legislative agenda. He voted against codifying federal protections for same-sex marriage (PL 117-228) and is a vocal opponent of abortion, co-sponsoring legislation that would ban all abortions past 15 weeks (H.R. 8814). He has an A+ rating from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

He introduced legislation in February that would make it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion without satisfying any parental notification requirements in the minors home state (H.R. 792), and last year proposed a bill that would stop federal funding for sexually-oriented education for young children (H.R. 9197). The bill was largely seen as part of the GOPs opposition to teaching kids about topics related to the LGBTQ+ community, as pioneered in Florida by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government, Johnson has led hearings critical of abortion, sex transition procedures, and civil asset forfeiture this year.

Funding the Government

Passing spending bills and averting a government shutdown by Nov. 17 will be Johnsons first challenge as speaker.

House conservatives have pushed for deep cuts that have no chance of passing the Senate, and they ousted McCarthy in large part because he supported a temporary plan in September without the cuts that won bipartisan support.

Johnson split on the two key funding issues that have faced Congress this year. He voted with McCarthy on legislation the former speaker negotiated with the White House to lift the federal debt limit until 2025 but opposed the stopgap spending bill that avoided a government shutdown late last month. Johnson at the time said he had no choice but to support the debt deal in order to avoid a default on the national debt, adding it does not go far enough in reining in federal spending.

While Democratic control of the White House and Senate means House Republicans will have to compromise to get any funding bill over the finish line, some conservatives indicated theyd be willing to give Johnson more leeway than they did McCarthy, whom the right always viewed skeptically.

Its a different situation now, there was a trust factor with leadership last time, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), head of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, told CNN. I think youre going to see a different viewpoint now.

Israel and Ukraine

Johnson could make it difficult to get additional funding for Ukraine in its efforts to repel the Russian invasion.

He voted for failed amendments to this years annual military policy bill (H.R. 2670) that would have cut out Kyiv aid, and he opposed recent standalone bills aiding Ukraines military that have passed the House (PL 117-128/H.R. 5692).

House conservatives have become deeply skeptical of aid to Ukraine.

Fundraising

Johnson has raised almost $600,000 this year alone, according to the most recent filings by his re-election campaign and leadership PAC, and reported about $1.2 million on hand between the two fundraising vehicles.

Those numbers lag others in leadership, but House speakers tend to make fast friends among party donors, especially those with a stake in the congressional agenda like corporate political action committees.

He has already reported donations this year from the political action committees tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp., the National Cattlemens Beef Association, timber company Weyerhaeuser Co., Visa Inc., Microsoft Corp., Koch Industries, the Boeing Co., and the American Bankers Association.

His personal finances are less robust. He reported holding no investments in an August personal financial disclosure. He made nearly $30,000 last year teaching online courses at Liberty University, a religiously conservative private university in Lynchburg, Va., and owes at least $250,000 on his home mortgage and at least another $15,000 from a 2016 personal loan.

Lobbying Ties

Johnson doesnt have deep ties to the corporate lobbying community, but his perch on the Armed Services panel has given him entree to some in the defense sector.

Hes a bridge builder, said lobbyist Michael Herson, who runs the consulting firm American Defense International. Hes going to need to bridge those differences within the conference, and I think hes the guy who can heal those wounds.

Johnson has a few former aides who are registered federal lobbyists including Jason Samuels, an in-house lobbyist for TikTok, the Chinese-based social media company that lawmakers have targeted.

Another former Johnson aide Ruth Ward is registered to lobby for the Family Policy Alliance, a conservative Christian advocacy group based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Marcie Haber, a former legislative assistant in Johnsons office, serves as director of congressional affairs at Oklo Inc., a nuclear fission startup, according to her LinkedIn profile.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Tamari at jtamari@bloombergindustry.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: George Cahlink at gcahlink@bloombergindustry.com; Bennett Roth at broth@bgov.com

(Updates with quote from Speaker Mike Johnson in fifth paragraph. (1))

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
LECTRA

Q3 and First Nine Months of 2023 financial report available

Paris, October 25, 2023  Lectra informs its shareholders, in compliance with Article 221-4-IV of the General Regulation of the Autorite des marches financiers, that the Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the third quarter and the nine months of 2023 is available on the company's website: www.lectra.com

It is also available, upon request, at the company's headquarters 16-18 rue Chalgrin, 75016 Paris (email: investor.relations@lectra.com).

About Lectra:

As a major player in the fashion, automotive and furniture markets, Lectra contributes to the Industry 4.0 revolution with boldness and passion by providing best-in-class technologies. The Group offers industrial intelligence solutions - software, equipment, data and services - that facilitate the digital transformation of the companies it serves. In doing so, Lectra helps its customers push boundaries and unlock their potential. The Group is proud to state that its 2,500 employees are driven by three core values: being open-minded thinkers, trusted partners and passionate innovators. Founded in 1973, Lectra reported revenues of 522 million euros in 2022 and is listed on Euronext (LSS). For more information, please visit www.lectra.com.

Lectra  World Headquarters: 1618, rue Chalgrin  75016 Paris  France

Tel. +33 (0)1 53 64 42 00  www.lectra.com

A French Societe Anonyme with capital of 37,788,949  RCS Paris B 300 702 305

Attachment




The Insight Partners

Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Market is growing at a CAGR of 13.9% from 2023 to 2028.

Pune, India, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to The Insight Partners,  Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Market Forecast to 2028  COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis  by Capacity (0-10 kW, 10-20 kW, 20-50 kW, and Above 50 kW), Connection Type (On-Grid and Off-Grid), and End-use (Residential, Commercial and Industrial, and Utility), the market was valued at $7.97 billion in 2022 to $26.22 billion by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 13.9% from 2023 to 2028.





Download Sample PDF Brochure at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00029895







The lithium-ion battery energy storage market based on geography is broadly segmented into four major regionsNorth America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. In 2022, APAC held the largest share of the lithium-ion battery energy storage market, followed by Europe and North America. In addition, APAC is expected to register the highest CAGR in the lithium-ion battery energy storage market from 2023 to 2028. China contributed ~55.8 GW of the new installation of wind farms, which was 56% of the global total in 2021. Out of 55.8 GW, 41.6 GW was the onshore installation, and 14.2 GW was the offshore installation. Chinas new offshore wind additions in 2021 were 2.5 times that in 2020, representing 84% of the global offshore wind. In addition, Vietnam contributed ~3.6 GW of the new installations in 2021.

In North America, according to the US Department of Energy, the wind energy installation of 13 GW was done in 2021 in the US. Similarly, according to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), Canada installed 1.8 GW of new utility-scale wind and solar energy capacity in 2022. Together, solar, wind, and energy storage sectors grew by 10.5% compared to 2021. Also, it was seen that the energy storage additions of 50 MW were made, which is an increase of 30.5% annually. This accounted for a total of ~214 MW at the end of 2022. Thus, the growing investment in solar, wind, and energy storage capacity increases the demand for lithium-ion batteries in the region and thereby propelling the lithium-ion battery energy storage market growth.

Story continues





Global Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Market Scope:

Market Size Value in USD 7.97 Billion in 2022 Market Size Value by USD 26.22 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 13.9% from 2023 to 2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Base Year 2022 Segments covered Capacity, Connection Type and End-user Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South & Central America. Country scope Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends





Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

LG Chem Ltd.; CATL; Samsung SDI; Panasonic Corporation; and BYD Co., Ltd. are among the key lithium-ion battery energy storage market players operating globally. During this study, several other energy storage market players were analyzed to get a holistic view of the lithium-ion battery energy storage market size and its ecosystem.

In 2022, ABB announced the release of its Plant Optimization Methodology for battery manufacturing, aimed at supporting battery manufacturers to achieve their sustainability objectives more efficiently. The new methodology was unveiled at The Battery Show in North America. It outlines the method regarding the optimization of greenfield battery sites for streamlining global operations and accelerating progress toward sustainability goals. The Plant Optimization Methodology provides battery manufacturers with a comprehensive approach to optimizing their production process, including everything from selecting the right equipment to implementing energy-efficient practices.

In 2022, Vena Energy selected a consortium formed by Doosan Enerbility and its subsidiary, Doosan GridTech, to construct a 41 MW/45 MWh battery energy storage system at its Tailem Bend Solar Farm in Australia. Doosan will provide engineering, procurement, and construction services and its Intelligent Controller energy management platform to optimize the solar and storage complex's performance. The 1,120-battery unit system is expected to be operational by early 2023, improving the solar plant's profitability and providing ancillary services to the national electricity industry.





Order a Copy of this Report at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00029895







Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Market: End-user Overview

Based on end-use, the lithium-ion battery energy storage market size is segmented into residential, commercial and industrial, and utility. The utility segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2022. The lithium-ion battery energy storage market is experiencing increased adoption in the utility sector, owing to the benefits of these batteries, such as high energy density, rapid charging and discharging capabilities, and the ability to stabilize the grid during peak demand. Lithium-ion batteries are becoming an attractive option for power utilities seeking to store energy generated from renewable sources, such as wind and the sun, as the world moves toward a more sustainable energy future. These batteries also offer backup power during high demand, ensuring customers a reliable energy supply. With advancements in manufacturing processes and economies of scale, the cost of lithium-ion batteries is decreasing, making them a more viable option for power utilities. As a result, the lithium-ion battery energy storage market in the power utility sector is expected to grow during the forecast period.





Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Market: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the lithium-ion batteries energy storage market in all regions. The disruption of global supply chains caused a lack of raw materials and battery-making components. During the pandemic, energy storage system deliveries were delayed, which resulted in a slowdown in new project implementation. However, the market in APAC gradually rebounded with the relaxation of restrictions and the restart of economic activity. Nevertheless, despite the difficulties, the lithium-ion battery energy storage market in APAC grew. The pandemic has hastened the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, as organizations and the government prioritize sustainable solutions to increase resilience during future emergencies. Governments of APAC nations have taken several initiatives to support the lithium-ion battery energy storage market growth. For instance, the South Korean government recently declared its plans to invest US$ 38 billion by 2025 in the green energy sector, which includes energy storage. In 2021, the government of India announced its goal to reach 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Also, the most significant investment in new pumped-storage hydropower capacity is currently being undertaken in China: Since 2015, 80% of all final investment decisions for new capacity have been taken in the country, and approximately 50 GW of capacity is currently under construction, far exceeding additions in other countries. In July 2021, the government of China announced its plans to develop more than 30 GW of energy storage by 2025 (excluding hydropower with pumped storage), an increase of eight times the installed capacity as of 2021. Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the APAC lithium-ion battery energy storage market witnessed growth.









Go through further research published by The Insight Partners:

Battery Energy Storage System Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2030

Batteries for Solar Energy Storage Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2028

Energy Storage Battery for Microgrids Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2030









About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

Contact Us:

If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

Contact Person: Ankit Mathur

E-mail: sales@theinsightpartners.com

Phone: +1-646-491-9876

Press Release: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/lithium-ion-battery-energy-storage-market








Key Insights

Using the Dividend Discount Model, MoneyMax Financial Services fair value estimate is S$0.16

MoneyMax Financial Services' S$0.18 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of MoneyMax Financial Services Ltd. (Catalist:5WJ) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for MoneyMax Financial Services

The Model

As MoneyMax Financial Services operates in the specialty retail sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.1%. Relative to the current share price of S$0.2, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

Story continues

Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

= S$0.01 / (8.1%  2.0%)

= S$0.2

dcf

Important Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at MoneyMax Financial Services as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.218. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for MoneyMax Financial Services

Strength

Debt is well covered by .

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Specialty Retail market.

Current share price is above our estimate of fair value.

Opportunity

5WJ's financial characteristics indicate limited near-term opportunities for shareholders.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine 5WJ's earnings prospects.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Paying a dividend but company has no free cash flows.

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For MoneyMax Financial Services, there are three important aspects you should look at:

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Mainfreight is NZ$47.06 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Mainfreight is estimated to be 30% overvalued based on current share price of NZ$61.00

Analyst price target for MFT is NZ$76.40, which is 62% above our fair value estimate

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Mainfreight Limited (NZSE:MFT) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Mainfreight

The Model

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) -NZ$93.6m NZ$119.2m NZ$86.1m NZ$158.2m NZ$213.6m NZ$251.9m NZ$285.3m NZ$313.7m NZ$337.8m NZ$358.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 17.93% Est @ 13.25% Est @ 9.97% Est @ 7.67% Est @ 6.06% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.4% -NZ$87.1 NZ$103 NZ$69.5 NZ$119 NZ$149 NZ$164 NZ$173 NZ$177 NZ$178 NZ$175

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$1.2b

Story continues

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.4%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = NZ$358m (1 + 2.3%)  (7.4% 2.3%) = NZ$7.2b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$7.2b ( 1 + 7.4%)10= NZ$3.5b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is NZ$4.7b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of NZ$61.0, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Mainfreight as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.020. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Mainfreight

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Logistics industry.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Logistics market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio.

Significant insider buying over the past 3 months.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the New Zealander market.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price exceeding the intrinsic value? For Mainfreight, we've compiled three essential factors you should look at:

Financial Health: Does MFT have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for MFT's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every New Zealander stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
MANITOWOC  City leaders took a baby step toward acquiring the former Lakeshore Edgewater Plaza Mall.

The Manitowoc City Council agreed last week to exercise eminent domain over the site  meaning the city can legally take over the property without the owners consent.

This is the first step in a months-long process, according to City Attorney Eric Nycz.

The city recently ruled the vacant mall  across from Lake Michigan  a blighted area. The site is home to the empty Lakeshore Edgewater Plaza Mall and the Mid-Cities Mall, which was torn down in 2015. Under Wisconsin law, the blighted designation means an area is unsafe, could cause health issues or requires police presence.

Mayor Justin Nickels said hed like to see housing, retail or commercial businesses  or a mix of development at the abandoned site.

Manitowoc Streetwise

City officials reach out to the private, out-of-state owner regularly without success, Nickels said, and the site is becoming a dangerous eyesore.

According to a city Fire Department inspection report, since the JCPenney store that was part of Mid-Cities Mall was torn down, the parking lot has been degrading with uncapped drains and access panels exposed. There also are sinkholes forming within the lot, with weeds and grass growing in the badly cracked blacktop.

The report also says vandals have broken windows and that the ceilings are ruined and mold is growing around the building.

More than five years after the announcement that Younkers was moving out of the Lakeshore Mall, not much has happened in either razing the building or finding a new use for it.

'Big Blue' cranes: Cranes being built in Manitowoc will soon be shipped to Washington and Hawaii

The plazas current owner, Lakeshore Mall LLC, bought the property, 700 E. Magnolia Ave., in 2005. In 2007, that same owner purchased the vacant mall to the south, Mid-Cities, at 828 Memorial Drive.

The Manitowoc Younkers was among the 42 stores Bon-Ton Stores Inc.  including eight in Wisconsin  closed in 2018 as part of a turnaround plan for the company, which lost money for six consecutive years.

Story continues

Bon-Ton, with dual headquarters in Milwaukee and York, Pennsylvania, is the parent company of Boston Store, Younkers and other department store brands.

The city was granted a raze order in 2020, meaning it could legally tear the building down, but hasnt acted on it yet.

Nickels told Streetwise he hopes that declaring the mall a blighted sight might nudge the owner into either selling the site or tearing down the building and redeveloping the site.

The city has requested a purchase price and continues to look into options, he said. Several people have approached the city about acquiring the property.

The city attorney said declaring eminent domain could speed up the redevelopment of the old mall site. Next steps include an full narrative appraisal of the site, done at the citys expense, within 60 days.

Cafe owner mulls retirement: Owner of this downtown Manitowoc cafe says she's considering retiring next year

Then, the city and mall owner can begin negotiations for the sale of the site. If negotiations fail, the city makes a final offer and more formal proceedings could take place, including a circuit court trial to determine how much the city must pay to acquire the property.

City officials are aware of the public concerns about the site, Nickels told Streetwise recently.

When is something going to happen with the mall is the No. 1 thing I get asked about, he said. Its been an issue all the time that I have been mayor. Its frustrating. Its horrible for the people who live nearby or the people who drive by it every day.

Got a tip, question or comment for Streetwise Manitowoc? Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or 920-606-2575. Follow her on Twitter@PGPattiZarling.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc OKs eminent domain for former Mid-Cities Mall site
Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt (L) reportedly invested $100 million in a company led by Michelle Ritter. Getty Images

Eric Schmidt invested $100 million in Steel Perlot, a company led by Michelle Ritter, Forbes reported.

Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, has been romantically linked to Ritter.

He is a "very, very active chairman," Ritter, the company's CEO, told Forbes of Schmidt.

The former Google CEO Eric Schmidt  who's been married for over 40 years  invested $100 million in a company led by Michelle Ritter, who is said to be his girlfriend, Forbes reported.

Steel Perlot, Ritter's company, is a startup incubator. Schmidt, who is 68 years old and worth $19 billion, per Forbes, serves as its chairman, according to his bio on the company's website, which seems to be pulled straight from Wikipedia  annotations, and all.

Eric Schmidt's bio on Steel Perlot's website (top) appears to be pulled from his Wikipedia page (bottom). Screenshots of SteelPerlot.com; Wikipedia.com

He is a "very, very active chairman," Ritter, the company's 29-year-old CEO, told Forbes of Schmidt. "We have a very typical CEO-chairman relationship."

Schmidt and Ritter declined to discuss the status of their relationship with Forbes, and they did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Ritter told Forbes she met Schmidt through a connection at Columbia Law School. She was romantically linked to Schmidt in 2021 when the New York Post ran a story saying they were spotted together in New Mexico watching a Virgin Galactic launch.

Ritter told Forbes that Steel Perlot has a number of backers, including institutional investors and wealthy individuals, and manages $450 million, but declined to identify the investors. She later clarified to Forbes that the company had only a "preliminary [letter of intent]" from institutional investors.

As of today, Steel Perlot has invested at least $20 million, Forbes reported. Its portfolio includes companies in the AI, crypto, and payment processing space, according to Pitchbook.

Steel Perlot appeared to need help paying bills in January, according to the Forbes report. The company emailed Hillspire LLC, Schmidt's family office, and requested nearly $2.5 million to cover payroll and credit card debts, Forbes reported, citing a copy of the email.

Story continues

Schmidt, who shares two daughters with his wife Wendy, has been rumored to date other women  though he has never confirmed it.

"I don't think that is an appropriate question. We don't comment on that, rumors," he once told The New York Times.

Steel Perlot, Schmidt Futures, and The Schmidt Family Foundation, did not respond to Insider's requests for comment before publication.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Master's Of France: Insights Into Elite MiMs & MiFs From Deans At 3 Top Schools

France is always well-represented in the Financial Times rankings, but in 2023, the countrys top business schools really made a collective statement, with five schools in the top 11 of the Master in Management list and five in the top nine  including the top four schools overall  in the Pre-Experience Master in Finance ranking. What makes Frances master in management and master in finance programs so exceptional? Poets&Quants gathered the perspectives of deans at Neoma, ESSEC, and Emlyon whose programs all ranked in the top 25 in FTs 2023 MiM ranking.

Master in management programs have historically been the flagships of French B-schools. But what makes French MiMs the creme de la creme? Delphine Manceau, dean at Neoma, in Paris, says there are three reasons for the high performance of French B-schools.

The Master's Of France: Insights Into Elite MiMs & MiFs From Deans At 3 Top Schools

Neoma Dean Delphine Manceau: French business schools have been really trying to include topics like corporate social responsibility

The first reason why French MiMs are so dominant is, they have a very strong connection to the business world  students get within-company experiences, Manceau tells Poets&Quants. The second reason is that these programs are highly international. They usually have between 20-40% of international students.

The third reason is the culture of agility and innovation that many business schools have.

The international nature of a program is sure to boost its rankings, especially when that accounts for a large portion of how the FT ranking is weighted: international faculty (weighted 5%), international students (weighted 5%), international board (weighted 1%), international work mobility (weighted 6%), and international course experience (weighted 6%) are all key factors.

Neoma landed at No. 25 in the FT 2023 MiM ranking  its highest ranking yet, and first time in the top 25. It placed well in the international categories, landing at No. 50 in international work mobility and No. 9 in international course experience. The Neoma MiM has 40% international students, a 70% international board, and 80% international faculty.

Story continues

NEW RANKING CRITERIA: ALUMNI NETWORK, DIVERSITY, SUSTAINABILITY

This year, the most B-schools to date took part in The Financial Times MiM ranking  142 MiM programs, up from 135 in 2022. According to FT, the magazine has made some distinct changes to their categories. They decided to add three new ones: Alumni Networks, Student Sector Diversity, and school Carbon Footprint. They removed two: the number of languages category, and alumni recommendations of schools other than their own categories.

When you look at the new criteria that FT included this year, French schools do really well on them. This might explain why many are up in the ranking, says Manceau.

Alumni are often tightly linked to the B-school community post-grad at Neoma. The schools MiM placed No. 14 for Alumni Network out of the 100 ranked programs.

Rank in 2023 Alumni network rank ESG and net zero teaching rank Carbon footprint rank 1 HEC Paris 15 5 31 2 University of St Gallen 3 28 8 3 London Business School 1 26 38 4 ESCP Business School 12 8 8 5 Essec Business School 21 14 8 6 Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management 22 81 78 7 EMLyon Business School 16 3 8 8 Esade Business School 24 4 4 8 SDA Bocconi/Universita Bocconi 10 39 1 10 Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University 54 23 4 11 Edhec Business School 8 7 8 12 Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai 9 50 58 13 WHU  Otto Beisheim School of Management 6 30 31 14 Iese Business School 57 2 6 15 Nova School of Business and Economics 31 52 8 16 IE Business School 30 12 2 17 University College Dublin: Smurfit 4 44 68 18 Prague University of Economics and Business 19 54 78 19 Stockholm School of Economics 20 29 68 20 ESMT Berlin 29 66 31 21 University of Mannheim Business School 17 34 8 22 Tongji University School of Economics and Management 5 17 78 23 Vlerick Business School 7 15 78 24 WU Vienna University of Economics and Business 68 21 68 25 Neoma Business School 14 38 8 26 Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics 43 27 8 27 Audencia 45 10 41 28 Warwick Business School 75 85 8 29 Grenoble Ecole de Management 77 73 8 30 Luiss University 71 19 6

The alumni networks in France are really strong  they are part of the identity of French business schools, Manceau says. We have lots of student clubs, sports, and activities. This might be related to the alumni network, because when you spend so much time together in activities on campus, it creates links for life. This is really part of the business school experience in France. People are connected.

French business schools have been really trying to include topics like corporate social responsibility. Young generations are really pushing for it, so it is heavily in the current curriculum. The ministry of higher education has also encouraged us to include these topics more and more.

Neoma excels in sustainability and related topics. Its MiM ranked No. 8 in Carbon Footprint and No. 38 in the ESG and Net Zero Teaching. French B-schools have been striving for gender parity as well. Women account for an impressive 51% of the MiM class, 50% of the board, and 48% of their faculty.

I think gender diversity is really improving at French schools, with more female students. Among faculty, its generally less balanced, but its a topic Im really committed to  recruiting female faculty  and being a female dean helps of course, says Manceau.

ESSEC: RIGOR, REPUTATION & RELEVANCE

ESSEC placed No. 5 in the FT MiM ranking this year, and Aarti Ramaswami, dean of pre-experience programs, shared why she believes ESSEC and other French MiMs are at the top.

ESSEC was founded over one hundred years ago and has a rich history, and the Grandes Ecoles system is something that is very unique to France. Theres a very deep rooted understanding of business education, with a focus on business and society coming together, says Ramaswami. The MiM offers a great return on investment. Students receive an education that helps them professionalize sooner. Many of the MiMs offer the opportunity to gain work experience while studying, which is not only a great opportunity to give them company-sponsored experience, but a great opportunity to give them a foothold in the industry that they want to work in.

The Master's Of France: Insights Into Elite MiMs & MiFs From Deans At 3 Top Schools

Aarti Ramaswami, ESSECs dean of pre-experience programs: Whether its through career fairs or projects, we have our students traveling to hubs in London and beyond

ESSEC is quite dedicated to producing well-educated, responsible, and committed leaders for the future.

We are pragmatic in terms of professional preparation, and ultimately landing jobs. Thats our job as a business school  to provide the most relevant talent with the best competencies, says Ramaswami. Because of our reputation, we have a feedback loop. Year after year, we continue to have a good reputation. There is a market that observes us and we get some of the best talent.

ESSECs Master in Management is a magnet for global talent backed by compelling rankings. It landed at No. 5 in the international course experience rank category and No. 29 in the international work mobility rank. The MiM has an 88% international board, 64% international students, and an 80% international faculty.

International students want to live where they study. We have a lot of students that want to work in France. Theres an excellent job market- French and English speaking. For foreign applicants, France is attractive because of its deep roots in luxury and hospitality. We also have a very strong banking, finance, and consulting industry, which many of our students are interested in, says Ramaswami.

The B-school landed at the No. 21 for alumni network. They have over 65,000 alumni globally, many of whom hold positions in esteemed global companies.

We have very strong networks around the world. Our students want to work in Europe, but since we have alumni globally, we have a wide network, says Ramaswami.

In the current Financial Times rankings, ESSEC takes a standout No. 3 place among the featured top five Master in Finance programs.

Rigor, reputation, and the relevance  these are the three things that I feel make the MIF stand out, says Ramaswami. The Master in Finance program is a very rigorous program. One of the things that adds to the visibility and the reputation of the program is that we have fantastic professors who help to make the program excellent. Beyond that, we have three tracks  Corporate Finance, Financial Markets and Fintech Analytics  and excellent partnerships with companies. Whether its through career fairs or projects, we have our students traveling to hubs in London and beyond, says Ramaswami.

EMLYONS TAKE ON MIM SUCCESS

Emlyon landed at No. 7 in this years FT MiM rankings. Whats the key to their success? No mysterious secret herejust a commitment to best practices and years of molding the program to excellence.

If we had a special formula, we would probably not give it away. But, seriously, there is no secret formula, except a continuing investment in academic excellence, critical thinking and reflexivity, and students professional placement, Dean of Emlyon Isabelle Huault tells P&Q.

The Master's Of France: Insights Into Elite MiMs & MiFs From Deans At 3 Top Schools

Isabelle Huault, dean of Emlyon: There is no secret formula, except a continuing investment in academic excellence, critical thinking and reflexivity, and students professional placement

Huault says French B-schools dominate the masters rankings because of their deep-rooted history and strong academic programs, high-quality faculty, internationalization, their strong track record of career placements, and excellent alumni network  in which they placed No. 16 this year.

As one might expect, Emlyon places a big emphasis on experiential learning through internships, consulting projects, and real-world business challenges.

This practical experience is invaluable in building problem-solving skills but also critical thinking, says Huault. The feedback we have from employers is that our graduates stand out as adaptable to many situations and environments and they think strategically and solve problems in a pragmatic and hands-on way.

She notes that unique to the French educational system are their classes preparatoires (prepas), which rigorously prepare students pre-higher ed for entrance exams to prestigious universities and Grandes Ecoles through an intense academic curriculum covering various subjects.

Their MiM and other French B-schools often employ renowned professors and researchers, which naturally attracts top students and enhances the schools reputation  which of course helps them succeed. The Emlyon MiM shines in gender diversity, with women constituting 49% of students, 41% of the faculty, and holding 50% of board positions.

Emlyon and other French B-schools have made strides in globalizing their MiMs, offering courses in English and creating a network of global partnerships. Emlyons MiM ranks No. 12 in international course experience and No. 35 in international work mobility rank. A good 63% of their faculty are international, they have a 67% international board, and 44% of their MiM students come from abroad.

Our school is committed to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The school integrates these principles into its curriculum and research, preparing students to be socially responsible leaders in their careers, says Huault  and it shows. The program placed an impressive No. 3 in ESG and Net Zero Teaching, and No. 8 in carbon footprint, as did ESSEC.

The post The Masters Of France: Deans At 3 Top Schools On Why Their MiMs & MiFs Excel In The Rankings appeared first on Poets&Quants.
In a move that could lead to his first labor dispute since taking office, Mayor Brandon Johnson will seek to split up a proposed new contract with the Chicago police union into two City Council votes, an unusual bid to quash a ruling allowing private disciplinary hearings for officers.

The move  which the mayors office did not detail last week when touting the new agreement with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police  could set the stage for a lengthy legal battle between the city and police union, whose president vowed Tuesday to take the fight to court if necessary.

Johnson, a progressive who clashed with FOP leadership during the mayoral race, announced a pending contract last Friday that would provide a roughly 20% raise for officers. But he also said he was deeply disappointed with a decision reached by a labor arbitrator to grant officers the option to have some of the most serious disciplinary cases heard by an independent third party behind closed doors rather than publicly before the Chicago Police Board.

In a statement Monday, Johnson called on the City Council to reject this measure when it comes up in the coming weeks.

Mayoral press secretary Ronnie Reese clarified the contract will be split into two items: the bulk of the agreement including economics and the consent decree in one council vote, and the arbitrators disciplinary measure in the other.

While we recognize police officers right to arbitration, it is crucial that disciplinary cases be handled in a manner that allows for public transparency and true accountability, Johnson wrote in his Monday statement. Ultimately, we will not allow this to undermine our efforts to advance reform, increase transparency and implement our vision for improved public safety and policing to make our city better, stronger, and safer.

John Catanzara, president of FOP Lodge 7, dismissed the announcement on Tuesday by saying regardless of City Councils proceedings, he was confident that the arbitrators ruling would remain in place because it is enshrined in labor law.

Story continues

Were not asking for anything anyone else isnt afforded, Catanzara said Tuesday. Its silly were having this conversation.

Catanzara said that if the City Council votes down the disciplinary provision, then the union intends to return to arbitration with the city. Any agreement reached there would still require City Council approval, but if aldermen vote it down again, the matter would likely be settled in court.

And the citys gonna lose, Catanzara said of any future court fight over the proposed contract.

Traditionally, all collective bargaining agreements have required an up-or-down vote from City Council. Johnsons move to bifurcate the bulk of the contract, including salaries and consent decree provisions, from the controversial disciplinary measure is fascinating and unusual, said labor expert Bob Bruno, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Its all negotiated as a package, and you dont have a contract until youve got agreement on all of the matters and all of the matters are integrated, Bruno said about collective bargaining agreements. So its kind of like a cloth or a quilt or a tapestry. If you pull strings in one section, it begins to unravel the other.

The last FOP contract was approved in 2021 under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who secured the deal granting officers 20% raises over eight years after much tense negotiation. This summer, as the city and FOP discussed their next agreement and outstanding issues, independent arbitrator Edwin Benn agreed with the unions contention that CPD officers accused of serious misconduct should have the option to have their disciplinary cases decided by a third-party instead of the Chicago Police Board.

In announcing the tentative agreement last Friday, Catanzara had said the union always had the ability to exercise the option to choose who decides their officers serious disciplinary cases.

Thats what every other collective bargaining agreement affords members, is arbitration for termination cases, and thats all we are asking for here, Catanzara said in a YouTube video. If members and our attorneys think our members will get a fairer shake at the police board on a certain case, then so be it. That will be the officers decision to go that route.

The proposed contract was made public late Monday. In response to scrutiny of the disciplinary award, Benn cited more than a half-dozen police collective bargaining agreements in the Chicago suburbs that include the same option for officers.

In addition to Johnsons statement Monday evening calling for aldermen to vote down the disciplinary provision of the contract, the mayors floor leader, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the council would hold two votes: one on the contracts economic package, and another on disciplinary procedures. Should either item fail, the city and FOP would need to return to the bargaining table.

For the record, this has always been the administrations position, Ramirez-Rosa wrote. This was explained to me and other alders last week Thursday.

However, Benn made it clear in his ruling that the entire contract and all its provisions would require a single vote by the City Council. Whats more, Benn said a judge would likely defer to his ruling if the issue spilled into court.

Should ratification not be obtained and litigation instituted, not only will this already remarkably prolonged labor dispute be further prolonged to the detriment of all involved (including the citizens of the City), but  prolonged litigation will, in the end, prove futile, Benn wrote. This remarkably long labor dispute must now come to an end.

After the proposed contract agreement was reached, Cicely Porter-Adams, the citys chief labor negotiator, wrote a highly critical dissent, also made public Monday.

(Benns) prioritization of the private interests involved overlooks the vital public interest at stake in an open hearing, Porter-Adams wrote. (Benn) can make light of it all he wishes, but the fact remains that substantial portions of the citizenry are deeply suspicious of the process by which the Police Department seeks to hold its officers accountable on those occasions where they engage in misconduct. It is not sufficient for an arbitrator to say: trust me. Absolutely no good can come from a situation where the disciplinary process refuses to acknowledge this reality.

The FOP is no stranger to legal battles with the city, most recently waging a heated opposition to Lightfoots COVID-19 vaccination mandate for city employees in fall 2021. Ultimately, an arbitrator upheld the citys requirement.

The Chicago Police Board has for more than six decades been the arbiter of the most serious CPD misconduct cases, ones in which the department seeks at least a yearlong suspension or an officers firing.

After an officer is served with administrative charges, he or she faces an evidentiary hearing, a trial-like procedure that features witness testimony and evidence presented. The hearings are video recorded, and the footage and transcripts are later reviewed and debated by the nine-person police board. After deliberations, the board will announce its findings and decision at its monthly meeting.

Officers who the board votes to fire or suspend from the CPD can appeal the boards decision in Cook County Circuit Court.

The proposed contract stipulates that five arbitrators would be selected each year to oversee and decide disciplinary cases if officers decline the police board. Those same five arbitrators would also handle less serious misconduct cases  those in which the sought suspension is 30 days or less  and render decisions in those cases the same day that theyre heard.

In August, shortly after Benns original ruling was handed down, the FOP tried to move 22 pending cases from the police boards docket to a third-party. However, attorneys for the city and CPD were quick to note Benns ruling was not binding and the board later shot down the unions effort.

But Benn on Monday issued a final opinion, meaning that if the city and FOP cannot agree on the disciplinary process after that, the dispute could end up in court. Bruno, the labor expert, said the mayors strategy to decouple the contract into two votes is more about sending a message on the issue on misconduct proceedings because it is such an exceptionally charged, important topic.

In this case, the mayor wants City Council to be on record  to take a very clear and enforceable position on both elements of the contract, Bruno said. Itd be City Council saying, Were not going to abide by what the arbitrator has ruled, and we dont feel beholden to it, and they go back to bargaining.
With her unyielding work ethic, Adenah Bayoh was destined for success.

According to Cuisine Noir, Bayoh started working at 13 in the United States. Her family had migrated to the country due to a civil war in Liberia. Making the most of each opportunity, she aimed to establish a new beginning for both herself and her family.

When I got here, I was a busybody. I did everything, Bayoh told Cuisine Noir. I started my first job at McDonalds at 13 years old. I worked there all throughout high school. When I went to college, I worked. I took 18 to 21 credits some semesters. But I always kept a job. I kept about two or three jobs.

In higher learning at New Jerseys Fairleigh Dickinson University, Bayoh would obtain a business management degree. By this time, her savings account totaled $27,000, which allowed her to purchase a home for her family in Irvington, NJ.

Bayoh would then work in the bank sector and acquire an interest in the real estate industry. However, little did she know that would lead to a $250 million real estate portfolio, per Shoppe Black, which includes several IHOP franchises.

I wanted real estate, but I didnt want a diner, Bayoh expressed to Cuisine Noir. I was working at the bank. I had real estate property, and I was pretty content with that. They say you make plans and God laughs.

When Bayoh was introduced to the Greek owner of the Irvington IHOP diner, she shared her intention to purchase the property and provided a $25,000 deposit. Then the owner increased the asking price to $1.2 million, which she claims was inflated.

When I gave him my $25,000, he jacked up the price to $1.2 million when it should have sold for $850,000 to $900,000, she told the outlet. A lot of banks wouldnt finance me. I think the reason for that was they hadnt seen an Adenah before. They hadnt seen someone like me that wanted to pull off what I wanted to do.

In 2007, Bayoh was able to secure the IHOP location and in doing so, she became one of the youngest franchisees at the time.

Story continues

Ive always had the mentality of not thinking when is someone going to come in and do this, but when am I going to come and do it, she explained to Cuisine Noir.

At the time of this writing, Bayoh owns four IHOP locations, including in downtown Newark. Shoppe Black described Bayohs third location as a failing restaurant before she bought it, as it was set to close and would have left 50 employees without a job.

When she took the reins of the Newark location in 2017, she had planned to add 40 employees to their team.

For Bayoh, struggling establishments are an opportunity to not only bring about improvement but also make a positive impact on the community.

I think these communities where I am from suffer from disinvestment. Our communities are run down not because of us. They are rundown because we lack proper resources, she expressed to Cuisine Noir. It is the tale of Black history in this country. For me, when I see us, I see opportunity. I see perseverance. I see strength.
(Reuters) - An artificial intelligence safety forum launched by companies including OpenAI, Microsoft and Google named its first director on Wednesday, and said it would create an advisory board in the coming months to help guide its strategy.

The Frontier Model Forum also said it created a fund to back research into the technology, with initial funding commitments of more than $10 million from its backers and partners.

It said its first-ever director would be Chris Meserole, who most recently served as director of AI and emerging technology initiative at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank.

He joins a forum launched in July with a focus on "frontier AI models" that exceed the capabilities present in the most advanced existing models. Industry leaders have warned that such models could have dangerous capabilities sufficient to pose severe risks to public safety.

Many countries are planning AI regulation and Britain is hosting a global AI safety summit in November, focusing on understanding the risks posed by the technology and how national and international frameworks could be supported.

The Frontier Model Forum is backed by ChatGPT-owner OpenAI, Microsoft, Google's parent Alphabet and AI startup Anthropic.

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Neo Performance Materials Inc. ("Neo" or the "Company") (TSX: NEO) announced today that it has appointed Mr. Hua Du to its Board of Directors (the "Board") as an independent director, effective immediately.

Neo Performance Materials Logo (CNW Group/Neo Performance Materials, Inc.)

Mr Du has over 25 years of executive experience in a number of industries operating in Asian and global markets leading change in business models, overseeing plant construction, defining strategic plans and developing leadership teams. Mr. Du is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of a biotech-based animal nutrition business, with offices and operations across eight Asian countries. Previously, Mr. Du served for 11 years as President of Global Business Units and Executive Committee member at a leading global chemicals and materials company, including manufacturing and distribution of value added rare earth products. There, he led several global business units with revenues of EUR 5 billion, more than 10,000 employees, and technologies covering a wide range of end markets. Before that, he worked at a specialty chemicals manufacturer for 13 years, driving growth in Asia for its Electronic Materials Group. Mr. Du graduated from Peking University in China and holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The appointment of Hua Du increases the number of directors of Neo to seven, six of whom are independent.

Claire Kennedy, Chair of the Neo Board of Directors, said "I am delighted to welcome Hua Du to the Board. Hua is an accomplished executive and brings a wealth of operational and leadership experience, including in materials and industrial chemicals, and will complement the skill set of our current directors. We look forward to his perspectives and contributions as Neo continues to execute on its strategic growth plans."

About Neo Performance Materials

Neo manufactures the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Neo's advanced industrial materials - magnetic powders and magnets, specialty chemicals, metals, and alloys - are critical to the performance of many everyday products and emerging technologies. Neo's products help to deliver the technologies of tomorrow to consumers today. The business of Neo is organized along three segments: Magnequench, Chemicals & Oxides and Rare Metals. Neo is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; with corporate offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado, United States; Singapore; and Beijing, China. Neo has a global platform that includes 9 manufacturing facilities located in China, the United States, Germany, Canada, Estonia, and Thailand, as well as one dedicated research and development centre in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.neomaterials.com.

Story continues

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Specific forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the continued expansion of Neo's operations and strategic growth plans. In making the forward-looking information in this news release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on its current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly 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. For more information on Neo, investors should review Neo's continuous disclosure filings that are available under Neo's profile at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Neo Performance Materials, Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2023/25/c5995.html
Income from railway operations for Q3 2023 was $756 million, with diluted earnings per share at $2.10.

An incident in Eastern Ohio resulted in a $163 million charge, impacting the overall financial results.

Adjusted for the incident charge, income from railway operations was $919 million, and diluted earnings per share were $2.65.

Despite the challenges, the company continues to invest in its people and assets, laying the foundation for future growth.





On October 25, 2023, Norfolk Southern Corp (NYSE:NSC) released its third quarter 2023 financial results. Despite facing a significant incident charge, the company reported income from railway operations at $756 million and diluted earnings per share at $2.10. The results included a $163 million charge associated with an incident in Eastern Ohio, which also included an initial insurance recovery of $25 million.

Financial Performance and Challenges





When adjusted for the effects of the incident charge, the third quarter results showed income from railway operations at $919 million and diluted earnings per share at $2.65. These figures represent declines of 28% and 35%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2022.

Company's Response and Future Plans





Norfolk Southern President and CEO, Alan H. Shaw, commented on the results, stating,

In the third quarter, we continued to invest in our people and our assets to lay the foundation for our innovative strategy. Part of charting a better way forward for Norfolk Southern is building solid operational disciplines that move us toward consistency, all to enable productivity enhancements and growth in the quarters ahead. We are building the safe, reliable, and resilient railroad our customers and shareholders expect, and we have an incredibly bright future."

Financial Tables Summary





The financial tables provided in the report show the impact of the incident on the company's financial performance. The incident resulted in a $163 million charge, which, when adjusted, resulted in an income from railway operations of $919 million and diluted earnings per share of $2.65.

Story continues

Conclusion





Despite the challenges faced in the third quarter, Norfolk Southern Corp (NYSE:NSC) continues to invest in its people and assets, laying the groundwork for future growth. The company remains committed to building a safe, reliable, and resilient railroad for its customers and shareholders.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Nvidia said in a new regulatory filing dated Tuesday that the U.S. governments new export controls on shipments of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China took effect Monday after regulators sped up the timeline.

The Biden administrations latest export controls on China's access to AI chips were announced Oct. 17, with an implementation date that was initially slated for 30 days later. The export curbs aim to prevent adversarial countries like China, Iran and Russia from receiving advanced AI chips like those made by Nvidia and other leading chipmakers.

Nvidia CFO Colette Kress wrote in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that the U.S. government informed Nvidia on Monday that the interim final rule "is effective immediately." The rule impacts shipments of several Nvidia products including its A100, A800, H100, H800 and L40S chips. The advanced chips can be used to power generative AI tools and train large language models.

"Given the strength of demand for the Companys products worldwide, the Company does not anticipate that the accelerated timing of the licensing requirements will have a near-term meaningful impact on its financial results," Kress wrote on Nvidias behalf.

CHINA PRIORITIZING AI WITH GOAL OF INTELLIGENTIZIED WARFARE, PENTAGON WARNS

Nvidia said in a filing that the U.S. government sped up its implementation timeline for export controls on AI chips to China.

The companys filing didnt indicate the reasoning behind the expedited implementation of the chip curbs. Nvidia declined to provide an additional comment in response to a request from FOX Business.

READ ON THE FOX BUSINESS APP

The Commerce Dept. didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Nvidia designed its A800 and H800 products to comply with export controls and allow access to the Chinese market, but those chips are subject to the new rules.

Previously, Nvidia designed its A800 and H800 as modified versions of its domestic AI chips to allow the company to continue selling advanced but less powerful chips to the Chinese market while complying with the prior export control rules.

Export controls dont necessarily block all sales of covered products to companies or countries covered by the restrictions. They do, however, require the company to get a permit to sell covered products to specified overseas customers due to concerns about the advanced technology falling into the wrong hands.

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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RESTRICTING NVIDIAS SALES OF AI CHIPS TO SOME COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Nvidia previously warned that limited access to the Chinese market could have a negative impact on the company's competitiveness over the long-term.

Nvidia said in a filing from this summer when the U.S. applied export controls to unspecified customers in the Middle East that it didnt anticipate additional export restrictions having an immediate financial impact.

However, at the time the company warned that "over the long-term, our results and competitive position may be harmed, and we may be effectively excluded from all or part of the China market if there are further changes in the [U.S. governments] export controls, if customers in China do not want to purchase our alternative product offerings, if customers purchase product from competitors, if customers develop their own internal solution, if the [U.S. government] does not grant licenses in a timely manner or denies licenses to significant customers, or if we incur significant transition costs."

Nvidias stock price rose about 1.5% during Tuesdays trading. The AI powerhouse has seen share prices rise over 204% year to date.

Reuters contributed to this report.





Original article source: Nvidia says US sped up export curbs on AI chips
(Bloomberg) -- Oil rose as Israels preparations for a ground invasion of Gaza revived concerns about the conflict disrupting supplies from the Middle East.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a televised speech that the country is in a battle for its existence, adding that he wont explain the reasons for the timing of the planned ground assault. West Texas Intermediate rallied above $85 a barrel during the speech, reigniting a war premium that had essentially vanished this week.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel was delaying its ground invasion as the US readied air defenses to protect American troops in the Middle East. The report sent crude prices swinging, with the market trading in a range of about $3.50 on Wednesday.

Crude is trading from headline to headline as the market tries to price in the potential of war ensnaring multiple countries in the Middle East, said Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth. Living headline-to-headline keeps traders on the edge of their seats and likely to react quickly before understanding the full impactions of what is happening.

The US and Saudi Arabia agreed to pursue diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the Middle East, the White House said Tuesday, helping to ease fears of major disruptions to the oil market. Additionally, the prospect of more Venezuelan crude exports has partially restrained the wars risks.

Terminal users can click here for more on the Israel-Hamas War.

The war comes against pockets of weakness in the market for real-world barrels. US supplies were offered into Europe at the lowest levels in months on Tuesday as a slump in refinery profits and high freight costs weigh on prices. The decline is pressuring key market gauges at the front of the futures curve.

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An Energy Information Administration report Wednesday showed inventories at the USs biggest storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, increasing by 213,000 barrels, inching away from their operational minimums. US stockpiles rose by 1.37 million barrels last week.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Fatima and Eskandar Maleki have reduced the asking price of their Mayfair property as high financing costs and political risks sap demand for luxury London homes.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The five-story Edwardian mansion, which is nestled between Hyde Park and Berkeley Square, is now listed at 30 million ($36.5 million), down from 35 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

The reduction is the latest development in what has become a prolonged sale process for Fatima Maleki, an art collector and Tate Modern donor who is named as the property owner on a Land Registry filing, and her husband Eskandar, once the largest individual shareholder of energy producer Tullow Oil Plc and a member of Mexican energy developer Renaissance Oil Corp.s board of directors.

Since listing the mansion about three years ago for 40 million, the Iranian-born couple have struggled to find a buyer, the people said. The couple have lived abroad since becoming exiles during the Islamic revolution in the late 1970s, according to a New York Times interview with Fatima Maleki.

The new asking price will test how far apart buyers and sellers are in terms of price expectations in Londons luxury housing market. With high-end real estate under pressure from a triple whammy of economic uncertainty, higher rates and political turmoil, transactions across the capitals most affluent postcodes fell by almost a quarter in September from the same month a year ago, according to data from researcher LonRes. That prompted the average sale price to drop 3.1% over the same period.

Read more: Qatari Tycoons Mull Sale of Luxury Townhouse in Londons Mayfair

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The Malekis mansion, which was built in the early 1900s, has had only a handful of owners throughout its history, one of whom was acclaimed romance novelist Barbara Cartland. With a swimming pool, bar and reception areas equipped to accommodate over 100 guests, the property was well-suited to host a party last week where potential buyers were in attendance, according to the people.

Efforts to reach the family for comment were unsuccessful.

Read more: Hyde Park Mansion Up for Sale in London for 42.5 Million

The bleak outlook for high-end London real estate is partly down to a dearth of international buyers  historically among the keenest investors in elite properties  as well as the prospect of a less welcoming tax environment in the near future, according to LonRes. The UKs Labour Party, which is leading the Conservatives by more than 20 percentage points in many national polls, wants to raise stamp duty for overseas buyers if they win the next general election, which could further weaken demand for luxury homes.

Additionally, high financing costs have led to a shift in mood.

Buyers are refusing to view properties they feel are overpriced, said Jo Eccles, managing director at buying agent Eccord. Rather than chasing the market down with incremental discounts, weve seen sellers being much more decisive and opting for bold price reductions.

Read more: Britains Rich Fret Over Labours Keir Starmer Winning Power

Still, the less debt-reliant nature of Londons luxury housing market means the costliest home transactions are proving more durable than cheaper ones.

Some 17% of ultra-high-net-worth individuals bought at least one home last year, according to a separate report from broker Knight Frank, and the wealthiest home owners are still securing deals. Indian billionaire Ravi Ruia, for instance, bought a 113 million London mansion overlooking Regents Park this summer.

The Malekis arent the only ones looking to offload high-end property in a tight market  Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani is mulling the sale of two homes in Londons Knightsbridge and Belgravia districts  nor are they they alone in having to bring down their asking price. TV personality Simon Cowell recently sold his London home in Holland Park for 15 million  some 30 million below values reported in the press.

--With assistance from Liza Tetley.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
When browsing homes for sale, you stumble upon a swimming pool or a newly built deck. But, have you ever seen a home that comes with a cemetery? Just in time for Halloween, we've found one for you: The property at 198 Locktown Flemington Road in Delware Township.

A former church that was recently converted into a single-family home, this property is listed for sale for $650,000. Its current owner, local architect Ralph L. Finelli, renovated the church to include modern living features. Now, a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home, the 1.1 acre property is ready for its next owner  as long as you don't mind sharing the property with a few former congregants.

The property for sale at 198 Locktown Flemington Road in Flemington.

The former Locktown Christian Church first opened its doors in 1828, and later became a Presbyterian church in the 1980s. The 19th-century church was sold to its current owner in 2014 for $74,538 after the church's congregation decided to merge with another nearby Presbyterian church.

198 Locktown Flemington Road Flemington, New Jersey, 08822 United States

This listing, outside of Flemington in Hunterdon County, was featured on Zillow Gone Wild  an Instagram page dedicated to highlighting unique (and sometimes crazy) home listings across the county  for the ancient cemetery that comes with the property. There are as many as 150 people buried in the cemetery, with the earliest gravestone being for Charity Allen, who died in 1843.

If you're not looking to take on the pressure of maintaining these historic graves, don't worry. An organization known as the Mount Amwell Project entered an agreement with the seller to maintain the cemetery, said Kevin McPheeters, a realtor with Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty who is managing the listing. The organization will tend to the monuments and stones within the cemetery, while the new owner will be responsible for mowing the lawn.

While the home no longer holds the altars and pews of the former Hunterdon County church, it maintained several features like the church's bell tower and the original pressed-tin walls and ceilings.

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When you walk into the home  which was updated to give a more contemporary feel  you're met with a large great room, with a living room, dining room and kitchen. This space, measuring 34-by-35 square feet, was left virtually untouched, with the exception of fresh paint and the kitchen space. The main floor also houses an office, as well as a laundry and mudroom space.

The property for sale at 198 Locktown Flemington Road in Flemington.

The second floor features the home's primary suite and its spa-style bathroom. On the third floor, a loft area leads to two additional bedrooms and a third bathroom.

The current owner also added a three-zone heating and cooling system, a new septic system and a high efficiency water heater.

The home overlooks fields of preserved farmland and includes a smaller building that formerly served as the church's parsonage. It is located about 15 minutes from nearby Delaware River towns like Lambertville and Frenchtown, about an hour from Philadelphia and an hour and 20 minutes from New York City.

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay , on X @maddiemcgayy , and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ real estate: House on Zillow Gone Wild comes with cemetery.
Orion Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:ORN) reported contract revenues of $168.5 million for Q3 2023

The company's GAAP net loss was $0.7 million or $0.02 per diluted share

Adjusted net income was reported at $0.8 million or $0.02 per diluted share

ORN signed a contract valued over $100 million with Grand Bahama Shipyard Limited (GBSL) for the turnkey design-build of the Grand Bahama Shipyard Dry Dock Replacement Project





Orion Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:ORN), a leading specialty construction company, released its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023, on October 25, 2023. The company reported contract revenues of $168.5 million, a GAAP net loss of $0.7 million or $0.02 per diluted share, and an adjusted net income of $0.8 million or $0.02 per diluted share. ORN also reported an adjusted EBITDA of $9.4 million.

Company Performance and Financial Achievements





ORN's contract revenues of $168.5 million decreased 7.7% from $182.6 million in the third quarter last year, primarily due to the company's decision to exit the unprofitable concrete business in central Texas. However, this was partially offset by an increase in marine segment revenue related to the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii drydock project.

The company's gross profit was $19.1 million or 11.3% of revenue, up from $13.4 million or 7.4% of revenue in the third quarter of 2022. The increase in gross profit dollars and margin was primarily driven by margin improvements in both segments stemming from higher quality projects and improved execution.

Management Commentary





As CFO Scott Thanisch and I marked our first anniversary with Orion, we are incredibly proud of how our people have worked collaboratively to embrace change and deliver positive results, said Travis Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Orion Group Holdings. Backlog is a key metric and indicator of the health of the business. As of September 30, backlog stood at $878 million compared with backlog of $549 million in the prior year period. We have won several prestigious projects including the $435 million contract to build a dry dock at Pearl Harbor for the US Navy and a contract valued over $100 million with the Grand Bahama Shipyard Limited (GBSL) for the turnkey design-build of the Grand Bahama Shipyard Dry Dock Replacement Project.

Story continues

Financial Tables Summary





The company's total backlog at September 30, 2023, was $877.5 million, compared to $818.7 million at June 30, 2023, and $548.6 million at September 30, 2022. The Marine segment's backlog was $699.9 million, compared to $614.9 million at June 30, 2023, and $280.2 million at September 30, 2022. The Concrete segment's backlog was $177.6 million, compared to $203.8 million at June 30, 2023, and $268.4 million at September 30, 2022.

As of September 30, 2023, current assets were $228.5 million, including unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $3.9 million. Total debt outstanding as of September 30, 2023, was $50.3 million.

Analysis on Company's Performance





Despite the decrease in contract revenues, Orion Group Holdings Inc (NYSE:ORN) has shown resilience in its financial performance. The company's decision to exit the unprofitable concrete business in central Texas has led to an increase in gross profit dollars and margin. The company's backlog also indicates a healthy business, with several prestigious projects contributing to its growth. However, the company's net loss for the third quarter indicates areas for improvement.

Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Orion Group Holdings Inc for further details.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


It is usually uneventful when a single insider buys stock. However, When quite a few insiders buy shares, as it happened in Saturn Metals Limited's (ASX:STN) case, it's fantastic news for shareholders.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

Check out our latest analysis for Saturn Metals

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Saturn Metals

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when MD & Director Ian Bamborough bought AU$170k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.18 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than AU$0.13 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Saturn Metals insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From our data, it seems that Saturn Metals insiders own 8.4% of the company, worth about AU$2.1m. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!

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So What Do The Saturn Metals Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Saturn Metals insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Saturn Metals insiders bought more shares in the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Saturn Metals. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with Saturn Metals (including 2 which make us uncomfortable).

Of course Saturn Metals may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Usually, when one insider buys stock, it might not be a monumental event. But when multiple insiders are buying like they did in the case of Superloop Limited (ASX:SLC), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Superloop

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Superloop

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when CEO, MD & Executive Director Paul Tyler bought AU$99k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.61 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.59. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Superloop insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Superloop is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership Of Superloop

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From looking at our data, insiders own AU$4.8m worth of Superloop stock, about 1.7% of the company. We consider this fairly low insider ownership.

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So What Does This Data Suggest About Superloop Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Superloop insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Superloop insiders are doubting the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example - Superloop has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Prosperity Bancshares Inc (NYSE:PB) reported a net income of $112.2 million for Q3 2023, with diluted earnings per share of $1.20.

Deposits, excluding public funds deposits, increased by $259.9 million during Q3 2023, with no brokered deposits purchased.

Loans, excluding Warehouse Purchase Program loans and loans acquired in the Merger, increased by $111.1 million during Q3 2023.

The company's net interest margin remained stable at 2.72%, a 1 basis point decrease from Q2 2023.





Prosperity Bancshares Inc (NYSE:PB) released its earnings report on October 25, 2023, revealing a net income of $112.2 million for Q3 2023, compared to $135.8 million for the same period in 2022. The diluted earnings per share stood at $1.20 for Q3 2023, compared to $1.49 for the same period in 2022. The company's deposits, excluding public funds deposits, increased by $259.9 million during Q3 2023, with no brokered deposits purchased.

Financial Performance





Prosperity Bancshares Inc (NYSE:PB) reported that loans, excluding Warehouse Purchase Program loans and loans acquired in the merger, increased by $111.1 million during Q3 2023. The net interest margin was stable at 2.72%, a 1 basis point decrease from Q2 2023. Nonperforming assets remained low at 0.20% of Q3 average interest-earning assets.

Dividend Increase and Stock Repurchase Program





The board approved an increase in the dividend of 1.82% to $0.56 for Q4 2023, marking the 20th annual increase with a compounded annual growth rate of 11.5%. Under its 2023 stock repurchase program, Prosperity Bancshares repurchased approximately 1.21 million shares of its common stock at an average weighted price of $59.88 per share during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Merger and Acquisition





The company also announced the pending merger of Lone Star State Bancshares, Inc., Lubbock, Texas. On May 1, 2023, First Bancshares merged with Prosperity Bancshares and FirstCapital Bank of Texas, N.A. (FirstCapital Bank) merged with Prosperity Bank.

Story continues

Company Outlook





Despite signs of an economic slowdown, the company remains optimistic about its future. The CEO, David Zalman, expressed his gratitude to all customers, shareholders, directors, and associates for their support.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Just because it seems like everyone is back to the office doesnt mean they areand it certainly doesnt mean that people are any more willing to go than theyve always been. The allure of working on ones own terms is still going strongso strong that they'd choose ample flexibility over money.

Despite an enduring cost-of-living crisis, nearly two-thirds of workers would be willing to take a pay cut to be able to work remotely, according to a new survey of over 8,400 U.S. workers from FlexJobs. Seventeen percent of workers said theyd sacrifice up to 20% of their paycheck, and one in ten said theyd relinquish more than 20%.

Even when home prices are skyrocketing, pay raises are flat in many industries, and most jobs are failing to provide a cost-of-living adjustment, 63% of respondents said remote work was still the most important part of a job to them, ahead of salary, work-life balance, and a good boss.

All this is particularly bad news for said workers, given that finding a remote job has never been more difficult; over half of respondents said that compared to this time last year, fewer remote-first gigs are available on job sites, and the ones that do offer flexible perks are instantly swarmed by applicants. Even so, over half of workers know someone who has quit or is planning to quit because of return-to-office mandates, FlexJobs found.

Lack of remote work options is a significant reason why people leave their jobs, Keith Spencer, a career expert at FlexJobs, wrote in the report. Remote work is incredibly valued by todays workforce, and with more companies adopting these types of policies, employees are increasingly open to exploring new career opportunities with the flexibility and remote work options they need.

That may not be surprising; almost all respondents said they believe remote work positively impacts their mental and physical healthwhich ample data backs up. (They also are probably going to spend less money and spend more time with loved ones or on hobbies when they dont have to commute.) Working professionals value the improved quality of life that remote work can provide through benefits like the elimination of a stressful commute or reduced pressure to engage in small talk or office politics, Spencer tells Fortune.

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Mostly remotewith some office mixed in

Despite the hunger for flexibility, not all workers actually want to work remotely full-time. Just 51% of respondents told FlexJobs they dont want to go into an office at all; 46% said a hybrid arrangement would be their first choice. Only 3% of respondents said they want to be in the office five days a week.

Hardly an afterthought, nearly four in five (77%) of FlexJobs respondents said they feel theyre more productive at home than at work. Many experts agree with them. The idea that if you bring everyone into this mandatory [office] environment, working shoulder to shoulder, magical outcomes will comethats a silly thing, Annie Dean, who leads flexible work at software firm Atlassian, said on a panel earlier this month. It feels like magical thinking.

Now a sizable amount of data has shown the opposite: that most workers, despite what they assess of themselves, actually perform better when theyre in an office, surrounded by their peers and under the tutelage of their mentors. Its easier, especially for greener workers, to learn new skills and ask questions when theyre able to do so in-person.

But even hybrid work, in Deans eyes, is an illusion of choice that leaves all sides with less flexibility and autonomy than theyre looking for. It nixes many potential worker benefitslike the option to live farther out from the city, pick kids up from school or take a midday runand many company benefits. It actually hits companies with all the costs of the old model [and none of the] efficiencies of the new model.

That doesnt mean some form of hybrid isnt possibleand often practical. As Stanford economist and remote work expert Nick Bloom has explained to Fortune, flexible work is best executed with a smart organized hybrid plan. Such planswhich hinge on clear expectations, ample latitude for customization, and most importantly, agreement among team members to all come into work on the same daybolster productivity and improve recruitment, retention, and morale, he finds.

Organized hybrid can look like anythingeven a 90/10 split. Drew Houston, Dropboxs CEO, recently told Fortune that his companys rule allowing employees to spend 90% of the year remote has been a godsend for retention and workplace satisfaction. You need a different social contract, and to let go of control, he advised bosses. But if you trust people and treat them like adults, theyll behave like adults. Trust over surveillance. And, hed probably add, remote over office.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Although, when we looked at LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier (ETR:ECK), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.025 = 3.3m  (170m - 38m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier has an ROCE of 2.5%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Multiline Retail industry average of 7.7%.

See our latest analysis for LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier

roce

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

So How Is LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier's ROCE Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 2.5% from 3.7% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

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The Key Takeaway

To conclude, we've found that LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 26% in the last five years. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

On a final note, we found 3 warning signs for LUDWIG BECK am Rathauseck - Textilhaus Feldmeier (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Rental rates at Shanghai's hi-tech parks have slipped this year as start-ups battled cost pressures in a slowing economy, but as the city steps up efforts to bolster sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and biotech, owners of such businesses will generate stable returns for both investors and vendors.

According to property services firm JLL, rents at the city's major hi-tech parks stood at 4.5 yuan (62 US cents) per square metre per day in the third quarter of 2023, down 2 per cent from last year's 4.6 yuan. A JLL survey of 60 institutional investors in those parks showed that 90 per cent of them had lowered their forecasts for rental income because China's economic recovery, after its reopening from the Covid-19 pandemic, failed to live up to expectations.

"Companies are now giving rental rates a priority when they choose office space," said Stephen Yu, head of business park services for JLL's office leasing advisory division in Shanghai. "They are trying not to waste a single coin in renting offices."

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

But investment interest in hi-tech parks is growing. Sun Ling, head of capital markets for JLL East China said investors, ranging from local governments' investment arms and state-owned insurers, to private equity funds are keen on investing in these hi-tech parks.

Shibei Hi-tech Park by Shanghai Shibei Gaoxin Group. Photo: Baidu alt=Shibei Hi-tech Park by Shanghai Shibei Gaoxin Group. Photo: Baidu>

"These investors are aware of the growth potential of the hi-tech industries that are strongly supported by the Chinese government," said Sun. "They also believe that these technology companies are promising and will continue to draw growth capital in the future."

Story continues

The JLL survey showed that investors in the parks are now earning an annual investment return of 5 to 5.5 per cent, and 89 per cent of them are considering increasing investments over the next three years.

The findings are in line with data published by JLL earlier this month that showed the overall vacancy rate at grade-A office in the city hit 21.6 per cent in September, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from June. Rents dropped 1.4 per cent to 7.20 yuan per square metre per day.

Shanghai, mainland China's commercial and financial hub, is home to about 200 industrial parks, where builders and operators chase a cluster effect of interconnected businesses working together. This helps start-ups tap technology resources available close by to quicken their research and development.

The city has ambitions of transforming itself into a technology innovation centre, pledging to support companies involved in basic sciences.

Daniel Yao, head of research for JLL China, said the key technology industries, including electric vehicle (EV) and AI, saw their growth largely outperform the city's GDP buoyed by the local government's incentives and support.

At present, companies in the fields of semiconductors, AI, life science, EVs and video game development, occupy a total of 70 per cent of the space in the parks across the city.

But there are challenges to be surmounted. The city's gross domestic product (GDP) stayed nearly flat in the third quarter ending September, adding a mere 0.2 per cent from a year ago.

The local statistics bureau does not provide stand-alone third-quarter GDP numbers, but the data is derived by comparing Shanghai's economic output of 3.32 trillion yuan from January to September and the 2.14 trillion yuan figure recorded in the first-half.

Still, the local economy expanded 6 per cent in the first three quarters from a year earlier, well above the full-year growth target of 5.5 per cent.

According to a new report by research firm Preqin, China-focused venture capital (VC) funds raised US$2.7 billion from April to June this year, down 54.2 per cent from the previous quarter. The decline was a major contributor to an overall fall in VC fundraising in Asia-Pacific, where numbers reached a five-year low, Preqin said in July.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
(Bloomberg) -- The remainder of workers stuck underground for days over a union dispute at Gold One International Ltd.s Modder East mine in South Africa have returned to the surface.

Most Read from Bloomberg

More than 540 workers failed to leave the mine after their Sunday night shift ended, with the company describing a hostage situation unfolding the following day. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union maintained the action was a sit-in protest due to Gold Ones failure to recognize the labor group despite its claim of having a majority of employees as members.

Everybody got out, said Jonathan Hericourt, the chief executive officer of New Kleinfontein Gold Mine, which manages the operation. The mine has recognized the National Union of Mineworkers for more than a decade. AMCU said its met the criteria needed to hold similar status and threatened to strike over the matter.

The company and police will hold separate processes down the road to investigate any wrongdoing that occurred during the incident, Hericourt said. We just want everyone to vacate the mine.

The dispute sees a return of volatility in South Africas mining sector, particularly among labor groups. The historically dominant NUM started losing members to AMCU more than a decade ago, highlighted by a strike led by the upstart union at Lonmin Plcs Marikana operations in 2012 that led to 34 people being shot by police in a single day.

Before the mass exit of miners at Gold One, a number had forced their way out, Livhuwani Mammburu, a spokesperson for NUM said by phone.

A group of 13 workers found an alternative exit after days of being trapped by the protesters, who refused to allow them to leave, said Alta Janse van Rensburg, whose fiance was among them and declined to identify him for his safety. They were lying when they said everybodys staying down there out of free will, she said.

Story continues

The miners underground broke all the lockers open to get anything there that they could eat, Janse van Rensburg said. Apparently some food was sent down, bread, but you know, everybodys grabbing it. So if you do not stand in front, you wont get any.

AMCU General Secretary Jeff Mphahlele earlier Wednesday denied that the workers were held against their will.

We still maintain this was not a hostage situation, he said in an interview with Johannesburg-based radio broadcaster SAFM. This was a concerted effort of workers and members that were working night shift.

--With assistance from Amogelang Mbatha.

(Updates with escapee account from seventh paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Reuters) -Southwest Airlines said on Wednesday it has reached a tentative agreement with the Transport Workers Union Local 556, representing nearly 19,000 flight attendants, making it the first major U.S. airline to strike such a deal.

The union would communicate details about the agreement and the voting timeline directly to its members, the company said.

Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents Southwest's flight attendants, has said its members have not received a pay raise in the last four years.

Southwest flight attendants have been demanding higher pay and a better work-life balance in their new contracts.

In the past two years, unions across the aerospace, construction, airline and rail industries have put up fights for higher wages and more benefits in a tight labor market.

In August, the airline reached a tentative labor agreement with the union that represents about 17,120 transport workers who handle ramp, operations, provisioning and cargo.

United and American Airlines are yet to reach an agreement with their flight attendants over new contracts.

(Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru and Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Pooja Desai)
Speedemissions, Inc.

ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Speedemissions, Inc. (OTC Expert Market: SPMI) (the Company) a retail brand offering consumers automobile emissions testing and safety inspections, is pleased to announce today that Speedemissions CEO Rich Parlontieri has joined the Advisory Council for the Pace University Entrepreneurship Studio (PES). Mr. Parlontieri accepted the invitation from the Dean of Pace Universitys Lubin School of Business, Lawrence G. Singleton, Ph.D.



The Advisory Council is comprised of distinguished and experienced business leaders who support the mission of PES and are committed to helping entrepreneurs facilitate the development and evolution of their startups. PES supports new startups, from ideation to funding - providing resources, mentorship, and a personalized roadmap for students and alumni entrepreneurs looking to transform their ventures into successful companies. Its mission is to teach entrepreneurs the "how" and to support the "what" with a complete blueprint for the execution of their business concepts.

We are very excited and honored to have Rich join our PES Advisory Council. His career achievements make him an exemplary fit, and his corporate experience will certainly help guide the studio going forward, stated Dr. Singleton.

I am humbled by this invitation and very much look forward to working with Dr. Singleton and the other members of the Pace University Entrepreneurship Studio Council. Based on my experience in starting, managing, and building businesses, and the lessons I have learned through success and failure, Im confident that Ill be able to provide tangible insight to the Pace students and alumni as they pursue a path of entrepreneurship.

In addition to joining the Advisory Council, Mr. Parlontieri is also spearheading PROJECT PLANET USA, a collaboration between Speedemissions and the Pace University Lubin School of Business that will award a $100,000 grant, consisting of cash and professional mentoring services, to the qualifying Pace University innovator who has developed a novel tech solution designed to guard the planet against a climate disaster and to help restore the well-being of our precious earth. The competition is open to Pace alumni, undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and the wider Pace community. Submissions for Project Planet U.S.A. are due by 9:00 PM ET on December 19, 2023.

Story continues

For more information, visit the Project Planet U.S.A. web page at www.projectplanetusa.com .

ABOUT SPEEDEMISSIONS, INC.

Speedemissions, Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia, offers our customers quick and efficient emission testing and/or safety inspection as required by law. The company is in the Atlanta, GA. and St. Louis, MO. markets. For more information, visit: www.speedemissions.com .

For more information:

Speedemissions, Inc.

Investor Relations

info@speedemissions.com




Stanford Alumni Accuse University Leaders Of 'A Shocking Abrogation' As Campus Divisions Deepen

Stanford is the latest elite university whose alumni have voiced their displeasure over the schools leadership amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. In an open letter published today (October 25), nearly 1,200 Stanford alumni  mostly MBAs who attended the Graduate School of Business  write that the schools administration has failed to support Jewish students amid pro-Palestine protests following Hamas terror strikes and subsequent Israeli attacks in Gaza this month. The alumni, addressing university President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez, declare their grave disappointment and call for concrete steps to ensure the safety of Jewish students on campus.

The attacks by the militant Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, claimed more than 1,400 Israeli lives and sparked a war that has led to the deaths of more than 5,000 in Gaza. In the United States and elsewhere, societal divisions over the conflict run deep, and many have grappled with how to respond. That includes the world of business: According to Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, more than 150 corporations have released statements condemning the initial attack by Hamas  but as Stanford GSB professor Sarah Soule tells ABC News, those statements have ranged widely in tone, message, and effectiveness. What problem is being solved by issuing these statements? Soule says.

But if corporations messages on the Mideast war have been muddled and dubiously helpful, universities and colleges have hardly covered themselves in glory. The University of Pennsylvania, home to the Wharton School, drew the ire of several high-profile donors for what they say has been an inadequate (and, in one prominent case, embarrassing) response; many, including Ronald Lauder, namesake of Whartons Lauder Institute, are threatening to withdraw their financial support for the school. Writing on the website Real Clear Education on October 20, Marc Zvi Brettler, the Bernice and Morton Lerner distinguished professor in Judaic studies at Duke University, and Michael B. Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, charged Americas leading universities with having an antisemitism problem  and one that starts at the top. They single out Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and Dean of Columbia Law School Gillian Lester, as well as Harvard University President Claudine Gay, for abrogating their responsibility to educate and lead with inadequate statements of condemnation, thus failing their mission at the most basic level.

Story continues

See Poets&Quants coverage of the conflict in the Middle East and its impact on graduate business education: A BACKLASH CAUSES INSEADS DEAN TO ISSUE A SECOND MESSAGE ON HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL and BUSINESS SCHOOL DEANS FACE CONTROVERSY OVER STATEMENTS ON HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL

THIS IS NOT LEADERSHIP

Universities & Their B-Schools Struggle To Meet The Moment As Mideast War Rages

Seth Klarman joined U.S. Senator Mitt Romney and others in calling for Harvard to immediately develop and require that all students participate in a semester-long course that teaches productive discourse, critical thinking and the interrogation of facts

On Monday (October 23), prominent Harvard Business School alumni Mitt Romney, the senator from Utah, and Seth Klarman, the billionaire hedge fund manager and founder of the Times of Israel, signed an open letter condemning HBS and Harvard for poor leadership in response to the Hamas attacks. The letter, which has more than 1,000 other signatories  most of them Harvard MBAs  calls out Harvard President Gay and HBS Dean Srikant Datar, among others, for failing to meet the moment, especially as it pertains to keeping Israeli and Jewish Harvard students safe amid widespread and growing pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

The expressions of hate and vitriol against Jews have continued and strengthened over the last week on Harvards campuses, the letter reads. The threatening, violent protests by pro-Palestinian groups on Harvard campuses become more heinous with each passing day. The videos that have been made public, particularly the most recent violent assault of an Israeli student on the Harvard Business School campus, allow us all to see how Jewish and Israeli students are targets of threats and violence from groups of pro-Palestinian students. It goes without saying that singling out any one group of students in verbal and physical attacks based on their religion or because of events halfway across the world is inappropriate, inconsistent with Harvards values and something that would not be tolerated in any other context. Given that Harvard has been vocal in its advocacy for the rights of students from other religious, racial and ethnic groups, this silence, amidst the meteoric rise in antisemitism, is deafening.

Jewish students have locked themselves in dorm rooms across your campuses afraid for their own safety. Despite these serious concerns, University leadership shockingly has been paralyzed. When another protest was about to occur, the only thing leadership did was to email the heads of the Jewish Student Association to advise them they could counterprotest if they wanted or they could hide for the day in a room the University had reserved for Jewish and Israeli students. Jewish and Israeli students are scared, have been ostracized from their communities and are afraid for their safety.

I know you know all of this, as we have been assured by multiple close stakeholders that you have been ensconced in endless meetings discussing what to do.

This is not leadership.

UC-BERKELEY & STANFORD CALLED OUT

Romney, Klarman, and others called on Harvard to restate and enforce the Universitys existing moral code of conduct required of ALL students, employees and faculty members; recognize that the University campus is private property and that all participants in any protest must be enrolled students; and permit only protests that have been scheduled and allow only students to attend. Finally, they say, In order to become a model for campus free speech, the University should immediately develop and require that all students participate in a semester-long course that teaches productive discourse, critical thinking and the interrogation of facts so students learn to debate through reasoned inquiry.

Marc Brettler and Michael Poliakoff saved special critiques for the University of California Berkeley and Stanford. Berkeley, they write, spends $36 million annually on its Division of Equity & Inclusion yet it may be the most openly antisemitic campus in the country. Its law school is under federal investigation for discriminating against Jews. Student organizations there expressed their unwavering support for the Hamas pogrom. The president refused to condemn this statement. Instead, he expressed his heartbreak at the violence and suffering in Israel and Gaza, pointedly comparing Israels self-defense to the terrorist attacks themselves, gesturing, like too many others, to the complex history of the situation.

At Stanford, meanwhile, the administration has added dishonesty to cowardice, they continue, despite finally acknowledging the horror. Criticized for its silence about the weekends slaughter, Stanford claimed in an unsigned statement that it does not take positions on geopolitical issues and news events. But when Russia invaded Ukraine, Stanfords president released this statement: The unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the attack it represents on democracy, is beyond shocking. He continued, It has been remarkable to witness the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people.

However, Stanford President Saller and Provost Martinez did write an open letter to the university on October 11 in which they acknowledged expressions of concern for Jewish student safety and added that, As a moral matter, we condemn all terrorism and mass atrocities. This includes the deliberate attack on civilians  by Hamas.

STANFORD ALUMNI CALL FOR BAN ON RALLIES THAT GLORIFY TERRORIST ATTACKS

In their open letter to Stanfords leadership October 25, MBAs and other alumni identify themselves as appalled members of the Stanford community, with grave disappointment in your response to the atrocities committed by Hamas in southern Israel  the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust  and the growing expressions of hate and persecution on campus that have followed. Your failure to clearly condemn Hamas barbarism and those who celebrate it, without conflating unrelated issues, is a shocking abrogation of your responsibility as leaders to draw a bright line between right and wrong, define the boundaries of permitted behavior, eradicate dangerous ignorance, and protect the Stanford community from escalating hatred and violence.

The alumni add that school leaders statements to date have amounted to equivocation, and that the October 7 massacre does not merit intellectual debate or rationalization. Such moral relativism gives credence to the justification of Hamas actions as legitimate resistance, which has been promoted extensively on campus and breeds ignorance while fanning the flames of hate. The letter points to several disturbing incidents that have occurred on the schools Palo Alto campus since the start of the war, including multiple messages of hatred and antisemitism  displayed freely across campus, including banners and chalk writing promoting hate for and the death of Israel.

They called on the school to take several concrete actions, including issuing a dedicated, unambiguous statement 1) recognizing and condemning the absolute immorality and illegitimacy of Hamas actions; 2) acknowledging and condemning antisemitism and the cases of antisemitism on campus, and demonstrating leaderships resolve to uproot anti-Jewish racism on campus in all its forms; and 3) calling for the immediate release of the innocent civilian hostages, including many Americans; and implored Stanfords leadership to establish and enforce a ban on rallies or other events on campus that celebrate, glorify, or condone terrorist attacks or the destruction of Israel or that promote antisemitism.

Read the full letter here.

DONT MISS A BACKLASH CAUSES INSEADS DEAN TO ISSUE A SECOND MESSAGE ON HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL and BUSINESS SCHOOL DEANS FACE CONTROVERSY OVER STATEMENTS ON HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL

The post Stanford Alumni Accuse Schools Leaders Of A Shocking Abrogation As Campus Divisions Deepen appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Ten years on, China's neighborhood diplomacy cements bonds, cooperation

Xinhua) 08:07, October 25, 2023

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, reads out a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping at an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to follow the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and work with other countries in the region to build an Asian homeland of peace, tranquility, prosperity, beauty and friendly coexistence, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday.

Xi made the remarks in a message sent to an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy.

This photo shows a session of an international symposium to commemorate the 10th anniversary of China's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Xi pointed out the basic policy of China's neighborhood diplomacy is to pursue friendship and partnership with its neighbors, and to build an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood.

Over the past decade, China has actively practiced the above-mentioned principle, and developed friendly and cooperative relations with its neighbors in an all-round way. The two sides have continuously enhanced political mutual trust and deepened convergence of interests, thus opening up a bright pathway of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, said Xi.

This photo taken on May 5, 2023 shows the venue for the First Hunan (Huaihua) RCEP Economic and Trade Expo in Huaihua City, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Yu Chunsheng)

He went on to point out that in the new era, China will lend new meaning to the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, promote the Asian values of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration, and provide new impetus to regional unity, openness and progress.

"We will promote new development of the concepts of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, so that Chinese modernization will bring more benefits to our neighbors," Xi said, adding that China will work to jointly advance Asia's modernization process, and make sure China's high-quality development and a sound neighborhood environment will reinforce and complement each other.

In 2022, China's trade in goods with neighboring countries exceeded 2.17 trillion U.S. dollars, up 78 percent from 2012. China took the lead in ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), enabling and enhancing regional economic integration.

The fruitful cooperation has spurred economic growth, improved people's lives in different countries and injected strong impetus into economic recovery in the region, said participants attending the international symposium.

Passengers take selfies in a carriage of a high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train running on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, Oct. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

The four core concepts that China's neighborhood diplomacy rests on are not empty words, but the guiding philosophy that has played a big role in fostering friendly relations between China and regional countries and shaping world dynamics, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol at the symposium.

Addressing the symposium, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said that China will work with regional countries to make Asia a demonstration zone for the Belt and Road cooperation, and a pilot zone for implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

China is committed to deepening friendly cooperation with regional countries guided by the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and contributing more wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future in Asia and for humanity, Wang said.

This photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows booths of South Korean enterprises at the third China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Austin Ong, research director of the Integrated Development Studies Institute, a think tank in the Philippines, said Xi reaffirmed China's goodwill to neighboring countries and desire for more high-quality cooperation in the future, expressing confidence that China's modernization drive will bring long-term benefits to neighboring countries and boost the existing good neighborliness.

China's neighborhood diplomacy that underscores peace and prosperity resonates in its surrounding countries, which are mainly developing ones. The development of China and that of neighboring countries can complement and reinforce each other, said K. K. Yoganaadan, charge d'affaires of the Sri Lankan Embassy in China.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., October 25, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stephens, an independent financial services firm, announced today that its 25th Annual Investment Conference will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, from November 14th to the 16th at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The Stephens Annual Investment Conference is invitation only.

The conference will feature almost 300 presenting companies from across all major sectors  Consumer, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, and Transportation  as well as in-depth sessions on the subsector level. More than 1,300 institutional investors, corporate clients and members of the sponsor community will participate in fireside chat presentations, industry expert panels and one-on-one meetings. Registered attendees will also have access to the mobile-friendly Stephens Events app, which provides the latest information and interactive features.

"This is our 25th annual investment conference and we could not be more excited," said Nik Fisken, EVP and head of Institutional Equities and Research at Stephens. "The first Stephens Investment Conference in 1998 had less than 50 companies presenting and 150 total attendees while years conference will be roughly 10 times larger. The growth and longevity of this event is testament to the quality of the companies and the attendees." Stephens research has grown considerably, as well, and today consists of more than 50 equity research analysts and associates covering more than 450 companies across multiple industries.

Those interested in attending should contact their Stephens representative or stephenscorporateaccess@stephens.com for more information.

For timely updates and more information follow #StephensInvests on Twitter.

About Stephens

"Stephens" (the company brand name) is a leading family-owned investment firm that includes Stephens Inc. (member NYSE/SIPC), Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC, Stephens Insurance, LLC, Stephens Capital Partners LLC and Stephens Europe Limited.

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Stephens Inc. is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1933, Stephens Inc. provides securities brokerage, investment banking and other financial services to a broad client base which includes corporations, state and local governments, financial institutions, institutional investors and individual investors throughout the United States and overseas. Stephens Inc. (Home Office: 111 Center Street, Little Rock, AR USA, 501-377-2000) is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Member SIPC/NYSE. For more information, visit www.stephens.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231025605174/en/

Contacts

Media:



Chenoa Taitt, Stephens Inc.

212-891-1742 / chenoa.taitt@stephens.com



Creighton Abrams, Stephens Inc.

212-891-1712 / creighton.abrams@stephens.com
Stride, Inc. (NYSE:LRN) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript October 24, 2023

Stride, Inc. beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $0.11, expectations were $-0.39.

Operator: Good afternoon. My name is Emma and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Stride First Quarter Fiscal 2024 Earnings Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions] Thank you. Tim Casey, Vice President of Investor Relations, you may begin your conference.

Timothy Casey: Thank you, and good afternoon. Welcome to Stride's first quarter earnings call for fiscal year 2024. With me on today's call are James Rhyu, Chief Executive Officer; and Donna Blackman, Chief Financial Officer. As a reminder, today's conference call and webcast are accompanied by a presentation that can be found on the Stride Investor Relations website. Please be advised that today's discussion of our financial results may include certain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of these measures is provided in the earnings release issued this afternoon and can also be found on our Investor Relations website. In addition to historical information, this call may also involve forward-looking statements. The company's actual results could differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to several important factors as described in the company's latest SEC filings.

These statements are made on the basis of our views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time we make them, and the company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made during this call. Following our prepared remarks, we will answer any questions you may have. I will now turn the call over to James. James?

James Rhyu: Thanks Tim, and good afternoon, everyone. At Stride, I believe we can change the future of education. We can provide opportunities for our customers that are desperately needed in today's evolving landscape. The macro outlook today portrays an increasingly cloudy picture, economic volatility and uncertainty, chaos and divisiveness in our political system that is often extremist, unsustainable debt levels, geopolitical threats, just to name a few. These are some of the macro themes our country is going through right now, and it doesn't appear they will abate anytime soon. Many of these same themes also impact our education systems and institutions. Most Americans agree and understand that our education system is in need of repair and that our students are falling behind.

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I don't think there's any question that we need to rethink how we approach education and ensure we are setting up the next-generation for a future we are proud to hand down to them, but I do think that will require fundamental change, and I believe Stride is positioned to change the future for our kids, for our teachers and schools, our communities, and our country. I believe this change includes offering families choice in education, and in our case, that choice is a virtual education. That choice has saved countless thousands of families from an outcome they did not want. And demand for our programs is growing. Enrollments for this fall increased 8% to almost 188,000 enrollments. Both our General Education and our Career Learning business grew.

I think our numbers for this quarter speak for themselves, record revenue, record career enrollments, record career revenue, and except for the pandemic year, our highest profitability also except for the pandemic year, our highest growth rate in the past decade. Total revenue growth for the past few years, including at the midpoint of our range for this year, has been right around 9% a year. Adjusted operating income at the midpoint of our range is up over 400% from fiscal year 2020 and up well over 50% from fiscal year 2021 when we had the pandemic benefit. Our net income will be up something like 600% from fiscal year 2020. Our EPS will be over $3.60 a share, which is six times higher than fiscal year 2020. Now, as we've returned to a sense of normalcy following the worst of the pandemic, while our programs have continued to flourish, unfortunately many public school systems have largely reverted back to doing exactly what they were doing pre-pandemic.

I had hoped the significant learning loss and access to new educational tools would challenge schools to embrace change, and some have, but far too many have not. Parents of school aged children share these same concerns about our public education system and they're becoming more vocal about their dissatisfaction. As a result, we're beginning to see more bipartisan efforts to expand school choice. A recent survey showed that both Democratic and Republican voters support school choice by margin of more than two to one. A poll conducted in August by Gallup demonstrates just how frustrated Americans are. Over 60% of Americans said they are dissatisfied with the quality of K through 12 education in the US. Conversely, while almost three quarters of parents rated their own children's teachers positively, this tells me that the dissatisfaction lies in the educational system and not with the incredible teachers within the system.

We are starting to see this widespread dissatisfaction lead to change at the legislative level, and I think we're just at the beginning stages of changing the future of education. When we ask parents why they selected a K-12 school, we're hearing they're coming to us to solve those same issues that are leading to dissatisfaction with our public school system. Stride has always been a leading advocate for parent choice, and I think we're starting to see more and more parents opting for a school that fits the specific needs of their child, and that's a powerful position for parents to be in. We also see continued strength in our career programs, crossing 70,000 enrollments this year. While we continue to see most of these enrollments coming from our general full-time virtual program funnel, we still believe there is a compelling case for parents and students to choose a career program and more and more Americans agree with us.

Parents and students want skills that will help them be successful in their career, and they want to develop those skills earlier. Our programs do exactly that, while also helping to alleviate student loan debt pressures, and very importantly, fill the skills gap for US employers, while continuing to see employers being more open to hiring based on skill rather than degree. In fact, in 2022, almost 30% of paid job postings on LinkedIn omitted any degree requirement. That's up from just over 20% four years ago. We're also seeing support for skills-based hiring from state policy makers and governors across the country. So far, the governors of 10 states have announced initiatives to remove degree requirements from state jobs. Now, there's still work to be done.

A teacher giving a lecture in a classroom illuminated by a bright light of knowledge.

A teacher giving a lecture in a classroom illuminated by a bright light of knowledge.

We still need to drive awareness of our career programs, but the underlying drivers of demand demonstrate that we made the right decision to move into this fast growing space. Our key objectives and strategies have momentum like never before. As I've mentioned, our guidance suggests we are primed for record revenue and profitability performance for this year. I mentioned last year that I felt Gen Ed enrollments had bottomed out and it looks like that turned out to be accurate. We think this demonstrates the strength of our K through 12 full-time virtual school business, and all the indicators suggests we will continue to see strong demand for these offerings for the foreseeable future. This also allows us to invest in other growth areas and new products.

As you know, we're still early in these efforts and I'm excited to share more information at our upcoming Investor Day, which is going to be scheduled for November 14th here in our offices in Reston, Virginia. One of our core advantages is in our ability to move and change and innovate with the needs of the marketplace. If we are able to create a better educational future, I believe Stride can be part of the solution and together we can change the future. Now, I'll turn the call over to Donna to discuss our first quarter result and guidance. Donna?

Donna Blackman: Thank you, James, and good evening, everyone. Our strong enrollment growth for this year is a testament to the incredible work that our teams put in day-in and day-out. Making sure parents and students feel supported at the beginning of the year sets them up for strong year. I'm very proud of the work we've put in to make every student successful in our program. Turning to our reported results for the quarter. Revenue for the quarter was $480.2 million, an increase of 13% from the first quarter of fiscal year 2023. Adjusted operating income was $14.8 million compared to an adjusted operating loss of $19.9 million in the same period last year. Earnings per year were $0.11, up $0.65 from last year. Capital expenditures were $16.1 million, down $700,000 from last year.

These results reflect the return to enrollment growth following our pandemic high. We're starting this year with enrollments more than 50% higher than [technical difficulty]. We saw growth in both our General Education and Career Learning program, underscoring the continued demand for school alternatives that James outlined in his comments. It's clear that the effects of the pandemic have had a lasting impact on the awareness and acceptance of full-time virtual offerings. Returning to our quarterly results. Career Learning revenue grew 18% to $180.8 million. This performance was driven by continued strong enrollment growth in our Career Learning program. These programs generated $151 million in revenues on double-digit enrollment and 6% revenue per enrollment growth.

Our adult learning business grew 7% to $29.9 million. Turning to the General Education programs, revenues increased over 10% to $299.3 million for the quarter. Enrollment in Gen Ed increased 4.7% from last year. Revenue per enrollment grew 7.4%. First quarter revenue per enrollment increases for both Gen Ed and Career Learning were somewhat impacted by timing. We think we'll finish the year with revenue per enrollment growth of around 4% to 6%. Gross margins for the quarter was 36%, up 550 basis points from last year. We're continuing to see the positive effects from last year's efficiency efforts and expect to see gross margin improvements throughout this year. We also feel like we manage our teacher hiring well this year, and that contributed to the strength in gross margins this quarter.

For the year, we expect to see gross margins improve by 200 to 250 basis points. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 7% to $169.6 million, driven by increases at MedCerts to support its continued growth, investment in new products and the impact of stock-based compensation. Stock-based compensation for the quarter was $8.4 million up from the prior year due to the timing of some long-term performance grants. We expect to finish the year with stock-based compensation in the range of $28 million to $33 million. Adjusted operating income for the quarter was $14.8 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $39.8 million. Historically, the first quarter has not been a profitable quarter for us, so the strength this year highlights the work that we've done to execute on efficiencies and improve teacher hiring.

This, coupled with the strengths in our enrollment, sets us up to be profitable every quarter this year and demonstrates the underlying financial strength of Stride. Returning to our quarterly results. Interest expense for the first quarter totaled $2.1 million. We expect full year interest expense to be similar to last year. Our effective tax rate for the quarter was 23.9%. For the full year, we believe we will finish with a tax rate in the 25% to 27% range, similar to prior year. Capital expenditures in the quarter was $16.1 million, down slightly from last year. Free cash flow defined as cash from operations less CapEx was negative $151 million compared to negative $160 million in the prior year period. This is our normal seasonality of cash flows and relate to school launch and the onboarding of students.

We expect to see positive cash flow for the next three quarters. We ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $254.6 million. Turning to our guidance. For the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, we are forecasting revenue in the range of $490 million to $510 million. Adjusted operating income between $80 million and $90 million, and capital expenditures between $15 million and $18 million. For the full year, we expect revenue in the range of $1.96 billion to $2.03 billion. Adjusted operating income between $250 million and $275 million. Capital expenditures between $65 million and $75 million, and an effective tax rate between 25% and 27%. Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing you in November when I will give more detail on the longer term financial plan.

Now I'll turn it over to the operator for Q&A. Operator?

See also 25 Most Honest Countries in the World and 20 Most Consumed Alcohols in the World.

Q&A Session

Operator: Thank you. [Operator Instructions] Your first question comes from the line of Jeff Silber with BMO Capital Markets. Your line is now open.

Jeff Silber: Thank you so much. Wanted to start with the General Education business. The numbers were really strong, I think a lot stronger than most people had thought. What was behind that? I know the past couple years we've kind of seen that business move or decline a bit and you saw a nice rebound. What's different this year?

James Rhyu: Yeah. Hey, Jeff. So I think there's really two basic things that I would highlight. The first is, and I said this last year, and this is a hundred percent on me, but I think our execution last year was not great. And I think we improved it this year, and that's -- it's a real tribute to I think some of the team that we brought in, but also some of the turnaround that the team executed that -- they've been through a number of cycles and they were able to identify things that we could do better. So one, I think is clearly execution. And I think that that has a lot of legs to it still, because I think while we improved execution this year, I think we keep identifying things that we could do actually a lot better. And I expect our execution to improve through the coming years.

And so I think that's still a work in progress that, I think we'll see more returns from. The second is, and I think we've been saying this directionally for a while, but we look at our enrollments sort of in aggregate. There's a lot of sort of cross pollination cannibalization that goes on. This year, we didn't really have a lot of new career programs and so I think a lot of our enrollment strength overall is that a testament to that the fact that the market's still there for our business as a whole. And some of the sort of nuances between General Education and Career Ed, there's -- like I said, there's a little bit of cannibalization, there's some puts and takes here and there, but I think the overall story is that the market for our types of programs, whether they're Career Ed or General Ed remains very strong.

And we think that we've got a lot of room to run.

Jeff Silber: Okay. That's really helpful. And I know typically in the first quarter, I think, Donna, you had mentioned that you typically lose money, and I think the bottom line strength was also really surprising. Were there any timing differences this year? I know you talked about the efficiency, but did we shift some expenses from 1Q to 2Q?

Donna Blackman: No, I think it's what James had talked about, right? And so it's the strength of our enrollment in the quarter. It's -- those efficiency efforts that we put in place last year, some of which we didn't put in until later on, in the year. I think it's also the timing of -- I think we did a really good job at our teacher hiring. So we were careful not to overhire as well as not underhire. So striking the right balance, are all the things that contributed to us having a strong financial results in Q1.

James Rhyu: And Jeff, just if I could add, I think our goal as a company, at this kind of scale we're at now, needs to be to be profitable every quarter. There is always going to be some seasonality in our business, so you'll still see a level of seasonality. But I think at the scale we're at and at the -- I think as Donna mentioned, the efficiencies we've got, I think our goal has got to be to be profitable every single quarter going forward.

Jeff Silber: All right. Great. If I could speak just one more in. I think you said that you expect revenue per enrollment to be up 4% to 6% this year. Is there a difference between Gen Ed and Career Learning?

Donna Blackman: So we expect most to be within that range, just given sort of where we were in Q1. I would expect Career Learning to grow for the full year to be on the lower end of that versus Gen Ed. Just again, just based upon probably what we still do in Q1.

Jeff Silber: Okay. Great. Thanks so much.

Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Tom Singlehurst with Citi. Your line is now open.

Thomas Singlehurst: Yeah. Thanks very much. Good evening and congrats on the results. It's quite something seeing a real enrollment break, which is very exciting. A couple of questions. First one, can you just talk about whether there's any sort of volume component to go by, how many new schools have opened and are there any new states are coming on stream within -- in particular General Ed? That was the first question. And then the second question is on the sort of guidance, you've set the 2024 guidance at a level which actually just slightly encroaches on the 2025, I suppose probably the answer is you're going to say wait till we investigate on the 14th of November. But I'm just interested in whether we should infer anything from the midpoint of 2024 to the midpoint of 2025 in terms of -- for the growth in margin progression. Thank you.

Donna Blackman: So I'm going to try my best to answer your question that we would -- we had a really hard time hearing you. But I think your first question was around the number of states. And so we are in the same number of states in Q1 that we were in Q4 for both Gen Ed as well as for Career Learning. We've added some new programs, about five new programs for Gen Ed and four new programs for Career. With respect to our -- I think it's 2024, we're sort of bumping up against our 2025. And so I think when we have our Investor Day in November, will be a good time for us to talk about where we think we will be from a long-term perspective. And we have said last year, every single every single quarter that we were confident in our 2025 revenue and AOI numbers, and so that should -- we'd say the path to get there would be different, but felt really strongly that we would get there.

And I think this is just indicative of the strength of the business. And again, we had a really strong enrollment growth and revenue growth in Q1, and that's impacting obviously our full year numbers.

Thomas Singlehurst: That's great. Sorry, you managed to interpret my question, so I really appreciate that. One quick follow up, adult learning sequentially was down. Is there anything to read into that? Is that seasonal, or is there a little bit of sort of softness coming through from sort of end markets and tech?

James Rhyu: Yeah. So I think there is something to read into that meaning that we have -- I think we have defied the overall market conditions around the tech sector, the tech education sector in that. We've had growing profitable businesses in that space, I think for a lot longer than -- most of the market has been able to do so. But -- and you can -- you could sort of see I think probably across the landscape, but also you can look at sort of Google searches for this and things like that. But the specific technology focused bootcamp business as a whole in this country is down significantly. We believe we are down less, but there is definitely a macro headwind around that piece of our business, which just as a reminder represents less than -- was it less than 2% of our overall business.

It has zero material impact on our growth prospects. It has almost -- is negligible impact on our profitability profits or margin prospects. And our MedCerts certificate business continues to perform very well and we see sort of very long runway of growth for that business. But yes, on the technology side, specifically in a very small portion of our revenue, there is a little bit of softness.

Thomas Singlehurst: That's very clear. Thank you very much.

Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Steven Sheldon with William Blair. Your line is open.

Matt Filek: You have Matt Filek on for Steven Sheldon. Thank you for taking my questions. Wanted to start with one on enrollment trends. Can you provide a little more color on the enrollment trends, particularly when it comes to new student enrollments versus that students that re-registered? And did either of those come in differently than you would've expected?

James Rhyu: Yeah. So both performed well. Our re-reg cohort -- if you take away the pandemic year, because obviously that one year was very, very anomalous. We basically had on both sides of it near record breaking years. And so I think both continue to perform strong. I think it speaks to one, the strength of our program is increasingly sticky with our customers. We have worked really hard to provide programs that really meet the needs of our customers at their point of need. And our outcomes are also improving. Meaning, you can see our academic outcomes improving, our state scorecard outcomes are improving. And so I think all this sort of translate -- our net promoter scores are high. So all this is translating into higher year-over-year retention.

We also see new enrollment demand continue to be very strong. And I think more importantly than the strength in new enrollment demand is our ability to convert new enrollments also continues to improve. And we learned some things in this past season about -- both demand gen on the new enrollment side, but also conversion that we think are going to translate into future gains. So it's really across the board. We don't see a lot of soft spots in either re-registration, withdrawal rates, or new enrollment trends. And in fact, I'll say one other thing now through 24 days of this month, if you remember last year at this time we said that -- while count date enrollments last year were soft, our in year enrollment trends were looking strong. That was last year.

This year -- and again, it's only through 24 days or actually 23 days, I don't have today's data yet, but through 23 days, we are outperforming last year. So we just -- we see a lot of strength in our business. We see a lot of demand. I think that the one thing the pandemic structurally for our business did change a little bit that is new and a benefit to us is that families feel like they have just a lot more flexibility in their choices. And part of that translates into families don't feel as rushed to have their kids start school actually on time as much anymore. And we've got a lot of family situations where that's important to them for whatever reason, and we're able to meet their needs there, and they're coming to us increasingly through the in-year period.

So that's also really important I think that from an overall structural demand perspective going forward.

Matt Filek: Thank you, James. That's super helpful color and great to hear as well. And then had a one on revenue per enrollment as well. Sounds like you're expecting revenue per enrollment growth in the range of 4% to 6% for the full year. And was just wondering if you could talk about some of the factors that could push the revenue per enrollment growth to either end of that range, and if you would consider that range to be on the more conservative end of the spectrum.

Donna Blackman: Now, we feel comfortable with the range that we actually provided. It's a little soft as I said in my comments, a little bit softer because Q1 -- the comparison year-over-year was an easier comparison because the enrollment grew and we got stronger last year. And so Q1 is an easier comparison. So again, we feel good about sort of where we stand from a -- the 4% to 6% range.

Matt Filek: Got it. Thank you and great quarter.

Donna Blackman: And the one thing I would -- you guys talk about this a lot. Mix obviously plays a part in that, right? And so throughout the course of the year what happens with in-year enrollment, et cetera, the mix is one factor that could impact that growth number.

Matt Filek: Understood. And thank you again and great quarter.

James Rhyu: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from the line of Alex Paris with Barrington. Your line is now open.

Alex Paris: Hi, guys. Thanks for taking my question. And I want to add my congratulations on the -- very strong first quarter results and the equally strong guidance. A question about execution. You mentioned it several times, James, in your prepared comments. And part of that is uncertain marketing, what are you doing differently now versus last year or the last several years in terms of marketing that has made a difference? And as I recall, I think you brought on a new Chief Marketing Officer. You have a new k12.com website. Just maybe a little review on what you're doing on the marketing front.

James Rhyu: Yeah. Sure. Alex, great question. And yeah. I think I'm a huge believer in two fundamental pillars for our business. One is the macro environment. And I think that the tailwinds, work in our favor for the macro environment and our internal ability to execute. And like I said, last year we did not execute well. We did bring in a new Chief Marketing Officer, Deb Hannah. She's come in, feet running, hit the ground running. We also have an existing set of team members, the head of our enrollment center, the head of our operations team, our IT group, like they all contribute to a better kickoff for our season this year. Specifically to your question on the marketing side, we saw some tactical things over the past several years by the way that I think -- we're always trying to figure out how to improve.

One is obviously there is a structural shift, a macro shift away from what -- linear TV or regular TV. And so we actually moved away from that channel a fair bit. We didn't spend as much in that channel because it's -- our analytics tell us it's less productive. Conversely, our analytics suggested that we had a lot of opportunity in just regular search engine marketing, sort of the Google paid search clicks ad stuff, that you do. And refining our search terms. We've got a real rockstar that runs that team for us that -- he just continues to mine opportunities in that channel for us that are really compelling. What we're still not yet hitting all cylinders on is some of our social media efforts, some of our incremental career demand efforts for our Career segment.

Those things, I think, we can still improve upon. Our enrollment center, which is what we consider marketing in the enrollment center part of sort of the overall marketing funnel. And our enrollment center really did incredible job looking at ways that we can improve conversion. The families that come to us and apply, they want to come to us and sometimes we make it harder for them unnecessarily. And so when we find ways to smooth the path for them, they come to us. And so we we're doing a bunch of stuff in our enrollment center, which includes, by the way, self-serve, everybody loves to hear the words AI, so we've got some AI initiatives in the enrollment center as well that automate some things, create more bespoke responses for our families.

But like I said, we've got a long way to go still. I think, the trajectory of improvements that we're going to make -- we've got a multi-year trajectory of improvements we're going to make, and market demand's going to continue to be strong. So hopefully that answers your question.

Alex Paris: Yeah. No, James, this is very helpful and we'll look forward to the Investor Day in November. Thanks very much.

James Rhyu: Thanks.

End of Q&A:

Operator: [Operator Instructions] There are no further questions at this time. And this concludes today's conference call. Thank you for attending. You may now disconnect.
(Bloomberg) -- T-Mobile US Inc. posted third-quarter profits that beat estimates, buoyed by better-than-expected mobile customer gains. Its the last of the Big Three wireless carrier to report strong results, a positive sign for the telecommunications industry, which has been struggling to boost subscriber growth in recent years.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Bellevue, Washington-based company added a net 850,000 postpaid mobile phone customers in the quarter ending Sept. 30, the company said Wednesday, beating analysts estimates of 780,400. In June, T-Mobile reported adding 760,000 mobile phone customers in what it said was its best second quarter in eight years.

Shares rose 1.3% at 9:49 a.m. in New York.

Adjusted earnings were $1.82 per share, compared to the average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg of $1.69 per share. Third-quarter revenue was $19.3 billion, in line with analysts estimates. Shares rose 1.6% at 7 a.m. in early trading in New York.

T-Mobile, along with rivals Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc., has seen a slowdown in mobile-phone subscriber growth as the industry cools from the phone-buying frenzy of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the No. 2 carrier in the US has bucked the trend by cashing in on its lead in fast 5G airwaves, adding more rural territories to its coverage area and selling wireless internet access where broadband choices are few.

T-Mobile said its fast 5G service has expanded to cover 300 million people in the US, doing so more than two months ahead of its expected schedule.

We announced this goal nearly three years ago, and then we got to work and got it done, Chief Executive Officer Mike Sievert told investors Wednesday. To this day, no one else in our industry has stated any plans to match it.

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T-Mobile turned in a solid performance that may be attributed to its 5G lead and strong brand in an increasingly competitive market, Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst John Butler said in a note, adding that it led the industry in net phone additions.

The company raised its free cash flow guidance for the year to $13.4 billion to $13.6 billion, up from its previous guidance of $13.2 billion to $13.6 billion.

T-Mobiles results reflect a stabilizing wireless competitive backdrop, Citigroup Inc. analysts led by Michael Rollins wrote in a note. Within this context, T-Mobile retains opportunities to grow service revenues at or better than the industry, expand margins and improve financial flexibility to return capital to shareholders at an elevated pace.

As mobile phone growth slows, T-Mobile has also been working to expand its fixed wireless broadband base. It added 557,000 wireless home internet customers, more than the 486,700 analysts predicted. The company has said its target is 7 million to 8 million subscribers by 2025.

Competition for internet offerings is fierce, as cable companies such as Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc. fight back with promotions offering a free mobile line for broadband customers.

In September, T-Mobile said it would buy airwaves from Comcast for $1.2 billion to $3.3 billion. The spectrum would help provide more service to parts of New York City; Orlando; Kansas City, Missouri, and other cities.

Also in September, Bloomberg News reported that T-Mobile was in discussions with a unit of Tillman Global Holdings LLC to build out a fiber-optic network, setting the stage for the wireless carrier to enter the landline broadband business.

(Updates with shares in third paragraph, comments from CEO, analysts beginning in seventh paragraph)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
This is The Takeaway from today's Morning Brief, which you can sign up to receive in your inbox every morning along with:

The chart of the day

What we're watching

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Economic data releases and earnings

During the stock market's recent bond-induced swoon, another force has pressured companies across multiple industries  weight loss drugs.

A slew of consumer names ranging from PepsiCo (PEP) to Coca-Cola (KO) to Conagra Brands (CAG) have seen shares slump as investors try to work out the potential long-term impacts of a population medically controlling its food intake.

Dialysis giant DaVita (DVA) saw shares slide more than 16% on Oct. 11 after Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk (NVO) said the drug showed signs of delaying kidney disease in some patients. And some Wall Street analysts have speculated more widespread use of the class of drugs known as GLP-1s could help airlines cut fuel costs in the future.

Coke CFO John Murphy told investors on Tuesday the company will "continue to monitor" the development of these drugs. PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said any impact to the company's business so far has been "negligible." And DaVita issued a press release that said, in part, "We believe there may be limited application of the [Novo Nordisk] FLOW study findings to the overall [chronic kidney disease] patient population."

In this photo illustration, boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama via Getty Images)

The wide range of impacts weight loss drugs could have on a wide range of industries has made this story a challenge for investors to price.

In a recent note to clients, analysts at Goldman Sachs suggested weight loss drugs could be a $100 billion opportunity in the US by the end of the decade. Today, the market is about $6 billion.

Goldman Sachs estimates the market for weight loss drugs could grow nearly 20x by the end of the decade. (Source: Goldman Sachs)

Moreover, the set of companies that appear most obviously at risk should tens of millions of Americans cut their caloric intake are not fast-growing innovators with an investor base that prices in a wide range of outcomes.

Story continues

Rather, the companies most at risk are businesses like Coke and Pepsi, consumer staples stocks that are considered by investors to be basically what the name implies  stable, reliable growers that often pay a dividend, buy back stock, and steadily raise prices due to a dominant market position and powerful brand.

But this modeled stability makes these stocks even more susceptible to changes in the competitive environment than shares in a riskier company that might not even be around in five years.

An investor might model growth for both a market-leading soft drink giant and a recently founded AI startup at 10% per year from 2027 through 2032. But the higher the degree of confidence the company will actually exist at that point in the future  a near certainty for our soft drink leader and maybe a 50/50 proposition for the AI startup  makes one model a dart throw and the other a reasonable assessment about what growth will actually be over this period.

Now, a comment from Walmart (WMT) exec John Furner earlier this month suggested behaviors from consumers taking this class of drugs may already be changing.

But tomorrow always matters more than today for investors. And particularly if a company's existence tomorrow isn't really in doubt.

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
GOSSELIES, October 25, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

TheraVet (ISIN: BE0974387194 - ticker: ALVET), a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in pets, today announced the appointment of Rodolphe Lebrun as Chief Financial Officer.

Enrico Bastianelli, Chief Executive Officer of TheraVet, stated: "We are delighted to welcome Rodolphe as Chief Financial Officer. His profile, marked by strong financial and engineering skills, is fully in line with the DNA of our Company. Rodolphe already boasts solid experience, whether as a consultant, sales manager or CFO, enabling him to fully grasp the challenges of the biotech world. His expertise will be a key asset in pursuing and strengthening our global financing and cost control strategy."

Since 2016, Rodolphe acts as a strategic advisor to small and large biotech and medtech companies on their financing, business development and M&A activities. Before joining TheraVet, Rodolphe Lebrun held the position of CFO at Graftys, an orthobiology company specialized in the development, manufacture and marketing of calcium phosphate-based synthetic bone substitutes, during the year 2020, marked by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this position, he was involved through active cost management and the implementation of non-dilutive financing, enabling the company to successfully navigate in this uncertain period. Prior to this, he was for over 2 years Director of KPMG Belgium's Life Sciences Practice, paying particular attention to R&D-related topics as well as marketing and operational strategy. Between 2014 and 2016, he worked for the biotech company AbbVie as Customer Excellence Director and member of its Executive Committee for Belgium and Luxembourg. Prior to this, Rodolphe spent almost 5 years with McKinsey & Company, where he was focused on defining operational strategy and leading operational excellence transformations in major pharmaceutical and medtech groups, as well as hospitals.

Story continues

Rodolphe is a graduate of the Faculte Polytechnique de Mons, the Institut Superieur de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE Toulouse) and the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management.

Rodolphe's role in TheraVet will be to optimize the Company's financial structure to ensure rigorous allocation of financial resources, and to implement and execute the Company's financial strategy. He will also be responsible for pursuing and strengthening the Company's cost control policy, and for managing the Company's cash flow on a day-to-day basis.

About TheraVet SA

TheraVet is a veterinary biotechnology company specializing in osteoarticular treatments for companion animals. The Company develops targeted, safe and effective treatments to improve the quality of life of pets suffering from joint and bone diseases. For pet owners, the health of their pets is a major concern and TheraVets mission is to address the need for innovative and curative treatments. TheraVet works closely with international opinion leaders in order to provide a more effective response to ever-growing needs in the field of veterinary medicine. TheraVet is listed on Euronext Growth Paris and Brussels, has its head office in Belgium (Gosselies) with a US subsidiary.

For more information, visit the TheraVet website or follow us on LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231024445145/en/

Contacts

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Sabrina Ena

investors@thera.vet

Tel: +32 (0) 71 96 00 43

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Investor Relations and Financial Communications

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theravet@newcap.eu

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You now need to be earning $115K to buy a typical US home  but most American households fall about $40K short. Here are 3 alternative ways to get into real estate

The dream of homeownership is slipping further away for many American families thanks to a perfect storm of sky-high mortgage rates and rising home prices.

Homebuyers today need an annual income of $114,627 to afford a median-priced U.S. home, according to Redfin analysis, which is up $15,285, or 15% from a year ago and is almost $40,000 more than what the typical household earns.

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Rising prices are throwing off Americans' retirement plans  here's how to get your savings back on track

Much of the pain is felt in the monthly mortgage payments. The typical U.S. homebuyers monthly mortgage payment has hit an all-time high of $2,866, according to Redfin, up 20% from a year earlier.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate recently passed 7.5%, hitting its highest level since 2000 and really putting strain borrowers budgets and purchasing power.

In a homebuyers ideal world, rising mortgage rates would push demand and home prices down enough to make up for high interest payments. But thats not whats happening now, said Redfin Economics research lead Chen Zhao.

If youre determined to buy a home, there are ways to control your costs. If you would rather wait out the pricey market, here are some alternative ways to invest in real estate.

Buyers should think outside the box

Homebuyers  particularly first-timers who are committed to getting a foothold on the housing ladder  should think outside the box, according to Zhao.

Although new listings are ticking up slightly, inventory is still near record lows as homeowners hang onto their low mortgage rates  and thats propping up prices.

He said first-time buyers to consider options that are less expensive than a single-family home, like a condo or a townhouse. You may also have to look at moving to a more affordable part of the country, or a more affordable suburb.

Story continues

The income needed to buy a home has risen in all major U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the Redfin report, with the biggest uptick in Miami, FL, and the smallest in Austin, TX. Redfin noted the necessary income has increased least in pandemic homebuying hotspots, like Boise, ID, Salt Lake City, UT, Fort Worth, TX and Lakeland, FL.

Once you find a home you want to buy, you need to become a savvy shopper. When facing mortgage rates of close to 8%, it can really pay to shop around. Earlier this year, mortgage giant Freddie Mac said homebuyers can potentially save $600-$1,200 annually by applying for mortgages from multiple lenders  worthwhile savings in todays tricky economic climate.

The same can be said for essential expenses like insurance once youve bought your home. Dont just settle for the first home insurance quote you get. Shop around and compare multiple options the best coverage and the best price for you.

If youve considered all of that and youd still rather ride out this wave, there are other worthwhile ways to invest in real estate.

Read more: Worried about the economy? Here are the best shock-proof assets for your portfolio. (Theyre all outside of the stock market.)

Real estate investing alternatives

Real estate investment trusts

Investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT) is a way to profit from the real estate market without having to buy a house or take on the stress of being a landlord.

REITs are publicly traded companies that own income-producing real estate like apartment buildings, shopping centers and office towers. They collect rent from tenants and pass that rent to shareholders in the form of regular dividend payments.

Generally, REITs are described as high-return investments that provide solid dividends and the potential for moderate, long-term capital appreciation.

Also, as REITs are publicly traded, you can buy or sell shares any time and your investment can be as little or as large as you want  unlike buying a house, which usually requires a hefty down payment followed by a mortgage.

Crowdfunding platforms

Crowdfunding refers to the practice of funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people. This can include real estate.

Through a crowdfunding platform, you can buy a percentage of physical real estate  from rental properties to commercial properties.

Some options are targeted at accredited investors and can have higher minimum investments that can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

If youre not an accredited investor, there are multiple platforms let you invest small sums, even as low as $100. You can even buy a stake in digital real estate.

Sponsors of crowdfunded real estate deals usually charge fees to investors  typically in the range of 0.5% to 2.5% of whatever youve invested. These platforms make real estate investing more accessible to the general public by simplifying the process and lowering the barrier to entry.

What to read next

Super-rich Americans are snatching up prime real estate abroad as US housing slumps  but here's a sharp way to invest without having to move overseas

Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate  without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how

Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market  and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
'Unprecedented' MBA Job Outcomes At This Top U.S. B-School

Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business released its 2023 MBA employment report showing that 96% of graduates found work within three months

From Atlanta: In a year that brought economic uncertainty and layoffs disrupting multiple industries and companies, many MBA graduates faced an uncertain future. Despite the challenge, Georgia Tech Scheller Full-time MBAs thrived and secured roles at some of the nations top companies and firms.

The Class of 2023 achieved an impressive 96% employment within three months of graduation and a record-breaking average salary base of $154,679, a 12.25% increase from the previous year. Fifty-eight percent of the class went into the consulting industry, and other industries the class found success in include technology, financial services, and transportation/logistics. The students impressive accomplishments speak to their tenacity and the effectiveness of the top-ranked career services support provided by the Jones MBA Career Center.

Our 2023 MBA graduates experienced tremendous employment success in the face of many global workforce unknowns, said Dave Deiters, associate dean of MBA programs and the Jones MBA Career Center. Demand for our graduates was high in a variety of sectors, particularly consulting. The Jones MBA Career Center prides itself on cultivating great relationships with consulting firms and a myriad of other industry partners.

Read more

'Unprecedented' MBA Job Outcomes At This Top U.S. B-School

The Supreme Court in June ruled against Harvard and UNC in a pair of cases that effectively ended the practice of race-based admissions to colleges and universities in the U.S.

School presidents break with Supreme Court on Affirmative Action

From Inside Higher Ed: Scores of college presidents released public statements disagreeing with the U.S. Supreme Courts June decision on affirmative action, in a case that involved Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but had implications for all of higher education.

Story continues

A new survey of college and university presidents from Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research reveals the scope of that disagreement: more than two-thirds (68 percent) of the surveys 136 respondents oppose the courts curbing of race-conscious admissions, nearly half (46 percent) of them strongly.

Just 17 percent of the presidents in the survey, supported by Lumina Foundation, somewhat or strongly support the courts decision. An additional 15 percent of presidents are neutral.

Read more

David W. Wilson pledges $25 million to University of Northern Iowa to establish the Wilson College of Business

From Cedar Falls, Iowa: A historic gift to the University of Northern Iowa will mark a new chapter in the universitys renowned business college. David Wilson, a 1970 graduate of UNI, has pledged a $25 million donation that will chart a bold path for the future of the College of Business, fueling strategic initiatives and investing in faculty and students. The $25 million donation is the largest single gift in the history of the University of Northern Iowa.

In honor of the gift, the business college, upon Board of Regents approval, will henceforth be known as the David W. Wilson College of Business, the first named college at the University of Northern Iowa. The contribution establishes the Wilson Endowment for Integrity and Excellence to advance business ethics education and ensure graduates continue to thrive and lead in a rapidly changing business landscape.

This gift to UNI is made in the hope that this money will transform the university; transform the College of Business, said David Wilson. Im hoping this gift will ensure students will learn to do things the right way.

This is a historic moment for our campus. The Wilson College of Business will truly transform business education at UNI, taking our already premier business programs to new heights, said UNI President Mark Nook. Were honored that UNIs first named college will stand as a testament to Davids belief in the power of education and will provide resources for the university to foster innovation for the future.

Read more

DONT MISS WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS THAT MBA JOBS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY

The post Unprecedented MBA Job Outcomes At This Top U.S. B-School appeared first on Poets&Quants.
By Pete Schroeder and Siddharth Cavale

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday proposed slashing by nearly a third the amount of so-called "swipe fees" banks can charge merchants for processing debit-card transactions, setting up a pitched battle between the two industries over potentially billions of dollars in revenue.

Citing data that showed the costs of processing such transactions had fallen by roughly half in recent years, the Fed proposed cutting the current cap from 21 cents per transaction to 14.4 cents per transaction.

The proposal, which is now open to public feedback, marks the first time the Fed has adjusted the fee cap after it was set in 2011. Banks charge retailers when processing debit-card transactions, and the Fed was ordered to limit those costs to a "reasonable and proportional" level as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

The fees generated $31.59 billion for lenders in 2021, according to Fed data.

Retailers and banks have sparred over the fees for years, with merchants complaining they are excessively high and pad bank profits, while financial firms argue retailers have failed to pass savings on to consumers via lower prices on products.

Retailers, who have pressed the Fed for a lower cap for years, praised the proposal, while vowing to try and push the limit even lower.

"Todays proposed rulemaking signals an end to these outrageous markups," said Austen Jensen, executive vice president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represents large retailers.

The proposal would also trim an added fee that banks can charge from 0.05% of the cost of the transaction to 0.04%. However, the Fed proposed expanding a supplemental fee banks can charge to cover fraud-prevention services from 1 cent per transaction to 1.3 cents per transaction, citing a slight uptick in those costs.

In practice, the proposed changes would result in, on average, a 17.7 cent fee on a $50 transaction, down from a 24.5 cent fee currently, according to Fed officials.

Story continues

The Fed also proposed automatically adjusting the cap every two years in response to fresh data.

Retail consultant Burt Flickinger said the new proposal was "100% positive" for retailers.

"Swipe fees are the second-highest cost for retailers behind labor but is a cost they get nothing out of," said Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, adding the proposal is negative for card issuers.

Shares in credit card companies Visa and Mastercard dipped last week after the Fed announced the meeting to reconsider the cap.

Walmart is likely to benefit the most, Flickinger said, because it "serves the highest number of cash- and credit-constrained consumers," most of whom have only 1 credit card. He also expects Target, Macy's and Kohl's, to see some upside as consumers switch from their high interest rate co-branded credit cards to debit and cash.

Bringing down the cap will also help retailers servicing the agricultural and construction sectors where farmers and ranchers, for example, tend to make more purchases with debit cards and cash than credit. Tractor Supply , Menards, Home Depot, Lowe's and Meijer are among chains likely to benefit, Flickinger said.

The retailers were not immediately available to comment.

In a letter to the Fed sent Friday, nine major bank trade groups said retailers don't pass on to consumers savings and that claims they would do so in the future "should be viewed with robust skepticism."

Analysts said that it is likely the Fed could face a legal challenge from either industry as it considers a new cap.

TD Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg said in a note the Fed "likely expects both the banks and the merchants to challenge any final...rule even if that final proposal simply ratifies the status quo."

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder and Siddharth Cavale; Editing by Michelle Price, Aurora Ellis and Rod Nickel)
(Bloomberg) -- The US has called on Gulf Arab states to help clamp down on a suspected increase in fundraising by the militant group Hamas following its deadly attack on Israel earlier this month.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A previously scheduled meeting of the Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  a body formed in 2017 including the US, Saudi Arabia and five other Gulf Arabic states  was brought forward to Monday this week from next month, according to the US Treasury.

Read More: Israel Latest: Macron Warns Militants as Gaza Hospitals on Brink

At the meeting, US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, urged Gulf Cooperation Council member states to share intelligence that could be used to impose sanctions unilaterally or jointly against individuals and entities. He said the aim is to stop any attempt by Hamas to leverage its Oct. 7 incursion to amass donations and other funds.

This moment should bring a profound sense of urgency, clarity and purpose to the work that we do, Nelson said in his prepared remarks at the meeting. The ability to act  to cut off the financial flows that feed terrorism  is a duty we all share.

Nelson assured his counterparts that legitimate humanitarian aid to Gaza, like food, water and medicine, would not be impacted by any new sanctions.

Read More: What is Hamas, the Militant Group That Attacked Israel: QuickTake

After the meeting in Saudi Arabia, Nelson traveled to the Qatari capital of Doha, where many of Hamass political leaders are based. Since its inception, Hamas has received political and financial support from the gas-rich Gulf emirate, which is also a close US ally that has been lauded by Washington for its role in mediating the release of Americans imprisoned in Iran and by Hamas in Gaza.

Story continues

The Biden administration is asking its Gulf Arab allies to look as closely as possible at the operations of previously sanctioned Hamas-linked charities and entities in their jurisdictions as well as any suspicious activities by newly created ones, said a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicate discussions underway.

Qatari officials declined to comment. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The UAE is committed to combating illegal financial activities such as money laundering and financing of terrorism, a UAE official said.

Charity Connections

The US is particularly worried about Hamass ability to exploit connections to charities, shell companies and financial institutions in the region alongside its control of government bodies inside the Gaza Strip, according to Nelson. Washington has already imposed sanctions on 10 key Hamas members and associates based in Algeria, Gaza, Qatar, Sudan and Turkey.

Those targeted include three individuals managing assets for Hamas estimated by the Treasury last year to be worth about $500 million.

An individual described by the US as a longtime Hamas operative based in Qatar with close ties to Iranian elements was sanctioned for his alleged involvement in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, including its military wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, which masterminded and executed the Oct. 7 attack.

Talks with Gulf countries have also touched on their own banking institutions, as they could be vulnerable to secondary sanctions if any Hamas money moves through them, according to the same US official who declined to be identified.

Both the European Union and US have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Its a delicate line to tread for many Arab states, which must contend with populations often supportive of the Palestinians and sometimes Hamas. In many instances, there is also sympathy for Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement against Israeli occupation.

Crypto Fears

At the Riyadh meeting on Monday, Under Secretary Nelson said many parties, including the US, are on the lookout to block Hamass efforts to drum up financial support and donations through cryptocurrency. One of the entities sanctioned on Oct. 18 was a Gaza-based provider of money transfer and virtual currency exchange services, including Bitcoin.

He said the US and its allies had to think systemically about how we can harden our financial system against those who are seeking to exploit new technologies.

--With assistance from Fiona MacDonald and Sylvia Westall.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
One approval and the dominoes will fall. Thats the dogma driving expectations for a U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). If only the industrys bogeymen at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would approve that one application, approvals will snowball, institutional cash will flood in, and all will be right in the world of the blockchain.

That goal appeared to edge a step closer Monday. The SEC confirmed it will not contest a court decision in favor of digital asset investment firm Grayscales right to convert its GBTC (Grayscale Bitcoin Trust) into a spot Bitcoin ETF. Bitcoin was up over 19% for the past seven days on the back of the news, sitting above the US$34,000 support level as of 2.30 p.m. Wednesday in Hong Kong, according to CoinMarketCap data. The coin briefly broke US$35,000 during Tuesday trading, its highest level since May 2022.

A Grayscale spokesperson said that the company now hopes to work constructively with the SEC on its efforts to convert GBTC  currently the worlds largest cryptocurrency fund with US$16.7 billion in assets under management  into a spot Bitcoin ETF. GBTC is operationally ready, and we intend to move as expeditiously as possible on behalf of our investors, the spokesperson said.

But its not just Grayscale investors who are waiting for a U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF. The financial instrument  which would allow investors a way to invest in the coin on a traditional exchange  is seen as a way to open up the still marginal world of crypto investment to traditional finance.

Youre going to have a lot of people getting into crypto by the way of an ETF, said Jack Jia, head of crypto at payment platform Unlimit. He said the primary benefit of a spot Bitcoin ETF is that it improves the user experience (UX) for would-be crypto investors.

They wont need to use account abstraction or a custodial wallet because their UX is their broker, Jia added. Theyre telling their customers or their clients to buy Bitcoin. So that is going to be the onboarding process, if you will.

Story continues

Other than Grayscale, a range of institutional investors, from BlackRock to Fidelity to Ark Invest, have applied to the SEC for permission to create a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S., the worlds largest economy. The SEC has so far either rejected or delayed making a decision on the applications, citing fears about a lack of liquidity and price manipulation in crypto markets.

But Vivian Fang, a FinTech expert and professor of finance at Indiana University, said she sees various signs that the SEC is now warming up to the idea of approving a spot Bitcoin ETF. She pointed to recent comments coming out of the regulator that it now considers the Bitcoin market to be of a sufficient size to resist market manipulation.

This, Fang said, has made her feel cautiously optimistic that the SEC will approve at least one spot Bitcoin ETF application by the end of this year.

Bullish behavior

According to research released Oct. 16 by blockchain data firm CryptoQuant, an SEC decision to allow the creation of spot Bitcoin ETFs by the seven largest asset managers with pending applications could bring up to US$155 billion into the Bitcoin market. Based on their analysis of the coins past bull run behavior, CryptoQuant calculated that would increase Bitcoins market capitalization by US$450 billion to US$900 billion, adding US$1 trillion to the wider crypto market along the way.

The Next Wave of #Bitcoin Institutional Adoption:

The Launch of Spot ETFs



 SPOT ETFS AS THE NEW WAY OF INSTITUTIONAL ADOPTION.

 IMPLICATIONS OF ETF APPROVALS FOR BITCOIN MARKET CAPITALIZATION.



Prepared by Our Head of Research, @jjcmoreno.



Linkhttps://t.co/dKyd5GJJdT pic.twitter.com/ECEWMpkf0g  CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) October 16, 2023

The crypto market has, over the past week in particular, shown a wholehearted desire to buy into that narrative. Crypto media picked up on a social media post Oct. 16 saying the SEC had approved BlackRocks spot Bitcoin ETF application. The crypto market blew up. The price of Bitcoin soared nearly 10%, rising to around US$30,000 before falling back down to the US$28,000 range.

The news, it turned out, was fake. Regardless, there was around US$100 million in BTC liquidations in the first 30 minutes following the story. Cointelegraph, the media organization that first reported on the misleading post, issued a clarification statement apologizing for the error. But the damage  or the improvement, depending on which way you look at it  was done.

Whether or not the original post was a legitimate attempt to manipulate the market or simply a prank gone too far, the fake news attracted a flood of interest and mainstream media attention to the ongoing ETF discussion.

BlackRock Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink, once a vocal skeptic of the crypto industry, appeared on a Fox Business broadcast, saying that the Bitcoin price rally to US$30,000 was more than just investors buying the rumor. Rather, he said, it was an example of pent-up interest in crypto trading as a flight to quality during a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

On Monday, Oct. 23, as the market digested the likelihood the SEC would forgo an appeal on the Grayscale decision, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence highlighted that BlackRock had listed its spot Bitcoin ETF on the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) website.

A bullish sign that the ETF could soon see approval from the SEC, Bloomberg Intelligence ETF specialist Eric Balchunas posted to X (formally Twitter) that this was another step in the process of launching.

Note: Seeding is typically not a lot of money just enough to get ETF going. So I wouldn't read this as 'omg Blackrock is buying a ton of bitcoin' at all but more the fact they doing it and disclosing it shows another step in the process of launching.  Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) October 23, 2023

Road bumps

While the road ahead for one, if not multiple spot Bitcoin ETF approvals appears to be growing smoother, there are potential road bumps ahead. For Adam Berker, senior legal counsel at global payment platform Mercuryo, the principal obstacle remains the potential for lawsuits against the SEC.

If the regulator were to accept the ongoing application from BlackRock, it may be criticized in the future over why it gave a green light for a large institutional player from the [traditional finance] sector while raising so much fuss over younger and smaller crypto projects, Berker said via a note.

The past 18 months in the crypto industry have been characterized by corporate failures and capital flight resulting in a two-thirds drop off in the value of a once US$3 trillion industry. From the perspective of many crypto advocates, much of those losses were caused by increased scrutiny and so-called regulation by enforcement from the SEC and fellow regulator the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The two regulators have sued a number of crypto firms throughout that period, including cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Coinbase, alongside blockchain software firm Ripple. They have also prevented some cryptocurrency-related financial products such as a spot Bitcoin ETF from taking off. Finance professor Fang described the spate of lawsuits as part of an ongoing turf war between the two regulators as to who gets to regulate the crypto industry in future.

The lack of clarity on that issue, Fang said, adds to a number of other uncertainties hanging over crypto and potentially hampering the creation of a spot Bitcoin ETF. Chief among those is the question of whether or not cryptocurrencies are securities.

If they are, then the SEC must regulate them as it regulates stocks and bonds, but I am not sure the SEC can or has resources to (even if it wants to), Fang wrote in an email. For example, can the SEC demand all investors of Bitcoin be registered (the KYC rule)?

With regulators unwilling to adopt a particular position on those issues, Fang added, the prospect of a spot Bitcoin ETF appears less like a silver bullet for the crypto industry and more like a stop-gap measure as the different regulators get their houses in order.

I view a spot Bitcoin ETF as a bone that the SEC is willing to throw to the industry after taking a tough stance against many crypto exchanges, Fang said.
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Offshore wind is a growing sector in South Korea, and wind energy will play a significant role in South Korea's efforts to address climate change and enhance energy security. As a leader in sustainable energy solutions, Vestas is ready to collaborate with South Korea's as a vital partner in its climate initiatives.

To further bolster our presence and expedite our contributions, Vestas has established a new office in Seoul, consolidating our APAC headquarters. This step signifies our dedication to strengthening our footprint in the region and continuing to serve our valued customers and partners with excellence.

On October 24, 2023, Vestas hosted an office opening ceremony, where distinguished guests were invited to visit the new office. Among the attendees were Cheol-won Kang, Vice Mayor of Seoul, Svend Olling, Ambassador of Denmark to the Republic of Korea, and other industry stakeholders. This event served as an opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to supporting the introduction of offshore wind energy in South Korea.

"The transition to clean energy is gaining traction in the APAC region. Major markets in the region have already set forth plans for achieving carbon neutrality and renewable energy targets. As a leader in sustainable energy solutions, we are dedicated to playing a pivotal role in facilitating the region's energy transition. Our APAC leadership team will continue to spearhead efforts to assist our customers and driving the business forward from the new APAC headquarters," stated Purvin Patel, APAC President.

"I look forward to the establishment of Vestas' APAC headquarters in Seoul leading to business success and serving as a catalyst for promoting investment in renewable energy industry in Seoul. The city of Seoul will continue to provide support with great interest," remarked Cheol-won Kang, Vice Mayor of Seoul.

Story continues

"Leveraging its strong industrial foundation and advanced economy, South Korea has the potential to emerge as a prominent hub for wind energy and a leader in the transition to cleaner energy in the APAC region. Together with our customers and partners, we are ready to support South Korea's climate goals and contribute to the sustainable growth of the wind industry in the country," added Srdan Cenic, VP Offshore Sales APAC & General Manager Korea.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Megumi Sakuma

Marketing & Communications Manager

Vestas Asia Pacific

mgskm@vestas.com

Tel: +81 90 6723 5325

Vestas New Seoul Office Opening Ceremony

About Vestas

Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 169 GW of wind turbines in 88 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 149 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 29,000 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.

For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on:

https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images.

We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com following us on our social media channels:

Vestas Logo (PRNewsfoto/Vestas Asia Pacific)

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SOURCE Vestas Asia Pacific
Japan has appointed veteran diplomat Kenji Kanasugi as its next ambassador to China, as the Asian giants look to cool tensions over the Fukushima nuclear waste water discharge.

The 64-year-old, currently Japan's envoy to Indonesia, will replace Hideo Tarumi, 62, who took up his post in November 2020 and was perceived as having a tough stance against China.

Kanasugi, whose career spans four decades, is Japan's first ambassador to Beijing in seven years who was not trained in the foreign ministry's "China School", where diplomats are taught the language and other skills to advance bilateral ties.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

After graduating in law from Hitotsubashi University, Kanasugi held a number of high-level positions, including director general of the economic affairs bureau and the Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau, as well as senior deputy minister for foreign affairs.

His appointment comes at a time of division between Beijing and Tokyo over Japan's continuing release of treated radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which started in late August.

Japan's new ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi moves to Beijing after serving as Tokyo's envoy to Indonesia. Photo: Kyodo alt=Japan's new ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi moves to Beijing after serving as Tokyo's envoy to Indonesia. Photo: Kyodo>

But according to Andy Mok, a senior research fellow at Beijing-based think tank the Centre for China and Globalisation, Kanasugi's arrival should not be "over-interpreted".

"While they are notable figures, ambassadors mainly carry out the policy decisions made back in their home countries, and their appointments alone may not signal major policy changes," Mok said.

Story continues

As well as being the most vocal critic of the Fukushima discharges, Beijing has also been locked in a long-standing territorial dispute with Tokyo over the Diaoyu Islands, known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands.

Last week China and Japan each made contradictory claims about vessels illegally entering each other's territory. The latest dispute began on Monday, with both countries' coastguards reporting incidents.

China coastguard spokesman Gan Yu said a Japanese vessel and several boats entered China's territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands. Chinese vessels took lawful measures and warned the Japanese boats, he said.

On the same day, Japan's coastguard reported that two vessels from its Chinese counterpart entered Japanese territorial waters off the islands and were warned not to approach Japanese fishing boats.

The Asian neighbours are also in talks to revive the annual China-Japan-South Korea summit, suspended since its 2019 meeting in Chengdu because of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as friction between Seoul and Tokyo over historical issues.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, assistant minister Nong Rong met his counterparts Chung Byung-won from South Korea and Japan's Takehiro Funakoshi in September to discuss a "steady relaunch" of the event. No date was specified.

Kanasugi's designation is one of a series of appointments, with former senior deputy foreign minister Shigeo Yamada heading to Washington as Tokyo's ambassador there, while Russia expert Akira Muto is the new envoy to Moscow.

Kazuyuki Yamazaki, 62, who previously headed Japan's mission to the international organisations in Geneva, was appointed as the country's ambassador to the United Nations.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Insight Partners

Virtual Pipeline Systems Market is growing at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2022 to 2028.

Pune, India, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to The Insight Partners,  Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Forecast to 2028  COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis  by Type (Standard Trailer and Towable Trailer), Gas (CNG, Hydrogen, and Others), Pressure Rating (Less than 3000 Psi, 3001 Psi to 5000 Psi, and More than 5001 Psi), Application (Industrial, Transportation, and Commercial & Residential), and Geography, the market is projected to reach US$ 1.88 billion by 2028 from US$ 1.19 billion in 2022; the virtual pipeline systems market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2022 to 2028.





Download Sample PDF Brochure at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00011605





The virtual pipeline system helps transfer natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and other gases through truck trailers. The main benefit of a virtual pipeline system is it provides gas supply to remote locations. Pipeline systems are essential in transporting liquid fuel and natural gas for consumer and industrial uses. However, supply-chain bottlenecks during the COVID-19 pandemic hindered the long-term recovery of the virtual pipeline systems market. Rebound in trade activities and increase in logistics operations post-pandemic are expected to accelerate the Virtual Pipeline Systems market growth in the coming years.

Favorable government initiatives to bolster the demand for natural gas supply in industrial and commercial areas are boosting the Virtual Pipeline Systems market growth. In the US, the rising government spending on the oil & gas industry with expansion of exploration and production activities is anticipated to positively impact the Virtual Pipeline Systems market. The Permian Basin's new project developments and significant shale gas production will enhance North America's overall development. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2021, the US natural gas production increased by 2% and reached 118.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in December 2021, the highest on record. The US leads in the use of feedstock for CNG and methanol. In addition, the virtual pipeline system developers have been attracted by low gas prices in the US, following the country's rapid increase in production. Further, aging pipeline infrastructure and stringent environmental emission rules are two significant factors that primarily drive the virtual pipeline system market. The rising consumption of energy is creating significant opportunities for the market. For instance, by 2050, Asia Pacific's energy consumption is anticipated to rise by up to 48%. According to the IEA, China will significantly contribute to global energy consumption by 2025.

Story continues





Global Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Scope:

Market Size Value in USD 1.19 Billion in 2022 Market Size Value by USD 1.88 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 9.2% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2022 Segments covered Offering, Type, End-User Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South & Central America. Country scope Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends





Virtual Pipeline Systems Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

Baker Hughes, Certarus Ltd., CNG Services Ltd., Exxon Mobil Corporation, Galileo Technologies S.A., Hexagon Composites ASA, Luxfer Holdings PLC, Pentagon Energy LLC, Throttle Energy Inc., and Xpress Natural Gas LLC are among the key players in the virtual pipeline systems market. The leading companies are focusing on expanding and diversifying their market presence and acquiring a new customer base, thereby tapping prevailing business opportunities.

In January 2021, Edge LLC commissioned liquefied natural gas (LNG) virtual pipelines to connect shale gas-producing fields to consumers of high horsepower equipment without the need to lay pipes. The company intends to distribute natural gas more competitively and efficiently than conventional pipelines in the Marcellus shale region.





Virtual Pipeline Systems Market: Type Overview

Based on type, the virtual pipeline systems market is segmented into below standard trailer and towable trailer. The below standard trailer segment accounted for a larger share of the virtual pipeline systems market in 2021, owing to an increase in demand for large-capacity gas carrier solutions. Moreover, the towable trailer segment is projected to grow at a faster pace during the forecast period, owing to small-scale projects requiring natural gas at peak times.





Order a Copy of this Report at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00011605





Growing Investment in VPS Technologies

The advancement in technology is reducing the oil & gas industry's environmental impact substantially, from increased efficiency to reduced safety risk and travel. Oil and gas firms are paying attention to new emerging technologies because they can help them save energy, avoid oil spills and other catastrophes, and emit less carbon. For instance, Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas has launched a virtual LNG pipeline system, the "VPS"; solution via its refill terminal in Pengerang, Johor. The introduction of the VPS solution is part of Petronas' commitment to environmental sustainability and growth in natural gas use in Malaysia. By creating an ecosystem and establishing the necessary infrastructure, the company aims to deliver a cleaner, more competitive form of energy to power its businesses. Similarly, Galileo Technologies S.A., an Argentina-based company, introduced MAT technology for flexible storage and gas transportation. The MAT, Cryo-MAT, and MAT-B containers are at the heart of the system, and they help establish a flexible range of services for different types of consumers, whether their needs are characterized by volume, gas, logistics, or consumption locations. Their safety mechanisms meet the highest global standards for natural gas transport and storage equipment.





Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Virtual Pipeline Systems Market

In Europe, Russia's export of gas was drastically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Major European countries such as Germany, France, the UK, and Italy rely heavily on gas imports from Russia. In Europe, Brent crude oil prices fell by 75.0% in April 2020, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic-led supply chain bottleneck. Thus, reduced gas imports through the pipeline decreased gas production in producing countries such as Russia and Norway. According to the EIA data, Europe's capacity topped 150 million tons per anum (MTPA) since 2013; however, until 2019, imports of natural gas remained below 60 million tons as new natural gas supply volumes were pulled to higher-priced markets in Asia.

Most European Union countries have substantial within EU cross-border pipeline capacity that is not linked to Russia. For example, Germany has a total of 114 Bcm of capacity, while total annual consumption is 94 Bcm, according to the European Network of Transmission System Operators.









Go through further research published by The Insight Partners:

Offshore Pipeline Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2027

Water Pipeline Leak Detection System Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2028

Pipeline Monitoring System Market - Global Analysis and Forecast to 2030









About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

Contact Us:

If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

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Press Release: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/virtual-pipeline-systems-market




COLDWATER  SEKISUI Voltek broke ground for a new $39 million plant expansion in the southwest industrial park Tuesday afternoon.

Voltek announced plans to add a 50,000-square-feet expansion on the vacant 20 acres west of its current facility last October.

Company officials from SEKISUI Voltek turned a ceremonial first shovel Tuesday for the $38 million expansion of the plastic foam manufacturing plant in Coldwater's Southwest Industrial Park.

Neil Beckhusen, president and COO of Sekisui Voltek, said the company hoped to start construction in December and begin operation by the summer of 2025.

Weve been around 50-plus years now. Actually, next year will be our 55th year supplying cross-linked polyolefin foams, Beckhusen said.

The president joked most people know the firm for its yellow foam panels used for floats in pools and area lakes.

Companies turn the foam into medical, automotive, transportation, sports, and building products.

Our products run deep, and they touch everything that you do, Beckhusen said. They are found in industries and all areas of North America and South America.

Beckhusen said the expansion is securing our long-term future and investment with this company. Were going to continue to push forward. Were going to continue to make it a part of Coldwaters future.

SEKISUI Voltek President and COO Neil Beckhusen welcomes guests to the groundbreaking.

Mayor Tom Kramer said, I want everybody in the company to know we recognize what you mean to Coldwater. We thank you for everything that you have done, and for everything that you are doing.

Beckhusen said the expansion is a challenge. This investment is just not the same equipment that we have in this plant today. Were trying to introduce new technology that were not experienced with, so its going to be a challenge for us.

Prior story Voltek announces $39M second plant in Coldwater to make more foam products

Representative of the parent company, SEKISUI Chemical, attended the groundbreaking from Japan.

The company employs 180 and will add 20 more people with the expansion.

The Coldwater City Council granted Voltek a 12-year 50% tax abatement for the new construction and equipment on Oct. 9

SEKISUI Voltek CFO Jeff Budd and CBPU Director Paul Jakubczak look over renderings of the new plant expansion.

Samantha Albright, the city's property assessor, said the abatement will not start until after a two-year construction period since it is going to take them a little bit of time to complete everything.

Story continues

As one of the Coldwater Board of Public Utility power customers, Voltek had the city act as its purchasing agent to secure a 2500 KVA transformer for expansion.

In January, Voltek bought the transformer for $255,612.80, with almost a year until delivery.

Subscribe Support local news. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter.

CBPU will construct a power line from the Butters Avenue substation to the new plant expansion.

Kona Capital in June reported SEKISUI Volteks annual revenues at $40,942,000.

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Plastic foam manufacturer Voltek breaks ground on $39M expansion
Wabash posted higher profits on lower sales in the third quarter. (Photo: Wabash)

A favorable product mix and strong results from parts and services, tanks and truck bodies helped Wabash post solid third-quarter earnings while dry van sales fell as consumer spending on goods slowed.

Wabash is realizing efficiencies from the multiyear reorganization of its business into two units  one for van and body production across first- to final-mile products and one that focuses on growing parts and service revenue.

Long-term supply deals like one Wabash announced with J.B. Hunt Transport Services in January protects against economic swings that result in canceled orders. Those agreements allow Wabash to sign suppliers to longer terms like a multiyear agreement in September with Rockland Flooring for laminated wood trailer flooring.

Wabash in August completed the conversion of a former refrigerated van factory capable of 5,000 units a year to produce 10,000 dry vans, demand for which has slowed since peak demand during the pandemic.

As we navigate softer near-term demand conditions within the dry van market, we expect the strength of our first to final mile portfolio to be apparent as truck bodies, tank trailers and parts and services support our results leading to what we anticipate will be our best-ever trough performance in 2024, CEO Brent Yeagy said in a news release.

Those are the same factors the company cited in reporting record Q2 earnings. Wabash expects orders to come toward the later end of typical seasonal patterns for the industry.

Revenue falls as profits rise

Wabash reported quarterly revenue of $632.8 million, down 3.4% from the year-ago quarter. The company lowered full-year revenue guidance to about $2.6 billion.

The company reported Q3 operating income of $78 million with a 12.3% margin. Gross profit of $123 million equaled 19.4% of sales. Both exceeded earlier expectations.

Quarterly diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.16 compared to 73 cents a year ago. Wabash raised its full-year earnings per share estimate by 20 cents to $4.65, the midpoint of a $4.60-$4.70 range.

Story continues

Through the first three quarters of 2023, Wabash outpaced its 2025 EPS goal of $3.50, Yeagy said.

We are raising the bar considerably for the peak earnings potential of Wabash. We are also poised to generate significant free cash flow in 2023 even while making meaningful investments in our operations.

The Lafayette, Indiana-based company said its total backlog of orders to build fell 20% to $1.9 billion compared with the July-September period in 2022. Backlogged orders shipped over the next 12 months should amount to about $1.4 billion.

Related articles:

Wabash reports record Q2 earnings

Wabash cuts multiyear trailer supply deal with J.B. Hunt

Big bet raises Wabash dry van capacity by 20%

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.

The post Wabash Q3 profits rise as revenue falls appeared first on FreightWaves.
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Walt Disney's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

36% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders

Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

A look at the shareholders of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 64% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

And so it follows that institutional investors was the group most impacted after the company's market cap fell to US$152b last week after a 3.0% drop in the share price. The recent loss, which adds to a one-year loss of 18% for stockholders, may not sit well with this group of investors. Institutions or "liquidity providers" control large sums of money and therefore, these types of investors usually have a lot of influence over stock price movements. Hence, if weakness in Walt Disney's share price continues, institutional investors may feel compelled to sell the stock, which might not be ideal for individual investors.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Walt Disney.

View our latest analysis for Walt Disney

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Walt Disney?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Walt Disney does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Walt Disney's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Story continues

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Walt Disney. Our data shows that The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.1% of shares outstanding. With 6.7% and 4.0% of the shares outstanding respectively, BlackRock, Inc. and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Walt Disney

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of The Walt Disney Company in their own names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$42m of stock. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 36% stake in Walt Disney. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Walt Disney you should know about.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
For the second time, Scott Mayausky, the commissioner of revenue in Stafford County since 2000, is facing opposition from Lorena Thorne Bruner for the job.

During the 2019 election, the incumbent got 53% of the vote compared to Bruner's 39%, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. A third candidate received 8% of the vote total.

In Virginia, the duties of the commissioner of revenue are to assess property, income and license taxes, to collect and audit tax returns and to keep an accurate accounting of all delinquent tax accounts.

Early voting already has begun, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Both candidates responded to questionnaires from The Free LanceStar about themselves and the top issues facing the commissioner of revenue.

Lorena Thorne Bruner

Q: What are the top three issues facing Stafford County and how would you address them?

A: Elected to Serve is the motto of the Commissioner of Revenue Association of Virginia. And I plan to make this the foundational leadership when I am in office. Among many areas, I will include improving the following three prospective issues.

Streamlining business tax reporting: I will look to simplify the current business personal property tax assessment methods to try and make them less complex. There needs to be new technologies that can make the process of tax assessments easier to understand. A program that simplifies business personal property taxes would help business owners obtain a predictable tax assessment.

Spanish language services: Improving the Citizen Portal to include information translated into Spanish for Spanish speaking residents. Stafford County has a huge, diverse Spanish and Hispanic and Latinx population within our community. And service to this valued and growing portion of our community has been underserved for too long. I would like to initiate a program to provide Spanish language services and documents within the office. This will also encourage more Spanish speaking employees for hire which will enhance our service to the community.

Commitment to the people and public service is lacking: The commissioner of revenue is an elected official who works at the pleasure of the citizens of Stafford County. Within the public service agenda, my office would be creating avenues to making the average citizen feel well-informed and understood. Unfortunately, in the last 24 years, Stafford County residents have not been as informed as they need to be regarding understanding the workings of local government. And this has posed a big problem in recent years. This has created much frustration among Stafford residents frustrated with the office of the commissioner of revenue and district supervisors as a whole.

Our office must do better. And be willing to do whatever it takes to help business owners spend less time with tax reporting, resulting in spending more time on their businesses.

Scott Mayausky

Q: What are the top three issues facing Stafford County and how would you address them?

A: Experience: The commissioner of the revenues office generates over $300 million of local tax revenue annually. This revenue comes primarily from property taxes but also included fiduciary taxes like the meals tax and transient occupancy taxes.

This revenue is vital to the funding of every aspect of Stafford Countys government: public safety, education, transportation, etc.

It takes experience and a deep knowledge of tax policy and financial management to ensure that taxes are administered fairly and accurately. In my 24 years in office, Stafford has been recognized as a leader in tax administration and public finance. This is evidenced by Stafford being one of only 50 counties in the country to achieve the coveted Triple-AAA bond rating.

For the first time in 16 years Stafford County will be electing a new treasurer. The treasurer and commissioner are the only two elected financial officers in Stafford County. They must work closely with each other to generate the local tax revenue used to fund county services. I have the experience to ensure this transition is smooth and there will be no disruption in Staffords financial system.

Vison: My experience coupled with my education provides me a unique perspective on policy matters. We must have public officials who are proactive and not reactive. I have worked with both the Virginia General Assembly and the Board of Supervisors to create tax policy that attracted large economic development projects which help lower the tax burden on homeowners.

In 2021 I developed a plan to eliminate the countys vehicle license fee which is currently saving taxpayers $3 million every year.

For the past year I have been preparing my office for the arrival of data centers and the potential of hundreds of millions of tax dollars they could bring to Stafford County. All the revenue projections and financial benefits they offer will be generated by the commissioner of the revenues office. My team will be ready on day one to ensure data center companies are paying every penny they will owe in taxes. We cannot afford inexperience or reactionary policy-making with such an important revenue source.

Fiscal responsibility: I understand every dollar Stafford County spends comes from the taxpayer. This belief drives me to run my office in the same manner as I run my household finances. If I dont need it, I dont ask for it. Despite the dramatic growth Stafford has experienced in the past 30 years, I am operating my office at 2003 staffing levels. I achieved this by leveraging technology and business practices to their fullest.

I believe that transparency is vital to the proper functioning of government. I try to educate citizens on our tax structure and highlight important facts that they need to know. This builds trust and helps hold everyone involved in government accountable.

Taxpayers are to be respected and valued, they are not the personal ATM machines for bureaucrats and free spending politicians.
Candidates who showed for a public forum Monday night agreed on many of Spotsylvania Countys key issues and plans for the future while addressing 10 questions from the crowd at Salem Library.

The questions for the candidatesrunning for the Board of Supervisors, sheriff and clerk of the circuit courtcovered such issues as misleading sample ballots being handed out at the countys early voting site; how to deal with the School Board; funding for schools, libraries and public safety; and data center development.

The Spotsylvania Branch of the NAACP, the Spotsylvania Education Association and the Fredericksburg area alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority hosted the forum.

Former county commonwealths attorney William Neely served as moderator.

The forum included Board of Supervisors candidates Gerald Childress, Michael Bush, Andrew Mullins, Mike Martin, Deborah Frazier and Roy Searles Jr.; incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Christy Jett and incumbent Sheriff Roger Harris.

Martin, a U.S. Department of Defense employee, and Childress, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who owns a digital marketing agency and IT/security infrastructure company and Planning Commission member, are running for the Chancellor District.

The Courtland District race includes the 23-year-old Bush, a financial adviser and insurance agent who also has taught with AmeriCorps, and Mullins, a U.S. Navy veteran who owns a Fredericksburg violin shop.

In the Salem District, the incumbent and county school principal Frazier faces a challenge by Searles, a political newcomer who told the crowd he wasnt seeking their votes but rather wanted to tell them what is really happening in the county.

Sheriff Harris is being challenged by Steve Maxwell, who says he is a federal law enforcement officer, something the current sheriff challenged during the forum.

Jett, seeking a third term as Spotsylvanias clerk of the court, faces a challenge by Nick Ignacio, has run for various local and state offices as an anti-establishment option.

Neither Maxwell nor Ignacio attended the forum.

Ignacio has been distributing, under the moniker of the Fredericksburg Virginia Patriots, unauthorized sample ballots in Spotsylvania that falsely claim he is endorsed by the Democratic and Republican committees. Ignacio faces a possible injunction to prevent him from distributing the sample ballots.

The sample ballot controversy was the first audience question, addressed the Harris and Jett.

Jett said more laws are needed to address the issue and that candidates should earn their votes  not try and deceive voters.

Harris called the misleading sample ballots a pathetic move, adding that candidates for elected office should have character and they should know the law.

Another question focused on the growth in residential housing in Spotsylvania and how the county will handle the impact on schools and other public services.

Frazier said there is a need for certain levels of housing in the county. She also emphasized that smart economic development can bring in needed revenue, as opposed to raising taxes.

Bush and Childress agreed that smart commercial growth is important.

Mullins said communication with developers is key, while Martin said politicians should not simply rubber-stamp development proposals.

Searles attacked other candidates because they have accepted developer donations.

One crowd question asked how the candidates would handle the culture of the county School Board. The board has long been embroiled in controversies over such issues as library books, and the boards meetings have at times devolved into chaos.

Martin said respect works both ways and that people are losing focus on the important topic: education.

Mullins said there should be performance metrics put in place to justify and manage school funding.

Searles said the school board and schools are getting better and that voters can decide who is on the school board, which drew catcalls and groans from the crowd.

Childress said the school board and supervisors dont talk and that the right people are needed, adding that he would make sure the school system gets the necessary funding.

Bush said the Board of Supervisors and school board should bring back roundtable discussions, which used to be common.

Frazier praised the school system, adding that it can be better and needs more funding.

A later question asked the candidates whether the Board of Supervisors should utilize categorical funding for the school system as a way to better manage how funding is spent.

All of the supervisor candidates agreed that categorical funding is the way to go.

Another crowd question asked how important the county libraries are. All of the candidates stressed their support for the library system.

Developer interest in building data centersthe high-tech cloud-computing facilitiesin Spotsylvania was another topic among the crowd questions. One resident wondered when the projected millions in tax revenues will come to the county as it could take up to 15 years for some to be built.

Childress said the county will benefit financially when the work starts on the data centers, as jobs will be created. He also pointed out the overall funds from data centers will help the countys many departments.

Frazier said she approved data center projects because they will bring in millions of dollars to improve the countys infrastructure. She also said having data centers so close will help protect area residents data.

Bush also noted the financial benefits, but said developers need to be held accountable.

Searles agreed that the county needs the revenue, but at what cost? He thinks the county approved data center development too quickly and without enough information.

Mullins noted that early on data center development had negative impacts on some localities but added that the industry is evolving and has improved on early problems.

Martin said there should be more emphasis on the energy consumption of data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity to run.

Early voting has started. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Mary Thomsen tells people, who are concerned they might have cancer, one important thing:

Get it checked out with a doctor.

Dont be afraid of going to the doctor and having tests, the Fremont woman said. The fear of the unknown is bigger than the fear of the known. You can fight anything. If you know whats wrong, lets start fighting it.

As she says this, Thomsen reflects on two different cancer journeys  hers and that of her daughter, Lauren.

It was tenderness in an upper left breast that had Mary Thomsen thinking she should see a doctor after New Years in 2017.

The area was quite sore, recalled Thomsen, who at that time hadnt had a mammogram in seven years. Thomsen figured if nothing showed up on the mammogram, the soreness would go away.

After the first mammogram, Thomsen was called back for another and then a biopsy was performed.

Thomsen would learn she had Stage 2, non-evasive ductile carcinoma. A relative recommended an oncologist and Thomsen read resumes of breast cancer specialists before choosing one. She met with a team that included her oncologist, surgeon and radiologist.

She also was asked to be part of a study out of George Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Thomsen said one group received a certain medication, while the second were given a different medication and the third received a placebo.

Thomsen had a series of two shots every month.

In September 2017, Thomsen had a lumpectomy and is missing a third of her left breast. Three lymph nodes also were removed.

A week later, I got my results and I was cancer free, she said.

Thomsen didnt have chemotherapy, but did have a series of about 20 radiation treatments.

I did get burned, but it healed and I was fine, Thomsen said. They (the treatments) ended right before Thanksgiving of that year.

Except for doctors appointments, she didnt miss work.

Ive had worse colds than what any of this cancer did to me, Thomsen said. I want to put that fear out of peoples minds. Its not always a death sentence.

Thomsen noted that her husband, Russell, and son, Joey, offered to help, but she really didnt have to rely on others.

I was very able to take care of myself and live the life I was living, she said. Nothing really changed. The help was there if I needed it, but I really didnt.

At the time, Thomsens daughter, Lauren, was battling skin cancer (melanoma).

I was doing so well and she wasnt, plus she was pregnant, Thomsen said.

While Thomsen had gone to a doctor because of pain in her breast, her daughter went because of a change in a mole.

Thomsen said her daughter gave up her cancer treatment.

It was either give up the treatment or give up the baby and she gave up the treatment, Thomsen said. We have a 5-year-old grandson, Calvin. Hes a healthy, thriving young boy.

Thomsen said Calvin was born at 26 weeks and weighed 2 pounds and 6 ounces.

Lauren got to be with him for seven months before she passed, Thomsen said. All she ever wanted to be was a mom.

Thomsen noted that her daughter fought a hard battle for about two or three years.

The night before she passed, she said, Mom, Im going to beat this and she fought and she fought, but her heart gave out, Thomsen said.

Laurens battle with cancer ended on Sept. 6, 2018.

A year after Lauren passed, family members  including her twin sister, Jillian, niece, Tesla, then-4, and nephew, Jean-Luc, then-2  buried her ashes at Ridge Cemetery in Fremont.

They released seven pink balloons  representing her favorite color and date she was born, Nov. 7, 1984. They also released one black balloon representing cancer.

The seven balloons just soared into a perfectly blue, beautiful sky and the black one went up and came right back down, Thomsen recalled.

The Rev. David Paul, then pastor of First Congregational Church in Fremont, put his arm around Thomsen as the black balloon fell.

She won, he said.

After the service and a luncheon, Jillian took a copy of Laurens signature and had it tattooed on her arm. A small group of friends also got tattoos of Laurens signature.

Looking back, Thomsen reflects on her journey and her daughters.

I went through my journey and have had total success so far and Lauren went through hers and she didnt, but  like Pastor David said with the balloons  she did win, Thomsen said. She conquered and even though it wasnt living longer, she fought (cancer) to the best of her ability.
Former Dodge County Attorney Oliver J. Glass is expected to be a free man on Friday, Oct. 27, when he is scheduled to be released from incarceration by the federal government.

Glass was released from U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth on Aug. 22 and transferred into a post-prison program managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons Residential Reentry Management Office in Kansas City.

According to Randilee Gimausso, a spokesperson with the Office of Public Affairs for the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Glass was either transferred to an undisclosed halfway house or he was assigned to home confinement at his residence in Fremont since Aug. 22.

In an August interview, Gimausso declined to specify where Glass was being housed, citing federal privacy regulations regarding released inmates.

Glass was an inmate at USP Leavenworth since March. He had taken a plea deal with federal prosecutors that resulted in him being sentenced to nine months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. on Feb. 17, 2023. Glass was also sentenced to serve a one-year term of supervised release and to pay a $3,000 fine.

Originally scheduled to be released on Dec. 26, 2024, Glass has had his release from incarceration date changed three times. Federal inmates can have their sentences reduced for many reasons, including good behavior, participating in prison rehabilitation efforts and taking part in other programs such as job training.

Following several months as an inmate at Leavenworth, Glass first had his release date changed from Dec. 26 to Dec. 16. Then, several months later, his release date was altered again, from Dec. 16 to Nov. 11. That date was then altered  and Glass was released from USP Leavenworth  a third time, with his final release date being set as Oct. 27.

The now-disgraced former county attorney plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit deprivation of rights under color of law on Nov. 21, 2022, following an almost two-year investigation.

Glass was the Dodge County attorney from 2011 until March 2021. He was accused of a litany of allegations in relation to claims he coordinated in 2020 the months-long, multi-faceted harassment of Nathan Schany, the then-boyfriend of Glasss estranged wife, Katie Glass.

Prosecutors detailed a months-long harassment and cyber-stalking campaign coordinated by Glass, which targeted the lover of his now-ex-wife.

Glass admitted to coordinating the incessant following and harassing of Schany with as many as five local law enforcement officials from the Fremont Police Department and the Dodge County Sheriffs Office as well as a Hooper-based private investigator. None of the law enforcement officials alleged to be involved in the harassment were ever charged.

During plea deal negotiations, Glass told investigators that he engaged in the criminal activity because Schany, who was dating his estranged wife, had been convicted in Iowa of child abuse allegations. Glass claimed that because of Schanys background, he was worried for his own childrens safety, because Schany would visit his estranged wife while she had the couples children in her custody.

However, prosecutors disputed those claims and Federal District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. debunked Glasss story during the sentencing, comparing Glasss argument to felons who say they need a gun for protection or dealers who sell drugs to help their family.

According to coverage of Glasss sentencing in the Omaha World-Herald, Rossiter said because Glass was an elected official, he was held to a higher standard in choosing public service over private practice.

Its all for good reason, but its still a crime, Rossiter said as he delivered his sentence. You broke those oaths and you breached the public trust. You were the county attorney! You were the county attorney.
Already hosting one of the most comprehensive career education programs for a school its size, Tekamah-Herman may be ready to go a step further. A proposal is being considered to add a program that would teach students job skills that arent covered through technical training.

During its Oct. 9 meeting, the schools Board of Education heard a proposal that would add a United Way Jobs For Americas Graduates instructor to the staff. Superintendent Brad Kjar said United Way would cover the programs costs for the first two years, with the school district contributing $10,000 in the third year.

JAG is based in the belief that students can accomplish extraordinary things once they realize the future relevance of what theyre learning and that young people will exceed expectations when challenged.

In 2019, Nebraska became one of 39 states affiliated with the national organization Jobs for Americas Graduates in 2019. Supported by United Way of the Midlands in collaboration with state agencies and participating school districts, JAG Nebraska helps students overcome challenges to achieve personal and career success after high school.

JAG instruction is offered during regular classroom hours at participating schools and is available to all young people who need, want, or can benefit from the program. Certified Career Specialists teach a minimum of 37 skills that are valued in the workplace and community. The JAG curriculum prepares students for future job success by building relationships with local employers; receiving career and technical education; participating in hands-on experiences; developing leadership and life skills; learning civic and social responsibility; and joining in student-led activities.

Potential instructors receive a provisional teaching certificate from the Nebraska Department of Education. The program requires they teach two periods per day and have two periods per day to plan.

After that, theyre on our schedule and we can use them any way we want, Kjar said.

Both of Tekamah-Hermans principals, Jason Heitz and Apryl Beck came to the district from schools that offered JAG and both are completely supportive of the program.

Should the school board approve the program, district officials would get the opportunity to interview the candidates who apply for the job here.

The right person makes the whole thing go, Beck said. This has great potential for people who may be a great fit for the job, but dont have the teaching certificate.

Final hiring decisions are up to United Way of the Midlands, but they arent likely to approve somebody we dont want, Heitz said.

The board could act on the proposal as soon as the Nov. 13 meeting.

In other business Oct. 9, the school board:

Heard a report from Kjar regarding the security system at the Career Education Center. He said the main door to the center has remained unlocked because the card reader is broken. Because it isnt locked, he said a, uninvited guest was in the building recently.

Nobody was in danger, but we dont want that door open all the time, Kjar said. Thats been fixed and its the first time in a long time that (the door) works the way its supposed to.

Kjar also reported a leaking valve has been discovered in a water main between the buildings near the art room. He said it was uncertain which side of the main the leak is on, but I dont think it matters. It has to be fixed.

He said a leaking feed pipe in the basement also was leaking on the morning of the meeting. A staff member found three inches of water in the basement from a leak that was gushing water in a stream the size of a quarter. Were getting that fixed, too.

Declared as miscellaneous a number of items that had ben stored on the auditorium stage. The list includes desks, chairs, tables, filing cabinets, etc.

There are any number of items there that we need to keep, Kjar said, but there are a lot we dont. They can be salvaged or sold.

Approved language changes to the weight room agreement citizens sign to use the facility.

Among them, children under 14 originally were not allowed in teh facility when it was open to the public.

Were talking about participation and wanting to be more competitive across the board, Kjar said. In my opinion, why not let them in if an adult is with them and they want to better themselves.

A change also allows recent graduates to use the facility before they go off to college.

A parent or guardian will have to sign off on it, Kjar said, but we should be able to trust these kids after all the time and energy theyve invested in our school.

Thats us saying thank-you.
A 51-year-old inmate who was serving time at the Nebraska State Penitentiary died at a local hospital Monday, according to the Nebraska Department of Corrections.

Carl Christian was serving a 10 to 15-year sentence after he was convicted in Douglas County of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person. He began his sentence in May of this year.

A grand jury will investigate, as is the case when any inmate dies in the custody.

Top Journal Star photos for October 2023
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  The U.N. warned Wednesday that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the territory blockaded and devastated by Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.

The warning came as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources. Meanwhile, the U.N.s top official faced backlash from Israel after saying the Hamas massacre that sparked the fighting did not take place in a vacuum.

Health officials said the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets pounded Gaza. Workers pulled dead and wounded civilians, including many children, out of landscapes of rubble in cities across the territory.

Gazas Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said more than 750 people were killed over the past 24 hours. The Associated Press could not independently verify the death toll, and it was not known if the count included any militants.

The Israeli military, which accuses Hamas of operating among civilians, said its strikes killed militants and destroyed military targets. Gaza militants have fired unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.

The rising death toll in Gaza  following a reported 704 killed the day before  was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come if Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israels destruction.

The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war. The figure includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital last week.

The fighting has killed more than 1,400 people in Israel  mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas also holds some 222 hostages in Gaza.

The warning by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, over depleting fuel supplies raised alarm that the humanitarian crisis could quickly worsen.

Gazas population has been running out of food, water and medicine, too, under Israel's seal. About 1.4 million of Gazas 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, with nearly half of them crowded into U.N. shelters.

In recent days, Israel let a small number of trucks with aid enter from Egypt but barred deliveries of fuel  needed to power generators  saying it believes Hamas will take it.

UNRWA has been sharing its own fuel supplies so that trucks can distribute aid, bakeries can feed people in shelters, water can be desalinated, and hospitals can keep incubators, life support machines and other vital equipment working.

If it continues doing all of that, fuel will run out by Thursday, so the agency is deciding how to ration its supply, UNRWA spokeswoman Tamara Alrifai told The Associated Press.

Do we give for the incubators or the bakeries? Do we bump clean water or do we send trucks to the borders? she said. It is an excruciating decision.

More than half of Gazas primary health care facilities and roughly a third of its hospitals have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization said.

At Gaza Citys al-Shifa Hospital, the lack of medicine and clean water have led to alarming infection rates, the group Doctors Without Borders said. Amputations are often required to prevent infection from spreading in the wounded, it said.

One surgeon with the group described amputating half the foot of a 9-year-old boy with slight sedation on a hallway floor as his mother and sister watched.

A strike Wednesday in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed the wife, son, daughter and grandson of one of Al Jazeera TV's chief correspondents, Wael Dahdouh. Footage aired on the Qatari based network showed the veteran journalist weeping over his son's body on a hospital floor.

They take vengeance on us through our children? he sobbed.

In a swath of Gaza City's Yarmouk neighborhood reduced to splinters, a bleeding man hugged a child after both were dug out of the rubble. A bakery in Deir al-Balah was flattened. In a nearby hospital, medics treated a boy with a mangled, half-severed leg. One worker lifted a dead baby out of the shattered concrete and rebar of 15 homes hit in the southern city of Rafah.

The conflict threatened to spread across the region. The Israeli military said it struck military sites in Syria in response to rocket launches from the country. Syrian state media said eight soldiers were killed and seven wounded.

Strikes in Syria also hit the airports of Aleppo and Damascus, in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah. Israel has been exchanging near daily fire with Iranian-backed Hezbollah across the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met with top Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials in their first reported meeting since the war started. Such a meeting could signal coordination between the groups, as Hezbollah officials warned Israel against launching a ground offensive in Gaza.

Hamas' surprise rampage on Oct. 7 in southern Israel stunned the country with its brutality, its unprecedented toll and the failure of intelligence agencies to know it was coming. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech Wednesday night that he will be held accountable, but only after Hamas was defeated.

We will get to the bottom of what happened," he said. "This debacle will be investigated. Everyone will have to give answers, including me.

U.S. President Joe Biden said that after the conflict comes to an end, Israelis, Palestinians and their partners must work toward a two-state solution. He also decried increasing attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, saying they must stop now.

Settler attacks have been part of swelling violence in the occupied West Bank, including clashes between fighters and Israeli troops and shootings of stone-throwing protesters. At least 104 Palestinians have been killed, health authorities say.

Israels U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said his country will stop issuing visas to U.N. personnel after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum. It was unclear what the action, if implemented, would mean for U.N. aid personnel working in Gaza and the West Bank.

Its time to teach them a lesson, Erdan told Army Radio, accusing the U.N. chief of justifying a slaughter.

The U.N. chief told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. Guterres said the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Guterres said Wednesday he is shocked at the misinterpretation of his statement as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas.

This is false. It was the opposite, he told reporters.

Magdy reported from Cairo and Keath from Athens. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Aamer Madhani in Washington; Amy Teibel in Jerusalem; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Sarah El Deeb in Beirut; and Brian Melley in London contributed.
Republican congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana has been elected House speaker. Republicans eagerly gave Johnson the gavel on Wednesday by a vote of 220-209, with a few absences. Johnson picked up an important nod of support from Donald Trump. Johnson was the fourth candidate Republicans nominated to replace Kevin McCarthy. The Republican majority has been desperate to end the chaos after ousting Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month. Johnson was quickly sworn into office. He said Republicans would restore the people's faith in the House. President Joe Biden congratulated the new speaker, saying it's time for all to act responsibly addressing the nation's challenges.
Colorado Springs Utilities announced Wednesday it has filed a formal appeal of the Planning Commission's decision this month not to increase the height of a nearly-completely built water tank in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood.

The Planning Commission's action on Oct. 11 effectively upheld a stop work order the city issued on the project in late August, which the city-owned utility is also appealing.

The nine-member City Council, which also acts as the Colorado Springs Utilities board, will hear the appeals at its regular meeting Nov. 14.

The city on Aug. 30 issued an order to halt construction on the new 5 million-gallon concrete Wilson water tank the agency is building in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, after neighbors identified in June it was nearly 20 feet taller than the utility was permitted to build. A development plan city planners administratively approved in June 2022 limits the new tank's height to no more than 45 feet.

In a news release Wednesday, the utility said the new tank is "an essential operational component of the water system in the northwest portion of Colorado Springs." It serves thousands of water customers and is located in the wildland/urban interface, providing "critical fire suppression support for residents and businesses in the area."

"Colorado Springs Utilities believes the new tanks best-practice design and location is the most reliable, cost-effective choice for the many customers who depend on its performance," officials said in the release.

Appeal documents say that when the development plan was originally submitted the tank's true overall height was uncertain because the utility hadn't yet contracted a vendor to build it.

The subcontractor building the tank developed it based on certain structural design specifications, the utility said in its appeal documents, making its final height about 60 feet.

On May 5, city planners approved an application for a building permit from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department; that application included the development plan and construction drawings showing the overall tank height at about 60 feet, Utilities said in its appeal.

About a month later on June 13, a resident contacted the utility to say he believed the tank was built too tall. The agency investigated and found its building permit wasn't in compliance with its development plan, appeal documents state.

Utilities said its land use consultant informed the agency the city had "erroneously issued the building permit" and Utilities wasn't required to take remedial action.

The utility formally proposed a major modification to the approved development plan to reconcile the height difference, asking officials Oct. 11 to increase the tank's maximum allowable height to 60 feet. The Planning Commission voted 6-2 not to allow the height increase.

Utilities representatives said earlier this month the tank is 95% constructed and the agency has spent more than $3.4 million to build it.

"Utilities has a vested right in its building permit under Colorado law," the agency said in appeal documents. "The (stop work order) at issue in this appeal prevents Utilities from exercising its vested right. Thus, the (stop work order) violates the law. Planning Commission's decision to uphold the (stop work order) is erroneous and clearly contrary to law, because the (stop work order) violates the law."

Utilities said in appeal documents only one planning commissioner tied his vote to deny the height increase to the review criteria laid out in Colorado Springs' Unified Development Code. The code requires decision-making bodies, like the Planning Commission, to apply certain criteria when considering an item like Utilities' proposed modification.

Per the code, the board can approve the tank's height increase if it complies with the development code's provisions and all applicable city regulations; if it is consistent with any conditions in the approval or permit proposed to be modified, unless the board that imposed the condition modifies it; if it doesn't create more adverse impacts on surrounding properties than the development approval or permit proposed to be modified; and if it is consistent with the city's Comprehensive Plan, other adopted plans and the intent of the zone district in which the property is located.

The utility contends the proposed height increase complies with the development code and all applicable city regulations. There are no height restrictions in the zone district where the tank is; the only applicable height restriction at the site was set in the previously approved development plan, the agency said in its appeal.

Utilities has proposed increasing landscaping and changing the paint color to better screen the tank and mitigate the impacts of increased tank height, it said.

Additionally, a 60-foot tank doesn't create more adverse impacts on surrounding properties than the approved development plan, and the proposed height increase is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, other city plans and the intent of the zone district, the agency said.
A Colorado Springs man pleaded guilty to an assault charge in federal court on Tuesday stemming from his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to a press release sent by the Justice Department.

Jonathan Grace, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers when he and others stormed the Capitol.

Previous reporting from The Gazette details that Grace joined a mob of rioters who were pushing back against a line of officers in the Lower West Terrace and tunnel areas of the Capitol, according to the release. At the end of the tunnel were two sets of doors that opened directly into the Capitol.

Grace made his way deep into the mob of rioters inside the tunnel, put his head down, and began using his body weight to push in unison with the rioters against police officers," reads a statement from the investigating special agent whose name was redacted. "As Grace and the rioters thrusted their collective body weight into the officers, one officer could be heard screaming in agonizing pain as he was smashed between a shield and a metal door frame."

After officers temporarily cleared people from the tunnel, authorities say Grace watched as rioters dragged an officer from the tunnel and brutally attacked him. He then rejoined the rioters at the front of the tunnel as they once again pushed against police inside the tunnel.

Grace retreated once an officer sprayed chemical irritants.

According to a copy of the plea agreement obtained by The Gazette, Grace's estimated sentence is 24 to 30 months in prison with a potential fine of up to $95,000. The charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers carries with it a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.

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Court records show that Grace will return to court on Jan. 30, 2024, for his sentencing hearing.

Grace will be the fourth man from the Pikes Peak region since the start of 2022 to serve prison time for their role in the Jan. 6 riots.

In September, a federal judge found former Colorado Springs pastor Tyler Ethridge guilty on six charges stemming from his role in storming the Capitol. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January and faces prison time.

In June, Robert Gieswein of Woodland Park was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty on two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

In September 2022, El Paso County resident Thomas Hammer was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to one charge of interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder.

The release states more than 1,100 people have been charged for "crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol."
Two people attempted to flee a traffic stop early Wednesday morning, damaging a police cruiser in the process, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Police said at 12:08 a.m., an officer attempted to make a traffic stop near the intersection of East Pikes Peak and Hanover Avenue.

"When officers attempted to contact the suspects vehicle, the driver of the vehicle backed into the officers marked patrol vehicle," a CSPD lieutenant wrote in an online blotter entry.

One suspect then attempted to flee the scene on foot, however, officers quickly caught up.

According to police, there was minor damage to both the police cruiser and the suspects' vehicle. The driver and occupant of the vehicle were served and released.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Defeated Argentine presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich signaled on Wednesday she will support far-right libertarian Javier Milei in next month's polarized runoff against Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa.

"The urgency of the moment forces us not to be neutral," conservative Bullrich told a press conference. "Argentina cannot start a new Kirchnerist cycle headed by Sergio Massa".

Bullrich amassed 23.8% of the vote in Sunday's first round election, finishing third behind surprise frontrunner Massa on 36.7% and Milei on just over 30% - a result that defied pre-election polls that had predicted a libertarian win.

"For Argentina to move forward it needs a root change," Bullrich said. "We have our differences with Javier Milei, that is why we competed. We don't hide them ... but we believe that we must join forces for a greater goal."

Some of Milei's proposals include dollarizing the economy and shutting the central bank.

Despite Bullrich's support for Milei, her broader conservative bloc "Juntos por el Cambio" remains split ahead of the Nov. 19 second round runoff as it comprises different cliques.

(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin; Editing by Steven Grattan)
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's federal police said on Wednesday they were carrying out fresh raids and arrests as part of an investigation into the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia, including on a relative of former president Jair Bolsonaro's ex-wife.

Police, according to a statement, served five arrest warrants and 13 search-and-seizure warrants ordered by the Supreme Court in three states and the Federal District, where Brasilia is located.

Police did not reveal the names of those being investigated, but a source with knowledge of the operation told Reuters that Leo Indio, Bolsonaro's ex-wife's nephew who is close to the former president and his children, was one of the targets of the search and seizure warrant.

Indio did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The raids are ongoing efforts to identify people who participated in, funded or fostered the riots, in which a crowd invaded and ransacked the Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court on Jan. 8, 2023.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Steven Grattan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
By Jack Queen and Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump was fined $10,000 on Wednesday after the New York judge overseeing his civil fraud trial said the former U.S. president for a second time violated a gag order barring him from disparaging court staff.

Justice Arthur Engoron had imposed the order on Oct. 3 after Trump shared on social media a photo of the judge's top clerk posing with U.S. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and falsely called her Schumer's "girlfriend."

During a break on Wednesday in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James concerning Trump's business practices, Trump told reporters in a hallway, "This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is."

Engoron, surmising that Trump was referencing his clerk, called the comments a "blatant" gag order violation.

Trump's hallway remarks came as Michael Cohen, his onetime lawyer and fixer, testified for a second day against him.

Before being fined, Trump briefly took the witness stand and told Engoron he was referring to "you and Cohen" during his remarks. The judge rejected the idea, echoed by Trump's lawyer Christopher Kise, that the "partisan" person Trump mentioned was Cohen.

"The idea that that statement would refer to the witness, that doesn't make sense to me," Engoron said. "Don't do it again or it will be worse."

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 U.S. election, walked out of the courtroom after being fined.

On Oct. 20, Engoron fined Trump $5,000 after finding he had not taken down a post disparaging the clerk, warning that future transgressions could bring "far more severe" sanctions including jail. In originally imposing the gag order, Engoron said comments against his staff were "unacceptable, inappropriate and will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Engoron's clerk has sat next to the judge during the trial, standard practice in a New York state court.

Alina Habba, one of Trump's lawyers, told Engoron she saw the clerk appear to roll her eyes during Cohen's testimony, and that this was "completely inappropriate."

COHEN DEFENDS CREDIBILITY

The trial concerns allegations that Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization, unlawfully manipulated asset values and his net worth to dupe lenders and insurers. The case could break up Trump's business empire.

Cohen's two days of testimony marked his first face-to-face encounters with Trump in five years. Trump "arbitrarily" inflated the value of real estate assets to secure favorable insurance premiums, Cohen testified on Tuesday.

Since cutting ties and becoming one of Trump's fiercest critics, Cohen has written two books and created a political podcast.

Cross-examined by Habba on Wednesday, Cohen acknowledged having a financial incentive to criticize Trump, but defended his credibility. He rejected Habba's contention that he has "made a career" of attacking Trump and embellishing criticism for personal gain.

"The more outrageous your stories are about President Trump, the more money you make," Habba said. "Is that accurate, Mr. Cohen?"

"No," Cohen responded.

A lawyer for Trump's adult son Eric Trump - also a defendant in the case - asked Engoron to immediately enter a verdict in the defense's favor based on what he called Cohen's contradictory testimony.

Cohen said on Tuesday Trump told him to inflate his asset values but said during 2019 congressional testimony he did not recall whether he received such a directive.

Engoron denied the request, saying it would be "absurd" to rule in the defense's favor midway through trial based on an "equivocal" statement by one witness.

"There's enough evidence to fill this courtroom," Engoron said.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in the case. Trump separately has pleaded not guilty in four criminal cases this year.

Cohen's testimony could bolster the attorney general's case though his admitted record of deceit could undermine his credibility before Engoron, who alone will decide the outcome of the bench trial. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to tax fraud, campaign finance violations and perjury and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Before the trial's Oct. 2 start, Engoron found that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth, and ordered that companies that control crown jewels of his real estate portfolio, including Trump Tower in Manhattan, be dissolved. That ruling is on hold while Trump appeals.

The trial largely concerns damages. James wants at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and sons Eric and Donald Jr. from running businesses in New York and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization.

(This story has been refiled to replace the word 'violence' with 'finance,' in paragraph 23)

(Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen Walder)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli forces carried out their biggest Gaza ground attack in their 20-day-old war with Hamas overnight as anger grew in the Arab world over Israel's relentless bombardment of the besieged Palestinian territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israeli troops were still preparing for a full ground invasion, while the U.S. and other countries urged Israel to delay, fearing it could ignite hostilities on other Middle East fronts.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said it may soon have to shut down operations in Gaza if no fuel reaches the Hamas-ruled territory amid a desperate need for shelter, water, food and medical services.

The Israeli military says Hamas is holding large reserves of fuel which could be used by hospitals.

Overly stringent checks on trucks at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza were slowing the flow of aid, U.N. World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain said in an interview with Reuters.

"We need safe, unfettered access into Gaza so that we can feed and make sure that people dont starve to death, because thats whats happening," McCain said.

Israel has bombarded the densely populated Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli communities. Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children, and took more than 200 hostages, some of them infants and older adults.

Gaza's health ministry said on Thursday that 7,028 Palestinians had been killed in the retaliatory air strikes, including 2,913 children.

The U.S. State Department said Washington knows that a significant number of people have died in Gaza but does not have independent confirmation of numbers, and it does not trust figures released by Hamas.

The Israeli military has also said Hamas figures cannot be trusted, but has not provided its own assessment. Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra rejected statements questioning the figures.

The ministry on Thursday published a 212-page document with names and ID numbers of the more than 7,000 Palestinians it says were killed in Israel's bombardment.

BIGGEST ISRAELI INCURSION INTO GAZA YET

Israeli army radio said the military had overnight staged its biggest incursion into northern Gaza of the war.

"Tanks and infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts," it said.

Palestinians said Israeli air strikes pounded the territory again overnight and people in central Gaza reported intensive tank shelling all night.

Governments in the West and the Middle East are concerned about a wider regional conflict developing.

U.S. forces have been attacked more than a dozen times in Iraq and Syria in the past week by what Washington suspects are Iran-backed groups. Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have exchanged fire. The United States has sent warships and fighter aircraft to the region since Oct. 7 and on Thursday the Pentagon said about 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defences for U.S. personnel.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a direct message to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against targeting U.S. personnel in the region, the White House said on Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had said at the United Nations that if Israel's offensive against Hamas did not stop, the United States will "not be spared from this fire".

For Israel's part, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, asked at a press conference about the possibility of a confrontation with Iran, said Israel has "no interest in expanding the war."

"We are waging war on the southern front against Hamas, prepared for any development in the north, Hezbollah is suffering many losses," Gallant said.

ARAB CRITICISM

With no sign of a let-up in Gaza, the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemned what they called the targeting of civilians and violations of international law.

Their joint statement said Israel's right to self-defence did not justify breaking the law and neglecting Palestinians' rights. The Arab ministers condemned forced displacement and collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza, where an estimated more than 613,000 people have been made homeless and are being sheltered by UNRWA.

They also criticised Israel's occupation of Palestinian areas and called for more efforts to implement a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict - an idea at the heart of long-moribund peacemaking.

"The absence of a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to repeated acts of violence and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and the peoples of the region," it said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday will send a clear signal of backing for Israel.

At an EU summit, a declaration expressed the group's "gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza." It called for "continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need", including humanitarian corridors and pauses in fighting to deliver aid.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Bloomberg News that Washington was looking for more ways to reduce the flow of financing to Hamas.

Concern also grew over the fate of more than 200 hostages seized by Hamas in the Oct. 7 assault and taken to Gaza.

A spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said on Thursday about 50 captives had been killed in Gaza due to Israeli strikes. He gave no further details and Reuters was unable to verify the numbers.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Tala Ramadan, Henrietta Chacar, Emily Rose, Jeff Mason, Phil Stewart and Michelle Nichols; Writing by Philippa Fletcher, Angus MacSwan, Giles Elgood and Grant McCool; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Howard Goller)
By David Morgan, Moira Warburton and Makini Brice

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives elected Republican Mike Johnson, a conservative with little leadership experience, as speaker on Wednesday, ending a turbulent three weeks that left the rudderless chamber unable to carry out any of its basic duties.

The 220 to 209 party-line vote elevated Johnson to the powerful role that has been vacant since Kevin McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3 by a small group of his fellow Republicans.

"We want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations," Johnson, 51, said shortly after winning the speaker's gavel.

His first act was to call up legislation to signal support for Israel, which has stepped up its bombings of Gaza following a cross-border killing and kidnapping spree by Hamas militants early this month.

Johnson is best known as the author of an unsuccessful appeal by 126 House Republicans to get the Supreme Court to overturn election results in states that Donald Trump had lost in the 2020 presidential election. First elected in 2016, he is the least experienced House speaker in decades.

The Louisiana lawmaker declined to answer a question about the Supreme Court effort shortly after his nomination on Tuesday night, while other Republicans booed and heckled the reporter who asked it.

In a letter to colleagues, Johnson has vowed to advance overdue spending legislation and ensure that the U.S. government does not shut down when current funding expires on Nov. 17.

In his speech, he said he would prioritize border security and establish a bipartisan commission to examine ways to tackle the $33 trillion national debt.

He will also have to respond to Democratic President Joe Biden's $106 billion spending request for aid to Israel, Ukraine and U.S. border security. While House Republicans broadly support funding for Israel and the U.S. border, they are divided over further support for Ukraine.

Biden urged Johnson to move quickly on the funding package. "Even though we have real disagreements about important issues, there should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can," he said in a statement.

RECORD DEFICIT

The three-week speaker battle has helped to push up the U.S. government's borrowing costs. The government posted a record $1.7 trillion deficit for the most recent fiscal year, in part due to higher interest payments.

Democrats blasted Johnson's conservative stances on social issues like abortion and gay marriage, as well as his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

"Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. ... No amount of election denialism will ever change that reality. Not now, not ever," Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said shortly before inviting Johnson to take up the speaker's gavel.

While House leaders typically focus on fundraising and vote counting, Johnson is better known as an advocate for conservative social positions.

He has supported legislation that bars gender-related surgery and hormone treatment for transgender teens, prohibits mask mandates on airplanes, and tightens immigration and abortion restrictions.

Johnson is far from the top ranks of House Republican fundraisers - typically a key duty for a party leader. His campaign raised about $1.3 million in the 2022 election cycle, a fraction of the $28 million raised by Kevin McCarthy's campaign and $14 million raised by Jim Jordan's.

Republicans narrowly control the House by a 221-212 margin, leaving them with little room for error on controversial votes. Their divisions were on display over the past few weeks, as they nominated three candidates for speaker -- Steve Scalise, Jordan and Tom Emmer -- who failed to win election.

As speaker, Johnson will have to confront the same challenges that felled McCarthy and stymied his would-be successors. They include the demands of the caucus' hardline members and the reality that with a Democratic majority in the Senate and Biden occupying the Oval Office, no laws can currently be passed in Washington without bipartisan support.

His inexperience may have helped him win the job by giving him less time to make enemies.

"Politics is like the fight business," Republican Tom Cole said. "The longer you are in it, the more you get beat up. And there's punches you can take early in your career that you can't take later."

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan, David Morgan and Moira Warburton, Katharine Jackson, Richard Cowan, Makini Brice, Jason Lange and Susan Heavey; writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese quoted President Joe Biden's late son Beau Biden during his welcome to the White House for the U.S.-Australia state visit.

"Mr. President, in reflecting on this century of service, I'm reminded of a sentiment that you had shared before from an American soldier talking about his time in Iraq," Albanese told a crowd of 4,000 people on the South Lawn Wednesday. "That sentiment was this: You know when there's an Australian with you, they'll always have your back. A generous thought from a man of courage and character, Maj. Beau Biden."

HOUSING DISASTER THREATENS ECONOMY IN FRONT OF BIDEN'S EYES

Joe Biden earlier reflected on Australia's role in relaying the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, misquoting astronaut Neil Armstrong's words when he became the first man on the moon.

"That's one small step for man, one giant step for mankind," Biden said.

The U.S. and Australia "continue to stand together" amid the Ukraine and Israel wars, in addition to China's increased assertiveness in the South China Sea, in an alliance that started during World War I.

"Today, we're feeling a spark of innovation that has long burned in the hearts of Aussies and Americans," Biden said. "Innovation to help people in the Indo-Pacific and all around the world. Innovation that took us to the moon and will take us further in the years ahead."

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon for an intimate dinner at the White House Tuesday before Wednesday's bilateral meeting, press conference, and state dinner, a muted affair after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

During Tuesday's dinner, the Bidens gifted Albanese with an antique writing desk and custom turntable, as well as giving Haydon a green enamel and diamond petite necklace.

Original Location: Australian prime minister evokes Beau Biden during state visit welcome

Washington Examiner Videos
The culprits of a series of pro-Hamas messages projected on the George Washington University library Tuesday night may face discipline from the school, the university announced Wednesday.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, the university said the messages, which read "free Palestine from the river to the sea" and "glory to our martyrs," violated university policy and that "leadership intervened to ensure that these projections were removed." The projections came weeks after Hamas terrorists launched a series of attacks on October 7. The attack and Israel's subsequent military response have claimed the lives of more than 7,000 people on both sides, according to numbers from Israeli officials and the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

NEW HOME SALES INCREASE IN SEPTEMBER TO HIGHEST RATE IN 19 MONTHS

"The statements made by these individuals in no way reflect the views of the university," the university said. "We are reviewing this incident and will take any appropriate steps with respect to the individuals involved in accordance with university policies."

While the university did not outright condemn the statements projected, the institution said that it "recognize[d] the distress, hurt, and pain this has caused for many members of our community."

"The university will continue to communicate with all members of its community about the support resources available during this difficult time," the statement said.

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The projected messages were widely condemned, with former Florida Democratic congressman and CEO of the American Jewish Committee Ted Deutch saying the messages were "The glorification of Hamas terrorists, celebration of 1,400 murders, and calls for the destruction of Israel."

"These vile, antisemitic messages put Jewish students in danger," he said. "This language has no place in society, let alone on campus."

Original Location: George Washington University says pro-Hamas projections 'violated university policy'

Washington Examiner Videos
Israel will refuse to grant visas to United Nations officials, according to its ambassador, after comments by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which were seen as carrying water for Hamas.

"Due to his [Guterres's] remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to U.N. representatives," Gilad Erdan told Army Radio.

WHO WARNS OF ENDEMIC DENGUE IN EUROPE AND US DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

"We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson," Gilad Erdan said.

Erdan also accused agencies aligned with the U.N. of creating a "false picture" of what is going on in Gaza, threatening to expel "hostile U.N. officials" from Israel.

On Tuesday, Erdan accused Guterres of committing a "blood libel" against Israel and called on him to resign.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan speaks about Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in front of United Nations headquarters in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Seth Wenig/AP

"The SG is blaming the victim. You are blaming Israel," he said on Tuesday. "This is a pure blood libel, and I think that the secretary-general must resign ... unless he apologizes immediately today."

Israel's fury was provoked after Guterres told the U.N. Security Council that the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum."

Guterres "condemned unequivocally" the Hamas attack but argued they arose out of opposition to Israeli policy toward Palestinians.

"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," Guterres said. "But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

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Following the backlash, Guterres later posted a part of his speech on X, formerly Twitter, in an attempt to show he had criticized both sides.

"The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas," he wrote. "Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday showed his support for Israel at the Security Council but floated the idea of "humanitarian pauses" to protect civilians, taking care not to use the word "ceasefire."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Blinken's comments about "humanitarian pauses" were elaborated on by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who said it was different from a ceasefire.

Kirby clarified Tuesday that what differentiates a ceasefire and "humanitarian pause" is "a question of duration and scope and size and that kind of thing."

Original Location: Israel to refuse visas for UN officials as 'blood libel' outrage grows

Washington Examiner Videos
A growing amount of space junk threatens to jeopardize all future space travel, and the problem is only set to worsen.

Space junk is debris left behind by spacecraft, usually from satellites that are abandoned following the end of their use, parts of rocket accelerators, and other bits of spacecraft cast off. The amount of space junk has grown exponentially since humanity's entry into space, and it now threatens to endanger the lives of those in space and on Earth. While the problem has long been known to scientists, the danger has expanded enough to draw the attention of lawmakers as well.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER: YOUNGKIN BETS 15-WEEK ABORTION CAP WILL DELIVER 2023 GOP TAKEOVER

Space junk "was always a theoretical concern, and now we're faced with the actuality," the Secure World Foundation's Victoria Samson told Axios. "Unfortunately, policy oftentimes is beaten by technology, which doesn't always lead to good policy as it tries to play catch up."

"The question is: How do you update the governance to really reflect the space environment as it currently exists?" she continued.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction over space, recently proposed its first rule regarding space junk, aiming to limit the growth of new orbital debris.

In this April 24, 2021 file photo made available by NASA, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule approaches the International Space Station for docking. AP

The rule would require space companies to dispose of space debris through five different methods: by conducting a controlled reentry, moving the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit, sending the upper stage on an Earth-escape orbit, retrieving the upper stage (called active debris removal) within five years, or performing an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal.

"The upper stage provides the in-space propulsion" for NASA rockets, according to the space agency.

"By strictly limiting the uncontrolled reentry of upper stages, the FAA seeks to mitigate the risk to people on the ground and in flight due to its significant size and mass and the uncertainty of where it will land," the FAA said in a statement. "The proposed rule also would align commercial space orbital debris mitigation practices with those accepted by the U.S. government for its space missions."

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The Federal Communications Commission is also moving to regulate space junk, and it issued a first-ever fine earlier this month against a company that didn't properly dispose of its satellite. The $150,000 fine was given to the satellite television provider Dish.

"As satellite operations become more prevalent and the space economy accelerates, we must be certain that operators comply with their commitments," FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal said in a statement. "This is a breakthrough settlement, making very clear the FCC has strong enforcement authority and capability to enforce its vitally important space debris rules."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

A more concentrated effort is needed to begin a serious move toward cleaning up the massive amount of debris already in space. However, these efforts run into major problems when the issue of funding is taken into account.

"Who pays for the cleanup? That's always been the dirty little secret of debris removal ... that there's just no business case for that in low Earth orbit," Samson told Axios.

Original Location: Junk science: Space trash is complicating the future of the planet

Washington Examiner Videos
Several pro-Palestinian messages were projected on to a George Washington University building ostensibly by students from the university, prompting people and groups to decry the words as "horrifying" and "glorifying Hamas terrorists."

The messages included "Glory to our martyrs," "Divestment from Zionist genocide now," and "Free Palestine from the river to the sea," photos from the non-profit watchdog organization StopAntisemitism show. The group called on the university's president, Ellen Granberg, to "immediately expel those involved."

HOUSING DISASTER THREATENS ECONOMY IN FRONT OF BIDEN'S EYES

A video shared afterward by the organization showed police giving a ticket to what appear to be students, with one of them arguing that school policy "is about property. We're not damaging any property," adding, "It's not physically on the side of the wall."

"We're not going to sit here and argue," the police officer responded. "The answer is no. You've been out here for an hour."

The apparent student refused to budge, remaining seated next to three others, with equipment around and masks on at least two of them.

"The four students responsible for the pro terrorist light show are now being confronted by police," StopAntisemitism posted on social media. "They refuse to move and continue to argue with police. Unbelievable."

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) responded to the images from his personal X (formerly Twitter) account, writing, "These are genocidal messages displayed on a building at George Washington University."

"If the students responsible for these messages aren't severely punished by GWU, something is terribly wrong. Genocide isn't hip, cute, or in any way acceptable. GWUdo the right thing NOW!"

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Major universities have been the target of extreme controversy this month, with not just students but well-known academics being condemned for their criticism of Israel in its efforts to eradicate Hamas, the militant terrorist group in Gaza.

The issue has ignited the debate over whether higher education has taken a far too liberal approach. Rallies have been held across the nation calling for a ceasefire in Israel/Gaza and, in some cases, defending Hamas's surprise Oct. 7 attack, in which its fighters killed 1,400 Israelis, many of them civilians. GWU has also faced scrutiny before for professors' comments targeting Israel

Granberg, GWU's president, wrote a message on Oct. 9 and then again two days later to share her "shock and sadness surrounding the Hamas attacks on Israel and Israeli citizens and to offer the full support of our university to all those impacted."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"My message to our community stressed the importance of coming together and caring for one another, especially those who are Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, or connected to the region and this war," she added. "I also reiterated our university's expectations for acting and comporting ourselves when discussing or debating difficult topics. These messages of compassion and understanding remain the foremost priority for this university."

The Washington Examiner has reached out to the university for comment.

Original Location: 'Zionist genocide' message projected on GWU building, police ticket apparent students

Washington Examiner Videos
In response to IRS guidance on how to treat state tax refunds, Colorados congressional delegation on Thursday asked the agencys commissioner to continue treating the states Taxpayers Bill of Rights refunds as nontaxable income.
Teri Cady is the head of school for Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (Destinations), and she has served in this position since August 2016. She has been in education for more than 20 years as a science teacher, a high school principal, and as head of school for Destinations.
School Board candidates Cassie Kimbrell, Dave Illingworth and Mick Bates prepare to field questions before a forum this month at Columbine High School.
(Via YouTube) Participants in a debate about Colorados Proposition HH face off over the statewide property tax relief ballot question on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, from left: Assistant House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs; Democratic Gov. Jared Polis; Michael Fields of Advance Colorado Action; and economist Arthur Laffer. Polis and Laffer support the measure, and Pugliese and Fields oppose it. The debate was sponsored by Colorado Politics, the Denver Gazette and 9News.
A federal judge has blocked the state from "expelling, punishing, withholding funds from, or otherwise disciplining" a Christian preschool in Chaffee County, even though its policies appear to violate the non-discrimination requirements of Colorado's universal pre-K program.
With current House Speaker and Corvallis' state Rep. Dan Rayfield looking to be Oregon's next attorney general, a house seat will be up for grabs this upcoming election cycle.

And two people have already voiced their intent to claim it, ahead of the 2024 May primary.

A Place to Sleep - episode 3: Corvallis Do unhoused people know where to go in Corvallis? Well, the city has outlined where they shouldn't be: near creeks, rivers, wetlands, sidewalks or within 20 feet of trees.

That's Corvallis School District board member Sami Al-Abdrabbuh and former Corvallis City Councilor Andrew Struthers.

Both announced their candidacies to represent District 16, which encompasses Corvallis, Adair Village and Lewisburg, the same day Rayfield announced his decision to run for the state's top law-enforcement job.

Al-Abdrabbuh is the president-elect of the Oregon School Boards Association. He has served on the Corvallis school board since 2017.

He's also an engineering instructor at Oregon State University and a project manager at Hewlett-Packard.

In an Oct. 11 news release, Al-Abdrabbuh said he would run as a progressive Democrat.

"We must make progress when it comes to housing, homelessness, addiction, education and climate change," Al-Abdrabbuh said in statement.

It's not his first attempt at the seat.

He previously ran against Rayfield in 2016 and placed third with 16% of the vote.

Al-Abdrabbuh placed third again in the primary, with 6.9% of the vote.

He told Mid-Valley Media his past campaigns, including his races for school board, make him ready to serve.

"They have informed me so much by understanding the values and the issues of the community," Al-Abdrabbuh said.

Oregon state Sen. Kayse Jama, who represents parts of Portland and Clackamas, expressed his support for Al-Abdrabbuh's new campaign as did Benton County Commissioner Xan Augerot, according to the news release.

So far, he's competing with just one Democrat in next year's primary: former Corvallis City Council vice-president Struthers.

Struthers has worked as an information technology consultant at OSU for over a decade and has served two terms on the Corvallis City Council, from 2019 to 2022.

He sought the Corvallis Mayor's office last year but lost a tight race to Charles Maughan in the city's first ranked-choice voting election.

In his new release, Struthers said he'd seek to address issues related to Oregon's housing shortage, mental health services, workers' rights and the climate crisis.

"I am committed to the future of Oregon and have a proven track record of working with people of all political persuasions to find successful solutions," Struthers said in a statement.

He told Mid-Valley Media his past campaigns have highlighted the need to meet with people directly.

"I think the main thing is getting out there to where the people are and talking with them," he said.

Both Struthers and Al-Abdrabbuh thanked Rayfield for his time representing the district.

"Speaker Dan Rayfield represented our community well, leading the House of Representatives effectively during challenging times," Al-Abdrabbuh said in a statement. "I wish him the best of luck in his bid to be Oregon's next Attorney General."

Rayfield has represented District 16 since 2015 and was elected House Speaker in 2022.

The filing deadline for candidates running for the May 21 primary is March 12.

Related stories:
Morgan Olson plans to layoff workers its delivery van manufacturing plant in the Cane Creek Centre Industrial Park in Ringgold.

Company spokesman Kenneth Klein said via email Tuesday morning that orders from the plants customers for its products will be delayed due to current economic conditions and forecasts.

As a result, Morgan Olson will reduce their workforce at all three Morgan Olson locations in Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia, Klein told the Danville Register & Bee. Ongoing production will continue at all locations as the company works towards expansion of its customer base and preparation of market recovery.

The company makes walk-in vans.

In October 2019 then-Gov. Ralph Northam announced Morgan Olson would bring 703 jobs to the industrial park. The company is located in the 925,000-square-foot former Ikea facility.

Ikea had announced it was shutting down at the end of 2019 and, soon after, Morgan Olsons plans to locate in Ikeas building for a $58 million capital investment were announced.

The company initially promised 703 jobs, but a few months after its 2019 announcement, the company said it planned to add 300 positions, bringing its job-creation total in the region to about 1,000 jobs.

Klein did not answer the Register & Bees question as to how many employees the company has at its Ringgold location or how many would be laid off at the facility and Morgan Olsons other sites.

It was just a year ago that Morgan Olson received a $500,000 grant from the Port of Virginia for more than 500 jobs created at the Ringgold facility as of October 2022 and the companys use of the port.

The grant money was to go toward retaining jobs at the facility. At the time, the plants manager, Steven Parker, said Morgan Olson intended to ramp up production to 48 vans per day hire more employees over the 703 promised.

Parker said in October 2022 that the company had 612 employees with three production lines simultaneously on a two-shift schedule, making 30 delivery vans per day.

Pittsylvania County Economic Development Director Matt Rowe said of the upcoming layoffs: We certainly acknowledge the unfortunate situation. Our main focus is in helping the employees impacted and also helping Morgan Olson.

The Virginia Employment Commissions Rapid Response Team will work with the company in response to the layoffs and were firing up and getting existing companies ready for job fairs, Rowe said.

A job fair is coming up Nov. 1 at the Danville Community Market downtown.

Danville Community College, in collaboration with Pittsylvania County Community Action, Virginia Career Works, Danville/Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, BrightView, PATHS, Hire Dynamics and the city of Danville, is set to host a community-wide All Citizens Job & Resource Fair at the Danville Community Market on Nov. 1 running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Morgan Olson has not received any local incentives from its location in Ringgold, Rowe said.

We havent provided the company any discretionary incentives up front, he said.

However, the company has received a $500-per-job incentive from the city of Danville and the county through the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority as part of the states Enterprise Zone Program. That money was awarded apart from any performance agreement and was for 574 jobs created in a designated area in need of economic development.

It [the program] enables the state and locality to provide job and real-property investment grants, Rowe said.

Danville City Manager Ken Larking said the layoffs will be a stressful time for the employees.

We have compassion toward the people impacted by this layoff, Larking said.

There are opportunities for work elsewhere in the region, he added.

We will be working with the company and others to help employees during the transition, Larking said.

Rowe believes the layoff is a temporary situation for the company.

We have full faith in Morgan Olson hiring more employees and growing again in the future, Rowe said.
The Virginia Department of Corrections on Wednesday announced the capture of Naseem Roulack, 21, who was serving a 13-year sentence at Greensville Correctional Center for a string of crimes.

He was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service and Fairfax County police officers at around 9 a.m. Wednesday.

I want to thank the U.S. Marshals Service, Virginia State Police, Fairfax County Police Department and other local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts assisting the VADOCs investigators and officers in the effort to recapture this inmate, VADOC Director Chadwick Dotson said in a statement.

VADOC declined to release any additional information, citing the ongoing investigation into Roulack's escape.

"Glad he's off the street," a representative for Fairfax police told The Times-Dispatch. The representative referred all questions to the U.S. Marshals Service, which could not immediately be reached for comment.

Roulack had evaded capture for more than two months after walking out of Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital, where he had been transferred to receive medical treatment for an undisclosed reason. Sources close to the investigation alleged that Roulack feigned a drug overdose to be taken to the hospital, where escaping VADOC custody would be easier. Officials did not confirm that report.

The VADOC corrections officers charged with Roulack's security admitted they were asleep when Roulack fled the facility. The corrections officers resigned Aug. 23, according to VADOC officials.

Roulack's escape took him across state lines, where he became a suspect in a Sept. 1 armed carjacking in Maryland. The U.S. Marshals Service increased the reward for information leading to Roulack's capture to $20,000 a few days after announcing Roulack was suspected in the carjacking.

It was not immediately clear where or under what circumstances Roulack was apprehended.
Operation Yuletide is an initiative led by members of the Greensboro Police Department to bring some holiday cheer to good people who are experiencing tough times. Throughout the year, GPD employees meet people who have been impacted by serious crimes, accidents, or an unfortunate turn of events. As a way to give back, officers organize and collect items including clothing, toys, household and hygiene products that are delivered to the impacted families to let them know they are cared for by the Greensboro community. Along with individual families, GPD also "adopts" a senior community to deliver cheer and gifts of essential items.
A National Institutes of Health traveling exhibit exploring the relationship between care and incarceration for people with mental illness arrived in Greensboro this week. Anne Parsons of UNCG curated the NIH National Library of Medicine project, which recounts the historical treatment of Americans with mental health conditions.

Care and Custody, Past Responses to Mental Health, which has already visited Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia, as well as Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, also comes with a companion website (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/careandcustody/index.html) that boasts a digital gallery and educational resources.

Exhibit visitors learn about the history of mental hospitals since the mid-19th century, with depictions including how they were places where care was provided  and where people were kept against their wills.

I believe strongly that it is important to understand the past in order to change our present, said Parsons.

The associate professor of history previously authored From Asylum to Prison: Deinstitutionalization and the Rise of Mass Incarceration after 1945, which co-won the 2019 Disability History Associations Outstanding Book Award. Research she conducted for the book at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland became the foundation for Care and Custody.

Parsons interests are both professional and personal  she had a great-aunt with developmental disabilities who was housed in a Delaware asylum for 40 years.

It is incredibly saddening that there were not more opportunities to keep my great aunt in the community instead of an hour and a half away in an asylum, Parsons said. She stayed there until 1969, when she died, at the very moment of change.

The exhibit helps visitors better understand how the country has moved away from custodial forms of treatment toward more inclusive approaches and how advocates have worked to protect the rights of those with mental health conditions.

Its important to take the history seriously, because it can lead to change  to finding ways to help close to home, instead of merely incarcerating people, said Parsons.

Care and Custody will reside at the UNCG Nursing and Instructional building, 1007 Walker Ave., through Nov. 3. The Greensboro Project Space will then host it from Nov. 7 through Nov. 18 at 111 E. February 1 Place. The exhibit will also travel to Georgia, Indianapolis, Michigan, Tennessee, Alaska and Ohio.
Nice Wednesday in store. PTO or perhaps a mental-health day?

The next step in a quiet coup is scheduled later today when the legislators formally vote on the maps to be used in elections through 2032.

Unless, of course, one of the inevitable mountain of lawsuits challenging their validity somehow succeeds.

Coup, you say?

Without question, a strong word. But what else would you call it when a handful of like-minded people meet behind closed doors to draw up a plan to seize - and maintain - power for a decade?

Input? We dont need your stinking input.

The Readers Digest version, which those blessed few who pay attention when it matters already know:

Republicans in the state House and Senate, already safely shielded from consequence by veto-proof majorities, redrew district maps to hand themselves a near certain 10-3 advantage (with one legitimate competitive toss-up) in congressional races with similar edges in legislative races.

Rigging maps to favor one party or other is an American tradition almost as old as the Republic itself.

The practice has its own peculiar name - gerrymandering - coined after Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Massachusetts who popularized its use.

Would-be modern day reformers describe it differently.

Voters should pick their politicians and not the other way around, Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director for Common Cause, told me at a forum in 2021.

Mind you, none of it is technically illegal. The courts have ruled that political gerrymanders are perfectly acceptable - to the victor goes the spoils - while maps that intentionally dilute minority voting strength are out of bounds.

That would be Alabama and South Carolina.

But the message sent by the U.S. Supreme Court in rejecting the maps drawn up in those states isnt a courageous stand against racism. Its more like, Dude, dont be so obvious.

At any rate, and it is a straight line from Point A to Point B, the practical effect of such an extreme approach to drawing news districts is that more extreme candidates sail through partisan primaries that more resemble purity tests than civil discourse.

And the logical result is chaos and bitter political divisions that make compromise, once a core value of democracy, an anathema.

Witness the clown car collision in the U.S. House of Representatives.

(Democrats shouldnt be too smug. New York and Illinois, to name two, typically draw maps that wildly favor their chosen candidates.)

There are ways out, however.

The most obvious - and easy to understand - is the establishment of independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, which tend to operate as billed.

Mostly freed from overt pressure, such commissions used in some 22 states try to draw maps closer to the political center where most Americans reside.

Moderate districts box out loons who reside on the fringes and eliminate the tin-foil hat crowd (Greene, Majorie Taylor) and the near-commies (Ilhan Omar).

Another - and more difficult to understand - is ranked choice voting, otherwise known as instant runoff voting, as used in Alaska.

If, say, four candidates are running for a seat in Congress, voters rank their favored candidates one through four in a single election rather than having a primary and a general election.

If a candidate gets an outright majority of first-choice votes, she (or he) wins. If no candidate wins a majority, a new count kicks in.

The candidate who fared worst is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the second-choice pick. If no one wins a majority in that round, the same process is repeated.

Instant run-offs are cheaper (one election rather than two), makes every vote count even if a favored candidate loses and weeds out the bomb throwers who tend to be ranked last.

The system is used in more than 50 cities and in a few states including Alaska and Maine.

In other words, there are ways out of this mess. There is hope, albeit faint, but itll require will to overcome entrenched apathy.
Two elementary schools instead of three. A high school where an elementary school now stands.

Thats what Guilford County Schools rebuilding plans look like for Southern High School and several other schools in that area.

Deputy Superintendent of Business and Operations Julius Monk confirmed on Monday that district officials expect to stick with plans to close Southern Elementary School, after rebuilding Sumner and Allen Jay Elementary schools. Those are the other two elementary schools in the Southern High area.

Further in the future, he said, school administrators hope to use the current Southern Elementary site for the rebuild of Southern Guilford High School. The current elementary school and high school campuses are next to each other.

All four buildings are among the roughly 20 percent of district schools deemed as being in unsatisfactory condition by district consultants in 2018.

Last week, school board members voted to approve a contract for an architect to design a 700-seat rebuild of Sumner Elementary. The new school will be built on another part of the same site as the current Sumner Elementary. An architect contract for Allen Jay could potentially come to the board for a vote as soon as December, Monk said. Both rebuilt schools would be larger than the current versions.

Monk said that for construction projects like Sumner and Alley Jay, the estimate is at least a year needed for design, plus a couple months for the bidding process, and at least 20 to 24 months to build. That would mean completing the projects in about three years or so  and thats if nothing major sets things back.

That would put Southern Elementary School at least three or four years away from closing, if not longer. Students who would have been zoned to attend Southern would attend the completed Sumner or Allen Jay instead.

The approach of replacing the three elementary schools in the Southern High School area with two bigger ones comes from the districts 2019 facilities master plan, which took a comprehensive look at school district buildings across the county.

The changes, that plan said, are meant to provide all area elementary school students with modern school facilities while increasing operational efficiencies. That could include saving money by running fewer, larger schools.

Southern and Allen Jay Elementary Schools are one-half to one-third the size of a standard new elementary school, according to the 2019 plan.
Nothing I could write here about House Republicans and the cannibalism that has paralyzed Congress, amid international crises and the threat of a government shutdown, could be worse than what the Republicans are saying about themselves, and to one another, as they head into a third week divided over who should be the House speaker.

Worst of all are the profanity-filled death threats streaming in from the Republicans radicalized voters, whipped up by right-wing media and groups including the gun lobby. At least one Republicans wife now sleeps with a loaded gun. Another had a sheriffs deputy assigned to his daughters school.

This broken party has given frightening new meaning to the old saw about forming a circular firing squad.

All because a minority of House Republicans finally showed some spine and on Friday blocked Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio  a party-busting vandal, Jan. 6 seditionist, alleged enabler of sexual abuse, would-be impeacher of President Joe Biden and all-around, far-right legislative terrorist (a fellow Republicans words, not mine)  from getting the most powerful job in Congress.

But rejecting Jordan, as welcome as that is, still leaves a vacant speakership. And as any Republican will tell you, no one in their House majority can win the gavel as things stand.

This saga has exposed for the world just how bad things have gotten for the Republican Party: It has grown so anti-government that it cant even govern its own caucus in the House, the one institution where it holds power.

And thats because so many in the party  elected officials and voters  wont be led. Republicans have the majority in the House, but its a majority in name only. In reality, the House Republicans are an amalgam of competing factions, from right to far-right to extremist, and party members genuinely loathe one another more than they dislike Democrats.

Conservative media and social media stardom have turned even the most junior and otherwise inconsequential figures  say, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, the architect of this speaker-less anarchy  into power brokers who insist on having their sway. Like-minded conservative voters  small-dollar donors steeped in Fox News  bankroll the chaos agents; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that Georgia peach of a provocateur, is among Congress most successful fundraisers.

Heres how insurgent and Beetlejuice fan Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado explained why House Republicans have failed to agree on a speaker: There are 224 alpha males and alpha females who are here in the Republican Party. We are here because we convinced hundreds of thousands of people that we are leaders.No matter how this speaker mess ends  and it must somehow end  that perverse reward system will remain. And the House under Republican leadership will be all but ungovernable through the 2024 election.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a similarly thin Democratic majority yet managed to keep her party factions united and to shepherd into law major legislation, some of it bipartisan. But heres the difference: Democrats believe in governance. Too many Republicans do not; their credo has shifted over the last quarter century from small government to anti-government. Were watching the result.Again, take it from a Republican: Frankly, it doesnt matter who the speaker is, Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said, because if we (Republicans) cant govern as a group, as a conference, it doesnt matter.

Jordan, true to his brand as a belligerent, on Friday insisted on a third House vote for speaker. As widely predicted, he lost by even more votes.

His refusal to accept that he was not going to be speaker until the reality was forced on him was hardly a surprise. Jordan still wont concede that Donald Trump lost reelection. He declined to do so yet again at a news conference Friday morning. His stubborn opposition to democracy  thats what it is  only underscored why Jordan should never be the speaker.

The sad fact, however, is that Jordans reprehensible role as Trumps chief congressional lieutenant in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection wasnt even much of a factor in opponents thinking. Nor was the fact that as speaker, this unrepentant election denier could have sabotaged the certification of the 2024 presidential vote if the Republican lost.

Instead, the reasons Jordans foes gave were personal, political or both. Some blamed him for stoking the death threats against them and their families. One, Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia, said Republicans dont need a bully as the speaker.

But they need someone  the country needs someone  so Congress can function. Government funding runs out Nov. 17. Biden is sending a request for aid to Ukraine and Israel. Other essential legislation, including agriculture and defense bills, are pending.

Many Republicans are trying to shift the blame for the fiasco onto Democrats because they all opposed McCarthy and then Jordan  as if Republicans wouldve voted to retain Pelosi had an insurgent Democrat ever moved, like Gaetz did against McCarthy, to unseat her.

But they know the blame actually lies with themselves  thus the name-calling and near-fisticuffs.

They need to come together, if only temporarily. And then voters should fire them in 2024.
Benzinga looks at the all-star financial moves that have placed NBA legend Micahel Jordan on the most recent Forbes 400 list of the world's ri
A Billings man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that he threatened to assault and murder former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Richard Lee Rogers of Billings entered the plea during an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan in federal court.

Rogers is charged with threats to injure and murder a member of Congress, which carries a 10-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine. He faces a second charge of making harassing telephone calls.

The threats allegedly happened Feb. 3, several weeks after Republicans elected McCarthy to his short-lived tenure as speaker  which was characterized by frequent clashes with hard-right members of his own party.

"If I've ever made anyone feel that I was dangerous, or a threat, I'm sorry," he wrote.

A grand jury indictment filed last month said the threats were intended as retaliation for McCarthy's actions as House speaker but did not provide details. The indictment said Rogers made repeated interstate phone calls "solely to harass a person" but did not name the person.

Rogers and attorney Vann Arvanetes from the Federal Defenders of Montana declined comment as they left the courtroom.

In his social media posts Rogers expressed strong support for former President Donald Trump and said he was in Washington D.C. during the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol by Trump supporters.

His wife, Laurie Rogers, said in a brief interview that her husband never threatened anyone except to say during his calls to officials "that he would use his Second Amendment rights to defend himself," referring to the right to keep and bear arms.

"Why would he threaten the people he was talking to? That would absolutely get him nowhere," she added.

Rogers has no prior criminal history, according to the judge, who allowed the defendant to remain free under conditions including no drugs or alcohol and no access to firearms. Rogers told the judge that he owns firearms but moved them to his mother's house where they are in a locked safe he can not access.
The Republican National Committee is moving in on a federal lawsuit in Montana to defend the state's new law banning a person from "double voting" and having multiple voter registrations.

The RNC, in a joint motion with the Montana Republican Party, submitted legal paperwork Tuesday requesting to join the recently filed legal challenge as "intervenors" to argue its interest in upholding the law.

"Dark-money Democrat groups are committed to destroying basic election safeguards, but the RNC will fight and beat them every step of the way," RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement shared exclusively with the Montana State News Bureau. "Making sure that folks can only vote once in each election is just common sense. The RNC and MTGOP have intervened in this lawsuit because Montanans deserve election integrity, not underhanded Democrat schemes."

The case at hand challenges House Bill 892, sponsored by Missoula Republican Rep. Lyn Hellegaard and passed by the GOP-run Legislature. The law creates a felony-level penalty for anyone to vote in Montana in the same election that they cast a ballot in another state, with an exception for special district elections. It also states that a voter "may not purposely remain registered to vote in more than one place in this state or another state at any time."

The Montana Federation of Public Employees, the state's largest labor union, and the Montana Public Interest Research Group, a left-leaning student organization, challenged the law in U.S. District Court in Helena in late September.

"This is a non-partisan issue and MFPE members span the political spectrum," MFPE President Amanda Curtis said Tuesday in response to the Republicans' filings. "None of them deserve to be threatened with a felony for failing to follow a de-registration process that doesnt exist."

Those groups said prohibiting double voting is legitimate, but argue the provision banning multiple voter registrations would deter potential Montana voters from registering, particularly students who depart for college each fall. The lawsuit alleges Fourteenth Amendment due process and First Amendment free speech violations.

In their coordinated motion filed Tuesday, the RNC and Montana GOP contend HB 892 "helps preserve resources for (their) get-out-the-vote efforts by ensuring that the voter rolls contain only voters eligible to participate in Montana elections."

The Republicans' brief notes the case's tight timeline with the approaching election.

An injunction against HB 872, the GOP's attorneys wrote, "threatens the credibility of the election by removing key protections against voters who register in multiple jurisdictions from voting in Montana's elections."

"Basic election safeguards drive up voter confidence," Montana Republican Party Chair Don "Don K" Kaltschmidt said in a statement late Tuesday. "Left-wing groups are trying to make Montana elections less secure, and Republicans won't allow that to happen. We're proud to join with the RNC in filing this intervention and look forward to fighting this battle in court for Montanans."

Raph Graybill, attorney for the plaintiffs, said the matter should not be cast as a partisan issue.

"House Bill 892 is a threat to every Montana voter, regardless of political party," Graybill said in a statement. "It threatens to make Montana voters into felons just by updating their registration after a moveno matter what political party theyre from. MontPIRG and MFPE are proudly nonpartisan, and will stand up for their members against poorly written laws that threaten basic constitutional rights."

This lawsuit makes 56 the RNC has joined or attempted to join across 18 states regarding election integrity issues.

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, Attorney General Austin Knudsen (both Republicans) and Commissioner of Political Practices Chris Gallus, whose office is nonpartisan, were each named defendants in the initial complaint.
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch's proposal that would clear the way for state legislative staff to unionize received its first hearing Tuesday as lawmakers returned to the Capitol for their annual fall veto session.

Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, filed the legislation last month, nearly one year after members of his own staff declared their intent to form a union.

The proposal cleared the House Executive Committee after nearly two hours of testimony from Welch himself, labor law experts and members of the group pushing the unionization effort.

If it becomes law, the Illinois Labor Relations Board would be authorized to oversee an election on the formation of a collective bargaining unit within the legislative branch. Current state law exempts legislative employees.

A new legislative agency would also be created to represent the interests of the General Assembly in the collective bargaining process.

Welch said that the proposal gives legislative employees "equal opportunity" to join a union, including staff of the other legislative caucus and non-political staff such as doorkeepers and janitors should also be included.

"I think every single employee who wants to be in a union should have that opportunity to join one," Welch told the committee. "This legislation creates that legal pathway."

Though Illinois voters approved an amendment to the state constitution last year enshrining the right to unionize as "fundamental," labor experts who testified Tuesday said a change in state law was likely still needed to clear up the difference between the amendment and existing state law.

Welch said an amendment would be filed incorporating changes requested by the other legislative caucuses.

The Illinois Legislative Staff Association, the group of employees seeking union recognition, have taken a neutral position on the legislation.

Representatives of the group said they have concerns about the proposal, such as a provision that would bar their ability to strike during months the legislature is scheduled to be in session. But they said they will reserve judgement until after the changes are filed.

"We are foundational to the (General Assembly). We love our jobs and want to continue to be here to serve the people of Illinois," said Kelly Kupris, a House staffer and an organizer of the unionization effort. "However, we cannot do so without being given the tools for a healthy and safe workplace. Help us help you."

The proposal received support from all Democrats on the committee while all Republicans voted "present," with some wanting to see an updated proposal before passing judgment and others wishing to stay out of what they view as matter that mostly concerns House Democrats.

State Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, said he wished legislators used their time better on the first day of veto session.

"It's a bill on a very important topic, but its impact in terms of the number of people in the state of Illinois is very small," Spain said. "That's the only action that we have seen with a legislative committee so far leading up to an important veto session."

Spain said he wanted to remind Democratic leaders that there is "a lot of work left to be done in this veto session in front of the legislature."

Not much else moved in the statehouse Tuesday as lawmakers caucused behind closed doors to figure out the rest of their agenda. They are scheduled to be in through Thursday this week and will be back Nov. 7-9.

Lawmakers need to decide whether to override Gov. J.B. Pritzker's veto of legislation lifting the moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants. There is also a push to override the governor's amendatory veto of a bill granting Ameren first dibs on the construction of new transmission lines.

Then there's Invest in Kids, an income tax credit program that provides scholarships to low-income students attending private schools, which sunsets Jan. 1 with no action from legislators. Advocates are expected to rally in the Capitol later this week.

Legislative leaders have already ruled out new legislation this fall that would provide additional state funds to Chicago to deal with the influx of asylum-seeking migrants from Venezuela. And the leaders of the Chicago Bears, who have been seeking state help with their expected stadium project in Arlington Heights, have said they will not be pursuing legislation this fall.
ABINGDON, Va.  The Abingdon firefighting community was joined by family members, local officials and Abingdon residents for a Monday candlelight vigil honoring the life of Cameron Craig.

Craig, 20, was a Saltville native and an Abingdon firefighter, who lost his life while responding to a fire alarm call last Thursday afternoon.

As you mourn the loss of a son, a brother, and a friend, our community grieves the untimely passing of a local hero who helped make our town a safer and better place, said Abingdon Mayor Amanda Pillion at the vigil, which was held at the Coomes Recreation Center.

In his remarks at the vigil, Abingdon Town Manager Mike Cochran stated that the memorial was a way for all those in the community who were close to Craig, as well as members of the community at large, to show their respects for his family and his fellow firefighters.

While we have a memorial service coming up, for the community, this is something for people to show up and show their respects and to share a little fellowship amongst themselves, Cochran said.

Virginia State Police reported that the fire truck Craig was a passenger in, was traveling south on Vances Mill Road near Route 75 when it ran off the right side of the road, overturned, struck a utility pole and slid down the embankment on its side.

Craig, the lone passenger, was thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was treated at Bristol Regional Medical Center.

Abingdon Fire Department Chief Tim Estes emphasized that although their hearts ache today because of Craigs passing, tomorrow and in the future, it will be full of the same love and compassion that Craig had for others.

Each one of you have a hole in your heart tonight, and that hole is because Cameron is no longer on this earth. But I want you to think about something. Every day, that hole will fill up with love and compassion and peace because we know Cameron is in a better place, Estes said.

We should always live life like Cameron, Estes added. He gave his life for his community.

Steven Vaughan, Abingdon Fire Departments chaplain and the Pastor of Trigg Street Church of God highlighted that although Craig is no longer with them, a piece of him will live on in every person who knew him.

He was the best of us, even though he was the youngest. One of the newest, he made a difference in every persons life that he touched, Vaughan said.

The funeral service will be held Wednesday at noon at Highlands Fellowship Church on Watauga Road.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking people to donate to the Abingdon Firefighters Foundation to fund scholarships for the children of firefighters.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine this week applauded $2.72 million in federal funding to spur economic development across Southwest Virginia.

The funds would help more businesses access capital and upgrading outdoor recreation infrastructure. The funding was awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, which provides funding to help communities and regions that have been affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries, according to a written statement.

Were glad this funding will help spur economic growth and create jobs in communities across Southwest Virginia, said the senators. Were excited to see the impacts of these projects and will keep working to grow the regions economy.

The funding includes:

$1.5 million for Appalachian Community Capital (ACC)s Opportunity Appalachias Expanding Opportunity: Bringing New Investment to Underserved Coal Communities program. ACC and its seven partners will use this funding to provide technical assistance to 30 coal communities and businesses and 600 participants to help them gain access to new sources of capital. Specifically, the assistance will help Virginians develop high-impact projects to pitch to investors, such as investments in downtown development, manufacturing, information technology, health care, education, food systems, clean energy, and tourism and recreation. This program is expected to create thousands of jobs in the Appalachian region.

$1.22 million for the Big Cherry Regional Recreation Enhanced Infrastructure Project in Big Stone Gap, which will improve outdoor recreation infrastructure at Big Cherry Reservoir and boost the local economy. Specifically, the funding will be used to establish overnight lodging with tents, yurts, treehouses, and other camping options, and a general store for restrooms and supplies; improve existing hiking trails; develop new campsites with trailheads connecting to Big Cherry Reservoir; and install a 10,000 gallon water storage tank, 5,000 Gallon Per Day (GPD) wastewater treatment package plant, a water well, and electrical service connections to make overnight lodging and daytime visits more accessible to visitors.

The draft of the fiscal year 2024 government funding bill, which the senators are working to pass, includes $200 million for ARC. Earlier this year, the senators announced nearly $500,000 in federal funding to kickstart a project to grow Appalachias non-timber forest product market. Prior to that $670,000 in federal funding was issued to improve community facilities and purchase equipment in rural communities across Virginia, according to the statement.
Jeff Wilson, a Republican senator from the Washington State Legislature, is free on bail, accused by Hong Kong authorities of illegal gun possession. His first trial will be on October 30, and he cannot leave the city for the time being.

Wilson was detained at Hong Kong airport on Friday because he had a gun in his luggage. The American politicians plane took off in San Francisco; US gun laws vary from state to state, but are generally significantly more liberal than Chinas. At the same time, in principle, the American TSA should not have allowed a pistol on the plane either.

Wilsons cabinet issued a press release in which the senator stated that he made a good faith mistake and that he hopes the situation will be resolved soon.

The senator claims: he also only noticed the weapon on the plane and volunteered to report the matter to the Hong Kong customs authorities.

If Wilson is found guilty by the Hong Kong authorities, he could face fines and jail time. The maximum penalty is 14 years behind bars.

Cover image credit: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
GOLD HILL  John Earnhardt of Hendersonville, is the featured speaker as Gold Hill Village Historic Methodist Church concludes a yearlong series of events to celebrate 175 years of ministry in the Gold Hill community.

John, a cousin to Dale Earnhardt, grew up in Gold Hill. Born in a tavern, John was delivered by a praying Adventist nurse. Growing up during the early days of NASCAR, he spent much of his childhood playing around a racetrack with his cousin Dale.

Both boys had blue eyes and brown hair. Many people thought they were brothers. Both families were bootleggers who became racers. But how different would be their destinies. While Dale would become known as The Intimidator and be immortalized as a legend in NASCAR racing, savoring 76 wins in Victory Lane. John, who used to lie on the bootleg beer in the back of his fathers truck, would take a different road to glory. Not one paved with asphalt or filled with cheering fans, but it would lead to the ultimate Victory Lane.

John will be offering a series of sessions to be held at his childhood church, the historic Gold Hill Methodist sanctuary, at 730 St. Stephens Church Road in the Gold Hill Village. These sessions will be held Nov. 3-12. This is the third in a series following events held in March and July.

Come hear John and his wife, Crystal, at these upcoming sessions listed below as you experience some of the history of Gold Hill, laugh and enjoy fellowship, special music groups, and hopefully encounter a renewal of the Holy Spirit in our community.

A 10-day journey in Revelation

Friday, Nov. 3: 7 p.m. The Revelation Who?

Saturday, Nov. 4: 7 p.m. The Revelation of the Lamb.

Sunday, Nov. 5: 9:30 a.m. The Revelation of the Word.

Sunday, Nov. 5: 7 p.m. The Revelation of Nudity.

Monday, Nov. 6: 7 p.m. The Revelation of the Bride.

Tuesday, Nov. 7: 7 p.m. Bad Man/Good Woman Revelation.

Wednesday, Nov. 8: 7 p.m. 666 In Revelation (Part 1).

Thursday, Nov. 9: 7 p.m. 666 In Revelation (Part 2).

Friday, Nov. 10: 7 p.m. 666 In Revelation Identified.

Saturday, Nov. 11: 7 p.m. Adding Years to Your Life.

Sunday, Nov. 12: 9:30 a.m. Following Jesus in Revelation.
Wednesday, Oct. 25

The Sportscenter Weekly Bible Study will be at 11:30 a.m. at the Sportscenter 233 Country Club Drive, NE, Concord. All are welcome.

Centering Prayer Weekly via Zoom meets at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link please check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or contact the church office at 704-782-6923.

Thursday, Oct. 26

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is at 1030 Burrage Road, NE, Concord. For deliveries, call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Oct. 27

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St., S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Calvary Lutheran Church will host a trunk-or-treat and cookout. Children may trick-or-treat from 4-5 p.m. Afterward enjoy a hot dog supper and outdoor games until 6 p.m. It is a free event. All are welcome. To enter your vehicle to give out treats please visit: Trunk or Treat Vehicle Signup: Calvary Trunk or Treat Vehicle Signup (signupgenius.com) https://bit.ly/3Qd9xEp

The 70th annual Cold Springs Global Methodist Church barbecue and Brunswick stew starting at 9 a.m. with carry-outs only.

The Walk to End Alzheimers  Rowan-Cabarrus calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease. The funds raised support the care, support and research programs of the Alzheimers Association. This rain or shine event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at Atrium Health Ballpark, 1 Cannon Baller Way in Kannapolis.

Blues Fall Festival Trunk or Treat starts at 4 p.m. runs until 8 p.m. Food, games and music, will be held at Caldwell Park, 362 Georgia Sr. Concord. It is a free event.

Sunday, Oct. 29

The fall festival at Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church at 6841Poplar Tent Road, is free to the community from 5-7 p.m. There will be, trunk-or-treat, live music, food truck, face painting, corn hole, games and more.

Cold Springs Global Methodist will have a trunk-or-treat from 3-5 p.m. at the church at 2550 Cold Springs Road, Concord.

The Commons, a community prayer space in Concord, invites you to join a time of prayer for Israel and Gaza, at 5 p.m. in their space at 75 Church St. N, Concord at First Presbyterian, Concord. For more info visit: www.thecommonsprayerroom.com

Monday, Oct. 30

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner.

A Caregiver Support Group via Zoom at 7:30 p.m.. For the Zoom link please check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923.

Tuesday, Oct. 31

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road, NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Wednesday, Nov. 1

The Sportscenter Weekly Bible Study will be at 1:30 a.m. at the Sportscenter, 233 Country Club Drive, NE, Concord. All are welcome.

Centering Prayer Weekly via Zoom meets at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923.

Thursday, Nov. 2

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For deliveries, call 704-786-5500.

Poplar Tent's 76th Bar-B-Que will be at Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church at 6841 Poplar Tent Road. The event features wood smoked, pit cooked pork barbeque. Plates include barbecue, Brunswick stew and slaw. Also available are BBQ sandwiches, pounds of BBQ, pints of stew, slaw and BBQ sauce.

Friday, Nov. 3

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Today is the deadline to pre-register for the Kick-Off the Holiday Season program by Cabarrus County Extension and Community Association (ECA). The program is Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Cabarrus Rooms at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center. The cost is $12 and is payable to: Cabarrus County ECA, may be mailed to Joyce Kluttz, ECA treasurer, 3201 Old Salisbury Concord Road, Concord, NC 28025. Registration, in a sealed envelop, may be left at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, 715 Cabarrus Ave., West, Concord, NC 28027 weekdays. For additional information, call the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Cabarrus Center, at 704-920-3310 during weekdays.

Saturday, Nov. 4

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St., S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

A quilt show, bake sale and silent auction will be held at Epworth UMC, 1030 Burrage Road, NE, Concord, on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event features new and historic pieced quilts, quilting material for sale, silent auction items, and cash-and-carry baked goods! The Quilt Show is sponsored by members of the Epworth United Women in Faith. If you want to display a quilt, call Jewell Parker at 704-918-7250.

The Concord Chapter of Disabled American Veterans and DAV Auxiliary will be placing flags on veteran graves at West Concord Cemetery, 331 Union Cemetery Rd, starting at 10 a.m.. Come out and help honor our veterans for their service.

A Womens Conference lead by Dr. Tricia Scribner will be held at Second Presbyterian Church from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The conference is based on Scribners book, Under the Wing. The church is located at 1578 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis.

Friendship United Methodist Church is having a Ham and Chicken Dinner from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take out or drive by. Individual plates are $11 and combo plates are $13. Includes potato salad, green beans, slaw, dessert and bread. The church is located at 4695 Mt. Pleasant Road S. Concord or call 704-786-3335.

Monday, Nov. 6

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner.

A Caregiver Support Group via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923.

Tuesday, Nov. 7

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

Wednesday, Nov. 8

The Sportscenter Weekly Bible Study will be at 1:30 a.m. at the Sportscenter 233 Country Club Drive, NE, Concord. All are welcome.

Centering Prayer Weekly via Zoom meets at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923.

Cabarrus County Extension and Community Association (ECA) and N.C. Cooperative Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Program has a special program  Kick-Off the Holiday Season in the Cabarrus Rooms at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, Highway 49, Concord. Doors will open at 10 a.m. to view holiday tables decorated by local Cabarrus County ECA Clubs. Pre-registration is required by Friday Nov. 3. A $12 registration fee should be made payable to Cabarrus County ECA, may be mailed to Joyce Kluttz, ECA treasurer, 3201 Old Salisbury Concord Road, Concord, NC 28025. Registration, in a sealed envelop, may be left at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, 715 Cabarrus Ave., W., Concord, NC 28027 weekdays. For additional information call the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Cabarrus Center, at 704-920-3310 during weekdays.

Thursday, Nov. 9

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is at 1030 Burrage Road, NE, Concord. For deliveries, call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Nov. 10

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 11

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St., S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Monday, Nov. 13

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner.

A Caregiver Support Group via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923.

Tuesday, Nov. 14

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Rd., NW, Concord will be hosting a GriefShare Surviving the Holidays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The holiday season can be especially painful after the loss of a loved one. Please join us for this encouraging seminar. For more information contact Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Wednesday, Nov. 15

The Sportscenter Weekly Bible Study will be at 1:30 a.m. at the Sportscenter 233 Country Club Drive, NE, Concord. All are welcome.

Centering Prayer Weekly via Zoom meets at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923.

Thursday, Nov. 16

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is at 1030 Burrage Road, NE, Concord. For deliveries, call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Nov. 17

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 18

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St., S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

A Thanksgiving Food Give-A-Way will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free fruits, vegetables and turkey will be given out. The pick-up sites are Grace Lutheran Church, 88 Chestnut Dr. SW, Concord, www.glconcordnc.org and Zion Hill ANE Zion Church, 86 Skipwith St. SW, Concord, www.zionhillamez.com.

Got news or events?

Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com.
The final report of the ACCCs regional mobile infrastructure inquiry has prompted the government to announce a scoping study to require the telecommunications industry develop an emergency roaming during natural disasters to help Australians stay connected.

According to reports, the document was lodged to the government last 30 June, and the recommendations it suggested were the same to those made in the ACCCs preliminary report.

The ACCC report cited Telstra and Optus to support emergency roaming arrangements.

It found that temporary emergency roaming was technically feasible, but further work was needed to design and develop the capability.

The study would need to address technical and commercial issues and the risk of congestion on whichever carrier had to accept influx of calls in time of the disaster.

It recommended that coordination between government and mobile network operators would also help mitigate risks such as network congestion.

The government has directed the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to collaborate with mobile carriers and to produce a report by March 2024.

The government will work with industry to scope a new emergency roaming capability so that Australians can stay connected during disasters, regardless of who their carrier might be, said Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland in a statement.

Making sure we have the right regulatory settings is also critical to deploy mobile infrastructure in regional communities, including considering infrastructure sharing between carriers.

Tower regulation already "obsolete"

The report also added that the carriers sale of mobile infrastructure in relation to the emergency roaming is no longer fit for purpose.

It argued that the code covers only the carriers (Optus, Telstra, and TPG Telecom), not the tower owners.

Each of the three mobile network operators sold their tower portfolio to a separate tower company. This has created a strong bilateral contractual relationship between the old owner and the new owner, which can create restrictions and impact whether infrastructure sharing options are pursued, ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 24 October 2023.
BeyondTrust, the worldwide leader in intelligent identity and access security, has announced the appointment of Chris Puleston to lead its Public Sector business in Australia.

Based in Canberra, Chris will be responsible for accelerating business growth among Federal and State public sector agencies while supporting their capacity to proactively protect their identities and safeguard critical assets in todays evolving threat landscape.

BeyondTrust is experiencing increasing demand for our solutions in public sector agencies, and to support that demand we are committed to building a team with impressive experience and talent, said Nick Turnbull, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, BeyondTrust. We are thrilled to welcome Chris, a dynamic executive with deep knowledge of the government market as well as proven record in customer growth and account management excellence.

Chris joins BeyondTrust with over 20 years of strategic account management in the IT industry. He previously led the Public Sector and Natural Resources business for Databricks in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to that, Chris was at Tenable in Canberra during which time he grew the companys market footprint within the Australian Federal Government.

Chris also previously worked in account management positions for VMware and Optus.

Im very excited to join BeyondTrust at this time and to support our ongoing commitment to provide government agencies with industry-leading protection against cyber threats and unauthorised access, said Chris Puleston. During 2024 and beyond the public sector will continue to benefit from BeyondTrusts focus on innovation which provides visibility into all identities and access pathways, detects advanced identity threats, and automatically remediates gaps and adjust policies. Im looking forward to helping the public sector address their biggest cybersecurity challenges, while also delivering an exceptional customer experience.

BeyondTrust is the worldwide leader in intelligent identity and access security, enabling organisations to protect identities, stop threats, and deliver dynamic access. The company offers the only platform with both intelligent identity threat detection and a privilege control plane that delivers zero-trust based least privilege to shrink your attack surface and eliminate security blind spots.
SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here.

President Joe Biden's voice may be more of a whisper than a roar these days, but on Thursday night, he was as loud and strong as he's ever been.

"The terrorist group Hamas unleashed pure unadulterated evil in the world," Biden said. "But sadly, the Jewish people know, perhaps better than anyone, that there is no limit to the depravity of people when they want to inflict pain on others."

Condemning the corrosive forces of antisemitism and Islamophobia, he said the United States would continue to support and arm Israel as it wages war against Hamas, and would also send millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Gaza to help ameliorate the effects of Israeli's airstrikes and expanded blockade, which has cut off food, medicine, water and fuel to the area's 2 million-plus impoverished inhabitants.

Israel has the absolute right to exist in peace and defend itself; Palestinians have the absolute right to self-determination and freedom. "We cannot give up on a two-state solution," Biden said Thursday.

It is still difficult to contemplate the enormity of the gruesome Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli civilians, and the horrific price that so many Palestinian civilians are now being forced to pay. Both sides have suffered and will continue to suffer in unthinkable ways.

On Wednesday, Anderson Cooper interviewed the sisters of Amit Man, a 22-year-old Israeli medic who spent hours exchanging messages with her family on WhatsApp from a clinic in a kibbutz as Hamas gunmen stalked and slaughtered her neighbors.

"I don't think I'll get out of here," she wrote, moments before she was killed. "Please be strong if something happens to me."

In Gaza, Palestinian parents have discussed whether to write their children's names on their palms or on their backs, so that when they are killed, the family can be buried together.

"It feels like humanity is kind of deserting us in this moment," Melanie Ward of Medical Aid for Palestinians told Crooked Media as she relayed the conversation her Gaza director, Mahmoud Shalabi, said he'd had with his wife about how to mark their children.

Like most engaged Americans who lack any real Middle East expertise, I read as much as I can, and watch as much as I can. I pay attention to those with deep experience, knowledge and understanding of the age-old conflict. I try to tune out the extremists on both sides.

I avoid offensive commentary from the "what did you expect?" factions of the American left and right. There is nothing on Earth  nothing  that can begin to justify the atrocities that Hamas unleashed on Israeli civilians. Anti-Israel demonstrations like the one that took place Monday at the Sydney Opera House, where pro-Palestinian protesters chanted "Gas the Jews," and the letter by Harvard students blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks are but two examples of the reprehensible way this conflict has robbed so many of their humanity.

"One can believe that the Palestinians have the same kinds of rights as Israelis and that the Palestinians' rights have been violated by Israel for many, many years," foreign policy and national security expert David Rothkopf told Salon. "One can also believe that the plight of Palestinians who are trapped in Gaza or in the West Bank is grave and deserves the world's attention. But if you have a friend or a relative who just died, you don't go to the funeral and talk about their flaws. You wait for a few days at least. It's just the wrong moment."

It is difficult to wade through the disinformation, misinformation and just plain confusion about what is happening on the ground in Gaza.

Like many, I was taken in by initial news reports, based on information from the Gaza Health Ministry, about who was to blame for the massive explosion last Tuesday at the Ahli Arab Hospital, and texted a Jewish friend: "How can Israel hope to maintain the moral high ground if it's doing this?"

My friend blasted back: "Why would Western news media and media all over the world believe news reports from Hamas without verification, examination and review?"

Of course he's right.

The growing consensus from impartial sources  including open source investigative sites like Bellingcat  is that the explosion was not consistent with an Israeli airstrike. Thursday, Biden said flatly that it "was not done by the Israelis."

Each side may cling to its belief that the enemy did it.

But we must never let go of the desire to find a way for Palestinians and Israelis alike to raise their families and live in peace.

Biden was correct to caution Israel against overreacting in rage as the U.S. did so disastrously after 9/11. If the U.S. is to support Israel in its war on Hamas, we must also be committed to alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, who have once again been buffeted by forces over which they have no control.

At this point, what other choice do we have?

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Previously:

 Advice for the suicidal from a philosopher who tried to kill himself 10 times

 Will Lauren Boebert and other female politicians pay the price for behaving badly?

 Shed no tears for Hunter Biden, who exploited the family name but also broke the law

 The problematic use of 'problematic' to shut down people with whom we disagree

 Elon Musk's Twitter chaos came calling for me

 Relax, candy lovers. No one is trying to ban Skittles. Well, not exactly

 Why was the Murdaugh murder trial captivating for so many?

 Dry January hasn't been so bad after all

 I asked ChatGPT to write me a symphony, a letter to an ex and more

 IN AMERICA: Firing an art history professor for showing students an image of Islam's founder is out of line

 Nepo babies beware. You didn't hit a triple if you were born on third base

 Poor thing, you didn't want to be gifted that vacuum?

 The end of 'harmless' recreational drug experimentation

 The 'Catfish' Killings: My teen is easy prey. Is yours?

 And you thought the movie 'L.A. Confidential' was fiction

 Tell your kids that Billie Eilish says porn destroyed her brain

 Why a lifelong Dem and education reformer is supporting Larry Elder for governor

Robin Abcarian is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times.
Insight Biden says the US must help Israel and Ukraine succeed --- he's staking his reputation on it By Doyle McManus Los Angeles Times/(TNS) Published October 25, 2023

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Joe Biden didn't set out to be a wartime president, but he made himself one.

Last week, the president staked his place in history on the outcomes of two conflicts: Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine's war against an invading Russia.

When Biden came to the White House in 2021, his foreign policy goals were more modest. He wanted to rebuild alliances that had frayed under his predecessor, Donald Trump. He wanted to refocus on great-power competition with China. And he wanted to withdraw the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan  a mission he accomplished in chaos.

Two events have changed the landscape.

Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, seeking to turn an independent country into a colony. Last week, Israel prepared to launch a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to destroy the Hamas regime that attacked Israeli towns and villages.

On Thursday, Biden yoked the two crises together and declared a new primary goal for American foreign policy: "Making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed."

"We're facing an inflection point in history  one of those moments where the decisions we make today are going to determine the future for decades to come," he said.

"We cannot and will not let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win," he said, adding, "I refuse to let that happen."

Consciously or not, he was echoing President George H.W. Bush's response to Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait: "This will not stand."

In a narrow sense, Biden's speech was merely a legislative gambit. On Friday, he sent Congress a request for $105 billion in emergency funding  mostly for Ukraine, but with substantial sums for Israel, Palestinian humanitarian aid, U.S. border security and Taiwan.

His hope is that Congress, including Republicans skeptical about supporting Ukraine, will find it easier to pass a bill that includes something for everyone.

But the president's message was much broader than the wrangle over funding, and his real target was the American public.

He clearly wanted to push back against increasing sentiment among voters, especially Republicans, that the United States should reduce its commitments overseas.

In several polls over the last year, a gradually growing share of voters has said the United States should take a less active role in the world. In a September survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a majority of Republican voters  53%  said they believed the United States should "stay out of world affairs," the first such finding in the poll's 49-year history.

Biden has reframed his rationale for helping Ukraine and Israel. Last year, after Russia's invasion, he described the stakes as a "battle between democracy and autocracy"  a formula that may have been too abstract for some voters.

Last week, he focused his pitch closer to home.

"Making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America's national security," he argued. "It's a smart investment that's going to pay dividends for American security for generations [and] help us keep American troops out of harm's way."

Biden had another broad point to make.

"American leadership is what holds the world together," he said. "American alliances are what keep us  America  safe."

He quoted the late Madeleine Albright, who as the irrepressibly activist secretary of State under President Bill Clinton called the United States "the indispensable nation."

And he reached back to 1940, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the United States to be "the arsenal of democracy" in the early days of World War II.

In effect, Biden is trying to build a new version of the Cold War thinking that dominated U.S. foreign policy for much of the second half of the 20th century, when he began his political career: the principle that assertive U.S. leadership is essential to world peace.

The two conflicts he is tackling won't be easy to manage.

Israel can presumably prevail in a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, but it will then face more difficult challenges: pacifying and administering the battle zone, and reviving the neglected search for peace with the Palestinians. Biden gave Israel's leaders advice on those counts both publicly and privately last week; to help Israel succeed over the long run, he will need to give much more.

Ukraine's 20-month war has been costly in blood and treasure (the United States has already provided more than $75 billion, European countries even more), and Putin appears dug in, waiting to see whether his longtime admirer, Trump, will return to the White House in 2025.

Presidents are often measured by how they lead in times of crisis. Last week, Biden put his place in history on the line.

He set an ambitious goal  making sure both Israel and Ukraine "succeed"  and made it the yardstick of his leadership.

Voters are more likely to judge him by the state of the economy. But historians will evaluate him by the measure he set for himself.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Previously:

 10/05/23: Biden and Trump want working-class votes. The economy may decide who gets them

 09/13/23: Zelensky is coming to Washington to ask for more Ukraine aid. Congress should say yes

 09/13/23: Voters think Biden's too old to run again. Can he persuade them that they're wrong?

 08/23/23: Canada is recruiting immigrants from Silicon Valley to boost its economy. It might work

 07/05/23: Bizarre standoff with Wagner Group's Prigozhin weakens Putin. But don't count him out

 06/27/23: Blinken tried to build a floor under US-China relations. He may have to keep doing it

 05/09/23: With just weeks left to strike a deal, it's time to worry about the debt ceiling

 05/02/23: A centrist, third-party alternative for 2024 is a nice idea --- but a nightmare in practice

 04/25/23: Trump seems to have a firm grip on GOP polls --- but his rivals think they can do better

 04/04/23: Ukraine is counting on its spring offensive against Russia. Biden has a stake in it too

 03/22/23: Silicon Valley Bank's collapse may be a blessing in disguise

 03/07/23: DeSantis wants to displace Trump as the GOP's 2024 nominee. But he has hurdles to overcome

 02/21/23: Biden's 2024 presidential campaign harks back to past Dem triumphs

 02/14/23: Chinese balloon is gone, but it's still making US-China relations harder to manage

 01/24/23: Biden said the pandemic is over. But, aw shucks!, the pandemic just won't cooperate

 01/17/23: The war in Ukraine could become a long, frozen conflict. Are we ready for that?

 01/10/23: The real winner from the House fight?

 12/28/22: Why Trump will never go to jail over Jan. 6

 12/20/22: Democracy around the world is looking a little healthier, at least next to the alternative

 12/13/22: Biden's policy makes Ukraine fight by rules Russia doesn't follow

 12/09/22: Iran protests have shoved the nuclear issue off center stage. It will be back

 09/20/22: Biden sent the wrong message on COVID. He can still fix it

 09/20/22: Putin's brutality in Ukraine can get worse. Get ready for a chilly winter

 09/13/22: China's economy is slowing, its population aging. That could make it dangerous

 06/28/22: To deter China on Taiwan, Biden needs to reassure

 05/24/22: India has become a US partner in countering China --- a limited partner, that is

 05/11/22: Slow Joe's premature self-congratulation won't help the US in Ukraine

 05/03/22: Can the US deter Putin from using his arsenal of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine?

 04/08/22:Biden's budget is big. Dems will vote to make it bigger

 03/22/22: Ukraine's resistance offers a useful lesson to Taiwan

 03/15/22: China wanted to appear neutral between Russia and Ukraine. It isn't

 02/22/21: Who needs an invasion? Putin's offensive against Ukraine has been underway for a long time

 02/09/21: If Putin wants an exit from the Ukraine crisis, the offramps are open

 11/30/21: Biden wants to focus on China. Putin has another idea

 11/23/21: Our oldest president just turned 79. He might have something to learn from the second-oldest

 11/16/21: Can Biden and Xi talk their way out of a slide into conflict?

 10/13/21: Congress has a chance to take bipartisan action on Facebook. Don't let it slip away

 09/24/21: Can Dems win on crime issues with murders rising? Biden thinks so

 06/29/21: Can Dems win on crime issues with murders rising? Biden thinks so

 04/20/21:Afghanistan's war -- and America's stakes in it -- won't end when the troops leave

 03/31/21: Here's why our new cold war with China could be a good thing

 02/25/21: Sen. Joe Manchin drives Dems crazy. Here's why they need more senators like him

 08/11/20: Goodbye to traditional political conventions --- and good riddance



 05/19/20: We won't end COVID-19 with 'test and trace'

 04/07/20: Joe Biden is stuck in his basement. It just might help him win

 03/10/20: Where did Bernie's revolution go wrong?

 03/05/20: Dems give Trump good reason to smile

 02/18/20: Who will be the Un-Bernie?

 02/11/20: Buttigieg wants to be the Goldilocks candidate. It just might work

 01/21/20: The world according to Bernie

 09/04/19: Trump's draft deal with the Taliban looks ugly, but it may be the best we can get

 04/22/19: Something is missing from media-fawning Buttigieg campaign --- his stance on major issues

 03/14/19: Biden, If He Runs, Will Face A Cruel Irony

Doyle McManus

Los Angeles Times

(TNS)

Doyle McManus is an American journalist, columnist, who appears often on Public Broadcasting Service's Washington Week.
CHARLESTON  According to the story told by one of the county officials, a wedding was to follow in case Frank Sullens, charged with criminal assault, had been acquitted by the jury in the circuit court this week, instead of the verdict of guilty, as was returned. At Sullens' request it is said, a Mattoon young woman had been an attentive listener during the trial of the case, and the program was that when the verdict of acquittal came in, Sullens and the young woman would at once go before County Judge Lane, where they would be married. However, their plans went awry when the jury believed the story as told by Miss Deema Brown, the young girl whom Sullens is charged with attacking. Instead of to the altar, Sullens was taken to the county jail, there to await further action of the court...MATTOON  The new Hulman & Co. warehouse under course of construction by James & Shinn at Nineteenth street and Wabash avenue, will be completed next week, and ready for occupancy. This building has a capacity of twenty-five carloads of goods. It is one story in height and has an area of 100x60 feet. The floor is of concrete, and all modern features have been included in its construction.

CHARLESTON  The outbreak of the Mideast war had a very direct effect on two Charleston residents. Dr. and Mrs. Henry Hofacker were in Cairo, Egypt, on one leg of a world tour when fighting began between Egyptians and Israelis. Dr. Hofacker is a Charleston veterinarian. They had left on their world tour Sept. 5 and had already visited various European cities. They arrived in Cairo on Oct. 3 and had planned to leave Oct. 8, but the war broke out two days before their planned departure. "We spent 11 days trying to get out of the country," said Mrs. Hofacker. "It was complicated by the fact that there were about 2,000 tourists, 400 of them American, all trying to get out." Mrs. Hofacker explained that the country had no exits since the airports were closed, and no ships would come into port because of the fighting. "There was really no one to help us," said Mrs. Hofacker. "The American counsel was helpless. They tried to get ships in to take us out, but none would come because they were afraid of being shot at." The Hofackers finally made a 1,100-mile bus trip across the desert to Benghazi, where they were able to get a plane out...CHARLESTON  Mrs. Ruth Hawkins, a fifth grade teacher at Oakland's Lake Crest School, has been named the Coles County Teacher of the Year. She will now represent the county in the Illinois Teacher of the Year competition. Mrs. Hawkins was selected earlier as the Oakland Community Unit 5 Outstanding Teacher of the Year. It was the second consecutive year she had been named for the Oakland honor. Mrs. Hawkins has taught in the Oakland school system since 1958. Prior to that she taught in Greenup, Kansas and Flint, Mich....MATTOON  The county planner has defended a proposal that a portion of Lake Land Blvd. be rezoned from single-family residential to commercial. Planner Richard Dunn of the Coles County Regional Planning Commission told the JG, however, that he could understand why residents of the area would be opposed to the rezoning plan. "No city, no living city, is static," Dunn said. He said zoning considers the growth and decay of cities and then attempts to encourage renewal and growth based on a comprehensive plan.
CHARLESTON  Cries of "free, free Palestine" sounded on Eastern Illinois University's campus on Wednesday as students and community members took part in a rally in support of Gaza.

More than 20 students and other community members gathered on the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Mellin Steps for the rally and then marched across campus. Several participants carried signs, bearing messages such as "ceasefire," "end siege in Gaza" and "war crime."

Hamas forces in Gaza invaded Israel Oct. 7, killing hundreds and taking hostages, and Israel launched an ongoing counterattack and blockaded the Palestinian territory.

Eastern senior Jason Farias, president of the Mixed Identity Student Organization, said they and other student groups at the university organized the rally as part of a national student walkout for Gaza on Wednesday.

"There was definitely a national call to all students who care about what is going on in Gaza," Farias said before the rally, where he and Lincoln Avenue Progressives Coordinator Silver Damsen were among the speakers.

Farias said afterward that he condemns all violence everywhere, including the violence that took the lives of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. However, the history education major said he also wants to raise awareness of the role that Israel played in turning Gaza into a proverbial "powder keg," and how its ongoing blockade and bombardment is taking the lives of Palestinian civilians.

Farias said the conversations he has heard among students about the situation have been relatively minimal.

"There are students who don't know what's going on or they think it's too complicated to engage," Farias said.

Senior Ethan Lozada said he turned out for the rally because he feels the situation in Gaza is unfair for the Palestinian civilians. Speaking during the rally, he lamented that injured and sick Palestinians have lost their lives while seeking medical help under fire.

Photos: Displaced Palestinians shelter in pop-up tent camps in Gaza
The EIU Muslim Student Association and others have invited their classmates to take part in the National Student Walkout for Gaza by gathering from noon-2 p.m. on the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Mellin Steps, next to the Library Quad.

Flyers promoting the rally have been posted on campus and call for a ceasefire and an end to the siege of Gaza. Fighting in this area of the Mideast has been ongoing since Hamas forces in Gaza invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel then began an ongoing counterattack and placed this Palestinian territory under a blockade.
Q: Christmas will be here soon and many of us are making preparations for mailing Christmas cards. I am constantly seeing the Forever Stamps on Facebook advertised for deep discounts. What is the deal on this?  J.B.

Answer: Use caution when approaching these ads. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been warning people that if they find online U.S. postage stamp sellers, selling stamps cheaply, the stamps are probably counterfeit.

The number of counterfeit stamps being sold from online platforms has escalated. Scammers peddle fake stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third party vendors, and other websites, according to the USPIS website. Counterfeit stamps are often sold in bulk quantities at a significant discountanywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their face value. Thats a tell-tale sign theyre bogus.

To make sure the stamps you buy are legitimate, the inspection service advises buying stamps from Approved Postal Providers. These providers include big box, warehouse, or grocery stores.

Approved providers have resale agreements with the USPS and offer small discounts on stamps.

You can also buy stamps online on the U.S. Postal Service website, www.usps.com.

Q: Greenhill Road in Mount Airy has been closed for more than two months to install a new culvert. This is being done by the N.C. Department of Transportation. How much longer will we have to detour Greenhill Road? Its an inconvenience for many.  M.M.

Answer: Good news, it wont be much longer. Michael Poe, the NCDOT division engineer for Surry County told us the status of the Greenhill Road project.

Our District Engineers Office in Elkin is administering this contract work and has indicated we expect the road to be closed through the end of November while the contractor completes this work, he said.

Q: My neighbor in Winston-Salem has been very lax in taking care of their yard this year. Is there a department or somewhere I can report them?  H.L.

Answer: In Winston-Salem you can report them to CityLink by calling 336-727-8000 or call 311 from a smartphone. You can also contact them through the City of Winston-Salem website, www.cityofws.org/172/CityLink.

In Greensboro, you can report overgrown lots to the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department by calling 336-373-2111.

VFW honor guard needs volunteers

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Honor Guard needs volunteers to help render military honors for deceased veterans from all branches of the military.

The honor guard also is active with color guard missions at schools, churches, retirement centers and other civic events. Uniforms and transportation are provided.

Members must be honorably discharged from military service.

For more information or to volunteer, call Cliff Harris, quartermaster, at 336-403-8756, or email clifhar@windstream.net.
The Republican-controlled state legislature cleared Wednesday legislation covering its appointees to NCInnovations board of directors, which includes another familiar Triad economic face.

The N.C. Senate filed Senate Bill 761, which is titled Additional General Assembly Appointments, that also includes several other state government agencies and entities such as N.C. Transportation Department and State Board of Elections.

Among the seven nominees are Cantey Alexander, who retired on Sept. 30 as Truist Financial Corp. regional president for the Triad. His four-year term would end Sept. 30, 2027.

SB761 cleared the Senate by a 28-17 vote Wednesday. The House later passed the bill by a 60-40 vote.

The nonprofit NCInnovation has as its primary goal the commercialization of research developed and funded within the UNC System, utilizing regional hubs with a rural North Carolina emphasis.

The amount is about 35% of the $1.4 billion that would have been provided to the NCInnovation endowment in the Senate version of the budget bill. It remains well above the $50 million provided in the Republican House state budget proposal and Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers recommendation.

Of the $250 million in the 2023-24 budget cycle, up to $50 million could be used as investment income, while up to $90 million of the $250 million in the 2024-25 budget cycle could be used.

Alexander, listed as residing in Watauga County, was nominated by House speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland.

Alexander, 59, and a longtime Triad executive for BB&T Corp. and Truist, retired after more than 35 years in the banking industry.

Alexander was named as BB&Ts Triad regional president in 2003, then became in December 2019 the top Triad-based executive for Truist shortly after Truist debuted following BB&Ts $33.4 billion purchase of SunTrust Banks Inc.

Another noteworthy appointee is Art Pope, who is nominated by Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham.

Pope served Republican Gov. Pat McCrory as his first budget director and served four terms in the N.C. House from 1989 to 1992 and 1999 to 2002.

Pope is chairman and chief executive of Variety Wholesalers Inc., a company that operates more than 350 retail stores in 15 states. He also founded the conservative think tank the Civitas Institute and co-founded the John Locke Foundation and the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.

Pope's appointment is intriguing in that he was a co-author of an email sent in September to House Republicans critical of legislative funding for NCInnovation. Former BB&T chairman and chief executive John Allison also signed the email.

According to Business NC, the email said that while NCInnovations goals of supporting rural technology development, education, and workforce training are indeed noble, this approach does not align with the principles of free enterprise."

"Government intervention and support in the technology sector can create market distortions and stifle true innovation. We believe that fostering innovation should be the role of the private sector, and state resources would be better spent on initiatives that promote competition and minimal government involvement in the economy.

Other appointees are Beth Friedrich, Todd Kasper and Blannie Miller of Wake County, Benjamin Teague of Henderson County and Jeffrey Turner of Lenoir County.

Im excited about the General Assemblys proposed slate because, in my experience, an active and engaged board makes for a better organization, said Kelly King, NCInnovations chairman.

In reviewing this list, I think thats exactly what well have.

King added that a comprehensive review of North Carolinas research commercialization portfolio is under way.

Current high-profile members on NCInnovations board includes Stan Kelly, retired president of the Piedmont Triad Partnership, UNC System President Peter Hans and N.C. A&T Chancellor Harold Martin.

SB761 disputes

Legislative appointees in SB761 also include controversy about nominees to the N.C. Transportation Department and seven new special Superior Court judges.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement Tuesday opposing SB761 because the proposed additional Superior Court judges will be those the people cant vote on, appoints the judges themselves, sets their salaries and allows them to rule on cases that challenge the constitutionality of laws the legislature passes.

Wonder how those cases will turn out?

Theres also concerns expressed by House and Senate Democrats on the new Transportation board nominees, many of whom wont reside in the districts they would represent.

SB761 is a by-product of Senate Bill 512, which shifted several board appointment powers from the governor to state legislative leaders. The bill became law Sept. 10 when Coopers veto was overridden.

A lawsuit of the constitutionality of SB512 has been filed. A court hearing is scheduled for next week for address a request for a temporary injunction of the law.
Nice Wednesday in store. PTO or perhaps a mental-health day?

The next step in a quiet coup is scheduled later today when the legislators formally vote on the maps to be used in elections through 2032.

Unless, of course, one of the inevitable mountain of lawsuits challenging their validity somehow succeeds.

Coup, you say?

Without question, a strong word. But what else would you call it when a handful of like-minded people meet behind closed doors to draw up a plan to seize - and maintain - power for a decade?

Input? We dont need your stinking input.

The Readers Digest version, which those blessed few who pay attention when it matters already know:

Republicans in the state House and Senate, already safely shielded from consequence by veto-proof majorities, redrew district maps to hand themselves a near certain 10-3 advantage (with one legitimate competitive toss-up) in congressional races with similar edges in legislative races.

Rigging maps to favor one party or other is an American tradition almost as old as the Republic itself.

The practice has its own peculiar name - gerrymandering - coined after Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Massachusetts who popularized its use.

Would-be modern day reformers describe it differently.

Voters should pick their politicians and not the other way around, Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director for Common Cause, told me at a forum in 2021.

Mind you, none of it is technically illegal. The courts have ruled that political gerrymanders are perfectly acceptable - to the victor goes the spoils - while maps that intentionally dilute minority voting strength are out of bounds.

That would be Alabama and South Carolina.

But the message sent by the U.S. Supreme Court in rejecting the maps drawn up in those states isnt a courageous stand against racism. Its more like, Dude, dont be so obvious.

At any rate, and it is a straight line from Point A to Point B, the practical effect of such an extreme approach to drawing news districts is that more extreme candidates sail through partisan primaries that more resemble purity tests than civil discourse.

And the logical result is chaos and bitter political divisions that make compromise, once a core value of democracy, an anathema.

Witness the clown car collision in the U.S. House of Representatives.

(Democrats shouldnt be too smug. New York and Illinois, to name two, typically draw maps that wildly favor their chosen candidates.)

There are ways out, however.

The most obvious - and easy to understand - is the establishment of independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, which tend to operate as billed.

Mostly freed from overt pressure, such commissions used in some 22 states try to draw maps closer to the political center where most Americans reside.

Moderate districts box out loons who reside on the fringes and eliminate the tin-foil hat crowd (Greene, Majorie Taylor) and the near-commies (Ilhan Omar).

Another - and more difficult to understand - is ranked choice voting, otherwise known as instant runoff voting, as used in Alaska.

If, say, four candidates are running for a seat in Congress, voters rank their favored candidates one through four in a single election rather than having a primary and a general election.

If a candidate gets an outright majority of first-choice votes, she (or he) wins. If no candidate wins a majority, a new count kicks in.

The candidate who fared worst is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the second-choice pick. If no one wins a majority in that round, the same process is repeated.

Instant run-offs are cheaper (one election rather than two), makes every vote count even if a favored candidate loses and weeds out the bomb throwers who tend to be ranked last.

The system is used in more than 50 cities and in a few states including Alaska and Maine.

In other words, there are ways out of this mess. There is hope, albeit faint, but itll require will to overcome entrenched apathy.

Practice that's hopefully not needed

GREENSBORO - In whats literally a dry run, heavy equipment operators in the employ of the Gate City government will be testing - and training on - snow removal equipment.

Salt spreaders and large trucks equipped with snow plows will lurch around the large parking lots surrounding the Greensboro Coliseum today well away from traffic, parked cars and other unintentional obstacles.

Temperatures are expected to push 80 degrees and the sun should shine brightly all day, weather conditions that will make the exercise appear silly to passersby.

But its far better than learning on the fly when the snow and ice have already flown. And if were really fortunate, the practice sessions will equate to the duck and cover drills some of us practiced in elementary school.

So if you're in the area and notice sparks flying from plows dragging across concrete, relax. It's only a test.
Gov. Jim Pillen spoke of first impressions Wednesday as he toured Lincoln's Total Manufacturing Co.

That first impression came immediately  long before he walked the floor of the enormous metal shop to find men and women representing 17 countries using an automated system to create everything from large trailers, grain bins and chillers  when he entered the South Sixth Street lobby.

It was there that video awaited him. Three-year-old Naomi Stinton, the daughter of CEO Diane Temme-Stinton, welcomed the governor with a heartwarming presentation.

"God bless you. You're doing a good job, Gov. Pillen," Naomi said as the governor smiled widely.

"She's going to make me cry," he said.

It was that kind of day  a day to show their best and take a bow  at TMCO, which hosted a gubernatorial visit by virtue of being named the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Manufacturer of the Year.

The visit came after Pillen declared October manufacturing month, a time to highlight those companies that make products vital to the lives of Nebraskans, while also encouraging students to consider careers in manufacturing.

Earlier in the day, Pillen was at Endicott Clay Products, a company that made it into the final four of the Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska competition, which was coordinated by the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance and the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.

Endicott Clay, a family-owned business, makes clay building materials, including bricks, pavers and tiles.

TMCO, founded in 1974 by Roland Temme, has seen its share of change as it has navigated a landscape that features more open jobs than qualified people to fill them.

"Everybody is using innovation and automation," Pillen said. "Changing how they can do things with the workforce is a big issue."

TMCO, which has about 15 jobs available currently according to President Anwar Rida, competes regularly with Lincoln's best manufacturing plants for the top talent.

It taps the Lincoln Manufacturing Council for students who go through the manufacturing program and has a strong relationship with Southeast Community College as well as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

"We try hard to leverage all of those relationships," said CFO Jamie Warren, who has been with TMCO for about 16 months. "If you've got a good attitude, are willing to work and are willing to learn, we'll get you trained up here."

In addition, it is tapping Lincoln's migrant community to fill out a workforce that's more than 230 strong.

"So it's really interesting because I think you can really study the history of immigration in Lincoln by studying our workforce," Temme-Stinton said. "People come in waves in terms of immigration and refugees, so most recently we have hired Afghanis, Ukrainians, Syrians and Iraqis."

Those migrants and refugees have meshed with others from places like Vietnam and Sudan, to name just a few, to form a cohesive unit, she said.

Pillen said legal immigration is important in filling jobs.

"We've had immigrants coming into the state of Nebraska since our beginning," Pillen said. "So I'm a big-time believer that we need to have legal immigration."

What's behind the growing number of manufacturing jobs? is the US entering a new era for domestic manufacturing? Manufacturing jobs exceed pre-COVID levels Federal auto bailout and post-recession recovery Pandemic relief legislation Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and CHIPS and Science Act
SouthPointe Pavilions on Tuesday announced it will be adding four new tenants, including a well-known national clothing retailer.

Broken threads: College clothing made in factories rife with labor violations, poverty wages Garment workers making college logo gear for top U.S. universities deal with long hours, labor rights violations, wage theft and poverty wages on a regular basis. Can universities do more?

The biggest name among the four is J. Crew Factory, a specialty clothing retailer that makes men's, women's and children's clothing. The store is scheduled to open on the Friday after Thanksgiving in a 5,413-square-foot space across from lululemon at the mall at 27th Street and Pine Lake Road.

It will be the first J. Crew location in Lincoln and join a store at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna as the only locations in Nebraska.

Toy retailer Toy Time plans to open a 6,418-square-foot location at the mall sometime in November. The store, which will be adjacent to Sephora, will carry an inventory of more than 10,000 toy and craft items.

Furniture retailer Lovesac plans to open a store in February adjacent to lululemon. The 3,065-square-foot store will carry the company's popular modular couches that are known as "Sactionals" and its foam beanbag chairs known as "Sacs." The store also sells a variety of home decor.

The fourth tenant is a restaurant called Jojo's Diner, which is set to open by the end of the month in a space shared with Ika Ramen. The eatery, which has three Omaha locations, describes itself as a "modern take on the traditional diners of midcentury America." It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Major retail chains that no longer exist Major retail chains that no longer exist Ames Anchor Blue BI-LO Blockbuster Borders Builders Square Century 21 Circuit City CompUSA Crazy Eddie Crown Books Delia's Dominick's Dressbarn Eckerd's Family Video Frank's Nursery & Crafts Friedman's Golfsmith Gottschalks Hollywood Video Hudson's Just for Feet Kaufmann's KB Toys Kids 'R' Us Linens 'n Things Marshall Field's Merry-Go-Round Mervyn's Modell's Sporting Goods Noodle Kidoodle Payless ShoeSource Pier 1 Imports Sam Goody Sharper Image Sports Authority Sports Chalet Steve & Barry's The Limited Thom McAn Tower Records Tweeter Virgin Megastores Waldenbooks Warner Bros. Studio Store Western Auto Wickes Furniture Woolworth's Zany Brainy
Heres one way to quantify the generosity of Lincolnites: 1,000.

Thats the number the Bike Kitchen  a nonprofit that fixes up donated bikes and gives them away  hit Tuesday when a couple of pickups full of nicely renovated kid-sized bicycles drove into the parking lot at McPhee Elementary School.

One of those 20 bicycles volunteers unloaded and rolled into the school was the 1,000th bicycle donated this year by the nonprofit  a record.

The Bike Kitchen, which was started more than a decade ago by restaurant owner Pepe Fierro, takes donated bikes, fixes them up and gives them away to adults and children who need them. The group works with various agencies  Catholic Social Services, Lutheran Family Services, Centerpointe, several schools, Houses of Hope, the City Mission and caseworkers who have clients they know need a mode of transportation.

McPhee Elementary is a Bike Kitchen regular, having accepted around 400 bikes from the nonprofit for its students over the years.

This is fantastic, said Principal Chris Boden. We have kids that would not otherwise be able to have access to bikes.

School administrators know the families well, Boden said, and know which kids could really use a bike. And they know where to get them.

Bike Kitchen volunteer Annette Thompson doesnt know how many bikes the nonprofit has given away over the years, but she knows theyve hit an annual total of about 700 in recent years, always falling a little short of 1,000.

Until this year. And, its only October, so theyll surpass it, Thompson said.

While it says something about the nonprofit  which is working with the city to move to the old Muny Pool bathhouse near 23rd and N streets  it says more about the generosity of the people of Lincoln, Thompson said.

We just have such a generous community, she said. Those are bikes from our community. We didnt go out and buy 1,000 bikes, these were given by the people of Lincoln.

Speaking of that generosity, the Bike Kitchen could use some more of it. Theyre low on bikes, especially adult hybrids. Anyone wanting to donate can do so  but please make sure someones there when you drop one off. Volunteers are at the nonprofit, 1635 S. First St., from about 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Tuesdays and from about 5-7:30 p.m. on Mondays, and Thursdays.

We need bikes, Thompson said. Tell this generous community to be generous once more.

Affordable housing numbers

Heres a little context for a story I wrote last week involving affordable housing projects that finance a portion of the construction using federal low-income housing tax credits.

Developers have used federal low-income housing tax credits to help pay for affordable housing projects for 37 years  but the constitutionality of a state law setting out how counties should assess the value of those properties is now before the Nebraska Court of Appeals.

The Lancaster County Assessors office, worried that the process set out in state law was resulting in values of zero for some projects, took the issue to the state Tax Equalization and Review Commission. The result: they used a market-based approach rather than the income-based approach set out in state law and assessed values skyrocketed on many of those projects.

Affordable housing advocates say using that approach  rather than an income approach required by state law  threatens the viability of affordable housing projects. County officials say they dont want to increase the costs of affordable housing and are working with state lawmakers to find a way to tweak the law so it passes the constitutional requirement that all property be assessed uniformly and proportionately.

So how many apartments and duplexes are we talking about?

A lot.

Section 42 housing, the federal tax credit program, and Section 8, which provides vouchers for low-income residents, are the main mechanisms for creating rent- and income-restricted housing, said Shannon Harner, executive director of the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority. NIFA allocates the tax credits through a competitive process.

In Lancaster County, there are 34 projects paid for in part with the tax credits, NIFA officials said. Those projects include 266 buildings with 2,042 units, 78% of which (1,610) are rent-restricted as part of the program. The remaining 432 units are market rate.

Seven more projects in the county are in various stages of completion. They include 42 buildings with 797 units, 97% of which will be rent- and income-restricted.

Statewide, there are 370 completed projects that include 2,736 buildings and 13,136 total units. Of those, 12,320, or 94%, are rent- and income-restricted.

An additional 61 projects are under construction across the state, including 633 buildings with 3,303 units, 3,060 of which will be rent-restricted.

That houses a lot of Nebraskans, Harner said.

Another 'yes' on ballot boxes

The City Council on Monday approved an interlocal agreement with the county to add four permanent early voting drop boxes  minus testimony from opponents worried about election fraud.

The Lancaster County Board earlier approved installing permanent drop boxes at Lincoln City Library branches in the four geographic quadrants of the city, over the objections of a group that regularly appears before the board with election fraud concerns.

Lancaster County is an outlier among the state's larger counties in terms of drop boxes: Lancaster County has just one, compared with 13 in Douglas County and seven in Sarpy County. Hall County has just one, but it also has just 32,964 registered voters. Lancaster County has more than 200,000 registered voters, nearly 18,000 of whom used the one drop box.

The drop boxes will comply with a 2022 state law passed to increase voter security, by being locked and secured in concrete.

The only no vote on the City Council came from Tom Duden, who asked whether security cameras would be trained on the boxes (they wont)  a focus of the opponents and Lancaster County Board member Matt Schulte, the only commissioner who voted no.

Top Journal Star photos for October 2023
UPDATE Nebraska State Patrol ID man killed by Seward County deputies on Interstate 80

The Seward County sheriff's deputy who tried to pull over the car driven by a man who was shot and killed by police on Monday had unsuccessfully chased the same vehicle a week earlier, Sheriff Michael Vance said Wednesday.

The car was registered in Adams County, but officials said they are still trying to determine the identity of the man who was shot. Vance said the man was not carrying identification.

The deputy tried to stop the same vehicle last week on Interstate 80 in Seward County after seeing illegal substances in plain view, Vance said, but discontinued the pursuit at some point.

When the deputy recognized the same car in Seward County on Monday, he again attempted to stop it, ultimately pursuing the vehicle into Lancaster County, where the fatal shooting happened.

There were two deputies on the scene once the car stopped, Vance said. When they approached the driver, they noticed a weapon in the suspect's hand, which is what led to the shooting. Vance did not say what the weapon was, nor would he provide any details about the shooting.

The deputies and Nebraska State Patrol troopers attempted life-saving measures, but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating and Vance said he plans to identify the deputies and provide more information when that investigation is complete.

Vance said his office is also conducting an internal investigation.

The pursuit on Monday began around 3:10 p.m. when the deputy tried to stop the driver in Seward County. Instead of stopping, he turned around and drove the wrong way, going east in the westbound lanes, then crossing into the eastbound lanes before eventually stopping, according to a press release the sheriff's office issued on Tuesday.

Both the driver and his female passenger were instructed to step out of the vehicle, the sheriff's office said. Only the passenger got out, and the driver remained in the car.

Deputies took the female passenger into custody and she was booked into the Seward County jail on Monday for two outstanding warrants. Vance declined to name her.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation shut down a stretch of I-80 from Pleasant Dale to west of Lincoln, between mile markers 388 and 392, for approximately four hours on Monday.

As is the case in all fatal Nebraska law enforcement shootings, there will be a grand jury investigation. The grand jury will be held in Lancaster County, where the shooting occurred.

Review of police shootings in Lincoln since 2013 1. Douglas DaMoude, May 30, 2014 2. Tyson Hubbard, March 5, 2015 3. Tareik Artis, Sept. 22, 2015 4. Zachary Grigsby, Nov. 29, 2015 5. Germichael Kennedy, June 26, 2016 6. Thomas Sailors, Jan. 5, 2018 7. Christopher Brennauer, Dec. 29, 2018 8. Joseph Francis Cimino, Oct. 8, 2019 9. Hailey Stainbrook and Christian Alexander, Feb. 20, 2021 10. German Pedraza, Nov. 24, 2021 11. Chace Abney, May 1, 2023 12. Stephen Kafka, Oct. 17,2023
As Republicans in the House of Representatives struggle to select another speaker-designate to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy, 1st District Rep. Mike Flood has secured a so-called unity pledge from each of the candidates that they will vote for the speaker-designate "regardless of who that candidate is" when they face an election on the House floor.

That pledge, aimed at stemming the defections within the fractured caucus that doomed the candidacies of Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio, is well intentioned.

"In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to sign it, because this is the way it's worked for 200 years  people accept the winner of the leadership election inside the conference," Flood told the Journal Star on Monday.

But the unity pledge's sentiment has had no impact on the speaker vote within the larger GOP, where, it appears, the few remaining institutionalists are pitted against the Trump-allied Freedom Caucus, taking only a handful of representatives to scuttle any candidacy.

Nor did the pledge, which commits those who sign it to simply fall in line with the majority vote, create any kind of true unity within the GOP. Somewhat disturbingly, it places caucus above conscience.

The pledge certainly did nothing to secure the speakership for Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota. Selected as speaker-designate, by far the best candidate among the eight who sought the post, Emmer dropped out Tuesday afternoon when it became clear he could not secure the 217 votes needed for election.

Emmers decision to quit the race after just four hours leaves open the possibility of Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana or Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma becoming the next speaker-designate.

Johnson and Hern, like all the previous candidates save for Emmer and Austin Scott of Georgia, voted to decertify the election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Put bluntly, we believe no candidate who is an election denier or voted against certification should become speaker, next in line after the vice president for a presidency that they, groundlessly, see as illegitimate.

It is imperative that the Republican caucus elects a speaker as soon as possible so the House can deal with the critical issues involving Israel, Ukraine, the border and a looming government shutdown

And it is critical that there is a rule change that eliminates the ability of a single member to challenge the speakership  as Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida did to trigger McCarthys downfall. If not, the irresponsible upheaval in the House, which damages the country, will almost certainly be repeated in the weeks or months to come.
President Joe Biden says his visit to Vietnam to showcase stronger ties with Hanoi isn't about trying to start a cold war with China. He says it's part of a broader effort to provide global stability by building U.S. relationships throughout Asia at a time of tensions with Beijing.
For the past 12 years, UW-Parkside associate professor of biology Chris Noto and a team of other scientists have engaged in paleontological research of fossils discovered in Texas.

The team published a paper earlier this month announcing the discovery of a new species of small, plant-eating dinosaur. It is named Ampelognathus coheni (pronounced AM-pell-oh-nay-thuss KOH-hen-ee).

The authors of the publication, in addition to Noto, are Ronald S. Tykoski and Dori L. Contreras of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. Their work appeared in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

In collaboration with Noto, UW-Parkside biological sciences student Sammi Garside-Meyers created scientifically informed artwork of the discovery for public outreach and education. She assisted Noto with reconstructions of other organisms that he is researching and creating learning opportunities for children in the form of coloring book pages.

Garside-Meyers is a senior from Pleasant Prairie who is majoring in biology. She became involved with the project after another professor informed her that Noto could use her artistic talents.

When I finally got to meet him, he told me hed like me to illustrate fossil reconstructions, Garside-Meyers said. I thought that sounded fun, so I started working with him and joined his lab doing both the reconstructions and some illustrations for the anatomy courses.

This most recent illustration is just one of many I have done over the past several months working with Dr. Noto.

With the guidance of Noto, Garside-Meyers role was to draw the reconstructions.

Like each of the previous reconstructions Ive done, Im constantly reminded about how much guesswork there can be when depicting an extinct animal. You do your best with the knowledge you have but never forget youre probably getting a lot of it wrong, she said.

Noto contends that scientifically informed artwork is important due to the rarity of complete skeletons and the ambiguity that lack creates.

What a lot of people dont realize is that most extinct species are based on very fragmentary material  complete skeletons are very rare. Therefore, it can be hard to visualize what the animal looked like, especially when you have so little of it, he said. Scientifically informed artwork enables people to imagine what that organisms looked like and how it fit into its environment.

I have worked with Sammi over the past year to create a series of artistic reconstructions of Woodbine fossils that portray them as the living, breathing things they once were. I certainly do not have the talent or time to complete such a task and I am fortunate Sammi reached out to me about opportunities in my research lab. She has been instrumental in bringing these ancient creatures back to life, Noto said.

Noto is an associate professor of biology in UW-Parksides Biological Sciences Department. His areas of expertise are paleontology, paleobiology, fossils, dinosaurs, and evolution. He has collaborated with the Perot Museum for 10 years and together they have explored various interesting fossil sites around the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

At one site, a museum volunteer found a small and unusual fossil that attracted the interest of Noto and his team. Further study by his colleagues determined this specimen to be a new species of dinosaur. His experience and expertise in the fossils of the area was essential to place the specimen into its proper context with what is known of the ancient community that existed there at that time.

Ampelognathus coheni is the first small-bodied ornithopod dinosaur discovered from the Lewisville Formation (Middle Cenomanian) of Texas. It is based on a partial lower jawbone discovered near Grapevine Lake, in Grapevine, Texas.

The name Ampelognathus means Grapevine jaw, and the species name coheni is in honor of the local fossil enthusiast who found the specimen, Murray Cohen.

The dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous Period 96 million years ago along the shore of a shallow seaway that divided North America into east and west landmasses at the time.

Noto said the discovery provides a previously missing but predicted element of that ancient ecosystem.

Naming a new species is always exciting, because it means were adding new information to science. Ampelognathus is important because it represents the first small-bodied plant-eater to be identified from the Woodbine Group, he said. Up until this point we had very few herbivores and only one of them was a dinosaur, so it presented something of a mystery.

This fossil helps fill in that gap and furthers our understanding of how the terrestrial ecosystem in the Woodbine was structured over 95 million years ago, he added.
Terrorists attacked innocent victims in Israel. This is a war of ethnic cleansing. The victims were chosen precisely for their innocence. The murdering terrorists sought out the vulnerable and the harmless. This attack was a show of force, a show of violence, and a show of brutality. It was Hamas and their Iranian enablers saying that they are willing to be barbarians. They wanted other nations to hold them in awe. I don't think it will work out that way. An Israeli politician said you can't negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you. Here in the United States, there are things we can learn from both the Israeli civilians and from the Israeli government.

We watched over a thousand of Israelis die at the hands of armed terrorists. Many more were wounded. Women and children were murdered or kidnapped. Those are exactly the results you would expect. The point is not that the attackers were some type of super-warriors. Those are simply the results that any trained combatant would expect when disarmed victims face armed attackers. It didn't need to unfold that way.

Let me resize the attack so US readers have a sense of proportion. Keeping the percentages the same and with its larger population, this attack would have killed almost 60-thousand US citizens. That is about twenty times the number of people who were killed at Pearl Harbor in 1941, or during the attack on September 11th in 2001.

Where Israelis were armed and on alert, they defended themselves very well. Examples include Kibbutz Nir Am and Kibbutz Mefalsim. There we also saw the sort of results we expected. .....
Albert Einstein said purportedly that "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," and this applies squarely to restrictions on firearm ownership.

United Kingdom, June 1940

There was a time in the United Kingdom when there were few restrictions on firearm ownership. In 1920, however, the UK required people to get a certificate for permission to own firearms. "Applicants for certificates also had to convince the police that they had a good reason for needing a certificate." In 1937, "the Home Secretary ruled that self-defense was no longer a suitable reason for applying for a firearm certificate and directed police to refuse such applications on the grounds that "firearms cannot be regarded as a suitable means of protection and may be a source of danger." ("Crime and justice since 1750" elaborates on this.)

Then Germany overran France and drove the British Expeditionary Force back across the English Channel minus most of its heavy weapons. Now Britain faced the possibility of invasion by Nazis who would have done to its population what they had already done to Poland and France. The British Lion accordingly got on its collective knees to beg American firearm owners to "Send a gun to defend a British home." Luckily for the UK, the United States did not have "common sense gun laws" so we had extra firearms to share with them.

Did anybody learn from this debacle? Apparently not, as shown in 2022. .....